Saturday 20 August 2016

恋のシグナル - aqua - ch 05: Disgrace


By the next day, the eager looking Mayu looking for Tsubaki during recess, but being Mayu she got lost or worst even forgot which class her senpai in. she’s ended up checking each class on 2nd grade. Meanwhile Tsubaki has left her class as soon as the bell rings, and they missed each other along the way.
Tsubaki managed to hide her bentou now, as Yuto showed before, just put it inside a locker. Luckily Kitagawa’s students’ locker uses key so it was very safe to use, especially at times like this. Tsubaki favorite spot is under the mango tree, just outside the club building. 
Today one of the clubs has some intense training even during recess, they’re having their own training ground and it was always wide open. The Kendo club practicing harder today, and Tsubaki couldn’t help but observing them. 
“ah, you shouldn’t…” she said to herself as one of the participants sword easily flying from his grips. Even with harsh daily training they seem to be slow in progress.
“its rude to interfere but I cannot help but noticing they have so many weakness…” Tsubaki mutters with her chopstick in right hand. She keeps commenting back and forth on her own. Once her lunch is done, she packs all her box and let a deep sigh. She finally decides to take a closer look.
Tsubaki standing at the door frame glancing here and there and finally focusing her attention to the two people standing in the middle of the training ground. The wooden floor makes scratching sound as they move around.
“No, what are you doing, put more power in your left foot and swing from under!” Tsubaki trainer inner burst out and she yelled unconsciously. One of the students on the training ground seems to listen and do what she said and this time, he was on the upper hand. His opponent sword flies high and fall making a loud sound.
Everyone turning their head, and when she notices this she bring her hand to cover her mouth.
“please forgive me for interfering!” she bows immediately.
“its alright.” One of the boys student walk up to her, he has a fresh short cut and a very friendly air. He smiles reassuring that Tsubaki didn’t do anything wrong.
“my name is Kamakura Hideyoshi, senior and president of Kendo club, what’s your name?”
“I’m Sanada Tsubaki-”

“SANADA like that legendary sanada!” Hideyoshi eyes widen, his jaws wide open.
“-a junior…. I don’t know about legendary… but if you happen to talk about Sanada Dojo then yes.”
“no….way. hey guys, come here!” Hideyoshi cheerfully calling his friends and soon they run and surround Tsubaki.
“this is everyone of Kendo club, everyone meet Sanada Tsubaki.” 
Each one of the student in that club seem to be looking at Tsubaki in awing expression.
“um…” Tsubaki becomes confuse and uncomfortable with their sudden affection and adoration.
“you’re a trainer at the Dojo, correct?” Hideyoshi states, as now everyone resting with a bit of cold tea.
“yes, well I am more to psychical trainer.”
“would you, I don’t know how to put this, be our trainer?”
“me? but-“
“please, everyone here is a huge fans of Sanada Dojo, we always want to join in but, it was always full. It would be an honor to be train by one of Sanada, I mean come on the daughter of Sanada that has built that Dojo over 200 years!”Hideyoshi still being enthused speaks while grinning from ear to ear. 
“… to be honest, I would love to participate in your club… but are you sure that would be appropriate?”
“you do, you really do?!”
“I didn’t say yes… yet.”
“this is a huge news! Guys we’re gonna have a celebration!”
“No wait! It doesn’t have to go that far!”
But Hideyoshi ignoring Tsubaki protest as he practically bouncing and making an announcement to his fellow club member. 
And since that day Tsubaki has becomes part of the Kendo club illegally.
And because of that Tsubaki has been occupied and enjoy the life on this school more than before.
“ARGH!!! This is impossible….” Mayu slumped to the floor as today she has missed Tsubaki again.
“You’re Asano Mayu right.” Mayu lifts her head and found a junior student peers in concern to her face.
“ah yes!” she notices immediately that the guy looking at her is none other than Okamoto Keito one of the Lords. 
