a/n I know it's been a long time. but I'm finally back
with the fourth chapter
I know you're overjoyed
I'm back in the mood for Hana Kimi though! (and Naruto
heh heh heh)
yeah, now I own up to number twelve
and I got so hyper
it was like I was on a sugar-high or something
yeah, creepy
I told my friend about how I was and she looked at me like O.O
so anyway!
on with the story!
oh, and I k now I made Mika's last name Honda, but, I'll change that later.

Disclaimer--hm...If I owned Hana Kimi my characters would be in it, okay? and Kayashima would have a bigger role xD
so would Gilbert, because now I love him, too

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Mika sat stock still in her seat as Dr. Umeda further inspected her ankle. His face was barely two inches above it, and he was constantly adjusting his glasses so that they didn't slide right down the bridge of his nose. He prodded her ankle, twisted it, everything. And he was none too gentle about going around it, either. One time, after being especially forceful about jerking her foot, Mika barely was able to suppress the urge to kick him in the face. He seemed to notice because after that he was much gentler. Also, his face was much farther away.

"So...Doc?" Mika said after so much silence. "What's the..."

But Umeda Hokuto did not let the girl finish. Without even looking up he repelied, "I think you should use it more often. It should heal faster that way."

"But Doc.! I can't play sports like this, they won't let me."

"It'll take longer to heal if you aren't active. Walk around, do jumping jacks, or you could--"

"MIKA!!!"

The door was thrown open, slamming against the wall opposite of it; Umeda, startled, jumped, causing Mika's foot to jerk to the side. The dark-haired girl yelped in pain, and as a reflex, her leg swung upward, narrowly avoiding conflict with the doctor's face. The doctor ended up holding Mika's foot between his hands. On his face a look of shock was frozen on his face.

"Mika, we need you to come with us! Right away!" Rio panted. Mika didn't even have time to reply before she was pulled right off of her chair and onto the ground. Her foot fell to the ground soon after the rest of her did; she bit her lip so hard that tears formed in her brown eyes.

"Sorry, Mika! But we really need to go!" Yuri exclaimed, staring earnestly at the injured one with her bright blue eyes.

"No, no! It's fine! I'm fine!" Mika croaked as Yuri helped her to her feet. As soon as Mika was as sturdy as she could be, and her arm was draped over her friend's shoulder, they hurried towards the clinic door, where Rio still stood. The Umeda girly grabbed Mika's wrist and began to tug her--and Yuri by default--out into the hall.

"Yes, go ahead! You're free to go!" Dr. Umeda irritably called, standing up and walking over to the door. He peered out and watched as his sister and the blue-eyed girl lead his patient down the hall, crowded with the Osaka High boys, most of which were whistling and cat-calling as they passed.

"Oh! And I'll have you know that being dragged isn't considered using your ankle!" The doctor bellowed after Mika. She turned her head over her shoulder, looked around, and grinned. But before she could wave good-bye to the doctor, she disappeared around a corner. Doctor Umeda sighed and turned around, retiring to the chair at his desk.

"Whoa. That girl with the loose hair is HOT," a boy breathed right outside the clinic door.

"That girl is also my sister," Umeda mumbled as he moved paperwork around on his desk; he didn't even bother to turn around to look at the boy. He knew what the reaction would be. It was the same every time. The boy would freeze up with horror stuck on his face, and then would hurry away, pretending they hadn't said anything at all. They were afraid of what the doctor would do if they pursued Rio.

"Always the same..." Doctor Umeda mumbled.

X

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"Okay! Can't you two just tell me where we're going?!" Mika whined. They had slowed down, much to her relief. Her arm had nearly been pulled straight out of its socket, and it was difficult running around with her arm over Yuri's shoulders and vice versa.

"No! You'll see!" Rio said; she exchanged a secret glance with Yuri, who just smiled and nodded in return.

