Author's notes: Nyahahaha! I know I won't get away with just a freaky laugh (scratches head). Anyway, you all probably know what I'm going to say: I'M SORRY! That got your attention, huh? Anyways, I'm sorry for not updating so quickly! I had a very bad writer's block and I'm just really busy with my life nowadays. Also, because of my super late updating, I made this chapter longer than usual! I hope you all are happy with it, especially in the end. What a cliffhanger, huh? What's more, my birthday is very near, so this is like my "blowout" for you all! Hooray for me!
Notice: I edited the previous chapters—they're so badly written! Oh yeah, just to take up space, I think of Otohata Rei as Kinimoto Touya a lot of times. I don't know why, and you'll probably notice at some points that Touya's a LOT like Rei. Oh well. I guess I have to overcome my never-ending addiction to CCS! Also, I changed the titles of the chapters. I was tremendously inspired by the interesting chapter names of "Himitsu", a Clamp Gakuen Tanteidan fic. Thank you for inspiring me!
Disclaimer: I don't own Chou GALS! Kotobuki Ran! I only own a pair of white socks.
(Warning: foul language, sexual implications, suicidal attempts, and others may be present in this story.)
This fanfic is written for entertainment purpose only and maybe watching GALS! again isn't necessary. And the story plot is mine, okay?
Previously…
Rei felt guilty when he saw that look on Aya's face. "I have a pictorial later for a magazine… I'm sorry I can't go with you." he continued, placing both of his hand on Aya's shoulders.
Aya seemed to be comforted by Rei's touch. She looked up at him again with a small smile. "That's okay… I guess we'll just go out next time. Oh, we have to get to class." Aya said while looking at her watch. She leaned in to place a kiss on Rei's lips, but the stoic boy pulled back slightly.
"I…better go. I'm sorry." Rei murmured and quickly walked away before Aya could get a word in.
The beautiful dark-haired girl was left standing alone in the hallway, utterly puzzled. "I wonder what's wrong with him…" she said to no one in particular, the school bell ringing.
Give Me a Chance Chapter 5: Of Lucky Buns, Rei's Eyelashes, and Simple Kisses
"Ran-san is acting so weird today… I wonder what's wrong with her."
"Could it be because of her boyfriend? I heard that they broke up…"
Ran looked up at the bright blue sky through the sunglasses she was wearing. It was lunch break and she was just leaning on the trunk of the tree facing the school building. She had just finished her lunch and she was bored. She didn't feel like talking to Miyu and Aya either—especially to the latter. She didn't know why, but she felt something strange just facing Aya after her talk with Rei and his look a while ago.
Damn it, what was with that asshole anyway?
"Have you heard about the rumor about Kotobuki-san?"
Ran grinned faintly and closed her eyes as she leaned further on the trunk. She could hear her classmates talking about her. Sometimes, when she's (un)lucky, she would hear the backstabbing of some of her friends about her. She didn't know whether to feel good or bad. She didn't know whether to confront them or not. She wished she had the stoic personality of Rei. It could be helpful. Well, does it matter?
This is too amusing. I keep thinking about different things and it seems like it always connects with a certain brunet jerk.
"Thinking about something? That's a new one."
Ran laughed out loud with a boyish snort. She opened her eyes and tried to glare at Rei standing in front of her, blocking the sun. She was laughing hard that it seemed it was hard for her to speak or even breathe. "And here you are. You really are a devil who just keeps popping out of the blue, huh?" she managed to squeak.
"What the…?" Rei raised his eyebrows either from annoyance or amusement. "What did I do now?" He said as he absently sat beside Ran on the soft grass, frowning.
"Oh nothing. You are just more annoying than usual. Why are you here anyway?" Ran asked, sitting up straight. "I don't want your fan girls to come and ruin the mood of peacefulness."
"They won't come. They think I'm still in the comfort room." The stoic boy looked at the tree behind them, fingering the rough trunk, knowing that Ran was thinking that he had escaped from the comfort room window. "I just finished eating my lunch then I was bored. What about you? You ate your lunch already?" He stopped what he was doing when Ran nodded. "I guess you mistook your lunch for breakfast huh? I bet you were so hungry that you ended up choking." His eyes caught Ran's murderous glare and smirked knowingly. Embarrassed was she?
Ran turned away, refusing to let the asshole see her flushed face. She was sure she was red even in the neck. "Y-you don't know what you're talking about!" she exclaimed, utterly embarrassed. She refused to bring up the subject about Rei staring at her a while ago in the morning. It made her weak; made her feel like a typical lovesick teenage girl.
Lovesick? The hell? The Queen of Shibuya isn't allowed to be lovesick!
Rei let out a soft chuckle before resting his back on the trunk of the tree. "You know…you can be less annoying if you're quiet. Really, all you really need to do is shut up and not cause trouble for us all." He paused, smirking again when he got the desired reaction.
