Second file: Kuki Sanban

Ex-Operative: Numbuh 3

Current Location: Cleveland, Virginia

She scanned her booklet diligently, trying to contemplate every single detail provided inside. Wagging her finger swiftly across each line in memorization, she pushed her reading glasses upward closer through her raven colored hair.

She studied, a peaceful look plastered upon her face. It was not a smile, but a pleasant look that she wore in great calmness and bliss. Nothing could ruin her trains of thought.

"O. M. G.!" The scream screeched into fits of echoes throughout the entire library.

She wrinkled her nose in annoyance, scrunching up her face in utter discomfort.

"She said that, Hilary?"

"Would I ever lie to you Guys?" She smacked on her chewing gum in-between each word.

"No. Way!"

The five girls sat across from Kuki at a table, gossiping to one another in delight and shock.

Kuki clasped her fragile hands over each of her ears, trying to ignore the booming chatters of her fellow classmates.

"So, anyways, I like signed up for this shop class but there were like no stores," Hilary told her friends in dismay.

"Seriously? What a joke," a girl with long, dark brown hair and hassle eyes agreed.

"I know right?"

Kuki frowned to herself while gazing at her notebook, trying to ignore the sounds of the girls.

"Totally," the brown haired girl replied once again.

She could not take much more of this racket when she was only trying to study. Her body overwhelmed with frustration She. Just. Snapped.

"Can you guys be quiet? I'm trying to study!" Kuki stood to her feet, glaring venomously at the girls.

Hilary rolled her crystal shaded eyes, "Well, if it isn't Kuki Sanban. Listen, if we want to talk we can. It's our school too!"

"Yeah!" Her cronies announced in unison.

"Well, could you at least keep it down? This is a library not study hall…which you guys take over as well with your noises!" Kuki exclaimed very irritated.

"It's called talking, but you wouldn't know that would you, Snodban? You only have…what? Two friends?"

The girls cackled in fits of laughter at the truth of it all.

Kuki rolled her eyes and began to get even more irritable, "I don't really care about how many friends I have…as long as I get into a good college unlike you girls who probably won't even make it to clown college with the grades you guys get," She stared crossly at them as she picked up her book bag, overlapping it over her shoulder, "…And nerds can't help you forever."

All of them stood there in silence and staring coldly at Kuki, but Kuki stood her ground with firmness in her features, not once planning to back down.

Hilary stalked over right in front of Kuki, eyes making full contact.

"You-"

"Shush. What is all this racket ladies? I've been hearing tons of complaints about the noise back here," The Librarian glared down at all the girls with her hands planted on the edge of her hips, "Well?" She tapped her foot in impatience.

Everyone was probably wondering where the librarian was…

"We're sorry about that. We were just studying and Miss Sanban here was talking loudly to us…we tried to ignore her but-"

The librarian cut Hilary off instantly, "Now I know Ms. Sanban. She comes in here all the time to study and she has never once made any trouble, but I cannot say the same thing about you girls. Now, all of you girls exit my library or else. The library is for reading and studying, not lollygagging and chatting."

"…But that isn't fair. We would be somewhere else but we came here to study too! We-"

"Just leave Ms. Mills," the librarian scowled as Hilary and her friends made their way out the library.

Hilary sneered at Kuki angrily, "Teachers' pet."

Kuki seemed unfazed as she took her formal seat, starting to study once again.

Kuki Sanban was a very complex-nearly 18 year old-girl. Normal teenage girls would love to just goof off with friends and not think about stupid school so much, but not Kuki. Kuki spent most of her free time studying and getting good grades; however, it was not just for the grades but mostly to get into a good college and excel into the family business.

Her mom always seemed to pressure her into the business for that is what she dreamed for her oldest daughter and Kuki desperately wanted to make her parents proud of her and to follow in their footsteps.

Secretly and quite frankly, Kuki was never the biggest fan for business. She once thought that she could be a nurse or perhaps something along the lines of helping and making people happy. Sadly, her thoughts were shot when Mushi-her younger and now 13 year old sister-explained to her how stupid they were so…without even trying to persuade her parents any further, at age 14 she got more serious into the matter of her schooling. Her parents were delighted by her Excellency and her mom could not have been more thrilled to see her daughter following in her footsteps. She would sometimes boast to all her colleagues and friends about how smart and educated her daughter was. Kuki could not help but seem a bit proud for making her mom so ecstatic.

Not long after Kuki started getting serious, she lost all of the happiness within her and the words fun and happiness were no longer in her vocabulary or life any longer for some reason. There were very few things Kuki would ever care about nowadays: her family, schooling, college, boyfriend, and best friend. She had not smiled in public for years, she had not laughed since she could remember, and she could no longer bare other people and their happiness.

How naïve they are, she thought to herself one day while taking a stroll in the park, noticing all the happy go lucky children (still reading a school book, I may add). She knew that they were in for a big surprise once they got older and she just thought it was stupid to act as if every day was a special day. She would never think she could be happy again.

On top of everything, Kuki had gained a terrible short temper when she was stressing about school work or when people tried to make her have fun, it would show and it would not be pleasant.

Kuki was still a mystery yet for others to discover just how different she really was, but would be revealed in due time.

She sat upright, picking up her pencil and tightening her grip around it. It was now time for her "favorite" thing…more studying.

"Guess who?" He questioned her with a playful smirk, cuffing his wide palms over her violet orbs.

She rolled her eyes at his "childish" way. She did not particularly care for when he did that since she knew exactly who it was and all he was doing was making her even more annoyed and now blind.

