A/N: Tadaa! I'm really keeping to do one a month updating, aren't I? I feel pretty proud of myself for that ^-^

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara.

Chapter 10 – Kiseki – To Lose

I enjoy ordering people around. Why shouldn't I? I've always been able to do it. It's only recently that I found out not everyone would take orders from me.

That's why when Miki lost the bet, I was over the moon.

The bet gave me a chance to have Miki close to me a lot of the time - a chance that Daichi told me I should take.

Miki had been acting strange ever since she came back from school on Monday. She looked a bit lost, until I ordered her to help me with my homework. Then she yelled at me for a bit, saying she had her own to do. Orders were orders though, so she finally agreed, and worked on our homework together.

Tuesday went by really quickly. Miki followed all my orders without any resistance - which kind of took the fun out of it. She even agreed to feed me my lunch - in front of the whole group. Stupid Yoru was at our table again. He mainly talked to Suu but did glance in Miki's direction more than once.

Hmph. I wasn't handing her over that easily.

Maybe I was lucky that day, but Miki didn't even try to talk to Yoru, even though the day before she'd really wanted to.

I did have a strange feeling that something was going to happen soon - although whether it was good or bad, I wasn't sure.

xxxxx

"Go! Go! Star Class!"

"Moon Class! Moon Class! Moon Class!"

The school's sports festival was loud. Both cheering squads were shouting their heads off. I found it quite an annoyance but Miki seemed to enjoy the atmosphere.

"Let's do out best, Kiseki! Moon Class will definitely win this year."

Miki and I sat by the sides as we watched the year below us have their volleyball match. "Miki, am I going to have to participate in this commoner event?"

She nudged my arm. "Of course you have to. And stop calling everything 'commoner' stuff. It takes skill to play volleyball."

"I have many skills!"

"Do you even know how to play volleyball?"

"It doesn't matter, as a prince I can handle any sport."

Miki gasped. "You really don't know how to play?"

The incredulous look on her face bugged me. "I order you not to laugh."

She didn't laugh, but the sides of her mouths twitched, giving her away.

I was sure volleyball wouldn't be that hard to play. It'd be my chance to impress Miki and beat Yoru at a game I'd never played before.

Of course, this was all my preconceptions before the game. The results were not exactly what I wanted...

"Haha, Kiseki, how could anyone be so bad at volleyball?" Rizumu was actually clutching his sides with laughter at the end of the game.

"Shut up." We lost my two sets - how humiliating.

"Don't mind, don't mind, I'll teach you how to play," he offered, still laughing.

"No thank you."

"Just leave him, Fujisaki. He's ten years too early to 'rule the volleyball court'." Yoru shot me a toothy grin, clearly amused at my embarrassment.

He just had to throw back my early declaration of how I would definitely defeat him. I would normally send him a retort in this situation but held my tongue because even I knew that it would sound pathetic. It was clear that Yoru excelled at volleyball. He even used to be in the team until he quit last year to take up soccer.

The art of being a good leader is to know when to retreat.

So, I stood up and brushed past him, to the sidelines where Miki was standing. The other students rushed past me, heading to congratulate Yoru.

I was expecting her to tease me about the game, but all she did was sigh. "Man, that's too bad. I hope that the third-years win their game." She handed me a small hand-towel. "You worked really hard Kiseki. I'm proud of you."

I accepted it and wiped my face. "I really didn't do much. I'm at average height but I can't jump that high compared to everyone else."

"You did just fine Kiseki. You actually co-operated with your team-mates and followed the captain when you realised it was getting bad. As long as you try your best, that's what counts," she said, attempting to cheer me up.

Miki knew just what to say; it did lift my spirits slightly. I placed my hand on the top of her hat-covered head and pulled her towards my chest. Looking for stability, she clutched my other arm.

"H-huh?" She sounded confused, and her cheeks started to colour with embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know." Honestly, I really didn't. I didn't think about it...I just did it. "Do you dislike it?"

"H-how am I supposed to answer that? You're practically hugging me! In public!"

"You'd rather do it in private?" All I did know was that this was the kind of thing I was supposed to say according to my wingman.

"No!" A slight pause. "Are there people looking?"

"No, there aren't," I said. It was true, the others had all gone off for the five-minute break before games resumed, we were the only two left on the courts.

"Oh," she said, though now she sounded a bit more nervous.

Nervous of being alone of me? I couldn't help wondering whether it was because she wanted us to be or because she was scared of me. It'd be hard to think that Miki would be scared of me.

"Actually," she said, wrapping her arms around me, "I don't dislike it."

I did not know any other way of to describe how I was feeling except to call it warm. I rested my chin slightly on top of her head.

We stayed like that for a while. It felt like an eternity to me, but also as if it was not long enough.

Her voice was soft. "Your heart's beating really fast."

