Chap 18: Vengeful Snake

It felt like the light was stabbing his eyes as he was struggling to open them. His eyelids were mad heavy, but the alarm's echoing was even heavier.

"Ah~, shit! Does she have to open the curtains each morning?"

Usui stood up like an old marionette being lifted by some clumsy strings.

"I shouldn't have played all night. Ah~! Every part of me is aching, shit!"

He yawned thoroughly. "Should've listened to old lady."

***

When he finished showering, he went to brush his teeth and shaved after.

"Oh my god! Not the dark circles! Not today!" Yelled as he was considering his face in the mirror.

"I mean... what did I expect, seriously."

Suddenly, the doorbelll rang. Thus, he quickly put on his bath cape and went to see the visitor.

"Good morning, sir! Is this the house of Miss Aoi Kashi?"

"Yes, it is... Well..."

"Great! Are you sir Usui kaji then?"

"Ye man, you guessed it right." Said with a lazy voice.

"Magnificent! Here is the delivery from heavenly doors suits shop. This is the suit sent to you by Aoi Kashi personally as a gift. Would you please accept it, sir?"

"Hell no shit!!"

"Why is it, sir?"

"Nah, I mean, no way?"

"This is unfortunate then!"

"Bruh, I meant that I'm surprised and I take it. Jesus, not early in the morning."

"Brilliant! Please sign here, sir."

Usui grabbed the huge package and signed hurriedly as excitement was shaking his hands.

"Fabulous! Have a nice day_"

Usui slammed the door.

"... Sir?"

Usui couldn't hold his grin as he was taking out his gift.

"Haha! That old lady is really something! Hell, nah, that's exactly my size! I love it! Haha!"

However, again, he heard a sudden knocking on the door.

"What is it now?"

He opened it. "Amane?"

As she was about to greet him, the view of his naked chest glowing through the loose cape took her with a shock.

Quickly, she turned the other way to the outside.

"Good morning, sir. I'm here to drive you to school."

"Yeah, morning. But why so early?"

"I need an early leave. So please consider going a little earlier this time."

"You won't be with the old lady?"

"No, she went to the JBS university early too because of my urgent leave."

"You're fortunate to have such a boss. Why're you avoiding me, though?"

"Because you're naked, sir."

Noticing that as well, he hurried to cover his chest.

"Fuck this shit! Just... wait in here or go down, I don't care. I'll get ready in 10 minutes...umm... maybe 15 minutes!"

"Okay. I'll wait in the living room then."

"You're so shameless. Am about to change."

"Yeah, it's not like you'll be dancing for me half naked and I'll be showering you money on a knee and a half."

Usui's face got frozen between a mixture of confusion and annoyment, as he was questioning this whole conversation.

"Your sense of a humour is just... okay! Come in, jeez!"

Amane closed the door while considering Usui as he was going up to the bedroom.

"Usui-kun."

"Um?" He turned his head back.

"Sir, please beware of whatever you consume at school. Except for the lunch Aoi prepares you, don't eat anything else. At least for this period of time."

"What? No way! What about the ball? What about meeting people at the dining table. I can't go there swinging around a lunchbox like in the kindergarten!"

"Sir, please trust me." Her face looked sincerely concerned as she sounded more like begging this time. "Just this time. There are cases of poisoning happening inside some schools around, even outside the country. This is a big event and many people will be served suspicious meals. So please, just this time."

Usui looked into her eyes and considered her face for a remarkable while then sighed.

"*sigh*, k! Just... let's hurry up."

"Yes sir! Thank you. And please tell Ahmed-kun about that too. I prepared him a lunch box as well, it's in the car. So bring it to him for me."

"Why are y'all treating us like kids, for God's sake!"

"Sir, you may not know this. But Aoi is really concerned about you."

Usui felt stunned as her words were reasoning in his ears.

She smiled softly. "The elevator is finally working, Hurry up. It's time to go."

"Yes, yes! Right! Wait a minute."

*****

Aoi's phone ringing was echoing monotonously upon the walls of the guest room inside the school.

She was hesitant to take the call and the ringing became irritatingly louder. It was Mori the one calling.

Finally she answered.

"..." She couldn't let out a single word out of her shaking mouth.

"Do you hear me?"

His roaring voice rumbled inside her stomach as her face became a bit pale. She swallowed her saliva hard.

"Yes."

"Listen... don't . make . any . mistake. This time is it. Don't you dare make a scene of complete nonsense. Because I won't tolerate it this time."

For each syllable his spoke, she could feel her heart jolt in distress.

Her face became paler.

"Yes."

*Beep_Beep_Beep*. He hung up.

And the clocking on the door followed its same rhythm. It was the school director. He was an exaggeratingly overweighted man. From afar he would look rather like a spherical pile of fat. But meeting him closer, you could see his thick traced lipidic layers weighting his body. While your eyes might be blinded by the reflected light from his bald head filled with unknown strains, which gets you disturbed by the thought of whatever they may be.

