Chapter 1: A Talent Show
A/N: I can't do it. I can't focus on one story. In order for things to get done, I need you all to be patient. Please understand. I will not abandon anything. Now I hope you'll all enjoy this.
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The slight wind hit against the window that stood next to Tokiha Mai. Her eyes were focused on the board, and her hands rushing to take notes. It was one of those rare times when she did this. In fact, she had been doing this often.
To a trained eye though, one would take note that what was written on her notebook was not notes, but song lyrics, and maybe a couple of doodles. Being the smart girl she was though, she remembered to jot down anything important. In case of a pop quiz, or in case her sensei, Sugiura Midori asked her a question. Mai was a good multitasker, something she practised very well ever since she started to take care of her sickly brother alone.
Midori glanced at the clock as the bell wrung. She gave a thumbs up at her students and informed them of their night's homework. Quickly jotting this down, Mai head out the door to meet her dear friend, Mikoto at the park for a picnic. Her two good friends, Natsuki and Aoi joined them as well.
"Mai! Food!" Came a loud, gleefull cheer from a cat like, black haired girl. Mai saw that Aoi had helped Mikoto unfold the picnic blanket, and Mai let down a basket filled with all of the necessities for lunch. They usually ate in the cafeteria, but since it was a little expensive, and since Mai was a VERY good cook; not to mention that she enjoyed it, they decided to have these picnics every once in a while. Only one out of three times does their good friend Kuga natsuki show up.
Natsuki was very interested in playing her guitar. Living alone, she played it creating her own tunes or replaying her favourite ones. A big fan of mayonnaise, a moderately graded student, and very exceptional at sports, Natsuki had a strange secret other life that Mai and company have failed to discover. Nonetheless, they two of them were close. In a way neither of them can deny, they were quite the best of firends.
The school wasn't too big, and wasn't too small. It was, in its own way, a perfect public highschool with the name Fuuka High. The principle showed his face every once in a while, ost of the time the students would simply hear his voice over the P.A. It didn't matter since a quarter of the school ended up there getting caught by the small school council. This school council consisted of simply the president, the directure of executives; her secretary, and a secret force consisting of 6 students that had either nothing better to do, or a passion to help keep the school together.
It wasn't too much of a problem since the students were pretty well behaved. Not too much drama, just your typical teenage things.
"This is delicious!" Aoi commented as she ate through a bento that Mai had prepared. Aoi was another classmate of Mai's, a slightly mysterious girl with a love of cute things. She hung around Mai a lot, and aside from that mai barely saw her. There had been one time she saw Aoi talk with a rather beautiful yet handsome looking woman at the restaurant she works in. Mai never asked about it, Aoi would speak of her when she needed to.
"Mai's food is always delicous, yup!" Mikoto exclaimed finishing her share with incredible speed. By this time she was sunggling her petite face against Mai's bosom. mai blushed slightly and stroked the girl's hair, Aoi giggling in amusement.
"I guess Kuga-san won't be coming today," Aoi muttered letting out a sigh.
"Natsuki is perfectly fine Aoi," Natsuki said sternly sitting herself down on the blanket pulling out her tube of mayonnaise as mai handed her her bento.
"Ah, so she shows up," Mai joked putting away hers and Mikoto's bento as Aoi continued going through hers, and Natsuki placed some mayo over her own food. It was something common as Mai leaned bac k on her arms as Mikoto rested her head on the older girl's lap.
Natsuki finished chewing, then swallowed her food before continuing her speech, "I heard that Yuuichi's band is playing. Akane-san had finally agreed to take the position of the lead singer."
"Ah so Kazuya finally got her to do it? No wonder they've been so distracted at Linden Baum today..." Mai began smiling slightly, "I love Akane-chan's voice. When are they playing?"
Natsuki had almost finished her food before dousing a bit more mayo on it, "Tonight at 8. I believe their playing at today's 'Talent Show' remember? Weren't you going to sing?" Finally finishing her food she handed the box over to Mai and mouthed a thank you, Aoi doing the same.
"Oh yes, I was going to sing..." Mai began trying to remember exactly which song she was to sing, "What about you Natsuki?"
Natsuki looked at the sky, a content look planted firmly on her features, "Maybe I'll play a guitar solo, for the heck of it. Then again, why would I even waste my time on it?"
Aoi slightly jumped in excitement and leaned towards Kuga, "Awww come on!!! The Talent Show only comes once a year!!! I'd love to hear your very praised guitar solo! Any one of them."
