Disclaimer: Super Gals and its characters do not belong to me.
Author's Notes: I'm thinking of scrapping this fic since Episode 21 resolved the conflict between Aya and Rei. Hehehehe, just kidding.
Arigato to those who reviewed, I really appreciate it!
Chapter 2: Forgive
"Rei! What are you doing here?" Ran asked incredulously. She took in the waiter uniform in a stride and realization dawned on her. She peeked at Aya's face nervously.
He was only mildly surprised to find Kotobuki Ran in this restaurant. She tended to bump into him very often. "I'm putting in a favor," Rei replied calmly while looking at Ran squarely. He placed the tray on the table and asked, "plain noodles?" as if it was the most appropriate thing to say that moment.
"It's mine," Aya answered, reprimanding herself for turning Rei's attention at her. She avoided his eyes when he stared at her intently.
He put the bowl in front of her, gazing at her. He could tell that she was purposely trying not to look at him and a twinge of guilt hit him.
I'm really sorry, Rei wanted to say.
"Thank you," She said, still keeping her eyes reverted to the white surface of the table. Ran noticed this, and tried to present a cheery atmosphere.
"Do you think this barrette suits Aya, Rei?" Ran asked, a smile forming on her impish face. She believed that Aya still had a chance with Rei, since he never mentioned that he disliked her.
Rei stared at the blue and white clip and remarked, "It fits her." He could not tell what Kotobuki was trying to do, and decided to place the other bowl of ramen in front of her. She probably ordered the soda, and he gave that to her too.
"See? I knew it looked good on you! Arigatou, Rei. Mmm, this looks delicious. Don't you think so, Aya?"
"Yeah," Aya still didn't glance up. She kept her eyes glued to the same spot when Rei placed the glass of water on the white surface. She merely nodded when he told them he had to go. She didn't look up when Ran joked about the other girls glaring at them. She was afraid that she would see him again and lose her resolve.
I'm going to forget about you, Otohata Rei if it's the last thing I do.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"She wouldn't even look at me," Rei finished, trying his best not to sound desperate. It would be atypical of him to act so worried over a girl he just rejected. Actually, it would be so peculiar if he would be anything other than nonchalant. But Aya was a person whose company he actually enjoyed. She was one of the few girls who didn't gush over how handsome he was repeatedly.
"I see," Yuuya said gravely. "It's worse than I feared." He kept silent for a few minutes.
Rei's patience was not as long as usual. "She's taking it way too personally," He muttered.
Yuuya heard him and looked angrily at him, "Of course she is!" He said. "You just discarded her feelings!"
The way Yuuya said it made Rei wince inwardly. His friend seemed to sympathize with Hoshino Aya more than he thought the blonde would. For Yuuya and his' sake, he would be less indifferent towards women. He wouldn't want a repeat of this incident.
"...so how do I apologize?" He forced himself to say. It was one of those rare occasions when he actually asked for help.
This girl is getting me out of character, Rei thought. A quick look at his friend made him comment further in his mind.
Too out of character.
"Well..." Yuuya said after much contemplating. ".....you could start by sending her flowers."
"Flowers."
"And a sorry card...no, that's too conventional. It's better to treat her out and apologize then. Be sincere with your words, Rei. Girls like honest guys."
This was going to be a long week. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
Aya hugged her pillow tightly as she lay in bed, waiting for sleep to take her. It didn't, and she spent the next minutes tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position.
It was futile. She simply could not get away to dream land. She sighed in defeat, and resigned herself to grabbing her Physics book from on top of her bedside drawer. Since it was dark inside the room, her eyes could not see the print. She flicked her lamp on, to see the words clearly.
Apparently, it had not been her Physics book that she had grabbed from the mahogany drawer. Said book was still on the table. The book in her hands was a photo album. As she made a move to return it to its proper position, a picture fell from it.
Otohata Rei's face stared back at her. He had almost smiled in this image. Ran had taken it "accidentally" and gave it to her. She giggled at the memory.
"I wish I could be as confident," She whispered to herself. So I wouldn't be moping, she added in her mind.
"You told him, wasn't that enough?" Someone asked. Aya recognized the voice as her own. A girl who seemed to be identical to her, sat beside her on the bed, flipping through the album.
"I didn't actually.he interrupted me," Aya replied.
