Kimi no koto ga sukidakara (Because I love you) 

Chapter 1

Sometimes, I wonder. 

Is it an act? Or....are you serious? 

I don't know. 

I don't want to get my hopes up. I don't want to believe that something can happen. 

If you're just messing with me...then I wish you would stop it. Each time you make a move my heart beats faster. My body feels warm....and I wish you would keep going. 

It's funny. You probably think I hate what you do. You probably think I find you annoying. 

But....I'm just protecting myself. 

I don't hate you. I can't hate you. 

Because.....

I love you. 

I don't think anyone would ever believe this. Everyone just thinks that I'm that good looking airhead. Everyone thinks that everything they tell me goes in through one ear and comes out through the other. But that's not the case. I have my reasons. Sometimes they say things I don't want to hear. 

"You're so mean to her." 

"Just give her one kiss, geez." 

"Look at that, she's giving you the puppy eyes." 

But what's the point in giving in to her? What's the point of doing what she wants, when in the end she's probably just messing with me? 

I don't want it. I don't want my heart to be broken because she's probably the only person I've ever truly loved and having my heart broken by her would be too much to bear. 

So for now...I'll just continue acting like this. Maybe....maybe she'll eventually move on to someone else. 

******

"Nyan Nyaaaan...." 

I poked the tall brunette lying next to me. She was concentrating on her DS game and she was completely ignoring me. Ah, how I hated when she did that. Just once I wish she would let me get away with naughty things. But it's always that same face. Her eyes seem to droop down slightly and those enchanting lips of hers form a small but noticeable pout. The only thing I want to do is grab her and force myself on her until she accepts it. 

.....

That...sounds a lot like rape. Scratch that. I don't want to do that to her. 

"Nyan Nyaaaaaaan!!" 

She paused her game and then looked at me with that face. She doesn't look amused but....she looks so cute! 

"What?" 

I reached for my box of pocky that's on my side and took out one stick. I flashed it before her and spoke.

"Do you want some?" 

"Sure." 

She reached for the one I had in my hand but I took it away and placed it in my mouth. I pointed to it and smirked. She got what I wanted her to do and turned back to her game. 

"Never mind. I don't want any." 

I sighed, dissapointed that she didn't play along. For once, I wish she would just give in. I don't have germs. I'm not going to poison her. All I want is a little affection. Of course, the kind of affection I want is the kind she's probably not into. I'll say it now. I'm attracted to Haruna. No, that's not the right word.

I love Haruna. 

There, I said it. Everyone seems to think that I'm just joking around but I'm not. I'm extremely serious. One kiss, just one kiss is all I ask for. I've been lucky a few times but they've never been anything too serious. 

"Nyan Nyan?" 

She doesn't look at me at all but I can hear her mumble. 

"Hmmm?" 

I bite off a piece of the pocky and choose my next words carefully. 

"Do you think.....it would be strange if two girls from the group got together?" 

She stops her game and looks at me. I can't really read her emotions. 

"I think.....there would be nothing wrong with it. Love is a strange thing. Sometimes....it's something we can't control. It just happens." 

I pause, taking in what she just said. Now that she's opened up a bit, it's time for me to ask the question that's been on my mind for a while now. If I have the answer, then I can start making my next moves. 

"Nyan Nyan....do you....love someone?" 

She seems a bit caught off guard with what I just asked her and bites her lower lip slightly. She looks at me for a moment and then looks back at her game. I'm thinking that maybe she doesn't want to talk about it. Maybe it's something that makes her sad. I start delving deeper into thought but then I hear her voice. 

"Yes." 

She turned off the game and got up. I couldn't catch a glimpse of her face since her hair was in the way, but I'm pretty sure she's not happy. Could she still be in love with someone who was bad to her? The thought of something like that being the case makes me sad...and it makes me angry. Why? 

Because I would never treat her badly. I would treat her like the goddess she is. 

Did you know that? Did you know she's a goddess on earth? She really is. She's the most perfect being on this planet we call earth. Nobody can compare to her. 

"Let's go get something to eat, Yuko." 

I jumped up a little at the sound of her voice. I had really been in dreamland. I got up and grabbed my box of pocky. I tried the same move from earlier one more time but she just shook her head and started walking away. My shoulders sagged down a bit but I followed right behind her. 

Just one tiiiiimeeeee!!! 

"Where are we gonna go eat?" 

"I don't know. I'm actually not really that hungry." 

"So...why'd you suggest we get something?" 

"I don't know. Let's just go home." 

I was confused by her strange behavior but it was probably due to what I had asked her earlier. She's probably not feeling too well. 

But it's ok. I'll protect my goddess on her way home. I grabbed our things and bid the rest of the girls in the theater farewell. As she and I were walking away, both Takamina and Miichan approached us, with huge smiles on their faces. 

"Hey hey! Wait up!"

Haruna and I both stopped and waited for them to reach us. Takamina handed us both a paper, which we started to read. 

"Party at Meshibe's place! Bring a date! A female date!! Get ready to dance and have fun!" 

I laughed a bit. Meetan was always up to no good. I bet she just wanted to see who would pair up. Some of the pairings were obvious though. Yuki would ask Mayu, Erepyon and Myao would go together, Tomochin and Tomo~mi would partner up, Takamina was definitely going to ask Acchan, and Sayaka and Sae would be together. I looked at Miichan who seemed to be blushing. 

"Neh, Haruna....do you think you and I could go together?" 

Whaaatttt??? No way, Minegishi!! Shit! I looked at Haruna who looked a bit surprised. Oh god, please don't let her say yes. PLEASE DON'T LET HER SAY YES!!

Haruna looked at me for just a second but then looked back at Miichan. 

"Sure. We'll have fun." 

FUCK!!!!! You let me down, god. Who the hell was I going to ask now? More importantly, why? WHY, MIICHAN!? I could have had the perfect opportunity to have Haruna grinding up against me. This is not cool! 

"Thank you. I guess I'll talk to you later." 

I saw a tiny smirk form on Takamina's face as she looked in my direction. But it only lasted a second. She reached for Miichan's hand and they left us. What the heck was that about? Was she making fun of me? 

She knew about my feelings but would she really be that evil? Maybe she had planned it! Does she want me to make a move? But that's kind of impossible now, right? 

"Who are you going to ask?" 

"Eh?" 

I snapped back to reality and shrugged. I had no idea. 

Haruna stared at me for a bit until she finally started walking again. 

"Let's get out of here." 

I nodded my head and we left. As we walked on, I couldn't help but feel a bit angry. If Miichan hadn't asked her, then I could be using this time to ask her myself. It's not fair. That whole night could have been so perfect. Maybe....maybe she would have let me get away with something. The thought was enough to make me want to go back in time and tell Miichan to shut the hell up. 

"What's wrong?" 

I looked down at the ground and sighed. 

"Nothing." 

"Doesn't sound like nothing. What's on your mind?" 

You. 

"It's nothing. I'm just...tired."

"I see. We're almost at the train station." 

She reached for my hand and smiled at me. Ah...it was these kinds of moments that made everything seem like it was ok. An angel had just smiled at me. These kinds of moments always made me feel warm, and they made me feel some hope. I never doubted she cared about me. Even if she was a bit cruel sometimes, I knew she cared. I just....I just wanted more than that. I wanted her to hold me and tell me she loved me. I wanted her to kiss me and whisper in my ear. 

I know..

I know I'm asking for too much, but....it's ok to hope, right? It's ok to imagine, right? 

As we approached the train station, the train was already making its way to the platform. We ran to the very end and managed to enter an empty car. We both sat down and I remembered the incident from before. I had tried to touch her and she got really mad. 

"Don't touch me there!" 

I had laughed at the time but honestly, it made me sad. 

"We'll be home soon." 

"Hmm.." 

I was hesitant at first but I leaned against her shoulder and took in the scent of her shampoo. I figured she was going to push me away but instead she placed her head on top of mine. 

"Hey...you know....about what you asked earlier...."

I gave her thigh a gentle squeeze and laughed.

"It's ok, you don't have to explain anything." 

"...Ok." 

As much as I wanted to know what was going on in her head, I decided to just leave the subject alone. The last thing I wanted was for my goddess to be upset. Our trip didn't last as long as I wanted it to, and my heart was filled with sadness as we got off the train. 

"I'll see you later." 

I waved and turned around to walk away but I felt her grab my wrist. She pulled me into a hug and patted my back. 

"Make sure to find a date for the party, ok?" 

"I will....thanks." 

She smiled at me and then left. I can't believe I had just lost my chance. I took a deep breath and stretched out my arms. As I felt the tension in my arms loosen up a bit, I felt my bag vibrate and a short tune started to play. 

Aitakatta, Aitakatta, Aitakatta YES! 

I searched for my phone and finally found it in the deepest depths of my bag. The small charm that Haruna had given me was still hanging nicely on the side. This charm was really precious to me. I had been wanting it for a while but by the time I went to go buy it, it was already gone. But....Haruna searched for it until she found it online and bought it for me. It's a heart with two pink birds in the middle. Their beaks are touching and the word LOVE is engraved at the bottom. I always joke around and say the birds are me and her. She never seems to respond to it though. It's probably embarassing. 

But enough about the charm. I need to check my phone. I saw that I had a new text message and checked it out. It was from Mariko. 

"I heard about Meetan's party. I also heard Miichan asked Haruna. You idiot. Why'd you let her do that? Anyway, you and I should go together. How about it?"

I immediately made a face at the message. How could she call me an idiot and then ask me to go with her? Geez, Mariko, you can be such an ass sometimes. I guess I'll go with her though. I just hope this isn't some kind of strange plan to get me and Haruna together. Not that I would mind but....it would be kind of mean to do something like that with Miichan around. What if....what if Miichan liked Haruna? 

SHIT! 

The thought had never even crossed my mind. I just figured she asked her because they spend so much time together and they're really good friends. 

I immediately started to panick and quickly sent Mariko a message back. 

"I need to see you ASAP."

I....might actually be screwed. 

Chapter 2

"So what's going on? Your face looks more wierd than usual." 

I groaned and plopped down on her bed. Usually, I would tackle her to the ground and a fight would ensue but I wasn't in the mood for that. 

"Mariko, I think I'm screwed." 

"No, Haruna hasn't done anything to you yet." 

I pouted and threw a pillow at her. She dodged it and laughed. But she noticed that I wasn't playing around. She sat down next to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

"Ok, I'm sorry. What's wrong? Does this have to do with Miichan?" 

I buried my face in my hands and groaned in frustration. 

"Yes. What if she likes Haruna? She could use this party to get even closer to her. What am I going to do? If I lose her....then....." 

"You won't lose her." 

I looked up to Mariko and saw that she held a serious expression on her face. 

"Do you...really think so?" 

She flashed me a smile and stood up. 

"I do, and you wanna know why?"

Uh oh, this sounds bad. I don't like the way she's looking at me. I can almost see the gears in her brain moving. 

"Uh....." 

"I'm going to help you. If you listen to my advice, you're definitely going to get Haruna." 

I wasn't so sure about that. I wondered if she even knew about how I felt. This was more than just lust. I loved her. I loved everything about her. 

"Mariko....you know I love her, right?" 

"Duh. It's so painfully obvious sometimes." 

My mouth opened slightly. Was it really that obvious? Gah, the thought of everyone talking about my feelings was really embarassing. Maybe I need to stop being so....affectionate. 

"Well....I guess I can stop being so mushy." 

