Apparently the alert for my last chapter didn't go out since I got a total of 2 reviews for it. Read that first or this one will be a bit confusing. I think some of you are lucky. You get both chapters at once.
Chapter 10: Confrontation
Mr. Tsubouchi dropped the girls off at school, though he wondered at their unusual silence.
Imbri found it intimidating with so many strange people waving and calling to her but Riku's presence made it bearable. She'd never been greeted this way as a knightess. The students were so casual and flippant as they passed, friendly faces everywhere.
Was this what it truly felt like to be ordinary?
They made their way to the homeroom. As they walked side by side, Riku glanced sidelong at her companion. Despite the ordeal last night and that morning, everything that happened back at the mansion seemed surreal, like a strange dream she'd woken from as soon as school came into sight. She just found it difficult to see Imbri as anyone other than her sister.
"Riku!" one of the other girls in class called, coming up with an armload of papers. "You're supposed to help me take these to the office."
"Sure. Risa, are you going to be okay by yourself?"
Imbri glanced up at her with an impassive look. "After dealing with barbarians, wizards, wyverns, and winged thieves this should be simple."
Riku looked around at the room that was beginning to fill with students. She felt more like a big sister than ever. "Your voice needs to be higher, and you should act very…enthusiastic about everything. You're popular, so be nice. And don't mention those kind of things."
"I'll do my best."
Once she left, Imbri went through the desk she had sat down in. There was a small notebook tucked away and she absently flipped through it. A couple pictures of someone with blue hair caught her eye. She wondered who he was and why Risa kept images of him so close.
"Hey, Harada." A boy with a very nosy aura strode over and leaned against her desk with an amount of familiarity that annoyed the knightess. "Guess what? I got another lead on Dark. He's supposed to be stealing something in a couple nights. My pops got the warning letter well in advance, so protecting the artwork should be easy."
Imbri gave him her full attention so that she could tell him something that would normally be impolite, but then Riku's advice echoed in her head: she had to be enthusiastic and friendly.
"Oh how wonderful! Please tell me more." She tilted her head to one side curiously. Her true feelings were quite a different story, but she attempted to suppress them.
"Nuh uh! You're not getting it that easy. I require a little payment the same way a real journalist would. Let's say…a kiss."
"Not interested." Her voice turned uncharacteristically tart. The sly, crafty smile on his face was wiped clean by Imbri's solid fist.
Daisuke entered the room just as Takeshi flew backward and he stared in shock at Risa/Imbri.
What is she doing here? Dark clamored. She should be back at the Haradas' home!
Well, at least we know she's all right. I can't say as much for Takeshi.
Daisuke wasn't the only one staring at Imbri. All activity in the classroom ceased and the students gaped at her. The redhead quickly went over.
"Miss Harada, what did he do?"
"I didn't do squat!" Takeshi protested from the floor. "She socked me for no reason! Aaawwww! I think my jaw's broken!"
"Oops," 'Risa' said mockingly in a high tone. "It was an accident."
He staggered to his feet and limped off to the nurse's office, complaining to everyone he met. Imbri sat at the desk ignoring all the stares of her fellow students. Instead she focused on her hand which was hurting, strangely enough.
"Ow," she noted with surprise, flexing it. "Frail little thing."
The last time she'd injured it was when she'd faced a giant earthsnake years ago. It had ambushed her and spat acid onto her hand in an attempt to maim her. Knightesses were taught to be ambidextrous and the andora was just as deadly in her left hand. The amount of pain from the poison was about the same as a simple strike to someone's jawbone.
Then she realized that Daisuke was still staring at her. Folding her hands neatly on the desk, the girl with long, brown hair gave him a questioning look.
"May I do something for you?"
"N-no! I just—sorry." Red-faced, he retreated and sat down. Dark was still yammering and it was giving him a headache.
Neither of us can do anything about her in front of anybody right now, so why are you shouting? he reasoned. I'm sure she'll be fine, otherwise she wouldn't be here at all.
Oh really? How long was she here before she punched your buddy?
Point taken. But how am I going to get her to leave if she's supposed to be Miss Harada? I'd never ask her to skip school!
