DATE: SUNDAY MAY 11, 2014

TIME: 700

LOCATION: WINSTON AVENUE

TARGET: HAKINI KANUA

Hakini Kanua was an arrogant young woman. She was the sole daughter of a very wealthy entrepreneur and another spoiled heiress.

She wasn't an airhead but she wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed either. At the very most, she was average. However, that wasn't good enough for her. She always had to be better than average. Not academically, of course, since she was already beautiful and had no need for brains. Brain power was for ugly people, she reasoned.

She wasn't a threat. She had power and money, but she couldn't care less about what others thought of her. She mostly left people alone and they returned the favor.

However, Kanua had a flaw.

She could hold grudges for the smallest, most trivial matters for the absolute longest time and would get immense pleasure from just simply imagining the wrongdoer's demise. At times, she herself would even be responsible for their downfall. She didn't care who got hurt in the process, as long as she struck her target.

On Sunday evening, she was found dead by the maid with a single bullet to the heart.

DATE: SUNDAY MAY 12, 2014

TIME: 900

LOCATION: SEIYO HIGH SCHOOL

"Please welcome our newest student, Tsukiyomi Ikuto," said Nikaidou. "He will be joining us from now on."

Hinamori Amu idly glanced over to the front of the room, where her teacher was introducing the class's newest addition to everybody. She saw the boys glower and the girl drool. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the window.

Just from the way the boy carried himself, Amu could tell that he was cocky and annoying like any other rich boy. She had seen people like him all the time, thanks to her family's business.

Being the daughter of the people who ran the powerful corporation, Embryo, had its advantages, sure, but it wasn't all about smiling pretty and being nice to people you secretly hated. It was a very dangerous game and that kind of life required a façade, a poker face that nobody could crack.

Luckily, Amu had had one since she was a kid. It was born out of her poor people skills, but soon developed into something more like a wall made of steel with the purpose of finding someone who could break it. So far, nobody had. Not even her parents had ever seen her without her mask. So she had very little friends if any. They were usually too intimidated by her cool personality matched with her beauty.

But there was an advantage gained. Being able to read people's emotions and expressions became so much easier when she could identify their façade and call out their bullshit. It was like a fun game sometimes.

That being said, the quick glance Amu had thrown in the new kid's direction told her everything she needed to know. He wasn't any more important than the kid in front of her. He was definitely handsomer than an average guy, she would give him that, but there was nothing else worth noting. He had on a small smirk and that was it.

Suddenly, she was aware of several pairs of eyes on her. Slowly turning around, the seventeen-year-old bombshell noticed the new student sitting in the previously empty seat next to her and the girls were giving her envious looks while the boys all stared at him for the same reason.

"Sensei," whined one girl. "Why does Tsukiyomi-san have to sit next to Hinamori?"

"Yeah, why does he get to sit next to Hinamori-san?" A boy chimed in, just as upset.

"It's not fair!"

"Somebody else can sit there!"

Nikaidou sweat-dropped, holding up his hands. "It was the only empty seat available and Himamori-san is the only one without a partner for projects anyway."

"It's Hinamori-san," corrected the pinkette with the tone of somebody who had repeated something for a very long time with little change. "And I never complained about working alone."

"Well, now you don't have to," remarked the new student-Tsukiyomi Ikuto, she remembered was his name-as he smirked slightly at her. It made Amu want to hurl.

She rolled her topaz eyes and flicked a strand of loose hair away as she gave him an unimpressed look. "I will address the matter when it becomes an issue since we're not working on a project now, right, Nikaidou-sensei?" Amu gave her teacher a pointed look.

"R-Right," stammered the ginger-haired man, nervously pushing up his glasses as he quickly turned around towards the board. "S-So today's lesson is…"

Meanwhile, Amu tuned out her classmates' gossip about how cool and amazing she was as she took out her pen and notebook. Mentally, she congratulated herself for not killing anyone; her classmates were far too annoying.

