Chapter 7: The other project.
"Good morning class!" Mr. Narumi greeted us all.
"Good morning Narumi-sensei!" we randomly greeted back.
"What's up with your outfit?" Mochu, a boy from my class asked.
"Yeah, you're sporting cowboys?" another boy asked.
Mr. Narumi has this passion for weird fashion. He likes to dress up in clothes that easily attract attention. He usually has themes for the day like last Thursday; he wore a bright red polo that screamed "I am your Pablo, come with me and we shall dance the tango!" with a pair of black pants and black shiny leather shoes. To top it all off, he wore a Mexican hat. He was a bullfighter at that day and today, he was a cowboy. I should think about getting some inspiration from him because he's very original…in a weird way.
He looked around the class first before he started to speak. "I see everyone here is present and on time, I'm glad. Today is a fine day to announce your new project!"
The students started to whisper and get excited.
"Settle down, settle down. This semester's project will be by pairs since you had a hard time on the individual one I gave you the last time."
The class started to get rowdy, people were already selecting their partners.
"Partners will be selected," he started. He easily caught all our attention as the class quieted down and faced him. "By me." He finished off and the class went back to being rowdy.
"What? Can't it be by friends?!" one student asked.
"I'm sorry but if it has to be by pairs we have to agree to make it by my selection. It will also be a girl-boy pairing." Mr. Narumi answered.
"That's a rip-off!" a girl complained.
"What's the project anyway?" Sumire asked.
The class quieted down to listen. "You're going to write a short love story!" Mr. Narumi enthusiastically replied.
The boys groaned, the girls didn't mind at all.
"Okay, so will you have it by pairs or individual?" Mr. Narumi asked.
"By pairs…" the boys answered in surrender. The last project we did was to make a love poem and most of the boys got low grades because it was individual.
"Alright then, I've randomly selected from the class list of boys and girls for partnering." Mr. Narumi then got his clip board. "First pair is Anna and Yuu, followed by Mochu and Sumire," and he went on with the list.
I wonder who'll be my partner, I hope its Ruka. So far, his name hasn't been called out. I crossed my fingers and shut my eyes to wish hard that he'd be my partner.
"Hotaru and Natsume…" Mr. Narumi continued on.
"WHAT?!" the class exclaimed.
"Hotaru and Natsume?!" Sumire exclaimed.
"Well, that's rich!" one of the Ruka-Natsume fans club girl said sarcastically.
"Lastly, Mikan and Ruka."
My jaw almost dropped. I raised my hand, "Excuse me Mr. Narumi, who's my partner again?" I asked.
He smiled, "Didn't you hear? Your partner is Ruka."
My partner is Ruka. My partner is Ruka. My partner is Ruka. MY PARTNER IS RUKA!!! Wishes really do come true!!! I took a glance at him behind me and he was looking at me too. I COULD DIE HAPPY RIGHT NOW! No wait, I take it back! I could die happy after we submit our project!
"Now your project will be due in two weeks, I suggest you start talking with your partners about the project after class." said Mr. Narumi.
"Oh yes, I'd love to talk about it with Ruka" I thought to myself as I had a big grin on my face.
"By the way, details on the project's requirements will be posted on the board." was the last thing Mr. Narumi said.
"RRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNG" went the school bell.
"Alright, I will see you all tomorrow." said Mr. Misaki, our science teacher as he left the room. Last period has finally ended and it is now dismissal.
"Hey Mikan, want to get some ice cream with the others?" Anna asked.
"Sure!" I replied as I stood up from my desk and grabbed my bag.
Classes finally ended that day. My friends and I started leaving the room; we all talked about eating ice cream at the school cafeteria.
"Hey Mikan!"
I turned to see who it was. Then I smiled, IT WAS RUKA!
"Y-yeah?" I stammered.
He walked towards me with Natsume. "Can I call you later?"
I must've blushed twenty shades of red at that time.
"To talk about the project, that is." He added.
"S-sure." I replied with a smile.
"Great, what time will you be home then?"
"Around 8 pm." I replied.
"Alright, I'll call you at around 8. I have your number from the class directory by the way."
"Oh, alright." I replied and the two of them left.
"Mikan! I can't believe Ruka's going to call you tonight! He's even your partner for two weeks! You're so lucky!" said Nonoko.
We giggled like school girls in love, wait a minute; we are school girls in love! "I know and I can't believe it either! Now I can die happy!" I told them.
We walked to the cafeteria and ordered some ice cream cones. Afterwards, I told them everything that happened since Saturday morning.
