Dear fanfictioners(a word I made up),
I am pleased to announce my second fanfic: Crimson and Amber. I am planning to delete my previous fanfic: Our Interwined Fate. I have run out of ideas, and I am finding the plot too tedious since it has no interesting actions. On the other hand, if you would like me to continue it, I could try to spice it up with a few plans of my own. In addition, I won't be able to update very frequently. That's why I'm intending to make my chapters fairly long. Also, please take my school into consideration. I might not be able to write like a professional; nevertheless, I shall write to the best of my ability. I need your assistance to make myself a better writer. My school is very bad in the aspect of teaching the English language for the ninth grade and below. Therefore, I get the majority of my knowledge from the books I read.
In this fanfic, I would like to warn you that some characters might be a bit OOC. For instance, Mikan will be incredibly smart and will wear glasses. However, she will still be the dense and cheerful Mikan we all know. Natsume will be more humorous and will smile more often. But like I said, he will still be arrogant and, he will have a sad past. Hotaru will be softer than usual, and Ruka won't be carrying his rabbit inside school since we're in a normal one.
One last thing: Natsume will NOT peek at Mikan's panties, and Hotaru will NOT shoot Mikan with a BAKA Gun. Although I enjoy reading that about Mikan, I can't bear doing it in my fanfic. It's just too cruel.
I guess that's all I have to say for now. I hope you will enjoy reading my story since it took me three days to do it.
Yours truly,
Gleaming Hope
P.S. Disclaimer: I do not own Higuchi Tachibana's awesome manga going by the name of Gakuen Alice or its characters.
I was walking through the hallways of Alice Academy that led to my class, 2B. My followers, the idiots behind me who were Ruka, Koko, and Mochu, were bickering about who stole the deluxe chicken instant noodle soup in the fridge. 'The fools' I thought. They never turned to look back and think that it was me. Of course, they would never think that the Black Cat would step so low to stealing instant noodles. But he just did. I smirked inwardly, entertaining myself by listening to their useless fight. And in the end, they'll never know that it was me.
Hearing the low squeals my moronic fangirls made, I glared at them. They all cowered down in fear. They should. I have continuously told them to cease their incessant shrieking and look at them, stupid pitiful creatures, they still do not understand. I glared at them, and they all scurried away to their respective classrooms.
I proceeded to my locker and suddenly, my cronies stopped fighting and looked at me incredulously. I raised my eyebrow at their reaction, and Koko put one of his goofy smiles on his face and said, "Are you planning to get reformed? Or have you been recently brainwashed? Wait, maybe you're a spy disguised as Natsume?"
"Are you?" said Mochu, and being the idiot that he was, knocked on my forehead.
"I always knew that I had morons as friends, but not to this level," I replied sarcastically.
"Now that's the Natsume we know, but why in the name of the seven hells are you actually going to open your locker and place your books inside?" Ruka asked.
"I bought a huge collection of mangas last week and I'm going to put them in my locker for later use. If I ever finish one or need another one, I'll simply take it from here," I said as I snapped my fingers for effect.
"Nice idea, and here I thought you were going crazy," Koko said playfully.
Before I could reply, a brunette scurried to the locker on my right. She wore glasses that were not too big nor too small, and her hair was tied in a messy bun, indicating that she was probably in a hurry. She held so many books in her hands to the point it was surprising how she managed to open her locker. However, one book slipped from her hands and hit me accidentally.
"I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to," she told me without even looking at me. She quickly hurried to pick her book up and placed it in her locker. And within seconds, the place next to me was vacant once again.
"That was fast," Mochu said. "And she didn't even look at you."
"First time a girl hasn't even paused to look at Natsume," Ruka added.
"That's Mikan Sakura, founder of the Academic Club," Koko stated, answering the question lying in their heads.
"Do you mean the club where you've climbed from a zero to an eighty in your tests?" Mochu asked surprisingly.
"Yep," Koko answered. "That's her. She was the secret to my success. And by the way, don't you guys dare make a move on her, especially you Natsume," he said while pointing an accusing finger at me.
"Why would I go for a nerd like her?" I asked in a scoffing way.
