A/N: Just for your information, the time may be quite a bit fast since I also followed up how the game chapter time is. Such as it's already Summer in this chappie as well as the exam is almost coming though I skip about exam thing.
I don't own Hakuouki nor the cover story. The cover story is actually a doujin that I found from Japanese shop online. But if you guys found the original artist PM me.
Warnings: OOC-ness, typos, grammar error, AU
Chapter 5
"AHHH! WE'RE LATE!," Heisuke yelled out loud, as he and his childhood friend went onward to the Hakuou Academy.
It is very rarely for the brunette girl to come to school in late. But it's because she's actually waiting for Heisuke to walk to school together, she never expected the boy woke up in late.
"This is all your fault for playing the game in the middle of night!" Chizuru whined, as they ran as fast as they could to reach the Hakuou Academy before they'll get punishment.
"I can't help it!" Heisuke exclaimed. "I can't find a place to save, that's all!" he gave a nonsense reason as to why he ended up sleeping in late.
Her childhood friend then held out his hand to Chizuru. "Hold my hand so we won't be late."
"Al.. alright!" as Chizuru said that, she was about to reach Heisuke's hand to hold him just as she used to do it when they're young.
The moment Heisuke managed to hold Chizuru's hand, he could felt her grip became tighter as if she intended to broke his wrist on purpose.
"You're sure has a guts to hold Taiki-kun just because he's your childhood friend, Heisuke-kun."
As the brunette boy turned his head behind, he realized that the person that he's been holding all this time was none other than Okita, with a grim expression on his face.
"Wha-?! S-Souji?! Since when did you come?!" Heisuke exclaimed in shocked. "Mo-more importantly, let go! You're almost breaking my wrist!"
"…No." As Okita replied that, his gripped becoming even tighter and Heisuke could only do nothing except yelling in so much pain.
"Ah.. good.. good morning, Okita-senpai," Chizuru said in timidly, decided to calm Okita down from whatever misunderstanding that Okita might've thought between them.
"Good morning, Taiki-kun~" Okita said with a very gentle tone despite he still breaking Heisuke's wrist on purpose, and gave a fake innocent smile for him. Okita then grabbed Taiki's hand so that they could arrive to school without getting caught.
Unfortunately….
Saitou and Kaoru had appeared in front of the school gate, waiting for the threesome students to accept their punishment.
"You're late," Saitou said with his usual monotone voiced.
"Now, now Hajime-kun. The bell isn't ringing yet. We're still arrive, ne?." Okita said.
"You're late in about 5 minutes, which is, it is against the rule." Saitou explained.
"Aww… just pretend that you didn't see anything of it."
"I refused." Kaoru began.
"Then I'll make you cry." Okita replied back.
"Make me then."
At that, there's a dangerous aura once again between Okita and Kaoru though not as dangerous as between Kazama and Hijikata, which is, it relief Chizuru a little.
"Um.. good morning, Saitou-senpai." The brunette greeted quietly.
Saitou nodded, and there's a gentle expression on his face. "You're late too, Yukimura-kun so you should accept your punishment as well. And yes, good morning to you too."
The moment Kaoru's eyes laid on the member of Discipline Committee, there's something… odd about that expression that Saitou showed just now. He had never seen Saitou has become.. gentle now. He always showed a stern and stoic around people. So why would he gave that kind of expression?!
As his eyes took a looked to whatever Saitou stared at, Kaoru realized that the person that he smiled for is none other than his sister. He can tell that there's something going on between them when Kaoru didn't kept an eyed on her. He somehow had a desired to give a threat to Saitou that never ever talked to his sister again. Then again, that would have make Chizuru sadden too.
It was recess time, Chizuru decided to go to the Student Council room like she used to go. According from the President, Kazama lets her go eat lunch with Heisuke and the others but as long as it twice a week. She somehow couldn't helped herself but quite happy to eat with other than the President. She also couldn't believe of all the bad rumors that she heard a lot about him.
Kazama-senpai is a very kind person to be honest, she thought herself. But what bothered her about from him is she hated how he liked to tease her and made her flustered so easily. As if he did it on purpose to see her reaction.
As she was on her way to the Student Council room, Chizuru heard a commotion after then.
"I told you to stay away from Taiki!"
"I do not think it is your concern, Nagumo Kaoru."
The brunette couldn't help but needed to take a peek in a Student Council room, and eavesdropped of their conversation as well. After all, they did talk about her, right?
"I am his older brother and it is my job to protect him. So I want you to stay away from Taiki from now on." Kaoru said coldly to the President, who doesn't seem to be fear of the boy despite he's the Head of the Discipline Committee.
"Oh? Since when you can order me around? You're not even Taiki's mother or something."
Kaoru gritted his teeth, couldn't stand of this President so much! He wouldn't mind if Chizuru went out together with Heisuke since they've always been together since they were very young. They are, after all, childhood friends, nothing else. As for Kazama, Kaoru had heard a lot of rumors between Chizuru and the President, as to how they ate lunch together in the Student Council room, walking home together while they're holding hands, and so many things. He couldn't stand of letting the President do whatever he wanted to Chizuru now! He has to stop this once and for all!
"In fact, even if you warn your brother not to see me, I doubt that he would listen to you." The President said, turned his head away from Kaoru, as if he saw something at the door. "Isn't that right, Taiki?"
Chizuru flinched, surprised that Kazama has sense her presence. Without hesitated, the brunette showed herself by entering the Student Council room, her brother couldn't helped himself but to gap like a fish.
"Taiki..?!" Kaoru exclaimed in shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, it's recess now so I would like to eat lunch together with Kazama-senpai, like I always do." Chizuru replied.
Kaoru gave a stern expression, dissatisfied of what he heard from his sister. He doubted that Chizuru wants to eat lunch with someone like him. That bastard must have told her to eat with him.
"Taiki," her brother called her name in a cold tone, in which, she could felt shivered in her spine. "Kazama Chikage is forcing you to eat with him, right? You might as well leave the Student Council room and never eats lunch with him anymore."
"Well…" she began. "I actually come to eat lunch with Kazama-senpai because I wanted to. He didn't force me anymore."
At that, Kaoru gave a surprised expression once again. Chizuru continued it so that her brother could let her eat with the President from now on.
"The cafeteria is always full and I don't have any place to eat there. Kazama is very generous President, letting me to eat in the Student Council room whenever I wanted to. So please, Kaoru, there's no need of stopping me from eating with him." She explained. Once again, she didn't know why would she protected the President again. That man had always annoyed her and embarrassed her quite a lot. So why would she ended up protecting him? Is there any reason why she protected the President..?
Finally, Kaoru cursed under his breathed, disapprove of what his sister done just now. "Do it what you like! I won't protect you from Kazama Chikage this time!" He exclaimed in frustrated, left the Student Council room.
"W-wait, Kaoru!" Chizuru tried to stop her older twin brother, and yet, he'd already gone.
Kazama smirked in satisfied, stood up from his fancy chair and went toward to Taiki to pat his head, approve of what the boy done.
"Um…," Her almond-brown orbs looked at the crimson-red eyes in confusedly, didn't know what to say to the President.
"Good work on kicking Kaoru away from the room. And here I thought he's going to lecture the two of us all day."
"I.. I'm not doing this for you, Kazama-senpai. I'm doing this because I wanted to."
She can hear Kazama was smirking again, as if the President can tell that the brunette was lying to him, though it didn't bothered Kazama much.
After then, as usual, they began to eat together though Kazama didn't teased her this time, which is, the brunette relief a little.
There was a very awkward silent in the Discipline Committee room. Why you ask? Because Kaoru and Saitou haven't spoke any word for a while now. Well, both of them were rarely talked to each other actually. Most of it they were talking about of what Saitou needed to do and so on. But this time, Kaoru hasn't order the stoic man anything, except staring at him as Saitou doing some paperwork.
Despite Saitou can tell that Kaoru has been stared at him for quite some time now, yet he ignored it, getting used to it of getting stared by someone.
Until now, Kaoru finally spoke.
