Ever since, Pirika has adored anything European. She draped herself in European labels, drenched her skin with European fragrances, disdained all chocolates that weren't European and was determined one day to own a European car. Which also explains why she was so keen on marking the poor, unsuspecting European transfer student as her own. To everyone's surprise (and Ren's apparent dismay), Lyserg didn't seem bothered by it at all. No, not the least bit at all, Ren would think as he happened to see Lyserg dutifully waiting for Pirika to come out of the locker rooms everyday after conditioning for the past month. This is exactly why I need to keep stalking her—er, I mean, observing her. Because observing her would make Horohoro happy and make me not angry. And, as everyone knows, a non-angry Ren doesn't feel like kicking puppies or murdering kittens in cold blood on his way home.
It wasn't as if Ren liked her. He felt absolutely no affinity, much more attraction (he made a disgusted face here), towards the girl. "She's rude." Thwack. "Annoying." Thwack. "Superficial." Thwack. "Hot-headed." Thwack. "And arrogant." Thwack. "So then, why am I doing this?" Ren angrily shouted. Bason and the rest of the team had to restrain Ren and yank away his lacrosse stick before he could continue hurtling any more balls at poor Manta Oyamada as he had been doing for the past minute or so.
In the locker rooms, Ren knew that something had to change. He continuously thought of the matter during school which caused him to crash into more than a few hapless students in the hallways, messed up during practice because he couldn't figure out why he was acting like this, and glared at her back during chemistry class so much that he neglected to take down notes. He punched the open metal locker, causing one of his teammates to shriek out and another to run away and hide in the bathroom—for the third time this week. Okay, Ren. Calm down. Breathe. Now try to sort this out.
He felt strangely overprotective towards her. Yet he didn't feel like he cared for her or had any romantic feelings. Not that I know what caring for someone feels like, the Chinese boy thought, rolling his eyes. True enough, the Taos, while being trained to increase their physical capabilities were simultaneously trained to decrease any emotional attachment that they had felt. Something that "would only hinder them," as their father had said. So Ren decided to meditate on it, the only thing remotely personal that the Tao children were allowed to do without fear of punishment. After a few minutes, Ren came to the conclusion that he regarded Pirika in the same way he did Jun; of course he would feel protective of his own sister and Ren supposed that he felt some sort of sibling-like connection with Pirika as well. And with that, he filed the matter away into the deep recesses of his mind, intending to never think of it again. Which was next to impossible.
"Hey, Pointy-Head." Ren inwardly groaned and turned around to face the blue-haired girl and her exceedingly British companion.
Patch Theater
"You're serious." Ren widened his eyes.
Pirika frowned. "He can't be." Lyserg simply smiled.
"Of course I'm serious!" The drama teacher shrieked at the three students. "Why else do you think I called you in here?!"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you have a thing for the British she-male over here," Ren lazily drawled, ignoring indignant squawks from both Ryu and Pirika.
"I requested for you three to meet with me," Ryu adjusted his outrageously purple tie. "Because I thought that you would be willing to help out your teacher and the entire school. But I understand if you do not care about FHHS's prestigious productions that the entire student bodies look forward to every year. It's okay, really. I mean, it's not like I would give you an automatic A in my class for taking part in the play," Lyserg leaned forward a little. "Or that your tentative scholarship to college depends on the grade you get on my class, which is your only C by the way," Pirika narrowed her eyes. "Or that you'll be suspended from participating in this year's lacrosse season because you're failing Drama 1," Ren started listening a little more. "Oh wait. It is like that. My mistake." Ryu smiled.
"Absolutely not." Ren crossed his arms.
"Yeah, I don't know if my schedule can handle it..." Pirika swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the edge of the stage.
"I'm not sure if I'm going to even be here for the actual play." Lyserg shifted his bookbag.
"Your cold heartedness pierces my soul! I can't believe that you don't care about your school this much," Ryu wailed into the sleeve of his pristine white suit. "It's just...that..." he sobbed, "I wonder how the rest of the school is going to take it when they hear that three of their most popular classmates had been murdered after Anna Kyoyama hears who accidentally locked the doors to the computer lab the day before LASNC was to be printed." Ryu's eyes gleamed.
