Pairings: Yahiro x Megumi

Disclaimer: This is my first S.A fanfic so I'm kinda excited about writing this. I think that Yahiro and Megumi make a very interesting pair, don't you think so? =D

Oh yeah, it's a one-shot by the way. And I don't own any of the S.A characters. If I did, yahiro and Megumi should be a couple by now.

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It was a clear typical Sunday morning.

The sky was painted azure with splashes of white for the clouds and reddish-brown for the trees, a sign indicating the arrival of the autumn season.

As the sun's warmth began to spread, a certain brown-eyed girl with long, wavy hair was sitting alone in a tea shop. Yamamoto Megumi brought her cup of warm jasmine tea to her lips and sipped it gingerly with a contented expression on her face. She glanced up at the clock tower through the glass window just as it began to toll.

Ten o'clock.

It was her and Jun's favourite time of day when they would usually drink tea together right after their music lesson every Sunday. Megumi would listen to Jun talking animatedly about his violin lesson and his silly teacher's mad fuss over his mistake on the wrong note while waiting patiently for Ryu to show up.

Megumi sighed. It was all part of a distant memory now. Ryu and Finn were spending time together now that Finn was allowed freedom and had begun attending their school while Sakura was head over heels for Jun the moment they've met and had been going out ever since.

And of course, there's him. Yahiro Saiga.

Megumi slams her cup down with a little extra force. That evil heartless idiot. Just recalling his name sends her blood boiling mad.

It had almost been a year since she had accidentally confessed to that guy and then got rejected. Her heart was broken, of course. What did he think her heart was made out of anyway? Not that he cared. And it was entirely his fault that he forced her to blurt out her true feelings with that stupid penetrating gaze of his. To make matters worse, that idiot acted as if nothing had happened and continued on irritating her to no end.

Megumi startled, almost choking in her tea.

Oh drat, she had been thinking about him again. She wiped her mouth and stood up, getting ready to leave.

He still likes Akira and he clearly says that he wasn't interested in me so I don't see why I should like that idiot anymore.

Megumi cringed at the thought. Ow, that actually hurt.

Suddenly, a low beeping sound interrupted her thoughts.

Megumi pulled out and flicked open her cell phone. A new message filled the screen, waiting to be opened. Thinking that it must be Jun or Ryu, she felt a surge of relief and was about to push the button to read the message when her gaze fell upon the name of the sender.

Saiga, Yahiro.

Megumi's expression turned to horror as she clutched the edge of the table to prevent herself from losing consciousness.

W-what is this? Had he known that she had been thinking about him? She scanned the shop to make sure that no one was spying on her. Satisfied, she stared back at her phone. Should she open it? This could be another of his stupid jokes just to irritate her.

How annoying, Megumi thought, reseating herself. She might as well open it since he took up his time to irritate her. She hit open and the text message filled the screen.

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To: Y. Megumi

From: S. Yahiro

Hey, it's been a while, weirdo. It's pretty rare to find that you're not up to any mischief lately. Are you avoiding me just to try to steal away my good night's sleep again? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Anyway, I'm bringing my girlfriend to dinner tonight and wanted to ask if you would like to join us. Reply asap. If you're coming, bring along your writing pad. It always exhausts me to have to take care of you, you know that?

P.S. Don't start getting jealous about my girlfriend, alright?

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Megumi had to reread it twice to make sure she had registered everything correctly. She was apparently in a daze and it took her several moments to pull herself back into reality.

He. Have. A. WHAT!?

Megumi found herself exploding in fury. Had he texted her just so he could invite her to dinner along with his new GIRLFRIEND?!

She was shaking, clutching her phone with compressed anger. And he had assumed that she would be jealous of his new girlfriend! Why would she, a talented and a genius vocalist, be jealous of someone who was referred to as that idiot's GIRLFRIEND!?

At that moment, Megumi had loved the idea of breaking into his house and massacring that idiot herself. How dare this little brat say this to her! She fought herself to remain calm. Yahiro must have been expecting her to react this way from the very beginning. She inhaled deeply and let the anger dissipate.

She had to send that idiot a reply soon. Megumi picked up her phone. Should she decline? Megumi huffed at the thought that Yahiro was thinking of her being envious of his new girlfriend. Grrr, that brat!

Megumi texted her reply and hit send. Of course she would come and prove that she wasn't the least bit jealous of his woman. She was almost certain that he's doing all of this just to spite her and she's definitely not going to give that idiot the satisfaction just yet.

Megumi stood up, getting ready to leave. That brat dared to choose another girl over her - no, over Akira after he had said that he still liked her. The very reason that she was rejected in the first place.

She huffed irritably. That insolent little jerk!

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************

Meanwhile, at the Saiga residence, Yahiro had just finished his hour long board meeting with the heads of some other business companies.

"Tch, what an annoying bunch of useless people." He muttered irritably to himself. He was relieved that it was over. He was thoroughly exhausted but he couldn't have expected less, of course, since it was a bored meeting.

Yahiro sighed as he made his way towards his room. He was about to turn the door handle when his cell phone gave a peculiar sound. He withdrew his hand from the door handle and into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Sure enough, a new message by Megumi filled the screen.

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To: S. Yahiro

From: Y. Megumi

Excuse me but jealous? Why would I be jealous of your girlfriend? The word 'jealous' does NOT exist in my vocabulary. Anw, I am most honored to be going to dinner with you and your new girlfriend if you guys don't mind me tagging along. Oh, and I don't need you to remind me what to bring, btw. I can perfectly take care of myself without you.

.

Yahiro's lips widened into a smirk as he read the message. He had expected Megumi to react angrily at his message, resulting in sending him a more furious reply. So, she decided to take things calmly, eh?

He texted back the time he would pick her up and hit send. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and entered his room; any traces of earlier boredom had evaporated. He had planned to send his message to Megumi after his meeting had ended but it seems that time was dragging ever so slowly in that air-conditioned room so he decided to send it during the meeting to kill some time, much to some of the head companies' dismay.

He checked his watch. A quarter past ten. He had the remains of the morning to kill before going off to another meeting regarding some matters to which must be discussed and some paper work to be done.

