Princess of Ice
Monday 8:30am
Haruna-sensei smiled at her noisy class during role-call, for a moment she was tempted to lay down the law but decided it was Monday and it was hardly necessary. She was excited today because there would be a new student arriving in the third period and she was always excited about new students.
Mentally she wondered how she would fit the student into the class. As with all Japanese schools, the aisles were organised so that the sex of the students alternated. On her left was Mizuno-chan, then Minako-chan, Usagi-chan, Ikira-chan... The spare seat behind Imayu-san was going to be the new student's, across the aisle from Minako-chan. Personally, she would have preferred him to sit in Imayu-kun's seat, across the aisle to Ami-chan, it was much closer to her, but again, she couldn't possibly ask Imayu-san to move out of his seat to the one in the back...
11:00am
She smiled as she walked into class. She was this class' maths teacher as well as the home-group teacher, and now, it was time to introduce their new student. She could only be slightly disappointed that she wasn't allowed to show him around school and into her class, but she wasn't one to let things like that get to her.
A knock was heard at the door, silence and tense expectation floods the class. As the door began to slide open, gasps washed like a wave from the students. It was Asuka Akiyama himself joining their class, stepping into the classroom, winning hearts! He quickly introduced himself and bowed low to show his humility. The female students were already grinning from their good luck and the male students groaned, knowing just how much harder it would be to gain the opposite sex's attention now. The new student was kindness himself, smiling to everyone and as Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin would say "makes love to us all".
Slipping quietly into his allocated seat, Minako readily leaned over to meet his acquaintance as all the other girls had... the aisles on either side of him leaned inwards, towards him. Usagi leaned forwards as well, the whole class fell into chaos; they all wanted autographs on anything and everything.
Ami looked at the scene like a visitor from Mars (well, Mercury for the matter), not quite sure what the fuss was about. She turned back to Maths book and began to do problems which she knew Haruna-sensei should have been teaching. Little did she know though, that Haruna-sensei was also a little star-struck and could hardly utter a coherent word let alone teach.
As the noise reached its maximum, a crash silenced the room with Minako having leaned too far over, falling to the ground. The whole class burst into laughter. Asuka, as a polite young man should, got up and helped her back into her seat. While doing so, he looked over the studious student's shoulder, seeing what she was doing. He smiled at that, and poked a finger onto her textbook, "I've always had problems with this type of question, can you show me?"
A hush fell over the whole class, this athlete, this idol, this... superstar actually studied! Usagi excitedly ran up, "she's Ami-chan, she helps me with so much homework. She's the smartest around here, right sensei?"
Ami looked at Usagi and Asuka. Sighing, she pulled out a piece of paper from underneath her desk, silently doing the problem step by step for Asuka. He crouched beside her, folding his arms on the side of her desk to rest his chin. Ami looked down at him, "understand?"
Asuka smiles, "uhuh, can you do another one?"
"You do it, I'll help you if you can't do it." Flicking her fingers gently, she pointed the pencil at Asuka, taking it from her hand; he pulled up a chair, and started writing. Ami, meanwhile, took another pencil from her pencil case and continued tackling other problems; oblivious to the attention she was attracting from the whole class (actually they are all standing behind her shoulder.)
"Like this?"
Ami took one quick glance at the piece of paper that Asuka hands her. "uhuh," Ami smiled at both Usagi and Asuka, "I always said that you could do it if you tried." Ami smiles. "You're pretty smart and congratulations on your last competition."
Asuka smiles back and gently knock his head with his knuckles, "just not smart enough, not good enough for someone." Standing up, he leans forward and puts his palms flat on Haruna-sensei's desk, "so, is this a self-taught class?"
Haruna-sensei stuttered at being caught out, "no... this is just because they are so excited about having you in the class, I... well, take out your notebooks, we will start writing some notes on Calculus." Everyone begins to groan, but no one holds grudges against superstars.
1:00pm
As with class time, chaos ensued as everyone chased Akiyama-san for a handshake, a picture or an autograph. In their one-hour lunch, the first fifteen minutes were always spent in the classroom for lunch, while the rest of the break was more of a relaxation period. Asuka had tried to eat but rather unsuccessfully as pieces of paper kept being shoved on his desk for him to sign.
