A/N: Chapter III, everyone. Thanks for reading! I'll try to update this weekly. Would love to make friends from this fandom, please feel free to PM me. Cheers :D
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III.
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Monday's assembly is full of half-awake students. Takumi surveys the student body from where he stands onstage, behind the rambling principal. Beside him, Yukimura fidgets with his uniform buttons. "One more week to spring break, President Usui," he whispers. "Do you think the students will get more rowdy?"
Takumi shakes his head, casting his gaze at the sea of mostly girls in front of them. "Not if I can help it," he vows, clapping his hands as the principal ends his speech. The older man nods to him, handing him a sheet of paper as he walks over to the side.
He takes the podium, slipping on his Demon President persona like a mask. Waiting a beat, the whispers quiet down when the students realize that he is there. A few groups of girls worship him in each grade. He has never understood it, hating women as much as he does, but at times like this they come in handy, shushing their classmates so that they can hear every word he says.
"With spring break approaching, I would like to remind everyone about the cultural festival coming up in three months. Your homeroom teachers will assign class reps for the festival committee, who shall meet three times a week and then daily for the month of the festival. Please think about what you would like to do for the festival," Takumi announces. "Creative ideas are encouraged, within reason and pending approval."
A movement on the fourth row catches his attention. Ayuzawa is slumped over, nodding off with her arms crossed. The male classmate beside her eases his arm around the back of her chair stealthily, taking advantage of the situation. Takumi narrows his eyes.
"Also, I would like to remind the students to be on their best behaviour, even if spring break is coming up. That includes going to karaoke rooms or bars, wearing too much makeup, shortening your skirts, public displays of affection…," His voice trails off as Ayuzawa tilts perilously close to the shoulder of the classmate. She catches herself in time, forcing her eyes open, oblivious to the arm behind her chair. The classmate looks disappointed. "Remember that you are Seika High students at all times. If you break any of the rules, you will be punished." Sleepily, she yawns, hiding her parted lips behind her fingertips. Her eyes crash into his.
Takumi's heart starts pounding quickly as she meets his gaze. She is probably the first girl who has ever looked him in the eye so directly, with absolutely no fear or shyness. Unflinchingly, she stares back at him, her golden eyes gleaming even at this distance. Transfixed, they stare at each other until the whispers start and Yukimura clears his throat loudly.
"Ayuzawa Misaki," Takumi drawls, watching her eyes widen. He should be more embarrassed, he supposes, but he rather likes the pink flush stealing across her cheeks. "Second year, section 1, won first place in the Suzuki Violin Competition, in the junior category. Please give her a round of applause. Stand up, Ayuzawa." He hides a smirk at the way her jaw drops, and her eyes dart around self-consciously. Her legendary composure is in shreds right now. She stands abruptly, bowing to everyone around her, tucking a lock of hair behind her cheek. The boys closest to her gaze at her with rapt admiration. Of course she has a fan club, composed of both genders, and they are all jumping for joy.
"And to our judo club, who placed second in the regional tournament. Team Captain…," he continues, reading from the paper that the principal handed him. His announcements are out of order, but one by one he congratulates the achievers of the school and nobody seems to mind. The three senior girls sprawled in the back row exchange knowing grins.
The blank look is back on Ayuzawa's face, but her cheeks are glowing. A surge of satisfaction rushes through him. Why is it so much fun to ruffle her feathers? Because she is his nemesis, he decides, concluding his speech. He finishes with a bow, heading back to the side of the stage while the rest of the school rises to their feet to sing the school song.
"Are you okay, President? You seemed to lose your train of thought halfway," Yukimura whispers over the unenthusiastic, mostly off-key rendition of their school anthem. He nods, his eyes scanning the audience for the familiar head of dark hair. Her eyes lock onto his, and she raises an eyebrow accusingly. He is unable to control the smile from spreading across his own face, so he looks up, at the ceiling, forcing an innocent smile.
"Did you see that?" a freshman girl squeaks loudly from the front row, pointing at him. "The Demon President smiled! And he was totally hot when he did that!" Suddenly all eyes of the assembly are on him and now the tables are turned. Unlike Ayuzawa, he doesn't shy away from the limelight, flashing a grin and a wink. A collective female sigh rises, with a male voice groaning, "President, don't steal my girlfriend's heart!" from somewhere in the crowd.
