AUTHOR'S NOTE: Amaya: We mostly just want to briefly explain something that would be too trivial and tedious to mention in the actual story.

Shiro: Well, you know how girls take a long time in the bathroom? Yea, that's why the girls' dorms have private bathrooms when the guys don't.

Amaya: Also, once again this is the first half of what was supposed to be a really long chapter. But it was taking too long so we'd thought we'd split it. Sorry if not much happens here.

Shiro: Now that we've got that out of the way, enjoy!

Chapter 8

The golden light of morning filtered in through the windows, slowly rousing Shiro from her unconscious state. Her eyes remained closed as she snuggled comfortably into what she thought was her pillow. My pillow is so warm this morning, she thought. ...Wait, why does my pillow have a heartbeat? Memories of the night before came flooding back into her mind. Oh, crap! She tried to pull away from him gently, but Masato had a rather tight grip on her.

At that moment, Masato began to stir, moaning softly as he awoke.

A volt of panic shot through Shiro's body. Just pretend you're asleep, she told herself. And that she did.

Masato, falling for Shiro's facade, smiled warmly down at her and slowly tried get out of bed without disturbing her. He stood up, never taking his eyes off her. However, at that moment he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ren was also arising from his bed.

But this time, the sheets were not there to cover Ren and all his glory.

Anger and disgust boiled up from within Masato as he shouted, "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON BEFORE SHE WAKES UP AND SEES YOU!" He froze in mortification and clapped his hands over his mouth. He looked and caught Shiro turning over on her side, facing away from him as if she were tossing in her sleep.

"Alright, alright," Ren yawned irritably. He grabbed a pair of boxers and a pair of jeans, dressing himself accordingly. Although, he didn't bother to put on a shirt as he slumped back down on his bed. "Better?" he asked, giving him a sharp glance.

Masato remained silent as he glared back at the playboy. But his irritation was interrupted by the rustling of the covers below. Shiro sat up on the futon and stretched her arms out wide, yawning as she wiped a sheepish tear from her eye. "Morning," she mumbled.

Immediately, Masato covered his nose and mouth with his hand as he tried to block the approaching blood flow. "Morning," he responded, his voice muffled by his hand.

Off to the side, Ren chuckled in amusement.

For a few more moments, Shiro stretched her weary muscles. But then her eyes popped open wide in realization. "...Hijirikawa-san?"

"Yes?"

"I did not bring any clothes," she clarified in embarrassment as she looked down at her pillow.

"Oh," he breathed, his cheeks slightly discoloring.

"Yea...," Shiro sighed, still not meeting his gaze.

"Why don't you lend the lady some of your clothes?" Ren suggested smoothly.

For once, Masato felt no need to take offense at the playboy's words.

Shiro was still staring awkwardly down at her pillow when Masato handed her a carefully folded outfit. "Here," he said. "You can wear these until you get to your dorm and change into something better."

"Thank you, but um...," Shiro paused for a moment, looking around the fully open room. "How will I change?"

Heat flared in Masato's face. "I-I...um..." His muscles tensed as he sensed an alluring stare from across the room. Ren seemed more than just a little intrigued. "STOP STARING AT HER LIKE THAT!" He grabbed the sheets from the futon and held it high above his head, creating a makeshift curtain with it. "I won't look," he promised sincerely. "I give you my word."

As quickly as her shaking hands would allow, Shiro adorned herself in Masato's clothes, which consisted of a button up shirt and a pair of black jeans. "Okay," she spoke up at last. "You can drop the sheet now."

Hesitantly, Masato lowered the sheet. He was taken aback by her innocent appearance. She was staring at the floor, her hands gripping the hem of the borrowed shirt which was obviously much too large for her.

Shiro grabbed her night clothes and shoved them inside of her pillow, rushing towards the door as she did so. "I'll be back in a little while," Shiro babbled quickly. "I have to get changed and I have to make sure Amaya fed the kittens."

