A/N:. Ohhhhh my god! It JUST dawned on me that they go to school on Saturdays as well! Ugggh I'm so stupid! Sorry everyone, I really dropped the ball there! If it upsets anyone I could go back and fix it, it wouldn't be too hard; I'm just sooo disappointed in myself. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ATLUS OR ANY CHARACTERS OR THIS TOTALLY AWESOME SONG FROM A VERY POTTER SEQUEL.
To think
it's been here all along
somewhere to belong,
and a reason,
a something-to-believe-in
-AVPS
The good part about being in the swing of going to school on a daily basis was that the days began to blur together after a certain point. He was just going through the motions, retaining information, and studying; there really were not an abundance of opportunities to mix it up. That was fine however, he loved order. If, for some unknown reason, he did decided to change up the routine he could always take an orange rather than an apple to accompany his lunch and ask Keisuke if he wanted to eat out on the roof. Why someone would want to eat out there where a gust of wind could easily ruin a perfectly good meal was beyond him, but a lot of the students seemed to enjoy it more than remaining in their classrooms. If anything the closest Hidetoshi had come to breaking his system in the past month was stopping to talk to the Vice President before he left school on Tuesday. Irrational as it seemed he had gotten himself to the point where he could, respectfully, ask for her to attend the Wednesday Student Council meeting. The terribly obnoxious girl had wanted an apology or something, he stopped paying attention the moment she brought up his past actions; but there was no way he would ever admit to being wrong. She was the one who overreacted, perhaps he was deserving of an apology as well. But he did not want one, so she had lucked out.
Now lunch had never been that important to him, merely a brief period of downtime in which he could gather his thoughts; but for his closest friend it was the best part of the day. "Man, oh man Hide-chan! I have so much to tell you." The normally calm teenage could feel his cool exterior melting away. His eyes turned to mere slits as he glared daggers at the boy who had drawn up a free chair to the side of his desk. He knew letting the brunette come over was a bad idea; ever since his first visit to the Odagiri household Keisuke had adopted his mother's sickening nickname as part of his everyday vocabulary. If it was not embarrassing enough at home he was easily mortified ten-fold in public. "Annnnyway," He continued as he pulled back a bit to give the fuming boy some space. "As I was saying. I'm seriously thinking about going to school for music, you know?" Oh not this again; the boy changed his mind about his future more times a week than Hidetoshi cared to count. His friend always wanted to do something 'new' and 'exciting', apparently neither of which described the future his father had laid out for him.
As he positioned himself so that it looked as though he was listening the boy allowed his bleak orbs to scan outside the classroom through the door's windowpane. Student, student, teacher, student; at last a glimpse of red caught his attention. "I'll be right back." Getting up from his desk he left the bewildered boy alone in stunned silence. Of course that would not last long, as soon as he realized that there were two lunches on the desk he would be more than content for the rest of the break. Exiting the classroom he gazed in the general direction of where the hint of color had first been spotted. She was a few feet down the hall, chatting with that Yukari Takeba from the class next door. Wait, that had to mean that she was also in that class, right? Yes, that actually made a great deal of sense; unlike Miss Takeba's long pink sweater which he was certain was not approved in the school's handbook. No matter, he would simply wait until they were done to… to what? What was the point of all this? It was just dawning on the head Disciplinarian that he had nothing worthwhile to say to the girl. She had walked by so he automatically got up to intercept her before class started again. That was beyond strange, really, what on earth had he been thinking?
Deciding that it would be best if he just headed back to class Hidetoshi moved to turn around right when Minako spotted him. Her face lit up and hand shot into the air for another drawn out wave. Well she certainly enjoyed making a spectacle of it all, didn't she? Not that it upset him, oddly enough he found it rather endearing. Of course it would have been foolish for him to wave back in front of everything; they might get the wrong idea. Wrong idea, that what, he was happy to see her too? Actually now he just seemed thoughtless for not returning the gesture. Good grief, this was definitely not one of his best ideas. From where he was he could see her converse hurriedly with Yukari before exchanging quick air kisses to each other's cheeks. He chuckled, how childish. Still she came running over just as quickly and offered a warm greeting. "Oh, hey… Are you coming to the Student Council meeting today?" Was that honestly the best he could do? Ugh, he was so stupid sometimes. Certainly, given all the time he had just spent leaving the classroom and waiting for her, he could have come up with something better than a question he already knew the answer to. "I have an announcement to make about the smoking incident."
