Chapter 4
"I see. . ." Shuichi spoke as Nyoko finished telling him about how she knew Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"And I am so sorry about Yusuke," Nyoko spoke. 'I can't believe he threw a rock at Shuichi!' Nyoko knew she should be angry at Yusuke but he was far more important than Shuichi. After all, Yusuke was her friend and Shuichi was just a high school crush. 'Still Yusuke needs to learn some manners. . .'
"It's quite alright," Shuichi spoke, smiling. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you. Will yo—"
"Kokoro!" it was a familiar male voice. Nyoko looked to see a young man of eighteen with shoulder-length black hair tied back and eyes that are not quite blue but indigo. He was familiar somehow to Nyoko but she couldn't put her finger on it. "I'm hurt. You can't remember me. It's been like a year." His eyes held a mischievous twinkle. "The Knight has returned to honor the Princess of Kendo."
"Kurokin?" Nyoko couldn't help but smiled. He always called her 'Princess' to tell her that she was improving. Let's just say, Nyoko wasn't good at kendo in the beginning. "What happened? Your. . ." 'Shit.' Nyoko couldn't finish her sentence, thinking it might offend Ronin Kurokin.
"Thank the wonders of medicinal. . .stuff," Ronin sweatdropped. Obviously he didn't know what the treatment he had was called.
"You look good," Nyoko spoke, slightly remembering what Ronin looked like because of the incident involved at his home. 'You can't even see the scar and burn tissues.' Sometimes Nyoko wanted to forget that day. Ronin had allowed Mr. Momoki, the teacher in charge of the school kendo, to use his house for a kendo meeting on Sunday. When the meeting was over and everyone was leaving, Nyoko left her book at Ronin's place. For a brief moment, Nyoko closed her eyes. She didn't want to remember what she saw. In fact, Nyoko was the one who called the hospital.
". . .So you're a junior rather than a senior, correct?" Shuichi had been talking to Ronin while Nyoko spaced out for a moment.
"Yeah," scowled Ronin. "It sucks. . .I have to wait even longer to graduate."
'He looks so different,' Nyoko thought. 'His hair used to be a dark shade of brown and since when did his eyes have some purple in them?' "Well, the others will be pleased to have you back on the team," Nyoko smiled.
"Yup," Ronin yawned. "So who's this Katsuma dude? I have him for Biology."
"Mr. Katsuma had replaced Mr. Synix a couple weeks back," explained Shuichi, smiling. His smile did not appear to reach his eyes. Nyoko wondered why or maybe she was just imagining it. "Nyoko and I have him for third period."
Nyoko also didn't like the gleam in Ronin's eyes. "Oh, really," Ronin smirked. "I have him for that period as well. So, since when have you two become close?
"We've been having lunch together," Shuichi stated. "So, naturally, we're using our first names."
'It was just one lunch,' Nyoko thought. Maybe she should talk to Yusuke and ask him what the deal was with guys. They act hostile at one another. She sweatdropped. Maybe she shouldn't ask Yusuke.
"I see. . ." Ronin just grinned and linked arms with Nyoko. "Well, I will need Kokoro to fill me in on what's going on in kendo, Minamino."
'I wish I could turn invisible,' Nyoko felt like disappearing. Her cheeks warmed at Ronin's action.
"Well, Nyoko and I are not done discussing yet," Shuichi spoke, linking his arm on the other side of Nyoko.
"Why do I feel like singing 'We're Off to See the Wizard'?" Nyoko spoke her thoughts out loud. Both boys looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Sorry." 'Too many American movies for me. . . .'
'Weird. . .' From the amount of time, Nyoko knew Kai, he was never absent from school. Now shouldn't that brighten up her day? The answer was no. Here Nyoko was in Biology, seated in the first row and by the door with Ronin on her left and Shuichi right behind her. It was nerve-wreaking. She rather have Ronin behind her than Shuichi. 'Just ignore it.' Nyoko kept getting vibes that Shuichi was staring at her from behind. Of course, he wouldn't. She assumed he would be, as always, buried into the Biology lesson.
