-Habataki High School Gate-
"I told you, this is natural." A girl with shoulder-length sandy-blonde hair exclaimed in annoyance. "And if you don't notice, your hair is green."
Currently, she stood by the school gate with tennis bag hung conveniently on her shoulder. She lift her head, facing the tall boy who just stopped her for walking any further.
"But your uniform is against the rule. I suppose that you knew well how to button your uniform properly?" the boy said politely, ignoring the stares that been given by the other students for them.
As the boy said, actually the problem was in her uniform. The way she wore it is makes her looked like delinquent. She doesn't wear the blouse underneath the dark blue blazer, instead, she wore a white shirt, and skull necklace. Her ear were decorated with some silver pierching. Other than that, everything is fine. Even, the skirt that she wore wasn't as short as the other people. It was 5 cm higher from her knee, and she wore black shocks that 10 cm high.
The girl grunted in annoyance as she adjust the position of her bag.
"Listen, Seitokaichou." She started to argue again, "I'm having a morning practice right now. Can you just let me go and forget this is ever happened?"
The boy shook his head in dismay. "I can't do that. Unless you want me to add your name to the list of students who break the rule."
The girl averted her eyes to the other side but the boy, deep in thought. She guess it's fine. As long as she can attend the practice in time, she doesn't mind at all. It would be better then taking some additional laps just because she late in practice. She can take the consequences later.
"Fine." She replied shortly. The boy smiled faintly then click his pen open to start to write.
"What is your name, then?" He asked.
"Ariellé Zoé Fourniér." She stated. The boy raised his eyebrow, confused because her name sound so foreign.
"Excuse me, can you repeat it again?"
Ariellé rolled her eyes in annoyance as she snatched the board and the paper from the owner, receiving a exasperated sigh from him, "Here, let me write this by myself."
She scribbled her name in Latin and Katakana before handed it back to the boy. He then took it and read-at least he tried her best to read her name.
"Arieru.. Zoi... Founia?" He stated, more than asked. Ariellé nodded her head in acknowledgement then pat the boy's shoulder before she walked away.
"Wait! You forgot to write your class!" He shouted loudly before Ariellé walked too far.
"1-E!" She shouted back, and in a blink of the eye, she already disappeared inside the school building.
-Habataki High School Tennis Courts-
It's been two years since Ariellé set her foot in Habataki. At that time, her father was having a duty in this city so they have to moved from Paris. At first, Ariellé despise the idea, but after a lot of convincing, she finally agreed to her parents' decision to moved in. After all, she was already fluent in Japanese since her mother was Japanese.
At first, she was having a trouble in getting along with students. Her hair was blonde and doesn't look natural so they mistook her as delinquent. That goes the same with the Student Council President Konno Tamao. He thought that Ariellé is also one of students that like to make some trouble, so he chased her around, make sure that she didn't do anything stupid.
Of course not. All that she was do just taking suplementary classes because her Science grade keep decreasing until it almost touched E. Ariellé was smart enough to keep herself from any circumstances that make her have to dropped out from her club, and that was the last thing that she wanted. All that she wanted to do is devoted herself in club activities and bring the tennis club to win the National Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Well, everyone knows that she is a National Level female tennis player that brings Habataki Tennis Club to National Level since her first year, and now she's in third year. As the Club Captain, she trained harder than everyone. She might be harsh to her members, but she was harsher to herself.
That evening, the school was already deserted. The sky was all dark orange with tinge of dark blue, sign that the night will came soon. Ariellé still running, chasing the ball around and hit it to the wall. Her dark blue tennis shirt was already wet because of sweats, so was her shaggy-styled hair. Nobody else there. Only her, the ball, also the racket in her hand.
Or so she thought.
She was so absorbed in her practice that she didn't notice that there were a tall figure walking to her direction. And when she realized it, she changed her position, step to the ground firmly, and hit the ball towards the figure. Fortunately, the figure was smart, so he retaliated before the ball could hit him on the face. Instead, the ball darts and hit the iron fence behind him, causing the loud clanking sounds.
