Mornings are my worst enemy too. D:

Narrative

"Regular speech"

'Thinking'

Flashback

"Flashback speech"

"Emphasis emphasis"

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

Katakura Harumi is never a morning person. In fact, mornings were her worst enemy. The rise of the Sun signified the beginning of yet another boring day of school. She didn't mind when the Sun rose on Saturdays and Sundays though. She just didn't like it if she got out of bed before ten. This morning however, on a bright and shiny Saturday morning, Katakura woke up at seven thirty without a single whimper or groan. Why? Because it felt like a good day, that's why.

Katakura rolled out of bed, as in literally rolled out of the bed and crawled to her bathroom. She missed the door the first time and bumped her head into the wall. She made it to her bathroom the second time. She did whatever she needed to do in the toilet and shuffled down the stairs. She made her way to the noisy kitchen where her brother and his friends were trying to make pancakes.

"Morning, Haru-chan!" Saeki greeted cheerfully with a whisk in his hand and a bowl full of... nothing in his other hand.

"They're trying to make pancakes," Hanasaki explained over a cup of coffee, "But to no avail, as you can see." He gestured to the batter-covered counters and stacked up cutlery in the sink. The four men shouting over a blender and frying pan were enough of an explanation to her. She nodded and sat opposite him, "I don't remember you guys coming in."

"Actually, I don't really remember anything after I took a shower..." she murmured. Himura laughed, "Yeah, you looked really dead on the couch."

Hanasaki cleared his throat, "It had seemed that you were too tired, so Aki carried you up into your room while the rest of us started a game of poker."

Katakura smiled, "Nii-san is really bad at card games."

"Exactly," Yagami exclaimed while the said person sulked over the stove. Akito flipped a pancake, "At least I'm smarter than all of you..." Everyone else scowled at that one comment. She chuckled, "Oh, it's just the first term's results; it worth only a small percentage of your total score."

"Ah, I can always count on you, my little bundle of joy," Saeki muttered, tapping the whisk on her head. Katakura just smiled, "So are there going to be any pancakes?"

"I don't know," Akito admitted, "This is the fifth attempt at making pancakes... It could take a while for us to actually get the right batter."

Hanasaki chuckled, "I just made myself some toast." Katakura pointed to Hanasaki's empty plate, "I'll go with that."

Yagami whined, "Haru-chan, do you not have faith in our cooking abilities?" She replied with a quick 'no' and proceeded to make some toast. Saeki and Himura were in the midst of making up the sixth batter. Akito threw away the messed up pancakes and took a seat next to Hanasaki, "So, are you doing anything today? We were thinking of going to the new amusement park later in the afternoon. But if there are too many people since we're going late, we'll probably go early tomorrow."

"Mm, I was thinking of going to the library later," she replied. Akito scoffed, "Isn't it quiet enough at our house?"

"Not with all of you around," she teased. "No, I just want the free heater in the library. And there are people in the background and stuff... if won't seem so empty like around the house." Akito nodded. Himura and Saeki both shouted, "We did it!"

"Yeah, this is totally the right taste!" They both excited licked the batter as if salmonella was some sort of god-like illness to level up.

"Dude," Yagami started, picking up a white, plastic bottle, "Why'd you put hot sauce in it?" There was a long pause. Katakura snickered, Yagami and Akito burst out laughing while Hanasaki smiled and sighed. Himura coughed, "It was totally intentional."

"Yeah," Saeki mumbled, "It adds... spice? – It, it just adds!"

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

'First term examinations are coming soon,' Haru realised, 'It's in about 2 to 3 weeks... I... should study. Or... I can be a pig for the rest of the day. Study, or sleep? The examination will determine my academic standard. If I study hard and with the help of examinations I can improve my grades to ensure that I will get into a good university, then get a good job which will lead to a higher position with better pay and with that better pay I will be able to lead a healthy life with good things surrounding me.'

She slid off the couch and laid her head on the living room coffee table. 'By sleeping, I'll let my body have ample amounts of rest. With the amount of rest, my body can fully function properly and allow me to do multiple things without getting tired easily and by being able to hold out longer I can achieve more in a short amount of time, not to mention that by resting more, my brain and the rest of my body can relax for a while otherwise if I don't rest, my overexerted body will collapses and then I'll end up at the hospital again with ridiculous medical bills and medical certificates which will make me take time off school and a shortage of money. With the sudden shortage of money plus the addition of missing out on school which means that I will miss out on important lessons that will help me later in life, implying that my career and future may not be so bright, I will be unable to lead a healthy lifestyle with good things surrounding me.'

Katakura stuck her tongue out, nearly licking the surface of the coffee table. Akito coughed, "Haru, you've been making faces at yourself for nearly 10 minutes; just make up your mind on what you want to do today and don't over think your options."

