Nine years later.
[Ichigo's POV]
I stood in front of St. Marie Academy branch in Japan with all of my luggage.
"I think that is all of it!" mom gives me a cheery smile and I snort. Now she realized how much she was shutting me out and now is being nice because I might disturb her less.
I give her a shrug and Natsume clings to my uniform skirt and looks at me with watery eyes that I know I will not be able to resist, "Don't go, onee-chan."
I smile at her because she has been the one who really loved me all these years. Natsume found out I looked prettier with my hair down so she made a huge tantrum whenever I relapsed into my old habit of putting my hair up in pigtails, always reminding me that she is happier when I am happier, so she didn't want me to go making myself look like a child so she can be happy, which she said she wasn't if I was restraining myself.
"I know," I smile and kneel at her level, "But when I become a very good patissiere, I will make you sweets that will make you smile after one bite."
She beamed and said, "Really?"
I smile and nod and say, "And in turn for that, you work hard and become the best piano player I ever heard, all right?"
She pouted and said, "Fine."
I laugh and then she waits there with me while mom and dad call her back in the car until Henri sensei comes and opens the gates and smiles at me, and Natsume goes and skips back to the car.
He says, "Let me get those for you."
He picks up half of my luggage and I smile at his effort to be kind to me.
"You will be sharing a room with Rumi Kato," he smiled.
"And I will be your partner!" a small idiotic voice declared.
"Huh?" I say, annoyed and come face in face with an annoying flying blonde chibi in a pink frilly dress with puffy wings and a pink gem golden spoon.
She smiles at me all cute and I say, "No way in hell."
When I turn around she is already on my shoulder like we were long time friends and Henri sensei sweat-dropped and said, "Don't you think you were harsh on her?"
I look at him, annoyed and say, "I don't think she is yet. Dammit."
"I like your choice in sweets. I specialize in vanilla, strawberries, and batter-based products. Hi, I'm Vanilla!" Vanilla extends a tiny pudgy hand towards me and I grimace.
"Hi and I am your worst nightmare," I glare at her.
"But I want to be your partner! I told the Queen I chose you!" Vanilla whimpered. I rolled my eyes.
"What Queen?" I groan. What is this that I stepped into? A magical kingdom or an absolute monarchy?
"Um…the Queen of Sweets Spirits, Ichigo-chan," Henri-sensei smiled at me as we turned into the main school hall. Then all hell broke loose. He said my name.
"Oh, so your name is Ichigo! Pretty!" Vanilla had some creepy glint in her blue eyes.
"Shut up, pudgy!" a flying weirdo with long black hair and glaring maroon eyes glared at Vanilla.
"You seal your piehole, Chocolat!" Vanilla glared at Chocolat.
"Shh! Can't you see them fighting desu? And who is this pretty girl?" a pretty orange spirit smiled at me.
"I don't know, Caramel, but she looks like a damsel in distress," a blue headed freak offered me a pale rose.
"Oh don't say that, Café-kun," Caramel blushed.
"Dammit all to hell!" an angry voice yelled ten feet away from us and my heart almost stopped. Makoto.
"You always take stupid rose baths and never clean up!" Makoto yelled.
"Yeah what do you want me to do about it?" a green haired narcissist smirked at Makoto stupidly.
"They are at it again," Henri sensei sighed. I casted them a glance. In the middle of the greenie and Makoto stood a megane (a Japanese nickname for people with glasses) with his hands to the sides trying to yell for them to shake hands and be happy, and failing considerably. Seeing Makoto made me twirl that silver ring he gave to me all those years ago, on my thumb. Funny thing was my hands grew but stayed thin, so my right thumb was the perfect fit for the ring.
"They fight so much," Chocolat sighed like an old granny.
"It is kind of Satsuki-kun's fault," Vanilla shrugged and Chocolat agreed with her with a nod.
"Aw you two! He needs it to maintain his beauty. Unless!" Café gave a dramatic gasp, "It is a sin to be beautiful!"
I slapped my forehead, effectively getting the spirits attention and unfortunately the boys. Apparently, Makoto's eyes widened when he saw me but I managed to stay impassive.
"Sensei," I droned.
"Yes?" Henri-sensei casted me a glance.
"My room you said I would be sharing with Rumi-chan?" I raised an eyebrow and struggled with keeping my case from falling over. Apparently I overpacked on art supplies again…drat.
"Oh what a beautiful damsel! My sweets spirit was right! Come; want a rose to lift your spirits? Or do you want a kiss to be on cloud nine?" The greenie tipped my chin up, and if I heard correctly, I heard a huge snap in the background.