Yahiro smiled to himself. He knew full well that Megumi wasn't the type of person to just sit still after receiving something as shocking as that text message that was sure to set her mind off. And even more if it is from him. He wondered curiously at how Megumi would react later that evening. Now that would be most interesting.

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************

Half past four.

It constantly amazed Megumi that the afternoon flew by in a blink of an eye since she had accepted Yahiro's invitation this morning.

Megumi was lying on top of her bed, arms spread out and staring blankly at the ceiling. After she had received Yahiro's message that he would pick her up at half past six, Megumi had gone straight home to tackle an even bigger problem – what to wear for dinner.

She hadn't had a clue where to start and she had taken hours to decide on her outfit alone. Should she wear her new jeans skirt? Or maybe her sleeveless blue dress? Her favorite flower-patterned blouse perhaps? What about accessories?

Megumi couldn't take the pressure anymore. This is the first time she had to think hard on what to wear to a simple dinner.

Simple dinner? Megumi thought. Yes, that's right. It's not a date with her dream guy or anything, though it probably is if not for the fact that he is bringing his girlfriend along.

If that is so, why did she bother going through all this trouble?

Megumi sighed. In about two more hours, Yahiro would arrive at her doorstep with a shiny and expensive-looking car and a super-hot lady at his side claiming to be the woman of his dreams.

Well, one thing's for sure. It's too late to back out now. She needed someone's help. She scrambled around her bed for her phone, groping for it until she had recovered it from under her lavender dress and began scanning for her helplines.

Akira?

No way, absolutely not. If she finds out what was happening, everything would be in a terrible mess and it would be all her fault. Besides, Akira will definitely fly into a fit and would kill Yahiro for dragging Megumi into the situation before anyone could talk some sense into her.

Hikari?

Megumi cringed. No, of course not. She's definitely out of the question. She's not the type of person to give her advice on this kind of thing. Even if she has no one else to turn to, Megumi wouldn't even think about Hikari being an option. She didn't even know why she had even considered her in the first place.

Sakura?

Megumi paused. Maybe she can help since she's the type of person who can give advice on fashion. She's also a good friend of Yahiro so it wouldn't be a surprise if she knew about this so-called girlfriend of his.

Megumi texted Sakura, saying that she needed her help and wanted her to come over to assist her in picking a dress.

Fifteen minutes later, a cheerful short-haired lady arrived at the doorstep of the Yamamoto residence.

"Megumi-chan~! I'm so glad that I can be of help to you!" Sakura's melodic voice echoed throughout the empty house. "Oh, and if you're looking for Jun, he's off going to the music store with Ryu."

Okay, Megumi scribbled on her sketch pad. I just needed your advice in picking a dress to wear to dinner tonight at a fancy restaurant.

"Ara? Dinner at a fancy restaurant, you say?" Sakura gave a mischievous smile. "With your boyfriend?"

Megumi immediately blushed crimson as she wrote furiously oh her sketchpad.

I-I-It's not like that! Yahiro is going to bring along his--

But unfortunately, it seems that something in Sakura's mind had finally snapped as she had registered only one word from Megumi's sketchpad.

"I knew it! So, Megumi actually does have a crush on Yahiro~! Eeee~!!" Sakura grabbed Megumi by the hands and began squealing loudly in her girly fashion at this new information. "I was right to have thought that both of you make a great couple!"

Megumi, on the other hand, was becoming more alarmed at Sakura's wrong interpretation but before she could even attempt to scribble a frantic word on her sketchpad, Sakura had completely believed in the misunderstanding. Nothing can stop her now.

"I'm so happy for you, Megumi-chan~!" Sakura smiled happily. "And with my help, Yahiro's going to see how really sexy you are tonight!"

WHAT!?

Megumi was horror-struck at where this was suddenly going and she scribbled frantically on her sketch pad for the final time.

W-W-Wait Sakura!! This is a complete misunderstanding! And I don't want to look seductive or anything in front of Yahiro!!

"It's okay, Megumi-chan, you don't have to be so shy," Sakura replied enthusiastically as she began steering a terrified Megumi towards her room. "In fact, I'm going to help you with the make-up too!"

Nyaa~! Megumi mentally screamed before she was being pushed into her room by a determined Sakura.

What has she gotten herself into!?

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************

6.25 pm.

Yahiro glanced at the glowing digital clock as he sat in the seat of his luxurious silver Mercedes, alone, one of his hands gripped loosely on the steering wheel while the other balled around the gear.

After an agonizingly long day of doing nothing but checking never-ending data files and successfully convincing his chauffeur to let him drive the car, Yahiro let his mind free from the cares of business as he drove down the road towards the neighborhood.

He smirked to himself at the thought of Megumi's text message again. It certainly amused him that she had made it this far without cancelling his invitation. If there's one thing he liked about that weird woman, it's her way of making things unexpected; with her simple naïve gestures that often caught him off guard. When he teased her out of pure playfulness, it amused him as she glared daggers at him and pouted in that silent, short-tempered manner of hers. Due to that, he wanted to see how far Megumi can maintain her nonchalance when she gets to meet his girlfriend.

Yahiro revert his attention back to the road. Ah, right. His girlfriend. He had forgotten to mention to Megumi that his girlfriend would be arriving at a much later time. He drove around the corner into a familiar street.

The neighborhood was certainly a peaceful and beautiful place to live in, what now when the trees had turned a lovely shade of orange and the bright amber sunset had submerged the whole town in its soft haloed glow.

He passed by several more blocks of flat before slowly coming to a stop in front of the Yamamoto residence, noticing that Megumi was already waiting for him by the sidewalk, in her hands held her sketchbook. Yahiro was just in time to see her pulling herself back down into reality from her daze and realized that he had parked right in front of her.

He unbuckled himself and exited the car to hold the door for Megumi, being a gentleman that he is. Yahiro had decided to give her his best smile and give her a few quick taunts like he used to in the past that would surely get Megumi pouting.

Unfortunately, all that he had wanted to do had abruptly been forgotten and his taunting smile died on his lips when he focused his full attention to Megumi. Now that he was outside of his car, he can clearly see what she had done to herself.

