Chapter 6: Nothing Else to Hide

"Finally!" Junpei cried out, stretching his arms towards the ceiling. "It's the end of the school day!" The loud-mouthed senior got out of his chair and grinned at his seatmate. "Yo! Minato!" A wider grin donned his face. "Hey it rhymes!"

As the hat-wearing Junpei laughed at his own antics, the gray-eyed Minato merely shrugged his shoulders and directed a look of boredom at Yukari. "The only person who finds Junpei's antics funny is Junpei himself," he told Yukari with a smile.

"You got that right!" The hazel-haired archer laughed hard. Yukari may be closer to Junpei and understood him more at present, but it was still a hell lot of fun to make fun of him. "Stupei! You always say the same thing at the end of our classes! Shouldn't you be used to it by now?"

Junpei snorted and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Heck no!" he retorted. "It's the same thing every single day!" he complained. "It gets so boring that I can't wait to jump out of my seat and head to the Iwatodai strip for some food, fun and chicks!" He walked over to Minato and clapped him hard on the shoulder. "So what do you think, Minato? You ready to do some chick-hunting with me?" He looked expectantly at his friend.

Yukari let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why must you be such an idiot, Stupei?" she muttered, catching the thoughtful look on Minato's face. "Oh no…" she began, realizing what the look on the blue-haired student's face may have meant. "Don't tell me you actually are considering going with Junpei to go chick-hunting!"

Minato turned his face to Yukari and blinked at her. "Yukari, must you demean me by saying that?" he asked, his usual uninterested look evident on his face. "The only person who calls socializing with girls 'chick-hunting' is this guy over here." He jerked his thumb at an irritated Junpei. "But anyway, I do want to go to Iwatodai and get some food."

"Hell yeah!" Junpei pumped his fist up into the air. "Food and chick-hunting for me then!" he dashed out of the classroom, leaving his classmates behind. A few seconds later, he came rushing back in. "Oh, I'm going to look for Fuuka and see if she wants to come along," he told them. "I'll see you at the front of the school!" He dashed outside once more.

"He plans to go chick-hunting with Fuuka in your company?" Yukari asked, exasperated. "He's such a kid!"

Minato smiled as he stowed away his books beneath his desk and put the rest of his things into his bag. "You know how he is, Yukari," he told his first friend ever since moving into the dorms. The gray-eyed young man pinned his book bag under his arm and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Come on. We should get going already."

Yukari shook her head and gave Minato an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I already made plans for today."

Minato cocked his head and gave Yukari a look. "Hanging out with Mitsuru-senpai?" he asked. He was actually about to say 'going out on a date with Mitsuru-senpai', but caught himself just in time.

The young senior felt her cheeks burn. "Yeah…" she admitted, tucking her hands behind her back and scuffing her foot against the ground. "We haven't seen each other for two weeks now and I promised her this time around that I'd be the one to go to her university."

Minato nodded his head thoughtfully. "I didn't realize that Mitsuru-senpai would always be the one to do the travelling to meet up for your-" he paused, frowning at what he was just about to say. "Your meetings," he changed the word, clearing his throat.

"She does have the car," Yukari pointed out. "Senpai said that it was alright for her, but I felt bad about it so I convinced her that I'd be the one going to her area for this particular meeting." She grabbed onto her bag and motioned for Minato to walk with her. She let out a giggle. "Was it awkward when Mitsuru-senpai approached you all of a sudden when she visited a few weeks ago?"

"You mean when she threatened to execute me if I told anyone?" Minato drawled.

Yukari looked horrified. "She said that?!" The archery team captain covered her eyes with her hands. "I can't believe she threatened you!" she mumbled out. "She just said that she was going to apologize for overreacting that day when she caught you and me together."

Minato shrugged as they walked through the open doors of their school. "Well…" Minato started, looking up at the afternoon skies. "She did the apologizing during the beginning of our conversation then she threatened to execute me if she so ever hears a rumor circulating about the two of you."

