Chapter Text
According to the official definition in Biology, love is simply a chemical process by means of favorable neurotransmitters that light up pleasure sections of the brain. Different aspects of the human brain handle the main three sections of love: libido, attachment, and partner preference. Libido is general regulated with dopamine in the pathway between the midbrain and forebrain, as well as the hormones testosterone in males and estrogen in females. Attachment is generally dealt with in the hypothalamus of the brain and works with attachments of the individual. Individual partner preference is regulated by central dopamine pathways throughout the brain. It is here that one may end up choosing their preferred mate. The concept of love, as it is already known, is viewed solely by the human perspective since reliable means of measurement of the idea in other animals is practically nonexistent.
Nevertheless, it can be interpreted that some other species of animals can experience an idea similar to the conventional idea of love. The swan, for example, is well known for their monogamous preferences when it comes to relationship practices. Others will include the strong bonds and cooperative behaviors found in apes and primates.
At least, that is what Amakusa Shino had learned in yesterday’s biology lecture. While the nature of sexual reproduction was her favorite (she paid extra attention to that part), the idea of love was also fascinating. It was not like she was completely ignorant on the subject, far from it in fact. She had been primarily busy with the responsibilities that followed with student council membership ever since she was in her elementary years. Her first year into high school was no different of course, brought into to the Student Council by the previous president.
She had her free time; she would indulge in the contemporaries of the modern life (among other things) to take the edge off. She had always enjoyed romance novels; watching the two protagonists dance around their hearts and experience things with one another that would ultimately bring them closer to each other. An odd feeling of longing would fill her heart and often guide her into imaginative situations of what it would be like to do the same things.
“Shino-chan!”
Her name brought her out of stupor, vision adjusting to show a worried looking Shichijō Aria standing before her.
“S-Sorry, Aria, I was lost in thought for a bit,” she said clearing her throat. “Is something the matter?”
Aria gave a small nod. “Tsuda-kun hasn’t shown up yet and the students are starting to arrive. I wonder if he got caught up to relieve his stress?” She smiled innocently, a light red hue appeared on her nose and her breathing became a bit heavier.
Shino grinned at the thought, slowly piecing together the image in her head. Before she could get to the good stuff, a sigh came from the other side of the school gate. Hagimura Suzu, intense eyes focused straight before her, waved her hand in dismissal. “I doubt that, Shichijō-senpai. Tsuda probably woke up late again and is rushing around.”
Aria placed a finger on her chin, looking up and lost in thought. “I wonder if he woke up late because he was banging another woman all night long.” She slammed a fist into her other open palm, her face redder than before. “That’s it! They were up doing lewd acts all night long!”
“THAT’S NOT IT AT ALL!”
Shino glanced down at the ground. Would he do that sort of thing? He is a boy after all, boys can only get so far with themselves; naturally they would be on the lookout for a woman at this age. Shino gave a low ‘hmm’ at the thought, slightly tense as her mind wandered further. What would he like in a woman? I wonder what traits I-.
A noise off in the direction to her left returned her to reality. A faint, but ever-growing patter of shoes on asphalt began to near them. From over the bend, Tsuda Takatoshi ran with all his effort. “President!” he huffed when he stopped before them. He placed his hands on his knees, hunched over and breathing hard.
Shino gazed upon him with interest. She took note of his silky brown hair, part plastered to his forehead and glistening in the morning light. His shoulders, while quite broad, were hunched over and moved up and down in rhythm with his breaths. His uniform was in disarray, his tie hung lose around his neck. She especially took note of his flushed face; the read streak that ran through his particularly appealing face, accentuating those alluringly dark brown eyes. He looked up at her, still breathing hard. Shino swallowed, what a lewd expression.
“I’m very sorry for my lateness today, President.” He gave her a weak smile.
Oddly, she felt constricted in her chest. “N-Nonsense! Please show up on time! We have a reputation to uphold as the student council!” She eyed him. “Why were you late, Tsuda?”
He gave a weak laugh and scratched behind his head. “Ah well, you see-.”
