Haruka: Hi hi! Omg, I am now on my second fanfic. I don't own Gundam Seed, so please don't sue me. Lol. Oh well, enjoy!

Chapter One

It's War!

Her fingers moved gracefully across the keys of the piano. The dynamics, the musicality of the pieces selected tonight was carefully chosen by the genius herself. That's what they called Ayame Kashino, the musical genius. She has won the eyes of many over the world at the age of fourteen, bringing about the rebirth of classical music to the audience. Now, at the age of sixteen, fame was no longer news to her. The music faded to stillness, and it was over. The performance ended in thundering applause. She stood up from the piano bench slowly; turning, she bowed to the audience. In return, cheers, whistles and flowers rewarded Ayame's effort.

Her violet eyes scanned the concert hall, somewhat disappointed. Her hopes were again tarnished. Her brother still hasn't shown up; yet her disappointment was drained when her eyes landed on the man sitting two rows from the stage within the concert hall. Their eyes met, and she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the warmness of his emerald orbs. Instantly, her memories flashed back to his commanding presence, his gentle touch, and the softness of his lips against hers. She took one last bow before disappearing behind the closed curtains.

The backstage was a zoo when Ayame stepped off. Screaming teenage girls tried to get autographs while boys tried to get a piece of her. She frowned. Cameras flashed in her eyes, she was deafened by the screeches in her ears. Her body froze at the scene. She backed away from the noise. 'It's so loud. Shut them up…shut them up!'

"Come on Ayame, let's get you out of here."

Her eyes snapped open to his face. Athrun Zala had one arm around her shoulder. With the other, he tried to push past the crowd. His bodyguards did well in keeping the two safe, though the crowd went even wilder at the sight of the couple together again. Athrun stepped on the gas as soon as they were within the safety of his car. The trip was a silent one; none knew what to say to the other. Twice Ayame tried to start a conversation and twice sound failed to leave her throat.

With a jolt, the car pulled to a stop. Without a word, Athrun slipped out of his seat. Ayame followed, knowing where he took her. He was standing by the edge of a cliff, his navy blue hair drifted in the wind swiftly. She took a moment to observe his form. Athrun Zala hasn't changed a bit during the year and half that he had been absent from Japan.

He turned towards her with a soft smile. "Come here Ayame."

She did as she was told. Her eyes widened at the breathtaking view of Tokyo. Thousands of light brought life to the city. Ayame stared towards the enchanting glow, remembering the first time he took her there. She felt Athrun's arms around her body, and allowed him to embrace her close, comfortable only in his arms.

"I'm back." He whispered softly in her ear.

At that exact moment, Ayame broke down, having held back the tears for so long. "Thank god your back Athrun-kun. Thank god you are back."

"Did you hear?"

"Athrun-san is back!"

"It was all over the news last night."

"He was with Ayame-san at her concert."

"I thought they broke up!"

"Maybe they got back together?"

"No fair, Ayame-san hogs all the cute boys to herself."

"Shh! Here they come now!"

Higrashi, the school of the talented, in this case, the rich. It was once a place for those who stood out as the best, now it became a school of rich snobs. For some, money was the only reason they were able to get in, for others, pure talent was at stake. Now money determined your statues in the school, for the poor, popularity was out of the question. Four families, the Clyne, the Zala, The Attha and the Kashino, ruled Higrashi. The four basic groups that controlled the industries in Japan, thus, granting their children power within the school.

Ayame walked along side of Athrun. It's been a year since anyone has seen them together. After all, Athrun has been absent from the school for quit some time now. After the devastating news of the split between the two, Athrun took off for England, where he attended a private academy. From time to time, Ayame would speak with Athrun on the phone, but it still didn't fill the whole in her chest. Now that he was back, she was finally able to settle down.

"Shinn, look!" Lunamaria tagged at the edge of Shinn's shirt. "Athrun-senpai's back!"

Shinn didn't look up, his eyes was glued to the sketchbook in his hand. "Luna, would you stop moving? It's kind of hard to draw with you moving every thirty seconds."

"But Shinn, he's walking with Ayame-san!" Lunamaria went on.

"Yea, great." Shinn erased some parts of the outline.

"Isn't Ayame-san our age?"