Looking deeply embarrassed about the behavior of her lover, Yukari bowed deeply to her friend. "I'll make her apologize to you for doing that! Of all the people in our group, she knows that you're the most trustworthy!"

Minato put up his hands in front of him. "There's no need Yukari!" he exclaimed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The last thing he wanted was Mitsuru attempting to apologize to him again. "You really don't need to do that," he pressed his friend. "I'm sure senpai was just worried about you."

"Are you sure?"

Minato nodded, sticking his hand up in the air and waved at Junpei and Fuuka who were waiting by the school gate. "Very sure," he replied as they halted in front of the rest of their friends.

"Took you long enough!" Junpei told them. He straightened his hat. "Let's get going! Akihiko-senpai said he's in the area and agreed to meet up with us!"

"I'll see you next week then?" Minato smiled at Yukari.

"What?! Not coming along Yuka-tan?" Junpei frowned at her.

"Sorry," Yukari apologized. "You were in such a hurry that I couldn't tell you that I already had plans for this afternoon," she scolded Junpei. "Another time, alright?"

Junpei let out a huff of breath. "Fine then Yuka-tan! You owe us for ditching today!" Junpei waved once and began walking away with Fuuka behind him. "Yo Minato! Hurry up!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Take care of yourself while commuting," Minato advised Yukari before jogging after his two friends.

Yukari stood by the gate for a few moments, waiting for her friends to disappear around the corner. It would have been weird if they were going to be on the same train so she decided to lag back and take the next train. The hazel-haired girl glanced at the digital clock on the screen of her cellphone. "Senpai should be just about done with that make-up class she was talking about." Pocketing the gadget and humming a tune, she took off towards the train station at an easy pace.

Thirty minutes later, Yukari was walking across the unfamiliar campus of her senpai's university. She was searching for the campus library where Mitsuru would be doing her schoolwork while waiting for Yukari to arrive. It was close to four in the afternoon and she knew that Mitsuru must have been waiting already for almost an hour. "Excuse me." She approached a female university student walking towards her. "Could you tell me where the library is?" she asked, when the older woman stopped to listen to her.

The student pointed to a four-storey building to the east. "It's right over there," she told Yukari with a smile before walking in the opposite direction.

Yukari called out a thank you to the retreating back of the helpful student then made her way to the library. Pushing open the large doors, Yukari stepped inside and felt a little bit awestruck with the vast collections of books that mounted numerous shelves inside the library. She had no idea where Mitsuru was inside and she knew she could not use her cellphone to call or message the older girl. She let out a sigh. It was going to take her a while before she could find the redheaded beauty.

Without bothering the students who were making use of the facility, Yukari quietly padded across the length of the lobby and chose to turn into an aisle enclosed by two massive shelves filled with books. As she ran a finger against the spines of books, Yukari couldn't help but feel a little bit chilly. She had heard from many people that if you wanted to go to a library, Sora University's library was considered one of the best not just because of its great selection of books, but also because of its great facility. Summer season was closing in fast and the temperature outside was rising so the library's staff had turned on the central air-conditioning system on. Yukari untied her pink cardigan from around her waist and shrugged it on as she entered a different aisle. She found herself in a darker and possibly the least unattended area of the library, due to the dust that clung to the books and shelves.

Feeling a little bit bored, the hazel-haired archery captain selected a book and pulled it out from the shelf. "This must be a really old book," Yukari let out, noting the crumbling yellow pages of the book. "Why would senpai want to spend her time here? I can't study or do homework if it's this quiet!"

"On the contrary," a voice sounded from behind. "I happen to like the library a lot because I can get things done rather quickly." Mitsuru smiled down at her young lover who had whirled around in surprise. "Hello Yukari," she greeted, leaning in close. "I have missed you, mi amour."

Yukari put a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle as she stepped away from her crimson-eyed lover. "They say French is the language of love, but what's the use when I can't understand it myself?" she directed the question at her senpai, blushing in spite of herself. "What does mi amour mean anyway?"

