Kahoko sighed with relief as she sank into her chair. "Oversleep again?" a dry voice asked.
"Nao, don't be so mean! Good morning, Kaho. I'm glad that you were able to make it on time.
Kahoko smiled as the first bell rang. "Good morning Mio, Nao. Did you two have a good weekend?"
Nao shrugged. "I suppose. I was stuck at home with my family for most of it."
Mio giggled. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. I went to the ice cream parlor that just opened up. It was delicious! We should all go sometime!"
Kahoko nodded her agreement and let her friends' voices fade to the background. She was completely exhausted. She'd had a difficult time sleeping at night after…after…
"Kaho, are you listening? Hey, Kaho!" Kahoko sat up and focused on Mio, who was waving a hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. "Sorry, I guess I'm still tired. What were you saying?"
"She asked what you did last weekend," Nao pointed out.
Kahoko flinched, and tried to keep her face from turning red. "Um, n-nothing much. I had a lot to study, I've been falling behind in my classes. And of course, I practiced a lot."
"Ehh? You're so serious, Kaho! Oh, that reminds me. Did you hear in the news about…" Kahoko breathed a sigh of relief as Mio changed the subject. She just wanted school to be over so she could go home and not worry about facing anyone.
"Finally, lunch! I'm starving!" Nao shook her head as Mio hastily opened her bento and ate as quickly as possible. "Kaho?"
Kahoko stood and picked up her violin case. "Sorry, I'm going to practice. I'll see you later!" She walked through the hallways quickly, keeping her head down, hoping to not run into anyone on the way. When she finally found an empty practice room and shut the door behind her, she exhaled slowly, glad to finally be alone.
Gathering her thoughts, she stood and opened her case. Slowly, she picked up her violin and bow and closed her eyes to play.
"Kahoko."
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. She turned around slowly. "Yunoki."
He stood in the doorway and smiled sweetly. She knew that wasn't a good sign. "Do you have a moment?"
She nodded and silently put her instrument back inside its case. She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking as she watched him step into the room, locking the door behind him. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
He raised an eyebrow and shrugged out of his jacket. "Who said that I wanted to talk?"
Her eyes widened. "What are you…" the words stuck in her throat, and she struggled to slow her breathing. Was he actually going to….here? What if someone saw?
Azuma hung his jacket so that it covered the practice room window. Satisfied, he stepped toward Kahoko. She backed up, her limbs stiff with fear, and gasped when she hit the wall. Azuma cocked his head to the side. "Where do you think you're going?"
Kahoko flushed. "You can't. I mean, what if somebody walks in? And…and…what if..."
"You talk too much," he whispered, and covered her mouth his own. As he pulled away, Kahoko held his gaze. I should tell him to stop. This is wrong, after all. She opened her mouth to protest, but he placed a slender finger over her lips. "The door is locked, so nobody will come in. I covered the window, so nobody will see. The only thing we have to worry about…" he paused to glance up at the clock on the wall, "is time. And of course, if you're too loud, they'll be able to hear." He kissed his way slowly down her neck and smiled when she whimpered. "It's a shame. I really do love it when you say my name."
She swallowed. "Senpai, you really shouldn't…"
"I know. I wasn't planning on it." He straightened up and laughed.
Kahoko flushed. "Yunoki! You—you—" she pushed at his chest. "You're too mean!"
"And you're too tempting."
She didn't quite know how to respond to that. "I don't…"
Before she could react, Azuma had pushed her back against the wall, and slid one hand up her skirt. "I never was very good at controlling myself around you."
Kahoko gasped, but remembered what he had said earlier and bit her lip. "You said that you weren't…"
"I didn't specify the details." He hooked two fingers under the waistband of her underwear and tugged gently. "Off."
"But…you said! We shouldn't!"
Azuma's eyes narrowed, and Kahoko shivered at the anger behind them. "I can manage this where it will be kept secret, or I can make it very obvious what we were up to, so listen to me and obey."
Understanding, she nodded. Hands trembling, she pulled down her underwear and looked away.
"Good girl." Kahoko closed her eyes to hide her tears. He was so condescending, so demeaning. She wanted to hate him. She should. And yet…
He wasn't gentle or slow, but she still reacted as he drove her forward. His fingers stroked her harder, faster, until she resorted biting the back of her own hand in order to keep silent. She was getting close, she could feel the tension building, could feel Yunoki's rapid breathing against her neck.
As she reached her climax, he pulled her hand out of her mouth and kissed her hungrily, muffling her moans of pleasure and adding his own.
He stood, smiling benevolently down at her, and pulled a white handkerchief out of his pocket, cleaning off his fingers. He gestured that she should get ready as well, and she obliged, straightening her hair and her clothes with trembling hands.
Smoothly, Azuma put his jacket back on. "I definitely made the correct decision when I chose you, Kahoko."
She flushed. What was that supposed to mean? "I really wish you wouldn't call me that."
He laughed. "Why? Because it's too intimate?" He glanced toward the door and, certain that no one was watching, bent down to kiss her again. "I'll call you whatever I please, so long as we are alone together." Smiling to himself, he walked toward the door, but paused with one hand on the knob. "Don't think that you're off the hook with this. We will be reacquainted soon. Until then." He winked at her and left the room as the bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch.
Kahoko let out the breath she was unaware she had been holding. Yunoki was…
Well, to the public eye, he was an angel in every sense of the word. Beautiful, talented, polite.
She knew better. She saw the anger, the need for domination and control. She had been taken advantage of, after all.
She should hate him. She should.
But she couldn't bring herself to.
Author's Note:
Okay, I admit, I couldn't help bringing a bit of angst into it. There's more to come...but I think I'll space it out instead of spamming you guys all at once. :)
Also, thank you for the WONDERFUL reviews and support. You lovely readers are what brought this fic back from the dead and urged me to write more (and inspired me to re-watch La Corda d'Oro, haha). Much love!