NOTE: After deliberation, I have finally decided to rewrite Chapters 1-6 because the difference between my prior work and my current one was simply too big. They were updated on 07/23/11! Please read them too~

Chapter 10
Side Effects

It's strange how much I am affected by her...

Who was this person, the one who is teasing and boldly touching this girl as if it was nothing? When was the last time I was able laugh and smile like this? Or rather, did I ever even smile or laugh this much in the past? I have no such recollection... In a life such as my own, was it even possible?

Even Touya, having known me for a quite a long time, would be surprised at my sudden change in attitude if he was here at this moment.

She, indubitably, is the only possible cause for this... And only she knows this side of me...

I intend to keep it that way.

An intrusive knock resonated from the entrance to the Student Council room, disrupting the halcyon atmosphere that settled between us and causing me to halt my actions; already, the spell she always seems to keep me under has begun to dissipate, leaving me defenceless to the world.

Noticing my change in demeanour, she put down the pen and paper that she held and looked up at me questioningly; she looked so much like an alarmed doe that I had to restrain myself, a nearly impossible feat, from reaching out and patting her on the head to calm her.

"It's merely Touya with your uniform." I reassured her as I stood and she nodded in response, seemingly caught between following me and staying in her seat. "Just wait one moment, please."

I quickly headed toward the door and took a deep breath, to regain my composure and to hide that "other self" of mine of which only she would ever know. As I suspected, the person who waited on the other side of the door was Touya, who I then instructed to lead Haine to the council's washroom in order for her to change into her dry apparel.

Closing the door, I turned to see Touya bow to her and tell her that she was to follow him. She nodded shyly then rose from her seat while lifting the blanket from her petite frame and beginning to fold it. I almost laughed upon seeing Touya, being who he is, refuse to let her do so and insist that she leave "such menial tasks to himself", I could almost hear him say, whilst an aghast expression decorated his face though Haine wordlessly matched him in insistence to do the task, refusing to let him take the poor blanket from her possession.

I hid the smile that crept upon my face as I strode to them and carefully retrieved the blanket from Haine's grasp, surprising both of them when I did so. "I will be taking this, if either of you don't mind. If this continues any longer, you will catch a cold." I stated simply before either of them could begin to protest again; they both turned a light shade of red and Touya began apologizing profusely.

"No matter," I tell them both curtly. "Now Touya, if you would please." Touya nodded and urged her to accompany him. She followed obediently however she momentarily turned back to me and gave a timid smile that nearly made me flush myself. "Until we meet again, Haine," I bade her evenly and she nodded in accordance then followed Touya away.

At the moment that they were not to be seen, I collapsed into the couch, burying my reddened face into the damp blanket. 'What on Earth is happening to me?'

The familiar ring of the school bell resonated in the classroom, finally indicating the beginning of lunch time. Though a while has passed since the school year began, nothing has changed in regards to the behaviour of my classmates toward me. They continue to stare at me like an exhibit on display, debating amongst themselves, none too secretively, about whether they should approach me though too intimidated by the name of "Touguu" to ever do so.

Although that never quite stops everybody.

"Hey, Taka-Taka! Oh, and Touya too!" The loud voice that came from across the room penetrated through the noise characteristic of this time of day.

I immediately felt the gaze of my classmates concentrate on me and heard the volume in the room diminish significantly. This seemed to have become the customary reaction of these people whenever the slightest bit of attention is somehow focused on me and I've fallen into the practice of ignoring them on such occasions.

I sighed at the nickname the yakuza conjured. Despite his less-than-graceful behaviour and unkempt appearance, he happens to actually be sociable and intelligent, in certain things at least. I've grown accustomed to him, somewhat involuntarily, seeing as he seems to enjoy forcing himself into my company, such as right now, however, there are some things to which I refuse to be accustomed.

"Maguri, how many times must I repeat myself? Please, I beseech you, stop calling me that." I told him in exasperation and added to myself, 'Especially when there are actually people around to listen!'

He pouted at me as he settled into the empty seat next to me. "Fine! Would you prefer Maora's nickname then?"

I cringed. "No, please don't."

