18 Vile

Natsume stood by the walls and his crimson eyes watched from afar. Once in awhile without realizing, he would click his tongue in pure annoyance. His gaze turned harder. Ruka Nogi, who was standing next to him, had thought his best friend's tongue would fall off soon. Apparently, Natsume felt irritated about something. Ruka put his glass of lemonade on the nearby table and looked ahead—to what Natsume was possibly staring at. He found, straight ahead of them were Mikan Sakura, and, he blushed, Hotaru Imai.

"Quit blushing, that's lame," Natsume's sarcastic comment suddenly came.

Ruka's head snapped to his direction and he saw a smirking face of his best friend. Ruka scowled. "Stop glaring. You're going to kill her with that glare," he spat back.

Natsume clicked his tongue again and shoved a hand inside his pocket. "I wasn't glaring."

"And I'm not half French." Ruka rolled his blue eyes at him. "What's gotten into you anyways? You look like you're ready to chop a person's head off."

When he sensed Natsume's hard gaze on him, he raised his hands in surrender and quickly added, "Metaphorically speaking, that is."

Natsume sighed. Ruka furrowed his brows. Natsume's reaction really baffled him. "No, seriously man, what happen to you?"

"Nothing." A short reply came.

"That's bullshit and we all know you're not okay." Ruka shook his head. "Ever since we came here, you've been emitting this aura like you wanted to slaughter everyone. And I'm not joking." His face turned serious. "Why do you think Koko was roaming around the place? He's too scared to be sitting close to you!"

"You're being awfully fussy today, Ruka. You're close enough to being a prissy too, Frenchie," he said dryly, obviously trying to diverge the whole conversation to something else more bearable. But when he saw the dissatisfied look on Ruka, which he knew bloody well what that meant, he let out another sigh. "I'll stop emitting what ever the shit you're talking about so stop fussing. God, you're giving me headache with your girly nagging."

Ruka frowned. "You're the one who's in a bad mood with PMS, and you're telling me I was nagging at you like a girl. Tsk."

"Stop rambling already!" he groaned.

Ruka laughed. "Your headaches getting worse?"

"Shut the hell up, Ruka." Natsume finally growled.

Ruka snickered and gave his shoulder a pad. "I feel sorry for you."

"For what?" His eyes started to glare at him hard.

Ruka chuckled. "I don't know PMS would be this bad."

"Fucking go away, Nogi, " he hissed.

Ruka laughed and started walking away, leaving him behind. Guess he would have to find Koko to tell him that it's already safe to be near Natsume's radar. Poor lad couldn't even look at Natsume at all before this. Thought he's the stupidest one in the group so supposedly he couldn't be able to read anyone's mood. Apparently, he's smart enough to stay away from Natsume just now. If he couldn't read the mood, his stupid remarks would be his death from Natsume.

His feet halted. He watched as the person he lately adored, moved across the room. With such grace and charisma, he was falling in love all over again. It was hard to believe but it did happened. He fell in love. Not just on anyone, but on Hotaru Imai. Ruka inwardly laughed. Hard to believe indeed.

He found his way to the side stage and leaned on the back wall. He watched the two girls ascend the stairs to the stage. There were two set of instruments placed on the center of the stage, he realized. Hotaru Imai was seen to be heading to the pianoforte. She gracefully took a seat on the bench and set her fingers on the piano tiles. Mikan Sakura, he noticed, was picking up an instrument that looked like a violin. Ruka gaped at them. He didn't know they could play any instruments.

Ahhh, he nodded his head, like something in his mind finally made sense. He thought it was weird that they bumped into them here. When he first saw her here, he considered that she came here to see the performance. It didn't even cross his mind at all that she came here to perform. Ruka watched them on the stage, ready to start their performance. Looks like they're performing a classical piece.

Mikan Sakura, well, she's quite the eye catcher. But she's just not his taste. And he knew damn well how Natsume taste is. Ruka inwardly snickered. But Hotaru Imai, she's just..how do he put it into words? Blergh, he's a guy. He doesn't do words. In short, in his eyes, Hotaru Imai is just too perfect for him.

The first time he met her… Ruka mentally laughed just remembering about it.

