A/N: I just wanna say I love you guys.
Whoa. Excuse me. I'm being overly affectionate at the current moment.
PEASANTS!
That's better ^_^ woot! go tyranny. I love controlling you all with my sexy, delicious, tempting story! hehehe... :)
you know, I'm starting to worry about this double side of myself, but it just won't go away. I guess you guys bring it out in me. You devilish peasants, you.
Chapter Seven. Cold Dread
"Looking for something?"
Tora looked up from staring at the floor in amusement the next day as he watched his victim, walking into the front hall and going into the next room, cursing, walking out of that room and looking in a closet. She faced him when he spoke, her face flushed from all her strutting about. Ah, his dear new victim. He'd be teasing her and manipulating her to no end, now that he knew what a prize she was to win over.
"How cold do you think it is outside today?" She asked, ignoring his question.
"Very cold, I'd say." He suppressed a devious smile as she began to button up the coat she had on over her uniform.
"Okay. Bye."
She walked past him and out the door. He waited ten seconds, and then she was suddenly inside once again, glaring at his smirking face.
"It's fucking freezing. And you took all of my scarves."
He grinned, and then pulled himself forward from against the wall he was leaning on, standing up straight and addressing her with a level-headed, calm sort of voice.
"I don't have anything of yours. The maids might have gone through your wardrobe and done some reorganizing though."
Her glare tried to penetrate his skull, he found that she looked very concentrated staring at his forehead like that, and then she sighed and grabbed his hand unexpectedly.
He widened his eyes as she pulled him down the hallway, seemingly towards the wing of the mansion that housed his room.
"Oh, where are we going?" He asked, sounding interested, as he was surprised by her sudden reaction.
"To your room. So you can show me where you hid my scarves."
She had been hurrying furiously, and they were to the front door of his room before she could say anything more. He stood back and folded his arms, watching her with a smirk as she tried the handle of the door he always locked when he wasn't in his room.
The aura emanating from her was dark and scary, but he just ignored it and grabbed her hand after she was done fiddling with the door handle, and this time he was the one to drag her down the halls and back to the entry way.
"Come on you have to go to school now or you'll be late. The limo is always warm and I'll have someone come by and drop a blanket off to you or something so you won't be cold in class."
She wrenched her hand from his grasp and walked out the door, mumbling something about a 'stupid arrogant tiger' before she slammed the door shut behind her with great irritation.
Tora just grinned, and went to his room, this time unlocking the door and stepping in only to trip over a small pile of Akari's clothes set just inside. The maids apparently hadn't bothered to put them anywhere.
Ignoring the pile for now, he walked over to his wardrobe and picked out the clothing he would wear today when he arrived at her school to... help warm her up.
It was the least he could do, since she had so unfortunately misplaced a few of her things...
"Is h-he back t-t-to n-normal?"
Aika looked at her freezing friend with no sympathy in her eyes.
"Why were you stupid enough to not even wear a sweater at least?"
Because that yellow-eyed devil took all of my sweaters too!
"You duh-d-d-didn't answer m-m-my question! Is he?" Akari asked, rubbing her hands furiously up and down her chilled arms. Jeez, did the school not have a heating system?! The classroom was almost as cold as it was outside! She could see clouds of her breath in the air!
"Yeah, I don't know if he is. I haven't seen him yet today. Seriously, why the fuck didn't you come prepared? I though you were rich- don't rich bitches have like a whole ten story closet full of warm-weather, fashion-magazine clothing?"
"I'm no bitch!"
"Hey~ Mana-chan!"
She turned on the blonde menace who sat down in front of her.
"SH-SHUT THE H-HELL UP YOU B-BASTARD OR I'LL S-S-SLAP YOU AGAIN!"
"Wow. Way to contradict yourself there, Akari. By the way, no, I don't think that Seiji has changed back to normal yet." Aika said, and put her ear buds in before her friend could turn and yell at her as well.
