Note: This is the final chapter. It's hard to believe that I started this story over a year ago. It doesn't feel that long. Anyway, thanks again for reading/reviewing. As for the hint, I'm not going to give you an answer just yet! :]

Replies: I won't be replying to every review, only certain ones. Please don't be upset if I didn't respond to yours, but these were reviews that I felt needed responding to.

buyokitty: Nope, nobody's going to jump. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Doryful: Thank you!

Marcella Jole Mercilee: Time jump? Maybe... ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. :(

How I Met Your Mother
Chapter Ten: Epilogue

"Ugh!" Kyoko fumed one Monday morning in the Sohma's kitchen.

Tohru pouted, reaching over to fuss with her daughter's hair more. She cooed, "But you look so cute!"

"No, I look like such a... girl!" The 17 year old hissed. Her crimson eyes narrowed and her bottom lip jutted out. She hated what the school's required their students to wear. The blue girl's uniform hadn't changed at all since Tohru had attended Kaibara High. The skirt, which ended just above mid-thigh, showed off way more of her tanned skin than Kyoko was used to. If that wasn't bad enough, Tohru had put little, yellow ribbons in Kyoko's hair. The bows hung loosely in her chin-length, brunette hair, similar to how Tohru used to wear her hair.

Tohru frowned when she saw her daughter's expression. Her brown eyes grew wide; she didn't mean to upset her daughter this much...

"Don't worry about it, Mom. I don't mind it." She sighed. She would just have to get used to it and after being accustomed to wearing t-shirts, jeans, and pulling her short hair into a ponytail, that might be difficult. It was just easier to move around and be active like that. She didn't understand how anyone could be comfortable dressed like this.

But, much like her father, she hated upsetting someone who, deep down, she knew was just trying to help her out. This was just a typical scenario in her house: her mom would try to help her out and Kyoko would loose what little patience she had and she would get angry. She couldn't help that she had a short temper. It was in her genes.

Kyoko whipped around when she heard a tiny snort. Tohru also glanced over her shoulder.

Kyoko's kid brother was standing in the doorway, covering his mouth with one hand. He was unsuccessfully trying to stifle his laughter.

"Katzuyama," Tohru scolded gently.

Kyoko wasn't so nice, "Shut up, you little twerp."

The boy shook his head, his short, reddish-brown hair swishing around. His dark brown eyes glowed with delight as he continued to mock his sister's appearance. Kyoko growled under her breath and stalked over to him. She took some of his pale skin in-between her fingers and applied pressure.

"OUCH! Stop pinching me!" He pleaded.

Tohru jumped out of her chair, "Um... Kyoko-chan, please-"

Katzuyama looked up when he felt someone's hand on his head. Kyoko released her hold on him. Kyo was standing behind both of them, his eyes narrowed slightly, "Katzu, stop teasing your sister."

Katzu frowned and muttered an apology, adding that he thought she looked pretty. Kyoko grinned triumphantly, but her smile fell when her father looked at her, "You shouldn't have pinched him. Isn't that why you take martial arts, so you can get all that out?"

"I guess..." She sighed, and affectionately ruffled her brother's hair.

Kyo decided that the fight had been diffused and he went to join his wife in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss on her lips. Tohru blushed and kissed him back, while Katzu made gagging noises. Kyoko simply ignored them.

Sometimes she wished she didn't have to see her parents like that. It almost made her jealous because she couldn't seem to find the right guy. She was 17 and still no boyfriend. She knew she intimidated boys, but she couldn't help that. That's just how she was.

She sat down at the table, watching her brother inhale his breakfast. She had already eaten before getting dressed. She was dreading meeting up with her friends to walk to school. Actually, she was dreading school all together. She glanced up at the clock, cringing each time the minute hand moved forward. Finally, it reached the point where she knew she would have to leave. With a heavy sigh, she stood up.

Katzu still wasn't finished with his breakfast. Kyoko bopped him lightly on the head on her way out, "Have a good first day. Make sure you walk with someone so you don't get lost."

"Okay," He replied.

"Have a great first day!" Tohru hopped up from her seat and threw her arms around her daughter's neck. Kyoko blushed and hugged her mom back. She waved goodbye to her dad, grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

--

Kyoko stared down at her feet as she walked. She didn't need to look where she was going; she knew that dirt path like she knew the back of her hand.

"Kyoko!"

She looked up when she heard her name being called. Daisuke Sohma, her best and oldest friend, was waiting for her near the gate to her house. He was wearing the traditional black school uniform and had a huge smile on his handsome face.

"Well, at least one of us is excited..." She muttered under her breath, opening up the gate.

Daisuke's smile fell slightly, "I am... for the most part."

"For the most part?" She repeated, one eyebrow raised.

He chuckled lightly, "Lets just say I'm not exactly eager to see my fans again this year."

