Author note: I do not own Yakitate! Japan, nor do I own Kai Suwabara or Meister Kirisaki.

I just suddenly thought this up, and I thought it would be good to have Kai share being a main character with Kirisaki. XD I'm sure this should be interesting.

Warning: MoniKai, MeisterxKuroyanagi, handcuffs, panic, and chaos, as well as possible (and most likely will happen) swearing, non-explicit and non-sexual nudity (we're talking shirtless people here at the worst), and violence.

Constructive Criticism would be great, and I hope you read, review and enjoy! Thanks!

Linked Together

1. Cuffed

"Let me get this straight." Monica started, looking at her boyfriend and the General Manager of Pantasia in front of her. "You both got handcuffed together?"

Kai let out a sigh as he held up his right wrist, which was cuffed. Attached to it was a long, thin chain, which the other end was attached to a cuff that was attached to Meister's left wrist. "Yes. That's exactly what happened." He muttered quietly, praying that Monica wouldn't press any further on the issue.

"How did you both get handcuffed?"

Meister Kirisaki didn't look amused as he looked at the chain. "Blame Matsushiro-san and Kawachi-san." He muttered through gritted teeth, remembering what had occurred in the past half-hour...

It was a peaceful, fine day for the Pantasia people, and they were all out shopping. Why? Because they all needed a break. Tsukino suggested the idea of the shopping trip, and all the girls basically banded together to persuade the men to accompany them.

Then, during the time they were having lunch together, Kawachi and Matsushiro had this apparently interesting idea.

"Hey, Meister-han?"

Meister had just finished his miso soup (which was the only thing he was eating) when Kawachi asked the question.

"What is it, Kawachi-kun?" Meister asked, looking at him carefully.

"Well..." Kawachi held up a pair of handcuffs. "Manager and I were wondering...You have skills in magic, right?"

"Yes...and...?" Meister asked as he looked at the handcuffs suspiciously. "What is it that you mean to ask me? Does it involve those handcuffs, by any chance?"

"Yes, it involves the handcuffs." Matsushiro cut in. "Considering that you're a magician, you should be able to get out of handcuffs easily, right?"

Meister shook his head. "Matsushiro-san, I am not Houdini." He started to explain. "If you were to cuff me by the wrists and ankles before you throw me into a lake, I would drown, and-"

Click. Meister heard it before he could continue.

Uh oh...

Meister looked downwards at his right wrist. It was cuffed. He looked up at Matsushiro, who was grinning ear to ear.

This can't be good.

"You-you don't actually think I'm able to get out of this while underwater, do you!?" He asked, holding up his right wrist and glaring as best as he could at Matsushiro. "I demand that you uncuff me right now-"

"What the-Baldy, what are you doing!?" Meister turned to see Kai Suwabara...who was also cuffed, except by the left wrist. "Take it off!" Meister looked even more carefully and saw that the chain attached to his cuff was...attached to Suwabara's cuff.

This was seriously not going to end well.

"I don't know how." Kawachi lied, hiding a chuckle at Kai's enraged face. "Ask Meister-han."

"I don't know how to get out of these things!" Meister repsponded, looking down at his cuffed wrist. "Suwabara-san, can't you just use your katana blade to cut the chain, at least?"

"Well..." Suwabara paused for a moment. "I don't have it with me because I can't bring weapons into a mall..." He muttered quietly. "Now I wish I brought it-so I can kill Baldy and his manager on the spot..."

"When we get back to Pantasia we can get the katana blade and cut ourselves loose! There has to be a way to undo this!" Meister responded, before letting out a sigh.

"Actually," Matsushiro spoke up, "I have a key to undo both cuffs."

Meister and Kai's eyes widened simultaneously. "Where's the key?" Kai demanded. "Give it to us so we can get loose."

Matushsiro checked his coat pockets, before checking his pants pockets. "Huh." He muttered after a moment of silence. "I think I lost it."

"WHAT!?" Both Kai and Meister shouted at the same time in disbelief.

"That can't be..." Meister trailed off, gaping slightly. He paused, before speaking up. "Is there any way to make a replacement key really soon? By tomorrow?" He asked Matsushiro.

"Well...it'll take a while to find the right key, so it'll take a week at least."

Meister and Kai exchanged glances that said one sentence that summed up their thoughts.

They are so dead...

Meister and Kai glared at Kawachi and Matsushiro, who were laughing.

Meister glared even more at Matsushiro, who was still laughing. Kawachi, however, had stopped laughing and instead was swallowing nervously.

"Heads will roll if there is no key by the end of the week." Meister spoke in a tone that meant that he was definitely serious. He pulled a finger across his own neck to emphasize the threat, before Matsushiro just simply nodded in response.

"That's basically what happened." Kai finished. "Until GM and I get unlocked from our handcuffs, we'll have to share the same space with each other..."

"So you'll have to share a room?" Monica asked, eyes widening in realization.

"Yes." Meister answered. "I got some people to drag a spare bed into my room, so Suwabara-san can sleep there."

"How are you supposed to be able to work properly? I mean, Kai's kitchen is far from where your office is..."

"I have a spare kitchen attached to my office, for some reason. I don't use it too much, because my work consists more of doing paperwork and the like, but it's usable, so Suwabara-san can use that as his workplace until we get out of the handcuffs."

Monica paused, before speaking up again. "Did you try chopping the chain in two with the katana blade, Kai?" She asked her samurai boyfriend.

Said samurai boyfriend nodded, before letting out a sigh. "I don't get it...That chain looks incredibly weak, but it's incredibly a lot stronger than you think. I couldn't even nick it with my katana..." He muttered.

"So..." Monica paused, leaving an awkward silence to rest between the three of them for a moment, before finishing. "I guess you two have no choice, huh?"

"Yeah..." Meister and Kai both exchanged glances with each other. "Surely, though, it cannot be so bad, right?" He asked quietly.

"Er, well..." Kai and Monica exchanged glances before Kai finished. "Monica and I were going to go on a date this Saturday..."

"Oh." Meister knew how awkward it would probably be for the two teens if he were forced to come along as a third wheel... "Wait, um, maybe I could bring Kuroyanagi-san along. You know, um...make it into a double date? If you don't mind?" He asked sheepishly.

"You're dating Kuroyanagi!?" Monica exclaimed, staring at Meister. "I didn't know!"

"How do you bear with that spoiled glutton?" Kai asked, crossing his arms.

Meister let out a sigh. "I've only been dating him for a month, and he's not as bad as you think, honestly." He responded, tilting his head slightly as he brushed a lock of hair out of his masked face. "And besides, I don't want to be an awkward third wheel for the both of you on your date, so..."

"Yeah, you have a point..." Monica trailed off.

Kai looked at Meister in confusion. "What's a third wheel?" He asked, completely dumbfounded.

Monica let out a sigh. "I'll explain to you later, Kai..." She told him.

Meister mentally sighed to himself. He prayed that nothing too terrible would go wrong, and that he and Kai could adjust to this situation.

Oh, how wrong he would be later on...