The sun was shining on an autumn morning as the students of Saotome Academy made small talk on their way to class. At the top of the stairwell stood Ren Jinguuji eyeing at some fresh prey until he was hit in the back of the head with a book.

"Ouch!" he hollered, "What's the big idea, Masato?"

"Just making sure you're not late to class is all," his blue haired roommate replied dully as he continued down the hall.

Ren rubbed the bump he got as he cursed his annoying, serious roommate.

"And then Daddy said he was going to award me with a trip to Paris," said a familiar voice he adored so much. Miss Kohuka Fukuda was being followed by her girl fan club again. He leaned against the banister of the stairwell in cool, laid back way. He was at hoping to catch someone's attention knowing very well that Kohuka was just going to "ignore" him.

"Wow. I wonder if Miss Masami's father is the same way," said one girl.

"If so, then Miss Kohuka and Miss Masami can travel together!" squealed another.

"Hmmm… that would be fun now that I think about it," Kohuka said to herself, "Oh and then we could go shopping on Avenue Montaigne and Avenue des Champs-Elysees!"

"YAY!" the girls squealed with delight as well and fell into a fit of giggles.

"Oh hello Ren-san," said one of the fan girls which then made a ripple effect as all of them turned to look at the cool upperclassman.

"Ladies," he said as he winked at them, making them all swoon, "My, what lovely flowers we have here today. Yet all daisies that long to be like the rose they surround."

Kohuka acted unimpressed by Ren's wordplay, but he knew his patience would be rewarded one day and she would be his.

"Wow, Ren-san is so cool," one of the girls said not really caring that he really just insulted them.

"And what is this?" he asked pointing at her hair pin, "Never see that one before."

"It's a gladiolus," she said bluntly, "Roses can mean a number of things such as love, adoration, friendship, and innocence. Whereas the gladiolus symbolizes strength and moral integrity which is something you, Ren Jinguuji, do not have."

With a "humph" and a flip of her hair, Kohuka stuck her nose in the air as she purposely bumped pass the blonde haired flirt she detested so much.

"You're something else, Kohuka-chan," he said with a smirk. Apparently her words didn't faze him as she stopped dead in her track. "You play the 'high and might' card when you know you have the same habits as me."

The group of girl 'oohed' as Ren threw down the gantlet. If Mari was here, she would have told Kohuka to just walk away and that this wasn't a fight worth picking, but Mari wasn't around to stop her this time. She couldn't take it anymore and decided to take matters into her own hands as she turned on her heels, walking right back up to him. Before Ren could say the smart remark he was planning to say, he felt a sting come right across his face. The girls gasped as the saw the acted take place.

"How dare you compare me to you," she whispered her voice shaky at the same time, "I may flirt and flaunt myself around, but I at least have the dignity to save myself for someone who will love me unlike you who is willing to throw something so precious away."

Ren looked down at her seeing the water build up in her eyes as she tried to blink them back. He had never seen her so vulnerable before. He wanted to take back what he said, but it was too late. He last saw Kohuka dashing down the hallway, hoping to hide her shame.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She felt like she was going to explode as she splashed the cold water against her face. She had wanted to do that for so long, but she felt no satisfaction. Kohuka bit her lip to try and stop her tears from coming, but she couldn't fight it anymore. They trickled down her face, mixing with the little water droplets that were already there. She let him see too much of her. He wasn't supposed to let her break like this so easily. What would her mother think of her acting like this?

"He's just a stupid boy," she said to herself as she tried to calm her nerves. Kohuka straightened herself up to like it the mirror. She was a mess. Her hair had gotten out of control and her makeup was messed up. At least her eyes weren't that red. She reached into her bag, grabbing her brush so she could tame the unruly mess on her head. Once every curl was back into place and her hair pin where it should be, she grabbed a moist towelette from her bag and wiped her face clean. After appealing foundation, she worked on her eye shadow, the eyeliner and mascara. Finally, after she appealed some blush to her face, she put on her lipstick. Kohuka gave herself a look over once more just to make sure everything was in place. She looked at her watch and saw she had missed homeroom and the first half of her English class. Luckily for her she was already making an A in the class. Unfortunately, Mari was going to have to suffer without her. So she picked up her things and headed down the hall to the music area of the academy.

