Chance

How many times has she let chances slip through her fingers?

, a second year, was the top student for the level in her school, Hyoutei Gakuen - she had long, flowing brown hair and big brown eyes - a cheerful and likeable girl, who came to Hyoutei on scholarship. had been given scholarship chances to other countries many times, but she refused them all.

Why? It was simply because she couldn't bear to leave many things behind. Her parents, her friends... Most importantly, him: Akutagawa Jirou, a third year. had been watching him for some time now. Her seat had been a window seat, from which she could see him sleeping under a shady tree each time the seniors had their break.

And that was exactly what he was doing again today.

watched as Jirou slept. The gentle breeze blowing his golden locks, making them fall on his face. It was times like these that she wished she took the chance to speak with him... at least once more.

**********

Twirling her pen in her fingers, heaved a sigh. There only three more days left to Valentines' day, she thought, resting her chin on both hands.

"Get your act together already," Shishido Ryou spoke, leaning on the door frame and folding his arms. "Give him chocolates or something!"

"Shishido-kun," looked at him, sighing. "I just can't. I don't have the courage to..."

"I've given you quite a few chances to talk to him, but you don't make use of them!"

"I know, Shishido-kun. I know." replied.

Shishido and were childhood friends and neighbors, and Shishido treated like she was his own sister. knew that even though Shishido's tone was always rather mean, he meant well, and that was how she managed to become such good friends with him. Ever since she went to support Shishido at the Kantou match, a certain someone caught her eye.

Yes. Akutagawa Jirou.

And ever since then, Shishido had tried to get her to talk to him. They were introduced once, but that was it. No more words were exchanged between both of them since then.

"Well, just try to gather enough courage in three days," Shishido said, offering a hand. "C'mon, let go home."

**********

Only two more days, she thought, twirling her pen yet again. Looking down from the window, she could see Jirou under that same tree, sleeping. smiled softly to herself. Just by watching him, she never failed to smile. "I am definitely going to give him chocolates this year," she mumbled softly to herself, clenching her fists.

**********

"So you've made up your mind?" Shishido questioned, walking alongside the girl. She nodded, smiling cheerfully.

"Finally," Shishido muttered. He was proud of her, and this was his way of showing it.

laughed, hitting him on the back gently. "I know I haven't been taking chances... because I was afraid. But I know that if I don't take this chance to let him know how I feel... I'll regret it."

"Glad you know," Shishido replied, smiling. It took her long enough to realize something as simple as that.

**********

Just one more day to Valentines' Day, could hear her classmates chattering, almost everyone talking about Valentines' Day. True, it was a big day for the many girls throughout Japan, but she wondered how the rest of them manage to reveal their feelings to someone that easily - especially since it was a great feat for her.

She could pick out a few names... Atobe, Oshitari, Shishido... Wait, Shishido? She could imagine the look on his face when a girl goes up to him with chocolates in hand.

Looking out the window, she saw him again, looking so relaxed and peaceful, without a care in the world.

Again, she smiled.

**********

It was finally the day itself, and took in a deep breath as she stepped through the gates of her school. She could see very excited girls, carrying a box of chocolate each, trying to find the guy they were going to present it to.

heard the sound of a car stopping right in front of the gate; she turned around, only to find a really long limousine. The driver got out, walking towards the car door and opening it, lowering his head as the person inside stepped out.

Immediately, numerous screams came from behind her. The person who stepped out of the car was none other than Atobe Keigo. He flipped his hair casually and smirked. A whole crowd of girls rushed up to him, each wanting to give him their Valentines' Day chocolate.

"Keh, that Atobe," heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"Jealous?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Why would I be?" Shishido stepped up beside , crossing his arms. She could only smile, taking out a small box of chocolates and handing it to Shishido. She gave chocolates to him every year, it wasn't something new. Shishido smiled back, taking the box from the girl.

"Thanks."

**********

searched frantically for Jirou in the morning to no avail. The bell rang before she could find him, and she had to get to class. I'll find him later and give the chocolates to him, she thought. After all, it didn't mean she wouldn't be able to find him after school, right?

Probably.

**********

During class, she looked out the window, expecting to see a certain boy sleeping under a tree, like he usually did. Strangely, he wasn't there today. wasn't able to find him for the rest of the day, either. He must've left right after school was out, she guessed.

So much for gathering the courage just to give him chocolates today; she wasn't even able to see him. Sighing, she walked slowly out of the school, disappointed.

Another chance just slipped through her fingers just like that. She wasn't even able to do anything about it.

