~Hallway~

Being the vice president came with a lot of work. She had understood that when she gave in to Hitsugi-san's request (order) that she become her sister-in-arms. Throwing herself into her new role, she had learned how to deal with all the paperwork and organizing and meetings that came with it.

For all of those accomplishments, all the work she had put into becoming someone even slightly worthy of being Hitsugi's partner, she didn't remember "consoling hysterical and crying students" being on the list of duties she was expected to perform. Anywhere.

And yet, here she was, sitting on the stairs against the rail, wrist and shoulder sore, with a first year middle school girl clinging to her, sobbing. Papers that had previously been in her hands fluttered to the floor around her. She blinked, trying to take in the situation.

She had been helping the aides. She had walked with them down the hall. She had heard a scream. She had acted. And now a girl was crying. On her.

While she internally panicked, the office aides she had been assisting were scrambling around trying to pick up and reorganize the paperwork she had dropped. As per usual among Tenchi residents, their priorities were fantastically skewed. Another girl, presumably a friend of the one in her arms, was hopping around in agitation, but offered absolutely no help.

All that bouncing around nearly resulted in the girl being the second (third, if she counted her own injuries) victim of the day. It would have been bad luck for the dancer, since she was currently held down by the first victim, and not in any position to go around saving another person from meeting great injury by stairwell. She would try, she knew that, but she also knew that it wouldn't end well for any of them.

She desperately wanted to cry out that a little help would be appreciated very much thank you, but it was getting difficult to breath with the death grip around her neck. It was now almost impossible to tell if she was gasping from adrenaline, pain, or lack of air. None of the others looked concerned for her, at any rate. Before her vision became too blurry, the grip eased up.

Air. Wonderful, blessed air. The welcome addition of oxygen to her deprived brain restored enough functionality to let her realize that no, the girl was not a mind reader like she was inclined to think. It was a silly thought to begin with, but really, at this point, she wouldn't have been surprised. There were a few students who used odd powers after all. Mind reading wasn't that far fetched an idea, but the perfectly normal explanation here was that one of her own arms had taken the initiative and was soothingly rubbing the girl's back.

Good job arm. Now if only her mouth or brain would follow its example. She wasn't even particularly picky about which one, so long as she managed to do something useful. Although she could argue that she had been plenty useful, considering she caught the girl in midair, quite possibly saving her from serious injury.

Paperwork reorganized, the office aides took one look at the two girls, and came to an instant decision. "We'll leave this to you, Miyamoto-san." And with that, her oh-so-trusty office aide friends abandoned her. She watched them, horror quickly taking root. This is the thanks she gets for helping them after the copier had started shooting out papers like a pitching machine? For the hour she had spent helping them copy, organize, and staple the huge pile of packets? Half of which, she might mention, had been organized before the office aides, in their alarm, had jumped across the table, effectively tipping over both the table and the paperwork it held onto the floor.

Whatever happened to the Tenchi spirit of camaraderie and friendship?

"I'm so, so, so sorry Miyamoto-san! This is all my fault!" Eh? Oh, the crying girl had gotten a hold of herself. Speak! Say something, anything, but don't just sit there!

"All that matters is that you're okay." Nice work mouth! They finally pulled themselves up cautiously, the wince the girl made when she stood not escaping her notice. "You're hurt. We should get you to the nurse's office." Brain functionality restored to eighty percent or so. Functional enough to, at least, make her shudder the slightest bit at the mention of the Captain of the Nurse Corps.

"Oh! You don't have to! I've already wasted so much of your time, and I'm sure you're busy with work and all that, and I have Yuuki here with me so you really don't have to bother with us!" Ah, so Dancer does have a name. Looking at the two girls, she frowned at their obvious despair.

"It's fine, really. I had to go there anyway, so you're hardly a bother. Not that you would be otherwise. That was a close call. I'd feel better if we ensure that you don't have any injuries." She smiled disarmingly, doing her best to project a relaxed and confident aura while internally praying that the girls would agree to it without trouble. To her relief, the girl acquiesced hesitantly.