“I notice you’ve been coming here frequently, are you looking for someone?”
Keito was super kind Mayu thought, she feels comfortable being with him. “yes, I want to meet Tsubaki senpai but every break she never here and after school too…”
“don’t you have her number?”
“errrr, no.”
“hahaha, no wonder.” Keito laugh, but it was a polite small laugh, and Mayu face turns slightly red.
“oh, Yuto, she’s looking for tsubaki have any idea where she might be?” keito calls Yuto who passes them, hands both in pockets. 
“uh oh so this is Tsubaki Senpai BF? They do looks so good together!!!” mayu holds her excitement in her throat as she laid her eyes on Yuto’s tall profile. 
“Tsubaki… I think you can find her around the school club, she’s been hanging there lately.”
“oh, is that so?”
“its very typical of her, she cant not having things to do…” Yuto sighing deeply as he shakes his head and stare the floor. “what are you two looking at?” as Yuto lift his eyes back, he found both Keito and Mayu looking at him, both with a huge smile on their face.
“I’m sorry to point this out yuto but….”
“senpai has blush on your cheeks.” Mayu said continuing Keito’s unfinished sentences. 
“i-it’s a bit warm now, its spring!” Yuto’s face grew even redder from getting embarrassed and anger. “a-anyway, try your luck at the Kendo club, she’s always visiting them and help with their training.” Yuto give one last abrupt answer, without looking at them and walks across the hallways. 
But Today tsubaki isn’t going to the Kendo club, instead she went to the rooftop where her two fellow juniors made appointment to meet her.
Tsubaki look very troubled as she faces two students of Fujiwara during lunch at the school rooftop.
“I think I had about enough Tsubaki, I cant take it anymore!”
“Its true, the last one was has cross the line!”
Two of her fellow transferred students were looking either angry, shock, terrified, confuse all jumbled together. 
“can you imagine they’re peeking when you’re using the toilet! They obviously peek!” said one girl in a pixie hair cut, voice a bit squeaking. 
“to top that, they even taking pictures when the girls changing clothes!”
“now we’re not even feel safe if we want to use bathroom or change costumes for PE!”
“or taking a bath after the swimming class…” the other seems unable to hold her emotions anymore as she starts crying, cover her mouth by one hand. 
“have you notified this to the disciplinary committee? Or consult it with the homeroom teacher?”
“we have put our complains at the student voice box but there are hardly any feedback.”
“and we’re too scare to tell them directly… what if the council sided with these bullies like the teachers?”
“the teachers too?” Tsubaki raises her voice sounding disbelief although she can’t completely deny it, since her own teacher seems to be left her to handle things on her own. 
“he said, this is much to be expected if we’re enrolling in all boys school. Just accept it or leave.” The one crying has started to calm down and speaks between her sobbing.  
“anyhow, we decided to return to Fujiwara anytime soon, both of us.”
“but… that would make four of juniors who resigned not to mention two freshman…”
“I’m really sorry Tsubaki, but we’re here to save this school yet… they treat us like this! Enough is enough maybe Kitagawa better left closed for good.”
“me too…” said the other one still half sobbing. 
They didn’t wait for any reaction from Tsubaki, as she stood still unable to do much but to try to calm herself. She feels sorry and powerless for letting her friends get bully without her capable of doing much. “but why didn’t the council do something about this? Isn’t the student safety part of council responsibilities?” Tsubaki walks to the fences and stare half-emptied. 
Yuto was still standing in front of his locker, sighing. He couldn’t believe he’s still blushing at the thought of his ex girlfriend. As he closes his locker door, he jumped seeing the one standing looking at him.
“tsu-tsubaki! D-don’t just stand and stare!” 
“did I startled you Yuto, forgive me I didn’t mean to.” Tsubaki said deep with concern.
“its fine…” Yuto said half shy. “do you need something?”
“do you happen to know about the bullies toward the female students?”
