"S-Satsuki, I'm going to go dust the library shelves," I stutter, quickly looking for a distraction. She gave me an unsure look.

"I don't know... maybe you should go greet Master Usu-" she starts, but I cut her off. I didn't want to have to do this...

"Satsuki-chan..." I whine, a cute pout on my face. Another nosebleed from the head maid.

"Awhh! You're playing dirty, Misa-chan! So cute though! Ah, you're dismissed!" she squeals, using her apron to cover her nose in order to stop the gushes of blood. Quickly and quietly, I sneak down the hallway, and find a door that read 'Library' right above. Deciding this was my destination, I took a step inside. Unfortunately, Subaru came running up to me just at that moment.

"Misaki-sama, Master Usui would like to have a word with you," she says to me. I frown. Did I have to listen to his orders?

"Do I have to?" I ask quietly. "Oh, and please drop the '-sama' thing. I'm a maid here just like you," I explain. She nods.

"Okay, Misaki it is then," Subaru confirms. "And yes, you do have to," she verifies. My frown deepens. "Go to his room," she instructs, pointing to the ceiling. Ah, so his room is upstairs.

"Okay, thank you Subaru," I express my gratitude, and make my way upstairs. There was a very long hallway, with at least twelve doors in it.

"Wow," I gasp, but quickly realize that I had no idea which door was Usui's. I'd have to guess. Suddenly, a realization hits me. I didn't actually have to go to his room. How foolish of me! Why was I taking orders from him after how scared he made me feel yesterday! A sense of anger washes over me, and I run downstairs and into my bedroom. I hurriedly scribble a note onto a blank sheet of white paper.

Don't worry about me and please don't miss me. I'm sorry that your money was wasted on me. I promise I'll repay you one day.

Best Regards,

Misaki Ayuzawa

Leaving the note in a visible spot, I eye a tree branch that was right outside the window. I open the large window, swing my arms back, and leapt for the branch. Grasping onto it as planned, I suddenly heard a knock at my door.

"Misaki?" I heard a lower, but feminine voice call. Maybe Erika? Well, whoever it was, this wasn't going to look very good... Crap, I have to act fast! Without any notice, the door to my bedroom opens. It was Erika, just as I'd suspected. The first thing the noticed was the note. While she read the note, I decided to move. I jumped for the next branch, and latched onto it. All of a sudden, I looked at the ground. Only then did I notice how high I was. If I fell from here, I would definitely die, no questions asked. I gulped. I felt the branch I was holding onto crack a bit, and I screamed in fear. That got Erika's unwanted attention. She looked out the window, and made eye contact with me. She shrieked in fear as well, and looked like she was going to faint. The branch snapped a little more. I bit my lip. There were no more nearby branches to grab onto. I should've thought this out a little better...

"Erika please don't worr-AHH!" I tried to reassure her, only to make her even more frightened. Strange thing was, she was way, and I mean WAY, more scared than me. Though I'll admit, I am a bit fearful. I mean, I'm only hanging from a tree branch about 100 feet up in the air. No biggie. Note the sarcasm.

"Stay there Misaki! I'm going to get help!" she yelled, running out of my room and off somewhere. I roll my eyes. Where was I going to go? I mean, besides to my death, of course. Another terrifying sound coming from the branch snapped me out of my thoughts. This was it. This is how I'm going to die. I close my eyes, but reopen them when I see Erika return with about 4 other people. Satsuki, Honoka, Subaru, herself, and... Usui...

"Misaki?! What the hell are you doing!?" Usui yells at me from my bedroom window. I childishly stick my tongue out at him. Even in a situation like this. I hear him cuss under his breath, before he leaps out of the window. What the hell is this alien doing? He leaps over to my branch, and it immediately snaps under the weight of us both combined. He quickly pulls me into a hug. Ahh, it's so warm. I'd love to die happily in this embrace right now actuall- oh? Why didn't we hit the ground?

"Am I dead yet?" I ask, glancing around in every direction. Looking down, I notice a rope fastened around our waists, and the other end of the rope tied up somewhere in my bedroom. Only Usui could manage something like this within a matter of seconds.

"No, but you will be soon if you keep doing reckless things like that," he retorts. I bite my tongue to keep myself from making any rude remarks. He was already in a pretty bad mood. Probably because I almost got myself killed. He untied the rope from our waists, and picked me up bridal style.

"I can walk you know..." I say, careful with my words.

"You might end up in a tree again," he bitterly responds, kicking open the front door to his mansion. He carried me in silence all the way back to my bedroom. The maids cheered when they saw me safe (and Satsuki had a moeness overload breakdown, as she calls it), but Usui remained silent. I bit my bottom lip, blinking back a few tears. Everyone seemed to notice the tenseness between the two of us.

"Uh, guys, I think we should go and clean the library now," Erika hints to the rest of the staff, and they all nod in agreement. They all leave the room one by one, and Honoka closes the door behind her. We both didn't know what to say to each other. I decided to speak up.

"Why did you risk your life to save me?" I ask, genuinely curious. He looks at me, his expression looking a bit... pained...?

"Why wouldn't I save you?" he replies. I shrug.

"I'm just a slave. I'm worthless," I explain. He shakes his head, a now unreadable expression on his face.

"You're not worthless at all. You're a beautiful, strong, young lady," he argues, as if I had insulted him. I blush a bit. Beautiful? Usui thought I was beautiful? I fought a smile that was trying to make its way onto my face.

"Usui?" I ask cautiously.

"Hmm?" he lazily responds.

"Are you mad at me?" I frown. He looks at me, mildly amused.

"Do I seem mad at you?" he asks me. Why the hell does he keep answering my questions with another question?

"Yes," I respond. He chuckles. I glare at him.

"Well, yes and no. I was mad at you," he explains. "But has anyone ever told you that you're hard to stay mad at?" he asks. I shake my head.

"Quite the opposite, actually." I laugh. "People tell me I'm too stubborn to teach and that's why they're always upset with me," I tell him. He nods in acknowledgement. "Usui?" I ask again.

"Yes?" he prompts for me to carry on.

"Do you forgive me?" I gulp.

"For what?" he asks, knowing well what I mean. I sigh.

"For... y'know, trying to escape and almost dying..." I murmur. He shrugs, and holds out a sheet of white paper with a note written on it.

"Once you explain what this is, yes, I will," he says.

"Do I have to...?" I grimace. He nods affirmatively. I sigh once again. "I... I didn't know how to face you... after yesterday..." I mumble in response. He raises an eyebrow.

"So you decide to run away?" he verifies, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly

"Okay, I forgive you. Just promise me that you'll never worry me like that again," he says, holding out his pinky finger. It was now my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Really? A pinky promise?" I snort. He rolls his eyes. I laugh a bit, but nonetheless join my pinky with his. He seems to be satisfied after that, and we both unhook our pinkies from the other person's.

"It's been a long day," he sighs, running his hand through his messy (but still good-looking) blonde hair. "Let's call it a day. Goodnight, Misaki," he smiles, walls over to the other side of my room, flips off the lights, and closes the door behind him as he leaves. A smile touches my lips, and my chest feels warm and fuzzy. Maybe heartburn? I yawn, the last thing on my mind before I drift off to sleep being a blonde haired alien.