On her way to a practice room with her clarinet in hand, she passed one of the main practice halls Saotome Academy had. The main jazz band was practicing at this time. The group was made up of four trumpet players, four trombones, two saxophones, two tenor saxophones, a bari-sax player, string bass, guitar, piano and a group of percussionists. Kohuka decided to listen in just when little Junko was just finishing a staler solo on her trumpet. She giggled as she saw Junko's face was turning purple when she reached the high E that ended the piece. And then she saw him, Ren Jinguuji, sitting front row to the left of one of the tenor sax players. Before he looked up from his music, she quietly closed the door behind her and kept moving forward. She was not going to let him have the pleasure of making her cry twice in one day.

"He's just a stupid boy," she kept saying to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ren stretched by his locker after putting away his saxophone.

"Ren-san," said Junko who was just about to put her trumpet away, "You haven't seen Kohuka, have you?"

There was some concern in her voice Ren noted. He wasn't going to let on that he might have done something wrong, so he played it cool.

"Nope. Why do you ask, tampen-chan?" he asked as he leaned against the locker.

"I wish people wouldn't call me that," she grumbled, but then got right back to the point, "Well, she wasn't in homeroom this morning and Mari just texted me tell me she wasn't in English class either. Seeing that you're usually late to class anyways, I thought maybe you might have seen her somewhere. I know she may sleep in sometimes, but she at least shows up to her other classes."

His chest tightened a little. "Nope, didn't see her anywhere this morning. I was pretty much hanging out behind the school with the new student this morning," he lied.

"You were Miss Masami this morning?" she asked shocked.

"Yeah," he continued, "Really sweet girl. She's not really big on making out."

Junko looked at him with a puzzled look on her face, but also remembered that Masami was late getting to homeroom this morning too. This was also strange, because when she woke up this morning, Masami was not in her bed. She figured Masami was off taking her morning shower, not meeting up with Ren.

"Hello Junko-chan," Kohuka said as she approached her small friend from behind.

"Kohuka! Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Kohuka's hand, "Are you all right? Did something happen this morning?"

"Everything is fine, you little pixie," Kohuka giggled. She had to slow her breathing down to make sure she wouldn't yell at Ren again seeing that he was still leaning against the lockers.

"But you missed your English class? You never miss class," Junko stated as Kohuka placed her clarinet onto the shelf of the locker she shared with Mari.

"Just getting in some more practice for the winter recital season is all," she said with a shrug, "I'm pretty excited about it actually. My teacher says I'm a shoe in for first place this year."

"Wow. Bet that will send a shock wave through the student body," Junko teased as she winked at her friend.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kohuka shot back as the two walked down the hall to their next class. Ren was a little surprised that Kohuka had recovered so fast from this morning. He had kind of expected her to make a big scene when she saw him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ren groaned into his pillow that night. Masato stayed quiet, trying to get some homework done as his roommate pondered what happened today.

"I know it was wrong of me to say something like that, but I mean she's the one who's being difficult. I pay her compliments and she gives me the cold shoulder. I give her a small gift and she throws it away. It's like an endless cycle here," Ren said as he flipped on to his back.

"So she really slapped you?" Masato asked, taking a break from his music theory homework.

"Right in front of a group of girls," he replied as he laid an arm under his hand and touched his cheek, "and it still stings."

"Wish I was there to see that," Masato muttered as he started towards his closet.

"I heard that," Ren grumbled and then sighed, "What am I going to do, Masato?"

"What you always do," he responded after gathering his bathing supplies, "Continue you the chase. You were never one to turn down a challenge, so why stop now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ren did what?" Tomochika exclaimed.

"Tomochika, please not so loud," Junko pleaded, "But I mean, he could have just made it up, right? Just to make Kohuka jealous."

"Why would Ren say something that would incriminate Miss Masami's name?" Natsako said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Maybe her name was the first one to come to mind," Mari stated as she leaned against the wall.

"Well, I might have said her name while we were talking, but he admitted to it!" Junko exclaimed, "And now I feel like I don't know my own roommate anymore. What if she is one of those closeted perverts?"

"That sounds a little far fetch don't you think, Junko-chan?" Haruka asked, "I mean she has been so nice to all of us. Why don't we just ask her why she was late to homeroom yesterday?"

"Then that makes me look like I'm some crazy stalker person that wants to know every second of her day! What she eats, where she sleeps, what clothes she wears and I don't want to make things weird between us," the petite brunette said.

"You look weird? Never tampen-chan," said Shou from behind her as he tickled her sides, making her jump.

"OH! SHOU! I'll get you for that," she shouted as she chased him down the hall while Shou laughed as he ran.

