Chapter 9: Acting in Action

"I know this kid! It's the one, the new member of Mori's club! He must have sent this kid to spy over me! Don't be so full of yourself, Mori! I won't take the bait!" - Kishi, before repenting.

Those two were basically confronting each other. The younger pleaded for the elder to take him as a student, while the elder refused to accept the younger on unknown reasons. They ensured themselves secluded from other students, however their spot was unsuitable for serious discussion like what they did. They would still attract more viewers if one of them threw tantrum there, or both of them began arguing against each other. Anything would lead to unnecessary attention, yet they had no choice but to discuss quietly.

Although in fact it was the younger’s fault to suddenly barge in without warning, scaring the elder who was doing business there.

“I swear to you I will smack you down once I left this cubicle!”

“Please, Kishi-senpai!” the younger literally knelt on the floor and bowed at the elder who was ‘trapped’ in the cubicle. “Please take me as your apprentice!”

“At least let me settle my business in here first!” Not enough with stomach ache, this junior quite pissed him off. He could just wait for him outside the toilet or at the classroom to discuss the matter. “Wait until I get you!”

“But you always avoid me whenever I came to approach you!”

“It’s because you’re so forceful!”

Then Aki heard the sound of flushing from within the cubicle. Kishi must have managed his business well that it did not smell at all. Or Aki was too dull to realize anything else but his determination to learn from Kishi. He waited for Kishi patiently, serving his ears with zipping and groaning sound. He stood straight once the door swung open by Kishi.

The Kishi he saw was not the same respectful Kishi that has been treating everyone nicely all these while. Kishi was utterly pallid, limbs trembling, and huffing to breathe. It was indeed not a pleasant sign, but Kishi pushed himself to walk on his two feet.

“Kishi-senpai! You’re pale!” Aki widened his eyes, disbelieving the view before him. So this prodigy could fall sick too. “Were you defecating just now?”

“Can you not say it out loud?” In split seconds, Kishi clutched on Aki’s collar, drew him closer and threatened him. His gritting teeth depicted his annoyance.

Yet the Aki boy did not seem to grasp the situation. Despite having no other student around them, Aki should not just reveal it freely. It was related to Kishi’s pride as one of the most handsome student there.

“You’re so pale, Kishi-senpai. I could barely know you,” Aki naturally grabbed Kishi’s arm and clung it onto his shoulder, “Let’s go to the school clinic. There must be a nurse.”

“No need to,” Kishi wanted to shove Aki away, but even his hand could not stay clutching tightly on Aki’s collar.

Aki rolled his eyes in disapproval. “Don’t be so stubborn, Kishi-senpai. Healthiness is way too expensive compared to popularity.”

Zzup! Kishi was jolted by Aki’s heartlessness. Aki was not – To him, there was no point to act all cool and courageous but your health deteriorated. He released Kishi’s hand on his collar and assisted the elder to get out of the cubicle. With shivering legs, Kishi had quite difficult time to even move one step at a time. There was no way that no one would not notice how miserable Kishi was, plus Aki’s presence triggered everyone’s unstoppable questions.

“How can that boy be with Kishi?”

“Isn’t he the boy last time? When Kishi had some fight with Mori?”

“Didn’t Kishi avoid that boy all the time?”

“Luckily the boy was around, or the girls would suffocate Kishi instead.”

“Do you just think that Kishi is an assassin’s target?”

“Kishi-senpai. I think I’m becoming a hot topic today,” Aki goofily grinned at no one while assisting Kishi to his classroom as instructed. Those were what he heard from walking through the corridor leading to Kishi’s class. “So this must be my first step to become as popular as Kishi-senpai!”

“You’re so full of yourself, kohai,” said Kishi with grits, “You may leave once we’ve arrived at my class.”

Aki ogled at the pale Kishi. Even at this time, this senior acted really stubborn. He should be sent to the clinic instead, so that he would not get so full of himself. No one liked to see a sick person, let alone having him suffering all alone. As a responsible junior, Aki must do something in order to bring him to the school clinic.

Even if he had to use force.

“Kishi-senpai! I’m sorry!”

Kishi blinked in confusion when Aki suddenly released his arm and hurled him in bridal style. Kishi could never even grapple, freeing himself from Aki’s surprisingly tough hold when Aki half ran to the opposite direction from his class.

“Aki! Stop! My class isn’t here!” Kishi frantically cried.

“I know, Kishi-senpai! I know!”

There was impossible that the students in the corridor did not notice the odd combination of a first year and a third year students along the corridor. Observing how difficult Aki was in attempt to carry Kishi who had more body mass and advanced height than him, it was hilarious enough to be viewed by everyone.

“Kishi-senpai! You’re shockingly light!” Aki said in between his huffs.

