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"Switch, On"
Sweats are dripping down to their throat, they should try to make up anything to converse with her, or else, she'll surely notice. Good thing this guy kept on talking nonsense, they could take their time thinking of a topic, but they know he can't do this for long. One wrong move and they're in trouble.
"Any way Hotaru-chan…" good thing she's the one who started a conversation, now all they have to do is ride along and be cautious with each word they say. You can trust Hotaru and the other three for that part, but Mikan, keep her from talking.
Hotaru nods at her as she get the box, "I asked Mikan-chan to give it to you for me, but I guess she forgot."
Mikan recognized the box, she dropped it when she ran from a certain place before she bumped onto Natsume. She scratch her head apologetically, "Sorry about that. I kind 'a drop it "
"It's okay Mikan-chan, I'm just glad I found it before someone else, if that happens… gulp… I wonder how much Hotaru-chan would deduct from my share."
Anna noticed a piece of paper on one of Hariko's hand and decided to ask her, just for the sake of making a conversation.
"Oh, this… a guy from the Technical class gave it to me yesterday, he said, it's for free, but in one condition."
Yuki's ears twitched up when she mention a guy. His mood then changed and his face became red again, this time due to anger. He right away interrupted their chat, "WHO'S THIS MAN? WHAT CONDITION? DID HE DO SOMETHING TO HURT YOU?"
"NO, of course not. He just asked me to give him a kiss in exchange for this, now, about the name… I think I forgot again, but it sounded like swallow…"
Yuki's still showing no recognition that he's facing a 'suspected criminal' until this time. After she said the word 'kiss' his brain went blank. He felt his body fell on a deep, deep dark well and that his light –referring to Hariko- is slowly drifting away. Further, further, and further, down he goes. Into the cold and cruel reality that his love won't be his' anymore. (What a stupid drama) If he will die, he wished it will be now. (maybe our readers are wishing the same thing too, so, are you gonna die already?)
"So, that means you kissed him? You kissed a total stranger?" that question from Nonoko brought Yuki back to the surface. He's anxiously waiting for an answer and silently wishing that she would deny that she kissed him.
"How do you think would I get hold of this if I didn't?" he felt his world crumble and he fell back into the dark well once again.
"You'd use your Alice." Hotaru stated as if it's THAT obvious.
"Bingo! I told him that I'd kiss him when he's worthy enough."
-flashback- just after she used her Alice
"… if you're worthy enough, that is. But by the looks of it, I think you should give up. You would not even grant a simple request, how much more when we become a couple?" she made a teary-effect to make everyone even more convinced.
A green-haired lad with heart-shaped eyes is drooling over our Hariko. He's kneeling on the ground, holding the piece of paper on his clasped hands. They're starting a scene and everyone seems interested with their LOVE STORY, though he didn't seem to bother. Hariko started to walk from him dramatically, while he, being in love and all, hugged her feet, she almost stumble.
"Okay, I understand, here, take it. It's the proof of how much I love you." He handed the paper to her, she smiled warmly.
"Thank-you! But… are you sure, you'll give it to me?" he nods, her smile widens, then she made another arrow with her Alice and gently prick it on him. Soon after, the lad went unconscious, and off she goes, ignoring everyone's stares.
-flashback's over, back to reality-
Yuki, from the pit of a well, suddenly felt heavenly!-He's rejoicing much by the moment, so let's ignore him again.-
"Hello there, young ladies." A tall, green haired, golden eyed, handsome looking lad is walking towards them.
Hariko elbowed Mikan, "Is he your friend?" Mikan shook her head.
The approaching man, after hearing the exchange of words, almost tripped. He felt a big bolt of lightning hit him. "What do you mean, you don't know me?"
"Nope." The girls chorused.
The guy scoffed. "You're kidding, right?"
"Poor boy. It seems your tricks don't work on everybody, huh. Let me give you some words of wisdom, okay… shoo away, moron."
The guy seemed to know Yuki, he pointed a shaky index finger at him while his face got pale and his background darkens with matching thunder and lightning for effect. "What are you doing here swallow boy?" Yuki continued, giving him a death glare.
"Tch, shut up snow man. I have all the rights to be here, you know." He gave Yuki a pesky grin to mock him.
"You guys know each other, Yuki-sempai?" asked Nonoko.
"Yeah, this guy is-" Yuki's mouth was slapped shot by the green haired lad.
"The name's Tsubame-"
"Gaeshi?" Hariko guessed.
"Gaeshi- I mean, no."
"Tsubame, Kyo, of the grassland." Yuki finished his sentence with a tag insult.
"Shut up Tatsuki!"
"All right, everyone, I think it's time for us to leave. The SWALLOW is going to SWALLOW us if we don't."
"Hey, wait a minute…" Hariko suddenly remembered something about this Kyo-guy. "You're that swallow guy from before who gave me this."
