Kaname and Amane in the same space. TYPO POWER AT 110!
“Well, if it isn’t the lover-girl, fresh out of the closet.” Amiki rested her chin on her right hand, smirking. “Kaname, you owe me… I don’t know… more than you actually have to give. But that’s cool. I’ll just laugh at you forever because I was so right after all.”
“What are you talking about?” Kaname demanded. Her jaw twitched slightly. Actually, she had some idea…
“Oh? Playing dumb, is it?” Amiki leaned forwards. “What was it you said to me? You were just a friend, didn’t think about her that way, couldn’t help it, so on and so forth… ring a bell?”
Kaname scowled. “Yeah, yeah. Least I don’t call the girl I like ojou-sama.”
Amiki flushed slightly. “Pretty cheeky, aren’t you? But I suppose you’ll be even more obnoxious from now on… I’ll say this, though. If you’d followed my advice, this would have been dealt with earlier, and with less drama.”
Kaname rolled her eyes. “Well, forgive me. Serané was more convincing than you were, but that’s probably because she’s the Etoile and you… aren’t. Obviously.”
“In any case, I believe congratulations are belatedly in order,” Shion observed. “I had hoped that things would end this way, but didn’t think it would be wise to get involved.”
“You say that as if it makes you a saint, but it’s not a good thing,” Amiki retorted moodily. “Someone like Kaname is so obtuse she needs other people to do her thinking for her.”
“Oh? And shall I tell you the obvious?” Kaname grinned. “You’re blushing. This could be fun…”
“Shut up,” Amiki growled. “I’ll make you die a thousand deaths.”
“So I’m not the only one in denial-”
Olesa placed a hand on the table. “That’s enough.” She closed her eyes, looking bored.
Kaname stared at her, trying to work out whether that was for effect or out of embarrassment.
Before that occurred, something clicked. “Hey, wait… since when did you guys know about this anyway?”
“Shion told us.” Amiki shrugged. “Ask her.”
Shion closed her eyes for a moment and smiled, shaking her head. “You weren’t supposed to say that, Rivera-san…”
“So, what?” Kaname frowned. “Did the Etoiles tell you? Don’t you have them but good over election fraud, or something like that?”
Shion laughed. “Those two? Perish the thought. If I tried anything with those two, Kariya-sama would cut me down to size. Fairly literally.”
“Oh? And isn’t the pen mightier than the sword?” Kaname’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds like something you’d say, doesn’t it?”
“Well, in either case, I didn’t hear from the Etoiles. Your secrets are safe with them, I can assure you… provided you aren’t telling one something the other doesn’t know.” Shion chuckled. “Then they’re the most unreliable people on earth.”
“So, not the Etoiles.” Kaname thought of Serané telling Kariya all about their… conversation. Damn. So embarrassing…with the benefit of hindsight, I sound like such an idiot. I guess I’ll just never let them mention it, ever. To that end, I need to get better than Kariya at kendo, really fast. Or I could get a gun. That’d work too. Either way, steps must be taken at the nearest possible moment.
“Wait…” she frowned. “So if it wasn’t from the Etoiles, then what?”
Shion put a finger to the side of her lips. “That’s classified information, you know.”
“I could care less. I’ll torture you until you tell me anyway.” Kaname scowled. “I know you’re good at this stuff, but to know by the next morning-”
“By late last night, you mean.” Amiki picked over her food, selecting a lump of rice and eating it. “She phoned us at nine or something.”
“Say what?” Kaname glared at her senpai. “That doesn’t even make sense. Wait… I know. You were in the bushes, weren’t you?”
“I can assure you that’s not the case.”
“Don’t play dumb. It’s the only way…”
Shion sighed theatrically. “Really, Kenjou-kun, do you think I’d stoop so low as to spy on my friends in such an intimate moment?”
“Ooh…” Amiki began.
“You don’t want us to answer that,” Kaname finished.
Shion sighed. “Your destructive cynicism is very hurtful. But in any case, I have better things to do with my time than get leaves on my skirt spying on two hormonal girls bumbling their way through a confession.”
