Chapter 9

Saviour

I smiled secretively, making sure that my head was turned towards the closed folder in front of me, hidden from view, though my mind was clearly focused on the person at the head of the table instead. That small gesture was all I needed.

Ushio tapped my elbow lightly when I did not open the folder as instructed. I flipped it immediately and looked down the list of Student Council members. It felt weird to be a part of such a prestigious group of people when I was so plain and imperfect. I could practically see the chasm between me and the rest of them as I looked at each of their names, knowing that each of them had a right to be there whereas I did not.

"Wait a minute," I thought, my eyes resting on the name "Ichinomiya Yoshitaka". "Who's that?" I glimpsed back at the rest of the names and looked around the table quickly with a bewildered expression.

"EH?!"

Maora looked at my face, my shock evident there, in amusement. "Surprised Haine-chan?" She, er… He laughed. I flushed.

Darn it, Maora is just so cute, and I'm- I'm not even close! Even in femininity, I'm inferior- to a man!

That's just depressing.

"Haine, hurry up or I'll leave without you!" Kusame called from the foyer. I immediately gulped down the rest of my breakfast, nearly choking, and dashed out the kitchen, waving farewell to our parents.

Kusame, my adorable little brother, attends Teikoku Gakuen's Middle School division so we walk to school together. Unlike me, he's very talented and intelligent- with a list of achievements I can never name completely.

Also unlike me, he was chosen as the Middle School Student Council because of his abilities, not because a (somewhat psychotic) teacher practically forced it on the Koutei.

As I mused, we stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to change colours. Suddenly, Kusame turned to me and asked, "Are you still planning on working part-time?"

I turned in surprise; 'How did he find that out?'

"I mean, judging from the past week of school, Student Council work takes up a lot of your time; you don't have to add more to the list of things your already have to do. Besides, we're not overly poor, I'm sure whatever you need money for-"

Before he could continue dissuading me, as I expected him to do, I lifted my index finger to my lips with a smile, effectively silencing his words, and pointed at the green pedestrian light. We fell into step with each other, keeping the silence though it was evident that he had more to say.

He's too mature for his age; this, I blame on my accident. He shouldn't worry about such things; he shouldn't bear my burdens, none of them should feel the need to. I will bear them my own way, one little thing at a time…

"I'll be fine, don't worry!" I signed. He looked at me uncertainly; I merely smiled. He needn't know my motives.

"What about you? How's the Middle school Student Council?" I asked him, trying to stray from the earlier topic.

It worked. He immediately dove into an animated rant on the "incompetence of certain members, the lack of discipline in some, the harem of girls that always seemed to follow his friend who was also a member of the council, and, most especially, the arrogance and naïveté of the president."

I chuckled. Though he was mature for his age, he was still a boy after all.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I set down my broom and sat down at a nearby bench by the shade of the large school building. After painstaking effort, the path from the gate to the school's main entrance had finally been cleared of fallen leaves, which were now neatly piled directly in front of me.

As I took a sip from the water bottle I brought with me, I heard the familiar beginnings of the Ohairi in the distance and debated whether I should go as well. But as I was deciding, Okorimakuri jumped on my lap from out of nowhere and scared me to pieces. I leapt to my feet, my mouth wide in fright, letting out a scream that would never be heard.

At my abrupt jump, Maora's pet fell to the ground and proceeded to skip away from me, straight toward my carefully piled leaves.

'No, don't do that!' I yelled at it internally and stepped forward to grab it before it could ruin my work. My hands managed to grip his sides (at least I think it's a male) but my legs refused to cooperate with me. The broom I had previously used somehow got caught between my feet and I ended up creating the mess I was attempting to prevent.

Kusame always did say that I was clumsy beyond belief.

'Mou! Darn demented alien sheep-thingy!' I mumbled silently at Okorimakuri, who managed to escape from my grasp during my fall and was currently frolicking into the bushes as I glared at him. 'If he just wasn't Mao-chan's pet, I would have-'

A cough behind me interrupted my train of thought. I turned in surprise to see Takanari-sama and Touya-kun looking at me in amusement; Touya-kun, in particular, was trying to remain as polite as possible by hiding his giggles behind the bag, I presume belongs to Takanari-sama, he was holding but the obvious tremors of his shoulders were enough to give him away.