“Are you mocking me, kohai?”

“Shhh! Don’t talk back! Or-“

“Or what? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to drop you!”

“Do it if you dare!”

It was the biggest mistake Kishi has muttered in his fifteen years of living as the most charming boy in Izumi Middle High School. Aki was undeniably a blunt boy who took everything he heard naively. He did really drop Kishi on the floor, erupting a mild quake beneath his feet and Kishi’s buttocks. The piercing ache in Kishi’s stomach intensified, causing another urge to do another business. He lied bare on the floor, eyes fixated on the ceiling while Aki bowed over to figure out whether he was fine or not.

“What kind of question was that?” Kishi clenched his teeth and jaw, to the point that fine veins emerged on his forehead. “What have you done, Aki? Are you aware of the consequence doing this to a person who has stomach ache?”

The only thing that Kishi thanked for was that the incident occurred in a corridor near the school clinic. Normally, there was no student walking around, hence no witness suspected. Kishi grasped his abdomen and recomposed his breathing pace.

“Are you in labour, Kishi-senpai?”

“You moron!” Kishi finally cursed. He has been holding his irritation for quite some time.

It has been one whole week of Aki’s unstoppable humiliation. He could not forget the first day it happened. Aki came to his class during recess, panting as if he was having some sort of respiratory problem. One of his best friends, Ito, was the nearest to the door, has not had the chance to ask when Aki shouted his lung out in front of their class. It felt like Aki was begging, however it was never perceived like that to Kishi.

Aki was born as a natural high level stalker! He has never met such pushy boy like Aki – utterly stubborn and carelessly demanding! The younger had only one wish, a very simple wish, which was to be Kishi’s student in acting. As being informed by Mori, Kishi was a member of Izumi’s drama club, a club where he was recognised by the entire school including the teachers. His influence was widely spread until there were even fans of boys and girls from other school.

Put that aside.

This Aki boy really gave him headache. He rejected Aki’s demand because Aki was a member of the media club led by Mori. Due to some issues in the past, Kishi and Mori had a misunderstanding, hence they never got along after that. He denied any relation to the media club, unless one thing – posters made by Mori was splendidly captivating.

Nevertheless, Aki never surrendered.

Because Kishi has rejected his request to take him as an apprentice, Aki, who was fully aware of how popular Kishi was among girls and boys, sent a love letter to the senior! He covertly slipped the pinkish lovey-dovey letter into Kishi’s personal locker. The best part was that Kishi guy accepted the request written in the letter – to meet the sender at the school backyard. Kishi might be dumb for believing the letter undoubtedly, but to think thoroughly, he was meaner if he was to abandon someone who has been liking him.

“And that sender has harassed me up till today!” he yelled his lung out, raving while Aki carried him inside the school nurse. “Not only I was severely deceived, I got the worst consequence later!”

“Oh, come on Kishi-senpai!” Aki put Kishi on the bed, giggling. “It’s just me, your idiot junior. That’s me!”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone? I can’t stay sane after all these disturbance! You do hate me, don’t you?”

Kishi glared as the junior went to meet the school nurse in the consultation room. A few minutes later, he returned with the school nurse wearing a nametag written Akiko.

“What a coincidence! Our name is almost similar!” Aki cheerfully introduced her to the slumped Kishi on the bed. “Please, nurse. Can you check on him? I think he has gotten himself a bad diarrhoea.”

“My meal time went haywire because of you!” Kishi hysterically pointed at the (probably) perplexed Aki. “I couldn’t eat properly because you kept on pestering on me!”

The furrows formed on Aki’s forehead denoted his bewilderment. He drew his face closer to Kishi’s, threatening the latter to act much more matured than how he was at the moment.

“It’s not my fault if you didn’t eat at home. I don’t even know where your house is!” Out of the blue, Aki guffawed until it echoed the clinic. “Instead of blaming me over your own fault, why don’t you be grateful for that? Or are you going to ask me to send you home? Then I will know where your house is.”

“Over my dead body- IT HURTS!”

The Akiko nurse groped on Kishi’s forearm to shut him up. Kishi was about to burst to tears and shifted to her just to witness her annoyance. So he has become the culprit instead of Aki! “What-“

“You’re way TOO noisy!” Akiko cupped Kishi’s face with her one hand, sending off deathly glares towards the latter. Kishi flinched in fright and melted himself into the bed obediently.

Through the process when Akiko examined everything on Kishi, Aki stood by the curtain with crossed arms and keen observation. The three of them never talked since the intimidating Akiko came out, relaxing the tension which overwhelming Kishi. Ten minutes with vital checking, Akiko recorded something on a paper and left the patient to her room. Aki immediately sat down on the bedside, raising brows and smirking.

