Chapter Four: Who’s That Guy?!

~Kei-kun’s Admirer!

 

Otaru stood up with much difficulty. He stared at Koji and Keiko. "Sempai--!"

Keiko’s aggressive face softened for a moment. "Sorry, Otaru." It hardened again. "But from where I come from, we just don’t sit around and watch best friends get beat up."

Otaru blinked, and breathed in a gasp.

"You two question Jiro’s authority too often!" Koji shouted, "What you need is a good beating make you submissive to ordained leadership!"

"That’s not how it works!" Keiko shouted. "You…! Are you the one who always beats up Otaru?!"

"The past two years." Koji replied. "Before that, Tamura Shin was President. He had his own ‘right-hand’."

Keiko’s eyes widened, "So Jiro is behind this!!"

"Of course not. Jiro-kun doesn’t have time to bother with such small matters." Otaru answered, glaring at Koji. "This is all Koji’s doing. Don’t blame Jiro-kun for any of this."

Keiko looked away from Otaru, and back to Koji. "You’re…you’re sick! Aren’t you taking your dedication to Jiro too far?!"

Koji smirked, and rose his fists. "Aren’t you going to fight me?"

Keiko noticed her raised fists were still shaking. She gulped. I’ve got not choice…I’ve got to beat Koji! Or else…she looked back to the beat up Otaru. …or else Otaru could wind up in the hospital.

"No one deserves to be hurt like that!" Keiko’s voice was low and quiet. She turned back to Koji, a furious glare on her face, "And it’s not your place you deal with troublemakers!" she shouted.

"Stop stalling, coward!" Koji shouted back.

"You’re the coward!" Keiko shouted, tears stinging her eyes. She ran towards him. This is it! Don’t miss! Don’t miss! She squeezed her eyes shut, and threw her fist into his jaw-bone. Her knuckles flared up with pain, and her eyes snapped open.

"No!" Otaru shouted desperately.

Keiko looked up from her throbbing fist, and saw Jiro standing in front of her, restraining Koji.

Jiro’s face was turned to the side, pushed by the force behind Keiko’s punch.

Keiko felt a chill sweep over her. She lowered her fist.

"Jiro-kun! Jiro-kun!" Otaru began to run towards the council president when one of his injured knees locked, and he slouched to the floor.

"Otaru!" Keiko turned from Jiro, and ran to her best friend’s side. She held his shoulders, and pulled him up. "Are you okay?"

"Jiro-kun!" Otaru tried to get up.

"Don’t! Otaru!" Keiko held him down, and they both looked to Jiro.

"What are you doing here?!" Keiko shouted across the hall. Her voice echoed through the shower stalls.

Jiro threw Koji against the wall. He rubbed his jawbone. "That is the last time I take a punch for you, Koji. Get out of my sight before I make it look like you and Otaru were doing the waltz."

"Y-yessir! Sorry, Jiro-kun!" Koji nervously bowed before bolting out of the showers.

Keiko kept her eyes on Jiro as she and Otaru stood.

Jiro stared at the wall Koji was just up against, and then lowered his head with a sigh. His shoulders relaxed, and he turned to Keiko and Otaru with a smile. "Please forgive me for having such an idiot as a friend."

"…are you okay, Jiro-kun?" Otaru leaned against Keiko’s shoulder.

"Oh, yeah." Jiro rubbed his chin again, and looked to Keiko. "Fujishige, I hope that wasn’t the only punch you were expecting to throw."

Keiko felt insulted. "And what if it was?!"

"I’ve had my mom slap me harder than you punch." Jiro grinned crookedly. "You would’ve been beaten to a pulp in one minute flat."

Keiko grimaced, her face turning red.

"Sempai? Are you feeling feverish again?" Otaru blinked.

"See ya tomorrow." Jiro waved as he turned around.

"H-HA! DON’T YOU KNOW?!" Keiko stammered. "FROM WHERE I COME FROM, FIGHTING IS SACRELIGION!!!" Keiko rose an arm, and stomped out her left foot, striking the pose of a flamenco dancer. "SPAIN IS THE COUNTRY OF LOVE!"

Otaru sweatdropped. "I thought that was France."