"Well, I have to call you something!"

Sometimes, this person tires me entirely.

"Just Takanari… Let's just leave it as that."

He grinned victoriously, though I fail to see how that merits such an attitude. Immediately, he jumped up from his seat, pulling me up with him. "Well, then, Takanari! Let's go eat lunch! Maora's trying to find the other two right now so that we can all eat together."

'Ah,' I thought, suddenly noticing Maora's absence from the room, as he was our classmate, and remembering the elaborate new plans that the cross-dresser whispered excitedly to his demented pet earlier in the week as if it could actually understand him (although it was loud enough for me to hear about it from ten meters away). 'One of Maora's "Let's Become Friends" meals, I see.'

"Haven't I told you at this morning's meeting that I have to do something at the council room?" I asked, releasing my arm from his grip; he pouted childishly again when I did so. 'No, of course you wouldn't know because you're practically asleep in morning meetings!'

"Really?" Maguri said, confirming my thoughts. "Well, you can do it after you eat; you should always eat your meals first so that you have enough energy to work!" Touya, as I could see peripherally, was nodding fervently in agreement, looking euphoric to find someone finally agreeing with him. 'Honestly, are both of you my parents?' I laughed mordantly in my head at the stray thought; 'No… neither of them have even acted this way toward me before.'

"I can work while eating." I stated, gathering my belongings. "Moreover, didn't I tell you this morning to hand in the club reports to the head office by lunch time?"

As expected, Maguri looked away guiltily then attempted, poorly- might I add, to distract me with some imaginary butterfly that was supposedly flying in the air above his head.

"Maguri, I won't eat lunch with you if you continuously refrain from paying attention during Student Council meetings." I began to head toward the door with Touya dutifully at my side but Maguri's persistent hand refused to let me pass.

"Alright, alright! I'll hand it in after lunch and stop staying up late watching yakuza movies if you come eat lunch with us first." Maguri bargained seriously while I stared at him, dumbfounded. 'That's what you've been doing every day? The reason why I've been staying after school for an extra hour to finish your work this past week is because of yakuza movies?'

I couldn't, however, punish him for his irresponsibility in the many colourful ways I was currently imagining, though I would have dearly loved to right at that moment, due to the fact that there were still many people present in the room, watching the entire exchange between the two of us. Any scandal about me, no matter how small, would shock them greatly, I would imagine.

"Alright," I conceded grudgingly, earning a small cheer from Maguri, which leads me to doubt his already questionable sincerity.

"Let's go!" Without another word, or much say in the matter, I was dragged away to, knowing Maora's personality, a strange unknown place.

When we arrived at the designated meeting place, in this case- the Aerial Garden, only Amamiya-san was sitting on a picnic blanket amidst the lush expanse of green under the canopy of an aged Mongolian Oak, peacefully reading a novel.

"Good afternoon, Amamiya-san." I greeted politely, hiding the strange disappointment that a certain brunette was not currently in attendance. She murmured a greeting to us both and proceeded to read her book silently.

Amamiya and I have a rather curious relationship. Our mirror personalities enable us to understand each other to a superficial extent, I suppose, and magnetically repel us as well. Thus, we never really exchange words other than the usual greeting or when absolutely imperative. After all, a misanthrope would not necessarily be drawn to one of the same nature merely for that reason. In any case, Maguri provided us with any unnecessary babble that we both lacked.

While I read through school reports that I brought with me as we waited for the others, I felt some unidentifiable sensation on my leg. I hesitantly looked down to see the odd mass of white and brown fur bouncing on my leg and immediately cringed away; I will never get used to this thing. "Maora," I said in a constricted voice, knowing that he was nearby from the appearance of the creature on my limb, "please control your… thing."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Taka-chama? He's Okorimakuri, the miniature sheep!"

Frankly, I didn't care what it was called or what it was as long as it was off me. It can be a bit traumatizing to see a mutant bellwether glaring face at such a close range as it repeatedly hops on you.

"Then would you please control your miniature sheep?"

Maora pouted wilfully though he, thankfully, removed the sheep from my person and carried it, along with the large basket of food that I hadn't noticed earlier due to my earlier predicament, to an empty spot on the blanket.

