The Princess and the King

Ranko giggled, leaving her Japanese classroom flanked by three of the other girls in her class. Far from the shadows she'd stayed in when she started at Yusue, lately, people couldn't wait to hang out with her, especially on the days when she wore her cheerleading uniform to school.That said, she was heading to lunch now, and she usually tried to eat with Kumiko. While it was great that everybody wanted to be seen around her now, Kumi had been there before, and when it was hard. In fact, Kumi had been the one that had talked her into the cheerleading thing in the first place."Girls, I gotta get going, but hit me up after fifth period. I've gotta hear the rest of this story with Goshi." Ranko waved, turning down a back hallway. It was a bit of a shortcut to the lunch room, and as her popularity on campus both as a cheerleader and a singer had grown, she'd found the value of occasionally having a way to get from point A to point B without being stopped by hangers-on. She swore she'd signed autographs for half the junior class by now.It was precisely because she thought she was alone in the hall that she jumped in surprise when she heard a voice behind her."Hey, Ranko?"The cheerleader swiveled on her heel so quickly that her pleated skirt flared out around her, and she came face-to-face with Eiji Kanda, captain of the basketball team, in his red game day uniform. Well, face-to-sternum, as Eiji had almost a half-meter height advantage."Eiji? What's up?" She was a little weirded out, considering he barely even talked to the cheerleaders at the basketball games themselves."Um, can I talk to you for a second?" The lanky boy looked absolutely petrified.Ranko blushed. "I've got somewhere I've gotta be, but you can walk with me."The basketballer shook his head. "In private? Please?"The redhead's danger sense flared. In her experience, nothing good came of guys wanting to get her alone. "I guess."Eiji stepped to the side of the hallway, between two banks of lockers, and opened the door to an empty classroom, holding the door for her. Ranko entered, looking around and assessing her situation. The room was dark and Eiji hadn't turned on the lights. Fortunately, enough time spent in a bar lit for the stage had honed her night vision fairly well. She scanned the room, ensuring that they were, in fact, alone. That was a relief. She was pretty confident she could take Eiji if she had to. She just might need a stepladder."So, um…" Eiji fidgeted with his hands. "I heard what happened from Fumiko. With your… uh, girlfriend, and the volleyball team."Ranko's back stiffened. After what had happened with the volleyball team, Ranko had continued biting her tongue at school about her relationship with Akane to avoid causing any further problems. She'd not considered that Eiji had a direct way to get that information. Plus, starting the conversation by talking about how his family had been a party to hurting Akane was not a great way to earn her trust."Yeah? What, come to gloat?" Ranko's voice took on a sharp defensive tone.Eiji shook his head, smiling reassuringly and putting his open palms up to indicate he meant no offense. "Nothing like that, no."The cheerleader rolled her eyes. "So what do you want, then? Just spit it out, man." She was already worried Kumiko would be pissed that she wasn't in the lunchroom yet."I, uhh.." Eiji fidgeted with his hands. "I need a favor, Ran-chan. A huge one. And I think it can help you, too."Ranko glared. "I don't need anything from you. What could you possibly do for me?"Eiji sat down on top of one of the desks in the first row of the classroom, lowering his voice. "I can make sure nobody finds out about you and Akane around here.""Okay, and assuming I cared if people knew, why would you wanna help me after what your sister and her friends did to my girlfriend?" Ranko rested her fists on her hips defiantly."Like I said, because I need your help." Eiji sighed. There was no trace of arrogance in his face; it was not the demeanor of someone who was in a position to extort someone. The kid looked terrified."With what? Something on a high shelf you can't reach?" She smirked, looking up at his face even though he was seated and she was not."I just… I need to be seen around with you, that's all." Eiji blushed, looking down at his shoes."Dude, you're the king of the damned school already without having to cling to the new girl." Ranko looked up at the clock, tapping her foot nervously."You don't understand, Ranko." Somehow, the giant of a boy seemed to shrink the longer they spoke. "I need to be seen around with a girl, and the more popular, the better."Ranko scoffed. "Eiji, man, there's like a hundred or so girls on campus that have your picture on their nightstand. Isn't that enough people following you around? I don't get what you want with me, man."Eiji nodded. "It's less that I need to hang out with girls, and more that I need to hang out with a girl.""So ask one of 'em out, blockhead! Take your pick! What, you need help coming up with some pick up lines? What's your damage, dude?" Ranko was really getting frustrated, and Eiji cringed as her voice raised in volume."I don't want to ask them out!" Eiji seemed to be getting frustrated – or maybe even defensive. How dense is this girl?Ranko shrugged. "Well, you certainly know enough about me to know I definitely ain't into you, so you looking for, what, recommendations? Maybe try Kou? She's a cheerleader too, and at least you won't trip over her."Eiji hopped down from the desk, grabbing her by the shoulders. "How are you not getting what I'm telling you?!"The cheerleader's eyes widened and she ducked out of his grasp. "Maybe because you aren't actually telling me? Just a thought." What is wrong with this guy?The basketballer looked around the darkened room as if checking to make sure they were still alone in it. He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "Ranko, I don't want to date any of those girls, because I'm gay.""Ex.. excuse me?" Ranko shook her head in disbelief. This guy had girls chasing him around the school like he was Akane back at Furinkan with boys. There was no damn way. That said – she'd always heard of the girls chasing Eiji, but now that she thought about it, she'd never heard of any girls actually catching him."Yeah." Eiji sighed. "Not the greatest thing in the world for people in my social position. Or yours either, for that matter. And I can't walk down the corridor without twenty girls sticking their phone numbers in my pocket. I can't deal with it anymore. It pisses my boyfriend off constantly. My family doesn't even know. Fumi's constantly trying to hook me up with girls. And I was thinking… if people around the school thought you and me were dating, they wouldn't ask questions about either of us, or try to push us into relationships, either.""Whoawhoawhoa. Back up a second. You're saying you want me to date you? Are you actually out of your fucking mind? You must have a lack of oxygen to your brain, way up there!" Ranko took a full step back, halfway to the door.Eiji shook his head. "Of course not. I know you're not into me like that, and I'm not into you like that either. I just wanna pretend on campus. Hug in the hallway, maybe the occasional hand-holding, stuff like that. Just enough to give everybody the idea and get the gossips and the suitors off both our backs."Ranko wasn't entirely sure why the room was spinning, but it was. He wanted people to think he was her… boyfriend? That they were… eugh! She couldn't even imagine it. Making eyes at a boy? Holding hands with a boy? What if he tried to kiss her? In front of people, no less? The last thing she needed in her life was another Mikado, even if the whole thing was a performance."Eiji, I don't know, man. I promise I won't tell anybody what you told me either way, but… that's one hell of a favor, dude." Ranko sighed, leaning on the wall.Eiji nodded. "I understand. Would it help if I said I thought I might be able to help get Akane back on the team?"