“…” Yuto went silent for a moment, he does knows it, too well even. But he has decides to let it as long as it doesn’t cross the line. “So I heard.”
“the girls sending reports to the council voice box.”
“yes, we have process this. However it will be hard for us to conduct anything if they didn’t mention name or even identify the culprit.” Yuto stands to face Tsubaki, he has to lower his eyes to meet hers.
“I do grow taller huh, she seems so small and… cuter now.” 
“so, what the disciplinary committee has done so far?”
“huh?” Tsubaki’s voice takes Yuto mind back in track, she look at him, her gaze steady like always. 
“we take all complains and problems into deep consideration, lets just hope we can come up with a specific name so we can directly address them.”
“I do hope so, bullies is a hard thing to accept especially at such situation…” Tsubaki look to her side and let a deep sigh. “more and more fujiwara students are resigning… if there are things I can do to fix this faster, kindly inform me.” she brings her eyes back and smile. “I’d do anything in my power to assist you.”
“…” Yuto gulping for reasons. He feels bad for letting these bullies, he feels bad for lying to her, he feels bad for still… have feelings for her. “of course. I go home ahead, okay.” He gives a faint smile and small wave before turn on his heel and leave. 
Most of students have return home, on the other hand Tsubaki decides to see the council voice box by herself. The box has been emptied though as she peek through the input hole, when she notices sounds coming from the Council room just next the voice box. 
She pushes the door, half open. Kota was sitting alone at the desk, with needle and thread.
“geez I need glasses…” he says irritated, unable to put thread into the needle hole. 
“Yabu Kota-san?”
“here.” He says one eyes close as he aims for the needle hole. “sigh, this is troublesome… tsubaki you can stitch right.”
“I do, why?”
Kota lift his shirt towards her, he’s covering himself with the sport jacket. He seems to try patching his hole in the pocket. The hole that keeps making him loses his pen. 
Tsubaki walks in and take his shirt without complains. Take a seat at one chair and skillfully put the thread into the needle and start patching the hole.
“say Kota-san.”
“hm?” Kota is answering while checking budget proposal of all clubs on his desk.  “two more girls will be leaving Kitagawa.”
“is that so… was it because of the bullies, again?”
“cant you do something?”
“what can I do if I don’t even know who did it. They only said how they were bullied but none even know who did it.” Kota replied giving his back at her. 
“Its been months, I wonder when would it stop?”
“probably… never?”
“but why?”
“they probably think they got an easy target, and some thinks teasing girls are lots of fun than bullying fellow boys.”
“I guess its just boys things? There are hardly any bullies in Fujiwara.”
“then why don’t you all just go back to where you belong?” Kota suddenly brings his face close to tsubaki’s face. he peered into her eyes, so close his breaths fanned her face. his face harden and his eyes are sophisticating.
“the first reason of your presence here was just to save your own ass anyway.”
“wha-“
“if that’s your reason too than I suggest you better leave before you too got bu-“
SLAP
Kota face turns the other side as Tsubaki sent her hand across his face. 
“y-you, you actually think I was here for that reason too?!”
Kota slowly moves his head and faces her once again, they share the same intense glare, Tsubaki was so rage her whole face turned red.
“senpai! You shouldn’t!”
A loud shout coming from the open council door. Mayu with her eyes nearly popped out of her head and her jaws dropped, standing in complete shock.
“um, I know, forgive m-“ Tsubaki is about to make an apologies, but Mayu barging in and run towards tsubaki.
“How could you kiss other people girlfriend!”
“what?” both Tsubaki and Kota shock in that instant, and the intense atmosphere vaporized. 
“above all, your own friend and fellow Lords of Kitagawa! Tsubaki senpai does the right thing to slap someone like you! Kota senpai!” Mayu with an angry look hold Tsubaki in protective way. 
“you’re the worst!” she yells once more.
“but I’m the victim here…” Kota said in a painful tone. 
