Monday morning, Eizan and Mio are walking to school holding hands. Eizan is looking at her with a worried look on his face. “You're positive you are ok with telling everyone about our relationship.” She just smiled “Of course I am. I know your worried but we already talked about this yesterday.”

“I know, I know, but I don’t have the best reputation. It might cause problems.”

She sighed. “Like I told you, it will be fine. Isn’t this backwards. I thought I was the one who worried about everything.”

“I told you that’s not true. I just hide it better than you do.”

Mio giggled. “Besides, it’s not like were telling them were set to be engaged. Were just going to tell them were dating. People do it all the time.” Eizan still looked worried. As they approached the school gates plenty of the other students were staring. Mio was smiling but Eizan could feel the stares of some of the male students. He knew that she was considered one of the most beautiful girls in school and many would not approve of their relationship. She was quiet, well mannered, studious, and cute. No one had a bad word to say about her. He on the other hand was considered one of the school’s delinquents. People knew they were close friends and they made no effort to hide it. But dating was a different story, some would not approve. The jealous stares stung a little.

They entered the school grounds. Ren and Ome were giving them a look of approval. Eizan was looking around noticing all the stares. Ren smiled and waved “It’s about time you two.” Mio smiled and waved back. “Sorry, about that. The walk was a little farther than we had thought.”

Ren smiled mischievously. “That’s not what I was talking about.” Mio blushed. Eizan was scratching his cheek. Ome was looking at the two of them with a huge grin on his face. “I just hope if someone ever asks me out, they don’t shove a cracker in my mouth, while doing it.” Ren glanced slightly at Ome. Ome didn’t seem to notice or acted like he didn’t notice. Eizan was looking at Mio with a disapproving look on his face. She stuttered “Don’t be upset. I thought it was cute.” Eizan sighed and rubbed the top of her head. “As long as you are happy.” She looked up at him slightly blushing. “I am.”

Ren and Ome were staring at them in slight shock. Ome scolded “Could, you two not flirt first thing in the morning. It’s too sweet. I will get a stomach ache.”

Eizan smiled. “Like that’s not what you two were doing before we got here.”

Ome and Ren both blushed. Ren stuttered “T-that’s not what we were doing. W-we were just talking, right Ome.” Ome nodded but he was still blushing. Eizan and Mio were both thinking the same thing. “They’re both horrible liars.”

They stood there conversating for awhile before heading to class. They never let go of each other’s hands. Upon entering the class, the whole class stopped and looked at them. Apparently, word had already gotten to their classmates. Eizan let go of her hand and headed to his seat. Mio did the same thing. Hattori immediately ran over to Mio. Being the class busy body, she had to immediately confirm the rumors. Eizan was staring at them from across the classroom. He could see an increasingly worried look growing on Mio’s face. He thought to himself “What’s going on? That’s not the look that I was expecting. She was just smiling a second ago.” Eizan stood up from his seat and slowly walked over to them. “What’s wrong?” Mio’s face had gone pale. “Everyone at school knows were living together.”

Eizan looked stunned. “How did they find out?”

Hattori chimed in. “It’s been spread all over social media since last night. So, is it true.”

Eizan sighed and patted Mio on the head to try to calm her down. “It’s going to be ok. We just have to explain what’s really going on. The best way to stop scandalous rumors is with the truth. Are you ok if we tell them?” Mio nodded. Eizan slowly began to explain about their arranged marriage situation and about how they came to live together. He made sure to squash any rumors of the more salacious variety. Mio was blushing when he did that. He talked loud enough so everyone could here around them. He explained that they had just started officially dating this weekend. Finally, he asked “Who would spread these rumors. We intentionally kept this a secret as to not garner unwanted scrutiny?”

Hattori then explained that it was an anonymous account the had been posting information on the school’s social media page. They had posted all kinds of fake scandalous things about their relationship. He wondered who would do something like this and for what reason. He was sure they hadn’t been followed. No one person came to mind “Murata.”

Ren was furious. “Why would they do such a thing?”

Eizan frowned. “Let’s leave that question alone for the moment. Hattori, I know your fairly connected in this school. Can you please spread the truth of the matter for us.” Hattori nodded. “Thank you. That will be a big help.” He looked over at Mio and smiled softly. “There goes trying to be secretive about everything.” She smiled back. “Maybe it’s better this way. We don’t have to hide anything now.”

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Eizan sighed. “That remains to be seen. Come with me. We have to go speak with someone.” Mio gave him a strange look and he led her out of the room. The class just stared at them with strange expressions as they left. She questioned him “Where are we going?” He smiled and patted her on the head “To the principal’s office.”

Her eyes opened wide. “Why are we going there?”

“Us living together might be frowned upon by the school. We have to get ahead of the situation before it gets out of control.”