Shinn set his sketch down, giving up. "She's been in all of my classes since I began here."

"Are you serious? Have you talked to her?" Lunamaria asked with excitement in her voice.

"Not really." Shinn began to pack up his things. "She doesn't talk much."

"Shinn!"

"What?" Shinn looked up, getting annoyed.

"You have to talk to her!"

"No." Shinn responded with a grunt. "I don't."

Turning, he began to walk towards his first class. Lunamaria trailed after him, her long red hair waving behind as she walked. (Her hair is long for now, in order to get the story to work.) To most, Lunamaria Hawke's hair was beautiful, in fact, her hair could go in comparison with Lacus Clyne's hair, the reason why so many was after her in the school. But she had eyes for only one man, Athrun Zala.

"Why?" She asked as they entered Shinn's first class.

"Because Ayame Kashino is nothing but a rich spoiled brat!" Shinn responded heatedly.

At that instant, the noisy classroom became silent. All eyes focused on Shinn, leaving him in the spotlight. As soon as the words left his lips, he wished he had never said it. Turning slowly, he saw, to his horror, Ayame sitting a couple of rows away from him, the seat beside the one he was assigned to only a couple of days ago. Athrun stood over her desk with a slight annoyed look on his face. Ayame, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned with what other people were saying about her behind her backs, in this case, in front of her face.

'I am dead.' Shinn had seen what the others had done to those who opposed the four families. They were either thrown out of the school, or beaten so badly that they transferred elsewhere. Now, having nearly the whole class hear him was of no benefit. Surely trouble would begin to look itself upon him soon, especially with Athrun Zala in the room. The bell run; saving Shinn's ass from being kicked, for now anyways.

Students returned to their individual seat. Athrun had no choice but to leave. For a moment, the upper classman stared at his schoolmate with a certain degree of coolness in his eyes. Though Shinn glared back with equal intensity, he was really shaking in his boots right now. Athrun passed by, seemingly without a word. 'Maybe he wouldn't do anything.'

"Don't expect to last three days."

Spoke too soon. The irreversible happened when Athrun said those words. Shinn's heart sunk, this time, he had gotten himself into a pile of deep shit. He might as well dig a hole and burry himself now that the rest of his classmates heard what the great Athrun Zala said. He stood at the same spot for some time after Athrun left, feeling the piercing glares of his classmates feasting off his flesh. They were enjoying every last minute of this, he just know it.

"Shinn Asuka!"

He nearly jumped three feet high at the sound of his teacher's voice. She stood behind him, taping her foot impatiently. He quickly bowed to his sensei before taking a seat beside her. How could he have been so stupid? 'Well, look on the bright side, there's only a year until graduation.' He thought miserably, during which time his life would be tormented. Looking towards the girl beside him, Shinn thought that Ayame Kashino looked pretty innocent for someone who've pranked and made so many lives a living hell. 'Looks can be deceiving.'

At long last, the bell rung, signaling the end of a devastating period, during which Shinn felt like he suffocated through the silence. Everyone rushed out of the room to head to their next class. Some of which who knew Shinn from previous years now hid their faces from him, wanting not to become involved. After all, the target now is Shinn Asuka, and only him. They wouldn't want to put their necks on the line to get Athrun Zala angry.

Ayame slowly packed her things beside Shinn, having music next, she didn't care if she was late or not. Totally unaware of the stare Shinn was giving her. 'Maybe I should apologize.' He thought, wanting not to make the situation worse. But then again, what would she care if he apologized or not, he was going to be forced to back out of this school soon anyways. 'No, I promised mother I wouldn't.' Ayame turned, beginning to leave.

"Ayame-san!" She stopped, but did not turn to look at him. "I know what you're going to do to me, but mark my words, I will not back down. I'm here to stay until I graduate, so there's nothing you or anyone else can do to kick me out!"

His words slowly sunk into her mind. It was the first time anyone has challenged Athrun's punishment. Ayame swung her backpack over her shoulder without a word and left. Shinn stood, listening as her footsteps disappeared down the hall. Now he wondered why she didn't shout at him or even get violent at his rude remarks, but rather ignored his arrogance. At that précised moment, he realized Ayame might not be who he thought she was.

