2

"You're kidding!" Minako exclaimed, looking devastated.

"No, I'm really sorry" Keiichi said, and actually meant it "But you need an entire make over in order to get this baby back running" he said "And it's an expensive car, so I'll have to order everything and they would take at least a week to get here, and maybe another week for me to put everything in place"

"Great! Just... great!" Michiru exclaimed, walking around the car shop in circles. Now they were definitively stuck in that town!

"I'm sure you can find some nice room at the Inn to stay" the young man said "And enjoy our town for a while..."

"Yes, we'll do just that" Minako said, grabbing her friend by the arm "We'll call you as soon as we find a place to stay, so you can keep us updated"

She pushed Michiru out of the shop, but the aquamarine haired girl jerked away, and went to the red, dead car. She opened the back seat door, and took out a case, along with a small hand bag. And Minako just raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" Michiru asked "I'm not leaving my violin here, ok? It's unique, and expensive!" she exclaimed, but then she added "And I need clothes!"

"Ok, ok, you're right" she agreed, now grabbing her own hand bag and throwing some clothes in it "We'll come back for the rest later, once we find a place, ok?" she said to Keiichi.

"Of course, no problem"

They walked out of the shop and into the heated streets. Not really knowing where to go, they made it to the dinner again, thinking the nice blonde young man could give them some directions.

So they entered the crowd place, and spot the young man at his usual place, behind the counter.

He looked up at them and smiled "Hi girls!" he greeted "Good to see you around here so soon!"

"Hi" Minako said "We're actually here to ask for some directions" she started to explain.

"The festival starts in two days" he said "You're early"

Minako blinked "Festival? No, we're not here for the festival" she frowned "What festival?"

The young man laughed warmly at her "It's an old tradition here, to celebrate the Town's foundation" he explain "For an entire week we have parades and parties at the park. And then the last day we all go up the valley, to the vineyard, and spend the day there. Tourists always like the whole making wine tradition. You know, dancing around grapes to make the wine?" the girls nodded, now looking excited "And then we all go to the river, and just enjoy ourselves, with some good old music and food"

"That sounds like so much fun!" Michiru exclaimed, smiling.

"We need to find a place to stay first, remember?" Minako said, pointing a finger at her.

"Oh, I see" the man said, still smiling "You need to walk two blocks, that way" he said, pointing to the left "And then you'll find the Inn. It's a nice place, and it's not that expensive, so..."

"Thanks a lot!" Minako exclaimed, before dragging her friend out of the dinner again, and making their way to the Inn the nice young man had pointed out for them.

They reached it in no time, but a big sign made them want to cry. 'No vacancy', in bold red letters, practically laughing at them.

"Now what?" Michiru exclaimed, hands up in the air. She was getting tired, and it was barely noon! This was going to be a long, long day...

"Ouch!" her friend's voice got her attention, and she turned in time to see her almost falling down to the floor, only to be grabbed by non other than Keiichi Kawabe.

"I'm so sorry, are you alright?" he asked her.

"No!" the blonde exclaimed, pointing at the sign hanging from the Inn entry door "We have no place to stay!" she exclaimed again "We're gonna be sleeping out at the woods for a week! So no, I'm not alright! There's mosquitoes out there, you know? And all kinds of green, big, ugly insects!"

"She's terrified of mosquitoes" Michiru explained to a surprised Keiichi "She thinks they're all after her"

"They are!" Minako exclaimed "They always find me, no matter where I am!"

Keiichi cleared his throat, trying not no laughed at the girl's melodramatic act, and looked at them "Well, I know a place" he started "I can't promise you anything, but maybe they'll let you stay. I can give you a ride if you want"

Michiru and Minako exchanged glances, not really sure about the proposal.

"Look, I know you don't know me at all" he started to say "And me giving you a ride to somewhere you don't know seems suspicious. But I'm harmless, I swear!"

Minako let out a sigh "What do we have to lose, here?" she asked, looking at her friend.

The other girl shook her shoulders. Our lives?, she thought to herself. But she didn't say anything, so with nothing more than that, both girls followed Keiichi back to the car shop and into his blue car, and they made their way towards their -hopefully safe- new destination.

"It's an old house up in the mountains" he explained to them, eyes on the road "It needs a lot of work, but they want to make it a hotel. It's not open yet, but it's already crowdy up there" he smiled.

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"A friend of mine lives there. Actually, she owns the place" he answered "And there's also this really nice girl, she's eighteen but she's cool. And then there's these two cute little girls..."

A car hitting the horn right behind him interrupted him, and he looked up just in time to see a fast red car passing him, and he hit his horn back, just to annoyed the driver. And he laughed when the other car's driver gave him the finger.

Michiru frowned at the exchange, and looked at Keiichi "Who was that?" she asked.

"That's the friend I was telling you about, Haruka Tenoh" he said, still laughing "She's one crazy driver. But she's cool, don't worry"

Minako hit her friend with her elbow, smiling at her. Michiru just rolled her eyes, and mumbled something under her breath.

"It's that Tenoh racer!" the blonde whispered to her, all excited.

"Shut up" Michiru said, crossing her arms over her chest, and looking out the window.