#ghikij cannot shoujo

[ghikij]

Ch5 - Garazu no Hanazono

[Ch1 - Start:DASH!] [Ch2 - Afterschool Navigators] [Ch3 - Diamond Princess no Yuutsu] [Ch4 - Yume no Tobira] [Ch5 - Korekara no Someday] [Ch6 - Loneliest Baby] [Intrld1 - Hane was Shitte Shimatta no?] [Ch5 - Garazu no Hanazono]

Words: 4,337 Summary: The hustle and bustle of daily life can be very overwhelming. Having so many responsibilities, Ellis does his best to keep himself from getting run down. It is a difficult feat sometimes. But perhaps a moment with his inspiration, even though it’s not the best of times and certainly not the most exquisite of places, can invigorate him. And her.

Spring had always been one of Ellis’ preferred seasons. It was not too hot and definitely not too cold either, allowing him to think and focus in his rigorous responsibilities. Of course, spring just so happened to be the busiest season as well, what with the new freshmen coming in, clubs that need sorting, and the dread annual budget discussion that he had loathed since his first year in the student council. The job was tedious and there were lots of numbers and students to satisfy, but doing it right meant that the rest of the year would be easier. And if there was one thing that Ellis wanted out of his last year in high school was for it go as smoothly as possible.

 “Kaichou, good afternoon!” A student greeted him as he passed by and he responded with a nod and a short greeting of his own. “Working hard again?”

 Ellis averted his blue eyes from the bound papers in his hand and said, “A bit. Don’t loiter around the school grounds too late.”

 The boy saluted before passing him, “Yes, sir.”

 “Ara, the beloved Yeti of Otonokizaka is out and about! Why, this must be an omen yan!”

 The school council president frowned at his friend, who, like the witch that she was, just decided to show up. Nozomi was grinning ear to ear, her arms held behind her back like an innocent little girl. Ellis knew better, of course. Nozomi was rarely innocent. She always had a trick up her sleeve, like a wily tanuki.

 “Just where have you been?” He asked exasperatedly. He all but worked Kazuki, the secretary of the council, to the ground to draft an acceptable proposal budget. An extra brain would have invaluable when it came to all the digits, but then again, math was hardly Nozomi’s strong suit. Now that he thought about it, Ellis was convinced that his friend did not even have a strong suit. If anything, Nozomi was a jack of all trades yet a master of none.

 “Oh, around yan. The archery club called to my attention so I went ahead and took a peek at what’s going on.”

 “The archery club?” That piqued Ellis’ attention. Umi was a member of that club and he had seen her just that morning. If there was a matter of import about the club then surely she would have mentioned it. “What’s up?”

 He chose to ignore the mischievous curve that formed on the corner of Nozomi’s mouth. “Oh nothing yan. They were just asking for an increase in budget. Poor Umicchi though. She was put on the spot. The captain thinks that since we’re friends and, by extension, you are personally acquainted with her, that she can influence us a bit.”

 Ellis frowned and tucked the bound file under his arm. “The archery club has one of the highest budgets in the school around.”

 “Because they’re one of the largest clubs yan.”

 “Exactly. Giving them more will upset the smaller clubs that need funds to grow.” He was generalizing, of course. There were certain clubs that he would rather not see bud at all, like the comic club. It would have been great of the members were going to create their own strips as that would have been a productive use of time and maybe even a source of school pride if a volume gets recognized, but the club itself was preoccupied in collecting and reading comics instead. Ellis tended to judge easily, but in this case, he was convinced that that kind of time would be better used studying texts. And then there was the school idol research club. Ellis sighed. Nico was a good friend and his supposed club did not really need a lot of resources, but Ellis would be lying if he said that he want that club to gain members.

 “The members say that they need to replace some equipment as those are aging, and in order to do that, they require an increase. The captain said that it would be okay if it was just for this year to cover for the cost.”

 Ellis shook his head. “It won’t happen. We’ve already drafted a budget proposal that would please as many clubs as possible.” He attempted to adjust the numbers in his head as he remembered them, if only to open the possibility if the situation calls for it. While they could possibly pull a tiny percentage from the other clubs to give what the archery club wants, it could also open a can of worms.

 Nozomi crossed her arms over her chest. “Then, if you really think it is impossible yan, the captain asks that you visit them to see their need firsthand.”

