Synopsis of Chapter 6: Rukawa's falling for her. But does she feel the same? It seems that Shinobi is kind of thinking too much. Too many questions in her head, yet she find but one answer.

So the weeks passed, and everyday was just like the other day. There's nothing new. After classes, Shinobi watched the team's practice and she shows everyone that she's a very supportive 'girlfriend'. Some can't help but think wrongly about her. They kept on saying that she became Rukawa's girlfriend because of the new honest and kind him and not his arrogant and somewhat selfish yet true Rukawa. Also due to being so caring, Rukawa can't help himself falling in love with Shinobi. He saw how sweet she was, and though it was not sincere and true, he didn't care.

"Assemble!" Akagi commanded signifying the end of their practice.

"The Inter-High Competition is near approaching. So expect more training these days. You are dismissed." He said.

Shinobi handed Rukawa a bottle of water, he sat on a chair, and then she wipes his perspiration.

"Uy… Look at the two. They're so sweet…" Miyagi said.

"Admit it Miyagi, you're jealous of Rukawa. You want to have a girlfriend also nee?" Mitsui teased him.

"Shut up!" He replied. "I wonder, will Ayako be that sweet to me?"

"Don't count on it!" Ayako said.

"But honestly, I too wants to have a special someone…" Mitsui said to himself.

"Ano, Kaede?" Shinobi asked

"Nande?" he replied

"Will you be staying late for practice?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I want to cook for you dinner. It may not be that delicious but…"

"Whatever you prepare for me… I will eat without hesitation sweetie."

"What did I just say?" He thought.

"What's with the penname? New gimmick?" she thought.

"Arigatou. Aishiteru!" she replied.

In the Tanima Mansion…

"Dinner's ready!" Shinobi said.

She and Rukawa ate at the dining room.

"It may not be something that good, but I still exerted effort on it." She said.

"I told you, I'll eat whatever you made, sweetie."

"Enough with the penname ok? You're creeping me out. What is it for anyway, you don't need a new gimmick, you're brigade doesn't bother you whenever your 'girlfriend' is around."

"I know. I just said it to make it sound special."

"Whatever."

"Shinobi if you just know, I don't want this relationship to be an act. I want it to be something real, something we would both cherish even without those people." He thought to himself.

As everyone seemed to enjoy and love the new Rukawa more, with Shinobi it's a different case. In her room that night…

"Oh Kaede… Why do I feel like I don't enjoy your company as much as before?" she thought.

"Is it because of your new personality?"

"Do I miss the old you?"

"But how can I miss someone when his replacement is better?"

Tons of questions pop in her head. One on top of the other, and no matter how hard she tried, she can't find the answer to any of it.

That night, because of the questions in her head, Shinobi wasn't able to sleep well. And the next morning she found it very hard not to fall asleep in class. But during their English subject, she found one answer to all those questions. And it's found in the composition that their teacher wanted them to interpret.

Old and New

She went up the mountain to pluck wild herbs;

She came down the mountain and met her former husband.

She knelt down and asked her former husband,

"What do you find your new wife like?"

"My new wife, although her talk is clever,

Cannot charm me as my old wife could.

In beauty of face there is not much to choose,

But in usefulness they are not all alike.

"My new wife comes in the road to meet me;

My old wife always came down from her tower.

My old wife was good in plain sewing.

My new wife is clever at embroidering silk.

Of silk embroidery one can do an inch a day;

Of plain sewing, more that five feet.

Putting her silk by the side of her sewing,

I see that the new will not compare with the old."

Shinobi passed her interpretation to the teacher and returned to her desk.

"That's it! The arrogant and snooty Kaede can never be replaced, no matter how honest and caring the new one is… Not only that now I realized that you would know what you really feels about someone when you lose him. And what I really feel for the old Kaede is not just friendship but love." Shinobi said to herself.

Lunchtime, Rukawa and Shinobi were talking in the rooftop as usual. They talked a certain topic when Rukawa jumped to another subject.

"Shinobi, as much as possible I want to be honest to everyone, especially to you."

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes, I realized that I'm in love."

"So, I guess our little act is over huh?"

Rukawa nodded.

"I'm kind of getting annoyed with the idea anyway. You know, people telling me about certain stuff. But you'll be back to square one. What do you plan on your brigade?"

"I guess if they found out that I'm courting someone, they won't bother me. And that courting won't be an act, it'll be real."

"You mean… we'll tell everybody that we were just acting?"

"I didn't say that… Let's just say that our 'relationship' will be over because we both realized that everything happened so fast."

"Ok… I think I'm getting the picture. But what about that thing that you'll be courting someone else."

"Someone else? I'm not courting someone else…"

"You mean you were referring to…"

"To you."

Shinobi was surprised and dumbfounded.

When she got over the shock, "I'm sorry but… no."

"What do you mean by no?"

"I want to be honest. I love someone else."

"Who?"

"You don't want to know."

Then the bell rang signifying the end of lunch. Shinobi returned to her classroom and Rukawa was left in the rooftop alone. For the first time in his life, he was rejected.

"Who? Who could be this guy she loves?" he thought.

He just can't imagine that he, the most popular guy in school that even got his own cheering squad, got rejected. Rejected by his best friend. He knew now that you really can't have everything.

Shinobi didn't show up at practice, and at that, everybody was really shocked.

"5 minute water break!" Akagi commanded.

"Rukawa, did something happened? You're not yourself today…" Ayako asked very concerned.

"We had a fight. And she broke up with me." He replied.

"What? That's impossible…"

"How can you say that it's impossible when it already happened."

Rukawa is still very sad of what happened. He really didn't expect to be rejected that way. So frank, yet so true. He didn't do well in the practice and everyone is worried. If he remains like that it's goodbye national championship for the team. He is the ace player after all. But to everyone's surprise, the brigade did something out of the blue. They left the gym in the middle of the practice.

Outside the gym, Ru, Ka and Wa are having a meeting regarding 'their' beloved Rukawa's behavior.

"He's really depressed." Ru started.

"Let's go talk to Shinobi, we have to admit she's the only one he'll listen to." Ka suggested.

"You're right! Let's go and find her. She can fix everything in a jiffy." Wa agreed.

With that they left the school and looked for Shinobi.

A/N: it sucks ne? but i still continue it,,, sigh how come i do that... but i'll see to it,,, if ever, my next fic will be interesting,,, but it's not a promise ok?>

meitsi-wong – thanks for your review again! And I just wanna tell you that title isn't my area of expertise,,, actually, I'm not your perfect best-writer-of-the-year winner… I like writing but writing doesn't like me!