On the way she learned that Yuuki and the crying girl, whose name was Miri, were both first year regular students, and that they had been friends for as long as they could remember. Yuuki had come to Tenchi for the little known, but highly rated, business program. Miri, being the ever faithful and diligent friend, had followed without question, instantly joining the computer club. They made an odd pair, as Yuuki easily dwarfed her friend by a good five inches. By the time they reached the Nurse's Office, both girls had relaxed considerably, warming up to her easily.

"Hello! Do you need help with anyth-oh. Captain! Miyamoto-san is back!" The third year in the back smiled widely at her and she tried not to flinch. Miri and Yuuki glanced at her in alarm as they were abruptly, but kindly, shoved onto the nearest beds by older nurses. "Now what happened with you three? And don't leave anything out!"

"Oh, I'm not injured. It's Miri who needs the help. She fell down the stairs. Or, she would have, if Miyamoto-san hadn't caught her." Yuuki explained in concern. She was ignored.

"We'll be the judge of that." A second year said briskly, halting rebellious thoughts of escape with a hard stare. Dismayed, but completely cowed, the taller girl could do nothing but let a sharp eyed and distressingly stubborn nurse in training examine her while another took care of Miri. It seems the first years were just now discovering how scary the nurses were, though of course, none held a candle to their Captain.

"Back again? Sheesh. Not that I don't applaud your enthusiasm, but if you keep going at this rate you're going to collapse sooner or later." Ai, making her typical energetic entrance, tsked and shook her head in fake exasperation. "What are we going to do with you?"

"I wasn't training." she retorted defensively, calming the instincts that urged her to run. "And I'm not that hurt." Ai had an amazing ability to make people forget about their pain. Mostly out of frustration or fear, but it was still admirable, if you weren't the person on the receiving end. The older woman whistled happily as she directed her favorite student to the nearest bed.

"Ah, but "that" is the keyword. Now what happened?" Ai took the offered arm and examined her wrist in a professional manner totally at odds with her speech.

"Takeda-san had a small accident is all. I happened to be passing by and acted." She explained calmly. The first years chorused their agreements enthusiastically. The woman hummed as she accepted the wrist as mostly usable and moved onto the other injury.

"A regular knight in shining armor, aren't you?" Ai snickered, remembering one particular stunt of Hitsugi's. After poking the bruise on her back, and snorting at the twitch it caused, the nurse sighed in annoyance. "Just a bruise. Why are you whining to me about this little thing? Go let your Kaicho baby you, not me."

She sputtered at the last comment, protesting the thought of anyone babying her and, most importantly, any claim of ownership over aforementioned Kaicho. Ai rolled her eyes and went to examine her student's handiwork.

"Hmph. All three of you are fine." She pronounced after a quick exam, looking vaguely annoyed. Yuuki and Miri scooted away from her discreetly, a little concerned about the sanity of the person in charge of their health. She didn't blame them. Ai's logic was rather disconcerting to the lighthearted or sane.

"Thank you Ai." she said, pointedly ignoring the complaining from young woman. The student nurses gave them apologetic looks and sent them off with some light warnings to take it easy. They were mostly aimed at her, but the first years took the advice with solemn looks.

Sighing with relief at the relatively easy escape, she parted with the exhausted Yuuki and Miri on happy terms. A girl had been saved, no one had been injured (seriously) and the rest of the day was free. She hadn't quite gotten the explanation of why, exactly, she had ended up needing to save Miri, but she wasn't worried about it. It was done and over with.

Until she walked into the student council office the next day to report the day's hoshitori results to Hitsugi-san, and found a solemn faced Miri talking to a unusually serious Kaicho. She listened sympathetically to the explanation of Miri's family situation, and Hitsugi-san granting her a week away from school to be with her parents. She offered the proper condolences and some encouragement, which the young girl appreciated. The next day she waited with her at the entrance, and waved goodbye to her as she was driven away.

A week later she was back, Yuuki stopped moping, and everything returned to normal.

That should have been the end of it.

It was normal, she knew, to start seeing someone everywhere once you became aware of their existence. There was nothing odd about a girl being so willing to chat with the one who had saved her. She had no reason to be suspicious when Miri offered to help her whenever she got the chance. The occasional feeling of being watched was a little more alarming, but nothing new.