She can't stay here.
Of course not. I'll bet I can talk to her during lunch and get her to go home. It's only a few hours away. All she has to do is keep quiet.
Why do I get the feeling that somehow it'll never be quite that simple with Imbri?
Daisuke started to get a bit disconcerted as Imbri's eyes continued to follow him. She said nothing, but she stared as though trying to see through him. He pretended not to notice, but her steadfast gaze made his hair stand on end (in a different way). Luckily the teacher came in and her attention was diverted. He began breathing normally again, surprised at his own discomfort.
First block was math, which made absolutely no sense to her and Riku had to keep writing the answers on her paper. The class eventually dissolved into geology which she was able to follow more comfortably.
At long last the kids filed out to the gym. Imbri had hardly said a word all morning after the incident with Takeshi, and trailed along behind the rest of the class.
In the dressing room Riku pointed out her uniform and then everyone met on the gym floor. The teacher had them line up in rows and begin stretching exercises. The stranger was still rather confused about the purpose of this class, but said nothing. It wasn't her place to object.
Imbri's attention wandered as she stood in the very back. This was so childish! Surely they had better things to do. Her eyes strayed to a long balancing beam and recognition lit her features. She remembered such things from her training.
The instructor's attention was elsewhere and Imbri slowly edged over to the beam. It was made from a much different material, but the concept was the same. She wondered if her new body was able to do a simple exercise she'd done as a child, before her knighthood.
Mounting the head-high beam at the very end, she tested her balance. Finding it sufficient, the girl made a slow cartwheel. On the next one she stopped halfway, doing a handstand with her legs extended in a wide V. Risa's weak arms began to shake from the unaccustomed strain, so Imbri gathered her strength in one breath. She gave a mighty shove, spinning and righting herself to land precariously on the beam with one foot.
Her adrenaline was flowing and she grinned at the rush. Perhaps Risa was stronger than she appeared.
Applause reached her ears, accompanied by a few enthusiastic whistles. Turning her head, Imbri realized the entire class had been watching. Riku wasn't smiling or clapping, however. Neither was the teacher.
"Risa, if I had known you were so anxious to distract the class, I would have set the beam up where the whole school could watch your showmanship. Get down from there right now!" the woman yelled, dropping the sarcasm.
She clambered down and stood at attention. The teacher tried to appear angry but Imbri could see the surprise and pride in her eyes.
"I got carried away. It won't happen again," she promised. It probably wouldn't.
In the girls' locker room, Riku and Imbri dawdled until they were the only ones left. As soon as the other girls had all gone, the elder twin turned furiously on her and exploded.
"What was that? You're lucky she didn't put you in detention! I heard about what you did to Saehara earlier, and that's enough for you to get expelled. Thank goodness he's afraid to admit a girl beat him up. You should know better, Risa!"
Imbri waited a few moments after Riku was done ranting, considering her words carefully. "Why did you just call me 'Risa'?"
The twin blinked in confusion and then remembered what she had said. "Look, I meant to say your name."
"Just because I'm in her body doesn't make it easy for me. We're two different people with two different lifestyles and practically nothing in common. I can't read, nor do I understand this 'math' of yours. I realize that according to your standards I'm very uneducated, and yet because of my appearance you expect me to 'know better'. How much more do you want me to do before I fail entirely?"
The auburn-haired girl flinched visibly. "Listen, it's lunchtime in a few minutes. Go to room 328 and tell the nurse that you feel sick. She'll send you home if you insist. You attended gym class, which is all Risa wanted. I'll see you after school, okay?"
"Very well."
The school bell donged three times and all the students scattered. Imbri tried to find room 328, but since she couldn't read the numbers, just picked doors at random. One of them turned out to be the guys' restroom, though only one guy was occupying it. Takeshi was staring critically in the mirror at the bruise along his jaw. When he saw her, he freaked out and bolted to hide in a stall.
Unfortunately, he forgot to open the door first and ended up bouncing back to land on the floor in a senseless heap.
"Wrong room," she decided with a shrug.
