Yuki sighed with content as Gai put his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. The night was going along wonderfully. Gai was being a perfect gentleman, and the Doki Doki Kokoro movie was great. She blinked as he turned to face her. "Yuki," he murmured, his face agonizingly close to hers. "Yuki, I..." She knew what he was going to say, and she smiled softly. She leaned in, eager to hear the words, vaguely noticing the cherry blossoms wafting in the breeze. Funny, a distant part of her mind commented, it wasn't cherry blossom season just yet. Gai's eyes were closed now, and Yuki found herself closing her eyes, too, and they were drawing closer and closer... And then a giant mechanical foot crushed the school. Yuki screamed as the mecha's hand wrapped around her and lifted her into the air. Takeshi cackled from within the cockpit. "Now you're mine, Yuki-chan! And I won't ever let you go!" he yelled triumphantly. "Put me down!" Yuki's fists beat ineffectively against the metal. "Gai, help me!" Gai stared up from his position on the ground, then with a whirl of a cape (she wasn't sure where it came from), he was dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. "Don't worry, Magical Princess Emerald!" he declared, "I'll help you!" Yuki just stared as Gai started beating the mecha's foot with his cane. She blinked again as she realized she was in a sailor suit. "Argh! Now I'm a magical girl! Somebody help me!" "OOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Magical Princess Diamond is here!" a voice crowed from above Yuki. She craned her neck and spotted Saikyo powerposing with a glowing sword on the mecha's shoulder, predictably wearing a short-skirted sailor outfit. Beside her were Asako, Moemi, and Gina, all in uniform. "Great! Can you get me out of here?" Saikyo helping her was a bit weird, Yuki would admit, but whatever the sailor team had up their sleeves had to be more effective than Gai whacking the foot with a cane. Especially if Saikyo could use that sword of hers... "Certainly, peasant girl," Saikyo smirked. "With the power of our love we can defeat anything!" She immediately dropped the pointy glowing doom and pulled out a kazoo, then started playing the Doki Doki Kokoro opening theme, the other sailors joining in. Yuki sweatdropped as Takeshi laughed. "You cannot defeat me! Yuki's mine!" All seemed lost, but then she spotted a lone figure, staring up at her. "Shiro!" Yuki called. "Shiro, you have to help me!" She tried squirming free again, but Takeshi just tightened his grip. Shiro raised an eyebrow but didn't budge. Yuki could suddenly see his eyes as though she were standing before him, and they looked the same as they had when he watched the puppy die. She winced, then choked as black smoke surrounded her. "Wha- Kuro?" she coughed in disbelief. Her onetime savior yanked her free of the mecha's grasp, then jumped off the hand, landing catlike on the ground. Takeshi howled in disappointment as Kuro ran off with her in his arms. All too soon, Kuro set her down. "Now, Magical Princess Emerald," he began. Yuki shivered and watched another batch of cherry blossoms go by. Her uniform left much to be desired in the insulation department. She looked up at Kuro. "Will you tell me who you are?" she asked, though the back of her mind told her she already knew. "Of course." He ripped off his mask, and Kenichi leered at her. "You're mine now, Yuki-chan," he grinned as he grabbed her wrist. Yuki resisted, eventually pulling free as the sound of the kazoos filled her ears. * * * * * Heart Heart High Created by NeoPuu Episode 42: Doki Doki Kokoro! A Night to Remember By Ardweden * * * * * Yuki sat up, blearily noticing the Doki Doki Kokoro music screaming out of her radio. She yawned and stretched, smiling faintly. It was going to be a good day. Then she glanced at the clock. "KYAAAAAAA! I'm laaaaate!" Hurricane Yuki swept into action, performing her morning rituals in a frenzy of activity. She stormed downstairs. "Hi Mom no time for breakfast gotta get to school bye!" And she was out the door. "Wait, Yuki-chan!" Mrs. Yoshikawa called after her, holding up a paper bag. "You forgot your lunch!" "Oh, right!" Yuki returned in a cloud of dust, grabbed the bag, and ran out again. "Thanks Mom bye!" Yuki's mother stared after her daughter and shook her head. "And she was getting so much better at waking up on time over the past few weeks, too," she sighed to herself. * * * * * Humming contentedly, Yuki sat at her usual table. The morning had passed in a blur, much like the previous day. She smiled in anticipation. That