Chapter 19: Outsmarted

Author's notes:

To Maki Pendragon: Hi! Thank you for your kind words! :) I'm sorry I can't understand Spanish. I had to use Google translation for your message. When I finally read it in English, I was so happy, as in literally, floating in cloud nine! It's not everyday that someone takes time to write me a letter. I understand how Eagle may seem mean, but in the anime and manga, he really was pretty forceful and conniving, even in front of his best friend Lantis. Remember when Eagle zapped Hikaru in her mashin to capture her with his FTO's electromagnetic field ? He always struck me as someone who's not above using dirty tactics, so I tried to use that to thicken the plot. Before Lantis, I was shipping for Eagle and Hikaru, to be honest. That all changed, when I read the manga and when Lantis kept on emerging as her knight in shining armor. He is so dreamy, haha. Rest assured, it will be a good ending, because who doesn't love happy endings? :)

To Malina16: Your reviews never fail to inspire me! They are so detailed and refreshingly honest, that I find myself working harder to make this fanfiction a worthy read. I very much value your opinion, and I always look forward to your messages. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart, for always taking the time to write. :) About your comment on my knowledge of Japan... No, I am not Japanese. I wish I was. I only look like one haha. But I've been to Japan, and I've always been in love with that country since I was a child. I have a wealth of materials to use as reference, not to mention the amount of documentaries, anime and manga I consume on a daily basis. My parents, would you believe, even gifted me a trip to Tokyo when I graduated from college? The land of the Rising Sun just holds a special place in my heart.:) I even have a few close friends who lives there and studies there, and who I communicate with frequently. I can't promise to create a masterpiece, but I will do my very darned best. :)

To Seirin: Thank you for leaving me lovely reviews! I admit I get too lazy to write sometimes from lack of inspiration, but when I read your comment, I become motivated all over again. Motivated enough to brainstorm for ideas and remove myself from the rut/ writer's block I am currently stuck on. I feel like I'm doing something right when you express your approval over a scene or a conversation I've written. I've never had the chance to fully express my heartfelt gratitude, so here I am writing author's notes, hoping my words reach you.

To James Birdsong: I find it cute that you leave 3-4 word reviews. :) Whenever I read them, I can't stop myself from smiling, mainly because of its brevity and how it defies convention. It stands out, in a positive way. So...thank you!

Chapter 19 : Outsmarted

That night, Hikaru found it difficult to keep her turbulent thoughts at bay. Like flotsam tossed around by the sea amidst a torrential downpour, she found her self lobbed this way and that by the ruthless current of her conflicting thoughts.

She was riding the crest of the wave every time her optimistic side emerged. It was that small part of her insisting that she believe in the best of people and harbor the hope of Lantis returning her feelings. She was flung right back at the trough, though, each time the voice of reason managed to claw its way successfully through her haze of happiness. It was that sensible, skeptical part of her, chiding her mercilessly - for her naiveté in thinking that she could ever hope to capture the interest of a fine man like Lantis. With a guy of his caliber, she greatly doubted that he had slim pickings when it came to choosing a woman.

Eagle's sound advice amazingly brought things into clarity. It trampled on her short-lived bliss and crumpled her hopes into one tight, disposable ball. Eagle said he was privy to Lantis's secrets and knew who the real object of his best friend's affection was. By his refusal to tell, it was easy to surmise that it wasn't her. What happened last Saturday may not have meant anything special for the kendo captain. It may just have been a clear case of an inebriated teenage boy acting impulsively, where she was the nearest and obviously willing "recipient". An easy target, Eagle said. A flush crept up her neck as the feeling of embarrassment assailed her.

Avoiding Lantis, however, as Eagle advised, posed a huge problem for Hikaru. The only way she could lessen her already minimal number of encounters with Lantis was to quit kendo, and that was simply not an option. Kendo is her life. She quickly shot the idea down.

Also, even though daily kendo practice took as long as two hours, that length of time usually go by in a blur, without the captain ever being assigned to her as sparring partner. Majority of the time, she was paired up with Eagle, Ferio or Ascot, and she could actually count with her fingers the number of times Lantis ended up as her motodachi. That was why Friday tutorial sessions were important to her. They were the only valid pretext she could use to stay for a short while in his company.

Which brought her to her current dilemma: Was she to stop those Friday meetings with him, at the expense of her grades?

NO. She was sure to mourn the loss of his company and assistance.

YES. If she had any pride, she would stop seeking his time and attention.

Turning a deaf ear to her heart's objections, she made up her mind to do what Eagle suggested. Ending those afternoon meet-ups is sure to keep her feelings in check and stop giving Lantis opportunities to gain insight into her feelings. Her resolve strengthened when she overheard a girls' conversation in the third floor restroom that Monday morning.

After climbing up the steep stairway, Hikaru paused to catch her breath. The secluded girls' restroom was just down the hall, and as she closed the distance, the sound of raucous laughter grew louder. Drawn by the light, bubbly atmosphere, she walked towards the source, but found her steps slowing down at the mention of her name. Unsure if they were even referring to her, she stood in the darkened hallway a few steps from the door.

"Hikaru? The short transfer student?" She heard someone ask in dulcet tones. At this confirmation, Hikaru staggered back a step.