"She's more to what meets the eye," Koko said as we started heading to the classroom. "She isn't the type to fall head over heels for hunks like us. I bet she even barely took a glimpse at you. In fact, all she cares about are her friends, family, and studies."
"I still don't get it. What's so special about this nerd?" I asked.
"She is the best friend of Hotaru Imai, the Ice queen of the school," he said and when he saw my widened eyes, he continued, "To top that off, the sister who Youichi Sakura, leader of the Silver Orb, is very overprotective of and would do anything to please is Mikan."
I couldn't believe it. Those two statements were enough to keep me shocked for a few moments but not forever. Although I didn't know Youichi that much, I knew that he had a sister that he loved very much and that he had a gang that rivaled my own. Moreover, never beyond my wildest dreams did I think that that freaky inventor would have a best friend. Not even a friend. I quickly hid my shock and regained my usual composure.
"Interesting," I said as we reached our classroom.
In a matter of seconds, girls of all shapes and sizes gathered around me and started asking me the lamest questions asked on the face of this earth.
"Hi Hyuuga-sama, how was your summer vacation?"
"Hyuuga-sama, could you please go out with me?"
"Hyuuga-sama, please give me your autograph!"
"Hyuuga-sama, could I have a picture with you?"
"HYUUGA-SAMA!!" they all screamed at once.
And with that said, every ounce of patience that I had dissipated.
"Shut up, you ugly hags," I growled and they all went to their seats and whispered among themselves.
"Don't worry, Natsume, I pray for you every morning," Koko remarked as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
I grunted and scanned the room in front of me. I recognized the brunette from before, sitting on a seat to Imai's right. What was her name again? Ah, I think it was Mikan. She was giggling endlessly while telling Imai something. On the other hand, Imai, of course, was fixing her attention on reading the book in front of her with an emotionless expression stuck on her face. My seat was assigned to be behind Mikan's and so, I headed there.
I was actually lucky since my friends were in the same class as me this year. Ruka sat two rows to the left, Koko sat behind me, to my disappointment, and Mochu sat to Koko's left. I took my manga out, propped my legs on the table in a relaxing position, and started reading .
Obviously hearing the disruption caused behind her, Mikan turned around to see what was going on. I looked at her, and her gaze met mine, crimson facing amber. Under those glasses lay big, innocent brown eyes that stared at you, bidding you to answer or tell the truth to whatever question you were being asked.
"Hi, my name is Mikan Sakura. Nice to meet you," she said softly, beaming at me.
I didn't know what to say since I was shocked and returned to reading my manga.
"What's your name?" she asked softly.
My eyes widened in surprise when I heard that question. For once, there was a person who didn't know me. I realized that nearly everyone in the classroom was staring at us. Suddenly, a seaweed-haired girl started talking, addressing Mikan.
"How could you not know Hyuuga-sama? What an insult! I, Sumire Shouda, president of the Natume fan club, shall not permit you to say such things about him," Sumire replied angrily.
"But really, I don't know his name, so why don't you tell me?" Mikan inquired, obviously confused with what was going on.
"Well, I'll tell you then. The one you see right now," Sumire pointed to Natsume, "is the great Natsume Hyuuga, leader of the famous gang, the Fierce Nemeses."
Mikan's eyes went from big to bigger as realization hit her, "You mean, you're the guy my brother wants to beat but can't find a reason why."
I gave a small nod and kept pretending to read the manga, but instead, I was secretly listening to the conversation going on between the two.
"So, unless you're a member of the Natume fan club, you cannot touch, talk, or mentally communicate with him," Sumire stated defiantly.
"I see, well, that's good to know. I got to know trouble before meeting it," Mikan said, smiling sadly as she mumbled the last part to herself and turned around to face Imai.
And at the right moment, the bell rang, and our homeroom teacher entered the classroom. He looked, how do I say this? Gay. Yep, that was definitely the word for it. He was gay. He wore a frilly purple costume with a cap on his head. Even without the costume, he still looked gay. He had blond hair that reached to the end of his neck, purple eyes, and even a beauty spot under his right eye. How did I know he was a male? It's the male instinct. I might not be right, but since when was I ever wrong?
