Reuploaded due to weird formatting errors.
For those of you want to read the main Belated Gift story (deemed unsuitible for FF.net), head on over to my website for links. http://www.randomfandom.com
-Merrow
--
"Really, Honda-san, we wouldn't mind staying at all." Yuki assured the girl from his hesitant
perch on the end of her bed.
"Who wants to go on a stupid school trip anyway?" Insisted Kyou, standing with his arms crossed
at the foot of the bed.
"B-but, but..." Tooru protested; face flushed from her fever, "Yuki-kun worked so hard planning
the trip! And Kyou-kun said he wanted to ride on an airplane! You can't stay behind, not because
of me!" Tooru's face crinkled up and tears started to tremble in the corners of her eyes. Her face
flushed a more alarming shade of red and she seemed to shrink under her coverlet.
"Of course they're going." Shigure laid heavy hands on the boys' shoulders forcing them away
from the bed, "Don't worry about a thing. Tooru-kun should just concentrate on getting well."
"But-" Kyou and Yuki chorused in unison.
"Don't you have packing left to do?" Shigure said firmly, guiding them out the door, "We should
let Tooru-kun rest."
The last was what really prodded the two out of the room with guilty looks to the suffering figure
on the bed. Tooru's eyes were already beginning to droop shut as Shigure flicked the lights off
after they shuffled out.
"Shigure! We can't just leave while Honda-san is ill!" Yuki slapped off the dog's hand and glared
at him.
"If you stay you'll just make her worse." Shigure said flatly, crossing his arms. "You heard what
Ha-san said earlier. Tooru-kun is ill because of over-excitement and worry. If you two miss your
school trip she'll just fret herself into a more serious illness."
The two chewed this over, but finally had to accept the bitter pill. They knew how disappointed
Tooru had to be over missing the trip. Hatori had said she'd be fine in a day or so, but the trip
began early tomorrow morning. Between that and the amount of traveling they were scheduled to
do, Hatori had thought it best that Tooru remain home. Yuki and Kyou didn't want to leave her
home alone, but staying would make her more upset not less. Sighing with resignation, they
finished up their packing and went to bed early.
Tooru was well enough the next day to see them off. She got up early but was banned from the
kitchen by an insistent Kyou. He'd taken care the night before to make some boxed breakfasts
that could be eaten on the way. Tooru stood in the doorway in her robe and slippers and waved
the two off as they started down the path.
"Have fun!" She tried to keep a bright smile on her face. She wanted so much to be going along
with them. But at least she wouldn't have to worry about them missing out on all the fun.
"We'll call to see how Honda-san is doing." Yuki assured her. "And to tell you how things are
going."
"I'll look forward to it!" Tooru chirped.
"Make sure you rest!" Kyou scolded, "Don't spend all your time cleaning up after that damn
dog!"
"Don't worry!" Tooru assured him, "I'll be all better by the time you get back-EEP!"
Tooru squeaked as she felt a sudden hand encircle her waist and pull her close to an unexpectedly
warm male body behind her.
"I'll take good care of our little flower, don't worry!" Shigure stood unseemly close behind her,
and gently ground his hip into her backside. Tooru's color rose again.
Yuki and Kyou glared at the dog, but couldn't see from their distance how close he really was, or
exactly what he was doing. From their vantage point, it looked like Shigure was just standing a
step behind Tooru with a hand lightly wrapped about her waist. At their twin glowers Shigure
took his hands off and raised them innocently to show that he wasn't touching their precious
Tooru-kun anymore. His hip however stayed molded to Tooru's backside.
---
Yuki hung up the phone chewed at his lip. Hatori had said that Tooru was fine, that she was
healthy and well. Hatori had no reason to lie to him... But he still felt as if he was being given the
run around. It had been only three days since they'd been gone, but it was plenty of time for him
to have second thoughts.
Those thoughts had become nearly unbearable after that strange phone call conversation he'd had
with Tooru the previous day. It had started out fine, she'd sounded like she was recovered from
her fever. She'd sounded healthy and excited. Then the conversation had just gotten bizarre. He
was pretty sure that Tooru had been distracted by something. She had been responding to what he
said, but her responses hadn't made sense. And she'd sounded... he shook his head. She'd
sounded *wrong.*
"Oy, Prince. Tooru okay?" Arisa leaned against the fence at the rest stop and fanned herself. She
was trying to look unconcerned. Kyou looked up from where he stood next to her, trying to look
like he wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Neither were doing a very good job at it.
Both had seen his face go weird during his last conversation with Tooru, both had seen his
immediate phone call to Hatori, asking him to check up on her. Both knew that he suspected
something was wrong. But none of them wanted to admit that they might have left Tooru behind
when she needed them.
"Hatori said she was fine, just a little harried because Shigure's been keeping her busy." Yuki
said. That was exactly what Hatori had said. Yuki was sure that he was holding something back.
It wasn't what he'd said, and it was Hatori's very voice that made him doubt the doctor. That
morning he'd sounded normal. The man he'd just hung up the phone with had sounded like a
completely different person, his voice was rough and croaking. He claimed he had a cold... but
why didn't he have a 'cold' that morning? How that tied into how Tooru was doing he didn't
know, but it made him feel even more unsettled than he had before the phone call.
Uo-chan looked upset, "When I think of our sweet Tooru home working hard...." She grabbed
Kyou by the collar. "That's it! I'm taking another picture! Go stand over by the scenic view!"
"What?! Why do I have to?" Kyou struggled to get her to release her grip.
"I'm going to take pictures of everything! That way it will be like Tooru was here!" Arisa said
firmly dragging him behind her. She looked over her shoulder at Yuki, "You too Prince!"
"Shall we?" Yuki jumped, practically levitated in place as Hana-chan suddenly spoke from her
stance by his elbow. "Arisa will only get more upset if we don't comply."
Wondering how she always got so close before he noticed her Yuki nodded, "E..ah... Yes. Lets."
"You're still worried about Tooru-kun?" Hana said softly as they walked over to where Uo-chan
and Kyou were arguing softly. "Is something wrong?"
"Why?" Yuki asked suddenly suspicious, "Do you...sense...something?"
Hana-chan closed her eyes. "No." She looked out over the "scenic view" the tour map had
promised. It was quite lovely, a view of the beach from above. "Denpa doesn't work that way. I
can't sense anything from this far away."
"But your denpa is quite disturbed." She slowly blinked long lashes at him, "I thought you might
know more than you said."
Yuki shivered. There was an underlying threat in her words.
"No," he said softly. There was no use lying to Hana-chan, she could sense it. "Hatori said she
was fine. She just sounded so strange earlier..."
Hana watched his face, usually so mask-like fill with worry and concern. Tooru was the only one
who got true expressions to come out on his face.
"You two! Over here! NOW!" Arisa demanded, pointing to a spot in front of the 'scenic view'
sign. She grabbed a passing student by the collar. "Take our picture!"
Kyou stood impatiently while Arisa, Yuki and Hana arranged themselves around the sign.
