Forum: Tokyo City
Type: Relaxed

Plot Summary:
After the Silver Millennium's fall, Queen Serenity managed to destroy Queen Metalia once and for all, negating her threat for eternity. And so all the Moon Kingdom denizens, Endymion, and his Four Generals were reincarnated on earth, but this time as normal humans who are actually allowed to live normal lives without the burden of being senshi or the destiny to fight. They're all scattered in different places, and didn't meet each other for years and years.

Until Minako Aino, the reincarnation of Sailor Venus, enters high school for the first time. There, one of her upperclassmen, Kunihiro Kinzoku, turns out to be the reincarnation of Kunzite from so long ago, and the two feel strangely drawn to each other, though for the life of them, they can't understand why.

Details on any necessary information: Neither Minako nor Kunzite will be magical in this Alternate Universe; after they were reincarnated on earth, they are born as normal, regular people, not a senshi and Shitennou. They also don't have their past lives memories and will never remember other than the niggling feeling that something is familiar within each other. The RP is to explore what it would be like if the two of them get a fresh start in a completely normal life.

Restrictions: Only Minako and Kunzite, everyone else will be NPCed.

Source: N/A

OOC Thread: N/A

Characters:
- Kunihiro Kinzoku: Played by Sailor Pluto
- Minako Aino: Played by Sailor Mercury

Another school year, another opportunity to get scouted.

That was all Kunihiro really cared about - his reputation, his future as a football player, his friends.  Nothing else really struck his interest.  Sure, he would fool around with a girl every once in a while, but he never put enough care or effort into any relationship that didn't have to do with football.  Although the star player and one of the more popular guys in the school, getting out of high school with a place to go was the only thing he wanted out of his education.  

He worked hard every year to achieve that one goal:  get scouted.  For most people, others would look at them and say, "He's got no chance."  But for Kunihiro, people watched him throw the ball across the field and they thought, "That guy is going places."  

The first day was about to kick off as the white-haired football star walking down the center of the hallway, smiling and waving at his friends as he passed.  Guys clapped him on the back, girls giggled and waved, teachers rolled their eyes.  It was the same as any other day.

Only today, there were new freshmen.  And what did new freshmen imply?  

Fresh meat.

The thoughts of all of the pranks that would be played as the school year progressed caused a smirk to spread across Kunihiro's face.  It would be a fun year, that was for sure.

It was the first day of high school! Minako Aino was officially an adult!

Today was so exciting that Minako actually beat her alarm clock for once. She’d woken up before it rang and rushed to school as if she was being chased by something. Her mother had been so perplexed, though clearly hoping this would become a trend. When Minako arrived well before the bell rang, she grinned and sauntered inside, admiring the building that she was entering for the first time.

Her uniform was perfectly crisp, her red bow perched on its usual place, shinier than usual, and her hair was particularly gorgeous today if she did say so herself. She greeted some friends she knew from middle school who’d also moved to the same high school and practically skipped down the hallway toward the row of lockers.

She was already keeping her eyes peeled for gorgeous upperclassmen—so much more mature than those silly middle school boys, for sure!—and her eyes caught a flash of silver hair up ahead. What an unusual color… she thought, and her gaze latched onto the person’s face.

For a beat, the world seemed to become silent and still.

She blinked, her body automatically pausing mid-stride with her book bag mid-swing.

What a strange feeling. She couldn’t describe it, but there was certainly something about this guy. He was handsome, surely, but she knew that wasn’t the only thing that made her pause. Her heart was beating loud in her chest, and she reached out one hand to the wall to steady herself.

Whoa. Seeing him was like a head rush. She’d certainly never felt this strongly about anyone she just met. Minako frowned.

Who is he?

Kunihiro was about to enter his homeroom when he heard one of his friends calling his name.  He turned, spotting his fellow teammate and best running back, Satoshi.  He grinned and approached the brown-haired student, high-fiving him and immediately starting a conversation.  Kunihiro leaned against the lockers, listening as Satoshi complained about the new freshmen and how they were already annoying.

It didn't take long for more football players to find Kunihiro and join in on their conversation.  Every few seconds an uproar of laughter would fill the halls as freshmen were made fun of and messed with.  The short, scrawny newbees could only hope and pray that they wouldn't fall to the hands of the upperclassmen.

Kunihiro was laughing along with them when he suddenly felt uneasy.  It was like someone was staring at him, which usually wasn't a big deal, but this time, something was off.  Someone was literally staring at him, and had been for quite some time.  Curious as to who had the nerve to practically treat him like a test subject, Kunihiro's eyes scanned the hallway.  Only a little ways away from him, he spotted a strikingly beautiful blonde leaning against the lockers, staring at him.  And for some odd reason, he found himself staring at her, too.

She was just...beautiful.  Her hair, long and shiny, her face, sweet and innocent, her body, thin and curvy - everything about her resembled a goddess.  But those eyes.  They were so far away, but they seemed to reach deep into Kunihiro's heart and soul.  He felt his breath hitch and the butterflies explode in his stomach.  He just couldn't bring himself to look away.

"Hiro-san, what are you staring at?" Satoshi asked, calling the attention of everyone else around him.  Another teammate, Yoshiki, punched Kunihiro in the shoulder.  

"A freshman, huh?" Yoshiki smirked.  "Why don't you go put her in her place?"

