Me: Sorry everyone! Dx I tried to find inspiration by watching some Yumeiro Patissiere anime and then I got carried away!
Kashino *bored tone*: As expected of you –
Me: I really didn't mean to get distracted! I'm so sorry!
Kashino *rolls eyes*: Of course you did mean to get distracted.
Me: I didn't! T.T Anyway…Kashino, aren't you excited for some KoshiroxKashino time?
Kashino: No…wait, WHAT? Ko-Ko…Koshiro!?
Ichigo: Eh? Hoshimi-chan, you are the first author I ever met that wrote about Kashino and Koshiro!
Me: Just kidding. xP Koshiro is in the story, but the main couple is you and Ichigo! Oh and by the way, this one-shot was requested by RoyalTeaParty. So I hope this cheers you up and get well soon, Ann-sama! :) Enjoy the story and I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere!
The energetic, orange-haired girl switched off her alarm clock and bounced out of bed. She drew open the curtains and announced in her usual positive voice the same sentence she would utter every time to wake up her roommate.
"Ne, ne, Ichigo-chan, they're having a cheesecake sale at Salon de Marie! It's almost sold out!"
Of course, this worked like a charm. Ichigo, being Ichigo, jumped straight out of bed, with wide eyes and a bright smile. She jumped straight up until she was standing on her bed, and bounced on her bed once, promptly hitting her head on the hard ceiling and then collapsing into her soft warm covers again.
"Mou, that's the seventh time you tricked me this week, Rumi-chan! And it's only Wednesday…" Ichigo pouted, rubbing her now bruised head gently. "Oww…"
"I didn't mean to…Ichigo-chan, it's not my fault you're drowsy and dozing off all the time! You keep having afternoon naps…" Rumi sweat-dropped.
Ichigo blindly nodded, dropping the subject by waving her hand carelessly as Vanilla floated out of her mini bed and landed on Ichigo's shoulder. "Yeah, yeah…"
~X~
"You know? Kashino-kun has a girlfriend!"
"Ehhh? No way!"
"He's so hot! Like, it's a crime that he's that handsome!"
"I know, right? Who is his girlfriend?"
"I'll whisper it to you…"
Ichigo blinked. What were all these gossiping people whispering about? She replayed their conversation in her head. Huh? The relationship between her and her boyfriend, Kashino Makoto was now found out? How? Why? What happened?
"Aww, they're in the same high school classes!"
Now Ichigo stopped dead in her tracks. Even Vanilla came to a halt. They weren't in the same high school classes…Kashino was cheating on her…? Who was he dating? What were the rumors about? She leaned closer to the girls to listen to their conversation more clearly. She didn't catch the whisper that the girl told her friend, but she was relieved when she heard the next sentence.
"Well, I guess this is as expected from Châteaux Seika…"
"It's still so sad to find out he's taken!"
The two girls dramatically sniffed before returning to their seats. Ichigo calmed down, it was just some old rumors, Kashino and Koshiro were gossiped to be together, but they weren't. Even though Kashino and Ichigo were in separate high school classes; their hearts were forever together…
"Ah, Amano Ichigo, is it? May I ask why you are not sitting at your seat?" The cold voice sent chills down her back. It had no emotion but a prickly, unwelcoming… coldness to it. Ichigo raised her eyebrows in shock, the teacher had come into the classroom, causing the two girls to stop their conversation and hurry back to their table.
"Yeah, my name is Amano Ichigo. I'm sorry…" She verified her name and apologized to the teacher before returning to the table.
The substitute teacher was a female. She had her brown hair tied into a messy bun, thin, sour lips that were pursed, and eyes that narrowed into slits when she saw the famous brunette. That Amano Ichigo…she's so proud she got Henri-sensei's recommendation…I'd thought she fail before being here for a term…but she's pretty persistent, it seems…she even won the Grand Prix…Well, I'll show her today that she doesn't deserve to be here.
"I am your substitute teacher today due to your teacher's sickness. So today, we will review the steps of making whipped cream, and I will grade you at the end of the class." She forced her lips into a tight smile and stared at everyone in the classroom.
Murmurs of agreement from the class did not satisfy the teacher. A stern frown appeared on the teacher's forehead, as she wrinkled up her features in fury.
"Pronounce your words clearly, everyone. Say 'Hai, sensei'."
"H-Hai, sensei…" The class said meekly.
Boy, they were in for a rough morning.
~X~
Ichigo ran her hand through her hair tiredly, a scowl on her face. It was not her personality to be bad-tempered, she was always positive and a bright ray of cheerful sunshine. It was fine, receiving criticism, since she was so used to it. After all, Kashino had always pointed out her faults when they were in the same class.