If looks could really kill, Rei would've been dead ten times by now. Ran was biting her lip and clenching her fists, showing the obvious signs of annoyance or anger. "You…" Ran began to whisper in a very low tone accompanied by a deadly glare, but she stopped when Rei suddenly stood up.
"…but then, you wouldn't be you if you don't attempt to cause me aneurism at least twice a day when we meet." Rei continued, as if he was talking to himself. He turned around to look at her. "I…guess I prefer your company than any other girls. They bore me to death. But you always get a reaction from me, even if it's negative. You…" he trailed off, walking away slowly.
Ran blinked, waiting for Rei to finish what he was saying, awfully curious.
"You're interesting."
That was all that was said before Rei walked away quickly. He walked so fast that if Ran wasn't paying attention, she would've thought he vanished into thin air.
Ran didn't know that her eyes widened. She felt something hot creep on her cheeks and because of it she unconsciously placed both her hands on the sides of her reddened face. "Wha…what happened…?" she whispered to herself, playing the scene a while ago again and again in her head.
"Many people have said that, but when it came from him, I…" Ran murmured, drawing up her knees to her chest. "It's my first time feeling like this… It feels…weird."
"Oi! Ran-chan!"
The chougal looked up, surprised, and saw Aya waving at her by the window of their classroom. "Lunch break's almost over!" she exclaimed.
Ran blinked many times. She calmed herself, calmed her heartbeat, before standing up to go into the classroom. "He's…not thinking very well. He doesn't know that I like him, but if he continues to say such things like that to me, I don't know if…" she trailed off. She stopped walking.
Suddenly, Ran didn't feel like going to class anymore.
Unknown to Rei and Ran, Yuuya was watching them from the rooftop. He was there to take off things in his mind like the incident with Ran and her rejection. He was really hurt. He even remembered the exact same words Ran said to him.
"I had suspicions… You only confirmed it today."
"I'm glad you told me. You are very brave…and it's rare for men to confess things like that. You could use it in the future, Yuuya!"
"I—I'm sorry, Yuuya."
But what hurt him more was when Ran told her the guy she likes. He was such a fool! If only he was paying attention to what was happening to him, he wouldn't have fallen for her that much! And to think that it was his best friend Otohata Rei that she likes…the same Otohata Rei that is Hoshino Aya's boyfriend!
Seeing them together just a while ago…
He punched the floor very hard that his fist bled, sputtering the blood across the cemented ground. He wanted to abhor Rei, but he just couldn't! It wasn't Rei's fault that Ran had overlooked him. No, it wasn't Rei's fault at all.
"Why does it have to be Rei that she likes? Why couldn't he be another guy? Also, Rei already has a girlfriend! Did Ran think of that? Why won't she pick me instead?" Yuuya's mind raced with unanswered questions.
But suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Yuuya's heartbeat stopped and he almost forgot to breathe. There was Ran standing by the exit, looking at him with a shocked expression.
Ran quickly ran towards Yuuya, grabbing his arm so hard that he winced. "Hey! What happened to your hand? You're bleeding!" she exclaimed, stating the obvious.
"It's nothing." Yuuya said calmly. He was a man and he wouldn't allow himself to show his weakness to a girl—especially to a girl he loved dearly.
"Quick! We have to go to the clinic!" Ran exclaimed again, worried. She tugged Yuuya's sleeve and pulled him towards the door. "Come on."
Yuuya watched her for a while. His eyes followed the trickling of sweat from her forehead to her cheek. He itched to brush away the stray hairs on her face. "I won't give up." he said suddenly, startling the chougal.
It took 5 seconds for Ran to speak. "Uh…yeah! Don't give up! I'm sure your hand will be—"
"I'm not talking about that."
"Then what?" Ran urged.
Yuuya freed his arm from Ran's grasp before raising his eyes to look at her. Ran couldn't help but arch an eyebrow in response, waiting. Biting his lip, Yuuya glanced down, frowned, and then looked up, eyes sparking with determination.
"I'm not giving up on you."
Despite the noises the trees were making when the wind came and the loud chattering of students from the classroom beneath them, the surroundings felt as though it had fallen deathly silent. Ran stared at the blond youth, not sure she had heard right. At last she said, "Come again?"
Yuuya refused to repeat it. He didn't meet her eyes anymore and he ran off towards the exit in haste. He was such in a hurry to get away from Ran that he almost tripped from the staircase. He ignored the throbbing pain from his hand. He even ignored Rei who he passed by in the hallway.
He didn't care about anything anymore.
"So are you going somewhere today?" Miyu asked as she packed her things inside her bag. It was already dismissal time and it meant that it was time for shopping and other things that concerned fashion!
