"No!
ABSOLUTELY NOT!"~Kei-kun’s Fight!?
"No!
ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Mitsui Staci, an American-Japanese writer for the Phoenix School for Girls winced at her editor’s furious outburst.
"That idiotic Amuro family…!" Nimai Rina grabbed her head in distress and stood up from her desk. Not bothering to push back her chair, it fell back on the tile floor. "This must’ve been her brother’s doing! He’s plotting my downfall!!"
Staci nervously sweatdropped. "I seriously doubt that."
"You saw your reports on the new headmaster there!" Rina slammed an open palm on Staci’s notes. "He’s planning to serve Nakaijima-sama and me for lunch!"
Staci jumped at Rina’s hand slamming on the desk. "Don’t over-react, Rina-sama…"
"Destroy these notes!" Rina aggressively lifted up Staci’s notepad containing all the details of Keiko’s scheme. "And if I see a single trace of this ANYWHERE…!" she threw the pad across the room in one furious swipe.
Staci yelped and cowered, covering her head with her arms. She looked up in time to see her notepad slam against the wall, and fall into the wastebasket below it. A terrified look on her face, she gulped, and looked back to the President.
Rina had both hands on her desk now, and she hovered over it like a panther about to pounce its prey. She leaned closer to Staci, and in a low, threatening voice, breathed her next command. "You tell that do-nothing Amuro girl that she’d better not blow her cover over there. My school’s reputation is at stake!"
Staci once again gulped, and nodded. "I’ll call her tomorrow."
"You do that, Staci. It’ll be your head if the secret gets out over here."
Staci stood, and bowed. "See you tomorrow." Staci turned around, relieved to be leaving. As she walked out the door, she let out a sigh of relief, shutting the door.
Rina stood behind the desk silently for a moment. After a few seconds, she let out an exhausted sigh. She put a hand on her forehead, a stressed out look on her face. She pulled a blond strand of hair behind her ear. She walked out of the editing room, turning the light off behind her.
A longhaired woman in a red business suit looked up from her desk in her furnished office to see a fairly short girl standing in the doorway. "Rina-chan?"
"I’m tired, Nakaijima-sama." The blonde girl quietly said. "I don’t like being editor. It’s too much work."
The auburn-tressed woman stood, and walked in front of her desk. "Please come in."
The previously aggressive girl walked in, taking a strangely demure stance—she hugged her arms tightly, a tired frown on her face.
"Nakaijima-sama, this isn’t what I planned to do as President…"
"But as Editor, you can share all of your views with the school." Nakaijima, the woman Rina was addressing, spoke in a soft, motherly tone.
"But it’s so impersonal…" Rina walked up to a window behind Headmistress Nakaijima’s desk. "You said you’d have me work directly with people if I agreed to run for President of Student Council."
"All in due time, dear…" Headmistress Nakaijima walked up behind Rina, and held her shoulders. "There’s a road to get to where you want to be. Just let me guide you on that path, and I promise you’ll get there."
Rina heaved a sigh, a pained look on her face. "All of the students hate me. I shouldn’t have run."
"Nonsense. You’re just different from all the former Presidents. They need to grow to like you."
"But it’s not me…" Rina lowered her head. "This…aggressive editor…this…championship…"
"Only because you’re not letting it." The Headmistress sat back down at her desk. "You should head on home now. It’s late. Going on eight."
Rina stood for a moment longer. "Mmh." She finally replied, and exited the room silently.
"What’s that?" Keiko lay on her bed. She turned to Anji, who was in his bed, munching on something.
"Mm—this?" Anji held up a cookie. "Naoki left them in my locker. They’re really tasty!"
"In your locker?!" Keiko jumped up from her bed and took a cookie. "Homemade?! WHY?!"
"Because she can cook." Anji saw his sister take a bit of the cookie she snatched. "Hey! That’s mine!"
"Sure you can spare one!" Keiko polished off the cookie, and washed it down with some of the soda from Otaru.
"Where’d that come from?" Anji spotted the can of soda in Keiko’s hands.
"Otaru brought it to me." Keiko polished it off.
"Hmm…" Anji rose his eyebrows.
"Don’t even think it. We’re just friends, and he thinks I’m a boy anyway." Keiko closed one eye and continued matter-of-factly, "Besides, he’s not my type."
"Ah, that’s right." He actually knows you exist." Anji taunted. "Unlike Headmaster Obari."
Keiko got watery eyes. "You’re mean!"
"I’m honest." Anji ate another bite of a cookie.
Keiko sighed, and tugged on her oversized pajama sleeve. She put her legs underneath her bed sheets, and lay down. "You’re just over-confident because you have two of my best friends pining after you." And I never noticed…! Keiko thought to herself.
"I can’t believe you never noticed!" Anji laughed. "Did you ever wonder why Naoki always brought baked goodies when she came over?"
"I thought it was because she liked me…" Keiko pathetically murmured, turning on her side. "And Aika…"
"Who didn’t know?!" Anji lay on his back, and finished off another cookie.
"Me." Keiko shamefully poked her fingers together.
"Besides you. You don’t count." Anji sighed, "Honestly, in such an athletic family, you’d assume that the black sheep would at least be intelligent."
Keiko threw one of her pillows at her brother, "I AM intelligent!" she took off her glasses, and buried her face in her other pillow. She pulled the sheets over her head.
