[Matsushita POV]
[Location: Class-D]
''Good morning Ayanokouji,'' Kushida called out to the boy who just walked in.
''G-Good morning... Ayanokouji,'' Another girl called out, followed by some more.
''Morning ladies, hope you all had a good night's sleep. I would hate to see avoidable dark circles ruin your beautiful faces,'' Ayanokouji waved back as he made his way to his desk.
He's been the talk of the class for a week since the entrance ceremony. I'm sure every one of us panicked when he revealed the truth about this school to the class. The Advanced Nurturing High School, a gorgeous utopia, literally had our futures in its grip.
And it's scary to think no one would've known without him.
''Sudo a certain bird told me about your endeavors. Apparently, no first-year student is ever chosen to play on the main team this soon. Yet you managed to do it in the first month, no doubt. Very impressive,'' Ayanokouji exclaimed, raising his hand in a high five. The red haired guy gave a cocky smile and returned his high five.
As someone born into a wealthy household, all I had to do was honor my parent's efforts by excelling academically. In that aspect, there was mutual respect for our abilities, and my loving parents raised me in an environment with no constraints on my independence.
Ultimately, I've imagined a variety of possible scenarios for myself. Working as a flight attendant for a major airline or airport, or even marrying a financially successful man, would've been ideal.
Yet, when I started at this school, I was able to set far larger goals for myself. It would be fantastic if I could study at a top-notch university in another country. After that, a plethora of opportunities would present themselves to me. Everything would pretty simple after that.
Sure, I expected some struggles to come my way, but, obstacles are inevitable. Still, I never imagined I would be assigned to Class D, which was actually a class for the so-called "defects".
Ayanokouji finally went to his desk. He sat at his table, his gaze fixed on Horikita. Normally, everyone would see this behavior as delinquent, but Ayanokouji appears to have unique privileges because everyone likes him.
The emphasis is on 'everyone,' because Horikita appears to be ignoring him as she casually reads her book. Of course, Ayanokouji was unfazed and continued to converse with her. Everyone started muttering about how kind Ayanokouji is for trying so hard to talk to Horikita cause no one else in the class would.
However judging by his cold eyes, it's nowhere near that. If I had to guess, he's doing it cause it annoys her. He always seems amused every time Horikita glares at him. I wonder if he's an M.
I tried reading his lips from a distance to figure out what he was saying, but I couldn't.
I've been observing him for a while. Most people would definitely label my activity as borderline stalking, but I disagree. It is not considered animal cruelty when a scientist dissects an animal in the name of science. I am quite similar to that scientist.
I am observing him so I can understand him.
Ayanokouji paused talking for a little moment before swiftly turning his head in my direction, as if he sensed my gaze. My heart rate increased, but I made a conscious effort not to look away, as doing so would make me appear more suspicious. So I held his gaze and smiled at him, but he obviously didn't return my smile.
Ayanokouji went back to talking with Horikita.
-
-
[LOCATION: Karaoke]
''Come on!'' Sato pulled me down a set of stairs that led to the ground floor. I held on tight to her hand, afraid I would lose her as we wove through the crowd of students.
A couple of Class D students, primarily Hirata, wanted to host a little social gathering to get to know everyone, and Karaoke looked like the perfect event. Everyone in the class was invited, but only the social ones came. It's hardly surprising.
Sometime during that event, Sato had pulled me away from the karaoke room to take me somewhere with her. It took me a moment to figure out which direction my friend was going, but we soon found ourselves at the food counter.
We squeezed into a space only big enough for one person. "Two vanilla late," Sato ordered. Just as she reached for her purse, an arm snaked between them and threw down his student ID.
A voice followed, ''Drinks on me.''
Satou and I turned to see a man standing behind us, his brown hair tousled with sweat, so he slicks it back with his right hand.
''Thanks,'' Satou breathed.
''No problem,'' Ayanokouji said while turning his gold eyes to us. ''You girls enjoying yourselves?''
Satou answered quickly, ''Yes. You?''
''Oh...although I am embarrassed to say it, social events aren't really my thing,'' he shrugged his shoulders. ''I need to go get some fresh air.''
I glanced at Satou, who blurted exactly what I was thinking. ''Do you want us to keep you company?''
The man scoffed. ''Although I appreciate the sentiment,'' he said and extended his hand to take back his student ID. ''Don't sacrifice your fun just for me.''
With our drinks in hand, we watched Ayanokouji depart the room, his hands in his pockets. What a shame; I was curious to see how he would act in such a social setting.
