Hello! I'm back again! How has everyone been?

A quick reminder that my poll is still up. I know I'm really annoying, but it's really interesting to see, so it'd be nice if those who have not already voted would vote. ^^

*The fantastic four (I'm officially naming Heisuke, Saitou, Yamazaki, and Okita that from now on) don't appear in this chapter. Sorry, fans! .

Please read and review! ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuouki or any of its properties.

It was after school and Chizuru knew what that meant: time to meet up with Kazama and go to work. While not necessarily hating the fact that she was going to be with Kazama again, the thought of staying side by side with him for more than 10 minutes was suffocating. The man had such an intimidating aura around him that seemed to say "you'll regret it if you get too close." His level of authority was indeed something not to be laughed at and Chizuru has already felt enough power from him for a life time. From the way he's worshiped and feared at school to the free rides to school she has been given, everything just screamed out "rich." Her family used to have that kind of power as well, but time can really change people. Now, she just can't get used to the same rich atmosphere anymore. However, he has his good points too, like the fact that he had wanted to ensure her safety. That seemed normal enough, except for the fact that she was almost a mere nobody while he was the most popular guy at school. What would he get from acting nice to her anyway?

As she packed her workbooks into her bag, she felt a hand tap her lightly on the shoulder. She spun around and saw that the hand belonged to a fellow female classmate of hers.

"Um, Yukimura-san," the girl started off.

"Chizuru's fine," she smiled warmly, hoping she didn't appear too rash or familiar since it was only the third day of school.

"Chi- Chizuru-san," the girl corrected herself after Chizuru's friendly suggestion, "Um, I'm from your class. My name is Shizuka."

"Yes, I know." By now, she had memorized all the names and faces of her classmates. She knew everyone by heart and even knew what kind of personality they had, although it was just an estimate. According to Chizuru's observations, Shizuka was usually a quiet girl, either reading or chatting politely with her friends. She was very smart, although she was especially strong in literacy, probably thanks to her love for books. Chizuru knew that she had to be extra gentle with this girl in order to be friends with her. Chizuru smiled as politely as she could.

"Oh, you know me? Th- that's good." She was stuttering which confused Chizuru. Did Shizuka always stutter when talking or was she just nervous? She doesn't seem to be the type to be hesitant when speaking, so it must be the latter.

"Um, is there something bothering you, Shizuka-san?" She tried her best to make eye contact with Shizuka. After all, eyes always speak the truth.

"Actually, yes."

Chizuru's ears perked up, ready to listen to whatever problems Shizuka had to share.

"Yesterday, you left the school with Kazama-sama…"

Ah, so this is what it's about…

"Listen, it's not what it looks like between us." Chizuru was desperate to erase whatever misunderstandings Shizuka had about yesterday's incident. If people were to think that Kazama was giving her special treatment, they would all turn against her. That thought alone suddenly sent chills down her back. Having the whole school against her was something Chizuru would never want to experience.

"Oh, really?" Although Shizuka tried to hide it, the sudden rise in her tone did not fail to reach Chizuru's sharp ears. "Great!"

Yes, great! She believes me! Chizuru mentally sighed in her head. She had avoided high school drama for now. Well, even if she were to accidentally get caught in a scandal, she would just tell them that she has nothing to do with Kazama. I'm sure that's for the best.

A thought rang in her head all of a sudden. If she was to continue staying near Kazama, his reputation was bound to drop. Chizuru could see it already: "A commoner dares request Kazama Chikage to walk her home" on the front lines of the school newspaper, but since it's Kazama, it's not surprising to her if the topic was to make it on the local, or even national, newspaper. And since she's just a commoner now, the public would never believe her if she told them that Kazama was the one who had requested (more like forced) to walk with her.

Shizuka coming up to ask Chizuru just now had successfully proven that people would suspect her for blackmailing Kazama or something. She had to make it clear to everyone that there is absolutely nothing going on between them. Either that, or she quits the student council, but that's not really an option, considering Kazama's the president. Chizuru's jumbled thoughts entangled her mind in a maze and she wasn't able to stop thinking about what disasters may fall onto her until Shizuka snapped her out of it.