Anji rolled his eyes and shook his head when he heard the mound that was his sister begin to cry like an infant. Why me? He thought as he shut off the lamp on his bedside table, which was providing the only light in the room.
Keiko’s crying died down as she drifted off to sleep. Anji closed his eyes in relief, and finally succeeded in falling asleep himself.
The hours of the night passed in relative silence. Keiko found herself lying away in her bed at one a.m., unable to go back to sleep. She rolled on her side, and stared at the clock’s red digits. Class’ll be horrible tomorrow if I don’t fall asleep…
Then, suddenly, Keiko saw a soft glow underneath her doorway. She held her breath, and waited for it to pass.
The light was blue in color…fluorescent. Not yellow, like most flashlights. This made Keiko’s heart beat faster. It…it couldn’t be…
"Anji?" she peeped, trying to wake her brother, but not let the ghost know she saw it. "Anji?"
Then she heard a soft song playing through the walls. It was a violin, playing a slow, haunting melody. A panic swept over Keiko, and again, she tried to call across the room to her brother. "Anjiiii!" she hissed underneath her breath.
Seeing her brother not even stir made her bottom lip quiver. He…he’s fast asleep…! Can’t he hear the music?! Can’t anyone hear it?! She cowered underneath her blankets, tears coming to her eyes. The ghost knows I’m out to get it! This is unexplainable! Keiko hugged her pillow tightly, and quietly whined her brother’s name into her pillow with a muffled cry. "Anjiii…!"
Keiko slowed down as she passed the music hall the next morning. She didn’t have to fight any urge to go in. She was downright horrified after last night’s incident. It’s so hard to believe no one heard it…she leaned against the left door of the hall’s entrance, and watched the boys pass by, none even glancing at the hall. How weird…I wonder who first accused the hall of being haunted…she stood up, no longer leaning on the door. "The library!" she slung her briefcase over her shoulder, and instead of heading out to the mess hall for breakfast, she spent the forty-five minutes in the library’s computer database, looking for any articles on the haunted music hall. She searched under the word "haunt".
"…." Keiko searched in vain. Most articles were review of dramatic presentations and books. She only got through only half of the articles containing "music hall" when the bell rang. She closed up the window, and swiped up her briefcase, planning to run across campus to make History class on time.
"I missed you at breakfast." Otaru greeted Keiko as she sat at her desk on the aisle across from him.
"Yeah? I was at the library." Keiko got out her textbook and notepad.
"Ah. What kind of research?" Otaru asked.
"Trying to find some reading material." Keiko answered.
Jiro walked in as she said that sentence. Otaru had a weary expression appear on his face, and Keiko’s grip tightened on her pen.
Jiro first walked up to Keiko, and put an arm around her shoulders. "Mornin’ Fujishige. Feelin’ better today?"
Keiko felt the hair on her arms stand on end. She tried to shake him off, but only a reply would ward him off. "Just fine, thanks."
Jiro then moved on, much to Keiko’s apparent relief. But not before giving her a friendly slap on the chest. Otaru looked onto her with sympathy.
"He’s inconsiderate, I know." Otaru said.
Keiko had a look of disgust on her face. She had to hold her arms back with everything she had. She was in such pain…and she felt so…so…violated…!!! ;.;
"Still recovering from culture shock?" Otaru asked.
Keiko quickly nodded, not able to answer. That bastard…!!! He’s gonna get it now!
Jiro sat in his seat in front of Otaru. Otaru anticipated Jiro spinning around, and sat up straight.
"How was your day, Otaru?" Jiro taunted, "Spent all day with Fujishige?"
Otaru simply stared at Jiro with an unhappy glare.
"What’s with the face?" Jiro scoffed. "Am I actually making you angry?!"
Jiro laughed. Keiko stared at her desk, listening in to every word he said.
"Aren’tcha gonna say something?!" Jiro rose his voice, now getting the attention of everyone in class.
Otaru clenched his fists, and he trembled.
"What? Y’gonna punch me?" Jiro grinned. He leaned over Otaru’s desk a bit. "Should I really believe that?! Should I be scared?!"
Keiko jerked her head up, and looked to the scene Jiro was making, anger burning her face.
Jiro had a mocking smirk on his face. He tapped his chin once, and snickered, "C’mon, I’ll give you the first shot. I’d love to be the first guy punched by Chinen Otaru."
Keiko saw the painfully furious look on Otaru’s face. She furrowed her brow, and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Buzz off, you jerk!" she shouted.
The students watching gasped, amazed at the thought of someone standing up to Jiro.
Jiro and Otaru both broke eye contact, and looked to Keiko. Otaru was shocked, and a bit angered. Jiro’s face was serious and threatening.
Jiro stood, and walked around his desk. "You’re a troublemaker."
"Look who’s talking, egomaniac." Keiko replied, not getting up.
Jiro walked towards her, and instead of laying a hand on her, he reached over to Otaru, and grabbed his hair right at the scalp, and yanked him forward.
Keiko gasped at Otaru let out a cry of pain.
The class went silent.
"I recommend not sticking that scrawny neck of yours out for anyone, kid." Jiro held onto Otaru’s hair. "Or else I’ll treat you much worse than your little buddy here."
"Bring it on, you shmuck." Keiko growled.
With a jerk, Jiro let go of Otaru, and walked up to Keiko. "You just dug your own grave, squirt."
