Title: 13. Oh! Oh! Malediction!

Pairing/Character/s: Machi, Yuki, Kakeru, Sadako/Sawako, Chizuru and Ayane (from Kimi ni Todoke, which the lovely Skoozy reccommended to me. 3)

Word Count: 710 words, exactly the same as the prequel, Ch. 24! This is a cool coincidence.

Summary: Machi is the only one who says the truth: Yuki is not a prince. References Ch.89 from the manga. Sequel to Ch.24 and Ch. 29 from this story.

A/N: Spoilers for Ch. 89, when Machi gets bullied. It doesn't follow the manga scene exactly, because well... it's not a summary of Ch. 89. You know? So, italics are Machi's thoughts. Also, tell me if this is too rambling, alright? I need some criticism. Malediction means slander; basically bad-mouthing someone

"My ideal guy..." Giggle. "Is, of course..." Another giggle. "Oh, this is too embarrassing!"

Machi rolled her eyes, feeling her own mind melt with boredom. That girl was embarrassed? Machi felt embarrassed for her entire gender.

"Chizuru, you were going to say Prince Yuki, weren't you?" Ayane accused. Machi couldn't believe she remembered their names. They all looked the same.

"You already have a boyfriend." This girl was Sadako. Machi was sure of it.

Chizuru blushed as red as her miniskirt. "Ryu's nowhere near as sweet as Prince Yuki."

"No fair, Ryu's not available either?" Sadako looked completely heartbroken over something this trivial.

"Sawako, leave her alone." Then again... Machi thought that getting two out of three names correct wasn't so bad. "We all like Prince Yuki. Why else would we be Gold Level members of the Prince Yuki Fan Club?" Machi is vaguely alarmed by the fact that there were levels in the fan club. What did they have to do to advance?

"Well, Kuragi-san isn't a member yet," Sawako points out. Suddenly three pairs of eyes, hot as spotlights, were on her.

"You like the Prince, don't you?" Chizuru teases. She's making it easy for Machi to agree, but Machi still hears her mouth say something else.

"Like? I don't like him. He's not a prince at all."

Now their eyes are angry as they crowd around her.

"Kuragi-san, that's kind of arrogant."

"Do you think Prince Yuki favors you? He only talks to you because you're in the Student Council."

"Why don't you say something? I dare you to bad mouth Prince Yuki again."

Machi can't find the energy to agree. These fan girls thought the President was perfect; a prince. He wasn't like that at all. "He's not a prince," she repeats stubbornly.

"How can you say that? Prince Yuki is nice to everyone-" Isn't that what everyone should do?

"All the students admire him-" None of them bothered to get to know him.

"Hey, are you going to say anything?"

"Let's go, Ayane, she just has a bad attitude."

"We can't let this go!" Ayane gives her friends an evil glare, before turning back to Machi. "You should apologize! Prince Yuki has always been nice to you."

Machi sighs, raising her head. "I'm sorry."

For three glorious seconds, Machi watches three veins on three separate foreheads throbbing like mad.

"THAT'S NOT AN APOLOGY!" all three girls screech at the same time.

"You have a real problem, you know that? What don't you like about him?"

It's not that I don't like him... Machi chose her words carefully; she could be provoking these girls to torture her over and over until... Sohma Yuki is...

"Completely out of it. Even though there are so many people surrounding him, calling him a prince, he's the loneliest person here. He's very lonely, li-" Like me. No, stop now.

Ayane smirks in derision. "You think you understand him? You're nothing, Kuragi." An icy cold hand shoves her. "Nothing-" She was cut off by the familiar buzz of the school speaker system.

"The 3PM photo shoot with Student Council President Sohma Yuki- That's SOHMA YUKI, will be starting very soon in front of the Student Council Room. Please line up for the first 100 free pictures. First 5 will be allowed to choose ANY POSEwith SOHMA YUKI.... That is all."

"It's almost 3 PM!" Sawako wails, tapping at her watch.

"I'm going to make Prince Yuki kiss my hand," Ayane says proudly, putting her hands on her hips.

"So bold!" Chizuru clasped her hands together. "I'll do that too."

They gave Machi one last half-hearted glare and ran off. Machi leans against the wall, mentally berating herself for actually thinking of telling the truth. From four feet away, she can hear Kakeru's loud voice.

"Hey, this is for Machi. I'm sure you can fake a cold and get out of it."

"That's not the point, Kakeru," Yuki sighs.

Machi immediately grinds her teeth. So... So he had heard everything. Old feelings of doubt swirl in her stomach until it hurts. She didn't understand him at all; there would always be a gap between them. Machi stifles a growl of frustration, walking away. They would only ask questions she couldn't answer.