The three students gaped. "Y-You wouldn't." Pirika's legs stopped moving. Lyserg dropped his book bag. Ren's complexion slightly paled. "She'd murder us. No, she'd torture us slowly and then kill us. I've heard horror stories from what she used to do to the volleyball team before she got suspended for using 'cruel and unusual punishment' on her teammates. I heard what she did would make convicted murderers shake in their boots," Pirika whispered.
"Believe me, I would. Ever since the Boz brothers have graduated, the number of kids auditioning has slowly dwindled. Oh, those were the days when people actually cared about theater, when they respected the art of drama and acting. What I would give to get at least a fraction of that enthusiasm again." Ryu looked like he was going to cry again.
Ren, after composing himself, closed his eyes. "Stop being such a drama queen."
Lyserg, in an attempt to calm down his teacher's outraged splutters, hurriedly interjected. "So, uh, why don't you give us your spiel, Mr. Umemiya?" Pirika clapped her hands together in support.
Ryu colored and waved his hand at the boy. "Oh please, just call me Ryu. No need for formalities."
"Yeah, because he obviously wants to be more familiar with you. In more ways than one, that is..."
"YOU SHUT UP, REN." Pirika kicked Ryu in the shin in an effort to speed the process along. "Ow! What's your problem?!"
"Ryu, of all the kids at this school, why did you pick us three anyways? You obviously already know that we're not even remotely close to being decent at acting." Pirika tilted her head back and stared upwards at the old, musty theater ceiling.
"Well, since you three are undoubtedly the most popular in the school, after the rest of the student body hears that you guys are in the play, then auditions will skyrocket and my productions will be restored to their former glory!" Ryu threw his hands up in a dramatic flourish. "That way everybody wins!"
Lyserg scratched the back of his head. "Eheh, I think 'most popular' is a bit of an exaggeration..." he began modestly.
"Oh, my Lyserg, you are, to the rest of the school, the mysterious, British exchange student who everyone wants to be friends with." He turned to Pirika. "You're the perfect student, essentially. You've gone out with the most sought after guys, you're the captain of the gymnastics and cheerleading teams, you're in advanced classes, and you are attractive." He faced Ren. "You're..." He studied the shorter boy for a minute. "Ahem. Anyways..." Ren angrily smacked Ryu in the head with Lyserg's dropped bookbag, ignoring his drama teacher's wails of Not the haaaaaaaaaaaair!
After attempting to salvage his overly large pompadour, Ryu gave up and sighed in resignation. "Will you guys do it?"
Ren opened his mouth to deliver a firm and emphatic expression of rejection (read:"Hell no" and a swift kick to the solar plexus) but before he could, Lyserg spoke up. "I don't see why not," the green haired boy said cheerfully.
"W-Well if Lyserg's doing it, then so will I!" Pirika said a bit too fast for Ren's liking. Apparently being the Protector of his Best Friend's Little Sister and the Enemy of All Lecherous Teenage Boys Everywhere, Ren was forced—against his own will! (Can't forget the against my own will part, that's the most important bit, he justified in his head)—to begrudgingly consent to be a part of the play.
Ryu's face lit up so much that it hurt the three students' faces. "Gooooooood!" he chirped. "Here are your parts. Oh and, by the way, it's a musical." He grinned evilly, savoring the looks of sheer terror on the kids' faces. "See you at rehearsals then!"
Room 522
"You're serious." Tamao's eyes widened.
Joco frowned. "He can't be." Horohoro simply smiled.
"Of course I'm serious!"
"That's not fair!" Joco shrieked at the blue haired editor. "It took me three years to get a promotion! Why does she get one?"
Horohoro sighed. "Relax, Joco. It's just a small promotion anyways." Joco stomped his foot and crossed his arms. "Well, Hime, do you want to see what you'll be doing?"
Tamao nodded and the two walked away, leaving Joco to fume by himself. "Ah, don't mind him. He just works really hard and he usually gets the short end of the stick whenever Anna's around. Ever since freshman year." He stared sympathetically at Joco. "Jeez, that guy deserves a medal of honor. Or martyr status at least."
