Disclaimer: I don't own Lucky Star. I don't even wish I did. Too much pressure.

Author's Notes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KONATA! We really wanted to get this one out today, and we just barely made it (by Eastern US standards). Anyway, LONG CHAPTER AHEAD. Haha, but no worries. This one is full of fluff. If you like it, please review. We love hearing from you, so don't be shy. Remember to give Konata love and cake.

Chapter 5: The Biggest Thrill

"Everybody, you should come with me. Call your parents and say you'll be getting home late, okay?" Izumi Konata announced to her friends as she hefted her bag over her shoulder. School had just let it's students out into a crisp Saturday afternoon.

"Huh? Why should we do that?" Kagami asked, she and the others turning their attention to Konata.

"It'll be fun. There's a neat thing we can all do for free."

Tsukasa looked a little excited. She didn't have any money, so free activities always sounded good. "What is it, Kona-chan?"

"It's an amazing magical adventure that will bring your imagination to life!" Izumi Konata's gestures were exaggerated, like the kids in cereal commercials.

Kagami sighed. "Konata, our finals are in just a week. We don't have time to go have fun."

Konata wagged her finger, "That doesn't matter. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will be out of our reach in no time. We won't be able to do this later!"

Kagami placed her hands on her hips impatiently. She was intrigued, but not enough so to admit it. "You're not going to explain yourself, are you?" Naturally, the other two girls were growing more enthused with Konata's vague description.

Konata shrugged and shook her head, "Isn't the surprise part of the fun? You'll regret it if you say no, you know. You'll spend the rest of your life thinking, 'I wonder what we would have done that time...maybe it would have been awesome. It was one of the last chances I had to do something special with all my friends in high school, and I passed it up because I--'" The blue-haired geek's unflattering impersonation was cut short.

"Alright alright, I get it already!" Kagami placed her hand to her forehead. "Just how long will this little excursion take? We really shouldn't be out late."

"Not too long. It'll be fine." It was the same kind of answer she always gave right before spending three or more hours in any given anime store.

Kagami crossed her arms and thought a moment. This was no doubt a scheme of Konata's, and the cryptic description was certainly a sugar-coated disguise for an activity that the tsundere would normally shoot down with a pinpointed "NO." Konata didn't usually call these things, "once in a lifetime," though. Maybe this really was something she'd regret not attending...No! This is exactly how she wants me to think. There are too many important tests coming for me to waste my time on some mystery adventure with Konata. Feeling decisive, Kagami once more assertively placed her hands on her hips and turned to her friend. "Look, it's nice of you to offer, but--"

"Yeah dad, Oneechan and me are going to hang out with Kona-chan and Yuki-chan for a little while longer. Okay?" Tsukasa already had her little pink cell phone pressed to her ear, a naively excited smile on her face.

"Ts-Tsukasa!!" Kagami's scolding was drowned out by the sound of approval from their father on the other line. Tsukasa nodded gleefully.

"Thank you dad! See you later!" She hung up. Tsukasa turned around, beaming...only to be met by her glaring twin. She hiccupped innocently. "W-what?"

Kagami hung her head, defeated once again. "Never mind."

Konata simply stuck her chin out and gave Tsukasa a thumbs-up. Tsukasa was simply confused.

The implied "excursion," had been more of a trek. The quartet's lengthy train ride was followed by numerous transfers only minutes after getting off. Even after Konata assured a grumpy Kagami that their destination was nearby, the group still found themselves walking for nearly twenty more minutes.

"Jeez, are we there yet?" Kagami groaned. "The time you said this entire trip would take was used up just to get to where we are now!"

Konata had been ignoring the complaints entirely by changing the subject. Now that they were two minutes from the attraction, she bothered to answer Kagami. "I never said it would only take two hours. I just said it wouldn't be long. In the grand scheme of things two hours is no time. Besides, it's just around the corner. Don't you feel silly for all that complaining now? You'll thank me when we get there."

Tsukasa trotted up to walk excitedly alongside Konata, Miyuki following. Kagami deliberately trailed behind, berating herself for being Konata's sucker once again. She didn't mind going out somewhere with Konata, and the smaller girl had seemed a little more lively about today's activity, which was a little cute...but this was a bad time. I've got no doubt that we'll just wind up helping her to buy a couple hundred more kilograms of otaku paraphernalia. Does she even care about what time of the year it is? Ugh, this is my own fault. Why do I always wind up going along with her bad...ideas... Kagami's thoughts trailed off as the group stepped out of an elevator Konata had guided them to, finally revealing their destination.

A large, impressive gate loomed over the four of them. A festive name hung atop the gate in bold, blue letters, and beyond it was a celebratory rainbow of activity. Before them were three stories of games, rides, and various other stands and activities. A domed roof crowned the building, hardly enough to contain the jovial sounds that echoed endlessly through its floors and walls. The girls felt dwarfed by the sheer height of the park.

Konata held out her right arm towards the entrance, and flashed four tickets with her left hand. "We're going to spend the evening at S0g0 Jo00olis, and you're going to be grateful, Kagamin."

