A/N: The names of the companies/schools/brands are all made up. If there happens to be a name that appear in real life, it is purely coincidental.
"What happened yesterday? Some of our classmates told us that you and Ruka had an argument…Well, more like you grew tired of him as your slave and he chased after you like a mad man pleading for his life. So, what really happened?" Misaki questioned as she speared a carrot with her fork.
Hotaru ignored the girl's question as she continued to work on her computer and made plans to catch the hacker. The group was currently in the cafeteria for lunch and as usual, their table was subject to stares.
"Ruka finally had the brains to leave the Ice Princess. I'm proud that he survived after seven months of torture." Shouda Sumire, Alice Academy's Fashion Queen, crooned sarcastically.
"If you want to talk about torture, let's look at your relationship with Yome. I'm impressed that he managed to keep his sanity, well, the miniscule sanity he has left with you as his girlfriend." The raven-haired girl bit back, her eyes straying from her laptop to take a glance at Sumire's reddening face. Koko, who was drinking his can of soda, spewed out his drink at Tsubasa's face to gape at Hotaru.
"Did…Did she just…praise me?" He asked, a trickle of soda dripping on his jaw from his hanging mouth.
"Hell no, man! She said you have miniscule sanity! Wait. Do you even know what miniscule means?" The tattooed man prompted, wiping his face with a small towel Misaki has given him.
"Of course, I-"
"-know. Heck, he knows it because his sanity isn't the only thing that's miniscule." The voice of Hyuuga Natsume, Alice Academy's Sex God, interrupted Koko's obvious defense of himself. Squeals and giggles from the female populace as he graced them with his mere presence.
"Natsume, dude! How can you insinuate that?! I haven't even exposed myself to you!" The spiky, blonde haired boy wailed.
"You're fucking disgusting, Koko. Don't ever fucking say that line again or I will burn you alive." The Ruby-eyed debonair terrorized as he took his seat and the Alice Academy's Goofball obviously gulped, nervously.
"Putting aside death threats, it's nice to have your company, Natsume. We thought you wouldn't be here. Where's Koizumi? Isn't she with you?" The Golden Boy, Nogi Ruka, uttered earning a glare from both Sumire and Hotaru. He looked at them with an expression depicting, 'What? I only asked because it's polite.' The Ice Princess glared at him harder making him squirm in his seat.
"She's in the restroom. Told me she'll fix her lipstick." He answered with a smirk plastered on his handsome face as he popped his soda can open.
"I hope that you know what you're doing but, considering we're talking about you, I highly doubt that." Hotaru expressed, monotonously, from behind her laptop screen.
"Is the Ice Princess finally growing a heart? The last time I checked, you were too self-involved to care." Natsume sneered at her.
"Hotaru's raising a fair point, Natsume." Misaki began, her voice gentle and laced with concern. "She's the daughter of Japan's Prime Minister. One wrong move and he can destroy you and your family. I know that your family is loaded and well-connected but, don't underestimate what the Prime Minister can do. I don't know if you've heard but," At this point, the older girl leaned forward as she whispered her next words, "That girl was involved in a scandal, a rather messy fight, in her previous school along with a dozen other girls. She went to juvy for at least a year because, apparently, three girls got hospitalized and one got traumatized with what she did. The Prime Minister got involved because the information was leaked and people, powerful people, knew of Koizumi's involvement. The result was not pretty." The Pink-haired gal explained, her voice dropping to barely a whisper.
"What did happen, exactly?" Ruka asked, tentatively at the same time his girlfriend inquired, "How did you know that, Harada?" An elegant brow arched in skepticism at the pink-haired girl's knowledge about the well-kept information.
"I don't know the exact details of what happened but, according to my friend who attended the same school as Koizumi did, it escalated from mere bullying." She announced, leaning back on her chair and pushed her food with her fork.
"What school did she go to, anyway?" Sumire asked, off-handedly.
"Meiko Isho All-Girl's School." Misaki answered and all eyes, excluding Hotaru and Natsume, bulged at her statement.
"What? You mean, that prestigious, exclusive school had a scandal?" Tsubasa reacted, his hand flying as he straightened up and hit Koko's soda to which the spiky-blonde promptly cried out a complaint.
