[SS] First Class

"Well, look what we have here… And I wonder what all your underclassmen would think if they found out you still liked such things."

Mikoto’s face flush grew deeper as she looked disturbed and annoyed at Guy’s threat. She gulped loudly during that terrible moment, when he let the dangling Gekota mock her from his lifted finger. She struggled inwardly, not knowing what to do.

It was a battle between desire and pride.

“I told you I don’t-“ Her pride won over just a little, but her half-hearted voice lacked the usual bite. Before she could finish her feeble denials however, Guy spoke again, ignoring her completely.

"Look. I'll give you this and in exchange you have to promise not to say a word to anyone about this." He snatched the chain from the air and stuffed it into his pocket. Mikoto’s eyes followed his Gekota-held hand without blinking. "You can have it when my shift finishes."

Mikoto watched him leave with a half-opened mouth, looking dumbstruck. Ruiko and Kazari giggled between themselves, smiling knowingly. Kuroko had stopped thrashing her head onto the table, but was now motionless with her forehead pressed onto the furniture. Mikoto saw none of this however, and stared disbelievingly at the spot Guy had disappeared off to.

Is he serious?

If keeping her mouth shut was all that she had to do to earn that Gekota toy, then she would do it.

He better keep his end of the deal.

For the rest of the meal, the others would find Mikoto very silent with an unwavering, grimly determined expression. It was as if she was afraid even a little wrongly spoken word would somehow allow Guy to strike off their deal for good.

She would give him no reason to go back on his promise.

When finally the end of their meal arrived Guy appeared to sweep the table clean. With arms full of plates and glasses the boy turned back to Mikoto.

"Let me get my clothes and meet me outside." He said, balancing the stack of dishes carefully on his arms.

He emerged a short while later wearing a pair of jeans and a loosely buttoned white shirt. In his hands he carried the object of her desires. The tiny green frog with its ever cheerful grin.

"Well?" He held the mascot out, taking advantage of his height to dangle it over her head for a second. "Remember our deal." He let it drop into her hands before adding. "You know if you wanted this you could have just asked." He smiled.

"Let me get my clothes and meet me outside."

Mikoto waited with an anxious expression, her feet impatiently tapping the floor. Kuroko was scrutinising Guy as he left with a stack of dishes. Her eyes were narrowed and her mouth drooped with distaste. She seemed ready to jump into any kind of accusation at the smallest hints of suspicious behaviour. When she found nothing however, the red-headed teleporter turned to Mikoto in distress.

“Onee-sama, I can’t believe you’d accept something so childish from that- that Primate!”

She spat out the last word as if she could taste something terribly foul on her tongue.

Mikoto averted her eyes away, arms folding defensively.

“Shut up Kuroko. The deal’s already been made, I can’t go back now.”

As Kuroko slumped defeatedly, Guy emerged wearing a pair of jeans and a loose white shirt. Mikoto’s eyes immediately caught sight of the Gekota in his hands and they brightened considerably.

"Well?"

Mikoto reached out to grab the mascot, but Guy took advantage of his height to dangle it over her head. The effect was instantaneous- her face reddened with anger and the brown eyes clouded over like a thunderous storm.

“What are you-!”

“Remember our deal,” Guy said coolly, and the smiling treasure dropped into her outstretched hands.

Her cheeriness returned, and she clutched the Gekota toy as if her life depended on it. Kuroko’s face was turned away, set aflame by shame at her Oneesama’s childish behaviour.

"You know if you wanted this you could have just asked."

Mikoto looked up, surprised and taken back by the sudden statement. He smiled and it was so dazzling she was momentarily stunned. When she recovered an entire second later, her face was on fire.

“Wh- what are you…!” She stammered, blinking furiously. Then she covered up her confusion with the usual scowl.

“We- we just made a deal alright?! It- it’s not like I really care about this cu(te)-- childish toy! You kept your promise so I’ll keep mine, got it?!”

By the end of the last sentence, her voice was frantic and high pitched. The fierce eyes glared up at Guy, although the flaming cheeks told a different story. She quickly pocketed the Gekota toy, turning it into a gesture of carelessness. Inwardly though, Mikoto was afraid Guy would change his mind and snatch the trophy away from her.

“What are you-!”

He couldn't help but laugh at her easily flustered infatuation with the little mascot.

“Wh- what are you…! We- we just made a deal alright?! It- it’s not like I really care about this cu(te)-- childish toy! You kept your promise so I’ll keep mine, got it?!”

"You got it." He turned to leave with a parting wave only to stop after a few paces. "You know you should smile more often. It looks better on you." He added. Kuroko, who had been waiting patiently for her onee-sama slowly reached for the holsters on her legs. Perhaps a steel spike in his foot might teach him a lesson in manners?

"You got it.” He turned to leave but then stopped after a few paces. “You know you should smile more often. It looks better on you."

The terrible heat spread to Mikoto’s neck as her mouth audibly snapped closed with embarrassment. All of the fierceness she had portrayed earlier suddenly disappeared, replaced by a meekness that could only be rivaled by a newborn kitten. Her unusual silence as she stared wide-eyed at Guy’s retreating form only further added to this effect.

Steam erupted out of Kuroko’s ears, her shaking hand only millimeters away from the metal spikes on her thighs. The furious teleporter only just managed to keep herself from pinning that shady person to the ground like a fly. Her narrowed eyes followed his figure as Guy disappeared from sight. She mentally promised herself that she would keep a sharp eye on him.

Kuroko spun to face Mikoto, but the raging rant died on her lips when she saw the almost dreamy look on her Oneesama’s face. Immediately, the teleporter regretted having let the ape go.

“Oh! It’s getting late, we head back,” Ruiko suddenly said with a cheerful grin from the side. Kazari nodded in agreement, watching Kuroko and Mikoto carefully with a nervous smile.

Ruiko’s voice shook Mikoto out of her reverie.

“Oh yeah, we need to get going too!” Her voice was extremely cheerful, her smile mirroring Ruiko’s. Ignoring Kuroko’s protesting cries, she grabbed her junior’s arm tightly and continued, “our Dorm Mistress will be furious if we arrive late again.”

The truth of this was sharply evident when Kuroko snapped her mouth shut and paled considerably.

They parted ways, and as the two Tokiwadai girls headed to their Dorms, Kuroko could not help but jealously notice the golden aura surrounding Mikoto.

‘All because of that ape!’

Mikoto occasionally slipped her hand inside the pocket where the Gekota trophy resided, and the shining sparkle in her eyes would be renewed.

“Onee-sama, just what do you intend to do with that thing?” Kuroko wheedled, “it’s just a childish toy. You can’t do anything with that useless thing.”

“I told you Kuroko,” Only a slight hint of impatience marred Mikoto’s tone, “it was just part of a deal, that’s all. I- It’s part of a promise so I have to keep it.”

Kuroko sighed defeatedly, knowing there was nothing she could do to change the stubborn electromaster’s mind.

Little did she know that the certain Gekota toy would find itself labeled as “special” among the other Gekota collections and always reside in Mikoto’s skirt pocket from then on.

If the teleporter had known… …

Let’s just say it was a fortunate event that she didn’t.