Quick note: Thanks for everyone who has reviewed so far. This is one of the longest things I've written that's not school-related, so any comments or criticism is very much appreciated. To answer one question posed, the poem bits and subsequent criticism about it in the last chapter were all made up for this. Although taking an already written work may have been fun too. Imagine the General's face if Kubota stood there critiquing "There once was a man from Nantucket". You see, Sir, the bucket symbolizes the man's need for fulfillment…
Warning: language still. Also, except for the use of some themes from WA, most of everyone's history here and for the rest of the story is made up. Unlike Wild Adapter, Minekura did not really developed the EC characters too deeply, so there's a lot of room to mess around with. ^^;;
Disclaimer: All of Executive Committee/WA/Kubotoki-ness is owned by Minekura Kazuya.
Stay Here With
Across Platform C – Part 4
People have told him that he's reckless.
That time in Shinjuku when he stopped a bicycle thief by jumping in front of him. It hurt to just breathe for a week after that, but he'd do it again.
People have told him that he's too rash.
That time after basketball practice when some of the juniors tried to "initiate" the first year players in the locker room. He busted his hand then, but you should have seen the other guys.
People have told him that he jumps before he thinks.
Getting into fights, sticking his nose in, jumping in front of trains. He never stopped and thought about it. He just did it. His uncle, his teachers, the neighborhood cops, they all sat him down at one point and warned him to think before he acted, and try to understand the consequences.
He didn't understand why they didn't see the same consequences he saw. That guy's bike was about to be stolen, or that kid was going to be beat up. What was he supposed to do? Just watch?
"It's not your fight," the teachers said. "That's what we're here for," the cops said.
"It's not worth it," his uncle said when Tokitoh came home with a bruised face and a limp dog in his arms. "You got involved and got hurt to help what? A dead dog?" His uncle just looked at him from the doorway, his face shadowed by the hall light glowing behind him. But even though Tokitoh couldn't see his face, he knew the expression he was wearing, because it was the face he always had when his uncle looked at him.
Tokitoh was so angry then he couldn't see straight. His vision blurred, and something hot and wet slid down his face, streaking the blood and the dirt already there. Still carrying the dog, he silently walked past his uncle in the doorway, stomped into the bathroom, and slammed the door. There he just laid the dog on a towel and leaned against the door to the bath. Holding up a wet washcloth to his face, he let the water in the cloth mix in with the water on his cheeks and he just sat there.
That time when he brought the dog home was only a few months after the accident, when he woke up in his uncle and aunt's guest room with no memory, not of his parents, not of his life before. Those months he spent just silently watching everything. They hoped putting him back in school would snap him out of it. His teacher had even taken aside some of his classmates and asked them to hang out with him during lunch or after class, just until he "got better". He had been sent out on an errand to the office and wasn't supposed to have known about it, but the boys told him after school as they were running for the gate. He didn't know what else to do but run with them, even though he knew they didn't really want him to be there. For him, being alone then seemed the scariest thing in the world, scarier than boys being mean, scarier than a crying dog cornered in a back alley.
He didn't tell his uncle that he had been with them then, that they had found the dog and played with it until one of them thought of a new game. And he could only stand there as they threw what stones they could find. He just stood back with his arms at his sides, watching it all. But with every rock they threw he could feel his own hand around it until finally he couldn't stand there watching anymore. The other boys didn't stop at first, like they couldn't see the difference between his body and the dog he was covering up.
They tried pulling him off but he didn't move. They told him they were leaving, that they would leave him, alone, but he still lay there. They called him fucked up, but he sat there with his face in the dog's side. Its fur felt soft against his skin, and with his eyes closed, he could almost believe that sound he heard was the dog's heart still beating and not his own.
Sitting there on the bathroom floor, the cold tile under his feet, the dead dog at his side, he could hear his aunt washing dishes and his uncle watching TV. Childless before he fell into their life, they never knew how to handle him. With no memory before waking up in their bed, he didn't know how to handle them. They had this mutual acceptance of never understanding each other, which up until then he was afraid of, just as up until then he was afraid that someday he'd again wake up in some strange bed, alone.