"Yeah, unbelievable, isn't it? That school highly prizes its well-mannered, educated, and extremely elegant female students but, the girls there are nowhere near classy. I saw them once and I can tell you that most of them are no wallflower. They had this dangerous glimmer in their eyes when they knew who I was and, of course, who would pass up the opportunity to get acquainted with someone from the upper echelon of society. I mean, they belong, well, most of them belong to the elite society but, you have to make connections when you see one."
"And since Koizumi was attending their school, they let her off the hook because they were sucking up to her father while the girls involved got more than ruined lives." Hotaru finished in a drawl, her fingers typing speedily against the keyboard.
"That pretty much sums it up. So, you see, Natsume, she's bad news, really bad news. If Hotaru warned you, though in an extremely horrible way, don't you think that it's a sign that you should at least keep her…our concerns in mind? We don't want anything to happen to you. If you don't believe us, then, you should see the news for yourself. I'm sure that Hotaru will gladly show you knowing that she knew everything judging by her lack of reaction." The Pink-haired girl advised as she stared with apprehensive eyes at the Ruby-eyed boy who was lazily observing her. After a minute, he got up and began to leave.
"Natsume!" The older girl called on which the boy merely ignored.
"Leave it, Harada. It's up to him whether he believes. He likes to play so, we should just sit back and watch. Maybe, by some stroke of sheer dumb luck, he manages to win but, frankly, I have my doubts. If you'll excuse me, I have a rat to catch. Nogi, come with me." Hotaru announced as she closed her laptop and stood while Ruka gathered her things.
"What? A rat? Why do you have to catch a rat? You can just let your servants do that for you. Besides, classes aren't even over. Don't tell me you're cutting classes?" Koko exploded, causing the girl to look at him wearily before looking at Sumire.
"I pity the both of you." She said in a tone that suggests nothing remotely near pity before she swept out of the cafeteria with the blonde boy totting behind her as Sumire and Koko yelled after her.
"Do you really need to rile them up?" Ruka asked as soon as they were out of the brightly lit cafeteria and into the open. The boy whipped out his umbrella to protect his girlfriend from the sun's harsh rays.
"It's not my fault that they react so quickly. Besides, it's not like it'll harm anybody to know the truth." She exclaimed, offhandedly as she lead the both of them to the computer laboratory.
"Okay, I know that it's the truth but, keep it down. I really want to at least have a day without an argument brewing between you and Sumire." Ruka laid down, his voice tinged with a bit of authority.
"Hmm…I'll think about it but, for now, I want you to be useful. I want you to stay at the security control room today." Ruka started to protest but, Hotaru silenced him with a deadly glare. "I asked Ibara to go to the Academy after you left from my office yesterday. He reported that the security personnel stationed at the control room in the West building were passed out on the floor. When they came to, the idiots can't remember a single thing except that a student entered the office and gave them refreshments." She grimaced in annoyance.
"So, they were drugged then. Did they tell what the student looks like?" He asked to which the girl huffed.
"No, they vaguely remember what the student looks like because they were given strong doses of sleeping pills and not just any sleeping pills. They were given Obiox, an unauthorized and prohibited drug banned in the market due to its side effects. How they managed to get a hold of that is beyond me but, thanks to that, any illicit activities conducted within Alice Academy's system weren't monitored." The girl seethed as she entered the building where the computer laboratory was located.
"It's that bad, huh. Let me guess. You want me to go and stay there in case someone came." He deduced as he stashed the umbrella away.
"That's about half of it."
"What's the other?"
"I want you to record everything." She stated.
"That's pretty easy." He expressed, albeit a little bit stunned at the simplicity of her request.
"Oh, that's only the easy part." The girl smirked and he resisted the urge to groan as he realized he spoke too soon.
"What's…the hard part?" He asked, hesitantly.
"Delete it." Hotaru announced, stopping in the middle of the stairs and turned to face the Golden Boy as the light spilled from the glass wall behind her, bathing her with the sun's ray, making him squint at her unreadable expression.
"Delete it? Hotaru, that's…You know that I can't do that. It's against the Academy's bylaws. Not to mention that I will be in the presence of the Academy's security personnel." He calmly explained but, deep inside he was a pile of nerves.
"I know." She merely shrugged uncaringly which made him crunched his face in disbelief.
