26.0

Shiroui Yuusuke was sitting in the library reading a light novel when his english teacher, Matsuri-sensei came up to him with a huge pile of paperwork. It was routine nature for the president of the student council to make copies and distribute flyers for all their upcoming big tests and events.

He snapped his book shut and pulled out the ear bud in his ear. "Good morning, Matsuri-sensei. Oh, let me help you. That looks heavy."

The teacher gave him a relieved face and sighed a little. "Oh, to see such young blood so early. It's almost...mind numbing!"

"Er--"

Matsuri was half English. She was raised in the United States and often said things that were strange, like this one. Shiroui paid it no mind and gathered the papers from her and gave them a looking. It was about their upcoming trip to Tokyo. All classmates of his grade where excited, whereas Shiroui was dreading it.

When it came to trips, it was a burden of the student council to ensure everything went smoothly, and keep track of all the people going. They were also there to enforce strict rules, such as ensuring no PDA and co-ed mix ins, like sneaking into the girls room.

Great. Another lame field trip. Can't we go one month without being forced to be social?

"Yuusuke-san," Matsuri said. He turned from the doorway, and she added, "Can you be a dear and let Shino-chan know that I'm looking for her? I'd appreciate it."

"Shino...shino..." he made a show of not recalling.

"Oh! My apologies. Chisato Shino. She's new this year. A freshman." Matusuri had a strange and odd smile, like sadness.

"..Sure. Will do. Then, I'll be going."

He left to the bulletin board to begin the tedious task of handing out papers. What a dreadful, boring day it was. He'd rather be at home watching anime, or even 'that' type of anime.

Shiroui pinned the first paper onto the board, setting the larger stack off to the side of his leg.

There came a small thing bumping into his shoulder. It was the briefest touch, but just enough to move his leg and scatter the stack into a mess.

"Oi, why don't you watch it--" he snapped.

The little thing was scrawny. A head tinier than he, with the body of a child. She had pale, pale skin like something from a Victorian era film. A tiny face, with dull black eyes and shimmering, long brown hair. Overall she belonged on a shelf collecting dust, not in a uniform at his high school.

Seeing such a lolicon among high school was strange, and made one think twice, lest they get arrested. Shiroui immediately thought she was a cold beauty type, as the look inside her deep eyes wasn't friendly. If anything, it was chilling. Like he'd stepped his feet into ice water.

"..."

She didn't say anything. No reaction to his words.

Mutely she bent and began collecting the fallen papers as if he weren't there. It was fall time, so everyone had on their uniform sweaters, but her sweater was oversized. The cuffs drooped over the girls knuckles.

She's so tiny, Shiroui thought.

Without a word the pile was righted and she walked off, and he watched her turn a corner and vanish.

"See the newbie?" Came an annoying voice beside him.

It was a fellow council member, Fuma. His arm plopped onto Shiroui's shoulder as he chuckled. "Careful, or you'll get into trouble. That would look bad for the Student Council President."

"Who was that? I don't remember seeing her at the beginning of the year," Shiroui said.

"Chisato Shino. A transfer."

Fuma grabbed some papers from the pile and walked off.

Ahh, that's right, I'm supposed to tell her Matsuri-sensei wants to speak with her.

Shiroui left his pile and followed the direction she'd left in. He found her standing at the steps leading to the first level. There wasn't anything strange about that at first. But the more he looked, he watched her tiny hand grasp at something unseen. Then she bowed her head over the railing.

"Oi!"

His feet moved without his head knowing. Shiroui grabbed her waist and pulled her from the side. "What do you think you're doing? Have a death wish?"

Chisato slowly glanced at his mouth, then his eyes. She mumbled out, 'I'm fine' to him and escaped his arms. Shiroui couldn't help but feel how her rib bones were slightly telling that she didn't eat very much.

"...Fine, huh. Tch, whatever. Matsuri-sensei wants a word with you."

He went back to his papers and finished pinning them all across school just as lunchtime ended. With a sigh of one who hadn't had time to eat, Shiroui treaded back to his class.

The day passed by. While his classmates were riled up for the visit to Tokyo, Shiroui droned them out with his music and light novel. It was typical for the Student Council to meet after school for thirty minutes and discuss current events, but he really didn't care for that. To him it was just another job he had to do.

A job he hated, really.

But with the pressure of having upstanding and important parents like he, Shiroui couldn't let them be disgraced by him. Their plan for his life included a popular, expensive college and a doctorate. Having his future ahead of him like that he found it hard to get excited about anything.

Briefly he wondered if maybe having a girlfriend would make life better.

That tiny girl from before--Chisato-- crossed his thoughts. He laughed to himself, thinking that dating her would be like watching over a child. Shiroui should pick from the selection of large chested A's who confessed to him on white day.

Shiroui was handsome. Not by his own thoughts, but by word of mouth. Tussled black hair and a sharp gaze, with a tiny head and lank arms, he looked like the cover art for a popular shoujo. Of course that was the only reason girls liked him. And that was also why Fumi wasn't so nice.

"Look at him. Not a care in the world," Fuma said of Shiroui.

He pulled out the ear buds and gave his friend a scowl. "...Ttaku, I'm just waiting for you to decide on what to do about seating arrangements."

Fuma rolled his eyes. Beside Fuma was Uma, and she was one A type who'd confessed her feelings to Shiroui. She fluttered her fake eyelashes at him and replied, "W-Well, I think it should be okay for them to sit together. It would be very dull otherwise, ne?"

"Either way is fine," Shiroui said.

He crossed his legs and put them on the table and let out a wide yawn.

I stayed up too late reading again.

