Am I Pretty?
By: Asagi Tsuki
Summary: when Kantarou wonders why Haruka didn't say yes, he started a quest to find out why
A sequel to My Lucky Number is Twenty One.
Reply to reviewers of My Lucky Number is Twenty One:
Normal Human: thank you. This is the sequel and I hope you enjoyed it like you enjoyed the prequel of this story. I didn't think twenty questions game is fun, though, I always get it wrong ;;;
Emerald-rei: yes, yes, that's the one! It's so great, no? Funny, but I'm not that diligent as to make a questionnaire about Haruka, nope. Anyway, here's the sequel I have been talking about. Hope you enjoy
Koyuki: thank you for the compliment. Eh? Is he mean? Well, it's just that… you know, I don't really like mushy scenes, and instead of having Haruka say yes and other things, I decided to make him trick Kantarou. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this one as well
GS: yes, they know that they love each other, but… just read, it's mentioned in here. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the previous story, and I hope you like this one. It's a humor/romance. I planned for it to be a humor one-shot fic, but I can't get the romance bits go away ;;;
Ruby-dream: err… warm feelings? What do you mean? I don't feel anything when I write and reread it, though I feel hot when my father forbids me from turning the air conditioner on (so lame joke -;;;) anyway, glad you enjoyed it
Hispanic Tenshi: hey, I agree with the short part, though I don't know about the funny and amusing part. You know, people often say that we don't appreciate what we have. And I totally agree with that. And no, I'm not trying to sound sarcastic or mean.
Khealchan: well, at least I have another one-shot fic ready to be uploaded after this. But I won't have the time to upload it these days. I'm very busy. This is the sequel, hope it doesn't disappoint you.
Tora Macaw: thick at times? You mean? I don't really understand it. I mean, I don't know when he is thick. (you know, I have a slow brain, so even though I'm the one who wrote that fic, I don't know which part you're talking about ;;; so sorry)
Venedy: ignorant? When? Sorry, but as I have said in the reply to Tora Macaw, I really have a slow brain and I don't know which part you're talking about. Anyways, here's the sequel, hope you enjoy. I didn't make many sequels, so hope this one doesn't disappoint you
Infinity Ryen: thank you! Anyways, hope you enjoy this one.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tactics
Now, onto the story…
Story
"Ne, Youko," a silver haired man who was rather short called out to his slave, a female fox demon, who was filling a bowl with rice for him, "Am I pretty?" he asked, and the bowl nearly slipped from her hand due to shock. The bowl didn't slip though, nearly was the keyword there.
"Why do you ask, Kan-chan?" Youko, a girl with short dark brown hair, asked, stopping whatever activities she was doing and paid attention to her master who looked like he was between embarrassed, meek and sheepish.
"No, I was just wondering…" he trailed off, staring at the food in front of him. There was only little food since only he was going to eat them. Youko had had breakfast, and his other slave, a man with shoulder length raven black hair, had had breakfast as well.
"About?" a deep voice suddenly asked from the door and the both of them turned only to see the other occupant of the house standing there, arms crossed, face expressionless.
"Nothing," Kantarou shook his head and shot a grin towards Haruka, the other occupant of the house, as Youko continued filling the bowl with rice before she handed it to Kantarou.
It was the tenth day since the twenty questions incident, and their relationship had changed drastically from master-slave to no-status relationship(1). Youko had known this, of course, and Kantarou was really wondering whether she heard it from someone, she was there that night, or she had a wolf's instinct.
Kantarou ate his share of breakfast quickly, feeling uncomfortable under the intense gaze of Haruka, and stood up after muttering his thanks to Youko, before he walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Haruka asked, blocking the doorway and not letting Kantarou walk out of the dining room.
"Out," Kantarou answered simply. "Now, please move aside," he asked but Haruka wouldn't move, "Before I forced you to," he added, and at this, Haruka unwillingly moved aside, letting his master walk out of the dining room and to the front door.
"Where do you think he's going?" Youko asked Haruka who merely shrugged and then sighed, "I think he's wondering about something, you know, he asked me whether he's pretty or not," she continued, and Haruka looked mildly interested at this.
"And?" he asked.
