Chapter Three

Trifles

"Damn."

.

"Damn," Mikan screamed inwardly. She was scampering away from the scrutinizing gazes of her classmates and holding a musty Chemistry book in front of her face. Now that Mikan was in an elite school, the cussing disease that all of them had acquired was starting to seep into her innocent brain.

Mikan had also been avoiding Sumire, her only so-called 'friend', because she didn't want to be pestered with questions that she herself couldn't answer. As she walked past the huge photographs hanging on the white walls, she couldn't believe that a jerk was the one who captured them. But the one that struck her the most was the picture that hung in front of the classroom she was about to enter.

A slight gap in pearly white teeth. Pinkish lips. A bit of Howalon stuck to the edges of the mouth.

For all Mikan knew, it was her smile which Koko took a picture of.

She shrugged, too weary to care, and proceeded to the farthest seat on the left side of the room. At least, she could escape from the rumors which had been flying around all day through conversations and text messages.

The window beside her had been kind enough to let her relax for a few minutes, because just outside the building was a garden filled with roses and dandelions which crept through the vibrant blades of grass.

Dandelions—Mikan found wilted ones at the base of Koko's door when they were still at Alice Academy.

If she wasn't fuming mad right now, Mikan could have burst into tears right there and then, in the middle of Math class with an empty notebook. Maybe it was her fault that everything seemed to go haywire. Maybe if she hadn't been perched on the cherry blossom tree that night—

But all she saw was a dash of brown hair.

Was it her fault that she fell in love with Natsume first?

Sighing, Mikan turned to her right and saw Hotaru Imai, who still had an emotionless stare plastered on her face. The ice queen twirled a 2B pencil in her fingers and yawned. "So, Sakura, done checking me out? Or do I have to pose for you?"

Mikan gulped. "U-uh, I wasn't trying to be rude, I just saw you and—"

"You know," Hotaru deadpanned, "you really should listen to the professor. I do know that you scored less than eighty percent on your entrance exam."

"How did you—"

Hotaru's purple stare intensified as she managed to raise her eyebrow. "There's President Imai as the school head for a reason."

"Oh," Mikan could only mutter in her idiocy, so she resumed paying attention to the discussion. But the x's and y's on the blackboard seemed to tire her, so she began drawing doodles on her graphing paper with the knowledge that her seatmate was gazing at her.

"Why did you even come here?" Hotaru asked, demand evident in her tone. "If I remember correctly, it's halfway through the academic year."

Mikan bit her lip. Of all the questions everyone had to ask, she didn't want this, especially if she only remembered something which she was trying her hardest to forget.

The bell resounded with a Kriing, and Mikan left, grabbing her bag in her hurry.

Hotaru looked at her retreating figure and took her phone out.

She still doesn't remember me.

"Okay, so where is Room 412?"

Swallowing a lump of nervousness in her throat, Mikan looked up at the vast basketball court and back at her makeshift map. She wanted to tear her hair out because she was hopelessly late for her next class.

With no choice left, Mikan trudged, marveling at the rows of bleachers and the streamers that hung on the wall. The trophies inside the glass case glistened in their golden glory, and pictures of former basketball stars.

She arrived at the joint lockers of the basketball and football players.

Sweaty, Mikan remarked, pinching her nose a little bit at the dampness. She understood very well how sporty people perspired easily, but she couldn't help but feel a little disgusted by the over-all ambience of the locker rooms.

"Why are you here?"

Mikan froze in the middle of the warm room at the sound of his voice. She turned around and the hairs on her back stood up.

"…I-I was just lost—"

Koko smirked while tousling his brown mane. Sweat drizzled down his forehead like the refreshing summer rain, and Mikan was rendered speechless as she gazed into his eyes. This isn't disgusting at all.

"Lost," Koko walked towards Mikan and caused her to back against the wall. Mikan felt the heat creep up her cheeks—she was definitely cornered, and it didn't help that she was trapped under the stare of the hottest boy in school.

Koko cupped her chin. "You're waiting for me here, where no one can see a thing. Where's your innocence, Mikan-chan?"

"I swear," Mikan tried her best in looking annoyed but eventually failed in doing so. "Don't be assuming, Yome."

Koko laughed, a bit bitterly, and instantaneously placed his hands on either side of Mikan's head, making her gasp and bite her lip. "It's Yome now, huh?" Koko lowered his head, and for a minute, his fixed stare softened. His hand brushed against Mikan's hair, and he sighed.

"I missed you, Mi-chan."

The wild heartbeat that nearly ravaged Mikan's chest only became more uncontrollable. Mi-chan, Koko had said, and Mikan wanted him to stay this way.

Out of the blue, Koko grinned and asked, "Hey, Mi-chan, can I kiss you?"

Mikan blushed furiously and suddenly developed a new interest in her shoes. But what she said next extremely startled herself that she wanted to find a gag for her impossible mouth.

"Should I close my eyes?"

It all felt so surreal, but Koko withdrew his face and resorted to ruffling Mikan's chestnut locks. "You're too cute for your own good," he said, walking in his handsome grace and sweaty shirt. Mikan breathed calmly and started leaving the room with a million questions swirling in the mush of her mind. She was finally getting out of here—

Until a hand closed in on her wrist. She was pulled back and twirled around, and Mikan was face-to-face, yet again, with Koko. The boy managed a sly grin and a whisper. "And unfortunately, I'm falling in love with you."

Before Mikan could react, Koko leaned down and kissed her.

Mikan did close her eyes.

While taking a swig of his mochaccino, Kitsuneme cracked a mischievous smile at the recent text message from his best friend.

I've done what you've told me to do, and I think she believes me. Scratch that, she completely fell for it, dude.

Kitsu's fingers pressed on the keypad enthusiastically for their newfound victory.

Good. Let the game begin—and truth is, it's her heart we're playing with.

Erika here_. Filler chapter galore wheee. Happy Christmas, guys. Reviews will be really appreciated (especially if you pointed out errors and such)- consider them as gifts, will you? How was it? Personally, I thought that this chapter was terrible. Sorry for being such a lame author :) With all the doomsday stuff popping out in the Internet, I thought that I'd update this little story of mine while I left my Fairy Tail fics in the dark. For the nth time, concrits are deeply appreciated, people. Happy holidays! 8D