After that he always jumped first, hit first, moved first. It didn't matter that he didn't know where he came from. It didn't matter where he would end up from there. It didn't matter if he got caught or hit back or kicked out. It didn't matter if they said that they'd leave him, leave him all alone. He figured out that he was already alone.
Carrying the dog out into the small yard in the back, he buried it that night. He could feel his uncle's eyes on his back, but he didn't turn around just as he didn't ask for help. He could do it. He could do it by himself. With each shovelful of dirt he tossed, his thoughts grew more and more angry, and being alone, he could only be angry at himself.
People have told him that he's reckless.
Never again-
People have told him that he's too rash.
Never again will he just stand there-
People have told him that he jumps before he thinks.
Never again will he just watch-
Because he knew what the consequences were.
And he would rather be alone and jump than go along and say "It's not worth it. It's not my fight."
His backyard wasn't big enough to keep burying the truth that he could suddenly see so clearly.
Faced with class, or the fight outside, it didn't take him long to decide. And without thinking, he jumped.
-----
He neared the group, and by then he could see one on the ground, and one on top holding him down, and three standing behind. He was close enough that he actually recognized four of the boys from that morning at the train station. "Can't these jerks get another hobby!" he spat as he picked up speed. None of them saw him coming.
One of the guys standing back finally looked up but before he could shout out a warning, Tokitoh was already in the air. He knocked off the one holding the other student down, spun around, and kicked him again until the guy's butt was on the ground. He stepped back then and brought his fists up. Without turning around, he called out to the student still lying on the grass. "You okay?"
"…holy shit, I mean, yeah." The boy answered back.
Tokitoh heard the sound of ripping paper and he gave a quick glance behind. The student had taken out a small pad and a pen and started furiously writing. "What the hell are you doing?"
The student didn't seem to hear him. He was muttering to himself as he continued writing. "Swift justice came that day in the form of…" He looked up then. "What's your name?"
Tokitoh's eyes shot from the guy he just came down on, who was now slowly getting up to the student writing behind him. "What?"
"Doesn't matter what his name is," the guy was now standing. "'Cause pretty soon he ain't gonna need it."
"Oi, Yutaka, wait a sec." One of the other boys tried to grab his shoulder. "Isn't that the kid from the train?"
Yutaka stopped and gave him a look over. "Fuck me. I thought you would have been flattened. Guess we're not so lucky, huh, guys?" He started towards them.
Tokitoh stepped forward, his fists still up. "How the fuck would you know? Wasn't that your ass I saw running away?"
"Nostrils flaring, they circled each other like bulls in the ring…" Tokitoh could still hear pen scratching across paper behind him. "Who would throw the first punch I wondered…"
Tokitoh wanted to smack the guy across the head, but he was too busy keeping his eyes on Yutaka in front of him.
Yutaka made a short wave to the other students. "Shut him up, will ya?"
His gang looked awkwardly at each other. "Uh, Yutaka, weren't we just supposed to-"
"I said, SHUT HIM UP!"
The gang again looked at each other and then started to advance on Tokitoh and the other student. Tokitoh shifted his steps a little in trying to cover both of them.
"Think you're hot shit, don't you?" Yutaka stepped forward and their eyes locked. "Think you can come in here and pull the same shit you did before. Hate to break it to you, Moonie, but this place is ours and no fucking moon princess power is gonna help you here." He jumped forward then, his right arm swinging.
"You know for a guy," Tokitoh dodged and moved to the left. "You sure know a lot about girl's shit." Sidestepping quickly, he finally found an opening and swung, hitting Yutaka in the jaw. The other boy fell back a few steps, his hand to his face.
"Amid the curses of battle, Yutaka's secret is revealed!" The student that had been behind Tokitoh was now trotting around them, holding up his pad as he tried to outmaneuver the other three. "Is he a closet shoujo-fan? Or has he been hiding his feminine identity from the school all these years?"
"SHUT UP! Yutaka shouted as he held his jaw. "I have a SISTER, okay? What the hell, you assholes can't handle one fucking guy!" Yutaka started to move towards the student, but Tokitoh got in front of him.
"Running home already?" Tokitoh swung again, getting in another hit, but this time Yutaka recovered more quickly.