Nice cover, not; of course he had something to say about that, he always did. But it was the best he could come up with on the spot; he would hate to look like a complete moron in front of her. Hell, he would hate to look like an idiot in general. But Minako was one of the finest examples of a good student that he had seen in a long time, so it would be especially troubling to show her a weaker side. It must have been a believable explanation though for she nodded and grinned up at him. "I plan to." Of course she did, she came to every meeting; what a stupid question, he would be mentally kicking himself for days to come. Still, there was a more pressing matter on his mind; for, as he gazed down at her bright and innocent face, the same stomach churning feeling from before overcame him and the egotistical boy could feel the blood rush to his face. Was he possibly contracting another cold? Or was this the same one as before, lying low until it found the optimal time to strike? Either way he had loaded up on cold medicine after the second wave hit during Monday's Student Council meeting so he should have built up some defense to it by now.
Tilting his head away from the girl he fiddled a bit with the ribbon around his neck. This unpleasant feeling was increasing by the second and he felt as though he needed to lie down. Had he not been aware of how much of a nut the school's nurse was he may have even considered going to see the man. But there was simply no way that he could take anything that magic loving substitute teacher said seriously. He might even go all medieval on him and attempt to bleed out the 'bad spirits' that were poisoning his blood or use some other ridiculous, and extremely painful, method like that; ancient history was not exactly his forte. "I see… Well, I hope you decide to come." Bringing a hand up just under his nose Hidetoshi gave a small nod of the head before turning back to his classroom. "Excuse me." Perhaps he was just letting all the pressure get to him; he had read somewhere that people who lived hectic lives fell ill more often than those who took time to relax. As the disciplinarian headed into his classroom he took a last look at the back of the scarlet eyed girl who appeared to be almost skipping back to class; how nice it must be to be so at ease with life.
For some student at Gekkoukan however life was about to take a terrible turn for the worst. As he retraced the crown in the margins of his notes Hidetoshi recalled what the P.E. teacher had told him at the end of school yesterday. It was an almost unfathomable punishment for the one who had discarded the remnants of the cigarette; and it even sent a chill down his own cold spine. The one thing all students were guaranteed was a wonderful education that would serve them well throughout their entire lives, no matter where they ended up. But, for this student, it looked as if they were going to have to settle for a nameless public school with no reputation in the business world, lovely. They would be condemned to a boring middleclass life with no chance of ever redeeming themselves all over a stupid mistake they made in high school. It was horrible, really; even he did not approve of taking it to such extremes. If anything they needed a good talking to and some therapy, but not this; even the very worst of the student body, like those punks he had talked to a few days ago, did not deserve this.
Grabbing his papers the coal haired boy stood at the front of the room and addressed the council who, surprisingly, were all in attendance. Maybe he had not given the Vice President enough credit; or, perhaps, he should stop underestimating the power of mass-texts. As he cleared his throat the group, who had been chatting only seconds before, fell to a hush. This wasn't so bad, perhaps they could be trained to be just as obedient as Minako. No, that made her sound like a puppy or something, and she definitely was not an animal; she was an outstanding individual who he was fortunate to know. After all, who else would be sitting in the front row giving him two small, almost secret, thumbs up under the table? "The other day, I was talking about the cigarette butt in the boys' bathroom…" A few students in the back rolled their eyes but he pressed forward; once he said this there was no going back. So what if he was supposed to keep it a secret, they had as much of a right to know as he did. "The teachers wan the student to be expelled as soon as I find out who it is."
From beside his fiery haired friend Chihiro let out a small gasp, quickly followed by a confused, and startled, "Huh…?". After the initial shock set in chaos broke out. Students were yelling things, assaulting him with questions that he clearly could not know the answer to, and complaining loudly. A few girl had broken out their cellphones and were, without a doubt, texting the news to the rest of the class. He gave it three minutes before the entire student body found out. But good, they should be prepared. This was a very serious matter and, if he could say so, a tad insane. Deciding that they were getting nowhere the VP dismissed the club and the students filed out, nervously staring at each other. Now, as much as he agreed with the fact that they would probably not get much done with everyone worrying, he could not help but feel as if she was just trying to get out of work again. No matter, his little star was still in her seat, hands folded in front of her as if awaiting further instruction. They were certainly becoming quite the team around here; not that anyone would know considering they were always alone.