“um, Mayuchan… I think you misunderstand the situation…” Tsubaki said weakly while her neck above was held by Mayu from the side.
After Mayu went to Kendo club to find Tsubaki she decided to try her luck at the council meeting, as she opens the door what she saw was Kota leaning low and cover Tsubaki’s face, his position at that time made her sure Kota was kissing her.
Tsubaki quickly explains the whole situation and even the reason why she had slapped him. 
“My apologies for losing myself back there, Kota-san.” Tsubaki hands him her handkerchief she had wet to cool his cheek.
“its fine… though my image was in more severe wound than my face…” Kota took the clothe and place it above his face.  
“so…was what Yuya told me true, that… Fujiwara just want to save themselves?”
“yes, Fujiwara wishes to maintain the 100 years history they have… they sees the merging with Kitagawa will only ruin their preserved image… though I could not a 100% agree, I also cannot completely against it…” Tsubaki admitting the real reasons behind their transferring, she didn’t want others to know especially someone from freshman who practically hasn’t know much about Fujiwara. Yet she has come to the point of no return.
“…” Mayu seems to take the truth with a bit of shock and disappointment. She hangs her head low and stare her feet. 
“But here’s what I should tell you, and to you too Kota-san.”
“…” Kota moves his eyes, when Tsubaki turn momentarily at him, who sits while cooling his cheek with her handkerchief.  
“I stay here not to merely wanting the trial to succeed but I also want to save my school.”
“your school?” Mayu shows an obvious puzzled, tits her head with a finger on her chin.
“I am a Kitagawa now, this is my school too, of course I want it to stay open for years to come.” 
“oh…” as if realizing this, Mayu shows a brighter face and nodding as Tsubaki speaks.
“yes we are here for just a year but… for that whole year we must see ourselves as part of Kitagawa. Though it seems, most still draw a bold line that we are still a Fujiwara…”
“…so… what should I answer the teacher question then?”
“just being honest with yourself Mayuchan, as for me no matter what, I’d stay and fulfill my role to the end no matter what.” Tsubaki said, her standing posture seems very stiff and rigid. Her both hands affront.
“hehehehe, sounds very like you Lady Sanada.”
“I will not retreat from a battle I started… or so to say.” She added chuckles to her own exclamation. 
“then I will do my best to stay here too. Not only for Fujiwara or Kitagawa but for myself, cause I do feel comfortable here too, I wont be able to be so close with the nine Lords, or reunite with Yuya, or meet great people like Tsubaki senpai if I didn’t get the chance to move here. So I’ll stay and enjoy these happiness a bit longer.” Mayu shows the same determination, both her hands ball into fists in front of her body.
“I say that’s a very good resolve Mayuchan.” Tsubaki gave a gentle smile as approval.
“okay, have it your way ladies.” Kota raises his shoulders and pushes himself from his seat.
“oh, Kota san your shirt.” Tsubaki turns and pick up the white shirt on the desk, the huge hole has been patched perfectly. Now Kota wont lose another pen from his pocket.
“oh cool no hole now, thanks Tsubaki.”
“ah!” Mayu quickly covers her eyes but between her fingers she put a gap enough to peek when Kota suddenly slides open his jacket and shows his bare chest underneath.
“what are you doing?! Go hide yourself somewhere before taking your clothes off!” Tsubaki yell rings clearly inside the meeting room.
“oh, right sorry kinda a habit.” Kota quickly turns away and zipped his jacket back up again. 
“oh geez what a shame… tsubaki senpai should just let him be….” Mayu whispers eerie in her heart.
Mayu excuses herself, she need to run some errand with her mother before going home. Tsubaki and Kota stands as they watch Mayu running while waving leaving the school gate.
“so…I have to go to my part time work.” Kota stretch himself, his long arms go way up to the sky.
“I’ll go straight back home.”
“wait!”
“hm?” Tsubaki’s turn when Kota asks her to stay, he take out his phone and call somebody. “hey! Are you still there? Cool, look I need a favor, come down to the gate will ya, thanks kid.”