"He said that?"

"I can't believe he said that!"

"Right in front of Ayame-san too!"

"He's going to get it."

"Yes he is."

The gossip was going around the school faster than ever. By the end of the day, Shinn had gone from unknown to the most infamous guy in the school. It seemed as though everywhere he went, people glared at him. Throughout the day, he had avoided socializing with any of his friends, wanting not to drag them down with his rotting reputation. When the clock stroke three that afternoon, the chaos began. Shinn had walked into the art studio only to find all of his art shredded to pieces. Some of the papers that weren't destroyed were written over with permanent markers. Almost all of Shinn's art supplies were damaged, most of which burnt.

"Perfect." He grunted. "All that hard work!"

He couldn't help but get angry over the damage Athrun's followers did to his work. Growling, he picked up what was left of his things, knowing he would be able to do nothing more today. Sighing, he turned, leaving, unaware that he was being spied on. The destroyed art works, however, didn't signal the end. When he reached the place behind the school where he usually locked his bike, he found, to his devastation, that the bike he used as a source of transportation had been completely destroyed.

"This can't get any worse." He muttered under his breath.

"Shinn Asuka?"

'Now what?' He rolled his eyes. "Who's asking?"

"That's not important. I heard you caused quite a scene today Asuka-san."

"I really didn't mean to stir up anything." Shinn turned to find two of Athrun's henchmen, Haku and Gideon standing a couple of feet behind him. 'A day back and Zala has already been restored to his throne?'

"But I gotta say, a low life like you even dared to talk about Ayame-san that way was pretty admirable." Haku went on, ignoring Shinn's words. "Say, he's pretty cute, isn't he?"

"Yea, my girl said so a couple of days ago." Gideon smirked. The two approached Shinn quickly. "Such a cute boy should be put on public display."

When Shinn realized what was happening, it was already too late. Gideon had slipped both arms under Shinn's armpits while Haku tied him up. Shinn tried to get out of Gideon's grip, but it was too strong. Gideon was, after all, the school's wrestling champ. And before Shinn knew what was happening, he was tied to the old time tree in front of the schoolyard, literally stripped to the bottom by Haku.

"Hey! What the hell? What's the deal here?" Shinn's screaming can be heard from a mile away.

"You are a smart boy Shinn, figure it out."

And it hit him. There was only five minutes of school left. When the bell signals the end of the school day, everybody would rush through the main gate to get home. And anybody that wanted to see him naked would be able to get a glimpse of how big Shinn's thingy is. To top it off, there's nothing Shinn can do to stop it. Haku and Gideon smirked as they walked off. Shinn bowed his head low, hoping that somehow, he would be able to hide his face from everyone. Growling, he silently plotted his revenge against Athrun Zala.

Shinn's breathing increased with each passing moment. Any minute now, the students were going to walk out and see him sitting there, naked. Shaking his head furiously, he tried to get ride of the blush on his cheeks. Soon it happened, the bell rung, and thousands of students rushed out of the school. It was noisy at first, but then, everything became silent as people gathered around him. Soon whispers broke out among the group that formed a circle around Shinn. Some girls blushed, others laughed. 'I'll never hear the end of this.' Shinn thought miserably.

"Did you hear?"

"Shinn Asuka's stripped naked in the schoolyard."

"Oh my god. Did you see the size of his thing?"

"Let's go see!"

"Yes, let's go see!"

Ayame sat silently in front of her piano as the gossip around the school closed in on her. She wasn't one to butt into other people's business, but somehow, it concerned her when it came to Shinn's business. Shaking her head, she continued on with her practice, knowing it was probably Athrun's doing. Knowing Athrun, it was probably the lighter punishments the boy had inflected. She knew what Athrun was capable of once he was mad, and Shinn hadn't gotten to the point where Athrun was ready to do some real damage yet. So why was she so worried.

Sighing, she picked herself up from the piano bench, knowing somehow that her practice wasn't going to go right if she didn't see him freed from whatever he's tied to. Quickly, she followed the crowd to the schoolyard, having immediately located Shinn's whereabouts judging by the huge circle that her fellow classmates had formed. 'Where are the teachers when you need them?' She rolled her eyes, knowing that even the teachers wouldn't be able to stop it if they wanted. One word from Patrick Zala, Athrun's father, would mean their jobs were at stake.