She was wearing a pale pink spaghetti-strapped dress that flowed till her knees and the straps on her shoulders were tied into a ribbon. She also wore a necklace with a heart-shaped locket that adorned her exposed ivory neck due to the low neckline and her wavy brown tresses decorated her shoulders. She looked like a delicate porcelain doll with rosy cheeks and painted lips.

Yahiro felt himself stiffened momentarily, stunned at the sight of doll-faced Megumi staring back at him before his face was reverted back to his stoic façade and nonchalant personality.

He went over to where Megumi was and held the door open for her, his familiar cool smile plastered across his face again.

"Good evening, Megumi," Yahiro began good-naturedly. "Glad to see you as the same weird woman as you have always been. Fu, fu, fu…"

Megumi pouted, a comical vein popped out as a result of Yahiro's taunt, much to his amusement.

And to you too, Yahiro! Megumi wrote on her sketchpad, glaring at him as she entered his shiny car. Yahiro let out a chuckle as he closed the door for her.

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************

Megumi glanced out at the window towards the darkening sky.

It was only a few hours ago that Sakura had persistently wanted to put make-up on Megumi and style her hair, much to her reluctance. She had been worried that Yahiro might think that she was trying too hard to impress. Worse, he might be mistaken into thinking that she had wanted to make his girlfriend jealous of her!

Megumi breathed in deeply, preventing herself from succumbing into total panic and willed herself to think about something else, when she realized that someone was missing.

By the way, where is your girlfriend, Yahiro? Megumi brought her sketchbook to Yahiro's face, suddenly feeling suspicious of his intentions. If this is a part of his stupid jokes just to drive her mad, she'll kill him right now!

However, Yahiro glanced at it and replied with total calmness. "Oh, sorry. I had forgotten to mention about her earlier. She had to finish up some business she had been working on. Don't worry; she would be joining us later at the place."

Megumi scribbled on her sketchpad, still in doubt. How can I trust you?

Yahiro glanced at her sketchpad and gave a small smirk.

"Really, I'm not lying. Do you think I'm going to kidnap you or something?"

Megumi scribbled again. Anything not good can happen when you're around.

"Hah, so that's your view of me." Yahiro observed. "Really, if you had your doubts, you shouldn't have agreed to come in the first place."

He glanced at her, before adding again. "Though I can guess that after I sent you that taunting message, it's hard to resist not to come, no?"

A vein popped out of Megumi. I-I don't know what you're talking about.

Yahiro reverted his attention back to the road and didn't press Megumi anymore on the matter. Megumi glanced at him. Why has he gotten quiet? Megumi swiftly scribbled out her reply.

Fine, I'll believe you for now. Anyway, your girlfriend really doesn't mind me accompanying?

Yahiro glanced at her sketchpad as he changed the gears. "Yeah, it seems that she's quite nervous about being just the two of us tonight so I asked you to tag along."

Megumi looked at him. Oh, why don't you just ask Sakura-chan?

Yahiro glanced at her sketchpad. His deep mysterious orbs moved to look into hers before returning his attention towards the road. "It's because I haven't seen Megumi-chan in a long time."

Megumi could have sworn that her heart had skipped a beat when he said that. Could it be that he missed her? She blushed slightly.

Megumi scribbled on her sketchpad, determined not to look as if she was flattered by his words. O-oh, okay. So, tell me more about your girlfriend.

Yahiro stole a quick glance at her sketchpad again and to Megumi's surprise, his eyes soften and a gentle smile graced his lips. "Well, she's a really nice person once you get to know her well enough and she works hard to achieve what she wants. She knows how to cheer people up in that naïve manner of hers and is very… talented." Yahiro's shockingly breathtaking smile turned into a gleeful grin at Megumi's direction. "More than I can say for you, that is."

Jerk! Megumi would have loved to retort back angrily but could only glare at the man. She turned away from his direction. Even though she was still furious with him for teasing her, Megumi could not help but feel a little envious of this woman that had easily captured Yahiro's heart.

A nice person… hard-working… very talented…

Megumi found herself regretting ever asking Yahiro about this, suddenly feeling sick to ask him any more questions about this mysteriously nice young woman.

"Why, Megumi-chan~! Don't tell me you're jealous after I told you all that!"

Megumi snapped her attention towards Yahiro, who had the 'sweet' smile lingering on his lips. Seriously, why did she even tolerate this idiot?

Hah! You wish, Yahiro! Like I'd be jealous of something like that!

He smirked that annoying smirk of his. Megumi continued to glare at him, arms crossed, suppressing the overwhelming desire to wipe that infuriating smirk off his face. Yahiro let out a small chuckle.

"And may I ask why you are dressed so elegantly tonight?" Yahiro inquired her playfully. "Are you trying to make me fall for you?"

T-t-this brat!! In spite of her already pink cheeks, she continued to blush a deeper shade of red. She scribbled on her sketchpad and brought it directly in front of Yahiro's face.

Of course not! That's your girlfriend's job!!

Yahiro sighed. "As you have failed to see, I'm kind of busy at the moment driving this car and I can't keep looking at what you are writing. So if you don't want to end up dead in a car crash with me, I suggest we save the talking for later."

Megumi looked away, embarrassed at her ignorance of his current position. She sat back, allowing herself to enjoy the ride in silence. She suddenly remembered an expression that Yahiro had made that intrigued her.

'What kind of expression was that back then?' She wondered, trying to remember Yahiro's uncommon expression before he had reverted back to his cool façade as sudden as it had come. She didn't have enough time to register his bizarre expression completely.

She stole a secret glance at Yahiro. He had that unreadable expression again. She hoped that she hadn't totally upset him or anything. She observed him from the corner of her eye. He wasn't fussy about his hair since it was the same style since she last seen it. It was probably the natural tint of his hair that caused him to have that boyish look on him. She had also noticed that he was wearing a black shirt that hugs his body perfectly and a pair of comfortable dark blue jeans that emphasizes just how long his legs is.

Megumi's cheeks burned again. What is she doing?! She felt herself going flustered in that enclosed place that was filled with tense silence, sitting next to the man whom she had trouble coping with his sadistic behavior. And who also happens to look cute all of a sudden.