"Saitou, there's something I want to ask about.." the Head of Discipline Committee asked, and there's a hidden anger tone that he used already.
"And what is that, Kaoru?"
"You..," the boy paused. "What is your relationship with Taiki, anyway?"
"Relationship.. with Yukimura-kun?" Saitou looked at him in surprised and confusion. "What do you mean by that?
"Oh, you know what I meant. I saw this morning that you smiled Taiki when he spoke at you. That's rarely to see a stoic member of Discipline Committee like you to show an emotion before."
The indigo-haired man couldn't helped but to wide his eyes. He hadn't noticed that he's been smiling for Taiki for a whole time. How can he not realizing it?!
The moment Kaoru saw Saitou looked shocked and surprised, there wasn't a doubt that Saitou has taken an interested for Chizuru as well despite she hid her gender away from them.
"I knew it! So there is something between you and Taiki..!" Kaoru raised his voiced then.
"N-No…! You've got it all wrong! We're just-"
"Don't lie to me, Saitou Hajime!" Kaoru said. "I don't care what you have for Taiki, but don't you dare coming closer to my brother anymore!"
"L-like I told you, we're just-" once again, Saitou tried to stop of misunderstood between he and Taiki, yet, Kaoru had already left from the Discipline Committee room in anger. He sighed quietly.
"To be honest, I couldn't able to stop looking at his smile.." Saitou muttered to himself, his cheeks began to turn red as he thought of Taiki with a very cute and innocent smile on his face. Despite Kaoru had gave him a threat, yet Taiki's smile was very powerful that he couldn't even listened of the Head of Discipline Committee's threat a moment ago.
Meanwhile…
Hijikata slammed on the table in frustratedly, yelled out loud although his friends had no idea what in the world is that grumpy teacher is talking about:
"That Kazama bastard..! Who the hell did he think he is?!"
"Hey, hey, there's no need to yell out loud, Hijikata." Harada said confidently. "Just what is this all about? You've always talked about the President quite a lot this year."
"Of course I'm talking about him and that stupid false shit rumors! Just what the hell is he plan to do with Taiki, anyway?!"
"Come on, Hijikata…" the red-haired teacher sighed. "You're not the only one that has a thing for Taiki. Even Saitou became sissy every time he met him. Not just Saitou, of course, Okita… Heisuke… Yamazaki… even Ibuki-kun too. Man, Taiki is a very lucky boy, you know."
Hijikata slammed on the table even harder this time. "That's not the point!" the grumpy teacher raised his voice even louder. "I mean, why would everyone like that Taiki boy, huh? Doesn't it disgusted especially he's not even a girl?!"
"Well..," Harada began, "..since the school has been decided to be an all-boys high school, a lot of students have starting to be gay already.. So, it's obviously normal already." He sighed once more as he remembered how Shiranui had a thing for him too…
Hijikata gritted his cigarette, feeling regretful for telling something like this to the red-headed teacher.
"You're not helping at all, Harada…!" the Classic Literature teacher hissed, dark aura starting to appear around him, though Harada doesn't notice it at all.
-.-
After the recess finally over, it was Chizuru's time to return to her classroom. Though, she'd still had a time since Harada had always came to class a little late without any particular reason. So she decided to pay a visit of the library to borrow some reference books for the upcoming examinations. She's quite alright in all subjects, but not as good as Sen or Kosuzu. And she, especially had a problem only one subject:
English
She really hard to study when it comes to English. No matter how the teacher teaching her a basic of grammar, yet, she still couldn't able to understand very well. Asking an English teacher for help would've make bothered them too much, since they have always been busy and needs to have some free time every once in a while, which is, she has no other choice but to learn it by herself.
As she was on her way to the library, her eyes laid on the Principal, who seemed looked worried at the hallway.
Kondou-sensei..? Why is he doing here?, Chizuru thought herself, as she looked at him for quite longer now, and she sees he sighed in frustrated, as if there's something precious thing that belongs to him had lost somewhere in the hallway. I wonder what make Kondou-sensei looked so worried…?
The brunette followed her instinct, instead of going to the library, she went to see the Principal on the hallway. Kondou didn't notice of her presence until Chizuru greeted him.
"Yukimura-kun.. what's wrong? Is there anything I can help you?" Kondou asked, tried his best not to show his worried expression to his student, though he failed in the end.
"Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing, Kondou-sensei.. is there anything I can help you?"
"Eh…?" Kondou blinked in confusion.
"I saw how worried you are a while ago. And I thought maybe I can help you whatever I can."
Kondou shook his head, and waved his hand away. "Ah.. no, no.. there's no need to concern about Yukimura-kun. It'll be best if you just return back to your class already. Your teacher might have waiting for you already."
Chizuru shook her head and smiled gently to the Principal. "It's alright. Harada-sensei has always come to the class in late. In fact, I'd really can't stand watching you looked disappointing while I can't do anything for you to be happy. It just makes me sad too…"
Kondou looked anywhere except his student. He didn't know he's been making Taiki worried about him so much. Though he can't help it, but to feel worried about the emerald-green eyed man after he heard the news from the Classic Literature teacher.
Finally, Kondou given up himself, and tells him what he's been worried about all this time:
"You see, after I've got a complaint from Toshi, your Classic Literature teacher, Hijikata-sensei, that.. Souji hadn't come his class yet." He explained, sighed heavily.
"Souji…?" Chizuru looked at him in confusion, looked familiar of that man's name, yet couldn't able to figure where's it come from..
"Okita Souji." Kondou stated.
"Okita-senpai? What's wrong? Did something happen to him?," she asked curiously.
"Well, not really.. but," he paused for a moment. "I understand it's not in a cold weather yet, but I'm still worried his health."
"Okita's senpai's health..? What do you mean by that..?" she couldn't help but had a very bad feeling once she hears of the Principal's answer after this.
It took a while for Kondou to tell Taiki about Okita's health, and before he answered, the Principal looked down on the white floor, used a very sad expression on his face.
"Souji is.. In truth, Souji is suffered in asthma."
As the answered finally revealed, her almond-brown orbs began to wide like a saucer, hands slowly put on her lips the moment she heard news of Okita's sickness.
"A..Asthma..?" Chizuru stuttered, still couldn't believed of what the Principal told her just now. How could this happen..?
She didn't realize it. All this time, he seems to be fine and all. Always giving such a scary threat to everyone, especially her.. making fun of Kaoru on purpose.. and his smile never disappear on his face.
She didn't know all this time..
She didn't know all this time that Okita has suffered in asthma. How could she's not realize it?!
"I'd really wouldn't mind if Souji didn't come Toshi's class. But, I have a bad feeling that if I let him go wherever he gone, he might fallen sick already.." Kondou sighed. "Just what kind of person am I, anyway? I couldn't able to protect Souji like I promised him to back then.."
Without hesitated. Chizuru blurted out loud, but never regretted of what she said, "I'll.. I'll go and find Okita-senpai then!"
The Principal's eyes widen slightly, surprised of what Taiki said just now.
"It's the least I can do, Kondou-sensei. I know where Okita-senpai always stays whenever he wants to be alone for a moment. So please, let me help you find him."
"…Alright then," the Principal said. "If you found him, find me then."
Chizuru nodded. "I understand. But, if you already found Okita-senpai, find me too."
At that, Chizuru left the hallway, and tried to find the emerald-green eyed man as soon as possible so that Okita wouldn't have falling sick already despite the temperature it's not quite cold.
The brunette thought carefully, tried to remember where Okita usually stay. Okita had always around with Heisuke sometimes, but her childhood friend was already in Hijikata's class, so it's impossible that Okita is around with him. She had asked Inoue and Shimada a moment ago of Okita's whereabout yet, none of them knew of his location.
She had gone to the gymnasium.. the field.. the cafeteria.. the club rooms.. as well as the other classes, yet none of place she could found Okita.
"Geez, Okita-senpai.. where are you?" Chizuru sighed out loud, felt herself to give up finding him already, yet she had promised to the Principal that she would definitely finds him even if she'll be late coming to Harada's class.
