Chapter 1: Summer, June, Year 1
"I'm here." Tao Ren with his satchel over his shoulder entered the Ryokan that Anna and Yoh ran.
"…!" A girl with long, blonde hair in pigtails wearing a kimono gasped quietly as she looked at who had arrived. With quiet eyes, Marion Phauna looked up at Tao Ren who wore black pants, a rolled-up-sleeved white dress shirt and his hair longer than it was when he was 14. He wore it in a ponytail, and had his spikes in his hair up in a barrette.
It seemed the moment was in slow motion. Gracefully, Mari dashed over to him, placed her hand on his shoulder, and collided her lips with his. In shock, Ren's eyes opened wide.
"What are you-" He looked at her. Silently, she looked at him like she had done nothing wrong.
"Oh my, you can't do that, Mari." Anna Kyouyama entered, and so did Yoh. Mari looked back at the inn master, still gripping onto Ren. "Come here." Mari obeyed her command right away and trotted back behind Anna.
"Oh no… It really happened…" Yoh laughed.
"What do you mean by that?" Ren yelled angrily.
"When we told her that you were coming, she was all excited."
"Oh yeah, she looked like a girl in love." Anna said to him, and then looked to Mari. "Mari, he didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No."
"Good."
"I WAS THE ONE THAT WAS VIOLATED!" Ren jabbed back, his hair spiking up in fury.
"Shut up." Anna sighed. "It's just a kiss. Deal." Ren blushed furiously. "Isn't it great that a girl likes you?"
"We've only met once or twice before!"
"Love at first sight."
Ren looked at Mari as she peeked from behind Anna. The girl smiled slightly and blushed. Ren felt his heart beat a little. A girl LIKED HIM?
"W-Whatever. As long as that's the end."
But it wasn't.
"Ren." Mari came up to him in the hallway and kissed him again.
"Ren." She ran to him after he finished his bath and kissed him again.
"Ren." She crawled onto his bed where he read his book before sleeping and kissed him on the lips. He looked down and saw her nightgown seeping down from her chest.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He slammed his fist on the table where Anna and Yoh were drinking tea.
"God, you're loud." Anna put her tea on the table and sighed.
"She's assaulting me!" Ren's spikes on his head went sharp.
"Then why don't you play along?" Yoh suggested. "Why don't you try being her boyfriend for a little while? Find out a little more about her. Find out why she's doing this."
"Kh…" Ren looked away. He decided that Yoh's suggestion wasn't a bad one. If he could find the root, he could fix it.
