*buu - its something like, the sound effect for having a wrong answer…

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Ferio shouted, holding the results of his first quizzes on Algebra and Science.

Zazu took a peek at Ferio's Math paper and started reading out loud, "No. 1: Buu! No. 2: Buu!…"

"Shuddup!" Ferio said, hitting Zazu on top of his head. "You don't have to rub it in!"

"Look at his score in his Science quiz… 1/10!!!" Ascot told the guys.

"At least I got one right!"

"No you haven't, that's the bonus point…" Clef pointed out. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

"Is there something wrong Ferio-san?" Fuu asked, as she and the girls walked towards them.

"Oh my God! Are those your papers?" Umi said.

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I don't like these subjects at all!!!!!!"

"They're not that hard really…" Fuu said.

"That's because you're very smart…" Ferio whimpered. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He knelt in front of Fuu, gave his best puppy-eye look and then begged, "Please help me Fuu-chan!!!! Please be my study partner!!!!! Please, please, please, pleaseeeeeee… I promise I'll study hard and do everything you say… Please!!!!!"

"Why, Ferio-san, you are making a big scene!" Fuu exclaimed.

"I don't care!!!!! Waaaahhhh!!! Please, I really need you're help!!! If you turn me down…what will happen to me? I'll fail all my quizzes…my exams…I'll fail Math and Science all in all…The worst that can happen is that I don't graduate! And if I don't graduate I won't have good job! I'll just be that man arranging the fruits in the supermarket!!!"

"Just say 'yes' Fuu, or he'll never shut up," Clef said.

"The old man is right…" Umi said.

"Ah-hehe…" Fuu said, a huge sweat drop forming on the side of her head. Ferio again, flashed his best puppy-eye look. "Well… okay."

* * *

Umi opened the door to her house. Their head housekeeper welcomed her with worry on her face, "Welcome back Miss Umi, your mother had left a note for you at the study."

"Thank you, Mayumi."

She then rushed to the study and found the note at the table. She quickly opened the note and read it.

To my dearest child,

First of all, I would want you to know that your father and I love you very much. I also want you to know that I have decided to leave the country for a while. I will be back in a month or so. I am sorry that I had not waited until you get home before leaving.

You see, your father and I had decided to have a divorce. Please understand that you have nothing to do with this and that we just both feel that we couldn't live together anymore.

I love you.

Love,

Mama

She sighed and then put the note in the trashcan. She wasn't surprised, she had felt the tension between her parents for a long time. She knew that sooner or later it would come to this.

Her parents had been both too busy with their work that they had no time for each other although they tried hard to be with their only daughter. They seldom had family outings. Usually, her parents would spend time with her in an alternate manner. "Are you alright Miss Umi?"

"Yes Mayumi. Where is papa?"

"Your father had left for Osaka, Miss Umi. He would be staying there for a few days for a business seminar."

"I see… Well, then, I'm going out with my friends. I don't know if I'll be home for dinner."

"Yes Miss Umi."

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hello, Hikaru?"

"Umi-chan!"

"I was wondering if you wanna come with me to go shopping and all…"

"Well… I am very sorry, but I'm doing some baby sitting…"

"Baby-sitting?"

"Yes, the neighbor asked for a favor and all…"

"Oh I see…Would you want to come over for tea tomorrow? I am going to bake a cake and well…"

"Wow! A cake! Okay I'll be there"

"Tomorrow then. See you."

"See you."

Umi sighed and dialed another number. "Hello?"

"Huouji residence."

"Uh…Fuu?"

"This is her sister Kuu."

"Oh I'm sorry, is Fuu there?"

"Wait. Fuu! Its for you!"

After a few seconds, picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Fuu. This is Umi."

"Oh Umi-san."

"I was wondering if you could accompany me? I'm going to bake a cake tomorrow you see and I'm going to buy the ingredients."

"Well, I would really want to go with you, but Ferio-san is coming over for his study help."

"Ah! Ok. Are you free tomorrow then? Hikaru is coming over at my house for tea and it would be really fun if you come too."

"Sure Miss Umi."

"Great. See you!"

She placed the receiver and the left the phone booth. "Oh well, I guess I'd have to do with being all by myself."

***

Clef had just left the cd-store a while ago, having no idea where to go next. What a boring Friday afternoon it is. "At least it's not as boring as it would have been if I stayed home," he told himself. He had asked his friends to accompany him, but all of them had things to do. Ferio is coming over at Fuu's place for that study-help, Zazu cannot come because he had promised to help some senior with his car, and as for Ascot… "Sorry Clef, but my dog is very sick and I have to take care of him." Blah! Him and his pets!

He had decided to go to the local park. There is a nice small stall there that sells delicious rice cakes, and he is getting kind of hungry. And then he saw Umi sitting at the bench facing the pond. He wasn't going to approach her but then, something made him change his mind. "Well if it isn't Miss Sassy!" he said. He was surprised that she didn't answer back. "Oi! What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing Clef."

"..No 'Hi old man'?"

"Hi old man."

"Look I know it's none of my business, but I kind of have this feeling that you have a problem." Suddenly, Umi burst into tears. "Oi…don't cry on me…Aww…come on! Stop that! …Hey!" One of the things he can't stand is a woman crying in front of him. "Hey! Can't you just stop sobbing and tell me what's bothering you? Hey… hey! What is it? You're boyfriend dumped you?" Umi shook her head. "You and your friends argued?" Again, Umi shook her head and her sobbing got louder. "THEN CAN YOU PLEASE STOP CRYING AND TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG?"

"I'm going to bake a cake tomorrow," Umi murmured.

"What???"

"I called Hikaru and Fuu but both of them can't accompany me to buy the ingredients…"

"You're crying just because of that???? My God, woman! How crazy can you be?"

"My parents are going to have a divorce…" Umi finally told him. "I just learned it this afternoon. Both of them didn't have the gall to tell me personally…"

"I see…" His parents are very loving to each other so he cannot fully relate to her situation, but he does feel that she's hurting really bad…She is crying because she had to go through this alone. "Let's go…" Clef said offering his hand to Umi.

"Huh?"

"You are going to get ingredients for that cake right?" Umi stared at his open palm. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Umi nodded, wiped her tears away, and took his hand. 'At least both of us don't have to spend the rest of the day alone…'

***