Two Steps Ahead | Ryuuen x Ayanokouji (Official Upload)

Rising Curtains

Author's Note: I hope we all come together to love RyuKiyo

"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories" - Sun Tzu 『Art of War』

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自分自身を知り、敵を知りましょう。千回の戦い、千回の勝利 - 孫武孫子 『Art of War』

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Today was no different than any other day. Class D was in its mists of work and laughter. I sat firmly at my desk with my pencil in hand. My chin rested on my hand, propped up by my elbow. My hand glided across the notebook paper, writing down today's class notes. I paused to stare out the large window to my left. The sun's rays were more obnoxious than usual, but its warmth filled my body in a calming manner. I slowly shut my eyes to recite last week's events. The fight with Class C's leader, Ryuuen Kakeru, lingered in my head. It remained deep in my memory as a battle to secure Karuizawa Kei's trust in me. Naturally, I had planned it out from the very beginning. It was a long and tedious process, but it was necessary. With my careful planning, I now had Karuizawa's absolute trust. It would be difficult for her to rebel against me or break away from my control. A trustworthy pawn she was. Although, it was not the end. There was still a job to finish. A soft thud broke my concentration. My pencil fell out of my grasp.

I soon opened my eyes again. I could notice that Chabashira was still talking about today's lesson. I turn my head away from the sun towards my right. My gaze lands on Horikita. She was diligently writing her notes in her notebook and watching Chabashira speak at the front of the classroom. It wasn't uncommon for her to pay attention in class. Horikita was idly the straight-A student in the class. She had remarkable grades in a large majority of subjects. It was admirable to those around her. As for myself, I didn't care. I didn't need to be at my best at all times. After all, I was staying low to sheath myself. I didn't need to show off anything. If I did, it would raise questions about my abilities. It would raise questions as to why I was hiding them. It would also start to uncover the past I considered to be ugly.

Horikita turns her head around to meet my blank gaze. She furrows her brow in slight distaste, a frown accompanying her disgust. Her eyes suddenly turn into a harsh glare. Whoops. I got lost in thought while staring. We held eye contact for a moment. Horikita and I were likely trying to understand this standoff. The silence dissipates as Horikita speaks up first.

"Why are you staring at me?" She mutters. Horikita kept her voice down so we could hear Chabashira's lecture. Her hand gracefully slides across her notebook. She was still taking notes while looking at me. I was honestly a bit impressed.

"It was a coincidence," I reply dryly. I look away, breaking eye contact. I pick my pencil back up to start writing notes once again. "You and I looked at each other at the same time." My voice trailed off. That was a lie.

"It is not a coincidence that you're staring at me. You're being creepy." There was a slight harshness in her words. Horikita seems disturbed. I didn't want the conversation to end on the wrong foot.

"Sorry. I wasn't staring at you like that." I pause to consider what to say next. "I'm not creepy."

Wow, that was the best thing I could say. I didn't mean to stare in a way that would make her uncomfortable. Her words stung the cold exterior of my heart. However, that was just another misunderstanding to clear up later. The silence between Horikita and I continued for the rest of the period as I turned my attention back to the front of the classroom. The sound of lead scratching against thin papers persisted. The rest of the class was uneventful.