"I doubt that." Keiko replied in an equally threatening tone.
Jiro looked to the doorway, and ten to two of his classmates. They were about to stand when—
"Take your seat, Kanzaki-kun." Tomahazu walked into the classroom.
"Yessir." Jiro leapt for his seat.
Keiko could feel Jiro’s eyes on her all through class. She tried not to let it distract her from her classes. Once the first period bell rang, Keiko felt her fear boil deep in her stomach.
Tomahazu-sensei repeated his assignments before lifting his briefcase from his desk.
"Thank you, sensei!" the boys all stood as their History teacher left.
Keiko began to pack her bags. Other than literature, she had no other honors classes. She would come back for third period. She regularly kept her eyes on Jiro, who was glaring at her with what could only be described as deadly intentions.
This made her speed up. With one swoop, she grabbed the rest of her books, and bolted out of the classroom as fast as she could.
Jiro smirked, and leaned in to Otaru. "He’s fun."
"Jiro…" Otaru began.
"Don’t worry, Otaru! I haven’t forgotten you!" Jiro gave Otaru a patronizing grin.
Otaru didn’t finish his sentence. He just looked at the doorway. Sempai…
English was a breeze. Keiko loved foreign languages. She considered herself an exceptional English student, and even considered being a Japanese teacher in America if she didn’t get married first.
Her mind was off of everyone during second period. Towards the end, though…she remembered the haunting violin she heard last night.
No matter what, I must get to the library after school today. No matter how much Otaru smiles at me…she wrote down her homework assignment. Why am I such a softie…?!
The second period bell rang, and everyone stood. "Thanks you sensei!"
In the corner of her eye, Keiko saw the black-haired boy she bumped into her first day. She turned to get a better look at him. She dropped her assignment pad. He’s so pale! She saw him turn towards her. She quickly bent down to pick up her pad, and to avoid eye contact. She straightened back up, and he was gone. She stared at the empty desk space for a moment, but the looked up to the clock above the teacher’s desk. "Ah~! I’m gonna be late…!" she rushed out of the schoolroom, and ran down the hallway, and across campus to her classroom.
She dashed into her classroom, and Jiro and Otaru looked up to her.
"Welcome back." Jiro drawled, his legs spread out of his chair.
Keiko froze in the doorway, horrified.
"Ahem." Katsuhiko-sensei stood behind Keiko, who was blocking the doorway.
The boys snickered as Keiko ran to her desk.
Now this is the teacher Anji was warning me about… Keiko thought.
"Fujishige-kun."
"Yes!" Keiko squeaked, and cleared her throat. "Yes, Sensei?"
Katsuhiko smiled. "Are you feeling better, sir?"
Keiko smiled cutely. "Yessir! Much better, thank you!"
"Good. Sit down." He ordered flatly.
"Yessir!" she sat back down cheerfully. Katsuhiko likes me…!
The boys stared in awe at Katsuhiko’s treatment of Fujishige.
"Everyone get two sheets of paper out to take notes!" Katsuhiko’s voice boomed suddenly.
The boys all rushed to work.
The first fifteen minutes passed in silence, as they copied notes from an overhead.
A teacher stood in the doorway, and beckoned Katsuhiko out of the room.
Katsuhiko nodded. "I’ll be back in a moment. Kanzaki-kun, monitor the class."
"Yes, sensei!" Jiro stood, and watched the teacher leave. He smiled, and snapped his fingers.
Keiko looked up, and found her arms bound back by two boys. "What?!" she looked up to Jiro. "You coward! Where are your balls?!"
Jiro climbed over his desk. "I don’t want you runnin’." He balked, being held back by Otaru. He shook him off. "Back off, Otaru, unless you wanna be worse off than Fujishige here."
Otaru fell back in his seat, and clutched onto his desk, watching Keiko fearfully.
Keiko showed no expression of fear. She scowled at Jiro.
Jiro smiled, and got inches from Keiko. "You should’ve stuck to dealing with your own problems, kid." He dug his fist just beneath Keiko’s ribs.
Keiko’s eyes widened, and she let out a quiet squeak.
Jiro punched Keiko again.
"Uh--!" Keiko heaped over again.
"Now this problem’s yours, too." Jiro backed away, and the boys let go of her arms.
"Sempai!!" Otaru screamed as Keiko fell to the floor.
Keiko grabbed her stomach, coughing. The class began to grow loud at the sudden end of the short fight.
"Sempai! Sempai!" Otaru jumped out of his seat, and ran to Keiko’s side.
"O…ta…ru…" Keiko tried to speak, but the wind was knocked out of her.
"Hmph." Jiro watched the pair on the floor. "For such a loud back, your bite is pathetic."
"Leave him alone, Jiro! You did enough!" Otaru begged, "Please! No more!"
"Hmm!" Jiro smiled, and folded his arms. "Since you said ‘please’." He sat back in his seat, and watched the other students sit back down.
Otaru looked extremely upset with Keiko as he helped her up. He didn’t say anything, but she could tell.
"Maybe you could teach him some of your manners, Otaru." Jiro taunted.
Otaru helped Keiko stumble back to her seat.
Keiko studied Otaru’s expression. It was not pretty much dead, a poker face. It was painful for Keiko to see. Such a strong will to be broken like that…Keiko felt her stomach do flip-flops as her teacher came back in. Everyone was in their seat, and everything seemed normal.
