Hey. So here's a pretty little 2nd Gen for you all to read.
A fun note - so initially the main character's name was supposed to be Inoue Aiko, but when I found out Aiko was already used in another story in this fandom, I changed it. Hehe. Whoops.
Hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a review. Thanks!
~Blaze
"You know, sometimes I really wonder if I want to be a patissiere. But then I eat these freaking amazing cakes by the A Group, and then I remember why I chose this school again."
I watch in distaste as Shiomi Tomone takes a rather large bite of the chocolate ganache cake in front of her, licking her lips as crumbs stick to the edges of her mouth. "Oh, man," she moans. "It's good to be alive."
"You're a pig," I say, taking a perfectly normal bite of my own cake, memorizing the smoothness, the texture. Today's assignment was to make a chocolate pastry, and as always, A Group has completely outdone us all. "I mean, the cake is truly wonderful, but you're eating like a monster."
"You just don't know how to appreciate delicacy when it's in front of you, Mari-chan," Tomone says, waving her fork in my direction. I snort. She could at least learn to be delicate herself. "If the A Group started their own patissieres right now, these sorts of things would cost more than my average salary when I grow up."
"Well, they are the best of the best," I reply, peeking a glance at the Baking Trio in the back. "What we're eating is made from the hands of Gods themselves."
"Well, we aren't too far behind, right?" Tsuga Junichi says hopefully, scratching his head with a smile. "I mean we are in B Group, which is only one level down. We're still pretty amazing to have made it this far."
"But that's all we are," Tomone snaps back. "Second place, through and through. And you see how freaking ahead those guys are. There's no way we're catching up to their level, Tsuga-kun."
"I do appreciate the positivity though, Jun-kun," I add quickly, and he nods gratefully at me, giving Tomone a hard glare.
To be honest, though, Tomone's right. Even though we're in the second highest group in our grade, we're way behind compared to the abilities of the A Group. Sure, I can impress my friends and family with my baking skills, but… my cakes may as well go in the trash bin if they were to be compared with those freaks of natures' creations. When it comes to culinary arts, these prodigies are the types of kids that France begs for in their universities. Trust me. I've worked with these guys all through middle school. I would know.
Aaah, pessimism. A great way to start the first term of high school, right?
But, I mean, look at them: First we see Hinata Shohei, laughing and winking as he talks to the others. He's got the reputation of being the refreshing idiot; he's sinfully attractive with these bright brown eyes and his loose blue hair, his square glasses making his sharp features cute and soft, but despite his nerdy aesthetic and his above average grades, he's got the least common sense out of all of us. He's a natural. He started baking with his two, and got national recognition for his baking in a competition when he was ten. His specialty is fillings and sauces and different sorts of icing, with gives him the ability to embellish anything into something more amazing than it was before.
Then there's Hinata Inari, Shohei's cousin and probably the most beautiful Barbie doll I have ever seen in my life. Round, almond shaped indigo eyes, luscious, long brown hair that never gets mixed up in her cooking. She's one of those people that you'd fall in love with no matter your gender or sexuality. She has an eccentric personality, but a strong head and heart that none can break. She won first prize in a children's exhibition for baking, which is what got her scouted for St. Marie. She's gifted in breads and is fully knowledgeable when it comes to spices. She's just… amazing.
And then… I hear Tomone swoon, and I roll my eyes, facing St. Marie's Number One Heartthrob's direction.
Kashino Haruto. Oh, man. I don't think I've heard of a person more popular than Kashino in the entirety of St. Marie Academy. I bet you a thousand yen that if you were to walk through the hallways of the school during lunchtime or class changes, you'll hear his name uttered in the snippets of conversations you catch at least once a day. And if you were to be graced by his presence, I'll bet you a thousand more you'll become one of his massive army of devotees by nightfall. It's almost unreal, how many people follow him wherever he goes, how many try to butt in a conversation, how many try to be his friend. Even I'm guilty of this; though, I guess I haven't been very successful. Sharp brown eyes, chopped, shaggy blonde hair. He's attractive. He's kind. Not only is he the strongest, most hard working, and most talented student in the A Group, but he doesn't boast about it, either. It's no wonder he's treated like a God. Even the people that are jealous of him can't seem to truly hate him. And considering his family… Kashino Makoto, the well known chocolatier, along with his ridiculously talented wife, Amano Ichigo? They're the power couple of St. Marie, the one the japanese branch loves to brag about. It's no wonder that their son gained all of their talent.
...Yeah. Now, compare that to me. Awkward, disorganized Mari Inoue, with stocky limbs and the body of a twelve year old boy, who has a friend group of a size that makes up 0.02% of Haruto's ever growing one. My bright magenta curls clash with my blue-green eyes, and it's a wonder I can force my hair into little ponytails at all. I've been in B Group since seventh grade, barely making it out of the cut for C. There are people who don't even know that I exist. And don't even start with my messed up family. Geez. The only thing I share with Haruto is the fact that we're both in tenth grade. And even that's stretching it, because considering his skill level, he should be employed by now.
