Happy New Year! Chapter 2 HO!
R&R please kthx :D
Chapter 2 - Misunderstanding?
Natsuru could already tell that his day was not going to get any better. As he and his new, or rather not so new, companion make their way towards the entrance of the school, Natsuru had noticed that they were drawing a lot of attention. Which was not something he was too surprised at. This is the first time that both male and female Natsuru have been seen without one or the other missing. And not to mention that they came together to school. Natsuru let out a heavy sigh, knowing Higashida and the other guys would no doubt get wind of this and give him hell for it later.
He then looked over at Female Natsuru. She too probably noticed the attention they drew, but seems to be less bothered by it than he.
"You seem pretty calm about all this." Natsuru said.
"I guess", Female Natsuru said with a smile. "I'm actually pretty excited if anything."
Natsuru chuckled a little before asking, "And why's that?"
Female Natsuru tilts her head up as if she is in deep thought. "Well, suppose you were stuck inside a room with only one window to look out of. And outside that window, you can see your group of friends having fun and enjoying themselves. You wouldn't want to stay cooped up in that room right? Your life seemed so interesting and fun, now I'm finally out here experiencing it for myself! Instead of being stuck in that bracelet.", she explains.
Natsuru was thrown back a little from her analogy. "Was it really like that for you?", he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Sort of, it's more complicated than that though!", Female Natsuru says with a smile.
"Honestly though, my life wasn't so 'interesting and fun' as it is now. I lived a pretty average and boring life, until you came along", said Natsuru.
"I see", said Female Natsuru. "So if you were given a choice, to return to normal and not have to fight, or to continue with your life as a Kampfer, what would you choose?"
Natsuru had to think about that one for a little. At times, he had truly wished that he could go back to his normal lifestyle. It wasn't so much the fighting and danger that he disliked, which he became accustomed to. It was mainly because he would turn into his Female Kampfer form at the most ridiculous moments and had to put up with Shizuku's teasing. Not to mention that his crush, Kaede, is crazy for his female form and came out of the closet when he saved her. All the bad things that had happened to him were like the side-effects of his Kampfer form, but now that he retains his male form when going into Kampfer mode, maybe things wouldn't be so bad.
"Hmm, I think I'd stay as I am, who knows what'll happen?", answered Natsuru.
"Oh? What makes you say that?", asked Female Natsuru.
Natsuru was left stuttering as he was trying to give an answer without being too blunt or giving a malignant explanation in regards to the abuse he had received that was indirectly caused by her.
"Just kidding! I already know", Female Natsuru said with a chuckle. "I can read your thoughts remember? Not the entirety of it, but just enough to know what you're thinking", said Female Natsuru with a wink.
Natsuru weakly smiles back at her. He begins to wonder about her origin, how she came to be, if she had her own set of personalities, if so, where did they come from, what does she know about the moderators? All these questions and more that were building up in his head had to wait, as classes were about to start.
"Are you gonna be okay on your own?", asks Natsuru.
"Don't worry! I'll manage. Just to be on the safe side though, I'll act how you normally would if I see Akane or the others." Female Natsuru reassuringly said.
"Be on the lookout for Kaede too, we don't know what she's planning or if she has any part in this. I'll meet you in the library after school." said Natsuru.
"Understood!", Female Natsuru said with a large grin. And with that, she walked through the gates of the girls' side.
"That girl sure smiles a lot...", thought Natsuru to himself while making his way to the boys' side. "I just hope she doesn't get into any trouble..."
Natsuru enters his classroom only to be met with everyone sneering at him and mumbling statements of jealousy. "Ah right...that", he thought to himself.
"HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?", erupted Higashida with tears in his eyes as he made his way to Natsuru.
"W-What?", Natsuru replied with a forced smile.
"Don't give me that!", shouted Higashida. "Genji told us that he saw you two walking to school being all lovey-dovey! Smiling and laughing and whatnot!"
This was bad, word had already gotten out on the boys' side about the Female Natsuru being seen with Natsuru. It wasn't particularly bad that news of this had gotten out so fast, rather it was bound to happen. What concerned Natsuru the most was Keade, whether or not she was involved in the manifestation of the Female Natsuru matters little at this moment. As Kaede's main goal was to get Natsuru, his female side to be more precise, to join her ranks and become her lover. Although Natsuru doesn't know what will happen if she succeeds, he knows that it certainly wouldn't be a good outcome.
"Hey! You listening to me or what?", interrupted Higashida. "I asked if you two are going out or anything like that!"
Totally thrown off, Natsuru replies with," H-Hai? (What?)".
"...Unbelievable", says Higashida with his mouth wide open. "You're a lucky son of a !#$% you know that?"
"AH-Wait that's not what I me-", Natsuru interjects but is cut off from the roar of the guys in his class.
"I wonder what a girl like that sees in a guy like him? If he can get a babe like that, then there has to be hope for the rest of us! I bet he paid her to go out with him! Bla bla bla", erupted the class.
More concerned at the misunderstanding than the insults that were casually being thrown about, Natsuru frantically tries to correct himself. At this point, the class had already turned into an uncontrollable group of kindergarteners. He knew how fast rumors traveled, as he had just witnessed himself, but was rendered frozen as he saw guys from his class talking to a group from the neighboring class. Unfortunately for him, the teacher had came to his rescue far too late, as he ordered the students to quiet down and to return to their seats.
"I'm done for..", thought Natsuru to himself as he pictured the reaction of Shizuku, Akane, and Mikoto. Natsuru felt a shock in his spine as he pictured Keade's kind face turning into the cold, evil expression he had received not too long ago. He buried his head into his arms as the teacher had started taking attendance. "It's gonna be a long day..."
