Hiya! Here's the fifth chapter. So sorry for the long wait…

By the way, I would like to thank these wonderful people who reviewed this story:

Kisa-bun: Thank you! Here's the update you've been waiting for...I hope…

Ninjah Keewi: Thank you! This chapter is about Ruka, and this will tell you that he really does care about Hotaru.

Courting Torment: Thank you! Sorry for the short chapters…_ but I'm trying to write and make it a little longer, but I hope that doesn't stop you from reading my story.

windlady: Mah friend! Oh come on, you're making me blush…Thank you so much!

Real Heroes Never Die: Thank you! That sounds so cool.*laughs*

enemrizza: Thank you! Wish me luck!

Dark-Lady-Hel: Thank you! Not really… I don't want to be the one who'll kill Hotaru…Yeah, I know, but like what I said to C.T. *points above* I hope it doesn't stop you from reading my fic.

crimsonjica: Thank you! Exciting, really? Well, let's make it more exciting, shall we?

And also, big thanks to the readers who alerted and favorite-d this story…you'll all be handsomely rewarded…hahahahaha…

You might find this chapter boring, since there's no fluff in it or anything, but I promise you the sweet fluff you've all been waiting for will be in the last chapter.

Standard disclaimers apply…as usual.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Insinuation

Ruka was quietly lying on the grass patched ground as he stared idly at the dark blue sky. The soft murmuring of the leaves, swaying together with the chilly breeze and the tiny chirping of the night birds was enough to give him a little peace of mind he needed at the moment.

He went as far away as he can from the civilization in the academy. He wants to be alone because wants to contemplate on the things that were bugging him for a long while now. So he went to the Northern forest and there found solitude. Though what he got was more questions rather than answers, he was almost satisfied but it didn't really give much. He closed his eyes and sighed as he remembered the happenings of this day.

FLASHBACK…

To say that Koko was surprised when Ruka hastily knocked on his door and when he opened it, saw him completely worn out; hands on his knees and catching his breath would be an overstatement. He expected something like this to happen. He just didn't know that it will take him this long to show up on his doorsteps and approach him to ask questions only a mind reader can answer.

"I need yo…" Ruka said breathlessly but Koko beat him to it.

"I know." He said in a serious tone, then cracked a smile and continued. "Why don't you come in for a while?" Koko asked. Tired and thirsty as he was, Ruka obliged.

Ruka was seated on a wooden chair situated at the right corner of Koko's unusually spacious first star room, as he watched the guy prepare some snacks. After sometime, Koko placed a tray on the coffee table between them and sat opposite Ruka. Ruka raised an eyebrow which made Koko stammer.

"Don't get the wrong idea, dude. I'm straight." He said uncomfortably. "It's just that, an ambience of relaxation and casualness is fundamental especially in this kind of situation." He explained, taking a sip from his orange juice.

Ruka smiled as he helped himself with what seemed to be a blueberry muffin when he tasted. He can't help thinking that it was delicious and wondered quietly if Anna made it, while munching the muffin.

"Yup, delicious aren't they? Sweet little things…" Koko said affectionately as he as well took a bite on one, and this made Ruka forget his comment about him earlier. "Anyway," he started. "Care to tell me why were you banging my door a few moments ago?" He said, though he really didn't have to ask. Ruka caught this one.

"Should you really be asking that?" he looked at him with a half smile that didn't reach his wistful eyes.

"Well, I don't want to be ahead of you. I want to hear how things are going in your point of view." He paused to take a sip again. "But if you're so eager to know what my answer will be, then I'll give it to you right away, though it would be almost useless and won't be of much help, since I won't give you the whole information." Koko said calmly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruka asked placing the remaining half of the muffin down, eyebrows narrowing. He wants answers and he didn't like the sound of Koko's words.

"Ruka, please understand, though I have the liberty to read your thoughts, it doesn't give me the freedom to expose it. I believe in privacy you know." He explained as he finished his muffin. Ruka couldn't argue, since Koko was right. He sighed then shoved the muffin into his mouth, might as well tell his side of the story.

Koko was half amused and half anxious while Ruka was telling his side. Amused because there are some details that he doesn't even know that Ruka willingly opened up to him; Anxious because Ruka and Hotaru's feelings are directing completely different from each other. As Ruka was remembering things, he was having a recollection of Hotaru's thoughts on his own. He figured that he could give Ruka more answers rather than more riddles to solve, but the more he compares their sides the more he is limited of what to give.

He never expected things to be this hard. As much as he wants to help them, he can't shrug off the feeling of guilt if he decides to open his big fat mouth and interferes with them. Nope, things might just get worse, not only for them, but also for him. He doesn't want to face Natsume and Mikan's wrath if they find out that he hurt their best friends. Talk about being over protective. He was confidently sure though that what Ruka feels for Hotaru is real love, but Hotaru, who is having a difficulty accepting her feelings, he doubts. This didn't give Koko much comfort.

