14AmyChan: I don't own anything~! *^_^*

Ichigo: So, why do I have a French assignment…?

14AmyChan: Because you usually need help with something like that, and I wanted you to ask Kashino for help. *^_^*

Kashino: Then why not with a cake or something? Most people usually forget that we have to take French… Are you stupid?

14AmyChan: I should be asking you that… *shows notebook and starts flipping through it*

Kashino: YOU MADE YOUR POINT! *Pushes Ichigo so she's facing readers and not notebook*

Ichigo: uh… ^_^' please enjoy the story~!

For the first time, Kashino realized something, but luckily, Ichigo voiced it for him: "THIS LIBRARY IS HUGE!"

Kashino looked around to see Ichigo try and climb a ladder to reach a high shelf. They had been here for the last four hours looking for a book for her report. The librarian had asked them to lock up after they were done. "It's got a lot of books in here, but I can't find a single one I can read in French!" she continued as she climbed up. Kashino kept a steady eye on her. He knew she could-

"AH!" Ichigo screamed as she lost her footing. Kashino immediately ran to catch her, but ended up becoming her landing pad. Again. And here we go again…Kashino thought as Ichigo realized what happened yet again. "Kashino!" she said as she got up, blushing as usual. Not that he didn't mind, she looked kind of cute that way… "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-ow!"

Kashino saw a small book fall on Ichigo's head and then make its way to the ground. It was a child's book, a fairy tale. It was so simple a baka-

"Amano" Kashino said, getting an idea. "What are you supposed to do that report about?" He looked over to hear her answer.

"We're supposed to write about the theme of the book we choose" she said. She knew that a theme is what feeling the story revolves around and how the characters act on it. "Why?" She saw him pick up what had just fallen on her head. Belle… Bête?

"Why don't you do this one?" he said, handing it over to her. "It's a common fairytale, Beauty and the Beast. Why don't you read it?"

Ichigo looked at the book and then at Kashino, almost afraid to ask, but knowing that she had to. "Is 'La Belle' the name of one of the characters?" She almost laughed when she saw Kashino's face, but was too scared to.

"You've never heard of 'Beauty and the Beast'?" Kashino knew he was yelling, but man, how dense can this girl be? "You need to read it" he stated pointing at the book. "It'll be pretty easy for a report."

"Um, Kashino?" Ichigo asked, jerking his immediate attention. "Can you read this with me to help me out when I stumble on it? I'm not all that good at French…" Ichigo wanted someone to read it with her because she was getting a little scared of the late hour. The sky outside was dark, and she knew it would be really cold outside. She was already trying to repress the shivers.

Kashino sighed in defeat and dragged Ichigo to the beanbag chairs to sit in. They were supposed to be good for warmth, and she was already shivering a little bit. Ichigo scooted her beanbag over closer to Kashino's so they could read together, but Kashino couldn't help but notice how close she was. Or how her lips moved when she tried to read the story. "Once, in the countryside, there lived-Kashino, how do you say that?"

"An old man" he said, more gently than he meant to. He knew that she was looking at him strangely, but he just pointed to the story as she continued to read.

The swirling snowstorm outside made neither of them shiver as they read. The story seemed to captivate them…

14AmyChan: I hope you liked it~! *^_^*

Kashino: Amano's never heard of Beauty and the Beast?

14AmyChan: Have you ever heard her mention it before?

Kashino: no…

14AmyChan: Okay, then. For the sake of the story, we'll assume she's never heard of Beauty and the Beast.

Ichigo: Is it a good story?

Kashino: *face palm of epic fail*

14AmyChan: You'll see… and if you think this is a good story, then please R&R. *^_^*