The Lady Vs. The Genius (Battle of Campus Elites)

Ep. XXXII: Focus On Me

The Lady Versus The Genius

(Battle Of Campus Elites)

Ep. XXXII: Focus On Me

Yurime's POV

 [Hachiban University]

Seikun was surely mad as his grip on my wrist was so tight that it might leave a mark when he let it go. That face he made just now is something I saw for the first time since I knew him. It's scary. I must have pissed him so much for him to be this furious. He dragged me all the way out to the quadrangle, where there were lesser people. At least less crowded than the cafeteria.

Then, he almost threw me under the tree, "Are you really showing me your true color?" asked Seikun who's eyes were burning in a fury.

I've never been scared of Seikun until now. For some reason, I feel responsible for it. Perhaps, it's my fault. He holds me on my shoulders. His mouth does not open, but his eyes have a lot to say. I don't know what I am supposed to do because he is not telling me anything, but his face says he is angry.

I took a deep breath, "Seikun, I'm sorry about last night. It's a joke that went overboard."

Looking him in the eyes allowed me to see that his anger extinguished and the grip of his hands on my shoulders loosened.

"Are you admitting that it's your fault?" Seikun asked.

"Obviously. I mean, that's not how I should act. I should be trusting that you will do things for me. Shouldn't I?" I sit under the tree, "I don't want to be a burden to you or anyone else. I can't believe I'm going to say this but, I'm honestly just fooling around when I said that I would like Seiichan instead of you as my betrothed."

Saying that is cringe and such a relief at the same time. It was a long awkward silence between us. It's so long- Seikun started whistling to call on the wind to blow.

"You were not jealous of Seiichan earlier when I fell on him, right?" I asked.

"What? Me?" he was a high pitch.

"It's ok that you were jealous, I mean," I flipped my hair to fool around and make the atmosphere a bit better, "Lily Anne is such a personality."

He giggled. That's the first time after almost twenty-four hours that he is not talking to us.

"You're so ugly when you smile." I chuckled at him.

He looked my way and smiled even more, "I was not jealous. Just so you know." Then he sits beside under the tree. That's a relief.

"You know, I thought I was going to explode earlier." He laid back on the tree, "But you said sorry, and it disappeared like magic."

"Then you might start seeing me as Lily Anne now?" I told him, "Although, Lily Anne right now is someone like a fictional character that I'm trying to portray."

"What do you mean? Am I blind before not to see you?" he jested.

"You see, Yurime Hanazaki is a front of the coward Lily Anne who needs to be in shadow for fifteen." I told him, "It's possible that pretending as someone else has taken a toll on my mind that it started to begin in the lies it made up."

"Why are you saying that?" Seikun disagrees, "Lily Anne might be like a fictional character I always wanted to see in person, but you gave life to her. I will always like Lily Anne because she's more than just an idea I have. She's right here. You're here. You're not a lie because if you are, everything is meaningless."

Seikun always encourages me in his own ways and own words that no one ever has. Everyone is asking me to be someone else and do things that I don't like. Seikun, ever since he knew that I was, Lily Anne never had asked me of anything but being who I really am. This will be his fault if I ever fall for him.

"Stop being nice. I might get used to it," I told genius-kid.

"After this ninety-six-hour project, I need to help your parents back in Kensington Palace. We will not see each other for a while, and I'm scared that you might forget about me while I'm there." He said as he looked up at the sky.

"You're leaving Lily Anne here?" I reconfirm.

He looks at me, "Do I have a choice? And besides, you want to clean up the palace. I'll do it while you're here waiting for your diploma."

"You're not saying goodbye, are you?"

He chuckled then looked away, "Never assume unless otherwise stated."

"Says who?"

"That's the accounting principle. Like financial statements, things must come with facts, evidence that is tangible and eligible." He answered.

What am I being surprised for? I always knew that things were going to be like this. Just like my parents, they hardly see each other because of their jobs. Being together all the time won't accomplish much anyway. That much, I understand. 

•••>>>OSeiichan's POV

[Hachiban University]

After I calmed down, I followed the two of them outside. Seikun pushing me hard like that is not normal, and I'm worried that he might be saying something stupid to Lily. I found them with no trouble. They are just there outside the building under the shade of a tree, sitting and talking calmly. A total surprise, to be honest. I walked nearer them.

"And you guys are not fighting?" I began.

"No." Seikun answered, "Sorry about earlier. It was her fault." Seikun points to Lily.

"It was you who pushed him, not me." Lily rebuts.

"Don't even start, guys," I walk closer to them, "I heard about Uno finding out about Lily Anne. Jin is also starting to question all that is happening. We need to do damage control." I advised them.

"If this thing spills all over here, I don't know what else to do." Lily said, "It's exhausting. I just want to graduate so I can go back to Cambridge and live the reel life of working as a public servant."

