Chapter 21

Sorry! So so sorry! A thousand apologies for making you wait so long for this chapter. It's just that the inspiration fairy is being rude. She won't return my phone calls OR my emails: (

And for everyone who asked (and there were a lot of you): PDA stands for "Public Display of Affection" which is basically making out or cuddling in public. :/

Disclaimer: Not. Mine.

"Look." Risa pointed up at the sky. "There's another plane not taking us back to Azumano." They were laying on their backs, a picnic blanket spread out underneath them so they wouldn't get covered in sand. Satoshi was absent-mindedly playing with her hair. After their little incident in the hallway, it was almost like he couldn't keep his hands off of her. Above them, the sky was a brilliant light blue.

Satoshi laughed to himself. "Yeah . . . three more days."

"Two and a half. You can't count today as a full day."

"Oh, right." He said. Risa was silent for a moment.

"I don't want to go back." She said quietly. Satoshi looked at her.

"Why not?"
" . . . Azumano's going to seem so boring compared to Hawaii. And once we get back, we're going to have to go straight back to school."

"Yeah, that's one thing I'm not looking forward to." He murmured. "You'd think that they would give us a day off to recover from jet-lag."

What's it going to be like when we get back?" She asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. What are . . . what are people going to say?"

"What . . . you mean our classmates?"

"Yeah. What do you think . . . I mean . . . do you think they'll be . . . surprised . . . about us?"
"Shocked is more like it." He said with a smile.

"Why, because someone as smart as you would go for some one as dense as me?"

" . . . No. More like someone as popular as you would say yes to a nerd like me."

"You're not a nerd!" She said. He propped himself up on his elbow and gave her a look. "Okay, well . . . maybe you are. But you're a rare nerd. You an attractive nerd."

"What about my glasses?"

"You don't have glasses anymore." She reminded him.

"Hmm." he said, laying on his back.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But you do know that I have a spare set at home."

"Why?"

"I've always had to have a second set of glasses. . . the usually tended to shatter when . . . well . . . you know." When I transformed into Krad.

"Oh." She mumbled.

"Do you mind?"

"What?"

"That I'll be wearing them again?"

" . . . Why would I mind?"

He turned over, chuckling to himself. "Don't you remember?" He asked, then whispered in her ear. "You don't like boys with glasses."

She laughed. "Well . . . I was wrong about that. You make glasses look good."

He sniggered. "Right."

"Really. I mean, even with your glasses you're hot."

"So what about when I'm not wearing them?"

"You're undeniably - hey! I'm the girl! You're supposed to be telling me how pretty I am."

At this, he laughed aloud. "Oh, come off it. You already know you're beautiful."
Beautiful. He had never called her beautiful before. Lovely, yes. Pretty, yes. But never beautiful. She blushed. "You . . . really think I'm beautiful?"

"Yes." He said simply. She rolled over to face him.

"Really?"
"Yes."

"How beautiful?"

"Now you're just looking for compliments." He said, smirking at her.

"So?" She asked. He sat up.

"Alright then." He cleared his throat and put a hand to the side of her face. "Risa Harada, you are without a doubt the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Your hair," he murmured as he touched a lock of her hair. "Your eyes . . . your lips . . . every thing about you radiates beauty . . ." It had started out as a small joke to make her smile, but as he said it realized he really meant it. His tone went from joking to serious.

" . . . Satoshi." She whispered, sitting up. His hands moved up to cup her face, and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Hiwatari-kun!" No. Not this. Not now. They were having a moment - couldn't these girls leave him alone just long enough to be with Risa? "Hiwatari-kun, thank God we found you!" Satoshi had moved away from her and was sitting on his knees. Three of his fan girls were rushing toward them.

"What is it?" His voice was cold. "Can't you see I'm-"

"Hiwatari-kun! It's terrible! We need your help right now!"

"I doubt there's anything I could help you with." He glared. Why couldn't they leave him alone? He couldn't even go to the beach with Risa without them following him.

"Hiwatari-kun, you know CPR, don't you?" One girl asked. His attention was caught.

"Yes. Why?"

"It's Nana! She isn't breathing!"

He was on his feet in an instant, Risa right behind him. "Take me to her." He said.

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Satoshi's fan girls were standing around Nana's body, looking down. "Some friends" Risa thought. "They don't look worried at all." Then she remembered that they practically worshipped Satoshi. Of course they would think that he would be able to save her.

Nana was completely drenched, her damp hair clinging to her face. Her eyes were closed, and Risa could make out no movement in her chest to signify breathing.

"Have you called for help?" Satoshi asked automatically as he knelt down next to her.

"Uh-um . . ." One girl mumbled.

"It's a simple question." He shot up at her. "Have you called for help or not?"

"N-no."

"Why not?!"

"We don't . . . know who to call!"

