"A Different Kind of Love" (Chapter 2 - Aya-chan)

THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED 10-16-08

Hey everyone, it's Crissie! And here is the newly updated rewrite of Chapter 2! I really hate how we can't use almost any type of punctuation in the title, so it shows up as "Ayachan" instead of "Aya-chan" but anyways, enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not OWN SuperGALS! Mihona Fuuji does. I am merely expressing my freedom of expression, ks? Good, now READ!


"I can't believe this is happening… I-I can't believe I'm feeling this way… I d-don't know what's going to happen now… What I'm supposed to do…?!"

"Hoshino!" Naka-teach called

"Eh?" Aya looked up, startled out of her reverie.

"I've been calling you for the umpteenth time to answer problem number three on the board! What's wrong with you?! Are you daydreaming again?! My goodness, I don't know what's happening to you kids these days. Probably been overexposed to Kotobuki haven't you, Hoshino?" Naka-teach accused.

"Neh?! What are you talking about Naka-teach?! I didn't do anything!" Ran cried out angrily, standing up from her desk. "Why the hell are you always picking on me?! Honestly, would you give me freakin' break for once?!"

"Sit down Kotobuki!! Honestly?! Well that's rich coming from the girl who gives alien abduction as an excuse for being late 7 times in a row!! HONESTLY Kotobuki, it's kids like you who are going to drive me to my grave!" Naka-teach was yelling now.

"By the looks of your bald spots, you're already halfway there…" Ran replied smugly.

"Why you disrespectful little…!!"

The next minute, the teacher and Kotobuki are in a head-to-head verbal attack. The class just yawns and considers this the time for a little chitchat. These scenes happen all the time in Ran's class, and for a number of reasons. All they know is that as long as no one bothers those two, they keep at it as long as they can and the class is free to do pretty much anything. But Aya wasn't in the mood for today. Amongst the classroom chaos, she left quietly and no one noticed. It was only until Miyu saw her desk empty did the class realize that she was gone.

Aya walked purposelessly through the silent halls of the school. Classes were still going on, so there was no one around to ask her why she was gallivanting. She was completely unaware of where she was going, unaware of anything else but her thoughts…

"Why am I like this? I love Rei so much... Why can't I accept that his old friend came back? She's just his friend. She's just his friend. She's just his friend… She is, isn't she? What if they do have something going on? What if…" Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when...

RIIING! It was the lunch bell. She cursed herself for leaving just before lunchtime. The students were now pouring out of their classrooms and heading out to eat.

She followed the others to the lunchroom where she found Ran and Miyu and Elile waiting for her at a table.

"Oh no, Elile again..."

"Oi! Aya! Where were you tomodachi?" Elile asked worriedly. Aya glared at her. Elile wasn't and was never going to be her "tomodachi" (friend). Miyu looked worried too.

"Aya, please tell us, we were all worried. Even Naka-teach thought that he must have offended you or something."

Without saying a word to either, Aya walked past them to the lunch line where they followed, obviously wanting an explanation.

"I wasn't anywhere." she replied simply "I just went to the bathroom, but I had the feeling none of you would listen so I just went without asking." They all glanced nervously at each other. There was just pinprick of coldness in her voice. What's her problem?


The rest of the day flew by, and soon, the dismissal bell rang.

"Yatta!" Ran exclaimed "We can go to the mall at last! Ikimashou, Eli-san! (Let's go Elile!)"

Elile nodded gleefully "Okay!"

As they headed toward the mall, they saw Yamato, Rei and Yuuya at the doorway.

"Hey, Ran! Miyu, Elile, Aya!" Yuuya greeted them.

"Oh, Asuo-kun, Kotobuki-kun and Otohata-kun are coming too. I bet Elile is going to try to get on their good side… But she probably already is..." Aya thought and involuntarily bowed her head. Again.

Both Rei and Yuuya noticed this, but neither said a word. As Ran lead the way inside, Yuuya thought to himself:

"What's wrong with Aya-chan? She seems like she's in a pretty bad mood… And that's so... Un-Aya-ish. It's probably something about Rei. I'll go bug him about it later."

Meanwhile, Rei was also thinking about the same thing, though not exactly in the same way:

"Aya is such an idiot, why does she always have to take things the wrong way? It's not like I made a move on Elile, and now she's being all depressed and jealous. Geez… And people wonder why I don't date." He gave out a sigh.

"Otohata-kun," Elile said, grasping Rei's arm "Tell me more about yourself! I can't stand seeing how much you've changed without knowing HOW you changed."

"Then don't look at him if you can't stand it idiot!" Aya thought.

"I don't know how much I've changed. It's not like I keep a date book to record my evolution." Rei replied in his casual cold voice.

But Elile seemed unfazed. "Pssh, I'm sure there's something you can remember! Based on what I've heard from other girls, read in magazines and seen on commercials, your life can't be half as boring as you say it is! And I won't let you off the hook 'till you update me!"

