Minna-san, hontou ni gomen nasai!!! Hauu… Again, I apologize for my very long absence… especially to those who have sent me e-mails telling me to update sooner. I was suffering from a major writer's block for the past few months and… you know the rest!!! Hehe… sorry again, guys!! =w=

By the way, I dedicate this 5th chappie to all the members of the AyaXRei Love Chronicles Group, especially to these 2 peeperz who have the phone nos. 8268849 & 9126652!! Whehehehe… this chappie is not as colorful as the previous one, a CRAPPY one, I must say but I really worked hard on it! Haha!! I just hope you'll like it… err…

Disclaimer: Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran is a certified property of ©2001 MIHONA FUJII·SHUEI-SHA·TV TOKYO·GALS! PROJECT… there! I've said it, so don't sue me, okay?

Careless Whisper

By: Sechskies

Chapter 05: Guilt

As the soft, evening breeze sent her long, black hair and yellow nightdress flapping noisily in the wind, Aya found herself situated once again in the private seaside of the Chiba Beach Resort, sitting on the white sand with her arms placed on her knees. Frowning slightly as strands of her silky hair flew to her beautiful face, her hazel-brown eyes stared into empty space, and the lively sparkle that once belonged to those copper depths turned dead and empty, as if she was a mere lifeless human.

After the surprising event during the Truth or Dare, Ran eventually decided to conclude the game and call it quits. Come to think of it, everyone was apparently too stunned of what took place to carry on with their activity, and now that almost all of them were already sleeping, Aya, on the other hand, was settled silently in the shore, facing the unimaginable expanse of the seascape before her.

It had been a good nine hours since then, yet sleep still couldn't manage to come to her. Her body might have been truly exhausted from their earlier gimmicks, but her brain unfortunately disagreed by keeping her eyes wide open.

Sighing heavily, she then unconsciously placed a lean finger on her lips, her hazel-brown eyes now glittering with a strange emotion. Her face was calm and composed, yet a trace of anxiety could still be recognized. She was about to let her mind wander off once again when a soft voice suddenly called to her, interrupting her imminent reverie.

"Aya-san?"

Blinking back, Aya then turned to the caller, her eyes widening as soon as she recognized him. "A-Asuo-kun…"

"Hey, um… I-is it okay if I sit with you?" he asked, his voice tentative.

The black-haired lass could simply nod back in reply, and as the young man took a sit a few inches beside her, they spent a brief moment observing the serene flow of the dark waters before Yuuya suddenly started a conversation.

"What are you doing here, Aya-san?" he questioned her, still feeling rather uneasy about the eerie silence that previously enveloped the two of them.

Aya eyed him quizzically, and he added, "I-I mean, it's already 5:00 in the morning and…"

"…Betsu ni," she meekly answered. "I can't sleep so I decided to… uh… How about you, Asuo-kun?"

"The same reason," he shrugged, a content smile planted on his lips as he returned his gaze once again at the scenery before them. "Suzushii yoru da ne…"

Aya paused at the sudden change of subject, but soon let out a soft giggle. "So you finally noticed,"

"E?" Yuuya blinked, turning to her. He raised his eyebrows as he noticed that the black-haired lass was quite shivering in the cold contact of the dawning air, and without a word, he removed the white jacket that he was wearing and gently placed it on her delicate shoulders.

Startled, she then stared at the blonde lad, bewilderment apparent on her face.

"Y-you might catch a cold…" he beamed shyly.

Aya found herself smiling back at his reply. She clutched the white fabric tighter as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth that the cloth was giving to her. "Arigatou, Asuo-kun…" she timidly whispered.

"No problem," He grinned wider, the usual cheerful expression plastered on his handsome face. He then shifted his position, laying his legs out as he closed his eyes, the smell of salt wafting across his nose with each breeze that passed him by.

There was another silence, but this time, it was neither uncomfortable nor eerie. The two youths actually found it quite soothing and relaxing.

Hearing the blonde sigh heavily after a few minutes, Aya then turned to the young man beside her, her eyebrows creasing in confusion as she noted the thoughtful, yet disturbed emotion gleaming in his gold-yellow eyes. She couldn't help but feel the slightest anxiety at his seemingly blank state, and the play of feelings coming across his expressive face confirmed the lass that something appeared to be wrong.