Yahiro stole a glance at the flustered girl beside him. "Stop looking so tense. We've already arrived at the place."

Megumi looked out of the window, glad to be doing something to rid her mind of such nonsense that has been making her flustered. Yahiro made a final turn and they found themselves in the parking lot of a high class restaurant located at the outskirts of town.

Once the car has been parked in place, Megumi followed Yahiro towards the restaurant. She can make out a soft tune played harmoniously by a violin and the keys of a piano coming from the inside and a neat-looking waiter standing readily at the door to welcome customers.

"Been here before?" Yahiro asked once they have exited his car.

Jun and I had been here for lunch once, Megumi wrote, relieved to know that he wasn't going to be entirely silent in their tensed atmosphere.

"Good evening." The waiter greeted them once they have reached the entrance. "Have you made a reservation here?"

Yahiro gave him both their names as the waiter scrutinized at the hard cover book in his arms.

"Ah yes, you have made a reservation for table number 8 for three people. Please step this way."

'A table for three. So, Yahiro isn't lying about his girlfriend coming after all,' Megumi thought.

The waiter showed them the way to their table that is adorned with red satin tablecloth and a small glass vase that holds a single rose. The whole place was painted scarlet red, the color of elegance and the customers around them were dressed formally. They both settled themselves down on the delicate ebony chairs.

"We will get back to you shortly to take your order." The waiter told them before he dismissed himself.

Yahiro, who sat the opposite of Megumi, propped his elbow on the table and leaned his chin on the back of his hand. He gave an easy grin in her direction.

"You know, your lip's shade of pink looks familiar," Yahiro stated. "It's Sakura's work, isn't it?"

Megumi nodded, blushing lightly. Sakura had insisted in grooming her and had decided to use her own make-up since she thinks that light pink goes well with Megumi's outfit and her sweet face. Well, of course Sakura thinks that Megumi is cute. She is the twin sister of Jun after all.

Despite the fact that she had been reluctant in letting Sakura groom her, she had been impressed with the ending result. Megumi felt glad that she had asked for her help in the end.

Yes, she assisted me in dressing up for tonight. Megumi explained, then hesitated. Should she mention that all that he's seeing right now is the product of Sakura's mad misinterpretation of her going on a date with him? Hell, no.

She gazed at Yahiro, who suddenly had that smirk again. "Because Megumi-chan doesn't know how to look sexy without help? Fu, fu, fu…interesting."

Megumi instantly felt irritated at this remark and decided to ignore him. Grrr…how can this idiot make out something like that out of her just from a sentence?

"So I see that Sakura's outdone herself again." Yahiro observed. "Are you sure you only told her to assist you in picking out a dress for tonight?"

A-Ack!!! Megumi mentally screamed in shock as she immediately brought her attention towards him. This guy is asking the forbidden question!! Does this mean that he knows about Sakura's crazy idea?!

O-of course! What else should I be asking her to do, since I'm not good at being sexy? Megumi scribbled out, desperately trying to change the subject.

Thankfully, to Megumi's relief, Yahiro doesn't seem to notice her frantic try to change the subject nor about Sakura's madness. Instead, Yahiro went back to toying her.

"Ah, so Megumi actually agreed that she's not sexy!" Yahiro stated gleefully.

In an instant, all feelings of relief vanished and were replaced by annoyance.

Jerk! She wrote out.

"Unattractive." Yahiro stated, smirking.

Despicable!

"Weirdo."

Persistent idiot!!!

Megumi was absolutely determined not to lose to Yahiro's stupid taunts. She continued to stare daggers at him as a terrible monster had erupted somewhere in her mind. Seriously, why was she even here to tolerate with this guy? Megumi pouted, clearly infuriated.

"You know what, Megumi-chan?" Yahiro smiled playfully. "You're actually cute when you're furious."

Well, that little statement caught Megumi totally off guard. Megumi blushed yet again but was determined not to let it show.

Are you playing with me?! Megumi wrote out angrily, though not quite as furious as before.

"Aw, Megumi-chan's blushing again~!"

W-what!?

Megumi pouted as Yahiro smiled at her, a little more sincerely than before. He cocked his head to the side a little. "Hey, so how's your singing going?"

Megumi was stunned, almost immediately after she had caught sight of that rare smile adorning his lips. Could she have mistaken that smile to actually be…sincere?

It's fine, though I had to go to the park every now and then to properly control my voice. Thanks to my singing in front of mama's friends and producers, I was able to get my dream sealed. Megumi scribbled, all her anger had dissipated and was replaced by awkwardness. T-thanks for being there for me at that time.

Yahiro saw what she wrote on her sketchpad and still had that gentle smile gracing his lips but unfortunately, it lasted for a second. He smirked. "Like I said, Megumi, It's for my honor. I couldn't just abandon everything after I have promised myself to help you."

Forget what I said! Megumi inwardly screamed in her mind. This guy will forever be despicable! Megumi huffed irritably, muttering under her breath and crossing her arms.

"Hey Megumi, I want to ask you something."

There is something in his voice that made her look up. He's no longer smiling but was avoiding eye contact with her. The atmosphere has suddenly become tensed.

What is it, Yahiro? Megumi asked, suddenly concerned.

A slight blush slowly crept across his face (to Megumi's amazement) and his lips twitch uncomfortably into a frown. She was surprised at this sudden switch of his personality. She knew right away that whatever he's going to say next is a very embarrassing issue. He finally looked at her.

"Ever since that day when I have rejected you, your feelings for me then…have you gotten over them?" Yahiro asked.

Megumi stiffened, shocked. That is a sensitive issue. Why did he bring this up now?

W-what are saying? Of course I don't feel anything for you anymore! What kind of question is that? Megumi felt pained writing this. Why is that so?

Yahiro was still observing her intently. "So you still feel that way towards me now?"

A-absolutely! In fact, I have gotten over you a long time ago!

She turned away, determined not to let Yahiro observe her face. He has the annoying tendency to know what she's hiding.

'Perhaps he wanted to confirm my feelings first before doing anything else,' Megumi thought, a tiny painful prick shot at her heart.

Yahiro leaned back, a trace of unsatisfaction lingered on his face. "Is that so? Well then, that's good."