"You're gonna be so gone, they'll say you were never here!" Yutaka gritted his teeth and threw his fist forward, missing Tokitoh by only a few inches. They both jumped back and then quickly circled again.
"The dust was thick in the air." Tokitoh heard from behind him. "Thick enough to taste, and to this reporter, it tasted bitter."
"SHUT UP!" Both he and Yutaka said at the same time.
"The opponents' anger was boiling over," the boy continued as if they hadn't said anything. "But unbeknownst to the new student, other adversaries were striking from behind."
"What?" Tokitoh half-turned when he heard this, leaving himself open for less than a second, but Yutaka took that moment and slammed a fist into his face. Tokitoh reeled back from the hit. He shook his head, trying to clear it from the fuzz, and moved forward again but suddenly he was grabbed from both sides. He clenched his teeth as his arms were gripped and pulled behind him, then he felt another hand on the back of his head, yanking his hair. A face moved into view. It was one of the other gang members smiling down at him. Tokitoh inwardly cursed himself for losing sight of them. "Leggo!"
"Hold him still!" Yutaka's lip curled as he raised his fist. "This is too fucking easy."
Tokitoh tried not to close his eyes when the fist came down, but he couldn't help it. What happened next though wasn't what he was expecting.
"Easy, huh?" A familiar voice came from behind him, and Tokitoh opened his eyes. "I thought we went over this before, but obviously even the simplest words didn't get through. So instead of saying, "No fighting on school grounds", would this be easier to understand?" With that said, Kubota walked up, and without any warning, gave Yutaka a hard kick in the stomach, followed by another in the back. "How easy is that, Yu-ta-ka-kun?"
There was an audible grunt and the pressure from Tokitoh's sides and his head was gone. He turned to see another student, the big guy from his class, standing behind him, holding two of the guys between his arms. The third was on the ground, his head firmly underneath his shoe. Tokitoh turned back to Kubota who continued to kick Yutaka until the boy was flat on the ground. "Wh- why are you guys here?"
Kubota just smiled as he smushed his foot into Yutaka's shirt. "Hey, any excuse to leave class is a good one. Besides," He added while he dusted off his pants. "Can't let you go and have all the fun."
Tokitoh didn't know how to respond. He just looked from Yutaka who still lay on the ground to the guys being held behind him. He opened his mouth to say something when the student that had been behind him during the fight suddenly jumped forward.
"Kubota, can I have a statement? What do today's events mean for the EC? Will you start a practice of skipping classes for club activities?"
"Sato, Sato, Sato." Kubota's voice was calm as he wrapped his arm around the student's shoulders and then with one hand gently took the pad of paper away. "Let's put this away before anyone else gets hit, shall we?" Sato opened his mouth to protest, but Kubota just shook his head and waved the book. "If you don't want this, I'll keep it." That shut him up, and he quickly took the pad and stepped back. Kubota then turned to Tokitoh.
"You're leaking." He said, pointing at Tokitoh's face.
Tokitoh's hand went up and touched his nose. His fingers came away red. "Oh…"
"HEEEEEEEEY!" They all turned to see two figures running towards them. Tokitoh couldn't hide his surprise. One of the students was his lab partner, Ainoura, and then a tall, older boy with short orange hair that spiked out in all directions.
"Damn!" The orange-haired student reached them first. "What the hell, Kubota? Tell me you didn't start this."
"Just finishing, Suzuki." Kubota patted Tokitoh's shoulder. "Or helped finishing it."
"Damn!" Suzuki said again as he looked around. "Hey, Murota, you're crushing them!" Murota's face drooped a little and he released the two students he was holding, and raised his foot off the third. The students scrambled towards Yutaka who was just starting to sit up. Once together, the three wrapped their arms around Yutaka, lifted him to standing, and then started to run back towards the school. Murota went to follow, but Kubota waved him to stop.
"It's not like we don't know who they are." Kubota took out a cigarette and lit it. "We can call them down later. They know they can't avoid us forever."
Suzuki just shook his head. "Damn, did you really leave class for this?"
Kubota gave Suzuki a leveled look. "Well, it's not like there was someone else to do this?"
