Meeting
Aladdin
Alibaba-kun emerged from his house at the same time Mor-san chose to knock on his front door.
"Oww!" "Alibaba!"
Mor-san reached out to the blonde holding onto his possibly broken nose, "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay Morgiana." Alibaba-kun waved her hand away from causing any more damage to his slowly reddening face.
"Are you sure?" She voiced her concern, anxiety overcast Mor-san's face while she attempted another touch to his face.
Alibaba-kun quickly quelled her worry and gently put her hand at her side, "Yeah, yeah. That didn't even hurt. Not at all."
Aladdin's lips curved forming a very cheeky smile directed at his best friend, "Ohhhhhhhhhh. I'm sure if I was the one who punched you in the face, you'd be strangling my half dead body by now."
Alibaba-kun shut the door behind him tossing a look at Aladdin which clearly told the smiling magician to shut up. If only those two could just see it. Mor-san's innocence and Alibaba-kun's dense natures weren't helping the magician in the slightest. He let out an audible sigh as the trio walked out of Alibaba-kun's front yard. Mor-san made a third shot at tending to Alibaba-kun's face which was slowly recovering its original colour. The silver car Aladdin hoped to ditch this morning pulled up at the sidewalk, its motor hummed amid the sound of trees being battered by the cool breeze close by. Kouha-kun's backseat window rolled down, his pink eyes trailed on the group – particularly its shortest member.
"Morning," He said and the trio replied the same greeting, "It's good to see you after such a long time, Aladdin. Now get it."
The door opened but Aladdin took a step back with a firm grip on Mor-san's arm. He plastered a kind smile which wavered slightly to his friend, "Listen. Kouha-kun." His voice was more nervous than he thought it would be.
"I'm listening." He wore a calm front hiding the cruel dragon Aladdin's all too familiar with – one who dislikes any objections to his unreasonable requests and decreed demands. Kouha-kun's blazing eyes contradicted his casual smile.
"Well," Aladdin partially hid himself behind Mor-san, "I just got out of the hospital and I thought maybe I should walk to school today."
The pink haired boy smirks, "But you'd be walking in the sun, that can't be good if you're still recovering, right?" He stepped out of the car.
"Some fresh air will make me feel better." Aladdin countered.
"Aladdin get in the car." There came the dragon.
Aladdin must have squeezed Mor-san's arm harder than intended since she shrugged him off, "But…Mor-san said she wants us to go to school together today."
"Of course Morgiana can come to." Kouha-kun opened the back door wider for entry.
"What about Alibaba-kun?" Mor-san asked Kouha-kun whose face contorted in a revolted way.
He sighed, "Fine. That can come too."
"Hey, don't call me-!" Kouha-kun opened the passenger door and slid inside, completely ignoring anything Alibaba-kun had to say.
Aladdin sat in the comfortable back seat of Kouha-kun's car with Mor-san wedged between him and a fuming Alibaba-kun.
"The hospital, huh. What happened to you?" Kouha-kun clicked his seat belt into place as they drove down the street.
Aladdin looked out the dark window on his right, "I got into a bit of a fight, nothing serious."
"Oh?" Kouha-kun said with interest, "With who?"
"Judal."
From the corner of his eye Aladdin saw Kouha-kun's head whip to the side, his pink eyes stared widely at the magician, "You seriously fought Judal!?" Aladdin nodded.
"Must've been going easy on you." Kouha-kun searched Aladdin's body for any noticeable wounds.
"Unlike what he did with you." Everyone's sights set on Alibaba-kun seated behind Kouha-kun narrowing his eyes at the smug blonde.
"Have something to say?" Kouha-kun's venom induced voice stated, "Then spit it out."
"No, no. I'm sure you're the one who'd come up with the excuse that you went easy on Judal when you fought him weeks ago in front of his house." Aladdin wondered where Alibaba-kun got ahold of that information.
"And?" Kouha-kun's boredom rolled off his tongue.
"You were a wreck." Alibaba-kun took pride in getting Kouha-kun annoyed.
Kouha-kun huffed, "Hn. Have any proof of that dumb lie?"
Aladdin's head zoomed left and right continuously as the two metal vessel users lashed out retorts at one another. His neck started aching, "Not me, but someone else."
"That someone being…?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Okay, liar. I knew you didn't have anything." Kouha-kun's obviously baiting Alibaba-kun to admitting the truth.
"Kougyoku showed me a picture on her phone." And he just fell for it.
"She has a picture!" Kouha-kun seethed, the creases on his brow thickened as his mind plotted how best to deal with this situation.
"But, you didn't hear that from me." Kouha-kun ignored Alibaba-kun once again.
"I have to destroy that phone!"
"Why not just delete the picture?" Aladdin's glad this conversation's no longer about him, pitching in his own opinion.
"Hmm…okay, but you're going to help me." Kouha-kun gestured to Alibaba-kun.
Alibaba-kun folded his arms defiantly, "And why would I do that?"