Mitsuru straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's French for 'my love' and I have decided to use it as my term of endearment for you," she explained, taking hold of Yukari's hand and leading her to a brighter lit area of the library. "I find it rather boring if our relationship is just like those you see around you, so I decided to put some spice into ours."

Yukari blushed as she tightened her hold around Mitsuru's hand. "It's going to take some getting used to," she admitted, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "The French I mean," she continued as she and Mitsuru halted in the middle of another aisle. "I kind of like it though," she added in a soft voice.

A smile tugged on Mitsuru's lips as she gazed at Yukari. "Well, I had no doubt you'd like my term of endearment for you," she replied, feeling slightly smug. "So shall we get going? Despite how much I like the library, it isn't exactly the ideal place to conduct a date." She tried to pull Yukari towards the main aisle.

"Who says a library isn't the ideal place for a date?" Yukari asked, mischief playing in her eyes. Despite her dainty form, Yukari gripped Mitsuru's hand firmly and pulled her against her body. With her other hand, she pushed at the redhead's shoulder and pinned her against the tall bookshelf. "I may like the library more because of this." She smiled seductively at her lover.

Mitsuru let out a nervous laugh as she tried to escape from Yukari's hold. "You've been getting too many ideas from Junpei's manga collection," she told her lover. "This is a public facility you know," she reminded in a breathless voice as Yukari's face came nearer.

"I know," Yukari replied, licking her lips and looking hungrily at her senpai. "Knowing that fact just makes it more thrilling," she told Mitsuru before standing on her tiptoes and pressing their lips together. Yukari twined their fingers together while her other hand travelled from Mitsuru's shoulder up to the luscious crimson hair of her lover. It was a little bit strange that she was playing the aggressive role because Mitsuru would usually take that part. Nevertheless, Yukari felt giddy that she had the ever so formal and dignified heiress of the Kirijo group melting in her arms. So caught up were they in their lovemaking, they both failed to hear the approaching steps of several people.

"Oh come on sensei!" a young man whined. "Haven't you made us suffer enough?"

"Apparently not," an older woman's voice retorted. "All of you wouldn't be in this situation if you did your part in my class. I did warn all of you that I do not take abusing my kindness and generosity lightly."

The students grumbled. "So what are you going to have us do here?" one student asked.

"Since I noticed that most of your final papers aren't meeting the standards I set, I decided that a little library work will go a long way," the professor explained, dead seriousness in her voice. "I'm sure the resources in this facility will be adequate for your individual research. Go on now! Don't let me catch you dozing off in a corner of this library or you'll be in a hell lot of trouble with me!"

The students began to walk away to do the task set out for them quickly. "Sensei, where can we find you if we need some help?" A female student and a few of her classmates had stayed behind to ask their professor.

"I'll just be around this area," the professor replied. "If you can't find me, it means that I'm in one of the aisles. Right now, I have to return these books." Footsteps resounded closer and closer to the aisle where Mitsuru and Yukari were hiding in, still oblivious to what was happening around them. "In the mean time, go on and make do with the remaining time before I-" the professor abruptly stopped in her tracks at the entry point of aisle and lost her grip on her thick hardbound books. "Shit!" the blue-haired professor cursed as one particular book's hard and sharp corner thudded onto her foot. "God damn it!" she growled, getting down on one knee and kneading her injured foot as she scowled at the shocked redhead who was pinned against the bookshelf by a hazel-haired girl.

"Sensei! Are you alright?"

Skye pushed herself up to her feet, wincing as pain shot through her foot. "It's nothing!" she told the students, limping back to the lobby to meet them. "I accidentally dropped the books onto my foot."

"Need any help, sensei? I'll go get those dropped books for you," a student offered.