His nemesis isn't even looking at him. She is gazing into the screen of her phone, a shuttered expression on her face. He would take offense that she even had her phone out, but there must be something wrong. She is completely focused on whatever she is reading, and her back has gone ramrod-straight. Slipping her phone back into the pocket of her blazer, she stares unseeingly ahead, her jaw set in a stubborn line.
Something's up. He has seen her almost in her underwear, but she wasn't as vulnerable then as she is now. Funny he should notice how her eyebrows knit slightly, how her fingers clench into a fist. Yukimura pushes his shoulder. "Let's go, Prez. Class is starting soon and we need to go over the budget proposals." What is he doing, letting himself be distracted by her? Shaking his head to clear it, Takumi exits the stage with the rest of the council. On his way out, he passes by the three senior girls, who are grinning from ear to ear. Nose Ring even gives him a thumbs up.
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"Hey, Mr. President," Hanazono drawls, aiming a basketball at Takumi's head later in Gym class. "Feels like we haven't seen you in forever. You look… tired. Like someone chewed you up and spit you out, but more than normal."
Takumi catches it easily, glaring at his friend. "The student council and my part time job take up most of my time, you know that." He throws it at the third student in their group, the bespectacled Kaga.
"And studying, too, I suppose," Kaga snorts. "Which is why you're still the second in our grade." After Ayuzawa, Takumi finishes mentally, frowning as he receives the ball. "Three player catch is too boring. I wish there were more boys in our class."
Hanazono turns, winking at the girls at the other side of the gym. A wave of titters runs through them. "Speak for yourself, four-eyes. Look at all these girls, ripe for the taking. This is probably your best chance to get a girlfriend, Kaga. You wouldn't stand a chance if there were more guys around." He heaves a happy sigh. "Mixed-gender PE is the best. I can't wait for summer when we all go to the pool for swimming class."
Takumi makes a mental note to request gender-segregated classes for swimming from the PE teacher. He really does not need to be ogled by these man-hungry beasts like a piece of meat. "There is more to life than girls, you know," Kaga retorts. "By the way, what was that about, this morning at the assembly? It's not like you to smile like that. You almost started a riot."
The vice-principal pokes his head into the gym. "Usui! Can I talk to you for a minute?" Saved before he can answer, Takumi waves to his friends, striding through the gaggle of girls towards the main door. He hears their whispers as he pushes past them, but really doesn't care. Girls are an annoyance that come with the job, after all.
"Yes, Sir?" he asks, standing in the hallway.
"Can you get the class committee members to meet for a briefing tomorrow afternoon in the conference hall instead of the AV Room? Here's the list of points I want you to discuss with them," the vice-principal says, handing him a sheaf of papers.
He skims over the numbers, mentally sighing as he sees how low this year's budget is. "I understand that the school is not doing so well, Vice-Principal. May we raise funds for the festival through sponsorships?"
The older man crosses his arms. "We used to make do with much less than that, President Usui. You'll have to do your due diligence with any of the businesses or individuals that you request sponsorships from. I will not have the Seika name dragged through the mud. Submit a list of possible sponsors to me before the end of the week. And a draft of the sponsorship letters you will be sending out. Also, please outline a plan for the sponsorship packages, and a breakdown of the total that you will be requesting, and how you plan to spend it. We're not some fancy elite school, President. We don't need all the trimmings for our cultural festival."
Great. He's offended the vice-principal. But Takumi Usui is determined to make this the best cultural festival this school has ever seen. After all, this is the first he has helmed.
"Yes, sir," Takumi responds with a bow. "I shall have them with you by Thursday."
The Sanitation and Health officer for the student council comes running up at a full sprint, almost crashing into them. "P- president," Utsumi gasps, bending over to catch her breath. "There was a delivery of frogs and reptiles in the biology lab today, but they seem to have escaped their container. There are about sixty of them and the floor is flooded."
"Excuse me, Vice-Principal." He bows to the older man, falling into step behind her. "Okay, who are available to clean it up? I can round up some people."
"W-well…," Utsumi stammers, biting her lip pensively. She is a timid little mouse of a girl, who Takumi knows is terrified of him, so he waits patiently. "M-most of the girls who were in class at the time freaked out and ran, and the boys in the class refused to do it if the girls weren't willing to. It's the second year section five."
