Disclaimer: I do not own Love so Life

I woke up on Matsunaga-san's futon to the twisting and rolling of Akane and Aoi in their sleep. Matsunaga-san had called the institution last night and informed them of my emotional state, and had requested that the head come to his house in the morning for an important discussion.

My head is spinning from the tiredness I feel; it's as if I haven't slept at all. I peel off the clothes Matsunaga-san lent me to sleep in and pull my own on brusquely. The last thing I need is for him to come into here and see me in such a state.

Cheeks burning, I walk down the hall to the kitchen and begin preparing breakfast for the twins and myself before I begin the daily chores around the house; as if I hadn't stayed the night. My foot twitches from the time the rice cooker is taking; I just want to stay busy and keep all thoughts of last night out of my head. In my tiredness, I don't hear the thuds behind me, and shriek at the arm around my waist. I suddenly realise the closeness and the emotional repercussions of last night; what he had declared.

"Morning Nakamura-san. What's for breakfast this morning?" he smirks as he leans back against the counter.

"Onigiri today. Aoi likes the triangle shape especially, and it's easy for the twins to hold" I manage to breath out. My heart's racing in my chest from the close proximity, and the feeling of being watched; his stare following my every movement. Suddenly he pushes off the bench and digs out three cups; my pink one among them, and starts making refreshments.

"Nakamura-san…I've invited the institute head over today in an attempt to ease things for you in the future. I'd just like to let you know that you're free to make your own decision about the outcome of this meeting" Seiji glanced at me thoughtfully.

What will this meeting even be about? The head rarely goes out to the homes of affiliated families of the institute, so what could she possibly come here for?

A knock echoes down the hallway.

"Ahh, here she is. Shiharu, please take a seat at the table with the refreshments. Breakfast can wait." Seiji calls as he goes to answer the door.

The importance of this meeting dawns over me as the scalding hot drinks transfer their warmth to my hands.

"Good morning Matsunaga-san, Nakamura-san. What can I do for you today?" the head mistress questions as she walks into the living room. Her piercing glare burns into my being as Seiji directs her to sit at the table next to me. This resulted with him on one end, the head mistress on the opposite end and me in between them.

"I have invited you here to make a request in favour of Nakamura-san should she be willing to accept it" Seiji stated; stoic and business like in his posture. At moments like this, I can truly see the difference between us; that experience and adult nature that divides my life and his.

"Hmph. We do not take such engagements lightly at the institution, and I can assure you; Matsunaga-san, that inappropriate gestures will not be tolerated" she replied.

I feel the tense atmosphere radiating from the two people and I feel that this is not a conversation I belong in. "I'm just going to go wake up the twins-"

"No, stay Nakamura-san" Seiji interjected; placing his hand on my own. "Head mistress; would you allow me to take custody of Shiharu for the remainder of her time at the institution?"

My breathing stopped. I think everyone's stopped actually. The mistress clearly hadn't been prepared for this as the shock was written all over her face.

"Matsunaga Seiji. Are you 100 percent certain of your request? You do realise the repercussions this would cause for both you and Nakamura-san." The worry and unease was clear in her expression. Of all of the things he could have asked, this was not something I had even thought possible.

"I am prepared to make every sacrifice for her wellbeing" he responded clearly. "She already lives so much of her life here; the only changes would be that she wouldn't have to travel to the institute every night, and she would have her own private quiet study place for her studies and exam preparation. I'm sure that you can see the logic in my request, head mistress. I'd just like you to thoughtfully consider it."

"I do see your reasoning, Matsunaga-san, but what I don't see, is why you have made this request. What do you have to gain from this? You know the laws as an adult yourself, so why risk that kind of misunderstanding?" The head responded. Her scrutinizing gaze cut through the air in order to find some sort of truth.

Looking at Seiji, I see his head bent down in apology, I feel my heart swell. It's wrong to direct all of this pressure at the man who has done so much for me, but I can't find the words to answer on his behalf. Thankfully, he seems to have prepared for this well.

"I know and accept the consequences, mistress. I have already declared my intentions and the conditions of my proposal to Nakamura-san. All I wish for her is to have the best opportunity in life, and to have the freedom of not worrying about her finances and living arrangements as her 18th birthday draws nearer. By having her live with me, the twins would feel more at ease, and it would relieve the emotional pressure of losing the twins for Nakamura-san. Living arrangements can be swiftly prepared in one of the rooms upstairs should you agree." Seiji responded. His speech seemed to flow so naturally; his television broadcasting efforts shone even through interactions like this.

Something seemed to ruffle the mistress in his speech and she made it clear to voice her protest. "I know and understand the nature of your circumstances, so please explain this. The twins will be leaving in a couple of months. Nakamura-san still has a year left of school. How will you fair living on your own in the house with her?"

The resolve in Matsunaga-san's eyes was clear. "I will be taking complete custody of the twins. If Nakamura-san may stay with me, the twins will be staying as well. This is a condition I have to meet in order to compromise with the twin's grandparents. Head mistress. I would appreciate it if you made an honest decision based on Nakamura-san's wellbeing; not on the fact that it would be an adult male living with her."

The head mistress placed her cup on the table suddenly, and looked to the two people in front of her. The professional nature of Matsunaga-san meant that he would refrain from anything public, and the naivety of Shiharu, well not so much naivety but innocence, meant that she would be respectful of the home's restrictions.

The older woman suddenly clasped her hands together, and prepared to proclaim her verdict.

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A/N: How cool! Thanks for all of the views; especially for the review from eLf!

I appreciate any and all feedback, so please, if something isn't great, let me know. Dialogues are a particular challenge for me, so please excuse the poor flow of the writing in this chapter; I promise I'll work on it!

Lastly, please review; I love getting email notifications that say that people are actually reading my work. It makes me want to write so much more :D

Anyway, until next time!