Chapter 19: A Fantasy Long Dead

"Rise and shine, Nagi."

Her eyes fluttered open after a few seconds of awakening. The sun shined right through the curtains that the maid slid open. The teenage blond girl immediately covered her eyes with her blanket.

"How long was I sleeping...?" the small girl softly asked.

"Three months!"

Sarcasm aside, it's been only been ten hours after the previous chapter, in this story.

"Honestly now, Nagi," the maid said. "You're fifteen now. I really thought you had the hang of waking up on time in these past months."

"Go away..." Nagi muttered through her sheets. She heard the maid sigh, followed by her footsteps heading towards her door.

"It's noon by the way," Maria said, before she left.

Nagi remained under her covers, feeling a bit of guilt to have let her maid down once more. 'I've been doing so well, too...' she thought. Unable to fall back asleep, Nagi removed her blankets while blankly staring at the ceiling.

'All because of these weird noises last night!'

She could not depict what these noises were, but she knew very well that it came from her butler's room. After rubbing the sands of her eyes, Nagi got up and went to the kitchen.

As usual, she saw that it was Hayate working in the kitchen on this Saturday noon.

"Good noon to you, Ojou-sama," Hayate greeted her cheerfully.

"Hey," she replied coolly. She sat down by herself at the dining table. She looked towards the living room and saw only Kayura and Alice watching television. Maria just went outside to run some errands, Ayumu works on weekends, and Chiharu had plans that nobody really knew of. Nagi also wasn't sure what Hinagiku does on weekends, but she guessed that she must always be doing something cool and productive unlike her introvert self.

She heard a loud yawn coming from the butler, which brought her back to her investigation. She knew that Hayate is the hardest working person in the house, so he must have stayed up late to finish his homework. 'No...' she thought. Doing homework should not have made noises loud enough to have kept her her awake.

"Ah! Aarrrgh!" she heard him yelp as some hot soup from the pot accidentally spilled onto his entire arm. Suddenly, the sound of his yelp has gotten familiar.

She imagined his moans sounding loudly in her head. 'Ah! Ah! Aarrgh... Nudisto... Beeeaaaaaach!' The blond instantly turned red, as she realized that his yelps sounded much like the noises from last night.

'Now now now, calm down, Nagi!' she told herself. 'Hayate-kun is just like other boys, right? Boys like him do need their "private time" for themselves!' She then nodded to herself. 'Yeah.. yeah!" She smiled as she continued to impress herself as a maturing girl. 'Don't worry, Hayate-kun. I definitely won't judge you!'

"Damn, this stupid mayonnaise bottle," Hayate said, jerking and shaking the bottle furiously, unable to squeeze its thick white fluids onto the sandwich he just made. "Why won't you come out?! Come out already!"

Nagi vehemently blushed at the butler's aggressive stance and movements. 'Hayate-kun! You're an animal! I know you're stressed, but holy cow! I never thought that you would be super intense at it!'

She judged him hard. Very hard.

The butler examined the bottle and opened its cap. "Ah, silly me," he said. "The seal is still on, ahahaha."

'Hayate-kun...' Nagi thought, eagerly looking at the butler preparing food, like he is some sort of monster. 'I'll be sure to install soundproof panels around your room so no one else will know of your secret. Also, I know where Klaus keeps his secret stash. I'll leave those in your room.'

The front doors of the Violet Mansion slid opened and Hinagiku had entered. "Hey everyone," she greeted.

"Ah, Hinagiku-san, you're right on time for lunch," Hayate said, as she walked into the kitchen and sat next to Nagi.

"Thank goodness, I'm hungry," she replied. She turned to the younger teen sitting next to her. "Hey Nagi, what's up?"

Nagi pulled herself close to the pink haired girl and whispered to her. "Hinagiku-san, I think Hayate has a serious problem."

Hinagiku abruptly made a long yawn. "Ahhh man... I'm so tired from last night," she said. "I'm sorry, but what did you say?"

Nagi blinked a few times, before she intently stared at the student council president.

"You mean, you heard it, too?" Nagi asked.

Hinagiku had a confused look. "Heard what?"

"The noises from last night! Coming from Hayate's room!"

"Ah! Those noises..." Hinagiku replied. "I told him to keep it down... but Hayate-kun was just so full of energy last night. Even after I finished beating him twice, he just wanted to keep going."

Nagi's jaws dropped.

"But don't worry," Hinagiku said with a firm smile. "I'll make sure he'll stay quiet tonight."

Nagi continued to stare at awe at Hinagiku, as Hayate placed the food on the table. Ayumu also arrived home, just in time for lunch.

"Whoa, Hayate-kun..." Hinagiku murmured. "That's a huge sandwich you made me." Of course, only Nagi heard that in the worst way a fifteen year old could hear it. "This is a whole foot! This entire baguette!"