Kouha-kun's sly smile returned, "You really wanna know?"
Alibaba-kun couldn't hide how much that face intimidated but also irritated him, "Enlighten me."
Kouha-kun motioned with a finger for Alibaba-kun to lean forward. He whispered something in the blonde's ear which made Alibaba-kun's face redder than getting a punch from Mor-san. Aladdin just has to know the cause of that utter embarrassment on his best friend's face.
Alibaba-kun shrank into the seat at his back, "Y-you wouldn't."
"You really want to test me now of all times?" Kouha-kun smirked waggling a finger between Aladdin and Mor-san, "In the presence of these two?"
"Okay, okay, I'll help you. Just…shut up." Alibaba-kun grumbled while facing the window. Aladdin's made his decision. He will get down to the bottom of this mysterious blackmail.
A deranged snicker escaped the boy seated in front of a depressed Alibaba-kun as the car pulled into the school's half empty parking lot. A slight drizzle descended on the school grounds as they made it inside the main building. Aladdin broke off from his three friends, shouting out his goodbyes while he ran towards homeroom. With five minutes to spare Aladdin walked to Class A.
'Yamr-san.' He hugged himself just thinking about his favourite teacher with her bright smile, the best fashion sense you can imagine and her gentle cloud-like embrace whenever the two were alone. Although, half the time Aladdin ended up in pain while flattened to a wall.
He opened the classroom door, his cheerful voice matched his mood, "Good Morning!"
He got no reply which was strange. What's stranger is the fact that all his classmate were seated at their desks and the class was deathly silent even if homeroom hasn't started yet.
"Well if it isn't Class A's celebrity star pupil," A voice he's never heard before came from the man standing at the front of Yamr-san's desk. He wore white robes identical to the principal's devoted followers with a mask covering the upper half of his grim face. Those cold dark eyes made warning signs go off in Aladdin's head, "Close the door and get to your seat."
"Y-yes, sir." The door slammed shut and Aladdin rushed to his desk near the front, closest to the open windows. He glanced at Sphintus-kun who for the first time since Aladdin's met him wasn't smoking from his pipe.
"Think you can just enter homeroom late because all your lecturers believe you're some sort of magical genius?" Aladdin can sense the obvious animosity aimed at him from the teacher who's replaced his Yamr-san.
Aladdin defended himself, "No sir, I-"
"Oh, speaking back to your teacher are we?" The unfriendly man's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Detention."
"What!" Aladdin's voice erupted.
"That's double detention!"
"But-" Aladdin was stopped by the meter rule directed at his throat.
"Don't make it triple, Abraham."
Aladdin gasped, earning odd looks from his classmates. No one should know about that name. The principal's made an exception to students who didn't provide their full names for personal reasons on registration day and Aladdin's sure he's never mentioned his last name to anyone, especially not to some stranger he's never met.
At that final threat, Aladdin kept his mouth closed. Yamr-san's substitute – who goes by the name Ithnan – took the role then immediately began first period without awaiting the bell. As the tall man wrote on the blackboard Aladdin turned to his right at Sphintus-kun who sat in the seat diagonal to his. The white haired healer was half asleep with squinted eyes trying to make out what was on the board. The heavy silence in the class was disturbed by Aladdin's whisper, "Who is he?"
A whisper was all it took for Ithnan to turn back with his beady gaze focused on Aladdin who sat upright in his seat as if he said nothing.
"Abraham, shut up." He snapped, returning to the board to write out a magic formula.
Aladdin opened up his notebook and proceeded to write out what his new teacher was jotting down like the rest of his quiet classmates. After two minutes he felt a nudge on his chair. Turning back to see Sphintus-kun who mouthed, "The Magician from He-"
"Abraham!" The meter rule crash landed onto Yamr-san's desk, nearly snapping in two by the force Ithnan put into slamming it downward.
"Wha- It wasn't me!" Aladdin couldn't throw his friend under the bus but…
Ithnan's sharp eyes fell onto Sphintus-kun who's now wide awake, "Carmen."
"What?" His snake coiled lazily around his neck as Sphintus-kun replied disrespectfully, abandoning the fear Ithnan's instilled in all of Aladdin's terrified classmates.
"You'll be joining Abraham in detention this afternoon," Ithnan's eyes patrolled the classroom, "Would anyone else like to join them?"
He took the silence as a no and got back to drawing on the black board. Aladdin made the wise decision of staying quiet and out of his moody teacher's way for the rest of his note taking.
"Now as you can see…" Ithnan gave a short explanation of the formula which would allow a magician to manipulate the second type of Rukh, "…but this formula is also incomplete and I'm sure most if not all of you carelessly took it down when I never asked you to."
Everyone looked like they had something to say but each person kept a tight restraint on their tongue as the older magician standing up front continued, "Now, I want someone to come up to the board to finish this off- Abraham."
In a split second a piece of white chalk was handed to Aladdin by the over excessively strict teacher. Aladdin looked up to meet Ithnan's frightening gaze.