Daisuke, like his father, was treated like a prince by most the girls at the school. This wasn't a surprise to their parents, because Daisuke was the spitting image of Yuki, except his hair had a bit of a brownish tint to it and was a little neater than his father's hair. It was shorter and his bangs were more even.

Kyoko snorted in disgust. She hated those girls more than anyone else in the school. They idolized Daisuke, yet they didn't even know him. They all thought that he was "cool and aloof" when, really, he was just extremely shy and reserved. He only, truly opened up to people when he knew them really well, and because Kyoko was his best friend, he felt most comfortable around her. It was because of this, that she got a lot of grief from his 'fans', who all thought that he and Kyoko were more than friends.

"I'm sorry that you have to deal with them. Maybe we should pretend that we're not friends anymore?" He suggested tentatively.

She waved him off, "Nah, don't worry. I'll protect us if they get too out of control."

Daisuke's violet eyes widened and he smiled, "I don't think that will be necessary. I doubt even you could take on the entire school's female population."

Kyoko pouted and punched him lightly on the arm, "Quit braggin', Mr. Popular."

Daisuke laughed and shook his head. Kyoko turned and started walking towards the school, her bag swinging by her legs. She was eager to get this day over with. The faster it went by, the better.

Daisuke was walking a step behind her, "By the way, you look-"

"Don't say anything about how I look," She hissed.

He pinched his thumb and pointer finger together and moved them across his lips, zipping them shut. Kyoko's large eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. When she was sure that he wasn't going to say anything else, she turned back around. As she stomped down the path, she couldn't help but be curious about what he was going to say.

I wonder if he was going to say cu-... Forget it. I don't care. She thought with a huff, her cheeks turning pink.

They silently continued down the path. When they trees started to thin, they knew that they were getting close to the school. Soon, the dirt path was replaced by asphalt and concrete and the trees became tall buildings.

"They said they were supposed to meet us around here..." Daisuke mumbled absentmindedly.

Kyoko looked up at him. She hated that he was like a foot taller than her, "Who?"

"Hayate and Aimi," He answered and wasn't surprised Kyoko scowled when she heard the names.

"Ugh. Why are we meeting them. All Hayate ever does is tease me and Aimi is alway hanging all over you..."

"I know, but-"

Daisuke was cut off by the sound of someone shouting, "There you are!"

"Hayate, slow down!"

The two figures started running towards them. Kyoko tried to force herself to grin. Daisuke leaned down to whisper to her, "Be nice. They're our friends, remember?"

"Is that what you call them?" She said through her grit teeth. Daisuke tried to choke back a laugh.

The boy, Hayate was the first to reach them. He skidded to a halt when he was about a foot away, "Whoa... Kyoko? Is it really you?"

"Hayate, you do the same routine whenever my mom dresses me up. Can't you come up with some new material?" Kyoko replied, her smile finally cracking.

Hayate ran one hand through his disheveled, black hair, "I just keep forgetting that you can actually look cute if you put some effort into it."

"Shut. Up." Kyoko growled, her hand curling into a fist. Hayate grinned down at her, a look of sheer amusement on his face.

Kyoko tried to suppress the urge to grab his spiky, black hair and yank it out of his head. After that, she would pull out his piercings, starting with the earrings and than the eyebrow one. Couldn't Uncle Haru and Aunt Rin have adopted a kid instead?

Daisuke put a hand on her shoulder, "He's just kidding."

Kyoko took a deep breath and calmed down when she felt Daisuke's hand on her shoulder. She was really glad that he was there; they always seemed to balance each other out nicely. He would calm her down when she needed it most and she could be his backbone when he needed it most.

Hayate's dark, brown eyes widened slightly and his smile fell, "Yeah I was just... kidding."

Kyoko flashed him a doubtful look and he shrugged in return. She kept reminding herself that Hayate was a year younger than them, so she would only have to see him right before and right after school. Daisuke sighed; the two of them would never fully get along.

"What's wrong, Dai-kun?" A sweet, feminine voice asked from behind the group.

A shapely girl brushed past Hayate and grabbed Daisuke's arm. Her chocolate colored eyes wide with concern.

"Nothing's wrong, Aimi-chan," Daisuke smiled innocently.

Shigure and Akito's daughter released his arm and returned his smile. Kyoko rolled her eyes and Hayate snorted, "What an actress..."

"Tell me about it," Kyoko muttered under her breath.

"... Jealous?"

Kyoko bristled, "What? No way! Shut the hell up!"

Although, Kyoko had to admit that maybe she was a little jealous, not that she would ever tell Hayate that. Aimi was gorgeous, drooled over by every boy in their school. She had dark hair, that had the slightest tint of purple and that wove down to the middle of her back. It contrasted against her porcelain skin, which alway shimmered in the sunlight. She was Kyoko's complete opposite: curvy, flirtatious, girly... She was the princess of Kaibara High.

Aimi ignored whatever it was Kyoko and Hayate were mumbling about. She grabbed Daisuke's hand, "Well, we don't want to be late on our first day, do we? Lets get going!"

