The sunset gave the dirt of the school grounds more of an orange color while a few trees were perfectly aligned in certain locations around the outskirts of the school buildings. In the middle between the back of the school and the baseball field, which the softball club used, stood three people. Hakuoh, the person who called the other two out here, leaned against the tall, wired fence made of steel wires and served as protection for any baseball spectators. Painted white metal benches were behind this fence. Ami sat on one of the benches, near the end, and Ryuuji stood next to her on the ground. Hakuoh cleared his throat as he faced them.

"You don't like me, and I don't like you."

"Huh?" wondered Ami dully. "Then just leave me alone."

"I'm not taking to you, Kawashima."

Ryuuji thought about it and slowly pointed at himself. Hakuoh nodded.

"Huh? But we just met."

"It's all about first impressions. Yesterday, you just rudely bonked against me."

Ami turned to Ryuuji with interest in her eyes.

"You met him?"

"Kind of. It was at the arcade. I was thinking about…something, and then I bonked into him. He was irritated towards me, even when I apologized."

"But you could've told me."

"How was I supposed to know? I was never told of what the guy looked like."

Ami looked back at Hakuoh and then looked back again at Ryuuji.

"He's Fijita Hakuoh, son of Fijita Sota."

"Fijita Sota?"

"Yes. He owns a quarter of the malls in Japan. It is said that Fijita will take over his father once he's retired, but he needs to make an heir for himself. Fijita is picking though. He tries to get what he wants, no matter what."

"When I saw Kawashima in one of the magazines my mother had, I knew I found here. My Father pulled some strings, and I was able to work beside her, to get to know her better. Though her personality was not as what she portrayed to the public, I still wanted her as my woman. And now, ever since my father bought the mall here, I have been able to find you and make you mine."

Ryuuji looked from Hakuoh to Ami and then back to Hakuoh. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"So, um, you planned to make Ami your wife?"

"Well, yes."

"But you're rich. You could have gotten anyone to be your wife."

Hakuoh sighed.

"It's like she always said: Ami-chan is so cute."

"It's even creepier coming from you than Ryuuji," grunted Ami coldly as she half-closed her eyes.

"You two must be very close to just use first names to address each other."

"We keep on telling you," started Ryuuji, "that we are going out."

"Hmph! I don't buy that for a second."

Hakuoh glanced up at the sky and then looked back at the supposed couple.

"If you are a couple, I invite you to play a little game."

"A game?" wondered Ami. "Why should we?"

"Did you forget what I told you at the vending machines? If you win, I'll leave you alone. But if you lose, you lose…every secret."

Hakuoh got off from the fence and reached into his pocket. He got out two pieces of paper and handed them to Ryuuji and Ami.

"I will text you from that number. Since you two love to act out this little relationship of yours, you two are going to play a dating game to prove to me you are a real couple. Text me tonight with just your last name. I will then give you instructions on where to go an want to do. I will be watching how you two are on an actual date."

"Pervert," uttered Ami with a small blush of embarrassment.

"That's down-right creepy," commented an embarrassed Ryuuji.

"Call me what you want, but a date is the best way to prove to me you are a couple. Along the date, I will be texting you your next moves and things… And Ryuuji, don't think you're going to move to second base."

"AND THAT'S NOT PERVERTED AT ALL?!" exclaimed Ryuuji sarcastically.

"Once it's over, I will determine if this arranged date was seen real date... This whole experience… Just think of it like if you were on a set, and people were looking at you as you act out your part. You two should be fine. After all, you like to act."

Without a word of a goodbye, Hakuoh started walking off the dirt of the school yard. He stopped after taking a few steps and glanced back at them, over his shoulder.

"Oh. And bring that blonde doll with you. It will be interesting to see her reaction. Don't tell her it's a date though. You did know she followed you in the mall?"

Ryuuji's eyes widened and then he slightly looked down. After the supposed date he had with Ami, he had found Taiga. She claimed that she went to the mall to get her nails done with Ami's friends and had no intention of sneaking around. He trusted Taiga more than this pretty boy."

"Hey, Fijita. Don't lie about Taiga. She told me that she got a manicure with Ami's friends. I trust her words."

"Is that so?" Hakuoh said and then faced forward. "The security cameras tell me otherwise. Since the mall is one of my father's commercials, I have access to everything in there, since I am the future owner. When you bonked into me, I wasn't there on coincidence. I saw Kawashima in the arcade and excused myself. By the time I got there, I couldn't find her. As I was leaving, you bonked into me."

Hakuoh chuckled.