"Yup! Asuka swore they saw them together in the library last Friday. I can't quite believe it myself."

"Really? I wonder how she convinced him to do it?"

"By dumbing herself down, of course," replied someone in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Failing a subject on purpose to catch a smart boy's attention?"

"It isn't unheard of. If I had known that was all it took to make him look my way, then I wouldn't have tried so hard in getting good grades."

"Dummy! You think gambling your future for a boy is worth it?"

"Of course not. And I wouldn't stoop to that level. What am I, desperate?"

"It's just a little hard to wrap my head around the fact that she had the gall to ask Lantis to be her tutor. I mean, isn't that quite ballsy of her? Normally, his aloofness is enough to dissuade girls from approaching. But not her. And for Lantis to easily fall for it? He should be able to see through that innocent, kawai act, right? ."

"You don't say! I also don't get why she still needs Lantis to be her tutor, when she's already spending so much time with him in the kendo club. Can't she be satisfied with just having her for a classmate and club mate? They're already in the same year and class!"

"It's just as they say: give them a finger, and they'll take the whole hand."

"Well, I won't be fooled with her pretense at innocence. Just because she has ensnared some boys with the cutesy act, doesn't mean she'll have the same luck with us girls. Do you think she joined the kendo club because she somehow knew that all the hot guys were in there?"

"Possibly…I really hate it when people try to be someone other than who they really are in order to be liked."

After that, Hikaru couldn't stand hearing anymore. She walked away as quietly as she could, looking for another restroom where she could collect her thoughts in peace. They don't know her at all, so they are quick to make judgment, she told herself repeatedly.

Normally, her personality would not let her ignore this and leave the issue unresolved. She would calmly confront backstabbers and try to correct their false perceptions with dignity, especially in regard to her "fake" interest in kendo. This time, however, standing up for her self seemed like a moot point. These girls were probably just one of many who thought this way because of their admiration for Lantis. How was she going to defend her self to an unknown number of girls determined to find fault in any person who stands in their way? Confrontation would only serve to magnify her flaws in their eyes, and it would be like committing a major social faux pas. She'd be labeled "pugnacious" or "a hothead" at the very least, confirming what everyone thought about redheads.

The only thing she could do, she realized, is to carry out some semblance of damage control. She could stop her tutorial sessions with Lantis immediately, and win in the upcoming competition to prove her kendo worth. Even if there's no assurance that she will stop being the target of hurtful gossip, these measures will at least draw her farther from spotlight.

Now all she had to do was muster up the courage to tell Lantis face-to-face. Or better yet, send him a text message to put an end to their Friday meet-ups. Her heart breaks to do this, but it seems she has no other choice.

~O~

Something was up. Lantis knew it in his gut.

It was not just the short disengaged answers she gave during bukatsu. It was mostly her silence and all-business aura during practice. Her smiles, which she gave away freely and in abundance, became few and far between, as if she was weighed down by a problem. After the kendo session, he had wanted to approach her and talk under pretense of preparation for the competition. But she had slipped away so quietly after changing that he hadn't even seen her leave the dojo. That was another red flag. She usually said her goodbyes to Geo, Eagle, and him out of respect for their leadership. After what nearly happened on Saturday, Lantis suspected she was avoiding him or writing him off for his bold attempt. That line of thinking put him in a foul mood for the rest of the evening.

To top it all off, she had sent him a message late Tuesday night that she no longer needed help with her studies, explaining that he had pretty much covered already all the areas she was having difficulty with. He let loose a frustrated sigh. A week has barely gone by, and here she was, already claiming proficiency in the subject. He didn't even bother to reply to that text.

If he weren't made of sterner stuff, his self-esteem would've started to suffer already for this "rejection." He hadn't even asked her outright to go out with him, and yet he was being turned down already in the same manner as Eagle's. But he knew he would not let her get away without so much as a word of explanation. If she was going to keep him at arm's length, then he was going to have to throw his weight around as captain. Whether she liked it or not, he'll give her a hard time in keeping a wide berth –not until she tells him clearly the reason for her sudden aloofness.

~O~

On Wednesday, the highlight of the day for everyone in eleventh grade class one was the acid-base titration experiment during Chemistry class. Partners were huddled over their individual set-ups of burettes, flasks, ring stands and clamps in the laboratory and preoccupied with adding drops of phenolphthalein indicator in flasks of acidic solution.

At the moment, Hikaru and Umi, her assigned lab partner, (their last names – Ryuuzaki and Shidou – put them thankfully next to each other in the alphabetical class list) were concentrating in adding the sodium hydroxide slowly, drop by drop, to the acid solution. They watched the solution carefully like a hawk as they swirled it, and waited for the solution to change color at the end point of titration. When the pink color finally appeared and stayed to indicate completion, both of them worked together in recording their readings in the data table and computing for the unknown concentration of hydrochloride solution.

It was obvious from the almost empty laboratory room that their tandem was among the few who were struggling with the lab exercise. Some of the students left behind were agonizing over and dealing with stopcock malfunctions, but luckily, Hikaru and Umi did not have this misfortune. They were simply having difficulties figuring out the concentration from the values they jotted down. As Hikaru tapped her head with the pencil in obvious frustration, Lantis's low voice broke through her silent mental strain: "It's 0.00486 moles of HCl."

