We were running away from an enemy I didn't expect to appear and as usual she was holding my hand and showing the way. It was like a ritual between us now but I could tell by the way she was shaking my hand that she was upset that she had gotten herself into some complicated situation once again.The worst part was that this was all happening in front of the whole school so they could see us and there could be no doubt that something was going on between us.Of course no one could imagine the story behind it.
But let's take things from the beginning of that fateful afternoon that compromised the false image I had created in my mind and had made my parents believe.
It was the school festival in which all the clubs put on a show of what they did on weekdays. I had made sure that I was involved in my class events so that if my parents asked I would say that I was needed there and I had been forced to let the other club members handle the situation.
But things had gone a bit wrong and differently than I had anticipated.
My parents had come,while I had told them all this to draw them away, and after they had passed by the cafeteria my class was organizing in a phase I made sure I served,they wanted to continue hanging around the school.
I was hoping they would be content to see me participate in something with lots of people and after taking some embarrassing pictures and acting like crazy,they would leave.They wanted to stop by the club to see who my new friends were and thank them for looking out for me.
"I unfortunately can't leave here now but you can go."I had replied with my grip making the jug shake and the smile on my lips making them hurt.As soon as they left,I ran to the class president and asked for a break.
The only person I could think of to help me because she knew the situation and I didn't have to explain much was Tanji so I had gone and taken her out of her class.
So now we were running around trying to get something done that would either force the club out of there so my parents wouldn't find them or get my parents kicked out.I'm in the embarrassing position of saying that I had put the entire weight of our plan on the girl in front of me and once again I was proving how useless I was.
"I'm serious,Ryo.If you get me involved in anything again,I'll beat you up!" Her voice sounded but despite her irritation she wasn't harsh towards me.She looked more like a parent reprimanding her mischievous child.
I stopped running at that moment and pulled her hand to make her stop too. From how sudden it was she lost her balance and fell on me a little but was able to get to her feet having just leaned on my chest.Her scent embraced me and her voice echoed in my ears the way she had said my name for the first time but I pushed that thought away and returned to what I had been dying for.
"Let them know.Enough!This has gone on long enough.If it wasn't for you,I would have been discovered all over the school by now.No more mockery."I said irrevocably and having looked down to push the tears from my eyes or at least to keep them from her eyes.
I was tired of this and if it required so much effort every time,then there was no point.
Besides,I hadn't been outside the club for a while.All I had learned was that another student had been added who was accused of trying to see the girls in the bathrooms.At the thought that if they didn't have Tanji with me and had found me in the girls' room I might have been in his place,I felt strange.
Her next move was something that shook me up and I certainly wasn't expecting it.I couldn't hope that she would support me or try to reassure me but slapping me with so much force that my head would turn in the opposite direction seemed a bit extreme.
"What...?"She grabbed me by the tie of my uniform and brought me close to her so she could whisper without anyone hearing what we were saying.There was anger simmering in her eyes and her lips had taken on a strange shape.
"Don't you dare to back out now and all my efforts to help you will go down the drain!If you want to tell your parents, do it when you feel ready!Not now so the whole school will know!"Her words touched me and my expression changed to one of determination.As if that slap made me see clearly, I was able to come up with a risky plan.
"I need your help. "I said and she looked at me as if asking what she was going to do with me but she was already on hand to do whatever I asked within reason.
In my plan there were two roles. One was going to get in trouble and would be across the corridor from the principal while the other was to deal with my parents who could be irritating enough to slow them down before they got to the cheer club.Of course it was obvious that I wasn't going to make her do what could earn her a detention even if my parents were difficult to manage.
"Okay,I'm in."Sje replied and prepared to run towards the club hoping to catch up with them on the way.If dad let his so strong desire for candy guide him,they would probably have made stops in some other classes before they got there so he would catch up with them.
"You know they'll make your day difficult!" I warned her as she left and her sarcastic response made me wear a surprised expression though it made me laugh.
"Like someone else I know"She had replied.
I watched her walk away for a moment, having forgotten that my role was the most important one.At times I was too distracted and that could cost me gravely some of those days.
I ran to the recording club and prepared to do something I would regret for the rest of my life but I knew it was worth it.I tried to think of it as a chance to experience adolescence as the adults who missed their youth kept saying. I planned to tell them that I wanted to play a prank and would take full responsibility for what followed but I certainly didn't expect to run into anyone particular in there. Life can be unexpected though and I still hadn't learned that.
Saboru raised his hand to greet me but then put it down because he didn't know if I wanted him to look friendly towards me or not.As innocent as he looked,I continued to believe that he had given me away and I completely ignored him by heading towards the club president.
I explained how the situation was but he was adamant because he thought he would get in trouble for giving me permission to do it.Especially on festival days when we were trying to show a good image as a school,my move could have ruined everything.I don't know if I could have done him any justice.
"Do you need help with something? "As soon as I heard him offer as if all my stubbornness came out,I got one of the craziest ideas I could ever come up with and even though I knew how destructive it was at the time, I wanted to avoid help from him at all costs.
"If I explain exactly what I'm going to say, is there any chance you'll let me?" I turned to the president again completely ignoring Saboru.Though hesitant,he at least agreed to listen to me.
I took him a little further away so that we wouldn't be overheard by the rest,though if he let me do it the whole school would hear what I had thought.
I didn't want to think about it because my face was burning and my whole body was in turmoil.
"I guess something like that...It won't cause any damage to the club or the festival in general..." he replied awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "But are you sure you want to do something like that?" The fact that he seemed to understand how embarrassing it was going to be,made things worse.
No!
I wanted to scream but I knew there was no turning back now.Tanji was doing her part of the plan after all and I couldn't let her down.Though she'd probably want to kill me after that.
I picked up the microphone and inhaled deeply before pressing the red button to activate the relay.
"An announcement from Haga Ryo of class B-2 to Tanji Shizu of class B-1."I started and my voice was shaking so much that it seemed like an earthquake was happening that something like this was definitely happening inside of me. "I'm in love with you! Do you want to go out with me?" I almost fainted when I said it and I think I did lose my balance even though I was caught by the irritating baseball player.
My life was over and as soon as Tanji came looking for me,I would be under the dirt in short order.At least I was sure my parents would leave and just pester me at home with questions.Not to complicate things further,I would say she rejected me and I would finally have a reason to be alone in my room crying with my misery.
First,I had to go in front of the whole school and the prying eyes.Then I had to receive a nightmarish lecture from the principal that seemed to never end, although the teacher supported me so I didn't get detention.And then I got punched by Tanji before she said something that seemed to have come out of nowhere.
"And after all that,you better call me by my name too!"
"Fine!Shiz...Sh... "I couldn't fight it.I was getting sick as soon as I tried to finish it.
"Is it that hard?"
"It just looks a lot like my sister's and I don't want anything to do with her!"I replied grumpily as if it was the most natural thing to do and I saw her look at me seriously before she burst out in a loud laugh.
Surely that had been a great day!
There had been a lot going on and I had managed to escape danger though now I knew the truth had to shine through.I had hoped to at least keep the gurgling sound of her laughter in my ears but it was washed away by that of Chizu laughing at me when I said I got rejected.I was going to kill her sometime when no one was looking!