From now on, I have decided that if I need an OC who is evil and jealous of Haruka, her name would be Nakamura Yuna. It makes my life so much easier lol.

CHAPTER 10

Slowly sitting up after a long sleep, Haruka's heavy sigh drew Tomochika's attention who were already in her school attire and applying make-up.

"You're awake?" Tomochika quickly left her dressing table before sitting on her roommate's bed. A small smile followed but she just did it to conceal what she truly felt as she studied Haruka's bare face.

It was pale. No matter how many hours she slept since her body felt more tired than usual due to her pregnancy, she looked restless. The composer was caught sleeping sometimes in their class and the last thing Tomochika wanted it to happen was Haruka's deteriorated health would be the subject of gossip. Their caring but strict teacher, Ringo would insist on a medical check-up which would reveal that Haruka was carrying a child.

"Is it already late? Why didn't you wake me up, Tomo-chan?" she said slowly and that was when Tomochika knew that her decision to let Haruka rest for the whole day was right.

"I think you need a day off, Haruka. I've tried to wake you up several times but you slept like a baby. Well, you did study hard for no reason anyway so this was bound to happen, especially with your condition. I will tell Ringo sensei that you have a terrible headache so just relax as much as you can, okay?"

"But, I am..."

"Haruka, it'll be more risky if you still attend school and somebody who doesn't know the true story assumes that something is wrong with you. You might tell me to ignore it but you already drew a lot of attention when you have a close relationship with STARISH. If you get fainted somewhere and you get admitted, your pregnancy will be exposed, Haruka. I don't want anything bad happen to you when you have a goal to achieve. When you want to be with Otoya-kun."

It was a bit sly but Tomochika knew when to use the name in order to convince Haruka.

"Otoya-kun..." the girl mumbled. Orange eyes stared at particularly nowhere but it conveyed her true feeling right away. Just a bit thought about the redhead and her mind would wander to their moments where his words alone would make her sees stars.

The latest one would be when he suddenly held her hand when she was walking alone. His eyes shone so bright: one of the features that always would make her heart skip a beat.

Little did she know, as much as his presence alone was so pleasant in her eyes, it worked the same for Otoya who found that each day, his life was complete with her beside him.

"I..." Despite he would stutter every time he was caught for staring at Haruka, it did not mean he would release the delicate hand in his that easy.

Instead, the warm temperature from her hand soothed him.

"Otoya-kun..." she remarked.

Not to mention that his heart... it was in the same tempo with hers. Fast but pleasant.

"I know this is random, Nanami. I know this is coming from out of nowhere but... I just want to let you know that from now on, I promise I will take care of you and the baby. No matter in any circumstance, I will be the only one who'll protect you. I'll be the only one who you know you can rely on. I don't want to see you enduring all of these alone. After all, I'll be your husband and I am the only man who you love until now."

Little did Haruka know, it took all for Otoya not to confess his feeling to her. He still kept the no-relationship rule in his mind and he did not want to risk their dreams.

"The only man who I love," despite her flashback already met its ending, Haruka's reaction to his sincere promise was still written over her face. This was the state when no matter how many times Tomochika called out her name or patting her arm, Otoya was the only one who would be able to keep her in her little wonderland.

"There you go. You and your Romeo fantasy," at last, Tomochika said with a teasing smile.

"I... I am sorry," the composer said, blushing right away.

"Just rest for today, Haruka. Don't think too much about work."

"Okay. Thank you for your concern, Tomo-chan."

That was what she told Haruka. As her best friend, Tomochika would say the cliched and comforting words regardless Haruka needed them or vice versa.

But unfortunately and surprisingly, Haruka's sick day acted like a doomsday for those jealous fan girls.

"Where is Haru-chan? Is she absent?" Ringo, their homeroom teacher asked. Cyan eyes wandering between Otoya and Tomochika whose seats were nearer with him.

"She took a day off. She was a bit sick, sensei," Tomochika answered. It was supposed to be a short conversation but apparently, there were girls who loved to prolong and pick a fight with the wrong person.

"Now that she've gained high scores frequently, she thinks she's smart enough not to attend school. What a wicked attitude," a girl, Nakamura Yuna who was one of beauties in the school other than Tomochika voiced out. Ridiculously, there were people who shared the same opinion with her.

"She might as well graduate and pick her partner already," Yuna's friend, Mizuki supplied.

"Again, acting innocent or pathetic is the best way to make everyone adores her. She's such a fox," another girl added.

"Cut it out please! How can you guys say such things to someone who never prayed that she would get sick today?" As expected, Otoya would turn from his seat and told them off. One thing that everyone learned was his sweet demeanor would fade away when someone dared to be cruel to Haruka.

