"So, you were just trying to land a deal?"

"Yeah. I used to come to this park a lot when I was younger, and Sanjo-san thought it was perfect to perform."

Kukai was glad that she was getting more popular. It made him think that more people could appreciate her songs and talent, "When's your performance?"

"Two days after I get home from Italy,"

"Isn't that a bit of a tight schedule?"

Utau shrugged, "I don't mind. I'm used to working around tight schedules. It's relief enough they didn't book us on the day I was coming back," She kicked a pebble with her feet, and passed it to Kukai, "Besides, doesn't this happen in soccer and sports?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sometimes when a lot your games get cancelled so many times, they have double headers to make up for it?" She didn't know a whole lot about sports, but since she had been hanging out with Kukai, she was picking up on some terms and strategies.

"Yeah, but that doesn't happen often," Kukai accidently kicked the pebble too far ahead, it almost hit a little girl in the shin. Thankfully, it hit a food cart. "Meanwhile, this is something you do everyday. That's pretty impressive,"

"I told you," She began. She was lucky she was used to compliments like that by now, or she'd have blushed again. "I'm used to this. It's my job,"

"Hey..." Kukai looked behind them, and noticed the Guardians were long gone. "Where'd everyone else go?"

Utau looked behind too, "Yaya probably got hungry, wanted to go to the arcade, and ride the tea cups. What's your guess?"

"I was going to say that..."

"Well, since it's just the two of us, we can both go on that ride," Utau pointed to the biggest coaster in the park. Rumors were, it was 119 meters with a 100 meter drop. (1) This wasn't the fastest one in the park, but it was pretty terrifying. Even the design looked kind of scary. The coaster was black covered in red stuff, that if you didn't know any better, you'd think was blood. But it was just red dye someone spilled and no one ever got out.

"Haunted Hill? I love that ride! My brothers made me go on for my birthday last year,"

Kukai went on and on about the ride. The climb up was really slow, and it would drop backwards a little bit, but move forward really quickly. The rest of the ride was a pretty moderate speed compared to the speed of the drop. He said it's scariest at the front, which had no influence on Utau's desicion as to where to sit. "It's a ride, right? It's supposed to be scary," They ended up in the front row due to the crowded lines, and many non-gutsy people. They did the buckles and pulled down the metal bar, as one of the assisstants went through the saftey procedures. Then they told everyone to have a fun time on the ride.

~TIMESKIP! After the ride...

"So, how'd you like it?"

Utau had no idea how to describe it. The drop was intense, and there were a lot of upside-downs and loops. She had never been on such a fast paced coaster. She was used to the baby ones she, Ikuto, and occassionly Tadase rode together as kids. But this was something different altogether. "How many times did you say you've been on this ride?"

"As of today, fifty-three," Kukai grinned.

She knew that look. She could tell what he wanted. "Wanna make it fifty four?"

His grin turned into a smirk, "You're on!" So the two headed back to the end of the line, Utau preparing herself for more loops and drops. They ended up riding the ride two more times before it broke down, and they ended up at one of the resturants. They found Yaya, Rima, and Kairi, who were waiting for Nagihiko.

"Where have you guys been?" Kukai asked as if they hadn't done anything.

Kairi, who was carrying three bags of stuffed animals, had to sit down, "Ace made us play boardwalk games. And Fujisaki-sempai ended up winning every one of them,"

Yaya was licking an ice cream, and Rima was sitting with a bored expression on her face, "So Nagi-nii gave Yaya all the prizes! Yaya's going to give them to Tsubasa!"

Kairi sweatdropped, "And you can imagine who got left carrying everything."

For the first time in a long while, Rima finally spoke up, "We haven't gone on any rides since Yaya's being a baby about it," Nagihiko finally returned to the group by this point, so they went out to look for Amu and Tadase, who went off together to ride the ferris wheel and animated rides. They found Amu by herself, leaning against a tree.

"Amu-chan? Where's Hotori-kun?"

"He..." She sniffled, "Left. He said..."

Utau looked mad. Tadase, the one kid she knew for sure she could trust with Amu, and broken that trust, "Where'd he go?"

"I...I don't know,"

It was quiet for a while, before Yaya had to intervene, "All right everyone! Let's go back to Yaya's house! Yaya has something that will make Amu-chi feel all better! Onwards to Yaya's house!" She commanded with a pompus arm in the air. She led the way, taking some of the prizes off of Kairi, who walked with her, Utau and Kukai racing each other, and Amu talking and being comforted by Rima and Nagihiko. It was a longer walk because of Yaya and Kairi couldn't decide who should carry more, and Amu walked much more slowly than usual. Yaya couldn't take it anymore, so she made Nagi and Kukai give Rima and Amu piggyback rides.

"Tell me again, why I agreed to this?" Nagi asked in a calm tone, while Rima grabbed his hair like reins.

"Because," she said in a queenly tone, "You're much faster than me, and if we want to make it to Yaya's house, you'll simply have to deal with it. Now walk faster!" He moaned as she pulled on his hair, and started walking much faster than usual.

Meanwhile, Amu was quietly crying as Utau comforted her. It turned out that Tadase's parents had assigned him a marriage with Lulu, and they couldn't be together. He had to leave to go pack for France with his family, because they were moving there as well. "He said, 'This is probably the last you'll see of me,' I-I can't believe it... I thought this stuff ended in the Middle Ages!"

"Amu, calm down. I'm not any happier about it,"

"Why? Is your heart broken too?"

She shook her head no. Even if she had been friends with Tadase, nothing ever seemed to grow between the two. "My heart might not be affected by this, but my trust for that kid has. I trusted him with you, and look what happens." She sighed. By this point, she hadn't bothered to put on her tsundere act. She knew it would make everything worse. It was the time for her to be the big sister, "Besides, first loves aren't forever," She was hoping that was enough key for Amu to pick up on.

But Amu, being the dense, airheaded girl that she was had to ask, "What do you mean?"

"Take a look around, Hinamori." Kukai remembered another important girl in my life, "Things never worked out between me and Shion, right?"

"Right..."

Utau debated whether she should openly talk about Ikuto, "Or...me and Ikuto. Correct?"

"Yes..."

"So-" Kukai and Utau both began. Utau gestured for Kukai to finish, "So even though first loves always seem best, and in this case, it was returned, there is always someone else out there waiting for you to love them back." Amu stopped crying after this, and it was quiet for the rest of the way back to Yaya's house. Amu fell asleep, while Rima seemed to have the time of her life bossing Nagi around, telling him there was nothing he could do about it. Yaya was talking to Kairi, but seemed to pick up on Kukai and Utau's interaction.

Why is it always her, Kukai?


Sorry about the lack of a beginning author's note. I had nothing to say.

(1) The equivalence in feet is about 358 and 330. I had to estimate a little bit.

I'm glad I got a mix of almost everything in there. Sorry, Tadase fans. Tadase won't be in this story much, but I might bring him back much, much later. Stay tuned.

As I was saying, I'm glad I got a mix of everything in there. We're only missing Ikuto, who should be here soon.

As for the Italy chapter, I'd say they'll be there around chapter nine. Next chapter is at Yaya's house, and they're going to watch a movie. How exciting!

Thanks to all the reviewers so far, and if you haven't reviewed, I hope you will.

:)Emi-tan:)