~

      How you ended up this way was rather foggy, not that you minded it all too much, as your hand was linked so perfectly with Kazuichi Souda's hand. If only it was real. One thing lead to another, a challenge was issued, you were the back up, and your broken heart would be the collateral damage.

~

      "Oh, please, mortal! Do not make me laugh!" Gundam bellowed from behind his scarf, hand on his hip confidently. Of course, the dark devas of destruction were balancing precariously on his shoulders.

     "It wasn't a joke!" Souda rebutted across the class, fist clenching in anger as he rose up from his seat, nearly knocking it into the desk behind him, and Mikan jumped in shock, the small pills she had been organising scattered across the floor.

     "Nah, there's no way a fucking idiot like you could get a girlfriend!" Fuyuhiko leaned forward against his desk, at the back of the room, joining in on the conversation. Peko merely eyed him from the next desk over.

     "Shut up, neither could you!" Souda yelled back.

     "Oh? You wanna bet, dragon breath?!" Fuyuhiko slammed his fist down on the desk, jolting himself and almost knocking his hat off.

     "Alright, let's settle this in a fair and even way!" Nekomaru declared from beside Peko - he'd been put at the back so hid bulky frame wouldn't block anyone else's view - standing up and resting his beefy fists on his hips.

    "Alright!" Fuyuhiko and Souda yelled enthusiastically.

       "Fine! If you're both so adamant, then you we'll make a bet! I bet you can't get a girlfriend before the day is up, and stay with her for a week!" Gundam declared, and there was a silence hanging over the class for a moment.

     "I bet I can!" Souda announced with a frown, taking the bet. Fuyuhiko nodded his agreement to the bet a moment later. "Well, what if I can't..?" Souda asked after a moment. "Not that it matters!"

      "That'll be for me to decide when the time comes..." Gundam chuckles darkly, and Souda, being as sensitive as he was, shivered in fear. Fuyuhiko simply rolled his eyes.

      "Well then..." Fuyuhiko said after a moment, his face tinting a faint pink. "Peko...?"

     "Yes, young master," She sighed. "I will be your girlfriend for the week."

     "Well, that's boring..." Ibuki sighed dramatically. "Well, ok! Down to you, Souda!"

~

     That break time, Souda had grabbed you before Ibuki could whisk you away to listen to her newest song, and pulled you outside and behind the building, in the faint shade where it was completely deserted. Instantly, Souda fell dramatically too his knees before you, hands gripping at his hat.

     "Y/N! I need your help!" He wailed. "I made a bet that I won't be able to win!"

     "I- Uh- what, Souda?" You blinked in confusion.

     "I need you to pretend to date me for a week! Please, Y/N!" He begged, clasping his hands together and sticking his bottom lip out, staring up at you with wide pink puppy-dog eyes. "I didn't know who else I could go to, please!"

      "What the hell kinda bet did you make?!" You blurted out in confusion, one hand on your hip.

      "Gundam bet Fuyuhiko and I couldn't get a girlfriend for the week! Please, I'm not asking you to actually be my girlfriend, just pretend for the week, please Y/N!"

     "Fine, fine! Just no more begging..." You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose, wondering what drama you had just involved yourself in, and trying toward off your oncoming headache.

      "Yes!" Souda cheered, leaping to his feet once more, the wide, sharky grin back on his face once more. "Come on, I wanna go rub it in Gundam's face!"

~

     Souda barged back into the room after break, pulling you along by your hand. As everyone turned to stare, your face turned a deep red and you refused to look up at anyone else.

      "I got myself a girlfriend, suck on it, Gundam!" Souda cheered, giving your arm a tug and you fell into his side, his arms quickly wrapping around you and holding you to him. Your hand feel against his chest and your face flushed deeper when you found that he was much more muscular under that jumpsuit than you had first thought.

     "You're a couple now?" Chisa asked from the front of the class, her hands clasping together as she tilted her head to the side. "Congratulations!"

     "So, you actually did it..." Gundam muttered darkly, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, you really are taking up my bet, I'd assumed you would know that you could not win, but... I can't expect too much from foolish mortals. Very well, let us see how long this lasts."

      "We will see, because I don't plan on letting her go!" Souda retorted and gave you a slightly squeeze against him, before flashing you a brilliant smile and retreating to his desk.

     You stumbled back to your own desk, face flushed red.

~

    The next day, the group were hanging out at lunch on the flied, and with your lunch in hand, you sauntered over shyly.

     "Hey, Y/N!" Souda cheered, waving at your frantically as you approached. "Come here!" You wove your way through the group and stopped in front of him.

     "Yeah?" You asked, tiling your head to the side.

     "Sit on my lap!" He cheered, suddenly catching you by the waist and giving a light pull until you were sat on his lap, and your face flushed red from the burning of everyone's gazes. His arms quickly encircled your waist.

     "Hm... Why do I feel like this is really forced?" Hiyoko scowled at the two of you, crossing her arms in annoyance. Mahiru gave a suspicious nod of approval.

     "I agree," Gundam boomed, eyeing you two suspicious, and you felt Souda tense underneath you. Gundam had seen right through Souda's plan. But, you promise to help him, after all, you were in this together.