"Okay." He gripped the chalk firmly.
"I didn't ask for a reply, I asked for a completed formula." Aladdin arose from his seat and took to the board where everyone's eyes were on him. A particular pair bored holes into his back as he tried focusing on the board. Aladdin analyzed the formula in silence, searching the text for something – anything out of place.
'There!' He noticed where the mistake was written near the beginning of the entire script. Aladdin erased the incorrect wording and skillfully wrote out the right answer. He searched for confirmation on the blank stare that was never changing on his teacher's features.
"Wrong." Ithnan said bluntly.
"What?" Aladdin looked back at the board. He's sure this is right.
"Would anyone else like to save Abraham from embarrassment by erasing that…nonsense he just wrote and place in the correct answer?" Ithnan offered the class. Aladdin noticed the hand of one of his classmates shoot up. It came from the front seat next to Aladdin's.
"Alexius." Ithnan beckoned for the student to come forward.
A young lady came up to the board beside Aladdin with the cutest smile he's ever seen on any girl in his class. She walked towards him with confidence, hair tossed by a sudden gust of wind which entered through the window. She stole the piece of chalk from Aladdin's hand. This girl sits right next to him but why's Aladdin never noticed her before? The blonde beauty tip toed to adjust one of Ithnan's symbols and she erased Aladdin's portion and rewrote the initial piece of formula Ithnan wrote out. She smiled in satisfaction, glancing Aladdin's way a little too condescendingly.
"Thank you, Alexius. Would you explain to the class what our celebrity magician failed to realize was the correct answer?" Ithnan's facial expression hasn't changed in the slightest.
"Certainly," 'Wait a minute…' "You see he attempted to…"
'That voice…is she a nee-san or a nii-san?' Aladdin stared at his classmate, analyzing her figure instead of the formula she pointed to on the board.
"And so…eh?" Blue eyes peered down to Aladdin's tiny hand investigating her…or his chest.
'Nothing…or is she just too flat?' He squeeze but couldn't find any boobs.
Aladdin's classmate screamed, confirming she's a girl, "What are you doing!" Her face was flushed red as she yanked his hand away.
"Oh, I was just wondering if you were a girl or not. You don't really have boobs and I couldn't tell by just your voice," Aladdin rounded behind her, gently touching her behind, "Your butt's kind of big though."
She screamed again, jumping by the stroke of Aladdin's hand.
"Abraham." Aladdin heard a hiss so cold his blood froze within his veins.
Ithnan's expression finally changed but not for the better, "Double detention. Everyday over the next two weeks."
Aladdin's classmate cast an angry glare at him from the front of the class before running out into the hall. Ithnan dismissed class early, locking everyone else in the class with some form of high level magic until lunch period.
Aladdin and Sphintus-kun walked down the halls to the cafeteria. His friend laughed beside him but Aladdin hadn't found his jokes funny, "I-I…I can't believe you did that!"
Sphintus-kun has been at it ever since that blonde ran out of class.
"Anyone can make that mistake." Aladdin still doesn't know what he or she really is.
"Yeah but you could have just asked…well no, he might have reacted in a negative way if you straight up ask him what his gender is." A small tear formed at the edge of his right eye.
"But what I really want to know is where did Ithnan come from?" And why that man has some one sided hatred for Aladdin.
"He just showed up to class Wednesday morning after Yamraiha left in a hurry with her bags and some papers. She mentioned something about a magic conference in Magnostadt for a few days. You should have seen her though, she was literally drooling at the mouth on her way out with Mogamett." 'Yamr-san!'
Aladdin finished off his inner screaming for his lovely teacher to return to him, "Okay well we just have to suffer through Ithnan for a few days, right?"
"Well, you have him for an extra two weeks since you…since you…" Sphintus-kun snickered at the scene from class forever etched into his brain.
Aladdin ignored the laughing fit, "But what I don't get is why he's so harsh when it comes to me."
"Maybe…maybe you tried to find out if he has boobs under all those robes!" Aladdin left Sphintus-kun behind, "Hey, wait Aladdin. I'm joking."
Aladdin entered the cafeteria to enjoy the company of Mor-san and Alibaba-kun who sat alone at the table. He's in half a mind to give those two some quality time together but Sphintus-kun had to ruin the moment by sitting at the table next to Alibaba-kun.
"Hey guys, listen to this. So Aladdin and I-" In seconds Sphintus-kun was out like a light thanks to the anti-insomnia incantation Aladdin's been working on. He's not very good at life magic so he's not even sure how long the spell will last. Oh well, he'll worry about the negatives later.
Aladdin dropped into the seat next to Mor-san, "Sphintus-kun is just tired, don't mind him. So, did I interrupt anything?" Aladdin searched Alibaba-kun's face for any indication but didn't get any.
"No, not really." Mor-san shrugged.
Aladdin plucked a few grapes from Mor-san's lunch. He's sure she wouldn't mind.