Aya nodded her head slowly. "I wanted to go to the bookstore with Rei, but he's busy with his pictorials." she whispered, getting Ran's attention.
"He declined to go with you?" Ran asked, pushing a bubblegum tablet in her mouth.
"Yes he did. So…would you mind if we go to the bookstore first?" Aya asked, turning to Miyu and Ran. "I really don't want to be alone."
"No, not at all!" Miyu exclaimed. "Right, Ran?"
"Of course!" Ran replied as she started to chew on her candy, trying to be cheerful. The day was so weird for her. First it was Rei who was acting weird and then Yuuya who ran away from her.
Am I that scary? She laughed bitterly.
"You know…" Aya started, sliding the zipper of her bag. "Rei was acting weird a while ago. I don't know, but…it's as if he didn't want to be around me. It's like he's being forced to be with me." She murmured.
This caught Ran's attention. Before she could inquire about what had happened, Miyu stepped in. "Talk to him tomorrow then observe if he's still acting weird. Yamato is sometimes like that because he gets pressured at work and such things. Find out what's wrong with him. Maybe he has a problem of some sort and you can help him out." Miyu explained, putting a reassuring hand on Aya's shoulder.
"Yeah! If he's still like that, I'll punch him senselessly until he's unconscious!" Ran exclaimed, punching the air. She would do anything just to make her friends happy.
"Oh, but stop if he's going to die already! I don't want him to die!" Aya said, tears coming out of eyes as she laughed heartily. Ran really amused her and she always made her laugh.
The three girls began walking downstairs to their lockers. They wore their shoes as they talked animatedly about the latest trends in dresses and hairstyles.
"I'm hungry." Ran announced suddenly when they reached the gate, massaging her stomach.
"Oh don't worry. I'm sure we'll see a food stall somewhere nearby." Miyu said, smiling.
"Your treat?"
"Haha, no way!"
"Anyway…are you guys sure you want to come with me?" Aya began, pulling out her ketai (cellphone) from her bag.
Miyu waved her hand in front of her face. "Yes, of course! Don't worry about us, Aya." She stroked her hair and unconsciously played with the tip that was dyed red.
Aya looked at it, making a mental note to dye her hair red when she had the opportunity.
"So…where's that bookstore of yours?" Ran said quickly, changing the subject. She put her hands behind her head. "Books…they're a waste of time."
Aya smiled. "The bookstore's just near Hachiko's statue. Also, there might be some books that you can be interested in, like food recipes or something." she commented. She began to dial some numbers on her ketai and put it beside her right ear. "Excuse me."
Ran and Miyu nodded as they watched Aya walk towards a tree far away from them. They could still hear Aya's voice but they couldn't make out on what she said over the phone.
Aya looked back at her friends then at her phone. "Moshi-moshi? Ah, Rei! How are you? We're on our way towards the bookstore I was telling you about. It's good that Ran-chan and Miyu-chan agreed to accompany me." A pause. "Rei? Rei! Are you still there?"
Over the phone, Rei was staring at the three girls by the bridge. He could see them clearly from here. He was just passing by when the phone rang—then he looked around and saw them. His eyes focused quickly on the attention-getter Ran as she fought off some boys who tried to hit on her. He cleared his throat and took in a short breath. "My pictorial was postponed. I can still accompany you." He whispered, his eyes never leaving the bleached-blonde girl.
The truth was that he didn't have any pictorial or some sort. He didn't know why he made an excuse to not accompany his girlfriend. But seeing Aya's friend, the self-proclaimed Queen of Shibuya, made him change his mind. He didn't also know why.
Aya's eyes widened. "Oh, but Ran-chan and…" A sudden movement from the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She turned her head towards the bridge nearby and saw Rei looking at her. "I didn't know you're here!" she exclaimed so loudly that she surprised the two girls.
"Hey…what are you talking about?" Ran said loudly after the boys ran away from her in fright. She looked at Miyu and Aya and saw them staring forward at something. Don't tell me it's…
Ran followed their stares and her eyes widened in surprise. There was Rei standing on the bridge, his eyes looking at them—or at her. She flushed when she felt the 'heat' of Rei's gaze fixed on her, she couldn't be wrong. He was looking at her with those eyes and she was sure of that. She suddenly felt something tingle in her stomach.
The brunet smiled slightly when he noticed from afar that Ran turned away after her eyes locked with his. "It's okay. I'm coming with you even if they're behind us." He said over the phone and closed it, walking towards the end of the bridge so he could meet the three. "It wouldn't be that bad anyway, huh?" he added, smiling slightly in excitement.
Aya stared at her phone and blinked, still wondering why Rei had hung up on her. Shrugging it off, she put the phone in her bag and walked towards her friends. "Rei said he would go with us." She stated, looking obviously happy.