"That's the best thing to do. Maybe if you stop acting like a cat in heat, she might actually appreciate your love." 

"What?! Is that really the kind of image I put out?"

Mariko scoffed and crossed her arms. 

"We're all surprised she hasn't put a restraining order out on you." 

Wow. I was learning things today that I had never even put thought into before. I really need to start paying more attention to things. 

But damn, Haruna is just THAT distracting.

"So...what am I supposed to do?" 

"Well, this is what I would do. If you really want her to think you're this sweet loveable puppy, then you need to start acting like one. You know, be nice to her. Say nice things to her. Instead of making it seem like you're joking around, you should act more serious. What if she does like you, Yuko? Sure, the rest of us know you're in love with her, but with the way you act, you just make it seem like it's all a big joke. To her it might seem like you're just messing around and you never know if that's making her feel upset." 

I took in everything Mariko had just said. She was right. I did mess around too much but that's only because Haruna was so cute. I just couldn't resist. But maybe....maybe I could tone it down a bit. 

"Fine. I'll stop messing around so much."

"Good. Now, that you know what to do we have to find out about Miichan." 

"Ah...you think she likes her?" 

Mariko put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment. Maybe that was a good sign. If she had to put thought into it there was a possibility that maybe Miichan wasn't showing any signs of liking Haruna. 

"Honestly, I don't think so, but you never know. I'll do some digging for you, just because I love you." 

She winked at me and I playfully shoved her shoulder. Working together for Majisuka had really brought Mariko and me closer together. I had found a big sister in her but of course having a big sister meant I was going to be bullied as well. 

But even though Mariko was upbeat, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of dread washing over me. Planning things out was easy but actually executing them was going to be hard. The major problem here was that I was too affectionate. I knew Haruna hated it but I just couldn't stop. A part of me hoped that maybe she did like it but didn't want to admit it to me. What was she so scared of? I wouldn't bite.

"You're thinking too much." 

I jumped back at how close Mariko was to me. She laughed and poked my forehead. 

"It'll be fine." 

My lips formed a small smile and then there was a strange noise. It came from my stomach. Mariko laughed and got up to retrieve the phone. 

"I'll order something to eat. When's the last time you ate?" 

I remembered the pocky incident and told Mariko about it. She only shook her head and began to dial the numbers on her phone. 

"You're such a pervert.....no...pervert isn't even the right word to describe you. I don't even know what to call you." 

I could feel my face heat up and I grabbed the closest thing next to me and threw it. Luckily for Mariko it was a small stuffed animal. 

"I'm not that bad." 

Mariko controlled her laughter and covered the phone. 

"Like I said, you act like a cat in heat." 

I pouted and crossed my arms. Ok...so maybe I WAS that bad. 

"Whatever. How long is the food going to take?" 

"Half an hour. Let's bother someone." 

I shrugged. Who were we supposed to bother? I figured everyone was busy. 

"Let's bother Takamina. I know after she left the theater she was going to grab dinner with Acchan. Let's just keep calling her cellphone and then hang up." 

Mariko began to laugh and I couldn't help but chuckle. We all knew how much Takamina enjoyed her alone time with Acchan. If we kept on interrupting her she would definitely get pissed off. I felt a bit of adrenaline shoot through my body and I quickly hopped off the bed and grabbed the phone from Mariko's hands. She chuckled and went to take a seat on her bed. 

"Make sure to mask the number. You know how she always picks up the phone no matter what." 

I stuck my tongue out and smirked. Doing this was definitely going to get my thoughts away from this whole crazy situation. I dialed Takamina's number and tried to control my snickering. The phone rang twice before I heard Takamina's voice on the other line. 

"Hello?" 

I quickly hung up and started to laugh. Mariko sat with her hand covering her mouth in a sad attempt to cover her giggles. 

"Wait wait, shut up. I'm going to call again." 

I clicked the redial button and this time the phone rang only once. 

"Hello??" 

I made a fake static noise and then heard Takamina speak again. 

"Who is this?? That static is so fake!" 

I hung up and threw myself on Mariko's bed. I started laughing so hard that my stomach started to hurt. I quickly sat up and wiped a tear from my eye. Mariko then snatched the phone from my hand and called her again. Takamina did not sound happy. 

"Who is this, dammit!?" 

"Geez, Taka-san, why are you so angry? I just wanted to call and ask what time we have to show up to practice tomorrow." 

I placed my ear on the other side of the phone and heard Takamina's apology. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mariko. I just keep getting a call from some person who isn't answering. They want us there by one." 

"Ah, I'm sorry, that sounds terrible. Just ignore the phone call and have fun with Acchan. Thanks for the info." 

"No problem. Thanks, Mariko." 

Mariko hung up and we both looked at each other and erupted in a roar of laughter. Oh, our miniature captain was too easy to fool sometimes. It made me feel bad....but only a little. 

"That was fun. Should we tell her it was us when we see her tomorrow?" 

Mariko smirked and nodded her head. 

"Definitely. She's gonna give us that look we've all come to love." 

I smiled, feeling a lot better than I did before. 

Aitakatta, Aitakatta, Aitakatta, YES! 

Mariko looked for the source of the music and I pointed to my phone, which was on her desk. She flung it at me and I caught it but not without it hitting my finger first. 

"Ouch, you're such a meanie!" 

Mariko shrugged and played around with a rubber band that was on her desk. I observed her for just a second and it was with that simple gesture that I noticed how beautiful she was. 

But anyway, I needed to check my phone. I flipped open the lid and saw that I had a new message from Haruna. 

"I need to see you." 

"Your face just did a 180 degree turn. Let me guess, it's from Haruna?" 

"Yes." 

"Are you going to go to her?" 

"I guess." 

"Aren't you going to wait for your food?" 

My stomach growled in response. I guess going to see her a bit later would be ok. Although I was curious to know why she wanted to see me, I was still really hungry. And there was no use in traveling over there if I was going to pass out half way through the trip. 

I just hoped I wasn't making mistake by not going to see her right away.......

Chapter 3

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for the food." 

I bid farewell to Mariko and grabbed my things to leave. Before I stepped foot out the door, Mariko reached for my shoulder. I looked at her curiously, as she held a serious expression on her face. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Remember what I told you. Don't try anything funny. If she sent you a message it's because maybe she wants to talk about something. Be nice." 

"Ah, I know I know. I won't do anything stupid. I promise." 

I sighed and she gave my shoulder a light squeeze. 

"Ok then, I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck." 

She pushed me out of her home and I almost tripped forward. I turned around to protest but she had already shut the door. 

"Geez. Such an ass." 

From behind the door I could hear her muffled shout.

"I heard that!" 

I shrugged and started my walk to Haruna's home. It wasn't too far, or maybe I was just walking so fast that I didn't even notice the burning sensation in my calves. I stopped for a moment to tie my shoes and then got back up. I put my arms behind my neck and sighed. 

"Ahhh...I really do wonder what Haruna might want to talk about. She hasn't even messaged me again. Maybe it isn't too important. Maybe she left something in my bag....but why would she want to see me for that? Ahhh!" 

I ruffled the back of my head with my hand and growled. All this thinking was driving me insane! I need to see her now. I started picking up the pace to the point where I was actually running. I didn't care if my bag was heavy. I didn't care if there was an insane amount of wind that was blowing in my face. It was all for her. 

"I'm coming, Haruna!" 

In my haste, I failed to realize that I was already standing outside her door. I laughed quietly to myself and rang her doorbell. It took a while but I finally heard her voice calling out to me. 

"Who is it?"

"It's me." 

She recognized my voice and I heard a little shuffling around and then I heard her curse. I was about to ask her if she was ok but she opened the door. My jaw almost dropped. 

In front of me stood a wet haired Haruna with just a towel on. The towel accentuated every single curve of her body and I stopped myself from following the drop of water that was rolling down her cleavage. I cleared my throat and then patted down my hair. It was probably messy. 

"Uh...hey. I....uh....um..."

I quickly wiped away the drool that was forming in the corner of my mouth. Shit, get it together, Yuko! You're making yourself look like a total weirdo! 

"Come in." 

Haruna moved aside and I walked in. I left my bag near the door and took off my shoes. It wasn't until then that I realized how dry my throat was. 

"Uh...can I have some water?" 

She smiled sweetly at me and I felt my knees go weak.

"Did you run here or something?" 

"Yes." 

She was a bit surprised but quickly went into the kitchen to get me some water. But...she was still wearing that towel. Wasn't she cold? Maybe I could hug her and she would appreciate my kind and non pervy gesture. 

Yeah, who am I kidding? She would slap me. 

She handed me a glass of water and I drank it all in a few gulps. I let out a breath and felt much better. I glanced at Haruna and saw a small smile on her face. It made me feel nervous. So nervous that I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. 

"I'm going with Mariko to Meetan's party." 

It happened so quickly, but I was pretty sure her expression changed to sadness and then happiness. 

"Oh, I'm glad you have someone to go with. Did you ask her or did she ask you?" 

"She asked me." 

"I see. Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun with her. Go sit down, I'm going to go change into something more comfortable." 

She walked away before I had a chance to even say anything. Why the hell did I say that? 

I smacked my forehead and went to sit down in the living room. Stupid Yuko. Stupid, stupid, Yuko! I brushed back my bangs and sat back on her couch. There was no way I was going to fix that. Maybe she got the wrong idea. 

Or maybe....

Maybe I'm worrying about nothing. It's not like she likes me. It's not like anything I do would affect her. 

"Yuko?" 

I jumped up from my seat but quickly composed myself. 

"Sorry. I was thinking." 

She sat next to me and did something rare. She placed a hand on my thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was something I always did to her. At first she had protested but she got used to it. It felt nice when she did it to me. 

"Yuko, is there something you need to tell me? Or anything you want to talk about?" 

The way she was looking at me was so intense. I almost spilled my guts out. But I stopped myself. Even if I told her, I wasn't ready for rejection at the moment.

"No, I'm cool." 

"Are you sure?" 

I tried to lighten up the mood and tapped her arm lightly. 

"Haha, don't worry about me. I'm fine. Anyway, why'd you need to see me?"

She bit her lower lip slightly and was gathering her thoughts together. 

"Well...I just felt kind of bad for changing my mind so suddenly earlier. I'm guessing you were pretty hungry and I felt bad....so....I cooked you something. You probably ate already so I packed it and maybe you can eat it tomorrow." 

Her last few words were said in a lower voice and my heart started to swell with happiness. How.....CUTE! I couldn't resist and went in to pinch her cheeks.

"Ahhh so cute!!" 

She let out a squeal and pushed my hands away. She rubbed her cheeks and pouted. 

"Why'd you do that for?" 

"Ahhhh, Nyan Nyan, I just couldn't resist. You just looked so cute when you were speaking." 

She continued pouting and crossed her arms. 

"Well it hurt a lot." 

She kept rubbing her cheeks and I started to feel a bit bad. Maybe I pinched her too hard. .I then made a move that surprised even me. .I cupped her cheek and began to rub the spot I had pinched with my thumb. 

"I'm sorry." 

Time seemed to stop as we both looked into each other's eyes. I could have sworn the distance between us was lessening but just as it started to happen it stoppped. She pulled away and stood up. 

"Uh...I should get the food for you. You're probably dying to get back home." 

I'm not. 

"Ok...thanks." 

I watched her as she left the room. I couldn't believe I had actually done that. Sure, I had touched her before but I had never felt that kind of feeling between us. It was almost as if there was some kind of magnet pulling us together. I guess maybe I was the only one feeling it. 

