His Gift to Her (Mary Sue Series)

Chapter 1

The Academy doors were opened, encouraging school children to head inside early before class. Students leisurely took their time, stopping to wait for their friends along the way. Some children read books as they walked, and others ate breakfast in a hurry, brushing crumbs from their face as they walked.

One girl, sporting long dark blue hair, and onyx eyes, fussed with a wooden box of some sort, trying to open it. The box did not open traditionally with a lid and latch. Each part of the container was designed to fit perfectly together without any external help.

"New puzzle, Senpai?" A second-year classmate said, nudging the older girl. "Did you figure out the metal one I gave you yesterday--"

The older girl thrust the metal puzzle towards her fellow student, still struggling with the new task at hand. Occasionally, she flipped the box in her pale hands to look at different viewpoints.

"Yeah, just hold it open, then switch handles, then twist the left handle back, and slide the two apart," the older student mumbled, smacking the wooden box into her left palm. The bo shifted slightly, causing her to smile crookedly.

"Oh, thanks...guess I'll just figure it out on my own," the second-year sighed, seeing she wouldn't get any more help from her senpai. "Bye." The younger girl marched towards the Academy, while said senpai ambled along, albeit much more slowly.

The puzzle-solving girl finally reached the Academy doors and shuffled towards her classroom, stuffing the pieces of the wooden puzzle she managed to take apart into her book bag.

However, as soon as she stepped into her classroom, she lifted her head and looked around the room, noting a few of her classmates were already inside.

"Look who finally got here," Sakura sneered, looking smugly at her.

"Your brain?" the new arrival replied, earning a few silent smiles from others, and tucked the unsolved puzzle back into her bag to give her attention to Sakura.

"No, you," Sakura scowled.

"Oh, I'm here. Surprise~," the pale girl mocked, smirking at Sakura. Her dark blue hair pulled into a high braided bun, a pair of wooden hair sticks giving a touch of elegance. The pale girl wore a white long-sleeve shirt under a loose burgundy kimono top, the full sleeves perfect for concealing small objects. A pair of baggy pants with an elastic waistband secured her outfit, and her prideful smile tied her whole character together.

"You're late!" Sakura accused, the little chatter of other students dying down.

"I'm flattered that you were waiting for me. I thought that the position reserved is for...Sasuke-kun?"

More amused smiles lit up around the classroom.

"You're still late. I got here earlier than you," Sakura boasted, flipping her pink hair.

"When?"

"I waited on the steps of the Academy thirty minutes before the doors even opened," Sakura said proudly, giving side-glances at her crush.

Qui raised an eyebrow. "You waited...half the morning...?"

"We were competing!" Sakura growled. "To see who would get to the Academy first. I won."

"Ah yes. Now I remember," Qui drawled, pretending as though she had forgotten. "Clearly, that explains the bags under your--"

"I don't have bags under my eyes!" Sakura seethed. Qui raised her other eyebrow.

"Poor eyeshadow application?"

"Oh, you'll stand out to Sasuke-kun with your baggy face," Ino added, coming into the classroom from behind. "Every girl knows the importance of her beauty sleep." Instantly, the two girls argued head-to-head, insults thrown from both parties.

Qui scoffed and glided past the desk Sakura and headed towards a desk at the window. She resumed her puzzle, eventually managing to take apart the wooden box.

"Oh, you finished it?" Qui looked back to see Choji sitting behind her. "That was the new one that came out last week."

Qui's father was notorious for his line of puzzles. With little stickers naming each level of difficulty, Qui took up the challenge and tried to solve them all. It was a little pastime of hers.

"It just requires the pole equations," Shikamaru said, sliding into the bench next to Choji. "It seems you figured that out."

"So I did." In a few deft movements, she put the box together and placed in front of her. "There."

"The only hard part is getting the first piece out. It doesn't have the wood finish most puzzles have, so you have to pull the first one a certain way," Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, I could tell."

"I'm smarter than you are!" The trio looked up at the owner of the outburst. It was Sakura, her face flushed from yelling at Ino.

"Sure, you got nice scores from homework and tests, but..." Ino smiled evilly, walking over to Qui, snatching the wooden puzzle off her desk. "Can you solve a puzzle as hard as this?"

"I can!"

"That's a level seven," Shikamaru mumbled in his arms, but no one paid him any attention.

"Give it to me," Sakura said, hand on hip. "I bet I can solve it."

"Oh really?" Ino tossed the puzzle to her. "Let's see it then."

Luckily, Sakura was saved by Iruka-Sensei who entered the classroom, announcing the start of class.

"Sit down," he ordered, opening his attendance book. Students scrambled around, Ino squeezing on the other side of Sasuke. Unable to verbally complain or protest, Sakura begrudgingly sat back down.