Alice doesn't quite know how to feel when Ryo's fans are a little more forward.

Part 2 of 'Fansclub'


"Location, Cutting Edge Society clubroom," Alice said, taking her phone back and reading from the post about Ryo's fanmeet. "You weren't going to ask me about it at all, as Chief of the Cutting Edge soc? How… How rude! And a fanclub meeting? I thought you weren't into that sort of thing, Ryo!"

"But miss, you're the one who said I should be more grateful to them."

Alice blinked a couple times, as if recalling when she said that. She recalled that day, in Ryo's office, reading his letters. "...Well… I did say that. I didn't expect you'd actually listen…"

"I listen to everything you say, miss."

He did, and Alice couldn't deny that. Yet she stared are her phone, pouting, as if very dissatisfied. "But really, Ryo. A shirtless photo? What sort of message are we trying to send here?"

"That wasn't me," Ryo clarified. He found some sort of irony in Alice being so bothered about a shirtless photo when her own social media was littered with swimsuit photos. She has a swimsuit magazine cover, for god's sake! "Dunno how they got their hands on that."

Alice was beginning to look even more bothered every passing second. In her head, she had a visualization of some obsessive fan lurking in the bushes with a massive camera, waiting for Ryo to take his shirt off. "Ryo, your fans are really ...something else."

"I don't know if it's fans or the paper," Ryo said. Or if it was Kuga and his legion of bald Chinasoc men.

"I guess you're right," Alice said dismissively. Earlier she had been annoyed, but right now Ryo could sense that she had mellowed down into indifference--which was honestly a lot worse to him. "Fine then, Ryo. Do whatever you want. Goodluck with the event."


Ryo had an intimidating presence, even outside of his berserk persona. He was pretty damn ripped for his age, and he while he appeared quiet, he certainly knew how to send people running with a glare. The number of boys he'd sent scurrying away from Alice with one look before she even noticed, was far too many to count.

But Alice didn't have that same effect on people. Alice wasn't intimidating--she was fascinating, and it was not exactly effective as a repellent to ward people away from Ryo. Every summer at the beach, she would almost always without fail catch a woman trying to strike up a conversation with her aide. Even women who were obviously much older than them.

But Ryo would simply walk past them and ignored them as if they didn't exist, returning quickly to Alice's side. He gave no one a second glance unless they proved to be an interesting challenge to his cooking.

That was always the way things were, or so Alice thought.


"Kurokiba-senpai! I... I can't wait to attend the lecture!"

The next day, Alice turned a corner down the school hallway, stopping in her tracks when she heard the name Kurokiba. She found a female freshman daring to stop Ryo in his tracks, her head down as she offered a little gift box to Ryo. "I-I made these and I made too many, so please take some!

Alice took a few steps back, trying not to interrupt the scene. This was so familiar, almost reminiscent of the previous Valentines, with so many girls offering Ryo chocolates. He had refused all of them, saying it was a waste since he didn't have a sweet tooth.

"...Oh. Sure. Thanks." To Alice's surprise, Ryo actually accepted the box. The girl looked like she would faint then and there, before running off, almost tripping from how flustered she was. Clearly she was one of those sort of fangirls, Alice thought.

"You want it, miss Alice?" Ryo suddenly said, startling Alice. He knew she was there all along?!

"How could you tell I--" Alice asked, looking as flustered as the previous fangirl. She pouted, and decided to get herself together. She walked on over to Ryo, watching him unbox the gift he'd been given.

It was a box of chocolate cookies--handmade, Alice could tell. "Oh! It's a shame you don't really like sweets, Ryo-kun," she said, feeling somewhat relieved. These girls didn't know what to get Ryo at all.

"You can have it if you want," Ryo offered. He knew she liked sweets and pastries.

"Excuse me?!" Alice pouted, turning red in the face as if she was incredibly offended.

How dare he offer her some sweets that some other girl made for him? How dare he?! "Are you really offering me someone else's gift? That's so... so...!"