Kyoko glared at the back of their heads, as Aimi dragged a helpless Daisuke down the sidewalk. Again, Kyoko reminded herself that Aimi was a year older than her and Daisuke, and she wouldn't have to see her all day. After a moment, Daisuke managed to free himself and returned to Kyoko's side. Hayate fell into step with Ayame, a mischievous smile on his face.

"What do you want?" She spat out when she noticed his expression. She looked back at the pair walking in front of them, her eyes narrowed.

"Nothin'," He whistled innocently. "I'm just trying to keep you from burning holes into the back of their heads. What's with that look?"

"What look?" She sniffed audibly.

"De-nial," He replied in a sing-song voice. "You're jealous that they're so close."

Aimi looked up at him out of the corner of her eye, "Yes. I'm surprised that you're not too."

Aimi didn't understand why Daisuke would rather hang around with that tom-boy. Sure, she could be pretty when she dressed up like that, but she was always so... rough. Kyoko was always shouting, yelling, getting into fights. Daisuke was the prince, Aimi was the princess: they belonged with one another.

Hayate stuck his pinky in his ear and swirled it around, "Why the hell would I be jealous?"

She waved him off, "Oh, stop playing dumb with me, Hayate. I know that you tease Kyoko-chan to cover up your real feelings for her. Plus, I know you've always wanted to be more like Daisuke. What reason don't you have to be jealous?"

Hayate turned away, trying to hide his red cheeks. Aimi smirked when he failed to hide his embarrassment. Suddenly, the gears in her head started to turn, and she began to see a way to get Daisuke all to herself.

"Hey, Hayate..." Aimi's voice turned syrupy-sweet.

"What?" He muttered back, still sore that she had found him out so easily.

"Why don't we play a little game?" She suggested, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"Don't you start with me, Harpy," He scoffed. Hayate may not have been the smartest kid in school, but he knew better than to fall into one of Aimi's traps. She may have seemed sweet, but she could be manipulative when it came to getting what she wanted.

"Oh, come on!" She pouted. "Okay, it doesn't have to be a 'game'. Let's make a bet. Whoever can get Daisuke and Kyoko to go out with them-"

"Gets nothing. This is dumb and I'm not playing."

"Chicken."

"Am not."

"Are too! You're just afraid she'll reject you. She has no idea how you feel, so maybe if she finds out you'll change her mind!" Aimi suggested, trying to sound as encouraging as possible.

Hayate looked like he was thinking it over, finally he let out a defeated sigh, "Fine. I'm in."

Aimi's arm shot into the air, "YAY! All right, so whoever gets their respective crush wins. Nobody else can know about this okay?"

"Whatever." He really didn't care if he won or lost this stupid thing, as long as she wouldn't tell anybody about his crush.

"Then it starts as soon as we get to school," Aimi said, trying to hold back a devilish smile.

--

A few moments later, the four of them reached the high school. Students were already buzzing and bustling around the campus. Groups of girls were huddled near the door, checking their hair and makeup in little hand-mirrors, all of them waiting for Daisuke, no doubt.

"Let's get this over with," Kyoko breathed.

Hayate threw an arm over her shoulder, "You make it sound like a prison sentence."

"Might as well be," She shrugged him off. Kyoko scanned over the faces of all the students crowded around outside the school. She was trying to decided which ones she was going to avoid, when she spotted a familiar face.

She took off, causing her friends to exchange glances. She shoved through the throng of people and shouted, "Ryou!"

A tall boy with dirty, blonde hair that was parted off to the side glanced up from his phone. He brown eyes searched for whoever had called his name. He flipped his phone shut when he spotted her.

Kyoko slowed to a stop when she reached him. She huffed, "Hey! How come you weren't with Aimi and Hayate this morning?"

"Would you like the long or short version?" He asked, adjusting his backpack.

"Um... short?" Kyoko replied, blinking.

"Well, this morning, I woke up early because my mom decided to wake me up by banging on my door. She didn't think that I remembered to set my alarm."

Kyoko snickered. That sounded like Aunt Uo, but the idea of Ryou forgetting to do anything was ridiculous. He was one of the smartest kids she knew.

"Then my father nearly set the kitchen on fire," He continued, trying his best not to roll his eyes, "And after all that the last thing I wanted to do was deal with those two."

Kyoko finally cracked and let out a laugh. Ryou was always complaining about his parents. If he wasn't talking about how scatterbrained Kureno was, who reminded Kyoko of her mother, then he was whining about how Uo was too violent and overbearing.

Ryou stared at her, his mouth twisted into a frown, "Thank you for reminding me why I love hanging out with you."

"You're welcome," She wheezed in between laughs.

She always found it strange that her and Ryou got along so well, because Ryou never seemed to get along with people that were even remotely like his parents. But she liked him because he never teased her and was always straight-forward with whatever he said. He also had a low tolerance for stupid.

Ryou pointed behind her and Kyoko turned around to see Daisuke making his way through the army of fangirls, dragging Aimi along behind him. Hayate wasn't too far behind them.

