UNEXPECTED SURPRISES
-Kawaii Hana-
Disclaimer:
I, Kawaii Hana, do not own anything from Flame of Recca, whether it is the anime or manga. The characters, their past story are Nobuyuki Anzai-sama's property! I am just one of the gazillion deranged fans who just happened to have a fan fiction writing account.
A/N:
Oh yeah… This fic takes place a year after the events of the anime. That would mean Recca and the rest are already second years. And Tokiya is already in third year… So, in some way, they are to be a wee bit OOC. Well, this is a fanfic after all.
A special for all you loyal readers! And of course, for our one and only Mi-Chan!!!
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Chapter 1:
HoW Did iT aLL BeGaN…?
Nashikiri High School…
In many ways, you can call this a perfect place where you can find a mob of different people – all in different kinds of personalities. Everyone is here, you might say - from the nerdy to the bully, from the shy to the snobby, from the genius to the stupid, from the popular heartthrobs to just the plain weird people.
Now, this catches your eye a little as you see a certain group in their regular spot in the said school. Their spot, one should say, is a big sakura tree surrounded by a couple of benches and a picnic table.
If you must say, they're just a typical group. Ha! That's where you go wrong… See, they weren't even that close about a year ago or so. It was just a few, erm, strange incidents that got them together and their clash personalities to mix.
How? Well, that's for you to decide. (By watching the anime or reading the manga, of course!)
Anyway, at this certain typical day, during their lunch break, there was Recca and Yanagi sitting on the picnic table. Oh how, typical… for these two lovers to be together. See, there he is… His arm resting around her shoulders and both of them chit-chatting till their heart's content.
And then, there was Domon across the table, furiously trying to finish his super-duper long Math homework. His eyes squinting at the long equations and such as he tries to find the unattainable answer.
"Hey, guys…" Recca got the other two's attention. "How come Fuuko's not yet here…?"
"Don't know… Do you think she got detention again…?" It was Domon who replied.
"Nah… Fuuko's been a favorite with teachers, lately… I don't think she would get herself in trouble." Recca said.
True, the once 'wild' girl of Nashikiri High School has slowly been 'tamed'. Well… 'slightly' tamed, if you ask me… But the difference can be pretty much visible if you compare the present Fuuko to the one last year…
Examples: During classes, you'd find a Fuuko running around the hallway to chase after Recca as they 'fight'. During lunch break, you hardly see her review notes or even just a glance on a page just like any student would. She would eat for all her worth to store as much energy as she could for the 'fight'. During dismissal, she's gone… That's because she went home early with her parents. Why? Please… I'm sure you guys know…Detention…
These things usually happen… Not anymore, though… Well, that's what you get when Recca already quit the 'Beat me, I'll Become Your Ninja' crap because Yanagi came into the picture. And speaking of Yanagi, the tomboyish Fuuko has become best friends with this girl. I know it's hard to believe but… well… (That's why watch the anime now!!!)
And of course, she's already aged 17. One more year and she'll be an adult. At this 17th year, she would have, by now, realized that she must sort her own life, dreams, ambitions, etc… I mean I'm sure everyone gets through that stage… Am I right…?
"But, it already been 10 minutes since the break started… What is she up to?" Yanagi pondered and the two boys could only shrug for not knowing the answer…
Well, it was not Fuuko to be even 5 minutes late, especially when it comes to break time. In fact, she would always be the first one to show up. But as if on cue, they can already hear her presence from a distance…
"HEY!!! GUUUYYYSSS!!!!" There was that shout that lasted for about 25 seconds… or more… The other people nearby thought she's trying to get a place in the World Guinness Book of Records…
"W-Whoa, Fuuko! Slow down! W-Where have you been?" Recca asked as he patted his friends from the back.
Slowly but surely, Fuuko was regaining her breath. "Well, you see… I was heading here when-"
"FUUKO-CHAAAAN!!!" Domon suddenly interrupted her as he does what he always does… Trying to embrace her but…
POW!!!!
Ting…
He would always go flying to space as Fuuko did one of the many punches of the day. Miraculously, Domon would usually reappear unharmed… The other people from nearby did a few sweat drops. And here they thought Fuuko was currently out of oxygen…
"As I was saying…" Fuuko continued. "I was just about to go in here when Tatesako-sensei dropped a whole pile of papers he was carrying… It just happened I was there so I had to help him pick them up and put some in his faculty room."
