Few students ventured to the custodial office, the man in charge there was decrepit and older than any of the other employees at the academy, even more so than the other guarding the Moon Dorms. He rarely spoke and his demeanor looked as though he was always contemplating something. Some of the girls liked to joke around that he was losing his mind and the only reason he stayed here was because the Chairman was too kind to kick him out. Yori ignored all of these insignificant rumors. Truly she did not care for what reason the custodian remained on campus, but she did need something from him and he was the only one who would understand not to ask questions.

As she entered the small office she saw the small clock clicking in the corner, the pendulum was strangely frozen in time. She frowned slightly as she took this fact in. Immediately ahead was the large desk covered in papers, bills, and half smoked cigars, one was still lit. A cat hissed from its position on the chair, eyeing her as she approached the hunched figure in his rickety wooden chair behind the desk. He wore small spectacles as he mumbled something incoherently over the paperwork.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, not wanting to startle him. She had knocked, but there had been no reply. The mumbling halted immediately as the old man's eyes rose to meet with hers. His face was crisscrossed ancient lines and a long jagged scar running along his right cheek.

"What can I do for you?" he said His voice was emotionless and flat. Yori liked him. "It's not another rodent problem is it?"

"Not quite a rodent issue. I need some bars over my window, ones that can sustain freezing temperatures." By now the cat had calmed and leapt into his master's lap. The old man eyed her slowly.

"And what would you need with these kinds of special bars. Winter is over."

"I need to keep something out," she said, refusing to give away anything else. Don't ask any other questions.

The corner of the man's mouth quirked up slightly. He knew and he wouldn't ask any other questions.

"It'll be taken care of by the end of the day." Yori smiled softly and gave her thanks, turning to leave without another word. "Be careful with these things. You're more likely to get burnt," he warned to her back as she stopped at his mysterious comment.

"I've already been burnt," she responded and continued out the door.

--

Hanabusa paced his room like an injured animal. Upon the return of all the other Moon Dorm members from vacation he had found that he was forced to return once again for his classes. He couldn't concentrate and he knew this was a result of the fight he had with Yori only less than a week earlier. Since then both had made a point of avoiding contact of any kind with one another. She no longer attended the evening rituals and more often than not he had told himself that he didn't care, despite it being a lie. He knew however that Kaname was watching him closely now. Since his behavior had changed so drastically, everyone knew he was feeling upset by all the strange events going on, but no one else with the exception of the pureblood, knew for what other reasons Hanabusa felt like ripping his hair out.

The separation was driving him mad. The other girls' attention was no longer able to sustain his need for attention. He only wanted Yori to look at him, no one else. Only briefly he had noticed that she was speaking with another student, a boy, and he had nearly lost it then and there. She dared to look with those eyes at someone else? To smile in response to another's words was strictly prohibited! She acted as if she remained unaffected by any of it. Perhaps she had not lied when she said she could forget him whenever she wanted. It threatened to rip him to shreds. She insisted on keeping him out, literally.

One night when things had been particularly unbearable, he had wandered to her room and found the new addition to her window. He gripped the bars and tried to force them from the wall. When this didn't work he resorted to freezing, but it refused to budge or give way. His frustration grew as he tried to reach through and unlatch the panes, but the bars were too close together.

"Yori," he roared. "What is the meaning of this?" There was no answer. Inside, she lay curled on her side in bed, facing the wall, as if asleep. He knew she could hear him. "Yori, open this window this instant!" Still no reaction. He shook the bars harder, slamming his fist against the barrier. His rage increased as he threw all the power he could into the unforgiving bars, still nothing. His growls of frustration were emitting from his throat as his anger began to overtake him. "I know you can't forget me! You think you can but the truth is that you will NEVER forget me because I won't let you!" he hissed through the window. Her shoulders began to shake slightly as she pulled the covers over her head attempting to shut his voice out as well. She still refused to respond.

Hanabusa's rampage continued on until finally he was worn and was left simply to sit on the ledge, pleading with her to let him in and not one word came from the girl on the other side. By morning he had given in and returned to his room, leaving him where he was now, pacing his floors.

This was a blatant affront to him and his person. It could not be allowed! He had to make sure she knew this, but she had successfully placed obstacles in the way of him being able to confront her. It was daring and exactly what he would have expected from her had he been thinking logically at the time.

Regardless, he would take matters into his own hands and force her to see the great tragedy she had committed.