A/N : Yesh. Took a while for this...

Ryoji and Minako laughed together like old reunited friends. They talked about small stuff, but Minako did all the talking while Ryoji only listened to her crystalline laughter. When Minako noticed Ryoji smiling fondly at her, she blushed and stayed quiet.

"Oh, don't stay quiet in my expense." Ryoji said. "I'd like to hear your voice."

Minako looked at him shyly over her cup of spiced cappucino. "I just realized...how unfair it is. You're not talking that much compared when you're flirting with the other girls in school."

Ryoji smiled at her sweetly. "Are you jealous of them, Minako-chan?"

"That's not what I meant!" Minako replied a rather too quickly. Ryoji gave her one of those cute chuckles of his.

"Hanging out with you is always fun, compared to the others." Ryoji said honestly. "I like it when you smile brightly and truthfully, Minako-chan. It suits you."

"W-What are you talking about?" Minako said, flustered. Ryoji really has ways to woo a woman's heart.

"Ever since I've laid eyes on you, there's always this emptiness in your eyes. Even if you smile brightly for others, I can feel that deep inside, you feel lonely. It's like as if you wear a different mask for each of them, hiding your true self." Ryoji smiled at her as he laid his hand on top of hers. Minako considered pulling her hand away, but Ryoji's hand felt warm and soft. Too soft for a guy, Minako thought. And oddly, whenever Ryoji holds her, she feels at ease.

"You...are such a flirt. And a stalker." Minako mumbled. "Don't you have anything better to do than observe my every movement?"

"Really?" Ryoji said, his cheerful smile never leaving his face. "Well, I just find you interesting, that's all. I want to learn all about you."

Minako flushed. The guys in Gekkou High never even bothered to know the real her, they just look at the outside appearance. That's why she rejected them all. And she was intent of rejecting Ryoji too, if only he hadn't said those stuff...

"Come to think of it," Ryoji said as he changed the subject abruptly. "This place is filled with couples today."

Minako, who had been intent of ignoring the people around them, suddenly felt conscious of herself. Never in her whole life had she been this flustered.

"A cafe is a romantic place to date huh?" Ryoji said as he looked at Minako with a gentle smile. Minako tried to avoid his gaze. His hand still held hers.

Ryoji escorted Minako back to the dorm later that night. At the doorstep, Ryoji stopped Minako.

"Well princess," Ryoji said as he held her hand up to his lips. "I hope I made your day worthwhile." He kissed the back of her hand that sent Minako blushing furiously.

"Uh..." was all Minako managed to say before the dormitory door flung open and an angry Yukari stood there.

"Well?" Yukari said dangerously. "How long are you going to stand there, holding his hand?"

Minako blinked. "Yukari-chan...?"

Yukari snatched Minako's hand away from Ryoji's and looked at her dangerously.

"In you go, you little girl." Yukari said sternly. Minako only blinked at her in confusion. She turned to Ryoji and said her farewell.

"See you tomorrow, Minako-chan." Ryoji said cheerfully. Yukari only scoffed at him and snapped the door close. As Ryoji went on his way, he wondered if Yukari's jealous because he had asked Minako out and not her.

"I told you several times to avoid him right? So why did you spend the whole day in his company?" Yukari bristled. Minako, who's still somewhat daze of how Ryoji had treated her the whole day, frowned at Yukari.

"He seems nice enough."

"That's what he wants you to think." Yukari snapped.

"Hey, Yuka-tan...stop harping on her already." Junpei said. "It's not like Ryoji had harmed her or anything..."

"Yeah..." Minako said. "We just...hang out..."

"Oh really? And where did he took you? To Shirakawa Boulevard?"

Minako scowled. "Yukari-chan, I know you don't like Ryoji much but to think you'd even accuse him to that extent..."

"Why are you defending him?" Yukari said. "Is it because you find him interesting too?"

"He's interesting enough on his own way." Minako said before turning towards the stairs and up to her room. When Minako finally realized what she had said, she wondered what kind of meaning the others will conclude from it. Nothing bad, she hope.

"Ugh, I can't believe Ryoji had infatuated her already." Yukari said, disgusted.

"It's not really in our place to stop her from doing anything she wants." Fuuka said.

"I know that." Yukari said helplessly. "But for some reason...I just don't want her to get hurt."

Later that night, Minako cannot sleep. Whenever she closes her eyes, she sees Ryoji's smiling face and hear his voice. Even when the Dark Hour came, she's still awake. Frustrated, she sat up and tried to clear her head of Ryoji by reviewing for the upcoming Math test. So this is how Junpei felt like when he fell in love with Chidori. Or those fawning girls hoping for their prince charming [Akhiko Sanada] to come by and whisk them away to their love bed. For some reason, she finds the feeling irritating and funny at the same time.

Minako fluffed up her pillow before falling back on her bed, blanket drawn over her. She need to get to sleep or else she'll be really sleepy and fall asleep in class, like Junpei. As sleep finally rolled over her, Ryoji's words came back to her.

"I can feel that deep inside, you feel lonely." What would a newly transfered student know about her?

"Good morning, Junpei." Ryoji greeted as he walked near Junpei, who's being tutored by Minako for their Math quiz.

"Yo, Ryoji." Junpei said. "It seems like you had fun yesterday without me."

Ryoji chuckled while Minako hit him on the shoulder. Junpei yelped in pain, looking at Minako reproachfully.

"What'd I do?" Junpei said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Do you want to pass on today's Math quiz or not?" Minako said sternly, hiding her flush. There's no need to share what happened during their date.

Ryoji bent low, his lips near Minako's ear. His sweet scent filled Minako with some kind of giddyness and alarm for he's darn too close.

"If you don't mind, should we go out again later?" Ryoji whispered. Minako stood up sharply, blushing furiously. She's not really comfortable with guys being too close to her face. Ryoji and Junpei looked at her, surprised.

"I'm sorry Ryoji-kun. But I have to attend Student Council today to finalize some stuff for the Kyoto trip tomorrow." she said then turned to look at Junpei. "And you, sir, should stop playing Innocent Sin and study while at the dorm."

Minako left them. The other girls were looking at her rather harshly. She got her face THAT close to Ryoji's and have the nerve to reject him.

"Dude, what the hell is going on with you two?" Junpei asked. "Yesterday, the two of you were so sweet together and now you're back to being strangers. You even got rejected."

Ryoji gave a knowing chuckle. "Well, I might say I'm way into that 'mission' you gave me, even if you told me to drop it. In fact, I think I know why she's not really interested in dating the guys here."

Junpei stared at him. "And what is her reason?"

Ryoji smiled at him. "Me."

A/N: Don;t you think Ryoji's kind of... narcissistic here? :P