13Copyrights: Erm...mine.
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Author's Notes: Well, everyone - consider this piece a parting gift while I'm on my 'vacation.' I hope you enjoy it.
See you all at the end.
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Prologue
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"What is going on here?"
"O-oh! Mananake-sama! I-"
"No excuses, Shiritai-san. I can't believe that such a good student like you could do something like this."
"I-I'm very sorry, Mananake-sama. It...won't happen again."
"It better not, Shiritai-san, or I will have to expel you. You have detention after school in room 507."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Hey!"
"Do I know you?"
"No. Why did you take the blame for his mistake? He's the one who did the graffiti."
"How did you know that?"
"Oh, come on. He's got paint on his hands for God's sake!"
"I suppose you're right. I did it because...well, he's my friend's boyfriend."
"What kinda excuse is that? You didn't deserve to get in trouble. That was a pretty stupid thing to do!"
"Well, excuse me for trying to help a friend!"
"I thought he was just your friend's boyfriend."
"Ack! Why do you have to point out the particulars?!"
"Because it's always fun. You're really quick to anger, ya know that?"
"Shut up! No one asked you. Wait. Who ARE you, anyway?"
"Name's Myojin Meto. Nice to meet ya. What's yours?"
"...Reina Shiritai."
"Hmm. Nice name."
"Er...thanks, I think."
"Yes, a thanks is the correct response. It might also be nice if you could compliment me as well!"
"Are you always this vain? Why are you acting so friendly considering we met less than two minutes ago?"
"Because I plan on being your friend."
"Oh? How does that work? All you've done since we met is make fun of me. What kinda first impression is that?"
"Well, then. I guess I'll just have to follow you around and annoy you until you call me your friend, won't I?"
"You do that and I'll never call you my friend."
"Oh yes you will. With the proper technique, I can get anyone to be my friend."
"You're weird, you know that?"
"Yes, but it seems that you're pretty strange yourself."
"Why the hell do you say that?!"
"It's quite obvious that you need anger management. Did you know that when you're angry you look really cute?"
"..."
"By the way you're blushing, I'm guessing that's a no."
"Ugh! You're so...so..."
"Charming? Dashing? All of the above?"
"Troublesome!"
"My dear Shiritai-san! It's all in the spirit of annoying you."
-
In The Spirit of Annoying You
-
After three years, Myojin Meto was REALLY starting to tick me off.
Every single morning when I walked to school, there he would be, trying his best to annoy the hell outta me, and guess what?
It was working.
And that morning was no different.
I had just left the apartment building when I heard a loud shout behind me.
"Yo Shiritai! Where you going?!"
I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.
"What the hell do you want, Myojin?" I replied dully, keeping my eyes on the sidewalk and concentrated on walking. 'Right foot, left foot, right foot...'
"When do I ever want anything but to annoy ya, honey?" he asked cheerfully, calling me 'honey' so casually it was sickening.
"My NAME is Reina! Not 'honey!' Why won't you just leave me alone?!" I shouted, stopping for a moment and glaring back at him over my shoulder.
He grinned and caught up with me quickly. "Because you're so quick so anger and it's fun getting you to yell," he responded, closing his green eyes, shadowed by long bangs, as he smiled.
I clenched my fists and I began walking again, this time much faster. 'Whatever you do,' I told myself firmly. 'Remember that murder can get you life in prison.'
"Hey, wait up!" he called, by my side in an instant, running a hand through his spiky light brown hair, looking a little disconcerted. "Why are you so cold?"
My eye twitched and I spun on him. This had been going on for three years. Three whole years. I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped.
"Why am I COLD?!" I yelled angrily. "Why am I COLD? I'll tell you why I'm cold! You! That's why! You follow me everywhere and you won't leave me alone! All you do, all day, every day, is trail along behind me like a lapdog and make fun of me. You're popular! Go chat with all the drooling cheerleaders and then you can all ridicule me and talk about how much you hate me together!"
