Chapter 45 - Trying Times Ahead


"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! I'm so sorry, I'm not usually like this!"

Ayame could barely hold it together as she fidgeted and squirmed in her seat. Takumi flew to her side and patted her hair, gently shushing in her air and pressing his lips to her sweating temple. He flinched when she did and fisted his other hand on his knee when she whined. The raw of antiseptic was unwelcoming to his nose and he had to rub his nostrils together to make the itching feeling go away. He carefully looked over to Ayame as she hissed and clenched her eyes, tears squeezing out from the side.

"Don't be sorry Ayame-san. You sprained your finger after all. Even the strongest of men can be reduced to tears. Believe me, I've seen more than my fair share of that. Almost there"

Ayame sniffed and nodded.

"You're doing very well amore" he tried to comfort her.

Takumi looked up into the doctor's eyes as he expertly tied off the bandage that wrapped two of Ayame's fingers around the splint. Pure compassion can only be found in his amber-brown depths. He was a rather handsome doctor, somewhere in his mid-thirties, Takumi guessed. He had a sharp and angular face and a strong jaw. His smile was gentle and comforting, making Ayame feel at ease despite the pain she was going through. When Takumi first laid eyes on him while ushering Ayame to the local medical clinic, he was astounded by how tall he was. He was a lean-built man, from what he could tell from underneath the doctor's coat. His stethoscope hung around the back of his neck and bumped along his chest every so often when he was turning around in his wheelie chair to tend to Ayame's sprained finger.

Not to mention, the doctor had the most shocking head of orange hair he'd ever seen.

He'd never been to a clinic like this before. This was actually Dr. Kurosaki's house as well. The front was a family owned medical clinic and the back was the residential part. It was nice and had a homey feeling. Ayame said Dr Kurosaki was her family doctor and he'd treated her for any ailments for as long as she could remember. The nurse was really nice too, and she was Dr. Kurosaki's sister.

"Will you prescribe me pain killers?" asked Ayame.

"Yeah. You wouldn't make it through the rest of tomorrow day without it" he chuckled.

"Thank you so much Dr. Kurosaki" said Takumi.

"I bet you've never had a patient with such a pathetic reason for a sprained finger, right?" Ayame joked.

"You'd be surprised. Spraining your finger for trying to flip a wok on your first go is silly, but it doesn't reach my top ten. I can think of more pathetic reasons" he said.

"I'm glad. I feel less stupid" said Ayame.

"You just need to be more mindful, Ayame-san"

The Dr. Kurosaki scribbled on his prescription pad, not looking up at them, but his warm smile was still visible as he listened to Ayame. Takumi continued to rub her back. He was guilty for that. Ayame was so curious by nature, always wanting to try things out. He shouldn't have turned his back and left her alone at the stove. It was a lame thought, he knew, but he couldn't help but feel it was partially his fault she sprained her finger. This afternoon, they were going to have stir-fried noodles for lunch and Ayame showed him the wok her mother used. Takumi thought it was obvious that he would be the one cooking the actual noodles and tossing the wok, but it looked Ayame had other plans. He had lifted the wok onto the stove and at the same time assessed its quality. It was a normal Japanese style wok called a chūkanabe. It was good quality and was heavy, but rarely used based on the pristine and unmarred surfaces. No sign of wear and tear whatsoever. He had begun prepping the vegetables like any other day and he assumed she was going to prep the noodles for him, like he had taught her to do previously.

But no.

She wanted to see if she had the capability to toss an empty wok.

All two kilograms of cast iron.

With both her hands.

She ended up spraining her finger. On her dominant hand.

That was when Takumi vowed never to let her near anything in the kitchen that tempted her to test her limits. A sprained finger wasn't worth it.

"Out of curiosity, what was the lamest injury you've ever treated that reached your top ten?" asked Ayame, as she nursed her sprained finger in its brand-new finger splint.

"Hmmm" Dr. Kurosaki looked up in thought "I wouldn't call it lame, but the reason for the injury sounded bullshit to me. This boy came in a few weeks ago. Well, more like got dragged in by his girlfriend. He was acting all tough despite bleeding all over my floor. Anyway, he needed stitches on his arm. Once his girlfriend left to wait outside, he started ranting and telling me how much in pain he was. It's funny how far boys will bottle up their true feelings in the presence of a girl, just to show how macho they are" he said.

Ayame and Takumi looked at each other.

"Anyway. He told me he got attacked by a coffeepot in a bookshop"

Che?

"He… got attacked. By a coffee pot" Takumi echoed back.

"Yep. His girlfriend said the same thing too. They didn't want to say much about it, so I let it go. It looked like claw marks. He probably got attacked by a stray animal. The shot of local anaesthetic did the trick and quietened him down some and It was all routine from there. They'll be back soon to get the stitches removed" finished Dr. Kurosaki.

