Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own Ryuusei no Rockman.
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"Eto... Tsukasa-kun?"
Tsukasa raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"
Subaru looked away. "How do you, uh... how do you tell a girl ya like 'er?"
Tsukasa smiled. "I wouldn't know, Subaru-kun. I've never done it."
"But, like, in movies. How do they do it?"
Tsukasa furrowed his brow. "Well, I don't have a tv, but I know what makes a girl like a boy."
His eyes wide, Subaru leaned forward. "Really?"
Tsukasa nodded. "Y' wanna be nice to 'er. Treat 'er like you care about her feelin's."
Subaru rubbed his chin, his lips pursed. "Be nice to 'er..."
"And you get her sweets. Girls like treats." Tsukasa winked. "Espec'lly if they're from a boy she likes."
"Sweets, huh?"
Folding his hands behind his back, Tsukasa rocked on his heels.
"One problem."
Tsukasa tilted his head.
"What if you can't talk to 'er?"
" 'Can't talk ta 'er?' "
"Yeah... what if you're too scared."
A new voice entered the conversation. "Then another guy comes and steals her from ya."
Subaru folded his arms. "No one's askin' ya, Hikaru."
The newcomer shrugged. "It's the truth."
"Nii-san..." Tsukasa frowned. "I'm trying to help Subaru-kun."
"The best help is the truth."
Subaru stuck out his tongue. "Why do you care?"
"I don't." Hikaru slipped his hands in his pockets and continued across the schoolyard. He called over his shoulder. "Tsukasa, there's no use trying to help a scaredy-cat who can't talk to a girl." He turned away. "Let's go."
Tsukasa bit his lip. Subaru fumed.
"Gomen, Subaru-kun." He bowed. "Nii-san is just being... Nii-san."
"Tsukasa! Now!"
"Eep!" Tsukasa scampered after his brother.
Subaru narrowed his eyes, imagining laser beams frying Hikaru on the lawn. Folding his arms, his stuck his nose in the air. Demo... Subaru looked down. Hikaru was right. Subaru couldn't walk over and talk to that girl he admired.
Looking out over the schoolyard, Subaru started when he saw Hikaru had paused on the sidewalk. He was staring at him through the fence, a superior smirk spread across his face. Tsukasa was waving his hands at his brother, seemingly trying to convince Hikaru of something. Subaru straightened, and marched from his corner and down the path toward two girls exiting the school.
He faltered. What was he going to say? Sweets... girls liked sweets. He didn't have sweets! They were coming closer. Why did his feet keep moving toward her? He had to turn. He had to run. His gaze lingered on Hikaru's smug expression.
Subaru whipped around, nearly colliding with Luna and Misora.
"Subaru-kun!"
"Hoshikawa-kun!"
"Uh..." Subaru froze.
The girls blinked.
"What's the matter, Subaru-kun?" Misora inquired.
Luna frowned. "Hoshikawa-kun, watch where you walk! Misora-san and I almost dropped our books!"
Subaru cringed. Shutting his eyes, he straightened, then cleared his throat. Both girls stared at him.
"Eto... Inchou?"
Luna blinked. "Huh?"
"Do you..." he blushed. "Do you like ice cream?"
A small smirk curled the corner of Hikaru's lip. "What do you know? Looks like your 'Subaru-kun' has a small backbone, after all."
He looked over his shoulder. Tsukasa beamed.
"Oh, get that idiotic grin off your face." Hikaru continued down the street. "It's embarrassing."
Hearing his brother scurry behind him, Hikaru stared at the sky. He didn't really think Subaru would get up the gumption to talk to Luna.
"You're next, right, Nii-san?"
Hikaru furrowed his brow and looked over his shoulder. "What do you mean?"
Tsukasa smiled. "Now that Subaru-kun's talked to Inchou, you gotta talk to Misora-chan."
Hikaru turned and rapped his knuckles on Tsukasa's forehead. "I told you... your head is full of stupid ideas."
Tsukasa rubbed his forehead. "But it's true."
"Is not, and you'll stop suggestin' it if you know what's good for ya." He spun around. "I don't want to hear it, again."
"Demo, Nii-san-"
"Not a word, Tsukasa!"
Tsukasa sighed and slumped his shoulders. They were silent to remainder of the way home, and for once... Hikaru appreciated silence.
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Author's Note: Alright! I posted something for Ryuusei no Rockman!! As the summary says, this is a little preview from the sequel to Ryuusei no Chibis. That one is a long way down the road, so I thought I'd share a piece of it. Thanks everyone for their patience. Enjoy!
Translator's Note: 'Eto' means 'um', 'gomen' means 'sorry', 'demo' means 'but', 'Inchou' is 'Class President' (which most RnR readers probably know), and 'nii-san' is a name for 'brother'.