Welp, he got saved alright. What will happen now?
The number of questions I want to ask Hanako is positively staggering, but for now I just savor my own freedom from Misha. I thought about throwing myself to purple-haired girl's feet, but that would be a bit of overreacting from my side and I think she could get scared because of that. I'd prefer to keep her relatively calm, especially now that she saved me from clutches of pink-haired menace.
She leads me to the tea room where we and Lilly had a lunch earlier today. Interesting... But it's afternoon already. It's a little bit too late for a lunch snack... What's her goal?
"P-please, come in...", she says in her usual insecure tone, making an inviting gesture. She made in a way like I was going to bite her though. I think I raised my eyebrow.
"Thanks, I guess." I respond with a slightly awkward tone. I doubt she's trying to do the same as Misha, unless that insecurity is just a facade hiding a sex predator.
...Heh. Now that I've said it, it sounds both disturbing and hilarious at the same time.
"Why?" I finally ask her. "Why did you do it? You were perfectly safe to walk out of the classroom as always." She doesn't respond for a long time.
"I... Y-you seemed repressed." The answer makes me wonder how the hell does she keep a straight face. Repressed?
"I, uh... Did I?" She takes a seat on the other side of the table, so it leaves me with no other options, but to sit in front of her.
"A little..." Long moment of silence.
"So, uh... Apart from me being repressed, did you have any other reason?" I ask, feeling a bit uneasy. She seems to be a polar opposite of Misha: Shy, insecure, quiet and socially awkward. As I suspected, she almost immediately looked somewhere different, clearly looking embarrassed. Either her reason is something that should never be revealed or she might as well not have one.
I don't get it.
"Right. I still haven't thank you for that." I say, trying to change the topic slightly. It helps as Hanako smiles slightly, although she still refuses to look in my general direction.
"I-it's not a problem..." She responds quietly, almost whispering.
"Do I scare you?" Perhaps it might be a little too direct, but I want to make sure. She finally looks at me.
"...A little."
"Well, that's quite alright." I smile slightly before realizing it might make me look even worse. Fortunately, Hanako smiles as well.
"I-I thought you may w-want to see something..." She stands up, goes to a cupboard and takes out something which looks like a chess board.
A chess board? Oh... Interesting. I'm not sure if I mentioned if before, but I like playing chess. I wouldn't call myself an avid or experienced player, but playing it on occasion is a nice thing.
"So you're a chess player?" I ask about the obvious. She nods with slight hesitation.
"I-I'm not that good though... I-I just play it for fun."
"Well, neither am I. Fighting games is my forte when it comes down to gaming."
"Oh..." Is it me or is it a faint tone of disappointment? Well, that makes some sense. She doesn't look like the type to enjoy such stuff.
"Oh right... Before I forgot... I wanted to apologize you." I start, reminding myself of yesterday afternoon.
"For what?" She seems surprised.
"You know, for staring at you like that." She finally remembers and blushes profusely. Maybe it wasn't the best idea out there.
"...It's o-okay." No, it's not okay and I can tell by your voice.
"Hanako... Can I ask you about a bit of honesty? What was the reason you saved me from Misha today?" I can't beat around the bush as much as I hate to do it to her. She's like a fragile flower and the directness of my question might as well be the tree's log.
"I... Well... Because..." The fact that her cheeks flush with each word does not help matters. "Y-you're Lilly's friend... And I thought..."
To be honest, I expected something else. Suffice to say, she actually surprised me.
"Oh... That's nice of you..." Phew. Thankfully she did not fall for me for some stupid reason or does not want to show her gratitude like Misha did yesterday...
Remember to lock the door.
"Well, if you're up for a quick game of chess, I'm game." I say, smiling. She smiles as well. Thank goodness. Well, I'll take your word for me being "repressed" then, Hanako. "You take white or black?"
"O-oh, choose first."
"Black then." I say with a half-grin, taking a black bishop and twirling it around my fingers.