"Asuo-kun, daijoubu?" she whispered, subsequently jerking back as her friend made a quick response. She hadn't realized that Yuuya was able to hear the faintness of her voice.

"Heh?"

Aya meekly bowed her head, fidgeting with her fingers. "W-well, you seem to be dazed back there and… and I was just wondering…"

"Nani, Aya-san?" Yuuya asked her.

The black-haired lass bit her lower lip, her eyebrows furrowing. The apprehensive expression plastered on her face attested that she was already at a loss on what to say next, yet the lad was unable to notice it.

"Aya-san?"

"…What are you thinking about?" she suddenly blurted out, saying the first sentence that came to her mind. She didn't know what had gotten into her that caused her to ask such a question, and she mentally slapped herself as she took notice of the blonde youngster's nonplussed look.

"You," he finally answered.

"E?" she gasped. "M-me?"

"You," he repeated, nodding his head as he smiled sheepishly. "I was thinking about you, Aya-san,"

Aya felt her jaw drop at his reply, absorbing every single word that he told her. Yuuya was thinking of her, and she found it rather strange.

"Why would he think of me when we're only inches apart like this? It's not like I'll be away or something…" she thought, raising an eyebrow in question.

Perceiving the confused state of the black-haired lass, Yuuya merely let out a soft chuckle, his gold-yellow eyes twinkling amusedly. "I just thought that you'd get angry about what happened,"

"Dou iu koto?" she asked him. "I-I mean, why would I be mad at you, Asuo-kun?"

The blonde lad then turned to her, looking slightly puzzled himself. Whatever he meant about what he said, he was certain that the young lady would immediately get its sense, but now it seemed that she was completely oblivious to the whole matter.

"I thought she knew," he sighed inwardly. "God, don't tell me she had already forgotten about it…"

Bowing his head droopily, Yuuya then replied in a soft and hesitant tone. "…B-because I kissed you,"

With this, Aya could only stifle a small, inaudible gasp, her hazel-brown eyes widening. She wasn't expecting the blonde young man to give her such an answer, and from the mixed emotion of bewilderment and shock on her face, it evidently caught her off guard.

"He kissed me… How could I forget about that…?"

An image of what happened during the Truth or Dare game then flashed in her mind, and Aya didn't know what subsequently happened in those next few seconds. She didn't want to recall 'that' specific event as much as possible, but now that Yuuya brought it up, much to her disdain, she felt her cheeks flush hotter as her mind involuntarily wandered off to that certain moment.

Blinking back, she then opened her mouth to react, yet no words came out. It seemed that a huge lump had already formed itself in her throat; thus, making it difficult for her to utter even a single word.

"Oh," was the only sound she could produce, and as if on cue, the two youngsters averted their gazes from each other, another awkward moment enshrouding their previous serenity.

"Well, that didn't come out too well…" Yuuya sweat dropped. "I guess I never should have mentioned it to her… Oh well…"

Clasping his hands with his fingers, he then took a deep breath and turned to the black-haired lass. He didn't want to push the topic any further, for he was starting to feel quite embarrassed as well, but since he had already opened it up to her, he had no other option but to carry on. After all, 'that' accident had been bothering him since last night, and unless he patched up things with Aya, he wouldn't be able to sleep the next night yet again.

Other than that, she appeared to be the most affected one of what occurred, and he was also feeling worried of how she took that unintentional incident. Just the mere thought of Aya, or any of his closest friends, getting mad at him would always scare him, and so he decided to settle matters with her before it got worse.

"A-Aya-san," he finally called out, his cheeks flushed.

Aya didn't make any efforts to look back at him, yet the slight jerking of her shoulders signaled the blonde young man to continue.

"A-about what happened… I… uh…" Yuuya's gold-yellow eyes shifted its gaze to the white surface of the beach. "…I didn't mean for it to go that way a-and… and I… I'm really sorry, Aya-san…"

He had said all of those words in a very hesitant manner, and as his hand absentmindedly scratched the back of his head, he softly bit his lower lip, slumping lazily on his seat.