Hikaru looked up at his pensive face, not quite understanding. "Huh?"

"That's the moles of HCl at the beginning of the titration." He clarified. He was alone and hovering near their burette and test tube rack, looking at their scribbled solutions. He was no longer wearing his lab gown and his partner was not in sight. That meant he was already done with the class exercise.

Umi stepped in for her obviously confused friend and questioned Lantis directly. "How?"

"It's in the balanced equation. The titrant and analyte have a one is to one mole ratio."

There was an awkward silence as the two girls tried to make something out of his succinct explanation. Umi looked at the balanced equation and took a while to realize that he was talking about how all of the acid has been neutralized at the equivalence point. "Okay, I think I get your meaning. Since we have a 1:1 mole ratio, if I used this many moles of sodium hydroxide, that must be how many moles of hydrochloride that we had present in our original solution. Isn't that right?"

Lantis nodded. "Yes. But the goal is to find the original concentration of HCl. Molarity is equal to moles over liters. The volume of HCl, 20 milliters, is a given. All that's left to do is divide the moles by the converted volume."

Umi lost no time in punching in the numbers to her scientific calculator. Hikaru gaped in admiration as her friend made short work of the calculation. "Okay. So move decimal place one, two, three… I get 0.02 liters. Then divide 0.00486 by 0.02…I get 0.243 M! Wow, thanks so much for the help, Lantis-kun! That sure saved us a lot of time."

When Hikaru remained speechless, Umi nudged her side impatiently with an elbow. Honestly, now was not the time for her friend to act like an airhead. He had probably helped them only because of Hikaru. She could tell this was so, because despite her words of gratitude, the kendo captain was still standing in front of them, waiting for Hikaru to recognize his presence.

"Ow! What was that for?" Hikaru cringed from the sharp jab of her model friend's pointy, skinny elbow. When a raised eyebrow was all the response Umi gave, Hikaru finally caught on to her message. Her brain had frozen for an instant at Lantis's unexpected appearance. "Thank you, Lantis-senpai. You didn't have to do that."

Lantis considered her for a moment before answering. This activity was supposed to be a cinch. If the ratio is anything but 1:1, they would've been forced to use a modified version of the formula (Macid x Vacid = Mbase x Vbase). That only meant one thing: Hikaru wasn't proficient in Chemistry as she claimed to be in her text. "You seem about to tear your hair out earlier. I couldn't stand aside and watch you struggle."

His comment on her plight had her eyes widening. She realized with a sinking heart that Lantis probably doesn't buy her declaration of not needing any help in her studies anymore. She laughed nervously. "Oh…Haha… I always look like that when the answer is just hovering at the tip of my tongue, but I'm unable to grasp it. I would've gotten it…given a copious amount of time."

"I can tell by just looking."

Hikaru bit her lip, deciding whether his remark counted as sarcasm. She tried to mask her uncertainty. "I know it must be child's play for you, but putting theory into practice always takes me a while."

"Well, don't sweat the small stuff, when a few lessons can easily remedy that."

Umi watched them from the sideline quietly, noting her friend's uneasiness and Lantis's appraising look. Even the two girls working at the other end of the table stopped what they were doing to listen. Lantis rarely stopped by to initiate a conversation with anyone apart from his best friends, so the sight of him lurking to help was a strange sight.

The mention of lessons reminded Hikaru of her seen-zoned SMS. "I, uh… did you receive my text message last night? I mentioned something about that. I don't think you replied to me at all, Lantis-senpai."

"I didn't think it warranted one. Can I have a word with you?"

"Right now?" Hikaru asked, wide-eyed.

"Later. After kendo practice would be better." He answered.

Hikaru fidgeted on the tall stool she was sitting on. Lantis's conversation with her was inviting curious looks from the girls and it was making her uncomfortable. Everywhere he went, he seemed to draw attention. "Oh…I thought it was urgent. You know you're always free to talk to me during club hours. You don't really need to ask me beforehand, senpai."

"We can't talk over the cacophony of screams and bamboo clashes during club hours. That's why I looked for you post-practice yesterday. But you scuttled off somehow before I could even get a hold of you."

Hikaru was surprised that he noticed. "Am I in trouble or something?"

"Just a few misgivings that I'd rather discuss in private. So don't go home without talking to me first, alright?"

"Okay…" Hikaru agreed, without any enthusiasm. Now she couldn't escape this talk even if she wanted to. Her words of assurance that she'll show up seemed to satisfy Lantis, so he nodded to the two and left without a word.

As Hikaru watched him walk away, Umi used up this time to finalize their lab report and submit it to the lab assistant. When she came back, Hikaru had finished wiping down the work surface and had started washing the used glassware in the sink. She looked a little crestfallen, so Umi helped her with the task and grabbed a bottlebrush to scrub. "Okay, spill it. What did you do?"

"Nothing! None that I know of, at least." Hikaru's shoulders tensed.

"Well, it looked like he has some beef with you. He approached you and basically told you not to run away after school and talk. "

Hikaru looked around to spot any potential eavesdroppers and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm not really sure, but I'm guessing it's because I said I don't want to be tutored anymore? That, or something related to kendo. I will find it troubling if the latter turned out to be the case."