Kagami's eyes were nearly as wide as the pink and violet haired girls beside her. "You're taking us to...a theme park?" This actually seemed like more of a gift than a scheme.

"Yup. I thought you'd enjoy it," Konata chirped selflessly.

"Wooow! Kona-chan, how cool! Thank you!" Tsukasa gazed at the entrance, glitter dancing in her eyes.

"Oh, this should be very exciting! Izumi-san, how kind of you...what is this all for?" Miyuki smiled at Konata.

"It is to make some great memories together before we graduate," The questionable line fell from her lips smoothly. Although her friends had no way of knowing, it wasn't far off from her real motive.

Kagami regarded Konata through half-lidded eyes. "Not that I don't appreciate this, Konata, but it's pretty unlike you to just give something like this away without some kind of ulterior motive. Gonna 'fess up?"

"Oh, Kagami never thinks well of me...I had four tickets, and these kinds of outings are more fun in a group, aren't they?" It was an undeniably reasonable answer.

"Well yeah, but did you forget that we have tests soon? We really shouldn't be wasting our time like this. It should have waited till after the trimester ended..."

"But they expire in just a few days. Would you really refuse a gift from a friend that worked very hard to get it?" Konata leaned in, her eyes growing large. "Would you want to discourage my hard work?"

Kagami looked uneasy with both the situation and the proximity. "I-it's not that, it's just--"

Miyuki chimed in helpfully, "Kagami-san, you're so studious, I'm sure you'll have no problem if you let Izumi-san treat you tonight. We could all use a breather." It was best to make peace and accept heartfelt gifts. Time together sounded wonderful, not to mention that Tsukasa was looking a little emotional over the fate of the evening. "I have also read that statistically, students and people in general perform better when they allow themselves some time to rest in between work, lest they get burned out by working non-stop."

Kagami glanced from Miyuki's diplomatic grin to Tsukasa's genuinely pleading eyes, to Konata's not-so-genuine ones. Crushed under the weight of peer pressure and guilt, she conceded yet again. "Fine, let's have a break then."

There was much rejoicing. It played out in a manner such as to catch attention. Arranged by increasing size and lightness of hair, the three girls each hopped one after the other. An ad writer for a prominent cell phone company passed by and got a grand idea for his next commercial.


A wonderful time was had by all. The group's first stop was a para-sailing simulator. Konata gained much enjoyment from watching Tsukasa and Miyuki constantly fall victim to the false sense of fluctuating gravity, while Kagami did her best to keep her skirt from flying up. Next was an Ini0ia0 -D- racing game, in which many asses were kicked by Konata. After that she lead the group to a carnival games area. Kagami battled with the urge to feed her money to the numerous claw machines and other games of chance around her, while Konata won a few stuffed toys. Lucky Tsukasa received any toys that Konata did not want. Miyuki politely declined Konata's pressuring for her to try a snowboarding simulator, and the group opted for a dinosaur-themed attraction instead. Somewhere in the midst of the fun, hunger settled upon the girls. Konata lead them to a crepe stand. While glancing over the different flavors available, Tsukasa had a sudden exclamation.

"Ah! Uh oh..."

"What's wrong?" Kagami turned to her sister, who was wearing an embarrassed little smile.

"Eh heh...it looks like I spent the rest of my money on that cell phone strap in the gift shop..." The short-haired girl had enthusiastically latched onto a cute replacement for the strap she had lost a few days ago, not taking notice as she emptied the contents of her wallet for it.

"Don't worry, Tsukasa. I've still got just enough for one..." The older twin began rummaging through her own wallet.

"N-no, Oneechan...we don't really have the same favorite flavors, so we couldn't share...you don't have to!" The younger twin did her best to insist.

"I said it was okay, didn't I? Besides, I'm on a diet. I shouldn't be eating too many sweets."

"You could share with me, Kagami," Konata chimed, "We both like strawberry, and I know you don't get a chance to have these often."

Kagami looked up as she handed a few yen over to her sister. "Is that a serious offer? You're not just gonna make fun of me for eating sweets?"

"Not unless you eat over half of it."

The girl deliberated briefly, eyes darting from Konata to the menu on the crepe stand. Ultimately, her stomach won the battle. "Okay, sure. Just don't get on my case over this, alright?"

"Fine, fine, but you owe me," Konata conceded, as if a lack of teasing was a greater debt than the money spent.

"I'll take it as credit toward all the homework you owe me." Kagami jabbed playfully.

Soon the girls had their snacks and were delving into the western pastry delights. Tsukasa rambled about her crepe, and Miyuki listened politely. Kagami was trying to participate, but she was preoccupied with the mental tug-o-war between enjoying her crepe half and worrying over the unfortold quantity of calories within. Konata was merely observant. She didn't taste the crepe so much as she tasted opportunity.

"Try some, Yuki-chan!" Tsukasa offered the cream and chocolate-filled crepe to her friend.

