Sorry for not updating or anything in a LOONNGG time. (guiltily hides behind chair.) I hadn't had any inspiration for this story… but then I had a MAJOR idea for the story while playing piano. So… I'm baaccckk Hope you guys don't lose faith in me… and just bear with me, okay? Love you all.

Things between us went relatively smoothly (well as smoothly as it can go for us) for the rest of the week. And by smoothly I mean:

-at least ten instances of shouting matches consisting singly of the word "ahou"

-five threats of violence

-three actual punches (done by yours truly)

-fifteen Heiji smirks

-eight escalated arguments that ended when another idiot student made a "married couple" reference. (People really need to know how to take a hint.)

On the following Monday, Heiji decided to ditch school to help his father with some mysterious case that no one on the police force seemed to be able to solve. So, like the loner I was, I was forced to walk the streets of Osaka to school all by myself. Despite the cars that were honking, the constant chatter of passing people, and the shouts of elementary school students, it seemed incredibly quiet.

Until…

"KAZUHAA!"

What in the worl—

And then my brain finally processed the voice and I realized (not sure if I was relieved or annoyed) that it was Candy who was calling me.

I turned around and watched her skip lightly between people, her footsteps barely touching the floor and her hair bouncing off her shoulders. I thought back to the other day when Heji and I were forced to dash madly through the crowd on our way to school. I doubt I looked as graceful as Candy was right now. Inside, I felt my stomach twist ever so silent. But for what reason? She was being perfectly friendly. Maybe Heiji's paranoia was getting to me.

"Hey!" I called back, waving.

She bounded up next to me, breathing slightly rushed. Running had given her cheeks rosy, pink glow, and in that moment, I felt as insignificant and inferior as an ant on the bare cement ground.

"So, did you need anything?" I asked somewhat tentatively.

Candy laughed. "No, why would I need a reason to walk to talk to someone?"

"Well, it's not like we've ever really talked that much before…?" I ended the sentence in a raised voice, trying not to sound rude. But it was the truth. Why would she want to talk to me? Aside from that one time when she had tried to go eat lunch or something together (and then was interrupted but some idiot, cough cough Heiji.)

"Yeah, well you seem really nice and all, and I don't know, you just seem a lot more honest and real than most of the people that keep on trying to be my friend," she shrugged.

"Uh… really?"

"Mhmm," Candy nodded. "Like I think a lot of people are just trying to be my friend cuz Daddy owns that big oil company. So I guess to put it bluntly, I'm rich. And people try to take advantage of that. They always try to invite themselves over to our mansion and then when they do, they just want to eat food that our butler makes or go shopping but then accidentally forget their money so I end up paying." She rolled her eyes.

I blinked. If only this was all I had to worry about in life.

Still, I'm not a mean person. And as much as it irked me how there were rumors about Candy wanting to go out with Heiji, she hadn't given me any indication of that. And I knew how lonely it could be sometimes without a friend.

Apart from Heiji, I did have good friends, but it wasn't the same connection and friendship that Heiji and I had. As much as we did argue and tease and threaten each other, he was my best friend. And when we wasn't around, I always felt that pang of loneliness and insecurity inside that could only be eased when he rang my doorbell the moment he got back.

"So, I take it that Heiji isn't here today?" Candy asked cautiously.

"Yeah, he went to go help with this case that his father was working on," I said. "You don't have to worry about him making decisions for me or anything."

"Oh," Candy laughed. "Does he always do that?"

I shrugged. "He's always been really overprotective and everything. But I don't know why he wouldn't let me go eat lunch with you. He's just such an ahou sometimes."

"Okay, well I better head over to class now. We should go eat after school though like I asked last time. Hopefully, Heiji won't be around to say no or anything. Unless you don't want to…" she trailed off.

Well, why not? Heiji was off having a ball at his case. He's probably already at the deducing part, with the newspaper photographers and reporters all lined up around him to get his name in the headlines the next morning. He wouldn't care anyway.

