Chapter 40: The Secret Gets Out?
Just a few more days to go before graduation...I'm getting really fired up! Since I've been practicing every day, I'm going to just practice until the afternoon and relax for the rest of the day. Perhaps I'll go around the city later or just go out for dinner; all work and no play will kill one's self!
I was in the practice hall as usual and was practiced my routine. It was already 11:00 am and had one more hour to go before relaxation time when someone suddenly knocked on the door. I went over to the door to see who it was and it was Ichinose-san. I wonder what he came here for. Maybe he needs something from me?
"Ichinose-san, what brings you here?" I asked.
Ichinose-san's face seemed troubled and he seems to be thinking about something deeply; he won't even make eye contact with me. Did I do something wrong?
"Kaori-san, I need to talk to you about something."
Ichinose-san entered the room and noticed the audio player.
"Were you practicing for the graduation auditions?"
"Oh, yes I was. I usually practice for the whole day but I'm going to practice half day today since I've been practicing everyday and I don't want to get too tired or sick."
"I see..."
"Ichinose-san, is it something up?"
Ichinose-san paused a bit and looked at me.
"Something has been bothering me recently and it concerns you."
Eh? Something about me? This seems to be serious for Ichinose-san to be bothered about it. What could it b— AH! Perhaps it's about that time when he found me in the gardens without my wig?! Did he realize that I'm Kaoru?!
"Kaori-san, I want to hear it straight from your mouth."
"Are you—"
Before Ichinose-san could even finish what he was about to say, Syo and Natsuki suddenly barged into the room; Ichinose-san and I were surprised by them.
"I don't want to eat those at all, Natsuki! Stop!" Syo was shouting and running around with Natsuki behind him.
"Syo-chan, please try them! I'm sure theses biscuits would taste good! It's a new recipe!"
Natsuki was holding a basket of biscuits and I think I know where this is going. Natsuki was chasing Syo around until he noticed Ichinose-san and I.
"Tokiya-kun! Here, would you like some of these biscuits?" Natsuki smiled.
"Umm...no, thank you but I already ate and I'm quite full."
"Awww that's too bad."
Natsuki then goes over to me and shows me the basket.
"What about you, Ori-chan? Would you like to try these biscuits I made?" Natsuki smiled.
Come to think of it, I've never really gotten the chance to try out any of Natsuki's creations. Syo says they're really bad and that you could die from eating them but perhaps I should give it a try and check them out?
"I'd love to try them, Natsuki!"
I swear I think I heard Syo and Ichinose-san gasp upon hearing my words. I took one biscuit from Natsuki's basket and bit half of it.
"So how is it, Ori-chan?"
"Hmm...they're not so bad. They taste alright, Natsuki." I smiled.
"No way..." Syo was completely amazed.
"The biscuits are actually edible?" Ichinose-san whispered.
"Really?! I'm glad you like them, Ori-chan! You can take as much as you want! Here you go."
The biscuits taste completely fine and normal. I thought they were going to turn out to be horrible as Syo said but they're not bad at all; they taste completely fine. I took a few more biscuits and ate them. I don't know how many of them did I eat but I ate quite a lot.
"These would go well with tea! How about we go get some?"
"That's a wonderful idea, Ori-chan. Let's go and buy some."
"Alright!"
"Wait. Kaori-san!"
Ichinose-san was probably going to remind me about the talk we were going to have.
"Ichinose-san, we can talk when I come back with the tea then we could enjoy Natsuki's biscuits as well."
"Um..."
Ichinose-san looked like he wanted to say something but he didn't so I left the practice room to go and buy tea with Natsuki. We came back around ten minutes later.
"We're back with drinks!" I said cheerfully upon entering the practice room.
"We got water, tea, and some juice." Natsuki said.
"That's good but Kaori, weren't you in the middle of practice? Aren't we bothering you?"
"Oh, it's okay! I was going to be practicing until noon only anyway. I was planning on relaxing by going around town and probably eat dinner out."
"Is that so? Well, let's eat these biscuits then." Syo said.
There was no table in the practice room so we just sat on the floor in a circle with the basket of biscuits in the middle and our drinks are respectively beside us. Ichinose-san and Syo took a biscuit and they were staring at their biscuits intently. I guess they're still hesitant about eating Natsuki's biscuit.
"Go ahead and try it, Tokiya-kun, Syo-kun."