"If you know then, why are you asking me to do that? I…We will be expelled." He almost hissed, storming his way up to her until he was eye-level with her.
"I'm asking you because if this leaks out, people…my enemies will use this against me. If they knew that someone managed to hack into my system, which was described to be impenetrable and secure, they will do whatever it takes to do the same, steal all of my data and bring me down. Everything I have, my company, my people, my reputation, is the result of my efforts, my willingness to play against my enemies and I will not allow them to think that they have won." She spat out, her eyes burning with determination. Seeing her resolve to protect her company, her people, and herself, made him succumb to her wishes. He couldn't deny her of anything and the only thing he can do for her was support and protect her.
"Fine, I'll do it. I know that no matter what I say, you'll do it anyway." He relented after a short moment of silence. The girl merely looked at him with unadulterated amusement.
"It's nice to know that you understand me. Now that's over with, let's talk about the course of our action." Hotaru turned around and began to climb the stairs as she relayed her plan to her boyfriend. As he listened, he began to think that she might be suited to be a professional spy. The girl is well-versed with technology, has a vast network of information, and possesses the right attitude. If he didn't know her, he might have thought that she was, indeed, a spy.
"…Understand? Once you've done everything, tell me so, that I'll know. One more thing. Take this." She handed the boy a canister to which he curiously looked at before gazing back at her, eyes questioning.
"In case you need it." The girl exclaimed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world before turning a sharp right. She halted abruptly that he almost collided with her but, managed to stop himself.
"What is it?"
"Why are you following me?" She asked, her tone incredulous.
"Uhh…because…you're my girlfriend?" He remarked slowly, his expression mildly confused.
"I thought I told you to go to the control room. What, do you need me to take you there?" The girl looked at him with blank eyes but, he could sense her exasperation judging by her stiff jawline.
"I just wanted to make sure that you're safe. You never know, they might find it fun to ambush you while on your way." He stated as defense for his actions.
"I can take care of myself. Now, if you want me to be safer, you'll do as I ask and return only when I'm finished." Before he could even reply, Hotaru turned around and left him for the laboratory. He could only sigh and watch her figure disappear as she turned to another corridor.
He spared one last glance before beginning his task. He sticks to walking within the light as he wants to avoid looking suspicious. He greeted several of his schoolmates who greeted him but, he didn't linger long. As soon as he neared the security control room, he noticed a boy with a tall frame and a bright Auburn hair at the door, carrying what seems to be a box of sweets. His eyes widened as he realized that the boy must be the hacker and was beginning to operate his plans. Ruka hid at the nearest possible place, which happens to be the conference room, where student council and staff meetings take place.
Refusing to stick his head in for fear of being discovered, Ruka opened the door an inch wide and listened as the door of the control room opened. For a while, the shady student and a security staff talked before he heard footsteps receding and the sound of the door closing. He counted until sixty before coming out of his hiding spot and proceeded towards the room, cautiously. He listened, sticking an ear by the door, for any sound and when he only heard silence, he gingerly placed a hand on his jacket pocket, where he kept the canister Hotaru gave him. Praying that he comes out of this ordeal alive, he straightened, heaved a silent inhale before knocking.
For a second, he heard silence and his heart slowly beating on his ear. Then, he heard footsteps, slow and deliberate, as if taunting him to open the door but, he remained rooted at his position, his heart increasingly pounding against his ear until it stopped the same time the footsteps faded and the sound of the knob twisting open echoed in his ear. His hand flew to the canister at his pocket, tightly grasping it with his clammy palm as the door slowly swung open revealing a pair of polished, Black, Oxford shoes, long legs concealed by a pair of form-fitting, Black, slacks, the Academy's winter jacket with a Gothic brooch pinned at the lapel paired with a Black turtleneck and a White, collared shirt.
Mauve lips curved into a smile as striking, Blue eyes stared back at him. His Red hair glowed like a beacon against the dark of the room behind him, like a crown of fire, and like a stream of blood. He saw the taller boy open his mouth to speak but, his hands was quicker and before he knew it, he was brandishing the canister in front of him, pressing down at the button on top with his index finger and Green mist exploded which made his eyes water. He heard the sound of a body falling flat on the ground and he immediately retracted his arm to see that the Auburn-haired boy knocked out cold. Pocketing the canister, he looked behind him to see if there are any potential witnesses and when he found none, he stepped in, dragging the not-so-light body of the incapacitated boy.