"No!" Skye almost shouted. "I mean," she cleared her throat. "I can do that myself and you kids still have work to do. Get going now please!" she told them, hiding her hand behind her back and waving it. She had a feeling that her redheaded student and her young girlfriend were watching her from their hiding place. Once the students had gone off to various parts of the library, the professor with blue-black hair turned on her heel and limped back to the aisle. "You do realize what kind of trouble you could have gotten into if I had not done anything." She scowled at her student and her girlfriend.

"Skye-san," Mitsuru stammered, a fierce blush coloring her alabaster skin.

The blue-haired professor lowered herself to the ground to gather the fallen books. "I wouldn't have expected you to choose this type of place to make out, Mitsuru," she told the heavily blushing heiress. "As for you Takeba, next time you decide to make a move on your girlfriend in the library, make sure it's in the darkest corner." Skye got back up to her feet and walked towards the couple, favoring her injured foot. "That way, the two of you will surely not be bothered," she added with a roguish smile.

Yukari relaxed when she realized that the professor was letting them off easily. "I'll take your advice to heart, Sagara-san."

Skye nodded her head in approval and cocked her head at the still blushing Mitsuru. "Shall I leave the two of you to continue your make out session or shall I bring you to the best place to do the said activity in this library?" she asked with mock seriousness, smiling inwardly when her redheaded student reacted violently.

"Skye-san!" Mitsuru gasped, turning her face away to hide her embarrassment. "That is not funny!"

The blue-haired older woman chuckled in amusement. "Perhaps I was being a bit callous when I said that," she admitted, smoothing her hair. "The only thing I found funny was in fact your reaction, Mitsuru." She glanced over her shoulder and spotted a bunch of her students settling down on tables with their chosen materials. "I'll leave the two of you now," she told the couple. "I have to get back to my students." Skye began to walk out of the aisle when Mitsuru grabbed hold of her sleeve. "What is it Mitsuru?"

"Thanks…" the redhead said. "We would have indeed been in a lot of trouble if you didn't cover for us," Mitsuru explained further when the unconventional professor raised an eyebrow at her. "Is your foot alright?"

"Bruised," Skye replied. "Just like my pride," added, her dismay resounding in her voice. "I'll manage though so you don't need to worry. Don't the two of you want to get out of here and go on your date?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Actually Skye-san, I think Yukari and I will just have our date around the campus," Mitsuru told the older woman. "My chauffeur won't be coming for another two hours so we'll just hang around until he arrives," she explained, ignoring the confused look on her girlfriend's face.

Skye crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto her uninjured foot. "What are you trying to get to Mitsuru?" she asked.

"I feel guilty for what happened to you," the redhead admitted, looking ashamed. "I lost myself for a moment and if you weren't there, we would have gotten into trouble." Wrapping an arm around Yukari's waist and pulling her close, Mitsuru then directed a smile at her professor. "What I'm trying to say is that I'd like to offer you a ride home after your class."

The jade-eyed woman shook her head. "That isn't necessary Mitsuru," she told the student. "I've had worse injuries than this including a nasty leg fracture from a motorcycle accident. This," she pointed at her foot. "Is nothing compared to that."

"It would make me feel better at least if you allowed me to give you a ride back to your apartment," Mitsuru insisted. "I also have another reason for wanting to drop you off," she added, grasping her sprained shoulder. "I'm deemed fit enough to ride my motorcycle again," she announced. "I don't want to trouble you anymore especially since you've been caring for my Ducati bike so I'm planning to pick it up today."

A sigh escaped from ex-heiress of the Thierry Corporation. "Alright then, Mitsuru," Skye agreed. "I'll take up your offer just for today." She shoved her borrowed books back onto the shelves. "Where shall I meet you?"

"Will you be heading back to the faculty building after this?"

Skye shook her head. "I got all my things here with me and I was originally planning to commute right after this class," she told them.

"How about we'll just pick you up at the entrance of the library?" the former student council president of Gekkoukan high school suggested. "It'll be easier for the both us, since your foot is bothering you and it's easier to exit the school campus from this building." Mitsuru lightly pushed Yukari towards the exit and bowed to Skye. "We'll see you in a few hours then, Skye-san." She and Yukari walked out of the library, foregoing speech since they were still inside.