After class, Keiko had to go into a bathroom. She passed by the urinals, still kind of uncomfortable at the idea of sharing bathrooms with boys. Her queasiness was overcoming her as she dashed into a stall, and knelt over it. She began to gag, since she had no food on her stomach, she had nothing to throw up. Clutching the toilet seat with all she had, her body contacted violently as a reaction to the two punches given by Jiro. Tears stung her eyes, and she threw her glasses off, so they wouldn’t fall into the bowl. This isn’t worth it! I should give up and go back to Phoenix School! Tears streamed down her cheeks, and ripped off of her nose. She hiccuped, and gagged again. I hate this place! I HATE BOYS!!!
"Fujishige?"
"Fujishige’s losin’ it!"
"Jiro got him bad!"
Keiko’s tears stung even more now. Now everyone sees me! Go away! I don’t want anyone near me!
"Sempai!" Otaru broke through the crowd. "Go to class, people! He’s gone through enough!"
The crowd began to disperse, and it did so rather quickly. Otaru knelt next to Keiko, and rubbed her back as she continued to gag into the toilet. "Now, now…"
Keiko began to catch her breath, and she wiped her mouth, tears still streaming from her eyes. Otaru noticed a pair of glasses on the floor, and handed them to Keiko. "Here, Sempai."
Keiko rubbed her eyes while facing Otaru, so he wouldn’t see her face. She took her glasses, and slipped them on. Choking back tears, she looked at Otaru, who was frowning at her.
Otaru stood. "I think you learned your lesson." He began to walk out of the stall.
This statement took Keiko by surprise. "What’d you say?! Otaru!"
Otaru stopped. "I thought we pretty much agreed on letting go of the Jiro discussion."
"That’s the thanks I get for standing up for you?!" Keiko shouted, extremely hurt.
"I practically asked you not to. I had to beg Jiro to stop." Otaru looked down to Keiko. "I won’t do that again."
"You JERK!" tears began to form in Keiko’s eyes. "I HATE you! I HATE you!!"
Otaru walked out of the stall silently, and Keiko sat there, fuming. Ungrateful…! ….wimp!
Keiko sat alone at lunch that afternoon.
She could hear people whispering about the punches that Jiro gave her. Amazingly, her appetite was huge! She ate two trays of food. She didn’t see Otaru or Jiro at lunch.
Anji entered the mess hall, and caught sight of Keiko. He smiled, and bee-lined to the empty seat across from her. (All seats within a three-foot radius of her were empty, oddly enough.)
"I heard all about it!" Anji eagerly said. "Great job!"
"What are you talking about?!" Keiko whined. "I was clobbered!"
"Right!" Anji smiled cutely, making a face almost identical to the cute smile his sister often made.
"It HURT, you clod!" Keiko furiously whined.
"I would think so! Jiro’s a tough guy!" Anji rested his chin on an open palm.
"You’re heartless!" Keiko scolded.
"Don’t you see?! You’re getting so into the role, you’re fooling everyone!" Anji grabbed on of Keiko’s hands, and squeezed it with both of his. "If you keep it up, they’ll never know!"
Keiko flatly stared at Anji. "Uhm…"
"Hmm?" Anji blinked cluelessly (once again bearing striking resemblance to his sister!).
Boys all around the cafeteria were staring at the rather romantic-looking scene the two were making.
Anji and Keiko both blushed.
"G-get real! We’re neighbors!" Anji shouted.
"Hmm…" many of the boys replied, not quite believing the star athlete.
"Perfect shot!" Hiragi Gohei (remember him?) popped into the scene, and snapped a photo of the two.
It appeared in the next morning’s school paper.
Anji angrily held the paper in his hands. The headline read: "IS OUR STAR ATHLETE READY TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET?!"
"This…is…insane…!" Anji growled, and jerked it down to glare at the grinning Keiko.
"I’ve really got `em fooled now." Keiko cheerfully chirped.
Anji held back the urge to strangle his sister as she wickedly giggled. He sighed. "Now I have to find myself a girlfriend to prove them wrong…" his gaze drifted off, and Keiko hummed to herself as she buckled up her collar. His gaze drifted back to Keiko, and he smiled slyly. "…or get you a girlfriend!"
Keiko flogged Anji with her briefcase. "FORGET IT!"
"Okay…!" Anji squeaked, his face engrained in the floor.
Keiko tossed her ponytail behind her shoulder. "See you at lunch."
"Why aren’t you eating with Otaru?" Anji asked as Keiko walked out the door.
"Had a bit of a disagreement about that fight." Keiko sighed in an apathetic tone.
"Waitasec--" Anji ran up to Keiko and grabbed her shoulder. He spun her around. "You didn’t defend him did you?!"
"Yeah, why?" Keiko blinked.
"No! No! No! NEVER DEFEND SOMEONE FROM JIRO!!!" Anji winced, and let go of Keiko. He grabbed his head, and turned around. "Keeeeiiii!!!"
Keiko rose her eyebrows, waiting for Anji to skip the melodramatics and get to the point. "Look Anji, can we please get to breakfast? I’m starved."
She didn’t wait for Anji to answer. She left without him. He probably didn’t want to be seen with her anyway, because of the news article and all.
Once again, there was no sign of Otaru at the mess hall. But Keiko DID see Jiro eating breakfast with his usual band of groupies. She kept to her breakfast, and left early to get to class.
