Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Author's Note: AND now the final conclusion of Hotaru an' Chiriko's short mini love story! I hope you enjoy it! Maa...It's hard keeping up with a college leveled class! Xx

Deaths.Bloody.Rose: Kaidou-san never played with Rei's heart. I think he never even knew about Rei's feelings...Oh that's a good idea about Minako falling for Kouji-kun! I might add that. Hee hee hee...

December 20 Month two 1:34 p.m.

Mini-love story#1: Chiriko

"Hotaru-san," I said, "I am very sorry for running on you like that."
I frowned abit and looked at my reflection on the mirror. I couldn't think
of a good reason why I "ran" out on Hotaru-san. But I have to try.

"Oi Chiriko why are you talking to yourself?" asked Tasuki, "If ya see
Rei's clone just tell her ya had to do somethin' important!"

"Her name's Hotaru," I corrected, "I can't just use that excuse."

"Tell Rei's clone...err...Hotaru," he corrected himself, " That ya had to
meet someone important?" I sighed, that was the same thing as his
last suggestion. Then again, what am I going to say when I meet Hotaru-san
again?

"Chiriko-san," Rei said, she walked in the room with a grey sailor uniform
instead of her regular miko outfit, "Just tell Hotaru why you left. I'm
sure she will understand."

Tasuki's face turned red and kept glancing at Rei-san's legs. Nuriko
was right. There is something going on between Rei-san and
Tasuki. Rei-san removed her socks making Tasuki drool a little bit.

"I can't tell her," I said softly, "I don't think she'll understand."

"Rei has really nice legs," murmured Tasuki. Rei's face turned pink and
glared at him. Was Tasuki ignoring me?

"Can ya stop looking at my legs and help your friend here!" Rei crossed
her arms, and glared at Tasuki.

"Oh! This is what I git fer complimenting ya?" Tasuki suddenly looked
smug "Ya rub it in my face!"

"What! Rub it in? Tasuki aren't you going to help Chiriko-san or what?"

"This is th' last time I'm bein' nice to ya," grumbled Tasuki, clenching his
hands tightly"Don't expect me fer complimentin' ya again!"

"You know Chichiri's turn is coming up," I said slowly backing away,

"I should go now..." Their 'lover's spat' was really starting to irritate me.
Not because I was jealous of them!

"I ask you to help your friend," seethed Rei, "You go off drooling on
my legs!"

"I wasn't drooling!" retorted Tasuki, "Yer legs reminded me of sake!"

Personally, I wanted to smack Tasuki for saying that. Out of all the
reasons he could think up, he had to pick that one. But I had to get out
of the temple.

I glanced down on at the book Hotaru-san gave back to Rei-san.

FLASHBACK

"Hotaru-san!" I cried, I went back to the Hikawa shrine to
apologize to her. "I'm very sorry!"

Rei-san walked in with Tasuki. Both of them were carrying bright
colorful objects, getting ready to hang it.

"Where's Hotaru-san?"

"She left an hour ago," Tasuki said. He placed the dark green
wreath on the wall and tied a big red bow at the bottom. Rei
looked at me sadly and went to her room.

"Rei-san?" I asked, "What are you doing?" I followed her to
her room and she pulled out an old book.

"If you see Hotaru again," she gave me an old book, "Give this
to her." I stared at the book, I didn't understand the Engrish
letters. But it had the beautiful picture of Suzaku on the cover.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Why do ya keep repeating yerself?"asked a voice, "I already know
the plan!"

"Because I want you to remember it!" huffed another voice, "I have
burn it in your head by saying the plan over and over again!"

"Kouji-san?" I asked. They both froze with a comical mouth openwide
face. Their expressions on their face was priceless "It-its not what you
think!" they both said, "We aren't going out!"

"What?" I blinked in surprised, "What are you talking about?" They
both looked at each other and sighed with relief. Kouji-san whispered to
the woman, she nodded and walked off.

"Chiriko-sama what are you doing here?" Kouji-san asked.
"It's my turn to visit Tasuki," I replied, holding Hotaru-san's
book tighter, "And my turn is done..."

"Chiriko-sama is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing," I said, "Ano, Kouji-san."

"Hm?"

"Where were you?" I asked, "Everyone's been looking for you."
He blushed and grinned idiotically.

"A cute girl wanted me to stay," he drooled. I could feel a huge bead
of sweatdrop on the back of my head. That's a stupid reason to
stay. I wanted say outloud.

"I'm doing Genrou-sama a favor here," he said as if he was reading my mind
and wiping off the drool off his face, "I'll go back when they are together."

"Kouji-kun!" cried a voice, "Rei-chan is mad at me!" The young
blonde woman pouted slighty and placed her hands on her hips.

"What did you say to her Minako?" He asked.

"Nothing!" the blonde replied, looking away, "Who's this cute little
guy here?" She pointed at me.

"Chiriko," I said, placing my hand in front of me "I'm a friend of Tasuki's."

"KAWAII!" she shrieked, scaring me and Kouji-san. "The name's Minako!
I plan to get Tasuki and Rei-chan together!"

"Tasuki and Rei?" Sure, they look good together, act like an old couple, but
I really don't think they're in love with each other. "Are you sure you want
to get them together?"

"Of course! I only want what's best for Rei-chan!" Minako-san had a determined
look on her face, "And besides, if she gets a boyfriend..." She looked into the
sky with a dreamy look on her face.

