Beautiful Lies

"C-Come in for a first-hand experience with group dating…"

"Please, come in and share in the group date experience with your friends," Yu added, motioning people towards the open doorway. His voice dripped with the weariness he struggled to mask. Yu coughed into his hand and spoke again, his tone sprinkled with artificial sugar. "It's great fun!"

"I don't think this is working," sighed the raven-haired girl.

"I think you're right," he remarked. Yu let out a sigh as he walked back into the classroom, leaving the girl to lure in customers on her own. He let out a disinterested yawn as he sat down, leaning back casually and relaxing by the window. He didn't notice the confused stares Yukiko and the others.

"No one? Still?" Chie inquired. Yu glanced at her and straightened himself out, fixing his form to be more 'normal' for her.

"I'm sorry, but no. Nothing so far." As soon as Chie changed her focus, he sighed, relaxing into his chair again. He briefly wondered his options, before glancing out the window. His attention was distant as Yosuke, Chie, and the class president began making a racket. He stared out the window and his eyes glanced over the drifting masses outside.

The students of Yaso High walked around the grounds of the school, completely oblivious to his own troubles. Part of him was envious of them. The rest of him focused on scanning the jovial masses, trying to find a certain bluette and blonde outside the classroom. His efforts were for naught though, as he couldn't find them anywhere from his seat.

If it was me, I'd start with a nice walk through the haunted house... We'd probably laugh at the shitty effects together. Then maybe we'd get something to eat. Ooh, no, I'd make something at home to eat with her. Yeah, that'd be nice. She loves my cooking... Yu let out a sigh, before closing his eyes. Damn it! Pull yourself together, dumbass. Moping about it isn't going to do shit, so you might as well try something else. Anything else. Literally anything else.

Yu glanced at his friends and noticed how Yosuke acted shocked by something the president had said. Cept murder. Best to avoid that one. Don't wanna add more to Naoto's plate.

Suddenly his train of thought was derailed as he heard the brunette boy's voice. "W-wait, we're supposed to act like we're on a group date?"

"But there's five of us!"

"Maybe... Maybe we could try doing it with four people...?" muttered Yukiko as she glanced towards Yu.

The young man didn't pay any attention to her though. He stood up abruptly and walked towards the doorway, turning his head to briefly notify the others. Yosuke and the girls stared at him, bewildered by their leader's behavior. "I'll get us some attendants." It'll be a good distraction, he mentally added as he walked out the door.

"Hey, you hang out with that guy, right?" The class president looked at the three with a perplexed expression. "Is he feeling alright? He's been acting really weird lately. I mean, I think he was one of the guys to actually vote for this group date thing. That's already nuts!"

"What? Yu? No way," argued Chie. "He's way too serious and cool to vote for something Yosuke thought of!"

"Gee, thanks."

"It is true he hasn't been acting like himself lately," muttered Yukiko. "I hope things are okay with him..."

Yu leaned against the wall as he watched the passing masses go by him like a stone in a river. No one seemed to pay him much mind, but he promised that was soon to change. It was an old game, one of the oldest in fact, but it was one he was the master at. The game of lying. As simple and sweet as a grain of sugar. It took the young man mere moments to scope out a target and devise a plan of attack. With a flick of his wrist, his glasses were ready to be worn. He placed them on his head and moved in, soon walking into a young girl.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh, no! Please, it was my fault! Are you okay?"

The girl was a poster child for 'cute and nerdy,' so much so Yu had to bite the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from rolling his eyes. Despite his own annoyance and disregard of the girl, his face smiled and offered faux kindness and compassion. "No, please, that was my fault. I didn't look where I was going. I can be such an idiot sometimes," he chuckled, fixing his glasses. "Are you okay, miss?" He took her hand in his and to look for any sign of injury, before pretending to act embarrassed. "Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry!"

"N-no! It's okay! I mean, you're okay. I mean... Your hands are really warm," the girl flushed.

This is almost too easy, thought Yu as he pretended to act coy. "Oh! Uh... T-thank you." Yu looked the rather plain-looking girl over, doing a once over her body when she was looking away. It didn't take long to find the right bait to lure her in. "Is that Millennium Snow?"