"Wait!" Masato called out to her.

"You're right!" Shiro exclaimed, coming to a halt. "...the balcony!"

A crestfallen expression overcame Masato's face. What?

Shiro went outside and tossed her pillow over the stone rail. She had one leg over the railing before she paused again. "I forgot something!"

Masato sat defeated on his futon, thinking that she was referring to her keys or phone. But to his surprise, he found himself being knocked back onto the sheets by the tiny white-haired girl. Before he could ask what was going on, she silenced him with a kiss.

As quickly as she had come, Shiro made yet another dash for the balcony, calling over her shoulder, "Thanks for letting me stay last night! I'll be back soon! Maybe we can have breakfast!" With that, she flung herself over the railing.

Still quite stunned, Masato remained lying on his back staring up at the ceiling. But then a blissful smile surrounded his face.

Ren rubbed his still weary eyes and shook his head as he watched. How did he manage to get a lady into his bed before me?

~~~~~~~~~~Meanwhile~~~~~~~~~~

Amaya's eyes fluttered open and the ceiling came into view. As the morning light poured into the room, she contemplated if last night had been all a part of one of her hopeless delusions. But then she stretched and turned her head sideways, coming nearly face-to-face with the still-sleeping Syo. His face was half-buried in the pillow that was clutched tightly in his arms, snoring very softly as he inhaled. The early sunlight cast an angelic glow around his contented face and bare back.

For a moment, Amaya feared that the sound of her pounding heart alone would awaken him. He looks so peaceful, she thought as warmth washed over her body. I won't wake him up just yet. Amaya drifted off to cloud nine as her soft breathing synced in tandem with his.

When at last he stirred, Amaya turned her head away, hoping he would not catch her staring. Impatiently, she waited until his heavy eyes were open to look back at him.

Syo smiled sweetly at her as their eyes met. "Good morning, Amaya," he murmured sleepily.

Amaya's heart thudded even harder now. So...so adorable! She collapsed back onto her pillow in a daze, feeling as though a grand fireworks display had been ignited in her heart.

"Amaya!" Syo cried out in concern, suddenly alert. He sat up quickly and straddled her, trying to get her unfocused eyes to meet his. "Are you alright?"

"You're not helping right now," Amaya answered listlessly, a delusional smile creeping across her face. "But that doesn't mean you have to stop. ...I-I mean...that came out wrong."

"What?" Syo froze as he felt the heat of Amaya's body beneath him, both of his knees tucked up snugly against her thighs. His own skin blazed with heat as he slumped down in shock, bringing him into a sitting position atop her hips. "I'm so sor-..." he trailed off suddenly as he noticed another "problem" upon looking down. "...ry," he squeaked in mortification.

Amaya's eyes popped wide open, her own face going as red as his. "Is that what I think-"

But Syo did not allow her to finish her sentence as he dove beneath the blankets beside her.

When most of the redness receded from Amaya's face, she sat up and cautiously poked at the bump where she suspected his shoulder to be. "Uhh...It's alright, Syo-kun. It's not so bad. You can come out now."

"No way! You'll laugh at me!" Syo's voice cracked with embarrassment as he pulled the sheets tighter over his form.

"No I won't," Amaya said stiffly as she repressed a giggle.

Though apparently she did not repress it enough. "See?!"

"Oh come on, Syo-kun," Amaya cajoled. But when he did not respond, an unusual air of mischief overcame her. And she welcomed it. "Alright then," Amaya said playfully. "You asked for it." She reached over and brushed his shoulder blades with the very tips of her fingers, racing them down his back in the likeness of a spider.

Syo cried out in both panic and pleasure. He tossed the covers back over his head and bolted upright."Would you stop that?!" he shouted.

Once again, Amaya's face flushed as a tight-lipped smile spread across her face. "Uh...Syo-kun?" she said, pointing to the (not so) offending area.

The blonde idol gave another cry of shame and threw the covers back over his head.

Tears beaded on the corner of Amaya's eyes as she pressed her hand tighter and tighter over her grinning mouth. I'll leave him be, for now, she thought mercifully. She grabbed some fresh clothes and went into her and Shiro's private bathroom to change. Slowly, she readied herself for the coming day, giving Syo a little time to calm down. Once she came back into the room, now fully dressed, she found that Syo was still hidden beneath the covers. So cute, she thought, nearly swooning again. At last, she spoke up. "I was thinking about something you said last night, Syo-kun."

"Hmm?" Syo hesitantly opened a small slit in the sheets. "About what?"

"Well...I hate that we have to hide ourselves too," she continued gingerly. "So I was thinking... what if we took a trip today? We could go to the city! We wouldn't have to hide from anyone!"

Syo uncovered himself again, his face beaming with hopeful approval. "You're right! It's perfect! We should go now!"

Amaya took a moment scrutinize his mostly bare body and giggled. "Right, because you're definitely dressed for a day on the town."

"Oh...right," Syo flushed as he looked down at himself. "Ehehe." He gathered his pile of clothes from the floor into his arms and frowned as he inspected the hopeless wrinkles that plagued their fabric. "And I'll definitely have to change into something better than this," he sighed. But then he gave Amaya a determined smile. "But as soon I'm ready, we'll go!"

Amaya couldn't help but giggle at his vigor. "Right!" she agreed with a nod as he hastily got dressed. "Oh! And maybe we can make it a double date with Shiro and Prince Ch-... er I mean Masato! Those two can use all the help they can get. Would you mind that, Syo-kun?"

Syo shook his head and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "Sounds like a plan! Anyway, I should get going for now. I'll call you as soon as I'm ready!" He paused as he glanced back and forth between the front door and the balcony entrance anxiously. "People will be suspicious of a boy in the halls of the girls' dorm so early in the morning."

Amaya nodded in agreement, her brow creasing in concern as apprehension crept into his tone.

"That means I'll have to climb down the balcony again, doesn't it?" Syo deduced shakily.

"Ehehe...," Amaya rubbed the back of her neck and raised her other fist in half-enthusiasm. "Y-you can do it, Syo-kun!"

"You don't sound too sure!" Syo shouted as comical tears flowed down his face.

"Sorry," Amaya sighed. But then she came forth, bending down slightly to meet his eyes. "But maybe this will help." She leaned in for a lingering morning kiss.

"Yea," Syo chuckled when he caught his breath. "That definitely helps."