"Fourniér-san. I thought that you're already go home." He said as he pick up the ball that been rolled to his feet. Then he threw the ball back to Ariellé.
"Konno-kaichou.." Recognized the voice of the figure, Ariellé muttered under her breath as she catch the ball with her racket. "Wanna play one game?"
Konno shook his head as he pointed his index finger to the sky that turned dark, "It's late. You should go home."
"Not until you agrees." She stated, hitting the ball upwards with her racket. "I have another racket to use if you want to."
"I'm sorry Fourniér-san, but i have to refuse." Konno said with firm tone. His arms now been folded in front of his chest as his lime eyes locked to her.
"Half game then.." Ariellé bargained. "Or a third game. 2 game point." She then realized that she was using the wrong equation then cursed by herself. "Dammit, i guess i'm not that good in calculating."
Konno stared intently at her before replied with sigh, "Fine then. But promise me after this you will go home."
With a sudden move, Ariellé caught the ball with her left hand. Tapped the racket on her shoulder, she gave a look at Konno with her trademark grin. "You bet."
-Habataki High School Tennis Courts-
Short game was over, and now Tamao sat on the bench on the side of the court as he tried his best to caught his breath. Fourniér walked casually towards him with one certain canned juice in her hand.
"You're good." Fourniér complimented him as she handed the drink to him. Tamao took the drink as he breathed heavily. As expected from Tennis Club Captain, she doesn't even panting even though she was sweating a lot. While Tamao, he had a hard time chasing a ball. Even though he was tall, his move was slow. It was the result of his lack of excercising. However, he managed to stole some point from her even though that was hard.
Fourniér then sat beside him, then chugged down her own drink. Tamao noted that she always bring her own sports drink from home, looking at the unusual bottle. She wiped out her sweats as she tried to collected herself, then spoke in her carefree tone, "I guess i have some shower first before i go home."
"Eh?" Opened the drink, Tamao cast his glance to the girl with dumbfounded look. The girl stared him back, with her brows furrowed.
"What?" She retorted, "If you want to go home first, then go ahead."
Tamao shook his head then cast his glance to the empty court, "It's dark. I'll walk you home."
Fourniér let out a small chuckle as she put the towel on her lap, "Oh? You're being too kind, Kaichou. I can walk home by myself."
However, Tamao were against the idea. It's not appropriate to let a girl walk alone in the night. She could be disturbed by some guys on her way home, or worse. She would be abducted and that's the last thing that he wanted.
"Just... go home first, will you? I'll catch up on you later." She said as she took her tennis bag and walk cheerfully to the tennis clubhouse. Tamao didn't move from his seat, instead, he watched her back until she disappeared behind the door.
"She's pushing herself too hard." Tamao whispered under his breath as he drank the juice. He decided to wait for her until she finished.
After all, she was the one of two girls that he was cared about. Fourniér was the second one. The first was the Heroine of Habataki, Takahashi Konomi. She was in her second year, different from him and Fourniér that in their third year.
Takahashi was already going home with her childhood friends, Sakurai brothers. Sometimes he felt jealous when Takahashi talking about them during their dates, however because they relationship was just a friend, he tried her best to hold his feelings before the time to confess come. After all, she was popular among the girls also the guys.
However, he doesn't have any idea how he feels towards Fourniér. She was different from the other girl that he knew. Carefree, friendly, however, she was so distant at the same time. She was reliable, yet she tends to do everything by herself. Tamao noting that she should relies on others more than pushed herself to her limits. That's why he came to the tennis court to check on her. Perhaps he only cared for her because she was a stubborn girl, so he needs to act as older brother and reminded her not to practice too hard.
Tamao was so absorbed with his thoughts that he didn't heard the sound of the door being closed and locked. He didn't realized that Fourniér was stood beside him, already dressed inside her school uniform.
"Kaichou!"
He practically jumped in surprise when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He then pushed his glasses then turned his head towards the girl that been staring at him in wonder.
