I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA, ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, OR ANY LICENSED MATERIAL THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS STORY AND CHAPTER.

THIS STORY IS RATED T FOR LANGUAGE AND CONTENT, SO BEWARE OF THE LANGUAGE!

Hey guys, I am back again and I don't know if I told you this already (I'm getting old, y'know?) but Shouta is not a total OC he actually appears in episode 34 of Shugo chara, if you remember. His last name I think is Gensou, but I'm not entirely sure so I made it Nakimura for whatever reason (can't remember). Anyhoo just letting you guys know I don't actually own him, and his character (being an artist and such) is based off of his original character depicted in episode 34 of Shugo Chara.

Taking One for the Team

CHAPTER 30: Nurse 2day

"So now Nagihiko is sick, too?" Nikaidou sensei growled as he touched Nagihiko's forehead that was tucked in neatly with the rest of his body underneath his futon, "Everything is going wrong."

"Someone put a curse on us!" Sanjo cried.

The others boys glared at their sensei. She didn't know the half of it. It was really them who was cursed, not Sanjo and Nikaidou-sensei. After all, they didn't wake up this morning to a pile of their most intimate thoughts being scattered across the floor. They didn't wake up knowing that all of their colleagues will know their inner most thoughts and it was all because of the betrayal of a friend.

"We are at fault," Tsukasa-sensei sighed, "I mean, we made Rima go with the rest of the group, despite her illness. If we want the two of them to get better they need to be kept in the hotel for a full day's rest. The game is only in a couple of days."

"That's the best plan." Nikaidou agreed, "Can you deal with Rima for a whole day, Nagihiko?"

"EH!?" Kukai squealed, "Rima and Nagihiko are going to stay in the hotel together…alone?"

Ikuto nudged his spiky-haired friend in the side, "What are you doing? Trying to make it seem like they're gonna have sex?"

Sanjo's eyebrows rose, she looked at Nagihiko intensely before capturing Ikuto with her gaze. Nikaidou studied all of the boys as well, and Tsukasa followed.

"They aren't together, right?" Sanjo asked meekly, "I mean…we're just going to have to trust them….but we will have hotel staff check in!"

"Why don't we just have Tsukasa-san stay with them?" Nikaidou suggested.

"I'm not leaving you two in charge of the kids in the heart of Tokyo. Ha, nice try." Tsukasa replied promptly.

"That really wasn't my intention, Tsukasa-san."

"Save it." Tsukasa dismissed, "Nagihiko is quite responsible, despite his behavior these past few days, I believe in his ability to stay out of trouble and be responsible."

"So…that's it then? They're staying a-l-o-n-e?" Kukai whispered into Kairi's ears.

"Yes Souma, they are." Tsukasa responded.

O.O.O.O

"S-Sanjo-sensei I'm really fine now! I am not sick!" Rima argued, "Please, don't make me stay. I need to catch up on the cheers."

"You know the cheers, it's just practice that you are lacking, calm down." Sanjo countered.

"Listen, Rima-chan." Tsukasa said sweetly, as though they were friends, "Do you really want us to leave Nagihiko all alone in the hotel? He's burning up with a fever!"

"Yes, Mashiro-san. Just take care of him, okay?" Nikaidou suggested, "Okay?"

"I can't!" Rima exclaimed suddenly. The three teachers stared back at her analyzing her reaction. Oh god, she was such an idiot! What is she getting so worked up for? She doesn't even have to pay attention to him if the two of them are alone! But, really…she will anyway, right? How could she not…

"Oh, really? Why can't you? Do tell." Sanjo pried.

"Well…I…I…" Rima stammered.

"She'll be fine!" Utau said touching Rima's shoulder, "Those two are close, right? Rima, you are really worried about him, aren't you?"

"Why don't you mind your business you sl-u-uh…SLIME!" Rima squeaked in frustration.

"Okay, okay. I'll put an end to this," Tsukasa spoke up, "Rima, you are staying, and you'll be expected to take care of Nagihiko, I'll hold you responsible if anything happens to a single strand of his purple hair."

"I…I….UGH!" Rima exclaimed, then she marched off towards her friends.

"What happened? You have to stay behind today?" Lulu asked concerned. Rima didn't say anything, she only nodded and leaned her head on Amu's shoulder.

