(http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr50/akikokittel/akikobanner.jpg) (http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr50/akikokittel/akiko.jpg)<br/><hr/><br/>This time Akiko walked to her desk on the side that Mariko's desk sat. As she passed by Mariko, at the back of the class, she lazily let her hand trail over the desk and one of Mariko's hands.<br/><br/>Sitting down, finally, she smiled wanly at Mariko, and turned her attention to the diagram and began to sketch with quick, sure strokes of her felt-tipped pen. When the lunch bell rang, Akiko looked over at Mariko. "I'm sorry, Mariko-san. I hope she does not come down hard on you.... I asked her to punish me instead of you, but I don't know what she's going to do," Akiko whispered, leaning close to Mariko, obscured from Fujiwara Sensei's sight by the mass of students rising to leave.<br/><br/>"Maybe, after we get back to the dorms, we can talk?" Akiko asked, hoping Mariko could answer before Fujiwara sensei called on them.