Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 35
Ball
Anshii and Ayomi arrived at Touga's doorstep precisely at eight p.m. It was a calculated move, arriving at the ball an hour late, just late enough to be fashionable and yet not too late so as to appear rude.
As she had predicted, Akio was already in attendance, and her arrival with Ayomi immediately broke the attentions that he was receiving. Instead of fawning all over the Chairman, suddenly every student was turned to look at Anshii and Ayomi.
Anshii stood beside Ayomi just inside the door, a confident and radiant figure with her long hair cascading loosely down her back. She had chosen her own gown carefully, a long scarlet sleeveless gown with a modest neckline. At her waist was a glittering gold belt, and gold bangles adorned each wrist.
Ayomi had selected something almost at random, much too overwhelmed with the selection of gowns that Anshii had provided, and Anshii had to admit, the girl had chosen well. The satin of the strapless gown was a very pale shade of pink, almost appearing white against her hair. The style was simple, with no frills or lace to be found, and the younger girl found that she liked it. Ayomi had asked Anshii to brush her hair, and then decided that Anshii had done such an excellent job brushing it out that she was going to wear it loose.
The end resemblance to Utena was almost Touga's death.
He'd hurried up the stairs to see them so fast that he had tripped halfway up and only barely managed to catch himself before he ended up at Ayomi's feet. As it was, she caught his flailing hand out of reflex, and he blushed violently when he recovered enough to look to her smiling eyes.
"Ayomi, you look every inch a princess," Touga said, by way of compliment, slipping his hand out of hers to smooth his white dinner jacket and tug at the cuffs to pull his sleeves back into place.
Anshii's stomach flipped, but Ayomi only smiled sweeter when she replied. "Who knows? Maybe I am and I just don't know it. Being here in this room, wearing this dress, it is easy to forget that I'm only a High School student and you are the Guidance Counselor."
Anshii choked on a laugh and watched as Juri patted Touga on the shoulder. "She has you there, Touga." Juri had always managed to dress strikingly, even though she refused to wear anything other than slacks. Tonight, her ensemble was black dress slacks and a white blouse with an almost daringly low neckline. The only truly feminine thing that she allowed was the necklace that chased the neckline by an inch, giving Anshii cause to arch an eyebrow to Juri. Peach-colored lips curved knowingly in return, and Anshii had to work to keep her own face straight.
Bit by bit, conversations had been renewed through the room, but Anshii knew that the damage to Akio had been done. She was just about to ask where Miki was when Akio swept up the stairs and took her hand, pulling it up to his lips. She braced herself, refusing to allow him to pull her off-balance, and he was forced to bow to her hand to kiss it. Ever the outwardly polite, he bowed and kissed her fingers, all the while his eyes smoldering at hers. "Anshii, you look simply breathtaking in that gown."
Anshii simply smiled in return, knowing all the while that he was cursing her with every word he uttered. Taking the opportunity to make him even more miserable, she offered a reply. "Thank you, brother. I've always been fond of red."
The air around Akio darkened and he let her hand go, lips thinning into a dark and twisted smile. "Yes, I recall that."
As Miki walked up with two drinks in his hands, Akio turned and brushed past the surprised Music Instructor. "What did I miss?" Miki asked, watching Akio storm off. His own white dinner jacket was slightly askew, his tie a little out of place from having to jostle through the crowd of people to get away from the bar.
Juri took one of the drinks out of Miki's hand and sipped at it. "An amusing interlude." To Anshii, she said, "You certainly didn't do what he wanted you to do."
Anshii carefully hid a smile. "The days of being. subservient to my brother have ended, Juri."
Touga hadn't even noticed the exchange, or the arrival of Miki, for he was staring intently at Ayomi, who in turn was blushing at his gaze. Finally, Anshii looked over to Touga and cleared her throat. "Touga - you're staring."
He blinked, stammered something akin to an apology and coughed into his hand to cover his embarrassment. Ayomi was bewildered at his behavior, but rather delighted that someone was paying attention to her.
Fortunately for Touga, someone chose that moment to ask him about his sister's health, and he turned away to answer, leaving the other four to shake their heads.
"Ayomi. would you like something to drink?" Miki asked offering his arm, and after a quick glance to Anshii, the pink-haired girl nodded and took Miki's arm to walk with him to the bar.
Juri watched them walk off and remarked casually as she and Anshii moved away from the door and down the stairs. "She certainly evokes a strong memory of Utena, doesn't she?"
Anshii nodded, looking at the girl beside Miki. "I think she is Utena, Juri. I think Akio's controlling her and I intend to break that control very soon."
"How do you intend to do that?" Juri asked, sipping again at her drink.
"I'm going to have to challenge Akio to a Duel."