There was still no sign of Otaru as the class began to pile in. I don’t see why I should care. I hate him, after all. Keiko spitefully thought.
It was two minutes before the bell, and Jiro finally came in. This worried Keiko more. Otaru was always in before Jiro!!
Jiro sat down, and casually got out his assignment pad.
Keiko watched the doorway, finding herself hoping Otaru would show up.
It was not one minute before the bell rang. Keiko stared at the clock, and then at Jiro, who was completely absorbed in his assignment book. She looked back to the doorway, and up walked Otaru, in a very sorry state.
Keiko felt a sudden chill. Otaru’s left eye was swollen and black. His face had many scratches, including one just below his right eye. His chin had a cotton pad taped to it, and he had his left index finger in a tiny splint.
Keiko’s mouth hung open in shock, and she turned to Jiro, who looked on Otaru with…what almost looked like a look of pity!
Otaru walked to his desk, and sat down, not even glancing at Keiko.
Keiko’s mouth hung open as she watched Otaru take out his books. She looked back to Jiro, who didn’t turn around to torment Otaru with his usual mocking. Jiro kept his eyes on the board, as did Otaru.
Keiko scanned the faces of the rest of the students. None of them seemed to care! Keiko seemed to be the only one to notice!
Wh…what’s wrong with you all?! Keiko thought to herself. She looked back to Otaru. Don’t you see the harm being done?!
She then remembered Anji’s words about Otaru’s reputation:
"He’s well-known…"
Otaru tried to hold his briefcase with his right hand as he lifted his assignment journal with his injured left hand, "Ow-!" he winced, and dropped the book on the floor.
"…but mostly for coming into classes with injuries."
Otaru grabbed his left wrist, and both he and Keiko bent down to pick up the journal. (Keiko seemed to make a large effort to try and be the first to grab it, although it was a bit out of her way.) Otaru picked I up first, and that left Keiko in the middle of the aisle, staring up at Otaru.
Otaru didn’t pause to look at her. He simply straightened up, and opened his journal.
The boys in the classroom all stared at Keiko now. Humiliated, she returned to her seat.
The air was so think in class, you could cut straight through it with a knife. Anji could tell it was eating away at Keiko’s nerves.
"You should just let it go." Anji stared at Keiko’s troubled expression as they ate lunch. "He’ll cool off on his own, you shouldn’t fester his anger."
"That’s exactly it!" Keiko rested her chin on both of her palms, in a frustrated manner. "I don’t get why he’s so mad!! I only risked my own personal safety for his sake!"
"You don’t know anything." Anji flatly said.
Keiko suddenly got weepy. "Can’t you ever explain something without insulting me first?!"
"But it’s so easy!!" Anji cheerfully piped.
"One day, I’ll be better than you at something!" Keiko threatened.
"I’m sure you will be!" Anji gave Keiko a demeaning pat on the head. "Gonna be at practice today? Staci was asking for you yesterday."
Keiko rose her eyebrows. "Did you tell her where I was?"
"No. How was I supposed to know?" Anji shrugged. "Find anything at the library?"
Keiko shook her head. "No clues anywhere. You wouldn’t know the place was haunted."
Anji nodded. "It’s been pretty dead, but it’s only been four days. You can’t expect it to be normal when everyone’s settling in."
"True. Except…" Keiko muttered, her eyes drifting to the side.
"Except what?"
Keiko looked back to Anji, and her straight face quickly morphed into a genki smile. "M’not tellin’!"
"You can’t do that!!" Anji whined.
"Oh, I can’t, can I?" Keiko grinned evilly, enjoying the upper hand for once.
"C’mon Keeeiiii!" Anji begged, leaning over his lunch.
"Your uniform’s getting food on it." Keiko grinned wider.
Anji yelped, and jumped back, wiping off his uniform in a rush.
"But really, you didn’t heart I Monday night?" Keiko asked, her grin fading.
"Hear what?"
"The violin."
"I didn’t hear any violin…" Anji’s voice drifted, and his face lit up. "Ah--!"
Keiko leaned forward. "Yeah?"
"I did have a dream with one, though!" Anji put up an index finger. "Weird, huh?"
Keiko nearly fell face-flat in her lunch. You’re like a brick even when you’re awake!
She quickly regained herself. "I know I heard it! What I don’t understand is—why didn’t anyone else?"
"Maybe it only affects girls?" Anji took a bite of his sandwich.
Keiko rose her hand to bap her brother, but froze. Her angry face switched to one of bewilderment. "Could be."
"The entire thing started when the girl’s choir came to sing in our auditorium during a concert one evening." Anji said. "I don’t remember what boys actually saw it."
"If any…!" Keiko gasped, and suddenly had a determined, if not sneaky, look on her face. She grabbed her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"What’s up, Kei?" Anji asked.
"I wonder if there are any articles in the Phoenix School’s paper…if I could check their archives…" Keiko murmured.
"Why not ask Staci?" Anji chirped. "She’s probably your best bet."
"It’d have to wait `til tomorrow. Katsuhiko’s piled on a mother load of work tonight. I’ll be lucky to get dinner in." Keiko sighed.
"She’ll be bummed. She really seemed to want to tell you something." Anji held up a fist, "And I hate to make Staci-chan upset!!!"
