Black sky, faint stars. The unnatural fluorescent glow of street lamps, illuminating the grey roads in a neat pattern. Neat, well kept houses and apartment buildings. Brick fences, brass nameplates. The proof of existence, a way to say that one was indeed alive and living.
Shadows, a male and female. Sounds, keys jingling, the creaking of a car door. A choking motor and then a low rumble of it smoothly running, the tranquility broken.
" Have a safe trip home ok?"
Long black hair billowed in the bitterly cold wind. The girl tugged at her jacket, wrapping it around her petite body in a greater effort to keep warm.
" Aa. Hurry up and get inside before you catch a cold Mi-chan."
The girl looked on as the driver closed the door, quickly winding down the window as he settled himself in his seat.
" ...I think I'll wait until you drive away."
The girl's whispered words faintly reached his ears.
" What did you say?"
" Nothing. It was nothing."
The girl tensed, quickly holding up her hands and shaking her head to object. The driver sighed, switching off the engine and moving to step out of the car.
" You know Misao, you can always just come back to Osaka. You don't have to live here by your-"
Misao interrupted him by forcefully slamming a hand on the car door to keep it from opening. She stared down at the smooth pavement of the sidewalk, hoping to avoid the shocked expression of the driver's face.
" Daijoubu ka? Mi-chan?"
Misao forced herself to straighten, plastering a smile on her face.
" Daijoubu nii-chan. You'd better get going, Jii-chan is waiting for you at home."
" You sure you'll be ok here by yourself?"
" Hegi hegi! It's only a month right?"
" Its ok to come back, you don't have to pretend to like it. If you get lonely, you can come back home for a little while."
" ...you know I can't stay there."
Misao smiled sadly before she grinned mischievously. She bent over to reach into the car to tweak her brother's nose.
" You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say my 20 year old brother was afraid of being alone."
Her brother snorted indignantly, reaching out of the car window to whack his sister on the back of the head half-seriously.
" Ite! How could you do that nii-chan!"
Her brother huffed in his seat, crossing his arms and looking the other way.
" Mou! Your such an incompetent brother!"
A silence followed before bursts of laughter came from both or them.
" Seriously though, how can I not miss my only little sister?"
Misao smiled as her brother ruffled her hair before stepping back and pretending to look annoyed.
" I'll let that one go this time! Now hurry up and get going or Jii-chan is gonna complain to me about you being late."
" hai. You're the boss."
Misao watched as her brother turned the key in the ignition to rev up the car, trying to bring the temperature back up.
" Well, I'll be off then."
Misao nodded, lifting a hand to wave. To her surprise, tears began to roll down her cheeks. She gripped her jacket sleeve tightly in a hurry to wipe away the tears quickly.
" Its ok to cry sometimes Misao-chan. I'll come visit soon ok?"
" You...you're not going to desert me as well are you nii-chan?"
" I'll never do that. You're my little sister. I miss baa-chan as well. She didn't desert you."
Misao nodded, smiling faintly through her tears. She made a shooing motion.
" Hurry up and get out of here bakemono."
" Jeez. This is the thanks I get for being a good brother."
" Who said anything about a good brother?"
" fine fine. I'm a bad brother. I'd better go be a good grandson now since I've already failed in one post. Be happy here ok? Keep smiling. I'll call you soon. Oyasumi."
" Oyasumi...have a safe trip!"
Misao watched as the white car moved down the street, disappearing into the darkness.
And then there was nothing save the harsh winds blowing in her ears. She turned quickly, running for the metal staircase, which led to her small apartment. She stopped at the doorway, staring at the plain wall. She glanced over at the apartment next to hers. A brass nameplate, a family name clearly engraved.
Flashbacks. A brick fence, a large house. Bonsai gardens, a pond. A piece of metal mounted proudly, with one name engraved clearly. Makimachi.
Shaking her head, she scolded herself for thinking about such useless and ridiculous things. Inserting the key into the lock, she turned it and opened the door. Her very own apartment.
Despite its small size, something she was unused to, she loved it. With her brother's help, she had spent hours fixing it up. She closed the door behind her, taking off her thick jacket and tossing it onto the couch. She put the keys onto the kotatsu before heading for her room.
She flicked on the light, squinting in bright light and surveyed her room. It was quite bare, a few boxes, a wardrobe, a bookcase and her futon. No stuffed animals, photo frames, posters or any personal knickknacks whatsoever. Sighing, she flopped back onto her futon staring at the ceiling, trying to get used to her new surroundings.
" It'll be alright. By myself."
However, the longer she lay there, the more her words seemed to be a lie.
________
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
A pale hand appeared from under the pink teddy bear sheets. In it's flight, it seemed fragile and weak. The hand quickly slammed down on the source of noise, causing a loud crack.
" ITE!!!!"
Misao shot awake, teddy bear covers strewn to one side and her hair flying around her. She held her throbbing hand gently, complaining of the pain. When the pain disappeared, she looked down at her alarm clock. Picking it up, wincing at the slight sting from her injured hand, she inspected it. A large crack ran down the clock face. This, however, made no impact on whether Misao could tell the time.
" Another 15 minutes."
Tossing the alarm clock carelessly next to her futon again, she fell backwards again, pulling the covers up to her chin and rolled over.
Ring ring.
Ring ring.
Misao grumbled as she opened one eye. Who could be calling her at this hour?
Misao picked up her pillow and held it over her head and pull the covers over herself. Trying to fall back to sleep, she still couldn't manage to block out the incessant ringing.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the phone stopped. Smiling, she snuggled into the nice dent she had made in her futon and prepared to sleep.
Ring ring.
Misao lifted the covers from her head, reaching lazily for the portable phone that she had placed next to her futon.
" Moshi moshi" she greeted lazily.
" Ah, I see you're awake."
Misao frowned, trying to clear her foggy mind as she sought to identify the caller.
" NII-CHAN TEME!!!!!!!!!! Do you know what time it is!?!??!"
Misao sat up, screaming into the phone to vent her anger from her sleep being disturbed.
" If you are done screaming, I'll tell you what time it is."
Misao huffed.
" Hmph. I thought you'd have more decency than that to call someone this early in the morning."
" Really now? Well you should be glad to have a brother like me."
" Oh? And why is that?"
" You're supposed to go to school early today remember?"
It dawned on Misao that she had to start school today. She quickly orientated herself as her mind cleared. Looking up, she saw her new school uniform hanging on her wardrobe door.
" Oh yeh! Got to go and get ready. Jya."
" Wait-"
Not wanting to give her brother another chance to tease her, she hung up quickly. Standing up, she stretched, shaking out the kinks in her body as she put on her slippers and padded to the bathroom. 20 minutes later, she emerged in her school uniform, her hair neatly brushed and trapped in its habitual braid.
" watch...where are you...!"
Misao walked around, looking under various objects looking for her watch. When she saw the familiar flash of metal, she grabbed it and put it on.
" Better get going."
Misao looked down at her watch as she walked back into her bedroom to grab a pair of socks. Making sure the top of her baggy white socks stayed up, she shoved on her shoes and grabbed her keys and school bag. Opening the door, she swore under her breath at the cold wind sweeping in through her apartment. Running to her room, she grabbed a school issue woolen sweater, also in navy blue to match the rest of her uniform. She put it on underneath her blazer.
Without a second thought, she closed the door and locked it. Putting her keys back into her bag, she skipped down the stairs, fumbling in her bag for the map to the school to make sure it was there. When she had been moving in, she remembered that her brother had been driving by the school. Surprisingly she actually had a good sense of direction, although her brother had always proclaimed her as to being rather dense.
She entered the train station, grateful for the slight rise in temperature. Walking up to the ticket machine, she pushed the correct buttons and inserted her money.
" Arigato Gozaimashita..."
Quickly, she grabbed her change and ticket and hurried away from the machine. She hated the mechanical sound recording, even if it was being polite. Finding the train already on the platform, she hurried to get in. Taking a seat in an almost empty carriage she waited until the train reached her station. She watched in amusement as a little boy, accompanied by an old lady sitting on the opposite side of the carriage, drew pictures on the window, the heat from the train and the coldness of the outside air allowing the condensation to collect to allow a makeshift artist's canvas.
" Nee-chan! Do you like my picture?"
She smiled at the little boy as the old lady smiled apologetically at her. Placing her school bag on her seat, she walked across the carriage and raised her finger, drawing cat ears on the little boy's drawing.
Before Misao could say anything, the announcement of her station rang throughout the train.
" Gomen ne, this is my stop. Nice drawing! Ja ne!"
Misao hurriedly grabbed her bag and walked off the train and the platform, heading for the exit. She shivered in the cold temperature, longing for the lovely heat from the train.