He dumped the boy at the corner and let out a huge exhale as he finished the nerve-wracking and physically exhausting task. He arched his back like a cat and massaged his shoulders, feeling his muscles relax when he heard the air whip and his head collided with a particularly hard object. He groaned in pain, stumbling as stars danced behind his eyes. He felt something wet drip down his temple and fingered his forehead only to see blood on his hand.
"We knew that you would come." A quiet voice filled the semi-darkened room.
Ruka raised his bleeding head and quietly groan as pain shot up. Through his hazy vision, he saw a figure of a boy with Black hair, startling Grey eyes, and the most curious of them all is the White bandage that dominated half of his face and the whole of his neck. He was wearing his uniform properly except for his loose tie and two undone buttons. Nestled on his right hand was a long, steel pipe that he dragged against the floor, creating a screeching sound that made Ruka wince.
"You should have listened. She should have listened."
"Who…Who are you?" He asked, wheezing heavily due to his injury.
"Someone who will show you no mercy." The conversation ended as the bandaged boy swung the pipe with unprecedented speed that he barely dodged it. Ruka barely recovered when the boy strikes again and he rolled to his side as the pipe hit the floor, creating a dent.
He felt his phone vibrate from his pants' pocket and he cursed inwardly. The on-site test for the fourth day is beginning and he still hasn't prepared the monitor of the computer laboratory surveillance to record. If he failed to do everything that Hotaru asked, well, more or less ordered, he will suffer a fate much more horrible than the one he was currently in. Deciding to risk it than face his girlfriend's wrath, he swiftly stood, taking the Black-haired boy by surprise as he lunged towards him and brought him down on the ground.
He heard the sickening crack of the other boy's head as it collided with the floor but, he didn't linger on the obvious damage he had caused. He punched, jabbed, and punched some more until the boy was black and blue. He stopped his assault when blood gushed down the other boy's accompanied by low groans and moans of pain. He quickly jumped away, swaying as he did due to exhaustion, blood loss, and adrenaline rushing all at once. Ruka felt for the keyboard and turned on the power. Blue light flashed before him and he immediately clamped his eyes shut as the glare of the screen momentarily blinded him. Recovering, he switched on the surveillance and proved Hotaru's claim. Hastily, he navigated through the commands, fumbling for a while, before he finally got the security camera he wanted.
He saw that the test was just about to begin and he heaved a sigh of relief. He pushed the record button before sending a message to his girlfriend that he has done what she had asked. He was about to replace his phone back on his pocket when he felt himself sailing to the air and to the ground as a heavy weight crushed him flat. He barely recovered when fists rained down on him, like a raging storm thundering through the erratic currents. As more punched landed on his entire body, he felt himself slipping but, he saw the light of the monitor and remembered Hotaru's words, 'I will not allow them to think that they have won.' Hearing her voice, even if it's in his head, made his crumbling resolution strengthen and grappled for a plan.
Remembering the canister he stashed inside his pocket, a thought crossed his mind and he allowed the bandaged boy land a few more hits before he found an opening and whipped the canister in front of him, exposing the other boy to the sharp tang of the Green mist. Ruka retracted his hand as the boy fell limp above him. He pushed the boy aside and breathed a sigh of relief before reluctantly standing to dump the other boy with his accomplice. He scavenge for a rope and was delighted to see one, thick and long enough to tie two teenage boys back-to-back. Once he finished securing the two boys, he checked the two security personnel sleeping at the corner. He checked their pulses and was delighted to know that they were still breathing. He caught sight of the box that was brought by the Auburn-haired boy at another table and saw a whole array of delectable sweets. He closed the box and stashed at the monitor table in order for his not to forget.
He slumped down, his whole body aching from the recent fight and winced as he moved to sit more appropriately. He realized he must have broken at least a rib or two which was not his concern at the moment as he felt himself getting dizzy from blood loss due to his cracked-up skull. He slowly sunk to darkness, his last memory the sound of alarm bells as the control room was alerted of an illegal activity, signaling that the game has begun.