By the time I was finished with my abrupt speech, he looked shocked. Before the smirk could creep its way back onto his stupid face, I spun back around and made a run for it.
"Hey, wait! Shiritai!"
I ignored him.
-
"What's up?" asked Masami Sae, my best friend and probably my future therapist. With the way things were going, I'd need one.
She took one long look at my face and then smirked. "It was Meto- san again, wasn't it?"
I rolled my eyes and threw myself down into the seat. "Isn't it always?"
She grinned. "You know you like him."
I almost choked on my tongue. Which is a pretty difficult feat. "You're KIDDING, right?! He's a presumptuous asshole who makes it his goal in life to annoy me! How could I ever like someone like that?!" My face was bright red, and it was getting harder and harder for me not to ask myself whether or not that was the truth or not.
Despite my protests, I felt something warm grow in the pit of my stomach.
Sae only looked smug.
"Don't deny it - anyway, it's obvious to tell that he has the biggest crush on you too."
"Yeah, and I own the Internet," I scoffed sarcastically.
"Really?" she asked, sitting down beside me. "So that's where you get all that spending money..."
I let out a frustrated little shriek and slammed my fists into the top of the desk. "Sae!"
She simply beamed.
"Ah - having another temper tantrum, darling?" asked a familiar voice from behind me, freezing me in my place. Sae looked surprised for a moment but then turned and smiled contentedly.
"Oh! Good morning, Meto-san!" she exclaimed happily.
Sure enough, seconds later the desk to the left of mine was occupied by the one and only Myojin Meto.
"Don't call me that!" I retorted, glaring at him furiously.
"Call me your friend, and I won't say it again."
"NEVER."
He chuckled. "Fine...I won't call you darling anymore. I guess I'll just have to think of something else, won't I?"
Seemingly out of nowhere, a thesaurus suddenly appeared in his hands.
"How about - angel, baby, beloved, dear, dear one, dearest, dearie, flame, girlfriend, heart's desire, honey, honey bun, honeybunch, idol, inamorato, jewel, lamb, love, loved, loveling, lover, number one, numero uno, pearl, pet, precious, princess, prize, rave, significant other, steady, sweetheart, sugar, sweet, sweetie, sweetie-pie, tootsie, treasure, true love...Oh, damn. That's all they've got listed. Ah, wait - I think I like precious and tootsie...what say you?"
In response, I lifted up my hand and smacked him as hard as I could upside the head.
"HEY! That hurt, precious!"
"DON'T CALL ME PET NAMES!"
He pouted, emerald-green eyes wide with mock innocence. I had to actually tell myself not to think about how cute he looked when he did that. "Aw, but tootsie-"
"Just stop it, Myojin! Like I said before! Look over there!" I waved my hand in the direction of a group of some of the more popular girls. "There are the cheerleaders! Go make fun of me from over there! Maybe you can start a 'We-Hate-Shiritai-Reina' Club!"
He frowned. "About that, Shiritai-"
But before he could continue, the teacher walked in and started the lesson, leaving him no time to finish.
-
Break One
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Reina was out like a flash as soon as first period was over. I don't think I've ever seen her move that fast, even when trying to get away from me that Christmas party when I was trying to kiss her in front of everyone.
She'd called me plenty of names, and all I'd done is smirked.
What I should have done was kissed her anyway. Damn my stupidity. My face must have shown my displeasure at the memory, because I felt a hand slap me on the back. I looked over to see Shinamari Seto, my best friend, giving me a sympathetic look.
"She thinks I hate her," I said immediately, still dumbfounded. "How can she think I hate her?"
Seto cocked an eyebrow and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Let's see...you mock her daily, follow her around and make fun of her all day, all of this in public, mind you...you-"
My glare stopped his steady flow of words and he grinned at me. "You really should just oust it already. It's so obvious that she likes you just as much as you like her."
