I realize that the last chapter (which wasn't really a chapter… technically, anyway.) was rather short. And so I made this one as long as I can possibly can.
DISCLAIMER: I once again repeat that I neither own Digimon nor its characters.
In Chapter 27: Coed for Two Days: The Fire
Takuya frowned, remembering his plan of revenge. He hasn't quite forgiven Kouji for kissing Izumi. Now he was more determined to play out his plans. 'Junpei and Tomoki better do it correctly!'
"Because you're Izumi Orimoto." Sakura said with a warm smile. "Don't you remember? You saved my kitty."
Izumi looked at her in confusion. 'How does she know my real name?' The girl smiled at her. "You were that girl a few years back – the girl who saved my kitten."
Izumi looked at her in realization. "You were that pink haired girl who owned the cat."
Kouji glared at his twin. "When have you become so heartless? That's usually who I am." Kouji started. "I'm going to look for Izumi because unlike you, I actually care for her."
Kouji turned to look at a smiling Izumi beside a grinning Sakura. He rushed to her side and immediately hugged her. "Are you hurt?" he asked.
"As all of you probably know, I am Seirin High Boys' principal. I am proud to tell all of you that the fire drill was a success."
Izumi hugged him back when she felt his hug tighten. "It's fine. I'm glad you care enough to go in a blazing building for me. I heard what you said to Kouichi and I'm really glad you care."
He finally let go of her, looking into her eyes. She smiled at him. "How do you think I would feel if you died saving me?"
He promised himself that he would do everything to protect her. He would risk his life just to protect her but he won't die. He won't die because if he did, then he would be failing to protect her from the pain his death would cause.
The two were relieved that nobody witnessed the scene that just unfolded. At least that's what they thought. A pair of glistening eyes glared at Izumi. "Mizui Orimoto, I will expose you to everyone."
In the previous chapter: Sleepless night
Izumi reminisce about the past.
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A Private School
Chapter 29 Coed for Two Days: Hassle during Classes Part 1
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Saturday; Classroom 304; Music Class; 8:00 am
Izumi laughed at Kouji's pained expression. Half of their first class was over and unfortunately, it wasn't pleasing to the ears. Yes, ears.
They have been enduring the pain of hearing 'out of tuned' (or sometimes no tune at all) songs sung by most of their classmates for the day.
"This is annoying; why do they have to sound like a dying animal?!" Kouji grumbled in his seat beside Izumi. "And stop laughing." He demanded.
The girl didn't stop, though. "You should be thankful the teacher allowed us to sit wherever we want to this morning. If somebody heard you saying that your image would be ruined."
He glared. She laughed even more.
"Minamoto Kouji!" the teacher, Ms. Leia, called. "It's your turn." She said cheerily.
It was mentioned by the teacher that all of them had to sing. Meaning he – Minamoto Kouji – is supposed to sing as well.
Izumi stopped laughing and smiled at him. "It's your turn Kouji." She said to him, secretly happy to have the opportunity to hear him sing.
Kouji didn't speak. He looked directly at the teacher who was waiting for him to sing. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
Nothing came out: not a word or a tune. He was simply motioning towards his mouth.
"Oh, I understand!" Ms. Leia had exclaimed. "It seems Mr. Minamoto has a sore throat!"
Izumi gaped at him. "Liar." She whispered. He did nothing more but smirk at her.
"If you're that anxious to hear me sing, I'll sing to you later at night." He whispered huskily in her ears. He just looked at her shocked and blushing expression.
Izumi opened her mouth. "I-I… K-Kouji… I-"
Kouji interrupted her. "Revenge, Tenshi." He said silently with another smirk.
Izumi glared at him upon realizing what just happened.
Kouji laughed silently so as not to attract any attention. Izumi, taken aback by his laughter, smiled. 'As long as he's happy, I guess I don't mind.' She thought.
"Orimoto Mizui, it's your turn." The teacher said, smiling.
Izumi nodded her head and stood up to go to the front. Once there, she took a deep breath and started singing.
Or rather… reciting the lyrics of the song.
Kouji almost laughed out loud at the scene playing before his eyes. 'This is the first time I've ever met a girl who can't sing.'
When Izumi had finished, she returned to her seat blushing furiously.
Kouji looked at her and smirked. "Maybe it's you who actually has a sore throat." He teased.
She pouted. "It's not like I can sing with my female voice. I wouldn't want to be found out." She whispered.
Kouji grinned. "Whatever you say, Tenshi."
"Yo-"
Unfortunately for Izumi, the bell rang before she could finish.
Immediately, Kouji stood up and sat in his assigned seat: a seat away from the blonde.
oOoOoOo
Saturday; Classroom 304; Science Class; 9:10 am
Izumi wanted to rip her ears out. It was noisy. Everyone, Kouji and her as an exception, was talking at the same time; thus creating noise.
They were waiting for their next teacher who was running late, 10 minutes to be exact. The door opened with a loud 'BANG!' and in came a beautiful lady with long blonde locks.
"I apologize for my tardiness, everyone." She said walking in the center of the front of the room. "I am called Selena Taylor."