"Umm…" Three pairs of eyes tuned into the voice from the dark haired boy standing behind Aladdin and Mor-san, "Hey."
"Hi." "Hello." "Hakuryuu."
Aladdin felt Mor-san tense up at the stranger's presence which was odd for her. This alleged 'Hakuryuu' brought a friendly smile to his face.
"I was wondering if there's any space at your table?" He asked, shifting his weight from one foot to another.
Aladdin eyed the yummy looking food in his hand, "Sure, why not!"
Hakuryuu-kun smiled, "Thanks." He sat on the other side of Mor-san.
'He could have sat next to Alibaba-kun, there's more space on that side of the table.' Aladdin leaned forward to get a closer look at the new addition to their table, "That smile…you're Hakuei-san's little brother, right?"
"Um, yeah." He uncovered his spaghetti lunch box.
The resemblance was spot on, "Hakuryuu-kun. Oh, so you're the one she told me about."
Hakuryuu-kun looked past Mor-san to get a better look at Aladdin as he asked, "You know my sister?"
"Yeah I was at the same hospital she's in right now for a little while. I took good care of her when the nurses weren't around." Aladdin cast a meaningful glance at the food Hakuryuu-kun stuck a plastic fork into.
Hakuryuu-kun hesitantly pushed the tray across the table, "Oh, well…thanks. I didn't get your name."
"Aladdin." He beamed receiving from Hakuryuu-kun the same look Mor-san gives him whenever Aladdin smiles too brightly. Aladdin ravenously tried the food offered to him. Hakuryuu-kun's such a nice guy. Aladdin's so hungry!
"Nice to meet you." Hakuryuu-kun turned to Alibaba-kun from across the table with an outstretched hand.
"Alibaba." The two shook.
"Hakuryuu." Hakuei-san's little brother bowed to everyone seated at the table.
"And this is Mor-san!" Aladdin hooked onto her arm, shaking her up.
"Yeah, we've already met." He said softly and Mor-san made no response, she simply stared into space in that Mor-san way she always does.
Alibaba-kun was suddenly yanked out of his seat, his leg kicking Sphintus-kun in the back. The latter made no indication of feeling the kick and there's no visible sign that he'll be waking up…should Aladdin be worried?
Alibaba-kun stumbled as he regained his footing, meeting Kouha-kun's smiling face, "Hey, we've got work to do or have you forgotten?"
Kouha-kun turned to everyone else at the table. He smiled kindly at Mor-san and Aladdin whose interest was partially on the half empty container of food. The food was taken away by Mor-san who gave it back to Hakuryuu with an apology which he accepted. Aladdin picked up the look of disinterest the Ren siblings shared on sight of each other.
"Come on." Kouha-kun forcefully dragged Alibaba-kun away without a second look.
"You don't seem to get along with Kouha-kun." Aladdin commented as Hakuryuu replaced the plastic utensil with a new one.
"There's no perfect pair of siblings after all." Hakuryuu shrugged, taking a bit out of his lunch.
"True." Aladdin mumbled.
Hakuryuu lowered the fork from his lips, "You don't get along either?"
"Nope. Never will." Unless Judal redesigned his rotten personality.
Something fell off the side of the table, cranking all three heads to the opposite side of the take where Sphintus-kun fell backwards. Aladdin crossed over and examined the body which earned looks from a few students in the cafeteria. Aladdin nudged Sphintus-kun's shoulder with his foot but there was no response.
Okay, now he should be worried.
Alibaba
"This is worse than blackmail. It's torture!"
His psychotic jovial classmate laughed, "It's your own fault for doing that in public. I just so happened to be passing by and gathered evidence. What, would you rather some stranger see that and spread it across the school instead kind, gracious me whose keeping it to himself?"
"For his own sick amusement!" Alibaba retorted.
Kouha sneered while toggling through his phone, "Yeah it is."
Alibaba was directed to the back exit, the two waited for the hall to clear out with no one in sight. Kouha carefully opened one of the heavy double doors. Within the slightly open space Alibaba spotted Kougyoku all alone seated on a pale pink blanket lying among the tall grass under a large tree. Kouha closed the door turning to Alibaba.
"Now here's the plan. You're going to distract Kougyoku as best you can. Then when she's not looking you'll take the phone from her bag. It's usually in the small side pocket. After that you'll make up the perfect excuse to ditch her then bring the phone back to me. So simple even you can't screw things up."
Alibaba stared at Kouha in disbelief, "Yeah about this plan, where do you come in?"
"Of course I have the most important job. I'll be the one standing here watching you, making sure you don't make a mess of this plan."
"So you're saying I'm doing everything." Alibaba should have seen this coming.
"Quit stalling and get out there already. Lives are at stake." Alibaba was shoved out the doors.
Kouha kept the doors locked from the inside so Alibaba was unable to go back in no matter how much he pulled on the door. He sighed, slowly approaching the smiling girl who hummed an unfamiliar tune while picking a few white flowers in full bloom from the field.
