AN: Finally I managed to get CH 4 up! The log-in page was down, so I couldn't put it up. I am also thankful I found the time to write this. I just got a new job, so now it's difficult to find the time to update. I'll try to update it at least once a week on the weekends. Alright, I didn't get in too much depth about Asume's friends as I said I would, but they have more "screen time" than the leading girl in this chapter. I hope you like. Please read, enjoy and review!

CHAPTER 4

"Shopping Madness"

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The daylight spilled into the darkness of sleep and the wispy sounds of voices filtrated into his hearing.

"Wow. I never see anyone sleep so deep," said a soft voice.

"Let him sleep a little longer, if he needed too. We did kept him up, after all," said another.

"It's because he's a princess," a more deeper voice suggested. It was at that time, the "princess'" eyes opened to see six faces looking at his sleepiness. His face redden and eyes enlarged in astonishment. He pulled his covering to himself in reaction.

"What is everyone doing here?!" he angered and turned his intense gaze over to the other male in the room. "Or should I ask HOW did everyone get in here!" The other boy walked in front of the six girls and grinned.

"You have been sleeping for…err..." the boy looked at his watch, "…two hours since we are here. I came alone at first, then the girls became curious and wondered what happened to their dear escort. However, we are glad you are wide awake. Now we exit, stage left! Come on, everyone! Yun-Yun- hime is up!" He gave Yuki a quick grin and took his girlfriend by the shoulders as they exited with everyone.

"We are happy that you are awake Yuu-chan!" Rina chimed as she exited and shut the door behind her. Yuki stared at the door in amazement that everyone watched him sleep for two hours.

Two hours? Man, that was deep sleeping! Have to get up!

He got up and paced his way to the bathroom down the hallway. He could hear female voices downstairs as he crossed from above. He quickly washed up and dressed in a white buttoned shirt and kakis. Down the stairs he rushed to the kitchen to see two of the girls sitting at the table.

"Ohayo, Yuu-chan," Noriko said when she turned around.

"Did you sleep well, Yuu-chan?" said Akira, sitting next to her.

"Yeah. I think I slept too well, eheh." Yuki grinned sheepishly with his hands in his pockets.

"It's alright! We are at fault for keeping you, especially me!" Akira said.

"It's alright, Isira-san. I am just a late sleeper."

"Now that you are up, we saved breakfast for you!" Noriko sing-songed as she displayed Yuki's plate in front of him.

"It's leek omelet, with the side of rice and miso soup!" she beamed.

Yuki moved to the table and sat on the other side of the girls. He smiled at the food served to him. "Arigato, Isira-san and Wantabe-san. Idakimas!" The boy felt a surge of happiness as he ate his food.

Why do I feel like this all of the sudden? Was I thinking of her? Her food was always this good. I guess this taste has brought back this elated memory.

"Is it good? I didn't overcook it did I?" Noriko asked.

"It's perfect. Just like how she used to fix it at home," Yuki revealed his inner thoughts without thinking what he was saying.

"Your mother?" Akira questioned.

As Yuki was eating, his eyes widen in realization. He put his lowered his chopsticks and just smiled with a slight nervousness. Should I tell them about her? "No…my…friend, our housekeeper at home…cooks like you do."

Noriko reacted with a beam. "Really? I am quite flattered! I am glad to cook for you anytime!"

Akira on the other hand, was more curious about the housekeeper. "You are friends with your housekeeper? Isn't she an old woman?"

Should I tell?

"Ano…that is…"

The group was interrupted with another coming in from the sliding doors behind them. Manabe was the first to enter, following his girlfriend and Rina. "Hey, Yun-Yun! Ready to be a gentleman to the ladies?" he cheerfully asked as he pat Yuki on the shoulder.

"When ever you are…room invader." Yuki seethed as he remembered Manabe's earlier actions.

"Room invader? Hey! You are the sleeping beauty! You needed to sleep longer to regain you beauty powers! " Manabe retorted.

"Well… maybe I do!" Yuki returned with a comeback. He gritted his teeth as he wringed the boy's neck.

"Alright, Miss Yuki!" the other boy teased as he mirrored Yuki's actions.