Katakura blinked, "What makes you think that I will over think my options? Anyway, I've decided to go to the library to study... Exams are coming soon you know... and I'll study at the table with the big couch, so if I get tired I can just knock out right there." (A/N: I do that sometimes, although not so much at the library and... not so much studying. :D)

"Oh, I just knock out anytime and anywhere," Yagami stated, "And I'll eat anything I deem edible."

"You'll eat everything, even if it isn't edible," Hanasaki mumbled. Yagami nodded with a crooked smile, "Yeah, probably."

"Aki," Himura exclaimed, "Is the failed batter still in the kitchen or did you throw it away?"

Akito scratched his chin and stretched his neck to get a glimpse of the kitchen sink from his view on the recliner, "I think I put them all in the sink. Should still all be there, why?"

Himura grinned like the Cheshire cat, "Yagami, I challenge you to an eating competition—with the mutated batter!"

Yagami jumped from his seat and threw a throw pillow to the floor in exaggeration, "You are on!"

"Prepare to face your doom!"

"I will kick your ass!"

"I will eat your ass!"

"... Dude, that's gross."

Katakura stood, "Not that this wouldn't be entertaining, with the bad comebacks and mutated batter, but I'm going to head to the library now, otherwise my favourite spot will be taken... It's still too early for anyone to be at the library but who knows." She went to her room and shoved her books and stationary into a floppy sling-bag and hopped back down. Saeki waved her off from his position at the kitchen-living room door, "I'll video tape the stupid challenge for you so you can see it when you get back!"

"I'll video tape the part where they're going to fight for the toilet," Hanasaki smiled. Akito laughed, "Happy studying!"

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

Katakura was right about the part where she said that it would be too early for anyone to be at the library. It was totally empty, a completely desolated silence. She smiled and skipped past the groggy librarian up the stairs to the second floor where her favourite spot was, tucked in the corner at the back. She walked straight, through shelves of horror stories to teen fiction right to the end where she turned right and walked down a row of empty tables and chair right till the end where there was a red, booth-like, U-shaped couch against the wall and a big, square mahogany table in the middle. She joyfully made her way over to the couch, ready to plop down on its soft cushion when she noticed that there was a tuft of hair sticking out from the side of the couch. Someone was occupying the booth—at eight-thirty on a Saturday morning, which was unusual.

Katakura slowed down and peeped to see the person who vacated the wonderful, red couch. She blinked long and hard with her mouth slightly parted in surprised. 'Why do I keep running into him so often nowadays?'

"Katakura-san," Fuji laughed, "We seem to be meeting up unintentionally quite often recently."

She smiled, "Yes, Fuji-sempai." She had started to see him having lunch on the school roof; she has lunch there too occasionally. Sometimes he's by himself, other times with friends, and more recently with her. "Very often... what are you doing here so early?"

"I could ask you the same question. What are you doing here so early?"

"I asked first."

"I asked second," Fuji countered playfully. She rolled her eyes fondly at him, "It felt like a good day, so I woke up early... and exams are around the corner, so naturally I came to study."

"Oddly enough, it felt like a good day to me too this morning," Fuji echoed, eyes still closed. "Please, sit." She took up his offer and glanced at his books, "Chemistry?"

"Yes, I have a lot of homework and things that I've missed out on for chemistry because teachers and other students seem to enjoy looking for me during chemistry and steal me away for a long time," Fuji informed. Katakura nodded, "Numiro-sensei seems to do that to me all the time during Math—" She took out a thick blue book from her floppy bag and dropped it lightly on the table, "Calculus."

"I prefer Algebra rather than Calculus," Fuji murmured. She nodded in agreement. (A/N: I honestly do. I don't understand why people hate Algebra; it's as easy as 3.142857143! Did you see that? I made a pun.)

They fell into silence after that; doing their own things at their own pace in each others' company. It was nice. About half an hour later, Fuji decided to make some conversation, "I saw," he paused. She looked up, "Hm?"

"I saw a purple sunset, on the day we walked back to your house; after the painting in the art room," Fuji murmured.

"There have been a lot of paintings in the art rooms," she smiled. Fuji's eyes crinkled. She smiled wider, "I saw the sunset too. It was red and purple."

"I wonder who we know has red eyes," Fuji whispered, reminding himself that they were in a library. She had seem to forgotten too as she whispered, "Natsu's eyes are a little red. They're kind of red and brown... maroon, but not that dark."

"The only time I saw Akimoto-san was the day I met you."

"Well you should meet her," Katakura suggested, "She's really wonderful and humorous."

"You are quite wonderful yourself," Fuji admitted, all smiles. Katakura blinked then flushed prettily. He chuckled, "You don't seem to have a lot of confidence in yourself."