"Kougyoku." He called from behind her.
Kougyoku's shoulders tensed up by his sudden appearance, head spinning to take in the sight of him. Her initial shock faded when she realized it was only Alibaba.
"Alibaba-chan!" Glee was completely evident on her face, holding a bunch of flowers made the scene even more appropriate, "What are you doing here?"
"I…" 'Really wish I wasn't here', "noticed you were all by yourself so I thought I should kept you some company for a while."
Alibaba didn't like lying to her but once this stupid mission's accomplished everybody wins, right? Kouha gets his picture deleted, Alibaba's own embarrassment which shall not be named will be erased as stipulated in their agreement and Kougyoku…will be a kinder sister by getting rid of something disliked by her brother.
"So what are you up to?" He looked down at the bundle of freshly picked flowers beside her. Three were in her hands as she twisted them together in some form of knot Alibaba's never seen.
"Oh nothing really. I thought I'd try making something," Kougyoku patted an empty spot next to her and he casually sat down, "You'll wear it once I'm done, won't you?"
"Umm, sure," Alibaba tried a hand at the floral arrangement making, "I'll try making something too."
He took up four flowers, spotting Kougyoku's messenger bag behind her with her phone conveniently poking out of a pocket he could easily reach. While she's distracted, he'll just…
"Done!" She held out a…what is that?
Alibaba stared at the small circle of flowers, their stems bent and partially brown in an unrecognizable form that brought shame to the jewelry making name, "It's a bracelet. Try it on Alibaba-chan."
He held out an arm, all the while using one of his feet to kick the phone gently out of the bag without its owner noticing. The flower bangle turned out to be too small, Kougyoku pouted.
"I'm sure it will fit me." She slipped it onto her own wrist without effort.
"Wow, it's very pretty on you, Kougyoku." At that comment she froze, staring at Alibaba in startled astonishment.
"You…you think so?" She looked at the bracelet with pity, "It's kind of ugly."
"No, no. All you need now is a necklace to match," He held out the perfectly circular braided bunch of flowers he created, "Or a crown."
Alibaba placed the ring on top of Kougyoku's head. She touched the crown while her eyes held his firmly, a sudden mad rush of red overtook her face. That or Alibaba must have imagined it since Kougyoku covered her face with the long sleeves of her dress.
"Would you…teach me how to make one?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with the energy to learn.
"Sure."
Alibaba spent the rest of his lunch period with Kougyoku who's pretty nice to be around. He can't understand why people would think she's scary and won't talk to her like she mentioned they did. Two completed crowns sat between them with the initial seated on top of Kougyoku's head.
"So who would Kougyoku give this one to?" Alibaba carefully picked up a crown, "Judal, maybe?"
She smiled with a blush, "No, he'd think it's stupid. I'd give it to…" Kougyoku tapped her chin with a finger, "Maybe Sinbad-sama. Sinbad-san!" She held onto her inflamed cheeks while looking down in some strange panic.
"Why?" Alibaba twisted the crown around.
"Because he's a person I know who'd accept it, no matter what. He's just kind like that." Her sleeves covered her face again.
"Okay," Alibaba's picked up on the way Kougyoku acts around their homeroom teacher. It's close to infatuation but he highly doubts she's in love with him, Kougyoku's mad for Judal after all, "What about this one?"
"But you made that one, Alibaba-chan. Who would you give it to?" She gazed back with child-like wander.
"Hmm…you can have this one to give to someone else." He said and her hands accepted it from his.
"But, what about yours?" Kougyoku looked down at the crown in her hands.
"I gave it to you, didn't I?" She looked up as she remembered the flower bouquet encircling her head.
"Then, I'd give this one to you Alibaba-chan," She attached it to his head, "You're the only other person I can think of who'd accept it."
Kougyoku giggled and Alibaba couldn't help but smile. No matter how ridiculous this must look on his head, if he can bring such a smile to a friend's face then it's worth the ridicule.
Alibaba shrugged off Kouha's frustrations. He'd forgotten all about his assignment. Alibaba took the crown off while Kouha followed from close behind.
"A simple plan. A. Simple. Plan, and you couldn't even follow it," Kouha sighed, "Ah well, guess I'll just dump a glass of water onto it later and buy her a new one."
"Wait that was an option?" Alibaba turned to the indifferent boy who caught up with his strides, "So why'd you make me waste my time!"
Kouha's turn to shrug, "I was bored. If you messed up I would have gotten a laugh when Kougyoku found out the truth and slapped you across the face. Besides it wasn't a total waste, right?" A tiny crack of a smile tugged at his lips as his eyes found the crown before Kouha faced forward.
Alibaba hates to admit it but Kouha's right. It didn't truly feel like a waste of a lunch period to Alibaba but…
"So, about that video?" He asked nicely to the boy beside him who switched shoulders with his bag strap.
"Huh?" Kouha's back to ignoring anything Alibaba says.
