Idiocy Dies Hard
Summary:
Merely being curious and bored, Natsume Hyuuga decided to observe Mikan Sakura since she is the smartest yet the stupidest in her cohort in Gakuen Alice, for the smartest of the smartest. Yet, his heart is warmed by her childish behaviour, idiocy and her passion. Minor Bleach crossover.
Okay, in this story, I made Natsume seem to be not so handsome but don't scold me!!! .
I just wanted to try something different.
But I have may have made Natsume and Hotaru a little different in character.
BUT, the things in here are absurd. EXTREME absurd. EXTREME high class and pampered students in the school but they were never spoilt.
But of course, some people may find too many things to describe about.
Natsume, seems to be like not so handsome from description, Mikan more stupid, Hotaru, slightly warmer and Ruka, more sly in here.
But there may be too much description.
Read to find out.
"Bored..."
A tall figure, floating in the sky. Twisting his body, his face was revealed. Ruby red eyes which were piercing are very rare and handsome shiny raven hair. The height of 1.85m, he was pretty tall. He had a slim body but not those muscular body which men usually want. Maybe he couldn't be bothered with a full muscled body that most women would drool at. His face was beautifully sculpted. The eyebrows were not thin, not too thick, just right. His eyes weren't too big nor small, just nice. His nose was sharp but of course, not too sharp or it will ruin his face. His lips were perfect for a guy... Perfect for kissing.
"Natsume, why don't you do something then?" The man, revealed to be Natsume spun his head. Full name, Hyuuga Natsume. Age? 18.
"Ruka." His companion, Ruka. Nogi Ruka, was a ghost too. They had recently died due to a car accident but they weren't that sad because as models, they were irritated with girls and besides, they didn't really had any meaning in life so it doesn't really matter.
Slightly, shorter than Natsume, Ruka is 1.83m, with an equally hot body just like Natsume, especially with his mesmerising aqua blue eyes and since he was a half french, he had shiny, silky blond hair. By the way, he had lips perfect for kissing too. Age? 18.
"Like?" Natsume raised his eyebrow. Ruka frowned for a while, thinking hard. His eyes went up and down in a weird manner. He had a habit of this. His came to a stop to a school. He floated lightly to the ground. Natsume followed him.
"If you get what I mean, we are going for front row seats to the daily lives of these students. Rumours say, they act actully quite dumb at times." Ruka smirked.
"I get what you mean. Since I am bored, I'll just do it. No matter how meaningless it is." Natsume sighed and both of them passed through the walls of, Gakuen Alice.
"Ohhh!!" A girl with long silky brown hair down to her back and hazel eyes stretched, while sitting on a chair in the library.
"Mikan!" A girl with boy cut raven hair and amethyst eyes hissed.
"Oh... sorry, Hotaru!" Mikan grinned sheepishly and went back to her book. Hotaru sighed and went back to her book as well.
Swinging her legs under the table, humming a tune pretty loudly, you must be wondering why no librarian came to shush her. Because, it was her and her best friend, Hotaru Imai's private library. Just for the both of them. They were the smartest in their level.
Gakuen Alice, a boarding school, the school for the smart, and only the smart could come here. No shady connections like money included so the child could study there. No, everyone passed the normal way was to do the Gakuen Alice exam. There are the elementary, junior, high school and university buildings so it is a one way escalator. To get in here from an outside school is impossible. So, you have to start from elementary or you can just forget about going to this school.
Academics, they will test you based on what your age should know but it would be the most advanced thing you should know for your age.
Sports, you don't have to be very sporty, just average would do. By the way, the school's average is actually very high.
Music, they never ask you to play every instrument in the world but you must have a primary and secondary music instrument. They will also want you to know what are all the music instruments out there in the world.
Personality, it doesn't really matter even though they will be testing you on it. In fact, if you have anything which the school thinks that are flaws, they will hire tutors to teach the students to change their bad(what the school think) habits.
Characteristics... Is that the same as personality? Either way, the school will change you to what they deem fit.
For elementary and junior students, they will learn things which will obviously be not for their age outside the school and when they turn 16, first year in high school, that's when the school crams everything into your mind. There will be numerous courses to choose from. Do one course would take you three years, thus ending your high school life but if you decided to do two(maximum), it would still take three years, depending if your brain can take it. If not, six years. It will be done along with the usual studying, exercising and playing.
So outside, third years in high school will be learning the same thing as third years for juniors in Gakuen Alice.
