Lalala...dragging out the festival lol -bricked-

"Fine Line"

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." --C. S. Lewis

Chapter 11: 1st Hour of Prisma Fest

A groan crawled out of my throat, as I trudged through the crowd of femme fatales. It wasn't really packed here in this place, mainly due to the large space available. But it was still crowded enough, and this shocked me, especially cause this was a private event and I did not expect this many attendees.

My shoulder accidentally bumped with someone else's, and I quickly turned to apologize. But the woman only 'hmphed' at me and turned her nose upwards, sashaying off.

"What a feline princess…" Aya shook her fist at the woman's back.

"You'll probably see more of them here, and some worse than her." Asuka commented, sipping at a bottle of beer she managed to snag off a waiter. "Hell, some of them will probably think of us as one too!"

It had only been 10 minutes since the end of the opening ceremony and I was already feeling fatigued. We're standing inside one large hall right now, and it was labeled the Jade Hall on the map. True to its name, various jade colored crystals and jade gems itself were hung about the room, and the chandelier glimmering above us casted off a serene green glow, accompanied by the other smaller white chandeliers around it.

I shifted around on my foot. "Can we….go to my room to get my camera-"

"No~" Rinko and Aya cut me off before I could even finish, each grabbing me by the arm and pulling me along. I sighed internally. I suppose there is no way I can go around at my own pace and enjoy this architectural wonder, especially now, when the festival has just officially began and these two as well as Asuka are itching to have some fun.

'I guess I'll have to go around on my own later to get pictures…,' But I shivered at the thought of having to wander around myself in this huge place.

Fate however, seems to be out to get me today.

My eyelids fluttered in confusion and cluelessness, before my head followed and snapped side to side frantically.

"Aya-chan?! Asuka-chan?"

No one answered me.

"……..Yura-chan?" I squeaked, feeling the beginnings of panic take hold of me.

Everything seemed to blur together, as I realized I lost them.

How did I lose them anyway?! One minute they were in front of me, the next they were gone!!

What made matters worst is that I didn't have a map on me. I didn't care if I got to any of the events and activities. I just wanted to know where the heck I am going!

Not knowing where I was headed, I started pushing through the crowds and going through various rooms.

Curse this palace! Beautiful as it was, it's too big!

Just as I was about to cry from the sheer panic that coursed through me, and the unforgiving feeling of being alone, I heard a familiar voice that I never thought I would ever appreciate.

"Marui-san!" I cried, in relief.

Always I had found that his voice placed me into a position of dread and annoyance, but I couldn't be happier this time.

He was the only one here that called out to me, the only one available that I knew in this place right now.

The man blinked in confusion when he saw my slightly pink eyes. "Oi….were you crying?"

I inhaled sharply, trying to cover up my sniff and calm my trembling heart. "N-no…"

"Right…you were." He looked around, and failed to see any of my friends with me. "You got separated?"

"…………" My head dropped, and I scratched my cheeks, not wanting him to see the flare of red on my face, and how much being alone in an unfamiliar place affected me.

A short and cheerful chuckle left him. "Hey, no worries now. You've got the genius me!"

I nodded hesitantly, and he placed his arms behind his head. "Atobe holds this festival to ensure everyone has a good time, so if he sees you crying with me, I'll get fired. So cheer up, alright?" He laughed joyfully, reaching out a finger to push against my cheeks, pulling my mouth up with it.

I could not help but put out a smile, even if it's just for his efforts at cheering me up. It was a silly matter to cry over, but it was something that I could not help.

I never wanted to come here in the first place, and I came because of Aya and also because I thought that I would always have familiar people around me. Suddenly being lost like that…I felt like a child who got separated from their parents in Disneyland. I might be in the most magical place in the whole of the earth, but suddenly losing the people closest to me would send me into an abyss of despair.

"Why are you here anyway?" I asked.

The usual bubble emerged from his mouth, but it was a pale pink this time. "I'm suppose to head to an activity I will be running. Had to walk through this hall to get there. Fastest way to the west side of the garden." He shrugged. "I'm also a host. I'm supposed to keep customers happy." He winked at me, before starting off in the direction he was heading to before he saw the disaster that was me.