He was still holding his nose up, sitting on a chair in principal Kazumi's room. All the while, mentally giving Natsume all the 'colorful' words he could ever think, for slamming his nose. It was bad enough when Mikan Sakura hit him, now he had to suffer for Hyuuga's accidental hit too.

"You're okay?" Kazumi looked at his student worriedly.

Ruka waved his hand dismissively. "No worries. I'm doing fine."

"You need to get it properly check after this."

"Yeah sure." Damn it, he still felt like blood would gushing down from his nose any minute now.

The door to the office slammed open and walked in a raven-haired beauty with the coldest expression he had ever seen on any girl's face. To be honest, he was startled. Her amethyst eyes were frigid. On her pale pinkish lips, were no smiles. She wore the same school uniform as Mikan Sakura, he noticed.

Ruka stared as she gracefully walked in, heading to where he was sitting. Without a single word, she took a seat next to him.

"Nice to see you again in the flesh, Hotaru Imai." Kazumi chirpily greeted her.

Ruka silently flinched. Hotaru Imai? So she's the person Principal Kazumi talked with on the phone. Ruka remembered how she sounded like through the phone—fiery and intense. So what's this person has to do with anything at all right now?

In his peripheral vision, he could see her upper lip curled in disdain as her face contorted with vexation.

"Cut that bullshit out, Kazumi," she began. Her voice was awfully cold, he realized.

Ruka silently raised his perfectly arched blonde brows. Not only she called him by his first name and without any formal addressing either, she's also using vile words on the principal. Is that even legal? Can she even do that? Ruka glanced at her, astounded. Now he suddenly felt uncomfortable. The girl kind of intimidated him.

"You know damn well I hate being here so let's just get this over quickly," she continued with that monotone voice of hers.

"I haven't seen you for quite some time and—"

Kazumi's words stopped when he noticed the glare Hotaru was giving him. It was a hostile one. One that gave him the meaning of shut the fuck up before she really blows up. Ruka saw a change of expression on the principal's face. Could he possibly be afraid of her? That can't be it. Hotaru Imai, she has a bad character, Ruka concluded. Not only was she rude, she's also disrespectful. And is she even human? He didn't see any expression portrayed on her smooth face except for a cold demeanor. Was that even possible?

Kazumi cleared his throat and changed his mood to a serious one. He clasped his hand together and placed them on the desk in a business like manner. He continued, "I appreciate your effort in taking your time to come here—"

Abruptly he was cut off by a dismissive of her hand with her saying, "You know damn well I won't set a foot in this place anymore in the next million years if it wasn't for Mikan."

"For Mikan, I knew it perfectly clear."

Her gaze dropped. "I'll do anything for her," she replied in a small voice.

It was too low to her but he heard it still. Clear too, at that. And he suspected Principal Kazumi heard it too but when he looked at him, the man just smiled at the paper that's in front of him. To be honest, Ruka was damn surprised when he saw a look passed on her face. Oddly enough, a girl who just came in the room, with no single expressions at all right from the second she walked in, suddenly had a small smile on. It was small, but in Ruka's mind, that's already an achievement; since it came from her. Ruka furrowed his brows. He saw her amethyst eyes suddenly grew warm too. What is she?

"I heard she broke Nogi's nose," she spoke. And Ruka fought the urge to flinch like a little girl caught wearing her mother's lipsticks when the intimidated Hotaru Imai suddenly turned to look at him. She knew him? He thought his knees were shaking so bad the limbs would come off. He really, really hoped the shaking wasn't that obvious.

She suddenly leaned in and moved closer. She was accessing his face, it seemed. They were so close god damnit! Hotaru Imai was looking directly at him. Her pool of amethyst, he could see them straight on. Now with this close distance, he finally realized how she looked. And he could see the small freckle under her right eye. Wait, is that a mole? It looked like one. God, that mole suddenly made her look sweet from this close distance.

Ruka fought the impulse to blush under her eyes. His heart was panicking. And he's a guy!

"So you've heard." Kazumi looked at her in amusement. Looks like Kazumi were totally oblivious to what's going on around Ruka. "Wonder where you heard that from."

Without turning her face and still paying her full attention to Ruka Nogi's face, she answered flatly, "News flies fast."

