How Interesting

There’s two choices in front of me at this moment. I could inform the entire student council that today’s meeting will canceled but tell Sayaka to still come. Or could I tell everyone expect Sayaka. It would be amusing if not a little cruel.

At this moment what do I want most. To surprise her I suppose. Is that true I wonder? It must be. To see that look on her face when her mind is racing to calculate the best choice. What could I want more than that? It’s wonderful. I want to catch her off-guard. See her real reaction. It’s been a long time since I have seen one from her. She’s been closing me off, and I do not like it. Certainly shocking Sayaka could only lead to the stopping of such behavior. And the fact that this strange new behavior will stop is only a bonus to how amusing it will be. Still the thought this new behavior of hers could be tied to Terano makes me a bit...hmmm. I wonder what is the word? Curious? Interested? Angry perhaps? Maybe. This is interesting indeed.

“You may go home without me today as I’m cancelling the Student Council meeting, but I have some business I still need to attend to.” I suppose I’ll need to contact the other members personally. What a inconvenience. Normally I would have Sayaka do such tasks. It’s worth it though. Its just a few emails.

“Okay.” No desire for an explanation huh. Interesting. Does she already know or is she simply apathetic to the change? If she doesn’t know, she’ll know soon enough. I must ensure she doesn’t say anything to Sayaka. Or else my fun might be ruined. Oh my I am simply terrible.

I will wait though to avoid a lecture, but more importantly because it will be more entertaining that way. I wonder will she just disobey me? How amusing that would be. It would ruin my plan, but still I suppose it would be just as interesting. What would Sayaka do if she learned I planned to meet with her alone? Would she blush perhaps? Maybe I should just tell her now. No. I must wait. I will simply have to be patience in the mean time though...

“Or perhaps there is another choice for you.” I raise an eyebrow and smirk at her. It’s almost shocking how quickly her cheeks flair. She is clever my sister, catching on so quick. Perhaps her head is so filled with this Saotome girl that she cannot think of anything else. I suppose I shouldn’t judge her too harshly.

“She’s busy.”

“Hmmm. How unfortunate. Wouldn’t want you to be too lonely.” The car stops. She’s gives me an irritated look before placing her mask on. The door opens and I look back at her once more. “Oh and do me a favor don’t tell Sayaka.” I smile and skip out the car.

Behind me I can hear groan out my name. I cannot help but let out a little chuckle. Sayaka’s standing at the gate. She does her little bow. I have never particularly liked the gesture. It’s done purely out of respect nothing more. I wonder what greeting would I prefer? I cannot say for sure.

“Good moaning Sa~y~ak. How was your weekend?” I continue walking through the gates. She trails behind me.

“Good President and how was yours?” Hmm. How was it indeed?

“Boring.” She simply hums at this. I turn my head to look at her from the corner of eye. It feels rather unnatural. Oh Sayaka, you make my life difficult walking back there. “Come here.” She shuffles forward.

“What do you need, President?” She walking next to me. Good.

“Oh nothing Sa~y~ak. I simply wanted to see your face.” Oh and what a lovely face it is, and that blush. She is looking down at the floor. I wonder how many times have I made Sayaka blush? Too many to count I suppose, yet that rush never fades.

“Okay President.” Her face is hard again. Stress it is written all other her. I dislike it.

“I have a few gambles laid out today.” She only nods. Avoiding contact, avoiding conversation, I starting to feel a bit nervous for what Sayaka might tell me.

Why should I? There’s no reason for such a thing.

——————

As the door opens, the room instantly fills heavy. The tension radiating of Sayaka is clear. She wants to know what has happened with the gambles. She won’t ask of course I will have to tell her myself.

“Good afternoon President.” The bow again. “Would you like me to make you some tea?” A take a sip of my own tea as an answer. “Of course.” She nods. As she moves to pull out her chair, she pauses in her motion. Her eyes meet mine. I feel my eyebrows and a smirk forms on my face. How curious this is. I wonder what will she say.

“Yes Sayaka.”

“If you don’t mind me inquiring, I was simply wondering about the results of your gamble today.” Now this is interesting. It’s unlike Sayaka to ask instead of simply waiting. How nervous is she? Poor girl. And who is to blame?

“Quite well. My total count is 738 chips, and sit down.” She’s frowning as she sits. She stratches her eyebrow. Her face is scrunched up in a way that is both amusing and irritating. The sudden urge to touch her fills me. But why? It’s not a blush I’m after not just a simple smile. She doesn’t smile enough. Interesting.

“That’s not enough. Time is running out, and Terano still has a significant lead.” I bristle at her name. They’re on a first name basis. How unfortunate.

