AUTHOR'S NOTE: Amaya: Okay, so this chapter isn't as long as our last one, but there is a good reason for that. We were actually working on our longest chapter yet, but we decided that the first and second halves were very different from each other and deserved to be their own chapters instead.

Shiro: I can't wait 'till our next chapter!

Amaya: Which will hopefully be done soon...ish. It's already five pages long. And hopefully this chapter will satisfy any curiosity.

Shiro: Enough of our ramblings, enjoy!

Disclaimer: We do not own Uta Pri.

Chapter 6

"Here at the Saotome Academy, we have one important rule," Shining lectured ominously into the mic. "And the two of you are no exception."

Shiro and Amaya cringed as they awaited their impending doom.

"Come see me in my office," he ordered. "Immediately. And bring your bags, you will need them."

The girls stood from their chairs, their eyes downcast and their hair overshadowing their faces, even trembling slightly as their worlds came crashing down at their feet. "It's been nice getting to know you all," Amaya said quietly with a slight bow to the collective of the class. But in truth, she was only thinking of Syo. Someone she was certain she would never see again.

Shiro brought her gaze up just enough so that Masato could see the tears in her eyes. All she could offer him was a proper bow before the two of them exited the classroom. For the last time, they predicted.

They walked through the hallways slowly, desperately trying to prolong their stay at Saotome Academy somehow, boys or no boys. They paused outside of Shining's office as if they were about to meet their executioner.

"I can't go in there," Amaya whispered meekly.

Shiro clenched her fists tightly in defiance. "This is all your fault," she muttered.

"Huh?"

Without bothering to answer, Shiro opened the door and stepped into Shining's office.

Amaya followed her, anger boiling to the surface. "Hey! What are you talking about?"

"This whole mess is your fault!" Shiro clarified.

"My fault?! How?"

"You made me realize my feelings! Don't you know how disastrous that is for me?!"

"Oh yea, sure, that's my fault! What kind of empty world would you be in if you didn't know your feelings? Hmm?!"

"One where I don't get expelled!"

"Neither of you are getting expelled," a much deeper voice intervened.

"What?" they breathed in unison, their eyes suddenly going wide with hope.

"It's true that love can be distracting...," Shining continued in a perilous tone.

Shiro and Amaya waited restlessly for him to continue speaking.

Suddenly though, Shining spun in his chair rapidly and stood up, throwing his arms out with a flourish as he bellowed with odd laughter. "But if I had learned anything in all my years as a super idol, love can also be an inspiration! And you ladies have clearly represented that with your wonderful songs! That is why you will continue to study here at Saotome Academy! I will even make a one-time exception for the both of you and your love interests in regards to the 'No love allowed' rule."

"But...you said over the intercom that we weren't an exception," Shiro pointed out. "Ow!" she cried out a moment later as Amaya stomped down hard on her foot.

"Did I now?" Shining asked with his large, disturbing grin still on his face. "Well I lied! Don't you know celebrities lie all the time?"

"See?!" Amaya exclaimed with joyful tears as she smiled and pointed to Shiro. "I told you love could be inspirational!"

"For once I'm happy you're right!" Shiro shouted back, equally emotional.

"Good! Now give me a hug, you bitch!"

"Just this once, you moron!"

Hopeful thoughts of Syo and Masato played within their minds as they embraced. But their mirth was quickly disrupted as the principal's foreboding tone returned.

"But...,"

"Eh?"

"You must still keep your love a secret from the rest of the school." He pointed accusingly to them, causing them to flinch. "If you are reported openly showing your affections in public, you and your partners may receive punishment that could potentially damage your careers as idols."

The girls swallowed.

"What kind of punishment?" Amaya asked timidly.

"For each time that you are caught, I will contact one major agency and have you and your partners black listed!"

"Black listed?!" Both girls gasped at once.

"Yes, black listed!" Shining exclaimed, sounding disturbingly cheerful again all of a sudden. "Once you are black listed by an agency, they will never allow you to work for them, dramatically lessening your opportunities as a rising star."

I'd never forgive myself if I was the reason Syo-kun's career was ruined, Amaya thought with a heavy heart, hardly thinking of her own circumstance.

"You must understand," Shining continued, dropping his voice back down to his more serious tone once more, "We can't have the other students complaining of unfairness... And that reminds me, just so there is none of that after this particular visit, I hereby declare that the two of you will be assigned double your work this week!"

