"In Ayuzawa's eyes, is he special?"

Misaki almost could not believe her ears. Or her eyes for that matter. For such cold-sounding words to come from the mouth of Takumi Usui was astounding. And the expression on his face...it gave her chills.

"Special?" she echoed, her eyes drifting to the arm that braced Usui against the tree and forced her to stay put. It was his injured arm. He'd said it had healed, but if it was still weak, Misaki had a chance to escape if she needed. "Special how?"

Usui sucked his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "You know what I mean," he told her, staring unwaveringly, trying to intimidate the answer from her. Ayuzawa wasn't falling for it this time.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired. "Does it bother you that we know one another? Does it bother you that he likes me?" She received no answer. "Why? Why does it bother you that much, Usui-kun? It's not like we're dating or anything. We're not like that at all, so why shouldn't Shintani like me?" Misaki squared her shoulders and stared him in the eye, daring him to refute what she said. "After all, I'm much to troublesome for you, aren't I?"

Misaki shrugged nonchalantly, laughing a little under her breath. Usui's hand fell from the tree trunk and the girl made a quick step to the side. "That's not-"

"Don't." She'd put on her President Voice. "Just don't. I don't want to hear anything from you. I'm not yours. You say you like me one minute and the next, I'm too troublesome, I can't take it anymore." Usui shoved his hands into his pockets, slouching his shoulders and become the very picture of ease that he always was. "Pick one, Usui-kun. Either I'm worth it, or I'm not."

Usui nearly flinched at the honorific title she'd added, distancing them in a less-than-physical sense. But rather than show outward weakness he slipped behind his mask, and with a little smirk, he answered her.

"Misa-chan is always worth it. Haven't I said it before?" If he hadn't said it, he thought he'd made it perfectly clear through his actions. He didn't jump off the roof of a building for just anyone.

But Misaki was not impressed. She looked at him disinterestedly. "You are a dog in the manger," she noted with some distaste. But she said nothing else, not trusting her mouth not to run away. It simply wouldn't do to give too much away. "You're so much more troublesome than Shintani."

She leaned back against the tree trunk. Usui smiled at her flustered face, leaning in closer to prop his head on her shoulder. His energy was gone. And there had been no progress.

But she was right about one thing; he really was a dog in the manger.


A/N: For those unaware, the term "dog in the manger" comes from an old fable in which (and I'm paraphrasing) a dog refused to let other animals use the manger to feed from, while he himself could not. Applied to people, it usually means that a person can't have something, but refuses to allow others to have it either. Case in point: Usui (early in the manga).