Chapter 6

C.C. stares beyond the glass window, careful not to get caught by the people inside. Her head tilted at just the right angle enough for her right eye to peek inside. Huh, he's not yet there. For someone who insisted on not being late, he himself is. So much for being punctual, huh?

"C.C.!"

C.C. jumps at the intrusive loud voice and a mild panic attacks her, worrying that someone inside had heard them. Her left hand lands on her chest preventing her heart from jumping out of her rib cage.

"Kallen," she whispers then, shushes the other girl.

"Hey, what are you doing? Why are you peeking?" Kallen whispers back. "And why are we whispering?"

C.C.'s eyes automatically go beyond Kallen's shoulder and she lets out a sigh of relief upon finding that her friends aren't tailing behind her.

Shaking her head, C.C. turns around and begins walking away from the student council room. Confused, Kallen glances briefly inside then back to the retreating girl. Quickly, she follows her classmate and sidles up to her.

"Lelouch told us that you have a meeting. Aren't you going?"

"Well, he's not yet there," C.C. mumbles.

"Are you two fighting? Lelouch was sulking earlier."

Lelouch was sulking? Isn't she the one who supposed to be sulking right now?

"Well, he's with Suzaku now. Mr. Gottwald asked them to run an errand for him," adds Kallen.

They reach the stairs and C.C. unceremoniously plops on one of the steps and bends her body over her legs. She must have been unconsciously standing outside the room for quite a long time because her knees suddenly feel like jellies. Meanwhile, Kallen makes herself comfortable on a step below her, stretching her legs until her feet touch the floor.

"Did you enjoy the break earlier?" the red head asks out of nowhere.

"Hmm? I did."

"Sorry for dragging you all of a sudden there."

"I don't mind. It was actually fun eating with you."

Kallen sighs in relief. "That's good to hear! You should join us again tomorrow. The guys would be happy to have you in the group."

"Well…" C.C. bites her lower lip while playing with the hem of her skirt. If she's going to be honest, the experience earlier is so far the best she ever had since she transferred school. She's been a student here for a week now but as pathetic as it sounds, she hasn't made that much friends. Not that she had a lot in her former school and not that she is actually friendly. She knows that from the perspective of other people, she may seem standoffish, which she really doesn't attempt to deny. C.C. actually prefers to be seen that way for she values her privacy very much. But she is not a loner. Or rather, she is not fond of being alone all the time. She's already alone at home (except for Arthur's company, and her restricted interaction with the house staffs doesn't count) and C.C. still craves for human connection, as limited as it can be.

Yet, she remembers what happened on the rooftop and suddenly, her stomach drops. The frown on her face doesn't escape Kallen's notice and the red head places a gentle hand on C.C.'s shoulder. The latter startles at the unexpected physical contact.

"I know our snacks weren't as fancy as the ones on your resto but I promise you, you'll like them, too. Especially, Lelouch's. He's a hell of a cook. Oh, I've got an idea! If you're still hesitant, you can bring your own food!" Kallen beams at her and for a moment, C.C. envies her optimism.

Clearly, Kallen misunderstood the reason for her gloomy expression, but C.C. doesn't attempt to correct her. Perhaps, she'll bask in her positivity for a while.

A set of footsteps distracts the girls' attention, and there, approaching the staircase are Lelouch and Suzaku. It is too late to find a hiding place now that the former has his eyes locked on C.C. So much for delaying the inevitable, huh.

"Yo, Kallen! Hi, C.C.!" Suzaku cheerily greets.

"Hey! Are you done?"

Suzaku nods towards Lelouch and answers, "Yeah. Lelouch is on his way to the student council room."

At the mention of the name, C.C. turns away and avoids looking at any body part that is attached and makes up the entity that is Lelouch Lamperouge. She can feel his eyes on her but she wants to be petty right now and ignore his existence as much as she could.

"We're actually late for the meeting now. Let's go, C.C." the boy grumbles.

"Great! Suzaku and I will just leave together. See you all tomorrow!"

As she watches the duo walk away from them, C.C. remains rooted on her spot like an ancient tree that has lived for a hundred of years. From her peripheral vision, she sees Lelouch halts on his tracks and looks back at her unmoving figure.

A sigh. "C.C.?"

Gathering her things, the girl deliberately moves ever so slowly as if she has all the time in the world. Is that a loose thread on her skirt? She makes a mental note of telling her personal tailor later. Huh, she didn't notice that crack on the step earlier. It looks like it isn't a matter of concern as of the moment but certainly, the weight of the students' stomping feet everyday will further damage the cement until accidents start to happen. Oh, there's a dragonfly resting against the window. How long has it been there? Is that –

"We have to hurry. We're already late."

Finally, C.C. properly looks at Lelouch and to her surprise, he is somewhat closer to her than he was before.

"Then, why don't you go ahead? You don't have to wait for me."

"Honestly? It is better to often see us together if we aim to build a united leadership in the student council. This is the first time that there are two presidents in the council. Might as well use that unexpected turn of events to our advantage."