Alarm bells started going off when Yuuki pulled her aside a week later, and told her that Miri tended to be like that, and to please just try and weather it until the phase passed. And then, suddenly, Miri was everywhere. The girl had memorized her schedule. She followed her when she could. She knew more about the student council duties than some of the student council members themselves.

It was just a phase, she told herself. It's not threatening. It was actually a little flattering, in an odd way. She'd faced weirder things, to be sure.

"Ummm. Miyamoto-san...do you need help?"

"Huh?" She glanced up from the paperwork just long enough to note that the speaker was her newest fan (she disliked the word, but there wasn't any other way to describe her), then returned her gaze towards solving her dilemma. She had to wheel this...whatever it was that Hitsugi-san had ordered, and carry over the paperwork, which would stay nowhere on the...thing. Impossible alone, but with another person...

"Oh, yes. Perfect timing!" A little too perfect, but she wasn't about to complain. "Can you grab these? I have to get all this to the meeting, but that thing is heavier than I expected. I'll need both hands to move it." she said sheepishly.

Miri glowed with happiness. The bright smile was almost unnerving in its radiance. "Sure!" And so on their way they went. "What is that thing?" The first year asked curiously.

"I don't know. Hitsugi-san ordered it." She huffed as Miri ran to the office door, holding it open while she wheeled the giant object inside. The room was still empty. Good. She could set everything up without interruption. The first year made herself a useful assistant, and by the time Hitsugi-san and Tatewaki had arrived, there was little to do other than wait for the others.

For once, the Kaicho sat without comment, her unappreciated helper following her cues and ignoring the other girls entirely. Not unexpected, considering Hikaru-san's completely unexplained animosity towards her.

"All right. I think that's it. Thanks for the help Miri-san." She smiled at the first year gratefully. Things really had been set up much smoother than usual, and Miri took directions well. She could pull things up on the computer a lot faster than she did too. As far as stalkers went, she was definitely one of the better ones.

"Oh! It's. It was no problem!" The younger girl looked nervous, and was staring determinedly down at the floor. It had become a habit of hers since their first meeting. She really was a shy person.

"If you say so. Either way, I'm glad you were around to help."

"It's the least I could do! After all, you did..." There, the girl trailed off. She blinked and smiled softly, wondering if that gratefulness was the reason behind her recent near stalking habit. Miri shyly looked up, saw the smile, and squeaked. "I'm glad I could help see you around Miyamoto-san!" she all but yelled, blushing madly as she ran out of the room frantically.

"Okay..." She blinked. That was new. A choked sound made her turn to face the Kaicho, who was covering her mouth with one hand. "Is something wrong, Hitsugi-san?"

Her partner coughed and resumed her normal position. The tiny smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth, and the glint of opportunity in her eyes, stole her breath away.

From dread. Horrible, gut wrenching dread.

The look was gone an instant later, replaced with an expression of slight boredom and passivity. "A...friend of yours, is?" She narrowed her eyes, mind working to discover the hidden meaning behind the words. She wasn't going to fall for that innocent look. This was going somewhere, she knew it was, she just had to figure out where and stop it.

"You mean Takeda-san? Yes, you could say that." Best to be mindful of her words. She never knew which one would trigger a potentially frustrating response courtesy of the convoluted logic that ruled Hitsugi-san's actions.

"A first year, was she not?" She sounded merely curious, but that had to be a front. She had not imagined that smirk. Her instincts, honed after all these years of experience, had their hackles raised.

"Yes." Simplicity was the best route. Hitsugi's expression hadn't changed, but that meant nothing. The game was not over until the look of disappointment graced her face. Anything less meant that there was a still a high chance of the advantage getting turned around.

"If I'm not mistaken, that was the one who took a week off not so long ago. For family issues. Takeda Miri." The Kaicho shuffled her papers nonchalantly.

"Ah, yes. That's her." She fidgeted, waiting for the next move.

"Cute." Tatewaki yelped in the background, which was ignored by the other two.

"..."

"..."

Wait. That was it? Just "cute." That couldn't be it. This was wrong. There was no plausible explanation for this, this tameness. She could sense that there was more to this conversation than wasting time. Simplicity, thy name was notHitsugi. Her instincts about her partner were never wrong, though many times she had wished they were.

