-
Kahoko was pissed. After Kira found her out working as a bunny girl in the otaku café, she was now his personal slave. He had made her arrange files, take calls, and clean up his office. While she was doing this, he was sleeping his ass off! And he sleep-talked commands for her…
Commands like…
"Make me coffee," or "Cancel my 2.30 appointment," and some vague, strange commands like "Don't be shy, Hino-pyon…"
"Don't be shy about what?" Kahoko thought in puzzlement as she watched her slave driver sleeping obliviously.
"This guy is so weird. I mean, who randomly walks into a bunny girl café? He must secretly be an otaku or something!" She finished sorting out Kira's papers and decided that she could go now.
"Mou…can this day get any worse?" Kahoko thought exhaustedly, as she climbed up the stairs to the rooftop. The moment, she closed the door; a pair of oh-so familiar arms pushed her against the closed door, a knee between her legs.
"Apparently, it can get worse!" Kahoko cried out in her mind.
"My, my, what do we have here?" Yunoki smiled arrogantly at his captured prey.
"Yunoki-senpai! I'm not in the mood to be your toy!" growled Kahoko.
Yunoki's face darkened and he brought his face closer to hers.
"Well too bad. I'm in the mood for some stress relief and since you're my favorite toy, you have to do everything I say," his hand slowly began to caress her thigh.
"Hey! Stop that!" She pushed him off her, catching him off-guard. Her heart was pounding like crazy and her face as red as her hair. "I'm seriously not in the mood!"
Yunoki crossed his arms and smirked at her, while speaking in his evil voice.
"Now, now, don't be like that. Leave it to me; I'll get you in the mood…" He trailed off seductively; his eyes clear with naughty intentions.
"Take your innuendo somewhere else!" Kahoko retorted, her face burning red. She stormed away, slamming the door and ignoring the laughter behind it.
"Damn it, I need a new hangout!" She ranted mentally. "It's bad enough I have to wear a skimpy bunny costume at work. But being Kira-san's slave and Yunoki-senpai's personal toy is enough to make me cry tears of blood."
Then she remembered her first period class for no reason and added,
"And if Kaji keeps passing me notes of godly adoration that gets me in trouble, I'm ready to keel over!"
She was walking along the halls, still fuming darkly when a cheerful voice broke in.
"Oi, Kaho-chan!"
"Ah, Hihara-senpai!"
"Ne, are you doing something this Sunday?"
"Oh, I'm doing nothi"—She stopped, remembering she had a part-time job. "Eh…actually, I'm busy this Sunday. Sorry, Hihara-senpai."
"Oh…I see," He smiled, trying to cover up his disappointment. "Well maybe next time when you're free."
"Umm…yeah sure." She smiled feebly, as she watched Hihara walk away.
"Eh??? What's going to keep you busy this Sunday? Miss Hino?" A sly voice spoke in her ear.
Akdjakfhikfhwihf!!!!!!
"Amou-chan! Don't scare me like that!"
"Hohoho! Aren't we paranoid today?" She grinned, brandishing her camera.
"Well you can't blame my reaction after you pop out of nowhere like that!" Kahoko defended.
Amou remained amused.
"A reporter has to be stealthy to stalk his prey," she chided, "So tell me what's occupying your time this Sunday? Is it a date with another man?"
"Wrong!" Kahoko replied hotly. "I just have some chores to do, that's all."
Amou raised a skeptical brow, "It takes all day to do chores?"
"It takes all day to do LOTS of chores!" Kahoko answered. "If you excuse me, I have to go now…" "That annoying rijichou expects me to wake him up soon for his stupid meeting."
As Kahoko exited, mumbling profanities at an annoying rijichou, Amou was wearing an evil Yunoki smile.
"Lots of chores, huh?" She caressed her precious camera, "We'll see about that..."
---
The week moved very quickly and by Saturday night, Kahoko found herself in a luxurious restaurant that only a certain rijichou could afford.