Miyu blinked as Ran gaped at her. "WHAT AND WHAT!" they both shouted simultaneously.
Aya smiled widely at the reactions of her best friends. "Yes, he's going with us for a while. He really is sweet, isn't he? He doesn't even care if you two are with us—unlike other guys!" she exclaimed as she touched her reddening cheeks.
Ran shook her head quickly. She wanted to go separate herself from them, maybe investigate some cases in Shibuya, anything as long as she stayed away from Rei. But if she did so, it would make Aya confused and sad. She didn't want that to happen. She didn't want to be selfish.
Miyu gave her that strange look again, showing that she was worried about their leader.
Ran closed her eyes, her eyebrows almost touching each other, her fists clenching tightly. After a while, she opened her eyes slowly and looked at Aya who was blinking in confusion. She then forced a wide smile and guffawed loudly. "Ha! As long as he treats us in a fancy restaurant with his fancy pay from work, I can hold off from nagging him nonstop!" she exclaimed.
Miyu was speechless, but when Ran looked at her, she forced a smile and nodded at Aya. "Just as long as he doesn't complain about being bored when we go shopping for clothes, I'm okay with him." she stated.
"Also," Ran butted in, waving Aya a warning finger. "I don't want you two acting all lovey-dovey in front of us. It would make us oh-so envious!" she cried.
"Yes, yes!" Miyu agreed.
Aya showed a lovely, genuine smile. She felt so blissful and she couldn't help but giggle. "Okay!" she said in response, nodding her head many times. She waved at Rei who was approaching them and when he was near, she hugged him tight as though she hadn't seen him for a long time.
A ketai rang. It was Miyu's. She excused herself and she went towards the place where Aya had been, obviously talking to her boyfriend Yamato. It wasn't hard to know with that smile on her face.
Rei didn't return the hug of Aya like before. He noticed that Ran was staring at the ground, presumably because she felt alone, with no one to talk to. Rei then let out a soft cough and it made the chougal look up at him.
He just looked at her, like he was trying to say something with his eyes. He pulled away gently from Aya's hug and fixed his uniform, still looking at Ran. She didn't move her eyes away. Their eyes locked for a while, ignoring the people around them.
This didn't go unnoticed by Aya and Miyu who was finished talking to the phone. They felt the intense heat from the stares of the two. They felt beads of sweat forming on their foreheads as if it was a humid day. But the truth was, the cold breeze kept coming, sweeping the leaves from the ground.
Aya was really confused on why the two were looking at each other as if they were about to fight—or something else. She couldn't help but intrude. "A-no…"
Suddenly, the two jerked away in surprised as if they had done something wrong—like kiss in front of their friends. Ran couldn't look at Aya straight in the eye while Rei did so without any hesitation.
"We should get going." Rei whispered hoarsely, grabbing Aya's hand quickly and walking ahead of the two bleached-blondes. He ignored the confused look on his girlfriend's face, not wanting to answer her silent questions.
Miyu looked at the two then at Ran. "What happened back there?" she asked.
"I don't know." Ran raised her eyes to meet her friend's. "When I looked at him straight in the eyes, it was as if my eyes were frozen on the spot. I can't divert it to another place. It's weird…really weird."
Miyu kept quiet.
"But it's nothing! I'm sure that Rei was trying to say that he doesn't have any money. I'm sure of it!" Ran exclaimed, punching her fist in the air again.
Miyu couldn't help but smile at Ran's mood swing. "Okay, if that's what you say." She began to walk ahead Ran.
Ran, however, stood still. She tried not to flinch when she saw Rei turning back slightly, shooting a glance at her over his shoulder. She started to walk after a few seconds as she rummaged her bag for something. When she found the pocket-sized mirror, she drew it up and looked at her reflection.
She was blushing.
Ran quickly threw the mirror back in her bag. "W-what was that about…?" she whispered to herself, glancing at Rei's back with a frown and sticking out her tongue at him. When she saw a lucky bun store, however, she forgot about what happened and rushed in line to buy the sought buns. "Lucky buns!" she exclaimed in excitement.
"Oh, they look so good! I think I'll buy some too." Miyu said and she turned to the lovebirds. "You two want some?"
Rei shook his head as Aya nodded. When Miyu was about to go where Ran was, Rei stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'll buy the buns. You go accompany Aya to that store." He said, pointing out the store that was selling beads for girls.
"Eh?"
Aya nodded. "Since Rei has no interest in such and Ran-chan is still buying some food, I think we should go together. Is it okay?" she asked.
Miyu immediately nodded. "Okay!" she said, handing Rei her wallet. When he accepted it, she ran towards Aya and grabbed her hand to lead her to the store. She didn't know why she was giving Ran and Rei an opportunity and all the while not wanting to hurt Aya. It was weird.