"Yeah, that's me- wait, who're you calling swallow?"
"Are you mad at me because of what I did?"
"Well, you see…" he eyed the girl and saw her features saddened and some tears started to well up on her eye, she must be thinking that he'd take the paper back, he suddenly felt guilty and miserable.
"You're going to make a girl cry just because of a piece of paper? Shame on you." Yuki's words even made him more sorry.
He decided to give her the paper before, but he's being tricked that time and he must take it back from her. But seeing a girl crying because of him made his heart break. "Hey, don't cry, the paper's yours okay. I just came here to take back what is rightfully mine."
"What are you talking about green boy?"
"Shut up Frosty the snow man, it's none of your business. And even if it is, I won't tell you that I'm talking about the kiss she owe-" a sweat rolled from his temple, he can sense danger near by.
"YOU!!"
The girls aren't really listening to the boy's squabbles, they're more focused on the thick piece of paper.
"What does it do?"
"I don't know. But that swallow boy told me it has something to do with someone's personality or something. I fell asleep during his lecture so I got no idea on what it is."
"Then why bother taking it if you don't know what it is?"
"I know what that piece of paper is before I dozed off, but the problem is that I forgot and when I woke up all I could remember is that I wanna have one of this so badly."
Mikan studied the piece of paper on her hand and got an idea, she turned about and faced her best friend, Hotaru. "Hotaru-chan, do you know what this is for?" Hotaru shook her head, then reached for the paper to have a better look, but…
All of a sudden, a bright light burst and the next thing they knew is…
Not far, two pairs of crimson and azure eyes were wide open at the sudden happenings. They've been spying on the group since the time they met the blue haired cupid. They're carefully observing them from a distance, making sure nothing would go wrong, but because of the sudden burst of light, they were alarmed.
"Natsume…"
"Let's wait a while and see what happens…"
The crowd was silent…
"What was that?!" 'Hotaru' scowled, she and 'Mikan' are still covering their eyes, so they didn't notice their friend's stares.
"OH NO! MY GOD!"
"What're you screaming about, grass man?" there's no response, he's just gaping at the two, wearing a terrified face.
"Are you okay, Hota-" she swallowed her words when she saw her… own image in front of her. Her jaw dropped down to the ground.
"Stop that idiot, you're making me look stupid." Hotaru –which is 'Mikan'- didn't seem surprised at all, though she didn't expect that to happen, her voice and face didn't gave a hint of emotion. Mikan felt her soul leaving her body, she fainted.
Witnessing the 'inventor's' actions, the two decided to make the necessary actions. They walk towards the group. Natsume's eyeing a certain brunette who's just standing there, doing noting as her best friend swooned to the ground, since she's facing the other way, he can't see her expressions. Ruka's azure orbs on the other hand, is focused to a certain raven haired girl who went unconscious a minute ago. He swear, if something bad happened to her, he'll surely went berserk or something. He hurriedly ran towards her…
He shoved the other boys away, knelt beside her and securely gathered her to his arms. Natsume was just a step behind, his eyes were piercing through a certain lady cupid and then, back to his friend.
"Stop holding my body, baka, your germs will contaminate me." Natsume and Ruka couldn't believe their ears! Mikan? Did I hear her right?
As if reading their confused minds, 'Mikan' clicked her dangerous ultra, super powered, lightning edition, baka gun! They heard a groan and focused their attention to the purple eyed inventor. She slowly rubbed her eyes as she straightened up a bit. She saw everyone's concerned gaze (exceptions…), and she felt an arm supporting her back, she turned her head towards a quizzed animal lover. "What are you doing here, Ruka-pyon? Uh, and Natsume too?" her voice echoed inside the two boy's heads like a broken tape. Ruka-PYON? PYON-PYON? PYON… PYON… PYON!!
Both Ruka and Natsume were dumbfounded by the unexpected event and so are the rest. Anna broke into tears as Nonoko tries to comfort her. "My god, what happened to Mikan-chan and Hotaru-chan, they're acting strange?" Hariko stares at the two in awe and confusion as Natsume controls himself from burning her. For all I know, you are responsible for what's happening here, bastard. –he thought-Hariko could feel the heat rising, but thinking it's just the noon sun's shine that's making the heat, she ignored it, though she can also sense a bit of danger near.
'Hotaru', after recovering her senses, began to panic. "Oh, no what are we gonna do? What should we do? How would we fix this? Why am I in Hotaru's body? WHHHHY??" geez, imagining Hotaru acting like Mikan give me shivers, what more if Mikan acted like Hotaru? This is insane!
On the other hand, Yuki's very much certain that the person beside him got a lot of things to explain… "Talk grass boy."
"About what?"
"You're the one who gave that to MY Hariko-chan right? So you should know what it is!!"