"Good morning, dear students. Welcome to your second year of high school," the teacher said. "I'm Mr. Narumi but you could call me Narumi, and I will be your homeroom teacher."
See! Didn't I tell you that he was a guy? I'm telling you, it's all because of the male instinct.
"So, since it's the beginning of the year and since we're in no ordinary school, I get to pick the president and vice president of the class."
Everyone groaned at this announcement and hoped that he would at least choose wisely.
"For class president and class representative, I think I'll pick you, Yuu Tobita," Narumi motioned to Yuu and continued, "And for vice president, how about you Miss Mikan Sakura?"
The aforementioned students stood up and went up to the teacher's desk where Narumi stood. Everyone clapped, and both students bowed down in gratitude. It was a sort of tradition in here once a president and his/her vice were declared. They also had to give a small speech in honor of this event. Really, why the hell am I narrating this pointless explanation?
"I'm glad to be chosen as class president, and I'll try to do my best to fulfill all of your expectations," Yuu said in his speech. "If there is anything you need to know or complain about, please come up to me."
Everyone clapped again and when Mikan started to make her speech, surprisingly, I looked at her and listened.
"I will do no less than what Yuu will do," she said and declared. "But I will do anything in my power to make this class the best."
Everyone cheered enthusiastically at this announcement. She looked at all of them with a soft smile traced on her lips, like a mother promising care to all of her children. Her gaze met mine once again, and she beamed at me with her smile. And suddenly, I found myself smiling back at her. When she went back to her seat, I slapped myself to get back my self-composed expression again. How could she do this me? No girl made me smile, except for my little sister, of course. Then, I received a tap from behind me. It was Koko, and he gave me a mischievous smile and told me something that made me flare.
"There's no chance she'll like you 'cause you'll be dumped."
I was pissed off.
That statement was enough to justify the mood I was currently in. After what Koko said, I dragged him out at recess and gave him a piece of my mind. The fool! I was obviously mad at him for many reasons. Firstly, he teased me. Yes, the Natsume Hyuuga can tolerate mild teasing; however, he cannot tolerate excessive teasing. Notice the words in bold! By the way, it's written in third person so that it could be implied as a law.
Secondly, how dare he think that I do not have the ability to attract a NERD? Sure, that would be low of me. But still, I can make any girl fall for me. It's a rule. No girl was ever able to resist my charm. Through my five years of experience with dating girls, no girl ever rejected me. So, the chances that Mikan would not be attracted to me are slim to none.
And lastly, he was challenging me. How dare he defy the Black Cat? I could see it in his smirk. He even made a bet with me in recess that there was no way I could make Mikan fall for a person like me within a week. But being the genius that I was, I told him that I could still make her fall in love with me at any case. He contradicted me by saying that any girl would fall for me within a minute and that for a girl to fall for me in a week was a disgrace to the top most handsome men, including me, in the world.
So, here I am, sitting on one of the branches of my favorite Sakura tree. Come to think of it, her last name was Sakura. Strange connection. Back to the matter, Natsume. You have to focus. I must make a plan since she obviously wasn't the type of person to be charmed by anything. But I guess it wouldn't be hard to try it my way in the beginning. I'll try to talk to her and see her reaction. Then, I'll know what to do. Besides, I just broke up with Aya, or was it Ayumi? Whatever. I just broke up with her this morning, so I shouldn't face any problems. Natsume, I told myself, you're a pure genius.
Luckily, I found my subject of attention below me, talking to a guy. A guy! And he was smiling at her! The fiend! Attracting innocent girls and then breaking up with them, what is he thinking? Sure, I was also doing it, but hey, I was always nice, wasn't I? Before getting impetuous, I decided to stay on top of the tree and listen to their conversation.
"Mikan, since it's the beginning of the year, will the Academic Club still be alive?" the guy asked jokingly, fixing the red lock on his forehead.
"Of course, it will. I don't plan to close the club anytime soon," Mikan replied reassuringly.
"Then, when will you announce the timing for the club? We need to know 'cause without you, there's no chance we'll pass," the guy said then clutched the area on his shirt where his heart lay. "We will perish if you go away."