"Are you angry with him?" The other Aya snapped the album shut. She had this mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"I'm angry with myself. For being a coward. For having no self-confidence."
"Do you hate him?"
"No, I hate myself. I hate feeling this uncertainty. I hate..."
"...not seeing him? What happened to 'I'll forget him even if it's the last thing I'll do?' Honestly, you are so predictable. "
Aya blushed. "It's not as easy as you think," she voiced.
The dark side laughed, "Oh really? I'm part of you, of course I know. Just don't make a fool of yourself," The girl disappeared into the darkness.
Aya woke up with a start. She checked the room and found that the photo album still lay on her drawer, untouched.
It had been a dream.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Here we are," Yuuya announced triumphantly. "I told you it was in this street."
"Whatever. Let's go." Rei pressed the doorbell button. In his other hand was a bouquet of white roses. Seriously, why did he ask for Yuuya's help? The guy couldn't even confess to Kotobuki.
'Because you were desperate.'
'Oh, yeah, that.'
From inside, he could hear Aya's voice yelling, "I'll answer it Okaasan!" Momentarily, the door swung open to reveal Aya, decked in a blue powder dress. She looked quite surprised to see them, especially him.
"Asuo-kun! Otohata-kun!" She smiled shyly, "what a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting anyone.come in." She opened the door wider to let the two in.
"Actually, I can't stay," Yuuya began. "But Rei has something to tell you."
Aya glanced at Rei briefly, trying to keep the heat in her cheeks from rising.
"Best be going," Yuuya beamed at Aya and winked at Rei before running down the steps and out of the gate in a hurry.
'Damn you, Yuuya,' Rei thought as he watched the retreating figure of his friend. When he turned his attention back to the task at hand he found out that: they were both left alone on the porch.
Tense silence filled the air.
"...this is for you," Rei said finally. He handed Aya the white flowers, which she accepted.
"Thank you, Otohata-kun." She sniffed them and a small smile appeared on her cherry lips. A pink tint was almost visible on her cheeks.
He winced when he heard her say his name. No matter how many times she said it, he could not get used to it. It sounded formal. "Rei," He corrected her.
"Hmm?"
"I want my friends to call me Rei," He repeated. "I'm sorry for being harsh towards you, Hoshino-san. I didn't mean it. "
"It's all right. And please call me Aya. It would be unfair," She said, "friends?"
He nodded.
She smiled. "Then...why don't we celebrate? We haven't seen each other in a while..."
"All right. Do you have anything to do now?"
"No...I'll just get my purse."
She stepped into the house and walked towards the stairs, but not before giving Rei her best smile.
And despite himself, Rei smiled back.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
She couldn't believe it. Rei came to her house and apologized. And he smiled. That was definitely an improvement.
'And now we're going out to celebrate. It's strictly platonic...we're friends, and from the looks of it, I think this'll be the farthest we'll ever be,' Aya mused, as she walked out of the gate, following Rei. Rei's scooter lay propped against the wall. He took it by the handle, and sat on the covered seat.
Her eyes widened. She hadn't thought that they would be taking his scooter. "Um, are you sure?" She asked. Scooters are much safer than motorcycles...are they?
He gave her that look that spelled positive all over it. And she had no choice after all. She was the one who suggested they paint the town red.
'All right, I'm going in.' Aya sat on the little space left in such a way as to not have her skirt flying all over.
"Wear this," Rei instructed, as he handed her a helmet.
"What about you?" She felt guilty.
"I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Aya wore it and strapped it securely on her head.
"Hold on," Rei instructed as he gunned the engine. Slim arms encircled his waist. He didn't turn back. The scooter rumbled to life, and sped at an average speed through the neighborhood.
She'd thought it would go much, much faster and shut her eyes for fright of falling. But it wasn't so and her mind drifted to more pressing matters. Like her proximity to Rei. Aya blushed like there was no tomorrow.
'This is strictly platonic,' She chided herself silently. 'He only thinks of me as a friend. And that's how I should view him from now on.'
A friend.
But they always say friends can be something more.right?
No, she'd ruined her "friendship" with him by thinking that. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued.
Author's Notes: Okay, so Aya goes from trying to forget Rei to just keeping her feelings at bay. Sorry, but that was the best I could dish out. Inspiration was running dry and this fic was only supposed to make me feel better over the Rei turns Aya down episode. I have no concrete plans really, and I'm only making up ideas as I go. Please bear with me.