Despite the bitter weather, she found that she actually enjoyed the walk to school as she passed by the nearby shopping district, greeting the shopkeepers and buying her lunch. Something to look forward to definitely!
Walking at a slow pace, she turned the corner, smiling happily as she found the school situated right in front of her. Her pace quickened as she walked towards the school, passing through the open gates.
" So this is it. Tokai high school."
She looked up at the large clock at the top of the building.
She hated clocks. Probably because she was usually always late if she was left to her own devices.
Squaring herself, she prepared to enter the building when she stopped to hear the sounds of someone approaching quickly on what sounded like a bike. She turned sharply just in time to see a tall figure swerve by, his long legs paddling fast. His disheveled black hair sweeping across his face as he rode by, his intense deep blue eyes focusing on her for a split second before looking down. Wondering what he was looking at, she looked down to find her skirt was blowing up from the wind caused by the speed of the bike. Blushing furiously, she watched the cyclist ride away.
" TEME! HENTAI!"
Misao pulled her skirt back down, dusting it off as she realized the cyclist was long gone.
Misao fumed as she turned back to face the building.
_______
Eyes. Mostly hazel and a pair of shocking blue.
" Makimachi Misao desu."
Peering through the strands of hair as she bent in a slight bow, she surveyed her class intensely. She straightened, smiling brightly and put her right hand on her hip, sticking her left hand out in a 'v' style.
" Yoroshiku onegaishimasu ne?"
She winked as the teacher groaned.
" Take your seat Makimachi."
" Hai! Saitou-sensei!"
Taking no notice of the teacher's annoyed look, she walked down between the rows of desks to the only empty one in the 2nd last row next to the window. Smiling happily, she sat down on her chair and proceeded to take her books and pencil case out. Hanging her bag on the hook on the side of the desk, she sat back, stretching her arms and peered out the window to check out her view.
" Sasaki."
" Hai."
" Tazawa."
" Hai."
Misao looked back towards the front to watch her homeroom teacher slam the roll call book on the table and pull out a cigarette packet. Pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, he shoved the packet into his pocket and walked out, sliding the door shut with a loud bang . A tense silence passed. Misao too felt the overwhelming effects of Saitou-sensei's presence.
Silence. Then unrivalled chaotic noise.
High pitched squeaks of chairs dragging back, shuffling of shoes and the starts of loud and lively conversation.
In all the commotion, Misao didn't sense a person approach her desk. She looked at the shadow falling across her desk before looking up. A girl stood smiling, her shiny, shoulder length, black hair held back by a simple blue headband. Her skin was so pale that it was almost alarming. She was the one with the blue eyes that had captured her attention.
" Ohayo Makimachi-san. I am the class representative-"
" Atsuko-chan! Ohayo!"
An energetic blond girl approached them, tailed by 2 friends, one with dyed red curls and another with short brown hair.
" ...Ohayo Watanabe-san, Yamamoto-san, Kawai-san."
Misao watched with a confused expression as she watched the exchange. Atsuko slightly shrank back away from the 3 girls.
" Mou Atsuko-chan! Call me Akiko!"
" ...eto...Akiko-san."
Akiko frowned slightly before returning to a bright smile that Misao thought seemed a little fake.
" Yeh! You can call me Yu-"
The girl with red hair stopped mid-sentence as Akiko cut her off with a quick pinch.
" Anyway, Atsuko-chan, can you do us a favor?"
Judging from Atsuko's expression of weariness and slight annoyance, Misao could tell this was a question asked quite often.
" Class representative... Atsuko-san, can you take me on a tour of the school please? If its not much of a bother."
Atsuko brightened immediately at Misao's request, still controlling herself enough to nod modestly instead of cheering.
" No its not a bother."
Suddenly, the sound of the door sliding open startled the whole class, placing a blanket of silence over them. Everyone scrambled for his or her seats.
" Class 1-B, your English teacher is not here today. Please study quietly."
A short male teacher stuck his head in, adjusting his glasses before ducking out and closing the door behind him.
The class erupted into activity, most of the guys pushing back their chairs and leaving the room as quickly as possible. Misao fished some money out of her bag and got up, looking around for Atsuko's desk. She peered around the room, not catching a glimpse of the girl. Her eyes rested on 3 girls crowding around a desk. Hurrying over, she tapped the seated girl on the shoulder. Sure enough, it was Atsuko.
" Ne, Atsuko-san. How about that tour?"
Atsuko immediately got up, looking frightened as she avoided eye contact with the three girls. Akiko spoke up again, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder and staring intensely at Misao.
" Makimachi right? We want to talk to you."
" Yeh! We want to talk to ya!" Yamamoto and Kawai echoed after Akiko.
Misao shrugged before turning to Atsuko with a smile.
" Do you want to wait outside? I'll be there in a minute."
Atsuko was quite glad for a chance to leave but she paused with indecision.
" outside...ne?"
Misao nodded, watching Atsuko walk out the door. When she was out of earshot, Akiko spoke up.
" You want to join us?"
Misao stared incredulously at the trio, this was not what she was expecting.
" Nani?"
" Join us."
" Join what?"
The three girls crowded in close, allowing Misao to see the white powder on their faces and heavy mascara adorning their eyelashes.
" Be careful with it ok?"
Akiko reached inside her blazer's inner pocket, pulling out a photo facing away from Misao.
" Here."
Misao stared at the photo weirdly, wondering if the girls were part of a photography club or some sort.
" Eto...you know I'm hopeless with a camera-"
" Don't be stupid Makimachi. Take a look and you'll definitely want to join us afterward."
Misao definitely did not like Akiko's ominous tone. Her brown eyes gleamed, giving Misao a shiver.
Misao took the photo with her fingertips, quickly placing it face down onto the desk. She stared at it intensely.
" Oi Makimachi. Look."
Misao swallowed hard, her skin taking on a somewhat grayish pallor. Delicately, she flipped the photo over.
" Kyaaaaa! Isn't it sooooo gorgeous?"
" I, like, totally agree! Shinomori-san is so goodlooking!"
Misao didn't notice the girls swoon melodramatically over the picture with hearts in eyes. She could not take her eyes off the photo in front of her. She knew this guy.
" Kakoii ne New girl? So how about it? Want to join?"
" This guy...from this morning..."
Akiko grabbed her on the shoulders, shaking her strongly while the two behind her swooned, clasping their hands together and squealed.
" Sugoi!"
" Kakoii!"
Akiko stopped shaking her, looking down at the photo herself.
" You mean you met Shinomori-san already? You do work fast. I like that. So do you want to join our club? The Shinomori-suki fanclub."
Misao looked up from the photo, her fists clenched as a torrent of emotions filled her. Her mind was stuck at the crossroads, not knowing whether to get angry at Shinomori for what happened that morning or laugh outright at the ridiculous idea of a fanclub for such a rude and perverted guy.
" You know, its not just this class. The Shinomori-suki fanclub has members in every class, the head of the club is actually in year 3-"
" Ano...Makimachi-san. Are you ready to go?"
Misao looked to her right to see Atsuko standing at the doorway.
" Gomen. I have to go now..."
Misao moved quickly towards the door, waving halfheartedly over her shoulder. She hurriedly linked arms with Atsuko and ran, with Akiko's voice yelling after her.
" So do you wanna join!?"
Misao wanted to laugh as she ran.
" Ano, Makimachi-san..."
" Call me Misao."
" Misao-chan...there's a rule against running in the hallways."
Misao skidded to a stop, causing Atsuko to knock right into her. Misao smiled sheepishly and bowed slightly.
" Sorry bout that."
" Iie, daijoubu. Now where would you like me to take you?"
Misao opened the zipper to her skirt pocket and fished out a few coins.
" How about a vending machine?"
________
" Oh he was so annoying! He just rode right by! Without stopping to apologize or anything! Argh!"
Misao tightened her grip on her cup dangerously as her eyes blazed with anger.
" Ano, Misao-chan. Your cup."
" oh!"
Misao quickly loosened her grip on the cup, but not before some hot liquid splashed onto her hand. Scrunching her face up in pain, she quickly searched in her pocket for some tissue to wipe her hand.
" What was his name?"
" Name of who?"
" The person from this morning."
" Think his name was Shinomori, judging from the picture those girls showed me this morning. Ooh! If I see him today, he's going to get it!"
Misao pumped a fist into the air to show her violent intentions.
" But he's-"
Drinking the lasts sugary dregs of hot chocolate, Misao tossed the small cup into the nearby bin, sighing happily as the warm liquid trickled down her throat, totally ignoring Atsuko.
" Samui ne?"
Atsuko looked at her sympathetically as she wrapped her large gray scarf around her neck.
" Freezing."
