Disclaimer: Dude, do I even seem like Tachibana Higuchi to you? Well no, I don't. No suing. Oh, but I do own all the typos, errors and stupidity in this fanfic.
Of Fluff Puffs and Fireworks
By: Little Girl Light-chan
Dedicated to and Edited by: natsumikan143/Bads/Snargles :p
--Yes, dear. I love you that much.
December 29; Alice Academy Canteen; 12:47 PM
"I'm playing matchmaker," I announced, grinning at Sumire.
"Again?" She said, rolling her eyes and I nodded.
"Good luck on your suicide mission," She added.
"Oh don't worry, I won't die," I replied.
She glared at me and said, "Well, don't worry too. I am not worrying."
Stupid Koko. These matchmaking things are going to get him killed.
I smirked. Oh, I'm pretty sure she was in denial again.
And that's right. I'm back to Mission Impossible. Woop di doo. And it's the 12th!
December 30; Koko's Single Star room; 5:38 PM
"Koko, come on. It's just one trip to Central Town before New Year! I'll just be blah blah blah." I rolled my eyes and refused again, not even taking my eyes off the television screen. To me, almost everything she said was blah. Seriously, if it means coming with her, it's hell.
"I'm going with Kitsuneme," I drawled.
Jerk. She thought.
"You will be going with me and that's final. Rawr," She commanded.
What the? I stared at her, stunned at the last word.
"Whaaaaat? I got it from Mikan." She shrugged and I blinked.
"Eh?" She shot a death glare at me.
You are going with me and that's an order. I threw my hands up in the air in defeat.
"FINE." Darn that annoying brat.
December 31; Koko's Single Star room; 11:05 AM
"Koko..." I heard a-person-whom-I-don't-know calling. AGAIN. That's the fifth time already! Darn it. I'm SLEEPING! I groaned and snuggled my pillow.
"Oh darling, you just burst my bubble." That person-whom-I-don't-know hissed.
"KOKORO YOME! WAKE UP ALREADY, YOU JERK! YOU SAID YOU'LL COME WITH ME TO CENTRAL TOWN TO BUY SOME THINGS AND NOW YOU'RE SLEEPING?! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?! DITCH ME?! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO YOUR BEST FRIEND?! WAKE UP OR NO MORE MARSHMALLOWS AND CHIPS FOR YOU!" My eyes shot open. What the hell? Sumire? For, heaven's sake! IT'S. STILL. ELEVEN. AM!
"I'M AWAKE ALREADY! Geez, its still eleven. Yes, that's early for me." I threw the pillow at her, narrowing my eyes furiously. She grinned – evilly at that - and walked away from my bed.
"This is the last time I'm going with you to Central Town," I muttered darkly.
"It certainly isn't!" Pft. Stupid Cat-Dog Alice.
December 31; Central Town; 12:11 AM
I slapped myself. No way. I looked at the sky, mortified. Dear heavens, WHY?!
I gaped at my best friend then to the signboard then to her again. "Y-y-you witch!" This is a shopping center! I screamed in my thoughts.
She raised a brow. "Why? Didn't I tell you that I'll be shopping? And look at the time, you jerk! I'm VERY late. It's already 11 minutes past 12!"
"What? Of course you didn't tell him! And hey! I could still be sleeping if you didn't wake me up so early in the morning!" I practically shouted at her. Doesn't she even know that shopping would be the death of me and I needed some sleep?
"I said, 'Koko, can you come with me to Central Town? I'll be shopping for New Year.' I made it perfectly clear. Geez, you should really listen. And oh, you needed an alarm. So I was there. See? Enough of that subject now."
"I WAS LISTENING! AND NO! I NEED JUSTICE FOR MY SLEEP!" I retorted.
"No, you weren't. You were watching that awful comedy show. To tell you the truth, it wasn't even funny. And absolutely NO, you don't need justice. Drop it already," She huffed. And soon, a very random mishap came.
"AAAAAAAAH! GO AWAY! AND NO, I DON'T HAVE YOUR SHOES, Y-Y-YOU HORRIBLE CHICKEN! HOTARUUUUUUUU!" And there you have it, Mikan Sakura making a complete fool out of herself by being hilariously hysterical with Piyo running after her.
