Simply Delicious
Disclaimer: The characters and story of Hana Yori Dango are the sole property of Yoko Kamio.
A/N: First of all, thank you for all the kind reviews, reviews are almost as uplifting as candy or coffee. When I was writing the first story, I was actually thinking about Soujiro and Tsukushi but after reading the reviews and the story again, I realized the character is really Tsukasa-ish. Anyways, I think I am going to keep adding one-shots to this story. If you want to suggest a pairing, just tell me.
A Simple Present
He hates birthdays. They always make him feel well… old, and the girls always go wild, well get crazier than normal, anyways. Not that he was complaining about the attention, after all he IS a member of the F4, but still… They practically chased him around the campus to give him presents.
His ears picked up the sound of rushing feet, and he begins walking faster to escape what he knows is a crazy fan girl. "Wait, Soujiro," cries his stalker. He stops when he recognizes the voice.
"Happy birthday," she says quietly. Her head is bowed, and her arms stretched out to present his gift. He looks at it curiously, and takes it after a moment's hesitation.
"Thank you," he replies. Surprised is an understatement. Little Makino Tsukushi giving him, Nishikado Soujiro, a birthday present? But stranger yet, is the flutter he feels in his heart. He looks down at the oddly wrapped present. It pales in comparison to the size and outward beauty of all the other gifts he had received from the girls at Eitoku, but the fact that it is a present from her brings a smile to his lips. He is pulled from his thoughts by the sound of her voice.
"I didn't even know it was your birthday until Rui told me yesterday, so it's a rushed present. Why didn't you tell me?" she demands, furious that she was once again out of the loop.
He shrugs, and begins unwrapping the present. It is only a simple photo frame, but his heart seems to beat faster because of the image inside it.
"This picture is from the dance last semester. I didn't even know that anyone had noticed us, but I guess Rui did. He took the picture, and gave it to me after. I made you a copy. This cost me a month's worth of my salary, so you better appreciate it," she insists.
"I will, Makino, I will," he promises while chuckling. The picture is of Tsukushi and him laughing together, both dressed immaculately for the fall dance. He remembers that night. Tsukasa had left for New York recently with his memories still missing, and Tsukushi was left only slightly shattered, because she was already used to his cold attitude after many months. With the help of the F3, she had moved on, but refused to do anything. Akira and he had cajoled her for weeks, before she finally decided to stop sulking and with Rui's help, decided to attend the dance. When she stood in the corner, like a wallflower, he went over and cracked some jokes about her, and she finally laughed. He supposed that was when the silent Rui snapped the picture.
"Thank you," he says again, and he is stunned as she suddenly wraps her arms around him in a hug. He returns it and smiles.
"Thank you for the past year. All of you have been really wonderful, but most of all, you have really helped me," she confesses. She smiles happy to finally have that admission off her chest.
'Me?' he wonders, 'I thought for sure that it was Rui.' He smiles wider, and both of them are brought to attention by a loud 'click'.
Rui had appeared out of thin air, just in time to snap an image of the intimate moment. He stood now, waving the Polaroid back and forth to dry it, and with a humored glint in his eyes, declares, "Happy birthday, Soujiro."
Soujiro breaks away from the blushing Tsukushi and takes the picture from Rui's hand. If possible, his smile grows even wider. To a stranger's eye, the Polaroid was that of an intimate couple's embrace.
"Let me see," Tsukushi asks, reaching for it, but he quickly hides it in an inside pocket of his jacket.
"Okay, Makino. If you want to touch me that badly, I guess I'll let you search my body," he announces, turning around to face her and opening his arms wide, while he gives her an irresistible 'million dollar' smile.
She looks away from him, pouting, and says, "Fine. I didn't want to look at it anyways."
"Aww, come on, Makino, don't be mad," he teases. "Come on, I'll let you look at the picture." Her back still facing him, she shakes her head at him to reply "no."
"Come on Makino, you know you want to," he says. "I'll even let you keep it."
She perks up, turning around to face him. She looks at him curiously, "Well, I do want to look at him. You promise I can have it…Really?"
"No," he says while laughing, "but I got you to admit you want to see it."
"Let's go find Rui and Akira, I'll treat us out for lunch," he says, trying to distract her from the photo. She looks around, a comical expression on her face. 'Oh geez,' he thinks, 'she didn't even notice Rui leaving.'
"Good Lord, Makino, the man left like 5 minutes ago. Oh working virgin, so lost because Nishikado Soujiro is talking to you," he proclaims, while dramatically lifting a hand to his forehead. "Curse my handsome face and charming personality."
She makes an unladylike snort, and tells him, "Whatever, let's go." She turns to leave the hallway. He smiles to himself for making her lose her focus so easily. He walks quickly to reach her, and grabs her hand.
She freezes for a second, before blushing and starting to walk again towards the cafeteria.
As they walk hand in hand through the hall, Soujiro thinks to himself, 'I guess birthdays are okay… if Tsukushi is with me…'