"Everybody smile!" Arisa demanded, putting on a fierce smile of her own. Kyou muttered
something under his breath, but at least managed to wipe most of the scowl off of his face even if
he didn't smile exactly.
"Smile." Hana said from where she stood by Yuki, staring at the student selected as impromptu
cameraman. "You don't want Tooru to think you didn't have fun on the trip." She smiled serenely
herself, and Yuki tried his best to smile honestly.
The picture was snapped and Arisa reclaimed her camera. Then she was off to look for
souvenirs. She'd gotten something for Tooru at almost every stop. Some things she'd bought,
others were things like pretty leaves or napkins with the rest-stop names on it. This time she was
after one of the trademark volcanic stones that littered the area. She pulled Kyou along after her
demanding he help her find one.
"They're getting along well." Hana commented in her soft bland voice.
Watching Arisa smack the back of Kyou's head when he handed her a non-volcanic rock and the
cat's resulting explosion, Yuki shrugged. "As much as Kyou gets along with anyone." Yuki
looked sidelong at Hana, he suspected that her comments had another purpose.
"Are you trying to distract me, Hanajima-san?" He asked suddenly.
Hana looked at him in faint surprise. Yuki was full of surprises it seemed.
"Tooru," She said softly, "Would be upset if she thought you spent the whole trip worried about
her." She looked at him seriously. "If you don't receive any enjoyment... how will you be able to
tell Tooru-kun honestly that you had fun?"
"Ah!" Hana said, "A candy vendor." And walked off leaving Yuki to his thoughts.
"OI! Prince!" Arisa stormed back up to him, "Tell Tangerine Head here that this is a volcanic
rock." She held out a pitted rock to him.
Kyou followed her just a few steps behind. "How would he know it's a volcanic rock?!"
"Because," Yuki said with a slight smile, "Of the way it's formed. See the red coloring? It's
indicative of the kinds of copper and other minerals commonly found in lava. And these..." He
pointed to the holes and pits, "Where the air got trapped while it was being formed. You don't
find these in sedimentary rocks..."
Kyou snatched the rock out of his hand. "Of course you'd know something so boring," he said
cutting him off.
He looked at the rock critically, "What's Tooru supposed to do with a stupid thing like this
anyway? It's ugly."
Uotani grabbed his shirt, "Can you think of a better souvenir from here?"
Kyou knocked off her hand, "Who couldn't think of a better idea?!"
"Like what then, Baka Neko?" Yuki prodded, putting Kyou on the spot.
"Like..." Kyou fumbled for an idea, "Like one of the seashells or round stones from the beach.
Those are at least pretty..."
"Oh!" Arisa crowed, "Good idea! Lets go get one of those too!" She grabbed his hands and
dragged him off the path down to the beach.
"Hey! What?! Why me!!" Kyou cried trying to break free.
Yuki bit his lip and looked away. He was not going to laugh until Kyou was out of hearing.
"Sooooouuuummmma-kuuun."
Yuki winced internally before turning around. A group of girls from his class crowded
uncomfortably close.
"Ah...yes?" He said hesitantly.
"Souma-kun." The chosen ringleader of the group stepped forward diffidently. She held out a
cheap plastic camera. "W-would you please take a picture with us?" She asked hesitantly.
Yuki sweated a bit. This had been going on all trip. They'd ask for a picture and then in the pose
"accidentally" fall into him to try to make it look like an embrace. So far he'd kept them from
going too far or discovering his secret, but it was getting very, very old.
"Wouldn't it be better if I took your picture?" Yuki offered, "So that you have a picture of you all
together?"
"Oh no!" Another of the girls assured him, "We really want to get a picture with Souma-kun.
Since you went to all the hard work of putting this trip together and all. It would be such an
honor!"
"Ah..." Yuki tried to think of another excuse, "I..."
"I'll take the picture."
The girls gasped and looked to Hana who had somehow gotten in the middle of their group.
"That way everyone can be in it." She smiled softly.
"Ahhahaha..." One of the girls nervously laughed and handed Hana the camera. "You really are a
girl after all Hanajima, thanks!" She whispered as she went to pose with the other girls next to
Yuki.
He was frozen to the spot, wondering where the next attack was going to come from. The blond
girl in the back had already tried, and the one with the ribbons to the side. So far they seemed to
be taking turns, so it probably wouldn't be the short black haired one by his shoulder. She'd been
the first to try. He tried not to glare at Hana as she brought the camera to her eye. Why had she
put him in this position?
"Oh dear." Hana said sounding completely unconcerned. "I think there is something wrong with
this camera."
"Whaaatt?" The girls rushed over to Hana. She handed it back to its owner as she walked over to
Yuki.
"Augh!" The owner cried as she opened up the camera, "The film is melted! How did that
happen?!"
"I wonder?" Hana said as she passed Yuki. A crackle of electricity followed her fingers through
her hair as she pushed it over her shoulder.
Yuki choked. He excused himself rapidly and ran to the small building that held the restrooms.
Darting into a stall and shutting it behind him, he finally broke down and laughed. When he was
finished he peeked out of the stall, thankfully the bathroom was as empty as it had been when
he'd gone in.
He dashed his face with a calming brace of cold water and felt ready to face the crowds again. It
was almost time to get back on the bus and continue their journey to the next hotel.
He found Hanajima waiting for him outside the bathroom.
"Feel better?" She asked.
"Much relieved." Yuki said lightly knowing Hanajima would appreciate the subtle pun.
She the corners of her lips went up in appreciation as she walked back towards the crowds with
him. "It isn't just the phone call that was worrying you." She said suddenly.
Yuki was becoming used to the strange cadence that a conversation with Hanajima had. She liked
to keep people off-center.
"Tooru-kun," She continued, her gaze far off, "has been acting strange for some time." She
focused in on Yuki, "You noticed it?" Her words were more a confirmation than a question.
Yuki looked down. "She's been...distant," he agreed.
He looked up at Hanajima shrewdly, "Her denpa lately...?"
"Disconnected. Confused." Electricity chased up her braid and sparked off her eyelashes. It was
the only sign of her agitation. "Muddied." She looked at Yuki and her eyes seemed suddenly
much more human, "And yes... Distant."
She looked out over the view, "It felt like Tooru-kun was going someplace where I couldn't reach
her."
"At first I thought..." She trailed off and Yuki felt a zing of recognition. He knew that emotion,
that feeling. Jealousy. "But I can see that's not it now." She sighed.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIII!" Arisa waved at them from the beach, "OOOOOOOOOIIII!!!"
"GET DOWN HERE!" She yelled, "I WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE!!"
Kyou looked up irritably to where Arisa was yelling her head off. The girl was driving him nuts
with all her souvenirs and pictures. She was now looking around for someone to bully into taking
the picture. Kyou looked down and wondered how he'd ended up holding her sandals.
