Writing Tougenkyou (An Original Story) Chapter 6 [PG]

[Lady Maiya]

Hi everyone! I've actually tried to merge the sixth chapter with the first post that I made, but it wasn't accepted since it would mean crossing the line of over 6000 characters. So I made a new thread for the sixth chapter instead. I hope it's alright. ^_^
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[CENTER][B]CHAPTER SIX:

When Angels Fall[/B][/CENTER]

"Alright everyone, time's up for your group discussion. I expect all the group outputs to be submitted next week. Class dismissed."

On cue, the school bell rang. Some of the students stood up and made their way towards the canteen while the others who brought their own lunches stayed. While she was among those who brought their own, Chie always ate her lunch outside with her friends, their favorite area being the Cherry Blossom tree nearest to the river.

On the way out, she passed by Naoya, who was currently kindly turning down the offers of some of the LAFC. "I'm sorry, I know you've all prepared these, but my sister has already prepared my lunch for me. She'll be terribly upset if I don't eat it. And I can only eat with one bento..."

Instead of getting mad or being upset themselves, the LAFC sighed dreamily in unison. "Naoya-sama is truly an angel..."

"Um, Obinata-kun..."

The boy did not turn. "What?"

"...what about our group project?"

"Didn't we discuss it already? Or did you not understand your part?"

Chie swallowed. "I..I did. I..I just wanted to know if there's something else I could do...you know, to make it better..."

Naoya picked up an onigiri from his bento. "Well, there is something you could do."

Her face brightened, and she leaned closer. "Yes?"

"You could...leave me alone and let me eat in peace."

Chie could only just bite her lip to overcome the waves of pain, confusion, sadness and disappointment she was experiencing. Not only that, the loud laughter of the students echoed in her ears, which had become red from humiliation.

She immediately left the room, tears brimming in her eyes. [I]Why has Obinata-kun become so mean?! Did I do something wrong?! I must have...he..he is nice to everyone else but me![/I]

During the first few days she thought he was only busy from preparing numerous activities, but it had been this way for two weeks already!

[I]What's going on...?[/I] Chie thought to herself. As she rounded the corner, she didn't notice that a foot suddenly stuck out from behind it. [I]Why is---[/I] "ACCCKKKKK!!!!" Her arms flailed wildly before she fell down to the floor, her foot having caught in it.

She sat up, rubbing her aching knee. "Owwww......who put that rock on the floor...?"

"That was my foot, you moron."

That feeling of impending doom soon draped upon her again, as she looked up hesitatingly at Ichiro's cold blue eyes. "You...you tripped me!!"

The boy crossed his arms. "A very intelligent deduction, Miss Obvious."

"What did you do that for?"

"Your face is a sight to behold. That's why I was going to place it to where it truly belongs..." Ichiro turned his back at her, placing his hands inside his pockets. "...the floor."

Chie was unable to speak as he walked away, but as the snickers which came from her surroundings grew louder, she could feel her blood boil. She clenched her fists, and stomped her way out of the building and into the school grounds. PI]That?s it! This is too much!![/I]

The tears had already gone out, and were already running down on her cheeks, but no longer did she feel sadness. Rather, anger was in its stead. She needed to seek solice with her friends. "Those bastards!!!!" She cried, causing Eiichi, who was currently strumming on his guitar, to jump slightly.

"Chie-chan!!" He said, looking at her as she plopped down on the ground. "You startled me!!" Then he leaned closer to her. "Are you actually angry?"

"What does it look like?!" She snapped, taking Eiichi aback.

[I]This is unusual! Chie-chan never gets angry![/I] He thought, blinking incredulously.

She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'm sorry, Ei-kun. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that...it's just that these past two weeks has been hell for me..."

It didn't take him long to figure out what she meant. "Oh. I see they're still doing stupid stuff at you..."

Chie nodded. Cherry blossom petals fell down across their shoulders, and some landed at the river surface. "I can't understand why they're acting that way, especially Obinata-kun! He's normally kind and polite towards me, but now....he and Daishi-san always look for ways to dispute me whenever I recite in class, he makes snide comments at me, and ignores my suggestions regarding class projects" She sighed again, then looked back at Eiichi. "...and Daishi-san! I mean, I know he already hates me, but lately he has been acting unbelievably mean! Last week, he placed a dead cockroach in my locker! Three days ago, he stole my school

shoes! And just awhile ago, he tripped me! In the hallway! In front of so many people!"

"That mean, huh?" Eiichi punched his fist against his palm. "I say we fight back!"

"Fight back?! Ei-kun, you're dealing with the two biggest persons of the whole school here! It's like you're facing the gods themselves!" She laid a hand upon her aching temple. "What should I do?"

"Well, there's only one thing left..." He reached into his pocket and took out a cd walkman. "Listen to this. It'll tell you what to do." He held out the earphones towards Chie.

She took it, though a bit hesitant. "What is it?"

"It's from a Broadway Musical. It's one of my favorites. It should give you some inspiration."

She nodded and placed them upon her ears. Eiichi pushed the play button, and Chie could hear the beginnings of a song.