Wow. They're real inconspicuous! Mika sarcastically thought. Suddenly she felt very much like a rag doll, being fought over by two young girls. She wished the two would just let go of her and let her walk for herself. As she said earlier that day, she wasn't a toddler nor was she a cripple. She was capable of walking around, even if it did hurt to put any amount of pressure on her one ankle. That was how it would heal anyway, wasn't it? That was what the doctor had told her, so it was bound to be true--unless he just wanted to see her suffer... And it made sense, anyway.

" Rio! In here!"

Mizuki suddenly popped out into the hallway, directly in front of their path; Rio nodded and took a turn, leading Mika and Yuri through a doorway. Her grip on Mika's wrist loosened until she no longer held it, and both her and hand and Mika's fell limp at their own side. Mizuki appeared beside Rio, but she looked back at Mika and smiled widely. The way her eyes sparkles...it suggested that she knew something, or that she could see straight through Mika, that she knew her secrets. But before Mika could ask anything, Mizuki turned back around, leaving Mika's question unasked, choking inside her throat.

"Mizuki!!!" A boy with bleached blonde hair shot up from a seat a table nearby.

Mika blinked a couple times. She hadn't realized at first that it was a cafeteria that they had stepped into. But as soon as she figured it out, it was like everyone's' eyes were on her; a blush crept across her face and she ducked her head down so that loose hair would fall over her cheeks. Never again would she wander around an all boys' school. She would go straight to the Doctor's office, and then straight out. And once her sessions were completed...well, she'd probably never again set foot in the accursed school where all the boys could do was wolf whistle as she passed.

"Mika! Come on!"

Mika's head shot up, her brown eyes wide. Rio was impatiently tapping her foot on the cafeteria's tile, hands placed on her hips. She stood a few feet away, and her gaze was sharp. Mika ducked her head down again and hurried over to her best friend's side, Yuri in tow, her curls bouncing.

Mizuki introduced each of the three girls to the boys seated at the table. Mika was thankful just to see two out of the five staring at her friends and herself.

"Rio, Mika, Yuri, this is Nakatsu," Mizuki pointed towards the boy with bleached hair, "Noe," a boy with spiky hair that looked rather like a child, one of the two starers, "Sekime," a taller boy with glasses, the second starer, "and Sano." Even Mizuki's voice was smiling as she said the last boy's name. He was tall with black hair, and, In Mika's opinion, very nice looking.

"It's nice to meet you!" Yuri chirped. Her smile was blinding as she looked around at all of the boys.

"Pleasure," Mika tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at all of them.

Rio nodded in the direction of each of them before pulling Mizuki aside. Yuri and Mika exchanged curious glances before shrugging and turning back to the boys.

"So, you two go to St. Blossom?" The boy called Sekime asked. He leaned forward onto the table so to get a better look at the two girls.

"Yes we do. Why do you ask?" Yuri replied; she was still smiling. She cocked her head to the side, causing her shoulder-length curls to spill onto her face. Mika could practically see Sekime and Noe melting. Yuri was attractive, there was no getting around it. Whether you were a boy or a girl, it was obvious. She had this...cute look about her.

"Oh, just curious," Sekime somehow managed to choke out.

Yuri giggled, holding a hand to her mouth in attempt to hide it. This just caused the two boys to melt further; Mika rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Rio and Mizuki. The two were frantically whispering to each other, and even though they were so close to where Mika stood, she couldn't make out a single word of what they were saying. But Mika, not being an eavesdropper, didn't try getting any closer; she didn't strain her ears either.

Mika saw Mizuki's eyes flicker towards the cafeteria door once it creaked open. For a moment her eyebrows were furrowed, but then her face relaxed and she smiled. "There he is! I told you he'd be coming soon!" Mizuki whispered. It was the first bit of the conversation Mika had managed to hear, and it made her curious. Who was there? What were they talking about?

It's none of my business, she told herself. But curiosity won over. She turned her head slightly, just enough so that she could see the door, where Rio and Mizuki were eagerly looking. What she saw made her freeze up. Well, all but her heart, which was racing at a ridiculous rate. Why was she so excited--and nervous--about seeing the guy? It was someone she had just met but...still.

