Challenge accepted

[Narukami Akira]

Monday, May 12th
3:15 PM

Sakagami-san has become the new student council president. Looks like my vote didn't go to waste. Good for her. A person like her will definitely bring some pleasant winds of change to this school, like what she just did to the Founder's Festival. However, it may be harder to see her now, with her president duties and all.

Ok, looks like I have to take my chance now to see her again, before her inauguration. There's still a request of hers that I have not yet fulfilled: showing her my martial arts skills. This is my chance to become more used to the fair sex, and boost my confidence. Better do something I'm familiar with for this.

So, I write her another letter.

"Sakagami-san, it's me again. Could we meet after school tomorrow in the courtyard? There's something I want to talk to you about. Even though it's pretty late now, congratulations for winning the election.

Narukami Akira"

Then put it in her shoe locker, again. I wonder if she remembers me though, since we only met once before. Still, a lady's request must be fulfilled.

[Sakagami Tomoyo]

Sakagami Tomoyo
______________________________________________________

Why do so many people want to meet with me all of a sudden?

She should have gotten used to it back in middle school, but the letters she received nowadays were starkly different from the challenges she received back then. The one similarity they shared was the fact that they were troublesome all the same. Narukami wasn’t a bad person by any means, but honestly, maybe she would be happier about seeing him if she wasn’t already busy. Didn’t he know she was president now? Plus, the letter she found in her shoe locker didn’t even specify the purpose of the meeting. Still... she couldn’t show him up. He was already waiting for her.

Or maybe it would be a request regarding her connection to the student council? Perhaps there was something he needed help with, and he could only ask her because she was president now. Perhaps he needed help establishing a club, or maybe he had a concern regarding school life. Perhaps Tomoyo’s vexation was misplaced.

If that was the case, then she’d be happy to offer assistance in any way possible. She’d only prefer it if the boy knew the student council room was always open for students to come in and express their needs....

Those were her thoughts as she descended the stairwell at a quickened pace.

Her wristwatch flashed in the sunlight as she whisked the door to the courtyard wide open. It was a little past 3 o’ clock. The school day had ended only five minutes ago.

But where was he? Tomoyo quickly scanned the area with her eyes. In her hurry, maybe she was too early.

But no, he was here. Her eyes found his figure standing solitary in wait underneath the shade of the leafy sentinel in the middle of the courtyard.

With her target in sight, Tomoyo strode toward him.

She waved to greet him. “Good afternoon! I’m here,”

[/color] she shouted, compensating for the space between them. As she neared him, Tomoyo’ breathing were faintly audible; a clear sign that she’d come here in a rush. “I got your letter,”[/color] she said. "Narukami, what did you need to talk to me about?”[/color]
[/blockquote][/size]

[Narukami Akira]

Did someone call me? That voice...

Oh, it's her. I never expected she would arrive this soon. Well, the sooner the better, I guess.

"Er, hi there, Sakagami-san." I turned around to greet her. "You... are quite early. Shall we sit down over there?" I motion towards the nearby wooden bench, and then we settle down there.

Ah, well, how should I explain this to her? Does she even remember the details of our last conversation? If she doesn't, then it will be rather embarassing. Maybe I should start with some courtesy.

"Sakagami-san... Once again, congratulations for winning the election. You have my support. And, well, do you remember the last time we met? To discuss martial arts?"

[Sakagami Tomoyo]

Sakagami Tomoyo
______________________________________________________

Tomoyo was seated on the bench next to Narukami. That was reality. In her thoughts however, she was in the student council room surrounded by her colleagues. As freshly born as it was, she couldn’t stay focused on the conversation in front of her.

The student council president had things to do, places to be, people to discuss important matters with. With Founder's Festival already past, today wasn't supposed to be especially important. Even though that was the case, as the president, Tomoyo still needed to arrive promptly to set an example for the rest of the council members.

If there was one thing she didn’t have the time to do, it was the so-called act of small talk.

