- CHAPTER V: Secret Garden -
(Neru's POV)
It has been 3 weeks since I study in Yamada high, and it was time for me to have a first exam.
Math exam...
For the past days I thought I had an emotional breakdown, I can't learn anything...
I guess I have to do everything myself...
"Alright! Two more days to go!"
I whispered, to myself of course...
I don't even bother to speak to him...ever...
Started from that day, he started to use even more BDSM. It hurts me like hell...
...But that the purpose, right?...
'What the-?! Focus Neru! Focus!'
I thought too much about him...
But really, it was hard to focus in the room where everything happened...
Especially with him sat across the room that I did...
He sat on his side of the room, on the blood stained couch next to the case reading his books...
I would bet that half of them are R-18...
It was Saturday, none of us have school, so he would stay here until he went hunting in the late of afternoon.
That's why I have to stuck with him in today morning...
He was really silent, flipping the pages lightly, peacefully, his head lean on his left palm. If he wasn't blinking, others would think he was a lively statue...
Again I started to notice, whenever is daylight, the sky blue eyes would reappeared...
The eyes I like too much...
Even though I hate him to the top of my lungs, I still have to admit, at least to myself...
...He's handsome...
'What?! No! I hate him! I hate him!'...
I just don't like his personality one bit...
'So...if this 2a is here, so...umh...'
2 hours, and nothing was solve...
"BWAH! I GIVE UP!"
And it's the fifth time I did so...
My stupid mind can't solve an easy equation...
"...There is no way I'll past the test..."
It's over...
...
- Identity is involved...
- E-eh?
- Do you remember them?
- S-some of them...
'Who is-?'
- It's the second one, you just need to bring 2a outside, and you'll see the identity.
- Huh... why didn't I realize that earlier...
- You know what to do next, ne?
- Divide what's left?
- That's right. It's very easy, you just need to focus a bit.
'Was that...Len?!'
"How did...you get all of this?"
I thought he was a spoiled rich boy with no knowledge...but...
"I would be in collage when I was at your age." He giggled, while brushed his hand on the pages, "Beside, I pass senior high more than a hundred time, what do you think?".
I was still stunned, did the person that abused me every night just show me math?!
He looked at the book cover, and chuckled lightly...
"The true question is, why are you solving 9th grade math?"
'9th grade?! All that time?!'
I pulled the book back. That was really embarrassing...
"N-never mind that...b-but I can d-do these myself...so please..."
I don't want to admit that I suck at math...
"Ufufu...If you want help, just need to ask..."
He whispered in my right ear, and started to move nearer to the door...
I don't want his help...
...But I need it...
'Ugh...after this, I would kill myself...'
- Wa-wait, Len- I mean...Master...
- Hm? What is it?
- ...I need your help...with my math...
'He would laugh at me...so hard...'
- So-nanoka~? May I ask why?
- ...Because I'm a dork and you are...
- I'm sorry...Are what?
- Damn...are smart...
I tried to lower my voice, even I'm trying to sweet-talk to him this is so embarrassing...
"Ufufu, why don't you tell me earlier?"
'Stop teasing me you idiot! I'm doing this for my own good!'
He walking toward to me, and pulled a nearby chair on his way, he smiled at me, with those seductive eyes again...
- Don't look at me like that, I still loath you...
- What? I'm just smiling, did you think something pervert?
I growled, how come that he was always speak things like that.
He pulled something from his right left pocket.
It was a wooden box, looks like a pencil case...
"What is it?" I couldn't stop my curiosity. I just hoped that he wouldn't pull anything too weird from it...
"My glasses..."
'He wear glasses?!'
I widen my eyes, how come that I never saw him wear them?
- I don't wear them too often, it makes me looks nerdy...
- Then how can you read those books?
- I don't have a perfect sight, but I'm not blind...It just that, Japanese words are complex...
I looked at him, putting on his black square glasses...
What was he talking about? He looked even sexier with them...
'What?! No! No! He is a rapist! You can't think nice things of him!'
"Why are you look at me like you are about to flirt me?"
He was not joking...signs of confuse was in his innocence blue eyes...
"Huh?! No, I just look at your glasses!"
I'm a terrible liar...
- So what part you don't get?
- Oh! Uh...th-these...
- Hm? Oh you just need to focus for these...here's how...
He may not a nice person...
But he was helpful, I thought so...
It's only 7 p.m. and I already got all of the knowledge of the first semester!
- If you review it close enough tomorrow, for a hundred percent you'll past the exam.
- You're really a great tutor. I though I'm gonna be stupid for life...
- You're not stupid, just lazy...
I chuckled a bit...
And it has been a while since I smile...
Huh...
I look at the bento box on the desk...and notice...
"I just realized you haven't gone hunting!"
He was surprise, maybe he just realize that, too...
He thought for a bit, and turns his head to me and smile.
"I'm not really hungry anyway...beside if I just went off, you wouldn't understand the lessons, ne?"
Did he...just gave up dinner to help me with my work?
As far as I know, he always was doing things for his own good. He doesn't like sacrifice...
But...that time...
"..."
He put the glasses down the table, and stood up...
I just sat there, I don't know what's in my mind...
I hate him, yeah...
He used to say that to him, I'm just a talking doll...
Then why that he helping me so much...
"...Master..."
He turned his head to me. At night, his eyes were crimson again...
I keep my head down, breathed in deeply, and gave out a sigh...
"...Thank you..."
I blushed heavily, but...I could feel him grinned...
"...Welcome..."
That's all I could say. I felt a bit awkward, because I rarely thank others truly like that...
...
I stripped a string of my white glow down, revealed half upper of my body...
"You could do anything you want..." I flushed, but tried to finish my sentence "...I won't resist..."
After some seconds, I heard him chuckled.