Alibaba probed, elbowing Kouha in the shoulder, "You know, the reason why I agreed to help you?"
"Eh?"
"Kouha!"
Kouha's glance spelt the word boredom, "Oh sorry. I didn't hear you. Can you say that again?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Alibaba fussed with the classmate who ranks second in the list of people who aggravate the blonde to no end.
"What?"
Morgiana
"You're dismissed." Masrur ended class ten minutes early today.
There wasn't much for Morgiana to pack up since she's been weightlifting for the past thirty minutes. Her classmates have gotten use to the idea of a strong girl who can lift four times the weight of anything they attempt to pick up in the room. They all filed out with ten minutes of freedom before last period.
"Morgiana." She quickly removed herself from the queue lined up to leave the gym, making her way to the teacher who called.
"Yes?" Identical red eyes caught hers. The doors to the gym were closed shut.
"Something on your mind again?" He inquired in a way that sounded as if he didn't care about the answer very much but she knew him better than that. Masrur always has some way of knowing when something's amiss with Morgiana and he's genuinely concerned even if he may not show it outwardly.
"Define something." She tried a different approach to this regular conversation they have whenever Morgiana becomes sloppy in class.
What he asked next was completely unexpected, "Is it about Alibaba?"
"What?" She didn't understand what he's saying or why it would involve Alibaba-kun.
Masrur sighed, crouching slightly in a fight stance, "You have ten minutes, right?"
She accepted the invitation, forgetting the past question as Morgiana engaging Masrur as they usually would. The feeling of sparing with Masrur would always cheer her up when Morgiana's in a slump. The two matched blow after strategic blow but…something felt off about this round of sparing, to Morgiana anyway. As much as she knows they're alone and Masrur's naturally disinterested gaze followed her own as they focused on each other's moves, Morgiana felt like she was being watched – dissected even. The feeling made her uncomfortably sick.
She dodged an elbow to the face in the nick of time, plunging to the floor on her back. Masrur mercilessly pinned Morgiana down in surrender then helping his student to her feet when she verbally yielded.
"You're distracted." Masrur's eyes searched hers.
She looked about the room instead of that intense stare, "Sorry. It just feels like I'm being watched."
Masrur released the hand she didn't notice he still held onto. He spoke to the air while picking up the nearly forgotten gym equipment, "Might as well come out."
From a nook behind the bleachers at a wall of the room emerged Sinbad-san with an apologetic look. Morgiana looked to Masrur for an explanation but her teacher didn't pay any mind to his approaching faculty member nor her questioning gaze.
"That's some spot on perception if you noticed my presence this whole time, Morgiana." Sinbad-san praised her.
"Thanks?" It was nothing really, she's received harsher stares clawing at her back than his own. The real question is, why was he watching from the shadows?
As if he intercepted her private thoughts, "I didn't want to affect your concentration but ended up doing just that, huh. The main reason I'm here was to confirm something on an evaluation form, nothing major."
"Evaluation form?" She must have sounded stupid for repeating what he said.
"Yeah, every teacher fills one out for each of their students then I'm the one who gets stuck sending them off to the principal. However, before I do so I have to rectify if they're all filled out properly, which is another pain all by itself," Morgiana guessed the bulky file in his arm held evaluation forms, "Everything seems to be in order now so I'll be on my way."
Sinbad-san left the gym and Morgiana decided to do the same. With a final farewell to Masrur, Morgiana made her exit. She still has five minutes before class but she'd rather be five minutes early than five minutes late.
A shrill scream cut through the air, startling the red head who frantically reeled around. Morgiana tumbled on the ground with a mess of light green blinding her sights. An unexpected solid knee to the torso knocked the wind out of her. If that wasn't painful enough, sharp fingers pulled at her matted ruby hair threatening to pluck off every single lock. Morgiana frantically grabbed the wrists of her lightweight assailant, tossing the girl backwards. Dunya landed on her back which flew into the lockers behind them, her breathing heavy while her glare deadly. One of her heels broke off and she tossed the other expensive shoe off her foot to regain balance as she stood.
Morgiana matched her senior, standing on her feet. The dark spots clouding over her vision slowly dissolved.
"What-" A punch sailed towards Morgiana's face, one she effectively evaded from the furious older girl. Morgiana elegantly side stepped grabbing onto one of Dunya's wrist. Using her momentum the senior dug her leg into Morgiana's side setting her wrist free. Dunya caught Morgiana by the shoulders, steering the red head into the metal lockers. She cringed thanks to the blow at her back. Dunya pulled a hand back, slapping Morgiana across the face. She felt Dunya's hands suddenly easing off her shoulders as the senior was yanked back by her shirt collar.
Morgiana brushed her stinging face with a finger, a sudden urge to retaliate taking over her conscience. However, once she laid eyes on Masrur who kept Dunya on a tight leash from causing further damage to this situation Morgiana held back, imagining her inflamed cheek the same tone as her dropped hair. She picked up the pony tail once holding her hair in place and her bag which she slung across her shoulder. Morgiana finally took note of the surprisingly large crowd suffocating the corridor with a mix of surprise and excitement. Morgiana felt claustrophobic by all the attention.
