Minako sighed reluctantly. "No, I'm not cold… I'm freezing." She still didn't face him.
Hotaka smiled at her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her – Minako's gasp made him hug tighter. "Don't worry; I'm just keeping you warm." His arms were warm and so very comforting. Minako still tensed up with the feeling, even tough she enjoyed it. Hotaka inhaled the scent of her soft brown hair and enjoyed thoroughly the softness of her skin. "I love you so much…"
"Oh, just shut up!" Minako shouted, releasing herself from his arms and throwing the jacket straight back in his face. "I'm your friend, and just your friend! No matter how many times you say those damn words to me, they won't mean shit because I don't love you!"
Hotaka stared at her blankly but the pain was still visible deep in his pale eyes, not sure how to feel at the moment. His heart felt like it had just dropped into a shredder and the bits were blown up inside of him with the blood pouring out like invisible tears. Minako stopped to rethink her words. "Hotaka… I – I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"No, no! It's fine… I don't want to force you into liking me. I just wish I hadn't done this all just to end up looking like an idiot," he said, turning away from her view.
He didn't realise how very wrong he was. Minako was the one who felt like a total idiot. How could she have been so heartless? Slowly, she slipped her hands around her neck to undo the chain then separated the magnets on both her earrings. She slid the ring off of her finger and then took off the high-heeled shoes he'd gotten her. She tapped him on the back to hand him the things. "I'm sorry you wasted your money on me, Hotaka. But… you'll always still be my best friend, I promise." She dropped the things into his arms. "I'm just going to go home… I'll give you the dress back tomorrow at the river… I'm sorry you got mixed up with someone like me. I'm sorry I burdened you with my troubles. I'm sorry for being your friend. I guess I was just afraid of being alone anymore…"
Hotaka didn't reply. She was just scared of being by herself, yet she didn't show it.
Minako turned to walk away. "Minako, wait!" Hotaka called, but Minako didn't turn back, she just carried on walking ahead but before she could reach the door, she felt two hands grab her by the shoulders. "God damn it, Minako! After all this the least you could do is answer me when I call you!" he yelled at her, intentionally.
Minako stopped but didn't reply. He brushed her hair over one of her shoulders as he hooked something icy cold to her neck making her shiver. Suddenly she gasped as he swept his arms behind her knees, making her fall into his arms as he picked her up bridal-style and took her to the nearest thing he could sit her down on. Minako looked up at his face; it was so cold and unemotional… what pained her most was knowing that it was all her fault. He set her down and knelt down to put her shoes back on for her. Not facing her, he began to break the silence. "The only possible way I could be wasting my money is if you give me the stuff back. I bought it so it could be yours, and I want it to stay yours and besides…" he looked up and smiled warmly once more. "… what the hell am I gonna do with girl accessories?"
He held out the earrings for her. Minako looked at them for a second before putting them back on with a shy smile. Hotaka took the ring and slipped it onto her finger like he had just proposed. Minako laughed in a friendly way. "Hotaka, it's usually worn on the other finger," she said.
"I know but… I want you to promise me something."
"… Like what?"
He stood up, holding her hands in his. "I know you don't love me right now but… all I'm asking of you is to try. Maybe one day you'll develop feelings for me – I know they could never be anything as strong as love, but it'll be start. And when we're older… I want to be the first person to propose to you. I'm asking if you'll let me be that first person, and if you'll try to like me as more than just a friend."
She looked up at him. "Why do you have to be so persistent?" she asked, her voice wavering.
"Minako, you said you don't want to be alone anymore. Give me a chance and you won't ever have to be alone again! I'll take care of you forever!" Hotaka held her by the waist to help her down, and then stared out at the scenery. Minako eventually turned to join him when she felt his arms return to her waist, this time pulling her towards him. She gasped, her entire body stiffened at his touch. She shivered as he lowered his head down into the crook of her neck. "Answer the question, Minako. Will you commit yourself to me?"
"Let go," she ordered, making Hotaka instantly releasing her. Minako slid the ring off of her engagement finger and was about to hand it back to him until she saw his hurt expression with his head turned to the side. She looked at it a moment longer but eventually slipping it onto her longest finger instead. "I don't want to marry you, Hotaka. I don't intend to marry anyone. And I certainly don't want to love you or anyone else."
"So what does that mean? You want to be alone for the rest of your life?"
"No. It means I want my best friend to be with me forever without the complications of a relationship."
There was an awkward silence between them. Minako looked up at him and smirked. "Will you take me home?"
"Home?" he said, slightly confused. "We've been here for probably fifteen minutes and you already want to go home?"
She nodded. Hotaka shrugged. "Fair enough." He outstretched his arm to her. Minako laid her hand in his as he dragged her around the building instead of through it. He suddenly stopped once they'd reached the front of the school and looked around. Minako had noticed that the 'men in black' had left – probably their coffee break, she thought. He'd finally found what he was looking for and pulled Minako along with him towards the exact same taxi they'd gotten earlier.
They got in. "you know where to, right?" Hotaka asked the driver who nodded in response and started driving. "Do you mind if we take a little detour?" he asked Minako.
"Depends where to," Minako replied suspiciously. "Where are we going?"
Hotaka mimicked zipping his lips closed. "Not telling. Just wait and see."
-star- -star- -star-
Taro sneezed into another tissue and through that onto the mountain piled up in the paper bin. He'd gone completely against Minako by not eating anything at all except for the tablets. He buried himself under the blankets, attempting to fall asleep and forget about the headache he had. His head throbbed harder with the loud crashes and bangs that came from outside. He groaned and peered towards the door when a knock that sounded more like a canon had been fired came. "open up!" shouted a voice.
He moaned before reluctantly swinging his legs over so he could try and stand up. But by that time, the door was kicked down but Taro didn't flinch. "it's him!" an officer shouted.
"what?" said Taro but he was quickly forced up to his feet by two other officers, cuffs fastened around his wrists. Another came in with a dog, growling, sniffing and barking around the place. "hey, no pets allowed!"
The dog managed to sniff his way into the kitchen and was now barking at the fridge. The man 'controlling' the dog opened the door and pulled something out as Taro was dragged outside. "Taro Nigihayami, you are under arrest for kidnapping. Anything you say can and will be used-"
"wait!" he struggled to make the cuffs more comfortable but it just seemed to get worst. "kidnapping? Kidnapping who?"
"Minako Ogino," he stated clearly.
"how the fuck can I kidnap my own daughter?!" Taro yelled at them.
"you do not have any legal custody over her, therefore it's classified as kidnap."
The police man that stormed in with the dog soon walked out holding a bag in his hands. The officer Taro was arguing with asked what he had found. "illegal drugs."
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Oh no! Minako doesn't love Hotaka! Hotaka is taking her to a mysterious place! Taro has been arrested and accused of possessing illegal drugs! ARGH! What is this fic coming to?!
Hehe, only I know that!!
Sorry, I'm not going to update this story until I upload at least one chapter to each of my other fics...
Please review!