I didn't very much want to ask this of him, but right now, he was the only one around…"Can I come…with you?" My voice was meek, like a damn little kid. I hated myself sometimes for this; yet, I couldn't do much about it for this side of mine always took over.

That shy and turtle nature of mine.

He gave me a stunning smirk, and that had two girls walking by ensuing into heated chatter. "I don't mind. I can show off my genius skills to more people then."

I would have deadpanned at him and left right then and there at any other time, but I needed company right now. At least, until I get a hold of a map for myself, which is in my room, which I cant find without a map…

Our trek there wasn't long, yet it wasn't short either. Mainly cause he got ambushed by girls from right and left almost every 5 minutes. And I would wait outside the circle patiently, feeling out of place, as he finished chatting up the girls and have them on their merry way with giggles leaving their mouths in torrents.

We finally arrived, and one of the most beautiful and feminine man I had ever seen came up to Marui instantly.

I recognized him as the host Yukimura Seiichi.

He frowned at the red-head grinning sheepishly in front of him, eyes narrowing into a soft yet harsh glare. "Marui, you're late."

"Sorry, Yukimura." Marui seemed to stammer. It only seemed like he did to me, because I didn't think that confident host can be afraid of someone so fragile looking.

I felt that I had to step up and take the blame for Marui, since he did stop to cheer me up and have my sluggish self tag along. But I'm also slightly scared of what Yukimura might think of me after…I didn't like it when people disliked me….

I gulped, and took a tentative step forward. "I-It's my fault, Yukimura-san."

He blinked, deep blue eyes focusing on me. "Ishimaru-san?"

"I…got lost and Marui took the trouble of helping me…that's why he's late…" I murmured, feeling uneasy under his gaze. I can understand why Marui was so afraid now.

But his eyes seemed to soften, and he smiled kindly at me. "I see." He turned towards Marui, whose shoulder has slumped from relief. "Still, it's not right to keep the others waiting. The guests have been waiting for the activity to start for sometime now. Everyone is already prepared."

"I'll go now and get the activity started then!" Marui piped up, and seemed almost all too eager to get out of Yukimura's unwavering gaze.

As he disappeared, Yukimura turned to me. "Would you care to join the activity, Ishimaru-san?"

"Ahhh…" I don't think I want to, without knowing what it was first. "What activity is it?"

"It's more of a competition really." He chuckled, and beckoned me to follow him. "Come and see."

I was brought over to an area with many tables placed in an orderly fashion. Each table had…cooking utensils and materials?

"A cooking contest..?" That was one I hadn't thought of.

"A mochi making contest, to be exact." The man beside me smiled, and he walked up to the front where a judging panel is placed. Marui was at the table, writing down on an elaborately decorated clipboard. Jackal was standing next to him, pointing at the things he wrote and correcting them when needed.

Jackal noticed my presence, and quickly gave me a polite greeting. "Would you like to join Ishimaru-san?" He asked me, quickly earning a feverish shake of my head.

"N-No thanks. I'll just watch…"

"That's too bad. You might win." Marui looked up at me from the clipboard.

"I'm terrible at cooking…"

"So are half of the other participants." He laughed, and I quirked a confused eyebrow. He noticed. "Most of these ladies are from refined families, local and abroad. They have chefs cooking for them."

"Marui, don't say that about our guests." Jackal reprimanded before turning to me. "If you wish to watch, you can take a seat here." He pointed at a group of cushioned chairs nearby the judging panel.

"Okay…" I hurriedly took a seat, and it was lucky of me that I did for the rest quickly filled up too. I couldn't tell if the other girls with me was there to watch the mochi making, or the hosts though.

As the contest started, Yukimura sat at the judging panel with one other man sporting black hair and black eyes. He looked pretty strict…

Marui and Jackal, along with several other hosts went around the tables, watching the women cook and making notes into their clipboards.

