I said in the last chapter that I hoped to move the plot forward some more, but I don't know if I achieved that very well. ^^' This chapter was the result of me realising I'd written barely anything about the girls, so I tried to include most of them here. Hopefully I'll be able to include the last few characters I haven't written yet at least once over the coming chapters.

Now then, I'd like to point out that within the next two or three months I have some exams coming up. Because I'll have to spend more time studying and exams seem to be the perfect way to drain my motivation, updates may become a lot scarcer than they already are. I'm sorry. :(

Well, I hope this chapter is okay.


At the restuarant, a different meeting was taking place. Mahiru sat at a table with Hiyoko, Sonia, and Peko,having called them over after the group happened to enter the room around the same time. She looked to her companions in an almost solemn manner.

"Okay," Mahiru said in a quiet voice, occasionally glancing at the door to make sure no one was about to walk in, "Is it just me, or does Hinata look... different today?"

In response the girl around the table either shifted awkwardly or nodded in agreement. The first to speak was Peko.

"I think I know what you mean," she said, playing with one of her braids thoughtfully. "It's not as if his appearance or his behaviour has changed, but there's definitely something different."

Hiyoko laughed in an overly gleeful way, swinging her legs under the table. "I don't what you're talking about!" she said, her cheerful tone sounding almost forced. "Big Bro Hinata's got the same stupid face as usual. There's nothing different about him at all!"

"But I think I see it too." Perhaps not noticing the edge to Hiyoko's voice, Sonia spoke as well. Her expression was confused. "While Hinata-san has always seemed approachable, it's like there is something more... appealing about him today. I was worried that I was the only one who saw this." Sonia frowned as she glanced around at the silent restuarant. "Maybe we should call the others? They might have noticed something as well."

"I looked, but I couldn't find Mikan-chan or Chiaki-chan anywhere, and Ibuki-chan and Akane-chan were busy fighting over a pot of honey. I didn't ask the boys—none of them are very reliable so I don't think they'd notice something like this," Mahiru said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Why does this even matter?" Hiyoko slumped in her chair with a pout. "Even if Big Bro Hinata does look a little less dumb today, so what? It doesn't mean anything. I want to go back to my cottage—I've got candy waiting for me!"

"Please wait, Hiyoko-chan." Mahiru quickly pulled her camera from its usual strap around her neck. "Look at this," she said, holding up the back of the camera and nodding for the others to peer closer. The screen showed a picture of a surprised Hajime, his hands slightly raised in a too late attempt to shield his face from the camera.

The effect on all four girls was immediate. They sighed in unison, a soft lovestruck noise, as they stared fondly at the picture.

Mahiru blinked suddenly, her face turning red. "A-anyway," she said, pulling the camera away, leaving the others looking as if they were yanked from a pleasant dream, "I took this picture last week. No one noticed anything different about him then, right?"

"I see," Peko murmured. "We all assumed that the reason we're acting like this was because Hinata had changed himself somehow. But if that picture was taken a week ago, and we're still reacting like this, then..."

"Could it be that we're the ones who have changed?" Sonia asked, thoughtful. "But how, exactly? I can't remember anything that could have happened to make us see Hinata in such a way."

Before they could think too deeply on the events of the night before, footsteps sounded from the doorway, drawing closer. Peko stiffened.

Fuyuhiko had stepped through the door, his face scratched and bruised and his clothes torn in various places. He looked at them awkwardly as he supported himself on the doorframe, as if he hadn't expected there to be anyone in the restuarant, and in the ensuing stunned silence Peko all but leapt to her feet.

"Young— Kuzuryuu! What happened?" Peko's expression was one of unmasked worry as she ran to his side.

"I... I got in a fight," Fuyuhiko said with a grimace. "Have you seen Tsumiki anywhere? I want to know if these scratches can get infected."

"I haven't seen Mikan-chan since this morning." Mahiru crossed her arms, glowering slightly. "What are you doing getting into fights, Kuzuryuu? You know the point of this school trip is for us all to get along, right? Honestly..."

"Wow, you must have lost really badly." Hiyoko snickered. "Who knew the heir to the Kuzuryuu clan was such a weakling?"

"Why don't you come here and say that you fucking—" Fuyuhiko growled, but then he noticed Peko and stopped. Peko was frozen in place, gazing coldly at nothing.

"Who did this to you, Young Master?" Peko's hand twitched towards her sword.

"H-hey, Peko," Fuyuhiko said quickly. "Look, it's fine, all right? It was just a little fight. These things happen, so you don't have to do anything."

After mananaging to somehow convince Peko that immediate vengance wasn't needed, Fuyuhiko was sat down at the table, the focus of four concerned and interested stares. They wanted to know what had happened but seemed unsure of how to ask about what could have been a delicate subject. Eventually, however, Fuyuhiko grew tired of the silence and started to explain with an annoyed sigh. He told them about how Kazuichi had called him and Gundham into the old building for a 'meeting,' leaving out what the meeting was actually about.

"I don't know what happened." Fuyuhiko shook his head with a puzzled expression. "Souda and Tanaka started arguing about something stupid, which is normal. But then the next thing I know, I'm standing at the other side of the room covered in these bruises and scratches, and those idiots were in the same state except Souda had Tanaka in a headlock and Tanaka was screeching something about summoning a demon shark to eat us all."

"You can't remember what could have caused the fight?" Sonia asked.

"Wouldn't I've told you by now if I did?"

"Could you have hit your head?" While Peko sounded worried, her tone promised harm if any lasting damage had been done to Fuyuhiko.

"I didn't hit my damn head!" Fuyuhiko looked ready to start a completely different argument: then he paused. "Shit," he mumbled. To the others' questioning gazes he explained, "When I left the old building those two bastards were still fighting, and with the way they usually act they might still be going at it. They might have got tired or knocked each other out by know, but either way someone should probably check on them."

It was decided that Mahiru, Sonia and Hiyoko would go break up the fight, while Peko would take care of Fuyuhiko and look for Mikan, ignoring Fuyuhiko's complaints. It was when they were almost out the door that Sonia turned her head back with one last question.

"By the way, Kuzuryuu-san," she said, "What were Tanaka-san and Souda-san arguing about in the first place? It might have something to do with why the three of you fell into such a fight."

Fuyuhiko, who was still sitting at the table with Peko, looked away awkwardly. "Well, you know. What don't they argue about?"

"But was it anything specific?" Mahiru asked, now curious as well. Hiyoko pulled at her hand with a whine.

"My memory's kind of fuzzy," Fuyuhiko said unconvincingly, his face red. "But, um... Well, I think it had something to do with Hinata."

Those words stayed with them long after they had left the restuarant, circling through their minds as they made it to the old building and managed to somehow stop Kazuichi and Gundham from ripping out more chunks of their opponent's hair. A fight violent enough that it was unheard of on the island beyond Akane and Nekomaru had started because of an argument about Hinata. Hinata, whose smile had seemed warmer, who had filled their heads since that morning, who caused the sparks of jealously to come dangerously close to catching alight whenever he had been seen talking to someone else.

It looks like we're not the only ones affected by... whatever this is, Mahiru thought grimly as she collected the remains of Kazuichi's torn up hat.


Chapter end.