Author's Note: Ahahaha This had been ready way back September and I kind of got dishearted when the anime ended. orz I hope they make a new season. Anyway, sorry for the long wait! Thank you for the lovely reviews ;u; Hope you enjoy this one~

-Sketto Romance-

Chapter 3 – Cause and Effect

"Chuu-san!"

Bossun's voice echoed in the hallway leading towards the Science Laboratory and it wasn't a second after that when he reached the doorway of the said room. With a loud BAM, Bossun opened the door and exclaimed, "THAT PILL WASN'T FOR CONSTIPATION! YOU SAID IT WAS FOR CONSTIPATION! Well, she doesn't look constipated anymore, BUT THAT PILL SURE ISN'T A CURE FOR CONSTIPATION!"

Chuu-san merely averted his gaze from the two test tubes (one which contained a very suspicious black colored liquid, and another an oozing red) that he was holding before answering with, "Oh, I noticed that I gave you the wrong pill but you were gone already. I was... going to tell you when I go back to the classroom after lunch."

"You noticed?! YOU NOTICED?! CHUU-SAN, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

Bossun exclaimed frantically with his rather, uh, disoriented face. Not only was Bossun's face close to tearing up due to aggravation, it was also blue and swollen due to Himeko slamming her hand on his left cheek and then sending her knuckles on his right. As if the physical pain wasn't enough, he was also called an idiot by Himeko (he was also called "a really, really stupid red caterpillar who's only skills were concentrating, and folding papers," but he was already trying to forget that part). And as if being assaulted physically and verbally still weren't enough, Himeko actually cried.

All because he had laughed and said "who'd want to marry an amazon li—." He wasn't even able to finish that sentence before he met his punishment from Himeko's hands. Literally. Bossun still was not sure what happened after that, because the next thing that he knew, he was running after Himeko who had stood up and ran out of the classroom (though he somewhat heard some of their classmates saying something like, "Bossun's a total idiot," and "Bossun's totally not delicate at all."). The next, next thing he knew after trying to chase her was that Himeko's heel speeded towards his face for a flying kick and that he was left lying on the hallway while the blonde teen rushed away after telling him he was more idiot than an idiot.

And all because he had ran after her while asking, "Did the pill worsen your constipation so much you're dashing like mad to the comfort room?" Why, that Himeko was the one who's more idiot than an idiot! Why should she kick someone who's asking out of concern? Didn't she know the terrible effects of constipation? Couldn't she see he was worried too? Bossun had decided that this was all because of the wrong pill that Chuu-san gave so instead of continuing on chasing Himeko, Bossun headed here on the Science Laboratory, where Chuu-san was still acting without any care in the world despite his obvious mistake.

Feeling the sting from Himeko's kick, Bossun dashed to Chuu-san's table and cried, "Why did you have to mistaken the love pill as a medicine for constipation?! And you upgraded it to just one pile?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO UPGRADE IT WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE REMI-NEE-SAN?! DO YOU HAVE THE NEED TO BE MORE LOVEY-DOVEY?! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE PDA IN THIS SCHOOL!"

Despite Bossun's hysterics, Chuu-san simply disregarded all the things Bossun said and just lazily raised an eyebrow, "I upgraded the Fallinlove pill?"

"Upgraded or not, why did you have to give me the Faillinlove pill instead of a simple pill that cures constipation? They said love hurts, but did it have to be literally in the form of punches and kick?" Bossun almost wanted to pull out his hair, but decided that he needed to calm down. Still looking very stressed from aggravation and physical pain, Bossun tried to calm down and asked, "Chuu-san, can you please just give the antidote to that Fallinlove pill?" He silently prayed that Chuu-san actually have an antidote for it.

"I gave you the Fallinlove pill?" Chuu-san actually had the nerve to chuckle as he continued on mixing his weird liquids. "How can I give you that pill if it went sold out last Valentine."

"You actually sold that stuff?!" Bossun gasped in disbelief and shock. "Is it even legal to sell things like that?! ...Now, I'm curious how all those people who bought the 3-pilled Fallinlove set managed to make it work."

"Do you really want to know?" Chuu-san watched his chemicals ooze a little, not really paying interest to Bossun.

