BALANCE OF POWER

A Hana Yori Dango fan-fic

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Hana Yori Dango. I do however; own many of the other characters that appear throughout the story.

Authors Note: Not only is this my first Hana Yori Dango fic, but it's my first fic in a very long period of time. Still, reviews and criticism is much appreciated! I can't improve if I don't know what's wrong.

Also, I'm always willing to work with other people…so if you want to take part in the story, be it through editing or creating characters or even helping with a chapter…feel free to contact me!

This fic is based on a mix of the manga and live action drama.

CHAPTER 1

ONE STEP OVER

"Ne, Tsukasa," Soujiro looked over to Domyouji from over his newspaper. "I know you're not one for reading, but you really should read this." He folded the newspaper shut, leaving his finger in the middle, marking the section he wanted his friend to see.

Domyouji scowled and smacked the newspaper away, "Leave me alone!"

"Oi," Soujiro sighed, leaning back in his seat, "Cut it out."

"Let him be, Soujiro. "I think under this circumstance, he has the right to be a bit crabby and worried. It's not every day Kaede-sama decides to do something nice." Akira pointed out, picking up the newspaper, "Honestly, who would have ever predicted that she would have invited Makino to go to New York?"

"That evil woman—She's up to something." Tsukasa scowled.

Rui raised his head, "Maybe she's fully accepted Makino."

"Didn't she say something about going to train Makino in order to make her an asset to the Domyouji cooperation?" Soujiro asked.

Domyouji muttered, "She's going to turn Makino in to a crude old woman."

Rui smiled quietly and Soujiro snickered. Meanwhile, Akira's eyes widened as he read over the article Soujiro had been reading. "Oi! This really is unbelievable! Tsukasa…"

"I don't want to read the stupid paper!"

Akira frowned and shoved it in to 'their leader's' lap. This time, the curly haired man had no choice. He grumbled before gathering the paper in his arms, "What is the big—" He squinted slightly and frowned, "—Oh."

"Oh!?" Soujiro and Akira replied, surprised. Rui looked over, unaware of what was going on, but not really curious either.

"Yeah." Tsukasa replied turning in his chair and tossing the paper towards Rui, "What do you think we should do, Rui?"

"About what?"

"Haven't you been paying attention? Baka!" Tsukasa turned back around in his seat, crossing his arms, "Honestly Rui, you're so spacey all the time. Why do we keep you around?"

Rui raised a brow and dropped his legs over the edge of the chair he had gathered himself on, "Why not….deal with it?" It was a simple enough answer that didn't really require any knowledge of the matter at hand.

"Soo desu!" Domyouji exclaimed with a grin, jumping from his seat. "I'm the great Domyouji, after all, and we're the F4 of Eitoku Academy! Let's go."

The three others stood, Soujiro and Akira leaving directly after Domyouji. Rui stretched and yawned a bit; looking towards the floor at the article the leader had skimmed over. 'We're the F4. Does it really mean anything anymore?' he thought with a bit of a sigh, following his three friends out.

She listened to the faint but steady beep of the heart monitor, closing her eyes tightly and sighing quietly. Light brown hair fell over her forehead and in to her eyes as she lowered her head. "Yowai-chan…" She whispered, clasping her school bag tightly in front of her, fighting the urge to cry. "You should have just let me handle it on my own. I could have—"she paused and her voice grew quiet, "—Can you…even hear me now?"

Finally, she raised her head and opened her eyes. Hazel orbs locked on the petite image lying in the hospital bed before her, bruises on her face and casts on her arms and legs. She was Kodomo Yowai, a second year student at Eitoku Academy, from class 2-B. She was intelligent and fun and now, because of the F4, she was in a coma.

For reasons unknown to her, Tsuyoi Kanojo of class 3-C had received a red notice. She hadn't known what she had been getting herself in to since she had only arrived at Eitoku a week before. Shortly after destroying the notice, a 'war' against Kanojo began. Students threw all sorts of things ranging from eggs to paper and powder balls to food during lunch time. No one spoke to her—No one except for Kodomo Yowai.

