Seiran Academy

Chapter 2

“Where were you at lunch?” Minako hollered at her friend. “I was waiting on the roof for you and I was nearly assaulted by the Dark Trio.”

Mariko cringed but continued walking with Minako towards the dormitory building that housed the girls. As part of the elite Minako was now on the top floor, and rooming with that horrible girl, Belle. Minako disliked her more now than she had at the beginning of the day. The only thing Minako could be thankful for was that at least the men were in a different building. Minako could deal with Belle alone, she could not handle Belle, Sage, and Nemesis together.

“I’m sorry,” Mariko apologized meekly. “I was on my way up to the roof when someone passed me a note, they said it was from you, and that you would be meeting me out front. It was a good forgery of your handwriting.”

Minako felt herself brewing to a boil. Those three were making her life miserable already and a full day at the school in the same class as them had just commenced. Not only that, but she would soon have to go back to her room and face Belle all over again. Minako was not in the mood for their shenanigans, much less them themselves.

“I’m going to be at the library,” Minako huffed. “I don’t think I want to go back and face my room quite yet.”

Mariko smiled a knowing smile. “You aren’t going to the library to get away from Belle.”

“Well, not completely,” Minako admitted. “It is a lovely excuse to avoid her that bit longer, though.”

“You know, you are the one who always tells me to face my demons,” Mariko pointed out.

“Yes, but I meant that metaphorically,” Minako explained. “What I meant was, face your inner demons, should you ever meet a real live demon, run the other way.”

Mariko laughed but Minako’s heart only sunk to her toenails. She truly believed those three were little devils, perhaps not in the literal sense, but as close as a human being could come. What more could she do to convince herself? They had forced her friendship, and many other things, and all in the course of a day. What did they want with her?

“Well, do you want company?” Mariko asked hesitantly. She herself was having a hard time adjusting without Minako there to defend her, and generally be her friend. She did not want to give her friend any more grievance than she needed.

“No, thanks,” Minako smiled in her beautiful easy way. “I think I can handle this part of my day alone.”

“Well, should you need me, I’ll be on the loser floor,” Mariko explained.

“Oh, don’t say that,” Minako chastised. “This may be the year for you to do some catching up!”

Mariko only waved her goodbye. She did not want to discourage her friend any more, and she did not want to discourage herself. Minako was too excited to go to that library to even notice that her friend’s mood was nearly as gloomy as she had felt throughout the day.

Minako sat at the long library table and was hardly surprised at the lack of patrons in the library upon the first day of a new year. She wished she could say she was truly concentrating on her studies, but she was not. She was searching the aisle of books, glancing back and forth, knowing that he was there, somewhere. Several times she had to hold herself back from standing up and searching the aisles of books for him. Several times she chastised herself for wanting to see him.

“Miss Aino, it’s good to see you,” a quiet sultry voice calmly and casually said into her ear. Minako could hardly contain her excitement as she turned around to face the man she had been searching for. Mr. Evans had been her teacher since she was a kid, the only musical teacher in the school who taught the violin, Minako’s instrument of choice. Thomas Evans was the prestige of the school. He had started at the age of twenty-one, and now at twenty-nine he was more celebrated than ever before.

“Mr. Evans,” Minako said shyly, always a little palpitated to be around the man with the emerald green eyes hooded heavily by pure black eyelashes though his hair was sandy blonde. “I did not expect to see you in the library today.” That was a lie. She knew that the first day of every school year he hid himself within the library to escape the many teenage girls who wished to join his class just because he was a handsome teacher. She knew that he only liked girls who were serious about their talent, not these high school girls who had yet to pick a club.

“And what about you?” he asked her in his friendly demeanor. “You should be out with your friends on a warm spring day like this. You should be out watching the cherry blossoms.”

“Mariko had to go unpack her things,” Minako commented, knowing that Mr. Evans would know exactly whom she spoke of, “and besides her there is no one else I really spend time with.”

“You are a sweet girl Minako,” Mr. Evans said sweetly, “it is time you found yourself a boyfriend.”

Minako was breathless. She was unsure if she wanted to take offense to the statement or if she should take it the way it was meant, from teacher to student. Still, she could always dream, which she would continue to do. “I’m sorry, Mr. Evans,” she said quietly, “I just have not found the right boy with the right maturity level,” she admitted.

