Kuno hovered over her desk. "Are you certain that you're alright?"
"Stop it," Akane warned him sharply.
He shrugged. "If thou needst me."
"I'll know where to go. Now, come on, class is about to start."
Hiroshi winked at her as the True Blunder made his exit. "Think he could be a little more persistent?"
"Only if he had a chain attached to my waist," Akane quipped. "I realize I've been having a little trouble with my memory and all, but I just don't get why everybody thinks I'm going to fall apart physically. My body's just fine!"
Hiroshi's gaze wandered over her as if to say that yes it certainly was, but he had learned to avoid comments like that after the first two or three times. Instead, he nodded understandingly.
"Sometimes I wish you'd just say something," she mumbled under breath.
"What do you mean?" Hiroshi asked her.
Akane sighed. "I didn't think you'd catch that. I just mean - It's nice to have somebody to listen. Really nice." She smiled sweetly at him. "But if you don't really respond, but just keep nodding. I can't tell what you're thinking."
"Ah, but that's the idea," Hiroshi told her with another wink. "That would be telling - and I'd lose my masculine mystique."
Akane hit him with her notebook. "I'll show you mystique."
"Class!"
Ms. Hinako was in adult form, which meant she had just drained somebody. If the offense had been severe, she was in a very bad mood. If the offense had been minor, she was in a very good one.
Akane gulped. One never could tell.
"Class - repeat after me: Japan, the United States, China, Russia, Canada." Hinako-sensei paused. "No, Russia. Enunciate the 'r', children, this is English class. that's right. Romania."
Akane allowed herself to phase out. Repeating Hinako would only last until the woman lapsed into a girl again, and she wanted this time to think - before the class got entirely out of hand.
After 'the incident' regarding her memory, Akane's friends had stopped seeing her. Oh, not at first, of course - but girls who had thought the entire idea was awfully romantic changed their minds after seeing her. Akane admitted to herself that during that first week she'd been rather. spacey. In the end, Kuno and Hiroshi were the only ones who still really spoke to her.
It was ironic, Akane mused (while mouthing the word "diary") that the hated boys turned out to be her most loyal friends. She snuck a look at Hiroshi, who'd been staring at her back, and smiled. So what if he wanted to kiss her? He was still sticking around, and not pressing the issue. And meanwhile, he was really cool when he wasn't coming on to her.
As for Kuno, nobody had expected him to fall off the map except for Akane herself. Akane was aware she'd been well-liked before her loss of memory. She had only realized how popular she had been in the absence of that popularity. And when she had been popular, it had made sense that the most powerful and martially talented guy in school, Kuno, should want her for a girlfriend. It almost made too much sense, like it was simply an expectation. The moment she'd entered ninth grade, he saw and fell for her. In Akane's book Kuno's obsession was an easy come, easy go sort of situation.
Yet Kuno had kept on as well. Akane sometimes found herself feeling grateful. Even if he was an ego-driven obsessive maniac.
"Akane-san!"
Akane stood up with a jolt. What was the last thing Hinako-sensei had asked them to say? She didn't even vaguely remember.
"Please say 'Nice to meet you' in English!"
Akane sighed. This was easy. "Nice to meet you."
Hinako nodded. "Now try 'It's really nice to meet you.'"
Akane stiffened. She hadn't practiced her pronunciation in ages. "Uhm - It's leally nice to - "
"Akane-san, please see me after class."
The youngest Tendo thumped back into her seat, vaguely aware that Hiroshi was sticking his tongue out at Hinako or her, or the both of them. She didn't much care.
"Miss Tendo, may I remind you that it is almost April? Soon you'll be taking your entrance exams, and did you not wish to go to Tokyo University?"
When the heck is she gonna shrink and demand candy? "Yes, 'm."
"It will come as no surprise to you when I tell you that your grades are dropping in every subject. You don't seem to be able to concentrate, or focus, and you don't seem to be hanging around with the same group of girls as before."
Akane's head snapped up. ".I didn't realize you'd notice that."
Hinako's gaze softened. "I realize that you've gone through an astounding amount these past six months, Akane-san. And I realize that you miss . your old life very much. But now is the time to show us all what a Tendo's really made of, right?"
Akane blinked. "Y-yeah. I mean, yes, ma'am!"
Hinako-sensei smiled. "I'm very glad to hear you say that, Miss Tendo. We all miss the way things used to be." She sighed, softly. "Even me."
Akane frowned, wondering why the teacher seemed so moved.
Noting Akane's confusion, Hinako-sensei's expression smoother. "Well? Dismissed!"
Akane slipped out into the hallway to find Hiroshi waiting for her.
"Well? Did she chew you out?"
"Not really, it was more of a pep talk," Akane replied lightly.
"I'm not sure which is worse," Hiroshi murmured.
"No, I really am thinking about what she said. She's right. I'm letting myself slip, just when it matters." Akane's frown was puzzled.
Hiroshi smiled. "I guess so." He paused. "Well, you wanted feedback. So, it's nice to hear you talk that way again, like school matters to you."
Akane felt her eyes sting; she looked at her shoes, and at the linoleum tiling of Furinkan's hallways. "Yeah?"
