So...sorry for the late update. Had an English project...*sigh* Anyways, enjoy this chapter! Finally partially broke through my writer's block! Though still figuring out the plot after this. I got the ending thought out...but...whatever. Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara! in any way)


Chapter 7: The New Girl in Town

The whole entire "purse-snatcher" thing was quickly settled down. The group of us went to have lunch and continued shopping in the afternoon. The awkward silence added with the warmth of the heaters created a strange atmosphere for both me and Nagihiko in the afternoon. Quickly, we finished up the purchases, hurrying back to Nagihiko's home to sort out the goods.

"Alright! Tadase-kun, me and Nadeshiko will be heading towards the kitchen, alright?" Amu asked, lugging in bags of various foods and ingredients. Tadase nodded, sorting out the items that he and Kukai had purchased, that somehow took up the whole entire living room floor, probably because guys just saw and bought. Along with Yaya frolicking around in the Entertainment purchases with Kairi chasing after him, there was absolutely no room the sort out our decoration supplies left. Nagihiko pretty soon realized the problem.

"Wanna go to my room?" he asked. I pondered over the question, but soon agreed after hearing another squeal from Yaya, probably discovering a new product, and Kairi's unintentional scolding, and Yaya's burst of tears, and—

You get the point. Cause-and-effect.

Taking careful steps in front of me as he helped lug most of our supplies, we traversed around the halls, finally reaching a door that didn't seem particularly different from the others. Nagihiko gently placed the bags he was holding down and slid open the Japanese door, revealing a traditional Japanese yet teenage-like boy's bedroom, in my opinion. The walls were plastered a sky blue, with a navy blue bed and sheets tucked tightly in bed at the left corner. Towards the right was a wooden desk, with a lamp and neatly stacked papers on the side. If you keep on going, there's a window on the wall and a huge painting of Japanese art, with a dancer dancing with her…or his fan.

"Is that a male or female?" I asked, pointing at the portrait after I'd placed down all the bags in Nagihiko's room. He was sorting them so they lined up properly, but turned around as his gaze followed my finger towards the wall. My back was to him, so naturally, whatever facial expression he expressed was not shown.

"That's…just a painting." Nagihiko managed out. I turned around, slightly alarmed by his rather hesitant voice that only came when he was 1. hiding something, and thus lying, or 2. he was thinking about something else and suddenly asked about the topic. I was hoping for the second yet betting on the first. But whatever the case, I decided to not prod on the subject further. I approached our piles of white plastic bags randomly dispersed on the ground.

"So…now?" I asked, wondering what we were to do. Nagihiko, who seemed to be daydreaming awhile ago, snapped back into reality and turned towards the bags.

"O—oh, yes, the bags. Let's sort them into the ones we—well I need to bring on Monday to put up early and the ones we'll be bringing awhile before." Nagihiko said, emphasizing "I" ever so clearly. I glared at him.

"Are you implying something of the sort of allowing some fragile, poor, weak, female girl to do the lugging work?" I asked in a sarcastic caring tone. Nagihiko sweat-dropped, looking so pathetic I actually let out a small laugh.

"Just think of it as training for your to-be girlfriend." I said, with a strange emptiness filling my heart. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but at the mention, there was this tug on my heart, and it felt like I was fed tons of lead that my heart had to carry. I took in deep breathes to assuage the mental pain.

"Let's start." Nagihiko said, as he started to move around the bags, checking what was in each of them. I scooted over, also starting to push around the bags, yet with more difficulty than Nagihiko. Curse him and his good body—WHOA. That totally did not sound right. Curse him and his health. Hah.

"Rima-chan?" he asked in his impossible-to-exist sweet voice. I looked up from my last bag that needed pushing to see Nagihiko slightly wiping his forehead with his sleeve. Little sweat droplets were accumulating on his forehead, and I realized the Fujisaki household's central heating system was rather…good.

"Alright. Let's go check out what the others are doing at the living room." Nagihiko said, as he walked over to the door, sliding it open. I followed him outside, careful as to not getting lost. Seriously. That was how big his house was.

"Hey Nagi. Where were you?" Kukai asked as we walked into the living room. His innocent look immediately curled up into a smirk. "Doing something naughty with Mashiro, eh? And I thought you had enough last night…" Kukai trailed off in a toot-toot voice like an old grandma. I blushed hard at the comment, not caring to look up at Nagihiko, thus unable to see his expression.

"W—what are you talking about? We were only sorting out the bags of our room." Nagihiko stuttered out. There was no need to raise my head, but I knew that Nagihiko was also flustered by the comment.

"What's up with the sweat and messed up hair, hmm?" Kukai asked playfully, as Nagihiko sighed.