Come to think of it, it really was inhumane to have Shinn put up with all of this. His former friends threw rude remarks at him, and none came to his aid. Ayame squeezed past the crowd just in time to see a boy fire a range of insulting words to Shinn. Having had the same class with Shinn throughout school, Ayame had come to realize that he wasn't someone to take insults lightly. But now, he was silent with shame. Seeing the scene in front of her made her want to do something about it, but setting him free would mean apposing Athrun.

"Get out of my way you bastards!"

Turning, Ayame found a girl she recognized to be Lunamaria Hawke marching through the crowds with a towel and a knife in hand. For that, Ayame was somewhat thankful to a degree. At least someone came to Shinn's aid. Quickly, Lunamaria wrapped the towel around Shinn's body and cut him loose of the ropes that banded him to the tree. Some students in the crowd made wolf howls while others whistled.

"Looks like his bitch is coming to the rescue!"

Ayame frowned at the boy beside her, immediately shutting him up. Slowly, Lunamaria lifted Shinn's body, glaring as she shoved past the crowd. Luckily, nobody tried to stop her. Ayame watched as the two disappeared within the school, knowing that Shinn would at least be able to change into his gym strips before returning home. Across from her, she saw Athrun watching with a smirk on his face. Things were bound to get out of hands sooner or later.

"Do you see what happens when people oppose Athrun-san?"

"Yea, wouldn't want to be in Asuka's shoes."

"Wouldn't want to be near him either."

"Let's see what happens next."

Kira signed as he watched the parting crowd, knowing another victim had been hurt through Athrun's games. Even though Athrun Zala was his best friend, sometimes, he did not approve of Athrun's actions. But then again, he knew it wasn't Athrun's idea. Shaking his head, he saw, to his surprise, that Ayame was amongst the crowd. He blinked, wondering what she was doing all the way out here. After all, Ayame wasn't usually one to care of such matter.

"Konnichiwa Ayame-chan." He greeted warmly.

Ayame peeled her gaze from Athrun to find Kira standing only a few feet away from her. "Kira-kun." She bowed politely to him.

"I didn't know you were one to enjoy Athrun's pranks."

"I'm not." She slapped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words left her lips, wishing she had never said anything on the matter.

"What are you here for then?" Kira prayed, even though he had already seen the answer in her eyes.

"I was…" She quickly thought of a cover. "Looking for Lacus-chan!"

For a moment there was silence. Kira didn't want to fire the confrontation at Ayame, but he knew it had to be done. "It's okay to open your feelings to others Ayame-chan. I'm sure all Athrun want…" He paused. "Is for you to be happy."

With those words said, he left, leaving Ayame to figure out her own feelings. He had watched Ayame and Athrun's relationship grow from the beginning, they were happy once. They were there for each other during good and bad times, but somehow, their bond with each other grew farther and farther apart. The problem lies within Ayame's heart, after all this time; she was still unwilling to open up to anyone, even Athrun. He first saw the conflict within their relationship a year and half ago, that one dreadful day that ended their relationship. The next morning, Athrun had up and left without as much as a good-bye. In the end, he guessed that Athrun too, grew tired of constantly trying to surpass that shell that seemed to have held Ayame in prison.

"When will that barrier break Ayame-chan?"

"It's okay if you want to skip tomorrow Shinn." Lunamaria said as the two walked home. "It's a Friday tomorrow. I can find out your homework for you if you want."

Their faces were greeted by much laughter when they left the school. Lunamaria knew it was going to be hard for Shinn tomorrow, knowing what Higrashi was capable of. Nonetheless, she still couldn't help but blame Athrun's henchmen for the matter instead of blaming the prince himself.

Shinn shook his head. "No. I've got lots of things to do tomorrow."

Lunamaria stopped dead in her tracks. "After what they did to you? Shinn Asuka! Tell me you're not thinking of going back there!"

"I have to. It's what my mother would have wanted." Shinn smiled a little. "Besides, it can't be that bad."

"Are you listening to yourself? There's no telling what Haku and Gideon are planning tomorrow. And that Kashino girl! You know, this really is all her fault!" Lunamaria growled. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for her."