''Ahhh, don't you think Ayanokouji is just sooo cool,'' Sato said dreamily. It doesn't take a genius to figure out she likes him.
''Seems weird to me.''
''Huh! Weird how?!'' Sato complained.
''Uhh... I mean I never even seen the guy smile, I don't think anyone has, don't you find that odd.'' I was trying to think it through logically.
''Nope, it just adds more to his charm. Though seeing him smile would be a welcome sight.'' Satou said, feeling giddy.
In a book, I read that the quickest method to gain someone's trust is to smile at them. It weakens their defenses. Yet with nothing more than his icy poker face, this man managed to persuade and ensnare the entire class. I can't even imagine what would have happened if he had openly smiled.
That thought is terrifying, yet thrilling.
Mostly cause I'm curious what a smiling Ayanokouji would look like.
-
-
[Kiyotaka POV]
Rubbing a hand against my forehead, I walked out of the "Karaoke room" as it had been called.
To me, it seemed more like a bar with the lights turned low, loud music that I didn't really like, and a lot of students who really needed to re-evaluate their lives.
Sighing, I went down the steps and started walking along the sidewalk. I took out my AirPods and felt relieved when I heard my usual playlist.
So far, I hadn't had much luck in finding anyone who fit what I was looking for. Admittedly, I was being picky, but I felt like that was acceptable.
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I kept walking. I wasn't starving to death, but I really did want to have a nice meal.
Glancing up and to the side, I crossed by a billboard that showed the time as seven o'clock. Still early.
The several conversations I'd tried to strike up with people in the karaoke had turned into shouting matches due to how loud the music was. And we still hadn't been loud enough to communicate effectively.
I might be a villain, but I still prefer talking like a civilized person.
I came to a halt as I arrived at my location. With no cameras, I proceeded through the deserted alleyway toward the lone female leaning against the wall, waiting for me. She drank a lemon juice box using a straw.
''So how was your day?'' I inquired of the cheerful young lady next to me. ''Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.''
''The same as always, and no. Don't worry Ayanokouji, I left the Kareoke a while ago since I wasn't feeling too good.'' With a groan, Kushida stretched her arms skyward, straining the fabric of her blouse and emphasizing her breasts. I gave it a quick glance before shifting my focus elsewhere.
''Anything noteworthy?''
''Let's see, I helped in making a couple of the girls behave, just like you asked. Oh, I even had to chance to make a few friends from other classes as well,'' She nevertheless gave off a pleasant aura, like an innocent flower that can't help but brighten someone's day with nothing more than a smile. I didn't like it.
"It's just the two of us, so you can drop your mask."
Within seconds, her eyes, which had the brightness of a cheerful girl, darkened to a dull shade of her former self, making it difficult to believe that this Kushida and the other one are the same people.
''Karuizawa is a big bully, like don't act so arrogant straight to my face, you are lucky I even talk to you. Tho I can't help but feel she's just acting, nevertheless that doesn't stop me from having fantasies of b*tch slapping her.'' Kushida crushed the juice box she was holding to emphasize her point.
''Then there's 'no friends Onodera', who wouldn't stop yammering about the color yellow. I just asked her why she wore a yellow dress, I didn't need to know a damn college thesis statement!'' she started scratching her hair probably from stress. ''And don't even let me get started on Ike and Yamauchi--''
With my back against the wall, I attentively listened to whatever Kushida had to say to me, even though it made no sense; I just liked hearing her trivial concerns. I was just fascinated by how different her mind is from her actions. She truly has two different personalities.
After a few more minutes of this and that, Kushida was breathing hard, she must've put her heart and soul into telling me everything.
''Does talking about it make you feel better?'' I asked the two-faced girl.
''Not really,'' She scowled and threw the juice box far away. I didn't bother making a comment about her blatant contribution to pollution.
''Then let me rephrase that, does having me listen to your problems make you feel better?''
''Mmm.. I'm not sure. I guess so.'' Kushida shrugged and glared at the ground, as if she couldn't decide what to say.
''Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance.'' I picked up the juice box so I could properly dispose of it on my way out. ''Let's get to the main event, shall we? Did you do what I asked?''
Kushida narrowed her eyes, and looked all around to scan her surroundings, ''Wait... were you being serious?''
I just stared at her with an unreadable expression. Kushida sighed and crossed her arms. ''I'm going to need a few more days...''
''Sure no problem, take all the time you need, and by that I mean, you only got three days. Capisce?'' I said, placing my hand on her head and patting her on the head. She used to hiss or frown at me, but I believe she's become used to it. Because she stood there, looking at the concrete ground, taking it like a domesticated feline.
l wonder what I should do with her next.