"Senpai!" Yukari whined as she and the crimson-eyed girl broke out into the courtyard. "I thought we were going to have our date outside!"

Mitsuru reached up and lightly ruffled her lover's hair. "I know I promised you that we'd go out somewhere," she began, leading Yukari to a quaint café. "But I owe Skye-san a lot especially since she just saved the both of us from a disciplinary case and possible expulsion or suspension from our schools," she continued her explanation. The redhead ran her fingers through her hair as she thought of what else to say. "Besides, I still have to thank her for putting up with me for a night a few weeks ago."

"Wait a minute!" Yukari cried out, stopping in her tracks. "When you told me that you slept over at a friend's place after you overreacted, you were pertaining to Sagara-san?" A deep scowl formed on the shorter girl's face.

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior her lover was showing. "I thought I told you already. Skye-san just happened to be taking my Ducati bike for a test drive when she picked me up," she explained. "I wasn't exactly myself at that time so she took me back to her apartment to calm me down."

Yukari continued to scowl at Mitsuru. "So after calming down, why did you have to sleep over?" She looked at the library, shooting daggers at it with her honey-brown eyes.

Realization finally dawned upon Mitsuru as a small smile tugged on her lips. "There was a storm that hit unexpectedly that night, Yukari," she told the girl. "Skye-san was concerned about my well-being and offered to let me spend the night." She gazed at her somewhat seething lover with a sidelong glance. "Come morning, she also gave me a ride to your high school so that I could apologize to you."

"You must have enjoyed yourself," Yukari growled, jealousy evident in her eyes and voice despite the smile that played on her lips.

Mitsuru controlled herself enough to not laugh aloud because of Yukari's violent reaction. She decided to tease her a bit more. "Actually, I enjoyed myself quite a bit especially when I shared her bed." She set a finger thoughtfully on her chin. "I didn't realize that spooning with an older woman who has more curves than someone I know is actually quite... comforting."

"You slept in the same bed?!" Yukari sputtered angrily. "I can't believe you! It's been barely a month since we've been together and you're already sleeping with other women behind my back!" She whirled around and began to stride away from the chuckling Mitsuru.

"Hey now!" Mitsuru grabbed hold of Yukari's hand and pulled her back. "Now who's the one overreacting?" She made Yukari face her then reached up to caress her cheek. "I slept in the same bed with Skye-san, but I did not sleep with her," she assured her lover, running the pads of her fingers over the smooth surface of Yukari's face.

The hazel-haired high school student relaxed under the caress of Mitsuru. She looked into those crimson orbs... searching. "You really didn't sleep with her?"

Mitsuru gently pinched Yukari's nose as she shook her head. "No," she replied. "I decided quite some time ago that if I was going to sleep with someone, it would be in my lover's dorm room," she continued seriously, feeling delighted at the fierce blush that roved Yukari's well-featured face. Leaning down slightly to whisper in her ear, Mitsuru let out huskily, "We could do that after we drop Skye-san off and after I pick up my bike." She made sure every breathy word she said hit the sensitive skin of Yukari's ear.

"A-Are you sure?" Yukari stuttered when Mitsuru pulled away.

Mitsuru nodded and winked. "I trust our friends won't be bothering us since you all live in different dormitories?" She took hold of Yukari's hand once more and led her towards the nearest café. "Come on. I need a drink!" She gave the younger girl a teasing look. "I do have to get myself ready for later."

"Senpai! Stop teasing!"

"Drive to the garage. Your Ducati is parked there."