"Expulsion, huh…?" This entire endeavor was exhausting, not to mention a gigantic waste of time. They could not expel someone for such an act, it was ridiculous! Sure there had to be some consequence for their action but was this really the best way to go about it? What lesson could be taken away from this aside from 'the school system is run by a bunch of bullies'? Slipping down into Chihiro's now empty chair he rested his head on his right fist and gazed at the blank chalkboard. "So, Minako-kun, what do you think?" He inquired, not bothering to watch her expression to attempt to analyze it. She always said whatever she was thinking; and there was no dancing around the point, when she said something she meant it. "…About the smoker's punishment, that is." Why had he added that; wasn't it obvious what he meant? What else could he possibly be asking her opinion on? Of course, he could think of about a million things to ask her, but those were all locked away within the confines of his mind, so he needn't bother addressing those concerns now. He could hear a light murmur coming from beside him and it did not take a genius to realize that she was thinking out loud.
After a few moments of the noise that somewhat reminded him of a honeybee collecting pollen the girl slammed her fist into the palm of her open hand. "A strict punishment." So he was not alone in that belief; but where did strict end and cruel and unusual begin? Surely she could not agree that the deserved to be expelled over one little mistake. Yes, he thought it was little; compared to attacking a teacher, vandalizing the building, or setting the chemistry lab on fire it was a very minor offense. He had not seen it before because he had been so obsessed with the power finding and sentencing this criminal, no student, would get him. But that was exactly it; they were just a student like him. Some scared boy or girl with some serious issues, trying to cope the only way they could; and here he was, hunting them down as if they prisoner 24601. What if he actually found this person, then what would he do? Could he possibly bring himself to turn them in knowing what sort of fate awaited them; was he really that heartless? But… wasn't it the only way he could ever hope of getting to the top?
"I think so too." Hidetoshi's emotionless voice rang out though the empty room. It truly was going to be a defining moment when he encountered this person and, to be honest, he was still unsure of exactly what he would do. Never before had he ever felt as torn as he did right now. However, if he kept talking like this he would worry the star pupil next to him. So, turning slightly and tapping her on the nose he offered a more lighthearted expression. "I think once I catch the culprit, I'll give him a good lecturing." With a joyful laugh she pushed his hand away and nodded. This solution seemed to please her and, for the most part, it suited his needs as well. "After all, the point is to try and prevent it from happening again." Not to kick them out of school, what help would that be? "It'd be great if I could get people like him to change their ways." He would not force them to put down the one thing helping them cling to their sanity, but perhaps he could help them seek treatment. "I don' sympathize with students who break the rules, but…" That was certainly what it was starting to sound like. Since when did he have a caring bone in his body? Normally he would be thrilled with this sort of thing; in fact, he would even see them out once their expulsion was finalized. "…will kicking the 'bad' kids out really make school a better place?" This was all beyond troubling, and there was nowhere he could turn to seek assistance in this matter; it was all up to him.
A soft hand made its way onto his shoulder and he instantly felt embarrassed for opening up; it was not her problem to worry about, how selfish he had been to unload this burden on her. "I don't know why I'm complaining. It's really not like me. I guess I'm just confused because I feel so powerless." A pitiful excuse but it would have to do for now. He did feel powerless; either he sold out this boy, and the rest of his humanity, or he lost everything he had been trying so hard to achieve from the get-go. It was a lose-lose situation and he was still unsure which was worse. "I'll have more power if I do what the teacher wants and win his trust. Then, people will have to listen to me." All he had to do was turn this student in and next year's Presidency was as good as his. She would benefit as well, of course; his new companion would have a high position in his new school order. "Watch me, Minako-kun! I'll work my way to the top." He really had to stop opening up like this; it was getting to be a nasty habit. The lights dimmed in the room and artificial ones soon took over, meaning that evening was quickly approaching. "I have some work to do. I'm going to make a list of suspects." A new list, a better list; one that the Physical Education teacher had no say over. "You should go home, Minako-kun. …And avoid dark roads; you never know who's out there."