At this I immediately pushed her away, my face, burning. "It takes a while for it to slow down after I exercise. Don't get the wrong idea."

That was a completely lame excuse. And the wrong idea would be the right idea. But I wasn't ready for her to get the right idea yet.

I was surprised when she laughed. "Of course. You must be tired. You need to improve your skills, or you'll be acting strange every time you finish a sport that isn't soccer."

Did she actually take my excuse? Her expression said that she did.

If that was the case I was really lucky today.

"C'mon, let's go, it's my event next." She tugged and my hand, and pulled me along to her running event.

As if it was fate, she and her two sisters ended up in the same race. That, or the teachers went by the order of the names on the year's register. Either way, Miki was competing against, Ran, Suu and a few others.

It was only a two hundred metre race so it wouldn't last long, still, as I stood beside the track, Yoru had time to walk up and start a conversation.

"You're really close to Miki-chan, aren't you?"

I whipped around, had he seen us earlier?

"So I need to ask you a favour."

I felt relieved, thinking that it was safe.

"I need to tell her something after school. Could you get her to the Star classroom after school? I'd ask her myself but I've got to go for another event."

Something was off. He seemed unusually serious.

"What do you need her for?" I asked him evenly, feeling wary. I did not trust him.

There was a slight flicker of something in his eyes, that I couldn't read. I didn't like that at all.

His mocking demeanour popped back up as he grinned. "None of your business petit-prince. Just tell her, there's something I really need to say to her." Before I could protest further he sprinted off in the opposite directions.

Who the hell did he think he was? Telling me what to do as if he was better than me or something -

"Kiseki, was that Yoru-kun?"

I turned around ever so slowly to face Miki. I completely missed her race, so busy with talking to Yoru. "Congratulations!"

Miki gave me a shrug. "Fourth place isn't that bad I guess. Ran's first was no surprise. Poor Suu came last though."

She could be the best informer without realising it - I thanked her silently for that trait of hers.

"Anyway, what was Yoru-kun say to you?"

I frowned. "He said he wanted you to go to Star Class after school. He needs to 'tell you something' apparently."

"Tell me something..." She echoed. "I think I know what it is."

"What is it?" I asked.

She turned pink. "I can't tell you that."

I stared at her, as she fiddled with her hat. The pieces connected together to form one big picture. From him asking me to ask her to meet him to her not wanting to tell me, it could only be one thing.

Yoru was going to confess to Miki and like it or not, my chances of being with her were shot down at that moment.

xxxxx

Dammit. This cupboard was really stuffy. I was sitting on top of a red bucket, legs tucked into my chest, with a mop and broom looming over me. What exactly was I doing in a closet?

Well, around fifteen minutes ago I was speaking to Daichi. I blame him.

"Kiseki, why do you look so…defeated?" he had said, after finishing his own track event.

I was curled up in a ball at the corner of one of the courts, mumbling. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

"I'm guessing something's stupid," Daichi said, crouching down to my level. He peered over to see my face, which was scrunched up in annoyance. "You really are mad. Spit it out, what's the problem?"

"Suzoku. He's the problem," I grumbled. "He's going to confess to Miki now, I know it." I explained every single detail of what had transpired only a few moments ago at Miki's event.

I waited for his response. After a while, he tilted his head to one side. "So?"

I jumped up to my feet. "So? What do you mean 'so'? Once he confesses, Miki's obviously going to tell her how she likes him too, and then they'll start dating and I'll be…" I let my voice trail off. I didn't know what I would be when Miki wasn't around. After all, if they started dating, there's no way Yoru would let her spend so much time with me. Liking that girl frustrates me – since when did I actually want to spend time with a commoner? Ah, Miki wouldn't like me calling her a commoner in my head.

See? She wasn't even here and she was affecting me like this.

Daichi had been watching me quietly while I was lost in thought. He stood up and put his right hand on my shoulder. "You've gotta calm down, Your Highness." He grinned. "Doesn't a prince always get what he wants?"

Yes, but not this time.

"I think you need to re-evaluate your situation. Suzoku hasn't confessed to her yet. You've still got time to do something."

I still had time? Daichi didn't expect me to do what I think he's thinking, did he? That would just be crazy…and yet, my gut told me he was right and that it wasn't over. Without another word I turned on my heels and sped up to Star Class.

And that was how I ended up in the closet. It was really lucky that all classrooms had supplies like this (they make the students tidy up, unbelievably).

Yes, I know, Daichi was probably suggesting that I would wait for Miki here and confess to her first. If Yoru arrived first, that really wouldn't work. I could tell Yoru not to confess but if Miki walked in on that she would never forgive me. Of course, with a mind as brilliant as mine, I came up with an amazing plan.

I heard the class-door slide open and the sound of a person – no – two people walking in. It closed again with a clatter and I heard a chair being pulled out. "Aren't you going to sit down, Miki-chan?"

