Kara: Hee hee. Daisuke's amusing when he's being thwarted. Besides, you just know that pessimist Jyou has money on Takeru and Hikari not getting together in the end. Jyou deserves to win for once. ^.^;
Rilian: Love the idea! If you ever wanted to write it, I'd be more than happy to beta or even co-write it with you. I've just vowed I'm not going to start another 'fic until I've finished at least once of my other ones. O.o;
Blue Eyes Toon Dragon: I always put Hikari and Takeru through hell. I'm sure it's bad for my karma. ^.^;
Silver Warrior: You'll see who it is . . . In this chapter . . . Doooooooooooooom!
Ayumi: Gomen gomen! Nihonjin ja nai. Demo, anata de isshou ni kakeru ne! ^.^
Qwi-Qux: Definitely! They both have the annoying habit of living for another people, which may catch up with them in this 'fic. Sometimes, you do have to be a little selfish.
Everyone else: Hontou ni arigatou! Thank you for all your reviews! I hope you'll continue to be as happy with this story. And my apologies for its embarrassing shortness. My life is INSANE at the moment, but I didn't want to leave updating it for another few weeks.
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DANCING LESSONS
PART 3
COMPLICATIONS
"Kaa-san says you can stay for dinner, if you want," Takeru told Hikari, as he unlocked the door to his apartment and opened it for her, "However, it'll probably just be whatever she can microwave, because she has two articles due by tomorrow."
"It has to be better than my Kaa-san's cooking. That's just whatever she can burn," Hikari made a face, going ahead of him into the hallway and kneeling to unbuckle her school-shoes. She set them neatly against the wall in line with Ms Takaishi's slippers.
Laughing, Takeru pushed the door closed behind them, then bent to take off his own shoes. She noticed with amusement that he was wearing mismatching socks. One was white, while the other had green stripes. He must have gotten dressed in the dark that morning, or maybe it was his own little rebellion against the uniform they had to wear.
"So, we're okay, Hikari?"
She looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"
He straightened up with a sigh and stretched his arms out in front of him, "I mean, things between us have been kinda weird today with what happened at lunch and then . . . with everything else. I just want to check we're really okay, because you're my best friend and I really don't want to lose you over something stupid like this."
Hikari winced inwardly. Every time he mentioned what good friends they were, it just served as a reminder that he did not see her as anything more, that he was in love with somebody else. It would have almost been easier if he didn't care for her, if she was just another girl in his class who loved him from a distance.
Not wanting him to guess her true feelings, she put a smile on her face, "Takeru-kun, we're fine. You know how Daisuke-kun always gets the wrong idea about everything, especially about my feelings. Now, can we forget about this whole stupid thing?"
"Uh huh," he grinned back at her, "This has been one of the more awkward days of my life. And I thought the worst that could happen would be that I'd stand on your feet a thousand or so times."
"You still have the chance," she replied with a little laugh, glad for an opportunity to change the subject. It was going to be hard enough getting through the rest of the afternoon - dancing in his arms and knowing he was thinking about somebody else - without having to talk about it, "We better get started on your dancing lessons. I think we might need all the time we have."
He nodded his agreement, "Definitely, but can I shower and change before we do?"
At another time, she might have seen some significance in that. Her friends certainly would have. It would have been yet another of the hundred, small signs that Takeru was in love with her, like the way he walked her to school or the way he always sat next to her in class or the way he bought her chocolates every White Day. She pushed the thought away from her. She could not afford to dwell on hopes that had proved false. (1)
"Of course," she replied, "I packed some clothes too. If you don't mind, I'll get changed in your room while you're showering."
"No problem. I've got the new Shounen Jump Weekly too, if you want to read it. I know how much you like Naruto. And Sasuke . . . ." he trailed off with a significant smile.
Sticking out her tongue at him, "Better than liking Inoooo Piiiiig." (2)
"I do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!" Takeru smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Uh, when did we become eight again?"
Hikari blushed, "Sorry."
"I better go shower," he said, disappearing into his room and reemerging with a pile of clothes in his arms, "I won't be long."
"No problem," she replied, as he closed the bathroom door behind him. A few moments later, she heard the sound of water running and Takeru's surprisingly sweet alto rise above it. She recognised the song as the duet that he and Daisuke had to perform for music class. She smiled to herself: Takeru always said that he was better off singing in the shower while Yamato handled the concerts.
Thinking that she should better take the opportunity to change, she went through to his room. It was as tidy as Yamato's was messy. There was not a single item out of place in the entire room. His basketball was rolled into a corner; his hat was hung over a lamp; his bag had its own hook behind the door. His schoolbooks were neatly arranged on a shelf above his desk, while the other bookshelves were occupied by his collection of novels and manga. He had even organised them in alphabetical order by author. There was no doubt about it: Takeru was a neat-freak who would have gone insane if he had to share a room with his brother like she did.
Putting her bag on his bed, she removed a strappy, pink sundress and made a face as she noticed how wrinkled it was. She should have done the sensible thing and packed shorts and a t-shirt, but Takeru had once said that the dress looked good on her and love was always the death of common sense. She wondered if he would notice it, if he would understand why she had chosen it, even though she knew it was too late for her. He loved someone else. She was just his friend. The stark finality of that thought brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them back hastily. She had to be strong; she could not afford to break down in front of him.
After checking to see that Takeru was still singing in the shower, she unbuttoned her shirt and stuffed it into her bag. She pulled the dress over her head, then wriggled out of the short, green skirt that made up part of their uniform. It joined the shirt at the bottom of her bag. She glanced at her reflection in his mirror and was satisfied by it.
"Now where did he put Shounen Jump? Didn't he say it was on his desk?" she murmured to herself, casting her eyes around the room, "Ah! Found it!"
Picking up the magazine from the table, Hikari noticed a sheet of paper lying beneath it. It had something written on it in what she recognised as Takeru's neatest handwriting. Usually, his writing resembled that of a drunken spider that had fallen into an inkpot, but this was actually legible. She knew that she should respect her friend's privacy, but she couldn't resist the urge to peek at it. Maybe it had some clue as to whom he liked. Besides, she consoled her conscience, it couldn't be too personal if he had left it in the open for anyone to see. It was probably just a boring letter to his grandparents.
With another glance at the doorway to check that he wasn't about to come through it, she picked it up and started reading through it.
"Dear Miyako,
I know this is going to come as a surprise to you - it certainly came as a surprise to me - but I think I've fallen in love with you . . . ."
The paper dropped from Hikari's trembling hands and drifted to the floor. Just when she had thought the situation couldn't get any worse, it had. . . .
"Hikari, ready to attempt the impossible and teach me to dance?" Takeru had finished his shower and was standing in the bedroom door. His damp hair was dark; his feet were bare; he was dressed casually in a loose, red t-shirt and jeans. When he saw the letter lying at her feet, his eyes widened slightly, "Did you read that? You did! Hikari! That was private!"
"S-sorry. I . . . I have to go," she whispered, pushing her way past him and out the front door.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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(1) Everyone knows what White Day is? It's a day when Japanese boys and men give reciprocal presents to girls and women who have given them stuff on Valentine's Day. It's not necessarily a romantic gesture, especially not in companies where it's practically protocol to give colleagues chocolates.
(2) Dear Ino Pig. She's the most irritating character in the universe. You can read all about her here: http:// www. narutoguide. com/ biographies_Y.htm#yomanakaino (Again, spacing is screwed so FF.net leaves it alone!)