"It'll be very dangerous for you." Yowai had told her, "Those red notices are very dangerous. Now that you have one…anyone can do whatever they want to you."

Kanojo hadn't believed how dangerous the red notice's power was until she had found herself surrounded by a group of boys on the west side emergency staircase. They had planned on humiliating her and by the look in their eyes; their method of choice had been obvious. Kanojo fought with all her strength, but she hadn't really been a match for the group. Just as she had felt herself begin to give in, Yowai arrived to help her. Since she had received a red notice as well (for warning Kanojo) she figured she had nothing to lose. One thing led to another and Yowai ended up falling over the railing and on to the ground below.

No one took blame and it had been reported as an attempted suicide case.

"Gomennasai Yowai-chan, Gomen…." She bowed her head, wishing she could have made some promise to get even with the F4 for the damage they had caused, but she was too weak to do so. Kanojo was weak, quiet and easily intimidated. No match for the F4 and their brainwashed student body. All she could do was endure it until a new target was found. "I'll…be back after school. Ja ne." With another quick bow, Kanojo left. A glimpse of her watch had told her she was late.

She ran down the sidewalk, not noticing the black BMW following closely behind.

When she arrived at the school, it was unusually quiet, save for the murmurs coming from the direction of the dining hall. Kanojo felt relieved. She put her things in her locker and took a few things out before heading down the hall. Two girls came down the other end and Kanojo played it safe, moving off to the side.

"I can't believe it." She heard one of the girls say. "They give out the red notice but then we get blamed!"

The other one hushed her, "Don't talk like that. You never know…"

The girl nodded and the two hurried off. Kanojo rolled her eyes and ducked in to her class room. She set her things down on her desk and considered moving to the back where she could keep an eye on everyone. With a loud sigh, she slid in to her seat.

"You're ducking out of the 'meeting too?"

Kanojo turned around slowly and blinked. Sitting on a back table, a tall and slender boy, his hair dyed red. He grinned, his lip ring tilting slightly as he did so. His black and blue printed shirt rose as he stood and stretched his arms up, the chain on the side of his pants 'clanked' against the wood. She assumed he was one of them—One of the F4—since he didn't have the uniform on.

"I didn't know." She told him.

"Sure you didn't" He chuckled, walking over to her desk. He took a seat on it and looked down at her. "Must suck having a red notice already. You've been here what, a week? Two?" He shook her head at her response. "Tsuyoi Kanojo, right?" he extended his hand to her, "Kiken Oji" When she only stared at his hand with a raised brow, he pulled it back and shrugged. "That name means nothing to you?"

"You're….one of the new F4?"

Again, he chuckled, "I'm….." He stopped mid-sentence, curious about the sudden squeals and shouts coming from the dining hall.

"Domyouji-sama, in the flesh!" A girl ran past, sqeauling with a friend. "I can't….beli…ahhhh! Kawaii!!!!"

"Domyouji?" Kanojo repeated.

Oji clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "Well, that's pretty unexpected. You think they'd be done here after a year."

"Huh?"

"Where did you come from? Osaka?"

"Ah…iie. USA. New York…"

"Things are going to get interesting now, Kawaii Ojo-chan, come on." He slid off her desk and headed for the door, stopping at it and looking over his shoulder, "Well? Come on then."

Kanojo hesitated before nodding slightly and heading after him.

"What's all this?" Oji asked, entering the giddy dining hall. It took only a second for his eyes to fall upon the red slip of paper hanging from the banister of the former F4's private space. He snickered, "What's this?"

Wazura Washii bumped in to Kanojo, pushing her to the side, "He just stormed in, Domyouji-sama." She sighed happily, "He looked better than ever!"

"Mmhmm!" Iraira Saseru and Betsu Iradachi smiled and agreed.

"Did he say anything, Wazura?" Oji asked, turning to face the curly haired girl. "Anything important, anyway?"