night, she was going to the live action Doki Doki Kokoro premiere. She was so glad everything was okay between hear and Gai. Things felt... right. "Hi Yuki!" Gina greeted as she sat in front of her friend. She was followed closely by Asako and Moemi. "Hi!" Yuki grinned. "You're in a good mood," Asako observed as she unwrapped her recently-bought sandwich. "Of course." Yuki's eyes sparkled. "Today is a shining new day," she singsonged. "I don't see what's so special about it," Asako muttered around her sandwich. She swallowed, then brightened. "Ne, Yuki. Do you want to go shopping with me after school? I saw the cutest dress..." "I'm sorry," Yuki apologized. "But I already have plans for tonight." "Going to see the Doki Doki Kokoro movie, right?" Gina asked with a wink. "I'm not really into that kind of thing, but I heard from *someone* that it's premiering today." "Yep!" Yuki affirmed. A few tables down, just within earshot, Saikyo clenched her fists until her knuckles were white. "Really, a live action Doki Doki Kokoro movie. Such a thing can not be as good as the real anime. Don't you think, Takeshi?" Takeshi nodded and opened his mouth to say something, then paused. If they could hear Yuki, then she could probably hear him, which meant that if he proclaimed the goodness of anime, then she might think even worse of him... "Uh... let's go back to talking about the skit, okay?" He placed a hand behind his head and laughed nervously. "Of course, of course," Saikyo scoffed, "Let the peasants waste their money." Takeshi coughed. "Right." He jotted notes down as Saikyo talked about what she had in store for her part as Reiko, but his heart just wasn't in it. He could hear Yuki's laughter from the other table, and it pained him to think she wouldn't share it with him anymore. But why? Maybe being an anime geek had something to do with it, but he had to be sure. He didn't want to give up something he enjoyed so much, but for Yuki... for Yuki, maybe. He sighed. Yuki was the first real friend he had in a long time, maybe ever, and she introduced him to a whole world of people that were always sitting right in front of his face. It wasn't that the anime club weren't his friends, but... in his mind, they didn't count. They never hung out with him or anything outside of the club; they probably figured he was too geeky even for them. He shook his head as Yuki's laughter once again floated over. He had to talk to her, and soon. "So yeah. I wonder what I should wear," Takeshi heard Yuki muse. "I've never been to a movie premiere before. Oh, this is so so difficult!" "Something simple, yet elegant, you ignorant peasant," Saikyo muttered under her breath. "Though that would be difficult for you." She stabbed viciously at her food with a fork. "I'm sure that whatever you wear will be fine," Moemi said with a small smile. She took a quick, nervous glance around the cafeteria. "Has anyone seen Shiro-san?" Yuki shook her head. "Nope. He wasn't here yesterday, either..." "He's sick," Asako said as she sipped her tea. "Sick?" Gina blinked. "Weird. I always thought Shiro didn't get sick." Asako glared at her. "Well he does, okay? I don't see what the big deal is." "Ah... I was just curious, Asako-chan," Moemi stated hastily, noticing that Asako's hands were shaking. "Anyway, I think I can go shopping with you tonight." She glanced at the other two girls. Yuki and Gina were staring at Asako as if in a trance; they must have noticed her hands, too. "It should be fun. Ne, Yuki-chan?" "Huh?" Yuki shook her head rapidly. "Oh yeah! Yeah, it'd be lots and lots of fun! Fun fun fun!" She laughed as she nudged Gina with her toe, and a bit of uncertainty entered Asako's eyes. "Yeah!" Gina chirped. "I'd go with you if I didn't have to work tonight." She mentally soothed her sore shin. A shaky smile appeared on Asako's face. "Are you sure?" Yuki nodded rapidly. "Sure I'm sure! You guys'll have a blast." Disaster averted, the conversation moved onto less dangerous things. * * * * * Reina stood by the school gates as she watched people stream past her. She was mostly unnoticed, though she did catch curious glances and whispers aimed in her direction. She chuckled. No doubt they were curious about her school uniform. It was unfortunate that the lower class was a little ignorant of some of the finer things, but it really wasn't her problem, nor was it her duty to educate them. She shifted nervously. Actually, she felt a bit out of her element. The students walking by were so loud and boisterous. Childish, even. At her own school, people left in a much more