Here you go! Chapter 11! It took me at least 5 days to finish it 8D Cool, or what?

If you're wondering what senpai means, I think it's used when a classmates/schoolmates address one another. Or used to address an older schoolmate. Ah well.

Now THIS certainly reminds people of Beast Master (If you had read it before)

People might get pissed off because of the mentioning of the brown-haired girl (what is her name? Not even I know 8D) and people might get all !GASP! at the last part XP

Your reviews help me a lot! So I'll appreciate if you review it! Guest or member!

Read&Review!!!! XDDDD

Just say I Love You

No

I didn't know how long we were there. Lying on the slide, hugging each other, and me crying. It was a moment Micah would never let me forget, but I didn't care, Ueki was back!

xXx

The next day I entered the classroom, smiling despite myself. Heads turned. Everybody gasped to see Ueki behind me.

The girls were whispering among themselves, glancing at Ueki then at me then at Ueki again. I couldn't help feeling a strange tingling inside me when I saw their eyes staring at Ueki.

When I sat down, while several other students, both boys and girls, crowded around Ueki, Micah slid over. "So, Ueki's back." She said. "Yep." I nodded. She eyed me. "Somehow I have a feeling you knew before us."

I shrugged, "Sort of." Micah asked, "Oh?" "Nothing." I said, turning my head towards the window, smiling in amusement.

The days went by like a gentle breeze, and my heart felt lighter. Girls certainly crowded around Ueki a lot more than usual, but I still got to hang out with him.

Sano and Rinko continued their stay here, and we were both glad, although they certainly got into such fussy arguments Ueki and I always had to mediate somehow.

One day, during free time, Sano and Rinko were in our classroom. Micah and Hanajima participated in our conversations for a while, before Hanajima strolled away declaring she's going to the cafeteria.

We watched Ueki answer a flock of girls. He was as "cool" as usual; as if this wasn't anything special to him, and that he didn't really bother. There's this girl that really ticks me off though, although I don't know why.

She kept hanging around Ueki, and I can't really blame here, since everybody does that. She isn't what you'd call, a popular and "hot" girl but she was very pretty. She had nice wavy dark brown hair tied into a ponytail.

A couple of times when I went to ask or tell Ueki or something, she jumped up out of nowhere. It is of no surprise that girl would be all smiley around her, but Ueki responded with a smile as well.

When they saw how I stared at Ueki and her, Sano, Rinko and Micah exchanged glances.

"So, uh, Ueki returned, eh? Wasn't it something unexpected?" Sano suddenly said. "Yeah. Ai-chan seems rather dazed." Rinko nodded. I blinked back at them. Sano said, adding more amusement inside his tone, "His love for you seems really strong." What was with them now? I thought.

Micah added, nudging me, "Indeed, Seiichiro-senpai is right. He must love you very much to come back, eh? We don't really care how he managed to come back, but we know why, eh, Jerad-senpai?"

Rinko replied with a very, very deliberate nod, "Oh yes, Mic-chan. Indeed, indeed." "What are you guys up to now?" I asked suspiciously, taking my attention off Ueki and the other girls for once.

Sano nudged me, "What do you think? He must be saying 'I love you' everyday now." Rinko and Micah both let out deliberate agreeable murmurs.

Suddenly, a thought hit me with a pang. Now that they mentioned it, I didn't think he ever did. Not that I wanted or needed him to, but somehow, I just felt that it's supposed to happen.

That night, when Ueki came back, all that happened were signs of affection. That thought made me shiver, but it's true. I gripped my hands together, as if I was praying. Inumaru, you should have never made this happen! I grind my teeth, wanting to strangle that ridiculous excuse for a God.

Sano, Rinko and Micah looked as if they expected an answer, anything will do, but I made no sound. Keeping my hands together into a fist, my eyes strayed to Ueki and that brown-haired girl again.

He had never said it before. And will he ever?

xXx

Everybody was down at the cafeteria. I sat at the table, with Sano, Rinko, Micah and Hanajima. Micah and Hanajima were talking about some other thing while Sano and Rinko eyed me.

They knew me too well to miss my forlorn expression, my faraway look. They made no sound, but I knew they knew why.

