Rio was overwhelmed by the number of lights twinkling across the boulevard. Ryosuke brought her to one of the busiest high streets in Tokyo where they display beautiful ornaments and fairy lights dangling on tree branches. She felt like she was in a fairy tale – one where she wasn’t the heroine.

“Pick a restaurant”, Ryosuke gave her a few minutes to admire the scenery before gaining her attention. “I mean… pick something Amu-chan may like – somewhere she might want to go to if I ask her for a date”, he clarified.

“… I see. She loves cakes. Maybe you can bring her to a cute coffee shop”

“Great. Let’s go!”

“Eh? You don’t have to take me! I can just give you pointers”, Rio pulled Ryosuke’s hand currently attached to hers with the aim of avoiding any emotional torture coming her way.

The boy couldn’t help a smug smile form on his face as he thought of how lucky he is to finally have some time alone with Rio. It might have started as deception, but at least for now, he is able to spend the night with the person he likes with no reservations and worries, “We have to taste the cakes to see if they’re good enough for Amu”, he excused, still pretending to have feelings for Rio’s best friend.

--

“I want this, this, this and this. Oh… I think Amu will like this too”, Ryosuke looked at the girl peculiarly as he watched her index finger point at every single strawberry-flavoured cake available on the menu. “Don’t give me that look! Do you want a perfect date with Amu-chan or not?”, she mused before noticing her glasses fog up. Ryosuke admired every little action she did even the way she wiped the inner part of her glasses to see better.

“I’m curious. Did you order strawberry desserts because Amu likes them, or is it because you do?”, Ryosuke asked but the girl was too busy indulging herself with three different desserts right in front of her. He noticed how Rio’s smile grew and almost danced with her shoulders whilst munching at the said dessert. It was like it was out of impulse, when he felt his body involuntarily reaching towards Rio’s figure and wiped the corner of to remove remnants of icing off her face.

Rio felt Ryosuke’s finger tips touching her lower lip, making her whole-body tense up. The temperature of the restaurant was acceptable despite the chilly winter weather just outside, but for some reason, Ryosuke’s touch made a hot flush diffuse all over her body.

“Is this classed as cheating? Am I betraying Amu?!”, Rio internally screamed at herself, having thought that the same man she’s infatuated with actually likes her own best friend! Life is indeed cruel!

She successfully shook this thought and tried her best to divert the topic, “Anyway…”, she nervously cleared , “C-Can you tell me what you like about Amu?”.

Ryosuke was taken aback by this question. He thought long and hard before finally getting his senses back, “Hmm… she’s cute. And she’s…”, he looked at Rio’s eyes and somehow, his mind wandered off and remembered what he liked about the girl in front of him, “I like how she smiles about almost anything, the way she acts cutely whenever she messes up or whenever she’s on her ‘clumsy-mode’. Oh, I also find it adorable whenever she moans on how sudden change in temperature fogs up her glasses”.

“Glasses? Amu doesn’t usually wear glasses”, Rio wondered which caught Ryosuke by surprise.

“No, I mean… I saw her wearing one before”, he lied. He was lucky that the waiter arrived with Rio’s coffee, making the latter lose focus. He watched as the girl tested the temperature of her beverage and found himself standing up when he heard her wince in pain.

“Ouch. This is way too hot!”

“You okay?”

“I’m okay, thanks”, she replied and saw Ryosuke go back to his seat.

“Since you’re treating me today, I’ll give your first lesson. We have this rule that when a girl tells you that “she’s fine”, that means the exact opposite. So, if ever Amu says, “I’m okay”, you have to run to her rescue!”, she said but in the back of her mind, she wished that someone else is having this talk with Ryosuke about her.

“Eh? Girls are complicated”

“I agree. You just have to live with it”

“Any other pointers, sensei?”, Ryosuke said sarcastically.

Rio thought for a while, but then decided to confess, “Hmm, Amu actually likes matcha more than strawberries”, she gave a fake smile, thinking how lucky the girl who will be spending most of his dates with.

While sipping the rest of her coffee, she thought long and hard on how to get Ryosuke and Amu together, “I hope it’ll work”, she sighed hopelessly.

--

*Next Day*

“Rio-chan, where are we going? Class will start soon, you know”, Amu asked after being dragged by her best friend towards what appears to be the university basement, “It’s a bit creepy in here”, she added, hoping to get an idea on where she will be taken against her will. She looked at Rio in wonder and even noticed her pale complexion. She could have sworn that the girl is acting ‘weirder’ than usual.

“Are you feeling okay? You don’t look very well, Rio-chan. Are you sick?”, Amu continued to question after hearing nothing but silence from her best friend.

“Eh? Uhm… I’m okay”, she replied before feeling a soft breeze touch her skin, making her shiver, “This won’t take a second. I just need a hand on something”, she continued then let out a soft sneeze. She tried her best to hide her brewing cold, but she just couldn’t help but let out a few coughs in between her breaths. Rio beamed a smile at the younger girl, wishing that she would not ask further questions. However, it was already too late as Amu already suspected that her friend is indeed hiding something. Rio has this tendency of avoiding eye contact whenever she’s about to do something crazy.

Amu finally felt her friend stop when they reached an unfamiliar door with an old, cob-webbed sign that says, ‘Chemistry Lab’. She titled her head in confusion while still processing the reason why her best friend led her to such an ungodly place. Amu coughed and batted her hands a few times after Rio opened the said door, “What do you need in here--? Ah!”. She was surprised by the sudden forced that pushed her inside the hallow dark room.

BANG.

“RIO-CHAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET ME OUT OF HERE!”, Amu shouted from the bottom of her lungs while banging the locked door.

“I’m soooo sorry, Amu! I just have to do this! You’ll thank me later!”, Rio bowed in front of the door as a sign of great regret. She hates to do this to her own best friend but in her own crazy world, she thinks this is the best way for Ryosuke and Amu to get together.

“What do you mean?! Rio-chan! You can’t leave me here!”, Amu pleaded but soon felt chills after hearing Rio’s fading footsteps in the corridor.

--

“So, you too huh?”, Amu heard a crisp voice just behind, making her jump in the process.

“Yama-chan?!”, she tried to confirm after seeing his complexion with the help of the dim lights in the room, “What are you doing here?”

“Your best friend is a real genius”, Ryosuke said sarcastically. He took a deep breath and face palmed himself, amazed on how Rio handled the situation, “… and she’s real dense. She still thinks I’m in love with you”.

“Wait, let me see if I understand this. She locked us here because she thinks it’ll get us together?”, Amu tried to comprehend her friend’s thinking. She couldn’t help but to chuckle at her actions and somehow applauded her simple-mindedness, “It seems like everyone knows you like her except, well… HER”.

“Wait, everyone knows?”

“Well, yeah. It’s too obvious. You’re not very good at keeping secrets, Yama-chan”

“Same goes to you and Dai-chan”, Ryosuke countered. He placed both hands in his pocket and leaned his back against the door as if ready to interrogate Amu.