 “You avoided making the decision on your own again,” he retorted with mock accusation. Nozomi would have easily explained that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to cater to their request.

 The vice president raised both her hands and shrugged. “I said I’ll put my word in. But I also told them I’m just the VP. You go there, growl at them a few times, and be done with it yan.”

 “As tiny as you are, I understand that you might see me as a bear, but I do not growl. I’ll go. I don’t want this to be a debate during the deliberation.”

 “Yes, that would be for the best. Oh and Elichi, Nicocchi will be passing club applications to you later.”

 “What for?”

 Nozomi’s green eyes twinkled, “to make our adoption official of course! We’re proud parents of three now, don’t you know.”

 Ellis blinked a few times, “I don’t think I understand…”

 “Nicocchi has three new club members. Remember those three first years that came to watch Tori-kun’s play? They’re all part of the school idol research club now.”

 “How?” Ellis could not help but ask. “What are they…? When? You know what, I won’t even ask what he did to convince those poor innocent first years, but if this application also involves an increase in the club’s budget then forget it.” Once again, he reminded him that Nico was one of his good friends even though for the love of everything that was good in the world, he could not come to terms about what was so interesting in watching school idols.

 “Grouchy…” Nozomi commented, “And you wonder why everyone thinks you’re a polar bear yan. Anyway, I won’t be the one to deliver that bit of news. Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say. In this case, however, I’d rather not be shot from both sides. You boys sort it out.”

 “Hey, where are you going?” Ellis turned as his friend walked right past him.

 “Going to dote on my kids, Elichi.” Nozomi smiled mysteriously. “I’ve heard that, more and more, our fellow students think that we are attached at the hip. We should prove them wrong, ne? Even for a little bit. I’ll see you later, Elichi~” And with that, the vice president all by floated down the corridor, no doubt towards the school idol research club room.

 Shaking his head, Ellis resumed on his way, though the destination had changed a bit. He descended the staircase, exited the main school build, and strolled through the pathways with a purpose until he was within sight of the kyuudo club’s archery range. Rhythmic thudding of arrows on targets and the distinct twang of strings could be heard despite being a dozen yards away. The club must be really focused on practice, especially now that their competition have started.

 Ellis entered the building and saw first years being taught the basics of caring for a bow by their seniors just off to the side. There were quite a few new recruits of both sexes, so the senpais certainly had their work cut out for them. Still, it was heartening to see the prestigious club get new blood. The kyuudo club had given Otonokizaka quite a bit of prestige throughout its history, and the principal was certainly fond of its roots in tradition. Maybe Nozomi was right that they should invest a bit more on this tried and true institution, even if the tradition was not as popular as it did back in their parents’ generation.

 “Oh, Ayase-san, it’s good that you’ve come. Toujou-san mentioned that she would talk to you about our request.” The captain of the team approached him with a broad grin. The captain was a stocky young man with close-cropped black hair and thick eyebrows. Despite his choice of club activities, the captain was also known as a marathon runner outside his responsibilities, giving him an athletic physique. Ellis liked him well enough, though they were barely acquaintances.

 “Hmm, about that…” Ellis slipped a hand in his pocket, an instinctive and decidedly defensive posture, but he found that it also put whoever he was talking to on edge as well. “Nozomi had indeed given me her word, but I’d rather have the council make the decision on that. I can’t give you any promises at this point in time. I hope you understand.”

 “Of course, of course!” The captain chuckled, shifting his weight from one foot to another. “Just knowing that you are giving it consideration is enough for now. I’m assuming that you are here because of the supplies we’ve requested?”

 Ellis nodded and he was then led towards the room in which the club kept their equipment. There were a number of broken bows piled to one corner of the room, looking more like firewood than anything else, while tattered targets were neatly organized on the other side. Most of the targets were all but torn apart after continued and punishing use. He remained poker faced, however, his eyes still and calculating. Ellis had long learned that it was wise to keep ones thoughts to himself until he was prepared to say the words.

 “Actual club members, especially those who are members of the competition teams own their own bows.” The captain explained. “But, of course, we depend on the budget to provide training bows and arrows for the newbies. Since the school became co-ed, there are more first years in the club than ever before so I’m sure you can see the need for new stuff around here.”