"Those French don’t know anything." Keiko muttered quietly to Otaru, and struck her pose again. "Ole!"

 

"And that’s how the fight went!" Keiko said as she towel-dried her wet hair on top of her bed.

"Are you sure you didn’t get a blow to your head during the fight?" Anji flatly stared at her.

Keiko gave her brother a critical look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, c’mon… ‘ole!’—isn’t that a bit…stupid? Don’tcha think?" Anji teased.

"It was your idea that I just got back from Spain." Keiko threw her towel over her desk chair to dry.

"It was just to strike up a conversation." Anji lay back on his bed.

Keiko combed out her hair. "Well, I’m just playing the part." She stopped combing her hair. "You know…maybe when I got back, I could join the drama club, since it’s obvious I’m such a good actress. After everyone finds out, they’ll be begging me to join, I’m sure."

"I wasn’t planning on revealing your identity. Ever." Anji replied. "When you leave, I’d cover it up by saying you went back to Spain."

"What?!" Keiko’s eyes widened. "But what about Otaru?! I can’t just disappear out of his life forever! I’m his best friend!"

"He’s graduating this year, Kei. He’ll be leaving anyway." Anji continued. "Besides, you don’t actually think he’d be pleased with the idea that his best bud was actually a girl, do you?"

Keiko paused, replying in silence. She lay down in her bed, and sighed.

Anji turned off the light. "I’m sorry, Kei."

 

"Don’t you just hate all the grunt work Tomahazu gives us?" Otaru went through the papers in his briefcase. "It’s almost impossible to keep up with!"

"Mmh…" Keiko stirred up her poached eggs, and looked up to Otaru, who was still looking through his briefcase. She remembered what Anji said last night. I’ve known him for less than a week. It shouldn’t be too hard to keep a safe distance from him.

Otaru closed his briefcase, and looked up to Keiko. "You look like you’re about to fall asleep, Sempai."

Keiko snapped back to attention. "Oh! I’m awake! I’m awake!" Keiko smiled, and pointed to Otaru’s tray. "Your eggs are getting cold."

"Yeah, I like them like that." Otaru picked up a fork.

"Yuck! Cold eggs!?" Keiko scrunched her nose.

"It’s one of my quirks, I guess…" Otaru ate a piece. "By the way, loved your speech in the showers last night."

"Huh?" Keiko blinked.

"It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to call someone ‘best friend’. And so early in the year, nonetheless." Otaru seemed to beam beneath all of his scratches and bandages.

Keiko bashfully smiled. "Well, I dunno…" she looked to a piece of toast in her hand, and scooped up a bit of the sloppy egg mess on her tray. "I guess I sounded really corny in there…"

"The ‘ole!’ was a bit much."

Keiko sunk in her chair. "I was joking around."

Otaru smiled, and didn’t say anything.

"You don’t believe me?"

"Not really."

Keiko folded her arms. "Some best friend. Where’s the trust?"

"Where’s the honesty?" Otaru replied, "That’s how you earn the trust."

Keiko glared at Otaru. "Why must you be so smart?"

"Don’t you mean ‘smart-mouthed’?" Otaru asked with a smile.

"That too."

"I’ve got to have SOMETHING going for me." Otaru ate some more of his egg. "I’ve gotta be successful somewhere."

"What’s your idea of successful, Otaru?" Keiko asked, munching on her toast.

"Mm…" Otaru spooned up some of the yolk spilling onto his tray. "I don’t know. I can’t really imagine what I’d be doing…"

"You don’t have any dreams?" Keiko rested a chin on a fist.

"Oh, I guess…" Otaru drifted off, fixing his eyes on his tray.

"Don’t you ever wanna get married, and have kids?" Keiko brushed a crumb off of her mouth.

"I’d love to." Otaru got quiet. "To be honest, I just don’t picture it happening. I can’t imagine it. You know what I mean?"

"I think." Keiko replied, sitting up. "I can imagine myself doing some things, but when it comes to, say, being a mathematician or chemist, I draw a blank."

"Mm-hmm. But you hate those things." Otaru polished off his eggs. "I want to get married."

"It’ll happen, Otaru." Keiko drank some orange juice. "You just need to wait until college to meet a nice girl."

