Sometimes the one we're destined to be with has been in front of us the whole time.
Slyly taking embarrassing pictures, with her state-of-the-art camera.
Hotaru Imai was not a fan girl.
She did not giggle, flirt, or squeal. She did not sigh heavily in his presence, or simper and coyly look up at him through heavily mascaraed lashes.
Ruka could understand that. He liked it even. Besides those fan girls were scary.
However, though Hotaru was not a fan girl, she also not like Mikan, the first ever girl he had liked. She was not cheerful nor naïve. She did not greet him happily every morning, and she didn't waste her time trying to make people happy. She was not remotely like Mikan.
She was almost the exact opposite.
She was cold and manipulative to a level where she was feared as much as Natsume. She was calm, collected, realistic, and blunt. She could physically freeze you with her glare, and most of the animals of The Northern Forest (with the exception of Mr Bear) would whimper and run off when she walked by.
And she continually blackmailed him. She blackmailed him.
So then why, why was he so hung up on her?
Was it her looks? Well yes she was pretty, of course she was. She had shiny black hair, piercing lavender eyes, and her figure was dainty, slender. At first glance she looked almost breakable.
Well, he thought, looks can be deceiving.
Those dainty, slender hands had created some of the most amazing inventions Alice Academy had ever seen. They were masterpieces, amazing works of art created by Alice Academy's number 1# Genius.
Was it her smarts?
No, he thought, that couldn't just be it. Hotaru did have her moments of kindness….
Like that time….she….did that ….thing…
…
Had she ever done something kind at all for him?
Well she had been especially kind to him during the time he had lost Usagi…
"Nogi… Nogi.
NOGI."
BAKA BAKA BAKA
"Ouch! Imai?"
"Yes, Idiot my name is Imai"
"What are you doing here? The others are all at Central Town. Did you stay to work on a new invention?"
"…"
"Imai?"
"I hear the rabbit's missing."
"Yes Hotaru. Usagi has been missing for 52 hours now, and I would actually like to not be reminded, and want to be alone here to think!"
"Are you really thinking Nogi? Or sulking?"
"Ima-"
"I've already sent out a tracking device for that rabbit. It is currently residing in the Academy's kitchen"
She stood up.
"Coming Nogi? Or do you still need to think? If I were you the next time Usagi goes missing I would rather you ask your classmates for help, instead of casting your gloom upon everyone else. That other idiot is rather annoying when she's worried."
"Ima-Hotaru?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you"
She started walking away, but she was still near enough that Ruka hear her utter three words more.
"You're welcome… Ruka"
Hotaru was kind, he thought. But she just expressed it in different ways to Mikan. She was more like Natsume than he had thought.
But that still didn't expl-
"Nogi?"
"Hotaru!"
"Why aren't you at dinner Nogi?"
"Well I just needed time to think"
"Nogi, I don't think you understand what I meant that well. What I meant was: Go to dinner now."
"Are you worried about me Hotaru?" He said a small hint of happiness in his tone
"Nogi, it is not that I am worried about you, it is that I am worried that your stomach will be rumbling, all throughout third period, and will therefore disrupt me from my work. So now again I repeat: Go to dinner now"
And with that she walked away, down the corridor.
Ruka watched her suddenly understanding, why he was so hung up on her.
Hotaru was not a fangirl. She was not Mikan.
She was Hotaru.