Tamao laughed. "Yes, Anna is a bit demanding."
"And you! You freakin' live with her! How do you survive? That's like, automatic sainthood for you after you die!" Horohoro teased. "Here we are." He reached for a manila folder and handed it to Tamao.
"So this is what you'll be doing instead of having to go through the nasty lost and found." Tamao opened the folder and read the contents. "Simply, we'll compile a list of events, like dances, rallies, fundraisers, games, etc., for every month and you arrange it chronologically and just type up a brief description of each event. I think the guy before you even made a calendar template so you can use that if you want."
"Thank you, Horohoro," Tamao's face broke out into a smile. "But, you could've picked any of the underclassmen here to do it. Why me? They're probably more familiar with school functions…"
Horohoro held up a hand to silence her. "Because you deserve it," he began. "Anna just said, 'Go forth, young grasshopper, and retrieve for me whoever you think deserves this Most Glorious Promotion and bestow unto them the Manila Folder of Responsibilities.' And yes, you have to say those two things like they're capitalized. That's what she told me anyways. Okay, maybe she didn't say that exactly but close enough."
He turned around and looked at the clock. "We can probably go now to the library. And start work on that wonderful history project. Eh, let's go."
Oyamada Library
"As in Manta Oyamada?" Tamao stared at the sign above the library's entrance.
"As in Manta Oyamada's dad. The big CEO of something or other. You should see him, they look almost exactly the same. It's creepy." Horohoro shuddered as they walked inside.
Tamao selected a table for them to work at and set her things on top of it. I wonder what my dad looked like. Would people also say that we look the same? Her shoulders slumped a little.
"Man, what're we supposed to even do for this project? I was sleeping when it was assigned. What a big waste of time…" His voice trailed off, ending in a grumble.
While Tamao explained the assignment to her lazy friend, she noticed something drop out of his bag when he reached in to get some paper. "Uh, what's that?" She pointed at what appeared to be a white cloth sack.
Horohoro's face colored to a nice shade of firetruck red. "T-That's nothing!" He grabbed the "sack" and attempted to cover it up.
Tamao stared at him, mildly surprised. "Is it—is it illegal?" she whispered.
"What? No, no. No. Wait. What?!" He apparently gets very flustered when embarrassed. "This is—it's just…You see…Ugh, fine. But if you tell anyone, I will never forgive you," he said darkly. Tamao nodded enthusiastically.
He slowly uncovered whatever he was hiding in his hands and held it up (after doing a thorough sweep of the room to see if anyone was looking). "This is—"
"A teddy bear?" Tamao bit her lip.
"Yes, a teddy bear. Her name is Kororo. I've had her since…I was little. She's my good luck charm." He looked fondly at the old, slightly dirty stuffed animal. "She kinda started falling apart last year."
Tamao's body was shaking as she tried her hardest not to start laughing. "I can see that," she said as she surveyed the damage. One bead eye was left, both ears were hanging on for their dear lives by a thread, and the nose was so faded it looked like a splotch of dirt. "Have you ever considered fixing it?"
"I obviously can't do it myself. Remember the saran wrap incident? Pirika flat out refuses every time I asked her and I can't get anyone else to do it without telling them about Kororo." He hung his head. "It's too embarrassing. So I guess she'll just stay like this until she totally falls apart one day." He frowned.
"I can do it."
"So sad. I can't imagine my life without Kororo. She's been with me ever since—Wait, really?"
"I do most of the sewing at home anyways," Tamao said brightly. "Auntie's busy with work and Anna doesn't really want to be bothered by having to mend clothes. But she's a really good seamstress…"
Horohoro's eyes teared up and he reached out and embraced her over the table. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"
"E-Eh, Horohoro, you're--!" Tamao was blushing like crazy. "You're crushing Kororo!"
Once the Ainu boy calmed down and both were back in their seats, Tamao took out her phone. "Ponchi's a tanuki and Conchi is a fox."
Horohoro studied the cellphone picture. "Whoa, Hime, did you make those yourself?" She nodded. "This is…wow. Those look really good! How long did those take you?"
"Two days? Including getting the patterns and the fabric, that is."
He took out his wallet. "How much?"
