Tutoring

It felt odd being supported by others. Being someone that avoided most students at school, Arata wasn't sure about this. Lack of trust aside, he was going to have a find a way to start talking with Misei.

His mind was already filled with excuses of starting a conversation, outside of showing her how to do these problems.

"So do you understand this now?"

"Yes." She was doing it again, keeping her sentences short. That way, he wouldn't have an easy way to continue talking. At this point, he was at the realization that he didn't know her that well. Whatever subject he was going to come up with, he was going to have to find it in this room.

Studying his surroundings, it definitely wasn't like his room. There was much more decoration, and things that one would expect. Except for the fact that a lot of it, wasn't what he'd think she'd have.

Her stuffed animals, the colorful posters on the walls, even the color scheme. It was pretty girly, not that took issue with that. More that for someone with such a ladylike attitude anytime he saw her in public, it just didn't seem like her style.

Even her outfit at the moment was foreign to him. While she was in the comforts of her home, seeing her wearing shorts and a regular shirt was a far cry from her public wear. Misao took notice what he was doing. That was when she took her chance.

"So, Kashimura. What do you think of her outfit?"

"What?" He immediately heated up. Getting put on the spot like this was just painful. "We-well. I think it looks nice." He said this, trying as hard as he could to not even look at Misei. She was so cute wearing that, but he'd never say that out loud.

"Well it wasn't my choice to wear it. Miseo just told me that it was better if I wore my home clothes, that's all." She was going to dress up for this? It's just studying.

"I think you look really cute." Matsu basically said what he was thinking. "I really wished you'd wear this more often."

"It's not like I can just wear this at school. Besides, this is nowhere near appropriate in public." Arata was fairly certain he'd seen more indecent outfits than this outside. On the subject, things were going better now. Just had to keep it up.

"Say, what are these for?" He picked up a teddy bear from her bed. "I never imagined you to be someone that had these lying around."

"That's just for convenience sake!" She swiped it from his hands. Quickly returning it back to its original place. "I can just use these instead of buying more pillows." It was embarrassing to her to have to defend herself like this. Not that he was attacking her, he was not one to judge. After all, that one 'special' bodypillow he had hidden under his bed was proof of that.

"They look so nice." Matsu complimented her, picking up another one. "Where do you get them from?" As those two girls argued, there was something about this that Arata just couldn't put his finger on. Why was he enjoying this so much?

Actually, now that he was thinking about it. This was probably the first time in a while she got to see Misei like this. That proper girl, getting really uppity about appearance. Trying to explain herself to make it sound less embarrassing. Such like back at the pool, when she was wearing that ring float.

It wasn't that different from how he felt about Erina. Sure, he might be annoyed with how they usually acted. Erina's energetic actions and Misei's prideful manner. When that was gone, it kind of made him feel a bit sad.

Was this how Yogi felt about them too? He'd mentioned this many times to him during class. How they were whenever something big happened with that group. Those moments that made him upset, and those that made him happy.

Those moments that Arata didn't think he wanted. Yet during this whole week, it felt like something was missing. Now he was understanding why he was feeling bad, it was because he missed what he had with Misei, even if only a little.

"...And please, put that down." She commanded Matsu. Making sure everything was back to normal. "We should resume our studies." And that's what they did. Once they returned to their work, he noticed that things were more quiet than he would've liked.

What else was there to do? He couldn't find anything that he could make conversation with. While he was pointing out a problem, all he could say was just about the numbers on the paper. Nothing that deep or important. The snap of a pencil, gave an opportunity he wasn't expecting.

"Ah, sorry." He said. Looking at the now gone granite of his pencil.

"I think I have a sharpener in one of the drawers of my desk." She informed him. He walked over, opening one of them. The object that he was looking for was inside, however another one caught his eye.

"What's this?" He said, picking it up. A trophy with second place engraved on it. Seemed like an off place to put something like this. Especially since he saw they had a trophy case in the living room when he entered, filled with plenty of ribbons, awards, and trophies.

"Hey! Put that down!" She rushed up from her sitting position, grabbing it from him. "Here, there's the sharpener you were looking for." She was clearly panicked about him seeing it.

"Hm? What's wrong? I thought it was pretty cool." He told her. It might not have been a first prize, but it was the next best thing. "Also I think it's in the wrong place. Don't you have a case for this stuff?"

"What makes you think that it belongs there?"

"Because it belongs there?" Arata looked over to Misao, hoping for some backup. The girl's eyes moved away from him. Clearly he had done something wrong from their view, but he was trying to be nice.

"Wow, second place?" Matsu got up and took a closer look. "That's so good, I've never gotten anywhere near there." She laughed. The place she was more used to, was last.

"It doesn't matter what you think." She shoved it back into the drawer, taking out the sharpener and handing it to him. While he might not have understood the reaction, he didn't pursue it any further. Getting her more mad at him was the last thing he wanted.