Both girls paled. We were already doing double the work to begin with, they thought as their shoulders sank.

"You no longer have to worry about being expelled," Shining assured, ignoring their reactions. "Just be sure and watch your backs. Also, I don't want to catch you using the intercom system again."

"That's okay sir, we've had our fill," Amaya assured nervously.

"Uh-huh," Shiro agreed shakily.

"Fantastic!" At that moment, the bell for lunch rang. "I suggest you ladies skip lunch for today and head for the library. You have a very busy week ahead of you."

The girls slumped even further. So that's why we needed our bags. "Yes sir," they mumbled drearily in unison. They exited the principal's office at last, receiving many curious looks from passersby. They felt relieved and defeated all at once.

"Well...we didn't get expelled," Amaya said with half-optimism.

"And I thought I was a zombie last week," Shiro groaned. "But at least I brought snacks this time."

Amaya looked down at her feet as if her head was heavy with burdensome thoughts. "We get to stay here. But Syo and Masato won't know that until we see them later." She pressed her fingers to her temples as if to push back her negative thoughts. "Ahh! I can't stand to think of it!"

"They probably think we're gone," Shiro deadpanned.

"No, really?!" Amaya replied sarcastically.

"And they probably feel terrible now."

"Thanks, that makes me feel sooo much better!"

"But that'll make it even better when they see us later, right?"

A lovestruck smile crept across Amaya's face at the thought. "True," she sighed dreamily. "It'll make the moment so much sweeter."

"Why did I even bring that up?" Shiro muttered with a facepalm. "You do realize that you can't show your feelings for one another in public now, right?" Shiro reminded her, saying the word "feelings" as if it were a disease.

"We were never really allowed to do that to begin with," Amaya pointed out. "Besides, that's even better! You and I, each with our own little secret love...such a beautiful story."

Shiro rolled her eyes as they entered the empty library. "Let's just get to work."

"Right." Amaya followed her friend inside, trying to push away her nervous anticipation. Maybe he won't worry too much...

~~~~~~~~~~In the lunch room~~~~~~~~~~

Still having not given up on hope, Syo looked around desperately for Amaya. But within the sea of students in the lunch room, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Syo-chan," Natsuki spoke up, his voice gentle for once. "I think she's gone."

"Shut up!" Syo snapped as he slammed his fist down on the table. "She's got be here," he insisted as he continued to search. But his hope fast began to fade. He looked down, the shadow of his hat hiding his distraught face. "She...she can't be gone." A single tear hit the table top, but Syo quickly hid it beneath his arm. Amaya...

But Syo was not alone in his worries.

She's really gone now. I can't get her back. Masato thought as he gripped his tea cup. Not this time.

"It's a shame that the Little Mouse had to leave so soon," a familiar sultry voice said from behind.

Masato did not even spare him a glance.

"And to think," Ren continued, "after she wrote that beautiful song for me."

"It wasn't for you," Masato whispered half to himself.

"Hmm?"

"It wasn't for you!" Masato shouted as he threw his cup to the ground, causing it to shatter at Ren's feet. He stormed away as tears welled in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~In the classroom~~~~~~~~~~

Masato walked into the empty A class and took his usual seat. He looked to the side, where he would have normally seen Shiro, and his heart fell. I'll never see her sit there again, he lamented.

He did not bother to look up from his desk as the sound of a rattling doorknob interrupted the silence.

"I'm tired," a familiar voice grumbled.

"It's only been one hour since we started our extra work," another voice spoke up.

Masato's head whipped around in shock as he immediately recognized those voices. She's...still here!

"I didn't sleep last week. Or this weekend. And now I won't get any sleep this week either!" Shiro reminded her callously.

"I didn't get much sleep either ya know!"

"I hardly ever sleep!"

"If you never sleep in first place, then what are you complaining about?"

"I need sleep! I like to sleep!"

Amaya rolled her eyes. "Maybe Shining should have just expelled me and kept you," she muttered in annoyance. "Then I wouldn't have to hear this."

Shiro smirked evilly. "Yea, and Syo wouldn't miss you at all. He's probably found someone else already."

"Shut up! He would so miss me!" Amaya countered as her face reddened. "And there's no way he's found someone else already! ...Oh god...what if he did?! He needed to fill the void so he abandoned me!"

"Calm down, I was kidding," Shiro grumbled. "Besides, it hasn't even been a whole day yet."

"Okay fine, you're right. It's just that I'm really stressed out about our work, and I'm being irrational...again," Amaya said after a session of rapid breaths. "But he still must think I'm gone! I haven't been able to see him today!"

"Well I haven't been able to see Ma-," Shiro stopped mid-word as she spotted a blur of blue out of the corner of her eye. "...Hello, Hijirikawa-san."

Silence loomed over them for a few moments. But at last, Masato spoke. "Hello, Shiro-san."

Warmth arose behind Shiro's cheeks, keeping her eyes locked on Masato's for a few moments more. But that did not last long before she turned her stare to the front of the empty class. Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap...

Amaya watched the spectacle, almost feeling embarrassed for her friend. How incredibly romantic, she thought as she shook her head.

When students began filing into the classroom, the trio realized that the bell had rang a short time ago, but there had been too much mental chaos for them to have taken notice. "Amaya-chan! Shiro-chan!" A cheerful voice called out.

The girls cringed at the sound of Ringo-sensei's voice. They knew what was coming.

"So glad to see you both still here! I hear that I have to assign the two of you twice the work for this week," Ringo-sensei stated as he approached them.

"Uh-huh," Amaya concurred with a weak smile. I guess Shining really wasn't kidding about that.

I never doubted it for a second, Shiro thought as she cried comically.

Ringo-sensei leaned in and whispered to them suggestively, "But it was worth it, right?"

Amaya sighed contently and smiled. Yes...

A majority of Shiro's skin flushed bright red.

Ringo-sensei started to walk away, but then offered a wink as he called over his shoulder, "You two may have a busy week ahead, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!"

An unexpected slam resonated through the air. "I wouldn't want you to!" Shiro shouted indignantly. But a moment later, she collapsed onto her desk, losing all consciousness.

Amaya sweatdropped. Whatever energy she had, it was spent on that.

