{republished because the rest of the story was cut off •~•}

(^^ that image is so cute. I don't own it, though)

Hiya! :3

I know, I know.

It's kinda been a while.

NagiKae is still my OTP, don't worry!

This is just a one-shot that I fairly thought would work.

In my mind, it seemed like a good chapter, sooo...

Enjoy!

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~ Kayano's POV ~

I opened my eyes, due to the sun blinding me. I had a dream. A really... interesting dream.

~•~•~

I was sitting on my bed, but I was in a different house — a mansion, perhaps. I had a big bedroom, with tall windows, velvet bedsheets, and plush pillows.

I wasn't sleeping, but I was reading a book. Then, some lady comes in, and somehow I knew her name...

"Aguri?" I asked, bringing my head up.

"Ah, Akari. You're awake. Someone is here to see you. Remember, you have dance practice today."

"Oh, right! I'll get ready." I placed my bookmark and closed the book.

"Okay. He'll be waiting downstairs." She closed the door gently, barely making a sound.

I picked myself up and went to my walk-in closet. I chose a white gown with lace to match my hair (it was black, and not green somehow...).

I fixed up my hair into a bun (I always adored the style of it), and put on some black silk gloves and high heels.

I put on some makeup, and then I was ready. I opened the door that lead me to a hallway with pictures hung up on the walls of my past relatives and a few potted plants. There was a red carpet on the ground. I made my way to the ballroom, where we held out special occasions, whether it be an birthday or anniversary.

I went down the long staircase, where the visitor awaited my presence. I had to hold my gown up slightly to avoid tripping.

I walked up to him and curtseyed.

"H-Hello," I greeted, blushing.

Damn, he's cute, my mind told me.

Hey, swearing is not ladylike, I countered back.

"Hello," he replied, bringing my hand up and planting a kiss on it.

Aguri stood from a distance, next to a stereo. She turned it on and waltz music played.

"Shall we dance?" He smiled.

"Certainly," I responded, my hand reaching to his shoulder.

We both stepped to the beat, getting lost in each other's eyes. His blue hair reminded me of a clear sky, no clouds whatsoever. I had never met this boy before, how come? It had been another boy on my last practice session, and well, all my other sessions.

He twirled me around and we danced again. I looked at my hand holding his hand. He had white gloves on.

He unraveled me, and then wrapped me into his arms, and back into the standard position. The song was coming to an end.

"What's your name?" He asked me.

"Oh, uhh..."

I didn't know why, but it was taking me some time to say my name.

He then chuckled.

"It's okay. No need to rush."

The song ended when he made me lean back while still holding me. He brought his hand to my cheek and his face neared mine, as if we were about to...

~•~•~

"Darn," I muttered while getting up to get ready for school.

"I would've loved it if I finished the dream..."

Back into real life, I took a shower, changed into my school uniform and all that.

I walked onto the same dirt path every time I went to school in the morning.

Just the same old, tired, lonely place.

Some clouds were spread across the sky and a soft wind blew through my hair. The sun was always there, doing its own thing.

I gripped onto the strap of my school bag, sighing.

Faking a smile, I mentally prepared myself for the school day...like always.

*~•~*

I slid open the door to the classroom, and found out a lot of the class was here already.

Kanzaki, Maehara, Okuda, Karma, oh...

Nagisa.

I realized that he looked very much like the boy in my dream last night.

Whoa...

He looked up to see me openly staring at him like some weirdo.

"Uh, hey, Kayano..." He nervously smiled.

"H-Hi..." I shuffled to my seat in embarrassment.

Great, look what you did. Now he's gonna think you're weird and he won't talk to you ever again and you'll be some lonely lowlife, living in a crappy apartment, poor and USELESS.

If I could, I would've slammed my forehead on my desk, cursing myself for being stupid.

I sighed again, shifting my eyes to the window. It had become more cloudy.

Oh, wonderful.

Korosensei came in silently, Professor Bitch and Karasuma-sensei following after. It didn't take long for the rest of the class to become silent.

"Good morning, class! We're starting off the day with a special lesson; ballroom dancing!" Korosensei fiddled with his tentacles.

