Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a good year and have another good one. Anyways, the twins and Akari are starting to get closer! I'm really excited for the next couple chapters, I'm going to be trying to get some character development in there. Hope you all continue to enjoy~
I tried that 11:11 thing but it hasn't worked so far... how long does it take to work again, I want to own OHSHC ASAP!
"So class, the other sensei and I thought that it would be a good idea to do a joint project with each other," Yuhara-sensei starts with a smile as she walks in and the class begins to chatter. "Now now, settle down." The sound level dies out obediently but a few whispers are still heard here and there. It will be in groups of four. There are three extra so one group will only consist of three people. We'll be meeting in the library in a few minutes so that we can finish explaining. Let's head over class, grab your things." Chairs scrape against the floor loudly and everyone starts to meander out of the room, their various bags slung over their shoulder. I scurry over to Yui-chan and grin at her widely. "No teaming up with only people in our class!" Yuhara-sensei adds over her shoulder and Yui-chan slumps down as soon as the order registers, my shoulders slumping along with her.
"Man….," Yui-chan groans pitifully. "I wanted it to be just us on this project. It's always easier to be on projects with friends."
I perk up a little and try to cheer her up by commenting, "Well, it is nice to work with other people. It should be fun!"
"Stop being so optimistic. It's annoying," Yui-chan mutters and I pout, looking at her and whining in the back of my throat.
"You're so mean Yui-chan. It can't be that bad," I murmur.
"Oh you have no idea."
"Okay, it's going to be a history project." Awesome, it's something that I'm actually good at! This project definitely won't be nearly as bad as Yui-chan is making it out to be. Hmmm, I wonder who we should have as the third person on our group. I don't really know anyone from the other class so I'll just let Yui-chan figure it out. "Now, before we explain everything, we want everyone to pick their groups. Remember, there has to be one person from the other class at least and it's in groups of four. Go ahead." Everyone gets up and the chatter starts up again, other students beckoning their friends over hurriedly so that they're assured a spot in their group. Yui-chan and I stand next to each other, looking around uneasily. People are quickly snagged and pulled into groups, the clusters laughing loudly as they start talking.
"So…. Who should be in our group?" I ask.
"Akari. Yui," a clipped voice commands our attention and we turn to look at Yuhara-sensei, who stands with a stern look on her face and her hands on her hips. "After the incident during the last project, I have decided that you two will not be allowed to be on the same group together." I wince at the reminder. Yui-chan convinced me to play a prank as our project. We got an A on it but…. we weren't on the best of terms with Yuhara-sensei for a while. Now that I think about it, we still aren't on the best of terms.
"But sens-," Yui-chan begins but Yuhara-sensei holds up a commanding hand.
"No buts! My decision is final. You two better go find other groups okay?" she orders and we both nod sullenly. She smiles at us and walks away. We both stick out our tongue at her back at the same time, similar expressions twisting our features.
"This sucks!" we growl together and then jump while looking at each other, small giggles starting to erupt from our mouths.
"We call you Yui-chan!" Aya-chan chirps, dragging Kiyumi-chan and another boy that I don't recognize behind her. I slouch down and mutter about not being fair. "Sorry Ri-chan, but we have to have someone from the other class and there isn't any more room in our group."
"Who's left?" Yui-chan asks, an apologetic look on her face as she looks at me.
Kiyumi-chan grimaces and points past all of the formed groups. "Them," she says sourly and I follow her gaze, my face going white. Of all the bad luck….. I had to get stuck with the twins.
"Good luck with them," the boy encourages sympathetically, patting my shoulder. "They're actually smart so you shouldn't get stuck with all of the work as long as you don't let them shove it all on you. I'm Iruka by the way."
"I'm Akari," I murmur, waving half-heartedly. "I'll go to…. My group." I trudge over to the two, nervousness starting to take over my system. What if they start to bully me again? No, I can't let them. I have to be strong, like Yui-chan. I can't let them push me around like I'm nothing. I can do this.