Aria jumped in front of him, she gave him a thumbs up. “I hope you used protection last night, Tsuda-kun! And lube! Going in the back-.”
“THAT’S NOT IT AT ALL!”
Shino let out a small sigh, relief filled her for a brief moment. Wait when did that happen?
Tsuda sighed and faced Shino. “I had forgotten to set my alarm the night before and ended up waking up 45 minutes later than usual. I had to rush through to catch the next train here. Then I had to run in order make it as early as I could.” He turned his to face Aria, brows furrowed. “NOT because of something like that.”
Aria smiled innocently.
Shino sighed, tension leaving her body. “Well, keep that to a minimum. You’re here now so let’s get to work!” She eyed Tsuda’s loose tie. “And make sure you fix your uniform, Tsuda.”
Tsuda blinked as the realization slowly hit him. “R-Right! Sorry!” He smoothed out his jacket and pants, lastly tightening the tie. “Thank you, President.”
Shino smiled and returned to the morning greeting. As the minutes ticked by, the eventual monotony of greeting lulled Shino into escaping to her thoughts. She moved between her biology lesson from the previous day to her arrival at the Student Council room this morning. She then thought back to Tsuda’s late arrival and Aria’s comments. Of course, Tsuda wouldn’t be with someone else, it was silly to think that way. However. She inwardly probed around her memories and thinking searching for something unfamiliar to her. Why was I so relieved?
The mid-afternoon sun shone brightly through the window of the student council room. The light-yellow rays illuminated the thin tan card table that was used as the center of operations for the Student Council. The four sat in their usual seats, eager to dig into their respective lunches. Three of them had given their thanks and dove eagerly into their food, however one remained hesitant.
Shino was once again lost in thought, head swimming from the morning. What was that all about? You aren’t your usual self Shino! Get back into it! There are more indecencies to uncover!
A lack of movement to her right revealed a concerned Tsuda eyeing her. A quick shake of her head and she did her best to return to her usual self and joined in with the other three. Aside from Aria’s normal gourmet meal, she had noticed a distinctive change to the normal smell that would originate from Tsuda’s meal. Curious, she side-eyed it closer, but to no avail. “Tsuda, did you change your lunch today?”
The man in question was still staring at her upon being asked and promptly jumped at the remark. “Ah, yeah, yeah I did. I wanted to try a more western meal that may be a bit healthier,” he sheepishly explained.
Suzu glanced at his lunch. “Tsuda, you have quite the array of fruits today, a few bananas too. Looks pretty American to me.” She narrowed her eyes. “You even have pineapple? You don’t see those every day.”
At the word ‘banana’, Shino perked up and grinned. “Oh Tsuda, a banana fan I see.”
“No, you’re falling into the gutter again,” he deadpanned.
“But Tsuda, you know how to handle a banana well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you were a fan.”
“You aren’t listening to me, are you?”
Shino laughed; the lewd image of Tsuda’s nightly activities fresh in her mind. Of course, she could feel her face heat up, but more than usual.
“Prez, please stop looking at me with those hungry eyes.”
Unbeknownst to them, Aria had perked up at the word ‘pineapple’ and grinned.
“So Tsuda-kun, you’re having pineapples today, right?”
Shino and Tsuda looked over to the Secretary. “Ah yes, Shichijō-senpai. I wanted to give it a try,” he replied, a hint of confusion laced his voice. Both could hear Suzu sigh and take a drink of her tea.
Aria’s grin increased. “Say, Shino-chan, do you know the main reason why boys eat pineapples?”
Shino cocked her head. Was she supposed to? It’s just a simple fruit beloved by many. Her vast lewd knowledge covered a great deal but even then, there was still a few things she was ignorant on. Searching her mental catalogue, she was unable to find anything that satisfied her for an answer. “No, I can’t really say.”
Aria kept her innocent smile locked, she held her finger out in a matter of fact fashion. “I read that pineapples have a chemical in them that make boys’ cum taste sweeter!”
The immediate and apparent sound of Suzu choking on her drink filled the room, alarming the three. Tsuda leaned over to pat her back gently, disappointment present in his tone. “Senpai, don’t make such astronomical jumps to reach outrageous conclusions!”