"Gee Mana-chan, since I am a masochist, maybe you should slap me!" He sounded eager.
Suddenly and before she could yell 'You sick rapist!' at Kai, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Kanou sitting behind her with his grey jacket hood settled on top of his head and his glasses glinting under the fluorescent lights.
"Why aren't you wearing anything warm like everyone else?" He asked, sounding a little concerned and as calmly observational as always.
"Because I can't wear my coat since it's 'not uniform' and all of my uniform sweaters are... they disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"I couldn't find them when I woke up this morning."
"Oh. Do you want my jacket?"
Her eyes widened and she shook her head, her cinnamon-auburn hair shaking loosely around her shoulders.
"No, then you'll have to be col- ah!"
"Mana. Chan. Quite ignoring me." Seiji/Kai suddenly pulled back on her collar, yanking her closer to him and away from Kanou.
"Do you want me to get the teacher to send you to the other side of the room again?" She glared at him, trying to turn her neck the right way around.
The boy smirked. "No, M'am. Though the idea of punishment excites me, I'd rather be here near you."
"Let go of my collar!"
"Hey, do you want my jacket?" He suddenly asked, still not letting go, and she stopped struggling just to try to burn off his face with her glare.
"I don't want anything from you. And I certainly didn't want what you gave me yesterday..." She grumbled, slapping his hand and making him release her collar.
"Take your seats!"
Luckily, the sensei walked into the room and cut Kai off before he could say something perverted and demeaning to her.
"Let's take roll. Hey! HEY! You there, take those ear buds out! This is homeroom, not music class!"
Lunchtime. YES. She had somehow not frozen to death in the classroom up to now. Akari made a mental note to reward herself later with some more Yatsuhashi.
"Maaaannnnaaaa-chaaaan..."
She fled from the room without acknowledging any of her friends- accidentally plowing over Yukimura as he walked into the classroom smiling and she escaped with a look of terror on her face.
She ran up the halls, the distant call of her name that actually isn't her name following her in the distance. Where to hide, where to hide? She was contemplating running up the stairs to the roof when she felt a hand on her in her hair, pulling her backwards and into another classroom.
The people already inside the classroom just stared at the two new intruders for a moment, and then they all got back to eating and talking once they didn't seem to care who they were. Akari turned her steely-silver gaze on whoever had yanked at her hair, but before she could see them or say anything, something warm was settled around her shoulders.
"You still look cold."
It was a voice she instantly recognized that belonged to a certain sapphire-eyed, glasses-bedecked young man.
"Kanou, I can't wear your jacket." She objected when she realized he was now standing before her with just a long-sleeved white shirt on to cover his upper body, and that a warm grey material was encasing her now instead of him. The heating system was still at an absence in the school, so he must be getting cold even though he's only taken off his hoodie for a few short moments. As if on cue, she saw him shiver slightly, and began to take off the warm offering.
He placed a hand on hers to stop her, still shivering from the freezing air in the room.
"Let's just go get your coat then. You can wear that until you have something else to keep you warm."
"Can I wear my coat?"
"It's lunch, so I would assume the teachers don't care."
Then he turned around, and she followed him out of the classroom, his hoodie still keeping her surprisingly warm despite the fact it wasn't much to stay warm in. Maybe it was the body heat from him that still lingered inside of it, but it was probably the warmest thing she had ever put on.
"Mana-chaaan? Where are you?"
"Shit it's the Masochist." She said, right before grabbing Kanou's sleeve and pulling him around the next corner sharply.
"I don't get why you don't just tell the president he's bugging you."
"I can't do that- he's a friend and he doesn't deserve to get in trouble. Hang on, stay quiet."
The pair pushed both their backs against the wall as the voice got closer.
"Mana... jeez, that girl can really avoid someone when she wants to, huh? Maybe I've been too vindictive with her..." A laughter errupted from the voice, dangerously close by now. "No, that's not it!"