I walk up to them and murmur, "I-it looks like w-we have to be on t-the sam-same group Kao-Kaoru-san and Hika-Hikaru-san."
They sneer at me in response. "Great, looks like we got stuck with the idiot of the lot Kaoru," Hikaru-san comments, looking me up and down condescendingly. I bite my lip harshly and wrap my arms around my torso self-consciously.
"I-I'm actua-act-actually good at his-history. I-I can h-h-help," I blunder quietly, my eyes darting between the two like a cornered animal even though they are the ones leaning against the wall nonchalantly.
They both straighten up at the same time, like a creepy mirror image of the other and they ask, "Really? We wouldn't have thought that someone as stupid as you would actually be good at anything." I flinch violently and look up at their amber eyes hesitantly; raising my chin slightly once they don't do anything.
"Y-yeah. I-I-I'll be abl-able to do m-my part," I assure them, wringing my hands slightly and nodding to myself.
"I guess that you'll have to prove yourself to us then. We don't think that you're telling the truth," Kaoru-san smirks and I scowl at them slightly, ire rising in me at what their assuming.
"I-I wouldn't li-lie!" I snap at them, clenching my fists at my sides.
They lean closer to me and Hikaru-san whispers, "Of course a liar would say that."
I'm sure that my cheeks are burning a bright red by now. "Why… Why you little…. Fine! I'll do my part perfectly and that will show you!" I promise, my eyes shining fiercely. I can't believe that they would have the gall to say that I was a liar! Those idiots! Snickering makes me jump and I look at them with wide eyes as they clutch their stomachs in their mirth. My cheeks burn red with embarrassment at them and confusion takes over. "Wh-what are you l-laug-laughing about?" I demand.
"That was hilarious! Did you see how red she turned? It was like she was going to explode!" Hikaru laughs loudly at me and I take a step back.
"And it was all over whether or not she was a liar! What a goody-two-shoes!" Kaoru-san agrees.
"A-am no-not!" I yell back, embarrassment making my hands shake. They always seem to make a fool out of me.
"'I'll do my part perfectly!'" Kaoru-san mock in response, his voice raised to an obnoxious pitch.
"I don't sound like that!" I say defensively and they grin at me coldly.
"Of course you do," they shoot back.
Hikaru-san rubs his ear as he informs me, "It's awful sounding really. It hurts just to listen to you."
"Y-you're a li-liar, Hika-Hikaru-san," I mutter, lowering my eyes down to the ground.
"How do you know which one is which?" they ask in union and I look back up at them in surprise. Their steady gaze on me makes me fidget nervously and I bite my lip.
"I-I don't. Hik-Hikaru-s-san called y-you K-Kaoru-san," I explain shyly and they roll their eyes, apparently deciding I wasn't worth their time.
"Okay class, now that groups are all picked, we're going to be passing out a packet that has everything for the project in it," the other sensei says brusquely, a stack of said packets in both of the sensei's arms. I wonder what the project will be about. Maybe it'll be fun.
"Of course you would think a project would be fun," Hikaru-san mocks harshly and I whirl to look at him in surprise. Had I said that out loud? I turn back to the front of the room and lower my head slightly in shame.
Yuhara-sensei holds a packet out to me and I reach forward to grab it, only for one of the twins to snatch it right before I could reach it. Yuhara-sensei frowns at the scene but moves on without a word. I turn to the twins and see them holding up the packet with a mocking smirk on their lips. "Want it?" Hikaru-san asks.
"Come and get it," Kaoru-san taunts right after.
They look at each other and then say as if the idea had just occurred to them, "That is, if you can manage it." My cheeks burn with the realization that I probably couldn't get it away from them. They're boys and there are two of them and one of me. I'm stuck with the short end of the stick in this one.
I turn my head so that I don't have to look at them and cross my arms, muttering, "If you w-an-w-want me to be able t-to do a-any of the wo-work you'll have to let m-me se-see the packe-p-packet ev-eventually."
"We'll give you the packet," Hikaru-san begins, his deeper voice alerting me that it was him.