[CENTER][B][I]"I'm not wearing underwear today,

No I'm not wearing underwear today

Not that you probably care

Much about my underwear

Still none the less I gotta say

That I'm not wearing underwear today."[/I][/B][/CENTER]

Eiichi could feel his sides splitting from laughter upon seeing Chie's shocked face, and was nearly hit by the rock she threw at him. "Hahahahaha!! That look is priceless, Chie-chan!!!"

She, however, was definitely not amused, and she was starting to feel angry again. "NOT funny."

Her friend wiped the tears from his face, his laughter subsiding into chuckles. "You're right, I'm sorry. But I do have a purpose for making you listening to that."

Chie crossed her arms. "Hrmph. I'd say it was rather pointless."

"That's just it."

"I mean, think about it, Chie-chan. You getting so worked up about a couple of guys with egos bigger than the sun and moon combined is rather pointless. It's not worth your energy at all. There are a lot of things you can get yourself worked up in, like joining clubs or other school activities."

"Well then, let me remind you just who are the people responsible for those clubs and activities," She began to count with her fingers. "Obinata Naoya is the Student Council President, as well as the Basketball Varsity Team Captain. Daishi Ichiro is the head of the school orchestra."

"You're only bothered by that because you're letting them intimidate you, Chie-chan."

"What's there to intimidate? They've only got the backing of the whole school population." She said sarcastically.

Eiichi shook his head. "Yae-chan, Rei-chan, and I are part of the school population but we don't back them. And you're only talking about most of the female student population. What about the male students? And I'm sure that there are a few female students out there who choose not to be in the LAFC or the DAFC. What I'm saying is, there are a whole lot of people out there who would gladly be your friends. You should meet and interact with them, and not limit your world to just those two." He placed his guitar on his knee. "And the reason they're acting this way towards you is that THEY'RE the ones who are intimidated by you, Chie-chan."

"What? Intimidated by me? Why?"

"For years now, only Obinata and Daishi have reigned the top two spots of the Hana. But then suddenly you come in, taking the second place in just one swing. Obinata is pissed because you suddenly outranked him, and Daishi sees you as a threat especially since there is only a 0.5 difference in your averages. The solution? Kick you out of the school."

It took a lot of time for all this to sink in, but when Chie finally understood, it was her turn to punch her fist against her palm. "So that's their plan, huh?! Those scheming, ruthless, (I won?t say stupid because obviously they?re not) cruel cowards! Well, I'll have them know that Saeki Chie will graduate from high school in THIS campus!"

Eiichi grinned, as he started to strum his guitar again. "Like the song says..."

[CENTER][B]?Hikari to kage no rabirinsu daijobu dayo kitto

Mou ichido ashita e to aruki dashite miyou yo?[/B]

[I](I'm in a labyrinth of shadows and lights, and I know that it's okay

Because tomorrow's nightmares have already been destroyed)[/I][/CENTER]

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Author's Notes:

Hi everyone! Here's the sixth chapter! Phew, for a moment there I thought I was stuck in writer's block! Luckily I somehow managed to pull myself out of that spot, and even somehow put in a Tanaka segment, hehehehe. Please feel free to answer the question, alright? Anyways, here are the stuff to clarify in this chapter:

1. In Japan, the school year starts in April, which is in the Spring Season. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom in this season.

2. If you're wondering about the underwear song, that is indeed from a broadway musical entitled "Avenue Q". I haven't actually seen the musical yet, but my friend's professor had the students listen to the soundtrack. In turn, she had me look at the lyrics, and that's where I got the idea.

3. If you're wondering about the other song, it is a Japanese song entitled "Hikari to kage no Labyrinth" (Labyrinth of Light and Shadow). Although I haven't actually heard the song yet, I thought the lyrics fit the story.

4. Bento - lunch box

5. Onigiri - rice ball


[CENTER][B]CHAPTER SEVEN:

Transition[/B][/CENTER]

[I]The next two weeks proved to be a period of regaining of inner strength and self-esteem for Chie. The daily insults and pranks thrown at her by the Angels and their respective fan clubs were still occurring, but instead of pulling back and crying over it as she used to, she held her ground firmly.

Naoya's snide comments would bounce back with her own remarks...[/I]

"...that is all, Kagasaki-sensei."

"Hrmph," The Light Angel crossed his arms. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard."

Chie looked back at Naoya, crossing her own arms. "That's funny, I thought the very same thing with what you said."

[I]...and Ichiro's pranks would now often backfire because she was prepared.[/I]

Once, Chie held out an empty jar when she opened her locker. A frog hopped out, and fell straight into the jar.

She placed on the lid, and held up the jar at eye level. "Aww, did the big red demon steal you away from your home? Don't worry, I'll bring you back to your home after school..."

Nearby, an anger vein popped onto Ichiro's temple. "Big red demon?!"

[I]As time passed, Chie found herself not fearing class recitations anymore. True, there were times when she would be put down by the criticisms of both Angels, but there were times that her answers would embarrass them, and with that she couldn't help but cry out in triumph or even make faces once their backs were turned. By the end of April, Chie felt like she was now back on track.