"So… Are you game?"

Ami and Ryuuji looked at each other, kind of frightened. They communicated with eye content, though it proved to be more difficult since they were not really a couple nor spent much time with each other. Ryuuji looked back at Hakuoh.

"What do you know about Ami?"

"Kawashima?" he pondered and took a minute to think. "Mmm… If I would define her in a phrase, I would say spoiled, two-faced princess. Takasu, I bet you know her by now. From her prideful dictator to a weak, little girl, I know her. In order to be accepted by her less annoying fans and people around her, she is a mere, clumsy girl who fakes advice and is friendly towards other."

"Did Kitamura know about you?"

"Kitamura…Kitamura... Oh, him! The only time he and she would talk was Sunday by phone. Kawashima was too scared to mention me, but when I became famous, Kawashima lied to him about me being a nice guy. She probably even made some dumb excuse as to why we broke up. He thought nothing of it, blinded by the fact that his childhood friend wasn't happy."

Ami gritted her teeth.

"Shut it! Kitamura may have not notice it, but he knew I wasn't happy."

"Then why didn't he became the knight who saved his friend?" laughed Hakuoh. "Was it your pride getting in the way, Kawashima…or probably you just wanted to be this weak, little girl who followed orders? Just like a chihuahua."

This guy is insane, thought Ryuuji. Is this the reality of always going higher and then falling hard?

"Anyways...we are getting off topic," said a calmed Hakuoh. "So, let me ask again? Will you play the game?"

Ryuuji and Ami looked at each other, rather concerned. The three stood silent for a couple of minutes before Hakuoh got bored and groaned.

"Sheesh."

He turned back around and started his walk home.

"I don't need your answer now," he said as he walked. "When you text me your numbers, I'll know you're game."

Ryuuji and Ami just watch him leave. Once he was just a dot in their eyes, Ryuuji turned towards Ami and was shocked to see her head down as a couple of tears hit the lower benches.

"Kawashima?"

"I thought…that he was…go-going to tar-get on-ly me," said Ami as she wiped her eyes with her arm, "…But you and Taiga… Takasu, I'm sorry! I'm sorry."

Ryuuji just stood there, watching Ami cry. It was something he rarely witnessed, even if she was extremely down. This guy must have known a lot more about her, and he could probably exploit her deepest secrets. Though it was good to revive secrets to one another, there were just a few secrets that everyone would always keep to themselves. This guy…using all of his resources…knew her split personality, but also knew Ami's personal secrets. Hakuoh was just a devious, perverted bastard with an ambitious mindset on whatever he wanted. He cared more about destroying Ami than making her his, but why? Was not his goal to get Ami to be his girlfriend? Could there be more to it? Could it have something to do with the game he proposed just now?

Ryuuji looked up at the sky and then back at Ami, who was sniveling by now. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. Surprised, Ami lifted her head and faced Ryuuji. Ryuuji saw her watery eyes and slightly reddened face. Putting his hand on her shoulder embarrassed him as well, but he did not emit his blush and looked at her confidently.

"Kawashima, no matter what happens, that guy won't win…. I will protect you…and will always be there for you as your friend."

"Takasu," breathed Kawashima.

Wordlessly, Ami leaned over and embraced him, putting her arms around his lower neck. Due to how she hugged him from the bench, Ryuuji lost balance and fell back, taking Kawashima with him. Ami, now on top of him and inches from his face, grew concerned

"Takasu, are you alright?"

Their eyes met relatively close. Ryuuji blushed a little and broke eye contact.

"Uh… Yeah."

"Ryuuji. Ami. Are you-"

Ryuuji and Ami looked towards the school, near one of the building's far corners, to see Taiga standing there, with her eyes wide opened. She just stared at them, without saying a word. Ami and Ryuuji looked back at each other and started to panic a little. Ami quickly got off and stood to her feet. Ryuuji, on the other hand, was slow to get up. Ami looked at Taiga, worried that she got the wrong idea.

"Taiga, it's not what you think. I was...just being clumsy and lost my balance. Takasu just caught me. That's all."

"Clumsy, Stupidchi?"

"Yes," said Ami, passing by Taiga and then stopping a few feet ahead of her. "Takasu and I are now done talking to that guy, so we can go. I'll treat you both to Johnny's."

Taiga narrowed her eyes.

"You're hiding something from me."

Ryuuji looked down at Taiga, facing at her back.

Did she figure something out?

In her mind, Taiga tried to figure out what had happened. The events that happened a couple of minutes ago, played in her mind.

