Chapter 1: Unexpected Turn of Events

Once, there was a girl named Makino Tsukushi who was very poor and a scholar student in Eitoku high school where all the daughters and sons of the richest families in Japan attend to. But she got herself entangled in a situation that changed her life and others too...

PROLOGUE:

"Oy, Rui! You should learn to eat apples this way... It's more appropriate, you know!" Tsukasa took a bite on Rui's apple with a smirk on his face.

"I can't do that! I'm used to grating them before eating and that's the way I want it to be!" Rui answered back while grating his apples, again.

"You two, stop bickering, okay? Akira, do you want to have some tea?" Soujiroh asked.

"Nah... You always say tea to every little thing that's been happening ever since. Actually, I want to do some cha-cha... C'mon!" Akira replied. And the two of them dance cha-cha in Tsukasa's room with glee.

"Rui, I told you to stop grating them! Why won't you listen to me! If you keep on doing that, you'll get gum disease from an early age," Rui accidentally dropped the grating board and the apple because of what Tsukasa had said.

And after that incident, Hanazawa Rui never got to eat his favorite grated apples again...

~~~
This is where our story starts....

CHAPTER 1:

"It is a bright Monday morning. Makino got up at her usual self at 5 o’ clock in the morning. She ate breakfast, took a bath, dressed herself and walked her way into school. As usual, she’s not greeted by her classmates and it seems she didn’t mind it at all.

After her English class, she decided to drop some of her books into her locker so she could lose some of the weight she’s been carrying all day. When she opened her locker, she found a letter lying on top of her folders and notebooks. She grabbed and opened it immediately and found a note stating:

                   “Konnichiwa Makino Tsukushi,
                             
                             If you have time at 7 o’clock this evening, meet me at the    coffee shop next block. Ja ne..!

                                                                     Hanazawa Rui

Makino was utterly surprised, shocked and confused at the same time. But most of all, she couldn’t believe that she received a letter from one of the F4, the most frightening and terrifying group of boys in Eitoku high school. On her way home, she’s thinking about the letter and was wondering the whole way through. Why on earth would Hanazawa Rui, of all people, had written him a letter and asked her to meet him? Is this some kind of a set-up? But she didn’t do anything to harm any of the F4, did she? Or is this a date? Oh no! Why would Hanazawa Rui ask her for a date?! She shook off that sudden thought as she reached for the door handle of her house and entered.

“Tadaima…” Makino greeted her parents and his younger brother.

“Tsukushi, you’re in good timing! We’re going to have an early dinner because Papa’s going off to work at 7 this evening.” Her mother told her.

“Papa’s going to work? You mean, he found a new job?” Makino asked.

“Yes! That’s mean we’re saved, Onee-chan! But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop our night job because Papa’s only got a job at a construction.” Her brother said.

“Susumu! Don’t talk about your father like that! Makino, go and change your clothes and we’ll have dinner.” Their mother said while trying to hide the tears.

After a while…..

“Tsukushi, honey, where are you going dressed up like that?” Her Papa asked, astounded at her daughter’s casual wear.

“Uhmm… after I finished dinner, I’ll go meet Kazuya and do our assignments together.” Tsukushi is not very good at lying but she can feel she could get away with her parents this time.

“Okay, but don’t stay up late. You have classes tomorrow, sweetheart.” Cheri, their mother, reminded her.

After dinner, Susumu and their mother, bid goodbyes to the two members of the family who are going out.

Tsukushi hurried along the way, she doesn’t want to be late in any kinds of meeting, But this time is rather different, because she’s not going to meet her friends but Hanazawa Rui, the only heir of the two largest companies in Japan and a member of the world’s famous F4. After 20 minutes of brisk walking, she finally reached the Café. And she found Hanazawa-san sitting on the table not far away from the entrance.

She went inside and greeted him shyly, “Konbanwa…”

“Oh, Makino! I thought you’re not going to come… Please have a sit.” He pulled a chair and assisted Makino is sitting. “And, thank you for coming.”

“It’s alright… why did you want me to come and meet you anyway?” Makino asked.

“I just… I just wanted to talk about few things…” Rui said shyly while ordering a coffee and a salad for the two of them.

“Few things? Like what?”

“I … I just want to get to know you a bit more.”

“And why would you want to know a bit about me?”

“Makino, you will not understand if I told you this early. And besides I don’t want to rush things.”

“Hanazawa Rui, I didn’t understand what you are trying to say to me…”

“Listen… Um… Listen Makino, I…”

“Oyy Rui! What are you doing here at this hour? Is this what you mean by ‘doing something’ and stood us up this evening?” Soujiro was surprised by this sudden behavior of their friend, specifically by not saying that he had a date this evening.

“Oh my! You mean, the gorgeous Hanazawa-san asked this flat face, commoner girl on a date? You’re joking Nishikado-san!” One of Soujiro’s girls said.

“Who the heck are you to tell me that?! You pea-brained money girl! Learn not to meddle in other people’s lives, you stupid, reckless, annoying….”

“Makino stop! Let’s go… and Soujiro, see you tomorrow.” Rui dragged Makino outside the Café.

“What was that? I mean, why do those kinds of girls hang around with Nishikado-san?” Makino curiously asked.

“Soujiro is the biggest playboy that I ever met. And he does hang around with women like those, everyday. We’re just so used to his behavior that it doesn’t bother us anymore. And I’m terribly sorry about earlier, Makino.”

“Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything to make me angry, you know.”

“Well, I ruined our talk and I didn’t get the chance to speak up to the girl who said mean things about you. But I swear I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“Oh, that’s… that’s, nothing… I mean, it’s alright…”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Thanks, but I can go home myself, no need to bother…. Really…”

“I insist, and I’m the one who’s supposed to be thanking you, Makino.”
         

*P.S. I don't own any of the characters from "Hana Yori Dango. Please feel free to use this story with my permission.