A/N: Pochi is very LAAAAATE in updating dechu~~ Gomen dechu~~ And to compensate for that loss, I wrote a looooonger chapter. (Oh wait—is that a fair compensation? XD)

To my dearest: Tamikamikun, The Anime Wolf, Kanya, nyaggerz, Mugiwara, LovE ^-^, Cytrus, Ikuto Loves Me More and to all those who read this fanfic, I so loooove you, BB. *glomps* Without you, I wouldn't have posted the continuation of this.

So as the pre-FF warning, "Might contain OOC's and a clichéd cheesy fluffs, but please, do enjoy."

…M….Y…R…E…A…L…F…E…E…L…I…N…G…S…3…

Chapter 3: Arisa-chan, save me!

"…I wonder if she'll really come," Sumino wondered, looking at her sunflower colored wrist watch she won from a supermarket lottery. The minute hand already passed 3 as finished off her small mango crepe. Nothing to do but sigh, she moved near the bench when suddenly, she felt someone covered her eyes. Surprised, she immediately stretched her two hands up and shouted, "U-Umm, I-I S-SU-SUR- SURRRENDER!"

"Am I held captive by…gangsters? Or am I abducted by mafia? Or am I-"

But ironical to what she was imagined, the hands that held her began to loosen, and a sweet, yet teasing giggle was heard. As soon as she regained her sight, she immediately took some distance and finally glanced back to where she was held captive- only to find out that it was her blonde classmate, who she was to meet: Tanaka Arisa. She was holding her mouth, obviously wanting to laugh hard, but can't. Mobs have encircled them enough after the commotion they've caused.

"…T-Ta-Tanaka-san?" Sumino questioned as she still took a fair distance apart from her.

And finally, the crowd began to disperse, leaving the two alone at that far end corner of the mall. "…T-Ta-Tanaka-san?" She repeated. "Haha, sorry Suminon! I didn't imagined that this would surprise you a lot," she replied, winking back to Sumino.

"…ah, So-Sorry. It's my first time someone did that…T-Ta-Tanaka-san—" she said, without looking on her eyes.

"…Hmph. Suminon-chin! Haven't I told you to call me A-RI-SA ~CHAN?" She said, pouting her face.

"…A- Ar-Arisa-ch-ch—, ah, I can't…" Sumino silently uttered, clutching her hands and totally embarrassed.

Witnessing how hard it was for Sumino, she decided to tease her 'lil bit more. She shook of her hair and pose like a real bully, with hands on her waist even. "Then, I'll go home now," she mentioned, walking with a slow pace away from Sumino. "Oh, Sumino-chan, please stop me~"

Sumino, realizing that her savior was leaving, decided to put all her courage a front of her. Holding all her breathe out and shouted, "I-If I treat you a Mango Slushie, will you reconsider…A-Arisa-chan?"

Arisa, then, paused. Afterwards, she glanced back at Sumino and shouted, "…that with extra milk will do, Sumino-chan!"

"Y-YES!" Sumino shouted as she painted a dazzling smile back to Arisa. In return, Arisa laughed, making Sumino laugh as well. "Sumino is... the cutest~"

It was a lengthy laugh and moment of enjoyment. They stood at their places with their blissful mood- they've never had so much fun like this. Until Arisa realized how far literally they were. "…Uhm, Sumino-chin, what's with this distance?"

"…ah! Well… safety precaution purposes? She might play a trick on me again…haha."

After the commotion they've caused at the farthest corner of the mall, they've decided to go through the favor Sumino asked Arisa yesterday—shopping. They barged in and out of several stores, fitting and combining several items for Sumino, which later they bought.

"..too flashy," Arisa said to the blushing Sumino.

.

"…no, no. That's too mature for you." Arisa continued as Sumino exhaustedly fit all Arisa recommended.

.

"…ack—are you going to a cemetery?"

.

"'s too long, you can't walk with that."

.

…And after the hours of exhaustion from simultaneous fitting and wearing of various garments-

.

"AT LAST! PERFECT! YOU LOOK VERY CU—NO, YOU'RE THE CUTEST WITH THAT, SUMINO-CHIN!" Arisa exclaimed, with eyes shimmering like diamond as she gazed around Sumino. From her usually straightened hair, curls have been mended on different edges. Her pink and innocent lip was purpled with light red tone, implying enhancements on maturity. Her cheeks turned more pinkish, making her blush noticeable than it was before. And her dress—a summer touch outfit, whose colors are well-blended by yellow and gold, traced with nonetheless, her signage—Sunflower-like necklace.

"Aww, Suminon-chin! You looked so ka~wa~ii~," repeatedly exclaimed Arisa, after sipping the Manga Slushi with extra milk, to be mentioned.

"A-Arisa-chan, I-I'm not," she emphasized as she kept on looking on the ground, very shy.

"TeeHee. Now, can you tell me why you…um, desperately asked for my help?"

"…A-Actually, umm…"

"TeeHee. Then, I shall rephrase desu~~ who are you dating tod- " she stated, as if she's able to read Sumino's mind.