"What in the world did she do to the poor nasty overgrown chick?" Sumire couldn't help but ask the high heavens.
"It's amusing!" I piped up. What's a mind reader like me to do? It really is amusing! Well, it's funny how she thinks she's going to die in a nasty death any second now.
"Come on, let's go –" She was gawking... at someone- I-do-not-know.
You are jealous.
Who the hell just said – I mean, thought – that? And I spotted the suspect standing near the entrance with a baka gun ready for her best friend. I tilted my head in confusion. Oh what the hell?
You are jealous.
At whom? Eh? I AM NOT JEALOUS AT SOMEONE.
You're jealous because Sumire's gawking at somebody.
No, I'm not.
Yes, you are.
"Who are you? My conscience?" I thought a little too loudly. Aw shoot. Everyone stared at me. Hotaru smirked. I laughed nervously.
"Err... look a chicken!" I pointed at Piyo. I grinned as they shrugged and got back to their work.
I turned around to look at Sumire. I sighed. She's still gawking at someone-I-really-do-not-know. No wait. She's gawking at someone-I-DO-know! And he's talking to Mikan – okay, more like getting angry at her. Natsume. And woosh, they went to the fluff puff store. Wait... fluff puffs? And so, I grinned as I came up with an idea.
Here I go, Mission Impossible Version 12.0!
"What are you grinning for?" Sumire asked, slightly annoyed. But I just grinned one more time.
December 31; A tree somewhere near Central Town; 12:56 AM
"Darn it, Koko. I'm supposed to be shopping," Sumire complained. Oh here we go again. "Blah blah blah. Are you even listening?" She glared at me. Her glares are starting to be like Natsume's... except those green eyes ruin it all. I laughed at the thought.
"What are you laughing at?" Simple really, she looked like she was ready to kill me.
"Shopping can wait," I said, grinning.
You are so dead after this. She thought darkly. I chuckled, not really minding that. She wouldn't kill her best friend, I just know it.
...
Or maybe not. Nah, I don't mind.
"I need you to bring Mikan to that tree. Yes, that tree. Make her believe that Hotaru is there while I prepare fireworks and fluff puffs," I said, pointing at the Sakura Tree in the field.
"Wait. Just two questions: Why am I stuck with the awfully dense teenager? And why are there fireworks and fluff puffs?" I sighed and sternly looked at her.
"Okay, okay," She said as she went to get Mikan from Natsume then suddenly stopped.
"Why'd you stop?" I asked. She had an innocent look on her face.
I'm hungry. I looked at the time and it was almost twelve.
"Oh." And then my stomach grumbled. Bad stomach. Bad! "Fine, let's go eat first."
And she sighed in relief. Ooh, she looked cute somehow... No! Bad thoughts! BAD!
December 31; Central Town's Fast Food Restaurant; 1:27 PM
"You know, I think this matchmaking thing is getting old," Sumire told me as she ate the last piece of chicken. I stared at her, disbelieving.
"Aww, come on. I already planned it!" I whined as I chewed. She blinked, disgusted.
"Ew, Koko. Eat that first," She told me, obviously disgusted. I laughed at her. She looked pretty cute today. No, heavens, what am I saying?!
"Ne, I'll leave now. I see Mikan." I nodded and waved goodbye with her rare sweet smiles.
Oh dang, why am I complimenting her these days? I asked as I looked up the sky from the store's window.
Poof!
I was wide-eyed. How in the world did Noda-sensei get here?!
Noda-sensei chuckled at my reaction. "I'm sorry. I just got back from my time travels." Then he began to fade.
"What the –?" I grabbed his arm in shock. "Sensei!" It all happened so fast that I didn't know I disappeared with him.
December 30; A street near Mikan Sakura's room; 12:17 AM
Oof!
"Ow...," I moaned as I rubbed my butt. I looked around, only to see it was nighttime. Noda-sensei was there too, watching someone in one of the Main Building's dorm rooms. I stared at him and then noticed he was looking at a tree near a window rather than the building itself.
And there was Natsume, covered in blood. I was about to approach him when suddenly, Noda-sensei grabbed my wrist. When I looked at him, he shook his head in disagreement; still wearing that same sly smile.