"Miss Aoi-chan~!"

She lifted her head to meet his gaze, then quickly avoided him.

His lustful stare took her to a whole other level of distress.

<<Disgusting.>>

"Ah~! Just as it's said, your all is breathtaking. And I absolutely don't dare to disrespect you miss. I'm just speaking my mind."

His whole was shaking for every word he said. but Aoi's eyes were more focused on the scene of his tongue licking his lower lip from time to time as it escaped the many splits between his teeth.

<<Disgusting.>>

She stood up. She couldn't bring herself to speak any.

She headed straight to the door.

Seeing as she passed besides him speechless, he clenched his heavy fist around her arm and said through his mocking laughter.

"Wohow~! Why are you being so rude Miss? Even though I'm trying my best..." Face closer to her ear, he Whispered. "... to be friendly."

She turned to face him. Her glare pierced right through his inside making him immediately loosen his fist if not his whole body.

Indeed, her bloody eyes resembled that of a vengeful snake, welcoming death while its whole half was bitten off.

<<Just die! Disgusting!!>>

Her face became even paler.

They went out of the guest room and came across a small crew of teachers and supervisors.

"Miss Aoi, greetings!"

They all bowed at once, she bowed back. As a result, it was late for her to notice that the director stood just behind her.

"Miss, your face looks a little pale. Are you alright?"

Aoi flinched suddenly by the feeling of the oily thick fingers of the director trailing up her neck, slowly and irritatingly under her hair.

He responded:

"Haha! It seems that Miss Aoi is a little scared of speaking in front of big crowds."

<<DISGUSTING!!>>

"I hope everything goes fine." She answered.

His hand took its way all down to her waist, sliding it up and down then pinching her repeatedly.

<<Why don't they die?

Die!

Die!

DIE!!>>

the bell of the meeting room rang for all the students to start gathering. And it was her sign to set herself free.

She took a step forward and briefly bowed to the teachers.

"Now if you excuse me."

Not waiting for their response, she quickly went away. All of them were adopting a concerned look.

Her face was dead pale.

***

All the university was attending the presentation. and Mamoru was sitting in the closest raw to the stage, just in front. Good probability that he came first and sat waiting a long time for her.

They could hear her heels' clacking echoing inside the room. But she couldn't. Her ears went deaf.

She stood straight, sliding her gaze around then room. She then reached her hand out to sense where was the mic. Yes! She couldn't see anything besides the blurry darkness.

She was holding herself hard to not lose consciousness. It was fortunate for her that she memorised her lines. But her only struggle wasn't just her not seeing or hearing, as she went through that before. But rather her headache, which was torturing her, unbearably throbbing. She couldn't help but cross her eyebrows to lessen the pain.

As for Mamoru. He could figure as much as that Aoi wasn't the least fine.

Her face was hell pale.

***

The presentation reached its end.

The walls were vibrating by the loud applauds Aoi couldn't hear. But she could feel the stage shaking under her feet. However, she was feeling it more like her vigorous heartbeats were shaking her body.

Mamoru Hurried to the back stage to see her.

After a long search, he finally found her.

The sight of the director's hand finding its way on her back and waist whole, had him feel like his ridcage was furiously clenching around his heart.

The moment she regained some of her senses, she smelled a familiar scent.

It was Mamoru, who quickly took her arms.

It took her a handy of 7 seconds to catch her racing breathing. Tears came out sliding on her cheeks unwillingly. But her face remained poker.

"Miss, your husband, my brother, is calling out for you."

The director's face turned red in anger.

"We are still talking some importa_"

"IMMEDIATELY." Yelled Mamoru with a steady firm voice.

He pulled her fast and went as far to one dark hallway, inside an empty classroom.

"Aoi-san! We're fine here!"

He took her head between his hands and lifted it up gently to meet his.

"Are you all right?"

The pale face and the dark eyes gave him well of an answer.

"I will take you to the infirma_"

Her sudden fall interrupted his thoughts.

She digged her fingers inside her hair. It appeared more clearly after that she was pulling it aggressively. Thus he sat down to stop her.

But she locked her mouth solidly, stabbing her cheeks with her nails which were bleeding. Then started crying hysterically.

Quickly, he pressed her to his chest and began to stroke her hair.

His tears started to drop as well. He looked above. "Ah, Lord!"

Then looked back at her.

"Please, Aoi-san! I am right besides you! It's okay! It's totally fine! Everything is alright now!"

His mind went blank for a moment until she suddenly felt heavier inside his embrace.

He sat finally on the floor, knowing well she passed out on his chest.

He posed her head conveniently on his shoulder, and brushed her hair off her face, then put a finger closer to her nose to check if she was breathing. And when he made sure she was breathing just fine, he felt his body relax briefly in relief.