Chapter Six: Ignition
Ritsu had made it back to good old Class 3-3 on Saturday, the day before the festival. Since it was a half-day, everyone was mostly killing time until the bell signalled our weekend freedom. The newbie seems to have fallen in with the student council so I guess he’s had a busy week. Hanako seems a little friendlier towards me, which is nice and Maeda hasn’t said a peep since the incident. Didn’t even flinch when Ritsu returned. Kind of thankful we don‘t have
that to deal with heading into the festival.
The lunch/end of class bell rings with a little fanfare. Everyone is a curious mix of excited and pre-emptively exhausted by festival duties. As for our motley trio, a trip into town seems like a good idea. Akio still hasn’t picked up more shopping and I’m up for a trip to the Shanghai. After a quick change of clothes, we’re off into town.
“If my bags are heavy, will you carry me up the hill, Taro?” Akio jokes as we begin our descent down the hill.
“I think Ritsu should carry
me.” I answer, earning a playful bop from the girl hung around my bad arm.
“Just for that, you can both shout me lunch.” Ritsu adding a ‘humph’ to her offended answer.
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“Wakey-wakey, wide-load!” Akio calls, followed by a chorus of knocks. “C’mon! We’ve got things to see and people to do!”
I would correct him, but I know he probably means that. I can already hear the hustle and bustle of the festival outside but thankfully I managed a good couple hours more than usual.
“It’s 10am, man! The festival runs all damn day, why do
I have to rush?” I call back, slipping on my uniform. I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt before putting it on and run through the checklist before I leave.
“Because I still have prep work for the literature club’s presentation and I need a pair of strong arms.”
“So do I!” I jeer incredulously.
“You know what I meant!” Akio raises a brow and dismissively waves.
We’re soon on our way out of the dorm and into the crowd that’s gathered for the festival.
“Okay, fine. I’ll lend a hand but I want to check on some stuff too. What time does your thin-- What
are you guys doing?” The million dollar question.
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“Poetry slam,” I say to Ritsu as we walk around the festival. My hands stowed safely in my pockets and Ritsu with one arm bent to hold the other behind her back.
“Seriously?” She asks, with a raised brow.
“Yup, along with some short story readings and other things but mostly a poetry slam,” I offer, trying not to laugh.
“Gaaaaaaay,” Ritsu flops her head around, spouting her disdain into the air like an unrestrained hose.
“We still have to be there,” I give my best stern look, despite the growing smile on my lips.
We round the corner and see a couple people looking at Tezuka’s mural. She’s off to the side looking at the sky.
“Morning, Rin!” I raise a hand to greet her. She blinks twice and looks at me.
“Hey,” She blinks once more. “Taro.”
“Got it on the first try,” I give her a dumb grin and a thumbs up as Ritsu looks along the long wall.
“This is… unique,” She offers. I’m sure Rin’s heard that dozens of times today.
“Do you think that’s it’s name?” Rin asks, seemingly to no one. “People keep saying it, so it must be. Right?” She looks to me.
“Given its chaotic nature… and the mix of disparate extremities and intense pallet of colour and tone, I would call it… ‘Schadenfreude’.” I’m looking at the mural as I form the words, giving voice to the emotions it brings forth.
It’s probably
the most pretentious thing I’ve ever said in my life and it’s wasted on a girl who sometimes can’t remember the word ‘spoon’.
Rin closes her eyes and furrows her brow. “Sha-den-fuhroy-duh.” She seems to be breaking the word down to better understand it. If she knows what it means. The puzzled look she gives me says otherwise.
“It’s German, it basically means getting pleasure from someone else’s pain,” I explain as Tezuka flits between me and the mural with a scrutinizing look before shrugging.
“I asked my back how it was doing yesterday,” Why is she… Oh! I remember now.
“And what did it say?” Keep a straight face, Taro.
Please.
“Nothing, it’s my
back,” She simply states with a shake of her fluffy hair.
“Well maybe you need to listen better,” I chuckle.
“You’re silly,” Is the last thing I hear from her for a couple minutes but there was a little smile when she said it. She’s kinda cute for an eccentric.
Ritsu has been utterly fascinated by my conversation with Tezuka. She takes a little getting used to and I think the artist in me helps but to others it must be the most bizarre thing to deal with.
“Taro! Let’s go get something to eat! The smell of all this food is driving me crazy!” Ritsu bounces excitedly. I ruffle Tezuka’s hair a little, telling her to take it easy and I join Ritsu for a culinary adventure.
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By mid-afternoon, Akio had joined us after his club’s exhibition.
“Okay, that was better than I was expecting,” Ritsu laughs as we walk. “I’d never imagined these things would be so action-packed!”
Akio and I laugh, remembering the finale of the performance as Suzu was giving a reading. Her narcolepsy had kicked in and Miki bolted out from the wings to catch her by sliding across the stage on her knees. It earned quite the applause.
We head back over to the mural, just for my own curiosity than anything else and, to my surprise, the place is deserted apart from a lone figure slumped against the wall.