Oh no, he was starting to sound like his mother. But it was true; there were all sorts of shady people in the city at night, and if something happened to her… That would be beyond terrible; he would have failed her as a leader. At the idea of some harm possibly coming to Minako his fever picked up again and he felt as if he was going to be sick once more. "But you never let me help out with the difficult tasks." The girl complained as he offered her a hand up. Upon seeing that he was not budging on the matter she raised her hands in defeat. "Fine, fine; I'll go home since you clearly don't want me here." What? That wasn't it at all! If anything he was worried about her safety and wanted her to be safe at home before it got to be too late. He could spend all day with her if time permitted it. "Just kidding, I know you're only looking out for my best interest. But seriously Hidetoshi-san, you're such a worrywart; who would have thought!" With another sugar coated burst of giggles she struck a dramatic pose. "I can handle myself. After all, I'm invincible!" Picking her bag up off the floor the transfer student motioned towards the door. "Walk me out?"
xx
By the time Friday rolled around Hidetoshi had become a frequent viewer of webMD as he was trying, without success, to figure out exactly what was wrong with him. Judging from the results it was appendicitis, celiac disease, anemia, or drug allergy. But, considering his appendix had been removed in his youth, he had never had a problem with glutton before, the iron levels in his blood were perfect, and he was not currently on any prescriptions, all of them seemed highly unlikely. Something had to be to blame for the unexpected stomachaches and lightheaded feelings though; he was not an electronic that was simply overheating and would recover if left alone for a given amount of time. Perhaps he might inquire as to if anyone in the council had any idea what it was since his so-called best friend refused to diagnose him stating that it 'was giving in to his father's will'. That was all fine and dandy, but could he pick a time when the Odagiri boy was not in agony to rebel? That plan went right out the window when an announcement came over the speaker during last period. It stated that club activities were canceled for the day, marvelous; and their reason? None was provided, of course; what was he expecting?
Grabbing his school jacket out of his locker the boy decided now might be a good time to re-consider seeing the school nurse. Even if he refused to let the crazy man treat him he could still question him as to just what might be wrong with his insides. "Come with me." The deep voice pulled him back to reality, and into the eyes of the delightful P.E. teacher who seemed extremely upset; just what he needed, a happy note to end his day on. Of course it seems a bit odd to just follow the man like some little duckling, but by now he knew better than to ask questions. As they turned the corner the shy council member looked on in surprise, shifting a bit from side to side. What was Chihiro doing? Surely she had not been watching them; but, she seemed a bit scared. As they entered the office hallway he assumed that they had to be headed to the faculty room. Why could they not speak about whatever this was in his classroom on second floor? There was no one else down here; it felt a little eerie, and that was never a good thing.
"Close the door behind you." This demanding attitude of his was really starting to get on the boy's nerves and it took a great deal of effort to keep from telling the man off. He had to be about to say something extremely important, and very secretive, or else he would not have taken so much precaution to make sure that they would not be overheard. Strolling behind the messy wooden desk the young man slid into his chair and motioned for Hidetoshi to sit in front of him. What a pure power shot; he had seen them in movies but never thought that anyone would be foolish enough to try one in the real world. This man had to be more of a chump than he had originally suspected, marvelous. Tossing a manila envelope across the desk the man crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the teenager to open it. A devilish smile danced across the cruel man's lips as he waited for him to slide out the file and the picture that went with it. Perhaps he should consult webMD again, for this was what he always assumed a heart attack felt like. "Add her to the list."
There was no way he could be serious, this all had to be some bad practical joke. Yes, a small test to see if his sense of humor was still intact after all that had been happening lately. But all the time they had spent together had been in the Student Council room, with no one else around. Unless he had been specifically spying on them there was no way that the Physical Education teacher, or anyone else for that matter, could possibly know that they had become friends. That was too much work to go through for a joke though, right? It would involve wasting so much time; and The P.E. teacher always complained to the class, which was extremely unprofessional, about how he had almost no social life now thanks to the hours he had to put in teaching, god forbid. So then, he had to be serious about this... he had to actually want him to add Minako's name to the list! "No." It was firm and assertive, but inside Hidetoshi was ready to punch the cocky grin right off his ugly face. There was no way that he could even consider the thought that someone might think his most treasured underling was a criminal.
Grin becoming a sinister frown the man attempted to stare him down; but to no avail, there was no was in hell that he was going to back down on this matter. A vein began to bulge on the teacher's forehead and it was soon apparent that he was becoming extremely angry. "I am your teacher!" No, he wasn't. As soon as he had made such an error in judgment as to suspect Minako there was no way that Hidetoshi could see the man as anything better than the algae that grew on the underside of lake rocks. "You will do as I say!" Oh no, not any more. He was done with taking orders from this man; he wanted no part of any system that accused innocent, wonderful, girls of being delinquents. Picking up a nearby pencil the man thrust it across the desk at him. "Now add her!" Did this idiotic teacher really think that raising his voice would help his cause any? All it was succeeding in doing was making him look foolish and, had there been anyone in the hall, it also would have landed him a surprise check-in with the principal at some point in the upcoming week.
