Resisting the Invasion (Part 2)

Akihiro Tani arrives at Kokusai's school shoe lockers at the exact time every day forty minutes before classes begin. Always punctual, completely intentional.

He does this because he dislikes filing into the school's entrance, forced into rubbing shoulders with everyone around him. On the first day of club recruitment week where the advertising of after school clubs turned into a masterclass of dodging bodies, he was painfully reminded of why he hates it so much. As grateful as he is that the crowds have grown sparse in the days since, the residual anxiety pushes him towards avoiding it again so long as there are students still pushing for new members to join their clubs.

The little comforts afforded to him by making this extra effort have the effect of miniature victories, and it starts his day off with a shot of confidence. As well and good as this all is, if he were being stalked by a serial killer, or was under investigation by the CIA, his routine would afford him no safety. A creature of habit has no real protection after all.

Why does his clockwork arrival at school even matter? It’s because he has been stricken with the feeling of being watched. A pair of eyes have been beating on him since the moment he started the Languages club and was tasked with taking care of Anita Pederson. He can’t prove it just yet, every time he looks over his shoulder or towards the darkest corner of Kokusai’s well lit hallways, the sensation of being watched suddenly escapes him.

At first he thought that it was because Anita draws so much attention wherever she goes, the entire school seems outrageously interested in every move she makes. But during the few moments where he is alone throughout the day, especially in the morning forty minutes before classes start at the shoe lockers, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

This morning is no different, he investigates his surroundings, and then slips on his white school shoes. Leaning back up to put his day shoes in the locker, he shuts the door.

As soon as he does, a face appears behind it and he finds his personal space invaded.

“Yo.”

“Wuah!”

Already on edge, Tani shies away from the voice in a sudden jolt.

The tall, blond haired boy named Charl Raynal is there, leaning his forearm up against the gray lockers and staring at Tani with a seductive smile.

“I’ll have you know, I don’t appreciate being snuck up on like that.” Tani replies before walking away in a huff.

“Come now, Akihiro-kun, I’ve been here this whole time.”

Charl walks agonizingly close to Tani as they make their way down the halls of Kokusai.

“Have you been the one following me lately? Just because Shirai-sensei took it upon herself to submit your application to my club, it doesn’t mean I won’t jump through any hurdle to kick you out for being a creep.”

Tani’s threat doesn’t seem to climb high enough to reach the French lad’s ears. Not offended in the least, Charl is smoothly hovering over his club president like a fluffy white cloud casting its shadow over a field of grass.

“I can assure you, until sensei introduced us yesterday I haven’t had the pleasure of being this close to you. Seeing you here so early, I felt compelled to walk you to class.”

Charl speaks very good Japanese, but has a very specific way in which he talks that makes him seem more like a character in a fictional work than a regular human. His voice is smooth, his words come out even smoother in a princely tone. Every word that exits Charl’s mouth creates a tickling sensation in Tani’s chest that shrinks him down into an almost helpless state. This feeling agitates Tani, to have this foreign bishonen’s presence elicit such an uncontrollable reaction prompts him to create space between the two.

Walking faster down the halls, he’s startled to find that Charl easily keeps pace.

Not achieving any relief from Charl’s presence, he curses his newest member’s long European legs within his mind.

“There’s plenty of time to get to know each other once school ends. You being here now is messing up my morning routine.”

“I don’t think I’ve slowed you down much. I’m simply following you.”

“Go follow yourself to your own class.”

“Our classes are right next to each other. Shirai-sensei is my homeroom teacher.”

“Go the long way then!”

A gentle chuckle escapes Charl’s lips. “This is cute.” He then pulls out a little notepad from his pocket and jots something down before finishing, “A real life tsundere in the form of a club president. Some good material right there.”

Tani doesn’t even know where to start with articulating how incensed he is by what’s unfolding in front of him. “Tsundere?? Are you mistaking me for a palmtop tiger?”

“Hmm, palmtop tiger, a really good image there, that’s some great material as well.” 

Charl scribbles in his notebook.

“That’s actually plagiarism!” Tani keeps Charl from writing by putting his hand between the notebook and pencil. “What are you writing about?”

Charl hides the book behind his back and begins walking backwards in front of Tani.

“It’s my little secret, for now.”

“I can take a pretty accurate guess if I wanted to.”

With a seductive wink, Charl replies, “Then it’ll be our little secret.”

“Gughh…”

Tani squints at him and droops his shoulders.

The two begin making their way up the first flight of stairs leading to the middle classrooms and Tani has now slowed down to keep his distance away from his newest club member, but all it does is make Charl’s presence even more dwarfing when he looks up at him.

“If you’re trying to write a light novel or something, there’s at least three other clubs you could have joined to assist you with that.”

“This notebook isn’t for a light novel, I’m making notes for a manga I plan on drawing.”

“Like I said, there’s better clubs for you to join which can help you with that specifically.”

Charl stops a few steps in front of Tani and peers down on him, the morning light shining through the window illuminates his azure eyes.

“There's no club other than yours that can help me with what I need.”

