Chapter 16! Sorry for the long wait, but the dance is FINALLY up and ready for everyone to see! High-fives for everybody! Drinks on me, up the cups! The dance will probably be three to four chapters long, I suppose. If possible, maybe even more. But there could be a possibility for less, I don't know. It's imminent, I suppose. In any case, the end of this story is near. So here it is guys! Please read and review!

CHAPTER 16

" You seem jittery, Kudo."

" Maybe that's because I am, Einstein." Shinichi said witheringly.

" Yeesh," Yoro said, chuckling. " Cold."

" Well, unlike you, I have the human feeling called pressure." Shinichi said, buttoning up his suit nervously. " In case you haven't noticed, I'm going out with the most popular teacher in the entire school." He and Yoro had met up at his house, and were planning to meet up Ran and Shiho together at the same time. The first reason was to lessen the nervousness of the four of them, and the next reason was that Yoro was broke, and had to borrow Shinichi's car.

" Excuse me?" Yoro said, cocking his brow. " In case you haven't noticed, I'm going out with the most popular girl in the school. I'm jittery as hell!"

" Jittery?" Shinichi asked, snorting. " You?"

" Hey, it's just the way I am, alright?" Yoro said, taking a quick look at himself in the mirror before winking roguishly dreamily. " I joke more when I'm jittery, alright?"

" Wow." Shinichi said, looking at Yoro in a new found light. " IU never saw you as that sort of person."

" Oh?" Yoro asked. " And what did you see me as?"

" Well, I just saw you as a simple butterfly, you know?" Shinichi said, leaning against the wall. Yoro looked at him with a bemused expression. " Carefree and silent," Shinichi started, grinning at him, earning a grateful nod from his friend. " Happy. . .and well, just glad with the way its life is."

Yoro smirked at him, hands in pockets.

" Well, Kudo. . ." he said slowly. " As you know from basic science, a caterpillar had to struggle like crazy to become the butterfly that is currently is today."

Shinichi blinked. Come to think of it, Yoro's past was still mysterious to him until this date. " Well then. . ." he started, but stopped abruptly at the sight of something that ran through Yoro's eyes. Something that he had never known that he would see in his friend's eyes. But soon it was gone, and his friend just smiled back at him.

" It's getting late." Yoro said cheerfully, spinning his heel to walk towards the door. " We don't want the two lovely ladies to wait for us, don't we?"

Shinichi was brought sharply back to life and grinned back. " Yeah." He said. " Let's go."

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" Oh, Yoro, you shouldn't have." Ran said.

" Yeah right," Yoro said, rolling his eyes, but was still hugging her back, her arms wrapped around his neck. She looked really pretty in her dark blue gown, which hugged her curves, which was still surrounding her legs at a pool at her feet. " For mere flowers you get all happy and alleviated. When I dedicate a song to you at a karaoke you just go all. . ."

" That was not sweet at all!" she snapped, raising her voice suddenly.

" So would you rate it salty instead?" Yoro chuckled.

Shinichi grinned as he watched as Ran bit her lip but accepted Yoro's kiss, before hugging him once more. Ran was facing Shinichi all this while, and as her arms were wrapped around Yoro's, they both sneaked a look at each other. Shinichi gave her a thumbs-up sign, winking at her cheekily, a huge grin on his face. Her eyes widened, before smiling warmly at him.

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" You're late." Shiho scowled.

Shinichi dodged a shoe flying in his direction, which was caught by Yoro swiftly, and smiled sheepishly at Shiho who was standing at the stop, her arms crossed across her chest, her lips pressed against each other tightly. The reaction of the two women were exactly world's apart. But asides from the questionably rude reaction from Shiho at Shinichi for being late, the three of them were dazzled by her beauty. Even Ran was nodding at Shiho approvingly.

There was a necklace on her neck, the glitter of jewels at her throat, her perfume adding a lush evanescent spice to the flower in the air. Shinichi was spellbound by the sheer beauty of her appearance.

