This is part one of the 'School Festival arc', as I deem it in my notebook. This is more of a filler chapter though, as the School Festival takes place in the next chapter. I've seen a lot of School Festival episodes in various anime that I feel like I have to include it in the story.

Chapter title derives from a quote of Oscar Wilde. Revealing the full quote will spoil the content, so feel free to look for it after you're done reading the chapter.

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

Chapter 9: A Stab in the Front

Sounds of heavy panting and running footsteps echoed in the arena. Ten young boys were running in the basketball court, with five in defensive position and the other five trying to make it to the basket.

'Ryouta, bend your knees lower! Hideyoshi, press on your opponent and limit his movement! You're giving him too much room now!' Takeru shouted at the defending team as they struggled to get back possession. They had been playing for quite some time already, but the blond was not giving them any time to slack off.

Since the Regional Tournament had ended, the third-year students were no longer required to participate in team training. Odaiba Junior High would participate in the Winter Tournament with only first and second-year students, so third-year students like Takeru could help train the juniors on a voluntary basis.

The remaining team members were divided into two teams. Takeru acted as the instructor of one team while the coach took care of the other. It was just team practice, but Takeru treated it as seriously as he could. He had high hopes of his juniors, and he wanted to make sure he left the team in good shape. The other team just missed a shot and his team got the rebound.

'Don't rush, Ryouta. Slow down and study your opponent's movements first!'

'Hai!' Ryouta responded and whipped some sweat off his forehead. He observed the opponent team carefully, and found that one of his teammate was unmarked. He quickly threw the ball directly to him, and the team scored two points.

'That's a nice pass! And a good shot, Keiji! Now keep it going!' Takeru clapped a few times encouragingly. He had fully recovered from the match five days ago, mentally and physically. Now, all he cared about was how to better prepare his juniors so they could win in the Winter Tournament and in next year's Regionals.

On the other side of Odaida Junior High, another school team was practising for a different reason. The football team, unlike the basketball team, had qualified for the National Tournament, and the team members were getting themselves ready for the games in early August.

Ken placed the ball in between the penalty area and the half-way line. 'Ready, Atsuya?' He called. The goalkeeper named Atsuya nodded and rubbed his gloves anxiously. Ken took a deep breath and put his full attention on the ball. Taking a few steps back, he made a short run and kicked the ball right at the centre. The ball made its way towards the goal in swift motion, dipping in mid-air after it went over the practice wall. Atsuya saw where the ball was going and jumped to his right, but he only managed to let the ball pass through the tip of his fingers as it crouched into the net.

'Damn it!' The tall goalkeeper punched the ground and groaned. 'Ken, you're too good on this,' he spat and threw the ball to his vice-captain, ready for another round.

'You almost got it already, Atsuya,' Ken just gave a small smile and positioned himself for another kick, this time standing closer to the net. He knew his goalkeeper hated conceding goals more than anything, even if it was just practice. But then, any team would like to have someone as determined as Atsuya to guard between the posts.

Some players, like Ken, were practising free kick on one side of the pitch, while some played a six-to-six game on the other side. This allowed them to work on their short passes and teamwork. Daisuke was one of the twelve players taking part in that exercise.

'Pass it to me, Takafumi! No one's marking me!' He yelled, and his teammate quickly passed the ball to him as he made a run towards the goal. Only the goalkeeper was in between him and the empty net. Sensing the goalkeeper was running out to block his shot, he slowed down his motion and attempted a chip shot, carefully flicking the ball with the top of his boot. The ball floated towards the empty net slowly, but it did not go in. Instead, it hit the crossbar and bounced out of the line.

'What the heck!' Daisuke screamed, holding his head in disbelief. He thought it was a chilly finish, and he could only moan in disappointment at the missed opportunity.

'You should have just dribbled past me to score, Motomiya-buchou,' the goalkeeper told him as he picked up the ball and put it on the ground, ready to restart the game again. He was a second-year student who was likely to be the first-choice goalkeeper next year, after Atsuya graduated. 'Your dribbling is the best in the team, so it'd be more likely a goal than a chip shot.'

'Just wanna try something new,' Daisuke beamed and ran to his half. 'C'mon, keep it going, Minato! I'll definitely score against you today!'