"Sure," I grinned. "I'll see you there."

The feeling in my gut didn't go away by the time I had sat down to eat with Candy. If anything, it got worse.

Talking with her wasn't awkward or anything at first. But then, the conversation shifted from basic talking about school to…

Heiji.

FOR THE RECORD, I WASN'T THE ONE TO BRING HIM UP.

I was telling her how I had done akido for a while, when I noticed that she had kind of zoned out. Rude, much…

"Hey, uh," I snapped my fingers a little bit. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Candy looked up with a start.

"You were kind of zoning out a bit," I said, laughing a little.

"Oh… uh, well, there's actually sort of been a reason why I wanted to ask you to eat with me today."

The feeling in my gut got worse.

"Like, I know you're a really good friend of Heiji's…" she began.

Oh no. No no no no NO. This could not be happening. She did not just try to become my "friend" for a day just to get close to Heiji. This stuff only happened in movies and TV shows and do girls really act like this? I didn't say anything though.

"So, like, I," she paused, her face reddening. "I really like him. Like really REALLY like him. You know?"

When I didn't say anything, she went on.

"So, I was wondering, if you could like be my wing-women in a way? I was talking to people, and he doesn't really seem interested in anyone at school. And I know that if he ever just gets the chance to talk to me or hang out with me, I'll have him."

Cocky much?

I stared at her. "So this morning, all that you were saying, about being rich and having friends that tried to get close to you cuz of that, was all so I could feel sorry for you, become your friend for a day, so you could get me to eat with you and have this conversation?"

"Well, if you put it that way," she stopped. "I mean, I am rich, and well, I needed a reason to get you to come talk to me. And it's not like school would do for this kind of conversation…"

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Well, whatever," Candy said, rolling her eyes, all sweetness suddenly disappearing from her tone and face. "What do you say?"

"And before you make your decision, should I remind you that you're just his childhood best friend. I've seen the way you guys act. And as much as people might make fun of you two for being like a 'married couple', honestly, you don't have a chance with him. Haven't you heard of this thing called friendzoning?"

I still didn't say anything. By this moment, my gut feeling felt like it was throbbing in my stomach, unleashing acids that burned through and just made me feel like punching her in the face.

"Well?" she crossed her arms.

"Um," I didn't know what to say. Inside, my mind was completely jumbled up, a bunch of phrases and memories trying to connect, for some odd reason. "I'll tell you tomorrow," I said, before pushing my chair back and practically running out of the café. I ignored the stares of the customers, and shoved the door open, running out into the street and then onto the street that led to my house.

I suppose the only reason I had agreed to be "friends" with Candy was because it offered me the smallest glimmer of hope that I wasn't as inferior to her as I thought I was. Maybe, I would gain a small bit of her grace and perfection or at least her attractiveness to the male race. Not that I wanted to have doting admirers, it's just, that I've never felt that I was pretty.

After all, what sort of girl spends her time beating people up in akido? Not to mention that I usually had my hair tied up whereas most girls let it down. Or how my best friend WAS A GUY.

Maybe Candy was right.

I thought back to what she had said. People don't just SAY THAT. And it's not like I LIKE Heiji THAT WAY.

I absolutely don't.

Why would I?

Or I was just finding an excuse to not get my hopes up high since I knew I didn't have a chance. Heiji, despite how annoying and rude he could be, wasn't bad looking. He certainly wasn't dumb. And I've seen how girls will ogle at him in the hallways. He didn't seem to care though.

I didn't care either. Or did I? I swallowed uneasily. Did best friends really worry that much for each other? Did they always feel so alone when they didn't have the other next to them? Did they really always get that unexplainable feeling of happiness (pardon the cliché moment) when they're together?

And am I the only one that felt that way?

But there was something inside me that could just give it up.

No matter how selfish I was being at the moment, and no matter if he would never see me in that way, and I don't even what my feelings are at the moment. I was still so confused about everything.

I didn't want to let him go.