Her friends had different ways of helping out though. Under the leadership of Eiichi, they formulated their own version of [B]"How to get back at the Two Angels/Demons for making your friend miserable"[/B].

Take the Ichiro's case for example...[/I]

Classes have ended, and both Ichiro and Sadaharu made their way to their respective lockers.

"Yo Ichi-kun," Sadaharu began. "Did you get that last item in the test? The [I]Challenge[/I] one?"

"Tch. Piece of cake." The Dark Angel said, running a hand through his hair. (Somewhere nearby, loud DAFC-sounding squeals could be heard.)

"Heh, good for you." His friend said, opening his locker. "By the time I figured out the answer it was already time to pass the papers."

Ichiro shrugged and opened his own locker. But suddenly, what looked like a little pink blob leapt from the locker right into his arms. "What the hell?!?!"

"Sqquuuuuueeeeee!!!!"

The boy bent his head, and found himself looking down at a small round-eyed piglet. Shocked, he took a step back, letting go of the animal in the process. "O---oi!!!!

Sadaharu blinked, looking from Ichiro to the pig and back. "I didn't know you had a pet."

"It's not mine. I don't know how--hey! Let go, pig!" Ichiro shook his right leg in an attempt to keep the piglet from clinging to it.

"Squeeeee!!!"

Ichiro shook his leg harder. But the pig kept on clinging, and the poor thing looked like it was going to get knocked out of consciousness.

"Oi, you're making it dizzy, Ichi-kun!"

"Sqqqquuuuuueeee!!!"

The Dark Angel's patience was wearing thin. "Fine! That'll get it to let go of my leg!"

A dark shadow suddenly hovered over both boys.

"Uh oh...." Sadaharu said, not even daring to look.

[B]"IIIIICCHHHHHHIIIIIIRROOOOOO-CCCHHHHHAAAAANNNNNN!!!"[/B] Came a tenor voice, causing Sadaharu and Ichiro to cringe.

Principal Tanaka hopped over to stand in front of Ichiro's raised leg. "What is this?! My beloved nephew, as cute as this little Buta-chan is, you know the rules." He twirled, sending cherry blossom petals all over the area. "[B]NO PETS ALLOWED IN SCHOOL!![/B]" He sang.

Then he picked up the piglet from Ichiro's leg. "Buta-chan...I hate to say this...but you have to go." Then he literally kicked the poor piglet. "Bye, Buta-chan!!!!"

"[B]SQQUUUUUEEEEEEEE!!!![/B]" It cried as it flew out of the building.

Principal Tanaka sighed heavily, placing a hand over his chest. "It is with a heavy heart that I tell you, Ichiro-chan, this is your first warning. I hope there won't be a second one." With that, he twirled out of the area.

Outside the building, Yae tearfully held an unconscious piglet on her lap. "So-se-ji-chan! I'm so sorrryyyy!!!"

Eiichi scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Er, that wasn't supposed to happen..."

Yae stood up and glared at him with fire in her eyes. "This is all your fault, you [B]BAKA!!!![/B]"

The boy slowly backed away, feeling another chase coming on. "Oh dear..." As his fuming childhood friend started to walk, he turned and broke into a run. "Help!! [B]Kaiiiiijuuuuuu!!!![/B]"

As for Naoya...

After giving a few instructions to his fellow officers, he went straight to his locker to change into his school shoes. But his actions were suddenly halted when he saw that they weren't there.

"Where are my shoes....?"

It wasn't his nature to be immediately suspicious, and figured that someone might have opened his locker by mistake. At that moment, Rei was passing by, and Naoya thought it a good idea to ask her. "Excuse me, Yakuta-san?"

"Yes?"

"Have you seen anyone hanging around here earlier?"

The girl shook her head. "I just got here myself."

"Oh."

"Is something wrong?"

Naoya crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Well, my school shoes are missing. I imagine someone might have opened my locker and might have gotten it by mistake."

The girl named Uboshita appeared in front of them all of a sudden. "[B]WHAT?![/B] Did I hear right?! Your school shoes are missing, Naoya-kun?!"

The boy nodded in answer. "Yes..."

"Hold on," Uboshita said, "I think I saw a pair somewhere...I'll be right back!!!" She left the area, and looked around briefly. She then spotted an unsuspecting boy and grabbed a hold of him. "I'll take this, thank you!!"

Before the boy could resist, she grabbed his shoes and immediately ran back to Naoya and Rei. "Here, Naoya-kun!!! I found them!!!"

Naoya's expression brightened, and he gratefully took the offered items. "Thank you, Uboshita-san! Where did you find them?"

"Ummmm......" Uboshita looked away briefly, before turning back to him, grinning. "...I found them by the hallway. Whoever took your shoes was a jerk for not returning them to you."

"It's fine. So long as I have them back." The boy said, putting them on. [I]Besides, it's the only pair I have.[/I] He added to himself. He looked up and smiled at Uboshita. "Thank you again, Uboshita-san. I owe you one. And I'm sorry to trouble you, Yakuta-san. I'll see you girls in class." With that, he waved at them and left.