I flushed, wanting to vanish from sight immediately- not only from embarrassment but because, even after a week, every cell in my body jumps at the mere sight of Takanari-sama. Ever since that previous encounter, however, I haven't actually spent any time with him, except for the brief moments during the morning meetings with the Student Council (during which he has only spoken in that "business-like manner", addressing everyone in the group as we discussed school issues) since he's swarmed by so many duties as Koutei. Judging from the nervousness I currently felt, it might be a good thing I haven't been alone with him since.

"Would you like some help?" Takanari-sama offered nonchalantly, leaning forward and extending his arm for my reach. Though he wore a casual expression, his azure eyes betrayed his mirth. I pouted and grudgingly took his hand, revelling once again at its warmth and he pulled me to my feet easily.

As I dusted off the dirt on my new uniform, he picked up the broom at my feet and said, "I believe this belongs to you."

Childishly, I puffed my cheeks, something I'm sure no respectable person at school would do in front of the Koutei, but I guess I wasn't really considered one of those; I was the "mute girl" after all.

I nodded in thanks and hastily took the broom from his grasp before turning to leave quickly, resisting the strange immature urge to look back and stick out my tongue at them for no reason at all.

It's a good thing I stopped myself from doing so too… Because, already, I could hear Touya-kun lose his restrain, allowing louder chortles escape from behind the bag covering his face.

"Augh! Get the fire extinguisher!!!"

"The stove is on fire!!!"

"Hurry up!"

"Stop, drop, and roll!"

I stood guiltily in the corner of the Home Economics room, under strict orders not to move unless told otherwise, drenched by the sprinklers, as chaos ensued around me. I would have helped… If I wouldn't just create more disaster by doing so.

As I silently prayed for repentance for my non-existent cooking skills, which caused this incident, Ushio approached me, holding a towel in her arms as well as a tray of slightly burnt, floury cookies.

"These managed to survive." She told me comfortingly, omitting the fact that every other creation I've ever attempted to cook ended in catastrophe. Well, at least this was an improvement- they still looked edible if only slightly unappetizing.

She urged me to the door, handing me the tray she held, saying, "Miruko-sensei said that you can eat those outside while everything settles down in here."

I looked at her remorsefully but Ushio simply smiled and wrapped the towel around my shoulders. "Go get changed before you catch a cold." I nodded hesitantly and stepped out the door.

'Wa~ I can't do anything right!' I complained crouching down on the floor dejectedly, the tray of cookies at my side. 'Now, I'm not only the "mute girl" but I'm also the "harbinger of disaster". Now that will give the people around school something to talk about!'

I fought against the insistent tears, burying my head in my arms. 'I don't belong here…'

"Are you alright?"

Surprised, I looked up quickly and almost smiled at the irony of the sight of my blue-haired saviour once again. What an appropriate name for him.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Takanari-sama asked worriedly, kneeling to look at me directly in the eyes. I shook my head in response, knowing that he had already deciphered that as the concern in his eyes lessened.

"Touya," He addressed his companion with a turn of his head in Touya-kun's direction, "If you would please fetch her spare uniform from the storage room?" Touya-kun bowed and hurried off, leaving the two of us alone together.

Immediately after Touya-kun's departure, he busied himself with the cookies at my side, taking the tray in his arms wordlessly. I watched him in equal silence, feeling even guiltier than I already was; why is it that I cause so much trouble for everyone? And, once again, I'm the cause of the worry in his eyes.

"Can you stand?"

For the second time today, he stooped down with his hand outstretched for me. I looked up at his hand then up at him hesitantly, unwilling to burden him anymore than I already have. His brows knitted together in concern and he crouched down once again to meet my eyes with his irresistible ones.

He held his hand inches from my own and entreated, with unwavering eyes, "Come with me, Haine."

The sound of my name on his lips prompted me as if it was a magic spell.

I grasped his hand timidly and allowed myself to be led to the Student Council room, not daring to release my delicate hold of his fingertips to cherish that miniscule gesture in that fleeting expanse of time.