While the golden trio were busy with their respective practices, Hikari was staying in the classroom, helping out with the preparation for the upcoming School Festival. There were only three days left before the big day. Her class had a special theme for the class exhibition, and everyone was now trying out the costumes they had to wear on that day.

'Wow! You look great, Hikari-chan! I think I'm having a crush on you now!'

Hikari's cheeks turned pink as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white shirt with a black tail coat that was trimmed to fit onto her figure, and a pair of tight black trousers that implicitly showed how thin her legs were. Her attire was accompanied by a green skinny tie, resting cosily on her developing breasts. The other girls in the room squealed and surrounded her, making her feel uncomfortable with the attention she was receiving.

Their class decided to hold a butler café this year. All the students who would be servers on that day were required to wear a butler suit. Now the girls were trying their outfits in the classroom as the boys tried theirs in another room. Out of safety concern, they borrowed the classroom key from their form teacher and locked the door, weary that the boys might peak on them.

'Don't gang up on Hikari-chan like that,' one girl hid a sly smirk and put her hands on the brown-haired girl's shoulders. 'I think the bigger concern is...whom does she want to show this outfit to the most?'

Hikari did not really understand what that question entailed at first, but she sensed something was wrong when she saw the sparks of interest growing in the eyes of every girl present in the room.

'I think the choices are rather obvious, don't you think?' Another girl smirked. 'You always hang out with Ichijouji, Motomiya and Takaishi. Don't tell me you don't harbour any feelings for any of them, Hikari-chan!'

Now she knew what the problem was. While her classmates were kind and friendly people, they would easily lose their usual sanity (as Daisuke put it) when the topic of discussion was about the opposite sex. Hikari did not mind listening to their gossip, yet she felt very awkward whenever she became part of the discussion.

'Let's see…could it be Ichijouji-kun?'

'But he is the genius type, right? Sometimes it just feels like he's not on the same level as us…'

'What about Motomiya-kun? He's very energetic and is friendly with everyone. It's very easy to get along with him.'

'Or Takaishi-kun? C'mon, Hikari-chan, you sit next to one of the hottest guys in school! Don't you feel attracted to him by any means?'

The girls' vigorous gossiping were ceased by an impatient cough from the other side of the room. A girl with shoulder-length orange hair smiled warmly at the girls who had temporarily forgotten her existence. Her mature appearance and her well-developed figure made her look authoritative in front of these fourteen, fifteen-year-old girls. 'I don't mean to interrupt, but I just need to know if there's anything I need to change about the outfits you guys are wearing.'

'Oh, we're terribly sorry Takenouchi-senpai!' The girls frantically apologized and shifted their attention back to their clothes. They took turn standing in front of the mirror to see if the size of their costume was right, and also helped check if the others looked good too. Hikari took this time to let out a relieved sigh and walked towards the orange-haired girl.

'Thank you, Sora-san,' she mouthed, glad that the older girl helped her out of her distress.

'No problem, Hikari-chan,' she grinned, 'although I do want to know if there's someone that you'd want to show this cute outfit to.'

Hikari felt her cheeks burning again. She was not used to being asked such questions, and she found it embarrassing with the question coming from the eighteen-year-old. She shook her head, hoping the girl named Sora would drop the topic, but she was rather persistent.

'C'mon, you're telling me there isn't a single boy that you are interested in?'

Her teasing tone did not go unnoticed, and Hikari glared at her, pouting. Sora laughed.

'Takenouchi-senpai, I think we're all good here.' Akemi, the class representative, announced. The other girls nodded in agreement. They went on to discuss the clothes a bit more, before Sora wished them good luck and left the classroom.

'Thank you very much, Hikari-chan! I'm really glad that you managed to get Takenouchi-senpai to help us out on the costumes!'

When the class first decided to do a butler café for the School Festival, the main trouble they had was where to find enough butler attires for everyone. That was when Hikari suggested she knew someone who had connections with the fashion industry, and they were surprised to learn she approached Takenouchi Sora for this. Sora was a famous tennis player in the school when she studied here, and also a popular figure among the juniors as well since she always came back to support the tennis team. She also had relatives working in the fashion industry, so they could get a good discount from making these outfits.

