Chapter 6: What is this feeling?

A crease formed on the alchemist-in-training's brow as the calculations grew more and more complicated. Each solution found brought another three or more problems to bear with. It was just now that she realized how Lei's assistance had helped her, it was also the same thing that was making things much more difficult.

"Damn him." she spat.

The girl slammed her closed fists into the desk sending research papers flying, Azami gritted her teeth unable to vent out her frustrations and she had him to blame. It was his fault! Being with him for a month had made her soft, and she hated it. She cursed herself for having to have relied on him, for having to had vent out her frustrations on him instead of just suppressing it on her own. But the thing that made her most angry was—she was missing him.

"No! No! No!" she screamed in front of the mirror.

This is definitely not right! She shook her head, biting her lip, thinking of how the guy had harassed her—come to think of it, had he? Azami's eyes went wide as she saw the image of a beautiful, but visibly shaken girl staring back at her. She laughed at her reflection, wiping away the tears of mirth in her eyes. It was so stupid, why did she feel so troubled, she had all the time in the world to finish the project. Besides he'd be back in an hour, practices for the school play were only three hours—right? He's just busy with the play…

The raven-haired girl stood up, she had to make sure. For some reason, she just had too…

"Besides, he'd get himself into trouble. No one would be there to punish him…' she said tenderly, almost whispering.

"I don't care if the practice is still ongoing, this project will determine if I pass or fail my major subjects. And mark my words I will pass!" she stated with fever.

"Please wait patiently, five minutes and were done Ms.Koizumi." the drama-club vice president said calmly.

"Open the door now!" she demanded.

The vice president crossed his arms and leaned on the huge double doors. He raised a gloved hand and shook his finger while shaking his head. "I'm sorry Ms.Koizumi, but ill only allow you inside on one condition."

"That is?"

"Go out on a date with me." he said with a smug look on his face, which instantly faded when he felt cold metal press against his neck. He blinked, how did she draw that sword so quickly! He could swear he didn't take his eyes off her. Only Payonese swordsmen had the skill to draw a sword that quickly and have the blade on ones skin without drawing blood…

"Move." She said.

He needed no further encouragement, he edged away from her blade and ran away.

"Good." she mumbled under her breath.

She swung the double doors wide open and what greeted her caused her to run short of breath. For some reason she couldn't explain she could have sworn her heart stopped beating for a moment. Just what in Rune-Midgard was Lei doing holding a very pale Yukino by the waist, with his lips inches away from hers.

"A-Azami!" Lei uttered, he gawked at her, genuinely surprised. What could she be doing here?

She felt a vein twitching somewhere on her temple, hadn't he had enough? She was quite sure she'd punished him enough that he wouldn't harass women anymore, much less attempt to force himself on one.

"I—will—notforgive—you!" Azami screamed at the top of her lungs.

He watched her. That was all he could do. Like a bolt of lightning she sprung for where she stood and within moments a raven-haired alchemist was on him, sword drawn, blade glinting in the light.

What followed was a series of blows that would be too brutal to describe here.

"How would I know you were practicing!" she grunted at a severely bruised mage.

"Didn't you read the script!" he asked her angrily.

"No." came her grim reply.

The raven-haired mage slumped his shoulders and scribbled down formulas on the research paper.

She castigated herself for being too decisive. "So are you finished?" she asked even though she knew it would take him an hour or more before he'd be through.

"Another hour, maybe."

"It's your fault anyway."

"I have practice. What did you expect." He said in a hoarse voice.

"A responsible partner."

He turned around to face her and found a katana lying on couch. As for Azami, she was nowhere to be seen.

It was stupid on her part. How could she forget her katana! In all her years she never misplaced the damned thing, she never misplaced anything. But for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about a perverted mage. A perverted mage who's lips were a mere inches away from closing upon her friend's. The thought bothered her. It bothered her a lot.

Her breath fogged up her glasses, the chilly climate would only grow worse with the coming of winter. Although this didn't bother her a bit, her kendo training had been far worse back in Payon. Yukino, however, would take none of it, the brunette practically forced her to wear a jacket and despite her best argument. And so she was on her way to his room wearing a pink jacket with a poring logo printed on the back—she frowned. She hated pink.

She wondered why she was angry. The logical explanation would be, because he was about to force himself upon a girl, her best friend at that! But… there was also another reason… she dismissed it. It wasn't plausible. She was a cold killing machine, efficient, quick, decisive, smart and she was sweating profoundly. She placed her hand on the doorknob ready to open. On second thought, barging in would be unethical.

"Hello, I forgot something. Open this door Yang." She called out.

No reply.

She opened the door and invited herself inside. Much to her surprise she found Lei snoring on the desk. She bent over looking at the research paper, her eyes snapped open. He finished it, in under an hour! Genuinely impressed, she brought her lips closer to his ears "I take it back. You are responsible." she whispered to the sleeping mage.

The boy shivered as a light breeze blew inside the room.

Azami took of her jacket and bent down placing the jacket over his shoulders. She then noticed a smudge of dirt on his cheek. Azami rubbed it off with her finger and to her surprise he snuggled up to her hand. The alchemist-in-training felt blood rush up her cheeks, he was cute. Of course she'd first commit seppuku than admit that fact.

She smiled weakly and finally said "Goodnight, pervert."