Akari rolled her eyes, and not wanting to be seen she silently moved Kanou with her down the wall, and the hurried outside the doors at the far end of the hall before Seiji/Kai could see them.
Outside it was even more unbearably cold, so Kanou dragged her into the nearby other set of doors just a few steps away, which led into the gymnasium. No one else was in there as he strode with purposeful steps to across the shining floors, and she followed, that is until he turned around to face her abruptly, both of them standing almost to the center of the gym floor.
"I was thinking we should get your coat back in the classroom, but do you think that boy has gone back there now?"
She enjoyed how he was asking her, not telling her what to do.
"Well, you could go and get it and I could stay here."
He almost looked like he was going to laugh, but remained very stoic and calm.
"I don't want people to think I'm stealing your coat." He replied simply, and pulled out his phone, his thumbs racing over it in a swift text before he waited a few moments for a reply. The phone buzzed back shortly thereafter.
" Shouichirou will get it for you, he said." He put his phone back, hidden in his pants pocket.
"Yukimura?" She laughed. "Poor kid, he has to do all the extra jobs, doesn't he?"
"Eh..." Kanou just shrugged, smiling a tiny bit.
A very awkward silence followed.
Kanou took off, cleaned, and put back on his glasses, sweat dropping uncomfortably. o-o;
"So- thanks for letting me borrow your sweatshirt."
"Er- no problem?"
"Do you want it back now? I lasted until lunch in the classroom, I think I can handle it until Yukimura gets here."
"No, it's okay."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"...It's waaarm..." She pressed, a bit teasingly. She could've sworn she watched him blush a little bit.
"I know, but it's for you to wear right now."
She gave up and sat down on the gym's floor. It was cold against her skirt, but she didn't really care because her body was tired. Kanou waited patiently, standing next to her and staring at the gym's set of double doors.
Thankfully, it didn't take the short, enthusiastic boy long to enter the gym with her coat. And for some reason...
"Uhhh, Yukimura, why are you dressed up like a girl?" Akari asked as she took of Kanou's hoodie and handed it back to him.
The boy sighed deeply, and looked as if he was about to burst into tears.
"Some of the kids in the student council made me again..."
She thought; again?
He continued, not noticing her thoughts that showed clearly on her face. "They wanted to take pictures for a poster for the idea for their new fundraiser. But it's a fundraiser the President doesn't support, a maid cafe idea, she was super angry when she found out about it... so I don't even know why they're doing it still!" He sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He seemed to remember he had her coat, and then handed it to her quickly, apologizing. "Sorry! Here!"
She patted him on the head like a little kid and accepted her coat from him. "Thank you, Yukimura, I'm very grateful." She smiled at him reassuringly, and he sniffed, smiling back a little bit too, one of the flowers glued to the headband in his hair falling off and floating to the gym floor.
"Come on, let's go get you looking like yourself again." Kanou said, dragging the younger boy from the room. He stopped just shy of the doors, and turned to look back at Akari. "You're good now...?"
"Yeah, I'm all good! Uh, go ahead and... fix Yukimura for me and also everyone else's sake."
Yukimura looked grateful that she wanted him turned back into his usual self, and hadn't commented on him being such a cute girl like everyone else did. And with that last look of gratitude that he shot at her as his taller friend pulled him from the room, they both disappeared, the doors slowly closing shut behind them.
Akari sighed, pulling the collar of her coat up around her neck and then buttoning it up all the way. It wasn't school colors- therefore she could not wear it in class, which was ridiculous- but maybe she could beg with her sensei before lunch ended. Now where would he be- teacher's lounge? But where was that?
"Eh I'll find it." She said to herself, and with a hopeful strut walked from the large gym and back into the hallways.