The last place she hadn't come is none other than the rooftop. She took a deep breathed slowly since she's been running all over the places to find Okita. As she finally arrived at the rooftop, her eyes began to wide, surprised to see him at a time like this.
He's been here all this time..?! she thought, couldn't believed of what she sees right now. There, she saw Okita sat on the rooftop, playing his mobile phone as usual, and he seems to be alright.
As the emerald-green eyed man noticed of Taiki's presence, he smiled at him like a fox, patting on the floor so that Taiki could join with him as well.
"Hello, Taiki-kun. Care to join?" Okita said confidently.
Chizuru couldn't help but to pout her cheeks. All this time, she's been worried sick about him, yet, Okita seemed to be care less of his suffering Asthma at all!
"Okita-senpai! Why are you still here?"
"What do you mean?" Okita asked innocently.
"You suppose in Hijikata-sensei's class right now, right? Shouldn't you go back to his class already?"
"No way." As he said that, he played his mobile phone, as usual.
"Why?"
"Because I don't like him."
"Even if you don't like him, you should return to his class." She began to lecture him, though, Okita doesn't listening to her at all. "Kondou-sensei was very worried about you too. You shouldn't have make him feel that way.."
The moment he heard the Principal's name, Okita looked at Taiki for a moment then. "Kondou-sensei worried about me?"
Chizuru nodded. "Yes. I came all over to see you because I'm worried about you too."
After then, it took a while for Okita decided to return back to that bastard's class as much as he dislikes him at all. The Classic Literature subject was alright for him, but it's because Hijikata is the one that teaching him, he always got an F grade in Classic Literature subject on purpose.
"Hai, hai.. whatever you say, Taiki-kun. But…" he paused then, and gave the boy a very wide smirked. "Could you come closer?"
Chizuru tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"
"Just come over. I'll go and return to Hijikata's class after this."
"Promise?"
"Hai.. hai.. I promise."
At that, Chizuru came over to Okita slowly, and then…
"Kyaaaa!" she squealed out loud, as the emerald-green eyed man pulled her arm, ended up falling down on him. The next thing she knew, Okita used a mobile phone to take a picture together with her in a surprised expression on her face.
When Okita had finally took a picture with her, Chizuru stood up quickly then. "Wh-what are you doing just now?!"
"Taking a picture with you, of course~" Okita smiled at him.
"Wh-why?"
"Because I wanted to. Ja ne~"
"Ah…! W-wait!" Chizuru stopped the emerald-green eyed man.
"Hm?" Okita stopped walking, as he was about to reach at the door to get to the stairway, looked at Taiki then.
"Where are you going, Okita-senpai?"
"Where to…? To Hijikata-san's class, of course. Like I promise you to, right?"
"Well, that is.."
As usual, Chizuru was being such an idiotic girl. Of course Okita went about to return to his class just as he promised to her once she came closer to him. He's not even a bad person actually, when you think about it no matter how his threat can be a little.. scary.
Before Okita leaves then, he widen his smile and winked his left eye in Taiki. "I'll see you later then, Taiki-kun." At that, he finally went to his class back, leaving the brunette alone on the rooftop.
I hope Okita-senpai had returned to his class.., she thought, it's time to return to her class as well.
Chizuru was quite relief as soon as Kondou had told her that the emerald-green eyed man did returned to Hijikata's class, though he ended up needing to clean up the classroom when the school is over.
Well, at least Okita did keep his promise to her..
But… all's well, ends well though something had bothered her for a little while now..
The brunette couldn't helped but felt herself a lot of people staring at her, as if those students have finally realized of her true gender, of course, she doubted that they are. But whenever she asked them why they kept staring at her, the students ended up answered 'Nothing' and then, left her in suspiciously. Though it made her curious even more. She didn't think she had done something horrible to them… right?
Once the class is over, Chizuru decided to ask Ibuki since he's the only one that she has quite close in her class lately. He is also a very good friend to be company with.
"Um, Ryuunosuke-kun.." Chizuru called the blunette boy's name. "Why does everyone look at me strangely lately? Did I do something bad to them?"
Ibuki looked at him surprised and gapped like a fish. Don't tell… that Taiki didn't know anything about it.. "You.. you mean, you don't know what's going on…?"
The brunette looked at him confusedly even more. "What do you mean by that..?"
"Here, look." Ibuki said, took out his mobile phone and there's a picture on the screen.
Chizuru took a closer looked and her face began to turn red. That picture.. that picture is where she and Okita were taking a picture together on the rooftop?! How did Ibuki got that photo?!
"How.. how did you get that picture, Ryuunosuke-kun?!" she asked in disbelief, her cheeks still flushed in red.
"Well, Okita-senpai was sending this picture to all of a student of Hakuou Academy, actually." Ibuki explained. "Everyone thought you and Okita-senpai are dating.. which is why they thought you two are gay."
"E-ehhh…?!"
"To be honest, as much as it proved that you two were pretty quite close to each other in that photo, I'm still couldn't believed you two are dating.." Ibuki mumbled under his breathed.
"Th-there's nothing between us, Ryuunosuke-kun!" Chizuru exclaimed, and the blunette boy raised his eyebrow, looked at her in confusion. "A while ago, Okita-senpai told me that he would return to his class once I'll do his favor by coming closer to him and when he pulled my arm on him, I ended up falling down on Okita-senpai and getting a picture with him together.. that's how it happened actually," she explained, and prayed silently to the Kami so that Ibuki could believed each word she spoke even if it may looked doesn't make any sense to everyone.
After for a quite while now then, Ibuki make a 'Hmm…' expression on his face, and said, "Well, I think I can believed you that.. but, what are you gonna to do then since everyone still believed you two are dating? I doubt that they would listen to you."
"That's what I'm worried about…," Chizuru whined slightly, and sighed. "I guess I have no other choice but to see Okita-senpai to find an answer."
"I hope things turn back to normal then.."
"Yes, thanks for everything, Ryuunosuke-kun."
Class has finally over, so the brunette needed to find an answer from Okita about the picture that he had sent to all over a student of Hakuou Academy. And here she thought he took a picture together with just because it's his hobby.. but she didn't know that he would dared send that photo to them, actually.
Her life was a little miserable because all those creepy stared that she had obtained from those students, and she could sworn she can heard the gossiping about her and Okita even though everything is just misunderstood.
"I wonder where's class C-77.." Chizuru said, looking all over the class on the hallway to find his childhood friend's and Okita's classroom. From what she's heard from the Principal, Okita would clean up the class as a punishment for coming the Literature Classic class late on purpose. I hope Okita-senpai is still in his class.. she thought, and sighed heavily. If the emerald-green eyed man wasn't in there, then she has to endure those stares until tomorrow then.
As she continued walking, Chizuru saw Kaoru walking to the hallway as well, and turn to the left side. She can see his face looked angry and pissed off too. The brunette can tell that Kaoru must have got the picture of her and Okita together too.
Not good… if Kaoru really got that picture for real, then things would get complicated to find Okita's answer. She doubted that he would answer Kaoru's question in honestly since they obviously looked like some kind of rival already.
Quietly, Chizuru followed her older twin brother in silently so that Kaoru wouldn't noticed of her presence, as well as being stalked(although she didn't mean to stalk her own brother. She somehow, couldn't able to find Okita's and Heisuke's class already..)
When Kaoru stopped walking Chizuru hid herself away, making sure Okita and Kaoru didn't noticed her presence. Since the last time she hid away, Kazama had noticed of her the moment she arrived in the Student Council room.
Her twin brother turned his head to the right, to the left, then, to the right once more, wanting to make sure none of people is there on the hallway. When everything's clear, he entered the C-77 classroom where the emerald-green eyed man is.
His grim expression had never disappeared on his face as he watching Okita cleaned up the classroom alone. As much as he enjoyed that bastard getting a punishment by cleaning up the C-77 class, yet it still didn't satisfy him since the picture that has been sent in his mobile phone from Okita is getting too much!