"Yeah, alone with Nagihiko. I just don't want to see him at all anymore. I want to forget, you know?" Rima sighed.

"You still didn't tell me what he said to you last night." Amu reminded her best friend.

"Well, he apologized, but…ah…geeze what the hell are apologies anyway? Someone just says "Sorry" and all of a sudden it's okay that I was left alone in a place like that? All of a sudden he's excused?"

"Gee Rima-chi, Yaya is sorry that happened to you. I wish you and Nagi could be friends again." Yaya apologized sweetly.

"Well it's about time we head out." Yumi announced, "Call me at lunch, okay? Since you know how to use your phone and all…"

"Oh yeah!" Saaya exclaimed, "What are you all down about? You have Shouta-kun!"

Oh yeah. There was him. Rima wondered why his name made her stomach churn. Shouldn't she have butterflies thinking of the charming boy who swept her off of her feet and was ready to become her boyfriend? Shouldn't she look back at the memories of him fondly? He was so thoughtful and sweet and he just came to her like that whilst Saaya and Lulu searched in vain for a guy like him.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Rima smirked to herself.

"Are you….actually…in to him?" Lulu inquired.

As Rima prepared herself to think about that question, the remaining girls in the room went downstairs for breakfast. Amu, Yumi, Saaya, Lulu, and Yaya looked at Rima in a way that she knew meant that they had to leave her soon. She sighed and shook her head.

"I'll tell you later. Right now I have a Nagi-evil to attend to, I guess." She grouched. She spun on her heel swiftly and marched into the hallway.

O.O.O.O

"Amu!" Kukai called out to the pink-haired beauty as she entered the restaurant with her friends. She smiled at him and noticed that he was seated at a small, white, round table in the corner of the restaurant by himself jotting down things in a white notebook. She made her way over to the table and took a seat opposite from him.

"Well aren't you social today?" She laughed, tucking a strand of her strawberry locks behind her ears and staring at the boy in front of her, in search of an explanation.

"I need you to tell me something," He stated with a grin, wasting no time as he got straight to his point. Amu placed her elbows on the table and cupped her cheeks with her hands. She looked at Kukai, still searching for an explanation to his un-kukai like behavior.

"Anything for you…you weirdo." She replied finally. Before he could begin, the waiter approached the teens, seeking their breakfast order, "Oh, hold on, Kukai." Amu flipped through the Menu placed before her rather quickly and decided on a simple sandwich. Kukai then ordered some porridge hastily, and eyed down the nervous waiter as he picked up their menu's and trotted off.

"Please tell me everything you remember from the moment you got back to the hotel yesterday." Kukai requested firmly. Air-headed Amu couldn't comprehend this and failed to stop her brow from furrowing and her expression to become as quizzical as ever.

"Are you playing detective?" She laughed. The spiky-haired boy nodded his head and awaited her story. She was taken back by this and continued her questioning, "You do know we solved the mystery, right?"

"No, you didn't, because Utau didn't do it."

"Kukai," Amu sighed. She stopped leaning on the table and sat back firmly. She stretched out her hands and lightly touched Kukai's, "Utau admitted to it."

"That," Kukai said, "I'll figure out later. For now, please tell me everything. Everything and anything you can remember down to the last detail of what clothes everyone was wearing."

"Kukai this is crazy."

"Look Amu." Kukai sighed, "Utau is my everything."

"What?" Amu gasped suddenly, pulling her hand back from his, "She's your everything?"

"mm-hmm." He nodded, "I'm pretty sure she's my first love. Right now, I'm the only one who can save her. Save her from being stuffed somewhere where no one can see her…or love her, even if it isn't me."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Utau I know, and the Utau you know are different. Right now the Utau you know is pretending like she did the crime, so that the Utau I know stays hidden. I can't let that happen because I love the Utau I know, and I refuse to never see her again without getting a reply to my confession. She owes me that."

"Wait…you confessed?" A flabbergasted Amu questioned, "This…is…a little hard for me to...uh…grasp…but….I don't want your first love to die without a fight. I admire you for living so honestly, and I regret not living like that with Ikuto. So…." Amu sighed leaning back in her chair, "I'll tell you every last detail, okay?"

"Thank you, Amu!" Kukai exclaimed, bowing his head to her slightly. She gave him a thumbs up and grinned as he usually does, and then went on to explain the first part of the series of point of views that he needed to unravel the mystery his beloved was framed for.