"Yes! Wait, no! That's not what I want to ask!" Bossun started to wail again. "If it's not an upgraded Fallinlove pill, then what weird concoction will cause Himeko to ask me to ma—ma—marr-," this was ridiculous, he was even having a hard time saying the word, "wed me?" Really.

"Ahhhh." Chuu-san nodded as the liquid on the tube started to turn transparent; Bossun wanted to ask how a mixture of black and red can turn transparent, but he decided not to bother; this was Chuu-san after all. "Himeko asking you to marry her, that's not because of the Fallinlove pill. I gave you a candy that looks like a pill but it's actually just a candy, not a medicine pill for constipation that looks like a candy."

Bossun was speechless.

Chuu-san was saying that what he gave him was actually a candy pill (a candy that looked like a pill that looked like a candy but is actually just a candy) but Bossun didn't seem to hear.

Himeko's, ehem, proposal was not because of a love pill? Why else would Himeko ask him something like that if a weird pill didn't cause it?

For some weird reason, a chibi Bossun in Roman's drawing style popped on his mind and it started to snicker naughtily.

'Gegegege Silly, silly prince!" The Roman-styled-chibi Bossun continued to snicker while covering his mouth with his little hands. "Of course, it's nothing else but love! A person only proposes to someone they really love! With sparkles in her eyes, Himeko has finally realized that you're origami skills are far better than that ninja's fighting skills! Ninjas are soooo outdated, but your origami skills are really outdated, too, and far more boring, prince! But don't worry, because love is blind, the origami skills become much cooler even though in reality, ninjas are really much, much cooler!'

Another chibi Bossun in Switch's drawing style popped and it tried to kick the Roman-styled one, but missed. Still, the Roman-styled chibi Bossun fell down as if the miss-kick actually hurt it. The Switch-styled-chibi Bossun harrumphed.

"You only think that because you're very naive! Don't you know that there are many people out there who want to marry others because of money? Love! Ha! What a crazy thought! It's all because of money, money!" Roman-sytled-chibi Bossun looked up at it with fear in its eyes, why, the Switch-styled-chibi Bossun wasn't even blinking while saying these dreadful things. "When you're already married, there won't be any more "love." Everything will be mere pretences and even if you eat dinner together, the atmosphere will just be cold and you'll be thinking why you even married! You'll start thinking, 'ah, maybe I'll just have dinner with my secretary tomorrow than with this old hag,' but then you'll remember that your secretary is a guy like you because your wife fired that beautiful one when you married! Your life will be endangered too because your wife will be after your insurance! Of course she'll make it look like it's an accident and pretend to grieve on your grave! But when you're gone, she'll immediately marry that guy secretary!"

This made the Roman-styled-chibi Bossun cry and spout, "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" but the Switch-styled-chibi Bossun only crossed its arms. It was then that another chibi Bossun in Bossun's drawing style appeared.

"What are you two saying?!" It pointed at Roman-styled-chibi Bossun. "Is this some kind of shoujo manga?! Why would Himeko see my origiami skills with sparkling eyes? And you even think Katou is actually, really, way cooler than me!" Then it pointed to Switch-styled-chibi Bossun. "And you! Is this some kind of TV drama? Why will there be a love triangle with a guy secretary?! Even a murder attempt because of an insurance?!" It wailed exasperatedly. "Why are your thoughts so cliché?"

Roman-styled-chibi Bossun pouted. "If it's not because of those, then why?" Switch-styled-chibi Bossun nodded. "Yeah, Chuu-san already said it wasn't a love pill."

Bossun-styled-chibi Bossun pulled down its goggles and went on concentration mode. After a short while, it removed the goggles and even though it was panting, it exclaimed, "I got it!" And they all disappeared with a pop.

Bossun pointed at Chuu-san and said, "it was the soda!" He remembered Himeko drinking the soda right after eating the pill. Chuu-san looked up at Bossun before averting his gaze to the other table where a dozen bottles of soda were placed. "Oh. I forgot that I placed the Go-go-wedding-ala-mode drink there."

"Go-go-wedding-ala-mode drink?" Bossun's jaw dropped. "That doesn't even make sense! And your naming format is even wrong! Shouldn't it be Drink-ala-go-go-wedding-mode?"

"Hmm. No one will notice that mistake." Chuu-san replied. Bossun was saying how he already noticed the mistake but Chuu-san continued, "it may not make sense to you, but I need that to finish our plans for the wedding." He sighed. "You kids don't know how much energy is needed to plan a wedding."