~~~~~~~~~~Back with Shiro~~~~~~~~~~

Shiro hurried along the courtyard as she made her way back to the girl's dorm. Just as she was about to pass under her own balcony, she caught sight of a falling blonde blur. She turned and saw a half-dazed Syo lying face-up on the ground. "Hello, Kurusu-san," she greeted causally as she continued on her way. "Remember to fall on your feet next time."

"Got it," Syo groaned as he stood up. "Wait...'next time'?"

Without bothering to stop and answer, Shiro stepped into the girls' building. Luckily, because of the early hour, there was only one or two girls in the halls to see her in her unusual attire, but they seemed too tired to care. Upon entering the room, she spotted Amaya checking herself over in the mirror.

"Shiro, you're back!" Amaya exclaimed without turning to face her just yet. "Look, I'm sorry I made you leave last night, but I think I've figured out-" she stopped abruptly as she finally turned, seeing Shiro in clothes that were clearly not her own. Amaya smiled devilishly. "Sooooo, where did you go last night?"

"...Someplace," Shiro answered flatly.

"Well, I'm gonna guess a castle," Amaya said.

Shiro looked at her in annoyed confusion. "A castle? Where the hell would I find a castle? And why would I go there?"

"You know," Amaya cooed as she gave Shiro a nudge. "Prince Charming's castle."

