Ryo was wearing a simple suit and underneath it a black pullover. He didn't look too fancy but neither too casual. We look good together, Rika thought for a second but then she immediately chased away that lovely thought.
Neither of them said a word while driving and Rika didn't remember when she was last that nervous. It's just a stupid reunion! Nothing can go wrong ... Wait ... What if everybody is dressed in jeans!? I'm going to kill Jeri if that happens!!
Five minutes later she could normally breath again. They parked the car in front of the school and she could see three or four old classmates wearing shiny dresses. Ryo turned himself to her:
'Let's go, darling, it's time to kick some butts!' She noded and they left the car. Together they went towards the school and Ryo grabed her frozen hand.
'I'm your one night boyfriend, remember?' he smirked when he saw Rika's confused face.
'Yeah, ok, just don't embarasse me ...'
There were 30 girls in Rika's class. None of them was standing outside anymore - they were probably all waiting inside for Rika to tease her - so the fresh 'couple' entered the gym Rika didn't saw (and hoped not to see again) in years.
The gym had a large table full of drinks and snacks and some of her classmates were drinking beer with their boyfriends, the others were chatting in the corners, no one was dancing on the stage because there was no music.
'Hey, gals!' Rika said loudly to wake up the gym. She instictivly squeezed Ryo's hand even harder.
'Oh my god, Rika??' a girl in a blue dress with long blond hair said, approaching them. 'Is that you??'
The others were just standing in the back, whispering and noding. 'Oh my god, it's really you! And you do have a boyfriend. Hi, I'm Ran and you are- OH MY GOD, it's RYO AKIYAMA!!'
Ran's sudden scream scared them both, Ryo liftet his eyebrow and Rika made a step backwards. She was used to such reactions but she didn't expect such a loud one now.
Ran grabed Ryo's hands and started shaking them. She introduced herself at least five times and she kept telling him how she always liked Rika and how she always wanted her to be her best friend. The other girls approached them too and they were all full of compliments while they couldn't stop staring at Ryo. Rika could see the bunch of other boyfriends giving Ryo and their girlfriends confused and jealous looks.
One hour later, the classmates were revealing their memories and they were all laughing at teachers, other girls and random occurrences. They were all very nice to Rika, which made her happy but at the same time mad, they only did that because of her outfit and date.
'So, Rika, how long have you two been together? As far as I know, Ryo doesn't have a boyfriend!' Ran finally asked her what was bothering her for the last hour.
'Well, we're not actually dating but it's just a matter of time when we'll start dating,' Rika said quickly and looked at Ryo, who was talking with the boys. He caught her look and smiled at her.
'Oh really ...' Ran said and smiled evilly. Rika knew what that meant. That biatch!
'Give me a second ...' Rika said and left the group. She waved to Ryo and he followed her to the bathroom.
'What's up?' he asked her. She leaned herself against a washbasin.
'I think Ran - the blonde girl - might try to get you.'
'That crazy one in the blue dress? Yeah, I suspected that when she almost ripped my hand off and she keeps staring at me all the time,' Ryo smirked.
Rika got angry:'I don't even know why I'm telling you this! Do what you want, just don't embarasse me in front of the whole class, ok?'
She wanted to leave the bathroom but he grabed her hand and pulled her back.
'Don't be mad at me, Rika,' he said with a sad voice but then he smiled. 'You're not jealous, are you?' He started to laugh and left her alone in the bathroom. She didn't follow him, at least not immediately. She turned herself into the mirror and watched her reflection.
Am I jealous?
She came out in a few minutes and found her classmated talking to Ryo. What a surprise! She joined them and had to listen to Ryo's stories about fame and reality shows and fans and paparazzi and other boring stuff.
'I knew your exgirlfriend, Ryo, she was a good friend of a friend of my cousin's friend,' a girl named Ina suddenly said.
'What?' Rika wasn't sure if Ryo didn't understand Ina's complicated acquaintance or the fact that he was supposed to had had a girlfriend.
'I knew Nina,' she said again.
'Oh did you ... what can I say ... that's good for you,' Ryo said in a lower voice. 'I love these potatoe chips, don't you?' he continued, trying to change the subject .. unseccessfully.
'You had a girlfriend, I didn't know that!' Ran said as if she had to know everything about him. Rika didn't say a thing, her brains were working like crazy.
A girlfriend? He had a girlfriend? She looked at him but he didn't looked her back. He never mentioned her. That must had been when he was still living in Kyushu ... I knew if had someone in Tokyo ... Wouldn't I? Why didn't he mention her? Well, she didn't ask, that's true ... Even though this wasn't her business, she still felt hurt. Why didn't he tell her?
'Yeah, that was a long time ago, it wasn't worth mentioning. We were kids and these things are never serious among kids, if you know what I mean.'
'You're right, Ryo. You didn't have to bother him with that, Ina!' Ran said and grabed Ryo's arm shamelessly. 'Let's go get a drink, ok?'
