Thanks for the lovely reviews. I can't tell you how grateful I am :D Oh well, more bombs coming this way! Quick, to the air-raid shelter! Lol.

Chapter 11

Sweet Revenge

Once Otohime left, red-faced and completely devoured of her self dignity, Arkadios stepped in again, and shut the door securely behind him. He made sure that no-one would be able to listen, especially Otohime - the girl was too busy to notice - sitting rigid in the seat with a hot chocolate in her hands, bombarded with girly-thoughts - well, thoughts a girl would have after what Kai had said to her, whatever he did say to her - that was what Arkadios believed.

"Master Kai."

"Arkadios." He began tiredly. "I want to go home."

"I'm afraid you'll have to remain in the hospital for three or more days."

He grunted. "I don't think the plan's working out."

"Oh?"

"Now that Tala's here…"

"What about Tala, sir?"

"Can't you see he's competing with me?" Kai muttered. "He tried to take away Otohime, and he's succeeded."

"Oh, Master Kai, I'm sure Mr Valkov doesn't mean to - "

"So you believe him and not me?"

"Sir - !" Arkadios exclaimed in shock.

Kai was angry. "Tala's even taken away my school life while I'm here with a limp. What's next?"

……….

Oh. My. God. Kai wants me to be his girlfriend.

She didn't believe in it at all.

He's just doing that to torture me again, I know it!

So then, why was she dying to see him once more?

Argh! Okay, stop thinking about that -- I know, I'll agree, get my revenge on the stupid fanclub, and dump him in front of everyone! I'll be known as the girl who ever turned down Kai Hiwatari!

Otohime plopped face-flat on her bed and rolled around in the covers, silently giggling to herself. She came back at three am and hadn't been able to get to sleep since. Her parents had given her the day off today, so she wouldn't be at school.

She didn't think that Kai would be there, either.

In fact, I'll go tell him that he can go and screw himself.

………….

Kai hadn't returned back to school yet, so Otohime's plan to tell him to screw himself wasn't going to come into action anytime soon, unfortunately. Instead, whilst Kai recuperated in Russia reluctantly, she decided that she would try and make the perfect speech which would have all her thoughts and feelings, plus, a long, name-calling session and more horrible remarks put in. She hadn't exactly succeeded yet.

"Hey Otto, what's happened to Kai?" Mariah asked, as she attempted to look over Otohime's shoulder.

Otohime immediately stopped scribbling some words she had thought to use in her speech, and huddled into a corner away from her friends as they sat leisurely in the cafeteria. "Why are you asking me?" She blurted out.

"Because, weren't you the last person to see him?"

That sparked everyone's interest. Mariam was going to bite into sandwich, but now her mouth was just hanging open. Queenie's marmalade slipped off her buttering knife and onto the surface of the table beside her bread slice. Hilary was still eating, but also eavesdropping secretly.

"How would you know that anyway?" Otohime redirected the question.

Mariah sighed. "Ray told me."

Now all girls stared at the pink-haired girl. "Who's Ray??" They all asked in unison.

Mariah looked at her nails. "Oh, that guy who I just have to beat at basketball. We just talk and stuff - "

However, she still did get suspicious looks; Otohime looked at Hilary, who looked at Queenie, and she looked at Mariam, who sent the suspicious look back to Queenie, who passed it back to Hilary and so on.

"When did this happen?" Mariam pressed onto Mariah.

She snorted. "I thought we were wondering what happened to Kai? He has perfect attendance, you know. One hundred percent, now it's ninety three percent."

"Who cares?" Queenie piped up. "You know, Mariah, it seems like you're more interested in Kai now."

"Shut up, Queenie." Mariah threw her bagel at her. Queenie screamed and hid behind Mariam. "I want to know how Otto's going on, that's what."

Otohime raised her chin high a notch. "I don't know. I don't know where's he gone or what he did. I don't care anyway."

"Liar!" Mariah and Mariam both snapped, almost at once.

Otohime winced. "I'm not!"

"Yes, you are! Look, your finger's all twitching and so is your eye. Those are the signs when someone is lying."

Otohime looked at her pinky, which was curled around her sandwich, and it was indeed, jerking rather violently. She cringed. "So what?"

"We're your friends!" Mariah whined.

"Look, if she doesn't want to tell us, then stop pushing her." Hilary snorted, sick and tired of this whole thing. Then again, she had been for a long time.