polite, orderly fashion. Reina wrinkled her nose. The sooner she found the person she was looking for, the sooner she could leave. And then she spotted him, walking with a slight smile on his face and even a small skip in his walk. "Gai!" she yelled as she ran up to him. He turned to her, and his eyes widened. "Reina? What are you doing here?" Reina laughed. "I had a half day." She fell into step next to Gai. "So I figured it'd be fun if I met you after school. Um... are you busy tonight? I was thinking we could go do something." Gai shook his head. "Nope. Got other things I promised to do." "Oh." Reina bit her lip, then beamed. "I'll walk you home then, okay?" she asked cheerily, trying to hide her disappointment. "Sure," Gai grinned. "Normally I walk with Gina, but I think she went to talk to the English teacher." Reina nodded and sighed. "That's too bad. I really wanted to actually talk to her." "Yeah, well." Gai shrugged. They walked along for a bit in silence, enjoying the afternoon sun. Reina opened her mouth to finally say something when Gai asked, "What should someone wear to a movie premiere?" Reina stared. "You don't know?" Laughing nervously, Gai replied, "Well, no." "Well," Reina considered, "You probably want to wear a dress shirt and some nice pants. Nothing too formal like a suit or something." She cocked her head to one side, regarding him. "So you're going to one?" "Ah..." Gai hesitated, and the Shangri-la came into view. "I'd better go. Mom probably needs help in the kitchen. See you later, Reina. And thanks for walking with me!" He smiled at her, then ran off. "I'm sure she does," Reina almost whispered. She narrowed her eyes. A movie premiere, hmm? The only one premiering that day was that live action Doki Doki Kokoro one. And he didn't seem to be the sort that was interested in shoujo. Unless... he was going with someone. Reina turned on her heel and started making her way home. This definitely deserved looking into. * * * * * Questionable odors rose from the bubbling concoction sitting on the stove. Gina grabbed a nearby wooden spoon and started stirring, turning to look at the cookbook. Her brow was furrowed in concentration; cooking was never one of her strong points, but she did enjoy trying. After checking the book a third time, she smiled. It should be finished. Now, to get someone to try it out... she heard footsteps. Perfect! Turning off the stove, she peeked out of the kitchen door and grabbed her brother by the arm. "Awk!" he squeaked out as she pulled him in. "Just the person I was looking for!" Gina crowed. She stopped before the stove. "Taste." "Er..." Gai backed away. "You've been cooking again, haven't you?" "That's right! And even if you're going out with Yuki, I still expect you to try my stew, Brother." Gina grinned almost evilly. "Um." Gai looked around and noticed that Gina had strategically placed herself between him and the door. He swallowed nervously. "Okay. Okay, I'll try it." "Great!" Gina scooped out some of the stew. Well, it was a passable imitation for stew, anyway. Maybe. Gai made a face. "On one condition." Gina paused. "What's that?" "Um... you gotta give me advice." He blushed slightly. "I've never been on an actual... uh... date before." "Oh! Sure." Gina laughed. "Open wide, Brother dear." And she popped the spoon into Gai's mouth. He chewed for a moment, thoughtfully, and his face paled slightly. With a great deal of effort he swallowed, then ran to the sink and started drinking the tap water. "It was bad, wasn't it?" Gina sighed. "What did I do wrong?" "Not that bad," Gai coughed, trying to keep his eyes from watering. "A little too thick, though. And spicy. I really don't think it's supposed to be that spicy." "I'll keep that in mind." Placing a lid over the pot, she walked over to Gai. "So, what exactly do you want to know?" she asked as she rinsed off the spoon. "Well, um." Gina noted with amusement that Gai suddenly found the floor extremely interesting. "What do... y'know, what do girls like? On a date." "Hmm." Gina pondered. "Well, maybe take her to someplace after the movie... how about dinner or ice cream? Yuki would like that. And don't move too fast," Gina warned. "It's just the first date, after all." Gai nodded. "What about flowers and stuff?" "Ah, I wouldn't really expect them." Gina shrugged. "I mean, it's the first date. To me, flowers should be saved for a really special occasion, like birthdays or Valentine's or something." "Oh." Gai mulled what his sister told him over as he checked the clock. "I have to get ready!" He hugged Gina. "Thanks, Sis," he said