Shinn frowned. "This really has nothing to do with Ayame-san."

"What are you talking about? She dragged you into this!"

He shook his head. "No Luna, I dragged myself into this."

Lunamaria's eyes widened. "Are you standing up for that girl?"

"Luna…"

"I can't believe you Shinn! After what she did to you, you are still standing up for her?"

"It's not like that! I'm not standing up for anyone!" Shinn argued back.

"Sure as hell didn't seem like it!" Lunamaria growled. "What the hell is up with this Kashino girl? Does all the boys she come in contact with just automatically droll over her like she's some kind of a naked slut or something?"

"Luna, stop it." Shinn warned.

She didn't seem to be listening. "And just because she dated Athrun Zala and has money down her pants, it makes her the ruler of Higrashi? I'm so sick and tired of hearing her name! She probably bought herself all that fame, seeing as though she's the only daughter of the Kashino family!"

"Shut up!" The words were out of Shinn's mouth before he could stop it. He didn't know what drove him into saying the things he said to his friend, but it somehow made him uncomfortable every time someone mentions Ayame's name.

"What…?"

"I-I-I didn't mean it." Shinn tried to apologize.

"You're…" Lunamaria looked towards Shinn in complete shock. Never had she thought that her friend would defend someone he barely knew. "You know what Shinn? Whatever."

With that, she walked off, leaving Shinn standing in the middle of the street looking like an idiot. That night, Shinn tired to call Lunamaria, but she would hang up every time she hears his voice, until finally, he gave up. Sitting on his bed now, he thought he better give her some time to think things over before he rushes to apologize to her. Shaking his head, he sunk into his pillow, slowly drifting into a deep sleep.

The next day at school didn't exactly go as planned. Some of his friends still avoided eye contact with him, which Shinn could care less now, but on top of that, whispers about him had spread out the school. Those who haven't seen his public display of nudity yesterday were quickly informed of the incident that had occurred. And Lunamaria had put him on the silent treatment. Beside the social isolation and the death glares, Shinn had found the rest quit bearable.

He had made through the whole morning without much problem, now all he has to do is make sure he survives the rest of the day. Thus far, no one has made it through the third day of Athrun's prank, now he wondered if Zala's henchmen would give up if he were to last more than three days in the school. Looking around with his boxed lunch, he found, much to his displeasure, that Meyrin, Lunamaria's younger sister, was staring at him with an intense glare.

Things seemed to be going back to normal though, now that Athrun has returned. Not far from him, he saw Ayame sitting with her usual group of friends. It was there did he see her actually socializing with another. She had been quiet, and mostly kept to herself during the time that Athrun had been absent. Now that he was back, she seemed somewhat happier.

Just when he thought the war was settling down, he heard a scream. Turning quickly towards the direction where Lunamaria and Meyrin sat, he found that they had somehow gotten into a fight with some upperclassman. Growling, he marched towards his friends, knowing immediately that they must have gotten into trouble because of him.

There, he saw, to his horror, an older girl who he recognized immediately as Natasha standing over Lunamaria with a pair of scissors. Blow her; Lunamaria clenched her once long and beautiful hair, shaking in tears. Laughing manically, Natasha raised the sharp object again; she grabbed a handful of Lunamaria's hair and begun to cut. Meyrin tried to stop this madness, but Natasha's friends were holding down the poor girl.

"This'll teach you a lesson to chose your boyfriend carefully next time." She laughed as she snipped off another handful of Luna's hair.

"You bitch!" Shinn had, once again, done the unthinkable when he tackled the girl down. The scissors fell out of Natasha's hand as she fell to the ground.

Immediately, Gideon pulled Shinn off of Natasha. Growling, Shinn delivered a hard punch into Gideon's jaws, sending the elder boy flying backwards into a tree. Through all the madness and fighting, a crowd managed to gather itself around the group that now fought. The schoolyard was soon echoed with 'fight fight fight.' Those who weren't involved became involved as students ganged up to bring Shinn down. Haku and another boy held Shinn firmly to the ground just as Natasha picked up her scissors again.

"Don't want to see your little girlfriend in pain huh?" She said as she carried on with the cutting, shredding Lunamaria's head of her beautiful hair. "Now she's really going to get it!"

