A/N: Thank you so much, guys, for your patience. Here you have it, Chapter 5. I just wanted to put a call out, I really need someone to talk to about Maid Sama and to discuss the direction that Polar Opposites will be going. I've got the next chapter written out, and I'll post it in a week so you guys don't have to wait too long, but I really need someone to bounce ideas with who has read the maid sama manga and can help me out by giving feedback. Bonus would be they would be able to read the chapters before everyone else. I figured it wouldn't hurt to post this here. I really want to write the best story for you guys. Please PM me. Cheers 3
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This is their second meeting, and Takumi hates him already. "You are not allowed to be here," he tells the blond boy, scowling. "You aren't even from this school."
The other boy breaks into a winsome smile. "Oh, let me introduce myself. I am Tora Igarashi, student council president of Miyabigaoka High School. I'm here to see Misaki Ayuzawa, my- who did you say you were?" Even his voice sounds cultured. Takumi keeps a blank face, drilled into him by years of training.
"I'm Takumi Usui, student council president of Seika High School. Do you have any business with our student? You are not allowed to be wandering the grounds by yourself, since you are an outsider. You understand, of course, as you are a president yourself," Takumi responds. He does not like the way the other boy eyes him, his gaze roaming over him as if he were an odd specimen in a museum.
If anything, the other boy's smile widens. "Did you say you were Usui? Curiouser and curiouser." He approaches, sizing him up carefully, studying him from every angle. Okay, now this is too weird. "I've heard so much about you, from my darling fiancee," Igarashi says cheerfully. Fiancee? Usui's brows knit into a frown. "Speaking of fiancee, Misaki told me she was on the roof. Have you seen her?"
Takumi blinks at him, unable to comprehend anything past the word fiancee. Ayuzawa is engaged? 'Better than being a mistress,' a sly voice whispers in his mind. But engaged? To this guy?
"Tora?" From behind him, Ayuzawa's voice comes out weakly. "Are you here yet?" He must have interrupted their arranged tryst. Takumi feels sick to his stomach.
"Right, she's over there." The other guy whacks him on the back cheerfully, jogging around the corner. He should leave, Takumi tells himself. He should leave right now, before he hears or sees anything. But there must be a masochistic part of him that nails his feet to the ground, because he cannot move, not a step.
Igarashi appears, carrying Ayuzawa in his arms. "Put me down, I can walk," she tells him, pouting. Unlike the awkwardness of last night, she seems mighty comfortable being carried like a princess in this boy's arms. Takumi's hands clench into fists.
"Silly girl, you hurt yourself. Stop being a hero," he scolds her, shifting her higher. Panicking, she throws her arms around his neck. The bastard laughs affectionately, swinging her around.
"Don't, Tora, people might see," Ayuzawa hisses, blushing to her ears. "And your uniform will get dirty." The umbrella Takumi returned dangles from her wrist.
He cannot seem to get his lungs working, staring at the happy couple in front of him. Has he ever been this mistaken before, in his life? They are on first name basis, for crying out loud. She finally notices him, and falls silent, shoving at the other boy's shoulders. Igarashi sighs, a theatrical, put-upon sigh, and sets her gently on her feet, keeping a proprietary arm around her waist. "President," she whispers, averting her eyes.
"I- uh, the roof is off limits, Ayuzawa. You aren't allowed to be here. Please leave." Takumi doesn't know where his anger is coming from, really. He should be embarrassed by the conclusion he jumped to, he knows he owes her a mental apology. But seeing her carted off like a sack of potatoes… she cannot even meet his eyes, as if she is guilty of some crime.
"So, President Usui, can you show us to the exit?" Igarashi smirks, a smile with too many dazzling teeth. His eyes are gold, too, a paler shade than Ayuzawa's. How cute. Aren't they a matched set.
With a curt nod, he stalks to the door, wrenching it open. She hobbles there, assisted by her white knight, head bowed. It is infuriating, seeing her so subservient, so obedient to this stranger who touches her like he owns her. "You can't walk down the stairs, Misa," the other boy tells her, scooping her up again.