"You mean to your advantage." C.C. squints at him as a sudden realization dawns at her. Clutching her bag closer to her chest, she takes a step back as if his mere presence would burn her.

But it seems like the boy's patience is at its last thread as well and his frustration begins to resurface in his voice. "Are you still angry about what happened earlier?" Lelouch asks with a little bit of irritation coating his tone. "And for your information, my sushi did taste good. Nunnally said so."

"What?"

Lelouch blinks at her.

"Is that all you've got from what I said earlier?" C.C. retorts and the urge to go home and be with Arthur makes her want to flee the corridor.

The boy's hands find their escape in his pockets and for a moment, Lelouch looks away with a contemplating expression on his face. C.C. just wants to go home now. The excitement of telling the whole council about what she had done had long worn off and all she can feel right now is exhaustion. She cannot even call it an 'accomplishment' anymore when Lelouch only made her feel like an impulsive brat who does whatever she wants at a whim earlier.

Maybe, there's a truth in that. But would it hurt him to say a simple, 'thank you'?

Lelouch finally glances back at her and his eyes tell her that he wants to say more yet he opts not to, instead he tells her, "Let's talk about this later. For now, we have to attend the meeting and tell the council about the progress."

C.C. furrows her eyebrows, and right now, she's aware that her pettiness is out of bounds but still she insists, "Why not talk about it now? After all, we're already late." Good grief, if her father heard her just now, she would certainly be threatened to be transferred to another school again.

And the look that Lelouch gives her is one that says that she should have known, how could she forget, she, of all people, should be the one to remember.

Isn't this what she wants?

"Because it's almost five, and you don't want to go home late, right?"

It turns out that the council and the Music Club took the report better than whatever Lelouch was expecting. Of course, there were surprised gasps at the sudden turn of events followed by utterances of hesitation and doubt about the successful execution of the festival but Lelouch assured them they will all work together and lay out a cohesive plan that must strictly follow a schedule so as to meet their deadlines with lesser, if not without, obstacles.

All the while, C.C. stands silently beside him, letting the boy do all the talking. He does, indeed, have a way with words and he does know how to use his charms when necessity arises. Too bad for him, those assets of him won't work with C.C. anymore.

"So, are those all your concerns? If you don't have anymore questions, we can end this meeting at this point," Lelouch asks after answering Shirley's query.

"Excuse me," it is Rolo, the club president, who raises his hand hesitantly. C.C. decided a while ago that she likes Rolo. A timid boy with curly brown hair and big purple eyes, yet he knows and stands by what he wants.

"Yes, Rolo?"

"I would like to say something to C.C., on behalf of the Music Club."

At this, C.C. perks up and takes a step forward, curious as to what the boy would say.

Rolo stands up. "Well, on behalf of the Music Club, I, Rolo Haliburton, would like to express our sincere gratitude to our External Affairs President for your efforts to help make this event possible… Uhmm, I'm not good with words, but, really, thank you for your help. We promise that we will do our best to make this event successful and memorable. And, we won't be a burden to the student council! We'll do our part diligently, right, guys?" The rest of the club nod enthusiastically but to be honest, everything had been a blur to C.C. after she heard the words, 'thank you' and her chest feels a little tighter than usual.

Soon, she finds herself standing on her tiptoes, invisible springs under her heels. By the end of the meeting, her moodiness is gone and a small smile plays on her lips as she waves goodbye to everyone.

"So…"

Except for one.

"It's fine," C.C. cuts Lelouch off with a wave of her hand. "It's fine now," she repeats, laughing at the confused look on his face. Oh, she can't believe this, how those two little words could easily lift her mood up. Like butterflies during spring. Or seashells on the shore. Or, extra cheese on her pizza.

"Well then, I'll be going now. And don't worry, I won't do anything behind your back anymore."

And she leaves Lelouch speechless and more baffled than before.

"You've been quiet. Is something bothering you?"

Lelouch looks up from his plate and turns to his father who's reading a newspaper before him. Who still reads newspaper nowadays? And at night at that.

The boy mulls over if it is worthwhile to talk about it. It seems like a small matter that he needn't have to overthink since everything is fine now but something in his gut tells him that he should and he must resolve it in any way possible.

"I just don't understand," Lelouch sighs, putting his fork down. "She was mad at me when we were at the rooftop until when we're having the meeting but by the end of the day, she's all smiling and laughing and said 'it was fine'. She even waved me good bye."

His father raises a brow at him, an expression of curiosity that Lelouch realizes he hadn't seen since the fight happened and the action is so human, so normal that it slightly threw him off guard for the older man has been a walking corpse these past few weeks.

"And who are we talking about?"

"C.C. She's a transfer student and the External Affairs President of the Student Council."

"External Affairs President? I believe Nunnally told me something about a transferee in your section."

"She did? Well…" And so Lelouch recounts everything that had happened the past few weeks and it feels like finally unloading some of the frustrations and uncertainties he had harbored during the election season. By the end of his story, he had finished his meal and the newspaper is neatly folded on top of the table.

"So, did you say 'sorry' already?" his father asks him before taking a sip of his tea.