Ayame was eerily quiet beside Takumi and he wondered what was running through her mind.

"Here you go Ayame-san" he tore off her prescription and handed it to her. She took it with her other hand and thanked him profusely. "Take two tablets once every five hours. Don't get hopped on it. Okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Kurosaki"

Takumi stood up immediately and got the door for her. As Dr. Kurosaki stood up from his chair, Takumi had to crane his neck up and thank him as well. He was just shy of Kuchiyose's height. He smiled at them in a fatherly way and rubbed the back of his vibrant orange head. Luckily Takumi had already sorted out the paperwork for Ayame at the reception before Ayame headed into Dr. Kurosaki's examination room since she couldn't write anything down. All there was left was to head out to the chemist for her prescription painkillers. Right now, Ayame was in discomfort, but not in extreme pain. At least her fingers were wrapped together in a splint to stop any jostling.

Something caught Takumi's eyes. He paused on his way towards the door.

'Safe Sex. No Regrets… Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Do You Know Enough About Them?'

He stared at the small row of medical brochures lining the wall just beside the waiting room chairs. He didn't notice them when he first blundered into the clinic with Ayame. He was so busy panicking, apologising and worrying over his girlfriend and her sprained finger to care for his surroundings in Kurosaki Clinic. But seeing those titles in bright red triggered something very important and serious in him… and with it…

Shame.

Ashamed that he and Ayame had unprotected sex, and he was so ignorant in these matters before even starting. Sure she had been on contraceptive, but that wasn't enough. There were other dangers aside from getting pregnant such as getting those diseases, right? His heart dropped. He didn't want Ayame to be in any sort of danger no matter how good the feeling was in being joined together in blissful euphoria. Being caught up in the moment wasn't a good enough excuse for lack of preparation and as a chef, he definitely knew that. How many times had he and Isami been caught out by Pappa for not properly preparing in the kitchen, leading to a retinue of catastrophes during lunch rush?Sure, they were probably five years old when that happened and were still learning how to organise themselves in the kitchen, but that was exactly why Pappa trained them to always be prepared. If Ayame and he were going to be intimate with each other again in the near future, then be had better educate himself. Otherwise how could he be a better boyfriend to her?

He reached out to take one but then his arm froze.

He couldn't move.

Something stronger than shame overtook him and it was embarrassment. Dio mio! This was suddenly so real! His face heated up to epic proportions. He had always avoided these sorts of topic and now he felt so cowardly and stupid about it. With Isami and in school, he tried desperately to tune out the lecture about the birds and the bees because his sensitivity towards anything related to sex raised his blood pressure to the roof and made him so embarrassed and uncomfortable beyond words. It had been such a difficult topic for him to talk about. Oh how he wanted the ground to swallow him whole so he didn't have to listen to the word 'sex', 'vagina' and 'condom'. Also his thirteen-year-old self never thought he would ever have sex with anyone because working in Tratorria Aldini meant not time for fraternising and frivolity, and girls and relationships just never fitted into his world view of cooking. He had a set goal and there was no room for distractions.

But now he had Ayame. She was everything to him.

He had a duty.

"What's wrong, Takumi-kun?" Ayame paused next to him, already halfway out the sliding doors.

"Umm"

He didn't know how to start and was rooted to the spot. It felt like a hundred degrees in here! He refused to meet her questioning eyes.

"I-I think… u-uh. W-we should take one of th-these…" he stuttered. He sounded like an idiota!

"Hmmm?" Ayame followed his gaze and then her eyes widened upon realisation. "O-Oh umm. Yes. Absolutely. Y-you're right"

Takumi chanced a look at her and found that she was blushing madly next to him too. Her lips were pursed together, but still quivering and her eyes were also avoiding looking at him. He looked back to the rows of safe-sex and STD pamphlets lining the wall and steeled himself. He could do this. He could do this. He could do this! He reached out with shaking hands and grasped one. He overshot and ended-up taking five! Merde! Takumi quickly tried to shove the extra back into the box, but it just crumpled when he couldn't fit back in. Why did this have to be so hard! He coughed in the hopes of covering up his clumsiness but it didn't really fix anything. Ayame had reached out and took two copies of the one for STDs. Her fingers were shaking too. A part of him was relieved she was just as embarrassed as he was.

Taking the pamphlets. Mission one accomplished.

Takumi cleared his throat again. "Maybe w-we uhh… should go through s-some of these, sometime? Since w-we… you know…" he muttered.

"Y-Yes! Yes we should!" Ayame said in a high-pitched voice before it broke off at the end.

