Hi! Firstly, a huge apology for the undeniably late update. I went to Japan on a Homestay programme for nine days and it was SO COOL!!! *starts dreaming and thinking of Japan and foster family* Anyway, it's here now, and it's extra long – hopefully it'll make up for the delay. : ) I took some of the ideas that you all gave me (dozens of thank yous for that!). Let's see what you think of it. : )
Mistress of darkness: Thanks! I was hoping you'd like it.
Maemi: I suppose he does. But then again, wasn't that the purpose of the whole story?? To make him like her???
Zackire: Thanks :D I agree about the hot part (who wouldn't?) and also the cold part, but ruthless? He's ruthless??
Tokiya_kitsune: I think I know you. You've reviewed before, haven't you? You changed your name, didn't you?? *gets all confused* Darn, I don't know! Are you KKA? Sorry if I'm wrong!
: Hi. You didn't submit your name, so I dunno what to call you. Sorry! Thanks a lot. That was very nice of you. : )
girl_sport17: We'll see what happens. ;P I'd like him to realise it to and GET ON WITH IT, but he's not that kind of a guy, is he? I mean, he's not going to drop down on his knees and confess his love even if he knows it, is he? Rukawa is such a hard character to write romances on. Sheesh!
Tensaispira: *imagines you in a ballet class in a purple leotard doing Pirouettes and then falls down laughing with chocolate spraying out of her mouth* Ha ha ha!
Leika: No, I won't tell you what apple or grape or orange is *evil laugh*. Why? Because I dunno myself. Heh heh. Rukawa has a soul eh? Didn't notice that!
Renei: Thanks! Rukawa is supposed to be dumb, isn't he?? Did I overdo it?? Anyway, keep on reading!
Joy: You have a happy lovelife. He he. Can't you just get it on instead of having to wait for him to wave at you???
Nayomi-chan: Keep on wondering, girl!
Patty G: Thanks! Read on!
SLL: Rukawa IS DUMB. I can't help it!! *evil laugh* And about your friend – play a trick or something to make them get together. I do that on my friends a lot. : )
Joyce Rukawa: Nice analysis. You should be a psychologist or something. And yes, you're absolutely right, although I never expected anyone to bother summarising it in such a perfect way. You hit the mark. : ) And yes, I CAN believe you're going out of your mind. Heh heh. I haven't read ur story yet, but I will!
Lastly, enjoy this chapter!
Thirteenth chapter.
She was in the toilet doing what people usually do in toilets when the end-of-recess-bell rang. Sighing, she splashed water over her face and headed for her next class. Passing by the office, she lifted an eyebrow in surprise at the sight of the headmaster all but down on one knee begging to a familiar tall guy.
Curious, she stopped and watched.
"Please talk to your parents, Kaede," the headmaster was saying, sweat dripping from his face. "I'm sure we can talk this out."
Kaede rubbed his eyes and shrugged.
That didn't help the headmaster much. "I'll do anything," he quickly said. "Please tell them to reconsider. I'm sure Akima herself wouldn't agree to this."
At having her name mentioned, her ears pricked up and she listened harder. The headmaster rambled on some more but was abruptly stopped when Kaede yawned and said: "Sir, I have a class."
The headmaster seemed out of sorts. "Oh," he mumbled reluctantly, looking as if he'd lock himself and Kaede in if he could. "All right. You can go then. But please! Do talk to your parents!"
Kaede answered him by slamming the door shut.
Outside, Akima hurried to catch up with his long strides and confront him. "What was that all about?"
Eyebrows up, he narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you doing here?"
"Never mind that," she hissed impatiently. "What was going on?"
He shrugged. "Nothing."
He started to go, but she caught him by the arm. "It's about me, isn't it?" she asked cautiously and a little anxiously. "Did I get you involved? Are you in trouble? I'm really sorry-"
"I said it was nothing."
She glared, refusing to let him go.
"Miss," he said in the same tone he had used with the headmaster. "I have a class."
"Big deal," she snapped. "You're just going to sleep anyway. You better tell me what's going on, or I'll …" she frantically tried to come up with an effective threat. "Never mind. Just tell me."
He sighed, trying hard to look angry that she was making him miss a class. "Nothing," he said again. "My parents just called the headmaster. That's all."
"Your parents? What on earth for?"
"Adult stuff. None of your business."
Changing tactics, she softened her voice. "I need to know, Kaede," she murmured. "I know I'm involved somewhere and I need to know. I want to be sure that I'm not being used again."
His eyes hardened. "My family does not use people," he said icily. "You might want to keep that in mind." He tried to shove her hand that held his arm away, but she stubbornly held on. Hissing, and glaring for all his eyes were worth, he muttered, "Well, if you must know, my parents called to inform the school that they are pulling out of the sponsor committee."
"Why?"
"Because they found out about what happened."
"What happened?" she asked, puzzled.