The other guys laughed, shoving Kunihiro off of the wall and towards the girl.  His feet suddenly felt heavy, ponderous even, as he was suddenly filled with dread.  He didn't want to ruin this girl's day...she just seemed so innocent.  

"Go on, what are you waiting for?!" Satoshi said.  At his best friend's words, Kunihiro erased his doubt and took confident steps forward, bringing himself half a foot away from the freshman goddess.  

"There a problem, blondie?" Kunihiro smirked, leaning against the wall beside her.  It was a habit for him - leaning against the wall.  "Or do you have some sort of issue staring at people who are out of your league?" he finished.  He suddenly felt like he was punched in the stomach, and the hardness in his gaze faltered for the briefest of seconds.  Quickly, he recovered, returning to his stoic personality.  'What is wrong with me?'

Minako had had her fair share of lovestruck moments. She’d stopped and stared at numerous guys on the street, on TV, on restaurants and cafés… she’d even once held up an entire line of queue in the name of getting a cute guy’s phone number.

But this was different, and even she recognized it. She couldn’t take her eyes off the guy across the hall. His long white hair, so unusual and yet so familiar at the same time. His tall figure… and those strong arms giving her a strange nostalgic feeling of being wrapped in them, which just made no sense. He was a stranger.

And then his eyes met her gaze, and she could literally hear the ‘thump’ that hear heart was making inside her body. His eyes. They seemed so ancient, keeping centuries old secrets. The two of them stared at each other as if they were trapped in some kind of spell, and for a moment the world around Minako ceased to exist.

Then he started moving. Moving toward her.

For once, Minako was flustered. Usually, she would put on her flirtiest smile and welcome this kind of attention, but suddenly all she wanted to do was go hide and pretend this never happened. It was all so weird and she didn’t want to deal with it. But it was too late; he was already striding toward her and there was nowhere to go except turning around and back out the door.

She didn’t know what she expected him to say, but those words probably ranked at the bottom of her hypothetical list anyway. When he called her ‘blondie’, Minako’s entire bubbly, soft, romantic haze complete with its own melodic violin soundtrack came to a screeching halt, then crashed and burned. Her face turned from dreamy to pissed in a matter of seconds.

“Excuse me? My name’s Minako. Aino Minako. Not ‘blondie’.” She didn’t care that he was probably one of her senpai and that she might get into a world of trouble for this. Nobody insulted her and got away with it. “And out of my league?” she actually managed to laugh. “You can keep on dreaming…” she paused, looked him up and down, and smirked, “…whitey.”

Hey, if he could call her by her hair color, she could do the same too.

Snickers and echoes of, "Oooh, burn," from down the hall caused Kunihiro to roll his eyes in annoyance.  

"You've got attitude, blondie," he said, ignoring her real name (which, in all honesty, he thought was the most beautiful name in the universe).  "Why don't you take that attitude and use it against some of your teachers?  Speaking of which, shouldn't you be scrambling to your first class by now?  Or do you need a kind, handsome upperclassman like myself to show you the way?"  The smirk on Kunihiro's face could not be removed, especially after he heard the laughter of his friends behind him.  

Despite his glee at picking on his first freshman of the semester, Kunihiro couldn't remove that deep, painful wrenching within his chest.  It was like his heart was constricting, punishing him for being so rude to this girl.  Why did it matter?  She was no different than any other freshman he had picked on.

No, she was different.  That was why Kunihiro was having so much trouble keeping himself under control.  This girl, Minako, was so different that it had taken his breath away.  In fact, his breath still hadn't returned.  His mouth was running according to his subconscious, his stupid ego that was constantly overpowering him.  With his friends watching, he just...couldn't turn it off.

Her heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute from standing this close to him. Not at all. Damn it, why is he so tall? Minako tilted her head up defiantly to look him in the eye, determined not to show a single sign that she might be attracted to him in the slightest. Even if that was fast becoming impossible with him in such close proximity. But she refused to be the one to back down or leave or step back. So she just stubbornly commanded her body to get things under control.

It should have been enough to turn her off when she realized he was a jerk. Why wasn’t it enough?

She summoned as much disgust to her expression as possible as he droned on about what a ‘kind, handsome upperclassman’ he was, even if everything within her was at war with herself. “I can find my own way, thank you very much,” she lied—she had no idea where she was going, of course. But she’d be damned if she would ask for his help. There had to be plenty of actually kind and handsome upperclassmen who would help her.

“Who are you, anyway? Does your father own the school or something? With so much self-entitlement and ego, that seems like the only reason you’d be harassing a new student for no reason. Or is this actually your way of being charming?” she raised her eyebrows challengingly. Some guys thought being a jerk was their way into a girl’s heart. Maybe this one just happened to be one of those misguided ones.

With a fake tired sigh, Kunihiro placed both arms behind his head. "Ahh, pride. Every freshman's got it. It's the reason all those kids who have had perfect attendance their entire lives already ten tardies by the end of the first week. I think we both know you wouldn't be able to navigate these halls without help. But hey, to each their own," he said simply. His eyes followed her movements, watching as her lips moved and her eyes lit up defensively.

At her inquisition about his name, he continued by saying, "Perhaps if you allow me to escort you to your class, I'll grace you with knowledge about myself."

He winked, but in his head he was wondering why the hell he started talking like a prince all of a sudden. He shook his head slightly, moving those thoughts to the back of his head. His eyes flickered back to his friends, who were still watching with laughs ready to escape their mouths at any second.