"So back to the matter at hand," Natsako drawing the concerned group back into focus, "How do we approach Miss Masami with this predicament?"

"I say we just be straight forward with her," Mari said, "I believe there is a good reason that she was late."

"Agreed," Natsako said.

"But what if she dances around the answer?" Tomochika asked, "I don't think many girls would admit to kissing a boy, especial if it's Ren."

They continued this last part of their conversation not know that someone was listening in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"As a final announce, the fall sports festival will including these events," class S homeroom teacher, Ryuuya Hyuuga, said as he wrote the events on the board, "Everyone is to participate and I expect everyone to do better than what we did last year."

The door slammed open to reveal an angry Masato Hijirikawa.

"Hijirikawa!" shouted Ryuuya, "What is the meaning of…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because Masato had strolled pass him towards his roommate. Grabbing Ren by the scruff of his collar, he hoisted him out of his seat and punched him in the face with all the rage that was pulsing through his body.

"What the hell, Masato?" Ren yelled as he broke free of Masato's grip.

"That is for telling a lie," he growled as he shook his hand. Masato had never really punched anyone before.

"First he's slapped by Miss Kohaku, now he's getting punched by Masato-san," whispered one of the girls.

"I know," her friend replied, "Who knew Ren was such a bad boy?"

"Or that Masato was so strong?" sighed another one.

Ryuuya Hyuuga had both of them report to Principal Shining Saotome's office for disrupting class.

"If you want to fight each other, at least wait until the sporting festival," he grumbled to them as they walked to the office, "Now sit and don't come back to class until you have this all figured out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Masato punched Ren?" Masami gasped as she digested the news her friends shared, "But why would he do something like that?"

"He was protecting your integrity, Masami," Kohuka said with a smile, "He when he found out what Ren had told Junko, he decided to take action before it spread like every other rumor heard in this school."

"I had no idea… I mean…" Masami couldn't look anyone in the eye. Her cheeks were starting to turn pink, "Excuse me." She got up to throw away her trash it looked like.

"Looks like someone might have a crush on Masato," Tomochika giggled.

"So Ren really made you upset yesterday, Kohuka?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, but that's water under the bridge now," Kohuka replied as she took a sip of water, "I think him being punched in his precious face by Masato is punishment enough from him."

"But he made you mad. Practically embarrass you," Mari said with concern, "We don't have to hang out with him again if you don't want to."

"Please, Mari," she said rolling her eyes, "If I let one Ren's demeaning comments get me down, then that means he has won. I am a lady after all. No, I shall take the high road from now on."

"Until the next the time he says something stupid," Natsako added and girls laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After he had been lectured to about the importance of getting along and told that they were going to have to pay for their actions, Masato really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone else for the rest of the day. He decided to he had to vent and the only way he could was through music. He grabbed his music folder and headed to the nearest piano. After practicing his scales and other warm-ups, Masato flipped through a music book he was given over the summer. He stopped at the page that was marked. Masato placed it on the piano stand and looked it over. He set his metronome and began playing. It was a little rough at first, but once he got passed the missed notes and key changes, he found it was sounding better. An hour had past when her felt his fingers go a little numb and his stomach growl. Masato took a break to get a snack, but when he opened the door, he found Masami standing outside with a can of juice and a wrapped sandwich. They both looked surprised, not really sure what to say to one another or if anything should be said at all.

"Uh… Here," she said softly as she held out the food and drink, "I uh… hope I'm not interrupting you."

"No," he said as he took the sandwich first, "Thanks."

"I knew you weren't at lunch today. I had hoped to catch you during the break," she said as she fiddled with tab of the can, "You know to say thank you."

"For?" he asked before taking another bite.

"Protecting my reputation," she said after opening his drink and handing it to him, "I know with this whole arrangement we have you didn't have to. You could have just let the rumor spread."

"It wouldn't have been fair to you," he said as he tossed the wrapper away and took a sip of his drink.

"Masato," she said looking him in the eye, "I'm grateful to know you're not like other men."

He stared at her for a second. He could have sworn her eyes were twinkling as if she adored him and that her cheeks were flushed. Before he knew it, he felt the warmth of her breath on his face as she placed a single kiss on his cheek. He was frozen stiff from this act of kindness.

"Thank you again, Masato," she said, politely bowing at him. Masato watched as Masami left. His heart was in his throat and his stomach was in knots. His mind was in a haze. Masato smiled to himself as he walked back into the practice room. Maybe this wasn't going to be that bad.