Peach and Siren

Chapter Thirteen

"W-why did you do that?"

"What do you think?"

Peach smiled at her before leaving her at the classroom, speechless.

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The next day

"I already told you that we're cooking today so get your aprons and go to the food lab immediately."

Shortly after the teacher's announcement, the student's started to get ready and left the classroom one by one with the exception of Siren who seems to be still in daze about something. She remained in her seat not moving at all.

'Why did she do that? To make fun of me? But why... A kiss? She could have just punched me or something.'

"Siren!" Hana's high pitched voice wake her up from thinking.

"What..."

"We're cooking today. Let's go!"

"Ah... Okay." She lazily grabs the apron on her bag and walks ahead of them, still in obvious daze.

'Still, it's a good thing she remained in her seat or else I wouldn't know how to react when I see her, especially that close.' She take a deep sigh. 'I thought my problems will be solve once I apologize but what is this? Why am I still thinking about her?'

A hand grabs her arm lightly stopping her from walking.

"What's wrong, Lea?"

"What do you mean what's wrong? You're already past the food lab."

She looked around and saw herself a few steps away from the lab.

"Oh... Right."

"Are you okay? You seemed to be in daze, so much that you were not aware with your surroundings anymore. What's wrong?"

'Should I tell them? I wonder how would they react...'

But before she could open her mouth to speak, their teacher calls them out, scolding them for staying out late delaying the class. Siren decided to hold off on telling them and tried to collect herself while trying her best not to glance at Peach' s direction.

But how would she be able to keep up her calm when they become partners for this day? It's as if their teacher is playing with her and decided to pair her up with Peach, just to torment her even more.

'Calm down, Siren. Don' t be fazed by it. Act natural.'

"You'll be making a soup based on the vegetable and ingredients you can see on the table. Now, I've taught you how to make a soup, right? I'll give you thirty minutes then I'll just be having a taste of it when you finished and you can have the rest. If you have no more questions, you can start right now."

'When did she taught this? I can' t remember this!' She stared at the ingredients in front of her, not knowing what to do.

"You can cut the onions and the potato for a while, I'll ready the pot." Peach suddenly talks beside her startling her, almost making her jump. "Are you okay?"

She nodded not looking at her way then she grabbed the onions and started peeling with her shaking hands.

'What is wrong with me? Why can't I keep calm? Right now I should be saying mean things to her but why...'

"Are you sick? You're so quiet." Peach's attempt to go closer to her failed as she immediately take two steps away from her, still not meeting her eyes.

"I'm fine."

Then it was quiet. Siren held on to poor onion like her life depended on it as she try to read the atmosphere between them.

'It was quiet. What is she doing?'

"Did I do something wrong again?" There was something about Peach's sad tone that made her heart skip a beat. She could only shake her head in response.

"Then look at me."

'I just have to look at her so we can start cooking, right?'

Slowly, she turned her head to the right to meet Peach's gaze.

'It's here again... I can feel it. Why is my heart reacting this way whenever I look at you?'

Peach reached the gap between them to examine her face.

'N-not too close...'

"You're face is red. Are you sick?"

"No-I..."

'Shit.'

Due to panicking, she accidentally wiped her eye using the hand that she used to hold the onion. A wave of heat and pain came through in an instant, bringing her to panic even more.

"Siren, are you okay?"

"Do you hear yourself? Are you really asking me if I'm okay? I'm going to get blind here!"

"Ha?"

"Water... Give me water!" She shouted as she fans her eye using her left hand. The stink of onion flying on her nose.

'Why am I in daze for? Thanks to this onion, I'm fully awake now!'

"What is going on here?"

"She wiped her eyes using her hand that she used to hold the onion."

"Just wash it up with water. You have the sink beside you, use it." After that, the teacher left them. Peach held her in her arm and slowly guided her through the sink.

"Let's wash your face." She was about to use her hand when Peach stopped her.

"What?!"

"I'll lend you my hand since your hands still smells of onion. You don't want your whole face to smell like onion, right?"

"Tsk."

Peach opened the faucet and started washing her face with Siren flinching everytime Peach's hands touches her face.

'Her hand is so soft. I bet it's nice to touch. Hey! What am I thinking? My hands are prettier than that! And is this really the time to think about that?'

"I'm glad you're back to normal now. You almost scared me there." She heard Peach say. "Open your left eye, I'll sprinkle it with water."

"It's open!"

"Stop speaking or you'll drown."

"What? What the hell are you-" Her sentence are cut off when Peach covered her mouth using her free hand.

'What the hell...'

She gasped in silence as her fingers started to trace the line on her lips, as if teasing her.

'D-don' t do that...'

"Just be a good girl, Siren and listen to me. We're already behind our classmates. If you resist more, we will never finish here. Do you understand?"

'I can' t understand anything, stop touching my lips like that!'

All her silent protests melted in the air when one of Peach's finger went inside her mouth.

"Did you hear me and ignored me or you didn't heard me? I asked you a question, It' s a common sense to answer, right?"

She nodded as she bit her finger but instead of getting hurt, she just laughed at it, like she got tickled by something. Peach went closer to her and whispered.

"Don't do something dangerous like that. I might forget we're in school right now." She stands her up and wipes her face, most particularly her eye.

"Now, shall we start, for real?" A sweet smile escapes from Peach's lips and leaves her in daze again, just as she did yesterday.

'S-she' s more dangerous than I thought...'

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