“You’re not the only one who knows these halls,” she pointed out. It wasn’t as if she was desperate. Now that everyone was pretty much looking at them, she was even more determined not to back down. She could even ask a teacher. That’s what they’re for, right?

Minako eyed him suspiciously when he suddenly offered to ‘escort’ her, dangling the information she so wished to know as incentive. Again, she was sure it was information she could get elsewhere, and she didn’t even want him to know that she wanted to know about him. After the way he’d treated her, what she needed to do was walk away and say ‘no, thanks’. She’d be humiliating him, which was nothing less than he deserved.

But did she really want to incite the ire of the entire senior(?) class? She had no idea who he was, but he seemed popular from what she observed. From the number of people who’d gathered, looking at him, and the friends he’d talked to before. Maybe this isn’t the time to put your pride above all others, Minako.

Besides, if she did concede, they would see it as her accepting his offer graciously. Right? And maybe she’d score some cool points if her friends and the other new girls saw her walking with an upperclassman on her very first day, ten minutes after stepping foot into the high school building for the first time.

Yes, she would just have to turn this into something that worked in her advantage.

“Well, since you did ask very nicely,” she said, lifting her chin. “You may escort me to class, but if you led me to the wrong room, I can promise you that you will regret it.”

With that, she fished out the paper filled with her weekly schedule that she’d picked up earlier and shoved it under his nose.

There was a chorus of whistles as Kunihiro took Minako's schedule, grinning triumphantly as he led the young freshman to her class. His friends clapped him on the back and laughed as he passed, heading down the hall and to the right. "Ayumi-sensi, huh? She's a force to be reckoned with. If you're not a cheerleader, she'll automatically hate you. Watch out, blondie," he said, nudging her slightly. She was a lot shoulder than him, standing just below his shoulders. It only added to the adoration he held for her. For some reason, he felt so incredibly drawn to her. His heart was telling him that he needed to stay by her side and protect her from the horrors of high school. His brain, on the other hand, wanted to be one of those horrors.

"The name's Kinzoku Kunihiro, quarterback and captain of the football team." He looked over at her, glancing up and down her figure before taking a lock of hair between his fingers. He almost choked on his words, but recovered and said, "What do you do? Hair care?"

He made a left, passing the school's office and auditorium. Every pair of eyes the passed followed them as they walked, wondering why the school's football star was walking with some freshman. Kunihiro ignored them, almost tempted to sling his arm around the girl's shoulders, just to get a reaction out of both her and the watching population. But he thought against it, not wanting to completely freak the girl out. She was still innocent, still pure. 'She deserves better than me,' Kunihiro sadly thought.

Minako tried to pretend that all the attention meant nothing to her. In reality, she was pretty damn excited about being instantly famous on her first day. She’d thought she would have to work for it at least a little bit, but clearly nobody could resist the famous Minako Aino charm. Some people were just born to be a star. Maybe this guy knew it too, and that was the real reason he’d zeroed in on her.

“Then maybe I’ll just be a cheerleader, then,” she shrugged easily. “I’m already pretty athletic, and I believe I’ve got the looks,” she grinned. She was definitely looking to branch out to new clubs in high school. She’d been the star of her volleyball team in middle school, but no reason why she couldn’t do both now. Cheerleaders were popular, right? And she was all about popularity.

He finally told her his name, and Minako’s smile widened when she heard that he was captain of the football team. Of course he was. He was probably the most popular guy at school. Way to go, Minako. She’d made the right decision not brushing him off. Maybe he was a bit of a jerk, but another possibility was that he was just trying to deny his undying attraction to her. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Ahh, so what shall I call you? Kun-Kun? Kuni-chan? Ohh, I like that. Kuni-chan!” she giggled.

She discovered him touching her hair and swatted his hand. “Hey! No touching the gorgeous locks with your unclean hands. I take my hair care very seriously. This,” she waved her hand about herself, “doesn’t just happen, you know.”

Kunihiro laughed out loud at Minako's words. "You? A cheerleader?" He looked her up and down again, mentally picturing her in a cheerleading uniform. It actually didn't seem like too bad a thought, but he wasn't going to let her know that.

"You don't have what it takes," he finished, rolling his eyes. "Cheerleaders have to be popular, first of all. Just because you're honored enough to be the freshman walking with me doesn't make you popular, trust me. These people, " he gestured to everyone around them, "are going to eat you alive, blondie. You wouldn't be able to handle a day as a cheerleader."

He cringed as Minako started calling him by ridiculous nicknames. "You can call me Kinzoku-san. Or, senpai," he teased, nudging her again. This was going to be a fun year, he thought. That was certain.

She slapped his hand away from her hair and he scoffed. "On second thought, you might just fit in with the cheerleaders," he remarked. They finally arrived at Minako's classroom, and Kunihiro took the initiative to physically lead her inside. She looked around the room, spotting the girl he was looking for sitting amidt her friends: the cheerleaders.

"Mio-chan!" he called, waving the girl over. She looked up, her eyes sparkling when she laid eyes on him. Her friends all giggled as she slid off of her desk, walking over to where Kunihiro and Minako stood.

"Hino-san! I was wondering when you'd come find me," she giggled, pecking him on the cheek with a flirtatious kiss. He smirked and nodded towards Minako.