"If you do all of the work," Kaoru-san finished with a malicious grin. I snap my head to look at them, my mouth wide open in astonishment.
"W-w-what?!" I screech intelligently.
The twins frown at me and say slowly, "If you want the packet, you have to do all of the work."
"W-wh-w-why would I d-do that?!" I ask in the same tone as before, no doubt really damaging their ear drums. A small part of me is satisfied at the notion.
Self-satisfied grins surface on those damnable twin's mouths and I eye them with uneasiness. They seem sure of themselves. That isn't good. Not good. Not good at all. "Well, what if we told the sensei that someone wasn't doing their work," Kaoru-san proposes nonchalantly.
"You would surely get failed on the project and that would lower your grade a lot. You wouldn't want that now would you?" Hikaru-san threatens.
They hold the packet out to me and beam, "So, why don't you just do all of the work for us?"
I stare at them open-mouthed my thought process whirling in circles like a headless chicken. "T-the proj-project would-wouldn't be near-nearly as good," I finally choke out, the words vile on my tongue.
"We don't care," they reply with a shrug. "We have over a hundred percent in the class. We can always make it up quickly anyways. We just don't want to bother with the work. You'll have plenty of time to do the project; it isn't like you have a social life anyways." I twitch and stare at them uneasily. Could they really have me failed in a project? For some reason, I believe them. Maybe foolishly so, but I do.
"H-how do you kn-know that I won-won't just fa-fail the project-project?" I inquire weakly, my face probably pale. I can't believe I was cornered like this. No, no, it isn't that hard to see happening, especially with these two.
Kaoru-san looks at his brother, who scoffs. "She does have a point. Maybe we should keep an eye on her," he concedes with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Hikaru-san looks at his brother before a cruel smirk stretches across his lips, making an uneasy shiver run down my back. Not good! Something bad is going to happen to me, I know it!
"What a good idea brother," Hikaru-san all but purrs.
They look at me and inform me, "We'll be going to your house today."
"W-w-what?!"
"But you can't shut everyone out. I mean you have to have someone to love . . . someone to hold on to . . . someone-"
― Hubert Selby Jr., Requiem for a Dream
Takumi opens the door for me and I heave a loud sigh, my shoulders slumping down despondently. I can't believe I gave in…. I can't believe it.
"This is your house?" Kaoru-san asks.
"It looks really small," Hikaru-san mutters as they both hand over their stuff to Takumi. Takumi sends me a look and I shake my head pitifully, handing him my stuff as well. This will be a long afternoon.
"Niece!" a loud voice yells from down the hall way and my eyes widen. Shit. I totally forgot about Brathair-mathar! Now the twins will meet him! Oh my God! What do I do? What do I do?
"Uncle Roger, I'm home with some guests!" I shout back, looking at the twins nervously. Hopefully Brathair-mathar will understand that he needs to act properly, he usually does. They look at me with slight curiosity and superiority (I got used to the last one).
"Friends?" Brathair-mathar questions, poking his head around the corner and looking at the twins. He pauses for a moment and looks them up and down before grinning at me, his eyes twinkling. Oh hell n-. "I wouldn't have thought that you would have brought home two lads, Akari!" NOT ACTING PROPERLY! The twins choke on the air and their eyes bug out in shock as I make a distressed noise in the back of my throat, a mix of a whine and a growl. I'm going to commit homicide. I'm going to do it.
My face is most likely bright red and I sputter hilariously for a minute. "N-n-n-n-n-n-no! We're a g-group for a pro-project in schoo-school!" I deny furiously, waving my hands frantically back and forth. A familiar booming laugh fills my ears and I'm swept up in a crushing hug.
"Always fun to tease you, lass, you just provide too many chances!" my uncle laughs and I swat at him.
"It isn't funny!" I snap back, pulling myself out of his embrace and facing my uncle squarely with my hands on my hips. He mimics me and my eyebrow twitches in barely concealed ire. The nerve of this old man. A sudden urge to get back at him grabs me and so I push down the typical command that I send him. "If you wanted to act like a girl old man, you could have just asked to borrow some of Mother's clothes." Brathair-mathar falls to the floor comically and I stick my tongue out at him with a wide grin on my face. I finally surprised him!