"Let…" Dunya struggled to break free of Masrur's hold, "go of me!"
Morgiana's breaths became more even and so did Dunya's. Masrur let the enraged girl go when he made sure she wouldn't lunge for the bedraggled red head who pushed looked about in confusion at that spontaneous attack. Dunya screeched with her sharp nails out to grab Morgiana's throat. Morgiana shrank back for the first time in fear at an opponent, just by the sheer hostility of the girl whose skimpy shirt was now partially ripped after Masrur took hold of her this time by the waist.
"You…" She screamed towards Morgiana, "Stay away from him!"
Morgiana recaptured her lost nerves, "Who?"
"You can play around with Kouha-sama and Muu-sama all you want but don't you dare try this with my Isaac ever again!" Dunya yelled leaving giant question marks along Morgiana's thought process.
"What are you talking about?" 'What does anything have to do with Kouha-kun and Muu-san?'
Among the slowly parting crowd Morgiana's sure she heard a certain pink haired rich boy's voice, "I wouldn't mind that actually."
A faint giggle contacted Morgiana's eardrums, "Don't you just love being an educator, Ithnan?"
"If you say so, Gyokuen-sama."
The principal appeared from beyond the crowd with her entourage of white cloaked individuals. One in particular stood on her right with an unusual mask covering his face. Cold eyes could be seen behind the black and gold guise, dark eyes which locked onto Morgiana on the man's slow approach.
Gyokuen-san regarded all the students plastered onto the lockers giving her room to stroll forward, "Didn't I just hear the start of eight period?"
Everyone gave the Empress of Kou High dubious glances as the bell – as if on cue – rang above their heads.
"Now then, off you go. None of you wish to be late to class right?" She shooed everyone off with her long sleeve covered hands.
Morgiana's glad for the sudden disappearance of the crowd but the fear that plagued her just moments ago returned as the smiling principal's sights bore into her, "I really am tired from walking around all afternoon so would you two lovely young ladies mind stepping into my office for a quick word?"
Gyokuen-san spun on her heel without waiting for an answer from the two. Masrur poked Morgiana in the back, prodding her move forward while he kept Dunya on his right for the red head's protection. Once inside the office, Gyokuen-san thanked Masrur for his interference and closed the door behind the three.
"Have a seat." She gestured to the two empty chairs at the front of her neat desk prepped with stacks of paper, a mug filled with a variety of pens and quills, a few peppermints and toffees which lounged in a bowl, other important office tools and a framed photo.
Morgiana dragged her chair discretely to the right in case Dunya tried to jump her without Masrur to act as a shield. The other girl bitterly sat down with her arms folded and the principal's smile never wavered as she sat at her desk with her hands clasped in delight.
"So," Gyokuen-san's intertwined fingers fell to the desk and she leaned forward, "Since you're obviously itching to tell your side of the story you should speak first, Dunya. By the look on Morgiana's face she has no clue what this is all about and neither do I."
Dunya unfolded her arms, digging into her pocket to find a square envelope bent in a fashion which made you think Dunya tried tearing it apart, "This." She dropped it disdainfully onto the large desk.
Gyokuen's facial expression shifted as she curiously picked up the envelope unveiling the creased letter inside. Dark eyes scanned the words written down and her smile reemerged as the principal considered the deeper meaning behind Dunya's frustration. She turned to Morgiana who flinched slightly on account of those silently observant eyes.
"Okay, now I fully understand what's going on," Gyokuen-san held the letter up at one of the four corners, "Morgiana, did you by any chance write this letter?"
Morgiana's never seen anything like it before, "No."
"She's lying!"
"Dunya, please," Dunya ceased from speaking out of turn, "Now have you ever seen it before?"
"No, ma'am."
"Do you know the person this is addressed to?" Gyokuen flipped the envelope between her fingers, revealing the name Isaac annotated with stars, swirls and girly hearts. Morgiana shook her head.
"Dunya's locker number?"
"No."
"Isaac's locker number?"
"No."
"Okay."
"Okay!?" Dunya raised her voice again, "You seriously believe that fake innocence!"
"If that's not enough for you, Morgiana would you mind taking out one of your notebooks for us, please?" Gyokuen-san held out a hand to receive Morgiana's Biology notebook. She flipped through the pages with confirmation across her face, "As you can see the handwriting doesn't match, Dunya."
The principal lay Morgiana's notes and the letter side by side.
"If you can call this handwriting. How can you read that!" Dunya scrutinized the pages of Morgiana's notebook all the while the red head sat beside her, "Maybe she got one of her friends to write it."
"You really think so?" Gyokuen-san passed the note to Morgiana, "Seem familiar in any way, Morgiana?"
The red head skimmed the short letter of admiration to whoever this Isaac character is:
To the One Who I've Always Adored From Afar,
I know this is really out of place but I can't hide it any longer.