'Sure .. Umm, Rika, would you want me to bring you something?' he asked her but she was not there anymore. 'Rika ...'

Rika went for a walk outside. She felt really stupid doing that but she needed a break. The whole thing with Ryo was getting too confused and complicated and she needed to get away from it for a while. She knew he'd come looking for her but she still used the chance when he wasn't looking at her - he was avoiding to look at her ever since that Nina was mentioned - and left the gym. What was so special about this girl that he started acting so weird??
She sat on a bench and looked to the sky. It was cold but she kinda needed that. She thought of Renamon for a few moments. She realised that she didn't think about her partner for a while and that made her sad. Will we ever meet again, Renamon? I miss you ... I wish you'd be here now ... I became so weak since you were gone ...
'Ah, Renamon,' she sniffled. 'What should I do??'
'You should go back inside, Rika ...' a voice behind her said. She turned around and Ryo - not Renamon - was standing behind her back.
'Don't you scare me like that ever again, ok!?' she yelled at him and turned back. He sat next to her.
'I miss him too ...' he said. 'I mean, Cyberdramon. It's been so long ... I wonder if we'll ever see them again.'
'I'm sure we will,' Rika whispered, even though she didn't believe that.
'Why did you go?' Ryo asked her as if he didn't know the answer.
'I couldn't hear any of your stories anymore .. I heard them already so many times ...' Rika said. She was still watching the starts.
'You haven't heard that one with Nina yet ...' he said quietly.
'That's not my business, Ryo. I only asked you for a favour to come here with me, you don't have to tell me your lifestory, you know,' she said back.
'I know but ..'
'It's cold out here, let's go inside,' Rika said and stood up.
'Rika ..'
'Mhm?'
'You really look great in that dress,' he said without looking at her. She noded at him and left him again.

Rika couldn't stop thinkig of that Nina girl but she didn't want to ask Ryo about it. She decided to investigate her at home, not telling anyone about it. That was so not her level. She was avoiding Ryo a bit but she didn't lose a good sight at him. Ran must not get him, not today. That would embarasse her in front of everyone and the whole good impression would be forgotten in a second. It looked impossible to stop Ran from following Ryo wherever he went. He was talking to another guy in suit, when Ran suddenly interfere them and pulled Ryo away. Rika, who was just talking to a classmate, said she was going to the bathroom and followed the two of them. To the bathroom.
Her heart was beating really fast when she approached the closed bathroom door. Please .. please ..
'Why not now??' Ran's voice. Rika leaned her head on the door.
'Because .. I .. Give me my number and I'll call you.'
'Right, you'll never call me. You give me your number!'
'Ok, fine, give me your phone ..'
That bastard, how dear he!! Rika heard Ryo typing his number to Ran's cellphone. She became really mad.
'Ok, babe, call me!' Ran said and opened the door. Rika stepped backwards in the last second.
'Oh, looks who's here!' Ran said, giggled, waved to Ryo and went away.
Rika didn't even look at her date, when she went to the bathroom. Ryo stayed there too.
'That girl is crazy!' he finally said.
'Yeah, you can enjoy her crazyness tomorrow, when you'll call here,' Rika said, doing so as if she was fixing her make up.
'What?'
'Oh don't be such a jerk, Ryo, I heard you. I'm not stupid you know.'
'Look who's jealous!' Ryo giggled. That was like pressing a button for a bombe to explode.
'I'm not jealous you stupid fool!!' she yelled at him and punched the washbasin with her fist. 'Stop playing that games with me, ok!? That's sick and I would never expect anything like that from you!!'
Ryo was confused:'What do you mean ..?'
'Oh don't act so innocent for gods sake!!' she turned around to him. 'You can be such a freaking woman eater!!'
'Wha-'
But Rika didn't let him speak:'You think that because you're famous every woman would just eat you alive, don't you!?' She saw her latest dream about Ryo for a second .. Ryo turning into candy .. She ignored it. 'Well, let me tell you, stupid, THAT'S NOT TRUE!'
'What's gone into you, Rika? Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything wrong!' Ryo was even more confused.
'Didn't do anything wrong!?' she yelled back. 'You're playing with other people's feelings, that's what you do! You do stupid things and then you just think they won't have any effect on other people's lives!!'
'What are you talking about??'
'DON'T ACT SO STUPID!!!'
Ryo went to the door and locked them.
'I'd never play with anyone. Especially not with you, Rika.'
'Stop lying, Ryo, just .. just stop doing that!'
'I'm not LYING!'
She turned to the mirror again. She could see his reflection in it but he couldn't see hers.
'Why did you ...' she said quietly. 'Why did you say that ..?' If she wanted or not, that question was bothering her since the day of his birthday party.
'Say what ..?'
It's now or never, Rika. You can't live like this anymore. You can't daydream about him, you can't ask yourself all the time, why the hell he said it. You must go on. NOW!
'You said you loved me, Ryo. And I believed you for a second.'