What on earth did they look like? Two dorky and blushing teenagers clutching pamphlets about sexual health in their sweaty palms at the front of the medical clinic. He anxiously looked around the clinic waiting room at the other patients. He waited with bated breath for their judgmental looks and the curious and prying eyes. He waited for the whispers of condescension and contempt: 'Why are they looking at those pamphlet? Are you those two doing it already? Disgraceful!'. It didn't happen, but the thought that it might happen triggered something else in the Italian chef. Why the diavolo should he and Ayame be ashamed or embarrassed in wanting to find out more information about sexual health? They were just brochures! They were made for people to take! He and Ayame were doing the right thing for themselves, weren't they?

"C-C'mon, let's go"

He impatiently tugged Ayame out the door with him and she trotted to keep up. Once he realised she was behind him and not beside him, he apologised and slowed down. He stuffed the pamphlets into his inside jacket pocket. Around the next corner was the chemist so he and Ayame should quickly pick up her painkillers and head home for lunch. He would insist she would have a rest, put her feet up, relax and he would do all the cooking. Takumi thought of how she was going to eat with chopsticks since her sprained finger was on her dominant hand. Perhaps he'll just cut the noodles until they were an inch long and she could eat them with a spoon. Si that could work.

"Hehehe…"

Takumi flitted his eyes to Ayame in confusion

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I was just thinking about what Dr. Kurosaki said"

"The coffeepot story?"

"Yeah. I think I know who the patient was. It was Terunori-san"

"Che?"

"Some time ago, Chizuru-chan told me that Terunori-san got attacked by a creature they called The Thing in the bookshop and that The Thing lived inside this old coffeepot Kojima-san has. She said Terunori-san didn't listen to her and annoyed the The Thing and got himself hurt. She said she had to take him to the doctor for stitches!"

"What's The Thing?"

"I have no idea"

Takumi wasn't sure if he was in disbelief or was confused. It was probably a mix of both. Was there anything normal related to Namikaze? The girl seemed to kick up weird and wacky things in her wake and he was sure by now he would be used to it. But apparently, he wasn't. Takumi shook his head at Ayame, frowning at the incredulity of the story and with Namikaze's antics. Ayame thought it was hilarious, but he didn't. It was too weird to be funny.

"And did you hear that? Dr. Kurosaki thought Chizuru-chan was Terunori-san's girlfriend. Ha! I'm never going to let her live it down!" Ayame cackled darkly by his side and Takumi shivered at the evilness thickly coated in her tone as she smirked widely.

"Si, si. But let's get your painkiller's first" said Takumi, kissing her on the temple again until her black cloud of diabolical thoughts dissolved. He tugged his girlfriend around the corner. Tonight, she would be needing a lot of it.

Vorp! Vorp! Vorp! Vorp!

Takumi halted as Ayame's feet pulled to a stop. She fished out her phone from her jacket pocket with her other hand. She struggled to reach, because it was on her otherside. She flipped it open and pressed it to her ears.

"Hello? Oh Isshiki-san, how are you?...mhhmm… oh, ah I'm just running an errand with Takumi-kun so… ah ok… I'll see… I'll call you back"

'Isshiki-senpai? What does he want?'

Takumi furrowed his eyebrows in deep concern. He wasn't aware the ex-seventh seater did social calls, especially with people he was well acquainted with such as Ayame… unless it wasn't a social call. It put Takumi on edge. Not to mention that Isshiki-senpai was synonymous with being the master mind behind The Rebel Alliance. Ayame also had a worried look on her face and it made Takumi feel more anxious. He waited patiently for her to explain. He observed every minute details of her expression to catch what she was thinking and even what their conversation was hinting at. Finally, Ayame said a curt 'goodbye' and hung up with a quick snap of her phone.

Takumi cocked his head to the side. "What did Isshiki-senpai want?"

"It's about the plans against Director Azami. He umm… He asked me for another favour?"


Chizuru was so glad she brought her long jacket. It was freezing out here. She gripped the broomstick tighter in her chilled hands and diligently swept the crispy brown leaves out of the front of Kojima-san's shop. Luckily there were no winds today, otherwise she would've bailed out of her set task for the morning. No shit, the wind would just blow the leaves all over the place anyway. The air was frigid enough as it was and she felt her fingers were going to drop off. She swiped her fringe out the way and breathed in the cold, cold air. She instantly coughed and choked. Her breathing passages were unable to humidify the air in time before flowing down her throat. Sweep, sweep, sweep. She tried to get as much done as she could. She continued the robotic motions of pushing and shoving the large autumn leaves to the side. Goodbye Autumn, and hello premature-winter.

'I wish I could say goodbye to cicada shells too. It's almost winter and they're still around!'