Bishops are my favorites in chess. They are the ultimate form of Blitzkrieg. What do I mean by that? Well, they're usually one of the first major contestants to enter the fray. Although their movement ability is strictly narrow, it is more than sufficient for finishing the reckless or novice opponent. It's quite possible to trap opponent's King in a matter of several turns, assuming the enemy in question is dumb enough to fall for that. Usually he needs to sacrifice the Queen which, at the very start of the game, is a ginormous difference. From that point you can quite literally steamroll over him, assuming you won't catch him a few turns later.
I doubt Hanako will fall for it though. She said she's not that good, but the glint in her eyes speaks otherwise. She isn't arrogant, no. She, however, seems to be good enough player to figure out basic attacks and counter them more or less efficiently.
In other words, she will be a worthy opponent.
As I thought, Hanako's a good player... Although "good" might be an understatement... She's a great player.
I got cocky during the first match and got my behind kicked all the way to Alabama. The next round was a bit more even, but after I lost both of my rooks in exchange for only one bishop of hers, things got out of hand again. She appears very harmless at first and so was her early game... Or so I thought. All of that was just an elaborate mind game specifically designed to lull me into false sense of security. Once she were ready, she basically unleashed a beating so brutal and so severe it was hard to believe she can be capable of such relentlessness.
I wasn't going to give up though. We had three other games and each of those had me closer to victory, but not actually winning. Hanako was playing dangerously, but predictably. After taking enough hits, I would eventually start figuring out how to counter her counters and how to put a dent in her defenses.
For now though... It was 4-0 for her.
"Well played." I say, smiling. She smiles as well. Apparently, she's at bigger ease when behind the board. Dully noted.
"T-thanks." She responds. "B-but you're a good player too."
"Nah, my skills are rusty. Will take me some time to be at least decent..." A moment of hesitation. "Thanks for that, Hanako. You're too kind."
"T-that's nothing..." I think I hit the icky spot as she looks away with a slight blush.
"No, really. You saved me from Misha's clutches. That's more than enough to have my gratitude. I dare to say, I owe you one."
"N-no, there's no need..."
"Nah, it isn't a problem. If you will ever need a hand, give me a call." Awkward silence makes me realize that perhaps she really doesn't want it. "That is... If you're okay with that." Another moment of awkward silence. Way to go, Casper. You cocked it up for the umpteenth time. How many gaffes will you commit? "I... I, uh... I'm sorry." I know it won't help much, but it's the most I can do for now. She looks away at first, but then looks at me. Is it just me or her eyes became deeper...?
Gah. What the hell is wrong with you? Compose yourself, you barely know her. Besides... Those burn scars... They are very, very noticeable... Although a fetishist fragment of my heart tells me those only adhere her attractiveness.
I find it funny... So many beautiful girls and all of them are disabled in one way or another. Lilly's blind, Shizune's deaf and mute, Emi lacks legs, Rin lacks arms, Hanako has her burn scars... Now that I think of it, only Misha seems perfectly fine. Why's that? Perhaps she does have ADHD... But isn't that more of a mental disability? Don't know.
"I-it's okay." She smiles very slightly, but the sweetness behind that smile could probably infect people with diabetes. "It's getting dark..." She says. Huh. It does get dark.
"Well, I suppose we should be off. Curfew's soon, correct?"
"A-actually, we still have some time left. A few hours, b-but... but it should suffice for the r-rest of the day."
"Cool. Would it be a problem if I escorted you to your dorm?" I ask with a slight smile. She almost immediately looks away with a blush. I hope she didn't perceive it as something inappropriate.
"N-no, I'll be fine." She responds, this time avoiding eye contact with me. Before I can respond, she already makes her way to the exit... But not without accident. She suddenly trips...
How? What happened? I manage to catch her at the very last minute.
"You okay?" Long moment of silence. Awkwardly long... Too long.
"L-let me go..." She utters, burning red. I do as she asks. Hanako stands up... and falls again, wincing. This time I'm not able to react in time as she hits the floor with a stifled yelp of pain.
"Are you okay?" I rush to her, worried. If she fell down like that, something terrible might be happening. A sprained ankle, perhaps? God... Now I regret not paying attention on lessons about first aid...
"...My foot h-hurts..." She responds very quietly, sitting up. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be further injured.