"I didn't reply, you came inside," Youko answered. "What's it about?" Youko asked.
"Nothing," Haruka replied and walked out of the dining room, leaving an angry Youko behind.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Am I pretty?" Kantarou asked.
A woman with long fair brown hair stared for some moments, before she jumped and squealed. "Of course! You're really pretty, sensei! I bet if you dress in woman's dress and walk around, you'll get home bringing ten men in your tow!" she rambled energetically and Kantarou almost regretted the idea of asking her in the first place.
"Do- do you really think so, Reiko-san?" he asked again. If she thought that it was so, then why'd he say no?
"Yes," Reiko nodded her head, less energetic even though it was only for a little less energetic, "Why? Someone said you're not?" she asked.
"Something like that," Kantarou answered matter of factly, nodding his head.
"Don't mind that person," Reiko laughed, "I bet that person has other way to say yes to your question, so don't dwell on it, okay?" she asked.
"Okay," Kantarou nodded, "Thank you for your advice, Reiko-san," he said and Reiko merely nodded.
"Oh, and don't forget the script," Reiko reminded and Kantarou nearly fell down.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Am I pretty?" Kantarou asked.
A woman with dark brown hair, almost black, stared at her childhood friend, and thought for the answer for a while. "Why, of course, I'd say that you're the same as me or maybe more," she said.
"Hm…" Kantarou mumbled, observing his childhood friend's face. He knew that he didn't look like her in any ways. He had looked into a mirror several times and he was very well aware of that.
"What?" Yumeyako asked. "Are you in love with someone?" she asked, smirking.
"Err, not really," Kantarou replied, remembering their no-status relationship.
"Not really means yes," Yumeyako smirked, "Who's the lucky lady?" she asked.
"Well…" Kantarou thought for a while, contemplating whether he should tell her or not, "It's not really the lucky lady…" he mumbled.
"Oh?" she asked. "Is it a… he?" she asked.
"Yes," Kantarou nodded a little.
"Oh, so who's the lucky mister?" she asked, smirking once again and Kantarou nearly fell down again. How come she was so carefree?
"Err," Kantarou stammered a bit, not really wanting to tell her.
"Oh, I know! It's Haruka-san, is it not?" she asked.
"Wha-?" Kantarou was surprised at this.
"Ah, I knew it! You two looked like lovers at that time, especially when the fire had burned the whole building up," she explained(2).
Kantarou was more than surprised. Were they that obvious? And what about the fire?
"When?" he asked.
"You know, when he says," Yumeyako stopped for a while, "It's what you call fate," she copied Haruka's voice perfectly, "And you two look at each other like you two are going to kiss," she was back to her original voice.
Kantarou's face burned at this. He didn't notice it, and being told by someone about it wasn't the best thing he had expected.
"It's okay, you're pretty enough," Yumeyako smiled reassuringly, "Oh, was he the one who said you're not pretty?" she asked, and Kantarou nodded weakly, a sad expression plastered on his face.
She thought for a while, before she smiled, "It's okay," she said as she patted his back, "He may have said no, but it doesn't mean he really means no," she explained.
"Meaning?" Kantarou asked.
"The answer might be unexpected, it's not a bad idea to ask him once again," she smirked.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Am I pretty?" Kantarou asked.
A man with long black hair looked at him as if he had gone mad and had run away from a mental asylum. "What do you mean?" the man asked while a small green creature sat beside him.
"You know, I was just wondering…" Kantarou started, "Am I pretty?" he asked, repeating his question earlier.
"You know what, I'm not going to answer this," Sugino stated flatly. He wasn't fond of him in the first place, and being asked something like that made him want to smack the other man in the head. Too bad his wife wouldn't agree with that.
"I was just asking a simple yes no question," Kantarou mumbled, feeling rather disappointed.
"What? Onikui said you're ugly?" he asked with a bored tone.
"Erm, maybe," Kantarou replied.
"Humans are inconsistent," Sugino grunted.
The green creature jumped to Kantarou's lap and let out soft 'moo's.
"Thank you, Moo-chan," he said as he patted Moo-chan's head.
