Hikari to Kage no Roman Oikakete

(I Will Chase the Romance of the Light and Shadow)

See Disclaimer and other information about this fanfic in the Author's Note at chapter 1.

Oh no! There's a big crisis concerning the date! But, WHAT??????????? Read and find out.

This is chapter three everybody!

Chapter 3: Race Against the Minutes of the Clock for Love

The next day at 7:40 am…………

Ring……Ring……Ring……

"Hello." Shiho said very sleepily while rubbing her eyes. She yawned while lying on her soft bed. She was still half sleeping.

"Hi Shiho! Are you ready? Since we are neighbors, why don't we walk together? C'mon! Let's go! We can't keep the boys waiting, can we?" Ran said cheerfully and awake. She was very excited.

"OHHH NOO!!! I OVERSLEPT!!!"

Shiho quickly got up from bed and shouted. She touched her forehead.

"I'll never make it! I overslept! It is 20 minutes to the meeting time!! I can't possibly make it in time!! I won't go!! I WON'T GO!!"

"What? Did you just wake up now?" Ran asked. She was worried.

"Yeah! If you didn't call, I would have still been lying down on the bed, dreaming of me and my dead sister watching Ken's concert now."

"Hey, it's good that you are dreaming good memories instead of bad ones! I am glad that you are not having nightmares of your sister's death anymore."

"Yeah." She said happily while smiling.

"But, still, you have to go!" She insisted. "You can make it if you hurry!!"

"But, I didn't eat breakfast yet! I didn't even cook my breakfast yet! I didn't take a bath yet! I didn't brush my teeth yet!! How can I go in such short notice? Hey, Ran. What time did you wake up?"

"Around, 6:40, I think."

"See! You needed to cook, brush your teeth and take a bath for 1 hour!! I only have 20 minutes!! I can't do it!! Please tell them to go without me. And tell Saguru that I am so sorry."

"Never! You will go no matter what!! You can ask Saguru to buy breakfast for you."

"No way! I don't want to be dependent on boys! I won't go! I didn't even cook my instant ramen yet!! I still have to take a bath!!!" She shouted crazily and worriedly.

"I will buy breakfast for you then. Don't worry, and just take a quick shower and brush your teeth faster. No problem." She said encouragingly that she can still make it.

"But, Ran- chan!!"

"No saying BUTS!!!! I'll go there and help you, don't panic!"

"But, I still didn't prepare an outfit yet!!"

"I'll go there right now!! I will help!! We are now wasting time because we are talking to each other!!! I'll go there faster!! I know I'll get otousan's breakfast!"

"You can't do that! Your otousan might get mad at you!! What will he eat?"

"Don't worry, as long as I put a bottle of beer and a piece of bread on the table, he won't mind! And besides, he's still sleeping!"

"But…"

"I'll get the breakfast now and zoom to your house, kay? Bye!"

"But, Ran- neesan!!!"

Tong……Tong……Tong……

She put down the phone.

The phone conversation took 2 minutes.

She quickly ran to the bathroom and took a bath.

She shampooed her hair and conditioned it hyper fast. She used the bubble bath liquid soap and poured it on the bath tub filled with water and jumped in to make it faster. She then scrubbed herself quick. She moved as fast as a robot. So very very speedy!!!

She finished taking a bath for about 8 minutes.

DING DONG……… DING DONG………

She went out of the bath tub and went to open the door for Ran. Ran brought a hot bowl of ramen and some bread. She brought mango juice, too. Ran was finding a nice thing to wear in her closet while Shiho dried her hair with a hair dryer.

That took 1 minute because she used the warm air instead of the cool so her short hair dries up faster. She knows that it is bad for the hair to use warm air for drying the hair but she had no choice. She was going to be late! Anyway, once in a while wouldn't hurt, right?

A/N: I use it all the time (very warm air) to dry my hair when I am hurrying to go to bed if there is classes on the following day. My hair didn't get burned, but, my hair is so rough and hard to comb now. I had no choice, too! I have no choice when I need to sleep during school nights and that's like, what, every day!!!