Both girls walked back into the main school building, rubbing their hands together in an attempt to get warmer.
" Would you like to borrow a scarf?"
" You brought two? That's a little extreme isn't it?"
Atsuko smiled shyly and blushed, shaking her head.
" No, my brother left early this morning. He forgot to bring his so I thought I might take it to him today. You can borrow it if you want, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Misao nodded and followed Atsuko as she led her back to their classroom. Misao waited outside in the hallway, not wanting to see those three girls again. Leaning back against the wall, she peered out the window to watch a class run around in the gym. She shivered as she looked at the gym uniform.
" Here."
Atsuko held out a long woolen scarf of a vibrant blue. Misao gladly took it and wrapped it around herself, marveling at the warmth.
" You made this yourself didn't you?"
Atsuko blushed, shying away slightly.
" Hai."
" its very good. You're brother is pretty lucky. I'd never do this for mine. Whats that your holding?"
Misao looked at the box Atsuko was holding, wrapped in a pink cloth.
" Nothing much. Just my brother's obento. I have to go give it to him during his break."
Misao looked surprised, a weird expression on her face as she wondered why this girl had such a large brother complex. She shrugged, her face brightening again as she remembered her favourite spot at her old school.
" Atsuko-chan. Can we go to the roof?"
Atsuko almost dropped the bento she was holding in surprise.
" um...the roof?"
" Yep! Lets go!"
Misao grabbed Atsuko's arm and took off, heading for the stairs. Atsuko ran to keep up with Misao and to keep herself from falling over as she was dragged along.
" You can't run in hallways."
Once again, Misao skidded to a stop, remembering the rule. Atsuko sighed in relief, brushing back her hair with her hand.
" Misao-chan, we can't go to the roof."
" Why not?"
" What are you doing here?"
Both Atsuko and Misao turned around slowly, looking down at a male student standing on the stair landing.
" Shouldn't you be in class?"
Atsuko was at a loss for words, blushing with embarrassment and was about to apologise when Misao spoke up for them.
" Our teacher is not here for today."
" Then shouldn't you have stayed in your classroom for private study?"
" Gomen nasai sensei. I am new to the school and my class representative was kind enough to take me on a tour around the school."
Misao quickly pinched Atusko who quickly hid the bento behind her back and smiled in agreement.
" Ok. But you girls are 1st years right? You shouldn't be on the 3rd year level."
" Hai."
Both girls bowed as the teacher walked back down the stairs and disappeared.
" Phew. That was close. Lets go back down to the classroom Misao-chan."
" We're already this close. C'mon, I want to see the view from the roof. We can go give your brother that bento later as well."
Misao walked off, humming to herself, leaving Atsuko standing at the top of the stairs. She looked down the stairs then down the 3rd year hallway. She knew which was the safer option. Without another though, she grimaced, rushing after Misao. When she reached Misao, she placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
" The entrance to the roof is back there. You missed it."
Misao nodded, following Atsuko's lead. The roof at her last school had been her favorite place. Standing at the top, wind blowing in her hair, she felt free, high up away from her troubles, any troubles. Even if it was just a place to hide away from her troubles and not solve them, she still wanted that small measure of comfort and familiarity.
" That's it right?"
Atsuko nodded, putting her hand on the hand railing and staring up at the door above them. Misao raced up the stairs, 3 at a time. Her hands closed on the cool metal of handle. She sucked in a deep breath and opened the door, smiling broadly in anticipation. The cold wind almost knocked her off her feet as the air rushed in. She was about to take a step forward when she noticed that there was already a group of people standing there.
Not standing. She was quite mistaken.
One sole figure stood in the center of a mass of bodies groaning in pain. The wind gently ruffled his black hair as he wiped the blood trailing down the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. His white shirt was dirty in several places, stained with blood. His large hands tugged at the upright collar of his shirt, a small smirk on his face as he observed the people down all around him. His warm breath created puffs of condensation in the air, telling Misao that his even breathing showed no sign of distress, as if knocking down so many people was a daily occurrence.
" Owari da."
The cold deep voice echoed in Misao's ears as she stood dead still in the doorway.
" Misao? Doushita?"
Misao could hear Atsuko walking up behind her. Quickly she shoved Atsuko behind her back as she watched and listened. The sound of clapping and then someone clearing their throat. It was then she realized there was someone else on the roof. A male in a clean and immaculate forest green blazer came into view, his hands clapping. Behind him was a beautiful girl, her glossy black hair secured on top of her head with a strand of beads and a beauty mark directly below her rouge painted mouth. She also wore a green school uniform, her skirt shamefully short and a enough buttons left undone to show a scandalous hint of bra for a high school student. Leaning against the railing, she threw her head back, taking a long drag at the cigarette in her well-manicured fingers.
" Shinomori Aoshi. You certainly are worthy of joining my team. Transfer to my team or forget about showing up at the next match. If you do...well lets say some people will be in a lot of pain."
Misao could see his fists clench at the green uniformed boy's threat.
" This is none of your concern. Take your pathetic lackeys and leave Shishio Makoto."
Misao felt her blood run cold as she found Shishio's gaze on her. He smiled enigmatically at her, seeming to change his mind about what he was about to say when he discovered her presence. She frowned slightly as she saw his gaze wander around.
" Now now Shinomori, no need to be rude. Remember, it is a considerable offence and is quite bad sportsmanship to fight in school."
Aoshi smirked at Shishio's condescending tone and replied coolly without skipping a beat.
" I am also aware that skipping school and attacking a rival team is also termed to be bad sportsmanship."
Shishio laughed, taking the proffered cigarette and taking a drag before throwing it over the side of the roof. He walked past Aoshi, heading towards the door as his followers groaned and got up to move out of his way.
" I like your style Shinomori. Think about my offer."
Shishio stopped behind Aoshi as he waited for his underlings to get off the roof. Misao quickly moved aside, not wanting to get involved any more than she already was. When the last bloody, roughed up boy limped down the stairs, Shishio sauntered up to her, giving her the same eerie smile. Cupping the bottom of Misao's chin with an extended arm, he peered at her, his eyes absorbing every feature of her face.
" Such a pretty young thing. Pity you go to this school. You know you're always welcome at Keisei."
Shishio let go, moving forward slightly to pass her. She tried to ignore the unknown girl's jealousy as she felt the girl's stare on her.
" Ah, this one is a better catch."
Shishio caught Atsuko's free hand as she cowered behind Misao. He pulled her close to him, whispering in her ear so only she could hear, caressing her earlobe gently with his calloused fingertips.
" A much better choice to play with...as Shinomori's younger sister."
He stayed close for a while longer so she could feel his hot breath tickling her ear before kissing her on the cheek. Atsuko's body shook from fear as Shishio placed his hand onto his chest as a gesture. Laughing at the young girl's sniffles, he dropped her hand. He waved over his shoulder and disappeared through the doorway and down the stairs followed by the girl.
Misao didn't even notice Shishio's advances on her friend. Her gaze remained on Aoshi.
" Its you." Misao whispered.
Aoshi showed no sign of hearing as he dusted himself off and wiped his hands on his pants. Shaking with anger from this lack of acknowledgment, she pulled out a hair pin, throwing it at the figure before her.
" TEME! BAKA YARO!"
Aoshi caught the pin between the fingers of his left hand, momentarily distracting him enough to prevent him from dodging Misao's flying kick. He lifted his left arm higher to block, the connection surprisingly jarring his hand, the reason lying with the girl's sheer strength. Using his arm, Misao pushed off again to land behind him. She quickly whirled around to attack him again.
" What is your problem girl?"
Aoshi dodged Misao's fast attacks before being whacked in the face with her braid.
" You pervert! You don't even remember!"
The pair sprang apart, Misao breathing heavily from physical exertion and yelling. Aoshi looked at her with an expressionless face.
" You and your stupid bike! What was with the staring? You did it on purpose! ECCHI!"
Misao barreled towards him again. Aoshi observed her attack coolly, vaguely aware of the blood dripping down the side of his face, he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand before tensing to avoid the attack.
" MISAO-CHAN, ONII-CHAN YAMETE!"
Misao stopped, mid attack.
" Eh? ...ACK!"
Misao lost her concentration, tripping over an appropriately placed school bag and pitched forward. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the pain which would come after smacking onto concrete face first. Opening her eyes, she realized that Aoshi's hands, gripping her by the shoulders, was keeping her from landing on the floor. Pulling her back up to a standing position, he left her standing there to walk towards Atsuko.
" Onii-chan?"
Misao looked bewildered as she turned around to see Aoshi kneel next to Atsuko, pulling his sleeve up to wipe the tears from her eyes. Shrugging, she pulls out a clean tissue out of her pocket and offered it to Aoshi.