Her foot-long chicken egg salad sandwich was rather gargantuous compared to the other girls smaller meals.

"Hinagiku-san ran this morning and just came back from the gym," said the butler. "So this post-workout meal should be more than adequate to fit into your macronutrients."

"Damn, this girl lifts," Kayura said, joining the table along with Alice. She stared at her glorified Reuben sandwich for a long fulfilling moment. "That's Ayasaki-kun's famous Reuben alright." She took a bite of her sandwich. "Awh... oh... let me take a moment to savor this moment..."

Everyone stared at Kayura chewing with slow and dramatic movements, making it hard to just not look at her.

"Awh, yeah... this is it..." Kayura sniffed, feeling nothing but bliss. "This sandwich... is so damn beautiful, Ayasaki-kun."

"Uhm... thanks," Hayate replied. "I grew up making sandwiches when my parents 'rented' a deli shop."

"Hayate-kun could open a restaurant in Japan and be flooded with money," Alice said, agreeing with Kayura as she took a small bite of her chicken fingers.

Ayumu chimed in the conversation. "But didn't he already open up a restaurant and-"

"Chut up, Ayumu-san," Kayura coldly interrupted. "Let's not forget who's story this is."

"S-sorry."

"Woo... that was good," Hinagiku said, right after finishing her last bite.

All the girls were impressed by her incredible eating. "Whoooa!" whoa'd Ayumu and Kayura. Nagi had been staring at her this entire time.

'The way she put that in her mouth...' she thought. She had witnessed Hinagiku taking a gargantuous bite of her sub, as bits of crumbs and mayonnaise had smeared around her lips.

"I'd really like some more, " Hinagiku said, in the most possibly normal way any girl would say.

However, to Nagi, this was what she heard instead.

"I'd really love to have some more of that [insert innapropiate context here]..." whispering seductively.

"Of course you may," Hayate said, making another sandwich. He then turned to Nagi. "Ano... Ojou-sama, you aren't eating your sandwich. Is something wrong with it? And why are you so red?" he asked, being the first to notice her flushed cheeks.

The blond immediately stood up. "I... I-I gotta go!" she said, running off to her room.

"O-Ojou-sama! Matte! Come back!" he yelled.

Nagi, to his surprise, did come back, only to take her sandwich with her and run back to her room again.

"Ojou-sama..." he muttered, still and confused.

"Wonder what could be in Nagi's mind," Ayumu said, looking just as worried as the butler.

"Well, we know it's not her sandwich," Alice guessed.

Kayura nodded. "I concur. I told you it's that good," she said.

The day has transitioned ever so without knowing. Everyone had went off to do their own tasks. The bright blue and white gradients of the sky have eventually changed into purple and black. With the abusive power of lazy writing, it was already close to midnight.

"Hey guys," greeted Chiharu as she came into the living room. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Hinagiku answered, sitting on the couch and reading a book called 50 Shades of Senpai. She examined her gray-haired friend, who unusually wasn't wearing her glasses or had her hair up tonight. "You look really nice tonight, Chiharu-san."

For those who may have forgotten in the series, Chiharu has a part-time job that she keeps as a secret from anyone she knows.

"Chiharu-san, I've been curious for some time now," Kayura said. "But are you a stripper?"

"I-I am not a stripper!" Chiharu yelled, with her cheeks flushing bright red.

"The way she denied that..." Alice whispered to Kayura. Both girls nodded.

"Don't make these false allegations!" Chiharu yelled at the girls. Hinagiku sighed.

"Chiharu-san's right, guys." Hayate said, suddenly appearing into the scene. "You shouldn't judge a girl just because she comes home in a very attractive outfit."

"Ahem."

Hayate turned his head to look at a pretty pissed off Hinagiku. "I-I mean! Not that I'd fall for her just like that! Chiharu-san is also very nice looking with her glasses and her hair tied up!"

"This boy just makes it all worse, right?" Kayura whispered to Alice. Both girls nodded.

"You two aren't helping!" Hayate yelled at the two.

"Hmph. It doesn't matter," Hinagiku coldly replied, standing up and closing her book. "Not that I look anything great in glasses and whatnot."

Hayate froze in horror. He just noticed Hinagiku wearing her reading glasses. She also had her hair tied up as a ponytail. "H-Hinagiku-san... wait..."

'Jealous, huh?' Chiharu thought. The smart girl immediately picked up a clue.

"Hayate-kun..." she teased, in possibly the worst seducing voice this room has heard. "I don't mind looking like this from now on, just for you..."

She giggled as she grabbed him by the arm and pressed her chest against it. Hinagiku gasped. "Ch-Ch-Chiharu-san!" she shouted. Her fists unbearably shaking.

