Chapter 6

"Ryuuji?" A voice asked from the other room.

"Hmm?"

"Hasn't Minori and that BakaChi been gone for awhile?" The voice responded.

"Nah nah, Don't worry about it." Ryuuji responded back.

"Ugh..." The voice complained.

It's been quiet in the hotel since Minori and Ami have left to go sight seeing, after getting Taiga out of those 4 layers of clothes, Ryuuji and Taiga decided to cook something small to eat before the main course. Yuusaku and Maya have yet to return to the hotel room yet so it was only Ryuuji and Taiga, and for once they both had nothing to talk about.

Ryuuji was busy thinking about Taiga, and what he could to to help her get through her problem. She was actively thinking about Minori and was trying to figure out what's bothering her. The fact that Minori is acting weird is making Taiga act weird.

"I wish she'd care for me like that..."

Woah.

Where did that thought come from..? Ryuuji flinched at his own thought which caught Taiga's attention.

"Are you okay Ryuuji?" Taiga asked with a confused look on her face. Ryuuji walked into the main room and sat down next to Taiga.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Taiga smiled back, which caused Ryuuji to smile as well. Ever since that night Taiga told Ryuuji how she felt, about how she was willing to allow Ryuuji to be with Minori for her own happiness, it ironically caused Ryuuji and Taiga to become slightly distant, Taiga's only been talking to him about little things, and since that time, their conversations become more in depth, is when Taiga would talk about Minori.

Ryuuji shook off this feeling for now and sat closer to Taiga, in which she blushed and looked over at Ryuuji. She then looked away and blushed even more, but then slowly rested her head on Ryuuji's shoulder. She felt... safe.

But that feeling was short lived when a certain figure hovered above the two from behind.

"Yo ho!" The voice yelled, frighting the two immediately separating them.

"Minorin~ That was so not funny!" Taiga yellled pointing at Minori. Minori then leaned in closer to Taiga and whispered.

"Between you and me, Amin was going to take pictures of you two and use them for blackmail, so I decided to break this scene up before she got the chance." Taiga looked around the room self consciously in search for the blunette, but quickly gave up.

"So how was Okinawa, pretty right?" Taiga asked, her eyes still scanning the room.

"Aha yeah it was great, we had tons of fun me and Amin, we looked through the shops and everything, she even had a fan come up and ask for her autograph!"

"She's lying..." Ami said appearing out of nowhere which scared both Ryuuji and Taiga. Minori just laughed and said.

"I knew I could draw you out Amin." Ami just sighed and sat in one of the chairs in the room. Minori followed suit and sat in the one across from Ami. With Taiga and Ryuuji sitting on the couch in between the two chairs.

"No one asked Ami for an autograph. That was the lie, ehehe." Ami then put a bag on the table and sat back down. Ryuuji eyed the bag and looked over at Ami.

"What's this?" Ryuuji asked proceeding to look through the bag.

"The stuff for dinner tonight, assuming your still going to cook for us?" Ami said coldly.

"Eh, what's with the coldness of that comment?" Ryuuji said eyeing her, with Ami glaring back at him. The tension was high, unnaturally high, mostly one sided and strange seeing as Ami and Ryuuji never really fought before. Minori and Taiga just watched this scene unfold, not knowing what to say to calm this situation down, but before it can go any further Yuusaku and Maya both walked in with more bags.

"We're back!" Yuusaku said walking into the mini kitchen in the hotel. There was a silence for a few seconds before Minori exclaimed.

"Need some help Kitamura!" Minori said getting up and walking with him, obviously wanting to avoid this tension. Taiga got up as well and followed Minori, Ryuuji was about to call out to her but then caught glance of Ami looking at him again.

"What?" Ami then leaned over close enough so that only Ryuuji can hear.

"If you ever, do anything to harm the relationship between Kushieda and Taiga, I'll personally see to it that your life turns into a living hell..." Ryuuji can tell she was being serious so he just nodded in response.

"Okay, lets go make dinner!" Ami said putting on her facade, knowing full well Ryuuji knew it was an act.

"Is that what it looked like to her?" Ryuuji though, the sad thing was though, he wasn't sure if it was true or not.