Taiga was walking to the school yard from the entrance of the school. She had been waiting there for ten minutes, waiting for Ami and Ryuuji to appear. They had mentioned to her that they were going to talk to the guy and try to strike a deal or something with him. She wanted to come as well, but Ryuuji said that if she did come, he would have figured out they told someone and would have probably made Ami suffer for it. Gritting her teeth, she agreed to wait until they were done.

Taiga neared the corner of a building close to the outer perimeter of the school's property. She remembered that the baseball fields were at the end of the building, meaning that Ryuuji and Ami would be there with that guy. She slowed down once she heard the voices loud enough and got close to the corner wall of the building.

"I don't need your answer now," she heard Hakuoh said. "When you text me, I'll know your game."

Game? They are going to play a game or something? Why? To settle the score? Man, I needed to be here. Stupid Ryuuji and Stupidchi going alone.

Taiga heard footsteps fading in the distance, meaning that someone left. It was probably Hakuoh since she only heard one person walking and Ryuuji and Ami would have most likely walked together. With that guy gone, she had no reason to hide and was about to reveal herself, but she was stopped by Ryuuji's voice.

"Kawashima?"

"I thought…that he was…go-going to tar-get me," said Ami as she wiped her eyes with her arm, "…But you and Taiga… Takasu, I'm sorry! I'm sorry."

Is that Ami, Taiga thought. Is she crying…for Ryuuji…and me? … That guy must have messed her up real bad to make her cry. You know, this is the first time I heard her cry. To hear someone cry for you… I couldn't imagine the day someone would do that for me.

Taiga smiled.

"Kawashima, no matter what happens, that guy won't win…."

There goes Ryuuji, acting manly again. That stupid ego of his will be his greatest downfall…and yet, I don't hate him because of it.

"…I will protect you…"

Taiga's smile disappeared.

"…and will always be there for you…"

Soon, a buzzing noise irritated her ears, making her not hear the rest of the conversation. A fly landed on her cheek, and she quickly smacked it. The fly dropped dead to the floor. Taiga looked down at the floor and just looked at the dead, black bug.

Will always be there for you, huh?

She formed a small, depressing smile.

It shouldn't hurt. Ryuuji is like that. He will always be there for anyone in trouble. That's who he is. It shouldn't hurt at all.

Taiga soon saw tears splash down onto the ground. She was surprised at first, but she turned her shocked face back into a depressing smile. She rubbed her tears away with her arm.

I'm crying again. Heh. I guess I'm used to it. Ryuuji is very thoughtful to others. I accepted that of him, and I like him for it. It shouldn't hurt when he encourages others, but…claiming to be at someone else's side always… Who knew how bad it would hurt…when the person who you love…isn't saying it to you.

Taiga took a deep breath and tried to clear up her face. She looked forward proudly and started walking out to meet Ryuuji and Ami.

"Ryuuji. Ami. Are you-"

And that's when she saw Ami on top of Ryuuji, inches apart from each other's faces.

"No, I'm not hiding anything from you," Ami lied. "Listen, I'll buy you anything you want, even some sweets."

"It's seems you're just making something up that you did wrong."

Ami sighed.

"Alright. I'm making up for the position you saw me and Takasu just now. So, Taiga, c'mon."

Ami smiled and returned to her cute voice and innocent face.

"How does fries sound, or ice cream floats?"

Taiga slightly pouted. Ryuuji just continued looking at her.

Boy, he thought, she's trying her hardest not to cave-in.

"Or better yet, steak and pork."

Taiga trembled a little bit and then exclaimed, "You better not take it back, Studpichi."

Ryuuji face-palmed his forehead and shook it.

Her only weakness…and Kawashima exploited it.

Taiga looked back at Ryuuji and sent him a death glare.

"But no meat for you, you horny dog," she said coldly and formed a tiny blush. "It appears Stupidchi already fed you some."

At first, Ryuuji was confused by what she said, but the more he thought about it, the more it made some sense, though it was not what happened. He blushed and looked at Ami. It appeared she had figured it out before he did. With a flustered face, she frantically yelled at Taiga.

"TH-THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED, YOU LI-LITTLE PERV!"

Taiga sighed with an annoyed expression and walked by Ami.

"C'mon, you horny dogs. Let's go eat. I was starving while you had your meeting, you know."

Taiga started walking again. Ami looked at Ryuuji and quickly turned away, hiding from him a little blush. Ryuuji took a moment to just recap on what just happened, seeing Ami and Taiga walking side-by-side. He sighed and walked forward to catch up with them.