I jog over and kneel down and gently place my hand on Tezuka’s shoulder.
“Is she okay?” Ritsu asks tentatively.
“Rin? You in there?” I give the girl a gentle shake. An incomprehensible mumble is my answer. At least she’s breathing. I feel her forehead and she feels a little too warm.
“Ritsu, go to the nurse’s station. I think Tezuka has heatstroke.” I order, and Ritsu tears up the stairs like a flash. Akio moves around me to look at a sign that has been propped up against the wall.
“Out of order - do not disturb…” I follow his gaze and read the sign aloud, causing Akio to begin snickering.
“Dude!” I shoot him a look.
“I’m sorry! I know… I know I
shouldn’t laugh but it’s
really funny…” He’s shaking trying to contain the giggles. I give an amused snort, he’s not wrong, but Tezuka needs help. Thankfully, Ritsu and the nurse show up; the nurse leaping the last few steps with his coat flaring in the air.
“What happened?” He asks, kneeling down next to me.
“We just found her here. I think she might have heatstroke or something…” I move back to let the nurse do his job. He’s quite thorough; checking her responsiveness, her pulse and temperature. He asks Ritsu to fetch a bottle of cold water and turns to me.
“I think it might be heat exhaustion right now, so the best thing to do would be to get her some place cool and get her drinking water,” He explains, “Bed rest wouldn't hurt, either.”
“So should we take her back to her room or…?” I ask, eager to help.
“It’d be a good idea, yes.” He agrees as Ritsu comes back with some water and gently tries to get Tezuka to drink. She seems to accept the drink but is still mostly out of it.
“Okay, let‘s get going. Akio, give me a hand.” I gesture to my friend and we carefully lift Tezuka onto my shoulders in a fireman’s lift. The nurse raises an eyebrow. “I could have gotten a wheelchair.”
“Yeah but this will be quicker.” I assure him as I take confident strides up the stairs, Akio and Ritsu on my bad side to make sure Tezuka stays in place.
“At least I’m getting the exercise you’ve been nagging me about.” I shoot the nurse a smirk and he laughs.
“He’s got this, sir. He carried
me all the way up from town just the other day!” Ritsu offers with a timid smile. The nurse gives me an impressed look.
“Okay, as long as you’re sure. I’ll try to collar Emi and get her to come find you,” He says with a smile. “Just mind your step. I'm leaving her in your capable hands.”
He slips to the side to make a phone call as we continue towards the girls’ dorm. The crowd seems to give us a nice wide berth, which is appreciated. Ritsu has been whispering encouragement to Tezuka and getting her to sip at the water while Akio ambles on a head to clear a path and handle doors.
We’re inside the girls’ dorm when I hear the rapid tac-tac-tacing of Emi Ibarazaki sprinting up behind us.
“Oh my god, are you okay Rin?” She’s got panic in her voice. Ritsu dutifully hands the water off to Emi and she and Akio wait in the common area as we approach the elevator.
“We’ll wait here! The corridors might be wider but we’ll just be in the way.”
“{Roger}!” I call back as myself, a stirring Tezuka and a fretting Ibarazaki enter the elevator.
“Whu? Wha’ happen’?” Tezuka stirs as we hit the floor with her and Ibarazaki’s rooms.
“It’s okay, Rin. Me and Taro are here.” Ibarazaki offers with a sigh of relief.
“You were slumped against the mural with heat exhaustion so we’re taking you to bed.” I offer a gentle pat on her legs.
“Whu? Taro takin’ me tuh bed? Buh we haven’ even kissed…” She drowsily announces and Ibarazaki giggles. I can only smile at the dopey girl slung around my shoulders.
“Not in that way, you goof,” Ibarazaki strokes her friend’s hair gently. “We’re here, Taro.” Seems she has a key to get in, that’s handy. We step inside and Ibarazaki helps me gently place Tezuka on her bed. I close the blinds and open a window while the small girl with pigtails fusses over Tezuka.
“The nurse recommend that we get her out of her clothes too.” Ibarazaki states, undoing Tezuka’s tie.
“I’ll take
that as my cue to leave then. Do you think you’ll be okay?” I ask, giving a reassuring ruffle of Tezuka’s hair. She lazily flops her head around as I do.
“Promussin’ to take me to bed an’ then leavin’?” Tezuka groans. “You’re… a tease… Taro.”
Ibarazaki giggles nervously and I shake my head with a smile. “Just get some rest, Rin. I don’t think you’re in any condition for anything other than sleep.”
“Thank you, Taro!” Ibarazaki calls to me as she begins unbuttoning Tezuka’s shirt. “Than’ you…” Tezuka repeats.
“You’re welcome, Rin. {Take care, ladies}.” I smile and close the door.
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I leave the girls’ dorm to find the sky darkening. I see Ritsu sitting on the stairs leading to the gardens and I take a spot next to her. She has her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms and head stacked atop her knees. She seems to have taken a trip to the vending machine, with an assortment of drinks and snacks by her side.
