Cleaning your Messes (Akira)

[Luka Kurokawa]

The lunch bell had rung, following the end of the current class period. Luka wasn't in any particular hurry to get down to the cafeteria like the other students. Well, that was always the case given that she made her own lunch for herself everyday. But today, she had packed just a bit more than usual. And for her destination? That was different as well. Rather than eat on the roof of the building like usual, the girl decided to eat in the Student Council Room. After all, she was the Vice-President of the school. She was still trying to get used to that fact, having stayed out of the spotlight for the majority of her high school life. It was an odd feeling. Finally reaching the Student Council Room, the girl opened the door slowly and peered in, looking for the one person who would likely be in here.

Ah. Akira. The Student Council President seemed to be here as expected. Honestly, it was a good thing that he was here considering it was the only reason she came here in the first place. The incident from a little while ago came to mind. It was quite the ordeal for her, and probably for him as well. He had ended up doing quite a bit for her sake, which resulted in not only "saving" her, but awakening her to her new persona. That was why today, Luka wanted to try and express her gratitude as best she could.

She sat down at the table across from him. The room was peaceful. Empty. Well, not empty. But it was without disturbance. It was a nice atmosphere, to her. She coughed lightly to get his attention before sliding an old fashion lunch box over towards his side of the table. I wanted to thank you some way for helping me the other day. I know you were only doing your duty as student council president and following your own beliefs, but I still wished to thank you. She looked down at the lunch box she presented. It's not much, but I made some extra lunch alongside my own for today. She wore her straightforward expression as she spoke, hoping that he would at least accept the lunch. For all she knew, he probably had some sort of excuse as to why he couldn't eat it. In fact, she partially expected that. But knowing that people loved homemade things, Luka figured he might change his mind upon seeing what was inside.

[Akira Nakajima]

Akira had made some good headway. The filth from the past regime was nearly gone. He was already starting to take care of new papers that would improve things, as opposed to bring them back to a state of neutrality. The boy had taken a break for lunch, not out of necessity or desire, but simply because he could. The office was quiet. The scent of cabbage, seaweed, plum filling, and rice filled the air immediately around his desk. Healthy, low-calorie foods that combined taste and nutrition were best. Vitamin supplements also helped to some degree.

Was he bothered by eating alone? Not at all. For the longest time, he had worked and eaten by himself, in perfect silence. Even with members on the council, tentative as they might have been, he did not expect them to visit every day, and certainly not for lunch. So, while he was not surprised, Akira could safely say that it was an unexpected turn of events when Luka entered the room. Looking up and greeting her with a warm smile, he tilted his head to the side, when she called his name. The boy's attire was about as could be expected- uniform set and proper-like and hair tied back into a ponytail. He just watched as she produced a box. A gift sorts? No, a lunch, she explained. He just smiled, lowering his chopsticks.

”Duty, beliefs, other things. Yes, all legitimate reasons for my actions that day.” He waved his hand dismissively. ”Knowing that you've grown out of that destructive mindset is thanks enough for me. There's no need to show me gratitude.” He did not open the box. Rather, he offered a meek smile. ”There's that, and the fact that I have a delicate diet to keep in balance. I appreciate the sentiments, I really do, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline at this time.” Girls' feelings were delicate things. Normally, a rejection like that, no matter how softly it was put, would hurt them. Perhaps it would be the same with Luka, even with her being off?

. . . no, that would be expecting too little from her, underestimating her. Her reaction would be. . . something unexpected.

[Luka Kurokawa]

The boy said something she had seen coming. A dismissal of praise and thanks. And then a claim that her mindset being safe was good enough for him. Words of a selfless hero. All of which were things she wholeheartedly expected him to say. That was fine, but wasn't something that she wanted to hear. She wanted him to accept the gift. As she pushed the box over to him, she had expected him to at least look in to see what she had made him. But instead, he simply looked up and gave her a smile. The light smile on the girl's face faded away at his words.

Could it be that he thinks it tastes bad? He only said that about his diet after looking at the box. Maybe he saw the box and figured the stuff that was inside was bad? She began assuming a lot about the situation. More than she could justifiably do. Luka wasn't sure how to feel about this, really. . . perhaps you think it tastes bad? She folded her hands in her lap, naturally out of the boy's view. She looked down at them, trying to think of a way for him to at least accept her gratitude. but really, what could she say to him?