" So you're the brother."
" Aa."
Aoshi continued to wipe the still crying Atsuko's face with his sleeve.
" Baka. Use the tissue. Your sleeve is dirty."
Misao knelt down also, slapping Aoshi's hand away and offering the tissue to Atsuko herself, putting an arm around the girl. Aoshi stood, moving to pick up his school jacket and school bag.
" Just scared Atsuko?"
Atsuko looked up at Misao through her tears and shook her head.
" Its not just that...just...it was my first kiss."
Misao's head dropped to one side at the girl's reason for crying. However, after seeing how distraught her friend was, she rushed to reassure her.
" Daijoubu. Just a kiss on the cheek right? It doesn't count."
" Honto?"
Misao nodded, smiling.
" Go wash your face ok?"
Atsuko looked over Misao's shoulder at her brother running a hand through his hair, inspecting his hand afterward.
" But onii-chan's hurt."
Misao turned around, wincing as she caught sight of the blood on Aoshi's hand.
" I'll take care of it. His lunch too."
Misao gestured to the obento still packaged in its pink bunny material. Atsuko hesitated before brightening and nodding her agreement. Getting up off the floor, she dusted herself off and dragged her hand across her eyes to rid herself of the last tears.
" Ja ne nii-chan."
Misao watched Atsuko rush off as she stood up. Turning around, she caught sight of Aoshi un-tucking his white shirt. Misao blushed in embarrassment as she caught sight of Aoshi's naked chest as he pulled up the bottom hem to wipe the blood from his face. Covering up her embarrassment, she stalked over and whacked him on the arm.
" Baka! Don't wipe your blood on your shirt! Everyone will see!"
Aoshi didn't answer, stooping to pick up his jacket and shrugging it on. Leaving his collar flicked up, he proceeded to button his school uniform. The bloody shirt disappeared behind the navy blue jacket.
" Hmph."
Misao's blood boiled as she caught a small glimpse of Aoshi's smirk. Catching sight of the cut on his cheek, still bleeding, she fumbled around in her skirt pocket, pulling out the perfect source of revenge. Back in her last school, she always got into scrapes with her friends and always carried several around with her. Unwrapping the white bandaid with a brown teddy bear print, she moved towards him. He lifted a hand to stop her from getting closer but Misao simply pushed it away and pushed him into a sitting position on the floor as he was too tall for her to reach.
" If I don't stick this on, the blood will drip onto the front of your collar."
Aoshi, surprisingly waited patiently to let her stick on the somewhat embarrassing bandaid onto his left cheek. She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated in sticking it on right leaning closer and closer to get a better view. Patting it gently, she smiled.
" You know, I'm only doing this for your sister."
Taking off the blue scarf Atsuko had lent her earlier, she wrapped it around Aoshi's neck, pulling out another tissue to soak up some of the blood from his head.
" The scarf is yours. Atsuko lent it to me. You'll need it to cover up the blood stains anyway because I'm guessing you don't need anyone to know about what happened up here."
Misao walked away, bending to pick up the pink obento and presenting it to Aoshi with an evil grin.
" I still haven't forgiven you for what you did this morning. Remember that."
With those as her last words, she skipped off, shutting the door to the roof softly, leaving Aoshi, sitting alone, holding a pink bunny obento and sporting a white bandaid with teddy bears all over it. As the bell rung, signaling the end of the period, Aoshi muttered under his breath.
" Che. Baka onna."
______
A loud bunch of giggling, chattering girls tailed Aoshi as he headed to his classroom. A neat white sign with the numbers 3-1 printed in bold black letters hung over the room as he slid open the door. Quickly, he stepped inside, slamming the sliding door shut to keep out the fawning girls outside.
The once noisy classroom now became silent. Everyone stopped mid conversation, turning to watch as Aoshi walked noiselessly to his seat in the back row, dropping the pink obento on his desk and slumping onto a chair. He glared at the class as they dumbly stared back.
" Oi Aoshi! Whats with you today? Got a girlfriend or something? Man. I wish my girlfriend would make me lunch and take care of me like that!"
The boy perched on his backwards chair yelled out to him, smoothing his messy brown hair upwards to maintain his upstyle.
" Pfft. Who said I was your girlfriend Sagara?!"
Sanosuke rubbed the back of his head where the girl had just smacked him. Glancing up at the girl with puppy dog eyes, the girl merely shrugged, tossing her long black hair behind her.
" Aww...don't say things like that kitsune, I know you love me."
" Pfft. In your dreams."
Their conversation was cut off when several loud wails came from outside the doors. It seemed the members of the Shinomori-suki fan club stationed outside was unfortunate enough to catch the snags of conversation which featured the words 'Aoshi' and ' girlfriend'. The class caused an uproar, choosing this time to ask Aoshi about Sanosuke's question.
" Is it true!? Did you get a girlfriend Shinomori-sama?"
" Wow! That would be so good for the rest of the male population at this school!"
" Who is it?"
" Who is it?"
Aoshi slammed his open palm onto the table, getting up from his seat and glaring at everybody when the questions became unbearable. He had high tolerance, but it had already been attacked today, by the loud bunch of girls outside, by Shishio and by the girl who had stuck the bandaid on his cheek.
" ...Now now everyone. Lets stop pestering Aoshi-san ne?"
A short red haired boy with a faint cross scar on his cheek walked up from the front of the classroom to rest a hand on Aoshi's shoulder. Taking his seat again, Aoshi looked uninterested in the situation once more.
" Sano, you know as well as I do that it was probably Aoshi-san's younger sister...though it doesn't explain the teddy bears. I was so sure Atsuko-chan liked bunnies-"
Kenshin stopped mid sentence as Aoshi glared at him.
" What was that Kenshin?"
Kenshin held up his hands to gesture that it was nothing to Sano. Turning back to Aoshi, he took the empty seat in front of him and swung his leg over to sit on it, hugging the back rest and facing Aoshi. His normal smile disappeared into a look of seriousness.
" There's blood on your hair. You got into a fight. You know that's bad for a baseball player."
Aoshi's mouth twitched, one of the biggest reactions that Kenshin ever managed to get out of him.
" Shishio paid me a visit this morning."
Kenshin looked genuinely startled. His violet eyes narrowed, gleaming predatory with a flash of gold, his lips pulling into a cold smile.
" Sou da. What did he say?"
" KENSHIN!!!!"
The classroom door flew open again, an eager girl with her blue hair tied up in a high pony tail with a long purple ribbon trailing behind her rushed to Kenshin, pouncing on his back and hugging him with all her might.
Aoshi almost sighed as he watched Kenshin go swirly eyed.
" ororororororororo"
Kaoru loosened her grip on Kenshin for a split second, allowing Kenshin to revert back to a coherent form.
" You'd better go wash it off before someone sees it."
Aoshi stood, pushing his chair back just as Kaoru began to hug the red head again. This time, Aoshi did sigh. He had always wondered how such a strong and respectable player could be turned into such putty in the hands of a woman.
He walked out of the classroom, ignoring the swell of fan girls grouping around him. Loosening his jacket collar, he pushed open the door the men's bathroom. Checking to see if anyone was there, he locked the door to the whole bathroom.
He unwrapped the blue scarf from around his neck, noticing the specks of blood on it. He bent down, washing off the fresh blood from the scarf's woolly fibres. Holding up the scarf close to his face to check it for more blood stains, he noticed an unfamiliar sweet smell lingering.
That girl.
Dumping the scarf on the shelf under the mirror, he turned on the tap full force, sticking his head underneath the cool rushing water, using his hands to wash the blood out of his hair. The water became clear after a full 3 minutes. It seemed he had bled more than he thought. Flicking his head back, he sent a spray of water all over the concrete floor. Ruffling his hair in an effort to dry it, he stared at himself in the mirror.
His blue eyes focused on the teddy bear bandaid fixed on his cheek. He reached up to rip it off, grunting as a fresh spurt of blood began to trail down the side of his cheek. It seemed he would be stuck wearing such a ridiculous bandage for the rest of the day.
______
Misao giggled to herself as she walked down the stairs to her classroom. Sliding open the door to her room, she fingered the bandaid in her pocket.
" Misao-chan! You're back!"
Atsuko rushed up to her, looking refreshed and not quite as blotchy eyed as before. She seemed very concerned.
" How is onii-chan? Is he ok?"
Misao smirked as Atsuko backed away from Misao's somewhat sinister aura.
" Oh...he's fine."
" Eto...what is that in your pocket Misao?"
Misao laughed, pulling out the plain white bandaid out of her pocket for Atsuko to see. She had been around males all her life, she had enough experience with brothers. She would bet her life on it that Shinomori Aoshi would not particularly enjoy the experience of having pictures of teddy bears stuck on his face all day, regardless of the medical purpose and definitely not just because they were cute.
