xxx
When she finally found him, Misaki was completely fed up with males, in all their appearances. She had a hard day. Firstly, Yukimura messed up the monthly financial report of the student council and Misaki spent a tiresome hour sorting it out. The boys of the football team again soiled the entrance and then disappeared before she could catch them. Then she was called to the headmaster's office who informed her that her proposition to organize supplementary lessons for students with low grades was rejected for stupid bureaucratic reasons. Besides, she was told that it was the parents' responsibility. As if it wasn't enough, the moronic trio decided to get creative: while the girls of 1-A were showering after their gym class they stole the skeleton from the science room, placed red glowsticks in its empty eye sockets, smeared phosphor on it, attached a MIDI synth with disturbing voice effects and – after turning off the lights in the girls shower, - threw in the disgusting thing. While Sakura and Shizuko were calming the sobbing girls, Misaki dealt with the boys.
Her mood did not brighten when she saw Usui, sitting on the roof like he had no troubles in the whole world, gazing at the clear October sky.
"Usui! What are you doing here, of all places?"
"I like lazing out here, Misa-chan" answered Usui with a smile. "A busy person like you may regard it almost as a sin, but I like to be… unproductive."
She sat beside him with a tired sigh.
"Now you mock me." Said Misaki. "You surely regard me as a busybody, running after my own tail, bossing people. I bet most of the boys in Sekia think the school would be better off without girls. Really, the things they do sometimes…On days like this I ask myself if I ever can transform this school into a habitat fit for human beings. Maybe I am not the right person for this."
"This severe self-critique is so unlike the usual self-confident prez we all know and love" Usui looked at her with curiosity. "I am not used to hear you having doubts about your way."
"Now I know for sure you are mocking me." said Misaki angrily.
"By no means," Usui assured her "I regard you as a star shining high from above at us through Seika's dim atmosphere to guide us. Without you, we, unfortunate males, would pitifully drag our miserable existence. And I would surely die of sheer boredom. Besides, I like how the Seika school uniform looks on you. It vastly improves the school's image." He added, his eyes sparkling.
Misaki reminded herself the advantages of self-control, and counted till ten. "Usui, can you be serious for a moment! I was searching for you all over the school today to ask something important!"
"Yes, I noticed" said Usui, lazily stretching out and looking at her through his long eyelashes. "And how intrigued I am."
"If you noticed, you idiot, why let me search for you all over the school?" yelled Misaki, self-control forgotten.
"I had a slight impression that you might want to talk with me intimately" Usui moved closer, took a loose strand of her hair and let it slip between his fingers. "With no interference whatsoever" he whispered into her ear.
"Will you stop this, you pervert?" cried Misaki angrily, pushing him away. He fell on his back. "Anything, my dear Misa-chan, I am all yours" said Usui with a silky tone, not bothering to sit up. "But can I ask you to be a bit more gentle? I am already lying at your feet."
"Will you stop teasing me?" asked Misaki without much hope "Can I have an answer to one simple question?"
Usui looked at her with sparkling eyes.
"But of course, Misa-chan. The answer is 'yes', but I will gladly hear your confession. In fact I think I will enjoy it immensely." Usui closed his eyes as if in anticipation. He resembled a melomaniac, listening to his favorite music.
"What you mean, confession...?" asked the puzzled Misaki, but then she suddenly understood. 'that overconfident jerk' she fumed to herself. 'Just because most of the girls in the school have a crush on him, he thinks that I am also here to ask him out!'
"Don't jump to conclusions, you pervert! I'd rather…rather kiss a viper than confess to someone like you!" snapped Misaki. Usui lazily opened his eyes, hearing this outburst. "Interesting analogy, Misa-chan. I think I can arrange for the snake if that's your wish."
"O, yeah, I heard you're the herpetologist here" she looked at him sharply, hoping for some response at this hint to the 'snake ranch' but only got a semi-innocent look.
"Don't play the ignorant, idiot, I knew it was you at the bank!" yelled Misaki, completely losing her patience. Usui looked at her with well-feigned surprise. "Bank? What bank, prez?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Usui!" Threatened Misaki "or do you want me to bring here that blonde secretary from the loan department to identify you, the extremely talented economics student?"
Usui looked frightened "Oh, no, please don't bring Umeko here! " He shuddered in feigned terror. "I'll tell you anything you want!"
"So you admit it, then?" struck Misaki.