Umi raised one perfectly groomed eyebrow. She called them eyebrows on fleek before, and Hikaru decided they look quite handy and daunting during occasions like this when Umi wished to express her mild disapproval. "If I were you, I'd find your first speculation more worrisome than any kendo-related issue. So tell me… Is this "no-more-tutor-thing" something you decided out of the blue, or is there a story behind it?"

Hikaru decided to give her the true reason. "Well, I overheard some girls talking about me in the restroom. They said I'm only just putting on this cute, innocent act and dumbing myself down to get the guys' attention. They also said I had some nerve to ask Lantis to be my tutor, when he's already my classmate and kendo captain."

Umi's nostrils flared. "What the hell? What a bunch of bull. Don't mind them. They're just jealous. Not everyone is gifted with an Einstein brain. And they obviously don't know what you're like by default. I wouldn't give a rat's ass, if I were you."

"I know. I wish I had thick skin." Hikaru half-whispered. "It just makes me wonder how to act if they think I'm weak and fragile around boys. I mean, I hate being beaten up and having to ask help!"

Umi stopped what she was doing and held her friend by the shoulder. "Hey, Hikaru, just ignore them. If you let every bad gossip and criticism get to you, you will never be able to get up in the morning! Words can't hurt you without your permission. Don't let it affect you and dim your light. Besides, if they're so peeved at you for spending time with Lantis, then why don't they ask him for a tutorial or a date themselves? Or better yet, try their hand on bloody kendo?"

Her sensible words brought a smile to Hikaru's lips. "Umi-chan, always so cool and unruffled. So you think there's no truth to what they say? I'm not desperate for attention?"

Umi rolled her eyes. "No! The truly desperate ones are those who resort to backbiting to bring a rival down. If I were you, I'd care more about what your captain thinks of your spacing out than their petty chitchat. For a minute there, you had me so worried. I literally imagined a single golden leaf pirouetting down an invisible spiral of breeze as I waited for you to snap out of it and thank him for helping."

"I froze up, didn't I? Am I that obvious?" Hikaru marveled, sotto voce. At this response, Umi's head snapped up, as if finally realizing something. The quick jerky motion had Hikaru mildly wondering if it gave her friend a whiplash. She fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably as Umi studied her for what seemed like a very long time. She only ever did that when expressing a fashion critique, and usually, that happens when Hikaru was wearing "shoddy" clothing, like ill-fitted pants and un-ironed cotton shirts.

When Hikaru tucked her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture, Umi put a hand in her forehead as if sporting a migraine and sighed. Her smooth and straight blue hair fell forward like a cascade from the leaning motion.

"Oh my God, you like him." She stated with absolute certainty. "You actually like him."

Hikaru looked at her friend's troubled stance and smiled sheepishly. There was no sense in pretending otherwise now, not when Umi sounded so confident.

Umi recovered immediately and put her hands in her hips. "I'm not sure I approve, since I don't really know him that well, but it actually makes perfect sense that you like your enigmatic captain. I mean, he's certainly no slouch in the looks department."

Hikaru perked up at hearing this. "You think so, as well?"

"Uh huh~ But of course, I'm not into patrician profiles like his. I prefer Clef's. I'm just saying that I think I sort of understand his mystery and allure and why it's capable of taking rational thought in other women. But YOU, on the other hand!" Umi suddenly straightened up and pointed at her. "Liking him is no excuse to act like an airhead! Do you think daydreaming is an attractive trait?"

"Uh…no." Hikaru scratched her head at suddenly being scolded. "I'm not like that all the time, Umi-chan. I swear! If anything, I think I just talk a little too much around him."

"Good. Because you're doomed if you act like a crazed fan, who can't even string a sentence or two in the presence of her crush."

Hikaru nodded, wide-eyed. There was a determined look in her friend's face, and Umi was literally rolling up her sleeves as if about to embark on a personal fashion project. Her.

"I hope you're glad you have me for a bestie, 'cause now we can work on tweaking your tomboy appearance to that of a girly girl's. You've certainly got the looks, but you need to dress up like a proper lady if you want him to start looking at you." Umi went on spiritedly. She had been itching to dress Hikaru up from the moment her eyes landed on her adorable face and petite form, and now she has just been given the perfect excuse to doll her up.

"Okay…" Hikaru gulped, wondering what her friend had in mind. Hopefully, it didn't mean a complete wardrobe overhaul. "Just please don't make me wear makeup. My brothers will instantly pick up on the change, and they won't ever let me hear the end of it."

Umi clasped her hands in excitement. "Of course! We'll keep it light and natural. And we'll only be making small changes you're comfortable with, like your hair for instance. I can't wait to dress you up and watch you bloom! It will be like having my own life-sized 3-D paper doll."

At hearing this, Hikaru felt her sweat drop. Umi was on a mission.

~0~

Later during kiri-kaeshi practice, Lantis surprised her once again when he approached her to act as the motodachi (receiver of strikes). She was to be the kakarite or attacker, being more junior in position. Usually, it was always some other senior who acted as the "teacher", but that was not the case today.