"Blondie, this is Kuroki Mio, head cheerleader here. She'll take good care of you, right?" he said, winking at Mio. The brunette smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Great. See you around, blondie," Kunihiro waved, leaving the class. He headed back to his own classroom, high-fiving his friends on the way, and prepared for another day of being bored.

Why was he laughing at her? Minako definitely took offense at that. What was funny about her being a cheerleader? She bristled when he said she didn’t have what it took. Like what?! She was gorgeous, athletic, and popular. Well, she was popular back in middle school and she was quickly making a name here already. She shook her head at his words, refusing to let him get into her head. “Hmph. You don’t even know me. You know nothing about what I can and can’t handle.”

She rolled her eyes as he advised her to call him ‘senpai’. In your dreams. Nope, she was sticking with Kuni-chan.

Grinning when he finally admitted she might actually fit in with the cheerleaders—even though she knew it wasn’t necessarily a compliment—Minako followed him into the classroom. She made sure to double check the room number just in case he was leading her astray. She still didn’t trust him.

When he called another girl, Minako looked on curiously, and immediately decided she didn’t like the girl in question. No, it wasn’t jealousy. She just… didn’t like her. There was something about that girl that didn’t look right. She looked… fake. And nasty. And ugh, could she be perkier? Minako watched in disbelief as she actually gave Kunihiro a peck on the cheek. Was this his girlfriend or something?

Suddenly her stomach churned in a really uncomfortable way. She didn’t know why, nor did she want to admit it, but the thought of him having a girlfriend really unsettled her. And especially this girlfriend. But why wouldn’t he, really? He was clearly the most desirable guy at school, so it made no sense that he’d be unattached. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t considered the possibility before. And now that she had… she could almost feel herself deflating.

She straightened up when he introduced them, managing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Oh, great. Of course she was the head cheerleader. Aka the person she was supposed to impress if she ever had any hope of making it into the team. And after she’d declared boldly that she had what it took, she kind of have to now.

And then he just left. Left her with the possibly devil incarnate head cheerleader slash his possible girlfriend. What just happened? Minako had no time to react before he was gone, and she was left with Mio staring her up and down. Cursing Kunihiro mentally for dropping her just like that into this situation, she made a mental note to get even later. Now she needed to take care of the matter at hand.

Giving the girl in front of her the brightest smile she could muster, Minako extended her hand. “Aino Minako, very nice to meet you,” she said as politely as possible.

Mio shook her hand briefly, though Minako didn’t know if she squeezed harder than necessary or if it was only her imagination since it happened so quickly. “So you must be new, then, Minako-chan, because I know everyone,” she said sweetly.

“Yes,” Minako answered cautiously. Minako-chan? This girl was awfully friendly for someone she’d just met. “That’s why Kuni—Kinzoku-senpai was showing me the way to class.” She corrected herself at the last moment, again choosing the polite route. This was one girl she didn’t want to antagonize, no matter how uncomfortable she made Minako feel.

“He’s so nice, isn’t he? Always a helpful gentleman,” Mio said with an even wider smile. It was honestly starting to freak Minako out.

“Right! That he is,” she decided to agree. “I’m actually also considering to join the cheerleading team.”

“Oh, really?” Mio gushed excitedly. “That’s awesome! You do have good taste in activities. Tryouts are tomorrow at 4 pm sharp. Don’t be late! I’ll be looking forward to seeing you there. I’m sure you’ll do great. See you later, Minako-chan!” Mio winked at her, then returned to her seat.

The bell had rung, and Minako quickly scampered off to find an empty seat as well, her heart still beating all over the place.

This had been a very strange and unexpected first day, and she was only getting started.

Multiple times as he walked to his class, Kunihiro mentally punched himself for being such a jerk to Minako.  She was just so beautiful and innocent, and he was drawn to her more than he had been any other girl before.  Typically, girls didn't really mean very much to him.  Sure, he would go out with Mio every now and then to distract himself, but other than that, he never really bothered with girlfriends.  But he wanted to be around Minako again.  He wanted to see her, to hear her voice and watch her demeanor change when he teased her.  After only about ten minutes of knowing her, he had already started to feel attracted to her.

He found himself thinking about the blonde beauty all throughout first period, unable to get rid of that fluttering feeling going on in his stomach.  There was something about her eyes that made him feel like he had met her before.  But as far as he was concerned, he hadn't seen her before in his life.  

First period ended, and Kunzite's schedule told him that he was going to a freshman class to retake algebra.  With a groan, he trudged to the class, slightly embarrassed that he had to retake it.  It wasn't necessarily his fault, he just was never able to grasp it.  After realizing he would never get the hang of math, Kunihiro gave up his freshman year.  Now, he was paying the price.

He walked into the class, taking a seat at the back of the room.  The teacher glanced up at him and rolled her eyes, turning back to her computer.  More freshman entered the room, none daring to sit near Kunihiro after he glared at them.  The sooner this class ended, the better, he thought.

There was no way Minako could have concentrated on anything after the morning she’d had. The image of Kunihiro wouldn’t disappear from her mind, no matter how much she tried to shake it off. He kept haunting her thoughts like a persistent zit that wouldn’t go away. Okay, she knew she was boy-crazy, but she’d never been this boy-crazy. Right? She was pretty sure that all her crushes were just that—crushes. She liked to make a big dramatic production out of it, of course, and every single one of them felt like the glorious first love that she would never forget, but deep down she knew she had never really properly loved someone. She also got over those boys pretty quick.