"No!" This time his voice was also a bit more forceful. In a single sweep of the hand he tossed the paper, picture, and envelope back at the man behind the table. And, not so literally, he also threw back any respect he may have once had for the instructor. There was no way in hell that he was ever going to add her name to that wretched list; even if nothing would ever come of it. He did not even have to check it out; all he had to do was scribble her name on the bottom then cross it out, or even erase it as soon as he left. But that was not the point; writing her name on the list at all would easily be the worst thing he had ever done, and he had done some pretty horrible things in his young life. It would be unforgivable, even if she never found out; he would not be able to live with himself. He would not allow her to be used as the scapegoat for someone else's crimes. Come to think of it, he was also starting to doubt the existence of this crime in general. From the start the details had been hazy, and all the P.E. teacher ever wanted him to investigate were girls, the likes of which would never be caught dead in the boys' restroom.
Slamming his hands down on the table the older man rocketed up, attempting to be a looming figure, though it definitely was not working. Hidetoshi no longer saw a figure of authority, he saw a foolish person with their own hidden agenda; the likes of which he would soon get to the bottom of. If anything this was the real offense that he should be investigating. What sort of teacher had it out for his students? Come to think of it, they weren't even his students; the girls had a separate Physical Education teacher! "Don't be so stubborn! Just put her name on the list!" Running a hand through his slick backed hair the boy noted that it was slightly trembling; not with fear mind you, but with rage. He really should keep his voice down, what if someone else heard their conversation? Not that he cared what happened to this horrible excuse for a person, or himself for arguing with a teacher; but if they heard Minako's name then she might end up getting in trouble anyway. He had to choose his next words carefully, try to make the man see before he decided to take matters into his own incapable hands and call her down to the office. There was absolutely no way that he was ever going to let this teacher be alone with her for even a second.
Clearing his throat loudly to draw the P.E. teacher's focus back to him Hidetoshi motioned for the man to sit back down. "Minako-kun was chosen by the President to be in Student Council. She's very responsible." It sounded sincere and calm, but the scowl on his face was a bit more difficult to hide. The man did, however, slide back down into his seat; hands clenched tightly in his lap as if he wanted to reach over and strangle the teenager. But he had to remain calm, use reason to win the man over. If he got all huffy again who knew what sort of drastic measures he might take? The girl, who he could only hope was safely back at her dorm or out shopping with Takeba, could be in serious danger if he snapped again. That was why he had to keep the teacher here, make sure his anger was directed at him rather than her. "That's why I don't consider her a suspect." It made sense; why would the class president recommend a new addition, who she lived with and therefore knew the daily activities of, to help them out if she was a delinquent? Surely he could not argue this point.
"There are witnesses who saw her wandering the streets at midnight!" What? Minako was outside that late, on a daily basis? Oh goodness, that was definitely not safe. What if something had happened to her? As much as he hated to admit it the boy felt a terrible need to go apologize to his mother for ever being a minute late in returning to their house. So this was how she must feel, god; it was like he had been kicked in the face. They needed to have a talk, now; about what was appropriate behavior and what was extremely dangerous. Apart from what she had said the other day the scarlet eyed girl was not invincible, she was a skinny little high school student who could easily be- oh he didn't even want to think about it. "A high school girl wandering the streets at night… there's only one explanation for that, isn't there?" Gazing curiously at the man Hidetoshi could not help but wonder what exactly he meant by that. "I thought you hated students who don't follow the rules…" Wait, he could not be insinuating that she was out there causing trouble, or worse! This was taking it way too far!
"I don't doubt that there were witnesses, but…" Just what sort of witnesses had he managed to scrounge up, and why was he looking for any? This was all beyond questionable, especially the teacher's motives. But… what was she doing out there at such a late hour? Although desperate to know the answer to that question he knew, without a doubt, that it was nothing bad. "I believe in Minako-kun. So, I'm not adding her to the list of suspects." He had faith in her, and nothing this man said or did could ever change that fact. "…Besides, I thought we were talking about the smoker." This caused the older man's ears to redden a bit; yes, he had gone off on a bit of a rant, had he not? As far as the Physical Education teacher was concerned he was merely here to discuss that petty little crime that had been committed a few weeks ago. "Your accusations of bad behavior… Are you trying to slander her?" It was terribly irrelevant to the entire process, so just what was he trying to get out of all of this? "What exactly do you intend to do to her using this list?"
