Summary continued

…Utau's underage driving (and speeding), a pouring-tea war (with Tadase getting the short end of the stick), Amu and Yaya reading Rima's diary, Nagihiko " accidentally" entrusting his love life to Yaya, and dangerously embarrassing games of Truth or Dare. Read it all in Rima's diary and Nagihiko's journal.

RIMA'S DIARY

December 16th

Tadase forced us all to go shopping with him. He says it's because we've run out of calculators and stationary, but I bet he secretly enjoys window-shopping. I saw him staring at Utau Hoshina's new line of clothing, which includes very revealing leather tops and denim short shorts covered in glitter. Blonde kids are so messed up.

Not that I'm messed up.

Yaya wasn't helping, either. She was jumping up and down, screaming about how it'd be so fun and the mall had free cherry lip gloss which tasted really good but her parents wouldn't buy it for her since last time she ate it she got a stomachache or something. Amu said eagerly, "Oh, I want a new…" she paused. "I mean, I guess if everyone is going, and it's for Guardians, I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Your obstinate character is coming out," I remarked, making her blush.

"Is not!" Amu protested.

"Yes, it is," Miki, Ran, and I said in unison.

Kairi pushed up his glasses. "To make this efficient, we should split up into two groups. One group can take the first floor, where the calculators are located, and the other on the second floor, where the—"

"Yaya doesn't approve!" Yaya whined, biting into her eighth—or was it her ninth?—scone. "The Class President is making this not fun!"

"Class President?" Kairi muttered. Yaya ignored him.

"Let's go tomorrow!" she cheered. "Yaya can't wait!"

I was planning on staying home and watching the Bala-Balance marathon. "Do I have to go? Can I send a slave boy to represent me?" I don't care that I sound selfish—it fits my character.

Amu isn't fooled. Darn, she knows me too well. "I wanted to watch the Bala-Balance marathon too, Rima. My mom is going to tape it for me, and you can come over to watch it with me, okay?"

I smile wickedly. I was bored, okay? And it's fun to watch Tadase Character Change. "I heard they have a new gag, too. It's called The Prince—"

A little golden crown appeared on the King's head and he began laughing like a pyromanical clown (how insulting). "AHAHAHAHAHA! WORLD DOMINATION! BOW TO ME, COMMONERS! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Yaya grinned. "Leave this to Yaya!" She grabbed the teapot and emptied the contents over Tadase. Amu gasped.

"Yaya, that's hot!"

I high-five Yaya. "That was AWESOME."

Yaya looks down at the floor. "It was nothing. It was my duty," she says gallantly, taking a bow.

Amu rolled her eyes. "Like you didn't enjoy doing that."

"Okay, maybe a little."

"Just a little?" I snickered.

"Anyways, Rima, is there really a gag named The Prince—"

You can guess what happened next. It was quite amusing, actually. But I noticed Kiseki was getting a little tired. I suppose there's a limit to the amount of vanity one can express in five minutes.

Of course there is a gag named The Prince. It's brought to you courtesy of Mashiro Rima, Hotori Tadase, Yuiki Yaya, and Hinamori Amu. Uptight Kairi didn't participate, the churl.

December 17th

Kairi's original plan was abolished because Yaya threatened to throw a fit if he kept on being so uptight.

So we went to get the supplies, and while we were in the stationary store, I saw that weird cosplay cat-eared guy with the dark blue hair (he so dyes it). The others were busy a) stuffing themselves with sweets; b) trying to keep their "cool and spicy" attitude while looking at a cute eraser kit that they obviously want and failing; c) pushing up their glasses and commenting on how society has created inflation on even the cheapest things; or d) staring at some stationary bordered with hearts and crowns.

I jabbed Amu. "Hey, isn't that the person you were shouting at the other day?"

Amu spun around, dropping the strawberry-scented erasers. As soon as she saw him, she turned beet-red and mumbled that she had to leave.

Tadase noticed Amu's facial expression and followed her gaze to the blue-haired teenager standing five feet away staring at Amu. "Tsukiyomi Ikuto!" he hissed.

Oh. So that was his name. Ikuto.

Hmm, I thought. Maybe Tadase would get so angry he'd Character Change and fight with Ikuto. That would make this day slightly less boring.

Ikuto just looked at Amu and then quickly jumped out of the store window, landed on the roof of an SUV, set the car alarms blaring, and disappeared before anyone could say "Kid, I sure hope you're going to pay for that!"

After we finished purchasing everything, Yaya dragged us to the grand opening of a store owned by a psychic who was giving out free love fortunes.

Tch. Right. Me. In love. All that sugar Yaya consumes must've clogged her brain.