As Okita noticed that Kaoru has stood at the entrance of class C-77 for a quite while now, the emerald-green eyed man gave a fake innocent smile to the boy like he usual do when it comes to him.
"Well hello there, Kaoru. What do you have a business here for?" Okita questioned.
"This." Kaoru said, took out his mobile phone, and there's a picture of the emerald-green eyed man and his sister together on the screen.
Okita held up his chin and stared at it for a quite while then. "Ehhh~ that picture looks familiar. How did you get that, Kaoru?"
Kaoru gritted his teeth tightly, starting to get piss off of this bastard's joke already.
"Is this some kind of joke, Okita?!" the boy exclaimed. "Did you send this picture to everyone on purpose because you're never get tired of making fun of my brother!"
"I don't mean to make fun of Taiki-kun, actually, Kaoru," Okita said confidently. "I'd just want to show everyone that no one would dare come closer to him, except me."
Feeling anger after hearing what the emerald-green eyed man said, Kaoru daringly gripped Okita's collar tightly(despite he's a bit shorter than him), moved him closer to his.
"So you're actually making fun of Taiki after all, then!" Kaoru raised his voice then, though Okita's grin never faded, as if he enjoyed watching the boy looked pissed off a lot. "Do you really expecting that I would let you do whatever you wanted…?! Do you really expecting that I would let you come closer to Taiki..?! Just who do you think you are?!"
"Kaoru, stop!"
Kaoru and Okita turned to the familiar voiced, and Kaoru couldn't helped but to wide his eyes as Chizuru pushed him off from Okita, his small fists had finally ungripped from Okita's collar then.
She couldn't help but feel the need to stop his brother from giving a threat to the emerald-green eyed man. She has never seen Kaoru looked so angry before. Kaoru has never showed his anger when they were a child back then. But seeing him like that made her feared of him a little.. though she somehow, feel the need to protect Okita just as how she done for the President.
"Please stop..," Chizuru pleaded him. "Please stop blaming Okita-senpai for this.. it's my fault.. I'm the one that needs to be blame of."
"Taiki..!" Kaoru growled at her, and that tone was even quite angrier than he was with the President. How could his sister would protected Okita over him?! That bastard had blackmailed that picture to everyone in Hakuou Academy(except teachers), and yet, why would she needed to concern of Okita?! "How could you protected him even after all he tried to embarrass you in front of everyone else. He should be the one that needed to blame, not you!"
"No!" she exclaimed without hesitatedly. "It was mine.. If I hadn't come closer to Okita-senpai like he asked for, this wouldn't have happened already. You can do whatever you wanted from me, but please, don't blame Okita-senpai for this.."
Kaoru couldn't help but realized that the one's that needed to be blame of is neither Okita nor Chizuru all this time. The person that he has to blame is himself only. He did not able to keep an eye on her in each moved she made in the school. He is nothing like a brother at all.. Chizuru has less care for him for a while now.. Instead of taking a side with him, she ended up protecting to the bastards who had taken liking her even though they hadn't find out of her real identity yet.
After then, Kaoru turned his head away from the sadden Chizuru and spoke before he left the hallway: "If this is what you want, then so be it. But I'm still not going to give up when it comes to Okita Souji then."
The brunette felt the need to stop him once again, though she had never seen Kaoru looked so… disappointed. Why he suddenly become a little over-protective to her anyway? Doesn't he's being a little cold in the first day in Hakuou Academy back then? Was he trying to protect her so that no one would find out of her identity then? There are so many things she wants to find an answer from her brother, yet she doubted that Kaoru would tell her.
"Yare, yare.. It's my first time seeing Kaoru looked piss off like this before." Okita said, sighed.
Chizuru faced to the emerald-green eyed man and pouted because after what he'd done between them. "Okita-senpai, you shouldn't have send that picture to everyone. They might've thought of us as if we're in couple already..!"
"What if, if I say we are?"
"Eh-ehhh~?!" the brunette exclaimed, cheeks became brightened in red.
Okita couldn't helped but to chuckle slightly, never thought Taiki looked so damn cute whenever he became embarrassed.
"It's a joke, Taiki-kun. I don't mean it in seriously, of course."
"Honestly Okita-senpai.. you and Kazama-senpai are really similar.." Chizuru sighed. Seriously why do a lot of people have really like teasing her until she'll get flustered so easily anyway? Was it really that fun seeing her face turned in red like a tomato?
Okita then stared at the boy for a quite while and the moment he heard mentioning of the President, he could remembered how there's a lot of rumors between Taiki and Kazama. He's curiously wanted to know of the boy's relationship with him somehow.
"Ne, Taiki-kun."
"Hm? Yes?"
"I've been meaning to ask this for a while now…"
"What is it?"
"You and that President.." Okita paused. "Do you like him?"
As the word came out of 'like', Chizuru became flushed in red once again. How could Okita asked that kind of question in confidently?!
"Wh-what do you mean by that..?!" she exclaimed.
"Well, everyone has talking quite a lot between you and the President. So I just thought that maybe you two are couple now." Okita explained.
"Th-there's nothing between us!" Chizuru blurted out loud. "Kazama-senpai and I are just friends only!"
"Ehh~ is that so?" The emerald-green eyed man said, his grin became widen then, as if he couldn't believed each word that Taiki said just now.
As her face became even deeper in red, Chizuru decided to change the subject, wanting to talk about anything except the relationship between her and the President.
"A-anyway," Chizuru began. "The exam is almost coming, so how's your subjects, Okita-senpai?"
Okita nodded, although he spent his times training in Kendo Club, yet his subjects were pretty good to take care of. "It's good, alright. But, I highly doubting that I'm going to pass the Literature Classic subject this year again."
"That's because you hated Hijikata-sensei.." She sighed then. "You should have pass the Literature Classic subject too, even if you don't like him that much. He's really good at teaching the Literature Classic subject though.."
When she lectured him, Chizuru realized that Okita doesn't seem listened to her at all…
The examinations almost coming, the brunette decided to study in library since she needs to have better grades in subjects than before. Last time, her grades were pretty 'ok', which is, it wasn't quite good, but at the same time, it's also wasn't quite bad. She feel the need to study herself. But she always had a time in weekend too, since Sen and Kosuzu invited her to study together once they'll meet up again.
Just as she expected, she could able to take care of all the subjects, except English. She sighed frustratedly, no matter what kind of reference books she took of English, she couldn't able to take it very well. The brunette couldn't help herself but feeling anxious for the examination of English.
It's almost dark, Chizuru needed to return to her home now.
As she was about near to the school gate, the familiar voiced flinched her slightly:
"Oh? It's rarely to see you in late."
Chizuru turned around, and surprised to see the President at a time like this. She would've expected he had returned already.
"K-Kazama-senpai.." she whispered his name quietly.
"Going home already?"
Chizuru nodded, avoided looking at his crimson-red orbs, without any word
Kazama blinked confusion, looked at the boy suspiciously. Taiki has never avoided looking at his eyes before.. unless, whenever he'll get flustered. The boy looked so… disappointed somehow.
"In that case, I'll come with you then."
"Eh…?" Chizuru finally looked at him then. "You mean, walking together like usual?"
Kazama shook his head.
"No, by car, of course."
The brunette blinked in confused then. Did.. did she heard for real? Did Kazama just say he would send her to her place by a car?! She couldn't help but she really can't imagine him driving a car already. She has always seen him some kind of a spoilt little prince. Seeing him driving a car for her? Never happens.
The President then noticed a very familiar black car was parking near to the school gate. "He finally here then. That took a while.."
Chizuru looked at him in confusedly, then faced to where the President looked at and her eyes began to wide of surprised. It was her first time to see that kind of car. It isn't a normal car that she always sees. In fact, she had never seen a limousine car at a place like this. How could Kazama would drive from here to her house?! That would've made her embarrassed even more!
"K-Kazama-senpai…!" Chizuru stuttered, gaped like a fish, couldn't able to find a word for the President. She would've thought Kazama would driving her using other than the limo car.