Hikaru took technical delight in this, as Lantis was a good (and an ideal) motodachi. The "receiver of strikes" role was very important in controlling the ma-ai (distance between opponents) for exercise. Lantis had this way of tailoring or altering the speed and intensity of the practice according to the kakarite's level and ability. He doesn't just stand and get struck like a scarecrow. He signals and receives strikes by the book, but also applies constant pressure to the attacker. More often than not, he ends up pointing out errors he sees in her technique, ensuring a good and fruitful kiri-kaeshi.

Hikaru began practice by giving a loud Ki-ai and performing a large Shomen strike. She performed all motions in an unbroken series, and aimed for precision over speed, not wanting to be criticized for poor form. Lantis moved in synchrony to her movements, receiving alternate Hikari and Migi Men strikes and controlling the distance using Ayumi-ashi footwork. Although he didn't speak much, he gave strong non-verbal cues for correction. He lightly flicked her shinai to encourage rhythmic, fast striking when she was being too slow, and met her shinai with his, almost as if striking sayu-men himself to test her "spirit".

When they reversed roles and repeated the exercise, Hikaru tried her best to extend the same favor. This proved to be an arduous task, as she couldn't perceive anything wrong with his form, style, technique or timing. He always took advantage of key opportunities to attack, which meant he strikes an opponent as they turn. She did notice one thing, though: he held back on his customary speed. He had always been fast and precise.

During Mitori-geiko (where juniors observe training between the senior members), Hikaru had always noticed that about him: how his precision didn't suffer from the increase in speed. That is why, in her own kendo circle, she has singled him out as the one to emulate, just as she chose her Satoru-onisan for her inspiration. They always said that if you can find someone whose kendo you admire, you should watch them intently and copy their style, techniques and timing to the smallest detail. It was just sad that her body build was so different from them, she mourned privately. She had to keep up by practice and repetition.

After the final rei (bow), she heard Lantis speak to her in a low voice: "Can you stay and wait for me in the changing room? I need to take care of a few things." Hikaru nodded in response and watched as he walked away to talk to Coach Lafarga, with Eagle and Geo in tow. When Eagle passed by, he wagged his finger at her and whispered: "Uh-oh, he's in a mood. What did you do?" She frowned at this warning and headed for the girls' changing room, where she was the only current user.

She changed out of her kendogi and hakama, and freshened herself up, wondering all the while what Lantis wanted to talk about. In the silence of the changing room, she found herself yawning from boredom and the usual exhaustion, so she decided to make use of the waiting time to get some power nap. She perched herself on the bench, used the backpack as head support and slept. It was a good half hour before Lantis knocked at the door and made his presence known.

"Hikaru," came his low voice at the door.

"Hai!" Hikaru jolted awake. She rubbed her eyes and hurriedly smoothed over the creases of her uniform. When she deemed herself fit for appearance, she opened the door and found Lantis standing at a close distance with a backpack slung on one shoulder.

His eyes looked rueful. "Sorry for making you wait. I had to shake off Eagle for a bit."

Hikaru waved one hand to assure him. "No worries senpai! You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

He looked away. "Hai. But I wanted to talk about it over a meal. Are you hungry?"

Hikaru looked around at the empty training hall. Everyone has gone home, including his friends. She was indeed hungry, but she wanted to get the serious talk out of the way first, lest it ruin her appetite. "There's no one here to listen," she pointed out. "Is it that sensitive a topic?"

"I guess this is a good a time as any." Lantis mumbled as he leaned against the wall. Hikaru followed his cue and sat on the pristine Sugi floorboards near the threshold. By habit, she assumed the seiza position, her buttocks sitting on her heels.

"Okay?" She asked, prodding him to continue.

"The inter-high school meet… I think you should sit this one out." He stated point-black. He said it slowly, though, as if navigating through a field of landmines . He sneaked a glance to see her reaction. As expected, her expression shifted to a mutinous one. She moved closer to him on her knees, her hands bracing against the floor, from agitation.

"Huh…W-why? That's like the biggest sporting event in the high school calendar! You know that the best high school athletes in Japan can only be decided through the inter-high school meet, right? Lantis-senpai…do you think my kendo is substandard? Am I not qualified to make it to the team?" She said in one breath.

Lantis shook his head. "No. It's not about your kendo. But one of the team opponents would be Seirin High, your former high school. Are you sure you'd be fine, going up against your former teammates?"

"I've fought against them numerous times during keiko. A formal competition wouldn't spell much of a difference." She reasoned a little more calmly.

Lantis nodded, and went on to dish out details. "Team matches are individual between 5 members of each team, and will change sequentially at the end of each round. If you are determined to push through with this, that 5-member team would consist of Eagle, Geo, Ferio and me. The fifth is a contest between Ascot or you. The one who can't make it this week will be able to do so in the next competition event. I saw the roster and the line-up is almost entirely male. But everyone belongs in the 1-dan to 2-dan category. Still feeling up for it?"

Hikaru understood. "It doesn't matter if there's no girl opponent for miles around. I've always been fighting just boys since I was 5 years old. It isn't that much of a deal, despite the physical differences."

"I wonder how you will fare when you're up against your little stalker." Lantis questioned, his eyes darting to her face.

