Chapter 35: The Summer Festival

8/16/09

Yukari was pacing in her room. Back and forth, back and forth, but she still couldn't make up her mind. Who could blame her?

Just days ago, she had embarrassed herself in front of him, losing her wallet, freezing up just when it mattered most and even shouting at him when he was clearly the one who had saved her from those obnoxious punks.

To call or not to call, that is the question. Augh... And you're already in your yukata! What's wrong with you, Takeba?

She sat down on her soft, pink bed, Do I swallow my pride and ask him out...? Ngh... But I don't wanna...!

Yukari let out a yell, and then she started to pout. She didn't like to have to apologize first, but it really was her fault. Deciding that a cold can of TaP will help her think, the archery club girl headed downstairs.

IWATODAI DORM

OUTSIDE

A young man stood outside the Iwatodai dorm. He had spiky bronze hair that shot up in gravity defying angles, the miraculous work of tonnes of hair spray. The young man let a smirk crawl up his handsome face, Arisato is going DOWN.

Truth is, Etou Takumi had fallen from Yukari's graces. Ever since the Kendo Tournament incident, Yukari had been in better terms with Arisato and everytime she glanced at Etou, it was filled with disgust.

Etou was annoyed, to say the least. He knew that there were other fishes in the sea, but Takeba was different. For one, she was incredibly hot and secondly, he hated Arisato.

To take away all that is precious to him, it was Takumi's goal. I don't need Yukari-chan, actually. I just want to screw with Arisato's head.

A nerve in his head snapped when rumours about Arisato and Yukari being together started to fly around the student body. It got worse when Etou himself saw them together at the sweet shop, Yukari laughing and smearing cake on Arisato's face.

He knew that in order for him to close up the gap between him and Yukari, he must take her to the summer festival.

And to make things fair for me, I'll just have to create a chasm between him and Yuka-chan.

Etou grinned to himself, Time to make some calls...

Takumi stalked away from the entrance, laughing to himself.

MINATO'S ROOM

Minato was lounging lazily in his room. Today was the summer festival and he was planning on asking Yukari.

Planning to... But didn't.

Didn't. Only because just as he was about to ask her, Chihiro, the freshman from student council suddenly called him.

"Good morning senpai," She said, "I-I was wondering if you'll go to the Summer festival with me..."

Minato had felt his blood freeze solid; he didn't have it in him to reject the timid girl outright. He knew that it must've taken Chihiro an incredible amount of courage to call him up and ask him out.

As her senpai, he was proud of her. But as a man, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He wasn't the type of guy to reject a girl outright, but he wasn't the type to make up nonsensical excuses either.

"U-um, S-senpai...?" He heard her call out to him over the phone, "I-if you don't want to go with me, I-it's okay..."

"I'll meet you in the dorm," Minato blurted out.

WHAT HAVE I DONE.

"R-really...!" Chihiro giggled, "T-thank you...! I'll be there."

The line cut off and Minato lay back onto his bed, tearing his hair out.

How was he going to explain this to Yukari?

LOUNGE

Yukari sat in the lounge alone, watching Tv. After contemplating for a while over the can of TaP, she totally lost focus and decided that Minato will have to come down sooner or later and when he does, she'll ask him casually if he had a date...

W-wait a second...! A-a DATE? I-it's n-not a date...! Just a casual meeting between two casual friends.

And yet, she hated the word 'casual'. She didn't want the relationship between them to be casual at all.

Suddenly, the doors to the dorm opened. A timid looking girl had entered the building, looking around and finally, spotting Yukari.

"I-I'm sorry...!" She gasped, "I didn't know that there are still people here...!"

Yukari arched her eyebrow, she recognized the girl.

Um... Oh...!

"You are... Chihiro-san?" Yukari asked.

The freshman nodded her head meekly, "Y-yes, senpai."

W-what is SHE doing here...?

"I-I'm looking for M-Minato-senpai..." Chihiro gulped.

Yukari felt her blood freeze, her eyes became dark and her heart ached, she tried to smile as naturally as possible, "I-I'll go get him..."

Just then, a familiar face walked into the dorm. Yukari wanted to throw a bucket at him.

Etou Takumi had on his face, an incredibly handsome smile. But Yukari knew better than to trust this lecherous boy, she nearly growled, "What do you want, Etou?"

He looked hurt, though if it was genuine, she did not know, "You wound me, Yuka-chan. I'm here to ask you to the Summer festival."

Yukari was about to reject him in the most violent way possible when Minato came down stairs.

She changed the victim of her wrath to him.

What's wrong with him! I thought...!

