Disclaimer: I do not own Super GALS! in any way. Yadda yadda yadda…

Frankly, I'm starting to hate watching Super GALS! Especially when I saw the 11th street episode. It was an all out Yuuya-bashing episode from the start. A bit of consolation I got was knowing that Rei was expressing his concern for the poor blonde even if he sorely hates delving into other people's lives… which he does!

But at the end of the episode, I was generously rewarded with model shots of Yuuya! Yatta! I really like it when Yuuya is in his good spirits (especially that shot where he tilted his head in a languidly sexy position…) but he also looks good when he's sad, serious and most especially angry. (just don't get him chibified or something…)

Rei is still cute as ever. (Happy smile)

-

Chapter 13

Afternoon

"Mom, we're home!" Rei hollered in the doorway, opening the door for both of them. Both slid in quietly, soundly kicking their shoes off the doorway.

Rei threw his bag on the couch, sitting beside it as well. He thought over the situation, his mind lost.

Yuuya sensed his apprehension in starting a conversation. Quietly, he excused himself as he walked upwards to his room, leaving Rei alone in the living room.

The phone rang.

Rei gazed at it cautiously, deciding to let the answering machine take the call. A few more rings and Yuuya's cheery recorded voice was played ("Hi! This is residence of the Otohata's! Sorry, nobody's here to answer you. Just leave your message after the tone!")

"Rei…" The voice spoke eerily, in a singsong tone.

The boy's eyes shook up, a bit terrified by it. He stood up, his hands reaching out towards the machine, shaking a bit as if trusting it to bite back.

"I know you're in there…pick the receiver up…I know you want to hear me ouuuuut…" The voice taunted all the more. Rei cocked his eyebrows, enraged at the audacity of the caller.

He took the receiver up and listened, perceiving that the caller on the other side laughed.

"Quit fooling around with me, Akai. What do you want this time? Did you advertise your "obsession" about me in the news this time?" Rei spoke, venom evident in his voice. The other stopped being jovial.

"Nice one, Otohata. Nice…" Akai grunted, his tone of someone stumped. "This evening, I want you and Asou to walk across downtown, near the fountain. I've my company to wait for you there."

"And what do you plan to do?" Rei asked haughtily, trying not to show regret in his voice. Because he really regretted going through all of this, foremost asking this guy's "service".

"Uh, not much. Just having the hell out of you beaten up. I told them that they should first know that they want Yuuya. You go defend him, outnumber you, and let Yuuya see you being beaten so he'd really cry it up. If that happens, you'd have your first chance of telling him your otherwise feelings for him…" Akai drawled, obviously bored of narrating his plan.

"No."

Silence.

"Excuse me? Did I just hear you say…no?" The caller sounded bewildered.

"Yes, you did. I don't think that's safe…both for me and Yuuya. Just call it off…" Rei stopped short when he heard something breaking in the background.

"I don't think you understand one thing, Mr. Rei Otohata. 'I'am in charge here. 'I' say so what and whatnot to call off. 'I' will decide things whether they're safe or not. Honestly, I don't give a damn what happens what. I will do this job professionally because I make sure that I perform my job well. And performing the job entrusted to 'me', means I don't give a damn about safety. I'm no matchmaking agency; I am the last resort people come to when they're in trouble. And that means even if putting them into more trouble just to come out of the ones they're escaping is what I have to do…then so be it." He said, calmly. In a deathly calm sort of way.

"You…you're sick…" Rei gritted between his teeth, anger slowly showing in his face.

"Honestly, Rei, when I heard your case…I really felt excited, you know? Who would've thought that Rei Otohata, the handsome, quiet and stoic winner of the High School Grand Prix for the most Handsome Teen is falling for another guy? And his best friend to boot! I'd give it a hopeless case, because I know whether you care or not for your reputation if people find out that you're into this kind of relationships…Yuuya would still be affected." The person on the other line seemed to smile.

Rei felt a chord struck within him, upon hearing Yuuya mentioned.

"Yes…Yuuya. Your Achilles heel, Rei, as I would like to call him. It's sad isn't it, knowing that you couldn't say how you feel for him. Because if you do, then people would know! And if they do, a scandal would ensue! Now, how would that affect Yuuya…say…his mental condition?" He said, hinting suspense.

Rei was taken aback, looking at the phone in shock.

"Surprised, Rei? That I know as much as this? Oh, its not such a big fuss for me, I'm just a big boy who does his homework well. Given the right persons in this city, I managed to dig up some more personal info about the two of you…but let's just leave it for another day…"

"I'm still not going…this is just like making a dumb set-up so Yuuya would owe me for something that's not real." Rei got his fervor back, calmly replying once more. Keep calm, Rei. He's not the boss of you…you're the one in charge…supposedly…

"Sigh…you're making this hard for me, are you?" The voice started showing signs of exasperation (and aggravation). Rei discreetly smiled, knowing he was going to win.

"Yuuya, have you heard all that? I told you that Rei has something important to share with you. Now, you know..." The voice resumed, a bit satisfied with himself.

"What the…did you put Yuuya on a three-way call!" Rei shot up in anger and surprise.

He heard snorting and laughing on the other side, taking a few moments before he got his directions on again.

"You are so predictable, Otohata. I could do that…and more things that could hint you outward to Yuuya. As your friend said, it's just the timing, Rei." The voice cooled off.

"The timing…"

"I could only give you a few chances of good timings. Fail to keep up with me, and I could send Yuuya to the mental hospital for a case of…bad timings. If not that radical, he could just reject your feelings for him. I could make you look reeeeaaaal bad in front of him, Otohata. And your chance to be with him…poof! Gone with the wind."

Rei formed his fists into a knuckle, not pleased at all one bit.