"Okay, let's get going!" Kimi called from the living room area. She appeared at the doorway with her lacy white shirt and jean skirt. Behind her was the plainer dressed girl who just stood quietly behind her. She had on a pale yellow buttoned shirt with a medium-length matching skirt. The boys quickly made up from their bickering and stepped through the doorway of the kitchen. One of their eyes set on the plain dressed girl.

"Machi, you look cute today," he smiled and commented. "That outfit really suits you." The girl reacted with a blush. However, the boy next to him begins to boil with his uncontrollable rage.

"PERVERT IN THE CLOSET! I SHALL VANQUISH YOU!" he bellowed. The girls were stunned by surprised at his sudden rage.

"Will you stop with that nonsense!" Yuki irately said. "You're really making yourself look stupid!"

"I am not the one being perverted!" Manabe cried. "Seductress!"

"Seductress, eh?" Yuki turned and throttled the boy's neck. "I think you overreacted just a little bit!" he said, tensing his words.

Kimi ignored the fight and opened the front door. She and the girls walked out as the boys fought. Asume looked back at the two quarrelers. "You two will have time to fight when we come back! Let's get going!" she scolded. The boys gave each other intense glances and mellowed as the exited.

When everyone's outside, everybody looked questionably at Manabe's car. With two extra passengers, it would be a tight squeeze. Yuki studied these expressions and sweat dropped.

I know exactly what they are thinking.

Manabe analyzed the situation with a low level of seriousness. "Why don't Yun-Yun sit on one of your laps, since he is a skirt chaser." Asume and Yuki acted in response with a smack on the boy's head. "Ow! Ow! Gomen!"

"Let Yuu-chan sit in the front! Me and the girls will squeeze in the back! We are all small enough to squeeze in!" Asume angrily said, pointing it out to her dismissive boyfriend. She stormed to the back doors of the car and opened it. "Machi, you could go first since you are the smallest." She held out the door for the girl as the girl entered. She was followed by Kimi, Noriko, Akira, Asume, Rina, Miki and Suisuki. When the last girl entered, she closed the door and crammed the other five like sardines. The girl at the other end winced in the tightness of the squeeze. At the same time, the boys came into the front passenger seats and fasten their seat belts. Manabe turned to see if the girls are alright. Asume scooted up forward, so more space could be provided. She smiled at her beau, "Everything's alright, Nabe-chan! Let's go before we all suffocate!" Yuki sat silently in the front, feeling remorse for the girls.

"Off to the mall we go!" he chimed and started the car.

The drive was a silent one, for the females in the back tried not ram into each other every time the driver, Manabe, makes a turn. The "suffocation" ended in fifteen minutes after Manabe found a space in a packed lot. The girls helped him find the space out of desperation. They all piled out of the car and stretched. Rina, being the tallest of all girls, felt claustrophobic for that period of time. She was the most relieved to be free.

"Ahh! We're here!" she said as she stretched. She turned to Yuki and took his arm. "Let's start our fun here, Yuu-chan! Yay!" She skipped away with Yuki being lead by her. They were followed by the rest of her friends, excluding Kimi, Machi and Asume who just watched.

"A-Ano.." Yuki tried to say something but it was already too late to reject.

"It looks like Rina-chan is the escort!" Kimi joked as she watched the pair departing. Machi also watched with her usual despondent expression. "Alright, Machi, it looks like Kimi will have to escort you! Let's see all the places Kimi wants to see!" The girls walked side by side, followed by the couple, Manabe and Asume.

The group entered a huge complex filled with shops and people. Eyes were gazing at the boy surrounded with five girls. Young men were thinking how lucky he must be to have such good looks and cute women, while the young girls gawked at his beauty. Yuki really felt intensity from those stares, but ignored them. He told himself not to break the promise of his new friends just because he was being stared at. From behind, passing Machi and Kimi, Manabe smirked at Yuki's silent popularity at the mall.

"Yun-Yun got it looking good over there," he remarked to the girl beside him.

Asume reacted to the comment with a frown. "I hope that is what he wants. Is there any one person he rather spend time with?"

"Nah, Yun-Yun has always been the shy type. Now, he proudly and carefreely displayed his charms without fear. He was so stick tight before."

"I am glad he's felt that way around my friends," she said as she looked down. "I was worried that we'll make him totally uncomfortable."