Ever since the day we bumped into each other, I can't stop
thinking about you. Instead of focusing on my own physique training,
I'd find my eyes wandering off towards you and those fine arms,
with the insatiable wish that you'd someday wrap them around
me in the most intimate of embraces. I know this is out of the blue but
I really like you.
I'm too shy to ask in person but would you mind if we can get together to just talk?
Please write back with your response.
-Morgiana from Class D, First Year.
"Well?" Gyokuen-san fell back in her revolving chair, "That answer's as good as genuine wouldn't you agree?"
Dunya tore the letter from Morgiana's hands, "I…guess you're right."
The sheer disgust and anger on Morgiana's face was above and beyond any level of emotional outrage she's ever felt. The idea of Morgiana writing out that stuff, and to someone she doesn't even know.
Gyokuen-san cut in to diffuse the situation, "Morgiana, I understand the gravity of these circumstances but let's all try to calm down and think logically, alright?"
'Who wrote that!' Morgiana felt her heel digging into the marble tile beneath her.
"Now I'm willing to overlook the fact that you two were fighting in the halls but Dunya that doesn't excuse how you dealt with the situation. You don't just blindly attack an innocent bystander you wrongfully assumed was up to a regular high school scandal like this. More importantly, what does Isaac have to say about this?"
Dunya's face seemed less bitter but her irritation was just as evident as Morgiana's, "He's sick so he stayed home today."
"You share a locker with him, right?"
"Yes."
"When did you find the note?"
"This morning. Whoever wrote it slid it inside our locker before I got here this morning or yesterday afternoon after I left." Dunya explained.
"And when you read it was from Morgiana, you thought she's the one who wrote it, right?"
"Well anyone would."
"But did you really think it was her?" Gyokuen stressed on the 'really'.
Dunya considered this, "Well…I…I don't know!"
Gyokuen's dark eyes found Morgiana's angry ones, "Morgiana, I commend you for not retaliating after that brutal assault and I apologize that this unfortunate incident has happened. I assure you that I'll personally look into this. On the bright side, you didn't share this with anyone did you, Dunya?"
"Of course not!" She pocketed the note, "All I want is to find the one who wrote this dumb thing. Whoever she is, she's dead."
"Don't you feel a thing for Morgiana who so happens to be roped into this situation?"
Dunya met Morgiana's eye with a silent agreement happening between them. Whoever did this was a friend to neither of the two, "Of course she's a victim almost as much as I am."
'Umm, I'm more of the victim in all this than you are.' Morgiana kept that to herself instead of igniting a new fire in Dunya's eyes.
"Well the only advice I can give at the moment is you'd better watch the way you treat people. That goes for both of you. Yesterday's friends may very well become tomorrow's enemies. You're both young, beautiful and intelligent young ladies who I hope will enjoy their high school lives to the fullest."
Morgiana and Dunya remained silent for quite a while, allowing those words to sink in.
"By the way Dunya," Gyokuen-san asked, "Don't you think a proper apology's in order?"
Dunya's chair made a loud screech as she stood, her hand slapped Gyokuen-san's desk as forcefully as the one she inflicted on Morgiana not too long ago. A few items on the table toppled over but Gyokuen-san gave it no mind.
"Hmm, when I feel like it but that's not important. It really sounds to me like you already know who the culprit behind this is, Gyokuen-san." Dunya surprisingly smirked at the principal who took on the grinning challenge.
"I know many things, Dunya. Now then, how about you two get to class. Everything will be taken care of as I've said so there's really no reason for you to loiter around my office. Just notify your respective instructors that you were at a meeting with the principal. You may go now."
Dunya shot Gyokuen-san a hard stare. She soon spun on her bare feet and marched out of the door. Morgiana on the other hand picked up a few papers and a pen which fell to the floor.
"Thank you, dear," Morgiana passed on the paperwork, "I really am sorry this all happened."
"No worries." Morgiana got out of the chair. The once standing picture frame on the desk caught her eye. Gyokuen picked it up just as quickly as Morgiana's eyes had locked onto it. The principal set the picture upright, angled perfectly so that Morgiana couldn't tell who or what was in the photo. It's not like she had to know anyway.
"Your notebook." Gyokuen smiled, handing her the book.
"Thanks." From afar that smile seemed like the kindest one you'd ever find in the world but as Morgiana stared at the principal seated before her, she couldn't help the apprehensive feeling slowly rising from within.
"Take care now, Morgiana." Gyokuen-san arranged her disordered papers.
Morgiana quickly exited from the door left ajar by Dunya, closing it behind her. What a strange turn of events. Morgiana twirled around to get to-
Her back flew into the door, the wood nearly split down the middle. Shell shocked with her heart beat reverberating all over her body, Morgiana stared wide eyed at the man standing in front of her. His mouth set in a hard like, the masked man glared down at Morgiana with those frigid eyes filled with anger.
"You."