before he ran out the door. Gina chuckled as she put the spoon in the dishwasher. "Anytime." * * * * * Yuki took deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. She was serene; she was calm. She was definitely *not* nervous. She was just going to go to a movie with Gai. That was it. Nothing to be nervous about. Oh, who was she kidding? She was practically trembling. "I hope I hope I hope this goes well," she whispered, clasping her hands and shutting her eyes as tightly as she could. She was wearing her best pastel blue dress, with small, pink ribbons tying up the sides. Turning her attention to the hem, she ran her fingers along it. It probably wouldn't be so bad. Gai was fun to be around; he would show up with flowers, and they'd enjoy the movie, and maybe even... Yuki blushed slightly. He was awfully cute, she had to admit. She shivered a bit. It'd be so romantic. The doorbell rang, and Yuki fell out of her chair. She shook her head, then stood, straightening her hair. It had to be him! She ran over to the door, pulled it open, and blinked. Gai stood before her, except he didn't exactly look like Gai. She never saw him in anything more formal than a school uniform; she didn't know he owned dress pants and shoes, or even a nice shirt. And his hair was combed, too. "Gai?" "Um... hi, Yuki." Gai smiled nervously. "You... um, you look really nice." Yuki beamed. "Really? Thanks!" She stepped out and hugged him, then paused. "Well, are you ready to go? We've gotta get there soon." "Yeah. Yeah, sure." Yuki sighed inwardly. No flowers. "Yuki?" Gai looked at her with concerned eyes. "Is something wrong?" Yuki shook her head. "No, no! Nothing's wrong. Let's just go." She started walking off on her own. Gai looked after her, scratching the back of his head, then caught up. It didn't seem right for her to be alone like that. He reached over, hesitantly, and took Yuki's hand, then blinked in surprise. It was sweaty. She smiled shakily at him, and he returned it. They continued like that for some time, until Gai manage to hit an extra large crack in the sidewalk with his toe. "Ack!" He fell forwards, only to have Yuki hold his hand with both of hers and pull him back up. "Are you okay?" she asked. Gai blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Everything's... all right." He stood straight and brushed himself off, then grinned as he offered her his arm. Yuki giggled as she accepted, and they proceeded to their destination. * * * * * "What do you mean I can't get in?" Reina snapped. "I'm sorry, miss, but the Doki Doki Kokoro live action movie is sold out." The ticket lady looked down her nose at the irate red- haired teenager before her. "Oh, come on! I *need* to get in there!" The girl reached into her purse and pulled out a wad of bills. "Surely you must have some left over. How much do you want? Four thousand yen? Five thousand?" "I just told you, they're not for sale," the ticket lady sighed. "Like hell they're not!" Reina shoved a wad of money into the booth. "Take it! Just let me in!" The woman pushed it back. "No. Now leave before I call security." Reina gaped. Why, the sheer *audacity* of that woman, speaking to her as if she were a child! She scowled and whirled, stalking off. "And where are you going?" a voice asked, not far behind her. "What?" Reina looked over her shoulder to see him. That same young man she met when she saw Gai for the first time. He was still wearing that same damnable smirk, too. She growled. "What do you want?" "To help you, of course." He was all smiles. "I noticed you having some problems getting in. Lost your ticket?" he asked mockingly. "I am not here to play mind games with you," Reina snorted. She turned to leave just as the young man's eyes narrowed, and he pulled a pair of thick slips of paper out of his pocket. Reina was at his side in an instant, staring at the tickets. "Why those are..." "A pair of tickets for the Doki Doki Kokoro premiere, yes." The young man chuckled. "What do I have to do to get them? I'll do anything!" Reina declared as she made a grab for the tickets. "Ah ah ah." The young man pulled them back, just out of her reach, and waggled his other hand's pointer finger at her. "Not until you pay the price." A smile grew on his face. "And you did say anything." Reina snorted as she folded her arms. "I am not about to give up my virginity to a dolt like you." "Oh, you think so little of me? I'm crushed." He actually pouted for a moment, then brightened instantly. "Don't worry, I'm only after a bit of monetary gain..." "Very well then." Reina opened her purse. "I'll