Standard Disclaimers Apply.
"I bet you're curious."
"Not really."
"Let's be honest here, Kazama-san. Or should I say…Chi-ka-chan?"
His eyes narrowed a fraction. "I don't want to hear that from your filthy mouth."
The younger male laughed whole-heartedly. "My, my. After all these years, your hatred still runs deep."
Kazama was not impressed.
"Don't be so uptight, Kazama-san. I'm only here to make things right again," the brunet -Kaoru, said nonchalantly, palms upturned to the ceiling.
"Make things right…?" The blonde appeared skeptical.
"Don't worry about it too much. You need not lift a single finger." Kaoru offered a sinister smile.
"Chikage!" Chizuru came running up to him.
"What is it?"
"Don't act dumb! You left without me this morning!" She had her hands on her hips. She's been doing that a lot lately, a sign of her comfort around him. Good.
"There was still work to be done. You were fast asleep." That was a lie, but Chizuru wouldn't be able to figure that out.
"We already finished everything yesterday. Don't lie to me."
Well, he could be wrong.
"Now why would I lie to you, Chizuru?" he replied affectionately, a strange act coming from the demon.
"Because you're hiding something from me?"
Kazama was surprised, and he was rarely surprised, but Chizuru seemed to be an exception for everything. He was usually very careful in keeping things from people, especially this precious girl standing in front of him right now.
"I know you're hiding something. You've been spacing out a lot lately. Yesterday too, when I came into your office to have tea with you, you hid something in your desk. What was it?" He could see she wasn't going to let this go.
He sighed. There was no point in hiding it. She would find out in class anyway. "There's a transfer student."
She paused. "That's…it?"
"He's in your class."
After a moment of silence, Chizuru broke into a fit of giggles. "That's so silly, Chikage! Why would you hide something like that from me?" Turning around, she called over her shoulder, "I'll see you at the opening ceremony." Then, when she was halfway across the hall, she turned back and added, almost as an afterthought, "because we are having one on time this year, a proper one."
Staring at her retreating figure, Chikage furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn't gotten the worst of the news across.
"Chizuru! Why?" Heisuke complained in dismay. "We've been separated!"
"Heisuke-kun, it's okay. Our homeroom classes are right beside each other," Chizuru placated.
"That's true, but…"
"She's with me this year," Yamazaki announced, sitting on the seat beside Chizuru's. Then, turning to Chizuru, "Let's work hard together."
Smiling, Chizuru nodded her agreement. Just then, the bell rang. A nostalgic sound, she mused. "Heisuke-kun, you should go." At his depressed expression, she hastily added, "We can always talk before and after class like this."
"Yeah, I guess."
Not long after Heisuke left, a familiar maroon-haired man entered the room.
"Harada-sensei!" Chizuru chirped happily as soon as she realized who it was. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who remembered this teacher.
"Sano-chan!"
"Kya~! We're in your class again, Sano-sensei!"
"Quiet down," Harada growled. "We have a transfer student." His eyes seemed to focus on Chizuru for a second longer than necessary before roaming the room again.
"Is it a boy? Oh my gosh, I hope it's a boy!"
"A transfer student? Which school is he from?"
"Come in, Nagumo-san." The students fluttered in whispers, but quieted down when the classroom door opened slowly. Stepping into the classroom, the brunet shut the door gently behind him. He continued to walk to the centre of the classroom.
All the students had their eyes on the boy, but no one spoke a word. They all had the same thought in mind though: this boy resembled Chizuru, a lot.
The idea was there, but Chizuru couldn't put it in the right words. She swallowed. Could it be? It's...
"Good morning," the boy paused, earning a few greetings from various students around the class. "Starting today, I am a student here at Kazama High School. I studied at Nagumo High School last year, but I decided to transfer here for my second year. My name is Kaoru, Nagumo Kaoru. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope you will treat me well." Taking a bow, he smiled at the class.
Some of the boys in the class whistled. "Kid has manners, huh?" Others tsked. After all, he was stealing all of the attention from the girls.
"Kya! He's so cute!"
"He's such a gentleman!"
Harada thought it best to quickly seat him down before the girls decide to drag him to their desks. "Nagumo-san, you can sit-"
"May I sit beside my lovely sister?" Kaoru's smile was gentle to the class, but no one could fool Harada. Hidden behind his façade was an intention of some sort. The dark glint behind Kaoru's eyes was more than proof.
"I'm afraid I already arranged the seating plan. Sorry."
"Surely you can make room for me by Chizuru's desk. Is it not the teacher's job to ensure the students are in an appropriate studying environment?" Kaoru retorted. "It has been too long since I have seen my sister. Even if we do not speak to each other in class, her presence by my side will sooth me."
Stubborn brat.
"Nagumo-san, I don't-"
"Please, Harada-sen-sei?"
"Um-"
"What is it?" Harada snapped, turning abruptly to face the student who had interrupted. It was Chizuru. "Oh, sorry. What's wrong?" he asked calmly this time.
"I don't really mind sitting beside him," Chizuru explained, slightly embarrassed. "I haven't seen him in such a long time, so I think it's great that we can sit beside each other in class."
Kaoru was beaming. There was no mistaking the obvious triumph he felt at that instant.
"Harada-sensei, I th-think it will be i-interesting to see two identical faces b-beside each other in class," Shizuka, who was sitting behind Chizuru, chimed in.
A few of the students laughed.
"See?" Kaoru smirked.
After a moment of what seemed like a mental weighing of the pros and cons, Harada sighed. "Fine."
Kaoru stepped down the aisle, grinning at Chizuru. Coming to a stop beside her desk, he turned to the boy who was currently sitting beside her. With one stern look, the boy jumped out of his seat and made way for him. Sitting down, he faced Chizuru who was now grinning back at him.
"How have you been?" he whispered kindly. His words caressed her heart ever so gently. It was such a brotherly action that Chizuru had the urge to cry. This was the brother she's been missing from her life this whole time.
"Good," she mumbled, tears slipping from her eyes.
"Oh dear." Kaoru lifted a thumb and swiftly wiped them away. "That doesn't seem very good to me."
"I missed you," she admitted, easing into his palm.
"I missed you too." He leaned over the aisle and gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. "My dearest sister."
A/N: Um...Happy Holidays? (Don't kill me.)