"Chizuru-san?"

"Oh, yes?" She looked down at the girl who was slightly more petite than her. She looked so fragile that Chizuru had to check twice about what she was going to say to the girl, afraid she might make her cry.

"Well, how did you do it?" She sounded more cheerful now and Chizuru was glad, although she had no idea what the girl was talking about.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about! How did you get Kazama to walk with you? He would always shoo away anyone who get too close to him with his glare."

"Really? He doesn't seem that bad around me…" Chizuru was telling the truth. Although Kazama had a scary look in his eyes, it wasn't that bad as to chase her away.

"Then, you must be strong. Either that or he treats you especially better, but we all know that that's impossible." Wow, Shizuka sure talks a lot when you get to know her. In Chizuru's case, she has only known her for a couple of minutes, but she's already talking like they're best friends. So much for Chizuru's observations. Chizuru was so engaged in her new perspective of Shizuka that she didn't even hear what Shizuka had said.

She was late. She was late. She was almost never late, but here she was, running for her life, literally, towards the school gate. When it came to Kazama, one mistake and your life is in danger. Who knows what scary punishments he might give her if she were to anger him?

Making her way through the crowd, she stopped right in front of the demon. Bending over, she struggled to catch her breath.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Her attempt at talking failed as she continued to inhale and exhale quickly. No reply came. Could he be so angry that he doesn't even want to talk to me? Still hunched over, she waited for her punishment to come. Would he hit her in front of all these people? Would that ruin his reputation? No, people would just think that she did something really bad and deserved it. Somehow, everything they did together only ended up being her fault in the public's eyes. She had to admit that Kazama had a serious influence on her life, to her displeasure.

Looking up, she was prepared to face the supposedly angry man, but was only met with a pair of indifferent eyes.

"Let's go."

It's excruciating. What is, you ask? The air around Kazama is. They've been walking for about a couple of minutes and they still have a long way to go before they reach Chizuru's (first) workplace. Yesterday was bad enough, but today seemed to be even worse. He must be mad after all. She tried to find an opening in the silent treatment she was receiving to apologize, but every time she tried to open her mouth, no words would come out. Chizuru was terrified of what would happen to her next. She snuck a peek at Kazama from the corner of her eyes, catching a glimpse of a sigh that had just escaped from his mouth. "What is it?"

Chizuru straightened up and quickly looked away. How did he know she was looking at him? "Um, n- nothing. It's just that…" she stuttered. Kazama looked patiently at her, expecting her to continue. He always had enough time to listen to what Chizuru had to say. Most of the time, the words that came out of her mouth were quite amusing to him.

Chizuru gulped, but she didn't stop. "I want to apologize again."

"For making me wait." He said, as if completing Chizuru's unspoken words. She nodded, hoping he will forgive her. Then again, he was the one who wanted to tag along. However, the more she thought about it, the more she understood that she was doubtlessly at fault this time.

"I don't forgive you."

"Oh, thank you so much for under- what?" It was a norm for her that once she apologized, people would automatically forgive her, but this time was different. She had apologized, twice! Yet he was still mad! "Well, I'm very sorry for being late, but I couldn't help it," she had to force the words out. Talking to Kazama like this was not a very wise choice, but when Chizuru's angry, she's determined to have her way. "A classmate of mine stopped me when I was-"

"I'm not mad because of that." Then what was he mad at?

"Oh? Then, why are you mad?" She inquired bravely, forgetting who she was talking to for a second. Kazama turned his head to take a good look at her. She was pouting with that adorable frown of hers. She was one of the few people who he allowed to act rashly towards him. In fact, when it comes to acting childishly and stubbornly, she may be the only one. Truthfully, he found her cute when she was unsatisfied.

"I don't care if you're late, but anyone who wastes our precious time together will receive proper punishment to atone for it," he replied stiffly.

Doesn't that basically mean he's mad because I'm late? Chizuru couldn't help but wonder. He has a good reason to be mad though and for that, she decided to apologize once more. "I- I'm sorry," she said.

"If you think I'll forgive you with just an apology, then you're wrong, Chizuru."