“You must have been pretty interested, all the same,” Kaname observed accusingly. “I mean, if that’s not the case, how did you find out so soon?”
“Oh? A cute little bird told me, that’s all.” Shion smiled. “You two don’t own the forest, and the flighty sort of bird goes where it pleases.”
“Translation. Someone from her first year lolita harem told her,” Amiki explained.
“I resent that accusation.” Shion closed her eyes. “This one was a member of Ohtori-san’s harem. I just happened past her and you two chanced to come up in the conversation.”
“Yeah, right…” Kaname tried to calculate the odds of that. Not very likely. Now, if we remember that she heard that we were meeting about something personal and go from there…that’s more likely. “You have a lot of friends in the younger years, don’t you?”
“They’re not friends as such, though they’re pleasant company. You could almost call them clients, I suppose.”
“Clients?”
“Young girls are curious.” Shion shrugged and smirked. “I’m saying too much, though. Suffice it to say that a reliable source told me everything I needed to know.”
Kaname sighed. “You really are scary sometimes.”
“That’s good. It means I’ve already won.” Shion smiled innocently. “How did things go, though? Apparently you looked quite close…”
Kaname blushed. “It’s all fine. Nothing you people need to know.”
“Oh? Aren’t you going to go on about how wonderful your new girlfriend is, and how totally in love you are?” Amiki folded her arms. “That’s a tradition or something, isn’t it?”
“Shut up.”
“Sarcasm aside, Rivera-san has a point.” Shion sighed theatrically. “I was looking forwards to all the juicy details.”
“So you can spread rumours?” Kaname demanded. “Yeah, right…”
“Looks like you worked me out.” Shion chuckled. “Of course, telling me might work in your favour, all the same. There will be rumours, regardless, so they may as well be factual.”
“We’re together and we’ll see how things go.” Kaname snorted. “What else is there to say?”
“I’ll quote you on that.” Shion gave her a satisfied look. “Short, to the point and dramatic. I like it.”
Amiki sighed. “Honestly, I don’t think someone who missed the bus and packed a few days with angst so thick you could have cut bricks out of it before driving herself has any right to drama.”
Kaname rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. Does it matter that much? At least I got there in the end.”
Amiki held up her hands, leaning back. “You took your sweet time of it. That’s all I’m saying.”
Olesa frowned. “Certainly, you’ve changed, though.”
“Well, aren’t you the same?” Kaname pointed out. “You’re sitting at this table. If we go back far enough, I’d have every reason to hurt you…”
“And I have every reason to hurt you back,” Olesa observed, tapping her nose pointedly. “There are better places to live than in the past. That’s something I have come to understand.”
Kaname snorted. “Now who’s being dramatic?”
“Good morning, everyone.”
Kaname turned, closing her eyes. “You’re almost late again, you know? Just what kept you this time? She can’t be that interesting-” Amiki kicked her in the shin, and she opened her eyes.
Amane gave them a neutral look, her eyes lingering on Kaname. “Good day to you all.”
“Good day,” Shion replied. “This is an unexpected pleasure, Ohtori-san.”
Olesa blinked, looking surprised. Amiki just stared.
Momomi coughed. “Well, you know Olesa, and probably Amiki too. This is Shion Tomori-senpai, and… well… you probably know Kaname as well. Everyone, this is Amane Ohtori. I guess you know that already, though.”
Amane inclined her head politely.
“In any case, you should sit down… but we don’t have enough chairs, do we? Give me a second, I’ll take one from another table…” Momomi turned and hurried away.
Kaname watched her go, and became aware of the atmosphere. How would I put this? It’s intense and oppressive. This is a silence that goes beyond a lack of words, even further than an awkward silence, into something that emphasises sheer pressure. It’s rather like being caught in a collapsing mineshaft or a submarine crushed fifty thousand meters below sea level. She looked around. But the most pressing and obvious comparison would be that this is exactly like receiving at least sixty confused and vaguely hostile stares at once, from every side of a large room we’re in the middle of. Yeah. This is that kind of silence.
“Here. Sorry for the wait.” Momomi put a chair down and stood back awkwardly.