As always, review!
Author's Notes: I'm thinking of scrapping this fic since Episode 21 resolved the conflict between Aya and Rei. Hehehehe, just kidding.
Arigato to those who reviewed, I really appreciate it!
Chapter 2: Forgive
"Rei! What are you doing here?" Ran asked incredulously. She took in the waiter uniform in a stride and realization dawned on her. She peeked at Aya's face nervously.
He was only mildly surprised to find Kotobuki Ran in this restaurant. She tended to bump into him very often. "I'm putting in a favor," Rei replied calmly while looking at Ran squarely. He placed the tray on the table and asked, "plain noodles?" as if it was the most appropriate thing to say that moment.
"It's mine," Aya answered, reprimanding herself for turning Rei's attention at her. She avoided his eyes when he stared at her intently.
He put the bowl in front of her, gazing at her. He could tell that she was purposely trying not to look at him and a twinge of guilt hit him.
I'm really sorry, Rei wanted to say.
"Thank you," She said, still keeping her eyes reverted to the white surface of the table. Ran noticed this, and tried to present a cheery atmosphere.
"Do you think this barrette suits Aya, Rei?" Ran asked, a smile forming on her impish face. She believed that Aya still had a chance with Rei, since he never mentioned that he disliked her.
Rei stared at the blue and white clip and remarked, "It fits her." He could not tell what Kotobuki was trying to do, and decided to place the other bowl of ramen in front of her. She probably ordered the soda, and he gave that to her too.
"See? I knew it looked good on you! Arigatou, Rei. Mmm, this looks delicious. Don't you think so, Aya?"
"Yeah," Aya still didn't glance up. She kept her eyes glued to the same spot when Rei placed the glass of water on the white surface. She merely nodded when he told them he had to go. She didn't look up when Ran joked about the other girls glaring at them. She was afraid that she would see him again and lose her resolve.
I'm going to forget about you, Otohata Rei if it's the last thing I do.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"She wouldn't even look at me," Rei finished, trying his best not to sound desperate. It would be atypical of him to act so worried over a girl he just rejected. Actually, it would be so peculiar if he would be anything other than nonchalant. But Aya was a person whose company he actually enjoyed. She was one of the few girls who didn't gush over how handsome he was repeatedly.
"I see," Yuuya said gravely. "It's worse than I feared." He kept silent for a few minutes.
Rei's patience was not as long as usual. "She's taking it way too personally," He muttered.
Yuuya heard him and looked angrily at him, "Of course she is!" He said. "You just discarded her feelings!"
The way Yuuya said it made Rei wince inwardly. His friend seemed to sympathize with Hoshino Aya more than he thought the blonde would. For Yuuya and his' sake, he would be less indifferent towards women. He wouldn't want a repeat of this incident.
"...so how do I apologize?" He forced himself to say. It was one of those rare occasions when he actually asked for help.
This girl is getting me out of character, Rei thought. A quick look at his friend made him comment further in his mind.
Too out of character.
"Well..." Yuuya said after much contemplating. ".....you could start by sending her flowers."
"Flowers."
"And a sorry card...no, that's too conventional. It's better to treat her out and apologize then. Be sincere with your words, Rei. Girls like honest guys."
This was going to be a long week. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
Aya hugged her pillow tightly as she lay in bed, waiting for sleep to take her. It didn't, and she spent the next minutes tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position.
It was futile. She simply could not get away to dream land. She sighed in defeat, and resigned herself to grabbing her Physics book from on top of her bedside drawer. Since it was dark inside the room, her eyes could not see the print. She flicked her lamp on, to see the words clearly.
Apparently, it had not been her Physics book that she had grabbed from the mahogany drawer. Said book was still on the table. The book in her hands was a photo album. As she made a move to return it to its proper position, a picture fell from it.
Otohata Rei's face stared back at her. He had almost smiled in this image. Ran had taken it "accidentally" and gave it to her. She giggled at the memory.
"I wish I could be as confident," She whispered to herself. So I wouldn't be moping, she added in her mind.
"You told him, wasn't that enough?" Someone asked. Aya recognized the voice as her own. A girl who seemed to be identical to her, sat beside her on the bed, flipping through the album.
"I didn't actually.he interrupted me," Aya replied.
"Are you angry with him?" The other Aya snapped the album shut. She had this mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"I'm angry with myself. For being a coward. For having no self-confidence."