Shino, unlike Suzu, choked internally, her lewd image now rapidly changing to one far more intimate of her vice-president. I-Is that really a thing? Would it seriously be different? She glanced over at her vice-president, who was busy making sure Suzu was not dying of a lack of air. She began fidgeting, heart relentlessly pounding as she continued her inconspicuous staring. I wonder if it would really-.
“President? Are you alright?”
Shino blinked, stumbling out of her reprieve. The boy that had previously flooded her mind looked at her with concern. With a deep breath, she calmed herself down. “Of course, Tsuda; why do you ask?”
He laughed weakly. “Well, you were fidgeting in your chair, so I wasn’t sure if you were feeling uncomfortable or not.”
Aria gazed at him, brows furrowed and her head slightly to the side. “But Tsuda-kun, Shino-chan would be very comfortable in your lap.”
“Oh ho, I’m a chair now huh, senpai?”
Shocked, Shino sat back and watched the bickering exchange between the two; her heart beating much faster than she is normally used to. What is going on? She looked over at the other three. Aria had continued her onslaught of innuendos while Tsuda and Suzu were doing their best to deflect. She narrowed her eyes at her vice-president, head swirling a multitude of thoughts and ideas. Tsuda has been pretty conspicuous for the past few months now. Nobody else seems to notice him all that much, strangely enough. Maybe he’s not being odd? She sighed, now focused on the lunch before her. And if that’s the case, why is he on my mind so much?
With the end of classes marks the beginning of Shino’s real work at Ousai Academy. The Student Council President strode down the hall, each heavy footstep echoing with poise and meaning. Naturally, this refined and elegant act drew the attention of many, of both girls and boys alike. Shino never cared too much for the limelight; while confident and certainly capable, she never tried to go out of her way to bring herself to the center of attention.
Except, of course, when her exhibitionism got the better of her.
Lately, she had noticed a strange feeling; one that she had not experienced before. Strangely enough, she uncharacteristically yearned for some kind of attention that (shockingly) did not have anything to do with her lewd practices. She was unfamiliar with the sudden influx of feeling, unable to decide what to do about them. Perhaps Tsuda may know…
Shino had arrived first to the council room, just as she normally would. Like clockwork, she began the initial set up, bringing the chairs out from the back of the room to their card table. She then collected and reviewed the paperwork that was to be completed for the day left by the inept Yokoshima-sensei.
Just as she finished the distribution of work, an abnormally small individual with an IQ of over 180 and could perform ten-digit calculations with ease entered.
“President, good afternoon,” Hagimura Suzu greeted.
Shino returned the greeting with a smile. “Ah Hagimura, good afternoon to you. I have your work for today all laid out.” Her smile grew to one more mischievous than Suzu would have liked. “Laid out just like a lover is when pushed down, soon to be rav-“
“Alright, alright I get it please don’t continue,” Suzu muttered, a heavy sigh followed.
Before she could respond, the door to the student council opened. A flash of light brown hair and a kind smile appeared before the two members.
“Good afternoon Shino-chan, Hagimura-san,” Aria greeted, gracefully waltzing through the door.
Shino and Suzu exchanged glances.
“Uh, Shichijō-senpai, you seem to be in a good mood today,” the treasurer inquired.
Aria beamed upon her fellow members. “I just had a good night and then morning and it stuck with me.” She hummed a small tune as she sat into her chair. “Dejima-san slept with me last night and I haven’t slept better in ages! I woke up nice and warm in her embrace!” She hugged herself, face lightly red and a big smile plastered on her face.
“SHICHIJŌ-SENPAI, THAT’S INDECENT!”
The door opened once more to reveal the furrowed brows and straight lipped face of Tsuda Takatoshi. He slowly trudged through the door of the Student Council room and over to his regular seat. Shino and Suzu watched him with great concern as he sat down, then slowly looked up to face the beaming Aria.
“Shichijō-senpai. Please tell off Dejima-san before I call the police.”
