So, there Yuki stood, quiet as ever, holding a book outside of the school, being gawked at periodically by boys, wearing Mikuru's infamous maid outfit.

Haruhi looked over to her as she was almost finished putting on Mikuru's bunny ears. "Yuki! Put that book down! You have to look these guys in the eyes! That's what really gets 'um!" She ran up and grabbed the book, tossing it on the pile of their things. Yuki watched it fall, then looked up to Haruhi.

"…Hmm."

Haruhi looked down at Yuki's chest. Yuki looked down as well, then back up to her. "Is there a reason you are staring at me in an inappropriate manner?"

"Yeah!" She walked up and unbuttoned the top so that there was a lot of skin showing. "That's better!"

Yuki didn't look happy, and Kyon was surprised to see so. He could tell, somehow that she wasn't happy. How? It wasn't like it was really evident, like it would be if Haruhi was unhappy…then again no one shows they are unhappy like Haruhi does, but still, there was something very different about how she physically conveyed this emotion.

Why didn't she just say something?

"Haruhi, I don't think Yuki wants to have her outfit unbuttoned like that." Kyon stood.

Yuki looked over to him. Haruhi turned around. "What? What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with it, come on, it's just a little skin." She laughed. Then she glanced to Yuki. "Oh, fine! If you have such a big problem with it, button it up."

Kyon walked up to Yuki. She looked up to him. "You did not have to protect me. I could have just worn this costume as it is. It is not a terrible thing."

He moved closer to try to avoid having Haruhi hear. "Yes, but I just don't want her to take advantage of you…or Mikuru anymore. You guys have to start standing up for yourselves. Don't let her dress you up like this if it makes you uncomfortable."

She stared at the ground. "You must think so much less of me."

He couldn't believe what she had said, or that she could have thought such a thing. "What do you mean?" She looked back to him. "I could never think less of you. I think very highly of you; respect you. You're…very important to me." This time he looked at the ground. "Yuki, I…I think I-"

"What the hell is going on over there!?" Haruhi yelled at them from a few feet away, standing next to Mikuru who was shivering while holding some flyers that were advertising the SOS Brigade, once again. "Yuki, you're suppose to be over here!!!"

She turned back to him. "Apparently I am expected to go." She started to walk away before he stopped her. "Wait." He put his hands on her shoulders, lightly, and then took them away – starting to button up her dress, again. She watched him. He was nervous, but tried not to have his hands shake. What must she be thinking? Finally he was finished.

"There." He smiled.

Yuki turned around and saw that Mikuru was standing, handing out flyers and Haruhi was running around, throwing them into people's hands. She looked to the ground. "If I understand anything about what you humans would call emotions." She glanced up to him. "Then… I think I 'like' you, too." She turned around and walked up to Mikuru, took some of her flyers and stood still, waiting to see if people would take them from her rather than handing them out.

He laughed.