"Probably." Otaru stood, and got his briefcase.

"Let me get your tray." Keiko said, taking note to Otaru’s sprained knee from last night.

"Thanks." He said. "Now can we have a class today without any fights, or will I have to tie you to your desk?"

"I’ll be good, I promise!" Keiko nervously smiled.

 

"Otaru! You look like crap!" Jiro laughed as he greeted Otaru in his usual manner.

"You’re a sight for sore eyes too, Jiro." Otaru wrote down his assignments.

Keiko smiled at this. Perhaps this was a bizarre relationship that is more common amongst boys…she had to admit to herself, Jiro wasn’t half the jerk she thought he was.

Class was extremely peaceful. Keiko was extremely anxious to see Staci, though. She hoped time would pass soon.

Luckily, it did. Keiko waited at the doorway of Senior class 2’s room, and watched for Otaru.

Otaru blinked with surprise when he saw Keiko waiting for him at the doorway. "Well, hello!"

Keiko beamed, and adjusted her glasses. "Come to tennis practice with me today."

"What for?" Otaru had a blank face as Keiko took his left elbow and led him down the hallway.

"I never gave you a proper introduction to my friends." Keiko cheerfully said.

"The hyenas and the foreigner?"

"That’s them." Keiko said as they approached the courts.

Naoki and Aika were up on the benches, fawning over the sweaty Anji on the courts.

Naoki spotted Keiko, and waved to her, "Kei-chan!!"

"Naoki-chan! Aika-chan!" Keiko called back. Great, they remembered.

Aika turned around, and waved. "Up here!"

"Coming!" Keiko took Otaru’s arm. "C’mon!"

They walked up to the top benches, where the two girls were sitting. She slowed down to assist the limping Otaru. Her heart ached miserably for him.

Otaru saw it in her face. "Don’t worry, I barely notice it anymore. I’m kinda used to it, you know."

"You shouldn’t be." She whispered, holding his arm a bit tighter. She quickly plastered a smile on. "Hey guys!"

Naoki gasped, looking at Otaru. "Gracious! What happened to your friend?!"

Keiko sweatdropped. "Well, uh…"

"A long and gruesome story!" Otaru limped to a bench, and sat down, "Certainly not fit for such a delicate young lady’s ears."

Naoki stood, and sat next to Otaru, holding her hands together. "You poor dear! Your face is all scratched!"

Keiko sat next to Aika, where Naoki previously sat. They both looked to Naoki and Otaru.

"I like the idea of them as a pair." Aika quietly said. "Maybe then she’ll forget about my Anji!"

Keiko grimaced. Oh, no! Aika doesn’t know about Anji’s date with Staci!! If she sees them leave together…!

Aika noticed Keiko’s face. "What’s wrong? Ah--!" she gasped. "You must like him! Sorry! My bad!"

Keiko straightened up. "No, it’s not that! I just remembered, I need to see Staci!"

"Oh, well, she should be here soon, I guess." Aika went back to watching Anji. Her eyes moved to Keiko again. "You sure you don’t like him?"

"I’m sure!" Keiko huffed, and looked to Otaru and Naoki.

"Your bandage isn’t on right! Let me fix it!" Naoki reached to Otaru’s chin.

"No, please. Don’t--!" Otaru pushed Naoki’s hands down. "Don’t touch my face, please!"

"But I’m going to be a nurse!" Naoki insisted.

"Now, now, Naoki-chan!" Keiko walked over to the two.

"Save me, Sempai!" Otaru begged.

"Otaru’s had enough treatment, don’t you think?" Keiko pulled Naoki up, and took her seat. "Aika-chan’s getting lonely!" she pointed over to the other bench.

Naoki looked over to Aika, who was grinning and waving. She turned back to Otaru and Keiko, bowed, and took her seat next to Aika.

"She didn’t hurt you, did she?" Keiko put a hand on Otaru’s shoulder.

"Nah, just was touching me all over…" Otaru squirmed.

"She wants to be a nurse real bad."

"I can tell." Otaru looked at the courts. "What was it you were saying about introductions?"

"Oh! Right!" Keiko stood, "Aika! Naoki!"