O.O.O.O

"Your fever is really bad." Rima sighed touching Nagihiko's forehead and touching her own in an effort to compare temperatures, "It's like touching a kettle."

"It can't possibly be that bad, Oushi." Nagihiko wheezed between his loud heavy breaths.

"Don't call me that." She insisted wiping his face with a moist towel rather roughly, "It isn't cute anymore."

"It isn't?" He mused. She looked at him and noted how rough his voice sounded, as if it hurt to talk.

"Shut up and stop talking. Rest and recover, okay?"

"Are you worried about me?" He wheezed out again. She rolled her eyes at him. She was crouched down next to his futon, trying her best to keep her distance as she wiped his face with the towel, "Well are you?"

"Of course, I want Seiyo to be at their best when it's game time. You need to be at your best if we are to win."

"You are not worried about me as a friend?"

Rima raised her eyebrow at him. Did he really think that his adorable wit was going to work this time? She looked at his handsome face and all his hair spread out on the floor; he looked like he fell there. He looked like a mess, everything about him looked out of place except for his eyes. He squinted slightly and gazed at Rima attentively, he looked serious. She wanted to consider his question properly, as she was unsure of the answer herself, but she ignored it.

"That's not important." She insisted before she pushed the plate of food gently towards Nagihiko's futon and then stood up and left the room.

O.O.O.O

"You want me to tell you everything?" Yumi groaned, "Look, Kukai, Utau is a bitch. We all know this. It makes perfect sense that she did it."

Kukai glared at Yumi, but she didn't notice. She was busy staring outside the window of the bus. That bitch comment really bothered him, it was a good thing Utau had chosen to sit so far away. Hopefully she didn't hear.

"Please Yumi, just humor me? Please!" Kukai begged. Yumi raised an eyebrow at him.

"Fine, since you're so desperate."

O.O.O.O

"Why aren't you eating your food!" Rima exclaimed angrily. Nagihiko's eyes shut slightly and she could tell he was wincing silently at the volume of her voice. Good. He deserved it.

"I'm not eating it until you forgive me."

"Then you'll starve, and you'll die, and we'll all lose the basketball game!" Rima shouted a little too loudly. Then she let out one more shriek of frustration, opened the door and slammed it shut.

O.O.O.O

Saaya and Lulu folded their arms and looked and Kukai incredulously.

"So you like her?" Saaya pried, "Like-like her?"

"Yes."

Lulu and Saaya immediately dropped the look of disbelief and grinned at each other. This was so cute! Saaya truly believed that Utau had changed, she'd been with the girl for a while. Heck, they all had. They all grew up in the same town. In junior high school, Saaya arrived on her first day as a first year, and suddenly everyone liked her. She was pretty, and it only started coming in handy in junior high.

The girls didn't like the attention Saaya had been getting, so they often bullied her. It was Utau who said to her: "You see, that's the problem with being pretty. Even if you play nice, and do everything right, they'll still hate you, they'll still judge you, and their boyfriends will still want you. So, you might as well flaunt it. It's the same result in the end. You will be hated, regardless."

Even though Utau was an evil dictator, Saaya didn't care. Utau was her hero and she was brilliant in so many ways. Yeah, they fought and split up but Saaya never stopped loving Utau and admiring Utau, she just wanted a little more respect from her.

Lulu was the one who pleaded with Utau to defend herself, because Lulu might have been the only one besides Kukai who didn't think of Utau when that little boy said: "Pretty Onee-san with the pig-tails." Why hadn't they thought of Yaya? They trust her, that's why. It's not like she isn't pretty, it's not like she doesn't have pig-tails. She helped them search all night, just like Utau did. So why is Utau automatically the culprit? They never truly welcomed her in their group, and that is their fault, their problem, and their affliction. Utau made herself the scapegoat, and Lulu knew this—believed this—with all her heart.

"Okay so, Rima and I were like doing our homework with Kamen…" Lulu began

O.O.O.O

stuck in hotel. have 2 take care of someone. guess I'm playing nurse 2day.