They were seated in a secluded place away from being a public spectacle; Kira was enjoying his expensive meal while Kahoko kept stabbing her meat as if it were offending.
"Hino-kun, I assure you, you're food is not alive," Kira pointed out blandly.
"I'm still upset…mou…" She muttered menacingly. The week had been torture, having to come extra early to help fix things for Kira, doing menial secretarial work like arranging files, taking calls from his associates and cleaning like a maid; Kahoko rarely found any free time as she was also piled with homework and quizzes. Plus practices with Tsukimori.
To top it all off, Kira was either always sleeping or going out to the gym. When he came back, he'd always bring carrot cake for Kahoko as some sort of inside joke and she could do nothing, being a student and all, but glare daggers at him.
"At this rate, I'll crash down at a young age…" She thought bitterly.
"Hino-kun, finish your meal. I have someplace I need to go," he dabbed his table napkin on his lips, "So hurry up," his voice authoritative.
"Yes, your majesty!" Kahoko grumbled before setting out to finish the food on her plate. Kahoko was too engrossed eating and failed to see the amused smile on her rijichou's face.
After that, Kira drove Kahoko home in his posh car, they stopped in front of the house and Kira, much to Kahoko's surprise, stepped out and opened the door for her like a gentleman.
"Thank you, Kira-rijichou," Kahoko smiled, her mood lightening up.
Kira remained impassive. "Get some rest. You look like you already have one foot in a grave."
"Who's fault do you think is that?" Kahoko pouted, annoyed at how typical it was for Kira to be like this. But he was right about needing rest, that, she could not deny. And suddenly remembering she had to go to work tomorrow made her groan.
"I'm guessing you'll be going to that place again, am I right?" Kira voice penetrated in her thoughts.
"Eh?!"
"You are so easy to read." He stated, "You know, I can lend you the money, provided you pay back with compensation." There was a twisted look in his eyes when he said it. Kahoko looked scared and refused the offer straight away.
"I don't want to be indebted to anyone, Kira-rijichou!" Kahoko laughed nervously while thinking "especially to you!"
Kira blinked and tilted his head as if regarding her answer. "Is that so?"
"Yes!"
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Eh?! What?"—
"I'll be supervising you in case you get in trouble," Kira said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Then we'll go out to dinner afterwards and"—
"Kira-rijichou, are you insane?! A person like you shouldn't"—Her words were halted when he pressed his finger on her lips, his thumb cradling her chin. His face loomed closer to hers, his lips barely an inch away from hers. Kahoko could smell the after mint in his breath; she could feel it fanning on her face. Her heart began beating furiously while skipping a few beats. Involuntarily, her mouth opened slightly against his finger.
With a smirk he said, "I will be there. Count on it."
He pulled away, that smirk still there, as he reveled in her dazed stupefied expression on her red face. "Goodnight," he whispered as he came around his car, then with a heated look he whispered in a more hushed tone, "Kahoko."
Even when he had drove away from the driveway; Kahoko was still standing on the same spot, wondering if she had heard him right.
---
As Kira promised, he showed up, seated at a secluded corner where he could observe her.
Kahoko felt uncomfortable having to be under the scrutiny of his gaze…especially with what she was wearing. The bunny suit seemed to have become a second skin!
The employer was extremely happy with Kahoko for bringing in such a rich man and promised to raise her wages if she entertained him well.
"You know~" Her employer gushed out girlishly, "I saw him staring at you when you came inside last week. He probably followed you in to check you out, hohoho! If you play your cards right, you'll snare a rich man for you to wrap your little finger around."
"Oh, so he isn't a weird otaku…" Kahoko thought, she then sighed, thinking, "If my boss only knew that I'm the one wrapped around that rijichou's little finger." She sighed sadly again before going to Kira's table with a bottle of wine.
"Would you like some wine, Kira-riji"—
"Hino!" A veteran bunny girl who was passing by stopped to correct Kahoko. "Wasn't it clear from the beginning? You're supposed to address our patrons as "Master!"
