Chapter 14: Fated Meeting

Message: Minna, arigatou gozaimasu!!

"Everyone, good morning!" Mikan said cheerfully.

"Morning, Mikan-chan," Anna greeted her back.

"Hotaru!!!" Mikan ran to her best friend to hug her but got shot instead. Hotaru sighed.

"How many times have I told you not to hug me unless I tell you to?" she said nonchalantly while blowing the mouth of the baka gun.

"Hotaru you're a meanie!!" Mikan wailed.

"I see that yesterday you two were so romantic," she started to tease her.

"Eh?"

"I saw that you were sleeping with Natsume. You hug him like a teddy bear..." she made a lie to embarrass Mikan.

"What? You saw us?! A-and I didn't hug him!" she shrieked and backed away until she knocked off someone behind her.

She turned to look at what she had done... she saw Natsume rubbing the back of his head. "N-Natsume!"

"Watch out where you're going, Polka dots!" he snapped.

"I-I'm sorry... are you okay? I didn't see you... since you're so little and cute..." then she clasped her mouth after she realized what she had said. She blushed.

"Don't say I'm cute, idiot!" he hissed and lit a fire at the hem of her skirt. Mikan shrieked helplessly to put out the fire by flapping her skirt. But the fire didn't extinguish. Lastly Mikan used her Nullification Alice and put out the fire. "Natsume no baka!!" she yelled, irritated.

"C-calm down, Mikan-chan!" Tobita Yuu, the class president tried to calm Mikan.

She glared daggers at Natsume and he did the same. (how funny)

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"Ruka-kun is not here yet?" Narumi said while taking other students' attendance.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him yet today..." Mikan began to wander.

Suddenly the sliding door opened roughly and revealed the mentioned blond boy. He was panting heavily.

"Ruka-pyon!"

"It's unusual of you to be late, Ruka-kun," Narumi smiled.

"I-I'm sorry... I was getting up late just now..." he finally caught his breath and grinned sheepishly.

"You may go to your seat now," Narumi said after finishing taking Ruka's attendance.

"Thanks,"

He began to walk to his seat when he walked past Hotaru. He blushed instantly as soon as he saw her. Hotaru flipped her page book when she felt that someone was just staring at her. She glanced at the back and saw Ruka seated himself.

"Why did I feel that he was staring at me?" she thought.

"What's wrong, Hotaru?" Mikan asked her quietly.

"Nothing," she resumed back reading her book.

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"She's the reason that I got up late today..." Ruka sighed as he stared at Hotaru from behind.

Flashback

"Damn it, I can't erase that!" Ruka held his head in frustration. Yes, he couldn't erase the image of a violet-eyed girl who had recently clouded his mind. Ever since he came back to his room that evening, he had been thinking all about her. Yeah, he had also recalling that incident during Hanabi Festival. He took her offer to have a bite at her chocolate banana.

"Want some?" Hotaru offered her own chocolate banana and letting Ruka have a bite.

"It tastes... sweet and delicious," he commented after he wiped his mouth that had bits of chocolate.

He suddenly realized something. Hotaru. Let. Him. Have. A. Bite. On. Her. Own. Chocolate Banana. He gasped. Wasn't that... an... an... indirect kiss?!!

Ruka blushed instantly as he remembered that memory. "Damn it... it's getting difficult! How am I gonna face her tomorrow?" Then he realized something.

"This feeling... I always feel it whenever I'm around Sakura... And now I feel it too when I'm around Imai... no way it's that! There's no way I'm in love with Imai! Impossible! I must be dreaming about this horrible nightmare and made a stupid conclusion. The only person I ever love is... is only Sakura Mikan! No one else! I must be having a weird imagination and a hot fever, that's why I'm feeling like this..." he totally denied the obvious fact. He quickly gone back to sleep.

(geezz.. Ruka-kun..)

End of flashback

"Ruka, are you having problem with something?" suddenly Natsume asked out of the blue. He yelped a little.

"N-Natsume... n-no, of course not!" he sweat-dropped.

"Really? I saw you staring at Imai for a long time," finally Natsume said it.

"What?! No! No way!" Ruka blushed furiously when he realized he was caught red-handed ages ago. He stood up and banged his table loudly when he said that in panic, causing the teacher and other students to turn to look at him in shock.

"What's the matter, Ruka-kun?" Narumi asked confusedly.

