Disclaimer: I don't own Friends, Asian Kung-fu Generation, their Sol-Fa album, and Wolfgang Puck.
"Okay, class, turn to page 7," Anko-sensei instructed. The whole room was quiet, and it was the tense kind of quiet.
I flipped the pages lazily until I came to page 7. Frankly, I never found the heart to listen during Math. It was… Boring and… Annoying. I never did have the patience for numbers.
I forced myself to mentally stay awake for fear of Anko-sensei. I actually managed to stay up last night, watching Wolfgang Puck, and Friends. And when Neji-niisan hauled me to my room, I whiled the night by listening to the Sol-Fa album I recently bought. I had stumbled across the band Asian Kung-fu Generation in Neji-niisan's computer. Their songs were really very good. It may seem out of character, but I actually enjoyed listening to punk and alternative more than pop or any other genre. Although I find mellow songs perfect at nights when I half-heartedly try to sleep.
"…And we can write sets in three forms. Hinata, can you give me one form?"
"…Huh?" I shook my head and stood up. Oh my…! Anko-sensei must have noticed me spacing out! Three forms of what? I was trying hard not to panic.
I quickly scanned the page. I didn't want Anko-sensei to repeat the question and possibly tell me off. I noticed that from the paragraphs in the page, there were three items enumerated. As long as I answer the question quickly, it'd be over. Here goes nothing…
"Um… Roster Notation or Listing Method?" I said shakily. I dropped back in my seat as Anko-sensei nodded and wrote it on the board.
"Correct. Hinata, you should try paying more attention; that way you won't be so nervous and caught off-guard," Anko-sensei said casually while still facing the board.
"Hai, Anko-sensei," I mumbled to myself, sinking lower in my seat. I could feel some people looking at me.
All right. I clenched my fists and concentrated on the class, to what Anko-sensei was saying.
"Yes, the second one is Verbal Description Method. From the name itself, the set is described verbally, like this: Set A contains element x such that x is greater than seven, and x is an odd integer."
Oh no. I was losing focus again. Wake up Hinata! I couldn't afford to sleep in this class! The teacher is scary, the subject is confusing, and the passing grade is seventy-five percent! If I don't listen now, I'll have trouble on my hands. I suppose I could ask Neji-niisan for help, but I want to know that I could do it on my own.
I pinched myself under the desk, and listened to Anko-sensei ramble on about sets.
"There are also two kinds of sets," she said, scribbling on the blackboard. "An equivalent set… Yes, Sasuke?"
Almost all of the girls turned to listen to Sasuke-san. They gave a collective sigh as Sasuke-san cleared his throat and started to answer without looking at the book.
"Two or more sets are called equivalent if they have the same number of elements, but they do not have the same elements contained. On the other hand, sets with the exact elements contained are called equal sets, and the elements can be arranged in any order as long as the elements of the sets are the same."
Many of the girls clapped. Sasuke-san sat back down without any hint of emotion on his face.
Anko-sensei blinked. "Yes, that is correct." She scribbled the information on the board. When she finished, she went to the teacher's desk and turned the pages on her book. "Now, there are practice exercises on page nine. Answer letter B, numbers 1-10, letter C, 1-6, and letter D, 1-9. Answers only," she said aloud while writing the items on the board.
I groaned, alone with the rest of the class. "Hey, Anko-sensei," someone from the back called out. "Tone it down a notch, eh?"
"Turn your laziness down a notch, Shikamaru," Anko-sensei snapped. "We will check your work at 8:55."
We all gasped. It was 8:43!
I flipped the pages hurriedly and started to work, the time pressure and the passing grade running through my mind.
Letter B. Copy the sets and change the elements to their absolute values. Okay, absolute values! All you had to do was to take the sign out and write it as it is. I did letter B hurriedly. When I finished it, surreptitiously glanced at the clock. It was 8:46.
I glanced at the book again. Letter C. Write if the sets are equal or equivalent. I gulped. This was hard, because the number of elements in all sets did not go lower than seven, and in some numbers, there were three or four sets.
For sure, I was going to flunk Math, and having Anko-sensei didn't help make things any better.
"Tick-tock!" came Anko-sensei's happy voice, breaking us out of our concentration. "It's 8:50!"