"So you are going to parade her through the school, then, in your arms?" Takumi retorts before he can stop himself. Both their heads turn to him, as if they had forgotten he was there.
"It isn't my school," Igarashi shrugs, taking the steps down.
"But it is hers. Do you want to humiliate her?" he snaps, trailing after them. Ayuzawa meets his eyes from over the other boy's shoulder, and the sadness in them gives him pause.
"On the contrary, " Igarashi grins, a smile with too many teeth and not enough emotion. "It should increase her reputation, being seen in the arms of someone like me. Not that she needs it; our Misa is wonderful enough on her own, and I would like to see the person who tries to put her down."
They reach the landing on the ground floor. Takumi is angry with himself for following them, but it might help keep Ayuzawa's reputation intact if he was present. Sure enough, the crowds part for their odd little procession. He can feel the eyes of the entire student body on them, and the buzz of the whispers is deafening.
"That's the queen! Is she okay?"
"That's a Miyabigaoka uniform! Who is that?"
"Did the Demon President hurt her?"
"Miss Ayuzawa, are you okay?" A few freshmen run up to her, concern on their faces. Takumi glares at them, but they ignore him, clustering around her. "It's all our fault, we should have been looking where we were going earlier."
The smile she bestows upon them is charming and calm. "Don't worry, I just twisted my ankle when I fell down the steps. I should be okay tomorrow, no lasting damage."
"I'll take you straight to our hospital," Igarashi announces, silencing them all. "The specialists have already been called and are expecting us." Could he be any more obnoxious? They finally reach the gate.
In the distance, Takumi spots the approaching limousine. "I'm surprised you didn't call a helicopter," he mutters, sarcasm lacing his tone.
The other boy laughs, delighted by his comment. "Well, I would have, but I figured that your school might not have a landing pad, and you might object to us landing in the quad. For future reference, President Usui, where can I land a helicopter on your campus? It's pretty cozy and cute, with all the trees. I don't see a large enough space to land one."
"Tora," Ayuzawa warns, her eyes locking onto Igarashi's. "Don't be obnoxious."
The limo pulls up to the curb, and two suit-wearing men with earpieces step out. "Master Tora, we have cleared a way to the hospital," one of them announces, opening the backseat door.
"Wait, what about your things?" Takumi interjects, wondering if he should object to the abduction of Ayuzawa.
"Don't worry, my bodyguard is going to get it. Did you want to come along to the hospital, President?" The other suited man is already striding towards the school building, ignoring the stares of the students gathered at the entrance. "It's great that you're so worried about the welfare of your constituents. Thank you so much for taking care of my Misa." The boy brings the back of her fingers to his lips, causing a ripple of murmurs in the audience.
"How does your bodyguard know where Ayuzawa's classroom is?" Takumi grumbles, crossing his arms.
"GPS. We tagged her bag, just in case she gets kidnapped," Tora grins at Ayuzawa, who remains stone-faced. She looks unsurprised by this revelation. Takumi doesn't know if he should be outraged on her behalf, he doesn't even know what to say to this. The bodyguard returns, bearing her bag. "Alright, President. Nice to meet you."
"Right. I'm heading back now. Ayuzawa, Igarashi, good day," Takumi mutters, turning on his heel and marching away. The crowd parts for him, dead silent now. Behind him, he hears the purr of the limo receding as it gets further and further away. Ayuzawa is not his business, he tells himself. But at least she's not Igarashi's mistress.
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Two hours later he is standing in front of the mirror at the changing room of the Butler Cafe, glaring at his reflection.
"You look fantastic, Takumi," Subaru beams, straightening the shoulders of the police costume. "You really could pass for a police officer, you know. Blue is definitely your colour. But then, all the costumes look great on you. Don't forget to talk about the contest." It is all Takumi can do not to snap at him. His mood hasn't improved much since he left school.
"Nobody could pass the most difficult level of quiz," Satsumi muses, checking out the questions. "Are you sure about this, Takumi? I mean, the point of having a promotional quiz is so that people actually win them. I don't know if anyone could win this."