"I don't blame you if you never talk to me again… or if you want to beat me up for what happened…" he sighed. "I just… I just don't want you to get mad at me…"

By now, Aya's hazel-brown eyes were already fixed on the blonde lad. She found herself smiling slightly at the tension etched on the 2nd placer's usually smiling face, and her features gradually softened as she saw the anxiety glowing in his copper depths.

Parting her lips, she then spoke in a soft tone, interrupting the young man. "You don't need to apologize, Asuo-kun,"

"E?" he blinked. "Demo, Aya-san…"

"I'm not mad at you… and you don't need to blame yourself for what happened back there," Aya told him, smiling weakly. "In fact, I should be the one to make an apology because I got so affected by that event that I made such a big deal out of it, acting childishly and all,"

"No, you're not,"

"Yes, I do!" She forced out a laugh. "I just did… right now…"

"Aya-san…"

A weak smile planted itself on the girl's lips as she came in complete eye contact with Yuuya. There was another moment of silence before she decided to continue. "I became overly emotional that I made you, not to mention everyone, feel guilty of what occurred. Hontou ni gomen…"

"Ii no yo, Aya-san," the blonde youngster said, squeezing her shoulder. "It's quite tolerable for you to react that way. After all, you've been accidentally… k-kissed and… uh…"

He blushed harder as he pronounced the word 'kissed', and noticing this, Aya couldn't help but to let out a soft giggle.

"Arigatou, Asuo-kun…"

Turning to the black-haired lass yet again, Yuuya was surprised to see a glimmer of perfect sympathy and gentleness in her hazel-brown eyes. He felt himself melting at the mild stare that she was giving him, as well as the sight of her beautiful, cheery face. For once, he saw that Aya's smile was genuine, and he could only nod his head back in reply, relieved from his earlier trouble.

"Yoshi," he suddenly remarked, standing up. "Now that this is all settled, want to go somewhere to eat? It's almost morning anyway," He grinned wider as he offered a hand to the still sitting Aya, placing an arm across his chest in a quite gentlemanly fashion.

"Sure, why not? But it better be your treat, Asuo Yuuya," she tittered yet again, her hazel-brown eyes twinkling amusedly as she took the blonde lad's hand, and he gently pulled her up, just as the first rays of the rising sun began to flicker over the horizon.

-----o-----

Slowly opening his blue-gray eyes, Rei woke up whilst the rays of sunlight fell onto his face. His blanket slipped off from his upper body when he sat up from his bed, and as he scanned the area through his blurry vision, he put a tired hand on his aching head, wincing in pain.

"Great… Just great! A headache for an early morning start," he cursed inwardly.

Sighing heavily, he then leaned his back against the headboard, closing his eyes. Despite the pain that was currently throbbing his head, he kept his composure as calm as possible as he tried to recall last night's events. There were no signs of any of his friends currently, making him more confused, for he couldn't recollect any earlier situation wherein he was settled alone in a room, and all he could remember was when he was stuck playing Truth or Dare with the group and…

With this, Rei's lips tugged into a slight smile as a certain realization finally dawned on him.

"Hangover…" he breathed, evoking Ran's challenge to him that time.

He was to drink two bottles of red wine as his dare, and since he strongly disagree of someone calling him a chicken, he had no choice but to oblige. Remembering how he gulped down the contents of those urns and the redness of his face after his show, he need not have to wonder why he was feeling this nauseous today. After all, he wasn't really used in drinking heavy liquor.

Falling back to his pillow, Rei opened his blue-gray eyes yet again and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling suspended above him, his hand massaging his temples to somehow lessen the soreness that he was feeling. An air of relief and contentment worked its way on his senses for he was finally able to find the answer to his question, yet he couldn't ignore a tiny feeling of uneasiness that was sparking glumly inside him. It seemed as though that there was something that he was forgetting, and realizing this made Rei almost got up from his lying positing, only to be pushed back by a brace of smooth hands to his bed again.

"What the---" he grunted, feeling his head throb more painfully at the sudden impact.

"G-gomen! I didn't mean to push you that hard, Otohata," a feminine voice remarked, her tone somehow panicky.

Blinking back, the young man then turned to his side, his dull eyes meeting with a pair of large, tawny-brown ones.

"Y-Yamazaki?"