 “Yes, I do.” Ellis then glanced at the club members, subconsciously looking for long raven hair and amber eyes. “We’ll discuss that during deliberation, but as I have said earlier, I can’t make promises. More students mean more clubs, meaning there are a lot more to balance.” The captain laughed it off amiably, but he no longer held Ellis’ attention.

 He spotted Umi by the range, notching an arrow in her great bow. A brief glance his way confirmed that she was aware that he was there, perhaps because only he and the captain were truly talking during practice. But instead of halting, she raised her daikyu and drew the arrow with such elegance that Ellis had to stop and stare, holding his breath and waiting for her to release to projectile. When she loosed the arrow, his blue eyes followed it towards the target, where it narrowly missed the bull’s eye. Umi drew a deep breath, clearly disappointed that she did not hit her mark, but she notched another arrow, drew and fired.

 A part of him was disappointed that she would not even give him a moment to say hello, but Ellis was also glad that she did not. At least this way, he was able to watch her at her best and at her most breathtaking. The kyuudo uniform really suited her. It brought out her simple, elegant beauty. The third shot she had taken also missed the mark by a merely hair’s width, which attracted the attention of the club’s coach, who briefly and taciturnly gave pointers to her. Umi looked embarrassed, but she nodded and took another deep breath.

 “It’s not like her to miss.” The captain said thoughtfully behind him as Umi drew another arrow. The tension on the bow’s strings seemed to halt all the activity in the range, as the other archers were coincidentally in the middle of reloading their bows. Ellis heard it stretch and complain under the pressure. Umi’s posture was perfect, her eyes focused on the target. All she had to do was to release the arrow, let it fly and find its mark.

 But then, the string snapped.

 Ellis’s body moved before he could even process what had happened. The bowstring snapped so loudly that the other girls gasped, but it was Umi’s pained yelp that had him hurrying towards her. She had dropped the bow and arrow in front of where she fell from the whiplash, and by the time Ellis and her teammates were around her, she was holding her cheek.

 “Umi!”

 “Sonoda-senpai!”

 Ellis carefully removed Umi’s hand from her cheek, “Are you alright?” The girl’s eyes were rimmed with tears due to the sudden pain but she was valiantly keeping at bay. She hissed when air touched where the string had licked her skin red. “I am fine,” she said, but Ellis knew that she should not be. There was long red welt on her cheek and, on some parts, tiny globules of blood seeped from where the bowstring had actually broken her skin.

 He fished out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully dabbed at the blood. “Easy…”

 The coach was by them shortly after. “That was careless,” she said as she inspected the wound. “Did you not check your bowstring before practice?”

 “I did, of course.” Umi answered.

 “Press it against your cheek,” Ellis instructed her. “Accidents happen, unfortunately. Sensei, I’ll take her to the nurse’s office if that’s okay.”

 The captain interjected, “I can take her. She’s my responsibility. You don’t need to bother yourself, kaichou.”

 “She’s my friend,” Ellis retorted more sharply that he intended. He reined himself in immediately and stood up before lowering a hand to help Umi up.

 “Let the volunteer take her.” The coach scoffed, clearly exasperated. “You have a club to run, captain. I’m sure Sonoda-san will be fine walking towards the nurse’s office with Ayase-san. It is not as if she has to be carried up there.” To Umi, the coach said, “However, are you sure that that is your only injury? You didn’t get hit anywhere else?”

 Mortified that she had caused a scene, Umi shook her head. “I am certain, sensei. I apologize for being careless.”

 “Then that’s that. Hurry and get that treated. I’ll nock your bow with a new string myself later.”

 Umi bowed respectfully. “Arigatou and I am sorry once again. I shall return as soon as possible.”

 Ellis and Umi left the club soon after and walked towards the main building with bit of haste. Ellis did his best not to ask how she was feeling every minute and hovered around her as close as respectfully possible. Umi would periodically dab the handkerchief on her cheek, her wound still stinging. She would also look everywhere else but him, making him worry just a tiny bit more.

 “Umi?”

 The girl’s shoulders tensed when he mentioned her name. “That was humiliating. I must apologize that you had to see that, Ellis-senpai. Even more so because I have now ruined your handkerchief.”

 Oh, was that why she was quiet? Ellis felt some of his worries wash away. “Don’t even mention it. Freak accidents happen. It’s just unfortunate that you had to be hurt.”

 “This is nothing.” Umi lowered her head as they stood in front of the nurse’s office. “Um… you do not need to stay if you have other things that you must do.”