"Criticism is crucial for personal improvement; it's the most direct way to find out what you need to change for the better." Ichigo chanted to herself. Vanilla smiled at her, it was a quote Kashino had always told Ichigo after the blond sadistically offended the brunette by listing out all the things she had to improve on.
But the substitute teacher had a problem. Even the most patient person in the world couldn't deal with her…When the class was making whipped cream, he purposely praised everyone's work to the sky, and singled out Ichigo. Her sharp, stern comments were like knives stabbing into Ichigo's chest, again and again. Ichigo fervently worked harder, but it merely got onto the teacher's nerves and it worsened the whole situation.
"You're whipping too fast! The cream will end up too stiff and won't have that fluffy texture!" The teacher complained, examining the way Ichigo whipped the cream.
"You're whipping too slow! The cream will be too watery and won't be delicious!" She really never failed to point out Ichigo's faults.
When she finally found the correct speed to whip the cream, the teacher still didn't find it difficult to continue complaining. She had sneered over her work, and walked next to her.
"You aren't moving your wrist correctly!"
The teacher would come and adjust the position of Ichigo's wrist, causing her to lose the momentum of whipping the cream. She would get ridiculed all over again, and worse, in front of the class. Some people were giggling, and some people were sending sympathetic glances to Ichigo.
This had to be the worst day of her life. Usually when Rumi woke her up, she wouldn't jump up onto the bed and start bouncing. What had inspired her to do that? Then that dumb teacher…
Ichigo rubbed the bruise on her head, cursing softly. It wasn't her to mutter curses, and it reminded her of a particular blond that she unexpectedly met in the corridor.
"Hey, Ichi – Amano." There was warmth in Kashino's voice, unlike the usual cold stoic voice he faced almost everyone else with. "How are you feeling?"
Ichigo stared sadly at Kashino. She wished she could clutch his shirt and cry into him and hug him and get him to comfort her. Swallowing the response she was tempted to make, "Horrible, I had the worst day of my life," she instead answered in a falsely cheery voice: "I'm all right."
"Ma…ko…to…-kun!" There had to be only one person in the world who owned a voice like that. It sent chills down Kashino's back as he tried and failed to dodge the heiress.
Kashino stiffened and emitted a scary blue aura. Ichigo backed away to watch the one and only heiress to latch onto the helpless blond. Koshiro rubbed her cheek on Kashino's, causing Ichigo's face to turn red…Right. Don't get distracted, Kashino was always seduced by her. Vanilla, who didn't move as quickly as Ichigo, was squashed between the heiress and the blond. Chocolat got out freely, tugging on one of Koshiro's curls harshly.
"Oi! Get off my partner! Now!" Chocolat yelled brashly, but it made no difference, much to everyone's dismay.
"Please get off me, Koshiro-san." Kashino managed through gritted teeth.
"Koshiro-san?" She sneered, "Are you kidding me, Ma…ko…to? Call me Miya-chan or Miya!"
She completely forgotten to get off him and continued the procedure of rubbing her cheek on his. Ichigo felt a fire burning in her stomach, what was this feeling? Why was she feeling this way? Why did this emotion always…happen when Koshiro and Kashino were around?
Ichigo couldn't resist the feeling anymore. It felt like a strong force, and the impulse to slap Koshiro was getting stronger. It was like the ball of emotion burning in her. This was not usually how she acted…why was she doing this…? She couldn't say no to the painful ball of emotion burning in her stomach. She sauntered over to the two classmates and brutally elbowed the heiress out of the way before fiercely turning to her. "What are you thinking? Leave him alone."
Her voice was raspy, unlike the usual smooth voice Kashino heard. What happened? He thought frantically, Her voice…her voice was like melodic bells ringing softly…it isn't that rough…! What happened, what happened…?
With that last said, she raised her hand to slap Koshiro and get rid of her impulse to slap her. Koshiro's two servants appeared, and restrained her from doing so. The Heiress rubbed the place where Ichigo had elbowed her while painfully wailing.
"Ugh," Ichigo bit her lip and stalked away and out of the corridor. Vanilla flew quickly after her, struggling to catch up to her owner.
"…Amano?" Kashino furrowed his eyebrows, she never acted like this; she was always kind and just and thinking towards the positive side. What had made her do that? Still, he was very thankful for Ichigo. She had elbowed the heiress out of the way.
"OWW! Makoto-kun, rub my injury for me!" Koshiro was annoyed at Kashino, who was intently staring at the direction Ichigo had stalked off at. "That Amano Ichigo is nothing compared to our love!"