"…" No answer, just what he expected. There was something wrong with all of this and it was his duty, as a leader, to protect those under him. What had this man been planning to do to the girl; blackmail her into getting her name off the list? But, what could she possibly have that he wanted; Minako was a new transfer student, she had not been around long enough to uncover anything he wanted to stay hidden. "In the end, you're just an adolescent interested in the girls too, huh? I never thought you'd fall for a girl…" Pardon, surely he had heard the man wrong. He was simply protecting someone dear to him, there was nothing more to discuss. Besides, he did not 'fall' for people; he was too busy with his own affairs to bother with romantic nonsense. If he ever got a girlfriend, or wife, it would be to please the voters during a local election or something. But, for now, he was far better off on his own. The very idea of him having a crush, it was too stupid to waste his valuable time bothering to commenting on.; so, just this once, he would let it slide. "…Forget about our deal."
How funny, he was just about to say the same exact thing. He wanted no part of whatever this man was up to, no thanks; it was not worth the possible gains. The risk outweighed the benefits, the corruption outdid the good. There was no longer a 'for the good of the school' mentality, only a sinister plot to… to what? Even Hidetoshi was unsure of exactly what the man was trying to do, but it certainly was not good. "…If you'll excuse me, then." Putting on his jacket in silence the coal haired boy did not even bother turning back to get a last look at his fleeting success as he exited the room. He had just thrown away the one chance he had to make something of himself but, at the same time, he felt so much lighter. That meant he had made the correct decision, right? Turning to the right, in order to exit the building and head back to the residential area, he came face to face with the same girl they had previously been discussing. Her lips were trembling and she instantly averted her gaze. As the truth began to dawn on him he could feel himself growing increasingly uncomfortable. "…You were listening?"
Sangria locks fell in front of her face as the small figure before him began to shiver as if she were cold. "I'm not the culprit." The voice was weak and empty; it was so unlike her. Normally she was carefree and full of life, but now she was a mere shadow of her former self. Hidetoshi's fists tightened at his sides, this was all that man's fault. If he could have just kept his voice down then she would not be upset; for some reason he felt the overwhelming need to storm back in there and beat the living daylights out of him. Taking a deep breath she finally seemed to find the courage to look up at him; but god, he wished she hadn't. Her bright eyes were dilated and the skin at the top of her cheekbones was beginning to get a soft pink tint; it was enough to break his heart. She couldn't cry, she just couldn't; poor thing. To think, she had just moved to a new school and already she was being harassed by the faculty; no one deserved that, especially not Minako. That was it; he was going to figure out what the P.E. teacher was doing and take him down no matter what.
"I know; you don't have to tell me." This new found determination, it was only another sign that he was satisfied with his decision. "That teacher thinks it was you… Did he really pass his certification exam?" It was intended as a joke, sort of a way to cheer her up; but the girl merely let her eyes drop back down to the hallway's floor. She had to feel so alone right now, and he knew from past experiences that was the worst feeling in the world. "Don't worry, Minako-kun. Even if the whole school turns on me, I won't sell you out." They were friends now. Although still unsure of exactly when it had happened he knew that they were. On a more serious note he crossed his arms over his chest and spoke firmly to her. "…Be careful of that teacher." Not that he was ever going to let her meet him now; he would do everything within his power to make sure that they never came within twenty feet of each other. "You don't seem to realize why he's got his eye on you." Not that Hidetoshi knew either, but it defiantly could not be good. Taking a piece of paper out of his pocket he scribbled a few numbers on it and handed it to the sulking girl. "…If something happens, call me." Although she took it the girl did not seem to acknowledge that it was even in her hand. She just kept gazing at the ground, probably trying to keep in the tears. He had to give her credit for trying to remain stoic; but one could only keep it in for so long, so he had better leave before she broke down. "See ya, Minako-kun."
Giving her a great deal of space he passed by and headed towards the lobby. "H-Hidetoshi-san!" The blow came almost instantly as she impacted with his back, hands wrapping tightly around the loose parts of his school jacket. "Thank you!" Normally he would have protested greatly to being touched but the tears were now clearly evident in her voice and he truly felt sorry for the girl. How awful must she feel right now? The people who were supposed to protect her and look out for her best interest were turning on her. Teachers were meant to be there to guide their students and keep them safe, not accuse them of being felons. She was such a sweet girl too; it probably hurt to realize that the world was not made of sweets and rainbows. He wished it was though, as illogical as it sounded, if only so that she would smile once more. The tears hit his uniform like raindrops and, once more, the uncomfortable feeling returned. Indeed, he was beginning to feel more than a bit embarrassed by all of this. Pulling away from her trembling figure he turned around to stare awkwardly at the child who had now buried her face within her hands.