"Ohayou!" Miyuu instantly greeted, smiling cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Nothing much," she merely shrugged. "I just came by to check up on my dear Yamato, that's all,"

Shifting his position on the bed, Rei watched as the blonde lass softly caressed the face of her boyfriend, her eyes looking affectionately at his still sleeping form. His eyebrow twitched at the warm display before him, but he kept silent. He wasn't in the right condition to deal with it currently.

"Daijoubu, Otohata?" Miyuu suddenly asked, taking note of her friend's uneasiness. She removed her hand from the sleeping Yamato's face and turned to look at him with a worried expression on her features. "It seems that you're not feeling well today. I can get you a glass of water if you like,"

"No thanks. I'm fine," he told her, trying to sit up once again.

"Hontou?"

"Aa," He bobbed his head in reply, but as he did so, another throbbing pain began to engulf him. He swore mentally as his hand once again found its way to massage his forehead.

Miyuu, on the other hand, didn't seem convinced by what Rei told her, yet chose not to push the topic any further. From all those times that they went through as friends, she was now aware enough of Rei's arrogant and stubborn attitude. She knew that he disliked being aided and pitied, and any efforts of trying to tend to him would only end up gallingly unsuccessful.

"Yamazaki," Rei's smooth voice suddenly called to her.

Snapping out from her stupor, Miyuu promptly responded by tilting her head to look at the young man, and a trace of what seemed like confusion and worry passed through her copper depths as she noticed the disturbed expression plastered on his usually poker face.

"What's bothering you, Otohata…?" she silently asked.

"I can't remember anything…" he sighed, as if reading her thoughts. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. "Everything is such a blur for me at this moment,"

"Shinpai shi nai yo," Miyuu remarked, trying to lighten the mood with her perkiness. "It's natural for you to forget what happened since you were drunk last night,"

"What happened anyway?"

The blonde lass found herself smiling at hearing the childish tone at Rei's voice, and soon spent a brief moment of telling her confused friend everything that had taken place the preceding night.

"Sou…" Rei merely said after heeding the last of Miyuu's words. Though his face didn't reveal much, as always, he actually felt relieved now that he was finally able to remember most of the earlier events, yet the feeling of uneasiness still hadn't left him. He was sure that there was something that Miyuu missed to tell him, yet the sudden grunt of Yamato instantly made his attempts of asking her about his concern waste away.

"Ohayou, Yamato!" the blonde girl chirped, smiling sweetly at her boyfriend who had just stirred from his slumber. She helped him sit up from his bed and the brunette creased his eyebrows in confusion as soon as his still groggy eyes met her sunny exterior.

"M-Miyuu…? What are you doing here?" he asked, scratching his head.

Miyuu's beam grew wider. "I'm here to check up on you. How are you feeling now, anyway?"

Heaving out a heavy sigh, Rei didn't bother listening to the couple's conversation as he got up from his bed and made his way to their room's balcony. He knew that it must have been rude for him to walk out from his friends like that, but soon dismissed the thought. The two were deeply engrossed with their talk anyway to even notice him, so he guessed that it wouldn't make the slightest difference if he were to leave the place.

Opening the sliding glass door, he felt the morning sunshine kiss his young, handsome face as the warm wind sent his black-brown hair flying in unruly thickets. A smooth hand brushed some of the strands away from his blue-gray eyes as he shifted his stare from the sky to the beach beneath, and his eyebrows instantly twitched as his gaze landed on two familiar figures in the seashore walking together towards the resort building.

"Yuuya and… Hoshino…?"

His grip on the wooden railing unconsciously tightened after recognizing the two youngsters, and the situation didn't keep his forehead from furrowing as he noticed that they were actually trekking hand-in-hand. Yet, his train of thoughts was put to a halt as a certain image suddenly popped in his mind, and he hastily shook his head to shrug the idea off him.

As far as he knew, Yuuya would NEVER kiss Aya. He was convinced that his friend was still in love with Shibuya's No. 1 Gal to even look on another girl, and he couldn't believe that he overlooked that FACT for a moment. Yes… Asuo Yuuya still loved Kotobuki Ran, and he was quite loyal and devoted to his own feelings as well. He couldn't love anyone else… right?

"But why do I feel so uneasy like this…?"