So, you are able to skip further studies and if you show your employees the certificate of graduating from Gakuen Alice, its 100% pass that you would get in. Of course, if you won't mind going to Gakuen Alice University which would further enhance your knowledge on the course(s) you chose. That would take 2 or 4 years, depending on the number of courses and the brain.
So if you show your employees the Gakuen Alice University cert, you are a even more 'in' for the company.
The school don't mind having students that are playful and all but they must score in everything that the school provides. If they fail exams for more than three times in the whole of your boarding school life there, you are expelled.
Gakuen Alice's motto is, The Best For Our Country.
In other words, Gakuen Alice trains young students to have be the BEST for Japan. Gakuen Alice is very strict and sometimes, outsiders found it unreasonable and so on. The government could do nothing about it initially but when they heard what the school does for Japan and so on, they encouraged it.
So, Gakuen Alice is the perfect school for the perfect.
So now, lets introduce Mikan.
Mikan Sakura, the smartest yet the stupidest in the whole of her level. She's 17. She excels in everything all except in one spot. She can never tell when a guy likes her. So, don't consult her about love or you will die. She's the school's belle and everyone admires her, even the girls who first hated her for 'stealing' the boys. She is a pretty happy-go-lucky girl with a bubbly personality and sometimes, she can be quite cute.
Hotaru Imai, the second smartest in her level. She's the same age as Mikan. She is perfect in every way as well all except for one thing. She doesn't show her emotions to others freely. Unless you are close to her, she won't show you her true nature. She's the opposite of Mikan when it comes to personality and realisation of emotions. She is also pretty, ranking second. She hates losing and Mikan is the one she always loses to but she and Mikan are best friends despite that.
(AN: More info shown later... But this school is pretty absurd.)
"Hm... I think we should stop and rest for a while." Mikan hummed and she got up, packing the books she chose to study with and placed at a corner of the table.
"... I don't really agree with this but fine." Hotaru too, got up, stretching her body and did the same as Mikan with her books.
"It will be lunch time soon. Let's go to the garden to have our lunch instead of the canteen." Mikan suggested with a big smile on her face. Hotaru and Mikan left their private library with Hotaru locking the entrance to the ibrary and then catching up to her.
"Its a fine day today so it will be okay." Hotaru said with a soft smile which she only allow Mikan to see. But rarely.
"Amanatsu." Hotaru commanded.
"Hai." And so, Amanatsu, the robot, followed them.
Just then, the lunch bell rang.
Amanatsu, one of Hotaru's creation. Looks just like Mikan, acts like Mikan, brains just like Mikan. But only for the stupidity part.
The bells in school are quite different. There's four types of ringing bells. One, for the starting of school. Two, once every period ends. Three, the diner bell. Four, the end of school bell.
Also, for the top two in each level, they are given special privileges. A different school uniform, choice of skipping lessons but if you are talking about courses, you are not allowed too. You can roam about freely in school, you can eat anywhere you one... In fact, you can do whatever you want as long as it is not too absurd. Requests are also allowed as long as it is within the school's mean. All for the students' benefit.
Since Mikan and Hotaru are the top two in their level, they can do whatever they want. They requested for a personal library but since they were not so demanding, they have not made any other requests. They sometimes do invite a few people to study in their personal library if the public one was too crowded.
But this library is special in a sense. One shelf of the library would be filled to the brim with the same catergory of books.
Maths, filled one shelf.
English, Science Geography, History, Japanese and many other subjects would have a shelf of their own.
Books on designing are here, but that's only for Mikan.
Books on technology are also here, but that's only for Hotaru.
Finally, we came to the fun part. There are many different books for the two of them. They can read romance, mystery, thriller, adventure, horror and many others including bloody type of stories could be found there from famous authors. Usually, Mikan would read romance, mystery and sometimes, a bit of horror.
As for Hotaru, she would read blood and gore, mystery and adventure.
Next, to the classrooms...
Each and every classroom has been installed with air cons, including labs, the hall and the sports hall. But must be switched off once in a while, But other than these areas, air cons were not installed as if under the air con for too long, peoples' skin will turn dry. Markers and whiteboards were provided instead of chalk and a black board. Markers and whiteboards of high quality.
Status does not matter, no one would look down on you because of that. Thanks to the school in help of changing their characters. The rich of course would pay the full price if their students were to come here to study, 900,000 yen per month. For the poor or middle class families, 160,000 and 350,000 individually.
Bullying, fighting and so on are not allowed but such things never occurred before thanks to the help of tutors hired by the school to change bad personalities.