"Miss Kokoro, name one organelle which is said to have its own DNA," Mr. Katsuma said. He was around his late twenties but he was quite a looker with wavy locks of chestnut brown and intense blue eyes.
'Think, Nyoko.' She raked her mind to remember the reading she'd done two nights ago. "Mitochondria." 'Please let it be right.'
"Good," Mr. Katsuma nodded. "Can anyone name the other organelle? Miss Tanuka?"
Nyoko turned her head to look at Cho who had been passing a note to Maya. Biology wasn't Cho's favorite subject. It was her worse. The reason she kept up her grades was because of one thing.
"Chloroplast," Cho smiled at Mr. Katsuma. He nodded at her. Mr. Katsuma was the kind of guy teacher whom every high school girl ends up thinking he's sexy.
"Now, if you all will turn to page. . . ." Mr. Katsuma began to write on the board to discuss the lesson.
Nyoko blinked. A note had landed on her desk and she glanced at Ronin who was looking with mock-interest at the board but a smirk adored his face. She read the note:
Is it just me or is the V.P. of Minamino's fan club checking out the Katman?
'So he noticed. . .' Nyoko quickly wrote back:
She's not the only one. Most of the girls who'd seen him does.
Making sure, Mr. Katsuma wasn't looking, Nyoko passed the note back to Ronin. Not even ten seconds had passed when Nyoko received the note back. It read:
Are you one of them?
'What the hell?!' Nyoko quickly wrote and sent the note back with:
HELL NO!
The note she got back nearly made her want to hit her head on her desk.
Good because he's a pedifiler.
Nyoko's eye twitched and she crumpled up the piece of paper. Then, without warning, a piece of paper landed on top of her opened textbook. She opened it up to read:
What'cha do that for?
She looked at Ronin who was looking back at her. 'Kami, it's just like having a smarter, older Yusuke around in school.' "Huh?" she had faintly heard Mr. Katsuma say something.
"Miss Kokoro, I asked if you knew the equation for glucose," Mr. Katsuma frowned at Nyoko's lack of attention.
Nyoko's face grew hot with embarrassment. "It's C6H12O6."
"Good," Mr. Katsuma wrote the equation on the board. "Can anyone tell me the formula for photosynthesis? Mr. Minamino?"
"CO2 plus H2O yields C6H12O6 plus O2," Shuichi spoke from behind Nyoko. Ronin snorted and Nyoko thought she heard him say 'nerd'.
"Mr. Kurokin, can you tell me how to balance this formula out?" Mr. Katsuma questioned, looking with slight distaste at Ronin.
"If you say so," Ronin smirked. "Place a six in front of CO2 as well a six in front of H2O and a six in front of O2."
'Wow. . .that was fast,' Nyoko saw the disbelief look in Mr. Katsuma's eyes.
"Correct," Mr. Katsuma went back to the board. . . .
"Nyoko, I have been asking to ask you something before Kurokin interrupted this morning," Shuichi spoke as the two of them were on the roof for lunch.
'Oh yeah. . .' Nyoko sweatdropped. She had completely forgotten when Ronin entered back into her school life. "What is it?"
Shuichi smiled, "If you weren't doing anything this Saturday, I wish to spend time with you."
'NO WAY! He's asking me out?!' Nyoko mentally squealed while she blushed. Then it hit her. She was supposed to meet Yusuke and lie to her mother that she was going to the library. "I'm sorry, Shuichi." 'This sucks. . .' "You see, I have plans this Saturday."
"I understand," Shuichi spoke. Just then a voice spoke out.
"I'm hurt. You rather spend time with Minamino than your fellow kendoka," it was Ronin. He sat on Nyoko's other side which reminded Nyoko of the other day where she was between Shuichi and Kai. Yet this time, she didn't really mind the two boys. "Since when did Kokoro decide to oppose Minamino's fan club? You do know if one of them finds out, you're dead."