'It is a good thing that Sora-san is dating your older brother, Hikari-chan. Thanks to that we can get these butler uniforms with a very cheap price!'

The girls laughed and Hikari giggled as well. She was really happy she could help make the preparation easier for the class that she really liked.

'However,' the evil smirk returned on Akemi's face, and Hikari's shoulders tensed, 'you haven't answered our question yet. Who is it that you like?'

Hikari blushed again and tried to get them to talk about other things, but she failed miserably. 'Don't forget how our system works that day: a boy and a girl will serve a table together, so we can set you up to work with one of them that day, as a token of thanks for getting Takenouchi-senpai to help us.' She winked, and the other girls also voiced their approval. While the girls would love to spend their shifts with one of the golden trio, they also decided to let Hikari choose first. In fact, they had discussed in private about it, and they all agreed to do it because they knew Hikari would need someone to help her out on that day, and the brown-haired girl deserved that after helping out a lot on their preparation. Besides, they knew Hikari was close to the three, so she would probably feel more comfortable working with any one of them than other boys in the class.

'Don't make us wait! Tell us!' The girls kept pressing and Hikari found herself on the back of the room now, as the others were looking at her expectantly. In a way, she felt like the last lamb standing in front of a group of wild, starving wolves. She was only saved when they heard a knock on the door, and a boy's voice asked if he could come in.

While the girls had changed back to their school uniforms already, the classroom remained still after the boy asked that. It wasn't they didn't want to open the door. It was just that the voice sounded too familiar for them to move right now.

Takeru stretched his arms as he made his way to the school building. On his way he was thinking about the performance of the juniors. While they had great potentials, they still needed more training in tactics. He reminded himself to talk to Ryouta about that later. It was something that the new captain should be aware of.

He spotted someone leaving the school building on his way, and he was shocked to find out who that person was. He knew her, and he had not seen her in quite a while.

'Sora-san!'

Sora, who was originally texting on her phone, raised her head and was just as surprised to see the blond. It took her some seconds to remember that he studied here too. 'Takeru-kun!' She smiled and greeted him. 'You've grown taller since last time I saw you.'

'Hey, I'm a healthy teenager. That's only to be expected,' he grinned. 'What are you doing here? Are you here to visit the tennis team? But I don't think they have any practice today?'

Sora gently shook her head. 'No, I'm just here to drop off some clothes. I'm asked to help a class on getting some butler attires as they're going to do a butler café on the School Festival.'

'That's my class!' Takeru exclaimed and Sora widened her eyes in response, surprised again. 'I didn't know you're the one helping our class on getting the outfits! I heard from my classmate that they found an alumnus to help, but I didn't know it was you!'

'Such a small world. Who would have thought?' Sora chuckled before her expression turned solemn. 'How's your brother doing, Takeru-kun?'

Takeru's grin faded upon Sora's question. 'Well, you know, just the usual. I don't get to see him a lot, and he's spending a lot of time with his band,' Takeru paused, 'as usual,' he whispered in an imperturbable tone.

'I see,' Sora closed her eyes, as if reminiscing about something, and then she looked at Takeru again. 'Tell your brother I say hi. I haven't seen him in a while.'

'Sure.'

After his short reply, the two stared awkwardly at each other before Sora offered an apologetic smile. She excused herself as she had to leave, and Takeru waved her goodbye. He looked at her departing figure with a slightly troubled expression on his usually placid face. Thinking about his brother and Sora brought a sigh out of his mouth, and he continued to walk towards his classroom.

When he arrived at the door, he saw a note on the door saying 'don't come in or die!', and he remembered the girls were trying out their costumes today. The boys also had to try theirs, but Takeru was helping out with the basketball team so he did not get to see if his costume fit yet. Good that he read the sign first, he thought, or he didn't know what Akemi would do to him. He knocked on the door.

'Hey everyone, it's Takaishi. Are you all done with changing yet? Can I come in?'

Before he knocked he heard noises in the room, but now it was dead quiet. That brought a frown on his face. He was sure they were in there, so why didn't any of them respond?

'Erm, if you are not done yet I can come back later…'

Before he finished, the door was slid wide open, and Takeru saw the girls were either nervously looking at anywhere but him, or staring at him with evil smirks on their faces. He raised his eyebrows but did not comment on that, figuring they were probably just gossiping before.