"Here you go." 

Haruna returned to the living room carrying a small paper bag in her hands. On the outside she had written my name and had attempted to draw me with a smile on my face. I passed my fingers along the surface of the drawing and looked at her. 

"Thank you." 

A small blush formed on her cheeks and she lowered her head a bit. 

"It was no problem. I just hope everything came out alright." 

"I'm sure it did." 

I winked at her and stood up. 

"I guess I should get going." 

I walked to the door and slipped on my shoes and picked up my bag. 

"I'll see you tomorrow." 

I started turning the knob to the door but she stopped me. 

"Wait, I forgot to tell you. After practice, the girls want to go to the beach. So you should pack a bathing suit and bring some suntan lotion. Oh and a jacket as well. We'll probably stay there until the night and it might get chilly." 

"Alright. Who planned this out?" 

"It was actually Mariko. She sent me a text while you were on your way here. She told me to let you know." 

"Ah...ok. Well thanks. I'll make sure to pack the right things. See ya." 

I walked out and heard her gently close the door behind me. My body felt warm and my heart was full of happiness. Haruna did think about me sometimes. She did care. I wasn't just a thorn on her side. 

"YAY!!" 

I lifted my arms into the air and cheered as loudly as I could. A few birds flew out of some trees and I dodged the barrage of crap that fell from the sky. Such a good sign. I didn't get a drop on me. I adjusted my bag and started walking back home. I wondered why Mariko had done that whole beach thing. 

"Ahhh, who cares. I'm going to have fun tomorrow!" 

I picked up the pace and practically skipped back home. I didn't care about the looks I was getting. Nothing was going to bring down my mood. 

Chapter 4

"Did you bring the suntan lotion?" 

I dug through my bag and located the suntan lotion all the way at the bottom. I took it out of my bag and beamed with happiness, just like a dog that had just done a trick. Mariko chuckled a bit and then slapped the back of my head.

"Loser." 

I rubbed the back of my head and glared at the tall beauty. 

"What the hell? That shit hurt!" 

She shrugged and took the suntan lotion from my hand. She examined it for a bit and then gave it back to me. 

"Why aren't you with Haruna?" 

My shoulders drooped down a bit and I sighed. I hadn't had a good practice today. Haruna was mad at me. Why? Because I had let my hands wander. 

"I don't want to talk about it." 

Mariko narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. 

"Let me guess. You touched her?" 

Shit. Why did she always know everything? I looked down at my feet and placed a hand on my hip. 

"Yeah, I did. She's pissed at me. She won't say a word to me." 

"Way to go, Yuko. I planned this beach thing so you could get a chance to get closer to her. What exactly did you do?" 

I started grumbling and leaned against the trunk of the tree behind me. 

"Well...."

*****

"Neh, Nyan Nyan, which bathing suit did you bring?" 

She began to take the bathing suit out of of her bag and my eyes lit up in delight. YES! I grabbed the bikini from her hands and hugged it to my chest. 

"Oh my God! This is my favorite one of yours. So sexy." 

I held up the bottom piece in front of me and examined it carefully. It was a simple blue color but it had small waves of light blue on the sides. The other girls owned similar designs but on Haruna it just looked amazing. The top piece hugged her breasts perfectly and the right amount of cleavage was shown. I inwardly squealed with delight and brought the bikini up to my cheeks. I hadn't even realized what I was doing until I noticed Haruna's eyes popping out of their sockets. 

"Pervert!!!!" 

She snatched the bikini from my hands and pushed me away. My mouth hung open as I watched her run away from me. 

******

I finished telling my story and shook my head while sighing. I thought maybe Mariko would sympathize with me and tell me that what I had done wasn't so bad. 

.....

I was wrong. 

"Idiot! Why would you do that? That just made you look like an old perverted freak!" 

I put my hands up in the air and groaned as loudly as I could. 

"AHHHHHH!!!!! I don't know! I just wanted to feel the soft fabric against my face!" 

Mariko stared at me wide-eyed. I only shrugged. It's not as if she hadn't ever had that thought before! 

"Don't look at me that way. Haven't you ever put something soft against your face?!" 

"Yeah, but that was a cat! Not a freaking bikini!" 

Ok....so maybe I was the only one who liked doing that kind of stuff. I should ask Takamina how she feels about that. 

"Whyyy? Why? I'm an idiot, Mariko. I could have had the chance to rub suntan lotion all over her body. Why did I mess it up for myself?" 

I brought my hands to my face and began wailing. I heard a small sigh from Mariko as she patted my back and tried to make me feel better. 

"It's ok you little pervert. I'm sure we can fix this. The answer is quite simple, actually." 

I looked up at her with hope in my eyes. Could there really be a simple solution?

"Really?"

"Yup. All you have to do is apologize." 

"Eh? That's all? I'm thinking that maybe she might want more than an apology. You know how Haruna is sometimes..." 

"Trust me. You've never apologized for the things you do. You just keep on going like it's some kind of joke. I think she'll forgive you if you just say sorry. Maybe she'll even be a bit surprised and let you rub suntan lotion on her back." 

She winked at me and pushed my arm playfully. I blushed a bit at the thought. Rubbing suntan lotion all over Haruna's body would be a very enjoyable experience. I should find her. Like right now. 

"Ok. I'm going to do it! I need to find her. I'll see you later, Mariko. Thanks!" 

I grabbed my bag and ran off onto the beach. I could hear Mariko shouting words of encouragement from a distance. I smiled to myself and kept on running. I started running into a few of the girls who had already laid out their blankets and parasols. I spotted Tomo~mi and Tomochin lying next to each other. I stopped and stood right in front of them. Tomochin removed her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Oi, you're blocking our sun." 

Tomo~mi sat up and placed a calming hand on Tomochin's shoulder. 

"Calm down. What's wrong Yuko?" 

"Have you seen Haruna? I need to speak to her." 

Tomochin pointed to her left and I looked. Sure enough Haruna was off in the distance. But there was somebody else with her. 

"Shit! Miichan is with her." 

Tomo~mi and Tomochin looked at me confused but I shook my head and started running off again. 

"Thanks girls! Sorry for blocking your sun!" 

When I started getting closer to Haruna's area I started to slow down. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Haruna was on her back and Miichan was rubbing suntan lotion all over her back. But the worst part was that Haruna's top was undone. WHAT THE HELL?! I didn't even notice Takamina and Acchan were next to them until Takamina called my name. 

"Hey Yuko, why are you just standing there?" 

Some random words escaped from my mouth and everyone gave me strange looks. Well everyone except Haruna. She was resting her head on her hands and she loooked quite content. She wasn't even looking at me. 

"How about you come sit down? Acchan and I have plenty of room on our blanket." 

I walked over to them slowly. Miichan continued what she was doing and I stopped looking at them. I couldn't take it. I plopped down quietly on Takamina's blanket and took out my own suntan lotion. I felt bad. If I hadn't been a pervert then Haruna could possibly have been the one who would be doing this for me. I felt like crawling into a corner and staring at a blank wall. 

"Need help with that?" 

Mariko was standing over me as I was struggling with the top of the suntan lotion. I handed it to her and she opened it. 

"Want me to rub it on your back?" 

I looked around and noticed that Haruna was looking at me. I looked back at Mariko and she winked at me. Did she really think this was going to make Haruna jealous? 

Well, it's worth a shot. 

"Sure. Thanks." 

I lied down on my stomach and felt the first swipe of cool cream on my back. I turned my head to Haruna and saw that she was looking over in my direction. But there was something off. Her eyes looked dark and it seemed like her whole face was tense. She looked pretty pissed off. She wasn't looking at me though. She was looking at Mariko. When Mariko tugged on the strings that held my top together, Haruna's eyes narrowed. Could she be jealous? I didn't want to get my hopes up. 

"Can I go lower?" 

"Sure." 

Mariko started working on my thighs but then I heard Haruna clear her throat. 

"Hey, Mariko, I forgot to tell you that Sayaka was looking for you. She mentioned something about finding an item of yours. I think maybe you should go look for her." 

"But, I'm busy doing Yuko right now." 

I held in the laugh that was threatening to escape from my mouth. However, Acchan and Takamina began to laugh. Haruna didn't look happy, however. I heard Mariko snickering too. She had said that on purpose to get a reaction out of Haruna. 

"I think it's pretty important." 

Mariko let out a heavy sigh and tied back the strings of my top. 

"Fine. Hey Miichan, you want to go with me?" 

"Okie." 

Miichan tied back the strings on Haruna's top and got up happily. Almost too happily. I raised a brow and continued laying on my back. They both left and only Taka, Acchan, Haruna and I were left. 

"How about we go get some soda from Mayu's camp, Acchan?" 

"Sounds fine." 

And with that, only Haruna and I were the only ones left. She was lying a few feet away from me and there was an awkward silence. She turned onto her back and I continued lying on my stomach. Now was probably a good time to apologize but I just didn't know what to say. I didn't want her to think I was just joking around. But it was now or never. 

"Neh..Nyan Nyan?" 

She was quiet for a moment and I thought that maybe she was just going to ignore me. 

"Hmm?" 

Phew. At least she's responding. 

"Well...I...I...just wanted to apologize for what I did earlier. I didn't mean to come off as pervert. I just really like that bikini you're wearing. You....look beautiful in it." 

I shut my eyes tight as I waited for her response. I wasn't even looking at her. I heard some shuffling and then I opened my eyes to see her crawling towards me. If this weren't a serious situation then I'd be drooling right now. Look at her face, Yuko. Only her face. 

"Yuko..." 

She laid next to me and just looked at me for a while. I was starting to become extremely nervous. I wanted to look away so I turned to lie on my back. She remained on her side and let out a sigh. 

"I don't get you." 

I looked at her confused. She didn't get me? What did she mean by that?

"Huh?" 

"Nothing. I forgive you for what you did. Let's just forget it happened." 

"...Alright." 

She smiled at me and sat up. 

"Do you want something to drink? We can go over to Mayu's area and get a soda." 

"Alright." 

We both got up and began to walk over to Mayu's area. I suddenly felt Haruna's hand on mine and I entertwined our fingers. I smiled to myself. So maybe I did have a chance. I wasn't one hundred percent sure about it but it didn't mean I wasn't going to try. 

When we finally reached Mayu's camp, I was kind of stunned with what I was seeing. There they were, Mayuyu and Yukirin, feeding each other grapes. Yukirin was even resting her head on Mayuyu's lap! 

I really should have brought some grapes or something. 

"Can we get some soda?" 

Mayuyu stopped feeding Yukirin and reached into a cooler full of ice and soda cans. She handed us each a can and we thanked her. We started walking away but she called us back. 

"That'll be 200 yen." 

"Eh? You gotta be kidding me!" 

I stepped forward, ready to fight her claim. Haruna held me back and shook her head. 

"Can we pay you back later?"

"Haruna, no. We aren't going to pay for sodas. Mayuyu should be handing these out because she loves us all. Right, Mayuyu?" 

I stared at her but suddenly I felt a cold chill run down my spine. Mayu's eyes were intense. They were like a black void and I was afraid I was going to get lost in them forever. My defense fell rapidly. 

"Tch. Fine. Here." 

I handed her the money and grabbed Haruna's hand. I heard Mayuyu giggling and I began to mumble.

"Little brat, charging us for freaking soda on a hot day." 

Haruna giggled and swung our hands a little. 

"Well, you have to admit she's pretty smart. She's sure to make a lot of money today." 