"Stop this at once!"

The crowd parted to revel a rather fragile looking girl. She was the songstress of the school, the admirable Lacus Clyne. Her blue eyes reflected anger as she stared towards Natasha in shame. She approached the girl, her pink hair swayed as she walked. Behind her, Kira Attha and Athrun Zala followed, wanting to know what all the commotion was about.

"How shameful. You are supposed to be setting an example for the juniors, Natasha. Instead, you pull something like this." Lacus frowned. "You let go of that young lady's hair right now!"

"But Lacus-san, Athrun-san-" Natasha tried to bite her way out of this one.

"Oh no you don't." Athrun raised his hands in defense. "Don't you dump this one on me. I didn't say anything about punishing the girl. You did this on your own free will." He said calmly, yet his tone alone was enough to intimidate her.

Without another word, Natasha let go of Lunamaria's hair. "Now leave this place, and stay far, far away from this girl." Lacus warned.

At that, Natasha left, mumbling foal words under her breath. Kira immediately ordered Haku to take his weight off of Shinn while Athrun stood, untouched by the event. The anger that filled Shinn's head, however, was unresolved. He shoved past Kira and headed straight for Athrun Zala, within seconds, Shinn was engaged in another fight with the upperclassman. The young boy gripped his elder by the collar, bringing Athrun closer to his face.

"If you want to get even with me then you go for me! Stay the hell away from my friends!" His actions had completely awed the students; no one in the history of Higrashi had dared to treat the great Athrun Zala this way before.

Athrun, however, did not show any signs of panic, nor did he feel threatened by the position he was in. Judging by the way Shinn held him, he guessed that the young boy didn't catch a word of the conversation that ended only seconds ago. Slowly, Athrun pushed Shinn's hand off of his collar, taking a step back; he straightened out the wrinkles on his clothes first before turning back to Shinn.

"I assure you Shinn Asuka." There, he addressed him formally to show his sincerity. "That the only person I want outis you. Whatever happens to your friends is not my doing." He smirked, "The good news is, your will and courage to stay in this school has earned by respect." Without as much as another glance at the lower classman, he past him, "The bad news is, I will double the amount of pain to take you out." He said as he walked away.

Shinn stood, shaken. Only a moment ago, he had Athrun Zala in his grip, ready to rip him apart. Now he was simply standing there, not knowing what to do, or what he was doing to begin with. Not only did he offend Athrun, but this time, openly in front of the school. Looking around now, he saw some students throw him dirty looks while others simply stared at him with their mouths wide open. The public display had come to an end, and Shinn knew for a fact that by the end of that day, everybody at school was going to hear about his little outburst. He nearly smacked himself on the head for being so brainless. What was he thinking at the time he ceased Athrun in his grip? Had he actually thought he was going to get away with it?

"Kira, do something." Lacus urged, eyeing the lower classman with sympathy.

"Athrun's business…will always be Athrun's business." Kira looked towards the direction where Athrun disappeared off to, knowing exactly where he was headed. "Unless she can persuade him to change his mind, Shinn Asuka will only face further torture in the future."

Ayame sat back down on her piano bench, having saw the whole incident on the second floor, she had no intension whatsoever to stick her nose into other people's business. While the school gossiped over what's to happen to Shinn Asuka, she practiced her music, drowning their voices from her mind.

Truth be told, she couldn't stand loud noises. Every time she's in a crowded area where noises boomed, she felt like running away. For the past year and half, she had been under the watchful eyes of her psychologist, the exact reason why Athrun had to leave her. Their relationship hadn't gone well at all. To the media, they might be thy hottest couple of their time, but underneath all the false love, both were struggling to bond with one and another.

True, Athrun cared about her a lot, but as time went on, she started shutting herself more and more in her room. Gradually, they saw each other less and less, and their time together turned from enjoyable to just plain boring. She was struggling to coop with the stress, Athrun could tell, but it drove him nuts that she wouldn't allow him to share some of that pressure. One day, it happened, her mind had simply snapped.

