Ryoma stood alone in the ground of the school (the same place where she saw Momoshiro when he was dropped from the regulars), thinking.

'As Kei said, I love Fuji-senpai. There is no need to try denying anything. It will only make me feel uneasy around him. As well accepting the fact as it is.'

Ryoma watched the sky and smiled, in peace with her mind.

'That's right. Just accepting the fact and everything will be alright. Because I don't know what will happen to me, I leave everything in your hands, kami-sama. I won't fight against myself nor try to run away from my feelings anymore. Everything is in your hands now, and I will accept what you will reserve to me. But please…'

Fuji's face appeared in the sky. Her cheeks became pink.

'…Fuji-senpai…'

She returned back inside the school.

From the third flood, Fuji observed her.

'Ryoma…'

After that Atobe took her away with him (more likely kidnapping her!), Ryoma seemed to be a lot more calmer than before, as if she had grown up mentally. Yesterday, he thought her still a little bit childish, but yet adorable. Sometime, she was a bit clumsy too, whenever he was near by. But now, she really looked beautiful, magnificence. Also, she became more feminine and graceful in her behaviours. Could it be that wearing skirt made her change too? Probably. (A/N: Remember, Rinko said that before Ryoma can understand what happen to her, she must be aware that she's a girl. That's why I'm putting Ryoma in skirt and dress now.)

How can someone changed like that? Usually, when it happen, something must had happen, to make you change like that. Is it because she nearly lost her life? No, Ryoma wasn't a girl to be in shock of something like that. Then, could it be that…

Fuji flashed.

'Ryoma… Could it be that you're… But then who…?'

Suddenly, Fuji felt worried. He clenched in fist.

It was the time of the end of the year examinations. Practices were cancel so the students can properly prepared for their exams, especially for the third year. Their high school diploma depended highly on these examinations. Rikkaidai canceled their practices too. Seigaku and Rikkaidai joined to study together. Somehow, since they start studying together, they understand better their stuff and got higher marks. Even Kirihara's English improved a lot more, as his English teacher told him - thanks to a certain Seigaku freshman's tutoring. And it was more fun to study with other people. So they decided to continue their group study.

Ryoma closed her chemistry book, sighing happily. She finished her exercises and was very happy. She turned to Yagyuu.

"Arigatou, Yagyuu-san." Ryoma said. Yagyuu nodded to her. "I'm going to take a break. Do you want me to get something for you?"

"Bring me a black coffee please," Yagyuu said.

"A black coffee for me too please," Niou said, chewing his pen while punching his calculator.

"Me too a black coffee," Marui added.

Ryoma frowned. She was sure he was going to ask for a cake or something very sweet. But she guessed, from his serious face deep concentrated in his physics book, when it comes to study, it was not sugar that he needed.

"Green tea for me please," Sanada said.

"Yukimura-san?"

"Hmm… Tea please," Yukimura answered. Ryoma turned to the others.

"And senpai-tachi?"

Renji, Inui and Tezuka asked coffee. Kawamura, Kaido, Ooishi and Fuji, tea. Momoshiro listed a completed lunch meal - cheese hamburgers, french fries, chicken bits - but she cut him, saying she would only bring him a cola. Same thing for Kikumaru.

"Okay, I'm going," Ryoma said. She watched Kirihara, who was sat next to her. He laid lifeless on the table, eyes in whirlpool mode. Apparently, the world history and the world geography had kill him. She wondered how he does to mix up the dates of the two World Wars (1)? He stored in his head that the World War II start in 1914 and finished in 1941. And he put Black Perry (2) on the Missouri instead of the General MacArthur (3). He even managed to get the London Bridge to be in Hong Kong because the two names had the same rhyme. Or probably because Hong Kong was less far from Japan than London.

'He's hopeless!' Ryoma thought, sighing.

"Kirihara, come with me and help me." She caught the floating soul over his head with her left hand and, with her right hand, dragged his corpse with her by the neck of his shirt. "For heaven's sake, pull yourself together!"

"Ara ara arahhh…" Kirihara's soul trailed. Maybe he really needed to change air a little bit.

Yukimura chuckled. By the same time, he slipped a glance at Fuji, who was looking at Ryoma. He smiled mysteriously.

Ryoma soon returned back with Kirihara, each of them carrying a tray.

"Here's your order, senpai-tachi!" Kirihara distributed the coffee and Ryoma, the tea. She gave the last cup to Yukimura.

"Yukimura-san, here's your tea," she said. Yukimura smiled at her. He secretly glimpsed at Fuji and smiled again. He took the cup of tea and put it on the table. Then, he grabbed Ryoma's hand and pulled her to him.

"Ahhhhh!" Ryoma screamed as she fall into Yukimura's already opened arms. "Oupfffffff!" He sat her on his laps and put his arms around her shoulders. Then, he kissed her forehead.