Tora stepped out of the car after having his early lunch, appearing at the site of the Seika High campus at the time that he knew that classes would be let out for their regular lunch period. With a warm, stylish sweater that he knew was school-appropriate (much to his dismay) in his hands, he approached the doors and walked inside, appearing important looking despite his choice on the less conspicuous, casual clothes he was wearing for this visit.
Almost as soon as he walked through the front doors and down the first hallway, he thought he caught a glimpse of brown-auburn hair passing around the next corner. He stalked that way, intent on seeing her and of course giving her the sweater, knowing exactly how he was going to play this out, when he heard something that was as annoying to him as a mosquito buzzing in his ear.
"Mana-chan! Where the hell are you?"
But it didn't concern him, because the other male voice wasn't calling out Akari's name but another's, therefore there was to be no competition there. He frowned a little- he had to admit, that was a bit disappointing. His squabbles over Misaki with Usui had always happily amused him.
Suddenly, Tora realized he'd been standing in the middle of the empty hall like an idiot. Shaking his head and passing a hand through his bangs, he began forward again, thinking he was going in the right direction towards the girl he was searching for, and smirked confidently as he caught another glimpse of someone running this way and that, out of breath- yes, that would be her.
He was at the far end of the hall, going by unnoticed because she was so far ahead of him, and he watched as she checked breathlessly over her shoulder before she hurriedly stumbled into a room. He stalked forward, and just then something passed him by- and he stopped walking momentarily to watch in slightly stunned silence as another blonde boy made his way into the room that Akari had just inhabited.
Tora's mouth didn't know whether it should lift up in a competitive smirk or frown downwards in irritation, so he settled on making it a straight line, pressing his lips firmly together as he walked towards the closed door again.
"-YOU MASOCHISTIC GEMINI!"
The yelled words blew Tora's hair back as he opened the door, and he stood there with it opened and him peering inside for a moment, blinking, his eyes widened from the raging words that had come from a fuming Akari in the empty classroom. She appeared to have her attention settled on the other blonde boy who was standing close to her. Smoke rose from the side of the other boy's face as Tora peered at him- Akari must have smacked him.
If he's a masochist, doesn't she know that slapping and yelling at him will just make him want more? Tora thought as he waited to be noticed by the door.
However, he went unnoticed as the other boy continued to harass her.
"Aww, Ma-na-chan." The boy said slowly, holding his cheek in his hand. "You know that turns me on~"
"Baka... leave me alone, Seiji. I want to go eat."
"It's Kai. You're doing it again."
"Okay KAI- then LEAVE ME ALOOONE!" She folded her arms and stepped back when he tried to reach out for her.
"I thought we could have lunch together though."
"Sorry, but she's already arranged plans to eat with me today." Tora said wickedly, smirking at the other boy when both of them turned to look right at him.
Akari didn't say anything, and when Tora switched his gaze to look at her, he could see why. She had quickly slammed her face against the teacher's desk next to her, back in chibi form once again with waves of irritation floating above her head as she mumbled incoherently about not getting a break, and something about tigers and masochists, and grumbled about being hungry.
"So," The other boy smiled evilly at Tora. "Just for today, then? How about tomorrow?"
Akari immediately snapped out of it and used her fist to bop the boy hard on the head, which Tora found quite amusing and laughed at openly.
"Tomorrow's Saturday you masochistic rapist!"
Tora stopped laughing at her words, and on cue his eyes narrowed at the other boy.
"What?" He sounded dangerously interested in what she had just said.
Akari sweat dropped. She was quick to shove the other boy aside and grab Tora's hand, which surprised him, though he wouldn't shut up about this.
"What does-"
"We have a lunch date to get to, don't we? Let's go eat."
She pulled him away with her, leaving the classroom and shutting the door, then grabbing him by the collar and muttering to herself as she pulled him along through the halls. Despite her efforts to make him forget about the other boy and her words, Tora had already memorized the face of the bastard that he had assumed had been the one to mark Akari- mark the prize that was hardly his to mark as his own. He growled slightly, a feral sound in the back of his throat that sent chills down Akari's spine as she lead him down the halls and back to the front entrance of the school, stopping just inside the doors.
