HEATED RIVALRY • 𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐱 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

TWELVE.

''You wanted to see me?"

You glanced at the student council president, closing the door behind you. A gust of cold air caressed your cheek and tickled your skin. The student council room—this was your first time here—was pristine and luxurious, and was extremely similar to the one in Ouran High School's own club room. Daisei was behind a desk—mahogany, smooth, tastefully done—and he looked up from his pretty eyelashes, giving a cursory nod.

He's as pretty as ever, was all you thought. What kind of parents did he have to have managed to produce someone like him? Good-looking, gentle, stern, responsible? Were they flippant? Were they proud? You had talked to him quite a number of times, but still you realized you knew nothing about him. Yet something was so...awfully familiar about him that you couldn't help but have second thoughts.

''I just wanted to ask how you were doing.''

You were immediately suspicious. Terry hissed in your pocket, almost like it sensed your emotions.

''You called me all the way here for that?''

''It's my job to ensure the student body's wellbeing.''

''Yeah, but I thought that was Kaen's job,'' you pointed out, ''unless he had AIDS, or something.''

''You think he has AIDS?''

''Actually, I Don't know Shit. Isn't that what it stands for? Oh, and HIV stands for horribly infectious virus, if I'm not wrong.'' You shrugged, looking at the incredulous expression on Daichi's expression before you sighed.

''Okay, okay. I'm doing fine. Is that the only reason why you called me all the way here?''

Daichi adjusted the sheaf of papers on his hand, moving them about. You watched his movements: quick, but not hurried. It was simply efficient—and with the smoothness on which he did those, it suggested it had become so ingrained in the routine it had become muscle memory to him. You wondered how tiring this job was to him and if he truly found it rewarding. Daichi was a hard one to read, admittedly.

''Some students have expressed their concerns about you.'' He said at last, and you frowned.

''Concerns? What concerns could they even have? I haven't even done anything to them.''

''The fire?'' Daichi prompted. ''Sticking your hand inside for your phone—metal—if I had to be specific?''

''C'mon. You know I could never miss Dilvei or Li's updates. That's ridiculous,'' you scoffed. ''The day I miss Idris and MC is the day I die. And it's at chapter seventeen yet the erotica hasn't come yet.''

''Letting Terry run havok and biting Tanaka?''

''Hey, he survived. And he probably will get an excuse letter out of exams.''

''[Name], these are legitimate concerns. You could very well be—''

''Expelled?'' You interrupted, ''yeah, go ahead. I don't really care. Worst case scenario I hitch with Inei, or something. I'm only really here for fun or whatever. To be frank, won't you be happy to get rid of me?''

For once, there was a crack in Daichi's perfect facade.

''Expel you? Why would we even—''

''I'm not stupid.'' You sighed, ''make it less obvious, Daichi. I come here, I get led to some forest that people are claiming it's a school garden, I almost die from the flames—I would have, if I wasn't trained by my mother—then Jun comes and rooms with me...the student council is trying to get rid of me. And then there are cases of transfer students leaving somehow.'' You crossed your arms.