He sighed impatiently. "The accusations against you, idiot."
She was staring with her mouth hanging open. "W-What??"
"My mom said there was no way she was giving money to a school that can't even see between white and black." He quoted, proud but struggling to hide it.
Her head was spinning. "Is that why the headmaster …"
"Well, if the Kirani family is financially important to the school, you can say the Rukawa family is at par," he shrugged, glancing at his watch. Twenty minutes of History gone, he cheered silently. Putting on an irritated face, he said: "I'm late for class."
"I don't believe this," she had clutched her cheeks and was staring at the wall as if she could see through it. "How can your family do that?"
"By using the technology of phones." He yawned again. "It's quite a big loss for the school, so that should teach the headmaster to sort his priorities out." He looked at her and was surprised at her reaction. "You don't seem pleased."
"It's scandalous!" she exclaimed. "You didn't have to do that! It was just a little fight…"
"My parents didn't do it for you," he snorted. "They were doing it 'cause it's right."
She seemed speechless. Then – "Wait a minute. How did your parents find out about me and Ika???"
He coughed, turning slightly blue, and said nothing.
"You TOLD THEM??" she started swearing. "You &%*@^()$)!! What else???! What else did you tell them???"
He was taken aback by the sudden flare of temper. "I didn't tell them. They just … found out." In reflex action, he protected his face with his arms from the punch she was delivering.
"So they have super powers," her voice rose into a high note. She was all but spitting at him. "You pity me, don't you? That's why you're helping me and all that stuff. I thought you were just being nice, but that's not it, was it? You helped me because you thought I'm stupid and helpless, didn't you? You think I need you to do everything for me because I apparently can't take care of myself, don't you?" She poked him in the chest – hard. "Well, you can stop it. I don't need your pity. I don't need anybody's pity. You and your family can start sponsoring the school again – or buy the school itself – for all that I care."
He grabbed her hands to stop her from punching his chest. "I told you," he snapped. "We didn't do this for you. We're doing this because it's the right thing to do."
She glared at him. "Well, that's nice. Thanks a lot, Confucius." Yanking her hands away from him, she turned on her heels and stalked away.
He watched her go, baffled. That's quite a show of appreciation. If that got her punching and spitting, he wouldn't want to know her reaction when she got home later on.
She was positively livid. "WHAT????!"
Her mother beamed at her. "Isn't that good news??" she asked cheerfully. "I never dreamed it would happen."
"They – they hired you??" she was having trouble controlling her emotions. "The Rukawa family hired you??"
"Yes! Mrs. Rukawa herself walked into the shop this afternoon. She's a very nice woman. She said she knew about you, and then offered me a job as their maid," smiling, her mother bent down and kissed her on the head. "The pay is excellent, and I have you to thank for."
This is not happening, Akima assured herself. I'm being disillusioned. I – "She also said something about how horrible things are for you," her mother said all of a sudden. "What did that mean, Akima? Are you having trouble in school? Why didn't you tell me?"
"No. I'm not in trouble." But someone else is, she thought darkly.
"You hired my mother."
He glanced in surprise at the figure standing in the doorway of the gym.
Akima.
Her legs were apart, feet firmly on the ground and fists clenching and unclenching in preparation. Her face was indescribable. He stopped dribbling and stiffly held the ball between his palms. "I didn't. My mother did."
"Was that for her beliefs too?" she demanded. "Was that because it's the right thing to do too?"
He clenched his jaw. "What's your problem, Akima?"
"Look into the mirror and you'll know." She hissed, stepping inside. "When you get home, tell your mother to stop being nice. Tell her to leave my mom where she is, which is behind the shop counter. And tell her that things are not horrible for me at all."
"She's only trying to help."
"Thank you," she said, deceivingly sweet. Then, in a blink of an eye, her expression changed. "She can stop."
"We can give your mother a good salary," he said defensively between gritted teeth. "And we won't fall for cheap tricks. I'm not going to go around telling my mother you stole my necklace."
"That's because you don't have one," she spat. "There is no way I'm going to take your money, Kaede Rukawa, so sod off with that good salary."
His fingers were digging into the ball in anger. "You're just too damn proud."
She glared. "What a startling discovery. Here's something else you can discover about me: I can make my own bread and butter, thank you very much."
"How?" he demanded. "By working at odd hours and dressing like a porn star??"
Her face turned red in both anger and embarrassment. "Yes," she said with aplomb, matching his temper. "As long as it doesn't have anything to do with you." She stomped away, blood still boiling at all corners of her body.
He was tempted, for a moment, to go after her and wring that stiff and proud neck. Then he had an idea of making use of the ball in his hand and sending it hurtling for her big head. Instead, he geared up and made a violent shot that shook the entire basket stand.
Let's see how well you do at not having anything to do with me, he thought grimly.
Long, wasn't it? Well, hope u liked it!