I looked up from doing number five and looked at the clock. I sighed. I tried to get my attention to number five, but I was unnerved. Why, oh, why did Anko-sensei have to be our Math teacher?
"Okay!" Anko-sensei said brightly after an eternity that lasted for five seconds. "Is everyone finished?"
There was a quick, "iie!" from the class.
"All right, I'm going to give you an extra two minutes!" she said grudgingly.
Everybody's heads went down again.
I can do it! Go Hinata! Just finish number six! …But even if I did do it, I still won't each seventy-five percent of the total items… I was panicking as I tried my best to concentrate on number five.
Suddenly, the bell rang. It was the sound of salvation!
Everybody's heads shot up and there was a relieved sigh from all of us.
"All right," Anko-sensei said, disappointed. "That will be your assignment."
"Goodbye and thank you, Ma'am," we chanted a little too happily when Anko-sensei left. There was a cheer as everyone put their notebooks away, eager to forget Math.
I sighed and sat back in my seat. Anko-sensei was somewhat demanding, and her subject didn't make it easier. But, if Neji-niisan could do it, then so can I! After all, we were both Hyuugas!
"I'm glad that damn subject is over," Kiba-kun said, crossing his legs and rubbing his temples. "Anko-sensei is a teacher from hell!" He rolled his eyes. "Ne, Shino, how far did you get?"
Shino-kun, who was still busy from the exercise, closed his notebook. "D, number six. And you?"
Kiba-kun grinned. "D, number eight. Ha! I beat ya!"
"…Let me see your notebook," Shino-kun said.
"No!" Kiba-kun said forcefully. He moved his notebook away.
"Let me see," Shino-kun repeated.
"What about you, Hinata-chan? How far did you get?" Kiba-kun asked, ignoring Shino-kun.
I looked away, ashamed. "C, number six."
Shino-kun, who had successfully snatched Kiba-kun's notebook, held it up away from Kiba-kun's reach. "….Let's see…" he said. "You left three, four, five, and six blank, Kiba."
"The hell! Who said you could take my notebook?" Kiba-kun said angrily, making a snatch.
Shino-kun handed it back to him.
I sighed and checked my watch. It was now 9:07. Kakashi-sensei was seven minutes late! Having nothing better to do, I listened to Kiba-kun and Shino-kun's conversation.
"Hey, who do you think will be out class president?" asked Kiba-kun.
"Sasuke," Shino-kun said.
"What?" Kiba-kun asked, surprised. "Well… There are many girls in class…"
"And he's pretty smart too," Shino-kun added. "It wouldn't be a problem if he's class president, I guess."
Kiba-kun shrugged. "Except for his attitude. Who do you want to be class president, Hinata-chan?"
"It's all right if it's Sasuke-san…" I said slowly. "But I think Shino-kun would be a good candidate too." I smiled at Shino-kun.
Kiba-kun scoffed. "I don't want to have a weird class president. Especially a bug freak," he added, pertaining to the fact that Shino-kun has a somewhat disturbing obsession with bugs. Although I have to admit, his present for my fifteenth birthday was beautiful: a glass case with pinned butterflies inside. I felt sorry for the poor butterflies, though.
"I don't want to be a class president anyway," Shino-kun shrugged.
"Kiba-kun will be a good vice-president," I suggested.
"Yes, because the position is useless anyway," Shino-kun said, which caused Kiba-kun to try and strangle him half-jokingly.
"That's it, you bug freak! You're going down! I bet I'll be nominated to a higher position than you!" Kiba-kun half-shouted.
"Pipe down, Inuzuka!" someone ordered, but Kiba-kun didn't seem to hear.
"You're on," Shino-kun replied, and both of them shook hands.
I sighed, exasperated and amused. There they go again…
"Idiots," I heard Gaara mumble behind me.
I turned around. Oops. I drew my head back. If I hadn't, we'd almost be nose-to-nose. He was resting his chin on his hand, leaning very close to me.
"Um... Hi, Gaara," I greeted him, unsettled. He was staring at me with his unusual eyes.
"Tell me, Hinata-san," he said with a hint of curiosity. "Why… Why are your eyes like that?"