Returning to their homework. Things were back to normal again, the normal that he didn't like. If only there was a way to get her to talk to him again. As he worked with her on the problems, there soon came one that had him stumped.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I'm not sure how to work with this." He racked his brain for the solution, but nothing came from it.

"I know how to do that." Matsu came between them. At this point, all she was doing was her own homework. "All you have to do is this…"

"Wow. So that's how it goes." It was clear to him, once she explained it to the two of them. "Thanks, I never knew you were good at this kind of stuff." He gave her his gratitude. Misei, on the other hand, was silent.

"Oh it's no big deal. I've always been good at this for some reason." Arata had to admit, he didn't think that this girl was the brightest light. But she was much better than him at this.

"Yeah, that's pretty go-" The sound of a snap stopped him. He turned over the to source, it was Misei's pencil, now in two pieces. "Huh? Did you just…"

"I'm going to the bathroom." She said, quickly making her exit.

"Misei…" Misao followed her out just as fast. Matsu and Arata were now the only people left in the room.

"Did I do something bad?" She asked him. Feeling bad about what happened.

"Oh I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong." His comforting words barely convinced him, but he didn't actually know what was went wrong.

"But I don't want her to hate me."

"She won't, you're not like me. You're actually nice."

"So are you!" She replied. "You're one of the nicest people I know." Coming from her, it didn't feel like empty words. "And I know that she doesn't hate you either."

"And how do you know that?" Those two weren't friend, so it's not as if she had any insight.

"You don't remember what I said back at the park?"

He looked back at that time. What about what she said then, had anything to do with now. Skimming back on the memories, there was one that stood out to him. It was when he had the chance to tell her to leave him alone. At the time, he was irritated at this random girl saying strange things about him.

Except he never told her to go away. He accepted it, allowed it, but why? Was it because he didn't mind her presence? If that's the case, then Misei probably felt the same way about him. She could've denied him the chance to help her with school work, but she didn't.

"I know what you're talking about now." He affirmed her feelings. "I guess I'm just not good with wording my feelings, so I just didn't know what to say."

"Oh, if you don't know what to say. Just say something like, oh I miss you, Jingu let's be friends again!" She made a rather poor imiatation of him.

"Like I'd say anything that embarrassing!" He pulled on her ear in anger. "Besides, I got something better than that." He got up from the table. It was time to make his move.

"Yay! I'm sure whatever you do. It'll work." She cheered him on. It filled him with determination, he wasn't going to let himself down now.

"I'll be back soon." He noticed her shuffling, was her energy getting to her? "Are you all right? You look uncomfortable."

"Oh I'm fine. I'm just excited that's all." It didn't look like it to him, but that wasn't the subject for him to be dwelling on. He left, searching out for the two. Soon, he ran into Misao, waiting outside a door, presumably to the bathroom.

Getting closer, his ears picked up a familiar sound. Crying. No doubt the muffled sobs from Misei. Not only was he not expecting it, but he was really starting to hate hearing it so often now.

"Hey Shitara. I'm guessing she's in there right now." He walked up to her, it didn't seem like she was doing anything other than leaning on the wall.

"Yes, and don't tell her I said this, but she's crying too."

"I can hear that?"

"What?! You can?"

"You can't?" He didn't think that it was that quiet, but Misao said that it was silent from where she was standing. Not that it was important, he had one thing he needed to do. "President Jingu?" he knocked gently on the door.

A moment of silence happened. It felt like an eternity, his dread grew as the second passed from her lack of a reaction. Then, she opened up the door. It was clear that she had been crying, the delay from her wiping the tears.

"I'm sorry, if you need the bathroom. I'll just…"

"I'm sorry." He spoke up. A look of surprise from both Misei and Misao was what he got. "I'm sorry that I got mad at you." A wave of relief came over him. After this entire week, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to not feel bad about her.

Those were the only words he needed to say. With all this support game that's been going on in his life lately. It was looking silly that he needed all that help, just to say such simple words.

"W-what?" She was dumbfounded. He was hoping for a better reaction, mostly so he didn't have to think that he messed something up.

"Yo-you heard me. I don't want to have to say it again." He replied, it was awkward standing here like this for him. Arata's never had to apologize to anyone before, especially since he wasn't entirely sure what he did was wrong. Either way, it was the start of what he desired.

"Sorry?" She had never been apologized to, not when she felt like she had done wrong. Not from someone like him. Without thinking, she grasped his arm, pulling him inside the bathroom.

"Whoa." He reacted, trying to fight back from this shock. "Well I guess this is the second time I've been in a bathroom with you now." Last time did go so well for him, hopefully this was going to be better.

"What are you apologizing for?" She confronted him. A bit confusing, wasn't she mad at him?

"For yelling at you? I mean, sure what you did was foolish. I was just mad, but I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Besides, you already said sorry." He explained. It wasn't that she wasn't accepting his apology, more that she was confused that he was saying sorry in the first place.