End of chapter 1.
Shadows, a male and female. Sounds, keys jingling, the creaking of a car door. A choking motor and then a low rumble of it smoothly running, the tranquility broken.
" Have a safe trip home ok?"
Long black hair billowed in the bitterly cold wind. The girl tugged at her jacket, wrapping it around her petite body in a greater effort to keep warm.
" Aa. Hurry up and get inside before you catch a cold Mi-chan."
The girl looked on as the driver closed the door, quickly winding down the window as he settled himself in his seat.
" ...I think I'll wait until you drive away."
The girl's whispered words faintly reached his ears.
" What did you say?"
" Nothing. It was nothing."
The girl tensed, quickly holding up her hands and shaking her head to object. The driver sighed, switching off the engine and moving to step out of the car.
" You know Misao, you can always just come back to Osaka. You don't have to live here by your-"
Misao interrupted him by forcefully slamming a hand on the car door to keep it from opening. She stared down at the smooth pavement of the sidewalk, hoping to avoid the shocked expression of the driver's face.
" Daijoubu ka? Mi-chan?"
Misao forced herself to straighten, plastering a smile on her face.
" Daijoubu nii-chan. You'd better get going, Jii-chan is waiting for you at home."
" You sure you'll be ok here by yourself?"
" Hegi hegi! It's only a month right?"
" Its ok to come back, you don't have to pretend to like it. If you get lonely, you can come back home for a little while."
" ...you know I can't stay there."
Misao smiled sadly before she grinned mischievously. She bent over to reach into the car to tweak her brother's nose.
" You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say my 20 year old brother was afraid of being alone."
Her brother snorted indignantly, reaching out of the car window to whack his sister on the back of the head half-seriously.
" Ite! How could you do that nii-chan!"
Her brother huffed in his seat, crossing his arms and looking the other way.
" Mou! Your such an incompetent brother!"
A silence followed before bursts of laughter came from both or them.
" Seriously though, how can I not miss my only little sister?"
Misao smiled as her brother ruffled her hair before stepping back and pretending to look annoyed.
" I'll let that one go this time! Now hurry up and get going or Jii-chan is gonna complain to me about you being late."
" hai. You're the boss."
Misao watched as her brother turned the key in the ignition to rev up the car, trying to bring the temperature back up.
" Well, I'll be off then."
Misao nodded, lifting a hand to wave. To her surprise, tears began to roll down her cheeks. She gripped her jacket sleeve tightly in a hurry to wipe away the tears quickly.
" Its ok to cry sometimes Misao-chan. I'll come visit soon ok?"
" You...you're not going to desert me as well are you nii-chan?"
" I'll never do that. You're my little sister. I miss baa-chan as well. She didn't desert you."
Misao nodded, smiling faintly through her tears. She made a shooing motion.
" Hurry up and get out of here bakemono."
" Jeez. This is the thanks I get for being a good brother."
" Who said anything about a good brother?"
" fine fine. I'm a bad brother. I'd better go be a good grandson now since I've already failed in one post. Be happy here ok? Keep smiling. I'll call you soon. Oyasumi."
" Oyasumi...have a safe trip!"
Misao watched as the white car moved down the street, disappearing into the darkness.
And then there was nothing save the harsh winds blowing in her ears. She turned quickly, running for the metal staircase, which led to her small apartment. She stopped at the doorway, staring at the plain wall. She glanced over at the apartment next to hers. A brass nameplate, a family name clearly engraved.
Flashbacks. A brick fence, a large house. Bonsai gardens, a pond. A piece of metal mounted proudly, with one name engraved clearly. Makimachi.
Shaking her head, she scolded herself for thinking about such useless and ridiculous things. Inserting the key into the lock, she turned it and opened the door. Her very own apartment.
Despite its small size, something she was unused to, she loved it. With her brother's help, she had spent hours fixing it up. She closed the door behind her, taking off her thick jacket and tossing it onto the couch. She put the keys onto the kotatsu before heading for her room.
She flicked on the light, squinting in bright light and surveyed her room. It was quite bare, a few boxes, a wardrobe, a bookcase and her futon. No stuffed animals, photo frames, posters or any personal knickknacks whatsoever. Sighing, she flopped back onto her futon staring at the ceiling, trying to get used to her new surroundings.
" It'll be alright. By myself."
However, the longer she lay there, the more her words seemed to be a lie.
________
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
A pale hand appeared from under the pink teddy bear sheets. In it's flight, it seemed fragile and weak. The hand quickly slammed down on the source of noise, causing a loud crack.
" ITE!!!!"
Misao shot awake, teddy bear covers strewn to one side and her hair flying around her. She held her throbbing hand gently, complaining of the pain. When the pain disappeared, she looked down at her alarm clock. Picking it up, wincing at the slight sting from her injured hand, she inspected it. A large crack ran down the clock face. This, however, made no impact on whether Misao could tell the time.
" Another 15 minutes."
Tossing the alarm clock carelessly next to her futon again, she fell backwards again, pulling the covers up to her chin and rolled over.
Ring ring.
Ring ring.
Misao grumbled as she opened one eye. Who could be calling her at this hour?
Misao picked up her pillow and held it over her head and pull the covers over herself. Trying to fall back to sleep, she still couldn't manage to block out the incessant ringing.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the phone stopped. Smiling, she snuggled into the nice dent she had made in her futon and prepared to sleep.
Ring ring.
Misao lifted the covers from her head, reaching lazily for the portable phone that she had placed next to her futon.
" Moshi moshi" she greeted lazily.
" Ah, I see you're awake."
Misao frowned, trying to clear her foggy mind as she sought to identify the caller.
" NII-CHAN TEME!!!!!!!!!! Do you know what time it is!?!??!"
Misao sat up, screaming into the phone to vent her anger from her sleep being disturbed.
" If you are done screaming, I'll tell you what time it is."
Misao huffed.
" Hmph. I thought you'd have more decency than that to call someone this early in the morning."
" Really now? Well you should be glad to have a brother like me."
" Oh? And why is that?"
" You're supposed to go to school early today remember?"
It dawned on Misao that she had to start school today. She quickly orientated herself as her mind cleared. Looking up, she saw her new school uniform hanging on her wardrobe door.
" Oh yeh! Got to go and get ready. Jya."
" Wait-"
Not wanting to give her brother another chance to tease her, she hung up quickly. Standing up, she stretched, shaking out the kinks in her body as she put on her slippers and padded to the bathroom. 20 minutes later, she emerged in her school uniform, her hair neatly brushed and trapped in its habitual braid.
" watch...where are you...!"
Misao walked around, looking under various objects looking for her watch. When she saw the familiar flash of metal, she grabbed it and put it on.
" Better get going."
Misao looked down at her watch as she walked back into her bedroom to grab a pair of socks. Making sure the top of her baggy white socks stayed up, she shoved on her shoes and grabbed her keys and school bag. Opening the door, she swore under her breath at the cold wind sweeping in through her apartment. Running to her room, she grabbed a school issue woolen sweater, also in navy blue to match the rest of her uniform. She put it on underneath her blazer.
Without a second thought, she closed the door and locked it. Putting her keys back into her bag, she skipped down the stairs, fumbling in her bag for the map to the school to make sure it was there. When she had been moving in, she remembered that her brother had been driving by the school. Surprisingly she actually had a good sense of direction, although her brother had always proclaimed her as to being rather dense.
She entered the train station, grateful for the slight rise in temperature. Walking up to the ticket machine, she pushed the correct buttons and inserted her money.
" Arigato Gozaimashita..."
Quickly, she grabbed her change and ticket and hurried away from the machine. She hated the mechanical sound recording, even if it was being polite. Finding the train already on the platform, she hurried to get in. Taking a seat in an almost empty carriage she waited until the train reached her station. She watched in amusement as a little boy, accompanied by an old lady sitting on the opposite side of the carriage, drew pictures on the window, the heat from the train and the coldness of the outside air allowing the condensation to collect to allow a makeshift artist's canvas.
" Nee-chan! Do you like my picture?"
She smiled at the little boy as the old lady smiled apologetically at her. Placing her school bag on her seat, she walked across the carriage and raised her finger, drawing cat ears on the little boy's drawing.
Before Misao could say anything, the announcement of her station rang throughout the train.
" Gomen ne, this is my stop. Nice drawing! Ja ne!"
Misao hurriedly grabbed her bag and walked off the train and the platform, heading for the exit. She shivered in the cold temperature, longing for the lovely heat from the train.
Despite the bitter weather, she found that she actually enjoyed the walk to school as she passed by the nearby shopping district, greeting the shopkeepers and buying her lunch. Something to look forward to definitely!
