Read Me: I am so sorry for the delay. And for this short chapter. No excuses here. Again, I am so sorry. I will continue this story, so please give it another chance.

Also, can we pretend that Yui and everyone else met Satoshi before they had their field trip to Kyoto? I've already messed the canonical timeline of the anime with the new turn I've taken this story to so…please bear with me. Thaaanks…

Ritsu

"I can't wait to visit the shrines there!" exclaimed an excited voice to my right.

"I've heard about the Monkey Park in Arashiyama. Maybe we could check that place out, too," chimed in a second voice from behind me.

"Kinkaku-ji! Kinkaku-ji!" chanted another voice that sounded too eager to my liking.

All around me, animated chatter about our upcoming field trip to Kyoto went on. It was probably the only thing that was on my dear classmates' minds right now; they've been going on and on about it ever since Sawa-chan brought it up during homeroom this morning. Yeah, I couldn't blame them for getting this excited about it. After all, it was one of the few major things we get do to as a class before we finally graduate from high school. Heck, right about now I would have probably been among the loudest (if not the loudest) one babbling about all the cool and fun stuff we could do in Kyoto. There's just this one, tiny thing that was keeping me from unrestrained excitement: a curse that makes me transform into a boy whenever I'm splashed with cold water.

See? Nothing big, right? Nothing big at all. The field trip just makes…what? More than two day's worth of countless opportunities to reveal my biggest secret to not just one, but TWO entire classes from my year? Which is more than enough to spread said secret to the entire school, which in turn would spread it to the entire country, which in turn would spread it to the entire world…! And if it's true that we're not alone in the universe, then that would mean -

"Don't let that hyperactive imagination of yours get the better of you," cut a cool voice into my thoughts. Bah! It was about time she got here. I didn't even need to look up from my desk to see who it was.

"Jusenkyooo…Jusenkyooo…" was the most enthusiastic response I could muster. A sigh. Then, a gentle shake to my shoulder. Finally, I looked up from my desk where I had concealed my head within my wrapped arms for the past couple of minutes. Mio tried to keep her expression neutral, but I knew her too well to miss the worry her eyes conveyed.

"Jusenkyo? Is that another well-known tourist spot in Kyoto? Hehe, I've never heard of it though!" said one of my classmates, Saeki Mika, as she entered my line of vision. She and two of her other close friends, Satou Akane and Taki Eri, were the ones engaged in the conversation I couldn't help listening to due to its volume and proximity.

"So sorry Ricchan! Were we being too loud?" apologized Akane with a slight bow. I tried to dismiss her apology with a wave of my hand before flashing her what I hoped looked like a reassuring smile.

"No worries, no worries. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Akane looked relieved after hearing this. Eri, though, seemed to examine me before deciding to speak.

"But you don't seem like your usual self today, Ricchan," Eri said thoughtfully. "You're lacking those…energy bursts."

Energy bursts?!

"Now that Eri's mentioned it...you do seem under the weather, Ricchan," Mika said as she turned to examine me, too. "Wanna watch us practice today after school? You might be able to absorb some of our energy by watching us in a super, hyper energetic volleyball match!"

Super, hyper energetic volleyball match?! Just what kind of person do these people think I am? I glanced at Mio, who gave me a little nod of confirmation before I answered the trio with the excuse she and I came up with before coming to school.

"I'll be fine, really. My body's just a little sore from the bicycle accident I had the other day," I sorta gestured to myself, hoping for the excuse to put an end to their questions this time.

"Bicycle accident?"

Waaaaah…! Eri-chaaan, I have nothing against your curiosity, but can't you investigate on Himeko's love life instead or something equally mysterious?

"Intense," Mio suddenly said which immediately made everyone's attention shift to her. "The bicycle accident, I mean. The one that caused her to miss school for two days."

Recognition dawned on the trio's faces, and it seemed that they'd run out of questions to ask. Or at least, the craving to satisfy their curiosity died out.

"Oh yeah, that," Eri noted with regret. "Sorry to hear about what happened to you. I didn't really mean to pry."

Then, the unexpected comment that made Mio blush like crazy and probably would've made me choke on my tea had I been drinking any came: "It's a good thing you have Mio-chan, though. It was so sweet of her to skip school just so she could nurse you back to health. For a star student like her to miss more than a day of school...now that's true love!"

And Eri actually winked at me. She winked. I felt my jaw drop to the floor at the gesture.

"Eri! Don't tease them like that!" Akane reprimanded her delirious friend quickly. She muttered another apology and wished me well before excusing their group and headed off with both Mika and Eri in tow.

"Akane, next time I fall ill, you'll nurse me back to health too, won't you?"

"There you go again, Eri…"

"You're always welcome to watch us play, Ricchan!"

We were long out of the earshot of the three before Mio and I finally recovered from the totally uncalled-for comment.

"What the heck was that all about?" I blurted out the moment my eyes met with Mio's.

"I never expounded on the reasons for my absence…" her voice trailed off as she redirected her focus to my desk.

Well, whatever prompted Eri to make that comment doesn't really matter. Sure, Mio did skip school to nurse me back to health, but that didn't really mean anything, right? That's what friends do. It's not like she loves me loves me, right? But if she actually does…it's not like it's a bad thing, right? It's Mio, after all. Wait, then does that mean I like her in that way?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there, Tainaka. More pressing issues to discuss here at the moment. Gotta focus on the field trip. Right, the field trip.

I cleared my throat in an attempt to get Mio's attention.

"A-anyway, about the field trip…" I began.

"Oh, yes. That," Mio said quite hesitantly, her uneasiness given away by her slight fidgeting. Heh, I'll never grow tired of seeing this side of Mio. This really cute side of hers that just – Waaaah! Dammit, my thoughts have been derailed again!

"I'm not going," I abruptly said without thinking. This got Mio's attention, since she managed to look me straight in the face at last.

"What? Ritsu, there's no need make a decision that rash!" Mio said with a hint of panic, her palms planted firmly on my desk after slamming them lightly on it. Not quite the reaction I was expecting. I had even winced a bit in surprise. Mio looked surprised too as she slowly withdrew her hands from my desk.

"Think about it carefully," she continued, calmly this time. "Mugi's really excited about going on a field trip with all of us there. Imagine how she'd feel once she learns about you bailing out. You don't want to disappoint her, do you? Imagine how sad she'd feel…"

I couldn't help the playful grin that spread across my face as I looked up to Mio and said, "You sure it's just Mugi I'll be disappointing if I don't come?"

"Idiot," was all she could say as she averted her gaze, her cheeks slightly puffed and a soft red tinting her features.

How am I supposed to get any thinking done when Akiyama Mio emits dangerously high levels of moe that can threaten any brain's normal functions? Especially mine.

Read Me: So…did any of you guess about the thing in the end mentioned in the previous chapter turning out to be the field trip? Someone mentioned something about swimming class, and with permission, I might try incorporating the idea in a future chapter.

Anyway, if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see happen during the field trip, please let me know. I already have a general idea as to what I want to happen (which involves a student from class 3-2 who's not a member of Houkago Tea Time meeting the male Ritsu), but I'd like to know your ideas too.

Thanks again for reading!