A/N: I had a stressful weekend. I had to participate in a gruesome training, and there is no guarantee that I get accepted to teach children. Boo.
Thank you for all who read, and for uvr-B1u5H'd and cheng for reviewing. They keep me going, really.
Act 30, Winter
Tomoyo flexed her fingers to ease the uncomfortable feeling for the fourth time since she started rearranging the book in the reference section. The white working gloves she was wearing that day was particularly clammy apart from the fact that it barely protected her hands from the usual cold in that part of the library.
"It's time for my break now, Aya-senpai," her companion, the library assistant hired last week, told her just after the clock struck six o'clock. "I'll be back to help you, ne."
"Daijōbu desu. I can finish this myself in a few minutes. You enjoy that break," she said with a small smile. This new girl had been working hard the whole afternoon, carting heavy tomes of various sizes to their respective places and meticulously organizing them according to topics and call numbers. She definitely deserved the breather.
Despite her reassurance, the assistant suddenly seemed uncertain to allow her do all the work.
"Jaa ne." The former heiress didn't mean to dismiss the poor girl like that but the kohai wouldn't leave if she didn't.
The assistant's light footfalls anyway echoed in that area ominously as she left, upsetting the quiet library with the unflattering noise. Nobody else was in the library now besides the young woman.
Tomoyo kept herself busy that she may forget about the unusual discomfort in her gloves, carefully threading her gaze through the call numbers that might have been mistakenly ordered.
I wonder if Hiiragizawa-san made it to the finals.
Eriol left with Terada so early that she wasn't able to say good luck.
He doesn't need luck. Hiiragizawa-san is a prodigy, her mind reminded her.
Of course the bespectacled pianist was a prodigy, how could she forget that?
She rounded the other side of the room with her back against the entryway a few minutes later, eyes easily falling on the row of books again in inspection, absorbed with her task until she heard footsteps reverberating against the walls and the sound traveling to the high ceiling again.
"You're back too soon. Did you forget something?" She called out without tearing her gaze from the archives. But there hadn't been any answer like she expected and the thud of the footsteps faded as soon as her question was uttered.
"Eh?"
An intruder?
A gloved hand froze just as it could touch a leather bound book. There was a figure standing behind her, a sinister shadow falling on her form as the source of illumination was being masked offensively.
Okaasama.
Her breath was caught in her throat but she couldn't make anymore movement. The former heiress expected one of Sonomi Daidōji's guards to wrench her away from the shelves and drag her out of the library. In a quick stride the intruder covered the short distance between them and lurched forward without allowing her to even think anymore. Yet instead of arms hauling her body to the exit, these strong and sturdy limbs enclosed all of her in a firm embrace.
She gasped one more time, scared of the possibility that a pervert had found her alone in the library instead. What could she do against one?
There was even no time to scream.
"I couldn't believe it." That baritone promptly melted her terror like a lump of snow under a blistering desert sun. It was funny how her face flitted from one horrified expression to a stunned look in milliseconds.
"I still can't believe I made it," the man murmured laughingly against her ear when he bent his head closer. His tone suggested how he was more relieved than he was happy but she was too caught up with her own emotions to pay attention to his. Who could think straight when a man was pressed too close to your back like that?
"Hiiragizawa-san." She sounded as if she was making sure that it was him holding her that moment. The kohai didn't know what else to do.
"Thank you, Daidōji-san," he said in a quiet voice. He still hadn't moved, his arms still wrapped around her. Eriol was rather comfortable of this unlikely position.
It was a wonder how Tomoyo could still stand while all feeling had left her limbs. Her arms remained slack on her sides and refused to budge, and this poor heart was beating too wildly for a different reason altogether. Eriol Hiiragizawa might be oblivious of the effect of his actions to the former heiress, but Tomoyo couldn't disregard the burning sensation on her face.
What am I going to say?
Before she could answer her own question, the bespectacled pianist had abruptly let go of her, leaving her more confused than before.
"For what?" She said a little unsteadily, trying to appear unfazed despite the blush that she couldn't stop from completely painting her face. Thankfully, she didn't have to turn to him right away, giving herself some time to school her expression to something more neutral. All she could manage was a slight pout.
Be still, you foolish heart. A cardiac arrest would be too unbecoming at a time like this.
"I...didn't have much confidence even when I decided to participate in this competition. I am usually pressured, constantly burdened by my lineage," Eriol replied after a long minute, almost whispering as if he couldn't let anyone hear this confession because he was embarrassed to admit it.
When Tomoyo had enough nerve to finally train her gaze on his eclipsed face, the pianist had a peaceful look in his deep blue eyes.
"At Christmas, you said: it will be alright," the senpai told her, breaking eye contact as he wistfully ran a finger on the labels of the hardbound texts that the young woman had already neglected. The pianist was now standing beside her but was still maintaining a safer distance between them. "It was actually the only time I allowed myself to listen to anyone because I have become so used to people expecting too much from me that what I feel didn't have to matter anymore. Maybe I have been secretly insecure for too long."
She stared at his profile, humbled by his unexpected admission.
"I didn't have any friends until I met your family, and now I believe that I already know what friendship means."
The bespectacled young man with the most sensitive azure eyes regarded her wordlessly, quietly urging her to continue speaking.
"A friend eases the burden that has become too heavy to carry on your own," the former heiress went on. "We are friends, aren't we, Hiiragizawa-san?"
A slow, beguiling smile grew on Eriol's handsome features.
"I suppose we are."
It was the first instance that they ever acknowledge that fact and it was somewhat liberating, and Tomoyo supposed that any sign of affection from the dark-haired pianist could be simply tagged as fondness.
Baka. He cannot do whatever he likes with you while you swoon at everything he does, her cynical mind sneered, pointing out the incident minutes ago. That intimate embrace was certainly still uncalled for.
Before the young woman could give a mental comeback, the new library employee had made her way back to the reference division, huffing despite her short respite. It would not be until Eriol bid his farewell that she would realize Tomoyo had company.
"Was that your boyfriend, Aya-senpai?" The girl had shamelessly gaped until she could not see the pianist's back anymore. It was an innocent question, but the Daidōji heiress' mind was sadly malicious.
"No. Hiiragizawa-san is just a friend," she differed, casually relocating her attention to her abandoned task even though she wasn't really seeing anything in front of her that moment.
"What a really handsome man. Nee Aya-senpai..."
Her foolish heart was a traitor as well.