'Your costume is right over there, Takeru-kun,' Akemi pointed at a bag on the corner of the room. 'Daisuke-kun and Ken-kun's are there as well.'

'They'll come pick them up when the football team practice is over,' Takeru walked to where the bag was and knelt in front of it. Glancing at the content, he sighed.

'There is no chance of me backing out now, right?'

'It would be best if you don't, Takeru-kun. Many girls do look forward to seeing you in that costume.'

Akemi's reply, along with the charmingly bright smile on her face, sent a chill down Takeru's spine. He could sense the unspoken phrase of 'I'd like to see you try bailing out on me' in the long-haired girl's saccharine tone.

While Senjougahara Akemi was a very dutiful and diligent class representative, she was also known to be a very calculating person that some called her a 'haraguro' behind her back. Takeru did not really know what that meant, but he knew well enough not to mess with Akemi to guarantee his own safety. He had heard stories of people who had disobeyed her in the past, and he always gulped whenever he thought of what happened to them. At least it was a good thing Akemi was not interested in him, or the opposite sex in general… (*)

'Do you girls need any help here?' He asked, trying to change the topic.

'Yes, actually. Can you help us…' Akemi surveyed the room and assigned a few duties to her classmates. Some boys had returned now, after being notified that the girls were done changing, and they all worked together in hopes that they could be fully prepared for the School Festival in a few days.

Hikari excused herself and went to the bathroom shortly after Takeru entered the classroom. She splashed water on her face, slapped her face lightly, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She needed a way to lower the temperature on her cheeks. What she had endured in the classroom was too much for her to handle.

It wasn't the first time she had been asked who she liked. Heck, even her own mother had asked her about her romantic life! She had expected that question when she knew she was hanging out with the golden trio, and Daisuke had joked that she should just say she was dating all three of them to save herself the trouble of explaining. That remark earned him a smack in the head from Ken and Takeru, and a giggle from Hikari herself.

Back then, things were so simple and she did not have any problem answering questions about her relationship with the three. So why was it different now? She was still good friends with them, despite the drama with Saki on the last week of May. Their friendship had also strengthened a lot after that, and they gradually opened up more to each other as well. Hikari had learnt more about the three and she shared stories of her life in the special institution for disabled children. They took her to see the Teenage Wolves' concert, and she attended many of their inter-school games. She had never felt happier in her life, with those three by her side to walk her through the normal school life she had always dreamt of.

Hikari looked down at the sink and locked herself in deep thought. She liked the golden trio, that's for sure, because they were her friends! They cared about her and she cared about them. Just like the time when Takeru was upset after the basketball team lost the Regional Final and she lent him her ears, or the time when the blond told her that he really wanted to be friends with her after she was threatened by Saki, or the funny expression he made when he failed to deal with the black cat on the same day…

Hikari halted her thinking process when she realized an incongruous smile had formed on her face, her cheeks were flushing like mad, and all she had in her mind was an image of a smiling Takaishi Takeru. She widened her eyes

What did this mean? Why was it that she could only think about him and not the other two? She put her hands on her burning cheeks. Sure, she could name the times when those two were kind to her as well, but it was a different feeling of happiness than when the blond was involved. Hikari blinked.

Did she have feelings for Takeru?

When Akemi asked if she wanted to work with Daisuke or Ken on the day of School Festival, she could just shrug it off. However, when Takeru's name was mentioned she would have this strange, warm feeling in her stomach, and she could not think properly afterwards.

Thinking about that made her recall the time when they shared a friendly hug in the basketball team's changing room. She felt warm and safe in his arms, especially when he had stressed that he really wanted to be friends with her. He accepted her because of who she was and not because he was acting out of pity. Recalling that moment brought a tiny smile on her face…

Then, she remembered on the first of July she visited a sick Takeru at his apartment. While he wasn't feeling well, he still was patient enough to teach her how to play the finger. When she pressed the wrong string and felt stupid about making the mistake, he would just smile and gently put her fingers on the right position…

And then there were many times when they were parting ways, only to find themselves holding each other's gaze. She didn't really understand why, and whenever they finally broke eye contact they would turn their head away in embarrassment. However, she always found herself drawn into that pair of mesmerizing ocean blue eyes, as if she could just stare at it and ignore her surroundings…

Hikari blinked hard and stared at her stunned expression in the mirror. This certainly was not what she had planned for when she entered Odaiba Junior High.

