Ayako grinned at the boy opposite her. "Do you seriously mean to say that you sleep during class, Ryota! I must pay attention to you next time!"

Miyagi blushed and shrugged. "Not all the time!" in protest, but continued, "Ah well. After I flunked my exam, and I thought I couldn't play basketball again, I did feel like making more effort, you know…"

The happy voice floated off into the night.

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Rukawa noted that the girl was seriously following him. He debated turning around and asking her to buzz off, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. He was irritated and annoyed, and he knew more than sensed the glare directed from behind the girl onto his back. Do'aho…

"Rukawa-kun?" a quiet voice squeaked nervously from behind him. He ignored it and continued walking forward aimlessly, his hands shoved in his pockets as he fought to contain his frustration at being stalked like this. What is this girl doing…

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Fox! Hanamichi growled in his mind as he tried as best as he could to inconspicuously tail the pair around. What debauchery have you got in mind, making sweet Haruko-chan follow you around like that!

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"Rukawa-kun, I want to tell you something," she tried again. Her heart was pounding furiously, but the boy in front of her acted as though he hadn't heard as he continued walking. If anything, his stride grew bigger.

I should give up, she realized as disappointment hit her hard. Then the words of Ayako came floating back to her. You wouldn't want anyone else to get to him first, would you? and her resolve hardened by the merest degree.

"No," she murmured to herself as convincingly as she could. "I won't give up!"

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Ayako looked closely at Miyagi. She swore his blush was getting deeper, and that his eyes were fixed on the sand most of the time. His smile however, was the brightest she ever remembered, and she wondered if the rumors that he had a crush on her were true.

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Stupid fox, stupid fox! Hanamichi had to restrain himself from running over and throttling the kitsune. Haruko-chan wants to talk to you! How can you keep pushing her away? Haruko-chan! I am here if you need to talk! Don't talk to that stupid kitsune! For god's sake, I can't believe I'm seeing this! What does the fox have that I don't?! He growled to himself as the girl before him turned a corner and disappeared. He hurried after, cursing under his breath and rounded the corner, before he crashed into a shorter, smaller body and sent it sprawling to the ground.

"Sakuragi-kun!"

The taller of the two he had been following stopped and slowly turned around, his pale face impassive in the moonlight, and his eyes glittering shards of cold crystal. "Do'aho."

I can't believe this just happened to Tensai! Hanamichi could only stare numbly down at the girl he had just knocked down, before his gaze shifted to the normally expressionless stare of the fox. Moonlight swept down upon the three, frozen in a tableau.

End of part 3