"She's very brilliant too... she makes her own clothing and some for me" she stated, deciding not to respond to the accusation and praise, "and she manages to get them on some magazines too."

"That is brilliant," Fuji murmured. "It's nice to see two brilliant people be best friends, yes?" Katakura flushed yet again, "You're brilliant in tennis, 'Tensai Fuji'."

He chuckled softly. Katakura thought that his light chuckled felt like melted chocolate. If he were the hot chocolate she'd like to be the marshmallows. When she was in choir previously, she was a soprano. His seemed like a tenor. Perhaps they'd do a duet someday. At the thought of a duet and the word 'someday', the song from 'A Walk to Remember' played in her head.

'Someday we'll know why Samson loved Delilah

One day I'll go dancing on the moon,

Someday you'll know why I was the one for you.'

She blinked out of her reverie and shook her head. He looked in concern, "Are you alright?"

"Sure, I'm fine..." She assured. He looked sincerely worried which made her heart jump a little. 'I never thought myself as much of a mushy teenage girl.' She looked at the young man sitting across the table, staring blankly at his Chemistry homework. 'I always thought I was down-to-earth, but Fuji-sempai has seemed to prove me wrong.'

He caught her stare and gave her a friendly smile. 'I'm a pile of goo when he's around.' She sighed mentally and returned the friendly gesture. Fuji was enjoying their trade of smiles. Normally, people would raise an eyebrow at his constant smiling and be reluctant to smile back at his widened smile at them. She was different from the others because she always returned his smile with all sincerity. Fuji hummed, 'I always thought babies made people feel like jelly, but apparently Katakura-san can make people feel like jelly too. Either that or she's a baby.'

Fuji examined her physical structure silently and looked away quickly before she felt his gaze. 'She is very much a woman. Not a baby. She's a little woman.'

"It's nine-fifteen," she stated, looking at the clock on her phone. Fuji looked up, hoping she did not have to leave yet, "What time are you leaving?"

"I have all the time in the world."

An hour after they ended their conversation, Katakura decided to fall asleep on her Mathematics textbook. Half an hour after that, Fuji decided he'd joined her in the cat nap on his Chemistry homework. They both woke up with red marks on their faces, tears and booger in their eyes and smiles on their ridiculously beautiful faces. They both agreed on that last part silently.

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

A sinister glint flashed across Akimoto Natsumi's eyes as she hunched over a thick, wooden desk. The pulled a long, dark green cloth material from her sewing machine and let a short, maniacal laugh slip. She dropped the coat on her bed and reached into her large, dark blue bag in search of her mobile phone. Once she found it, she clicked speed-dial 3, Katakura Harumi. After 5 rings it went to voicemail and tried again to no avail.

Natsu huffed and clicked speed-dial 5, Momoshiro. After 2 rings he picked up, "Moshi, moshi, Momo-chan here!"

"Momo, do you know where Haru-chan is?"

"Mm, it's a Saturday; I won't know what she'd be doing. She'd usually be on her own or with her family. Why?" Natsu scoffed, "I've just created the most brilliant coat in the entire world!"

Over the phone, you could hear Momoshiro sigh, "What is the horrid thing this time?"

Natsu gasped, "Your words; they wound me. They wound me deeply."

Momoshiro laughed, "I'm just joking, you know I think they're pretty awesome. So you want her to model for you again?"

"Well, duh," Natsu scoffed, "Haru-chan's always my first choice for models. Everyone else is just second option for when she's not free. Anyway, you have any idea where she might be? I called her twice but I think her phone's on silent mode."

"Maybe she's at the movies," Momoshiro suggested, "She usually only puts her phone on silent mode when she's at school. I'd put my phone to silent if I went to the movies. Or to the library, but we all know I don't hit the library."

"Who goes to the movies at 9 in the morning? And yeah, your textbooks look brand new," Natsu said, rolling her eyes. Momoshiro defended himself, "It's just the first term, whose book looks like crap now? Whoever it is, they don't take care of their crap properly. Not properly at all."

Natsu sighed, "Well, thanks. I shouldn't bother her on the weekends. I'll just attack her on Monday."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me," Momoshiro cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles, "Duty calls."

"What duty?"

"You see that? I made a pun. Irony? I'm going to play Call of Duty now, and I said duty calls, so that's actually really funny because I'm playing—" Natsu hung up.

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

"Your opinion is flawed..." Katakura laughed, "Your eyes have been closed for too long, Fuji-sempai."

"My eyes can open," Fuji muttered, "Growlithe is flawed."

"Growlithe is excellent!"

"A Growlithe is too tiny. It's just a fire-breathing Eevee."

"Growlithe and Flareon are far apart."

