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Chapter 26

Fight

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Seigaku and Daigaku had never talked after the incident. Yes, they still continued working with each other, though it was on a highly… professional (impersonal) way. But the work on the presentation seemed to hasten because they no longer spoke with each other unless it was for the presentation.

It was strange, because after what had happened between some of them, there should've been at least a little slack. But it seemed like no one was going to give way with such trivial things.

Well, except for one person.

A vein pulsated on Ayashi's temple as she watched her fukubuchou and Oishi talk on stage with such sardonic tones.

It was their final practice for the presentation (pretty fast huh?) and the kendo club members were there to act as audience (a note on Inui's notebook indicated that most, if not all, kendo club members looked a little like thugs and/or gangsters), the special group was also there, as well as the other pairs who don't have to do anything yet with the stage presentation. Even the gay-looking guy, Shinichi was there too.

Mariko said her lines in almost a droning, monotonous way that made half the audience fall asleep, while Oishi kept on stuttering and missing some lines (Tezuka and Ayashi had almost memorized the script because they don't want to be outshone by the other… quite competitive, really).

'The nerves!' she thought haplessly at the pair onstage. Ayashi had even thought that Tezuka was a lot darned better than the two! She clicked her tongue loudly in distaste at their performance; everyone looked at her. She was glowering at Mariko, and not at Oishi.

"Uh-oh." Emiko gasped quietly, she turned to Jun who sighed. The rest of the kendo club fidgeted nervously.

Oishi stopped talking the moment he saw Tezuka stare at Ayashi, who was staring at Mariko, who stared back at the buchou.

"What?" Mariko snarled. She was obviously in a bad mood, Oishi whirled his head at her. Her nostrils were flaring.

Ayashi frowned, not of sadness, but with irritation.

"Why are you putting personal issues in the presentation?" Ayashi asked with a remarkable air of honesty. Mariko flinched. "Didn't we agree that we'll all be professional in this one?"

Mariko pursed her lips to the point that her mouth seemed to be just a thin line on her face. She was staring angrily at her captain who had seemed to leave the aura of irritation when she had already spoken. She was now calmer, and if possible, Seigaku thought, a not of a little… insane.

"I'm doing my job." Retorted Mariko.

Ayashi stared at her with her big dark blue eyes, "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"If you do, then why can't the audience—I—feel anything of what you're saying? You're just reading a memorized script, Mariko."

"Of course it would seem like that, Ayashi. I did memorize my part."

"That's stupid." Ayashi commented, she wasn't taking her eyes off Mariko.

"What did you say?" Mariko's voice was now getting louder.

Fuji turned to Jun and Emiko, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

"We can't." answered Emiko simply. Fuji stared at her unbelievingly.

"But—" before Inui could even continue what he was supposed to do, they now heard a board being thrown on the ground.

"SHUT UP! JUST-SHUT-UP!" Mariko had thrown her script.

Ayashi did not tear off her eyes from her fukubuchou, though Tezuka had held her on the shoulder. She was shuddering with anger; on the stage, Oishi too had his arms outstretched before Mariko, who was all red with rage; she has lost her cool at the critique of her buchou.

The two continued to glare at each other. The kendo club remained silent, though they seemed extremely nervous; some had already tumbled down from their chairs, while the others had failed in hiding their miserably shaking hands.

Tatsue's mouth trembled, but she remained silent. Atsuyo and Mai exchanged startled looks.

"Seriously!" Emiko scowled at the two, "Will you two cut it off!"

"We still have lots to do, we can't be late on schedule." Jun smiled blithely, that it was almost creepy.

'Who in their right mind would smile at times like this?!' the thought ran on Seigaku's minds. Yep, even Fuji. Seigaku whipped their looks at the tennis tensai who looked at them with a puzzled face. 'Oh yeah, him.' They all thought.

Tezuka felt Ayashi's shoulder droop and relax from his grip. It was the first time he had actual physical contact with her, he noted his self. Same went to the two people at the stage.

"Let's just finish this…" Ayashi muttered under her breath, then went back to slump on her chair. Tezuka eyed the girl, basing on the "aura" he was feeling (c'mon, he's a captain too!) it seemed that she wasn't at all pleased at the situation.

On the stage, Oishi couldn't concentrate at his script at all. He was a lot more worried that Mariko would blow up again than them finishing their part. He kept on glancing at her (up to the point that he wasn't even listening to a special number being played that time), as if he's trying to read what she was thinking. Mariko raised a brow.

"What're you looking at?" she asked haughtily. Oishi winced and looked away.

"Nothing." By that, Mariko turned her interest to the group who were now dancing on stage.

He really should thank the special intermission number of the Kikumaru-Sachimi pair or he would've gotten all her attention and another fight might've ensued.

All the while, Seigaku had one thing in mind, even though they didn't know that each of them had also thought so.

For the first time, they had witnessed a fight between the two leaders of Daidouji Gakuen… a pair who they never thought would actually fight.

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A/N: Wow, I actually finished a chapter in two sitting! Yay! Woot!