Italics - Leaf's thoughts, Flashbacks
Disclaimer: I do not own Paradise Kiss. It is owned by Ai Yazawa. Similarly, I do not own Pokemon and its characters, which are owned by The Pokemon Company.
It was past the bakery that always smelled so good...
...around the corner at an exciting accessories shop...
...and down, down, down...
...a dangerous-looking alley.
A place hidden away, probably once a bar.
They called it their "atelier."
-Butterfly Wish-
One: Meeting
In the busy streets of Kanto, bustling with people here and there, was a female student who held an exam reviewer in her hand. The traffic light was still red, just across her in the other side of the road. Her thoughts flew to that one time in school..
Flashback
"These marks won't get you in.", the teacher declares.
Leaf looks at the teacher with scrunched eyebrows, shock on her face.
"You'll have to take a study year, or more, and try the exams again. At this rate your friends will graduate before you even start." The teacher drops the small card containing her mock exam results. "What's wrong? Why won't you concentrate?"
The girl looks sideways, not knowing how to answer the thrown question.
The teacher sighs. "Ms. Green, life's not a game."
End Flashback
"I know it isn't, you old bald jerk! Change your jersey sometimes!", Leaf mumbles. Her attention was caught by the traffic light turning green, prompting her to cross the street.
I took my first entrance exam when I was five, for a famous university's primary school.
But in life's first great test, I failed miserably.
It wasn't failing that bothered me, it was my mother. I thought she might abandon her idiot daughter. So from that day on, I studied harder than anyone.
I got my own back by qualifying for one of the top high schools. But my little brother, who was much smarter than me, was taking exams by then. My mother focused on him.
It was as if I'd been set free.
"Nope, no girlfriend.", a black-haired male said to a group of females circling around him.
"That's Brendan Birch."
"He's so cute!"
He was my first love.
But for three years, that first love bore the title "unrequited".
We first talked when I accidentally bumped into him and lost hold of my books. He helped me pick them all up, and apologized. I thanked him and that started our acquaintance.
We figured out that we were in similar classes, and thus began our friendship. He always greets me in the morning and after classes.
It was lunch break, and Leaf's male classmates were playing soccer. Included was Brendan. She was currently hiding behind a tree with her phone, attempting to take Brendan's photo. Not until Brendan spotted her behind the tree. She hid, wishing he didn't see her.
Her wishes were obviously ignored. "What are you doing?", Brendan says as he approaches the panic-stricken Leaf.
"Nothing! Trying out my new phone.", she blurts as an excuse.
"Take us both, then."
Leaf's eyes widen. "Is it okay?"
"If you like.", Brendan smiles. They both huddle closer and take their picture, after which Brendan bids Leaf goodbye as he runs back to his soccer game.
After classes, Leaf walked home and checked back on her phone. She looks at her photo with Brendan, and decides to set it as her wallpaper. She giggled like a lovestruck girl, which she really was at the moment.
Her moment of glee was interrupted by a male getting beside her.
"Hey, miss."
Who is this stranger?, she thinks, and then decides to just ignore him.
"Hey! Hey, you!"
"Tsk..", Leaf let out in annoyance.
"Hey! Aw, come on!", the guy insists.
"Go hit on someone else. I'm busy.", she says. She stops when she finally sees how the man looks like. He had green hair, and he wore a black punkish top with no sleeves, and he had those spiky bracelets that punks wear. He also wore shades, and had piercings in his ears.
She snorts. It's really a punk, she thinks.
"Excuse me. I'm in a hurry.", she says and walks away.
"Five minutes!", the guy says as he followed Leaf.
"I'm busy!", Leaf walks faster.
The male removes his shades and matches Leaf's pace. "Three minutes! Two! One!"
Leaf breaks into a run.
"Hey!", the grasshead shouts as he chases Leaf. "Hey! Wait!"
Leaf does not relent. "Wait!"
Leaf shouts back while sprinting. "No! I'm getting robbed!"
She continues to run away. Being Leaf, a clumsy girl since she was born, she trips on her own feet. She thought she was going to kiss the concrete sidewalk, but she crashes into a purple-haired person wearing a dress.
"Harley!", grasshead exclaims.
"Drew! What are you doing?!", the person named Harley asked.
"I didn't want her outrunning me.", Drew pants.
Their attention was called by Leaf fainting in Harley's arms.
"Miss? Hey.", Harley says and taps her arm. No response. "Now what?"
"W-what's wrong?", Drew asks.
Anemia. I've been lying awake nights worrying about exams., Leaf thought. She can't lift herself up, she's losing her grip on her consciousness.