I sighed and shook my head, remembering the look on her face from earlier that morning on the walk to school and then the same look from just an hour before. "I don't think so, man. I've heard her talking to Sae- san before and whenever she ever even suggested the idea Reina went crazy and denied it like she was denying murder."
Seto snorted and rolled his eyes, much to my confusion. "Yeah, and you've also managed to fail to notice that with every denial she blushes harder and starts stuttering. You've got a hell of a lot to learn about women, my friend."
I was now even more confused.
Why did women have to be so complicated?
-
Back
-
It was lunchtime and I was still in a bad mood.
Who could blame me, though? I'd been plagued by Myojin since first period had let out and I had to be on constant full alert to avoid him. My head was starting to hurt from jerking it around to make sure he wasn't in sight before I could even step out into the halls.
"Hey Reina," greeted Sae, coming up to me. She already had her lunch.
"Hi Sae," I replied, giving her a little wave. "I still have to go get my food, but I'll meet you there in a few minutes, okay?"
Sae nodded and headed off.
Because all of you are ignorant of what we call 'there', I shall explain.
First of all, the school cafeteria is HUGE. I mean gigantic! Too bad that there are more students than there is room for.
Yeah, I know. Scary.
Anyway, since there is such a grossly over-populated student body at our school, the cafeteria at lunch time is a gruesome sight to behold. That's why Sae and I would hide out every day at lunch to eat in the grass right outside the gym. Not only does it increase our personal space by an amazing magnitude, it's also pretty convenient since we have PE after lunch.
Moving on...
I slowly but surely went through the lunch line, got the meal of the day - (which looked suspiciously like a dead rat) -, paid, and sneakily made my way outside. My mood lightened substantially when I saw Sae sitting with her back up against the building a few feet away from the door and happily joined her.
"Ugh, I'm glad it's lunch time and all," I complained, poking at the rat - er...I mean ROAST...with the spork offered with every meal. (What a bargain! A load of crap to eat and a cheap plastic utensil!) "But do the lunch ladies TRY and cook the most disgusting things they can think of?"
Sae giggled. "Good question."
I grinned at her and set the tray aside, bringing my knees up under my chin and wrapping my arms around my legs.
"So...how was fifth period?"
Her face immediately grew bright red and she suddenly became quite interested in her rat-roast. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
I very nearly cackled. "Right. Sure. How about if I just stop beating around the bush - did you talk to Shinamari-san or what?"
If possible, her face grew to an even brighter shade of crimson. "Well...y-yes, he-"
"You did?! Oh good for you, Sae!" I cheered, hardly realizing I'd interrupted her. "I'm so happy for you!"
She beamed. "It's better, Reina!" she cried, totally getting into the moment and practically swooning. "HE approached ME!"
We squealed and clasped each other's hands.
"What is up with you women and squealing?"
I froze for the second time that day. "What are you doing here, Myojin?!" I demanded, swiveling my head around to glare at him...
...but instead ended up giving him a surprised look when I saw how serious his green eyes were.
"What's wrong?" I asked, shocking even myself with the concern that was evident in my voice.
He looked a little surprised as well at first, but then shook his head. "Why have you been avoiding me all day?" He paused momentarily and shook his head again. "I need to talk to you. Now."
My eyebrows shot up and I cast a stunned look towards Sae. Before I could put my two cents in, Myojin had grabbed my arm and was pulling me to my feet. "Hey, wait-"
His turned and gave me a stern stare. "No."
I stared right back, but then he was dragging me along behind him, hand clasping mine with such force that it was almost frightening, leaving me speechless.
But I was never speechless for long.
"Myojin, where the heck are you taking me?"
He didn't stop nor turn around, but replied, "For once in your life, Reina, just don't ask any questions."
I was now so confused I felt like my already aching head was going to explode. He had called me by my first name.
That was the first time. And, for some reason, I liked it.
"Um...o-okay..."