The knightess was unable to locate it, though, and simply left. As she was passing through the gate leading off-campus, someone in the shade of a nearby building joined her. Imbri halted in astonishment.
"Dark?"
The Phantom Thief was dressed quite differently than usual in a school uniform, though she thought it unlikely that he attended there, but his mess of violet hair was unmistakable. His eyes were what attracted her attention. They were furious.
Her own anger rose to meet his. After their last meeting she's thought he would leave her alone permanently, but it seemed the pendant's reaction to their kiss wasn't enough to dissuade him.
"What are you doing here, Imbri?" he questioned, gritting his teeth. "You and Risa should be safe at home. Is she out somewhere in the city playing with your andora?" His voice was sarcastic.
"Don't patronize me! I'm only here because Risa asked me to come. I'm going now so you don't have to bother me. Let go!"
"I'm taking you back." He had taken her by the arm and propelled her toward the street.
"Dark, don't! I know the way and I'm not a child!" He ignored her words and hardly paid any attention to her struggles. Infuriated, she screamed, "You never listen to me! You always treat me as though I can't take care of myself!"
"If you don't want to be treated like a kid then stop acting like one," he snapped. They reached the other side of the street and he released her.
She glared at him, rubbing her wrist. "You have no idea what I've had to live with. I'm over a hundred years old, Dark! I used to wonder why people aged while I didn't. I've always been different, but I can't even pretend to be normal! That's all I ever wanted. You don't know what it takes for me to admit that."
The Phantom Thief's expression grew disgusted. "You selfish brat! All you ever think about is yourself. You say you're a hundred? I'm four hundred! I'm cursed too. There's no way I can ever be with any woman, which is why I've always pursued them. I keep hoping somehow I can break my curse, but I know I can't."
"What? But you kissed—"
Dark interrupted, gesturing angrily. "I couldn't be with you even if I wanted to! You're just like all the others: I was only using you, trying to find some temporary measure of happiness. And guess what." He leaned closer. "It didn't work."
Without warning Imbri's hand came up and she slapped him as hard as she could. If she'd been in her own body, it probably would have sent him sprawling, but as it was, Dark just stood over her with a red handprint etched onto his cheek, completely stoic.
"You're lying to yourself," she spat venomously. "If you didn't care at all, you wouldn't have bothered to say anything to me. At least now I can tell you the truth: there is no way that I would ever have been with you even if the world was at stake and our union was the only thing that could save it. Do you know why? Because I hate you!"
Perhaps it was just seeing that look of pure hatred on Risa's face, but Dark blanched. For a moment he forgot Imbri. All he could see was Rika glaring out at him from those amber eyes. He jerked back so suddenly that the knightess was surprised.
"It looks like we wasted each other's time playing out this charade," he said after a short moment.
"It took you this long to figure that out? You must have really been infatuated with me, Phantom Dark." Her voice was mercilessly taunting. "Get out of my sight, naghir," she commanded with a sneer.
The tall man recognized the word. His eyes narrowed menacingly and his fists clenched, but he didn't say anything. Dark turned and stalked away. Her footsteps receded behind him as they separated.
He hadn't meant to lash out at her enough to prompt that sort of response. Maybe he was lying, but it was for her sake. He'd never want to hurt her the way he'd hurt Rika so long ago.
Then again…it looked like the one who was wounded was himself.
"I would rather you had never known me." Her words from the last night they'd spoken echoed in his head.
Imbri strode away from Dark, but as soon as she turned into an alleyway, she ran. She flew down another street and along that for a ways before changing direction again, and then again and again until she had lost all sense of direction. A sheltered corner along the side of a building became her refuge and there she fell to her knees.
No tears came to her eyes, but they wanted to and her shoulders shook with dry sobs as she struggled to keep the flood back. She could lie to him, but not to herself. Hope had been taunting her since she'd seen the Rose, but now that he had expressed his true feelings…there was no point. What was she to do now?
Lost in both mind and body, she stood and began to wander aimlessly along the foreign streets, not knowing where she went and certainly not caring.
Have you ever thought someone really liked you, and then one day seemingly for no reason they yank your heart out and stomp on it?