A/N: Arrrgh… I'm guilty of neglecting this fic. I'm really sorry, people. So much has happened in real life and let's just say moving to a different country and becoming independent is very much easier said than done. Anyway, please do enjoy this chapter if you guys haven't abandoned me yet. Hehe! XD

Pages of a Storybook

Chapter 16: March 13 – 14 – Subtle Gestures

"There will be an extracurricular class this Sunday. Anyone interested?"

Kei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his piercing green eyes boring holes at the back of Akari's head. He could sense the anxiety of his classmates close to him and that was probably because his glare was so intense that it almost seemed like he was shooting lasers from his irises and leaving trails of flames on the path of his gaze.

To be honest, he didn't mean to scare them. He wasn't even mad at all. Okay, so maybe he was a little miffed, but his irritation wasn't because he was angry at the girl he'd been sneaking glances at for almost ten minutes now. He was just annoyed that she was completely out of his reach. Since he was a few seats away from her, all he could really do was to watch helplessly as she kept nodding her head and fluttering her eyes closed - clear signs that she was dangerously close to falling asleep.

"This time, the field trip will be at the museum."

He knew that he didn't have the right to be annoyed at anyone for dozing off during classes. He'd always been known to spend most of his time napping in school without a care in the world, after all. Still, it was entirely different in Akari's case. She had always been a bundle of energy no matter what time of day it was, so it was slightly worrying to see her grow somewhat lethargic during these past couple of days both in school and at work.

Kei never had any close friends before - unless animals and imaginary friends could be counted as best friends. He wasn't exactly sure how one should act when he had a feeling that a friend was in some sort of trouble. Of course, helping that said friend was the obvious thing to do. Heck, it should be a no-brainer even for a socially inept person like him, but he also had to consider other factors... like what exactly her problem was, what was causing it, and how difficult it would be if he were to fix it.

Was it because of the stress during the end-of-term exams a week ago? Had he been pushing her too hard in her studies? She was the one who kept dragging him to tutor her in the first place! Or was it because of her part-time work at the cafe? Perhaps juggling her school work and part-time job was starting to become too tough for her to handle?

He had the option to ask her directly, but if there was one thing that he'd learned about Akari even before they became close, she was the type of person who wouldn't pay attention about her health and would continue to do anything she had set her mind on. If he tried to ask her if there was anything wrong, he could already imagine her brushing him off with a wave or a playful grin.

He narrowed his eyes into tiny slits, unconsciously hoping that he had telekinetic powers that would jolt Akari awake any second now. Didn't she realize how dangerous her situation was? Didn't she realize who their teacher was at the moment? Even though it was just their usual brief homeroom period, Mr. Himuro wasn't the type of teacher who would tolerate anyone who started their school day feeling like they already wanted to go home and sleep.

Just as Kei expected, Akari's drowsy state didn't escape the strict teacher's notice and he could already see the slight furrow of his eyebrows as he trained his glare on her. Mr. Himuro walked around his desk as he approached the center of the classroom, his ruler tapping his palm repeatedly in even intervals, which sounded more like the ticking of a bomb threatening to explode. Kei, who didn't bother to raise his hand along with some of his classmates since his manager had already made plans for him on Sunday for his Spring-themed photo shoot next week, merely watched Mr. Himuro as he surveyed his class' attentive faces before stopping right beside the still oblivious girl.

Kei was sure that Mr. Himuro would do his usual scolding, but he surprised him when he only lightly rapped his knuckles on top of her desk and managed to wake her up without the need to cause a commotion. He did, however, looked at her straight in the eyes afterward and said in a firmer voice, "We'll meet at the park entrance at 10am."

His tone left no room for argument.

Akari's confusion was obvious and she blinked several times before she finally understood her situation. Embarrassed and guilty, she looked like she wanted to bonk her forehead against the desk but decided against it in fear of annoying their teacher more. With a forced smile, she slowly raised her hand along with the others.

Mr. Himuro nodded approvingly. "...Very well. Then the students who decided to participate will meet next Sunday. That's all. Homeroom has ended."

