"Rima, can I borrow a bus ticket?"

My automatic response to hearing that familiar voice is shooting its owner a glare. It's not even like he said or did anything wrong. It's just that I find his existence very glare-worthy sometimes.

"Uh. So can I?" Nagihiko asks. "Please?"

My glare intensifies. Nagihiko lets out a small laugh. To my annoyance, he sounds more amused than intimidated. But then again, I'm like two heads shorter than him, so I guess there isn't really a reason for him to feel intimidated. Besides my very menacing, dangerous-looking glare, obviously. Maybe he's just glare-proof.

"I promise I'll pay you back?" Nagihiko tries again.

I sigh.

Of course, the one day I have to take the bus home because both my parents are busy is also the one day we have Guardian activities after school. Which means that there's barely anybody at the bus stop by the time I get there since all the students caught the earlier bus.

And of course, Nagihiko Fujisaki happens to be the only other Guardian who also takes the bus home. Which means that at the bus stop, which has no people save for two random girls who are shadily whispering to each other in the corner of the bus shelter (I'm not even going to question what they're doing), I'm stuck alone with him.

And now, apparently, the one day I have to take the bus home also happens to be the one day when he forgets to bring bus tickets. Which means that I'm now expected to lend him one. Idiot.

"Rima?" Nagihiko looks both confused and entertained by my lack of response. "Okay, so I get that maybe you don't want to lend me a bus ticket, but can you at least reply so I don't end up spending five minutes trying to get an answer that will most likely be no?"

I stare at him with a scowl. I almost feel challenged to not reply now.

He holds my gaze, not wavering at all, his lips forming into a smile. The same serene smile that he always uses when he points out to everyone that I'm faking my tears. The same unperturbed smile that he uses when he teases me about my stubbornness. The one that annoys me so much because it's like he's taunting you over the fact that you can never get him to show any signs of annoyance no matter how hard you try.

If the bus didn't arrive a few seconds later, I'm pretty sure we would've kept the staring contest going until one of us died from dehydration.

Nagihiko jolts back to attention and lets out a sigh, probably realizing that he still doesn't have a bus ticket. Ha.

The two girls make their way to the bus, and Nagihiko hastily walks after them, his hand reaching out towards one girl's shoulder. He's probably about to ask her for a bus ticket instead.

I take out an extra bus ticket and wordlessly hold it up to his face. He pauses, glancing down at me, before slowly taking the ticket.

"I thought you didn't want to help me," Nagihiko says, obviously amused, as we both get on the bus and find seats at the back.

"I don't," I say nonchalantly. "It's your consolation prize."

He raises an eyebrow. "For what?"

"The staring contest. You broke contact first," I point out.

"Oh, my bad. Next time, I guess I'll just sit there and miss the bus instead."

"Please do."

"Are you sure you weren't just jealous since I was about to ask the other girl for a bus ticket?" His expression is teasing.

"No. Rather, I felt bad for her for almost being forced to interact with you."

He laughs, and I can't help but smile a bit too.

While he is really irritating sometimes, he's the only guy who's able to talk back to and joke with me. Which is something that I kind of appreciate, I guess. None of my fanboys would ever say anything other than "It's exactly as Lady Rima says!"

And with the guys I'm actually friends with, Tadase's way too nice, Kukai's just too lively and energetic for me, and Kairi's so serious that no matter what he's talking about—he could be talking about how we have no homework for the rest of the school year for all that it'd matter—just listening to him makes me stressed out.

Which leaves Nagihiko to be the only guy whom I can insult and joke with while expecting an equally teasing response. So in a way, I guess he's the guy whom I enjoy talking with the most.

...Why did I even make that realization?

I don't know either.

"I'll pay you back tomorrow with a bus ticket." Nagihiko's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "Is that fine?"

"I don't normally take the bus though, so it'll be useless to me. Just pay me back in cash—" Then I smirk, a brilliant idea popping into my mind. "Actually, I have an even better idea. Why don't you pay me back with a parfait instead?"

"Hm." He slightly frowns. "The last time I checked, wasn't a parfait more expensive than a bus ticket?"

"Yes." I beam at him, imitating that overly cheerful smile he always uses to get on my nerves. "But that's not a problem, since whoever wins the staring contest deserves a prize, right, Na-gi-hi-ko?"

I teasingly enunciate each syllable of his name, like I did a few months ago when I asked him to buy me a parfait for keeping his secret. His reaction to that was pretty funny. I might as well do it again, since the last time I did it I got a free parfait.

"Oh no." He fakes a defeated sigh. It's clear that he finds this particular way of me saying his name just a bit familiar. "According to the script, I'm now obligated to treat you to a parfait. Again."

"Yup," I say cheerfully. "And you can't resist the script, now can you?"

"Of course not. Well, mainly, what I can't resist it is the all-powerful Rima unnecessarily emphasizes each syllable of my name attack."

I try to stifle my laughter, but a few giggles escape.