When he was sure that the two couldn't see them, Rei walked slowly towards Ran and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. "Why are you buying lucky buns?" He smirked slightly, knowing that one of Ran's sensitive spots were her ears.
Ran jumped and she turned around. When she saw Rei, her eyes showed that she was surprised. "Don't do that!"
"Why not?" Rei asked, arching his eyebrows.
"Shit, Otohata! Since when do people want someone's breath and icky saliva enter in their ears?" she exclaimed, her temper returning.
Rei laughed softly then, clutching his stomach in mirth.
"Che." Ran only shook her head. Rei sounded nice when he was laughing. She grinned a little. Well, it was funny.
"Hey! You better buy the buns for me now, dork!" To her ears, her voice almost sounded light and joking.
"Okay then." Rei said when his unexpected laughter subsided. He looked at Ran and saw that she was grinning. He smirked, which irked Ran, and held Ran's hand to get the money. Ran reddened, probably because of his touch or embarrassment or both.
When the chougal leader claimed the hot buns, she saw Miyu and Aya waving at them.
"Ready?" Miyu asked, holding up a small plastic bag.
Ran walked quickly towards Miyu, pointing at the plastic bags she and Aya were holding. "What are those?" she asked.
Aya and Miyu looked at each other then giggled. In a low whisper, Aya explained to Ran the contents of the bag. "They're beads—but there's more to that. We also bought love and lucky charms."
"Love charms." Ran repeated flatly.
"Shh!" Aya hissed as she put a hand over Ran's mouth. "Please don't tell Rei!" she exclaimed lowly, surreptitiously glancing at Rei who was walking towards them.
"Why not?"
"It's just…embarrassing...!" Aya murmured, giggling again. She was almost annoying. Almost.
Miyu looked for something in her bag. "I bought one for you too." She said, holding out her hand with colorful charms.
Ran eyed the beads. "Uh…I don't really need—"
"Are you girls done with that?" Rei butted in, his words dripped in sarcasm as he returned the wallet and the bag of buns to Miyu.
He had overheard what they were talking about and he couldn't help but sigh—some girls were really vain and they always believed in some things that weren't exactly true. He remembered the time when he saw Miyu and Aya pick up cans that were littered on the streets of Shibuya. They believed that if they have done something good, something even better will come back to them. He even saw Aya's diary once filled with stickers—and he heard Ran saying once that if they fill their diaries with stickers, their wish would come true. It was cute, but pathetic.
It was obvious that Aya's wish was to be his girlfriend. He wasn't blind—he wasn't clueless about everything. Aya must have been so happy when he had asked her out. Were girls really like that?
His eyes rested on Ran suddenly. Well, there are exceptions…
"Sorry to have kept you waiting!" Aya said and held Rei's hand. If one looked hard enough, he would say that her grip on Rei's hand had a ghost of possessiveness.
Ran's eyes narrowed. She didn't like Aya being overly-affectionate towards Rei (like Miyu to Yamato) in public. It wasn't just because it was embarrassing, but…
…but what?
The bleached-blonde watched as Aya placed her head next to Rei's arm. She smiled slightly. She had to admit it—she was jealous. Extremely jealous. But she couldn't do anything about it. She didn't want her friend to be hurt.
Well, there are plenty of fishes in the sea, right? Ran looked at the nearby stall selling small stuffed animals and saw a teddy bear smiling at her. She smiled back tiredly. Right.
It was already night. In any other place, nighttime must've been peaceful—but not in Shibuya. The streets were filled with lights and noisy people, and it almost made them bats and nocturnal peeps.
The air in the place where the four were eating at smelled of hamburger grease and salt. Lively chatter mixed with the muted sound of traffic beyond the glass windows and faded blue walls. The girls around tracked Rei's every move, making him slightly annoyed.
Ran was the one who kept eating. Because it was Rei's treat, she took full advantage of it and kept on ordering. She ignored the disgusted looks given to her and kept gobbling.
The stoic boy couldn't help but watch Ran eat. When someone was treating her food, she ate carelessly and didn't mind if she wasn't dainty. She amused him endlessly. He almost let his guard down by smiling widely, but fortunately Aya distracted her friends from him.
"I've got room for dessert!" Aya announced, looking at the counter then at the brunet. "Don't worry. I'll pay for it. Does anyone want dessert?"
Ran and Miyu nodded at the same time. The latter stood up. "I'm going with you. I still can't decide on what I should order." She explained and went towards the counter.
Before joining Miyu, Aya looked back at Ran who was busy finishing off the hamburger. "What do you want for dessert, Ran-chan?" she asked.
"Anything."
Aya turned towards Rei. "What about you, Rei?"
"I'd prefer nothing."
"Okay!"