Mika jerked her head away from the door; her eyes fell on Yuri. The girl was animatedly speaking with the four boys at the table. Nakatsu and Sano didn't get much chance to say anything--if they even wanted to--because Noe and Sekime were hogging her attention. At every other thing they said, she laughed. It was a light, tinkling laugh that gave the image of an innocent little child.

"Yuri--" Mika gently tugged at her friend's sleeve with one of her delicate hands.

Yuri whirled around, her shoulder-length, light brown curls whipping her face. She hastily brushed it away as she stared, wide eyed, eyebrows raised, at Mika, who looked very anxious. And for good reason--she was.

"Hai?" But then Yuri's eye fell on the boy who made Mika's heart thud against her chest. She smiled brightly and jumped up and down on the balls of her feet as she clapped her hands together. "Oh, he's here! Dear, he's even better looking in person!" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she went on about the aura-boy. Her bright blue eyes moved up and down over his body; she smiled.

Mika didn't dare turn around, not until Rio said her name and tugged at her sleeve.

The aura boy stood beside Mizuki, very much towering over her. He curiously looked down at her, and then back up.

"Kayashima, I would like you to meet my friends. This is Umeda Rio, back there with the curls is Enkai Yuri, and this...this is Sakana Mika."

The aura-dude nodded. "We've met," he said, regarding Mika.

"Yeah, we have." Mika glared at Rio, who knew perfectly well that she had met him before. "But, I don't believe I ever caught your name at the festival. What is it?" Mika cocked her head to the side, brushing her dark brown locks out of her light brown eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Mizuki and Rio slip away to join Yuri and the boys at the table; Mika inwardly cursed them for leaving her in this awkward predicament, but outwardly she remained perfectly calm and still as she waited for the boy to reply.

"Taiki Kayashima," he said; his voice was so quiet, so serene, so...mysterious. But most of all, Mika found it soothing.

Mika smiled and gave a short nod. She opened her mouth to say something, but found that no words were forming on her tongue. Her mind was even blank. She clamped her mouth shut and stared stupidly around, hoping to find something of interest to speak about so as to avoid any awkwardness. Kayashima didn't mind the silence, but he noticed how anxious the girl before him was, so he quickly though of something to say, to break the ice.

Neither though of walking over to join the others.

Rio, Yuri, and Mizuki all found that very amusing; the other four cast them curious glances as they stifled their laughter using their fists.

"How's your ankle?" Kayashima gently inquired, his violet eyes staring down at her left foot. The ankle was still swollen enough so that it could be seen through the ace bandage wrapped tightly around her ankle. The swelling didn't at all help the already bulky look she had going there, due to the stockings she had to wear over the bandages. Kayashima stared for a minute longer, blinked, and raised his head again. His eyes caught Mika's and held the gaze.

"Oh, it's fine. Doesn't hurt as much as it once did." I won't mention that it still hurts a lot though... Mika silently added to herself. She tugged at a strand of her dark brown hair uneasily as she just stood there, silent once more.

"That's good to hear," Kayashima said; his bangs fell away from the one eye that they covered as he titled his head to the side. Even though he didn't knit his eyebrows together, he still had a look on his face that suggested that he was concentrating. And the way he was eyeing Mika was somewhat skeptical, but also curious. It was very different from the way all the other boys had eyed her while she was in the school, and it made Mika relax.

Silence. Neither Mika nor Kayashima had shifted positions. The girl began to wonder why the aura-boy was staring so keenly at her. But he didn't say anything more, and it took Mika a lot of swallowing to get the nerve to ask him. She didn't understand why it was so difficult to speak to him. It was so very unlike her usual personality. She was not a shy person, not at all. Not usually. Not around people like Rio, Yuri, or the girls at her school. Not even around the boys who always watched her go through the halls there at Osaka High. If Rio hadn't told her to just ignore all of them, she'd have snapped at them long ago.

