Chapter 4 –

"The Best Friend' Secret Weapon"

"Umiya!" the usual group shouted.

"Where were you? We were so worried!" said Sakura.

"And the Prez said something about you not singing anymore…?" asked Jun. "Is that…true?"

Umiya looked at everyone, looked down, and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry that I worried everyone… I didn't mean to… And it's true… I did say that I wouldn't sing…"

Everyone looked down, now. "But," Umiya said. "If I possibly could… Would you…let me sing with you guys again?"

They instantly looked at her. Smiles spread across their faces. "Well… Of course you can!" Ryu said, messing up her hair.

"Remember what we said?" Sho asked.

She thought for a moment. A thought then flickered dimly in her mind. "That… That we'll always be… 1xMizu?"

Jun nodded. "No matter what happens."

Ryu and Sho smiled. Even Aoi nodded in agreement. "I'm so relieved," Umiya smiled. Then she turned away. "Again, I'm sorry that I made you guys worry… I didn't know that everyone would be so worried…"

That made everyone turn. "Umiya!" Misaki said. "Of course all of us were worried! Why wouldn't we be? You're one of our best friends!"

That Umiya totally surprised. "B-best…f-friend…? Me?"

"Of course!"

"But… We haven't known each other for even two weeks!"

"Even though! You're… still our best friend!"

"R-really?"

Everyone nodded in complete agreement. Shizuko, Sakura, Ryu, Aoi, Sho, Jun, Usui, and Misaki. Umiya made a warm smile and said, "Everyone… Thank you…"

"The time has come for our last band!" the announcer said. "You know who you are! Come on up here!"

"Well, what are we going to do?" Sho asked. "We can't beat MIyabigaoka if we don't have something absolutely amazing!"

Umiya thought of an idea, then. "I have an idea! Just go and set up first. I'll meet you guys there."

She turned to Usui and whispered something to him. His eyes grew a little wide from surprise. "Really?" he asked. "You can…?"

"Yeah! So do you…?"

Usui nodded. "So can you…?" she asked.

He turned and ran in another direction. Umiya turned to the rest of the band. "Well? Go and set up!" Then she turned and followed Usui.

It was almost time for 1xMizu to perform. They were already set up and had already taken up 4 minutes of the announcer's patience. They were given 1 more minute, or they would have to forfeit. Misaki, Sakura, and Shizuko were waiting anxiously in the front row.

"Where IS Umiya?" Misaki asked. "They need to start now, or else-"

Just then, Usui rejoined the 3 girls. "Usui! Where have-"

"Just watch," he said, a slight smile on his face.

Up on the stage, Umiya had rejoined with 1xMizu. She was hiding something behind her back, but they couldn't see what it was. "Umiya!" Ryu said. "Where have you been?"

"Yeah!" Sho said. "We almost thought that you ran away again…"

"Well," Umiya said. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

They nodded and smiled. "Wait," Jun said. "What's behind your back?"

"This? This is… my secret weapon! This will make us win, no contest!"

She revealed what she was hiding. It was…

"A violin?" asked Ryu. "How is a violin gonna make us win?"

"Just trust me!"

The four looked reluctant, but they nodded. Umiya smiled. "On my cue."

She turned and nodded to the announcer. He nodded in response. "Now, for our last band of the night. Give it up for Seika's very own: 1xMizu!"

(Remember when I said that 1xMizu's song was Hoshina Utau's "Black Diamond"? This one has the violin in it.)

No one probably knew that Umiya could play the violin. Maybe that's why everyone looked so surprised when she played it so well. She started with some strong and amazing violin. Everyone looked at her in awe, (especially a certain person). The rest of the band played at her cue, and they were amazing as well. Then, when she sang, she was pretty amazing! She captured the attention of many people there. And when it came to her violin solo, you could've sworn that everyone in the whole festival loved it.

When they were done, the whole festival roared with applause. Even Miyabigaoka were forced to cheer for them. "Well," the announcer said. "I guess it's pretty obvious which band wins!"

Another wave of applause. "The winners of this year's Rock Fest's Battle of the Bands are… 1xMizu!"

The crowd erupted in applause. 1xMizu was awarded a huge, shining trophy. The whole band was smiling, and so were the others. Then, Sho and Ryu lifted Umiya up on their shoulders. Umiya, in surprise, said, "What…what are you guys doing?"

"Showing you off, what else?" Ryu said, a big grin on his face.