"Oh certainly. Though they filled this so high, we should be careful not to spill..."

"Ah, you're right! Um...careful now..." Tsukasa gently tilted the dessert toward her friend, hands quivering. "Eh..."

Miyuki brushed her hair out of the way while leaning over to take a small bite. Combined, the duo failed fantastically at appearing graceful. Tsukasa's lightly shaking hands were all it took to allow Miyuki's nose to bump the crepe, tilting it to just the right angle to let a blob of the cream inside fall onto her chest.

"Ah! S-sorry Yuki-chan!" Tsukasa immediately began searching for a napkin.

"No, it's quite alright. We'll just dab at it a little, and--Oh!" The pink haired girl exclaimed as her elbow knocked the hand that Tsukasa was holding the crepe with, spilling some onto her as well. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Eeeh!"

Konata stared with a lecherous smile, her own crepe drooping a little. "This is classic."

Kagami immediately grabbed Konata's hands, fixing them to an upright position just in time to stop a mess from dripping out of their own dessert. "Hey, you're about to spill too you know!"

"Ah!" Konata was surprised for a moment. Was it about the spilling, or the fact that Kagami had suddenly grabbed her hands? As usual, she regained her poise in the blink of an eye and smiled a little suggestively at her friend. She extended the fingers of her left hand so that they wove themselves through Kagami's fingers. She squeezed. "Thanks, Kagamin."

Kagami immediately went beet red. Konata's implicative face and weaving fingers were enough to completely undo her defenses. Her sturdy hands began to tremble. "Ah...ah...y-you.."

Konata's fingers pet the back of Kagami's hand a little, "Hnn?"

"Y-..your...your hand...?"

"Is spectacularly soft despite playing so many games? Flawlessly, I might add."

"T-that's not what I was saying!"

"Jeez, Kagamin. You're so awkward sometimes. I guess that's your moe-point though." Konata chuckled as she pulled her hand back. It wouldn't be good to overdo it. That could backfire. She was so close now...

Kagami was left staring blankly over a pair of very rosy cheeks. It took her a little while to notice that some cream had spilled onto her sleeve.


The group's next stop was a virtual aquarium, an attraction that brought particular delight to both Tsukasa and Miyuki. The yellow-ribboned girl flitted about the virtual scenery, following whichever fish she found to be the cutest at the moment.

"Oh wow, what's this blue one? That one has a beak! Oooh, look at that tail! This one has huge eyes! They're so cute! Kona-chan, Oneechan, did you see this blue one?"

"Yes, Tsukasa. We saw it every time you pointed it out." Kagami looked on with crossed arms. This had been fun at first, but they were pushing on 20 minutes of gawking at some digital fish. Tsukasa had shown no signs of boredom, and likewise Miyuki would rattle on numerous facts about each species of fish that the lilac-haired girl showed interest in. Kagami sighed a little and glanced at Konata.

"I'm bored," Konata blurted through a triangle-shaped mouth.

"Yeah, me too." Kagami opted not to comment on Konata's bluntness.

"Let's go do something else."

"Okay...they look like they're having a good time here, anyway."

Konata and Kagami arranged to meet Miyuki and Tsukasa a little while later, and headed out of the aquarium.

"Oh man! I felt bad saying anything in there, but that got so boring!" Kagami heaved a sigh. "Sometimes I don't get how they can stay endlessly entertained by that kind of thing."

"It's because they're simple-minded. Also, it's part of their moe-factor."

"Yes yes, the moe factor. So what else do you wanna do?"

Konata pointed to a few places on the map, "We could do some shooting games. You seemed a little sore about losing to me in everything we played earlier. You might stand a chance in those."

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Kagami shot a playful smirk to her friend.

"If you want to call it that," Konata returned with a smug grin.

The two marched off together.

The arcade area provided them with no shortage of video games. Kagami put up a valiant fight in each shooting game that was played, but Konata naturally insisted that their gaming experience not be limited to a single genre. Of course, the shorter girl dominated each new category. Several coins later, Kagami's confidence was shot with a few holes.

"H-hey, can we do something else now..?" She asked, scratching her cheek lightly.

"Actually, there's a ride here that you'll really like." Konata answered, turning to her friend with a smile.

"Huh? What is it?"

"You'll see. Follow me," Konata replied ambiguously and casually took Kagami's hand to lead her. Kagami blushed and opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it and allowed herself to be lead.

As it turned out, it was indeed a ride that Kagami could enjoy very much - a roller coaster with a built in shooter, in which riders had to fire at targets as they rode. Neither of the girls could be matched in talent as they rode, skillfully working together to hit each target in sight...and neither of them thought that the other would notice as they leaned into each other on sharp turns. The pair was laughing jovially as they exited.

"Konata, that was great!" Kagami smiled brightly at the little otaku, her twin tails bouncing. "Thanks for showing me this one!"

"Yeah, it was fun! I knew you'd be the best partner for success," Konata agreed with an unusually winning smile.