The feelings she had about Kunihiro reached a deep level that she didn’t know existed or that she was capable of feeling. And that, more than anything else, bothered her. Despite all her proclamations of romance, Minako had never actually believed in love at first sight. Crushes on first sight, yes. She’d had plenty. But this was different and—dare she say it—rather scary.

And then it felt as if her heart had already felt these feelings before. But it was also a bit removed, like it belonged to another person’s life that she just happened to know intimately. It was frustrating how none of it made sense. She managed to slog through her first class, missing about 90% of the knowledge that the teacher had imparted—but what else was new, really—and immediately started getting up when the bell rang.

This time, she actually did wisely ask the teacher how to find her next class. She didn’t need any more encounters with strange upperclassmen who might or might not be interested in her for a bizarre reason.

She finally found the correct room and, immediately, she felt him before she actually saw him. It was like her entire senses were attuned to his presence now.

Also, the big circle of empty chairs around him helped.

He was sitting at the back of the class and Minako gaped. What was he doing here? Surely he wouldn’t need to take a class that was meant for first years.

Minako wandered over and sat down a few chairs away, close enough to him to talk but not right beside him. She didn’t want him to think that she was eager to be near him all the time or something like that. His ego didn’t need that.

“It seems I may have overestimated your intelligence, Kuni-chan,” she said playfully in a low voice. “Sorry, I just can’t see how I can call you ‘senpai’ seeing that we’re in the same beginner class and all.”

As soon as her golden-blonde hair entered the room, Kunihiro went rigid. His body tensed and his fists clenched, all while he forced himself not to look at her. He wanted to, more than anything, but he would only see mocking and judgment in those beautiful eyes.

He couldn't bear that.

It was already embarrassing enough that he had to take this class. Now the most beautiful girl he had ever met and actually felt something about was in the same class. He mentally cursed whoever invented the agonizing world of algebra.

Then she spoke. Of course she did, why wouldn't she? He would have done the same thing if their roles were switched. As expected, she made fun of him. Naturally, Kunihiro's reaction was to fire something right back.

"It seems I overestimated your kindness as well, blondie. Looks like we're both disappointed today, huh?" He resisted the urge to look at her, to drink in her spiteful smile and her sparkling eyes. One freshman turned around to look at them and he immediately glared, quickly causing them to turn around. He hoped with all his being that this class would go by quickly.

But, at the same time, he wanted it to last forever. Being around Minako was like a drug to him. He just wanted to be with her, to hear her voice and learn more about her. When he was away from her, he felt empty and void. But now that she was near him again, he felt happy. Happiness was something Kunihiro only achieved on the field.

Minako didn’t know why, but Kunihiro’s words hurt her in an unexpected way. She was hurt because he seemed to be hurt by her. The idea that he was potentially distressed by what she said made something inside her feel pain, which was just strange. She had been teasing him since they met but none of it had felt like a problem because her words had mostly rolled off his back. But now he actually looked embarrassed about being there, and he was saying she was unkind. The idea that he thought that of her made her heart twinge.

What the hell was wrong with her?

“Hey, I… I’m sorry,” she said anyway, if only to get rid of the discomfort she was feeling. “If it’s any consolation, I’m not the brightest student either. I just barely graduated middle school.” Why was she telling him all this?! He didn’t need more fodder to make fun of her. She also didn’t need to be known as the dumb blonde.

Too late to take back the words, though.

“Guess we can flunk things together,” she said easily, trying to play it off as no big deal. “Seeing as you’re having so much trouble remembering my name, you’d probably be here a while.”

Kunihiro looked up, finally, surprised by Minako's apology. The softness in her voice and sincerity of her words touched a deep place in his heart, and he found himself smiling. Genuinely smiling. "Don't sweat it, I'm used to it," he said, surprised by the kindness in his own voice. No longer was he teasing, or saying something spiteful. They were actually at the beginning of a normal conversation, for once.

"To be honest, flunking with you doesn't seem all that bad," he commented, leaning back and placing both arms behind his head. "I'd rather spend the rest of my life in class with you than with any of my dumbass friends."

He settled in his chair, cringing slightly as he realized what he had said. He didn't mean to say it out loud, but what's done is done. He might as well try to cover it up, he thought.

"I mean, what could be better than a lifetime messing with you?" he chuckled, tipping his chair backwards and leaning against the wall.

He wasn't going to admit it, but he secretly liked the way she had sort of opened up to him just then. It felt like a new door had opened up, perhaps a gateway of opportunity for a stronger relationship between them. The thought made his smile widen.

Damn. She thought he was gorgeous before, but when he showed a genuine smile like that—not a cocky or playful one—he was… well… Minako could almost feel herself actually threatening to melt into a puddle. She looked away before she could blush, wanting to kick herself mentally. What was wrong with her today? It was as if she had accidentally consumed an aphrodisiac with her breakfast. Which… admittedly, wouldn’t be the first time. (It was an experiment. Which didn’t end well.)

She raised her eyebrows in surprise as he said he’d rather spend the rest of his life with her than with any of his friends. Whoa, that was a pretty strong statement, wasn’t it?

He tried to change it to something else, and Minako actually felt a bit relieved. As much fun as this was, sometimes the enormity of what she felt scared her too. And if he felt it too… well… she really didn’t know what this was all about, but she would rather not get herself in trouble because of it.