"Erm... sensei, I think I should help him." He shook his head again, pointing at the tree again. There was Natsume, trying to put a tulip on someone's window. And it hit me when I saw a box of fluff puffs -- it was Mikan's room. I stood there, taken aback by Natsume's gift.
"You know... I saw that boy yesterday in one of my time travels again. He was talking to this blonde boy, asking if he knew anyone who had an Alice of Fireworks. He just walked away. I heard him mutter about someone's birthday." Noda-sensei tilted his head to glance at me, asking me if I knew anything in his thoughts. I kept silent and shook my head and soon asked him to take me back to present time.
And so he did... after 10 time travels and 8 hours of seeing the most bizarre places in the history of time. Weird guy. He seriously needs more control devices.
December 31; Central Town; 9:41 PM
Poof!
"Thanks Noda-sensei." I just bowed and he disappeared. I take back what I said. He is VERY weird.
"Koko...," A threatening voice echoed. Oh no. Please no. I turned around to see a deranged Sumire Shouda in front of me.
"I'm sorry!" I tried to apologize, but she just glared at me. "IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" I screamed.
"Oh, really? You left me for 8 freakin' hours! Do you even know how stupid I felt searching for you here in Central Town?!" I stared at her from head to toe, no wait. I stared at her hand.
"But you have shopping bags." I blinked. She calmed down a bit. Heavens, THANK YOU!
"Weeellll, I DID buy some things with Mikan and Hotaru. But still! Where were you?" She threw a skeptical look at me.
"Around the world."
She glared at me once again.
"Okay okay. Noda-sensei had problems with his Alice and I kind of grabbed his hand then poof! We went back in time." I had that smug look on my face when I finished talking but she just rolled her eyes.
"Stupid," She muttered. "Oh yeah, Mikan's still here. She's going to watch the fireworks display soon. She says it'll be a perfect start for her birthday. Weird girl." She sighed. Ooh! Natsume! I shot a worried glance at her. And she raised a brow.
"What?" She asked as if she was guilty for something.
"Where's Natsume?" She rolled her eyes again.
"With Ruka, near the fireworks preparation thing. I heard they were looking for a guy named Akira Yamamoto or something. Beats me." I ran away, leaving Sumire Shouda very confused. Her eyes were rather twinkling in the night. Oh, dang it! NOT NOW!
Nah, she'll forgive me.
December 31; Near the Fireworks Display; 10:01 PM
And yes, I did find Natsume near the fireworks preparation thing – as Sumire pointed out. They were looking for Akira Yamamoto and I knew exactly what it's for...
... fireworks that said, "Happy Birthday, Mikan Sakura."
"Natsume! Ruka!" I was panting. Hey, give me a little credit. I ran all the way to them. When I got there, they threw me confused looks.
"Are you okay?" Ruka asked as Natsume just stared at me.
"Yes, I'm fine." I turned to Natsume. "And I know Akira Yamamoto. He's that weird senior. I just saw him in a beverage store while I was on my way here."
"How did you know we were looking for him?" Natsume turned cynical. I panted one more time.
"It doesn't matter." I read his mind.
Bingo.
So he does want to have fireworks for Mikan. I am so good. Well, I grinned at them.
"Are you here for your matchmaking work again?" Natsume asked.
I frowned. What a doubtful boy.
"No, I'm just helping now. Oh yeah, could we use code names? That way Mikan won't find out. Fluff Puff for Mikan. Fireworks for Sumire." He glared at me. Ruka sweatdropped. I grinned.
"Are you reading his mind, Koko?" Ruka asked. I grinned again. What? I just like grinning.
"No, but I can guess from what he does during midnights." Natsume was surprised.
Koko...
Aww, shoot. He's threatening me again.
I'm innocent. It's the time travel's fault! I swear! Noda-sensei's Alice went berserk then poof, we accidentally saw you! I replied through thoughts.
Tell anyone or die.
I quickly nodded, scared of what he might do to me.
And there was poor Ruka, who didn't even know a thing.
December 31; Fireworks display; 10:39 PM
"Thanks, Koko. You helped a lot. We were trying to find that senpai everywhere." Ruka smiled at me. Geez, he's so... charming. TOO charming.
"No problem," I replied.
Natsume was staring at me. I grinned at him.
"Hn," Natsume grunted.