“who did you call?”
“does it matter?” 
“I suppose no.”
The two of them walk slowly towards the gate as if enjoying the passing late afternoon. 
From behind they heard a running steps, Kota turns first and smile while waves his hand. Tsubaki soon turns too.
“need something bucho?” Ryosuke soon said after fixing his bag back to his shoulder. 
“could you escort lady Sanada home for me?”
“what, no please you don’t need to, I’ll be fine on my own.”
“Ryosuke rides the same train with you.” Kota says casually with a smile. “it’ll be safer to walk together to the station from here.”
“But I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“oh come on its only common sense for a guy to accompany a girl home in such late hour.”
“…somehow… I sense something suspicious.” Tsubaki narrow her eyes, expression serious.
“why do you always so rude to me… I’m a kind person too, occasionally.”
“…”
“Anyway, careful going home, together.” He waves and walks ahead, when no one could hear his voice he’s whispering. “I look forward to it, this’ll be interesting.”
“…”
“…”
The two of them share the same silent, and soon the atmosphere turn into something awkward.
“what should I do… even though we go to the same direction, Kota san call him all of a sudden didn’t he, maybe he was in the middle of activity and got interrupted, I don’t know what to say to him…” 
“…Thank you for walking home with me.” Tsubaki decides she should thank him.
“its nothing…”
“it must’ve been terrible, to call suddenly and escort somebody…”
“Its fine… I came because I wanted to…” Ryosuke blushes just a little bit deeper. “…Do you want to go?”
“Yeah…” she gives a small nod and Ryosuke starts to walk, slowly. Tsubaki walks right beside him.
They leave the school and walk along the road to the station. 
“…”
“…”
Neither of them has said a word since they brief exchange at the gate…
“…I cant stand this silence…what do I do…?” Tsubaki let a deep sigh secretly.
Other students that look “dangerous” pass them on the way to the station, stealing obvious glances as they go. Between the silence and feeling so uncomfortable… the mood between them has gotten pretty awkward. 
“I-I have to do something, don’t I?”
Just then…
“I was in the music room…”
Tsubaki sees Ryosuke glance upward, like he was searching for something to say next…
“Is he… trying to fix this awkwardness for me…?” 
“So…you’re in music club?”
“hm…?” Ryosuke turns his head and look at her right away when he hears her speak.
“oh…”
Ryosuke steps back a little, casually shielding her from a bicycle speeding by from behind.
“he really is …so kind and considerate…” Tsubaki watches the bicycle disappear off ahead of them.
“I play piano…” he continues.
“piano…?”
“I’ve been doing it since I was a kid…Just a hobby though…I still play it after school in the music room.” Ryosuke says casually and smile shyly. He doesn’t say much, but Tsubaki can feel the passion behind his words. 
“…I’m afraid I have pretty much zero artistic knowledge about music, but…I’ve always liked piano music.” Tsubaki doesn’t try to pretend she knows about piano or anything, she just tell him she likes the sound. The clumsy compliment somehow sees a lot like Tsubaki herself…
“…hearing it makes me feel really happy somehow.” Ryosuke smiles. He looks a bit shy, but also really happy.
They arrive at the station and only about five minutes or so, their train arrived. 
Its pretty late and it has started to get dark, the usually packed train are now empty. Both tsubaki and Ryosuke turns to face each other and speak together as if on cue. “lets take a seat.”
“oh…!” even their surprised reaction is happening at the exact same momentum.
They exchange a glance, bursting into laughter. The laughter seems to ease the oppressive atmosphere… and they feel comfortable about each other company even more. They sit side by side but leave enough space for each other personal space. Tsubaki places her hand above her bag, Ryosuke sitting on her left side, his bag on the floor. His eyes gaze to the other cart.
Slowly he brings his eyes to his right side, like he was afraid Tsubaki caught him stealing a glance.
