Me: Hi everyone! :) I'm back, guys!

Ichigo: Hey Hoshimi-chan! :3 Nice to see you again!

Kashino: I thought we got rid of you and your horrible writing style 'cause you were going back to school.

Me: Well, you're nice, Kashino. That was such a friendly welcome. Anyway, there's something called weekends here, Kashino. I'm planning to publish three updates all before Monday rolls around, guys! XP I'm super excited to start!

Ichigo: The first one is this update, the latest chapter of "Reunion", titled "Yamagashi Lemon"! xD

Me: :3 Yep! Then the second update is the second chapter of "Amnesia and misunderstandings", titled "Might never wake up".

Kashino: …And then the third update will be a brand new story in a different fandom, right?

Me: Yep! It's called "Electricity Crisis", belonging to the Maid-sama! fandom. It's first chapter is titled "Total Darkness". Oh and just a head's up, this chapter is only 1.5 k! Please enjoy this chapter and as usual, I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere. xP

Reunion

Chapter Three: Yamagashi Lemon

The question is burning in my mind. I don't understand; what is the answer? What did I do? Why does Natsume hate me? I didn't do anything to her. I'm dumbfounded and confused. Certain a throbbing headache would start, I stagger into the kitchen and collapse into the most comfortable chair. Before I close my eyes to rest and allow my thoughts to flow, someone with long yellow hair and pale golden eyes comes after me into the kitchen. Probably one of the waitresses. Yamagashi, maybe?

I focus my thoughts on the question that is bugging me. Why does Natsume hate me? I don't remember hating Natsume's feelings. My brain tries to process my thoughts, but they're all very messy. What's wrong with me? I'm supposed to concentrate. I'm supposed to figure out why Amano's younger sister hates me. As far as I'm concerned, Natsume's only furious at me, and she's not mad at anyone else.

When she came into Le Reve Coleur, she was cheerful and friendly. I automatically frown. Cheerful and friendly…That makes her sound like Ichigo. Just those two adjectives reminds me of Natsume's older sister. I picture her. Her long, wavy beautiful brown hair, to her soft pleading chocolate brown eyes. They've almost always etched in my mind, though I have no idea why. The playful, carefree personality, and the bright, contagious smile that made me grin at her. Something in my chest doesn't feel right. It's like a burden on my shoulder, or a burning ache of yearning and regret. I shake the thoughts out of my mind. I hate Amano Ichigo; so I'm not supposed to think of her…

Right?

Suddenly, two sentences I never realized were repeating are echoing in my mind. They've been repeating ever since Natsume yells at me. It's like I'm hopeless, as if I was stuck in a dark, scary vortex with endless echoes. Feeling uncomfortable, I realize the two sentences are very memorable to me. Not in a good way, though.

"You're glad, aren't you? That you managed to get Ichigo to suffer. Instead of you."

"This is! All your fault!"

I'm even more bewildered. Her bitter, regretful voice…As if she was mourning over the fact that she wasn't able to save her older sister. It frustrates me, why am I the only one kept in the dark? What don't I know? What does Natsume know? What happened to Ichigo?

"Hey, Kashino-kun…" Her voice breaks me out of my daze; I realize she's greeting me tentatively because she wants me to acknowledge her appearance. That's right…I've ignored her ever since she's chased after me into the kitchen.

I stare at the person who's talking to me. Raising my eyebrows questioningly, I realize it's Yamagashi, who walked in seconds ago. She looks a little scared of me. Maybe people are a little nervous to approach me when I look mad. When I'm bewildered. Or confused. Or both.

"Hi." I say flatly before faking a weak smile at her, "Why don't you go and serve the customers, Yamagashi?"

"I just thought I could check it you were okay." She admits, turning a little red. She adds the next part uncertainly, "You seemed…a little…disturbed back there."

The smile falters on my face. Disturbed? Of course I'm disturbed. My life is half destroyed due to a stupid girl called Amano Ichigo. We were dating, we were meant to end up with a happy ending. Then fate pulled her away from me. Then she disappeared. Then she abandoned me. Many months later, her younger sister says she hates me. I grit my teeth, managing to maintain my friendly attitude, though I say nothing.