Natsuki was waiting for them to eat his biscuits while I already ate about five pieces and counting. When I was about to eat my seventh biscuit, I felt my stomach suddenly turn and I felt like vomiting. The feeling was so intense that I had to cover my mouth because I really felt like vomit was about to come out and I also had to hold my stomach because it was starting to hurt so badly.
"Kaori! What's wrong?! Are you okay?!" Syo said as he approached me.
I couldn't speak because I felt that if I opened my mouth then vomit would come splashing everywhere. I feel terrible...
"Natsuki! I told you your biscuits were going to make people sick! Look at what happened to Kaori!"
"Oh no! I'm really sorry, Ori-chan! Let's bring you to the infirmary!"
Natsuki and Syo helped me get up and they both escorted me to the infirmary.
"Ah! Wait! Kaori!"
Ichinose-san was going to help me too but Natsuki and Syo were just faster than him. His expression was quite disappointed probably because it would mean that he would have to talk to me about whatever it is later and not now.
When I reached the infirmary, I started vomiting continuously and my head really hurt as well as my stomach. I kept vomiting for about ten minutes before it stopped and I became really exhausted and stayed in the infirmary for a while. I'm never going to try Natsuki's homemade food ever again...I should have listened to Syo's warnings...I should have listened...I guess my relaxation time will become rehabilitation time...There goes my day out...
Someone comes in and it was Ichinose-san.
"So how are you?"
"Ichinose-sannn...I've never vomited so much in my entire life...I remember seeing the light at the bottom of the sink I was vomiting on..."
Ichinose-san took a chair and sat down beside the bed I was on.
"At least you're fine now. It could have been worse..."
It could have been worse? What kind of sorcery is in Natsuki's cooking?!
"Kaori-san, I know that I've been quite a bother but I really need to talk with you."
"Oh right, you were going to discuss something with me. What was it about?"
Ichinose-san started telling me about what happened the other night wherein he met "Kaoru" in the gardens and helped him look for his wig and carried him into his dorm room because he fell asleep and wouldn't wake up. Then he told me that he ended up bringing Kaoru into my room and when he was looking at the stuff piled up on the desk, all the notebooks and materials had my name and not one had Kaoru's name on it. Then he told me that he heard Kaoru sleep talking and it was in my voice.
"So...what I wanted to ask you was...is Kaoru the same person as Kaori?"
Ichinose-san was serious and he really wanted to know. So this is what bothered him. I definitely screwed up this time. What should I do? I don't have the heart to deny everything he said; I have a limit as to how long I could lie. There's just too much evidence on this one. I guess I'll have to tell him the truth...but then it will get me in trouble with my deal with Shining Saotome-sensei...Sigh. I guess I won't be debuting a few days from now...
"Ichinose-san, the truth is—"
"BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Before I was able to confess the truth to Ichinose-san, a loud laughter suddenly came and the door opened.
"HAHAHAHA! What is going on here?!"
It was Shining Saotome-sensei and he was doing his weird poses as he entered and approached us.
"Mr. Ichinose! What are you doing here alone with Ms. Yamashita?!"
Ichinose-san was a bit intimidated by Saotome-sensei because Saotome-sensei was close to his face.
"Uhm...I was—"
"No, no, no! It is forbidden to fall in love, Mr. Ichinose! If you will continue your confession then you and Ms. Yamashita will be expelled from this school!"
"What!?" Ichinose-san and I said.
We were both surprised with Saotome-sensei's accusation.
"Saotome-sensei, Ichinose-san wasn't confessing to me! He was j—"
"What would then be the reason for him to approach you here when you are alone, Ms. Yamashita?! I think this young boy had something in mind!"
"Ah! Saotome-sensei, I wasn't going to confess to her. I just needed to talk to her ab—"
"Mr. Ichinose, what would you need to talk to her about then? Hmmmm?"
Ichinose-san didn't want to tell Saotome-sensei about what we were talking about and decided to leave instead. I sighed in relief.
"That was close wasn't it, Ms. Yamashita?"
"Yes, it definitely was! Thank you for interrupting, Saotome-sensei!"
"Mwahahaha! You better be more careful! You'll end up not graduating if your little secret is found out!"
"Yes! I will be more careful from now on! I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
"Well then, good luck to you! Remember to always do your best!" Saotome-sensei said as he was going to exit from the window.
"See you soon!" he said as he posed and jumped out the window in style.
He's over the top as usual. That won't change, won't it?