After finishing drying her hair, she went out of the bathroom and quickly ate the ramen, bread and mango juice.

While eating, she said…

"Hey, Ran- neesan, thanks. Thanks a lot for your help." She smiled.

"Hey, that's alright, you're welcomed, Shiho- neesan! We are best of friends; we're like sisters, aren't we! Eat faster!! We can still reach there on time!! I am finding nice clothes for you!"

"K, neesan!" She smiled.

Ring……Ring……Ring……

"Ehh? Oh, I'll get it!"

"Okay, Shiho. It must be Kazuha, ne?"

"Yup!"

"Hello." Shiho said cheerfully.

"Hi Shiho! Is Ran there? What are you guys still doing there? Aren't you leaving yet? We've got six more minutes!!" She said worriedly.

"What?! Six minutes??!!" Shiho shouted worriedly.

Ran heard Shiho.

Ran said worriedly, "Oh no, Shiho- chan, are you done with your breakfast yet?!"

"A…Almost! I am done with the noodles and the bread, I've just got to drink the soup and the mango juice!"

"Good! Hurry!"

"Right!"

Shiho got back on the phone and talked to Kazuha.

"Kazuha- neesan, we're in a mess! You see, I woke up terribly late and I told Ran that I didn't want to go anymore but she insisted so she came here to help me hurry up. Don't worry, I am finished taking a bath and I am almost done eating. I just have to change my clothes and brush my teeth! I am so sorry, Kazuha- chan! I hope you are not mad!"

"Of course not, Shiho- chan! Why would I be? What are friends for? Daijoubu! I'll help you guys! I'll fetch both of you on my car, kay? Don't worry! I'll be right there!"

"But, Shinichi's mansion is just a block away. We could just walk and besides, I'd be rude to ride your car! I am already rude enough to Ran- san, and I won't be rude to you!"

"Listen, Shiho- chan! If you walk, it will take you at least three minutes more whereas if we zoom with the car, well only take seconds!! I'll fetch you right now, kay? Bye!! Love you!"

Tong……Tong……Tong……

"Wait, but, Kazuha- chan… WAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIT!!!!"

The phone talk lasted for 2 minutes.

"What she say?" Ran asked.

"She'll fetch us with her green sports car."

"Oooohh, cool!"

"Don't you think that is embarrassing? Won't Kazuha- san get mad?"

"Of course not! I know Kazuha! She wants to help!"

"Kay, then. I'm glad that I've got good friends like you!"

"Eat faster!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Shiho said while gulping the soup.

She finished drinking the soup and juice 30 seconds after.

"I've got the clothes you need! Hurry! Wear them, NOW!!" Ran threw the clothes on Shiho and pushing her to the bathroom.

"WHAAATTT??? I'll wear these???!!!" Shiho disapproving of the clothes that Ran asked her to wear. (those were the clothes that Sonoko gave her on her birthday last month) 

"Oooohhhh, why not?! It's fine!! Just wear that!!" Ran insisted. "Don't keep on complaining!!!"

"But, Ran……" She said anxiously.

"SHIHO!!! Wear it now before we become late!!!!" Ran insisted her more.

"Uh! Okay then."

She said while blowing her bangs upwards while rolling her eyes, pouting.

"Well, do I have a choice? Can I wear another one? This is just too…" She said worriedly.

"NO and NOOOO!!!!!"

Ran slammed the CR door.

"Jeez! Shiho- chan!"

Ran blew her bangs upwards as well, thinking of Shiho's lack of confidence.

Shiho dressed as fast as she could however made sure that it was perfectly neat and tidy!

She finished dressing after one minute.

"We have exactly 2 minutes and 30 seconds!! Hayaku!!! Hayaku!!!"

A/N: Hayaku means hurry.

As soon as Shiho went out of the CR, Ran screamed……

"KAWAIIIIII!!!!!!!"

"Taku!" Shiho pouted. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that!!!"