"W-What?"
"How much do you want?"
Tamao furrowed her brow. "Really? I'm doing this as a favor to a friend."
"No, seriously, how much money?"
"Really, I don't need any money. I'm happy to do it."
He slowly put his wallet away and considered Tamao's expression. "Okaaaaaaaaaaay." He leaned forward. "But why? Why are you doing this for me?"
"Because you deserve it." She smiled. "Come on, I'm thinking that we can finish this assignment in forty minutes then we can go to my house afterwards and I'll fix Kororo there."
Kyoyama Household
"Hi, Auntie! This is Horohoro." Said boy waved. "He's my friend at school and Anna works with him for LASNC."
"Oh, yes, I remember you. You were here a few weeks ago, I think." Horohoro and Tamao both froze.
"What is he doing here?" Anna stepped into the living room. The blue haired boy's eyes bulged and Tamao instinctively stiffened her body.
"Uh, hey, Anna. Historyprojectcan'ttalkrightnowseeyoulateroratschoolwhicheveronecomesfirst." And with that, the two suspicious students ran away.
Both Anna and her adoptive mother stared after them. After a pause: "I like him!" Anna simply closed her eyes and walked out in a huff. Or as huffy as Anna could get.
"Horohoro, could you look through those and find a similar bead to the one Kororo has?" She handed him a box filled with buttons. "Let's see…Square foot of fabric, minimal stitching, I wonder how much stuffing is left. I think there might be some under…" She rifled through some things in the closet. "Ah, here it is. Where was I—"
"So that's Ponchi and Conchi?" He indicated using his elbow. "Pirika could learn a thing or two from you." He noticed a pool of color in Tamao's otherwise light pink room. "What's that?"
Tamao went flying through the air and covered the whole thing entirely with her body.
"It's n—"
"Hey, fair is fair, right?"
Tamao whimpered and looked up at him wretchedly. She slowly uncovered it.
"Hime…if you say you made those too…I will have to slap myself."
"Um, I made them…?" She looked uncertainly at him.
"These are the most amazing kimonos I have ever seen. And I've seen a lot, thanks to Pirika." He held up the pink one.
"That's the one I use when I go to festivals."
"Festivals? Like the one they had by the temple last week?" She nodded. "Hey, you know now you have to take me to one of them." She smiled.
"What about this one?" He held up a white dress. "For your wedding?" He teased her.
Tamao's face fell as she grew silent. Horohoro's expression softened. "I was just kidding…"
"It's for Anna's wedding."
Silence.
A pause.
"WHAT?!" He spluttered. "You mean, someone is actually willing to marry—Anna is engaged—when did this happen?"
Tamao's lips drew together in surprise. "Y-You didn't know? I thought you were best friends with Yoh."
"YOH? No, no way are they—they can't." Horohoro melted into a hyperventilating mess.
"I'm sorry, I thought you knew!" She tapped her chin. "Actually, I think that Ren and Joco and most of the upperclassmen at LASNC know too…"
"Jeez, Yoh Asakura, I thought we were friends." Horohoro exiled himself to a corner of the room and wallowed in his sadness. "But really when did this happen?" he asked her wall.
"Oh, it was a long time ago. I was still living in Funbari Hill. Ever since I could remember the two of them were engaged. In an arranged marriage." Horohoro turned around and his jaw dropped. "To keep the Asakura bloodline strong and such…"
"Poor, poor Yoh," he started rocking back and forth. "I can't even begin to imagine having to spend the rest of my life with her."
"B-But they do love each other. Even though Anna doesn't look like she does, she really loves him. And they've been together ever since and neither of them has had any complaints about the arrangement."
Horohoro came back from the Corner of Self-Imposed Depression. "That's true. I actually always thought they were going out anyways."
"Yes…she will be a good wife to him. She's worked really hard." Her voice became nothing more than a whisper. "But I've worked really hard too." She stared sadly at the floor.
"Huh?" Tamao's head snapped up.
"O-Oh, nothing. Let's get this bear fixed, shall we?"
A/N: A shorter chapter. Sorry! But to make up I'll post a new chapter faster! I'd love to hear your feedback! Happy days =)