She'd insisted that the only way to walk on a beach was with bare feet. She wore shorts and had
her top tied off just under her breasts in a knot. It left the long expanse of her ribs and stomach
bare. Looking at her small waist and toned stomach, Kyou idly wondered if she worked out. She
was certainly strong enough.
"Hey! Hey!" Uotani walked back over to him excitedly. "C'mere!"
"What?!" He asked guiltily startled out of his staring.
"While we're waiting for the Prince and Hana, lets take a picture." She waved at a little old lady
who waved back at them genially holding Arisa's camera.
"What? Why just us?" Kyou asked nevertheless following where she led.
"Why not just us? It'd be weird if all the pictures had all four of us." Arisa looked at him like he
was nuts.
"Okaaaay then!" the little old lady smiled, "Smiiiiiillllleeee!"
Arisa grabbed Kyou in a headlock last minute and put up her fingers in bunny ears behind his
head. Kyon was so much fun to tease.
"Augh!" Kyou cried as the flash went off. He pushed Arisa away from him. "What did you do
that for!?!"
"HA-ha!" Arisa pointed at him laughing, "Kyon's blushing!" She dug an elbow into his ribs,
"What? Aren't used to being touched by a giiiiirlll?"
"What!?! I-" Kyou sputtered. She seemed to get a perverse pleasure out of turning him inside out.
"Oh, my." The little old lady said with a giggle, "Such a lively young couple."
"WHOSE a couple!?" Kyou shouted and ran past Hana and Yuki as they finally reached the
beach. "That Yankee is insane! I'm going back to the bus!"
"Whatever." Arisa rolled her eyes.
"C'mon you two, I'll get a picture of you two on the beach."
She took her camera back from the lady with a smile and herded Hana and Yuki into a suitable
pose on the beach. She rallied them into helping her find one last shell for Tooru before they had
to head back to the bus. They were just about to head back up the rocky path when something
thudded to the ground at her feet.
"OI!" Kyou yelled from above, "Your stupid sandals! Don't think I'm going to carry them again!!"
"Baka Neko." Yuki sighed and started up the path.
Arisa picked up her sandals and put them on. Her face was a careful blank.
"Good thing." Hanajima said from her side, "Your feet would have been cut on the path if he
hadn't returned them."
Uotani broke into an easy grin. "Right." She stretched. "Aaaa.... I hate riding on the bus. Want to
play tic-tac-toe?"
She was not, Arisa decided, hurt that Kyou had run off denying that they could be a couple. It
wasn't like she liked Kyon...he was just fun to pick on. And picking on him was something else
to do than think about Tooru, at home, alone.
So, no, she wasn't hurt by the look of disgust he'd had on his face when he said "Whose a couple."
Like she'd want to be a couple with him anyway!
She reached the top of the path and turned to Yuki. "So where are we going next?"
"Next stop is the Kaede Hotel." Yuki said reciting the itinerary from memory, "It's about an hour
and half down the beach. We're going to get there just in time for a local festival. There will be a
street fair, and a parade that goes right by the hotel. It's to honor a famous couple who supposedly
saved the town and the surrounding areas by joining in marriage."
Yuki blushed, when he'd planned the trip he thought that Tooru would be there. He had purposely
planned it around events and sites that were romantic and might afford him a chance alone with
her. He'd planned to ask her to walk to the shrine that the festival here was centered around; it
was supposed to be good luck for couples.
Arisa sighed. It was this kind of thing that had gotten her thinking twisted around. Was there a
single stop on this whole trip that didn't center on romantic vistas, romantic stories, or lovers?
She glanced around; many of the people on the trip had been similarly affected. Everywhere she
looked classmates were pairing up or pursuing one another. Heck, even a couple of the teachers
had been making cow eyes at each other.
Of course, none of the guys were going after her. Not that she wanted them too.
But it would be nice, just once, to be treated like a girl.
"Uotani-san?" She looked down and saw Yuki looking at her in concern. "Is something the
matter?"
"Nope." She said gamely, shaking herself out of her funk. What was she thinking? She had to
have fun for Tooru's sake. She had to have enough fun for two people!
She hopped on the bus and back to her seat next to Hanajima. She flopped into her seat and
reclined back. She'd just forget the stupid Tangerine Head's words. It's not like he ever said
anything worth listening to anyway.
Hanajima took in Arisa's roiling vibes and sighed. It seemed like her friend was a girl after all.
She looked out the window as the bus started, watching the line of the beach fluctuate. Both of
her friends seemed to be getting distant. It seemed like she'd be left behind sooner than she
thought.
She closed her eyes and sighed again. She thought she'd have more time. She opened her eyes to
see Yuki looking at her curiously. She checked herself, but her face was it's usual bland mask.
He looked away and back out of his own window. Hanajima had shared his worries from before,
and even confided her own. Yuki would have to get her alone again. Perhaps together they could
puzzle out what was going on with Tooru.
It wasn't long into the bus ride when an excited murmur began to travel through the bus.
Unsurprisingly the whispers parted and passed Hanajima and Uotani without pausing. Tooru was
usually the contact point for gossip. While sometimes people might ask questions of them just to
see what outrageous things they might say, that same outrageousness made them fear what they
might do with confidential information. Without the normalcy of Tooru to hold them back the
other students evidently felt this was information they were safer not knowing.
Hanajima processed this without blinking an eye. Arisa twisted her head curiously trying to
subtly listen in to the conversation of the other students. Saki glanced forward and saw Yuki was
in a similar position. He peered back curiously, hearing the wave of whispers crest and ebb. Their
eyes met briefly and Hanajima shrugged for his benefit. She had no idea what was going on
either. She wasn't surprised that Yuki was being kept out of the loop as well.
Everyone loved Yuki, but that didn't mean he was included. One, he was just so perfect that
people figured he'd disapprove of anything that smacked of being illicit fun. Two, as class
representative most would figure he'd feel obligated to put a stop to something that the student's
weren't meant to do.
Noting the way people began to pair up and plot together, Hanajima had a good idea of what was
probably causing the excitement. All that was left to do was confirm it.
That left only one avenue of information.
"Ne, ne... You'll come, right?"
"It'll be a lot of fun."
"You gotta come Kyon-kyon."
"Don't call me that." Kyou said irritably. "I'll think about it."
"Think about what?" Arisa stepped up behind the redhead, making him jump. The other boys
smiled. Arisa and Kyou always made for good entertainment.
"Gah! You damn yankee! Make some noise when you walk!"
"Geeze, you're as jumpy as a cat, Kyon-kyon." Arisa teased wickedly. The boys behind Kyou
sniggered and his ears went red.
"Don't *call* me that!" Kyou repeated knocking her hand away when she tried to reach forward
to rumple his hair. He was furious at himself for letting her get such a rise out of him, but he just
couldn't help it. It pissed him off that the other guys were seeing it too.
"So you'll come?" The boys pressed, grinning at his discomfort.
"Come where?" Arisa asked, digging her elbow into the crown of Kyou's head. She grinned and
thought to herself that this must be what everyone must have been talking about on the bus.
The boys looked at each other uncertainly, torn.