"So, what do you want to do next?" Kagami asked, her voice uncharacteristically cute with excitement.

Aaah, she's so cute. Konata couldn't help but think to herself. "Well, I thought we could--"

"Oh wait a minute..." Kagami glanced up at a large digital clock. "It's time to go meet Tsukasa and Miyuki now."

Realization blinked through Konata's head. Aah! I forgot. This isn't good! Hn... looks like it's time for plan B. Konata nodded more to herself than to Kagami. "Oh, right."

"Let's go then." Kagami herself sounded a little disappointed. Walking alongside Konata, she cast several glances in the shorter girl. Well, it was nice while it lasted...now I'm almost wishing we'd come here alone... Wait, I shouldn't think like that! Don't think like that!

The two pairs of girls found each other not far from where they had split. Both Miyuki and Tsukasa looked as if they had been having as much fun as the other two. "What are we doing next, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa asked, clinging to a floppy zebra plush Konata had given to her earlier.

"We're going to ride that." Konata pointed to a sign in the corner that read the english words 'Spin Bullet.' Upon closer inspection, they could see that it was a ride in which a car spun in circles while revolving around a central axis.

Tsukasa looked a little intimidated. "Th-that?"

"Hey, don't you think that looks a little intense?" Kagami looked doubtful. "I mean, I could handle it, but the other two..."

"Oh, it'll be fine. See, there are wheels in each car. The rider turns the wheel as fast as they want to spin. If they don't turn it at all, it's more like a peppy carousel ride."

"Oh, well that doesn't sound so bad."

"Why do they call it a 'bullet' then?" Kagami asked in a dry tone, standing in line with Konata regardless.

"Cuz it sounds cool, and cuz you can make it intense if you want to. Kagami and I can ride together to go fast, and Tsukasa and Miyuki-san can take it easy in another car," Konata replied airily.

The otaku's trio of friends conceded to her reasoning and decided to give 'Spin Bullet' a chance. The line went quickly. The girls paired off once more and settled in their respective seats. Tsukasa fidgeted despite reassurances, and jumped (along with Miyuki) a little when the ride began to rumble to a start. Kagami was cheerful, and Konata was placid.

Close to four minutes later, everyone was exiting the ride. While Konata and Kagami were sturdily on their feet, Miyuki tripped and stumbled some. Where Miyuki tripped and stumbled, Tsukasa nearly toppled to the floor with each step.

"Ooooh, I'm so dizzy...urp...Oneechan, I think that ride made me sick..." The girl whimpered, little droplets at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh jeez, I was afraid it'd be too rough...hey, maybe we should go home now. We've been here for a while, right Konata?"

"But the park doesn't close for another two hours. Don't you want to make the most of these tickets?" Konata protested.

"Well yeah, and I've been having lots of fun. But Tsukasa and Miyuki--"

"Kagami-san, excuse me..." Miyuki interjected lightly. "Tsukasa-san could come home with me if the two of you want to stay here. I live much closer to this area of town, after all, and my parents would certainly drive Tsukasa-san home to save her the stress of a train ride."

"That's really nice of you, Miyuki, but we don't want to impose." Though Kagami's words said one thing, it was evident on her face that she was considering the offer.

"Oh no, really...it's fine, Kagami-san." Miyuki touched the fingers of her right hand to her cheek. "I was starting to feel a little tired myself, but you and Izumi-san seem to be enjoying yourselves. I'm more than glad to keep everyone happy."

"Oh, Miyuki-san, you're so wonderful," Konata praised her friend.

"It's okay with me, Oneechan...-hic-...I can go with Yuki-chan..." Tsukasa wobbled unsteadily. Kagami ceased arguing.

"Alright, if this is what'll keep everyone happy..."

Miyuki pulled out her cell phone. "I'll dial home and they'll come get us shortly, Tsukasa-san. I have many remedies for motion sickness at home."

"Thank you so much, Yuki-chan," Tsukasa gushed with a quivery smile.

Nobody noticed Konata's expression twist into a devilish smile. Her mouth was stretched, her eyes were fierce, and her inner thoughts rang with vicious triumph. Just as planned.

Yes, she had planned the whole thing since the moment Patty said she couldn't keep the tickets. Now she just had to wait for Miyuki to escort Tsukasa out the door. They turned. They began walking. Konata watched with bated breath. Everything moved in slow motion. A sweat drop formed and ran down Konata's cheek. This is the longest 40 seconds of my life...

The door swung, and the two girls disappeared behind it.

"Well, they're gone." Kagami stated, arms at her sides. "I hope Tsukasa will be okay..."

Yeah, they're gone. Konata snickered mentally. Next, Kagamin... Outwardly, she just waved her hand, "Miyuki-san's so rich, I'm sure they'll have her feeling great in no time."

Kagami sweatdropped. "I think you mean to say she's so 'knowledgeable'... either way, you're probably right this time." The girl shifted a little uneasily, looking down at Konata. They were alone now. There was no doubt that a part of her had wanted this... so why did she feel a little nervous, now? It was completely normal for the two of them to hang out alone. She should just take it easy and enjoy some time with her friend, right? It wasn't odd to be alone with Konata now, right? Kagami began fidgeting with her jacket.