A pounding surfaces in Tani’s chest while looking up at him, his blonde hair gleaming so bright that divinity would look pale in comparison.

“What makes you think that?"

Charl smiles, and makes his way up the last flight of stairs to reach the 3rd story classrooms. He doesn’t answer for a moment, and Tani hurries to catch up to him.

Curiosity has outweighed his desire for distance.

“I’m serious, as your president I need to know. You never told me what language you need help learning.” 

The two reach Shirai-sensei’s class 3-C, and Charl stands by the door and holds his hand out, gesturing to Tani to enter.

“The answer to that question is in here.”

It seems suspicious, but Tani doesn't hesitate to enter the room. The large class is void of life, the chairs on the desks are stacked atop each other, the lights have yet to be turned on. It’s a familiar scene to Tani, who walks into this room every morning well before Shirai or any other student arrives. There most certainly isn’t an answer to such a pressing question inside of this room.

Charl turns on the lights, and Tani makes his way towards the front of the class.

“Listen, Charl.” Tani says while pulling out a little box wrapped in a handkerchief and sliding it into the drawer of Shirai’s desk. “I’m running out of time to get the five members needed to continue on, but If Shirai-sensei forced you into joining my club, I think it’s best if you stepped away now. I have a lot more riding on this club’s success even after I get the minimum amount. I can only teach you a new language, I definitely can't help you make a stupid manga.”

“What if I asked you to teach me the language of love?"

Tani's next breath of air gets stuck in his throat.

"Love??"

"That's right."

Charl seems to float as he walks between the desks and makes his way towards his flustered club president.

"I want to make the greatest westerner-drawn romance manga ever created, but I can't seem to find a way for my characters to fall in love with each other in a way that would separate my work from any other shoujo. I believe  that only you can teach me about a unique love."

Unable to process such a dramatic request, Tani blinks in rapid succession and stammers under his breath. “You’re drawing a shoujo??” Leaning up against Shirai's desk, he holds the side of his head in an exasperated fashion. "I am a genius, and because of that it pains me to tell you that I don't know a thing about love, especially shoujo love. The Languages Club can't help you."

"You say that as you place a carefully crafted treat in sensei's desk." Charl teases.

"Is your French brain misconstruing this action for affection? I don’t do anything that isn’t specifically tailored to help my club’s cause, these treats are what it takes for our scatterbrained teacher to remain our faculty sponsor.”

“If all she’s done for you is recruit me, it doesn’t seem like she’s doing a good job.”

Charl is right about that, and the realization of it hits Tani like a baseball to the head. Why is he continuing to make her sweets if all it's gotten him is a member he has no use for?

“....”

“I think you both have a love within you that I need to see flourish in order to create my masterpiece. It has all the fixings for great source material. A male tsundere genius, a silly and lonely beautiful teacher. Forbidden love. Ahh alas, I must see this through.”

“You have this ass backwards!” Tani protests in disbelief. “First off, I'm not a tsundere, second off, I can hardly even tolerate Shirai-sensei, I for sure don't love her. I am not letting you join my club for such an insane reason! You aren’t ever going to learn about the 'language of love' in my club, I’m here to teach you an actual language and that’s it!”

“Can’t I do both?”

“Pardon?”

“As I’m sure you know, Shirai-sensei is my homeroom teacher, but I’m also in her English class. Would you not benefit from my grade improving as well?”

This is an alluring offer, but the motives of this foreign student still triggers Tani’s instinct to refuse. “I doubt I’d get any clout by helping a French student pass a class on a language taught regularly in Europe. This is a waste of my time.”

“Shirai sensei hasn’t told you?”

“Told me what?”

“I have the worst grade in her class. In fact, it’s the only class I’m currently failing.”

Every interaction with Shirai Keiko flashes into Tani's mind in a series of scenes and cuts like a movie being rewinded. Going back and forth with how he views her, her idiotic image is firmly replaced with the image of her cunning alter ego. 

Could it be that she has been playing Tani this entire time? 

Pretending to be dumb, pretending to project feelings onto him; at first it was to get free sweets every day, now it is to use Tani’s talents to improve the grades of her worst student. 

Not only does she continue to get treats, if Charl passes her class, she can take her share of credit for his sudden turnaround. She’s either stacked the cards in her favor since the beginning, or she has lucked her way into solving problems only Tani can do for her.

Our conniving high school student can't decipher the evidence presented to him to formulate an answer. Again, he is confronted with the pressing question of how to react to the potential of a teacher taking advantage of her position over him.

“If it's English that you want to learn, welcome to the Languages club!”

Again, Tani is as happy as a clown to be used so long as it serves to benefit his goals. 

Charl may be a foreigner, his desires with his manga may be a nuisance, but he is the third of five members needed by the end of this week, and he actually has a language he needs to learn to help him get through his senior year of high school. In a lot of ways, Charl is Tani’s first real student.

Coupled with the work being done with Anita, he's certain that the board members of TIU would look upon this feat favorably. A great opportunity has presented itself to Tani. The universe works in strange ways, and by choosing not to resist and allowing it to direct his future, things have finally taken an unexpected turn for the better.

With that, ambition continues to push forward.