Chapter 2: The Technique

"Neh, Yohei-kun," Hanamichi Sakuragi dragged his feet with his shoulders slumped forward. He had been trailing Yohei around for the last couple of hours. Though actually, he had been following him around since the day before; since the moment the other Gundans told him about the dare.

But Yohei didn't budge.

"Neh! Yo-chan!" Hanamichi fluttered his eyelashes for added effect.

"What!" Yohei feigned irritation for he was trying his best to suppress his laughter. His best friend really was starting to look stupid. He wished the guntai could see Hanamichi's face. If he is not mistaken, there were traces of dark circles under his eyes:a sign of lack of sleep. Nobody could ever guess that the idea of a date with his archenemy Rukawa could have that much effect on Sakuragi.

"Help me! Puh-lease!" he gave his best puppy eyes look for it had never failed on his best bud Yohei.

And it still have not, Yohei winced and his softer side started to appear, "can't help you, I shouldn't help you Hana-chan."

Sakuragi grinned, he was called by his childhood nickname! It means Yohei was starting to give in, "c'mon... nobody would know!"

"I don't think... "

"Awww, Yo-chan!" he poked Yohei's side.

Yohei panicked, "ei! Not there! You know that's my most ticklish part. The more I won't help you Hanamichi!"

"Ah! So you would help me now."

"Still no! 'Coz you really don't need my help. Now I've got to be on my way."

"You know I could never take Rukawa on a date," Hananichi was fumbling with his hands, "but I could never pass-up a chance for all the money I owe you to be just forgotten either."

"Yeah, I know."

"Then why are you challenging me to ask Rukawa on a date?"

"Look here Hanamichi," Yohei placed his hand on his friends shoulder, "your guntai really isn't that bad. Isn't that smart either. The guys told you to ASK Rukawa on a date, not to TAKE him..."

"Ooooooh..." Hanamichi's face became blank from thinking.

Yohei waited for a few more seconds.

"Ooooooh..." Hana's face lit-up. "Oh! Nice one! Wahahaha! Ore wa tensai dakara!" he laughed his signature one with his hands on his hips.

Yohei grinned. Then he waited another round of seconds. Hana's face suddenly dimmed.

"B-but still Youhei-kun! Why should I ask him? It would make him think the Tensai likes him! That couldn't be! He must go a long way to be deserving of the Tensai's attention!" he ended his statement with a huff.

Yohei smacked his forehead from exasperation, "Hanamichi Sakuragi, can't you think of anyway how to make another person look ridiculous instead of you?"

Though Yohei wasn't expecting a reply, Hanamichi nodded one, eliciting a sigh from the more intellectually blessed one.

"Anyway, all you've got to do is act casually."

"How do I act casually?"

"You mean you don't know the meaning of the word casual!"

""What I mean is how could I act casually? Especially in front of that sly fox Rukawa?"

Yohei's eyes narrowed, "you mean you're uneasy around Rukawa?"

"Ah!" Hana hid a slight blush, "what I mean is I should always be on my toes for my toughest competitor."

"Oh, so now you admit he's enough to put up a challenge for you."

"Ah, of course he still - uhm -I mean, he could never ever even come close to the tensai. And I think you're leading our conversation elsewhere! Don't think you can fool the tensai, Youhei"

Another sigh from Youhei, "yare, yare. I'm not trying to get you lost or something, in fact I'm showing you the right path."

"Ah! Youhei-kun! I really appreciate your extreme loyalty to the tensai! So what would I do?"

"Well, just come up to him and say casually," he stared at Hanamichi's blank expression, "I mean tell him without any seriousness," Youhei watched as Hana's face lit up a bit, "that you want to take him to a date. Or something like if he would go out with you," he then watched as Hana's smiling face nodded vigorously.

"But, what would I do if he would look like he wants to hit me or something?"

"It doesn't matter Hanamichi, whatever his reaction would be, laugh out loud and spit out the words how great a tensai you are, tease him if he believed such an obvious joke or something. Got it?"

"Yah! Yah!" his head bobbed up and down enthusiastically, "you're a genius Youhei!" he hugged him almost lifting the smaller boy, also almost crushing his fragile bones, "oops, of course only next to me! Wahahaha!"

"Yeah whatever you say. Just put me down."

"Okay!" Hanamichi then walked away confidently singing his Tensai song, relieved of a problem, excited about a possible embarrassment of Kaede Rukawa.

Youhei blinked a couple of times, absorbing how fast the transformation of Hanamichi Sakuragi could be. Then his eyes widened when he realized he just saved him from the hell he's going through, without the other gundam witnessing their target's grief! Well, at least he encouraged him to ask Rukawa, and that's all that matters. He knows they've just come up with the ultimate plan, and "something interesting" that would happen is just an understatement.

tsuzuku