This is a side story of Alice SS that happens sometime in between Narumi announcing their play and the actual presentation itself.
An iambic pentameter is a five syllable verse which alters between a stressed and an unstressed syllable; most of Shakespeare's works are written in this format.
Writer: Kyoko-tan
Editor: Sakura-tan
Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice characters, like always. –sigh-
Omake # 1:
"Class, today we start our first day of Shakespeare Appreciation Week!" Narumi walks in cheerfully with a script in hand. "We're joined by a famous theatre director and alumni of the school, Ms. Yumiko!"
An early 20 year old female walks in with her jet black hair tied up in a tight bun and was wearing business attire. "Good morning," she smiles politely, clasping her hands together. "Let's help each other present the best William Shakespeare play ever played on stage!"
"Mrs. Yumiko will direct the play, help you understand and speak Shakespeare iambic pentameters for the next month." Narumi explains, as he passes out the script to the class.
"So let's begin Shakespeare 101! Everyone, please open to the first verse." She writes 'Shakespeare 101' on the board with white chalk in a fancy script writing. She turns to face the class and states formally. "Does anyone want to try reading it aloud?"
The class was silent.
"How hard can it be?" Luna snorts. "Just read it like a poem: ahem. Two household, both alike in dignity. [pause] In fair Verona, where we lay our scene [pauses again]" she began reading in a British accent.
"Not bad, not bad; however, just because it looks like a poem, it doesn't mean you READ it like a poem. That is the number one mistake. Iambic Pentameters are read just like normal lines – follow your punctuation signs."
"Then why is it written like a poem?" A student from the far right asks.
"Because Shakespeare likes to be difficult, duh," Luna responds, rolling her eyes in the process.
"Actually, English words have natural stress and unstressed syllables," Koko states. Luna looks bewildered at Koko.
"That was what I really meant."
The class looks toward Luna. "Sure you were." we all thought internally.
"What? I did! Ask Mr. Mindreader." The class looks at Koko. He stares blankly at Luna.
"Eh? 'I really just want Natsume to notice me. Juliet should have been me and the he-she role should have been Mikan. And what's with the class creepy stares? Could you stop staring at me?'"
The class looks at Luna one more time, before rolling their eyes and looking at Ms. Yumiko again, who directs the class to reading the first verse.
I stand up abruptly. "If you want, Luna ca-"
I feel a tug on my hand. I look to see Natsume holding my hand, holding it tightly to prevent me from finishing my sentence. The desks obstruct the class from seeing his hold on my hand.
"Yes, Mikan?" Yumiko looks from her desk at me. I stare at the faces of the class.
"Umm… If Luna wa-"
There it was again. Actually make it again and again. Natsume was squeezing my hand. His eyes were telling me not to say what I want to. I look to the other side to see Ruka. He too is holding on to my hand this time.
"Mikan?" Yumiko calls from the front of the class. "What about Luna?"
Luna looks up innocently at me. She is nodding her head, as if encouraging me to continue. "Say it," she mouth.
"W- we can share Natsume!" I blurt out.
My hands are free again – it seems both Ruka and Natsume let go of my hands due to shock. The class widens their eyes. My close friends are shocked. Luna is beyond shocked, if that's possible. Natsume gives me the bewildered look.
"I mean Natsume Junior!" I try to correct myself, only to realize I made the situation even more awkward. The class transitions their stare from Natsume, who is beside me, to the row before us.
"Me?" Aoi points to herself innocently, flushing a deep red on her face.
Youichi instinctively wraps his arms around Aoi's petit shoulders. His ghosts were seeping around him, strangling anyone who dares to give an unpleasant stare their way.
"No, what I meant was the fruit!" I try to correct myself; after all, third time is a charm. "The fruit…" I sit down, giving an awkward laughing at my outburst. Halfway through the lesson, a paper makes it way to me.
I realized it's from Koko. It read:
"You can't say that. You're the only Juliet for our Romeo. :P" Signed off with a chibi picture of him in the right-hand corner.
I feel a rush of heat on my cheeks, before crumbling the paper and placing it in my mouth. Here's a pro being at Alice Academy: we have edible paper. And edible ink. This makes passing notes, especially secret notes, a lot easier.
-ƨs-
"Great job this morning!" Yumiko praises enthusiastically. The class, however, is sulking. Some students have already begun ripping their scripts into pieces of paper that will be made into paper airplanes to be flown around the classroom.
"I thought it would be great to loosen the environment, so Lesson 2: Insult each other with Shakespeare languages!"
The class stares at each other. One kid raises the question, "You mean we are allowed to swear?"
"That's right; it will allow you to practice your fluency with Shakespearean language."
"We can say it to anyone?" Luna looks over at me with a satisfying smirk.
"Anyone," Yumiko assures and smiles innocently. "The class will be divided into two groups, one Montague and the other one is Capulet and everyone will have a chance to yell their insult."