"What color is my aura?" she squeaked. The loose strand of hair that hung in her eye she brushed away subconsciously, never breaking eye-contact with Kayashima. Anyone watching across the room would have thought they were having a staring contest of sorts.

Kayashima remained quiet for a moment before he simply answered, "Blue."

"What does that mean?" Again she brushed away that one stubborn bit of hair that just refused to stay out of her face.

"Calm," he replied.

Mika smiled and gave a short nodded. It didn't even occur to her that there might be more that Kayashima was purposefully leaving out. Why would she even think that? He had no reason to lie to her, to not tell her what color her aura was. But the truth was that he did leave something out, and he did have a reason. There had been two colors in her aura, something that Kayashima didn't often see. One was pink--embarrassment. He didn't understand why she was feeling that way, and he was afraid that if he mentioned it she would become anxious again, or even more embarrassed.

"Should we go join the others?" Mika asked when she found there was nothing else she could possibly think of to say to him alone; the aura-boy shrugged and the both of them took the few steps over to the table where their friends all sat together. Mika slid in next to Rio, who was speaking to Mizuki, of course. The two seemed to be very good friends, causing Mika to wonder how long they had known each other. Surely not too long, or else Mika and Yuri would have known about "him."

"So Noe, you're into designing clothes, huh?"

The boy who looked remarkably like a child nodded his head; Yuri smiled.

"I'd love to see some of your work some time!"

Yuri's genuine enthusiasm caused the boy, Noe, to deeply blush. Taking advantage of the silence, Sekime swooped in with some conversation, but Mika stopped listening. She turned her attention over to Rio and Mizuki again, and then towards Sano. The black-haired boy was staring at a pile of sweets on his tray with intense distaste. He shoved it to the side, towards the one called Nakatsu, and then stood.

"I'm going to head back to the dorms," he mumbled, thrusting his hands deep into the pockets of his pants.

"Okay. Bye Sano!" Mizuki practically chirped, waving good-bye to the tall boy.

Sano saying that made Mika wonder what time it was. She quickly checked her watch before poking Rio's shoulder. The Umeda held a finger up to Mizuki and turned her head over her shoulder, her long hair hitting the "boy" beside her in the face. "What is it?" she asked.

"We should probably get going," Mika whispered.

Rio heaved a sigh. "I guess you're right. Just hold on a minute..." She glumly turned back towards Mizuki and was about to open her mouth to say she had to leave, but Mika stopped her.

"Never mind. You stay here and talk some more with Mizuki and whomever you like. I'll go back by myself."

"But you're ankle--" Rio argued.

Mika shook her head. "Doc said I should probably use it. That way it'll heal quicker. Well, that's what he said, and I have every reason to believe him unless he's out to get me."

"Wouldn't put it past him," Rio mumbled. Then louder, she asked, "Are you sure?"

Mika nodded. "Of course I am! Just meet me back at the dorms, alright? Otherwise it will get lonely. And you're going to want to talk to your American friend, no doubt."

Rio's face brightened. "You're right!" But she didn't reconsider coming home, not that Mika was trying to make her. The two briefly hugged and then the injured got up. Walking around to the other side of the table, she poked Yuri's shoulder blade. The blue-eyed girl turned around, eyebrows raised. Mika could tell that her attention was still mainly on Sekime and Noe, who she had already taken a liking to.

"Do you want to stay here and talk some more or will you go back with me?"

Yuri frowned and turned back towards Sekime and Noe. "Guys, I'm sorry. I have to get back to school with Mika. But it was great talking to you." She paused, grabbed a napkin from the center of the table, and took a pen from her pocket. "Call me at this number and we can get together sometime. Remember Noe--I want to see something you've made, okay?" Yuri raised her eyebrows expectantly at the boy. He beamed and nodded his head.

"Good. Now I have to go. Bye!"

"Bye Yuri! It was great talking to you!" Sekime and Noe sing-sang. Mika glanced over at them; both were practically drooling.

