Author's notes: If you would visit my profile page (w/c is within you would read a silly "interview" about me and such. It's not really worth reading, but heck, I did it out of boredom. But this chapter was not created because tediousness at all—several ideas were running in my head and I can't stop myself from typing the "scenes" I'm imagining here, even if I should be studying right now for the major exams (woot! Feeling heroic of some kind…). And it's nearly Christmas, so this is my gift to all avid readers out there of this fic! Hehe…he. Anyway, I was really flattered by your reviews! Not only that you left one, but you praised the previous chapter so much as well. Domo arigatou gozaimasu! I'm pretty amazed on how this story is going… More and more people are reading! Oooh, I'm so happy that my knees are shaky and my toes are tingly!! Thank you so much for reading this amateur fanfiction of mine!
Oh, and I'm sorry for the very, very late update yet again. I don't know why I'm like this. When I first posted a story here in I always updated (within one to two weeks), but then the chapters were horrible!! I had so many flames then! But I hope I improved (did I?)…and so I make the chapters long. Do I make sense at all? Nah. I'll just keep my mouth shut because I've been using it quite a lot nowadays (which leads me to chaotic events). Anyways, on to the story!
Notice: Oooh!! A jealous Rei! I bet you fans are going to like this chappie… Nyahahaha!
Disclaimer: I don't own Chou GALS! Kotobuki Ran! But I'm proud to say that I own a diary that's made of recycled paper…um, yeah. It's pathetic, but hey, I'm helping the environment and I like the smell. Mm-mm!
(Warning: Profanity, sexual implications, suicidal attempts, light lemon, OOC-ness and others may be present in this story.)
This fanfic is written for entertainment purpose only and watching GALS! again isn't necessary.The story plot is mine and don't steal it, nincompoop!!
Previously…
"He still loves her…despite his advances on me…"
Ran continued to cry, the tears being illuminated by the full moon above her. She didn't know what would happen next…but she knew it would certainly hurt her for sure. She covered her face with a pillow and slowly slipped in oblivion, the hot tears still trickling down, unable to stop.
Give Me A Chance, Chapter 8: Phone Calls, Fountains, and Motorbikes
The alarm of Yuuya's cellphone rang noisily in the late morning, making the blond sit up to turn the sinful device off. He thought of going back to sleep but he knew he couldn't anymore. It was nearly lunch time.
"Stupid cellphone." he whispered groggily to himself, squinting at the brightness of the room due to the daylight. As he glared sideways at his cellphone, he remembered the previous conversation he had with Ran over the phone.
I hope you stay in good health and…
He hoped it was just a dream.
...try not to push yourself too much…
But it wasn't, unfortunately. What did shemean by that? Was she saying that he should stay away from her and leave her alone? Or was she trying to say to him that it was no use pursuing her because her heart would forever be with…his best friend? Two days have passed since their conversation and what happened after?
"That sucks." Yuuya mumbled to himself, not knowing which question he responded to. He sighed heavily and lied flatly on his messy bed again. Now that Aya's gone, what will happen next? He closed his eyes for a few minutes, trying to get back to sleep, but to no avail. He was thinking too much. Thinking too much of Kotobuki Ran and Otohata Rei.
This is pathetic.
The attractive blond got up once again in quick movements. After he was done with his daily routine (including eating breakfast), he went out of the house to ease his boredom and take his mind off certain things. On the way to the streets of Shibuya, his cellphone rung from his pocket and he fished it out easily, looking around to see if somebody (usually a fan girl) was trying to eavesdrop. This cellphone is always busy with its work, huh? When he saw none, he answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hey, Yuuya. It's me."
Yuuya's eyes widened in surprise as he realized who he was talking to. "Oh. Hey, M-Miyu." He stuttered, still in amazement that the blonde had called her up first.
"Hm? Are you okay, Yuuya-kun? Why are you stuttering?" she asked, making small laughs that the blond could hear. It was clear that she was laughing at Yuuya's reaction.
Yuuya scratched his head unconsciously and continued walking along the sidewalk. "It's nothing. Just surprised that you called me." He reasoned out, though he knew it was lame. Which? He didn't know.
Miyu let out soft giggles, but they faded instantly—as if she wasn't giggling in the first place. Yuuya felt that he was going to hear something bad. Miyu calling me is strange, so there must be something wrong going on.
"Listen…" the soft voice whispered on the other line. "Have you seen Ran somewhere?"
It took a good five seconds before Yuuya could respond. "No. Why?" he asked nonchalantly, masking his sudden worry of the bleached-blonde girl.
The response was a long sigh. "Well, I'm in their house right now and I can't see her anywhere. We were supposed to go to a mall sale today. But she's…ah. I'm so disappointed and worried that I can't think straight." A giggle. "Sorry."
Yuuya was about to laugh with her, but he blurted out instead, "Worried?"