"Yup! Mai told me that Natsuki's solos are very good! Its too bad that it isn't edible," Mikoto whined, pouting slightly.
Natsuki shot a glare at Mai and Mai simply stuck her tongue out in a teasing fashion, "Don't be so modest, play at the Talent Show! Even Mikoto is doing something!!"
"Mikoto-chan?" Aoi asked turning to the younger one.
"Ani-ue sent me a drumset about two months ago, yup!" Mikoto began, her head nodding furiously, "I'm pretty good thanks to Mai's rythem training! Oh and ramen!"
"You should see how fired up this girl is after I promise her a simple bowl of ramen," Mai said, laughing afterwards at Mikoto's appetite.
"Then I am looking very forward to tonight Mai-san!" Aoi exclaimed as she got up. Taking a bow she thanked Mai again and head towards her next class.
"If something bad happens tonight Mai, I swear I'll have your head!" Natsuki yelled as she head towards her class.
Mai simply laughed as Mikoto jumped onto her back and watched as Mai put away everything else.
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Although the school wasn't amazingly rich, every talent show was something spectacular. The principal hid himself somewhere while Ishigami-sensei, Sugiura-sensei and Sakomizu-sensei were in their judge chairs awaiting for all the talent.
"May youth reign over all nerves that you kids may have!" Midori yelled, "Good luck to you all!!"
The audicne of parents and students clappedas the curtains were raised for the first performance. As things quieted down, a spotlight focused on a small girl with black hair. The drumset glistened in the light, and the drumsticks twirled around the young girl's fingers. She looked up at the audience with a wide smile on her face and started to beat the drums. The crowd listened carefully to the carefully arranged song that was most likely made up by the girl. No one could really tell, for who has had the time to listen to every song in existence?
Mikoto bobbed her head up and down as the rythem became faster. The audience bobbed their own heads to the beat and eventually, after about 3 minutes, did Mikoto stop and bow before the crowd. Hearing a loud applause Mikoto let the stage crew put away her drums while she looked for her favourite cook.
"Mai!! I did good yup! The audience liked me yup!" she exclaimed happily and Mai congradulated her. The school council's president, who was helping the excecutive board set things up approached Mikoto with a charming smile.
"I hope to hear more from you in the future..."
"Mikoto, Minagi Mikoto! Yup!"
"Yes, Minagi-san. Congratulations on a good performance," taking a sip out of the cup of tea that rested in her hands, she turned to Kikukawa Yukino who had the list of those who were to show their talent.
"Miss President, next we have the talent of the captain of the kendo club, and after him is Kuga Natsuki," Yukino reassured as her eyes scanned the paper, "Then Tokiha Mai-san, then a display of our school's number one artist, Okuzawa Akira, a few more students, then we end with Yuuichi's band."
Yukino had to yell slightly in order for the president to hear. She glanced over to her childhood friend who was at the time yelling at the stage crew. Correcting a part of the girl's speech, she sighed and turned to Shizuru just as she replied.
"Excellent," Shizuru muttered taking another sip of tea. Hearing Natsuki's name, she couldn't help but smile. The younger girl whom Shizuru had approached every second day at the end of the school day to try to befriend, and of course, tease. She never knew what kind of specific talent the girl had, besides a perfect tomato impersonation, and a deep view on the world. Not that someone can exactly call that a talent.
Takeda had finished his demonstration and exited the stage as the applause began to die. Pausing, he saw Natsuki in a casual outfit of a white tank top and worn out jeans. A blush crept onto his face, his crush since like, forever had her eyebrow raised in front of him.
"K-Kuga..." he muttered, only to be pushed to the side by the girl.
Mikoto, who was now in the audience since she had finished stood up and clapped for the blue haired girl. Takumi, who at the time was sitting next to Mikoto, settled her down for the sake of mai, natsuki and himself.
Natsuki was positioned on a chair, leaning slightly over her electric guitar. She gave it a name, yes that was completely normal. For of course, a musician was one with their instrument.
"Duran," she muttered to herself staring at her guitar then glancing over at the audience, "We're going to commence."
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A/N: There you go. The setting in pretty similar to the original HiME, but I believe it will take a while to adjust. I won't be updating too quickly. My interests change between stories, plus of this special program I'm in I have a ton of homework. I always end up finishing parts of stories. But you will see an update.