Seeing that I don't reply, Yamagashi continues anxiously. It's like I'll explode anytime. As much as it's kind of hilarious to see her cower in fear like a scared mouse, I don't like people seeing me in that way. It makes me feel unwelcome.

"Hey, um, what did you…What did you do to…Natsume-chan?" Yamagashi inquires politely, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

The smile on my face a few seconds ago is completely gone, replaced by a sour look. I want to slap her right across her face, just like Natsume did to me. Why doesn't she understand that I never did anything to Natsume? Why doesn't she know that I have the equal amount of knowledge about Natsume and Ichigo as she does? Why can't she leave me alone? Why doesn't she…Words are pouring out of my mouth like a flood now, almost like water. I can't even stop them if I wanted to. Like a volcano about to erupt, I stand up and start yelling at Yamagashi. I'm shouting with all my might, bitter and bewildered with my life.

"What did I do Natsume? What did I do to Natsume? I don't even know about her, Yamagashi! Why do you guys put so much stress and pressure on me? Okay, here are some facts: One, I hate Amano Ichigo, so I don't care if she's suffering in my place or not! Two, I have no idea why Amano Natsume hates me. So stop bothering me about it like a pestering, annoying mosquito! Three, I have the exact same knowledge about the two Amano sisters a few years ago and now! Can you leave me freaking alone?"

She seems taken aback, by the way her features look a little distorted. I can tell she doesn't like people screaming at her. Well, who does? I'm a little regretful of my actions now, though I feel just the teeny bit better. You can't take words back, so I grumpily sit down in my chair. Yamagashi lowers her head slightly, almost like bowing in apology to me. "I'm sorry."

The awkward silence between us is like the thick fog on a rainy spring day. It's like the distance between us is dragging longer and longer, to the point we can't even see each other anymore.

She looks like she has tears glistening in her pale golden eyes. It makes me a little unhappy to see her like that. Finally, I open my mouth to respond, "It's fine. It was mostly my fault, anyway. I'm confused. So I don't act like myself. To express how bewildered I am. So…I'm sorry, Yamagashi."

"Yeah, it's okay." Yamagashi smiles warmly at me. I return a bright grin that disappears a few seconds later. She continues, biting her lip, "Ne, Kashino-kun, you know…You know, you could be a lot more nicer and have a more friendly attitude if you called people by their first names. Or with an honorific, you know?"

"What? First names and honorifics? That's stupid." I snort, an evil plan suddenly creeping into my mind. I suddenly smirk mischievously, "Wait…Like Hanabusa?"

She widens her eyes as I flick my hair and grab her by her shoulders. I tilt her face upwards so she's staring at me. Her cheeks redden, which makes me blush too. Still role-playing Hanabusa, I flash a flirtatious smile at Yamagashi and look deep into her eyes. There's a little anxiety and…A feeling I can't describe. It's like how Ichigo looked when Ichigo stared at me. When we were dating. Still beaming, I lean in even closer to Yamagashi. "Of course, my lovely princess. Ah, how I absolutely adore you, Lemon-chan!"

"Okay! Stop it!" Yamagashi struggles against me.

"Stop what?" I blink, still pretending to be Hanabusa. That green-haired narcissist actually does have a lot of flirting techniques…Well, I learnt them along the way. How he greeted people was absolutely stupidly abnormal. I'd take him as an insane person who ran out of a mental hospital if someone greeted me like that.

"Go back to your blunt, rude, sadistic, emotionless, chocolate sweets prince self!"

I release her shoulders, dumbfounded. The 'irresistible smile' that Hanabusa taught me slid right away. I'm amused. "I act like a blunt, rude, sadistic, and emotionless sweets prince that specializes in chocolate?"

"Ye…" Yamagashi turns red, as if she didn't want to expose the fact to me. She reddens even more and folds her arms to look away. "Yeah."