'When are you going to ask Hikari-chan out?'

Takeru spat out the burger that he was chewing and coughed frantically. He raised his eyes to stare at Daisuke, who had an innocent expression on his face. Ken ruffled his hair and sighed, wondering when his friend would know not to make any fatuous remark with his big mouth.

'Very subtle, Dai.'

'What?' The mahogany-haired boy rebuked, grabbing his can of soda and pouring the content into his mouth.

'What are you talking about?' Takeru asked amidst coughing. Daisuke rolled his eyes as if Takeru had just asked how he knew the earth was not round.

'You like her, don't you?'

'Who told you that?' Takeru argued back, but a faint blush was visible on his face. Daisuke widened his eyes.

'So you don't like her?'

'I didn't say that!'

Ken kept chewing his burger. He thought it tasted rather dry. He made a mental note to himself that next time he should order the one with mushroom sauce. This beef burger with extra lettuce was not juicy enough.

'So do you like her or not like her? It's a simple question, Takeru.'

'I don't get why you're suddenly asking this.'

'C'mon, Takeru, everyone can tell there is something going on between you and Hikari-chan.'

Ken made a face. That was what Mimi had told them when they had not noticed anything, but he chose not to comment on it.

'There is nothing going on between me and Hikari-san,' Takeru stated forcefully, wondering how Daisuke even got the idea that 'everyone' knew there was something going on. Meanwhile, he was trying his best to fight off the blush on his face.

'I mean, take today as an example,' Daisuke continued, ignoring his friend's glare. 'Don't you see the way she blushed when you helped her move the boxes around? Or how everyone else was trying to put you two to work together whenever possible? Or the way she kept stealing glances at you with those longing eyes that said, "oh Takeru-sama, please hold me in your arms"?'

Ken fumbled about in his shoulder bag for the novel he had been reading. He pulled out a copy of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. He flipped to the page he left off and began reading, making his best impression that he did not know these two and just happened to be sitting on the same table as they were.

'Keep your voice down, Motomiya,' Takeru warned as some people nearby were sending them curious glances, especially when Daisuke raised his voice to make his best girly-voice impression and wrapped his own arms around his body. They were still wearing their school uniform, after all, and he was annoyed by his friend's officious attempt. 'There is nothing going on between me and Hikari-san.'

'That's not my question!' Daisuke exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. 'Why are you avoiding my question?'

'Because…' Takeru wanted to rebuke his friend, but found himself stuck on words. He turned to the blue-haired boy. 'Ken, help me out on this.'

'The truth is rarely pure and never simple,' the fourteen-year-old prodigy mused. (**)

'Exactly!' Takeru looked at Daisuke triumphantly, before turning back to his friend with his eyebrows twitched. 'Wait, what are you talking about?' Ken just shrugged and kept on reading.

'See, even Ken's on my side here!' Daisuke flashed a victory sign with his fingers and grinned. Takeru rolled his eyes and did not bother rebuking his logic. He sighed resignedly.

'You are not going to stop asking unless I answer, are you?'

'Now we're talking.' Daisuke grinned and folded his arms, looking at his blond friend expectantly. Takeru groaned.

It wasn't like he had not pondered on the same question before. He was a healthy fourteen-year-old boy, so naturally he would think about this stuff. His mother had also asked him before if he had anyone in mind, and being a friend of Mimi also meant he had to endure her endless lecture about girls and dating. Those questions did not help him in sorting out his feelings, though.

Did he like Hikari? The simple answer was yes, because she was a good friend. She was kind, considerate, and Takeru really liked that selfless personality of hers. Did he like her as more than a friend, though? That was the part that he wasn't sure about. True, he cared a lot about her, and he liked the time they spent together. But was that affection significant enough? He couldn't really tell. He had never dated anyone before, after all, and he did not really have good role models to look up to…

The table grew quiet. Even Daisuke stopped talking as he continued to wait for Takeru to open his mouth. The basketball team captain closed his eyes and engaged in his own deep thought.