"I won't allow any harm come to Nyoko because of me," Shuichi spoke coolly.
Ronin snorted, "Sure, you're not the type to abandon friends." There was something in his tone of voice that Nyoko suspected Ronin was being sarcastic as if he knew Shuichi would abandon his friends.
"Unlike you, Kurokin, I don't pass a note, telling Nyoko that our teacher is a pedifiler," Shuichi stated.
'How did he know?' Nyoko thought. Was Shuichi really looking at her during class and read the notes given? Also she felt that she was being treated as if she weren't there. It was like a contest between the two young men.
Ronin rolled his eyes, "At least I can pass notes, Mr. 'I'm so perfect,'" Nyoko wondered why Ronin was acting rather cold to Shuichi. "By the way, Mr. Momoki wanted to let you know that today's meeting is cancelled, Kokoro."
"Thank you for telling me, Kurokin," Nyoko said, relieved that they hadn't forgotten her. 'I'll never understand guys.'
"Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Nyoko turned to see Cho who was grinning.
Cho giggled, "You know. Are you and Ronin together or something?" Nyoko stared at her with a raised eyebrow. Cho's grin faded. "You're not? I think you should be. Didn't you see the way he looks at you? Also you and him were passing notes. I say, you should claim him before any other girl does."
"Why?" Nyoko questioned. 'I only think of Ronin as a friend. It's Shuichi that I have a crush on.'
Cho's jaw dropped. "Nyoko, what's wrong with you? Ronin's now sexy! Just wait. . .there might be a club for him as well."
"Er. . .he's just my friend," Nyoko stated. As a result, Cho stood in front of her and stopped her from walking.
"As smart as you are, you're stupid. If a hott guy has eyes for you, you better take him or it's too late," explained Cho as if it were a fact.
"Like Shuichi?" Nyoko couldn't help but say his name. 'Uh oh. . .'
Cho sighed and patted Nyoko's shoulder. "Shuichi is shared by the club but Maya has claims on him. I know I should go and get angry at you but you're my friend. Also I know you don't even like Shuichi."
'If only she knew. . .' Nyoko smiled at Cho. "Cho, you're a good friend."
"I know," Cho shrugged as if it were a proven fact. "So," she said slyly, "what were you and Ronin writing about?"
'Mr. Katsuma. . .' Nyoko thought, knowing Cho wouldn't like it if she said that. "About kendo."
Cho made a face. "I know you love kendo but can't you just let it go to the guys. As girls, we are here to provide beauty."
"I can't," Nyoko said. 'I rather be a kendoka than spent hours putting on makeup and making sure what I wear is in style.'
"Then at least get rid of that Senaka," Cho spoke with disgust. "Do you want me to handle him for you?"
"You won't hurt or humiliate him, will you?" Nyoko knew how the Shuichi Fan Club acted toward anyone they didn't like.
"Whatever," Cho spoke. Then she brightened, "Did you see me in class? I knew the answer and Mr. Katsuma smiled at me." Nyoko nodded and listened as Cho babbled on. . . .
"At least, I didn't see Yusuke or Kuwabara," Nyoko sighed as she wrapped her green towel around her. "Wow. . .it is quiet." Her parents and brother had gone to visit her grandparents in Kyoto for the weekend. Her sister, on the other hand, was sleeping over with friends of hers for the weekend. So Nyoko had the whole house to herself. 'Won't need to bother asking. . .' Nyoko could see Yusuke without telling her mother that she was going to the library.
Stepping into her room, she blinked. Hadn't Nyoko left her light on? Using the light from the bathroom, which connected her and her sister's rooms, she crossed her room to find the switch. As her fingers groped for the switch, she heard the bathroom door slam.
"Took you long enough," a deep, velvety voice whispered into her ear.