Mr. Evans gave off a small laugh that was warm and not unfriendly. “You do not have to apologize to me,” Mr. Evans said sweetly. “It is to my benefit that you do not have a boyfriend.”

“Really?” Minako’s head could not have snapped up any faster, her eyes focused any sooner, on the teacher who stood straight laced beside her chair looking down her with those devilish eyes.

“Of course,” he admitted readily. “If you had a boyfriend you would not be as studious or dedicated to your violin.”

Minako’s heart sank down to her toes but she refrained from saying what was really on her mind. She just smiled at him sweetly and stood from the table before she began to cry. “No worries, Mr. Evans,” she told him casually and as calmly as her wavering voice would allow, “I am very dedicate to my violin.”

Mr. Evans placed a hand on Minako’s shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin as she stepped back and away from him. Feeling foolish she bowed her head in submission. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“No need to apologize, Mina,” he said. “I did not mean to offend you, if that is what I have done. I only meant to tell you I want to keep you all to myself.”

Minako could hardly take her heart fluttering so distractedly over and over in different directions.

“Mr. Evans, I-” Minako never had a chance to finish her statement. In walked her worst nightmare, and new friend, Nemesis, looking handsome and smug and his eyes automatically locked onto Minako and her beautiful golden tresses. His smug smile became even more pronounced when he noticed whom it was Minako’s sky blue eyes were glittering over.

“Mr. Evans,” Nemesis said, walking over with a cool stride, his voice the same sultry slither that had whispered earlier that day into Minako’s very sensitive ears, “I’m glad to find you here. I was hoping to join your class this year.”

“That’s a little unorthodox,” Mr. Evans pointed out in his ‘teacher’ voice, a totally different sound and lack of sweetness than he had been using in easy-going conversation with Minako. “Most people of your age have had years of practice already. I fear you will not be able to keep up.”

“Oh, apparently you haven’t heard of my father, Bartholomew Rose,” Nemesis pointed out casually, waving a perfectly manicured hand in the teacher’s direction. Minako had never met a man so disheveled and so put together all at the same time.

Minako and Mr. Evans both stared at Nemesis with shock. Not only was Bartholomew Rose a great composer, but he was one of the greatest violin players of this time, any violinist, any concerto form, would know whom Bartholomew Rose was. That explained the money to keep Nemesis happy, and the large bribe that most likely went in to allowing him to school here.

“You will have to try out for the orchestra, just like all of the other high school students,” Mr. Evans explained patiently, his lack of interest, but his burning need for answers, apparent in his eyes. “Tomorrow, right after school, meet me in the music room. From there we will see if you can be a part of my orchestra.”

“I look forward to pleasing you,” Nemesis said darkly, his hooded eyes darker with his desire to win. “Mina-chan, I hope you are there as well. It would please me more to please you.” Minako felt the derivative remark on the tip of her tongue, ready to be pasted and posted against Nemesis’s dark personality, but his quirking smug smile brought her back to reality. His eyes seemed to tell her what his lips could not, “I have a secret about you.” Despite her desire to know if he truly knew she could not question him in front of Mr. Evans.

“I look forward to watching.” Minako could play as naïve as any girl. She smiled up at her new friend with a warm smile that could melt ice. Nemesis smiled back and nearly did melt the ice over Minako’s heart for just a moment as her body quivered and her knees automatically snapped together. It was ecstasy just to watch him smile and for that Minako hated him even more.

“Well then, Mr. Evans, I will see you tomorrow, and Minako,” he turned to her with that continued dark sultry look and she had to force her eyes to meet his, “I will see you later.”

“Bye,” she said abruptly. Nemesis gave off a sort of low bow and then left the library, and Minako and Mr. Evans alone. Mr. Evans seemed perturbed with the interruption, more so than Minako would have thought.

“Mr. Evans, he’s not really-”

“No need to explain, Miss Aino,” Mr. Evans cut off. Minako sighed. She went from Miss Aino, to Minako, to Mina, to only come back around to Miss Aino. “It is none of my business what happens between you and Mr. Rose, though I recommend better acquaintances for a girl like you.” With that Mr. Evans dismissed himself and left Minako in the library to pout in peace.