"Huh?" The girl's chocolate eyes tilted down to stare at the book in her hand. She turned even more pinkish when she realized the taller boy had seen it. "Oh, uh... I..."

"You're a fan of Bisco Hatori's work too?" he gasped.

"W-wait, you know Bisco Hatori?" The girl's eyes seemed to glisten when she looked at him, and he knew he had her hooked.

"Know her work? I love it! All everyone seems to know is Ouran Host Club, which is amazing, but-"

"But so is the rest of her work! Oh my gosh, I can't believe I finally found someone else who likes her work!"

Gotcha...

The four students left behind were sitting at the small table they had made, acting out what a group date was, or rather, what they hoped it was. Yosuke and the class president sat on one side, Chie and Yukiko on the other. Despite the situation, Yukiko seemed rather distant to the voice calling out her name. She looked at the others and wondered aloud.

"Do you think we should go look for him?"

"Who? Yu? Dude's probably just fine. If I know my partner, he's probably off solving our problem right now, as we speak."

"Solving our problem?" The class president's face wrinkled with uncertainty. "I dunno, I get that he's your friend and all, but he's been acting pretty weird lately. He probably just abandoned us."

"No way would Yu-kun abandon us!" Chie argued, crossing her arms. "He's probably just meditating on how to bring more people in here."

"Meditating? He's a high school student, not a monk, Chie."

"Hey, he looks like the kind of guy who meditates!"

"Meditate or not, I doubt he can pull of that kind of miracle," the president sighed.

"E-excuse me?" Four pairs of eyes swiveled and turned towards the doorway, where a young girl with jet black hair and oversized glasses stared at them. She tried to hide behind her book as she stuttered out a greeting. "H-hi. Y-Yu-kun told me that this is where we can discuss our favorite manga?"

"..."

"My partner, the miracle worker," Yosuke beamed proudly.

"Yu-kun?" repeated the raven-haired girl, her eyes sharpening into a glare.

It didn't take long for the class to be filled with life and laughter.

Yu's handiwork soon became more and more obvious, with more students and more students flooding into the room. When asked, all answered that they had been directed to the cafe by their missing member, Yu Narukami. Soon the class was filled to the brim with students, almost like class was in session, but rather than discussing science or history, the students had grouped their tables together to talk about dating.

It was almost chaotic, but a lively and exciting disorder. The class president was struggling to calm the rambunctious students as one girl tried lunging at another for mentioning how cute Kou Ichijo looked. Yukiko and the others watched with shock, before rushing towards the entrance when the instigator of this chaos, Yu Narukami, entered the room.

"Partner! What the... How the heck did you get so many people to come here?!" questioned Yosuke. The silver-haired boy looked at the headphones donned teenager, before glancing around the room. The others watched as Yu's lips coiled, contorting into a toothy grin. The way his features twisted and turned was unlike anything the three had seen from the silverette. What he said next was even stranger to them.

"What can I say? I'm amazing."

There was a palpable silence as the trio just stared at their leader. He disregarded them as he scoped out his work, pride filling his lungs as his smirk grew. Yukiko voiced what the others thought, her face struggling to not reveal her complete and utter confusion. "Yu-kun? A-are you feeling alright?"

"Just fine, Yukiko," he replied, not even glancing at her. "I'm going to join in the fun, if you don't mind." He didn't even wait for an answer as he passed by them, slipping between Chie and Yosuke and towards the closest empty seat. He sat across from a first-year boy and quickly began chatting him up, uncaring about any stares or looks he got.

"Okay, that's weird," commented Yosuke.

"Maybe he's tired...?"

"He's been acting like this since Naoto joined us..." Both brunettes turned to look at the furious Yukiko. She was glaring at Yu, who was oblivious to her leer. "He hasn't been himself. He's been acting... wrong. He..."

"Yukiko?" Her friend placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm okay, Chie." Yukiko plastered a smile onto her face and she told herself everything was okay, despite the aching in her heart and the writhing in her stomach. "I'm just worried about him." She pulled away and walked briskly towards the entrance. "I'm going to go see if we can have more chairs. We're going to need them at this rate!"