I kind of got irritated and droned, "Don't you say that to every girl? I bet you have an infinite rose supply to give one to every girl you see in your sight, slut or not. Please let go of my chin before I knock your eyes in, thank you very much."
He lets go of my chin and I see out of my corner of my eyes, Makoto clenching his fists in…anger? But I seriously do not know why. But I shrug it off and call it mission complete when the weirdo hides behind megane as either offering the innocent guy to me as a 'human sacrifice' or using him as a 'human shield'.
"Ah you must be my roommate!" a kind girl smiles at me and I give her a small smile.
"Are you Rumi?" I ask.
"Yep, and I know who you are, so come on!" Rumi offers to carry my heavy stuff while all I have to do is carry about half of my own load.
I do not know what happened to those boys but nevertheless follow Rumi to our room.
[Normal POV]
After Ichigo left with Rumi, and Vanilla followed her new partner, much to Ichigo's happiness at having a new friend and annoyance to Vanilla's cute preferences.
"What the hell, Hanabusa!" Makoto glared at Satsuki, who merely shrugged in response.
"Wow she isn't like the rest of the gullible girls," Satsuki grinned. Ichigo was interesting, the only girl as well as Rumi not to fall for his charms. It was a trap to see if Ichigo would fall for it and almost every girl fell for it whether they tried really hard not to, in the end they failed when the broke out into a fresh blush with his fake antics and empty words that hardly described them.
"Yeah, well she isn't for sale," Makoto glared at Satsuki.
"Hmm? Why ever not?" Satsuki raised an eyebrow.
"I think this is someone from Ma-kun's past, am I right?" Andou pushed up his glasses.
"Yes," Makoto gave the back-off glare to Satsuki, who in turned smirked.
"Well too bad, she managed to snag my interest. I mean, why don't you dolly along with that annoying curly head. Oh, what was her name?" Satsuki rubbed his chin in mock innocence, though he knew what the name of his clingy senpai was.
"Her name is Miya Koshiro and she long time gave up when I said I wouldn't reciprocate her feelings," Makoto glared. (A/N: Yeah I know Miya is consistent throughout the series until the Makoto and Ichigo really get together, but oh well, life sucks for her. I obviously hate her.)
"Hanabusa, stop it. You know how important she is to Ma-kun," Andou sent Satsuki a glare.
Makoto gave Andou a thank-you through silent communication, and then glared right back at Satsuki along with Andou.
"If you haven't noticed, I am still here," Henri-sensei said.
"Oh, I am sorry, sensei," Makoto apologized.
"It is okay. You can continue your little fight later but I have to tell that Ichigo will be in your group A," Henri-sensei said, "She has shown to me exceptional skills in her specialty and fast learning skills in making other types of sweets."
"That is fantastic," Andou smiled. Ichigo could get even closer to his friend Makoto if this was the case and he sent his friend a smile, who in turn, smiled back.
"All right, well quit the drama and please get back to your rooms. There is class tomorrow," Henri-sensei turned on his heels and disappeared.
Satsuki, much to Makoto and Andou's relief, decided to shut up officially and they went to their respective dorms, with the blonde and greenie glaring each other down to their room.
oOo
[Next morning]
[Ichigo's POV]
I put on my orange uniform which, much to my displeasure had a short skirt which seemed to much of a flirt. Luckily Henri-sensei put in a skirt that went to my knees, being more modest than the flirty one, and attached a note with it, which I unfolded and read it:
In case if you do not like the short one to wear. I had them make a long one for you, for some reason.
Be on time.
Henri-sensei
I smiled and put on the long skirt with the rest of the uniform and went to the breakfast room for Rumi to still be asleep. I shook her awake, and hushed, "Rumi! Wake up! Look at the time!"
Rumi opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the clock nearby.
"Crap," she cursed and shot out of the bed and at lightning speed, she put on her uniform and started panicking about what to eat when I passed her a toast and a thermos filled of tea.
"Thanks so much Ichigo-chan!" Rumi flashed a smile, and I couldn't help but smile back to the silly girl, who never misses to make my day.
"No problem Rumi-chan. Now let's go, I think we will make it on time, taking into account that you didn't take that long to get ready," I smiled.
Rumi smiled brightly at me and then we made our way to the academy and she started to eat the toast like her life depended on it and I smiled at her. She kind of described the kind of person who I want to be when I am older, though I can hardly count on it.
I check my bookbag and make sure my Strathmore Sketchbook and drawing pencils are in there (Rucha: Yes that is my favorite brand of sketchbook and I have three of 'em).
