INTEGRATED HEARTS

- 0 -

Disclaimer: I do not own Maid-sama or any of its characters.


"15!"

Three lines of females took up the spaces near their respective walls, the latter adorned by a pair of uniform black sneakers for each occupied figure. Said figures waited patiently for the next count, lowered their bodies when it was called, and straightened up again. The same process repeated itself incessantly.

Their movements, albeit coming from different individuals, matched with military precision that could only be achieved through steadfast training. And steadfast training it was.

"30!"

As hands and feet began to slip from their original positions, one might also be able to see the beginning of shaking arms in just a handful, while the majority held on to their stability. For them, it was less of a competition with their neighbors and more with their former selves from the previous month's examinations.

"45!"

By then the handful of the students had fallen, either groaning in disappointment and defeat or applauding themselves for improving just a bit more.

Some were stronger than others in certain fields; the school's motto, "Willpower over all," was as motivational and adhered to as the school's tough reputation.

"60!"

At this benchmark, half of the large gymnasium collapsed, either due to the inability to continue, or the intentional decision not to. There were still other portions of the exam to go through, after all.

Those who had stopped were then instructed to move to the only vacant wall in the gym to watch the rest of the session play out.

"80!"

It was down to just the "elites," who were known for their remarkable strength, agility, endurance, and so forth. Once again, instead of with each other, they raced against the recession of their remaining strength and the amount of push-ups they could get in before they couldn't anymore.

In the end, it was always the Queen who would finish last, anyway.

"100!"

A busty blonde and a slim raven-haired girl were the last two standing—or still going, at least, since they weren't exactly standing. By chance they had been placed next to each other. The blonde turned her head slightly and let out a soft psst in a —successful— attempt to catch her friend's attention.

"I won't be able to do much more," the blonde wheezed. "Good luck beating your previous record!"

"Sure, Maria," was the response, accompanied by a smirk. Misaki straightened her arms again when the next count came. She hadn't even reached the amount she did last time, but she was not completely out of breath yet.

At the number 110, Maria joined the rest of the students to watch her friend continue.

"120!"

Silent cheers grew in sound until chants of "Mi-sa-ki! Mi-sa-ki!" prompted their coach to count louder.

"130!"

I think that's enough, Misaki decided before she finally dropped down with an exhausted sigh at 140. It was 15 more than she did last time. Not outstanding, but still exceptional for an improvement made within the span of 30 days.

For a few seconds, she laid face down on the floor, her arms stacked on top of each other to serve as a cushion for her forehead. Then she pushed herself onto her knees and stood up, more than ready for a water break.

When the rest of the academy joined the girls at the water fountains, the lively conversations that were going on prior to their arrival quieted down notably, but picked up again just as quickly as it had hushed.

Seika was a special four-year academy that focused on teaching a variety of martial arts rather than normal subjects, which were also optional as elective courses. Students were required to reside on campus, so it was similar to a boarding school, but not quite.

It was a prestigious school that accepted only the best applicants, and even money couldn't help cases. Graduates usually went straight to jobs in the military field, or they could continue on to college. Health and law were two of the most popular majors for the latter.

For the first three years, the males and females were taught in separate buildings and had no interactions whatsoever. This was to ensure behavior and concentration.

Their senior year was when they moved to the main building to become co-ed, and there were still some unease amongst the current seniors, since it was only their third month and not all classes became mixed.

Misaki let her hair loose from its hair tie so she could redo her ponytail; stray strands had fallen out from all the exercise she'd done. Nearby, someone was looking for her.

He had a mischievous smirk and striking eyes, disheveled hair and a tall build. When he found her leaning lazily against a wall, he pushed himself off the one he was against and made his way to her.

His presence was acknowledged by a quick glance before Misaki looked away again, focusing on watching Maria chat with their friend Sakura. "Hey," he offered.

"What do you need, Usui?"

"What'd you get on the exams?" The boy asked, moving beside her to rest against the same wall. If there was one thing that Usui Takumi knew he had in common with Ayuzawa Misaki and vice versa, it was their sense of competition.

For the first time, they were able to find someone on par with themselves. Instead of looking at her, he checked out the other girls. Beyond the ones with masses of muscles were quite a few hot ones, and they were all perfectly fit. Although none of them were his type, he was still a guy with hormones.

Misaki stayed silent for a moment, then responded with, "The scores will be posted tomorrow."

He scoffed and turned to look at her—or rather the side of her face. "I wouldn't be asking you now if I planned to wait until tomorrow," he retorted. So she told him her score, and finally made an effort to look at him.

The smirk on his lips told her all she needed to know about what he'd scored. Misaki rolled her eyes good-naturedly and vowed to beat him next month, not forgetting to remind him that she'd done it before.

"Sure you will, Ayuzawa," he teased as he pushed himself off the wall and left without a farewell. She didn't expect one. They were only on amicable terms, after all, and neither really had intentions to familiarize with the other.

The two were already comfortable enough with their own groups, and only became acquaintances because their friends had agreed that the academy's King and Queen should at least know each other.

The titles were not taken lightly by the academy's population, so just about everyone knew who Misaki and Usui were. It would've been ironic if they themselves weren't aware of each other.

As a result of their friends' meddling, Misaki and Usui were on a stage where they'd speak occasionally, but that was all, much to the disappointment of their friends, who had definitely expected more. "We just have to make it more," Sakura had reassured that day, a plan already formulating in her mind.

A month later was when the annual tournament was held. To call it a big deal was an understatement. Classes were cancelled and students were called to gather at the school's auditorium to receive information about the much-anticipated event.

"As most of you should know from previous years, a team is only permissible if it consists of 5 members, no more, no less, and each has to specialize in a different form of martial arts. There may not be two karate students in one team, for example. The Western Annex will be open, where you will be required to reside in the same dorm as your teammates, regardless of gender, for the duration of the contest. The sign-up period is only 4 days long, and no late registrations will be accepted. The first challenge will be held in 2 weeks from then. Cheating will result in an automatic expulsion."

Despite the announcement ending with a heavy warning, the audience was already buzzing with excitement before the headmaster even finished speaking. Friends exchanged glances and raised eyebrows in silent questions, grinned and shot OKs, ready to assemble their teams.

Ambitious ones eyed the King and Queen in hopes of recruiting or getting recruited, but unfortunately for them, Sakura and her reluctant comrades Aoi and Honoka had other plans for the pair.

"Let's form a team, guys!" Sakura suggested excitedly, grinning when Aoi and Honoka piped in half-heartedly with their approval. They'd grabbed and fled the scene with Misaki and Usui in record time. "And don't say that you don't plan on competing this year, Misa," Sakura added. "Everyone knows that you do."

"It doesn't matter to me," Misaki said with a shrug, signaling her agreement. Convincing Usui was next, and fortunately, he gave a likewise shrug.

And so Plan A began.


- unedited

The setting is in an English-speaking country, although the relevant characters are mostly Japanese.

I'm a sporadic writer, so I'm not going to sugarcoat the fact that this story might not be completed. I've tried and dropped several stories before, but I'm hoping this time I can push through, because the AU is one that I've never tried before. Who knows?

R&R