I'm so sorry guys! I couldn't update at all... I'm so lazy...

Well, seems I wanted to start a new chapter since Easter weekend rolled around the corner! I feel re-energized... To write... I think. xD

So super duper sorry I took a longer break than expected! I'm sorry to say this, but expect for of this in the future... ^^"

I don't really wanna end this fic just like that, with an abrupt ending that wouldn't please a fly, so please bear with me as I struggle to find time to finish! Thank you guys for reading and staying with me, I promise that I'll most likely finish soon because I already have plans for a sequel. -.-

^Has no common sense

Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! You can ignore that message if you want. Well, a little last for that, I guess. XD

^Still has no common sense

Glob I should start the chapter already... On that note, may I present to you, the 17th official chapter of A New Road!

I don't know why, but lately... Lately, I've been drifting farther and farther away from everything. My dreams, my friends, my life. Everything felt like it was a dream.

Before I knew it, it was already April and I'd decided to participate in the Grand Prix with Kuuga and Akashi. We had already qualified and were moving onto the quarter-finals, after all, we'd just beat a group of third-years in the middle school range, not the high school. Our team practiced every other day, and I think we all knew that these practices would turn longer and would turn into everyday practices. We didn't speak much during practices, the air felt heavy and stressful. Baking almost didn't seem fun anymore. It felt... It felt like we were baking just to win the trip to Paris.

One day, I decided to speak up. I called Akashi and Kuuga up and told them we had a practice and to meet in the practice kitchen number 3. This was the day that I would tell them that we had to step up our game. Step up our performance.

At last, the time had come. 4:20 PM sharp, we would meet in the kitchen. I sprinted there, with three minutes to spare. Luckily, I was the first one there and could have three minutes to cool off and get some water. I thought about what I would say to them. Finally, the Okumura twins had arrived.

"Kuuga, Akashi." I said, with a curt nod to each of them. I smiled.

"Hi Aoi-chan!" Akashi greeted me warmly.

"A pleasure to see you, Kashino-san." Kuuga said, little warmth in his voice. I sighed, his gaze was as hard as ever. "Why did you call us here for practice? I thought today was a rest." The younger Okumura asked questioningly.

"Well, I thought I'd gather Team Sakura for a lecture." I said, giggling at the name they'd chosen. More specifically, Akashi had chosen.

"Aoi-chan, how about Team Sakura? The cherry blossoms are just blooming and that's your middle name! I think it's perfect~" Kuuga had suggested. Apparently, no one else had any ideas, so Team Sakura they'd went with.

"What is it?" Kuuga said unpatiently.

"Mou, Kuuga! Don't be so mean to Aoi-chan!" Akashi scolded.

"Yeah! Don't be so mean to me! Do you have a problem with me or something? Do you have something more important to do? Do you have somewhere to be?" I questioned with a matter of fact expression on my face. Kuuga glared at me with a blank face.

"I'm not obliged to answer." He replied, and with that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"THAT LITTLE BRAT!" I yelled, my face turning red. "WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? I'm not obliged to answer." I said, mocking him. "THAT JERK!"

"Uh... Aoi-chan... I don't think you should say that..." Akashi said nervously. Footsteps were heard as Kuuga suddenly walked in and said,

"Shut up."

That only angered me more. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHUT UP? YOU'RE A MEANIE!" I yelled at him, my face turning beet red. My heart was pounding with embarrassment. "WE'RE HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!" I kept yelling.

"Aoi-chan, keep your voice down. The people outside might be able to hear you." Akashi said. I almost didn't care, and then I realized that we might get gossiped about if we were having team difficulties.

"Fine." I said, shooting a glare into Kuuga's direction. He stared at me blankly, his lips curved into a frown. "Well, I'll start now." I said. "We have to step up our game, our performance level. We have to-"

"I think we know that. Say something less obvious." Kuuga broke in rudely.

"I was going to continue, my fellow team mate and friend, Kuuga." I said, emphasizing the words team mate and friend. "Continuing on, I felt the need to do this because the air during practices felt so tense. It felt like... Like we aren't happy. My mother said that the basics of baking is to put your heart into the sweets, and if your heart is full of bitter and sad thoughts, then that's how your sweets will turn out as well. Let's make sure we're happy while baking!" I said, ending with a smile.

"I thought so too, Aoi-chan! I was going to mention this at our next practice!" Akashi said cheerfully.

"As did I, Kashino." Kuuga said, as poker-faced as ever.

"That means we're all on the same page, right?" I inquired, just to make sure.

"Yes, I'm not stupid unlike this walking, talking, breathing, living freak show right here!" Kuuga exclaimed. "I thought you got that message when I placed first in the Nationals and you placed second." He said smugly. My serious face quickly changed into a frown as I processed what he said and tried to think of a comeback.

"Well, it's not like you could possibly beat me in flavour for a petit mini!" I shouted, flustered.

"Psh, I would win without trying." Kuuga replied, brushing me off. I seriously got felt pissed that my 'friend' was all like "I'm better than you". I ran to the kitchen and called Akashi over. I tried to ignore the throbbing in my heart as I pretended he wasn't there.

But it was hard when I felt him pushing me away as hard as I was.

It hurt.

Minty-chan: That's it for this chapter~

I'm sorry to say that when I finished this chapter, it wasn't even near Easter weekend anymore.

I was nearing the end of May.

I really don't know what to do with this story anymore. I've cancelled the planning for the new fic... But I have no idea how to end this. I want to make three different endings; A happy end with Kuuga, a happy end with Akashi, and a bad end. I also recently reached 3000 views on this.

The following will be review replies. I'm sorta sad that it was just my friends who reviewed... It really doesn't give me enough motivation to write anymore. So I'll be requesting 5 reviews this chapter to give me motivation. If I get 5, I will start writing the next chapter and update ASAP at that point.

Without any further ado, here are the review replies.

Fated Silence~ Thank you~ I try my best. :)

KawaiiAnimeGirls~ Awe... I love your fics as well.

I really don't have anything to do with this anymore. If you would like, I will stop writing for this. I know I said on my profile that I wasn't going to leave fanfiction, but I might stop writing. Of course, I'll still review, favourite, and follow, but I probably will stop writing after I finish this. I'm sorry, but fanfiction wasn't really for me, so I'm moving on to fictionpress. Hopefully, people will read my stories there. (Although I don't have any out yet; I'm planning one)

As well, my birthday passed 2 weeks ago. I'm now twelve.

I don't exactly have that much interest in writing fanfictions anymore. This was a hard decision... But I feel like I'll never make it on fanfiction. I'm tiny compared to those big name writers in the fandom.

This took a lot of thought and talking and consoling, but I'm going to take a long break. I'll see you guys next when I receive those 5 reviews. :)