"You don't even have an injury…she didn't slap you…" Kashino rolled his eyes and was about to leave, but Koshiro grabbed his hand quickly and rubbed her cheek on his arm.
"She ELBOWED me!" She whined like a five-year-old. "Elbowing is even worse than slapping. Right, Satou?"
The humble servant bowed down and eagerly nodded.
Kashino continued to keep his emotionless stare at the direction Ichigo had left in, trying to ignore the heiress, who was latching on his arm and flirting shamelessly with him.
"That Amano Ichigo is nothing compared to our love!" The heiress repeated angrily, and was very irritated and tempted to throw a tantrum. Keep your elegance in front of Makoto…Keep your elegance in front of Makoto…
"Nothing compared to the hatred I have for you and the love you have for me," Kashino corrected her with a mutter.
~X~
"So, for this important math project that will count as 30% of your grades," Kashino rubbed his temples, he had to get a full score for this math project, then… "You must work in partners. I will assign each of you into partners."
Everyone in the class responded with a nod.
Kashino listened intently for his name. He froze when he heard his partner's name. No way…no way, being in the same class as her was already annoying, this was just a nightmare, he would wake up from it, this wasn't happening to him.
But it was.
"Kashino Makoto and Koshiro Miya will be working together." Those nine words were about as painful as jumping off a roof.
~X~
"Makoto-kuuuuun, I just realized we have the same initials! K…and M! Kashino, Koshiro, Makoto, and Miya! We are PERFECT together! We are destined to be together forever!"
"Definitely! I'm SO looking forward to be working with you," Kashino replied sarcastically. "Ugh, just my luck…"
"This is like a dream come true!" Koshiro threw her arms up into the air and twirled many times, before stopping the procedure to collapse into Kashino's chest. The blond pushed her away, not too harshly or gently. He didn't make a sound of protest as Koshiro continued her flirting.
"I'm only doing this because we're partners and I can't let you affect my grades," He muttered under his breath. "…Ugh, this is definitely a dream come true…a nightmare come true."
"Well, Ma…ko…to…!" The heiress remarked, ignoring all of the blond's rude comments. "We'll be working on the project tomorrow night at Salon de Marie, okay?"
"Tomorrow…tomorrow…tomorrow's Friday night."
"What was that, darrrrr-ling?" Koshiro trilled. "What did you say, honey?"
Kashino was about to puke as he pulled away from the eager redhead.
~X~
Kashino Makoto: I'm sorry Amano, I can't go on that date with you tomorrow night.
Amano Ichigo: Aww, Kashino! I was looking forward to it so much! I even bought a new outfit for it…
Kashino Makoto: I'm sorry…Ichigo.
Amano Ichigo: Tomorrow night is Friday and we haven't been on a date for two weeks, since you were always busy with homework.
Amano Ichigo: Come on Kashino, you know I love Fridays and you promised we could make chocolate covered strawberries together!
Amano Ichigo: Can't you do the homework on Saturday instead?
Amano Ichigo: Whatever…chocolate covered strawberries represent us, an image of a loving couple, right? It's special to us…ne?
Ichigo was feeling very down in the dumps. She stared at the dress she had spent an hour looking for with Rumi. The pink silk dress had flowers adorning it and some lace at the bottom. There was a delicate rose pink ribbon belt around the waist. It went to her knees and was attached by straps to her shoulders. She had even bought some accessories to match it.
Her phone buzzed loudly as she looked at the message.
Kashino Makoto: …I can't. I'm sorry. It's an important math project. I have to work with Koshiro.
She irritably threw her phone across the room. When Kashino broke the news to her that he had to work with Koshiro, she felt sympathetic feelings for him. But now…To think her boyfriend was ditching a date with her just to work on a math project with Koshiro…What was the feeling she was experiencing right now? It was that painful burning feeling that she had felt again. That emotion that caused the impulse to slap Koshiro…
The beautiful silk dress she had so carefully chosen was now rumpled as Ichigo threw it into a ball and stuffed it into her cupboard. The accessories bought specially to match the dress lay limply on the floor near the bottom of her bed.
"Ne, what's up, Ichigo-chan?" Rumi picked up the hair accessories carefully and slipped them into Ichigo's drawer. She then furrowed her eyebrows while straightening the silk dress and proceeding to hanging it on a hanger before putting it back onto the cupboard rack.
"Kashino can't meet me tomorrow night," Ichigo replied miserably.
"He couldn't meet you last Friday either…" Rumi hastily changed the subject and adapted a more cheerful tone, "Ne, Ichigo-chan, wanna come with Salon de Marie with me tomorrow night instead? You can still show off your beautiful dress, right? Your dress can act as an outfit that suits both formal and casual!"
