CR: Er…..how do I say this? Well, the number of reviews did improve a little, but I'm sure there's still room for improvement! I hope to have more reviews when I post the next chapter, heehee :D. Thanks for all your reviews BTW. And do look out for my new story, You've Changed, Echizen. While you are reading my new story, do help me decide on the pairings as well. I will really appreciate it :D
Since there are 8 floors in the Tokyo Mall (but it takes approximately half an hour to walk from one end to the other), each regular will search one whole floor. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. If you spot your target, you can immediately alert the others, but it's also easy to miss your target. So anyway, the regulars split up, their phones at the ready to alert the others should they spot the couple. Meanwhile, Ryoma and Atobe were still arguing on the dark purple pants Atobe just picked out. "Argh, I give up! Let's call Caru and ask her for her opinion." Atobe finally cried. Ryoma perked up. "Good idea." So he took out his cellphone, and dialed Pakura's number. Pakura was purchasing 5 novels, notebooks and a few sets of pens in different colors when the phone rang. She fumbled for her phone and answered it.
"Hello?" she said, handing her money to the cashier. Sometimes, it's great being the ITM champion. You get to have buckets of money and can change the money to any country you like.
"Hey Caru." said Ryoma.
"Ryoma, what do you want?" said Pakura.
"Well, I would like your opinion on something. Could you come to the sports clothing store on the third floor?"
"Sure." said Pakura. She received her change and walked out of Popular. As she was on her way to the escalator, she walked past Momo, who was talking on the phone. "No, Tezuka-buchou, I haven't found Echizen. Yes, I'll look for him as soon as possible. Bye!" with that, he hung up and hurried past Pakura without giving her a glance. 'Oh no' she thought. She quickly ran to the third floor to meet Atobe and Ryoma. "There you are, Caru. What do you think of this shorts." said Atobe, holding up the dark purple shorts. She quickly grabbed the shorts and put it back on the rack. "What are you doing?" said Atobe. Pakura's head whipped from side to side, and turned to them. "Never mind the shorts for now. We'll have to go to the department store now. The Seigaku regulars are looking for you, Ryoma." Ryoma widened his eyes, and said. "Ok, I know we have to get out of here. But why the department store?" Pakura smiled. "You'll see. I have a plan…."
At the department store….
Pakura dragged Ryoma and Atobe to the girls department and to the racks where they displayed all the dresses. "You'll need a disguise." said Pakura.
"I know, but why can't I have a boy disguise like Atobe?"
"Because it'll be too obvious. Don't worry, it won't be a waste, since we're about the same size, and I can wear the dress after we get out of this mall." said Pakura. She picked a pretty pink dress from the rack, and pushed Ryoma into the changing room. "Now quit complaining and get in the changing room. Don't tear out the price tag yet" A few minutes later, Ryoma emerged, wearing the pink dress. He looked very pretty….for a guy. Pakura then dragged him to the wigs department, and selected one with long black hair. "I hate this." Ryoma muttered, as Pakura made the wig stay by using the hairpins she bought from Simply Pretty. While she was fixing the pins, she said, "Atobe, go get some clothes and a wig and change too. Don't get purple, because The Seigaku regulars may recognize you, because I am sure they know you like wearing purple." Later, Atobe emerged wearing a black shirt and pants. Pakura also helped him secure his brown haired wig. She then dragged Ryoma to the make-up department and used some of the samples to give him a makeover. However, this was especially hard, because what she was never good at was at makeovers as when she was younger, while other girls her age were concerned about their looks and which dress, shoes or makeup will look best for them and how to stay thin, Pakura never wanted for anything, not for looks, not for her body shape. She merely buried herself in her books, studied healing and medicine and trained herself to handle weapons and yet, she was one of the best looking girls in New Day Academy and she has a nice body shape. She frowned, as she tried to put eye shadow on Ryoma's eyes. By the time she was done, well, it wasn't exactly neat, but it was passable. Atobe paid for the disguises, and they went out of the store.
When they walked out, they walked past a boy with brown hair and blue eyes (which Pakura learned from Atobe that his name is Fuji Syusuke). Fuji brushed past them without even looking at them. 'Good, so it must mean that our disguise has worked.' thought Atobe. Pakura checked her watch. "Hmm, we still have an hour left to kill before we go for lunch. Do you still want to separate and shop, or we have lunch first?" Ryoma and Atobe looked at each other, before saying, "We'll have lunch now." Pakura nodded, and took them to Pique Nique, where they enjoyed their lunch there. They completely forgot about the Seigaku regulars looking for them until…..
"No, Tezuka, I didn't find them. Do you think they could've left?" The voice was just behind Ryoma and Atobe. They turned, and found Oishi talking on the phone. Atobe put a finger to his lips and the other two nodded. They continued their meals in silence. While waiting for the dessert, Pakura whispered, "I got to go to the washroom for a while. I'll be right back." The boys nodded as Pakura made her way out. Unfortunately, she bumped into Oishi. "Hey, you're the boy that we met outside Simply Pretty!" Pakura nodded. "Yes. I didn't expect to see you again. Where're your teammates?" Oishi rubbed the back of his head. "Well, er…they are looking for someone."