One exciting privilege that his Mind Reading Alice offers is that he gets to explore different kinds of minds and personality. Hotaru was undeniably one of a kind. She maybe careful and certain of what she says but she definitely is reckless when it comes to her thoughts. No matter how hard she might try to conceal it, her thoughts always exposes her itself on its own. Because of this, he gets to see (and hear) the side of her that somebody would use to blackmail her, but if her thoughts trail of to something dangerous (like when she feels someone is reading her mind and plans to 'talk' to that person, in which he gulps and try not to think about her thoughts) he thought otherwise.

Seriously, he's getting worried. Not because he might be caught red handed (enjoying) reading her thoughts and be pummeled into nothingness if that happens, but the effects on her of the things she's thinking about. Never in his life had he's seen someone wreck her mind like this. Everything is far from 'her'- from her normal thinking, from her normal bouts of annoying remarks which she never had the care to say out loud, from her normal whining (yes, she whines, deliberately) and complaining. This kind of thinking about a certain blonde is almost destroying her, its too bad for her and his sanity. He wouldn't be wondering if Hotaru decides to kill herself in the most painful way possible, since that also would be an option for him if he was in her shoes.

He snapped out of dark trance when Ruka called out to him rather nervously, since he saw Koko was spacing out with a very sullen expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Koko stared blankly at him fro a moment before realization dawned on him. Damn, who knew Hotaru could affect his mind like this? He blinked several times and cleared his throat.

"Are you finished?" he asked while straightening his back on his seat.

"Yes. So what do you think?" Ruka looked at him expectantly. So expectant that he was already gripping the sides of the table, which shook along with him as he inched towards Koko.

"First things first" Koko replied. "I usually say this to all those who come to me for help; Communication is necessary for two ends to meet. It's practically the best solution if you want to sort things out." He was looking at Ruka with convincing eyes, which made the latter nod.

"I want to give you more answers, honestly, but there are only few that I could say." He said then heaved a retired sigh.

"What is it?" Ruka started trembling, whether from excitement or apprehension, he doesn't know.

"You don't know what you're doing to her. You don't know how intense your effect is on her." Koko said finally, looking at Ruka straight in the eyes. Then he saw it, how Ruka's face went blank, showed disappointment, then weaved into confusion.

"What do you mean?" he said loudly, though it was in greater volume in his mind.

"I meant what I said." The mind reader said with unmistakable finality.

Ruka's face went blank again, the twisted into anger, as he grabbed Koko by the collar, the mere force of his standing caused his chair to fall back and the coffee table to shake again furiously.

"What do you mean that I don't know what I am doing to her?" he said vehemently, seizing Koko's collar more tightly. "Wha-what do you…SHE doesn't know the effect she has on me." He emphasized the word 'she' as he kept his hold on Koko's collar. "She doesn't..she…" Ruka couldn't even continue because words are not enough to describe who Hotaru is to him. As little reasoning returned to him to realize that Koko probably know that, so he just roughly pushed Koko away, which made the poor guy fall back on his chair.

Koko, who was still calm even after Ruka's rage, composed himself. He knew that something like this is bound to happen, he anticipated as much, but nevertheless stood his ground.

"Exactly, that's the point right?" he said.

Ruka who was clutching a handful of his blonde locks with maddening strength stopped though his hand didn't leave his hair and looked at Koko, only to find the guy smiling in spite of the recent argument.

"What point?" he asked dejectedly.

"She doesn't know what she's doing to you." Koko said. 'You are just about the same, yet still different.' He thought, and then said in a level voice again. "Isn't it about time to tell her what you feel?" He finished with a cheeky grin.

Ruka accepted the thought, but pondered as to how in the world he would do that.

"Oh, you'll come around, I'm sure." Koko said, with full trust, in the midst of the silence and disorganized clutter.

'Of course…' Ruka thought as he finally gave his hair some freedom when he took his hands off it, and placed it on his knees.

"Look man, I'm sorry. I was just so…" he said apologetically but Koko cut him, knowing already what he has to say.

"No prob." Said Koko in his usual self, "But you need to go on now. You need to think of unique ways to make her yours right? You still need to practice your cheesy lines." He jokingly said to Ruka, who now stood up and prepared to go out. The guy felt himself smile.

"You know what?" Ruka said as he turned back to Koko, "They should give you more credit. You know more than they do anyway." Koko chuckled at this.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I should start writing a petition to stop this unfair placement of mine. I'm overqualified to be just a first star." He said then winked and waved Ruka goodbye.

"Good luck man!" He called out to Ruka.

The latter turned back again, walking backwards. "Thank you!" He called out as well. Ruka felt a little lighter. Maybe talking to Koko wasn't such a bad idea after all.

END FLASHBACK…

Now, as the night turned darker and the wind got colder, all that was left to him was a strange small fire of hope inside him, that maybe, maybe, he doesn't really know what effect he has on Hotaru. That maybe Koko was right. And slowly, exhaustion took over him as he closed his eyes, the image of a certain raven haired girl that he loved the last image on his mind, before he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Finished! Yay! Only one chapter to go!

Please do read and review… lots and lots of love from you! Because if you won't I might just wallow up in sadness and won't be able to continue this story.

Just kidding! What kind of authoress am I if I did that! Please don't sue, not now!

Anyway, thank you everybody and see you on the next chapter!

Stay safe everyone!

Spring Emerald