21 tRUE sELF

[Ayanokouji POV]

How did it come to this, I have no idea myself but here I am facing Kushida, the only difference is that the cute and smiley girl which everyone loves is nowhere to be seen; and the one I am facing is extremely wicked and 'clever', wearing a smirk down on her face as per amusements.

Some time earlier, in the evening as usual my classmates came for the preparations regarding the upcoming Mid-Term Examinations. After that Horikita came by with a very uninterested usual face of hers; not like that matters to us at this point.

Time went by studying. Soon everyone suggested that they would take a break. Yamaguchi asked for refreshments so that to get their energy back or some sort.

True, my energy was already drained. A drink would suffice.

All of them decided to play Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who would be the one to run the errand. Unfortunately, it was Kushida, and as expected from her, she deliberately said, "Oh~ I don't mind…I will go, don't worry." As she calmed Ike down, who wanted to go with her.

Kushida, how can a person smile this excessively?

I shouldn't have any suspicions or whatsoever but something usual yet unusual took place.

"Seriously?" Horikita spoke for the first time which was unrelated to the study materials, "Stop pretending already, it's really annoying." She put her books inside her bag.

Everyone went quiet as they looked the female who made the comment.

Kushida looked at her with wide tad eyes, which was replaced with a 'smile' which I think was a put-on.

I took no suspicion of her but on the other hand the scarlet haired girl wore a smug expression, since no one paid attention to anyone but the two females, there was not a single chance anyone would have looked at Erza, other than me.

Her eyes roamed here and there, finally meeting mine, she was a bit surprised as her eyes showed a bit of bewilderment but soon changed as she pursed her lips into a satisfied smirk as she leaned onto the wall as she shrugged.

'I told you this was ought to come.' Most probably that is what she meant.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but you should relax sometimes, Horikita." Kushida said while she turned back from us and went away.

I have no idea what expression she made while she made that statement, where Horikita was better off ignoring her words as if she never said those.

Quite uptight of a girl she is.

"There will be a lot of stuff she will be carrying," I said as I felt something was odd in Kushida, gaining everyone's attention including Erza's, "I will accompany her."

Once again meeting her gaze but this time she said, "Yeah, I guess that's appropriate."

And I went off. I saw Kushida taking the stairs, thus I followed her.

There I was behind a tree as I saw her going near an open space; it was a garden of some sort, though not many people present there, maybe because it was already evening.

But I took notice of such, all I had on my mind was that we both have left the Vending Machine long time ago and the place we were was a secluded area.

Even that wasn't much a shock than what it was to come in future.

I saw her tip-toeing and twirl, which I suppose is normal for her child like personality, but suddenly she went still like a lifeless body, my eyes boring into her every movement.

"WHAT A BITCH!" The girl who is friendly, innocent and caring cursed out into the secluded area. Her high pitched cute voiced replaced with more of a low-tone voice.

I wonder what Ike and Yamauchi would have reacted after seeing this.

The more I stood there, the more I felt Horikita and Erza's words to be true. Even as a boy myself, who wasn't interested in other people's circumstances surely thought about Kushida's demeanor to be true.

Guess, a woman's intuition is really capable of knowing the unknown.

I got a notification, upon seeing the sender's name, I wasn't really shocked but still it caught me off guard.

I texted back.

I sighed.

"Telling me that I am a fake bitch, hah!? I spite you! I hate girls like you Hori-" Her rambling stopped as she heard my voice.

"What are you doing here?" I said in my most calm usual nature.

She turned around to face the one who had discovered her so real identity.

She drilled me with her dark, glaring, cruel expression which contradicted her previous looks.

"Ayanokouji!" She exclaimed with widen eyes and a smirk of amusement.

And, here I am, in an unusual situation.

"You were following me, huh?" She asked dubiously.

I gave no comment, because what she implied was true. If I weren't following her, I would have called out to her long before, thus no such explanations would suffice.

"So! How does it feel to get betrayed!?" Her expression remained the same. "Come on, each one of you are the same, seeing me as a two-faced girl, really shocked you, huh!?"

"…Anybody would be shocked." I said with a stoic face.

She cocked her head to the side as she continues, "Haha…let me ask you something! I can't be the only one who hates her eccentric ass, y'know whom I am talking about, right?"

'So it really was like that.' My eyes rested on the girl before me.

"I mean I am doing this to get favoured by the class, to be well-liked, so it's not entirely my fault." She clenched her fist. "How dare that girl, come between my ambitions!" She gritted her teeth. "I will make her leave this school!"

"Is that why you pretended?" I asked.

"Of course!" She smiled darkly; soon showed me her glaring eyes and intimidating look. "And, you, Ayanokouji will keep that a secret."

Oh…

"Is that a threat?"

Her look intensified at every passing second.

[Ayanokouji POV end]

[Erza POV]

It's been a while since they left, the environment of the room somehow calmed down.

The boys looked like they had something to say to the black-haired girl, but were unable to due to her presence.

I was resting at the corner of his bed. The room really smelled like him. It calms me for some reason.

'Is everything alright with her?'

I unlocked my mobile and played one of the ringtones.

"Excuse me; I need to attend this call." I lied for the umpteenth time. Who cares?

I exited the room, which was really uncomfortable to be in, as I followed my way to the vending machine, where I suspect of them being there is low.

I sighed mentally, as I saw my suspicion to be correct.

'Cant things be a bit easy for me?'

I took out my mobile and texted the person who would give the answer correctly. Ayanokouji.

I asked him about their location. A secluded park, huh?