Domyouji set his hands on his hips and climbed up the steps of the F4 private space. Once he got to the top, he set his hands on the railing and looked over the student body. He noted that many of the first and second year students looked slightly confused. "Hmph." Domyouji stuck his hand in to his pocket, "It can't be helped."

"Tsukasa, what are you up to?" Soujiro asked.

Domyouji pulled out an all-too-familiar red slip of paper and slapped it on to the banister. "I declare war on Kashigari Hazu , Hikuyo Kio, Okasu Furin and Chirasu Ibari!"

"Iie. Nothing at all." Wazura smiled sweetly.

"Lying fits you perfectly, Wazura." Oji replied, turning towards Kanojo, "Go see if they've left yet. By chance, they might still be in the lot—" He waved his hand at her "Isogu."

Saseru and Iradachi wrinkled their noses at her and turned their head. "Isogu, Isogu!"

Once Kanojo had left, Oji climbed the steps and grabbed the red notice, looking it over. 'What is that idiot thinking?' he wondered, folding the paper and sliding it in to his pocket. "Well, Theres nothing to see here, folks. Go on with your Gucci bags and Coach boots.."

"Kiken-sama, Daijoubu ka?" Saseru asked.

Oji thought a moment before smiling brightly, "Iie. It's not okay at all."

"Honto?"

"Honto! Isn't it unbelievable, Makino!?" Domyouji paced back and forward in his room, cell phone pressed to his ear as Akira and Soujiro played a game of Majong. "And then! He has the nerve to go to the staircase while I'm in the process of being powerful and mighty!"

"Chotto. You're talking about Hanazawa Rui? I thought it was about that new F4 crossing the line. Having a girl pushed like that... You were pretty rotten but you never went that far."

"Shut up!"

"Don't tell me to shut up, you called me, anyway!" Makino snapped on the other line.

"Baka! If you're not going to say anything constructive, you shouldn't talk."

"Maybe I shouldn't talk because I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Domyouji threw the phone on to the bed and stormed out of the room. Akira picked it up. "Makino! How is it in New York? Learning anything good from Kaede?"

Domyouji returned and snatched the phone from Akira, "Oi, Makino! Come home now!"

"Why?"

"These new F4 boys are bad. If you can fix me, you can fix them."

"You fell in love with me. I didn't fix you."

"No, you fell in love with me. It was the kiss at Shizuka's party. I know it."

"After you fell in love with me."

Makino sighed on her end, "Why don't you just try talking to him? Look, I have to go. Your mom is making me go to one of her meetings. Something about learning how to handle the business since her idiot son is unreliable."

"Okay." Domyouji hung up then stared at the phone, "Idiot son?"

Soujiro chuckled, "Ne, Domyouji. You really don't have a student body to carry out your deeds and more. How is this declaration of war going to work now?" He looked over to his curly haired friend. "It's a horrible thing but maybe we really should just leave it alone. We're no longer students there, afterall. There isn't much that can be done. Eitoku isn't our problem any more."

"Eitoku is our special spot! I met Makino there! We fell in love there! It's a street spot for me!"

"Sweet spot, Domyouji. Sweet spot."

"Whatever. We have to fix it. And We can. Because we are the F4 and I am the almighty me."

"So what are you going to do?" Akira asked, raising a brow.

Domyouji flopped down on to his couch, "I don't know yet."

"Let's wait for Rui to return." Akira suggested, "Soujiro. Another game?"

Soujiro nodded, stopping when Domyouji suddenly jumped up. "I got it!" He exclaimed. "We need a sly!"

"A spy?" Akira and Soujiro corrected.

"Same thing! I'm going to call Shigeru."

"Shigeru!?" The name was enough to make Akira and Soujiro shrivel back in fear and nausea. "Nani?!"

Domyouji grinned and hurried off. "Keep up with me, Bakas. I'm on a roll."

"But he isn't really." Akira told Soujiro and the friend chuckled.