Female Natsuru could barely contain her excitement as she walked through the bright courtyard of the girls' side for the first time on her own. She was greeted by kind smiles and a volley of "Good morning Senou-san!". It's what she had always wanted, interaction, not through an avatar of her, but her herself.
Her glee was abruptly halted as she spotted the three girls in her class that had always took advantage of her.
"Hmmm you smell different today Natsuru-tan, but good~", said the Vice-Rep as she sniffed Female Natsuru.
"Look here, I'll sell you this amazing pencil that is said to have aced every test it was used to take", offered the Treasurer.
"Hey, I set you up a personal date with someone after school, you'd better go, she paid us good money", said the Class Rep.
Female Natsuru had always wondered why Natsuru wouldn't stand up for himself, she'd have to teach him a thing or two about being more aggressive and perceptive, as he is notorious for the lack of such traits. She was tired of this annoying daily routine.
"Why don't you guys mind your own business? I don't belong to you, so stop treating me like I'm some piece of property", Female Natsuru said with an extremely irritated expression.
The three were shocked to hear this coming from her. "W-What are you saying? You belong to Class 2-4!", said the Class Rep.
"Yeah I belong to 2-4, but that doesn't mean you can market me without my consent. If you want my cooperation, then I'm gonna need to see some money", said Female Natsuru nonchalantly. And with that, she makes her way towards class, leaving the three girls panicking among themselves.
"Good morning Natsuru", said Akane.
For now, Female Natsuru would keep up her act for simplicity's sake. "Oh good morning Akane, how are you?", Female Natsuru says making her way to her seat.
"I'm doing fine, by the way, have you seen Kaede around anywhere? I haven't seen her since our last encounter", said Akane. "It's worrying me a little."
"She wasn't at the bus stop this morning, I haven't seen her around school either", replied Female Natsuru.
Female Natsuru was starting to worry, she knew that she was Kaede's target. "I hope she doesn't know that I'm no longer bound to the bracelet", Female Natsuru thought. But wait, something was off, Kaede is conveniently nowhere to be found on this particular day? She has to know what happened. "If I'm what she's after, then why hasn't she shown herself?" Female Natsuru continued to think. With the two of them separated, Kaede won't have to worry about holding back on Natsuru if she were to attack. Something was definitely off, "Could she possibly be in the boys' side?"
Before she could come to a deduction, she was interrupted by the teacher as she shushed the class and started to take attendance. Female Natsuru reassured herself that that couldn't be the case, she'd have to leave it for later to investigate further.
During the break, Masumi Nishino from the Newspaper Club, stormed into class 2-4 and made her way over to Female Natsuru. "Excuse me Natsuru-san! The Newspaper Club has asked that I get an updated interview from the famous Natsuru Senou", explained Masumi.
"Eh? Updated? Why do you need an update on an interview?", asked Female Natsuru.
"Why not! You're still the talk of the entire school, so the Newspaper Club must provide the student body with what they want! And that's more info on you!", said Masumi.
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt", said Female Natsuru. "But this time you'd better not put ridiculous stuff about me."
Female Natsuru and Masumi make their way over to the small interview room. It didn't make much of an interview room, it was more like a interrogation room if anything.
"Alright, let's get started shall we?", said Masumi. "Is it true that Sakura Kaede has set her eyes on you?"
"Oh god", Female Natsuru thought to herself. The question had reminded her of how much she despised Kaede, what better time to bash on her than during a newspaper article interview? "Yes it is true", Female Natsuru answered.
"How do you feel about this?", asked Masumi.
Female Natsuru felt a giddy tingle crawl up her spine as she was presented with such an opportunity to reveal her feelings. "Personally, I can't stand it. I mean it's fine if you're into the same sex, but this person takes it to another level. She obsesses over me, even more so than everyone else and I've no doubt that she would kill for me", ranted Female Natsuru.
She held back a little, but was refreshed to let a little anger out.
"Ah, is that so?", Masumi said as she jotted the notes down. "Next question, rumors have it that you are indeed in a relationship with the male Natsuru Senou, what do you say to this?"
"Oh uhh", Female Natsuru trails off. She thought to herself for a second and recalled something earlier about this, most likely something from Natsuru. It was unclear, but she went with what she could make out from the memory. "Yeah, we are", said Female Natsuru calmly.
She did not realize the repercussions that were to take place from her casual statement. "Why not?", she had thought. It seems interesting enough and Natsuru was an interesting enough guy and she was curious about what being in a relationship entailed. Although Natsuru is the only guy she knows well enough at the moment, what with their Kampfer situation and all. Not only that, Female Natsuru had assumed that by doing this, it could be a message to Kaede to stay away from her. But of course, things don't always go the way you want them to.
"EHHH? Really? I thought it was just a rumor! Since when!", exclaimed Masumi.
"Uhh last night actually!", said Female Natsuru. Now she was just saying whatever came up on her mind.
"LAST NIGHT? What were you two doing last night on a school night?", asked Masumi.
Female Natsuru was at a total loss of words. "Umm..uhh you know! Typical teenager stuff!", said Female Natsuru, as she had no idea what 'typical teenager stuff' was.
"Oh I see, so did you do a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and did he do this, and that...", said Masumi as she demonstrated with her hands.
Still oblivious, Female Natsuru confirms the 'demonstrations'. She has never felt so confused and curious in her short life.
Masumi stood up from her chair to conclude the interview, "Thank you for today, please look forward to the article", she said in a monotone voice. With that, Female Natsuru made her way back to class, unaware of the things that she had unknowingly set in place.