I brought my head up and my eyes lit in excitement.

Is this happening? Did I just hear that?

"As time goes on, you'll have harder missions and you'll have to blend in with the background. You'll have to react properly," Professor Bitch said, looking at her clipboard, then us.

"Onwards, to the ballroom!" Korosensei announced.

B-Ballroom?

I squealed (internally, of course) and got up to become one of the first students in line. Nakamura walked up next to me, smirking like a devil. (I might've knew to why she was.)

"Hey, Kayano. You excited?" She put her hand on my right shoulder.

"I guess so, yeah." I was sweating a bit.

"Who are you gonna dance with, huh?" Her smirk became wider, if that's humanely possible. At this point, I was also questioning her sanity.

"That information is none of your business." I looked straightforwardly, not amused, yet my heart was beating at a fast pace.

"Hah. Okay then...may I guess?"

I gave her a look, and then nodded.

"Nagisa."

I bit my lip, which made me sweat-drop.

"Caught ya. Relax, I won't tell. I'm just...curious to see who you'd choose."

I rolled my eyes, and debated whether I was annoyed or frustrated.

Asshole.

I walked faster, distancing myself from that crazy girl. We turned to the right, and into a hall with two double doors.

Karasuma-sensei and Professor Bitch opened the doors, revealing a big, ballroom with curtains draped on the walls, tall windows, and a stereo. The setting was, again, like the one in my dream.

I'm starting to wonder if this is even real.

"Girls, come with me to the dressing room. Boys, go with Karasuma. We'll meet again in, say, an hour or so," Professor Bitch explained. The class separated, and we were heading towards the girls' dressing room.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It didn't do much when I saw the inside of the dressing room.

Dear lord.

*~•~*

We had separated to different clothing racks to look for our ideal dresses. We even had a fangirl moment (myself included) because of all the various outfits and combinations that we could try on, and from the look on our faces, it would take us more that an hour to choose.

"Kayano!" I heard Kurahashi call.

"What is it?" I said, walking over to her, raising an eyebrow.

"Which dress do you think I should wear?"

She held up two dresses — one red-and-black, the other one being a light green.

"Hmm... I'd choose the red-and-black one, but whatever floats your boat," I pointed out.

"Ah. Thanks!" She smiled and went over to the shoes.

I went back to finding my own dress. There were a bunch of white dresses in one rack, so I went over to that. I looked through and gasped when I found it.

The dress. The one in my dream! A silky, lacy, ivory white dress...

I jumped quietly, and as it turned out, I found the shoes that were in my dream as well. I didn't find the same pair of gloves, but I used an identical alternative. I gathered both my outfit items and courage to try it on in a stall. I opened an unoccupied one, and it was small, but not too small. I used the seat compartment to put my things on.

I slipped out of my uniform and into the gown. It reached the ground.

A perfect fit, just like I imagined.

Soon, I had everything on, and was ready to step out.

I put my hand on the handle of the door, hesitated, but then turned it. I heard some momentary gasps from a few girls as I went forward.

"Kayano, you look amazing!" Kanzaki said, clapping.

"Everything matches so perfectly!" Kurahashi cheered.

"This is like a dream for you, ain't it?" Nakamura smirked (again).

Ha, you could say that again.

I walked over to a full length mirror, and took a look.

This isn't half bad, hehe...

I grinned hopefully, that I'd get the happy ending I deserved (in the dream, at least).

I applied my makeup, and then I was set. It took me only 40 minutes to prepare. But I knew I wasn't going to step into the ballroom just yet.

"Irina-sensei," I called out. (It's not ladylike to use such vulgar language, plus, I like saying her first name.)

"Yes?" She said from afar, giving me a sweet smile.

"Where'd this ballroom and and this stuff come from?" I questioned.

"This was here long, long ago. Just recently we found out, but it wasn't really in good condition, so we cleaned it up a bit, added some clothing, and there! This very ballroom was good as new." She put on one earring on her right ear as she spoke.

"Wow..." I said, astonished.

"Well, we have to do some fun things in a while, right?" She winked.

"Hehe, I guess. Do you know how to ballroom dance?"