Konata didn't fail to notice. She smiled a little, "Are you okay, Kagamin? Did that ride shake you up too? Maybe I turned it a little too fast for you."

"N-no! I'm fine!" The girl answered hastily. "Well, you wanted to get your ticket's worth so badly...what else did you have in mind, here?"

Konata's voice transformed into a deep ghostly drawl. "Hnhunhun...Do you think you can handle the haunted rides?"

Kagami placed her hands upon her sides. "Please, don't confuse me for my sister. Of course I can."

"The horror ride here is supposed to be especially bad, is all."

"I'll believe -that- when I see it." Kagami stated haughtily, following Konata to the attraction.

"You sure sound confident. I still think you'll get scared though. Wanna bet a soda on it?"

"Bet a soda on it? Come on, you sound like a little kid."

"You're just afraid you'll lose."

Kagami sighed lightly. "Fine, fine, you're on. Whatever makes you happy."

Konata smiled and lead Kagami to an ominous corner on the fifth floor.

The attraction appeared to be a walk-through, one of those tunnel-like things where the lights would go out completely and various disturbing elements would leap out in an attempt to frighten the attendees. A certain tsundere was not impressed.

"Is this supposed to be intimidating?" Kagami asked, an eyebrow raised. Konata didn't answer and simply walked her inside. As expected, the 'ride' was a walk-through to be spent in pitch blackness for nearly the entire experience. On instinct, the two girls walked closely together. A few other people, mostly couples, were walking with them. Kagami was confident that nothing would succeed in frightening her. "I've done stuff like this before, you know." She said as the attraction fell into ominous darkness and some of the other girls around her began whining uneasily.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Konata said seriously through a kitten-ish smile that could hardly be seen. She walked ever so slightly ahead of her friend, so when a breeze picked up, wisps of her hair crept out of the darkness to brush past Kagami.

Kagami twitched a little bit. She didn't quite jump, but the unexpected tickle caught her off guard. Thankfully, she didn't make any audible sound. "Konata, are you walking ahead of me?" She asked, her eyes straining to make anything out. A few ghostly sounds and whispers emanated from the walls around them while she spoke.

Instead of replying like a normal person would, Konata decided to impersonate a scenery-appropriate anime. "When one person is cursed, two graves are dug..." She sounded more like a part of the scenery than a person, but too realistic for anything that could be coming from the speakers.

"You're not funny. Come over here and walk next to me, your hair is annoying."

Konata shrugged and drifted back, just in time to allow a severed head to pop up in front of Kagami.

Kagami did not react as the otaku had hoped. "The least these things could do is to be a little less predictable." She examined the fake head arrogantly. Her matter-of-fact tone would easily kill any scary atmosphere around her, luckily the other guests around her did not seem to be listening. She continued walking. Amidst feeling her way blindly through the hall and rolling her eyes at the whimpering of the other girls around them, Kagami suddenly felt something grazing her...

"Hey! Did someone just grab my--"

"Ssssh, don't shout unnecessarily, Kagami." Konata scolded. Oddly enough, she didn't sound very sincere in her reproval...as if she had just done something worse than shouting out at a horror attraction.

The rest of the way remained uneventful, both girls treating it as casually as a walk in the park. The immature bet was certain to come to a stalemate, until the very end. With one final pop-out atrocity, one of the girls who had been traveling closer to Kagami let out a piercing shriek not but a few inches from the pigtailed girl's ear. Kagami, taken completely by surprise this time, shrieked in turn and threw her arms around Konata, squeezing both of her shoulders.

Konata's eyes popped wide open in delighted surprise rather than fear. She had been counting on the screams of others eventually getting to Kagami, but she had not counted on such an unexpectedly intimate reaction. Her eyes and mouth quickly softened into a smile, and she loosely put her arms around Kagami as well. Petting her back a little, she crooned, "Awww...I guess scared little Kagamin owes me a soda now, huh?"

"H-hey!" Kagami's voice was still quivering while Konata held her, even though the shock from the scare had already worn off. "Someone screamed in my ear! That doesn't count!"

"Yes it does." Konata quipped. "Part of the ambiance of a haunted attraction are the people themselves." There was no end to the smugness oozing from her little voice.

"You... you little..." Kagami seethed. She stood upright. The arms that had tightly held the smaller girl's shoulders now loosened a bit, as did Konata's. Their hands softly held each other's arms. Their eyes locked. Kagami's anger suddenly melted like the last bite of a popsicle off of the stick. Standing at the edge of the ride's exit, the two girls froze for a moment. Kagami could feel her breathing begin to speed up. "Konata..."

"Hm?"

"I..." Each breath was fervently hung on. Kagami's mouth was still open, her sentence teetering on the verge of finishing... when one of the young men exiting the ride suddenly bumped the pigtailed girl's shoulder.

