Chapter 25: Trusting the Enemy

The Next Day: Tenno Academy- the North Gymnasium

“Today you all will be doing something a little different in gym,” their coach spoke to them. The entire grade was gathered inside the gymnasium, “We are going to do a little team building exercise: Trust Falls,” the teacher’s eyes gleamed at the moans across the gym, “Your teams have been pulled from random…”

Arisa grinned as she turned to Keiko- excited, “You think we will get paired?”

Keiko sighed and looked up at the ceiling, “Why do I have a horrible feeling about this?”

The teacher started to read names, “Ume Akumako paired with-” there was a hush of anticipation, “Reikokuna Kenji,”

Aku tried to keep her composure- Kenji was the last person she wanted to be paired with, how could she trust an agent? Especially an agent that had tried to kill her last night?

Kenji on the other raised his hand looking for a high five, “Alright! Seat mates!!”

Aku crossed her arms and turned away from him with a scoff.

The teacher continued, “Sugimori Nell and Kawamiya Kyoushirou. ” He flipped a paper on his clip board, “Mumei Ryuichi, partnered with Ichiro Seiji,”

The two friends fist bumped coolly as their fangirls squealed.

“Let’s see…Egao Shoutarou and Kuma Keiko,”

Keiko groaned, she could only hope that Arisa wasn’t also paired with an agent.

Shoutarou grinned and leaned on her with his elbow propped on her shoulder, “Lucky you Keiko, I’m the safest partner you could have had.”

“Moru Hiroto and Kuma Arisa-”

Keiko looked panicked to Aku who returned her own fear. Neither of them could do anything.

Arisa smiled brightly (even though on the inside she felt nervous) “Hiroto, it’s just like old times hmm?”

Hiro glanced over at Kyoushirou and saw that he was watching Arisa closely. It was his turn to make a move, “Hmm, just like old times,” he patted the top of her head gently and grinned at the fire he saw in Kyoushirou’s eyes.

“Now that you all have your partner's, every pair will grab a box! One person will stand on the box and fall back, the other will catch their partner do you understand??? I will not tolerate any funny business! If you do not catch your partner you will fail today’s lesson and have to clean the entire gymnasium with a toothbrush do you understand??”

The students all responded in fear. No one wanted to be here after school to clean- the gymnasium was huge, and to clean it with only a toothbrush would take hours.

As everyone broke off to do their trust falls Keiko sighed and calmed down- it was stupid to think that Arisa’s identity would be in danger from a simple activity like this, yet as she looked over she was relieved to see that Hiroto would be falling first.

“You should fall first,” Shoutarou set the box down in front of her, “I promise to catch you,” he winked at her with a big smile.

Keiko rolled her eyes, “You better,” she stepped up on the box and started to feel her own heart beat. It wasn’t faster or harder; she just noticed it. She turned to look at Shoutarou only to see his eyes locked on her own- she quickly turned away. This is ridiculous.

Shoutarou was grinning ear to ear. Finally it was his turn. Seiji got to sit next to her every day- but now: it was his turn. He had these feelings for Keiko since their first year of high school. She had sat in front of him- every time she turned and saw her smile, his face lit up. He wanted to keep her safe. If there was anyone he didn’t want to see attacked by the crazy mutants of this world, it was her.

“Ready?” Keiko called out to him without turning around.

Shou held his arms out in preparation, he was going to catch her, “Ready,”

She rocked back and forth gently before letting herself fall off the box. Shou caught a glimpse of her face- her eyes squeezed shut, she was adorable. Instead of catching her through her arms like they were taught to do, Shou moved to the side and caught her bridal style.

Keiko’s eyes shot open- her face immediately burning red as her eyes caught his. She felt her heart miss a beat and panicked, “What are you doing? Put me down,” she pushed his chest.

He laughed, “Hey I caught you didn’t I?” still holding her, he span a few times laughing.

Across the gym Seiji was glaring at them, how dare he catch her like that! Who does he think he is? This isn’t some shoujo manga for crying out loud this is serious!

“Seiji are you ready?” Ryu stood on the box not turning around.

I’m gonna kill him!

“I’m gonna fall back- catch me!”

PUT HER DOWN ALREADY WHY WOULD YOU HOLD HER THAT-“Ahhh Ryu!!!”

Ryuichi crashed into the ground at Seiji’s feet- his face pouting up at Seiji, “You didn’t catch me…”

Seiji panicked, “Oh Ryu I’m sorry! What were you doing you idiot? Why did you fall when I wasn’t ready??”

Ryu pouted more, “You’re my best friend and you didn’t catch meee!!!”

“Ichiro Seiji!!!” The gym teacher walked over, “Failed- I’ll see you after school,”

Seiji hung his head in defeat.

Ryu stuck his tongue out, “Serves you right!” he huffed.

Seiji looked back over to Shou to see he had set Keiko down. He was smiling and laughing; her arms were crossed and she was looking away from him with a flushed face. Seiji clenched his fist.