"By the way Kushida, I'm still new around the school. If you don't mind me asking, do you know a good place to get a drink around here?"
"Coffee or...?" She started asking.
"Any would work. As long as it's peaceful," I said with still ruffling up her hair.
Chewing at her lip, the woman pointed back the way of the alley. "Down that way. The Winged Horn," she said. "If you're looking for a less popular cafe, that is."
"Thanks," I said, giving one last head pat. Then I turned and walked in the direction she suggested. And just like that, we both went on our separate ways. One of Kushida's high points is that she's smart enough to break off without being clingy.
She walked past me, and right when she left, my gentle mask darkened, and strands of hair fell on my eyes.
Time to deal with the lamb that strayed away from her fence and into the wolf's den.
-
-
[Matsushita POV]
It was already 8 o'clock, and I should be sleeping. But I can't help but notice that Ayanokouji is still active and well. I can typically tell where he is in real time by using the tracker on everyone's phone. I'm not sure why the school has such an app; I'm very sure it's a violation of privacy.
But oh well, it works out for me.
I arrived at a secluded location after following the red dot on the map. It was an outdoor cafe lighted by candles well contrasted against a night sky. Slowly walking, I came to an oval table whose occupants were getting up to leave. I'm not sure what brought Ayanokouji to it, but I'll keep my eyes peeled.
According to the map he is nearby.
''Do you play?'' A voice asked from behind me. It was a deep coldness I felt in my chest.
I turned and found Ayanokouji, sitting in one of the outdoor cafe seats. There was a deck of cards on his table, and a quarter filled glass of what I assume to be coffee.
As I stared, he took a sip from his glass, licking his lips clean. ''Cards, do you know how to play them?'' Ayanokouji said while shuffling the decks.
I could feel that he was testing me somehow, which made me a bit nervous-but I didn't want him to know.
So, I smiled and said, "If you are willing to teach."
If he wants to play mind games then so be it, two can play that game.
He lifted a dark brow as he paused shuffling. He took another drink, before motioning to the empty chair in front of him. As I walked over to sit down, he gestured for me to stop. Getting up, he pulled the chair for me, just like the gentlemen from the movies.
Before he goes back to his own seat, he pauses and studies my face for a bit. The only light illuminating the place was the moonlight and the light from the cafe windows.
''I don't know if anyone's ever told you this'', he begins. He doesn't blush, and his eyes don't dart away. Instead, I find myself staring into a pair of gold eyes. ''You're very attractive.''
Guh-! T-That was so random!
I've been complimented on my appearance before. But never in his tone of voice. Of all the things he's said, I don't know why this catches me off guard. But it startles me so much that I couldn't think of a response.
Wait no, this Psychological warfare game, it has already begun.
Which means I must play along!
"I could say the same about you," I said with a confident smile before pausing. "In case you didn't know."
He's probably in a state of panic right now. It'll be entertaining to see his calmness shatter with a little teasing. I was confident in my capability to get into other people's heads, regardless of how much of a logical person or academic genius Ayanokouji is.
He blinked before leaning down to whisper. "Oh, trust me. I know.''
My blood heated to an impossible level, making me hot all over. I squeezed my crossed legs together and clenched my hands into fists to keep from fidgeting under his gaze. Up close I could make a proper assessment of his appearance.
He is handsome in a dark way-in a way that promised heartbreak. His eyes were the color of cold gold and his brown hair was kinda messy. To be perfectly honest, he seems like the type of guy you have one-night stands with, but never a relationship.
When my chest started to ache, I realized I had been holding my breath since he approached. Slowly, I drew in air-
"It's brave to sit down at a table without knowing the game." He says while sitting back in his chair.
I met his gaze. "How else would I learn?"
"Hmm." He considered. "Clever." The man stared like he was trying to place me, and I shivered. "I have never seen you in this part of town before."
Ayanokouji was in a cafe on the remote corner of Keyaki mall, which most first-year students avoid. They are only interested in what's in the center. That's where all the fun spots are after all: Karaoke, arcade, shopping stalls and etc. Ayanokouji seems to like the peaceful spots instead, where he can be alone. It sorta suits him somehow.
Well, I can't exactly say I got here because I was following him.
"Well, I have never been here before," I said and paused. "You must come here often."
He shrugged. "Not really, it's my first too. But I do intend to come here regularly from now."
"Why?" I asked. The question surprised him and me-I hadn't actually meant to say that out loud. "I mean-you don't have to answer that."