Rima sent the message to Shouta, and snapped her phone shut. She was satisfied. Who needs Nagihiko? She has Shouta. He cares. He's cute. He doesn't argue with her…not like Nagihiko does. He doesn't make her feel like proving anything. She wouldn't join the cheerleading team because of something Shouta said. He doesn't have that stupid long hair or beautiful smile, and he doesn't look serious for one moment and then suddenly has this radiating child-like smile. Not like Nagihiko. Nagihiko always has his mind elsewhere, just what is he thinking about? His girlfriend? Yura? Not Rima! Shouta thinks about Rima, Naghiko doesn't.

The sound of her phone receiving a message and the door sliding open occurred in Unison, and she looked up to see a sweaty, panting Nagihiko in his Pajamas glaring at her. His face was red and his hair clung to his skin. He looked like a mess, but a very determined mess.

"Go back to your room and rest, god damn it!" Rima exclaimed, and for some reason, she hadn't noticed the tears welling up in her eyes, skewing her vision. Just what was she crying about?

"No, I'm not going until you forgive me!" Nagihiko begged. She watched as he hobbled his way into the room. He found himself directly in front of her and plopped down beside her on her futon. His fever was bad, she could feel the heat radiating off of him.

"Why are you doing this to me? I don't want to talk to you!" Rima exclaimed, and found that she was really sobbing.

"I'm sorry!" He shouted. Soon, all Rima could feel was his burning chest. He had grabbed her head and shoved her face into his chest. He was hugging her.

It wasn't Rima, but it was something. Something involuntary, something besides herself made her cling on to his pajama shirt and submit herself to him, and allow the tears to fall one by one. They sat there in their literally burning embrace for what seemed like hours. They didn't say anything. Rima just cried and soaked in his sweet masculine scent and felt herself melting into his heat.

O.O.O.O

"You're an idiot!" Ikuto yelled.

"How am I an idiot, man? Just shut up for one second and tell me what happened, anything!" Kukai banged his fist against the locker, directly in front of Ikuto's face. Ikuto glared at his best friend with pure malice.

"You're an idiot because of that girl. She is a bitch remember? Don't you remember all those times she has practically thrown herself at me? Why are you obsessing over a girl I could fuck at any given moment?"

"You shut the hell up!" Kukai screamed.

The boys in the locker room were afraid to speak, even afraid to move. The tension was crazy, terrifying, and yet so interesting all at once. They had seen the flyers, the 'love journal entries.' They had woken up to the commotion, so they knew the story. The group of friends had went on a mission to find out who did it, and eventually they concluded it was Utau. They tried to clean up the journal entries but it somehow ended up in people's luggage, under their futons. It was a mess.

"Why the fuck should I have to shut up? You don't want to hear the truth, Kukai! All I am doing is looking out for you, man. You're my best fucking friend! So why the hell are you disregarding me like I mean nothing and going after that bitch?"

"I swear to GOD!" Kukai shrieked, gripping Ikuto by his collar, "If you call her a bitch one more fucking time, I'll…."

"You'll what?" Ikuto taunted, shoving Kukai off of him forcefully, "You'll what?"

"Guys, please." Tadase stepped in front of Ikuto protectively, "Stop this. We're supposed to be a team, guys. Stop it, please, please, please."

"Calm down Tadase!" Kukai screamed, "This is not a big deal! I just want to know Ikuto's side of the story!"

"You wanna know my fucking side of the story, huh? Huh?" Ikuto yelled at the top of his lungs, "I woke up to my girlfriend crying because the whole fucking world just found out that she and I are just a joke and the real love of her life is prince charming himself!"

Tadase found himself being slammed against the lockers before Ikuto charged out of the locker room and headed straight for said girlfriend. This shit needed to be cleared up!

O.O.O.O

"Go rest," Rima's voice was just as raspy as Nagihiko's, which was a problem considering he was actually sick, meanwhile she had just been crying leisurely.

"Are we cool?" Nagihko asked. Rima was still tucked beneath his chin, resting in his arms. It was a simple question, but if she could see his face she would know that it was really a plea.

"Of course." Rima pulled apart from him. Immediately, she felt like going back in his arms, however. She missed him, she missed the warmth, and she felt like just a half. She sucked it up and gazed at the boy she had admired for so long, he looked tired an exhausted and she felt the urge to touch his cheek and let him know it was going to be okay just through that simple gesture, "I really didn't like that you left me for Yura…"

"I know and I'm sorry," He insisted biting his lip.