Keiko glared at her brother. "I’m sure with a bat of an eyelash, and a toss of her hair, she’ll make a full recovery."
Anji had stars in his eyes. "Kawaii Staci-chan…!"
Keiko grinned once again. "Now, you can’t spend all your time with Staci! You’ll make Aika and Naoki upset!"
"What’s a man to do?" Anji sighed.
"Get a hose." Keiko replied, picking up her tray.
Anji went to her side. "Want me to bring dinner to you?"
"Would you?" Keiko threw away her trash. "I’d appreciate it."
"Sure." Anji replied. "What do you have next?"
"Gym." Keiko groaned. "My best class."
"Poor baby." Anji grinned.
"Oh, yuck it up!" Keiko whined, and turned face-first into Jiro.
Anji stepped back to give Keiko a clear fall onto the floor. He looked to Jiro. "Afternoon, Jiro-kun."
"Is this squirt giving you trouble?" Jiro smiled at Anji, and kept his stance in front of Keiko.
Keiko grimaced. That no good--! She angrily glared at Jiro from above the rim of her thick glasses. Get him good, Anji!!!
"Nothing for you to worry yourself over, Jiro-kun." Anji smiled back. "Planning to show up for my first match this year?"
"Naturally! I still have your invite, don’t I?" Jiro replied.
Keiko was outraged. She looked to the two seniors. "Wh-what’s going on here?!!" she scrambled up, and faced Anji. "You’re supposed to beat him up real good n’ bloody for me!!"
"Hmm?" Jiro rose an eyebrow.
"Why?" Anji asked.
"Why?!!!" Keiko freaked. "For punching me and totally bashing up Otaru!"
"I didn’t do that to Otaru." Jiro calmly said, his arms folded.
Keiko turned to Jiro. "Liar!"
"I swear. I didn’t lay a hand on him." Jiro closed his eyes. "I don’t work like that."
"Kei, I’d lay off." Anji urged underneath his breath.
"Why should I believe you?!" Keiko took an aggressive stance.
"Ask him yourself. He’ll tell you who did it. It wasn’t me." Jiro opened his eyes. "Really, Fujishige-kun, I’d sit back and take a look around before taking such an aggressive role in the live of the students here. You could prove to be very disruptive, and I won’t stand for my school to have its reputation damaged by a battle-happy transfer student."
After giving that short speech, Jiro turned around, and walked away.
Keiko stood by the trashcan in silence, and the wind softly blew. Anji walked up behind his sister.
"He got you good that time…" he whispered in an extremely serious voice.
Keiko’s eyebrow twitched, and with a hand of lightning, she grabbed her brother’s ear and yanked him down. "I will NEVER be out-classed by that upper-classman! He must have a weakness…everyone does! All I have to do is find it, and then I will avenge Otaru!!!"
"I thought you hated Otaru…!" Anji whined, squirming in his quite uncomfortable position.
Keiko blinked in realization, "Oh, that’s right." She let go of Anji, and cleared her throat. "Either way, his arrogance is a crime, and I must punish him!"
Anji rubbed his ear. "Do you just go around looking for trouble, or do you honestly don’t know what you’re doing?!"
"All right! Now you begin plan ‘KEI-CHAN’S REVENGE’!!!!" Keiko pushed up her uniform sleeves, and put an aggressive step forward towards the library, only to spin on her heel, and go the opposite way. "But first, gym class!"
"Good idea." Anji sweatdropped.
Minutes seemed to drag on forever that evening. The only thing Keiko heard was the soft hum of the air-conditioner, and the tedious scratching of pencil lead on notebook paper. Her gauze hung over her desk chair, and her collar was unbuckled.
Keiko looked up to her clock. It read 5:45 p.m. Practice should be wrapping up…Keiko thought.
Her ears pricked as she heard the soft hum of the violin. She dropped her pencil, and stood up. She looked around the room in a panic. The sun hadn’t even set yet, and it had already come out to haunt her!
Where’s it coming from?! Keiko’s eyes searched the room. It continued to play. She ran to the music hall, and with a shaky hand, she threw the door open, and barged in. She held her breath, bracing herself for what she was about to see.
"…nothing?!" Keiko gasped, standing in the middle of an empty music hall. A tiny droplet of sweat ran down her heck as she heard the violin still playing. She looked up the wall of the hall, where a small window was cracked a bit.
Keiko grabbed a chair, and put it up against the wall. Climbing onto it, she reached up to the window, and pushed it further open. The violin-playing grew louder as it played through the window. She leaned forward a bit more to push it further open, but nearly fell off when it suddenly popped completely off!
Keiko desperately waved her arms around in a frantic attempt to keep her balance. She grabbed the frame of the window, and with much relief, remained in her chair. She silently let out a sigh, and once again leaned forward to look out the window. She stuck her head out, and in the distance saw the tennis courts. She turned her head a bit, and looked up.
"Sounds like it’s coming from the roof…" Keiko murmured beneath her breath.
A large hand slapped her on the backside. "Time to get down, man!"
Keiko screamed and hit her head on the top of the windowpane. Her glasses fell off of her face as she tumbled to the ground.
A man with dark brown hair in a buzz cut blinked as he examined Keiko, sprawled on the floor.
Keiko opened her large hazel eyes, and blinked a few times. She turned her head to find her glasses.
"Ever heard of ‘Dude Looks Like a Lady’?" the man laughed. "Man, you’re it!"