I-I just want some way to show my gratitude. If you accept it, I think I'll be a lot happier, you know? She looked up at him with expecting eyes. Golden ringed eyes that seemed to see through one's soul. Maybe she could turn this situation around still? But if you don't. . . Her lips tensed up as she looked down again. If you don't, I'll get upset with you and hate you forever. There! That should do it. She won. Victory was hers. How could he back out now? He couldn't. Because really, half of that was probably true. It felt like she was playing a game with him. Well, maybe not a game. More of a barter, perhaps?

[Akira Nakajima]

Well, the girl had come a long way since they met, but it seemed her self-confidence was still a little low. Lower than it should have been for a Japanese female of her age, at least. He only offered her a slight smile as she went on about her feelings. He doubted it tasted bad. Japanese girls only sucked at cooking in H-games, after all. Then she went on like a child, claiming she'd hate him forever and all that. That was much better. Much more normal-girl-ish. If only to praise her for that, he'd accept her good will. He'd just try his best to not be forced to eat it. Especially not there. He let out a small chuckle before sitting straight.

”I highly doubt that that's anything more than a bluff, Ruka.” He developed a confident smile. ”However, if you're so desperate for me to accept it, then I will accept it gratefully.” He slowly nodded, closing his eyes half-way. ”However, I have already prepared a lunch. In fact, I was in the process of eating it when you arrived. Because of this, I will have to eat the lunch you prepared for me later.” He tilted his head to the side, blinking and smiling sweetly. He had to wonder how she would respond to his counteroffer. Would it be amusing? He honestly hoped so.

”Is this agreeable?” He straightened his neck before putting his hands together in his lap and leaning back. ”Or is there something that requires me to eat it here and now?” Frankly, he could work off extra calories whenever he wanted. It wasn't too big of a deal. Often, thanks to the trips to the outer circle, fighting Shadows, and carrying unconscious girls, he found himself actually needing to supplement his caloric intake, anyway. He just wanted to entertain himself with Luka.

He doubted she'd hate it.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka blinked as she watched the boy let out a small chuckle. Was her really that laughable? It was as if he didn't care! No, he just saw through it that easily. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as a confident smile came from him. But her annoyance was quickly dismissed upon the boy's acceptance of the gift. He would accept the gift. Victory was hers. Or was it?

It seems that Akira had a lunch of his own already and was in the process of eating it. Thus, he would "have to eat it later." Luka had a bad feeling about that. Could she really trust him to eat it later? She was able to rely on him in countless other situations after all. He hadn't let her down before. Short answer; hell no. Well, I suppose that is a problem. The girl pondered a moment, thinking of a way to remedy the situation. Ah, I've got it. You can eat it later, but I have to be present for when you do. She nodded a few times, with a few grunts of affirmation as she did. That was a good idea.

Just a warning though, the food may go bad if you wait too long. And I wouldn't be happy if you ate bad food either. She made her move; her request. How would the boy respond, she wondered? And if he managed to dodge this attack, did she have a back-up plan? I suppose I could simply follow you around until you do eat it as an alternative. She wore a blank expression as she stared at the boy. Was she really planning on doing such a thing should it come to it? Probably not. But Akira didn't know that. In fact, he would probably believe her without any doubt given her "lack of common sense." She was intent on getting him to eat that lunch, after all.

[Akira Nakajima]

It seemed that the girl had to be around when he ate the food. This brought a number of possibilities up. One, the food was drugged and she intended to carry him off to a private location for safe keeping (unlikely), two, the girl ended up liking him after all of that and desired to see her object of affection eat food she prepared (possible, still unlikely), or, three, the girl was horrendous at cooking and wanted to use him as a test subject to ensure that the food was edible (. . . sadly, it was possibly the case). She seemed to even be willing to stalk him around. Given her lack of common sense, this was entirely possible. Actually, he was tempted to push it to that point, just to see if she did it blatantly or tried to be sneaky about it. He put a hand to his mouth, hiding his laugh.

”I see. You seem to be pretty fixated on being around when I consume it. I don't suppose that's too much of an issue, but being forced to eat it now would disrupt my diet.” He gave a wistful sigh before smiling slightly. In truth, he already had a means of preserving food. After all, he sometimes spent long evenings there in the office. It was perfectly natural for him to have a certain something to keep drinks refreshing and food good. The boy just had to see how long it would take before the girl snapped or did something wonderful.