"Oh, don't exaggerate. You guys are fine; you just need some assistance with your studies. Plus, I'll announce the timing tomorrow because I need to look over my schedule, and contact the Academic League."
"Fine, but you'll announce it on the school's radio, won't you?" he asked, his blue eyes looking at her.
"Yep, just like usual," she told him, averting from his gaze.
"Well then, I'll see you next time, Mikan," he told her and walked away.
Mikan sat and leaned her back on the trunk of the tree I was sitting on and murmured to herself, "Finally, some peace and quiet, away from everyone."
For some reason, I felt that I should make my grand entrance at that moment, and I gracefully jumped down. She got scared and started backward.
"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously.
"I could ask you the same thing," I replied smartly.
"I was just taking a rest from everything," she said thoughtfully, going back to the position she was previously in. "How about you?"
"Same thing," I replied in a monotonous voice.
Silence overcame us, and we sat still for a few minutes. She looked so quiet, contemplating something that occupied her thoughts. Her hair swayed with the wind, and not even her glasses hid the beauty she had. She looked like a goddess in the wind, smiling softly at everyone. I looked up at the sky and noticed the clouds floating by. For some unknown reason, it felt right. The feeling that we were both sitting in silence. Our personalities were too different, like the sun and the moon. But our situations were somehow similar. Both of us sought solitude, to be away from people so that we could relax. Suddenly, my train of thought was cut off when she broke the silence.
"You're not as bad or mean as everyone says you are. You just let people assume whatever they want, right?" she asked inquisitively.
"I care about my reputation," I answered.
"Did you ever feel so needed to the point where you begin to get sick of it and try to think of a way to be unwanted?"
I looked at her when she said that and said, "I guess I feel that all the time with my gang, my siblings, and other gangs."
She looked at me and asked me a question that I never thought I would be asked. "Would you like to be friends?"
"Falling for me, aren't you?" I arched my eyebrow, casting the thought that she sincerely wanted to be friends with me aside.
"Of course not," she said, blushing madly and crossing her arms over her chest. "I just wanted to be friends with you."
"So that you could get close to me, huh?" I teased her. "Most of the girls who wanted to be friends with me often tried to get close to me so I could become their boyfriend."
In an instant, her expression changed. It went from cheerful and mad to solemn and serious. Then, she smiled sadly just like she did at the time when I met her in class and said something before she stood up and headed to the cafeteria.
"That's sad. Don't you think?"
DUNK
I made a dunk and passed the ball to one of the members of the team before I went to rest on the bench. I took a bottle of water and drank it thirstily. I leaned on the wall behind me and looked at the bottle in my hands. Yesterday was the last time I talked to Mikan, and I couldn't manage to grab a chance to talk to her today. She was so busy she barely even had time to spend some time with Imai, being the class vice-president and all.
Although the class president of 2B, Yuu, was a nice and considerate person and a person you couldn't hold a grudge against, I couldn't bear the sight of Mikan spending half of her time with him. I know he has no ill-intentions, but it just felt so wrong. I fiddled with my bottle until I heard Mikan's voice on the school's radio booming from the speakers.
"The Academic Club will reopen on Friday. We need to know who will attend our study sessions, so come and sign up on Friday. Classes will resume on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:00 at recess. If you have any questions, please head to the Academic department."
I felt sorry for her, doing all these things. I mean, come on, one more year and we'll be graduating. In fact, we'll be applying to college by the end of this year and take our external exams. There would be so much pressure on her. She was vice-president in class, head of the academic club, and sister to Youichi Sakura, who would hang at her side at all times.
I went out of the gym after practice finished, and I had thirty-five minutes left until recess was going to end. When I was walking down the corridor leading to the classroom where my cronies were, I saw Mikan scurrying past me. I decided to catch up with her, so I could talk to her for some time.
"Hey, where are you going, little girl?" I asked her, teasing her by giving her a nickname.
"Oh, hi Natsume. By the way, don't think you can trigger my anger by simply nicknaming me. And I'm going to go to the Music Room to attend the Choir Club," she said hastily.
"Well, little girl, allow me to accompany you and listen to your voice," I sarcastically told her.
