"HIDEMOTO!"

"Haaaai."

"It's not 'Haaaai'! You ate my pudding, didn't you?"

"I think so..."

"'I think so'? Did you just say 'I think so'?" I repeated/yelled.

"I thought I did..."

I slapped my half empty pudding bowl in his face and yelled, "You're the only one who eats pudding aside from me in Keikain!"

"I never said I did..."

"And you never said you didn't!"

"Aaaa..." he clicked his tongue, "you got me there."

"Yeah. I really got you there," I said, mockingly and turned serious. "I think you're the one who knows very well that if some one takes something that's mine. They die."

"Araa...did I really take something that's yours?"

I smirked evily. "Just admit it, Hidemoto-kun. If you just say it, I'll just let you go just by breaking a limb or two."

"Umm...Amakuri-chan, I think that just made everything worse..."

"Lose your life or your limbs for few weeks."

I took a step closer to him and smiled at him evily.

"Ummm...umm... Amakuri-chan, let's just talk this through, all right?" he said, raising both his hands over his face.

I just gave him an evil smile.

"What had happen to Hidemoto-sama?"

"I've heard he was attacked by the new girl, her name was... Amakuri, was it? Well, when one of the servants found him, I've heard that he was half-dead."

"What? I've heard that he had lost two limbs, to be exact."

"Well I heard that he broke some of his limbs."

"Well, either way, that girl creeps me out."

"And how could she do such thing to Hidemoto-sama when she's a lower class than us and is some weak girl? I mean, he is the 13th head of the Keikain House and she's lower than the lowest class in Keikain House. I can't even believe Hidemoto-sama even allows her to look at him or talk to him, or even set her feet in the same room he's in!"

"I know..that filth. She once glared at me when I had told her to clean up the pile of laundry clothes for the whole Keikain House. I honestly think those jobs for servants' suits her even more than her being an Onmyouji."

"You know? I've once heard that she sleeps around with the upper class of the Keikain House so she would be put to a higher class than she currently is."

"She's even lower than a dog that's living in the outskirts of Edo, then."

I felt daggers digging into my back as I continued sweeping the floor. Gossips. Stupid rumors. I glared down at the floor. None of them were true except for the breaking limbs part.

Good thing Hidemoto hasn't heard any of them...yet. I hope he'll never hear about any of them. Or he would think of me as some...disgusting brat.

...maybe as you may have guessed...I have a tiny, tiny, TINY, REALLY TINY crush on that gay Onmyouji. He says he's not gay but I think he is...I mean, he does act like one.

"Is Amakuri-chan here?" a familiar voice said from the doorway to the lunch room.

I raised my head from the ground to see Hidemoto looking around the large lunch room, and when he had spotted me, he raised up his non-injured hand and waved at me.

I sighed and put my broom away and walked over to him, covering my excitement of being able to see him twice in one day (because usually we see each other once a week or two and being able to see him once every week was almost a miracle since he's always either busy harassing other Onmyouji or his brother or he's just...busy with his Onmyouji stuff) with a gloomy face. When we were out of the lunch room, he said,

"What's with the face? Aren't you happy you're being able to see me twice a day?"

Wow..how did he...? "Ha. No. It's making my day worse. You ate my pudding."

"You still can't get over that?"

I nodded, pursing my lips.

"All right, how about this? I'll get you as much as pudding you want but you have to do something for me?"

"As much I want?" I repeated.

"Yup."

"Deal."

He just smiled at me.

...wait, what did he want from me?

"Anyway, the reason I wanted you was because I want you to meet one of my dearest friends," Hidemoto said.

"You have friends?" I asked, seriously.

"Of course I do."

"Oh..." I knew that. It's just that he doesn't seem like the type to have any friends because he likes to irritate people.

We were both, soon, standing in front of two large fusumas that led to Hidemoto's room.

As soon as we were in front of it, I sensed something uncomfortable. The one aura that's not so good.

A youkai.

I pulled out few Shikigamis and hid them behind my back and slowly opened the fusumas to see a figure sitting down on the porch, looking out at the moon in the sky and smoking on his pipe. He had long white hair and looked...really handsome.

