Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 33
Exposure
The bedroom door closed, and Rika flung herself face-down onto her bed. She didn't want to duel. She didn't believe in it. She'd only gotten involved because the Council had wanted another girl, and she was a strong enough fencer in her class. She was the youngest, and that often took a toll on the brown-haired girl. Rika didn't understand why the Rose Council dueled. She couldn't see any reason for the Student Council to require participation in the sport. She rolled over to look at the ceiling, and as she did so, heard a knock at her door. She debated for a moment whether or not to answer it, but the knock came again, this time a little more insistent. She'd have to answer it. It might, after all, be important.
The joys of being on the Student Council. When trouble knocked, responsibility answered.
She dragged herself to her feet and walked to the door, opening it a crack to see Izumi Nakamima standing outside. "Rika, I'd like to talk to you for a moment, if I may."
Rika blinked. She didn't live in a co-ed dorm. She could get into a great deal of trouble if people saw him enter her room, even though they were both council members. "Can we talk in the library, or somewhere where people won't misinterpret.?"
He considered for a moment, keenly aware of appearances and propriety. In a closed campus such as Ohtori, it was all too easy for only one person to get the wrong idea and suddenly a scandal would erupt all across the campus. "I know somewhere where we can go to speak."
Izumi held the door to the glass-enclosed rose garden, allowing Rika to enter first. It was shrewd to choose the rose garden, only council members and the Rose Bride were allowed within, and yet, everyone could see through the glass and into the garden and whoever might be within. It was the perfect place for supervised privacy. He closed the door behind him, and watched as she picked up a watering can and idly tended the first rosebush she spotted.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Izumi?" She asked, moving the nozzle of the watering can lower, so as to get the water directly to the roots, and avoid soaking the blooms.
"It seems that Mariko is in direct contact with End of the World now. While it makes her very powerful, it does not excuse her behavior. Given that Keuske is the upperclassman, he has cautioned her about her behavior, and reminded her that even though she is two years above you, she has to treat you as an equal, given your status in the Rose Council."
Rika shook her head slowly, moving to another rosebush. "It's okay. really. I think that I'm going to tell Mariko to do it herself. I don't want to duel, Izumi. I never did. I don't care about any ability to revolutionize the world. I like the world the way it is." Her cheeks flushed, but she kept going. "I was only there because you asked me to be a member, and because I wanted some place to fit in. Even with that in mind, I still don't fit in."
Izumi was honestly surprised. He had thought that she enjoyed being a member of the Rose Council. "Rika. I thought that you liked it. I thought."
She turned around and looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I enjoyed being near you. I liked all the time that I got to spend around you, working with you. I guess I kept hoping that you'd notice me, but you're too wrapped up in your quest for power."
He stood there, dumbstruck. It hadn't remotely occurred to him that he might have been her reason for being there. Before he could say a thing, Rika set the watering can down at her feet and ran out of the Rose Garden. The door banged shut behind her, and he was left staring at the watering can, wondering what to do.
Akio stood quietly in the projection room, hands folded behind his back, listening to Mariko report in from the doorway. He, of course, had known about Rika, had expected Rika to leave before she had to duel. It came as no surprise to him. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the redhead, and waited until he heard the door click shut to turn and walk to his desk.
What had come as a surprise to him was that he had been invited to the ball that Touga Kiryuu had planned. He hadn't been invited to any of Ohtori's functions before, and he was giving serious consideration as to who would attend the ball. Chairman Akio Ohtori, or End of the World.
Then again, after all was said and done, weren't they one in the same?
The bedroom door closed, and Rika flung herself face-down onto her bed. She didn't want to duel. She didn't believe in it. She'd only gotten involved because the Council had wanted another girl, and she was a strong enough fencer in her class. She was the youngest, and that often took a toll on the brown-haired girl. Rika didn't understand why the Rose Council dueled. She couldn't see any reason for the Student Council to require participation in the sport. She rolled over to look at the ceiling, and as she did so, heard a knock at her door. She debated for a moment whether or not to answer it, but the knock came again, this time a little more insistent. She'd have to answer it. It might, after all, be important.
The joys of being on the Student Council. When trouble knocked, responsibility answered.
She dragged herself to her feet and walked to the door, opening it a crack to see Izumi Nakamima standing outside. "Rika, I'd like to talk to you for a moment, if I may."
Rika blinked. She didn't live in a co-ed dorm. She could get into a great deal of trouble if people saw him enter her room, even though they were both council members. "Can we talk in the library, or somewhere where people won't misinterpret.?"
He considered for a moment, keenly aware of appearances and propriety. In a closed campus such as Ohtori, it was all too easy for only one person to get the wrong idea and suddenly a scandal would erupt all across the campus. "I know somewhere where we can go to speak."
Izumi held the door to the glass-enclosed rose garden, allowing Rika to enter first. It was shrewd to choose the rose garden, only council members and the Rose Bride were allowed within, and yet, everyone could see through the glass and into the garden and whoever might be within. It was the perfect place for supervised privacy. He closed the door behind him, and watched as she picked up a watering can and idly tended the first rosebush she spotted.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Izumi?" She asked, moving the nozzle of the watering can lower, so as to get the water directly to the roots, and avoid soaking the blooms.
"It seems that Mariko is in direct contact with End of the World now. While it makes her very powerful, it does not excuse her behavior. Given that Keuske is the upperclassman, he has cautioned her about her behavior, and reminded her that even though she is two years above you, she has to treat you as an equal, given your status in the Rose Council."
Rika shook her head slowly, moving to another rosebush. "It's okay. really. I think that I'm going to tell Mariko to do it herself. I don't want to duel, Izumi. I never did. I don't care about any ability to revolutionize the world. I like the world the way it is." Her cheeks flushed, but she kept going. "I was only there because you asked me to be a member, and because I wanted some place to fit in. Even with that in mind, I still don't fit in."
Izumi was honestly surprised. He had thought that she enjoyed being a member of the Rose Council. "Rika. I thought that you liked it. I thought."
She turned around and looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I enjoyed being near you. I liked all the time that I got to spend around you, working with you. I guess I kept hoping that you'd notice me, but you're too wrapped up in your quest for power."
He stood there, dumbstruck. It hadn't remotely occurred to him that he might have been her reason for being there. Before he could say a thing, Rika set the watering can down at her feet and ran out of the Rose Garden. The door banged shut behind her, and he was left staring at the watering can, wondering what to do.
Akio stood quietly in the projection room, hands folded behind his back, listening to Mariko report in from the doorway. He, of course, had known about Rika, had expected Rika to leave before she had to duel. It came as no surprise to him. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the redhead, and waited until he heard the door click shut to turn and walk to his desk.
What had come as a surprise to him was that he had been invited to the ball that Touga Kiryuu had planned. He hadn't been invited to any of Ohtori's functions before, and he was giving serious consideration as to who would attend the ball. Chairman Akio Ohtori, or End of the World.
Then again, after all was said and done, weren't they one in the same?