Tomoyo felt guilty about not being able to listen fully to what Narukami had to say, but it was the truth. She simply didn’t have the time to do so.
Couldn’t he just get to the point?

"Sakagami-san... Once again, congratulations for winning the election...” Narukami’s voice continued. He was late to the party, but then again, it only made sense. She hadn’t talked to him in a long while.

She found herself thanking him almost automatically. She’d gotten so used to the congratulatory remarks that her responses running on auto-pilot by now. As if her prayers were answered, the boy’s question was only a short and quick link into the main purpose of their meeting.

Her answer was likely disappointing.

“I don’t remember it,

[/color] Tomoyo admitted. "I don’t have much time right now... but what about it? Did you want to make a martial arts club?”[/color]

She was taking a wild jab at it, hoping such was the case. However, a thought buried in the back of her mind was nagging at her that the purpose of this meeting was much more troublesome.

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[Narukami Akira]

Oh, so she doesn't remember it after all... Figures. We only met once before, so it can't be helped. I should jog her memory somehow.

"Ah, well, thanks for your concern, but I don't need to establish any martial arts club at school, as I already attending a dojo near my home... It's a different matter, really". I unconciously scratch the back of my head and avert her eyes a little bit.

"Some weeks before, I also sent a letter to meet with you, and we ate lunch together on the rooftop, you know? I was so excited back then". It's true. Me meeting her is just like die-hard fans of kung-fu movies trying to have a handshake with Jackie Chan.

"And I asked you about your martial art skills, then you asked me... to show mine, and I refused, remember?" The sooner I can get to the point, the better. "Well, I've decided that I will fulfill that request of yours." Um... have I worded it right? I hope she's not too baffled about this.

[Sakagami Tomoyo]

Sakagami Tomoyo
______________________________________________________

The council is in place to serve the student body and to represent the will of the students.

As much as she believed in that contract, she knew it did not entail entertaining bored students just looking for a fun time with busy people.

Her expression hardened and she gazed at Narukami with bothered, narrowed eyes.

“... Is that all you wanted from me?”

[/color]

She should have trusted her gut instinct. This meeting wasn’t a request for the student council president. It was a request for Sakagami Tomoyo. Whichever role he was hoping for her to play, she wouldn’t think of satisfying him for a second.

Yes, she’d raised his hopes a few weeks ago, but it should have been clear to any student that the acquisition of council presidency would change her schedule. Back then, before her inauguration, Tomoyo might have had time to fool around. Now was a completely different story.

“As you can so clearly see, I’m busy,”[/color] the president said, vexation dripping from her voice. Her hands flexed at her side as if it helped in abating her own annoyance, with the source of all that annoyance standing right before her.

If she'd known all he wanted to do was show her his "martial arts skills," Tomoyo wouldn't have rushed to meet with him before the student council meeting. Had she gone crazy the last time she actually agreed to such a deal? It was martial arts. She couldn’t care less about the subject. Perhaps she’d just been so bored that she’d been left with no other choice but to carelessly accept his offer.

Both possible explanations ran through her head as she struggled to understand her own actions from a few weeks before, but none of it needed to matter anymore.

“You'll need to show someone who isn't in a hurry.”[/color]

With a simple turn, she was already off, her long silver hair swishing behind her like the wispy tendrils of a dream.

She didn't have the time to entertain bored people.

END
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[Narukami Akira]

PS:

"Er, um..."

Well, even though I kinda expected this outcome, but this happened too soon that I'm rendered speechless for a moment.

Is this what many guys feel when their confessions of love are rejected by their targets of affection? Did I just... get dumped?

Jeez, she surely is a dutiful president. A bit like those celebrities who lead their own hectic lives. She could have let me explain myself a bit more. I never plan to spar with her right here, right now to begin with.

I call out towards the long silver locks:

"Sakagami-san, I only want to know if you can meet with me whenever you are free. I'm not forcing you or anything. Just let me know when you can. I will wait for your answer."

I wonder if she can, or even bother to hear me out now.