"Thank you for telling me," Usui mutters, rolling up the sleeves of his tracksuit. "Let's head to the student council office and see who's available. I need to drop these papers off anyway. If nobody is there, I want you to run to the broadcasting office and page Yukimura and the rest of the council. Warn them that they may need to wear their gym clothes."
By the time he arrives, the biology lab is a mess. The teacher is on her hands and knees, chasing after the amphibians. "Oh, thank God, Usui, you're here," she calls out. "Grab a pair of gloves."
The rest of the student council joins him shortly afterwards, complaining loudly about the mess they have to clean up.
"Come on, we're the student council," he barks at them, dropping a handful of frogs into a bucket. "This is why we were chosen. We do the jobs that nobody else wants." It takes them a little over two hours to set the science laboratory to rights. At the end of it, he trudges back to the locker room, glad he was not in his uniform.
Yukimura joins him. "By the way, President, the inspection roster and records that you wanted are done. I set them up on your table in the council office. We're all set to give the report to the Principal on Thursday." With a loud groan, he stretches out on the bench. "I wish there were more boys on the student council. The girls complained too much about everything."
"That's enough. I'm going to shower," Takumi mutters, grabbing his towel. There is a mountain of work waiting for him, it seems, and the mountain keeps growing. The hot water feels like heaven, and in the shower, at least, he is alone. For a moment, only the sound of rushing water fills his world, and he takes a deep breath, letting the water pound his back. Then a pair of gold eyes pops into his head, making him crank up the water. Bracing his hands on the wall, he ducks his head under the spray, trying to wash her out of his thoughts.
Misaki Ayuzawa. Even her name makes his hands ball into fists, while his heart kicks into overdrive. It has been three days since she made that awkward defence, when he claimed that they were dating. Good Lord, he hopes those three kept their mouths shut. But why would she protect him against them? Damn it, he even understood her reasoning, convoluted as it was. The news that the Queen and the Demon President were dating was far, far bigger than the news of him working as a butler in a cosplay cafe. What was her motive, though? And the idea of dating Ayuzawa…
Not that they were dating, of course. Not that he wants her. He doesn't. Grabbing a handful of shampoo, he scrubs his hair into a lather. Of course he doesn't want her. He doesn't even want a girlfriend. Where would he get the time or the money for one, especially one as high-maintenance as she is?
Though… Last Friday, he had cooked an omurice for her on his break, with the permission of his boss. She had been astounded, eyes round as saucers when he served it to her with "Thanks" written in ketchup. The happy noises Ayuzawa made in her throat, and the way her eyes had rolled back in pleasure still lingered in his head. One would think she had never had omurice before. Even his useless mother had made it for him as a child. The empty apartment crosses his mind again.
And today, at the assembly, that look on her face… for a split second, she looked lost. That feeling was one he knew well. "You've got enough on your plate," he scolds himself aloud, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes until fireworks dance behind his lids. "There's no need to go looking for trouble."
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Two hours later, he is at the cafe entrance, greeting the girl he has been trying not to think about all day. He really should have known better. Trouble, after all, seems to find him easily.
"Welcome to the Butler Cafe, my lady," he recites, glaring at her. She seems her normal, cool self. All that angst for nothing, he thinks, disgusted with himself.
The ghost of a smile crosses her face, mocking him. "Mr. President," she murmurs softly, so only he can hear. What is her game this time? She waits expectantly. He leads her to the furthest table from the door, closest to the service area.
"What do you want?" Takumi hisses at her, slapping the menu on the table. It earns him a curious glare from Eiji, who saunters over.
"My lady Misaki, welcome back!" the college student grins, bending over her hand. "You are looking lovelier every time I see you!" He did meet her last week, Takumi remembers, and had asked for her phone number, only to be politely shot down in one of smoothest rejections he had ever witnessed. Misaki Ayuzawa was a pro at turning boys down, it seemed.
"It's the second time you've seen her," Takumi grumbles, forcing his way between them. "Go wait on your tables."
"Don't worry, I won't steal your lady. Anyone can see she's only got eyes for you," Eiji teases, slipping back to his area.
Takumi turns to the girl, pushing his fake glasses up his nose. "What do you want, Ayuzawa?"
She leans back into her chair, eyeing his getup with a smirk. "The livery of a servant suits you well, Prez. Can I really ask you to do weird things?"
That idiot Eiji must have told her about their 'butler services.' "What would you like to drink, my lady?" he recites tonelessly through gritted teeth.
