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Another ordinary day of school. Kurenai was walking home, deciding to go on her own. Having friends for a change was nice, but she wanted time to think. I need to find the right person to help me with... She was cut off after accidentally bumping into someone, ending up knocked over in the process. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She apologized, pulling herself up. The man glared at her, and continued on his way. Ugh, people these days... I'll never find who I'm looking for. I hope he's had at least some luck by now...

Rikka smiled as Hayate shook her hand. "Um... Sorry about yesterday." She quickly apologized. "I talked to Cyan- I mean, Kurenai about it... We've managed to settle everything, now." She said happily.

 

Haseo grinned. "Heh, that's good to hear, Rikka. I hate seeing my friends fight. Besides... I don't think I've ever seen you like that as long as I've known you." He sighed.

 

Rikka looked a little saddened by Haseo's comment. "I-I know... It wasn't like me. I apologize."

 

"It's fine, Rikka. As long as you're back to normal, I'm willing to forget about it." Haseo gave the girl a thumbs-up.

"And I as well," Hayate added assuringly, slightly grinning. He then gave Rikka a small bow to indicate that he was honest with his words.

"Thank you, Hayate." Rikka nodded. "I'm glad we could settle everything."

 

"So..." Haseo began to speak. "Now that we're all friends again, how about we all go and do something? It's been a while since we got to meet up like this, Rikka." Haseo suggested, grinning at the girl.

"I wouldn't mind going just about anywhere other than here right about now..." Hayate said, somewhat groaning as he spotted the fangirl brigade once again spying on him from the corner of his eye.

Rikka nodded. "I wouldn't mind going somewhere, either." She said.

 

"In that case, let's all go." Kurenai agreed. "Hayate, do you have any ideas for where we can go?" She asked her student.

 

(In other words I can't think of anything good)

"Hmm..." Hayate thought for a moment. He wasn't much of a social person, obviously; his recent interactions with Haseo and Kurenai spoke volumes for his social life, so he did not exactly have a list of places to go with friends that he was running down at that moment.

 

"Well, there is a new internet cafe that opened up dowtown. How about there?" he asked.

"Not exactly the type of place I had in mind... But I guess that works." Haseo shrugged.

 

"That sounds okay to me." Kurenai nodded.

 

"Yes, I agree." Rikka smiled. "Let's go!"

 

 

Shortly afterwards, the four arrived at the new internet cafe. They sat around a table as they talked. Haseo looked at Rikka, smiling. "So, Rikka... What have you been up to? It's been ages since we could meet up like this." He asked his friend.

 

"Oh, you know... The same as usual." Rikka answered. "I haven't had much to do ever since my family decided to move out here... I'm just happy we can see each other again, Haseo." She smiled.

Sitting down with his three friends, Hayate actually felt comfortable with himself. Mostly because there were no sign of the bridage anywhere. This was a fairly new location, so it'd be hard for them to find. Then again, considering how good they were at following him, they would probably show up faster than Hayate could think, but the young Burst Linker just tried not to think about that for right now...

While Haseo and Rikka continued to speak with each other, Kurenai focused on Hayate. "Thinking about those girls that keep following you around?" She asked her student, hiding a smile. "There's no need to worry here. Unless they followed us the whole way, they won't even know where we are."

"I don't know about that... they've followed me through worse, as sad as that sounds..." Hayate said, thinking back to times when girls of various groups and variety followed him into the forests outside of town, all of his favorite resturants, his cousin's house, and even into public restrooms...

"I'm glad I've never had to deal with that... Er, sorry you do..." Kurenai quickly apologized. She thought for a minute, then her eyes seemed to light up. "I've got an idea that might get them off your back, Hayate..." She began. "I can't guarantee it, but I feel like it's got a chance. You... Might not be very comfortable with it, though..." She warned her student.

"... What do you have in mind, Teacher?" Hayate asked, unsure as to whether or not this idea would even be legitimate, though at this point, Hayate would probably try to give it a chance anyways.

"Well..." Kurenai looked over at Haseo and Rikka, who seemed too busy reminiscing to pay attention to the other two. She leaned forward to Hayate, and began to whisper. "Before we start discussing... Me, or Rikka?" She asked vaguely.

"Excuse me?" Hayate said, not understanding what his teacher had said.

"W-well..." Kurenai began to explain. "If they learned you were taken, they'd quit bothering you, right...?" She asked. "N-not that we need to make it serious. If you pretend that you're with either me or Rikka, they might quit following you. We'd just need to keep it up for a little bit, until we know they're done." She said, her face now starting to turn red since she'd realized that Hayate could take it the wrong way.

Hayate went wide eyed and gulped, a thin layer of blush forming on his face. "I-I don't think if that will work, Teacher... besides... even if it did, the girls would just get mad at you and hunt you down for it," Hayate said, remembering how deadly they looked in the times where he simply just sat and ate lunch with Kurenai.

"I can handle it. I am a Burst Linker, after all." Kurenai said. "Besides, there's always Rikka. They don't know where she lives." Kurenai reminded her student. "So... Do you think it would be worth it?"

"U-uh... I don't know... do you think Rikka would mind? Or maybe even Haseo?" Hayate asked, eyeing the two mentioned from afar.

"Well... She might not." Kurenai shrugged. "Haseo might be tougher to convince, though... Do you think we should try it?" She asked.

"I-I..." Hayate was finding it harder and harder to speak about this matter. "I... I really don't know, Teacher..."

Kurenai noticed that Hayate was starting to stutter. "U-uh, well... W-we've got time before they show up. You can think about it, I guess..." She said starting to feel bad for the suggestion.

Hayate stopped talking for a moment, and thought over the decision.

 

"... Um... yes. Yes, let's do it. But only if Rikka is fine with it," Hayate said to his teacher in a rushed manner.

"Alright... In that case..." Kurenai turned to Rikka. "Excuse me... Rikka?"

 

Rikka looked at Kurenai. "Y-yes? What is it?" She asked.

 

"Well... Would you mind helping us out with something?" Kurenai asked, keeping the question vague.

 

"W-well... I suppose I do owe you for all the trouble I caused... What do you need?" Rikka agreed.

 

"It's simple... Just pretend to be Hayate's girlfriend for a bit. He's got a mob of fangirls on his tail, and he could use some help chasing them off." Kurenai spoke as though the request was simple.

 

Rikka blushed. "W-wait, what?" She asked nervously. "I-I don't know if I can do that so suddenly..."

 

"Oh, you don't need to do anything too serious. Just... Act close in public, I guess. Hold hands or something." She leaned over towards Rikka. "If you'd like, you could go past that level, though... Maybe even make the relationship real." She suggested, smirking.

 

Rikka blushed even more. "I... Um... Well... I guess that it's the least I can do for you all forgiving me..." She sighed. "Okay... I'll help." She nodded.

Hayate heard the part about him and Rikka going past holding hands and immediatley became just as nervous as Rikka was at that moment. He couldn't bring himself to think up a retort either. Even if he spoke, he would probably end up stuttering out all his words anyways.

Haseo didn't seem very fond of the idea either. "Hold on, what's going on here?" he studied Hayate. "I'm not sure if I can really trust this guy with Rikka... He might try something really weird." He said, seemingly disapproving of the plan.

 

"Don't worry, Haseo. It's just an act. It should be fine." Kurenai said.

 

Haseo sighed. "If you trust him with her, I might as well, too..."

 

"In that case... You two had better get cozy!" Kurenai said, smiling. "Good luck!"

 

Rikka still seemed nervous. "I-I don't think I'm going to like this..."