Amu: Why do you take so long to update? (Cries)
Ikuto: YEAH! I've been waiting for this chapter, so I get to make a move on Amu ;)...
Amu: (Hits Ikuto with a pan)
Author: Sorry for the late update. Also, thanks for all the reviews lately :D!
~~~~Trip To The Hot Springs (Final Part~~~~
Later that day, while Amu was sitting alone in her room while everyone else was busy, she began to contemplate what Ikuto said to her while they were in the hot springs.
She blushed a bit, remembering his surprising compassionate side that she never would have expected.
Amu then went over the possible reasons that Ikuto said that to her mentally.
1- He's just being a bastard and screwing around with me.
2- The heat and steam of the springs were making him retarded .
3- Ikuto loves me.
Knowing that bastard, Amu thought. He's probably just messing with me.
Oh no... I think we have a tsundere on our hands here. Aren't there already enough of them?
Amu began to blush again as she thought of the third possibility. But she mentally slapped herself.
Snap out of it, Amu. You're acting like one of those girls from those sappy romance animes. The guy tells the girl he loves her, and then the girl becomes shy and skittish around the boy. No! This isn't how the story goes. I will not end up like them...
She clenched her fists in determination.
A soft voice of velvet called to Amu from behind the shoji (Japanese door). "Amu? Are you in there?"
Amu recognized Su's faint voice, and she responded, "Yeah. What is it?"
"Everyone is down at the activity room getting ready to play a ping pong tournament. They want you to join."
Amu grinned slightly. A ping pong tournament? That sounds fun...
She rose off the ground, opened the shoji, and strolled down the long corridors towards the activity room.
Once she reached the activity center, even from the outside of the room, she could hear the howling of the rowdy boys inside.
Amu entered the room, and most of the eyes in the room at the moment turned to her.
"Finally, you're here, Amu!" From the left side of the room, Utau flashed Amu a cheerful look.
Amu returned a lighthearted smile, before heading to the two ping pong tables positioned in the center of the room.
Looking around, she noticed that everyone in her dorm was present, which made the upcoming ping pong tournament seem more exciting than before.
"So... Can someone explain to me about the ping pong tournament? Are there any special rules? I'd really like to play." Amu asked.
Yoru answered for her. "We are playing a tag team ping pong tournament. Which ever team wins the tournament gets to choose one losing team to obey all of their commands for a day. As a note, each ping pong game goes to 5 points."
Amu smirked deviously, her evil smile hinting to Ikuto at the opposite end of the room, that if she won, he would be doomed.
"I'm in." Announced Amu.
"Okay, first we pair up in twos." Said Utau. She forcefully snatched Amu's hand and held it tightly. "I'm with Amu!"
Kukai, with his trademark goofy grin, looked over to Ikuto. "Wanna pair up, buddy? How about we beat Amu and Utau. We can make them do anything for a day if we beat them... And I mean anything..."
"Perv!" Utau snapped, and folded her arms across her chest crossly.
"Relax. I was just kidding." Kukai said.
Ikuto nudged Kukai. "About the partner thing, I'll pair up with you. I have a few things I want Amu to do..."
Amu hissed at him almost like cat, and Ikuto couldn't help but laugh a bit.
"Can Su, Miki, and I team up since there is a odd number of people?" Ran asked.
The group nodded.
"Wait..." Kiseki murmured. "That just leaves two people to team up... Me and Yoru!"
A look of horror spread throughout Yoru's face. "I'm not teaming up with this douch bag!"
Kiseki launched himself at Yoru, and the twosome began to wrestle on the floor.
Sighing, Amu face palmed. "Sometimes, people never change."
"Okay." Said Utau. "Lets start with the tournament. How about we have... Ran's team VS Yoru's team?" She suggested.
The rest of the group had no reason to say no.
Ran's team readied themselves on the left side of the ping pong table, with Yoru's team on the other side.
Su started, and served the ball gently across the table. It bounced over the mini net in the center of the table.