"Yeah." She murmured. Yuuya could almost hear Yamato greeting his sister Sayo a good morning. "Ever since Aya left, she's been dazed. I'm really worried…" She trailed off.
Me too. Yuuya held himself back and stopped walking. He can't act like 'that' in front of Miyu. "Have you called her already?" he asked.
"No, because her ketai's here. It's…a bit uncharacteristic of her to leave it here though." Miyu responded.
"That is strange." Yuuya frowned. He sat on a nearby bench to rest (because he couldn't feel his legs moving anymore) and thought about where Ran might have gone to. "Or maybe she just forgot to bring it with her."
"Maybe. I wish I knew." A pause. "So…are you with Rei too?"
Yuuya had a bad feeling about Miyu's question. "No. Why are you exactly asking?" he asked. Was it possible that Ran was with him?
Miyu let out a nervous giggle. "Uh, nothing. I just had the urge to loll Rei's name in my mouth. And I'm just making sure because…you know."
Yuuya shook his head. No, I don't. I don't know what's happening between them. "Yeah. I know." He said quietly.
"Oh. So, um, if you ever see her, just give me a call."
"I will."
"Thanks." Receiver down.
The blond put his cellphone back in his pocket and looked around the vicinity. If ever I see her, what will I say? That Miyu is looking for her? That I want to talk to her privately? That to stay away from Rei because it will not only hurt me, but also Aya? He sighed as he massaged his temples, his feet moving automatically. He passed by a tiny bookstore, suddenly remembering something.
"GAH! I'm so bored! I wonder where—oh, it's Rei! Rei---" Yuuya said incompletely.
"Rei! How about this book? I think it's going to be worth reading." A voice said, and Yuuya saw Aya walk towards Rei, holding a thick book. Yuuya laughed at the way Rei's face turned sour, but he also felt so envious. He wished he and Ran could be like that too someday.
Yuuya stopped at his tracks when something caught his eyes.
It was Rei riding on his motorbike, stuck in a heavy traffic. Oh yippee. Coincidence. "Where's he going?" he asked himself, noticing that the road was leading to a dance studio where Tatsuki hangs out.He was about to shout out his name, but he held back. He didn't want to deal with Rei for now.
Not when he felt so betrayed.
"This is it." Ran whispered to herself.
She was back—back to their meeting place before. I can't believe I'm here. She pushed the door in front of her and stepped inside the dance studio that was a little humid. Combination of dust and sweat filled her sense of smell. She stuck her tongue out in disgust as she looked around for a familiar face.
"Ran? Is that you? RAN!!"
Ran smiled instantly, turning around to see a certain monkey-look-alike that was none other than Kuroi Tatsuki. "Hey, Tatsuki!" she greeted, waving her hand at him.
Tatsuki quickly ran towards the bleached-blonde like an eager dog to his master and held her lifted hand tightly, smiling. "What brings you here, my lo—I mean, my friend?" He asked, but he froze when he saw Ran raising her eyebrows at him. He coughed and laughed nervously. "It's not that I'm complaining, but…why?"
"Do you even have to ask that? I just wanted to see how you're doing." Ran replied, laughing at her ex. Even though Tatsuki was not ever considered good-looking, he still had the heart of gold. Plus, he was really funny. That was why she picked him as her first boyfriend.
"Well, I think I'm doing well. My dancing skills are still improving, you see. Maybe we can have a dance showdown someday when I'm really great." He said breathlessly, still not believing that Ran was the one visiting him. Feeling confident, he held her soft arms and led her outside (at an alleyway) to talk more privately. "So…how have you been?" he whispered.
Ran would've laughed out loud by the way Tatsuki's face turned serious, but she held herself. "I'm okay. Just a few problems with school and with Aya's leave, but I can still live. I guess." She said, laughing at her rhyming words. Leave and live, huh…?
Tatsuki noticed that Ran was trying to force herself to laugh. Even though they were a couple for a long time, he still didn't know what was going on in her mind. It saddened him a bit—it was as if it was only him who could be the person she could confide on. Not once did Ran confide in him when she had problems. It was always with Rei.
By now tears were forming at the corner of Ran's eyes. She swiped them with the back of her hand, murmuring a hurried "tears of joy." She breathed deeply and looked at Tatsuki strangely, noticing that he was frowning. "Tatsuki…?"
He looked at her gravely. "Have you told him?" he asked.
Ran blinked. "Huh?" she asked.
"Have you told him?" he repeated.
"W-what are you talking about?" Ran inquired, utterly confused. "…and who is it?"
Tatsuki sighed. "Have you told Rei…about your problems?" he asked quietly, looking away.
Ran's eyes widened. "Wha—How did Rei get in the subject? Why should I tell him?" She held her bag tightly and this didn't escape from Tatsuki's eyes.
"Oh, nothing." He said hastily.
Ran raised her eyebrow at him, utterly confused and somehow relieved a little. "What?"