**********

On the way home, fished out a small list of things to buy from her pocket. Her mother had asked her to run this small errand for her, which took quite a bit of persuasion before actually agreed to help. She might as well go shop for groceries now; it might help her forget about her disappointment.

The last item on the list was canned meat. The last thing she needed.

Great. That particular type on canned meat happened to be placed at the highest shelf, and to be able to reach it, she probably have to scale the shelf. Or something.

Scaling the shelf it is, then. Just as she was about to reach the canned meat, she lost her balance. Closing her eyes, she expected to land on the ground hard. Surprisingly, she landed on something warm and considerably softer than the ground.

"Ouch!"

Opening her eyes, she apologized and quickly got up. looked at whoever she landed on, extending a hand to help that person up. She froze.

"A- Akutagawa-senpai!" exclaimed, helping him up. Dusting his clothing for him, she lowered her head in embarrassment. Scaling the shelf must've made her look really stupid.

"That was really dangerous! You could've gotten yourself hurt, -chan! Good thing I was here."

He remembered her name. Somehow, it made her feel exceptionally happy. Being able to speak to him today was a plus.

"You need that type of canned meat, right? I'll get it for you," Jirou snapped her out of her thoughts. glanced up at the top shelf, before looking back at Jirou. He wasn't much taller than her, which meant that he would have to scale the shelf to get what she wanted as well.

"It's okay, Akutagawa-senpai," shook her head, however, Jirou seemed to not notice; he was already halfway through scaling the shelf. could only smile helplessly as she watched him.

"Here you go," Jirou smiled, handing the can of meat over to . He followed her to the cashier, and after she bought everything she needed, he offered to help her carry them all back home. She protested a bit, but still, he helped her in the end.

**********

When they reached where lived, Jirou handed the groceries to her, smiling. "Goodnight, -chan!"

Before the other could leave, called out his name, stopping him in his tracks. She began rummaging her bag for the box of chocolates she had made especially for him. Someone created this chance for her, and she wasn't about to waste it. She had already wasted too many chances.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she pushed the chocolates into Jirou hands.

"This is for you, Akutagawa-senpai. For Valentines' Day," 's heart was pounding as she said that. How would he react? What would he say or do? So many questions were running through her head as she waiting for his answer.

No response.

glanced up at Jirou. The expression on his face was mixed with a genuine look of both surprise and confusion.

Jirou frowned slightly, before looking at the girl, handing her back the chocolate. "I can't accept this, sorry."

Funny why the words that came out from his mouth seemed so cruel, so cold. There was a hint of bitterness in his tone of voice couldn't understand why.

"See you tomorrow, -chan," Jirou turned around, walking off the other direction. watched his retreating figure, tears threatening to spill out any moment. No, she shouldn't cry. She promised herself that no matter what happens, she wouldn't cry, yet she couldn't help it. Jirou's tone of voice totally changed when he got the chocolates from her. Did he hate her now? How could she have been such a fool to actually believe he would accept her feelings for him? It was unrequited love, and that was that. She shouldn't have expected anything more than that.

Going into the house, she placed the groceries in the kitchen before running up to her room. It had been the most horrible day in her life. And to think that there were plenty of girls celebrating today. How ironic.

What didn't know was that Shishido had seen it all everything that happened.

**********

He was going to make it right for , one way or the other. Shishido clenched his fists, walking towards Jirou, who had been sleeping on a bench near the tennis courts of Hyoutei.

"Oi, Jirou!" Shishido snapped, but unfortunately, it didn't seem to wake Jirou one bit. He tried shaking Jirou, but that didn't help much either. Shishido frowned. It seemed like it would be impossible to wake the blonde right now. He'll try again later, perhaps.

The truth was, Jirou wasn't asleep at all -- he had merely been pretending to. He couldn't sleep; not after what happened yesterday. He had been tossing and turning in his bed last night which was a really strange thing for Jirou. He usually slept like a baby.

But today, Jirou didn't want to speak with anyone, especially not Shishido. He just wanted to get some shuteye if he could.

**********

Shishido shook Jirou hard. The guy just refused to wake up, and he was starting to get pissed off. He knew Jirou was a heavy sleeper, but not this much of one! It seemed like only Kabaji was able to wake this guy up, after all.

"Shishido-san, shouldn't you let Akutagawa-san sleep?" Ootori asked, a bit guilty about disrupting Jirou's slumber. Shishido only replied with a low growl, before turning the other way and leaving.

Ootori sighed helplessly as he followed his senpai.