Mio had a worried expression. “I see.”

“Don’t worry too much. Believe it or not I have an amicable relationship with him.”

Izumi was standing in the corridor watching them closely as they approached. “I had a feeling you two would show up this morning.”

Eizan laughed “You always were very perceptive.” Mio couldn’t help but think “When did they become this friendly with one another?” She hadn’t realized yet that he and their teacher had been having almost weekly meetings for his behavior since school started. Since Eizan hadn’t really learned anything academically from Izumi, he viewed her more as an overbearing older sister than his teacher. He respected her more than maybe Izumi had even realized.

Izumi sighed “Why did my class trouble maker have to fall in love with my perfect student?”

Eizan got a big smile on his face. “She’s cute.”

Mio punched him in the side. “Now is not the time for comments like that.”

Eizan scratched his cheek “You may be right about that.” He looked at Izumi “Sensei is principal Yokoyama available at the moment?”

Izumi sighed “He’s in his office. We've been waiting for you two.”

Mio looked very worried but Eizan reassured her “Everything will be ok. You have my word that I will not allow anything bad to happen.” He looked at Izumi “Lead the way.” Izumi led them into the principal’s office. Principal Ichigo was sitting at the desk waiting for them. “Hashimoto and Sakurai thank you for coming to see me before I had to call. Please take a seat.” Ichigo motioned towards the couch. Eizan grabbed Mio’s hand and led her to her seat. Izumi sat in a chair in the corner of the small office.

Ichigo stared at them for a few seconds before he finally spoke. “Eizan, you’re causing me a headache again. Did you know I have already got phone calls from concerned parents? Knowing you, I bet you knew the second you heard the rumors had been spread.”

Eizan started laughing. “Of course, I knew.” Mio looked at him strangely. Eizan just smiled at her “There’s no way some of those people who are too concerned about public decency wouldn’t call when they found out two high school students were living together. That’s why I came here immediately after I heard the rumors this morning and of course I had to bring her with me. I know your not one to meddle in the lives of students outside of school. But with so much outside pressure you would be forced to act, wouldn’t you?”

Ichigo sighed and looked over at Mio. “Sakurai, do you understand why he brought you here?”

She looked back and forth between Eizan and Ichigo. “N-not really.”

Ichigo was shaking his head. “Some of the parents want me to do something about you two living together. They think of it as indecent. They would like you punished for not adhering to good moral conduct. Parents like them are why we still have school uniforms.”

Eizan laughed and interrupted him from speaking further. “But you have no idea how to punish us do you? We’ve technically broken no school rules.”

Ichigo stood up from his chair and walked over to the window and began staring out at the courtyard. “You’re right. Technically, we have no rules prohibiting students from living together. But we do have rules for public decency. My main question is whether what you’re doing is indecent to begin with.”

Mio finally chimed in “We haven’t done anything indecent. If anything, he’s been the perfect gentleman the whole time I’ve stayed with him.”

Eizan looked at her “It’s ok Mio, that’s not what he wants to know.” She gave him a strange look. “He wants to know the circumstances as to why we started living together.” Her eyes widened. Eizan turned towards Ichigo. “We need to clarify one thing to start. Our parents are well aware of the fact that we are living together. Mio and I were set to have an arranged marriage. But neither one of us wanted that kind of relationship. Nor did we know originally that the other was the person we were to be marrying.” Eizan then spent the next few minutes explaining the whole situation to the principal.

“Alright, I’ve heard your story and I find no reason to punish either of you. But I do need you to do something for me. From now on you must do your best in class. Eizan, I expect you to be first on the exam. Mio, I expect you to be within the top ten. I need you to do well, to quiet down the parents who are complaining. Also, Eizan you need to stay awake in class.”

Eizan laughed. “Do you really think we need to meet your demands?” The principal gave him a worried look. “I’m sure I could handle the whole situation with one phone call.”

The principal stared at him for a few seconds. “Why do you always have to do things the hard way?”

Eizan leaned back on the couch and laughed lightly. “In my opinion it’s the easy way. How about this. The school won’t punish us, because we have violated no school rules. I wonder if the anonymous donor who paid for the gym remodel last year would like to hear about this. I heard he was planning to provide more funding this year. Maybe, he and I will have a nice chat.”

Mio was frowning at Eizan “He might be more like his grandfather than I thought.” She hit him in the leg. “You be good.”

Eizan sighed, turned, and smiled softly at Mio. “Do you want me to do it his way?” Mio nodded. “You do realize that means you have to score in the top ten?” She nodded again. “Alright, how about she has to score in the top twenty. That should be more than enough.” Eizan and the principal negotiated for the next few minutes with it finally being decided that Mio would have to place in the top fifteen.