Keiko grabbed her glasses, sat up, and silently slipped them on.
"Whoa…the whole ‘glasses-hides-the-looks’-thing!" the guy responded. "Chicks gotta love that!"
Keiko stood up, and realized she wasn’t wearing her gauze. In a snap, she folded her arms over her chest. "…w-where’s the violin music coming from?"
"Dude, the jammin’s happenin’ up on the rooftop." The guy’s eyes lit up. "Dude! Like ‘Fiddler on the Roof’! Man, I love teachin’ at this school!" the man rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, yeah! The name’s Mitsui Ken, I’m assistant band director."
"Fujishige Kei." Keiko said, and looked to the window. "Any idea who’s playing?"
"Never checked, man. We’ve got a killer violin section! Could be lots of people…Daisuke, Chage, Kakeru, most likely…Ryuichi...Touma…"
"Thanks!" Keiko blurted before running out of the music hall. She wasn’t about to waste any time! She ran to the stairwell, and began climbing up to the second and third stories. She began to get a bit blue in the face, for running with nothing to hold her rather intruding bust still was extremely uncomfortable.
The violin music remained constant as she passed the third story, and ran past the fourth.
Her breathing became a steady pant. The song…for sure it was the same one she heard two nights ago! Now she would discover the player!!
Keiko’s thoughts were interrupted when she collided head-first with another student. The force of the collision caused Keiko to fall forward, pushing the other student back.
"I’m sooo sorry!" Keiko gasped, scrambling up. "Lemme help you up!" she extended a hand to help the student stand, and finally got a good look at the latest victim of one of her klutz attacks.
Her heart felt like it froze. Her extended arm suddenly felt like jelly.
"O…Otaru…" she peeped as she stared at the wounded Senior.
Otaru looked at her with a blank face, and took her hand to be pulled up.
As Otaru tugged on her arm, Keiko forgot to tug back, and just fell forward over one of his shoulders.
Otaru blinked, and looked to her dangling over his right shoulder. "You’re tiny for a Junior."
Keiko blushed, trying to hold in a yelp as she felt her breasts press against Otaru’s shoulder blade. She prayed the he didn’t feel them. Or, if he did, he’d have no idea what they were…
Keiko laughed, and stood, "Yeah, well…" she hugged her arms, once again hiding her bust. "…you’re…not mad at me anymore, huh?"
"Mad at you?" Otaru tilt his head back, and laughed. "You were mad at me! You’re the one who said you hated me!"
Keiko blinked in awe, "…but in class…"
"I was about to ask if you were not made at me anymore!" Otaru smiled, and waved his injured left had dismissively, "With that said, I guess we could amend things here and now, if you like."
Keiko smiled. "I’d like that."
Otaru used his right hand to push himself up, as Keiko pulled him up by his left elbow.
"Who wouldn’t?" he stood, and used his right index finger to itch just above the cotton pad on his chin. "I guess it’s official then! We don’t hate eachother!"
Keiko laughed in reply. "I’d say!"
"Well, I’m sure we’d have a jolly time celebrating this occasion…" Otaru turned, and looked over his shoulder before taking a step down the stairway. "But my homework load tonight is nothing to sneeze at."
"Yeah, same here." Keiko replied. In the back of her mind, a thought brew. I’m as articulate as a gorilla compared to him…how does he do it?!
"Breakfast, then!" Otaru said as he went down the stairs.
"Okay!" Keiko called, unfolding her arms. She beamed, relieved to be on good terms with her only real friend in the academy.
Even bandaged up, he still has a darling smile…Keiko thought in silence.
…SILENCE?!
The violin music was GONE!
Keiko grabbed the sides of her head, and let out a moan. "Noooo…!!! I got distracted!"
Keiko moped all the way back to her bedroom.
"Hmm?" Anji looked up from his desk as Keiko quietly closed the door behind her.
Keiko’s shoulders rose as she took in a slow breath. Abruptly, she jerked her head up and grabbed her head again. "I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!"
Anji screamed in fright as Keiko let out her sudden outburst. As she finished, Anji grabbed his chest, and panted heavily to catch his breath.
As he did so, Keiko threw herself on her bed, and sighed. "I can’t believe I got distracted right when I was about to nail the culprit!"
Anji blinked, giving his sister a flat stare. He turned back to his homework. "Lemme guess…either you ran into handsome Headmaster Obari, or--"
"HA! Wrong!" Keiko sat up, and proudly extended an index finger. "It turns out Otaru and I will be eating breakfast together tomorrow."
"Well, good for you." Anji didn’t look up from his schoolwork. "Dinner’s on your desk."
"Ooh! Yummies!" Keiko jumped into her desk chair, and dug in. "Ack! Nonono! Not on my English homework!"
Anji sighed as he overheard Keiko’s blundering babble. His eyes lifted when he heard a knocking at the door. He rose from his seat, and answered the door.
A young student stood in the doorway. "Phone call for Fujishige Kei from Mitsui Staci."
Anji widely smiled, and Keiko lifted her stuffed face to look to the doorway.
The siblings raced eachother to the phone. Keiko did her best to force down the rice in her mouth, and was easily passed up by her much more physically fit brother.
"Staci-chan!" Anji picked up the receiver, "Kei’s real busy right now, but I can relay any messages you have fooOOOWWW!!!"
