Disclaimer: I do not own Hana-Kimi or the plot from Hana Kimi.
A/N: I'd like to thank lilac09 and Hotoami for reviewing my fanfic!
Chapter 4 – Ashiya's a Girl?!
And thus, Princess Mizuki's life as Mizuki the Chef started. She did a little victory dance in her head. Things were going so smoothly for her! And here, she thought she'd be shipped off back to who knows where if Prince Izumi did not like her cooking. Mizuki smiled to herself. She didn't expect Prince Izumi to enjoy her food!
'Well, I guess it's a good sign he could eat my food. If we marry…' she trailed off and blushed.
'Oh my, what am I thinking? I'm a guy right now for goodness's sake!' she cried internally.
During times like this, she wished she was a girl. Perhaps she could be closer to Prince Izumi that way. She shook her head.
'No! Bad Mizuki! Don't forget the agenda!'
With that thought in mind, she balled her fists and made a peace sign to no one in particular.
"What are you doing?" Izumi leaned near the kitchen door, observing her weird gestures for the last few minutes.
"Um…" she started.
"Is there something you needed Prince Izumi?" she asked him.
"I just wanted to check what's for dinner," he replied huskily, making her shiver slightly.
'Don't look at him in the eye' she willed herself.
'Dammit! I just did. If only I could melt into his gaze right now…kill me now…' she thought.
Izumi crossed his arms and raised a dark eyebrow.
"You know, it's fun watching your emotions on your face," he commented.
Mizuki blushed slightly.
"Um…I'll go check with Nakatsu about the dinner," she told the smirking prince.
'It's fun messing with Ashiya' he thought.
"Well let's get started on today's dinner!" Shuuichi told everyone, and clasped his hands together.
He finished frying the oysters and was already preparing the main dish. Truthfully, he was glad Ashyia passed as Izumi's new personal cook. There aren't many cooks that suited Prince Izumi's taste and he did not enjoy getting the end of Izumi's bickering. The prince usually got fed up with him and cooked his own food anyways. Actually, now that Shuuichi thought about it, isn't Ashiya the first cook in like forever to have gotten the job? Wow, this Ashiya is special!
"Hey Ashyia, can you hand me the sauce?" the head chef asked her.
"Sure," she replied, handing him the red sauce.
He poured it in a nice s shape and put roses onto the dish as the finishing touch.
"Done!" he cried happily.
He handed Mizuki one of the trays, telling her to go ahead of him and take the dish out to the dining table.
That's when her identity got into jeopardy. Shuuichi who was in a rush, accidentally smacked the dish into Mizuki while Mizuki ran back to get the other dishes. Food clattered onto the ground.
"Mizuki?!" Shuuichi yelled.
"Mizuki! Are you all right? Hey! Hey! Answer me!"
Shuuichi's face was full of concern and fear for the princess in disguise.
"What have I done?" Shuuichi whispered, really regretting for hurting her accidentally.
Izumi, who saw the incident ran without hesitation and lifted the unconscious princess up.
"Go find the doctor! Hurry!" the prince yelled.
"You are always full of trouble huh?"
'Eh?' Izumi froze.
He felt something soft and lumpy?
'Breasts? Ashiya is a girl?' he thought, a surprised look shown on his face. Unsure about what to do with this new news, he walked off to the royal infirmary. Izumi kicked the door open.
"What do we have here," asked Doctor Umeda, "for Head Chef to interrupt my alone time?"
Umeda was pissed because Shuuichi, a fast runner, had stopped him on his way home. He still had bruises from Shuuichi, who gripped him so hard in an attempt to stop him from leaving. The poor boy was practically crying his eyeballs out. He glared at the boys and took a look at the unconscious chef, only to see Mizuki.
'Eh Princess Mizuki?' he thought, recognizing the girl as one of his younger sister's best friends.
"Well, now that he is here, you boys could go now. Shoo!" he told them.
"But is he really fine?" Shuuichi asked, his eyes overflowing with tears.
"He's just knocked out," Umeda said.
"Thank goodness! You are okay Ashiya!" Shuuichi cried, hugging the unconscious patient.
Tick marks appeared on Dr. Umeda's head.
'How dare he hug Mizuki like that!'
"Sheesh. Get out. Don't get worked up just because someone fainted," Dr. Umeda said.
"Now get out!" he said, ready to kick Shuuichi.
However, Shuuichi's face lit up when Mizuki shifted her eyes open.
"Nakatsu?" Mizuki asked.
Umeda kicked Nakastu, sparing Izumi because he is a prince.
"Spectators, leave!" he yelled.
"Wait!" Shuuichi yelled.
"What the hell are you doing you idiotic doctor?!" he continued yelling, as Izumi dragged him out of the infirmary.
Dr. Umeda directed his gaze at Mizuki. If his eyes were lazers, she would have been shot dead right now. Mizuki tried to ignore him by pretending to be asleep.
"That's not going to work on me Mizuki-chan," Umeda told her.
Mizuki pulled off her blanket covers.
"Hello Hokuto-kun" she said meekly, afraid of making eye contact with him.
"Uum…I'm fine now, so…" she said, ready to leave.
She was already halfway there when Hokuto backed her into a wall.
"Where are you going Mizuki-chan?" he smiled devilishly and continued.
" What's the princess doing, cutting her hair short like a boy and wearing a chef's uniform? Aren't all the chefs here males?" he asked her.