"Kaide-kun? Oh no, he isn't stalking me. Also, I wouldn't worry about him. His kendo is subpar. He pulls back his Kensen much too soon, hence making him lose control of the center. He puts his hands in front of his face at Furi-kaburi and he has an excess strength in the right arm, making his shinai angle up to the right. It would be a miracle if he ever manages to snatch a win…" Her words trailed away, when she saw Lantis losing interest over her commentary.

Lantis raked a hand through his fringe. He couldn't really care less about the undesirable kendo habits of that guy. "Look. I'm not worried about how you'd fare in a match with him. I'm worried about how you'd fare in an encounter with him. That guy clearly has unresolved issues, and it seems to me he has developed a little fixation with you. What if he corners you again? Are you prepared for a repeat attempt of what happened in your past Bunkasai? We'd be in his territory – the venue is in his prefecture."

"Don't worry, Lantis-senpai! Unlike before, I will be fully armed and prepared! My shinai and I will be lying in wait for him, and I'll use it to beat him to within an inch of his life, if he even so much as blinks wrong at me. He'll be a limp, bruised, bloody pulp by the time I'm done pummeling him."

"I hope you're joking." Lantis said in a deadpan voice. Her attempt at trash talk was like that of a five-year old's. It was almost funny. "That doesn't even sound like a real threat to me."

He closed his eyes from stress and sat cross-legged on the floor to bring his face to her level. He opened them again to convey how serious he is as he spoke. "Hikaru, I have a feeling he's likely to do it again. I hate to burst your bubble, but that strewn-up piece of bamboo will not hold up against something sharp or metallic. It certainly won't give you the advantage you hope for in a match of physical strength. You really think you can ward off attacks with that flimsy-looking weapon?"

"Yes." She replied confidently. "And if that doesn't work, I have a few self-defense moves up my sleeves."

Lantis looked like he wanted to snort. He didn't think she'd even have the time to enroll in some Krav Maga or Muay Thai classes. He swept a quick look from her head to her toes, before commenting dryly, "You don't even look physically daunting."

For some reason, this statement did not sit well with her. Was he belittling her? She protested hotly, "I may look small and not in the least intimidating, but that's an impression I can use to my advantage. Underestimating me may just be his biggest mistake because a lot of people say my hits pack quite a punch. I know how to utilize the element of surprise and…"

Hikaru was just about to expound on how her strength didn't come from solely her arms and shoulders, when the words "Here, dodge this." was all the warning she had before his right hand lunged towards her in one, fluid movement.

She closed her eyes in horror and slid backwards on her rear to evade the attack, her legs stretching forward to propel her. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Her palms, which were now planted on the floor slightly behind and outside her hips like in a reverse plank, were clammy from fear. What she found inconceivable (the idea of Lantis laying a hand on her) suddenly struck her as not far-fetched, after all.

When she felt no staggering pain anywhere in her body, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Lantis kneeling and his face looming close. Much to her dismay, he was wearing a cocky expression –one that told her he had just succeeded in proving a point. She looked down at the hand lingering beneath her left ear and saw that the tips of his fingers were the only things in contact with her neck. Like a spear-hand attack, the extended fingers of his right hand were kept tightly compressed together. In karate, this was called nukite, where the hand is thrust directly into some target of relatively small diameter, like the throat. She realized now that he did this only as a test of her reflex and defense.

Upon feeling her racing pulse beneath his fingers, Lantis retracted his hand slowly –not without fleetingly brushing against the smooth expanse of her neck. He backed away when he saw her take a gulp and her pupils dilate from surprise. Anymore closer, and he would've bridged that distance to her lips already.

"You think so highly of your skills, and yet you can't even anticipate this attack," he observed quietly.

Hikaru tried to still the insistent hammering in her chest. It was the lightest of touches, but it still left a memory trace long after the physical sensation was gone. She lifted a hand to cup the side of her neck and told him off to mask her nervousness: "Hidoi! What a terrible thing to do! Springing an attack on me!"

"I half-expected you to swat my hand away or deflect it with your palm. You were supposed to defend yourself. What were you saying again about the element of surprise?" He asked, giving her an oblique glance.

"Normally, I would be able to parry that! But you're someone I trust and you just pounced in the middle of a conversation! I don't think anyone in his right mind would see that one coming!" She snapped, forgetting for the moment that he was her senior.

Lantis shrugged. "I just say it as I see it. And that doesn't even qualify as an attack. I'm quite sure he has far more nefarious schemes in store for you, considering what the creep tried to pull off before. So tell me… how are you going to deal with a surprise attack like that? Are you just going to close your eyes and freeze up like earlier?"

Hikaru let loose a deep breath. Right now, she was peeved enough to dole out sarcasm in retaliation. "Yeah, I probably will! I'd just let him have his way with me and surrender my honor, I suppose!"

"You've got to be kidding me." Lantis glared. If this was her idea of a joke, then he might be better off taking her out of the line-up completely.

"I was being sarcastic! Of course, I'd put up quite a fight. Whatever bad intentions he has, he'll have to do it over my dead body."

Lantis clucked his tongue. "And you think your dead body is supposed to appease me? You're just totally missing the point, aren't you?"

What was his problem? Why is he anticipating bad things to happen in such a big event? She didn't think Kaide would attempt anything in front of other people, so she pulled out her ace card. "I don't think I have anything to worry about, really, Lantis-senpai, because I have you to protect me, right? I'd be in your company, along with other formidable kendoists like Eagle-senpai, Geo-senpai and Ferio-kun. Do you think he can pull something off when I'm surrounded by such a strong retinue of fighters?"