"Do you hate him?"
"No, I hate myself. I hate feeling this uncertainty. I hate..."
"...not seeing him? What happened to 'I'll forget him even if it's the last thing I'll do?' Honestly, you are so predictable. "
Aya blushed. "It's not as easy as you think," she voiced.
The dark side laughed, "Oh really? I'm part of you, of course I know. Just don't make a fool of yourself," The girl disappeared into the darkness.
Aya woke up with a start. She checked the room and found that the photo album still lay on her drawer, untouched.
It had been a dream.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Here we are," Yuuya announced triumphantly. "I told you it was in this street."
"Whatever. Let's go." Rei pressed the doorbell button. In his other hand was a bouquet of white roses. Seriously, why did he ask for Yuuya's help? The guy couldn't even confess to Kotobuki.
'Because you were desperate.'
'Oh, yeah, that.'
From inside, he could hear Aya's voice yelling, "I'll answer it Okaasan!" Momentarily, the door swung open to reveal Aya, decked in a blue powder dress. She looked quite surprised to see them, especially him.
"Asuo-kun! Otohata-kun!" She smiled shyly, "what a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting anyone.come in." She opened the door wider to let the two in.
"Actually, I can't stay," Yuuya began. "But Rei has something to tell you."
Aya glanced at Rei briefly, trying to keep the heat in her cheeks from rising.
"Best be going," Yuuya beamed at Aya and winked at Rei before running down the steps and out of the gate in a hurry.
'Damn you, Yuuya,' Rei thought as he watched the retreating figure of his friend. When he turned his attention back to the task at hand he found out that: they were both left alone on the porch.
Tense silence filled the air.
"...this is for you," Rei said finally. He handed Aya the white flowers, which she accepted.
"Thank you, Otohata-kun." She sniffed them and a small smile appeared on her cherry lips. A pink tint was almost visible on her cheeks.
He winced when he heard her say his name. No matter how many times she said it, he could not get used to it. It sounded formal. "Rei," He corrected her.
"Hmm?"
"I want my friends to call me Rei," He repeated. "I'm sorry for being harsh towards you, Hoshino-san. I didn't mean it. "
"It's all right. And please call me Aya. It would be unfair," She said, "friends?"
He nodded.
She smiled. "Then...why don't we celebrate? We haven't seen each other in a while..."
"All right. Do you have anything to do now?"
"No...I'll just get my purse."
She stepped into the house and walked towards the stairs, but not before giving Rei her best smile.
And despite himself, Rei smiled back.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
She couldn't believe it. Rei came to her house and apologized. And he smiled. That was definitely an improvement.
'And now we're going out to celebrate. It's strictly platonic...we're friends, and from the looks of it, I think this'll be the farthest we'll ever be,' Aya mused, as she walked out of the gate, following Rei. Rei's scooter lay propped against the wall. He took it by the handle, and sat on the covered seat.
Her eyes widened. She hadn't thought that they would be taking his scooter. "Um, are you sure?" She asked. Scooters are much safer than motorcycles...are they?
He gave her that look that spelled positive all over it. And she had no choice after all. She was the one who suggested they paint the town red.
'All right, I'm going in.' Aya sat on the little space left in such a way as to not have her skirt flying all over.
"Wear this," Rei instructed, as he handed her a helmet.
"What about you?" She felt guilty.
"I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Aya wore it and strapped it securely on her head.
"Hold on," Rei instructed as he gunned the engine. Slim arms encircled his waist. He didn't turn back. The scooter rumbled to life, and sped at an average speed through the neighborhood.
She'd thought it would go much, much faster and shut her eyes for fright of falling. But it wasn't so and her mind drifted to more pressing matters. Like her proximity to Rei. Aya blushed like there was no tomorrow.
'This is strictly platonic,' She chided herself silently. 'He only thinks of me as a friend. And that's how I should view him from now on.'
A friend.
But they always say friends can be something more.right?
No, she'd ruined her "friendship" with him by thinking that. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued.
Author's Notes: Okay, so Aya goes from trying to forget Rei to just keeping her feelings at bay. Sorry, but that was the best I could dish out. Inspiration was running dry and this fic was only supposed to make me feel better over the Rei turns Aya down episode. I have no concrete plans really, and I'm only making up ideas as I go. Please bear with me.
As always, review!