"Let me finish." Rima commanded gently, " I hated it, but I have been a bit untruthful. It wasn't because being alone at that concert was unpleasant. You know I can take care of myself. What I hated was losing you…I didn't want to lose you…to…another…girl…."

"Rima?"

O.O.O.O

Amu shut her eyes tightly, trying to make the scene before her go away, but she couldn't. Ikuto was yelling at her! In front of everybody. The tears just started streaming down her face, and the girls just watched, unable to do much. Suddenly, Tadase, Kairi and Kukai came rushing out of the gym. Kukai was scantily clothed, and that indicated to Amu that something had happened in the locker room.

"Ikuto-san, please." Tadase begged touching Ikuto's shoulder gently, "It's not at all what you think!"

Tadase was shoved backwards rather forcefully by Ikuto, and he somehow managed to land in Kukai's arms. Kukai shoved Tadase away as well and made his way in front of Amu.

"How the hell does Amu deserve this? You won't even let her tell you the story!" Kukai screamed.

"You stay out of this!"

"No," Kukai yelled, matching Ikuto's volume, "You say I disregard you? Well here I am! You wanna tell me who I can and can't like? You wanna tell me which girl is a bitch and which girl isn't? Well, let me tell you something you big fucking asshole, you are the bitch! Have you even noticed the date on that journal entry? That was one year ago! Amu loves you now, she may have loved Tadase, or it may have just been a date that didn't even matter, but whether she loved him or just went out with him once isn't relevant, all that is important is that this girl in front of you loves you with all her heart and you are making her cry! She is fucking beautiful and she can get whoever she wants but she's devoted to the guy who doesn't even trust her!"

"She didn't even tell me!" Ikuto shouted back squeezing his hands into fists. Amu had never seen her boyfriend so ferocious.

"Well we can all see why!" Kukai screamed. Just then, Ikuto looked around and saw all the faces looking at him, looking at Amu, and seeing her cry. "I would never, ever, treat Utau the way you treat Amu, because I love Utau. I don't care if you seem to think that a few weeks ago she would do anything to fuck you, that's fine. It's fine to me, because I know people change, I know who Utau was and I know who she pretended to be back then, and I don't care what you say or what anyone says, I fucking love her and no piece of paper or old fling is gonna change that. So when you feel the way I do for Utau, then you can fucking tell me something!"

Then Kukai dashed off, heading straight into the afternoon Tokyo crowd.

O.O.O.O

"Nagihiko I…" Rima began, when her ringtone interrupted her. She offered him a meek smile. What she wanted to say…well, that just wasn't appropriate background music for it, "Hold on," she picked up the phone and pressed it to her ear, "Hello? Oh, hey, Shouta...you're what?"

"It's that guy isn't it?" Nagihiko asked bitterly.

"Shhh," Rima hissed, obviously trying to hear that guy.

"What the hell are you talking to him for?" Nagihiko managed to choke out. He couldn't stop himself from grabbing the phone from her grasp and holding it over his head, "Don't tell me to shhh!"

"Nagihiko! What the hell are you doing? I was talking to my friend!"

"Well, I was talking to you first!"

"Hello Rima?"

Nagihiko and Rima were rendered speechless at the realization of what was happening. Nagihiko accidently pressed speaker phone.

"Hello? Look, I am outside…I'm pretty sure this is the right hotel…hello? Just come outside, I'll wait."

"Well, it looks like your boyfriend has come to rescue you from the horrible task of taking care of this stupid idiot who you hate!" Nagihiko yelled as he snapped the phone shut, and thus ending the call.

"You had no right to end my call, or be so upset!" Rima yelled, "You're fucking crazy!"

"Maybe I am! You were going to tell me something," Nagihiko gripped onto Rima's shoulders, "What were you going to say?"

"Get off of me!" She screamed, shaking out of his grasp, "You know what I was going to tell you? That I fucking liked you! I liked you! LIKED! Now, I don't because, guess what? I HAVE MOVED ON! So I'm done! I'm done crying over you and not knowing how you feel or if there is someone else in your life, someone better, and someone pretty…" the tears came back again, "someone pretty like Yura."