"I'd kill to be that guy," Tomone sighs dreamily, nodding at Kashino. "Or to marry him. Or even Hinata-san or Hinata-kun. Polygamy actually sounds tempting for once."
"Me too," Jun says, turning to his own creation - it's a sandwich of crepes coated in rich, tempered milk chocolate, with dark chocolate shavings and strawberries on top. I have to admit, it's a pastry I'd definitely eat for breakfast any day. Jun's really talented when it comes to tempering, that's for sure. "But you know what? I'm happy with what I'm doing right now. I may never be as good as them, but I'd rather work on my own skills than obsess over being someone I'm not."
I smile at that. Honest, modest, and overall sweet sweet Jun. I really do admire his sense of self. He's the only one out of all of us who is comfortable with where he is. He picks his own pace and follows it through to the end. He's definitely role model material.
"Easy for you to say," Tomone pouts, crossing her arms with a huff. "Kashino-kun's your roommate."
That makes Jun and me laugh, and soon even Tomone allows a smirk to cross her features. Se may be a little stubborn and egoistic, but she is nice compared to a lot of people. The rest of the B Group - there are six of us in total - completely ignores us, choosing instead to complain about Group C's and D's creations instead of caring about anything else. Tomone was like that at first, but after being my roommate throughout middle school, she really warmed up to us over time.
Jun is kind of right too, I guess. Maybe being in B Group isn't all that bad after all. I mean, I am ranked as the team leader for our group. I look at the cheesecake I created, inspecting the white chocolate roses and the evenly spread chocolate on top, the roses surrounded by marshmallows, peanut butter chocolates, and caramel drizzles. It actually looked… nice. And I was pretty happy with how it turned out.
The scent and flavor of the ganache cake I had tried earlier suddenly floods my tastebuds.
Oh, who am I kidding. I'd kill to be one of the Baking Trio!
"Hey," Tomone says suddenly, sobering up from her giggles. "Look. Kashino-san's looking in our direction."
Jun gets a look before. "Yeah… you're right. Wait a second… is he looking at…"
When I turn around, finally facing Kashino, I catch his pretty brown eyes... staring straight at mine.
My stomach lodges somewhere in my throat.
"He's looking at you, Mari-chan," Tomone says slowly, carefully, quietly. I try to swallow, but I can't. He's still staring.
"Don't just stand there like a dead fish," Jun hisses. "Do something. You look like a slab of wood."
So I raise my hand, pull my face into a smile, and wave.
He blinks a couple times, a look of surprise washing over his face. He then grins broadly and waves back, gives me a wink, and then turns back to Shohei, beginning a conversation.
Meanwhile, I have been completely floored.
"Holy mother of God," I say quietly, "I think I've just been blessed by an angel."
"He winked at you," Tomone whisper-squeals, grabbing my hand and shaking it excitedly. "That's, like, basically a profession of his undying love!"
That snaps me out of my stupor. "Yeah, right," I say, rolling my eyes. "Kashino? Confessing to me? I am a mere mortal. God-blood and human-blood don't mix. Period."
"Besides," Jun says with a shrug, "Kashino probably just zoned out in your direction. You saw his face. I don't think there was much there."
"Way to kill the mood," Tomone whines, sticking her tongue out at him. "Don't listen to him," she then purrs in my ear. "I'm sure it was more meaningful than you think.
I let it go for the rest of the day, even when Tomone teases me about it when we get ready for bed. But it wasn't long after that I realized that she was absolutely right.
How?
Well.
Because it's the next day, 12:01 AM exactly, and Mr. Big Shot Baker Kashino Haruto has been staring at me since first period, rendering me completely incapable of focusing on my schoolwork.
Oh, God.
I'm currently in french class (fifth period. He's been staring at me for FIVE SOLID PERIODS GAAAAAHAHAAAA) with every intention of doing the practice sentences sensei has asked us to translate, but I'm shaking so hard and my palms are so sweaty and I can't keep my conjugations straight will you stop staring at me Kashino Haruto sir.
"I think you're making her nervous." I glance over my shoulder to see Shohei loudly whispering in his best friend's ear. "You don't have to gaze at her so… intensely."
"What? Oh," Haruto breathes back. Clearly, these two don't understand the point of whispering. They're sitting a row behind me! Do they actually think I can't hear them?! "Was I really being that obvious?"
"Yeah. I know how badly you want to ask her, but you'll scare her off if you keep this up."
Ask me? Ask me what? Dread piles into my stomach, and I grip my pencil harder, squeezing sweat between my my fingers. Is he going to ask me out? No way; I'm literal trash compared to him. Blackmail? But what could he possibly want for me? I pitch forward and slam my head against my desk, rattling the entire thing and earning myself a couple of curious stares. (How are they all so oblivious to the entire situation!?) WHAT DOES HE WANT FROM ME?!