As true as that statement was it didn't make me feel any better. Not like it was supposed to anyway. 

And so the day continued just like that. Haruna and I entered the water for a while but a water battle began and we didn't want to be a part of it. But when Sayaka hit the back of my head with a water balloon, I had no choice. I had to join in. I chased her into the water and tackled her. We both fell in completely and rose back up laughing like a pair of crazy women. 

"You got what you deserved, Akimoto!" 

"No way!" 

She began to splash me with water and round two commenced. It was a quick round as we both became quite tired. 

"I call a draw, Yuko." 

"Fine! But I still won the first round." 

I stuck out my tongue and Sayaka splashed more water at me and started walking back to the soft sands of the beach. I followed behind her and saw that Haruna was looking in my direction. I waved at her quite enthusiastically and she waved back at me. I took my time in walking back to her since I was so tired. 

"Leave me alooooneeeee." 

"But I love my Aichan!" 

"Nooooo!!!!" 

That could only be the voices of one pair, Sasshi and Rabutan. I felt as if Sasshi and I were in the same situation. However, what Sasshi did to Rabutan could definitely be labeled as harassment. It was cute and even though Rabutan always pushed her away, I knew she actually did like it and she definitely liked Sasshi. 

I looked around trying to spot them and I found them hiding behind a rock. Sasshi had Rabutan in a tight hug and was trying to kiss her. But Rabutan was not having it. She was pushing her away with all her might. Too bad she wasn't strong enough. Sasshi overpowered her and planted a kiss right on her lips. It was the first time I had seen two of the girls kiss in that kind of way. Sure, there were pecks here and there and Meetan had managed to push some of the girls further but this was the kiss of two people in love. 

"Yuko!" 

I looked in the direction of whoever was calling me and saw Mariko. She had laid out another blanket and was sitting down. I looked at Haruna who was now busy talking to Takamina and Acchan. I then walked over to Mariko and plopped down beside her.

"So did you apologize?" 

"Yeah. She said something weird at first but then just dropped it when I didn't get it. She forgave me though." 

"Good. See? I told you that's all it would take." 

"Yeah...thanks." 

She jabbed my side gently and smiled while looking at the incoming waves. 

"What happened earlier was pretty funny though. I saw the way she was looking at me. I thought she was going to burn a hole through my soul." 

"Yeah, I noticed. So...do you think it means I have a chance?" 

"Yuko, if she's acting that way and isn't interested, then she's just really weird. I'm positive she's interested. You just have to work on your approach and everything will just fall into place." 

"But what about Miichan?" 

"Well, we'll think about her a bit later. There's a solution. I just can't think of it yet." 

I traced a circle in the sand and sighed. 

"You know, I really appreciate the help. I'd probably be making mistakes left and right if it weren't for you." 

Mariko placed her weight on her arms and leaned back. 

"I just think you two make a really good pair. It'd be a shame if you didn't get together." 

I said nothing and looked at the waves. We remained in silence for a few moments until she spoke again. 

"Why are you wasting time here? Go sit with her. The sun is about to start setting. It's a perfect moment for the two of you." 

"Ah, you're right. Thanks." 

I started heading back to Haruna but I heard Mariko call out to me again. 

"Hey did you tell Takamina it was us bothering her on the phone?" 

"Oh, no, I haven't. Should we tell her later?" 

"Let's save it for another day. Maybe we can do it again just to push her buttons." 

I gave Mariko a thumbs up and began sprinting away. I knew why she wanted to wait. If we kept on doing it, it was going to turn into one big funny joke and it was going to be quite enjoyable. I grinned and finally reached Haruna. Takamina and Acchan were no longer with her and she was just sitting alone staring out at the ocean. 

"Nyan Nyan!" 

She smiled as she saw me approaching. I sat down next to her and brought my knees to my chest. 

"Where'd Takamina and Acchan go?" 

"They wanted to be alone."

"Oh...haha, guess that means they went to go make out." 

I laughed and slapped the side of my leg. Those two had to be the busiest pair of bunnies I had ever seen. 

"You and your perverted mind." 

Haruna grinned and placed her head on my shoulder. I settled down and hesitantly placed an arm around her shoulders. She didn't protest and I inwardly let out a sigh of relief. 

The sun began to set and streaks of orange and yellow painted the sky. In the distance some girls were splashing each other with water and giggling out loud. But no matter how happy they were feeling, they couldn't top the happiness I felt at the moment. 

"Hey...Haruna?" 

I waited for her to say something but after she didn't answer, I looked down to find that she had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I mustered up some courage and kissed the top of her forehead. 

I then sighed and just continued to watch her sleep.

Chapter 5 

"Hey, Yukoooo." 

I lifted my head upwards to see who was hovering over me. My heartbeat sped up as the person above me stared at me intently. I gulped and sprinted to another side of the room. 

"What do you want, Meetan?" 

She laughed at me and started walking slowly towards me. Now, I wasn't afraid of her. Quite the contrary, she was actually a good friend of mine. But those hands. Those hands of hers were even more perverted than mine. Not only had she groped almost every single girl in the group, she had stolen a lot of first kisses. I had nothing on her. I only had one target whereas Meetan placed a target on anything with boobs. She was truly the Yuri Queen. 

I want to be just like her when I grow up. 

"Don't run from me, Yuko. I'm actually here to talk to you about something really serious." 

She patted the seat next to her and I hesitantly made my way towards her. She kept a smile on her face the entire time. Oh boy, what am I getting myself into? Once I was sitting down, she plopped herself down on my lap. I let out a yelp and started to hope that no one entered the room. Though....it was Meetan. And everyone knew how she was. 

I probably don't have anything to worry about. 

"So? What do you need to talk about?" 

Meetan smirked and I knew something perverted was going to come out of her mouth. 

"So....what's up with you and Kojima? You guys done it already?" 

My eyes widened and I looked away. I knew my face was turning red. Of course these kinds of conversation with Meetan were normal but I didn't like to think about Haruna like that. Or at least, I didn't want to discuss those kinds of things with anyone BUT Haruna. 

"Ah, geez, why do you have to ask me that? It's none of your business." 

"That's a no then." 

I glared at her and then pouted. She smiled at me and patted my head. 

"Oh my poor poor Yuko. She hasn't gotten any action and she probably won't be getting any either. Why didn't you ask her to go with you to my party?" 

Geez, did everyone know?!

"Was everyone expecting me to ask her or something?"

"Well, duh. We all know how you feel about her." 

I felt my eye twitch. I didn't get it. If everyone knew then how come Haruna didn't know??

Meetan knew what I was thinking because I knew she could read it all over my face. 

"You know Kojima is.....an idiot.....right?" 

Well....yes, Haruna had her moments. 

"Well...." 

"She doesn't realize it. She probably doesn't get you either. You do tend to flirt with a lot of girls." 

I don't get you.

Haruna's words from that day came back to mind. But...I've only been paying attention to her.

"I don't understand. She's the only girl I pay attention to." 

"Well, if you didn't already know....women never forget the past. She probably still remembers all those times you rubbed up on Tomo~mi." 

"But that was a joke." 

"Exactly. So she probably thinks you're just joking around with her." 

AHHHHHHH. Why does this have to happen to me?

Meetan stroked my hair and started leaning dangerously close to me. 

"Don't worry, I'll make you feel better." 

"....Uh....no....please...don't." 

She was really close to me when I heard a loud gasp and then some laughter. I used this distraction to get Meetan off my lap. 

"Did you hear that?" 

"Hear what?" 

"I think someone's outside the door. Did you close it all the way?" 

"I don't remember." 

Crap. I hope we weren't being spied on. I approached the door and heard footsteps. I opened the door all the way and stuck my head out, but there was no one there. 

"Who's there?!" 

I heard more giggling but this time I figured out who it was. 

"Mayu, get your ass back over here!!" 

But she just ignored me and continued to run. I was going to assume that Yukirin was with her. Damn, that cyborg girl and her reaction queen girlfriend! They were going to mess it all up for me. I knew Mayu played her role in Majisuka too well. She's scheming something!! 

"I don't think she's going to do anything. Don't worry about it." 

I knew Meetan was trying to make me feel better but it really wasn't working. I needed to get to Haruna. 

"I need to find Haruna. If Mayu gets to her first, I'm screwed." 

"Good luck!" 

I ran out of the room and looked in all directions. I then looked at my watch. Haruna was probably in the bathroom. I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I opened the door forcefully and a few of the girls looked at me strangely.

"Is Haruna in here?" 

The girls told me she wasn't and I cursed my luck. Where could she be? I started running into any room that was open. I got yelled at a few times but it didn't matter. I reached the stage area and saw that many of the girls were hanging out. But I wasn't interested in any of them. I was just looking for my goddess. I finally spotted her and my worst fear came true. Mayu was talking to her. NOOOOOO!!!

Takamina was next to them too and she spotted me. But I didn't like the look she was giving me. It was one of those "OHHHH YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE" kind of looks. But...she was smirking too. DAMN IT ALL!

"Haruna!" 

Mayu stepped out of the way to reveal a pissed off Haruna. I smiled a bit, hoping to fix the situation, but the glare she was giving me was not changing at all. I took a few tentative steps forward and she walked away. Mayu faced me and flashed me a peace sign and walked away. DAMN HER! 

"Shit." 

I walked to Takamina and spoke.

"What did Mayu say to her?" 

"That you were with Meetan." 

"I wasn't doing anything!" 

"That's not what Mayu and Yukirin saw." 

I slapped my forehead in frustration. 

"I wasn't doing anything!!" 

Takamina shrugged and started to walk off. 

"Go talk to her about it before it gets worse." 

I really wanted to follow Minami's advice but I was too scared to. Maybe I needed to give Haruna some space..... 

"Go to her." 

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard someone whispering in my ear. I whipped around and was face to face with Mariko. 

"Don't do that! You nearly made me soil myself!" 

She gave me a look and took a step away. 

"Now that would have been disgusting. Anyway, you need to go talk to her right now! I saw what happened. She looked pretty pissed off. What did you do to her anyway?" 

"I didn't do anything. Mayu said something to her."

Mariko rubbed the back of her head nervously. She was at a loss for words. Damn, if even Mariko didn't have a plan then I was definitely screwed. 

"Ahhh!! I should go to her!" 

I ran out of the stage area and grabbed the first person I saw. 

"Have you seen Haruna?!" 

Akicha stared at me with wide eyes and with a shaky finger she pointed towards the exit of the theater. I let go of her and quickly ran out. I made a mental note to apologize to her later. Right now I needed to find Haruna. I ran until I was close to the door and in one crazy move, I high kicked the door and was outside. I spotted Haruna about a block away. 

"Haruna!!!" 

She turned around but upon seeing it was me, she started walking away. I can't let her get away. I ran to her and grabbed her hand. 

"Haruna, stop." 

She pulled away and glared at me. 

"I have nothing to say to you." 

"But I have a lot to say to you. I don't know what Mayu said to you..."

"It doesn't matter." 

Her voice was low and a tense air was starting to build up between us. 

"Haruna..."

"No! I don't want to talk. I'm going home." 

She started walking away but I grabbed her arm this time. She tried to pull away again but I held on to her firmly. 

"Why are you so upset?" 

It was now or never. I needed to know. I needed to know why she was reacting in such a way. If I didn't interest her then something like this shouldn't bother her, right? If she wasn't interested then Mayu wouldn't have found the need to tell her she saw me with Meetan, right? I might have a chance and I need to find out. 

She remained quiet and was staring down at the ground. 

