Chapter 2
Sugar Sweet Tears
Yuuya headed right to the park outside the train station. Ran would be there no matter what. Sure enough, she was sitting a top the stone dog, Hachi, and crying.
"Why Hachi? Does everyone hate me?"
"That's not it Ran."
She sat bolt upright. "Second Place."
"Hey Ran. Do you wanna come down?"
She hugged the dog closer.
"Or you can sit up there. I'm sorry about Miyu and Aya."
"What do you mean?" she sniffed.
"Rei and I, we went over to the police box to see if your brother knew what was wrong. Well, we didn't even need to get in the door before we heard Miyu. After that I went over to Aya's and spoke with her mother. It must be horrible to have both your friends gone."
"It doesn't bother me. Aya has to get good grades so she can become a lawyer or something. And Miyu is in love."
Yuuya fought back the urge to say that she wasn't the only one. "What about Tatsuki?"
After the words left his lips Yuuya wished he hadn't have said anything. She burst into a new fit of tears. "He dumped me! Me! The Great Ran Kotobuki!"
"Tatsuki's a loser Ran. You shouldn't let him get to you."
"No! You can't mean that."
"Ran. I do. Tatsuki wasn't good enough for the Great Ran."
She sniffed again. This was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be!
"If you come down we can go and get crepes, and go Para Para, and even go shopping if you like."
"Really?"
"Of course. We'll make a day of it."
"All right."
Ran slowly climbed down, but she slipped and fell.
Yuuya was quick to catch her before she hurt herself, but he may have held her a moment too long.
Ran looked soulfully into his eyes before he let her down to the ground.
"Thank you."
"No prob."
And with that finished Ran was back to her old self.
"Let's go Second Place!"
She grabbed his hand and began leading him to the nearby crepes stand.
As the two spent the day together in town they talked a lot about things. Yuuya even spilled to Ran that Rei had an uber crush on Aya.
"I knew it! How could he not like her? And you know what? She's totally into him too. I mean he is an uber GL guy, you know. All the gals fawn over him."
"You think he's that great too? I mean you did go after his bag and all."
"No, I think of him as a friend. He's nice, but totally not my type. I couldn't help that, it was a matter of status you know."
"So then what is your type of GL guy? Tatsuki?"
She thought for a moment. "No, not really I guess."
"Then why did you go out with him?!?"
She blushed. "Well, he actually liked me for who I was. No other guy has ever treated me like that."
"But every guy in Shibuya wants to be your boyfriend."
"Because I am Ran Kotobuki, the World's Greatest Gal. Not because of what makes me me. You know?"
"Yeah. I have some fans, but they only like me because I'm in all those magazines and stuff."
Ran took Yuuya's hand in hers as they walked through the park and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"So, why did Tatsuki break up with you? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'm not sure. Maybe I wasn't good enough to be with him. I guess he just didn't really like who I was deep down."
"And what are you deep down?"
"I don't know. I've never looked that deep before. It's always about your image, you know? No one ever looks behind the skin."
"I have, and you're a wonderful person who stands up for what's right. Someone who loves her friends very much and will help anyone that asks."
"You mean that?"
"Of course I do. Besides that, you're wrong. It was you who was too good for him."
As they arrived at Ran's house she released his hand. "Thanks Second Place. I feel a lot better because of you. I had a great time."
"You're welcome. Have a good night."
Yuuya slowly walked away. As he did Ran felt like there was something she needed to say, but instead went inside to her room.
Yuuya headed right to the park outside the train station. Ran would be there no matter what. Sure enough, she was sitting a top the stone dog, Hachi, and crying.
"Why Hachi? Does everyone hate me?"
"That's not it Ran."
She sat bolt upright. "Second Place."
"Hey Ran. Do you wanna come down?"
She hugged the dog closer.
"Or you can sit up there. I'm sorry about Miyu and Aya."
"What do you mean?" she sniffed.
"Rei and I, we went over to the police box to see if your brother knew what was wrong. Well, we didn't even need to get in the door before we heard Miyu. After that I went over to Aya's and spoke with her mother. It must be horrible to have both your friends gone."
"It doesn't bother me. Aya has to get good grades so she can become a lawyer or something. And Miyu is in love."
Yuuya fought back the urge to say that she wasn't the only one. "What about Tatsuki?"
After the words left his lips Yuuya wished he hadn't have said anything. She burst into a new fit of tears. "He dumped me! Me! The Great Ran Kotobuki!"
"Tatsuki's a loser Ran. You shouldn't let him get to you."
"No! You can't mean that."
"Ran. I do. Tatsuki wasn't good enough for the Great Ran."
She sniffed again. This was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be!
"If you come down we can go and get crepes, and go Para Para, and even go shopping if you like."
"Really?"
"Of course. We'll make a day of it."
"All right."
Ran slowly climbed down, but she slipped and fell.
Yuuya was quick to catch her before she hurt herself, but he may have held her a moment too long.
Ran looked soulfully into his eyes before he let her down to the ground.
"Thank you."
"No prob."
And with that finished Ran was back to her old self.
"Let's go Second Place!"
She grabbed his hand and began leading him to the nearby crepes stand.
As the two spent the day together in town they talked a lot about things. Yuuya even spilled to Ran that Rei had an uber crush on Aya.
"I knew it! How could he not like her? And you know what? She's totally into him too. I mean he is an uber GL guy, you know. All the gals fawn over him."
"You think he's that great too? I mean you did go after his bag and all."
"No, I think of him as a friend. He's nice, but totally not my type. I couldn't help that, it was a matter of status you know."
"So then what is your type of GL guy? Tatsuki?"
She thought for a moment. "No, not really I guess."
"Then why did you go out with him?!?"
She blushed. "Well, he actually liked me for who I was. No other guy has ever treated me like that."
"But every guy in Shibuya wants to be your boyfriend."
"Because I am Ran Kotobuki, the World's Greatest Gal. Not because of what makes me me. You know?"
"Yeah. I have some fans, but they only like me because I'm in all those magazines and stuff."
Ran took Yuuya's hand in hers as they walked through the park and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"So, why did Tatsuki break up with you? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'm not sure. Maybe I wasn't good enough to be with him. I guess he just didn't really like who I was deep down."
"And what are you deep down?"
"I don't know. I've never looked that deep before. It's always about your image, you know? No one ever looks behind the skin."
"I have, and you're a wonderful person who stands up for what's right. Someone who loves her friends very much and will help anyone that asks."
"You mean that?"
"Of course I do. Besides that, you're wrong. It was you who was too good for him."
As they arrived at Ran's house she released his hand. "Thanks Second Place. I feel a lot better because of you. I had a great time."
"You're welcome. Have a good night."
Yuuya slowly walked away. As he did Ran felt like there was something she needed to say, but instead went inside to her room.