Ignoring the throbbing head ache that soon followed his earlier action, Rei dragged his feet away from the terrace and locked himself in the bathroom, surprising the nearby couple at the loud banging of the door. He needed to calm his nerves down or simply get his mind off from thinking too much stupidity, and he hoped that a nice, long bath from the cold and biting water of the shower would just do the trick.

-----o-----

Aya opened the door to their room and lazily walked around, removing the white jacket that Yuuya gave to her earlier and flinging it to the sofa. She put a tired hand on her creased forehead as she sat on the edge of her bed, subsequently collapsing on the soft mattress after a few minutes.

Parting her eyelids, her hazel-brown eyes stared blankly at the ceiling of the room yet again, a habit that she had been accustomed in doing whenever she was in such a position. A small smile made its way on her pink lips as she recalled the earlier events, remembering her talk with Yuuya in the shore. She felt somewhat relieved that they were able to patch up things with each other that soon, yet even though they settled to forget all that had happened, her mind seemed to greatly disagree by giving her vivid images of that certain incident.

"A-Aya?" A small and seemingly hesitant voice suddenly called to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Blinking, Aya then turned to caller, only to realize that it was only her copper-blonde friend. "Ran? What is it?"

"Um… Well, I just… uh…"

"Doushita no?" she asked as she sat up from her bed, her copper depths shimmering confusedly as she kept her gaze locked on the red-streaked lass, who was currently lying on her stomach. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she finally noticed the tentative and almost timid tone in her friend's voice, and she couldn't help but to let out a nervous smile. "Is there something you want to talk about, Ran?"

Ran bit her lip as she looked uneasily on the floor. For some reason, she didn't want to have any eye contact with Aya at the moment in fear that she'd figure out her intentions, yet the play of feelings coming gradually across her expressive face was enough for the black-haired lass to know what exactly was going on.

"I-I was just wondering…" she started, yet the rest of her words were lost when Aya interrupted.

"That was my first kiss, you know," she merely said, her tone surprisingly nonchalant.

Sweat dropping, Ran raised her head to look at the blank expression plastered on her friend's face. She was taken aback at how fast the black-hared girl could fathom her aim, yet she was somehow relieved that she need not have to open the topic, since she herself also had trouble doing so.

"A-are you mad?" she asked softly.

This time, Aya chose to be silent, and Ran took this as a cue for her to start explaining her side.

Taking a deep breath, she then mimicked her best friend's current position and began talking. "I-I know what I did was wrong, Aya. I just want to get your mind off Otohata since you've been thinking about him ever since…" she paused, and slowly enveloped Aya's hands with hers. "I'm really sorry, okay? I know this may sound stupid but the only thing that I can think of to momentarily interrupt your insecurities with that guy is to… is to… GIVE YOU SOMETHING ELSE TO WORRY ABOUT!!"

At this, Aya's hazel-brown eyes widened in surprise. The building urge to get serious with her friend instantly subsided, and if it weren't for her remarkable self-restraint, she would have burst out into fits of laughter by now. Ran's idea was truly ridiculous, and it took her almost her full strength to maintain a straight face in order to not offend her copper-blonde best friend, especially now that she seemed truly emotional about the whole matter.

"Aya, I'm really very sorry, and I… uh… just… umm… just- JUST KILL ME, OKAY?!" Ran almost screamed the last part out, and the black-haired lass could only stifle a soft gasp as she squeezed her hand tighter.

Hearing Shibuya's Kotobuki Ran sob for the very first time, Aya was evidently shocked at her new discovery and it took a few minutes before the look of surprise in her features disappear. She didn't know that her best friend was actually capable of being sensitive and open at times, and her hazel-brown eyes gradually softened as she perceived the sincerity in her apology, concurrently feeling a tinge of déjà vu as she recalled her earlier encounter with Yuuya.

"Oh, Ran, you know that I can never get mad at you; moreover, kill you, ne?" she said, the softness in her voice making the copper-blonde girl stop sniveling. As she found her face being reflected on the copper-blonde lass' coffee-brown eyes, she let out a soft sigh before continuing. "I was just really surprised at what you did back there, but don't worry, okay? I assure you I bear you no ill feelings, especially now that you seem really sorry about it,"

"H-hontou?"

"Just don't do it again, okay, Ran?" Aya merely flashed a weary smile, earning a vigorous nod from Ran.