After hearing those words, the classroom was once again filled with its usual noisy chatter as the teacher began to arrange his things and leave for his next class. Kei watched as Akari sagged into her chair, her cheeks puffing in exasperation. For a brief moment, their eyes met and she could only answer his questioning stare with an awkward and helpless shrug of her shoulders.

Sighing, Kei wrote a mental note to himself about teaching Akari several tricks on how to sleep with her eyes open.

A day passed and White Day arrived. It was one of the most anticipated events of the year by hopeless romantics, teens who were at the peak of puberty, or just anyone driven by their uncontrollable hormones. Just like Valentine's Day, the school was once again teeming with energy and anticipation.

It was lunch time and he could already see students pairing up and going some place private, preferably where they wouldn't get disturbed for their long-awaited confessions. The most popular students held small bags full of gifts while hunting for girls as if they were beardless Santa Clauses going rampant around the school. The girls made it easy for them by hanging at the hallways with expectant faces and noisy giggles.

Kei glanced at his bag, careful not let the girls see that he had tucked a nicely wrapped gift inside it. This was the return gift he would give to Akari as thanks for his very first obligatory chocolates she had given him during Valentine's Day. He still found it strange that he would care enough to participate in the gift-giving after so long, but he had already convinced himself that it was only proper since he actually had a real friend whom he wouldn't mind giving a gift to.

He only had to deal with how he was going to hand the gift to her without embarrassing himself.

Seriously, he'd gone through this ordeal before, but no matter how he looked at his situation now, the whole process seemed so... awkward. Was it because he cared if she'd be happy with his gift? Although knowing Akari, she wouldn't mind what gift he would give her since she was the type of person who valued the well-meaning intention behind the gesture more.

His worries were forced at the back of his mind when he realized that he couldn't find her. He had been wandering the school for quite a while now and there was still no sign of her. Thinking back, he'd heard her tell her friends that she wouldn't be eating with them before rushing off outside the classroom. He had assumed that she would be accompanying her friends from the other class at the cafeteria, so he made his way there while also being careful to avoid girls who were all beaming expectantly at him.

Kei arrived at the cafeteria but to his dismay, the girl was also nowhere to be found.

Sighing, he decided to give the gift to her after class instead. Lunch break was almost over and his stomach was already protesting for being ignored for so long.

He bought a sandwich and quickly hurried away from the noise and the company of his schoolmates. As he climbed the stairs to the school rooftop, his mind drifted to Akari again.

His orginal plan had been to give the gift to her before school started, but she had surprised him by arriving ten minutes late and looking more haggard and tired than ever before. At that moment, his thoughts had centered on what was happening with her that he had forgotten about White Day and that he was supposed to be giving her a gift.

It was obvious that something was bothering her, but he was just too thick-headed to ask or do something about it.

He mentally swore that the next time he saw her, he would definitely shake the truth out of her in one way or another. He was going to do the pestering this time whether she liked it or not and whether he knew how to do it or not.

He didn't have time to go back on his word because as soon as he opened the door to the rooftop, he was surprised to see Akari right there, huddling in a corner and sleeping soundly with a dopey grin on her lips.

"Hey, wake up."

Akari stirred slightly after several nudges and pokes, but his actions did nothing to completely wake her up. In fact, it only made her slump onto the floor as if she was sleeping on her bed, her cheek rubbing against the cool tile like she was snuggling against a pillow.

She looked so strangely comfortable that Kei didn't have the heart to tease her and jolt her awake. Instead, he quietly sat beside her and took a bite from his sandwich.

He honestly didn't know it would become this bad, but after thinking about it for a while, her antics yesterday should have been enough to give him a head's up. He remembered how she had been forced to attend the extra-curricular activity this Sunday because Mr. Himuro had somewhat caught her dozing off. He also had heard her female friends noticing the dark circles around her eyes and her ghastly complexion - Natsumi's outburst upon seeing a pimple or two on Akari's forehead had been particularly memorable. He also had witnessed her make quite a mess at ALUCARD when she had lost her grip on her tray and had broken a number of mugs and plates in the process.