"Please forgive me. I'll do anything!" Her voice was desperate, responding accurately with her emotions. She was indeed desperate to make it up to the president; her high school life is on the line here!

"I'll think about it," he answered, gazing up into the sky while doing so, as if the answer he's looking for is up there. Chizuru hated the sound of that. If she gave him too much time to think about it, he's going to come up with a punishment so harsh, she wouldn't even be able to do it. At least that's what she thinks.

Chizuru practically threw off her work clothes as she scurried to put on her own. Running outside, she saw Kazama sitting at the exact place she had left him. "Sorry for making you wait." It was the fourth time she's apologized to Kazama today. She had called Risa earlier and told her all about her high school, how she was making friends and the like. What she didn't tell her was… well, pretty much everything regarding Kazama. She didn't want to make her best friend worry about her. She eventually lost track of time as the two friends began to chat and catch up on what's new with each other, which was the reason she was late. "Did you stay here the whole time?"

He stood up and dusted his pants off, a sigh of relief audible to her ears. "No, I walked around the area and did a little shopping."

Chizuru looked at him and then at the area around him. He wasn't carrying any shopping bags, nor were there any on the floor next to him. "Um… are you sure you didn't forget to bring the stuff you bought with you?" He's rich, so who knows? He probably gets his people to do the shopping for him usually.

Kazama wanted to roll his eyes at Chizuru, but that would just be rude. Besides, such an action was eye straining; it was much too troublesome for him. "It's in the car."

"What car?"

Chizuru's eyes followed his fingertip as he pointed towards a black limousine. Car… She wasn't surprised; she had to admit that she was getting used to the man now, including all his luxuries.

"I had the car that usually follows us around carry my bags."

Yupp, she was getting used to everything now. Getting picked up in the morning by a limo, being followed by one… Hold on, being followed... ?

"Er… what do you mean by following us?" She asked, just to make sure she hadn't heard incorrectly.

"You don't think that someone such as I would just walk out here all by myself, do you?" Okay, that was true. "Besides, if an emergency were to come up, it would be much more convenient to have a car nearby to use," he said, as though he was presenting his ideas for a company's new product.

And here she thought Kazama was starting to get used to a commoner's life too. Oh well, if Kazama-sama isn't the strategic and rich president I know, then he isn't Kazama-sama. As she continued to think about how Kazama-like his actions were, the man himself walked over to the "car" and opened the door. Still clouded by her thoughts, Chizuru followed him and when he gestured for her to go in, she did.

Just as the motor of the car began to start, she realized what situation she was in. "Where are we going?" she demanded.

"To the café you work at. Where else?" Kazama responded plainly. "Since we wasted so much time, you're going to be late. It's faster this way, don't you agree?"

"Well, I- I guess so." She mentally smacked herself; why hadn't she thought of that any sooner? She was intelligent, but when that intelligence wasn't used for her common sense, it was practically useless. As she sunk in her seat, Kazama watched, clearly amused.

"Ow!" Chizuru yelped in pain and stared down at her blood, oozing out of the cut the piece of porcelain had made. A customer had accidentally broken a tea cup (what a shame, it was one of the café's rarest tea cups too) and Chizuru was currently trying to clean up the area.

"Um, waitress-san, I'll help you," the customer offered.

"No, no. Don't worry about it. Besides, if I were to see our precious customers injure themselves in front of me, it would trouble me deeply." No, she had not rehearsed these lines, but what she did rehearse was the motto of the café: "Be considerate and kind towards the customers, always." Allowing the customer to do her work would just be… low of her. She had a great reputation in the café and if it was to lower because of something like this, she would regret it later on.

"You're bleeding though!" The customer reminded her. It wasn't that she had completely forgotten about the pain she was feeling in her right index finger, it's just that her mind was so absorbed in not losing her position and cleaning up the mess that it might have just slipped her mind.

"Don't worry about something like this. I will treat it as soon as I can." She smiled, looking up at her customer briefly before focusing on the task in front of her again.

"What was the loud ruckus about earlier?"

"Oh, a customer just broke a tea cup, that's all." The two of them were walking back to Chizuru's house. (She didn't forget about the limousine that was trailing behind them though.) Although Kazama was busy due to an urgent matter yesterday, he apparently had nothing to do today, so he fulfilled his promise of walking her all the way home.