"I was… Born that way," I answered a little hastily. I didn't want to turn my back on him, seeing it to be rude, so I pretended to look out the window, and then gradually face the board again.
I glanced at my watch. 9:20. Where was Kakashi-sensei? I wanted English to start already! I jiggled my toes, trying to ease the nervousness out of my body.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Kakashi-sensei went in. He rubbed the back of his neck apologetically.
"You're late, sensei!" Sakura-san said disapprovingly.
"Aa," he said. "I got lost on the road of life."
A stunned silence met his words. Crickets chirped. Wow, Kakashi-sensei was kind of weird.
"YOU'RE LYING!" Naruto-kun shouted.
"Aa," Kakashi-sensei said smilingly, and sat on the desk. "I want you to go form your groups and pick a leader and an assistant leader.
The chairs scraped noisily, and everyone went to their groups. There was an instant uproar.
"Come on, Hinata-chan," Shino-kun said, leading me to where Naruto-kun, Ino-san, and Sasuke-san already were.
"Hello, Hinata-chan!" Ino-san greeted me brightly. "It's great to have you in the group! We'll get that A+ for sure!" Her blue eyes sparkled. "And also, Sasuke-kun is here…" She sighed dreamily and floated. Um… Literally.
"Hn," said Sasuke-san, frowning.
"Hello, Ino-san," I smiled at her once she had gone back down. I took a seat beside Shino-kun. I sat on his left; Sasuke-san was next to me, then Ino-san, and then Naruto-kun.
"We should pick a leader now…" Shino-kun said.
"Pick me, pick me!" Naruto-kun bounced up and down. Wow, he was still hyper after Math class! He sure was full of energy.
Sasuke-san turned away. "Dobe," he muttered under his breath, but I caught it anyway.
"I say Sasuke-kun!" Ino-san said excitedly.
"Hinata-chan is good," Shino-kun said. Maybe… He was trying to return the favor when I said he would be a good class president.
I looked at him, alarmed. "Shino-kun! I don't want to be a leader!" I whispered urgently.
"Then it's settled," he said, arms folded. "Sasuke will be the leader, and Hinata-chan will be the assistant."
"I agree!" Ino-san squealed, clapping her hands.
"Me too! Hinata-chan is a great writer!" Naruto-kun beamed at me.
"T-thank you…" I said. I could feel Shino-kun watching me so I just smiled faintly and turned away.
"Group leaders, come forward," Kakashi-sensei said. He was holding a transparent container with folded pieces of paper inside it.
Sasuke-san stood up and went forward. I noticed Sakura-san instantly went beside him, looking up at him admiringly while striking up a conversation. Ino-san saw this too and angrily stood up, but Naruto-kun pulled her to her seat.
"Ino-chan, what are you doing?" he asked.
"That Forehead Girl is trying to steal my Sasuke-kun!" Ino-san near shouted. "I'll set things straight!"
I sweatdropped. Naruto-kun was restraining an angry Ino-san, who was shaking her fist and trying to get out of Naruto-kun's grip, while Shino-kun watched with some amusement.
I watched the group leaders. Kakashi-sensei said something, and they all nodded and picked a piece of paper one by one. Sasuke-san was first. He returned to his seat, a frown line on his forehead.
"What's that, Sasuke-kun?" Ino-san asked, pointing at the piece of paper in Sasuke-san's hands.
"What—what did Kakashi-sensei make you do there, Sasuke-san?" I asked, a little timidly.
Sasuke-san glowered at the piece of paper in his hands. "He made us pick the genre."
"What! But-but… That's unfair!" Ino-san spluttered.
"So what did you get?" Shino-kun asked.
Sasuke-san crumpled the paper into a tiny ball. "Fantasy."
"Fantasy?" Ino-san and I echoed blankly.
"Yes. And Kakashi-sensei we were free to pick our secondary genre."
Naruto-kun wrinkled his nose. "What does that mean?"
Sasuke-san sighed. "It means, baka, that while we have to pick our main genre, we can do whatever we want with our secondary genre."
"I… still don't understand."