Suzuki only shrugged. "Murphy's law, Kubota. You go to the bathroom and then shit happens."
Ainoura, looking out of breath, finally got up to them. "Ask him where he was, Kubota? Go ahead." Kubota only looked towards Suzuki, an eyebrow raised.
Suzuki scratched his head and looked away. "Like I said, Murphy's law. You leave school to get an ice cream and shit happens…"
Ainoura pointed to the student who was still writing in his pad. "Sato wasn't fighting was he?"
"I was only acting out the freedom of the press!" Sato looked up. "And out of the darkness I was assaulted by-"
"Okaaaay." Kubota reached out and gently guided Sato's back towards the school. "Why don't you go with Suzuki here and give him your report. We'll be in right after." They all started to walk back, when Kubota turned to see Tokitoh still standing on the grass. "Aren't you coming?"
Tokitoh gave them all a questioning look. "What the hell's going on?"
Suzuki poked Murota. "Who's the bleeder?"
Kubota turned and smiled. "Right. We should get the introductions done. Everyone, this is Araiso's newest transfer student, second year, section B, Tokitoh Minoru. Likes rice balls, sitting on the roof, and missing trains."
"Hey…" Tokitoh gave him a warning look.
"And here's, well, most of the Executive Committee." Kubota shrugged and first pointed to Tokitoh's lab partner. "You know Ainoura."
Ainoura waved. "Also the resident hacker."
"Don't ask him about the computer club. They had a falling out." Kubota spoke to Tokitoh behind his hand.
"Microsoft sellouts!" Ainoura clenched his fists. "They didn't believe me when I said Linux was the future!" A hand patted his shoulder and he looked up at that considerably more brawny-looking student that had been Kubota's lab partner.
"That's Murota there." Kubota pointed. "He has the honor of being Araiso's weight-lifting champion for the last three years."
Murota turned a little red. "No one else competes though."
Suzuki shrugged. "Honestly, who would? I mean, damn, look at these. They're huge." He held up one of Murota's arms. Turning a deeper shade of red, Murota pulled his arm away and suddenly got interested in his shoes.
Kubota rested his hand then on Sato's shoulder. "This here is Sato, third year, section D, and the editor-in-chief, as well as the only reporter for the Araiso newspaper."
"We're called the Advantage." Sato beamed.
"Feel free not to take it." Kubota ignored Sato's sour look then and pointed at Suzuki. "And that's Suzuki, third year, section B, and the EC's…now what have you been calling yourself recently?"
"The Grand Pooh-Bah." Suzuki smiled proudly.
Tokitoh gave him a cross-eyed look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Translation- it mean's he's our King Dork." Ainoura shot in. Then grabbing Sato's arm, he turned towards the school. "Can we get back now before we miss the rest of classes today?"
Kubota nodded. "You all go ahead." He turned and taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, handed it to Tokitoh. "I think I'll take this time to give him the tour of our lovely health clinic."
"Oh, I stopped by before I got here, Kubota," Ainoura turned back. "He's at it again."
Tokitoh wasn't sure, but he thought he saw some of the other students go pale.
"Am I missing something?" he asked.
Kubota just smiled and shook his head. "Nothing for you to worry about. Shall we go?"
Tokitoh could only nod as he kept the handkerchief to his nose. It had started to throb, and he didn't want to think about what it looked like. He grimaced at what his uncle was going to say when he got home.
"Something wrong?" Tokitoh looked up to see Kubota's gaze on him. He must have noticed his change in expression.
"…ah…it's nothing." Tokitoh shook his head.
Kubota shrugged in response and looked on. "Uh-uh, here comes Matsubara." They all looked down the field to see another figure running towards them. "Murota, why don't you catch up to him and tell him we're done." Murota nodded and headed towards the other figure.
Tokitoh looked after them for a moment before turning. "What's that kid wearing?"
"That's Matsubara. EC's very own kendo student. He always likes to wear the uniform when on duty and in a moment he's going to be little pissed that he left class and changed for nothing." Kubota dropped an arm around Tokitoh's shoulder as they walked. "Ah, well, Murota can handle him."
Tokitoh turned his head and looked at the hand on his shoulder, but didn't say anything. Instead he just kept walking, still holding the handkerchief to his nose.