"Oh, yes, of course! As an assassin, I learned to do all sorts of things. It's like acting. Well, it pretty much is acting."

Acting, huh? Sounds interesting.

"Is it an exciting career?" I asked.

"Moreover, it's something you should take seriously. But, I mean...it can be fun if it's done right." She put on her other earring.

I scratched the back of my head, wondering.

"Do we have partners chosen for us?"

"No, you may choose who you want to be with."

Yes! Well, I guess that's a relief.

The conversation ended there, so I went on to help some other girls. The finishing product, for everyone, was quite stunning. We all looked so sophisticated, fancy, alluring, even dazzling. I was excited.

Time to get out there and dance!

>~^~<

I stepped on the marble floor, standing behind the crowd of girls. I didn't want to reveal myself just quite yet. I heard the boys' dressing room door open all the way from the other side of the ballroom. We were in the middle of the ballroom, standing under the chandelier. But I was feeling uneasy.

Crap, I have butterflies...

I was getting nervous. I wondered what he would look like. I wondered what he thought of me in this dress, in a totally different outfit. I wondered why I even cared. I started to over think everything that came to mind. Like, what if he says no if I asked him to be my partner? What if I fall on him? What if I step on his foot?

Let's just turn back now! Yeah, let's just—

My thought train had stopped when I saw Nagisa approach us.

H-His appearance... it's just like in my...

I was ready to faint. This was all too real. How coincidental is it for both Nagisa and I, to have nearly the same outfits in my dream, as well as the setting, and the purpose to why we were in this dang ballroom?!

I squeezed through the crowd of girls so that I could get to the front and see him a little better.

Our eyes met and suddenly I forgot how to breathe.

I saw him blush a little bit once we took a look at each other. Not to mention we were wearing matching colors...

"Karasuma-sensei and I will start off as an example. Nakamura, please turn on the stereo." Irina-sensei positioned herself so that she was in front of Karasuma-sensei. My eyes wandered over to Nakamura, who had pranced over to the stereo in her yellow gown.

The music was also waltzing music, perfect for any ballroom dancing occasion.

Irina did her curtsey and Karasuma bowed and took her hand. They began to dance, stepping in sync, with no emotion, just straight faces, which surprised me a bit.

Oh, look at those two...so amazing.

I was fascinated by the way they moved. I couldn't wish for a better example.

Once the song ended, they let go of each other and stood still, as if nothing happened.

"Now, I want you to practice your stepping. Now go choose your partners and we will wait until everyone has chosen one."

I saw both Nakamura and Okuda race over to Karma, which I wondered about.

That's peculiar. Nakamura with Karma? Huh. I'll take note of this.

After making a mental post-it note in my mind, I focused on the task at hand, and since Nagisa was near me, it took only a few steps to get to him. He looked confused to find a partner.

"Nagisa," I said, panting lightly.

"Oh, Kayano. What is it?"

Now or never, Kaede!

"W-Will you be my partner?" I stared at him with hopeful eyes, that would burst into tears if he said no.

I saw him turn red a little more as he hesitated.

"Sure...milady," he bowed down and took my hand. He kissed it surprisingly, and added a smirk and a snicker.

I grinned and played along.

"Oh, what a gentleman. Who would've," I giggled, unable to contain the laughter, "known?"

It was like the two of us were little kids. I didn't know if this was good for my image, but I really didn't care because I was having fun for this little bit.

"Step to the beat, like we did, when the music comes on, then improvise," Irina-sensei said.

I faced Nagisa, my palms suddenly sweaty.

"Shall we?" He held his gloved hand out to me.

I flashed back, to that moment in the dream, when he's said almost the exact same thing. The only accurate answer I had to say was...

"Certainly."

Once the music started, all of my doubt suddenly went away.

My right hand took his hand and brought it up while I took my left hand and put it on his shoulder. It seemed a little hard at first, but we eventually found the beat.

"Nagisa, you're surprisingly good at this," I said to him.

"Oh, thanks, but really, I'm just following what the other boys are doing." I detected a quiver in his voice.

"Huh...I could've sworn you did this before." I wore a half-smirk.

"N-Never. This is my first time." He blushed, looking down.

"Then this is a pretty good first impression, if I do say so myself."