"Naoya-kun....." Uboshita sighed, hearts in her eyes.

However, what happened on that day kept on repeating on the succeeding days. Naoya opens his locker, finds his shoes missing, Uboshita runs off to take the shoes of unwary boys and gives them to Naoya, which he accepts thinking that they were his.

Rei, after having just witnessed the latest "shoe incident", went off to her own locker. As she opened it, she let out a quiet sigh. "Oh my, I'm running out of space..." She said, looking at the more than twenty pairs of boys shoes piling up inside.

She stiffened however, as an arm went past her head, the hand laying itself upon one of the lockers nearby.

"Oh, so that's where they all went."

Rei looked up at Sadaharu, not knowing what to say.

He smiled in amusement. "I knew it was someone who kept on hanging around the lockers at this time."

She raised her pointer finger against her lips, a pleading look in her eyes. "It's for Chie-kun..."

Sadaharu pulled back, straightening himself up. "Don't you worry your little head. I don't particularly care for Obinata." He turned, and just as he took a few steps away from her, he stopped. "Take care not to get yourself caught, it won't look good for your ranking." He waved without turning back, and continued on his way.

Rei could only stare at him as he left...

[I]These incidents continued on for some time, but were eventually stopped because Chie had found out about her friends' activities. As grateful as she was (and there were even times when she laughed at their stories) and despite their protests, she wouldn't allow them to continue.

In the succeeding days, the initial tensions which had started on the first day subsided. There a few quirks here, and a couple of arguments there, but these were only because of the conflicting reasons between individuals.

For example, one does her best to excel despite the lack of support from most people.

Another one tries keep others from taking his place.

And still another struggles to retrieve what he has lost.

Such was the flow of lives within Tougenkyou.

[CENTER][B]Beloved Author Maiya-sama

Proudly Presents[/I]


TOUGENKYOU

First Season: Spring's Warmth[/B][/CENTER]

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[B]Author's Notes:[/B]

Hi everyone! Here's the seventh chapter! You know, truth be told, I was actually stuck in writer's block for awhile. I didn't know what to write, and when I finally came up with an idea, it took me another while thinking of how to write it. Fortunately I managed to overcome the dreaded state. Phew. Anyways, I've got a lot of things to explain in this chapter:

1. For one thing, notice that the font styles were interchanged. That was intentional. It was my way of writing a transitional chapter. Now what do I mean by a transitional chapter? The first six chapters were actually parts of the introductory phase of the story. These were the areas where I established the setting and brought in the major and minor characters. The seventh chapter is the transition, where I move from the introductory phase into the story proper itself.

2. As you may have noticed, there was a sequence at the end of the chapter. This marks the start of the first of four installments of [B][I]Tougenkyou[/I][/B], patterned after the four main divisions of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.

3. Classes in Japan start in April, during the spring season.

4. [B]-sensei[/B] - teacher.

5.[B]Buta[/B] - pig. Pirincipal Tanaka doesn't know the pig's name, so he calls it "Buta-chan" instead.

6.[B]So-se-ji[/B] - now we find out that this is the pig's real name (and that it belongs to Yae). Literally, it means "sausage". Hehehehe.


[CENTER][B]CHAPTER EIGHT:

The Class President[/B][/CENTER]

"Stand. Bow. Sit."

The voice of the class president was quiet, yet everyone in class followed the voice's instructions completely as their homeroom teacher, Mr. Kagasaki, entered the room.

"Good morning, class." The handsome, golden haired and golden eyed man smiled at his students.

"Good morning, Kagasaki-sensei!" Chie joined in the enthusiastic greeting of her classmates.

"First off, I have a few announcements to make. As you all know, we will be conducting our annual school field trip this term." The teacher smiled as a low buzz of excitement occurred in the classroom. "Our principal has given us the freedom to choose our destination, provided that it is of course, educational. Now to be fair, we will be voting on the destination." He turned to look at the girl seated at the second row. "Ebisawa-san, since you're the class president, will you help me?"

She nodded in return. "Yes, Sensei." She stood up and walked towards the board, taking a chalk in hand, then faced the class.

As the teacher and the class president stood side by side, Chie gasped slightly for a moment, then smiled in amusement. It was the first time she had noticed, but their golden eyes were so strikingly similar that they could have been mistaken for brother and sister. The only difference was that Tadako's were wider and more childlike.

A hand shot up.

"Yes, Hachiborei-san?"

"How about the Tokyo Tower, Kagasaki-sensei?"

"But we've already been there last year! It certainly won't be any different!" A student argued.

"Yeah maybe so, but the girls there this year will definitely be." The boy grinned, and the class laughed.

After which, there was a continuing show of hands and a series of nominations were made. Throughout it all, Mr. Kagasaki patiently accommodated all the students' suggestions, and Tadako faithfully wrote down each proposal.

This was one thing that Chie admired about the class president. Tadako is a patient and obliging girl, always willing to hear out what others want to say and is never seen getting angry at anyone at all. She was also amazed at Tadako's ability to command respect and authority even though her voice was soft and quiet and her physical appearance was like that of a child.