"Haruna...answer me....please." 

"I'm...not upset." 

I placed my thumb under her chin and made her face me. 

"So why are you running away from me? What's wrong?" 

"Nothing..." 

I was starting to become frustrated. I didn't like where this was going. I felt like we were both going around in circles. If she didn't want to tell me how she felt, then I was going to tell her how I felt. 

"Haruna....hear me out. Whatever Mayu told you doesn't matter. Nothing anybody says matters. You just need to listen to me. Haruna....I....really care about you a lot. It might not seem like it but I...I...lo-"

"Haruna!" 

I was interrupted by a voice from far away. I turned to look and cursed my luck. Miichan was approaching us. Haruna pulled away from me and composed herself. 

"Haruna, I was hoping we could go watch some movies at your house. You did get that new big LCD TV."

"Oh....uh...sure." 

I watched as Miichan latched onto Haruna's arm and my insides were burning with jealousy. I was so close. I was so close to telling her. A small rage was starting to build up within me and I tried my best to contain it. I let out a deep breath and just began to walk away. I wasn't going to say anything else. 

"Yuko!" 

Haruna called out to me and I turned to her. 

"Yeah?" 

I probably said it a little harsher than was needed. She seemed surprised but only bit her lip. 

"Weren't you going to say something?" 

"No. It's....not important. Have fun." 

I didn't wait for her to say anything more. I heard their footsteps and I quietly made my way back to the theater. My head hung low and I had stuffed my hands into my pockets. Mariko was already waiting for me near the dressing room area.

"So? How'd it go?" 

I sat down and covered my face with my hands. 

"I don't want to talk about it." 

I didn't want to talk about anything at all. 

I was getting close to just giving up. Maybe that would be easier than all this heartache.

Chapter 6

I should just give up. 

I should just let Miichan have her. Maybe she'll make her happy. That's good, right?

Because I love Haruna, I want her to be happy....even if it's not with me. 

Right?

.....Right?

I put my head down and sighed. I was all alone. I could hear the joyful chatter of the girls outside of the dressing room. They all seemed to be having fun and enjoying each other's company. I wished I could be like them. Instead, I was in here all alone just moping like an old woman with dozens of cats. Only, I didn't even have cats to keep me company. But I guess I didn't want any company anyway. Mariko had tried to talk to me but I just ignored her help. I hoped she understood how I was feeling. I wasn't even trying to be an ass. My mind was just full of so many thoughts. 

I was so sure that Haruna felt something for me. I don't even know why I walked away. She's probably with Miichan right now. They're probably having fun. Maybe Miichan has even taken this opportunity to tell her how she feels. I could already picture Miichan crawling on top of Haruna and just having her way with her. Haruna was probably enjoying it too.......

AH!!! Why am I doing this to myself?! 

I'm killing myself here. 

How could things turn so bad so quickly? One day I have her sleeping on my shoulder with the sun setting in front of us and then the next day she's off alone with Miichan in her home. What am I supposed to do? 

I took out my phone, ready to interrupt whatever was going on in there. But I stopped. Who was I to interrupt them? If Haruna felt the same way about Miichan then I would just be intruding. But what if Haruna liked me.....I could be saving her from a very uncomfortable situation. 

AH THE TORTURE OF NOT KNOWING!!!

"Man, what is your deal?" 

"Huh?" 

I lifted up my head and saw that Myao was standing at the entrance of the dressing room. She looked at me with narrow eyes but I just ignored her. She and I never did get along too well. 

I continued moping alone but the sound of Myao's loud sighing stopped me. She was sitting with her arm swung behind the couch and this bored look on her face. 

"What? Am I bothering you?" 

"Yes, you are." 

"Well, too bad." 

I went back to moping but then I heard her footsteps approaching me. 

"You know, I don't like you, but even I can't stand to see you in the pathetic state you're in."

I said nothing but she wasn't going to back up either. 

"Did you mess things up with her again?" 

My defenses fell and I immediately let out a groan. Myao was the last person I wanted to talk to about this, but I needed to release my frustration. 

"I don't know what to do. No matter how hard I try, I still end up losing." 

I continued on, telling her every little thing that had happened. I told her how I felt like there was no hope left for me. 

"So you're just going to give up?" 

I breathed through my nose and ran my hand through my hair. I didn't know what to say. I did feel like giving up, but it was just so unlike me. I never gave up. Even when things got hard, I kept going. But this....this just felt like a losing battle. 

"I...don't know." 

Myao suddenly slammed her fist against the armrest of the couch and I almost jumped out of my skin. 

"Don't be an idiot! You have to keep going! If you give up now, you'll have wasted all this time just trying to get her. It's such a bad move on your part. If you really think that maybe she feels the same way about Miichan, then why don't you ask her? That's what's lacking in your friendship with her. You two don't communicate. Imagine if you two were in actual relationship? I don't even want to see how that would turn out with this lack of communication." 

I was speechless. How could one kid be so wise? No, how could this brat be so wise? 

"So you're saying I should just....ask her?"

"Yes, I can't possibly make it anymore simple for you. Just ask her. Maybe not today, keep your cool today. Send her a message, make it seem like you're not bothered at all. Whatever happened earlier...didn't really happen. It was just a figment of her imagination. That way you score some points for making her laugh."

"But maybe she'll get mad because I'm not taking things seriously." 

Myao brought a finger to her chin and thought. 

"Well, you have a point there. Well, just message her and if she questions you about what happened earlier then change the subject. Just think of something to distract her." 

"....Ok. I'll do that. ....Thanks." 

She shrugged and got up to head to the door. She turned to look at me and spoke. 

"Like I said before, I don't like you...but we're all a team and I don't like seeing my team members in such a sorry state." 

She left and gently closed the door behind her. I didn't know whether to appreciate her comment or chase her for saying it. Either way, she did give me some good advice. It's probably due to all those sessions she had with Takamina. One could only become wise after listening to some kind of damn sage. 

I got up and stretched my arms. I took a deep breath and took out my phone. 

Having fun with Miichan? :P

I sat back down and patiently waited for a reply. Then again she might be busy, so I should probably go yell at Meetan for picking a bad time to be a pervert. I got up again full of energy but it was then that I heard the familiar tune of my phone. I checked it with shaky hands. I had gotten a message from Haruna. 

Well...she fell asleep. ... Neh...Yuko...I think we need to talk. I need to tell you something. I don't think it can wait. 

Ahhh, oh shit! What a turn of events. My stomach felt heavy just thinking about what it could be about. Maybe....maybe she was going to tell me she had gotten with Miichan. The thought almost made me not want to go see her. 

But she needs to talk to me. 

I can't let her down. 

Ah, I could just picture her pout and that pleading look in her eyes. I ruffled up the back of my head and crouched down. I chose my next words carefully. 

Ok. Do you want me to go over there?

I hoped I wasn't being too forward. I patiently waited for her to answer. She didn't take long. 

Yes...if it's not too much trouble.

Ok, I'll be there soon. 

I put away my phone and ran to get my bag. I left the dressing room and ran past the stage area. 

"Yuko!" 

I stopped as Mariko called out to me. 

"Where are you going?" 

"She wants to see me. She needs to tell me something." 

"Ooooh, that sounds good." 

I shook my head.

"I don't know. Maybe she's going to tell me she got with Miichan or something." 

Mariko sighed and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't be so negative. I'm sure it's something good." 

"Pffft, yeah ok. I should go though. I don't want to keep her waiting." 

I was right at the door when Mariko called out to me again. 

"Good luck!" 

She smiled at me and then went back to the other girls. I grinned a bit, inwardly thanking Mariko for her words. 

I walked out and headed straight for the train station. 

------

Mariko's POV 

As soon as I was sure Yuko was gone, I called out to Takamina. She stopped talking to Acchan when I signaled for her to come over. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and approached me. I giggled a bit to myself. She was trying to avoid looking suspicious but she just made it worse for herself. 

"You know, almost everyone knows about our plan. There's no reason for you to hide it anymore." 

"Ahh, but I like acting like a spy." 

"Well, you fail at it." 

"Tch, what's new? Anyway, whaddaya want?" 

I took out my phone and handed it to her. 

"Yuko is on her way to Haruna's house right now. Tell Miichan to get out of there. I think maybe something is going to happen." 

"Really?? Ah, well I'll let her know right now." 

Takamina dialed Miichan's number and waited for her to answer. 

"Hey...wow, you sound like you just woke up.....oh you did? Sorry, but get out of there now. Yuko is heading your way. I guess Haruna called her over. Maybe she's going to confess, don't ruin it for her. ....Hmm?....yeah. She really did get pissed off with the whole Meetan thing. We have to thank Mayu later for that. She seemed to be having fun with the role we gave her....maybe too much fun. Well yeah anyway, get out of there! Byeee." 

Takamina hung up and handed me back my phone. Only reason I had made her do it was because it seemed more likely for Takamina to call Miichan than me. We didn't want Haruna to start suspecting anything. 

"So, do you think she's going to confess?" 

I shrugged. I wasn't really sure. In fact, I wasn't even sure what had happened earlier. Yuko had just gone to mope in the dressing room. But I suppose that was good. It was the perfect time to send in Myao for her "inspirational advice". 

"I hope she does. Though it's not going exactly according to plan. I always had the plan that Yuko would be the one to confess." 

"True, but maybe the thing with Meetan really got to Haruna. Maybe she's realizing that it's stupid to suppress her feelings for Yuko."

"Hmm.....yeah I don't think so." 

Takamina and I shared a laugh and went back to the large group of girls that were chatting. I looked at the time and couldn't help but hope that I was going to get a happy message from Yuko soon. 

------

Yuko's POV

The train ride to Haruna's home was painfully slow. Or maybe it was all that dread building up in my body that made me feel slow and heavy. I could almost sense that I was going to get bad news. I wanted to stop thinking that way but I just couldn't. Get it together, Yuko. Myao gave you good advice. Just keep cool. Dont' ask her yet. You're not ready to know how she feels about Miichan yet. 

I approached her door and stared at the doorbell for a few seconds before I pushed it gently. I heard some footsteps and then the door opened. Haruna was standing in front of me. 

"Hey..come in." 

She led me inside and I took off my shoes. I looked around thinking that Miichan was still around. 

"Miichan left a while ago." 

I blushed a bit, embarassed that she had realized what I was doing. 

"Oh...." 

I scratched my cheek and then Haruna suddenly reached for my hand. 

"Let's sit down." 

I gulped. I was hoping we could chat a bit before she told me what she needed to tell me. I could feel the blood draining from my face. We both sat down and there was an awkward silence between us. I was nervous. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what she was going to say. The silence is too much. I have to do something about it. 

"Haruna, I know you need to tell me something but I need to tell you something too. Haruna, I l-"

She put a finger to my lips and silenced me. My heart started beating so quickly I thought that it was going to explode. 

"No, wait. I need to say it first. ....Yuko, I thought you should be the first to know." 

She paused for a moment and then spoke again. 

"Miichan and I are together now." 

Chapter 7

Miichan's POV

After I left Haruna's house, I started making my way back to the theater. I was hoping to be met with some good news when I got there. The whole time I was with Haruna she just seemed to be thinking. I was pretty sure she was thinking about how to confess to Yuko. The thought alone added a spring to my step. It was going to be so cute. Haruna was probably going to stutter a bit but Yuko was going to catch on and hold her gently while Haruna composed herself. 

"So cute!" 