"You may," she approved as she raised her glasses upwards.
And at that moment, we were in front of the door of the music room. All kinds of instruments lay inside, and it was a pretty big room. There were two girls inside, a blue-haired girl sitting on a chair in the corner and an older red-haired girl sitting in front of the piano.
"Misaki! Hi, how are you doing?" Mikan said as she left my side and rushed to talk to the red-haired girl, leaving me alone at the doorway.
"I'm doing well, but care to explain the reason why you're five minutes late?" Misaki asked, crossing her arms and placing one leg over the other.
"I was announcing the reopening of the Academic Club at the school's radio," Mikan chirped then turned her attention to the blue-haired girl. "Nobara, why are you here? I thought you were supposed to come on Fridays."
"Oh, well, you see," Nobara said, fiddling with her fingers and blushing madly. "I just felt like listening to your singing for inspiration."
Mikan went to Nobara and gave her a light hug, "Nobara, thank you so much for your support."
Nobara bent her head down and said, "No, thank you Mikan," she corrected as she stressed the 'you'. "You helped so much at time when I thought I was useless."
"You're welcome. At any case, I think you both know who Natsume Hyuuga is," Mikan motioned to me at the doorway and the other two girls nodded. "Well, he just came here to listen to me."
Misaki furrowed her eyebrows, and Nobara showed concern on her face. It seemed as if both of them didn't want me to be there. Misaki looked at me dubiously, locking my eyes in a long gaze. She seemed to try to know my true intentions in coming here with Mikan, and I sensed that she doubted them to be good. Finally, she broke the silence and said, "He may listen, but he cannot interrupt you. Is that clear?" she said sternly.
Mikan nodded approvingly and Misaki spoke again, "What song would you like to play to practice on today?"
Mikan raised her finger to her chin, thought for a moment, and replied, "I think I'll sing True Light for DNAngel."
"Alright, but you have to get the deep pitch correctly this time. It's not that easy, you know," Misaki reminded her.
"Don't worry, I practiced it vigorously last night," Mikan reassured her.
"Ok then, here we go," Misaki said as she laid her hands on top of the piano. Her hands went delicately over the keys on the piano, handling them with caution as if they were fragile. The song began, and I saw Mikan taking off her glasses and leaving it on a table next to Nobara. She signaled to me, telling me to take a chair and sit down in one of the chairs provided. I hadn't realized that after her singing, I would be rendered speechless.
"Tsumetai taiyou ni terasareteta
Kainarasareta jiyuu ga atta
Kagami ni utsutta kiseki no yoru
Masuku wo hazushi hajimeta MY SOUL
Kuzurete yuku kabe no mukou wa
Zetsubou mo kibou mo onaji kao suru
Mitasarenai kokoro aru nara
Tobitateru shuumatsu no PUROROOGU e"
She stopped to wait for the tune to continue. She kept staring in front of her, a gleam of happiness evident in her eyes.
"Yaiba no you na kaze fuku sekai
Mamru beki mono wa nan na no ka?
Hitotsu hitotsu itami o shiru tabi
Honto no jibun e to chikadzuku
Kieyuku Fake Light
Umareyuku True Light
Kono te ni…
Shiroku somaru yami tsukinukete
Atarashii jidai o kizamitsudzukero
Tokihanashita kokoro no mama ni
Hateshinaku tsudzuiteku byakuya o tobe"
She ended the song by extending the sound of the last vowel. For some reason, I stood, clapping lightly and staring at her with a dumbfounded expression on my face.
I never expected her to be this good. I thought she would sing just because she wanted something else to fill her time. To think that I even planned on teasing her for her bad voice. Her singing was beautiful beyond description. Although I listened to the song many times before, the way she sang it aroused some emotions and feelings in my heart. The pitch she had was so perfect, so polished. And before I had a chance to think of anything else, I returned to reality as she snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"Natsume, are you feeling well? When I finished singing, you just stood there, eyes wide open," she said while opening her eyes just like I did, "just like this. Was I really that bad? I would really appreciate it if you give me constructive criticism please," she bowed lowly.