 “Hey, this is nothing. Like I’ve so carelessly declared in your club, I consider you as a friend. I wouldn’t have minded carrying you all the way up here if I needed to. So unless you think otherwise, let me be a friend and stay with you until you’re done, okay?”

 Umi’s cheeks reddened a tad, “Alright. Thank you.”

 After pausing for a quick moment to indulge himself at how adorable she looked when she was embarrassed, Ellis also flushed, so cleared his throat and opened the door. He called out to the nurse and explained what had happened to Umi. The latter was then seated on one of the ward beds and the nurse examined her closely. “It’s not deep, thankfully.” The middle-aged woman said as she walked towards her medicine cupboards to retrieve a bottle of alcohol, a tube of ointment and a box of bandages. “A bit of antiseptic and a band-aid would do.”

 “Sensei!” A group of boys rushed inside the infirmary all at once. One of them was looking pale and clearly in pain.

 “Oh good heavens, what happened?”

 “Akira-kun sprained his ankle during practice.”

 “I see. Then help him on that bed over there and I’ll be right with him.” The nurse turned back towards Ellis and Umiand smiled apologetically. “Do you mind helping her with the ointment, kaichou? It seems like my attention is more needed elsewhere.” She handed the medicine to Ellis and pulled at the divider to give them and the group of boys a sense of privacy.

 “I… I can do it myself, Ellis-senpai.”Umi told him uncomfortably, nervously fiddling on the cloth of her hakama.

 “Oh? You can see yourself?”

 “W-well, I am certain that there is a mirror somewhere here.”

 “Umi, I can help you. It’ll be a lot easier that way.” He could not help but feel exasperated at how Umi was behaving. She had always been a girl with pride, one who would rather do things herself and be independent. However, the way she refused his assistance was beginning to bother him. Even now, despite him stating the obvious, she seemed reluctant to accept his aid.

 His gaze softening, Ellis lowered himself to her eye level and asked. “Am I really that unbearable?”

 Umi’s amber irises constricted a bit under the late afternoon sun, looking more and more like gold. “W-what? Of course not.”

 “Well, can you blame me for wondering?” He pulled a stool underneath him and sat, applying alcohol to a cotton ball that the nurse had provided earlier. “You’re being so skittish for reasons I’m having a hard time to understand. You’ve assisted me so much in the student council so this is the least I can do to pay you back. Ah, hold still, this might sting a little.” He gently dabbed the welt with the alcohol, pausing to let Umi adapt to the pain as he went on cleaning the wound.

 The girl winced and showed great relief once he was done. “I… I did not mean to be. I just did not want to bother you. A-and…” She lowered her head a bit to shield her eyes with her long bangs.

 “And?” He waited patiently, slowly turning the cap of the ointment.

 “I… um… m-my apologies it is nothing.” Umi lowered her gaze despondently, allowing Ellis to marvel at how long her lashes were. “I only wished that you did not have to see me get so careless.”

 “It was an accident, Umi. And you were doing well before it happened.” He said gently. Ellis supposed to that he was beginning to understand Umi a bit. She was like him in many respects; driven to perfection and mortified of failure. The quality endeared her more to him because he could relate.

 “It was not an accident. I was overconfident and assumed the bowstring would hold. I had forgotten to bring the spare and left it at home.” She bowed her head this time, ashamed. “I-I suppose I only got what I sowed.”

 “Umi…” He responded with a low tone and wished he could say more. He knew that this was not only because of her forgetfulness but rather the indignity of being witnessed by people who respected her and those she respected in turn, and that feeling was all too familiar with him. Awkwardly, he placed his hand on her head and gently stroked her hair. “We all make mistakes. It’s okay.”

 Red-faced, Umi peered up at him with those stunning amber eyes of hers and said, “I did not expect those words to come from you of all people.” Then as if catching herself, she flushed even brighter and shrank back down. “I-I am sorry for being assumptive. It is just that Ellis-senpai strikes me as a perfectionist.”

 At this Ellis chuckled, “I guess I sort of am. Striving for perfection is healthy, I think, but like I said, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Now, sit straight. I need to put the ointment on.”

 “O-oh okay.”

