Monday
7:30am
Haruna-san
(their teacher) smiled at her usually noisy class during role-call, she
had become amazingly relaxed about discipline today. Excitement becomes
her long youthful face, but it wasn't always that she could walk into class
feeling like she was floating above the ground.
Today was different, students come and go from a local school like this
one, and she was sure that this new student would be the same, but she
could only hope that she was wrong, after all, she was wrong about Mizuno-chan
when she arrived.
Surprise
was the key, which had almost become the element of bliss in the classroom,
they knew about the student, but they didn't know who. He was arriving
in the 3rd period.
Haruna-san
walked down the aisle of the classroom, this was probably the only time
that she had regretted organizing the aisles so that the sex of the students
alternated, but she couldn’t change things now. On her left was Mizuno-chan,
then Minako-chan, Usagi-chan, Ikira-chan… The spare seat behind Imayu-san
was going to be the new student's, across the aisle from Minako-chan. Personally,
she would have preferred him to sit in Imayu-san's seat, across the aisle
to Ami-chan, it was much closer to her, but again, she couldn't possibly
ask Imayu-san to move out of his seat to the one in the back…
11:00am
Haruna-san
smiled as she walked into class. She was this class' maths teacher as well
as the home-group teacher, and now, it was time to introduce their new
student. She could only be slightly disappointed that she wasn't allowed
to show him around school and into her class, but it was rather expected
that the principle would bring a celebrity like him around personally.
A knock
was heard at the door, silence and tense expectation floods the class.
As the door began to slide open, gasps washed like a wave from the students.
It was Asuka Akiyama himself joining their class, stepping into the classroom,
winning hearts! Minako was already blessing her luck; while Usagi’s eyes
were replaced by hearts; Ami remained silent, and surprised. Asuka was
kindness himself, smiling to everyone and as Pride and Prejudice
– Jane Austen would say “makes love to us all” (Please don't take that
literally! ^v^).
Slipping
quietly into his allocated seat, Minako readily leaned over to meet his
acquaintance as all the other girls had… the aisles on either side of him
leaned inwards, towards him. Usagi leaned forwards as well, the whole class
fell into chaos; they all wanted autographs on anything and everything.
Ami
looked at the scene like a visitor from Mars (well, Mercury for the matter),
not quite sure what the fuss was about. She turned back to Maths book and
began to do problems which she knew Haruna-san should have been teaching.
Little did she know though, that Haruna-san had already decided to let
her class enjoy themselves for one period, thus made no move to hush them.
As the
noise reached its maximum, a crash silenced the room with Minako having
leaned too far over, falling to the ground. The whole class burst
into laughter. Asuka, as a polite guy should, got up and helped her
back into her seat. While doing so, he looked over the studious student’s
shoulder, seeing what she was doing. He smiled at that, and poked
a finger onto her textbook, “I’ve always had problems with this type of
question, how do you do them again?”
A hush
fell over the whole class, this athlete, this idol, this… superstar actually
studied! Usagi excitedly ran up, “she’s Ami, she helps me with so
much homework. She’s the smartest around here, right Haruna-san?”
Haruna-san nodded and smiled.
Ami
looked at Usagi and Asuka. Sighing, she pulled out a piece of paper
from underneath her desk, silently doing the problem step by step for Asuka.
He crouched beside her, folding his arms on the side of her desk to rest
his chin. Ami looked down at him, “understand?”
Asuka
smiles, “uhuh, can you do another one?”
“You
do it, I’ll help you if you can’t do it.” Flicking her fingers gently,
she pointed the pencil at Asuka, taking it from her hand, he pulled up
a chair, and starts writing. Ami, meanwhile, takes another pencil
from her pencil case and continued tackling other problems; oblivious to
the attention she was attracting from the whole class (actually they are
all standing behind her shoulder.)
“Like
this?”
Ami
took one quick glance at the piece of paper that Asuka hands her.
“uhuh,” Ami smiled at both Usagi and Asuka, “I always said that you could
do it if you tried.” Ami smiles. “You’re pretty smart.”
Asuka
smiles back and gently knock his head with his knuckles, “but not smart
enough, not good enough for someone.” Standing up, he leans forward and
puts his palms flat on Haruna-san’s desk, “so is this how the lessons here
are conducted here?”
Haruna-san
immediately blushes as well. “No… this is just because they are so excited
about having you in the class, I… well, take out your notebooks, we will
start writing some notes on Calculus.” Everyone begins to groan, but no
one holds grudges against superstars.
Lunch-time
Chaos
ensues as everyone still wants to shake hands and make him their friend.
Some are even asking if Akiyama-san will let them take photographs of him
tomorrow when they bring in a camera, he only smiles not assenting or refusing.
