Setting: After Shugo Chara! Party
Characters: Rikka Hiiragi, Hikaru Ichinomiya
Café Buono!: Love Rider (恋愛 ライダー)
Rikka Hiiragi skipped across the sidewalk to school with her guardian character, Hotaru, right behind her. It was the second day of school for her third grade year, and she was in an exceptionally good mood.
At first, starting the school year without Amu, Rima, Nagihiko, and Tadase seemed impossible. However, when it did start, Rikka discovered that it could be just as fun even if they weren't there. Hikaru Ichinomiya, Yaya Yuiki, and newly-transferred Kairi Sanjo made it so.
Her good mood was unbreakable. For all she could care, it could rain, or even thunderstorm, at that moment and her good mood would never go away.
"Rikka-chan," Hotaru tapped Rikka on her shoulder and pointed upwards toward the sky. Sure enough, as if Rikka had jinxed it, the clouds were gathering and darkening. Rain would be falling soon. When the thunder sounded, the other students began to run to escape the oncoming storm.
Rikka, however, laughed it off and shouted to the sky, "Ha! You'll never ruin my mood, rain-san! I'm not afraid!" She frolicked through the streets, careful not to slip, as the rain fell in buckets. Hotaru continued to tell her owner to get inside quickly, but Rikka was far too happy to listen.
Rikka didn't know why she was so happy, but she liked being happy. So, she welcomed the feelings that made her happy, foreign or not. The feelings continued to fuel her good mood as she happily trotted down the streets.
As the rain began to pool into puddles, Rikka jumped into a puddle gleefully, splashing the rain water and making her socks wet. She leaped to another puddle of water, and soon she was gliding from puddle to puddle whilst shouting to Hotaru in glee, "Hey, Hotaru! Look, I'm a skating on rain! I'm a rain-skater! No, wait, a rain-rider!" She jumped in another puddle and laughed.
"Rikka-chan," Hotaru scolded in her gentle voice, "Your clothes are getting wet! You'll catch a cold!"
Rikka stopped splashing in puddles, and began to walk backwards as she replied, smiling, "I know, but who cares? Even a little cold can make me even stronger and happier than I am right now." She turned back around and pumped up a fist, still walking to school, as she added, "Rikka will rise up without fear and get the best miracle ever!"
Hotaru gave a smile at her owner's confidence, and said in her same calming voice, "Hopefully that miracle will get you to school on time."
Rikka's eyes widened and she quickly checked the time. After doing so, she immediately bolted down the muddy sidewalk shouting, "Oh no, I'm going to be late!"
She turned a corner, slipping and nearly crashing into the telephone pole, and stopped at a crosswalk. As soon as the light turned green, Rikka dashed down the crosswalk and slid over to the front entrance of the school. She skidded to a stop in front of the school and opened the front door. The soaking-wet student entered the school, making the floor messy with mud and rain-water. She bent over and rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath from running.
When she straightened up, she saw Hikaru staring blankly at Rikka as he stood before her, a towel and a spare uniform in his hands. He seemed not surprised at the scene in the slightest. He held out the towel to Rikka and stated, "Here, I thought you might need it."
Rikka grinned and took the towel, saying, "Wow, thanks Hikaru-kun! You're the best!" Rikka's smile was contagious, and Hikaru found himself smiling with her as she dried herself off.
As she got herself as dry as she could without taking her wet uniform off, Hikaru handed her the spare uniform as he said, "I already told the teacher that you'd be late, whether she decides to excuse it or not is up to her, though."
Rikka nodded and took the uniform from Hikaru carefully, not wanting to get it wet, and exclaimed, "Thanks, Hikaru-kun! You're a miracle worker!"
Hikaru only stared at her silently with his usual blank expression as Rikka dashed over to the bathrooms to change into a dry uniform.
Rikka found a smile coming to her face from Hikaru's actions. He definitely knew her better than anyone else, even Amu. He really was the best. Maybe that miracle, the source of her good mood, was Hikaru. As she entered the bathroom, a thought occurred to her and she said to Hotaru, "You know, Hikaru's awesome! I'd rather be a love-rider than a rain-rider!"
Hotaru gave Rikka a gentle yet knowing look as the student selected a stall and began to change inside. She then giggled and replied, "Well then, ride on, Love Rider!"