"The party."
Everyone looked to the dark blotch that had almost been forgotten by Uotani's side.
"Somebody told you, Hanajima-san?" The boys looked at each other with relief. If someone else
had told her, they couldn't be blamed for leaking it.
Not feeling particularly charitable at the moment, Hanajima let her lips curve into a slight smile
and said simply, "No."
Paling one said, "Well, uh...come if you want to!" Both boys quickly exited.
"How did you know?" Uotani asked rhetorically. Hanajima shrugged, knowing she didn't really
expect an answer.
"Well." Arisa stretched and looked at me. "Are we going?"
"Going where?" Yuki stepped off the bus, last as usual after making sure there weren't any
sleeping students left on it. He looked a little cautious, ever unsure of his welcome among them
with out Tooru.
Hanajima felt a moment of pity for him. At least she had Arisa, the so-called Prince was even
worse off then they without Tooru. Hanajima and Uotani knew that at least they had each other,
and the students included Kyou usually. They delighted in his temper and the entertainment it
gave. Without Tooru to drag him in and to break that invisible shield around him, Yuki was an
island apart in the sea of the student body.
"The students are having an after-hours party." Hanajima said before Kyou or Arisa could think
to exclude him. Kyou would do it out of one-upmanship and spite. Uotani would do it unthinking,
fearing as the other students did that he might let it slip to the teachers.
"Party?" he repeated, surprised. As Hanajima had suspected, the thought of telling didn't cross
his mind. "When?"
They all looked at Kyou. Reluctantly he shared the information the boys had passed on.
"After lights out." Unhappiness at being put on the spot by Uotani and being forced to do
anything that might help Yuki made him short, terse and to the point. "Down in the first floor
private lounge, by the boy's room. Most of the teachers are on the third floor and the first floor
chaperone has a date and will be gone all night."
Yuki jumped as Uotani let out a whoop. She grinned down at Hanajima, her teeth flashing white
and he eyes sparkling. "We're going right? It'll be a blast, I'm sure." She swung her arms around.
"This trip desperately needs some livening up!" She glanced at Yuki. "No offense."
Yuki shook his head. No offense was taken. He hadn't planned this trip for the others, he'd
planned it for he and Tooru. He didn't expect that everyone would enjoy it as much as she would
have.
Arisa glared at the others. Kyou and Yuki could be such duds sometimes. It didn't look like
they'd even considered actually going to the party. Hanajima was hard to read, but after years of
friendship she could tell her pale friend was hesitating as well. Well that wasn't so much of a
surprise. Saki had never been the party type.
But, dammit, Arisa thought, she *needed* this party. If she spent one more night moping around
in her room while Hanajima read she was going to scream. Things might not have been that much
different if Tooru had been there, but they would have at least had a little more conversation in
the room.
"C'mon!" She cajoled. "We have to go! For Tooru!"
"For...?" Yuki said hesitantly, not understanding how joining in an illicit party had anything to do
with Tooru.
"We have to do *everything* so we can tell her what it was like!" Uotani curled her hand into a
fist and flexed a muscle. "We can't let her miss out on a precious moment. After-hour parties are
an essential part of school trips!"
Hanajima, Kyou and Yuki exchanged incredulous glances in between themselves. (Or rather,
Yuki and Kyou did. Hanajima just looked at them sidelong, her face a blank as usual. Just getting
the look was close enough to count for incredulity on her.) Not for a moment did they believe that
Tooru would have actually gone to an illicit party. She'd be too frantic about being caught and
getting in trouble to even seriously contemplate such a thing. Even just thinking about it would
probably put her into a panic attack.
But, if she had been there, they probably all would have met up for a card game, ping-pong in the
lounge, or some other safe, allowed activity. They wouldn't be left with the alternative of sitting
alone with their thoughts and worries.
"Fine." Kyou said finally, not looking at them. "It's better than sitting around in a room with this
guy." He jerked a thumb at Yuki.
"Like I wanted to be paired with you, Baka Neko." Yuki muttered, tossing his hair artistically.
"Anything would be better than sitting around listening to the stupidity that comes out of your
mouth."
"Great!" Uotani clapped her hands loudly before they could start on one of their trademark (and
usually entertaining) fights. "Hanajima and I will meet you down at your room after lights out."
Kyou grabbed his bag, muttered something about mice, Yankees and torture and stormed into the
hotel. Hanajima was hard pressed not to smile. Despite the angry quality to his words, the boy
was fairly humming with anticipation. If it weren't practically impossible to imagine, she'd think
that by his excited denpa that this was his first party.
"I'm going to go check out the gift shop." Arisa grinned, happy to have something else to think
about besides Tooru, the carrot top's reaction to her as a girl, and other sundry worries. "I'll meet
you up at the room."
Hanajima nodded. She wondered if she ought to tell her tall friend that Kyou was confused as
Arisa was about the concept of Uotani-as-female. It was best probably to stay silent. Friendships
were too easily destroyed by that kind of meddling.
She turned and found Yuki's purple eyes still on her. She arched a brow slightly in silent
question.
"If..." Yuki said hesitantly, "If Hanajima-san doesn't want to go to the party, she doesn't have to.
Uotani-san didn't exactly wait for your answer."
For a quick moment, Saki felt a hot stab of disappointment. Just like everyone else in class, Yuki
didn't want her there.
Then she sorted through his complicated denpa and realized that that wasn't quite it. He wanted
an out, a reason not to go himself. If she didn't go, then he didn't have to.
Even as Yuki committed himself moments earlier the doubts had started. What if the others didn't
want him there? He hadn't been invited exactly. What if he got caught? He was the class
representative. He'd be made an example of. What if...
And there it broke down, and Hanajima wasn't able to read further. Complicated imagery of
darkness and reprisal, fear and self-loathing flitted around the calm seeming boy. She forced
herself away from reading those feelings or letting them envelop her in their panicked circles. She
wondered how someone who seemed so outwardly calm and sure could be so...not.
"No." She said softly. "I want to go." She couldn't let him use her that way. His fears and doubts
held up a mirror to her own, like him she'd been thinking much the same thoughts. If she'd
learned anything from Tooru it was that you couldn't allow fear to hold you back from doing
things. She smiled faintly at Yuki. "I'll see you later tonight."
Yuki looked in dismay at Hanajima as she sailed into the hotel. The last party he'd attended was
the one where his friends' memories had been erased when he was little. Akito had forbidden him
to go to any others. If Akito somehow found out...
He shook his head. Akito was not going to find out. Nothing was going to go wrong. He'd go to
the party, and he'd have fun. Tooru was always telling him that he should join in more. Uotani
was right, he had to do this for her. She'd be proud of him when he told her about it when he
returned.
He shouldered his bag and went into the hotel. He paused only briefly, shuddering at the sight of
Kinoshita and the other fanclub girls stocking up on disposable cameras in the gift shop. He
determined that he would take special care to stay near Hanajima tonight; the denpa girl would at
least afford him a little protection from them.
