"Kogure!" Mitsui tried again, but his nerve and voice were failing considerably in accordance with each other. The bespectacled boy sighed inwardly to himself and fixed his old friend with a slightly exasperated look.

"You've been shouting my name for the past half-hour, Mitsui," but then his gaze softened and he reproached himself for being unkind. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

The chance he was waiting for!

"Kogure…"

"Mm?"

"Nothing." Mitsui kicked himself silently in frustration as the other boy winced and continued walking.

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Haruko broke the stillness first, scrambling up with her eyes wide in surprise. "Sakuragi-kun! What are you doing here?"

"What? What am I doing here? Wha-what are the both of you doing here?!" he blustered. A snort, and Haruko wheeled around, the object of her persistence remembered. He had finally responded! She took a step towards him and took a deep breath. "Rukawa-kun?" It took a moment for her to realize that Rukawa's gaze was leveled at the redhead in a piercing stare. Oh no, please don't let them fight again!

"Rukawa-kun?" she tried again. The tension in the air mounted, until a sudden movement broke the silence again. The swish of Rukawa's jeans as he walked with slow, deliberate steps towards that of his nemesis. The glow in his eyes had darkened. Hanamichi was seething, prepared to strike…until Rukawa stopped a few inches in front of him, grabbed him roughly by the waist, and kissed him.

What's that drum and that sound?! Stop it! Hanamichi was gasping for breath now, his arms entwined in warmth as time seemed to slow down and flashes of light dance before his eyes. Burst of colors sprang into life in the night sky. Fireworks. Akagi had brought fireworks. That pounding, which filled his ears and his entire being. His heartbeat. A taste of sweetness, exploring his mouth, and hands which roamed hungrily, greedily upon his back and chest. Without thinking, he responded, his own hands searching, savoring the smooth touch of bare skin which pressed into his flesh. It was like a dream, a dream of silken touch and nimble fingers, running over him, and hotness, in his mouth and under his hands. Then logic exploded, and his eyes widened in pure unadulterated shock.

RUKAWA! OH MY GOD, WHAT IS HE DOING?! WHAT AM I DOING?! WHAT ARE WE DOING?!

A loud gasp and he was jolted back to reality, and he turned quickly, in time to see Haruko's face, a silent mask of shock and disbelief, wet with tears of pain before she spun and fled. "Haruko-chan!" he was about to race off after her when he was pushed forcefully to the ground.

@@@

Haruko ran all the way, the stitch in her side unnoticed, the sobs wracking her body as she collapsed onto the grass a few meters away from the campfire. What had she just seen? What had she just done? Had she seen correctly? Had Rukawa Kaede, the one she had had a crush on and was planning to tell of her feelings that very night, kissed her good friend and confidante Sakuragi Hanamichi? She fainted.

End of part 5