"Okay, who are voting for the Hiroshima Peace Park?"

Chie joined in the string of hands, and as fate would have it, the Hiroshima Peace Park was now the official choice of destination for the annual school trip.

"Hrm," Mr. Kagasaki seemed a bit thoughtful at this unique turn of events, but remained optimistic. "Hiroshima is very far from Akita, so I am not sure how the principal would react to this. But I will definitely try to convince him to allow us this destination. After all, majority wins, right?" He winked.

At this, the girls clapped loudly and the boys hooted in approval.

"Now, our next agenda will be the changing of seating arrangements. Ebisawa-san, you may now have the floor."

This time, Tadako lead the activity. Unlike in Chie's old school where the class president would always resort to drawing lots, Tadako already made an organized pre-arrangement of seats which she read from a piece of paper. It was clearly shown how she took everyone, friends and enemies alike, into account. Naoya and Ichiro were seated on opposite sides of the classroom, and Chie found herself next to Eiichi and a vacant chair. By the end of the movement, the class was settled and astonishingly, everyone was happy with the new arrangement. Perhaps this was one reason for the students' respect towards the girl--she always takes care of each one no matter what the circumstances may be.

She wasn't a snob either, as Chie had found out one afternoon when they were both given the task of classroom cleaning.

"Saeki-san, I heard from Nagai-san that you play a musical instrument?"

Chie, though a bit surprised by the sudden question, nodded in answer. "Yes, I play the cello."

"Oh, so you are a musician. Just like Daishi-san."

"Kind of. Though I'm not as famous or as good as him."

"You don't have to be famous. You only have to love what you're doing." She walked over to her bag and pulled out what seemed to be a rolled-up poster. "Do you like art, Saeki-san?"

"By art, you mean by painting, sculpting, and sketching?"

The class president nodded.

"Well," Chie began thougthfully. "I'm not as knowledgeable as art critics, but I do know how to appreciate good work."

"I see." Tadako nodded. Then, she placed the rolled poster upon Chie's hand. "Here, put this up."

The girl did as she was told, unrolling stapling the poster at the class's [B][I]Goal of the Month[/I][/B] board. It was a beautifully decorated poster, with an array of watercolors depicting the sky and a powerful phrase written at the center:[B][I] Live by the minute with full trust in your capabilities.[/I][/B] Chie glanced at Tadako, astounded. "Sometimes I wonder if you are a psychic of some kind."

The golden-eyed girl laughed, and Chie found herself joining in moments later. They were so engrossed at their amusement that they failed to notice someone enter the classroom.

"Bonjour, ladies. May I know the cause of your enjoyment?"

Both girls turned to look at an amiable-looking smiling boy. Chie did not know him personally, but she recognized him as one of the students from the other class.

"Kadoma-kun!" Tadako cried in pleasant surprise.

Chie thought that the class president's demeanor had somehow brightened, and saw a low blush had formed upon her cheeks. She grinned inwardly.

[I]Ooh, I believe things have just gotten interesting...[/I]

The boy walked up to them, his smile not leaving his lips even for a second. Chie was immediately struck by the unique orange hair that was cut short, and which one might consider as a bit unruly. His laughing eyes were a dark blue, and although he was a bit shorter than the other boys in their class, he carried himself with confidence.

"Are you sure this should be up here?" He said, looking up at the poster. It was only then that Chie noticed that there was a hint of French within his smooth and cool voice.

"Of course," Tadako followed his gaze. "In fact, such beautiful work should be posted at the school bulletin board, for everyone to see everyday."

Kadoma glanced back at the girl. "I would rather have you see it everyday instead..."

The class president bit her lip and looked down at her feet, the blush on her cheeks deepening even more.

This was both a lovely and entertaining sight for Chie. She felt like giggling, thinking that a million ants might attack the two suddenly because of their extremely sweet disposition. She was also amused at the thought there was actually something that could make the usually calm class president to lose her composure. At the same time, she was pleased to have stumbled on something that was as wonderful as this. It was like a soap opera that she wanted to keep on watching.

However, she also knew that if she did not make her presence known, the cleaning would never be finished and she would never get the chance to be introduced to this mysterious boy who had caught the class president's attention.

And so she cleared her throat. "Ahem."

"Oh!" Tadako exclaimed, with an embarrassed expression. "I'm sorry, Saeki-san!" Quick as lightning, she resumed putting up the other posters.

"Whoa, whoa!" Chie said, laying a hand upon Tadako's arm. Then she leaned in and whispered to her ear. "Please, call me Chie. I was just curious about this prince of yours..."

The color upon the girl's cheeks deepened even more (Who knew there were that many shades of red?). "Oh! Um...yeah.." She straightened up, and started to gesture with her hands. "Kadoma-kun...this is Chie-san, my classmate. Chie-san...Kadoma-kun."

Kadoma tilted his head. "Ah, the famous Saeki-san. The brave rose who broke through convention."

"Kadoma-kun!" Tadako chided. "Chie-san did a good job."

The boy lifted up his hands in defense. "Don't be angry, Mademoiselle. I meant that as a compliment."