"Yeah!" A bright smile spread across the brunette's features as she jumped up on her bed again and hit her head onto the ceiling.
Again.
~X~
Kashino pulled a random plain T-shirt on and put on some jeans. He grabbed his Math book bag before heading out to Saint Marie.
"I wish I could go with her…Chocolate covered strawberries…" Kashino murmured under his breath. Silent tears gathered in his eyes to be replaced by tears of fury and determination. "I better get over this with the heiress, and never see her again!"
"Makoto-kun! Found ya!" The redhead gasped loudly and dragged him towards a table she had reserved. Koshiro pulled Kashino down next to her at the table and smiled flirtatiously, "I heard you talking about chocolate covered strawberries, darling! Do you want to share that dish with me, honey?"
Before Kashino could answer her, Koshiro stuck up her hand and waved, trying to attract the attention of a nearby waiter. He walked over to Koshiro, smiling gently. "What do you – "
"A plate of chocolate covered strawberries please. One fork," Koshiro ordered nonchalantly. The waiter nodded and hurried to the kitchen before Kashino had time to react.
"Wait – what? One…one fork? No!" Kashino conveniently pulled out his arm out of Koshiro's death grip and then raised his hand to ask a waiter for a spare fork.
"Mou, you're no fun, Makoto!" The heiress imitated Ichigo's signature pout – she had realized that Kashino always seemed to be dazed at the brunette's cute pout of annoyance.
Of course, it didn't work on the blond, after all, this was the heiress. A completely different person from the one he loved.
~X~
"Do you think I look okay?" Ichigo asked worriedly. "I'm not used to having my hair down on my shoulders…it feels heavy…"
"Come on, Ichigo-chan! I feel so ugly next to you!" Rumi groaned, "You're beautiful, okay? You asked me twelve times already…"
"No, seriously, Rumi-chan! Do I look okay?" Ichigo furrowed her eyebrows, feeling very nervous, "I think my outfit is a little over-the-top…it's kind of too formal and overly pretty. It attracts too much attention – "
"Make that thirteen times. Or twenty six."
~X~
Koshiro sniggered and accidentally dropped the fork on the floor, pressing her high heels on the fork on the floor to hide the utensil under her foot.
"Mou, Makoto-kun! I dropped my fork!" Before the blond had time to react, Koshiro grabbed the fork out of his hands and pulled the male right next to her by latching a hand around his waist. The chocolate covered strawberry was attached to the fork the redhead was holding as the heiress almost choked the male next to her with the strawberry.
Ugh that heiress…Man, it actually tastes quite good, Kashino thought, smiling as the chocolate melted in his mouth. The person who tempered it was quite skilled…
Ichigo stepped into Salon de Marie, smiling and next to Rumi.
No.
No.
No.
That was just a person that looked like her boyfriend…a person that looked like the chocolate prince…a person that looked like Kashino Makoto…maybe his brother, or his twin…It wasn't Kashino, it wasn't Kashino. Ichigo just couldn't accept the fact.
The brunette's boyfriend widened his eyes as he tried to digest the strawberry in his mouth. Why was Ichigo…wearing something like that?
Ichigo's hair never seemed so long. It cascaded on her instead of being secured in its signature pigtails. Her smooth brown hair curled in at her shoulders, like a river of chocolate running down her back. She had a headband with floral patterns designed all over it and a small pink bracelet that fit gently around her small wrist. The delicate, pink dress flowed to the part just above her knees and the smooth silky material hugged Ichigo's gently developing curves. Ichigo looked so beautiful; she was emitting a glowing aura. Kashino felt his mouth go dry as he saw the pink ballet flats on Ichigo's feet. It fit strangely with the outfit, but Kashino knew why Ichigo decided to pair the shoes with the dress…it was because he, he, Kashino Makoto had bought the flats for her. There was simply no other reason. Kashino thought, in bliss.
For Koshiro, it was Ichigo's eyes that she noticed. Long lashes, the tips of the lashes occasionally touching the brunette's cheeks when her eyes closed or when she blinked, framed the brunette's chocolate brown eyes that were brimming with warmth and happiness. What make up product did that little brat use? Koshiro thought furiously, gritting her teeth. She's charming my Makoto!
"Ka – Kashi – "
Ichigo choked on the words, even though it was merely pronouncing a simple name. She wouldn't believe it if she didn't see it. Kashino, her boyfriend, was sitting a little too close to be peers at a table where a plate of chocolate covered strawberries sat. She wouldn't have even believed it if Koshiro had shoved a strawberry into Kashino's mouth. Especially after she had told Kashino that chocolate-covered strawberries represented them.