"Bye Noe! See ya Sekime! It was great meeting the rest of you..."Yuri stopped, looked at Mika, and then back at the table. "Except I never introduced myself to the picture-boy!" The blue-eyed girl took the few steps back towards the table and stared at Kayashima until he turned around. His face was still as unreadable as it always was, which surprised Yuri to say the least. But she quickly hid that with a shining smile.

"I'm Enkai Yuri," Yuri introduced herself, unaware that Rio had done that for her earlier.

Kayashima nodded his head. "Taiki Kayashima." A fleeting smile passed over his face as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you! Sadly, I must go now! Bye again all of you!"

Mika's eye caught Kayashima's as she began to walk off. The corners of her mouth twitched upward into a smile as she gave a small wave and then allowed herself to be dragged off by Yuri, who was still waving good-bye to all of the others.

"We'll see you again soon!" Yuri called as they stepped out into the hall, loud enough for Mika and herself. As soon as they were away from the door, the sound of chairs scraping tile was heard, and then the pounding of footsteps as the boys in the cafeteria raced to go talk to Mizuki, Nakatsu, Noe, Sekime, and Kayashima. They were all unaware that Rio was still there since all they had seen were girls exiting.

"Quick, look around the doorway," Yuri whispered; Mika nodded and stuck her head around the doorway, her dark hair covering her face so that no boys could spot her. As both she and Yuri had suspected, half of the people who had been seated in the cafeteria were crowded around the table they were sitting at. Most were shouting questions at them, asking things like their names and all. After all, they didn't see girls often. Mika couldn't see Rio through the mass of boys, but she assumed that the Umeda girl was scowling and scrunching herself into a ball to avoid the boys surrounding her.

"They're crowding?" Yuri whispered, leaning close to her friend's ear; Mika nodded as she turned around. Yuri smirked. "Just as I thought. You know, I bet they're all wondering about you Mika."

Mika snorted. "Oh yeah right. Staring at plain old me when gorgeous you is right there? Fat chance."

Yuri playfully slapped Mika's upper-arm. "No, I'm serious! I'm a girl and I thought you looked totally pretty standing there talking to Kayashima with your hair all loose and spilling down your back. Also, I saw several guys staring at you with a pool of drool on the tables under them, so don't even try to tell me that you are unattractive. And as for me being gorgeous...Look at Sano, and then try telling me that."

"Yuri...Sano's a guy..."

"Not the point! The point is that there are people SO much prettier than I am. You and Rio being two of them. Probably the only two, actually," Yuri joked. Her nose scrunched up as she giggled at her own joke; Mika rolled her eyes.

"Don't even try to argue, okay?" Yuri said, grabbing Mika's arm and draping it over her shoulders once she noticed that the girl was struggling.

Mika tightened her lips, but said no more, no matter how much she disagreed with her friends. Together, the two rounded a corner. As it was getting later, the halls of the school were becoming barren. However, that didn't mean they were completely empty. Plenty of other people still stood around. Taking a deep breath, Yuri and Mika started to walk faster, hoping to avoid them all, go by unnoticed.

"Hey, where's your friend? I was hoping she'd come by again..." One boy commented. That was enough for Yuri and Mika. They fled, running wildly through the halls, despite Mika's limping. It was a silent agreement the two had made as soon as they took that step around the corner. They went by the clinic just as Dr. Umeda was stepping through, closing the door behind him.

He looked after the two girls as they fled from the boys of Osaka High. "Now that's more like what I was talking about!" He shouted after them; Mika stumbled and Yuri just barely caught her dark-haired friend. "Yeah, just try to be careful!"

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A/N and there we have it!
what did you all think?
yeah
I don't know what the different colored auras mean
really
so I pretend :)
but was this chapter okay?
I know it might have been a bit boring
but I hope to be updating a lot
I'm in a Hana Kimi mood,
most definitely!
well, Naruto as well.
but I bet most of you aren't concerned with that, are you xD
so
please drop a review
I'd really appreciate it
and I'll try to update
Really soon.

--StEpPiNg StOnEs