“Ah.” Amane sat.
Kaname tried to bite her tongue, but Momomi collapsing into her chair amidst some aggressive staring was pretty provocative. “So… what are you here, anyway?”
Amane shrugged. “It looked interesting.”
Sixty fascinated, puzzled, irritated, bemused, jealous stares focused on them from all sides.
“Well… good,” Kaname managed lamely. Great. Breakfast with a rival I hate, just in time for a lynching from her mob the moment she leaves. Just great…
“In any case, we’ve been talking, Kiyashiki-san,” Shion noted. “We’re very pleased for you.”
“Oh, yeah…”
“She’s been spying on us again,” Kaname observed, sighing. “It’s troublesome.”
“Spying is such a harsh term,” Shion noted. “I hear things, that’s all. But I’ve told you that many times before, and you didn’t listen to me then either.”
“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” Momomi replied. She snapped her chopsticks apart and began to eat.
“It’s annoying. I knew she was bad news from the start, but no, you had to make a pact with the devil…”
“And she’s paying for that by adapting my scripts,” Shion replied amicably. “My information gathering is just an indication of how much I care about you both.”
“That sort of caring is solid grounds for a restraining order, you know,” Kaname remarked.
“In any case, you’re dodging the point in hand,” Amiki commented. “You two are call cute and lovey-dovey now, as I’d anticipated since forever. I still win.”
Kaname observed Amane out of the corner of her eye, wondering how the girl would react. She was completely impassive. As infuriating as ever…
“I suspect that was just a random guess, though,” Momomi noted. “If you did notice before we did, though, all credit to you…”
“So, what happened?” Shion asked. “When we last talked about this, she had rejected you. Was she romantic? Flowers or chocolates?”
“Hmm. I could tell you…” Momomi smiled. “But won’t you have more fun guessing?”
“You’re both damnably evasive,” Shion sighed. “Oh, well. I suppose you’re embarrassed. But I fully anticipate all the awkwardness, mumbled words and misapprehensions to be revealed in the fullness of time.”
Kaname folded her arms. “That settles it. You were definitely hiding in the bushes.”
Shion laughed. “Well, never mind… tell me, Ohtori-san? Did Kiyashiki-san entrust you with any more information?”
“Not really.” Amane shrugged. “She was glad, but that’s hardly surprising.”
“Too bad… why can’t my cute friends be open and enthusiastic about these things? It makes me feel like I’m missing out.”
“That has to be a sign of control freakery,” Kaname muttered.
Momomi just smirked. “And how is Isae-chan, senpai?”
“Isae? Oh, she’s fine…” Shion looked flustered for all of a moment, then recovered herself. “I’ve been telling her all about you two, you know. She’s scandalised and fascinated in equal measure. Well, this may have been a reason for her enforced exile from here, after all…”
“Oh, really?” Amiki frowned. “Is she prudish or something?”
“A little. But I was referring to her parents. I’m speculating, she never knew all of their reasons…” Shion shrugged. “But she wasn’t the only child to leave in the year that Serané-sama and Kariya-sama became Etoiles.”
Kaname frowned. “What’s wrong with… oh.”
“Well, quite. One must admire the courage of the Superior and the Sisters, to condone that particular democratic decision of the pupils.” Shion closed her eyes. “But that’s all in the past now.”
“Of course it is.” Momomi leaned forwards. “More importantly, senpai, when was the last time you gave Isae-chan all the details of our escapades? Last night, perhaps?”
“Only briefly,” Shion muttered.
Kaname chuckled. “Now, what did you say? We want to know all the embarrassing details.”
“It was a quick call, because she was hoping that you’d have a happy ending,” Shion replied, regaining her composure. “She doesn’t think like her parents. I don’t know what her beliefs are, but for her feelings… Isae was always someone who felt before thinking. An empathetic girl…”
“The opposite of your calculating tendencies, then,” Amiki noted.
“You’re being unfair,” Momomi observed. “Right now, the principle of feeling without thought is dictating what she says.”
Shion sighed theatrically. “Well, of course she wouldn’t be anywhere as anxious if she knew you two. She didn’t like malicious people.”