"Thank you, Hilary!" Otohime said cheerfully, hugging her tightly.

Hilary sighed. Otto, just what are you hiding from us?

…………

Otohime stalked off down the corridor back to her classroom, feeling angry with herself.

Despite the stubbornness she displayed during lunchtime, Otohime had wanted, in fact, to disclose her friends everything that had happened to her - but she just couldn't. She couldn't tell them the way how Kai treated her - and everything he did and said, and Tala. Was it embarrassment? She quickly shook her head and growled in frustration.

Sooner or later, she would have to tell someone about her scenarios between Kai and Tala. She felt bad for being unable to tell Hilary, her best friend - she felt like she was lying to Hilary. It was horrible. Otohime felt stripped of her friends, and even her parents. She couldn't tell them at all. They would be angry at her!

"Hello, Yrana-san."

The voice in front of her made Otohime raise her head up from the ground finally. She gasped and stepped back.

"M-Matuyu?!"

It wasn't only the president of Kai's fan club; Matuyu was surrounded by her fiendish pals and even Shiro was beside her! Argh, Otohime knew this day would come, too! Who knew it'd be so fast - wait, it wasn't that fast.

"I'm glad you still remember me." The girl said, circling Otohime, who felt like she wanted to run away this instant, however, she was mortified and clearly intimidated. What was worse was that Hilary and the rest weren't here to help…

Otohime sniffled loudly. Matuyu let out a shriek of sneering laughter, followed by the rest of her friends. Shiro, however, wasn't. "Already scared? Oh god, this is priceless!"

"W-What do you want?"

"Kai hasn't been to school for a week. What have you done to him?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Don't play stupid, you ugly excuse of a human being - Tala's told us everything."

Otohime felt as if she had just been ripped apart. "T-Tala?!"

"Yeah, so spit it out. What have you done?? As if kicking you out the fan club wasn't enough, how dare you even go after Kai-sama."

The blue-haired girl swallowed. "He-He had an accident!"

Oops.

Matuyu and the other girls seemed to have suddenly frozen on the spot. Although, then Matuyu's expression darkened, and her eyebrows formed a very, very, very tight 'V'. Otohime wanted to run, but felt as if her feet was glued onto the spot. Argh!!!

Matuyu's arm raised, as if she was going to slap Otohime.

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I-It wasn't my fault!"

Then, Otohime's mind reeled. No, it was her fault. The accident was all her fault. If she hadn't left with Tala… and stayed with Kai, or listen to him and come back with him to the Manor. She couldn't believe she had just said that it wasn't her fault. Cowardice, it was cowardice - pushing the blame on someone else - Otohime was shocked. She felt like such a coward! Otohime let out a squeak and clasped her hands over her ears. She felt tears leak out from the corner of her eyes.

Kai… Kai, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… I guess this is my punishment for my cowardice!

Before Matuyu could 'attack', Shiro seemed to have jumped towards Otohime's defense, but he was too slow. Someone else already had.

"Are these people bothering you, Otohime?"

She let out a shaky breath, and then opened her eyes and looked up at her saviour -

Kai.

He was dressed in full school attire and looked perfectly normal.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Shiro was staring blankly at him. "H-Hiwatari-senpai!" He choked, then he looked at Otohime, and back at Kai, gob smacked and began to blubber incoherently like an idiot.

"You okay?" Kai ignored Shiro and turned his attention to the girl he had his arm around.

Otohime let out another pained squeak and clung onto him tightly, smushing her cheek against his chest. She was terrified; of what Matuyu could've done. She hadn't felt that way this badly before. But now Kai was here… she was starting to feel safe again.

Kai glowered at Matuyu next - who seemed to have paled and sucked in her lips. Even her little followers were suddenly cowering behind her. The corridor was also not so empty. There was a crowd gathering, muttering and whispering; some people were staring at Otohime.

"K-Kai…" Matuyu squealed out nervously. Her mouth was opening and closing; Otohime had never seen her look so worn down like this before - and just by one glare from Kai. Wow.

He had also grabbed hold of Matuyu's raised arm, and let go of it roughly. Her arm went swinging limply at her side.

"Y-You're okay." Matuyu breathed out. "T-Then - " She glanced at Otohime, who didn't return the stare. "You two are…?"