"Tell me, how do you plan on getting them together?" I asked, snapping Minako-san
out of her daydream.

"Simple! With Operation R and T!" she replied, "If that doesn't work..."
Minako-san pulled out her backpack and pulled out a bunch of blueprints and
showed them to me. "I'll use these back-up plans I asked from my volleyball
team!"

I looked at the badly drawn pictures made from her team. Minako-san is
really determined to get them together. No matter what.

"Chiriko-chan, Why do you have Rei-chan's book?"

Huh? I checked my pockets and noticed Minako-san holding Rei-san's book!

"Mi-minako-san!" I stuttered, "Please give it back to me! I have to return it!"

"Don't worry Chiriko-chan," She smiled, "I'll give it back to Rei-chan."
She was walking to the Hikawa temple. I gotta think of something fast!

I glanced at Kouji, he was eating a candy bar and seem to be deep in
thought. There must be something...

"MINAKO-SAN! KOUJI-SAN SAYS HE LIKES YOU!" I screamed, hoping that
would grab her attention. Minako-san turned around her cheeks red. Kouji
stared at me with disbelief. "W-why don't I return this book back to
Rei, myself."

"Y-yes.." stuttered Minako, "I'll talk to Kouji-kun..." She gave me back
the book and watched me walked away.

That was close. I pulled out a little map Rei-san made me. I need to find
Hotaru-san's house and apologize for leaving her alone!

"Eh? Chiriko-san?"

Huh? I turned around to see...HOTARU-SAN?

"Chiriko-san what are you doing here?" Hotaru-san asked again. I could
feel my palms being sweaty and my throat being dry. Must be the heat...

"I-I--I---" Hotaru was leaning closer, I could feel my cheeks flushing. Shoot!
What was I gonna say?

"Is that Rei's book?"

Her voice interrupted my thoughts. Since I can't think of anything to say
right now I just nodded. Hotaru-san flashed a smile in my direction. I swear
I felt my heart stopped from that moment.

"Chiriko-san you looked a little flushed," She placed a hand on my
forehead and her other hand on her own forehead. "You must be
getting a fever, neh?"

"Ho--Hotaru-san, there i-is someth-thing I wa-want to tell you about,"
I stuttered, I must have looked like a fool.

"Hm?" Her violet eyes looked straight into mine, "What is it?"

"Oh look it's that freak Tomoe!" jeered a voice, we both turned
around to see a whole gang of very pretty girls. They all had long
blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, If it wasn't for their eye colors I would
think that they're all clones.

"Arisa Arakida," muttered Hotaru, her lovely violet eyes turned cold
and dark.

The girl with the blue eyes seemed to be the leader of the gang,

"Hey Mana, looks like the freak got a boyfriend!" the green one said,
giggling madly "He's really cute though..."

"Who cares if he's cute," the girl with violet eyes said in disgust, "He's
hanging out with her."

"Why are you against Hotaru-san so much?" I spoke surprising,
the gang of pretty girls. The leader, Arisa, pushed Hotaru-san to the
ground. Making a small scrape on Hotaru-san's leg.

"Look," she pointed at Hotaru's scrape, slowly, the wound started
to regenerate. "Freaks like her should go back to the circus, and leave
us normal people alone..."

"Kyahahahahahaha," laughed the girls, flipping their golden hair.

"Monster! Weirdo! Mutant!" Jeered the girls, pointing and laughing at
Hotaru-san. I glanced back to Hotaru-san trying very hard not to cry.
I looked down at my foot, where my seishi symbol was. I could relate
how Hotaru-san is feeling right now. When I was training to be a
government official, people looked down on me.

A few were proud, because I was a Suzaku seishi! But people who
were around my age gossiped and made many bad rumors about me.

"Beast! Ogre!--"

"Shut up," I glared, surprising the girls, "Judging someone you don't
know. And then thinking you are better than they are just because
they are different."

"So?" Arisa, the leader, huffed and crossed her arms, "I don't like
her! She's a stupid goody-goody!"

"How would you know?" I clenched my fists, "You don't even
know Hotaru-san! How do you know that she's a 'goody-goody'?"

Arisa flinched. Then glared at me and Hotaru-san, "She--She--
I just know!" she stuttered, "Y-you know what! I don't have time
to deal with this!"

Arisa snapped her fingers calling her lackeys, "Minna! We are
going to be late for ballet class!" She turned to Hotaru-san, "I'll
deal with you when your boyfriend's gone freak!" she hissed.

When the coast was clear, I turned to Hotaru-san. She seems
to be deep in thought. "Chiriko-san..." she whispered, I could
barely hear her.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Why are you helping me?" I could see tears about to flow
down her cheeks, "Do you really want to make friends with
a freak like me?"

"You're not a freak," I shook my head, "Those girls had no right to
tell you if your normal or not..."

"Chiriko-san..."

"Besides," I grinned sheepishly, "You're already my friend..."

"Chiriko-san," Hotaru-san muttered, her cheeks flushed red
and her eyes puffy from the crying, "Thank you..."

"Eh? Hotaru-san you look a little flushed! You must be getting the flu!"

"Ha? I'm fine! By the way you still owe me a study date because you
ran out me!"

Author's note: I think I overused the word "FREAK" here. >>;;

NEXT CHAPTER: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OPERATION R AND T START!>>