"What? Did you expecting that I'm the one that would drive you all the way to your house?" he smirked widely. "Don't worry. Ayame will drive it. He's the Head of Kazama butler, for your information."
"But… why didn't we ride on the car a few days back then?"
"Oh, that's because I want to take a walk with you alone," Kazama answered simply.
"Ah…" once again, the brunette was lost in word, she couldn't able to move her body no matter how many times she tried to tell herself over and over again.
The President noticed Taiki still stood there like an idiot, sighed quietly. "Why are you stand like a fool? Let's just go," Kazama held the boy's hand, letting him came inside the car first before him, letting his loyal Head butler drove to Taiki's place.
As Ayame drove it, Kazama noticed the boy looked depressed once again. It's quite annoyed him seeing the boy looked down. Even if he kept teasing him nor cheering him up, he doubted that Taiki would be much better then. Moving a little closer to him, and gripped the boy's small hand tightly, in which, Taiki was a bit surprised a little though starting to relax himself slowly as he realized it's just the President's hand only.
"What's wrong? You've been feeling down lately. Something bothering you?"
Chizuru looked down on her feet in the end, though, returning to grip Kazama's hand as well and shook her head slightly.
"It's nothing.. really." She murmured quietly.
"I don't think that's nothing at all."
The brunette bit her lower lip then, and it took a while that she finally told him everything although she didn't mean to bother the President..
"The examination is finally come. I think I'll be fine when it comes, but…." She paused for a moment, laid at those beautiful crimson-red orbs that Kazama has born to have. She wonder.. how could a gorgeous man like him would've come taking interested in a lame woman like her, anyway? Was she really that beautiful? She didn't think so actualy. She doesn't even look feminine much too. So how come a senior like him would like a person like her even if she's still pretend herself to be a boy? "I'm still having a trouble for English subject that's all.."
Kazama didn't say any word for her, so Chizuru continued then, "No matter which kind of reference book I found in the library, I'm still couldn't able to understand of English basic much…"
For a moment then, she would've expected the President would end up laugh out loud. Instead, he gave a playful smirk like he usual gives whenever he tried to fluster her so easily.
"Is that so?" Kazama said. "Tomorrow, meet me in my office whenever you have free time."
"Meet Kazama-senpai in your office..? Why?" Chizuru asked curiously.
The President widens his smirk even more.
"Just visit me in my office tomorrow already."
"O… okay."
At that, nothing word they needed to talk about until the car had finally arrived to the brunette's house. Thanking the President and Ayame for driving her all the way to her place, the limousine car drove away as they were onward to the Kazama's place then.
Before she fell into a slumber, she still curious as to why the President wants her to meet him in the Student Council room once she had a free time. Does it have to do with her problem of having a difficulty of English?
Feeling clueless, Chizuru finally went to sleep though worried a little when the examinations come after this..
The next day..
Like she promised to the President, she decided to go to the Student Council room after school since she doesn't have anything to do beside paying a visit of the library or training a piano in the Music Club.
The brunette entered the Student Council room after she knocked the door for the third, and the President lets her comes.
"So, um..why do you want me to stay here, Kazama-senpai? I'm still worried that I'm going to fail the subjects if I don't study hard.."
Kazama stood up from his chair and took a seat on the red couch, inviting the boy sitting next to him.
"Come," he said simply.
"Eh..?"
"You said you're having a trouble of English, right?"
She nodded only.
"Then, I'll be a very good President for you and teach you whatever I can."
…..
"E-Eh?!" Chizuru exclaimed, disbelief of what she's heard from Kazama said just now. "Are.. are you sure about this, Kazama-senpai?"
"Of course." He smiled widely. "Like I said, I'll teach you whatever I'm good at, and be a very good President for you." The President repeated
"Well.. if that doesn't bother you then, alright.." she murmured, took a sit next to Kazama hesitantly. Though on the other side, she couldn't helped but to feel bad for relying to the President all day.
As Chizuru finally sat next to Kazama(not too close of course), the brunette took out her English textbook, and showed him some of the things she couldn't understand much as well as how to speak those sentences very well. The blonde-haired man find it simple, in which, he tried to teach her slow and steady to make sure the brunette could understand easily.
Slowly, Chizuru could able understand a little about the English subject thanks to the President. So he tried to test her out by trying to speak English sentences that he wrote on her notebook.
"I.. sink Amagiri can be.. annoyed too, and so as..." Chizuru mumbled quietly, find it hard to speak at it right, then she could sworn the President was chuckling. She looked at him in confused and raised her eyebrow, "Wh-what's so funny?"
"It's not 'sink'. It's 'think', I think Amagiri can be annoyed too, and so as Shiranui," the President corrected her mistakes and spoke the complete sentences then.
"Ah…" Chizuru couldn't help but to turn red in embarrassment. She looked down on the floor to keep her red face away from the President though she can tell that he already saw her flustered already. "I.. I'm sorry.."
"Don't worry. You're still learning, right?" Kazama questioned. "There's no need to embarrass about."
The brunette nodded then, continued on trying to speak another different of sentences this time. It was a bit difficult for her in the beginning at first and Kazama has never stop laughing of her mistakes on speaking it, though the President did able to correct it.
Time pass so quickly as it already turned dusk. Chizuru decided it's time to go home already and she has starting to feel less anxious about failing of English in the examinations after this. She put all her things in the bag and wanting to take a leave from the Student Council room already.
"Thank you for everything, Kazama-senpai." She said, bowed at him in thankfully. "You were very helpful and I think I'll be find when the test coming."
As Chizuru was about to leave from the Student Council room..
"Wait."
The brunette stopped walking then, and waited just as he asked for, Kazama went to the bookcase, trying to find something on the shelf and it took a while that he found what he was looking for.
"Here." Kazama said, giving the boy a yellow, think, long notebook-like. It's looked old but still worth it to use.
Chizuru accepted from the President and looked at it in confused. "What is it?"
"It's my English reference book when I was in the first year," he answered. "I made it my own. I'm sure there's something useful that you might be able to understand even clearer if you learnt it from there."
"Thank.. thank you so much, Kazama-senpai," once again, Chizuru bowed at him, showing how much she was very thankful for him. Somehow, she really can't do it without this man. Learning English subject from him really easy understood though she'll get embarrassed quite a lot every time he'll laugh of what she made a mistake. "Really, I'm gladly to have a reference by Kazama-senpai. I'll promise that I'll take good care of it."
Thanking the President once again, Taiki had left the Student Council room. Kazama couldn't help but felt himself to grin in satisfied since he had done such a good thing for the boy once again. He went to the windowsill then, and watching the boy leaving from the school gate with Heisuke until they're no longer there.
In the next few days later then after the examinations, Chizuru went to see how her grades is. The exams from the last few days were pretty quite challenging, though the brunette could able to take care of it, especially English. The President's English reference book was very worth to study it, after all.
As soon as she found her name on the board, she could feel nothing except joy as she realized she's got good grades in all subjects. The brunette could felt herself to squeal because it's the first time she's got good grades. She excited to tell everyone that she'd passed all the subject, and of course, she wouldn't forget of telling for the President too.
"Yo, Chizuru!" Heisuke greeted the brunette of her real name, though it relief Chizuru a little that she and her childhood friend weren't in a crowded place so none of them can heard them. "So how's thing in the exams?"
Chizuru nodded, smiled gently at the boy. "It's good. I pass all the subjects and it was my very first time to have some good grades, to be honest."
"Really? That's great then." Heisuke widen his grin after he heard a good news for his childhood friend then.
"What about you Heisuke-kun? Does everything you'll be able to take care of?"
"Uh… yeah, about that.." the boy mumbled, looking anywhere except the brunette, having a little difficult to say of the grades for his subjects. "I kinda have failed Mathematics subject cuz I ended fell asleep in exam.."
Chizuru widen her eyes like a saucer, couldn't believed of what her friend said just now. "Is it true?" she exclaimed.
Heisuke then waved his hands at her, to make sure she shouldn't have worried about him although it's actually his fault for playing games all night and ended up sleeping in late.