"Oh, excuse me." He said before moving on.

Jarred, Kagami finished her sentence. "I-I don't have enough money with me for a drink, you know."

Konata waved a hand dismissively. "You'll have to pay me back later."

"Or maybe I'll just put it toward that credit you're building up."

"Tsk tsk, that's not in the spirit of the bet. Now come on, next!"


Konata was not bluffing when she had said she wanted to maximize her time. The last hour and a half that the park was open was crammed with activity. The pair took a shot at the snowboarding ride that Miyuki had earlier declined.

"It almost scares me to think about how naturally this athletic stuff comes to you." Kagami commented to a haughty Konata after the ride had ended. She caught her heart fluttering at the cute little confident grin her friend wore all the way to their next activity.

The two of them had caricatures drawn at Konata's insistence and amidst Kagami's multiple protests.

"Come on, this is stupid! Why do we need drawings of ourselves as dumb cartoon characters?" The tsundere complained.

Konata leaned over to whisper in the artist's ear, "Try not to make this one look too fat when you draw her, kay?"

"I can hear you."

"I'm only trying to ensure your happiness!" Konata struck an innocent pose.

Needless to say, the arcade section was visited again. Two dozen video games later, Kagami was feeling just a tad bored. She had run out of coins, after all. Glancing around, she found herself locking onto a certain plush trapped within a claw machine. It was a small, squat little plush of Bonta-kun in war gear. Kagami stared.

Naturally, Konata followed Kagami's eyes to the object of interest, assessed the situation, and answered to the call of Opportunity. Without a word, she stepped in front of Kagami and flicked a few coins into the machine's slot.

Kagami tilted her head curiously and asked, "Do you see something you like in there?"

"Sorta," Konata said as she began to maneuver the joystick. Her hand moved with a brand of purpose and accuracy one wouldn't expect from a girl that seemed to have her large eyes closed. The claw glided smoothly, and then descended towards Bonta-kun's helmet.

Kagami watched with breath more baited than she intended.

The claw closed securely over the plush bear head, and carried the toy steadily towards the chute until it was time to drop. Konata gave a victorious little, "Hn!" and reached in to pull the toy out.

Probably just showing me up again. Kagami thought with a sigh. Before she knew it, however, the toy was in her hands. She blinked down at it, stunned. A moment later, her wide blue eyes darted up to the grinning face of the person who had just given it to her. "H-huh?" She stuttered. "For me?"

"Well yeah. It's not something I'm actively collecting, and it would be impossible to get 3 right now. See, the others are kinda buried," Konata explained with a shrug and a few other gestures.

"So you're just...giving it to me?" A blush was creeping up upon the girl's cheeks, and she could do little to stop it.

Konata smiled with an understanding Kagami hoped she didn't have. "Like it?"

"Yes." Realizing that her voice sounded a little too feathery and happy, Kagami continued. "I-... I mean-- I like the series and all, and I have one like it at home, but...it's okay."

"But yours is in the amusement park outfit instead of the combat gear, right?" Konata chimed.

"W-well yeah. So I...uh. T-thanks."

Konata wore her most charming smile, "You're welcome."

Kagami immediately shot her gaze to the floor in a desperate attempt to hide her blushing face. Her feet fidgeted against each other, and her fingers curled into the plush. "We...we should get going now, two hours are nearly up."

"Yeah, it's about to close too. Just let me get that soda before we go, okay?"


A short while later, the pair was walking slowly down Tokyo's sidewalks, on their way to the train home. Tucked under Kagami's arms were her new toy and the small caricature that they'd had drawn. Trying to hide a creeping smile, she stole a glimpse of it. Their silly, exaggerated faces were mushed against each other cheek to cheek, Konata's arm around Kagami's shoulders...just as they had posed. The girl gave her plush a squeeze.

My test scores are going to suffer because of this, I just know they are... but this was worth it. Heh, I can't believe I'm thinking this. Her eyes subtly cast themselves toward the little geek who walked beside her. If only Konata could be like this more often. I know she has it in her. Maybe if she were a little charitable and kind more often, I'd be able to tolerate her on a regular basis. Oh, who am I kidding, I tolerate her no matter what. I'm totally, completely, pathetically in--

"Hey, Kagamin."

Kagami's heart skipped more than one beat as her thoughts were cut off.

"H-huh?"

"Remember how I said you'd need to find a special someone to bring out your dere-dere side?" Konata blurted, suddenly breaking the silence.

"Ah..." Kagami thought back a while, struggling to recall. It was with a tiny blush that she finally remembered that Konata had said that to her during their sleepover. "Oh. Yeah... I remember. What about that?"

"And how you said it would take a very special person to be my husband?"

"Yes, I remember. What are you getting at?"

"Well, just in case you can't ever find a guy that patient, and I don't find anybody either, we have to stay friends forever so you won't go crazy with loneliness," she stated matter-of-factly, taking a long sip from her ginger ale.

Kagami looked a little taken aback, despite the mild insult. "What? Are you kidding around with me?"