"Man, what's wrong with her?" Yosuke wondered, earning him a glare from the shorter girl.

"Do you seriously not know?" Chie asked, a hint of disbelief in her eyes.

Yosuke met the glare with one of his own as he crossed his arms. "Tell what? What the hell did I do now to piss you off?"

Immediately Chie seemed to regret her actions and she quickly broke the glaring contest to look at a nearby wall. "I'm not telling you if you can't see it. I promised Yukiko I wouldn't tell anyone about it."

"Wait." Yosuke glanced at the doorway where Yukiko had walked through, before glancing at Yu, who left a table to go talk to someone else. He then looked back at the martial artists with wide, walnut eyes. "Whoa... They like each other?!"

"No! I mean, maybe? I know Yukiko likes him, but I don't know if he likes her back!" explained the flustering Chie.

"Well, he probably does. I mean, who doesn't like Yukiko? She's pretty, smart, probably the most beautiful girl in the entire school!" Yosuke grinned, winking at the jacket-clad girl. She responded by elbowing him and rolling her eyes as her cheeks burned crimson. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"Ugh. Nevermind."

Yu winked at the girl as she left her seat. He received her scarlet face for his efforts and he admired his handiwork. The silver-tongued devil had made an effort to remain a good boy for Naoto, but if she could have a bit of fun tonight with some dumbass, why couldn't he spice up his night with a bit of flirting? A corner of his mind tried to speak out about the idea, something about immature and hypocritical, but he disregarded so callously Yukiko or Yosuke might as well have said it.

He heard the seat in front of him groan as it was dragged against the tiled floor. He looked up to see who had the honor of sitting in front of him and he actually needed a minute to put a name to the familiar face. Short, dark green hair that almost looked black and grey eyes... Yu nearly snapped his fingers as he put a name to the tiny figure.

"Ayane, it's good to see you. How are you?" he greeted, playing it cool and artificially caring.

"O-oh! I'm okay! Um... H-how are you?" she stammered.

Gross. Her face is even redder than usual. She sick or something? Despite the slandering thoughts, Yu maintained his facade. "I'm quite alright. I'm glad to see you outside of the club room," he lied. "Any particular reason you decided to go out on a date with me?" he teased, causing her permanently scarlet face to turn an even redder hue. If that was even possible...

"D-date?!" she repeated, and her knees nearly gave out. She fell onto the seat opposite of Yu and she shivered a bit. "Um... I-I wanted to see you, Senpai."

If Yu had to make an analogy, he'd call Ayane a mouse. She was small, tiny, and so easy to bait around. That would make him the cat, looming over her, playing with his food. He struggled to his his arrogance as he nodded. "Oh? Thank you, Ayane. I'm always happy to see you."

"R-really?" she squeaked.

"Of course. You're the best musician in the entire school. How could I not enjoy your company?" Some small, sensible part of his mind screamed at him to stop this game, but his arrogance silenced that voice with ease.

"Oh. Thank you, Senpai... You're so nice. A-and smart too! And talented..."

I know, I know. Please, do go on. "Ayane, please. You're exaggerating."

"I like you, Senpai."

That should have raised a red flag. In fact, the sensible part of his mind was waving several red flags in an attempt to stop Yu from replying. Despite that, he continued to be entrapped by his own arrogance and egotism. "And I like you, Ayane." He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table, not noticing the tremble the girl experienced as he neared her.

"D-do you mean that?"

Her dainty hand touched his, and he felt her fingers coil around his. She squeezed his digits as her grey eyes rose to meet his. The glimmer in her eyes was one that was all too familiar. He had seen in it a dozen different pairs of eyes, some hazel, some black, some blue, some green, but the color was trivial. What mattered was the gleam of hope and adoration. The spark of something stupid and wrong, he realized.

He knew it well, because it was the same glimmer that he had in his own eyes when he saw Naoto. It was the same dumb look in his eyes he had whenever he saw Naoto. The look of someone who had fallen in love, and fallen hard. Yu's stomach writhed and his heartbeat drummed through his mind. Everything was silent when Ayane confirmed his fears.

"Senpai, I... I think I love you."