He slowly took the carefully wrapped present from his bag, eyeing it as if it somehow offended him. Giving her a return gift for White Day seemed shallow and less important now. He left it beside her though because it seemed like a waste if he didn't give it to her now.

Now that he'd given her his gift, what else could he do? He couldn't just scold and nag her to stop pushing herself too hard for whatever reason.

He stared at her for a long while as if just by looking at her face the answer would suddenly pop in his head like magic. It didn't help as expected, but it did give him the opportunity to study her face.

She really did look tired. In fact, she looked like a ghost with that pale skin and that dark baggy eyes. Even her lips were dry and slightly cracked. He briefly wondered how his manager would react if he looked like that. As a model, that would be disastrous but very amusing. She'd definitely throw a hissy fit and would lock him up in his house for days so he could get some rest.

That was when an idea hit him. He looked at the sleeping girl beside him and berated himself for not realizing it earlier.

Akari needed to get some rest and that was what he was going to make sure of.

"About the extra-curricular class..."

Kei was cut short when Mr. Himuro let out a sigh and slowly whirled his chair to face him fully. "I suppose you want to hear the details about the trip? It seems you haven't been paying attention again. I know you're an excellent student, Hazuki. I've seen your end-of-term test results and I'm impressed that you've managed to get perfect scores in all subjects..." His expression turned soft, proud even. It was like how a parent would look at a child who came home wearing a number of medals around his neck. It only lasted for a few seconds though before Kei was once again subjected to a cool and appraising stare that reminded him why Mr. Himuro earned his infamous nickname. "As your homeroom teacher, it's in my best interests to see to it that you remain a perfect model student in this school, but in order to do that we need to discuss your habit of spacing out during classes."

"Umm... I already know about the trip." Kei quickly answered. As much as he appreciated Mr. Himuro's good intentions, he really didn't need to hear a long-winded speech about proper student behavior right now.

"Then I assume you're here to inform me that you're coming with us this Sunday? I don't remember seeing you raising your hand during that announcement, after all. "

Kei clenched and unclenched his hand "...No. I'm not going."

Mr. Himuro settled back comfortably on his chair, his hands intertwining in front of his face as if he was calculating what this was all about. "What brings you here then?"

"It's about Akari."

"Kimura?"

"She won't be attending the extra-curricular class." Kei was instantly placed under Mr. Himuro's scrutinizing gaze and he had to admit that the urge to fidget was almost irresistible.

"And for what reason?"

"She's..." Akari wasn't technically sick, but she would be if she didn't treat herself a much needed break this Sunday. It would only be a matter of days before Spring break, but he didn't think she could last another week. Worst case scenario, she'd get sick and spend her vacation cooped up in her bed all day long. "...not feeling well."

"Did she send you to tell me that she won't be able to attend?"

He wanted to say 'Yes she would if she was thinking straight.', but settled with a mumbled, "No."

A brief pause and a raised eyebrow hinted Kei that his teacher was getting curious. "Is she even aware that you're asking me to exempt her from the trip?"

"...No."

"...Are you in any position to decide what she wants to do?" Kei couldn't figure out if he was being sarcastic or not. He actually sounded amused more than anything, which ruffled Kei a bit since he didn't find anything amusing in this sudden interrogation at all. Was it so strange that he would do something like this for Akari?

With a determined voice that surprised even himself, Kei answered, "Yes, I am."

"You are?" Mr. Himuro's knitted eyebrows betrayed his astonishment. "In what grounds?"

"Because..." Kei frowned and pondered for a while. He wasn't going overboard was he? Struggling to hold his intense gaze, he answered firmly. "...I'm her friend."

There was a dramatic pause as he waited for his homeroom teacher to finish sipping from his cup of coffee. Mr. Himuro didn't look displeased with his answer, but he wasn't impressed either. Since Kei never made it a habit to get close to any of his teachers and Mr. Himuro was particularly difficult to read, he couldn't really tell if he was considering his request to let Akari off the hook or if he was just contemplating how he would kick him out of the faculty room.