“Is this how you charm all the new girls?” she replied lightly, though she did wonder if he was just one of those womanizer types and if she’d fallen for it. “And here I thought you already have a girlfriend. It’s the greatest cliché in the high school life, right? The quarterback and the head cheerleader?”

Okay, so she really wanted to confirm his status, but he didn’t need to know that.

Kunihiro's gray irises widened in surprise as his balance was lost, send him teetering backwards. He caught himself on his desk, mere milliseconds from crashing to the floor. He mentally thanked his quick reflexes as he pulled himself back up. Minako's statement had caught him way off guard.

He couldn't help but laugh, not only at himself for almost falling backwards, but at Minako's question. "Mio-chan is not my girlfriend," he said, moving his hair out of his face. "She's..."

He paused, thinking of what exactly he would call Mio. Definitely not a girlfriend...then again, the history they had of fooling around and flirting couldn't be classified as a typical friendship. He struggled to find the words, but finally just said:

"Well, sort of, but not really. She's just...not my type. I'm not big on preppy, bitchy popular chicks who think they can get whatever they want. Besides, I don't really care about girls. Football is the only thing getting me out of this place."

He glanced over at Minako, registering her expression. 'But you...you're not like them, are you?' he thought, looking away quickly. He could tell just by the presence this girl was giving off that she was different. Sure, she was a little bit like a typical cheerleader, but the way she carried herself was unlike any way he had ever seen. It was like she was proud of who she was, but wasn't conceited enough to flaunt it. She loved being herself and wasn't afraid to do what she knew was right. All of that was easily readable, just by glancing at her.

Kunihiro's expression darkened when he reached a sudden realization. 'Every guy in this school is going to want her.'

The thought of another guy holding her, touching her, even looking at her was enough to make Kunihiro's blood boil. Why was he feeling so possessive over her? They hardly knew each other, and yet, he felt like it was his responsibility to be there for her and protect her.

Minako blinked in shock as he almost fell off the chair, and she couldn’t suppress a giggle as he scrambled to right himself. What had she said that had surprised him so? And here she thought he was supposed to be all suave and in control. Clearly, she hadn’t completely figured him out yet. The way with which he certainly declared that Mio wasn’t his girlfriend made her irrationally relieved and happy, but she told herself it was just because she didn’t like the other girl. That was the only reason, really.

But then he seemed to rethink the idea, and Minako kind of got what he was trying to say. Casual partner? Occasional hook-up? Which successfully brought her down from her initial feeling of triumph. So he was that kind of guy. The kind who wanted to be with a girl without actually committing himself to a relationship. She supposed she couldn’t criticize given her own lack of serious relationships and how easily she moved from one crush to another.

And yet something about it still annoyed her.

However, she was pleasantly surprised to hear that he knew exactly what kind of girl Mio was. “Well. Maybe you’re pretty smart after all to avoid a girl like her. I only knew her for five minutes and I can say for sure I don’t trust that nice act.”

Head cheerleaders weren’t typically sweet, after all.

But if so, why was he giving her the time of day, then? Why was he giving her exactly what she wanted? What was it that he really wanted?

She really was having a hard time reading him. He kept seeming like one thing only to turn around and prove her wrong in the next minute. Leaning toward him and lowering her voice, Minako decided to see if she could shock him again.

“Don’t really care about girls, huh? Maybe that just means you care about boys more.”

Kunihiro arched an eyebrow, turning his head to look Minako in the eye. His gaze was stern, serious, even. "You're a smart girl, Minako, so tell me - do I look like I'm gay?" His voice was quiet and level, but the corner of his mouth was turned up in a crooked smile. "You ought to learn to control that mouth of yours, blondie. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that you were trying to get to know me better," he remarked.

Although he was teasing, Kunihiro found the idea of Minako possibly crushing on him rather...satisfying. She was a feisty one, with quick wit and smart comebacks, but he could see beneath that hard, sharp exterior she wore. He wanted to uncover her sensitive side, the one that he knew she was hiding.

"Now it's my turn to interrogate," he stated, leaning forward. "What's your story, blondie? You got a boyfriend?"

It was a stupid question, and he knew it. Of course she had a boyfriend. Why wouldn't she? She was a walking goddess. It was like Aphrodite herself had given birth to her.

Minako couldn’t help but blush as he finally said her name for the first time. She liked the way it sounded on his lips, especially when paired with a compliment. And he hadn’t bothered with honorifics either, which was usually reserved for people especially close to one another. It was surprising, but what was more shocking to her was how right it sounded. Normally she’d be offended, but when he was the one who said it… and he said it so easily, so casually, as if that was the only way her name was meant to be spoken by him…

“Well… appearances can be deceiving,” she said quickly, her brain trying to catch up with his words. She felt a bit disappointed about him reverting back to her nickname, but she was already getting used to it. It didn’t sound so offensive coming from him anymore. And she had the feeling she would forgive a lot of things when it came to one Kunihiro Kinzoku.

When he turned the question right back at her, Minako laughed in surprise at how straightforward he was being about this. “Wow, you don’t beat around the bush, do you? Why do you ask? Are you interested?” she teased.