***
For those of you want to read the main Belated Gift story (deemed unsuitible for FF.net), head on over to my website for links. http://www.randomfandom.com
-Merrow
--
"Really, Honda-san, we wouldn't mind staying at all." Yuki assured the girl from his hesitant
perch on the end of her bed.
"Who wants to go on a stupid school trip anyway?" Insisted Kyou, standing with his arms crossed
at the foot of the bed.
"B-but, but..." Tooru protested; face flushed from her fever, "Yuki-kun worked so hard planning
the trip! And Kyou-kun said he wanted to ride on an airplane! You can't stay behind, not because
of me!" Tooru's face crinkled up and tears started to tremble in the corners of her eyes. Her face
flushed a more alarming shade of red and she seemed to shrink under her coverlet.
"Of course they're going." Shigure laid heavy hands on the boys' shoulders forcing them away
from the bed, "Don't worry about a thing. Tooru-kun should just concentrate on getting well."
"But-" Kyou and Yuki chorused in unison.
"Don't you have packing left to do?" Shigure said firmly, guiding them out the door, "We should
let Tooru-kun rest."
The last was what really prodded the two out of the room with guilty looks to the suffering figure
on the bed. Tooru's eyes were already beginning to droop shut as Shigure flicked the lights off
after they shuffled out.
"Shigure! We can't just leave while Honda-san is ill!" Yuki slapped off the dog's hand and glared
at him.
"If you stay you'll just make her worse." Shigure said flatly, crossing his arms. "You heard what
Ha-san said earlier. Tooru-kun is ill because of over-excitement and worry. If you two miss your
school trip she'll just fret herself into a more serious illness."
The two chewed this over, but finally had to accept the bitter pill. They knew how disappointed
Tooru had to be over missing the trip. Hatori had said she'd be fine in a day or so, but the trip
began early tomorrow morning. Between that and the amount of traveling they were scheduled to
do, Hatori had thought it best that Tooru remain home. Yuki and Kyou didn't want to leave her
home alone, but staying would make her more upset not less. Sighing with resignation, they
finished up their packing and went to bed early.
Tooru was well enough the next day to see them off. She got up early but was banned from the
kitchen by an insistent Kyou. He'd taken care the night before to make some boxed breakfasts
that could be eaten on the way. Tooru stood in the doorway in her robe and slippers and waved
the two off as they started down the path.
"Have fun!" She tried to keep a bright smile on her face. She wanted so much to be going along
with them. But at least she wouldn't have to worry about them missing out on all the fun.
"We'll call to see how Honda-san is doing." Yuki assured her. "And to tell you how things are
going."
"I'll look forward to it!" Tooru chirped.
"Make sure you rest!" Kyou scolded, "Don't spend all your time cleaning up after that damn
dog!"
"Don't worry!" Tooru assured him, "I'll be all better by the time you get back-EEP!"
Tooru squeaked as she felt a sudden hand encircle her waist and pull her close to an unexpectedly
warm male body behind her.
"I'll take good care of our little flower, don't worry!" Shigure stood unseemly close behind her,
and gently ground his hip into her backside. Tooru's color rose again.
Yuki and Kyou glared at the dog, but couldn't see from their distance how close he really was, or
exactly what he was doing. From their vantage point, it looked like Shigure was just standing a
step behind Tooru with a hand lightly wrapped about her waist. At their twin glowers Shigure
took his hands off and raised them innocently to show that he wasn't touching their precious
Tooru-kun anymore. His hip however stayed molded to Tooru's backside.
---
Yuki hung up the phone chewed at his lip. Hatori had said that Tooru was fine, that she was
healthy and well. Hatori had no reason to lie to him... But he still felt as if he was being given the
run around. It had been only three days since they'd been gone, but it was plenty of time for him
to have second thoughts.
Those thoughts had become nearly unbearable after that strange phone call conversation he'd had
with Tooru the previous day. It had started out fine, she'd sounded like she was recovered from
her fever. She'd sounded healthy and excited. Then the conversation had just gotten bizarre. He
was pretty sure that Tooru had been distracted by something. She had been responding to what he
said, but her responses hadn't made sense. And she'd sounded... he shook his head. She'd
sounded *wrong.*
"Oy, Prince. Tooru okay?" Arisa leaned against the fence at the rest stop and fanned herself. She
was trying to look unconcerned. Kyou looked up from where he stood next to her, trying to look
like he wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Neither were doing a very good job at it.
Both had seen his face go weird during his last conversation with Tooru, both had seen his
immediate phone call to Hatori, asking him to check up on her. Both knew that he suspected
something was wrong. But none of them wanted to admit that they might have left Tooru behind
when she needed them.
"Hatori said she was fine, just a little harried because Shigure's been keeping her busy." Yuki
said. That was exactly what Hatori had said. Yuki was sure that he was holding something back.
It wasn't what he'd said, and it was Hatori's very voice that made him doubt the doctor. That
morning he'd sounded normal. The man he'd just hung up the phone with had sounded like a
completely different person, his voice was rough and croaking. He claimed he had a cold... but
why didn't he have a 'cold' that morning? How that tied into how Tooru was doing he didn't
know, but it made him feel even more unsettled than he had before the phone call.
Uo-chan looked upset, "When I think of our sweet Tooru home working hard...." She grabbed
Kyou by the collar. "That's it! I'm taking another picture! Go stand over by the scenic view!"
"What?! Why do I have to?" Kyou struggled to get her to release her grip.
"I'm going to take pictures of everything! That way it will be like Tooru was here!" Arisa said
firmly dragging him behind her. She looked over her shoulder at Yuki, "You too Prince!"
"Shall we?" Yuki jumped, practically levitated in place as Hana-chan suddenly spoke from her
stance by his elbow. "Arisa will only get more upset if we don't comply."
Wondering how she always got so close before he noticed her Yuki nodded, "E..ah... Yes. Lets."
"You're still worried about Tooru-kun?" Hana said softly as they walked over to where Uo-chan
and Kyou were arguing softly. "Is something wrong?"
"Why?" Yuki asked suddenly suspicious, "Do you...sense...something?"
Hana-chan closed her eyes. "No." She looked out over the "scenic view" the tour map had
promised. It was quite lovely, a view of the beach from above. "Denpa doesn't work that way. I
can't sense anything from this far away."
"But your denpa is quite disturbed." She slowly blinked long lashes at him, "I thought you might
know more than you said."
Yuki shivered. There was an underlying threat in her words.
"No," he said softly. There was no use lying to Hana-chan, she could sense it. "Hatori said she
was fine. She just sounded so strange earlier..."
Hana watched his face, usually so mask-like fill with worry and concern. Tooru was the only one
who got true expressions to come out on his face.
"You two! Over here! NOW!" Arisa demanded, pointing to a spot in front of the 'scenic view'
sign. She grabbed a passing student by the collar. "Take our picture!"
Kyou stood impatiently while Arisa, Yuki and Hana arranged themselves around the sign.