How should she respond? Was there even a safe answer? Agreeing or disagreeing would lead to numerous possible outcomes. Was there some direction she was aiming towards? Some point she was trying to make? Or had she simply spotted an opportunity to tease her a little?

No. She couldn't let it get to her. If playing along meant inevitably falling into a trap, then she would just have to refuse to play.

She met her partner's gaze stubbornly. Still, Hitsugi said nothing, did nothing, except stare at her patiently. Her hand started to twitch, nerves unsettled as she waited for her partner to either switch tactics or give up (unlikely, but possible).

A drop of sweat formed on her brow. Was she being a little paranoid? Undoubtedly. But that didn't mean it was unjustified.

"I...suppose...so." No, wrong! Talking was not how one refused to play with Hitsugi! So why did her mouth just move?

Hitsugi leaned back in her chair, drumming her fingers on the table. She was smiling. "A new office aide?"

"No...she's in the tech club." A valid question. Hitsugi paid little attention to most regular students. Not out of rudeness, but because they weren't as amusing as the sword bearers.

"Is that so? She appeared very eager to be of assistance to you."

"Oh, uh. That is. She was just being...friendly." She looked away and scratched her cheek, acutely aware that all her actions were now being observed and cataloged for future reference in the Kaicho's mind. She had to act as normal as possible, but it was just so difficult when she was being stared at like that. "When she saw that I needed help."

She hoped that her partner hadn't caught wind of Miri's stalking habit. Who knew what she would do with that knowledge. Nothing harmful, to be sure, but with the month she had had, a peaceful week would be a pleasant change. She hadn't had one of those for quite a while.

"Friendly. Yes, that was markedly apparent. I was not aware that you interacted so frequently with the tech club." The smile got bigger. "At least, not to such a degree as to acquire such an adoring fan." Game set and match.

She squeaked in a manner incredibly reminiscent of Miri's earlier action. "She's not!"

"Who's not what?" Oh please let this be a dream. Mikado Akira was the last person she wanted involved in this meaningless conversation.

"No one! It's nothing!"

"Shizuku's new admirer."

"It's not like that!" Never mind the fact that it was. They didn't need to know that.

"I'm afraid that the evidence does not lie, my dear Shizuku."

"What evidence?"

The newly arrived student council members watched the conversation as closely as they would a fight, gazes flitting back and forth between the two opponents as they decided who to place their bets on.

She doubted any of them would place them on her. She wouldn't, if she were them.

"If you truly want to know, for one, the fact that the girl in question-"

"Nono. Never mind. Forget I asked. Please just drop the subject."

"My, so conflicted. Are you confident that you do not feel the need to express your feelings on the matter? It would be cathartic, I imagine, if you are struggling to come to a decision."

"Very. Not that I can think of any sort of decision I would need to make about this. Now can we please start the meeting?"

"As you wish." Hitsugi sighed and turned her attention to the paperwork in front of her. The council members, taking the cue, slowly seated themselves. She could tell they were disappointed at the abrupt ending of their entertainment.

She rubbed forehead wearily. "As you wish" indeed. She knew that this wouldn't be the end of it. That she had given in so easily only meant that it would be put aside for further consideration later.

"So someone has a crush on Miyamoto? Ha. I would have never guessed." Unless, of course, nosy sword bearers wouldn't let the subject rest. Also, that was slightly insulting. No surprise, since the comment came from Mikado-san. "Pleasant" and "tact" were not words often referred to in her dictionary.

"You can't expect us all to have an infamous eighty plus member fan club like you." she retorted stiffly, forgetting that she was meant to be denying the subject matter. She caught Sae holding back a laugh out of the corner of her eye, while Hitsugi scoffed next to her.

"No accounting for taste there. At least Miyamoto is a sensible choice. You, on the other hand..." Akira snarled and the topic thus changed focus away from her. That had been easier than expected. She had never been more grateful for the tension among the student council members than she was now. At the very least, it had curbed her partner's impending commentary on the matter.

The ensuing argument lasted until Hitsugi became bored and snapped her fingers, deafening them all into silence. From there the meeting finally began and she could relax. Mostly.

~End~

For now. It may pop up later. You never know. (Neither do I). Two updates today. I've been somewhat productive lately. Let's see how long it takes me to release the next chapter.