"Well, that's only the hard level," Takumi points out. "The easy level is fairly simple. 20 questions, all food prizes. It makes sense that the difficult level is a hundred questions, since you promised a photo and a day with one of the butlers."
"But… Someone has to win it, after all," Satsumi argues, wrinkling his nose as they walk towards the customer area. "Remember to stay in character, boys." He himself is in an admiral's costume, being the oldest butler.
"Aye aye, Captain," Subaru salutes playfully, after knotting the scarf on his sailor uniform.
The bell on the door jangles; all of them bow. Takumi groans inwardly as the first customers of the night appear; it is the three senior girls from his high school. They have been here almost daily, requesting him specifically.
"Good evening, my ladies," he mutters. Satsumi clears his throat meaningfully. Takumi sends him a pleading look. His boss gives him a "go on" look. "Your beauty is a crime against my heart," he mumbles. The three girls burst into giggles as he seats them at a corner table.
"Pres- I mean, Taku," the bleached-haired one snorts. "Do you remember our names?"
Good Lord, are they going to make him do this? Think of the paycheck, he reminds himself. Think of the money.
"Of course, ma'am. You are Miss Riku, your smile is arresting," Takumi tries not to roll his eyes at the lines that Satsumi gave him. The faux blond grins, eyeing his butt through the dress pants. "And you are Miss Izumi," he indicates the toughest looking one, "A flower who cannot be bound by any laws." Oh God. Shoot him now, he pleads mentally as the boss beams.
The girl turns a bright pink, hiding bashfully behind a menu. Huh. Really? "And Miss Naomi, I gotta keep an eye on you or else you'll steal all the hearts in the area." Nose-ring grins and flashes him a thumbs-up. Are girls really this simple? They do know he isn't serious, right?
"Don't forget to sign up for our latest promotion: The Butler Supreme Quiz!" Subaru announces over his shoulder, winking at them. "First prize is a photo and a day of personalized service with a butler of your choice. We announce the winners on Friday."
Judging by the way the three are eyeing him, Takumi is suddenly glad that he made the quiz extra difficult.
Naomi speaks up later, as he is serving their food. "Hey Taku, what was up with that scene earlier? Some jerk in a Miyabigaoka uniform carted off the queen into a limousine." Right. The three girls think he and Ayuzawa are dating.
"Ah, yes, he's an old family friend of Ayuzawa's," Takumi replies, scowling at the thought.
"Wait, you still call her Ayuzawa?" Riku snickers, nose ring flashing in the light. "Formal much? Are you really dating?"
"Of course they are, silly," Izumi interjects, whacking her friend on the head as she delivers an apologetic smile to Takumi. "Sorry, President, she's a little slow. But I guess they have to keep appearances up, so nobody thinks they are dating. It's romantic, really, a forbidden romance like that. But President, what would happen if you and Ayuzawa announced your relationship? I mean, I can see the male population of the school turning on you, but they'll get used to it eventually, right?"
It's none of their damn business, he thinks, trying not to slam the plates on the table. Takumi fixes a smile on his face, ignoring her question. "Will there be anything else, my ladies?"
"Well, I guess if you were trying to distract people from your relationship, that stunt this afternoon definitely worked. But if it were me, and that hottie carried me across the school in his arms to a limo, I don't know if I could remember I was in a relationship. I'd be all over him as soon as the door closed," Riku giggles.
"I have to say," Naomi adds, "Weren't those two ridiculously good-looking? Like a matched pair, almost. I thought nobody could match the beauty of our queen, but that boy, wow." Takumi bows stiffly, and heads to the back room, his mood souring even further. It's true, Igarashi and Ayuzawa look like they were made for each other, even in evening wear. But that's none of his business, Takumi repeats to himself. None of his business.
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The rest of the evening goes by in a rush. The costume events are always popular with the clientele, and he is thankful that Ayuzawa did not show up today. Making sure to lock the door this time, Takumi cleans out the customer area before heading back.