"You're a very peculiar student, Hazuki." Mr. Himuro started. He looked like he was about to say something else, but stopped and drank from his cup again. "But I'm afraid I cannot grant your request. Kimura is a smart girl. She should know better than to test her limits."

Kei blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "She's very stubborn."

Mr. Himuro grew thoughtful for a moment. "Indeed. But if she really feels like she can't come tomorrow then I trust her to inform me about it."

Again, Kei's mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. "She wouldn't."

"I... see." Mr. Himuro was giving him a strange look that Kei almost regretted not keeping his mouth shut. He couldn't really think of how else he could convince his teacher to change his mind, but judging from the finality in his tone, their discussion was already over.

Should he come to the trip, after all? What about the meeting for his photo shoot? He never liked attending such business formalities, but his manager would strangle him if he didn't show up with her to close the deal. How else was he supposed to look out for Akari now? He wasn't experienced with these kinds of things, but he just didn't know what else he could do to help.

Although... he still had no idea what exactly possessed him to try convincing Mr. Himuro - someone who had once vehemently refused to give him full points on a math problem just because he forgot to add a .00 on his answer - instead of just telling Akari to stop being so bull-headed and reckless. Was he even fully awake when he came up with this stupid plan? Why did he even think he actually had a chance to change his teacher's mind?

Cringing at the thought of approaching Akari's female friends for help, Kei began to excuse himself from the older man's presence when Mr. Himuro called him again. "Hazuki, don't worry about Kimura. I'll see what I can do."

A small but reassuring smile graced his normally critical expression that Kei was almost compelled to leave everything up to him. He never cared about his teachers, but there was something in Mr. Himuro's voice that made him want to trust his words.

He left the faculty room in a brighter mood, but after thoroughly thinking about the type of person Mr. Himuro was, his footsteps slowed into a stop and a terrible, nagging feeling slowly crept and writhed uncomfortably inside his gut.

He didn't know what the strict teacher had planned on his mind, but he sure hoped that it didn't involve giving Akari some difficult research project so she would be forced not to come to the trip tomorrow and then telling her that it was Hazuki Kei's idea.

A few days later, Kei was grateful that Akari was her usual bubbly self again. He didn't know what Mr. Himuro did or if he did anything at all, but he did notice that Akari wasn't as scared and intimidated by their teacher anymore.

And if he asked her what happened, she would just chuckle and say, "I think pink is Mr. Himuro's favorite color."

A/N: Too bad Kei didn't get the credit for his efforts in helping Akari, huh? But that's the way life goes. Ahehehe. XD And I also hope you guys know what happened between Mr. Himuro and Akari. A certain Himuro CGI with a pink sky might jog your memories.

BeautifulPichu: Thanks! Oh! A Hibiya fan. That's surprising. I rarely see anyone liking Hibiya. Hehe!

Bobborun: Thank you and I'm glad you liked it! 3

darkness01: Thank you! I'm also glad that I get to see all of you again (that is if you guys are still reading this fic XD). They're going to fall in love soon enough but not that soon. Hehehe! It's more fun to get Kei confused and panicky first.

erikachan: Thank you, dear! 3

Good Day Sunshine: I know right? That damn writer's block can be such a pain in the ass. Hahaha! Thank you very much for liking the chapter!

kurohananobara: Thanks! I'll add a bit of romance in there soon, but just bits! Hehe! Romance has to start from somewhere after all. Hahaha!

Meresta: IMISSEDYOUTOO! XD Honestly I really did and writing for Tokimeki again is such a relief after all the troubles in real life. Thank you for your lovely support!

mhie890: Thank you! I've been gone for a long while again and I hope you weren't disappointed with the new chapter.

Reader-chan: Hehe! Thanks I'm really flattered! I think it's easy to love our Kei-kun all over again. XD

Seonaid Mist: Thank you very much! Continue ranting all the way. It's very interesting to learn more about my readers. 3 And I agree I hated Kei at first, too, because he's perfect and being a model is pushing it. But after getting to know him better, he's just too adorkable to resist. Hahaha! And I'm really glad that you think I've captured Kei's character. Thank you! XD