[Hey :D This is a fanfic that I was never really serious about but wrote AGES ago just for the heck of it. When I was browsing through my old things, I came across it and it seemed promising so I'm taking it up again. I'd love to know what you think of my writing skills. Anything you want to say, at all, can be said in your review. I even accept flames so long as you tell me what you're flaming me for :D Also, all the characters in my fiction are slightly older than in the anime because, let's face it, they do NOT look like middle schoolers :D]
Chapter 1
Yukimura strode into Chemistry with an air of malevolence about him. He needed to have a word with his so called 'teacher' - more like professional idiot - before class started. How dare she give him a C on his internals. The Yukimura Seiichi getting a C. The very idea was laughable.
Mrs. Ikeda was looking for her lesson planner. It was vital for her next class. So, she was justifiably annoyed when she was rudely interrupted in the midst of turning her drawers inside-out.
Yukimura strode up to her desk, his eyes glittering dangerously. "Ma'am", he tried to begin politely, "I believe a mistake was made when you graded my internals."
His teacher did nothing more than stop what she was doing and glare at him over the rim of her glasses. What now?
Seiichi gritted his teeth and forced himself to continue. "I received a C when I distinctly got A grades in all my assignments. It would be best if this mistake is rectified as soon as possible."
"There was no mistake in your grades," Mrs. Ikeda said with glee, "You lack proper communication skills. You do know that is also taken into consideration, don't you Seiichi?"
Yukimura fisted his hands and tried to control his temper. Of all the inane reasons. What did talking have to do with Chemistry anyway? Chemistry dealt with acids and ... things; while talking was just, well, talking. That, however, was not as important as the matter at hand. If he was stuck with a C, he might not be a part of the Tennis team anymore. He shuddered. It seemed like there was only one thing left to do.
"Is there any extra credit I might be able to do, Ma'am?" he bit out, "I'll do anything to bring up my grade." Of all the teachers he had to plead, it just had to be the one he detested.
Mrs. Ikeda was enjoying herself. She was amused. Yukimura Seiichi begging groveling at her feet was a pleasant scenario indeed…but she wasn't cruel. All that much anyway.
She smirked and leaned forward. "I suppose I can give you one more chance. I want you to write a twenty page essay on tetra-fluro carbons. You may submit it within the next two weeks."
She visibly saw him exhale with relief. That was when she dropped the bomb. "You will be working on it with Arisa Nishimura. The project needs to be a team effort, not a one-man show. Remember, I will be checking up on you. So don't think you can scam me."
"That will be all," she dismissed him.
Yukimura turned heel and left without uttering a single word. He was fuming. It was bad enough that he needed to an extra credit assignment but the fact that he had to do it with a partner made it worse. The part where his partner was Arisa Nishimura made it catastrophic.
She was popular. She was pretty. She could talk with anybody about nothing in particular. She was updated about the latest movies and such. But she lacked a personality. Maybe that was the reason he was half-comatose the one time he had spoken to her a couple of years ago. Every word that came out of her mouth was carefully designed to make herself look good and get more friends. She never just did things, never just reacted. There was always a plan behind what she did.
He sighed. Ah well, there was nothing he could do about it. He'd just have to bear with it and finish the essay as soon as possible.
The bell rang.
He tromped off to his Math class. If he got there early enough, maybe he could talk to Nishimura and inform her about the project they had to do - ugh - together. But he heard that the coach had wanted to see him. It would probably have to wait till after Math.
He groaned. It was the first period and he already had the beginnings of a headache. It was going to be a long day.
Arisa Nishimura was having a greatday.
She ticked the reasons off her fingers as she made her way to her Math class.
Her presentation for History had gone without a hitch. The planning of the Spring Dance was going remarkably well. She was invited to three parties in the next couple of weeks. Her hair looked great in spite of the increasing humidity andshe had an amazing tan. Really, what more could a girl possiblywant?
She was swarmed with greetings and invitations the minute she stepped into the class.
"Risa-chan, you're coming to my place tomorrow, right?"
"Ari! Where did you get that tan? Winter's hardly ended!"
"Did you listen to that CD I gave you the other day?"
"Nishimura-san, have you thought about my marriage proposal yet?"
"Will you go with me to the dance? I mean I know it's still a month away but I didn't want anyone else asking you…"
She smiled and shook her head. "Guys, one at a time please. I have only two ears. If all of you talk at the same I may overheat and spontaneously combust." A smattering of laughter swept the crowd and soon enough, an animated conversation broke out. It had died down to a lull within a few minutes. Mr. Kitagawa - their Math teacher- walked into the classroom, they were already in their seats, ready for class to begin.