Walking at a slow pace, she turned the corner, smiling happily as she found the school situated right in front of her. Her pace quickened as she walked towards the school, passing through the open gates.
" So this is it. Tokai high school."
She looked up at the large clock at the top of the building.
She hated clocks. Probably because she was usually always late if she was left to her own devices.
Squaring herself, she prepared to enter the building when she stopped to hear the sounds of someone approaching quickly on what sounded like a bike. She turned sharply just in time to see a tall figure swerve by, his long legs paddling fast. His disheveled black hair sweeping across his face as he rode by, his intense deep blue eyes focusing on her for a split second before looking down. Wondering what he was looking at, she looked down to find her skirt was blowing up from the wind caused by the speed of the bike. Blushing furiously, she watched the cyclist ride away.
" TEME! HENTAI!"
Misao pulled her skirt back down, dusting it off as she realized the cyclist was long gone.
Misao fumed as she turned back to face the building.
_______
Eyes. Mostly hazel and a pair of shocking blue.
" Makimachi Misao desu."
Peering through the strands of hair as she bent in a slight bow, she surveyed her class intensely. She straightened, smiling brightly and put her right hand on her hip, sticking her left hand out in a 'v' style.
" Yoroshiku onegaishimasu ne?"
She winked as the teacher groaned.
" Take your seat Makimachi."
" Hai! Saitou-sensei!"
Taking no notice of the teacher's annoyed look, she walked down between the rows of desks to the only empty one in the 2nd last row next to the window. Smiling happily, she sat down on her chair and proceeded to take her books and pencil case out. Hanging her bag on the hook on the side of the desk, she sat back, stretching her arms and peered out the window to check out her view.
" Sasaki."
" Hai."
" Tazawa."
" Hai."
Misao looked back towards the front to watch her homeroom teacher slam the roll call book on the table and pull out a cigarette packet. Pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, he shoved the packet into his pocket and walked out, sliding the door shut with a loud bang . A tense silence passed. Misao too felt the overwhelming effects of Saitou-sensei's presence.
Silence. Then unrivalled chaotic noise.
High pitched squeaks of chairs dragging back, shuffling of shoes and the starts of loud and lively conversation.
In all the commotion, Misao didn't sense a person approach her desk. She looked at the shadow falling across her desk before looking up. A girl stood smiling, her shiny, shoulder length, black hair held back by a simple blue headband. Her skin was so pale that it was almost alarming. She was the one with the blue eyes that had captured her attention.
" Ohayo Makimachi-san. I am the class representative-"
" Atsuko-chan! Ohayo!"
An energetic blond girl approached them, tailed by 2 friends, one with dyed red curls and another with short brown hair.
" ...Ohayo Watanabe-san, Yamamoto-san, Kawai-san."
Misao watched with a confused expression as she watched the exchange. Atsuko slightly shrank back away from the 3 girls.
" Mou Atsuko-chan! Call me Akiko!"
" ...eto...Akiko-san."
Akiko frowned slightly before returning to a bright smile that Misao thought seemed a little fake.
" Yeh! You can call me Yu-"
The girl with red hair stopped mid-sentence as Akiko cut her off with a quick pinch.
" Anyway, Atsuko-chan, can you do us a favor?"
Judging from Atsuko's expression of weariness and slight annoyance, Misao could tell this was a question asked quite often.
" Class representative... Atsuko-san, can you take me on a tour of the school please? If its not much of a bother."
Atsuko brightened immediately at Misao's request, still controlling herself enough to nod modestly instead of cheering.
" No its not a bother."
Suddenly, the sound of the door sliding open startled the whole class, placing a blanket of silence over them. Everyone scrambled for his or her seats.
" Class 1-B, your English teacher is not here today. Please study quietly."
A short male teacher stuck his head in, adjusting his glasses before ducking out and closing the door behind him.
The class erupted into activity, most of the guys pushing back their chairs and leaving the room as quickly as possible. Misao fished some money out of her bag and got up, looking around for Atsuko's desk. She peered around the room, not catching a glimpse of the girl. Her eyes rested on 3 girls crowding around a desk. Hurrying over, she tapped the seated girl on the shoulder. Sure enough, it was Atsuko.
" Ne, Atsuko-san. How about that tour?"
Atsuko immediately got up, looking frightened as she avoided eye contact with the three girls. Akiko spoke up again, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder and staring intensely at Misao.
" Makimachi right? We want to talk to you."
" Yeh! We want to talk to ya!" Yamamoto and Kawai echoed after Akiko.
Misao shrugged before turning to Atsuko with a smile.
" Do you want to wait outside? I'll be there in a minute."
Atsuko was quite glad for a chance to leave but she paused with indecision.
" outside...ne?"
Misao nodded, watching Atsuko walk out the door. When she was out of earshot, Akiko spoke up.
" You want to join us?"
Misao stared incredulously at the trio, this was not what she was expecting.
" Nani?"
" Join us."
" Join what?"
The three girls crowded in close, allowing Misao to see the white powder on their faces and heavy mascara adorning their eyelashes.
" Be careful with it ok?"
Akiko reached inside her blazer's inner pocket, pulling out a photo facing away from Misao.
" Here."
Misao stared at the photo weirdly, wondering if the girls were part of a photography club or some sort.
" Eto...you know I'm hopeless with a camera-"
" Don't be stupid Makimachi. Take a look and you'll definitely want to join us afterward."
Misao definitely did not like Akiko's ominous tone. Her brown eyes gleamed, giving Misao a shiver.
Misao took the photo with her fingertips, quickly placing it face down onto the desk. She stared at it intensely.
" Oi Makimachi. Look."
Misao swallowed hard, her skin taking on a somewhat grayish pallor. Delicately, she flipped the photo over.
" Kyaaaaa! Isn't it sooooo gorgeous?"
" I, like, totally agree! Shinomori-san is so goodlooking!"
Misao didn't notice the girls swoon melodramatically over the picture with hearts in eyes. She could not take her eyes off the photo in front of her. She knew this guy.
" Kakoii ne New girl? So how about it? Want to join?"
" This guy...from this morning..."
Akiko grabbed her on the shoulders, shaking her strongly while the two behind her swooned, clasping their hands together and squealed.
" Sugoi!"
" Kakoii!"
Akiko stopped shaking her, looking down at the photo herself.
" You mean you met Shinomori-san already? You do work fast. I like that. So do you want to join our club? The Shinomori-suki fanclub."
Misao looked up from the photo, her fists clenched as a torrent of emotions filled her. Her mind was stuck at the crossroads, not knowing whether to get angry at Shinomori for what happened that morning or laugh outright at the ridiculous idea of a fanclub for such a rude and perverted guy.
" You know, its not just this class. The Shinomori-suki fanclub has members in every class, the head of the club is actually in year 3-"
" Ano...Makimachi-san. Are you ready to go?"
Misao looked to her right to see Atsuko standing at the doorway.
" Gomen. I have to go now..."
Misao moved quickly towards the door, waving halfheartedly over her shoulder. She hurriedly linked arms with Atsuko and ran, with Akiko's voice yelling after her.
" So do you wanna join!?"
Misao wanted to laugh as she ran.
" Ano, Makimachi-san..."
" Call me Misao."
" Misao-chan...there's a rule against running in the hallways."
Misao skidded to a stop, causing Atsuko to knock right into her. Misao smiled sheepishly and bowed slightly.
" Sorry bout that."
" Iie, daijoubu. Now where would you like me to take you?"
Misao opened the zipper to her skirt pocket and fished out a few coins.
" How about a vending machine?"
________
" Oh he was so annoying! He just rode right by! Without stopping to apologize or anything! Argh!"
Misao tightened her grip on her cup dangerously as her eyes blazed with anger.
" Ano, Misao-chan. Your cup."
" oh!"
Misao quickly loosened her grip on the cup, but not before some hot liquid splashed onto her hand. Scrunching her face up in pain, she quickly searched in her pocket for some tissue to wipe her hand.
" What was his name?"
" Name of who?"
" The person from this morning."
" Think his name was Shinomori, judging from the picture those girls showed me this morning. Ooh! If I see him today, he's going to get it!"
Misao pumped a fist into the air to show her violent intentions.
" But he's-"
Drinking the lasts sugary dregs of hot chocolate, Misao tossed the small cup into the nearby bin, sighing happily as the warm liquid trickled down her throat, totally ignoring Atsuko.
" Samui ne?"
Atsuko looked at her sympathetically as she wrapped her large gray scarf around her neck.
" Freezing."
Both girls walked back into the main school building, rubbing their hands together in an attempt to get warmer.
" Would you like to borrow a scarf?"
