6. a picture of a couple

Recca and Yanagi crouched on the grass, Yanagi looking at a flower just blooming with a beautiful child-like smile and wonder, as Recca looks at her with such fondness in his eyes it was so sweet. That was the picture they had sent to the magazine. They had entitled it 'A flower smiles'.

They were in the park when it was taken. The four of them – Yanagi, Miss Kagerou, Recca and his dad – were having a picnic. After eating, the young couple had taken a walk, Mr. Hanabishi following closely with his camera. It was of course hard to 'act natural' as he told them to with him following them around like that, but he got his shot. Yanagi is just such a soft-hearted girl, and when she saw that flower and looked so delighted to see it, Recca found it was so easy to forget that there was anything else in the world but her.

It really is a good picture, and it probably has a very good chance at winning too.

Fuuko, Recca and Yanagi stood in the hallway as they talked about the picture that had made it into the 'Cutest Couples Contest'. And glancing around, Kirisawa saw the other students were holding the Look Out! magazine.

"Hey, look. All of these guys have probably seen your picture and Yanagi's by now! Hihihi... Guess you guys are about to become the most famous couple in school!"

"Fuuko-chan!"

"Haha! Oi, don't embarrass my princess like that!"

"Oops... Sorry Yanagi!" says Fuuko, but Yanagi was actually smiling at her, showing she didn't really mind her little teasing. They were all excited at the picture appearing in a magazine, and they were all really happy about it. Fuuko gives Yanagi a little hug for it.

And then a familiar voice shouts out...

"FUUKO-SAMA!!!"

The voice reverberated throughout the entire corridor. Kirisawa almost winced.

"FUUKO-SAMA!!! MY FUUKO-SAMA!!!"

As the owner of the voice drew nearer, she clenches her fists. And through gritted teeth she speaks quite clearly. "How many times do I have to tell you... DON'T... EVER... CALL ME... THAT AGAIN!!!" She quickly turns and delivers a superb uppercut that sends the shouter up to the ceiling, hitting the top of his head there hard enough to make a hole before falling back down again.

"Hi, Domon." Recca says. "You really should listen to her, you know."

"D-Domon-kun..." Yanagi says with a touch of concern. "Are you all right...?"

But Ishijima Domon was quickly back up again, and on one knee in front of an exasperated Fuuko he was asking, "Is it true, Fuuko-sama? Are the things they are saying true? Is it? Is it?"

"What are you talking about Domon? And get up already, will you?"

"Tell me it isn't true!" Domon implores of her as he tries to close in and embrace her around the waist. But Fuuko plants a foot in his face to keep him off.

"I said I don't know what you're talking about. Now, knock it off already!"

"So you deny everything? You're saying they're all lies, all those things they're saying? I'm so glad..."

"Huh? What are they saying?"

Domon then noticed what Yanagi was holding. "That magazine..."

"Oh yeah, have you seen what's inside?" Fuuko asks him.

"No..."

Yanagi hands him the magazine. "Open it to page thirty-three, and look at the bottom left."

They were all smiling as Domon flipped through the pages.

"There! See it?" Fuuko points out to him.

On page thirty-three, bottom left was picture entry number 12. "Hey! It's you guys!" Domon exclaims with, it sounded like, relief. As Recca tells Domon about the contest and their picture, Kirisawa sights a familiar figure and calls out to him.

"OI, TOKIYA! OVER HERE!"

Mikagami heard her and approached them. "Yanagi-san." He greets the girl first, which was his usual way. And then, to their surprise, he actually speaks to the rest of them! "Hey, everyone. What are you still hanging around here for? Shouldn't we get to the canteen before the break ends?"

Yanagi smiles, perhaps the only one noticing a change in Mikagami, though on the outside it seems he is the same. It was Kirisawa who answers him. "Yeah, he's right. Let's go! And we'll tell you about the 'cutest couple' here in school along the way! Hihi..."

They start walking, Domon in front still holding the magazine. Yanagi had just started telling Mikagami about the contest being run by the magazine when Ishijima stopped in his tracks.

"Page thirty-five, picture entry number 28..." he says sounding almost mechanical.

"Huh?" Curious, they all move forward to look. And they all stopped in their tracks.