After she had informed Oji that she hadn't been able to catch up with Domyouji Tsukasa, Nishikado Soujiro , Mimasaka Akira and Hanazawa Rui, Kanojo went to class and as she had thought about, she took a seat in the back. This way, they wouldn't really be able to throw anything at her without her seeing. Because of her decision, class had gone by fairly well. Only the two students at her sides and the one in front of her had made any actions against her.

When the lunch bell rang, she went to her locker to bet her bento box and after several tugs discovered that her locker had been glued shut. She sighed and stepped back, trying to figure out what to do next. She couldn't very much stand there and fight with her locker until it opened. She'd look like a fool and although she had enough money to afford school meals, she didn't like anything they had.

"Well, if it isn't the girl who pushed her friend over the railing."

Kanojo set her hand on her locker and looked over. "I didn't pu--" Suddenly, she felt fear, awe and confusion all at once. There they stood, four amazingly handsome men, standing side by side, blocking the hall. The two closer to the walls looked similar with dark hair and eyes, though the one to the far right had slightly darker skin and longer hair. She'd later learn that the one to the left was Hikuyo Kio and the one to the right was Okasu Furin. The one next to Furin had very light brown hair contrasted by deep brown eyes and a pale complexion. This was Kashigari Haru. The one next to him however, was the one that stood out the most. There was something familiar about him, though she couldn't place it. Maybe it was the smile he gave. Chisaru Ibari. None of the four wore uniforms. Instead, they wore the latest fashions and accessories. 'But if these are the F4...then what about...'

"Oi! Baka! Listen to me when I speak to you!"

Kanojo snapped from her thoughts, "Sumimasen.."

"You can get on your knees before me now." Ibari replied smugly, setting a hand on his side. "Maybe if you beg enough, I'll forgive you for pushing your friend."

"I didn't push her." Kanojo replied, keeping her head down.

"It really isn't what the police are thinking." There went that smile again. Ibari's smile was too familiar.

"E...eh?"

"If you confess to it.." Ibari shrugged and snickered, passing her, bumping in to her shoulder and shoving her aside. He said nothing more as he disappeared down the hall, taking his three friends along with him.

It wasn't until after they disappeared that Kanojo crumbled. They had gone to the police and reported her? She hadn't done it! But no one would defend her, she was sure. Because if they did, The F4 would turn on them. "Daijoubu?" A soft voice asked and a shadow loomed over her. Kanojo looked up slowly and felt herself face to face with a marble-eyed man with soft but distant features. "Hm?"

Startled, Kanojo quickly stood and backed up. She recognized this man too. She had seen him once before in New York. "Hanaz--"

"Hanazawa Rui. What are you doing here?" Oji asked, coming around the corner. He set a hand on Kanojo's head, "Are you here about what Domyouji did? It's fine really. No hard feelings and all that. You can be on your way."

"I was just coming from the stairwell. What did Domyouji do?"

"You weren't with him earlier?"

"Iie."

Oji removed the red notice from his pocket and handed it to Rui, who stared at it and put it in his pocket. "Mm." He looked at Oji and Oji nodded, "Hai hai, I'll take care of it, don't worry." He patted Kanojo on the head, "I'll take care of this one too."

"You two...know each other?" Kanojo asked as Rui passed them and walked away.

Oji shrugged a little, "You have five minutes."

"Huh?"

"The snooty trio'll let the F4 know that war has been declared on them. Naturally, you'll get blamed. You should go."

"Kiken-sama..."

"What is it Kawaii Ojo-chan?"

"Who are you really?"

"I'm the final meal."

"E-eh?"

He pulled her aside and let her lean against the wall, "You know how when you're getting ready to be executed in prison, they give you the final meal?" When Kanojo nodded, he continued, "It's the best thing they experience before everything comes to an end around them." He patted her on the head, "I'm your final meal."

"E-eh?"

"Tomorrow, I'll kill you." He gave her a smug grin before heading down the hall.