It was another ordinary summer early evening at the CLAMP Gakuen High School Division Student Council office. There were bills to be accounted for, documents to be filed and papers to be reviewed and signed. But only the president, Imonoyama Nokoru, was at his designated place. His secretary and defender, Takamura Suoh, was out accompanying his girlfriend on a concert. Meanwhile, the treasurer, Ijyuin Akira, was giving out a lecture in the University Division. And so, Nokoru was left alone to sign all those documents stacked around his desk.
Alone in that big, lonely Student Council office.
Being along wasn't really supposed to be new to him, he thought. He had always been alone as long as he could remember. But he knew that everything had changed when Suoh came along. He had grown to love the blue-haired boy's company and eventually had grown to love the boy as well. But he knew he could never have the ninja's affections because Suoh's heart already belonged to someone else.
Then again, there was sweet and innocent-looking Akira – always ready to make someone smile. Akira's company was also lovable and yet, Nokoru knew there would only be one person who could ever fill that space in his heart.
But that person was now somewhere far away from him.
The blonde shook his head. He had better dismiss those thoughts and finish signing all the papers before aforementioned secretary calls to check on his progress.
Pushing his thoughts away, the president resumed his work.
Midway through the papers he was reviewing and signing, the Council's majestic doors opened.
"Konnichi wa!" came the cheerful voice that announced Akira's arrival.
Nokoru looked up from the documents in his desk and smiled at his friend. "Konnichi wa, Akira! How did your evening class go?"
"As fun-filled as ever," he replied, looking around the office. "Are? Why are you alone, Kaichou?"
Nokoru suppressed the tired and lonely sigh that was about to escape from his lips as he resumed his work.
Plainly, he replied, "Suoh's out with Nagisa-san. He accompanied her to a concert she had wanted to attend and he would bring her to dinner afterwards."
Akira raised an eyebrow as he approached the president's desk
"Again? But didn't he just go out with her last week, too?"
The blonde smiled. "He's Nagisa-san's boyfriend and she needs him by her side. And besides, Suoh's always busy attending to the Council duties I tend to slack off. Let him take a break."
"But don't you need him too?"
Nokoru's smile almost faded, as his eyes grew wide. He quickly tried to cover it up lest Akira see the pain he was masking.
"Whatever are you talking about, Akira?"
"Come on, Kaichou. Drop the act. Have I not been your best friend for more than half a decade already? I know how much you love Takamura-sempai."
So Akira hadn't really innocent all along. Ah well, the most unsuspecting of people tend to observe more.
Smile fading, Nokoru got to his feet and faced the window – a habit he knew he did whenever he was thinking about something.
"Had I been to obvious?"
It was a silly question, he knew. But how else could Akira might've known?
The brunette shook his head. "Iie, Kaichou. Let's just say I've been hanging around the both of you for too long that I can almost feel the love that emanates from you to him."
Nokoru wanted to laugh – sarcastically if he may add. How life seemed to love playing cruel tricks on a person's heart! Akira felt it and yet Suoh had remained immune to it all these years.
"Why don't you tell him?"
The blonde raised an eyebrow and brought his fan to his lips.
"Tell Suoh? That simply cannot be, Akira."
The chef blinked. "Nani? Demo doshite, Kaichou?"
Yes. That was a nice question. Something he had asked himself quite a lot of times already. It was a simple task of telling the one he loved how he felt – how hard could that possibly be? But Nokoru knew that he wouldn't do it. And knew why.
"Because I can never make Nagisa-jyo cry."
Akira just couldn't believe what the president was saying. Couldn't he just think about himself for a minute? Okay, so he won't make a woman cry. But can't he see what his sacrifice is doing to himself?
Nokoru was beyond lonely.
The chef could see all those unshed tears in Nokoru's eyes and he hated it. He wanted to give his sempai a piece of his mind. How insensitive could Suoh get? How could he not feel Nokoru's loneliness? How could he leave the blonde alone just when Nokoru had learned not to be alone?
He wanted to something.
But somehow, Akira knew that the president would prefer to be silent about his feelings just as he has been continually doing.
But until when will Nokoru be able to perfectly masquerade as a happy soul? Until he finally breaks down?
Akira hoped and prayed that it wouldn't have to be that way.
Just hold on, Kaichou. I'm sure that Takamura-sempai isn't that insensitive.
Tsuzuku…
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Disclaimers: CLAMP Gakuen Tanteidan and all its characters belong to CLAMP. Only the storyline is mine.