Yukimura Seiichi was definitely above average in terms of academics and usually had a position among the five highest ranked students in the school. This wasn't because he studied six hours a day or had a tutor. He simply had a photographic memory. As a result, however, he hardly ever listened in class and usually sat through them in a bored daze. That day seemed extra boring. Triangles weren't all that interesting to Yukimura. Who caredif the angles were in proportion or not? It wasn't like the future of the world depended on it.
He sighed and slumped into his seat. He drummed his fingers on the desk, eyes wandering in search of something interesting. They were drawn to a cascade of rich, auburn hair glinting golden in the morning sunlight. Ah yes, Arisa Nishimura. Nowthere was something to grab your attention.
Her clothes came in a multitude of colors and varieties. They accentuated her best features and made her out to be a bold, exciting individual - someone who dared to take on the world guns blazing. Looking at her sitting primly with her back rod-straight paying rapt attention, Yukimura appreciated the irony of his thoughts. Arisa? Bold? An elephant in a golden unitard would be more plausible. It would be surprising if she hadn't planned every minute of every day for the next week let alone the next day. It infuriated him the way she was always so put together.
He wondered at how she'd react when he told her about the project. She would probably have to make a plethora of phone calls trying to re-arrange her schedule. He smiled inwardly. It was the least she could do. After all, hewas the one stuck with her - not the other way around.
The bell finally rang. Yukimura let the lunch crowd finish stampeding to the cafeteria before he grabbed his things and made his way over to Arisa.
She flashed a blinding smile at him when she saw him coming over. "Hello Yukimura-san. Is there anything I can do for you?"
It was nauseating. "Arisa-san, I need to talk to you about an assignment Mrs. Ikeda gave us." She seemed taken aback by when he used her first name. It was satisfying seeing her stumble when the rules of normal etiquette were broken. He wondered how she would respond.
To his disappointment, she did nothing at all. "Well, why don't you tell me about it while we walk to the caf?" she said, her smile unwavering.
Yukimura was not about to let her make an escort of him anytime soon. He tried goading her into a standoff, "Actually, I'd prefer if we could finish talking about it right away." "I have an important business to take care of and it requires my immediate attention," he lied. Sadly, he was let down once again.
"Of course Yukimura-san." He didn't notice her hands trembling or eyes blazing.
He decided to stop playing games. He wasn't going to get a reaction out of her anytime soon. She was like a doormat. She would lie down and make it easier for people to walk over her if it meant avoiding a confrontation. A confrontation would lead to arguments, which would eventually lead to less friends, and god forbid events like that happening.
He told her about the assignment and left the classroom as quickly as possible. They had settled on meeting up every Wednesday after school to work on the essay.
The thought of spending four hours with only her for company sent shudders down his spine but it was for a good cause. Mainly, his grades. So, he would just have to shut up and deal with it.
Arisa made her way over to her table at the cafeteria. It was packed with people and she was bombarded with bits of conversation the minute she was within hearing distance. She sunk into her seat and relaxed. This was her territory. She knew how to deal with it. She knew how to direct the flow of conversation, keep things interesting. She was confident. Unlike the way she was a few moments ago.
Something about Yukimura Seiichi made her hair stand on end. He was hard to read. She didn't know what would please him. He made her lose her composure. He cracked through her walls. He made her vulnerable. Thankfully, he hadn't noticed it…yet. She would have to be careful in the coming weeks when she worked with him.
She would just have to build stronger walls.
She had to.
School was over.
Yukimura walked over to the tennis courts anticipating a blood thirsty practice session only to find…the regulars missing.
He felt his blood boiling. They were supposed to be stretching by now. What on earth were they doing? Or not doing in this case?
He stomped all the way to the clubroom and found them sitting at tables in groups, working diligently at stitching dolls of all things.
He marched over and stood towering above them.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked in a deceptively soft voice.
Sanada slowly inched towards him as one would a dangerous animal. "Yukimura, hear me out first. It's not their fault. It was an order. Today is team-bonding day. Its mandatory."
His head swiveled towards Sanada, "And the team is making stuffed dolls because…?"
Sanada squirmed, "Kirihara thought it would be a good idea to make voodoo dolls and we couldn't not do it either because the coach okayed it but you know how-"
Yukimura cut him off. "Voodoo dolls?" he said stupefied. He could not believe this.
"Voodoo dolls," he repeated," my team is making voodoo dolls as a way to bond as a team." It sounded even crazier when said aloud. He turned on his heel and walked out the door.
Sanada was worried but he knew enough to avoid going after him. Yukimura didn't often get like this but when he did…it was best to leave him alone.
Seiichi returned about a half hour later. He trod through the front door and sat down at one of the tables. Without a word, he picked up a needle, some fabric and started making a doll that looked remarkably like Kirihara Akaya.
Sometimes, you had to know when to pick your battles.
[Thank you for reading so far! Review please? :D]