BLACK CHERRY / The Game (Chapter 14)
Title: The Game (Chapter 14)
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 082. Afraid
Word Count: 1579
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
The Game
Chapter Fourteen
(082. Afraid)
Haruki dreaded the first day of the new term.
Such first day jitters were to be expected of freshmen, but Haruki was already in her junior year. At this point, there should’ve been nothing else to worry about.
Except the teacher.
Not Prof. Hirose. She was glad to be rid of him, even though she still encountered him down the hallways on some days. Despite dropping out of his class, he’d passed her. Technically she could never drop out so late in the semester, and yet even when she was a no-show in the final exams, he didn’t fail her. He could’ve, if he wanted to be vengeful. It surprised her, but his intentions didn’t matter anymore.
Now, it was someone else she had to deal with.
Prof. Mikura’s class had been the only elective left for her to take during enrollment. Her scholarship required her to take at least one elective per term, and to violate that would be tantamount to forfeiting her entire education. It was a barbed, bitter pill she had to swallow, but what choice did she have? She had to take that bastard’s class whether she liked it or not.
Haruki had been standing in front of the doors to Room 202 for the last few minutes, letting students pass her by. Finally, she took a deep breath and went inside.
She went for the farthest corner seat, wanting to be as inconspicuous as possible. The room was nearly full and lively with conversation, but the thudding in her heart still seemed louder.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of the students in the room were all girls. It had been strange that the only elective still available for her to take had been one of Prof. Mikura’s classes. Slots were always quick to run out with one of the most popular professors on campus, and yet by some unwanted miracle she’d secured a spot. She would’ve gladly switched subjects with anyone else, but she’d already taken all the electives her friends were taking this term.
It was only going to be for a few weeks. She just had to stick it out. Nothing could beat the hell that was last semester. How worse could it get?
Silence fell over the room. Prof. Mikura arrived in rolled-up sleeves, a loose necktie, and denim jeans.
“Good afternoon ladies,” he greeted, his dimples visible from his desk up front. The girl next to Haruki exhaled a dreamy sigh.
“Welcome to English Literature. I’m Kei Mikura,” he said with a grin. “I know this class is only an elective, but hopefully this subject will make you pick up the habit of reading if you haven’t, or let you fall in love or discover yourself with a new book.”
Haruki took out her notebook from her bag, unable to stand looking at him any longer. He wasn’t fooling her with his charming facade. If only everyone knew what a sick, twisted man he really was.
As Prof. Mikura began to drone on, she idly tapped her pen on her notebook and glanced at her watch. Two minutes had only passed, yet it felt like forever already. God, she was going to need a great deal of fortitude to keep attending this class…
Haruki rested an elbow on her chair and began doodling. Maintaining a high GPA for her scholarship meant having to pay attention to the lecture, even though Prof. Mikura’s voice grated on her ears. Well, it was only English Literature. It wasn’t rocket science.
“Now if you checked the syllabus I sent online, we’re supposed to begin with the epic poem Beowulf. Has anyone done some advanced reading on it, by any chance?”
Multiple hands shot up in the air, all eager to impress. Prof. Mikura appraised the room, nodding, until his gaze fell on her. The smile on his lips grew.
He didn’t call her, but it sent her heart racing nonetheless. Haruki gripped her pen tight and was unable to relax for the remainder of the hour.
Reviewing student papers was tedious work.
Kei was assigned advisor to two dissertations this semester, which meant a whole lot of reading. He could read all 38 of Shakespeare’s works in one sitting, but term papers could be torturous in their own right.
His phone vibrated on his desk. The game’s system-generated message brought a smirk to his face.
Climax - submitted PT H.S.3 9/7
He practically smelled Haruki’s fear even from rows away. She had such an open, readable face, and the sheer dread in her face this afternoon had been almost priceless. Now it was no wonder Ryou had plucked her out in a heartbeat. Every single part of her screamed ‘victim,’ and he couldn’t wait to take advantage of it.