"What? A lot of people believe that she's such a fox. Or else, a boring girl like her wouldn't be able to make you and other boys besotted with her. We wouldn't be surprised if Tomo-chan is who you guys adore but that Haruka..."

"I don't think you need to put your words like that, Yuna. Plus..."

"Otoya-kun!" When Tomochika almost spoke up to back Otoya, Ringo was faster to raise his voice which made his cross-dresser voice sounded deeper and intimidating. "Return to your seat. I don't want anybody to start an unnecessary fight here. Please respect your class."

Otoya and Tomochika could only stare blankly at the teacher. This was unfair. Those girls were the one who threw rude remarks first but Otoya was the only one who got scolded.

And now, not only he was scolded. During their recess, Ringo continued his lecture to Otoya in his office. Unlike the usual him, Ringo was expressionless.

"I am sorry but I have to say this, Otoya-kun. It's for your sake," he said with a sigh. "No matter how deep your feeling to Haru-chan, you need to learn how to control your emotion. Or else, people will try to find a way to put you and Haru-chan into troubles and that's the last thing I want it to happen to my students. I don't want A Class to have scandals when you guys don't even debut yet."

"I never have intention to cause scandals or sorts, Ringo-sensei. It's just that..."

"It's all written on your face, Otoya-kun," the teacher said as he formed a bitter smile. "You make it too obvious on the TV when you sang Brand New Melody. I think everyone who watched the broadcast on that day shared the same opinion with me... You're in love with Haru-chan. I can understand it that much. She's sweet and passionate with her dream. Anyone can easily fall in love with her."

Despite Ringo's calm words, they brought the meaning that made Otoya almost forgot to breathe. His friends were right. He was like an open book. His feeling to Haruka was so strong that he never realized that he revealed it too easily, even to the strangers.

"Ringo-sensei, please listen to me... Nanami is my friend so I am not going to start any rumor about us. Instead, I am annoyed because of those people..."

"Defending her from those bad-mouthed people won't make her stronger, Otoya-kun. In showbiz, you have to be tough and able to stand criticism. When more than one person agrees that she seeks attention from you, trust me. She will face worse rumors once she debuts as a composer. Idol-and-idol relationship still won't be received by the public and guess what? Composer-and-idol relationship will face worst. You're going to make her suffer if you want to keep both your relationship and career. That's why idols are forbidden to be in a relationship. It brought more disaster than luck. My advice is if you're serious about your dream and you want Haru-chan to achieve hers too since everyone can see how talented she is, please keep your distance with her. You are here for your dream, not for a relationship."

All he could do was balling his hands into fists. Keeping distance with Haruka would be hard when he had promised that he would protect her at any cost.

"I understand, sensei. I apologize for my misbehavior."

"Good. One more thing that you need to understand is..." The teacher bit his glossy lips for seconds, enough to show the redhead that he was expected to obey another rule that would be hard to follow. "I know how much you admire Saotome. Well, basically if not all, most of the students here struggled to train here because of how popular Saotome is. You're not alone but... you really need to restrain yourself from meeting him every single day. If I as your teacher has my 'operation hours', Saotome's hours are much more exclusive. He's the principal and you're as the student should know your limit."

Otoya was ready to blurt out more apologies since he was aware that he was bound to be careless and reckless in whatever he did. But, as soon as Ringo said out those words about Saotome, those words fade away. He felt like his mind was attacked by viruses.

Seconds passed and it was enough to test Ringo's patience.

"Otoya-kun, this time I don't hear 'I understand' or 'I apologize for my misbehavior' from you yet."

Otoya lifted his head to meet eyes with Ringo who was sitting while crossing his legs.

"If I really made him feel uncomfortable, why he didn't say anything?"

"It's because you have me between you and Saotome. We should follow the hierarchy and it's my job as your homeroom teacher to deliver what my boss wanted you to know. A principal and director like him can't simply meet a student like you that easy."

Otoya's heart was not made of glass but he could feel it shattered easily due to Ringo's words.

"Please tell me, Ringo-sensei... If we put aside the fact that I am only his student, is it still wrong if I see him like my father? You see, I am an orphan so I don't have any father figure in my life. So, to know him and be inspired by him is so comforting for me. Plus, he does treat me so well all this time..."

"I know, Otoya-kun. I can understand that much," Ringo said. More sharp words which aimed to make Otoya know that he crossed the line gradually melted from how sincere Otoya sounded. "I know where you come from but you see, to survive in this showbiz..."

"I also understand you that much, Ringo sensei. I promise I'll be more careful."