"Definitely."
"Stop it," Akane warned him sharply.
He shrugged. "If thou needst me."
"I'll know where to go. Now, come on, class is about to start."
Hiroshi winked at her as the True Blunder made his exit. "Think he could be a little more persistent?"
"Only if he had a chain attached to my waist," Akane quipped. "I realize I've been having a little trouble with my memory and all, but I just don't get why everybody thinks I'm going to fall apart physically. My body's just fine!"
Hiroshi's gaze wandered over her as if to say that yes it certainly was, but he had learned to avoid comments like that after the first two or three times. Instead, he nodded understandingly.
"Sometimes I wish you'd just say something," she mumbled under breath.
"What do you mean?" Hiroshi asked her.
Akane sighed. "I didn't think you'd catch that. I just mean - It's nice to have somebody to listen. Really nice." She smiled sweetly at him. "But if you don't really respond, but just keep nodding. I can't tell what you're thinking."
"Ah, but that's the idea," Hiroshi told her with another wink. "That would be telling - and I'd lose my masculine mystique."
Akane hit him with her notebook. "I'll show you mystique."
"Class!"
Ms. Hinako was in adult form, which meant she had just drained somebody. If the offense had been severe, she was in a very bad mood. If the offense had been minor, she was in a very good one.
Akane gulped. One never could tell.
"Class - repeat after me: Japan, the United States, China, Russia, Canada." Hinako-sensei paused. "No, Russia. Enunciate the 'r', children, this is English class. that's right. Romania."
Akane allowed herself to phase out. Repeating Hinako would only last until the woman lapsed into a girl again, and she wanted this time to think - before the class got entirely out of hand.
After 'the incident' regarding her memory, Akane's friends had stopped seeing her. Oh, not at first, of course - but girls who had thought the entire idea was awfully romantic changed their minds after seeing her. Akane admitted to herself that during that first week she'd been rather. spacey. In the end, Kuno and Hiroshi were the only ones who still really spoke to her.
It was ironic, Akane mused (while mouthing the word "diary") that the hated boys turned out to be her most loyal friends. She snuck a look at Hiroshi, who'd been staring at her back, and smiled. So what if he wanted to kiss her? He was still sticking around, and not pressing the issue. And meanwhile, he was really cool when he wasn't coming on to her.
As for Kuno, nobody had expected him to fall off the map except for Akane herself. Akane was aware she'd been well-liked before her loss of memory. She had only realized how popular she had been in the absence of that popularity. And when she had been popular, it had made sense that the most powerful and martially talented guy in school, Kuno, should want her for a girlfriend. It almost made too much sense, like it was simply an expectation. The moment she'd entered ninth grade, he saw and fell for her. In Akane's book Kuno's obsession was an easy come, easy go sort of situation.
Yet Kuno had kept on as well. Akane sometimes found herself feeling grateful. Even if he was an ego-driven obsessive maniac.
"Akane-san!"
Akane stood up with a jolt. What was the last thing Hinako-sensei had asked them to say? She didn't even vaguely remember.
"Please say 'Nice to meet you' in English!"
Akane sighed. This was easy. "Nice to meet you."
Hinako nodded. "Now try 'It's really nice to meet you.'"
Akane stiffened. She hadn't practiced her pronunciation in ages. "Uhm - It's leally nice to - "
"Akane-san, please see me after class."
The youngest Tendo thumped back into her seat, vaguely aware that Hiroshi was sticking his tongue out at Hinako or her, or the both of them. She didn't much care.
"Miss Tendo, may I remind you that it is almost April? Soon you'll be taking your entrance exams, and did you not wish to go to Tokyo University?"
When the heck is she gonna shrink and demand candy? "Yes, 'm."
"It will come as no surprise to you when I tell you that your grades are dropping in every subject. You don't seem to be able to concentrate, or focus, and you don't seem to be hanging around with the same group of girls as before."
Akane's head snapped up. ".I didn't realize you'd notice that."
Hinako's gaze softened. "I realize that you've gone through an astounding amount these past six months, Akane-san. And I realize that you miss . your old life very much. But now is the time to show us all what a Tendo's really made of, right?"
Akane blinked. "Y-yeah. I mean, yes, ma'am!"
Hinako-sensei smiled. "I'm very glad to hear you say that, Miss Tendo. We all miss the way things used to be." She sighed, softly. "Even me."
Akane frowned, wondering why the teacher seemed so moved.
Noting Akane's confusion, Hinako-sensei's expression smoother. "Well? Dismissed!"
Akane slipped out into the hallway to find Hiroshi waiting for her.
"Well? Did she chew you out?"
"Not really, it was more of a pep talk," Akane replied lightly.
"I'm not sure which is worse," Hiroshi murmured.
"No, I really am thinking about what she said. She's right. I'm letting myself slip, just when it matters." Akane's frown was puzzled.
Hiroshi smiled. "I guess so." He paused. "Well, you wanted feedback. So, it's nice to hear you talk that way again, like school matters to you."
Akane felt her eyes sting; she looked at her shoes, and at the linoleum tiling of Furinkan's hallways. "Yeah?"
"Definitely."