Author's Note: Hello! Yey! The game's over already, but there's still chapter 4! And so on the last three chapters, Tategami had the elimination, and the game itself started the day after. And then they had the contest, with the questions and answers overflowing. Then Kageyama made his pick, and chose his former ally, Megumi Kurogane, by accident. And so, they'll have their date on Valentine evening… or will they?

Date the Girl in Your Dreams!

By: Yuki-chan

"What?" A girl shouted as she rose from her seat, but her voice still calm. "That's a total nonsense! It's just a waste of my precious time."

"Come on, Ms. Kurogane, it's not my fault that you passed the elimination."

"Oh come on, Ms. Ikusawa Ruriko, you cheated me. You made me pass the elimination so that I would look dumb on the stage." Megumi replied harshly, making Ruriko's mouth open in protest.

"That's not true! Can't you get it? You're 16 and younger in age, you're 155 centimeters and shorter in height and you are not a die-hard fan of Kageyama! That makes it clear, right?"

"No, no, no! I won't join that stupid game!" Megumi shouted.

"But you won't win instantly, you know. Kaoru or Ayami can win instead of you! Although you can also win…"

"I don't like!"

"Even if I give you 1 point up in your grade in History and Math?"

"I…!"

"Even if I give you 1 point up in ALL subjects?"

"WON'T…!"

"Even if I give you 5 points up in all subjects?"

"… … complain. Okay, deal. 5 points up in all subjects! I'll put a curse on you if you break the deal." Megumi said as she left the room and filled the hallway with her witch-like laughs and giggles. "I'll beat you, Ikusawa Ruriko!" she shouted.

Ruriko just sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Chapter 4: To Go, or Not To Go? Challenge Her For the Answer!

"Darn!" A girl said as she slammed her fist on her books. "I should have thought about it. I can earn five points up all by myself."

Megumi heard his father calling her to deliver noodles for the first time on this day. His father might be having a hard time giving her a 'day-off' from work, just to let her prepare and go to that stupid date. And so, the girl ran down the stairs and out of the house for her delivery.

"Darn! Even my dad is so annoying…" She said in a very unpleasant tone as she swept the roads of town with the smell of hot noodles.

Flashback

"How's the game, dear?" Megumi's dad asked the girl as she entered their noodle shop. Her father seemed to be in a good condition, somehow.

"Very annoying…" Megumi murmured.

"Huh? What?"

"I said very amusing…" Megumi repeated. "I won, you know, and there's a date tonight…"

"Oh, I see." Megumi's father asked with a smile on his face. He hugged his only daughter and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you, my dear daughter. You've already grown into a lady. Good luck on your date…"

Megumi's eyes widened. "A-aren't you just going to make me stay home and work like you used to do?" she asked.

"Well, maybe not now, dear. Go on and prepare yourself for tonight. Pick a nice dress."

"Yes, father." Megumi said after an unpleased sigh as she hurried up the stairs to her room, murmuring several curses along the way.

End of Flashback

Megumi shook the thought off her mind. Remembering such thoughts made her very angry. But then, a thought kept on jumping to her mind every now and then. It didn't make her mad, somehow.

"Does he really want to date me? Did he regret his choice? Will he come to our date? Or will he make me wait all night for nothing?" Megumi thought to herself again. She knew for herself that her feelings for her former ally haven't even waved off from her heart. He is the only boy that she admired, that she felt comfortable with, that she loved aside from her father…

He doesn't love you. He just tricked you to use you. A voice in Megumi's head shouted to her repeatedly, like it always did.

"No!" Megumi shouted to the voice from her head. She stopped eventually from running. And then she thought, "But… how about if this voice in my head is right? How about if he really didn't have any feelings for me? That he just used me without even feeling even a bit of admiration?"

The question echoed through Megumi's mind making her think for a while and decide as early as possible. Yes, she shouldn't hope for nothing, just like what she did before. She has made up her mind; she won't go to the date, even if her father told her to go. She doesn't want to hurt her heart anymore. She should bear in mind that Kageyama used her, and it would be impossible that he loved her.

***

The clapping of hands and several whistles were heard as the letters 'KO' was displayed on the TV screen.

A lad was shouting several 'yahoo' and 'yehey' while the other guy threw the PS controller, saying, "Darn! I lost again!"

"Bancho, you lost again, and that's for the 30th time already!" Shun boasted out. He and Bancho have been playing PS in an arcade since after the game finished, and he have been winning 30 times out of 30 games already(!).

"I don't want to play anymore. You are just so lucky today, Ukiya." Bancho said as he stood up. "And I don't have enough money left."

"Okay, let's go now. I'm getting quite bored, too." Shun said as he too stood up. Then both of them walked out of the arcade.

