Disclaimer and Author's Notes: We're now up to Day 7, and still pressing forward. Now that I've tried (and probably failed) to resolve the Mai/Natsuki/Yuuichi side plot, I can continue to concentrate on the main characters. I still want to explore some of the many other cast members, so there are chances that Yuuichi and others will return in Week 2, though I haven't exactly decided "how" yet.

So, yeah...once again, Mai-HiME is a Bandai/Sunrise thing. I'm just a fan, so this story has absolutely no bearing in canon.


Day 7 - Answers
Theme #19 - Red

Mai sat and stared out the window of her room, wondering where the sun had gone. She planned to spend the day walking outdoors, but the clouds above threatened to drop a heaping of rain on her little corner of the world. Thus, she was forced to convene with her friends in their dorm while they waited for the weather to improve. While she went to the bookshelf to find a book to read, she heard her cell phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mai...it's Natsuki," said the voice on the other end. "Do you want anything from the store while I'm out?"

"Hold on," said Mai. "Let me check."

Mai walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, scanning the top shelf to find something to drink. She hadn't felt thirsty until Natsuki mentioned anything about shopping. Stupid light's busted, she thought as she reached for a bottle of milk. I'll have to call someone from maintenance and have it fixed.

"No, it looks like we're fine for now."

"All right. I'll bring back a few snacks for us. I should be back from the market in a few minutes. Keep a seat ready at the table for me, okay?"

"Sure thing. Bye!"

Mai hung up the phone and turned around to see Mikoto playing with a deck of cards. "What are you doing?" asked Mai.

"I'm learning how to shuffle," Mikoto replied. She tried to form a bridge with the deck, but lost control of her thumbs and sent the cards flying all over the table. "Looks like my technique needs a bit of work, huh?"

"It's okay, Mikoto. Just keep practicing. You'll get the hang of it in time. It took me a while before I was able to do this the right way myself."

"Could you show me how to do it?"

"Sure, why not?"

Mai helped Mikoto pick up the cards and gather them in the deck once again. Before she could start shuffling, she heard a knock on the door. "I wonder if that's Natsuki," she said. "I'll get it!"

She got up to open it, expecting to see Natsuki, but the person standing behind the door was one she least expected. His clothes were covered in rain water, but he still carried a great big smile on his face. "Hey there, sis!" said the boy.

Mai's younger brother hadn't personally visited her in the last few weeks, but since Fuuka students didn't have to take classes on Sundays, Takumi was free to go whenever he wanted.

"Takumi!" said Mai. "I'm...surprised to see you."

She exchanged cheek-kisses with her brother, and then led him inside to an empty seat at the table. "You're certainly in a good mood today," she said.

"Well, it's the first time I've been able to come over to your dorm, for once. You've always come to check me out, so I figured I'd return the favor." He took a few sheets of paper towels and used them to dry his hair and clothing.

"You're all wet," said Mikoto. "Where's your umbrella? Mai says you'll catch cold if you stay out in the rain without covering yourself up."

"It's not really that bad outside," said Takumi. "I should be fine when I go back to my room."

Mai poured glasses of milk for herself and her brother, mixing in some chocolate powder for flavoring. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No thanks, sis. I already had lunch before I came over."

Someone else knocked on the door. This time, Mikoto jumped up from the table to answer it. "Hey, don't I know you?" she said, cocking her head to the side.

Yuuichi looked at the young girl standing in front of him, cocking his head to the opposite side. "Um, yeah," he said. "Is Mai in there with you?"

"Uh-huh. Just a second." She turned around and yelled toward the table where Mai and Takumi were enjoying their glasses of milk. "Mai! Someone's at the door for you!"

"I'll be right there!"

Mai got up from her seat to answer the door, but when she saw Yuuichi standing in front of her, her smile melted away. "Oh," she said. "Hello, Yuuichi."

"'Oh'?" he replied. "Is that all you have to say after inviting me to hang out with you? If this is a bad time, I can always come back later."