"Everybody smile!" Arisa demanded, putting on a fierce smile of her own. Kyou muttered
something under his breath, but at least managed to wipe most of the scowl off of his face even if
he didn't smile exactly.
"Smile." Hana said from where she stood by Yuki, staring at the student selected as impromptu
cameraman. "You don't want Tooru to think you didn't have fun on the trip." She smiled serenely
herself, and Yuki tried his best to smile honestly.
The picture was snapped and Arisa reclaimed her camera. Then she was off to look for
souvenirs. She'd gotten something for Tooru at almost every stop. Some things she'd bought,
others were things like pretty leaves or napkins with the rest-stop names on it. This time she was
after one of the trademark volcanic stones that littered the area. She pulled Kyou along after her
demanding he help her find one.
"They're getting along well." Hana commented in her soft bland voice.
Watching Arisa smack the back of Kyou's head when he handed her a non-volcanic rock and the
cat's resulting explosion, Yuki shrugged. "As much as Kyou gets along with anyone." Yuki
looked sidelong at Hana, he suspected that her comments had another purpose.
"Are you trying to distract me, Hanajima-san?" He asked suddenly.
Hana looked at him in faint surprise. Yuki was full of surprises it seemed.
"Tooru," She said softly, "Would be upset if she thought you spent the whole trip worried about
her." She looked at him seriously. "If you don't receive any enjoyment... how will you be able to
tell Tooru-kun honestly that you had fun?"
"Ah!" Hana said, "A candy vendor." And walked off leaving Yuki to his thoughts.
"OI! Prince!" Arisa stormed back up to him, "Tell Tangerine Head here that this is a volcanic
rock." She held out a pitted rock to him.
Kyou followed her just a few steps behind. "How would he know it's a volcanic rock?!"
"Because," Yuki said with a slight smile, "Of the way it's formed. See the red coloring? It's
indicative of the kinds of copper and other minerals commonly found in lava. And these..." He
pointed to the holes and pits, "Where the air got trapped while it was being formed. You don't
find these in sedimentary rocks..."
Kyou snatched the rock out of his hand. "Of course you'd know something so boring," he said
cutting him off.
He looked at the rock critically, "What's Tooru supposed to do with a stupid thing like this
anyway? It's ugly."
Uotani grabbed his shirt, "Can you think of a better souvenir from here?"
Kyou knocked off her hand, "Who couldn't think of a better idea?!"
"Like what then, Baka Neko?" Yuki prodded, putting Kyou on the spot.
"Like..." Kyou fumbled for an idea, "Like one of the seashells or round stones from the beach.
Those are at least pretty..."
"Oh!" Arisa crowed, "Good idea! Lets go get one of those too!" She grabbed his hands and
dragged him off the path down to the beach.
"Hey! What?! Why me!!" Kyou cried trying to break free.
Yuki bit his lip and looked away. He was not going to laugh until Kyou was out of hearing.
"Sooooouuuummmma-kuuun."
Yuki winced internally before turning around. A group of girls from his class crowded
uncomfortably close.
"Ah...yes?" He said hesitantly.
"Souma-kun." The chosen ringleader of the group stepped forward diffidently. She held out a
cheap plastic camera. "W-would you please take a picture with us?" She asked hesitantly.
Yuki sweated a bit. This had been going on all trip. They'd ask for a picture and then in the pose
"accidentally" fall into him to try to make it look like an embrace. So far he'd kept them from
going too far or discovering his secret, but it was getting very, very old.
"Wouldn't it be better if I took your picture?" Yuki offered, "So that you have a picture of you all
together?"
"Oh no!" Another of the girls assured him, "We really want to get a picture with Souma-kun.
Since you went to all the hard work of putting this trip together and all. It would be such an
honor!"
"Ah..." Yuki tried to think of another excuse, "I..."
"I'll take the picture."
The girls gasped and looked to Hana who had somehow gotten in the middle of their group.
"That way everyone can be in it." She smiled softly.
"Ahhahaha..." One of the girls nervously laughed and handed Hana the camera. "You really are a
girl after all Hanajima, thanks!" She whispered as she went to pose with the other girls next to
Yuki.
He was frozen to the spot, wondering where the next attack was going to come from. The blond
girl in the back had already tried, and the one with the ribbons to the side. So far they seemed to
be taking turns, so it probably wouldn't be the short black haired one by his shoulder. She'd been
the first to try. He tried not to glare at Hana as she brought the camera to her eye. Why had she
put him in this position?
"Oh dear." Hana said sounding completely unconcerned. "I think there is something wrong with
this camera."
"Whaaatt?" The girls rushed over to Hana. She handed it back to its owner as she walked over to
Yuki.
"Augh!" The owner cried as she opened up the camera, "The film is melted! How did that
happen?!"
"I wonder?" Hana said as she passed Yuki. A crackle of electricity followed her fingers through
her hair as she pushed it over her shoulder.
Yuki choked. He excused himself rapidly and ran to the small building that held the restrooms.
Darting into a stall and shutting it behind him, he finally broke down and laughed. When he was
finished he peeked out of the stall, thankfully the bathroom was as empty as it had been when
he'd gone in.
He dashed his face with a calming brace of cold water and felt ready to face the crowds again. It
was almost time to get back on the bus and continue their journey to the next hotel.
He found Hanajima waiting for him outside the bathroom.
"Feel better?" She asked.
"Much relieved." Yuki said lightly knowing Hanajima would appreciate the subtle pun.
She the corners of her lips went up in appreciation as she walked back towards the crowds with
him. "It isn't just the phone call that was worrying you." She said suddenly.
Yuki was becoming used to the strange cadence that a conversation with Hanajima had. She liked
to keep people off-center.
"Tooru-kun," She continued, her gaze far off, "has been acting strange for some time." She
focused in on Yuki, "You noticed it?" Her words were more a confirmation than a question.
Yuki looked down. "She's been...distant," he agreed.
He looked up at Hanajima shrewdly, "Her denpa lately...?"
"Disconnected. Confused." Electricity chased up her braid and sparked off her eyelashes. It was
the only sign of her agitation. "Muddied." She looked at Yuki and her eyes seemed suddenly
much more human, "And yes... Distant."
She looked out over the view, "It felt like Tooru-kun was going someplace where I couldn't reach
her."
"At first I thought..." She trailed off and Yuki felt a zing of recognition. He knew that emotion,
that feeling. Jealousy. "But I can see that's not it now." She sighed.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIII!" Arisa waved at them from the beach, "OOOOOOOOOIIII!!!"
"GET DOWN HERE!" She yelled, "I WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE!!"
Kyou looked up irritably to where Arisa was yelling her head off. The girl was driving him nuts
with all her souvenirs and pictures. She was now looking around for someone to bully into taking
the picture. Kyou looked down and wondered how he'd ended up holding her sandals.
She'd insisted that the only way to walk on a beach was with bare feet. She wore shorts and had
her top tied off just under her breasts in a knot. It left the long expanse of her ribs and stomach
bare. Looking at her small waist and toned stomach, Kyou idly wondered if she worked out. She
was certainly strong enough.