Aria cocked her head, large eyes blocked by her bangs yet still focused straight at the vice-president. “Hmm? Dejima-san just took care of me while I was sick. What’s wrong Tsuda-kun?”
Tsuda closed his eyes and laid his hands on the table. “Why would you say it like that?”
The door swung open once more. “Yo,” came the deadpanned voice of the visitor.
Hata Ranko slipped through the door, almost unnaturally sliding into the student council room. She raised her hand in greeting, eyes blank and calculating. With her, she carried a microphone, recording tape, and her ever prevalent camera. She marched in, carrying some air of authority despite have no sway over anything in the room.
“Ah Hata-san, welcome. What could I do for you today?” Shino smiled softly at the Student News reporter.
“I came by to get an interview with our ever-popular vice-president and resident masochistic pervert, Tsuda Takatoshi for our upcoming issue.”
“Oi, you’re making things up.”
Hata flew unnaturally close into Tsuda. “Oh, but am I really?” She carried the last syllable in an accusatory manner.
Tsuda quickly glanced to Shino, eyes pleading for help, then immediately back to the reporter. “I would say that is the case.”
Hata’s blank face stared back at him, dull eyes growing ever the more livelier as the time passed. “Hmmmm.” She cautiously strode to Aria’s chair. It rattled when she sat, creaking as she leaned her full weight into the back. “Why don’t we get this started, shall we?”
Shino stood off to the side of the table near the door with Aria and Suzu. She watched Tsuda settle into his usual seat, back ramrod straight and eyes focused upon the wildcard reporter in front of him.
“Now then,” she began, retrieving and shuffling her notes from inside her uniform. She placed the tape recorder in between the two of them, clicking the ‘record’ button. Her camera was set up over her left shoulder and faced the nervous Tsuda. “Vice-President Tsuda, we like to see how those who are relatively new to this area what they think of the academy. Are there any words you would like to say?”
Shino watched as he gulped quietly before answering. “It’s a wonderful academy. There is so much opportunity to learn and progress as an individual. And I have made quite a few friends with whom I can share the experience with.” Tsuda glanced over at Shino, who smiled and gave a small thumbs up.
Hata, on the other hand, slowly leaned in. “Quite a few friends to experience everything with, hmm? What kind of devilish activities do you do with these people?”
“Don’t twist my words.”
Hata cocked her head. “But these people you experiment with-.”
“No. ‘Experience’. As in experience the school. Don’t input what you want to hear.”
“But these people you have frolicked with-.”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“That would include those you work with, no? Like these lovely ladies to our side.” She gestured to her left at the other three.
Shino narrowed her eyes at the blank faced reporter. What is she planning to twist now?
Hata sat back. “You have been with the student council for over a year now, what are your thoughts upon the matter.”
Tsuda let out the breath he was holding, a smile on his face. “I have enjoyed it immensely. I’ve learned a lot being here and gained new perspectives on how the other officers operate in their daily activities.”
Hata sighed while slightly groaning. “What are your thoughts on the other officers?”
“I think they’re great people who get the job done well.”
Hata leaned in eyes staring straight into Tsuda’s. “Anything specific?”
Tsuda frowned. “No, I don’t think so.”
Hata leaned in closer. “Nothing? No thoughts upon our dear president?”
Shino perked up at her title. What is she doing? Why am I a subject now? Shino payed closer attention, curious at the sudden subject twist.
Tsuda gulped slightly. “I-I think she is a hard worker, deserving of the title of president.” Hata remained in the same position, signaling that she wasn’t moving on yet. Tsuda sighed and closed his eyes. “She is incredibly kind and well liked, and rightfully so. She has kindly taken me under her wing to teach me everything she knows and is always there to help me out.”
Shino blinked, heart beating fast. Tsuda really thought that? She didn’t think she did too much, she just wanted to make sure he enjoyed his time. Sure, it was really nice to help him out. It was a very good feeling to sit next to him and go through everything that is troubling him. She was willing to go out of her way to assist him, so of course they would be on good terms. Shino sighed. But if that were the case, then why is my heart beating so fast?