Hayate resisted Chiharu, but couldn't hide the excitement boiling on his face. "Wh-What are you doing?!" he asked. "Stop this immediately!"

"I told you she's a stripper," Kayura said.

Chiharu continued giggling. Teasing Hinagiku with who she likes was always thought to be fun to her. It was until she looked at Hinagiku, who looked extremely upset and had dropped her book. She realized that she may have gone too far and let go of Hayate. Hinagiku's fists loosened and she immediately turned around.

"Whatever," she muttered, proceeding to her room. "You can have him all you want."

She walked away to her room. Hayate quickly followed her. Kayura and Alice watched them leave, before giving a glare to Chiharu.

"This is why strippers are horrible," Alice said.

Kayura nodded. "Taking the good men away from the good women," she added.

Chiharu nervously laughed it off. "Ahaha... this was way too much fun for me," she said. Her nervous smile couldn't maintain through the piercing stares of the two younger girls, as she felt the crushing feeling of guilt building inside of her.

"You think they will make up?" Alice asked.

"Of course." Kayura answered. "Did you see that look on her face? She must really love that boy."

Chiharu raised an eyebrow out of suspicion. "Wait, so you know?" she asked. "That Hinagiku-san likes him?"

"Of course!" both girls said in unison.

Chiharu sighed of relief. "Thank goodness!" she said. "I thought I was the only one who was keeping it a secret!"

And thus, this interesting topic of a young girl liking a young boy went on beyond past bedtime.

"Do you think Hayate-kun likes her back?" Kayura asked.

"I don't know," Chiharu replied. "That guy sure gets his way around women..."

"But he does give her special treatments," Alice said. The two girls immediately paid attention to her.

"I notice that when they're alone, he calls her 'milady.'"

The two gasped. "Really?" they asked in unison.

"Yup," Alice replied. "He would hold her hand and caress her, while feeding her apples cut to look like bunnies."

"B-B-B-Bunnies?!" in unison once more.

"That's the most romantic move in the history of romantic moves ever done!" Chiharu exclaimed.

"That move alone could obliterate all of the contestants in The B*chelorette!" Kayura added.

"Do you think Nagi and the purple-haired one know of the two being together?" Alice asked.

"Come on, we're not that stupid," Kayura said. "We all live here together. They should know by now."

Coincidentally, Ayumu walked pass the group to look into the fridge. The girls immediately quieted down and stared at her looking for a midnight snack.

"Hmm..." she thought loudly, looking deep into the fridge, unaware of the stares at her. "I wonder if Hayate-kun uses Sn*pchat. I could get closer to him with that. Then, I can ask him if he's in a secret relationship with anyone; like anyone who is close to me in particularl, like Hinagiku-san, such that it would crush my feelings and break my heart."

Upon hearing that, the girls' facial expressions looked as if they had given up in humanity.

Ayumu gasped, with a face of disappointment. "No way!" she said. "Someone ate the rest my sandwich!"

They all heard a slight burp coming from another room. All girls turned their heads to see Maria sitting on the couch.

"Ahaha, excuse me," Maria said, slightly red to have been noticed.

"M-Maria-san! You ate my sandwich!"

"Oh, did I? I'm sorry, Ayumu-chan," Maria said to her. "My hands must have slipped and grabbed the chicken carbonara sandwich by accident before it went into my mouth."

The girls all held a look of disbelief.

Suddenly, loud screaming was heard from another room.

"HAYATE-KUN! WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS?!"

The girls followed the scream. "Oh, this gon' be good," Kayura said, as she followed all girls, including Maria and Ayumu, to see what the commotion is all about. The girls found standing Nagi in the hallway, standing behind Hayate's door with her ears pressed against it. Nagi held two fingers in front of her lips, indicating the girls to be quiet. The girls nodded and quietly stood close near the door.

"I swear to you, I have never seen these before in my life!" they heard Hayate behind that door.

"Then why are these on your bed?!" Hinagiku asked loudly.

"I don't know! Someone must have placed it there by mistake!"

"What happened?" Chiharu asked Nagi.

"I placed Klaus's secret stash in Hayate-kun's room," she whispered.

"Secret stash?"

"Yes, Chiharu-san, that kind of secret stash," Nagi said with a firm look.

The kind of message implied from another teenage girl made Chiharu understand. She blushed to realize what kind of secret it is. "How lewd," she commented.

"It doesn't look like it what a mistake, as it was placed underneath of your futon!" Hinagiku shouted. "So this is what you've been hiding all along, huh? After all the time we spent together?"

"Hinagiku-san, even if that was mine, I would never make you involved in these types of things!" they heard Hayate say. The girls all looked at each other for a brief moment. 'Is Hayate-kun gay or something?' they all thought.

