Chapter 3
Yuukari walked out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around her wet hair. She honestly didn't have enough energy left in her thin arms to fling the water droplets from her hair. Before she had time to plop in her bed, she caught a little shadow shuffling through her drawers.
"Your closet is so boring." Mika turned around and looked at her dark-hair cousin. "The school uniform is the best outfit you have here."
Yuukari blinked at the intruder. "Why are you in my room?" Mika was probably the second to last person she wanted to see at the moment, the first being Akashi.
Mika, dressed in a soft purple silk nightgown, skipped onto Yuukari's bed and planted herself on one side. She patted the open space next to her, inviting the owner of the bed to join her. Yuukari let out a deep sigh and made her way next to the pretty girl.
"Heard your boyfriend got expelled." Mika smirked. "I knew something was wrong with him."
Yuukari looked at her cousin ungratefully. "What do you mean?"
Mika cocked her head to one side and feigned innocence. "Don't tell me you don't know," she teased. "Ken was expelled for blackmailing all the girls he slept with, especially the quiet ones who were too scared to speak up. To think he kept photos and videos. Good thing someone caught him before he ruined the Rakuzan student reputation...and yours."
Seeing the shock on Yuukari's face, Mika dipped her head and scanned her cousin's face.
"You didn't do anything with him right?" Mika asked curiously.
"No. Of course not."
"Didn't think so." Mika nodded and then leapt up from the bed and headed to the door. "Sweet dreams."
Yuukari watched as her talkative cousin closed the door to her room. Mika, although spoiled, had her own ways of expressing concern.
The tired girl then fell back on her bed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure about anything anymore. About Ken. About herself. About Akashi.
Could Akashi have been looking out for her?
...
Ever since the mini revelation, Yuukari did her best to avoid the redhead. She didn't know what to say if she were to meet with him. Nor would she be able to not say anything if they were to cross paths. So for the rest of the opening week, the distressed sophomore kept a low profile. Whenever she coincidentally stumbled upon the same hallway as him, she would quickly enter a classroom or change floors, whichever suitable.
But avoiding someone had its own limitations especially true in Rakuzan's tight community. The Rakuzan tradition promoted community connection through more interaction between students and staff alike.
Thus, it was no surprise that by the fourth week of school, all mentors were required to meet with their little "kouhais" and begin the first stages of "bonding." Indeed, this sounds absurd, even to the student council who runs the school.
It was bothersome to begin with, everyone agreed. But no one knew it was as good as it gets until Mika involved herself.
Mika received an invitation to her favorite concert, which happened to take place on the first day of "bonding". Unable to postpone her school spirit exercise, she decided to suggest something better. She then advised the principal to allow mentors and mentees to "bond" on their own time. Thrilled to replace the old system with Mika's "exceptional" idea, the enthusiastic principal arranged it so that student effort was raised above and beyond.
In other words, the entire schedule for the school year was rearranged. Thus, the first bonding meeting was cancelled, much to Mika's plans. The following day, a major announcement was broadcasted throughout the school. It went something like this:
"Attention all Rakuzan students. This coming Friday, all sophomore mentors paired with underclassman on the basketball team are required to attend the basketball game place after school. All mentors with underclassman participating in the art fair must attend Saturday afternoon art exhibit."
There was a long pause as the students whispered among themselves.
"If there are any inconveniences, students must prepare a reasonable excuse and submit it at least forty-eight hours in advance. Concerning students with sport practices and other activities that represent the school, drop by the main office to discuss alternative bonding times and exercises. That is all."
The girl sitting next to Yuukari nudged the former's arm. "Isn't your freshman on the basketball team?"
Yuukari's eyes widened in horror as she absorbed the information.
...
On Friday after school, Yuukari found herself sitting on the bleachers of the indoor school gym. She swallowed as she watched the school team trail in. For a second, the stunned girl made eye contact with the stoic captain of the team.
From the moment the game commenced, Yuukari was shaking, hoping the game would hurry and end. She shut her eyes to stop herself from imagining the worse. Everything was becoming way too familiar. The nostalgic feeling she got by watching the serious redhead play. She knew she had to leave right when Rakuzan wins. She was determined to just rush out with the crowd and call it a day. Do not make eye contact with the freshman. Absolutely do not follow the cheering supporters of the basketball team. Never enter the locker room with Akashi. Ever.
After two long hours of dreading, Yuukari was relieved when the buzzer sounded, marking yet another unsurprising victory of Rakuzan High. She immediately scurried down the bleachers and headed for the door that seemed so far away.
Yuukari had her eye on the door for the longest time. But right when the massive audience jammed the main exit, she spared the other direction a glance. She looked over at the Rakuzan players being approached by people. Some were congratulated by their parents for their first win of the new year. Others were praised by their cute girlfriends.
And then she caught a glimpse of a lonely figure exiting to the locker room by himself. As if sensing the girl's presence, Akashi turned around and stared straight at the shocked girl.
Yuukari whipped around to the exit, but then clenched her hand into a fist as she slowly walked towards the waiting boy.
"Congratulations," she said weakly.
Akashi nodded and turned to leave. As Yuukari watched him walk away, she couldn't help but feel unsettled. She had imagined that he would stop and tease or insult her more. She did not think that he would simply leave it at that.
"Akashi-kun." Yuukari ran a few steps until she was three feet away from him. "Thank you." She looked at him seriously.
"Why are you thanking me?"
"Because... you were looking after me. I didn't know Ken was act-"
Upon hearing those words, Akashi smirked. That was not a good sign.
"I think you got something wrong. I'm the student council president. It's only natural I keep the Rakuzan reputation clean." Akashi made a swift turn and headed to the lockers. He purposely turned around to relay a few more words. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Yuukari stood stupidly as she watched the arrogant freshman exit. Not long later, she left herself, all the way scolding herself for ever being so gullible.
...
Akashi knew it was raining heavily outside. He knew the sky was crying with him. But what he didn't understand was why he could feel droplets of water hitting his hair. He was undoubtedly under a roof, kneeling beside his late mother, in the abandoned room. Older Akashi already left with his entourage to attend a meeting. All the other relatives already retired home. Akashi shook his hair, flinging off the wet droplets and continued to cry.
In less than a few seconds, he felt himself sprinkled with water once again. The eleven year-old redhead looked up to see a taller girl tower over him.
His red eyes watched her as she wiped away the snot hanging from her nose. Whoever said girls looked the prettiest when they were crying-well, Akashi knew it was a myth.
When the girl finally stopped rubbing her eyes, she looked at the small boy in front of her.
"If you cry, Nee-chan might cry too. So please don't cry." The girl looked at the innocent boy's sad expression and then broke down once again, wetting his red hair and his black shirt.
Akashi silently stared at her and immediately stopped his own crying. He was never going to allow himself to fall to such an ugly state, never.
After a few more minutes of staring, he found the older girl rather annoying. He reached down and handed his pack of napkins to the whimpering girl.
The girl looked at the boy who offered an unnaturally crooked smile, a smile that looked both forced and pained. But she accepted the offering and rubbed his short hair.
...
Yuukari shot up from her reclined position. The tired girl shook her head and slowly lied back down.
"He's completely changed now."
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