I'll have you know I started on Chapter 14 last 5/27 and just this morning Larry committed restart and I didn't get to save the already 4-page long document. I'm so pissed. I'm crying. I have never been more frustrated. x_x

Disclaimer: Nada.


14: The Prey

It's not a very flattering title, no.

"T-today?" Kurokawa Maki awoke to the ringing of her mobile that Saturday morning. "But Shachō, why'd they move the meeting today? What about Fudou-san?"

"Which is why I'm profusely virtually apologizing to you, Maki," The other end explained. "Just lecture him on the history of the school and details of the structure. I'll handle him tomorrow."

"Understood." The crimson-haired teen felt like murdering a banana-loving delinquent that day.

"Thank you so much, Maki. I owe you."


"And so the queens take their post," Official Chairman of Raimon Junior High, Raimon Souichirou, joked as his daughter sat across Sokudone, the other female in the council. Both girls were situated in between bigger men. "Shall we begin, Oshino-donno?"

The Department of Education head, Oshino Tanabe, nodded to Natsumi, who immediately stood. "It has come to light that there had been a rather interesting proposal that had been presented to me and fellow school president of Teikoku Gakuen, Kageyama Sokudone, prior to this meeting,"

'Yeah, except you were the one who found it 'rather interesting', you subjective yandere.' The blackette mused to herself.

The female Raimon waited by the velvet-cushioned doors. "Which is why I have brought the proposer to the council meeting today to further discuss on his proposal, and later on, we, the council, shall make a decision. Councilmen and woman, Kira Hiroto."

The door swung open to grant the well-dressed Kira access. He looked ready to bend the council to his will.


It had been an hour since Maki received the phone call. Currently, she sat at the table, her cereal untouched as she looked like she was in a trance. Her adoptive father, Kira Seijirou, broke the silence. "Maki," He called. "Is something bothering you, child?"

"H-Huh?"

"Has your brother been doting too much on you?"

Her light purple eyes finally came to attention. "That's not the case, Otoo-sama," The teen picked up her spoon and scooped. "Shachō was supposed to do something, but her meeting was moved to today, so she requested me to do it instead," Maki ruffled her bedhead. "But I don't like dealing with that delinquent!"

"Delinquent?" The long-eared man managed to say before coughing repeatedly. He had been diagnosed with a rare terminal illness, and his respiratory system was the first to go down. "You shouldn't worry about it, Otoo-sama," Maki said as she grabbed his pills from the medicine cabinet. If Hiro-nii and Hito-nee were to find out she was dealing with a boy, then he would tease her and she would be overprotective on her.

And to think it'd be the other way around…

"I'm the school president's secretary!" She said as Seijirou drank the water to swallow the pill. "I was trained to do this!"


"If I have been informed correctly, and I believe I have," Hiroto glanced at Sokudone, who was responsible for inviting him in the first place. "The Valentine's Ball falls on February twelve at around six in the evening.

Now allow me to present my proposal. In front of you are two sheets with all the information inside. I'll be summarizing and emphasizing the important points and answering questions. I'll be back in five minutes. I think that's enough time for you to finish reading, yes?"

'As much as I like everything he did here,' The blackette's eyes scanned through the first few paragraphs. 'I still can't accept the proposal.'


The young Kira left the room immediately as he discreetly took out his phone. "Maki-chan? Is Otoo-sama okay?"

"He's just had another round of coughing, Hiro-nii. And I have to go soon; Shacho gave me an errand to do."

"Today?" The redhead was aghast. "Oh, Sokudone,"

"You seem fond of her."

"I believe I am fond of all my friends, Maki-chan."

"Yeah, you even called me friend yesterday." (A/N: Refer to Chap 13.)

"I came there for business, imouto-chan," Hiroto explained as he examined his reflection in the men's room. "I didn't even call Sokudone by her given name. And you are, in more ways than one, my friend." Hiroto heard incomprehensive grumbling on the other end as a response. "I'm hanging up now. Have someone look after Otoo-sama- Nagumo, Suzuno, whoever."

"Will do," Maki sounded like she entered a room full of chatty people. "Good luck."


"Unacceptable," Both Sokudone and Prime Minister Zaizen chorused when Hiroto entered the vicinity. "Inviting them will mean a bigger number of security guards, and security isn't something I can always secure every event with. Take the hope statue erection, for example," (A/N: Refer to Episode 28, when he was abducted.) He explained.