“Now, don’t get sensitive on us,” Momomi chided.
“That would be hypocritical,” Olesa completed.
Amane cleared her throat. “Who is Isae-chan?”
Momomi blinked. “Oh, sorry… Isae is pretty much Shion’s roommate and crush from back in first year. They lost touch ‘cause Shion chickened out of calling but we teased her until she started talking again.”
Shion rolled her eyes. “I’m afraid I’m being misrepresented, Ohtori-san. My story isn’t that exciting. At that age I barely knew what a crush was. She was a friend to me, no more.”
“A friend she spends hours on the phone to, at international rates,” Momomi remarked.
“Presumably having dirty phone sex. Yeah, I went there.” Olesa casually bashed her on the head, but Amiki still looked smug.
“That was a little tasteless, Rivera-san.” Shion smiled at Amane. “You’ll have to forgive them, Ohtori-san. I’m not a very good senpai, evidently, so their manners leave something to be desired. But they’re charming, in a rough-edged way.”
Amane slowly looked between them. “Ah…”
“Hey!” Amiki complained. “Don’t get all superior and talk as if we’re not here!”
“You see what I mean?” Shion cocked her head, still smiling pleasantly at the newcomer. “Well, I’m sure they’ll learn in the fullness of time. Childhood is good as it is…”
“I’m going to kill you if you keep this up,” Amiki warned.
Kaname nodded. “And I’ll help her.”
“Now, now, Isae-chan is a sensitive subject,” Momomi said lightly. “We should be more polite.”
Olesa nodded. “I think it would be good if you apologised, Alicia.”
“Sorry, Shion-senpai,” Amiki muttered. “But it’s all in fun, you know.”
“Don’t take me too seriously either,” Shion replied easily. “I’m thicker-skinned than that, you know.”
“Well, that’s good.” Momomi closed her eyes. “Always stay on the right side of the girl who could blackmail you, right?”
“Exactly,” Olesa agreed.
Amane frowned. “You are all very eccentric.”
Kaname laughed shortly. “You think? Well, you’re no different…”
“What she means is that we are weird, but it’s kinda fun this way, don’t you think?” Momomi smiled. “Like Amiki said, it’s all in fun, even if it looks like we’re ripping on each other horribly.”
“I see.” Amane nodded. “Fair enough.”
“That reminds me, if she’s here, shouldn’t we go for her too?” Kaname noted.
“I don’t know… what’s there to attack?” Amiki smirked. “We could talk about her antisocial personality, but you three are pretty open to accusations of hypocrisy on that front.”
“You two are no different, though,” Momomi pointed out. “Before, you had three bad friends used as proxies for your interesting activities. I would call that antisocial, myself.”
“Now, now, don’t go scaring Ohtori-san off,” Shion said lightly. “Shall we keep the conversation relatively sane today?”
“No. It’s fine.”
Shion smiled at Amane. “I’m glad. They’re very spirited.”
Amane nodded. “Ah. But actually, there was one thing I was wondering about…”
“What’s that?” Shion asked.
“You’re the antisocial, friendless weird senpai who hangs around with the lower years for some reason, right?” Amane stated. “But this Isae is your roommate? That means she’s the same age as you, right?”
Shion closed her eyes and sighed. “Oh, my. You’re an awful lot crueller than even these four hellions…”
“The worst part of it is that you know that Amane-san always says exactly what she thinks,” Momomi noted. “Right?”
“Ah. That’s normal.”
“Actually, it really, really isn’t…” Kaname leaned back, Amiki nodding in sage agreement.
“But yes. That’s right.” Shion sighed. “She was in my year. We were inseparable friends.”
“So even someone like Tomori-senpai has a true friend…”
Shion smiled weakly. “Please try not to sound so surprised.”
Kaname frowned. Strangely, the crashing walls of human hostility have receded somewhat, leaving only dust and silence in their wake. Wait, silence? She looked around. “Oh, shit.”
“What?” Momomi asked.
Kaname pointed. “First period starts in, like…” She checked her watch. “One minute, apparently.”