Athrun stared at her from the doorway, remembering that horrible time long ago. For a couple of days Ayame had locked herself in her room, refusing to open the door to anyone. And when he came to see her, it was as if she did not recognize him. It pained him to see her that way. So that night, he sat there, holding her, comforting her, telling her everything was going to be alright. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't rid of the terrified look in her eyes, or the voided stare she gave him when he spoke. And it was there did he realize, that the relation they held was empty. He wasn't the one able to break her free of her fears or loneliness. He wasn't one to bring a smile to her face. So the next day, he packed up and left, knowing she needed time to recover from it all, and him, time to forget about her.

"Athrun-kun?"

Her sudden voice almost made him jump. He smiled a little, entering. "Hmm?"

She glanced out the window one last time, towards the boy with jet-black hair, and thought about the pros and cons of the words about to be spoken. Then weighing her options, she thought it would be better if she waited a little for Athrun to calm down. Because she knew, even though Athrun didn't show it, he was offended by Shinn's actions.

"Never mind."

The two teenagers returned home that afternoon with wounds all over their body. Lunamaria's skull had turned red from Natasha's heavy hand. Shinn's body held sever bruises from the fight he had engaged in, lucky, his face was undamaged, though he did feel like his jaw was about to fall off.

Locking the door behind him, Shinn decided that it was time for him to cut off all social relations with his friends, knowing they would only be hurt. Despite the pain and bruising, he knew he still had to get to work, for it would be impossible to get through the rest of the week if he were to cut back. Shaking his head, he picked himself up from the floor and headed into the bathroom to clean the dry blood off.

Life had been hard since the accident that took his family away, now all that's left of the Asuka family was Shinn himself. Having had lived a good portion of his life by himself, he was used to the idea of balancing school life and work. Looking back, Shinn supposed that his attitude towards the people from his school included some despise, perhaps the reason why he spoke out against Ayame Kashino yesterday. 'I only get five hundred dollars allowance a month!' He rolled his eyes at the conversation he had overheard from some of the girls from his class.

"People like them…would never understand."

"So you're going to come home late tonight then?"

"Yes. Sorry Athrun."

"No, it's okay. We can catch up some other time then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Ayame hung up with some guilt. She had lied to Athrun once again. It was so unlike her to tell him she was going to the library to study, and then run off to be alone somewhere. But lately, she found herself making up more and more excuses. Sighing, she turned down the alley of a crowded street downtown. 'No.' She thought. 'Too loud.' Her eyes traveled from one window to the other, trying to find a quieter place. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a nearby cafe. Looking through the glass, she found only a few men sitting by the window.

"Might as well."

Upon entering the small café, she found, that most people where chattering quietly to themselves, somewhat in pairs or groups of three. Some glanced up at her as she entered, while others chose to take no notice. Looking around, she spotted a small table for two and sat herself down. Sighing, she pulled out a laptop from her briefcase and began typing away at her homework.

"Hey there, what can I get you today?"

Ayame peeled her eyes away from the computer screen, only to find a pair of deep blue orbs staring back at her. She blinked at the blond boy for a moment, as though deep in thought. Where have she seen this boy before?

"Coffee please."

"Anything else?" The boy asked politely.

"No, that would be all thank you."

That's it, she remembered him! His name was Rey za Barer, one of her classmates. Blinking, she wondered what Rey was doing working in a place like this. According to the school, most of the people attending Higrashi was either swimming in money, or got in by scholarship, and by the looks of it, Rey was of the latter. Blinking, she wondered what Rey's talent was, for Higrashi wouldn't consider taking him in if he hadn't proved himself worthy of the school policy. Shaking her head clear of the thought, she focused back on her schoolwork.

Ten minutes passed and nobody came. Once again, Ayame glanced up; beginning to wonder what had happened to the order she placed. Out of curiosity, she glanced behind the counter, to find the unexpected face of Meyrin Hawke gawking at her. She blinked, now realizing that the coffee was probably going to be put on hold for another five minutes or so, seeing as though the sister of Lunamaria Hawke was probably not going to be on friendly terms with her after what happened at school only a couple of hours ago.

"Ayame-san, did you order the coffee?"

She almost jumped at the voice. Turning to her left, she spotted, yet another surprise waiting for her. Shinn Asuka stood in what appeared to be the café's uniform; he wore black pants matched by a collared black shirt, completing the outfit with a little black notepad in hand. The boy glanced at her with a curious look in his eyes, wondering what the all-mighty Ayame Kashino is doing in a place like this.