I spoke out loud and continued walking. Our plan was genius and I was the one who had come up with it. Not even Takamina was this smart. After lots of conversations with Haruna, I had come to the conclusion that we all needed to do something to get the two together. But I definitely couldn't do it alone. Takamina was the first person I thought of to help. The third person was a bit trickier. I only thought of Mariko after I saw how well she and Yuko got along. Sayaka was also an option but I needed someone who would bully Yuko as well. If her buttons were pushed enough then she might take the initiative to do something.

After talking to the two girls, the plan continued to unfold. And look at that. It looks like everything worked out in the end. 

I opened the doors to the theater and happily shouted. 

"I'm back!!" 

But I wasn't met with cheers or smiles. In fact, everyone looked really pissed off. Had Yuko done something? Had she messed up?

"What's wrong?" 

Nobody said anything. In fact some girls just crossed their arms and glared at me. 

"What?? What happened? Did Yuko mess up?" 

I saw Mariko push through some of the girls and she looked at me intently. 

"Miichan, I think we need to talk." 

"Huh?" 

"Let's go somewhere private." 

She grabbed me by the hand and led me into the dressing room. Takamina was there leaning against the wall. She looked upset, but at least she wasn't glaring at me. In fact she wasn't looking at me at all. 

Mariko sat me down and she went to stand next to Takamina. There was silence. What the hell? 

"Ok, I don't know what's wrong. Care to enlighten me?" 

Mariko sighed and looked at me. 

"How could you do that? I thought you wanted them to get together. I can't believe you would plan all this just to go your way." 

I looked at her strangely. What was she going on about?

"What are you talking about? My way? What do you mean?" 

Takamina broke her silence and spoke angrily.

"Why would you make us help you get Haruna? How could you trick us?!" 

Takamina slammed the back of her fist against the wall and I jumped a bit. 

"I....don't know what you're talking about. I don't like Haruna like that. What makes you say that?" 

Mariko took out her phone and handed it to me. I looked at the message she had received from Yuko. 

Haruna told me...she and Miichan....are together.

My jaw dropped. This had to be a joke. 

"Stop messing with me. This can't be the message she sent you. I didn't get with Haruna. I don't know what the hell she's talking about." 

Mariko was about to speak when my phone started to ring. I had a new message from Haruna. 

Neh...I'm sorry. I did something without asking you. I...told Yuko that you and I are together. I'm...really sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. I was just so angry. Yuko....makes me stupid. I can't help it. Please...don't be mad.

I rubbed the bridge between my eyebrows and handed my phone to Mariko. She read through it and handed it to Takamina. Realization seemed to hit both of them and we all let out a sigh in unison. Things just got more complicated. Takamina approached me and gave me a hug. 

"I'm sorry I reacted that way." 

I patted her back and smiled. I was glad that Haruna sent that message. It was going to be hard to explain my innocence. 

"It's ok. I probably would have been upset too." 

Mariko came to me and squeezed my shoulder. She didn't need to say anymore. I knew what she was trying to tell me. They both took a seat next to me and there was silence for a while. 

Mariko then cleared her throat and broke the silence. 

"You know, this could work to our advantage." 

Takamina and I looked at her confused. How could we possibly make this good? Mariko looked confident, however.

"Well, either Yuko will give up, or she'll fight even harder. We're the ones who have to push her. Meetan's party will be the perfect time for her to confess. Miichan, you have to use your acting skills. You're gonna have to keep up the act for a while so just do the best you can. Once the party comes, Takamina and I will make sure that she confesses. Takamina, you need to start giving her advice and help her out. I need you to go to her house now and be her shoulder to cry on." 

"Got it. I have to take Acchan home first, but I'll get there as quickly as I can." 

Takamina left and Mariko and I continued to speak. 

"This isn't so bad. At least we have confirmation that she feels something for her. It's kinda cute. She got jealous." 

I grinned but I still wasn't happy about the fact that I had to pretend to be Haruna's girlfriend. I didn't want Yuko to hate me. 

"Don't worry, Miichan. Everything is going to work out in the end." 

I sure hoped it did. 

***********

Yuko's POV

I just couldn't believe it. 

Why hadn't I just told her when I had the chance? Maybe she was waiting for me and I ruined it. 

I just ruined it all. 

I curled up into a ball on my bed and stared at the wall. I was so sure.....so sure I had a chance. I didn't even think something like this would happen. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have acted like such a pervert. All it did was push her away. I deserve this.

Aitakatta, Aitakatta, Aitakatta YES! 

I reached out for my phone and saw that I had a message from Takamina. 

I'm outside. Your doorbell isn't working. Let me in.

As much as I wanted to be alone, I knew that Takamina had come to make me feel better. I went to open the door and as soon as I did, she stepped forward and embraced me. It was then that the tears I had kept in came out freely. I dropped down to my knees with Takamina still embracing me. She stroked my hair and rocked me back and forth. I felt like a child. A child who had just lost their candy. Only, I had lost something so much more important. 

Takamina helped me up and led me to my room. She sat down and patted her lap. I rested my head on her lap and she smiled sadly at me. Tears continued to stream down the sides of my cheeks and she wiped them away with the tips of her fingers. Although she had not said anything, she had somehow made me feel a lot better. 

"You're not going to give up, right?" 

"But...I have no chance now." 

"I think you do. You really love her, right?" 

"More than anything." 

"So do something about it. You can't just let her go. Don't give up, Yuko. It's not like you." 

I sniffled and sat up. There was more she needed to say. 

"I know it's hard. There were so many things that happened before I was able to tell Atsuko how I felt. But it was worth it. I've never been happier. You can do it, Yuko. I know you can." 

Takamina's words gave me the drive and confidence I was currently lacking. She was right. Life is just like that. You get a lot of crap but then good comes. My good will come. 

"You're right. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to tell her and nothing and nobody is going to get in my way." 

"That's the spirit! Personally, I think you should tell her at Meetan's party. Pull her aside and just tell her." 

I was about to respond happily but then I thought about Miichan. Miichan was probably really happy right now. I didn't want to ruin that. 

"But...what about Miichan?" 

Takamina shook her head.

"Don't worry about her. Just do it, Yuko." 

"Ok. I'll do it!" 

I pumped my fist up in the air and hugged Takamina. 

"Thank you." 

But then I remembered how she would smirk at me whenever Miichan was around. I thought about asking her but just decided to forget about it. Maybe I was just imagining things. I took a look at the calendar and saw that the party would be in two days. I circled the date with a red marker and wrote four words. 

"I love you, Haruna."

Chapter 8

Take a deep breath. 

Hold your tongue. 

Don't get upset. 

"You can sit on my lap since there's no room to sit down, Haruna." 

My insides twisted into knots as I watched Haruna sit on Miichan's lap. I felt someone pat my back and turned around to see Takamina and Acchan behind me. It looked like Takamina had probably told Acchan. 

"Take it easy, Yuko. Don't get upset." 

That was easier said than done. All I wanted to do was grab Haruna's hand, take her away, and tell her how I feel. But I couldn't do anything rash. 

Right now, I just wanted this meeting to end. I wasn't paying attention to anything Meetan was saying. The party was only important to me because it would be where I would confess my feelings. I didn't care about the things Meetan had thought of for the party. If things didn't work out....I was just going to leave. There would be no point in me staying there and I knew Mariko would understand if I just left. 

"So, I want you all to have fun, but don't act like idiots. I don't want anybody to call the cops. Alcohol will be served to the older girls but the younger girls will get juice." 

Meetan looked at Maachan and grinned. Why did it feel like Meetan was somehow making that seem perverted? Maachan sunk a bit in her seat, causing Meetan's grin to become wider. I kind of wondered what she had done to the poor girl. 

Takamina poked my back and I turned around. 

"I don't think serving alcohol is going to be such a good idea. Who knows what kind of effects it's going to have on the girls." 

I chuckled a bit. She was right. Things were probably going to get a bit crazy. 

"I'm going to pass on the alcohol. I need to stay focused." 

"Good. I don't want you to mess up everything." 

I smiled. It was good to know she cared about my situation. 

"Alrighty then, you can all leave. The meeting is over." 

We all got up and got our things together. I said goodbye to Takamina and Acchan and bent down to get my phone. I was going to send Mariko a text to ask her if it was ok for me to go visit her since she wasn't able to come to the meeting. I probably wasn't going to be much help though, since I had pretty much only caught one thing Meetan had said. 

"...Yuko?" 

I looked up to see Haruna right in front of me. There was something missing though. Miichan wasn't hanging off her arm. I stood up and dusted myself off. 

"Yeah? What's wrong?" 

My tone was a bit rough. I wasn't going to lie. Even though I loved her, I was pretty pissed off at her. One part of me strongly believed she had done this to get back at me. But the other part believed she was really in love with Miichan, which made this whole situation even harder for me. 

She was quiet so I just bent down again and kept on looking for my phone. I could hear her shuffling in place. Come on Haruna, just say what you need to say. 

"Yuko...I...I want to know what's wrong." 

I stood up to face her. 

"There's nothing wrong. Why do you ask?" 

She struggled to find the right words. She clutched the strap of her bag tightly. 

"Well...you didn't come greet me this morning. I thought maybe you were mad at me." 

I sighed. She wasn't making this easy for me. 

"Well, I figured it would be a bad idea to greet you like I normally do since you're going out with Miichan. I mean, trying to kiss somebody who's taken isn't exactly the right thing to do." 

I bent back down and finally retrieved my phone. 

"I need to go now. I'm going to go see Mariko." 

Haruna's whole demeanor seemed to stiffen up at the mention of Mariko's name. 

"Is there something going on between you two?" 

"What? No. We're just friends. Why do you care anyway?" 

"I was curious. You seem to really let go when you're around her." 

I shrugged. 

"We're just close friends. Anyway, I'll see you later." 

I started to walk away but she grabbed my hand. I looked at her confused. 

"What's wrong?" 

She quickly let go and took a step back. 

"...I...nothing. I'm sorry. I'll see you." 

She left the room and I just stood there, dumbfounded. Hmm, maybe she was jealous. Not that she should be though. She was with Miichan. 

Oh, how she confuses me. 

I heard some giggling and saw Mayu entering the room. I narrowed my eyes. This was all her fault. She smirked at me and waved.

"Why do you look so upset to see me?" 

"I think you know." 

"I have no idea." 

I said nothing and ignored her. I wasn't even sure what had gotten into her but it wasn't good. She was acting like such a villain. She really didn't need to run to Haruna and tell her what she had seen. She messed it all up for me. 

"Neh, Yuko, you'll thank me for all this later. See ya." 

As quickly as she had entered, she was gone. What a strange and evil girl. But she wasn't important. I needed to go see Mariko. I left the theater and was on my way. 

*******

Takamina's POV

"Hold on, Acchan. I just need to get my bag." 

I was looking around for it but I just couldn't find it. I was so sure I had left it around here. I kept on looking and then noticed that it was set up on a high shelf. I narrowed my eyes. One of the girls had played a trick on me. Damn them for making fun of my short stature. I'll keep growing somehow! I got up on my tiptoes and tried to reach my bag but I could barely touch it. A hand was placed over mine and I shivered at the sudden feel of Acchan's lips near my ear. 

"Need some help?" 

"...Yes, please." 

She reached up to get my bag but instead of giving it to me she wrapped her arms around my waist and placed her chin on my shoulder. 

"Neh....you've been ignoring me lately." 

