Mana here. You know the drill.

"Yes, Yuki, I know you're Hikaru."

Yuki froze. This is terrible! This is the last thing I wanted anyone to find out besides the Sohma curse! Scratch that; this is better than finding
about the Sohma curse!

"Um, Ayame?" Yuki said after so long, "would you mind getting out of the room, please?"

Ayame understood. (for once) He left.

After Yuki was sure he was gone, he invited Machi to sit on his couch with him.

"Ok, Machi. It's time I explain everything. I'm Yuki Sohma but I'm playing the double role as Hikaru. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner and you had to find out the bad way."

"Yuki, don't apologize. It's my fault for meddling."

"But, it would have seen obvious by now. Remember that night of the concert? And the fact that I've been falling asleep during Student Council and how sometimes I'm always gone from school or leaving early."

"Um, Yuki?"

"Yes?"

"I just have two questions. One, why are you doing the Hikaru thing?"

"Why? Because I want to find a way to gain confidence in myself while making others happy."

"But you are already making so many of our classmates happy by being our student council president."

"Yes, but I want to do something that I want to do, something I enjoy doing."

Machi stayed quiet for a while.

"Then," she said, "how come you want to keep it a secret from everyone else?"

"Because I don't want them to treat me any different from what they're treating me now."

"How does that make a difference?"

"Well, everyone calls me Prince Yuki, right?"

"Yes."

"I want them to see me as just Yuki Sohma. Not Hikaru. Then they'll treat me like Hikaru."

Machi again fell to silence.

"So," Machi said, "I guess I should be going now?"

"Ok," Yuki smiled back, "But please keep everything we did and say a secret."

"Sure." Machi got up and so did Yuki.

"You act like it's nothing," Yuki looked at her with strong eyes.

"I told you, I won't tell-" Yuki cut off Machi and pinned her to the wall."

"Please Machi, I don't want anything we did or said to come out of this room. If it does, then I'll be ruined and I know who to blame, understand?"

Machi nodded.

"Okay," she said. Then she ran off.

Yuki sighed in relief and threw himself on the couch.

"I'm glad I can trust Machi," he said to himself. Apparently, Yuki wasn't as alone as he thought he was. If he only paid attention to that red blinking light, everything could have beens saved.

The next day at school everyone had been acting strangely. They kept whispering among each other about something. It didn't end during class but Mayu didn't say anything about it. It's just a celebrity gossip, that's all.

It was lunch now. Yuki walked out to go to a Student Council meeting. Oh look, it's Machi, he thought once he saw her.

"Hey, Ma--" Before he could say anything else a bunch of girls (probably not from his class) knocked over the first year treasurer with large sticks (something like the ones Uotani would carry.)

"How could you?" They yelled at Machi.

"You're a bitch, you know that?"

"You're probably the most hated person at this school!"

The said a few more things Yuki couldn' t hear through the sounds of the whacks.

Yuki panicked internaly. Crap. I can't fight them! They're girls, and I'll transform! He grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it on them.(Very Hikaru-like, Yuki)

They screamed and then looked at him.

"Uh...Machi's late for a meeting and I don't want her go get in trouble?"

The girls smiled and nodded.

"Anything for you, Yuki-kun!"

The left. Yuki bent over and brushed off some of the solid carbon dioxide (that's the stuff in the fire extinguisher) off of Machi.

"Machi? What was that about? Are you ok?"

Machi looked at him with tears in her eyes and ran off at high speed.

Do they think there's something going on with me and Machi? Because we're always together these days?

Yuki left the scene and went to the student council room, where Machi was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Yun-Yun!!!!!" Manabe practically glomped Yuki, which made him fall over.

"Sorry, man," Manabe helped him up. "Hey, where's Machi? I'd think she'd be with you."

"Oh," Yuki thought, "I haven't seen her."

"Yeah, 'cause she's been pretty dazed since last night."

"Odd."

They continued on with their meeting. That is, until Yuki's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" He said, somewhat annoyed.

"YUUUUUUUUUKIIIIIIIIIII COME HERE RIGHT NOW PLEASE!!!!!! It was clearly Ayame's voice on the other end.

"Niisan, I'm busy. Can't you find another time for this?"

"Yuki, but it's important!! It's about Hikaru!"

Yuki froze. "Um…ok." He hung up.

"Well Yun-Yun, who was it?"

"I…er…I have to go. Manabe, you're in charge."

Manabe gleamed. "LEAVE IT TO ME!"

Yuki ran out of the school, knowing something was bad. Did it have to do with what happened with Machi?

"Yuki! Thank goodness! It's terrible! Get in the limo right now and I'll explain to the authorities." Ayame rushed Yuki in the car and drove off.

The whole ride Yuki couldn't stop thinking about what's going to happen. In the car, Ayame quickly helped Yuki get into the Hikaru getup.

When he arrived at a building, cameras started flashing at him. People were screaming mean things and he couldn't understand why.

He entered the safety of the building, which he now realized was one of the public offices.

"Hello, Hikaru," a man said to him.

"Um, hello," Yuki replied nervously, "what's going on, do you know?"

"Oh, Hikaru, it's terrible!" Ayame yelled out. "Take a look!"

Ayame shoved a magazine under Yuki's nose. But not just any magazine. Up on the top in big bold letters it screamed "Hikaru's secret affair!" And the picture below; yup, Yuki cornering Machi in his dressing room."

Sorry I didn't update in time! What with school and all you must understand. YES!! I got a 4.0 this quarter and I'm quite proud of it. Thank you for reading! And don't forget to review! Sorry again for the inconvenience!

-mana