"Igarashi, what are you doing here?"
He stared down at her, a serious expression still displayed across his face. Quickly, his features changed into that of a slight and forced smile, and he thrust the sweater into her hands.
"I came to bring you that. I'll go ahead and pick you up after school." He replied shortly, turning on his heels to leave.
Though his original plan had been to actually have lunch with her, using the excuse of bringing her something warm to wear to maybe steal her away from school for a while, taunting her and charming her for the rest of the evening, he had now decided to save it for later. The concept of kidnapping her was oh so tempting still, but he shortly realized that it'd be much more fun to irritate her by picking her up in front of all the other students at the end of the school hours. She would most likely hate that, and he liked to see her ferocious side. It was somehow attractive on her, her face turning red in rage, making her silver eyes look brighter on her face, her voice taking on a hauntingly dark, somehow sexy tone- ah, yes, it would be much more worth it to bother her later.
"What? I have my own driver-"
"We have things to discuss."
"And if I refuse?"
Tora turned to face her, smiling when he saw the look of angst scrunching up her features.
"You can't refuse an Igarashi, I'm so sorry to inform you."
"You're not sorry."
"That's right, but you will be if you continue to argue with me."
She looked into his eyes, and their gaze leveled out not for the first time. She opened her mouth as if to object, and he expected her to again, but she simply locked her jaw and then replied simply and flatly.
"Thank you for the sweater."
And she spun around and left him there to watch her with slightly widened eyes, surprised at her sudden acceptance. Was she trying to resist her urge of resistance again in order to keep him uninterested? He assumed that was her little plan.
An eerie smile made its way onto his face as he shook his head and stared after her still. Unfortunately, her plan would fail. She had pulled him in far too deep for his interest to ever be quelled now.
Akari was pissed off at many people. And her breasts hurt from when Kai had roughly grabbed at them before she yelled at him and pushed him off of her right as Tora found them.
Kai... he was at the top of her list right now. Not Seiji though, because she knew it wasn't him at fault. But since they were the same person (sort of) she was probably mad at Seiji as well.
Tora was the second person to irritate her so much. He'd just waltzed into her school, and someone could have seen him and found out that she lived with him if they had simply talked with him. She hated that thought, because if people knew they lived together, they'd start to assume... ew, no, but she'd NEVER do that with him. Though everyone would still think that they did.
And, currently, she was mad at her other friend, watching her with a glare as she flirted and laughed with that Ryuunosuke guy. Why did she get to have such a perfectly laid-back and simple life? Not that Akari was normally one to be envious of others, but she was starting to feel a growing yearning for the life that Aika got to enjoy.
Simple. Un-elegant. Slow-paced and easy to live through. That was the kind of life she was missing out on, especially after moving in with the Igarashi's.
She suddenly slammed her chopsticks down hard onto her desk, snapping one in half. Kai, who had been relatively quiet for a short while, looked back at her curiously. She ignored him, and stood up to leave. But that's when the bell rang, and she was forced to sit down and shut up and be a good girl.
"Mana?"
-_-"
"Maaannnaa?"
She pursed her lips and shook her head, it was obvious by her expression that she was irritated.
"Mana-chaaan?"
"Yes, what is it, Kai?"
"You okay there?"
She closed the lid on her lunch and slowly slid it down into her bag, ignoring his words, as her thoughts were elsewhere.
Like on the fact that she'd probably be whisked away by Tora after school, since she had no choice in the matter. What exactly did he want to discuss with her? He was acting stranger than usual... she could somehow sense a slight, but just slight, shift in his persona.
"Mana-chan, answer me or I'll have to punish you~" The boy in front of her smiled at her.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A MASOCHIST!"
"WELL I CAN BE A SADIST TOO."