"Yeah, it's too bad that you all have to go soon." Manabe held the girl closer as they walked along the line of shops.

Yuki was being pulled from right to left to the different shops in the mall to aid his friends in their clothing choice. The boy had a real hard time being their critic because he wanted them to chose what they liked, despise his choice.

"What kind of style do you like, Yuu-chan?" Miki asked as she shifted through a rack of shirts.

"Well…" Yuki thought in his mind what he preferred. He thought of the girl earlier and her clothing choice. "Simplcity is elegant," he answered. "A style which speaks a person's personality. Simple and elegant."

"Aww…how poetic!" Miki said clapsing her hands near her cheeks. "I thought that's what you like…after that short cute comment this morning! That was so nice and cute of you. I bet that girl was taken by your words!"

Yuki redden little as he looked away. "I was only complementing her."

"All it takes is one compliment to take a girl's heart away." Miki gently smile at him as her friends came with different type of clothing in their hands. They pulled her aside to show her, while Yuki held on to her comment.

"I won't forget that," he said as he watched the girls enjoying their favoirte pastime.

Meanwhile, Kimi took Machi to a little stationary shop. The girls browsed the shop and its contents. Machi spotted a flower and leaf -pressed stationary set. She held the package in her hands as she examined it. It reminded her about a certain hand-made trinket long ago.

"It's because Machi like the red color of leaf, ne?"

"I will never forget that."

"Oh! That's a cute set, Machi!" Kimi said from behind. "Do you like stationary? Kimi does!" The girl held up a pastel stationary set with a little puppy dog design on it. "Cute, ne?" Machi responded with a little nod and looked back at the stationary in her hand. Soon they were joined by the other group. The couple with them took off on their own. Yuki informed them that Manabe just wanted to spend time with his girlfriend. The girls continued to browse the shop as Yuki become aware of the girl he was yearning to speak to. He walked towards the back of the shop where she was standing.

"Hey Machi, are you enjoying yourself, so far?" he kindly asked.

"Does it matter if I did?"

"I just want to know."

"I really don't know if I am." Yuki stared at her with inquisitiveness.

"What were you thinking when you were looking at these?" he pointed to the stationary sets in front of them. Machi looked at him with wide eyes. Yuki returned her gaze with his own.

I was thinking…of how kind you were to me…I never forgotten that.

"Nothing. I was just browsing." She turned away and continued looking through the stationeries.

"Yun-Yun!" Kimi called from behind. "Come and look at these!" She pointed to the office supply section of the store. "You too Machi!" The two walked over to her as she enthused over the office supplies and their prices, which was usually expensive. "Kimi think we could used some of these in the office!" While Kimi continued to yak about office supplies, Yuki's mind drifted to the situation before, gazing at the girl in front of him.

"I really don't know if I am…"

Machi, you are really trying to understand yourself, aren't you?

As the noontime settled in, everyone headed for the food court, where they met up with Manabe and Asume. They all dispersed in different areas of the court to retrive their lunch and regrouped at the tables. One table has Manabe, Asume, Kimi and Machi. Another has Yuki and all of Asume's friends. The boy ate silently as the girls chatted away about their shopping. It was not that he was not interested, but his mind was focused solely at the girl he was looking at. Rina caught him in his daze and confronted him. "I think you should just get on with it and tell her."

"Eh?" Yuki said as he was pulled from his thoughts. The girls stared at him questioningly.

"It's palpable you like her," Rina said in a soft voice as she lowers her head towards the middle of the table, so the girl at the other table couldn't hear. Akira and Noriko nodded in agreement.

"Is it really?" Yuki shyly spoked as he rubbed his left arm in apprehension. Miki and Suisuki giggled at his reaction because it was adorable.

"When we first came here, you were with her the whole time! Asume-chan thought you two were a couple," Noriko explained. "She told us to back away from you during that day because she thought you two were together!"

"Ah…S-She did?" Yuki sweated.

I didn't know she thought that we were…

"But…after she confirmed it with Manabe-kun, she told us that it's alright to hang out with you," Akira finished her friend's explanation. Yuki stood silent as his expression went blank.

Did we really seemed that way to everyone?