**********

For the next few days, hadn't been able to see Jirou under the tree at all. She thought that at least, she couldn't watch him like that, never speaking to him. At least she could see him that would be enough. But he never went there any longer. Not yesterday, not the day before.

A part of her regretted that she gave those chocolates to Jirou. If she didn't, she still be able to talk to him once in a while if she tried to, or watch him sleeping under the tree. At least that was better than having him ignore her like this. Why did she take that stupid chance? She was better off having left it alone.

Life really seemed to suck.

**********

Jirou stretched and yawned, rubbing his eyes a little as he got up. He had finally been able to sleep properly for once, even though it was for a short while. He liked sleeping under trees there wasn't anyone to disturb him, it was shady and so relaxing; he even had a particular tree he liked to sleep under a lot. He refused sleep anywhere near there now, though. It all changed on Valentines' Day.

"A~n?" came a low pitched, rather sarcastic voice a voice Jirou was more than familiar with. "Ore-sama is surprised to find you sleeping here, Jirou."

"Atobe?" Jirou replied sleepily, wondering if it was time for practice already. Well, it couldn't be, since Atobe would have easily asked Kabaji to come find him and bring him over.

"Are you not grateful that Ore-sama has graced you with my presence?" Atobe asked with an ever confident smirk plastered onto his face as always. Jirou shrugged. Atobe coming here made Jirou wonder what Atobe actually needed him for.

Atobe flipped his hair back with his long, slender fingers nonchalantly despite the weird look Jirou had been giving him for quite some time now. "I know you like her, Jirou." Atobe had finally said, after a minute of silence.

Jirou eyes widened slightly, but he quickly feigned not knowing what Atobe was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"You cannot fool Ore-sama, Jirou. Insight is a rather useful skill both inside and outside the court," Atobe gave Jirou a knowing look. One that told Jirou that pretending was of no use in front of him. Jirou knew that he was defeated, but he wasn't about to tell Atobe anything.

Leaning back on the tree, he closed his eyes. Explanations can wait.

"She was crying that night," Atobe smirked and turned around, walking off slowly. "Ore-sama thought you like to know that."

Liar. Why would she? And how could Atobe know?

**********

Throughout practice, Jirou had been pondering on what Atobe had said to him earlier. cried that night? It couldn't be. He felt a slight twinge in his heart, but tried to stay focused on his game anyway. It was hard, considering the fact that Jirou hadn't had much sleep lately, and that he was thinking so much.

Maybe he should go ask to clarify his doubts?

Yeah, maybe this was all just a big mistake. Wait, he acted like a jerk back then. It would be embarrassing to go see now. He shook that thought out of his head, before hitting back a ball that had came flying towards him.

**********

Atobe glanced towards the court in which Jirou was playing in. Perhaps he shouldn't yet again, assist Jirou in making a decision. Not that he was meddling -- Atobe would never meddle in someone else' business. He was just going to give Jirou a push in the right direction, like any great, respectable man would when he sees someone looking lost.

From the corner of his eye, he looked at Shishido. That guy would never simply ask for such a big favor, unless he really couldn't do anything about it. It was clear Shishido cared for a lot. Atobe knew that from the way he begged him to help. And they all knew that Shishido hardly begged for anything.

"Please, Atobe," Shishido looked down on the floor, not wanting to see the look on Atobe face. It felt embarrassing asking someone for a favor. "Just this once. I need you to talk to Jirou."

"A~n? Where are the scissors?" Shishido looked up, raising an eyebrow, which indicated that he didn't quite understand what Atobe was talking about.

"Aren't you going to cut your hair to show Ore-sama how much you want me to help?" Atobe smirked as he teased the blue-capped boy. Shishido scowled, folding his arms. He was really serious about this; after all, he cared for . He just didn't want to see her so sad any longer. Talking to Jirou himself wouldn't work, since the blonde didn't wake up whenever Shishido tried to talk to him. It seemed almost impossible to get a conversation out of that guy.

"Well, Ore-sama will reconsider helping you on the account that this has been affecting both you and Jirou. As buchou of the Hyuotei Tennis Club, I cannot allow distractions," Atobe had finally said, after giving some thought into the situation. Shishido just frowned again and walked off.

"Game set and match, Akutagawa! Six games to love!" He heard the person announce the final score. Atobe smirked. It was time to present his gracious self in front of Jirou again, and that guy better be glad about it.

**********

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Jirou slumped underneath the shady tree. The match was fairly easy, thanks to his magic volley. There wasn't anyone who was much of a challenge. In attempt to sleep, he closed his eyes, only to be rudely awakened by the sound of Atobe's voice.