"Is that it?" He sounded as if there was something he wanted her to tell him, but she had told him all of it already.

"Um… yes?" She wasn't even sure herself anymore.

"Then what is that wound you have on your finger?"

"My finger?…Oh!" She suddenly remembered as she lifted her index finger up to her chest level. She had completely forgotten about it if it weren't for his reminder just now. She had washed the wound earlier and she figured that it would have stopped bleeding right there and then. I guess I was wrong, she thought, looking down at the dried blood around her wound. She was about to bring the cut to her mouth, with the intention of licking the blood off, when a hand grabbed hold of hers, guiding her index finger to a pair of soft lips. She had no time to react. She gasped sharply as she felt the warm wetness of his tongue on her cut. "What are you doing, Kaza- ah!" She hissed in pain as she felt him suck on the wound, drawing more blood from it. Was it just her or was the sucking unnecessary? He didn't seem like he was treating her cut gently either, which was what people would normally do to the injured. Was he irritated?

As soon as she started thinking and stopped talking, he stopped teasing the wound. Is he trying to tell me not to complain? Chizuru wondered and obediently stayed silent. Although she couldn't complain, she had to resist the urge to jump each time his tongue stroked the cut. She suddenly realized what kind of situation she was in and a faint blush started to make its way across her cheeks.

After a few more seconds, Kazama's mouth parted ways from her skin. Her wound was wet with saliva now. If it was her saliva, she wouldn't have minded, but it was his; that was what bothered her the most. Her wet wound felt refreshing as the chilly wind blew around them. She had always wondered why it felt so much cooler when the wind blew on wet skin rather than dry skin. She didn't realize that she had been staring at her cut until she heard a smirk. She lifted her head to find the source of the voice smiling smugly at her.

"What? Did you enjoy it that much?"

"N-no!" She declined a little bit too quickly. The light rosy colour on her cheeks darkened, which only added to the suspicion.

"You..." Kazama shoved his previous teasing tone aside and was suddenly serious. Although Chizuru was still startled from the incident just now, she looked up attentively, waiting for him to continue. "You… Never mind, I'll ask you later." Chizuru only nodded. I wonder what he wants to talk about. He's been trying to tell Chizuru something since yesterday at work and he tried once again during lunch today, but he never got the chance to get his message across. She was really curious now, but if he claims that he'll tell her later, then she has no reason to object.

"Chizuru…"

"Yes?"

"This is… your house?" The two of them were now standing in front of the small condominium she currently resides in, looking up at the building. He had requested to see the place Chizuru had spent the rest of her life at after the incident with her family and she not-so-reluctantly brought him up to the front yard of the condo. And to be honest, it wasn't really much of a front yard.

"No, my house is this way." She led Kazama up the stairs to her part of the condominium, but turned around to face him when they got in front of the door. "Well, I guess this is where we part. I'm home, so you don't have to worry anymore."

"Chizuru, remember when you said you'd do anything for me?"

"When did I say that?"

"When you apologized."

Chizuru mouthed an "oh" before realizing why he brought that up. "You want to go in…" It wasn't a question; she already knew that he wanted to. Kazama had that slanted smile that seemed to be a replacement for a smirk placed on his face and Chizuru knew that she had hit the spot.

Searching through her bag for her keys, she smiled when she finally found them. She opened the door and paused, giving the man a good long look before hesitantly inviting him in.

Kazama took a close look around her home, examining and absorbing in every last detail. This was the place she had been staying at for the past decade. This was the place that had changed Chizuru into what she is today. This is all she has left after losing her family, her wealth, and her place that belonged only to her in society. It must have been such a big difference for her, the Yukimura mansion and the tiny... room she's currently living in.

He unconsciously began to stare at Chizuru, finally noticing how much she has grown. Her hair was always kept long, but after all these years, her hair has grown even more. Her facial and body features have grown more feminine, and she has noticeably matured. She was no longer as whiney as she was as a child, although that childish side of her was still there. Her surroundings have changed drastically, affecting some parts of her, but other parts remain unchanged.

