-1"Bye, everyone!" Yaya yelled at her group of friends with a small wave. The guardians, just finished, yet an other day of school, and was now, at the front gate, bidding their good-byes. Nagi, and Tadase, was going to the same way, as was Yaya, and Amu.

Nagihiko nodded with a small smile. "Have a good day."

Amu watched her friends with a smile, then turned to Rima, who was distant from everyone else, and was looking at her phone in dismay. Usually, Rima's parents were already there to pick the blond beauty up, by now. Amu, went over to her, and looked over her shoulder. "What's wrong Rima?" she asked, while staring at the phone.

Rima, closed it with one finger, then looked at Amu. "Nothing," She answered in her cool, calm voice.

"Your parents aren't here yet, maybe, I should walk you home?" Amu volunteered.

"It's okay, they said my uncle was going to pick me up."

Amu watched Rima unsurely, but she had to trust her with her decisions. "O-okay, see you tomorrow." Rima nodded, then Amu made her way with Yaya, still checking back, ever so often to see if Rima was there or not, before Rima became less the a tiny speck, Amu decided to look away, and try not to worry so much.

"Something wrong, Amu-chan?" Ran asked watching her worried friend, with Sue and Miki.

"Rima," Amu answered in a worry tone.

"It's okay, Amu-chan," Miki told her.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Sue added.

Amu nodded, then continued to walk with Yaya.

Twenty minutes later, The glum Rima could still be seem in front of the school. Without a word, she began to walk home, by herself. The sky, was now an orange-ish color, and would turn dark, pretty soon, still, Rima continued to walk, without a sound.

"Are, you okay, Rima?" Kusukusu asked, from Rima's shoulder, she nodded.

"Hey!" A voice from across the street called out to the two.

"Rima?" A smaller voice asked.

Both Rima and Kusukusu turned their heads to see a boy with brown-ish orange hair, in a Jr. High uniform. His eyes were a bright green, that matched the design of the skateboard, tucked under his right arm. "Kukai?" she questioned lowly.

Rima Watched the boy, then blinked, and continued her way home, again.

"Hey, wait!" He yelled out, as he ran across the street. He plopped his skateboard down on the pavement, then began to skate behind Rima. "What's wrong?" He asked concern, as his chara sat on his shoulder.

"Nothing," Rima answered coolly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Kukai thought for a bit. How could he make her open up, hm. He didn't know her very well, so, he doesn't know, exactly, how she works, but he did know this one fact about her, and it was good enough for him. He stopped skating, but still kept one foot on the board, making sure it didn't go away. "Hey, what's that gag, again…?" He teased, Rima ignored him. "Bala-balance?" He smirked with his index finger and thumb under his chin.

Rima stopped dead in her tracks. "Bala-Balance!" Kukai, yelled out as he tried to do the gag, but made mistakes on purpose.

Rima turned, now with symbols on her cheeks. She looked annoyed, she felt annoyed. "W-what are you doing?" She asked in a low, angry voice.

"Doing a gag," Kukai replied, in the middle of the 'gag'.

"'Doing a gag,'" Rima echoed annoyed. She pointed one angry finger at the Jr. High schooler. "Do you think an armature as yourself could ever perfect a gag?! This is how you do a gag!" Rima got in position, then, perfectly, she yelled "Bala-balance!" as she did a movement, that Kukai, too, could do as perfectly as she. When Rima realized what she had just done, she quickly covered her mouth as her cheeks turned a bright pink. She turned around, and ran as fast as she could as her chara did the best she could to keep up.

A star then appeared in Kukai's hair, as he got back on his board. He first rode past her, then in front of her.

"At least, let me take you home," he offered, holding out his hand. Rima looked up at him, he gave her a gentlemen like smile, that people in her school, would kill for. She took, his hand, then hop on, behind him, holding on his shoulders for support. Kukai, set one of his feet on the ground, pushed the board, Rima, and himself, then began to ride Rima home, while keeping great balance. Daichi and Kusukusu high-fived each other, then quickly followed the couple on the board.

Once they reached Rima's house, Kukai, came to a gentle stop, as Rima jumped off the board. For a couple of minutes, the two just looked at each other in silence, then, out of the blue Rima…smiled.

-Fin-