Bleeeep! Bleeeep! Bleeeep! Bleeeep!

"Whoops. I'm famous today"

Chizuru rested the broom against the shop window before she dug her smartphone from her pockets and pressed answer.

"Hey Ayame-chan. What's up?"

"Hey Chizuru-chan. Quick question. Do you still play Battlefield 3 on your PC? The one with the helicopter?"

That was an odd thing to ask.

"Not anymore. Been more than a year since I played."

"More than a year huh… hmmmm…" Ayame-chan sounded contemplative.

"But I don't think I de-skilled much in any of my older games though" added Chizuru, suddenly feeling defensive.

"How would you rate your hand-eye coordination when playing games?" Ayame-chan asked.

"Like out of ten? I'd say nine. Ten out of ten on a good day. Why do you ask?"

"Oh hang on a second... Yes?... Okay, I'm coming! I've got to go, Takumi-kun's calling me down for lunch. I'll explain everything. We'll talk more tonight?"

"Uhh… Yeah sure. Tonight, then"

"Bye!"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Huh?

Why the sudden interest in her gaming skills? Chizuru stuffed her phone back into her pocket and just shrugged off the oddity. No point straining her brain over it now. Ayame-chan would explain that weird conversation tonight anyway. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and rested her back against the shop window. Phew, she was quicker to tire in the cold. Must be her body protesting the expending of extra energy when all it wanted to do was hibernate and preserve everything she had. Loud guffawing stole her attention and she looked to her right. It was a herd of boys. About four of them.

Chizuru scowled.

She'd seen them around before. They passed by from time to time when she glimpsed out the shop window. She'd never actually seen them properly up close because she was always inside fixing up the bookshelves and using Terunori as her helper. If he was going to hang with her, he might as well be useful. Lately he'd been complaining because of his stitches but they'll be taken out soon. Those boys looked like bad news and she wasn't in a hurry to find out exactly why. They were tall and rather bulky and it wasn't just because of the thick jackets they donned. They had mean and arrogant eyes as they threw slang after slang at each other, showing off as much 'street cred' as possible.

They were delinquents. The real deal.

'I've better get a move on'

Chizuru pushed off the wall and took up the broom again. She kept her head down and continued to sweep the last vestages of Autumn at the shop doorstep, minding her own business and shrinking herself back as much as possible. She hoped the underbelly-gang just walked on by and payed no attention to her. The last thing she needed was trouble on her shift. Call her judgemental but one never knew what would happen, so it was best to be on edge. She could feel them getting closer and closer as their footsteps crunching on the leaves grew louder, and their laughter grew more boisterous. Chizuru scowled some more and decided that was enough sweeping for today and if Kojima-san had a problem with her not getting rid of all the leaves, then he'll just have to deal with it.

Four shadows fell over her.

"Hey cutie, watcha doin'?"

Chizuru stiffened up. Oh for fuck's sake. What had she done wrong in her past life to get this kind of shit? She gulped and threw back her shoulder and turned around, throwing them a glare. She resisted the urge to cringe as four huge faces were pressing closer to her smaller self. All four boys had beady little eyes swimming among the whites. Their hair was bleached and coloured badly as if they did a home-job with the cheap stuff. They had various piercings around their faces, the eyebrows, lips, ears, nose. Everywhere that one could pierce! She'd never felt to short in her life besides standing next to Kuchiyose-kun. Ugh… these bozos were ugly as fuck.

"I'm working" she deadpanned.

"When are ya finished? We can all hang out to play. Whaddaya say?" the taller one said with a disgusting grin. He looked to her flankers and they chortled along with him like sheep. Was he seriously expecting her to say yes? He was ugly and stupid.

"No thanks. You're not my type" said Chizuru sternly.

She picked up her broom again and placed her hand on the doorknob to twist and go back inside.

BAM!

"Huh…?!"

A large flat hand just narrowly missed her ear and was pressed tightly against the door jamb of the entrance, making the wood tremble and creak. What the actual fuck!? Chizuru gasped and stumbled back. Her broom stick slipped out of her grip and clattered to the ground. A shot of fear raced up her spine and she quickly spun around, wanting the boys to be where she could see them in case they tried any other funny business. She became hyperaware of the hand next to her head again and inched to the side away from it. The delinquents sneered at her as they hunched forward, totally blocking out her view of the street. The one with the fat hand pressed on the door behind her flashed his teeth.

"Now don't be like that. We're a lot of fun to be with, right boys?"

The other three gorillas grunted in agreement.