She thought about her love life, or lack thereof, and the irony of always having a parade of crushes while never getting the chance to commit to one of them at the same time. Was she just that fickle? Was her heart never really in it? It wasn’t always her fault, though. Sometimes the other party just wasn’t interested, or they already had another girl in mind, or they turned out to be a jerk…

“I really like boys, just to get that clarification out of the way,” she said without a care in the world. “But I don’t know why… it never works out. I’ve had tons of crushes but no one’s… no one’s ever been… right. And that’s before I can even attempt a relationship with them. I don’t know. Maybe I’m cursed when it comes to love.” She shrugged, trying to brush it off. “So no, I definitely don’t have a boyfriend. Never had one. I know that’s hard to believe, but it is what it is. Cupid doesn’t like me.”

She still had no idea why she was telling him all this, but something about him just made her want to open up and say everything that was in her heart.

Putting his hands up defensively, Kunihiro leaned back again. "Hey, you started the interrogations. I'm just going along with it," he said.

Hearing Minako's explanation of her love life caused a small glimmer of hope to flash in Kunihiro's eyes. If she had never made a true commitment before, then there wasn't anyone standing in the way of their future together.

'What the hell am I thinking?!' Kunihiro thought, placing an elbow on his desk. Every time he looked at this girl, his head was filled with crazy, unrealistic thoughts about a future that he knew would never happen. As much as he wanted to be, he would never be good enough for her.

Teenage hormones and a sudden flash of emotion pushed Kunihiro to act completely based on his heart. All of his emotions and thoughts came out in one action, without any logic behind it.

Another smile formed as he caught her eye. "Don't give up yet - I promise Cupid will pull through," he said, his voice soft. He winked before turning back towards the front of the classroom, actually bringing his attention to the teacher once the bell rang. His attention didn't remain for long - he soon found his thoughts drifting back to the blonde beauty next to him. He needed to pull himself together, but being with her gave him feelings that he never even knew existed. The way she opened up to him mere moments ago left a lasting imprint on his heart. It was like she was experiencing the same things he was, and it was causing her to say things with her heart and not her head.

This girl was going to be the end of him.

Minako looked at Kunihiro suspiciously. He sounded sincere, but she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he meant by that. Was it a simple encouragement? Or did he actually plan to have something to do with it? Why did she even want… never mind. She clearly needed to spend time with other people and try to forget about the weird older guy who had inexplicably gotten attached to her.

She put a bit more effort to pay attention once class started this time, but with him within such close proximity to her, it soon proved futile. She kept wanting to glance at him from the corner of her eye but not wanting him to notice her staring at the same time. It was driving her mad. She made a mental note to maybe not sit so close to him next time.

When the time for break finally came, Minako heaved a sigh of relief. She could really use the time to get away from everything and clear her head. As the other students moved out of the class, she only spared a glance at Kunihiro, figuring she shouldn’t seem clingy and attempt to find her own way to the cafeteria. All she needed to do was follow the tide of students, right?

When the bell rang, Kunihiro couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. He was sick of sitting still - it was not one of his hobbies.

Grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, he resisted the urge to walk with Minako. It was like there was some sort of gravitational pull that was bringing him to her wherever she went, which was kind of weird, but Kunihiro couldn't help it. He was just...drawn to her.

Clenching his jaw, he walked straight past her towards the cafeteria, using all of his willpower not to say anything. He couldn't have her thinking he liked her now, could he? Of course not.

However, he walked fast enough so that he would stay ahead of Minako, but slow enough so she could see where he was going and find her way to the lunchroom. Upon arriving, he went straight to the table he always sat in with the rest of the football team. They all grinned and gave him high fives, scooting down so he could assume his seat. The conversation resumed, and Kunihiro eagerly joined in on the topic of their new coach.

For a brief moment, Kunihiro turned around, glancing at the cheerleader table. Mio was sitting in dead center, of course, smiling and laughing with the other girls. He wondered if, one day, that would be Minako sitting at that table. She had the confidence to try out, that was for sure, but whether or not she could handle the downright cattiness of the cheer squad was beyond him.

He turned around, forcing himself not to scan the room for the blonde beauty he had spent the last forty-five minutes with.

Minako was glad she hadn’t bothered asking for help, seeing that Kunihiro also seemed as if he had no interest in sticking around once the bell rang. She felt rather annoyed that he’d simply deserted her, but it was a feeling that lasted only a few seconds before she got annoyed with herself for feeling that way. He wasn’t her anything. He wasn’t responsible for her. And she didn’t depend on him. This was supposed to be her first day on high school, where she was meant to discover new awesome things, on her own. Not by hanging onto some smug upperclassman who might or might not be charming.

She could still see his tall figure—it was hard to miss—in the hallways as the student body traveled as one to the dining hall and she paused by the door for a moment, taking in the view. Older students naturally gravitated to their carefully carved out places, their habitats where there were students of the same type as themselves. Kunihiro went to a table where she assumed his teammates were, remembering what he said about only caring about football. And then there was Mio with all the other perky, beautiful, and popular girls.

And where were the new students supposed to go? Minako scanned the room with keen eyes and found tables filled with some of her friends from junior high. She knew she should be looking for new friends instead of gravitating toward her old ones, but she didn’t mean to forget them either. Besides, thanks to Kunihiro, she hadn’t really had much time to socialize yet. So she moved toward them, and was immediately greeted with excited hellos.

“Minako-chan! We saw you with him this morning! They say he’s the football team captain! I can’t believe it. It’s so typical of you to immediately snag the most eligible upperclassman,” one of her old classmates said with clear envy. Minako felt her face grow warm as she realized who she was talking about. She stole a glance toward Kunihiro.