"Say, Ukiya." Bancho called out while walking.

"What?" Shun replied.

"Don't you think you should ask Princess Ruriko out?"

Shun stopped walking and burst into laughter. Bancho stared in confusion.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Are you kidding me? Ask that sniveler out? I mean, why should I?" Shun said. "Oh come on Bancho, enough of nonsense talk. Why don't we just go on and rest now? I've already spent almost all of my allowance."

"Oh, alright." Bancho replied. Ukiya then walked ahead of him and he followed.

"Hmm, ask Rurippe out? I wonder…"

***

"One, two, one, two…" The brown-haired girl continued to jog on the street, hoping to meet a certain person along the way.

"Ah, Valentines Day isn't over yet. Oh Shun, when will you give me a rose or a box of chocolates?" Kaoru thought to herself as she continued on jogging. Then another thought came to her mind. "I wonder what will happen tonight on Ms. Kurogane and Kageyama's date. Hmm, sounds interesting to peek in through their night…"

As Kaoru continued to jog, she saw someone familiar along the way. "Aha! What a coincidence!" Kaoru thought. "Ms. Kurogane!" she called out, waving her hand. Megumi then noticed her former AEGIS ally and eventually stopped, waiting for the athletic girl to approach her.

"Hi." Kaoru greeted. Megumi then nodded her head in reply. "So, what's up?"

"I just delivered noodles." Megumi said.

"Oh, I see. Well, I mean, how about the date? Aren't you excited?" Kaoru asked.

"No. I'm not even planning to go to that stupid date." Megumi answered plainly.

"Then how about Kageyama? He'll be waiting for you. You shouldn't make him wait all night."

"So what? I know that he doesn't even have the excitement to go on a date, especially because he's date is a geek. He's just playing with everybody's emotions. He shouldn't have returned, anyway!"

Kaoru could have slapped the girl, but she remained calm. She knew that Megumi was hurt, but still, she shouldn't judge other people like that, especially if the person is trying hard to change himself...

"It's just a waste of time to go there. If he waits for me, then let him wait all night!" Megumi said.

"What? Don't be like that. How can you think of something like that? He is trying hard to live a better life! He wants to change!" Kaoru shouted with a bit of annoyance in her voice. She thought that Megumi was so much prideful to not even think about Kageyama's feelings.

"Okay then, why don't you just prove to me that Kageyama is excited to go on our date, huh? That he is not the evil Shadow who used me before. Then maybe I can change my mind." Megumi challenged the athletic girl. The girl clenched her fist in anger and cursed under her breath.

"So what? Speechless?" Megumi asked with a taunting cackle. "If you can't prove anything to me, then why don't you go and be his date so that the fool won't be alone. Besides, I know you don't want him to wait for nothing all night."

"Why you…!" Kaoru said. "I'm gonna teach you how to respect other people's feelings! I'll make you say sorry to me and regret what you said about Mr. Kageyama. You'll see, Megumi Kurogane! You'll see!"

"Oh, are you scaring me? It would be better for you if you would just think of what to do than say all those nonsense. Pity Ukiya didn't even gave you a rose. Maybe he gave some to Ruriko. Well, nonsense like that is none of my business. So long, loser." Megumi said. She then smeared at Kaoru and left her.

Kaoru looked at the disappearing figure of Megumi. "You should lessen your pride, Ms. Kurogane. I'll teach you not to mess with Konoe Kaoru."

***

DING DONG!

"Who's there?" A little boy asked as he opened the door.

"Megane? What are you doing in here?" Shun asked the glasses-boy in front of him.

"Ms. Ikusawa invited us to watch movies here in her house when we met her at the groceries." Megane explained.

"Oh, I see. Can I speak with her for a while?" Shun said.

"Sure, come in." Megane replied, but Shun waved his hand.

"Tell her to come out. I'll be waiting for her in here. Umm, Bancho, why don't you go inside and watch while I speak with Rurippe?" Shun said.

"Uh, sure. Let's go Megane." Bancho said. He and Megane then walked inside.

"Ms. Ikusawa! Captain Ukiya is waiting for you outside." Megane called out.

"Why don't you ask him to go inside?" Ruriko replied from her seat.

"I told him to, but he said he'll wait for you outside." Megane explained as he sat on his place and stuffed some chips on his little mouth.

"Oh alright." Ruriko said as she stood up and headed for the door.

"Is there something speeeeecial that captains wants to tell Ms. Rurikooooo?" Reiko asked Bancho.

"A donch no…" Bancho replied as he munched on the crackers in his mouth. "Mebe chumtin bawt a det…"

"What? We can't understand you." Fei said.

"Chori…" Bancho said as he gulped on the food in his mouth. "I said I don't know. Maybe something about a date."