"An increase in population means a change in venue, catering and maybe even the program itself to account for that," Sokudone added. "We're running short of time."

"I think," Football Frontier Representative Augustus Ivanovich had bright green eyes and a thick European accent as he spoke. "That Kira-donno would like to speak."

Hiroto stood, waiting for all the members to acknowledge him. "Shall I?"

All six members nodded.

"There are three types of love: romantic, for those who are intimate with a sole other; platonic, for those who appreciate for the company of others; and familial, for those who are grateful for their bloodties. Going back to what I'd said earlier, the Valentine's Ball falls on the month of love, and since almost all of the participants are teenagers, they will view such ball as romantic. The prom is exclusive only to seniors, and majority of these students have known each other for a while, thus showing platonic love."

Natsumi started to understand Hiroto's point- not that she vetoed his proposal in the first place anyway. "But the third kind of love doesn't show because no family member is to attend the ball unless invited,"

Hiroto's hardcopy proposal alone bent four out of six members' wills.


"I ain't comin',"

"Fudou-san, please. Even an hour of your time," Maki pleaded over the phone once more. She had tried to visit his place, but the address didn't even exist. " Shachō will handle you right after."

"No!"

"I'll treat you to a banana?" The other end was silent for a moment. "Fudou-san?"

"Make it ten and I'll be over in five."

'Simpleton.' Maki snorted.


"Understand my point, council?" The redhead was smiling. He knew he was winning.

"As expected of the heir of the Kira company," Oshino had an unsmiling mouth but an impressed tone.

"Japan is often respected as united," Football Frontier Representative Augustus Ivanovich's bright green eyes shone as he spoke.

"It identifies Inazuma Town as a unified community," Souichirou was looking at the Prime Minister.

"None of that matters, councilmen," Sokudone had her hair in a bun that day, or else when she went crazy she'd look like an absolute mess. "We simply can't."

"Always the dictator like your father, hm, Kageyama-san?" Natsumi was smiling, but the poison seethed through her words.

"And sentimentality is your favorite suit, Raimon-san?"

"Enough."

The two young women turned to glare at the authoritative Oshino Tanabe.

"Ladies, fighting is not the answer!" Augustus looked panic; his thick European accent was meddling with his speech. 'Neither is sentimental subjectivity!' The violet-eyed female glared at a smug Natsumi.

"Well then," Sokudone stood as Hiroto grabbed a seat. "Let me frankly explain to you as to why we can't accept the proposal."


"For starters, it is my team you are using to plan the essentials of this event. It is my budget and my sponsors you're wasting your foreign imports on. What exactly has Raimon been doing all this time, I wonder?" She wasn't growling, seething, nor hissing. Kageyama Sokudone was unexplainably calm. "Making more impulsive invites?"

"Kageyama-san, we understand your point—"

"Then why do you still accept it?" It was then that she snapped. "Your petty sentimentality and subjectivity is what's clouding your opinion. It is unwise decisions like these that I am always cleaning up after!"

"Kageyama-san, that is enough." Oshino had had an earful of the young woman's ranting already. Natsumi spoke right after, and quite calmly as well. "Raimon," She started, ever so graceful. "Had to clean up after somebody so suddenly and personally invited Tobitaka Seiya-kun and Kira Hiroto-kun; thus Inazuma Japan had become the guests of the night."

"And the Football Frontier teams?"

"To enrich camaraderie and expand our bonds." It was the same answer she had given Sokudone the first time she asked. (A/N: Refer to Chap 3.)

The whole room was quiet.

"Your impulse decision to invite two outsiders of differing communities has caused all of this chaos in the first place," Oshino's eyes had a steely glare; he had never really been fond of Kageyama Reiji nor his daughter- related or not. "That is abuse of power, and I believe you know that."

"Sixty days of probation, Kageyama-san."

"Excuse me?" Sokudone had been standing the whole time, but her voice continued on the crescendo.

"Effective Monday. I will assign an officer to your school."

"And the proposal?" A nervous Augustus raised his finger.

"Pending. Conference over." Oshino stood and was the first to leave the building. Augustus and the Prime Minister, who had to look after him, followed suit. The Raimon team marched out right after with a troubled-looking Hiroto in tow. Sokudone stayed behind.

She always did.


Yeaaaah. Please rate and review. :I

-Strawbeariiis