"But Yuki-sensei was very clear," Fuma argued. "No PDA."

Uma sighed and laid her head down. "Urrghh, just pick one. Jeez, you're so annoying Fuma-kun."

"Hah. I'll take that as a compliment."

Shiroui looked out the window. The sun was fading and he saw a gathering of clouds. It would be rain soon, then. He got up and told Fuma to okay the co-ed seating, grabbed his book bag, and left the other three members to argue.

"Oi! Shiroui-kun! You can't just leave! You're the President, ya know?" Fuma yelled.

"Ma, I said let them do whatever." He said over his shoulder. "...Kids will be kids."

Shiroui left the council room just as his stomach growled. He had enough yen in his pocket to get something from the machine, and made his way down the steps to acquire sustenance. At the bottom of the steps however he saw Chisato. She was on all fours and looking around.

She's lost something, he realized. That had to be why she was stretching her hand out like that.

"Need help?" He asked.

Mutely Chisato rose her head. Beyond the cropped bangs he saw that her eyes held tears. It must have been something important to her, then. She nodded.

"What is it anyway?"

"...A bracelet." Came the tiny reply.

They searched the stairwell thoroughly. Probably fifteen minutes had passed when he gave up the search. "Not here." He told her.

Chisato rose and ducked her head. He watched as she walked past and mumbled, "Thank you."

That was that, then. He got his hot cross bun and left the school. Standing outside it however was that girl again. It was raining and she wasn't holding an umbrella. Instead, the water trickled off everywhere as she became soaked. Shiroui looked on and opened his umbrella, going over to her. "Hey...you're totally wet," he said.

"..."

She didn't see him. Her eyes were staring off into the misty rain. He wondered what she could be thinking about. "You...like rain, huh."

"..."

"Jeez, you know you're gonna get sick right?" He moved his umbrella over her. Wetness seeped into the side of his left shoulder, unprotected from the elements.

"Sick..." she mumbled. Her head lifted, and their eyes met. "...Tell them I'm sick, then."

"Huh? Tell who?"

"The others. I cannot go to Tokyo. Please tell Matsuri-sensei that I've fallen ill."

"Why can't you go? I mean, all you need is your parents permission." He said.

"...My father isn't home. He won't be for some time."

"Business trip?"

"Yes. I cannot write very well, so...I'm sorry." She bowed. "If you'll excuse me."

She took off in the pouring rain down the street, her black shoes clacking loudly. He ran after her saying, "Hey! Wait!"

He grabbed her arm and she froze. Quickly he let go, and she rubbed it as if sore. "Sorry, sorry. Here. Take this." He said and thrust the umbrella to her. "You can return it to me later."

"Hai."

The darkness from her lifted, and was replaced with something so pure and innocent he stared in wonder. Chisato smiled and tilted her head at him, "You're...a strange one."

"No. I'm Shiroui Yuusuke." He pecked her pale forehead with his finger, "Remember it."

"...Hai. Then, have a good evening."

That was the last time he talked to her. After the trip was over, he watched her from a distance. She'd cut all her hair off, and had many meetings with Matsuri-sensei. It wasn't until later, when Fuma declared he'd go out with her as a joke, that Shiroui had thoughts of getting closer to the quiet, obscure girl. But he didn't get the chance.

Of course it was because he'd died.

***

***

***

Rhuda bowed. "You remember my name. I was wondering if you would or not."

"...Yeah. I remember it pretty good, actually. You never did give me my umbrella back."

He said the words but his heart wouldn't calm down. Shallot had no way of knowing that Rhuda had been Chisato, and recalled every time he'd kissed her without thinking. Even making her orgasm.

His throat went dry.

Now before him Shallot could only envision that tiny thing called Chisato.

"About that...well, I kept the umbrella. You see, I was really too nervous to give it back. You were the student council president." She said.

"Y-Yeah."

Rhuda ducked her head shyly. What had started as a fun time messing around had turned into something serious, Shallot realized. It was as though he were trying to date Chisato. Did he want to?

"Hey. T-That bracelet you lost. Where did it come from?" He asked.

"It was my mothers. She's gone now, and it was all that she'd left me with."

"What...happened?"

"She...left my father for a better life. We were poor, and by my third birthday her and father only argued. When she left we moved a lot."

It made sense. Shallot recalled she was new and a transfer. "Poor, huh, without a mom. That...sucks."

"Y-Yeah. W-Well, I should get some Equipment."

"Hey." He said.

"Hm?"

"...For the record, I thought a lot of Chisato."

"E-E-Eh?!"

Her cheeks went crimson and she covered her mouth.

"T-There's no way you did! Don't tease me!"

With a chuckle he pulled her to his chest. "I'm not teasing. But, let's start over."

"Start over?"

"Yeah. I'm...Shallot."

"T-Then I'm Rhuda. Please to, to meet you."

A hand tapped Shallots' back. He turned, seeing Broly there. He was glaring. "What are you doing to my sister?" He asked.

"Nothing. We're good friends." He said.

Rhuda nodded. "W-We were just talking. Shallot is my partner, so I was asking him to help me find a new outfit."

Broly frowned and yanked Rhuda over to his side, where he said, "I'll help her."

"B-Brother," Rhuda blushed. She was quickly being smothered by his thick arms. Shallot grit his teeth, seeing tiny Chisato instead. And also seeing her breasts pressing together.

"Rhuda is mine," Broly declared. He hoisted her to his shoulder. "It's my job to take care of her."

Talk about a sister complex, he thought.

Shallot turned away with a sigh. "Right. Catch you later, noodles."

"Y-Yes."