She couldn't stand people who didn't know how to take a hint and it showed. Chizuru's irritation started to slip through the jail bars. She was doing such a great job reigning in her temper all week and it was such a shame she was going to break her record. Her irritation and annoyance was fast turning into anger. The short girl braced her legs hard against the pavement and anchored herself. She breathed through her nostrils and exhaled through her mouth. She narrowed her eyes and bunched up the muscles in her shoulders. She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes.

"I said no. So fuck off!"

Chizuru threw her arms out and pushed the idiot as hard as she could in the chest.

"Hmm?"

"H-Huh?"

She… didn't… feel any give. Her hands were still flat against his wall of a chest. Instead her feet had slid right back against the instep of the door. She creaked open an eye and oh Kami-sama… she was genuinely scared to fully open her eyes and confirm her thoughts. She did anyway.

Yep. He didn't move a milimetre.

"Oh shit"

"You bet"

"AH!"

He grabbed her arms before she could retract them and he gripped them tightly. Chizuru pulsed with desperate fear and she cursed her stupidity! What the fuck was she thinking trying to physically send the delinquents on their way. This wasn't the same as getting into fights with the Queen Bitch of Karakura High and her clique! He pulled her towards her and laughed. She turned her face away from his repulsive and sneering one, the heat of his breath made her feel so dirty and gross.

"L-Let me go this instance!" she shouted in his face.

"I don't think so, cutie. You're gonna pay back for that!" he growled at her.

The other three hooted and cheered at their grotesque leader.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

"OW!"

She felt the grip on her arm loosen and Chizuru wretched her arm free and she stumbled back. She had to move quickly while they were down for the count! She fumbled for the doorknob behind her and twisted it as hard as she cold and pushed it open with her shoulder. Chizuru threw one last cautionary look to make sure they weren't back onto their feet and pursuing her but she was utterly floored by what she found. Each of them were rolling on their sides or fallen to their knees, clutching their head and groaning. Most shocking of all was…

"T-Terunori?!"

Terunori Kuga stood over them with a foot on their leader's rump. His head was thrown back and he had a goading grin adorning his face. His jacket fluttered behind him. He expertly twirled her broomstick in his hand before swinging it around his head and letting it rest on his shoulders. His eyes flashed giddily at her without breaking from his self-satisfied pose and it made her stomach flutter. Then he turned his attention back to the heap of groaning bodies at his feet.

"You boys messing with my girl?" he called out louder than what was necessary

"YOUR GIRL?!" Chizuru shrieked. What the fuck! What the fuck! WHAT THE FUCK!?

"Get off me! Who the fuck are you?!"

"Me? Terunori Kuga of Tootsuki! Heir to The House of Terunori, leader of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society and soon to be Reclaimer of the Elite Ten Seats"

"They're not asking for your resume, Terunori—!"

Terunori held his hand up at her and it her voice died in her throat.

Terunori leapt off him and swung the broomstick back around. He grabbed the brush head and twisted it off, throwing it to the side. She paid for that broom herself! The brush broom was more expensive than the regular ones. How dare he break it like that?! Chizuru's fury was short-lived before she saw the stance Terunori took. She was dumbfounded. He held the broom stick in both hands horizontally and pointed at the them. He widened his legs far very apart and bent his knees until they were ninety degrees. One foot pointed straight in their direction, the other perpendicular to it. His back was straight and his eyes were piercing as he stared at them with a cocky look in his brown eyes.

"Your little girlfriend attacked me"

"Did she now? That's what happens when orcs try to take a fat she-hobbit to Isengard"

"I'M NOT FAT!"

"Hush babe, I've got this" Terunori shouted back.

'B-BABE?!'

"Forget the girl. We got ourselves a midget who thinks he's all that!"

"Don't call me a midget! I'll break all your teeth and shove it down your throat so far you'll need to stick a toothbrush up your arse to brush them!" the Tootsuki student roared.

Chizuru winced at his loud and obnoxious voice, which she was kind of used to by now. Big mistake in taking the mickey out of his height. Terunori was as touchy about his stature as a beauty losing her looks. The throbbing vein in his temple was highly visible and he bared his teeth at them. He was an absolute terror and she was on the receiving end of a noogie a few times because of a few stray comments about it.

"What's this? Sensitive, are we? Runt" the leader jeered.

Terunori recomposed himself and breathed out, with steam coming out his nose. His eyes were molten bronze.

"Oh you fuckers are asking for it. Alley-oop!"