Keiko grabbed her brother’s hair and yanked h is head back. "Fork it over, Anji!"
"OW! My--! Kei--!" Anji whined.
Keiko snatched the phone from him, and shoved him out of the way. She put the receiver to her face. "Sorry about that."
"Don’t worry about it. I know how brothers are." Staci replied. "Say! Have you run into my genius of a brother yet?"
"You have a brother here?" Keiko’s eyes widened.
"He’s not a student, he’s the assistant band director."
"Ken!" Keiko gasped. "I thought there was something weird about him!"
"Well, DUH! Of course, it’s obvious he’s bizarre, but he’s my brother, too." Staci sighed. "I love him and all, but he’s a bit crazy, if you ask me."
Keiko sweatdropped. "I knew his last name was Mitsui, but…" she nervously laughed. "I didn’t put two and two together."
"Some investigator." Staci sarcastically replied.
"I’m so pathetic!" Keiko whimpered.
"Lemme guess. No leads?"
"One. And it’s leading me on a wild goose chase." Keiko began to realize Anji was jumping around her, trying to get her attention. "One sec." She looked to Anji. "Do you gotta pee of something? Don’t let me stop you."
Even Anji could hear Staci laughing on the other side of the line.
"No." Anji replied through clenched teeth. Slumping, he turned to return to their room. "I wanted to ask Staci out tomorrow…"
Keiko blinked, and directed her attention back to the phone. "Hey, Staci, would you like to go out with Anji tomorrow?"
"Sure! After practice?"
"Sounds good. After practice is fine." Keiko watched Anji zip to her side, hugging her leg and lovingly nuzzling it in gratitude. "Yeah. Great. I’ll tell him it’s on." She glared down to her brother.
Anji flashed her a weak smile, and backed off. He walked back into their room, leaving the door open.
"And I’ll make sure he takes a potty break before he leaves!" Keiko said in a tone loud enough for Anji to hear.
Keiko heard Anji fall off of his desk chair rather loudly.
"Did you see that?!" a student overheard the entire incident down the hallway.
Another student listening nodded. "Fujishige just scored a date with Staci-chan for Amuro!"
"And so easy!" a third student added.
"Just like that!" a found one chimed.
A fifth student intervened. "Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?"
All five exchanged glances, and nodded.
"Anyway, I was about to ask you…" Keiko drifted off when she heard a huge thundering of footsteps.
"Keiko-chan? What’s wrong?" Staci asked.
Keiko soon found herself being mobbed by Juniors and Seniors.
"Fujishige-kun! Please set us up with Staci-chan!"
"Staci-chan, we love you!"
"Fujishige-kun, please!"
"Set me up with Staci-chan!"
"Staci-chan, I can’t live without you!!!"
"Staci-chan!"
"Staci-chan!!!"
All Staci could hear after that was furious screaming on Keiko’s part, and then some short screams on the boys’ parts.
"GET AWAY FROM ME NOW!!!!" Keiko shrieked, kicking and punching and shoving them all away.
Staci held the receiver a few inches away from her face, wincing. Then she heard silence. She brought it back to her ear. "Keiko-chan?"
There was panting on the other side. "I’m fine." Keiko faced the wall. "I gotta make this quick, before Anji finds my gauze hanging over my chair."
"You’re not wearing any…?!"
"Nope. Gotta love black." Keiko paused. "Don’t worry, I’m facing the wall."
"All right. What’s the dish?"
"I need you to find the articles in your paper where it mentions the haunted music hall. Should be somewhere around the Christmas concert last year." Keiko said. "I want copies of everything by tomorrow."
"Sounds easy enough. I’ll get on it tomorrow on free period."
"Thanks, Staci. Say hi to Naoki and Aika for me."
"Sure thing." Staci said. "I’m outta here."
"Yeah." Keiko hung up the phone. She let out a sigh, and turned around. "One down. Now what?" she sighed again, and walked back to her room.
Anji looked up to Keiko with teary eyes. "My pride…is mutilated, thanks to you!"
"Girls like humble men." Keiko sat down at her desk. She snorted a laugh. "Although—bladder control ranks much higher, I’m sure!!!"
Keiko burst into a fit of laughter as Anji threw an eraser at her.
"You’re mean!" Anji whined.
"I’m your sister." Keiko winked.
Keiko undid her ponytail as she walked into the bathrooms. They were pleasantly empty this evening….rather early, actually.
That thought was interrupted by a hard crack and a painful yelp in the far back of the bathroom.
"It can’t be…" Keiko muttered, and dropped her belongings on the floor. "HEY!" she shouted, and ran to the back. "Jiro--!!!" she turned the corner, and stopped. "Otaru!"
Otaru hung over a wooden bench against the wall, shirtless and a bit bloody.
Keiko stood still, and turned to his torturer. The boy wasn’t the chestnut-tressed Jiro…but his blonde companion!
"Koji!" Keiko screamed. "Get away from him!"
The blonde turned around, and glared to Keiko.
Keiko swallowed, and help up her shaky fists. "No more…or I’ll fight you!"
Otaru lifted his head a bit, his lip busted and bleeding. "Don’t…"
"It’s not fair!" Keiko said. "He never fights back. Fight someone who will fight back!"
Koji tilted his head, and smiled. "You’re nuts."
"C’mon…" Keiko lifted her fists a bit higher. "Fight me!"
End Chapter Three