Seat Number Zero

Part 15

Back to the present...

"Months went by without incident so I thought everything was fine." Isshiki told Soma. "Then she fell into despair, I watched helplessly as she grew more and more unstable." He said sadly remembering the dark times.

"That awful." Yuki cried out, shedding tears while clinging on to Megumi whos trying her best to comfort her.

"When it started?" Soma asked.

Isshiki sighed shaking his head, "I just remembered her getting angry all the time, turning perfectly good steak into ground meat paste."

"But that's so wasteful," Yuki cries out agan, mourning the unfortunate piece of game, completely forgetting about the person she shed tears for previously.

"Then her former reckless self seemed to have remerged, but much worse."

"Like finely aged wine," Ryoko suggests. "Holding that anger in for so long must have gotten to her."

"Perhaps."

"Yo, what's with all the gloom and doom," Yumi stepped back into the room. "I know some of you lost the Preliminary but you should at least act alright and cheer on the ones that did pass."

"Come on the food's ready, you can come eat your sorrows later cause we're celebrating tonight."

**********

"phew!!" Yumi wiped the sweat off her face with a towel before making her way to the bath. "I've made excellent progress today."

Unfortunatly the peace was cut short when a certain someone who has no problems disturbing the privacy of his junior's poped his head inside the bethroom without knocking.

You know how if you scream hard enough nothing actually comes out. Yeah so after a good round of silent shreiking and plenty of water splashing did Yumi finally calmed down enough to articulate her words. "Satoshi. You! Out. Now!" Mostly.

"Sorry sorry," He said backing out, covering his eyes while closing the door. "But this is the only way I know you will listen to me without finding loopholes to avoid me."

"Leave!" She screams throwing a bar of soup at the door. A laugh could be heard slowly fading, indicating that he left.

Sinking herself under the water to further immerse in the warmth.

Yumi wants very much to just drown herself right then and there, making sure to leave very obvious 'evidence' around that it was in fact homicide and not suicide. The culprit is definitely not her very annoying senpai, cause it's never the boyfriend.

With the mood ruined, she dragged herself out of the tub, and changed into her sleepwear. Standing in front of the door she was hoping to avoid as much as possible, she took a deep breath, then took another.

"Here goes nothing." She mutters to herself as a voice of confidence, only to pause as soon as she rests a hand on the door knob.

The door opens before she could change her mind and run away. In front of her, she is greeted by a familiar close eyed smile.

"You should knock before you open the door." Yumi glares. "Especially when someone is occupying the bath, Satoshi."

"Yeah sorry about that," He replies with another unreadable smile. "I only barged in because I knew you were in there. Come in, want some tea?"

Yumi glared at him a bit before heading inside his room. "Do you have... ginger tea." She turns around to see him already have a cup prepared for her.

"I don't think I've ever told you my preference for tea." Yumi eyed it suspiciously.

"Lucky guess?" He shrugs then plopped down on a chair. "So? Anything you want to say?"

"Did you spike this by any chance?" She asked, lifting the cup toward her lips.

"Well you drank it, so you'll know soon enough." He said.

"And you're making my stay more uncomfortable by the second." Yumi placed her hands nervously on her lap.

"Is that all you want to say?" He gave her the same smile as he did earlier that day. It makes her want to escape his gaze at all costs. But she knows he won't allow her to leave a second time.

"I never said I would come to talk to you." Yumi mumbles as the bed suddenly weigh down next to her. "And you only said you'll see me at the dorms, not talk to me."

"You know what I meant Yumi." He said taking a hold of her hand. "Also your nails are quite long for a chef." He comments after glancing at her pale hands.

"So soon!? I just cut them three days ago."

"Come here, I'll trim them for you." He offered while going through his nightstand to find a filer.  Yumi hesitantly nodded as she accepted his offer, but it's not like she could decline when he held her hand with so much care. "To a chef, our hands are more valuable than our life. You should take better care of them."

"And here comes the lecture." Yumi playfully rolled her eyes as he responded with a light-hearted laugh.

"Thank you, Satoshi."

He paused for a moment to look up at her. Their eyes met for a split second before she immediately broke them, but it was already too late. He already saw everything and knew exactly what she was thinking. So just for today he decides to spare her from further embarrassment and resumes tending to her nails as if nothing happened.

"For two years I was doing a bit of soul searching, I knew you were worried about my odd behavior back then so I didn't tell you because it was something I needed to deal with on my own," Yumi explained as her eyes saddened.

It was also to run away from you...

*********

"Even after being gone for so long, some things never change." Satoshi sighs fondly guiding her head toward a pillow. "You shouldn't fall asleep so peacefully in my room Yumi."

"You were right, I did put something in those drinks." He picked up the two cups and dumped the remaining content into the sink. "A sleeping drug, the harmless type you'll find at any pharmacy."

"If this was any other time, I'd warn you to keep your guard up just like the days when we first met." He said running his fingers through her dark reddish hair. Taking his time to take in the fact that she's back. "I suppose this time it is my fault"

"I'm sorry but you looked like you needed some sleep." He apologized to her. "I'm surprised your brother didn't notice your exhaustion. Is it because you haven't seen each other in a while?"

"Good night, Yumi."