"Thank you, Ryoma-chan!" he said, insisting clearly on the -chan prefix. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Fuji's reaction. Fuji almost jumped from his chair. And Yukimura didn't miss the glare of jealousy in his eyes.

'Perfect!' Yukimura thought, happy. Yukimura crossed eyes with Kikumaru. Kikumaru grinned.

'I got it! I know where you are going!' Kikumaru too saw Fuji's reactions. Kikumaru and Yukimura smiled to each other, in a silence agreement.

Ryoma blinked. And blinked again, confused.

'Huh?' She turned to face Yukimura, frowning. "Yukimura-san, you're weird today!" she blurted and got off from his laps. Yukimura only chuckled and let her go.

At the end of the day…

"Well then, let's meet again!" Ooishi said. They nodded agreely.

Yukimura, after a glimpse at Fuji, approached Ryoma. He put his two hands on her shoulders and kissed her again, this time on the cheek. The cheek was nearer of the lips than the forehead, right? He made it obvious that next time he will kiss her, it will probably on her lips… Who know? Fuji's body tense.

"Jaa, see you again, Ryo-chan!" Yukimura called her by a pet name now. Fuji's eyes snapped opened. And he fiercely glared Yukimura with threatening eyes. Yukimura pretend he didn't notice anything, but he saw Kikumaru winking at him.

'Absolutely perfect!' they thought. Meanwhile, Ryoma frowned deeper.

"Yukimura-san, you're very weird today! Are you sure you're not stressing too much yourself with the coming examinations?" she asked. Yukimura chuckled.

"Huhuhuhu! No no. Not at all! I just really like you! Don't you like me too, Ryo-chan?"

"I don't hate you, but it's just that…" she trailed. '…It's just that you're really really weird today! You're not behaving like you usually do!' she finished in her head. Yukimura chuckled again, knowing perfectly what she was thinking.

"Jaa, see you next time!"

And they separated.

"Yukimura, you did it in purpose," Yagyuu said.

"To anger Fuji," Niou added.

"Huhuhuhu!" Yukimura chuckled.

"Are you really sure that it was the right thing to do? He's a tensai after all - second after me of course! - He will know what you are doing," Marui said.

"He will, eventually. But not now. He's still to caught up in his emotions to understand anything," Yukimura said.

"Why are you doing this?" Jackal asked. Yukimura became silence for a moment. Then he talked.

"Up to now, Fuji has not really taking actions to get closer to Ryoma because he is scared that he might frigthen her away from him. He is going very smoothly, step by step. He succeed to have Ryoma-chan fallen for him. However, he's not aware of it. He's not aware that she loves him too. So, he will likely continue to act the same way he does up to now with her. Which means, things won't evolved any further. But if you can make him be jealous, he might speed up thing a little bit and take bigger steps."

"Humm, so that's why you kissed Echizen twice today. To make Fuji jealous!" Kirihara said. "Me too, I thought that you were really really weird today!"

Yukimura chuckled.

"But Fuji reacted, right?"

Sanada sighed.

'Poor Fuji!' he thought.

Yes, poor Fuji. Yukimura got him be very jealous.

On their way home, Kikumaru spread more black pepper and salt in his heart.

"You know what, Fujiko. Lately, Ochibi-chan changes a lot," Kikumaru randomly said, not without slipping a mischievous glimpse at Fuji. "She's not as quick temper as before. She is more composed in her actions and ways to behave. She is also becoming more feminine. I wonder what make her change like that? Usually, when a girl changes like that, it's because she's in love."

Fuji immediately tensed, but Kikumaru continued.

"Ah! That's right! Ochibi-chan must be in love with someone!"

Fuji stopped while Kikumaru continued his 'innocent' rambling.

"That's it! That would explain why she changes so much! Ochibi-chan is in love!"

Fuji wasn't listening anymore.

'So, I was right. Ryoma is in love with someone. But with who…?'

Caught up in his thinking, he missed the mischievous grin on Kikumaru's face.

(1) Historical notes 1: Japan won the World War I (1914-1918), but lost the World War II (1941-1945) because he joined with the Nazi Germany instead of continuing to be a member of the Allies (British Empire, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and United States). The Allies won the two World Wars.

(2) Historical notes 2: In the manga, Nanjiro talked about Rokkaku's coach Oji, the old man with a long bear, saying the Oji was already there when the Black Perry arrived to Japan. Black Perry is the name Japan gave to the General Matthew Calbraith Perry. General Perry was the Commodore of the US Navy, who compelled the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854 (wikipedia). The Navy Commodore was black, where comes Black Perry name.

(3) Historical notes 3: The USS Misouri in the navy battle on which Japan signed his unconditional surrender to the Allies on the 2 September 1945. It was leaded by the General Douglas MacArthur.

A/N: I'm sorry, but I won't be able to post the next chapter tomorrow. I still have a lot of work to do on it. It will be for next week. I promise you it will posted next week, so don't worry. Thank you for waiting.