Hayate grinned, "Hey, smarty-pants! Haven't seen you in awhile."

Ryou frowned, "Yeah. How sad."

Hayate didn't seem to catch the sarcasm in Ryou's voice and thumped his classmate on the back. Daisuke shook his head and said in a low voice, "I think we'd better start making our way inside. The bell's going to ring soon."

The group entered through the glass double doors and into the school. The inside of the tall building was blinding: white floors and white walls as far as the eye could see. The only bit of color in the halls, was the dark blue lockers that were lined up on the walls.

The first thing that they all needed to do, was head to the office and get their schedules. Kyoko already knew that there was a decent chance that her and Daisuke would be in the same classes and that Hayate and Ryou would have the same schedule as well. Aimi would probably be on her own.

Good. Kyoko thought with a smirk.

After they retrieved their schedules, and found out that Kyoko's assumptions were correct, they stopped at their lockers. Kyoko found hers with ease and pulled out the slip of paper with her schedule on it; her locker combination was on there too.

Just as her fingers touched the dial, she heard whispering from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw two tall boys standing a few feet away from her. They were trying to discreetly check her out. She cleared her throat, turned back around and tried her best to ignore them.

Kyoko was about to reach for the lock again, when she felt someone's presence right behind her. She sighed and turned around. One of the boys had decided to approach her. His friend was watching from behind them.

Here we go. She thought with a grim smile.

"Hey," The boy greeted, trying to sound smooth. He was tall, much taller than her, but that wasn't saying much because she was on the shorter side. He had dark brown hair that was a tousled mess and eyes that were as black as coal. Kyoko thought he was decent looking. He straightened up when he had her attention, "Are you new? I don't think I've seen you before..."

"No," She replied bluntly. This kind of thing always seemed to happen when her mother dressed her up. Kyoko wanted a boyfriend, but not one who only liked her for the way that she looked. Boys like him only talked to her when she dressed like this. It made her a little queasy.

"Oh," He said, trying to keep his confidence up, "That's weird. I mean I'm an upperclassman and have seen everyone at least once..."

Kyoko shrugged and was about to turn back around, when he started talking again, "Well anyway... I was going to see if you needed anyone to show you around-"

"Nope. I'm all set." She grinned, trying to hide how peeved she was getting.

"Right, since you're not new and everything," He was starting to sound awkward. He wasn't used to being treated this way by girls. "I was wondering if you were busy Friday?"

Kyoko let out a sigh, her eyes narrowing. She'd had enough of this. She crossed her arms over her chest, "You're asking me out? You don't even know my name."

"I-"

"And I don't know yours." She continued angrily.

"It's-"

"Don't care," She interjected, waving him off with her right hand. She turned around to go back to opening her locker. She expected that he would leave her alone now, so she was surprised when his fist slammed into the locker next to hers.

She squirmed back around so she was facing him. He had her pinned against the lockers, a frown on his face. Kyoko tried not to act shaken and hissed, "Back the hell up."

"No," He answered. "Don't you know I've never been rejected before?!"

"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything," She mutter, pushing against his chest. He wouldn't budge. Kyoko was strong for her size, but this guy was as twice as big as she was.

"I'm not leaving until I get a 'yes'," He leaned down so his face was inches from hers.

Kyoko wished she wasn't so constrained or else she could have smacked him upside the head. The best she could do was pound on his chest and that wasn't seeming to deter him.

Aimi and Hayate rounded the corner just in time to see this little display. Hayate's eyebrows furrowed and he immediately became ticked off. Who the hell was that with Kyoko?

"What are you waiting for? Get in there and help her!" Aimi nudged him and pushed him towards them.

Hayate glared at her over his shoulder but decided to step in anyway. Even if he didn't have a crush on Kyoko, he still would have helped her. No girl should be pressured like that.

Kyoko was pushing and shoving with all her might. The guy was leaning down and whispering in her ear, trying to convince her to say yes.

"Are you an idiot?" She snapped. "This isn't exactly a great way to get a girl to go out with you!"

"I don't care," He mumbled into her ear, the sticky feeling of his breath causing her to shutter.

"She's right you know," A familiar voice spoke from behind them. Before the guy could turn around, he felt a tug on the back of his uniform. He was pulled away from Kyoko and he let out a sharp 'yelp'.

Kyoko looked up to see who had come to her rescue, "Daisuke!"

Daisuke smiled at her, while Kyoko's new friend stared at him in shock. He was being shown up by some underclassmen, "Hey, I saw her first. Wait in line."

"You'd think someone who knows everyone in the entire school, would know the class president," Daisuke responded calmly.

"Oh," He started to sweat. "That Daisuke..."

"Yes, and I believe that no means no, so please leave Kyoko alone or else I'll report you for harassment."

"R-right," He answered nervously. Daisuke released him and the guy darted off down the hallway. The last thing he needed was to be written up on the first day of school.

