Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!

Summary: Enter Hideo-kun! (I know you're probably wanting a confrontation and it WILL COME but please bear with me!)

Chapter Nine

By the time the getaway had ended it was the weekend, giving all of the members time to rest before school started again. It was funny how a trip that was meant as a vacation could be even more stressful than school itself for the majority of the young Roses.

Yumi was resting on her bed, her head propped up against the soft pillows when the knock came at her door. "Come in!" she called, sitting up straighter.

The door opened to reveal Yuuki on the other side, looking slightly out of breath. "Um...Suguru was..."

Yumi nodded sympathetically- he didn't need to say anymore. For some reason, Sachiko's flamboyant cousin seemed to attach to her poor little brother like an overly affectionate magnet. "But...is that all you came to say?" she asked hesitantly.

"Um...no," he stated, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Yumi...about your relationship with Sachiko-san..."

"Stop calling her that," Yumi cut in, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance.

"Right...about Sachiko-sama," he waited for Yumi to cut him off again but his sister said nothing, "do you remember what I said a while back? About what you wanted in a man..."

Yumi fought back a blush to no avail as she recalled her younger brother stopping her, saying that her dream guy sounded a lot like her onee-sama already. "Yes," she said shortly, looking down at her hands in embarrassment. "Why?"

"Um...I was just wondering whether your relationship with her had changed," he said in a rush and continued before his sister could say anything to the contrary, "Because it seems that Yamato-chan has brought someone home with her."

It wouldn't be the first time she had heard those words, but something about the way Yuuki said them made her stand up and follow her brother down the stairs and out the door where Yamato was talking with a boy about Yumi's age with fair hair. Looking up from her conversation, Yamato waved at her sister, causing the boy to turn around, revealing his familiar, handsome features and American face. "Remember him?" Yamato called, pointing down at the boy with her usual lack of Japanese courtesy.

"Yeah," the boy said, shrugging shyly and smiling at Yumi. "Remember me?"

For a moment Yumi was speechless.

"Hideo-kun..."

PGBR

At the Rose Mansion...

"Lillian will be combining forces with Hanadera once again for our school festival, and we will be meeting with their student council tomorrow," Rei announced at the end of the meeting. "A representative will be waiting at the gates tomorrow morning to guide us there."

"I hardly think that's necessary," Sachiko stated icily, though her opinion was highly disregarded. It was no secret that the Rosa Chinesis had a deep fear of men, other than Yumi's brother, Yuuki, and that was only for the mere reason that he was the brother of her beloved petite soeur. "I am sure that we could find our way there by ourselves after last year."

"They are just being courteous, Sachiko-san," Shimako said softly. Yamato had stopped coming to the Rose Mansion daily, and that had restored her usual gentle nature as no one was there to threaten her relationship with Noriko. "I think it's a very sweet gesture." At this, the latter huffed and stared down at her tea. It was to be expected that, other than Sachiko, Shimako would be a prime subject of the males' attention, and Noriko wasn't completely sure of her onee-sama's thoughts on men.

"Well...," Sachiko began, realizing that she had been overruled, "who will be the representative?"

Curious gazes were exchanged, save for one member of the Yamayurikai. Yumi was staring intently at her hands, avoiding her onee-sama's gaze as she remembered the conversation from yesterday.

PGBR

Flashback

"Hideo...kun..."

Yumi had stood, rooted to the spot for a few minutes before breaking into a smile and running (in a very unladylike manner) to hug her best friend. "I'll take that as a yes," Hideo had answered himself as he picked Yumi up and hugged her with all his strength before putting her down. "Miss me much?" He laughed. "Now that I'm back I'll be attending Hanadera...Yamato-chan's told me that it's a brother school to yours. But I've got to say, I'm not so sure about it. Yuuki-kun came back looking a bit off."

Yumi laughed humorlessly as a drop of sweat ran down her cheek. "Yes, but that's a problem unique to Yuuki." She would really rather not explain the complete situation. "Actually, we're about to do a combined festival with Hanadera!" she said excitedly as she remembered her onee-sama announcing it.

"Yeah, Yuuki-kun told me- actually, he's been selected as the representative and asked if I would come along with him," Hideo admitted. "He says they wanted two of us to make sure we escorted the ladies safely, and that I was a much better choice than someone else...though he didn't tell me who."

I don't blame him, Yumi thought. After all, it must be an embarrassing situation for her little brother. "Yuuki is the president, so I guess it makes sense for him to be chosen. I'm actually part of the Yamayurikai student council at Lillian, so I'll be with there, too."

Hideo smiled and ruffled her hair. "I guess I'll see you in a few days, Yu-chan," he said as he ran back to his bike. Yumi remembered when they would ride to school together...it seemed like forever ago...forever since before onee-sama.

Onee-sama...Yumi bit her lip as Hideo rode off, remembering Sachiko's extreme dislike of men, and hoped that maybe the strong bond between the herself and Hideo would be enough to ease her concern.

PGBR

I didn't stop to think that it could do just the opposite, Yumi thought guiltily. Now that she had had time to think, she realized that Sachiko might actually dislike Hideo even more than other men because of his ease when it came to Yumi. If onee-sama had been so disapproving of Sei's antics, surely she would think even less of Hideo for the same thing. Of course, it hardly crossed her innocent mind that Sachiko's reactions to Sei's teasing might have come from something more than just disapproval.

"Yumi?"

Yumi jerked to attention, having spaced out for the past few minutes to find Sachiko staring disapprovingly down at her. She cringed. "Sorry, onee-sama."

Sachiko sighed, but she could never stay mad at Yumi for long. "Just don't let it happen again." To be honest, she wasn't so much annoyed with Yumi as she was worried for her. It was true that Yumi spaced out quite often, but the nervousness was very out of place. Is she really so afraid of me? The thought pained her deeply.

Nevertheless she continued with the announcement she had been in the middle of and promised herself that she would confront Yumi after the meeting. However, other business prevailed and her promise was swiftly forgotten until later that night, when it was much too late to call.