Salut D'Amour

Measure 8: And I was Saved By.... Yikes

KAHOKO'S POV

***

"What d'you mean by stop?" The girl repeated her question and I take a a step backward.

"Ano...gomen nasai." I quickly bow down and feel my face going all red. What did I do?! Argh...screwing up again but this time, no one's here to save me. Then I brace myself for her reply. Judging from the way she talked to her mother, I'd say I'm in big trouble. 

Here it comes...

"Eh?! You're Japanese?!" 

"Huh?" I look up and see her face filled with a smile. Ano...This isn't the reaction I expected... "Ugh...hai?" I stupidly reply suddenly, but the girl just jumps up and down quickly hugs me.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH! I LOVE YOU JAPANESE!!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?! I WAS LOOKING FOR A JAPANESE PERSON EVERSINCE THIS MORNING! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!" She twirls me around the room and I feel my head spinning as she lets go of me.

"Ano..." I feel my world still turning and I manage to sit on the chair. I have no idea what happened next but I found myself face to face with the girl who was busy studying my face.

"EH?!" I pull away and she just giggles.

"You really are Jap. Only a real Jap girl would do a cute face like that." She giggles and I feel my face go red. Wait...Isn't she suppose to scold me or something? Somehow the crowd had left us alone and so I found myself in the company of the blonde girl and her mother, who was for a weird reason, looking at me with a smile.

"Are you alright?" The woman asks me and I unfreeze myself.

"Hai!" I abruptly reply and she offers her handkerchief. I sheepishly accept it and do a slight bow.

"I am so sorry for the rudeness of my daughter Akira. She can be quite...excited sometimes." The woman apologizes and I shake it off.

"It's alright." I giggle nervously and she shakes her head.

"I really am sorry. Akira," she looks at her daughter who has buried herself in another round of cake. "Apologize for the way you had treated the lady." Upon hearing this, Akira gulps in her cake and stands up.

"Gomen nasai." She does a bow and I am flustered.

"Eh?! No...it's alright." I mutter and Akira suddenly hugs me - again.

"Awwww....Jap people are sooooo kind." She lets go and sits back at her chair. What was up with this girl? "Anyway, my name's Akira Enuii. Your's is?" She asks and I twiddle my fingers.

"Kahoko Hino." I reply and she eats another plate before she looks at me again.

"Forgive my daughter for her very....unusual table manners." Her mother excuses and I shake my head.

"I don't mind. I actually have a brother at home and -" I stop myself. What am I saying? That Akira's a boy? I shake my head and chuckle. "I mean I know a few people who are as enthusiastic as Enuii-san." I remember Hihara-senpai and find myself smiling.

"By any chance, it's your boyfriend, isn't it?" 

Eh?!

"NOOO! Idon'thaveanyboyfriend." I reply all too quickly and Enuii-san laughs heartily.

"Please, just Akira-chan will do." She smiles and then she studies me more. "So who's the lucky guy Kaho-chan? I can call you Kaho-chan, right?" Her straightforwardness was disarming but I managed to smile nervously.

"Kaho-chan is fine but...I really don't have a boyfriend." I mutter and she sighs.

"Oh c'mon, Kaho-chan, a girl like you can't go marching around Gendou Island without a boyfriend, or is it that," Suddenly, her eyes sparkle and she leans close to my face, "you are also after the myth?"

Myth? That word again.

"Ah no...I don't get..." I pull back but suddenly, I hear gasps and before I could see what was happening, I feel a hand on my shoulder and a scent I so am awfully familiar to.

Oh no.

"Excuse me but I see that my little pet has wandered off here. I am dreadfully sorry for the inconvenience but I must bring her back."

Pet?! Only one person uses that and it can't possibly be -

"Excuse me sir, (English)" someone speaks up from the crowd in a language I don't understand except for the last word, "but are you the third son of Mr. Yunoki?"

Great. More trouble.

"Yes, yes I am, sir. (English)" I sigh as Yunoki-senpai leans close to my ears and whispers.

"What are you doing? I don't know what game you're playing at but I am deeply annoyed by your ignorance on having me to help you." He says with a smile and I am unnerved.

I never asked for your help.

"Excuse us but we must be going now -" Yunoki-senpai raises me from my chair but suddenly Akira-chan stands as well.

"So the youngest son of the Yunoki group is your boyfriend, huh? Way to go Kaho-chan! I'm your number one fan." She claps and I stop.

"Ano...Akira-chan, you got it all wrong. Yunoki-senpai isn't my boyfriend," I shake my hand and take a deep breath. Clear this misunderstanding. "Yunoki-senpai is actually my -"

" - fiance." 

WHAT?!

I look to Yunoki-senpai who is smiling and I freeze. 

Fiance?! What is this guy thinking?!!!

"No Akira-chan! It's not that I'm his -" I begin to explain but Akira-chan laughs and takes my hand.

"No need to explain Kaho-chan. I know love is difficult to admit infront of others but a word of advice," She looks seriously at Yunoki-senpai and I feel the atmosphere turn a degree lower. And for a while I felt that Yunoki-senpai and Akira-chan's eyes met.

What was her advice, anyway? And what's with this tense atmosphere?

"Break your engagement with this monster."