"Oh." Yu wished he could have said more than that, but any smart quip he thought of was drowned out by the deafening beat of his heart and the utter vacuum his mind had become. He glanced down to their joined hands and he pulled away. His whole frame felt chilled to the bone. She was taken back by the sudden separation and she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"What's wrong with me?" That was what her eyes asked him. It was the same thought that went through everyone he'd ever strung along and broke along the way. Like a child, he played with them, before leaving them broken at the bottom of a chest. He'd have another toy to play with while they cried and screamed and bellowed, "What did I do wrong?"

He recognized that question well. He'd made so many people experience it, but only now did the full weight of his actions fall on him. How much he had hurt them. He tried to suppress it as he finally uttered something out. "Ayane. I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied, her voice brimming with desperation and need. "W-whatever you're worried about, it'll be okay. I can be strong enough. You watch, Senpai, I'll be the girl you want me to be. Confident, and pretty, a-and smart..."

"But you shouldn't have to be. I-I mean, you shouldn't try to be that for me..." Yu's arrogance, his smugness, it melted away like snow under the sun. He tried to breathe, but his throat felt tight, like a boot was stomping down on it. "Ayane, I-I'm not who you think I am. You don't want to be with me."

"..."

"I'm mean." That's the understatement of the year. "I-I'm not just mean. I'm a psycho. I'm a horrible, awful person. A scumbag. I'm the lowest kind of shit." Yu placed his hands on the table as he struggled to explain who the real Yu was. "I manipulated you. I lied to you, to make you think I was this amazing, kind Samaritan, when in fact, I've broken so many hearts, I've lost count. I... I am not a good person."

Silence. Again. Yu's stomach lurched as the void seemed to suck up every sound that was uttered between the two. He looked at Ayane, expecting her to whimper or cry, but she didn't. She was quiet as he silently pleaded for her to say something to his confession. She was silent as he reached out to her. His hand neared hers, only for him to hesitate. Instead, Yu raised his arm and gently placed it on her shoulder.

"A-Ayane?"

"You don't have to lie to me." She sounded so small. So weak. It was like she was bleeding and it took all of her strength to whimper out her dying breath. He could hear her struggling to breathe as the corners of her eyes filled with tears. Yu could feel a pain in his chest as guilt and shame flooded his insides. "If you don't like me, then just say it. I-I know you don't like me. Why would you?" she wondered. "Just, please, Senpai... D-don't lie to me."

"Ayane, I'm not lying! The person you fell for, he doesn't exist. The real Yu is a bad guy and-"

"Stop it!" She tore herself from her seat and ran. She wiped her sleeve against her glistening eyes as her chair clattered to the floor.

"Ayane! Wait!" Yu didn't give it a second thought. He rose from his own seat and took off after her, ignoring Yosuke's voice as he broke into a ran. He dashed out the doorway and saw the sobbing girl stumbling down the hall, towards the stairs. He gave chase, pushing and slipping past anyone in his way. "Ayane!"

If Yu's mind could stop for a moment, he might have wondered why he was chasing after the crying girl. In the past, when he shattered a heart he never cared about it. In fact, he'd probably make an effort to crush it under his boot as he walked away. But his past told the story of a very different man. Yu didn't know what he could say to make her pain go away. He didn't know if he could really explain how much of himself had changed from the day he first met Ayane to now.

He wasn't sure of much, but he was sure he had to try. He had to try to make things right.

Ayane was already running down the stairs to the first floor. It took Yu only a moment to figure out a way to cut her off. He saw the indoor balcony that hung over the first floor hall and he made pushed his body even after. Thankfully, time spent in the other world was excellent for his physical health. He leaped over the balcony's edge, before grabbing onto it with his hand. With an impressive amount of physical strength, he swung himself down, landing right between Ayane and the front door, not to mentioning wowing several other students.

"I said, wait!" Yu was panting, but his body was still a wall. He was able to trap the crying girl, stunning her enough for a moment of respite. He saw the stares others gave him and without any warning, he grabbed Ayane's free arm, tugging her towards the front entrance. She didn't put up any kind of fight as they walked out of the school.