The school was founded by Miyuki Masao, who the heiress to the Miyuki Industry. A genius, she is valuable to her family but she wanted to do something different instead of inheriting her company, she decided to create a school when she saw the poor people who or illterate on the streets. But of course, during her time, they had to pay much less since the economic wasn't that advance yet.
But, 250 years have passed, the Miyuki family still holding on firm to the reins of Gakuen Alice, with the beliefs of Miyuki Masao, along with their Industry, as strong as ever since it was back then.
Mikan Sakura, princess of the Sakura Industry. She helps out a lot in her family's business of fashion and designing. So she is paying the full amount for the school fees. Her uniform is special to differentiate the top two of each level. But only the high school building has this rule. The regulars are a light blue with dark blue as rims, with white socks till thigh and brown school shoes. For people like her, they wear the same design except for the colour. They can choose whatever colour they want to. She chose white. For extra info, she chose fashion and design course to help out her family business in the mean time in terms of clothes and shoes.
Hotaru Imai, princess of the Imai Company. Helps out in her family's business with technology and stuff. Her uniform is purple. Hotaru chose to go for the design technical course. She has appeared on TV with Mikan as well many times to showcase their creations. Mikan, her clothing and so on. Hotaru, her creations like a small portable camera in the shape of a watch which also helps to tell the time.
But even so, all students there are not spoilt even by the numerous privileges.
(Think of the school uniform as the one in Yumeiro Patissiere.)
On the way to the canteen for choice of food...
No one was whispering about them and so one because it is not allowed in school because the person whom you are talking about may feel uncomfortable and so on. No screaming either, no staring but of course, not to be so strict, a every once in a while glance is all right.
Mikan skipped a little, with a bright smile on her face as always, greeting people as she pass by, they greeting her in return. Hotaru just followed behind her.
Then, they reached the canteen.
The canteen was more like a high class restaurant with designer brand chairs and tables, cutlery and everything was decorated with roses. The chefs were the top in the country. No air con was installed as it would spoil when it absorbs the smell of food. With velvet red curtains as deco for the windows, outside shows the garden. The view was marvelous. Everything was perfect.
As usual, the top two can have two choices on places to eat. The canteen or the garden. For regualrs, the canteen. But usually, they are already contented with the canteen but sometimes, they long for the garden. But it was not allowed, even if the top two invites you because it is not their personal garden. Unless it is, the school won't care.
The teachers to cleaners were well paid.
Teachers with high experience, cleaners who know how to deal with disgusting stuff, the worse job they ever done before, they completed it perfectly. All for the sake of students.
With the cool breeze, nice comfy seats and a very practical and cool table for the garden, filled with roses.
Perfect.
Running up the the chef, she grinned.
"Spaghetti please," Mikan smiled brightly at the chef and he nodded.
"Crab rolls, and crab spaghetti. And the garden. Thank you." The chef nodded and prepared the spaghetti and fetched a waitress to carry both plates of spaghetti to the garden.
Already at the garden, sitting on a chair with the table, the waitress served them their spaghetti, bowing and then leaving. A breeze past by, making their hair dance, their skirts swaying with the wind, sometimes flapping about and they would have to smoothen them out.
"Hm... I can smell the scent of the grass and roses. Lovely." Mikan closed, her eyes, breathing in deep.
"Yes," Hotaru muttered and dug in to her spaghetti with crabs along with the rolls she dumped it in with.
"Amanatsu, make yourself comfortable." Hotaru commanded.
"Thank you, Hotaru-sama." Amanatsu plopped to the ground. She was a robot, remember? She didn't need any human food or animal food. She was just not too long ago fed with fuel.
The Imais are famous for their love of seafood, each family member having a specific one.
Hotaru Imai loves seafood, more specifically, crabs. Her eating habits may be disgusting at times and she will not eat unless there are crabs in it. She was notorious for that. No one could change her eating habits. The Imais the first in history to not change after the numerous tutors set upon them like wild tigers during their stay at Gakuen Alice.
For more info, her brother likes octopus. Their father loves squid and their mother loves frogs.
"..."
"..."
"..."
It was silent for the rest of their lunch. But they were enjoying it. The scents of the roses and sweet grass, their food and finally, each other's company. It was enough for them, including the silent robot.
It was forbidden to talk when eating as it is bad manners. No slurping, no burping and so on. Always sit with your back straight, always answer when someone answers you a question, politely. Female must not sit with their legs wide apart... and so on.
It was rude and ladies and gentlemen DO NOT do that.
Severe punishment would be handed out if they were caught by the CCTV, staffs or students, who will report to staffs.