Shiro groaned in exasperation and facepalmed. "Why me?" She pulled away, hurriedly grabbing some fresh clothes. "I don't have time for this! I'm supposed to be meeting Hijirikawa-san for breakfast."

"Yeesh, you can never take a joke," Amaya objected. But then her expression brightened as something occurred to her. "Oh right! Syo-kun and I had this great idea, what if the four of us went on a trip to the city today? We can make it a double date! And we wouldn't have to be secretive like we do here!"

"I'll talk to him when I get there!" Shiro responded frantically as she dug through her clothes. "And I'll text you the results!"

"So you do wanna go?" Amaya inquired, a bit surprised. "To the city? ...Where there's people? Practically...everywhere?"

Shiro shook her head and threw her hands up impatiently. "Of course I do! Besides, I'm gonna be an idol, I'm gonna have to get used to people."

"Great!" Amaya exclaimed cheerfully. "Nice to see that you're finally coming out of your shell."

"I never had a shell," Shiro stated. "I had a bomb shelter."

"Can't argue with that," Amaya agreed with a sweatdrop.

Now fully dressed, Shiro took off, calling back to Amaya, "I'll see you soon!"

~~~~~~~~~~In Syo and Natsuki's dorm room~~~~~~~~~

Syo was still walking on air by the time he got back to his dorm room. Unfortunately, this gave Natsuki a chance to catch his off guard. The very second that he opened the door, Natsuki tackled him with a crushing embrace. "Syo-chan! I was so worried about you! Where have you been all night?!"

The small idol gasped for air as Natsuki continued to crush him. "Natsuki! Get off me!" he shouted thinly. When Syo managed to squirm away and catch his breath, he responded at last, "Don't play dumb, you know where I was last night, I told you where I was going."

"But why were you out all night?" Natsuki whined. But then he gasped, his face that of mock heartbreak. "You were cheating on me, weren't you? How could you, Syo-chan! After everything I've done! And everything we've been through!"

Syo's face contorted in revulsion. "I get the point!" he snapped as a vein ticked in his temple. "Now cut that out!"

Natsuki dropped his facade and laughed. "I couldn't help myself. You're just so cute when you're angry Syo-chan!"

As Syo tried to ignore Natsuki's deplorable comment, he began rifling through his closet.

"Are you going somewhere today, Syo-chan?" Natsuki provoked as he hovered over Syo's shoulder.

"Yes, but you don't need to know where," Syo responded bluntly.

"Why not?"

"Because you might try and follow me!" Syo was silent for a few minutes more as he continued to search, Natsuki hovering over him all the while. At last, he found the perfect ensemble for today, a bright pink button-up with black pinstripes with a tie to match, an open black vest draped over them, and light gray jeans that were rolled up to the knee. He reached up to grab it, but Natsuki snatched it away just as his fingers were about to close around the hanger. Natsuki held it high above his head as he looked down at Syo what that mockingly innocent smile. "Damnit Natsuki! Give that back!" Syo yelled in frustration as he attempted a grab for it, but his stature proved to be an annoying hindrance.

Natsuki held him back with little effort, his smile never faltering, as always. "You'll get it back when you tell me where you're going!" Natsuki teased in a sing-song voice.

A snarl curled Syo's lip as he glared daggers at Natsuki. "Fine! I've got a date with Amaya!" he admitted. "Now hand it over!"

Natsuki's unsettling smile took on a curious edge. "A date?"

"Yes! A date!" Syo exclaimed irritably, trying to not to blush. And failing horribly. "Now give that back!" Finally, Syo managed to make a successful jumping grab for the outfit, turning away in a huff as he yanked everything off the hanger.

"I guess it's a good thing I wished you good luck, Syo-chan," Natsuki reminded him pleasantly.

"I doubt that had much to do with it," Syo said with a roll of his eyes.

"But you did get lucky last night, right Syo-chan?"

It seemed as though every ounce of blood in Syo's body rushed to his face. "NO! OF COURSE NOT!"

"So you're saying you're not lucky to have her?" Natsuki inquired. "She'll be so disappointed, Syo-chan."

"DAMNIT, STOP TWISTING MY WORDS AROUND!" Syo barked indignantly. "What I meant was... yes... But not like that! I-I mean I just-"

Natsuki burst into laughter, cutting Syo off. "Your face is so red right now, Syo-chan!" Quickly, he took out his phone and snapped a few pictures. "So cute! Too cute!"

"STOP THAT, NATSUKI!" Syo shouted as he made a dive for the phone. "You're going to make me late!"

The commotion continued on for quite some time, much to Syo's growing irritation. But he knew that she would wait for him.