"It smells like cigarettes," he thought to himself.
------
When they got to the health clinic, they found Dr. Matsuda is one of his "fits".
"Don't let the squirrels in!" he yelled out from behind a bed when Kubota opened the door.
"No squirrels, Doctor. Just us." Kubota lightly bowed his head, and dragged in a now-guarded Tokitoh.
"What's his deal?" he hissed as Kubota steered him towards one of the beds.
"Shhhhh....Just wait a sec." With that Kubota sat him down and then walked over to the man behind the bed. "…Dr. Matsuda?"
"Kubota?" The man peeked out from behind the mattress. "Did you see them? They've been trying to get in all day."
Kubota shook his head. "It's all clear, now, Doctor."
Matsuda stood up warily from the bed. "Nothing's out there?" Kubota just nodded.
Matsuda's mouth made a firm line then and he started to walk to his desk. "This is my chance then." He grabbed a stack of papers from the top and headed for the door. "I have to drop these off down at the main office. Watch the clinic until I get back, Kubota." His hand was on the door but he then turned, "and make sure not even a paw gets-" Suddenly the doctor's eyes widened when he saw Tokitoh sitting on the bed. "Wait. Who's that?"
Kubota gave him a blank look. "Who's who?"
The doctor pointed towards Tokitoh. "That boy over there. The one bleeding."
Kubota looked over to the bed and then back to the doctor. "I don't see anything there, Doctor." Tokitoh's eyes shifted from the doctor to Kubota but didn't say anything.
Matsuda squinted and took a step towards the bed.
Kubota reached over and tapped his fingers on the desk, and then turned his head towards the window. "Did you hear that?"
Matsuda's head shot up. "What?"
Kubota started towards the window. "Sounded like something from outside…"
Matsuda blanched and spun around. "I have to get out of here now!" He flung open the door and while running out, called out behind him. "Don't let any of them in! Hear me, Kubota?"
"Hai hai," Kubota sighed and shut the door. He turned to see Tokitoh still on the bed, holding his nose and giving him a bewildered look.
"Is everybody in this place crazy?" he asked. Holding his nose, his voice had a slight nasal sound.
"Just the crazy ones." Kubota gave him a weak smile and walked over to the small fridge in the back. Opening the freezer, he fished around until he finally brought out an ice pack. "Dr. Matsuda had a bad experience at the Yokohama Zoo last year. Fell into one of the exhibits and never seems to have recovered." He handed the ice pack to Tokitoh. "I think this will be his last year here."
"Maybe the next guy won't be as nutso." Tokitoh took the pack and brought down the handkerchief. His nose still throbbed, but it looked like the bleeding stopped. He put the pack to his face and grimaced when it touched his skin.
"We can only hope." Kubota pulled a chair over and sat down.
Tokitoh looked at the bloody handkerchief in his hand and frowned. "Sorry about…" He gingerly held it up.
Kubota just shook his head, giving him a small smile. "Call it a souvenir of your first day." Tokitoh nodded and looked down, puffing out his cheeks. They sat there silent for a minute.
"…don't you have class or something?" Tokitoh finally asked. "You don't got to wait for me."
Kubota shrugged. "I'm on squirrel-duty, remember? Besides, it doesn't matter to me if I get to class or not."
"Then why do you come to school?" Tokitoh asked. "If you don't like class, why are you here?"
"Good question," Kubota thought to himself. In response he simply shrugged again. "I guess I just like coming here."
"Is it because you like being in that EC group?"
"Hm, yeah, that's part of it. I like being with them." Kubota nodded.
"You guys really stop fights and all?" Tokitoh took away the ice, tried to twitch his nose, and then brought the pack back up.
"When we see them, yes. That's our job- to enforce the rules that the student council has for the school."
"That's…kinda cool." Tokitoh looked back at him. "My other schools, it was like, every kid for yourself. Not even the teachers would stop it when kids were beating on other kids. They'd just close the doors. I hated that shit."
"I would never have thought that." Kubota smiled when Tokitoh gave him a confused look. "Well, look, this morning? Just now outside? It's like you have a personal mission to right any wrong you see."