"I tell you, it's nothing. It just came out from my mouth!" Tatsuki exclaimed, eager to change the subject. "Anyway, speaking of Rei, I met him a few days ago before Aya went away."
The bleached-blonde's eyes widened. "Oh" was all she could say. She didn't want to look so curious or excited, for it would only stir something up.
Tatsuki leaned against the wall. "It was really weird…he treated me to a diner just to extract information from me." He looked at the chougal in front of him.
"Information." Ran said flatly.
"Yeah. Information." He repeated. "About us—why we broke up."
The bleached-blonde flinched. "He asked you about that? Why would he?" she asked in nervousness. What is his intention?
The monkey-look-alike shrugged. "I knew he was lying when he said that Aya was so concerned about you, when I know you told her the reason why. He really wanted to know…" he trailed off, looking at the bright sky above them and squinting.
Ran held the handle of her bag tightly. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him that we were so the same."
She blinked. "That's all?"
Tatsuki smiled. There's no way I'm going to tell her what I said to Rei. "Believe me." He murmured. Still, I'm right. Why is she so curious about my answer to his question? Is my guess really true?
Loud footsteps greeted them suddenly. Ran and Tatsuki hurriedly looked at the direction where the noise came from.
"Oi Tatsuki, you've got a phone call." A guy from the dance studio said, eyeing Ran then looking at the monkey-look-alike reluctantly. "You better make it quick." He added in irritation, and with that he walked away.
Tatsuki sighed loudly when the guy was gone. I thought it was 'him', suddenly popping out when we're talking about him. He looked at his ex-girlfriend and smiled. But I guess that only happens in a TV series. I'm being paranoid. "Do you mind if you wait inside the studio? I think the phone call's pretty important." he said.
Ran shook her head. "Not at all. But…I better get going. I still have a lot of things to do." She whispered, still thinking of what Tatsuki was going to say to her a while ago. "Besides, I think you also have a lot to do. I just came here to see how you're doing."
"Really? Is that all?" Tatsuki leaned forward towards her. "No goodbye kiss or anything?" he asked, puckering his lips, as if asking for a kiss.
Ran laughed and pressed her bag on Tatsuki's lips. "Eew, you make me sick!!" she exclaimed, slapping Tatsuki's back heavily.
"Ow!" Tatsuki winced at the intensity but still laughed. "You haven't changed at all…!" he exclaimed back. He walked towards the end of the alleyway with Ran following behind him. After taking a deep breath, he turned back to her. "I'll see you soon."
The chougal nodded. "Yeah. Take care." She said as she squeezed his left forearm fondly.
Tatsuki grinned and blushed a little. He then ran towards the entrance of the dance studio and waved his hand at her. "I'll treat you to lunch when I have money! I promise!" he said.
"It's an "eat-all-you-can", okay?" Ran exclaimed, waving back.
"Sure!!" Tatsuki said before he was pulled inside the studio by the same guy who interrupted their conversation a while ago. He looked back outside and saw Ran walking away. If only I can help you… He shook his head and grabbed the phone that was handed to him by the chap. "Hello?"
"Oi, Tatsuki! What took you so long?!" exclaimed the person at the other line.
Tatsuki, recognizing the voice, laughed loudly. "Sorry, sorry. A friend came to visit and I entertained her a little. Why'd you call anyway?" he asked.
A pause. "Have you seen Ran?"
Tatsuki's eyes widened. "Ran? She was the friend I was talking about! She just left—wait, I'll go outside and see if she's still—"
"No, it's okay. You say that she just left from the dance studio? Since I'm just near, I'll go look for her myself. Thanks anyway—oh wait, why did she visit you? You sick or something?" the person asked.
Tatsuki's eyes narrowed, then he smiled and shook his head, feeling stupid because he realized that the person on the other line couldn't see him. "No. She just wanted to see how I'm doing. Why? You jealous or something?" he asked.
A long pause. "…no."
"Hmm?" Tatsuki's eyes narrowed even further.
"It's nothing."
Tatsuki waited for the person on the other line to speak up again. There was something wrong about the "pause" going on—like the person had just remembered something bad. "Hey Yuuya…you still there?" he asked slowly, unsure whether to ask the question or not.
"By any chance," Yuuya whispered on the other line. "Have you seen Rei there?"
The monkey-look-alike's eyes blinked. Otohata Rei—here? "I didn't see him… Why are you—"
"Oh okay. Anyway, I'll hang up. I'll go look for her now. Thanks for the information." Yuuya said hurriedly.
"You're welcome." Tatsuki replied hesitantly. With that, he put the receiver down and stared at the entrance of the studio in front of him. Why does it have to be Rei—of all people? There are so many other guys that are not "cold" like him… He then stared at the phone in front of him. It must be hard on Yuuya…
Sighing loudly, he picked up the receiver and dialed specific numbers. I still love you, Ran, so I'm going to do this for you…
Rei felt like exploding. If only he wasn't taught to be always calm when faced with stress, he could've done something terribly wrong at that very moment, like hitting a stranger on the face with his helmet. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts… He sighed.