"Who told you she's YOURS? Anyway, nice name she have… and of course I know what it is, it is a soul switcher I just invented!"
"You invented wha-?"
"A soul switcher dumbass, a SOUL-SWIT-CHER. It switches the souls of bodies in contact. Since the black haired girl touched the switcher –meaning the paper- while the brown haired chick is still holding it, their souls got swapped."
After hearing the description, Hariko beat her fist on her palm, "That's it! That's what that thing is! So that's why I want it so badly, huh." Everyone glared at her, "Huh? What? What did I do?"
"NOTHING!" they answered all at once, she seat drop.
"So, how do they return back to normal?"
"By touching another switcher of course… probably."
"PROBABLY?!"
"C-calm down will you?" he loosens his collar, backing a little, "Just what I said earlier, it's a NEW invention of mine that switches souls, but, since I just finished it, it's still on the 'trial' stage so I don't really know how to un-switch it, and the switcher they just used is the first and only switcher I successfully made, meaning, there's no other. And just to add, after using the switcher, it becomes useless, meaning you can't use it again. You know, I designed it like that so that people would not only buy one but two, am I a genius or what? And to think it really does work! Ha, ha! I really am fantastic!"
"AHOU!"
The group dispersed after a serious discussion on what to do. They ordered Hariko and Kyo to make another switcher since they're the cause of everything in the first place, while Yuki tags along, he can't let another guy take his 'love-at-first-sight' away from him, now can he? He's still oblivious of the fact on who his 'love-at-first-sight' is, or maybe he just shove off that fact.
Natsume and Ruka went separate ways, Natsume is secretly following Hariko's group, while Ruka goes with the girls. He's still not used to having 'Mikan' as a blackmailer and a stoic Ice Queen and 'Hotaru' being so cheery, noisy and jolly, it doesn't suit them. His first love on his crush's body and his crush on his first love's body? For Pete's sake, let this misery end fast!
The continuation of their meeting will be on 1:00, and because of the ruckus, they wasted much of their time and they still have to eat lunch. Ruka, however already ate way before the incident with Natsume, so he don't have to worry anymore (it's true that males eat faster than females sometimes, and their appetite is greater than females' too).
Are you thinking that it's that easy to eat on the cafeteria now in this condition? If your answer is no, then you're right, because they've been earning most of the people's attention. What would you react if a certain blackmailer blackmailed you today and then the next time you see her, she's acting childish and innocent? And what would you think if you got a crush on a certain pretty, though childish and carefree, angel and then you see her looking plane and bearing a cold demon aura? Maybe you would think the world will soon end. Apocalypse is near! I hope not.
'Mikan' and 'Hotaru' didn't even bother to notice everyone's stares and remarks, but not their other companion. Anna feels like suffocating, Nonoko wanna drink a potion to make her invisible, while Ruka preferred to be stared by his animal friends than them, but thanks to the eerie atmosphere, no fan girls could come near him, afraid that the two girls were possessed of something, hm, maybe they are possessed… with each other's spirit that is.
They felt the ambience loosened after they leave, good grace from heaven. They proceeded to their meeting place at once. Some of their friends are already there and they just have to wait for few more others. It's almost 1:30, but Yuki's still out of sight so they proceeded with their discussions already.
"Hotaru-chan, I wonder what happened to Yuki-sempai and Hariko-chan, do you think nothing bad happened to them?"
'Mikan' paused for a while then turn to Natsume, "Hyuuga…"
Natsume understood what she meant, though he preferred being called by his first name since the one talking to him is HER, it does hurt when she call him by his surname, he feels despised by her whenever she does. But this thing already happened so he got no choice but to endure and bear with her –he also feels disgusted whenever 'Hotaru' calls him by his first name and smiles cheerily at him, he just hope he won't barf-. "The three of them went to the Technical class' room to do what you told them to do. Nothing suspicious occurred at least before I leave."
'Mikan' nods and then pushed a button on the remote control something that she's holding, then all of the monitor turned its channel –imagine a bunch of monitors arranged/combined to make a huge monitor. They saw Amanatsu on the big screen, "Connect us to the Technical class' room." She ordered.
Then the monitors are then channeled to the Technology class' classroom, 'Mikan' pushed some buttons to change the angles of the camera shots and find the three –Yuki, Hariko, and Kyo. After many clicks, they still couldn't find them anywhere until they've search every angles of the room.
"Hotaru, they're not there, what should we do?" 'Hotaru's' high pitched voice echoed throughout the room, making 'Mikan's' vein pop and… HORSE!! She didn't want to hurt her body with her own invention but she's not that dumb to hit Mikan's body while she's still inside, so rather than the baka gun, she used a more gentle (bleh) Horse shoe punching glove.
She pressed another button and again they were channeled to Amanatsu on the surveillance room. "Can you see where Tatsuki, Yuki and company is from there?"