There were several episodes that lingered in his mind. He could see Hikari sitting by his side in the park, showing him her words on the white sketchbook and encouraging him to look forward after losing the Regional Final; he could see Hikari sitting by his bedside, trying to play the guitar and pouted when her fingers landed on the wrong string. He could see the brown-haired girl's relieved expression when he reached for his hand and tried to pull her away from the stranger who indirectly insulted her; he could see Hikari patting the cat gently in the basketball team locker room, and subsequently her lunging forward to give him a reconciliation hug…

There were also other images that floated in his mind. He recalled her obsession with taking pictures whenever she went. He recalled her laughter when he and Daisuke engaged in another silly argument. He recalled her gentle smile when they parted ways, and the longing stares they sent each other, when they would just stand there and looked into each other's eyes…

The image that stood out, however, was back on her first day of school, when they were alone in the basketball court.

…Hikari responded by tugging his sleeves, causing him to turn around to face her, and showing him the words she had just written on her sketchbook, with a small but sincere smile on her face.

'I don't want to be just someone you will talk to, Takeru-kun.

'I want to be your friend.'

Takeru opened his eyes and blinked. He put his hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. He looked down at his hand, paying attention to how his veins spread on the back of his hand. Daisuke and Ken watched in amusement as they waited for him to answer.

'I don't know,' he finally muttered. Daisuke almost fell from his chair.

'What do you mean you don't know?'

'It's just…' the blond struggled to find the right word, '…does it matter, though? I like Hikari-san as a friend, and I like how we are right now, just good friends that can rely on each other. What's wrong with that?''

'Argh!' Daisuke let out a groan, pulling his hair in a frustrated manner. 'It's either "yes" or "no"! How is it so hard to answer? You obviously have a thing for her, Takeru! Just admit it!' Daisuke exclaimed and his blond friend had to hush him before they became the centre of attention again.

'You just want me to say yes! But I don't even know how I feel!'

'You don't know or you don't want to know, Takeru?'

Both boys turned to Ken who kept his eyes on his book. He casually flipped another page. 'Are you frightened by the prospect of what that entails?'

Daisuke was about to yell at his friend for speaking in an alien language, but then he stopped. He looked at Ken and he realized what Ken saw as the problem here. Really, he didn't think about that, and he thought of smacking his own head for being so insensitive.

Takeru just stayed quiet and stared at his friend. Of the three of them, Ken had always been the most observant, which Takeru did not really appreciate at this point.

'You're only fourteen, Takeru,' Ken spoke softly. 'Don't you think your worry is a bit immature?'

'What do you mean?' Takeru asked cautiously, his eyes not leaving the blue-haired boy.

'Let me rephrase the question this way,' Ken put down his book and turned to look at his friend in the eyes. 'Do you think you'll be married by the age of thirty?'

Takeru and Daisuke blinked. 'How is that relevant…'

'Just answer the question,' Ken stated sternly.

'I…guess so? Isn't that a normal thing to do at that age?'

'And where do you think your wife will come from?' He took a breath. 'Do you think if you just sit back, relax, and wait, some woman that you like, or do not dislike, will eventually come into your arms and propose to you, and you'll be together just like that?'

Takeru's breathing turned heavy, and his eyes tensed.

'I'm not saying you should like Hikari-san, or any girl, for that matter, as if you're going to marry her tomorrow. You're too young for that. However, if you decide to reject affection just because of the failed relationships around you, then I think it's an incredibly stupid thing to do.'

Takeru's eyes flickered. His expression darkened as Ken made his point. 'That's low, Ken,' he hissed in a deadly tone.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, then.'

Without speaking, Takeru slammed his fists on the table. He set his tray aside and stood up, picking up his shoulder bag in a swift motion. Without looking back, he walked away from the table where his friends were sitting at and left the restaurant. Some people were staring at the loud noise he made, and their eyes followed him as he walked away. They also looked at the two remaining figure from the same table, but the two boys shrugged off their stares.

Daisuke looked at the blond's departing figure and let out a defeated growl. He turned to look at Ken, who closed his eyes in a resigned manner. 'You don't have to go head-on with him, you know. You're even pushier than I am.'

