Chapter Five: The Lake

"Takishima! You idiot! Put me down!" That moron better put me down before I beat the crap out of him.

He carried me all the way to a path way with arcs wrapped with flowering vines. He finally put me down.

"Takishima what's the matter with you? You can't just go and carry someone off like that!" He dismissed me.

He grabbed my hand, "Walk with me."

He held my hand the whole time we were walking through the arc way. He didn't look at me, he just kept looking the other way.

"Takishima, where are you taking me anyway?" I asked again.

He placed his finger on my lips. I feel hot again. Damn it.

I peeped through the small gaps between the vines. The sun isn't shinning that bright anymore. It was setting. I look up ahead and see something shinning intensely. A really bright light at the end of this flowery tunnel. Am I dead?

We reached the end of it and there was a beautiful lake in front of us. The water sparkled beneath the shine of the setting sun. There was a hill just behind it. The sun was now hiding behind that hill, slowly setting.

All this time I thought I really have been to all the places in the S.A. grounds. Well, guess I was wrong.

He led me to a bench near the bend. He sat close to me.

I just stare at him; he seems to be leaning closer. But,

"Hey!" I raised a finger, "why don't we have a challenge?"

I see another vein throbbing. And something murderous oozed out of him. He's starting to scare me again.

"What?" he said through a forced smile.

"First one to swim to the other side wins. If I win, Takishima will take me back to the greenhouse and stop worrying about me so much."

He looked so proud. I'm sure he's thinking that he will win. We'll see.

"If I win," Takishima started, "Hikari will have to be my girlfriend."

"Eh?" This guy is crazy. No way! Not a chance in hell!

"You heard right. That's my condition."

"For a day? A week? A month? How long?"

"Until I get sick of her," he said; that stupid grin on his face. Baka!

I removed my coat, my shoes and my socks. He did the same, only he removed his shirt. His body was slender and slightly muscular. Not overly brawny not too shabby. He went to the band and cupped some water into his hands and wet his face. The small droplets sparkled about him in the fainting glimmer of the sun.

SLAP!

I hit my forehead. What am I thinking? I can't think this way about him! He's my rival. And my very special friend. But he's my RIVAL!

"Hikari," he looked at me strangely, "are you seriously all right?"

"Ha ha, of course! Just another fly!" I laughed, "Okay, now remember, first one to reach the other side wi –"

"No need to tell me how I should win – Miss Rank Two."

"Don't call me that! –"

"GO!"

I moved after he did, only because of his comment. Stupid Takishima.

I swam freestyle, doing whatever stroke would get me there first. I swam real fast and I looked back.

I was finally ahead of the jerk. I was about to win. Yes! Just a few more feet! Eh?! –

Something touched my stomach and lifted me.

Don't tell me this lake has some kind of monster?!

I look down terrified on what I'm about to see, it's a monster isn't it?

Wait, no. It's worse – it's Takishima!

He lifted me with one arm and swam with the other.

"You're cheating Takishima!"

"It's called strategizing!"

He reached the other side first. Damn him.

It was dark already. He helped me out of the freezing lake.

I wore my dry clothes, but it wasn't enough. I still shivered. Then from behind, Takishima embraced me, wrapping his coat around me. He was warm. Just what I needed. Okay, mind-slap. What the hell am I saying?"

I managed to look at him. His eyes stared at me directly. So warm, so soft – so worried.

"You'll catch a cold."

"What about you?" I asked, equally worried for some reason. I can feel my cheeks get hotter.

"I'll be fine."

He let go of me, and now went to my side.

"So," he laced our fingers together softly; that made me jump, "since now you're my girlfriend. What should we do?"

I glare at him, he smiles. Curse him for this.

"Now how about a kiss?"

"Go drown in the lake." Yeah, right.

"That's no way to talk to your sweetheart."

"Oh, you have a heart?" Aha, got him there. I saw that his expression changed from happy to being pissed with a smile.

"Well, I have one big enough only for you."

I blush. Silence. Awkward. I look away.

"Anyway, we should get going, it's dark already. Akira and the others might be worried." I insisted. Man, silence is just so weird.

"Well then," he said getting ready to do something, "let's go." He carried me again. Only this time, just as he says it:

"Like a princess."

"You're not complaining, Hikari?"

I glare at him murderously. Die.

"Okay then let's go!" He lifted me again. I noticed that he likes carrying me around like this. It is weird in every sense, yet I enjoy it to. I felt his warm body and just clung softly onto his damp shirt.

We pass through the arc way again. I can smell the flowers' scent. So sweet. I could hardly see the moon through the gaps between the flowers. It looked full to me. We reach the end of the path way and headed for the greenhouse. He's still carrying me.