"It's nothing... It's just that I have not... feeling well lately, so... may I go to the nurse's office?" he asked for permission. He silently begging Narumi with the look on his face.

Narumi sweat-dropped when he saw that pleading look. He sighed and gave Ruka his permission. "Alright, you may go. Remember not to make any noise that disturb your classmates again,"

"I'll put that in my mind, Narumi-sensei," he smiled weakly and headed to the nurse's office.

Natsume stared at him. His eyes narrowed as he had thought about something. "Must be that,"

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Lunch break

Ruka was still in the nurse's office resting on the bed with his hand on his forehead. "What am I doing here?" he wondered.

Just then the door clicked and in came Hotaru. He didn't see her since he was closing his eyes.

"Ruka-kun," Hotaru's soft voice made him opened his eyes wide. He quickly rose up in a sitting position and stuttered.

"I-I-I-I-Imai?!"

"What are you stuttering about, idiot," she glared at him for being nervous around her. She took a stool and sat beside Ruka.

"N-No, I..."

"What?"

"Nothing..." he grinned stupidly. "Geez, I'm an idiot!" he thought, angry at himself.

"Really..." she sighed inwardly.

"What are you doing here, Imai?" he spoke in his usual tone, not to sound nervous.

"Nothing... it's just that I'm feeling bored..." she replied while taking her box of bentou. She clicked opened the joined chopsticks and opened the box's lid. Then she ate silently.

"Aren't you're usually with Sakura? Why are you not eating with her as usual?" he stared at her, feeling weird.

She gulped down the shrimp. "Natsume had already asked her, so I don't want to disturb those lovebirds." She picked up a sushi and stuffed it in her mouth and munch.

"So you came to me coz you feel bored?"

"Kinda,"

"Besides, you owe me something," she suddenly put down her chopsticks. She had done eating.

"What is it?"

Hotaru made her move and moved closer to Ruka. Ruka noticed this and he blushed redder than usual. He felt nervous and gulped. "Is she going to kiss me?!" he thought when Hotaru's face is closer to his.

"You owe me this..." she whispered softly. Ruka could feel her hot breath on his lips. He blushed more.

BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!

Ruka got shot three times on his forehead. He groaned in pain. "What's that for, Imai?!"

"That's for stealing my first kiss," she said nonchalantly. Her right eye twinkled. Yes, she's asking for money.

Ruka blushed again. "W-w-what?! I-I've never k-kissed you!"

"Oh yeah, you did, during the Hana—"

"Don't say that!! I know! I know!!"

"So you're aware of it. Give me some money for payment," she held her palm in front of his red face.

"B-but... it wasn't exactly a k-kiss..." he avoided Hotaru's big violet eyes.

"Oh well, it was an indirect kiss, or so like that. So give me some payment for that."

"But you the one that gave me a bite for that banana!" he insisted.

"But you took it gladly. You don't know about that?"

"You were doing that on purpose so that you can use that issue to blackmail me?" he eyed her suspiciously.

"You are the best person suited for blackmailing purposes," she smirked evilly. Ruka scowled. His shyness gone.

"Don't joke around. You don't really mean it," he turned away.

"Unfortunately, I really mean it. So you want proof?" she asked.

"What proof—" suddenly his lips collided with Hotaru's lips. Ruka's eyes widened in shock. He blushed again for a hundredth time that day.

"She k-k-k-kiss m-me?!" his mind screamed. Hotaru put a little more pressure in the kiss. Ruka had no choice but to kiss her back. He closed his eyes and caressed her lips with his own in a pleasure way. His heart thumped wildly. That sweet kiss ended 30 seconds later when Hotaru finally broke it.

"That's the proof." She said while looking at Ruka's dazed state.

Ruka finally snapped out of his reverie and turned deep red. "W-w-why d-did y-you k-kiss me?" his voice stuttering.

"Didn't I tell you before? It's for blackmailing purposes. Besides you responded the kiss," she smirked again and headed to the door with her bentou box and went out.

Something caught Ruka's eyes. He noticed that she was blushing a little before she went out while glancing at him. Maybe it was the trick of light, or his eyes got problems? He didn't know.

Ruka touched his own lips and he could still feel Hotaru's lips on his.

He smiled a little.

Maybe it's not that bad though.

TBC!!

- how was it? Maybe there will be more romance between hotaru x ruka in future chaps!