O.O.O.O

"I'm so sorry," Ikuto whispered pressing his forehead against Amu's. She couldn't believe her boyfriend was crying. "Please forgive me. I'm an ass. I was an ass to Kukai, I was an ass to you…"

"…and we were all an ass to Utau." Amu whispered in reply.

"Are you on her side? I can't believe this! She tried to ruin your life."

"I don't know that…" Amu muttered, tears streaming down her face as well, "and I should have never assumed.

O.O.O.O

"Rima? What's wrong?" Shouta asked, immediately running up towards the girl. She was crying like a baby and she stood in front of him with her face as red as a cherry. She was already super tiny, the crybaby look really made her seem a little too young. Shouta had never felt the urge to protect something so much, "You wanna get out of here?"

"No," Rima replied quietly. Her voice was still unstable.

"You want to talk don't you?"

She spilled everything. She told him about how Amu had captured the attention of Ikuto and ended up becoming a victim of bullying. She told him how Nagihiko had said she could never handle being a cheerleader, she told him about her abusive mom and how Nagihiko saved her, how she became friends with the girls she hated and how she came to Tokyo believing Nagihiko had a girlfriend. She explained how Utau and Kukai were acting suspicious and how they suddenly became friends and even though Nagihiko said he was Rima's best friend he left her for Yura. She explained about Utau's change in behavior, how she thought they could be friends….but then she betrayed her by publishing the love journal.

"Wow," Shouta whistled, leaning against his motorcycle parked up outside the hotel, "So that night when Utau told me you lost your man, she was talking about that guy."

Rima averted her gaze and nodded. "You call him that guy, he calls you that guy."

"Well, beautiful, he probably likes you." Shouta said with a smile. He tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ears, "and even though you told him you moved on, that was because you were angry."

"No I meant it!" Rima insisted.

"I like you," Shouta said honestly, "I really, really, like you. I have just been staring at you this whole time we've been hanging out and I know you by know. I know you don't look at me how I look at you. That's fine, babe. I just want you to be happy. This guy…he can make you happy. You just have to be honest with him, and yourself. This really sucks, because you and I were gonna be the best couple in the world…but oh well, I'll get over it."

"What?" Rima croaked. Her cheeks were still stained with tears and tinted an alarming red, then the tears were falling again, "but he has a girlfriend."

"Oh come on, Rima, you are not that naïve. That silly friend you have, Amu, she messed up…he obviously doesn't have a girlfriend. He likes you."

"How do you know?" Rima asked between her sobs.

"I just told you!" Shouta laughed, "because I am crazy about you!"

"Don't you want me for yourself?"

"Of course! But, Rima, babe, what is that going to do? You'll just be thinking about that guy. Listen to me one more time, you like him, he likes you, you're going to be happy, no one is going to take him away from you. Go after what you want. You are beautiful, you are confident, and don't let me hear you compare yourself to Yura ever again. Babe, you turn heads! You need to stop and appreciate the beauty that me and that guy are going crazy over."

She didn't say anything. She just cried and cried and cried. Shouta frowned at her. He pulled her into one last embrace, kissed the top of her forehead and then pulled away to say his final goodbyes.

"I need to get my ass out of Tokyo. I have been staying all this time just to be with you. All my boys are ready to go. So, I'll see you back home, okay, beautiful? You come and see me the moment you get back and tell me all about your happily ever after, and you tell that guy that I'll get you in the next life."

O.O.O.O

When the bus pulled up, they were shocked to see Rima standing outside staring off into space by herself. The teachers were livid, her friends were concerned, and the guys were concerned about Nagihiko. All Rima could hear was noise, but all she could comprehend was Shouta's assertion that Nagihiko likes her. Maybe she was being insecure. Even if Shouta was wrong, and Nagihiko didn't like her, Rima never gave herself a fighting chance because she wrote herself off as someone less than. She thought she was less than the probably non-existent girlfriend, and less than Minazaki Yura.

She wandered back into the girl's room, everyone was acting as if it was one big sleep over as usual, whilst getting ready for dinner that night. She wanted to bust into the boys room and ask Nagihiko how he feels and demand that he hear her out—finally. She couldn't bring herself to move or do anything really, she just stared off into space.

"Hey Rima? Hello? Rima?" Saaya waved her hands in front of Rima's face, "Is this dress good for dinner?"