I also immediately recognized him as Nurarihyon. The Youkai who ruled over all Youkais.

This is my chance to kill him. This can be my only chance. The first and maybe the last.

"Nurarihyon! I'm going to kill you right here and then!" I yelled.

Nurarihyon turned around and looked incredibly surprised at my sudden outburst. "Wait...what...?"

"Amakuri-chan, no-!"

I jumped on the Youkai and raised a hand that had one of my Shikigami in. "Shikigami, Keikain-ryuu: Senbonbari (One thousand needles. They sink into the victim's flesh. The needles have strong venoms in them and when they sink into the victim's flesh, the venom would be released and the venom would instantly kill the victim)!" I yelled and was about to cast it over him when some one grabbed my wrist.

I turned around and was about to yell at the person who stopped me when I realized that it was Hidemoto.

What the...?

"Amakuri-chan, this is a no no. He's our friend," Hidemoto said, like he was talking to a kindergartener.

"Youkais aren't Onmyouji's friend! At least they're not supposed to be..." I said.

"But he is."

"...a white panty with a pink ribbon," Nurarihyon mumbled out loud.

I turned to him and furrowed my eyebrows, looking rather confused. What was he talking about?

"...you are wearing a white underwear with a pink ribbon on it," he repeated.

My confused face turned into horror as I realized I was wearing a kimono and my legs were wide open (I was sitting on him) and it looked like I was trying to make him see it.

I screamed bloody murder and jumped off of him, hiding to a dark, shadowed corner, turning my back towards them, and mumbled, "I can't get married anymore. I can't get married anymore. No one would want a lady who showed her underwear to a Youkai..."

"Amakuri-chan...are you all right?"

I jumped at the voice. He was there too. I felt myself blush furiously.

I made a fool out of myself in front of him. How much of an idiot am I?

"Nura-chan, its your fault."

"What? My fault? What did I do?"

"Just apologize to her."

"No way! Why should I?"

"Just do it."

"Komusume, I don't know what I did wrong but I'm sorry."

"Shut up," I mumbled.

"Amakuri-chan, it's all right..."

"No it isn't! No man would want me as their wife anymore since a stupid Youkai...saw my underwear..." I replied.

"All right then. I, Nurarihyon, the great Youkai of all Youkais, will allow you to be my wi-"

"No," I rejected the offer immediately.

"What? Why is that? No one rejects the great Youkai, Nurarihyon!" Nurarihyon, himself, cried.

"I'm not into Youkais. Even if they're the only male species that's going to be left in this world when all human males die."

"How about m-"

"No," I rejected Hidemoto's offer. He was just joking. He didn't mean it.

"Awww...poopie," I heard him mumble.

What the heck did he just say?

"Poopie? Poopie? Really?"

"And I thought I was the only one who saw him as a weirdo..." Nurarihyon said, "I guess not."

I shook my head. "Oooohhh...boy, you're not the only one who's recognized his weirdness. He can get worse, you know."

"Anyway, why did you bring me here?" I asked Hidemoto, forgetting what had happened just a few minutes ago and as soon as we were all sitting down. "Right, about that. Hagoromo Gitsune has began her move on invading Kyoto... You know about the Youkai, don't you?"

I nodded. I've learned too much about that fox that I think my head was going to explode about all her informations that's in my head.

"Well," he continued, "she kidnapped Nurarihyon's soon-to-be wife and Nurarihyon wants us to help him and his Hyakki Yakou to get his soon-to-be wife back."

"I never said that," Nurarihyon mumbled.

"Well, it seems like when you had told me about your story, you wanted our help."

"Whatever."

"Wait..." I butted in, "why are you telling me this?" I asked Hidemoto.

"Well, that's what I was going to tell you until Nura-chan interrupted me."

Nurarihyon just looked away, glaring up at the moon.

"I'm telling you this because I want your help, Amakuri-chan," Hidemoto said like it's the most casual thing in the world.

My jaw dropped. "No! I mean, I'm a weak Onmyouji! I'm nothing compared to you, Hidemoto!"

"Well, you never know."

What did he mean by that?

"What?"

"Because I've seen you training just outside my room, by yourself, and you're quite strong for a newbie."