He carried me, and put me down on the soft bed...
But he did it very gentle. I thought he would snatch me and throw me to the there...still, he didn't...
"To think that you still have to focus on the exam..." He kissed me on the cheek "...I won't do it hard..."
He hugged me closer to him, and started to kiss my lips.
I don't worry about it, because through this night...
It won't be painful...
"Where are we going?"
I walked behind him, toward to the main entrance. In my arms were books and my pencil case.
"I just got something to show you." He smiled, while unlocking the door. It's rare when he let me go outside so easily like that...
"Come, Neru." He reached his hand to me.
I walked to him, it was also rare that he would be so cheerful like that...
For the first time he looked so reliable...
Outside, the sun was bright, through the leaves, they looked like fireflies on the ground...
I looked back to the mansion. It was so dreamy with green vines covered it, on each vines were hundred of tiny red flowers attached to them.
And the old garden in front of it was full of different kind trees, some were small, some were giant. In the middle, there was a fountain made of white stone, and an angel holding a vase was standing on top, like she was pouring water down.
Never before I have realized it would look so beautiful...
Haunting beautiful...
- So...where are we going exactly?
- To my hide out.
He caught me, while we were jumping over a little stream.
I was in a yellow T-shirt and shorts, and he was, as usual, white shirt and black long pants.
"Aren't we supposed to fly to go outside?" I asked. Didn't he say before that around here was a barrier?
"It just here in this wood-Oh! Here we are!" We stood in front of a wall of rock, covered with thick green vines.
- Uh...where is it?
- Here.
He raised the vines like a green curtain, revealed a small cave...Well, more like a tunnel
"Ladies first."
He smiled, I was still a bit suspicious, although there was light in the end of the tunnel.
But the view in the end of the road was like a fairy tale.
There was a giant lake connected with a river, surrounded by rocks that wear blankets made of green moss.
We're still in the wood, that's for sure, because there were still trees around, but the blue sky could be seen clearly. There was even a small waterfall from one side of the rock.
The place I exit was like a small garden next to the lake, the ground was perfectly covered with green grass, and some small, colorful flowers could be seen, peeking out from ground.
There was also a cherry blossom tree, its branches were reaching out to the water. Since it wasn't the right season, there wasn't any blossom, but if they bloom they would be extremely gorgeous...
"Welcome to my hideout." Len's voice surprised me. I was enjoying the view so much that I forgot that he was behind me...
- Taking me to such place...Is this reality?
- If it's a sweet dream, I wouldn't be in it, ne?
- Wha-what do you mean?
- Don't hide it, I know you don't like me that much...It's fine, I'm used to being hated...
He's still smiling, even when talking about this...
"You say that this is your hideout, then why did you lead me here?" I asked, avoiding that awkward topic.
"I used to go here when I was a kid, to play or study. So I just want to show it to you." He sat down on the grass, lean his back on the tree.
"Neru..."He winked, let one of his finger to his lips "...Let this be our secret garden."
- ...And these go to here?
- Yes, there is also another way, shorter.
It was over dawn, and we still sat on the grass...
"See? It's not hard, you just need to focus a little."
Len has been next to me since we were here, and he has showed me what I need for the exam tomorrow.
"It's night already...time sure go fast today..."
I whispered, while eyed to the bright crescent moon and shiny stars on the peaceful night sky...
The sound of the waterfall still last, soft and sweet. Join it was the sound of night sparrows and crickets.
- Hey, look around us.
- Huh?
- Do you see them?
Fireflies...
I've never saw them before, mostly that was because of the lights, and I rarely ever go outside.
"They're...so beautiful..."
I whispered, while trying to catch one in my palm.
They were so cute! Like flying tiny lanterns!
Len swing his arm in the air, and caught one immediately.
"Don't swash it!" I told him while looked over his shoulder. After a minute or so, he let it fly away.
"You really care about these fireflies aren't you?"
He chuckled lightly while put his glasses back to his pocket, and look at the sky...
'H-how did he...look so...cute?'
In those sharp red eyes, I could saw strobes of light in them.
But most important, I still saw something in them very...What word to describe...
...Dreamy...
I don't know why, but I can't stop blushing...
"Neru? Is there something on my face?"
I spent too much time gazing at him that I was surprised with what he said...
"What?! No! I was just...looking...at the...rocks..."
'Idiot! Rocks?!'
He grinned and looked to the sky again.
"Sometimes your tsundere personality amused me..."
Tsu-Tsundere?!
- N-No! B-Baka!
- Watch what you said there~
- ...I hate you...
He laughed quietly...
It was true, I hate him, and I don't think I could forgive him for what he did to me...
But...
Something twisted...
Something in my mind twisted...
(Len's POV)
"Alright class, I will give you your exam with the result now, so please keep quiet."
Everyone looks nervous, even Neru...
Not for me though, everything was piece of blood...
I received the paper before her, of course, 100...as usual...
"What's your result?"
I asked Neru, she looks a bit shock, I don't know if it's good or bad, though.
"...97... I finally got 97!"
She looked over joy, I just sat there watch her victory dance with a smile.
"You're a bad dancer, maybe I should teach you it, too."
I joked around, she just laughed and continue dancing.
For the first time she looked so happy...
Some of the students have gone to the cafeteria, I was still in the classroom, there was no need to rush.
"Hey...Len..."
Neru stood next to me, didn't stop smiling.
For a moment, she kissed my cheek quickly...
"...Thank you...I couldn't pass it without you..."
I was a bit surprised, for a tsundere like her, I though a 'Thank you' would be enough...
Seriously, though...What just happened?
"D-Don't stare at me like that! I did that because I know you like it! It's a compulsion!"
She nagged me with her face all red. I smiled and look how she refused to look straight in my eyes...
...
'Ah, such a cute girl...'