      "Shut up..." You hissed in embarrassment, quickly twisting around and slamming your lips down onto Souda's before you had a chance to backtrack. Everyone went more or less silent, and few gasps whispering around the group. You pulled back, face flushed red, giving the best fierce look you could - though you just looked vaguely embarrassed. "Was that real enough for you? Now stop prying-"

     Before you could finish, Souda grabbed your chin and pushed his lips back up to yours, both his and your face a bright red.

      Whoops and cheers rose among the group.

~

     It was the next Monday, and you knew it was coming to an end. The week was now up, you hadn't seen Souda all weekend,  you hadn't spoken to him, but somehow you knew that your agreement would come to an end. In fact, you weren't expecting him to speak to you at all from now on - how would he even look at you after what had happened between the two of you?

     However, his behaviour Monday morning came as a surprise to you.

     "Y/N!" He cheered, leaping from his place perched on the desk. He dashed over to you, and to your shock, grabbed you and pulled you into his chest tightly.

     "Souda?" You asked quietly.

     "Yeah?" He blinked his wide, innocent pink eyes. "Something up?" He gave the most innocent look you'd seen, and your resolve to question him wavered.

     "Nothing, nothing at all," You muttered with flushed pink cheeks.

     "Great!" He grinned, pressing his lips against yours quickly, and despite wanting to shrivel up in embarrassment - everyone's eyes were on you, once again - you couldn't deny that you loved this, it's what you'd been day dreaming about since you laid eyes on him.

      "I-I need to talk to you later," You mumbled when you pulled away, and he just gave a nod and a grin. You shuffled towards your desk and Chisa strode in and the lesson began.

~

      "So, what was it, Y/N?" Souda asked, hands on his hips. You both stood under one of the flowering cherry blossom trees, lined up outside hopes peak academy. Other students were milling around, though you couldn't see anyone else from your class.

      "Well, the whole fake dating thing.." You mumbled, glancing down at your shoes, gently shuffling side to side. "It's been a week now, so you won the bet, right? Then, I think we should cut this..."

      "Whaaa-?!" You looked up to Souda, his face a little crumpled and his mouth hung open. "Didn't you enjoy it? Wasn't I enough? I can change, whatever you want, I swear-"

      "No, no, I enjoyed it, I promise..." You quickly interrupted him, trying not hurt his pride too much - that was far from what you wanted. "But, a little too much, I think... But, I know you're not serious about this, and it isn't fair on me."

      "What are you saying?" Souda frowned. "How can you enjoy something too much-"

      "Souda, I love you," You blurted quickly, before frowning at the ground, waiting in silence. You took a deep breath. "And that's why I can't let myself go on like this. You don't like me in the way I like you, and it's not fair on me or you to be doing this anymore, so, now the bet's done, I think we should stop."

     "Well, I don't!" Souda frowned, quickly grabbing your shoulders. "Y-You're an idiot, why do you think I chose you, n-not someone else?!"

      "Are you saying...?" Your eyes widened and your face took on a light pink hue. Souda's own face was a bright fuischa, almost identical to his hair, and your breath caught in your throat in shock.

    "I was hoping we'd just get to carry this on without me having to say this yet, but I love you, Y/N." Souda's face was a fiery red, but he made his move, pushing you back against the nearest tree, pink flowers floating down all around you. His lips pressed against yours once more, in a sweet and passionate embrace.

      "Finally!" Ibuki's shout brought you both back to reality and you broke apart, red faced and panting. Your classmates had sprung from behind the cherry blossom trees, cheering and whooping at the two of you.

     "Dammit..." Souda sighed and buried his face in your neck out of embarrassment, nuzzling against you. "This is super embarrassing, but I seriously love you, Y/N."

~

      "Well, there's only the small matter of the bet left!" Nekomaru boomed and there were a few hushed whispers spreading through the crowd.

      "Yeah! Gundam lost fair and square, so it's time for a punishment!" Akane declared from beside Nekomaru, her arm linked through his. "What do you pick, Souda?"

     "D-Dammit, I didn't think this far ahead!" Souda cried out in realization. Gundam breathed a sigh of relief, but as Fuyuhiko pushed through the crowd to the front, his eyes widened again and he pulled his scarf up to cover his mouth.

      "Yeah, well he ain't the only one who won the fucking bet!" Fuyuhiko said with a slight scowl, his arm resting around Peko's hips. "But, I don't have any idea, either..." He trailed away.

     However, Peko leaned down to his ear, whispering something in a quiet voice. Fuyuhiko nearly burst out laughing.

       "That's too good! Hah! As a punishment, Gundam Tanaka and his dumbass hamsters will re-enact Tarzan!" Fuyuhiko declared. Gundam flushed bright red to the raucous yelling of his classmates.

~

       As she left the building, looking for her class after they failed to return after break time, Chisa Yukizone saw something she didn't know she would ever have to see. She could only watch as Gundam Tanaka, half naked, swung from a rope in the tallest cherry tree, bellowing loudly. The class were cheering and laughing.

     Chisa turned and walked back inside. Whatever that was, it was best to leave it alone...

~