"Look! That's the famous Otohata Rei!! Kyiiii!!"
The brunet massaged his temples as he sat on his usual spot (on a certain flight of stairs of an overpass somewhere in Shibuya), irritated at the way the group of high school girls added fuel to the fire. Do they have to squeal every time they see me? He was stressed enough already—he didn't need them to add more. Running out of gas in the middle of the street, a taxi hitting his motorbike and not paying for the damage (because of the very stupid decision of the traffic police saying that it was Rei's fault in the first place), forgetting his wallet at home, and dreadfully hungry—he wished they were stokes of luck instead of misfortunes. He cursed silently.
Damn it all!
But instead of pertaining to violence, he just took a deep breath and gave a big sigh. He knew he shouldn't waste his time on things that already happened—the past. He suddenly remembered what happened between Ran and him in the past few days.
Surprisingly, his cell phone rang, cutting his trail of thoughts. He fished it out from his pants easily and noticed that an unregistered number was calling him. The brunet cautiously answered his phone, thinking that it was a fan girl who got his number from a friend (not that he has too many of those). "Who is this?" he said in the bitterest voice he could muster.
"Um…Otohata?"
The handsome youth blinked and didn't respond for a while. When he let out a long sigh, he coughed meaningfully and answered the call. "Miyu." Why is she calling me?
"Is this a bad time to call you up?" the hesitant voice of Miyu said.
Rei shook his head and then cursed himself when he realized that Miyu couldn't see him doing that. "No, it's okay. Do you need anything?" He asked, hiding the surprise in his voice that Miyu would call him up. He didn't even have her number in his cell phone because he knew she wouldn't call him even if he was the last person on Earth. But why now?
"I…just wanted to ask you something."
Rei could feel the fear and anger in her voice. Fear because of Rei's cold voice and anger because he assaulted her best friend in front of her on that fateful day. "Go on."
"Have you seen Ran somewhere?"
Dark eyes blinked. "Ran?" he repeated. Maybe he wasn't hearing right.
"Yes. I'm looking for her—I can't find her anywhere." There was an obvious worry in her voice as she spoke shakily. "I even called up Yuuya, but he still can't find her."
Rei kept silent for a moment to straighten his thoughts up. One, Ran was missing. No, not really entirely missing, just couldn't be find anywhere. Two, he would have to leave his motorbike if he had to look for her. Three, what was more important to him? The motorbike that he had for years—or that one person he couldn't get his mind off to? "I'll call you when I see her." He answered quietly. I think that answers the question.
"Oh. At first I thought she was with you." Miyu said before she let out a shriek. She wasn't supposed to say that. She murmured a soft "sorry" quickly.
But it was too late. It registered in Rei's mind quickly. "What do you mean by that?" he asked curiously. Did Miyu thought he kidnapped Ran? But it's only natural for her to think that way. I can't blame her though if she became paranoid because she saw me kissing Ran with her own two eyes.
"I don't mean anything. I just thought that maybe she was with you. You know—hanging out." Miyu excused.
The brunet opened his eyes. He didn't even remember when he had closed them. "It's okay. I'll go look for her." he whispered. He waited until Miyu put the receiver down before he turned off his cellphone. What a good impression I made. He stood up and walked towards his motorbike, looking at it pensively. "I should leave it in the shop. The old man wouldn't mind." He whispered to himself.
As he walked with his motorbike to the shop where he worked part-time, several thoughts flooded his mind. He knew that Ran wouldn't want him to be the one to find her. Heck, he knew that Ran didn't even want to see him. He was sure of that. Why? He didn't know. He had a gut feeling about it.
"She'll be happier if Yuuya finds her."
Of course, that thought sent a hot flash of jealousy as it was mixed with the image of the blond kissing Ran on the cheek. He shook his head. He didn't have the right to be jealous. They weren't involved or something that compared to that.
The striking youth saw that he was near. He stared at the asphalt ground for a long moment. He had just realized it. Why else would she resist him? That could only mean one thing. He meant nothing to her.
…and that thought hurt him.
"Thank God, I found you!"
Ran turned around to where the voice came from. A guy was scratching his head awkwardly, obviously relieved that he found his girlfriend by the fountain (their meeting place, maybe). The girl giggled and put her arms around his and they walked together towards the train station just in front.
The bleached-blonde girl let out a sigh. Cheesy lovers. Even with that thought, she couldn't help but envy the couple. They looked so happy and content…it was almost as if they were the only ones on Earth. Why weren't she and Tatsuki like that when they were together?
"Because you're not made for each other." Ran answered herself, sitting at a bench near the said fountain. After sighing again (because she realized she left her cellphone at home), she drew out her wallet from her bag. She had just taken her lunch in a diner, but still she felt hungry. I still have enough for a snack—thank goodness! All this thinking makes me hungry. As a lover of food, Ran instantly stood up and worked her mind to where it would be great to grab a snack. But before she can even take a step forward, a voice caught her attention.