Anshii and Ayomi arrived at Touga's doorstep precisely at eight p.m. It was a calculated move, arriving at the ball an hour late, just late enough to be fashionable and yet not too late so as to appear rude.
As she had predicted, Akio was already in attendance, and her arrival with Ayomi immediately broke the attentions that he was receiving. Instead of fawning all over the Chairman, suddenly every student was turned to look at Anshii and Ayomi.
Anshii stood beside Ayomi just inside the door, a confident and radiant figure with her long hair cascading loosely down her back. She had chosen her own gown carefully, a long scarlet sleeveless gown with a modest neckline. At her waist was a glittering gold belt, and gold bangles adorned each wrist.
Ayomi had selected something almost at random, much too overwhelmed with the selection of gowns that Anshii had provided, and Anshii had to admit, the girl had chosen well. The satin of the strapless gown was a very pale shade of pink, almost appearing white against her hair. The style was simple, with no frills or lace to be found, and the younger girl found that she liked it. Ayomi had asked Anshii to brush her hair, and then decided that Anshii had done such an excellent job brushing it out that she was going to wear it loose.
The end resemblance to Utena was almost Touga's death.
He'd hurried up the stairs to see them so fast that he had tripped halfway up and only barely managed to catch himself before he ended up at Ayomi's feet. As it was, she caught his flailing hand out of reflex, and he blushed violently when he recovered enough to look to her smiling eyes.
"Ayomi, you look every inch a princess," Touga said, by way of compliment, slipping his hand out of hers to smooth his white dinner jacket and tug at the cuffs to pull his sleeves back into place.
Anshii's stomach flipped, but Ayomi only smiled sweeter when she replied. "Who knows? Maybe I am and I just don't know it. Being here in this room, wearing this dress, it is easy to forget that I'm only a High School student and you are the Guidance Counselor."
Anshii choked on a laugh and watched as Juri patted Touga on the shoulder. "She has you there, Touga." Juri had always managed to dress strikingly, even though she refused to wear anything other than slacks. Tonight, her ensemble was black dress slacks and a white blouse with an almost daringly low neckline. The only truly feminine thing that she allowed was the necklace that chased the neckline by an inch, giving Anshii cause to arch an eyebrow to Juri. Peach-colored lips curved knowingly in return, and Anshii had to work to keep her own face straight.
Bit by bit, conversations had been renewed through the room, but Anshii knew that the damage to Akio had been done. She was just about to ask where Miki was when Akio swept up the stairs and took her hand, pulling it up to his lips. She braced herself, refusing to allow him to pull her off-balance, and he was forced to bow to her hand to kiss it. Ever the outwardly polite, he bowed and kissed her fingers, all the while his eyes smoldering at hers. "Anshii, you look simply breathtaking in that gown."
Anshii simply smiled in return, knowing all the while that he was cursing her with every word he uttered. Taking the opportunity to make him even more miserable, she offered a reply. "Thank you, brother. I've always been fond of red."
The air around Akio darkened and he let her hand go, lips thinning into a dark and twisted smile. "Yes, I recall that."
As Miki walked up with two drinks in his hands, Akio turned and brushed past the surprised Music Instructor. "What did I miss?" Miki asked, watching Akio storm off. His own white dinner jacket was slightly askew, his tie a little out of place from having to jostle through the crowd of people to get away from the bar.
Juri took one of the drinks out of Miki's hand and sipped at it. "An amusing interlude." To Anshii, she said, "You certainly didn't do what he wanted you to do."
Anshii carefully hid a smile. "The days of being. subservient to my brother have ended, Juri."
Touga hadn't even noticed the exchange, or the arrival of Miki, for he was staring intently at Ayomi, who in turn was blushing at his gaze. Finally, Anshii looked over to Touga and cleared her throat. "Touga - you're staring."
He blinked, stammered something akin to an apology and coughed into his hand to cover his embarrassment. Ayomi was bewildered at his behavior, but rather delighted that someone was paying attention to her.
Fortunately for Touga, someone chose that moment to ask him about his sister's health, and he turned away to answer, leaving the other four to shake their heads.
"Ayomi. would you like something to drink?" Miki asked offering his arm, and after a quick glance to Anshii, the pink-haired girl nodded and took Miki's arm to walk with him to the bar.
Juri watched them walk off and remarked casually as she and Anshii moved away from the door and down the stairs. "She certainly evokes a strong memory of Utena, doesn't she?"
Anshii nodded, looking at the girl beside Miki. "I think she is Utena, Juri. I think Akio's controlling her and I intend to break that control very soon."
"How do you intend to do that?" Juri asked, sipping again at her drink.
"I'm going to have to challenge Akio to a Duel."