"Huh? Oh...yeah, sure." Rima managed to agree with a smile. She moved mechanically, she slipped the dark purple dress on and sat on her futon, just staring.

"Hey, Rima." That all too familiar voice whispered to her.

"Kukai? What are you doing in here?" Rima hissed, "Girls are getting dressed!"

Kukai sat on the futon beside her, cloaked by a big pink hoodie, "I know, I know, but listen I think I have solved the mystery…I just need to confirm your story."

"Kukai, Utau did it. We established this."

"Rima, please. I have been through a lot today and I am tired of saying it. I love Utau, with all my heart and I, as your friend, should be respected enough for you guys to value my judge of character. I do not think she did this, please just tell me what you did last night!"

Rima stared at him and shrugged as she began to tell her story

O.O.O.O

Nagihiko still looked like crap. They didn't have assigned seating for dinner, for once, and the whole gang sat together on one round table, apart from Utau. Kukai was nowhere to be found. Ikuto and Amu talked to each other as though they were afraid of upsetting one another but you could still see the longing and admiration for each other in every mannerism. Nagihiko, who looked as though a whale had spat him out on the table, kept a tired gaze on Rima and she returned it every now and then, but would always look away.

"Alright!" that voice everyone had been pestered by boomed throughout the restaurant, "What's up Seiyo basketball stars?"

"What is he doing?" Amu whispered to Ikuto. He just looked back at his girlfriend with a concerned look.

"Okay, okay, so I know you all woke up this morning and found papers like these in your luggage and other belongings," Kukai said holding up one of the flyers containing the love journal entries, "Well, my friends and I actually woke up to these first and we ended up thinking we solved the mystery. Some little boy said it was a pretty onee-san with pig tails, and so we all think it could only be Hoshina Utau, right?"

"Oh my god!" Lulu gasped, "What does he think he's doing?"

"I mean she is pretty, no doubt. Gorgeous. Of course she is. If you haven't heard, she is the love of my life."

There were awws heard all around the room. Utau's meatball rolled off of her fork, and she froze as she looked up from the table where she sat by herself.

"Since I love that girl more than anything, I knew that she didn't commit this horrendous act. So, I investigated a little." He grinned at the audience, "Guess what I realized? There is another pretty onee-san with pigtails here!"

For some reason, everyone stared at Yaya. She gripped onto Kairi's hand concerned.

"In Amu's story, she and Rima were discussing some friendship issues when someone interrupted them. Amu then gave this person permission to enter her laptop bag. In Yumi's story, she met the boy who made the flyers, and the journal was already in his possession. In Saaya's story, she merely awoke looking for the same person who was granted permission to go in Amu's laptop bag, but couldn't find her. Then, shortly after, Lulu awoke to find the flyers. I can tell what you all are thinking: who is this person? Well, I'm gonna let them confess in front of all you. They can't run, because Tsukasa-san and I have already apprehended the journal in this person's possession."

"Oh my god," Amu whispered covering her mouth in shock. Ikuto put his arm around and her and squeezed her shoulder, in an effort to relax the girl. There was silence and everyone was just looking, staring, at each other. Then finally there was a sound of a chair being scraped against the floor.

"So what if I like did it who gives?" Kamen asked annoyed, "I was only showing everyone their true colors, and it's not like you can arrest me or anything for this."

O.O.O.O

Okay the story is winding down now that everyone got out their frustrations in this chapter. I hope it was enough fluff for you all. Honestly, I'm not in much of a writing mood but I do feel like this chapter is a little better than the ones prior.

THANKS FOR READING! ONCE AGAIN, REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:

"She moved on!" Nagihiko shouted. He didn't care if the girls in the room could hear. Let the whole world hear! Shouta and her were pretty much public in Nagihiko's eyes anyway.

"I am sick and tired of the behavior I have seen on this trip! Ditching curfew to go to a concert! Fighting with your team members! Calling each other horrible things! The sneaking and the lying and the fighting has got to stop, and it stops today!"

After the last word that Tsukasa-sensei shouted, everyone froze.

"He told her what?"

Ikuto held the phone up securely to his ear. Why couldn't these people just be honest for once in their lives? He groaned and stared up at the ceiling with a dazed look.

I was addicted to my love for Fujisaki Nagihiko, and I tried to give up on him, but I couldn't, so eventually, I just pretended to had given up.