"You—you can't be serious!" Kahoko stammered out, her face heating up. The veteran sighed in exasperation.
"It's a rule here. Your other options are "Honey" or "Darling."
Kahoko almost dropped the bottle. "That isn't any better!" She protested.
The veteran looked half-amused and half-annoyed. "You have to follow the rule or you won't see your paycheck. I leave it up to you." She moved away, leaving Kahoko burning bright red with humiliation.
Hesitantly, she turned to face Kira who looked like the smuggest king in the world, relaxed in his chair with amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"So, Hino-pyon…you were asking me something?"
A stretching silence ensued between them like a bridge.
...
...
Finally after what seemed like eternity...
Kahoko's façade of a smile looked like it was ready to crack, her voice shaky when she asked,
"Would you like some wine," A nervous pause, "Master?"
---
Kahoko walked along the hallway with her face still burning red from yesterday. It was so humiliating! Having to call that rijichou her master! He was never going to let her live it down. She was so busy trying to push away those embarrassing thoughts that she walked into something solid, which caused her to stumble back down on the floor.
"Ouch!"
She looked up to find Tsuchiura, who helped her get back on her feet. The pianist was looking at her with a teasing smile as he remarked, "Still clumsy as usual, I see."
Kahoko, indignant, yelled back in mock anger. "You shouldn't stand in the middle of a hallway like that."
Tsuchiura was quick to counter back. "Well you shouldn't space out and bump into people like that."
They locked glares at each other. Before erupting into fits of laughter.
"Oi, where've you been? I haven't seen you around lately."
Kahoko stiffened and produced a nervous laugh in reply. "Well you know how busy I've been."
"I don't," was Tsuchiura's bland reply and he looked at Kahoko, waiting for an explanation.
"Well…I've been busy. What about you, Tsuchiura-kun, how's your piano practice?"
Tsuchiura folded his arms and cocked his head at her. "Don't change the subject."
Kahoko cursed inwardly. She began to laugh like an idiot trying to stall time and think of a perfect excuse.
"I've been busy with violin practice," was her lousy lie.
That made Tsuchiura's face frown with obvious displeasure. "You've been spending that much time with that violin-fetish freak?"
"Tsuchiura-kun, that's not very nice!" Kahoko scolded.
He snorted. "So is he."
"Tsukimori-kun is a nice person!"
"—Who's very much in love with his violin."
Kahoko sighed in defeat.
She glanced at her watch and almost cursed out loud. She faced Tsuchiura apologetically.
"Sorry, I have to go now."
Before Tsuchiura could say anything, she fled past him in unbelievable speed. Tsuchiura watched her run, all the while sighing dejectedly.
"Why'd you have to twist the conversation to that violin-freak?" He reprimanded himself.
---
Tsuchiura was still wallowing in self-woe when he came across Amou and Kaji.
Amou was trying to get a brown envelope away from Kaji's eager hands. This was a rather amusing scene in Tsuchiura's eyes, but he knew he'd be out of character if he'd just stand back and watch.
"Oi, Kaji! What are you doing?!"
Kaji didn't bother sparing the pianist a glance. "Amou's got something on Hino-san!"
Tsuchiura's eyes inspected closer and found the brown envelope labeled in black marker with Kahoko's name.
"Mind your own business!" Amou yelled, trying to win the tug of war. "So help me God! Kaji, I will kill you if you don't stop pulling!"
Raising a brow, Tsuchiura looked around and thankfully found no one else around. He took a few strides to his childish schoolmates and expertly pulled the envelope out of their greedy hands. Tsuchiura's quick action, however, caused the contents to fly out from the opening.
Amou groaned in distress, burying her face in her hands.
Tsuchiura and Kaji looked down on the floor.
Their jaws dropped.
Lying on the floor were pictures of the girl they both liked…in something they both thought would only be in their fantasies.