"They're both dogs that breath fire and have swooshy tails." Yes, our two beautiful geniuses are discussing upon Pokemon. Apparently studying and doing homework was too tedious by one hour and they decided to get some snacks from the little cafeteria on the first floor and sneak the food back up then talk a little. They like Pokemon. They were cute little animals with magical powers and inability to say things other than their names, what's not to like?

"Eevees are cute."

"If you had to choose which one you liked between all the Eevee evolutions, which one would you choose?"

Katakura took a sip from her hot chocolate before replying, "I like Jolteon."

"Jolteon is excellent," Fuji laughed, "I like him too."

"What makes you think Jolteon's male? It could be female," She murmured. Fuji blinked. Did he offend her? Katakura sighed, "But, he does gives off a male vibe."

He smiled. It was odd how hardly anyone was around the library when it was a weekend. It was not as early as it had been when they had first come in too; it was nearly noon. But he didn't mind, he enjoyed the time with Katakura. She made him a little delirious; deliriously happy. Fuji's phone buzzed violently on the table, he checked the caller who turned out to be Oishi. He blinked before he realised something he forgot which had never ever forgot before.

"I forgot about practice," Fuji said, staring at the clock in his phone. Katakura just looked at him as he answered his phone, "Moshi moshi?"

"Fuji, did you forget that we have practice this morning?" Katakura could hear Oishi practically freak out over the phone. She could also hear Eiji in the background. Fuji gave a low, nervous chuckle, "Gomen..."

"Fuji, how could you forget?" Eiji shouted. Fuji scratched his face, "Maa, I was studying at the library and I guess it just slipped my mind." Katakura laughed softly. Fuji continued, "I'll be right there. I just need to go home and get a few things before heading to school."

"Ochibi-chan will be earlier than you~!" Eiji sang. Fuji smiled and gave Katakura an apologetic smile. He was about to apologise when she cut him off with a wave of her hand, "You don't have an obligation to apologise to me. It's not like we had an appointment in the first place. We just bumped into each other."

"Right," Fuji smiled. He picked up his things fastidiously and waved, "I'll see you next week!"

"Sure," Katakura nodded. After he left, she tried to go back to studying but to no avail. The loneliness was bothering her so she took a short walk around the floor before hitting the books yet again. Unfortunately, she still couldn't study without his presence for an odd reason, so she decided to leave. She sighed and stuffed her books and pencils back into her bag. She looked in her bag and realised that she had one of her many sketch books in it, and it was the sketch book where she usually drew people in. She took it out and flipped to an empty page then started to randomly doodle along the edges of the page.

She moved to the centre of the page where she drew little chibi versions and a more realistic portrait on a new page of a sempai she had spent the morning with.

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

It was rare of Fuji to miss practice. Tennis was important to him, as well as his team – or rather friends. Heck, Fuji has never been late for a tennis practice before, even if it was last minute. He was always one of the earliest and spent his time warming up with Kawamura. But for some sort of odd reason, he was late today.

He woke up early – very good for his punctuality. He ate breakfast and teased Yuuta – nothing unusual. He walked to the library to study – not much of a time consuming or distracting situation. He spent the rest of the morning with Katakura – that was out of the ordinary.

Fuji frowned as he jogged past the school gates and towards the tennis courts. Just spending time with her can't be that bad, can it? Fuji 'pshawed' at himself and slowed down as he made his way past the west building of the school. As he turned the corner, he expected to see the tennis court, but an overly-concerned Eiji appeared miraculously in his line of vision.

"Fuji! What happened to you today? You never forget practice!" Eiji screeched. Fuji just smiled sheepishly, "There's a first time for everything."

He looked around and spotted the enthusiastically friendly pair, Momoshiro and Kaidou, a smiley Kawamura, a stone-faced Tezuka and a sheepish Oishi. Fuji turned to the still-bouncing Eiji, "Is Echizen earlier than me?"

Eiji pouted, "He's even later than usual! He's usually about twenty minutes late, but you took his spot. He's probably only going to show up like half an hour later – hey, there he is! OCHIBI~!" Eiji flailed his arms around and dashed towards the not-so-chibi-figure and easily picked him up. Tezuka cleared his throat, "Now that everyone is here, let's start practice. Fuji, run 20 laps, Echizen, run 30 laps."

Fuji smiled to himself as he ran around the court in thought. Though he'd rather not run 20 rounds around the tennis court, he had rather enjoyed his time with Katakura. She had a sweet, windy aura. And it made him have a fluffy feeling. He had rather welcomed the fluffy feeling.

S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G S P R I N G

HIYA! That's suppose to come out more like a kungfu, "Hi-YA!" rather than a friendly, girlish, chirpy, "HIYA!" But anyway, I seem to like ending off with Fuji – seems nice.

Thank you for reading! :)