"This might be a sprained ankle." I say. "I'll need to carry you to the Nurse." As to be expected, she almost immediately burns even further red.
"I-I can go there m-myself..." She responds, embarrassed and tries to stand up, only to falter and fall down on floor just a second later.
"No, you can't. It might be something serious." She doesn't respond. I think I sighed as I sit in front of her with my legs crossed. "Look, Hanako. We can sit here as long as you wish, but I'm afraid your leg won't feel better without some medical aid. I know that much and I think you know that as well." I hope I'll be able to convince her to let me carry her to Nurse's office... Ideally before curfew. "There is also the matter of curfew. We can sit here all night if you wish..."
"C-can't you just call t-the Nurse?" She tries her best to get away from the prospect of me carrying her anywhere. Jeez. I suppose I can understand, but I don't even know her that well. It's not like I have some bad ideas to fulfill that involve her.
"You do know it's my third day in this school and there's a big probability of me getting lost? And even if you directed me towards Nurse's office from here, I'm not certain if Nurse himself would know the way to this tea room." Hanako bites her lip, looking away. "Please. I'm not a bad guy who takes advantage of such a situation... Truth be told, I barely know you."
"Like that stopped you from getting intimate with Misha." He suddenly speaks up in my mind, mocking me as always.
"Shut your trap." I respond back, trying my best to keep a straight face. He only chuckles evilly and says nothing more. "So... What say you, Hanako?" She sighs and finally looks me in the eye.
"A-alright..." I nod in response before very slowly and very carefully lifting her, bridal style. She's extremely shamefaced, as in, I don't think it's possible to get anymore embarrassed.
Now... She weighs a bit. As expected of a weakling like me, it might be hard to carry her all that way to Nurse's office. I'd suggest piggyback ride, as, I think, it would be more comfortable for the both of us, but on the other hand, suggesting anything now seems like she would jump away and crawl to infirmary if needed to.
I'd like to avoid it.
I'm walking relatively quickly, mostly because it's starting to become hard to keep her in such a position.
"You need to navigate me." I say to Hanako who nods uneasily. Thankfully, the school is mostly deserted by now, so we manage to avoid any curious glances... Until we make it to school's courtyard.
Despite the fact that the sun starts to set, there are still tons of students here, relaxing, chatting with each other and generally having a good time. They just had to be here today, hadn't they? I swear, it's Murphy's Law in full effect.
"Is there any other way around to get to Nurse's office?" I ask Hanako. Much to my horror, she shakes her head, apparently as surprised at sudden escalation of students as me. "...Crap. There's no way we'll sneak up all the way through it."
"I-I can walk on m-my own..." She starts her spiel, but I'm not going to let go this time.
" No, you can't." I let out a small sigh. "Well, we need to figure out something..."
"Need a hand, you two?" Rin's voice surprises both me and Hanako. I'll admit, I almost dropped her. The armless girl comes from the side corridor, smirking. Her smile implies a lot more than it should.
"...Look, we're just looking for a way to the infirmary. Hanako sprained her ankle and..."
"Say no more." Rin is still smirking. A few more seconds and I will most likely get slapped by further embarrassed Miss Ikezawa. "So you need an alternate way to the Nurse's office?"
"T-that would be nice if you t-told us..." I wonder if those two know each other. They're from separate classes, true, but this school doesn't have as many students as expected it to. Then again, I don't think they would get along.
Would Hanako get along with anyone not named Lilly? Well, I suppose there was me, although I suppose she will avoid me for a longer while after today's incident. There was also Hisao, I think. He seemed like a nice guy, so who knows?
"Sure thing. Follow me." Without further ado, Rin turns on her heels and starts walking through the corridor she came here. I only hope she's serious about this and not just trying to pull a prank on us. I can see her as a person who pulls pranks on people. Nasty pranks.
Thankfully, not this time. It took us some time to make use of the "shortcut" of Rin, but we eventually made it to the infirmary. Thank goodness, my arms were starting to get seriously weak. I gently put her down on a nearby bench and knock to the door. The door is opened by a middle-aged man with a goatee. I suppose he's just one of many nurses in the facility.