He kicked the glass door opened and we found everybody waiting for us – staring at us. Akira's expression when she saw Takishima carrying me was worse than Tadashi telling her to make him food.

"Takishima Kei! What have you done to my Hikari?! She's soaking wet!"

"She challenged me."

Akira ran towards me tears in her eyes.

"Give me back my Hikari!"

"No."

"I'll carry her myself."

"Not a chance."

"So what's at stake this time?" Ryuu asked.

"Well, if Hikari won, I would have to bring her back here and I should stop worrying about her so much," he smiled. The people looked disbelieving at him when he told my condition. Why? Did I miss something here? He continued, "Then if I won," he said this with relish, "She would have to be my girlfriend.

Ryuu, Jun and Megumi, who were all drinking tea, spat it all out in Tadashi's face.

"Ow! Hot! So HOT!"

Akira twitched.

"Hikari, please tell me this madman isn't telling us the truth."

I smiled innocently.

"NOOOOOO!"

Akira fell over backwards because of the news, but before she hit the ground, Tadashi caught her.

"Tadashi," she said looking up at him.

"You know I'll never let you fall," Akira blushed, "I mean, you're special to me."

Akira's face turned even redder.

"I mean, who'll make me all this food when I'm hungry?" Tadashi said grinning widely.

"Eh?" Akira's expression changed. She had flames in her eyes. One of her veins was throbbing. Her fists were clenched. And before you could blink, Tadashi was ten feet away from us.

"Idiot! Don't ever say that! It's not nice you moron!"

She turned to me, "Hikari, in case you need an attorney to break up with Dark Overlord," Takishima glared at her. She took out a card and handed it to me, "here, he's a good one. We'll have ourselves planning his funeral in no time."

Takishima gave her that look that said "buzz off Akira."

They got their things and were off.

Megumi and Jun still clung to Ryuu.

Akira was kicking Tadashi out of the greenhouse. Tadashi was still begging for forgiveness.

"C'mon Akira! Please! I love your cakes!"

That just made things worse.

"Is that the only thing you love?!"

Takishima finally dropped me near my bag.

"Hikari, you don't really have to do this if you don't want to."

I turned to him. He looks anxious.

"No, I lost, so I'll keep it." I smiled at him. Even if he said that, I still won't mind being his girlfriend – u-until he gets sick of me that is. I keep my word. That's who I am. No matter what stupid request it may be.

Either my eye sight is playing with me or not, or I'm going color blind, I think I just saw Takishima blush.

"Good."

I smiled again.

"So, as my girlfriend, I will take you to school and pick you up each day. And you will either call me Kei or Beloved one –", he saw the look on my face, "– or Takishima is fine."

"Then, you shall feed me when I tell you to."

"Since when were girlfriends slaves to their partners?"

"I never said that you would be a slave to your partner, but rather a 'slave for love'."

"Same difference, idiot."

"That's no way to talk to your boyfriend."

He laced our fingers again. His hands were oddly soft. We started walking to the glass doors.

"Well, it's only until you get sick of me."

"And it will take a long time for me to be sick of Hikari. In fact, I don't think that will ever happen," he grinned to himself happily.

"Yes, it will."

"No."

"Yes."

We reach the glass doors.

"Ladies first."

I start to walk out but he grabbed me. He placed one of his hands on my waist the other behind my neck.

I look at him. I know I was hot, and I know he could feel me. I look into his eyes again. Those stupid eyes. They twinkled like the stars behind him. I got locked again. He leaned in closer. His face inches from mine. He was closing in and then –

He kissed me.

I was speechless and red.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked still blushing.

"Since you agreed to this. Why not make it look authentic," he had that stupid grin on his face. It really annoys me when he smiles like that.

"Shut up. Go home. Good night, Takishima."

I went out first and slammed the door in his face.

That'll teach him to mess with me.

Although, I still feel his lips on mine. I cover my lips and blush even more. This – what is this? This feeling: your heart is pounding and you could hear it in your ears. Your senses are pushed to the extreme – a slight touch would make me jump sky high. And my whole body is hot – burning hot. My breathing isn't normal at all. I can't breathe properly. I blink a lot and for some reason I expect Takishima to suddenly pop out from a corner. I really don't know what this is. It's really strange. I don't any book could explain this. I think I might be coming down with a cold. Right, that's it a cold. A could induced by Takishima – I – I mean the lake. Yeah – the lake.

I hope the days pass by fast. I don't think I could last as someone's girlfriend for that long – especially if I'm Takishima's.

I reach my room and got ready for bed. The feeling still isn't gone. I don't know whether I should take a pill or not. But, the heat I feel makes me so sleepy that I can't…even…keep…my eyes…opened…

Takishima…