"No."

"Friends forever, huh?" She seemed to ponder a moment, then smirked. "I think you might drive me a little crazy if I agreed to that."

"Or maybe," Konata began as she started to walk closer to her friend, so much as to brush against her with every step, "you'll go crazy without me."

Kagami flushed instantly. "W-well, don't you sound full of yourself. In case you'd forgotten, I'm already preparing myself for a new life once I make it into a university. To think I'd go nuts just because I can't be near you for a while..."

Konata's large eyes looked strait into Kagami's. "Yes."

"Yes, you're full of yourself or yes, I'll go...oh never mind. It sounds more like it's you who'll be lost without me, anyway."

Konata's hand kept brushing past Kagami's, and it was starting linger. Konata smirked a little bit, "You could look at it that way. It will be a little boring without you around to tease."

Kagami twitched a little, but quickly regained her composure...at least as best as she could while battling the rapid leaps of her heart for each time Konata's hand brushed hers. "I'm more concerned with how you'll fare academically without me around to pull you out of everything."

"If you're so concerned, you should just make the promise with me," Konata reasoned.

"You want me to promise to stay your friend?"

Konata nodded.

Kagami looked down and sighed. Though she was doing her best to sound exasperated, she was undoubtedly smiling. "You have nothing to worry about, Konata..." She raised her eyes to the blue-haired girl, revealing her pretty smile unabashedly. "...I'll always be your friend."

Konata actually felt her own heart flutter. There it is...

"There it is!" Kagami exclaimed. The two girls had made it to the train station, and the train was approaching. They still had to get through the turnstile. Konata's gaze snapped away from the pretty sight when she heard the rumble of the train. Remembering that the both of them still had tickets home, she grabbed Kagami's hand and ran. "A-ah!" a small cry escaped a surprised Kagami. As the pair scooted toward the edge of the track, she gently curled her fingers around the small hand that had curled around hers. The train pulled in, doors opened and the girls leaped on. They grabbed seats and sat down, laughing.

"Wow, just made it!"

"Nice one!"

The train jerked to a violent start, causing a good bit of Konata's ginger ale to splash onto her stomach. Konata was usually good at handling drinks and such in any situation, but her mirth had gotten the better of her. A sour expression replaced her smile.

"Aw jeez, Konata!" Kagami released her friend's hand, to which she had clung until now. She began digging through her coat pockets for a napkin.

Konata pulled up her shirt a little and started wringing it out onto the floor. Her exposed belly didn't escape the notice of other passengers.

"Hey, don't do that! Here." Kagami jutted her hand forward, grasping a couple of napkins.

"The napkins will just fall apart all over my shirt. This is better."

"No, it's not. Sit down." Kagami grabbed the edge of her friend's jacket and yanked her back into her seat. Before Konata could protest, the twin tailed girl began dabbing at the spill with her napkins.

Konata sighed and shook her head. In retrospect, this could turn out great. Kagamin was doting on her in a nice way. Maybe she should ham it up just a little. She was cold now...if she could just push that to the point of shivering...

"Hey, are you okay?" Kagami asked, concerned. By all appearances, Konata had suddenly become sort of distant after the spill.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Konata murmured as she rubbed her arms.

"Your jacket's all wet..."

"Yeah, and I guess that makes it kinda cold. I'm fine though," she reassured with an intentionally weak smile.

"Come on now, you don't look fine." The taller girl insisted in a chiding manner. "You know that you can get sick from stuff like this, right? Take that off and fold it, I'll let you use mine." Kagami began pulling her arms from her coat sleeves.

"Yeah, but then you'll get cold. Even without being wet, they keep it really cold at night. Don't be stupid. Why don't we just scoot in close and share?" She was carrying out her 'suggestion' before she had even finished suggesting it.

"Sh-share? Are you sure that's...I mean, people around us might think weird things.." Kagami scratched the side of her cheek with her index finger.

Konata snuggled up against the side of Kagami, "It seems pretty normal to me. You're the only one thinking weird things."

Warm shivers raced up and down Kagami's entire self as Konata's body heat pressed itself into her side. The twin-tailed girl could swear she felt every one of her hairs standing on end. The mutual sensation of pleasure and anxiety caused by her friend's actions worked to make Kagami's response difficult. "Sh-shut up.." She managed to droll out in a soft tone. "As if most of your thoughts aren't weird already..." Her meek voice trailed off.

"Think what you like," Konata said lazily as she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. It was actually kinda nice that Kagamin had a little more meat on her bones than she did. Aside from the teasing factor, it made her soft.

A bit of an awkward silence passed. Rush hour had already passed, and the train emptied steadily as the ride continued. The soft roar of the train rolling along its tracks created an ambiance that seemed to echo endlessly through Kagami's mind. Her indigo eyes continuously darted back and forth, following the rapidly drifting scenery past the glass of the window. Kagami's head began drifting as well. Perhaps she was tired, perhaps it was subconscious. The whole process took a minute or two, but eventually the lilac-haired girl's cheek rested on top of Konata's own cerulean hair. Her breathing relaxed.