The class instantly shushed, awestruck at their teacher's beauty. The teacher looked at her class strangely and sighed. "Let's begin then."
The class began, none making any sound as the teacher spoke.
"Do you have any questions?" she asked. "Do you understand?" Nods were given. "Alright, so what do you see in this picture?" she asked raising a picture of the animal kingdom.
Nobody spoke still. The teacher's brow twitched. "Why can't you answer me? Are you blind? Does the sun rise and set without your witness? No. You can see! In your eyes there are hundred million receptors to enable you to enjoy the color of a leaf, a pond, a child, a cloud, a star, a rose, a rainbow, and the look of love."
The class was even more silent than before. One thought running through their mind: Drama Queen.
The teacher got even more furious at the silent stares. "Did you not hear what I have said? Are you deaf?"
"Does a baby laugh or cry without your attention? NO! YOU CAN HEAR! You have 24 thousand fibers in each of your ears to vibrate to the wind in the trees, the tides on the rocks, the majesty of an opera, a robin's plea, the happy laughter of children at play and the words: 'I LOVE YOU'."
Ms. Selena looked at the still silent expressions of her class. "Are you paralyzed? You don't even want to move. Once again I ask: ARE YOU PARALYZED?"
"Quite obviously, you are not. You can move, you can stretch and run and dance and work. Within you are 500 muscles, 200 bones and 7 miles of nerve fibers all synchronized to bring your bidding."
Once again, the class was speechless. It was amazing how she, their temporary teacher, was able to connect Science to what she has said so far. Nobody spoke because they wanted to know if there were more of those interesting facts she says.
"Why are you still not speaking? Why are you not reacting? Are your hearts stricken? Do they leak and strain to maintain your lives? NO! Your heart is strong."
"Touch your chest and feel its rhythm, pulsating, hour after hour, day and night 36 million beats each year, year after year, asleep or awake, pumping your blood through more than 60 thousand miles of veins arteries and tubing, pumping more than 6 thousand gallons each year." The teacher felt as though she was out of breath. She was not one to give up, though.
She was definitely frustrated. "And now, consider the intricate structure of your brain, the most complex in the universe. Within its three pounds are billion nerve cells, more than three times as many cells as there are people on earth."
"And to help you file away every perception, every sound, taste, smell, every action you have experienced sine the day of your birth, are implemented within your cells, more than one thousand billion protein molecules… every incident in your life is there, waiting only for your recall. And to assist your brain in the control of your body, dispersed throughout your form are four million pain-sensitive structures, five hundred thousand touch detectors, and more than two hundred thousand temperature detectors." The teacher paused as she breathed in and out.
The class clapped their hands. "Wow, teach! You certainly know your subject matter well!" one boy said disregarding the oh so 'wonderful' speech that the teacher gave.
Izumi laughed. "It's true Ms. Selena! You're amazing!"
Kouji nodded his head in approval… not something you'll see everyday: a teacher connecting Science with her overly dramatic 'speech'.
Selena Taylor blushed and nodded at the direction of her students. "Thank you. I guess I'll take my leave now." She said and with out another word, left.
oOoOoOo
Saturday; Cafeteria; Break Time; 10 am
Kouichi, Takuya, Izumi, Kouji, Junpei and Tomoki gathered at their usual table. The young men looked at the food Izumi was eating.
Izumi took a bite at her salad, not noticing the stares of her friends. Kouji raised a brow at her. "Is that all that you're going to eat?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Izumi asked, placing her fork down.
Kouji shrugged. Takuya smiled at her. "You know Mizui, you're so thin that people could mistake you for a girl." Izumi choked upon hearing this.
Junpei handed her water. "What Takuya meant, is that you should eat more." He stated.
Izumi took the glass of water and drank. "Thanks for your concern guys but I'm fine, really."
Kouichi sighed. "Just don't forget you'll need proteins too."
"Kouichi-niichan's right!" Tomoki added. "You should eat more foods that you can get energy from."
"I will, I will." She said as she started eating.
Kouji took a bite of his burger and leaned in to whisper to her. "If you're doing this because you think you're fat," he started.
Izumi blushed. Apparently, Kouji hit it right on the mark.
"it would be hopeless" He finished.
Izumi pouted.
"because you're already so thin that you can't grow any thinner" He added. "Quite frankly, it doesn't look too nice.
Izumi blushed once more and turned to look at Junpei who had a lot of food on his side. "Junpei, can you pass me that burger, please?"
Junpei, Tomoki and Takuya stared at Izumi for her sudden behavior.
Kouji smirked. 'Thought that would motivate her to eating more'
Kouichi shook his head with a grin. 'Well done, bro.'
oOoOoOo
Saturday; Classroom 304; Mathematics Class; 10:30 am
The teacher went inside of the classroom and the class immediately shushed. "I will be teaching your class for this period." he, the teacher, said without even giving his name.
"I know that we're supposed to be having Math." The teacher said with a stare that sent shivers to most of the unusually silent students. "But I don't think you'd learn anything new in just a day."
He took out a paper and stood proudly. "This is something I'd like everyone to know about. I'll read this to you." The teacher said apathetically. "It's something that's supposed to at least give you young ones a better perspective in life.