He walked to the Sakura tree, the place where he and Mikan were supposed to meet in my plan. I smiled. This is going to be an awesome New Year.
December 31; Fireworks display; 11:51 PM
"Koko!" I heard Sumire call me. I turned around and saw her with Mikan and Hotaru.
"Natsume, Mikan's here," Ruka said but Natsume just kept reading his manga.
"Ne, Natsume. It's dark. Why are you reading that manga? Doesn't it hurt your eyes?" Mikan asked but Natsume made neither a move nor a sound. She frowned even though she was used to this. But hey, it's New Year. She was expecting something different from him or a New Year's Resolution or something.
Sadly, Natsume couldn't get anymore colder.
December 31; Fireworks display; 11:59 PM
"Five... four... three... two... one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone cheered as the New Year came. And they cheered even more when there were fireworks -- courtesy of Akira Yamamoto.
"It's so beautiful! Hotaru, Ruka, Sumire, Koko, Natsume, LOOK!" A variety of fireworks came and when Mikan thought everything was over, Ruka pointed at the sky, letting her see the most beautiful one for her all throughout the night.
'Happy Birthday, Mikan Sakura'
Yes, it was a 'Happy Birthday, Mikan Sakura' fireworks display; like someone singing a song to her, it changed from lyric to lyric. And it made her eyes twinkle like a girl seeing candy for the first time.
Sumire looked at me. You did this?
I shook my head and averted my gaze to Natsume who was leaning on the trunk of the tree quietly. She smiled and looked at Mikan who was still awed by the magnificent display, oblivious to who was the mastermind behind it.
Hotaru was also asking Ruka the same question and Ruka did the same thing I did. And soon Mikan asked us, with the same twinkling eyes, "Ne, who did it?" Natsume walked away.
"Thanks everyone." She said before stopping Natsume and saying, "That was the most beautiful gift ever. Thank you." Natsume rolled his eyes.
"I didn't do it." He said, not changing his cold demeanor.
She pouted. "But whoever did it, I really thank him or her. I was hoping it was you, though." He stared at her and she grinned.
But Mikan couldn't help herself but ask him one random question. "Oh yeah, someone asked. Who do you like?" Natsume twitched. Hilarious. I laughed at him, together with the others who came after Natsume walked away.
"Fluff Puffs." And there you have it, Natsume's best confession yet.
Well, to Ruka and I, that is.
January 1; Central Town; 12:15 AM
I think I already figured out why I'm giving out compliments to You-Know-Who.
"Who's Fluff Puffs?" Sumire asked me all of the sudden. "Are we supposed to blacklist her in the fan club?" I laughed.
"Maybe."
She had the skeptical look again. "Okay, yes." I laughed again.
"Geez, why does Natsume like someone with that weird nickname, anyway?" She sighed. I guess being the president of a fan club is hard. But nah, she can handle it. I grinned at her, though.
"Well maybe it's because he couldn't help but like that girl?" I responded.
She rolled her beautiful green eyes.
"That's stupid," She commented.
I shook my head. "I'm like that too."
Surprised after hearing what I said, she asked me. "Oh? You like someone? Who?" And boy, she was excited. It's not every day you find out that your long-time best friend has a crush on someone.
"Fireworks."
She blinked.
"Fireworks? Eh? Why?" She asked me.
Easy question. "Because she just pops out everywhere. She makes me feel like the world is amazing. She's the most beautiful thing in my eyes. Just like what Mikan felt," I explained.
She raised one brow at me.
I just couldn't help but grin at her density.
But better yet, this is by far, one of my best confessions.
FIN.
Um, hey you. HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's 2009, dah-liiiiing! Weeeee. XD
Hope you like this one-shot, too. And reviews are very much appreciated. Tell me what you think, okay? :)
natsumikan143: THAAAAAAAANKS A MILLION FOR EDITING THIS. Sorry if you were working with a cross-eyed person. XD
Everyone who has read "Playing Matchmaker": That prequel is no longer a prequel. Please understand. I couldn't think of good things to write for the sequel. Whenever I try, I end up messing things up. :( I'll be editing that so it'll stand on its own now. I'm really sorry. :( But I'll post another fic soon! Adieu. :)
Edited: May 10, 2009