~~~~~~~~~~In Masato and Ren's room~~~~~~~~~~

"You try so hard to please her," Ren chuckled. "It's quite entertaining."

Masato did his best to ignore the womanizer's displeasing tone.

Ren tossed a dart across his side of the room, predictably hitting the target. Masato kept his back to Ren as he continued cooking in his open pit.

"So," Ren went on. "Do you love her?"

Masato shivered as if snowflakes were swirling around him instead of hot steam. Do I...? He bit his lip and tried to push the question out of his mind. Though deep within his heart, he knew the answer already. Still, if anyone was going to hear that answer first, it would be Shiro. His eyes seemed to slice the air itself as he glared over his shoulder, flashing a boning knife threateningly at Ren.

The playboy calmly held up his hands in surrender. "Calm yourself. I can take a hint."

Knock knock knock.

Masato set the knife aside and went to answer the door, feeling fairly unsteady in his usually graceful stride. Breakfast with Shiro-san, he thought with a blush. He opened the door and greeted her with his typical bow. "Hello, Shiro-san."

"Hello again, Hijirikawa-kun."

Masato's skin turned even redder in pleasant surprise. "What?"

"Oh, um... would you rather me call you Hijirikawa-san still? Or um... I could..."

"No, no! It's fine!"

"Oh, uh...good!" Shiro stood before him awkwardly for a few heartbeats, shifting from foot to foot.

"Oh, right, come in!" Masato prompted gently, stepping out of her way.

"Uh, thank you." Shiro bowed slightly as she walked in.

"How sweet," Ren intervened. "The both of you still so nervous after a night like that."

The couple chose to ignore the smart-mouthed playboy altogether for the time being. Shiro took her place at the kotatsu table as Masato finished preparing their breakfast.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention," Shiro spoke up. "Amaya asked us if we would like to join her and Syo in the city today. Kinda like a double date thing."

Masato glanced up at her and nodded. "That sounds like it would be fun." His eyes shifted up and away as he seemed to recall something. "In fact..."

Shiro leaned in curiously as he trailed off. "What?" she provoked.

