Disclaimer: Agh. Not another God damn disclaimer. Well... y'all know the deal. (Yes, I said y'all.) I don't own Hana-Kimi or any of that. Just this story itself.

Author's note: Yeah... I think some of you guys might find this chapter kind of a letdown after the end of the last one. But enjoy and please R&R.

Chapter Five—Telling Kayashima

When Mizuki awoke the next day, she mentally prepared herself for another miserable, Sanoless day. She even contributed the fact that she could swear she heard Sano taking a shower to her missing him. As she ran a comb through her hair, the bathroom door opened and Sano came out.

Mizuki didn't notice her roommate until he started talking, but once she heard his voice ("Mizuki, I'm—"), she burstinto tears. The previous night came rushing back to her, from Sano sticking a can of ice-cold peach juice on her side to Sano hugging her to her crying happy tears in Sano's arms... she felt her face flush. Carefully avoiding looking at Sano's toned, partly-dry chest and stomach, she looked over her shoulder at him. He had his uniform pants on, but his torso was bare, the rogue droplets of water that had escaped his towel were catching the light and shining against his smooth skin.

Ignore it, ignore it, ign—DON'T LOOK, GIRL! Mizuki thought desperately.

"You'd better get up, get dressed, and hurry with it," Sano told her, pulling his button-down shirt on over his muscular chest. Mizuki let herself have a moment to mourn the hiding of Sano's body before replying articulately:

"Um... Yeah?" Mizuki cursed to herself. She grabbed her uniform and tripped out of bed.

"I'm heading down—I don't want to miss breakfast." Sano left and shut the door behind him.

Suddenly, as Mizuki was brushing her teeth, it dawned on her that she still didn't know where Sano had been for those two days that he'd been gone. Making a mental note to ask him—once she could meet his gaze, that is—she got dressed and left the room.

By the time Mizuki went down to the cafiteria and bought herself a beef bowl for breakfast, the only empty seat with her friends was between Sano and Kayashima. She took it hesitantly, careful to put a little extra space between herself and Sano.

However, when her thigh touched Kayashima's, she instantly regretted sitting there. She remember his suspicions about her gender. Shit!

"Mizuki, what's wrong?" Nakatsu was sitting two seats away from her across the table and seemed to sense her discomfort.

"I'm not—" The girl raked her mind for a good excuse to get away from this dangerous situation. "I'm just not feeling well," was all she could come up with on such short notice. "I think I'll go ask Umeda for some stomach medicine," she added before excusing herself.

There was a short pause at the table when she left. Then Kayashima, who thought he knew the real reason she had left (and was half right), pointed out, "Doctor Umeda's not here this early on Mondays. Mizuki knows that."

oOo

Mizuki made it half way to the health center before remembering that Umeda wasn't there, and took a deep breath before leaving and choosing a bench near the first class.

"If anybody finds out," Mizuki said to herself, then let the idea trail off. She didn't want to think about it. "Kayashima had better not tell," she murmered.

"Tell what?"

Mizuki whipped around with a squeak. It was Nakatsu, holding out a pork bun for her. Mizuki frowned. What the hell? He's supposed to think I'm sick, what's he doing giving me food? Nevertheless, she was hungry and took it.

"So?" Nakatsu prompted. "What had Kayashima better not tell?"

Mizuki cursed her carelessness. Now what was she supposed to say? "It's nothing," she said, unable to come up with a plausable story in the space of a few seconds.

Nakatsu looked hurt. Kayashima doesn't lover her like I do, but she tells HIM all her secrets? The boy jumped to the obvious conclusion.

Beeeeep. Mizuki sighed. Saved by the bell.

oOo

The rest of the day, Ashiya went to her classes, each one hell since she had to avoid Sano, Nakatsu, and Kayashima. At lunch she made her excuses and left the group, this time careful not to talk to herself in case someone snuck up on her.

But after school, back in the dorm, she had to talk to Kayashima. She couldn't continue avoiding him. So she mustered all her courage and walked across to his room.

Knocking on his door, she said, "Please open up. It's Mizuki—I've got to talk to Kayashima."

Luckily, it was the aforementioned boy who opened the door. "Come in," he said. "Nakatsu's at soccer practice. We've got till dinner till he comes back. What is it?"

Ashiya knelt on the floor, letting Kayashima have the bed. He sprawled across it, feet stretched toward the bottom and his arm over the pillow. He looked like a model, lying there in a black turtleneck and matching dress pants with his shoes sitting in the case across the room.

"Um... you asked me a question yesterday... remember it? Where you asked if I was a girl?"

"I remember," Kayashima said, nodding.

"Well... I said I'd answer 100 truthfully and... I didn't. I'm..." She coughed.

"You're a girl," Kayashima finished. He didn't look surprised or even blink.

"Well—"

"Holy hell, don't tell me you're a eunuch!"

Mizuki flushed, not realizing Kayashima was kidding. "WHAT?! OMIGOD, no! I'm a—I'm a girl."

"Does Sano know?" Kayashima sat up, more interested in this answer than Mizuki's confession.

Mizuki froze as a horrible thought dawned on her. Could Sano know? It wouldn't be that hard, now that I think about it... he spends way more time with me than Kayashima, and Kayashima figured it out...

"Uh, Mizuki? Are you okay?" Her aura was of panic.

"Huh?" Ashiya was pulled out of her reverie. "Oh, no. I mean, yes. I'm fine." Resisting the urge to add, "At least, I can pretend I am," she added instead, "Sano... as far as I know, he has no idea. At least I hope that's the case."

"I see," Kayashima said quietly, getting up and walking to the door. He didn't want to be rude and kick Mizuki out, but he had to think. "Not to rush you out, but it's getting close to dinner time, and I'd really like to have ome time to think before dinner..."

Ashiya scrambled up. "No problem. Uh, I'll just excuse myself then... I have a writing assignment due tomorrow in English that I should work on anyway..." As she backed out the door, she said, "Ano... bye, then."

oOo

Back in her own room, Mizuki saw things with new eyes: everything she saw, she wondered if it could end up tipping Sano off as to her real gender.

She removed her "girly items" such as tampons, Midol, and other things men just plain didn't use from a basket beneath her spare shoes in her claset, thinkin, If Sano should ever get curious... In search of a better hiding place, she prowled the room, barely managing to hid them under a loose-ish floorboard beneath her desk (thinking, He'd have to be pretty damn curious to be crawling around under my desk!) beofre Sano himself came in.

"Mizuki!" He appeared slightly flushed and breathless, "I was on my way back from practice when they hailed me down and asked I give this to you... it's airmail from your brother Shizuki!"

Mizuki yanked the letter from Sano's hand and stared at it. Airmail from America to Japan was expensive... What did Shizuki have to say that was that important? She ripped the letter open and stared.