Shin had easily hacked into the school system, blocking all the other subjects under Haruki’s name during enrollment. The plan to trap her into taking his elective had been a success, and now he was more than ready to carry out the next phase of his strategy.
The last icing on the cake would be to update Ryou on his latest achievement, but his colleague was becoming more and more sullen by the day. A new round of Teacher’s Pet would’ve served as the perfect distraction, but Ryou’s stubborn refusal to participate-even going as far as not taking the prize money-continued to perplex him. It was almost sad to see his friend reduced to a pathetic, careless mess. Kei would never fall in love with a student like that, but he’d read enough romances in a lifetime to still see the beauty in a lost cause.
Kei tossed the papers to his desk and leaned back, drumming his fingers on the armrest. Soon he was about to figure out the drug that was Haruki, the girl who’d poisoned his friend to ruins. He would avenge for Ryou. He’d put her in her place.
The smile on Kei’s lips widened when he closed his eyes. This really was going to be the sweetest semester yet.
Ryou wasn’t supposed to give a damn anymore.
He’d only been walking down the corridors on the way to his next class when he saw Haruki leave Kei’s classroom.
It literally stopped him in his tracks. For a moment there had been nothing but disbelief. Harmless, until the confusion simmered and bubbled into an anger so great it propelled him to run after her.
He knew better. Their last confrontation remained fresh in his mind even now. She’d promptly shut him out of her life, and he’d moved on. He forced to remember her words in an attempt to make himself stop following her, but his legs seemed to move of their own accord. He’d pulled her into the nearest empty classroom too quick for her to realize. When her back hit the door, she paled at the sight of him.
She didn’t even say anything. Her hand reached for the knob, but he shut the door behind her. His palm stayed, trapping half of her in place.
“Why are you in Mikura’s class?” he demanded.
“Let me out of here,” she snarled.
He gritted his teeth. “Just answer the question.”
The defiance in her gaze wavered with apprehension. She clutched her books closer to herself, and she began to look small and vulnerable before him again. “I didn’t have a choice. His class was the only elective left when I enrolled.”
His eyes narrowed. That sounded almost impossible. Kei’s classes were always the first to be filled out.
“Be careful around him.” His voice suddenly sounded soft and low in his own ears. “He’s not to be trusted.”
“Don’t I know it?” A bitter laugh escaped her, her gaze growing colder. “Can I go now?”
Reluctantly, he pushed away from her. She quickly left the room.
Ryou rose from his office as soon as Kei entered the teacher’s lounge.
Kei had barely reached for a cup by the dispenser when Ryou muttered, “We need to talk in private.”
“To my office then.” Kei offered with a shrug.
Kei walked ahead of him, barely having placed his satchel on his desk when the question left Ryou’s lips all too soon. “Why didn’t you tell me Haruki was your student this semester?”
“Didn’t think it was worth mentioning,” Kei replied all too casually. “I don’t get to pick my own students, you know.”
“Bullshit,” Ryou barked. “You asked for Shin’s help, didn’t you? She said she had no choice when she enrolled.”
Kei’s eyebrows went up. “Oh? Keeping in touch with her, are we?”
“Just answer me this. Did you submit her as your pet or not?”
The smile on Kei’s lips was enough to send his blood curdling.
“Oh don’t look so glum now, my friend.” Kei laughed. “I thought I had your blessing?”
“Play dirty with her and I’ll fucking rip your face off,” Ryou growled, clenching fists that ached to beat his colleague to a pulp.
“This romantic side of yours is becoming quite unsightly,” Kei said, tutting as he turned on his laptop. “She’s not your girlfriend, Ryou. She’s fair game.”
“Nothing’s ever fair with you. You cheat and weasel your way into everything.” Ryou headed for the door. “Good luck winning this year, Kei. You’ll need all the help you can get.”