It wasn't all that fairly exciting, but the contestants seemed to be having fun making the mochi's with their friends and even strangers. I guess I don't find it all that fun because I'm sitting out here on the sidelines…again.

It wasn't long before the contest ended, and a winner was decided. I kind of expected it, but it was still funny and surprising to see Marui as the taste judge, and he went about eating up the mochi's rather quickly.

A woman in her late thirties (wow, people at that age still attends host clubs…similar to the woman Ootori comforted I suppose…) and her two friends won with their strawberry skin with red and green bean paste mochi.

I didn't know what it was that they won, since it was wrapped in gold paper. Waiters quickly came on set and cleared up the area, and Marui approached with a plate of the winning mochi. He offered the plate to me. "It's really good~ want some?"

"Err…I'll pass…" I declined, and he retracted his hand, munching, looking down at me contemplatively. "You need to try new things more. You looked awfully bored just now."

I bit my lip and glared at him. "No, I wasn't! And…it's none of your business!"

"Have I ever told you that you were a bad liar?" He had finished up the plate already, during our short conversation. A waiter passed by and he placed the plate onto the tray he was holding.

"Mah, it doesn't matter I suppose. Let's go." It was a order.

I gaped at him. "Go? Go where?"

His lavender eyes went heavenwards. "Come on, cant you take a chance, trust me, and just follow me without asking?" He seemed to plead up to the heavens.

"If…you're finding me annoying, I can go-Woah!" He had pulled me up from my seat suddenly. "I'm sorry, Kumiko-hime," He stressed on my name. "But as a host, I can't let my customer get away from me, or I'd lose business."

"But I'm not your-" I wish people would let me finish my sentences, because I seemed to get cut off a lot today. I followed him in dejection, feeling his warm hands holding onto mine.

It was still very annoying, how he intruded on my privacy, and his very frequent sarcastic and snarky comments.

But I can also appreciate him for that, as I did now. At least I wont be alone during this festival until I find Aya and the-

"By the way, you're going to join the Empedocles, a water event."

"W-what?!"

Screw appreciating him.

Eh...the events of today and yesterday night in this thing called life made me lose my ideas for the festival T_T Lost sight of what I wanted to aim for with it...sigh Will have to regain it back through vigorous ogling of Marui screentime and nitpicking at a bunch of cheesy movies.

A vote here: Would you like the festival to be dragged out, or should it end quickly in 2-3 chapters?

Thanks for the review guys~ =D

SapphireBreeze19: lool Did it come off as jealousy? XD I did think of that as I wrote it, but I guess its all up to how the readers interpret the things I write called 'sentences' lol

PhoenixRage92: =0 how is it that sentence was so funny? XXD I never watched Hana Kimi, so I'm not too entirely sure what they did in there haha But this mochi one was lame lol lost my train of thought at 1am XD Hmm where are you from though? I visit Hong Kong alot, mainly to get some anime merchandise imports from Japan. Just got myself the new Prince of Tenis bromide set ;3 bought the whole box again haha *is going broke*

xHakumeix: I'm glad you like this =D and share the same thought with me on characters falling in love after 5 minutes T_T I'm afraid that people will get bored reading this, cause they wanted quick action D:

Juunin: XD Yush, MaruiXKumiko-chan haha And glad you liked Shiraishi and Kenya with them xD;

Lady Ladington: I'd rather have a bear hug from Marui ;D And will something happen in the festival? Or will it just lead to events outside the festival? Or will nothing happen at all~? Thats for me to know and you to....well, find out? XD I freak when guys are forward. It scares me =( makes it worst when they are attractive too! I dont know about readers wanting a lot of chapters though. They might get bored with the lack of action and stop reading x_X I guess I have to know how to balance my writing out x_x Updating more? I'm not updating enough? =( I thought I was...this is the fastest rate I've been decking out chapters...usually it takes months at least... T_T But is this chappie fast enough? One day, lol xD but it was crap and a filler. Just a little more progress into the sloth pace of their relationship. Well, school opens in 4 days. Not sure about fast updates after that haha x_X