"It's just not fair! Why does the new student have to sit with Hinamori Amu? She's absolutely trash compared to somebody like me! I mean, more so than usual…"

Annoying was an understatement when it came to Yamabuki Saaya. The pencil in Amu's grip nearly snapped in two as she reeled in her emotions. Instead of making a biting remark at the auburn-haired girl, she focused intently on the worksheet in front of her.

"Number six is wrong."

Amu nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned her head slightly and somehow wasn't surprised to find Tsukiyomi Ikuto leaning over desk and staring at her paper.

"Sorry?" She said.

"Number six," repeated the new student. "It's wrong."

"How so?" Amu asked, a bit coolly.

"The actual English translation is 'Mary's book was overdue', not 'Mary's baby was overdue'," replied Ikuto, pointing at the problem. "Your grammar is incorrect in number seven as well."

"Well, thank you," said Amu, using her elbow to push off the unwanted tutor from her desk. "I appreciate your…help, no matter how unnecessary it was, but please mind your own business."

She looked back at her paper, subtly erasing her mistakes as she ignored the envious stares from her female classmates. It wasn't as if she asked for his help!

From that very moment, Amu had a feeling things were going to be different.

Music class was the only class Amu and Ikuto didn't share.

It irritated him because it meant his target wasn't in his sight 24/7, but it relieved her because having him in all of her classes made her jumpy. There was something about him that unnerved her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The reason why they didn't share music class was simply because of the different sections, so to speak. Amu was in chorus while Ikuto was in orchestra, evidently gifted on the violin like she was gifted in singing.

In fact, the only other person who could sing on the same level on her was a timid girl named Utau. Amu didn't know much about the pretty blonde, other than the fact that she didn't speak much with others and lived in a foster house. And because she had been dropped off at the house as a toddler, she had no last name and refused to take one on for whatever reason.

To be honest, Amu never paid much attention to her classmates. She had a closed circle of friends and she didn't even talk with them often since they had such different schedules. However, something about Utau caught her eye that day.

The pinkette walked over to the timid girl and held out a hand, offering a small smile as she did. "Hi, Utau-chan; do you mind if I warm up with you?"

The girl's amethyst eyes widened slightly. "S-Sure thing, Hinamori-san."

"You can call me Amu," replied Amu. "It's only fair since I'm calling you by your first name, you know." Her smile grew just a bit. "And besides, I would like to become your friend."

Utau opened her mouth, stunned, and a light blush appeared on her snow white cheeks as she stammered, "I-I…" Suddenly, her eyes hardened like diamonds and she gave the startled Amu a cold look. "Who made you come over here?"

"N-No one," replied Amu, taken aback by the girl's sudden change.

"Then I never thought you would be so cruel," spat Utau. "Did you think I would be that gullible? That I would really believe the great goddess, Hinamori Amu, would want to befriend somebody like me? Get real. Or, even better, get lost."

Amu was speechless for a second. And then she realized what she had failed to see before about Utau. The blonde wore a mask-a façade-just like many others. She was hurt by the lack of a familiar bond and was afraid of letting other people in as a result. People took advantage of her shyness and played cruel tricks on her, or broke off their friendship just as she got attached. The girl was as layered as Amu herself.

"I…I apologize, Utau," the pinkette said finally. "I did not realize that perhaps I came on too strongly and aroused suspicions. I do want to be your friend though, but I understand that you are skeptical. I did not mean to make you so upset. I will not bother you."

She smiled at Utau, whose turn it was to be taken aback, and returned to her original spot.

For the rest of the class, Amu seemed oblivious to the intense look she was getting from those dark amethyst eyes.