"Hey! Hey!" Uotani walked back over to him excitedly. "C'mere!"
"What?!" He asked guiltily startled out of his staring.
"While we're waiting for the Prince and Hana, lets take a picture." She waved at a little old lady
who waved back at them genially holding Arisa's camera.
"What? Why just us?" Kyou asked nevertheless following where she led.
"Why not just us? It'd be weird if all the pictures had all four of us." Arisa looked at him like he
was nuts.
"Okaaaay then!" the little old lady smiled, "Smiiiiiillllleeee!"
Arisa grabbed Kyou in a headlock last minute and put up her fingers in bunny ears behind his
head. Kyon was so much fun to tease.
"Augh!" Kyou cried as the flash went off. He pushed Arisa away from him. "What did you do
that for!?!"
"HA-ha!" Arisa pointed at him laughing, "Kyon's blushing!" She dug an elbow into his ribs,
"What? Aren't used to being touched by a giiiiirlll?"
"What!?! I-" Kyou sputtered. She seemed to get a perverse pleasure out of turning him inside out.
"Oh, my." The little old lady said with a giggle, "Such a lively young couple."
"WHOSE a couple!?" Kyou shouted and ran past Hana and Yuki as they finally reached the
beach. "That Yankee is insane! I'm going back to the bus!"
"Whatever." Arisa rolled her eyes.
"C'mon you two, I'll get a picture of you two on the beach."
She took her camera back from the lady with a smile and herded Hana and Yuki into a suitable
pose on the beach. She rallied them into helping her find one last shell for Tooru before they had
to head back to the bus. They were just about to head back up the rocky path when something
thudded to the ground at her feet.
"OI!" Kyou yelled from above, "Your stupid sandals! Don't think I'm going to carry them again!!"
"Baka Neko." Yuki sighed and started up the path.
Arisa picked up her sandals and put them on. Her face was a careful blank.
"Good thing." Hanajima said from her side, "Your feet would have been cut on the path if he
hadn't returned them."
Uotani broke into an easy grin. "Right." She stretched. "Aaaa.... I hate riding on the bus. Want to
play tic-tac-toe?"
She was not, Arisa decided, hurt that Kyou had run off denying that they could be a couple. It
wasn't like she liked Kyon...he was just fun to pick on. And picking on him was something else
to do than think about Tooru, at home, alone.
So, no, she wasn't hurt by the look of disgust he'd had on his face when he said "Whose a couple."
Like she'd want to be a couple with him anyway!
She reached the top of the path and turned to Yuki. "So where are we going next?"
"Next stop is the Kaede Hotel." Yuki said reciting the itinerary from memory, "It's about an hour
and half down the beach. We're going to get there just in time for a local festival. There will be a
street fair, and a parade that goes right by the hotel. It's to honor a famous couple who supposedly
saved the town and the surrounding areas by joining in marriage."
Yuki blushed, when he'd planned the trip he thought that Tooru would be there. He had purposely
planned it around events and sites that were romantic and might afford him a chance alone with
her. He'd planned to ask her to walk to the shrine that the festival here was centered around; it
was supposed to be good luck for couples.
Arisa sighed. It was this kind of thing that had gotten her thinking twisted around. Was there a
single stop on this whole trip that didn't center on romantic vistas, romantic stories, or lovers?
She glanced around; many of the people on the trip had been similarly affected. Everywhere she
looked classmates were pairing up or pursuing one another. Heck, even a couple of the teachers
had been making cow eyes at each other.
Of course, none of the guys were going after her. Not that she wanted them too.
But it would be nice, just once, to be treated like a girl.
"Uotani-san?" She looked down and saw Yuki looking at her in concern. "Is something the
matter?"
"Nope." She said gamely, shaking herself out of her funk. What was she thinking? She had to
have fun for Tooru's sake. She had to have enough fun for two people!
She hopped on the bus and back to her seat next to Hanajima. She flopped into her seat and
reclined back. She'd just forget the stupid Tangerine Head's words. It's not like he ever said
anything worth listening to anyway.
Hanajima took in Arisa's roiling vibes and sighed. It seemed like her friend was a girl after all.
She looked out the window as the bus started, watching the line of the beach fluctuate. Both of
her friends seemed to be getting distant. It seemed like she'd be left behind sooner than she
thought.
She closed her eyes and sighed again. She thought she'd have more time. She opened her eyes to
see Yuki looking at her curiously. She checked herself, but her face was it's usual bland mask.
He looked away and back out of his own window. Hanajima had shared his worries from before,
and even confided her own. Yuki would have to get her alone again. Perhaps together they could
puzzle out what was going on with Tooru.
It wasn't long into the bus ride when an excited murmur began to travel through the bus.
Unsurprisingly the whispers parted and passed Hanajima and Uotani without pausing. Tooru was
usually the contact point for gossip. While sometimes people might ask questions of them just to
see what outrageous things they might say, that same outrageousness made them fear what they
might do with confidential information. Without the normalcy of Tooru to hold them back the
other students evidently felt this was information they were safer not knowing.
Hanajima processed this without blinking an eye. Arisa twisted her head curiously trying to
subtly listen in to the conversation of the other students. Saki glanced forward and saw Yuki was
in a similar position. He peered back curiously, hearing the wave of whispers crest and ebb. Their
eyes met briefly and Hanajima shrugged for his benefit. She had no idea what was going on
either. She wasn't surprised that Yuki was being kept out of the loop as well.
Everyone loved Yuki, but that didn't mean he was included. One, he was just so perfect that
people figured he'd disapprove of anything that smacked of being illicit fun. Two, as class
representative most would figure he'd feel obligated to put a stop to something that the student's
weren't meant to do.
Noting the way people began to pair up and plot together, Hanajima had a good idea of what was
probably causing the excitement. All that was left to do was confirm it.
That left only one avenue of information.
"Ne, ne... You'll come, right?"
"It'll be a lot of fun."
"You gotta come Kyon-kyon."
"Don't call me that." Kyou said irritably. "I'll think about it."
"Think about what?" Arisa stepped up behind the redhead, making him jump. The other boys
smiled. Arisa and Kyou always made for good entertainment.
"Gah! You damn yankee! Make some noise when you walk!"
"Geeze, you're as jumpy as a cat, Kyon-kyon." Arisa teased wickedly. The boys behind Kyou
sniggered and his ears went red.
"Don't *call* me that!" Kyou repeated knocking her hand away when she tried to reach forward
to rumple his hair. He was furious at himself for letting her get such a rise out of him, but he just
couldn't help it. It pissed him off that the other guys were seeing it too.
"So you'll come?" The boys pressed, grinning at his discomfort.
"Come where?" Arisa asked, digging her elbow into the crown of Kyou's head. She grinned and
thought to herself that this must be what everyone must have been talking about on the bus.
The boys looked at each other uncertainly, torn.