Yoru easily deflected it, and sent it sailing back towards the three girls. Miki tried to hit it, but she ended up missing by only a centimeter.
Next, Ran served the ping pong ball, and it was the opposite of Su's serve. It was much more brute.
The ball flew across the table, and hit Kiseki straight in the head.
"Ow!" He complained.
Ran chuckled, and Kiseki angrily tossed the ball to Ran for her to serve again.
This time, Kiseki was prepared, and as the ping pong ball soared through the air, he neatly blocked it and sent it spiraling past the three girls.
The game was now 1-2, with the boys winning.
Kiseki served, and he served great, which sent the ping pong ball right through the girls.
Now the score was 1-3.
He missed his next serve, and passed the ball to Miki.
Miki served, missing.
Now 1-4.
Utau and Amu were cheering for the girls, while Ikuto and Kukai cheered for the boys.
Yoru served next, missing.
It's now 2-4.
It was Ran's serve. She striked the ball right into Kiseki and Yoru's open spot.
Surprisingly, Yoru deflected the ball and sent it back to Ran. Ran, who thought that her serve was a one shot, wasn't prepared, and the ball flew past her.
"Victory!" Cried Kiseki.
Miki sighed in defeat, while Su and Ran didn't seem to be fazed at all.
"Okay... How about Ikuto and Kukai VS Kiseki and Yoru." Suggested Utau.
They all agreed, and they started the next game.
The game was pretty good, Ikuto and Kukai had killer serves, though, so Kiseki and Yoru were easily defeated within a matter of minutes.
"Okay. Lets play the finals. Me and Amu VS Kukai and Ikuto. Whoever wins gets to have the loser team obey all their commands for a day." Utau announced.
Motivation burned through Amu like a fire. There's no way I'm gonna loose this!
The game started.
Ikuto served first. His serve was incredible. The ping pong ball sailed across the air like a plane, it's speed so fast it was barely visable.
Amu leaped up and miraculously deflected the ball, and sent it flying swiftly back towards Ikuto.
Ikuto, who thought his one-shot-killer-serve wouldn't need any backup, wasn't prepared, and the ball wisped sharply past his ear, barely missing it.
Kukai passed the ball to Amu. She served. Her serve was definitely a rival for Ikuto's, but it wasn't quite as fast as his.
Ikuto hit the ball back easily.
The next thing that happened most people wouldn't expect.
When the small ping pong ball came towards Amu, she tried to hit it, but she had hesitated to long, and she therefore couldn't. The ping pong ball fell down her kimono.
With a smirk, Ikuto said,"I'll get it!"
Amu glared at him, and flapped her kimono, allowing the ball to tumble to the ground.
She picked it up, and tossed it to Kukai.
The score is now 1-1.
Kukai served, and the ball swooshed in the direction of Amu again.
She smashed the ball towards Ikuto.
The ball hit Ikuto right in the balls.
Ironic, isn't it?
Despite it being a mere ping pong, he flinched a bit. Amu's spikes hurt more than they look.
The score was now 2-1, with Amu's team winning.
Utau served. She was a decent server. It glided across the air, and hit Kukai right in the face.
Startled, Kukai staggered back, and fell to the floor.
The group couldn't help but let a few laughs escape.
Annoyed, Kukai tossed the ball to Utau.
She served again, but this time, towards Ikuto.
Somehow, he missed trying to hit it.
The second that the ping pong fell to the ground, Utau and Amu erupted in joy. They had won!
While Utau and Amu were busy celebrating, a devastated Ikuto and Kukai were exchanging words quietly.
"I can't believe we lost!" Ikuto said with a sharp edge to his voice.
"I don't really care about losing. I'm worried about what Utau and Amu are going to make us do." Kukai murmured fearfully.
Yes indeed, Kukai. I wonder too. Actually, since I'm the narrator, I already know whats going to happen, but for you're sake, I won't tell you...
"I have a feeling..." Ikuto whispered. "We have a lot in store for us tomorrow."
Ikuto: Oh Shi*.
Amu: :D.