"Going to sleep again?" Atobe questioned the obvious, placing his hand on his jaw, eyeing Jirou very carefully, like a hunter would his prey.

"Ah, Atobe," Jirou replied sleepily, yawning. Not taking notice of how Atobe was watching him.

Smirking, Atobe rested his other hand on the tree, leaning against it. "I take it you have no interest at all in that girl ah, her name was , I believe." He had said with a certain glint in his eye.

"What wrong about that?" Jirou asked, looking up at Atobe sleepily. Again, his voice was bitter, and Atobe picked up on that. Jirou was playing slowly into his hands.

"Ore-sama assures you that nothing is wrong, Jirou," Atobe brushed his fingers through his hair. "Ore-sama merely wants to make sure that she isn't taken. It seems like Ore-sama is free to do just that, a~n?"

Jirou couldn't understand why he felt that sudden pain in his heart. He looked down on the ground for a few moments, trying to hide the hurt that could be seen in his eyes.

"I will make her forget about you," Atobe said firmly, even dropping the use of ore-sama before leaving Jirou to himself.

**********

Brooding over what Atobe said wasn't like Jirou, but this time, he couldn't help it. He hated to brood in fact, quite the opposite. He liked being happy, cheerful, fun, or any other words you could use to describe a happy person. Why did Atobe words leave a certain sting in his heart?

Whatever the case, he had to go find , and find her fast.

**********

Despite Shishido's cold jokes which cheered her up a little, was still feeling down. Shishido had already said that she should just perk up already, but she couldn't. It wasn't easy to let go, even though she never managed to grasp hold of it in the first place.

It still hurt, although she smiled in class all the time.

One would have to admit though, that she was a great actress. No one was able to tell that she was feeling depressed at all. Only Shishido was there for her, to listen to her, which she was indeed thankful for she really had no one else to turn to.

Perhaps, it was time to let go, time to forget. And just maybe, it would ease the pain in her heart.

**********

"Shishido-kun, don't be stupid." laughed at a joke Shishido just told her. He was trying to bring a genuine smile back onto her face; it was the only thing he could do, seeing her in such a state. It was way after school, yet didn't feel like going home. They were in the classroom, sitting down. She had asked Shishido to leave without her several times, but it seemed like it feel on deaf ears.

was grateful for a friend like Shishido.

But, seriously, Shishido's cold jokes were a little too much for her to handle right now. It seemed like he was the one who laughed the heartiest. Perhaps she really should leave the school now like he told her to, just in case she snaps.

"Let go home then, Shishido-kun," finally spoke, standing up abruptly. Shishido raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"You sure you don't want to hear this next joke? It's really very--"

"It's okay, Shishido-kun. I'm really fine now, thank you," stopped him before he was able to say anything more. Smiling, she knew that she couldn't brood over something for so long. It was time to move on for herself and for Shishido, who cared so much about her.

She couldn't guarantee that she could, but at least she would try.

Stepping out of the classroom with Shishido, just as she was about the turn a corner...

BUMP!

"Ouch!" Shishido fell backwards, landing on the ground with a loud thud. The person he just bumped into didn't say anything, simply running off. Shishido cursed his luck for both falling down and not being able to see who was the one who bumped into him without so much as an apology.

"Akutagawa-senpai..." finally mumbled, extending a hand to help Shishido up. So Jirou really was avoiding her. Funny how that in a mere minute that feeling of misery that she thought she had gotten rid of came back.

**********

Jirou knew very well that eavesdropping wasn't something a person should do he knew that well enough. He wanted to find , to speak with her, to clear all the misunderstandings between them up. To tell her that he cared about her. To tell her that he actually liked her back something he noticed after having his talk with Atobe.

He wanted to do all of those tomorrow, he couldn't wait. Then a thought struck him. What if hadn't gone home yet? It was a stupid thought, since it was already so late. Still, he decided to just walk past her class just to check.

Jirou ran all the way to 's classroom, peering in only to find both Shishido and inside. That certain sting in his heart came back almost immediately. He decided to wait, so he wouldn't interrupt them. What were they doing in school so late? What was with this tense atmosphere?

The sound of 's laughter broke Jirou's train of thought. That was right, only Shishido would be able to make her laugh like that. He shouldn't have ever thought he could compare to Shishido. Leaning near the doorway, Jirou sighed.

And all of a sudden...

BUMP!