"What? You saw me train?" Oh no... He knows that I broke a rule. The people in my class weren't suppose to train or anything until they get promoted to a higher class. And if someone sees you train or even using a Shikigami, I'm going to get banned from this place. And I don't want that.

"Yeah, and you're quite good. Just like the time when we were about to walk in my room to see Nura-chan. You already felt his Youki just by standing outside the room. Not everyone could do that, you know."

He just complimented me... I felt my cheeks turn bright red so I looked down. He just...complimented me... Happiness and pride bubbled up in me as I thought more about it. He just said something good about me.

I suddenly had the urge to jump up and down and then tackle Hidemoto.

But I gripped on my kimono to keep the urge inside.

"Now what?" I said, after our conversation.

"I have to go," was Nurarihyon's reply.

"Now?"

"Yes, now," he said and disappeared into the shadows.

"Now what?" I, again, said.

"We wait until dawn, tomorrow."

"I hate waiting...why are we going to Osaka Castle, again?"

"That's where Hagoromo Gitsune bears her child."

"How do you know these stuff?"

He just shrugged.

"That's not helping you know..."

"Then let's say its a secret, ne?" he said with a wink.

Some one please tell me that he's gay because I think he's so not straight. But he keeps denying the fact that he's gay... It just irritates me.

"Are you sure you're not gay?" I asked, seriously.

"Yup."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have never had feelings for men. At least not like that."

"Then why do you act so...gay-ish-ly?"

"Gay-ish-ly? Is that even a word, Amakuri-chan?"

"Just answer my question, Hidemoto!"

"Hai, hai. It's because I surely don't like being serious unless its necessary."

"Why not?"

"Because it bores me."

"That's it?"

"Sure is." He smiled.

My eyes twitched. I crossed my arms and legs, glaring up at the moon. Felt like I was being childish for no reason. I felt like I was a little child who's mother didn't buy her a senbei (A/N: google it if you don't know what the heck that is). I felt like I was pouting...which I think I was but didn't exactly know why.

"What's the sudden change of your mood, Amakuri-chan?"

"Nothing," I said through my gritted teeth.

"Well, tomorrow's going to be fun."

"Whatever..." I mumbled so only me, myself, and I could hear.

"Amakuri-chan."

"What?" I snapped.

"Do you want some sweet chestnuts? I have lots of them..."

I glared at him. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

He decided to pull the 'I don't know what you're talking about' card and pulled the confused face. "What are you talking about?"

I just gave him a blank look.

Amakuri = Sweet chestnut.

"Araaa? Was I that much of a horrible liar?"

I shook my head. "Its just that that's something you'd do."

"Ok then. Maybe I should start trying harder."

"That won't work... I'm still going to know you're lying."

"You'd never know, would you?"

"Whatever."

I stared at a nearby tree that I've hear that that has been staying there for more than hundred years. That was quite amazing, in fact, really cool.

I glance over to the 13th head of the Keikain house to see him just blankly staring at a pond few yards away from us. He looked quite serious. I actually, for once, wanted to know what goes through that head of his.

I brushed my short black hair away from my face and tucked a few strands of hair onto the back of my ear. I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow.

"Hidemoto-sama!" yelled a sudden voice from the yard. Running footsteps, coming toward us, made the comfortable silence draw away and few Onmyouji stood to the left of me. After giving me a disgusted look, they turned to Hidemoto, saying,

"Another group of Onmyoujis were slaughtered!"

My eyes widened at the sudden news. Another? That means that wasn't the first ones, right? Why haven't I heard about this?

"How many?" Hidemoto asked them.

"10, to be exact."

"10? This isn't good..."

"What shall we do? We do not have enough Onmyouji anymore... only 30 of us, excluding the lowers since they cannot fight."

"Amakuri-chan will be fighting with you all."

"What? She can't! She's horrible! We've seen her fight but she's horrible!"

Hey... I'm right here...

"Better than not having anyone else, right?"

What?

"Yes sir...but are you trying to kill her?"

"No no. Of course not."

"But seems like you are..."

"You all are going to need extra Onmyoujis. Having her is better than not having her, isn't it?"

"Yes sir..."