Cross legged, Mikan finished. She sent it back to the canteen with the help of Hotaru's brought along invention, Amanatsu.
"Thank you as always," Mikan smiled at the invention, after wiping her mouth.
"Yes." Hotaru nodded her head and dumped her plate onto Amanatsu as well.
"You don't have too," Amanatsu smiled and wheeled off. Amanatsu had legs as wheels. It has a mind of its own as well.
"Today, I don't feel like going for lessons." Mikan sighed.
"That's a first," Hotaru raised her eyebrow. Unlike her, Mikan had always show up for lessons.
"Hm..." Mikan didn't respond to Hotaru, deep in her own thoughts.
Waiting, for the lunch bell to ring, they just sat there, resting from their studies and stress. After 30 mins, the bell rang but they just stayed still there, still taking in the scent of roses and grass.
After a while, students and teachers no longer roam the school, each in their respective classrooms.
Here, in Gakuen Alice, it is the homeroom system due to a few reasons.
The school believe that students will not skip lessons, trusting them. Will be on time for lessons. In the end, they just want the students to not always rely on them but themselves.
Independent.
Polite.
Kind.
Understanding.
These are the qualities of Gakuen Alice students must face.
No exceptions allowed.
"Hm... Its quiet..." Natsume floating in the sky, surveying Gakuen Alice.
"Perhaps its class time." Ruka suggested.
"Lets go down further. I see two students in... White and purple?" Natsume frowned, squinting his eyes.
"They must be the top two of their level." Ruka said.
"...?"
"Different colours for their school uniform are allowed but only one colour. That is only allowed for the top two in every level."
"Don't tell me that the uniform is different for every level. Elementary, junior and high... including university?"
"Yes. But university is a little special."
Elementary students have orange school uniforms.
Junior high students have green.
High school students have blue.
Finally, university students are a bit different. Girls have a choice of purple and red. Boys have a choice of grey or brown.
As mentioned before, the top two students of each level can have a different colour but will have to pay for a new set of uniform. Regulars buy the uniform for 400,000 yen but if specially ordered(top two), will have to pay 600,000 yen.
"Ah... I don't really want to know." Natsume sweatdropped when Ruka offered to explain everything to him.
"It sounds that there will be alot to know." Natsume sighed.
"I suppose so." Ruka faked a shiny big grin at him.
"Whatever," Natsume and Ruka landed on the ground gracefully like angels would even though they are not and surveyed the two students in white and purple, resting just by themselves... With a robot?
"..."
"I have seen them before," Natsume said.
"Where?" Ruka asked.
"TV." Natsume answered quickly.
"I understand already. One of them most probably created the robot. And the other... Must major in something else." Ruka said in an understanding tone.
"Yeah." Natsume nodded his head.
"So Natsume, did you just so happen to pass by the TV that time?"
"Yeah." He was staring at the one in white. Ruka noticed that and smirked.
"Natsume?" Ruka spoke suddenly.
"Hm...?" Natsume turned to face Ruka with a lazy look in his eyes.
"Want to observe them?" Ruka suggested.
"... Nothing better to do." Natsume shrugged and both ghosts walked towards the girls. Ruka mentally cheered for being correct.
He was interested in her! The girl in white! And not only that, he is a ghost! She is a human. Ruka always thought he was gay(but knew Natsume not interested in him that way) since he never held interest in girls. To make it even more intriguing,they never met before so, IT WAS INTERESTING!
"Hm... Hm..." Mikan hummed a tune, skipping, in a child-like way.
"..." Hotaru was reading a book about technology, keeping up with Mikan while not bumping into anything. Amanatsu was sent back to Hotaru's lab.
They have just decided to do their own things. Mikan was going to head back to her personal sewing room to create more designs for her company. She majors in clothing.
Hotaru will be back at her lab, to create new and weird inventions.
"Then, we part here!" Their rooms are not near each other anyway. Mikan waved her friend goodbye. Hotaru nodded her head and left quickly.
The top two has their own rooms instead of sharing one with others. Not only that, the top two are separated into different divisions of dorms so that they can keep any eye on other students.
There are six types. Six for junior and high each. University has eight since they study one or two courses which takes maximum four years. For elementary students, they do not have dorms until they reach junior high school.
Junior, high and university have dorms for each grade, genders separated. So there are six types.
A, for the third years.
B, for the second years.
C, for the first years.
D, E, F, this only applies to high school students who applied for two courses and decided to take six years.
D, for up till university only, if they take four years due to the two courses they take.
A. J, stands for A Junior. Means a third year in junior high school. B. J, the second years in junior high. C. J, the first years.