Yaya insisted on going first. The psychic asked her for her birthday (May 25th) and blood type (O). "I see a boy in the future for you…whom you are already on good terms with…his name starts with K…his full name is—"

The egg timer rang. "Sorry, time's up!" The old lady yelled.

"Wait, what's his full name?" Yaya wailed. The only boys I knew who fit that description were Souma Kukai and…I turned to throw an accusing look at Kairi, whose face had gone bright red.

"NEXT!" The fortune-teller roared. Tadase timidly walked up.

"March 29th, blood type B," he said meekly. He needs some serious toughing up. I should sign him up for a martial arts class…I'll have one of my slave boys help him. Maybe that tall one with the ripped muscles…

I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I nearly miss Tadase's fortune. "There is a girl you will fall in love with…but she may choose your enemy over you." I winced. Ouch.

I'm up next. "February 6th, blood type B." I say, bored.

"You haven't met him yet…a boy with many secrets…this will not be a love-by-first-sight…TIME'S UP!"

Tch. Well, at least I won't fall in love with whoever it is by first sight. That's how Amu started her crush on Tadase, and see how well that turned out. She's been rejected…how many times? Okay, just a second, I'm going to ask her.

She got pretty flustered and Tadase turned bright red. She says twice, once for his dog, once for Amulet Heart.

Ouch. That's got to hurt. Maybe she should just go and date that Ikuto guy. But he looks like he's what, sixteen? Seventeen? Way too old for her. And from what I hear, he's a huge pervert…

Double ouch. Yaya just kicked me. She wants to know why I want to know, and also why I'm writing while walking. "Does Rima-tan LIKE Tadase? Is Rima-tan writing a novel?"

"No to both," I grumble.

Okay, back to the weird psychic lady. Amu goes next. "The situation in your heart contains many boys…but when your final decision must be made, the one you will choose will be obvious…"

Miki gasped. "Just like me!"

Amu, who was already blushing, turned an even deeper shade of scarlet. "Hey, don't compare me with you!"

"How sweet!" Su trilled.

"No, it's not sweet at all! It means I have to choose between Ik—" she stopped abruptly.

Tadase stared at the floor. I spotted Kairi trying to sneak away. I roughly pushed him towards the psychic. "Your turn."

"What? But—I mean, fortune-telling is often inaccurate and based on guesses—" he protested, turning red.

"A true samurai would not let himself be pushed around by girls," Musashi declared.

"Helpful, Musashi!"

Kairi finally gave in. The psychic announced, "You will become braver and confess…for two things in fact…the first being the trait—"

Kairi Character Changed with Musashi and slapped his hand across the woman's mouth. "I'm sorry, I must ask you to stay silent. I don't really need to know my future. It doesn't change the facts."

Yaya frowned. "Huh? Yaya is confused!"

Amu looked thoughtful. "Oh! I know! He's probably hiding behind a mask or something! Like his traits! Oh, maybe he has another unhatched Character Egg, like me? Really, Kairi? Can we see it?"

So unlike her usual character…

"What! No! I don't have another Character Egg!" Kairi stumbled over his words. I narrowed my eyes at him. Suspicious…

But seriously, "a boy with many secrets?" Yeah, I usually don't get along with people like that.

Hmm, Kairi obviously has some secret.

Oh god, I so hope it's not him.

Now that we've already walked past Yaya and Tadase's homes, it's just Amu and me (Kairi got a phone call and had to leave early).

"I need to talk to you." Amu demands.

"Fine," I grumble. "What is it?"

"That fortune was exactly right," Amu says really quickly, turning crimson. "I really need to choose between Ikuto, Tadase-kun, Kukai, and Kairi…"

"Do you realize that out of those four, Tadase is the only one you used an honorific with?"

"Thanks, wise sage," Amu says sarcastically, still red. "I tell my love problems to you and that's all you can say?"

"It just means you don't feel comfortable referring to him without the honorific," I say. "And he still calls you Hinamori-san."

"He still calls you Mashiro-san!"

"But I'm not the one who's had a crush on him for over a year…"

"Ahhhh! You know what, Rima, I'm sorry I even brought it up! I wish Nadeshiko was here!"

I stare at her, hurt. Nadeshiko is a sore subject for me. "You think she was a better friend than me?"

"At these times, yes!"

"Fine! But Nadeshiko is in Europe, she's probably coming back when we're like 20! I'm sorry Nadeshiko isn't here, I guess you're just going to have to put up with me!"

"No, Rima, I didn't mean it like that—"

But I'm already running away, my Mary Janes hitting the pavement and my golden hair flowing behind me. It'd be sort of dramatic if it weren't for the fact I just tripped because I was writing while running.

Great. Another pair of ruined tights.