"No. Why would I?"

The look of disappointment directed towards him causes Lelouch to flinch on his seat. "Are you seriously asking that question? Kid, you're smarter than this."

"But – "

An eyebrow is raised.

"Pride, my son, can turn someone blind. From what I've heard, something had happened that made her turn a complete 180 degrees. And," the older man holds a finger up, "the meeting plays a major role at that. Now, as much as I'd like to tell you what I think must have likely swayed her the other way, I think it is better for you to figure out the root cause of the problem and arrive at a solution yourself. But remember that you can always come to me if you have any doubts. You know, all that fatherly stuff and all," he ends with a scrunch of his nose and a wave of a hand.

Lelouch rolls his eyes at his attempt at dismissal. Leaning back, he stares at the man before him and utters, "Is that why you left home? Because of pride?"

"I hope it's just pride, son. I really hoped it just is because if that's the case, I could have swallowed it by now and return home. But you knew what happened and… you chose to be here."

Lelouch shrugs, "Well, you'll be lonely when you're alone. And who's gonna clean up after your mess when you get drunk?"

The gentleness in his father's eyes is something that he hasn't seen in a while. Their situation has been tough on both ends – him and Nunnally getting separated (but both by their own choice and was settled peacefully) – but Lelouch can't imagine how painful it must have been for his father. He could only fathom the degree because the real gravity of pain is only truly felt by the person it had clung to. "We really failed you, huh? The adults should be the one acting mature in this kind of situation, but it turns out our children were the ones forced to adulthood."

Lelouch bestows him a deadpan stare. "To be fair, it's not your fault."

"Hey, she's your mother."

"Well, did she think about us when she did that? I don't think so." Pushing his chair back, Lelouch gathers his plate and utensils then stands. "I'll be in my room. Thank you for listening, Dad."

"Hey, did you fall asleep on me?"

"Yeah, no. Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"Well, why did you call out of the blue?"

Lelouch hears some shuffling on the other end of the line then a soft 'meow' followed by a hum. "Do you have a cat with you?"

He hears the smile in her voice. "That's Arthur. Now, are you going to answer my question or should I assume that you have a secret crush on me and you wanted my voice to be the last thing you'll hear before sleeping?"

"Definitely not the latter." Lelouch huffs and turns on his side, trying to find a more comfortable position on his bed.

"Then what is this important matter that couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

He clears his throat. He's suddenly nervous as his mind replays his father's words and the realization that he had. As soon he became aware of the things he did wrong, an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment and guilt ate him up and he knew that his apology couldn't wait for a little longer. Well, it had been delayed for quite some time thanks to his naivety. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what I said earlier at the rooftop. I was insensitive of your efforts and didn't even think about the time and energy you dedicated in order to successfully make everything possible. I'm sorry, C.C. for being an ass."

Unexpectedly, a light chuckle resonates from his phone and it sounds like wind chimes from a shrine. "I can't believe that I'd hear you say that word."

"What?"

"'Ass'. It's so out of character for our prim and proper Internal Affairs President."

Lelouch shrugs and focuses on the dim light of his lamp shade. "Well, I guess I'm not as prim and proper as how others painted me out to be."

"You don't have to apologize. I told you that it's already fine."

"No, I have to. I owe you one and you deserve it."

A moment of silence engulfs his room as he nervously waits for C.C.'s answer. Tomorrow, he'll apologize again tomorrow with her actually standing infront of him.

"You were really an ass and I was so mad that you didn't appreciate my efforts."

"Go on."

"I didn't like that you scolded me as if everything that I did was wrong."

"I'm sorry."

"But I thought about it and I think you have a point with your concerns and it was selfish of me to act on my own without consulting you."

"I'm glad that you understand."

"And Lelouch?"

He hears the yawn in her voice. Looking up at the clock, he's surprised to know how late it already is. "What is it?" He suppresses a yawn of his own.

"Your sushi's not bad."

A smile involuntarily appears on his face and a feeling of triumph expands his chest. He knew that it isn't bad. Nunnally said so and she doesn't lie when it comes to his cooking. But hearing it specifically from C.C. feels like an approval coming from a well-known chef.

"I know."

A laugh. A ring of bells. "You're really full of yourself sometimes, huh?"

"I just know my strengths and weaknesses, and cooking definitely falls on my strength. Anyway, we still have an early class tomorrow so I'll let you go now."

"Good night, Lelouch." He hears a little more shuffling from the other end and another soft 'meow' coming from Arthur. C.C. begins doing babytalk to her cat and Lelouch's smile widens without his notice.

"Oh, and C.C.," he interrupts.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for your hardwork and good job on making the festival possible."

In a classroom setup full of enthusiastic students, her sigh could have easily been gotten lost in the noise of excited conversations and whiny rants, a silent sound that will go unnoticed by the people around her, but here, in the quiet of the night and over the gentle purr of Arthur, it echoes like the sound of the ocean coming from a seashell – crisp, calming, enchanting. It is all Lelouch could hear.

"Lelouch Lamperouge," she exhales, "You're going to give me a heart attack."