That was what he said but for the last time, he went to the principal's room on the next day. It was coincident that the old man was getting ready to leave his office, followed by Hyuga and Ringo. The two assistants immediately gasped to see the redhead.

"Otoya-kun, I thought that I have warned you..." like a switch, as soon as Saotome raised his hand, Ringo sealed his mouth instantly.

"May I help you, Mr. Ittoki?"

"Yes, principal. I am sorry but I really need to talk to you."

"Sure, less than five minutes," Saotome said, firmer than usual. To be given less than five minutes was one thing but the way the principal delivered his words had torn his heart.

Does he seriously find me...

"Do you find me a bother to you?"

It was silent. Otoya had always not been a fan of silence which was why he made noise which annoyed Tokiya sometimes. But this kind of silence which coming from Saotome had made him lost his idea to prolong their conversation. It zipped his mouth and made his throat dry.

"Mr. Ittoki..." Saotome initiated and as much as his friends always told him that he was clueless and innocent like a little brother, he could understand the principal this much, enough from his tone. "Ringo had told me everything. About you and Miss Nanami. About you... and me."

The pause was killing the redhead. He was this close to scream to the old man to finish his words of rejection clearly.

In one go.

"Ringo is right. I am your principal, not your father. You should know your boundary as a student. Plus, admiring me alone is not enough. You should brush up your skills too. I know you're aware that you still need to practice harder than everyone else, right? While your dancing skills are amazing, that's not enough. You should not waste time and someone's time too."

"What do you mean?"

"Nanami Haruka. Everyone can tell that she's a jewel. I can see that she'll be the most sought-after composer someday so if you don't have enough time to brush up your skills, the least you can do is not wasting her time and not be the reason why she can't achieve her dream."

Now two people just emphasized Haruka's dream and potential so that he knew his place.

"Okay, then," the redhead said. "I promise I will be more careful from now on. Excuse me and sorry for bothering you all this time."

Without glancing at any of the teachers, he scurried down to the corridor. He wanted to ignore everyone including...

"Ittoki?"

"Otoya-kun, wait!"

Masato and Natsuki who had been following him everywhere without complaints, just to ensure his safety. They might say that they would not eavesdrop on him and Saotome and would keep their distance but it did not mean they would not change their minds. They were always curious about him anyway.

"I am sorry guys," not meeting eyes with neither of his classmates, Otoya struggled to conceal his miserable voice due to the overwhelming feeling in his chest. "I really want to have some time alone. Don't worry about me. If there's something happened to me, you guys can scold me all you want."

Without waiting for responses, he made his way to leave the block as fast as his fit legs could carry him.

"I never know that Otoya-kun is such a big fan of the principal and had been chasing him around. I never know that he would be that sad when we all know it's not really proper to approach the principal like that," Natsuki remarked as Otoya quickly disappeared from their sights.

"We never followed him around in the original timeline anyway," Masato answered. "Even when he went missing for a while after recording Next Door with Otori, we never knew his entire family background until that day. Remember?"

"Yeah, you're right. So, what should we do now?"

"Just let him be. Like he said, he needs to be alone and we should respect that."

Meanwhile, Saotome, Ringo and Hyuga were still on their spots. Ittoki Otoya who had been always cheerful and upbeat obviously looked upset about what happened.

"It did hurt him. For a second, I thought that I was too cruel for making him miserable like that," Ringo said.

It was silent for a while before Saotome finally replied, "It's okay, Ringo. You had done the right thing."

Saotome's response sent Ringo and Hyuga looked at each other in puzzlement.

If their memories served them right, Saotome had never spoke in a slow and normal tone unless something bothered his mind.

Haruka released a sigh of relief as she could see her beloved man not far from her. Sitting on the the grass, Otoya's red hair stood out despite the dark blue lake background. The composer could admire him as long as she wanted but that was not why she was here instead of resting in her room. She overheard Tomochika's conversation with Natsuki and that was how she knew the story.

"Otoya-kun..." as her voice was the only one which echoed in his ears at the moment other than the singing birds in the sky, she received a gasp from the boy. Obviously, he was so lost in his thought.

Despite slowly taking a seat next to the boy, only God knew how worried she was.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"You shouldn't be here, Nanami," he said, still looking at anywhere instead of straight into her eyes just like how he always did. "I was warned by both principal and Ringo sensei that I shouldn't be too friendly with you. The whole school already spoke ill about us."

"They will always speak ill no matter with whom I am close to," she said calmly. Her voice alone was like a breath of fresh air to him so to think that he should not be chummy with her was beyond belief. "I used to approach Ichinose-san a lot when he had problem with his HAYATO persona so I much and less get used to this kind of situation. I just ended up ignoring all of them. I have you guys on my side anyway. Nevertheless, thank you for trying hard to take my side. I really appreciate that."