"Eh…yea."

"Just a minute."

Shinn returned about a minute later, holding a dark blue mug in one hand with a coffee pot in the other. He gave a fake smile and poured some dark liquid into the mug before placing the black coffee down beside her. He tilted his head a little, glancing over her shoulder at what she was typing away on her laptop, and found, that she was patching up the history homework that the teacher had assigned that night. Thinking back, he figured he better get started on the research paper he was suppose to finish for tomorrow as well.

"What?"

Glancing down, he found a pair of intense violet eyes staring at him with a questioning flare. Quickly, he looked for an excuse. "The coffee here is pretty strong. You won't be able to fall asleep if you gulp that thing down." He almost slapped himself. 'How lame was that?'

She blinked. "Oh…eh…thanks for the advice."

"Would that be all?"

"Yes. Thank you." She replied without looking up.

He smiled a little before rejoining his friends behind the counter. Ayame stole another glance towards his direction to find Meyrin jabbing Shinn in the rubs while exchanging furious whispers with him. 'Of course she's going to nag at him. Her sister's hair…' She stopped at the thought. Suddenly, she didn't want to be there anymore.

She took another sip of coffee and frowned. The liquid was indeed strong. She set the mug back down, deciding she would finish it later; or if it got cold, maybe she could get another one. Her eyes darted back to her computer screen as she saved her documents.

For a café, it was awfully quiet. Glancing up, she found Shinn waiting only a few tables across from hers. For a moment their eyes met, a blush immediately crept onto her cheeks. She looked back down, embarrassed.

In another minute, Shinn was at her table again, dropping off half a cup of milk. She glanced at the small jug, somewhat confused. "What's this for?"

"Your coffee."

"Oh." She stared at the milk blankly. No one had brought her sided milk before. "Thank you."

He smiled a little. "So how was your day?" He attempted at conversation again.

"It's ok." She said plainly, lifting the milk jug that Shinn brought her.

"Hey wait." Shinn rested a hand over hers to stop her from pouring the milk into the coffee.

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Someone told me that if you make a wish before pouring your milk into your coffee, your wish may be granted if the coffee spins clockwise." He smiled a little. "Want to test it out?" He said as he removed his hand from hers.

Ayame stayed in the same position for several moments, milk jug raised over her cup of coffee. Then, shaking her head, she placed the small container back down. "I don't believe in that stuff."

"Oh." He replied stiffly, scratching the back of his head.

She gave a laugh at his reaction. Looking past his shoulder, she saw that some costumers were mentioning for him to bring them more coffee. Judging by the number of raised empty cups, Ayame guessed Shinn wouldn't be back at her table for a very long time.

"I think you better get back to work." She suggested.

Turning back, Shinn was stun by the number of people he had missed on his way over. "Hold your horses, I'm coming." He said with a hint of annoyance. Turning, he hurried towards the nearest table with his coffee pot.

With her left hand, she shut her laptop off. Pulling out her wallet with her right, she saw that she had ran out of change. Sighing, she pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and left it on the table. Ayame decided it was time to call it a night. Standing up, she turned to take one last glance around the small café. Her gaze landed on the ruby-eyed boy and a small smile crept up to her lips as she exited. Maybe she'll come back again, for the coffee of course. That day, she left that small café, feeling somewhat happier.

After much confusion, Shinn had finally brought the right drinks to their table. Smiling somewhat proudly to himself, he turned back to see if Ayame was doing all right, only to find her seat empty. 'Probably left a while ago.' He wondered over to her table. 'What the heck?' His eyes widened as he saw the fifty-dollar bill. 'This is way too much!'

Quickly, he raced out the door with the money gripped tightly in his hand. Among the busy streets of Tokyo, Ayame Kashino's form was nowhere to be found. He glanced up and down the street, trying to catch a glimpse of her, but she was already gone.

"Guess I'll have to give this back to her at school." Glancing back down at the paper bill in his hand, he felt that he had indeed misjudged her.

Haruka: Well, that's the end of the first chapter. Now I gotta run. I have a Social Studies final today!