I looked up and glanced from the corner of my eye. There she was, the girl with brown hair. I knew I had no reason to hate her, but I seriously resented her for sticking to Ueki like she's all that.

I saw her say something to him, and Ueki returned with a smile and nod. I saw her hand him something and Ueki received it with another smile before the girl blushed, lowered her head and stalked away.

I felt myself burning. I thought I would melt with rage and jealousy, but I managed to control myself. I sat upright just as Ueki came over and sat down beside me. "Hey, Ueki." Sano greeted him.

Ueki replied, "Hiya." "So, Ueki-kun, what's up?" Rinko asked. "Nothing. Although just now that girl came up again. I forgot her name, but oh well. She was like, 'Kousuke-senpai, do you like to listen to music?'" Ueki said in his best girly voice. Rinko and Sano burst into peals of laughter, but I held back my laugh because I was half-disgusted. Great, so she's calling Ueki by his first name too.

She knew him like, what? Three days? I knew Ueki for 4 years, nearly 5, straight and I'm not calling him by his first name.

"And I was like 'sure' and she just stuffed me this CD. I'm going to ask Shoko is she knows this singer since she does all the modern technology whacky things, like arcade." Ueki went on, not noticing my anger.

"I see." I scoffed. Ueki glanced at me but said nothing. "So, um, Ueki, I'm wondering. Since you came back, lots of girls have been talking to you, right? Especially that girl," I added sharply. "Yeah, and so, does anyone of them come to your liking? I mean, do you like any of them?" I said as casually as I could.

Sano and Rinko glanced at me swiftly, wondering how Ueki will answer. "I dunno…" Ueki rolled his eyes to the ceiling thoughtfully. "Hm, they've been flocking me for four days and I haven't got a rest. I forgot their names too. I guess maybe what's-her-name." "Who." I mumbled.

"Just now. That one. You know?" Ueki said as helpfully as his knowledge can get. Sano and Rinko exchanged a glance and both of them held their breaths and let out a loud cough.

I lowered my eyes, "I see. So you like her." "I dunno. But who knows? Maybe." Ueki didn't seem to notice my sudden depression.

Suddenly, Micah leaned over and said, "Ueki, I've been meaning to say something." "What?" Ueki said, sitting up. "Well…you know how and what Ai is like…" Micah said, waving her hand about dismissively. I wonder what mischief is Micah brewing?

Micah smiled and said, "I bet you care for Ai very much? There's no need to say it. Just tell her that you love her. Simply three words. I. Love. You. Just like that." I nearly fell off my chair for her stupidity. Had she not heard what Ueki said? About the brown-haired girl?

Or maybe she's doing this on purpose? I stepped on Micah's foot, but she didn't respond, she only raised an eyebrow. Sano and Rinko busily and deliberately minded their own business, but their jaw dropped when they heard what Ueki said.

"No."

We all glanced at Ueki. His face was shadowed and I couldn't tell if his eyes were staring at the ground or not.

If he had fangs, he would have bit Micah. "I won't say it."

I felt stung. Of course, nobody would've said it because somebody told him or her too. But the firmness in Ueki's tone scared me and brought me down. Sano and Rinko's eyes were wide while Micah was frozen, as if she hadn't though Ueki would take her joke seriously.

Ueki suddenly got up and turned away, muttering, "I think I forgot to take a spoon…I'm going to get one now."

Micah, Sano and Rinko stared at me. "Oh, Ai-chan, are you okay?" Rinko asked. I did not reply. "Sorry, Ai. It was just a joke; I wasn't really telling him to say it. I was just trying to make a light atmosphere out of it. I didn't know he'd take it seriously! It must've been the timing or situation." Micah said apologetically.

"It's okay, I guess." I sighed. But she helped me find out something. Ueki's attitude towards me has changed.

When Ueki returned, I abruptly got up. "Aren't ya gonna stay?" Ueki inquired. I did not dare look at him. "Sorry, just lost my appetite." I coughed, turning away when Ueki tried to catch a glimpse of my expression.

When I walked away, I could tell Ueki was wondering why I had turned so cold and ill humoured all of a sudden.