Getting home after the day's festivities and changing into a stuffy suit and tie is not Ryuuji's idea of fun. All of his friends except for Minori are going though, so he's kind of forced into showing up. Besides, he couldn't leave Taiga all alone at the dance with Ami and Yuusaku. One of the girls would surely end up third wheeling. So he combs his hair, digs up his dress shoes, and waits for Taiga to finish her snack so that they can leave.

Per tradition, the beauty contest winner doesn't change out of her dress, so Taiga was just helping herself to Ryuuji's pantry while he dressed up. He walks towards her and jokingly offers his arm. "Ready to go, m'lady?"

She laughs and stands up. "You're such an idiot." They start walking to school, not talking very much. Ryuuji takes notice of the silence.

"Are you.. Did your dad get back with you yet?" She looks down at her feet.

"No. I don't expect him to." Taiga sighs. "He'll probably call in a few days and apologize and have some stupid excuse and then never call again after that until he needs something. I honestly shouldn't have expected any different." She looks up with fierceness in her eyes. "But I'm not going to let that ruin the dance! This is gonna be fun."

Although her expression says otherwise, Ryuuji still thinks it sounded halfhearted. Of course she's disappointed, she doesn't have to hide it. She has a crappy dad. But if she wants to ignore it for now, I'll give her that. Ryuuji changes the topic, and conversation comes a lot quicker the rest of the way there.

The dance is outside in the courtyard, with a large bonfire in the center. It isn't a formal dance or anything, more of a celebration, so there was no need to hold it inside. Taiga and Ryuuji stand near the perimeter, leaning up against a fence. As people keep joining, many students congratulate Taiga for the contest win. Her crown sparkles under the light of the fire, but people would recognize her without it.

"It's a shame Minori isn't going to be here," Taiga says, glancing up to see Ryuuji's reaction. "You could have danced with her." He shrugs.

"It's alright. I think that if we end up together, it'll happen at some point anyway. Also, she's at work. It's not like she had a choice." Taiga accepts that. It's a great excuse to not be disappointed, except for the fact that Minori's not my soulmate, has no interest in me, and we aren't going to end up together. He chuckles to himself.

"What?" Taiga looks over at him. They had been standing there for a good ten minutes now, and the bonfire just got lit a few minutes ago and isn't very warm. Most of the girls there hadn't considered that it might be too cold for short sleeved dresses, including Taiga. She has her arms wrapped around each other, and her cheeks and nose are turning pink. Ryuuji takes his suit jacket off and rests it on her shoulders. "What are you doing, dummy?"

"You're cold. At least leave it on until everyone gets here and the dance starts."

She slips her arms through the sleeves as she considers it. "Whoa, this is warm!" It didn't take much to convince her. "Thanks," she says with a stubborn look on her face, as if there was actually a chance of her giving it back after she put it on. The bottom of the jacket nearly goes down to her knees, and she has to roll up the sleeves to see her hands.

Ryuuji smiles and looks away. That's really kind of cute. Ami and Yuusaku walk up right then, and Yuusaku gives him a funny look because he doesn't usually catch Ryuuji smiling the way he just was. Glancing over at Taiga, who's still wearing the jacket, Yuusaku pulls Ryuuji away from the two girls for a second. "Did she say your-"

"No."

"Do you like-"

"No."

"Okay." Their whispered interrogation ends, and they walk back over. Almost everyone is here by now, and The music has started up. A few popular songs play, getting everyone hyped up for the night. Even the usually quiet kids are singing and dancing. The coldness is forgotten by many as they move around and the fire heats up the area. Taiga takes off Ryuuji's jacket and hands it back to him with a thanks again.

Yuusaku is sliding his jacket off too, and offers to take Ryuuji's inside to his locker so that they don't have to hang on to them. He obliges and gives it to him.

Just as Yuusaku gets back outside, a slow song begins. He's awkwardly caught out in the middle without a partner. Ryuuji, Taiga, and Ami all watch him to see what he'll do. It concerns them all for very different reasons. He makes eye contact with Taiga while walking closer. It's apparent to all three that he's going to ask her to dance with him. Just as he's close enough for the words to spill out, Ami walks forward and grabs his arm, dragging him to the center.