And worst of all, Kashino had smiled. A horrible sense of betrayal washed over the disbelieving brunette.
Koshiro found an devious clicking in her mind. A smug smirk spread over her face as a sickly sweet smile quickly replaced it.
"Open up, Makoto-kun! Oh darling, it was so good when you didn't reject me when I said I loved you!" To stop the annoyed blond from talking, Koshiro shoved another strawberry into his mouth; "It was especially so good when we shared our first kiss – "
Too much. Too much to handle for Ichigo. Tears ran down the brunette's eyes, streaking her cheeks that were adorned with a cute pink blush a matter of seconds ago.
First kiss…Kashino had pushed away Ichigo's recent invites for dates to share moments with Koshiro. First kiss, chocolate covered strawberries…this was all on purpose.
"You – cruel – " Ichigo was having trouble getting the words out of her mind.
Kashino was processing his thoughts, widening his eyes. Since he couldn't speak, he decided to shake his head vigorously. Unfortunately, Koshiro Miya had grabbed his head and then planted a full kiss right in his cheek. This resulted in Kashino to freeze almost into a statue.
"Come on, liven up to some public displays of affection, darrrrrrrr-ling!"
Ichigo was also frozen. She couldn't move her feet or arms. Her body only allowed a hand to stiffen the scream that was almost released from her throat.
Although Ichigo was frozen, she was visibly shaking with shock and heartbreak.
Kashino finally swallowed the two strawberries.
"Ichigo – no – " Before Kashino could get the explanation out to Ichigo, the brunette shook her head, more tears soaking her face.
"Why? Why? What – what did I do wrong?" Ichigo turned – she wasn't ready to face this, and started sprinting out of Salon de Marie.
Kashino avoided the strawberry that was almost forced into his mouth, thanks to a particular redhead, and moved quickly. He ran towards Ichigo, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop. However, Ichigo tugged hard and they were still running, Kashino trying to pull Ichigo back so that the brunette could face him.
"I didn't – " Kashino tried in vain to get the words out at her.
"Kashino, let go!" Ichigo shook her hand, more tears welling out of her eyes.
"I didn't – "
Ichigo shook her hand hard but Kashino's firm grip didn't loosen.
"Didn't betray – "
"It doesn't matter now!" Ichigo finally looked back at the stunned blond who was still reeling in shock. More tears ran down her cheeks, "Because, I hate you!"
That silenced him. Kashino halted. His hand dropped by his side as he lowered his head shamefully. Seeing this chance, Ichigo pulled her hand away and ran, straight for the lake.
~X~
"Why?" Ichigo yelled at the lake below her. She stood on the bridge, more tears running down her cheeks as she collapsed onto the floor of the bridge, "What did I do wrong? Why did he have to go with her? And…her!? Of all of people…"
"Ichigo-chan!" The familiar voice rang through her ears. Her sweet voice…
"Amano-san!"
Great. Kana and Andou were standing somewhere near her, though her tears blurred her vision so badly she couldn't define where.
She didn't want to have company. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to mourn to herself, to regret the sad times of her life, to yell out at the sky, to lash out at nobody in particular. But her hope wasn't granted.
Warm, big hands lifted her up from the ground as someone dabbed Ichigo's tears away, clearing her vision in the process.
"What happened, Ichigo-chan?" Kana stood in front of her. Her boyfriend, Andou was next to her, staring worriedly at Ichigo. The couple was obviously watching fireflies at the lakeside, sharing romantic moments...
"Kashino – Kashino cheated on me," Ichigo wailed, and felt her chest tighten. She couldn't talk about it. Taking off again, she ran blindly away, tears blinding her vision for the second time that night.
~X~
"What is it, my rose maiden?"
Darn it. There was only one person in the whole world who would talk like that to Ichigo. The green-haired, rose-loving narcissist – Hanabusa Satsuki.
"Shut up," Ichigo answered roughly, her patience drained away from her. She pushed the male away from her, where was this place?
"Come on, now, Ichigo-chan…" Hanabusa hugged her protectively at his chest before wiping her tears away with a handkerchief. Ichigo scanned her surroundings, she was at the rose garden. "Are you okay?"
"No! Rose boy, picture this: Someone you've always loved finally accepting you, then he goes off and ditches many dates, and he goes cheat on you!" Ichigo bawled fiercely, tears running down her face again. She sprinted off, leaving the green-haired boy to furrow his eyebrows, shrug it off and continue to tend his beloved roses.
~X~
"Ichigo-chan!"