"So? What the hell's wrong with that?" Tokitoh turned defensive.
"Nothing. Just, I'm curious." Kubota leaned back in his chair. "Why do you do it?"
"Just because, because it's there." Tokitoh expression darkened a little. "Isn't that enough?"
"Not for most people. Most people wouldn't jump on the train tracks to pick up someone's bag, or leave class through the window to stop a fight. Not unless they got something out of it. So…" Kubota then leaned forward, "What do you get out of it? Does it make you feel good? Is it the danger-quotient? Or do you just like to hit people?"
Tokitoh just looked at him without responding. His eyes had narrowed, and even with the ice pack covering half his face, Kubota could tell he didn't like these kinds of questions. Tokitoh looked away for a second and then returned his gaze. "I just do it because I do it. I don't think about it. I don't give a shit about what people think about me. I do it because….because I just can't not do it. I just can't sit there and watch." He took away the ice pack and gingerly felt his nose. "…so that's it. Does that answer your question?"
Kubota just looked at him for a few moments. "…yes, it does."
Tokitoh started to get up, "Look, I don't need to be baby-sat. What don't you just go back-" He stopped when suddenly the door to the clinic flew open. Kubota turned, expecting to see the doctor, but instead was met with another familiar face.
"Still here, huh?" Sato walked over and plopped on the bed next to Tokitoh. "Hey, thanks for earlier, right?" With that said, he brought out his pad from his pocket. "You got time for an interview? I already have a great title for the story. "Fists of Fury- New Transfer Student strikes out against the Araiso Underworld." Pretty snappy, huh?"
"What the-" Tokitoh shifted away from Sato on the bed. "I don't want an interview!"
"C'mon-c'mon-c'mon." Sato moved forward. "How about a quote? Your sign? Blood type?"
Kubota sighed and stuck an arm between the two, pulling Sato back. "Can this wait, Sato?"
"Geez, Kubota, don't get jealous." Sato pouted. "I'll ask you some questions too." He turned his focus back to Tokitoh who had backed up to where the bed met the wall.
"Why don't I ask YOU a few questions?" Kubota offered. "Like why were you out there? Why did Yutaka attack you?"
Sato turned and his expression changed to indignation. "I'll tell you what happened. I was set-up!"
"What do you mean "set-up"?" Tokitoh asked, moving forward a little.
Sato turned to him, his eyes wide. "I mean, snared, trapped, caught in the web of deceit that wraps this whole school like...like a web, a net of lies that choke out-"
"Okaaaaay." Kubota interjected. "Why would anyone want to set you up? Hm?"
"I was supposed to meet a contact." Sato took a breath and calmed down a little. "For this lead I thought I had. He asked to meet me outside, but when I got there, Yutaka and his squad were waiting instead. Then he came in." He pointed to Tokitoh. "And then you and the EC, and that's it."
"What kind of story are you doing that someone would want to beat you up?" Tokitoh asked.
Sato only shook his head. "Too early to talk about. Besides, I have to keep my contact's privacy."
"So he can just set you up more? What the fuck?" Tokitoh held up his hands in frustration.
"It's not like that. You see, I have a feeling that…" Sato paused and motioned them to come closer. When both Kubota and Tokitoh had leaned in, he continued in a loud whisper. "…I don't think it was him that did it. I think it was someone else."
"The plot thickens then." A voice from behind them spoke up. All three turned to see another figure leaning in the open doorway.
"Ah, Matsumoto." Kubota nodded. "Need something?"
"I need to talk to you," Matsumoto looked at the other two. "Alone."
Kubota didn't get up. "Can it wait till later?"
Matsumoto raised his eyebrows. "I'd rather not."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm on squirrel-duty. You understand." Kubota replied and turned back to the bed. Tokitoh's eyes shifted from Kubota to Matsumoto. Sato started to write in his pad again.
Matsumoto shrugged and walked into the clinic. "I don't mind if we have an audience, but it has to be off the record." He pointed towards Sato who was still writing.
Sato looked up. "The press is not a faucet that you can just shut off, Matsumoto. Everything I hear is open to be printed."
Matsumoto looked coolly back at him. "Sato. Who in this room decides club budgets?"