"Raise your head up, Mikan. I suppose he was just dazzled by your marvellous performance," Misaki said, emphasizing the word 'dazzled'.
I shook my head, getting out of my trance. I looked at Mikan's face and covered the upper part of my face with my bangs. I couldn't believe it! I'm blushing! I was actually blushing. And badly! What's more, I'm blushing not because Misaki said I was dazzled by Mikan's singing. No, it was something farther than what I had anticipated for. Something I thought would never happen until I was probably thirty. Even saying the feeling gave me shudders down my spine.
She then looked at me with those huge, innocent eyes, bidding me, urging me to tell the truth, the secret, that I was hiding deep in my heart. The fact that was too overwhelming to register in one's mind, including mine.
And that one fact was too mortifying to think of.
Natsume Hyuuga was falling in love.
I was frustrated.
Frustrated at the finished math test on my desk. Frustrated at the clock in the classroom for not going faster. Frustrated at Jinno who glared at everyone while collecting our test papers. Frustrated at the feeling that Koko was snickering behind me. Frustrated at all the girls who were ogling at me aimlessly. Frustrated at the girl in front of me because she didn't ogle at me. Frustrated at what the girl right in front of me was making me feel.
RING
The bell rang, and I thanked god as I stood up from my seat and headed to the classroom door. It was lunchtime, and I went straight to the cafeteria before everyone else did. I hastily grabbed my lunch, consisting of orange juice, some rice and meat, a cupcake, and an apple. I sat at the table my gang and I usually sat on. I started my lunch as the cafeteria began to get crowded. My friends soon arrived at the table with their lunches at hand and started devouring their food. Pigs. They never know how to control their appetite.
"Why did you come here so quickly, Natsume? That's quite unusual for you to do," I heard Ruka asking, concern filled in his voice.
True, why did I rush out of the classroom as if I was being chased? Ah, now I remember. I went out because I wanted to avoid Mikan as much as possible. But why? Maybe it was because I didn't want her to know that she made me feel this way. Every time I see her my heart beats quicker than its usual pace. It's always when I see her eyes. I just seem to freeze in my place, not knowing what to do. I looked up at Ruka, trying to think of a reason until I finally came up with one.
"I was simply annoyed by the math exam. I was only getting a headache due to all the equations we had," I answered as I continued to eat my lunch silently.
"Does that mean that you actually found the math exam hard?" Mochu asked while Ruka and Koko looked at me with astonishment. "I think hell has just frozen somewhere," he said, placing his hand above his eyes and pretending to look far away.
I slapped my hand on his head and said angrily, "Morons will always remain morons. It was very easy, but I was just having a headache during that time."
"I see," Ruka said, feigning the fact that he believed.
However, Koko decided to bring the subject that I planned to avoid. "So, have you been able to make Mikan fall for you or not?" he asked sneakily.
"That, as of now, is none of your business," I replied, trying to sound calm.
"So you didn't succeed," Koko announced triumphantly, "I knew that you couldn't do it."
"How are you so sure about that?" Mochu asked curiously.
"Your leader was never a person to back out from a fight," Koko told him. "But, as you can see, he just did it."
"Oh yeah?" I stood up from my chair and snapped at him, letting my anger go loose and not realizing that he was carefully putting a trap for me.
"Yeah, because there is no way you could possibly do it," he said as he stood as well, a bolt of lightning meeting at a certain point from both of our eyes since he was sitting at the other side of the table.
"Really? Do you think so?" I asked him, a twitch noticeable on my forehead.
"You want to bet?" Koko challenged, lifting an eyebrow mockingly.
"Sure," I said unconsciously, falling for his trap.
"Fine, if I win," he said as he pointed to himself, "you shall suffer my jokes for two whole weeks."
That was definitely a risk. I couldn't survive a day with his completely lame jokes. But he was right. I was never a person to back out from a fight.
"Alright, and if I win, you shall not attend the Academic Club for two weeks as well," I smirked, noticing that the reaction I wanted from him was satisfying. He looked at me nervously, narrowing his eyes a bit.
"Ok," he agreed reluctantly, and he leaned in with an open hand. I also leaned in, and we exchanged a firm handshake, a look of determination present on our faces.
