CREDITS TO: UTA NO PRINCE SAMA

CHAPTER 22

A few days passed with Yachiyo busy entertained her guests.

As typical as they could be, Masato and Natsuki spent most of their times by learning new recipes from Yachiyo.

"Since you are so enthusiastic about cooking, why don't you try to cook our lunch, Natsuki-kun?"

"Hai, my pleasure!"

"Nooooo!!!!" the others suddenly yelled in desperation.

Meanwhile, Otoya, Cecil and Syo who love playing sports ended up forcing the others to join them instead of solely being audience who criticized their style of playing.

"Then, why don't you play with us, Tokiya? You cannot just lounge like that for the whole day, right?" Cecil smirked as he was positive that Tokiya is not as athletic as him since he rarely saw the blue head playing sports.

"You are going to regret that, you know," Tokiya answered calmly before taking the badminton racket from Otoya.

"Tsk, you are so full of yourself when I will be the winner for sure," Cecil goaded.

"Yes, he is going to regret it," Ren mumbled. Nevertheless, he also anticipated the outcome of the match.

Five minutes later...

"I just.. lost..." Cecil collapsed to the ground dramatically. He could not believe that he was defeated by...

Ichinose Tokiya who spent most of his free times with memorizing books.

"I want to take a shower," Tokiya handed the racket to the still amazed Otoya before leaving them speechlessly.

Well, at least not for Ren because if his memory serves him right...

Tokiya or Hayato is an idol who is good in sports. How could anybody miss the detail?

"I don't know Tokiya-kun is that good," Natsuki still had his eyes widenes out of amazement.

"That guy is good in everything, right?" Syo exclaimed.

"No. His drawing sucks," Otoya replied but he still froze on his spot, admiring his roommate's skill.

"Boys, come and get some drinks!" Yachiyo shouted from the kitchen.

"Haii!!"

Meanwhile, when it comes to the couples among the group, Haruka-Tokiya and Tomochika-Natsuki duos also relished their sweet times together, leading the others wished they also had their own women.

"I should take Pretty Girl here as well," Ren commented while twirling a leaf since Yachiyo did not plant roses.

"She won't follow you, though. Hazuki rather strives for her dream rather than sacrificing it for a guy," Masato replied.

Which later leading those 'bachelors' to launch their immature mission in order to distract Haruka-Tokiya moments.

Their main victim; Tokiya, of course. Because apparently, they could give him a random excuse like;

"It's not good for you to cling to Nanami/Little Lamb/Haruka too much, Tokiya/Icchi/Ichinose. We don't want Yachiyo obachan to think that you are impatient."

"Don't get mad. We just want to be supportive of your relationship. By how? By keeping your distance from her so that Yachiyo obachan will think that you are such a patient and gentle boyfriend."

Which of course, sending the idol to roll his eyes.

Be supportive, my foot!

So, at the end, Tokiya had to deal with his friends' annoying and childish requests to hang out with him including from Masato.

"Come on, Tokiya! Let's watch Prince of Fighting with me!" Syo insisted while tugging Tokiya's hand like a child.

"We've watched this thirty times already! Can you be more varied? As much as I respect Hyuga sensei, seeing his face now makes me sick!"

From a scaredy-cat like Otoya, it was more sickening.

"Ne, Tokiya! Let's watch this movie," the red head jumped excitedly while holding a horror movie. "Natsuki said, it's fun!"

"No, don't want. You will end up hiding behind me or falling asleep. I don't like to watch horror movie after all."

"Mou, that's mean.."

But from Masato and Ren who act more sensible most of the times, who had thought that their requests fall into the 'ridiculous department'?

"Ichinose, Yachiyo obachan said that there is a waterfall here! Can we have a look? It's not that far."

"No, Hijirikawa-san. The last time we went to waterfall, we were almost caught by a bear. I don't want to die ridiculously like that."

"Without roses, I feel so lonely, Icchi."

"What are you? A butterfly?"

At night, after having dinner and doing their own activities, Syo was about to sit under a mango tree to get some fresh air before his eyes were served with the sight of Tokiya and Haruka, not far from him, sitting on a bench with Tokiya's head on Haruka's lap. They obviously had fun just to be around each other.

Syo smiled bitterly as Haruka caressed Tokiya's midnight blue hair. Her face expression was so delighted, contrasted with the grief-stricken face that they saw when the late Tokiya left her so sudden. Her eyes stared at her boyfriend lovingly, enough to make Syo happy for her as well.

I am glad you are not in pain like before, Nanami.

"Syo-chan!" Natsuki's bubbly voice greeted him out of the blue.

"Natsuki.." Syo just acknowledged the big guy's presence with a small smile.

"Why don't you join the other guys watching television instead? Is there something wrong?"

"Ehh? Nothing. It just that it feels so cold and refreshing here. I love this place so much."