Sasuke-san gritted his teeth. "In this case, dobe, I got fantasy, which is our main genre. That means that the plot has to involve magic and other stuff. For the secondary genre, Hinata-san—" I looked at him, startled "—can make it a drama, or angst, or comedy, or whatever. So while it's a fantasy, it could also be a drama, in which case the plot involves magic, and at the same time, a lot of tears." He glared at Naruto-kun. "Do you get it?"
Naruto-kun gave his trademark megawatt grin. "Hai! Perfectly."
"M-me? What do you mean I can make it a drama, or angst, or..?" my voice trailed off, nervous. I think I know what's going to happen next.
"Well, you see, I have a plan. Hinata-san, you write the whole damn thing, and you bring it to us when you finish a chapter or an act so we can judge it and give our comments before you go on."
Ino-san's eyes sparkled. "You think of the greatest things, Sasuke-kun!"
"Would that be fair to Hinata-chan?" Shino-kun asked.
"What do you think, Hinata-san?" Sasuke-san asked me.
I poked my fingers together. When Sasuke-san looked at me, he really looks, not just giving a passing glance. I really wasn't used to it. "A-ano… I think it's all right. But… What about the plot, setting, and characters? What if you won't like them?"
"We'll all decide on it before you start writing," Sasuke-san said. "Our next meeting will be on Saturday. Let me know if something unexpected turns up. Where and when?"
"Your house, Sasuke-kun!" Ino-san trilled… thrilled.
"No," Sasuke-san said coldly.
"But you're the leader!" Naruto-kun protested.
"That's irrelevant. What about your place, Naruto?"
Naruto-kun smiled sheepishly. "It's kind of messy and there, plus I don't have enough ramen…"
"Good," Sasuke-san said, with something akin to relief in his voice. "Ino-san?"
Ino-san sparkled… I think. She was happy that Sasuke-kun asked, but a dark cloud immediately hung over her. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun! I would certainly love to have you in our house, but it's no good. The living room is being used as an extra storage, because there's a surplus for seeds and flowers." Ino-san's family owned the Yamanaka Flower Shop in town. She sometimes tends the store on her free time. I know because I saw her once selling flowers there.
"That leaves Hinata-san and Shino," Sasuke-san said.
"Well… I guess it's all right in our house…" I said slowly. "Father is away most of the time, and Hanabi's in boarding school."
"Good," Sasuke-san nodded. "Meeting time is one, after lunch. Any objections?"
I smiled to myself. I'm sure we picked a good leader! I felt a little awed at the authority he exuded right then.
"All right. You guys think up of a plot while Hinata-san and I take care of business," he said, standing up.
"M-me?" I asked, flustered. I don't remembered having a conversation with him! ...Oh no, wait… It must be bout the cookies that he asked me to bring! "Oh-oh yes… Wait a minute, Sasuke-san, I'll go get the cookies from my bag," I said hurriedly, standing up.
He stopped me. "Cookies?" he repeated, his eyes clouding with confusion.
"Um… Yes… You asked me to bring some for you, didn't you?" I said, knitting my brows. Couldn't he remember the conversation we had in the grocery yesterday?
The confusion lifted from his face. "Ah… No, I'll get them later at lunch. Come on." He stepped out of our circle of chairs.
I followed him. "What is this about, Sasuke-san?"
A/N: Cliffhanger! XD I'm so nejified. Anyway, this chapter is really a sort of filler, though it is a very long sort of filler. Again, hugs to those who reviewed! And I think I finally figured out the problem of grading papers and Gaara being new.
Know what? I had an idea (it suddenly popped into my mind during mass, no less) to make a sequel of this fic. Whaddaya think? In this fic, they're juniors in high school, but in the sequel, they'll be in university. Yayness! XD
Anyway, help me out! XD I would really appreciate it if you gave me some tips on how Gai talks. Umm… And also a candidate for History class. The reason why I cut the classes short in chapter 5 was so I could avoid writing Gai for a while. Ack, dammit.
And btw, May 30 is my birthday! Waiii I'm shameless… XD
Before I go…
Maii-Maii and newblue: Well, here you go… Another chapter!