"A cup of coffee please. And…," her amber eyes dart away for a moment. "That egg thing you made last time. It was delicious. One of those as well."
The bell at the front door jangles. He automatically turns to the entryway to greet the newcomer, but his blood turns to ice when he spots the three senior girls. Dropping quickly to one knee, he takes Ayuzawa's hand in his, staring soulfully into her eyes. Startled, she tries to pull away, but notices the new arrivals. He proclaims loudly, "My lady, I'll make your omurice with all my heart." He ignores the little twitch of laughter her lips make, pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles. She goes completely still.
Her skin is soft, which makes total sense. She is a pampered princess, after all. But there are calluses on the fingertips, and a writer's bump on her middle finger, against which he rubs his thumb absently. Ayuzawa snatches her hand back, her stomach growling loudly. "Just go," she mutters, her cheeks glowing.
Once the swinging door closes behind him, Takumi crouches down, trying to calm the mad fluttering of his stomach. Did she really come back for him, or because she was hungry and had nowhere else to go? What is this woman doing to him?
"Hey, Takumi, what's the order?" Satsuki calls from behind the grill.
"Oh, one omurice," he replies, unfolding himself. Hopefully, Satsuki hasn't noticed anything odd about his behaviour.
"Okay," Satsuki grins, waving a spatula at him.
"Actually," he blurts out, surprising himself. "Can I make it?" Satsuki raises an eyebrow but agrees, heading outside to cover him. Carefully avoiding eye contact, Takumi dons the apron and makes the dish. Once it is done, Satsuki returns, smiling from ear to ear.
"Takumi, you rascal, you didn't tell me your girlfriend was here," he teases.
Takumi hands him the apron. "She's not my girlfriend," he mutters, picking up the plate.
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Ayuzawa stays for three hours, until the Butler Cafe closes. It is kind of a blessing, because the three senior girls seem to have fixated on him, especially after he gave them their free drinks. To be fair, she did pull out her textbooks and do her homework. But why is she waiting for him?
"Don't your parents worry that you're out so late? It's nine on a school night," Takumi mutters, after finding her on the sidewalk.
"No," she replies curtly, falling into step beside him. They walk the five blocks in silence, towards the train station. Popping her headphones in, she pulls the hood over her head to block the cool night breeze. He cannot decide whether she is trying to be rude, or is just incredibly comfortable with his presence. The second thought is both aggravating and disturbing to Takumi, so he pulls out his own phone, just to have something to do. There is a message from his little brother.
"Please swing by the grocery store at the station. The eggs are on sale tonight," it reads. He sighs. Sasuke Usui plays the role of mother in their family, and takes thriftiness to a new level, even at age 13. Takumi knows he shouldn't feel guilty about his younger brother taking care of him, but he does. "Chalk another one up to the dysfunctional Usui parents," he grumbles aloud, resentment curdling his stomach.
She doesn't hear him. They stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, and he takes advantage of this pause to glance at his companion. The light, sophisticated fragrance she wears taunts him, and her eyes are bleak, staring unseeingly ahead. A lock of hair blows against her lips, but she is too preoccupied to care. What is she thinking about?
Without him noticing it, his hand reaches up, catching the silky strands between two fingers. Her cheek is warm against his knuckles, and softer than he could ever imagine. She turns her head, startled, that golden gaze crashing into his, and now he can feel her lips, decadently plush and just a little bit damp.
The moment stretches out while he looks at her. Strange how he can hear his heartbeat thundering in his ears, while her breath burns his skin. He lowers his hand, tracing the curve of her cheek, mesmerized. Unable to help himself, Takumi lowers his head towards her, intoxicated by her touch, drowning in her eyes.
At that moment, a drunken salaryman pushes between them, slurring out, "Damn kids, the light's green. Don't block the sidewalk. Just go home, okay? What kind of students are you? Think of your parents!" He staggers across the street, leaving the two of them alone.
Takumi takes a step back, panicking. A cynical look crosses Ayuzawa's face, one that she quickly hides, pulling her hood forward as she crosses the street. Takumi is rooted to the ground, watching her walk away from him. The crossing light changes, stranding him on the other side of the street. "Wait," he calls out before she can disappear, once his brain kicks in. "Ayuzawa, can I have your phone number?"
The last thing he sees of her is a faint smile curving her lips. With a mocking bow, she replies, "Good night, President," and walks off into the night.
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