”Fortunately, there's a way around this!” He nodded, smiling widely. ”I have a fridge here, next to one of the filing cabinets.” He gestured towards it, tilting his head to the side. ”That should keep it from spoiling, as well as let me eat it later. Ah, speaking of which, would you like a drink?” He just had to egg her on. Her lack of common sense wasn't dangerous in this situation. Instead, it was just amusing- dare he even call it cute?

”Back to the point, is that all right with you?” He smiled sweetly. Did this girl have any idea he was toying with her?

Probably not, unless she was a good actor.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Again, the boy found something funny about what she said. She didn't understand what he kept finding to be so funny. He was being quite mean, in her opinion. Once again, he brought up the issue of his diet. Was his food intake such a serious matter that he couldn't eat a simple lunch she had prepared? It was a rather healthy one too, given that Luka herself always ate rather healthily. Luka's eyes turned back to Akira when he mentioned something about a way around the issue. He pointed to a fridge explaining that he could keep it fresh in there until then. Ah, no you have to- He continued on by asking her if she wanted a drink now. Uuuu. That wasn't one of her embarrassed "Uuu"s. It was an annoyed "Uuu." He was starting to annoy her now.

Returning to the point, the boy asked if that was a good idea. Once again, Luka found the need to bargain with him once more. No. She crossed her arms in defiance. You are not allowed to use the fridge. That's cheating. That smile of his only made her that much more annoyed. Honestly, why did he have to be such a nuisance? She just wanted to give him something for his help and let that be the end of it. Yet, he had to make everything so complicated. Good going, hero. It has to be eaten fresh, after all. Her voice was a bit more on the pouty side this time. Arguing like this was getting to her; just a little bit.

[Akira Nakajima]

Oh, it seemed that there were some limitations on the circumstances he could consume the food in. So, lets review. Luka had to be there when he ate it. It had to be eaten fresh, something that was impossible unless she just got to school. Using the fridge was “cheating”. Okay. Well, he could tease her on one more note before finally caving for her. She was just too amusing for him to leave alone right now. Besides, she had probably been depraved of teasing. He had to make sure she received plenty of teasing to make up for the deficit she suffered. So, the boy just blinked when the new rule was presented. With a light hum, he reached for the box, pulling it near him.

”I see. But, Ruka, that would suggest that it's currently fresh, correct? So, did you only just arrive at school?” He tilted his head to the side, letting the question soak into her head for a moment. ”If not, then wouldn't a bit of the freshness have worn off?” Of course, it was nit-picking. But, then again, so was her worrying that the food would spoil. Slowly, he pulled the box open, inspecting the contents. If she was making such a big deal about it, it must have been good. Or that was his hope, at least.

Of course, he'd probably stop after that, for her sake. Didn't want her to build up a resistance to teasing, after all.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Wha. . . Did he really just ask that? A question as simple minded as that? He had made a comment in regards to the technicality that the food wasn't fresh anymore, unless she had only just made it. By that sort of thinking, wouldn't it have become not fresh having brought it to school at all? Or by waiting perhaps a few minutes before consumption? That kind of thinking was silly; more precisely it was plain stupid. Wasn't he supposed to be smart? He was student council president after all. Her lips curled inward as she glared at the boy. It was only made a few hours ago, right before I came to school. In my opinion, I consider that still fresh. Secondly, I would only give someone fresh food as a gift like this. Her voice gave off an annoyed vibe. Mostly because she was getting annoyed now.

Hmph. If you don't want it, fine. She puffed her cheeks as she looked at him. Honestly. Where did he get off saying that she lacked common sense? With a sigh, she began to reach over to grab the food that she had presented to him. I'll just take this back then. I wouldn't want to ruin your diet after all. . . Her expression was one of slight annoyance, but perhaps a hint of disappointment was there as well. He seemed rather intent on avoiding her gift despite not outwardly saying it. It certainly wasn't doing her self-esteem any favors.