"I think it's cute how you are around her," Rika said, smiling. "It only make me wished that there is someone like that in my life." She closed her eyes as she continued to smile, "I could only envy how lucky she is to have such a nice man to like her."

Yuki still remained silent, but a hint of pink lifted upon his cheeks. The girls awed at his reaction. "We wish you luck, Yuu-chan!" Miki whispered and her friends beamed along with her.

"A-Arigato, minna-san." Yuki brighten his mood a little with an upward shift from his lips.

After lunch hour, everyone headed back out to the mall for one more round of shopping. Yuki did not buy anything because he did feel a need to. However, Manabe bought various of things like he was on a holiday shopping spree. The girls did not buy much, although they tried on hundreds of different variety of outfits. They just relished the time spent with their friend and fashion critic (not that Yuki is a professional critic). As they strolled down the complex with him, people turned and stared at them (mainly at him).

"Is he a model?" someone asked another nearby.

"Maybe a celebrity?" said another.

"DID I HEAR SOMEONE SAID A MODEL? WHERE?" called out an loud, manly voice.

"He's over there," someone pointed out the 'model' in question.

"EXCUSE ME! YOU OVER THERE! THE MODEL WITH ALL THE CHICKS!" the loud voice called. The 'model' was being oblivious to his calling, for he did know he was the one that voice was calling.

"Oi, Yun-Yun, I think that crazy man-looking person over there is calling you," Manabe said as he tapped Yuki on the shoulder. The boy turned and saw an strangely dressed person pointing at him.

"Me?" Yuki pointed to himself.

"YES! YES! COME! COME!" the man-looking person gestured the boy to come his direction. "WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE LIKES OF YOU! THE PERFECT PROPORTIONS, GORGEOUS EYES, BEAUTIFUL FACE, WHAT NOT."

The boy's tachi (group) puzzled over this sudden occurance. Asume eyed a small booth with girl nearby and read its display sign.

FAB MAG MODEL SEARCH

"Kyaa! It's a model search for a magazine! Yuu-chan you should definitely do it!" the girl exclaimed, pointing to the booth.

"It looks like fun! Go on, Yuu-chan!" Rika joined in her friend's zealousness. The boy looked at the booth with a unease look on his face. Manabe swung an arm around his neck.

"What are waiting for? Come on, Yun-Yun!" the boy nudged him to the booth nearby.

"I-It's just that…I am not…"

"Do it as their departing gift." Manabe whispered, pointed to the excited girls. You do know that they are leaving today, ne?"

"They are?" Yuki looked over to the group and frowned. "I didn't know."

"Well, now you have reason to do this, so go on! Unless you are hiding you identity from some stalker!" the boy suggested. Yuki looked at the group once more. The girls gave him a few cheers and smiles. As this happened, Machi and Kimi came out of a store they were at to bemused this event. Manabe explained to them the situation and Kimi cheered the boy on, while Machi reacted with inner incredulity.

Unbelievable.

Alright. I won't run away. I won't lose.

The boy walked up to the booth and the man-looking person gave him a few forms to fill out and took his picture. "Congratulations!" he said in more subdued voice, "You got the job! We'll contact you as soon as possible to schedule your first shoot!" Yuki was stunned with disbelief as his hand was shook. He turned to face his applauding friends.

"Yay! We are friends with a model!" Rika sing-songed as she ran over to give Yuki her congrats.

"Now, Yun-Yun will really flaunt his princess beauty!" Manabe teased.

Yuki responded with a sarcastic smirk, "That's true…but…" he paused, then pulled on the other boy's ear. "I am no princess!"

"Oww! Oww! Gomen, hime! Ow! Ow!" Yuki continued to pull on his ear as they exited the mall.

I couldn't believe I did that. A model. What a laugh.

The girls showered Yuki with praises on the ride home. Only one of them sat in slience, observing and being squished at the left side of the vehicle. She watched the boy cheerfully sharing the girls' enthusiam with his smiles and carefree talk.

"What were you thinking…"

About you…and how you continued to shine your light without a care in the world about what made you lonely earlier.

When the car arrived to the driveway of the house, there was a dark blue van parked outside. Manabe flinched when he saw it.

"Who is that?" the boy next to him asked.