" You brought two? That's a little extreme isn't it?"
Atsuko smiled shyly and blushed, shaking her head.
" No, my brother left early this morning. He forgot to bring his so I thought I might take it to him today. You can borrow it if you want, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Misao nodded and followed Atsuko as she led her back to their classroom. Misao waited outside in the hallway, not wanting to see those three girls again. Leaning back against the wall, she peered out the window to watch a class run around in the gym. She shivered as she looked at the gym uniform.
" Here."
Atsuko held out a long woolen scarf of a vibrant blue. Misao gladly took it and wrapped it around herself, marveling at the warmth.
" You made this yourself didn't you?"
Atsuko blushed, shying away slightly.
" Hai."
" its very good. You're brother is pretty lucky. I'd never do this for mine. Whats that your holding?"
Misao looked at the box Atsuko was holding, wrapped in a pink cloth.
" Nothing much. Just my brother's obento. I have to go give it to him during his break."
Misao looked surprised, a weird expression on her face as she wondered why this girl had such a large brother complex. She shrugged, her face brightening again as she remembered her favourite spot at her old school.
" Atsuko-chan. Can we go to the roof?"
Atsuko almost dropped the bento she was holding in surprise.
" um...the roof?"
" Yep! Lets go!"
Misao grabbed Atsuko's arm and took off, heading for the stairs. Atsuko ran to keep up with Misao and to keep herself from falling over as she was dragged along.
" You can't run in hallways."
Once again, Misao skidded to a stop, remembering the rule. Atsuko sighed in relief, brushing back her hair with her hand.
" Misao-chan, we can't go to the roof."
" Why not?"
" What are you doing here?"
Both Atsuko and Misao turned around slowly, looking down at a male student standing on the stair landing.
" Shouldn't you be in class?"
Atsuko was at a loss for words, blushing with embarrassment and was about to apologise when Misao spoke up for them.
" Our teacher is not here for today."
" Then shouldn't you have stayed in your classroom for private study?"
" Gomen nasai sensei. I am new to the school and my class representative was kind enough to take me on a tour around the school."
Misao quickly pinched Atusko who quickly hid the bento behind her back and smiled in agreement.
" Ok. But you girls are 1st years right? You shouldn't be on the 3rd year level."
" Hai."
Both girls bowed as the teacher walked back down the stairs and disappeared.
" Phew. That was close. Lets go back down to the classroom Misao-chan."
" We're already this close. C'mon, I want to see the view from the roof. We can go give your brother that bento later as well."
Misao walked off, humming to herself, leaving Atsuko standing at the top of the stairs. She looked down the stairs then down the 3rd year hallway. She knew which was the safer option. Without another though, she grimaced, rushing after Misao. When she reached Misao, she placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
" The entrance to the roof is back there. You missed it."
Misao nodded, following Atsuko's lead. The roof at her last school had been her favorite place. Standing at the top, wind blowing in her hair, she felt free, high up away from her troubles, any troubles. Even if it was just a place to hide away from her troubles and not solve them, she still wanted that small measure of comfort and familiarity.
" That's it right?"
Atsuko nodded, putting her hand on the hand railing and staring up at the door above them. Misao raced up the stairs, 3 at a time. Her hands closed on the cool metal of handle. She sucked in a deep breath and opened the door, smiling broadly in anticipation. The cold wind almost knocked her off her feet as the air rushed in. She was about to take a step forward when she noticed that there was already a group of people standing there.
Not standing. She was quite mistaken.
One sole figure stood in the center of a mass of bodies groaning in pain. The wind gently ruffled his black hair as he wiped the blood trailing down the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. His white shirt was dirty in several places, stained with blood. His large hands tugged at the upright collar of his shirt, a small smirk on his face as he observed the people down all around him. His warm breath created puffs of condensation in the air, telling Misao that his even breathing showed no sign of distress, as if knocking down so many people was a daily occurrence.
" Owari da."
The cold deep voice echoed in Misao's ears as she stood dead still in the doorway.
" Misao? Doushita?"
Misao could hear Atsuko walking up behind her. Quickly she shoved Atsuko behind her back as she watched and listened. The sound of clapping and then someone clearing their throat. It was then she realized there was someone else on the roof. A male in a clean and immaculate forest green blazer came into view, his hands clapping. Behind him was a beautiful girl, her glossy black hair secured on top of her head with a strand of beads and a beauty mark directly below her rouge painted mouth. She also wore a green school uniform, her skirt shamefully short and a enough buttons left undone to show a scandalous hint of bra for a high school student. Leaning against the railing, she threw her head back, taking a long drag at the cigarette in her well-manicured fingers.
" Shinomori Aoshi. You certainly are worthy of joining my team. Transfer to my team or forget about showing up at the next match. If you do...well lets say some people will be in a lot of pain."
Misao could see his fists clench at the green uniformed boy's threat.
" This is none of your concern. Take your pathetic lackeys and leave Shishio Makoto."
Misao felt her blood run cold as she found Shishio's gaze on her. He smiled enigmatically at her, seeming to change his mind about what he was about to say when he discovered her presence. She frowned slightly as she saw his gaze wander around.
" Now now Shinomori, no need to be rude. Remember, it is a considerable offence and is quite bad sportsmanship to fight in school."
Aoshi smirked at Shishio's condescending tone and replied coolly without skipping a beat.
" I am also aware that skipping school and attacking a rival team is also termed to be bad sportsmanship."
Shishio laughed, taking the proffered cigarette and taking a drag before throwing it over the side of the roof. He walked past Aoshi, heading towards the door as his followers groaned and got up to move out of his way.
" I like your style Shinomori. Think about my offer."
Shishio stopped behind Aoshi as he waited for his underlings to get off the roof. Misao quickly moved aside, not wanting to get involved any more than she already was. When the last bloody, roughed up boy limped down the stairs, Shishio sauntered up to her, giving her the same eerie smile. Cupping the bottom of Misao's chin with an extended arm, he peered at her, his eyes absorbing every feature of her face.
" Such a pretty young thing. Pity you go to this school. You know you're always welcome at Keisei."
Shishio let go, moving forward slightly to pass her. She tried to ignore the unknown girl's jealousy as she felt the girl's stare on her.
" Ah, this one is a better catch."
Shishio caught Atsuko's free hand as she cowered behind Misao. He pulled her close to him, whispering in her ear so only she could hear, caressing her earlobe gently with his calloused fingertips.
" A much better choice to play with...as Shinomori's younger sister."
He stayed close for a while longer so she could feel his hot breath tickling her ear before kissing her on the cheek. Atsuko's body shook from fear as Shishio placed his hand onto his chest as a gesture. Laughing at the young girl's sniffles, he dropped her hand. He waved over his shoulder and disappeared through the doorway and down the stairs followed by the girl.
Misao didn't even notice Shishio's advances on her friend. Her gaze remained on Aoshi.
" Its you." Misao whispered.
Aoshi showed no sign of hearing as he dusted himself off and wiped his hands on his pants. Shaking with anger from this lack of acknowledgment, she pulled out a hair pin, throwing it at the figure before her.
" TEME! BAKA YARO!"
Aoshi caught the pin between the fingers of his left hand, momentarily distracting him enough to prevent him from dodging Misao's flying kick. He lifted his left arm higher to block, the connection surprisingly jarring his hand, the reason lying with the girl's sheer strength. Using his arm, Misao pushed off again to land behind him. She quickly whirled around to attack him again.
" What is your problem girl?"
Aoshi dodged Misao's fast attacks before being whacked in the face with her braid.
" You pervert! You don't even remember!"
The pair sprang apart, Misao breathing heavily from physical exertion and yelling. Aoshi looked at her with an expressionless face.
" You and your stupid bike! What was with the staring? You did it on purpose! ECCHI!"
Misao barreled towards him again. Aoshi observed her attack coolly, vaguely aware of the blood dripping down the side of his face, he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand before tensing to avoid the attack.
" MISAO-CHAN, ONII-CHAN YAMETE!"
Misao stopped, mid attack.
" Eh? ...ACK!"
Misao lost her concentration, tripping over an appropriately placed school bag and pitched forward. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the pain which would come after smacking onto concrete face first. Opening her eyes, she realized that Aoshi's hands, gripping her by the shoulders, was keeping her from landing on the floor. Pulling her back up to a standing position, he left her standing there to walk towards Atsuko.
" Onii-chan?"
Misao looked bewildered as she turned around to see Aoshi kneel next to Atsuko, pulling his sleeve up to wipe the tears from her eyes. Shrugging, she pulls out a clean tissue out of her pocket and offered it to Aoshi.
" So you're the brother."
" Aa."
Aoshi continued to wipe the still crying Atsuko's face with his sleeve.