take one." The young man gasped in mock horror. "But this is a *pair* of tickets! You can't possibly intend to break them up! Buy both or nothing. Ten thousand yen." "Ten thousand?" Reina gasped. "But that's--" "Exorbitant, I know." He grinned ferally. "But you don't have much choice, do you?" Reina muttered under her breath. "Fine, fine. Ten thousand it is." She pulled out her wallet and counted the correct amount, then held it out to him. He raised an eyebrow and put a finger to his chin. "On second thought, no." "What do you mean, 'no'?" Reina snapped. "We had a deal!" "Of course. But I simply can't give them away with the knowledge that they won't remain a pair! Really, all you're going to do is use one for yourself and probably throw the other out." His eyes glinted. "That's hardly fair, is it?" "All right, all right! I'll go with... uh..." Reina looked around, scrambling to find someone. With the exception of the geeky, short kid with surprisingly thick glasses, everyone was middle aged or older. She sighed. He would have to do. "I'll take him," she stated as she snatched the tickets from the young man's hand and stuffed the money into his other. Stomping up, Reina grabbed the boy's wrist, forcefully dragging him away from the animated conversation he was conducting with the ticket lady. "Hey!" he protested. "What do you think you're doing?!" Kenichi whistled a merry tune as he pocketed his money and walked away. * * * * * "Let go of me!" Takeshi demanded as he wrenched his wrist free. The red-haired girl turned to glare at him, and he adjusted his glasses, then glared back. "What do you want?" "Here." She held a piece of paper out to him. Takeshi blinked, startled, then took it. "This... it's one of those tickets," he said with wonder. The girl nodded, then shrugged. "I wasn't going to use it. Good day." She turned to leave. "Wait!" Takeshi grabbed her by the arm, and she eyed him curiously. He blushed and let go. "Domo arigatou," he stuttered out, bowing deeply. Straightening, he coughed. "My name's Takeshi Moriyama." "I'm Reina Yamamoto." She nodded to him. "Good bye." Takeshi stared after her as she walked away. She was beautiful... He blinked. Right, he had to find Yuki and talk to her. Glancing at the ticket, he went off in search of the right entrance. * * * * * "Ne, Gai?" Yuki whispered, nudging him lightly. "I'm kinda hungry... but I forgot my wallet. May I borrow some money and get popcorn?" Gai reached into his pocket. "Um... okay." He paused. "Oh! Er. I'll get it, Yuki," he coughed nervously, getting to his feet. "I'll be back in just a minute." Yuki smiled happily, confirming that he'd correctly performed the approved action. "Thanks, Gai! That'd be really really great!" Yuki settled back in her seat as Gai made his way down the aisle, pondering the date up to this point. Okay, so the flowers had been a disappointment. And so far things were a little stiff and awkward - not exactly as she'd imagined. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she stared into space, constructing the perfect date in her shoujo- influenced mind. Gai would turn up at the door, one hand hidden behind his back, dressed in an immaculate and perfectly pressed tuxedo. When she walked out dressed in her elegant midnight blue evening gown she would blush only very slightly at the look of ardent appreciation in his eyes, then smile graciously as he reached for her hand with his free one. "May I?" he'd ask, already bowed over slightly. She wouldn't say yes or no, of course, merely give him an intriguing smile that dared him to be a man! He'd smile too, acknowledging the challenge, then drop his head and kiss her hand lightly. Naturally, she wouldn't giggle, but would maintain her radiant composure! Then Gai would bring out his hidden hand with a flourish, presenting her with a small card (in which he'd written a poem praising her beauty and strength of character), a beautifully wrapped gift box of Meiji bonbons and a stunning long-stemmed rose. "It's beautiful!" she'd gasp, taking the rose in her delicate hands. "You shouldn't have!" He'd smile at her with those dancing hazel eyes of his and say- "Here's the popcorn, Yuki." Yuki blushed furiously. "Thanks, Gai," she mumbled, trying not to make eye contact as she took the proffered cardboard box. He stared at her, confused. "Um... are you okay?" "Oh yes!" Yuki chirped, still blushing. "Everything's just fine!" "Oh. Um. Good," Gai sat back down, his eyes still bewildered. Yuki nibbled on her popcorn and stole a look at him through her eyelashes. He really was very cute. "Ne, Gai," she