Clearing his throat to get her attention, considering it was really the only way he knew to draw another's attention to him, Hidetoshi attempted to reassure her. "It's really no trouble. You should know by now that I would never leave you all alone." There was no way, even if she told him to get lost; he was too involved at this point. Outstretching a hand he gently pet the top of her head. Removing her hands from her face she used the backs of them to brush away the tears that were clinging to her cheeks and eyelashes. Giving a light nod she acknowledged his previous statement; good, she should know that it's true. "Come on now, cheer up. I'd love to see that radiant smile of yours." It took her a minute to regulate her breathing but, at long last, she managed to offer up a frail smile. Good, but not passable for normal standards. At this rate she was easy prey and, now that he knew she was out late at night, he was beyond worried for her safety. "Much better; now might I escort you to the train?" Offering her his arm she seemed a bit hesitant but soon linked it with her own and grasped it tightly with her spare hand. It was a good thing she had accepted, had she not he would have been forced to follow her there anyway to make sure that nothing happened.
xx
For the remainder of spring life was pretty regular. He was not sure exactly when it happened but soon Minako had worked herself into his daily schedule. Three days a week they would spend an hour, sometimes two but he always sent her home before it got too dark, after Student Council just hanging out and talking about the most trivial things. Normally it would have bothered him but, whenever last period rolled around, the egotistical boy found himself looking forward to their conversations. Sometimes they would go to the library and he would help her with homework; but, although she always insisted she needed his assistance, he knew for a fact that she had one of the highest grades in her class. Not that he was ever going to bring this point up, for that would mean they could no longer study together; and who didn't like to feel useful? The days it rained were the best, for they could whisper and laugh without having to worry about being scolded for their noise level. Otherwise they had to sit at the table in the far right where their voices did not travel as much. Not that there were many people in there, most days they were almost completely alone.
He had also finally discovered what the fascination was with eating lunch on the roof. Once, or twice, a week they would go out there during the free period and just stare at the city below them. It really was a sight to be seen; which was strange because he had seen it before, but never had it been so bright and vivid. Once she had even convinced him that it would be fun if they tried standing on the other side of the fence that surrounded the area. That had not worked out exactly as planned… but they had sworn each other to secrecy on that matter so that was that. Normally they would sit on the furthest bench from the door, overlooking the scattered cars, bikes, and people walking their dogs, and just eat in silence. It was nice, and he was content; there really was no reason to be so cynical all the time. His best friend had once commented on the change and deemed that it was due to 'Hide-chaaaaaan being in looooooooove'. A quick slap upside the head put an end to that though and they continued on with their lives. Going to school certainly had taken on a new meaning.
Now they weren't exactly at the point where they giggled, did each other's nails, or had a secret handshake; but being friends with Minako certainly did make him feel a bit more childish. She got so excited over the smallest little things, and upset over nothing. Once, much to his embarrassment, his mother had stuck some of her trademark cookies in his bag and, when he awkwardly pulled them out at lunch, you'd have thought they had turned into golden roses from the expression on her face. Apparently a girl at her dorm was an aspiring chef, but she was still pretty awful; so edible cookies were a sight for sore eyes. At least they had not gone to waste, but Keisuke complained for days about not getting any. Another time there had been a deceased bird on the roof and the scarlet eyed girl appeared as if she was going to break down and cry right then and there. So, after getting gloves from the school nurse, he had helped her bury it in one of the rooftop garden boxes under the pretense that its nutrients would help the plants flourish; but, in reality, he doubted it would really do much.
Days came and went; then days turned into weeks and finally to months. Before he realized what was happening it was late July and they were being forced to say their goodbyes. She would be residing at her dorm all summer while he was being forced to visit his aunt and uncle in Tokyo. Marvelous, what budding friendship didn't need a long-distance struggle to overcome? He was kidding of course; not that they had ever hung out outside of school, but it would still be nice to be in the same city as her so that they could grab coffee or something sometime and chat. But that would be far too easy, so he had gone home and packed for what was sure to be a most boring summer break. Of course, he could not blame his mother for wanting to see her sister, it had been ages since they had last gone to visit; and now, with his father's current situation and all, she must feel extremely homesick. So he had gone without complaint and even put up with her singing old show tunes the entire drive to the airport. Thankfully that ended as soon as they pulled into the terminal or he may have hung himself with his necktie.