Shit. He hadn't heard them talking about leaving the classroom! Jirou didn't know how to react, and the only thing he wanted to do was get away from there, as quickly as possible. Without giving much thought, he ran.

He must have looked like even more of a dork than before. But one thing he knew, seeing and Shishido like that made him jealous. They were already a couple anyway, weren't they? They sure seemed like one.

**********

When Atobe heard of the situation the next day, he was clearly not happy. Just when he thought he planned everything out perfectly... wait, of course he planned it out perfectly; there was just someone who happened to ruin it. Of course, Atobe never made mistakes. It took him a lot of willpower to refrain himself from going to strangle Shishido for being there at the worst possible moment.

"It wasn't like I knew, Atobe," Shishido protested, rolling his eyes.

"Forget it. Ore-sama won't give in this easily," Atobe ever confident smirk confirmed Shishido suspicions of him having another plan. Truth to be told, Atobe had indeed planned out a second plan lest the first one failed. He wasn't Atobe for nothing. He ought to be praised for his resourcefulness, really.

"Just get them together already," Shishido didn't really care, as long as Atobe got the job done. He had to admit, he was a little impatient, too. A small smile formed on Atobe lips, "Patience. Good plans should never be rushed, Shishido."

**********

A month, gone, just like that with her feeling like she hit rock bottom probably at the highest point of her misery. To make matters worse, she had to constantly keep a smile on her face, or her friends would start to worry over her. It was all good that she knew they cared, but everyone came asking her what was wrong which was a bit too much. She hadn't been able to see Shishido much either, since training in the Tennis Club took up most of his time and he was unable to walk home with her.

Neither had she seen Jirou for the past month.

She was supposed to forget about him, and here she goes thinking about him again. This was useless. wasn't the most romantic person, which was the reason why she wondered why she hasn't given up yet. She had already fallen too much in love with him to back out. No matter how cold he would become with her, she didn't mind. It hurts, yes, but she was willing to go through it to love him even if it meant one-sided love.

**********

A ball for no reason at all it was the latest news over at Hyoutei Gakuen thrown by none other than Atobe Keigo, at his very own mansion to boot. It would be a grand event, no doubt. Everyone knew that the Atobes knew how to throw the best parties, complete with good food, good music and everything else that was needed. Of course, everyone would be invited seeing how generous the Atobe family was. It was definitely something no one should miss.

And like most events such as these, everyone is encouraged to bring a date, though it is not a requirement. Atobe had announced, however, that he would be going without a date since he was the host, much to the disappointment of many ladies in Hyoutei.

Almost all the Hyoutei students were excited about this, and you couldn't go one meter without hearing someone speaking of the ball. Walking through the hallways, could hear girls giggling and talking about what they were going to wear, while the males were mostly talking about who they were going to ask out to be their date. Such a big event, but she was thinking about giving it a miss.

"What? You're not going?" Shishido exclaimed, causing to jump a little. She looked up at him, smiling softly.

"I don't really feel like it," replied. Shishido frowned in response. He had been asked by Atobe to make her go, but he just didn't know how to persuade her. Really, he sucked at such things.

Shishido had saved something for the last resort, and it seemed like time to use it, since wouldn't budge. Oh, how he was going to regret this, "How about I do this..."

**********

didn't know how Shishido managed to coax her into going for the ball despite her not even having a proper dress. She rummaged through her dresser, only to find dresses which she had already grown out of. Oh great. There was nothing in that pathetic closet of hers which could be worn to such a grand event.

She might not be able to go after all. But she made a promise to Shishido and a promise is a promise, after all. There was only a few hours left for her to get ready, and it suddenly seemed like such a short time. Why did she even bother? could probably fit herself into one of her smaller dresses, perhaps.

The doorbell.

Strange, she wasn't expecting anyone over today. What if it was Shishido? He shouldn't be here this early, she thought. Rushing down the stairs, went to the door; opening it only to be greeted by a rather aged man.

The man bowed, explaining why he was here. "Keigo-bocchama has requested for you."

Blinking, tilted her head. "M- me?" Keigo? Did he mean Atobe Keigo? This man must be Atobe's butler, then! But what would Atobe want from her? She was going to be at the ball later, so why request for her now? So many questions, so little time. After considering her situation for a while, she decided to follow.

**********

In front of her was a large array of the most beautiful dresses had ever seen. She could only gape in awe of how magnificent they all looked. She had been informed earlier that she was to choose her dress from these. sighed; she never do these clothes justice. They were all so gorgeous, yet she was so average.