"Oh. I guess I'll share it with everyone in the Elite, then."

They headed back to class, with Alice still pouting. Something had indeed changed for Ryo. Alice thought she knew him--he didn't give two figs for 'fans' or any sort of attention. So then, why the change? Why this whole fanmeet thing? Was it really because she advised him to be nicer to those fans?


It had become some sort of tradition for the Elite Ten to share treats during meetings, with Takumi being the top contributor, always bombarded by gifts from his fangirls. Akira was second, with Isshiki and Kinokuni not far behind him.

Today was the first day Kurokiba Ryo brought along his share. Everyone knew he notoriously turned down all gifts from his fans.

"Hey! These look hella good," Soma said, with his usual grin as he examined the box of cookies Ryo plopped onto the middle of the table. "Where'd you get it from, Kurokiba?"

"Some girl," Ryo answered shortly. It occured to him that he didn't even bother to get her name. "You guys can have a go at it."

Beside Soma, the second seat Isshiki dove right into the box, fishing out a chocolate cookie. "Treats baked by Kurokiba-kun's fans, huh? They must be made with so much love and admiration!"

Alice, still standing by the doorway, felt herself scoff unconsciously. Food made with love, huh? The very opposite of what her food was often criticized as--cold and heartless.

Whatever, it was probably thrown together and bad-tasting anyway--

"Oh, hey! These are actually pretty good!" Soma suddenly said, his mouth still stuffed with a cookie. "Not bad at all!"

"Oh, really?" Ryo asked, watching Isshiki and Soma eating the cookies with much gusto. Alice watched him take a piece for himself, as if curious to try it.

Ryo is really going to eat some girl's handmade sweets?

"Alice-chan, what are you standing there for?" Isshiki asked the girl, as she was the only one still standing by the doorway, while the rest of them were seated on the table, ready to get a meeting started. They were today's committee for revieiwing research society applications. "Come, please take a seat so we can get the meeting started."

"I don't feel well," Alice quickly said--even if not entirely sure why she said that. "I'm gonna head home, if you don't mind. Akira will fill in for me."

She turned her back on them, as if to leave. Ryo immediately got up, as if to chase her.

"Stay, Ryo," she snapped, as if barking orders at a dog. "I'll call the car and head home by myself."

She left quickly, leaving Ryo to groan as he slumped down back into his seat, resisting the urge to kick the table in front of them. Isshiki and Soma looked stunned, as if having no idea what they just witnessed.


"You owe me big time, Alice. Big time," Akira Hayama said, glaring at Alice who was now whistling innocently to herself as she sipped on her iced coffee. "You better be grateful I was just wrapping up a meeting! How many times are you going to dump your work at me and Kurokiba?"

"Thank you so much, Akira-kun~ You're literally the best!" Alice turned a blind eye to all of his infuriation, and just smiled sweetly at him. "Now, let's just shut up and drink our coffees, okay?"

As usual, whenever Alice asked him a favor, she repaid him thoughtfully with a coffee and some boxed pastries that Jun was such a sucker for. Akira groaned at how low he'd fallen--doing Elite ten work for some financiers and madeleines.

"And you don't look unwell at all!" Akira said, observing the girl. "You making up excuses to ditch meetings?"

"Mmm, I was unwell during that moment, Akira. I feel so much better now!"

Akira sipped on his cinnamon mocha, thinking back to the conversation during the meeting. "I heard a girl gave Kurokiba some cookies."

Alice sipped on her iced coffee loudly, as if ignoring him.

"It was totally wiped out by the time I got there. Must've been good stuff."

Alice continued to ignore him, and sip her coffee furiously.

"You know what, Alice? I think you're jealous."

Alice was shocked, coughing as her coffee caught in her throat. "Excuse me, Akira?!"


a/n: work has picked up quite a bit so I've been unable to write as much! I might slow down considerably, but still try to update weekly. Reviews appreciated as usual! and *cough* wingman Hayama strikes again *cough*