Yukari stopped in her tracks, What was I thinking...? He was just being nice, that's all. There was nothing special between us at all. He asking out Chihiro just proves it. Whatever I thought we had was just a lie. A hallucination, my own wishful thinking that a guy might finally love me for who I am and not just because I have a pretty face.

She glared at Minato, tears threatening to fall from her large, milky brown eyes, I hate you. You led me on you bastard. I hate you...!

Minato felt like a thousand needles were thrusting themselves into his heart. It hurt, badly. He saw her glare and he sees the broken pieces of her heart. She was hurt, and she probably hated him right now.

She looks so beautiful in her yukata...

He mentally slapped himself, She was waiting the entire day, for me to come downstairs and ask her out, didn't she?

Evidence to support his theory, a carton of TaP and several empty plates of sweets they bought together at the sweet shop lay on the table. The Tv was on and he knew that she hated the television.

Then he saw Etou Takumi smirking at him. He...

Takumi was here to take Yukari to the festival. From their conversations, Minato knew that Yukari didn't like Etou at all. For him to come over so boldly, Minato knew that something was up.

"... It... It seems that I'll be having a change of plans." Yukari said monotonously, she turned towards Etou, "I'll love to go out with you, Etou-kun."

The way she said those words, each letter were heavy with deliberation. She was definitely boiling mad. But Etou didn't seem to mind, instead he smiled charmingly.

"Thank you, Yuka-chan." He grinned. As the two of them left, Chihiro clear her throat awkwardly.

"I-I'm sorry, Minato-kun..." She said. Minato glanced at her and was shocked to see that she was crying.

"Don't worry about," He smiled kindly, "It's not your fault at all."

Chihiro sniffed, "I-I didn't know that you were d-dating Yukari-senpai..."

Minato stiffened; she was under the impression that we were dating...?

"We weren't," Minato let his voice drop, "it's just that she's being sulky because she has to go with Etou Takumi."

Chihiro glanced up at Minato. He smiled good naturedly, "She doesn't like him very much."

Chihiro really liked Minato. No... It was more like, she loved him with her heart and soul. He was the one who taught her how to trust men and he was the one who helped her be confident about herself.

For once she felt important, and whenever he was around, she felt like she could take on the world. It was just a silly crush at first, but after a while, it became much deeper. The way he smiled, the way he talked, it struck to her as beautiful.

To her, he looked like a roman god. No matter how tired he always was, he would never fail to help her out when she needed a hand. His beautiful blue eyes always had that spark that never failed to draw her in.

But she knew that they could never be. That day when she asked him to stay, to stay with her and don't leave, he smiled in the way he always did, and told her that he needed to be with somebody else right now.

She knew who that person was, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. She clung onto him tightly and forced herself unto him. Her lips locking themselves onto his, but he wouldn't budge.

It was the most embarrassing moment of her life when he ultimately still rejected her, but in his own, kind way. She knew that he would never be hers.

Until a call this morning. She didn't have a caller ID for this number so she picked it up; pretty sure that it was just another prank call. She had been getting a lot of those since the money incident (of course with Minato's help, she got over it).

A cool, male voice came over, "Hello, is this Fushimi-san?"

"Y-yes...? Who is this, might I ask?" Chihiro replied uncertainly.

The male voice got confident, "Oh, my name is Etou Takumi, maybe you have heard of me?"

Chihiro could almost picture the arrogant smile on Etou's face, he was a renowned Casanova. She didn't have a shard of respect for him. "What business do you have with me, Takumi-san?"

"Ouch, harsh," He chuckled, "But of course. I do have something important to tell you. It's regarding Arisato-san."

"M-Minato-kun?" She repeated stupidly, wondering why a guy like Etou would know Minato-kun.

"Yes, Minato-kun," he almost snarled at his name, "Well, word is, I heard that he hasn't got a date for the summer festival, and I also heard that you haven't got a date either..."

"W-what...?" She was as confused as she was startled by Etou's comment.

He continued his speech, "Well, let's make a deal. You ask Minato out, and I'll make it my personal duty to help you out. Y'know, help you set up meetings and stuff. Ohh! How about a chance meeting with your lovely Minato-kun while relaxing on the roof after school?"

Chihiro was extremely flustered, as much as this was against her personal mottos; she really wanted to spend more time with him. After the kissing incident, Minato had come for student council meetings much lesser than he used to. And she missed him.

"...Okay."

Author's Note: Etou Takumi makes an appearance once again! Just what is going to happen then! The next chapter of Memories of You will be uploaded within this week, hopefully!

(Oh and when I said that chapters will be delayed. Yeah, I lied. LOL) Reviews will be nice :)