~~~~~~~~~On the usual walk back to the dorm~~~~~~~~~~

"We need to learn two new dances, write and compose two songs, do two talk-show simulations later this week, and let's not forget in-class notes and our instrumental lessons," Amaya listed off all their tasks, sounding more and more drowsy with each count off.

"Stop it!" Shiro groaned. "I'm getting tired just hearing it!"

"Me too," Amaya agreed. "But if it's what we have to do...," she trailed off as her academic thoughts drifted away. "Wait...Syo-kun! I still haven't spoken to him today!" Amaya scanned the courtyard for the small blonde idol. Her heart sang as her prayers were answered.

Syo walked listlessly on the opposite side of the courtyard towards the boy's dorm, dragging his feet and keeping his eyes on the ground.

"Shiro, I'll be right back!"

"Yea, me too," Shiro mumbled futilely as she veered off in the other direction.

Amaya sprinted towards him, calling his name joyously. "Syo-kun!"

Syo lifted his eyes to her, his glum expression quickly overtaken by rapture. "Amaya!"

Amaya came to a halt a few feet in front of him, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him. We can't get caught, she reminded herself cautiously. "You won't believe what the principal told me! He...he made an exception for us!"

"What?" Syo questioned in misunderstanding. But then his face brightened as the realization came to him. "What?! That's great! Wait...exception? Didn't he say-"

"He lied!" Amaya cried happily.

Syo beamed, his large eyes alive with hope. "Amaya, this is amazing!" He stepped forward, his arms out as if he were about to embrace her...

But Amaya thrust her arms out in front of her to stop him. "No, stop!"

"Why?" he asked, obviously hurt.

Amaya's heart cringed at his tone. So. Freaking. Cute. "As much as I would love that right now," she began, "we can't let ourselves get caught out in the open." Amaya did her best to explain the situation at hand, sparing no details from the office earlier today.

"Black list?" Syo gasped. "He can do that?!"

"Apparently he can," Amaya sighed. "And what's worse is that I have a ton of extra work this week as a stand-in punishment," she squeezed the stack of notebooks in her arms as if to strangle them. "I...I was hoping I could spend my time outside of class with you but...taking both courses..."

"It's alright," Syo assured her. "I can wait. I admit, I've never been the patient type, but I can wait." He smiled warmly at her. "Besides, I'd like to hear the songs you come up with."