"Now shoo. I have stuff to do."

I watched as all of them left, hurriedly. I can't believe it.

"So I'm just a mere Onmyouji that's going to die from getting eaten by some monsters, right?" I mumbled.

Hidemoto snapped his head towards me, looking surprised. "Of course not, Amakuri-chan! I won't let that happ-"

"I'm going to die soon..." I sighed, "I'm leaving."

I stood up and walked toward the fusuma that led to the hall.

"Amakuri-chan!"

I stopped. "What?" I mumbled, not turning around.

"Don't let those other Onmyoujis' words get at you! They're not true!"

"Yes they are. I'm nothing compared to you, Hidemoto." I gulped, clenching my fist. "I'm weak. I'm a weak Onmyouji. I can't even cast two Shikigamis at the same time."

"You're not weak. You're not even close to being weak..."

"Stop it. I don't want to hear it. What you said few hours ago about me being a good Onmyouji is a lie. I know it. All the others said they've seen me train... They said I'm horrible. Maybe I'm even worse than a dog!"

"Stop being so negative!" he suddenly yelled, making me jump.

"I'm not! I'm just stating the truth!"

"Those words aren't true! And don't mind what the others say about you! YOU know who you are. I also know who you are! Isn't that enough? Amakuri-chan, you aren't weak! You're a very talented Onmyouji. You aren't going to die tomorrow or whenever. I won't let that happen."

"What if it happens?"

"Stop thinking that way. I won't let that happen."

I let out a short laugh and rubbed my hand against my temples. Such a sinner. Making a girl think her crush also likes her.

"I'm leaving," I mumbled. "I'm going to bed."

"Good night."

"Night..." I replied and walked out his room.

"Amakuri."

I stopped scrubbing the kitchen floor when the captain that was over my group (the lowest class in Keikain House) named Rurai Reira called me from the door way to the kitchen. She was a very talented Onmyouji and also very beautiful.

I looked up to see her leaning against the doorway, staring at me with disgust in her eyes.

"Hai?" I asked, ignoring her stare.

"Come," she said with a stern voice.

I let out a sigh and stood up, putting the cloth I was using into a bucket and wiping my wet hands with the sleeves of my light kimono.

I followed her out the kitchen and to where ever.

9 hours had passed since yesterday, I had left Hidemoto's room.

What was I thinking, yesterday? Why did I think of such things? Why did I always have to make a fool of myself?

"Amakuri, snap out of it. We're here."

As I was told by Reira-san, I snapped out of my trace and blinked then realized we were standing in front of a room which I immediately recognized as...his.

"Ma'am, what are we doing here?" I asked, out of curiosity and irritancy.

"Hidemoto-sama wishes to see you," she replied then slid opened the fusuma.

I let out a brief sigh before entering his room.

And I don't wish to see you, Hidemoto.

"But look at the bright side, Amakuri. You got to see the love of your life for thrice a week!"

I know right. I'm really lucky...but I didn't want to see him after what I had done...

"She admitted it! Did you hear her, Hidemoto?"

Oh...Hidemoto heard me? Well that sucks...

...

...

...

...

WHAT?

Immediately, I looked up from the floor and blinked at the two pairs of Shikikami who flew casually in the air...like nothing had happened.

"Wait...what?" I mumbled to myself.

I stared at the two Shikikamis with wide eyes. Did I just say those thoughts, outloud? Maybe those voices were the Shikikamis...Oh man...

I'm so dead.

I tried my best to ignore the two pairs of human eyes staring at me and kept my eyes on the Shikigamis. They did truly have to do that? I just admitted that Hidemoto was the love of my life...

Wait, since when was Hidemoto the love of my life?

I decided to finally turn my eyes toward... him.

I gulped the lump in my throat first then looked at him.

It's now or never.

It's now or...or... don't even care anymore.

Anyway, when I turned to look at him, he was...to my surprise, he was actually blushing.

Keikain Hidemoto was blushing.

My jaw dropped at the sight of him looking down in..embarrassment... I guess.

Oh my...wow.

the next chapter is the last of this story. this was meant to be a short story too.

forry for any spelling/grammar errors. im not a full americano. lol