Head Over Heels

Life had never been this difficult for the youngest male teacher at the prestigious Keiko-Tama Private School. Not only was his fiancée cheating on him, he was trying with all his might to not get his irrepressible feelings towards a particular blonde go overboard. However, he had been finding it even harder to achieve this feet ever since she kissed him (twice!) just a few days back.

Although it had been held no special meaning from her part since she had been still in shock that her husband, the man who had promised to be beside her till death, was found hand-in-hand with the brunet's fiancée.

Kanata sighed.

"Sensei…? Are you okay…?"

Kanata finally came to reality as he looked around his class, every one of his students giving him a worried look.

He sighed yet again and said dejectedly as he plopped on his seat looking completely exhausted, "why don't you guys just prepare for tomorrow's test?"

That was when everyone started groaning.

"We have a test tomorrow?"

"A TEST…?"

"Shit!" Kanata cursed under his breath and asked, "Didn't I tell you guys…?"

"NO!" everybody chorused.

Kanata stared from one face to another and then cocked his head sideways and said, "Well, think of it as a pop quiz… and I just slipped out that it's tomorrow…"

"Sensei!" they all groaned again.

"That's SO unfair…!"

"I know," Kanata sighed again as he leaned back on his chair, gazing outside the nearest window.

Chapter 11

The Private Place

Kanata pushed both his hands into his pant pockets as he walked out of the school. He knew that he had made the terrible mistake of leaving his car for service right when the winter winds began to blow.

"Didn't bring your car today?"

Kanata tried not to look at the one woman who was like his walking heater.

He muttered an almost inaudible "no" and stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets, trying to keep them warm.

"You should've worn gloves you know…" she said, now walking at the same pace as the brunet.

"Gotta buy some", he said in reply.

She hummed under her breath and then glancing at him again said warmly, "you should also get a scarf while you're at it…"

"Hn," he acknowledged her concern.

They hadn't taken another few steps when she suddenly stopped. Taken by surprise, Kanata stopped as well and finally turned to look at her.

"Are you mad at me?"

Now, that came as a true surprise.

"What…?" was all that escaped his lips.

She looked up at him, into his amber eyes. He couldn't hold the gaze for more than 2 seconds at the end of which he shifted his gaze.

"See!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him, "this is what I am talking about…"

Kanata sighed, having nothing better to do.

"Wanna go for a cup of coffee?"

~Head Over Heels~

As I sipped the hot cup of cappuccino at the Café Coffee which was a few blocks away from school, I couldn't help but stare at the blonde seated before me, holding an identical cup in her hands, a tentative smile on her face.

"So…" I started, grasping her attention, "why do you keep insisting that I'm mad at you…," and with an afterthought I added, "…which am not".

She averted her gaze from mine and stared at the table cloth.

I took the opportunity to look at her after all I've been obviously trying to avoid her for the past few days. She had let down her hair today which fell all over her, making me yearn to play with them. Her cheeks, which had a beautiful tinge of crimson was really inviting especially in this cold weather.

And her lips…!

I looked away.

Well, it would be safe for the both of us if I stopped staring at her. The events of that night were still etched to my mind, making me think of it even when am sleeping.

"If ever I wanna have an affair, it would be with Kanata…"

Despite myself, I smiled as I remembered that line.

But even now I didn't like the word that she used—affair.

"But you are mad at me, aren't you?"

I sighed.

There she goes again…

What the hell did I do to make her think that I was mad at her?

"What did I do to make you think that I'm mad at you?"

Wow… I actually spoke what I was thinking…

Well, not entirely anyway.

She mumbled something almost inaudible before sipping on her coffee.

"Eh?"

She took a deep breath and said clearly, "You aren't talking to me like before…"

"Before..?"

"Like how we were before that night…" she muttered under her breath, her face a beautiful shade of crimson hue right now.

I was too much caught up looking at her face to even get embarrassed at the mention of that night. But all of this had a depressive etch to it.

Here she was, the woman I was desperately in love with but all I could do is stare at her… stare at her, hopelessly…

The more I yearned for her, the more it seemed like I was doing a big mistake.

When she entered my life, life as I knew it, changed… but I'm still not sure whether it was for the better or for the worse.

I sipped on my hot cup of coffee, thinking of the best response I could give to her query.

"Well, this change was inevitable, wasn't it?"

She stared at me, "What do you mean…?"

"How do I say this…?" I muttered under my breath, still wondering and making sure that I don't look into her eyes.

"Is it because I kissed you?"

Ah… the kiss… Honestly, that was the most twisting moment in my life, surpassing even seeing my fiancée with another man.

Nope! I could never blame the kiss…

It was the best.

But if I tell her what I was thinking, it might just freak her out for sure. So I just stuck to a monotonous reply with no hidden meaning behind it.

"No…"

She looked at me questioningly.

I sighed.

"Can we go somewhere private…? I have some stuff to discuss with you…" she said timidly.

I thought for an entire minute and then having no other option, stood up, ready to take her to the one place I never dared to bring Akira.

"Where are we going?" asked the blonde as she walked beside me along a long road with a line of cherry-blossom trees on either side.

It brought back loads of memories as I silently continued to walk, wishing I didn't have to resort to coming here of all places to make up my mind. But I cannot lie to myself. This was the only place where I could be myself.

Reaching our destination, I stopped.

"The Saionji Temple?" she read the engravings on the stone which was erected beside a long line of stairs, leading up to what looked like a Buddhist Temple.

She looked at me quizzically.

"Are you somehow related?"

"Yep…" I replied, sighing, "This is my home…"

End Chapter 11