Upon our arrival at the Student Council Room, Takanari-sama set the tray on a nearby table and turned his attention back to me, as I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

After some deliberation, he asked tentatively, "did anyone do this to you?"

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. 'Did anyone do what? Set the Home Economics room on fire? Nope, that was all me.' I thought sardonically though I was genuinely uncertain as to what he meant.

Noting my bewilderment, he walked toward me until we were slightly less than an arm's length apart. I could practically feel my face turning red- if the growing warmth of my face was any indication. At our proximity, I feared that he could hear the violent thudding of my heart despite my best efforts to calm down.

I closed my eyes nervously as his arm reached past my head. Only when I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders did I open them and realize that he was now holding the towel Ushio had given me. Just like that time, he was entirely focused on his actions; his gentle touch, which was formerly wiping away tears on my cheek, was now drying my damp tresses in the same therapeutic manner.

"Stay still."

I tried my best to obey but, already, I could feel my knees weaken at his touch. Even the smallest touch sent tremors in my body.

Clearly, he doesn't know what he does to me.

When he was satisfied with his work, he set the towel down and instructed me to take off my sodden uniform jacket and disappeared into his study to search for something.

As I did what I was told, I abruptly realized what he had meant by his question. 'Oh… He thought someone was bullying me again…'

Fortunately, the past week went by with no major incident; I was mostly ignored due to my muteness and occasionally, I heard a few less than kind words about me when they thought I could not hear them but it has always been this way since I lost my voice. Most people can't seem to accept a mute; I was generally tolerated because I was under the protection of the Student Council, or more precisely- the Koutei.

I bit my lip. He is much too kind to me.

He arrived as noiselessly as he had earlier in the hallway and draped a blanket around me just as I placed my soaked jacket on top of the discarded towel. "Touya should be arriving soon with your extra uniform," he said into my ear from behind me as he wrapped the blanket around my frame, sending involuntary chills down my spine. "It would be unfortunate if you were to fall ill so early into the new school year so please sit by the fireplace and don't take off this blanket."

I sat down obediently, hoping that no one would mind the fact that I was getting the undoubtedly expensive armchair wet, and watched Takanari-sama sit across from me, unexpectedly holding my tray of cookies.

"These are yours, I presume?"

Humiliated, I nodded unhappily. 'Great- now he knows that I fail at cooking too!'

Without warning, he took one and popped it into his mouth. I stared in shock, my hand stuck in mid-air in my motion to prevent him from eating it.

'Oh no- then I'll truly be the "harbinger of doom"! What if he dies from food poisoning?!' I thought in a panic, knowing the horrors of my own cooking.

Thankfully, the cookies weren't as bad as I feared- although he did choke slightly and set the tray down on the coffee table, with the obvious intention of refraining from touching it. Despite this, he smiled politely and said that they were good but strangely floury, making me giggle in response.

"It's good that you're feeling better now," he said. "You looked somewhat as you did before…"

I shook my head hastily, wanting to ease his unnecessary worry. I searched my pockets for my notebook only to realize that it was still moist so I looked around for a piece of paper only to be given one, as well as a pen, by Takanari-sama.

"I'm fine, really. No one was responsible for this." I wrote carefully.

He quirked an eyebrow. "And you're soaked to the bone, why?"

Grudgingly, I penned, "There was an accident in the Home Economics room so the sprinklers were activated."

He nodded and looked at my cookies then back at me with a slight smirk. "I see."

I pouted at his teasing. He gave a small laugh- brief but melodic nevertheless.

I smiled unconsciously; the Takanari I knew isn't gone, just buried underneath that cold façade. I wanted to draw that inner self out; I wanted to return to those day, fresh in my mind yet forgotten in his. Each time a little part of that former self peeked through, it recoiled almost immediately, but I still want to try. No matter how many people talk behind my back or ignore me, if at least one person can make me feel this sensation, one that I can't even begin to describe, I can keep pushing on.

(AN: Okay... not so pleased with this chapter... especially the end- I was getting a brain cramp or something. I'm hoping I can make it better in the future. But for now, it will do.*sigh* Sorry for my incompetence.

The smaller details will be explained sooner or later so please keep on reading!)