The two girls turned to her, their round eyes wide and curious. "Yes, Kei-chan?" Naoki said.

"I want you two to meet Chinen Otaru. He’s a senior." Keiko put a hand on his shoulder.

Otaru nodded. "Nice to meet you."

Aika and Naoki both beamed, and Otaru flatly glared at them as they giggled.

"What’s so funny?" Otaru droned below his breath.

"They probably think you’re cute." Keiko teased with a crooked smile, and a squeeze of his shoulders.

Otaru furiously blushed, and Keiko walked over to Aika and Naoki.

"Otaru, meet Oda Aika and Ikegami Naoki. They’re juniors at Phoenix School. Amuro’s sister is attending there." Keiko said.

"Nice to meet you." The two girls nodded timidly.

Keiko sat down next to Otaru again, "So, how is Amuro-san doing nowadays?" she discreetly winked at the two girls.

They both began to giggle again.

"What is wrong with them?!" Otaru hissed.

"Maybe something happened?" Keiko tried to cover up her friends’ peculiar behavior. Ditzes. "Ignore them." She turned to the courts.

Otaru looked at the girls a moment longer, and did the same.

"Does she like him?" Naoki whispered, trying to keep her giggles contained.

"She craves him." was Aika’s reply.

The girls both grinned, and giggled.

Keiko searched the courts for Staci. Her search ended when she spotted a blonde in a red and navy girl’s uniform. "It can’t be…"

Otaru looked to Keiko. "Hmm?"

The blonde girl saw Anji on the courts, and paused for a moment. She then looked up to the benches, and began to scan them.

"Is that Rina-san?" Aika murmured.

"I think it is! What is she doing here?" Naoki replied.

Aika glared down at her. "It better not be to watch Anji!!"

Keiko stood, to Otaru’s surprise, and took a step towards Rina before being stopped by Otaru.

"Don’t leave me alone with those two lunatics!" Otaru grabbed her arm.

Keiko replied. "I’m sorry, but this is important business." She pulled away her arm, and turned to the two girls. "You two behave."

"We will!" they giggled.

Keiko sighed, and trotted down the steps.

"Rina-san?" Keiko stepped up to the unsuspecting Rina.

Rina gasped, and spun to face Keiko. Her blue eyes were wide. "Wh-who are you?" she breathed.

Keiko took off her glasses, revealing her feminine eyes. "Amuro-san."

Rina blinked for a moment, her face still struck with fear.

Keiko put her glasses back on.

Rina’s brow furrowed. "I should’ve known the likes of your insane family would put this kind of burden on me!"

"It was my brother’s idea." Keiko used a thumb to aim the blame at Anji.

"Of course. It wouldn’t make sense for a do-nothing to come up with the idea. That requires motivation." Rina folded her arms.

"Something I’m obviously lacking." Keiko folded her arms. "Look, Rina-san, did you come here to just insult me all day? I get that plenty from my brother, thank you."

"No, I came to deliver something for Staci." Rina held up a file. "Care to explain?"

"Why isn’t Staci here?! She’s got a date with Anji after this!" Keiko shouted, and froze. She looked up to Aika on the benches.

Aika sat there, a furious glare on her face.

"Oh, great…" Keiko groaned.

"I know nothing and care to know nothing about their personal affairs." Rina coldly replied. "My responsibility is to my school only."

"I know." Keiko sighed, and looked around the courts. "Rina-san, could we please discuss this somewhere else? Maybe off the grounds?"

"That’s fine with me." Rina held her arms. "This campus gives me chills, anyway."

"It could be the ghost…!" Keiko teased, walking off of the courts.

"Don’t be an idiot around me, please." Rina walked in front of Keiko. "I have a reputation to keep."

"Oh, of course!" Keiko gasped almost mockingly.

Rina shot Keiko a glare. "Your idiot brother may tolerate your antics, but I’m a totally different specimen."

"I’d say." Keiko snorted.

"And I can and will refuse handing over these documents to you Amuro-san!" Rina spun around, and pointed at her with a corner of the file. "Remember, I can make or break you."

"Man, you’ve gotten vicious, Rina-san." Keiko sweatdropped. "What’s happened to you?!"