Amidst the unrelenting banter that now ensued between the blonde and the eccentric, there was still something amiss. "Where is Otomiya-san?"

Amamiya gave me an indiscernible look before returning her gaze to the volume in her hands.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Maora said as he arranged the array of oriental delicacies at the centre of our circle. "Haine-chan has work right now. I tried to convince her to leave the work to the other employees but she insisted. She did say that she'll try to come later."

I nodded vaguely at his response as they began eating. I did recall her wearing the staff uniform while cleaning the entrance earlier today but I never asked her why. This was, after all, a school primarily filled by the wealthy so it had never before crossed my mind that a student would need employment.

'It doesn't matter… Her personal matters shouldn't concern me…' I took a grape and looked up. Amamiya caught my eye and gave me the same indescribable gaze before she closed her book and abruptly rose from the blanket.

"Thank you for the food." With that, she turned on her heel and strode away, ignoring Maora's constant calls.

"I wonder what that was about." Maguri voiced out what was clearly in everyone's minds then proceeded to eat once again, scattering bits of meat around him.

Maora glared at him and hit him with surprising strength over the crown of his head. "It's probably because of your boorish eating habits! Stupid Maguri!"

"HEY! What was that for?"

I sighed mentally while their more-than-verbal spar continued though Touya was futilely attempting to reconcile them. I took the opportunity to take one last glance at the closed entrance before retracting my eyes to the reports I brought with me.

The glass doors did not open again until we left.

"Are you alright, Takanari-sama?"

Having just awoken from a short after-school nap on the sofa in my personal office, I was caught completely unawares by Touya's question. I blinked at him questioningly and stifled a yawn, letting the smooth low notes of a Beethoven minuet playing on the CD player fill the momentary silence of our conversation. "Of course I am. What would lead you to believe otherwise?"

He shrugged innocently as he poured me a cup of Earl Grey then set it next to the pile of papers, which was unnecessarily taller due to Maguri's insistence that I should eat lunch before starting on my work, on the desk. "You seem somewhat different from when school first started."

I nearly tripped on the coffee table on the way to my desk at his statement. Fixing an indifferent expression on my face, I said, "Surely you've been imagining it. I'm the same as I have always been. Perhaps you've been working too hard; you should take a break for once."

Touya chortled and took a seat on the sofa I had previously vacated nevertheless. "Not as much as you have. Becoming the Koutei right when you enter high school is quite a challenge." His eyes enlarged at his own words and his mouth automatically sealed itself. His nervous gaze met my steady one hesitantly.

"Such, as you know, is the power of the Touguu." I said briefly and added under my breath, "but they never seem to have enough." I sipped my drink calmly and shifted my gaze back to the stack of papers before me.

Touya breathed out heavily and eyed me uneasily. "Sorry."

I waved off his apology casually, "No need," and then looked up to give him a reassuring smile.

"You have changed." He continued from our previous dialogue as if nothing had occurred. With a nostalgic smile that hid his true thoughts from me, he added, "I haven't seen that smile in a while."

My eyes widened involuntarily. I stole a fleeting glance at my hands, the only part of me that had any contact, though innocent in nature, with her potent skin. Though hours have passed since our earlier encounter, I could almost imagine the warmth emitted by her alabaster skin on mine. The indecency of such train of thought caused me to bite my bottom lip inconspicuously in an attempt to control the slow reddening of my face, something that has seemed to become a regular side effect to thoughts involving her.

She was like the most intoxicating drug, with side effects that were several times as strong, and I was the compliant drug addict.

'Is her effect on me really this strong?'

"Your imagination…" I finally murmured, releasing the breath I didn't notice I was holding. "It's just your imagination, Touya. Now, get some rest; I'll wake you in an hour."

AN: Hello again, minna; it's been a while! I've been busy, and I'm sure you guys have too but thank you so very much for still taking the time to read this incompetent author's work!

Anyway, in regards to this chapter, I finally got to show more interaction between Takanari and the other the characters in the story.

So… I hope you eagerly anticipate the continuation of the story (whenever I have time to update...)!