"Got a problem?" the gray haired nine year old boy asked as he raked his hair up.

Ryoma flinched as his hairs rose to its ends, as Haruka narrowed her eyes. Her blush was no longer there, for the chubby boy had retired teasing her.

"You-chan?! Is that you?! But... what're you doing in here?" Ryoma asked, turning pale.

"And who the heck are you?" he shot back, examining the older one from head to toe.

At this query, a bell rung in Ryoma's head, reminding him he was supposed to be boyish and he wasn't supposed to know Youichi yet.

"Ugh... Ano..."

Youichi shifted his look to Haruka, who in turn winced at his darting eyes.

"You. Tell your boyfriend to kept out of someone else's business." He ordered as he pulled the small pink haired girl to his side.

"Wha?" Haruka asked, half puzzled and half blushing.

"I told you he's not my boyfriend!" she cried, bursting out from her composed image.

"Hey, hey... Don't tell me... that littlegirl's your..." Ryoma asked as he approached the two.

"She's my gf. Got a problem?" he finished his sentence.

The girl cried once more, failing to struggle herself free from his grip on her left wrist.

"No... Who told you that you're my boyfriend?!" she cried with childish tears.

"Shut up, moron." You-chan hollered, and the crying girl stopped with a few drops at the sides of her eyes.

"You... You..." Ryoma started as Haruka waited for his other words.

She thought him heroic as his back blazed, his fingers pointing at Youichi. The thought of him saving a little girl from the sleazy little guy amazed her a bit, though she kept denying it.

"You're corrupting minor, Youichi Hijiri. Just like your master Natsume!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled.

Not as what she was expecting, Haruka fell on her head with his ridiculousness.

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"And now where are we going?" Ryoma asked as Haruka walked a few steps ahead.

Her hair was a little messed up with the trouble Ryoma made with Youichi and his little girl friend, and this made her furious about her crazy companion, so they left the nursery right after You-chan was taught his lesson. She also got tired of the little kids' thoughts of her being Ryoma's girlfriend, and so, decided to bring him to another place.

So he likes kids after all. Wait until he reaches our next tour, there, he'll finally grow tired of me and surrender. She thought, panting hard until they both reached a big mall filled with nothing but clothes.

"Nani? First you brought me to that nursery, and now, to this shopping mall?"

"Got a problem?" she smirked, stepping inside the door a man in black opened for them. "You are my escort, so you have no choice but to be with me... unless you give up the job."

Ryoma smiled truly and followed her.

I've always known that guys hate shopping second in the list.

"Ohayou, Ms. Haruka Fujitama!" the ladies dressed in navy blue sailor suits greeted them.

Ryoma smiled and bowed at the people, while Haruka gave a slight bow.

The turquoise hair lad winced at the sight that the whole mall had no other customers besides them!

"Where're all the people?" he asked as he craned his head.

Haruka fixed her hair at a nearby mirror, and gazed up at him.

"Look! We're the only people around!"

Haruka smiled and walked along.

"I've reserved the entire mall for both of us." She said plainly as if it was no big deal, and this made Ryoma's jaw drop.

-

-

After a few hours of turning round and round the whole mega mall, Haruka finally slumped down a chair, all through-out exhausted of their trip. She had been choosing every blue skirt, blouse and shoes she saw, and bought it right away for Ryoma to carry once again. By this moment, the poor boy was still on the go, with a tall pile of shopping bags and boxes covering his face.

He wobbled here and there, falling here, and sweating there, picking up the things and saying sorry at the cold girl.

At this moment, he tipped over Haruka's leg and fell just before the bench where she sat on.

"Ugh... Can't you get anything right?" she asked, quite irritated as she fixed her tired hair.

"Gomeno!" he apologized and smiled at her, hurriedly picking up her shopping bags. "So, what else do you have to buy, Ms. Fujitama?" he asked after he was done.

Ugh... When does this guy give up? He likes kids, and now, even enjoys carrying stuff and shopping! Guess I have to bring him to another place, I guess I still have three hours left.

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"What?! They're gone?" Natsume yelled at the gray haired boy, who pouted his lips.

"Why? Know that idiot?"

"Of c-"

Ruka's hands came covering Natsume's lips as he smiled with a sweat.

"He's Natsume's cousin."

"No. The cousin of Natsume's-"

"Just damn tell us where'd the two go!" Natsume growled after he bit Ruka's hand.

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And so their search carried on, going to places where the thought Ryoma and Haruka would be. But every time they got there, they always ended up being too late, and that the couple had either just left, or had long been gone. Poor Natsume steamed even more, every place they got to, and he swore himself to make Mikan pay the next time he sees her. And much worst, he's sure he's going to destroy that watch if it's the last thing he'd do.