"D-Don't worry about it!" Heisuke gave a fake laughed. "Hijikata-sensei told us that for those who have failed the subject, there's going to have retest again before school over."
"That's good then. But, please Heisuke-kun, try not letting them getting failed.." Chizuru whined and begging for him.
"I know, I know.. anyway, I gotta go now. See ya later, Chizuru~"
The brunette ended up gave a sad smile only, and waved for the boy as he was on his way back to his class already.
Before the brunette was about to leave from school, she pay a visit in the Student Council room to announce a good news for the President.
"Kazama-senpai, are you there? It's me, Taiki," Chizuru said after she knocked the door to have a permission to enter the room from the golden-haired man.
It took a while then Kazama responded:
"It's unlocked, come in."
The moment he sees Taiki came into the Student Council room, and there's a joy expression on his face, he can tell that the boy wanted to tell him something that could interested the President. As Taiki asked permission from Amagiri to take a seat on the couch in which, Amagiri lets him sat, Kazama began:
"So, how are your subjects? Are there any failed?"
Taiki shook his head and widening his smile for the President. "Nope. I've passed all the test, especially English too. It's all thanks to you, Kazama-senpai, you've been helped me a lot, including the reference book that you gave me too!"
"I'm glad that I've been very useful back then." He said, widen his smirk.
The brunette ended up smiling once again, feeling glad to have a kind senior like him.
Meanwhile on the Kazama's so-called-loyal-followers side, the two of them could only gapped like a fish, and looked at them cluelessly. Somehow, they've finally noticed that that Taiki boy and Kazama have become.. closer lately. Taiki was no longer feeling quite nervous around the President anymore.
"I have never seen Kazama-sama smile like that before.." Amagiri muttered under his breathed, feeling glad that the President couldn't hears his followers much, rather focus with Taiki only.
"L-Like I said before, Kazama is definitely had a thing for that Taiki boy..!" Shiranui replied back.
"Taiki-kun."
Chizuru heard a very familiar tone that have called her name already, turned around looking for that voiced and met Okita on the hallway.
"Okita-senpai, hello."
"Hello to you too. By the way, do you have anything to do for Summer?"
"Summer?" Chizuru tilted her head slightly to remember whether she had plan to do something when school holidays come yet, none of it she had plan to do so she shook her head in responding. "No, not really. Why?"
"There's a swimming pool near to my old dojo so I was planning to invite you. How is it?"
"Well, that is…"
Before Chizuru could spoke, someone answered Okita's question in the end:
"Of course he wouldn't come with you guys."
Chizuru and Okita faced to whoever said just now, and met Kaoru looked in a grim expression as usual.
"Kaoru," the brunette called her brother's name.
"Well look at that, it's the yandere big bro coming."
Kaoru could felt himself twitching his right eye and have a great desire to kill Okita already, though he let it be in the end and continued.
"I've got a called from his father that he's going to have a vacation with Taiki. So my brother wouldn't able to come in swimming pool with you guys." The boy explained.
Just as Kaoru expected, Okita sighed in a little depressed. "That's too bad..," the emerald-green eyed man said. "So that's mean I couldn't able to see Taiki-kun in a swimsuit boxer huh..?," he was half teasing.
Kaoru felt the need to kill that bastard the moment he heard of what Okita said just now. At that, Okita said goodbye for Chizuru, then taking a leave from the hallway to return back to his class.
"Kaoru, is it true that you've got a call from Father?" Chizuru asked, disbelief of what she's heard from her brother. Her father hasn't send her any message to her for a while now, though she knew that he's been quite busy at the overseas now and couldn't have time to read a message from her daughter...
Kaoru shook his head then. "No, it was a lie just now. Do you want to show yourself in front of Okita and the others even though you're not Taiki actually?"
"Ah.. you're right," she mumbled under her breathed, forgot about how Taiki is nothing but a fake of herself. Taiki's job is only to pretend itself to be a boy so that Chizuru could go to an all-boy high school without knowing of her true gender.
"Listen," Kaoru began. "Whatever you do, don't you dare come to the swimming pool. Ever."
"Why..?"
"Because.. because I said so!"
Before Chizuru wanting to ask another question, Kaoru left already without even looking at his sister anymore.
"So then, Chizuru-chan, are you excited already?" Sen said, as they were on their usual dating but this time, they're in café since the older Suzuka has always wanted to try a new café that's been spreading a rumor of how good the dessert is.
"Excited? Excited about what?" Chizuru questioned cluelessly.
"Of course it's summer~" Sen squealed like a fangirl. "Since it's going to be a hot day, how about the three of us go to the swimming pool?" she suggested.
Kosuzu nodded and smiled. "It's been a while since we've gone to the pool. Maybe we should go there this year."
"I.. I would love to, Kosuzu-san, Osen-chan. But.." she stopped for a moment as she remembered Kaoru's warning of not ever going to the swimming pool so that her secret would not be able to find from the Hakuou students. "I.. I can't."
Sen looked at her best friend in perplexed, surprised that Chizuru suddenly refused to go to pool with the Suzuka Sibling.
"Why is that?"
"Well..," she paused. In truth, there's a reason why she couldn't able to go to them besides listening to her brother's warn. It was… "I… don't have a swimsuit."
…
The Suzuka Sibling couldn't helped but widen their eyes like a saucer and gaped like a fish.
"I.. I mean, I do swimming a long time ago... but that was when I'm still a kid. Since my parents died, I haven't gone to the pool anymore so.. the only swimsuit I have is only when I was small back then." Chizuru explained.
….
There was a very long silent around the café then. Until…
"This.. This is an emergency!" Sen exclaimed out loud, until a few customers looked at her in confusedly.
"O.. Osen-neechan, you're too loud.." Kosuzu murmured, feeling a little embarrassed as more customers looked at the three of them.
"Chizuru-chan! We're going to the shopping complex and buy a suitable swimsuit for you tomorrow." Sen said.
"O.. Osen-chan.. don't say it at a place like this.." Chizuru said, becomes as embarrassed as Kosuzu although the elder of Suzuka doesn't seem to feel ashamed of at all. "But, are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," Sen said in determinedly. "You can't just sit there and do nothing when you're at the pool already once school holidays come. You need to have some fun too."
"I agree for Osen-neechan. Wouldn't it be better if we're all swimming together, ne?"
"Well.. I guess it's not really that bad actually.."
"Great!" Sen clapped her hand together, promising to each other to go shopping tomorrow.
In the next day..
"I must have come a little early...," Chizuru said, took a looked at the time on her watch. "While waiting for them, I think I should.." Before Chizuru could complete of her sentences, a familiar male voiced suddenly spoke to her from behind.
"Well, hello there, cute lady." He smirked. "Are you all alone?"
Chizuru turned around, and shocked to see him here.
"You.. you are..?!"
"Sorry to keep ya waiting. Have you waited for me that long?" Shiranui said, still had a smirk on his face.
"Wha.. N-no, I'm not waiting for you. And..," she trailed her words off, her body suddenly shivered, still feared a little of this man since the first time she met him in the cafeteria when he intends to send her to the Student Council room without said anything.
Shiranui noticed how scared the young woman is. His smirk suddenly faded away then, and gave her a little concerned expression on his face.
"Hey.. don't be like that.. I don't mean to scare you or something."
"Ah.. it-it's nothing.. It's just that.."
As she mumbled quietly, footsteps coming from behind.
"Hey you! Stay away from her!"
Chizuru turned around, thankful for the Kami that her childhood friends came at the right time.
Sen pulled the brunette closely to her and Kosuzu, gave an icily glared to Shiranui.
"Oh? Well if it isn't, princess. It's been a while we haven't seen each other." Shiranui said, grinned at her.
"Well, it's not pleasure to see you again, Shiranui," Sen said in rude. "You sure are like to pick on girls, are you?"
"Hey, hey, I was just trying to ask her out since she was alone a little while ago. Didn't mean to make her scare actually."