'We both know what his problem is, and he needs to face it.' Ken stated without any hesitation in his voice. 'It's better for him to face it now before either of them gets hurt.'

'What makes you say that?' Daisuke looked at his friend quizzically.

Ken kept his eyes closed. Perhaps he should have talked to Takeru in a nicer tone. But would he? He doubted that. While he's usually a soft-spoken person, he knew it was a problem Takeru had to face, or he would get hurt in the long run. Moreover, Hikari would get hurt too if the blond remained irresolute to his feelings.

'Hikari-san?'

A pair of redwood-coloured eyes met his gaze, and a tender smile greeted him. Ken took off his headphones as he walked towards the brown-haired girl, who was sitting on the bench by the seashore. It was the edge of the city where the Rainbow Bridge could be clearly seen. Many people were walking past them as Ken stood next to the girl, catching on his breath.

'What are you doing here?' He asked. He didn't expect to see the girl here, a place rather far away from the city centre where they lived.

The girl responded by showing him what she had been doing for the past half an hour. She turned her sketchbook to him, and he saw an outline of the view in front of them. There was part of the Rainbow Bridge on the right hand side of the paper, and he also spotted several skyscrapers across the sea. Ken had learnt of the girl's interest in drawing before, so he wasn't surprised that she was sketching one of the nicest views of Odaiba.

Hikari looked at Ken's appearance. He was sweating and panting, his hands resting on his knees to catch some breath. She made some hand gestures in the air, and Ken could figure out 'running', 'many times', and 'you' in her motions. Over the months Hikari had taught them basic sign language, so he assumed she was asking if he jogged here a lot.

'Only after knowing that the football team will be playing in the Nationals,' he wiped his forehead and put his mp3 player in the pocket of his shorts. 'I just want to keep my stamina in good shape so I'll be ready by August.'

Hikari nodded and gestured for him to take a seat next to her. Ken sat down and pulled out his bottle of water, pouring the content into his mouth and squeezing some on his legs to cool himself down. It wasn't a particularly hot day, but he had been running for a while already.

Ken suddenly realized how awkward the situation was, after a few minutes of silence had passed. In fact, when he came to think about it, this was the first time that he and Hikari were alone. In the past either Takeru or Daisuke would be around, and his friends were much better at making conversations than he was. Hikari was looking at him, as if sensing he wanted to say something. He sighed.

'Are you here by yourself?' Okay, that was lame, he thought. But then, it was better than nothing.

Hikari shook her head and flipped over her sketchbook to a blank page, and began writing on it with her pencil. 'My mother has an appointment with a hairdresser nearby, and I want to try sketching the seashore, since I haven't done so before.'

'Ah, I see,' Ken commented. He went on to make small talk with the girl, who listened to him intently. Ken was grateful that at least the atmosphere did not feel as stiff as before. He was never the talkative type, but talking with Hikari, even though he was the only one doing the talking part, technically speaking, made him feel comfortable.

He eyed the brown-haired girl who was writing a response on her sketchbook, and wondered if that was why his friend was attracted to her, recalling Mimi's declaration about Takeru's 'secret' affection for her. She made people feel easy and relaxed. Her tender gaze always seemed to let one drop one's guard and open up, for there was no a single trace of distaste or annoyance in her eyes. Ken always considered himself a very private person, and Takeru was the same, if not more. However, they both seemed to find spending time with Hikari comforting. It was like she could just brush off the awkwardness with a tender flick of her eyes and an affable smile on her face.

'I still don't want to wear the butler outfit though,' the blue-haired boy sighed. They were talking about the upcoming School Festival, and the person-in-charge of the costumes would bring them on the day after tomorrow for the class to try on. Ken was conscious of the reputation that he had in school, and he was weary of what the girls, namely his fans, would do when they saw him in that outfit. Hikari just giggled.

'I'm sure you'll look good in that,' she wrote, and Ken narrowed his eyes. He knew that Hikari was aware of why he didn't look forward to it, and his classmate beamed in return with a sly grin.

'I'm sure you look forward to seeing Takeru in that outfit too,' he rebuked in a well-mannered fashion, and he knew he had succeeded when Hikari's cheeks turned a shade of pink.