"Mochiron!" she told her, wiping her tears with the back of her hands. "Aya-ppe's really scary when she's mad. I don't ever want to see her like that again!"

With this, the two girls broke out into fits of laughter, and it took them a few minutes before sobering up. The uneasy atmosphere that was lingering in the area earlier had already disappeared, and as their hearty giggles echoed throughout the whole room, Ran could have never been much happier. Aya's facial expression clearly showed that of pure glee, and she was thankful at how fast everything turned back to normal again.

-----o-----

Hearing the faint sound of girlish laughter from one of the locales behind the hallway, Yuuya found himself smiling softly as he leaned his back against the wall just beside the door to the girls' room. He felt relieved that things worked out between his friends, and remembering his own encounter with Aya earlier made his smile gradually turn into a huge grin.

There was just something in their talk that made him feel such happiness and satisfaction in him, and though he still couldn't apprehend what it was exactly, he was sure that he was enjoying Aya's company more. She was such an angel; being kind, considerate, forgiving and all, and he was really lucky to have a friend like her.

Sighing heavily, Yuuya then bowed his head and closed his gold-yellow eyes tiredly. All of his previous contemplations were temporarily discarded as he felt his body weaken, and only then did he realize that he wasn't able to sleep the whole night because of Aya.

"As if I can blame her… Stupid Yuuya…"

He chuckled idly at that last thought, and after finally deciding that this was the right time for him to get that anticipated slumber of his, he gradually straightened his posture before approaching the boys' room. However, his actions were put to a stop as the door opened by itself, and Yuuya raised an eyebrow in question as his copper depths met Rei's dry, blue-gray ones.

"I need to talk to you," he said monotonously.

Noticing the troubled shimmer in his best friend's dark pools, the urge to lie down in bed and sleep soundly instantly disappeared from the blonde young man's mind, and he nodded his head firmly before reluctantly following Rei to God-knows-where.

"Rei-san… What's wrong with you…?"

Whatever is was that Rei wanted to talk about, Yuuya was pretty much sure that it was truly important. Otherwise, he would have just said it right then and there. The seemingly murderous stare that the black brown-haired lad gave to him was also hard to ignore, and now that Rei lead him to a place where he least expected, his eyebrow twitched as the young man faced him with a sternly pensive expression.

"Omae…" he called dryly, his dark depths glinting with what seemed like menace.

Yuuya braised himself for his next words, and he balled his hands into tight fists as he silently prayed to the gods that what his friend was about to say wasn't the notion he had in mind right now. Unfortunately…

"Did you kiss Hoshino last night?"

"Oh, crap…"

(tsuzuku)

June 19, 2004

I know I haven't updated in months, and I'm REALLY sorry for that!! I'm truly tired of sitting on my bum in front of the monitor trying AWFULLY hard to grasp for ideas and other story plots that won't come out until a few months later. This case of writer's block of mine is NO joke, people!! And I'm really afraid to say that until now, I still have it… so… I think I won't be able to update that frequently anymore. Sorry again!! Whehe… err… love me?? XD

But until then, please make an effort to review this piece of crap!! I'm open for all suggestions and comments… and yeah… even flames… though it makes me cry… A LOT!! Err…

Many thanks to cherryblossomsakura2111 for reviewing all the chappies of my fic so far!! I appreciate your comments a lot, but I don't think I'll be removing the Jappie words in my story. It's just my way of writing, but thanks a lot for suggesting me the 'Nani yaten no?'-thingy!! I completely forgot about that phrase so I wasn't able to use it… but I must say that 'Nani wo shiteiru no?' works a lot for females as well!! Thanks again!! :D

Betsu ni – It's nothing

Suzushii yoru da ne – What a cool night it is

E? / Nani? – What?

Arigatou – Thank you

Daijoubu? – Are you all right?

Dou iu koto? – What do you mean?

Demo… - But…

Hontou ni gomen – I'm really sorry

Ii no yo – It's okay

Yoshi – All right (exclamation word)

Ohayou – Good morning

Hontou? – Really?

Aa – Yes

Shinpai shi nai yo – Don't worry

Sou – I see

Mochiron – Of course

Yokatta wa ne - Good for you

Omae - You