Disclaimer: I do not own the characters aside from the story..

Chapter 2: A CRUSH?

Reaching the entrance of their school, the bell rang.

"Crap! We're late Mio!"

"Yeah… and it's all your fault, baka!"

Running towards the school building they were blocked by a group of girls.

"Tainaka-san!" they chorused which makes Ritsu and Mio into a halt.

'What now?' thought Ritsu.

One of the girls spoke, "Y-Y-You look so h-handsome, Tainaka-san." She then blushed.

'What the?' confused, but manages to say, "I don't know about that… but, t-thanks? Anyways, we need to go… we're late." Waving a hand, "ja!"

Now they are running down the hallway.

"Hey, Ritsu! If we're going to be caught running down the hallway, I'm going to kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah… save that for later, right now we're going to be late."

When they reach the room, Ritsu attempts to open it when a girl called her.

"T-Tainaka-san!"

Ritsu turned her head and gives an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, we're late."

Leaving the girl behind.

'Was it just me… or I just saw her face turned red?'

"TAINAKA-SAN! AKIYAMA-SAN! You're both late!"

Sawako's voice echoed through their ears which makes them stood up from their crawling position.

"Yo ho! Sawa-chan! Sorry for being late." Ritsu grinned while scratching the back of her head.

"Sorry we're late, Sawako-sensei." Mio courteously apologized.

Both bowed and went respectively to their seats.

When Ritsu took her seat, she then noted to herself the stolen glances her classmates are making.

.

.

.

The bell rang after their last subject in the afternoon.

'I don't know what's going on but Ritsu became so popular all of a sudden…' Mio thought while currently putting her things inside her bag.

'…maybe because of her looks? I mean…'

"Barnacles…"

"Kyaaah!"

Fist collides with head.

"Ow! That hurts, Mio…" Holding her head in pain.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, Ritsu!" Mio snapped back and aided Ritsu, "Does it still hurt?" giving a worried face.

"Ahh… no I'm fine… What are you thinking anyway?" Ritsu then stood up.

'There's no way I'm telling you!'

"…well, you're spacing out with a red face. You're not sick, are you? Coz, I'll take you home."

'Take you home!?' panicking.

"Hey, Mio? You're spacing out again."

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking of something."

"Oh… about what?"

'…about you!' "N-Nothing, let's just go now to the music room."

Mio automatically back-faced Ritsu to avoid seeing her Oh-so-red face.

While heading towards the music room, they were again blocked by a group of girls.

'I'm tired of this… really.' Ritsu mentally deadpanned.

"T-Tainaka-san! A-Ano…" one of the girls spoke.

"Yeah?"

"I-I-I would like to give you this!" extending her hand with a letter that is in color pink with a heart shape sticker as a lock.

'What is she doing!?' Mio glares at the girl who didn't notice her on fire.

"For m-me? Ya sure?" she asked while taking the letter.

"Y-Yes! Please accept it!" she bowed down.

"Ours also!" the others followed.

Ritsu felt the awkwardness in the air yet she still accepted all their letters, then the girls left.

After receiving the letters she then said, "Oookaaay? What shall I do with this?" deadpanned.

"Ritsu, they're not~"

"~love letters?" Ritsu continued, "I think it is… look at this!? It has heart shapes all over! And now I'm feeling itchy…" attempts to scratch her back.

Before silence took over, Ritsu spoke up.

"Neh, Mio? It's not valentines yet, right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" keeping her cool.

"It's kinda awkward receiving this letters; I'm not used to it." Ritsu then pulls one letter and starts reading it.

Noticing Ritsu she then gave an unnoticeable glare, 'Will you please tear that apart!?' eye twitching.

But before her jealousy won over her she then diverts her anger by asking, "Neh, Ritsu? Where is your hair band anyway?"

"Huh, Oh? I don't know where it is…" She then folds the letter back and putting it inside her bag.

Mio fidgets, "well, you look…" she trailed off.

"I look? What?" glancing at Mio.

'Handsome for a girl without it!' she then looks away, "C-Cute…"

Even though Mio said it in a whisper Ritsu still heard it.

"Oh..." she also looks away. Both now are blushing.

So the journey towards the music room is undeniably quiet.

When they reached the music room, Ritsu opened it and they find Mugi, Yui, and Azusa sitting on the table. Azusa then stood up.

"Ritsu-senpai!" Azusa approached to Ritsu with a slightly blushed face.

"What is it, Azusa?"

"Can we practice? I mean, just the two of us. The rythmer and the drummer practice."

Ritsu's eyebrow twitched in disbelief.

Mio was shock because of their junior's eagerness, and to think, just the two of them!?

"Azu-nyan! That's not fair!" Yui plunges to her kohai and hugs her, "I should be first, coz I'm the lead!"

Azusa struggles herself away from Yui's grasp, "No way, Yui-senpai!"

"How about we practice, Ricchan?" Mugi said with a slightly blushed face and dreamy eyes.

'What is happening to them?' "U-Uhh… I don't feel like practicing, sorry!" raising both arms like surrendering. "I would like to have some tea though." She then proceeds to the table.

"I-I'll get the tea!" Mugi said enthusiastically.

As they are all seated, Mugi placed the cake still on its box.

