Disclaimer : I do not own GALS! No any characters in this anime/manga. I just want to write something about them.

Chapter XVII

Yuuya…

"So what's the matter, Brotha?" Tatsuki asked. We picked him up from his Ramen shop after getting out from Rei's office.

A drink. Maybe not just one or two bottles, not just beer. I need a hard one. "One shot for each," I told the bar tender as I point on the tequila bottle.

"Hey, isn't that too hard?"

"I'm not drinking that. One of us needs to be sane so we could all go home safe," Rei said declining the first shot.

"Just one, Rei. Then let me take the rest of the bottle." the two men looked at each other, wondering why I summoned them tonight and I guess asking themselves why I am acting this way.

Neither of them knew.

"Are we just drinking or you're going to tell us what happened?" my best friend asked.

I took one shot, then asked for another before starting. "It's Mami."

"You have to be more specific than that."

"I don't really know," I said taking another gulp. "She's been dropping hints that she wanted to get married since the day we came back from the beach."

"It's nice. Getting married I mean."

I remember her saying as we sat in the car. "She said she wanted a simple wedding. Just a private one, with only the important people as witnesses. I thought she was just in the hype feeling since she just saw Miyu and Yamato getting married. So I let it pass, answering her from time to time, giving my opinion. But that didn't stop there. The next day she kept on sending me links of wedding themes, engagement rings, wedding gowns and all that stuffs. That went for three days straight."

"I get it," Kuroi said. "It is a pressure."

I shook my head. "It's not just that."

"You don't want to get married?" Rei asked.

"No! Not that! I do want to get married. I know I want it to be with Mami, but not just now."

"Are you trying to pull up an Aya Hoshino here?" I know Rei had eyed Tatsuki really bad. That is a taboo topic. Stupid of him for mentioning that.

"Maybe?" I shrugged off my shoulder. "I mean it's just too sudden. I want to plan for it, surprise her for the proposal. Not like this where she's the one initiating all of these, sending signs that she want it now." I sighed, "What's the rush anyway?"

"But that's not the reason why we're here, isn't it?" Good one Rei.

"This morning, she might have realized that I'm avoiding her. I was not picking up any of her calls or answering any of her messages after, I don't know, four straight days?" I'm not sure anymore. "I was about to give an excuse but she was so determined to speak to me. So I let it go."

"Then?" Tatsuki encouraging me to continue.

"She said she wanted to break up with me."

"Let's break up," Just like that. The moment she stepped into my office and we were alone, she just blurted it out.

"What?!" I asked. I know surprise is painted all over my face. "Look, if this is about me not replying for days, I'm sorry."

She didn't respond. "I didn't mean to. I was just really busy." She's not saying anything and it's making me more nervous every second that had past. "Mami," I approached her and reached out for her.

"I just can't take it anymore." That's the last thing she said before storming out. I was frozen on my spot.

"She did an Aya Hoshino back there," again, Kuroi. I don't know if this is one of his attempts to lighten the mood up, but one thing is for sure, Rei didn't like whatever he was doing.

"Will you quit it?" The Ice Prince scolding him.

"Hey! I was just telling the truth. Why would she just ran like that after saying she wanted to break up. Not saying whatever the reason is. Same way Aya-ppye turned her back from you."

"Stop it, Tatsuki. Rei is already enduring the pain. No need to add on it." But yeah, that was an Aya Hoshino act. I know even Rei cannot deny the similarity. Were these girls even talking and plotting behind our backs all this time? At least one of us had managed to settled down.

"Why didn't you go after her?" A question I never thought I'd hear, not from Rei at least.

"Really? You're asking me that?" I laughed it off.

"Stop trying to related my situation on yours. You're the one who's sulking right now. I don't even know why you're acting as if she already left you on the altar," he argued. He has a point. But hey, I love the girl and still hurts.

"I think I wasn't able to process what just happened." I said answering his previous question. "I was stuck there."

"Here," Tatsuki offering me a shot of I don't know what. I took it anyway. "Haven't you noticed? Girls are so much a like. Changing moods from one thing to another. Making decisions in a mere instant. Ignoring us once in a while for whatever reason they may have,"

Is he drunk or what?

"But one thing is for sure, they're very honest with their feelings. Saying they're fine but their tone says differently. I know Aya-ppye and Mami-rin didn't do that just because they want to. They might be left with no other option. They both have strong personalities and they wanted to solve things on their own. We're one lucky group of men to have those kind of ladies with us." He said laughing at the end. Somehow it felt comforting, the way he said things about them.

"It's a burden you know," and here goes The Ice Prince. "We kept on worrying and wondering why they do such things. Not telling us the reason. Just crying like that out of the blue."

"Don't you think they go through the same struggle? Especially Aya-ppye. Everyone knows in the gang how hard it can be to have you as a boyfriend. We saw that. How she avoided bothering you with her thoughts just because you're always busy, always out of reach. Or always ignoring what she thinks. Saying that ahe shouldn't bother herself with what you call 'nonsense'," Nice one Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki's right. Aya-chan has been very patient and brave understanding you all those years." I said backing him up. "Even now."

"Why are you guys even throwing stones at me. I'm not the one who's sulking here," He tried defending himself from the obvious. "Here, take this then shut up." Rei now giving me a bottle of Whiskey. "I hate it when you make a point."

"Like I said before, it hurts because you care." I said as I fill out another glass. This time raising it asking them to take a toast with me. "To all heartaches that we had! And to the girls who made it very difficulty for us!" then all I heard were the sound of the glasses.

END OF CHAPTER XVII

Author's Note : Let's take a break from Aya and Rei. I'm giving this chapter to Second Place.