" Purple really suits you, Shiho." Shinichi said, blushing at the sight of the perfect view of her cleavage. She blushed back, in spite of herself, and was about to wave goodbye to her sister when she noticed at Akemi was watching her all along. She sighed as she waved briefly at Akemi, whose digital camera was still in her hand, the zoom of the camera going in freakishly near to Shinichi's face.

" Nee-san. . ." she said warningly.

" Aw, you two look really cute!" Akemi said adoringly, hugging her camera adoringly. " I might just follow you guys to the dance if I feel like it. . ."

" I'll tell you when we get back." Shiho said, pushing the others out of the house, slamming the door behind her almost violently. Akemi smiled slyly to herself and placed her hands against her hips.

" There's no way I'm going to miss the view of my sister being bid on by a million lust-hungry boys." She said, giggling to herself, getting the keys to her car, sitting innocently on the table near her.

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Close your eyes for a moment alright?

Okay, open them again, or else you would not be able to read my story. Okay. Imagine four of the most popular people in school alright? Okay, that's done. Then imagine two of the girls walking in with tight-fitted dresses, showing fantastic amounts of cleavage. Done with that? Now imagine the two most popular guys with their arms around their waists.

What could happen when hundreds of others see that?

Oh yeah, and by the way? One of the popular girls is a teacher.

There were dirty looks cast upon the girls or guys in jealousy, some were looking with signs of lust, some happiness, some just neutral. But there were whispers that went around from all four sides of the hall, grins here and there, scowls in another.

Shiho fingered her hair nervously, desperately trying to stop her dress from showing too much of her leg from the low cut skirt. Shinichi noticed this and grinned at her. She glared at him and he looked away. Shiho looked sideways at Yoro, who was bowing to the many girls who were laughing along with him; Ran inside the crowd laughing along. Shiho smiled softly.

Trust Yoro to be able to be calm about everything.

" Come on." Shinichi said, holding out for Shiho's hand, and she stared at it warily. " Come," he said again. " I'll help you get some punch."

She followed him past the crowd, smiling nervously at the people who waved at her from all sides.

Sanshriyuki glared at Shinichi before swallowing the punch that Sonoko had passed him. Sonoko bit her lip at the sight but put on a smile. " Come on, Sanshriyuki." She said comfortingly. " It's just a small fling. You can win her over in the balloting later on."

" Yeah." Sanshriyuki said, dropping the cup on the table. " You're right. Come on, I'll get you some punch."

Sonoko blushed and smiled, following after him.

Mizakan-sensei skirted through the crow, smiling at the students who waved at him, and unknowingly made his way to the dance floor. He sighed as he watched the many students dance across the dance floor happily; some laughing, some crying, some kissing. It was a magical moment for everyone around. He sighed as he leaned against the wall behind him; ready to walk off when he heard a familiar voice.

" May I have this dance, sensei?"

He turned around, eyes widening with shock at who he saw.

" Akane?" he whispered.

" Yeah." She said cheerfully. She was wearing a bage coloured dress that fell to her knees, and in her hand was not a crutch, but it was extended towards Mizakan. " I didn't want to miss the chance to dance with you for the world."

His eyes widened before turning into a broad smile.

" It would be a honour." He whispered, and took her hand, and danced with her with everything he had, and could give.

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" It's really noisy in here, isn't it?" Shinichi said cheerfully, looking around him.

" Yes." Shiho said dismissively. " So it is."

Shinichi raised his eyebrows but handed her her drink; in which she accepted it with a nod of thanks. Shinichi gulped as he straightened his tie. Soon after this dance, they would get back to studies. And then it would be time for him to go to college. What would that make of him? And what would that make of her? Would he get to see her again?

Talk to her?

Hear her laugh?

Watch her smile?

He bit his lip and gazed up at the sky.

I love Shiho Miyano. He said to himself.

It was not a declaration.

Nor was it an unanswered question, asking himself.

But it was a truth.

An undivided fact.

And nothing she would do would change that.

He smiled down at her, and she looked up.

" You're really beautiful tonight, Shiho." He said.

" You're not talking to my cleavage, are you?" she said sarcastically.

" No." he said quietly, and the smirk fell off her face. " You really are. And I mean not just for tonight."