Hayate had seen the whole thing. He watched with wide eyes as Daisuke appeared out of nowhere and stole his thunder. He could only gape at his two friends. Part of him wanted to go over and find out what exactly just happened, but he respected Daisuke too much to do that. He had always looked up to Daisuke, because he was so mature and kept his cool no matter what. Hayate wished he could be more like that. With a heavy sigh, he snuck off, hoping that they didn't notice him.

"Are you all right?" Daisuke asked, looking down at Kyoko.

Kyoko brushed herself off, "Yeah. Just peachy."

"What happened?" He asked, concerned.

Kyoko glanced up at him and when she saw how worried he was, her cheeks turned red. She closed her eyes and turned away, "He was trying to hit on me. I could have taken him if he didn't pin me down."

"Well, he won't bother you anymore," Daisuke smiled, the smile almost verging on a smirk.

Just as he finished speaking, the bell went off, signaling that it was time for class to begin. Daisuke peered up at the clock hanging on the wall, "We'd better get going."

Kyoko blinked, "Gimme a minute. I'll... I'll meet you there."

Daisuke looked confused but nodded anyway, "Okay... see you later."

He gave her one last anxious glance before leaving for homeroom. Kyoko stared at his back until he was out of sight. She let out a deep sigh, leaning back against the metal lockers.

It felt like someone was trapped inside her chest, pounding against her ribs. Her heart was beating out of control. Her body was tingling from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Her stomach was doing flips.

What the hell was wrong with her? Kyoko took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"You okay?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice from above her. However, she calmed down when she recognized who it was.

"I'm fine, Hayate," She snapped. Kyoko didn't mean to sound so bitter, but she couldn't help it. She was frustrated. She didn't want to be here, she was hit on by some asshole, her insides were tying themselves in knots for some unknown reason, and now he had snuck up on her. She thought that the halls would be empty by now.

Hayate, who towered over Kyoko, leaned down to inspect her face closer. Even though he was younger than Daisuke and Kyoko, he was still taller than them. He had doubled back, when he saw Daisuke had left, to see how she was doing. His chestnut eyes narrowed, "You don't look fine. You look pretty shaken to me."

Kyoko covered his face with her palm and gave him a good shove. Hayate scooted back, just to appease her. She grimaced when she felt him smiling against her hand, "Back off. I'm late for class and I'm not in the mood."

She pulled her hand away and turned, ready to stalk off. She was caught off guard when she felt him grab her wrist and pull her back to him. She stared up at him for a moment, dumbfounded.

"Want me to walk you? I don't mind being a few minutes late." He offered, trying his best to sound completely earnest.

Kyoko waited. She was expecting him to crack a smile and run off in the other direction, leaving her stranded there like an idiot. This had to be some sort of trick.

But his face remained completely serious. He stood there, waiting for her to answer him. She cleared her throat, her eyebrows shooting up warily, "Uh... sure."

She tugged her bag on, she had dropped it during the altercation, and stared walking towards her homeroom. Hayate walked beside her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his school uniform. He was doing his best to keep staring straight ahead, and not stare at her.

A question suddenly popped into Kyoko's head, "Hey... What were you doing in the hallway anyway? Shouldn't you have been in homeroom?"

Hayate nearly gagged on air. Normally he would have just lied his way out of this, but he knew Kyoko wouldn't like that. She would want honesty, and since he was trying his best to win her over...

"I saw what happened," He muttered, still not looking at her.

Kyoko's eyebrows furrowed and then rose again when she realized what he meant. She glared at nothing in particular and said the only thing she could think of, "Oh."

A moment of awkward silence passed between them, because neither was sure of what to say. Hayate took a deep breath, "I would have stepped in but... Daisuke beat me to it. If you ask me, that guy should have gotten the snot beaten out of him. Daisuke let him off too easy."

"I know. He's too nice for his own good sometimes and I could have handled that guy just fine if he didn't have me pinned down," She nodded in agreement. Her angry expression faded and Hayate thought he saw a flicker of softness. She tried to hold back a smile, "But I'm glad he came to get me."

Hayate only let out a grunt. He tried to ignore the way his heart was beating wildly in his chest. He had to ignore it because he knew that softness in her face was for someone else.

Kyoko peeked up at him and noticed that he wasn't too happy. She frowned, mirroring his expression. What was his problem?

"Was it something I said?" She snorted.

That stirred him from his thoughts. He blinked and glanced down at her. She looked irritated. He shook his head and then paused. He thought about doing something pretty risky, jumping in feet first so to speak.

"Who were you just thinking about? You got this really dreamy look in your eye," He said. Okay so maybe that was a little indirect. He was dipping his toe in, instead of jumping.

An immediate mixture of confusion and shock crossed her features. She couldn't remember looking "dreamy" and the only person she had just been thinking about was her best friend...