"Now, what do we have…" slowly opening the cake box, "…wow! strawberry cake!" Ritsu said in excitement.

Mugi cuts the cake and gives the slices to their designated owners.

"Huh? Mugi, where's mine?" Ritsu protest.

"Here…" pushing the plate towards Ritsu, "We'll just share."

Ritsu cocks an eyebrow.

'Share!?' Mio mentally reacted.

"Why share? It can still be cut into two?"

Mugi smiled and cut the cake into two…

"Yey!" Ritsu yelp.

…and throw the other cake into the window.

All of them were stunned after what Mugi did.

"Now here, we'll just share." Smiling at Ritsu.

'What the…' Ritsu thought, "W-Why did you do that? I mean, it's such a waste."

"Well, I just wanted to try what it feels like to share with others."

"As a matter of fact Mugi, you always share." Ritsu deadpanned.

"But Ricchan! I want to try sharing a cake with you!" Mugi exclaimed while looking directly into Ritsu's wide eyes.

'She's serious? so weird...' Ritsu then blinks out of confusion, "T-That's very flattering Mugi. Really."

"Ricchan! How 'bout my cake, you want to try?" Yui offered.

"Ahh, no thanks, Yui."

"How 'bout mine, Ritsu-senpai?" pushing her plate towards Ritsu.

"N-No thank you, Azusa! It's okay."

Suddenly, all their attention was taken when Mio stood up irritably, she then glance at Ritsu who is bewildered by her action, "I'm going to tune-up my bass." She then huffed towards her bass direction.

'Now, what's wrong with her?' Ritsu thought while following a gaze where Mio is heading.

Later on, their afternoon ended up wild because the other three wants to have time alone with Ritsu.

"Oh man, I'm dead beat!" Ritsu said while stretching arms. "I'm not sure what's going on but man? All the people I've met today are sure weird-for-real!"

"Does that include me?" Mio's eyebrow twitch and fist ready.

"N-No! You're exempted!" Ritsu scratches the back of her head and chuckled awkwardly.

'I can't tell her today…' Ritsu sighed, 'I'm out of energy to defend myself. Well, maybe a walk alone together can make my day.'

"Neh, Mio~"

~Bzzt…

"Just a sec. Moshi-moshi?"

After a minute, the call ended.

Mio looks at Ritsu and says, "I'm sorry, Ritsu. I can't walk with you home today. My mom said I have to run an errand coz she's going to be late for dinner." Giving an apologetic look.

"Oh no! that's okay… you should probably go now so that you can finish it before night time." Giving a reassuring smile, "I can go home by myself, don't worry."

"Take care of going home, Ritsu." Smiling back before she turns her back and closes the door.

Ritsu sighed, 'So much for the plan of confessing today. Well, better get home.'

When Ritsu is now walking towards her home, she glanced at the park.

'Maybe I'll just stay there for a few minutes.'

She then headed towards one of the benches and noticed someone familiar sitting on the bench.

'Huh? That man…' she then approached the man.

When she was about to speak,

"It's you again, young lady." The man spoke without looking at her.

'How did he….' Blinking in confusion, "Y-Yeah…" she awkwardly said.

"I see you wore the necklace."

'Now, he's really freaking me out! How the hell did he know? He didn't even look at me for a sec!?'

The man turned his head up to look at Ritsu.

"Oh yeah.. thank you for this again." Scratching the back of her head.

"It's nothing." The old man smiled.

Ritsu then remembers something, "By the way sir, when I was about to take the necklace off~"

"~it won't come off?" the old man continued.

Stunned, "U-Uhh, yeah… Sorry I broke it. The lock maybe jammed because I accidentally slept with it." She bowed.

"No, don't worry. It's not broken."

"How come? Coz I probably might~"

She was then cut off again, "~it really won't come off if you haven't found the right person who is meant for you." Turning his gaze towards the swing.

"What?" was the only word Ritsu manages to say.

The old man smiled.

"Onee-chan! Mom and Dad will be late for dinner and I'll be sleeping over at my friend's house. So, you okay here alone?" her brother asked while sticking his head in Ritsu's room.

"Huh? Wha~ Ah! Yeah sure." She unconsciously replied, still staring at the ceiling while lying on her bed.

"Okay! I don't need to take dinner here, coz I'm taking one at their house." Satoshi then closes the door.

Ritsu is not in the mood of minding other things today, coz she's still busy interrogating the old man's words.

"The necklace won't be removed if I 'found' the 'right' one who is 'meant' for me." Emphasizing those words that slowly makes her worry.

"…and more over, the necklace won't be removed if that someone will…." She then burst into red, "….k-k-kiss me."

She bit her lip for that impossible thing that's going to happen like who knows?

She buried her face on the pillow, "…I hope that someone will be Mio. But I don't even know if she's like me? Yeah, I know I like her a lot but if she's not meant for me then the necklace won't come off."

Disappointed with her own words, she still manages to come up with a plan.

"I'll confess tomorrow! I will, this time! And if she doesn't love me back the way I do, then 'that' person is still out there." She sighed.

"…but I really do love her."

Sleep then took over her.

…to be continued.

yo! sorry for the late update! :) ehehe

I'm very busy for the Earth day on Monday.. we need to give a preformance, much to my dismay.. x(

well, anyways thanks for reading! :D

RnR! thanks again! :D