But that wasn't the only first for something, because I, for once, obeyed. He brought me down the freshman hall and swung open the gym door with a surprising amount of fervor before thrusting me inside and slamming it shut after he entered as well.
Alright, no more 'no questions.'
"Just what the hell is-"
Again, before I could continue, Myojin turned to me and slapped a hand over my mouth, face stoic but eyes hard and searching.
"Why do you think I hate you?"
I stared, a blush beginning to grow when I realized how close he was. One hand remained on my mouth and the other grasped my shoulder. I was backed up against the gym wall and he was bending over some to look me in the eye. It was...embarrassing for some reason.
I couldn't think of anything to say.
And when I didn't try to reply his gaze only intensified. "Why, Reina Shiritai, do you think I hate you?"
Five seconds passed and I still said nothing. His face suddenly went from stoic to sadder than I'd ever seen him look and I felt my own hard squeezed painfully in my chest. It was even worse than from the time when his cat died and he hardly talked to me for a week. That had actually upset me pretty badly, now that I think of it.
Apparently I wasn't the only person that couldn't speak because he opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. He instead closed his eyes and lowered his forehead and rested it on my shoulder. I shivered as he lowered his hand from my mouth to the side of my neck.
"I don't understand..." he whispered. "How can you think I hate you?"
His breath was hot on my neck and sent even more shivers down my spine. "H-how?" I whispered back. "But-but you make fun of me all the time and-"
"And you think I do it because I...hate you," he concluded, left hand tightening around my shoulder.
My throat was constricting, but I managed to croak out, "Myojin, what's going-"
But I didn't finish my sentence, because suddenly Myojin was pressing his face against my neck and I really couldn't breathe. "Reina...I - I don't hate you."
I was shaking by then and my heart was pounding in my chest. "Then...then why...?"
I felt him swallow before his hand slid from my shoulder and to wall behind me. His other hand still gripped my neck, except now with even more intensity.
"It was the only way I could get you to notice me. I wanted to be your friend so badly...But...you think I hate you?"
I was still having a hard time breathing and had to swallow several times before I could speak. "But - but don't you? I always thought that...since you made fun of me all the time...I mean, recently you've been nicer, I suppose, but -"
His only reply was to instead grab me and pull me all the way into his arms, face still pressed against my neck. "I can't hate you...I couldn't even if I wanted to. I wanted more than anything for you to be my friend...that's all. That's all I wanted."
"M-Myojin...I always thought that..." My chest was growing warmer by the minute and I couldn't believe how nervous I was. I was even more dismayed, though, when my arms, which had been caught between his chest and mine, slowly snaked their way behind his back. When my hands clasped together behind him, he suddenly went stock still. I withdrew them immediately.
"I'm - I'm sorry, I..."
There was a moment of silence.
"Reina?"
He was still stiff all around me, and it was scaring me. "Y- yes?"
There was another moment of silence.
"Do you hate me?"
Immediately my head began shouting - "YES, YOU JERK! OF COURSE I HATE YOU!"
But then, my heart was saying - "NO! I COULDN'T EVEN IF I WANTED TO!"
I'm usually a very practical person. (That is, except when I'm in an unquenchable rage - then I do things slightly the opposite.) So, naturally, I was going to go with what my head told me. But when I opened my mouth -
- nothing came out. I was torn. Almost literally.
D-did I hate him? I couldn't tell. Myojin Meto was easily the most confusing person in my life. Ever since that fateful day three years ago when he started playing 20 Questions after I took the blame for the graffiti incident, he had followed me around everywhere, demanding that I proclaim him my friend. Of course, I never did.
I mean, I didn't want him following me around all the time, but goodness knows I've got my pride to keep!
Or...or maybe I just did want him...
'No, that's not it,' I though furiously. 'I must learn to sweep all such thoughts from my head!'
He'd always been there, it seemed. And after a while, I'd learned to tolerate his annoying yet somehow disgustingly charming ways. (I couldn't deny that even if I tried. It was well-known in the school how much the girls all loved Myojin.)