Chizuru was mesmerised. It was like watching water flowing around the boulders in a rushing rapid. Terunori was just everywhere at once. Autumn leaves swirl everywhere in a blistering tornado of bronze and reds around him as if he was the eye of his own storm. Terunori sprung forward. He swung the broom stick to-and-fro, smacking it hard across their heads, their backs, the ribs, the knees even with absolute precision. They crumpled to the ground and stayed there for a few good moments, but they were a strong and a burly bunch, so they managed to get back onto their feet. The leader wiped the dirt from his cheeks and glowered at the Sichuan cuisine expert like an enraged bull. Punches and kicks were thrown and he dodged and weaved without an ounce of effort. Terunori pasted on a mocking grin and spun on one foot at a time and planting the other solidly on the pavement, before thrusting the broomstick into their guts as soon as the opportunity opened. He then dropped to the ground as he ducked a punch from another direction. He kicked his foot out swiped the one of them at the ankles, causing him to trip and fall flat on his back.

'He's so fast'

He threw the broomstick straight into the air and that was when Chizuru was blown away. Terunori thrusted the heel of his palm into the delinquent's chest, sending him backwards metres away into a tree! He twisted to the side and kicked his leg up high, into another's throat and he fell back clutching his neck and gasping painfully for each breath. Terunori punched the third guy in the diaphragm and he doubled over in a sharp gasp. Like a monkey, he jumped up and pushed his foot into the third delinquent's shoulder and backflipped into the air. For the cherry on top, Terunori deftly caught the same fucking broomstick he threw in the air, spun around and twirled it behind his back before smacking it against the last delinquent's temple, knocking him out cold.

All that, and not a bobby pin out of place.

'Whoah…'

Chizuru grasped and clutched at the door. Kami-sama. She didn't even know where to begin. That was just… amazing as fuck.

"Scram, before I decide I wanna shove wasabi and Sriracha up your noses" he murmured in a stone cold voice before kicking one in the ribs for good measure.

Chizuru watched as all four hauled themselves to their wobbly legs and scrambled over each other's bruised bodies to do exactly what Terunori commanded. They didn't even look back as they pushed passer-bys out of the way, high tailing down an alley. Chizuru could hear the distant rattling of a trash can crashing to the ground through that alley. She turned back to Terunori who was already screwing the brush part of the broom back onto the stick. Once he was happy with how he fitted it, he propped it on the shop window. He turned towards her and have a gleeful salute as if nothing just happened and he was paying is usual visits.

"Explain. Now" she muttered.

"Hmm? They were bothering you and I kicked their butts. What's to explain?" he shrugged innocently.

"You implied I was your girlfriend" she sneered at him. Her face heated up from just uttering that word. She knew she was blushing like crazy and knowing that made her blush even harder.

"Oh that? Cavemen like those morons only understand one concept well. 'This is mine. Don't touch it'. So, calling you my girlfriend is just to get them off your back. Oh relax, it's no big deal!" he patted her on the back jovially.

"It is a big deal because I'm not your girlfriend!" Chizuru stomped her foot at him.

Terunori tilted his head to the side and looked confused as if he genuinely didn't understand why she was so upset. Of course, he wouldn't! He was an idiot whose head was always buried in cooking. All that sesame oil must've clogged up his ears and all those peppercorns must've blinded his eyes.

"Ah come on, let's get inside already. It's freezing out here!"

He was all smiles again and grabbed her hand, dragging her into the shop. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, almost knocking the bells off the top. Warmth enveloped her and she sighed in relief to be out of the cold.

"How are your stitches, did they rip out?" Chizuru asked.

"Nope, didn't use my arms for any blocks, so they're fine" he rolled up his jacket sleeves to inspect his bandages. Not a drop of blood, so he didn't tear anything which was good.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Chizuru, still standing by the door.

"China. I was trained in Kung Fu for years. Had to be if I was going to conquer Chinese cooking" he smirked at her.

Who would've thought. He didn't look that strong, or muscly, or big. But he was so quick on his feet, using the delinquents' huge bodies against them. Each of his hits and kicks were precise and powerful as he sent them to kiss the pavement every time. He didn't give any indication about his hidden strength the past few months she's known him – oh wait… that one time he carried seven encyclopaedia volumes up the stairs to the shop attic for her… in one trip… without complaining… or breaking a sweat… Chizuru shook her head. Not the time to be remembering his useful strength.

"What does Kung Fu and Chinese cooking have got to do with each other?" she asked, turning the other way to flip the 'at lunch' sign over to take a break from customers today.

"Discipline! Duh!" he called over his shoulder like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What if they target me for revenge now?"

Chizuru ripped the work apron from her body and threw it at Kojima-san's empty chair, already getting annoyed at his flippant behaviour. Just because those four skedaddled it didn't necessarily mean that everything was over. There was a chance they could come back. She crossed her arms over her chest as Terunori continued to dig around the shelf, shaking cicada shells onto the floor. He knew that made her mad, but he kept doing it. Punk-ass midget.