The two glared at each other, him smirking and her gritting her teeth. And then, she let it go just as quickly, sighing and leaning back in her seat as he stared on, perplexed by her sudden uncaring actions.
"I really wish you'd go back to normal, Seiji..."
"I already TOLD you, my name is KAI. Who the hell is Seiji anyway?!"
She just closed her eyes and laughed at him, needing some form of release, and thinking about how funny the situation actually truly was. Funny in a weird, unnatural sort of way. Maybe she could learn to love this side of her friend, if she had to. In a playful sort of manner, she reached forward and ruffled his long blonde hair, laughing again as he looked at her with blank, wide, and unsuspecting eyes.
"You're silly, Kai. Just ignore me when I call you the wrong name, I don't mean to."
He smiled warmly at her, and for a moment, she could've sworn she could see a bit of Seiji in his stare again. But that was certainly ruined when he said;
"Mana-chan, you're hot when you're being affectionate~"
And just like that her sudden sense of warmth towards him was eradicated. This still wasn't Seiji.
"Shut up you sadistic molester."
"I thought I was a masochistic rapist?" He teased.
"You're both..."
"Oh. Well I guess I'll have to live up to both of those standards then, so how about~"
"Just be quiet already, my tolerance level of you has almost reached zero." She cut him off, growling and leaning backwards, thoroughly annoyed.
"Is it because I groped you earlier? Before that guy came and took you away from me?" He pouted.
"Kai, stop being a pervert and turn around. The sensei's giving you a death glare."
"You know, you have kind of small boobs for such a hot girl..."
She leaned forward and pulled the sleeves of her new sweater up, burying her face in the fabric. This was going to go on for a while... was there no end to her torturing?
Akari had already guessed that there wasn't an end to the torture that life handed her as she exited the school, falling behind everyone else as she caught a glimpse of the sleek limo on the street.
Everyone who saw it was staring at it with wide eyes, and she really hoped that Tora would just stay inside the car and wait for her instead of getting out to greet her. She did not want anyone to see her with him, much less getting into his limo with him!
But her hopes were crushed under the foot of a certain boy as he stepped out from the limo, dressed up in a much more formal outfit that earlier in the day when she saw him. His expression looked unreadable as he stared across the campus, ignoring the teens marveling over him and his limo, and when his eyes came to rest on Akari she saw his mouth spread into a small, polite grin. She continued walking with a sense of wariness surrounding her, easing her way towards him slowly, and then speeding up when a few people commented on her being with him, or something along the lines of that.
She was standing in front of him now, and when she tried to reach past him and get into the car as quickly as possible, he threw out an arm to stop her, grabbing her hand unexpectedly. Bowing like a gentleman, he leaned forward and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. She stared on with a look of pure shock- it was like he had completely transformed into a different character entirely! When he straightened up again and gazed down at her, his smile was simple and kind-looking, his eyes open in a charismatic gaze as he began to speek.
"That sweater I gave you suits you well." He said in a tone she was very unused to hear coming from him.
She blinked, her expression of complete and utter surprise. Who was this princely figure that stood before her? Where had the overbearing, snarky Igarashi disappeared to?
Ah, there it was in him, right then, she barely caught it- that glint that passed over his gaze as he looked her up and down in one swift flicker of those golden eyes. That hunger in them was there, being carefully hidden by his easy-going facade of manners and polite gestures. He was a young man who was certainly good at what he did- faking his way through life.
"Are you trying to make yourself look good in public?" She mumbled to him, watching him smile again down at her.
"Here, allow me." He completely ignored her statement and opened the car door for her, waiting for her to step inside. She looked around the school grounds, seeing all the people staring, and hesitated. If she got in the car, that would be a huge reason for gossip to start evolving.
"If you get in the car instead of making a scene, I'm sure they'll forget about it over the course of this weekend." He was suddenly leaning in closer to her, so that none of the listening ears of the other students could hear.