Megumi looked at him. He looks like as if he wanted to say more and perhaps, a little saddened? Megumi was about to write on her sketchpad but suddenly, Yahiro stood up and focused his attention at something behind Megumi.

"Ah, she's finally arrived." Yahiro stated, looking glad. Megumi, however, was taken aback at this information.

She felt stunned at the sudden panic of meeting his girlfriend. She wanted to stand up and to turn around to greet her properly but she felt numbness gripping her instead. Megumi tried to grasp at her surrounding but everything around her started to blend with one another and she could only make out the vague outline and colors of the place. Megumi fought to stay calm but she couldn't get rid of the bile that was rising in her throat. Worse, she could feel tears welling up in her eyes and her chest had the familiar pained feeling that she knew so well. Her feelings that she had stubbornly refused to acknowledge and had locked away, has now freed themselves from her grasp that Megumi couldn't hide or reject them anymore.

She felt hot tears cascading down her cheeks, staining the make-up but she didn't care. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!! She mentally screamed. She's sick of this charade. She's sick of trying to fool herself and her feelings. Damn it, she liked him! She still had! She liked him for still believing in her and for liking her singing. Yahiro might've liked someone else but he will always be the first person to truly listen and appreciate what she loves doing. So that's why, she realized, she couldn't accept what was happening now. She knew she had to accept it sooner or later that he's no longer going to be there to hear her sing but she couldn't admit that she was still in love with him now that Yahiro had found his precious someone. It would only cause him so much trouble when he knew.

Megumi stood up, doing her best to avoid looking at Yahiro.

"Megumi?" Yahiro asked, concerned, puzzled by her actions. "What's the matter?"

"I'm v-very sorry, Yahiro. I-I shouldn't have c-come tonight." She choked her voice out before dashing her way towards the exit as fast as she could. The last she could catch from Yahiro was his shocked and confused expression followed by her name being called out.

She tried her best not to accidentally collide into any of the customers. The last thing she needs was to get bumped into Yahiro's girlfriend. She kept her head low until she was outside where the sky is already dark so no one could see her tear-streaked face. She didn't stop dashing all the way until she had arrived at the main road. She paused, catching her breath and wiped her wet face. She glanced around to make sure she was not being followed though she had expected Yahiro to come after her and stop her midway. Well, his girlfriend's there, so he had no reason why he should go after her.

Megumi forced herself to smile. She knew all of this was for the best and she was glad that Yahiro was not alone anymore. He had found his happiness, though he had evidently crushed her feelings and lied about still liking Akira. Megumi pulled herself together as she hailed for a cab. She needed some time alone to make up a false reason why she had dashed out all of a sudden, just in case Yahiro had decided to drop by the SA's greenhouse tomorrow.

Megumi sighed. What a total mess this night have been.

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************

"Megumi-chan, you look kind of… not yourself since Monday morning. Are you sure that everything is okay?" Akira's concerned face hovered over a sad-looking Megumi.

Megumi, apparently lost in her own world, was suddenly being pulled back down to the S.A's famed greenhouse where she was having tea together with the rest of her friends.

It has been three days since Megumi had made her grand escape from the restaurant. Ever since that night's incident, Megumi had felt kind of embarrassed and had hoped that Yahiro wouldn't come looking for her or suddenly made a surprise visit to their greenhouse. Luckily, he hadn't made any visits there. However, she had received quite a number of missed calls and text messages from him, though she hadn't even replied any one of them. She didn't have the guts to even explain anything to him and she still hadn't figure out any reason to tell him why she had run out of the restaurant all of a sudden.

Megumi brought her scribbled sketchpad up. I'm fine, really. Thank you for your concern, Akira-chan.

Akira wasn't convinced but let the subject drop. She sighed. "Well, okay, if you say so. Please have some of my green tea cookies."

Megumi merely smiled and took the said cookie from Akira's outstretched hand.

"You jump at every little sound." Ryuu stated beside her. "It's like as if you're afraid that something might happen here at the greenhouse."

Really? It's nothing, actually. Don't worry. Megumi quickly scribbled.

"It's something got to do with Yahiro, isn't it?" Akira thundered, balling up her fists, suddenly consumed by the fiery flames of hell. She was quick to assume that it was Yahiro who did the hurting whenever something like this happens. "If he did anything to hurt my cute Megumi-chan, I swear I'll murder that guy!!"

The rest of the Special A members sweatdropped.

"Ah, t-that's not necessary, Akira…"

"Calm down, Akira-chan. Megumi said that she's fine right?"

Y-yes. Yahiro wasn't even involved in the situation in the first place. So it's okay. Megumi lied and tried to reassure her friend. However, Jun suddenly looked puzzled.

He cocked his head. "Eh? But Sakura-chan said that you went on a date yesterday with Yahi--"

But before Jun could finish his sentence, to everyone's extreme shock, Megumi suddenly lunged forward towards her twin brother and both of them fell off the couch.

"Wah! Megumi-chan! What the--?"

Megumi looked up at her brother with extreme cuteness (imagine the sparkles and the puppy-dog eyes ^ ^) and spoke in her delicate voice, "Jun onee-chaaan~!" Megumi risked using the sweetest voice she could muster. "You get the wrong idea so please do not spread around false rumours, okay~?"

Jun, startled at Megumi's sudden cute attitude that he had never seen before, immediately collapsed on the floor. Then, almost immediately, the inner Jun has been reawakened from within and was in total control of Jun's body. He smiled down at Megumi with his most charming smile.

"Of course, my dear cute sister~!" Jun held his sister's hand and gazed at her in that charming way of his. "Anything for you who had my cute charming girly face~"

"Ahhh! No, Megumi-chan!!" Akira, Ryu and Hikari shouted in unison, looking absolutely shocked as the scene unfolded before them. And so, once again, the S.A greenhouse was in total uproar chasing after the escaping Jun. The day finally ended when Jun had successfully been pinned down by the ever annoyed Kei that has been kissed on the cheek by someone other than Hikari while doing his work peacefully on his laptop.