"You're just saying that..." He averted his eyes to his right.

"No, honestly, you're really getting the hang of it," I replied.

He let go of my left hand, unraveled me, and brought me into his arms again with my back facing his chest. In a couple of seconds we went back to the standard position.

"You really think I'm that good?"

"Yeah, better than me, at least."

"But you're dancing with me. Doesn't that make us better together?"

For a second, I felt like my heart stopped. Those words make my cheeks tint a brighter red as he pulled me a little closer.

"Y-You could say that." It was my turn to look down.

"Good," I heard him mutter with a smirk more playful and teasing than mine.

The music stopped, as if it were on cue, and the teachers stepped up again.

"Amazing example. Although ballroom dancing is more of a two-person thing, not a three-person thing." Irina-sensei gave a look at Karma, who had Nakamura and Okuda on each of his arms, scowling and hissing at each other.

Finally, once Karma chose his partner (thankfully, it was Okuda), Nakamura chose Itona, who was sitting out because he didn't have someone to dance with.

"Now, we have chosen an exemplary couple who did very well for the last dance. They'll be taking the spotlight for this song." Karasuma-sensei explained.

I looked around, guessing that the couple was Kanzaki and Sugino. They had good form and posture.

Why in the world would it be me and—

"Nagisa and Kayano, come on up!"

...ehh?

"Kayano..."

I was blankly staring at the floor, oblivious, with no movement.

"Kayano, let's go!"

Nagisa was tugging on my arm, and I stumbled behind him as we went to the middle.

A single spotlight shone on us, the light reflecting off the big chandelier in the middle. The floor practically glimmered.

"Since you two did so well, both of you just need to dance as an example for the class. Got it?" Karasuma-sensei said.

"H-Hi," Nagisa and I say, hesitant, probably thinking the same thoughts.

The music suddenly was turned on, and I froze a little. But Nagisa's warm smile gave me a good confidence boost.

He bowed down, I curtseyed, and held hands once again. I knew that this time, it wouldn't be so hard.

It...it was like my feet were moving on its own, to the rhythm, in circles. It was like I couldn't stop, either.

Around me, I heard people "awe" and gasp in surprise to how good Nagisa and I were. It wasn't a bad thing.

I wish that the moment could last forever. I didn't want it to end.

I'm sure Nagisa thinks just as much as you do, Kaede.

He had a kind smile plastered on his face the whole time, much to my surprise.

I wonder if he's really enjoying this dance.

We danced in a swirl of just enchantment and delight. I also wondered if I was really dreaming or not.

Once the song ended, our foreheads were touching and my hand was on his cheek. Our eyes were aligned, and I stared into his for what seemed like sunset after sunset.

"K-Kaede..." He muttered.

And to test if this was really happening in real life, I gave him a kiss. No, not on the lips. On his cheek. I saw his eyes flutter shut as he almost fainted. The ballroom's mystique really seemed to set the mood. I heard "ooh's" and applause, and even a whistle.

"You're too cute, Nagisa," I said, holding his hand for a second.

"P-Please stop..." he replied, covering his red face with his hands after the teachers gave us a signal to step out of the spotlight.

We both part ways, students trying to talk to me and him about how it felt like, why'd I kissed him. There really was no other reason, besides the fact that I did want a happy ending.

I stood there, my heart racing, with rosy cheeks, as I flashed back to when it was just the two of us.

×××××

ughhhhh =~=

I know, I know, I'm pretty late. But I swear, it's because of SCHOOL.

I'm new to that school, so I didn't know much people. But I'm okie, don't worry.

I still think of it as a pure hellhole.

Some people might think otherwise, but whatever –_–

I also think that the ending of this chapter is pretty crappy, so...

The next time I'm updating might be in a few... weeks?

I made you guys wait a really long time, so maybe just a week.

And maybe a lot of you guys don't really read this anymore, and I apologize for my chaotic life.

Gomen ne. π~π

Thanks for taking your time to read this. I only typed this story when I felt like it, and I was becoming less motivated each day to continue this chapter.

But I'm (kinda, at least for the weekend) back now! >ᴗ<

Toodles~! <3