A. H, the third years for high school and so on.
A. U, for fourth/second years in university and so on.
Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai can actually skip to A. U, transferring to university as a result but they refused. Mikan feels shy around people who are older than her and Hotaru just wants to stay with Mikan.
As a B.H, Mikan takes great pride in being a senior unlike Hotaru who would most probably try to escape her responsibilities but Mikan would never do so and would try to help out the juniors in any way she can.
Closing the door to her room, Mikan set to work on her dresses for the end of year graduation ball. It was in a few month's time and she still had left three dresses to be made which was probably not enough time since hers had always been hand sewn. She had already completed five though.
It had to shown tonight.
It had to be and she was running out of time.
She could not do them earlier cause she was not allowed too.
There was a weird rule which everyone never understood.
Until, lunch, the top two are not allowed to go to their private rooms.
"I am interested in the raven haired girl so see ya." Ruka waved off without letting any room of retort coming from his best friend and left quickly. Natsume sighed. That was unusual but nevertheless, he followed Mikan into the room.
Unlike the company who uses machines, Mikan did handmade ones and were always popular with the ladies since she always sew dresses, suits, coats and casual wear for women in their 20s to 30s. Hers was very fashionable yet practical at the same time, making it popular due to the fact that it was her who had sewn it. Her, who came up with the design, and it was long lasting too. So she's pretty famous in this line. She could have even long ago graduated from here but refused to since she was scared of cameras and reporters.
Her eight designs of dresses are to be showed off to the whole school which of course, only for girls. Two for each division. Elementary, junior, high and university. Every girl love the clothes she make and would always come to the 'M.S's Stylish 'In''. This year, was no exception, but that was only what Hotaru would assume and not Mikan. She was more humble.
Unlike bidding, here, is different. Mikan would choose someone suitable for the dresses she made and the girls would pay the price they think what the dress deserves. They would become the models for the dresses and photos would be taken of. If the dresses are a big hit, they would be showcased to the world with a limit of fifty of each kind, including the one the 'model' has. The price would be what the model has decided when she first bought it. All money earned would be given to the poor around the world. Not because the Sakura family wants to show off to the poor how much they can earn from these dresses, not because how rich they were but because they were compassionate.
But sometimes, for some dresses, there would be a set. It would come along with a necklace, bracelet, or shoes or maybe even all three. Sometimes, she may add gloves to the outfit. So when buying the gown, you must buy the full set.
So that's just how it is.
"Ow..." Mikan pricked her finger and just popped it into her mouth like a baby, sucking on it making Natsume twitch.
What is she... A baby? Weirdo.
Natsume sweatdropped. Mikan stopped after a while and decided to go get a cup of water but tripped and fell due to her sewing kit in the way.
"Oww!!!" Her tripping of her sewing kit caused her hands to move about in a random and wild manner, knocking her pile of paper work down to the floor, those separated with 'done' and 'not done', which was on her nearby work table and then her other hand grabbed hold of the curtains hanging on the window that just so happens to be beside the table. Obviously unable to support her weight, the curtains was pulled down, landing onto her whole body since the curtains were not exactly 'small'.
"Hey!! Who turned off the lights!!!" Mikan waved her hands about, with the curtains on top of her. That was when Natsume decided that she was an idiot. How did she manage to get into Gakuen Alice in the first place?
A few minutes of 'fighting' with the curtains, Mikan pouted and grabbed her water, careful not to trip onto anything but she did bump into something.
She bumped against the wall, making the wall vibrate a little and so the clock falls...
SMACK!
Right on her head. Bullseye.
"Oh... Arararara..." Mikan fainted, with swirly eyes. But she recovered with great energy in few seconds.
"Gahhh!!! The dresses!!!" And so Mikan got back to work. So she forgot about her spilt cup of water, her broken clock, her pile of paper work and her torn curtains.
Natsume chuckled a little. She was definitely an idiot but she is interesting.
"..." Ruka's eyes twitched. All Hotaru was doing was typing on the freaking computer without even blinking! It has been like this for 30 minutes and is she even human!? It was definitely boring since Hotaru never even once shifted her attention to anything else other than her computer.
"... Amanatsu?" Hotaru suddenly called out. Ruka became slightly more alert.
"Yes, Hotaru-sama?" Amanatsu rushed to Hotaru's side.
Still typing Hotaru answered, "Fetch me my ghost buster glasses and gun." Ruka turned blank and his eyes grew small.
"Eh...?" Amanatsu seems to understand though.
