Chapter 3: Daisy- I'll never tell

"Where's Irah-chan?"

Everybody turned in wonder and amazement to Chotaro. Chotaro, on the other hand, felt the same towards their reactions.

"What?"

"Since when did you have her permission to call her by her first name, huh?" Shishido smiled, teasingly.

"Yeah, I wanna know too." Atobe said, sitting on his place at the table, reading a foreign book and drinking a cup of tea. He shot Chotaro the look.

Chotaro blushed and diverted his gaze. "At the poolside yesterday."

The room filled with teases. While Atobe was only able to let out an, "Hmmmn…"

"Too bad we didn't see her with her swim suit on. She seemed to like the pool a whole lot…" Gakuto remarked. Everyone nodded, but Chotaro blushed beet red yet again. It took only a few seconds for the people in the room to gauge the meaning of his redness. Each team member had their own reactions thereafter. Most were smiling devilishly.

Hiyoshi pretended to look up an article from a magazine. "But Chotaro saw her in it, didn't he?" Kabaji silently turned the magazine upside down then handed it back to him.

"W-wha-?"

Gakuto nudged Ooshitari. "Aaaaaah. She must have looked like dripping Venus."

"Indeed…"

If it even were more possible, Chotaro turned a shade redder. "I- I!"

"I think you'd be a very good partner for my sister, Ohtori-sama." Adel entered the dining room carrying a daisy, Atobe was right beside her- helping her to her seat in a blink.

"Oh, today's daffodil, huh?" Hiyoshi acknowledged.

Adel happily nodded. "It means loyal love…"

Jirou perked up in his seat. It seems he just woke up. Well, lunch is about to be served after all. He yawned then, "Loyal love, huh? I hear it has more than one meaning. Grandma runs a flowershop."

"Huh? I wonder what the other meaning is, Akutagawa-sama."

"It also means 'I'll never tell'."

Shishido grinned. "Well, then, Chotaro don't need any of those flowers. She's gonna tell it to Irah-chan soon."

Chotaro blushed 12 shades of redder. "It's not like that!" his shout echoed throughout the manor. They have arrived at El Paraiso just this morning. The moment Irah entered her room, she wasn't seen since.

"Hmmm." Ooshitari nodded, agreeing to the things that ran through his mind, which nobody knows, "Yeah, you're learning…"

Everybody laughed as Chotaro continued to blush and deny. Just then, the dining hall door opened again. Irah popped out, smiling and wearing a summer dress, her hair tied up in a ponytail and looking refreshingly lovely.

"Good afternoon!"

"Irah!" Adel approached her and took her hand, leading her to their table. "Come'n! You didn't have your breakfast right? You shouldn't skip meals, you silly girl. We'll have lunch. And you'll eat every piece on your plate, okay?"

Irah felt like a little girl just nagged by her grandmother. "Yes, yes." Then she turned towards the tennis team. "Good afternoon, everyone."

"Aftie, Irah-chan!" Gakuto greeted back. "You got your good rest?"

"Yes, senpai."

"That's good, ne, Cho-chan?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah."

"And your summer dress absolutely suits you, ne, Chotaro?" Shishido complimented her.

Silence.

Everyone turned towards Chotaro looking admiringly at her. The team members smiled knowingly.

"Ohtori-senpai?"

"Yeah." Irah almost melted with the intensity of his gaze, his golden eyes were expressive. It held her captive. "You look beautiful…"

"Yeah!"

"Go, Chotaro!"

"Finally, you've got you sight right! Continue!"

"Nice. Compliment her some more. You've got nice eyes, nice hair…"

"Nice hair! Shishido's never gonna get himself a girlfriend."

"What'd you say, punk?"

Irah just laughed at it all. She felt beautiful. Then she smiled at her Summah Lahv and said, "Thanks, Ohtori-senpai."

"Whenever you need it." Chotaro blushed. Kyaaaaah! So cute!

"Yihaaaaaaa!"

"Yeees!"

"Continue, Chotaro!"

Irah looked at her higher-ups. "Guys, don't tease us so much." She sat down as elegantly as she can, and then winked at their direction. "Because I like it."

The room exploded with every tease imaginable.

"Oh? Oooh! What's that? Haha! I hear the church bells ringing!"

"Oh, no. Chotaro's gonna be a groom anytime now."

"Ayiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Long live the groom!"

She laughed. Ohtori just shook his head and looked at her apologetically. She nodded her response. Strange. Everything seems so quiet. Why? At that moment she felt something bump her feet under the table. She looked up from her plate and saw- Ugh! I want to go back to bed!

"Good afternoon, Atobe-san."

He smiled a smile that made her annoyed by him to the core. "Good afternoon, Student Body Secretary. You look like a walking daffodil."

