Write Me a Love Story (OHSHC)

XVI: Pardon My Intrusion

January 13

"Akito, stop," I heard a voice like Kyouya's faintly command. I quickly turned around and crossed the hall to the doorway in time to hear another voice mid-sentence, who I could only assume was the elder brother in question.

"... commoner? You're pursuing a commoner? You're better than that, Kyouya. You're already pursuing something that you'll never get your hands on, and yet you set your sights on that girl? You barely know her. For all you know, she could be a different person outside of school. She could be a call-girl or a drug dealer- a criminal!- and you'd never know; commoners are sneaky that way." I stood with my hand poised to knock on Kyouya's door, shaking with composed anger. Without thinking, I opened the door and took a few steps in. Both men snapped their heads around, Akito's face holding a look of superiority and Kyouya's, anger.

"Akito-san. A criminal... Wow." My mouth moved of its own accord, my brain pre-composing surprisingly eloquent sentences for how angry I was. "You've known me for all of one hour, and you've already graduated to calling me by such a serrated term?" Kyouya's eyes widened a fraction, and from the corner of my eye, I could see a translucent smile gloss over his features.

"I've done nothing to you, shown you nothing but removed politeness- as expected. What have I done that warrants the use of 'criminal' to describe me?" Akito's mouth was open, but not a bit of sound was coming out. In absence of his answer, I turned to his younger brother.

"Kyouya-senpai, you've been around me for quite a bit. Would you describe me in such a manner?" I asked. His grin widened slightly, and his eyebrow raised for a second before he replied.

"Not at all, Miss Sahni." I nodded at him, unable to keep a small smile off of my own face upon seeing Akito's shocked expression only growing.

"So," I began, walking in a small circle. "I've done nothing to you. You've pretended to accept- rather, tolerate- me, but for what reason?" I stopped just where I'd started walking, staring directly at Akito.

"What possessed you to do that, Akito-san? As someone of higher status than I, there's no reason for you to have put up that pretense. Do you enjoy lying? Do you get a rush of adrenaline from it?" I couldn't stop questioning him- I was gaining an adrenaline rush from holding all the power in the room. Upon receiving no answer from the still-shocked man, I smiled thinly.

"Curious indeed." I turned away from him, seeing unsaid things boiling up behind his eyes but having no desire to hear them spoken. "Kyouya-senpai, dessert is waiting for us in the dining room; let's not keep everyone waiting. Akito-san, when you have a suitable answer, please do not hesitate to let me know." I spared one last fleeting glance at him, who looked embarrassed and irate at the same time. The sensible part of my brain kicked in, and I remembered that I angered a man who was more important than I was in every way possible.

But in a way, I had won.

I turned and looked at Kyouya, who's smirk was almost as invisible as it was wide. I smiled, proud of myself, and turned to walk out the door.

"Pardon my intrusion."

*

"I apologize for that," Kyouya said as we walked down the stairs.

"Don't worry about it. If you'll remember, we go to the Ostentatious, Undeniably Rich Academy of Northern Japan. It's not anything crazy to be called a commoner or be looked down upon." I thought of the brunette girl who was always glaring at me; a perfect example.

"Yes, but that doesn't excuse his behavior," He stated as we got to the dining room doors.

"No," I answered simply. "It doesn't." I pushed the door open with that, and the hosts all turned toward us.