Her jaw fell open when she realized what was going on with her. She quickly shook it all away, shoving those thoughts into the back of her head. She couldn't let Hayate see her like this. She snuck a look at him and didn't miss the pain that flashed in his dark eyes. She was about to ask him what was wrong now, but they had reached her classroom. He stalked off before she could say anything.

Kyoko stood outside the door for a moment, watching him stomp off. She didn't understand why he was so hurt. It's not like she had admitted that she liked Daisuke out loud or anything.

But I don't like him. I mean, he's my best friend... I can't. I don't. And even if I did, why would that bother Hayate? But it's not like that matters anyway because I don't like him... Right? She shuttered violently and grit her teeth. Arguing with herself wasn't going to help things. She shoved all thoughts of Hayate, Daisuke and romance into the back of her mind and entered her classroom.

Kyoko froze in the doorway when she felt everyone's eyes on her. The teacher looked like she was trying to make her drop dead with her mind. Kyoko sniffed audibly and tried to shake off the all the glances and gawking. She almost made it to her seat, when her eyes met a pair of violet ones.

Daisuke was sitting in the second row, towards the far end of the room. He looked worried and confused, just like when she had left him. Kyoko felt the back of her throat go dry and hot.

No, no, no, NO! She thought, sinking down in her seat. Why now? Or have I always...

She tossed that thought away immediately and silently began chanting that she did not like him. There was no way she could like him.

After the third chant, another thought occurred to her: How did Daisuke feel about her? As far as she knew, he just viewed her as his best friend. Sure, he had saved her before and was always watching out for her, just like an overprotective boyfriend, but she knew that wasn't why he protected her. She was his closest friend. Friends stick up for friends.

And besides, if Daisuke wanted a girlfriend, he could have his pick of any girl in the entire school. Why would he pick her? She wasn't the prettiest girl out there, and she knew she was rough and loud. Why would he choose her when he could have someone like Aimi...

Kyoko was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear the homeroom bell go off. She was still sitting in her seat when all the other students began silently filing out of the room. She didn't notice the strange looks and whispers going on all around her.

"Kyoko...?"

That stirred her from her thoughts. She peeked up and saw Daisuke standing beside her desk, looking more concerned than ever. He held out his hand to help her up. She hesitated before taking it. The skin-to-skin contact sent a jolt though her body. His hand felt warm around hers.

He easily lifted her to her feet, "Please tell me what's bothering you..."

"Nothing's bothering me," She muttered, her chestnut eyes searching for her shoes.

"Yes, there is," He argued. She would have bolted for the door, but he was blocking it. "Are you too embarrassed to tell me?"

Kyoko reacted in the only was she could think of: she got angry. She smacked him on the arm, "I said I was fine! Just leave me alone, okay?!"

That distracted him long enough for her to push past him and get out the door. She ducked her head down, so he couldn't see how red her cheeks were. Daisuke was still a little shocked that she had actually hit him. He shook himself out of his stupor and rushed out of the room, "Hey- Wait up!"

He followed her to there next class, calling her name the entire way, but she just kept on barreling towards the room. Although he didn't know it, Aimi had seen the whole thing. She had just exited her classroom and when she heard him calling out to Kyoko like that, it make her stomach churn. Her eyes narrowed at nobody in particular as she stomped off to her next class. She could only hope that Hayate was having a worse time than she was...

--

"Darn it!" Daisuke cursed under his breath. Kyoko had slipped into the classroom, and he knew he couldn't confront her there. They would just end up making a scene.

He sighed and leaned against the wall outside the room. He wanted to wait a few minutes outside before class started and blow off some leftover steam.

"Daisuke?"

He looked up when he heard a familiar voice. Hayate.

He pushed off the wall, "Hey, Hayate. What's up?"

Hayate's hands were resting behind his head, "Not much. I'm surprised that you're not in class."

"Well, I would say the same thing to you but... I'm not surprised," Daisuke managed to crack a smile, despite the fact that he was still conflicted.

"Haha," Hayate let out a sarcastic laugh. "I had too much on my mind to sit through another boring lecture."

"Like what?"

Hayate swallowed audibly and had a one second, inward debate on whether he should tell his best friend or not. He blurted out, "Kyoko's pissed at me and I don't like it."

Daisuke's eyebrows shot up, "But she's always mad at you. Why is it any different now?"

"Because I realized that I like her," Hayate confessed quietly, focusing on the floor beneath them.

The black-haired boy looked up when he heard Daisuke's sharp intake of breath. Daisuke was silent after that, not sure how to respond. He was happy that the normally immature Hayate was finally growing up and confiding in him, but he was also feeling something else. He was angry that Hayate might get something that he secretly wanted. Jealous.

Just as that word popped up in his head, everything else seemed to come to a screeching halt. He was jealous that someone else liked Kyoko. He had never really come to terms with his feelings like this before. He had always been afraid of so many things: ruining their friendship, things not working out, rejection... But he knew he couldn't hide it or deny forever.

He was in love with his best friend.

"Daisuke?"

