GENDER CONFUSED?! (oh no…)
I'm so sorry! Forgive me[but at least I updated right…?
–gives everyone a piece of cookie for waiting patiently-
Special mention to sachikochan…kisses to you dear, and return that knife from where you got it. –Joke-
Disclaimer: I would still have to steal to own something. How can I steal an anime?
Plus, I like it better when it's owned by Higuchi Tachibana….
CHAPTER 8. Back to Basics
Hotaru looked down at the crouched sixteen year-old. Seriously, why didn't he just tell her that he was already himself so that he didn't have to feel her knee hitting his?
She glanced at Yoiichi who was watching the scene with his lips slightly curled in watching Ruka.
She looked at the boy again, at a loss to what she should do now. Again.
She sighed.
Maybe this wasn't a really good idea….no. it was a good idea. It really was, she now has Ruka and she could always question him, right?
She started to think of questions she could ask him. Like…
"Who do you like? (me?)"
Wait.
Not that one…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The pain which exploded in him moments ago had slowly abated now. He could actually try to stand up.
Damn that Imai. Always making my life miserable…
His knees were shaking but he still tried to get up. And he did. He sighed in relief and small giggles tried to escape him. He was okay…he only hoped----
His knees had given in.
She could kick hard. That Imai.
So he grabbed hold of the nearest solid thing near him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
She was so deep in thought that it took her a moment before she felt Ruka take hold of her arm to keep himself from falling.
"You are...-gasp-...definitely…-gasp-…going to be the end of me!"
What?
"Seriously."
"You…all right?"
"No."
Silence reigned while Ruka placed his hands on his knees and gave Hotaru a scathing glare.
"You caught that Yoiichi?"
Ruka's eyes widened in realization, and his head swerved so fast his hair flew to his eyes.
"What?!"
Yoiichi had the camera on one hand and was giving Hotaru a thumb up. Oh damn, he forgot that kid was with her. This day sucks, why, oh why couldn't he have just stayed in his comfortable room?!
"Hotaru, what are you going to do with…those?" he meant the pictures which he had no doubt was to be developed and more or less in two days, widespread.
"As usual." She answered nonchalantly and felt his stomach sinking down to the ground. Why was he always stuck with this?
"Anyway Ruka, I wanted to ask you something but I can't since that kid is here. You may not think it, but I do care for your dignity."
Well, that certainly gave him something to think about.
"A little bit."
Or maybe none at all.
Hotaru walked away from him and went to Yoiichi, appearing to speak to him about something. She stood up and in her hands was that camera; Yoiichi had turned his back on them and was marching out of the foliage.
He placed his hands into his pockets, something he picked up from Natsume, looking down and noticing the tiny blades of grass flattened by his shoes….
"Ruka."
He groaned inwardly.
"We're going ahead of Mikan and Natsume and the others. I have something private to ask you."
'Ask me…? And it's private too.'
"What about and why do we need to go someplace else?"
"Something private. You know why."
Oh yes, he knew why. Famed gossipmongers in their school were also the ones with the ability to hear from afar. He sighed, wondering if this day would end with him fine and intact----mentally and emotionally.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This was not as she hoped it would go, she thought as they were again going back to where they came from. The greenhouse. The only place she knew where they wouldn't be disturbed was in her laboratory, aside from her own. And her room was out of the question so that only left her laboratory. Of course, she could use Ruka's room for the interrogation but should she?
She took one more step and found herself near the greenhouse. She didn't need to worry if Ruka was following her or not. She had black mailed him again.
"Come on, we need to go somewhere."
She saw that he looked indecisive. Well, she had something that could help him come to a decision.
She waved the camera in her hand.
"Follow me, Ruka, if you don't want this sold to your fangirls at a special price…."
His head fell dejectedly.
Good thing he knew when he should give up.
"Hotaru, where are we…."
His question didn't get to be finished because right now, he was staring at the duck scooter he often saw her ride. Were they actually…?
Hotaru followed his gaze. So he was looking at her beloved duck scooter. She went near it and swung her legs to sit astride on it. She didn't mind that her dress hiked up almost midway to her thighs, after all, the skirt she wore that the school called a uniform was even shorter.
But Ruka did mind. Her skirt had hiked up her thighs and---
"Hop in, Ruka. If we ride my scooter we'd arrive in half the time and even less after that this gender business of ours would be finished."
And he was supposed to sit behind her in that…that thing?!
She gave him an assessing glance.
"Ruka, you're wasting time if you are simply going to stare at my thighs instead of hopping on my scooter."
His jaw dropped to the ground. He couldn't believe Hotaru was saying that (unemotionally too). And was…was she smirking?
"Plus, it's not as if you aren't used to seeing it by now."
Oh God, this wasn't Hotaru (with emphasis on the word wasn't). He couldn't believe his own ears (another emphasis on he word couldn't).
"Ruka. Get on it. Now."
He couldn't say no, could he? He had to get on that scooter if he wanted to end his agony.
With heavy footsteps he marched to where it was parked, making sure that his foot takes at least two seconds before landing on the ground and then one second to pass before he takes another step. He knew that the effort he was making wasn't obvious.
"Ruka…" she said threateningly. Evidently, she thought otherwise.
Giving up, he took the remaining steps in stride, but hesitated once again when he was about to sit. With encouragement from Hotaru (which meant her taking out the camera, focusing it at him and about to press that button. I swear, I'm forever going to be traumatized with cameras.), he nevertheless did.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
While on the move, he thought back to what happened a few minutes earlier, and noticed something odd.
'What did she mean by 'gender business of ours'?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"We're here." She announced.
He looked up and saw that they stopped in front of the science building. Hotaru's laboratory is here, isn't it? Gender business…he can't remember having a deal with her.
Wait.
Being here in the science building. That meant they were going in her lab.
Something to do with his gender, obviously. Hotaru being a technical genius with her alice. Did that mean…?
Did that mean that Hotaru had created something that could…that could…changesomeone'sgender?!
He didn't even want to think about it. He and Hotaru were on good terms weren't they? Surely she wouldn't think of doing that to him?
But that's it. That's why she likes to do the experiment on you because you're on good terms with her. Or she could blackmail you into doing it.
An insane part of his brain answered him.
What if that's what's going to happen to him?
After all, no one really knew what's going in Hotaru's head…
Hotaru had already stopped walking he realized. He saw her opening the door to her lab.
Maybe he should just bolt and run?
Too late, Hotaru was already fixing him with a stare that made him hesitate.
And, he was also curious.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXWhy not?
Finally….review me guys? Ruka is not a coward!!!!!!!!!!he won't run!!!!!!!!if he will, there won't be a story right?
Maybe I could update next week…not so busy right now….
Give me reviews!