Ran nearly choked, but good thing there was a glass of water near her. She grabbed it and drank straight, sighing after. She also noticed that Rei had done the same thing, drinking from his glass of water. She was about to look at her friends ordering the dessert when she noticed something on Rei's face.
"You have an eyelash on your cheek." Ran pointed out.
Blinking in surprise, he lifted his hand to try and search for it. He then realized how stupid it was and stopped abruptly.
She pointed at his right cheek with a painted fingernail excitedly. He patted around his cheek until she told him, "There!" and he peeled it off his skin. Careful not to lose it, he held the lash on the pad of his index finger.
"You should make a wish." She suggested, peering at the dark brownish-black lash. "It's good luck, you know?"
Rei hadn't expected something like that come from her. "I thought you don't believe on such things." he stated.
Ran shook her head. "Well…that's different!" she exclaimed.
The brunet contemplated about Ran for a while, and concluded that she was still a girl full of hopes and dreams—wishes and girl delights, that is. She was really cute.
Deciding to humor her, he asked, "Then what?" He was obviously talking about the eyelash.
"Then you blow it away!" Ran sounded a little too excited, her fingers making bursting motions in the air. The bracelets around her wrist clanged and bounced.
He looked around them. The fast food joint wasn't that busy. Everyone minded their own business now, because the girls before who were staring at Rei a minute ago left already. There was no one looking to witness him doing something only girls with crushes do.
He inhaled; anticipated blowing the eyelash, then realized that he had almost forgotten to make his wish. Pausing, he made the wish and then blew off the lash. It was now lost forever amidst the dirt and dust sticking to the linoleum-tiled floors.
"So what did you wish for?" She asked, stuffing salty fries in between her lip-glossed lips.
"Doesn't telling you prevent the wish from coming true?" He countered, eating some of his own fries.
Ran pouted. He felt sorry for the fry that received a rather violent bite. "Not even a teeny tiny hint?" She wielded large eyes on him and an almost believable angelic smile.
Rei snickered, and then with a straight face said, "No."
Ran tilted her head to the side, momentarily thoughtful, and then she moved forward. Crossing her arms on top of the table, a sudden gleam lit her eyes. "Was it a wish for you and Aya to last forever together?"
"No, it isn't." He said quickly—too quickly for Ran's liking.
"You're so mean! Then what?" She urged, curiosity filling her mind.
Sitting up, Rei picked up a fry and met her curious gaze. "Tell you what. I'll let you know if it comes true."
She pouted adorably, but left it alone when Aya and Miyu returned with trays of desserts.
"So what have you been conspiring about without us?" Aya asked, placing a special sundae in front of Ran and the smallest scoop of chocolate ice cream to Rei.
"Oh it's nothing important. By the way, this looks delicious." Ran whispered, grabbing the spoon that was on the tray. She began eating, completely oblivious to the giggles Miyu and Aya made…
…and to Rei's amused stares.
When they were finished eating and window-shopping, they headed towards the street that was near Aya's home. "So…tomorrow again?" Aya asked her three best friends.
"Yeah! But make sure Otohata isn't with you!" Ran exclaimed, slapping Rei's back with her hand repeatedly.
"Stop that." Rei whispered, obviously bored. He walked towards Aya and looked at her. "Let's go."
"Go where?" Aya blinked.
"…to your house." Rei said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"Oh!" Aya exclaimed, as if struck by lightning. "Oh, you don't need to walk me home. My house's just up ahead. You go walk Miyu and Ran home instead."
"WHAT!" Ran exclaimed while Miyu just laughed.
Rei snorted. "Why should I?" He was lying. Truthfully, he wanted to walk her home.
"Thanks Rei!" Aya exclaimed, ignoring what Rei had said, pulling him down to place a kiss on his cheek. She ran towards her house in a flash and waved back at the three before she went inside the house.
"Let's go." Miyu said, tugging at Rei's sleeve.
"Uh…yeah." Rei whispered. When he looked at Miyu, however, he was baffled. Her eyes were filled with a strange glint, like she was about to do something naughty (not that kind of "naughty", perverts!).
They started walking towards the opposite direction from Aya's house. However, Miyu stopped walking abruptly and turned towards the two. "I… I'm going to visit Yamato. He's working nightshift, right?" she asked Ran.
The chougal leader nodded dumbly.
"See you guys tomorrow!" That was all that she said before Miyu started running away from the two individuals, who were obviously beginning to be tense.
"So… I think this happened last night." Ran whispered, letting out a short laugh.
"Yeah. It's pretty weird." Rei replied nonchalantly.
They started walking absently towards the Kotobuki household. But neither cared. As much as they hated to admit it, they wanted to feel each other's presence.
Rei began drifting on other problems he had in school. "What happened to Yuuya?" he asked her quietly.
