Genius: So, you're the manager of your school's tennis club?

Cake: Yeah, and you know, it's really stressful to stay in a tennis club like that. Seriously, the training their captain and vice-captain gave them was 100x harsher than having to running 10km!

Genius: ... was running 10km harsh? But you know... this reminds me of my captain and vice-captain as well... they're demons.

Cake: Well, running 10km IS harsh. And yes, I never believed that there were demons in this world until I saw them!

    "Stop playing on the computer and come down for dinner!" upon hearing the yelling of her mother's, the fifteen years old girl pouted.

Cake: Sorry, I need to go for dinner. See you tomorrow!

With that last sentence, she logged off her MSN account and switched off the computer before her dinner; she knew she won't be able to use the computer after dinner since her sister was going to use it for sure.

At the other side of the computer, the redhead sighed. It was getting worse as days past by...

It all started with a simple online game, where both of his brothers were so addicted to it that they would even skip their dinner for the sake for playing the game a little longer. This had made their parents worried, very worried indeed. But unlike his parents, Marui Bunta wasn't worried for both his younger brothers at all; instead, he was curious.

Just what kind of game could make both of his younger brothers, who loved to eat as much as he was, to skip dinner for this game?

So, one evening, when he had no tennis practice, he took the chance to use the computer while one of his brothers was away to the bathroom. Seeing that they have already logged into their game account (the both of them shared the account), Marui happily played the game (not caring about whether or not his brothers would complain). It was quite a fun game, he had to admit. But not enough to get him addicted like his brothers, after all, he was the 'genius', wasn't he?

It was also when 'she' appeared. The name 'cake' quickly took his attention as soon as the moment she spoke to him. It seemed like she was a friend of his brothers. After a few hours of chatting in the game, when Marui was about to have his dinner, he offered to exchange their MSN address, for he doubted that he would be playing that game anytime soon; but he still wanted to continue talking with her.

This was how they began their daily chats, but really, Marui never knew that it would lead to something like that...

    "Marui, stop day dreaming." The manager of the tennis club sighed at him, "Hand in your English homework to me. I need to hand it to the teacher by today." She also happened to be in the same class as him.

    "I am not day dreaming." Marui frowned as he took out some worksheets from his bag, and handed them to the shorter girl. And then he remembered. "Oh, I heard that your house owns a bakery, ?" He grinned at the thoughts of the bakery. "Why didn't you tell me about it? I heard that your parents are really friendly to those who are in the same school as you and would give them a discount."

    "... THAT'S why I don't want to let you know! I don't want my family to end up poor just because of all those discount you will get from my parents! And god knows how many cake you eat a day!" The manager, , snapped at the suggestions of letting Marui visiting her parents' bakery. There was no way in hell she would let that Marui Bunta to even get near it. "Now, DON'T you dare step into my parent's bakery or you'll get it from me!"

    "...you're really different from what other guys say about you." Marui eyed unbelievably, "They all said that you're a cheerful, kind girl and it's really fun to have you around. But to me, you're just nothing but rude... you won't get a boyfriend if you continue this attitude of yours."

simply snorted, "It's none of your business, besides, I only treat you like this because you piss me off. And who needs a boyfriend anyway, I can live off just with myself." Not wanting to continue talking with him, went back to her seat in class.... Which unfortunately was just behind Marui.

    "Hmm? Piss you off...? What have I done anyway?"

    "It's none of your business!" frowned, "Just stop being nosy!"

    "What do you mean by it's none of my business anyway? You said that I pissed you off, and now it's none of my business?" He sighed. This girl had always been so unreasonable around him, ever since they were freshmen... not to mention they had been in the same class for the three years in Rikkai Dai. Marui was really really tired of that attitude of hers.

    "...Marui-kun, -san, could both of you please stop talking and let me start the lesson?" Their teacher, Miss asked them with a sweet smile. That very smile on the twenty-five year old teacher's beautiful face was enough to charm most male teachers and students in the whole school, but both Marui and could sense a hidden danger in it.

    "I'm sorry!" They both apologized. As they were both told of how scary Miss was when she was really angry, and it would be the best to apologize to her while she was still smiling. Once over that stage, the only thing waiting for them would only be much worse than Sanada Genichirou's training section...and Marui and chose to believe in this rumor, since there was also a rumor about the Kirihara Akaya having nightmares for three nights after experiencing 'hell' from Miss ...

----------

Cake: I just can't believe it! The nerve that guy had to tell me that 'you're just nothing but rude. You won't get a boyfriend if you continue this attitude of yours'!!!

Marui paused for a moment. This sentences sounds familiar, where has he heard it before...?

Genius: You mean...that guy who was in the same class as you?

Cake: For three years! Why do I have to look at him the three whole years?!