 Dabbing a small amount of the clear ointment on his finger, Ellis leaned forward and gently applied the salve, careful not to aggravate the welt that might still be stinging for all he knew. It really looked like a small whiplash on Umi’s cheek, and he sincerely hoped that it would not scar and ruin her smooth features. His fingertips lingered as he realized that this was the first time he had ever touched Umi’s face. He glanced at her expression and found that she was putting extra effort to stay still. Her eyes were looking as far away as possible and her hands were neatly resting on her lap. But then she returned his stare, shocking him with her striking gaze. He took in her visage; her eyes wide open, her pink cheeks, and her mouth slightly agape.

 Ellis felt his throat dry out.

 “Umi-chaaaan! Are you in here?”

 “Sensei, is Sonoda-san still here? My friend and I were looking for her in the kyuudo club but the coach said that she was sent to the infirmary.”

 “Oh, SonodaUmi-san? She’s over there on the farthest bed. Ayase-san is with her.”

 Ellis sprang away from Umi when a pair of footsteps approached. A moment later, two boys swung the curtain to the side. He recognized them as KousakaHonou and Minami Tori, both of them were close friends with Umi and both looked very concerned.

 “Honou, Tori!” Umi seemed startled by their presence as well. “What are you two doing here?”

 “Are you okay, Umi-chan?” Honou had no reservations in invading Umi’s personal bubble. He was immediately at her face, looking at the offending red streak on her cheek. He had practically bulldozed Ellis off his stool.

 Thankfully, Tori was more civil. His expression was filled with worry but he eventually smiled after Umi struck their mutual friend on the head for being disrespectful and loud in the clinic. “I’m glad it wasn’t serious,” he said, “Sousuke-san made it sound like you were hurt badly so we rushed over here.”

 “Mou…” Umi sighed. “I am fine. It is only a scratch and as you can see it is already treated. There is no need for you two fuss over me. What are you doing at the club anyway?”

 At this, Tori tilted his head, looking bemused. “It is getting late, Umi-chan. Honou-kun and I thought that we could all walk home. I was hoping to buy something from the Homura today. Otou-san asked me to buy some confections for his guests tomorrow.”

 “I told him that I can just bring it to school but Tori-kun never trusts me.” Honou griped. “What a butt.”

 “I’ll end up reminding you several times and you’ll still forget.” Tori shook his head, “I might as well pick it up myself.”

 Umi massaged her temple at her friend’s antics and looked out the window. Ellis did the same and was surprised to find the afternoon sun so red. Was it truly that late already? “I… did not realize.” She then bolted from the bed. “I promised that I would return to the club!”

 “Yeah you did but Sousuke-san said you didn’t so they all assumed that it’s because sensei is keeping you here or had sent you home already.” Honou straightened up, standing nearly a head taller than his female friend. Tori was even lankier than him.

 “No… I was with Ellis-senpai the whole time.”

 The comment made both boys finally acknowledge his presence. Honou certainly looked amazed that he was there, as if he did not just crowd him off his seat a moment earlier, while Tori’s brows were risen. “Kaichou!” Honou exclaimed loudly, grinning like a big, happy-go-lucky oaf. “Hehe I didn’t notice you there. I was so worried about Umi-chan and all.”

 “Indeed,” Tori seconded, “Umi-chan is usually the careful one out of us so this was really a surprise.” He then bowed his head. “I thank you for assisting Umi-chan. It’s common knowledge that you’re very busy.”

 “It was nothing,” Ellis replied, feeling disappointed for some reason. He shook off the feeling and stood tall, taller than both the other boys. He attempted not to wear his typical kaichou face to address Umi’s friends but old habits die hard. “I was there anyway. Plus, Umi has been quite a helper for us in the student council. It’s the least I can do.” He unwrapped the band-aid and carefully placed it on Umi’s cheek, allowing a small smile to ghost his features before bidding his farewell. “I’ll just excuse myself now. I still have some paperwork to sort out.”

 “Ellis-senpai!” Umi called him as he was picking up his bound book from the nurse’s table. Turning back towards her, Ellis saw the sweetest smile on her face that he had ever seen before she bowed. “Thank you for today.”

 He nodded to her and both Honou and Tori before letting the nurse say that he was also leaving. Though outwardly stoic, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest, uncomfortably so. Was it anxiety? He did not know. There was nothing to be particularly anxious about. Befuddled, he paused in the hallway and let his pulse calm down. Yet, the image of Umi’s serene smile would start it all over again.