Chapter 27
It came as a bit of a shock when Kirari did not question me on the information she received from Runa during lunch. It was the perfect opportunity, yet she didn’t not make her move. It makes me wonder if has decided to remain passive and simply observe. I suppose she could ask me once I arrive in the student council room for the meeting, but an audience will present. A poor attempt at comforting my nerves. Kirari has never been one to be afraid of crowds, and certainly this case wouldn’t change anything.
Whether she asks or not, I must remember to steel my nerves. As the end of election grows nearer, my nervousness is growing. This is a natural reaction of mine, and because of this, it wouldn’t cause the President any major concern or suspicion; however, to act too nervous would be suspicious. I must find a healthy middle ground, and act in that manner.
I stop in front of the door. Remain calm. I knock. There’s no answer a bit unusual, but there is a possibility that the President is standing near the window or perhaps she is speaking to the Vice-president. A louder knock should do the trick. No answer again. The volume at which I knocked was loud enough to reach all areas of the room clearly. Could the President be hurt perhaps? What if I am too late? Unlikely. An illogical throat. I knock on the door and call out her name. No answer.
It’s rude, but I have no choice. For all I know this could be an emergency of sorts. I must open the door. Slower is safer. I peek my head through the opening I have made. I see her in front the aquarium; as always she looks lovely from the lightening of the tank. My eyes gaze around the room for the Vice-president. She is not here. A sign that something is off certainly.
“President are you okay?” My tone is a bit nervous, but it’s to be expected. An acceptable level in my opinion. She doesn’t seem okay.
“Come here.” This is trouble I can sense it. The President is planing something, and I am sure I won’t like it, even still I start walking towards her. A slave to her words always. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She has asked me this before. Sure I suppose one could define her aquarium as pretty. Though I do not quite understand her complete feeling of wonder when it comes to this aquarium of hers. It’s no more beautiful than a sunset or a tree changing colors. Both are things that are thought as beautiful, but truly aren’t special in anyway except for perhaps the reasonings behind why those things from happening. I never say such things though.
“Yes.” Her face remains the same. She is laying down her pieces, preparing to make her move. I have seen it before, many times, but now it’s me who she is after. I’m beginning to suspect my early reason that Kirari will not ask about the Terano situation might be incorrect.
“Sayaka what would you think if a mullet started swimming with barracuda?” An obvious comparison at least with the knowledge I have. I wonder if I didn’t know she knew would I have seen such a connection? And why even bother with such a question? A test perhaps? For me? For the waters? Or maybe she’s being vague in case she desicides to change her mind? No that’s not right. That’s not the President.
“You don’t have either of those species in your tank.” A fact. One that will turn the table for an instance, make her choose whether to back down or push back.
“No I don’t, but still I’m just a bit curious. Can you blame me?” Curious no I guess I cannot. I should be happy that she’s calling my loyalty in question perhaps it’s a sign that somewhere in her there’s is self-preservation. Still I can play her game for a bit.
“Perhaps you were simply mistaken, and the mullet is not a mullet.” She’s not all knowing, and she doesn’t know all about me. She moves away from the aquarium and approaches the table. There’s something dangerous in the way she moves. The way she glides across the room, all confidence and grace. She glides her hand across the table. The motion feels seductive, and my knees go weak. Sexual reactions such as this are simply a chemical. Nothing to fear, and nothing to let control you.
“Perhaps, but most fish wouldn’t swim next to a barracuda.” Terano a barracuda, so she is aware of the danger she is.
“Fish are rather simple creatures for the most part. They would not go against their own nature, so such an event would never happen.” I wish to throw this metaphor away. I have never been interested in such vague ways of speaking. It relies far too much on unpredictable factors like the mind of a stranger.
“And you and Terano?” So she is going for the throat. As expected of the President. She never hesitates. How can one love and hate something about another at the same time?
“What of it?” Direct answers need direct questions. This is well known, yet the President ignores it.
“I am simply curious. It seems rather strange.” This time she seems set on forcing me to make the move.There’s no choice.
“You believe it goes against my nature?”
“Hmm. Indeed.” It doesn’t.
“You’d be mistaken.” It hurts to say, but it is the truth. Not even the President would make me turn my back against what it true. She takes a few steps forward. My heart races faster.
“How so?”
“It doesn’t go against my nature at all. It was the only logical choice.”
“For what Sayaka?” She wants to know it all, but I cannot give it to her.
“To properly deal with a dangerous threat.”
“Terano?”
“Yes.” She is a threat. I would never deny a statement that could affect the President’s safety.
“Hmmm. Interesting, and if I asked you to stop?” It’s worded as question, but it’s not.
“I’d ignore it.” I can feel my will wavering under her gaze. The only logical choice is to push back, and to ignore the feelings that will come along this. I take a step closer to the President. A foot is between us now. To impose my will on another, on the President no less, feels odd to say the least. The President doesn’t appear to pleased either.
“It wasn’t a request.” So this is the path she wishes to take. It hurts, the anger in voice, but it’s nothing compared to pain from the knowledge of what must be done.
“I know.” Perhaps it’ll change her mind or mayb not, it doesn’t matter either way as I will not be changing mine. She takes a step forward. My knees almost give out. It’s hard to resist the urge to fall forward. To give in. To lose. Her breath against my cheek wants my body want to blush. I don’t. Her hand moves up to my face and rests on my cheek. How easy it would be to lean into her touch. I would throw it all away for her, and yet I cannot even lean into her touch. It’s so hard to remember anything with her skin against mine. What could be worth rejecting the President’s touch?
I close my eyes, and conjure the image of her broken body. Stopping this is worth throwing everything away. Any thoughts that will prevent my goal must be ignored. Feelings with treated the same. I open my eyes before stepping out of her grip. There’s pain in her eyes. None of my concern. It still hurts though.
“Goodbye, President.” Don’t look back. Ignore this desire. Ignore all of it. The door slams behind me.