I'm here! Miyu Kouzouki looked at the familiar landscape of Saionji Temple. It was only eighteen months after she left, but it felt like an eternity. Her knees wobbled as she climbed the stone steps, her smile becoming wider as she ascended. I'm back! I wonder if he is still the same.

She grinned to herself, imagining Kanata's shocked, handsome face. He won't be expecting this!

She reached the top and quietly opened the door. She heard voices in the kitchen. Who is that? I didn't know Kanata liked having visitors.

A girl said, "Oh, Kanata darling, that is sooo funny!" and snorted.

Miyu stopped dead. A girl? He has a girl in the temple? She doubted it was Akira, Kanata's childhood friend--Akira didn't laugh like a pig, unlike the girl in the kitchen.

And she called him 'darling'.

Summoning her courage, Miyu peeked in the kitchen and felt her stomach sink.

Kanata had his arm around a gorgeous, curvy girl with wavy auburn hair. He was feeding her pumpkin soup with his own spoon. And they were sitting so closely together. So sweet. So close. Just like the way I always wanted Kanata to hold me.

Miyu planned to exit unnoticed, but unfortunately she knocked over a vase. Damn! She frantically began picking up the pieces when she heard footsteps coming towards her.

Her finger was bleeding, but she didn't stop picking up shards, until--

"Miyu?" Kanata's voice was shocked.

It wasn't the entrance Miyu wanted. She imagined Kanata running to her and enclosing her in his arms--

Baka! Miyu thought dolefully. You and your imagination got us into this mess.

She plastered a smile on her face. It felt like a mask. "Hi. I just stopped by to see if everything was fine here." Her voice sounded unnaturally high and her smile felt stiffer and stiffer. "I guess I should go now, I didn't want to disturb you. Bye!"

She nearly flew out of the room.

Kanata felt numb. What the hell is she doing here? Damn, her timing was so off!

The auburn-haired girl wrapped her arm around his waist. "Kanata, darling, what's the matter? And who was that?" She pouted. "She isn't one of your girlfriends, was she? You promised that I was your only one."

He didn't seem to hear her as he wrenched her arm off his waist. "Um, this isn't a good time, Yui. Maybe you should go home."

"You won't even walk me home?"

"I don't feel like it. See you."

He practically pushed her out the door, still deep in thought.

Miyu was dazed. Her feet automatically headed towards Nanami's house. Who is that girl?

She was so lost in thought, she walked into someone. "Oof!" she said. "I'm so sorry." Then she realized that it was Christine.

"Chris!" she exclaimed. "I missed you so much!" She noticed that Christine's eyes were wet. "Chris? Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Christine was sobbing so hard, her words her nearly incomprehensible. "B-because he j-j-just broke up with me last w-week and already he's going out with Yui Uchiha!"

"Aw, I'm so sorry for you, Chris… That guy must be a moron to leave you."

"He's not a moron… He's the smartest guy in our class… But you should know all about him," she added, which puzzled Miyu.

It took a while to calm Christine down. Finally Miyu said, "I'll be at Nanami's if you need me."

She set off again. When she reached Nanami's house, she saw that Aya there, too.

"Aya! Nanami!" Miyu cried. She ran to them and hugged them, and after exchanging greetings, the girls settled down in Nanami's bedroom. Just like old times, Miyu happily thought.

"So, what have you been up to?" Aya asked Miyu.

"Well, I am the top student in the batch at my new school," Miyu modestly said.

"Really? That's so great!"

"Yeah… I guess having Luu around cut into my time for studying."

Nanami said, "Did you meet any cute boys there?"

Miyu grinned. "Lots! And they were so persistent, but I turned them all down."

"Why?" demanded Aya. "Because of Kanata?"

The name made Miyu's heart beat faster. She didn't answer but instead posed a question of her own. "What happened to Christine? I met her on the way here; she was crying and saying something about some guy who left her."

Aya and Nanami looked at one another. "That 'some guy' is Kanata." Aya said.

"What?"

"He's a playboy now." Nanami explained.

"A playboy?"

"A womanizer. A pig. A jerk. Whichever term you prefer."

Miyu couldn't believe her ears. "Kanata went out with Chris?"

Aya nodded. "Yup. Two months after you left, he transformed from a woman-hater to a womanizer."

"But he's so quiet… And shy…"

"Not anymore! Now, he's slick, arrogant and confident. He's charming and handsome, a deadly combination."

Miyu laughed. The idea of Kanata being charming was new to her. "You're putting me on."

"She's laughing!" Nanami said to Aya, who replied, "I can see that. Maybe she won't be laughing when she finds out that Kanata is… the Octagon."

"The what?" Miyu asked.

"The Octagon! Kanata is the guy who dated eight girls all at once! He's very famous."

"Eight girls? But how did he keep it secret from all of them?"

"He called them all 'darling', and scheduled their dates carefully."

"Sakura, Akiko Fuji, Yakama, Akiko Hitori, Christine, Akane, Miaka, Maki." Nanami recited. "His ex-girlfriends. All from different schools. Akiko Fuji was the one who blew Kanata's cover when she trailed him one day on a date with Chris."

"Wait a minute--he dated Chris?" Miyu was incensed. "What a jerk! He knows how much Chris likes him, and he just broke her heart!"

Aya smiled reminiscently. "She was the only one who didn't want to let go of Kanata. Unfortunately, he wanted to let go of her!"

Miyu didn't know what to feel. "How did Kanata escape serious injury? He should at least have landed in the hospital after cheating on eight girls."

Nanami sighed. "Kanata did some sweet-talking, and the girls all forgave him! He's still on good terms with everybody. I guess time can really change a person."

Sighing, Kanata lay down on the couch. "Miyu…" he murmured. He missed her so much, and now that she was back, he couldn't even face her because of what she'd seen.

He fervently wished that Yui would break up with him, but that wasn't likely--Yui clung to him like a leech.

He picked up the phone and dialed. He prepared his speech, one that he used so often before: "I need to talk to you… I don't think this relationship is working. We need to break up."

He tried to explain that he wanted the best for her, but Yui was crying so noisily that it didn't matter what he said. Yui hung up the phone, screaming, "Damn you, Kanata Saionji! You'll be begging for me tomorrow!"

Kanata felt bad. He only wanted to fill the gaping hole in his heart, but instead he seemed to be making a hole in other girls' hearts. He closed his eyes.

Miyu, if you'll just come back to me, everything would be okay. He ached for her touch, her sweet-smelling hair, her soft skin. Miyu-chan… I should have told you… He imagined scenes in which Miyu confessed her undying love for him, and they kissed under the rain…

Kanata shook his head. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly he heard breaking glass. "Who's there?" he called. This temple really needs a lock on its doors.

He went out into the hallway and saw a beautiful blonde girl crouching over the remains of a glass figurine. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Miyu?"