Mitsuru nodded her head and pointed out the apartment's garage to her chauffeur. After she and Yukari spent their time drinking tea and chatting in the campus café, her chauffeur picked them up. They then made their way to library to pick up the blue-haired professor who still walked with a slight limp. Yukari was still rather jealous of Skye so Mitsuru took it upon herself to sit in between the two at the backseat of her car

Skye let out a sigh as the car parked just outside of the garage. "Here we are," she told them, opening the door and stepping out. "Let me give the bike a last going over before you take it home." She bent down and grabbed hold of the bottom of the garage door. With a grunt, the young professor lifted the door up.

"Awesome display of strength, huh?" Yukari muttered and let out a surprised cry when Mitsuru elbowed her ribs sharply. "What? I didn't mean anything bad by it!" She scowled and rubbed the afflicted area.

"Stop with this jealousy, Yukari," Mitsuru whispered at the younger girl. "Need I remind you that there is nothing between me and Skye-san?"

Honey-brown eyes stared back at those crimson orbs. "It's natural for lovers to feel that way," Yukari retorted.

Mitsuru frowned and opened her mouth to scold her lover some more when her professor called her closer. "What is it Skye-san?"

Skye was squatting beside the bike and running her hands against the surface. "Everything is fine," she told Mitsuru with a smile. "You might want to head over to the closest gas station and fill up the tank," she added, getting back up to her feet. "I should have done that a few days ago, but I was quite busy." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I had to balance a few jobs and care for my father at the same time."

Mitsuru gave Skye a grateful smile. "It's alright Skye-san," she assured the older woman. "I could bring it to the gas station myself and I perfectly understand how busy you are."

"So I assume you'll be riding the bike home?" Skye asked as she stepped away from the bike. "I could lend you a pair of helmets, but you'll hassle yourself to return it to me."

The heiress of the Kirijo group shook her head. "I have a pair of helmets in the rear compartment of the company car," she informed the tall woman. "Thanks for everything, Skye-san!" She bowed deeply to thank the Thierry Corporation's runaway heiress turned professor and mechanic.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing else that I know of," Mitsuru replied, motioning her chauffeur over who held two helmets. "You may head back to the Kirijo group headquarters. I'll use my bike to get back home and I'll be dropping Yukari off at her dormitory." With a nod, the chauffeur handed the helmets over, got into the car and drove off.

Skye nodded. "Well then, make sure you drive safely," she reminded her student. "You wouldn't want to sprain your shoulder again or even get a worse injury."

Mitsuru laughed, grabbing hold of her bike's handlebars and kicking the kickstand up. "I'll be sure to do that," she replied, pushing the bike out of the garage. Putting on her helmet and straddling the Ducati, Mitsuru then offered the other helmet to Yukari and waited for her to get on behind her. "I'll see you next week then, Skye-san!" She waved goodbye to her professor before igniting the engines and rocketing down the deserted road.

"Hey! Don't go too fast!" Yukari shouted over the roar of the bike's engines. "You should listen to Sagara-san's advice!"

Mitsuru laughed and twisted the gas handle bar harder. "If I don't go fast, we won't have enough time to spend with each other in your dorm room!" she shouted back, feeling her lover's arms tighten around her waist. She knew somehow that the girl behind her was probably blushing beneath her helmet.

The sun was setting when Mitsuru cruised to a stop at the front of Yukari's dormitory. Kicking down the kickstand, Mitsuru pulled off her helmet and shook her long crimson hair out. "Enjoyed the ride?" She twisted in her seat to check on the state of her lover. "It was your first time to ride with me on my bike right?"

Yukari shakily got off the bike and pulled off her helmet. "Too fast for me to enjoy," she told Mitsuru, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Do you always go that fast? It felt like we were going way over the speed limit."

Mitsuru chuckled and got off the bike. "You worry too much," she told the younger girl, taking their helmets and setting them onto the seat of her bike. "I was driving below the speed limit," she paused and furrowed her eyebrows when Yukari frowned. "Oh alright! I was driving at exactly the speed limit," she surrendered.

"Well I guess I could forgive you…" Yukari replied, taking hold of Mitsuru's hand and twining their fingers together. "I'd probably do the same if I was in your place. You didn't really like riding a car and being dependent on your chauffeur for the last few months, huh?"