In their one hour lunch, the first fifteen minutes were always spent in
the classroom for lunch, while the rest of the break was more of a relaxation
period. Asuka tries to eat, rather unsuccessfully since he is doing a thousand
things at the same time.
The bell sounds, Ami gets up, takes some literature textbooks with her
and leaves the chaos for some silence. Asuka excuses himself, but a trail
of girls continue to follow him. The trail increases in mass as girls from
other classes join in. Asuka quickly disappears into the toilets,
and climb out through a back window. Spying the library close by, he walks
in, trying to appear as normal as possible.
“Studying?
Again?”
Ami
jumps in fright, “Asuka, this is a quiet area. Shh!”
“I'm
glad its plain Asuka with you, not ‘Akiyama-san’ I’m here, to get away
from the people.”
“I think
you’ve found the right place to go.”
“So
have you been practicing?”
“My
7th Badge test's next Tuesday, Trials next Thursday, you knew that didn’t
you?”
Opening
his diary he looked at the entries on those days. “Just wanted to make
sure. Still got my lucky charm?”
Ami
smiled and leaned back. Her fingers touched her collar lightly. “Around
my neck. See? It’s such an old one that no one knows what it is. Usagi’s
always asking me about it.”
“Are…
the students… always like that?”
“What
do you mean?”
“I mean
the autographs… and umm… photos.”
Usagi and Minako, depressed at losing sight of Asuka decides to join Ami in the library. They are more than shocked to hear their friendly, casual conversation.
“We don’t
get star athletes here everyday.”
“I only
get this treatment after I win something back at Takanawa Academy.”
“That’s
different.”
“You
don’t treat me like this.”
Ami
smiles, “I don’t care about it.”
Asuka
grins, “will you be wearing the white dress soon?”
She
smiles in return, “when?”
“What
about next Thursday?”
“I’ve
got juku till late, I don’t have time to change!”
Asuka
leans forward with a smile, lowering his voice, he huskily murmurs “miss
it.” Getting up, he prepares to leave, suddenly, he leans down again, “what
flowers do you want?”
Ami
blushes confusedly, “lilies I guess.”
He picks
up one of her books and turns away to sit in another section of the library.
For a moment, Ami is too embarrassed to focus, and by the time she has
gotten over it, Usagi and Minako have already pounced on their latest victim.
“Wow,
he’s made a hit on you Ami, you lucky girl!”
“Minako,
you’ve got it wrong…”
“I can’t
believe he’s asked you to go to the social with him. My gosh, can we swap
partners midway? You don’t mind dancing with Mamoru do you??”
“Social?
Usagi, what are you trying to say?”
“Hello!
The social is next Thursday, I can’t believe that he knows and you don’t.”
“Shh!
This is the quiet area! Anyway, I’m not going to the social, I’ve got juku.”
Minako
grins, lowering her voice to imitate Asuka’s, “miss it.” Laughter rings
throughout the library. Ami immediately blushed. “You’ve got a dress and
everything, go! You said that you would, you promised!”
“I said
I’d think about it. And what’s that about the dress?”
“Ami,
the white dress he was talking about??”
“That?
That’s a…”
“Did
you know him from before? How did he know that you have a white dress?”
“Guys,
it’s not a normal dress, I can’t wear that!”
“Whatever!
We’ll be the judge when we come over tomorrow.”
“Guys,
no!”
The
librarian suddenly appears behind them, “Ami-chan I am surprised at you,
I would have thought that you’d know better than this. Usagi-chan, Minako-chan,
this is the library, please be quiet or leave.”
Usagi
and Minako stood up immediately, announcing. “We’re leaving!” Packing Ami’s
books, they dragged her out. Passing Asuka along the way, who has obviously
heard the whole conversation, looks up and smiles at them. “My gosh!
Ami, he smiled at you!”
“So?”
“So?!
I swear you’re too slow for your own good sometimes. He likes you!”
“Usagi,
you’re reading too much into this, it’s just…”
“Hey you guys!” A huge heavy hand slapped onto Usagi's back. They turn
around and realize that it’s Makoto. “Some commotion over at your class
I understand.”
“Makoto,
can you believe it? Akiyama-san is in our class, he transferred over from
some great school, and, get this; he’s got a crush on Ami. He’s
even asked her to the social next week, but she’s still thinking.
He is such a God!” Usagi continued to blab.
“Well?
Are you going?”
“Makoto,
what are you talking about? They’ve misunderstood; of course I’m not going.
I don't go to things like that."
“Things
could change…”
“Besides,
I don’t even have anything to wear.”
“What
about that white dress he was talking…”
“Minako!
It's not a dress… it’s a…”
“Show
us. Makoto, Akiyama-san is so…”
“I can't
believe this. I give up!” Ami turns and returns to the library.
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