Chapter 111 - Kou

"Suzuki? Suzuki?"

The urgent voices pierced through Ara's clouded brain.

"Hmmmmn?"

She groaned, her eyelids fluttered as they struggled to open. When they did, she was awashed with confusion seeing blurry faces surrounding her.

"She's waking up," she heard a familiar voice say.

Yashiro?

She wondered why they were hovering over her as her vision started to clear.

"She's back. She's awake now," more voices added as Ara's sight finally focused.

"What happened?" she asked weakly as she tried to sit up, but hands pushed her back down.

"Don't move yet Suzuki. Lie down and wait a while before you sit," the teacher told her, and she complied.

"Don't you remember what happened?" they asked her, but her brain came up empty.

Seeing her confusion, Yashiro who was with her along with the other girls when she collapsed told her what transpired earlier.

"We were just joking around when you suddenly toppled over in pain and you started crying before losing consciousness."

Eh?

With that, memories started flooding her and she frowned. Yes, indeed that happened. There was just a sudden onset of pain in her chest – a gaping hole she couldn't explain and she cried.

"Do you remember now?"

Ara nodded. "Yeah. I don't know why that happened though so don't ask me."

The teachers and someone who looked like staff from the train exchanged looks.

"I think it's a panic attack."

"Maybe. She just recently had a major accident so it's possible her trauma was triggered suddenly."

Huh? Trauma?

Ara could never understand that. Then again, she remembered the giant spiders and her near (scared to) death experience with them the other day. Was it because of that?

"– And the car was severely damaged."

Ara snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing the words "car" and "damaged". In her mind, it was a totally different car though. It was the yellow compact car she threw at the spiders and burned with them.

Er…

Seeing her guilty expression, the people misunderstood.

"It's okay Suzuki; that was an accident. It's not your fault."

"Yes, Ara. It's just a car. It can be replaced."

"The good thing is that you are okay. No need to feel upset about it."

Ara knew that these words were for her accident and not for the arachnid incident, yet, she felt so much better. They were right anyway. She could always just get a new car for that person. She'd ask her brother when she returned.

Right…

Feeling better, she finally requested to sit down, and they let her.

"We're near Shibuya now. We will bring you to the hospital."

Eh? Hospital?

Eeeeeeeee?

"N-no need. No need. I-I was just tired – yeah I was just tired," Ara stammered.

"But we already informed your brother that we would. It's better to have you checked."

"That's right, Ara. You should get checked just to make sure everything's fine."

"But…"

Ara wondered what Aki told them. It wasn't her brother who would come to pick her up. Did they know that?

"Your brother said someone will come to pick you up, but we told him we will still bring you to the hospital. You looked scary earlier Suzuki like you were totally in pain."

"That's right. Even if you say you feel better, we won't stop worrying until you go to the hospital."

Well, if they put it like that, Ara wasn't able to do anything but agree. If not they wouldn't let her off with all their worrying. When everything's set, they all sat back and waited for the train to arrive at the station.

As soon as they reached Shibuya, her classmates assisted her out of the train. They didn't even let her carry her own things in case she'd stumble again like yesterday. Ara wanted to explain that she didn't stumble because of anything that's wrong with her body but because she was not looking at where she was going but refrained from speaking. She had a feeling they wouldn't listen to her anyway.

"Your brother said the person who'd come pick you up would be waiting here," the teacher said as all of them looked around.

"It's fine, teacher. You can all go ahead. If he's still not here then I can just sit at the waiting area until he arrives."

"No. We already said we will bring you to the hospital."

"Then we can wait 'til he arrives before going."

She was saying this with her back turned towards the entrance when her classmates' eyes widened as they stared at something – or rather someone from behind her. Ara's and the teachers' gazes followed suit just in time to see a tall handsome man in casual clothing of black sweater and pants walking towards them as he removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of ice-blue eyes which stared at their direction. 

"Oooo-la-la" Yashiro and the others whistled in appreciation as they watched the handsome man approach.

Ara snorted in laughter, most especially when they saw him coming towards them.

"Om my God that handsome prince is coming this way, quick donate your panties!"

WHAT?

Ara looked at the girls who were joking with each other incredulously. Then again, seeing how handsome Kou was today, she could somehow understand why they were giggling.

But these girls forgot something!

"I don't know why, but he looks familiar though," Yashiro finally said, and Ara sighed. She had shown them Kou's selfie after their bath last night.

"I showed you guys his picture last night," Ara reminded them, and she nearly laughed at their shocked expressions.

"Oh my God! Ara, it's Kou, your boyfriend!" they all squealed.

The teachers and the rest of the students, of course, heard this.

"Oh? That's your boyfriend Suzuki?" they asked and she nodded, just as Ryuu reached them.

"Hello," Ryuu greeted the teachers with a small bow.

Even with his polite stance, with his height, appearance, and all over aura, the Homura prince was still quite intimidating. His blue gaze made the people he looked at feel nervous. It was no different from the poor teachers' case.

"H-hello," the teacher stammered. "I am Furuya Hide, Ara's homeroom teacher. We were just waiting for you so we can take Suzuki to the hospital," he continued as he reached his hand for a handshake that Ryuu took.

"Homura Ryuu," Kou replied simply as he shook hands with the teacher firmly.

However, hearing his name made the older man freeze as he looked up at Ryuu's face. Ara palmed her visage. By now the others had also heard his name and were now whispering among themselves.

Why?

Because the Homura heir's name was famous even if they didn't know how he looked like. It was why Ara only referred to him as her boyfriend, the archer prince or if the situation really pushed for it, Kou.

"Eh? I thought his name was Kou?"Yashiro asked loudly, and the teacher who held Kou's hand turned to her.

"Er…Yashiro, Master Homura Ryuu is indeed Kou," the teacher explained with a sheepish smile.

Ara nudged Ryuu on the side and Ryuu sighed as if he found introducing himself tiring. But since Ara egged him, he faced the others. "I'm Homura Ryuu, Koutaishidenka of the Homura House, and Ara's fiancé."