"I understand. Please wait for a while." Amanatsu then ran to a closet in the lab and opened it, taking out what was requested. Then, it hit Ruka.
"Me?!?! She realised me?! Gah! If I don't escape, I'm dead meat!" Ruka clutched his head, running in circles in Hotaru's lab.
"I-I am a ghost! So, I should be able to pass through walls! Y-yeah! Through walls!" Ruka frantically prepared himself to dash through the walls of Hotaru Imai's lab.
1 second...
Ruka is one quarter away from his goal.
2 seconds...
His half way there.
3 seconds...
Three quarters there.
4 seconds...
BAM!
He hits the wall, most probably breaking his nose and falling flat on his face on the floor which just increase the possibility of his nose going flat.
"Ah ha ha ha..." His eyes go swirly as he pick himself up from the floor.
Click! Click!
He regained his alertness and turned his head back, only to see a evil Hotaru with a gun in hand and glasses on her face.
"Too bad for you cause this lab is made out of special metal to prevent ghosts from escaping when they step in. I could sense your presence behind me and its starting to irritate me." Hotaru smirked at Ruka who just shivered. He was starting to break out in cold sweat. Amanatsu was no where to be seen. It was pretty obvious that when Hotaru is in 'Super-Extermination-Ghost' mode, no one is allowed to disturb her or they will suffer greatly.
"Die." He gulped.
Her smirk got wider and she shot at him without any hesitation.
... The gun produced smoke. Thick smoke.
... It was still there and Hotaru can't see.
... A bit fuzzy...
Hotaru sighed. "Oh shoot. He got away." The area was cleared already, by then.
"In reality, I only wanted to experiment on him. I've never experimented on a ghost before. I just wanted to shoot him with some sleeping drugs especially made for ghosts." She blew off the steam from her gun.
Since Gakuen Alice was always filled with people, even at night, ghosts wouldn't like places with many people, right? So there wasn't any ghosts in Gakuen Alice.
"It was a perfect chance too..."
"Two... Two more...." Mikan's eyes were in spirals and she was already wobbling like jelly.
She was already done with one. Her latest design was actually very simple. But it was still elegant.
A midnight blue, she created this dress meant for slim people whom are not too skinny. Ending at the ankles of a average height for a lady, it was attached with sparkles that were sewn on to around the whole dress. A sleeveless dress, with only one strap hanging on the the left shoulder. For extra support, the dress would have a zip. it was quite a modest dress, it wasn't that much of a low cut. it would just end above the chest.
This time, she added white gloves that reach the joint to the arm and a pair of black heeled(three inches) sandals, with the usual strap just below the toes but the fasterner... it wasn't really a fastener. It was a slip-on. Earrings and necklace are of the chosen girl's choice. They can also decide not to wear.
The strap on the shoulder was sewn with an extra decoration of a frilly, translucent white material, just like that.
To complete it would have a white ribbon tied at the back, around the waist of the dress.
She was done with that and she was currently dressing a mannequin with the dress.
Natsume was still observing her, this time, sitting on her chair. He was surprised at her concentration while making the dress, the whole time not really blinking while making it and how careful she was at handling the dress.
Flashback
"Hm... not tight enough...." Mikan muttered to herself and went to sew on the ribbon tighter to the waist.
She didn't really blink much and her eyes were red then all of a sudden, she started to cry. That was then when she took hold of a tissue and wipe of her tears, this time blinking,
"I cannot let this dress be stained after all." She grinned to herself and went back to work.
Natsume could only stare in amazement.
End of Flashback
"Ah... nicely... Slowly..." Mikan muttered to herself again. Natsume snapped out of his little flashbacks and concentrated on her.
Pressing the dress slowly on the mannequin, smoothing the dress out nicely so it wouldn't crumple. Carefully putting the gloves on, she made sure there weren't any hitches when slipping it onto the mannequin's hands and the shoes as well.
It was enough to show everyone she loved clothing. Her passion and dedication she got from her family.
It was enough...
Natsume smiled.
Then, he left the room by slipping through the walls of her room, leaving Mikan alone to her little mutterings to herself.
Then he saw his friend panting.
"What are you doing?" He stared at Ruka.
"T-t-that woman, i-i-i-is mad." Ruka wheezed.
"Hm...? In what sense?"
"She actually sense ghosts and I nearly got busted because she had a ghost busting gun with her!" Ruka got his energy back and protested to Natsume.
"Lets stay here until night." Natsume suggested out of the sudden.
"Excuse me?! Natsume! I was nearly destroyed(or so he thinks =.=) and here you come talking about staying here till night? Its dangerous!"
