CHAPTER 2

"Wait, wait, wait! I think my ears are playing tricks on me and I heard you wrong…" Asuna says, forced laughter ripping from her throat. The sharp sound startles even herself and makes her wince.

"I'm sure you heard me just fine," Alice shrugs in front of the mirror, blue eyes focusing on her reflection as she finishes applying the dark rouge lipstick onto her lips. "Mmm, I'm not sure how I feel about this color…" she mumbles to herself.

Asuna leans her back against the doorframe of their bathroom, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. No. No, no, no, no, no! She refuses to believe it. There is no way this could be happening.

Her blonde friend pays her no mind, shrugging again as though saying "fuck it" to her insecurities and capping the lipstick. She maneuvers her way out of the bathroom, passing by a sickly pale Asuna as if said girl wasn't on the brink of a mental breakdown and about to pass out on the bathroom floor.

The Universe had funny ways of messing with her, Asuna thinks. Her morning had started out so well – everything went according to her planned schedule and she'd managed to get things done the way she'd hoped to. And much to her surprise, she'd even been asked out on a date by Kenji Nakamoto, her Vice President. He was kind, funny, smart – everything she looked for in a man. She didn't hesitate to say yes, and planned to meet with him at a nearby cafe in the afternoon.

However, as soon as she arrived in her dorm and shared the news with Alice – the blonde offered her a wide smile and casually said "Oh, yes! I also have a date with Eugeo this afternoon!"

She could not see her own face, but the way Alice reacted gave her a pretty good idea of how she must've looked like. Her best friend cracked up with laughter and almost poked her eye out with the mascara brush she'd been holding at the time.

A beat passes, in which Alice walks over to her purse and throws the lipstick inside – before Asuna snaps out of it and rushes after her.

"Alice, you cannot be serious… Out of every single male specimen on this entire planet, why Eugeo Hirayama?!" she asks, gesturing wildly with her hands in a failed attempt to get her point across. "That's considered treason! You can't just go out with the enemy!"

Alice pauses for the first time, turning around to face her with a perfectly raised eyebrow. "Excuse me? You and Kazuto are the life-sworn enemies. Don't try to dump that on Eugeo and I."

Asuna gags at the mere mention of her nemesis. Just the name of said male is enough to incite such a strong reaction from her that Alice has trouble trying to contain her laughter.

"Perhaps Kazuto should add 'Drama Queen' to the list of nicknames he has for you," the blonde says, a lilt of amusement to her voice.

"Yeah, as if that mind of his doesn't come up with enough ideas already."

Alice shakes her head with a small smile, "Asuna, come on. You've talked to Eugeo before. You know he's nice and he's never done anything to upset you. I mean, he apologizes to a freaking plant after accidently stepping on it, for God's sake! So please-"

Asuna sighs. She knows Alice is right. Eugeo is a very sweet guy who would never hurt a fly, much less join in on Kazuto's let's-see-how-I'll-push-Asuna's-buttons-today party. She oftentimes wonders how in the world such a cute bean became best friends with Kazuto Asshole Kirigaya.

"Fine, fine!" the chestnut haired beauty finally relents, "I'm… If you're happy, then I'm happy too. You know I just want the best for you…"

Alice's whole expression lights up and she quickly closes the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"Thank you so much! You know your approval means a lot to me…"

Asuna chuckles and pats the blonde's back affectionately, "You make it sound like I'm your father! It's not like you need my permission to date…"

Alice laughs, tightening her hold around Asuna even more.

A few moments of silence pass.

"But I hope you know I absolutely refuse to sit next to Dickigaya on your wedding."

Alice snorts.

When Friday finally rolls in, it does so blissfully, after an entire week of essays and projects due for yesterday. Her professors were particularly strict, barely giving her time to breathe in between classes and assignments. Still, Asuna had to admit she had it a bit easier than the rest of her classmates, since her professors always seemed to favor her slightly due to her position as President. For that, she was internally grateful – it was incredibly hard to balance both college work and Student Council duties.

It was 2 PM when Asuna strolled in through the main gates of the campus, books clutched close to her chest and purse falling down her shoulder every so often. Her mind ran at a thousand miles per minute, trying to select from an endless list of affairs which she should tend to first as soon as she stepped inside of the building. She was inclined to start by replying to all of the emails that had been piling up on her inbox since the previous night. Students have been complaining about the lack of space to eat outside of the cafeteria – which she wholeheartedly agreed with – but instead of trying to group up and send a collective email, it seemed as though they'd decided it would be best for each of them to send an individual email listing multiple factors, that were most likely the same, to her. Of course, she was more than willing to help, as it was her duty to speak out for the students' interests. However, she would very much prefer if they at least tried to communicate with each other before emailing her, since it would not only make matters easier for them, but for her as well.