A loud cough makes me freeze and I turn to look at the twins, my eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck. Whoops. I straighten back up and nudge Brathair-mathar with my foot. He twitches slightly and his shoulders start shaking. Deep chuckles emit from him and I scowl slightly at him, managing to rein in my biting retort thanks to the unwelcome guests. "Takumi, can you have Oikanawa take Brathair-mathar to the closest mental facility. I think he's in need of medical attention," I mention lightly and my uncle gets up from the floor to give me a half-hearted glare.
"If I should be sent to a mental facility, I don't think that anyone can help you," he mutters crossly and then grins at me, his bitter demeanor disappearing. "Where are my manners?" They never existed. "I never asked for the lads' names! I'm Roger Turin!"
The twins eye him like he's crazy, which I believe is true, and Kaoru-san answers while pointing to his brother. "He's Hikaru Hitachiin."
"He's Kaoru Hitachiin," Hikaru-san introduces his twin.
"We're the Hitachiin Brothers," they greet in union and I shiver at the creepy occurrence. I am still not used to that. Brathair-mathar merely grins at them and laughs.
"Good to meet you lads! Now, I think that you can all work in the study, yes? Of course! You know the way Akari, lead them off. I'll have Kotone send in some snacks and she'll bring your school bags," Brathair-mathar winks at me and I roll my eyes back at him before turning to the twins.
"Foll-follow me the-then," I murmur as I pass by, not looking back to see if they were following.
"What are we going to do until your maid shows up with our stuff?" Hikaru-san suddenly asks and I blink at him in surprise.
Kaoru-san grins. "Good question. Why don't you show us around idiot?" I twitch at the stupid insult but shake my head firmly.
"N-no," I answer, opening the door to the study and leading them in. Light wood book shelves line the walls, all of them reaching up to the ceiling. A few tables are in the middle of the room. Tall windows are on opposite walls and some space is saved for high-tech computers. It's a pretty nice set-up if I do say so myself.
"Seems like you have something to hide~," the twins sing mockingly but I shake my head at them again.
"I ju-just don't w-want you aroun-around my fami-f-family's house," I mutter, my hands clenched at my sides. "You've been controlling me all along, please allow me this one freedom," I stiffly beg, staring into both of their eyes boldly. Their eyes are wide as they stare at me but their features quickly compose into a neutral expression.
"Who knew that the idiot had a bit of a bite to her?" Hikaru-san questions but he still moves farther away from the door, making me slump slightly in relief.
"Yeah, it's pitiful but there's something there," Kaoru-san agrees. My eyebrow twitches but I don't say anything. The door open and Kotone along with my chef Hisoka come in, a tray being pushed by Hisoka while Kotone carries our bags.
"Wow, I thought that Roger-sama was lying when he said that you had two boys over," Hisoka blinks bluntly and I shake my head at her.
"I know! Who would have thought that our little Akari-sama would already be having-?!" Kotone squeals.
"Don't finish that sentence," Hisoka interrupts tiredly, her aged face watching me with slight pride.
"Hisoka, Kotone, these are the Hitachiin brothers," I introduce them. "I'm pretty sure that he's Hikaru-san and that he's Kaoru-san," I add. I look at them questionably and blink repeatedly at their blank looks. "I did-didn't get i-it wro-wrong did I?"
"No, no you got it right Akari," Brathair-mathar assures from the doorway and I look over at him in surprise and wariness. I was hoping that he would leave me alone. The sentence registers and I gape at my uncle in surprise.
"You can tell them apart Brathair-mathar?" I ask with wonder, my eyes wide. "H-how can yo-you do it?"
The twins snort and comment in union, "He was wrong anyways."
"Was not," Brathair-mathar shoots back confidently. "I know that the one on the right is Hikaru and the one on the left is Kaoru. You two can't fool these eyes."