"So Natsume was the guy you danced with at the party?!" Yuu exclaimed.
I licked my ice cream cone before I replied. "Unfortunately, yes. That's not all, the fashion house will have a big runway show and my dad collaborated with the Flames fashion house to produce a new set of designs which will be presented at the runway show too. Another unfortunate thing is I'm stuck with planning everything with Natsume since he's the heir of Flames."
"How will you two plan when you don't even talk to each other in school?" Hotaru asked.
"We're arranged to meet everyday after school." I answered.
"Even on weekends?" Anna asked.
"On weekends too, oh darn it; I really hate having to stick around with him. He's such a pervert, he saw my underwear!" I exclaimed.
"Saw your underwear?!" Anna and Nonoko questioned.
"Yeah, don't ask how." I said coldly.
"It looks like you two go together pretty well." Hotaru teased.
"Shut up, Hotaru! We do not! I will never learn to like that arrogant pervert!" I proclaimed as I pounded my fist on the table.
After having ice cream with my friends, I headed off towards the limo and then we drove off towards the fashion house. I took the elevator to the 14th floor and headed to my office.
"You're late." he said coldly as I opened the door and went in. He was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.
I went in and dropped my bag on the desk. "Sorry, I was having ice cream with my friends."
I grabbed my sketchpad and a pencil then headed for the sofa in front of him. I sat down then asked him "So have you come up with any great designs?"
"Here." He said and threw the sketchpad at my lap.
How rude, but anyway at least he did something. I opened the sketchpad. "You made these designs? These are great!" I praised.
"Of course they are I have a great imagination unlike you." He boasted.
I raised my eyebrow at him. "You're such an airhead. That's just one of the many reasons why I don't like you." I said.
"Who would want me be liked by a baboon like you anyway?"
I threw the sketchpad to his face but I missed.
"You missed." He teased.
"Shut up." I said angrily and opened my own sketchpad to start on working. "By the way, I thought you'd let your team do all the work in designing, what made you change your mind?"
He glared at me and looked away.
I just sighed and continued to start on my work.
And so we sat there on the couch, working on our designs at least he worked on his designs. I just sat there, staring at the sketchbook for a really long time as I ratted my brain out for ideas on old Hollywood glamour.
"I can't do this! I can't even think of one design!" I yelled as I threw my sketchpad frustratingly to the coffee table.
"After an hour and a half you haven't accomplished anything?" he asked arrogantly.
"I don't have any inspiration, what do you expect?!"
"Come on." He suddenly said as he stood up.
"Huh?"
"Let's go out."
"Tch. No way will I go out on a date with you!" I said stubbornly.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Who said anything about a date? We're going out to take a walk to find your inspiration."
I felt embarrassed. I'm such an idiot for assuming that he was asking me out for a date!
"And anyway, who would want to go out with someone as ugly as you?" he said coldly as he walked to the door.
I fumed. "Shut up!"
"Hurry up, Polka-dots." He said as he opened the door.
"Don't call me that you pervert!" I yelled and as I stood up from the couch and followed him from behind. We took the elevator down to the lobby of the building and we walked out of the fashion house office.
"So now what are we supposed to do?" I asked.
"Look around." He said as he walked away.
I looked around and observed the people around me. Everyone has a different sense of style, some stick to the classic designs, some wear plain things and some dress up wanting to catch people's attention—just like Mr. Narumi.
"Hey Natsume wait up!" I yelled and I walked fast behind him.
So we took that walk, and I did get some inspiration. We eventually walked side by side and occasionally stopped to look at what people were wearing. After the walk, we headed back to the building to get our things and call it a day.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I grabbed my bag and hurriedly headed for the door. I don't want to miss Ruka's call tonight that's why I was in such a hurry to get home.
Normal POV
Natsume was still fixing his things when Mikan left the room. As he was getting his sketchpad on the sofa, he noticed Mikan's on the table. He got it and opened it. He shook his head slowly at the blank or if not blank, doodled pages as he flipped the pages of the empty sketchpad "That girl is such an idiot." He uttered.
A small piece of paper fell as he flipped a page. He picked it up and his eyebrows furrowed as he read what was written on it.
Author's note: I want to thank everyone again who reviewed the last chapter. I'm happy a lot of you like this story and don't think that it's OOC. It's hard to write in Mikan's POV especially when it's AU(at least that's what I think because this is the first AU story I wrote). Anyway, you know the drill! please leave a review, comment or suggestion. Thank you and till next chapter.