"Ran!!!"
The chougal stood still—and after a few seconds, she turned to face the person who was calling her name. She smiled hesitantly. "Ah… Yuuya! What a coincidence!" she exclaimed, forcing herself to look happy. She felt embarrassed when she remembered about the night when Yuuya called her up. She had cried like a baby then. So shameful!!
Yuuya ran up to the bleached-blonde girl and smiled widely. He had small beads of sweat forming on his forehead and the sides of his cheeks. "Thank God, I found you!" he blurted out and held Ran on her shoulders. He was panting heavily—it was obvious that he was running for quite a while.
Ran almost laughed when she heard the 'Thank God, I found you!' line again, but stopped herself. She eyed the blond and the way he looked so tired. "What were you doing? You're sweating like crazy!" she pointed out, unmindful of the tight grasp of the blond to her shoulders.
Yuuya shook his head and sat down on the bench with Ran. "Miyu's…looking for you." He whispered, taking out his cellphone from his pocket and handing it to her. "You better call her up. She's worried about you, and—" He stopped talking when he noticed that Ran was staring at him. He tried suppressing himself from blushing, but to no avail.
"You're really a nice guy, Yuuya." Ran remarked, taking out a flowery-designed handkerchief from her bag and handing it to Yuuya. "You looked for me because you cared about Miyu. That's so nice." She smiled at him before dialing the number of Miyu on Yuuya's phone.
The blond blinked. As he grasped Ran's handkerchief, he felt something strange. It would've been nice if she wiped my face herself—but I know that's impossible. His grasp tightened. Doesn't she realize the reason I looked for her is I care for her—and not Miyu? He glanced at the chougal who was apologizing profusely to her best friend at the phone as he wiped his sweat away from his face. He smelled the fruit-with-vanilla scent on the handkerchief Ran lend to him. So like her.
After talking with Miyu, Ran turned the cellphone off and gave it to Yuuya. "Thanks for letting me use it—no, thanks for everything!" she exclaimed.
Yuuya smiled back at her, but his smile faded away easily. He coughed meaningfully and noticed that Ran was confused about his sudden change. "Are you okay?" He started.
Ran blinked and grinned nervously. "I'm perfectly fine, Yuuya. Why are you asking me that?" she replied, feeling that he would ask her questions that she wouldn't be able to answer truthfully.
"Since our last conversation on the phone, I was worried about you." Yuuya continued, looking away to look at his shoes and he grasped the edges of the bench with his hands. "You don't need to force yourself to be happy. If you have to cry, then cry. If you have to be sad, then be sad."
The bleached-blonde girl's heart thumped quickly. Why was Yuuya saying all those things? Could it be that he knew the pain she was bearing then? She still tried to be ignorant. "What are you saying about forcing myself? I'm always happy and—"
The blond then looked straight at Ran's eyes. "I know that you felt bad when you saw Rei and Aya-san doing that." he gritted. "Don't try to make excuses. You said so yourself. You're in love with my best friend, Otohata Rei." His own words stabbed his heart. Why my best friend, of all people…? "It's impossible that you wouldn't feel anything if you saw your love kissing someone else!"
Ran opened her mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out. Instead, she felt tears stinging her eyes. Her hands were shaking and she bit her lower lip to stop the tears from flowing down. Yuuya was right. She felt so jealous and hurt when she saw Rei kissing Aya back. She was expecting that Rei wouldn't reciprocate, but she was wrong. And that made the whole difference.
Rei was in love with Aya. He only liked Ran.
Yuuya wanted to take back his words. He was too blunt. Flooding with the guilt of making Ran cry, he put his hands on the either side of her shoulders and tried to stop her from shaking. He sighed. He knew it was futile. "As hard as it seems, you still have a lot of crying to do over him." he whispered softly.
Ran stiffened, but she continued listening to him.
"But remember this." Yuuya brushed away a stray hair from Ran's striking face. "You're not the only one crying."
That sentence made Ran look up at Yuuya. She noticed that he was holding something back, but he was not crying. She held his arm tightly so as to comfort him, but Yuuya stood up and looked at the fountain in front of them. "Yuuya?" she called out.
Yuuya looked at her and smiled. "I have to go. I'm sorry if I'm leaving you like this." He murmured. Here I am, leaving her again. But I know I'm not the one she wants to be with.
Before Ran could even say goodbye, Yuuya ran away and was gone instantly. She still couldn't believe that Yuuya said those words. Did it mean that while she was crying…he was crying too? She shook her head. "No. Yuuya isn't like that." She tried to convince herself.
He found her. But someone else found her first.
Rei stood at an intricately-decorated flower shop, just a few feet away where Ran and Yuuya were. He saw how Yuuya held her and Ran doing so too—and how the blond abandoned her quickly. He didn't hear what they were talking about, but it caused Ran's body to shake badly. He knew that she was about to cry.