"Oh. That. That's just cause my room's heating system was better and I got warm so I wiped my sweat with my sleeve." I looked up and saw Kukai staring down Nagihiko, as if trying to read him through, but Kukai finally gave up and shrugged. "Whatever you say, Nagi." Unintentionally, I heaved a deep sigh that no one really heard.

"Ah, Nagihiko-san, Mashiro-san, perfect timing. It's about time for us to disperse, yet I have a few points I'd like to over before that." Tadase said, already sitting on a couch with Ikuto, Utau, Kairi, Yaya, Amu, and Nadeshiko. Kukai was just behind us.

"Yes, Hotori-kun?" Nagihiko asked. Tadase flipped through a pile of papers, grabbing out one of them and swiftly skimming over it. Finally, his eyes locked onto one particular part of the paper.

"Just to review, the Christmas Ball times will be from 9:00 to 2:00. Food Committee, you're doing fine. Dance Committee, slightly coordinate the songs and stage plans. Decoration Committee...the basketball courts have already been removed and will remain untouched for the whole week till Friday. You may decorate anytime afterschool." Tadase's eyes then skimmed through the papers once more. "Yup, that's it. If you must leave, you may go now." Tadase said. I checked the clock. 4:53. I told Mama that we'd be done at 5:00, but knowing Mama…

"Nagihiko-sama, there is a lady asking for the presence of a Mashiro Rima at the door." A maid said respectfully. I scampered and got my purse, nodding.

"That would be me. Arigatou." I said to the maid. She smiled at me, leading me to the door with everyone else following behind me. A car honked, and I realized it was Mama.

"Okay. See you, everyone, on Monday." I said. Everyone said bye to me as I got on the car. Mama was on the phone, slightly annoyed.

"This Guardian activities…still exist? Same as grade school?" she asked, as if challenging me. I gulped. "Yes Mama." I said as politely as possible. She heaved a big sigh, as she started up the car and the engine roared into life.

After a short ten-minute drive, we were home.

Mama unlocked the door, revealing a rather organized room, rather too organized. I knew immediately that they must have another fight. They think cleaning it all up will hide the truth, yet that only showed the truth even more. I mentally sighed, as Mama immediately walked to her office room and shut the door loudly behind her.

Watching the serene scene, I gave a deep sigh. Perhaps…things would never change. Looking outside, the first snowflake fell from the sky. A smile couldn't help flitting across my face.

Yet again, maybe things would.


"Alright class! Settle down!" the teacher exclaimed at class on Monday morning. She was a young lady in her late twenties, just married a year ago, with beautiful raven black hair and a pair of striking green eyes, rather standing out compared to her hair. She smiled gently at the class. "Today, we will have a new student." Immediately, chatter spread around the room.

"Is it a girl? Or boy?"

"If she's a girl, I hope she's cute, but she'll probably never compare with our RIMA-SAMA!!!"

"If she's a girl, she will NEVER get our Nagihiko-sama!"

"What do you think, Rima?"

Guess who said what?

"I frankly don't care." I said bluntly, yet turning towards the opening door with interest. In walked a cheerful girl, smiling, bubbly, like those Mary-Sues from shoujo mangas that snatch away all the attention.

"Ohayo, minna. Watashi wa Sasaki Chika desu, yoroshiku gozaimasu." The new girl said in a cheerful yet reserved tone. Her eyes surveyed around the room, when suddenly landing on one particular person. I turned towards the targeted one.

"Chika-chan?" Nagihiko's amazed voice came from his seat, as all of the eyes in this room targeted onto the two. Chika smiled a slightly warm smile.

"Nagi. Didn't know you were here." Chika said in a gentle, yet harsh tone that I couldn't identify. Somehow, Nagihiko did.

"Something wrong?" he asked caringly. An abyss formed in my stomach and I felt nauseous. Chika smiled and closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"Nothing. Everything. Something." She said, rather cryptically. After an awkward silence, the teacher finally broke it by clapping her hands together.

"Alright! So, Sasaki-san, where would you like to sit?" the teacher asked. She surveyed the room. I fully expected her to sit down next to Nagihiko, yet she pointed to the seat on the complete opposite side of the room of him: on the left of me, at the left-back hand corner. The teacher slightly sweat-dropped and allowed Chika to go over, as she purposely went around Nagihiko's desk. Nagihiko turned around, staring at her retreating figure, probably pondering over why she was so different from what she used to be like.

Great, I was starting to read Purplehead's mind.


"Hey Nagi! Who was that?" Amu asked afterschool at the Guardian's meeting. She, Nagihiko, and I were in the Royal Garden already, as Nagihiko made the tea. He gave a big sigh.