I gulped. I was dreading those words. I could already sense she was starting to become frustrated with me. But things were getting difficult. I really did want to help Yuko with her situation, but I suppose it was causing conflict with my own. Acchan and I were having problems lately, but of course nobody was able to notice since we kept it hidden. That last thing we wanted was people worrying about us. 

Atsuko and I have been together for a while now and while she's ready for the next step, I don't think I am. It's tough and it's getting harder and harder to just ignore her advances. My body is telling me to just do it. Atsuko is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and I'm happy to be with her. But...it's something I can't really explain. 

"Minami...." 

She kissed right below my ear and I felt my skin form goosebumps. She did it again but this time I broke free and laughed nervously. 

"Well let's go now. I wanted to take you to this nice restaurant." 

I bent down and grabbed my bag. I started heading to the door but Acchan blocked my way. I could feel a bead of sweat trickling down the side of my forehead. I was starting to get nervous. 

"Uh...aren't you hungry?" 

She looked at me with a strange expression. I couldn't even tell what she was thinking. Her eyes scared me a bit, however. They held a mischiveous twinkle. 

"I'm hungry for something else." 

At that moment she forcefully pushed me into the wall. I was no longer holding my bag. My arms were now pinned to the wall. I smiled nervously.

"Haha, Acchan, really funny. Let me go. We're going to lose our reservations." 

She shook her head.

"I already told you. I'm hungry for something else." 

I cleared my throat. 

"...And what would that be?" 

She pressed herself against me and gently breathed into my ear. 

"You." 

Her hands went down to my waist and her lips were instantly on mine. She was being a lot rougher than usual and I was actually enjoying it. We kept on this way until I felt her hand going up my shirt. It was then that I had to stop her. I put my hand over hers and spoke. 

"No...I'm not ready yet." 

She let out a sigh and backed away. 

"Don't you trust me? What are you so afraid of?" 

I took a step forward and grasped her hand. 

"I do trust you. I...don't know what I'm afraid of." 

She let go of my hand and turned around so that she was no longer facing me. 

"Minami...are you afraid that you're going to give it up to the wrong person?" 

I stood there speechless. She turned around, with a hurt look on her face. 

"So you are." She started walking away but I finally snapped out of my stupidity and went to stop her. 

"No. You're wrong. You're the one I love, Atsuko. I'm sorry. I've been selfish, haven't I? I've only been thinking about myself here. I never even stopped to think about how you were feeling. I'm really sorry. I'll do anything...as long as it's with you." 

I embraced her and felt her smile against my ear. 

"You know, I didn't think it was going to be this easy to convince you. You did want to have sex with me, didn't you? You should have just been honest with yourself. Besides, nobody is going to know. It'll be our secret." 

She winked at me and gave me a peck on the cheek. I felt myself blushing at her words. She wasn't one hundred percent right, but I wasn't going to take her moment away from her. 

"So, do you still want me to take you to that restaurant?"

"Nope, I want to go to your house. Your family isn't home, right?" 

I blushed. 

"They aren't. We can go." 

"Ok, good." 

She went to pick up my bag and handed it to me. 

"Let's go!" 

I smiled but started feeling a strange pressure building up in the pit of my stomach. I gulped. I couldn't even imagine what was going to happen once we got to my house. I only hoped I didn't mess up. 

Chapter 9

So...today is the day. 

The day that I tell her. 

I don't even know what will happen. I just hope it's something good. I'm not too scared of being rejected. Like I've said before, if she's happy then I'm happy. 

But, honestly, I'm scared she'll hate me. 

She'll hate me for making everything awkward between us...and I can't have that. 

"Hey, so do you know what you'll be wearing to Meetan's party tonight?" 

"Yup, I went out and bought something two days ago. It was so hard to find something that I liked." 

As I heard Myao and Erepyon chatting, I was hit by a big realization. 

I didn't have anything to wear. 

"Shit!" 

The girls turned to look at me, confusion clearly written all over their faces. Myao shot me a "you're an idiot" look and I immediately felt my face go red. 

"Sorry, I forgot I had to do something." 

I quickly excused myself and went to grab my purse. I rushed out of the dressing room only to bump into someone. 

"I'm so sorry. Are you ok?" 

Haruna was now standing in front of me, looking a bit worried. I rubbed my forehead and crouched down. My head was throbbing slightly. 

"Ah, Nyan Nyan, that really hurt. Owww." 

She bent down and I noticed a small smile forming on her lips. I couldn't tell if she was making fun of me or if she was happy that I had called her by her nickname again. Either way, she lookec beautiful. She kept the smile on her lips as she spoke. 

"I'm sorry. I was in a rush to get out of here. I forgot that I have nothing to wear to the party tonight." 

"Eh? What a coincidence, I was rushing for the same reason."

"Really? Well....maybe we can find something together?" 

A small tint of pink covered her cheeks and she looked bashfully to the side. I laughed a bit and stood up. 

"Ok, sounds like a good plan." 

She smiled and hesitantly reached for my hand. I was going to let her do it but then I remembered Miichan, so I turned around to avoid her hand. 

"Let's go." 

I didn't look at her and instead focused on what was in front of me. I felt her place her hand on my shoulder. 

"Wait, I have to go to the bathroom first." 

She led the way and as we approached the restroom we heard some noises coming from inside. 

"Noooo....Acchan! Stop! Not in here. This is too embarrassing!" 

"Aww come on, no one will know." 

"Yes they will! I bet there's somebody standing outside right now!" 

"Let them hear." 

I let out a loud laugh but immediately covered my mouth with my hand. Acchan was not giving up. I almost felt a bit bad for Takamina. I turned to Haruna to see her reaction and I was a bit surprised. Her eyes were narrow and her lips were almost forming a pout. I said the first thing that came to mind. 

"You wish that was you and Miichan?" 

She looked at me a bit shocked. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You know...you probably wish it was you and Miichan being all lovey dovey and stuff. Unless you already do that kind of stuff with her but keep it well hidden, unlike the two rabbits in there." 

"Oh...well...no."

I wanted to ask her why not, but I figured it was none of my business. 

"It's ok. Um...maybe we should talk loudly so they know we want to go in to use the bathroom." 

"...Ok." 

I cleared my throat and raised my voice. 

"So, Meetan's party is going to be fun, don't you think?" 

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to what she has set up." 

We stopped and then heard some shuffling inside the bathroom. I continued.

"Ah, I think I need to pee." 

I opened the door slowly and went in with Haruna. Acchan was fixing her hair and Takamina was leaning against the wall. Her face was red and I could see a mark on her neck. She noticed me staring and immediately brought her hand up to cover her neck. I laughed inwardly and went to stand next to her while Haruna used the bathroom. 

"So....how's it going?" 

Her face became even more red and I just patted her back.

"It's ok, Takamina, it's ok." 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." 

"Sure you don't." 

She squatted down and covered her face. Acchan narrowed her eyes at me and I smirked. Nobody told her to be a pervert. 

"Leave her alone, Yuko. Her stomach hurts." 

"Right. I'm sure you'll make her feel lots better later." 

Acchan's cheeks turned a bit red and she quickly picked up her bag and helped Takamina up. 

"At least I'm getting some action, unlike you." 

Takamina's eyes widened and she bowed deeply. 

"Don't mind her, Yuko. She' just a bit upset." 

I shrugged. I didn't care what she said. She was right, anyway. I waved Takamina off and they both left. 

I sighed heavily. Acchan could be such an asshole sometimes. 

Haruna emerged from the bathroom stall moments later and looked at me while tilting her head to the side. Oh god, the cuteness. Must resist temptation....must resist. 

"What happened?" 

Her voice broke me out of my trance. 

"Oh nothing. Acchan was just acting like an ass because she got caught being naughty." 

"Oh...well...that one comment she made....it makes it sound like she and Takamina have already..." 

The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I was just joking around. I didn't even think that they could have already had sex. 

"I hadn't even thought of that. Do you think they did?" 

"I don't know. Takamina has been acting kind of jumpy lately." 

I snickered. Takamina was too easy to read sometimes. Haruna smiled and went to wash her hands. I went to stand next to her and stared at her through the mirror. 

"So....when do you think you and Miichan will get to that level?" 

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at the mirror. I was serious and she looked like she was at a loss for words. 

"I don't know. We haven't even kissed yet." 

"I see. You're gonna have to get to that soon. Don't want her to think you're not interested. Who confessed first, anyway?" 

She remained quiet for a moment and then turned to me and smiled. 

"I did." 

I nodded my head and went to pick up my bag. 

"Cute. I had no idea it was her you were in love with, but it's nice that you're finally with her." 

I smiled and then winked at her. 

"Let's get going now. Who knows how long it will take for us to pick something." 

We exited the bathroom and headed out of the theater. I couldn't help but feel upset. I always thought it had been Miichan who had confessed. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was all planned by Haruna to make me jealous. It made the task of confessing to her a lot more scary.. 

******

"I don't even know what to pick out. There's so many options." 

I shrugged. I had already picked something out. It wasn't anything special, since I probably wasn't going to stick around for too long. I didn't mind helping Haruna of course. In fact, it was good. I was sitting right in front of her as she changed. Thank god for big dressing rooms. I was getting a nice view. 

"I think the one you're wearing right now is really nice, though. It accentuates your curves." 

I stood up and put my hands on her hips. 

"See? It's a nice fit and the blue looks nice against your skin color. It looks perfect on you. Buy it." 

I noticed she was looking down on the floor and her cheeks were pink. Then I noticed where my hands were resting.

"Oh, damn, sorry. I didn't mean to touch you like that. Haha."

I rubbed the back of my head nervously and took a few steps back and sat down. There was an awkward silence between us. I twiddled my thumbs and looked down. 

"Hey...Yuko?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Think you can get my zipper?" 

"Oh...uh...sure." 

She turned around and I got up to unzip her. My hands trembled as I pulled down the zipper. I was so nervous. Once I was done, I quickly took a few steps back. 

She turned around to thank me, but failed to notice the shoe that was right in front of her. She tripped on it and started falling forward towards me. I braced myself for the fall and let out a loud "Oomph!" when my back made contact with the floor. I opened my eyes and found myself in a very awkward position. Haruna had landed with her face near my collar bone and her breasts on top of my stomach. They felt so nice pressed against me but that wasn't something I was supposed to be thinking of! I kept my hands pressed against the floor. I figured she would get up and I would be out of this situation. But she didn't. Instead, she moved herself upwards and placed her lips right below my ear. I could feel her breath on my skin and it was making my body feel warm. 

"...Haruna?" 

She didn't say anything and instead wrapped her arms around me in an embrace. 

"Yuko...please....please don't get with Mariko." 

"Huh?" 

Where was this coming from? I remember she had mentioned Mariko before but...I didn't think it was something that would bother her to this point. 

"Don't get with her. She's....not right for you." 

I placed my hands on her shoulders and made her look at me. 

"What do you mean? Why does it matter to you?" 

"Because...."

"Because why?" 

"Just because." 

"That's not a good enough answer. Tell me." 

She opened her mouth to say something but my phone began to ring. 

Aitakatta, Aitakatta, Aitakatta Yes! 

She quickly got up, got dressed and gathered her things. 

"I'm..going to go. I'm sorry for acting so weird. I'll see you at the party later." 

"Haruna, wait...!" 

She ignored me and ran out the door. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. Now I knew. I was certain of it. 

Haruna was in love with me. 

And I was going to make her confess. 

Final Chapter

"So she just left?" 

"Yeah. It's because she loves me, right? I mean, why else act that way?" 

Mariko nodded and then smirked. 