"No, it's fine. I will answer it," he said. "If you will answer a question for me."
I stared at him for a moment, and then nodded."Fine."
"I come here because it is...peaceful," he said while staring at the stars, but it didn't sound like he knew what that 'peaceful' was. "Now you-why are you here tonight?"
"Me, Satou, and two other girls went shopping together, and then we---," I said, but got interrupted.
"No," he said. "That is the answer to a different question. Why are you here tonight?"
Wait.... does he know? That I had been following him?
I guess I can lie my way out of it. Humans are natural lie detectors, so the best way to bypass that is to mix little truths within the lies.
I considered his question, and then said. "I guess... I was curious."
"You don't sound so sure?"
"Oh, I am sure it is curiosity," I said while I dragged my finger along the surface of the table. "I'm just not sure if it is a good use of my time."
"Who are you curious about?"
I couldn't help but notice that he used 'who'. Any normal response would've been 'what are you curious about?'
I lightly gulped, as my heart started beating. I looked at him and smiled. "You said one question."
He leaned against the chair and his gaze matched mine and it made my heart beat harder in my chest. "So I did."
Seriously not even a stutter or a surprised look? Still, I'm confident he's no match for me in my specialty. Psychological warfare. Unfortunately... his calm demeanor and his relaxed behavior simply served to heighten the tension.
Staring back at those endless eyes, I felt he could see through my lies-and it made me shiver.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
"What?"
"You've been shivering a lot since you sat down," he observed.
I felt my face redden and I suddenly blurted, "I...think I should go."
He stopped me with a hand on mine. His touch was cold, and I gasped at the contact, pulling away quickly.
"No," he said, almost commanding, and I glared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"What I mean to say is, I haven't taught you how to play yet." His voice lowered and it was mesmerizing. "Allow me."
It was a mistake to hold his gaze because it was impossible to say no. I swallowed and managed to relax. "Then teach me."
His eyes burned into me before falling to the cards. I suddenly became aware of how weirdly intimate this moment was, with just the two of us in an empty cafe under the stars. He shuffled the cards, explaining, "This is poker."
I noted that he had graceful hands and long fingers. Does he play piano?
"We will play five-card draw and we'll start with a bet."
I looked down at myself-does he want to bet using our private points? But Ayanokouji was quick to say, "A question answered, then. If I win, you will answer any question I pose, and if you win, I will answer yours."
I grimaced. I knew what he was going to ask, but answering questions was far better than losing all my money and courage. Not to mention this was a high-risk high-reward kinda thing, and I have a chance to understand him, so I said, "Deal."
His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, which only made him look more attractive. Who is this man?
I had planned to keep my eyes on him. Of course, it's not because I like him or anything... I mean, I'm not naive, so I know there might be a possibility of that happening in the future... But I don't have any strong feelings for him right now. I'm more interested in learning about Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's abilities.
He explained that, in poker, there were ten different rankings, the lowest being the high card and the highest being the royal flush. The goal is to draw a higher rank than the other player. He explained other things, like checking, folding, and bluffing.
"Bluffing?"
"Sometimes, poker is just a game of deception...especially when you're losing." Ayanokouji dealt each of us five cards. I looked at my hand and tried to remember what he had said about the different ranks. I laid my cards down, face up and he did the same.
"You have a pair of queens," he said. "And I have a full house."
"So...you win," I said.
"Yes," he replied, and then claimed his prize immediately. "Who are you curious about?"
I smiled wryly. "You."
He raised a brow. "Why?"
"You'll have to win another hand if I'm going to answer."
So, he dealt another and won again. This time, he didn't ask the question, just looked at me expectantly. I sighed.
"Because...I find you interesting."
He stared at me, waiting, and I smiled. "You never said the answer had to be detailed."
His eyes met mine, and even though he looked the same as always, I felt as if he was enjoying himself. "Noted for the future, I assure you." He sighs.
"The future?"
"Well, I hope this isn't the last time we'll play poker."
Butterflies erupted in my stomach. He dealt again and won. I was getting tired of losing and answering this man's questions. Why was he so curious of me anyway? What does he hope to gain from it?
"Why are you interested in me?" He asked.
I considered this question for a moment, and then said, "I'm curious about who Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is. How far can your abilities take you? I may be a brilliant student, but you are almost certainly oceans ahead of me. It's kinda scary to think there might be more students like you in this school," I dropped my gaze to the cards, and then said, "I don't understand why people even do this."
He tilted his head, as if questioning. "You mean gambling? Are you not enjoying our game?"
"I am," I said. "But...I don't understand why people even gamble. Why do they want to risk everything, when the chances of winning are so low?"
