A Strange Interaction

Risa Harada strode out of the lunchroom, eager to get away from the loud noise to a quieter, more serene surrounding. It would be cold out by the sakura, but she was stopping by her locker to get a jacket. As she approached her destination, she could hear a faint squeal coming from a different hallway.

She ignored it as she began her combination, but it grew louder. Then she heard footsteps... more squealing...

The floor squeaked by her, and she could sense someone running down her hallway, so she looked over. There, in all his glory, was Satoshi Hiwatari, wearing nothing but his swimming trunks. Half of his body was still soaked, and a damp towel was thrown over his shoulder.

"What the-?"

He glared at her, clearly telling her to be quiet, and looked around for a moment. He spotted the Janitor's closet, quickly cracked the security code (leaving Risa amazed), and opened the door. Another scream was heard down the hall, closer this time, and Satoshi paused. He grabbed Risa's wrist, pulled her into the closet, shut the door, and put a hand to her mouth. He put a finger up to his closed lips, shushing her.

"Hiwatari!! I love-! ... Hey, where did he go?"

"Oh no!! We lost him!"

With Risa's back to the door, Satoshi had to stand incredibly close to look out the slits of the door at his raving fan-girls.

"He couldn't have gone far. We'll keep looking... over there! Down that hall! He must have gone that way!"

"Onward!"

How many minutes had gone by before either of them actually said anything? Five? Ten? Sixty? It seemed like forever. Especially to Risa Harada, who was practically pressed up against a half naked, and half dripping wet, Satoshi Hiwatari. She couldn't take it anymore.

"What the hell was that all about?" she hissed, feeling her temperature rise as she spoke against Satoshi's big hand.

Satoshi glanced at her calmly and let his hand fall back to his side. "... I was ambushed."

"Ambushed?!"

He shushed her. "Yes. I should have been expecting it, but I was more tired than usual today."

Risa blinked a few hundred times. "Wow, is there anywhere in this school that you'll be safe?"

Satoshi shrugged a bit. "Other than the sakura? No."

The sakura. His sakura. Her sakura. Their sakura, where they were both safe. It was a nice thought, but Risa shook it away quickly, shuddering. It was then that Satoshi realized how close he was to her, and backed up. If she didn't know any better, she would have said that Satoshi jumped back... but he was too suave for that.

"I apologize for bringing you into this," he said after clearing his throat and avoiding her eyes. "I didn't want the girls to cause any harm to you."

Risa thought about the awkward and berating interrogation that would have taken place if she had stayed by her locker and cringed. "Right... well... u-umm... thanks... I guess."

Satoshi inhaled, unsure of what to do. "... Yes, well, I must be getting back to the locker room..."

"Right... u-umm, Hiwatari-kun!"

Satoshi paused before opening the door. "Yes?"

"U-umm... be careful, ok?"

She thought she saw a smile, but it disappeared soon enough. Satoshi just nodded, the two of them understanding how sad the situation was (for Satoshi to watch his back in the overly-paranoid school). "Thank you... You too, Harada-san. Be careful."

As Risa sat in her next class, the teacher giving a lecture on genetics, she let her mind wander. Perhaps she could wait by the boys locker room tomorrow with some extra clothes and a towel. She had no doubt that the fan-club would strike again, but if she caught him before he went into the room, and he could change in a different bathroom... maybe that would be safer.

She would pass the idea by Satoshi when she saw him at the end of the day. Perhaps he'd like that.