"No, don't worry. Ruka, I am a bit busy at the moment. Ruka, you go play around or something. I am going off somewhere and I would like to be alone till night." Ruka gaped at what he said while Natsume left him alone.
~NIGHT~
"Done!" Mikan cheered.
Natsume smirked. In the end, he went back to her again, eager to see her finishing her dresses.
Flashback
Thinning the thread she used, she slipped it into the needle and tied a knot before sewing. Squinting, she found the perfect spot on where she should poke to start sewing the cloths into one piece, the masterpiece, a dress.
Smoothing out the white fabric that she chose, she carefully poke into it and did a few good rounds of sewing before tying another knot again, again on the inside and then cutting the thread.
She then took some more white thread and this time, thinning it again, she took a few sewn flowers and sew it onto the dress.
Natsume suspected those sewn flowers were her creation.
Interesting.
Once she was finished, she stood up, avoiding her mess, she dug into her cupboard and after a few minutes of digging, she pulled out a long black cloth which was quite thin.
Measuring certain lengths, she cut it up accurately as she could which was like extreme straight. She blinked once, rubbed her eyes and yawn a little, covering her mouth. Then she cut the cloth to two. Then to fours. She took two pieces with her.
With the cloth, she sew both cloths, one of their ends to the side of each dress. She was almost done.
This time, she dug her thread basket for a specific thread which was, a very dark purple. As usual, she thinned it and poke it into her needle and she started to work on the cursive designs she planned out carefully. She was done and for her final touches, she dug through her cupboard again, finding a orange translucent shawl and wrapped it around the dress and then she took out a bracelet from her locked drawer.
A few hours have already passed, she was done with this dress and she stretched. She didn't had a break and was tired but she couldn't stop. Not right now. The sun was already setting and she would have to speed up, triple her usual speed.
Natsume still stared at her and saw her eyes.
It was filled with determination, passion. Fire dancing in her eyes.
He smirked.
He was starting to like her 'Don't -Give-Up' attitude and her silly antics.
Taking out a green cloth like as though she planned it, which was most probably true, she set to work on the final dress.
End of Flashback
She had finished sewing the last two dresses for this very, very, special night.
One, which was a white sleeveless dress, blue floral patterns at the rims of the skirt and a deep purple cursive vine-like designs around the collar. A black ribbon at the back, at the waist. There is a orange shawl, translucent, to go along with it. It has a silver bracelet with designs of roses and jewels encrusted right in the middle of those flowers.
The other one, was a light green but not those ugly greens which are the colour of vegetables. A tube dress, it was puffy from the waist to the legs with white gloves which reach the arm. Around the waist was zig zags with shiny silver glitter with a zip at the back and zig zags too at the rims or the skirt and a silver chained necklace to go with. The pendant in the shape of a heart and a small light pink crystal in the middle.
She looked at the other six mannequins, one in yellow, midnight blue, light pink, black, violet, greenish-blue and finally, maroon.
She liked that the most.
A teardrop pendant with a small blue crystal in the middle, a silver chain was holding onto it. With teardrop earrings to match with. A maroon dress that was slightly different from her other designs.
This dress was long sleeved till the wrists and only the shoulders to the arms have a lavender cloth, the rest of the dress in maroon but the bottom and top. The top to bottom was a maroon till it changed colours to white at the very end with lighter shades of maroon in between marron and white. A tight black bow at the waist, to emphasise the waist. It was a low cut, but not that low, just above the cleavage. The dress, long till the ankles, it has no shoes for it since most shoes would be able to match with it.
It was for mature looking women.
Scratch the above sentence of liking it. Mikan love it.
She petted them, and then stroking them tenderly.
Bang!
The door to her room slammed open. Mikan jumped up in shock.
"I have only parted with you for half a day and I see your room in a mess as well as you."
"Oh... Hotaru! You came! But what's with that glasses?"
"Of course," Hotaru snorted, "You are in a mess! Look at the room and at you! My glasses are none of your concern." She wrinkled her nose.
Mikan pouted. Then she blinked once, twice and looked around her room.
Her cupboard doors were left open since she couldn't be bothered to close them and because due to her slamming them open just now, they were a bit loose. Many cloths of different colours and shades were lying around the whole room. Or you could say they were draped around the room, somehow. Mikan's spools of thread, some of them were scattered on the floor and on her work table. Some of them were tangled. Her scissors lyring on the floor, ready to trip or stab someone. The vase in her room was in pieces as well as her clock and some pieces of glass which Hotaru assume which once originally formed a cup. Not only to add in the cloths lying on the floor, her curtains were on the floor as well. And they were torn.