"Gee, I wonder who it could be?" she replied boringly with a giant glob of sarcasm hidden in her words.

He released his hands with a slight frown but shook off his looks before she took notice.

"I really appreciate the fact that you play along abit but you could at least try and make it fun for me," he spoke truthfully as he made his way in front of her gaze.

"I'm sorry Ace, I'm just very tense right now, plus, to be honest…I think that game is stupid," she scowled at the supposed "fun" that was to be apart of it.

Ace was Kuki's boyfriend for the past two years. He had always seemed to be there for her no matter what but sometimes Kuki could get on his nerves. How couldn't she though? He liked having some fun once in awhile but she would not allow that, plus, she got annoyed very easily, especially nowadays.

Kuki and Ace did not know each other very well before they started to date. Believe it or not, they got together through Kuki's mother. Kuki's mom always wanted what was best for her and for her to have the best, so, one day when her mom was getting coffee at a shop she met this nice, handsome guy who got from B+ to A- grades. She instantly approved and invited him over to meet her daughter, as if she just wanted to thank him or something. In actuality, she just wanted a suitable boyfriend for her daughter, Kuki, to date.

Kuki knew that her mom set it up and at first did not really care for Ace. After awhile when Kuki got to know him, she realized her mother might have been right and in this way…she could please her mom as well. There's nothing better than a date that is approved and set up by your parents is there? At least now they are still together and still happily like one another…

He glared irritably and murmured under his breath, "…only stupid because you don't have fun with it…"

…or not…

"What was that?" She glanced up at him, puzzled.

"O-Oh nothing…I was just thinking…maybe you should try and relax some," he suggested as he began to massage her shoulders.

"I don't have time to relax if I want to get into business," she took offense, "I know you think this is just some career but this is important to me, Ace."

He wanted to just shout in her face to loosen up and stop acting so grown up, but kept those thoughts to himself.

"I know it is, sweetie," he chortled in a friendly like way, but Kuki just felt a bit offended by the fact that her own boyfriend was laughing at her, "…but why do you have to work so hard? You shouldn't have to worry because we both know that you're smart enough."

"It isn't about being smart," she gave a stern look at that, "It's more than that…I just want my parents to be proud of all my success like they dreamed of me having."

"Okay, okay. Whatever…just…you want me to walk you home?" He smiled sheepishly, indicating how sorry he was.

She contemplated on the offer then gradually stood to her feet.

"Fine," he wrapped an arm around her waist as she grabbed her books, "Let's go," she gave a very small smile as they fled the library.

"So, how did studying go?" Mrs. Sanban a.k.a. Genki asked her oldest daughter.

Kuki swallowed the delectable, juicy chicken in her mouth and responded, "It was good. I think I'm doing a lot better each time."

Now any normal person would just respond in a low voice 'fine' or 'okay', but not Kuki. She knew her mom did not appreciate brief answers so Kuki tried to be as honest, and occasionally long winded, as she could be.

"That is great Kuki, but do you think it is possible you try a bit harder? I mean, you do want to be the best don't you?" Mrs. Sanban pushed on as she cocked her eyebrow at Kuki.

Her mother always wanted her to try and be the best, and keep working until the point Kuki could answer 'Excellent. I believe I am the best', but of course if you knew Kuki you would know that she would never say something like that; for, deep down she was still kind hearted and humble.

"Yes I do, and I will try harder," Kuki sighed slightly, but made sure that no one had noticed as she sipped her cup of iced tea.

"Great," Genki Sanban grinned proudly as she passed her husband, Kani Sanban, the bowl of potatoes, "Now, where is Mushi?"

Mr. Sanban gave a small frown, "Mushi, you get down here right now! It is time for dinner and you're food is getting cold!" He cried in frustration from his younger daughter.

Mushi was Kuki's younger sister and her only one. Mushi would not always obey nor be the kindest to anyone but her friends. Ever since she was little she envied Kuki for being the one to always get everything she had wanted...and now that Kuki was going to get the family business...that just angered Mushi more.

Mushi did seem like just an ordinary teenager-other than the fact that she resented her older sister-and she was not all that bad...when she was not at home.

Kani Sanban rubbed his temples with his fingertips.

"Now Kani, relax. I'm sure Mushi is just talking to one of her friends or something," Mrs. Sanban re-assured her husband.

Mr. Sanban nodded in response then continued to eat his delicious dinner.

"Oh Kuki, that reminds me..." Mrs. Sanban began as Kuki gave her, her full attention, "There is this young man at work that you just have to meet."

Kuki frowned at her mother, "Mom, I told you already that I'm dating Ace. Why can't you just accept that? I mean, after all, you were the one that set us up so why do you want to tear us apart?"

"I just think that you can find someone better. Don't get me wrong, Ace is a very nice guy, smart, and has some talents but he just is not the one for you Kuki."

"How do you even know?" Kuki demanded as she stood to her feet.

"I just do. I'm your mom so I should know. Now this guy at my work is a fabulous, young man. He's intelligent, talented, hard working, brave, handsome, and he can be so-" Kuki cut her off instantly.

"Mom, I don't care about this guy and I don't want to go on a date with him! I have a boyfriend and I don't see why I have to meet this guy. I bet we have nothing in common and he turns out to be some creep. I can't take that chance mom...I'm sorry but my answer is still no," Kuki face was stern and honest, "I'm going to go study," She added as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom and Genki frowned shook her head to herself.