When she finally spoke sense, his scowl disappeared in instant, but he issued a stern command, "Alright. Stick close to me then, for the entire day of the match. I won't have you keeping me at arm's length, like what you're doing now. With him around as a threat, there's no saying what will happen outside of the match."

Hikaru was taken aback by his bossy order, but it bothered her more to know that he was fully aware of her avoiding him. "Lantis-senpai, I'm not keeping you at arm's length."

The skepticism in his face was evident. "Oh? So you don't want tutorial lessons anymore, even though from what I've seen, it seems like you could really use it?"

"Uh…"Hikaru stuttered, completely nonplussed by his directness. "That's …"

"Why did you suddenly back out?" He pressed, when she continued to hem and haw. He seemed determined to get an answer.

"I just…" Her brows drew together from the mental effort. She couldn't possibly tell him it was because she was suppressing her attraction for him. She broke their silent staring match and darted her glance around the dojo for an answer.

Luckily, she recalled the conversation she overheard in the restroom and decided to utilize that to her advantage. "Remember when I told you before that a lot of girls like you? Someone saw us studying together in the library, and somehow the rumor spread fast. I don't think it'd be good for you to be seen with someone like me. I guess, I just don't want to deal with that kind of negative attention, right now," she confessed, though it was just an iota of the truth.

Lantis seemed to accept her feeble excuse. His head tilted to the right as he considered her words. It wasn't so long ago that Eagle had brought this up. After a while, he asked, "If that's what's bothering you, we can relocate to someplace else. Will you still object against continuing those tutorials when we do it at, say, your house?"

Hikaru was strongly opposed to this idea, but she tried not to let it show. "Ummm… I guess not. But I don't think my brothers would leave us alone for even a minute. They'd be hovering over our shoulders the entire time and peppering you with personally invasive questions. I don't think we'd be able to put in at all any amount of studying."

"My place then." He offered, as if it were any more acceptable. "It's within walking distance and not that far from your home."

The boldness of the suggestion had Hikaru fumbling for words. "Umm… My brothers…They don't trust me to be left alone with any guy. They'd never give me permission."

"Zagato will be there. And Emeraude, too. I'd invite her to watch over us, if that's what you want. If you're not satisfied with that, we could choose some place else –anywhere besides the library." His piercing azure eyes assured her he planned to deliver on this promise.

Hikaru was suddenly beset with doubt, and the confusion settled in her face. If she agreed to this, then she was doing what Eagle expressly forbade her to do: which was wearing her heart on her sleeves and jumping eagerly at every chance to be with him. But Lantis was being the epitome of a gentleman, again. It was so hard to resist, especially when he keeps channeling this stiff upper-lipped charm and her heart was clamoring for proximity, not distance.

"I still think…I shouldn't." Hikaru replied softly, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth. She was a fool, she thought. A masochist. Why else would he reject him? If Eagle hadn't implied that Lantis was interested in somebody else, then she would've grabbed his offer already. But as it is, she can't let him lead her on with every invitation, not while this ideal girl existed.

After a long, deafening silence, Lantis mumbled something to himself. His head was bowed down low and his hands were clasped in front of his forehead, forming a little steeple. He was thinking.

"Did you say something?" Hikaru asked, not catching his words.

"I said, you're afraid." He said in a clear voice, with an emotionless mask in place. He moved from his hunched position and leaned against the wall, facing her. Studying her.

"Afraid?" She asked disbelievingly. Somehow she couldn't put two and two together and understand how he came to such a conclusion. "Of what, exactly?"

"I have a few conjectures, but right now, I'm thinking it's me." He said simply.

"You? Why would I be afraid of you? If I were, I wouldn't be here with you now, right?" Hikaru asked, her disbelief growing to epic proportions. Somehow, she has lost track of his line of thinking and how the conversation got to this. It was driving her insane –this daily battle of wits Eagle and Lantis seem to drag her into. It was just Eagle who had this predilection at first, but now Lantis seems to be employing it, as well. The two of them both seem to have this penchant for speaking in riddles or codes that needed deciphering and she found it hard to catch up most of the time. It's either their IQs are far too superior to the average person, or they simply knew something that she didn't.

"You're here now only because I forced this talk to happen. Would you have approached me if I didn't demand for you to stay and hear me out during Chemistry lab?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"That's not true," Hikaru denied. "I had a choice. There's actually nothing you can do to force me into doing things I didn't want to do myself."

"You were avoiding me before this. Also, the fact that you're interjecting my opinion without supporting your claim speaks volumes. You don't want to be left alone in close quarters with me, not even with the assurance that there will be adults or other people nearby. I can think of a myriad reasons why this might be so. Care to hear some of them?" Lantis asked, his face still devoid of emotion.

"Go ahead. I'm interested to hear the major ones, " Hikaru waved her hand in a dismissive motion, confident that she can shoot down his guesses easily.

"Alright. But I want to you to tell me if any of my conjectures is right."

Hikaru nodded. "Yup. But I'll speak only if you nail it right in the head."