She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't take notice of the whispers breaking out around her and the sound of a motorcycle driving past her. She kept making her way down the dirt path, until its engine roared loudly and startled her soul out of her body.

Asuna jolted, eyes widening and grip around the books loosening in favor of pressing a palm against her frightened heartbeat. She whipped her head around, searching for the rude attention-seeker… and didn't get surprised when her gaze landed on the jerk whose only purpose in life was to make hers a living hell.

Kazuto planted his feet firmly on the ground, gloved hands reaching up to grab his helmet and take it off. Bringing his right hand up to his mouth, he bit the leather covering his middle finger, using his teeth to pull out the glove. With it still hanging from his mouth, he ran his fingers through his raven locks, ruffling them up a bit.

He had just arrived and yet, that did not seem to faze him at all, if the provocative smirk on his stupid face was anything to go by. It annoyed her beyond measure.

Like a magnet – and she supposed it made sense, since they were opposites in every sense of the word – his eyes instantly found hers and his smirk widened even more. He quickly unmounted from his motorcycle and brought down the side stand with his foot as he took off the other glove and stored both safely on his backpack. She tried to make a run for it, turning away from him when-

"Long time no see, Angel!" he calls out to her and she freezes in her tracks.

Asuna scrunches up her nose in disgust. Kazuto wastes no time in jogging up to her, throwing a casual arm over her shoulders as he smiles down at her. She makes a sound that sounds awfully like a growl as she shifts around, trying to shrug him off, though to no avail.

"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?!" she frowns.

"But where's the fun in that, sweetheart? Besides, we're basically in-laws now! We should start getting along as future best man and maid of honor!" he sing-songs.

There it is. She knew he would start using Alice and Eugeo's budding relationship as an excuse to bother her even more.

'You are better than this Asuna. Come on, you have enough self-control to not stomp his foot and punch him in front of everyone here.' she tries to tell herself, breathing deeply through her nose as she counts down from ten.

"Let go of me."

She should've known he would never relent to a request from her, so she's not even sure why she asked in the first place. He just tightens his grip around her, bringing her closer as he starts walking with her down the dirt path.

"I don't want to. I like being close to you, Angel." he says easily and she wonders if he truly believed things were that simple.

"I really thought I'd finally gotten rid of you the other day," the words leave her mouth before her brain has time to process them and she immediately regrets it.

Kazuto stops walking and by addition, so does she. She prays to all gods he doesn't understand the hidden meaning behind her words.

But of course, it wasn't like him to let her off the hook so easily.

"Oh, what do we have here? Did my Angel perhaps… miss my teasing?" he asks slowly, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Not at all. I was just glad you seemed to have found new company."

It was all she could do not to slap herself in the face right now. Since when does she run her mouth without thinking like this?! She's just digging her own grave.

"Am I… sensing jealousy?" his eyes widen and his lips pull up into a radiant grin that for some reason makes her heart flutter stupidly inside her chest.

'Get a hold of yourself!'

"Ah," she scoffs, rolling her eyes, "You wish."

She can't seem to develop any further than that and he stands there, arm wrapped around her and smile so large she was sure his cheeks were bound to start aching.

"Sure," he drawls out the word just to piss her off and starts walking once again.

"Please, like there's something to be jealous about. I went on a date with the Student Council's Vice President."

She has no idea why in the whole world she just said that. A defense mechanism, perhaps? For when she feels threatened by him? He had nothing to do with that and it wasn't like her to brag about things she didn't really take pride in. So… why?

Kazuto's arm tenses around her shoulders, but he doesn't stop walking.

He stays silent for a few seconds and she holds her breath in a weird sense of expectation.

"… So I've heard." he finally answers and she blinks up at him curiously.

He'd heard about it?

"How did you-?"

"But it doesn't really matter, does it?" he stops again.

Asuna's breath catches in her throat when his arm descends down her back and wraps around her waist, turning her to fully face him. He has no regard for the students walking past them as he shamelessly presses their bodies together, her breasts squishing against his chest. She can feel his heartbeat thundering against her ribcage. Or… was it hers?

His onyx eyes gaze down at her so intensely, a shiver runs down her body and pools somewhere deep within her belly. He's standing close – too close – and his breath fans over her lips as he licks his own.

"His name is Kenji, right? Do you think Kenji can make you feel good? Please, Asuna, don't patronize me. I bet I can make you feel a thousand times better."

As he says that, his thumb brushes over one of her ribs, right beneath her breast. She involuntarily whimpers at the touch.

He smirks and lets go of her.

"See you in class."

With that, he stomps away, leaving her behind in a daze, wondering what the hell had just happened.