Pakura smiled. "Really, who is it?"
"Well, it's confidential…."
"Come on, you can tell me." said Pakura.
Oishi looked at the boy. He couldn't see his eyes, but something about that soft smile made him sure he could trust the boy. "Well, we're looking for someone called Echizen Ryoma."
"Oh, that boy! But why would you be looking for him?"
"Well, we wanted to question him over a few…things."
"I see. If this helps, I saw him at the 8th floor at the Times bookstore." The Times bookstore was way at the other end of the mall and a complete contrast to the first floor where Oishi is currently at, and Pakura figured it would take him at least 2 hours to get there. "Really? Thanks!" said Oishi, and he immediately took off. Pakura laughed softly. "Sucker." She muttered under her breath. Heck, the REAL Echizen Ryoma is just 3 meters away from her. She laughed again, and went into the bathroom. After she did her business, she rejoined Ryoma and Atobe back in the restaurant just in time for the desserts.
"Caru, what happened? Ore-sama saw you talking to Oishi just now." said Atobe, spooning chocolate ice cream in his mouth. Pakura took a sip of her ice cream float, and said, "Oh, he recognized me as the boy who they met outside the Simply Pretty store. I gave him a complete wrong direction to Ryoma's whereabouts." She shrugged, and took another sip of her milkshake. "It's really clever of you to come up with a plan like that." said Atobe. "Saved our lives."
"Well, duh." said Ryoma. 'If she wasn't clever, she wouldn't be the strategist of the Chess Pieces.' Pakura frowned. "But I don't think I did well for the makeover, though. I never wore makeup once in my life, let alone help someone wear it." She nodded to Ryoma.
Atobe widened his eyes. "No way! If that's true, how come you look like a striking beauty?"
Pakura shrugged. "God's gift, I guess. Anyway, I don't care how I look, because I believe beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder."
Meanwhile with the Seigaku regulars…
"What? You said the boy saw him at the Times bookstore?" said Momoshiro.
"Yes, that's what he said. Let's go search the Times bookstore." They went in the bookstore to search for them. (Haha, but we all know that the 'boy' is lying right?)
Back to the trio….
The three paid the bill. Atobe said, "Alright, what should we do now?"
Pakura smiled. "Why don't we go to your house?"
"Good idea, Caru." said Ryoma, grinning. "On the way, I can wash off the makeup and change back into my old clothes." Atobe nodded. "Alright. Ore-sama will call the chauf-"
"No!" said Pakura. "If you call your driver to pick you up, they will recognize you!" They looked at her. "Sorry, but that's what I think." She said sheepishly. "Caru's right. Limos aren't very common in the road. And everyone knows you ride a limo everywhere. Let's take the train instead." said Ryoma. They took the train to Atobe's house, with Atobe grousing about squeezing with peasants, and Pakura was forced to cover his mouth. "Save it for later." She muttered. Once they reached Atobe's house, Pakura had to wash her hands because it was coated with Atobe's saliva. Ryoma washed off the makeup Pakura hastily placed on his face and changed back into his own clothes. Ryoma sat down, accepted a cup of tea from one of Atobe's butler, and said, "Caru, will you…sing?" Pakura nearly dropped her tea in shock. Sing? Pakura stuttered, "Well, I…" she hasn't sang much ever since the incident that made her pure and made her hate romance…which involved one boy.
"You haven't sung since you were 14." Ryoma remarked. 'How did he even remember?' Pakura thought. But since it's for her protégé, and she wanted him to be happy, she cleared her throat, and sang the first song that came up to her mind.
"Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree
Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree'
Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here,
No stranger would it be, if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."
By the time she finished the last verse, she heard clapping from the maids, the butlers, and even Atobe and Ryoma clapped and cheered. However, when she was singing, she was thinking about her past, and how she knew that being tortured and sporting a broken heart is a much worse fate than death.
That day, she wished she had died in the ITM instead.
Omake (the Seigaku regulars)
"Really, they are not in the Times bookstore!" Eiji fumed. "Are you sure they are in there, Oishi?"
"Yes, that's what the boy told me." He sighed in exasperation.
"Maybe Echizen left before the boy, who knows?" said Fuji. "Right, Tezuka?" the captain nodded, and said, "Possible."
"I still think they are somewhere in the shopping mall." said Momo.
"Wow, good observation, Sherlock." said Kaidoh.
"Enough, minna! Let's just continue looking for them!" said Tezuka, walking away, followed by the regulars, hoping to find the couple soon.
A/N: I think I rushed it a bit, but I only had two hours to type this chapter and I also had other things to do in the computer. Well, do review! :D