"But since you've make her frightened, you might as well leave us alone."
"Oh? How about I'll join with you girls? It's not that I'm busy or something." Shiranui said. "Well except trying to buy something for Kazama's stupid gay plan.." and muttered at those sentences, quite relief that those girls didn't hear of his mumbling.
"Sorry, this is only for the three of us." Sen said in sarcastically. "I do not think men would like something what women interest in."
"Yeah, yeah.. whatever. I'll leave you three alone now. Ja ne." He waved the girls off, was about to leave, but stopped walking suddenly, his violet orbs then laid on the brunette. "By the way, I haven't got a name for you, cute lady. What's yer name?"
"Ah.. Chi-Chizuru.." the brunette mumbled quietly in replied.
"Chizuru, huh? Well that's a cute name. Alright, I'll remember your name then, Chizuru."
At that, he finally left then.
"Are you alright, Chizuru-chan? You looked really scared just now..," Kosuzu said, she could felt the brunette's body still shaking in feared.
"Of course she's scared." Sen began. "Shiranui is obviously such a totally bastard sometimes. Always trying to woo on the girls and gave a nickname of 'cute woman' and something like that."
"O.. Osen-neechan, Shiranui-san isn't actually a bad person. After all, he did accompany Chizuru-chan when she's alone just now."
"Yeah, but he still made her scared."
"U-Umm.. you guys.. it's alright. More importantly, we should start shopping already," Chizuru said, decided to change a subject.
From what she knows of Sen and Kosuzu, the Suzuka Sibling had known Shiranui for along time although they rarely see each other when they're finally in high school, which is, this was their first time meeting him this year.
But the problem is, Sen has always despise for men and think of them such a bastard and asshole. Something happened to her when she's still very young back then, in which, she rather not talking about it to Chizuru and Kosuzu.
"Wow~ This is definitely Heaven!" Sen yelled cheerfully, as she saw some different kind of swimsuit in the shopping complex. She can't even know which kind of swimsuit that she wants Chizuru to wear first.
"So what kind of swimsuit would you like to wear, Chizuru-chan?" Kosuzu asked.
"Ah.. well," she said nervously, couldn't able to pick which one is the best for her. "I don't mind at all.."
"Let's see.. how about this!" Sen said, took out a swimsuit that seemed to have catch her eyes already.
"O.. Osen-neechan, should you let Chizuru-chan pick the swimsuit first? After all, we're all came here just to buy it just for her."
"I know, I know. But still, this look cute for Chizuru-chan~ Why don't you try it?" Sen suggested, grinned widely.
"I.. I guess so." She muttered, couldn't able to fight back with the older Suzuka. Accepting the swimsuit that Sen found, decided to try in the changing room.
As Chizuru was changing, Sen began, "So, what kind of swimsuit that suitable for Chizuru-chan, anyway?"
"Like Chizuru-chan just said just now, I wouldn't mind of what she'll wear in summer vacations then, but I think the cute one would be good on her." Kosuzu suggested.
"That's great then~!"
The younger Suzuka noticed that Sen was about to leave her already so she stopped her by calling her name then. "Where are you going?"
"Isn't it obvious? Trying to find a swimsuit that looks cute for Chizuru-chan, of course."
At that, Sen finally left her, eagerly wanting to see Chizuru wearing a pink swimsuit at the pool for a few days later then. She somehow could able to imagine of how adorable the brunette would be.
Kosuzu couldn't help but to sigh for her elder sister.
"You like shopping aren't you, Osen-neechan?" she said to herself, as she's still waiting for Chizuru finishing of changing a swimsuit.
It took hours for Chizuru finding a suitable swimsuit for her, glad that she'll able to go to the swimming pool after this. But what it relief the most is, Kaoru won't be in the pool too since he and Saitou were going to have a meeting with the Discipline Committe even in the middle of school holidays.
And so, school holidays finally arrived, Chizuru and her two childhood friends were now at the swimming pool near the old dojo like Okita mentioned about. The Suzuka Sibling excited of going on swimming since it's been a while they haven't done any activities together(beside from exercising at the park) but, there's a lot of people at the pool and crowded as well. Sen couldn't helped but to complain.
"Geez.. didn't know there's a lot of people here.." Sen sighed in frustratedly.
"Well, today is school holidays.. it can't be helped, Osen-neechan.."
"Since we can't swimming right now, how about the three of us eating ice cream in the bar then?" the older Suzuka suggested.
"That would be nice." Kosuzu agreed. "What about you, Chizuru-chan? Would you like to eat ice cream too?"
"That's alright. I'll stay in the pool only. I'm not really hungry much.."
"Okay then. I'll see you in the pool later then, Chizuru-chan."
The brunette only nodded, waved for her two best friends left to go to the bar, as she took a sat on the corner of the pool and playing the water by kicking off using her feet.
For a moment then, her body flinched slightly as she heard a male voiced behind her.
"Oh? Didn't know we would ended up meeting again at a place like this." He spoke, feeling amusement to see her.
Chizuru turned her head behind, widen a little as her almond-brown orbs laid on the crimson-red eyes.
"Ka-Kazama-senpai..?" Chizuru murmured of the President's name.
The President stared at her for a moment then, a bit bothered as to how she called him 'senpai' although both of them were not in a same school.
"Why do you call me senpai?" Kazama asked curiously.
"Eh?"
"I'm not your senpai, as well as we're not even in a same school. So you should have just call my name only."
Chizuru shook her head then, refused to calls him his name without adding –senpai.
"I.. I can't do that.. It's felt strange calling you your name and it's almost I'm being a bit disrespectful for you, Kazama-senpai."
"But that annoyed me lately." As Kazama said that, she could felt her heart suddenly stopped pumping to see the President looked pissed off just because she couldn't able to call him his name only. "I do not think that would call as disrespectful. Weren't we friends already the moment we met in the park?"
"Well..," she paused feeling a little embarrassed of trying to call the Preisdent's last name only without adding –senpai nor any in respectful way. After a while later then, Chizuru murmured quietly, avoiding looking at the man, "If that's what you wished for.. Kazama… san."
Once again, the blonde-haired man looked at her for a moment then, noticed of how red her face is. She's really easily to get embarrassed huh…?
Kazama smirked then, satisfied of what he's wanted to hear from the young woman's lips. He then took a sit next to her in which, she looked surprised a little but noticed that Chizuru suddenly moved away from him, trying not to get too close with him, and that amused the President a little.
"You know," Kazama began. "I haven't got your name yet, so I want to know your name."
"Ah…"
She totally forgot
And here she thought she had already told him her name when they're in the park. Now, here he is, asking her of her real name. She tried not to let herself telling her last name to him. He might've familiar of Yukimura Taiki then.
"It's Chizuru."
"Chizuru, huh? And… your last name?"
Just as she expected from the President. He would've ask her about sooner or later already.
"Wh-what does it matter, anyway? It's not that you knew my family name or something," she protested, trying not to give up herself of giving her real last name for the golden-haired man.
Kazama's smirk began widen a little. "Hm… I suppose."
The longer she stayed with the President alone at the pool, the nervous she's gotten already. And so, Chizuru decided looking for her two best friends instead, not wanting to stay with the President any longer.
"I better go now," Chizuru said, stood up from the swimming pool. "I don't want to wait my friends any longer."
Before Kazama could say anything, Chizuru taking a leave, trying to avoid from the President as quickly as she could. But as she kept running without even looking anywhere…
CRASH
She bumped into someone else, but at the same time, she can hear some glasses have broken from falling. The next thing she knew, she had bumped into a very rude barmaid.
"Watch where you are going, young lady!"
"I-I'm sorry," Chizuru said nervously, bowed at the barmaid in apologetically way. She can hear the barmaid sighed in frustrated.
"Great.. just look at what you've done already.. can you even afford to pay for everything?!"
"Please, I really am sorry. I.. I don't think I can pay it all…"
"What..?!" The barmaid looked at her in disbelief. She can't believe of what she's heard from that weakling girl just now. Is that even a joke? If the boss finds out about this, there isn't doubt that he's going to kick her out from the job already. "Then how can you replace these broken glasses?!"
