Finally escaping to the safety of his desk, Daisuke was free of Risa's torture-cookies. His stomach was roiling dangerously and he felt a little queasy. It seemed Risa had forgotten to add the sugar to the cookies and had added twice as much flour.
Like eating dirt cakes, Daisuke thought to himself.
Really, really old dirt cakes, Dark added, waking slightly. And to think, she's putting you through all of this for me.
Sometimes I really hate you, Dark.
"….The Phantom Thief Dark will strike again at eleven o'clock tonight!" Daisuke swung around to find his friend Saehara Takeshi surrounded by a group of giggling girls. "That's right, and I will be there to see it all. I will also be bringing exclusive, brand new photos of Dark in for your enjoyment, for a small fee…"
Daisuke's attention was jerked away from his friend as he felt a soft slender hand cover his own briefly. Snapping his attention to the hand's owner, he met a pair of cerulean blue eyes behind thin wire-framed glasses.
"Something tells me you're not looking foreword to tonight, Niwa-kun," Hiwatari Satoshi said softly, leaning in close to Daisuke's ear. Daisuke felt himself blush furiously red as Hiwatari's hot breath lapped against his neck and ear, and suddenly felt very dizzy. Again.
Must be Risa-chan's cookies Daisuke thought frantically to himself.
I'm afraid not, Dark commented grimly, You'd better keep a hold on yourself if you don't want me to be making a guest appearance.
Wha-? Daisuke could barely breathe as he soaked in the implications of this. No way! Not Hiwatari-san! He's a boy, and he wants to put us in prison!
Again Daisuke felt the cool hand cover his, and squeeze gently this time. Meeting that icy blue gaze for the second time, Daisuke thought he saw something glimmering there, for just a second. Like Hiwatari was struggling with his own internal demons. And a wistful yearning. But only for a moment, then the eyes were hard and cold again, and Hiwatari slipped past him to his own desk.
Daisuke watched as Hiwatari silently cleared all of the unwanted love letters from the desk and dumped them unopened into the garbage can. This was done without cruelty or malice, just detached coldness. Hiwatari had made it plain that although quite a few girls in school had a crush on him, he had no affection toward any of them. The closest thing he had to a friend was Daisuke himself, and even that was dubious. After all, how does one befriend someone who wants to arrest your other self?
Damn right, added Dark, and don't forget it. You almost transformed just now.
Daisuke put his head on his desk. He was very confused and a little scared right now. Risa hadn't made him transform into Dark, even though he was closer to her than he had ever been before, Within kissing distance. Daisuke felt his face turn red as he thought about it, but didn't feel that particular dizziness that suggested transformation. Hiwatari on the other hand…
Just thinking about the soft hand over his and those sad blue eyes…
Dizziness hit him like a wave. Daisuke groaned very softly. This just couldn't be happening. It made no sense!
"Niwa Daisuke!" His sensei stood above him. "If you are ill, see the nurse. Otherwise please pay attention."
Daisuke lay in the nurse's office with a cold compress on his forehead and stared at the ceiling. Things were getting very complicated and all he wanted to do at the moment was go home and sleep. There was a rustle on the other side of the curtain that divided him from the rest of the room.
"You go in and check on him," Risa whispered loudly enough for Daisuke to hear.
At least she cares enough to have someone check in on me, Daisuke thought, consoling himself.
"Me? You're the one who dragged me in here! Why can't you check on him?" The eldest of the Harada twins protested. Daisuke somehow wasn't surprised. Risa seemed to try to get Riku to do the things she didn't want to do.
"I can't! I'm the one who poisoned him with my cooking!" Risa seemed genuinely distressed, and that made Daisuke feel a little bit better.
After a moment of silence, Daisuke heard Riku sigh. "Fine."
A moment later, the curtain was moved aside, and Riku stepped through. Aside from the fact that her hair was cut in a shorter style than her sister, the twins were identical. Somehow though, those large dark doe eyes didn't make him nervous when Riku had them.
"Hello, Niwa-kun," Riku said with a shy smile. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah," Daisuke said, sitting up and taking the wet cloth from his forehead. "You can tell Risa-chan that her cookies didn't make me sick, I was already feeling bad. I have a weak stomach."
Riku hesitated for a moment, then reached forward to take his hand. "She really does care about you, Dai-kun," she said softly, "She's just –"
"Obsessed with Dark. Like everyone else," Daisuke cut in, sounding a little more bitter than he had intended.
Dai-kun? Since when does Harada-san call me that? He thought to himself. To his surprise, Dark had nothing to say on the subject.
"Dark!" Riku clenched her firsts in anger. "Dark is just playing with Risa-chan, and she thinks he's in love with her! That rotten, thieving, criminal—I hate Dark!"
Daisuke blinked at her outburst, and was suddenly aware he was staring. The compress had slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a wet squish. Riku's eyes swept up to meet his, and her posture changed. Fists uncurling, her shoulders eased and the angry tension holding her body rigid faded.
"I'm sorry Dai-kun. You're not feeling well and I'm upsetting you." She looked remorseful and had even leaned forward to curl her hand over his shoulder.
"Uh…It's ok Harada-san. I'm just tired." He tried smiling to show her he really was fine.
"Harada-san," Riku echoed, a strange sad look on her face, "You call my sister Risa-chan."
Daisuke was perplexed. Riku was behaving strangely, not at all like her usual outgoing self. What does Risa-chan have to do with what I call Harada-san?
Everything, you idiot. You really are blind sometimes. Dark had finally surfaced, and wasn't helping to shed any light on the subject.
Daisuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This day was getting more and more strange by the minute, and he wasn't sure he could take any more. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to find Riku's face only inches from his own, dark eyes staring intently at him.
"Geh!" Daisuke squawked and tried to jump backwards, but instead ended up falling back onto the cot. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he hazarded a look at Riku. She was sitting bolt upright now, the fingers of one hand pressed against her mouth, face flushed. When she caught Daisuke looking at her she ducked her head and glanced away.
"I really have to go now, Niwa-kun," she said, scrambling to her feet and snatching up her school bag, "I'll be late for practice!"
Daisuke stared after her, aghast, as she pushed through the curtains and practically ran out the door.
What was that all about? He thought, running a hand through his spiky hair.
You have a lot to learn about girls, Dai-kun, Dark intoned, a LOT.
I suppose you have all the answers then? Daisuke was getting very tired of Dark's superior attitude. Care to enlighten me?
Somehow he wasn't surprised when Dark failed to reply.