"You are the reason why we won!" Sho said, smiling, too.

They carried her all the way to the side of the stage. There, they met up with Misaki, Usui, Sakura, and Shizuko. "Let me down now!"

They laughed and finally let her down. "You guys won!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Congratulations," Shizuko said.

"You guys were awesome!" Misaki exclaimed.

"I didn't know that you could play the violin so well, Umiya," Usui said.

"Well…," Umiya said, blushing from the praise.

Just then, Tora Igarashi along with the other students of Miyabigaoka stepped in. They were all looking down, blushing a bit from embarrassment. "Well," said Mika, the vice president. "It seems…that you beat us…"

It seemed like they were still too proud to say that they lost; only that Seika beat them. "Yeah!" Ryu yelled. "We so beat you guys! What now, snobby, stuck-up losers?"

"Ryu!" Misaki said. "Calm down!"

But actually, they all were smiling a bit! And when Tora looked up to look at Umiya smiling, he looked down again and blushed more. "So," Misaki said to Tora. "It seems that you have lost our little bet, Tora."

"I know, I know. I'll keep my word; we won't mess with your school at all."

"Oh, no," said Ryu. "That's not all you'll do!"

"What?" Mika said, surprised.

They all huddled up together. "Yeah, what are you talking about, Ryu?"

"I dunno!" he said. "I just don't want to let them off so easily!"

"Hey!" Tora said, causing them to turn to them again. "Hurry up! We don't have all day! We're not your maids, you know."

"There!" Ryu suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Misaki asked.

Ryu pointed at Miyabigaoka and said, "For one whole day, you guys will be our maids!"

"WHAT?" exclaimed the whole Miyabigaoka council.

"Or butlers, which ever works for you."

"WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD WE DO THAT?"

"Because," Sho said. "You were gonna do something that you wanted to do if you won the bet, it's only fair that you do something that we wanted you to do."

"And you have to dress like butlers, too!" said Sakura.

"What?" they said again.

"Unless you want to wear maid outfits."

Miyabigaoka scowled at them. "So do we have a deal?" asked Misaki, snickering a bit.

Tora scowled at them and looked down. "F-fine, you have a d-deal…"

"Great! Now who will to who?" she said, a skeptical look on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"We have to assign who goes to whom, don't we?"

"I'd much rather like it if they were all for everyone! That way, they could get tired faster!" Sakura said, an evil look on her face.

Everyone in Seika's group agreed. The Miyabigaoka group looked horrified. "But I know one person who should be assigned!" Ryu said.

"Who?"

"That…that dude… over there," he said, pointing to Tora.

"Me? Why me?" yelled Tora.

"Because you're the like the boss, right? So it's only fitting that the boss serves the person who's mainly the reason why we won!"

Aoi: "You

Jun: don't

Sho: mean…?"

Ryu: "Yup!" Then he pointed to her. "Tora will be Umiya's butler!"

"WHAT?" Umiya, Tora, and Misaki said in unison.

Then everyone (actually) agreed. "What? Th-there's no n-need for th-that, Ryu!" Umiya said.

"She's right!" Tora exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Misaki said. "For once, I actually agree with him!"

"Oh, come on, you three!" Sakura said. "It'll be fun!"

Everyone nodded and dispersed. Misaki turned to Tora, her "demon aura" surrounding her. "Tora Igarashi, I swear, if you try anything with her, you'll regret being born!"

Then, she floated off, her "aura" still surrounding her. When Umiya turned to look at Tora, he was literally shaking with fear! He had a horrified look on his face. Umiya chuckled nervously. "You know," she said. "I don't think that she's actually going to do something that harsh."

He looked at Umiya. "Then you obviously don't know Misaki that well yet."

Umiya was a little scared now, too. Tora saw and his look of horror went away. He walked over to her and patted her head. She looked up with one eye (because her other eye was closed from the pat). "Don't worry," he said. "When I get there, I promise I won't do anything funny."

She looked a little surprised. "You don't have to come if you don't want to, you know," she said.

He bent down to her height and said, "Who said that I didn't want to come and be with you?"

Now, he could have said "to serve you" or "be your butler," but he said "be with you." Emphasis on the you. That sent butterflies fluttering in Umiya's stomach. She was also blushing, along with Tora (who blushed when she did). "So," he said. "See you Monday?"

She smiled and nodded. "See you Monday."

He smiled back and disappeared in the crowd.