Why was she just bumping into people left and right? It seemed that all her friends had surrounded her in a circle. She quickly stared at the figure in front of her – Rumi-chan. Phew. She could talk to her…But she didn't want to. She ducked behind a few bushes, hoping the orange-haired girl would not see her.
"Wait…Where's Vanilla?" Ichigo looked confusedly and bewilderedly around herself. There was no sweets spirit anywhere. Where was she? Had she got lost? Did her flying skills slow down and was she not able to catch up? Did she abandon her? Why was everything going downhill?
Rumi had discovered her when Ichigo said the word 'vanilla'. Ichigo's roommate smiled brightly, and pulled her best friend up, patting the dust off her clothes.
"Oh, you mean you want Vanilla ice cream?" Rumi's face lit up, "How about chocolate covered strawberries instead? You love them, right – "
"I – hate – chocolate – covered – strawberries, Katou-san." Ichigo regarded her best friend coldly.
What happened to Rumi-chan? Have I really broken my relationship between Ichigo-chan and I…? Why did I have to drag her to Salon de Marie? Ugh…
"I think I'm going back to the dorm to take a shower and go to bed now."
"But Ichigo-chan, we have a English – " Even though her roommate was deeply insulting her feelings, Rumi couldn't help but remind who she thought was her best friend of an English test.
The brunette had already disappeared into the darkness of the night, melting into the fog and the blackness.
~X~
"There's a English test today…" Kashino said emotionlessly to Chocolat who was flying next to him, "We have to write a poem about our feelings or something, right?"
"Yeah, Vanilla told me about that too. She said Amano also – " Chocolat watched Kashino's face darken. Probably not a good idea to talk about that.
~X~
"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhh?!" Ichigo gasped, "We have a English test today?!"
"Yeah," Lemon said weakly, "We have to write a poem."
Just after Lemon stated this, the English teacher walked in. He smiled brightly, he looked very energetic and excited, "So, today, we will be having an English test – I will grade you when you write a poem of your own feelings, yes?"
Not a time to think about Kashino.
Wait, I'm already thinking about him…
Why…
Why did he choose Koshiro over me?
Did he really hate me that much?
Did he think I was stupid?
Sure…I was bad at French…
But did he hate me…to the point…
He had to cheat on me?
Ichigo stood up abruptly, fear in her eyes. She was visibly trembling again, like she was sugar high, and her eyes were widened – she looked frightened.
"And Amano-san, we will start the test after you sit down."
~X~
"Write your true feelings down, everyone!" The teacher exclaimed, dramatically throwing his head back for effect. "You can write about…love…or friendship, or…"
"Friendship." Chocolat mumbled to Kashino, who blindly nodded. "friendship is really easy."
Blank papers were handed out to all the students. Kashino stared at his paper. True feelings…Taking his favorite pen, he began to write.
~X~
"I'm sorry I didn't see you last night, Ichigo! I was sent back to the sweets kingdom," Vanilla whispered quickly. "What happened? Did I miss anything?"
"Uh…no. Erm, I actually…went…went to Salon de Marie." Ichigo flinched at the sensitive topic, "I'm writing a poem about my true feelings now for a English test now…"
Vanilla grinned, "Good luck, Ichigo! I'm cheering for you!"
~X~
I still love you
I still love you, because you was my everything
I still love you; my world would be black and white without you
I still love you, from your flawless appearance to your perfect personality,
From how your chocolate brown hair flows down to your shoulders,
To your warm eyes that showcase only warmth and love,
To your warm, energetic smile that can cheer anyone up
To your petite body and pretty features,
I still love you
From your bubbly, positive attitude,
To your talent to learn everything so fast,
To your skill to light up people's faces,
I still love you
No matter what was between us,
I wish you could put everything behind us,
So we can be together, again
I still love you
Everything was a misunderstanding,
I never meant to push you away,
I'm sorry, my chocolate covered strawberry,
I still love you
All the mistakes and misunderstandings,
I hope you can forget,
So that we can be together, forever,
So I won't be the only person in love…
Because, I still love you
"Uh, I thought we were writing about friendship here?" Chocolat asked hesitantly, reading the words that were messily scrawled onto Kashino's notebook.
The blond clumsily covered the words with his hand and turned red.
"R-Right. Forgot…" Kashino tentatively winced, "Sensei, can I have a new piece of paper please?"