Grr... Why'd I even allow her use it in the first place?! Natsume thought after they went out the candy shop.

-

-

And if we look at the side of the hideous Haruka, she had brought Ryoma to every single place she knew a boy would hate, but all efforts went to nothing, until she finally gave up herself. She found Ryoma mysterious, yet amusing, at every place they went to.

She brought her to the house of the aged, and he said he loved taking care of old people.

They volunteered in a pet store, and she turned out to be the more disgusted of animals herself, and Ryoma? He said he loved animals, too.

And she brought him to many more places, but like I said, to no good.

To imagine, it was just in three hours!

-

-

"I give up!" she grunted, lying flat along the surface of the grass on top of a small hill.

Ryoma puckered a brow, and bent down at her.

"Give up?"

"Yeah. I give up! You won!"

"I won? Yes!!!" he rejoiced, but then realized he didn't know what she was talking about.

"I don't get it. What're you talking about?"

Idiot. He still didn't notice a thing. She thought, and a giggle escaped from her lips.

"And... Why're you laughing?" he asked as he scratched his cap.

"I don't know. I just... well..." she said with a smile that wasn't anymore a make up.

Ryoma fixed his cap and sat beside her.

It was too windy and the sun almost set, as the two looked over at the view, showing part of the resort's coverage.

Ryoma realized they were actually on the hill where Natsume confessed, and he got buried deep in his thoughts when he heard Haruka's giggle once again.

"What's funny?" he asked as she sighed deeply.

"Nothing. It's just that it's sunset and I haven't still got rid of you." She answered but Ryoma failed to digest it quite well.

"You're crazy, Ms. Fujitama." He said, and then covered his mouth when Haruka shot him a glance. "Ugh, sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"It's okay." She smiled. "I won't deny it. I am crazy."

"Eh?"

"You see. I've wasted such a wonderful day trying to pester you, but it all turned out to nothing at all. I wanted you to give up being my escort, but it seems you're too perfect to get pissed of me."

Ryoma scratched his head once more as he eyed her suspiciously, until all came into him.

"So you were doing that all along?!" he yelled with a giggle, and just in time, three shadows crept passed behind them.

-

"Ah... Finally!" Yuu exclaimed as they glanced at the laughing couple.

Ruka smiled and wiped a sweat, while Natsume had wide eyes.

That idiot.

-

"I guess. I had fun with you today."

Ryoma's face lit up.

"So... that means we could be friends?"

Haruka blushed and nodded at the same time.

"You could call me Haruka from now on." She said with a grin.

Haruka looked better now. She was smiling and the trace of fraud was nowhere to be seen as she talked with Ryoma. Her eyes had the twinkle as she spoke with him, and her lips weren't pale anymore.

They had a long conversation, and every improvement Haruka made, Natsume felt the weird thing that was about to happen.

Can't that idiot guess that Fujitama's starting to fall for her?! Natsume steamed as he turned his back and walked away.

"Hey, Natsume. Where're you going?" Ruka asked as he followed his best friend.

-

"Oh. I guess it's time to go, Haruka. It's getting dark later, and I think your dad won't like it." Ryoma said as he stood up.

The winds were getting stronger as he helped Haruka up. There was a powerful gust of wind that even carried his cap away to Haruka's direction.

"Oopse!" Ryoma uttered.

"No. I'll get it for you." She said as she chased the hat for him.

"So. I won't be happy if you're late again, okay?" she said with an anger-pretend tone as she picked up his hat.

At the corner of her eye, Haruka noticed three shadows snooping at them. Then in a split-second, two shadows ducked and only one was left, then one of the crouching shadows pulled the last one down with him.

But when she moved towards the direction, no one was there except for a pile of leaves.

"Is there something wrong, Haruka?" came Ryoma's voice.

"I thought... Nah." She shrugged the thought away and turned to Ryoma, raising his cap to him, and just in time when the sunset came.

Rays of orange light spread along their surroundings, as one ray showered Ryoma's face.

And, for the very first time, Haruka was able to examine Ryoma's face.

Ryoma smiled down at her wide eyes, and he noticed her false reaction.

"Is... There something wrong, Haruka?" he stammered as tears slowly fled down her cheeks.

And there, at the slightly dim light, she saw his turquoise hair, his brownish orbs, and his slightly pale complexion.

"What's the matter?" Ryoma repeated when his cap fell from her grip.

"Ha... Ha..." Haruka's voice came stammering tears continued to flow down her eyes.