Now, the way she spoke really remind him of that 'someone' sitting behind him...but it can't be, right? After all, 'Cake' wasn't as rude or annoying as her...most of the time. 'Cake' was only like that when she was talking about that classmate which she was really pissed of.

...........................Why does it sound really familiar?

Actually, Marui had already known the answer to the question. He was a genius. It was just that Marui simply refuse to acknowledge it.

Genius: Do you... really hate that guy that much?

A minute past, and there was still no reply from her. Getting impatient, he typed in some text into the computer.

Genius: Oi, are you here?

Cake: Oh! Sorry, I was thinking of something...

Genius: Thinking of something?

Cake: Yeah... oh well, I need to go for dinner now, bye!

Within a few second, she had already logged off. Marui stared blankly at the computer screen, trying to clear his thoughts. Just why of all people, did Cake have to be her?

Just why, had he fallen for that , out of all people?

----------

    "Oi, ."

No reply.

    "."

No reply.

    "OI!"

    "What?" snapped, "Can't you see that I'm trying to ignore you?"

Marui decided to ignore this remark, "Hey, just what have I every done to you to piss you off that much?" He was looking straight at her as he had turned his chair around to face her, "I don't remember doing anything wrong."

    "Didn't I tell you that it's none of your business? So stop being so nosy! And why the heck are you here when it's lunch break!?" She hissed, not wanting to look into Marui's face, and continued doing her Japanese homework which happened to be due today... actually, it's been twenty minutes since she had to hand up homework to her teacher.

    "Hey! This is not being nosy, I have the right to know since the one you dislike is me." He, once again, frowned at 's unreasonable attitude. "Ah! This is the wrong answer." He simply pointed out at the piece of worksheet was writing on, "That should be like this."

    "Geez... shut up! I will do it myself!"

    "...Senpai." Their kohai, Kirihara Akaya called out to both his senpais as he sighed. He seemed to have been ignored by them for some time. "This is er... your food..." he said rather surprisingly as he held out two bags of plastic bag full of food.

    "Oh? You're late Akaya!" Marui replied as he took away that two bags of food from Kirihara, not bothering to thank him at all.

    "Akaya? Why are you here? Offering food to Marui?" questioned, puzzled at Kirihara's action, since Kirihara Akaya was not a person who would do such thing.

    "He lost a bet to Niou and hence he had to deliver lunch to all regulars during lunch break for this whole week." Marui answered as he sent a sandwich he taken from one of the bags into his mouth.

    "Oh? Well then, could you buy me a cheese sandwich as well then?" flashed her sweetest smile as she made her request, "Along with an orange juice okay?"

    "...SENPAI!"

    "Hmm? Sorry, I do not have the money right now, you know."

This was the worse week in Kirihara Akaya's whole life, he decided. For that he had to pay and deliver lunch for his sempais, especially that redhead named Marui Bunta.

----------

    "So, you have not answered my question yet, why do you dislike me so much?" Marui asked as he finished the last sandwich in his hand, Kirihara Akaya had long gone back to his own classroom, busy borrowing money from his classmates.

    "Didn't I tell you to stop being nosy...?" was now tired of Marui's questioning and was dearly trying to focus on her homework.

    "But I have the right to know." He found that talking to was a lot easier when she was actually calm and not hot-tempered towards him. "After all, I was the one you're pissed off at, right?"

    "Whether or not do you have the right to know is none of my concern, I choose not to tell you the reason, and that's it."

    "Reason?"

    "You will get irritated that way." For she was so tired of talking to Marui and she had to finish this piece of worksheet in five minutes time, she chose to talk to Marui in a more direct way than before, so that she could focus on the work more.

    "...That's not a good thing to do."

    "Like I care." She simply replied as she finished the last question on the paper, before standing up from her seat. "Finally, I don't have to look at that irritating face of yours." commented before stepping out of the classroom, heading towards the office.

Still looking at , Marui did not realize that Niou had came by and sat in 's seat until he heard him making a sound.

    "So, got jilted by her again?" Niou smirked that crooked smile which Marui hated, because it was an expression Niou had whenever he would be thinking some 'weird' ideas.

    "How could I get jilted when we didn't even started?"

    "True, but didn't you like her a lot?" Marui's eye widened, even he had just realized it only last night, so how did Niou get to know about it that fast!?

It was never good to be Niou Masaharu's classmate it seem, like as many had complained. And Marui finally realized that Niou was as scary as that Yanagi Renji in some way...

Recovering from his shock rather quickly (it was coming from Niou after all, so he was used to it), Marui frowned. "She dislikes me, and refuse to tell me the reason, what can I do then?" Marui was never a person who would give up so easily, but the only person whom he couldn't handle, other than the three demons within his group of teammates, was .