Sato's eyes narrowed a little. "Are you threatening the Advantage?"
Kubota puffed out his cheeks, stood up, and started to direct Sato towards the door. "Why don't you go interview the other EC members for your story first, Sato."
"But I already talked to-" Kubota then shut the door, and they could all hear Araiso's newspaper editor still talking in the hall.
Matsumoto turned back to Kubota. "Can we leave now?"
Kubota walked back to his seat. "I'm not done yet. If you want to talk, talk. Otherwise wait till later."
Matsumoto frowned towards Tokitoh but didn't leave. "Fine. Have it your way. What's this I hear that EC members left class to perform duties, and without even wearing arm bands? You know that's against the rules. When Ikeda here's about this, he's going to blow up."
"Once again we return to the not-so-surprising fact that I care nothing for what the council president thinks about me." Kubota took out a cigarette and lit it.
Matsumoto scrunched his face up in disgust as Kubota started smoking, but continued. "And to do it in front of Sato? It's going to be everywhere by tomorrow."
"Oh? It'll take him a day or so for lay-out though I think."
Matsumoto sighed in frustration. "Why don't you understand that whatever the EC does reflects on the student council? When you all move out of line, it loses legitimacy for the rest of us."
"Or just legitimacy with you, future candidate?" Kubota turned towards him. "Isn't that why you're angry really? You think we'll make you look bad?"
Matsumoto's lip curled. "Once again, Makoto, you turn everything around with your own twisted thinking."
Kubota opened his mouth to reply but Tokitoh began before him. "Look…I don't understand what you all are talking about, but it's not his fault." He nodded towards Kubota. "It was me who started it. They just came and helped out."
Matsumoto turned to look at Tokitoh. "You're the new student right? From Tokyo?" Tokitoh nodded. "Well, then. I don't know what kind of rules they had at your previous school, but here, fights on campus are not allowed. Do you understand?" Matsumoto gave him a look of strained patience, like he was talking to a five year old.
"No, but maybe if you finger-painted me a picture, I'd get it." Tokitoh shot back. "What the fuck? You think I don't know that? That's why I was out there, you moron, to stop a fight!"
Matsumoto's face darkened. Kubota tried to hide a smile. He couldn't remember when someone last called Matsumoto any names. Well, there was that "eligible receiver" reference in that article Sato wrote…
"That's a very nice sentiment," Matsumoto's tone was curt, "but stopping fights in not your job. You are here to study and represent Araiso and that means-"
"Fucking bull shit!" Tokitoh sat up. "Represent what? A bunch of jerks who expect me to sit there and do shit and watch while others fight it out? Who the hell can do that?"
"As I said before," Matsumoto spoke slowly. "This is NOT your job."
Tokitoh stood up and took a step towards him. "Then I'll MAKE it my job! " Right then there was a sudden loud rap on the door and all three turned to see Principal Takahata standing there.
"Ahem." He started, giving both Kubota and Matsumoto a look, and finally resting his eyes on Tokitoh. "Tokitoh-kun, my office, NOW." The Principal stood there waiting, and Tokitoh finally walked towards the door. He glared at Matsumoto as he passed, but then stopped when he felt a hand take his wrist. He looked down at Kubota who just gave him a calm smile and then let go. Looking down at Kubota, he didn't see the surprise on Matsumoto's face when it happened. Takahata coughed again, and Tokitoh turned and they both left the room.
Matsumoto was silent for a moment and then finally sat down. "Now that THAT'S over with…." He looked towards Kubota whose eyes were still on the door. "They really let in ANYONE these days. Hey, where are you going?"
Kubota had gotten up and was heading for the door. "Just what you said a student should do here. Represent Araiso."
"What?" Matsumoto started to follow him, but Kubota raised his hand to stop him.
"Uh-uh, you stay here. Squirrel-duty, remember?" He tapped Matsumoto lightly on the nose, then turned and left the room. He smiled as he heard the old familiar hiss of "asshole" as he closed the door.
Kubota started down the hall, chewing on his cigarette while he thought things out. For this to work, he was going to need someone else. "Hopefully Suzuki won't be out for ice cream again…"
-----
^^ -tbc