Ran's eyes widened immediately and this piqued his curiosity. "I…don't know."
He looked at her, inquisitiveness burning in his veins. Probing, he asked, "What happened the other day between you and him?"
Now there was something strange going on. The way Rei had said the words—it had a strange emotion that Ran couldn't place her finger on.
Giving up, she sighed in exhaustion and began, "He confessed to me about something."
Rei wasn't surprised. He knew that Yuuya really loved her and that he always waited for the right time to tell her about it. Yuuya even practiced with Rei on admitting his love for the chougal. He felt sorry for Yuuya when Ran immediately said "yes" when Tatsuki asked her out.
"What did you do?"
Ran stopped walking, making Rei look at her over his shoulder. "I rejected him." She whispered inaudibly.
He kept quiet. He also knew, right from the beginning, that Ran held no interest for his best friend. He didn't want to tell Yuuya that he had no chance. It was almost funny and he would've laugh if it wasn't so sad for the both of them.
"Why?" Rei asked, watching Ran's face fill with emotions.
The bleached-blonde's lips trembled a little and she didn't look at Rei. "I can't tell you." She murmured.
Rei didn't even blink. "It's because you love someone else." he said without missing a beat.
Ran closed her eyes immediately and bit her lower lip. She didn't want him to see that she was shocked. After a while, she reluctantly nodded, her eyes still closed.
Rei just watched her. She was choking up the tears, refusing to let him see her weakness. He knew she didn't want somebody to get hurt because of her. It was so sad.
A warm hand was placed on Ran's left cheek and it made her eyes open slightly. After a while, her eyes were as wide as dinner plates when she felt the hand trail down on her cheek to her chin, the thumb dangerously near her lower lip where she had bitten on.
Rei stared back at those bright eyes that showed no fear. They were staring each other again, but this time there were no people around, no one to bother them. He unconsciously leaned down towards Ran slowly and kissed her cheek where his hand had been earlier, earning a surprised gasp from her, not pushing him away. His mouth retraced the trail of his hand and, slowly and gently, pressed his exquisitely-shaped lips on her own soft ones.
The kiss was light and gentle, both being inexperienced at it. Ran would give Tatsuki a kiss or two on his lips before, but they never deepened it. Rei still wasn't comfortable about Aya kissing him, so they've never actually held a kiss on the lips for more than a second. But it was strange. With the two of them kissing, Rei and Ran, everything was comfortable—everything seemed to be right. The awkward and light kisses seemed to go on for a while before they deepened the kiss.
"Um…"
The two jerked away from each other instantly as if they were burnt and turned around to look at the person who owned the voice. Covered by the darkness of the night, they saw Miyu under a tree, a glowing ketai in her hand.
"Um…Yamato told me not to come because it was dangerous, so I…" Miyu trailed off while blushing, watching Ran wipe her lips with her fingers, as if to remove any evidence of their unexpected kiss. She was panting and she was obviously shocked at what happened, bright red gracing her cheeks.
Rei was equally surprised. He was panting and blushing too. He didn't know what happened back then. It was very alarming and yet—he had to admit, he didn't regret it. But he felt somehow guilty when he saw fear clearly written in Ran's face.
The now quiet Ran clenched her fists. She made a faltering and embarrassing attempt to speak, but no words came out of her mouth. She was really astonished at what happened that it left her speechless. When she couldn't take the discomfiture anymore, she broke into a run, uttering a small, "Sorry."
"R-Ran-chan!" Miyu looked at Ran, then Rei, then back at Ran again. She was mystified at what had taken place a while ago. She didn't expect it—she didn't even know it would be possible!
Rei and Ran…were kissing?
Miyu shook her head. She shouldn't judge the both of them just yet. She needed to hear what Ran and Rei had to say. Of course, her friend has to come first. She looked at the stoic brunet who as well was staring at her, gave him a hard glare and ran away to catch up with her best friend Ran.
Only Rei was left behind, still contemplating on what happened. He placed his fingers on his lips and started tracing its shape absently, deep in thought, as he watched Ran from afar.
"You suck, Kotobuki Ran. I lost an eyelash for nothing."
To be continued…
Author's notes: Yay! I finished it already! I'm sorry if this was kind of rushed. We're going to run out of Internet connection and I just HAD to submit this story or else… Nyahahaha! I was thinking about "A Simple Kiss", a Saiyuki fanfic, when I wrote about the staring contest between Rei and Ran and their unexpected kiss. I also inserted some lines from a Naruto fanfic called, "Spiral Falling". Did you guys like it? I hope you did! Thanks for reading all the way down here! So, in my gratitude, I decided to answer the reviews!
P.S. I was drinking hot chocolate while editing this story at about 11:30 pm, and all I want to say is that you all should drink hot chocolate too while reading this story! It's really good, especially if you put tiny bits of marshmallows on top! Yummy!