And it makes me love you more and more.  

"Don't mention it," he said weakly.

"Do you mind to share with me what you had in your mind? I know you expected Shinomiya-san and Hijirikawa-san to keep whatever happened to you and the principal as a secret but they are worried. You suddenly look so upset which isn't like you..."

"To be honest, I feel a lot of things right now," Otoya said, still refused to meet her eyes. Hers were full of concern so he was afraid that they would drive him more into the hole of despondency. "I know I shouldn't be this sensitive but I do admire the principal a lot. To be close with Shining Saotome and be his mentee have always been my dream."

Up until their entrance ceremony day, she always believed that the reason Otoya wanted to be an idol because he loved singing. She never knew that he was a big fan of Saotome.

"As my wife, I bet you already know that I am an orphan."

"Yes, I do."

"I spend my childhood in the orphanage while my heart always misses my late aunt. I had a really hard time. She died because of an illness. You see, the only family who I've ever known was her so when I lost her, I felt that she brought the big part of me along with her to heaven. Even I have a lot of friends... Even I was fed more than enough... Even I can sleep comfortably every night, it's never the same. The only pieces of me that she left in this word was the me who feel hopeless and lonely."

Her heart was torn apart right away. She understood him the most. It was the same feeling that she had suffered from Otoya's death.

"I never know my parents. I don't have any single picture of them and my aunt never told me about them much. I just assumed that she didn't want to hurt me. After all, having her was enough for me. She did a very good job as both my father and mother. That's why when I grew up and a lot of people keep saying that I look a lot like the principal when he was young, I was happy. I was curious and I started to listen to his songs. I even imitated his singing. I learned to play guitar like him and someday, I wanted to tell him that I feel so grateful to be introduced to him. I wanted to share the same stage with him."

This is very new. The late Otoya-kun has never said anything about this, she thought.

"You know what? Sometimes, I do wonder if I was not nice or good enough to be the son for my parents. I really wanted to know why they left me. And in case if they were in trouble, I wanted to help them. Even the thought that my parents might leave me because they don't love me or I made them sad, listening to the principal's songs had made me felt otherwise. They're the reasons why I could make myself an upbeat person. His songs contain a lot of positive messages, you know. Things about pure love, hard work, trust your dream and many more... I move forward because of his songs but today..." he sighed. "I just learned that my admiration had made him feel uncomfortable. I crossed the line and I might bring a promising composer like you down with me if I don't change my attitude."

"What? Where do that come from, Otoya-kun? Why would you cause me..."

"It's because I am nothing like you or other guys. You're a genius and I am not in your league. I can't sing perfectly like Natsuki and I am nowhere charming like Ren. So, someone like me shouldn't waste everyone's time by..."

"You yourself are irreplaceable, Otoya-kun. Don't forget that," she interposed. Here she goes; the smile that had always drove him to the most beautiful moment in his life. "You can't be everyone but everyone also can't be you. You're special and if you think the flaws that you have made you below the par, you're wrong. You have a heart in your singing. I can listen to them, to your voice all day because of how beautiful they are. I know this will make you cringe but you're like a sun. You brighten our day. You're like the most innocent person in this world and every time we all have bad days, you remind us that there is no such thing as giving up in our life. I am sure despite you feel bored when Ichinose-san went to work, you had practiced a lot, right? Your hands said it a lot."

Otoya's red eyes sized up before spontaneously landing on the calluses on his palms and fingers.

"And about you not in my league, it's obviously not an issue or else, we wouldn't get married," she said. "Don't worry about that. As long as we know that we aren't against the relationship rule, you can just ignore those people who have bad-mouthed us. You have me, Otoya-kun. Just like what you have promised me, you can count on me and I will always be there for you whenever you need me."

It was silent for a while. Haruka's words were too mesmerizing that he believed he should not pay her with just words.

But unfortunately, for the time being, that was all he could do.

"Thank you, Haruka."

In the evening, after she and Otoya said goodbye to each other and lied on her bed, a sudden thought crossed her mind.

"Our conversation just now... it reminded me of the dream. The dream where I met Otoya-kun when he was a kid."

Haruka was there for him. He had Haruka and his friends. He needed them.

That was what Otoya had in his mind.

But today, he learned that a certain transfer student would make him knew that he had another person who would protect him at any cost.

"Glad to meet you guys. I am Aijima Cecil and I am coming from Agnapolis."

I never knew what Saotome's songs are about. Were they ever mentioned in games or anime? For this story, I just made up that his songs spread positive vibes and sorts. As usual, feel free to let me know what do you think about this chapter :D