"Then why would you bring up a topic like this anyway?" I grumble, "Like being Hanabusa, calling people by their first names and with the honorific."

"I'm just saying it's more polite." She mutters, her two ponytails, one on the left and one of the right, swinging slightly, "I mean, you would make more friends like that. Like, that's why I call you Kashino-kun."

"What would you call me if it wasn't just out of politeness?"

"The blunt rude sadistic and emotionless sweets prince that specializes in chocolate." She rolls her eyes as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "Well, what would you expect?"

"Hi, rude girl that makes up random strange nicknames for people."

We stare at each other for a few seconds, our eyes flickering at each other. Finally, I can't help it. I bend over and collapse into laughter. She bursts into laughter as well. It's kind of funny how people say that you think of better, creative ideas if you're relaxed. I'm feeling so carefree now; almost like how Ichigo always used to act. In fact, I feel like Ichigo. I'd be able to create any sweet now. I'd be able to think up of anything now. I'd be able to invent anything now. I'd be able to answer any question now. I'd be able to do anything now. I'd be able to solve anything now.

I'd be able to do anything now.

Then something clicks into my mind. My eyes instantly widen and my heartbeat increases, so fast and so loud that I can hear it thumping in my ears like the beats of a drum. The bitter, regretful voice echoes in my mind again. For about the hundredth time.

That you manage to get Ichigo to suffer. Instead of you.

And the answer, the answer to why Natsume hates me, is almost as clear as the sky, in my mind. I understand immeadility why she loathes me. I mean, if I was her…I'd hate myself, too.

I need to find Natsume.

Me: So…what did you guys think of that chapter? I hoped you guys enjoyed it! xD

Kashino: The update was bad. And why are you hinting that I'm a couple with Yamagashi?

Me: Your opinion is not valid. Though, uh huh! LemonxKashino is included on purpose in this chapter. Kinda awkward, I guess, but I just wanted to see how you guys would look together! :3

Natsume: Hoshimi-chan, why didn't I make an appearance in this chapter?

Me: Gomen. Dx But I promise, you do make an appearance in the next chapter!

~REVIEW REPLIES~

OMG. You guys are too nice. Thanks to all of you guys, this is currently my most popular story~! And the sweet things all of you say! ARGH. I'm smiling at my computer like an idiot now. Darn it.

amr29 – Yep! The cliffhanger hasn't been solved yet! Not in this chapter, anyways. I'm not sure if it'll be revealed in the next chapter. Probably. Let's just see how it'll go! ;)

ICCFOWIGSM – Ehehe…I'm sorry! T.T You guys were expecting Kashino to meet Ichigo and reunite with her? …But…Yeah. Whoa. I feel so bad for writing that chapter now. And aww, thank you! Your review is just too nice! Sorry about the suspense; and the fact you still don't know why Ichigo was apparently hurt, and why Natsume hates Kashino! XP

krikanalo – I'm glad you enjoyed my story! …LOL. X3 You gave me a pretty short review, but that's fine! Thanks anyways! By the way, how did you like this update?

Animelover0508 – *expects super long review and receives super short review* LOL! :3 Whatever! I love your reviews; short or long! And…There was humor in the chapter? I didn't notice…I thought it was kinda weird the fact that Kashino met Natsume though. What do you think of this chapter?

MissLovelyPrincess – You're too kind! Heh. I wish I could write a lot of dialogue. Usually, I only write a lot of dialogue for humor stories. xP I don't know why I tend to over-describe with stories like this though! And I updated; how did you like this third little chapter?

Me: By the way, thank you to amr29, Starlovers, and AkiDivina for favoriting this story! And all those readers-who-don't-review out there, don't think I would forget about you guys! xD Thank you, thank you!

Ichigo: Also, thank you to hrhfanficlover for following this story!

Me: Please review! :) Oh, and by the way guys, I'm not very satisfied with the name of this chapter. If you have any suggestions on what to call it, please tell me and I'll find the most suitable one to name this chapter! xP

See ya in my next update~!