I do not own Gakuen Alice. I do not even know how to draw to save a life.
Her Personal Collection
Hotaru Imai stared at the wall thinking how things led her to this moment.
She was always calm, collected and stoic. Annoyed, angry, or happy, her face remains stoic and just uses whatever invention she just made to express her emotions. But of course there will always be an exception, the person who can crack her calm demeanor.
Mikan Sakura.
The first time was when she was told she had to go to Alice Academy. She shed a tear knowing she might never see her best friend again. But she quickly wiped it and returned to her usual stoic face.
The second time was when her idiot of a best friend followed her to the academy. She never thought someone would do such a thing for her. She showed Mikan one of her rare smiles and let Mikan hug her.
Another one was when Mikan was kept in isolation and was hidden under the joint guardianship of the ESP and the new MSP. She cried in her lab thinking how selfless her best friend could be, sacrificing her freedom so that everyone will be saved.
She lost count of how many times Mikan has managed to make her cry or smile but she really doesn't care. They've been through a lot that showing emotions to her best friend is an easy task.
But the only time that everyone saw her cry was when she saw Mikan again after being trapped in the time space. She did not care that it was in front of the whole school, all she cared about was being with her soulmate. She knew that no matter what happens in life, their paths will always cross.
But she wondered again.
Who would have thought that another person would make her feel things and show emotions, a guy nonetheless.
She looked at the blond male sleeping beside her. As if automatically and without much thought, she let her fingers rake his blond locks.
She remembered the first time they met after being trapped in the time space. He was the only one who remembered her. But then again, he was the one that she left the mushroom transmitters with. She was surprised when he hugged her but the ice queen that she was took a picture and told him that that should make up for all the years of no income. He just laughed and told her that she has one day to take pictures of him without him chasing her.
The blackmailing continued and it was as if she never left. The pictures she took sold more than ever especially when the subject was no longer a cute boy but a gorgeous man who can melt any girl's heart. But half of the pictures she took were not sold, rather she kept it and she did not know why she can't bring herself to sell those pictures. Later on, she'd realize why and she hated it.
She cried in her lab once again when she saw him talking to another girl. She wasn't like one of those girls who cried because of boys but she just can't help it. She started to ignore him and no longer blackmailed him. She promised to herself she will never cry for a boy again. But promises are made to be broken.
It was Valentine 's Day and she locked herself in her lab drowning herself with work. She hated this day. Almost everyone is coupled up and she does not want to be a third wheel even if it involves Mikan and Natsume. Also, she can't be bothered by her fanboys who will give her chocolates not realizing that she hates the taste of chocolates.
So she was surprised when there was a knock on her door and there he was carrying coffee and crab cake. She tried her best to ignore the fluttering feeling she felt and asked why he's there. He grinned and made himself comfortable on her couch telling her that he haven't seen her and figured that maybe she was drowning herself in work. she told him that he can leave since he already knows what she was doing.
But another surprise when he suddenly asked a question that changed everything.
Why are you ignoring me?
She was glued to where standing and tried to say something but nothing came out. He closed the gap between them and suddenly kissed her. She wanted to push him but damn he was a good kisser. When they were out of breath he leaned in that their foreheads were touching.
I love you and i can't stand it when you ignore me.
For the first time, she showed him her smile that was only for him. And of course she did not waste the moment by taking a picture of his flushed face but, hell no she is selling this one. The picture goes to her personal collection.
She wondered again how all those moments reached to this moment.
She took the camera on her bedside table and took a picture of the sleeping blond.
"Isn't it a little early to blackmail me?" he groggily said with only an eye open.
"I wonder how much this one cost. I'd be making thousands out of this picture and I'll call it the sleeping beauty," she said with an evil glint in her eyes.
"I'm never going to live without you reminding me of that memory. In my defense, I was no match for Narumi sensei's pheromone alice and got me to say yes,"
"Tell that to yourself, Nogi,"
"Okay that's it," Ruka grabbed hotaru's arm pulling her to lie down and pinned her beneath him while covering themselves with the sheets.
But what he does not know is that Hotaru never sold that picture for she kept it for her personal collection.
Ruka and Hotaru might be my favorite non-canon couple.
Thank you for reading by the way.