She clicks the projector on to show the two groups. "The person on the same line as you will be the person you insult. For example, Luna will start, and then Mikan will respond. Since Luna has spoken already, we'll move on to Natsume and we will continue until everyone has spoken."
Capulet: Montague:
Mikan Luna
Tsubasa Natsume
Misaki Nobara
Hotaru Ruka
Yuu Mochiage
Anna Shine [pronounced Shi-nay]
Koko Youichi
Sumire Aoi
"Romeo, we are truly meant to be together," Luna walks after Natsume and Ruka, who are making their way to the Montague line, ignoring Luna completely. While she passes me, she bumps me in the shoulders and whispers, "You should have said it. Romeo is mine and you know it."
I flicker my eyes over to see her smirking evilly at me, before walking towards the Montague line.
"That – " Sumire glares at Luna and is about to yell her train of insults, until Yumiko steps in. After all, Sumire is the (self-proclaimed) president of the Natsume and Ruka's fan club.
"Sumire, please save your insults until the game."
"Hmph." She stands beside me and whispers: "I can't wait till my turn."
The class holds their list of insults tightly in their hands. Some are already practicing the words on the list.
"Vi-le sub-mi-ss-io-n. Vile submission," one kid says aloud. He pokes the person to the right and whispers: "What does that mean?"
"Alright, everyone ready?" Yumiko glances around the room only to see confusion reflected in the students' eyes. "Once this game starts, you'll understand more. Luna, please begin."
"Easy," she walks up to the center of the class. Luna, without looking at her insult sheet, stares directly at me with her index finger pointed. "Mikan, you are a husband-slash-role-stealer, who can't act – especially the role of Juliet. Who also doesn't have the guts to say what you want to!" She said in one breath.
The class goes silent, as most people are skimming through the insult sheets for Luna's words. None were on it.
'She did not just say I can't act.' I stare back at Luna with determination, electricity passing between us.
'I so did.' Luna smirks. 'I will be the best Juliet this school has ever seen.'
'I am the best Juliet this school will see.'
Yumiko interrupts are psychological battle. "Luna, you must use the insult sheet for this game!"
Luna looks down on her sheet. "Fine, you –"
"Thou," Yumiko butts in, whacking her rolled up script on the wooden desk.
"Thou horn-mad younker!"
"A crazy youngster," Yuu whispers to me. I thank him quietly. I walk over to the center and slam my hand against the teacher's desk.
"Thou churlish, ruffian." Once I was done with my line, I turned around and walked away from the desk, leaving Luna there to comprehend what I has said.
"A what?" she screeches. I am about to turn around to answer, but Koko beats me to it.
"You rude, rowdy person."
"Well, you're-"
"Thou canker-blossom; thief of love!" Sumire yells.
The order for insults has now been forgotten. Whoever had an insult for the other team went and soon, the class broke into small groups, insulting each other back and forth. Natsume burns his list and began to walk away with Ruka. Hotaru was recording all of this with her newly improved 4 times HD camera. Aoi and Youichi were in my group, which consisted of me, Luna, Sumire, Koko. Aoi was the last one to say her insult.
"Mikan! Ummm…Thou art the sun in Romeo's sky," Aoi says.
"That's not an insult," Luna pierces her eyes at Aoi. Instantly, her skirt catches on fire and ghosts are threatening to strangle her.
"But she used Shakespearean language to convey her meaning," Yumiko pops out from nowhere and happily states. She looks at the class. "The game is over – for now. Come back after lunch, and we'll start rehearsing!"
-ƨs-
"Mou~ I'm so tired. All this Shakespeare talk is making me sleepy." I place my head against my arms, before turning slightly to look at my best friend, who is eating crab meat calmly.
"All these 'Thou', 'Thee' and 'Thy' are killing my brain!" I complain, while reading the script. I grab my head in the process to show the confusion. I threw my arms over, wailing in the process. "Hotarruuuuu!"
And…
Grabs …
Nothing, but air.
Hotaru has already whisked to the door and was exiting the classroom, still eating her crab meat. I give my best "lost-puppy" look, only to be ignored. "Hotaru, don't leave me!" I run after her duck hoverboard.
Just as I am about to round my third corner, I come face to face with… Ms. Yumiko.
"Mikan, where are you going?" she gives me a query look. I transition my eyes from Yumiko to the garden behind her, where Hotaru disappeared into.
"I'm looking fo-"
"There's no time to look for anyone, rehearsals are about to begin." She places her hands on my shoulders and begins pushing me back into class.
"HOTAAARUUUU!" My wails could be heard throughout the school. Birds fly from their forests. Pencils are dropped…
And Hotaru?
She is still eating her crab meat calmly.
-Omake has concluded.-
Thank you for reading the Omake! Next chapter is the last chapter of Alice SS, so stay tune!
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-Kyoko-tan has signed out