But as time went by, I got the feeling that all of the things he did to me and said to me were more than mocking. Some of the things he'd done, such as the incident at the Christmas party that I really didn't enjoy thinking about, were just flat-out embarrassing and sometimes a little mean.
And because of that, I eventually grew to think that Myojin Meto hated me and was spiting me. And it had hurt, but I'd denied it.
But...now that I knew he didn't hate me - the question was...did I hate him?
"No."
I was extremely surprised at myself, and Myojin seemed even more so.
"R-really?" His voice sounded elated somehow, and his arms were only becoming more and more constricting.
"Yes, but Myojin, your arms-"
I don't think he even heard me because he just increased the pressure and spun me around a few times, laughing happily. "Oh thank God!"
By this time, I was seriously bewildered.
Why did men have to be so complicated?
When he set me back down on my feet, he still refused to let go. "Oh you have no idea how much better that makes me feel, Reina."
I was struggling to breathe again, not only from the constraint of his arms, but also from the nearness, which was definitely beginning to get to me. If he didn't let me go soon, I might do something I could possibly regret...but then again, possibly not.
"Uh, Myojin-" I managed to say brokenly. "I can't - exactly...BREATHE..."
He gasped and immediately released me, catching me again right before I sunk to the ground. "I'm so sorry, Reina!" he exclaimed, green eyes cleared of all past grief.
"I'm confused, Myojin," I panted, breathing heavily. "If you don't hate me -" GASP "- then why have you been picking on me for the-" GASP "- past three years?"
-
Break Two
-
I was utterly confused behind my blank look. What was she talking about? Hadn't I already explained that one?
'You IDIOT!' I could hear Seto yelling in my head. 'Make a move!'
She was really going to be pissed if I didn't do anything -
I swear, when she told me that she didn't hate me - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. And holding her felt so right...
- so I did.
-
Back
-
I was shocked when he started laughing.
"You've got to be kidding me," I whispered under my breath. "How can you be laughing?!"
After a few moments of endless chuckling on his behalf, he finally calmed down enough to grin at me. "Y'know, I always thought you were smart, Reina."
I glared at him and crossed my arms. "I am smart, Myojin. You're the one that's an idiot!"
He threw his head back and laughed again before giving me another smile, brown bangs flopping into his eyes in an extremely fetching (of course I noticed this unwillingly) way.
"Yeah, well it seems that you're pretty stupid when it comes to realizing people are in love with you, eh?"
I growled audibly and opened my mouth to shout out a retort...
...but then realized what his exact wording had been and my jaw dropped, eyes stretched farther open than I'm sure they'd ever been in my life.
"W-what?!" I demanded, falling back against the gym wall.
Myojin rolled his eyes once and sighed. "See? I told you so. You're brain broken or something?" he asked, leaning forward and rapping on the top of my head with his knuckles.
"What exactly are you saying?" I asked, breathless. Damn. There was that same warm feeling in the pit of my stomach again.
He gave me an incredulous look. "Are you REALLY that slow, Reina? I'll say it as many times as it takes to get through your head - I love you."
I stared at him.
He couldn't be SERIOUS, could he?
It wasn't possible! I mean, sure - everyone always told me that, but it had always been an untrue rumor...a random hypothesis!
But it had to be - here he was, telling me himself that he loved me. And the scary thing was - I just might...maybe...love him too.
Sure he was annoying. Sure he had followed me around and bothered me for the past three years. Sure I'd always thought I'd disliked him.
But if that was true, then why was it that any day without him felt imcomplete?
If that was true, then why was it that I always felt a little sad whenever he was sad?
Because...
...I loved him.
I swallowed once before lifting my gaze up towards his face. "Tell me you aren't lying."
My voice wasn't as forceful and commanding as I'd wanted it to be, but it was still that same old 'Reina Shiritai, Commanding Officer' tone I always tried to have when telling Myojin off.