"More than a Go-go-wedding-ala-mode drink, you need a Go-go-don't-be-lazy drink, Chuu-san!" Bossun snapped again. Chuu-san just sighed again. "If Himeko drank it, then that means I need to brew another bottle for tomorrow." Another sigh. "So troublesome."

"You were the one who gave me that drink!" The younger teen cried, remembering the current problem. "Before that, I need to give Himeko an antidote!" The lazy teacher finally stood up and walked slowly towards the table where the bottles of soda were. Bossun waited eagerly as Chuu-san looked over the bottles carefully this time. "Ah!"

"Is that the antidote there?" Bossun asked excitedly. This was the first time Chuu-san had an antidote ready! Chuu-san, despite his weird creations, must be great after all! "It's Cola." Chuu-san reached for the bottle and took a sip. "All this mixing made me thirsty. Haa."

"Don't give your student false hope! How can you do that? And what's with the 'ah' and 'haa'! I was really happy thinking you have an antidote!" Bossun wasn't sure anymore how many times and how much he cried that day.

"You don't need an antidote for that. Its effect only lasts for about one hour."

"..."

Bossun wanted to hit his head on the wall after hearing this. He felt like he wasted a lifetime of worrying over this only to find out that the effect of the soda was only to last for an hour. That meant that Himeko won't have to cry any longer, right?

His thoughts were cut off when he felt his phone vibrate on his pocket. Opening it, he saw that Switch was calling him. Drained from dealing with Chuu-san and worrying about Himeko, Bossun lazily picked it up. "Yeah?"

" ' Bossun! Himeko's on the rooftop!' " Switch's artificial voice said from the other line.

"Haah?" Bossun blinked. "Is she planning to skip the next class by hiding there?"

" 'Bossun, people in wedding mode—'" Switch answered but Bossun cut him off.

"Ehhh? You already know about that Go-Go-Wedding-ala-Mode soda?"

" 'Of course. I've known Chuu-san had been drinking it.'" Switch's answer made Bossun want to go 'Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!' but he was stopped before he could even start. " 'Anyway, that's not important right now. What I was saying, people in wedding mode can be suicidal when they feel rejected, Bossun.'"

Bossun paled even more when he heard Himeko's voice from the background shouting things like "I wasted my whole youth liking a stupid red caterpillar head" and "the next time I see him I'm going to make sure his bones are all pulped!"

"SUICIDAL?! That's more like murderous, Switch!" Bossun wanted to cry at how ridiculous this was, but then he heard more of Himeko's crying.

And this time, it was just plain crying (albeit rather loudly). Himeko was seriously crying. Like that time when they had saved Captain from a group of thugs. Like that time when they saved her from Tsune and his group. Like that time when she hugged him and he didn't know what to do-

Before Bossun knew it, he had already headed out of the Science Laboratory and was quickly taking his steps towards the rooftop. Man, how could Himeko cry like that when he was the one who had been suffering physically and mentally? He was not really sure what it was, but he could feel something weird going inside him as he climbed up the stairs. "Arghh, I hope those concoctions Chuu-san's mixing aren't hazardous."

He opened the door to the rooftop and immediately, he saw Himeko there on the other side. He imagined that he'd found her trying to jump from there (shouting more things about him being an incompetent caterpillar and an idiot), but it seemed that he was wrong on that; Himeko was just sitting down, her back resting on the rails. She tried to dry her tears upon hearing the door open, and when she realized that it was Bossun who came, she sent a glare towards his direction before averting her gaze away from him. Bossun, for a moment, wasn't sure what to do next. He heard her sniffle and for some reason, he felt really guilty. Ah, but wasn't this all because of that stupid soda?

Right, this was all because of that soda. "Look-"

"There's no really need for you to say anything." Still looking away from him, Himeko interrupted before he could explain the soda. She stood up, brushing dirt off the back of her skirt. With a forced smile, she continued, "I've long known that you'd never really like a girl like me." And then, a forced laugh. "How could the two of us even marry each other-! Ahahaha!"

What the heck was this? Just a moment ago she was crying as if he had broken her heart, and now she was trying to shove it off like a joke? Ah, right. This was all just because of some soda. It's not like Himeko would ever really like him. Hahaha. What a joke really this was. Yeah, yeah, this was all just because of that soda.