Konata smiled up at her sleeping friend and sighed contentedly. Although she took this as a final signal for the next step, she also deeply enjoyed the way things were. She basked in the feeling of that train ride. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed doing nothing this much...usually I have to play a game or something to pass the time...

Time passed. It was a pleasant eternity that had to end, and did. Konata's stop was drawing close, and so she begrudgingly began nudging Kagami awake.

Kagami's lashes fluttered as she took the few seconds required for recollection. "Hunh? Konata...?" She began to sit up.

Konata slipped the jacket off her shoulder and draped it fully on Kagami. "It's my stop."

"Oh..." Kagami rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The disappointment in her voice was slightly masked by the fading grogginess. She stood up and put her arms back through their sleeves. "I guess I'll see you later then..."

"Yeah..." Konata took a couple of steps forward, and then turned and motioned for Kagami to follow her to the door. Kagami followed. I had fun with you today, was what she so desperately wanted to say, but for some reason the words would not fabricate.

"Today was fun, huh? Let's remember it, okay?" Konata grinned up at her taller friend as the train slowed to a stop.

"Uh...sure!" Kagami answered, a little smile sneaking its way back onto her mouth. "That was the whole reason you wanted me to come with you, wasn't it?"

"Uh huh. I'm glad you did. Thanks." The doors beeped open, and Konata took a step back onto the platform.

Kagami cocked a brow at her friend, who was now facing her through the open doorway. "Wait a minute, are you actually thanking me fo--"

Kagami was cut off. Something soft and warm was preventing her mouth from moving. Konata held her lips to Kagami's for an instant, and then leaned back to let the doors close between them. She smiled brightly through the window, waved, and said some things that couldn't be heard behind the door and the buzzing engine. As the train accelerated and carried her away, the last thing Kagami saw of the girl who had just kissed her was that same placid grin and waving hand.


For the first few minutes, Kagami did not move. Her legs were grounded, her arms remained fixed at her sides. Her eyes did not blink, nor did they look in any direction other than straight ahead. Her mouth, still hanging open by just half an inch, did not bother to close. For all purposes, she could have been a statue frozen in place. It wasn't until the jerking of the train nearly knocked her off of her feet that she reached out and grabbed one of the support rails. Nothing else about her position changed.

The walk from the station to her home was quite similar. Her doe-eyed expression remained as if chiseled in place. She held the handle of her small school bag with both hands, arms folded over her midriff and the bag hanging at the front of her thighs. Her steps were slow and slightly unsteady, as if she were sleepwalking. Kagami unlocked her door, entered her home, and removed her shoes. Her mother noticed her entrance and called out to her.

"Kagami, you're home so late! Tsukasa came home from Miyuki-chan's house feeling ill, I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you."

"Yeah..." Kagami replied, her voice hardly above a daze. Without stopping, she walked to her room, leaving her mother blinking curiously after her.

Once her door was shut, Kagami stepped steadily into the middle of her room. There she stood for just a moment, and then slowly folded herself down to her knees. She placed both hands atop them, still staring blankly ahead. At a gradual pace, her left hand began to lift up to her mouth. Once there, her fingertips daintily touched to her lips. They had been tingling the whole way home, in a manner similar to how one's foot feels when it falls asleep. Her heart, which she had thought could beat no faster than it had from the train to her room, began to thump more persistently from within her ribcage.

That was my first kiss...

The thought resonated throughout her. The hand on her lips trembled slightly.

And... and it was on a train. And it was... it was with a girl. As if a button had been pressed, Kagami's face immediately flashed to a bright red color.

It was with HER!!

Her hands clenched into fists, which she thrust back down to her knees with a righteous fury. She STOLE it!! That lousy little...! She...! She...

Her heart suddenly gave a flutter like the wings of a small bird. One of her hands raised to it. She kissed me... A smile that she couldn't fight curled back onto her lips. She really... I never said she could! And in PUBLIC! Oh jeez, those people were probably watching me the whole way home while I stared at the wall like a cow on the tracks! I can't believe she would do that! I can't believe her! I can't believe... that she actually kissed me. She kissed me... Oh God, she KISSED me!!

Kagami grabbed a pillow off of her bed just so that she could shove her steaming red face into it. It was going to be a very long night.


Footnotes: FINALLY. This took so long to write. I really hope it's worth the read to you. Oh, and our Konata had a fun time typing out a tangent basted on the Death Note joke, but it interfered with the flow of the story too much. Still, she thought it was funny so she's posting it as a fic-let soon.

Next time on Lucky Star:

Hey, Konata here. It's my birthday. If you're obsessed enough to be reading fanfiction about me, you must like me a lot. You're probably going to get me a present. Just make sure you get me three of whatever it is, because if you get me only one, I have to spend my own money to get two more. Don't you hate it when people give presents that require you to spend more money for them to be any good?

Next Chapter: Thinking to Much. O-tanoshimi ni!