said, offering him the salty snack. "Popcorn?" He smiled at her, eyes lighting up as he reached eagerly into the carton. "Sure! Thanks!" Yuki smiled back. Okay, so it wasn't *perfect*. But it was... nice, all the same. * * * * * Reina sighed. There was no sign of Gai. She searched the entire theater, and while she found someone in a cotton candy colored dress that looked vaguely familiar, she still didn't spot Gai. And now the lights were dimming. She hurried over to her seat, as being caught standing when the movie started would be very bad form. Besides, she could catch a glimpse of Gai and whomever he was with on his way out. Yes, that's what she would do, she decided as she sank into her seat. She didn't want to confront him face to face, though. "Hi!" a voice greeted. "Gah!" Reina almost fell out of her chair. "What's the big idea, you- oh, it's you." Takeshi nodded. "It looks like we got seats next to each other." "Yeah," Reina replied as she remembered the young man's words. The tickets were a *pair*... oh, the sneak! "Reina-san?" Takeshi fidgeted. "Hm?" Reina raised an eyebrow. "Um. It's not right for me to take advantage of your generosity like this. How much was my ticket?" Reina blinked. He wanted to pay for it? She sighed inwardly, feeling a twinge of guilt for using him before. "Three thousand yen," she lied. "But don't worry about it. Okay?" She smiled sweetly. He shook his head. "No, I owe you. I'll get you the money somehow, Reina-san. I go to Chuubu Shin High School, so you can catch me there... I should be able to get it in a couple weeks." "Chuubu Shin, hmm? Would you know Gai and Gina Jacquard?" "Gai and Gina? Yeah, they're my classmates. Really neat people," Takeshi grinned. Reina smiled. "Then maybe you can talk with me about them until the movie starts? I'm a friend of Gai's, and I met Gina before, but I'm not really from your area. And please..." She racked her memory for the right name. "Takeshi-san, don't worry about the ticket." * * * * * Gai's eyes unfocused as he tried to hold back a yawn. He looked to his left. Yuki was staring in rapt attention at the screen, practically mouthing every word each character said. He wondered how she could do that; surely shoujo wasn't *that* predictable. He twiddled his thumbs as he studied Yuki a bit more. She really was cute... very cute, in fact; that's what first drew him to her. She always had this energy and spunk that no one else did... He blinked. That must have been what he was really missing when Yuki was mad at him. Her energy. She had seemed so lifeless compared to the way she usually was. And then, suddenly, Yuki was looking back. Her green eyes peered into his hazel ones. They were shining, almost eager for something. He felt his cheeks burning, and he tore his gaze away and reattached it to the screen. What was that? A mere ten minutes later, Gai found his eyelids drooping again. He pondered turning to look at Yuki. Oddly enough, he found her more interesting to watch than this silly live action shoujo stuff. But if he did, then maybe she'd look at him again, and then... He blinked as he caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking to his left ever so slightly, he noticed that Yuki was leaning slightly towards him while still watching the screen. Gai idly wondered what it would be like to put his arm around her shoulders and draw her close... what kind of feeling that would cause. He recalled all the hugs she'd given him, and smiled, about to try it on sheer impulse when he stopped. Gina did tell him not to move too fast, and maybe that was too fast. He folded his hands together and kept them firmly on his lap, refusing to budge. Better safe than sorry. * * * * * Takeshi squinted as the lights came back on and the credits finished rolling. "That was... different." Reina nodded. "I liked the orchestrated version of the theme, though. It was a lot better than the original." Her companion shrugged, careful to keep a neutral face. "I wouldn't know." He mentally agreed with her, but she didn't need to know that; he had a reputation, as it was, to keep up. Besides, *she* didn't know he was an anime freak. And if she did... well, she'd probably stop talking to him altogether. Just like Yuki. "Oh yeah!" he yelled, jumping up from his seat. Reina stared up at the geeky boy. "What is it now?" "I have to meet someone at the exit." Takeshi's glasses glinted ominously. "That's right!" Reina shot up and grabbed her purse. "Me too. Better get going." She hurriedly made her way to the back of the theater, Takeshi following close behind. They stood