" Baka. Use the tissue. Your sleeve is dirty."
Misao knelt down also, slapping Aoshi's hand away and offering the tissue to Atsuko herself, putting an arm around the girl. Aoshi stood, moving to pick up his school jacket and school bag.
" Just scared Atsuko?"
Atsuko looked up at Misao through her tears and shook her head.
" Its not just that...just...it was my first kiss."
Misao's head dropped to one side at the girl's reason for crying. However, after seeing how distraught her friend was, she rushed to reassure her.
" Daijoubu. Just a kiss on the cheek right? It doesn't count."
" Honto?"
Misao nodded, smiling.
" Go wash your face ok?"
Atsuko looked over Misao's shoulder at her brother running a hand through his hair, inspecting his hand afterward.
" But onii-chan's hurt."
Misao turned around, wincing as she caught sight of the blood on Aoshi's hand.
" I'll take care of it. His lunch too."
Misao gestured to the obento still packaged in its pink bunny material. Atsuko hesitated before brightening and nodding her agreement. Getting up off the floor, she dusted herself off and dragged her hand across her eyes to rid herself of the last tears.
" Ja ne nii-chan."
Misao watched Atsuko rush off as she stood up. Turning around, she caught sight of Aoshi un-tucking his white shirt. Misao blushed in embarrassment as she caught sight of Aoshi's naked chest as he pulled up the bottom hem to wipe the blood from his face. Covering up her embarrassment, she stalked over and whacked him on the arm.
" Baka! Don't wipe your blood on your shirt! Everyone will see!"
Aoshi didn't answer, stooping to pick up his jacket and shrugging it on. Leaving his collar flicked up, he proceeded to button his school uniform. The bloody shirt disappeared behind the navy blue jacket.
" Hmph."
Misao's blood boiled as she caught a small glimpse of Aoshi's smirk. Catching sight of the cut on his cheek, still bleeding, she fumbled around in her skirt pocket, pulling out the perfect source of revenge. Back in her last school, she always got into scrapes with her friends and always carried several around with her. Unwrapping the white bandaid with a brown teddy bear print, she moved towards him. He lifted a hand to stop her from getting closer but Misao simply pushed it away and pushed him into a sitting position on the floor as he was too tall for her to reach.
" If I don't stick this on, the blood will drip onto the front of your collar."
Aoshi, surprisingly waited patiently to let her stick on the somewhat embarrassing bandaid onto his left cheek. She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated in sticking it on right leaning closer and closer to get a better view. Patting it gently, she smiled.
" You know, I'm only doing this for your sister."
Taking off the blue scarf Atsuko had lent her earlier, she wrapped it around Aoshi's neck, pulling out another tissue to soak up some of the blood from his head.
" The scarf is yours. Atsuko lent it to me. You'll need it to cover up the blood stains anyway because I'm guessing you don't need anyone to know about what happened up here."
Misao walked away, bending to pick up the pink obento and presenting it to Aoshi with an evil grin.
" I still haven't forgiven you for what you did this morning. Remember that."
With those as her last words, she skipped off, shutting the door to the roof softly, leaving Aoshi, sitting alone, holding a pink bunny obento and sporting a white bandaid with teddy bears all over it. As the bell rung, signaling the end of the period, Aoshi muttered under his breath.
" Che. Baka onna."
______
A loud bunch of giggling, chattering girls tailed Aoshi as he headed to his classroom. A neat white sign with the numbers 3-1 printed in bold black letters hung over the room as he slid open the door. Quickly, he stepped inside, slamming the sliding door shut to keep out the fawning girls outside.
The once noisy classroom now became silent. Everyone stopped mid conversation, turning to watch as Aoshi walked noiselessly to his seat in the back row, dropping the pink obento on his desk and slumping onto a chair. He glared at the class as they dumbly stared back.
" Oi Aoshi! Whats with you today? Got a girlfriend or something? Man. I wish my girlfriend would make me lunch and take care of me like that!"
The boy perched on his backwards chair yelled out to him, smoothing his messy brown hair upwards to maintain his upstyle.
" Pfft. Who said I was your girlfriend Sagara?!"
Sanosuke rubbed the back of his head where the girl had just smacked him. Glancing up at the girl with puppy dog eyes, the girl merely shrugged, tossing her long black hair behind her.
" Aww...don't say things like that kitsune, I know you love me."
" Pfft. In your dreams."
Their conversation was cut off when several loud wails came from outside the doors. It seemed the members of the Shinomori-suki fan club stationed outside was unfortunate enough to catch the snags of conversation which featured the words 'Aoshi' and ' girlfriend'. The class caused an uproar, choosing this time to ask Aoshi about Sanosuke's question.
" Is it true!? Did you get a girlfriend Shinomori-sama?"
" Wow! That would be so good for the rest of the male population at this school!"
" Who is it?"
" Who is it?"
Aoshi slammed his open palm onto the table, getting up from his seat and glaring at everybody when the questions became unbearable. He had high tolerance, but it had already been attacked today, by the loud bunch of girls outside, by Shishio and by the girl who had stuck the bandaid on his cheek.
" ...Now now everyone. Lets stop pestering Aoshi-san ne?"
A short red haired boy with a faint cross scar on his cheek walked up from the front of the classroom to rest a hand on Aoshi's shoulder. Taking his seat again, Aoshi looked uninterested in the situation once more.
" Sano, you know as well as I do that it was probably Aoshi-san's younger sister...though it doesn't explain the teddy bears. I was so sure Atsuko-chan liked bunnies-"
Kenshin stopped mid sentence as Aoshi glared at him.
" What was that Kenshin?"
Kenshin held up his hands to gesture that it was nothing to Sano. Turning back to Aoshi, he took the empty seat in front of him and swung his leg over to sit on it, hugging the back rest and facing Aoshi. His normal smile disappeared into a look of seriousness.
" There's blood on your hair. You got into a fight. You know that's bad for a baseball player."
Aoshi's mouth twitched, one of the biggest reactions that Kenshin ever managed to get out of him.
" Shishio paid me a visit this morning."
Kenshin looked genuinely startled. His violet eyes narrowed, gleaming predatory with a flash of gold, his lips pulling into a cold smile.
" Sou da. What did he say?"
" KENSHIN!!!!"
The classroom door flew open again, an eager girl with her blue hair tied up in a high pony tail with a long purple ribbon trailing behind her rushed to Kenshin, pouncing on his back and hugging him with all her might.
Aoshi almost sighed as he watched Kenshin go swirly eyed.
" ororororororororo"
Kaoru loosened her grip on Kenshin for a split second, allowing Kenshin to revert back to a coherent form.
" You'd better go wash it off before someone sees it."
Aoshi stood, pushing his chair back just as Kaoru began to hug the red head again. This time, Aoshi did sigh. He had always wondered how such a strong and respectable player could be turned into such putty in the hands of a woman.
He walked out of the classroom, ignoring the swell of fan girls grouping around him. Loosening his jacket collar, he pushed open the door the men's bathroom. Checking to see if anyone was there, he locked the door to the whole bathroom.
He unwrapped the blue scarf from around his neck, noticing the specks of blood on it. He bent down, washing off the fresh blood from the scarf's woolly fibres. Holding up the scarf close to his face to check it for more blood stains, he noticed an unfamiliar sweet smell lingering.
That girl.
Dumping the scarf on the shelf under the mirror, he turned on the tap full force, sticking his head underneath the cool rushing water, using his hands to wash the blood out of his hair. The water became clear after a full 3 minutes. It seemed he had bled more than he thought. Flicking his head back, he sent a spray of water all over the concrete floor. Ruffling his hair in an effort to dry it, he stared at himself in the mirror.
His blue eyes focused on the teddy bear bandaid fixed on his cheek. He reached up to rip it off, grunting as a fresh spurt of blood began to trail down the side of his cheek. It seemed he would be stuck wearing such a ridiculous bandage for the rest of the day.
______
Misao giggled to herself as she walked down the stairs to her classroom. Sliding open the door to her room, she fingered the bandaid in her pocket.
" Misao-chan! You're back!"
Atsuko rushed up to her, looking refreshed and not quite as blotchy eyed as before. She seemed very concerned.
" How is onii-chan? Is he ok?"
Misao smirked as Atsuko backed away from Misao's somewhat sinister aura.
" Oh...he's fine."
" Eto...what is that in your pocket Misao?"
Misao laughed, pulling out the plain white bandaid out of her pocket for Atsuko to see. She had been around males all her life, she had enough experience with brothers. She would bet her life on it that Shinomori Aoshi would not particularly enjoy the experience of having pictures of teddy bears stuck on his face all day, regardless of the medical purpose and definitely not just because they were cute.
End of chapter 1.