Chie chuckled, and moments later the two joined in. After which Chie asked, "So Kadoma-san, what brings you here?"

"I knew it was Mademoiselle's turn to clean," Kadoma began, tilting his head towards Tadako. "So I thought I'd stop by and help. But it seems like I wouldn't have much to do." He gazed at the classroom, now spic and span.

"You really don't have to, Kadoma-kun. It's our job..." Tadako said.

The orange haired boy glanced back at the girl and smiled. "But I want to, Mademoiselle."

A silence ensued, and Chie once again felt giddy from the sweetness these two were emanating. "Well, we do have a few more things to do before we finish. You are welcome to help, Kadoma-san."

Kadoma nodded. "My pleasure."

With Kadoma's help, Chie and Tadako's chores were finished earlier than usual. During the process, Chie was also able to learn more about him. He was an artist, and watercolor painting was his forte, as shown by the poster Chie and Tadako had put up on the board earlier. He was, indeed, of French blood. His father, once a Parisian, moved to Japan to open a small restaurant business which flourished in time. Four years later, he fell in love with a Japanese woman and married her. From the time of Kadoma's birth until he was twelve, they lived in Paris. Then they moved to Akita, where they permanently settled.

"It must have been pretty difficult," Chie commented offhandedly. "For a long time you're used to being in a French school. But now that you're in a Japanese school...I bet you must have had a culture shock..."

Kadoma nodded. "That I did. But your class president made things easier for me." He smiled fondly at Tadako, who promptly looked away and blushed.

He glanced at his watch, then sighed. "I hate to do this ladies, but I have to leave to do some errands."

Tadako shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Kadoma-kun."

"Yeah, we're done anyways," Chie added.

"If that is so, I will take my leave." Kadoma stood up. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Chie-san," He tilted his head towards Chie. "And it is always a pleasure to see you," Smiling, he took hold of Tadako's hand and kissed it lightly. "Mademoiselle."

Once the boy was out of sight, Chie turned to Tadako. "He is really nice, quite a gentleman..."

The class president was still staring at the door Kadoma had exited in. "...he is, isn't he...?" She said warmly.

A playful grin settled itself upon Chie's lips. "...I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Tadako-san."

The warmth and happiness that was Tadako's manner suddenly disappeared, and was replaced by that of sadness. "He isn't."

Chie blinked, surprised. "What? Why? From the way you two acted earlier I thought---"

Tadako cut her off, her voice once again firm and authoritative in the way whenever she was carrying out her duties. "He is not my boyfriend, Chie-san."

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[B]Author's Notes:[/B]

Hi everyone! It's been quite awhile, but I've finally gotten the eighth chapter up! Yay! (dances around) It's all mushiness and waffiness, I know. I never knew I could write this kind of stuff! It's hard though.

Anyways, on to the usual stuff!

1. As you can see, I've added a bit of French into the story, hehehe.

2.[B]Bonjour[/B] - good day

3.[B]Mademoiselle[/B] - this is Kadoma's nickname for Tadako; literally means "Miss"


[CENTER][B]CHAPTER 9:

Meet the Parent[/B][/CENTER]

"I'm home..." Tadako called out as she entered her house.

There was no answer, but the girl did not mind and kept going in anyways. Along the way, she switched on all the lights, until she reached the kitchen. After placing her school bag upon the dining table, she made her way towards the refrigerator. On it were a lot of post-its. Heaps of it in fact, there were so much of these papers that it gave the refrigerator an uncharacteristic yellow color. All were written by the same hand, and almost all were written with the same contents--

[CENTER][B][I]"Ta-chan, I won't be coming home tonight. It's (insert-name-here)'s birthday today. He/She'll be crushed if I won't show up. There's dinner at the fridge. Don't wait up for me. Love ya lots!

-Mom-"[/I][/B][/CENTER]

Tadako opened the fridge, not caring much whether it was a Chiharu or Chimitsu or whoever it was celebrating her birthday. She straightened up, after having taken a plate with a piece of some leftover chocolate cake for herself. Right now, all she could think about was her encounter with Kadoma earlier, and that Chie had seen everything.

[I]It's ironic that a new student such as Chie-san has seen this, the girl thought, as she climbed the stairs towards the direction of her room. I've been very careful to hide my feelings. I guess it was bound to be known sooner or later...[/I]

She opened the door, entered her room, and opened her dresser. From it, she fished out an unfinished yet framed watercolor painting...

---

[I]Two years ago?[/I]

After a day of shopping at the nearest mall, Tadako found out that the road home was blocked due to some construction going on. She would have to take the route through the park instead, though that didn't bother her much since it was the more scenic one anyways.

She especially liked to go through the park at this time of the year, since the cherry blossom trees, together with the hydrangea bushes, were all in full bloom. The gentle wind which blew the petals and leaves across her path made it even more picturesque.

"Beautiful..." She breathed. "I wish I could draw this..." Then she laughed softly. "Yeah right. Like I have the talent for it."

Tadako walked on, enjoying the sights on the way. She stopped however, when something blue caught her eye in one of the benches. As she headed over to investigate, she soon saw it was actually a sketchbook.