"A-Alright, class, I have an announcement to make," said Nikaidou, wringing his hands nervously. He was doing everything in his power to avoid looking in Amu's direction and her eyes narrowed. "Ah, the principal has decided to assign this new project to help students meet new people and such…"

Amu was staring at her teacher; she was well aware that those kind of projects required partners, something she had never had due to the uneven number of students in the class but now with Tsukiyomi…

Nikaidou continued, "…and so for one month, you will be staying over at your partner's house as a guest and then you will switch." He cleared his throat, still desperately avoiding Amu's gaze. She was quite the force to be reckoned with when she was angry, and she was obviously pissed now. "Now, with Tsukiyomi here, everybody has a partner so…"

Saaya slammed her palm down on the desk as she leapt from her seat with an outraged expression. "That's not fair! Everybody has a girl-girl or boy-boy partner; Tsukiyomi-kun and Hinamori Amu cannot possibly live in the same house! Isn't that, like, against school regulations for being inappropriate or something, huh, teach?"

Other students cried out in protest as well, though the loudest was the silent protest that came from the pinkette herself. She wasn't saying anything but the look in her eyes told Nikaidou that she would kill him if she could. Actions were better than words, right?

Ikuto, on the other hand, was both surprised and pleased. This certainly made things a lot easier for him. He glanced over at Amu, who was practically seething. She was obviously not pleased with this. Well, that was too bad for her.

"Nikaidou-sensei," he called, his low and husky voice ringing over his classmates' protests. Everybody quieted and turned to him, surprised. Nikaidou looked slightly intimidated as well. "I have no problem with it."

Amu nearly snapped her neck as she whirled around to glare at him while Nikaidou rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, then if Himamori-san has no problem with it either, then I don't have any reason to switch you," he said. "Not that I could, of course, since no matter what, a boy and girl will have to be paired together."

His students had begun to protest but then they realized something important. If Hinamori wasn't paired with Tsukiyomi and the students were paired with someone else, there was a chance one of the boys could get paired with Hinamori and then one of the other girls could get Tsukiyomi.

"Okay, that's fine!"

"Can I get paired with Tsukiyomi-kun?"

"No, me!"

"Tsk, I call being paired with Hinamori-san!"

"No way, dude; I totally call dibs!"

Amu grimaced. The boys were all giving her lecherous look, making her feel highly uncomfortable. She definitely didn't one of them staying in her house, especially with her father around. As much as she hated to admit it, Tsukiyomi really was the better option.

"No."

Her voice was quiet but as always, she was overheard by everyone. They all turned to her.

"Himamori-san?" Nikaidou looked at her, concerned for his own wellbeing.

Amu closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "No, it wouldn't be fair to have everybody switch partners just because of my dislike for Tsukiyomi. I'm fine with him. There's no other option, right?" She opened her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'm happy about this." She gave her teacher a pointed look, only to receive a nervous chuckle. "And it's Hinamori, for goodness sake."

"R-Right," stammered Nikaidou before he cleared his throat. "So it's settled then, okay, everybody? Tomorrow, after school, you will head home with your partner. You can discuss which one of you will be the host first."

He sunk into his seat, still slightly shaken by the pinkette's intense glare. Like he had said before, she was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry.

Amu shook her head, choosing to ignore the envious looks many girls threw her way as well as the lustful ones from the boys. She then became aware of somebody leaning over her desk.

"So, Amu, your place or mine?" Ikuto asked suggestively.

Despite her immediate dislike for him, she couldn't help but blush from the way he spoke her name.

"Don't stress on my name like that," hissed the pinkette. "It's weird. Also, I don't recall giving you permission to call me by my first name, Tsukiyomi."

"Fine, fine, whatever, Amu," replied Ikuto, purposely continuing to use her first name simply to provoke her. He smirked at her. "You never answered my question."

"I guess my place," said Amu, sighing. She wondered what her parents were going to say when she told them. Her mother would probably be more or less alright with it. Her father on the other hand…

The bell rang, shaking the pinkette from her thoughts. She looked at the clock in wonder; the day had seemed to drag on from the moment Tsukiyomi Ikuto had stepped into the classroom.

Ikuto pulled back from her desk, still smirking at her. She noticed his slightly smug look and eyed him warily.

"What?" Amu asked, not noticing how everybody was watching the conversation intently.