"Don't be like that! They all will love what you are wearing! You will get Saguru's 100 attention!!!" Ran said happily.

"That's exactly what I don't want!! I don't want to get that much attention!!!" Shiho screamed.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Shiho- chan!! Now, brush your teeth!!!" Ran ordered. "And hurry!"

"Fine." Shiho said tonelessly since she didn't like what she was FORCED to wear.

Shiho quickly squeezed toothpaste on the toothbrush and started brushing. She brushed her teeth fast but clean from left to right, up to down. She took a sip of water from her mug and gurgled. She spit out the water from her mouth. Then, she washed her mouth with water. After that, she washed her face with soap and water. Then, she rinsed her face. She got her towel and wiped it on her face.

That took 1 minute and 30 seconds!

"I'm done!" Shiho shouted happily at Ran.

"Excellent! Let's run downstairs! I told you we'd make it! One more minute!"

They closed the lights and closed the door. They were running towards the elevator, when……

Ring…… Ring…… Ring…… Ring……

"Moshi moshi?" Shiho answered her cell phone.

"Hey! What's taking you so long! We'll be late!! Hurry up you two!! I've been waiting down here two minutes ago! Please hurry up!!" Kazuha yelled anxiously.

"Gomen! We are already going to the elevator! Gomen again for letting you wait! Bye!" Shiho said.

"Whew! Okay then! Hurry up!!! We've got one more minute till eight o' clock." Kazuha said.

"Thanks again, Kazuha- neesan! Bye!" She said happily.

"Bye!" She smiled in relief.

"Shiho!"

Ran shouted when she was already inside then the elevator was about to close. She pressed the open button so that Shiho could still enter.

Shiho ran as fast as she could toward the elevator and she made it!

"Whew!" Shiho sighed as she was riding the elevator with Ran. She kept on gasping!!!

Ran and Shiho ran outside the apartment and they quickly opened the car of Kazuha and entered and sat on its leather covered seat.

The car zoomed hyper fast!

"Hi! I'm glad that you made it!" Kazuha said happily.

She was seated at the front seat of the car beside her daddy who was the driver. She turned around and smiled at them at the back seat.

"Yeah. How many seconds more?" Shiho asked worriedly.

"Forty seconds more!"

Kazuha said.

"Wait a sec…"

Kazuha turned around and looked at Shiho properly. She didn't notice it until now when she looked at her more observantly. She gave a long stare at the pouting Shiho and the smiling Ran. She was smiling. She rolled her eyes from side to side.

"Raaaaan…………did you force Shiho to wear that outfit?"

"Like it?"

"Love it!"

"Taku!"

"Saguru surely will never take off his eyes on you!"

"That's what I don't want!"

The car reached the Kudo Mansion and they went out and they saw Shinichi outside the gate without Heiji and Saguru.

The car took 20 seconds to reach there.

"Hey! We are still early by twenty seconds!"

Ran said joyfully.

"Told you we won't be late!"

The three adorable girls went running to Shinichi.

"Hi! Umm…where's Saguru and Heji?" Shiho asked curiously.

"I am so annoyed of them! Sorry, Shiho, Gomen, Kazuha, I think they went home and watched that stupid basketball show yesterday and so they slept late!! I think they overslept today and they are going to be late! Geez! I told those two to wake up earlier!!! How can they impress you two now? They must be running by now! Huh!" Shinichi said.

Before anyone or anybody could talk in came running swiftly towards the group Heiji and Saguru after 18 seconds.

"Huh!! We made it on time!!" Saguru panted loudly while looking at his watch.

They wiped their perspiration.

"Yeah right! You made it on time! Three more seconds and you're late!!!" Shinichi shouted, annoyed.

"But, at least the girls came early, right?" Heiji pointed out.

"They arrived 18 second ago!!" Shinichi said, disappointed.

"It is eight o' clock." Shiho smiled and said while checking out her clock.

"We all made it! Yehey!" They all yelled happily.

End of Chapter 3

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