~~~~~~~000~~~~~~~
"Hmmm...not bad. This place is almost as good as Meiou," Soujiro commented as he parked his steel blue Kharman Ghia in the school parking lot. Beside him, Yanagi chewed on her lower lip nervously as she scanned the lush grounds of the campus. Silver Slate High not only sounded like a high class prep school, it looked exactly the way a classy prep school should with its ostentatiously designed buildings and well-manicured lawns.
"Dad must have been out of his mind when he insisted in sending me here. This is so way out of my league." Yanagi said brokenly, her fingers clamped tightly in her lap. Soujiro felt sorry for her, but couldn't really disagree with what she just said. His sister was really pretty and smart but she was definitely not a snob. She was too vulnerable and sensitive. Soujiro deeply doubted Yanagi would last 5 minutes in a set-up like this. A sudden feeling of overprotectiveness came over him like being immersed in lukewarm water on a cold afternoon. The heat washed over his senses and spread throughout his entire male ego, provoking him to stay and not leave her alone. It was weird, he thought, he usually didn't care much about his sister's activities, much less something so trivial as this---her first day in high school. Maybe it's that "big brother" syndrome his friend Setsuna was always telling about. Setsuna had always gone bonkers whenever anything happened to his younger sister Sarah, Soujiro could very well attest to that. Maybe some of it is rubbing off on him too, Soujiro thought to himself as he continued to stare at his sister's downcast face.
"Sis...you okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with worry.
Yanagi took a deep breath and clutched her school bag very tightly, her knuckles growing white.
"I...I think so. Hai, I'll be fine."
"If you want, I could come with you to the principal's office to get your schedule. I won't do anything silly, I promise. I'll just walk you to your first class and scram."
Yanagi smiled gratefully at him. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that her oniisan would be this supportive. It was totally out of character for someone who would usually do nothing but taunt and tease her to no end. But then, she had to admit Soujiro had been a shade nicer to her ever since she had graduated from being a "sniveling brat" as he would often call her.
"It's ok oniisan, I'll muddle through somehow. Thanks a lot for the lift. I really appreciate it," she gave him another grateful smile as she slid out of the car and started towards the pebbled pathway leading to the huge double doors of the imposing structure.
"Matte!"
Yanagi turned back. "Hai? Doushita no?"
"You sure you'll be ok?" Dark eyes mirrored sincere concern.
"Hai, I'll be fine. Stop worrying oniisan. I'm not as naive as I look," she assured him, a teasing smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
Soujiro watched a bit anxiously as his sister disappeared inside the large school building, her long maple-colored locks rustling ever so softly with each jaunty step she took. I must be getting old, he mused to himself. Maybe this is full-blown maturity setting in. He shook in his head in disbelief at the realization that he was acting more like a mother hen than an older brother to his little sister.
"I really have to stop hanging around Setusna," he muttered, "that strange affliction he has for Sarah is getting contagious."
The blue convertible sped off from the campus grounds in violent speed, causing the walking students to jump aside in fear and annoyance at the angry roar of the engines. Behind the heavy glass panes at the very top floor of the school building, a pair of slanting silver eyes carefully watched as the Kharman Ghia sped out of the grounds and into the busy highway.
"Hmmm...not bad. This place is almost as good as Meiou," Soujiro commented as he parked his steel blue Kharman Ghia in the school parking lot. Beside him, Yanagi chewed on her lower lip nervously as she scanned the lush grounds of the campus. Silver Slate High not only sounded like a high class prep school, it looked exactly the way a classy prep school should with its ostentatiously designed buildings and well-manicured lawns.
"Dad must have been out of his mind when he insisted in sending me here. This is so way out of my league." Yanagi said brokenly, her fingers clamped tightly in her lap. Soujiro felt sorry for her, but couldn't really disagree with what she just said. His sister was really pretty and smart but she was definitely not a snob. She was too vulnerable and sensitive. Soujiro deeply doubted Yanagi would last 5 minutes in a set-up like this. A sudden feeling of overprotectiveness came over him like being immersed in lukewarm water on a cold afternoon. The heat washed over his senses and spread throughout his entire male ego, provoking him to stay and not leave her alone. It was weird, he thought, he usually didn't care much about his sister's activities, much less something so trivial as this---her first day in high school. Maybe it's that "big brother" syndrome his friend Setsuna was always telling about. Setsuna had always gone bonkers whenever anything happened to his younger sister Sarah, Soujiro could very well attest to that. Maybe some of it is rubbing off on him too, Soujiro thought to himself as he continued to stare at his sister's downcast face.
"Sis...you okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with worry.
Yanagi took a deep breath and clutched her school bag very tightly, her knuckles growing white.
"I...I think so. Hai, I'll be fine."
"If you want, I could come with you to the principal's office to get your schedule. I won't do anything silly, I promise. I'll just walk you to your first class and scram."
Yanagi smiled gratefully at him. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that her oniisan would be this supportive. It was totally out of character for someone who would usually do nothing but taunt and tease her to no end. But then, she had to admit Soujiro had been a shade nicer to her ever since she had graduated from being a "sniveling brat" as he would often call her.
"It's ok oniisan, I'll muddle through somehow. Thanks a lot for the lift. I really appreciate it," she gave him another grateful smile as she slid out of the car and started towards the pebbled pathway leading to the huge double doors of the imposing structure.
"Matte!"
Yanagi turned back. "Hai? Doushita no?"
"You sure you'll be ok?" Dark eyes mirrored sincere concern.
"Hai, I'll be fine. Stop worrying oniisan. I'm not as naive as I look," she assured him, a teasing smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
Soujiro watched a bit anxiously as his sister disappeared inside the large school building, her long maple-colored locks rustling ever so softly with each jaunty step she took. I must be getting old, he mused to himself. Maybe this is full-blown maturity setting in. He shook in his head in disbelief at the realization that he was acting more like a mother hen than an older brother to his little sister.
"I really have to stop hanging around Setusna," he muttered, "that strange affliction he has for Sarah is getting contagious."
The blue convertible sped off from the campus grounds in violent speed, causing the walking students to jump aside in fear and annoyance at the angry roar of the engines. Behind the heavy glass panes at the very top floor of the school building, a pair of slanting silver eyes carefully watched as the Kharman Ghia sped out of the grounds and into the busy highway.