"Oh dear..." She said, picking it up. "The owner must have forgotten it..."

In an attempt to find out the name of the owner, she opened the sketchbook and leafed through its pages. Her breath suddenly caught, as soon as she saw what was inside. On each page, was a collection of watercolors depicting a particular scenery. An art lover herself, Tadako had seen many great creations of art, but none compared to the uniqueness of this artist's style.

Out of all the pieces, she liked the one on the last page best. It was an illustration of the park she was in. The trees, the falling leaves and cherry blossom petals, the hydrangea which bloomed amongst the bushes, the benches...all looked as they were caught in a state between dreams and reality. It was indeed, truly nature. The only human feature within the piece was the figure of a female walking down the pathway. Although the face wasn't clearly portrayed, it was obvious that the female was a girl her own age.

"Oniichan! Oniichan!! That girl's stealing your sketchbook!!"

The sudden appearance of a little girl, with a mix of French in her voice, surprised Tadako so much that she dropped the sketchbook.

"WAHHH!!! She dropped it, Oniichan!!!" The little carrot-head ran over to the girl and pointed at her. "You meanie!!! You're going to ruin Oniichan's work!!!"

Tadako, feeling terrible, immediately picked up the item. "Oh, I'm so sorry!! I didn't mean to, I--"

"Kae-chan!" Came a boyish, yet stern voice. "You shouldn't talk like that!"

"But Oniichan! She--"

Tadako looked up to a boy with the same hair color as Kae's. He walked over to the little girl and leaned down a bit. Tadako thought he was going to scold her, but instead his voice was soothing. "I'm sure she wouldn't steal my sketchbook. So don't worry." He patted her head, before straightening up.

"I'm sorry for my sister's words." He bowed in apology.

The golden-eyed girl shook her head frantically and held out the sketchbook. "No, I'm sorry! I saw your sketchbook at a bench, and while I was looking for a name I suddenly got hooked, and..and...I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

The boy smiled, coming closer and taking a hold of the offered item. "It's alright. I'm just glad it wasn't lost. Though it seemed to be in good hands, after all." He winked, causing Tadako to blush.

Kae, after seeing this, crossed her arms and looked away. "Hrmph! Oniichan's just too nice!" But as she saw her brother's look, she sighed and raised her arms in surrender. "Whatever. I'll go play now." With the anger and annoyance gone, Kae skipped off just like that.

The boy let out a loud sigh. "I'm really sorry about that."

Tadako smiled, relieved that the situation was improving for her. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure she just wanted to protect her oniichan's work. Which is rather exquisite, by the way."

"Thank you, Mademoiselle....?"

"Tadako. Ebisawa Tadako."

She was quite taken aback when he suddenly took her hand and lifted up to his lips. "Enchanté, Mademoiselle. My name is Renaudierre Kadoma. That little carrot-top--"

"Hey, you're a carrot-top yourself!" Came a voice from behind some bushes.

"--is my sister, Kae."

Tadako smiled, though the blush hadn't quite subsided yet. "Pleased to meet you, Renau--Rena--Renu---"

The boy chuckled. "Just call me Kadoma."

"...Kadoma-kun." She felt quite embarrassed at not having to pronounce his surname correctly, but his charming smile soothed her. "I must say, you really do have a wonderful talent, Kadoma-kun."

Kadoma bowed again. "Thank you, Mademoiselle. I find the scenery here in Akita inspiring."

"Oh? Have you recently moved here?"

The boy shook his head. "No, we've been here for quite awhile. Though I would be starting in my new school in a couple of days."

"Really? What school are you going to be in?"

The wind picked up a bit, and played around their hair.

"Tougenkyou," Kadoma responded. "Once I heard the name, I couldn't help but love it. It sounds like an artist's paradise."

The golden-eyed girl immediately perked up. "Tougenkyou? That's my school too!"

"Is that so? Then I hope you wouldn't mind me asking you to show me around?"

"Of course not. I'll be glad to." Tadako smiled. "I'm sure once you see it, you'll love it even more."

Kadoma grinned. "With you in there, what's not to love?"

---

Tadako had taken the artwork from the wall, and held it in her hands. At that moment the door burst open, revealing a very happy and very drunk woman with short dark brown hair and styled with two buns at the sides of her head. She had an arm around a man.

"Mom!!" Tadako exclaimed, standing up (though not before hiding the framed art under the blanket) and making her way towards her.

"Taaaaaaaaaaaaa---[I]hic![/I]----cccchhhhhhhaaaaaaa--[I]hic![/I]

"I guess she had a little too much to drink," The man beside her said, grinning, as he was holding her up.

[I]Oh no....[/I] Though she couldn't say she liked the man, Tadako was at least glad that he wasn't as drunk as her mother. "Saito-san, thank you for bringing her here."

"Oh, don't mention it. She's my sweetie-pie Eimi after all," He said, grinning and kissing the older woman's cheek.

