Everyone: Thanks very muchly! It makes me superduperuber (I love that not-word, lol) happy to know that you're all keeping an eye on my story and reading the new installments! :) I give you all…Internet cookies from my heart. x)

Thank you all for reading and reviewing~

( This is written in Amachi's POV. )

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Five

Puberty: Amachi

"Senpai, what is 'puberty'?"

I don't understand why, but Senpai stops mid-step (it is an awkward position, I note; her leg is at an odd angle). Her face turns a rosy pink and her mouth begins to wobble. It's a very…cute expression on her…

Shaking my head, I wait until she says something. But she doesn't.

Did I say something weird? Shooting her a concerned look, I ask eagerly, "Senpai, w-what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Her whole chin is shaking now, the pink darkening into red and spreading all over. "Senpai, I don't understand," I continue. Why wasn't she saying anything?

I still didn't know why she was suddenly acting strange, but I'm sure that it was my fault. Wasn't it? The question I had asked – had it been a bit inappropriate? Had I disgusted Megumi-senpai? I hadn't… I hadn't meant to…

I'm pulled out of my guilt as Senpai bursts laughing. Her body trembles as she looks up to the sky, eyes closed and mouth wide open as giggles pour out.

My face feels hot. She's laughing. Why is she laughing?!

I pout, not getting the joke at all. "Senpai," I grumble, turning away from her. "I don't get you when you're like this."

Realizing how grumpy I sound, my tone changes immediately; I don't want to upset her. "Whatever I said, I…I'm sorry, okay?" I quickly add.

"No, no," Senpai manages to say through her silly guffawing. A hand is clutching her side and the other hand is catching a tear from her eye. I'd made her laugh that hard? I think, embarrassed, my shoulders slumping as I glance at her face. Her eyes glitter happily, nicely adding to her impish grin.

"Let me guess, you guys are learning that in Science class?" she asks, having finally calmed down. Her dimples are exposed as her grin widens.

I can't help but notice that…Senpai is beautiful like this… She looks so…free, as if her everyday life troubles are like feathers that she can easily toss into the sky.

"Amachi-kun?" The sound of her voice grabs me out of my reverie and returns me to reality. I blink rapidly, turning to look at her. She's smirking now as she continues, "Hm, what were you thinking about?"

I don't want to tell her, but the red slowly coloring my face gives it away. She's flushed with realization, and quickly I bring up the topic of the mysterious "puberty" again. "Yeah, our teacher said something about it, but that's the only thing I remember from Science. I, uh… I dozed off."

She smiles, the creamy complexion of her cheeks returning. I try not to stare, but with a girl like Senpai…I find that I can't control myself sometimes. Or most of the time. I hope she doesn't notice… "Well, it's… Basically, puberty is…" She pauses, frowning. I recognize her expression as her "thinking face".

I really can't help myself – I watch her with interest. Not so much as interest in the topic of puberty, but in Senpai herself… It was Senpai's fault for being so perfect.

"I guess that, put simply, puberty is change. It happens around your age, Amachi-kun," she begins to explain. Her eyebrows furrow as she continues to think, undoubtedly trying to put the concept into words.

"Senpai isn't much of a teacher, is she?" I joke, noting how hard she searches for the correct clarifying words. It warms me seeing how much effort she puts into her answers…how much she wants me to know.

She dramatically sighs at my joke. Playfully, she sticks her tongue out at me, and I do the same. "You don't have to explain everything," I tell her. "I don't want Senpai to get wrinkles." Though I'm sure she'd still be pretty with them… "I just want to know why you were laughing when I first asked you."

As soon as I finish talking, she makes that face again. Her chin wavers unsteadily; she bites down on her bottom lip, trying to hold it back. But this time, I want to hear her laugh.

"You can let go."

She does. She laughs uproariously, turning red as she tilts her head upward and slaps her hand to her forehead. This time, I chuckle along with her, even if she had yet to tell me the humorous part of it yet. Senpai does that to me.

Seeing her happy makes me happy too.

She calms down much quicker this time. "Sorry. Ah, my stomach hurts…" she murmurs, gently rubbing her side. "Anyway, I laughed because" – she pauses to giggle – "of all the perverted effects of puberty." Senpai grins, big and naughty.

…I hadn't expected that. "Senpai is…a pervert?"

She sticks her tongue out again. "Yeah," she replies. She's embarrassed, I notice, as she blushes that distinguishable shade of red. "Sorry… Is it a little disturbing? You didn't think your Senpai would be, huh?" She starts to speak faster, her words merging. "I'mjustalittlebitpervyIpromisesodon't—"

"It's okay! Sometimes I am pervy too!" I interrupt her. I didn't regret my words, even as I started to feel all hot.

She blinks at me, chewing on her bottom lip. "Really?" Senpai is cute when she's all innocent…

"Yes! Sometimes I even imagine Senpai naked!"

So cute enough that she makes me blurt out something so stupid.

What did I just say?!

Immediately I clamp a hand over my mouth, closing my eyes. I don't want to see her reaction! Senpai is disgusted with me, I know it! My whole body is burning up, and I feel so dizzy…

"Amachi-kun," she says.

To my surprise, she doesn't…she doesn't spit my name.

I open my eyes slowly, cautiously. But Senpai is…smiling. She is blushing too, but she's…smiling.

"Megumi-senpai, I'm sorry! I-I didn't… I d-don't —"

…Senpai kisses me.

Her lips are soft, warm, sweet… Just like in my dreams… Only this isn't a dream…

I just don't understand Megumi-senpai.

But it's okay with me.

I don't need to know why Senpai is so amazing.

She just is.

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Should the next story be on Shiba, Majima, or Chris? :D

THANKS FOR READING. 3 (if it doesn't show, I put a heart there. ^^)