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************

Megumi sighed with relief as she exited the greenhouse after bidding the rest goodbye. Well, that was totally unexpected but it was absolutely necessary if she didn't want the truth to get leaked out. Poor Jun. She should apologize and explain properly to him once they're both at home. Megumi continued walking in small steps and had decided to take the route back home through the park where she had been chased by a mad Yahiro for avoiding his music lessons back then. And also the same place where she had admitted that she had fallen for him and then, like an idiot she was, she ran away because she was terrified of what she had done and of his answer.

It has already been three successful days of avoiding Yahiro. She prayed that tomorrow would have similar results as today and also the day after that.

She sighed again. Will this continue on forever? Megumi wondered, apparently worried that sooner or later she had face Yahiro and spill everything out. That guy was persistent after all, and after that embarrassing incident of her confession in the park, she knew better than to underestimate that guy's persistence.

Megumi frowned, shaking her head and feeling guilty. No, no, no. She couldn't do this. If she's forever going to hide from him, she would only be troubling Yahiro and keeping him in the dark. She had to tell him the reason why she had been avoiding him and his calls. But can Yahiro take it if she says that she still liked him even though she said she hadn't? And can her heart take it if he rejected her again? That's a bit too difficult for Megumi to handle right now.

But she could at least reply to one of his text message, to reassure him that he wasn't the one at fault in anything. 'Yes, that's alright,' Megumi thought, whipping out her phone. 'At least Yahiro wouldn't be troubled about me when I confront him face to face about that night's incident.' Megumi started on her text message.

.

To: S. Yahiro

From: Y. Megumi

Hi, how's it going? It's been a while since that dinner a few days ago huh? Well, I guess it's not THAT while back, I mean, It's only three days ago and heh, I—

.

Nonono!! That's not right! Megumi tapped the delete button rapidly, looking horrified. That doesn't sound like her at all and she's blabbing about nonsensical things like an idiot. Megumi breathed in, calming herself and started again.

.

To: S. Yahiro

From: Y. Megumi

YAHIRO!! Please forgive me! I'm really sorry for everything! I'm sorry for worrying you and I'm sorry that I have reacted so stupidly that night and I'm sorry that I—

.

G-gaah! Delete!! Megumi almost screamed as she quickly got rid of the ridiculous text message before she went on apologizing to no end. Sending him a simple text message can be harder than she thought. Is this the result of being guilty?

.

To: The Persistent Idiot

From: The Person Who Thinks You Are A Jerk

Yes, you ARE a persistent idiot who like to make others cry without meaning to. And to cut it short, YOU HAD BETTER NOT HURT YOUR GIRLFRIEND LIKE YOU DID TO AKIRA AND ME COS' IF YOU DID, I'LL MOST DEFINITELY KILL YOU—

.

NonononoNO!! DELETE! DELETE! DELETE! Megumi almost cried out in frustration. That's just being mean and not anywhere near apologizing for the trouble that she had caused! Argh! This is so not working out like it should! She snapped her phone shut and pocketed it away, apparently giving up already. Darn it, she couldn't even send one simple text message.

Megumi wasn't aware that she had already arrived at the park. She started to quicken her footsteps, unsure whether to quickly avoid that bench that changed her life or to hurry to it before anyone else can have the chance to occupy it. Unfortunately, as the bench came into view, she noticed that someone else had already occupied that seat. Megumi's heart sank as her quick footsteps were reduced to normal walking speed. She trudged up the path, determined not to look as if she had been turned down after having high hopes on something. From here, she can make out that the occupant was a man and his upper body was bent so that his elbows are resting on his thighs.

As she moved slowly closer, she couldn't help but noticed that the man was somewhat familiar. As he became more visible in her line of sight, Megumi noticed that the man had his back facing her and she could make out that he was wearing a jeans jacket. She squinted her eyes under the orange sunlight. She couldn't make out his hair color because the sunset made it difficult to define it. As she moved closer, she could finally see that the man's hair had a pink tint to it and that he was…he was…

Megumi gasped as realization dawned on her. W-w-why is he here?! She watched in a mixture of shock and confusion as the man straightened up in his seat and brought up his metallic cell phone to his face. He scanned it for several moments then sighed in defeat as he flipped it shut again.

A multitude of feelings come tumbling over one another within Megumi when she had discovered this intriguing man's identity. Megumi bit her lip to prevent her from letting out an audible gasp and had to calm her nerve-wrecking self down.

'What do I do? What should I do?' Megumi's heart wouldn't stop beating so hard in her chest. She had to think what to do next. She couldn't just waltz right in front of him and go, Hi, Yahiro! Fancy meeting you here! in cursive writing and she couldn't just walk past him unnoticed either. The best thing to do right now is to retreat and use the other route that also leads back home. Yes, that's a good plan.

Megumi held her breath as she slowly backed off, taking slow steps at a time. But sadly, she had accidentally stepped on an innocent twig on the ground.

"Twak!"

"Eep!" She let out a squeak loud enough for anyone to turn their heads in curiosity. Drat! Why did situations like this that only happens in movies always befall on her?

The man sitting on the bench had apparently heard that and had whipped his head around, despite Megumi's futile attempts to pray that he wouldn't. Megumi's eyes widened in horror as Yahiro's eyes met hers; a trace of shock was readable on his face.

"Me-Megumi?" Yahiro stood up and faced her, couldn't quite believe his eyes that Megumi was right then and there.

Megumi, suddenly feeling faint at the sudden turn of events, proceed to do the only thing her body could right then: she turned around and fled.

"Megumi! Wait!" Yahiro reacted instinctively to Megumi's reaction and chased after her. Megumi didn't stop running even though she knew he wouldn't stop chasing after her until she had given up. Tears started welling up in her eyes, blurring up her vision. That persistent brat!

'H-how did it come to this?!' Megumi mentally screamed, going anywhere her feet took her as long as the place promised her to be long away from that guy. 'I wasn't prepared for anything yet!'

"Megumi, wait! S-stop!" She could hear his gasp just right behind her and it shocked her just how close he is. Stupid long legs. She ignored him and continued on running, even though her lungs were begging her for air. Before she can make a sharp turn to the left to exit the park, Yahiro had somehow managed reach out and grab her hand, jerking her and forcing her to stop.