Kazumi grinned. "No. You just have a vast network."

"You already knew yet you still asked." She gave him a sideway annoyance glance before getting back to where she was looking before. Then her brows furrowed before seating straight again. "His nose isn't broken." She looked at Kazumi in irritation. "You call me all the way here and this blondie's nose isn't even broken!" she hissed.

Ruka blinked at her, taken aback. Wait, it's not broken? How the hell could she know that? Blondie?

"But Mikan still punched him. Nothing can undo what's been done." Kazumi stated in a matter of a fact tone. "Moreover, not just anyone but a kaichou."

He had thought he heard her gritting her teeth before responding, "Okay, name your price."

"Community work for a week," Kazumi said.

Immediately came her respond, "No way in hell." She can't watch Mikan do community service. That dumb best friend of hers would look even dumber in green community service overall outfit. Besides, whatever she had done, Mikan is still SA's vice president. To have other students seeing her doing community work as punishments, Hotaru mentally shook her head. She planned to keep this unfortunate event under radar as well. Letting her doing community work, exposing herself like that, that would mean letting out the fact—that she had punched a kaichou's face—right on the open; to the public eyes and ears. They both had SA name to look after.

Kazumi leaned against his leather chair and his fingers casually drummed on the desk. "Then what do you suggest?"

Her reply was fast, like she had already thought about this. "One week at AA library. She'll be helping around. And that's final." Sounds like she wanted him to bend to her decision.

Kazumi turned his attention to Ruka. "What do you think, Ruka? You're the AA kaichou. Plus, you're the one gotten hit." When Ruka didn't respond, he added, "Or do you want her to pay for you medical insurance cover?"

Ruka blinked. He tried to get his head around. "Uhh," clearing his throat, "A week in the library sounds okay. It wasn't much of a big deal anyways," he finished off. But he was still thinking about something. He blinked. "Sorry to interrupt, Principal Kazumi, aren't we suppose to settle this with the principal from their school? I don't see the point we're discussing this with this her."

"Seriously, blondie?" he heard her said. Though she didn't really showed any expression, by the tone of her voice, he suspected she was in disbelief. By that tone, she must be thinking how dumb he is right now.

Ruka looked oddly at his principal when he suddenly laughed. "Hotaru Imai is SA's kaichou. Narumi usually gives her all the permission regarding SA matters so she handles everything."

"Oh," was his dumb response.

"Now that settles," she stood up, ready to leave. "I'll get going then. I'll email you the paperwork for her punishment."

"You're not staying for a cup of tea?" Kazumi offered with a cheerful tone.

Hotaru looked around in disgust. "Ugh, I wouldn't stay here even if you give me one million." She looked at him and smirked. "And we all know how much I love money." She bowed her head and turned around before heading for the door.

"You're always welcome here, you know!" Kazumi called out, adding more oil to the fire; like he'd never learnt before.

Her only response was a middle finger raised from her back. Ruka stared at her in disbelief. That's just absurd..and out of the line. This girl just do whatever she pleased, didn't she?

Then she surprised him once again when she suddenly turned around and their eyes met. "Ruka Nogi," she called out. He suddenly found himself squirmed a little at the sound of her calling his name. It sounded alarmingly nice to his ears.

"Sorry if she hits too hard. Sometimes Mikan didn't mean half of the things she did when she's angered. Safe to say, your nose isn't broken. That I'm sure of." She smiled in assurance. "But you still need to get it check though. Just in case." She bowed her head again and disappeared through the door.

The door closed and all he's thinking right now was her smile.

She didn't even bother to bow or knock when she first came in.

But.

Blasted, that smile!

Okay, like serious shit, what is she?

One minute she was vile, the most horrible girl he ever met and she bloody did everything she pleased and then the next second, she smiled and became an angel, all hell break loose inside Ruka's mind. He needed to sort his mental out. All he's thinking right now was that blasted smile!

"Bet you're surprised with her change of attitude every seconds ey?" He heard Principal Kazumi said.

He looked at him in stun, not really understand what he said. Or he was just too dumb right now to figure out what he meant.