"Wow, a date?" Megane exclaimed.

"Oh! That sweeeeet!" Reiko followed.

"We've got to hear Captain Ukiya's speech." Fei said. The three youngsters then ran to the window. Bancho just followed because of curiosity.

Outside the house, Shun haven't said anything, except for a 'Rurippe' every minute.

"Rurippe…" Shun called out for the 10th time.

"Yes?" Ruriko replied. Then there was another minute of silence.

"Rurippe…" Shun called out again.

"Oh come on, Shun. What is it?" Ruriko shouted, waking Shun up from his daydreams.

"Oh, I… um…" Shun uttered.

"You what?" Ruriko said.

"Um… here. Take these." Shun said as he handed Ruriko three red roses and a box of chocolates. "Happy Valentines Day."

"Oh my…." Ruriko said as she reached out and took Shun's gifts. "Shun, thank you…"

"It's nothing really. Well, I better get going now." Shun then stood up and called out for Bancho who replied immediately.

Ruriko stood from her seat and stared at her childhood friend. Shun then looked at her.

"Uh, Rurippe." Shun said with a flushed face. "Ai shiteru…"

Ruriko felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. She threw her arms around Shun's neck and stared deeply into his eyes. With a smile on her face and a voice full of love, she said, "Watashi mo ai shiteru…"

The couple's lips then met into a sweet kiss as the sun began to set.

"They look so good together." Fei exclaimed.

"You're right." Megane agreed.

"Oh, I wonder wheeeeen my prince will cooooome!" Reiko exclaimed.

"Don't worry Reiko, he will come one day and take you to his castle." Bancho said. "Why don't we just continue to watch the movie inside, huh? The hollow man might be back in the lab."

"Anyway Bancho, you said he will ask Ms. Ikusawa for a date." Megane reminded the older guy.

"Well, maybe Ukiya is in need of money. Yeah, he said he have already spent his allowance." Bancho reasoned out.

"Okay, let's go." Fei replied. Then they went on inside the house, leaving the couple under the orange sky.

***

A purple-haired girl stretched her arms and yawned. She was sitting in front of a computer screen and was just finished typing her article entitled 'Date the Girl in Your Dreams!', which was a scoop about what happened in the game.

"At last! Work's finished, finally…" Ayami sighed. "My day's almost over. Well, there are still many years to come…"

Knock knock.

"Yes, come in." Ayami said.

"Hi." Her visitor greeted.

"Oh, Ms. Konoe, hi." Ayami greeted. "Is there any problem?"

"Well, I just need your help, if you don't mind." Kaoru said.

"Sure! Anything, as long as I can do it." Ayami winked at the girl whom she met at the contest; the athletic girl who is so cheerful and somewhat like her, except for the fact that the girl seemed more mature.

***

A finely dressed lad entered an expensive looking restaurant, gathering glances from the rich families and couples inside. He asked a waiter where his reserved seat was and headed there immediately.

"How cute…" He could hear the girls murmur as he passed by their direction. One of them even stood up to meet him.

"Do you have any date? If you don't mind, I can be your date." The formal looking lady offered the blonde.

"No thanks. Actually, my date and I have a reserved table for us already. Excuse…" Kageyama excused himself and resumed to heading for their table.

"Hmm… number 15, number 15…" Kageyama thought to himself as he looked for table number 15. "Aha." He exclaimed as he finally found their table. He sat himself down and looked at his wristwatch.

"1 hour earlier than the appointed time, that's how guys attend a date. They shouldn't make the girls wait."  Kageyama thought to himself. He glanced at the table beside him and saw a young girl looking at her wristwatch with a very sad expression. She let out a sigh and has already lost her poise.

"Poor girl…" Kageyama murmured to himself.

Then he heard some tapping at his table. He glanced in front of him and saw a girl dressed in a knee-length plain white dress standing there, smiling at him.

"Hi, Ayami." Kageyama greeted. Ayami smiled at him and sat down. She secretly glanced at a table nearby, where a pretty looking shorthaired girl in a red spaghetti-strap dress is seated, ready to listen to the conversation. She winked at Ayami and Ayami winked back.

"Huh?" Kageyama wondered, looking at the direction where Ayami was looking. He saw the girl speaking with a tall lad who has just sat down on her table. The girl intentionally tried to look in another direction to avoid Kageyama's glance.

"Reiji." Ayami called out. "Is there a problem?"

"No, nothing." Kageyama replied. "So, you need anything?"

"Just going to ask some questions sir, if you don't mind."

"Uh sure…" Kageyama said. Ayami then nodded and set off her question, secretly pushing the Record Button of a recorder, which she hid purposely.

To be continued…