"A teacher, of course!" He said. "Call one of our teachers. I'll give her CPR, but it's best if we get an ambulance here as soon as possible."

"O-Okay." The girl said, but she made no move to call anyone. No one did. Risa guessed that they were all in shock - seeing their friend like this. The truth was that she was a little shaken up herself. She didn't like Nana - at all - but she didn't want her to die.

"Shouldn't you be calling someone?" She asked, glaring at Nana's followers. "She's your friend, after all."

"Well . . ."
"Hm?" Satoshi voice made them all turn. He had titled Nana's head back and was leaning down, his face just inches from hers. Suddenly he sat back on his haunches. "Who's idea was this?" He asked over his shoulder.

"W-What do you mean, Hiwatari-kun?" One girl asked. He leaned back down so his face was close to Nana's.

"You can breathe now." He hissed. " I know you're faking."

Nana gasped for breath suddenly. Before he could move away, she flung her arms around him and crashed her lips against his. It was over in a second - Satoshi pushed her away from him, shocked, and stood up. He looked too stunned for words.

Everyone was silent for a moment, waiting for his reaction, but he just stared coldly down at Nana, who was gazing shamelessly into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," He said in the same icy tone he always used when turning girls down. "but in case you haven't noticed, I already have a girlfriend." He leaned down close to her again, so that only she could hear him. "And you had better stay the hell away from her."

He stood, but Nana just smirked saucily up at him. "Let's go." He muttered, turning away. He automatically assumed that Risa would follow him, as she had no reason to stay behind with those girls. However, she did anyway.

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"Satoshi . . ." Risa whispered as the girls started giggling.

"Oh my God! Nana!" One of them was saying. "What was it like?"

"It was amazing!" She sighed. "Can you believe it?! I just kissed Satoshi Hiwatari!"

No. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening! She felt rage flood through her as the girls continued to squeal.

"Oooh! You're soooo lucky Nana!"

"Yeah!" Another one said dreamily. "I bet it was wonderful!"

"Oh, it was!"

"It's even better when he wants to kiss you." Risa said. They all looked up at her, surprised. Obviously, they had forgotten she was there.

"What was that, Harada?" Nana asked, standing up.

"How can you call yourself his fan girls? You really embarrassed him! Can't you see that?!"

"That's not true. I think secretly he liked it." Nana approached her. "I think he liked kissing me much better than kissing you. After all, what would the amazing Sato-kun see in a slut like you anyway?"

Risa felt her blood pounding in her ears. Nana Ando . . . next time she would tell Satoshi to just let her die.

"What's wrong, Harada? Are you jealous because your boyfriend would rather kiss me?"

That was it. She knew Nana was wrong, and that she was just provoking her, hoping that she would break down and cry again. She also knew that there five of them and only one of her, and that if she attacked their leader they would be swarm on her like a plague of locusts. She knew all this, but she still lunged at her anyway.

Her hands grasped Nana's dark hair and yanked as hard as possible. She got in three good tugs before a fist collided with her stomach, causing her to release her and double over in pain. This gave them the perfect opportunity attack her - and they took advantage of it. One of them shoved her from behind, causing her to fall on her stomach into the sand. They all laughed, but Nana's cackle rose above the rest.

"Hey!" Satoshi's voice made them all stop. He ignored all of them and ran to Risa. "Risa! Are you okay?!"
She couldn't speak - they had knocked all the wind out of her - so she just nodded and tried to breathe. Her lungs were momentarily paralyzed.

"Try not to breathe deeply." He said gently. "Or it'll hurt once you catch your breath. Shallow breaths are best when you can't breathe." She nodded and he helped her to her feet. Putting a protective arm around Risa, he turned to face his fan girls. "If I find out that you came near her again . . . if I find out you even said her name . . . I'll make you regret it." He turned to Risa. "Let's go."

"W-wait!" Nana demanded. "Why . . . why her? Why not me? I've loved you forever, Satoshi!"

He turned and shot her a cold look. "Don't call me Satoshi. And you never loved me."

"Yes I did! I've always loved you!" She was shouting, but he turned his back on her.

"Come on, Risa." He pulled her next to him, his arm dropping from her shoulder to her hip. "Let's go."

Nana stared at their retreating figures, shocked. How could her plan have gone so wrong?

"Nana? Nana, it's okay . . ." One of her friends said. She stiffened.

"No. It's not." She said, brushing sand off from her shoulders. "It appears that little Miss Risa Harada doesn't know who she's messing with."

" . . . Nana."

"It's not just about Satoshi anymore." She turned and looked at them. "She's going to pay for embarrassing me in front of him."

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I don't know . . . .like I said, the inspiration fairy is ignoring me, so I don't think this chapter was that good. I'll try to make the next one better. As always, please review!!!