15 Minutes Earlier

"Come on Amin~ We're almost back, even though we're having so much fun." Minori said hopping around with a bag in hand. The two had decided to go buy some ingredients for the dinner for tonight, but Minori being Minori was hopping around with excitment so much it looked like she'd drop the bag.

"Let me hold the bag Minori." Ami said holding her hand out. Minori's eyes twinkled.

"Ami you're such the gentleman."

"Shut up..." Ami said with a blank look

"Hahaha" Minori laughed, to be honest, Ami wasn't having a terrible time, she was kind of happy she was spending time with Minori more, after everything that happened between the group she at least owed her that much, so for now, she'd try her hardest to tolerate the girl.

"Here you go Amin." She handed her the bag, Ami took and and motioned her hand in a way which was like saying "Run Along And Play" to a child, Minori smiled and continued walking down the road, dodging people like it was a game. Ami just smiled at her actions, she was accepting the fact that Minori has gotten over her crush on Ryuuji and seeing Minori enjoying herself didn't annoy her like it once did. She see's everything turning out right for once.

Or so she thought...

Once the two were standing in front of the door Ami held out the bag to Minori.

"Here hold this." Minori nodded and took it. Ami then proceeded to take the key to the room out her pocket, and her cell phone.

"Oooh, planning on taking pictures of Taiga and Ryuuji. I don't think that's a good idea." Minori said with an evil smile. Ami grinned back and said.

"That's the fun part." Ami then quietly opened the door for Minori and followed behind her untill she made it in, Minori saw the two so close together and was looking around for Ami. But she was already in hiding, preparing to take a photo. But out of nowhere Minori scared the two, making them leave there position.

"Damn you Minori, you did that unpurpose..." Ami whispered to herself.

"Minorin~ That was so not funny!" Taiga wailed, Ami then proceeded to take a picture of that.

"Well this is good enough for now I guess." Ami then looked up from her spot to see Ryuuji staring at the othe two girls. That look in his eyes... She could not place her finger on it at first, but it was a look she'd never really seen on Ryuuji's face...

Jealousy?

Curiosity?

Ami could tell it was one of the two, and if her feeling was correct this was bad. She decided to go on the offensive, She watched from the distance as he saw Minori whisper something in Taiga's ear, his eye twiched, he may have not realized it himself but it did. She saw through Ryuuji and saw what lies within his head through the look in his eyes. She cared for Taiga and (Even though she'd never say it out loud) Minori too, and if he was planning on affecting their relationship... Ami's mood dropped completely. She then picked up the back and walked over, and heard Minori say

"...she even had a fan come up and ask for her autograph!"

And life took off from there.

Present

Ami and Ryuuji haven't even said a word since the whole incident, just keeping to themselves, making everyone around them curious of the whole situation.

"Itadakimasu!" Minori yelled before digging into her meal. Unlike everyone else, Minori seems to be unfazed by the whole incident after that one moment of tension. Everyone else though just said in silence. Taiga kept looking at Ryuuji from her seat, wondering what was going on in his head to act this way. Ryuuji was stuck in his own mind processing his thoughts. Yuusaku and Maya were having similar thoughts, both unaware of what was going on to the fullest extent, and Ami was just waiting for an excuse to leave the room, her good mood was gone after picking a fight with Ryuuji.

But why did she?

Normally Ami isn't the type to be direct in these situations, she'd hide in the shadows and let little hints about the whole situation here and there, hoping by the end of things they'll realize there mistake, but this time she confronted the person about it, face to face, without holding anything back. Ami put her arm on the table to rest her head.

"Maybe I am hanging around Minori to much..."

GOMEN! I'm sooo so sosososo sorry I haven't been updating much, I've been so busy with work lately that I barely had time to write the chapters let alone type them and put them on FanFiction... and I know this chapter really doesn't make up for how long I've been gone, again I'm so sorry DX. Though on the bright side I have the next few chapters written and done, so I'll try my hardest to at least get the next 2 chapters out by Sunday of next week to make up for it... Damn I'm over a month late. GOMEN AGAIN!

Oh and on a side note, if you're wondering why or about to review saying something like "These characters are so OOC" or something of the sorts, just remember, things are playing out differently then in the original ending of Toradora! so just keep that in mind... and let's hope the drama doesn't get the best of them...

ALSO did you know that Toradora! is getting a English Dub?! -Devster77