"Nevermind that now," Masato said dismissively with a becoming smile. "I'll tell you once we're all together."

~~~~~~~~~~Back in Shiro and Amaya's dorm~~~~~~~~~~

Amaya sat alone on the balcony, watching as more and more meandering students filled the courtyard below. She looked anxiously at her phone, which still had not rang within the half hour Syo and Shiro had been gone. She knew she had to wait...but why was it taking so long?!

Just as she was about to set the phone down and relax, it finally began to ring. She answered it before the first tone could end. "Hello?"

To her delight, it was Syo's sweet voice that came through. "Hey, Amaya."

Her heart skipped a beat, for she could almost feel his lips against her ear again. "Hold that thought," Amaya said. She placed her fingers over the receiver and squealed gleefully. After that, she put the phone back to her ear. "Continue."

"I just called to say that I'm ready!" Syo reported earnestly. "Sorry I took so long. There were a few...complications," his last word dripped with irritation and sarcasm. Laughter could be heard in the background an instant later.

"Oh that's alright, Syo-kun," Amaya assured him lightheartedly. "I'm actually still waiting on Shiro to call me back with her answer too. Besides, we should really leave campus separately so no one gets suspicious of any of us."

"Oh...really?" Syo groaned in vexation, feeling as though someone had just dropped a stone on his head. So there was really no need for me to rush after all.

"But if you want," Amaya continued, "maybe we could meet down by the lake while we wait for them."

Syo's self-exasperation evaporated almost immediately. "I'll be right there!"

An instant after that, Amaya only heard a dial tone in her ear. "Syo-kun?" she said questionably into the receiver. With a soft laugh, she flipped the phone closed and stood up. She half walked, half skipped to the door, gushing shamelessly, "He's so undeniably adorable!"

In a few minutes time, she tread contently along the shore of the lake. Casually, she passed by the very spot where Junguji Ren had almost stolen a kiss from her. Amaya looked back on that day and laughed good-naturedly. It had seemed a bit strange to think of at first, but everything that had transpired after that day had lead to so many wonderful things. The song. The night on the roof. That Tuesday afternoon. Last night...

Maybe that skirt-chasing dog isn't all bad, Amaya thought with a scoff of pleasant disbelief. In a twisted way, he helped me and Syo get together. And he helped Shiro too...

"Amaya!"

"Hmm?" Amaya was pulled from her thoughts as she directed her gaze further down the shore. Upon looking up, she saw Syo sprinting towards her. Wow, he's even faster than I remembered, she thought with a giddy smile.

Syo caught up to her in no time, hardly even having to stop and catch his breath. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting," he said with a knowing grin.

Amaya was momentarily rendered speechless by the sight of him. She had rarely seen him in anything outside the school dress code, but today he had gone all out. I never knew guys could look so damn good in pink, she speculated in awe.

"Hmm?" Syo raised his brow, confused by her gape-mouthed stare. "Something wrong?"

With a brief giggle, Amaya shook her head. "Of course not," she assured him. "I just... I really like your style, Syo-kun."

The color of Syo's face suddenly matched his shirt. He smiled and shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "It's nothing. I just picked out the first thing I saw," he explained dismissively.

Another delighted laugh escaped Amaya as she stepped closer to him. "Come on, we can take a walk."

The couple walked together and began chattering excitedly about the coming day. Secretly, they were both aching for a kiss, or to hold hands at the very least. But now that the sun had risen a bit higher, there were other students milling about, starting off their weekends with a morning stroll.

A short time later, Amaya and Syo had taken up a spot on the grass. They took a break from their conversation as they peacefully watched the sunlight dance across the ripples in the lake. But then...

"Amaya?"

"Hmm?" The purple-haired girl turned towards Syo as his voice broke their brief silence.

"Just so you know," Syo began, a peculiar edge creeping into his tone. He turned and looked at Amaya with those beautiful blues as the corners of his mouth turned up in an enticing manner. "When we get to the city, I'm not holding back."

Heat rose immediately in Amaya's face, caught a bit off guard. She grinned and turned away, trying not to look as frazzled as she felt. "R-really now? And what do you mean by that?" But before Syo could get the chance to answer, Amaya's phone beeped, signaling an incoming text. She flipped her phone open, and predictably found that the message was from Shiro. "Oh, looks like Shiro and Masato are all for it! She's on her way to our meeting point now, so I should probably get going." She rose to her feet, but hesitated. "Wait, I still want to know what you meant by not holding back."

Syo paused for a moment in contemplation. "Tell you what," he began as he too rose to meet her eyes, "when we get there, I can just show you." He offered her a sly wink. "Deal?"

Amaya's heart skipped a beat. She gave a single eager nod. "Deal."

END AUTHOR'S NOTE: Amaya: Ooooooh I like the sound of that!

Shiro: Of course you do. But I can't wait till next chapter.

Amaya: Yea, hopefully it'll be a little more eventful. The next couple of chapters are gonna be more episodic fun than anything, so sorry if you don't like stuff like that. However, we've got something really great in the works for later chapters!

Shiro: Until next time!