Eimi giggled, kissing the man's cheek back. "Awwwww....[I]hic![/I]...you're tooooo scchhwweeeettttttt Reeeiiijiii-kkkuuuuuunnn.....[I]hic![/I]"

[I]This is so disgusting,[/I] She thought, though she kept on holding up her arms to support her mother. "Could you help me bring her to her room, Saito-san?"

To her annoyance, the man chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Sure thing, Ta-chan!"

[I]Don't you ?Ta-chan? me![/I] Her mind screamed. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help but be deeply irritated every time that man was here.

Heck, she gets deeply irritated every time A MAN was here.

Yes, such was the life of Ebisawa Eimi. Traumatized on getting a divorce when her daughter Tadako was only five, she developed this freakish obsession on having relationships. Every time she would break off a relationship with a man, she had to have a boyfriend in two days time else she would do something drastic. Why, there was even an instance when Tadako barely managed to convince her from jumping off a building after being "boyfriendless" for three days.

After she and Reiji had finished helping Eimi onto her bed, Tadako decided it was time to make him leave just in case he was entertaining some unpleasant (for her, at least) thoughts which involved her mother. She bowed politely. "Thank you for your help, Saito-san."

"Like I said, don't mention it." The man grinned.

"I believe Mom would like to rest now," She said, gesturing towards the front door.

"Alright then, I guess I'll take my leave now." He walked out, though he stopped midway. "Are you sure you wouldn't want me to stay? I could play with you. What games do you want? Hide and seek? Monopoly? Or do you want to play horsey-horsey?" He grinned again, tapping his shoulders.

[I]What an idiot,[/I] She thought. "I'm sorry, Saito-san. But I am tired as well. Besides, I am too old for those games now."

Reiji laughed, rubbing the back of his head (though he was not the least bit embarrassed). "Oh that's right! How old are you now, Ta-chan? Eight? Nine? Ten?"

"Sixteen. Good night, Saito-san." Then, she slammed the door in his face. She sighed and shook her head before heading upstairs back into her mother's room. "Mom?" She called, opening the door.

"Mmmrrrghhh.....[I]hic![/I] Reeeeiijiii-kkunn...? [I]hic![/I]"

She sighed again, and walked up to her mother. "No, Mom. It's me..."

"Taaaa-----cccchhhaaaaannn...? hic!" The woman turned her head towards the girl, smiling drunkenly. "....how iiiissss sssccchoooooll? [I]hic![/I] Doooo youuu haveeee a boooyyyfrrrieenddd alllreadddy? Yyyoouuuu looookk iiiinnn loooooveeee...heeeeheeee...[I]hic![/I]"

Her daughter took ahold of her shoes and took them off, then pulled a blanket over her mother's body. "You should rest."

"Mmmhhmmm..." The older woman half-closed her eyes, smiling at the girl. "I [I]hic![/I] don't mind [I]hic![/I] you having a boyfriend [I]hic![/I]"

Tadako only smiled slightly at her mother, before getting up to leave. "Good night, Mom." She was about to turn off the lights when a voice stopped her momentarily.

"Taaa-cchhhan."

The girl looked back. "Yes?"

To her surprise, her mother had sat up upon them and had somehow become sober all of a sudden. She stared at Tadako with a serious expression.

"So long as it's not that artist, Ta-chan."

Tadako was unable to respond for a moment, before smiling slightly at her mother. "I'm not interested in anyone as of yet, Mom."

As quickly as it had appeared, the serious expression upon her mother's face had gone and the drunkenness had sunk in again. "Thhhaaattt'sss

gooooddd toooo. [I]hic![/I] Gooooooddd nnniiiiggghhhhttt."

The lights went off, and the door was closed. Tadako went back to her room, and after changing into her pajamas, lay down upon her bed and let out a frustrated sigh.

[I]Not interested in anyone as of yet, huh? What a lie.[/I]

It was evident that since that day at the park, she had developed an attraction for the French-blooded artist. His talent, his gentleness, his genuine concern for her, and his thoughtfulness to help even when she did not need help had somehow worked their way into her heart. And what's more, he seemed to reciprocate her attraction as well. She had no doubt that when their hands touched and their eyes met, sparks would fly in between them in such a way that had never happened before.

As she stared at the ceiling, an image of a certain orange-haired boy with gentle blue eyes looked down upon her. "I'm in love with him..." She whispered.

But such a relationship between them was forbidden by her mother.

She understood the reason though. It was because Renaudierre Kadoma was an artist.

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[B]Author's Name:[/B]

Hi everyone!! Wee, there's another Tanaka segment! I love these segments because I love knowing what is in your mind, hehehe. Anyways, here's the ninth chapter! I hope you would all enjoy reading it!

Here are the stuff to clear up:

1. The note on the refrigerator which I mentioned is like a template, since the contents in Eimi's notes are almost the same anyways.

2. [B]Oniichan[/B] - What Kae calls her older brother; literally means...well, "brother".

3. [B]Enchante[/B] - "A pleasure to meet you" in French

[size=1][color=red]Since your previous thread was rated PG, I've continued this rating rather than closing your thread. In future, please don't forget to rate your thread. ^.^ -- Lady Asphyxia[/color][/size]