Rei just let out another sigh and didn't say anything more.


The Shibuya mall, being as crowded as it is, caused the gang to split up. Rei pulled Aya out of the crowd while Yuuya led Ranin the opposite direction. Yamato and Miyu went somewhere to be alone and Elile got lost in the middle of the crowd.

"Ran, I have something to ask you. It's just a question… But it's something that's kind of personal and… Yeah. But before I tell you, will you promise that you won't get offended?" Yuuya asked.

"You don't have to tell me Yuuya." Ran replied "I think I know what it is. It's about Aya isn't it?"

Yuuya hesitated, then nodded. He was actually going to admit his true feelings for Ran, but he knew that this was more important.

"I don't know what her problem is, 2nd place…" Ran said him "She seems far away lately and has been acting differently… Coldly… And we both know Aya's not like that."

"Coldly?" Yuuya repeated "She must be spending too much time with Rei then!" he chuckled. Ran pulled him, roughly, close to her face and said in a stern tone

"This is not a joke Yuuya! There is something bothering her and I need to know what it is." She released him "Is it about her parents? Her studies? Does she have other problems, like the paid dating thing before? Is it a problem with us? Is it something about Rei?"

"Ummm… Don't you think you should let Aya solve her own problems by herself this time Ran? I know you've helped her through a lot, but you usually always end up causing more trouble than it's worth…" he told her nervously. He knew Ran didn't take criticism very well. Ran glared at him furiously and shouted

"NO!"

Aya cried out. "This has nothing to do with you Rei, it's none of your concern..." Aya said, her voice trailing off as she looked away from his blue-grey eyes and closed her own. She knew that she was lying, but admitting it to Rei would be a big mistake. He would always put her down to try and make her snap out of any insecurities she had. His advice wasn't nearly as reassuring and sympathetic as it was condescending. Rei's look hardened and he asked her:

"Is it about Eli-san then?"

At his last word her eyes flashed open and tears fell out. Rei saw this and grasped her two hands, pulling her closer to him.

"Aya, everyone is worried about the way you've been acting nowadays. You'd better settle this before you blow up with what you're feeling inside. I don't want everyone else stressing over you just because you're having all these crazy suspicions. Cause' if there's one person that Ran is gonna come after for making you cry, it's gonna be me." he said coldly. By this time, the tears were already falling on Rei's wrists as well.

Next thing she knows, he's pushing a handkerchief in her face saying, "You choose the best places to cry in Aya-chan."

Aya looked up at him, puzzled. It was the first time she heard him say her name that way. She felt a red blush coming to her cheeks, unpleasantly matching her tear-drenched eyes.

"Arigatou Rei." she whispered, as she dabbed her face with the handkerchief.

And from the other side of that little piece of cloth, unknown by anyone other than you and me, Rei smiled down at her.


"Shimatta! (Damn It!) Where are they?" Elile thought to herself. "The mall's closing soon."

She continued walking around each floor for what seemed like hours, until she got tired and decided to wait for them outside a café. A man sitting at an opposite table hooted to her and called her name. Elile turned around, ready to send a nasty "evil-eye" to the jackss, but her face turned pale when she saw who it was.

"Hiroku…" She said, her voice trembling, eyes fixed on the figure in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

The man smirked and as he looked up to face her, you would see that he is not a man at all, but a handsome young boy about Elile's age saying:

"Now now Eli-chan that's not the way to greet an old friend." He replied, motioning to an empty chair beside him. "Koko ni kinasai mo suwarinasai. Nanika chotto nomimasuka?" (Come here and sit down. Do you want a drink?)

Elile didn't answer; every part of her body had grown numb. Every breath was slow and silent, even painful. She felt trapped, as if she was alone with this monster, instead of the fact that she was actually in a super-noisy, over-crowded teen mall. Everything else faded away. It was just the two of them, the darkness and choking feeling of being backed into a corner.

"I'm very well aware or what you're doing here Tsukino-san." he continued "Did you honestly think I'd let you forget about me that easily? We've got a lot to catch up on, you know. But now's not the time, I've got some business to run." He said as he stood up "And I'm sure that you remember well how my "clients" don't like to be kept waiting. Maybe someplace a little more private next time…"

He approached her slowly, her heartbeat rapidly increasing for each and every step closer he was to her. She was in a cold sweat. She wanted to push him away with all her might, or at least push herself away. But there was nothing mighty about how she felt at that instant. A nightmare was right before her, one that you couldn't just will away. One that was nothing short of a LIVING nightmare...

He leaned closer to her until their faces were only inches apart. In a moment, he had kissed her, gently and somehow, lovingly. After pushing himself back on his feet, he gave her a strange smile and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Elile breathless and scared out of her wits.


Well, that's the end of the updated version of Chapter 2! Hope you liked it. If you see any typos or mistake in my Japanese, don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks for taking the time to read it and review!

- Crissie