"No, I'm fine over here. D-don't you think the windows are very cooling?" That was definitely Yoru and then Miki's voice. Miki didn't sound confident at all. "I hope that didn't sound too weird. It did, didn't it?" I could practically feel the heat emanating from her face through the closet door.

Yoru chuckled. "You're really cute." Shut up Yoru. It's not like he's wrong about that, but still...

"O-oh. Thanks."

Silence. An awkward one. For them, not me. Maybe if it got awkward enough Yoru would chicken out and leave.

"I've been meaning to ask you for some time now, Miki-chan," Yoru said suddenly. "Will you go out of me?"

What? WHAT? What's with your timing Suzoku? You're supposed to have a long chat and then I pop out when I know you're about to confess. I'm not even ready yet. My amazing plan? That was to roll out of the closet, pretending I was asleep in there, hiding from having to do more events. Perfectly believable, I had thought.

"O-oh I, um, well I…"

Quick, I've got to roll out before Miki accepts -

"I can't."

"What?" said Yoru.

WHAT? I nearly lost my balance and rolled out at that point but somehow I managed to stay put. My mind was racing, though. She rejected him? How? Why? At the same time, I felt my chest swell up like a balloon filled with warmth, just ready to explode at any moment. Suzoku, please leave so I can hurry up and laugh at you later.

"I thought you liked me." Yoru sounded completely confused. Hah, serves you right. Miki is mine, you hear? MINE.

"I do." …I give up. I'm lost. Daichi, I command you to arrive and explain everything to me. What in the name of Platinum is going on?

"Then why-?"

"I don't want to go out with someone who doesn't like me," she admitted, sounding absolutely sincere. "To be honest, for a while now I've really liked you. And I tried to show you're my best points to get you to like me too. I'm sure you've noticed my efforts…thinking about it now I must be pretty obvious." Very obvious. "But I don't think you feel the same way about me as I do about you."

Another silence filled the room. It was so quiet, even my breathing had gotten quieter. It would be bad to be discovered at this point. I really had to admire Miki. She was stubborn, but she was honest when it really mattered.

"You're right. I don't really like you that way," said Yoru. "But, I'd like to give it a try."

Miki let out a small squeak of surprise.

"If we get to know each other better, maybe I'll end up liking you too. You're a good person, Miki-chan, I already know that. If we spend more time together, maybe we can have a special bond." I couldn't see if Yoru was smiling at her but it's what I would have done if I could come up with something like that to say to her.

I sighed, as softly as I could manage. This was it. This was really it. There was no way I could beat that. Revealing myself now would just be cruel to Miki. After that speech, maybe Yoru wouldn't be so bad after all. Game over...I lose.

Laughter. That's what I heard, and it was the last thing I expected to hear. From Miki.

"Don't be an idiot," she scolded him. "As if I'm going to buy into that crap."

Huh? I sweat-dropped. The world's logic has gone out the window. I don't understand. He just gave her the kind of speech that Miki loved so much in her shoujo-manga. And she was still turning him down. My capacity of celebrating this fact was completely over-ridden by my complete confusion.

"Since you're not going to tell me the truth I'll just say it." She took a deep breath. "You like Suu, don't you?"

"What? How did you-?" I think my brain broke.

"How did I know? I know everything! I know that you go to cookery class with my sister, and that she goes to your house a lot to play with a cat you both found." I could just imagine her pointing at him looking accusatory. "And I know that you like her."

I could not process this kind of information. What kind of twist was this? Yoru Suzoku who I had, yes, considered my greatest rival for Miki's affections, wasn't really my rival. All this time, I thought he'd been mocking for me because he saw me as a rival, but really, he just personally sees me as someone he should mock?

I saw red. I would've jumped out of the closet and started a fight with him right now if not for what he said next.

"Miki-chan. Please don't cry."

I strained my ears and true enough, I could hear faint sobs emitting from her.

"Don't worry about me." I could tell she was trying to hold it in. Only it wasn't working. "I'll be fine. I just need a moment to myself."

Yoru should have refused. He should have stayed and comforted her, but I heard the door slide open again.

"Yoru-kun. Take care of Suu for me, alright?" Even through the sobs she really meant what she had just said.

"I will."

The door shut.

She wouldn't stop sobbing. I just knew that she had tears streaming down her face by now. I wanted nothing more than to get out of this closet, run to her and hold her. To tell her that she didn't need Yoru anyway, because she had me.

But I wouldn't do that to her. She was a girl, after all, and a girl's heart was precious. It already had a lot to handle for one day, forcing her to think about my feelings right now would be selfish.

So I let her have her moment to herself, waiting in the closet until the sounds of sadness had died down and gone away.

A/N: Well that takes care of Yoru. -w- I hope you enjoyed that chapter~ Review? ;D