"I…asked…you…to…stop…" Yahiro panted; still clutching her hand for fear that she would flee again if he had let her go. Both of them looked so worn out even though they had only been running within the radius of the park. Megumi said nothing, feeling as though she could collapse at any moment. This kind of thing is usually for crazy people like Kei or Hikari.

"You're always like this, running away." Yahiro told her, exhausted. Megumi could only hope to disappear right then and there. "Just like that time at Sakura's villa and also when you tried to escape my music lessons—"

"T-that's your fault!" Megumi squeaked out defiantly which immediately replaced by horror when she realized that she had spoke.

'Eep!' Megumi thought. She began searching frantically for her sketchpad but soon realized that she had accidentally dropped it earlier. Megumi blushed furiously and blamed herself for her stupidity and the awkward situation she's in right now. She looked down, determined to avoid looking at his face though she could feel Yahiro's gaze were still on her.

Yahiro broke their sudden silence. "You don't have your sketchpad with you again."

Wow, that was random, considering the situation they were in now. "I-I accidentally dropped it when you startled me!" Megumi defended, snapping her head up.

"And so it's my fault again?" Yahiro asked.

"Yes! It is!"

"So, I suppose that the result of you running away that night is my fault too?" He demanded.

Megumi's retorts died on her lips at his question. Though she had vowed that she would tell Yahiro the truth when she met him, this situation had totally caught her off guard. Everything was happening way too fast and she could only fall silent at his question.

Yahiro sighed again, turning back towards the park. "Forget it. Let's just go back and get your belongings."

Megumi obliged, unsure whether being with him was a good idea or not. She walked beside him in awkward silence.

Though it was only a few seconds since they went back into the park, the silence was unbearable for Megumi. She didn't dare to look at Yahiro as it was usually him who started the conversation first. But the guilt was eating her insides and its driving her insane.

"So, Yahiro..." Megumi started awkwardly, adjusting her squeaky voice and hesitating slightly whether she should continue or not. "What are you doing here anyway?" A-ack! Why did she asked such an uninteresting topic such as that!?

Yahiro glanced at her, apparently surprised that she wanted to converse with him. Megumi stared at his expression, confused.

"W-what?" Megumi asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious at his stares.

Yahiro finally chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing." Yahiro's playful smirk, to Megumi's sudden relief, returned and graced his lips. "It's just that why is Megumi so curious about me being here?"

Megumi blushed furiously. "T-that...!"

"Fu, fu, fu... Megumi-chan couldn't help being so nosy, right~?" Yahiro stated, chuckling slightly.

Megumi pouted in response though she wasn't feeling angry or annoyed. Instead, she had felt entirely relieved that they were acting normally again and she had felt glad that she has decided to break the silence first. Both of then fell silent again; their tensed atmosphere had already been lifted.

Megumi immersed herself in her thoughts as she recalled herself how she had gotten this far. She remembered noticing him and staring at him from behind, looking dejected as he stared hopelessly at his cell phone while sitting on the same bench when he had caught up with her when she tried avoiding his music lessons and couldn't understand why he went through trouble just to help her.

Megumi stood dead on her tracks, eyes widened in realization. C-could it be...?

"Megumi?" Yahiro asked, suddenly concerned. "What's wrong now?"

She had to confirm it. She had to. "Yahiro, could it be that you... you were here thinking that I would be here to practice my singing?"

Yahiro stared back at her, wide-eyed, not replying immediately. Megumi was about to register in his shocked expression until he totally recovered himself and had his gleeful smirk on. "Fu, fu, fu…whoever gave you that idea, Megumi-chan?" He chuckled at the confused Megumi, who could only stare at his sudden change in personality. "I was here because I was just enjoying the sunset."

Eh?! But she could have sworn that she had nailed the truth from his genuinely shock expression just now! Why is he hiding it?! "B-but, That's just...! I know you're lying!"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are! You're expression tells me you're hiding the truth!"

"Now, Megumi-chan. I already said I'm telling the truth so don't waste your precious voice on meaningless chatter unless you wanted me to scribble on your face again." Yahiro stated simply.

'T-t-this idiotic lying BRAT!' Megumi huffed, clearly unsatisfied at the sudden change of topic. She didn't care if she was using her voice for the sake of forcing him to blurt out the truth.

'How ironic,' she thought. 'That I wanted him to confess the truth while I wasn't prepared to confess mine yet.'

"Seriously, Yahiro," Megumi defiantly continued on, ignoring his earlier warning. "If you're enjoying the sunset, then where's your girlfriend?"

Megumi cringed as she said the forbidden word, forgotten how that topic had got quite an effect on her. She had hoped that he didn't notice her reaction to this. She heard him chuckle at this point, though he didn't say another word.

Their silence lasted for quite a while this time. She noticed a strange expression his face, though she wasn't sure what it was. After a while, he finally glanced down at her. "What girlfriend are you talking about?" Yahiro asked innocently.

He kept on moving as a confused Megumi stared back at him.

Hah?!

"There's your sketchbook." Yahiro told her; pretending to be unaware of the shocked expression she was giving out to him.

Megumi didn't realize that they have already arrived at the bench from earlier. Megumi picked up her sketchpad which has been tossed carelessly on the ground. She turned around to face and found that he was grinning at her.

W-wait! Don't change the subject! What does that even suppose to mean?! Megumi furiously scribbled out. Is he toying with her again?

"Oh, if you were talking about Sakura's friend whom I met at an omiai the other day and wanted to have a friendly dinner with me, then no, she isn't with me right now." Yahiro stated simply as he took a seat on the bench, grinning simply at her direction.

W-W-WHAT!?

Megumi scribbled the first thing that comes in her mind. S-so... that means she's not your girlfriend?

"She said that it was just a friendly dinner," Yahiro explained. "Though it seems like we're going on a date, also, right after an omiai... It's easy to deceive people right?"

Megumi felt numb as the truth dawned on her. This is not at all she was expecting. So you meant to deceive me?!

Yahiro smiled up at her good-naturedly like as if it wasn't his fault. "Yes, more or less. It's because Megumi-chan is so cute and interesting when she hasn't got a clue what was happening around her. Fu, fu, fu..."

