Disclaimer: Oh, the things I would do if I owned Kyou Kara Maou or its characters... But I don't, except for this plot.

I woke up today to the pitiful cries of my alarm clock. It seems the battery was extremely low, so it looked like the alarm clock was coughing and sputtering, begging me to wake up and put him out of his misery. I tapped it on its head and permitted myself five extra minutes of sleep. No harm in catching some extra Zzs, eh?

Turns out there is, when I woke up a good half an hour later and just 15 minutes before school would start. Needless to say, I completed all my morning activities in record speed. Murata jokes that I could actually make it into the Guinness World Book of Records if I apply. Speak of the devil; he called me as I was climbing my bike.

I had no time to reply though as I put my phone back into the pocket and started pedaling. Thankfully, the way to the school doesn't involve steep slopes. Near the supermarket, my phone started ringing again. While riding with one hand, I grabbed my phone and flipped it open. Murata again?

Why is he calling me twice? Did he forget something? Or is he calling to remind me something? Such thoughts kept floating through my head. I was about to answer his call when it striked me. Our new class teacher was Gwendal sensei! The mere thought had me pedaling at double the speed.

No one, I repeat, no one should get into Gwendal sensei's bad books. The seniors had warned us against it. One of them had dared to come 10 minutes late to his class. Later he was called to the staffroom by sensei. Till date no one can accurately state what had happened then. When we asked the said sempai, he would only tremble in fear. What had reduced this proud and snooty person into a shuddering and stuttering mess? No one has the guts to find out.

So not surprisingly, I had this nagging feeling in the back of my head that this year was not going to be good. How can a seasoned latecomer like me get any reassurance from having an iron-fisted, no-nonsense, disciplinary personality like Gwendal sensei as our class teacher? But I had to try my best because even though I got into this elite academy through baseball scholarship, it was necessary for me to get the required cut-off marks in all the other subjects and extra-curricular activities. And since Gwendal sensei keeps aside a certain amount of marks for attendance and punctuality, I couldn't afford to be late at any cost!

Despite being lost in such thoughts, I could soon see the grand edifice of Shin Makoku International Academy at the horizon. Glancing at my watch, I decided it would be best if I move faster.

Panting for breath, I parked the bicycle at the deserted School Cycle Stand. This area is always relatively unoccupied compared to the School Car Parking Lot. I personally don't mind because, hey, more space for my cycle!

No time to muse about finances and philosophy though. I have less than a minute to save myself from Draconian Gwendal!

Running up the three flights of stairs, taking two steps at once, I turn right to go to my class 3-B and… WHOA!

Pretty boy! I wondered who he was. It was as if some bishounen prince from a cheesy anime had come alive. Perfect blond locks, not an inch out of shape, shining like gold under the sun. Slender body frame casually reclined against the wall as he speaks with someone… Someone?

Holy shit! It's the devil himself! Gwendal sensei. A very embarrassing squeak left my lips that captured the pretty boy's attention. And unfortunately, even sensei's. Dammit, I gotta run. But it's those eyes. I can't help but drown in those emerald pools.

Those shining emeralds that I was engrossed in, prevented me from seeing the wall I ran into.

I'm still not sure of what happened after that. But when I woke up, I found a golden head on my chest, with the ear pressed against my heart. Somewhere in the background I heard a gruff voice saying "I can't find a pulse in his hand. Go call Dr. Gisela." My skin tingled where pretty boy spoke "I think he's ok, his heart is beating properly."

And somehow, that triggered a very complex chemical reaction in my body, resulting in my heart beating at thrice the rate. Why, you traitor! Can't you behave normally? Puzzled, the boy looked up, straight into my eyes. Now it skips a beat. Damn, I knew this year would not be good at all. I mean I fainted at the beginning in front of some pretty boy and now my heart is playing tricks on me.

"Are you feeling okay?" Um, apart from my abnormally behaving heart? "Yes."

What's with that demure voice? I cleared my throat. "Yes, thank you."

"Aren't you in class 3-B?" Crap, I forgot he was here! "Yes, sensei."