He watched the man shrugged. "That's her perks. Her words were horrible and sometimes she treated people with vile, but really, she's the nicest girl I know. She's the warmest when it comes to things regarding Mikan Sakura." He laughed. "She's usually the one cleans up after Mikan's mess."

And Ruka couldn't help but asked, "You're not that mad at all at her for using such language? And treating you like that?" And that middle finger, even he thought it was really disrespectful. Doing it among friends was acceptable but to a principal, that's just outrageous.

"Let's just say, we go way back and I'm already used to her nature. It's partly my fault anyways. Hotaru Imai, is in fact, an amazing girl." He grinned at the look of his student. "I bet you too agree on that."

Ruka gave a look of puzzlement.

"You couldn't stop staring at her."

Ruka suddenly felt his throat gotten dry. "She's a beauty, that I admit."

Kazumi chuckled and shook his head at his student answer. Ruka knew what that meant. It meant, Principal Kazumi noticed and he knew.

Damn it.

He fell in love with Hotaru Imai.

It's hard to digest that fact when he first realized it.

But now, he's been living with that fact, even admitting it.

Even went to as far as courting her at her school with flowers. Though he didn't know how that went cuz he didn't heard any replies from her.

Hotaru Imai seemed so perfect to his eyes.

So much as right now. The way she brought herself up in that elegant posture and the way her hands played the pianoforte, she's amazing.

He's not one for classical piece. What are they playing? Mozart? Bach? Shit, he didn't know. All classical piece name sounds the same to him.

"Close your mouth, dumbass."

Ruka frowned at the guy who's now found a place standing beside him. "If your PMS phase is already over, don't bug me. Go and play fetch with somebody else."

Natsume glowered at his best friend. "I'm not your damn dog, Nogi."

Ruka snickered. "Who said you were."

Natsume rolled his eyes at his best friend childish antics. Lately when Ruka's not in his normal mode, he had been on a bitchier side ever since Natsume knew his best friend was chasing after Imai. "I don't know they can play."

"Me neither." His blue eyes glued to the stage. Glancing at his best friend, Natsume shook his head and chuckled. His man's definitely lost his heart along with his sanity. "What piece is this?" Ruka asked, not turning his head around from the stage. It sounds so good.

"You think I would know?" Natsume scoffed. "You're the one with the French blood. You supposed to know stuff like that."

He pointed out, "I'm only half French so your statement doesn't qualified." He made a 'tsk' sound with his tongue. "And here I always thought you're the smart one, Hyuuga."

"And here I thought you're supposed to know everything about your origin." Ruka rolled his eyes at Natsume's another critical statement.

"I think we're so stupid for not knowing what classical piece is this," Ruka added in a low incredulousness tone.

"Well, I don't."

"What? You don't know what piece is this too!"

"Who said I care about what piece is this? You're the one who's making a fuss over it."

"Liebesfreud." Koko's voice suddenly came and stood beside Ruka. He was careful not to stay close to Natsume. Even if Ruka had told him Natsume's back to normal state, Koko's still taking a precautious measure.

The two turned to their corn haired friend who was now munching a sausage in his mouth. "What? Did you just curse at me?"

Koko gulped down the last piece in his mouth, before answering, "The piece they're playing is Liebesfreud by Fritz Kreisler."

Ruka furrowed his brows. "Freud what? What language are you using, baka."

"Liebesfreud. It basically means 'joy of love'."

"Li-lib-liebes god damnit! Screw the name! How the hell do you know that?"

"Dude, my ol' man always put a classical piece on every night in his study room. I'd be an idiot if I couldn't even recognize this one."

"Your dad's a yakuza." Ruka looked at him oddly. "Why would he listen to Libenonflute?" He asked.

"Though I still can't get over that your dad is a real mafia don," Natsume muttered at the same time.

"Liebesfreud," Koko corrected and shrugged. "I don't know. It put his mind at ease probably."

And Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga finally shut up after that. They really didn't want to press further about Koko's background.

Pushing aside his family background, it seemed Kokoroyomi knew much more than they gave him credit for. He wasn't dumb after all. Well, only in certain things.

Natsume sent a look at Ruka and Ruka snickered. After all, they both didn't really know much about classical piece.

The shame of losing this to Koko..

Ruka and Natsume found it unbearable.

TBC.