"And now Rima proceeds to cackle wickedly at the success of her evil plan," Nagihiko says drily.

I roll my eyes. "Last time, you also bought a parfait for yourself. You wouldn't have bought it if I didn't make you buy me one. I'm doing you a favour every time I make you buy a parfait for me. Didn't you enjoy it?"

He makes a mildly surprised expression. "Well, I guess I did enjoy buying parfaits with you." Then he slightly smirks. "It was almost like a date."

"No! You—oh my god." I can't help but stumble on my words a bit. Anybody would, after hearing him say something like that. "I was asking if you enjoyed the parfait, not—not the act of going to buy one with me." I let out a frustrated huff. It's obvious that he's enjoying watching me get ruffled from this. "And that was not a date. It was a mandatory process for you to pay off your debt of one parfait."

Nagihiko grins, looking thoroughly amused. "If you say so, Rima."

I just glare at him. Unfortunately, I think that the fact that I shoot him a glare at least twenty times a day has caused him to become immune to them. He just smiles back.

"Next stop, Himariko Avenue."

"That's mine." I press the stop button and move to the back exit of the bus. After I step out of the doors, I turn back face him. "Don't forget what you promised me, okay?"

"Of course." He winks. "I'd never forget a date with you."

"Wha—"

The bus doors slam shut, cutting off my cry of outrage. I stare, astounded, as the bus drives away with a calm rumble like nothing happened. Like Nagihiko Fujisaki did not just flirt with me. Was that flirting? That was, right?

A few moments of dumbfounded silence pass before a soft snicker breaks it. Then it erupts into laughter, and I see Kusukusu rolling around in the air beside me in fits of giggles.

I take a deep breath and exhale with an indignant huff. "He was Character Changed, right?"

Kusukusu pauses. Tears of laughter glisten in her eyes. "I don't think so."

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

I begin making my way towards my house, ignoring Kusukusu's shouts of "No! I swear he wasn't!" as she floats after me, still giggling to herself.

I reach my house in a few minutes. I kick off my shoes and automatically call "I'm home," even though I know that nobody's home yet. I go straight to my room and flop onto the bed.

For some really, really, really stupid reason, my mind's been continuously replaying the image of Nagihiko winking at me with that cheeky grin. I groan with frustration, rolling over.

He had to be Character Changed.

I close my eyes, focusing—trying to picture the exact image of that moment. Trying to remember whether or not he had those telling pairs of blue headphones around his neck.

Instead, my brain decides to repay my efforts with something I'd rather not remember: the sound of his voice, teasing and light with amusement.

"I'd never forget a date with you."

I inhale sharply with the feeling of frustration and "I want to die" and a storm of other emotions I don't bother trying to identify.

"Rima, are you still thinking about that?" Kusukusu giggles, idly drifting around through the air above my head. "You're so funny."

"Good to know," I mutter.

I want to slap myself. I actually almost do, before my phone rings and I shoot up into a sitting position, startled.

"Hello?" I say.

"Rima!" Amu's voice has her usual cheerful, friendly tone. "Do you want to go shopping and me and Yaya tomorrow tomorrow? It won't take too long; I just need to buy some new shoes."

"Oh... sorry. I'm already busy tomorrow after school."

"Aw, really? With what?"

"With a very important business meeting in order to ensure that Nagihiko Fujisaki pays off the debts that he owes me."

"Oh!" Amu's laugh rings out from the phone. "Are you guys going out to buy parfaits again?"

I roll my eyes. Why did she have to ruin my amazing description? When I just say it like "We're going out to buy parfaits," it almost does sound like it's a date.

I nearly slap myself again. I only refrain from doing so because Amu would probably be concerned if she heard a really loud thwack coming from the other end of the call.

"No," I snort, "I'm going out to get him to buy me a parfait, obviously. He owes me."

"Okay, Rima." I swear she's almost squealing right now. For some reason, Amu always gets super giddy whenever I mention Nagihiko. I don't know. "Anyways, don't worry about not being able to go shopping tomorrow. Make sure you have fun with him!"

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter as she hangs up.

I sigh, turning off my phone.

This is weird. I should be feeling disappointed over missing a shopping trip with Amu and Yaya. I should be regretting my decision to make Nagihiko buy me a parfait tomorrow. I should be calling him right now to cancel our plan.

I shouldn't be this excited at the idea of going out for parfaits with Nagihiko. I shouldn't be already anticipating the thought of me and him entering the parfait shop together. Was I really like this the first time we did it?

"Rima, you're smiling," Kusukusu says happily.

And I shouldn't be smiling because of him either.

Author's note:

The part where Rima enunciates each syllable of Nagihiko's name is a reference to Shugo Chara Party! Episode 07. It has a super cute Rimahiko moment at the end so if you're into that (like me) then I suggest you watch it, but otherwise, Shugo Chara Party was pretty boring for me

Thanks for reading! This is my first major (like having more than one chapter LOL) Fanfiction so I'd really really appreciate any reviews/feedback! Hope you enjoyed it!