"So you like drawing, huh?" Rumi asked me as we came in the building and went to our first period class. I shrugged like it was no big deal when it really was my whole world.
"I guess," I shrug.
"Aw, Ichigo-chan has such a high wall," Rumi poked my head to annoy me and I let out a little yelp when she does this consistently.
Rumi smirks and we come in the classroom and I look at my seat number and sigh. Right next to Satsuki Hanabusa?
"Oh, lucky you. Get to sit next to one of the Sweets Princes," Rumi clapped in a supportive way.
"Sweets Princes?" What a stupid nickname.
"Well the one with glasses is Senossuke Andou. The green haired one is Hanabusa Satsuki. The blonde one is Kashino Makoto," she listed all of them off and I freeze at the last name. He really is THAT popular? Poor guy, popularity really does hit like a ton of bricks if you do not enjoy it too much.
I sigh and nod and Vanilla said, "Ooh, get to sit next to the cutie, hmm?"
Then I remember the greenie narcissist that tried to defile my lips the previous day and I suddenly grew a dark cloud.
"Oh was the idiot that tried to kiss me Hanabusa?" I ask Rumi in a normal tone.
"U-Uh, y-yeah," she stutters.
"Why are you stuttering?" I raise an eyebrow. She was confident a minute ago.
"They are…behind you…" she gasped out and I gave her a confused stare and turned around to see those weird looking 'princes' (except Ma-kun who looked like the only sane one there), staring at me in huge disbelief.
I glare at the greenie and say, "Guess I have to sit next to you."
His rose wilts and I shove myself in the seat and Vanilla smirks, "Nicely done."
"Not helping, Vanilla, not helping at all," I shake my head.
"U-Um, why do you hate S-Satsuki that much?" The megane guy who Rumi told me was 'Andou-san' asked me nervously.
"Because, he was trying to defile my mouth and steal my first kiss yesterday. I have every reason in the world to be disgusted with him. Do you get the picture?" I ask him, but not with a glare since he is more of a nice person than a narcissist like Hanabusa.
"I-I will make sure that he doesn't do that to you," Andou-san nervously tries to calm my anger, and it all washes away and I give him a small smile and a nod of thank you.
He relaxes and goes to his seat. I felt Makoto glaring at Hanabusa from the corner of my eyes, and I sighed, shifting my long, slightly curly brown hair which some people repeatedly said I look like a French Beauty, or a young lady that came off the streets of Paris. Whatevs.
I take out my sketchbook, one I sketch personal drawings and start do draw my sister and I in it, smiling, me with a tiny one, and my sister with a gigantic one as she threw herself into my arms and I gently wrapped my arms around her. Apparently we were having a late start, so I was able to finish the detailed drawing and put the date on it, before putting the sketchbook and pencils away and getting my notebook out with a mechanical pencil ready for note taking.
"So you like to draw?" Hanabusa idiot asked me.
"Yeah, why?" I give him a glance, one that scares Café to behind his neck.
"Who inspired you to draw a lot?" he asked me.
"My grandma and a childhood friend of mine," I said, "One I met only once."
I twirled the ring on my right thumb, the one that Makoto put the ring on and I had always kept it there since my fingers are thin and long and slender unlike most of these girls here who unnaturally get slightly pudgy from eating everything they make.
"Who gave that to you?" Hanabusa asked me, seething in jealousy.
"A friend," is all I said before tuning him completely out.
I focused on the lecture and paid absolutely no attention to him. I may be a good student (Rucha: good grades are part of Ichigo's OOC-ness), but I want to be like grandma and fulfill what Makoto wanted us to do together.
Lunch Time
I chase after Rumi-chan after finding out karma hates me and all my classes I am stuck with Hanabusa and Makoto and Andou-san get to sit next to each other.
"What's up, Ichigo-chan? Cat got your tongue?" she smiled.
"I officially hate roses," I gasped.
"Hanabusa-san?" She nodded.
I nodded back.
"Well good luck. I hope that one of them ends up with you, seeing that you have such a kind personality, Ichicgo-chan," Rumi leaned back.
"You aren't like one of those fangirls?" I ask.
"Nope. I have a boyfriend. And even if I didn't I would just see that trio as nice classmates, nothing more and nothing less," Rumi smiled at me before throwing her fists in the air and acting like a cheerleader saying, "So good luck with your love life!"
I sweat-dropped. How is she being helpful in a situation like this?
oOo
Okay, I changed my mind and made it so this story can be a SHORT multi chapter story.