"The party."
Everyone looked to the dark blotch that had almost been forgotten by Uotani's side.
"Somebody told you, Hanajima-san?" The boys looked at each other with relief. If someone else
had told her, they couldn't be blamed for leaking it.
Not feeling particularly charitable at the moment, Hanajima let her lips curve into a slight smile
and said simply, "No."
Paling one said, "Well, uh...come if you want to!" Both boys quickly exited.
"How did you know?" Uotani asked rhetorically. Hanajima shrugged, knowing she didn't really
expect an answer.
"Well." Arisa stretched and looked at me. "Are we going?"
"Going where?" Yuki stepped off the bus, last as usual after making sure there weren't any
sleeping students left on it. He looked a little cautious, ever unsure of his welcome among them
with out Tooru.
Hanajima felt a moment of pity for him. At least she had Arisa, the so-called Prince was even
worse off then they without Tooru. Hanajima and Uotani knew that at least they had each other,
and the students included Kyou usually. They delighted in his temper and the entertainment it
gave. Without Tooru to drag him in and to break that invisible shield around him, Yuki was an
island apart in the sea of the student body.
"The students are having an after-hours party." Hanajima said before Kyou or Arisa could think
to exclude him. Kyou would do it out of one-upmanship and spite. Uotani would do it unthinking,
fearing as the other students did that he might let it slip to the teachers.
"Party?" he repeated, surprised. As Hanajima had suspected, the thought of telling didn't cross
his mind. "When?"
They all looked at Kyou. Reluctantly he shared the information the boys had passed on.
"After lights out." Unhappiness at being put on the spot by Uotani and being forced to do
anything that might help Yuki made him short, terse and to the point. "Down in the first floor
private lounge, by the boy's room. Most of the teachers are on the third floor and the first floor
chaperone has a date and will be gone all night."
Yuki jumped as Uotani let out a whoop. She grinned down at Hanajima, her teeth flashing white
and he eyes sparkling. "We're going right? It'll be a blast, I'm sure." She swung her arms around.
"This trip desperately needs some livening up!" She glanced at Yuki. "No offense."
Yuki shook his head. No offense was taken. He hadn't planned this trip for the others, he'd
planned it for he and Tooru. He didn't expect that everyone would enjoy it as much as she would
have.
Arisa glared at the others. Kyou and Yuki could be such duds sometimes. It didn't look like
they'd even considered actually going to the party. Hanajima was hard to read, but after years of
friendship she could tell her pale friend was hesitating as well. Well that wasn't so much of a
surprise. Saki had never been the party type.
But, dammit, Arisa thought, she *needed* this party. If she spent one more night moping around
in her room while Hanajima read she was going to scream. Things might not have been that much
different if Tooru had been there, but they would have at least had a little more conversation in
the room.
"C'mon!" She cajoled. "We have to go! For Tooru!"
"For...?" Yuki said hesitantly, not understanding how joining in an illicit party had anything to do
with Tooru.
"We have to do *everything* so we can tell her what it was like!" Uotani curled her hand into a
fist and flexed a muscle. "We can't let her miss out on a precious moment. After-hour parties are
an essential part of school trips!"
Hanajima, Kyou and Yuki exchanged incredulous glances in between themselves. (Or rather,
Yuki and Kyou did. Hanajima just looked at them sidelong, her face a blank as usual. Just getting
the look was close enough to count for incredulity on her.) Not for a moment did they believe that
Tooru would have actually gone to an illicit party. She'd be too frantic about being caught and
getting in trouble to even seriously contemplate such a thing. Even just thinking about it would
probably put her into a panic attack.
But, if she had been there, they probably all would have met up for a card game, ping-pong in the
lounge, or some other safe, allowed activity. They wouldn't be left with the alternative of sitting
alone with their thoughts and worries.
"Fine." Kyou said finally, not looking at them. "It's better than sitting around in a room with this
guy." He jerked a thumb at Yuki.
"Like I wanted to be paired with you, Baka Neko." Yuki muttered, tossing his hair artistically.
"Anything would be better than sitting around listening to the stupidity that comes out of your
mouth."
"Great!" Uotani clapped her hands loudly before they could start on one of their trademark (and
usually entertaining) fights. "Hanajima and I will meet you down at your room after lights out."
Kyou grabbed his bag, muttered something about mice, Yankees and torture and stormed into the
hotel. Hanajima was hard pressed not to smile. Despite the angry quality to his words, the boy
was fairly humming with anticipation. If it weren't practically impossible to imagine, she'd think
that by his excited denpa that this was his first party.
"I'm going to go check out the gift shop." Arisa grinned, happy to have something else to think
about besides Tooru, the carrot top's reaction to her as a girl, and other sundry worries. "I'll meet
you up at the room."
Hanajima nodded. She wondered if she ought to tell her tall friend that Kyou was confused as
Arisa was about the concept of Uotani-as-female. It was best probably to stay silent. Friendships
were too easily destroyed by that kind of meddling.
She turned and found Yuki's purple eyes still on her. She arched a brow slightly in silent
question.
"If..." Yuki said hesitantly, "If Hanajima-san doesn't want to go to the party, she doesn't have to.
Uotani-san didn't exactly wait for your answer."
For a quick moment, Saki felt a hot stab of disappointment. Just like everyone else in class, Yuki
didn't want her there.
Then she sorted through his complicated denpa and realized that that wasn't quite it. He wanted
an out, a reason not to go himself. If she didn't go, then he didn't have to.
Even as Yuki committed himself moments earlier the doubts had started. What if the others didn't
want him there? He hadn't been invited exactly. What if he got caught? He was the class
representative. He'd be made an example of. What if...
And there it broke down, and Hanajima wasn't able to read further. Complicated imagery of
darkness and reprisal, fear and self-loathing flitted around the calm seeming boy. She forced
herself away from reading those feelings or letting them envelop her in their panicked circles. She
wondered how someone who seemed so outwardly calm and sure could be so...not.
"No." She said softly. "I want to go." She couldn't let him use her that way. His fears and doubts
held up a mirror to her own, like him she'd been thinking much the same thoughts. If she'd
learned anything from Tooru it was that you couldn't allow fear to hold you back from doing
things. She smiled faintly at Yuki. "I'll see you later tonight."
Yuki looked in dismay at Hanajima as she sailed into the hotel. The last party he'd attended was
the one where his friends' memories had been erased when he was little. Akito had forbidden him
to go to any others. If Akito somehow found out...
He shook his head. Akito was not going to find out. Nothing was going to go wrong. He'd go to
the party, and he'd have fun. Tooru was always telling him that he should join in more. Uotani
was right, he had to do this for her. She'd be proud of him when he told her about it when he
returned.
He shouldered his bag and went into the hotel. He paused only briefly, shuddering at the sight of
Kinoshita and the other fanclub girls stocking up on disposable cameras in the gift shop. He
determined that he would take special care to stay near Hanajima tonight; the denpa girl would at
least afford him a little protection from them.
***