Standard disclaimers apply here.
Summary: Everyone loves and adores the F4. Except for Tsukushi, who sees them as a big plague to avoid at all cost. But when she was suddenly associated with them, their lives were disrupted… and a dark past resurfaced once again.
BIG MACHINE
Chapter One: Beautiful Ones
Three AM
***
Ecstasy is all you need
Living in this big machine
Now, oh you're so vain…
- Goo Goo Dolls
Eitoku Academy was full of rich hyperactive students on its first school day. Guys came in driving their latest cars such as Ford and BMW, laughing and boasting of their women and their experiences over the summer. Girls wearing gold and silver jewelries, walking in polished Gucci shoes and carrying original Prada bags were scattered in the tidy hallways, chattering and bragging about their out-of-the-country and expensive vacations and trips.
Everyone was very animated, lively… and arrogant as usual.
Or maybe not everyone after all.
Walking alone in the pathway leading to the entrance of the main building was a girl in two braided ponytails carrying several books closely against her chest. Her head was bowed down as she was walking and she seemed oblivious to the noisy and active people surrounding her.
But Makino Tsukushi wasn't at all oblivious to them. She could surely hear their animated chats but she just chose to ignore them. She didn't know them anyway. She didn't have any business with them.
"Tsukushi!"
Tsukushi turned around as she heard someone familiar call her name. She smiled as she saw Endou Makiko, one of the very few friends she has in school, ran up to her.
"How've you been doing Makiko? It's been quite a long time since I last saw you," Tsukushi said once Makiko reached her side.
Makiko grinned back at her with an excited look on her face. "Oh I've been really great Tsukushi! My family and I went to Hawaii where my aunt and uncle were living. So we decided to just spend our summer there. Good thing their house is really close to the beach! I really had a great time!"
Tsukushi laughed. "I can see that. You're tan is wonderful, by the way," she complimented, eyeing her friend's good change in complexion.
"Thanks," Makiko gushed. "How about you? How was your summer?"
"Oh… well…" Tsukushi started walking again, with Makiko on her side. "I just spend it here. I didn't go out of the country but I did go to Kyoto. Since it was summer and all, my parents decided it would be good for me to supervise our inn there."
"Right! I remember your family has business there too. So how was it?" Makiko asked.
But Tsukushi just shrugged carelessly. "It was okay. Nothing really thrilling."
"Oh. You should have joined me then you could have had more fun."
"It's alright. At least I get to rest a lot," Tsukushi said with a smile.
The other girl laughed. "Tsukushi! You're the only person I know who likes summer for a rest!"
Tsukushi laughed with her friend. "But it's true!"
"It's because you're ALWAYS studying and never even stopping for a break," Makiko said.
"Of course I do Makiko!" she protested.
"Oh really? On weekdays you study even after your part-time job, which I really think is pointless since you're so damn rich. Then on weekends you also study and you don't even come with me whenever I ask you to go to malls." Makiko rolled her eyes. "Honestly Tsukushi, I wonder how you're doing it."
Tsukushi just smiled and shrugged. "I don't know either. I just do."
Makiko sighed. "My friend, Tsukushi, the invincible big machine."
At this, Tsukushi just laughed and shook her head.
Suddenly, excited ear-piercing screams were heard all over the school front ground. People started running toward the sound, curious as to what was going on.
Makiko then tugged Tsukushi toward the direction too. "C'mon Tsukushi! Let's see what everyone's up to."
"But Makiko classes are about to start in ten—"
But she just kept on pulling Tsukushi with her, trying to run to the bunch of people huddled together. All of them seemed to be watching something from afar.
"Ugh. I can't see," Makiko complained, standing on tiptoes and craning her neck to see the center of everyone's attention. "Can you Tsukushi?"
But Tsukushi didn't answer. For her, it was utterly pointless to squeeze in amidst the crowd. She didn't care, really. So she just stood there and waited patiently for Makiko.
Then the person in front of her moved sideward, letting her see the cause of the commotion. And unexpectedly, she stared like everyone else.
***
"Damn it Soujirou. You should have joined me last night," Mimasaka Akira said with a big smile. "I could have introduced you to the other woman."
Nishikado Soujirou just shook his head. "I told you Akira, I don't do married women."
"But they're more fun!"
"I'd like to play safe, thank you."
"Play safe? You call having sex with different women within a week playing safe?" Akira asked incredulously.
"You know what I mean," Soujiro said. "At least I don't have jealous husbands trying to kill me."
"Just pathetic boyfriends," Akira added. He rolled his eyes.
"They're far easier to control."
"They're just same bunches of pitiable boys who let their ego and balls get over their pea-sized brains."
"Damn it! Will you both shut up?"