~X~
Heartbreak
Heartbreak, a painful emotion
Heartbreak, an unforgettable experience
Heartbreak, the worst feeling that could be felt
I thought I always loved you,
I thought we could be together forever
I thought I would be the one that would marry you,
I thought we would never be separated
Maybe if that night never happened, we could
Maybe if I never went to Salon de Marie, we could
Maybe if I could just erase the memory, we could
Maybe if you never cheated on me, we could
Maybe if you never betrayed me, we could
Heartbreak, an emotion that washes over me like betrayal
Heartbreak, an experience that will forever be etched in my mind
Heartbreak, the feeling you get when you see something you wish you never saw
I wish we could be together,
I wish I could forgive you,
I wish I could, I could, but…
You betrayed me, you did, you did,
You traitor, I hate you
You devil, you playboy, you meanie
You never meant anything you said to me
You helped me up in my bad times,
You encouraged me when I was down in the dumps,
You comforted me,
You made chocolat chaud to brighten me up
You cheered me up
…Heartbreak, when you struggle to see if you want to forgive someone…
…Heartbreak, when you feel the impulse to stay mad at someone forever…
…Heartbreak, when love and hate fight…
"You're not writing song lyrics, are you, Amano-san?" The English teacher was reading her work, "Chocolat chaud – "
"It's…private." With that said, Ichigo ripped her poem in half, "Uh, sensei, could I have a clean piece of paper?"
~X~
Uneasiness
Uneasiness, the tangled ball of emotion I feel when I see you now,
Uneasiness, a feeling I never felt when we dated,
Uneasiness, when someone never forgives you even though you did nothing wrong
Uneasiness, caused by misunderstandings and bad communication
Uneasiness, not a clean, fresh emotion
"Arghhhh! I can't do this!" Kashino whispered harshly out to Chocolat, "All I start writing is about her!"
"Try again…" Chocolat winced, so Kashino asked for another piece of paper.
Bittersweet Love
Love that can never be even,
Love that can never be fair,
Love that can never be just,
Bittersweet love
Bittersweet love,
The feeling we share,
When I love you, forever and forever,
And you hate me, for eternity
Love that can never be granted,
Love that can never be fair or just,
Love that can never be even,
Bittersweet love
Just because of that small misunderstanding,
Our sweet love, has changed, forever,
It can't be repaired,
Because it's damaged too much,
Love that can never be redone,
Love that can never be fixed,
Love that never can be repaired,
Bittersweet love
"See?" Kashino pointed to the poem, blushing furiously, "I can't! I keep writing about – about her!"
"I can see that," Chocolat said, annoyed, "Well, then just submit bittersweet love! It's the best title of the whole series."
"You can't judge books by their covers!"
~X~
What is love?
Is love a sweet thing?
Is love a bitter thing?
What is love?
From the moment I saw you,
I never thought we'd be together,
But it turned out we were,
If you hadn't ruined it all
Is love a good thing?
Is love a bad thing?
What is love?
Turned out we were destined to be together,
A couple, forever and forever
If you hadn't come in with her,
If you hadn't ruined everything
"A new piece of paper please…sensei…" Ichigo groaned. "Ugh! I hate not being able to write about anything else…"
~X~
A week later, the incident still hadn't erased or faded from the brokenhearted couple's minds. Kashino had no idea what to do. He had received a C from his teacher and a short, bitter comment from the disappointed sensei: "You should be ashamed of yourself, I always thought you had more potential than this. Your poem is jumbled up and doesn't seem to have a plot."
The blond tiredly collected the stack of poems he had ignored that time at the exam. Suddenly, a light bulb lit over his head as he stored the poems in a envelope.
"Chocolat, give this to Vanilla, and tell her to give it to Amano. Say it's from Kashino, okay?" Kashino handed Chocolat the envelope.
"I guess I wouldn't mind."
This could be the new beginning, the time where Ichigo might forgive him.
~X~
"Uh, Ichigo, Chocolat told me to give this to you…it's from Kashino." Vanilla put the heavy envelope onto Ichigo's bed.
"That guy, not even having the guts to come over to give me the envelope…"
"Just read it, Ichigo…!"
Ichigo sighed, "I'll read it later."
~X~
Kashino's hands trembled, as he was about to send the message, the explanation of the whole thing to Ichigo. Would she accept? Would she decline? What would she do? Come on, the worst thing she can do is disbelieve me.
Kashino's finger shook lightly as his thumb lingered towards the 'Send' button, to be pulled back from his own will a second later.
