Chapter 7: Too Hot To Handle
"W-What the hell is this?" Lei shouted.
Azami shot him a cold glance, which usually meant 'Don't bother me or ill kill you' and usually that was enough. But today however, Lei wasn't feeling quite like himself. Oh no! First he needed to know, what in Rune-Migard she was up to that she had to wear a gasmask. Second was…What was that smell?
"What are you doing?" he inquired, eyes rolling.
She gave him a muffled reply.
"Eh?"
She raised a gloved hand, the raven-haired girl undid the straps on her gasmask and lifted the gear above her face.
"I'm working on the anodyne catalyst." she stated in a matter of factly tone.
The boy crossed his arms titling his head to the side "In—myroom?"
"Yes."
He picked up an odd odor.
"And what exactly is this smell?"
"Vapor from the anodyne catalyst."
Now on to more pressing questions he thought.
"What's up with that mask?"
The girl's eyes snapped open, she took a fist-full of his hair and dragged his lithe frame towards the door.
"I'm afraid you may have been exposed." the girl said calmly.
"E-Ex-Exposed!" he mouthed with a panic stricken tone.
"Yes."
The girl rubbed her chin.
"Side effects are nausea, motor functions may cease temporarily. But in your case, brief exposure may have similar effects to the ingestion of alcohol." she finished.
"What!" he squeaked in disbelief.
"It's my mistake, not to worry, the effects are only temporary."
With a wry smile Azami opened the door and pushed him outside.
"Come back in two hours and this room will be good as new." she said before slamming the door.
Lei frowned, how did that happen! He scratched his head, how did he get kicked out of his own room. It all happened so quickly.
A high-pitched scream, a deafening explosion, and what followed was a chaotic chain of events that burned itself into Lei's memory.
"Y-You burned my room!" he said, still in disbelief.
Azami shuffled her feet, head downcast. "I wouldn't say burned…"
"Let's say annihilated! "
She fumbled with her words "Err…It's just…Charred"
'That doesn't make it any less worse.' He though. He was angry, no, angry wouldn't cut it. If she wasn't a girl he'd had wrung her neck and thrown her off the Geffen Tower.
"How will you fix this!" he said through gritted teeth.
"I-Im not quite sure."
"What!"
"The rooms are insured… I think."
"You think?" his brow rising u a notch.
"WHY!" he half-shouted crying.
The raven-haired girl's shoulder trembled. Lei paused, was she crying. Maybe he was a being bit too… Rough.
"Asshole!"
She took a fist full of his hair and slammed his face into the concrete wall.
The student council president frowned, this posed to be a difficult problem indeed. He cleared his throat.
"So you burned his room." He said calmly.
Azami nodded weakly.
"As the student council Vice-President you should have known what to do miss Koizumi."
"Yes Tetsuo-sama.' she said dejectedly.
Tetsuo rubbed his chin, a crease formed on his brow. After a few minutes the white-haired senior stood up.
"The solution is simple." He stated.
Azami's eyes lit up. Lei on the other hand was still very pissed.
"We shall transfer him to an unoccupied room."
"That's it?" Lei uttered in surprise.
"Yes, that is it." The white-haired Wizard said, flashing both of them a disarming smile.
The student council president re-adjusted his glasses. His gaze rested on Lei.
"Now Lei, would you please go to the registrar and see which rooms are available."
"Ok." Lei agreed, rather hesitantly.
"I forgot, you have only five minutes before it closes."
"What!"
"But you ma—" the raven-haired mage bolted out the door leaving the student council president's words to hang in the air. Then there was silence, Azami's head remained bowed down. She was glad to have found out that the fire wasn't her fault, it was just a malfunction of the gas burner. But she was still responsible. Maybe she was wrong in
'Your friend is quick Ms.Koizumi." the president exclaimed, breaking her train of thought.
"He's not my friend." came her cold response.
The double doors swung open and a raven-haired mage stood there panting. Lei walked over to his seat and plopped himself down.
"How was it?" Azami asked.
"No rooms available."
"Check again!" she hissed, her hands firmly wrapped around the katana.
He bolted out the room without further encouragement. A minute passed and he scrambled back inside, looking haggard and swearing profusely.
"No room, I've made sure of it."
The student council president cleared his throat.
"Azami-san." He said with an air of authority.
The raven-haired alchemist looked at him.
"He will just have to live in with you." He stated calmly.
"WHAT!" the duo shouted in unison.
"You." He pointed a fan in Lei's direction. Then shifted the fan towards Azami. "And you."
"Will just have to live together."
Then, silence for a moment.
"Noooo!" came Azami's high pitched scream. "This has been your plan all along!" she shouted as her slender fingers found themselves around his neck.
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Lei retorted.
She tightened her grip, Lei struggled to break free. "I'm going to kill you!" she hissed.
"There's nothing the two of you can do. It's been decided." The student council president said calmly. "From now on you two will live, eat, sleep and breathe under one roof." He finished.
He turned hi back on the two and proceeded to the door "And Koizumi-san."
"Yes Tetsuo-sempai?"
"Let go of him."