Lantis obliged her and spoke without preamble. "One, my personality and reticence scare you. I'm not exactly a forthcoming person, so if given a chance, you'd rather steer clear of me to avoid a conversation."

Hikaru pursed her lips and shook her head. The look of protest was pasted on her face.

Lantis paused before hazarding another guess, mostly to gauge her reaction. This time, he was going to make a leap and take his chances. "Two, because I made a bold attempt towards you last Saturday. Not only did it make you feel uncomfortable, it terrified you."

Hikaru blanched, caught off-guard with his frankness. If he continued any further, she wouldn't know how to proceed anymore. She held up one hand. "Okay, stop right there. You don't need to enumerate them. All I have to say is this: Lantis-senpai, you couldn't be more wrong. You may not believe it, but I'm not afraid of you. It's just your imagination that I'm avoiding you."

Lantis looked like he was dubious about this statement.

"Then prove me wrong," he challenged, after a period of silence.

"Prove you wrong? How?" Hikaru asked,with a wary expression.

"If you really are not afraid of me as you say, then you'd agree to studying alone with me. It shouldn't be that hard for you, right?" Lantis taunted.

"Why would I do that? I don't have to prove anything." She retaliated.

"Because if you don't, I'd just have to accept the fact that you hate me. That's the only other reason I can think of why you'd avoid me, despite you needing those lessons. Should that be the case, you only need to say the word and I'll never bother you again."

Hikaru looked up at him and saw that he was dead serious. The very idea of him thinking she detested him was something she could not allow, because nothing could be further than the truth. Begrudgingly, Hikaru took the bait and accepted his challenge. However childish it may seem, she was not going to let him believe his own outlandish claims.

"Fine. If that is what it takes to make you believe me, then fine, I accept!" Hikaru crossed her arms and blurted out firmly. "I'll do you one even better. Let's do those tutorial lessons at your place. If you still say I'm afraid of you even after that, then I think I'm going to start seriously doubting your intelligence now."

"Alright. But, that applies to other invitations as well. If you decline something only because it would just be the two of us, that's bound to raise my suspicion. Deliberately backing out of any situation that puts the two of us together, without any acceptable or valid reason, would be a direct contradiction to your claim. " Lantis said without missing a beat.

"Fine, you got yourself a deal." Hikaru said, her frown deepening.

Upon hearing this, Lantis looked satisfied. He stood up and extended a hand to help her up on her feet. She grabbed it firmly with both hands and rose from her sitting position in one smooth motion. As he pulled her up, she started having regrets for her rash decisions earlier. She didn't know what possessed her to agree to this, but she couldn't possibly back off now.

"So can we eat now?" Lantis asked. "I'm starving from all that talk and training."

Hikaru thought she detected a hint of a smile, but she had no way of making sure. Right now, though, there seemed to be a vibe of triumph radiating from his frame, and she decided that she didn't like it. "Hang on, I only agreed to study with you, didn't I?" She objected.

"Reneging on our agreement as early as now?" Lantis asked from over his shoulder. "Too afraid to eat even one meal with me?"

Hikaru rolled her eyes where he couldn't see. If she knew any better, she would go so far as to say that Lantis was definitely milking the situation for all it's worth.

Sadly, she would never know if she was right or wrong.

~0~

When Hikaru got home after dinner with Lantis, she fell back on her futon, feeling dog-tired and defeated. She promised she was going to avoid him. But here she was agreeing to a study date in Lantis's apartment, by her own brainless suggestion. Now, she was going to have to lie to her brothers and spend her Friday afternoons being in close quarters with Lantis. There really should be a limit to how much stupidity is allowed in one person.

Somehow, though, she can't say she is completely unhappy with the situation.

Burying her head underneath a pile of pillows, she went over their previous conversation in her head. She was pretty sure she had overlooked something... Something discussed in the classroom during her English class. Just last week, her teacher had expounded on all the logical fallacies you needed to know before getting into a debate. What were those again?

She went over the list in her head: Ad hominem, argumentum ad ignorantiam, argumentum ad misericordiam, tu quoque, argumentum ad vericundiam, causal fallacy, bandwagon fallacy, slippery slope fallacy, etcetera, etcetera.

And then it hit her: False Dichotomy. Also known as the "false dilemma" or "bifurcation fallacy." This line of reasoning was called the "either-or fallacy" because it limited the options to two when there were in fact more options to choose from. Lantis told her she was avoiding him, because she either hated him, or was afraid of him. Now that Hikaru finally had time to think, she realized belatedly that there is a whole bunch of reasons why someone would go through the lengths of avoiding one person. For her, it was obviously because she liked him, but had a lot of reservations.

She sat up on her futon and groaned, knocking over her pillows. Did Lantis just adopt the simple expedient of using a fallacy to win the argument?

Her heart instantly went to his defense. NO. She doubted he could be that cunning or devious. Also, he couldn't possibly have predicted how she would react, so contrivance was out of the question.

But if he did it on purpose, did that mean he just pulled a fast one on her, so that she'd be forced into spending time with him? Was that why this feeling of being outsmarted or played refused to disappear?

Again, it's something that she would never know.

Dammit, she cursed for the first time.

~0~ End of Chapter ~0~

Terminology:

Sugi – Japanese cedar

Hidoi - terrible