And I’ll make damn sure she stays the hell away from you, Ryou added before slamming the door behind him.
to be continued
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 082. Afraid
Word Count: 1579
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
The Game
Chapter Fourteen
(082. Afraid)
Haruki dreaded the first day of the new term.
Such first day jitters were to be expected of freshmen, but Haruki was already in her junior year. At this point, there should’ve been nothing else to worry about.
Except the teacher.
Not Prof. Hirose. She was glad to be rid of him, even though she still encountered him down the hallways on some days. Despite dropping out of his class, he’d passed her. Technically she could never drop out so late in the semester, and yet even when she was a no-show in the final exams, he didn’t fail her. He could’ve, if he wanted to be vengeful. It surprised her, but his intentions didn’t matter anymore.
Now, it was someone else she had to deal with.
Prof. Mikura’s class had been the only elective left for her to take during enrollment. Her scholarship required her to take at least one elective per term, and to violate that would be tantamount to forfeiting her entire education. It was a barbed, bitter pill she had to swallow, but what choice did she have? She had to take that bastard’s class whether she liked it or not.
Haruki had been standing in front of the doors to Room 202 for the last few minutes, letting students pass her by. Finally, she took a deep breath and went inside.
She went for the farthest corner seat, wanting to be as inconspicuous as possible. The room was nearly full and lively with conversation, but the thudding in her heart still seemed louder.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of the students in the room were all girls. It had been strange that the only elective still available for her to take had been one of Prof. Mikura’s classes. Slots were always quick to run out with one of the most popular professors on campus, and yet by some unwanted miracle she’d secured a spot. She would’ve gladly switched subjects with anyone else, but she’d already taken all the electives her friends were taking this term.
It was only going to be for a few weeks. She just had to stick it out. Nothing could beat the hell that was last semester. How worse could it get?
Silence fell over the room. Prof. Mikura arrived in rolled-up sleeves, a loose necktie, and denim jeans.
“Good afternoon ladies,” he greeted, his dimples visible from his desk up front. The girl next to Haruki exhaled a dreamy sigh.
“Welcome to English Literature. I’m Kei Mikura,” he said with a grin. “I know this class is only an elective, but hopefully this subject will make you pick up the habit of reading if you haven’t, or let you fall in love or discover yourself with a new book.”
Haruki took out her notebook from her bag, unable to stand looking at him any longer. He wasn’t fooling her with his charming facade. If only everyone knew what a sick, twisted man he really was.
As Prof. Mikura began to drone on, she idly tapped her pen on her notebook and glanced at her watch. Two minutes had only passed, yet it felt like forever already. God, she was going to need a great deal of fortitude to keep attending this class…
Haruki rested an elbow on her chair and began doodling. Maintaining a high GPA for her scholarship meant having to pay attention to the lecture, even though Prof. Mikura’s voice grated on her ears. Well, it was only English Literature. It wasn’t rocket science.
“Now if you checked the syllabus I sent online, we’re supposed to begin with the epic poem Beowulf. Has anyone done some advanced reading on it, by any chance?”
Multiple hands shot up in the air, all eager to impress. Prof. Mikura appraised the room, nodding, until his gaze fell on her. The smile on his lips grew.
He didn’t call her, but it sent her heart racing nonetheless. Haruki gripped her pen tight and was unable to relax for the remainder of the hour.
Reviewing student papers was tedious work.
Kei was assigned advisor to two dissertations this semester, which meant a whole lot of reading. He could read all 38 of Shakespeare’s works in one sitting, but term papers could be torturous in their own right.
His phone vibrated on his desk. The game’s system-generated message brought a smirk to his face.
Climax - submitted PT H.S.3 9/7
He practically smelled Haruki’s fear even from rows away. She had such an open, readable face, and the sheer dread in her face this afternoon had been almost priceless. Now it was no wonder Ryou had plucked her out in a heartbeat. Every single part of her screamed ‘victim,’ and he couldn’t wait to take advantage of it.