Moonsnow Neko: He's creepy, but he's cute. Anyway, I reviewed your fic na! I tried to review it lots of times, but the computers I use block pop-up windows. Anyways, thank goodness you've updated! XD I like it so far.
chinadoll27: Yup, he looks cute being overprotective! Don't ya think so?
disama: Thanks for the suggestion! I'm glad you loved Sasuke's POV! I'll be making another POV of his again in the next chapter or maybe the next after that… And I'm also glad you liked Neji's reaction! XD
TheFutureFreaksMeOut: Aww, there's no need for good or funny reviews as long as you review! –winks-
Shanice Miharu: Thanks! Hina-chan would be a good cook if she was placed in an AU. XD And what better way to a man's heart than his stomach? XD God bless din po!
sil3ntxspirit: Wow thanks! I'm glad you appreciate the quirks I added! And yeah, the phrase that he might snap someday… I agree with you that it fits realistically! XD
OspreyAnimeG: Thanks! You wanna know a spoiler about the pairings? –wink wink- E-mail me or something and I'll tell you XDXD Hehehe how shameless I am. XD
lunarangel: Poor Neji. He just wasn't that awake at the time he was baking. And yea, you do seem in love (or obsessed XD) with Kiba… But I can understand! He's cute without the hood on. Yeah, that Subido's stupid. If I add a classroom time with Kurenai, he'll PROBABLY play a big part. Or maybe not. Omg I just had an idea! Thank you so much for your review! XDXD Anyway, you hit the nail on the head with Neji! That's exactly what he does!
HakushoObsessive: Wow, then I'm glad I added Kiba and Shino on the summary! XD Aww, thank you so much for the compliment! I can't believe it! –hug, then wipes tear from eye- Sorry bout that…! I'm just a little emotional today.
shikaruTo: Hmm! I don't really know if I'm going to put Hayate in… Sorry! I need to study him more if I want him to be a teacher…! XD Anyway, thanks for your view on Neji! Waiii I like him right now! XD Yes, there is SasuHina and GaaHina, but I'll make the pairings quite a surprise.
Jasmine Starlight: Waiii! I'm so happy that my fic is on you 'ALL I EVER NEED LIST!' XD I'm touched! Hmm… I actually have a lot of favorites from AKG. They are: N.G.S., Rewrite, Haruka Kanata, Mirai no Kakera, and No Name. What about you? Yeah, it's kind of lonely when you're obsessed with a band, and none of your friends know (or want to know) who they are. –sniffs- Anyway, I read your fic! It's too cool! I love it! So much! You update it too, 'kay?
NanamiYatsumaki: Aw, it's okay if you didn't review the others. What matters is that you liked it! XD
Yuuchi: Tenks for the review and the testimonial too! …Hey, that rhymed. XD
xxxMizukixxx: Wow, really? I didn't know I had quite of an influence. XDXD Hehehe!
Chibi Tetra: Waiii! Here's the new chapter! Don't make me watch KakaGai videos! Noo!
khmer shinobi: Yup! XD I couldn't think of anything else. Hot sauce… Classic. XD Hehehe! Thanks! I just put it on a whim! There's really little Gaara time there, I know, but I'll try to put him in as much as believably possible. XD Waiii! I love that wave! –hugs-
Xoni Newcomer: Wow, so I don't have anything to patch? That's great! XD Hmm… I'll work on that glimpse… XD Anyway, the thing with them living near each other? It's just Sasuke's speculations, hehe. The grocery store is actually three streets away from Hinata's house, so they're not going to be living near each other.
nightxXxshade: Yup, I agree! I love Shino! It's just too bad his hair is brown. T-T Well… as lunarangel said, Neji doesn't want guys to hit on Hinata. XD Okay, spoiler! XD
DFGH: Waii! Thanks so much for the lovely, lovely, long, long review! Well… I made Shino talk much, since he's with friends anyway. And Sasuke's 'I wonder if he told…'? Hahaha! That's something else! XD I just hope what I'm planning will work. Waiii… You're complimenting me too much! XD Not that I mind, though. XD Neji is also something else! XD I'm glad he looks more big brother-like than bodyguard-like. I need to make it believable, whaa! XD Waii, you love AKG, too? Then that makes three of us, with Jasmine Starlight! XD Anyway, thanks also for the review on Alone No More! XD