Chapter Eight

The kiss lingered for a few more seconds till the knight could hear people whispering: "Is that Kuga-sensei?" "Yah it is! Did she bring her boyfriend?" "Woah maybe. Who is that?" The knight slightly pulled away just to meet the blunette's ear to whisper, "I can save you, Natsuki. If you let me."

The voice was low and undistinguishable. But every word spoken enflamed her ears. Every syllable, she heard it. She had no urge whatsoever to push the person away or to even slap them like she normally would if someone came into her personal bubble. She stood there motionless as the knight walked away. It wasn't just the kiss that held her grounded nor was it just the words the mysterious knight spoke of, it was everything. How she couldn't push him… or her away. How she didn't feel the need to. How she felt unthreatened by this mysterious person. How this person spoke so knowledgably, so completely certain that Natsuki needed saving. It was ludicrous! What did she need saving for? She was completely fine! She couldn't understand what this person thought she needed saving from. But what surprised her even more was the fact she didn't want to push this person away while this person stole her first kiss.

Thoughts swarmed in and out of her mind. It was like a hurricane. She was left standing in the middle of the dance floor completely confused as the students tried to go back to their own lives and issues, but would occasionally look back at the dumbfounded teacher.

Another hand reached out to her shoulder. This time more gentle. She instinctively grabbed it with a vice grip. She was on complete anxiety-alert mode. "Ara, Ms. Kuga… I am not really into this, but if this is your wish." The broken Kyoto-ben awoke her from her internal mess.

She looked at the slightly pained expression on the president's face. She instantly let her wrist go. Natsuki looked at her hand wondering how she couldn't do that earlier. She nervously looked at her student's face. She didn't know how to go about any of this. "I'm so sorry, Fujino!" She bowed to the student completely missing the student's inappropriate comment. "Are you okay?"

Shizuru feigned checking her wrist. "It seems a little tender, but I will survive. But I think it's more important to ask if Ms. Kuga is alright. You seem so distraught." Her student gave her a tender look. Her teacher looked like she just lost her dog. The dance just started. What could have possibly led her to look so down? "Let's talk outside." Shizuru held her teacher's hand. She waited for any sign of resistance. But all she could see was dull emeralds. Something took away their spark. What could have done this?

The teacher was in a slight daze and allowed herself to be guided to the patio. She was way too confused to not argue. All of her thinking was starting to cause her to mentally meltdown. She couldn't even start to fathom what was logical at the moment. Yes, moving to the outdoors from the loud ballroom was completely the right move, the teacher reasoned, falling mentally behind.

Once they settled on a place to talk, Natsuki's mind started to work again, "Didn't you just see what happened?" Was it her imagination? No, it's impossible. She was sure that everyone witnessed it too!

"No? I'm afraid I do not know what you're referring to Ms. Kuga." She was completely serious. Natsuki couldn't read a lie on her face. She really had no idea what had just happened.

Natsuki couldn't have imagined it. Everything felt too real. She wasn't drugged. She can feel everything fine. She even felt a pressure on her hand. She looked down to make sure it was real. Yah, I completely am aware of what I'm feeling. See Fujino is holding my hand… Wait huh?As soon as she realized the touch, she started blushing.

"Ms. Kuga, are you sure you're alright? You look like you're heating up." Shizuru was completely concerned. She looks like she's having a fever. She took it upon herself to lean her forehead against her teacher's to check her temperature.

But before she could, Natsuki was slowly realizing what her student was about to do. She didn't know what else to do but blurt out: "A knight just kissed me!"

The student backed up taking in the new information. She lightly bit her lip. "Really?" What was this? This was an odd behavior of the student. "Sorry Ms. Kuga, I'll try to restrain my jealousy," the student explained.

The teacher blinked at her. "BAKA! This is not the time for your nonsense!"

"But it's not nonsense! I am really trying to contain myself right now." Shizuru feigned a hurt expression.

Natsuki did not believe it for a second. But she started to hear sniffling from the student. She looked away, but couldn't help but feel responsible. "Fujino! Please! Don't feel that way! I don't want you to be sad!" Her exclamation didn't alter the student's expression. She didn't know what else to do but explain herself, "This person stole my first kiss! So please don't be sad?" She thought she had every reason to be sad instead of the president. Natsuki was not understanding or even listening to why the president was sad. All she knew was that the student was sad, and that she caused it.

The chestnut haired girl perked her ears at her teacher's last statement. "Ara, they did?" She almost felt guilty for faking her sadness. She never pegged her teacher to be a late bloomer in the romance category. She knew she had social issues, but in her mind, it never transcended in the romance portion. She didn't want to say that she thought her teacher had been around the block per se. But for sure she would have had her first kiss by now.