"Good evening. There was an accident. Miss Ikezawa can't walk on her own." I say it on one breath, wanting to have it already past me. The Nurse nods and helps out Hanako in getting inside the office.
Well, my job here is done... And yet, I feel like I should apologize. Again. Weird. Usually people around me are irritated when I apologize too much which happens from time to time... And here, I feel as if apologizing would need to be almost essential in keeping our awkward relationship at least partially intact.
"You're not going back to your room?" Rin's voice snaps me out of thought. The armless girl looks at me as if she was trying to decipher something.
"I, uh, I don't know. I feel like I should apologize..."
"That ankle thing wasn't made up?"
"...No, it wasn't." I roll my good eye. Was she still doubting me? Well, considering I was carrying Hanako bridal style, it might come out as fishy. "Thanks for helping me out, by the way."
"Not a problem." Rin shrugs, or at least it looks as if she's shrugging. Hard to tell when she lacks arms. "Emi's been looking for you."
"What?"
"She's been nagging Hisao all day long. Tomorrow's your turn."
"Oh no no no no no. I'm not going to become a part of track and field club."
"Do you like making cute girls cry?" The sudden, apparently not related question catches me off guard.
"W-what?"
"Emi will totally start crying if you reject her kind offer." I'm not sure if Rin is now being serious... But the thought of making any of those six girls cry doesn't seem right. Then again, she didn't seem like the type to pull off something like that... Or did she?
"...Alright." I groan the response. "Where can I find her?"
"At the track, of course." Rin rolls her eyes, stating the obvious. "Get up early. She's practicing on some barbaric time of day. Early morning." Huh. Well, that's probably one of the reasons to not participate... Still... I suppose I can give it a shot. "Bring your sport attire." No, I will come there in my pajamas.
"Sure." I nod after some hesitation. Tezuka smiles slightly.
"Well, later. Perhaps I could use some help with the mural..." She nods back, turns on her heel and leaves.
Hm. I suppose I should wait for Hanako now. Then again... Should I really? I mean, I feel like it's imperative, but... What does she feel?
Weird. I don't think I cared so much for anyone in here so far, not even for Misha. How should I perceive it?
She finally comes out with a cane to help her move around. Me still being around the infirmary apparently surprises her as she just stares at me for a while before shying away.
"I thought I might escort you back..." I start, scratching the back of my head. "It's dark already..." I know it's a lame excuse, but I just don't feel it would be right to leave her on her own. You can never be sure what might happen... Or I'm just too paranoid.
"T-there's no need." She responds, looking away.
"No, I think I should do at least that. I wanted to apologize. I'm being meddlesome, probably even right now... But I don't know how can I repay you for unpleasantness I caused. It's pretty much all I can do.
"Y-you're being t-too harsh for yourself..." She closes a bit to me and smiles. "B-but okay." I think I smiled as well. I hold out my hand for her.
"May I?" She nods and extends her burned hand. Even when scarred, it's extremely soft.
The two of us walk back to girls' dorms.
"I shall be off then." I say, making a small bow. "Until tomorrow morning." She smiles slightly. I turn on my heel and am about to leave when suddenly I can hear her voice once again.
"C-Casper..." She speaks up with some hesitation. I turn back to see her showing a truly honest smile. "T-thank you for... today."
"Don't mention it." I respond lightly. "Sleep well, Hanako." I bow once more and head to my own dorms.
Phew. It's past ten already. Thankfully I didn't get caught by anyone. I only hope Hanako had managed to reach her room as well.
Phew. All in all, a long day. A nice day... More days like that would be nice... And then, a knock at the door.
A shadow of fear creeps upon my face. Did I lock them? I rush to the door to make sure. Yes. Thankfully... But who it might be? It can be Misha... But would she risk getting here after curfew? If not her, then it might be either Kenji or Hisao... But do I want to open the door? If it really is Misha, I might get raped and it's the last thing I want...
[]Open the door.
[]Ignore it.
Readers, I give you your first choice. :) Choose wisely as it will most likely affect a larger part of the story. Other than that, Read and Review as always.