Finally free from the two-week hellish training! Although I've not been satisfied with my performance, I don't like risking another set of pushups.
In all honesty, Fudou is my second favorite character, right after the ever popular Kazemaru. :3
Disclaimer: All rights reserved and yadda yadda!
15: The Redirection
If one hand doesn't work, the other might...
Descendants of Kageyama heritage and/or of a Megamino bloodline were quick to recover from any kinds of shock. And Sokudone was no different, adopted or orphaned.
"I don't exactly know what's happening, but Shachō's a little...edgy today."
"Oh, Maki, the trouble I caused her the other day!" Hiroto had positioned into a Muslim bow with his pillow on his head. "I didn't intend to have her on probation, but Oshino-donno was—"
"Whoa, whoa, wait." Maki hadn't heard from her superior since that Saturday phone call, so she had assumed everything had gone well. "Probation?"
"Good morning, Kurokawa-san," The school president greeted without looking up from the paper she was writing on. "This is my probationary officer, Gohin Takahiro-kun. Be nice." The older man who stood behind Sokudone curtly nodded at Maki, and the seated blackette was eerily silent.
"Good morning, Shachō, Gohin-san," Was all Maki could sputter as she placed her documents on the secretary's desk. "Um, Shachō..."
"Yes?"
"May I speak with you in private?" Maki's light violet eyes were glued on the tall officer whose eyes still had not fled her superior's back. Although the president was silent, Sokudone was tense. "Gohin-kun?"
"Three minutes."
Maki was taken aback. What exactly just happened to the powerful justice-seeking Kageyama Sokudone she respected? Just who was this Oshino person to waltz in and chain her? "Kurokawa-san," Sokudone had never addressed her that way, and although there were people who did, it felt alien coming from the blackette's mouth. "Perhaps later, after school. I've yet to do many things for the Valentine's Ball," The pale teenager stood and handed the paper to the maroon-haired officer. "She and I have classes to attend. Excuse us."
Sokudone grabbed her bag and marched briskly to the door. She was still uncharacteristically quiet, but even Maki could hear her parting words echoing throughout as the doors creaked close.
'Not a word until dismissal.'
"Hey," A spiky-haired brunette tossed a paperball in front of him. His target flinched but didn't turn. Genda threw another piece again as the History teacher droned on about Japan's involvement in World War II. "Oi." The keeper could barely hear, but a soft hum coming from the front indicated his frontmate's response. "What?"
"Kuro told us everything. You're on probation?"
"Genda-kun, I suggest you listen to the lecture rather than create one of your own at the back," The teacher raised his voice a little to emphasize his ire. "Answer: what was Emperor Hirohito's contribution to the start of the war?"
"Nothing, sensei," Genda stood, as was tradition when one had to answer. "He was powerless, and the military faction did all the work." The teacher couldn't blame Genda's excelling grades; the boy may have talked often in class, but he picked up on his teacher's words. "And who led this faction?"
Sokudone raised her hand; she was quite the competitive one. "Hideki Tojo was the mastermind behind Japan's operations, sensei."
As she sat back down and the teacher proceeded to the next topic, Hideki Tojo, Genda leaned forward again. "Probation, Done."
"I told her not a word!" The latter rasped as mutely as she could. "When were you going to tell us?" The question had caught Sokudone off-guard for a moment. She didn't like being hypocritical: Koujirou had failed to tell her things she deserved to know, and really, she didn't want to make the same mistake as he did. "When the period was over…so you didn't have to worry by then."
"What do you plan to do now?" Sakuma asked as the trio, minus Kidou, sat down on a table nearby the floor-to-ceiling windows at the cafeteria. "Your every move as school president is being monitored, and even if you didn't do anything wrong, it's basically your death by the officer's hand."
"Thank you," Sokudone pulled her ponytail back, "For reminding me of my death sentence, you considerate jerk."
"A pleasure."
"Guys!" Genda interrupted, clearly as troubled as his best friends were. He glared at Sakuma's playful grin before turning to Sokudone again. "What," Kami, even if she looked like she could handle it he knew she couldn't. And it frustrated him to know that. "Will you do?"
"Carry on. What else can I do?" Sokudone dwelled on the brunette's frustration. "I don't have to be careful with what I say and do. Sincerity is the biggest lie anyone falls for." She smiled. Megamino Sokudone never lied, nor did she bend the truth like it was some glow-stick.
Because really, who could be so honest about everything?
"Gohin-kun," Sokudone had finally finished signing the last of the Student Council's documents, but Maki, in all her confusion, had left early. She wasn't in a disposition to see her friend like that. "I'm off now. Do you have a ride home? Will you stay longer? Will you be alright by yourself?"
Gohin Takahiro readjusted the glasses on his almond-colored eyes pensively. "Excuse my rudeness, but allow me to take you home, Kageyama-donno."
"That's not necessary," Sokudone chimed as she put a folder inside her bag. "I have non-school related activities to do. You may leave if you wish to. Thank you for your hard work." Gohin nodded, but didn't move from his spot as he watched the School President move nimbly around the room as she prepared to leave. "Then I shall leave after you." Sokudone turned to the working man and bowed deeply in response before resuming her packing.
"Akio."
Said brunette turned his head back down to the blueprint sprawled before him. Today was Saturday, and a ruined one at that. Kadokawa (Kado? Kiro?) promised him ten bananas if he came in five minutes, and he did, but nobody was at the park. He would have wanted to go back home, but her text had prevented him to do so. 'Shachō just finished her meeting. Stay there and wait.'
"For the love of all things yellow, pay attention." Sokudone still hadn't removed her bun, but she had changed into her jeans. "The new students will arrive Monday morning. You're the student tour guide. You don't have to—"
"Explain the story behind every little crack unless one of the little rascals is stupid enough to be curious to ask," Fudou interjected. Wherefore art thou, bananas? "Your pet lion isn't the only one who can not pay attention and still get the gist. Onna." The brunette was getting impatient. "You're the one whose head is somewhere else."
"That's not the case, and you know that."
"Oh?"
"On the contrary, part of it is dealing with you and the rest is off thinking about the students and what they're like." Sokudone smiled airily, like she never had a care in the world. That was, undoubtedly, the opposite though.
Fudou was one of the few people who could see through said smile. Actually, he had always been skeptical. "You won't go play matchmaker with me and any-a those newbies, will you?"
"That is the least of your worries," The school president sighed as she rolled up the blueprints. "If you haven't known, I'm on probation, so I don't- more like I'm not allowed to- have time for that."
"And so?"
"And so, my previous plans of balancing my matchmaking with my school managing are crushed, ruined, and must be replaced." The problem with tolerating the school delinquent was the fact that she had little to nothing in common with him. If this was an otome game, she'd have been rejected straight out. But then again, this wasn't an otome game, and she didn't just tolerate him.
Kageyama Sokudone liked Fudou Akio.
Oh no. 'Tis really a redirection from her main goal, huh? Reviews and criticisms are welcome!
-Strawbeariiis