The blue-haired assassin's smirk grew. "I just can't wait to see your house, Amu. I hope your bed is big enough for the both of us." He paused. "But then again, maybe it's better if it isn't."

Amu's face turned a crimson red as she sputtered gibberish at him, unable to form a proper sentence. Meanwhile, her classmates pretty much exploded. Both the girls and the boys cried out their protests and complaints. Yamabuki Saaya was one of the loudest to express her opinion on the matter, not that that was surprising.

Ikuto continued to smirk, ignoring the mayhem around him and his target as he bid her goodbye with a simple, "later, Amu" and left the classroom as swiftly as an assassin could.

Amu rubbed her temples later that evening as she sat at the dinner table with the rest of her family.

Her younger sister, fourteen-year-old Ami, was finishing up her story about how she had saved the school play by volunteering to fill in the lead role when the original actress was unable to make it.

Their father, Tsumugu, was nodding his head and showering his youngest daughter with compliments. His wife, Midori, also praised Ami with obvious pride though she wasn't quite as enthusiastic as her overdramatic husband.

Finally, it was Ami who noticed her sister's troubled expression.

"Eh, Onee-chan, is something the matter?" She asked, her golden eyes wide with concern. Their parents looked over at the pinkette.

"Amu?" Midori put down her utensils. "Are you alright? Did something happen at school?"

Amu took a deep breath as she put down her fork. "Yes, actually, but it's nothing major, really. Um…" She wasn't sure how to approach this. "We…we got assigned a new project today. It's to have the students meet new people and find out about their classmates so…well, it's kind of like an exchange problem. We got assigned partners…and well, my partner is supposed to stay here for one month and then I'm going to stay at their place for a month."

"Oh, well, that should be fine," said Midori, blinking. "I have no problem with that. Do you, dear?" Her husband shook his head. "And you, Ami?" She received the same response. "See, we're all fine with it. When is she coming over?"

Amu looked relieved. "Oh, okay; I just thought you should know." And then her panic resurfaced. "Actually, he's coming over tomorrow."

"A BOY?!"

The three women at the table all flinched as Tsumugu leaped up with a horrified expression on his face.

"MY LITTLE SPARROW IS BRINGING HOME A BOY?!"

Amu flushed, waving her hands frantically. "No, no! I mean, yes, I am bringing home a boy but it's not as if I picked my partner, Papa! There was a lot of arguing at school because there's an uneven number of boys and girls. Everybody else had the same gender partner and it wouldn't be fair to someone else if I switched, right? Besides, it's not as if we're going to be in the same bed!"

"AMU-CHAN? IN A BED? WITH A BOY?"

Tsumugu looked on the verge of having a heart attack. Ami was giggling into her hand, ignoring the dirty look her sister sent her way. Midori, used to her husband's overdramatic ways, sighed and looked over at her eldest daughter.

"Amu," she began. "Though your father is more vocal about it, I can't say I exactly approve of having a boy stay over here with you. However, there really is nothing to do about it." She said this as she looked over at her husband pointedly. Tsumugu flushed and slowly sat back down. "And we trust you to make good decisions."

Midori smiled and Amu returned it gratefully.

"Thanks, Mama," she said, relaxing in her seat. "If it's any consolation, Papa, I have absolutely no intention doing anything with him."

Tsumugu grumbled under his breath as his family returned to their dinners.

"It's not Amu-chan that I'm worried about…"

I don't own Shugo Chara!

Ugh, I'm such a piece of trash. *insert a gif of Death the Kid calling himself worthless after one of his OCD attacks*

I really am sorry about not updating sooner. School just got in the way and then the finals happened and my brain just about exploded. Now that it's summer, I wish I could I'll update sooner, but I actually have a butt-load of summer assignments to do.

I know; school is killer.

Anyways, I hope you all liked the chapter; thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it.

Don't hesitate to tell me about what you think of the chapter/story, any predictions or suggestions, or any mistakes you spotted!