[Akira Nakajima]

And the response she gave was lackluster. The ending was supposed to be the best, not the worst! As she reached in, so did he. She reached for the box, he reached for her hand. Casually taking her hand and shifting in, he pecked her fingers. Despite the fact that he had been eating, there was no residue to stain her hands. The boy had closed his left eye and smiled at her, still lightly holding her hand. His smile was playful, but secretive, entirely different from the sweet, innocent smile he had hosted previously.

”I apologize, Ruka. You were just so cute, with your arguments, that I was tempted into teasing you. It seems I went a little too far. Please forgive me.” With that, he released her hand, sitting back and tugging her box closer, out of her reach. ”I'd be honored to have the food you prepared for me. You have my gratitude.” That smile never left his face. Preparing his chopsticks, he lifted one of the vegetables from the box. And, just like that, he began eating the food she prepared for him.

”It's good, Ruka.” He offered a sincere smile finally, eyes focused on her. No hesitation or anything like that could be seen on him. He then went for a piece of meat. ”Variety and good flavors make this an excellent meal.” He gave her a complimentary observation.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Just as Luka reached out for the box, she noticed Akira reach out as well. Maybe he had changed his mind and wanted to eat it now? That, or he felt bad for her. That's what she assumed, anyway. Instead, she felt his hand grab hers as it was pulled to him. Ah. . . Why was he pulling her hand in? When she got the answer, her eyes only widened in surprise. He just kissed her hand, didn't he? Eyes still wide, her entire expression was a mix of surprise, embarrassment, and confusion. She could already feel her face start to burn before he even said anything.

That was the first time someone had ever done anything like that to her. Needless to say, she didn't really know how to respond right away. Instead, she just froze there with that confused look on her face as the boy spoke. Did he just call her cute now? That was another first the boy had taken from her. Well, she had been called cute by her parents and relatives when she was just a small child but. . . this sort of thing was different, right?

When the boy finally released her hand, she jerked back to her seat, holding the hand that the boy had grabbed. She really wanted to slap the boy for some reason. It reminded her of when she pushed him over that time when she had awakened to her persona. Finally able to articulate some speech, the girl finally responded. W-What are you talking about? I-I'm not cute! It seems that she didn't like being called cute. Maybe because she didn't believe it to be so? Regardless, she was beginning to calm down. Her face was still beet red though.

When the boy commented on her lunch, she didn't respond right away. She was still caught up in all the things that began to pile up in her brain. But when he focused on her, the only thing she could really do was focus back. Ah. That's good. So he was teasing her it seemed. Now that she was beginning to realize that, she was really annoyed now. Yet at the same time, she couldn't get mad at him. Especially after he went into detail about what he liked about the food. With a sigh that could have been interpreted as a form of surrender, the girl smiled. I'm glad then. Her face may have still been a bit red, but it would likely revert in a moment with the ordeal of getting Akira to eat being complete.

[Akira Nakajima]

And that was more like it. Luka fiercely denied being called cute. She was all red and flustered, and it was really cute. It amused the boy. That was why, as he consumed various pieces of the lunch she prepared for him, he smiled. Akira could respond to her in any number of ways. The choices were many. That was why he took his time chewing. Gave him time to think of which path to take. Finally, though, he decided to take a more normal approach. He'd tease her more later. For now, it was fine if he enjoyed his lunch with the company of another- even better that she prepared the supplement to his food.

”Yes, yes. You're entitled to your own opinion. I'll keep mine, though.” Was all he argued with in regards to her cuteness factor. Moving on, he just shrugged slightly. ”You never answered my offer of a drink, though. I suppose that you must not be thirsty.” A faint sigh escaped his lips before he brought a roll of fish to his mouth. The girl had a ridiculous level of variety. He'd need to alter some of the things he ate that evening to counteract some of the substances. All in all, though, he was touched by her offer. He certainly did not dislike it.

”So, you are going to eat here as well, correct? After all, I'm eating something you prepared for me. You have to watch me eat, and it's lunch time. It wouldn't do to just eat in front of a girl, so I'll have to ask you to join me. President's orders.” He let out a slight laugh as he casually threw his power around. She wanted to watch him eat what she prepared. Well, in that case, he wanted to watch her in general. Turnabout was fair play, after all. More than that, though, he doubted the girl had much experience with casual social environments.

”Ah. And, Ruka, what are your plans for the weekend? Slashing anything Shadow-related, of course.”