"Yuuya's on his way to find Ran." Tatsuki said on the phone after he informed Rei of Ran's whereabouts.
"Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you tell this Yuuya first?" Rei asked.
"I already did. But I figured you should, too."
"Why?"
"I don't have to tell you that. It's unimportant."
"…"
"I just hope you find her first." Receiver down.
Rei looked at his cellphone and blinked confusedly. What did Tatsuki just say?
But he didn't find her first. What if he did? So what if he didn't?
But the brunet wished that he didn't see them together. He could've arrived much later! He didn't like the feeling he got when he saw those hands on Ran's shoulders and the girl's arm on his. It felt like hell. He really didn't like that feeling—that jealousy feeling. But even if he felt like ripping Yuuya's hands into four, he wondered about the blond's expression as he talked with Ran. It was obvious that he was sad. But why?
I wish I found her first.
After making sure Yuuya was not around anymore (and mentally cursing him for abandoning Ran), he took small steps towards the bleached-blonde girl's back, making sure to be silent. When he reached her place, he felt foolish for being like a stalker and breathed deeply. "So you're here." He just said.
Ran instantly turned around to look at him. Her eyes widened. "I-it's you!" she exclaimed in surprise, wiping her eyes with her sleeve in one quick swipe. It was childish and looked very cute for the brunet. "Don't tell me you were looking for me too." she said weakly, coughing after.
"I was. You're really special, huh? Everybody's looking for you." Rei said and sat on the spot where Yuuya was sat a while ago. He felt Ran's eyes boring on him.
"I didn't ask them to." Ran sniffed. She still looked at the brunet, surprised that he was beside her. She was also surprised that they were talking to each other casually. Remembering the conversation she had with Yuuya, she expected Rei to ask her the same thing—if she was okay. She knew that Rei realized she was crying.
But instead, Rei stood up again and looked at her with a forced frown. "Have you eaten?" he asked.
The chougal looked at him. "What?" she asked, as if not hearing right.
"I asked you if you have eaten already." The brunet repeated impatiently. Obviously he was not used to saying those words that showed he cared—being the heartless, cold, and insensitive bastard he is.
Bastard, huh? Ran wanted to laugh. "If I haven't, would you treat me to lunch?" she asked seriously, but still with the hint of a tease. She wanted to get away from him, but somehow she couldn't. It was like something was letting her stick with the brunet.
Rei looked at her. "There's no such thing as free lunch." He replied flatly that made Ran scoff. He then took the time to stare at the girl in front of him. Her eyes were sore, making it obvious that she had cried. Those eyes looked straight back at him. They were questioning him with those little glints. He had to use all his willpower to look away from them.
Ran stayed quiet. She knew that he wanted to say something, so she bit her lip and refrained from saying a word.
"I don't have my money with me." The brunet said, walking towards the fountain in front of them, his back to her. The sprinkles of the water landed on his face and he wiped them away slowly. "I'll just cook you something."
Ran couldn't help but laugh out loudly. "Y-you can cook?!" she exclaimed, still laughing. She couldn't believe she was feeling happy all of a sudden. Only Otohata Rei had that effect on her.
Rei turned around to face her, a forced frown on his face. "Of course I can. I've been living all by myself for years now." He explained casually. "And I like cooking, so I can put poison safely in the food for people like you."
"You can't poison me! I've been eating street foods for a long time, so my stomach is immune to such impurities!" Ran exclaimed back, rolling her eyes.
After a long moment of silence, the chougal started laughing with her eyes closed. Too bad, she couldn't see the smile on Rei's face.
As if he had just done something terribly wrong, he turned his back to Ran again quickly. "What do you think?"
Ran's laughter gradually died down. "Okay then. But where will you cook? It can't be in my place, because…you know how the people are there. If they see a guy close to our house, they'll think he's my boyfriend." She explained. That's why there's already a rumor about Rei and me having a secret affair—ever since he had accompanied me home.
"Where's else? Let's go to my place." With that, he looked over his shoulder to glance at the chougal.
Ran's body went rigid. If it was a different person in a different place, she would've slapped him by now. What was Rei implying? She knew he wasn't like that, but he was a guy. And all the guys she knew thought of the same thing. Even Tatsuki thought about doing it once. She had smacked him in the face with her bag then.
"But Rei's different," a voice inside told her.
I beg to differ. The bleached-blonde girl grasped her bag tightly. If I go, I still have my bag and I know how to fight well, so…there shouldn't be any problem. If he isn't like that, then… "What will happen?" she asked herself. She didn't know whether she would be afraid of it happening or not. And he was Aya's boyfriend! Maybe I should suggest my house instead.
By now Rei was facing her. "Well?" he asked. He knew it wasn't appropriate at all to invite a girl to his place, much alone his girlfriend's best friend. But he wouldn't touch her—he didn't have any intention of doing that to her. He respects her, for Christ's sake! Couldn't Ran see that?