"Okay, okay, you are pretty, now go out and don't bother me anymore," Sugino said as he snatched Moo-chan from Kantarou's hand and shoved him out of his house, banging his door shut.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Am I pretty?" Kantarou asked.
"No you're not, I'm prettier than you," a little girl with shoulder length fair brown hair huffed as she sat on her chair, looking disinterested.
"I guess you're right," Kantarou said.
"Don't you know sarcasm?" she asked, feeling a bit cross.
"What?" Kantarou asked.
"Nothing," the little girl shook her head. "Why'd you ask? Haruka-san dumped you for another person?" she asked.
"Err, no," Kantarou shook his head. "But why do you think it's Haruka?" he asked.
"Of course I know," Suzu snorted. "He becomes gentler and more affectionate if you're around, don't you notice?" she asked. "You can really be dense sometimes," she added with a sigh while Kantarou looked embarrassed.
"O- oh, I see," Kantarou bowed his head down, trying to hide his flushed cheeks.
"That's not all," Suzu said quickly, "He always takes extra care of you, and the only one he cares about is you! But wait, I think he said something about you being pretty or something," she said, tapping her chin with her forefinger.
"Really? But he said I'm not," Kantarou told her, and he went to tell her about the twenty questions incident.
"I see," Suzu nodded thoughtfully, "Then he must have something he wants to say instead," she said, coming to a conclusion.
"I see," Kantarou nodded his head, "Thank you, Suzu-chan," he said as he excused himself and walked out of the room of hers.
"Remember! I do this for Haruka-san not you!"
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
It was late at night when the silver-haired folklorist and exorcist finally came home from his quest to search for an answer. No, this is not Monty Phyton and the quest for the Holy Grail, this is Ichinomiya Kantarou and the quest for the answer to his strange question. He opened the door and walked in as silent as he could be.
"Where have you been?" a deep voice was heard as soon as he stepped inside the house. He looked up and saw Haruka standing near the doorway.
"Have you been here for long?" he asked, avoiding the question.
"Where have you been?" Haruka repeated, not falling for the bait.
"Out," Kantarou went to plan B.
"Out to?" Haruka asked again.
"To, well, meet my friends?" he asked lamely. Okay, so some of the people he had visited are his friends.
Haruka kept silent for a while, before he turned around and walked towards the staircase leading to the second floor, "Follow me," he ordered and Kantarou complied without protest.
When they had entered Kantarou's room, they sat on the tatami silently, staring at each other intently.
"What is it?" Kantarou asked.
"What do you mean by asking Youko that question?" Haruka asked.
"You- you heard?" he asked, stammering a bit. It was embarrassing, really.
"Something like that," Haruka replied.
"I was just wondering…" Kantarou whispered.
"Why I said you're not?" Haruka asked, and Kantarou nodded. "So that's it?" he asked, and Kantarou nodded once again. "I can't believe you go through all this for that," he sighed, before he laughed.
"What's so funny?" Kantarou demanded.
"You know what," Haruka started, "You're not pretty," he said, emphasizing the word not, and Kantarou looked really disappointed at this, "But you are beautiful," he finished.
"Ha- Haruka…" Kantarou murmured. So this was what they had meant, Reiko-san, Suzu-chan and Yumeyako.
"I can't believe you want to go through this only to know why," Haruka shook his head, "You could always ask," he added.
"But…" Kantarou protested, but decided to let it drop and pout instead. Of course he wouldn't feel at ease if he asked Haruka directly.
"And so, beautiful lady," Haruka stated, leaning towards Kantarou, "Always ask me before you ask somebody else, okay?" he asked, and closed the distance between them, kissing Kantarou fully on the lips.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Youko was walking pass Kantarou's room when she heard strange noises and a thud. She rolled her eyes, and went to search for ear plugs, hoping that she could have a peaceful sleep that night.
End of Story
Sorry for the lame ending, and sorry for Haruka's OOCness. It's been ages since I last made one-shot. So hope you enjoy.
(1) No-status relationship is when two persons are so close like they are dating, but they aren't officially lovers yet. They'd call themselves a pair that has no-status relationship.
(2) She's talking about the incident in the doll maker's house who hired her to dance in his house.
Hope you enjoy, and please leave a review if you do.