behind an open door, peeking around the corner. Neither would admit to the other that they were doing it to conceal themselves from view, and neither would ask for fear of being asked the same question. People walked out the doors, the flow becoming smaller and smaller, but Yuki and Gai didn't pass by. Takeshi was about to give up when he heard a familiar voice. "Kurumi-san's acting as Tobuko was fantastic, but I don't know if it fit the character too well, with Kurumi-san tending to play serene characters and Tobuko being full of energy, although she really did that third scene well, and that matters a lot because it was one of the most important scenes in the whole show! I mean, a lot of things changed from the anime, which kinda makes sense, but Okami and Jiro shouldn't have been fighting over Tobuko; it should have been Okami and Aoi! I guess they figured there were too many characters to fit into the movie, but still, it would have been nice for Aoi to at least make an appearance... although Maki still showed up and helped Jiro out, which is what she does in the anime, and that was a pretty important plot twist if you think about it, and the kiss at the end between Okami and Tobuko was *so* romantic!" she babbled, finally gasping for air. Turning around, she walked backwards as she addressed the person trailing behind her. "Don't you think? Hmm? I mean, you might not know all the details, but- ack!" she cried as she ran into the door with her back. There was a thud, and two bodies fell, face first, onto the carpeted floor. "Oh! I'm so so sorry! Are you okay?" Yuki asked as she helped a red-haired girl up. She looked a bit familiar, but Yuki couldn't quite place her. "Yes, I'm all right." The girl blinked at Yuki, then shook her head and helped the boy up. He was a bit shorter than average height, with extremely thick glasses and had unkempt hair. "Takeshi?" Yuki gasped. She looked from Takeshi to the girl and back. "I didn't know you were going to be here!" "What?" Takeshi stuttered. "But I- um-" "Reina? Takeshi?" Gai walked up behind Yuki. "You two know each other?" Reina laughed nervously. "Well, it's a pretty involved story..." "I bet they're going out," Yuki supplied. Gai grinned. "Well, you can tell us the whole story in a little bit. Yuki and I were going for- oof!" "What he was saying," Yuki explained as she discreetly removed her elbow from Gai's stomach, "Was that we really have to be going." She stepped over to Reina and whispered in her ear. "Good luck. I hope you can change his evil evil ways." Stepping back, Yuki favored Reina with a smile, glared at Takeshi, and walked off. The other teenagers stared after her. "Huh?" Reina intelligently remarked. "I... guess I'd better be going." Gai smiled apologetically. "Be seeing you." He started after Yuki when Takeshi grabbed his wrist. "Gai, can you do me a favor?" the otaku asked. Gai blinked; he'd never heard Takeshi use such a desperate tone of voice before. "Sure, what is it?" "Can you find out why Yuki dislikes me all of a sudden? I mean, I have a suspicion, but I really don't know." Takeshi's voice was just barely above a whisper, and Gai got the suspicion that he was about to cry. "Sure." Takeshi looked up in surprise, and saw a considerable amount of... understanding? on Gai's face. "Yeah, Takeshi. I'll do that for you." And then the understanding was gone, replaced by his usual cocky grin. "I'd better go after Yuki. See you too lovebirds later!" He winked and ran after his date. Takeshi's mouth hung open, and Reina put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and saw her smiling at him reassuringly. She really was beautiful. "Let's get one thing straight," she said. "What's that?" "We are *not* dating." * * * * * Gai and Yuki walked down the street, closer to each other than when the day started. The full moon was high in the sky, and the stars, the ones they could see, were winking down at them. Yuki sighed a sigh of contentment. Okay, so the day wasn't as good as she thought it would be, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. "Thanks for the ice cream," she said again. "No problem." Gai puts his hands in his pockets and looked up at the night sky. They were going to reach Yuki's place soon, and if he was going to bring it up, it was time. "Yuki..." "Yes, Gai?" Yuki prompted, hearts practically forming in her eyes. "Why are you being so mean to Takeshi?" "Urk." Yuki almost facefaulted. She managed to stop herself just in time. Gai looked at her curiously. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm all right." Yuki composed herself and continued walking alongside Gai. "Well?" "Well what?" "What about Takeshi?" Yuki sighed. "I don't want to talk about it." She shuddered involuntarily. The thought of one of her friends... her *former* friends... being such a pervert sickened her. "It's too horrible." "Well, he looked awfully confused back there. And hurt. Maybe you should talk to him? I mean, really talk?" Gai looked down at the sidewalk. "You did it for me." "I," Yuki started. She shook her head and sighed. A second chance. Even if he was a pervert and maybe a stalker... "I'll think about it." Gai nodded, and the two turned onto Yuki's street. A few more minutes, and they reached her house. Yuki turned to Gai, and they both spoke at once. "Yuki." "Gai." Laughing, Gai gestured to Yuki. "You go first." "Okay. Um. Well, I had a really really fun time tonight, Gai." Yuki smiled at him. "Even if it wasn't exactly what I expected. Thank you." "Yeah." Gai grinned. "Me too. We should do this again." Yuki nodded. They stood in silence. Yuki played with her hem. Gai scraped at the ground with his dress shoes. "So," Gai finally said. "What now?" "I... I guess I should go in." Yuki hugged Gai. "Good night." He hugged her back. "Night." She didn't let go. He breathed in the scent of her hair and sighed. He was even tempted to close his eyes. Yuki was close to him, so close; he could feel her warmth and hold her close and he didn't want to let go. So he didn't. They stood like that... he didn't know how long, but he never felt closer to a person than that. But eventually Yuki pulled away. And Gai looked down at her, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with anticipation, nervousness, and a small amount of fear, and Gai found himself, almost against his will, bending forward and closing his eyes... "Just *what* do you think you are doing to my daughter?" a bold voice demanded. Gai and Yuki started, instantly jumping some five feet away from each other. The owner of the voice: a middle aged, balding, but rather large Japanese male, stomped down the walkway, certain death in his eyes. Gai eeped and shrank from the man's stern gaze. "Hmm? Explain yourself, young man." The middle aged man stopped and folded his arms across his chest. "Daddy, stop it," Yuki protested. "This is Gai Jacquard. He's been my friend ever since we moved here." He raised his eyebrow at Gai. "You never told me about him." "You're never around!" Yuki stomped her foot. "You're never ever around except for late at night and early in the morning!" Mr. Yoshikawa sighed. "Yuki, we've had this talk a number of times. You know that I have to do my job..." Yuki shook her head and hugged Gai. "Night." She quickly let go and ran for the house, slamming the door behind her. Mr. Yoshikawa regarded Gai for a long moment and... winked at him. He followed his daughter in at a more leisurely pace. Gai blinked a couple times, then shook his head, looking up at the moon and the stars. He smiled faintly as he began his trek home. * * * * * Next time, on Heart Heart High: "Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother." "Huh? Bother doing what?" "Never mind." Episode 43: Dark Dark Clouds! What About the Silver Lining? * * * * * Author's Notes 42: Bad Bad Ardweden! No Cookie for You! That took a while. ^_^; Sorry it's so late. Real Life struck in many many nasty ways... and is still striking, actually, but that's besides the point. :P I don't know how coherent I am right now (going on *very* little sleep), so if I stop making sense I hope you'll forgive me. ^_^ First, I gotta say that the excellent Yuki/Gai popcorn and daydreaming scene wasn't written by me. It was written by Phoebe instead. When I got to that scene, I was stuck for a beginning, so I asked (as I tend to) someone to help me out by giving me a starting phrase or paragraph... Phoebe did so, then got inspired, and I put it in. ^_^ So that's her writing. Wai! Many thanks to #HHHitSquad for date suggestions and support. Without them, I probably wouldn't have been able to write the date scenes. And that would have been bad! Or something. And more thanks to Phoebe, Ravi, Damien, Mechalink, and NeoPuu for prereading this silly thing and shooting down errors where they stand. I have a quick apology to make to Scott Stockton for not using his taglines. I completely forgot about them until most of this chapter was written, and while I did try to put them in *somewhere*, I just couldn't find a suitable place. ^_^; And that is that. Thanks for reading. ^_^ Ardweden (Bwaha! I avoided all Hitchhiker references! Neener neener nyah!)