    "Aren't you a genius? Then think about it," Niou's smirk seemed to have slightly changed, but Marui paid no notice to it. "For a girl who would always be saying that she doesn't need a boyfriend or so for her whole life, all the sudden she met someone that would make her heartbeat count rise. Wouldn't she get pissed and annoyed at the fact that she wasn't really as she said, not need a boyfriend at all?"

Marui stopped. Blinked. Trying to register what Niou had told him earlier. He then started thinking whether or not it was a prank. After all, it was Niou he was talking to.

    "It's not a prank." Nioh continued to grin, as if he read Marui's mind, "Someone had told me to fix this thing up as that person was getting irritated at you both being like that."

    "...Who?"

    "Are you sure you want to know?"

    "No!" he quickly replied, for that he didn't want to know who would have the ability to make that Niou Masaharu to do whatever that person wanted. He or she must be very powerful indeed, to get a favour out of Niou.

Getting up from his seat, he quickly ran out of the classroom, towards the office, where would most likely be.

----------

    "Here you are." He let out a sigh as he had finally found after running back and forth between the office and classrooms. Only to find that was standing nearby a tree in the garden, reading a book that she had just borrowed from her friend.

    "?? What do you want?" she frowned at the sight of him. She had came all the way to the garden to read a book was just because she didn't want to look at that face of Marui's, but, just why had he appeared in front of her again?

    "Well, I just heard of something interesting." Marui snickered.

    "So? It's none of my business anyway." She chose to end the convention as soon as possible, so that Marui would get out of her sight faster.

    "Actually, it's about a girl who had been saying that she didn't need a boyfriend, that she could live in this world just as well without one." That had taken 's interest. Rising an eyebrow, she said nothing, allowing Marui to continue his words.

    "That girl kept saying that she didn't need a boyfriend for her whole life, until one day, when she met a boy." Marui's smirk widened. "Her heartbeat actually rises, isn't that strange? For a girl like her to have that feeling for a guy. And so, she was really pissed at that boy for making her feel like that." He finished the story, and took a closer look at 's face. "Say, is the story right?"

    "...Who told you that!!??" She blushed, for the first time, actually blushed in front of Marui. "Just who...!! Niou!! It had to be him!!" she panicked, that her deepest secret was known by the Trickster of Rikkai Dai.

Marui just stood there, looking at the sight of panicking and blushing. He found that she was quite cute when she blushed like that, before an idea appeared in his brain.

    "Really, aren't I a genius?"

Before could react, she was already pinned onto the tree that they were standing nearby by Marui's strong arms. struggled, trying to free herself from Marui's grip, but it was totally useless; she knew that Marui was much stronger than her. Seeing Marui's face lean closer and closer towards hers, she panicked once more.

    "STOP IT YOU—!!!"

And then she was silenced by Marui's lips. That action had took many students' attention (since the garden was just next the cafeteria and it was still lunch break), and all students around were all looking at the couple. Of course, Marui knew it well and did it on purpose.

Finally freeing the poor girl in his arm, Marui licked his lips, "Hmm... I taste cheese..."

    "MARUI BUNTA!!!"

As expected by Marui, 's face was now darker than his own hair color. Seeing her reaction, he grinned triumphantly.

    "That was a payback for your attitude in the past three years. If you think that it's not enough, I can always give you more you know."

    "YOU...YOU IDIOT!!"

Marui had also decided to not tell her about they being on MSN, sicne he would really like to see more of her reactions like that. Ahh, it seemed like Niou had somewhat managed to twist Marui's personality a little, Kirihara thought as he saw what his senpai had just done (he was one of those at the cafeteria who happened to witness that rather interesting scene).

----------

In a café somewhere outside the Rikkaidai Fuzoku school building, a beautiful teacher drank her cup of coffee peacefully, enjoying the little quiet she was currently having right now. Beside her, sat a silver-haired boy in his school uniform, staring at her, his eyes unreadable.

    "So, the problem between Marui and was finally fixed after three years?" asked as she let out a sigh, "It really took them a long time, didn't it?" Placing her cup of coffee down onto the table, she looked at her cunning student.

    "Well yeah, since was really shy and Marui didn't realize that he liked her until now." The silver-haired student replied, smirking sinisterly as usual.

    "They most likely won't be talking in my lessons from now on. I could finally start a lesson without having to shut them up first."

    "Well, all thanks to me." The tall youth said as he leant closer to his young beautiful teacher, "So, can I have the reward you promised me?"

    "We're in the public."

    "I don't really care whether or not if we're in the public."

Hearing her student's reply, Miss simply sighed.

    "I do not want the boss of this café to kick us out of his shop and tell us to get a room."

fin.
Kei
1.October.2006

Note: Finally finished this piece of work. And wow, this is actually the longest piece I have ever wrote =O. Anyway, this should be a Marui DN, so feel free to ignore some comments I added for Akaya and that last part about Miss and that someone... ==;;;