The grin dropped from his face and he gazed at me quite seriously as I stepped forward once, eyes both hard and pleading.
"Tell me that this isn't some sort of joke."
I took another step forward until we were barely an inch apart.
"Tell me, Meto."
There was a moment of silence and for a second I thought that I'd probably just made the biggest fool out of my-
"No. It's not."
I let my eyes close and released a shuddering breath.
"O-okay...g-good, then...I won't regret this."
Myojin gave me a quick quizzical look. "Regret wh-"
But before he could continue, I threw myself into his arms and burst into emotionally gripping tears.
"Oh, God, Myojin!" I gasped between sobs, tangling my hands in the back of his shirt and leaning against his chest heavily. I took a few more heaving breaths of air and gathered my courage before crying: "I-I love you too!"
There was a small amount of time during which I just stood there and held onto him like a small child with a teddy bear and he was as stiff as a rock. But it lasted barely a second before he threw his arms around me as well and literally lifted me off my feet and clutched me to his chest.
"R-really?" he asked after setting me down and forcing me back so that his green eyes could search my blue ones. "Are you serious?"
I tried my best to glare at him. "Of course I am, you dolt!"
But then he grinned at me and swept me up into another big hug. "Thank God," I heard him whisper under his breath before settling his face in the crook of my neck again, a place he seemed more than slightly fond of. Sooner than I could say anything, though, his face moved up to mine and his mouth captured my own.
We stood like that for a while, kissing happily before there was a large there was a large, accusing cough from the gym's doors.
We flew apart immediately and I turned bright red at the sight of a very smug Sae and Shinamari-san.
"Well, it TOOK you long enough," she announced, tone clearly annoyed.
"Finally!" exclaimed Shinamari-san, crossing his arms and beaming at Myojin. "Good job, Meto!"
I exchanged an embarrassed glance with the tall, brown-haired boy beside me and then shut my eyes and sighed.
"You're both going to tell everyone in the school about this, aren't you?" Myojin and I asked miserably in sync.
They grinned.
"Sae-chan here is the one that came and got me and brought me here," Shinamari-san said, smirking. "She said that the way you both were acting was awfully suspicious." He gave her an approving look and I mentally smiled when Sae blushed.
They both then turned away, giving each other hearty congratulations on their 'discovery.'
I moaned once and covered my face with my hands. I heard a chuckle from beside me and then felt Myojin grab my wrists and lower my hands.
"We're FRIENDS now, right?"
I gave him an odd look but then nodded. "If that's what you call this..." I looked away, trying to avoid his eyes. I was still humiliated.
"Don't tell me you're embarrassed because of being caught kissing me!" he accused, smirking.
My face turned scarlet and I looked away.
Myojin grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him again. I was a little taken aback by the seducing look in his eyes.
"Get used to it, precious," he said, giving me a quick peck on the lips and turning to follow Sae and Shinamari-san out of the gym. "I plan for us to be doing a lot more making out in the future!"
If I hadn't been restraining myself from kissing him again I would have been appalled. "Ew! Myojin, you're so...so..."
"Troublesome?" he asked, coming back and dragging me along behind him with a good-natured look on his face. "Yes, I recall you telling me that three years ago. And as I replied so many months ago, tootsie-my- precious - it's all in the spirit of annoying you."
-
End
-
((*Isn't that the coolest expression? Tears 'bleeding' down my cheeks?! XD I quack myself up.))
Well folks, that's it. I think that used up the last of any creative juices I had flowing. I sincerely hope you had fun reading this short story, as it was a lot of fun to write. I enjoyed writing this more than I've enjoyed writing anything for a long time. PLEASE REVIEW! IT'LL GET ME BACK TO WRITING A LOT MORE QUICKLY FOR SURE!
I'll see you all as soon as I can get my imagination at work once more! I love you all and will bid you adieu 'til then.
- Aeleice