"They don't gamble because they want to risk everything," he said. "They do it because they think they can win."
"What about you? Did you ever lose?" The question was meant to remain a thought in my head, and yet the words slipped out between my lips. He looked amused, and I could feel it deep in my gut.
"Never," He shifted in his seat, before staring at me with clear intent. "However, when you think about it, everyone is a gambler at heart. After all, life is a game of chance, and nothing is set in stone. Consider yourself... you are currently gambling with your luck, wondering how long it would take you to get caught.''
"W-What do you mean," My eyes went wide, and my heart stuttered.
''You can skip that act." His eyes darkened, but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad, and his face was a hard, unreadable mask. ''Little Ms. Stalker.''
As distress coached throw my veins, I couldn't think straight.
"I have to go." I spun around and started to leave in a panic. This time, he didn't stop me.
''I would implore you to remain seated,'' It was a polite sentence, delivered in his usual tone. But there was something about it that made me feel threatened; my intuition told me something horrible would happen if I didn't do what he said.
I slowly walked back to my seat, but my body was tense.
''Good girl,'' he said while shuffling the cards again, but wasn't looking at me. ''I read somewhere that when you reach a certain level of fame, it is natural to have stalkers. Surely I haven't reached that far, did I? Unless, this just happens to be one of your little hobbies, Ms. Stalker.'' He joked.
''......'' I remained silent.
''Not in the mood for a conversation, I see,'' He sighed but he didn't look disappointed. ''Did you know I was in search of someone of your... expertise? Let's just say you fit the job criteria. What do you say, Matsushita, would you like to do a little job for me?''
''Do I have a have a c-choice...?'' I said softly.
''Well, that's an idiotic thing to say, of course you have a choice.'' He scoffed like I said something stupid. ''You always have a choice, everyone does. Humanity was born to be free. That's what makes us special.''
''So the question you should be asking isn't 'Do I have a choice?', it's 'what will happen if I say no?''
I gulped. ''W-What will happen if I say... no?''
''Well, I'm glad you asked Matsushita,'' Ayanokouji said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out his phone. In front of me, he scrolled through his photo album until he found what he was looking for. When I got sight of those photos, nervous sweat began to trickle from my brow.
To be more specific, they were all images of a pretty brown-haired girl. Me. They were taken at all of the locations where I was stal-observing Ayanokouji. He must've taken them in secret when I wasn't looking. But I was positive he had never even noticed me; had he been aware from the start?
''How long did you know?'' I asked with wide eyes.
''Since the beginning,'' he replies calmly. ''Although I'm flattered with getting the attention of a beautiful girl such as yourself, you should probably find a new hobby.''
Even though the situation was still tense, I couldn't help but blush.
''I will send you the details of your job, via our phone. Ofcourse I must ask you to delete everything after you receive it. And just in case you think you can pull a fast one on me by using evidence, here take a look at this,'' Ayanokouji held out his phone, and it was another picture.
When I saw it with my bare eyes, my blood ran cold.
It was a close-up photo of me sound asleep in my bed with the lights turned off. The only way someone could only have obtained a shot like that was if they broke into my flat in the middle of the night without me knowing and stood 3 meters away from me.
I sat perfectly still, not even daring to move a muscle. My mind began to generate solutions for how he could have obtained that, but everything came up blank. And, to be frank, I was too terrified to even ask him.
Something told me, that the less I know the better.
Ayanokouji must've liked how scared I looked, cause he raised his phone and casually took a picture of me, the phone's camera flash broke me from my daze.
''H-H-How....''
''I will call you when I need you. Don't worry it will be soon. Very soon.'' He sat back in his chair in a confident manner. ''Off you go now.''
When I got his permission I immediately hurried down the winding steps and headed toward the direction of my dorm. All the while, I was highly aware of Ayanokouji staring at my back. Was it an exaggeration to say it burned?
Was he amused at my panicked state, or was he indifferent? I don't know which one is worse?
It took me a long while to get to my dorm, but once there, I pushed through the doors. I took a few big breaths within and then let the impact of what had just happened hit me. I immediately scan my entire room, every nook, and cranny, for any hint. A secret camera perhaps, a flaw with the security locks, anything at all. But I found nothing.
Even though, I felt like I had full control over the situation. I couldn't be further than the truth. But that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part is that there was a side of me-a side I'd never know existed until tonight-that even after everything that just happened-still wanted to know more about him.
[TO BE CONTINUED]
[A/N You will know Ayanokoui's plan for Stalker-chan eventually]