"You are underestimating the things that we can do, your highness," I answered to her.

"Not like that," Lily said, "I know what you can do, and at the same time, we have to have a permanent solution to this. I mean, all the other people here are suspecting me as my husband's mistress, and it's not making any sense."

"Everybody hates infidelity," Seikun comments as he lay down on the grass.

"And you saying that Seikun is your husband is unbelievably funny," I told them with a hand gesture of pushing the idea away in disgust.

"You're just jealous because you have never had a girlfriend." He smirked at me as if he got Lily by courting the duchess.

"It's an arranged marriage. Don't brag," I exclaimed.

"You two, stop!" she stands up, "We really have to talk to them about this." She peeked from my behind, "Chiyo!!!" she shouted on my face.

I'm dead as I got frozen on the mention of her name.

"Hey!" Seikun called her on.

I looked her way, and she was about to go in our direction, then turned away. I think she still feels awkward about the last we were together. Tough day.

"What happened to Chiyo?" Seikun asked Lily.

"Does it look like that I know?" she answered, "I'm going to find out anyway." She ran after her sister inside the building.

All I can do is sigh.

"Did something happen?" Seikun asked.

I sit down beside him, "Yes. An idiotic thing happened."

"I'm dying to hear it." Another statement of sarcasm.

Breath out, "Promise you won't laugh? I mean. Anyway, remember the day that we followed her and the redheaded exchange student?"

"What happened when Lily Anne and I left?"

"I got in trouble."

 [Flashback]

At the district where we followed Chiyo and Carson, I waited outside the music store. It was turning dark, and the streetlights were on. There's this group of guys that get inside the store; they were so noisy. It looks like they are a gang that bullies innocent kids that they see on the street. One of them also has red hair like James. The other has blonde-bleached hair and a bald guy.

I watch them from my peripheral sight. Carson James bumped into the bald guy who looked like their leader. The English boy apologized to them, but it appears that the other guy is pissed or just showing off that he is a big guy in this town.

Chiyo and Carson started pushing each other until they were outside.

Chiyo was never scared, and so she started punching them and kicking their ass off. She's like a heroine in a cinematic movie who rescues a poor defenseless citizen. She's really doing it well until one of them takes out a deadly weapon until all of them take their gun out. I started dialing the local police to report. To help them get away, I throw a stone on the redheaded guy from that gang and hide.

The quick-witted Chiyo ran with that MC1R guy, and so did I. The group is running after us. I quickly grabbed Chiyo's hand and pulled her to the side to hide. We hid beside the big trash bin in a corner. It was not long ago when we heard the siren of the police's car come to rescue Carson James. I can feel us breathing so heavily. We need water.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

"No. It was tiresome." She responded while catching her breath.

The trash bin stinks, and I couldn't bear to stay a little longer beside it. I stood up and offered my hand to help Chiyo stand up.

"We can go back, I guess," I told her.

She takes my hand and stands up, "Are you driving me home?" she asked.

I nodded in response.

She slowly slid her hands off mine. It was sweaty and created friction for whatever reason. We go back to where I left my car. That was the longest five minutes I walked. When we reached my car, I opened the door for her.

"I wonder where Carson is?" she uttered.

"Maybe he already runs back home or was taken to the police station for her statement," I responded as I started the engine.

"Well… nevertheless, he can take care of himself. That should be fine." She answered her question as she looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

I was able to move the car and start driving off this street. We were silent, as if we were so tired from running from those bad guys.

"There's something you want to tell me before Carson came in earlier. 

What was that?" she asked.

I felt my heart burning and couldn't contain the words, and I was going to vomit them out.

"Will you go out with me?"

"What did you say?" she asked, looking so confused.

"I asked you, will you go out with me?" I repeated myself.

She did not answer, and it just became humid inside the car despite the good air-conditioning I had inside. She's not even looking at me anymore. That could only mean that she feels off about it. I cannot blame her. It is so sudden.

"I'm so sorry," I told her, "You don't have to answer that." I panicked so much that I almost forgot to hit the brake when the light turned red.

"So you don't mean it?" she looked even more confused. I was shocked by her question-- my palms sweated.

"No, I mean it. I mean, I want to ask you out." I clarified myself.

She turned quiet again-- I feel a bit regretful of asking her out in this situation. She remained silent until we reached their house. That was very awkward. Before she left me in the car,

"Tomorrow after school." She said.

"Ok. See you." I answered-- not totally understanding what she meant.

 [End Of Flashback]

"The story is long, but I still don't know why you two are avoiding each other." Seikun comments.

"Well, that's another story."

"Urgh! You should've jumped to that then!" he exclaimed, "So what happened?"

[To Be Continued]