"Oh really? So that's what happened…" Recca said as he motioned for her to seat with Yanagi. "Here…"
"Thanks…" Fuuko helped herself with Yanagi's homemade onigiri. "But the hard part was to sort those papers alphabetically… Man, I didn't know there were a lot of third years here…. Oh yeah! Speaking off…"
"Yes, Fuuko-chan…" Domon suddenly reappeared between the two girls, hopefully to land a hand on Fuuko's shoulder. But as always, his plan was foiled as he was choked by three onigri being stuffed in his mouth by Fuuko…
"Domon! Would you please stop it?" Her eyes were on a fiery death glare…
"Y-Yes, m-maam…" That prompted the poor gorilla to just munch on the onigiri stuffed in his mouth.
A huge sigh came from Fuuko. "Anyway, speaking of third years… Those papers were actually college application papers for Tokyo University. When it was for Tokyo University, I immediately found Mi-chan's paper…"
"Eh…? What was his chosen course?" Yanagi asked. Her interest grew. She just remembered the reason why their sempai was not with them today. The silver-haired young man was currently attending a career orientation seminar along with the other third years.
"Oh… He chose 'Law'. Typical of him but… Hey yeah! Don't you know I saw his birthday!?" Fuuko exclaimed.
"Really!?" All three including Domon reacted quickly. Although, the ice king has become… err… a bit friendlier with this gang. He never revealed much of his personal life.
"Well, what? When's his birthday? Spill!" Recca said.
"Ssh! Some people might hear you." Yanagi warned. Indeed, even the Tokiya's numerous fan clubs don't know this very important piece of information. It was certainly a very juicy secret.
The group drew in closer so as to block Fuuko from view. The purple head then mouthed it, carefully pronouncing every syllable right…
November 13…
The information started sink in their brains… Then, something hit them. A realization that was too good to be true…
"Hey, isn't that two weeks from now?" It was Recca who voiced that thought.
"Y-Yeah!" Each replied…
"Geez, damn that Mikagami… I don't think he'll plan to tell all of this…" Recca said.
Even though, the ice king has certainly recognized this certain group as his friends… (Yes, Yes, you read it right! Friends…) Tokiyastill stayed as the king of seriousness as he has always been. Oh sure, when the group gets to hang out during the weekends, he would be there. In lunch breaks, he would certainly be seen chatting with them for a while. And during the end of the day, if you really are that kind of a 'stalker', you would see him with Fuuko going home together seeing as they live (coincidentally) on the same street.
To see him… with them… was indeed a mystery… It was getting the school bombarded with gossips and yeah… jealousy, too… But, the point is… he is still as stiff as ice… Or is he? You just never know what goes on in a misty ice land, right…?
But another thought saddened the group, though…
Tokiya Mikagami is on his last year in Nashikiri High School. And Tokyo University is so far away… And just recently, since it was in his senior year, he was busier than ever – school work, applications, reviews and all that… To be with the gang was getting rarer and rarer as the days go by…
Needless to say, the gang misses the ice block. (Of course, who wouldn't…?)
"Hey… guys…" Fuuko began. "Why don't we give Mi-chan a party!?"
The gang sweat dropped… OK, Mi-chan? Party? Those two words never ever mix…
"Ermm… Fuuko… How…? Recca asked bluntly.
Fuuko was about to open her mouth when she came to realize the 'complicatedness' of the situation…
Oh yeah… I totally forgot… This is Mi-chan we're talking about…
But, Fuuko shook her head vigorously. She was as determined as she was when in battle.
"Oh c'mon, guys… I know it's impossible but this… might be the first… and the last that we'll do something special for the Ice King!" She said it as much.
"We know!!!" Recca countered." The only problem is how!?"
"Huh?"
"OK, let me make it all clear for you… We know when the birthday is… but we do not know what to do to make him… err… happy, get it?"
"Oh c'mon… A simple party thrown in by friends is memorable enough! Better yet! A surprise party…"
That said, each person did an 'anime' fall…
"F-Fuuko-chan…" Said Yanagi as she struggled to get up from where she had fallen. "How are we going to surprise him when he doesn't show emotion let alone become surprised…"
A long pause… This is a tough one…
"Arrgghh… Quit complaining like little children and start thinking on the positive side! Even though, we've known ice king as an… well… an Ice King, I'm sure he'd feel as much as little appreciation for what we did for him… OK!?"
A series of slightly convinced sighs came from her friends. The purple head did make sense. This was the only thing that they're going to do for the oldest member of the Hokage gang… (If you don't count Kagero in, of course…)
"OK… You're the boss, Fuuko! Since you're so confident about this, why don't you take charge…?" Recca suggested as the others finally gave in to Fuuko's rather demanding request…
"Alright! Operation: Ice King Party is set!!! Here… I'll tell you what we'll do first…"
And so the preparation for the birthday party began...
Hmmm… I wonder how they'll pull this off…
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Ok… A cliff hanger, I know…
But don't worry! The next chapter is on next!!!