Mitsuru nodded her head. "It was… annoying," she said. "People often expect that the children of the wealthy grow up to be spoiled and dependent. I like to claim that I do not fall under that category." For a moment, a hard look formed on her face. "From the start, I taught myself to be independent. I forced myself to learn how to control my persona so that I could protect my father and other innocent people. My life wasn't easy despite the common conception that the rich have it easy." The redhead frowned deeply.

Yukari stepped forward and affectionately hugged the older girl. "You've got your independence back," she said softly. "Little by little, you are also getting the freedom you deserve. The chains of the Kirijo group cannot continue to imprison you." The hazel-haired girl pulled away slightly and smiled up at her lover. "I'm sure things will start going your way with time." With that said, Yukari tugged at Mitsuru's hand and led them through the entrance of her dormitory. "Come on! You did say that we might not have enough time to spend with each other in my room!" She winked suggestively at the auburn-haired beauty.

Mitsuru chuckled as she and Yukari treaded onto the main lobby of the dormitory. "You are right as always, mi amour,"she replied, turning her head so that Yukari, who had gone up to her tiptoes, could give her kiss.

"Mitsuru?!" A man's startled deep voice called out.

"Yuka-tan?! What the hell are you doing?!"

Yukari froze just before she could kiss Mitsuru when she heard those two familiar voices. She slowly turned her face away from her lover and looked in horror at the equally horrified looks on her friend's faces. "Oh no…" she whispered breathlessly, feeling her face heat up rapidly.

Mitsuru had a similar shocked expression on her face, which quickly turned blank. She met those astonished and perhaps disgusted faces of Fuuka, Junpei and Akihiko with somberness. She had not wanted to reveal her relationship to her other friends, but it seemed like she had no choice but to give them an explanation.

The one thing that kept her relieved was the understanding look on Minato's face as he put a hand on each of Junpei and Akihiko's shoulders. "Now now," he told his three friends. "There's no reason for any of us to get angry." He smiled at Mitsuru and Yukari who still stood by the door. "I'm sure that our two friends are willing to explain themselves to us."

"Hell…" Akihiko muttered, sitting heavily on one of the lobby's couches.

Fuuka gave a shaky smile. "I'm not angry," she told everyone. "I'm just really surprised with… what's happening."

Minato pushed Junpei onto the couch. "You too, Mister Loudmouth. You better sit down and listen to this before you start blabbing things that shouldn't be said or found out by the public." Minato also took a seat on the couch's armrest as he motioned for Mitsuru and Yukari to come forward.

Mitsuru let out a long sigh before grabbing hold of Yukari's hand, squeezing it reassuringly and leading her towards their friends. She first smiled at Minato then nodded stiffly at the disapproving faces of Junpei and Akihiko. "We'll explain ourselves," she told them. "We will try to answer your questions to the best of our capabilities."

Junpei was the first to ask his question. "What the hell is going on between you and Mitsuru-senpai?" he almost yelled, softening his voice when Minato shushed him. "You looked like you were going to kiss her, Yuka-tan!"

"I was going to kiss her, Stupei!" Yukari retorted, turning away as her face turned crimson. "I'm sure you're smart enough to figure out what that means!" she growled. "There are quite a few manga collections I've seen in your room that portray that theme."

Fuuka looked confused for a few seconds before she realized what Yukari was talking about. "Oh…" she let out, turning red herself. "So Yukari-chan, you are a…" she paused.

"Lesbian?!" Junpei stuttered and leaned limply against the couch's backrest.

Yukari scowled. "So what if I am?" she demanded. "Is it really all that bad?"

Junpei held his face with his hands. "All those good looking guys mooning over you," he started. "Not even one of them caught your interest and it turns out you like girls!" The goateed young man looked up and stared at his classmate. "Looks and status can sure be deceiving," he remarked.