“Where’s Akio?” I ask, letting out a little groan as I lean forward, loosening my tie.
“He was tired so he took off. Thought I’d stick around.” She whispers, clearly as tired as me. “Hell of a day, huh?”
“I think that’s
my line.” I laugh, cautiously rolling my head around to crack my neck. She stretches out too, offering me a can of warm coffee.
“Did you make it okay?” She asks with a demure smile.
“Yeah, Tezuka came around just before we got to her room. Her sense of humour gets weirder when she’s groggy, if you can believe that. I left Ibarazaki to look after her.” I take a gulp of delicious coffee and go for another stretch, only for a twang of pain to shoot across my back. “Gaaaah! Son of a bitch!”
“What’s wrong?! Are you okay?!“ Ritsu jumps out of her seat and quickly grabs my arm.
“Yeah,” I say through gritted teeth. “Must’ve pulled something in my shoulders…”
“Hang on,” Ritsu moves to the step behind me and puts her legs under my arm pits. “How’s this?” She asks as she gently begins to press against my shoulders.
“Mmmph. Little lower, please.” Her hands follow my instruction and her hands hit their mark, a contended sigh of relief escaping my lips.
“Feel good, big guy?” She teases, her hands are gentle but firm, kneading my sore back.
“Mmmm… That feels
amazing…”
Ritsu laughs, redoubling her efforts and soon I’ve forgotten why she even started. From my shoulders to my neck then along my arms, though I can only really feel the attention she’s giving my left. Regardless, it feels fantastic.
A whistle followed by an explosion of green light startles both of us. We both laugh, standing as the fireworks display begins in earnest.
“Hell of a day…” Ritsu says again, her smile lit by sequential flares of blue and yellow.
“Stop stealing my lines.” I playfully punch her arm and she feigns being hurt.
“You’re such a big jerk!” She sticks her tongue out, green flashing across her face.
“You
know that’s not true.” I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck, I already miss her touch.
“You’re right, Taro… You’re one of the kindest, sweetest, most genuine people I’ve ever met. You’re noble and clever and self-less... I can’t imagine what this place would be like if I didn’t have you.” Her voice sounds so wistful. C’mon, Taro. It’s obvious how she feels, show her how
you feel.
My hand tentatively reaches out to hers and she accepts gladly, slyly looking down at our hands and then to me. She smiles demurely as I close my eyes.
“I couldn’t imagine this place without you either, Ritsu.” I squeeze her hand as the explosions become louder and more frequent overhead. “Your honesty, your playfulness… Your zeal. You never thought to impose limitations on me because of my arm or my weight. You challenged me every damn day and I’m thankful for that. You get me and I get you, like we’re in sync. Like we have been since the beginning.”
The fireworks are fast building to their crescendo, a cacophony of colour fills the sky as Ritsu grabs my tie and pulls me closer. “That’s so damn corny…“ Staring deep into my eyes, her own are glistening pools of hope and light.
“Kiss me,
dummy!” She laughs, giving one good tug of my tie and planting her soft lips on mine. The world stands still as my senses are overloaded by light, touch and the bizarre scent of gunpowder and cinnamon in the air. She releases me and looks down, the night doing little to hide her crimson face. I hear the whistle of one last firework streaking towards the night sky. The festival’s last hurrah.
“{Go out with a bang}, as the saying goes…” I pull on her waist, bringing her back in for a long deep kiss.
Explosion. Our world erupts into an ardent red glare, engulfing us both as our passion ignites. I feel her arms snake around my neck, her hands running through my hair and my hand presses on the small of her back to hold her as close as I can.
As the last firework fizzles from existence, our breaths are hard and our flesh is red hot if our foreheads pressed together are any indicator. Ritsu’s eyes are closed and I can only stare at the wonderful girl before me.
“So that was…
intense.” I laugh and she follows suit.
“As first kisses go… That was certainly…” She huffs. I can feel her heart beating a mile a minute.
“Please don’t say ‘explosive’. Let‘s not ruin the moment with puns…” I smile, pulling back a little so I can move a stray hair out of her face.
“I was going for
‘fucking hot’ but sure, the pun works too.” She giggles, idly stroking my hair.
As much as I don’t want to, I think we should go our separate ways. For now.
“Think we should call it a night?” Ritsu asks, her hands replacing themselves around my waist.
“Today was pretty exciting…” I admit.
“I can
tell…” She teases.
“You’re not helping.” I laugh but she cuts me off with a kiss and a tug of my hand.
“Tonight was amazing but I think we
both need some rest,” She states, marching us towards the dorms. “And just so you know, I don’t want to leave things here either.”
We come face to face, either side of an invisible line that divides our dorms.
“Thank you for tonight, Mr Arai.” She says, giving me on last squeeze and a peck on the lips.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Miss Tainaka.” I smile giving her a wave.
“I
intend to!” The sultry response and her sudden sexy walk that emphasises her hips sends my imagination into overdrive.
Tonight’s going to be restless.