“Oh do you doubt my skills Sa~y~ak?” It’s cruel. Another childish attempt at lashing out because of my confusion.

“It’s not your skills that I doubt President.” What could that mean? What is it that doubt then? Or do you simply believe Terano is superior to me? My jaw tightens.

“Don’t be too disappointed in me Sayaka.” I chuckle. I hate that. “Some students simply don’t want to gamble with me. It’s cruel isn’t? I just want to have a good time.” She’s frowning still. Not even a hint of a smile or blush or anything other than concern really.

“They don’t want you to have more chips.” Hmm naturally. They wish for my aquarium to collapse. They truly think in a moment of chaos they will slip from the chains they willing snapped onto to their necks. What a beautiful thing that is. I wonder though what does she think.

“They don’t want me to win. Why do think that is Sayaka?”

“I suspect that they dislike your methods for running this school. Wrongfully so.” Cute. “And they believe that you losing could lead to change. It’s illogical; the assumptio that a change will automatically be positive makes no season. They cannot do anything themselves, so they leave it to others.” She sounds irritated. I suppose it makes sense.

“And you dislike this?”

“To try to escape the consequence of one’s own foolishness by relying on someone else. Of course I dislike. It’s pathetic.” It’s rare for Sayaka to speak so bluntly. Interesting.

“And you would never do such a thing?” Just a little more teasing couldn’t hurt.

“Of course self reliance is—“ She pauses considering something. Interesting. “Key.” Her voice isn’t as certain now. What did she realize? Perhaps she remembered a time she relied on another. Unlikely it must be something else.

Oh Sayaka you’re too much trouble.

—————

I’m standing in front of the aquarium watching my fish swim when the first knock happens. I am well aware it’s Sayaka, but I don’t answer. I simply keeping staring at my fish.

The second is a bit louder, the pauses between each knock is shorter. Still I don’t answer. It’ll maker her more nervous. More honest. And it will be more fun.
Fun as an afterthought now that is new.

The third is urgent, and her voice even calls out President. I don’t answer. The door slowly creeks open. I don’t look back.

“President are you okay?” She has entered the room now. Not too far only a few steps in from what I heard. She sounds nervous.

“Come here.” The footsteps are slow, hesitant. She stops beside me. “Isn’t it beautiful?” I have asked her this before.

“Yes.” Same answer. I don’t think she cares all that much for his aquarium of mine.

“Sayaka what would you think if a mullet started swimming with barracuda?” Out of the corner of my eye I see a frown on her face.

“You don’t have either of those species in your tank.”

“No I don’t, but still I’m just a bit curious. Can you blame me?” She knows. We may never understand what motivates the other, but subtleties are rarely missed. She understands the message I wish to convey even if no one else would. I love that.

“Perhaps you were simply mistaken, and the mullet is not a mullet.” I move away from the aquarium and approach the table. Sayaka’s eyes follow me. I glide my hand across the table.

“Perhaps, but most fish wouldn’t swim next to a barracuda.” She’s still standing in her original place. Hmm.

“Fish are rather simple creatures for the most part. They would not go against their own nature, so such an event would never happen.” Such a simple explanation, yet I don’t see the connection.

“And you and Terano?” No sign of shoc, so she was aware of what I have been alluding to. Of course she was.

“What of it?”

“I am simply curious. It seems rather strange.”

“You believe it goes against my nature?”

“Hmm. Indeed.”

“You’d be mistaken.” She takes a few steps forward. I feel my eyebrows raise. Now this is a shock.

“How so?”

“It doesn’t go against my nature at all. It was the only logical choice.”

“For what Sayaka?”

“To properly deal with a dangerous threat.”

“Terano?”

“Yes.” I don’t like this.

“Hmmm. Interesting, and if I asked you to stop?” She’s right, Terano can be dangerous, so where is the logic in throwing herself to a wolf?

“I’d ignore it.” She takes a step closer. A foot is between us now. I’m getting a bit annoyed to be honest. Sayaka has nothing to do with this. She should stay back.

“It wasn’t a request.”

“I know.” There is pause now. As we both wait for the other to back down it. It won’t be me...not on this. I take a step forward. Our faces are close now just a little bit more forward and we’d be touching. Her face is blank. It reveals nothing. I bring my hand up to her face and rest it on her cheek. Her eyes close, and victory is in my grasp. Certainly she’ll just blush and apologize.

Her eyes open and they’re cold. Empty. Dead. My heart skips a beat, and I feel sick. She moves away.

“Goodbye, President.” The door slams behind her. My hands are shaking. No. This can’t be. What is happening?

My heart is beating to fast. I want to vomit. My phone is shaking in my hands as I text the driver to come get me.

I need to be home right now.