She got in the car quickly, and he elegantly swooped in after her, taking a seat across from her as the door shut.
As the car pulled away from the curb, Tora turned his golden eyes fiercely on Akari, his persona instantly changing.
"I honestly do like that sweater on you. It compliments your eyes."
She just stared at him, with an innocent sort of blank look on her face, probably still trying to process his demeanor outside of the car. He just smiled, his eyes glinting sharply at her as she then looked away after realizing she was staring, and brushed a hand over the sweater contemplatively. She looked as if she hadn't realized she was wearing it until just now.
It did compliment her eyes, he was being serious about his compliment. The deep maroon color of the fabric made her silver eyes pop, and her hair looked even more similar to a shade of cinnamon as it settled down around her shoulders for him to admire against the color as well.
She took a moment to look out the window, ignoring the warm designer clothing on her shoulders. "Where are we going?"
"Just for a drive, Akari."
She looked back at him then, catching the mischievous tone in his voice, and he ignored her look and turned to smirk out the window at the frosty day. It hadn't snowed yesterday as he thought it would- but today, it definitely would. In fact, right as he thought that, he found that the sky seemed to open up and snowflakes started to fall like white rain on the streets.
"Igarashi... what exactly do we need to discuss?"
"Just what is necessary for us to talk about. For example, that mark on your neck, will you tell me now who gave it to you?" He asked it nonchalantly while still gazing calmly out the window, and he could see out of the corner of his eye her hand flying up to cover her neck.
"I already told you to stay out of my business..."
His gaze fiercely found hers, locked with hers, a deadly combat of silver and gold. They stayed like that, staring each other down before he leaned forward and brushed his fingers along her shirt, upwards, and then across the still-raw mark on her neck. She sighed at the light contact of his warm fingers, but pulled away immediately after.
"Stop thinking about it. It's nothing."
"It's a love bite. From a lover, perhaps?"
She looked at him, mouth opening, obviously shocked he would think that.
"You're joking."
"Who says I am, Akari? You're not unattractive."
With these words, he leaned back in his seat, placing his arms along the top rim of the seat behind him, and spreading his legs in a relaxed, bored sort of manner. He gazed at her intently.
"You will tell me now who did that to you. Or, I bet I could guess."
She snorted in derision and avoided his gaze, staring out the window again.
"His name is Kai, correct? Or Akimine, Seiji."
That caught her attention. She looked at him, baffled.
"I looked into it." He shrugged slightly. "He has quite the nasty personality disorder, doesn't he?"
And now she was glaring at him. Those silver-blue eyes of hers glinted like dark steel as she hissed;
"Igarashi, leave him alone."
"I wasn't planning to do anything to him. But if he ever touches you like that again I'll kick his ass."
Now she was peering at him with taken aback curiosity.
"Tora, what are you talking about?"
He gazed at her with a bored expression, his mouth a thin, relaxed line.
"What do you mean? I thought I said it clearly enough."
He watched her with great care, trying to catch her response. She was delaying her words, he could tell, and fiddling a lot with her hands in her lap. Could she be nervous about his words? But what had he said that had made her seem so hesitant in her response? He thought he'd simply said it straight.
"Nothing... I just mean... you almost sound as if you actually care what happens to me."
His eyes widened and he stared at her, his mouth opening slightly in mild surprise at her words. He hadn't expected her to say that.
"I don't care." He quickly recovered, turning his face away and staring out the window, resuming his bored, uninterested look. "He just irritates me, and I never do anything without good reason to, so if he touches you then I can finally have a reason kick his ass."
"So you do want him to touch me then?"
"...That's not-"
"Never mind. I understand."
His eyes flicked over to her without him turning his head. She was, close to grinning, he'd think. Though her features were still kept stern, he could see the glint in her eye.
He pulled himself together and thought back to his original plan. His smirk returned to his face and he turned his head towards her, smiling widely when she caught his gaze.