“Say what? Damn, I haven’t even finished this!” Momomi crammed a few more mouthfuls down her throat then stood and snatched up her bag. “It’s cause you guys were distractin’ me…” she mumbled around her rice.
“Damnit, why did no one tell us?” Amiki complained.
“Presumably they thought we knew what we were doing,” Shion replied reasonably.
Amiki snorted. “Hell, that’s another point. Why didn’t any of us notice exactly what time it was, either?”
“I did,” Olesa and Amane stated simultaneously.
“You did?” Amiki asked.
“So why the hell didn’t you say anything?” Kaname demanded, less partisan than Amiki.
Olesa shrugged. “I presumed you were aware.”
“Ah.”
“This is bad.” Momomi sighed. “We’d better run. I’ll see you guys later!”
“Bye. Remember, revision during lunch!” Kaname stood, brushing herself off.
Momomi nodded hurriedly. “We should buy lunch together this time! Bye!”
“Goodbye,” Shion noted, trotting away briskly. “It was a pleasure talking to you, Ohtori-san.”
“Yeah, later…” Amiki grabbed the wrist of a lethargic Olesa and dragged her away.
Kaname looked at Amane, who looked back. “Later,” she said curtly, turning and walking away.
“Good day.”
After a few steps, Kaname turned irritably. “Why are you following me?”
“I’m not.”
“Then what the hell are you doing?”
“Heading for my French lesson.”
Damn. At the same time? I don’t know the timetable for that group. “Shouldn’t you be running after Olesa and Amiki? You’ll be late, you know.”
“So will you.”
Kaname tried to grapple with this damaging retort. “Well, yeah, but do I give a damn? Being late for French… give me a break. I could care less about that stuff.”
“Ah.”
Kaname rolled her eyes to herself. “What about you? Aren’t you the perfect one?”
“No.”
“Let me rephrase that… aren’t you a hyper conscientious student who cares about her studies?”
“Not especially.”
“Yeah, right…” Kaname folded her arms. “You think I’m stupid? You revise for hours, get near-perfect test scores and turn in every homework on time with high grades. Everyone knows that. I don’t think a cool, rebellious attitude will really cut it in your case.”
“I do the work assigned to me to the highest standard, as expected of me.” Amane closed her eyes. “That isn’t the same as caring about it.”
“Humph. Aren’t you expected to be on time, too?”
“I’m also expected to be unruffled, calm and dignified.”
“Think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”
“No.” Amane shook her head. “But a lot of people think a lot about me.”
“Quite the egotist. I guess someone like you considers yourself too good to run anywhere.”
“Ah.” Amane glanced at her, red eyes meeting. “But are you not the same?”
“Not really,” Kaname muttered, looking away. “Like I said, I just don’t care too much if I’m late.”
“Isn’t that mentality also a superiority complex?”
“Hardly. I just have a sense of perspective, unlike you.” Kaname snorted irritably. “But thanks for the analysis anyway, Freud.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
Kaname gritted her teeth, feeling irritated. If I hurried on to my lesson, I’d contradict myself, even if I’d lose her. I could try slowing down to get rid of her, but that could backfire if she imitates me and we both get to our lessons even later. Unless that would prove that she’s noticed and cares about our dignities, relative to each other…but if I moved or reacted at all to her presence, that’s showing I’m being affected by her. I can’t do that. So I’m just stuck like this…She turned to regard Amane’s profile, feeling annoyed. She’s seriously irritating.
The other blue-haired girl gave her a blank look, then looked away.
Damn. I really do hate her…quite apart from anything else, does she have to look like my long-lost twin? Kaname scowled. That reminds me…“Yo, Ohtori.”
Amane just shifted her head again, cool eyes focusing on her face.
“This is convenient, actually. I need to remind you of something.”
“Oh?”
“I remember everything you said,” Kaname continued. “Don’t play dumb. But Momomi’s mine now.”
“It is illegal to own a person,” Amane observed.
“Don’t fuck with me.” Kaname glared assertively at her. “I don’t know what you were trying to achieve or what your feelings are, and I don’t care either. But I won, game over, whatever… so don’t you dare touch her.”