'Why did you say that?' Hikari frantically shook her head and wrote on her sketchbook, and Ken did not fail to notice how shaky her hand was. Ken smirked triumphantly, knowing that he had hit the right spot. He recalled Mimi's ebullient comment about his two friends, and the image of the brown-haired girl and the blond sitting side by side in Takeru's bedroom and in the basketball court resurfaced in his mind again. He was about to tease her more when they were interrupted by a surprised tone.

'Hikari-chan?'

They both looked up at the voice who called Hikari. Ken saw a middle-aged woman with short brown hair standing in front of them, her left hand holding a handbag. Her appearance looked strikingly similar to the girl sitting next to him right now, especially the same pair of redwood-coloured eyes that she had, as if an adult Yagami Hikari was standing right there. The woman was looking at them with raised eyebrows, to which Ken blinked in confusion.

'This is my mother, Yagami Yuuko,' Hikari wrote on her sketchbook and motioned for Ken to read it.

Upon realizing who he was facing, Ken rose from his seat and bowed politely. 'Please to meet you, Yuuko-san. I'm Ichijouji Ken, Hikari-san's classmate.'

The woman stared at the blue-haired boy, and she failed to hide an acerbic smile as Hikari still had a flushed expression on her face. She looked at her daughter then at Ken again.

'I hope I'm not interrupting something here,' she smirked, and Ken suddenly realized why she was acting like that.

'Eh, Yuuko-san, I think you are misunderstanding something here…'

'Don't be shy, Ken-kun,' Yuuko beamed as Ken turned slightly pale in nervousness. 'Hikari-chan doesn't always tell me everything, so I'm curious as to how her social life is like at school.' She placed emphasis on the words 'social life', and even Hikari now caught on to what her mother was suggesting. She blushed even harder, waving her hands in protest while Yuuko just kept on giggling. That left Hikari no choice but to drag her away while nodding apologetically to her friend, who looked very embarrassed by the exchange.

Recalling the brief exchange he had with Hikari two days ago, Ken was certain Hikari had feelings for Takeru. He also knew Takeru had feelings for their female friend as well, despite his uncertainty. The only problem was whether Takeru was willing to admit how he truly felt.

'Is this about Osamu, Ken?'

Even though he knew his friend meant well, Ken couldn't help but let his eyebrows twitch at the soft mention of that name. He bit his lips and ignored Daisuke's concern expression. He stared at the whirling fan on the ceiling instead. For a moment the two boys did not speak. Daisuke was patiently waiting for a response while Ken let his hushed query linger in his mind.

'I hope the School Festival will go well,' Ken mused, loosening his muscles as he rested the back of his neck on the top of the seat. It wasn't the first time he and Takeru had an argument, so he wasn't too worried about that aspect. He just hoped Takeru would realize that this was something he had to face sooner or later, and it would be best for him to overcome that obstacle now, before he regretted letting the chance slip away from his own hand later.

End of Chapter 9

* 'Haraguro' refers to the kind of person who smiles a lot and is adored by many, but his/her real personality is actually very cruel, mean and calculating. It's kind of like smiling while implicitly making harsh/sarcastic comments. Think of Koizumi from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi , Aragaki Ayase from My Little Sister Can't be This Cute, or Yagami Raito from Death Note. I am not sure if there's an English translation for this word, but it's quite common in ACG world.

** This is a direct quote from the Oscar Wilde's book that Ken was reading.

Figuring that I have at least a dozen more chapters to go, I decide to throw in more fun side-factors along the main storyline. A special thanks to the wonderful the alpha phoenix for giving me the idea of bringing Osamu into the story, despite the fact that I'm using him in a different way, since I've completely forgotten about him when I first started this. He will be brought up again sometime soon.

I haven't forgotten about Saki and her gang (those who bullied Hikari in chapter 4 and 5), who were in the same class as the main characters. The thing with functions like School Festival is that they generally work in a voluntary system, so if you don't want to you can just skip the whole thing. They will be back in the future, as stated before.

Does anyone miss Taichi? Spoiler alert: he will be in next chapter! I'll also be working on the interlude chapter of Mimi and Takeru's past in Rome soon, and it will be posted after the School Festival arc.

Reviews are always appreciated! I'll update again by the end of the month, so please stay tuned!