"Okay."
Rei blinked. "Huh?"
Ran stood up with her hands firmly planted on the sides of her bag. "I said okay. Let's go. I'm really hungry." She said, walking towards him. She was surprised a little at what she said.
The brunet let out a soft sigh when he noticed the stiffness of Ran's body. She looked nervous. "Look, Ran." he started, noticing that her eyes widened. "I want you to know that I don't have any bad intentions at all."
"I know. That's why I agreed to go with you, idiot." Ran said in response, laughing sincerely. She looked up at him. "I believe you." So it comes to this.
Rei wanted to say something, but no words came out. He just nodded at her, whispering a soft, "Follow me." Grabbing Ran's right wrist and holding it tight, they walked towards the shop where Rei worked. He was amused that Ran didn't ask questions. She obediently let herself be dragged by the youth.
After some time, they finally arrived at the said place and the brunet was surprised that his motorbike was gone. "What the…?" He looked around the shop to look for his beloved motorbike, letting go of Ran's wrist in the process.
Ran was somehow disappointed when the warmth left her wrist. His grasp was so protective that she couldn't help but love it. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"My bike's gone."
Suddenly, the manager of the said shop walked from behind them. "Hey, Rei! What's with that frown? And what's—oh, you're Kotobuki Ran, right?" he asked, a smile on his face.
Ran nodded enthusiastically and grinned. She grabbed his hand and shook it. "Yes, yes. I am Kotobuki Ran!!" she exclaimed, not noticing that she was getting giddy of the attention.
"I'm so glad to meet you! My daughter admires you the most." The manager said. After a while of introduction, he turned to look at Rei who was getting impatient. "What's wrong, young man?"
Rei massaged his temples. "Have you seen my motorbike somewhere? I just left it here and now it's gone."
The manager let out a chuckle. "Oh, that. I brought it in a repair shop, but don't get excited. It'll cost you your salary." he said, laughing when he heard Ran snickering. He looked amused when Rei scowled deeply. "If you need one, you can always use mine, just as long as you take care of it." With that, he fished out the key for his motorbike. "The bike's just in the garage. Go find it and have your lovely date."
Ran blushed instantly, her arms flailing in the air wildly. "I-it's not a date!" she exclaimed.
The manager laughed again and threw the keys to Rei's hands. "Go have fun." He said before going inside the shop.
Rei shook his head and headed towards the garage where the motorbike was. After a minute, he returned riding in the said vehicle to where Ran was standing, handing her a helmet. He didn't have one though, because the manager only has a single helmet—and the brunet's helmet was probably brought together with his motorbike to the repair shop.
"Thanks." Ran noticed that Rei wasn't wearing one. "What about you?" she asked, looking concerned.
"I'd probably die. But I can accept that, or I wouldn't own something like this in the first place. You never know when some asshole is going to merge into your lane and sandwich you between another car or something like that." He said, realizing that Ran was becoming upset. "Relax. We'll be fine. I promise."
Reluctantly, Ran put on the helmet. When she saw Rei's hand holding out to her, however, she didn't hesitate a bit and grabbed it tightly as she hopped on to the bike. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his midsection. Her hands rested on impossibly firm stomach muscles which tensed under her fingertips. Eep! She almost let go, but forced herself to relax. Don't be a pervert. He's probably embarrassed enough as it is.
It took all of his effort for Rei not to utter any sound. Determined to ignore Ran's hands on him, he started the ignition. This is dangerous. Not only physically, but mentally.
"Hey, I thought we were going already? Or are you scared?" Ran mocked.
"Look who's talking." Rei smirked as they left the garage, heading onto the street. Carefully, he merged, knowing that he was responsible for Ran's safety in addition to his own. He shot through an opening and weaved around a few cars, relishing the way Ran's arms tightened around him.
As they drove, Ran gradually relaxed. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked around. The scenery flew by at an alarming rate, the view so much different than when she was riding in a car. The sun was setting, and everything had a warm and peaceful look. I didn't know so much time has passed already. Store fronts reflected the fading sun, its light shimmering off of windows and bricks. The sky itself was in lush tones of yellow, orange, and pink, with streaks of lavender fading against the soft clouds. People strolled around contentedly, seeming to glow as they walked, their movements languid. It looked as though the city was under a golden spell, and it had never looked so beautiful to Ran. It's so relaxing here. Maybe that's why Shibuya's always full of people. The breeze also feels nice. She sighed contentedly and rested her head against Rei's back. Or maybe it's just him.
Despite the feeling of guilt, she was happy that she was with Rei. He was the only person that she fell in love with and she took the time to relinquish the feeling of being with him.