Tsubaki eyes were steady, she didn’t smile her expression is just natural. 
“man… She really is beautiful even when she stares emptily like this… oh come on self! just how far can you go with other’s girl?!” 
“So… who’s your favorite composer?”
“huh?” Ryosuke was taken aback by Tsubaki sudden intrusion. “uh oh… I always like Beethoven.”
“hm… I may the one asking, but forgive me to say, I don’t know which one is Beethoven music.”
“do you know Symphony No. 5?”
“I do recognize the name but…”
“its okay, here I have it in my pod.” Ryosuke laughs faintly and reach to his bag and take out his pod. His fingers slides through the touch screen until his smile widen and nod.
“here.” He gives his earphone to Tsubaki.
“may I?” she asks politely and Ryosuke nods and press play once she puts it on.
As soon as the music plays, Tsubaki making that “oh I know this!” expression and her face lights up, somehow she looks happy about something.
The full length symphony takes few minutes, Tsubaki took the earphone off after she realizes she heard that symphony many times as BG music at television shows. 
“I feel so happy that I learn something new today.”
“I’m glad to hear.” Ryosuke nods and smiles kindly while put his pod into his chest pocket.
“I learn about Beethoven and his amazing symphony and I learn a little thing about you too.”
“…” Ryosuke feels both exciting and nervousness to her honesty and rubs his nose to avoid being more nervous than he already are.
“I… I want to learn more things about you too… Tsubaki…” he added shyly, but unable to make eye contact, otherwise she’d know how nervous he is right now.
“sure.” Tsubaki answers without hesitation, she smiles. Her compliments, her genuine happiness and the empty night train drive something inside of him.
“…I feel so happy I don’t know what to do to myself.”  Ryosuke trying to control his breaths, just then the train shakes lightly as it enters a station. The door hissing, and…
“Tsubaki?”
Both Tsubaki and Ryosuke follow the source of the deep voice, a tall figure just walks in. each one of them dumbstruck with this encounter as the door closing.
“Yuto…?” Tsubaki asking her head slightly cock to one side.
“practicing?”
Yuto eyes were on Tsubaki before he looks at Ryosuke who asks him with a faint smile. His eyes move to the wooden sticks on Yuto hand.
“yeah.” He says spinning one of the stick in his right fingers. 
“you play drum again Yuto?”
“I do, since I enter Kitagawa, I have started to play couple times a week.”
“that’s good… drums really fit you.”
“…yeah.”
Ryosuke feels he’s trapped in the awkward situation between Tsubaki and Yuto, he knows he probably should move away and give his space to Yuto but part of him refuse to retreat and told him to stay where he is. Yuto stands still leaning on the pole, his body facing Tsubaki, making her unable to look affront and gaze the scenery again.  
“it’s almost my station.” Ryosuke suddenly states, he took his bag from the floor and lean backward, bag in his laps. He look hesitate, the closer the station is the stronger his doubt.
“this is where you get off isn’t it.” Tsubaki turns her face as she speaks to Ryosuke.
“…”
Yuto glances at Ryosuke who sits still, looking really trouble.
“Yamada san the door will soon be close!” Tsubaki raises her voice with worry.
“Its fine, I’ll walk you to your home.”
“But why?” 
“bucho told me to accompany you home, right. I’ll walk you till you get to your house.” He smiles, it was like he was challenging Yuto. “…I’m sorry Yuto, I know you should be the one to do it but I have to make sure to do what Kota asked.”
“its fine… we can walk her home together.” Just as Ryosuke thought Yuto wont come to agreeing easily, with a cold ice glare, Yuto twitch a faint smile. 
“huh…? You two really don’t have to-“ Tsubaki looks back and forth between Yuto and Ryosuke, but no matter how hard she tries to break the ice between them. The two of them seems too intense to listen.
“how troublesome…” Tsubaki sigh with pained expression as she sees her station draws near. 

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