Also, "Clippit" is so cute! You know…the assistant in Microsoft Word…the clip! Nyahahaha! I'm really childish…hehehe!
Arigatou gozaimasu!
Koharu-chan
Answers to the reviews:
Rumiko-serenity: Yes, you are very right (nods). I think in the series Rei actually has feelings for Ran…just greater towards Aya. I don't know. But still! The purpose of this fanfic is to make Ran and Rei realize each other's true feelings! And yes, I updated. Thank you for the review!
Khostar: Yeah…this whole thing is going to make Aya cry…that's why I'm being nice to her in this fic. But I guess we can't avoid hurting her if we're going to pair Rei with another one. Thanks for reviewing!
Gambit22: Haha (scratches head)! You're right; I'm really a lazy author when it comes to updating. I don't want to make excuses, but really, it's partly because of the writer's block that I don't update. There are some days that I wanted to give up this story, but I'm glad I didn't, considering that all of you want me to finish this. Also, thank you for the suggestions. I already did what you said (I don't combine Japanese and English that much anymore and other more) but I guess I can't follow your preference about writing the first name first because, in Japan, when you say someone's first name, it means that he/she is very special to you. I'm really sorry if you don't like it! I'll try hard for all of you to improve this story! Thank you for the review and suggestions!
RanSucks: Wow. With your nickname, you really hate Ran, right? But I'm terribly sorry. It doesn't matter to me if I'm flamed—I don't care. You can flame me all you want, but I'm not giving this up. I'm really sorry. Oh yeah, thanks for the review! I'm not sarcastic or anything… I'm just really grateful that you had the time to leave a review! Thanks!
Cci-chan: Well, you're very welcome. They are my favorite too, that's why I'm writing this. Yes, I know Ran and Rei aren't schoolmates, but in this fic I made them, so it would be easier to see each other (wink). Thank you for liking this story! Thanks for the review, too!
Jin-chan15: Oooh you have the same birthdate? That's so cool! I'm going to be seventeen this year. How about you? Ahem, anyways, thank you for the review!
Animelife: Nyahahaha…I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Oh, don't worry; you're not rude at all. I feel kind of bad about not updating this fanfic that quick…but I'll try! I promise (although it's kind of hard because I'm a senior now and you know about that kind of getting-ready-for-college stuff)! Thanks for the review, anyway!
Monsterlife: Thank you for thinking this is a good story! I am very much pleased! I would still listen to the flamers (if they are reasonable enough) but trust me I'll never ever give this up! Thank you for leaving a review!
Pinklove: Yeah! Unlike those other ReiXRan fics, I'll make sure this gets finished! Thanks for the review!
Allegra21: Aaw! Thank you for thinking this story is cute and loving it, too! I really am flattered! Thank you for the kind review!
Nikka: Oh no! There's another ME! Yeah, when I read your review I freaked out too! Hahaha…that's so cool! We even like the same anime and same pairings! I think I would get along with you so well. Thanks for leaving a review, my long lost twin sister!
DRK NG3L: Hahaha! Thanks for liking it! I'm glad I made you laugh! Yes, I would make more and make it quick! Thanks for dropping a review!
Yen: Thanks for loving it! Yes, I too am curious about their relationship. But trust me, they'll look cute together (just observe their attitudes to one another!)! Thanks for the review!
Heavenlydreams: Haha…yes, I haven't updated for a year now. I really am sorry! But I'll keep my promise! I don't want to break promises, you see. Please be patient enough for me! Thanks you for the reviews!
Ladyknightchaos: Oh yeah, I was once a ReiXAya fan but I grew tired of it. I don't know why. They're just…not that kind of couple that makes me go all "SQUEEEE!" whenever I see them together. I do that when Rei interacts with Ran in an amusing way. Thank you for leaving a review!
Furuba-ffx-inuyasha: Yes, I updated for all of you! Thanks for the quick review!
Riku100: Hehehe…thanks for loving this pairing and this fanfic! Just like me, I grew tired of that pairing. Thanks for wishing me luck—I know I badly need it! Thanks for the review!
SagenWarrior: A big thank you for loving it! Yes, I'm a softy too when it comes to people's feelings, but I guess we can't avoid to hurt someone, especially in this fic wherein Aya is really going to get hurt. Please endure it! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a review!
Crystalsniper: Thanksfor thinking this is a wonderful story and appreciating it as well! I agree that ReiXRan is cute and not boring. I'm definitely amused to no end when I read special moments between them. Thank you for the wonderful review!
Yes! That! Hit that button! It's okay to button-smash (considering I do that whenever I'm playing Tekken 5 against my brother)! It's also a gift for my upcoming birthday! Yay for me!