Chizuru felt herself to bit her lower lip already, trying not to let herself crying. She can hears some customers were whispering of how pathetic she is for not able to pay it all even though it's definitely all her fault. As she let herself falling into a deep darkness, a familiar voiced suddenly brighten her world.
"How about this," Kazama began, appeared behind Chizuru, and trying to protect her. "I'll be the one that would pay everything all the mess that she made just now."
"And who do you think you are?"
"Kazama Chikage, son of Kazama clan and one of the richest families."
"D-did you just said from the richest families?!" The barmaid exclaimed in surprised, couldn't believed to see a rich son like him to go at a place like this.
"That's right." At that, Kazama took out his mobile phone and called the red-headed man, "Amagiri, 2 boxes of elegant glasses and make sure to bring it as soon as possible."
After he finished calling Amagiri, the barmaid still looked surprised and gapped like a fish. "Oh, and by the way, while Amagiri delivering it, I would like to have a fruit parfait. Make it good and sweet too"
It took a while then the barmaid returned to normal, shook her head slightly, and bowed to the golden-haired man, feeling a little embarrassed for being rude to a rich young man.
Kazama grinned then, and took Chizuru's hand, taking them a place to sit, as they waited for the President's dessert. He noticed the brunette feeling sad and disappointed.
"Hey."
Chizuru finally faced to the President, tried her best not to feel down so much. "Y.. yes?"
"What's wrong?"
"Well, it's my fault for making a lot of mess. I should be the one that needed to take the responsibility just now." She muttered under her breathed, looked anywhere else except the gorgeous man in front of her.
"Don't worry," Kazama began. "I believed that the one that needed to blame of is actually that barmaid. She shouldn't have yelling at you like that."
Still.. even though it may possibility not her fault, she still couldn't able to do anything for the President. Kazama had done so many things for her when she pretended herself as Taiki, yet, she couldn't figured out what kind of favor she needed to do for him…
"Is.. is there any way for me to return after all you've done for me?" she said a bit hesitated then, half determined and half regretful of what she said just now. But it's the least she has to do to make herself to be a little useful for the President.
Kazama was stunned of what he heard from Chizuru just now. He wouldn't expected to hear that from the brunette before. His smirk then widen on his face.
"Alright then. Maybe there is one thing you can do a favor for me."
As she heard that, Chizuru couldn't helped but to feel happy, though at the same time, she also couldn't helped but feared of what the President intended to do to her then..
It took a while then the fruit parfait has finally arrived, Chizuru looked at Kazama in confused at first when his crimson-red orbs laid on hers. For a moment, she blinked even quite confused as he rested his palm of hand on his left cheek, as if he was waiting for something. As she took a looked on the fruit parfait, her cheeks suddenly flushed in red of embarrassed, finally understood of what this man intended to do now.
And there was a widen smirk on his face that she can tell that he's been planning this the moment he saved her from the barmaid. She shook her head without hesitated, refused to return this kind of favor.
"Th-this kind of favor.. I can't do that!" she exclaimed, embarrassed slightly.
"Well you did tell yourself that you'll have to return something after all I saved you from the barmaid. You should be grateful for that." He said satisfied, waiting for the brunette to feed him in patient.
"Is-is there anything I can do besides feeding you..?" Chizuru whined.
"Unfortunately, no. But..," he paused and gave a similar smirk as a Cheshire cat once more. "Other than feeding me, we can always go out somewhere in the future."
"E-ehhhh?!" she exclaimed, her face flushed in a deep scarlet, feeling slight embarrassed of the President's alternate favor beside feeding him a parfait. How can he says that in confidently despite they're rarely met each other?! By meaning of they didn't met a lot, of course, she meant of her real self, and not Taiki.
"How is it? Want to go out somewhere in the next week?" he spoke in his usual arrogant and proud tone.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" she yelled out loud, in which everyone looked at them suspiciously. The brunette could almost feel herself even more embarrassing once again, wanting to hide under the table so badly.
Kazama chuckled lightly. "It's a joke. There's no need to take it seriously."
"You'd still look like you're telling me the truth…." Chizuru mumbled under her breathed, avoided to look at those beautiful ruby orbs.
She sighed out loud, finally giving up herself, decided to feed him in the end. Chizuru hesitated scooping up a parfait that the President ordered for the two of them, moved it in front of the golden-haired man. She could felt herself a lot of students from her school were staring at them in jealously. No matter how she tried to ignore them, she couldn't helped herself but to feel even more nervous and panic.
Kazama was stunned. He surprised a little that Chizuru could actually feed him in the end. He would've thought she wouldn't given up herself on doing this kind of thing for him. Not that it bothered him actually. It's just makes him interested about her even more just as how he'd taken interested of that Taiki boy.
He gave a playful grin on his face before he took a bite of a spoonful of parfait. The President also ignored of the male students' jealously glared, and he could heard some whispers of 'How lucky that President-sama..!', 'How did that bastard found that girl?!' and so on.
Chizuru put the spoon on the parfait cup, feeling slightly relief that she had finally returned a favor for the President. The brunette then looked at him confusedly as Kazama took a parfait with a spoon where Chizuru put it. She couldn't helped but she had a bad feeling the moment he moved the spoon on front of her.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Chizuru asked nervously.
"Isn't it obvious? Trying to feed you, of course."
She shook her head multiple, and crossed her arms in front of her face. "No! No thank you! I have already returned a favor. I don't need to owe you anymore."
"Oh?" He gave her a neutral expression on his face. It's rarely to see him like that. As much as she hated his cold and arrogant expression, she somehow felt even more regretful and guilty to see him like that. "So what are you gonna do with all the parfait then? It would be waste already."
"Well, you can just eat it all, Kazama-san."
"I would rather eat it if you gladly feeding me again." He answered, smirking once more.
Chizuru pouted slightly. Feeding him would be embarrassing her a little because of those staring she'd received from her classmates. But letting Kazama fed her would be much more embarrassing than she could ever felt! She tried to find a way of not accepting the President's offer despite he'd still waiting for her to take a bite of it, but in the end, she failed and there's no other way to escape from him.
Cheeks turned into bright red yet, Chizuru took it a spoonful of parfait, quickly turned her face away from him, and decided not wanting to see of what the President reaction about her for accepting his offer to feed her.
She could hear Kazama was chuckling for her. Once again, the brunette could sense something bad after this.
"Would you like to have more?"
"OF COURSE NOT!," she yelled again, couldn't care if they looked at her strangely this time. "You'll have to finish it all. While I…" she paused for a moment, hated to speak those words out loud, yet she has to say it. "..I'll feed you then."
Kazama's eyes widen opened for a moment, but smirked even wider this time. He would never expected the brunette would feeding him again, despite how a lot of men looked quite jealous. It would've been better already if he was the one that feeds her. He guess she's quite nervous of getting fed by someone like him.
"Well I guess it can't be helped then." He chuckled lightly, as Chizuru scooped up a parfait to feed him again. The more she has getting used to feed him, she no longer felt embarrassed of giving him an offer of parfait anymore.
And the President could swear Chizuru curled her lips upward to gave a hidden smile on her face.
Somewhere in the swimming pool, two students of boy from Chizuru's classmate saw something interested, yet suspicious.
"Hey, that girl with President-sama… is that Taiki?"
"Now that if you looked at her closer look, she does looks a bit like Taiki." Another boy spoke.
"Have Taiki always been a girl this time? How come he- she has a long hair too?"
"Don't tell me she's been pretended to be a boy all this time?"
"How about we should find out ourselves later?"
"Good idea."
A/N: A very thank you for reading Change once again. Well, I have nothing to say anymore since I'm not good in words or giving some notes. Just glad that you guys still reading my Change fic even if there isn't a lot of reviews much.
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D'awww~ I love OkiChi too :DD Glad that you like the story very much. And here I thought it doesn't quite good since there isn't enough of fav/follow/review of this story xP