"I never would have thought she was the jealous type. I thought it was the funniest thing when she got so angry while we were at the beach." 

I laughed at the memory. That had been a great day, and it wasn't just because Haruna was wearing a hot bikini. That day represented the kind of days I would be able to spend with Haruna once I got her to confess. 

It wasn't going to be an easy task, but it was going to be worth it in the end. 

"Hey, so....if everything works out, are you going to leave the party?" 

"Probably, unless she wants to stay....but...I don't know how I'll be able to face Miichan." 

Mariko chuckled and patted my back. 

"Don't worry about it." 

That wasn't the response I was expecting. In fact, the way Mariko seemed to brush off Miichan's feelings was kind of weird. I felt as if she knew something I didn't. 

But I wasn't going to question her about it. 

We continued to chat about nonsense until we finally reached Meetan's home. 

"You ready?" 

I took a deep breath and took a step forward. I was ready. 

But....

I was lying. 

I was ready for Haruna's confession, but I wasn't ready for what I was seeing before me. 

"WOOOHHHH!!! Go Takamina!!!" 

It took me a second to fully understand the scene before me. There was Acchan sitting on a chair....and there was Takamina

....giving her a lapdance. 

I turned to Mariko, who had the same look of shock as I did. 

"We're seeing the same thing, right?" 

Mariko slowly nodded her head. I then heard some giggling next to me. It was Meetan...with the biggest grin I had ever seen on her face. I quickly grabbed her arm to question her.

"What'd you do to her? Takamina would never do this. She's too shy...She won't even take a bath with the rest of us!" 

Meetan only smirked and pulled away from my grasp. 

"A little alcohol never hurt anyone." 

"You spiked her drink?!" 

Meetan shrugged and sprinted away before I could say anything else. Being a pervert was one thing...one fun thing, but doing this to the girls just wasn't right. I needed to help Takamina. I could only imagine how embarassed she was going to feel tomorrow. I took a step forward but felt Mariko pull me back. She was shaking her head. 

"Leave them alone. I know you think she's probably going to be embarrassed but as terrible as this sounds, she needs to let loose a bit. I don't think Meetan is trying to start any trouble. You and I know damn well that Takamina is too shy at times. Besides...I don't think anyone is going to give her any trouble. Most of the older girls seemed slightly intoxicated anyway." 

She pointed at all the girls cheering and she was right. They seemed off. I shook my head. Meetan must have spiked all the drinks. I only wondered where Sayaka was. I knew for a fact she would have been the one to stop Meetan. 

"Yuko, don't forget the real reason why you're here. Nothing is going to happen to anybody. Don't lose your focus." 

She was right. I was here to make Haruna confess. I looked towards Takamina again and smiled a bit. At least she LOOKED like she was having fun. And Acchan just had a look of pure bliss on her face. 

Such a pervert. 

However, my train of thought suddenly changed as I saw Haruna walking into the party. No matter how many times I've said it, my thoughts will never change. Haruna is definitely a goddess. Miichan walked in behind her and I couldn't help but feel jealous. I wish I could have been the one walking in with Haruna. 

Miichan whispered something into her ear and then walked away. I assumed she was going to get them something to drink. Haruna stood awkwardly at the entrance, which surprised me. I always thought she would blend right in to parties. 

"Give it a bit, enjoy some of the party and then make your move." 

I did as Mariko told me and looked away from Haruna. I decided it would be fun to go dance with some of the girls. I took in my surroundings and saw that Tomo~mi was sitting alone. I wondered where Tomochin was, but it really didn't matter. I looked at Mariko who pushed me gently and smiled. I then approached Tomo~mi and grinned at her. 

"Let's dance!" 

Before she could even answer I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her onto the "dance floor." She blushed slightly but quickly gained confidence. Dancing with her was fun and I couldn't help but smile at the cute way she giggled. 

"Where's Tomochin?" 

It was hard trying to talk with all the noise so I placed my head lips near her ear. 

"I don't know. She said she was going to get something but she has't gotten back." 

"Oh...think she'll be mad that we're dancing?" 

"I hope not." 

She giggled and we continued dancing. We both probably got too into the moment, however. She was pushing up against me and I was making no move to stop her. My body started feeling hotter as the seconds passed by. It was a good feeling....

...but it was quickly shattered by the rough shout of a certain bright-haired yanki. 

"Oi! Get away from my woman!" 

Everyone paused and then made a small pathway. Tomochin stood at the other end and she looked pissed off. I took two steps away from Tomo~mi and gulped. Tomochin was short but she packed a punch. She marched right up to us and I could smell alcohol on her. I expected her to take a swing at me but what she did next surprised us all. She reached for Tomo~mi's waist and pulled her into a kiss. From the look of shock on Tomo~mi's face, I assumed that was the first time Tomochin had done something like that. Once Tomochin pulled away, she looked straight at me and narrowed her eyes. 

"She's mine, Oshima. Go confess to your girl." 

I could hear some of the girls giggling and some of them even gave me some gentle pushes. 

"Do it, Yuko!!"

"Tell her how you feel!"

"Stop being a pervert for once!!" 

I felt my face heating up and quickly ran to get something to drink. I entered the kitchen and leaned against the wall. I could hear the girls starting up the party again and I sighed. That was a close call. I approached the kitchen counter and saw that there were drinks in cups. I dare not take one, however. I knew they were probably all spiked. I looked into the fridge and saw that there was a section full of juice. A paper hung over the section with some writing on it. 

"Lolis only." 

I laughed to myself and took some juice. 

"What's so funny?" 

I jumped in place and turned around to see who had said that. Haruna was standing there. There was something off with the way she was looking at me. Had she had alcohol as well?

"Oh...nothing, really." 

She narrowed her eyes and slowly approached me. My heart started beating uncontrollably and I grabbed at my chest to try and stop it. 

"So....where's your date?" 

I wasn't expecting that question. She really would not let go of the fact that I had come with Mariko. 

"I don't know. I left her to go dance."

She crossed her arms and was now standing right across from me. 

"Yeah, I saw. You'll just never stop being a pervert." 

"Hey, I was just having fun." 

"No, you were being a pervert." 

Ok, it was now or never. 

"Why do you care Haruna? Seriously, why do you care? Why does it bother you?" 

I caught her by surprise with my questions. She bit her lip and took a step back. 

"It doesn't bother me. Let's not have this discussion. I'm going back to the party." 

Oh no, I was not going to let her walk away. I quickly took a few steps forward and grabbed her by the arm. 

"No, Haruna, I think you need to tell me something. I think you'll feel better once you do. In fact, I think we'll both feel better." 

She tried pulling away but I was not going to let her go. Even if this whole house fell and the earth began to shake, I would not let her go. I needed to know. I needed to hear her say it. 

"Let me go, Yuko. There's nothing to talk about." 

I had to take drastic measures. I pushed her against the wall and pressed my body against hers. 

"Haruna....don't play with my feelings. Just say it to me. Say how you feel." 

She turned to the side and shut her eyes. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. Let me go. I don't want Miichan to see us this way." 

I narrowed my eyes at her. 

"You're lying. Don't lie to me. I know that there's nothing between you and Miichan." 

She looked at me with wide eyes.

"Don't...say..that." 

"It's true isn't it? Don't deny it. Haruna...please, please say it to me. Tell me how you feel." 

She was definitely struggling to find the right words. My heart started beating faster. I just wanted her to say it. Too much time was passing by and I couldn't take it anymore. I stood on my tiptoes and inched my lips closer to hers. She made no move to stop me and finally our lips touched. I could feel a wave of electricity shoot through my body. I had never felt this way before. I had kissed her a few times before...but now...she was actually kissing me back. In fact, she placed her hands on my sides and pulled me even closer. 

We broke away for oxygen and a light shade of pink covered Haruna's cheeks. She moved away and had her back to me. She then covered her face with her hands. 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have....You must hate me now." 

I hugged her from behind and placed my cheek on her back. 

"Haruna....don't apologize. I'm the one who went in first. I could never hate you. Haruna...I wanted you to say it, but I can't keep this in anymore." 

I took a deep breath and hugged her even tighter.

"Haruna....I'm in love with you." 

I felt her body tense up against mine. I didn't know what to think of it. She turned around to face me. There was a small smile on her face. 

"Yuko...." 

My voice trembled as I started to speak.

"Please....please tell me you feel the same way." 

She looked off to the side and shut her eyes, much like she had done earlier. 

"I....do. " 

She looked at me straight on and kept speaking.

"I do love you. ......I'm in love with you, Yuko....but..."

"But." 

I hated that word. It only brought bad things. I braced myself for what she was about to say. 

"I'm scared, Yuko." 

I looked at her curiously. Scared? What was there to be scared of? 

"Yuko...I'm scared that you might break my heart. I'm scared that this might just be a game to you. Even now...I regret having told you how I feel. Even now....I'm scared of what's going to happen or how you're going to react." 

My expression changed to one of realization. I understood her. I...wasn't the most serious person and half the time I did like to play around. But this was different....so very different. 

I took her hand in mine and began to stroke her knuckles. 

"Haruna...I know....I know I'm not the most serious person you know. I know I joke around and it may seem like half the things I do are just for fun. But this is something I'm serious about. You're the most important person in my life. I can't even begin to explain how I feel about you. There's just so much to say....and I don't even think it's possible to tell you everything in one sitting. Haruna, I love you...and only you. There's nothing I won't do for you. I know it's hard for you to trust me completely...but just...give me a chance. That's all I ask for." 

She stood there, with her mouth slightly open. I had left her speechless. I wanted to say more but the way she was looking at me just left me in a state of stupidity. I had never seen her looking so vulnerable. I pulled her into a tight hug and felt her place her arms around me. I breathed in her scent and sighed quietly to myself. Her arms tightened around me and she placed her lips right near my ear. 

"Let's give this a shot." 

I smiled and leaned in for a kiss. She smirked and inched her way closer to my lips. Just as we were about to kiss, she pulled away and laughed. 

"Hey! Don't do that!" 

She chuckled and tried to leave the kitchen, but I was not having that. I grabbed her by the waist and kissed her. I could feel myself melting into her arms. She pulled away but I kept my grip on her. 

"So...what about Miichan?" 

"You said it yourself...there was nothing going on between us." 

I felt better. I had had my doubts but now they were all cleared. 

Moments passed by and I heard the girls making a ruckus outside the kitchen door. I didn't feel like going back to the party. I just wanted to spend some alone time with Haruna. 

"Hey...why don't we go to your house to watch a movie?" 

She nodded her head and we left out through the back door. As we were walking, I felt my phone vibrate. 

Since you're not around, I'm assuming everything worked out. You can thank Takamina, Miichan and me later. You owe us dinner. Love, Mariko. 

I stared at the message confused. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Hm...I got a weird message. I guess I'll ask Mariko about it later." 

Haruna became quiet at the mention of Mariko's name. I found it cute that she was jealous. 

"You know...you can stop being jealous." 

She pouted and crossed her arms. 

"I'm not jealous." 

"Sure you aren't." 

She continued pouting and I laughed and joined our hands together. I placed my head on her shoulder as we walked in silence. There were many thoughts swirling around in my head. But there was something I needed to ask. 

"So...when are we going to do what Takamina and Acchan did?" 

She looked at me and her cheeks immediately turned red. However, she quickly went from embarassed to pissed. I took that as my cue to start running away. She chased after me and started yelling. 

"Why do you say things to piss me off?!" 

I laughed and ignored the question. 

But I had the answer in my head. 

....Because I love you.