AN: Here is the second chapter of this side story. I had some time whilst away from home over the last few days so I could grind out one of these chapters. From here though I will be putting more focus on getting a main story chapter out but for now, enjoy this little bite.
I do not own H.O.T.D or its characters. The OC's though are mine.
The following morning
"Did you really need to hit me that hard?" Saeko clutched her neck and waist as the two were eating their breakfast.
"Well you didn't want me to hold back." James chuckled as he took another bite out of his meal.
The previous night had the two spar against each other in the dojo. Saeko had insisted they do not use the competition gear and instead go without it despite the risks. James agreed and as they started the spar consisting of James dodging any strikes Saeko was throwing at him. After around 10-15 minutes of just dodging, Saeko's frustration got the better of her and she started to lose focus and instead created openings for James to exploit on her pressure points. After around 5 hits, James got bored and Saeko was slowing down so on the next opening James pinched her back just enough to make her fall unconscious.
After carrying Saeko to her room and laying her on the futon, James returned to the dojo for an hour's worth of exercises and katas before turning in for the night himself. Which has lead the situation the two are in now for breakfast.
"If I had known you would go for me like that then I should of worn protection." Saeko spoke out before eating the breakfast James had made for her as a payback for knocking her out which consisted of a simple Japanese rice breakfast.
"That can be taken out of context." James pointed out.
"Well who knows what you could have done to me whilst I was unconscious." Saeko looked up and smiled quite sadistically.
"You're getting a kick out of this aren't you? And besides you know yourself I didn't do anything to you or else I'll be digging my own grave." James replied as he finished his breakfast.
Saeko looked at the young man who was returning his tray to be washed up later. A smile grew once more.
'It's not like I dreamt it would happen. The moment I truly become a woman is what I've been thinking about recently and James-san is the only man besides my father to best me in combat so far. If anyone could make that dream a reality at this moment it would be him.' Saeko thought with a blush.
Saeko was then brought back into the real world by a flick to the back of the head.
"Stop thinking unladylike thoughts and hurry up or else we'll be late for school." James muttered as turned away to head for the door.
Saeko noticing the time quickly finished her breakfast before following James to the door.
James and Saeko were now walking along a nearby street headed for school. Their pace was slightly quicker than usual due to them leaving the house later than usual. As they came up to a set of crossroads, Saeko spotted something on one of the streetlight poles.
"James-san look at this." Saeko spoke out as James had kept in walking.
James stopped himself and looked at Saeko who reading what seemed like a notice on the street pole but that thought changed once he went back and saw it himself.
'Food and games festival this evening at 6pm. Couples and groups only and formal wear required for entry.'
The poster read with pictures of couples playing team based games.
Saeko gave James several quick glances as her eyes went from him to the poster. A glance that didn't go unnoticed from James.
"Let me guess. You want to go to that with me, right?" James looked Saeko with an eyebrow raised.
"Are you asking me out on a date James-san?" Saeko smirked at the young man next to her.
"You wish I was asking you." James chuckled in response
"Oh got someone else in mind?" Saeko raised her eyebrow as well.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." James teased.
"Oh and who is that anyway?" Saeko leaned closer and her voice slightly raised.
"Is that jealousy in your voice?" James smiled despite Saeko being a few inches of him.
"Oh ho you wish I was jealous of you." Saeko regained a little bit of her composure and leaned back to her original position.
"I thought so. I thought you Japanese girls had a bit of confidence to ask guys out yourselves." James spoke.
"This isn't some anime James-san and besides…" Saeko replied before turning away slightly.
"...it's not like I haven't been on a date yet." Saeko muttered but loud enough to be heard by James.
'Wait, she hasn't had any kind of relationship with a guy yet. A girl like Saeko would have at least been asked by loads of different boys. There has to be a reason behind it.' James thought to himself before speaking once more.
"Look, from our stature in school we'll be asked to go by several boys and girls. If you are still willing after school and neither of us has a worthwhile data then I'll ask you. Is that suitable Saeko-san?" James looked into her eyes.
"You know what? Since it's you and you owe me after all of these aches and pains after our matches. I'll take you up on that but only because I know you won't go with anyone else." Saeko moved closer to the young man to glare into his eyes in response.
"Oh you think so. I thought it would be to keep each other out of trouble like what we agreed with your father." James responded.
"He'll understand once I explain things to him." Saeko brushed off.
"Fine then but let's go before we get busted for being late." James started a brisk walk back on the way to school with Saeko in tow.
James was now in the vicinity of the second year classroom and was now on his way to his locker to collect his things as he only had less than five minutes before the bell rings for morning class. As he approached a familiar classmate tags alongside.
"Mornin' Carter-san." greeted the voice that belonged to Kohta Hirano.
"Ah morning Hirano-san running a little late as well?" James replied as they walked down the corridor.
"Well it's not that. It's that since the festival everyone's been going on about is coming up so it's just everyone is asking girls to go with them." Kohta sheepishly muttered out whilst looking down.