Then, she looked at herself. Her uniform was crumpled, her hair in a mess, some at the wrong places. She was no longer wearing her shoes and her socks were half way to not being on her feet any more! Her eyes looked tired and droopy and if she wore glasses, it would heighten the scary look on her face.
Natsume smirked at Mikan's disheveled look. She looked stupid.
Hotaru's eyes gleamed.
The only thing that stood out from her messy room were the mannequins adorned with fashionable and elegant clothes.
"I'll take care of those dresses, you go get yourself ready. The showcase is in an hour." Hotaru sighed.
"This time, I charge you free due to your circumstances." Mikan grinned.
"OK!" She dashed off.
Natsume turned and look at Mikan while she ran.
Her hair dancing about...
Her laughter...
Her smile...
She looked like... A monster... Natsume sweatdropped.
Wasn't she suppose to look like an angel now? But...
"I know you are there." Natsume turned around to see Hotaru tapping her feet.
"I really want to catch you but I'll let it go for now since this is interesting." Natsume raised his eyebrow at Hotaru. He just realised this was the person who just tried to kill Ruka.
"Scram." Hotaru pointed the gun at him. Natsume didn't show much expression with a gun pointing at him.
"..." He then slipped through the walls and he was gone.
~ Show time~
"So, I choose, Akio Yuuki!" Everyone cheered for the blushing girl.
"So please tell me, how much will you take for this dress?" Mikan showed her the maroon dress.
It was the final dress for tonight. In a month, she will see all eight dresses again...
"900,000 yen!" She squeaked and everyone clapped for the high price she bid for that dress.
The dress was her style anyway.
"So now it belongs to you," Mikan grinned.
Natsume had been watching with much interest. It was over and he was done with his little 'movie'.
Ruka was long there, beside him, looking at Mikan's dresses in awe and as well as avoiding Hotaru.
"Thank you, everyone for coming all the way to see who would get the eight dresses tonight. See all of you in a month's time looking happy at the prom! The eight girls, please come over tomorrow to collect the dresses! So, bye bye!" Mikan cheered and bowed.
Everyone clapped.
The students walked out, talking about the 'big bang' Mikan did tonight.
Mikan who has finished packing up, Hotaru who was still staring at the two ghosts with the strange glasses of hers. Like I said, no one stared since it was rude. She was sitting down on the stage, just staring straight at them.
"Hotaru...?" Mikan asked.
"I want to sit here for a while."
"Okay! I sit here with you, then!" Mikan plopped beside her.
"That girl was not bad," Ruka smirked, talking about Mikan.
"... Our time is over, Ruka." Natsume turned to his standing straight position.
"Eh...?"
Natsume motioned to the shinigami behind him.
"Oh..."
"Name?" Natsume asked the shinigami.
"...Abarai Renji. I am here to send your souls to Soul Society."
"Okay." Natsume was bored of the human world anyway.
Renji performed soul burial without much emotion on Ruka and Natsume and while fading, Natsume kept looking at Mikan's form which was still due to waiting of Hotaru and Ruka, sweatdropping at Hotaru's staring.
How Mikan was passionate in her work and her clumsiness, her laughter, her hair, her smiles...
He loved them all, he realised.
Only now, then he realised, he didn't fight it.
It was okay. He will see her again anyway. But that would be when she die.
He can wait, he was okay with that.
He was okay...
He closed his eyes, burning her face into his memory.
Natsume and Ruka faded away. Abarai Renji then teleported away.
Hotaru smiled softly and took off her glasses.
"Hotaru... You done?" Hotaru turned to face Mikan. She already knew what was in Natsume's mind.
"Yes."
"Why were you smiling?"
"A secret."
"Okay! Lets go now!" Mikan and Hotaru got off the stage.
On the way back, it was silent but it was okay. Hotaru then paused in her tracks.
"Hotaru?" Mikan turned to look at Hotaru.
"Mikan,"
"Hm...?"
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
"..." Mikan frowned. "Why?"
"Nothing..." Hotaru closed her eyes and then she walked slightly faster, to catch up with Mikan.
As I said in the beginning, the description in here is very detailed and very EXTREME. For people who read Fallen Angel and Hidden Leader, please don't forget the poll? I changed my pen name by the way. From Whispers of the Wind to Requiem of the Heart. Well, reviews?
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REVIEW BUTTON!!!!
Criticisms allowed and all. I know I got spelling errors in it... Most probably.