'Damn his sharpness!' her mind screamed.
'This is way too close for comfort!' she thought, realizing the awkward position they are in, with her backed into the wall and Hokuto pressing her hands against his, him towering over her.
"Ah about that…" Mizuki said, trying to wring her hands free.
He gave her a stern look and maintained his stance.
"Hokuto-kun" she gave him the puppy dog look.
"Don't you dare Hokuto-kun me," he scolded his younger sister's friend.
"What do you think you are doing? Don't you know how much damage this would cause if you were found out?"
"I know," said Mizuki.
"But I wanted to get to know him before he meets my princess self, to see if he is worthy of my hand in marriage."
"Prince Izumi is a good man," Hokuto told her.
"You don't need to have any worries. Just leave this castle."
"But I don't want to marry a guy I don't love," Mizuki whispered, looking downcast.
Hokuto slammed his left fist into the wall. Blood dripped from his hand.
"Hokuto?!" Mizuki asked, alarmed by his actions.
"Does this mean you want to stay so you can see if you will fall in love with the prince?" Hokuto asked.
Mizuki nodded.
"Have you thought of the consequences? Of what would happen if you were caught, if Izumi knew you were lying for the whole time? Are you ready for that?" he yelled.
"Yes," Mizuki said.
"I am ready for it because it's better to know that I have fallen in love with him than go into a marriage I may regret for the rest of my life."
"Okay," he let go of her.
"Do whatever you want."
"Thanks Hokuto!" she hugged him.
"Hey don't hug me! I'll break out in hives!" he yelled.
"Thanks!" Mizuki smiled.
"That girl hasn't changed," he said to himself.
'Ashyia is a girl?' Izumi's mind repeated the feeling of her boobs over and over again.
'Bad prince' he scolded himself.
'Why am I remembering her sensation, her body so well?' He fingered his black cape nervously.
'Moreover, why aren't I exposing her? I don't understand myself at all…'
Meanwhile, Shuuichi was moping by himself in the hallway when he spotted Ashyia. He looked up and called out to "him".
"Ashyia!" he yelled.
"Are you alright? You can hit me if you want. I deserve it. I wasn't being professional enough."
"It's alright!" Mizuki assured him, giving him a peace sign.
"It's nothing. Besides, I was the one being clumsy. No need to apologize."
Shuuichi's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Thank you Mizuki! Thank you," he cried.
"You are such a great friend!"
"Eh right!" Mizuki smiled.
And just like that, Shuuichi became attracted to her. His heart started beating faster, his hands sweating uncontrollably.
'What is this feeling called?' he wondered.
'This couldn't be love, right? I think I'm in love' he thought.
"Wait, isn't Mizuki a guy?" he mumbled, very confused.
He scratched his head.
"Huh?" Mizuki asked.
"Ah, nothing," he told Mizuki.
Mizuki smiled, happy that she now had a new friend. So, basically she was totally clueless about Shuuichi's newfound crush.
'Doesn't that mean I'm gay? Noooo! I'm still a young healthy boy!!!!!!' the poor head chef's mind screamed.
'Hmmm. That was lucky' our heroine thought.
'I thought I was a goner for sure! At least no one found out I am a girl' she thought happily.
She sat on the grass and looked at the darkening sky.
"Ashiya," Izumi approached her from behind.
"Prince Izumi…" she said.
"I'm hungry. Get me something to eat."
"Eh?!"
"You made me miss my dinner. Won't you compensate for it?" he invited himself beside her, spreading his long legs on the ground.
"Yes. Yes," she said, getting up quickly.
He stopped her by grabbing her outstretched hand. He put a rice cake into her hand.
"You didn't think I would be a mean prince did you? I already had some onigiri earlier," he opened a bento and gave it to her.
"Eat," he told her. Her stomach seemed to agree, for it growled.
"Heh. Thank you!" she said, eating the rice cake and onigiri.
"This is good!" she exclaimed.
"You like it?" he smiled.
"Hey you smiled!" Mizuki exclaimed.
"I have never seen you smile before. You should do it more often because you look so sad and gloomy all the time."
"Oh," he sighed.
"Who made this? It tastes sooo good!" she asked him and bit another piece of the rice cake.
"I did," he told her.
At this, Mizuki was a bit surprised. The prince knew how to cook? Then why did he need a personal chef? Then again, he is a prince.
"But don't get used to it dumbo. You are the chef, so next time, you cook. Alright?" he said.
"Sure thing!" she responded.
~After a long while of sitting there watching the sunset~
'Why is she quiet all of the sudden?' Prince Izumi wondered, and turned to see the princess sleeping on the grass.
"How can she sleep in a place like this?" he wondered and carried her inside the castle.
'Where should I put her?' he sighed and looked at the stairs, and at the girl again.
'Well, I guess my room it is. I don't want her to be risked getting caught being a girl'.
With that thought in mind, he carried her princess style up the stairs. He stared at her sleeping face.
'She's actually pretty, if you take a good look'. He swept some of her bangs away from her face and leaned in closer, studying her.
'No, what am I thinking? I have a fiancé,' he thought sadly and decided not to kiss the sleeping girl.
"I've got to clear my mind," he said to himself and left his room.
A/N: Well there's the chapter. Please tell me what you thought of it! Read and review! Sorry if it's too short! I hope you liked the chapter though! =)