Amane nodded. “And if I do?”
“I’ll break your bloody face, that’s what.” Kaname snorted. “I don’t respect you, but I hope you have that much honour…”
“Honour…” Amane chuckled. “If the situation was reversed, would you give up? Knowing your feelings?”
“Of course. I’m not a complete bitch, unlike someone I know…” Kaname replied.
Amane just arced her eyebrows sceptically, then turned away in silence.
“Are you serious?” Kaname demanded. And I was beginning to wonder whether I’d imagined her psychotic moment…
Amane shrugged. “I’m curious. That sounds like a weak emotion.”
“Oh? Aren’t you expected to act within the bounds of the most basic human decency?” Kaname demanded.
“I’m expected to grow up and marry a boy from the Souh dynasty. That’s all.”
“So? Do you expect me to cry over your riches?”
“No.” Amane turned and headed for her classroom. “Good day, Kenjou-san.”
“Go to hell.” Kaname glared after her. What the hell is going on in her head? Is she really going to carry on?
She opened her own classroom door. If so, she really is mad…is that why she sat with us? Is she that cynical and calculating?
“You’re late, Kenjou!”
“Sorry, sensei,” Kaname managed, snatched from her thoughts. She bowed quickly. “I forgot to pack the right books and had to run back to my room…”
“As ever, your organisation is a disgrace.”
“I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“I wish I could believe that… now sit down and stop disrupting my lesson!”
Kaname hurried to her seat in the back. Good thing Amane isn’t in my class. I wouldn’t like her to see that. She sat and hurriedly pulled out her books, furtively looking at the student next to her and turning to the right page in the textbook. They’d already started an exercise, so she opened her pencil case and selected a pen and ruler, hurriedly writing the date and title. Finally, she relaxed slightly and read the question to hand. Easy. I’ve already studied this for my first year exams…She read for a few more moments, frowning slightly, then looked around furtively. More pressingly, it’s as I thought. The demonic walls have been resurrected by the malignant genius loci of the abandoned hospital and are pressing in on all sides, newly-powered up and radiating killing intent. Which isn’t bad for a dumb, mute bunch of second year schoolgirls, or so I’d say if I didn’t know just how vicious and outright malignant they can be…is this the end for me? After years of close-fought battles, training and survival, am I destined to be crushed by the vice of girl-love based jealousy and peer pressure?
“Concentrate! I’ll be picking out random students to give the answers, you know.”
Kaname smirked. The walls recede once more. Our heroine is safe for now.
But now to more important matters, free of references to the cheesier horror books I read. Nah, I can’t resist. The intelligent, superficially charming but extremely suspicious person with red eyes has smiled through her mask and uttered a cryptic yet foreboding sentence…Kaname scowled. More seriously, though, this could be a problem. I don’t understand what she’s getting at. Was it just a feint to make me jealous? And now she’s just playing with me? Or does she really mean to try and take Momomi from me? That would be a problem. My record is crap as it is and it’d be damaged further if I became morally obliged to assault her. It’s not like anyone would take my side in that argument, not when it’s the perfect Ohtori-san against her known rival, the delinquent Kenjou…god. Know I’m pissed off again. She could lie, cheat, steal and sleep with Serané-sama behind Kariya’s back and still come out smelling of roses. Of course, she’d then be killed by Kariya’s sure and certain blade, but that just goes to show that I have to use force. You can’t rely on the fairness of this world to be a punishment. But I’m still back where I’m started. Kaname finished writing and put her pen down. Behold the powers of multitasking! But I’m getting too worked up about this. I can trust Momomi, right? Of course I can. If I can’t believe in her now I’ll never be able to do so. So do I even need to hit anyone? Momomi’s smart, she can handle herself. But I also have my pride, and I did promise very clearly that I’d beat her bloody if she tried anything. That’s a human reaction, right? This is a difficult situation, though. I wish I knew her intentions. She thinks it’s so bloody cool to be enigmatic, talking cryptically and acting like she understands everyone!
“Kenjou! What’s the answer to part a?”
