anatomy

Chapter 16

Emilia has to spend Christmas and New Year's with her family, and there are times when she wishes that they could be public about their relationship, because then they could see each other on holidays. But he's busy with his son, and she has to be with her family, so they just see each other whenever they can during the break. It isn't long before the semester resumes, their relationship going stronger than ever.

She meets up with her friends a couple times over the break, and because they've given up on trying to question her about things, she assumes that they're no longer suspicious. But on the first day back to school, while they're at lunch, Emilia gets up to go to the bathroom, and when she comes back out, Erika is waiting for her.

"So, Emichi," she says, "when are you going to stop trying to hide things from me?"

"H-huh?"

"You've been hiding something from us since October, so just fess up already. I get that it must be something big if you've kept it up for this long, but I thought we agreed you could trust me," Erika says.

"It's not..." Emilia looks around to see if there's anyone to overhear before she continues. "I know I can trust you, but this is more serious than that."

"Serious? How serious are we talking here? You seem happier, so I don't think you're in any trouble. You're not in any trouble, are you?"

"I'm not in any trouble, it's a good thing," Emilia insists. "I just can't tell you, alright? It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that if anyone found out, I mean...it could be really bad..."

"Is it Dr. Kishitani?" she asks, and Emilia pauses long enough that it makes it obvious. "Oh my god, it is!" Erika lowers her voice, realizing that she's being a little loud, and whispers, "Are you guys, like, dating or something? Is that what happened? Did something happen between you and you didn't tell me? Is my little Emichi having an illicit affair?"

"You can't tell anyone," she insists. "I know that I can trust you, but you know that this could ruin his career and get him in a lot of trouble, so that's why I couldn't tell you."

"I understand," replies Erika. "I get why you wanted to keep it a secret, but since I guessed it, I have to keep it a secret too. And I will, you don't have to worry. I won't even tell Yumachi, if that's what you want, alright?"

Erika has a sincere smile and Emilia knows that, even though she knows now, she really will do everything she can to keep it to herself. And her friends knowing it might not be that bad, now that she thinks about the fact that they don't talk to many other people- other than Erika with her cosplay club friends. As long as they're careful, everything should be fine.

"We can tell him too," she finally says. "Just as long as you think he won't tell anyone either."

"Who else would he tell?" asks Erika, echoing Emilia's very thoughts.

So they return to the table and Erika says, "You know, I finally got Emichi to admit what she's been up to all this time."

"Yeah? She finally fessed up?"

"You'll never guess what it was!"

"Did she make a move on Dr. Kishitani or something?" he asks, his voice low and casual, and Emilia blushes at how easily he guesses.

"I didn't make a move," she mumbles. "He was the one who..."

"Oh, so he put the moves on you, huh?" asks Erika with a grin. "Man, this is such an intriguing story! You know, I read something like this where-"

"This isn't BL, is it?" interrupts Walker.

"Maybe it is, but that doesn't make it any less applicable, Yumachi!"

"Gross! You're always doing this, but no one wants to hear about your weird fantasies!"

"It's not my fantasies if someone else wrote them. Besides, it's not gross, even you've admitted to liking guys before!"

"Don't throw that back in my face just to prove a point!"

"Well, then, don't interrupt me when I'm trying to Emichi about the most amazing -"

"Don't say another word, Erika!"

It takes them a little while to stop bickering, but once they do, Walker turns to Emilia and says, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I wouldn't want anything to happen to Dr. Kishitani either way, but you're my friend."

"We support you one hundred percent, Emichi!"

She decides not to tell Shingen that her friends know yet, so that he doesn't have anything to worry about, but she is so glad now to have someone to confide in about things. From the beginning, they've been such valuable friends, and she doesn't know where she would be without them.

~X~

Once they're settled back into school, things are just as they were before the semester ended, with Emilia taking what few chances she has to see Shingen outside of school, and the two of them barely acknowledging each other in class. Rumors spread that she's done something to mess up her perfect record and lose her status as the teacher's pet, and though she's briefly teased over that, eventually the bullying slows, with only the occasional jab made whenever someone has something to say about Erika or Walker.

January seems to fly by, and, as the month is coming to a close, Shingen brings up her birthday once again. "I'd really like to do something special to celebrate with you," he says. "Do you think you can get away with faking another sleepover with Miss Karisawa?"

"Well, my birthday is in the middle of the week, so I don't think my parents will care if I want to do something with a friend over the weekend," she replies, trying not to look too excited. What could he have in mind for her?

"I'd like to go out with you," he goes on. "You know, take you some place no one will recognize us, and all that. Romantic, right?"

"Very," she says, almost breathlessly. It's hard not to look overeager, especially because she wants to be able to go on a date with him. He expresses the same desire for a relationship with her, but the nature of their relationship means that they aren't able to do much more than what they already do. No matter how they may try to include romance, it still feels like just another affair.

Going on a date with Shingen would be like a dream come true for her, and the perfect way to spend her birthday. Already, she plans her excuse with her parents, and already, she can't wait for the weekend following her birthday. It'll be Valentine's Day when they get to go out, and she can't imagine anything better.

"I'll make all the arrangements, and we can get away for a little while," he says. "I can hardly wait, Emilia."

He's excited too, which is good to know. She grins at last and says, "Me neither!" By now, she knows that she's falling in love with him- or at least, she assumes, but she's never been in love before- and she wonders if that's something she should express to him or keep to herself.