"Oh Syo-kun," Amaya sighed blissfully. She glanced around cautiously and took a step closer to him. "I better make this quick," she whispered to him. "While no one is looking."

"Huh?"

Any other questions Syo might have had were silenced in that moment as Amaya pressed her lips to his cheek in a gentle kiss.

Both of their faces were burning by the time Amaya pulled away.

"T-this weekend," Syo spoke up after he composed himself. "I'll come see you when you're finished with your work!"

"R-really?" Amaya sputtered. "It's a promise?"

"Of course," he confirmed. "Like I said, I'll be waiting!" Syo offered her another knock-out smile and a tip of his hat before heading off to the boy's dorm again, a slight spring in his step.

Amaya's heart fluttered as she too walked away. So...SO Worth it. In the midst of her thoughts, she accidentally bumped into Shiro. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Putting a note in Hijirikawa-san's locker explaining our situation," Shiro answered.

"What? Why couldn't you just tell him in person like I just told Syo?"

"For one, I was asleep for most of class. Second of all...I can't speak to him! ...yet."

"Oh, right," Amaya sighed as she shook her head. "You will soon," she assured her, looking off in Syo's direction. "Trust me."

~~~~~~~~~~After many hours of laboring over their notebooks~~~~~~~~~~

Amaya groaned and rubbed her aching wrist. "If I write one more lyric,my fingers will snap."

"Glad I'm ambidextrous," Shiro commented smugly.

A vein ticked in Amaya's forehead. She tossed a pillow at her friend in frustration and went back to work.

Shiro glared at the stray mark on her paper that had been caused by the pillow's impact. "You...made me mess up my lyrics!" she growled demonically.

"Shut up or I'll mess up your face too!" Amaya shouted back.

"Make me!"

Their argument was brought to a halt by a knock at the door.

"...I'm not the only one who heard that, right?" Shiro asked cautiously.

"No?" Amaya answered suspiciously.

Shiro got up to answer the door. No one stood on the other side, but she found a holed-up box sitting at her feet that was addressed to her. Carefully, she picked it up, brought it inside the room and inspected it.

A high-pitched, muffled squeak-like noise could be heard from within.

"AHH!" she cried in surprise. Trying to avoid dropping the box, Shiro carefully set it down on her bed.

"Is something alive in there?!" Amaya asked urgently, eyes growing wide.

"I'm scared to open it now," Shiro whimpered.

Amaya came forth and poked curiously at the box.

"Mew!"

"Wait..kittens? Kittens!" Amaya exclaimed. "But...uh, why?"

"I have no idea," Shiro responded as she gingerly tried opening the box. Once the box was open, sure enough two small kittens popped out. One black female angora kitten, and one white male angora kitten, both with blue eyes.

"Aww, they're adorable!" Amaya cried happily. She picked up the white one and held it up before her face. "This one reminds me of Syo-kun!"

Shiro rolled her eyes. But then she caught sight of a scrap of paper. "Hey, there's a note inside," she reported as she took it in her hand.

The note read: Your song was beautiful and uplifting. To thank you, here is a token of my affection. It's only a week. I will be waiting for you. -Masato Hijirikawa

"Oooooh," Amaya cooed suggestively. "What a surprise. It's from Prince Charming."

Shiro's face burned bright red. "Um I-I...I think I need to name these two!" she proclaimed, trying to quickly change the subject. "They can't go without names."

"Okay, then what are you gonna call them?"

"Hmm...the black one's female sooo, I'll name her Mitsuki. And the white one is male, so I'll name him Shintsuki. Full Moon and New Moon."

"Cute...and ironic," Amaya commented.

Shiro's mask of stoicism slipped off for a short moment as she admired the fuzzy creatures. "Aww, you're so cute," she cooed as she scratched their chins gently, rousing a soft purr. But that same mask was quick to return as she looked up at Amaya. "Let's get back to work."

Amaya sweatdropped. "Sure."

Halfway through the night, the girls were still working hard. But their diligence had little to do with the short amount of time on their hands.

END AUTHOR'S NOTE: Shiro: Yay, nother chapter dones!

Amaya: Yep. Oh! By the way, we have a DeviantArt now! ( .com) There isn't currently anything on there yet (at least not at the time we're typing this) but there will be soon!

Shiro: Mostly drawings relating to our stories, and maybe other fun stuff.

Amaya: Next chapter is already well in the works, so keep an eye out!

Shiro: Yayz!