"Get ready, Black Cat," Koko said, "because you are going to experience the worst defeat ever."
"I suggest you run away before I start announcing your loss," I snickered.
And before he could say anything, Mikan appeared at our table, her eyes darting back and forth, "Thank god I found you here, Koko. I just wanted to make sure if you'd be attending the Academic Club. You're the only I have left to confirm, and after ten minutes, the club will start."
"Hi, Mikan," he talked to her softly, "I was going to go anyways in a few minutes, but since you came, I guess I'll come with you."
I think that I am seriously going to have a deep grudge for this guy. I know that he wasn't flirting, but he looked like he was trying to seduce her. Let's just hope he was just trying to spite me.
"Well, that's nice," she smiled as that statement made me growl with anger, "Oh, Natsume. How are you doing? I haven't talked to you for a few days. I'm really sorry. I was just so busy doing so many things at once," she said as she tried to relax her temples.
"I'm fine," I replied, feeling sorry for her.
"That's great to know. Koko, let's go. We mustn't be late," she looked up at Koko and waved us goodbye as she and Koko headed to the cafeteria's exit.
Ruka noticed my deteriorating aura and said, "How abut we go to the mall today and head for the arcade? I heard they had a new, tough game that no one could win yet. What do you say, huh?" He asked, nudging me in the shoulder since he was sitting next to me.
"I guess so. Why not?" I gave him a small smile.
"That's the spirit, man!" he said as he slapped my back with his hand. "Come on. We should get going. You have basketball practice while I have tennis."
"You're right," Mochu said, looking at the time on his watch.
With that being said, the three of us headed towards the exit, and the usual squeals from the fan girls followed.
We were walking in the mall, enjoying the attention we got from the girls yet annoyed at the same time. Truthfully, we didn't know where to go. We were just heading to God-knows-where.
"How about we go to a coffee shop? I haven't eaten cake in weeks," Ruka suggested.
"That's a nice idea. But which coffe shop should we go to?" Koko asked, his hands placed behind head.
Ever since the bet we made at noon, I started looking at Koko in a different manner. It wasn't hate. It was more like admiration. Like I had a special bond with him just like I had with Ruka and Aoi. It felt as if he was like my brother.
"How about the café over there? The one called Costa Coffee," Ruka said as he point his finger towards a coffee shop next to some clothing stores.
We all went inside, sat on table, and made ourselves comfortable. The smell of coffee soothed my senses, and I felt that this was the best place to sit down and think properly. I took a simple cappuccino while the rest ordered extravagant things. I was a simple man, and simple men wanted simple things. My cronies started a needless fight on how twenty-five was the correct answer in the math exam and twenty-one. They looked at me for assistance, but I just ignored them, willing them to continue their little skirmish.
However, giggles erupting from a few tables to our left aroused our attention. Four girls sat on the table, in which every one of us recognized. There was Mikan, Hotaru, a curly pink-haired girl, and a straight blue-haired girl, different from the one previously mentioned before. The pink-haired girl's name was Anna Umenomiya, Koko's girlfriend. Next to her was the blue-haired girl whose name, I think, was Nonoko Ogasarawa. She was Yuu's girlfriend since last year, and so far, they had a really good relationship.
"You always look so happy when you eat cake, Mikan," Nonoko said while laughing at her friend.
"It's just so tasty, and I haven't eaten cake in," Mikan replied, counting with her finger, "three months. Isn't that horrible?"
"But Mikan, aren't you on a diet? Or would you like to lose the perfect figure that you have in your hands now?" Anna teased.
I blushed lightly when I heard the word figure. It was true. Mikan had a really good figure. Her hair was long but not too long. She had lips that urged anyone to taste. She was thin but not as thin as a stick. All her curves were at the right places. Since she was wearing short pants, it showed her flawless legs. She wasn't anything near those girls who wore short clothes to appear appealing. She was simply and merely beautiful.
"I know, but it's not like I'll gain weight because of a small, delicious chocolate cake," Mikan whined, savoring every bite of the double chocolate fudge cake.