Okay, Mari. Get yourself together. I lift my head slightly, deciding to distract myself with schoolwork. I stare at the first sentence on the worksheet. I have worked, it reads. Traduire la phrase suivante. Translate to french? Easy. My hand shakes as I drag my pencil onto the paper, attempting to form letters. J'ai travaillé. I got this. I have worked. J'ai travaillé. J'ai travaillé. J'ai travaillé.
"Hey, Inoue-san?"
Apparently, just as I had started on the first question, sensei had dismissed the class, and Kashino had approached me from behind, ultimately spooking me senseless, and I panicked, and then -
"J'ai travaillé!"
- and then that happened.
There was a momentary silence as people gave me pity looks and light snickers danced around the room. I took that time to collect myself and clear my throat, repressing my embarrassment and meeting his eyes. Oh, man, I am a piece of garbage.
"Sorry. You, uh, startled me. What you do from need me? Uh, I mean, what do you need from me?" I scratched the back of my head, mentally smacking myself. Smooth, Mari. Very smooth.
Haruto's lips quirked up, obviously amused. "I guess Shohei was right, then. Sorry for freaking you out all day with my weird staring," he says sheepishly. I feel some of my tension loosen as a smile makes its way onto his face. At least he understands my discomfort. "Anyway, listen… I have to ask you something."
"Sure, anything," I said as a little voice in my head creepily echoed, "anything?"
He's twiddling his fingers now, not meeting my gaze. I distinctly see a ton of girls leaning closer, their suspicious glances in our direction, and with all my heart I hoped please don't ask me out please don't ask me out please don't -
"Can you tutor me?"
…
What?
"What?" I asked, totally lost.
"I was wondering... if you could tutor me," he says a little slower, cautiously meeting my gaze.
"M-m-me?" I sputter. Oh my God. "W-w-why me? I mean, I don't know, I guess I'm maybe not the best person to ask. I'm sure there are other teachers or people that are more - uh - qualified for the task - "
He gives me a "are you kidding me" sort of glare which shrivels my voice like a dried up apricot and leaves my sentence hanging.
"People that are more qualified?" he repeats incredulously. "Inoue-san, you're literally the top of our class."
Oh.
Right.
I'm 1st in our class. Highest grades and all that. My final report card from last year pops back into my head - almost perfect.
Hehe. Forgot about that.
"Sorry," I say after a pause. I decide to stand up, taking all of my books off of my desk and beginning to pile them into by book bag. "You just… surprised me. It's not everyday I get approached," by a God, no less, I wanted to say, but I didn't, "and for tutoring of all things… and besides; I've never really done something like this before."
"Would you mind trying, though? For my sake?" Haruto asks. "I'm barely passing my semesters. I may be alright in culinary arts - " alright? ALRIGHT? " - but that's the only class that's keeping me from getting kicked out of St. Marie. I'm failing french. And math. My dad is after my throat for it. And I know you're amazing at both."
I look up at his pleading gaze. My respect for this guy went up, like, twenty percent. He isn't afraid of admitting his failures at all! Wow.
I consider my position as well. True, I do have the top grades, but that's because I spend so much time reading and studying hard. Will tutoring him come in the way of that? Well… then again, I guess keeping up with the material won't be so hard. And teaching him will most likely be a review.
"Fine."
"Fine?"
"Yes. I'll do it."
His face lights up like fireworks, blowing me away with the most beautiful smile I've ever seen on any boy in my entire life. My heartbeat freezes in shock. "So it's a deal? Let's shake on it."
He takes my hand in his and we exchange a firm shake - well, firm on his side. I just sort of flop my elbow like a fish. He lets go just as fast as he grabbed me, though, and I'm left with a tingling feeling on my fingertips.
"Thanks, Inoue-san. You mind meeting in the library around 7? We can plan out a schedule then."
"S-sure," I say. "I, uh, oh crap!" I missed the bell ringing, too busy talking to him! I'm going to be late! I stumble out of my chair in an ungraceful manner, throwing the strap of my bag over my shoulder. "I've gotta get to class, like, right now, so I'll - I'll just?"
"Inoue-san?"
"Yes?" I turn, barely keeping a grip on my bag and my things.
"It's lunch period."
Oh.
"Oh." I laugh sheepishly. "Oh gosh. You're right. Man, I'm such a spaz."
"You're so…" Haruto snickers at my expense, and I blush, completely embarrassed. "Never mind. I'll see you later, then?"
"Yeah," I say. "See ya."
As soon as he leaves the room flanked with a mass of people, I sit down and sigh, pulling out my bento box. I see Tomone rushing towards me with her own lunch box, Jun very close behind.
"Oh, man," I groan, shoving a forkful of potatoes into my mouth. "What the heck have I gotten myself into?"
Truly? Honestly? I wouldn't know the half of it.