"What did you mean by that, Stupei?!" Yukari demanded, fuming at the implied insult just given to her.

"Yukari..." Mitsuru warned, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against her body. "I agree that looks and status could be deceiving, but I would think that the two of you," she gestured at Junpei and Akihiko. "Would be at a level to understand that this is a common thing in this day and age," she continued. "Akihiko, I thought you'd be the first person to understand that especially with your maturity."

The platinum-haired boxer grunted. "I do accept the fact that homosexual relationships are common in this day and age, but I never said that I would be able to easily accept that two of my friends are involved in one. What makes it even worse is that these two friends are involved with each other."

"Akihiko-senpai," Fuuka cut in. "Don't tell me you plan to break Yukari-chan and Mitsuru-senpai apart!" She folded her hands on top of her lap. "Yukari-chan and Mitsuru-senpai have always been the ones from our group of friends who have experienced the most hardship and suffering. They were both lonely, but found solace and company from each other." The young inventor smiled at her two friends. "So you see, I personally don't see anything wrong with their relationship. Akihiko-senpai and Junpei-kun should feel the same," she pointed out while looking expectantly at the two young men.

Junpei muttered something intelligible before rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… as long as Mitsuru-senpai and Yuka-tan are happy, then I guess I'm alright with this," he offered. "It never crossed my mind that all those times you were ditching us, you were actually spending time with senpai."

Yukari's anger seemed to have lost its edge after hearing Junpei accept her relationship with Mitsuru. "You were always so dense Stupei!" She smirked. "Weren't you suspicious that senpai and I were getting quite chummy when we were all still in high school?"

"I figured the two of you were really close," Junpei muttered.

"And you Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked her oldest friend.

The boxer let out another grunt, crossing his legs and placing his arms over his chest. "As long as it makes you happy, Mitsuru," he replied, a bit bitterly. "I just can't believe the three of us lost to a girl," he added, eyebrows furrowing as he scowled.

"What?" Mitsuru asked, looking confused.

Minato was blushing as he explained. "We used to compete for the… girls in our group. You were quite popular, senpai," he reminded the heiress. "Akihiko-san has had the longest crush on you among us guys. He has every right to be bitter since he lost you to Yukari-chan."

"We're still friends right, Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari asked teasingly albeit hiding her worry behind a mask of mock cheeriness.

Akihiko let out another grunt and looked away. "We'll see. I don't like losing and despite the fact that this battle has already been won, I know I can't fight and reclaim victory." The boxer gave a small smile at both Yukari and Mitsuru. "Now, what were the two of you planning to do if the rest of us weren't here in the lobby."

Yukari shook her head furiously. "Nothing!" she let out. "Mitsuru-senpai was just dropping me off!"

"Oh really?" Akihiko asked, raising an eyebrow at both girls. "I'm guessing the two of you had some business to attend to in a certain someone's dorm room." He laughed as Yukari became even more flustered at his comment. "Anyway, since your attempt was foiled, how about we all go out and get some dinner?"

"Hell yeah! Another free meal on the way!" Junpei whooped with joy.

"I assume you're going to be handling this one, Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked, looking expectantly at his good friend. "You owe us for keeping this a secret."

Mitsuru released a defeated sigh. "Pick any restaurant you want then," she told her friends, reaching into her pants' pocket and pulling out her wallet. "I'll use my credit card to treat all of you. It's the least Yukari and I can do since we've been hiding our relationship."

Minato frowned at outcome of their talk. "This is quite unfair," he began. "When I found out that you and Yukari-chan were together, you threatened to execute me! How come they don't get the same treatment?" he grumbled as he followed his friends out of the dormitory.

Mitsuru glanced over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at the gray-eyed young man. "Who says they won't be getting the same treatment?" she retorted drily.

This is a really late upload, so I'd like to apologize to the readers. I devoted my time to finishing my other story. As of now since the story has already been completed, I will be putting my best efforts into this particular story.

Next chapter: Spying and humiliating punishment