The first day was extremely dull, meaningless greetings, hugs, and a single 'my how you've grown'. But what else could he expect? Their house was nice, a bit too suburban for his liking but it was quaint. Their yard was impressive, especially since one rarely saw grass outside of the school and parks back home. He retired early to his room and was about to breakout the textbooks when a soft tone came from his bag. A dangerously soft smile broke his tired expression as he read who the text was from. From then on they texted an unbelievable amount; which was beyond ridiculous seeing as how he had always despised cellphones and found messaging others to be a step backwards technology wise considering they could just as easily call the person. Still, her smiley face filled messages got across her personality to a T, and he could not help but hear her voice echo the words she had written. It was wonderful, really; until he woke up one morning and came to his senses. What was he doing? Walking around with his fingers flying across the keyboard like some giddy little schoolgirl? It was ridiculous. So, removing the battery, he tossed the remnants of his cellphone in the bottom of his suitcase.
For the remainder of the trip he busied himself with schoolwork; writing papers and doing mathematical equations rather than thinking about the girl who had ruined his flawless mentality. At night he could go out and gaze up at the stars, not that he would ever want to, but the option was still there; unlike in the city. He assumed that was what his mother was doing every night when she left at about ten. He could hear the door to her room open and, a few moments later, the one to the kitchen; but he never bothered to follow her. As different as they were the two did have some similar traits, and one was that they liked their privacy. He had too much on his mind by the time he was free in the evenings anyway. By midway through August he had run out of homework and was at a loss for things to do. Sure he had brought a few books to read when the boredom set in, but he was too displeased with his own actions to relax. Just what had he been doing at school? He was paying far too much attention to that new girl; attention that should have been directed at his studies.
It may have been since late May that they were talking, but he still felt as if they had become chummy far too quickly. On the last day of vacation, as he was packing his assorted literature away, he reassembled the dreaded phone. Fifteen new messages, great, just great. Granted four were from the brunette, who was complaining about being stuck working as his father's receptionist during the break, but the rest were from that girl. The first two were as perky as ever but, by the third, hey had a darker sort of tone to them. By the fifth she had inquired as to if he was mad at her, the seventh through ninth were apologies, and the final few were to make sure he was not hurt. If he had ever felt guilty it was now. So, regrettably, he sent a lie back; that he had lost his phone a few weeks back and had not retrieved it until then. If she sent a reply it never came, but it was for the best. He could not afford to waste his time building what, social links with his fellow students? He had to prepare for senior year which was only a few months away. He had a lot he needed to achieve before next spring.
When the first of September rolled around he had gone to school under the assumption that she was out of the picture entirely. But, when the first Student Council meeting came, there she was, sitting in the first row, smiling as brightly as ever and things slowly fell back into place. He tried desperately to distance himself from her for a bit, but it proved to be quite the difficult task. What was he supposed to do when she asked for help on her homework, ignore her? And as for lunch on the roof, it would be impolite to turn down such an offer. So life returned to normal, or as close to normal as it could get; they still did not exchange texts. However she never brought it up, so he decided it was best to just let the past go and pretend as if it had not happened as well. They were fine once more, and he regretted ever doubting the importance if their friendship. Without her clumsy humor he doubted he would smile as often; of course he would have about twenty more glasses considering she always seemed to find a way to knock his over during lunch. But, all in all, he was more than content. He was happy.
A/N: Fun fact about this chapter, I wrote it in two days instead of doing homework..yaaaaaaay. Anyways it got to be like one in the morning the first night before I called it a break. Normally I can work a lot later than that but I misspelled the word jacket about ten times and decided that I better get some rest. Not that anyone cares; I just like the fact that I couldn't spell such a basic word, even with spellcheck.
Fervour- really? I can have one? Yay! But… do I have to feed it? I'm not very good with pets…
Cielle- what are you talking about? Clearly he just has a fever that randomly takes effect when she's around haha
STG- I was really torn between having her be a strict woman with a tight up-do whoo always wore business attire and spoke formally. But that sounded soooo boring; so I went with a ditzy, apron wearing, cookie maker whose food is like poison. I wonder where that image came from… coughmymomcan'tcookatallcough lol
Next Chapter: Wanted! Rooftops, lighters, and more uncomfortable situations await our young hero as he attempts to discover just what lies within his heart. One thing is for certain though… he could definitely get used to this.