He was surprised by her bravery to put up with everything. Knowing Chizuru, she must have cried for a little while before finally getting used to it. Kazama couldn't help but empathize with her. He thought of Chizuru dearly and was truly proud of her for working so hard. He was also disgusted by what has happened to her. Although he was mad when he first found out, he wasn't allowed to investigate any further into Chizuru, which annoyed him more than anything. Why wasn't he allowed to know more about the girl he cared the most about? If he knew who took everything away from Chizuru, he'd make arrangements to punish them right away, whether it be physical torture or by taking away their most prized possessions, he'd do it. He'd do anything for Chizuru.

"Would you like some tea?" Chizuru looked over at Kazama, slightly taken aback that he had been staring at her. Her hands were hovering over the water boiler and she already had the tea leaves ready. She had gotten a couple of different samples from the café she worked at as a gift for her dedication. She hasn't tried any of them yet; she planned on saving them for her friends when they came over, if they come over.

"No." Kazama had a hint of anger in his tone. Thinking about everything that Chizuru has been through was really pissing him off. Out of impulse and fury, he blurted out something that he could not even imagine how painful it would be for Chizuru to hear. "Can you even afford tea?" He immediately closed his mouth and examined her face for any incoming signs of tears, however he didn't see any. He only got a slight bitter smile in return.

Chizuru realized how stupid her offer must have been. What was she saying? Kazama probably had millions of tastier drinks at his house...er, mansion; why would he drink something at a commoner's place? She laughed and although it reached her eyes, it never reached her heart. "You're right, it can't compare to the tea you have at home." She hadn't said it as an opinion; she said it as a statement. Kazama felt something in his chest as he watched the girl force more laughter out of her rosy lips. It hurt him to see her look sad, but it hurt him even more when she was trying to hide her pain. She was so honest as a child, shedding her tears as soon as she felt like it, but now, she wouldn't shed them even if you threatened her to.

"I'll drink it."

"What?" The statement caught Chizuru off guard. Did she just hear him say that he would drink it?

"You heard me. I said I'll drink it… the tea." He looked off to the side, unable to look at the innocent pair of eyes staring at him at the moment. When she didn't move, he sighed. "What? Are you disobeying an order? Hurry up and prepare the tea." She sure was slow.

"Oh! R- right away!" As Chizuru hurried off to the kitchen, which was only a couple of paces away, Kazama made his way to the small table at the centre of the room, sitting down on the floor. He chuckled as she nearly stumbled on her way back to the "living room," although it would be no laughing matter if the tea was to pour on him. "That reminds me, did you treat your cut yet?"

"My cut?" She tilted her head to the side, wondering what in the world he was talking about. "Oh! Um, no, I didn't." She proceeded with pouring the tea into the cup.

"Why not? Go treat it first. I can pour my own tea." Sure, Kazama was a bossy person, but he knew that injuries were to be treated first above anything.

"No, it's okay."

What? Did she just decline his kind offer?

"It's not 'No, it's okay,' it's 'yes sir.'"

"No, it's really okay."

Why, this little… "Why not?" He asked the girl and when she didn't reply, he lifted her chin up with his long fingers, demanding her to look at him. "Why not?" He questioned with more emphasis this time.

Although Chizuru's head was tilted forward to face Kazama, her eyes were trying to focus on something else, preferably on the other side of Kazama. His fingers that were holding her chin gently were warmer than she had expected. She had assumed that his fingers would be cold, just like how his personality, but the warmth on her chin proved her assumptions wrong. That was when his grip on her chin tightened. "Focus. I asked you a question." How had he known that she was spacing out? Oh right, he commented that she often spaced out as a child when they first met too.

"I…" she started.

"You?" He was growing impatient. How long does it take to get an answer out of her?

"I don't have any band-aids." She continued to look off to the side, but because her face was still facing Kazama, he didn't miss the lovely pink hue on her cheeks.

Kazama stared at her, dumbfounded, and he was rarely dumbfounded, but here he was, dumbfounded. He stared wide-eyed at her and continued to do so before bursting out in laughter. In the process of laughing, he had let go of Chizuru's chin and clutched his stomach for support. Chizuru grunted as she watched the man, laughing as though what she had just said was the funniest thing he has ever heard in his whole life. "Chizuru, you never cease to amuse me," he managed to say through his laughter. She had to admit that he sure had the stamina and endurance to laugh that long.