"Ah, good job tonight, Takumi!" Satsuki greets him in the kitchen, placing a few takeout boxes on the counter. "Here, for your delivery."
"Since when do we deliver?" Takumi asks warily, eyeing the boxes.
"Well, the other two are for your family, so you can take that home. The third is for your girlfriend. She called and placed an order. Even insisted on paying for all of it with a credit card, though I told her we would just deduct it from your paycheck. She tipped pretty well too," the older man grins. "Though you should have told me she got hurt. I would have let you leave earlier to be with her, you really should take care of your girl. She's so pretty, I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to snatch her from under your nose. Why, if I were twenty years younger…."
Takumi grabs the packages, trudging to the locker room. Slamming the door to his locker open, he changes out of the police uniform, and into his regular clothes. What the hell is Ayuzawa trying to pull? She is engaged to Smarmypants, so why is she still tormenting him?
He fumes the entire way to the train, stomping down the street until he finds himself at the lobby of her building. Taking a moment to calm down, he inhales deeply. This is a food delivery. She is a paying customer. That is all. He is Taku the Butler, nothing more. Whipping out his phone, he sends her a text. "I'm downstairs with your food order."
The elevator doors open a few minutes later, and she emerges, supported by one crutch, still dressed in her school uniform. She opens the lobby doors, avoiding his gaze. Taking the bag from his hand wordlessly, she maneuvers herself, narrowly missing the door by inches.
She really does look pretty pathetic, all injured like this. With a loud sigh, he marches up and snatches the bag out of her hands. "Come on, I'll set up the food for you upstairs," Takumi mutters, assisting her over the steps. He owes her this much, for her help, and he hates owing anyone.
Ayuzawa is more subdued, acting like a kicked puppy around him. The girl who winked at him this morning is gone, and in her place is a sad-eyed waif. "Keys," he demands, holding out a hand. She fishes it out of her pocket and hands it to him, adjusting her balance on the crutch.
Once Takumi has the door open, he waits for her to enter. As she passes him, he notes the dark circles under her eyes, the pallor of her cheeks, and the slump of her normally ramrod-straight back. Following her to the dining room, he pulls out a chair for her. "Sit down."
Miracle of miracles, she obeys, without a fight, leaning her crutch against the chair beside her. He unpacks her food - an omurice, he notes- and digs around the cupboards for dishes and utensils. The drawers are mostly empty, except for a big bag of disposable chopsticks, and a box of plastic forks. "Do you even live here?" Takumi mutters in frustration, remembering now that Satsumi must have packed some cutlery with the food.
Ayuzawa does not reply. When he turns to put the chopsticks in her hand, she averts her head, hiding her face from him. Is every meal like this for her? Nobody is home, and the silence is too loud. This can't be right. Dragging a chair out from across her, he unpacks a second meal, sending a mental apology to his brother. After a few beats, she starts to eat, her head bowed.
"Wait," he scolds, clasping his palms together. "We have to say thanks for the meal." Abruptly, she follows, pushing her own hands together. They chorus their grace, and the silence falls again, less heavily than before.
"Great, now we can eat," Takumi tells her, retrieving his chopsticks. He is not a chatterbox, but for some reason he wants to start blathering about his day, anything to fill this painful silence. He doesn't even know why he forced his way into this situation; she seems broken, somehow, and it bothers him. "So you fell down the stairs at school?" he says around a bite of food, indicating her crutch with his chopsticks.
"Yes," she replies, a slight furrow of her eyebrows the only indication of her emotions. "The great and graceful Misaki Ayuzawa fell down the stairs and sprained her ankle. It does happen sometimes, President."
"I'm glad," he snorts. "Reminds us all that you're human, and not the perfect queen everyone thinks you are."