Hayate's worried voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Daisuke looked up, his wide, violet eyes meeting Hayate's narrowed ones.

"Sorry," Daisuke croaked. "I don't even know what to say."

Hayate muttered, "You don't have to say anything. I think I already know what's going on."

Before Daisuke could answer, Hayate stalked off. He didn't want to have to compete with one of his best friends over a girl.

Daisuke opened his mouth to yell something to him, but promptly shut it when he realized there was no use arguing with him. Just then, the bell rang throughout the halls and students began filing out of their classes. Daisuke tried to make himself scarce; he knew Kyoko would get even more angry if she knew he followed her to her class.

--

Hayate tore through the crowds, his mind jumping all over the place. He stopped when he was clear of people, pounding against a random locker. When his hand started hurting, he stopped and ran it through his messy hair.

"Wow. What are you so angry about?" A familiar, lofty voice asked him.

He looked up and saw Aimi standing nearby. He could only huff at her and look away. He didn't need a lecture or to be teased by her. He felt bad enough as it was.

Aimi took a step closer to him, "I'm not going to kick you while you're down, if that's what you think."

"Thanks," He muttered sarcastically.

She put a hand on her hip, "Here's an idea? How about, instead of acting like a jackass, you tell me what you're beating up on innocent lockers for?!"

"If I tell you, it'll just upset you," He mumbled his breath, his back still to her.

Aimi put herself in his view, glaring up at him, "And since when have you cared about how I feel?"

Daisuke frowned. She had him on that one. She was always picking on him, so he had no reason to hold back. He should have ripped into her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The idea of upsetting her, really upsetting her, bothering him.

"I guess I just...do. I don't know." He whispered. "We are friends, in case you forgot."

Aimi actually blushed, but she didn't know if it was from anger or embarrassment. He hands balled up into fists, "Which is why I was trying to help you in the first place, but you're not going to tell me, are you?"

Hayate was grinning now, amused by the fact that he made her blush. He guessed that nobody ever admitted to being her friend out loud, "Not a chance."

"Fine. See if I ever try to help you again," She snorted.

"Sure, sure," He chuckled. "Thanks for cheering me up, Aimi."

He expression softened into one of surprise, "You're welcome?"

Hayate began to walk to his class, leaving a very confused Aimi behind and his problems in the back of his mind.

--

Daisuke exited his second class of the day, his thought still a little jumbled. Kyoko ignored him, still mad about what had happened right before their first class. He tried to catch up with her after class, but she had bolted out the door. He made his was through the crowd, towards his next class.

He mouth went dry when he saw her waiting outside the room. He thought she would have ran off somewhere, like the girl's bathroom, to hide until the bell went off. He took a deep breath and tentatively approached her.

"Hey," Daisuke said softly.

She glanced up at him, her cheeks warming up, and then looked away. He let out a frustrated sigh and fell back against the wall beside her.

"Could you please tell me why you're mad at me? Is it because I tried to force you to tell me something this morning?" He asked patiently.

"I'm not mad at you," She snapped.

"Then what is it?" He insisted, his voice still calm. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

He looked down and saw that she was chewing on her bottom lip. That, combined with her rosy-pink cheeks and her cute outfit, made him gulp. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine tom-boy Kyoko: T-shirt, jeans, and barely-brushed hair... not good enough. Even when she looked like that, it made his heart pound. This coming to terms with his feelings thing wasn't really working out the way he planned.

"I guess I'm just confused," She murmured, her eyebrows furrowing. Then she lied, "It's nothing you did, so don't worry. We're still friends."

Friends. Right. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest and smiled, "Good. Glad to hear it."

She smiled back, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He beat her to it, his fingers brushing against her neck. Kyoko's cheeks went from pink to red and she let out a gasp. He chuckled and quickly pulled his hand away before she bit it off.

Daisuke was still laughing at her string of curse words, when he glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Hayate run off. Daisuke's eyes widened. Crap. Hayate probably saw that whole display.

"What's wrong now?" Kyoko asked.

Daisuke looked back down at her, "Nothing. Listen, I'll be right back. Tell the teacher I might be a few minutes late."

He darted off, leaving her with a confused look on her face. He followed Hayate around the corner. He caught up with him easily (Hayate was tall and easy to spot in a crowd).

Hayate slowed to a stop when he realized that Daisuke had caught up with him. He only turned half-way around, staring at his friend out of the corner of his eye.

"You saw everything, didn't you?" Daisuke asked, trying to offer an apology smile.

Hayate nodded, his jaw clenched. He turned all the way around, his head bowed, "I can't believe I had to see that to realize that I have no chance."

Daisuke's mouth fell open, but he didn't say anything. He squared his shoulders, waiting for Hayate to continue.

"The way she is around you... it's different than how she acts around me. I know I've already lost."

"Hayate-"

The punk-looking boy cut him off, "Don't worry about it. I'll get over it. Good luck, though. I hope you can tell her one day."