"I'll check…" Amanatsu scanned through the various screens while clicking buttons once in a while, and she confirmed, "Hotaru-sama, they're heading for your lab!"
'Mikan' immediately pushed a button and the monitor showed three persons walking –the other is riding- towards her place. From the looks of it, the wheel chaired boy seems to be convincing the other two to stop their tracks while the green haired boy kept on talking animatedly to the girl, not minding the other guy, and the girl just ignored the two. 'Mikan' bit her thumb's nail while closing her eyes for a while.
"Hotaru-chan, what should we do, they're coming this way?"
'Mikan' turned to everyone, "Tatsuki is with them, so we shouldn't worry, and just to remind you, we're underground on a secret chamber, they shouldn't find us."
"But it seems that that Blondey still haven't figured out whom he's with." Natsume commented, "He could blow us up."
"He's not that stupid, Natsume, I know since I'm his classmate. Why do you think is he stopping them from coming here huh?" Tsubasa is present this time, he wasn't able to attend the first meeting because he's running away from Misaki, but because she caught him, he decided to bring her to the afternoon meeting as well, so now, two other sempais are here.
"He's right, Hyuuga." Noted 'Mikan'.
"But what if I'm right, and they'll find this place?"
"Then, we should proceed in arresting them. as much as possible, we won't let them get out… alive." Oh my, I'm really having the creep from this story, I just can't imagine Mikan saying those words so seriously and emotionlessly –even if I know she's Hotaru!
The three reached inside Hotaru's lab and saw no one.
"See, I told you she's not here, I think we should ask her later." Yuki's ACTING stupidly, to be honest.
"It's strange…" Hariko slowly turns her head side ways, studying the area.
"What's strange? Nothing's strange. Really. NOTHING'S strange, EVERYTHING'S normal around here."
Kyo narrowed his eyes into slits, "YOU'RE strange. Is there something you've been hiding from us?"
Before he could answer, Hariko interrupted first, "No, not that… you see, whenever I go here and Hotaru-chan is not around, Amanatsu-chan would be the one to face me in her place… but it's strange that I can't see her anywhere."
"Maybe she went with Imai-san. Yeah, she definitely did."
"Yeah maybe…" Hariko paused for a while, noticing something from afar.
"Hariko-chan, maybe we could just leave a note-" Kyo was cut off when he noticed that she was walking somewhere. "Hariko-chan?"
"I didn't notice this here before." She touched the 'crack' with her hand and examines it.
"It's just a crack on the wall, nothing special to it." Said Kyo.
"Yeah, just a CRACK. Just an ORDINARY crack on the wall, I presume."
"No," she stands up straight to face the boys, "it's too fine for an ordinary crack, maybe…" a blissful smile tugged her lips, "I think we got ourselves a secret passage boys." Her eyes sparked at every word.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
"Hi, I'm Sumire Shouda, fully pledged president of the Natsume-Ruka Fans Club of this academy, and if you don't know, I'm Natsume-sama's future wife, so if you have something against him, buzz off or I'll fry you with your own oil! Anyhow, Ogasawara Nonoko is out for lunch, so I'm the one to give you the question and answer portion of this fan fiction… some questions here says:
How many Alices does Hariko have?
How can she float? I would like to learn how she does that.
Is she a friend or an enemy?
What is her real background?
…and etc., all these questions came from the same person… the author. Typical. Sigh, I guess, we should clear some things here, YOU are the author so YOU should know her better than ANYONE else! You should also be thankful that an elegant, high class, future Natsume-sama's wife, and a beautiful person which is none other than me is working patiently for you!… what are you looking at?… humph, those puppy eyes of yours have no effect on me… oh alright already, I'll do something with your questions okay!… sigh, to answer the questions, Tanaka is here beside me. Greet the readers Tanaka and get this over with."
"……………"
"Oi, speak!"
"……………………"
"Look here, lady! I've been holding back myself from strangling you right until now, so you could at least be more cooperative and answer the questions to finish this thing!"
"……………………"
"GRRRR! What's the problem with you?"
"What are you doing Permy?"
"Shut up and scramble Sakura, can't you see I'm busy here?"
"Uh-huh… but why are you talking to Hariko-chan's hologram?"
"HOLOGRAM?"
"Yeah. Hotaru said she forgot to turn off the hologram projector before she leave so she told me to come here and turn it off for her."
"Then where's the real one?"
"Hariko-chan? Well, she said she's going to retire from being a Cupid. She says that whenever she hears the remark from a song –I forgot the title, but the song goes like this: '…stupid cupid, stop picking on me…', she could feel her heart being torn into pieces. So she decided to file a resignation letter so that she could no longer be cupid……… Permy, are you listening?… Permy, you shouldn't sleep on the floor, you might catch a cold!… Permy?…………PERMY!………… DON'T DIE ON ME, PERMY!"