Megumi wanted to knock this despicable guy right then and there. It's just that... how dare he?! How could he do this to her?! Moreover, making her life miserable for the past three days!

She felt tempted to hit him hard with her sketchpad and feel the satisfaction lingering in her mind but there are still things that she needed to clarify with him. Besides, she owed him the truth too. Yahiro continued to smirk, much to Megumi's annoyance that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"I met her when I attended an omiai with Sakura last week," Yahiro stated. "She said that she had feelings for me for a while, though I rejected her afterwards. That's when Sakura decided for us to go on a friendly dinner together."

Megumi finally sat beside him, having calmed down a bit. Then, why did you want me to tag along?

"Like I said, she seemed nervous that it's only the two of us together and she didn't want it to seem like we're on a date, after I had already rejected her and all. So she decided to have a third party with us." Yahiro explained again. He chuckled as he gazed at her. "But Megumi-chan had gotten the wrong idea and had run away before I could explain anything else."

Megumi fired up in defense. That's entirely your fault because you keep telling me she's your girlfriend and didn't tell me anything about it being a friendly dinner!

Yahiro snickered. "Fu, fu, fu… would it have mattered even if I've told you in the first place? I didn't think you would react that way after you told me you weren't jealous about me having a girlfriend."

Megumi could feel her face heating up as she stared at the man sitting beside her. She scribbled out her reply, though it was difficult to keep her handwriting steady right after he said it like that. Who says I'm jealous, idiot! I didn't run away because of that!

"And you actually lied when I asked if you had gotten over your feelings for me. Tsk, tsk, tsk… and you called me a liar." Yahiro leaned closer to her, his voice dropped into a whisper and his hands reaching out to tuck in a loose strand of her wavy hair behind her ear, causing her heart to beat wildly when she felt his fingers brush against her skin. He was leaning far too close.

"T-that's…" Megumi muttered weakly. Her hands felt numb to write anymore. He withdrew his fingers and his face was replaced by a serious expression.

"Megumi, do you still have a crush on me?"

Megumi flinched at that statement. What should she say!? Should she just lie and pretend like nothing had happened? Megumi shook her head. No. No, she should settle in telling the truth. Fate has given her this chance to finally meet face to face so she's not just going throw it away. Megumi inhaled sharply as she brought up her sketchpad towards him, trembling slightly.

Yes. I lied because at that time, I don't want to be in the way when you had found your special person. I'm sorry I ran away like that and made you worry when I didn't reply to any of your messages because I knew my heart couldn't take it if you reject me again. B-but, I want Yahiro to be happy too so…

Megumi could feel her tears coming up as she hid her red face behind her sketchpad. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed now that she looked back at how stupid things had turned out. Yahiro still didn't respond to her confession and neither did Megumi have the courage to even break their tensed silence.

Suddenly, a hand had reached out to lower the sketchpad out of her face. Yahiro was leaning forward until his lips were inches away from her ear. This sudden reaction had struck Megumi numb.

"I'm glad that Megumi had thought of me like that," Yahiro whispered in her ear, his words smooth as honey. Megumi had to fight to stay calm. It was difficult to actually be thinking straight when he's that close. "But she's not my girlfriend from the start and you had just confessed that you had a crush on me."

She gasped. That's right, she was being tricked in the first place. But this wasn't what she had in mind at all from the beginning because she had imagined it to be a definite rejection since he had finally found himself his precious person. Instead of that, that annoying trickster claimed that he was single all along! And she had just confessed to him! Again!

Megumi would have loved to scream and blast the whole place away in an instant but had found herself immovable. Yahiro was way too close to her face that she had found it hard to move and breathe properly. She could feel his breath in her ear as he pressed his lips against her skin and brushed them on her cheeks until they are dangerously close to her trembling lips.

Megumi began to hyperventilate at the intensity of his action as she struggled not to faint. Yahiro withdrew himself just as his lips were inches away from kissing her and gazed at her with his soft eyes.

He silently brought his fingers towards her lips as she stood, frozen by his actions and the feeling of his fingers against her skin. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her rapid heartbeat. Then, slowly, he brought the same fingers to touch his own lips. He smirked at her.

"There, Megumi-chan," Yahiro replied, straightening up in his seat, looking amusedly at the wide-eyed and confused Megumi. "I have just successfully stolen your first kiss."

Megumi blushed, looking down with embarrassment. The thought of her first kiss being stolen by him had never crossed her mind before and what was happening now caused her heart to go crazy inside her chest.

"Don't you want it back?" Yahiro asked, his tone of voice had dropped a few decibels and was looking at her with his intensified gaze, a mischievous smile gracing his lips. "If you want it back, you have to be mine."

Megumi blushed a deeper shade of red, feeling herself heating up. Is this... is this his way of a confession? Her heart leapt at the thought, happiness flowing freely throughout her body. Megumi suddenly stood up from the bench and twirled around to face him.

"No, Yahiro." Megumi's voice flowed out like petals floating gently in the wind. She beamed down radiantly at him. "You have to do better than that to get my true first kiss. You had better work hard to make me yours since I had to go through a lot of pain to confess to you."

She smiled down at him sweetly and before he knew it, she had bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Just as Yahiro began to register her actions, she had already withdrawn herself from him. He saw her blush one last time before she rushed out of the park, clutching tightly to her sketchbook. Yahiro observed her until she was nowhere in his line sight. He exhaled deeply and chuckled to himself as he leaned back on the bench, gazing calmly at the sunset.

That weirdo. It seems that she had forgotten who he is and what he is really capable of. He'll definitely make her his even if he had to resort to desperate measures. She'd better be prepared for the worst.

Yahiro smiled secretly to himself as though he had just remembered a little joke. Tch, idiot. I love you.

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Hahahaha! Finally finished with this little one-shot!! Please tell me what you guys think since it's my first S.A. fanfic so I hope that I at least did a good job and I apologize if the characters seem to be too OOC.

Reviews are always a welcome and if there seems to be a need of improvement in certain parts, please let me know! I'll try my best to let everyone enjoy this fanfic. Of course, compliments always make my day~

Hope you guys enjoyed this short story and thank you very much for reading!!

Yahiro x Megumi 4eva

XOXO