It's early in the afternoon and he's still ruining my day. Her head heated with anger, her vision started to spin so badly that she didn't find the energy to argue with him. She just nudged her feet away from him under the table.

He looked shocked, she must say. Maybe he found it extraordinary that she's not twitching with mortification at his acts. She sighed and stared at her plate. Why is it so hot today?

"Eh? Why? It's gonna be a great time at the falls. Let's go, Irah. Please?" her sister looked like she was about to cry when she told everyone to go ahead of her at the famous waterfall that the island is known for. They were to have a barbeque and camp through the night there.

"I'm sorry, Onee-chan. I just have to finish something on my laptop and I'll follow, okay?"

"Eeeeeh?" Adel pouted. Her elder sister looked a notch cuter, though.

"It's okay, milady. I'm sure she'll follow us. Let's just have fun until she comes, okay?" Atobe voiced out. She forced a smile. She hoped to God it didn't appear fake. Finally, her sister looked convinced when she nodded, "Okay."

"Well, then, shall we go? We can't let the dark catch up to us." Shishido carried the bags.

"Stupid," Ooshitari put on his shades and walked ahead, "We're gonna have barbeque for dinner and camp the night out. Of course the dark would catch up to us."

"Why you-"

Everyone began the walk with vigor. She was about to go inside the manor when, "Irah-chan."

She reeled. It was Ohtori. "Yes?"

For a moment he didn't speak and just looked at her. But she smiled at him. He caught it and smiled as well. "See yah later."

"OK. You guys have fun. I'll be quick."

"Hm!"

She waved goodbye to all of them then went inside. She was met by Michael, the Atobe butler.

"Milady, would you like some tea while you work with your laptop?"

Michael has always been considerate. "No, thanks, Michael-san. I'll be okay. Just tell everyone to kindly not disturb me in my room. Would that be possible?"

"O-of course."

She smiled at him.

"Milady, you seem to be unwell."

Gehk! She laughed out loud. Then flexed her arms. "See, Michael-san? I'm okay. Strong and kicking." Least the instinctive butler notice anything unnecessary again, she threw a cheery 'see yah' and immediately went up to her room. The moment she locked it, she collapsed on her bed.

Ok, she lied. She had no intention of following the guys to the falls. To be honest she didn't want to follow or much less do anything at the moment. She wanted to sleep and wake up when she wanted to. "So hot… why?"

Irah woke up with something cool dampening her forehead. She moaned and, though her eyes were still heavy of want for sleep, she opened them and saw Atobe's face distort with anger and… worry?

"Atobe-san?"

"Keep quiet." He wringed the cloth in a bowl of chilled water and placed it again on her forehead. She realized that she was covered to the chin with blankets. It was dark outside.

"What time is it?"

"9 o'clock." He answered her, rummaging something on the side table. It was a bowl of warm soup. He scooped some, blew on it and offered her the food.

"What's that?"

"Poison." He answered sarcastically then, sighed. "Eat." What's got him so irritated? Ah!

"Where're the others? Still at the falls?"

"Open your mouth."

"Why aren't you with Onee-chan? She must be lonely now, you know."

Atobe glared at her. She didn't care. "I'm not hungry." She pulled the covers and turned her back on him, determined to sleep again. "I suggest you go back to the falls and keep your guests company. My sister would be worried." Then, she closed her eyes- closed him out. Enjoying the silence, but then…

"You're sick."

"I'm fine."

"Alright, at least, drink your medicine."

"I'll drink it later."

"Irah."

He eyes snapped open. Irah? Irah! Not Student Body Secretary, wench, witch, alien? IRAH?

She reeled and before she knew what hit her, she saw Atobe's face descending down on her. Shit! Nooo! She stopped his descending head with her palm on his forehead.

"What do you think you're doing, you pervert?" their faces an inch away from each other.

"Making you drink your medicine." His minty breath fanned her face. The closeness was unbearable. With Atobe only seeing it, her face turned red and she forced to look away.

"Get off me."

"No."

"Just- get- off!" She said in between pushes.

"Irah, look at me," he said in a husky voice that the hair in her nape rose. "Drink your medicine or I swear to Buddha I will kiss you in twenty seconds."

"N-no, you w-won't. Eek!" His face descended a thread's breadth closer. His eyes rained fire down on her. It spelled business and something else she couldn't point out. Why is he looking at her like that? Looking at her like she was some kind of crystal he couldn't wait to cradle and touch? She wasn't like that. She isn't like that. She willed with all her might that he'd stop looking at her like she's someone else. I'm not her. I'm not Onee-chan.

"4…3…2...1…"

She pushed him with all her might and this time she was able to push him off her bed. She grabbed the ready dose on the table and drank it bottoms-up. Then shot him an accusing look, "This is entirely your fault, you know!"