Rina’s face softened, and she lowered her file. Her eyes were downcast. "Mai happened."

Keiko blinked, shocked to see such a dramatic attitude adjustment.

 

Rina stirred the ice around in her glass of iced tea. "I didn’t really expect to win the election last year."

"Then why’d you run?" Keiko ate a spoonful of parfait.

"Nakaijima-sama persuaded me." Rina looked outside the window they sat next to, watching the passersby. "She chose me for my ‘pure heart and motivation’."

"So what’s the problem?" Keiko blinked.

"Toseki Mai wants to destroy me for beating her in the race." Rina replied, and picked up a spoon. "May I?"

"Sure." Keiko pushed the parfait across the table towards Rina.

Rina scooped up a bit. "And now Nakaijima-sama set me up to be editor, too…! Mai’s seeing red!"

"Or green." Keiko took another bite of parfait. "Probably both. So why not let Nakaijima handle it, if she loves you so much?"

"She’s got her hands full. Someone’s out to destroy her, too." Rina scooped up some of the strawberries. "You know the new Headmaster at TUA?"

"Obari? Oh, yeah. He’s a total babe." Keiko got that smitten look on her face again.

"Your spoon’s dripping." Rina ate her spoonful, and blinked.

Keiko gasped, and swallowed her spoonful. "He’s just so perfect! You should see him--!"

"Obviously, a bit too perfect." Rina set down her spoon. "Nakaijima-sama and Obari have a rivalry rooting back to as far back as Junior High."

"As though the school rivalry wasn’t bad enough!" Keiko groaned, and slapped her forehead. "That explains his huge speech!"

"What huge speech?" Rina grew more attentive.

Keiko sighed, and took off her glasses to wipe them. "Obari gave this huge pep talk on the day of orientation. It caused the entire auditorium to go into a standing ovation."

Rina’s eyes widened in fear as Keiko stated the next sentence:

"He said ‘The Phoenix School won’t know what hit them’."

Rina slammed the table as she stood, causing the glasses to shake. Keiko quickly steadied them.

Rina stared at her hands, and her arms shook. "That…that insane man…!"

Meanwhile, outside, a girl with light brown hair passed by the window of the sweet shoppe. She donned a red vest, navy blouse, and a plaid skirt of both colors…the uniform of The Phoenix School for Girls.

She backtracked a few steps, and stopped outside the window. She carefully examined the scene.

Is that Rina-san? She thought.

The blonde council president she studied spun around, a hurt expression written on her face.

The boy across from her stood, and walked up to her, resting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

The eyes of the girl outside widened in shock. Who’s that…who’s that with her?! A…a boyfriend?! Rina-san?!

 

"Hmm…interesting…ironic, almost." Keiko muttered at her desk.

Anji looked up from his homework. "What is?"

Keiko sorted the papers in the file from Rina. "A lot of these articles, including the earliest one, were written by Toseki Mai."

"Mm…more trouble that she’s worth, huh?" Anji walked over to Keiko’s desk to look over her shoulder.

"Tell me about it. What’s her beef with the music hall, huh?"

Anji "hmm"-ed. "Maybe she did it to win votes."

"It’s a long shot, don’t you think?" Keiko looked up to her brother.

"Anything for an extra vote, I say." Anji looked down to his sister.

"Hmm." Keiko looked back down to her desk. "I guess."

 

"Mitsui-san! Good morning!" the light brown haired girl greeted Staci in the hallways of the Phoenix School the next morning.

Staci turned around to see who greeted her so cheerfully. "Toseki-san."

"Please, call me Mai-chan!" the girl (who was now identified as Toseki Mai) ran to Staci’s side. "Do you know anything about an important date yesterday afternoon?"

Staci blinked. "I wouldn’t consider my date with Anji important…"

"Not your date! I’m talking about--"

Staci gasped. "Was yesterday your birthday?! Oh, Mai-chan, forgive me! I totally forgot!"

"It’s not my birthday!!!" Mai exclaimed, to which Staci cowered, and students in the hallway stopped to stare.

Mai realized the scene she was making, and nervously cleared her throat. "I’m talking about Rina-san."

"Rina-san?" Staci blinked.