"So that's what you thought…" She crossed her arms meekly. Misei looked down to the ground, not wanting to meet his gaze. "If you were wondering why I avoid you so much, it was because of what you said."

"Yeah, that's why I'm apologizing…" He stopped, pondering over what it was that he said that made her so upset. "I said, why didn't you listen to me, that was a very stupid thing you did. I guess if you took issue with me calling you stupid."

"It's not that." She interrupted. "I just remembered hearing something similar to that." She recalled to him about the day she won that trophy he found in her room.

She was much younger then, just over 10 at that point. She tried so hard to win, yet one small mistake was all it took to fall short of her goal. The words her mom said, they cut deep. Hearing that same phrase from him of all people. She just didn't know what to feel.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"It's not your fault, really it should be mine." Knowing it now was a relief, but there was still something missing. Something that he knew he had to do, to finish this. At this point, she still was nowhere near him as she was before.

But what was it that was stopping them. He thought back to Hine's words, about thinking within a person to understand them. That was when he saw it, their problem. They were led to this moment for one reason, because of the way they saw each other.

"President… I mean, Jingu." He said, grabbing her attention. "Was it because of what I said? Or that it was me saying it?" The way her grip tighten around her arm, was proof that he had touched on the truth.

"I was so mad…" She relented. "Hearing those words again, and from you. I wanted to scream my lungs out at you." So that was the truth, the way she said sorry to him. Just a way to keep herself in check. He worried if they were alone what would've happened. "You probably think of me as a bad person."

"Bad person? There's nothing wrong with being mad." He told her, not holding any grievance.

"But, the way I see you, as some nobody." That might've hurt, but it would be unfair of him to take issue with that.

"That's not different from how I've treated you." He said. The way he saw her, as the school president. He was always so focused on her position, that he forgot the person behind it. That's why Misao was happy about his response at the pool, because for once, he saw Misei as more than the president.

"The way you treat me? But you've always…"

"Treated you so highly? It's true, like most of the other students. I've always saw you as the respected leader, the one that keeps this school in check." It might've been respect for her place in school, but it wasn't for Misei, the girl. "But I realize that it isn't just what you are. None of us ever saw you like Yogi does."

Right… Now he was remembering something whenever Yogi ever talked about her. It was never about her academic accomplishments, or what she did for the student council. No, it was always about those fun times he had with her. Something that no one else at school understood, because they never tried.

"That's why you like him, right?" She blushed at the thought. "It's because he doesn't see you as the school president, but as a girl."

"Do you think it's wrong of me to like him for that?" She asked, as if she needed his permission.

"There's nothing wrong with being in love with someone. I think it's sweet that someone makes you feel happy." He answered, and now he also knew what to do. "That's why I'm also going to try seeing you like Yogi." Her eyes widen, not understanding what he meant by that. "I'm not going to look at you like the school president. I'm going to try and look at you, as Misei Jingu."

"Thank you." She smiled, he was glad to see such a glow from her. "And from know on, I'll try and look at you more than just some random student." She told him. "After all, you're a lot more wise than you let on." May not have been the word he'd use to describe himself, nor could he take all the credit. But it was kind words that he appreciated.

"Hey! Are you going to be in there much longer!" A voice cried to them, knocking heavily on the door. It was quite the fright, and from the sounds of it. It was Matsu in a panic.

"I won't be long." She said. From Arata's motions, they both knew that this would look bad if they both came out of the bathroom at the same time. "You're free to use our other bathroom, it's just down the stairs." She was hoping that she'd leave so they could without incident.

"I'm sorry, but I'm at my limit." Arata remembered that shuffling she was doing. He didn't realize that she was in need of a bathroom. "I'm coming in right now!" Without protest from Misei, she pushed open the door. Matsu couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Arata as well. "Arata?! What are you doing…"

Her body didn't care about the situation. She rushed pasted then and sat down on the toilet, just barely making it. She breathed a big sigh of relief. This was rather uncomfortable for Misei to witness. She saw it was the same for Arata, as he stood looking away, eyes closed, with hands covering his ears.

She grabbed his arm, directing him out of the room to allow the other girl some privacy. Once safely out with the door closed. He could observe his surroundings again.

"You guys aren't mad at me?" He feared he might get what he had seen in anime before. The times when it wasn't even their fault, but they still got a beating.

"Why would we? You did the most appropriate thing you could think of in that situation." Misao answered. He was able to breath a sigh of relief from hearing that. Perhaps if it was Yuriko, he might not have been so lucky.

"We should get back to my room." Said Misei. "I believe we still have a few problems left."

"Actually…" He stopped her from leaving. "I just wanted to ask." He was unsure if this was the best time. But waiting was going to do him no favors. "Since we never officially finished your swimming lessons. I was wondering if you would allow me to try and teach you again?" Arata was expecting her to say no, but she looked at him and smiled. When he saw it, it made her answer obvious.

"I would love to."