"You might possesed by a ghost if you spaced out like that." She said, then walked towards the school gate without waiting for him. It seems that she was doesn't having a feelings for him, that makes him somewhat lonely. It's not like that he can do anything about it though.
And so, they spend their time on the way home, mostly in silence.
-Fourniér Residence-
"Tadaima." After put her shoes inside the shoes rack, Ariellé moved her feet towards her mother that been sat peacefully on the cream-coloured sofa. Her eyes were glued to the TV Screen, which playing some TV Shows. Perhaps some Japanese Drama, she doesn't want to know.
"Okaerinasai. Ah, Ari, how's school today?" her mom asked, eyes still locked to the screen.
Ariellé shrugged as she sat beside her mother after dropped her bag on the floor. "Boring as always."
"Then, who's the guy that walk you home?"
Ariellé sighed in exasperation, "He just my aqcuaintance."
Her mom cast her glance to Ariellé, staring at her with disbelief, "Really? I thought that he was your boyfriend."
Ariellé felt a slight pain inside her chest when her mom pointed that out. However, she chose to shove that feelings away as she stared at her mom with blank expression, "Mom, he's have a girlfriend."
Well, at least that what she thought. She had been seen Konno when he went to some dates with one certain pink-haired sophomore. It couldn't be helped since she bumped to them a lot when they were meeting in bus station, train station, or shopping mall. Habataki is a small city, and it was not a strange thing that she noticed that green-haired guy that walking leisurely with the girl's hand intertwined with his everytime she goes to the sport center.
After seeing that hurtful sight she ended up hitting the ball with all of the strength, tried her best to cast the uncomfortable feelings inside her chest.
What she didn't understand, Konno keeps checking on her whenever he had a chance. Notably at tennis courts when the sky turned dark. He knew well that Ariellé would spend some hours practicing in the courts and ended going home when it's late.
Ariellé didn't want to hoping too much, so in the end she chose to close her heart and tried her best not to stand out. She don't want to ruined Konno's relationship with the girl, especially when the girl was a Heroine of the School.
"Well, that couldn't be helped." Her mom sighed then stroke Ariellé's hair gently, It was unraveled lazily until it touched her back. "By the way, you didn't have any haircuts lately. Don't you plan to cut it short?"
Ariellé touched her hair, then shook her head slowly, "Nope. I prefer grow this long."
"That's first. Usually you would cut it short once it's too long." Her mom commented. Ariellé chuckled when she heard her mother's comments.
"Perhaps short wigs will do. Black one." Ariellé said playfully. Well, she was wanted to dye her hair black since a long time ago, however her father was unpleased by the idea. So she's been thinking to wear a wig to the school. After all, she felt it would be a waste if she cut her hair short while it was took a long time to grew it long again.
"Wigs? Did your school allow that?" Her mom asked in wonder. Ariellé cupped her hand to her own chin as if she was thinking. She was sure that asking Konno about this matter wouldn't be a good idea.
"Maybe?" That was the uncertain answer that she come up with. Her mom smiled gently as she twirled Ariellé's hair.
"Well, as long as you contented by that i don't mind. However," her mom spoke in warned tone, "Do something about your pierchings, dear. It was too much for a girl to use."
Ariellé raised her hand and touched her-full of pierchings-earlobe. Normally, a girl would use one pierce or a pair of earings as accesorries. But things goes different with her. Ariellé pierce her ear with 4 pairs of silvery-gold pierchings, all with the same dotted models. And that caught much attention from the other students at school. Most of them would stared at her as if she was an alien from other planet. Most other stared at her with terrified look as if she was a yankee. Also the fact that she was an half-foreigner makes everything more frantic than it looks.
She understand why some people gave her that kind of attention. That's just because she was different. And most of people despise one slightest difference among them, and Ariellé was way too much difference to handle. Nevertheless, she doesn't mind. She like to be different after all.
"That's fine, mom." Ariellé said casually, tried to end the conversation about her looks or stuff. "By the way, what's for dinner?"
A/N : This is my first fic in this fandom. Since English is not my first language, i hope some review so i can improve~