"Oh, I'm human, alright," Ayuzawa raises her voice, meeting his eyes for the first time. "If you stab me, I'll bleed. I'm nothing more than a high schooler, nothing more than a girl, nobody special." Takumi is surprised to see tears in her eyes. Turning her head away, she dashes the back of her hand against her cheek quickly, wiping away all traces of the tear. He can see her lower lip wobble, and it is strangely endearing, how she looks like a lost little girl. Takumi cannot look away, mesmerized. He has dealt with her aftermath, with all the boys whose hearts she broke, but seeing her like this, the untouchable Queen of Seika, makes him want to gather her in his arms and comfort her.
"Why did you help me?" he asks instead, shoveling rice into his mouth. "With the student council fundraising?" He will not mention how she had held him in the infirmary until he had fallen asleep, that he had not felt so safe or peaceful in years, that even now, he can still feel her fingers stroking his hair.
Ayuzawa pauses. He uses that time to take a sip of water, to give her a chance to pull herself together. He pretends not to hear the slight sniffle, not to notice the furtive brush of her fingertips over her eyelashes. This much, Takumi understands. "You needed help, didn't you? And I know people who could help, so it's not a big deal. Also, I don't like the vice principal." The smirk she gives him is genuine. "So, two birds with one stone. But I'll get back to you tomorrow. I'm still waiting to hear back from some of the people I know."
"Like Igarashi?" The question escapes him and now Takumi wants to hit himself. She might think he is jealous. She remains silent, though, as if choosing her words. He continues anyway. "It isn't right to ask for his help. He has his own school to worry about. This is Seika business, after all."
"No, President," Ayuzawa says stiffly, her chin regaining its former stubbornness. Good girl. "I didn't ask Tora. Like I said, I'll give you a list tomorrow." That should be the end of it. He should stop now.
"So when is the wedding?" Seriously, Takumi must be more tired than he thought. Why are all these words tumbling out? "I didn't know you were engaged. To be honest, I had thought you were his mistress, when I saw you on the red carpet yesterday."
The corner of her mouth goes up. "Really? You thought I was a whore?" She bursts out laughing now, so hard that tears leak out from the corner of her eyes. "Tora's mistress huh? He'd get a kick out of that one." This girl has no shame. Takumi essentially called her a prostitute, and here she is laughing her head off. Now he is embarrassed and annoyed for even bringing it up. "Oh, I really needed a laugh. Thanks, President."
He rises to his feet, clearing his own dishes. "It is getting late, and we still have school tomorrow. Will you be alright by yourself?"
A mischievous spark enters her eyes. Takumi braces himself. "Why, President, I appreciate the concern. Maybe I'll need someone to wash my back when I take a bath, and help me in and out of the tub," she jokes, howling with laughter when he narrows his eyes. "I'm joking, I'm joking."
"I'm leaving," Takumi tells her sternly. "Don't get up to see me out. I know the way."
"Wait," she protests. "Let me at least get you a taxi home."
He cuts her an icy glare. "Goodnight, Ayuzawa." Making his way to the front door, he hears her hobbling behind him. Whirling around, he catches her limping towards him. "What did I just tell you?" Takumi snaps, reaching for her as she stumbles. To his surprise, she launches herself at him, hugging him tightly. He can actually feel her heart pounding against his, as she burrows her face into his shoulder.
"Thank you, President, for the food and the company. This is exactly what I needed," she murmurs, squeezing him one more time before she releases him with a shy smile. Stunned, he can only stare at her. His mind has gone completely blank, intoxicated by her scent and her warmth. Now he can understand why those poor idiots threatened to kill themselves over her. "You should go home, it's pretty late." It almost hurts when she breaks contact, the ghost of her touch still burning his skin. Her cheeks are bright pink as she gazes up at him, her hair covering her eyes.
"Ayuzawa, you idiot. Worry about yourself first." Unable to help himself, his hand tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Goodnight." Startled golden eyes crash into his. He withdraws his hand as if burned.
With that, he backs out the door, holding it closed until he hears the lock click into place. Then he heads home, trying to forget about this entire day. This is becoming a common theme in his dealings with the girl. She is engaged, he reminds himself. And way, way out of his league. It is getting harder and harder to put her out of his mind.
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