“Tell us all the gossip! What did you do? And are you guys dating now?” another asked, and this time Minako actually laughed. She put on her best nonchalant face while barely hiding a secret smile.

“No guy can resist the charm of the great Aino Minako!” she said with her usual flourish, tapping her own face. “But you know I can’t tell you all my secrets. And, no… we aren’t dating…” she paused for dramatic effect, “…yet. Who knows what will happen, though?”

That elicited a squeal from the other girls, and she grinned. It was all just a performance she put on to satisfy them, and to hide from the real turmoil going on inside her heart. What she was feeling was so much more than the usual idle gossip and girl talk she used to share with these friends, but she didn’t want them to know about the depth of those feelings.

No, she wanted to keep it all to herself, especially when she had no idea what it all meant yet.

Kunihiro suddenly realized that his friends were staring at him and mumbling. "What?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

Satoshi, who was sitting beside him, grinned. "It's that girl from this morning," he said, nudging Kunihiro. Snickers could be heard from the rest of the team, signifying that they had all heard about the events of the morning.

"I heard Mio-san talking about her - apparently, she wants to join the squad," one guy said.

"She has no chance. Look at her - the girl would break if you pushed her with your pinkie," Kunihiro laughed, going along with everyone else. Agreements were heard, and more comments were made about the blonde freshman.

"Mio-chan!" Kunihiro yelled, calling the attention of every cheerleader. Mio turned and smiled, bouncing over to Kunihiro and plopping into his lap.

"Yes, darling?" she quipped, causing Kunihiro to roll his eyes.

"It seems little Aino-san doesn't quite understand the requirements of being a cheerleader," he replied, nodding his head towards Minako's table. A malicious shine entered Mio's eyes as she spotted the innocent girl across the room. She slid off of Kunihiro's lap and headed over to Minako's table, a literal spring in her step. Kunihiro had always hated that about her - the way her stupid body bounced when she took a step. It was the one of the most annoying things about her, but not quite the most annoying.

All of the football players watched as Mio impatiently tapped Minako on the shoulder and said, "Aino-san, you should know better than this. If you want to be a cheerleader, you need to sit with the cheerleaders." The false sweetness in her voice was almost sickening, and could be heard by practically everyone in the large room. Most eyes were rotating between the head cheerleader and the blonde sitting in front of her.

Minako tried really hard not to look toward Kunihiro’s table. However, when she heard his voice calling out for Mio, she couldn’t help but flinch. For someone whom he claimed wasn’t his girlfriend, he sure liked talking to her a lot. She glanced at the girl casually draping herself on his lap and was burned by something very akin to jealousy, but she told herself was more nausea than anything. Her friends immediately crowded over, their drama senses tingling.

“Is she his girlfriend?” asked one, nudging Minako.

“It’s… complicated. But technically no,” she said, not wanting to think about all the things those two were doing despite their lack of commitment. She doubted in Mio’s head it mattered that Kunihiro thought they weren’t together. And he certainly was giving her very inviting signals. What was the deal with these two anyway?

She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he very clearly looked her way, and Minako turned back to the table. Whispers of her friends escalated, with some of them claiming that ‘she’s coming, she’s coming!’ which only made Minako feel even more nervous. What now? Why couldn’t Kunihiro leave her alone in peace for two seconds, for god’s sake?

She could practically feel Mio’s evil energy coming closer, and when the girl finally tapped her shoulder, Minako looked up reluctantly. She was surprised by her invitation, but knew it would be social suicide to turn it down. Still, she hardly believed this was an offer that was given to all freshmen aspiring to be a cheerleader.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I thought since I haven’t even tried out yet… I didn’t want to be presumptuous,” she explained politely. “Is it really okay?” she glanced between Mio and the cheerleaders, then briefly on Kunihiro, wondering what the hell kind of game he was playing with her.

Kunihiro sat leaned against his table and smirked, watching out of the corner of his eye as Minako and Mio interacted. The guys around him were all laughed and making comments, which caused Kunihiro to almost cringe.

"Oh my God, they're going to eat that girl alive.

"She has no chance at that table."

"She might make it, she looks a little prissy to me."

"I'll take her if no one else wants her."

It was all Kunihiro could do not to slam his fist against the table and tell them to knock it off, but he knew he had caused these words to be spoken. He had done it purposely, but there were reasons behind it. He glanced over at the freshman he seemed to have taken such a liking to, feeling that same protective urge he had been experiencing all morning. He wanted to prepare her, to help her in her high school endeavors. Being a cheerleader was not going to be easy, especially for an innocent spitfire like herself. Kunihiro had seen what Mio did to young girls aspiring to be on the squad, and it wasn't pretty. Despite what everyone else said and thought, he just wanted to protect the beautiful goddess across the room.

Meanwhile, Mio's eyes narrowed at Minako's response, but the large smile on her face didn't move. It was like she had gotten plastic surgery so that her lips would always be wide. "Would I waste my precious time to come get you if it wasn't okay?" she said, shifting her weight to her left leg. "If you want to be a cheerleader, you have to act like a cheerleader. Cheerleaders don't sit with..." Mio glanced at the others at Minako's table, "...these people," she finished. With a short huff, Mio spun on her heel and walked back to her table, clearly expecting Minako to follow.

A sick feeling grew in the pit of Kunihiro's stomach as Mio walked back. 'Good God, what have I done?'