Something passed through the both of them at this.

Woman looked at man.

Man looked at woman.

A silent conversation passed through them.

It was something.

Just something.

Shinichi was not sure what it was, but it was something.

Something.

" Want more punch?" he asked, smiling at her.

She looked away, face burning.

" Yeah. . ." she said quietly. " That would be nice."

He grinned and got ready to draw her a drink when he stopped.

" Shiho." He said, and she looked at him.

" What is it?" she asked.

" I have something I have to tell you." He said. " Can I speak to you at the porch later?"

Her eyes widened.

A small, thin smile filled his face.

" Alone."

She seemed to ponder on that for a moment before finally nodding.

" Alright." She said.

In the shadows, Akemi was videotaping the entire thing. She giggled to herself. " Oh my Gosh, those two are just so cute together." She whispered to herself. Then she bit her lip and frowned. " But I wonder whether she would accept his confession." She said to herself. " After all, she is a girl has rejected over dozens of boys, whose faces were more than ten times better than Shinichi's. The only person who she loved was. . ."

She stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed a rustle in the bushes.

She frowned.

" . . .Akai Shuichi." She whispered.

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Shinichi almost had to drag himself to the balcony, with Shiho lagging behind him, cocking her head as he leaned against the pillar behind him. " It's a beautiful night isn't it?" he said in a voice of false cheerfulness, staring up at the sky. But indeed it was beautiful. The moon was still not out, but the sky was studded with shining stars, like jewels in the sky.

" Yeah." She whispered. " It really is."

They stayed in silence for a moment before Shinichi coughed and she gazed into his eyes. " Shiho, I have something I have to tell you." He said.

" It better not be about the beautiful stars now." She said jokingly, but noticed that Shinichi didn't laugh. Nor did he even bother to crack a grin. His face was confident and sculpted, like a person ready to just face first into a lake full of sharks, only held on by a thin piece of string.

" Shiho. . ." he started.

" Yes?" she whispered.

" I have something I want to tell you." Shiho had said, biting her lip.

The little boy of her age grinned cheerfully at her. " What is it? It better not be about requesting about you wanting me to get you a bigger present, because I spent a lot to buy one for your birthday tomorrow."

The girl still didn't smile, her lips in a thin line.

" Shin-chan. . ." she started, and he grinned.

" Yeah, that's my name." he said.

She bit her lip.

" I. . .I really like you."

His eyes widened.

Then he grinned.

" I like you too." He said. " That's why I'm going to your party tomorrow, right?"

She chewed deeper into her lip.

He didn't get it.

The dense idiot.

Never mind.

She wasn't hoping for much anyway.

" Come to my party tomorrow." She said flatly. " Or I'll be angry."

" I won't miss it for the world." He said, laughing.

She looked at him, blushing.

" Really?" she asked.

He nodded.

" Yeah." He said. " Because you're my best friend."

She finally smiled.

" See you tomorrow." She had said.

" Yeah." He said. " See you."

She had planned to tell him her feelings right the next day. But to kill it all, he didn't come. Not the next day, nor the other or the other. She would give anything to see him again. Anything to be with him. . .

To see him laugh. . .

To see him smile. . .

To hear him say those three words to her. . .

" I love you." Shinichi said, and Shiho froze.

He smiled at her confidently.

" I love you more than anything else in the world."

Her eyes widened.

The world seemed to stop at that moment.

She just stood there, rooted to the spot, staring right back into Shinichi's eyes.

She understood what he had said. She understood what she was going to say, or what she had to say. But something inside her must have been confused, as she just wet her lips and looked down. Many would have been curious if she had understood what she had just said.

" I'm sorry." She whispered.

END CHAPTER 16

Finally he confesses! Chapter 17 will be the climax of this story, and the start of the balloting! Many questions to be answered! Will Shuichi meet Shiho? What is to happen to Shiho and Shinichi? Who did Akemi see in the bushes? What is of the principal? Who would end of with Shiho? Shuichi, Shinichi or Sanshriyuki? Find out in the last two or three chapters!