"Yes. With a guy from Unicorn Academy…" Mai pointed to her eyes. "With real big glasses, and a ponytail. You know him?"

Staci shook her head. "I don’t know about any—oh!" she gasped. Keiko-chan!

"What?! What?!" Mai asked. "You know something!"

Staci’s eyes widened. "No, no! I just…I’m surprised that Rina-san would date someone from TUA, that’s all…" she nervously smiled, covering up for her two friends.

"Well, Rina-san has proven to be two-faced more than once." Mai waved a hand freely, rolling her eyes.

Staci tried to hide her frown at Mai’s loose tongue. "Uh, sorry, Mai-chan, but I’ve gotta make it across campus in two minutes. I’ve really gotta split."

"Oh, what a shame!" Mai smiled, and waved. "Later, then!" She lowered her arm. Staci’s covering for Rina-san. Something’s brewing, and it might just ruin Rina’s rep! Mai looked to the side in a thoughtful manner. Surely they won’t mind me speeding up the process!

 

Keiko let out a huge yawn at the lunch table that afternoon.

Otaru watched her yawn with wide eyes. "Amazing!" he grinned.

Keiko closed her mouth, and opened one eye to look across to Otaru.

"Your mouth is HUGE!" Otaru said with awe.

Keiko gave him a glare.

"You could probably fit two whole burgers in there!!" Otaru lifted his hamburger, as though to prove a point.

Keiko lowered her voice. "Hey."

Otaru laughed. "Simply amazing! You never stop surprising me, Sempai!"

Keiko aggressively took a bite out of her hamburger. "I’m just a bag chock-full of surprises, Otaru-chan."

"Sorry, sorry. I catch your drift. Shutting up." Otaru happily bit into his burger. "Consider it payback for yesterday."

Keiko blinked, as though to ask for an explanation.

"Leaving me with those two lunatics. How could you?" Otaru rested an elbow on the table.

"What’s wrong? They’re cute enough, aren’t they?"

"That has nothing to do with it." Otaru sipped on his can of juice. "They wouldn’t stop laughing and teasing. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in my life."

"Lightweight. What am I going to do with you?" Keiko sighed.

"I never asked you to set me up with anyone." Otaru muttered.

Keiko felt her blood begin to pump. "I WASN’T TRYING TO SET YOU UP!!! Geez!" She sat back, and folded her arms. "Is everything a guy-girl thing with you, or what?!"

"No, it’s not that!" Otaru blushed, "I just don’t like being there without you, that’s all. They’re just a bit…weird."

"Me being there won’t change that." Keiko replied, eating more of her hamburger.

"At least you’re there for a buffer." Otaru replied.

"No way, not me." Keiko set down her hamburger. "I’m not gonna play crutch for you. You gotta be strong."

Otaru replied with silence. "…yes, but…"

"No ‘buts! Keiko smiled. "C’mon, I’m here for ya! But not to hold you back! To push you forward! A push!" Keiko reached over, and gave Otaru a quick shove on the shoulder. "Got it?"

Otaru held his shoulder, and smiled. "I got it, I got it."

"Good." Keiko picked up her hamburger, and ate another bite. "So, what are we doing this weekend?"

Otaru looked at Keiko with a blank stare.

"C’mon, aren’t we doing anything tomorrow?" Keiko leaned forward on the table. "We survived our first week of school, we should celebrate!"

Otaru nervously smiled. "I was planning on taking a nap this weekend."

Keiko angrily sweatdropped. "Are you going to nap all weekend?"

Otaru lowered his stature a bit. "Sounds weird, doesn’t it?"

It must take a lot of energy to be so genki…Keiko thought, an eyebrow twitching. "A bit."

"Sorry. Maybe you can see if Amuro-kun’s doing anything."

"As if there’s any doubt." Keiko droned.

Otaru lowered his eyes. "Right, the tennis match…"

Keiko leaned back on her chair. "Great! I’ll be bored all weekend!"

"Sorry." Otaru grinned, clapped his hands together, and bowed his head.

Keiko ceased her whining, and glared across the table. "You’re mocking me."

"That I am!"

"Just wait, I’ll get you back." Keiko threatened in a pouting manner.

