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Chapter Eleven

After everyone had memorized their lines, the Yamayurikai and Hanadera's student council was ready to join forces in rehearsal.

Noriko, Yoshino, and Shimako were playing the three fairies and Sachiko played the role of Maleficent. The two kings were played by Yuuki and another boy from Hanadera.

Yumi and Hideo were rehearsing their lines together, though it wasn't exactly beneficial, as Hideo was staring at Yumi the entire time and Yumi, in return, had her gaze locked on her beautiful onee-sama. Sachiko looked up from her lines to meet Yumi's gaze, and the younger girl blushed, looking down at her script and causing the hint of a smile to play at the corner her raven-haired onee-sama's lips.

"...mi-chan?"

"Yu-chan!"

"Huh!" Yumi was jerked unceremoniously out of her memorization as Hideo flapped his script in front of her face.

"Your line, Yu-chan," Hideo said, laughing at Yumi's characteristic blush, still oblivious to the depth of his friend's feelings for her onee-sama. Yumi stuck her tongue out at him before continuing.

Across the room, Sachiko revealed herself as the perfect choice for the lovely and jealous villainess, though perhaps not for the right reasons as she seethed that her petite soeur's attention had been claimed by another. It had never been an issue before- usually, no one could tear Yumi's attention away from Sachiko, but the way this...this boy had done that so effortlessly made it impossible for Sachiko to concentrate on her lines.

PGBR

"I think that's enough practice for today," Rei, who was acting as director, said to sighs of intense relief. "We'll meet up tomorrow at the same place, so go home and get some rest."

"Um, Yumi-chan?"

Yumi turned to find Hideo rooted to the spot, fidgeting slightly. "Yes, Hideo-kun?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to you for just a minute," he asked nervously. "In private," he added as Sachiko conveniently appeared at Yumi's side, staring at Hideo icily.

"Ano...of course," Yumi replied, confused. "I'll see you tomorrow, onee-sama," she said apologetically to Sachiko, who offered her a weak smile just as she turned back, just barely erasing the challenge from her features before Yumi could see.

PGBR

"So...," Hideo began, running a hand through his messy hair. "I've been thinking...well...I really missed you while I was in America, and I've been talking to Yamato-chan..."

"Yes...?" Yumi prodded when he stopped for a second.

"And...I think I...well, I think I like you," Hideo said nervously. "As in more than just friends, you know?"

Yumi bit her lip. "I really like you, Hideo-kun, but..."

Hideo nodded, recognizing defeat. "I understand, Yu-chan," he replied, but she held up a hand to finish.

"And I used to like you like that because you're a great guy- you're the sweetest guy I know, Hideo-kun, and it's not because we've been apart so long," she began, "or maybe it is partially, but mainly it's because...I...I love someone else."

Hideo shifted his gaze down to the ground for a moment before looking back up at Yumi with a weak smile. "It's her, isn't it?" he asked frankly, causing Yumi's eyes to widen.

"Who are you-"

"Yu-chan." He was looking at her with a 'you're not fooling anyone' grimace. "Anyone with eyes can see how much you love her- how much she loves you. It's not like I'm really surprised, but I'd hate myself forever if I didn't at least try."

"How much she- what do you mean? Onee-sama doesn't love me in that way," Yumi replied quietly, already having given up on defending herself. If it was transparent enough for even Hideo to see it right off the bat, what was the point?

"And here I thought you were the perceptive one," Hideo replied with a trace of his old humor. "I've been fearing for my life since the second she looked at me, Yu-chan. I've never seen anyone so obviously in love in my entire life. I won't pretend to know your exact situation, and it's obvious that Ogasawara-sama isn't exactly forward with her emotions, but she's absolute crap at hiding her jealousy. One of the worst, if you must know the-"

"Hideo-kun!"

Hideo cringed at Yumi's affronted expression. "Sorry, Yu-chan, I didn't mean to be rude but there's really no other way to put it," he said frankly. "She thinks she's hiding behind some kind of mask that no one can see her true feelings through, but when it comes to you...when she looks at you, it's the weirdest thing. She's so cold to me and the rest of the student council, but one look at you absolutely melts her. How can you not see that?"

Yumi blushed crimson at Hideo's observations, even if they were too far-fetched to believe. She couldn't really be as blind as he said. "Onee-sama doesn't like men," she murmured as an excuse. What was going through Hideo's mind? He was more than a stranger to onee-sama and the rest of the Yamayurikai and yet he claimed these things were so obvious that even he could see them. "How can you say you know so much about onee-sama when even I apparently don't see it."

Rolling his eyes, Hideo decided that he would have to spell it out for her. "It's not like it's a secret, Yu-chan. I can honestly tell you that every member of the Yamayurikai can see it and it's not as it she tries to hide the fact that you're hers and no one else's around our student council."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hideo groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine, Yumi. If you don't want to see what's right in front of you, then don't," he said in exasperation before he calmed slightly and drew her into a hug. "I love you, Yu-chan- even if you don't return my feelings, I want you to be happy and you won't be until you realize what everyone but you seems to know."

With that, he walked away, leaving Yumi staring after him.

PGBR

"Onee-chaaaan!" Yumi cried as soon as she got home. She stomped up the stairs and shoved Yamato's door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. Yamato was unfazed as she gazed up at Yumi over the top of her book. "Did you tell Hideo-kun about my feelings for onee-sama?"

"I haven't told anyone, believe it or not," an irritated Yamato replied coldly. She didn't appreciate her little sister's lack of trust.

"Then why did he tell me that it was so obvious that Sachiko and I were in love- that I was the only one who couldn't see?" Yumi asked desperately.

Yamato sighed and patted her bed, waiting for Yumi to sit down before replying. "Because, my dear little sister...it is and you are."

"Onee-chan!"

"Well, except for Sachiko-sama, I guess...," Yamato continued, deep in thought and ignoring her sister's protests. "Look, Yumi- it really is the most obvious thing. Haven't you noticed the way she gets whenever someone threatens to take you away from her? I mean, she can't stand me, and she obviously has a problem with Sei-sama as well. It's so obvious that she loves you, Yumi."

"If it's so obvious then why hasn't she told me?" Yumi demanded heatedly, pouting. "Because I'm obviously no good at hiding my feelings either."

Sighing heavily, Yamato ruffled her half-sister's hair. "Because she's afraid, love. She's afraid of losing you to someone else and she's afraid of losing you if she tries to keep from losing you to someone else! It's an impossible situation and she's trying to balance it but it just won't be balanced. Either way, she thinks she's going to lose you, Yumi-chan. If you want that to change, you're going to have to prove to her that she won't."

"How do I do that? She's already the only thing on my mind," Yumi confessed, blushing to the roots of her hair. And my heart.

Yamato grinned widely and leaned over, whispering into Yumi's ear. When she pulled back, her little sister was staring at her as if she'd grown an extra head.

"Won't that do the opposite?"

"Au contrere, mi amor," Yamato said wisely, winking at her little sister. "To prove to her that she won't lose you, first we must lead her to believe that she has." They needed a reaction from the temperamental heiress, the one that she'd been denying Yamato from the start- the one that she was dying to give- and Yamato would be damned if she was going to give up now.