"M-my fault?" Atobe looked pretty taken back by her accusation. "I did nothing to cause you this sickness. That is not a work of a gentlemen, I'll have you know."

She sneered at him. "You may think I didn't notice but you've been trying your best yesterday not to make me get out of that stinking pool! After the ball game, a chase then other strange games I haven't heard of ever since. I started to swim 3 o'clock in the afternoon and I got out at 9 in the evening after everyone's gotten out and retired? I was so sure I'd have fainted from dehydration if Ohtori-senpai didn't bring me those pineapple drinks every once in awhile!" She poured herself a glass of water and drank it bottoms-up too. "Gaaah! That was refreshing!" She raised her glass to him. "Pour me another."

Atobe just stared at her intently, eyes dancing with amusement. Her throat went dry with that look. And as she always did when he stared at her, she got on her ready-to-pounce pose, hands balled up in fists, directed at him. "W-what? I just wanted another drink. If you don't want to pou-"

The trickling of water from the pitcher to the glass halted her speech. Atobe handed her the filled glass. "Here."

As she reached for it, their fingers touched. And the room seemed to be running out of air. She immediately took the glass and drank its contents silently.

"Okay, I don't like this feeling." She looked up from her glass and saw him thread his hair back through his fingers. She looked at him curiously.

"Are you feeling guilt for a change?" she asked him.

"Yeah."

She choked on the water.

"So have one request and I'll grant it for you."

Her eyes shone. "Anything?"

"Anything."

"Well then, can I have a question answered?"

"Alright."

"Why didn't you want me to get out of the pool, you heartless idiot? It isn't easy to pretend to be a mermaid, you know."

"Next question."

"Are you afraid that I'll get all the attention from you?"

"No."

"Then, why?"

"Irah."

"Student Body Secretary."

He froze. She looked away from him.

"Don't call me that…Irah, I mean."

Atobe just nodded. For a moment she thought she saw a sad gleam in his eyes. But it disappeared when he raised his chin to continue the discussion. "Okay, wench."

She almost cried. "Can't you find a better name than that?"

"Stupid."

"Those are hardly the words of a gentleman."

"As I was saying, I have a proposition that you'd love." He brushed me off! The nerve.

"Alright. Let's hear it."

"Training."

"I'll pass."

"You like Chotaro, don't you?"

"Yes; that isn't even a question. It's a fact."

Atobe smirked. "You aim too high."

She was insulted. "W-why-"

"You're not his type." Atobe has always been brutally honest. "But I can make you into one- a girl he likes."

"Really?"

"You don't trust me?"

"No."

Atobe smiled. "Really, woman. You are never boring. But this time, you can put your faith on me. I can make you into a lady that he'll like- no, love. I give you my word as a gentleman."

The confident air he's giving made her look at him in a new light. He seemed to be so sure of himself. But two can play his game because she knew he wanted something in return. "What's the price?"

"Your skills- and time."

"Oooh." She shot him a teasing look. "What for?"

"Your sister should have something of mine. I need you to find them for me."

Naturally, she was shocked. "Are you nuts? You're telling me to spy on my sister? She'd never steal something from you."

"Of course she didn't. I gave them to her."

"Hmmm?"

"Long story. Just tell me if you happen to see them with your very own eyes. Tell me, and that's it. You don't need to get them."

"That's really all?"

"Yeah."

"So what are they?"

"Cufflinks- it would be easy to spot because the Atobe seal is on them."

She raised one eyebrow, amused. Then, chose to shake her head in hopelessness. "Alright then, deal."

It was his life after all. What she really wanted would be the lessons and training- nothing else. So all he wanted was the words, she'll get them for him. The moment she'll have her Summah Lahv, it's done. Ohtori-senpai~! Kyaaaah! I shall have you. Yum.

But really… All of this is just too weird it made her more tired. She yawned. Slowly slipping into sleep, she still managed to let out a whisper, "Why are you doing this, Atobe-san?"

"I thought I already told you. Push of the conscience."

"I don't…." she yawned again, "…buy it."

For a while, she heard nothing. Then he stood up, pushed her to lie on the bed and pulled the covers up.

"Ato—be..?" She felt something warm on her hair. "Hey, w-what did you just do?"

"Nothing."

She moaned. "Hey, answer me, already." But she fell inside the world of dreamless rest in silence.

Atobe gazed at the already sleeping Irah, brushing a strand of her and tucking it behind her delicate ear. Then, rested his forehead against his palm. He couldn't believe what he just did, but the more he looked at the peacefully sleeping lady in front of him, the more he couldn't blame himself. "You shouldn't sleep like this in front of men, Stupid. It leaves them defenseless." Irah smiled as if awake, but her breathing told Atobe otherwise. So he just whispered, "… and regarding your question: I'll never tell."

A cloud skidded away from the moon, illuminating the world in a blanket of silver memories, promises and dreams.