The moment the bell sounded, Ami quickly left the chaos next to her and took her literature textbooks with her intent on escaping from the library. As more people poured into the classroom to meet the new 'zoo exhibit', Akiyama-san excused himself. A trail of girls followed him around the corridors and the trail increased in mass as girls from other classes join in. Asuka quickly disappears into the toilets, and climb out through a back window. Spying the library close by, he walks in, trying to appear as normal as possible.
"Studying??"
Ami jumps in fright, "Asuka, this is a quiet area. Shh!"
"I'm glad it's plain Asuka with you, not 'Akiyama-san'. I'm here, to get away from the people."
"I think you've found the right place to go."
"So have you been practicing?"
"My 7th Badge test's next Tuesday, Trials next Thursday, you knew that didn't you?"
Opening his diary he looked at the entries on those days. "Just wanted to make sure. Still got my lucky charm?"
Ami smiled and leaned back. Her fingers touched her collar lightly. "Around my neck. See? It's such an old one that no one knows what it is. Usagi's always asking me about it."
"Are... the students... always like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the autographs... and umm... photos."
Usagi and Minako, depressed at losing sight of Asuka decides to join Ami in the library. They are more than shocked to hear their friendly, casual conversation.
"We don't get star athletes here everyday."
"I only get this treatment after I win something back at Takanawa Academy."
"That's different."
"You don't treat me like this."
Ami smiles, "I don't care about it."
Asuka grins, "will you be wearing the white dress soon?"
She smiles in return, "when?"
"What about next Thursday?"
"I've got juku till late, I don't have time to change!"
Asuka leans forward with a smile, lowering his voice; he huskily murmurs, "Miss it." Getting up, he prepares to leave, suddenly; he leans down again, "what flowers do you want?"
Ami blushes confusedly, "lilies I guess."
He picks up one of her books and turns away to sit in another section of the library. For a moment, Ami is too embarrassed to focus, and by the time she has gotten over it, Usagi and Minako have already pounced on their latest victim.
"Wow, he's made a hit on you Ami, you lucky girl!"
"Minako, you've got it wrong..."
"I can't believe he's asked you to go to the social with him. My gosh, can we swap partners midway? You don't mind dancing with Mamoru do you??"
"Social? Usagi, what are you trying to say?"
"Hello! The social is next Thursday, I can't believe that he knows and you don't."
"Shh! This is the quiet area! Anyway, I'm not going to the social, I've got juku."
Minako grins, lowering her voice to imitate Asuka's, "miss it." Laughter rings throughout the library. Ami immediately blushed. "You've got a dress and everything, go! You said that you would, you promised!"
"I said I'd think about it. And what's that about the dress?"
"Ami, the white dress he was talking about??"
"That? That's a..."
"Did you know him from before? How did he know that you have a white dress?"
"Guys, it's not a normal dress, I can't wear that!"
"Whatever! We'll be the judge when we come over tomorrow."
"Guys, no!"
The librarian suddenly appears behind them, "Ami-chan I am surprised at you, I would have thought that you'd know better than this. Usagi-chan, Minako-chan, this is the library, please be quiet or leave."
Usagi and Minako stood up immediately, announcing. "We're leaving!" Packing Ami's books, they dragged her out. Passing Asuka along the way, who has obviously heard the whole conversation, looks up and smiles at them. "My gosh! Ami, he smiled at you!"
"So?"
"So?! I swear you're too slow for your own good sometimes. He likes you!"
"Usagi, you're reading too much into this, it's just..."
"Hey you guys!" A huge heavy hand slapped onto Usagi's back. They turn around and realize that it's Makoto. "Some commotion over at your class I understand."
"Makoto, can you believe it? Akiyama-san is in our class, he transferred over from some great school, and, get this; he's got a crush on Ami. He's even asked her to the social next week, but she's still thinking. He is such a God!" Usagi continued to blab.
"Well? Are you going?"
"Makoto, what are you talking about? They've misunderstood; of course I'm not going. I don't go to things like that."
"Things could change..."
"Besides, I don't even have anything to wear."
"What about that white dress he was talking..."
"Minako! It's not a dress... it's a..."
"I'm sure you can wear it to the ball even if it was a skirt. Come on, show us. Makoto, did I tell you, Akiyama-san is so..."
"I can't believe this. I give up!" Ami turns and returns to the library.