Izumi, Kouji and the rest of their coed class were speechless. None of them had the guts to question the indifferent teacher. Well, In Kouji's case: he just didn't want to voice out his opinions. After all, Kouji is Kouji.
It was as if the stare of the teacher was preventing them from saying anything.
Izumi stared at the teacher. She felt a sense of familiarity toward the teacher. 'Why? Who is he?' She wasn't sure of the answer herself but she knew what she feels. She knows that teacher.
"I hear you cry." He started. "Be at peace. Be calm, for I bring you relief for sorrow, for I know its cause and I know its cure. You weep for childhood dreams that have vanished with the years. You weep for your self-esteem that has been corrupted by failure. You weep for all your talents that have been wasted through misuse."
Izumi smiled inwardly, her previous thoughts set aside. She was reminded of Kouji with those words. All the times he was there for her when she was blaming herself for something she shouldn't have.
'I hear you cry…' she thought. 'Kouji heard me and consoled me.'
The teacher continued. "The passing years have destroyed your recollection, for they have filled your mind with fear and doubt and anxiety and remorse and hate. And there is no room for joyful memories where these sorrows habituate."
Bull's eye. That hit Izumi straight on. She sighed. 'This is going to be a long class.'
"You believed no one. You burned your map to happiness; you abandoned your claim to peace of mind; you snuffed out the candles that had been placed along your destined path of glory, and then you stumbled, lost and frightened, in the darkness of futility and self pity; until you fell into a hell of your creation."
Another bull's eye!
To both Izumi
And
Kouji
The teacher noticed Izumi's and Kouji's discomfort at an instant. 'This should be interesting to watch.' He thought. "Are you unloved and unloving?" he paused and looked at the two who stiffened quite obviously.
He grinned inwardly. "No. No more. For now you know love's secret, that to receive love, it must be given with no thought of its return. To love for fulfillment, for satisfaction, or pride is not love."
Izumi silently agreed to her 'Math' teacher for the day.
"Love is a gift from which no return is demanded. Now you know that to love unselfishly is its own reward, and even should love not be returned it is not lost, for love not reciprocated will flow back to you and soften and purify your heart." He once again paused, surprised (but hid it efficiently) to see Kouji staring at Izumi, who was smiling at the teacher's words, with soft eyes.
Izumi liked what she was hearing. Although it wasn't meant only for her, she felt comfort in it. After all, right now, she was having an unrequited love… well, technically anyway. She smiled. Now, it doesn't matter so much if Kouji loved her back. Although she would be more than pleased if he did, she liked how they were at present.
His friendship meant a lot to her.
Kouji saw Izumi's smile. The teacher's words were still sinking into him. 'Love?' He wondered if that was what he felt towards her. He looked at her with a soft expression. He didn't smile but he knew he liked seeing her with that tender smile.
Soften and purify your heart… The teacher's words rang in Kouji's head. His eyes widened upon realization.
He was… is…
'I'm in love with Izumi.' He thought. He knew that clearly now. The feeling of changing… the feeling of loneliness disappearing… the feeling of warmness… his feeling of wanting to see her smiles… the feeling of hurting when she cries… the feeling of happiness just by her presence…
It didn't matter anymore…
It didn't matter that he was acting like a lovesick teen.
It didn't matter for what really matters is her…
Is that he was in love with her…
Kouji sighed at such thoughts. "I'm really starting to creep myself out." He mumbled silently. He grinned. "Maybe she'll like that side of me." He whispered even silently- if it was even possible.
The teacher was MORE than amused with what he saw. He didn't know what they were thinking of course. However, the changes of their facial expressions were very much amusing to watch. He wanted to laugh out loud but decided against it.
He turned his attention to the rest of the class. 'It's time to end this. I did more than enough. Mother should be happy… although, it didn't look like it was needed.
"Do you not wonder why I am able to forgive your failures, your transgressions, your pitiful demeanor… when you cannot forgive yourself?" the teacher said, standing up.
"I'll leave you with that question." He added and started walking away but not before giving the class a grin.
The whole class gasped, not expecting that from the seemingly aloof teacher.
"AH!" Izumi stood up, pointing at the teacher in agape. "(1)(2)Onii- I mean, (3)ANIKI!!"
The class looked at the blonde. "My name," the teacher started, his grin not leaving his face. "is Orimoto Iori, Orimoto Mizui's big brother."
It was then that the bell rung. Orimoto Iori walked outside the classroom.
"Kouji, I'll catch up with you later." She said before leaving and following her big brother.
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END OF CHAPTER
Izumi almost said Onii-chan instead of Aniki.
Onii-chan is the feminine and more childish way of saying big brother
Aniki is the more muscular term for big brother
Quite frankly, this didn't go as I planned.
I
planned to put the whole day in just one chapter.
However, my mind
suddenly went blank.
And so, here is the 29th chapter.
I do apologize for the not so long chapter though.
Next chapter will be the continuation of this chapter:
Izumi has a brother…?
Health class is an embarrassment…?
Phys. Ed. Created problems for Izumi and Kouji…?
Later chapters:
Takuya executes his plan of revenge to Kouji!
Immensely grateful,
imuzuok