She puts her hands on his shoulders and stares at him until he moves his to her waist. Yuusaku looks at her, wondering why she would pull him away. Ami looks back at Taiga and Ryuuji as she dances. Taiga is standing at the fence still, with a distant expression on her face. Yuusaku notices Ami staring and looks too. Ryuuji pulls on Taiga's arm and they walk away somewhere out of their field of vision. "You and I both know what's going to happen with them." Ami says.

Yuusaku's heart rate picks up. Did I just hear what I think I heard? He and Ami keep dancing, and he takes a covert glance at his arm. Yeah. I did. Yuusaku looks into Ami's eyes as they dance. He'd never thought of her as more than a friend before, but do just friends dance the way they are? Did she steal his dance to help Taiga and Ryuuji, or because she truly wanted it?

Ami notes the sudden change in his behavior. Before they were just dancing, but now it really feels like they're dancing together. They look into each other's eyes, and keep dancing even as the song changes. Another slow song. Even though neither of them say it, they're both happy to have a second dance.

Yuusaku pulls her towards him and she laces her fingers together behind his neck, more in a hug than a dance. They stay this way for the rest of the song, letting the words float around them. It's a throwback song, but many of the kids know it just the same. Ami sings the lyrics quietly into his shirt. "My honey I know, with the dark that you will be gone, but tonight, you belong to me."

After the song ends, a faster one comes on. Yuusaku steps away and looks at his partner. She has just as much of a shocked expression as he does. "I.. have to go. Think. Uh, that was really.. nice." He stutters, excusing himself. Ami says goodbye and he walks away, forgetting all about the jacket in his locker.

When she sees Yuusaku walking towards her right after the slow song starts, Taiga is sure that he's going to ask her to dance. She watches him until he's nearly right in front of her... and Ami steps up to him instead. She takes him next to the bonfire to dance, and they seem to fall into it like they were meant to be. Taiga stares at all the couples dancing, thinks of how close she was to dancing with Yuusaku, how close he was to asking her.

Ryuuji saw all of this happen so quickly that he isn't really sure how to process it. First the song started, and then Yuusaku was there and he wanted to dance with Taiga, and there was the panicky feeling that came out of nowhere, and then Ami went with him instead, and now Taiga looks more heartbroken than she did last night. Her eyes are watery, and she can't cry out here in front of everyone.

He grabs her wrist and tugs on her to follow him. She does, and he brings her through an entrance into the school. There's no seating in the hallway, so they just sit on the floor. Taiga leans against the wall, and Ryuuji sits down a foot in front of her. She lets the tears roll down her cheeks, wiping them as they fall.

"My dad didn't come to the contest even though he said he would. It's like he didn't care. Why didn't he care?" Taiga asks, even though there's no excuse to be made. "And I thought he was going to ask me to dance… I even won the contest and he didn't ask me.." She's crying a lot less now, more talking it out than anything. Ryuuji has been listening up until now, but decides to interject.

"I'm sorry, Taiga. It really sucks that your father didn't show up. He should have. And I'm also sorry that Yuusaku didn't ask you to dance. You don't need people to show your worth though. You're smart and beautiful and enough all by yourself, and anyone would be lucky to dance with you."

"It's just, like... everyone's passing me up today," she whispers.

Ryuuji stands up. Grabs Taiga's hand and pulls her up with him. He keeps his right hand entwined with her left, and puts his other arm around her waist. It's not really the kind of song you tango to, but this is a unique situation. Ryuuji puts all of his willpower into conveying to her that I won't pass you up. Today or ever. He spins her around to make her laugh, and then they return to slow dancing.

The music drifts in through a crack in the door. Taiga wraps her arms around Ryuuji and he hugs her back. They sway back and forth together, listening to the lyrics and enjoying the moment. "But tonight, you belong to me. Just to little old me." The song drifts to its closing and they stay hugging for a moment before backing away.