"E-EH! IT'S N-NOT A D-DATE!" Sumino butted, as she swiftly drank her slushie to lessen the discomfort brought by the conversation. "…T-The truth is, Hinata called me yesterday… he said we need to talk—"

"EH—HINATA'S CONFESSING?" Arisa butted.

"…n-no. I don't think so, Arisa-chan. H-He… actually, the way he spoke to me through the phone was… different."

"D-Different?"

"…well, uh, h-he used to speak formal until all the words jumbles…and ended up funny. But the way he was…was too different. It was pretty obvious… that h-he, was pretending to be…cheerful," she sobbed.

"A-And I felt…something's just wrong…and the feeling that there has to be—no! There "must" be something that I should do…to cheer him up." Sumino continued.

"…And one of your ideas to cheer him up is through your dat—erm, I mean, meet up?"

Sumino giggled. "…I'm too clueless, don't I?"

"No. Actually, you did the right thing, Sumino-chin!" she positively replied.

"…And my weird hunch was strengthened when I got a call from Teru right after Hinata hung his call. Teru kept questioning me if Hinata called, and what did he called for— "

"Oh. Teru called as well?" Arisa said, amused from the story.

"Yes. And like Hinata, he's acting weird," Sumino answered.

"That's actually hard, isn't it, Sumino-chin?" Arisa exclaimed, sipping the last drop of her slushie. "Ne, Sumino-chin, what do you think of the two?" She asked.

"...of the two?"

"Yes. Um, Hinata-kun and Mikami-san."

"Hinata… he's very kind to me. He's gentle, but at the same time, manly. He looks best when he smiles. And I want him to be happy always." She answered, as she tried to imagine him, smiling. "Umm, how did Hinata looked when he's smiling? …he looks very refreshing. His skin is fairly toned brown and is blemish-free, as if untouched by any impurities. His eyes…brown. I feel the warmth of his looks. And his crossed hairpins—w-wait. I-I imagined Teru-kun's face instead of Hinata's! "

Sumino's imagination popped off after Arisa poked her.

"Sumino-chin? Were you listening?"

"Huh? A-A-Ah! S-Sorry. I tried imagining Hinata's face, when all of a sudden, I imagined Teru's."

"E-Eh?" Arisa blurted surprisingly.

*Ring..Ring..Ring*

"…E-EH? Someone's calling me; Excuse me for a while, Arisa-chan." Sumino said, sitting sideways as a sign of respect and answered the phone.

"Ah, hello?"

"Hello, Sumino-chan," said the male voice over the phone.

"Ah! Hinata-san!"

"Hmm, shall I pick you up at your house, or the other way around?"

"Oh, don't bother yourself, Hinata-san. I'm heading at the Rose Square already."

"Sumino-chan, you're talking formally again."

"Ah! Sorry."

"…and you will never be a bother to me," the male voice said, in a serious tone. "Haha. So, see 'ya" he continued as he hung the phone first.

"See y—"she stopped, after hearing the phone hung.

"Hinata-kun?" Arisa curiously asked.

"Yes. We'll meet within 30 minutes." She answered in a mellow tone.

Arisa, then, pretended to sniff Sumino and said, "I smell something fishy-meow!"

Sumino stared at Arisa, filled with curiosity and wonder. Seeing Sumino's reaction, Arisa giggled. But then after, she obviously halted her childish prank and looked straight on Sumino's eyes. "You know, Knight-in-shining-armor does not end up as the princess's rightful prince," she mentioned. "or wait—was it 'Rightful prince does not end up as the princess's Knight-in-shining-armor~meow?" She added, breaking up the hardly built serious atmosphere.

Sumino laughed silently, "I wonder what Arisa-chan wants to tell me?"

Obvious that Sumino has something up in her mind, she suddenly exclaimed, "Sumino-chan! You're going to be late-meow!"

Surprised, Sumino looked at her watch. "Oh, yes. You're right. Arigatou gozaimasu, Arisa-chan! You saved me." She exclaimed, bowing right in front of her and quickly paced to the exit. She hurriedly opened the door, but decided to glance back at Arisa. She waved to her and bowed again, "Thank you for the advice as well, Arisa!"

"She…she called me, A-R-I-S-A?"

Exceedingly happy to be called by the first name without any suffix, she waved back at her and shouted, "Anytime! Ja matta ne, SUMINO!"

…And Sumino left the restaurant completely.

Footnotes: At some point, I did feel that I haven't given justice to Arisa's character…did I? Did I? Was she too omniscient? At the same time, to Sumino's. She was somehow—too talkative in my fic, doesn't it? Hwah. I beg your forgiveness if the chapter was too short and boring. (My next update will be really faster, promise!)

PREVIEW'S SAKE:

Finally, Hinata and Sumino's 'so-called-by-Arisa Date' will start. But wait- where's Hinata? Late? And what's with that 'stalker' with dozens of alarm clock doing behind the tree? Stalking someone? Following someone? Or just a 'lil bit concerned?

Please watch out Chapter 4: How did it ended up like this?