"Don’t be that way…" Otaru smiled.

"Nope! Too late!" Keiko chimed. "The harm’s been done!"

The two laughed at eachother.

"Gonna nap all through Sunday?" Keiko asked.

"Not intending to." Otaru answered. "But it if turns out that way…!"

"Now I know you’re joking."

"…Chinen ‘nap-on-a-whim’ Otaru. That’s me!" Otaru stated proudly. "I’m hoping to pick up something at the bookstore. Care to join me?"

"Sure!" Keiko grinned. "Sounds fun enough!"

"The two of us can make anything fun!" Otaru replied. "Of that, I’m certain!"

 

"Aaaaannnjiiii…." Keiko snuck up on her brother in their dorm that evening after practice.

Anji was not amused with his sister’s air-headed antics. "What now, Kei?" he didn’t look up from his desk.

Keiko nuzzled her big brother’s shoulder. "I’m out of underwear."

Anji fell off of his desk chair. He snapped back up. "ALREADY?!"

Keiko got teary-eyed. "You threw out most of them while packing, and you ripped one, remember?!"

Anji sat back in his chair, and turned back to his desk. "What should I do…?" he muttered while in deep thought.

"Well, DUH…" Keiko grabbed one of Anji’s arms, and yanked him off of his desk chair. "We’re going out to buy some!"

 

Anji’s face was like a beet as he cowered behind the frame of his younger sister.

Keiko did her best to ignore her immature sibling, but even she was a little fidgety being in the lingerie section of the mall in her TUA boys uniform.

She could feel the eyes of disgusted and judgmental women burn in her back.

"S-stop making a scene, Anji…!" Keiko nervously hissed (although, to be honest, it sounded more like a whine).

Anji gripped on the fabric of Keiko’s uniform, and buried his burning red face in the back of her shoulder. "My virgin eyes…!"

Keiko was trying to control her embarrassment as she held an armful of flowery girl’s underpants. Her eyebrow twitched with frustration and her ears were burning.

"Stop clinging to me so I can move and buy these things so we can get out of here!" Keiko said through clenched teeth.

Anji dug his face further into Keiko’s shoulder, and answered with a pathetic whimper.

Keiko made an exasperated sigh, and began to walk to a checkout counter. Anji clung on, inching forward directly behind her.

The sales clerk was silent as she rang up the underwear.

Keiko and Anji’s faces were both identically red now.

"Sign here, please…" the woman held out a receipt and pen.

"Right." Keiko took the pen, and signed it "Keiko Amuro".

The woman looked at the receipt, and then up to Keiko. There was a pause.

Keiko sweatdropped.

"Do you have any proof of identity, ma’am?" the clerk asked.

Keiko felt the sudden urge to flash the clerk her painfully taped down bust and scream "Here’s your freakin’ PROOF!", but no, no…she couldn’t do that. That would be rude. Terribly rude. And Keiko had manners!

Of course she did.

After the pause, Keiko nervously sweatdropped. "Is a library card good enough?"

"Of course." The clerk replied.

After the business transaction was completed, Anji’s face returned to its normal color, and he (sadly) could speak again.

"It looked like you were about to deck that clerk back there."

Keiko held her bag casually, and walked out of the lingerie section." Did it? I did have some evil thought going through my head."

"Your face gives you away so easily, Kei." Anji held up an index finger, his green eyes wide. "You gotta watch that. Even with glasses, you could give yourself away."

"Right." Keiko sighed, eyeing a display of Spring’s latest fashions.

Anji noticed the longing look on Keiko’s face. "Move along!" he grabbed Keiko’s arm.

"Just a moment!" Keiko tugged her arm away a little too violently, and rammed it right into the side of a nearby girl.

The girl and Keiko both yelped, and Keiko dropped her bag.

"Sorry!" Keiko held the shoulders of the girl to steady her.

Anji slapped his forehead. She dropped the underwear! He dashed quickly out of view. She’s handling this one!

The girl looked up to Keiko, and her eyes widened. "It’s you!"

Keiko blinked. Toseki Mai! I’d recognize her anywhere! She scornfully thought.

"E-excuse me?" Keiko stammered. No way she recognizes me…!