"Not if they want another thrashing, they won't"

Terunori yawned and looked around the shop probably looking for another way to push her buttons. He noticeably kept his distance from the corner with the coffeepot. He swiped his finger along the spines of the books on the closest shelf, searching for more cicada shells.

"How do you know they won't be stupid enough to do it anyway?" Chizuru countered.

She picked up her assigned stack and started shelving like usual with a tiny hint of annoyance as she all but slammed the books into the shelf.

"Like I said, they're the Caveman type. Instinct will tell them to stay away from stuff that's dangerous. You're a danger now because I hang around you. Problem solved. You don't seem very grateful for me saving you, you know?"

Terunori took the book from her hand, which she was about the shelve. Chizuru gasped in surprise and turned to bite his head off but was stopped short at his closer proximity. Just because he was only a few centimetres taller than her because of his spikey hair, that didn't mean he could one up her in her personal bubble. But that didn't stop the feeling of her heart thumping in her chest. Her lips suddenly went dry at the cheeky look in his eyes as he smiled at her like a brat. His hair had been getting longer overtime and framed his full face even more. His cheeky eyes peeked out from beneath his blonde-dyed fringe and she also noticed he let one side of his hair grow longer than the other, almost like Ayame-chan's new science-friend Nakiri-san.

"W-Well" Chizuru's voice broke to her surprise and she cleared her throat to hide it quickly. That was embarrassing. Oh shit! Her face was getting hot again! "Thank you… for that"

"Thank you for what~?" he sang at her.

He leaned in and placed his whole left forearm on the shelf by their heads.

"For beating them up" Chizuru took a step back.

"Beating them up for…?" He stepped even closer.

"For… I mean… to… p-protect me"

It was so painful to say it. Chizuru gritted her, feeling her pride shatter and ground into dust. To have the one person who was a thorn in her side save her like that was almost too much to bear. But if he hadn't been there, then she was ultimately done for. Oh Kami-sama now she felt like she owed him something and she hated that feeling. She avoided his eyes as much as possible as she trained them on three other cicada shells hanging onto an old book spine. She could feel his eyes trained on her and his breath lightly fanning her face.

He pulled away. He caressed his chin with his finger.

"Hmmm… I'm not feeling it. You still don't sound like you meant it"

Chizuru spluttered "W-What?"

"You heard me. You're gonna have to think of another way to show me your appreciation, Namikaze" he smirked at her.

'That little—'

"Like what? Treating you for lunch?" she said in exasperation.

"I can think of better ways"

His eyes flitted down her face temporarily before meeting back up to her eyes. He hadn't moved back from her at all and his forearm, the uninjured one, was still against the bookshelf. Chizuru's stomach did a backflip almost the same way Terunori did earlier in the fight. Her fingers trembled and she felt her knees shaking a bit. What the hell was happening to her? Since when did Terunori get to her like this. He was being an arse like he normally was, so that wasn't anything new. But yet somehow the cadence in his tone, the way he stood closer to her was making her heart beat erratically and her face heat up like no tomorrow. This couldn't be happening.

"I-I uhhh… I gotta g-get something from the attic"

Chizuru shoved her books at him and he caught them with an 'oof'. She ran as fast as she could, stumbling over her own feet and Kojima-san's discarded pizza box. She raced up the narrow staircase until she found the attic. Once she made it up the ladder, she shut the door and slumped against the wall. She pulled her knees up to her chin and just shook in silence, alone with her turbulent thoughts. What was happening to her? The more time she was spending with Terunori, it was wreaking havoc on her mind and her body. She was so much more… aware of him. The way he crinkled his eyes together in mischief, the way he whined and complained about things. He patted her on the arm or shoulder, swung his arms over the back of her neck when he dragged her to eat with him. There as so much touching involved! Even today, he held her hand! She started to feel highly sensitive to his warmth when he invaded her personal space, especially when he was playing around and blocking her from shelving books and blocking her sidesteps for his own amusement. Even those occasional moments he helped her out. Now that she thought about it, his stack was always twice or three times as heavy as hers and he never complained about it.

'He's actually… strong'

She breathed out a shaky sigh. Terunori Kuga. The only guy who could make her feel so infuriated and yet...

… she missed him when he wasn't in the shop.

"Urgh… Don't tell me I actually like the guy" she muttered. The world was cruel, wasn't it?

Knock Knock Knock

Chizuru startled and stared at the door.

"I know you're just hiding in there. Open up"

It was Terunori. Chizuru groaned. She wasn't ready to deal with this right now. She buried her head in her knees.

