'Girls, time to take out the trash! If Mrs. Tachibana sees it, your dad might lose his job!' mom ordered. I went straight to the door, ready to go to school, when my sister called me.

'Hatsumi, would you help me take out the trash?'

'What? My turn was yesterday. You're being unfair.'

'But I'll be meeting my boyfriend later and I don't want to smell like trash.'

'So you let ME smell like trash. Now my classmates are going to trash me,' I argued.

'Please.'

'Fine,' I mumbled. I helped MYSELF take out the trash. My brother Shinogu came to me and offered to help. That's so sweet of him.

'Come on, Onii-san. I do this myself every time! I can manage!'

'I insist. Let me help you.'

'Go help yourself, Onii-san. You've got exams, remember? Review for it so you'll be fine, okay?'

'If you say so. Take care, Hatsumi,' he said with a smile that would melt any girl's heart.

I dumped two hefty garbage bags on the trash area when I saw my classmate Subaru digging something on his trash.

'Hatsumi, would you help me find my anime figurine?' he cried.

'Uh, sure,' I offered, seeing his totally desperate face. We were digging forever when I heard the voice that makes my ears bleed everytime I hear it.

'Scavenging for living, Hatsumi-chan? You must be doing that to find more resources. That's what you deal with if you're too many in your family,' she said.

'Right,' her companions agreed like stupid minions.

I just ignored what Mrs. Tachibana said. She's the tyrannical queen of these big apartment buildings situated for the employees of their office, so if you oppose her, you're practically next to dead. Besides, she's too stupid to argue with.

'Clean it when you're done. My son Ryoki is going to be back, and as a mother I always want what's the best for him,' she ordered.

I so wish my heart's not pounding right now. The DEVIL'S gonna be back, and I'm gonna be in HELL soon. 'Excuse me, ma'am. We need to go. We're gonna be late for school. Come on, Subaru.'

I was pacifying myself while we head to school when I saw Akane sitting at the curb with some guys that seem to be helping her. I rushed to them.

'Oh migosh, Akane! What happened?' I panicked.

'I think I'm sick. I want to go home,' she declared. I had no choice but to skip school. Great. Just when my grades are drowning low.

'Hatsumi, I have to tell you something,' my sister said, now sitting on her bed.

'What is it?' I worrily asked.

'My period's been delayed for a week now. I'm not really sure about it, and I need something to confirm it. Would you go buy me a pregnancy test kit?'

'Sure. I'll get it for – WHAT? A PREGNANCY TEST KIT? Are you crazy? You let some guy get you pregnant while you're still in junior high? Is your brain still on your head or what?'

'At least I'm not a boyfriend-less stupid like you. You have no experience whatsoever, unlike me. I so pity your big boobs. They're screaming to be TOUCHED.'

'Shut up, you idiot!' I shouted. How could she say that? Having sex with some guy you barely know? That's just so disgusting! I'm not a moralist or whatever, but that's just so . . . WRONG.

Anyway, I prepared to get that BLASTED kit for her. Seeing me buy it might create gossip in the community and eventually reach Mrs. Tachibana's ears, so I guised myself as a giyaru. Even though it doesn't have a very good image, I had to admit I loved it. This is so secret agent. Now I'm being stupid. No wonder why my sister is, too. Why am I not surprised?

I was on the store to find one when someone stood beside me. The guy has a kind eyes and a sincere smile. He asked me if there's anything he could help me with.

Kind of irritated, I replied: 'Do I look helpless to you?'

'Okay,' he shrugged. Wait. The guy looked sickeningly familiar.

I went back to the apartment building after I got the pregnancy test kit when I bumped into someone in the hallway. I apologized and head to our apartment when he grabbed me on the wrist. When I turned back I wish I was hallucinating.

The devil, Tachibana Ryoki, is SO back. I stared at his eyes and remembered the hatred in it when he pushed me downstairs when we were younger.

'You dropped this. Is this yours?' he asked, referring to the kit.

'Of course, that's why I dropped that, STUPID,' I whispered to myself.

'What?'

'I mean, yes, it's mine. Now give it back.'

'Don't fool me. You never had a boyfriend. Your sister ALWAYS did,' he deadpanned. How dare he insult me like that? Wait. Do I really look BOYFRIEND-LESS?

'She's too dumb to get pregnant at her young age. And you're too stupid to get this for her,' he continued, giving the kit back to me. Now that he knows, he might inform his mother. SHIT.

'Tachibana-san, please don't tell this to Mrs. Tachibana,' I pleaded. Argh. I hate myself for doing this.

'You people are hopeless. Why are you so scared of her?' he mocked.

'Because she practically rules the community, that's why. Never mind what I said. Please, I'll do anything.'

'You know, I've always wanted a slave.'

'A slave?'

'Why? Is that hard? I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend.'

'AS IF I WANTED TO BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND. You might be genius with your skyscraper IQ but your stupidity hasn't escaped you.'

'Would you stop talking back? Do you want to do this or what?'

'Ok, fine. Even if it meant carrying your voluminous books for you.'

He laughed. 'You'll do much easier. Come here.'

I did. And he did something outrageous. He freakin' touched my BOOBS. His hands felt hot on it I thought he's gonna burn my shirt. I was praying he gets right through it when he groped it. I pushed him in shock. I saw the disgust on his face. I put his hands on my boobs right away. 'Apologies, Tachibana-san. Come on. Continue. Grope it. Squeeze it. I'll be your slave.'

He stared at me for a while with looks that would practically kill. Then he kissed me. 'Yuck! Let go of me, you freakin' bastard!'

I tried to run but he stopped me and squeezed my left boob with all the strength in his hand. It hurt.

'Too old to play house, aren't we?' someone said, stopping Ryoki. I turned back to see the helping guy in the store. How could I forget him? He's none other than Odagiri Azusa.