Chapter 7:
Shiozaki is explaining that he
first shot Fuuko doing her thing by coincidence durin the
basketball match, then after following her a bit and catching the
balloon shot, he got really interested and started following her
around taking pictures, and she didn't even notice. Fuuko
and Natsuki shout at him not to be so cheerful about stalking
Fuuko, and he asks her when she first got the power, adding that
it was pretty cold of her not to tell him, him being her old
boyfriend and everything. Fuuko rushes to quiet him down,
and dragging him with her, says that she has things to talk about
with him alone. As she passes Ruka, he catches hold of her
jacket, but when she turns and asks what's wrong, he lets go as
if he didn't know what he was doing, and says nothing. He
watches Fuuko drag Shiozaki away while Yumi watches him and
Natsuki says he's shocked that Fuuko ever had a boyfriend.
When they reach a secluded area, Fuuko turns
on Shiozaki and demands to know why he's doing this, though he's
always liked to annoy people. Shiozaki retorts that he
should ask her the same, recalling how Fuuko told him at
elementary graduation that they would return to being 'just
friends', then in high school she took advantage of being in a
different class to totally ignore him. Shiozaki says he had
to do something like this just to make her acknowledge him.
Fuuko says it was uncomfortable being around him, and Shiozaki
says of course, because she walked all over his male innocence,
but from now on he won't let her get away with treating him like
a stranger.
Later, Yumi is playing with Fuuko's hair in
class, and the first thing that Shiozaki made Fuuko do was enter
the photography club, because apparently they needed members.
Fuuko pauses and asks if Ruka said anything, and Yumi tells her
not really, which Fuuko is not really surprised at.
Ruka is sitting on a tree branch upside-down
with Choro when Fuuko finds him. She walks up the trunk and
asks if he's cold, and he says a little. She sits beside
him and gives him half her scarf, cheerfully telling him he'll
catch another cold. She thinks that she wants to tell him
all about Shiozaki but...instead she comments that they can see
all the way to Nanyou Sea Park as Ruka looks at her. She
continues that on special occasions like Christmas and New Year's
they're supposed to have a really nice fireworks show, but you
can't see it well from outside the park. She asks Ruka if
he's ever gone, and he says no, but he knows a place where you
can see them really well without entering the park. Fuuko
asks him where, and he says he'll bring her next time to thank
her for taking care of him when he ws sick. Fuuko is really
excited, and she says it's a promise. Then she asks if they
can go next Thursday, and Ruka says sure, wondering if there's a
special occasion that day. They do a pinkie promise, and
Fuuko says about Shiozaki, that now there's really nothing
between them. Even though they went out, it was more a
weird addition to friendship, and though she's sure that Ruka
doesn't really care, she wanted to make sure he didn't get the
wrong idea...Ruka simply agrees, and smiles, saying he believes
her.
Suddenly Shiozaki's voice yells up that
Fuuko's skirt is flipping(since she's upside down), although it's
not true, and both Fuuko and Ruka fall out of the tree.
Shiozaki asks if they're ok, and Fuuko yells not to surprise them
like that, they could have died. Shiozaki says he came to
get her for photography club, and pulls her away by the hand.
She looks back at Ruka and apologizes, saying she'll see him
later, and Ruka just watches silently with a not happy look on
his face.
After school, Ruka gives
Yumi two tickets to his uncle's photo exhibition, telling her to
go with Natsuki. However, Natsuki went home early to stop
by the hospital for a checkup.
At the exhibition, Fuuko is wondering why
she's there with Shiozaki instead of at school for photography
club, and Shiozaki is in raptures over one of the pictures.
She thinks that he hasn't changed, he still gets caught up in
things he loves, and that even though sometimes he teases, he's a
good guy at heart. Shiozaki tells her the roof the building
is an observation tower, and Fuuko eagerly agrees to go, when
they run into Ruka and Yumi. Shiozaki happily asks if
they're also on a date, and Fuuko belatedly tries to deny
it while Yumi explains that they know the photographer(Fuuko
didn't realize it was Occhan before). Ruka was surprised
they weren't at school, and draws away, saying that they
shouldn't intrude. Fuuko again tries to deny it but is cut
off by Shiozaki thanking Ruka for his consideration.
Shiozaki pulls Fuuko away, and behind them Yumi tells Ruka she
doesn't think Fuuko and Shiozaki are going to get back together,
but Ruka says he doesn't care. Yumi then asks if he'll help
her shop for a gift for Natsuki, and Ruka asks what the occasion
is, since it's not Natsuki birthday. Yumi reminds him that
next Thursday is Valentine's Day, and Ruka digests this and looks
a bit sheepish. They see Fuuko's scarf left on a sofa, and
Ruka picks it up, remembering that they were heading towards the
roof
Up on the roof on the fence top, Fuuko shouts at the world that
now Ruka totally misunderstands the situation, and Ruka shouldn't
have gone along so easily anyway. Shiozaki climbs up beside
her and says he knew that she liked Ruka, and Fuuko tells him
that what he did was really mean if he knew that. Shiozaki
tells her he'll make her remember which of them is the mean one,
and pulls her close, just as Ruka emerges with Fuuko's scarf.
From his position, it looks like Fuuko and Shiozaki are kissing,
and Ruka quickly hops out of sight before they notice him.
Actually, Fuuko stopped Shiozaki with her hand on his face, and
Shiozaki then asks if she remembers. Thinking back to how
they started going out, Fuuko recalls that she didn't know what
love was. Shiozaki suggested they go out because it was fun
being together, and Fuuko thought the same, so they became a
couple, but Fuuko felt uncomfortable with couple stuff like
holding hands. Then one day when Shiozaki tried to kiss
her, she stopped him the same way(with a Ribon Bikkuri), and the
next day told him they should just be friends.
Fuuko remembers and embarrassed, tells
Shiozaki she didn't know the difference between friendship and
love back then, but she still likes Shiozaki as a friend.
Shiozaki sighs and admits that he likes how she's a bit dense,
and seriously asks if they can get back together. This time, he
promises to wait until she sees him that way. Fuuko thinks
about kissing him, and realizes that it still doesn't seem right,
and says no. She apologizes, pushing him away, forgetting
they're on top of the fence and sending Shiozaki over the edge.
Still hiding, Ruka hears the noise.
Fuuko somehow managed to catch Shiozaki by his
bag strap, but she's sideways on the wall and Shiozaki is getting
too heavy for the strap to hold. Ruka appears beside her
and gets a grip on Shiozaki's shirt, and Fuuko, noticing her
scarf, grabs it, ties one end around Shiozaki's neck and tosses
the other around a bar above. Jumping down the side of the
building holding the scarf, she manages to throw Shiozaki back
onto the roof.
Shiozaki is out cold, and Fuuko heaves a sigh
of relief, but Ruka tells her to pick a better place next time
she wants to cuddle. Fuuko realizes he saw the non-kiss and
tried to explain, but Ruka angrily says it has nothing to do with
him and he should get back because Yumi's waiting for him.
Fuuko gets pissed and says he can't talk, he's probably secretly
glad that Natsuki's gone so he can have a date with Yumi.
Ruka fires up and starts to say that's not true, but Fuuko
retorts that he won't believe her either. Ruka says
anyone who had seen that would think the same, and then tells
Fuuko that maybe it's good, and she can go to the fireworks next
week with 'her boyfriend' instead. He turns and leaves, and
Fuuko wonders why things happen like this...