"Yes, so please don't be sad. What can I do to make you feel better?" Natsuki was starting to forget her own problem. She just hated making people sad.

Shizuru would have capitalized on this, but decided this was the wrong time to do so nor did she know what she wanted. She didn't need to be reassured a grade. Also it would have felt like it was cheating. "Ara, since Ms. Kuga is offering… how about an IOU?"

The teacher looked at her student curiously. But agreed nevertheless.

"Natsuki!" The said girl looked over to see it was Mai calling her. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" Mai decided to have come in a typical chef's outfit. Heh, I bet Mai ran out of time as well. Natsuki laughed to herself. At least she was able to find some humor in this whole perplexing situation.

"Yah, sorry about that Mai. I got lost coming here and couldn't find anyone to tell me what I was supposed to do."

Mai looked at Shizuru and Natsuki. It almost looked weird to see them side by side each other, alone. Then her eyes led to their hands still intertwined. "Was I interrupting something?" she asked sternly.

Shizuru let her teacher's hand go unknowingly. "No not at all, Tokiha-sensei. I was just going to inform Ms. Kuga of her tasks for the dance," Shizuru explained. Natsuki looked to her for the answer she had been looking for. "Ms. Kuga, you're to help Sugiura-sempai at the photo booth."

"Oh, okay." She was thinking that she was going to be given a harder task. But it was Midori.

Shizuru offered, "Would you like me to show you where—"

"It's alright, Fujino-san, I'll show her where it is. Thanks for your help." Mai ushered.

Shizuru was never cut off, especially by a teacher. She held respect from everyone and cutting someone off in midsentence was a simple sign of disrespect. Did she do something to Tokiha-sensei? She didn't recall anything. In fact, she never really has spoken to her. "Alright, Tokiha-sensei." She tried to not let her mask down. "Ms. Kuga, I'm here if you need someone to talk to." She said her farewells to the two teachers.

Natsuki reflected on her student's offer. Her talking out her problems to her student? Well it's not like she didn't just do that. But was that against the rules? Was she even comfortable with that? As she looked at her student walk away from them, she realized that she never really looked at her costume. Hm, it must have been something typical then.

"Natsuki," Mai grabbed her attention, "I don't need to remind you about student-teacher relationships, right?" She really didn't want to have to lecture her friend, but it seemed like she had to. Holding hands was way too much.

"Of course not, Mai!"

The older teacher gave out a fair warning. "Then please refrain from … close contact with them. Especially Fujino-san."

"Yeah, I got it." Natsuki said uninterestedly.

To get to the photo booth, Mai decided to go around the outside of the building. She was hoping to talk to the younger teacher, but after her mini lecture, the air around them seemed too awkward. But to Natsuki, the silence was helpful. The abundant tress helped to muffle some of the music coming from the dance. She felt as confused as ever, but she was hoping to talk to Midori. She was sure she could help her.

"Natsuki, you know you can come to me if you need help right?" Mai reassured the girl. She didn't need to look at her to know that the younger teacher heard her.

"I don't think you can help me on this one." Natsuki said in defeat. She didn't want everyone to know about what had just happened. It was a little embarrassing on her part.

"Try me. I'm a good listener." Mai gave her a smile.

The blunette wasn't fazed by Mai's positive attitude. It was even sort of helping. "Someone in a knight suit just stole my first kiss." She said slightly blushing. It was getting harder and harder to admit that she just lost her first kiss.

Mai stopped her walking to look at the younger teacher. Natsuki was genuinely embarrassed as light pink hues attacking her cheeks. She couldn't fathom her embarrassment. So she blinked at her a couple of times. She didn't want to laugh out loud, but she was slowly starting to find it funny. That's it? That is what's making Natsuki be like this? But her suppressing her laughter was highly noticeable by the other teacher.

"What's so funny!?" She blurted in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Natsuki. But that's what's bothering you?" Mai tried to ask calmly.

"Shut up!" Natsuki sped her pace to avoid the older girl's eyes.

The older girl easily was catching up. "Natsuki, are you trying to hide from me?" Mai teased.

The blunette turned around. "Mai, I'm really serious."

Mai's face instantly changed. Her fun demeanor went out the window. "I'm sorry, Natsuki… Is there anything I can do to help?"

For a second the younger teacher's face looked empty. So hopeless. What could be done? What's done is done. It's not like they could hunt down this masked person. No one's dumb enough to keep that knight outfit on after that. Natsuki rationalized. "No, there really isn't anything anyone can do for me." There was an awkward silence between them, well as far as Mai was concerned. Natsuki was just drowning in her thoughts.

Mai slowly approached her and touched her shoulder. When she did, she brought Natsuki out of her trance, rather abruptly. "How about I show you where Sugiura-sama is?"

Natsuki simply nodded.