"I see, Misa-chan found out about my little charade, so it's useless to deny it" said Usui with a slight smile.
"So it was you, after all." She looked at him with astonishment." But why? Why go through all the trouble helping my family, people you don't even know? Heck, you don't even know me well…" wondered Misaki.
Usui avoided her eyes. "Why? Is there a reason for everything?"
"Of course there is!"
He shrugged "I was bored so I challenged myself over solving your little problem. I like to play games."
"I noticed" said Misaki dryly. "So it was a game for you?"
"Sure, what else, prez? I never deny myself my little intellectual pursuits." He smiled with self-irony.
"And it was entertaining at the bank. Old Tanaka is a nice enough fellow, and I found quickly what I was searching for. All in all, all went smoothly…" He shot a quick glance at her "Well, except for Umeko. She was a bit frightening. Very decisive. But other than that… it was fun. So I have to thank you for the entrainment."
"You have to thank me?" Misaki gulped "You don't even imagine how much you helped us. My mother… She can quit those tiring night shifts and not worry anymore about losing our house to pay off the debts."
"That's nice to hear." Usui looked as if he'd fall asleep any moment.
"I see you don't need my gratitude, but regardless of your reasons, you did a great favor to my family" said Misaki" I am very grateful to you and I will try to repay you any way I can."
"Misaki-chan, Misaki-chan" said Usui ironically "Just as soon as you got rid of one debt, you readily take on another? "
"It's not as if I have any choice in this case." Admitted Misaki grimly. "After what happened then, I decided I will be strong. Strong enough not to depend on anyone and to support my family and those dear to me. So that I won't need no one's help."
"So Misaki-chan is going to resent me for my little performance, telling me I should have minded my own business?" Inquired Usui.
Misaki shook her head. "I am not that stupid. As I said, you helped my family a great deal and I am grateful. But I wish…"She clenched her fist, staring at the distance "No, I will be strong enough so I won't need anyone to save me next time." She looked at Usui "So please tell me how I can repay you. There must be something."
"I told you, I did it for the fun" said Usui quietly. "You don't owe me, Ayzawa. Besides, you have nothing I need." He turned away, as if finishing the conversation.
"You're weird." Misaki shook her head in confusion "I don't get you at all. One moment you're mocking me, the next you teasing me, then you outright sexually harassing me, and then again in the next you saying it all was a game and you need nothing from me." She looked at him curiously "Tell me Usui, you yourself know what you want?"
"What I want…" He suddenly stopped as if forgetting what he was to say. She was surprised to see his serious, almost dark glance.
His strange mod confused her even more "W-what?"
"Nothing." said Usui "You look cute." That sounded almost as an accusation.
Misaki was totally confused now. "What you're saying… you weird…alien"
"But you like me, don't you, Misaki…" Usui leaned closer, until his lips almost touched hers. Misaki looked at him with wide eyes… and her phone rang. It was Sakura, her friend, and by the sound of her voice, she was completely beyond herself. "Misaki, you must come at once! Aika is standing on the outside ledge of the third floor and says she'll jump!"
xxxx
Aika stood on ledge, about two meters from the closest window, back pressed hard against the wall. Misaki had no idea how the first year got that far, but now she was completely paralyzed with fear. Her face was white and expressionless and she kept looking down.
One glance was enough for Misaki to discern that they don't have time to wait for help to arrive, but needed to act swiftly before the mortified girl would lose balance and fall off, or before the thin ledge - which wasn't designed to hold such weight, would collapse. Luckily, the first year was miniature and slim.
"I'll go get her." It was Shiroyan. His face still had the red marks of Misaki's disapproval from earlier. To her surprise the moron trio stood there collected and ready to help, unlike the other students who looked panicked and at loss what to do.
"No. If she sees you approaching her, she'll surely jump," decided Misaki. "I'll go. But you three can help. Quick, go to the gym and bring mattresses and the like to pad the place below her. If she falls…"
They sprinted towards the gym even before she could finish her sentence.
She looked at the remaining students "Did someone call the ambulance and the fire brigade?"
Shizuko nodded. "I did, while Sakura was calling you."
"Good. Bring the first aid kit." Misaki run upstairs towards the classroom closest to where Aika was standing. One of the windows was open. She leaned out. The terrified first year stood a few meters away and looked as if she was going to faint at any moment.
"Aika, I am coming, stand still." Ordered her Misaki, climbing out of the window.