Rei concentrated on driving, trying not to actively acknowledge his emotions. He poured every ounce of his skill into his handling of the bike, refusing to allow any harm to come to his passenger. If anything happens, I'll sacrifice my life for her. Rei was surprised he had such thoughts. He still couldn't believe Ran trusted him—even after the things he had done to her. She was really one of a kind.
"Oh. We're here." Rei proclaimed, the vehicle coming to a halt in front of a tall building.
Ran looked at the building where Rei's apartment was. She gulped and coughed nervously. This was it. She was really going inside his apartment. Her trail of thoughts earlier came back to her again. Expect the unexpected, they say.
As the bleached-blonde girl looked at Rei again, she realized that that was hard to believe in.
To Be Continued…
Author's notes: Again, I'm really sorry for taking so long to update—I've been tearing my hair out trying to get this to stay on character! This chapter is as long as the previous one, but I hope it's equally good or better. I can only say that this is the last chapter for this year. But don't worry, peeps! The update would be soon, because I'm so excited to write about the eye-opener in the next chapter. Hahaha! What will happen to the two of them? Hmm-mm! The ratings might go up—or down. I don't know. That depends on my mood. Mwahaha haha! Also, I borrowed the "description of the scenery" from the fanfic "Change my Stripes." The sentences were so cute that I couldn't help but put it here too.
I'm pretty surprised at Ran's actions here. She was afraid of what was coming, but still she went with Rei. Was it because she really loves him? Go figure! XD
I'm sorry if this chapter seems to have a lot of scenes and some scenes look like rushed. I just have the pressure of updating this week, and I think it really got into me. Honto ni gomen nasai!
P.S. And as a gift, I'm going to reply to the reviews of my lovely and very patient readers! Yes, yes. No need to thank me. Hehe.
Arigatou gozaimasu!
Koharu-chan
Answers to the Reviews:
Kate: Hi there! Oh, you also love the ReiXRan pairing? That's great! Hmm… The pairings depend on the flow of the story (Hehehe…I really am evil) and I'm going to disappoint you by saying that Aya couldn't be gone forever, because she's a very important character in the story. But thanks for the praise! I don't think this story is all that great, but I hope this satisfies your cravings for the couple!! Thanks again!
15transcends: Thanks for greeting me! Yes, there are TONS of fics about ReiXAya. I was once a fan of their pairing, but I got too tired of it. Also, I saw the connection between Rei and Ran, so I couldn't help but adore their pairing. As you can see, I am not forgetting my studies, but I'm forgetting this fic (Hahaha…bad girl)! Hehe. Hope you'll forgive me for updating so late! Thanks for leaving a review!
Heavenlydreams: Haha! Some of the scenes here are based from experience, so it's a bit realistic and I'm glad you liked it! Well…I'm really sorry to update so late, but I hope this chapter was good enough to satisfy your thirst for the pairing! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Shounen-Ai: Yes, it's very hard to find ReiXRan fanfics nowadays. But don't worry; I won't stop writing about this story till the end (although the updates will take long to write). I promise! This is the update and I hope you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Sweetsimplcity: Thanks for having the time to read my story! I also love what's happening in the story, especially what's going to happen in the next chapter. I can't wait! Hehehe! Thanks for the lovely review!
Eliannora: I hope Rei is not out-of-character in this chapter… Thanks for leaving a review for each chapter and I'm very happy about it! Girl, you're not going to be starved anymore, because there would be bountiful scenes of Rei and Ran together in the following chapters! Thanks again!
YumiXD: I've continued, as you can see! Hahaha! Thanks for the review!
Animatrixgirl: Uwaaah! I'm sorry for making you wait! I'll give you a cookie if you want—just to forgive me! Haha. Actually, it's been 6 months already (and I'm feeling bad, just typing that number)… I'm really sorry!! But I hope you liked this chapter!
Animegirlsana4eva: (Bows deeply) I'm VERY sorry for making you wait. I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter. Thanks for leaving a review!
Miya-kaichu: You cried?! OMG, really? Thanks for your golden tears! I thought the 'crying scene' was useless and couldn't evoke emotions. Thanks again for leaving a very, very wonderful review to me!
Eien Akkoku: Really? A good ReiXRan story? (scratches head shyly) Thanks for liking this story and for the exquisite review!!
Enchanted-Princess: I'm sorry for taking forever to update! Yes, I'll continue writing till the end, don't worry! Thanks for having the time to leave a review!
Rosette: Shocks! I can't believe you left me a review! No, I won't ignore the reviews of my readers—they're very important for the story to improve. The meaning of Baka is "idiot". Ran feels weak because she's been dealing with her emotions lately, which she's not used to. Thanks to you and your friend for loving this story!
Mikan: Aww… I'm touched that you're touched of this story. Reviews like yours make me want to update more often! Thanks for the review!
Thanks to all the people who read this story and have left a review! Your reviews make this story better and better! I hope you continue reading and looking forward to the updates of the story! So please…click that li'l button down there? Yes, that one. Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top please? "KYIII!!!" Thanks a lot! Again, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!