"I saw you the other day!" Mai gasped. She looked down to the bag and its contents on the floor, and got a flabbergasted look on her face. "Uh…"

"Sh-shopping! For a friend!" Keiko covered. That was pathetic! She scolded herself. Mental note-make excuses for potential situations tonight!

"Ah. Rina-san is making her boyfriend do all her shopping for her. I’m barely surprised." Mai folded her arms and rose her eyebrows.

Boyfriend?! "I don’t know what you’re talking about! There’s nothing between Rina and me." Keiko picked up her underwear and shoved it in her bag.

"Oh? Really?!" Mai smiled. He must’ve rejected her! That must’ve been what I saw! She recalled how hurt Rina looked, and how this boy tried to comfort her…This couldn’t be better! If I start dating him, it’d make Rina SO INSANELY JEALOUS!!!

Mai suddenly latched herself onto Keiko’s arm.

Keiko grimaced. Wh-what is she doing?!

"Saaaay…" Mai cutely batted her eyes. "What do you think of that?" she pointed up to the skirt and sweat set display Keiko was eyeing a moment ago.

"S’nice." Keiko replied, trying to squirm out of Mai’s vice-like grip.

"Great! Lemme get it in my size!" she let go of Keiko. "And don’t you move! I want to know what you think of it on me!" she winked, and ran to get the outfit.

Keiko furiously glared at the girl as she ran off. No way. I will NOT allow this! This is where I draw the line! This is the limit! This—

Anji appeared out of nowhere, and gave Keiko a pat on the shoulder. "Now you’re a hit with the ladies!"

"Where’d you disappear to?!" Keiko scolded her brother. "Look at what I’ve gotten into now!"

"It’ll just help hide your identity!" Anji calmly replied.

Keiko fumed. "What about my INTEGRITY, genius?!"

"I’m baaa-aaak!"

Both Amuros looked up to see Mai in the adorable, light blue outfit.

"Adorable, Mai-chan!" Anji applauded.

Keiko glared at Anji. Two-face.

"Why, thank you,!" Mai smiled, and turned to Keiko. "What’s your vote, stranger?"

It’d look better on me. Keiko scornfully thought. "S’nice."

Mai grinned. "You’re a quiet one."

"This is Fujishige Kei, he’s new here." Anji lied through his teeth.

"Nice to meet you." Keiko forced out her formalities.

"The pleasure is all mine, believe me!" Mai replied cheerfully. "Great. I’ll wear this to your tennis match then, Amuro-kun."

Anji’s eyes lit up. "You’ll be there, too?!"

Mai winked. "Of course! I’m looking forward to it tomorrow."

Anji grinned. "Great, me too!"

Keiko make a mental note to skip the game, at all costs. No way! Never in a million years will I be caught with a girl clinging on my arm like that!

"Well, I’ll see you both later!" Mai winked.

Dang, she winks a lot. Keiko thought.

"Nice meeting you, Kei-kun!" Mai flashed Keiko a smiled before leaving.

Anji gave Keiko a sly smile as Keiko fumed.

 

"UUUUUGGGHHH!!!" Keiko groaned as she burst into the dorm room. "I am SO gonna PUKE!" She threw her bag of underwear onto her bed. "That girl has some serious issues!"

Anji followed Keiko into their dorm in complete silence.

"I have NEVER been SO revolted in my LIFE!" Keiko furiously rubbed her arm. "YUCK!!!"

Anji looked on the door with wide eyes. "Looks like you got a phone call."

 

"Perfect. Keep it up, Amuro-san."

Keiko had to keep a firm grip on the tiny table which held the telephone for the dorm to keep herself from falling. After telling Rina-san the entire story of what happened at the mall, that was the last thing she expected (or wanted!) to hear!

"B-but Rina-san!!!" Keiko whined.

"It’s perfect cover up. If you can fool someone as tricky as Mai, you’ve got clear sailing ahead of you." Rina’s reply was pretty devastating for Keiko, "Just don’t screw it up."

Keiko heard the dial tone after that closing comment.

Keiko wanted to cry. "There must be some way to stop her…!"

End Chapter Four

Go On To Chapter Five!