"I'll be expecting you, Rei. Eight o' clock sharp. At the fountain. However, I decided to change tactics this time."

Rei braced himself for any mental attack.

"I'm not sending a gang anymore. I'm sending a someone…"

Rei looked bewildered.

"A someone?" He asked, mildly shocked.

"Besides, I'm not the one to beat you up. I've got a better idea this time. Ja…" The caller placed the phone down. Rei heaved a sigh, finally able to sit down after a long time.

There was one thing he learned, Akai Mizuno is a dangerous person to deal with.

"Rei? Who was that on the phone?" Yuuya came shuffling down from the staircase, mildly interested.

"Ah, no one in particular." Rei placed the receiver down. "Yuuya…"

"…We're going to downtown to meet someone tonight. I need you to accompany me…"

-

Rei stood outside of their house, waiting for Yuuya to finish dressing up.

He fusses over what he wears more than a girl… Rei thought, hearing Yuuya's hurried steps on the staircase.

"Uh…" Rei's eyes widened when he saw Yuuya. He had never dreamed he'd see this day.

Yuuya just grinned stupidly; blushing mildly at the attention Rei was unmindfully giving him.

"So, what do you think? This was one of those clothes you bought for me…" Yuuya turned round and round, a bit smug and proud on how he looked.

"You…you look…" Rei unbelievably stuttered, his eyes roaming Yuuya's figure.

Yuuya wore a dark turtleneck sweater (tight-fitting mind you!) that was accented by the snowflake pendant he wore for the first time. A tight pair of leather pants rode low on Yuuya's hips had not the sweater reached down to it. Yuuya had chosen to complete the attire with a pair of steel-toed boots.

"Oh please…oh please…don't tell me, Rei!" Yuuya fussed over his suit.

"Huh? Tell you what?" Rei slid his hands to his lips, covering the amusement he was experiencing.

"That it kind of looks sluttish…" Yuuya did a sexy pose, reflecting lust.

Knock!

"Whatever gave you the idea…let's go…" Rei walked off, Yuuya crouching low recovering from a lump Rei gave him on his head.

Both reached the bus stop, Yuuya sticking close to Rei (per Rei's orders). Yuuya looked dangerous tonight, not for others but for himself.

After alighting from the bus ride (full of catcalls and whistles obviously directed to Yuuya), they slowly walked to the venue where Rei would meet the mysterious person Akai sent.

"EEEH! Look at Yuuya's new outfit! He looks so sexy!" A girl suddenly shouted.

The whole female population from different stalls and shops came out to take a look, and confirming it (obviously with more shouts and swooning), suddenly ran towards them to take a picture of the very daring Yuuya.

Rei, feeling trouble, took Yuuya's hand and ran from the mob, losing them inside a still-open mall. While the whole population where distracted by searching, the two guys slid out of the backdoor and into the street, leading to the fountain.

"Wow…I never thought people would react that way to my clothes…" Yuuya fussed on himself, noting each part of his slim body. Rei stole glances while Yuuya was busy with himself.

I wouldn't blame them Yuuya…just look at your shoulder…your chest…your torso…hips…legs…those boots of yours…your pert ass. I could just throw you into a dark alley and…

Rei suddenly slapped the side of his head…continuously. Yuuya just looked at him curiously before turning his attention back to himself.

"Rei…since when did your mind start degenerating to those dirty thoughts? I want Yuuya…but not that way…you've been reading too many books…" Rei mumbled to himself, sighing in effect at his own pathetic thinking and shuffled his hands to his pockets, thinking about the innocent boy behind him.

Yuuya, on the meantime, started to think about Rei. He'd been sighing the whole time, sulking and mumbling things to himself. Rei had been acting more weirdly than ever since the past few days…frankly, he wasn't acting normal since the day he bought Yuuya those new clothes.

"Rei?" Yuuya asked, concerned and worried.

"Yeah…what is it?" Rei replied, a hint of abandon in his voice.

"Is…there something I did to make you feel bad?" Yuuya asked softly.

Rei suddenly stopped walking, his head turning towards Yuuya. The blonde saw the evident sadness and frustration in Rei's face.

"Was…was there…" Yuuya stuttered, emotions now a more common sight than before on Rei's face.

"Nothing's wrong, Yuuya." Rei smiled, a bit cheery which obviously was fake. "I was just thinking a lot of things that's all."

"Is it about this morning…" Yuuya asked, meaning towards the message on the billboard.

"No…it's not it…don't worry…it's not a big deal…" Rei smiled, then turned his gaze forward again, more sad and frustrated than before. Yuuya didn't miss the transition of Rei's face from smiling to frowning, as he turned round.

Rei Otohata was sulking.

"Is this true?" Yuuya asked himself. Seeing Rei feeling bad about himself was just as close as teaching Ran the meaning of the word 'humility' and persuading her to become a nun.

Both arrived at the fountain a little bit more early than eight o' clock. Rei decided to sit on the edge of the fountain, his fingers crossed before him, his gaze faraway. Yuuya apprehensively sat nearby, wanting to talk to him…comfort him in the least to say…but unable to find the right things to do.

A shadowy figure slid in from the trees, only a visible smile recognizable that it was a human.

"You look…ah…sexy tonight, Yuuya…"

Rei and Yuuya turned towards the voice, both surprised and appalled at whom it was.

-

The ending seems predictable enough. (Insert stupid smile) The glory days of me reading mystery books have passed, and now all of my plots seem unsurprising.

Dah! I wouldn't want to keep my guard down though. I've noticed the story is now turning into a Rei-mental-torture scene and a Yuuya-easy-target-for-people type.

If still interested, go on read the next chapter. Surprises (wow, that's an understatement…) are in store!