"Let's take her to the atelier.", Harley suggests.
Drew nods. "Sure." Drew tries to lift Leaf.
"Man, this girl's heavy! Get her legs.", he says to Harley who nods.
Harley smiles. "Nice legs!"
A new way of life suddenly opened out before me. My monkey palanquin turned at a sweet-smelling bakery...
Everything went black for Leaf.
"Are you okay?", a sweet voice welcomes Leaf as she regains her consciousness. She opens her eyes and sees a brunette in a lolita get up. Leaf realizes her situation and gets up surprised.
"You're awake! I'm May Maple.", the brunette introduces. "We would've called a doctor, but you were talking in your sleep... about a monkey."
"Where am I?", Leaf asks, clutching her head.
"In our atelier.", May answers.
"Atelier?"
May nods. "We make clothes here. We're from the Celadon Academy of Arts."
"Ah, Celadon…", Leaf mutters.
May's eyes widen. "You've heard of it? Great!"
Drew smirks. "See? Our school's famous."
"Famous for taking in idiots.", Leaf coldly states. May's smile drops and Drew frowns in turn.
"…who hit on people from other schools.", Leaf adds.
"I was scouting, not hitting.", Drew states in his defense.
"Huh?" Scouting?
"Next month, we're having our graduation fashion show. It's the last school festival for us third-year students. We're looking for a runway model to wear what we've made.", Drew explains.
Me? A model? Leaf thinks. "You've got to be kidding! I've got entrance exams. I don't have time for games with the likes of you. I'm going.", she says and walks away to the door, not looking where she was going.
"Wait, Lea!", May calls out to her.
Leaf bumps her knee into a small desk. "You mean me?"
May nods. "You haven't told us your name."
"And I don't intend to." Leaf answers, "Thanks for the nursing.", then walks away.
"Wait a minute.", Drew stops her.
Leaf halts and turns back. "Now what?"
"This isn't a game to us. Take that back. Say you're sorry but you haven't got time."
"Drew...", May worriedly mutters.
Drew grabs Leaf shoulders and blocks her way. Just then, a brunet with wild spiky hair enters, a dress hanging on his arms.
"You go to Saffron. So you can give us attitude? Take it back.", Drew spats.
Leaf looks away to the door, and sees the newly arrived brunet.
"Who's this?", the brunet asks.
"Gary!", Harley says.
May answers him. "Drew scouted her."
Gary looks amused. "Yeah? For our model?"
Gary looks at Leaf with intense eyes. Leaf has disturbed look on her face, and leaves atelier running, bothered by the feeling Gary gave her.
Back inside the atelier…
"She looked perfect, but she's an idiot!", Drew complains.
An aroma catches Gary's attention. "Something smells good."
Harley laughs. "It's not for you, it was for her. Stamina stew.
I guess it'll be my dinner now."
Gary chuckles. "You won't let me eat what you made for her?"
The next day, lunch break, at Saffron High…
"Hey, Brendan... have you ever met someone who was scary ?", Leaf asks the boy, sitting on the seat behind her seatmate.
Brendan gives her a questioning look, and Leaf continues on. "Right from the start, you thought, this person scares me. If this person's around, he'll wreck my life."
The halls toward her classroom began to be noisy.
"Right when I met him, I had that feeling. One of those people you never know what they'll do."
Leaf realized the reason when her female classmates began squealing.
The man she was just talking about was right there, by their classroom door. He was wearing his usual white long-sleeved button-down shirt, black slacks, and leather shoes. Not wanting to be recognized, she hid her face below her hands.
Gary smirks, thinking how the girl could hide herself after she had been recognized. He walks in and stops in front of Leaf's desk.
"I came to say sorry. I heard how my friend chased you, and you fainted... and then he got mad at you." He starts. "I think we need to apologize."
He places his hands on Leaf's table, as if to lean. Leaf's body jerks backwards to create distance. "What's your name?", Gary asks.
Leaf didn't intend to answer, but then the females at the back answered for her. "Leaf Green!"
She glared at the females. Gary chuckled. "Leaf?"
Her classmates ask. "Your boyfriend?" Teasing erupted from the class.
Leaf shook her head in denial. "No!" She looks at Brendan, who was silent. "Brendan, he's not!"
She glares back at Gary. "What do you want?"
"Sorry."
Leaf frowns. "Get lost!"
Gary smirks. "Leaf!"
Leaf stands up. "Don't call me that!", she says and pushes Gary away in attempt to shoo him. Gary grabs hold of her wrists instead.
"Let's go.", Gary says and pulls Leaf outside her classroom.
Leaf let out shouts of protest. "Hey, wait!"