Aku was standing with her arms out, not looking at Kenji. Kenji looked at the box and mumbled to himself, “is this how you do it….”

Suddenly Kenji jumped from the box at Aku, his arms pushed out in front of him, “Catch me~~”

Aku turned to look just in time to see him collide into her and push her into the ground. Kenji realized that he had done the activity wrong and grabbed the back of her head and spun so that he would be the one to hit the floor while Aku would be safe on top of him.

“Whoops,” he laughed out nervously as the two of them were on the ground.

Aku glared at him and made sure to step on him as she stood up, “You idiot,” she huffed out as she turned to walk away.

“But wait- you haven’t done it yet,” Kenji jumped to his feet as Aku angrily stomped away. Kenji grinned and mumbled to himself, “The people here are just so interesting….Ume Akumako...why do I feel like there’s something I’m missing about you…?”

Aku walked over and stood by Keiko, “You put on quite the show.”

Keiko shifted her weight uncomfortably, “You’re one to talk. Kenji catapulted into you...I’m surprised you didn’t punch him.”

Aku leaned into Keiko, “Hmmmm, but your face is quite red-”

Keiko’s eyes shot open and she laughed nervously, “Me? HA!” she flew her hand through her hair, “ME? Pah, pah. That just shows how great of an actor I am.”

Aku narrowed her eyes, “Hmmmmmmmmm can actors make their face turn bright red on command?”

“I-I-” she looked around nervously before her eyes caught something familiar. Her face became serious as she stared.

Aku stood upright once more, “What’s wrong?”

Keiko’s gaze never faltered, “Her-”

Aku followed Keiko’s eyes to Kyoushirou’s partner. She was short, petite, with light green hair that curled under her ears. Aku didn’t recognize her, “What about her?”

“She’s in the database.”

Aku turned to Keiko shocked, “What?”

Keiko narrowed her gaze at her, “Sugimori Nell. What is she doing here?”

Kyoushirou had been up late. His mind had been filled with Arisa, how could he sleep knowing that she was in so much danger? He stood- waiting to catch the girl whose name he had already forgotten- his eyes were glued on Arisa. She stood on the box- working up the courage to fall into Hiro’s arms. He hated it- what if Hiroto discovered who she was? Hiro would kill her! He wouldn’t hesitate! That’s the kind of person Hiroto is…a cold-hearted killer. He spared no mercy for mutants- that’s why Kyou stopped working with him. Hiroto always killed.

As Arisa pushed off the box Kyoushirou’s body moved on its own. With her eyes so glued shut he couldn’t help but think of the night before- how she could have died.

In one swift moment he swooped in from the side and caught Arisa in the air. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see him- so close to her. She felt her heart beat faster and her face get hot, but she couldn’t look away from him.

Kyoushirou smiled gently, his eyes looked more sad than usual as he set her to her feet.

Hiroto couldn’t move. His hands were clenched into fists as his head hung, Kyoushirou…why is it always you?

Kyoushirou stretched out a hand and brushed her bangs straight on her head before turning around only to see that his partner had crashed into the floor.

“Kawamiya Kyoushirou!!” the teacher glared, “You and Seiji are going to have a fun time cleaning the gym tonight…”

Keiko slipped her arm through Arisa’s and pulled her away, “What was that?”

Arisa shook her head trying to get rid of her flushed face, “I- I don’t know,” she turned her head and looked at him- Kawamiya Kyoushirou…why do I have to have feelings for you?

Keiko glared at Kyou but looked back at Nell, “What about her?”

Arisa looked over to the girl, “What about her?”

Keiko looked around her briefly to make sure no one was near, “She’s in the database.”

Shocked, Arisa took another look at her. There was something familiar about her, maybe it was the soft green hair, “I’m not sure...”

Aku held the door for them out of the gym, “Why can’t we ever have a day of peace?”

Kenji was sitting on his box as the gym grew louder with students rushing to clean up. Seiji and Kyou were arguing just behind him about having to stay after school. He could hear Shou and Ryu trying to calm them down. From the corner of his eye he saw Hiroto watching Arisa, Kei, and Aku leave the gym. When they were gone he hung his head and sighed.

Kenji was staring at a sign on the wall of the gym that said, “CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT”. His gaze was empty as he thought.

The pieces of this academy are starting to make sense. The interests of my teammates were easy to understand. Kyou has been acting strange though. He’s always broody, but it’s worse lately. Something seems different about how he acted around Arisa too, did he get rejected? No there’s no way he confessed...but what could it be. Arisa. She’s always surrounded by the other two: Keiko, Akumako. There’s something about them...why do they seem more than just normal students? It’s almost as if-

“Kenji!” Ryu was waving his hands in front of Kenji’s face, “Come on we gotta go to class.”

Kenji hopped off his box, “Must have spaced out there for a bit.”

Shou laughed, “Maybe you got a concussion from slamming into Aku.”

Seiji grunted, “He tackles a girl and gets away with it but I drop Ryu and have to clean the gym.”

Kenji laughed with the others.