Kai raised his eyebrow. Matuyu seemed to have gotten the message and shut up, still staring wide-eyed.

"Get out of my sight." He muttered coldly at her. "You're a sad excuse of a human being in my eyes. And don't you even dare to go near Otohime ever again, you got that?"

"O-Of course…" Matuyu uttered, smoothing her hair. "S-So sorry…"

She ran, pushing past the people and towards god-knows-where to hide the embarrassment of being humiliated by the most popular and richest guy in school. Otohime's jaw literally dropped, and then, she no longer felt scared or brow-beaten, but… triumph, and relief. Even Shiro gave them one last look before running off after Matuyu. And her followers dispersed too, although some had the nerve to still apologise to Otohime.

"Let's go." Kai said, grabbing her closely and dragging her along the corridor.

The crowd soon scattered apart, too. Kai and Otohime were lumbering along the corridor.

"Wait, my classroom's this way -- "

"You're coming with me."

Suddenly, Kai lost balance and lurched forward on the way, and he went down on one knee, hissing in pain. Otohime screamed and knelt down beside him. He had to hold onto her arm for balance.

"Oh god, your knee's not properly healed yet - why did you still come to school?" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Why didn't you listen to your butler and stay in hospital??"

Kai glared. "…How could you let that stupid girl almost slap you?" He demanded.

"I…" She sniffled.

"Well?"

"Matuyu demanded to know what happened to you… and I... I was so scared. I said you had an accident, and then said that it wasn't my fault - but it was! All of it! All of it was my fault!" She snivelled heavily, more tears leaking down her face.

Kai irked. She's crying??

"I'm so sorry, Kai…. I really didn't mean - I didn't want - "

"Shut up and get to the point!"

"Okay - ! Then… Matuyu was going to slap me - and I just braced for it - I deserved it. She was always going to be my superior. I knew it. Really!"

Kai growled low in his throat, then, he grabbed Otohime's face and made her look at him. "No-one." He began coldly. "No-one should ever make you feel weak or inferior."

Otohime blinked dumbly at him. "… Kai…?" her heart began to beat wildly again. Kai was so different now…

I wish I could believe you…

They stared at each other for a few more seconds, although, Kai's eyes travelled somewhat to her lips, and he blinked, then closed his eyes and shoved the thought away. He let go of her. "Stop crying, I hate it when girls cry."

She sniffled.

"I said, stop crying already!"

Otohime whimpered and immediately dried her tears, and just sat limply beside him against the wall. They sat in silence, then, Otohime broke the ice once more.

"Thanks."

"I didn't do anything."

"...You don't know how it feels like to be a loser and a failure."

Kai turned to her, looking bored. "What are you rambling about now?"

Otohime just continued blabbing anyway, suddenly feeling as if Kai was the only one she could talk to. "All these years… I've had to put up with Matuyu and her bullying. I… I never did feel like my place was here. Even though my friends helped me so much, and I'm so grateful, when I came home each day, I'd just cry and think about what happened at school. They all know me to be a loser and a geek. That's what you don't understand. You come home with dozens of chocolates and cards from fan girls pouring their love on you if you'd just accept them."

"Oh, really?"

She was silent, but then, she started to cry again. "I was… I was so unhappy…"

Kai gritted his teeth, closed his eyes once more - then re-opened them and put a hand on the crown of Otohime's head - before mushing her face against his chest. Otohime fell into his lap; thank god this corridor was one that wasn't used very often, and was entirely empty of civilisation. She was stunned for a moment.

"…Kai?"

"I didn't come here for a speech about how pathetic your life is. I came here for an answer." He said.

Otohime froze.

"Do you accept to be my girlfriend?"

She looked up at him; Kai wasn't looking at her, and his hair was covering his eyes. But she could see that he was flushing somewhat. Even that sentence went out as another mumble. Otohime blinked dumbly again, then looked to the side. She quickly rolled out from his lap and got back up, colour draining from her face.

He looked up, once feeling the missing presence and blinked at her.

"… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Otohime mumbled, shaking her head continuously - even her pupils had dilated.

She turned away from him and ran back down the corridor. She could hear Kai shouting at her, but she couldn't hear - she was just thinking back to what she had just said.

I…I just rejected Kai. Even though I didn't say 'no'. He must've gotten the message. He'll probably make my life even more miserable now. Oh god, what have I just done…?