"Thanks," Daisuke's smile widened. "We should probably get to class."

"Right. See you afterwards." Hayate waved and turned around to keep going to his classroom.

Looks like neither of us is going to win Aimi.

--

After what felt like an eternity, classes were finally over and done with for the day. Hayate left his last class, stretching his arms over his head. Ryou walked beside him.

"Man, today felt like it was never going to end," Hayate groaned.

Ryou adjusted his glasses, "Maybe if you didn't complain, it would go by faster."

"Right..." Hayate replied, completely ignoring whatever it was Ryou just said. He had spotted Aimi in the distance and was already prepping what he needed to say. He was giving up and forfeiting their contest.

The dark-haired girl was standing in front of her open locker, fixing her hair in a tiny mirror that was hanging on the inside door of her locker. Hayate shoved his hands into his pockets and approached her, "What are you getting all dolled up for?"

"I have a plan that's going to cinch this game for me," She said, whipping out a tiny mascara tube. She carefully applied some to her right eyelashes.

"Yeah, about that..."

"Not now, Hayate." She said, the words coming out in a flurry. She shut her locker and marched off to complete her plan. Hayate sighed and followed her.

He wasn't surprised when she found what she was looking for: Kyoko's "boyfriend" from this morning. Hayate may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could see what Aimi was trying to do. She was going to get herself into trouble with this guy, like Kyoko had done this morning, and she was going to hope that Daisuke would come to her rescue. Hayate guessed that Daisuke was busy over at Kyoko's locker.

Idiot. Guess it's up to me to fill Daisuke's shoes. She's going to hate me for this... He thought grimly.

He waited patiently until the boy-toy had Aimi pinned against the lockers. She started to feign being panicked when he didn't pull away. She looked all around for Daisuke, not even noticing Hayate. When she realized Daisuke wasn't coming, her panic became real.

"Want to head back to my place?" The unsuspecting pawn asked, a smirk on his face.

Aimi pushed against his chest, "Not really. I-I was just kidding!"

The boy's smirk tipped upside down, and he leaned a little closer, "So you were just toying with me? That's hardly fair. I should at least get something out of this!"

She cringed at how loud he was getting, and shrunk back against the lockers. He was about to lean in a kiss her, when a pair of hands wrapped around his eyes, blinding him.

"Hey!" He protested.

"Daisuke!" Aimi said happily. She was just guessing who it was, because she couldn't see her savior's face.

"Wrong. Guess again." Hayate peered around the guys head to grin at her. Aimi's jaw fell open.

Hayate led the blinded boy away from Aimi, and released him at the end of the hall. He thumped him on the back, "Sorry about that. I wasn't keeping a close enough eye on her. She must've slipped away when I wasn't lookin'."

He felt a jab on his shoulder, "Don't talk about me like I'm an animal!"

He glanced over his shoulder at Aimi and simply ignored her. He turned back to the young man, apologized again, and ushered him off.

"Don't ignore me, you brat!" She crowed.

"That's not the tone I'd take with someone who just saved my ass." He said, trying his best to look bored and uninterested. "Did you even know what you were getting yourself into? You could've gotten hurt if I didn't show up."

"I thought I could-"

"You thought you could manipulate that guy and get Daisuke to come save you. You must've seen what happened to Kyoko this morning."

"Yes," She confessed quietly. "Is that so bad though? I just wanted his attention."

"Have you ever thought about moving on to someone else-"

"You're not suggesting I go out with you?" She interrupted, her eyes narrowing.

Hayate blushed to the roots of his hair and muttered, "When pigs fly. What I meant was, that you could date any guy you wanted. You could try going after someone who might be interested in you."

"Whatever."

"I'll take that as a 'no'," He replied casually. Hayate started making his way towards the exit of the building.

Ryou, Kyoko, and Daisuke were waiting for them by the entrance. Daisuke and Kyoko were both avoiding eye contact with one another and weren't holding hands or anything. Hayate guessed that Daisuke didn't tell Kyoko how he felt. Oh well.

Before they reached their other friends, Hayate continued his and Aimi's conversation, "Well, think about moving on. I know I'm starting to."

"Really, does that mean that I win?" She looked up at him and he nodded solemnly. She grinned.

"Well, you can try moving on and find someone else, but I'm not giving up!" Aimi said, determined as ever.

Hayate sighed as they reached the group, "Oh, I already have found someone else. Unfortunately."

He could only laugh and shake off the strange looks his friends gave him, as they all started to make their way back home.

((The End))

That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! I know this last chapter focused solely on the kids and I hope that was okay. I thought that it would be a nice ending and you'd get to see what happened even farther in the future (Hayate is my favorite, in case you couldn't tell). If you'd like to see pictures of the kids, go to my deviantart page (the link is on my profile page). I'm not the best artist but I'm happy with how they turned out. Maybe I'll do a couple comics with them...

But now I'm ranting. Again, thanks for sticking with me and reading/reviewing! See you at my next story!! :)