Once he had found a relatively secluded area, he released her arm, ready to chase after her again. When she showed no signs of fleeing his side, he sighed in relief. "Ayane. I wasn't lying."

"..."

"Ayane, please. I'm not making any of this up! The guy you spoke to, the one you fell for? He doesn't exist, and if he does, he sure as hell isn't me!"

She didn't respond for several seconds, before she forced out a shudder. "You lied to me?" Yu couldn't look her in the eyes when she looked at him.

"Yeah. I lied to you." He felt the twisting in his gut get worse as his mouth felt dry. His silver tongue seemed to rust in his mouth as she stared at him, tears flowing freely now.

"Why? Why would you... What did I ever do to you?!" She was sobbing one and Yu tried consoling her. He reached out a hand to her, but the girl smacked his hand away angrily, leering at him with puffy, scarlet eyes. "I loved you, and-and you're telling me you were faking it?! I loved you! We were supposed to be happy together..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Why?! Why did you lie to me like that?! What was the point?!" Yu muttered an answer, but Ayane couldn't hear it. The floodgates were opened, her inhibitions gone, her heart shattered... "Why?! Why lie to me like that?! Why did you make me feel like I even had a chance?!"

When Yu Narukami began his path of redemption, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't be the same man he started it as. He wouldn't be the uncaring, cruel liar. He wouldn't be a void who manipulated others to fill some hole in his heart. He wouldn't wear a mask. In the past, he stumbled and he faltered at times, but here and now, he stuck true to his promise.

He told the truth.

"Because I thought it was fun. Because I thought you were a good time waster."

The slap was audible and it left a discolored print on Yu's face. Ayane's hand smacked into his cheek with all the strength she could muster, which sadly wasn't much. All the same, Yu took the hit quietly, accepting his punishment without a word of anger or pain. His silver eyes slowly rose up to meet her gaze, and he saw the furious glare she gave.

She had never looked at him like that before. It was always respect and admiration, not this. The spark in her eye was gone, replaced with a different, yet equally familiar flare. Hatred. It was the same look half of his exs gave him when they found out how he had manipulated him. They hated him, and now, Ayane did too.

He tried to say something, but all he could utter was, "I'm sorry."

Ayane didn't bother saying anything in response. She just walked away, rubbing her sleeve against her bloodshot eyes. Yu could feel whatever bond they had come undone. Every strand of lies that linked them together was cut, until only a single thread laid between them. It wasn't strong, and it seemed ready to fall, but it was there. It was real, at least.

Yu Narukami stood outside the school for what felt like hours. He moved from where Ayane had slapped him and he sat against the school's wall, taking in slow, deliberate breaths. His mind's eye saw images race by. The people he had hurt. The lies he fed others. It was so easy to manipulate others, so easy to make them fall for him, but why did he do it?

The truth was supposed to help him heal and grow. All it did tonight was make him feel revolted with himself.

"Shit," he muttered, moving a hand through his silver hair. I can't... I can't stay down. Come on, you dumb fuck, get up. Do something. He stood on wobbling, trembling legs and he let out a sigh. His eyes drifted towards the direction Ayane had gone. Deal with that later. One shitty problem at a time. Yu placed a hand on his cheek, and had he forgotten, he never would have known he'd be smacked.

Yu released another sigh, before he walked back towards the school's entrance. He melted into the flowing masses, walking around and through the crowd as other students talked and laughed, ignorant of his problems. Part of him hoped to melt away completely, and try to just forget everything. No cares. No worries. Have some fun. He sneered at the thought and bitterly chuckled. Look how far that's gotten me...

Instead, Yu's night continued to be an exciting one. He came to a stop when he saw a familiar hat atop a familiar head of cerulean hair. Naoto? He could have left it alone. He could have just walked away into another direction and completely disregarded it. Yet, he wanted to see her. He wanted to be around her, even if it meant he might get a little heartache in the process.

In for a penny. And with that, Yu's gaze followed after the Detective Prince, his body keeping himself a few paces behind her and her blonde-haired date. Yu watched them go, slipping through the seemingly endless masses of the student body. He saw how close the two walked, side by side, and it made his blood boil. But he had to know how it was going. He had to see.