"Ah- oh. Okay then..." they could hear Hinagiku tone her voice down. "Sorry I yelled. I was just shocked to find this here..."

"It's okay. And I'm sorry as well. I didn't notice your glasses and ponytail earlier. But, Hinagiku-san always look cute. I thought you would just be tired of hearing my compliments."

A moment of silence was followed afterwards. It was obvious that Hinagiku couldn't find a reply to that statement and was blushing. The girls could hear the sound of the two getting closer. Assuming from the fabric of their clothes rustling from their movement, they came close to hug each other.

Chiharu, Maria, and Kayura each held on a pouting face, as if it was the cutest lines they've heard of the two. Ayumu and Nagi, on the other hand, both held stern facial expressions, confirming that Hayate is indeed in some sort of secret relationship with Hinagiku.

"Say, Hayate-kun," Hinagiku began asking. "Do you want to try this anyway? With me?"

All the girls in the hallway dropped their jaws upon hearing that question.

"I never done this type of stuff before," she said. "But I've always been curious of what it would be like. I wouldn't mind trying it with you..."

Chiharu began to drool.

They could all hear Hayate panicking and speaking very fast.

"B-b-but Hinagiku-san! This is kind of stuff is sort of inappropriate! Especially in this house! And um- ano- I never done this either, so-"

"Hayate-kun," Hinagiku interrupted him. "Don't you think we've done enough inappropriate things together in this house?"

The girls, especially Nagi and Ayumu, both stammered, flushed completely red.

"We should take the next step and do something even more... inappropiate," Hinagiku muttered.

"I guess we could then..." Hayate agrees, much to everyone's shock.

"We should probably do this in bed..."

Alice couldn't handle what was going and covered her ears.

"So this thing goes in mouth like this?" Hinagiku asked.

"Yes," Hayate responded. "Are you ready?"

Upon hearing that, Ayumu passed out and knocked herself cold onto the floor, which frightened Alice, still covering her ears. She did not want to know what she could have heard that made Ayumu pass out, so she quickly ran to her room.

Nagi covered her eyes kicked the door open. "Aaaaahhhhh!" she yelled. She gasped at the scene she just intruded on.

Hayate and Hinagiku were both sitting on his futon, each holding a hose linked to a hookah.

"What the hell?!" Nagi yelled, feeling confused. "What are you doing?!"

"Hookah," Hinagiku replied. "Do you want to try?"

"No!"

"It was her idea, Ojou-sama!" Hayate yelled. "She wanted to try it!"

The girls standing behind the doorway all sighed of relief, dragging the knocked out Ayumu across the floor, and walking back to their rooms. Nagi remained in his room, looking a bit dumbfounded.

"You mean, you're just trying hookah? That's it?" Nagi asked.

"Um, yeah..." Hayate replied, afraid of getting into trouble once more. "Should we stop?"

"Uh... no, go ahead," Nagi replied, playing it off. "I thought you two were up to something else."

"Like what?" they both asked.

"Something worse," Nagi muttered. She glanced at Hayate's futon, thinking that she should just retrieve Klaus's stash from underneath it, the next time everyone is gone.

"Nagi-san, do you want to play with us later?" Hinagiku asked her. "We have the W**-U set up here and we're about to play Sm*sh."

"Eh?" Nagi said, just noticing the small television in his room, with the console right underneath.

"Hinagiku-san and I were playing it so much last night," Hayate commented. "I think Ojou-sama would enjoy this game too."

"Was this why you were so loud last night, Hayate?" Nagi asked.

"Oh! Yes, I'm sorry! I promise I'll be quiet tonight!"

Nagi stared at the couple sitting on the same bed. She couldn't tell what their relationship was, but she dared not ask. She was, however, sure of her next words.

"You guys go ahead without me," she said. "Good night."

She left the room and closed their door.

Hayate stared at the door that Nagi just shut. "I really thought I was going to be in trouble," he said.

"I told you," Hinagiku said. "Hookah isn't really bad, you know. Even though, it's something only the cool kids do. I have no time to do stuff like this."

"I guess..." he replied. "But I really thought I would be in trouble because you're here sitting with me on my bed."

"Oh... " she muttered.

"I think I should tell her," Hayate said, standing up. "She deserves to know by now."

"Wait, Hayate-kun!" Hinagiku exclaimed. "Don't you want to try this hookah first?"

"... Not really," he said. "I'm actually hungry now, ahaha."

"Th-then let me make you something! Then we can try it!"

"Ah... okay, then."

The couple left the room. One of the windows in his room quietly slid open, and in came through a giant white walking tiger. The tiger grabbed the hookah set and went back outside.

"I knew I should have left it back in the hole," Tama said.