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka could only puff her cheeks in response to the boy's "opinion." It would seem that she couldn't really argue with him about it any more, given that the conversation had already begun to change. Oh well. There were worse things than being called cute. Especially in such an easy-going environment where she could just relax and simply eat her lunch for now. Which had just been brought up, as it seemed. Albeit, with a bit of "sass" to it. And there he went, laughing at her again. Just what did he find so funny? Of course I will be eating. I have my lunch with me right here. She pulled out a box whose appearance and contents were nearly identical to the one that the boy had right now. Hmph. However, I recall you having no problem with eating in front of me the first time I came here, Mr. President. It was the time when she had obtained the position of Vice President; also their first formal introduction.

As the girl opened up her own box, she produced a small bottle of soy sauce. Soy sauce? She displayed the bottle before putting it in between the two of them. She rather enjoyed putting soy sauce on a few of her meals. The rice and sushi were the first that came to mind. And I'll pass on a drink. I brought tea for myself. But once again, you are free to have some as well. She began to pour some tea into a cup that she also had with her. Placing the thermos between the two of them, she took a sip of the tea. And finally, after a long heated argument, she would begin to enjoy her meal.

Plans? What was that all of a sudden? What did he mean by plans, exactly? She began to ponder to herself as she continued eating her meal. Well, let's see. I have plans to wake up, eat, relax, and go to sleep. Returning her gaze to the boy, she gave him a solid answer. I'm not sure what you consider "plans" but multiply that by three and that's my weekend. She answered rather plainly, not really thinking much of her answer, nor the question associated with it.

[Akira Nakajima]

Seemed the girl recalled their first meeting on some level. Obviously, though, she thought his joke about watching him was serious. Oh well. The girl made her own offerings- soy sauce, tea. He refrained from both of them with a slight head shake and a smile. When she finally answered his question, he realized that this girl was sorely deprived. Even if one considered games, anime, or manga a part of “relaxing”, it still sounded far too boring and weak. This girl only just broke free of the eggshell of death that she had remained in for years. It was up to him to see his actions through from start to finish.

”I see. Then I propose that we see through with your training. I will work to my utmost to ensure that you shine as a beautiful star. I will drill you relentlessly until you can pick up on second meanings, understand humor, develop common sense, and generally have the personal strength of a hero.” It sounded grand and all, but his expression was as calm as it had been the entire time. He had already consumed most of the lunch she had brought him. Despite the fact that he actually was talking with his mouth full, one would only know by watching him, as it did nothing to obstruct his voice or words.

”Because we have limited resources, your training will consist of an anime regiment which focuses on these values.” The grandness of his plans likely seemed as though they had shattered entirely when he said that. ”Since you had no other plans, I trust that this will not interfere with your weekend?” He finally stopped eating, staring at her as he tilted his head to the side slightly. He was curious. He was interested. He also wanted to be amused. Regardless of whether or not Ruka was a bit of a toy for him to play with, he did want her to grow. She was one of the students he watched over- one of the fellow youths at the school that would grow alongside him. It was both a duty and a pleasure to help her along.

Despite everything, though, he never did go get a drink for himself.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka was taking a sip of her tea when Akira made the proposal of going through with her "training." Honestly, she had not forgotten the promise that the boy had made that day when he gave her that scarf. The way he worded it and his expression that he used didn't really seem to match up though. Ah. . . Alright then. She didn't really know what else to say to him. She was certainly looking forward to the training, or rather, the results of their eventual efforts. It was the training itself that made her question what would be going on.

Of course, she got an answer to that almost immediately. She had been lifting her cup up to take another sip, when she heard the "plans" that Akira had in mind. Come again? Did she here that right? They would be watching anime to teach her common sense and such? Well if that's what you think is best, I don't see a problem with it. It was an unorthodox method to teach her; of that she was sure. But she wasn't planning on questioning it, being the "student" and all. But that would explain the question about "plans."

It probably won't. We can start whenever you want. But I would like an elaboration of this "regiment" beforehand if you don't mind. Mostly out of curiosity. She continued eating after answering the question in a rather simple matter. Then another question popped into her mind. Where would we have this, actually? There were a few options that came to mind, the first being her apartment. She bothered to ask first, just in case. Oh and that matter aside, are you not getting anything to drink? He was eating all that food yet wasn't getting anything to drink, even though he had offered her one himself. She felt the question was at least appropriate.