It took some time for me to reach that place; I hid behind a tree. It was casual and easy for me, to get unnoticed by others. One of my 'speciality', you can say.

I doubt even Ayanokouji would notice my presence.

Hah!

My eyes landed onto the two people who were present there, none other than Ayanokouji and wait that is Kushida?!

I saw her speaking, it was tough to lip-read some other foreign language but 'fortunately' I can lip-read Japanese well.

Moreover, her demeanour has changed! No, it never changed. It has been like that since times ago, the one she showed was Fake.

"-I am doing this to get favoured by the class, to be well-liked, so it's not entirely my fault. How dare that girl, come between my ambitions! I will make her leave this school!"

Is this about Horikita? Hmm, seems like that.

How she looks like a proper human!

A person without any ulterior motives, ambitions, cruelty, sadism, is no human for me. Kindness and love are long forgotten, those never exist in some people's life.

Her posture changed to intimidation. Pfft! Is she trying to intimidate Ayanokouji? Well, this deserves a round of applause!

Let us see how long she is able to.

I saw Ayanokouji mumbling towards that girl something, since his back faced me, I couldn't really read him, neither his body language said anything.

He really doesn't slips! As expected from someone related to 'White-Room'!

Kushida proceeded to come towards Ayanokouji as she smirked a little.

I frowned at the scene before me.

She abruptly held his hands. My eyes narrowed as my brows furrowed. How I'd like to interrupt them!

Wow, didn't know you had the courage to flirt. I positioned my phone to click a picture.

His hands were brought near her chest by her! What's this girl doing?

Click!

Shit! I looked at the very abnormal photo with an uninterested face.

'What should I do with-' My thoughts were cut off by the other female talking.

Well, I had enough!

"You see, I can easily file a complaint against you for sexual harassment. So you better-"

I wore a smug face as I, very 'amusingly' intervened between their 'conversations'.

"Comply with the situation?" I walked towards them as she faced me with wide tad eyes, with nervousness leaking down her expression, on the other hand, Ayanokouji was surprised as he side-stared me.

I held her hand which was gripping his hand, making him free.

"E-Eri~ this is not what you think-" She halted as she saw me glaring at her. "H-How, why are you here?"

"I have my ways." I answered. "Also go on with your conversation." I 'smiled' as soon as I realised she used my nickname reserved for people close to me.

"That-That he tried to molest m-me!" She reasoned herself.

How dare she! On the other hand, he didn't even try to defend himself. Did he know about my presence from before? Or is he sure that I will defend him?

I stared at him; our eyes met.

"Eri-"

"Stop don't call me that." I said in my most low pitched intimidating voice. "I never gave you my permission, remember?"

"I-" Kushida was cut off by Ayanokouji.

"So? What was it?"

I maintained my eye contact towards the other girl, signalling she is dead if she tries anything funny.

After some moment of silence. She decided to speak.

"This is another secret between me and you, Ayanokouji." She came back to her Fake-ass self as she clasped her hands in front of her chest.

'Another promise?'

I looked at the guy beside me who looked at the girl before him. Whatever! Doesn't matter to me.

"Um...Erza?" She called me.

"What is it?" I replied in annoyance.

"Please keep it a secret." She pleaded with her head hung low.

I looked down to her as I scratched my neck, "Never mind, you are more human this way."

She abruptly looked at me with gaped eyes. I meant what I said.

I felt eyes on me. Not caring at all whose it was, cause it was known to me, I proceeded to return.

"Ah! If you even so as to try to talk about that 'Fake molestation", I brought out my mobile and turned back to show her reality. "You will be drowning in hell, girl. Don't even think trying me." I gave her a death-glare.

In return, the girl stuttered, as I took the male's arm and proceeded to go back.

I am tired.

We were on our way when I released his hands.

"Your hands are kind of soft and rough."

Turned back and gave him a 'WTF?' expression.

"How did you have a picture of that moment?"

I faced him and said, "You know, I came much earlier." I went nearby and sat on a bench; he did the same. "I saw her holding your hands so I thought perhaps I could use that for my amusement."

"What amusement?" He asked.

Is he being cheeky or is he innocent? What the fck?

"Well it looked like you guys were flirting."

"With her face all intimidating?"

"Well at a glance it would look like that. Anyway, why didn't you defend yourself?" I asked him.

"I didn't really do anything wrong, and before I could say anything, you were already there.' He looked straight at my eyes.

That's a lot of confidence, huh?

"What if I didn't defend you?" I asked maintaining the eye contact.

"Did you think of otherwise?"

Huh? Come to think of it, why did I follow them? If it was him, he could have sorted things out.

"HUH!? Of course!" I said. I lied here, didn't I?

He didn't make any comment to it.

He got up and turned his face towards me, "I was a bit surprised, not gonna lie. What she did was a bit unexpected."

"So you were caught off guard, huh?" I smirked. Now, this is new. "I mean it's not entirely your fault, you are still a guy. And a Pervert who looks at other's legs."

"…"

His eyes never left my side.

"What about that picture?" He asked as he started walking with me.

"Oh...I'll keep it, for sometime let's see if she tries anything, not like she has the courage anymore." I looked at the picture and frowned.

"You saved me there."

My eyes were now the one which were wide-opened.

"…Huh? You act like you wouldn't have done any better without me. Cut me some slack!" I said as I smirked.

"Interpret as you like." He replied.

I said nothing as we brought some drinks on our way back. Everyone was shocked, as Kushida came by earlier and excused herself, whereas Ayanokouji and I were the one who brought stuffs.

Damn, so tiring!

[Erza POV end]