She started to lower herself towards the ledge when two hands from behind suddenly pulled her back into the room.
"What the…" She looked back "Usui!"
"Don't do it prez, wait for the fire brigade" said Usui, still holding her.
"Can't." answered Misaki "She won't make it till they arrive. She'll fall."
"Maybe yes, maybe not." Shrugged Usui. "Anyway, it was her choice, foolish as it is. Why would you risk your life for her? Do you think she'd do the same for you?"
She shook off his hands "I don't know what she would do in my place, and it's really not important. It'd be her choice, as you said. Mine is to save her. Let me go."
"Okay, got it." His voice was quiet, but firm. "Stay back prez, and let me do the job this once."
"You said you don't care what happens to her!"
"Not doing it for her." He moved quickly through the window, and in the next second he landed – softly, like a cat - on the ledge, and step-by-step began to approach the frightened girl. He stopped, one step away from her and asked "What's your name?"
"A-Aika." answered the girl, still staring down "Please, please help me, I… don't wanna die."
"You sure choose a strange way to prove it" Sighed Usui, but then he gently took her hand and said: "Aika. I am here to help. I won't let you fall. Do you hear me?" Aika nodded.
"Don't look down. Look at me." The terrified girl looked at Usui "That's a good girl. Now come, slowly. Don't be afraid, I am with you." Step by step, they reached the window when Usui felt the ledge slightly waver. "Up you go, now" He pushed the girl towards the hands reaching out from the window. His timing was perfect – they cached her exactly when the ledge decided it had enough abuse for today and broke off under Usui's feet. For one moment it seemed as if Usui succeeded in grabbing the windowsill, but then his hand slipped off and he fell. He landed on the improvised heap of mattresses with a thud.
xxxxx
Misaki reached the place first. Usui was lying on his back, immobile, eyes closed. His left hand was twisted at a strange angle, a red bloodstain spreading quickly on his white sleeve.
Misaki stared at him, ears ringing. She suddenly recalled the laughing voice: 'I am already at your feet…' somehow, that ended her stupor. She knelt beside him and checked his throat for a pulse. There was one. As if responding to her touch, he slowly opened his eyes, looked at her, then sat up.
"Wait, you idiot, I need to check your wounds!" the distressed Misaki opened the first aid kit.
"Sure, prez, I am placing myself in your competent hands." Usui spoke in a light voice, but his eyes were clouded with pain. 'At least his pupils are normal', noted Misaki with relief. She feared taking such a fall would cause concussion.
She found the medical scissors and started to cut carefully the sleeve. It was sticky from the blood. She exposed the wound and gulped. It looked like a nasty open fracture.
Usui looked at his wound with interest, and then at Misaki's white face. He said soothingly, "Don't worry prez, it's fine, it just looks frightening because of the blood."
"It's a freaking open fracture, Usui. Looks serious enough to me. Please stay still. I need to put on a pressure bandage and sterilize it…somehow." She tried to stop the blood according to her best ability. She almost finished when the ambulance finally arrived.
After placing Usui in competent hands, Misaki turned to Aika. The girl was watching how the ambulance team was treating Usui's wound with tears in her eyes. "It all happened because of meeee" cried the first year.
Misaki whirled at her. "Akira, of all the idiotic things today…!" she stopped when she saw Akira's teary face and continued in a gentle tone. "Tell me what happened. Why you tried to jump?"
Aika clutched Misaki's hand and looked at her with hope. "I'll tell you everything. Maybe you can help. You see, I… I met this wonderful guy and I fell in love at once. He was… stunning. There is no one else like him. And he noticed me! He was so nice to me and then…he invited me to his fleet and…and I gave him everything he asked, as I knew it was true love. We had a romantic night…"She started to sob,"…and then he broke off with meeee… I surely did something wrong! What if he hates me now? …and what if I got pregnant? I am afraid to tell my parents… and…I want my Tora back! He is the love of my life! If not, there is no reason to live!
"Tora?" asked the shocked Misaki. Aika was only fifteen and though she was a beauty, she was also extremely shy. "What Tora?"
Akira was now weeping full force but she managed to choke out "Tora I-igarashi."
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Thank you cyndy-kawaii-maidsama,TheFamouslyUnfamousAuthor,Ripplerose,lostvindications melodygarden and violetshade!
Your reviews gave me inspiration to go on with this story despite my busy schedule. Love you all!
Next: enter Tora Igarashi…