Kaname answered perfectly to that and several follow-up questions, smiling when the teacher gave up. Even if I’m unprepared, you won’t catch me out with something this basic. You too, Amane. I’ll take everything you have.
When the lesson ended, she wasn’t surprised to see Yuho leaning over her desk again. The girl looked more annoyed than usual, though. “Tell me, Kenjou. Just who is Kiyashiki with? You, or Ohtori-san?”
Kaname looked up. Shall I play with words, or not? No point, I suppose. “With me. Definitely. We’re going out on Saturday.”
“I see,” Yuho said, apparently disinterested. “So how on earth did she get Ohtori-san to sit with you people?”
Kaname shrugged. “Who knows? Does it matter!”
“Of course it matters! This isn’t normal.” Yuho snorted. “Ohtori-san won’t socialise with anyone, whether they bully her, beg her or bribe her. You should know, right?”
“I know, but I don’t care.” Kaname stood, feigning disinterest with the conversation. She wasn’t unaware of several people watching them, however. “Who gives a damn about how cold she is?”
“Someone like you shouldn’t say things like that,” Yuho noted distastefully. “But there has to be a reason. Why is she so interested in Kiyashiki, come to that? She’s just plain weird…”
“Shut up.” Kaname glared. “The only weird thing here is your morbid fascination with an aloof bitch too good to spend time with you people.”
“The protective girlfriend? How cute,” Yuho retorted, completely unfazed. “But I’ll restate it. She’s weird, you’re weird, and I’ve no idea why Ohtori-san would condescend to talk to either of you…”
“Well, plainly she finds us more interesting than you,” Kaname remarked, walking past her. “She must be even weirder than we are.”
Yuho followed her, folding her arms. “Pretty cocky, aren’t you?”
“Not really. But if you don’t understand, ask Ohtori-san. I hate fangirls trying to worm information out of normal people.”
“And I hate bigoted, antisocial obsessive loners,” Yuho retorted. “We can still have a dialogue, can’t we?”
“I see no need for one. Go bug Amane. That’s all I have to say.”
Kaname stuck her hands in her pockets and sped up, but Yuho followed her doggedly.
“What the hell did she talk about, anyway?”
“Oh, I get it. Your beloved Ohtori-san wouldn’t say anything if you talked to her directly, so you come bugging me.” Kaname snorted. “Am I right?”
“Just answer the damn question, Kenjou,” Yuho snapped. “Your attitude problem is why you don’t have any friends but a loner freakshow anyway.”
Kaname snapped her head ground and glowered, pointedly pulling her hands out of her pockets. “Piss off, or your nose will need resetting in three places.”
Yuho sighed. “Yeah, yeah, friends are sacred… you don’t give a damn about Ohtori-san, do you? So we both cut the attitude, you give me the answers and we can both get on with our lives.”
“I told you. You’re talking to the wrong person.” Kaname turned away and walked on.
“Since when did you care about Ohtori-san?” Yuho snorted. “Aren’t you her obsessive-compulsive rival?”
“I hate her, certainly. But I hate people like you rather more. Go talk to Tomori-senpai if you insist. She’s kinder than me.” Kaname smirked. “But I doubt she’ll tell you shit, either.”
Yuho sighed. “You’re still an obstructionistic, friendless psychopath, aren’t you?”
“And you’re still a rumour-mongering, fixated stalker.” Kaname adjusted the set of her bag on her shoulder. “Some things don’t change.”
“You and Kiyashiki-san, though? I’m surprised.”
“If you, you suck at being an observant stalker.”
“Not the lack of potential. I meant that someone as stupid as you wouldn’t recognise your own feelings if they brought you a whipped-cream breakfast in the nude.”
Kaname chuckled slightly. “Evidently, I have more courage than someone who just watches everyone else, then goes to bug them about what happened.”
“Well, enjoy your time with Kiyashiki-san. Whatever you two are going to do…”
“Enjoy stalking Amane.” Kaname sighed as she walked into the Geography classroom. To be honest, she’s not too bad. She’s better than the ones who just glare and don’t say anything, at least.
But she asked one good question. Why the hell did Amane want to talk to us, anyway?
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