After a lot of consideration and thinking, pulled out a dress which really caught her eye. Not that the rest of the dresses didn't, but this one was special. It was midnight blue, and was really elegant looking. She thanked Atobe somewhere in her heart for helping her out of a tight spot. He really wasn't such an arrogant person after all.

The only thing she wondered was how he knew.

**********

The music played, commencing the ball. There were so many people there, and was trying to find Shishido in the crowd. He had called her on her cell phone, telling her to meet him outside the mansion near the fountain. Now she was pushing through the crowds, trying to reach the back door.

When she finally managed to, she stepped outside, closing the door behind her. was greeted by a really cool breeze, as well as a beautiful, round moon up in the sky. Sugoi was the first thing that came out from her lips.

Hearing the sound of water nearby, she walked in the direction as to which it was coming from.

**********

saw a figure at the other side of the fountain, but she couldn't make out who it was because of all the water. Slowly, she walked to the other side.

"Shishi--" Before she could finish saying anything, her eyes widened as she looked at the person standing before her. The person looked back, almost as shocked as was.

Jirou blinked, staring at . She looked stunning that night and he wasn't quite sure whether it was because of the atmosphere or not but he just couldn't take his eyes off her. What was she doing here anyway? Atobe had said he wanted to discuss something really important with him at the fountain behind his mansion, so what was doing here?

After what felt like a decade of silence, finally spoke. "Akutagawa-senpai, I'm so sorry; I didn't know you were here... I'll take my leave now..."

Jirou didn't know what got into him, but before could leave, he grabbed her arm tightly. It took him a good whole minute to actually realize what he was doing. Still, he didn't let go.

looked at Jirou, blinking. "Akutagawa-senpai? Shishido-kun is waiting for--" She stopped as soon as she felt Jirou's grip tighten, which made her wonder what was wrong.

Then she noticed Jirou was trembling. His hands were trembling so much.

As if acting on impulse, Jirou forcefully kissed her on her lips, hardly giving her any time to process her situation. Pulling away, he wrapped his arms around her, embracing her. She froze, not knowing how to react or what to say. She could hear him breathing heavily into her ear, and she swore she could feel her heart ready to jump right out of her throat.

"Don't talk about Shishido," Jirou whispered into her ear. She could feel her cheeks getting really warm. "I want you to see me, and only me."

"I don't care even if you're in love with him. Please, just this once..."

In love with Shishido? What was Jirou talking about? Shishido was merely her childhood friend, someone she relied on but definitely not the person she was in love with. Was this the reason why he had been avoiding her?

"Akutagawa-senpai, I-I'm not in love with Shishido-kun," explained, clarifying things up.

"But you gave him chocolates for..."

"I give them to him every year only because we're childhood friends and all."

What? Now he really felt like such an imbecile. Turning 's Valentines' Day chocolates down, avoiding her and being so jealous all for practically nothing. He ought to get shot, really. But he had to admit, hearing that she wasn't in love with Shishido was the best news he heard all day. His eyes lit up immediately, before he pulled in for yet another embrace a really tight one.

"I guess we got off on the wrong foot, huh?" Jirou smiled sheepishly, scratching his head.

"But that doesn't mean we can't start over, right?"

"I love you, . I love you so much..." Jirou leaned forward and whispered into her ear, a huge smile plastered on his face. could only smile back helplessly. It wasn't unrequited love, more like a huge misunderstanding.

"I really love Akutaga--"

"Jirou. You're supposed to call me Jirou from now on."

"J-Jirou..." face was red, but she tried her hardest to flash one of her best smiles at the person before her.

"Ne, , do you think it's about time for the dance..." Jirou asked her, grinning. just nodded her head in response, glancing towards the mansion.

Extending a hand to her, he asked, "Would you like to dance..."

gently placed her hand in his, "I wouldn't miss this chance for the world."

They had already wasted so much time.

**********

Side Story

Shishido scowled, trying his best to hide his face. When he had promised to do anything asked him to if she were to go to the ball, he didn't expect this! Not from a childhood friend, especially. And to think he was just trying to help her.

The school play was coming up, and he was to star in it. looked at him, trying her best to hold back her laughter.

"Shishido-kun, did anyone tell you that you look great in a dress?"

She was clearly mocking him, which in turn made him frown even harder.

The female lead's his role.

He would be embarrassed in front of the whole school. Yet Shishido couldn't help but smile when he heard 's laughter again. It wasn't all for nothing.

##########

July 22, 2006
Written by: Setsuna
Edited by: Rikapyon! (Who is very amused at the side story, yes she is~~ xD )