Call it curiosity, or dread, or paranoia, but he wanted to see how their date was going. He kept his distance as he pursued them, watching them go towards one of the school exits. They stopped in front of a classroom and Kanji motioned inside. The two entered the room and Yu dashed towards the doorway. He hid himself behind the wall, peeking into the class with an inquisitive stare.

Naoto and Kanji were standing in a restaurant-themed classroom. The girls and boys of the class were handing out bowls of food, each of them dressed in formal wear more fitting of a ball or gala. Kanji and Naoto sat at a table and were attended by a young woman who seemed to beam at the two in a way that made Yu's blood boil. It was like the two had been dating for weeks and this was just another outing for them. They looked so happy... She looked happy. So at ease...

It made his skin crawl.

Kanji was talking, but the silverette couldn't hear the exchange. Their voices were blocked out by the white noise of the festival. Kanji reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It only took Yu a few moments to realize it was some sort of stuffed animal, with a keychain connected to it. Even from across the classroom, the unseen stalker could see that the small trinket was of a stylized, cutesy, bird. It was a gorgeous shade of blue and was frozen mid-flight.

Yu watched as Naoto wrapped her delicate fingers around it and marvel at the craftsmanship. He didn't need to hear her to tell she loved the gift. The look on her face, the smile, and the glistening light he saw in those cobalt eyes made Yu's heart twist. He felt jealousy. Revulsion. Happiness.

Shit. Shit shit shit... The smile on her face. She was so happy... That somehow made it all better, and hurt a thousand times more. Naoto was having fun on her date with Kanji. She was smiling, and Yu was happy for her, but it made his heart ache more and more. Naoto was having a good time...

Naoto could actually fall for Kanji.

He wanted to storm in and make a scene. He wanted to march himself over and deck Kanji and tell Naoto she belonged with him. He wanted Naoto. But a voice in his head held him back. It pleaded for him to calm down and be the better person. This time, he listened.

Make her happy. Take care of her. God damn it, Kanji, be the right one for her. Make her happy... He released his rage and frustration in a single sigh. He didn't feel better, but he felt lighter. He stared at Naoto's smiling face one last time, before he turned to walk away. Have a good night, Naoto. Whatever it takes.

"Senpai?"

Yu nearly jumped at the word, swiveling his head to find a familiar girl approaching him. For a moment, part of him wondered if Ayane came back. Instead, he found Rise at his side, staring at him with wide, hazel eyes.

He stared blankly as she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Yu chuckled at his own luck, shaking his head before he answered honestly. "Spying. You?" A moment's hesitation was all it took. He saw the skittish bounce of her eyes and the tension in her figure, before he smiled, weakly. "Wow. You too? Really?"

"I..."

"Hey. Save it." Yu rolled his shoulders as he walked closer to Rise's side. "Want to get something to eat? My treat. We can talk about our woes. Develop our characters. Bitch to each other," he teased. He walked past the stunned girl and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and quietly counted his bills as Rise played catch up.

"S-Senpai, aren't you mad at me?"

"I was. Maybe still am. Don't care right now," he shrugged. "I hear Aika's class is serving noodles from Aiya's. You good with that?" She kept staring at him, scrutinizing him under her disbelieving gaze. He sighed and rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath as he asked, "What now, Rise?"

"Are you feeling okay, Yu?"

"No, not really." Yu's lips curled into an upside down crescent. His smile was weak, and looked ready to break, but it was there. "I've spent most of the night being angry, depressed, and stupid. Time to take a break..."

END

The first part of the Culture Festival Saga begins! Yu continues to neglect Yukiko as the sins of his past chase after him. He continues to grow and develop as a person, but that path continues to be a long and hard one.

Next chapter is a special one. It'll be about Naoto and Kanj's date, and the end of the first night of the Culture Festival. How will Naoto react when Kanji admits his feelings to her? Will she unknowingly break Yu's heart and fall for the tough guy with a heart of gold? And what of Rise and Yu? Will they continue to bond over their kindred spirits? PROBABLY, but other stuff will happen too.

Next chapter, a heart or two might break... Chapter 21 - Without Yu.