Yuuichi turned around and started to walk away, but Mai grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward her. She closed the door to her room to avoid making a scene in front of Takumi. "Not so fast!" she said. "You're not going anywhere until you answer some questions for me."

A lump formed in Yuuichi's throat when his eyes met Mai's scowling face. "Q-questions?"

"That's right. What's this I hear about you making a bet with Natsuki at my expense, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

Mai's face reddened as she began her rant. "Don't start playing dumb now! You know exactly what I'm talking about...getting her to kiss me in the girls' locker room. I could just imagine what was going through your head that night, you pervert!"

"Wait a second...I don't remember anything about a locker r--"

Before Yuuichi could finish his sentence, he felt Mai's hand whip him hard across his right cheek. "So the accused admits to his crime," she said. "It looks like I'll have to stand here and think of a suitable punishment for you."

"Hey! What was that for?" he said, rubbing the sore spot on his cheek. "Don't I get a chance to defend myself?"

"All right...one explanation, and it had better be a good one."

Geez! What's this girl's problem?, Yuuichi wondered. I didn't even do anything that bad.

"I'm waiting!" Mai stared deeper into Yuuichi's eyes, folding her arms over her chest so that the boy would stay focused on her. He couldn't stand to see Mai angry at him, but he knew that looking in any other direction would likely leave him wide open for another slap.

"Yes, it's true," he said. "Natsuki and I did talk to each other before the locker room incident. We talked about a lot of things--school, sports, the weather--you know, small talk. Then the topic of your relationship came up, and she wouldn't say anything to me. She wouldn't even tell me whether or not she liked you. That's when I started to get desperate. I said, 'Natsuki, I'll give you a thousand yen if you tell me what you really think about Mai.'"

"What about the kiss?"

"It wasn't my idea. Really!"

"A likely story..." The redness in Mai's face disappeared, and she poked him softly on the nose.

"Okay, I might have also added a 'show me' to that last part. In all honesty, I expected you to tell me that she beat the crap out of you."

Mai had the same feeling when she ran into Natsuki in the gym, but something still didn't add up. "Had it ever occurred to you that there might have been an easier way to get Natsuki to open up?" she asked. "You know, like getting her to talk to me first?"

"Well, I'm sorry. It was the first thing that popped into my head. I didn't know she was going to react that way."

Takumi opened up the door, wondering why Mai hadn't returned to talk to him in the last few minutes. "Is everything all right out here, sis?" he said.

"Yeah," Mai said unconvincingly. "Everything's fine. I'll be back inside in a little bit."

Mai turned her attention back to Yuuichi. She was almost fully satisfied with his explanation, but saw no point in wasting any more time by further interrogating him. "All right," she said. "I believe you."

"You do?" said Yuuichi.

"Yeah. Just don't let it happen again, or you'll end up losing more than just a thousand yen. You got that?" She shot another glance at him, but all she could do was sigh and smile, now that she had released all of the anger from her system.

"I gotcha...I gotcha." Yuuichi let out a short sigh of his own, and then followed Mai into her dorm.

Takumi and Mikoto were busy helping Natsuki unload the groceries she had purchased from the store. Mai had spent all of her attention in the past few minutes on Yuuichi, and failed to notice Natsuki's entry into the room. Still, she was grateful to see that Natsuki had returned safely, and so she gave the girl a hug before helping her unload new food and drink for the room. I have a feeling that everything is going to be all right between us from now on, she thought.

"Hey! Hey!" Natsuki's voice snapped Mai out of her own little world. "Are you going to help me put these away?"

"Oh...of course."

Mai took out a six-pack of chocolate pudding and passed one out to each of her friends. She was delighted to see them all getting along with one another. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have considered gathering them all together in one place, but when she saw them chatting it up and enjoying their pudding, it reminded her of how good she had it since entering Fuuka. She made a mental note to apologize to Yuuichi for yelling at him, for as odd as it sounded, he was the one who helped get her friendship with Natsuki on the right track.