2) "Kasahara!" the voice came out of no where; in the darkness, it would be hard to idenify who had called out to me. Suddenly, light poured in, like cracks opening up to reveal something bigger and brighter. Light showed big desks and one person. Who...?

"You block-head!" Smack! In front of me was Instructor Dojo!

"Ow!" I put my hand on the spot where Dojo had thumped me on the head. There was going to be a bump... "What was that for?" I yelled, raising my head to look at his angry face.

"You fell asleep again!" Dojo suddenly sighed. "Kasahara..." His hand neared me, and I flinched, since he had hit me earlier. He paused, then reached out again. "You drooled." he said dully, wiping it off my face. Huh? I didn't notice... He pulled his hand back, and glared at me again. "Did you at least get some of the lesson into that thick head of yours?"

My silence answered for him. He sighed in agitation. "Block-head...! Can you do anything right?" He turned away.

I got up, and stomped up to him. "What does that mean?" I asked. "I can do things right!"

"Never mind, Kasahara," Dojo said, brushing me off. Which infuriated me. "Just... do whatever you do." Then he left.

LATER...

"That man confuses me!" I complained to my room-mate, Shibazaki. She was currently brushing her perfect long brown hair. "One second, he's gentle, then he's so insensitive. Then he brushes me off! Just like that! He's a monster!" I groaned as I plopped down onto my bed, my grumbles softened by my pillow.

"But, you have to admit..." she started vaguely, "...you have to love that about a man." She began brushing another part of her soft hair. One-hundred strokes, I think, I thought dully. Does she believe in that myth?

"What?" I grumbled. "I don't have to do anything."

Shibazaki went on, oblivious to my ranting. "I mean, he's so mysterious. I love that in a man. He can be gruff one moment, then loving the next! Absolutely adorable!"

"Will you..." I groaned after hearing her go on about Dojo, "...be quiet!" I flung my pillow at her, my anger in my shot. It bounced off her head with a soft thump.

"Gah! Iku, now I have to start all over again!"

DOJO'S PERSPECTIVE

I heard a chuckle as I rounded a corner. Komaki was there, leaning against the wall. His smile was perfectly balanced, as usual. But, there was something about the look in his eyes... "I could hear you two hollering at each all the way from over here," Komaki said, snickering. "Does she really get under your skin that bad, Dojo?"

I shrugged, thinking about the stubborn set of her shoulders, the defiant tilt of her head—what was I thinking? "No offense to her, but I just don't think she can handle this kind of work."

Komaki snorted. "Is it just because she falls asleep in lessons, she doesn't read her text-book at all, or that—" I glanced at him. "Okay, that's not the point." Komaki stood up straight, and set a hand on my shoulder. It always annoyed me that he was just a little taller than me, but I inwardly shrugged it off. "Give her a chance, Dojo," he said, and smiled. "Who knows; maybe you'll learn to like her courage and, yes, even how stubborn she is." His hand fell off of my shoulder. "Think about it."

I sighed as he walked away. Maybe...

KASAHARA'S PERSPECTIVE

"Kasahara!" I heard over my shoulder.

"Huh?" I turned my head to see Dojo running toward me. What did that jerk want now? "Yes, sir?"

When he stopped in front of me, I thought he looked slightly embarrassed. An awkward silence followed. Suddenly, Dojo sighed and reached into a pocket on his pants and pulled out a...chocolate?

"Sir?" I repeated, confused. Oh. Is he intending to poison me?

"Here," he thrust his hand out, and I only barely caught what he had held. He then turned around quickly. "Komaki said for me to give you something..." he said. "...as an apology." He started walking quickly away.

"Instructor Dojo!" I cried as I zoomed in front of him. He blinked at my speed. I hadn't even tried to outrun him... "Aren't you going to say it?" I asked.

"Say what?" he asked.

I stared at him. "Something like, 'I'm sorry Iku'?" I encouraged.

"What? No," he said, stepping around me.

"Wha—but, but! Instructor Dojo, you said it was an apology! I didn't hear you actually say one!"

"Get over it!"

"Jerk!"

"Block-head!"

KOMAKI'S PERSPECTIVE

I chuckled as I watched them argue. Well, things are back to normal... and amusing