"Sasaki Chika. She was a good friend back in Osaka, before I came over as Nadeshiko." He slightly winced at the cross-dressing times. Great, I was seriously reading his mind! "But…she's rather changed. She was cheerful, bright, bubbly, sporty, even a tad tomboy-ish back then. Now she's so…"

"So what Nagi?" a voice came from behind. We turned to see Chika standing, with her hand jutted on her hip, and a Chara floating above her shoulder. Our Charas immediately floated over to greet the newcomer.

"Hey, what's your name?" Rhythm asked. The Chara had periwinkle hair down to her knees, with a pair of dazzling red eyes, a tad magenta, and a tanned skin tone, along with elf-ish ears. On her head rested a jester's hat, with two sides instead of KusuKusu's one, with a blue ball on the end of each instead of KusuKusu's green one. She wore a black dress with blue borderlines and long sleeves and a black and blue choker of the same design and material. On her legs were high high-heel boots up to her knees. She looked rather funky, with a funny hat and a serious clothing set.

"Ohayo, minna!" The Chara greeted us with slightly more emotion than her owner had this morning. Rhythm proceeded giving her a hug, and everyone else introduced themselves to her, as Chika walked towards Nagihiko. She gave a deep heave, as if about to explain something, and looked directly in Nagihiko's eyes.

"I don't know you. You don't know me. We two are complete strangers that have nothing in common whatsoever. That will be our relationship here." Chika gulped, pausing as she clenched her fists. "An—and don't hate me." She said. "Shizue, let's go." Chika said as she turned around and ran out of the garden, with her Chara floating behind her. Nagihiko made the notion to chase after her but stopped himself, clenching his own fists. Finally, his determination set firm, he chased after her. "Wait, Chika-chan!" he exclaimed, running out of the Royal Garden, leaving Amu and I by ourselves looking rather dumb, standing for no reason. I blinked. Why? Another piercing pain.

"Well, that leaves just us." Amu commented. Which was rather useless. "Wonder what's up between them two."

Another piercing pain, more targeted at my heart.

"Rima? You okay?" Amu asked, as I snapped back into reality, turning towards my pink-haired friend. I plastered on a fake petite smile. "Sure, I'm fine." I said, trying to shrug off the sudden mental torture. A cool breeze blew past.

"Amu-chan! And Mashiro-san." Before turning around, I immediately predicted it was Tadase. He was the only one that addressed me like that. Yet I still took a seat, slightly flattening my hair, a bad habit of mine when I felt like the scene was rather awkward or I really needed to flatten it.

"So…where's Nagihiko-kun?" Tadase asked. I shrugged. "Had some personal business to take care of." I said. That wasn't a complete lie…yet they said not telling the truth is the same as lying.

Hopefully, white lies existed.

"Sorry. I think I dropped my important keychain somewhere on school grounds. I'll go look for it." I perked up. Tadase looked up from his shuffling of papers.

"Oh? Do you want us to go help you look for it?" he questioned. I stood up and turned around. "No, I'm fine. I have a vague idea of where it is. No need to trouble you guys."

"But Mashiro-san, we really—"

"I'm fine, Prince." How I loved that word. And the word –poing—.

"I AM NOT A PRINCE, BUT A KING! OHOHOHOHO! LOWLY COMMONER, BE HONORED A KING IS HELPING YOU! BUT SINCE YOU'VE REJECTED, NEVER MIND!" Tadase, or Chara-changed Tadase exclaimed. After he calmed down, Amu took her time comforting him (he's still all emo after every Chara change) and I took the opportunity to slip out of the garden.

Now…where was that darn old Nagihiko? Though also…

WHERE'S KUSUKUSU WHEN I NEED HER TO SENSE OTHER CHARA PRESENCES??

Curse Kiseki and his pointless Embryo meetings.


Ugh...it's 11:00. It's the weekend. I'm tired. It's a bad chapter, I'm sorry. No fluff...I'm really sorry. Not much else to say. I'll make the next one better. I already have an idea for my next story, whenever I write it.

Also, sorry for the poor OC character development. I didn't want to make her the 'I'm so bubbly and cheerful and Nagi's childhood best friend' type of girl, so I opted for the...colder type. Yet not completely cold, cause that would be a...what do you call it, a Talent Mary-Sue? Reading lots of FanFics about How to Write a FanFic these days. Hee~~

DANG. I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed now. And I don't care if you guys think it's early. SLEEP EARLY TO GROW~~~

Hope you liked it! Check my profile for my poll on what I should write about in the future!

~~*Hope-chan*~~