"Well, if you're okay. Go on to class." And for a good measure, he gave me a glare too that sent shivers up my spine.

Not needing to be told twice, I ran straight to class. Murata smirked.

"So Shibuya, you managed to reach on time after all! See Haruo…" Said boy Haruo grumbled and slipped some undisclosed amount of coins into Murata's open palm.

"Murata! How could you bet on me?" Oh, who am I kidding? It's MURATA after all. I think he understood what I was thinking because he only gave me a cheeky grin as a reply. Sighing to myself, I went up to my desk at the back. It was near the window where I could overlook the baseball practice grounds, if a lecture gets too taxing.

All noise in the class died as Gwendal sensei strode in. A few gasps were elicited when the next person entered. Oh no, I had a very foreboding feeling about this. Why? Oh why should he end up in my class? My heart beat hard against my ribcage to prove my point.

"Class, we have a new student. Please introduce yourself." He told the pretty boy.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Wolfram von Bielefeld. Though I was born in Germany, I have lived in Japan for over 6 years. I am very excited to be here." He said, flashing a 1000-watt smile that instantly had all the girls swooning.

Sensei cleared his throat to stop the chatter among students. "Your place Wolfram von Bielefeld…" he said, pausing to search for an empty seat. " is next to Shibuya Yuuri." What? I snapped my head towards the left and indeed, there's an empty seat next to mine. Remember that foreboding feeling I talked about? Yeah, that hit me full force again. "Mr. Shibuya shall be your school guide until you get used to the new place. He shall show you around the academy. If you have any doubts regarding the rules and regulations of this school, you can ask him. I will speak to other teachers and have him be your lab partner in all subjects until you get familiar with others. Is that understood Mr. Shibuya?" He asked, now looking at me. I couldn't find my voice after seeing his face and just about managed to nod.

All the girls in the class and some boys too, shot me disdainful looks.

Whispers could be heard as pretty boy a.k.a. Wolfram made his way towards me. He stopped beside me and bent slightly. "Hello. My name is Wolfram. Please take care of me." He said, and gave me a polite smile.

Blood rushed into my cheeks. I was about to reply when I heard someone whispering. "…Oh, yes yes. Me too. I too heard that he's actually Gwendal sensei's half brother. And that sensei is very protective of him. That's so sad, I actually wanted to ask him out!" a pouting voice said. My eyes widened in surprise and I looked at sensei. He was practically giving out a murderous aura towards the students who were ogling at Wolfram.

My heart, which was previously beating hard at the closeness between us, now raced in fear at the prospect of being strangled by sensei.

A very graphic image of sensei as the Grim Reaper popped into my head. The corners of my vision turned black and the last thing I remembered was falling into someone's arms.

I woke up and found a golden head on my chest with the ear pressed to my heart. Déjà vu, anyone?

As I opened my eyes, someone shouted, "He's ok!" and the class burst into loud chatters. Wolfram was asking Murata, who was suddenly beside us, something. I think I vaguely heard 'medical disability?' When Murata shook his head no, pretty boy turned to look at me and spoke loud enough for me to hear.

"So, I'm stuck with a wimp, huh?" What? Did pretty boy actually call ME a wimp?

"Not a wimp! Brat!" I said, swatting his hand that still rested on my chest.

I got up and sat back on my desk. It puzzled me when I heard no retort from him. So I turned around to look at him…and made a big mistake. That polite smile slowly transformed into a wicked grin that sent my traitorous heart into a lurch.

All those foreboding, nagging feelings once again consumed me as I heard his devilish tone accompanied with a mischievous glint in his eyes…"Oh, this year is going to be so much fun."

AN: The positive reviews from my first fanfic gave me the courage to share this oneshot that was buried for so long in some depths of folders on my laptop. I hope you've enjoyed it! :)

I have gotten requests for a sequel for 'Eye of the Beholder'. While I feel extremely happy that people want to read more, I have to inform you that it might not happen until a few months. I shall update my profile once I make such a decision.