Shin had easily hacked into the school system, blocking all the other subjects under Haruki’s name during enrollment. The plan to trap her into taking his elective had been a success, and now he was more than ready to carry out the next phase of his strategy.
The last icing on the cake would be to update Ryou on his latest achievement, but his colleague was becoming more and more sullen by the day. A new round of Teacher’s Pet would’ve served as the perfect distraction, but Ryou’s stubborn refusal to participate-even going as far as not taking the prize money-continued to perplex him. It was almost sad to see his friend reduced to a pathetic, careless mess. Kei would never fall in love with a student like that, but he’d read enough romances in a lifetime to still see the beauty in a lost cause.
Kei tossed the papers to his desk and leaned back, drumming his fingers on the armrest. Soon he was about to figure out the drug that was Haruki, the girl who’d poisoned his friend to ruins. He would avenge for Ryou. He’d put her in her place.
The smile on Kei’s lips widened when he closed his eyes. This really was going to be the sweetest semester yet.
Ryou wasn’t supposed to give a damn anymore.
He’d only been walking down the corridors on the way to his next class when he saw Haruki leave Kei’s classroom.
It literally stopped him in his tracks. For a moment there had been nothing but disbelief. Harmless, until the confusion simmered and bubbled into an anger so great it propelled him to run after her.
He knew better. Their last confrontation remained fresh in his mind even now. She’d promptly shut him out of her life, and he’d moved on. He forced to remember her words in an attempt to make himself stop following her, but his legs seemed to move of their own accord. He’d pulled her into the nearest empty classroom too quick for her to realize. When her back hit the door, she paled at the sight of him.
She didn’t even say anything. Her hand reached for the knob, but he shut the door behind her. His palm stayed, trapping half of her in place.
“Why are you in Mikura’s class?” he demanded.
“Let me out of here,” she snarled.
He gritted his teeth. “Just answer the question.”
The defiance in her gaze wavered with apprehension. She clutched her books closer to herself, and she began to look small and vulnerable before him again. “I didn’t have a choice. His class was the only elective left when I enrolled.”
His eyes narrowed. That sounded almost impossible. Kei’s classes were always the first to be filled out.
“Be careful around him.” His voice suddenly sounded soft and low in his own ears. “He’s not to be trusted.”
“Don’t I know it?” A bitter laugh escaped her, her gaze growing colder. “Can I go now?”
Reluctantly, he pushed away from her. She quickly left the room.
Ryou rose from his office as soon as Kei entered the teacher’s lounge.
Kei had barely reached for a cup by the dispenser when Ryou muttered, “We need to talk in private.”
“To my office then.” Kei offered with a shrug.
Kei walked ahead of him, barely having placed his satchel on his desk when the question left Ryou’s lips all too soon. “Why didn’t you tell me Haruki was your student this semester?”
“Didn’t think it was worth mentioning,” Kei replied all too casually. “I don’t get to pick my own students, you know.”
“Bullshit,” Ryou barked. “You asked for Shin’s help, didn’t you? She said she had no choice when she enrolled.”
Kei’s eyebrows went up. “Oh? Keeping in touch with her, are we?”
“Just answer me this. Did you submit her as your pet or not?”
The smile on Kei’s lips was enough to send his blood curdling.
“Oh don’t look so glum now, my friend.” Kei laughed. “I thought I had your blessing?”
“Play dirty with her and I’ll fucking rip your face off,” Ryou growled, clenching fists that ached to beat his colleague to a pulp.
“This romantic side of yours is becoming quite unsightly,” Kei said, tutting as he turned on his laptop. “She’s not your girlfriend, Ryou. She’s fair game.”
“Nothing’s ever fair with you. You cheat and weasel your way into everything.” Ryou headed for the door. “Good luck winning this year, Kei. You’ll need all the help you can get.”
And I’ll make damn sure she stays the hell away from you, Ryou added before slamming the door behind him.
to be continued