And with that, Bossun tried to laugh too. "How could we, right? That Chuu-san really is something creating a soda like- Wha?" Panicking, he took a step forward. "Why are you crying again?"

Himeko was trying to brush away her tears but new ones kept coming. "I really-" She sniffed. "H-How could you just-" She laughed and shook her head. "I mean,-" She tried to smile but ended up sobbing. "B-but I really-"

"What do you really want to do? Laugh OR cry?" This was making Bossun crazy. Why was the effect of that stupid soda turning out like this? Why-

"Waaaahhhhhhhhhhh-" Himeko stopped from trying to control her tears and was back to just crying. Her wailing cut off all of Bossun's thoughts and for a minute, she was just crying. Both of them were rooted at their places, a good distance from each other. "H-how could you be so insensitive at times like this? I don't really have any idea what I really want to do in the future except for that fact that I want, I want- Waaahhhhhhhhh...! Bossun!"

"Eh? You want what?" Bossun took a step back. What? Did she want to beat him up again? He definitely saw her clenching her fists!

"STUPID!" Himeko cried. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID!" Bossun cringed at her words and he wanted to shout back now, but he was thankful that she wasn't carrying her Flagrance right now, although he knew her knuckles could just be as painful as that. "How can I ask you again to marry me when I know that you'll just reject?!"

There was silence again and Bossun's cheeks reddened. Whoa. That transparent concoction Chuu-san was mixing must really be hazardous.

"That-" was just because of the cola, he wanted to say.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Himeko shut her eyes closed and covered her ears while turning away from him. This was too much for her. "How could you reject me twice in just an hour! You're really-"

"I'm not rejecting you!" Bossun snapped. Why was she just cutting off him again and again when he was trying to explain? Sheesh.

"Eh?" Hope sparkled in Himeko's eyes amidst her tears.

Bossun sighed as Himeko looked like she was finally ready to listen to him. He walked towards her side and sat a meter away from her. Subconsciously, he distanced another foot away from her; you never knew when Himeko might hit him again.

"Listen now." He averted his look back at Himeko and he felt kind of worried at the way her cheeks were red. He hoped that the weird soda wasn't giving her any allergies or something. "You asking me for m-ma-ma... for that is just an effect of Chuu-san's Go-Go-Wedding-ala-Mode soda that you drunk earlier."

It took a moment for Himeko to reply. "So... so you're saying that you think these feelings, you mean, me asking you to marry me is just because... of that soda?"

Bossun didn't exactly know what to reply so he just laughed. "What else could cause you to ask me for m-m-ma.. for that? And you don't have to worry, the effect only lasts for an hour." With that thought, he picked his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. "You'll just have to endure it for less than thirty minutes."

There was a long silence as Himeko wiped away her remaining tears before she sat down again.

"All because of a soda..." Himeko silently muttered.

"Yup, all because of a soda." Bossun nodded again and mentally sighed, if Himeko just listened the moment he entered, she wouldn't have ended up crying more.

-to be continued—

Author's Note: Originally, I was planning for only 5 chapters, but this will have one more. Teehee. I reread this and somehow found the chibi Bossuns scene funny... What do you guys think? Reviews please?

-Sketto Romance—

"Soooo..." Bossun gulped worriedly and looked around as more students who were taking their lunch break occupied the rooftop. "Is the effect gone now?"

Himeko, who had been hugging her knees, shook her head quietly. Without raising her head or looking at him, she muttered, "I still want to marry you right now."

Bossun was now definitely sure that the transparent liquid Chuu-san was mixing was really hazardous. Why else would his face turn redder and his hear beat faster after hearing that from Himeko?

He momentarily got distracted when his phone got a message from Switch. Where was Switch anyway? Opening the message, Bossun's face got paler and paler.

╮(─▽─)╭ Bossun, you know how lazy Chuu-san is compared to Himeko, right? （*´▽｀*） The effect of Go-Go-Wedding-ala-Mode soda on Himeko might take one week instead of one hour before receding. ヾ(*´ー`)ノ Don't worry, I already have the wedding invitation and guest list ready.（*＾3＾）/～

Bossun wanted to jump from the rooftop now.