"Go away"

"I'm coming in"

"Oi! I said—"

Chizuru scrambled to her feet but it was too late. She only made it to a kneeling position before the door opened and Terunori climbed in with an annoyed look on his face. Chizuru looked away at his face, desperately ignoring how penetrating his gaze was. She fell back onto her behind and pulled her knees up again. She felt Terunori's shadow cast over her but she ignored it too. Suddenly he crouched in front of her, resting his elbows onto his knees. He was at eye level with her but she refused to meet his eyes.

"You're really shaken up by them, aren't you?" he said lowly.

It took her moment to realise he was talking about the delinquents. Pfft, them? They were nothing. Old news now. She released a mirthless laughter.

"You could say that" she lied.

"Somehow I get the feeling that once again, you're not being sincere" he said. "What is it then? 'Cause you're not the type to get freaked out by guys like that. Was it something I said?"

'More like something you did… or always do'

Chizuru squirmed under his gaze and refused to answer. She was getting uncomfortable now. She hoped her tight movements would make Terunori take the hint and back away from her but he didn't. She kept her eyes down and caught the sight of his shirt hanging down loosely, his collarbone and the stylish necklace he wore that dipped below. She never took notice of his skin like this, but his skin was quite peachy.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked softly, which she didn't think was possible.

He placed one hand on the wooden floor beside her knees as he inched closer, seeking her answer. Chizuru shivered as his dratted body temperature permeated her senses. She didn't have any more room to scuttle back because she was already huddled against the attic wall, so she was totally stuck where she was.

"I-I'm…" she whispered.

'I'm afraid of how you make me feel'

His other hand rested on her knee. Chizuru shuddered, but didn't do anything to remove it. His calloused and warm fingers were gentle, yet firm on her, making her stop shaking. But her heart continued mimic the tremendous beating of taiko drums.

Thump. Thump.

He was almost on all fours as he crept closer towards her. She made the mistake of looking up into his eyes and she drowned in the deep brown depths. They held her as her eyes widened and she couldn't tear herself away. She was trapped. She had always been trapped.

Thump. Thump.

The way he was just… looking at her… Why was he looking at her like that? She didn't understand at all! She understood less about all this than she did about the concept of smell. He eased her knees downwards, almost too easily and she didn't resist him. She couldn't. Her feet slid beneath his body, stretching out perpendicular to herself. There was nothing to defend herself now, so she pressed her back harder against the wall.

Thump. Thump.

Her lips went impossible dry and she licked them. There it was again. The slight dip of his eyes down her face, the exact same time she swiped her tongue against her lower lip. This time, his burning bronze eyes stayed there. She could almost feel his unruly fringe brush against the skin of her hot cheeks. She parted her lips with shaky breaths.

Thump. Thump.

The Tootsuki student moved even closer until his puffs of breath caressed her lips, making her breath catch in her chest.

"I'm afraid…"she began again. That stopped his slow advancement for the moment. "I'm a-afraid of not k-knowing… what will happen… when th-things happen" she whispered.

Terunori movements were still paused. A subtle furrow settled on his eyebrows as he mulled over what she said. She wouldn't blame him for being confused. She hardly knew what she was saying herself, she was in war with her feelings, but one thing stood out from the rest and it was fear of the unknowing. Suddenly something in his eyes flared to life.

"Let it happen. Then you'll know"

His voice was so low it was doing a hell of a lot more electrifying things to her. Chizuru bit her lip to stop her the involuntary shudder that racked her body.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"But what if—"

Suddenly she felt something by her hip and she lost her words. His other hand. It moved closer to her and she felt his wrist pressing against her hip as he continued to carry some of his weight on it, pressing against the floorboards. Next the hand that was resting on her knees crept up and touched the side of her face. His fingers lingered at the dip behind her earlobes, while his palm lightly cupped her cheeks, pushing her fringe from her face.

"Then you can work it out. But first you need to let it happen" he whispered back.

That's exactly what she did.

She let it happen.

Chizuru let Terunori's lips press against hers.


The Chizuru/Kuga ship is alive and well. Sorry Chizuru/Akira fans :( We see the more serious (and tender?) side of Kuga in this chapter. I don't normally think of him as a 'feelings' guy because he's so crass and flippant, but if it's involving an emotionally turbulent Chizuru, then perhaps he could be?

Poor Ayame sprained her finger... and Whoop! You go Takumi and Ayame! Take those pamphlets! About time you learn about safe sex and STDs! Nothing to be ashamed. Sexual health is not taboo and everyone should learn about it. This is how I promote accessing sex education in fanfiction writing. Not the most creative way, but yeah.

Oh Isshiki... what other tasks do you need Ayame to do now... dun dun dun...

Check out the poll on my profile page and choose your favourite OC character: Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose :) You can also see the results of other voters. Just a bit of fun.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know your thoughts :) Until next time, keep fresh (like the Prince of Belair!)

Signing-off

TripWire-dono