"Are you sure? You do have problems though.." As expected, Natsuki would be the first one who could sense his doom and gloom.

Yes, the problems are there but it is not mine to begin with. I am just kinda involved.

"No, I am fine, Natsuki. Don't worry about me."

"I know what are you thinking, Syo-chan," Natsuki smiled as he looked past the yard, towards Haruka and Tokiya. "I used to have that feeling back then. The feeling when I became supportive of Haru-chan and Tokiya-kun but at the same time, it feels sad to see the way Haru-chan takes care of Tokiya-kun. She does look like a good wife, right?"

"Yeah.." Syo replied reluctantly but his roommate could never guess what he was thinking right now.

Natsuki, are you.. perhaps.. still loving Nanami instead of Shibuya?

Syo's heart suddenly beat fast as it convinced him that all this time, his guess about the late Tokiya's murderer was correct.

"But, this whole-returned-to-the-past thingy sure promised something for me. I never thought that I would fall in love with Tomo-chan."

Are you... serious? Do you really love her, Natsuki?

"Natsuki.."

"Yes, Syo-chan."

"Are you really... I am sorry if it sounds rude but do you.. do you really love Shibuya?"

"Eh?? Of course I am. Why did you ask that?" the way he was shocked with Syo's random question, it persuaded Syo that Natsuki was being serious about her relationship with Tomochika.

"Nah, nothing. It's just that.. your relationship with her is kinda sudden and.."

"Syo-chan.." Natsuki cut him short with a compelling smile. "Just like how we used to fall in love with Haru-chan unexpectedly, I also felt the same thing to Tomo-chan. I love her."

Syo was dumbstruck. He was sure that Natsuki was being honest but for some reasons...

He had a bad feeling about this.

He glanced at Tokiya.

Tokiya, I need to talk to you. I think.. it's the time already.

"What about Tomochika?" He could hear Cecil asked nobody in particular anxiously.

"Haruka is looking for her," Tokiya's worried voice hit his ears.

"Obviously she is sad for what happened just now. Poor Shibuya. That bastard.. He shouldn't be that harsh to her!" Syo bit his lips in anger and fright.

What happened to Tomo-chan? Why is she sad? Who was harsh with Tomo-chan? Natsuki wanted to ask but his head was still spinning which he did not have the slightest idea where did it come from.

"To be honest, I still cannot accept the truth. It hurts me that he's the one who killed the late Tokiya," Otoya commented, not sound nonchalantly as usual. "Syo, why did you hide the truth for such a long time?"

"I am sorry, guys. It's just that.. Since he is so close to us, I am afraid it will be risky. Plus, I am not really sure about it myself so I needed Tokiya's help in order to figure out either my guess was right or wrong," Syo clarified.

"The mystery has been solved but what about him? What should we tell him when he wakes up? I feel sorry to him," Masato's voice trembled.

"Let me explain to him," Tokiya answered, persuading the others.

Natsuki opened his eyes slowly. His face suddenly felt hurt as his consciousness fully recovered. In front of him, he could see his friends stared at him, as if all of them decided to wait for him to wake up from....

A sleep? Did he sleep just now? No, it couldn't be. If his memory serves him right, he was having a good time with Tomochika. They sat together in the yard, having a fun conversation about their interest. He excused himself for a while, intended to surprise her with a ring before suddenly, everything turned pitch-black as he headed to his shared bedroom with Syo.

"Minnasan, how.. what happened?" utter puzzlement was written all over his face. Just then, he realized that he did not wear his glasses but he was still himself. It was supposed to be not a surprise, considering Satsuki, his another personality promised him that he would become one with Natsuki and never showed up.

If it was not because of what happened next.

He looked at each of his teammate's face. Otoya and Masato had this kind of 'I can't believe it was you' expression. Syo, Cecil and Ren looked glum while Tokiya..

He put on an emotionless face while his blue eyes looked straight at him but it just made the air in the bedroom tense. For the first time, Natsuki could understand what Otoya meant when he said that Tokiya could be that kind of scary when in reality, he just stared at him.

"Minnasan.. please answer me. What gives.."

"Shinomiya-san..." at last, Tokiya broke the silence, still staring at him. "We just found out the one who killed the late Tokiya."

"That... that easy? Who is it? Is he someone that we know or.. Haru-chan's lunatic fan?" he urged in curiousity. Thank God, the mystery had been solved!

"Both."

"Who is it, Tokiya-kun?"

Again, a downright silence.

"Shinomiya-san..." Tokiya put his hands on the broad shoulders, indirectly telling him to take it easy. "It's Satsuki."

Natsuki's green eyes quickly widened in horror. 

Okay, just a short chapter this time! The reason why the mentioned guy murdered Tokiya will be revealed in next chapter but I guess if you know why he existed in the first place, you might already have idea why he did that. Ja, matta ne!