Kishi rolled his eyes in displeasure. “You did see Miss Akiko the nurse, didn’t you?”

Aki peeped over the curtain to figure out whether there was anyone around them. After ensuring no one eavesdropping them, he replied. “Yes, I did. She’s a true beauty, isn’t she?”

“That’s not what I’m trying to say,” Kishi chirped, disliking Aki’s bluntness or straightforwardness. “Did you remember? Three days ago? What have you become?”

The period was exact. Three days ago, Kishi said. Both Aki and Kishi reminisced that last three days. One of the most epic days in Aki’s, and perhaps Kishi’s, entire life. It was the most absurd trial Aki has attempted to lure Kishi so that the senior would seriously look at him and take him as an apprentice. Tori has reprimanded him from following his outrageous plan, yet he still executed it proudly.

After continuous force and love letter failed, Aki did not think twice to cross dress. He still a boy in the morning, and he still was until the end of the day. However, he reappeared at Kishi’s class wearing a ponytail wig and girl uniform, light make up and pleasing eyes, saying that he wanted to meet Kishi personally after school.

“You may say I’m dumb to reach to that extend,” Aki covered his mouth in advance, “but you’re dumber because you didn’t notice that I’m a boy!”

Out of the blue, Kishi’s face blushed to Aki’s point. He was right though.

The Akiko nurse came back with a saucer containing pills. They must be medication for Kishi’s sickness, judging from her preparation and Kishi’s scrunching face soon after he saw them. Deep inside, Aki had the wanting to record Kishi’s unusual side which was not always shown publicly. Or to be more precise, he was the first one to view such lame personality of Kishi.

The recovery went well. Despite the unwillingness, Kishi gulped in the pills with the encouragement by Aki. It was after Aki threatened him to eat them in order to get better, or he would spread another fake wild gossips about Kishi. Kishi rested his head on the pillow as the pills have taken effect on him.

“You know what, Aki,” Kishi’s half-opened eyes depicted his drowsiness. “You should act like Miss Akiko on that day.”

Aki blinked in confusion. “Wasn’t I cute?”

“You were cute, but your body language didn’t. At all.”

A chuckle escaped from Aki. “But, you still foolishly treated me as a girl who was your fan.”

He saw Kishi gradually closing his eyes. Yet his mouth was mumbling.

“Weren’t you acting?”

The medication must be expensively effective that Kishi has fallen into sleep in less than ten minutes. Aki’s cheerful smile faded as he heard soft snores from Kishi, which indirectly displayed the serenity Kishi has obtained by sleeping. It must be difficult to endure a diarrhoea, although it was induced. Aki ducked his head, pondering whether this risky plan has succeeded or not. He would know after Kishi has awoken from his sleep and cured his stomach ache.

Nothing would disturb Kishi’s peaceful slumber, therefore Aki stepped out from the section. The curtain did a great job in shrouding a presence of another character in this mission. Aki and that figure exited the clinic and shut the door.

“So, what’s the end result?” that someone asked.

Aki rubbed his nape in contemplation. “I wonder if this worked, Ito-senpai.”

“I heard your last conversation, Aki,” the one named Ito giggled at Aki’s faltered determination. “You’ve done this far.”

“It’s because of that,” The guilt accumulated in Aki halted him from faking another laugh. He has had enough in front of Kishi. “I can believe in you, right? Ito-senpai.”

“You can count on me, Aki,” the Ito guy patted Aki on the shoulder, “This time, let him taste his own deed. It was what I’ve been wanting to do too.”

“May I know what caused you to make him suffer like this?” Aki averted from meeting gaze with Ito.

The Ito guy crossed his arms, fixating his eyes on the restless Aki. “It’s because he was so snobbish that he rejected Mori’s request regarding the voice acting.” Aki saw Ito clenching a fist, “Whereas Mori has helped him in promoting our theatre. The reception was gloomy at that time, however thanks to Mori’s assistance, we could attract more audience. Moreover, the show received good reviews as well.”

Aki would not interrupt into Ito’s revelation. It was a fact to know because he was one of the media club member, and he has witnessed how Mori and Kishi quarreled. Getting to be disclosed about the issue meant he would be able to figure out how to communicate with Mori and Kishi later.

“He has become so full of himself because of his popularity. My revenge is done,” Ito clapped to celebrate their scheme, “Thank you for collaborating with me, Aki.”

“As long as it won’t take a toll to Kishi-senpai, I’m glad,” Aki could not smile wider, “Somehow I doubt if he will teach me after he has healed.”

Ito grinned ear to ear at the puzzled Aki. “No worries. If he refused to teach you, I, the president of the drama club, will take over the part. Just accept it as my token of gratitude, Aki.”