~X~
Bittersweet Love
Love that can never be even,
Love that can never be fair,
Love that can never be just,
Bittersweet love
Bittersweet love,
The feeling we share,
When I love you, forever and forever,
And you hate me, for eternity
Love that can never be granted,
Love that can never be fair or just,
Love that can never be even,
Bittersweet love
Just because of that small misunderstanding,
Our sweet love, has changed, forever,
It can't be repaired,
Because it's damaged too much,
Love that can never be redone,
Love that can never be fixed,
Love that never can be repaired,
Bittersweet love
"Kashino Makoto, grade C…" Ichigo yelped, "WAIT, WHAT? Kashino wrote this? For me? …He could – He could lose his place at school – he could get pulled out of school – but he did this…to…true feelings…C grade…"
I…need to forgive Kashino.
~X~
"Just press the stupid button!" Chocolat exclaimed irritably. She flew to the phone and kicked the send button, much to Kashino's alarm. "Ugh, do you have to spend…six hours or something seeing if you should press the dumb button?"
"Duh," Kashino rolled his eyes, "Well, I guess…thanks for pressing that for me."
~X~
Ichigo ran to Kashino's room. She knocked on the door quickly, before the blond emerged. His messy tousled hair was incredibly messy, and his cheeks were bright red.
"…I'm sorry. I read your text…Kinda think I got the message."
"Tha-Thanks." Kashino embraced his girlfriend in a warm hug, "I love you."
"I love you too, I'm sorry I misunderstood you." Ichigo leaned forward and kissed Kashino sweetly.
"So that means you forgive Kashino, right?" Chocolat popped out of nowhere, scaring the couple to death.
"Ye-Yeah! I have privacy! We have privacy! You know!" Ichigo stuttered, blushing. "Of course I forgive Kashino…"
"Something tells me it isn't right…did you forgive me so that…you could get my help for your French homework?" Seeing the playful smirk on Kashino's face, Ichigo turned even redder. "Or did you unexpectedly receive a French assignment that you couldn't complete?"
"No!" Ichigo choked out, looking very flustered.
"Ichigo," Vanilla appeared, smirking smugly when she saw the surprised look on the couple's faces, "We have French verbs homework due tomorrow."
"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?" Turning back to Kashino, the brunette now had wide puppy dog eyes, "Can you help me, Kashino?"
"Coincidence?" Kashino smiled smugly, teasing his girlfriend gently, "I don't think so."
Me: I'm so sorry the ending was super rushed! And I know it was kinda cheesy, so I'm super sorry – I was really hurried, so…
Kashino: Why don't you go write it all over again?
Me: What? No! I originally wrote my first version, but I wasn't happy with it, so I wrote it again…and I'm out of time, I don't want to write it again –
Koshiro: YOU CRUEL WRITER! I hate you, Hoshimi! I officially declare you as my rival, StarlightFangirl!
Me: O.o Nice to meet you…uh, rival…
Ichigo: You're right, Hoshimi-chan, the ending seems to be a little rushed, but overall it's pretty good!
Kashino *snorts*: Pretty good…yeah right!
Ichigo: But the part where Kashino and I were just writing poems about each other was kind of…
Kashino: AWKWARD. EMBRASSING. WEIRD. You should be shameful, Hoshimi, for giving me a C for the English test!
Me *sweatdrops*: You didn't get pulled out of school…
Koshiro: DO NOT REVIEW ON THE STORY, people! I can't believe she was so cruel! I can point out millions of things wrong with this story!
Koshiro: This is super long and boring! Literally 6k! What's your explanation, newbie?
Me: Originally I wanted it to be a two-shot or three-shot, but I just pieced things together…and it fit…so…I just…made a one-shot instead…
Ichigo: Another thing is when I forgave Kashino, when we said I love you to each other, it was kind of cheesy…and the poems were super cliché, too.
Kashino: I have to agree with you, Koshiro, there are millions of things wrong with this insane author and this creepy story…
Koshiro *scowls*: What does the title have to do anything with the story anyways?
Ichigo: I think it was when I was really jealous of Kashino, Hoshimi-chan wrote and repeated 'What is this feeling?'…so…But it's still pretty far apart, the title and the story.
Koshiro: There were too many thoughts exposed by the characters and thus it made the story super…
Ichigo *raises hand*: AWKWARD!
Kashino *snorts*: SUPER WEIRD.
Koshiro: OOC, strange, bad, boring, creepy, long, and just really stupid…
Me *pouts*: Okay, I admit it didn't turn out how I wanted it to turn out as, but do you guys seriously have to go and ruin my self-confidence like that?!
Kashino, Koshiro, Ichigo: YES! Criticism only leads to improvement!
Me *sobs*: …Please…review…
Kashino: If you do decide to give this author a little encouragement, embed as much criticism as you can into the review! Just tell her in a straightforward manner what's wrong!
Me *glares*: .PERSON! Please ignore him! Anyway, I'm sorry if this one-shot disappointed you guys…T.T!