Chapter 2

"Kei? Ohhhh Kei? Kei!"

"Huh? What is it Go?" Kei said dumbfoundedly as he stopped blankly gazing out the kitchen window. Kei had been day-dreaming… he couldn't believe he would be going on a date with Mawata today.

"Geez, took you long enough," Go said.

"Are you all right today Kei? Something on your mind?" Hayate asked concerned, coming in from the living room with Mannen, Hajime, and Shin tagging along behind.

"Oh, no, nothing at all," Kei said with a jolly tone as a smirk crossed his face.

Go looked questioningly at Hayate. Hayate looked questioningly back at Go. Mannen scratched his head. Hajime and Shin stared at Kei.

"I'm fine. Honest," Kei tried to say reassuringly with a straight face. "It's nothing," Kei reiterated, trying not to smirk.

"Let's go out and play Go," Shin said as Hajime yanked on Go's pant leg.

Go sighed. "Okay kids, let's go."

Go and the younger knights started toward the door, as Hayate remained, studying Kei a moment or two longer. Kei smiled and started staring out the window again.

"I'm going to go out, but I'll be back shortly. Why don't you stay here Kei?" Hayate said calmly, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"Okay," Kei replied.

Hayate headed over to the gate between Leafeania and the Awayuki mansion to go talk to Sasame.

Kei stopped staring at the small digital clock on the kitchen window sill and gave a sigh of relief. "Good, I should have plenty of time to get ready and leave before any of the other knights come back and ask me where I'm going. I would never hear the end of it from them if they found out I was going out on a data with Mawata."

Hayate walked over to the radio station and caught Sasame just as he was leaving the building.

"Hayate, what are you doing here? You don't normally come by here to talk to me," Sasame said, surprised.

"I'm worried about Kei, Sasame. Don't you think he's been acting weird since he came home from work yesterday?"

"He did seem a little distant," Sasame replied pensively.

"I've never seen Kei space-out like that before. He's usually so focused."

"I agree… maybe something is bothering him. I'll try talking to him later when I get home. But right now I have to go over to the Awayuki mansion."

"What for?" asked Hayate curiously.

"Well… I have a date with Takako. I was going over there to pick her up and then we were going to go mini-golfing. She was disappointed that she couldn't go last time, so I told her that I would take her there sometime," Sasame replied, starting to walk down the street.

"I see…" Hayate said as he followed.

"Maybe you should come along with me and ask Himeno to go out mini-golfing with us, you know, it could be like a double date," Sasame said grinning. "I'm sure Takako wouldn't mind."

At hearing the word "date" Hayate's face turned bright red and he began to stutter nervously, "Um, uh, uh I… I… I'm just not ready to ask Himeno yet."

Himeno came walking around the corner of the radio station building, "Ask me what, Hayate?"

Hayate froze in his tracks, shocked to find Himeno right in front of him.

He began to speak quickly and wildly, "Um… I told Kei I wouldn't be gone for long so I should really go back and check on him and see how he's doing. Gotta run!" he said speeding off in the opposite direction.

"Hey wait! Hayate!" Himeno called. "Errr… I'm going to follow him and find out what he's hiding from me. See you later, Sasame!"

Sasame chuckled, "Good luck and good bye!"

Sasame continued walking toward the Awayuki mansion as Himeno secretly followed Hayate back to Leafeania.