"W-what?!" She asked as the smile stuck there, secretive and alluring.
"You still don't know why you're here with me." His eyes glinted evilly.
"Well why don't you tell me, then?" She sounded very put off with him. It amused him very much to know he was unsettling her.
He was quick to move- leaning forward, rising from his seat and gripping onto the bottom of her own seat, his gaze steadying itself on hers as his mouth opened to form his planned out, arrogant and suggestive response.
Before he could say a word though, his eyes widened in shock/surprise when a faint ringing could be heard. His cell phone- damn it, who was calling him at such a time? Growling, he leaned back away from her, settling himself lazily in his seat and even slouching a little in slight aggravation.
"What?" He growled when he answered the phone.
"Sir, it's your mother."
Tora shot up so suddenly in his seat that his head hit the roof, and he cursed. Akari watched him curiously as he sat at the very edge of his seat now, his back rod-straight and his whole being obviously tensed-up in a terrible sort of anticipation.
"What is it?" He asked, his voice coming out harshly into the receiver. His dread was completely evident in his tone.
His eyes widened and he was unable to control his expression when the voice continued on with the short story, and before it could finish he had already slammed his phone shut and was banging on the screen in the limo, yelling harshly for his driver to turn the damn car around.
Akari had never seen such a look of fear cross his face until then, in that moment, when he listened intently to the voice on the other end of the phone, and all he could do was just sort of jerk his head, forgetting to reply, flinging the phone down on the ground without a care and practically shattering the divider behind him that separated the driver from themselves as he hit his fists against it and barked his orders.
"Turn around and drive home this instant! Disregard safety- just get the hell back to the house as quickly as possible!" He sounded truly panicked.
Akari wondered what could have possibly caused such a composed young man to react so emotionally. He sounded about on the brink of a mental break down.
"Tora-"
"Shut up!"
When he turned around and placed his elbows on his knees, holding his face in his hands and pushing his hair back, Akari stayed quiet and simply watched him. And when he didn't move as the car made a swift U-turn, following his orders and rushing at full speed in the other direction, she was starting to get worried that he might not ever lift his head again.
A/N: Guys this chapter showed a weaker side of Tora at the end that wanted to make me cry. I can't believe I wrote that! But it will be all the more easy for Akari to find a way into Tora's heart if his barriers start to crumble a little, you know? Sorry, had to be done. :|
TMI time~ Tora Michiyo Itinerary: Well, as you can see so far, this is what has happened with Tora's way of thinking- he got over Misaki, and has a new obsession that at first he didn't understand. Now, after figuring it out (or at least he THINKS he's figured it out) he realizes what a 'prize' Akari is and he is merely interested in pursuing her now. And that's how his train of thought is right now. Don't worry, he'll start to learn he has more romantic feelings mixed in about his 'prize' then he thinks. Remember when that happened with Misaki with him in the Manga? He sort of confessed to her, saying he saw her as a woman and liked her. Well, that's what I'm working up to for him and my OC. Be patient, I like to build things up.
R&R if you please! Also, some questions to ponder: what do you think happened with his mother? How do you think it will effect Tora in the after math of all the drama? What do you think he'll do about it?
I shall get back to you soon after you contemplate that, my peasants!
K well the tyrant is back. Maybe I should name it, since it's a part of me for good... how about Jill?
Jill is stupid! What am I doing- I'm acting like one of you peasants!
Okay, so not Jill... (no offense to whoever's named Jill) jeez, I'm mean to me. :(
CYA NEXT CHAPTER YOU WORTHLESS LOT!
I love you! :3
no
yeah, yes I do :)
NO.
D': I just want to love my readers... *sniff*
Correction: peasants.
I don't like you.
I am you.
t-_-t
DON'T FLIP YOURSELF OFF YOU IDIOT WRITER!
I'm not, I'm flipping YOU off
I AM YOU!
love you guys, buh-bye! :D
peasants!
D:
CK :*