"Idiot, you always say that, yet you always end up wrong," Hotaru said in a cold voice. "By the way, aren't you volunteering to help in a campaign to help fight breast cancer?"
"Oh my god! You're right, Hotaru. I'm late since it's at three thirty," Mikan said alarmingly. "I guess I'll see you guys later. Have fun!" she waved as she ran off to where she was supposed to be in.
Suddenly, we realized that we were eavesdropping on the girls, and we all looked at each other in guilt. The girls at the table found us staring at them, excluding Mochu.
"Hey, what are you guys doing there? Why don't you come here?" Anna shouted.
We sheepishly got up, dragged our chairs, and went to their table. Koko sat next to Anna, Hotaru next to Ruka, Mochu opposite Nonoko, and I was at the head of the table.
"You guys could have come here instead," Hotaru said and looked at Ruka straight into his eyes. "Or are you ditching me for some other girl, Ruka?"
It was a gruesome fact. It was too grotesque to think of. But it was the truth. The mere and simple truth. Hotaru was Ruka's girlfriend. I know! It was a concept that was too hard to grasp. Even until now, I couldn't believe that my kind, soft best friend was the boyfriend of the evil, conspiring Ice Queen. As his loyal and faithful best friend, I pray for his survival every morning. I keep warning him of the risk he's taking, but he keeps telling me that he was doing the right thing. I sighed at the thought and glanced at Ruka who was cowering back in fear.
"Now, why do you think I would do that?" Ruka asked, fearful of his girlfriend's wrath.
"For numerous reasons, of course," Hotaru said evilly, an aura of darkness surrounding her. "Would you like me to list them for you, dear Ruka?"
Ruka sat up straight and looked firmly at Imai, "Hotaru, honestly, I would never do that. I have you, and that's more than enough."
Sapphire clashed with amethyst, locked in a deep stare. Hotaru closed her eyes and took a sip of her drink, "Don't worry. I believe you."
Ruka's tensed shoulders relaxed, and he shot her a knowing smile. We just kept watching them, entertaining ourselves with the drama. I chuckled at the couple, and Imai heard me.
"Is there anything funny, Hyuuga?"
"Too much to state," I replied smugly. "I'm going to leave you guys for a while. I need some time alone."
Nobody objected, and I always felt happy with this feeling of superiority and authority. There is a chance that they wouldn't want me to stay there with them. Well, to hell if I care!
My legs were taking me to the arcade where I could finally release all the pressure I had this week on the games. However, next to the arcade, I saw Mikan wearing a shirt saying 'SUPPORT BREAST CANCER' and running around distributing flyers. Nobara was there with her and two other guys. It seemed that they were trying to get people to donate by selling some of the items they had.
I strolled up to Mikan, and she saw me walking up to her. She stopped and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to the arcade when I discovered that you were here," I replied.
"Cool," she said. "Nobara and I were volunteering to encourage people to support breast cancer."
"Nice," I said, and unknowingly, I said something I hadn't meant to. "Can I help you?"
A gleam of joy appeared in her amber eyes and lightened up. "Really? Would you really do that? We will have a lot of donators if you came, especially the girls."
"It's fine with me. Don't worry," I said as she handed me a t-shirt just like the one she was wearing.
"Ok then. Here's what you should do," she said as she instructed me on what to do.
I started distributing the flyers, and a lot of people were donating. Most of the girls approached me to donate just like Mikan said. I could feel the jealousy emanating from the two guys who were also volunteering. After an hour of hard work, we managed to collect one thousand two hundred dollars.
"Well done, everyone," Mikan said jubilantly. "We worked really hard today."
She looked very tired, and her face was very pale. I went to her and asked, "Are you feeling well?"
"Just a little tired, that's all. It was such a busy day, after all," she answered.
"When can we do this again? It was really fun," the taller of the guys said.
Mikan began to look really tired while the shorter guy said, "We're really glad we did this with you Miss Sakura."
"You're wel…" she said and before she could continue, she collapsed onto the floor.
"MIKAN!"
Amazing? Horrible? Tell me your opinion! I appreciate constructive criticism please! *bows down head*
P.S. Could you check my speeches? I want to know if they're right.