Akira and Soujirou stopped immediately to turn their gazes to Doumyouji Tsukasa, who was behind the wheels, driving his brand new convertible black Benz.
"Someone woke up in the wrong side of the bed today," Soujiro said with a grin, relaxing in the back seat together with Akira.
"Cranky so early in the morning, Tsukasa? Man, you gotta break that habit, you know. Women don't like that," Akira butted in.
"Am I asking for your opinion?" Tsukasa snapped, his eyes never leaving the road.
"Well—"
"No I'm not," Tsukusa interrupted.
Once again, Soujirou shook his head. "What's up with you today, Tsukasa?"
"Nothing. Just shut up your mouth. I don't want anyone breaking my concentration," Tsukasa said firmly. His eyes were never straying away from the road and his face looked so serious, like he was on a race or something.
"Of course it's nothing Soujirou. Be surprised if Tsukasa actually tell us some definite answer," Akira said.
"Shut up!" Tsukasa snapped along with another new manly voice.
The three of them were surprised to hear Hanazawa Rui, who was seated in the passenger seat, actually say something.
"Glad to have you finally awake, Rui," Akira greeted.
"You woke me up. You're too noisy," Rui said flatly.
"Rui, you shouldn't be sleeping today, of all days!" Soujirou said incredulously, slapping the back of Rui's seat.
"And why is that?" Akira asked.
"Because it's the first day of school!" Soujirou announced with a most obvious smile.
The rest groaned.
"Sure. Big deal," Tsukasa muttered.
But Soujirou still heard him. "Of course it is Tsukasa!"
"And why is that, pray tell?"
The short haired playboy let out a sexy grin. "Because of the new ladies of course."
Akira snorted elegantly. "You mean those giggly first years? They're not even exciting enough."
But even before Soujirou could say anything in his defense, Tsukasa immediately stopped the car and the rest of them were thrown slightly forward.
"Damn it Tsukasa! Will you at least drive carefully? I would like to live for a few more years if you please!" Akira exclaimed, pushing back his long blond locks. He then straightened the collar of his dear polo shirt.
"Then you shouldn't have gone with me," Tsukasa said back, irritated. He pulled his seatbelt off from him.
"Excuse me but you're the one who insisted we all go in your—as you said it, brand new wheels," Akira pointed out, much to more annoyance of Tsukasa.
"We're here," Rui announced calmly. He was the first one to step out of the sleek black car, which was immediately the big interest of everyone outside in the Eitoku gardens.
He was followed by Soujirou who straightened up and quickly surveyed the huge crowd surrounding them. Akira then stepped out and promptly let out his signature sexy grin that made the women present gasped loudly in admiration and desire. Tsukasa was the last to move out of his car. And everyone, even knowing who Doumyouji Tsukasa was, was completely stunned at his presence when he stepped out of the driver's seat.
"Well well. Seems nothing changed," Akira casually said. He was amused by all the stares they were getting.
Then the most famous F4 started their way toward the building.
***
"The F4!!!" Makiko screamed along with the other girls.
Tsukushi fought back the urge to roll her eyes. 'They're just a bunch of egotistical good-looking men—Wait, did I just thought good-looking? Oh god. Makino you're so dead.'
"I'll be going now Makiko. I don't want to be late on the first day," Tsukushi said at her friend. But even without waiting for a respond from Makiko, (she wasn't even sure if the girl heard her) she proceeded to walk toward the building.
Tsukushi glanced at her watch. She still has exactly four minutes to get to her room on time. And it was on the fifth floor. She groaned.
She was walking hurriedly toward the big open doors, not minding the people crowded together who were all frozen in their places. She didn't see the four men also heading to the doors, until too late.
Like everyone else, her first reaction when she saw them was to stop and gawk shamelessly. Truly, the sons of the four most powerful and richest families in the whole Japan were beautiful and enthralling, especially when they were seen and observed so closely. All of them were all very gorgeous and they all got these different auras surrounding each of them that made the people around them cower in a corner and just be awestruck by their mere presence.
Suddenly, Tsukushi blinked. She went back to reality.
Silently, she scolded herself for gaping like that. She wasn't like everyone else. She remembered wasn't very amazed at the F4, who were all bigheaded and surely knew nothing but their own closed worlds, according to her own biased judgment. 'Well just by looking at them strut their way through the crowd, they sure are pompous jerks.'
But then she caught sight of the black short straight haired man wearing a flirty grin on his face and she immediately took back her thought. 'But at least I know that Soujirou isn't totally like that.'
Trying to hide her face from the people and not wanting any of the F4 to see her, Tsukushi bowed her head down and started to walk briskly toward the wide opened doors. A minute later, she finally entered the building and was already in the elevator, going up to the fifth floor.
***
Author's Notes:
My first shot at HYD! Please review so that I would know if I'll still go on with this fic. ^_^