Shino returned her focus back to the interview. Hata had not moved.
“Surely you have specific thoughts. If there were anything you would change about President Amakusa, what would it be?
Ah, Shino thought. Here comes the goading about her behavior.
“Nothing.”
Huh? What did he say?
“Nothing, you say?”
Tsuda nodded. “I wouldn’t change a single thing about the president. Like I said, she is incredibly kind and thoughtful, very willing to help out. Sure, there are some tiring moments, but that is part of the experience. Being with her and being vice-president has made the whole experience of being here much more fun and interesting.”
Did-Did he just say he enjoyed being with her? Shino stared at her vice-president. She watched him look over at her then weakly scratch the back of his head. Her heart was racing a million meters a second. She felt warm inside, like a strange sensation pulling at her heart in an odd and pleasant way.
Did he really mean it? She wasn’t quite sure. He was always on damage control dealing with the jokes and overall general behavior of Aria and herself. There’s no way he felt so strongly. Right?
Hata leaned back into her seat. She reached for her notes and began scribbling. “Oh ho. So that is what you think. Yes, let’s see. ‘Vice-President is a bottom while Prez is naturally a top’. Good to see you both meet the expectations set out for you.”
“Wait, what expectations?”
Hata ignored him and stood up. “I thank you all for accommodating me today, it was very informative, and I think I have good, quality, juicy content for the next issue. Farewell for now.” Masterfully evading Tsuda’s protests, she slipped just as quickly out of the room as she had entered.
The room was silent. Shino, still lost in thought, was interrupted by the humming of Aria from her left.
“Aria, what has you in a good mood?” Suzu inquired.
Aria grinned innocently. “I’m glad Tsuda-kun and Shino-chan are finally opening up about their sexual flings. I’m running out of ideas.”
Two voices rang out simultaneously. “IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!”
The setting December sun radiated out from over the western horizon. The elegant swathes of red, pink, and orange littered the partially cloudy sky as a cold wind blew through the buildings. Each ray of light bouncing off the glass exteriors reflected toe dazzling light show in the horizon.
Shino, however, didn’t notice. She had been lost in her thoughts for the rest of the afternoon following Hata’s simultaneously expected and unexpected surprise interrogation. Tsuda’s words had left her feeling incredibly odd, and not in her normal odd sense. Had he really meant all of what he said? He said such kind and thoughtful words, painting Shino in a perspective that she did not think he saw her in. Strangely enough, it made her feel elated.
She walked into her home, slipping off her shoes and heading straight up to her room. Upon entering, she set her bag down and jumped straight into her bed. She released a sigh she didn’t know she held and turned over to look up towards the ceiling.
Shino often found herself in peculiar situations with Tsuda, being in a normal setting or one concocted by the ruthless and unpredictable Hata. And yet, no matter the scenario, she found herself feeling particularly pleasant with him around. Like she could be herself with him and not feel the repercussions of social ridicule. Sure, he often fought back against her and Aria’s comments, yet he never became hostile. He was always there with them the next day, no matter how heavy the jokes may be. He would always come back to the Student Council room and be her right hand.
Shino reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled through her messages until she reached Tsuda’s name. Opening the chat, she fired off a message asking if he had gotten back home and set it back down. She hopped up and walked to the window, glancing out at the setting sun.
So, what did all of this mean? Why was she acting and feeling this way? For a while now, she experienced feelings differently with Tsuda than with her other peers. She had normally written it off as something insignificant; something that is an everyday thing with no real meaning behind it. Following Tsuda’s words from earlier however, she just couldn’t shake those kind words from her head. Each time she recalled his answer, her heart would soar to unimaginable heights; she would revel in the feeling of bliss until she came back down. Why? Why only Tsuda?
Her phone flashed and played a quick sound. She hastily picked it up and read the contents. Tsuda had replied to her, thanking her of her kind message and wishing her a wonderful night. She replied in kind and set her phone down. It was only then that she felt her heartbeat had risen, her face feeling hot, and a shiver of excitement coursing through her spine. She sighed and fell back onto the bed.
What am I doing?