"Ah I thought so. Anybody asked you or you going to ask?" James asked the boy.
"Well I have one in mind but….she has her mind on someone else it seems." Kohta sadly sighed.
"Ah well but keep your chin up Hirano-san as you don't know when an opportunity may come knocking." James placed his hand on Kohta*s shoulder with a smile on his face.
The two had finally reached James' locker and when he opened they are surprised at the amount of what looked like letters and invitations that came pouring out onto the floor surprising both boys.
"I don't know whether to say how lucky you are or to pity you." Kohta looked at the pile.
"Seems like they were put through the air vents and I agree with you. Looks like the whole student body got wind of our little match with the athletics club." James bent down and picked up the letters.
"What will you do with them? You don't have enough time to respond to all of them by tonight." Kohta pointed out as James placed the letters into his bag.
"Well those who don't have the confidence to ask me directly will not get one as they don't deserve my time. I'm sure I'm going to have to do that a few time is today at least." James explained as he took what he needed for the day from his locker and stuffed it into his already full bag.
'I'm being watched.' James thought as he noticed in the corner of his eye a speck of very light orange hair watching the two from down the hall.
"Rumor has it Yuuki Miku is going to ask you at some point. At least that's what I heard from the usual gossip groups." Kohta spoke.
James shut his locker and along with Kohta, they started to walk towards their morning classroom.
"I am aware of who she is and her antics around men. I am not that desperate for a girl who's only talent is to seduce men." James quietly spoke so that their eavesdropper could not hear him.
The two reached their classroom only a minute before the bell would sound and they went to their respective desks. As James got to his desk, he noticed a pink note waiting on top of his desk.
It read 'Carter-san can you meet me next to the observatory club tower on the roof at lunchtime. I wish to have a talk. -ST'
'There's only one person with those initials in this class at least.' James thought.
The young man looked around and sure enough the so called genius was conveniently not looking his way to see if he was reading it. The said genius was keeping her head down praying no-one would notice her blushing face.
'Obviously too embarrassed to acknowledge it now so I won't approach her. I get the feeling she is in the same boat as Saeko though, having most of the boys go after her.' James thought as he turned and sat at his desk just as the bell went.
'I'll just have to amuse her later.' James continued thinking as the teacher walked into the classroom to start the morning class.
After morning period James was heading for his little meeting on the roof when a very light orange haired girl came around the corner and approached him.
The girl in question was quite well endowed for her figure and was showing off her cleavage by having two of her shirts buttons undone. From the look of her makeup and body language, it screamed that she was purposefully showing her assets off. This girl was Yuuki Miku.
"Miku-san, is there something wrong?" James spoke out to the girl in question.
"Please Carter-kun just listen to me for one minute. I have a request." Yuuki stepped closer to James.
Yuuki hugged herself tightly onto James chest using her fingers to draw patterns on his chest in a seductive manner.
"Please Carter-kun. I have been having these strange feelings for you for a while now. I want to ask you to be my date to the festival and I will make sure that we will be satisfied both emotionally and physically by the end of the night." Yuuki winked at James in the hopes that her feminine charm would work in him.
Unfortunately, James was having none of it. He grabbed her wrist much to her surprise and began to push her back.
"Sorry but I have other plans tonight and besides I'm not going to jump into bed with a girl I have not spoken a word to since I came to this school. Sorry but find someone else." James attempted to get past her but Yuuki was not going to let James by that easily as she wrapped her arms around his waist clearly refusing to let go.
"Please Carter-san I don't want to go with anyone else. Just go with me and I'll do anything you want." Yuuki started to move her arms around James with her tongue out all seductively.
"No. My type of women isn't somebody's seconds or in your case the entire athletic club's seconds." James forced her hands away from him but Yuuki forced herself onto him once more.
"Please I beg you. I don't want to be passed around like some whore anymore." Yuuki begged with some tears starting to form in her eyes.
James decided enough was enough and forcefully push her away and giving her one last look.
"For your information I'm disease free and I would to keep it that way." James spoke these words before turning and resuming his current path leaving behind Yuuki who had fell to her knees from shock.
Outside the observatory club room
James finally made it to the balcony next to the observatory club room. Expecting to find a certain pink haired girl waiting for him but was slightly surprised when found nobody waiting for him.
'Maybe she is waiting for me to show before revealing herself.' James thought as he leant his back on the rail, his back to the city waiting for any movement.
As if on cue the club room door opened to which a hand appeared beckoning the young man to come to the door. James pushed himself off the railing and made his way to the door and entering the dimly lit room.
The room itself wasn't big or full by any means. It contained one large telescope in the room and not much else other than a desk or two used for work when the club members were in. The room was only lit from an opened window on the glass roof likely to be used as a hole for the telescope to look out of.
James flicked the light switch on next to the door to reveal one Saya Takagi with her back to him fidgeting quite badly.
'Must be her first time doing this. Then again, it's usually the men who do this kind of thing.' James thought as stood there.