"Ho-how c-can you tell?" I question again, looking between the twins and my uncle. If Brathair-mathar can do it, I should be able to do it too. I want to be able to tell the twins apart. It seems like a good challenge doesn't it? Brathair-mathar makes it look easy but I want to be like him so I should be able to tell the twins apart too. That's it; I'm going to learn how he does it.
Brathair-mathar walks up to me and pats me on the head sagely. "You'll just have to figure it out on your own niece," he instructs me fondly and I nod up at him.
"Okay Brathair-mathar, I'll try," I promise, smiling widely. A thought suddenly occurs to me and I look at the twins. "As long as that is okay with you two of course," I add on.
"What?" they ask together, appearing to be totally stupefied by recent events. Not that I blame them, my family is something else.
"Is it okay if I try to tell the difference?" I ask, tilting my head slightly.
They look at me in confusion. "Why are you asking for permission?" Hikaru-san asks rudely but I smile at him widely, already getting used to it.
"What do you mean why am I asking? Of course I have to ask!" I answer easily and Brathair-mathar laughs loudly.
"I don't think the lads understand how you think yet Akari," he chuckles, his eyes full of mirth and I furrow my eyebrows at him in confusion.
"What does that mean?" Kaoru-san asks.
My uncle waggles his finger teasingly at the twins and explains, "Quite simply, Akari is asking whether or not it's okay if she tries to become your friend; she wants to be friends with Hikaru and Kaoru, not the Hitachiin Brothers." I nod easily and open my bag, pulling out the packet.
"Of course. Anyways, you guys don't have to answer; it is a bit of an odd question isn't it? I should get working on the project yes?" I ask, a twinge of bitterness entering my tone. Damn twins cornering me into doing the whole project. Why am I trying to be their friend again? Oh right…. because Brathair-mathar managed to do it so easily. I have to try if he can do it, right?
Use me as you will
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be okay
Though my skies are turning gray
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
-Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
I open the door to my classroom and Yui-chan scurries up to me, her expression twisted with worry and apprehension. "Are you okay? The twins didn't bother you too much did they?" she asks in quick succession, grabbing my by the shoulders.
"No, they weren't that bad…. Eventually," I answer, shrugging at her flabbergasted look. "My staff and uncle were around." She accepts the answer with a nod and I smile at her. "How is your group?" I ask, pushing the conversation to a different subject slightly.
"Good, Iruka-kun is actually pretty cool. Kiyumi-chan managed to keep control over Aya-chan easily so everything went smoothly. How far did you guys get on the project?" she questions, eyeing me suspiciously once I look away from her. "Akari-chan…," she starts warningly.
"Well, I mayhavebeentrickedintodoingtherprojectallonmyown," I mumble quickly.
"What?"
"T-the tw-twins-."
"Okay stop," she orders, holding up a hand. "Take a few deep breaths and nod." I do as she commanded slowly, having done this a lot before. "Explain."
"The twins tricked me into doing the whole project on my own," I scowl, still a little bitter over the whole thing. I feel like a pushover and I can't stand them. I have to be nice to them though, they're in my group and Brathair-mathar was nice to them and could figure out the difference. I will too.
Yui-chan does stalk still and I eye her warily. Is she going to explode? I don't want that to happen…. "How the hell did that happen?!" Yui-chan snarls loudly and I laugh nervously at her outraged expression.
"Well they threatened to tell the sensei that I wasn't doing my part of the project and get me an F. I couldn't let that happen so I agreed to do the whole project," I recount, realizing I gave into that way too easily.
Fury colors Yui-chan's cheeks a bright red and her eyes are ablaze with determination. "That's it! I'm going to teach them a lesson and you're coming with me!" she yells, grasping my arm and dragging me out of the classroom.
"I don't think that's a good idea!" I protest hurriedly, trying to pull out of Yui-chan's iron grip.
"I don't care what you think, this isn't about you!" she snaps.
"But it's my problem!" I remind her.
"Not caring!"
"Yui-chan!"