"That's otosan's van. He's here to pick us up!" Asume answered. Her boyfriend parked the car next to the van and sighed. He exited the car to greet the owner of the van.

"Does Manabe not like to deal with him?" Yuki asked Asume as he watched the boy speaking to the man from the van window on the driver's side.

"It's just that Nabe-chan's always uneasy around him. Father never liked his laziness and slacking."

"That's understandable." Yuki remembered his collegue's effort in the student cabinet. "However…when it comes to both men, all that matters is Mizua-san's happiness."

Asume blinked and smiled. "Arigato, Yuu-chan. I certainly hope you'll contiune to be Nabe-chan's friend, even when your term in the council is over. Then, I'd be very happy," she said as she exited the car to greet her father.

"Then I'll try my hardest to be there for him." Yuki beamed. He smiled at the rest of the girls who reacted in the same manner. They exited the car and walked to the house.

Asume's friends' paced hurriedly around the house to retrieve their things. Asume soon joined them. Yuki and the two other girls sat in the living room as they watched the girls rushed up and down the stairs, in the process of loading their things into the van. He sat in the on the cushioned recliner, while the girl sat on a couch across from him.

"They were cool to hang around with, ne?" Kimi asked him.

"Yeah. It's amazing how different they are from our classmates."

"Mmhm," Kimi nodded in agreement. "Are you going to miss them?"

"Just a little." The quiet girl next to Kimi frowned when he answered. The boy took note of her reaction. "But I rather spend more time with my council friends, especially that quiet one over there."

"Don't get too hopeful!" The girl fumed as she turned away in embarassment. The boy leaned his head and grinned.

The sky faded into its orange glow, as Asume and her friends said their goodbyes to everyone. Yuki was thankful nobody attemped to hug him, but he does not know the reason was because of his affections for a certain girl and they just don't want to be rude to either of them.

"This is it Yuu-chan! Thank you for everything!" Asume said. "My friends are thankful too, ne, minna-san?"

"Of course!" Rina said as she gave Yuki a pat on the back. "I don't think we'll meet anyone like you in ages! Just remember that we'll always around if you want to hang out or…" She leaned in closer. "…if you needed dating tips from us females!"

Yuki blushed at her offer. "Thanks, Sujaki-san."

"That's Rina to you, Yuu-chan!" she corrected him.

"Oh…okay, R-Rina." He clumsily smiled at her. She waved at him as she headed to the van. The girls joined her as they said their farewell. Yuki stood with his council members as they waved to the departing van. Manabe had a serious look on his face for a moment, then shifted to his goofiness.

"Now it's just us!" he said as he streached his arms as he walked back in the house with the others following him. He went to the corridor and used the phone to order take-out for everyone. "It's all on me today, my friends. I am feeling humble!" he told the group nearby.

"Arigato, Manabe!" Kimi said.

"Yeah, arigato," Yuki said. He studied the look on the boy's face.

It seems that he misses her already and is trying to hide it. I wonder why he wouldn't spend the whole vacation with her?

The group ate a moderate meal. Manabe was being extra chatty due to concealing his secret struggle of separation from his girlfriend. After dinner, he went directly to his room without talking to anyone. Yuki thought this was very peculiar for the likes of his boisterous colleague. He stared at spacewhere the boy had passed through with a questionable look.

"Just let him be," a voice said from behind. "He needed to be alone." The owner of the voice walked past him and trailed her brother's path to her room. Yuki followed the path up the stairs to his own room.

That was a strange atmosphere. I suppose she was right. Sometimes he needed a time out for himself. Period likes these are rare. It's a good time to be doing homework.

He pulled books and a folder out of his knapsack as he laid them out on his desk. He immediately pulled a mechanical pencil from the same back and worked on his summer math homework. He worked on it for less than a half an hour, then moved on to his English homework. It took him another half an hour to complete. Then, he took a short break and finished the summer homework with a little reading from the Japanese literature book.

Finally! I got it done! Whew.

He spend the rest of the night in relaxation, with a warm bath and a good read before bed. That night was the most relaxing evenings he had. It was even more relaxing than it was back at home. The book soon fell on his chest as it lulled him into slumber.

This is really summer's end…thank you for a beautiful end of each day…