"So what is it you wanted me to talk with you about in such a quiet place. I never took you for a astronomer anyway." James spoke causing the girl to flinch ever do slightly.
"I just happen to know where they keep the key and no one ever comes in here during the day anyway." Saya responded albeit very nervously.
"Still dragging me out here to such a quiet place. Anyone who could have followed me here might have took this the wrong way." James replied.
"Don't make this anymore embarrassing as it is!" Saya almost screamed.
"Well then spit it out. I don't have all day you know." James retorted starting to get a little impatient.
"Well….if you wanted a date to the festival. Then I wouldn't say….no." Saya stuttered whilst trying to get out what she wanted to say.
"So you pulled me up here so you can try and get me to ask you to go the festival with me?" James queried
"Well boys are always supposed to ask the girls out anyway." Saya huffed.
James sighed at the sight before him. Judging from her words and body language he felt from her he could tell that she didn't want to go on her own but out of all the boys in the school, it was either himself or no-one.
He also remembered what Saeko said to him earlier. He felt both girls were in the same boat. Both were inexperienced as far dating would go if they had any at all but it seemed that he was deemed good enough in their eyes to be around them. He didn't deny that both girls had their qualities. Both were well mannered and raised well but the difference between them was Saeko whilst she enjoyed her kendo arts, James felt that whenever they sparred she was enjoying it a little too much. For Saya, James knew that just from her attitude that she was raised in a high class environment where she would get everything given to her within reason. For that reason she is very intelligent for her age although she doesn't like to lose and looks to be around those who she can learn from. Not that she would ever admit to that, her pride was too strong for that.
"Look alright I've made a decision." James broke the silence which made Saya look at him with her hoping eyes.
"Oh so you've decided then?" a voice called out from the doorway.
"Followed me then Saeko-san?" James didn't look at the doorway as he already recognised the voice.
The said girl walked into the club room and stood on the other side of James with him being between both girls.
"Well I saw a half crying Miku-chan in the hallway so I had to follow." Saeko raised her eyebrow as she said those words which made Saya look at the man Saeko was speaking to.
"You rejected Miku-san? Why?" Saya said with a surprised time in her voice.
"If I wanted a whore. I'd go out and get one but I'm not that low." James spoke with a serious expression on his face.
Both girls looked at each other thinking 'He has a point there.' before looking back at the young man.
"That aside who are you choosing to take with you then?" Saeko asked causing both girls to once again look at the boy.
"Oh that's simple. Why not take both of you?" James chuckled as he said those words.
"Eh!" Saya gasped out in surprise. Saeko too was surprised but kept her composure.
"Look, I'm assuming you two haven't been on a proper date with anyone yet. So as friends we should go together but if you two want more than that then you two will have to compete for it as I don't want bad blood between any of us." James explained.
Both girls looked at each other as if to say you two but were slightly disappointed as they wanted it to be a date for just then but looking at each other as if they were trying to read the other's mind. Saeko eventually broke the silence.
"If James-san wants there to be no issue between us then I will gladly go as friends." Saeko gave the two in the room a reassuring smile.
Says sighed to herself whilst adjusting her glasses before speaking herself.
"I guess you're right. Who knows this might actually be entertaining to spend some time with those I spend my time with." Saya returned back to her normal self by flicking her hair back.
"Good to see that we're in agreement now let's grab something to eat before lunch ends. We can organise how were meeting and getting there on the way down." James opened the door gesturing the two girls to go first.
The ladies gave each other once last look as if to say 'This isn't over.' then proceeding to leave the club room.
James watched them leave before thinking to himself.
'Just what am I getting myself into?' James shrugged before leaving the room himself with his mind already on what possibly could happen in just a few short hours.
(Scene Change)
After school
Inside the athletics club, Yuuki Miku was on her knees before the members of the club with a tall man in a business suit looking out of the window.
"So he resisted you, he's more troublesome than I thought." the man said to everyone in the room.
"Please sensei, I tried as much as I could without getting the student body suspicious with my actions." Yuuki kept her head low as the club members watched her.
"The boy is too troublesome for us to simply coerce to us and he is surrounding himself with other troubling individuals in this school." the 'sensei' spoke out.
"But Sensei, we can take him. If he has a date for this festival everyone's going to tonight, we can surprise him and turn him to our side if we use his date." one of the club members suggested.
"Not at this time, these incidents are too frequent and will draw attention to us. For now let us punish Miku-san for her failure." the teacher turned around to look at the cowering girl before him.
"Shido-sensei please. Not this many." Yuuki looked at the entire athletics club.
The teacher then smiled at her current position. He sat down so had a good view of her and the surrounding members of the club.
"Have fun boys." Shido called out to the rest of the club.
The boys turned to Yuuki like a pack of wolves and they all smiled as they started to approach her.
AN: So that's it for this chapter. Expect a bit of a wait for the next one as I am focusing mainly on getting the next chapter of that done.
Read, Rate, Review, all of that good stuff.
Chapter 3 - The festival of flames - Coming soon