When it didn't look like he was ready to stop laughing any time soon, Chizuru spoke up. "Um… Kazama-sama?" Suddenly, he stopped. So it was that easy all along? Then, he looked up, but instead of the smile that she had expected, he looked rather serious.

"Chizuru."

She gulped nervously. It was the first time she heard him say her name so intently. There were a few times where he was serious, but they were nothing compared to the situation right now.

"Um… yes?"

"Call my name again."

"...Kazama-sama?"

He stayed silent, but his firm gaze never left her line of vision. She was the first one to look away uncomfortably. The sudden change in the air around Kazama was torturous and that look in his eyes was unbearable to stare at.

"I see, so you've forgotten after all." His sudden words brought her attention back and she looked at him once more.

"What have I forgotten?" she asked, confused. Her homework? Nope, she brought it with her alright.

"Remember when we first met and you didn't believe that we knew each other?" She nodded silently, urging him to continue. "The reason you don't remember is because you've somehow lost your memories."

"What?" How could that be? She remembered her parents perfectly well! "Stop joking. I remember everything I should remember."

He sighed, as if he was tired from everything that had happened today. "Alright, tell me what you know."

"I remember my parents, every detail about the place I used to live in, all the faces of my maids and servants, the reason I lost everything-"

"How about your brother?"

Wait, what? "Brother? I don't have a brother." What nonsense was Kazama speaking of now?

"You do, a twin brother. He was sold along with your parents years ago."

The conversation was getting out of hand now. If she had a brother, a twin brother at that, then of course she would remember!

"Stop trying to trick me. It won't wor-"

"Just shut up and listen," he cut her off. Doing what she was told to do, Chizuru quieted down and waited for what he was about to say next. "Yukimura Kaoru. Does that name ring a bell? He was sold along with your parents to the Nagumo family, but that's all I really know." Kazama mentally cursed the person who stopped him from investigating deeper into the case. She promised that she would help Chizuru if I stopped looking for her, but look at what she's living in now!

"Um, Kazama-sama?" She somehow felt free to call him by that name now. Her gentle voice brought him back from his regrets and he shook his thoughts off. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small album of what appeared to be old photos. "And this is?" Chizuru inquired. He didn't answer; he only flipped open to a page and turned the album so it was visible to Chizuru. She gasped as she saw the picture. It was a photo of her and someone else. When she looked at the boy standing next to her in the photo, her mind began to register him. "Kaoru?"

Kazama nearly jumped out of his seat on the cold wooden floor when he heard her say her twin brother's name. Did she finally remember him? He was about to ask when she suddenly grasped her head tightly, turning away from the table and the photo album. She groaned in pain as a massive headache began to take control of her senses. "Chizuru, are you alright?" As Kazama watched the girl suffer, his heart began to race in fear. Kazama hasn't felt like this for a long time, and to prove it, the last time he was afraid was when he heard about Chizuru's family. For some reason, all these strange emotions only occur when it comes to Chizuru. "Chizuru?" What could he do to ease her suffering? Just listening to her cries of pain was frightening enough. He tried his best to remain calm; if he were to lose his composure, he wouldn't be able to think straight. First, he has to get her attention and see what the problem is. Her headache was most likely a sign that her memories were returning. However, at that moment, Kazama couldn't tell if the headache was a good or bad thing.

He wrapped his arms around her, attempting to sooth her quivering body. His heart continued to beat wildly as her trembling didn't show signs of stopping. After what felt like an eternity, the shaking finally stopped. "Chizuru?" He tried to get her attention once more before she fell limp in his arms, losing consciousness.

I wonder who's preventing Kazama from finding out about Chizuru. :) Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading!

Time to respond to the anonymous reviews!

Dear Olivia: Thank you! And thank you for understanding. :)

Dear aizawa saki: Thank you! Haha, I suck at grammar too. In fact, it's because I got such a low mark in English (well, it wasn't that low, but it was pretty darn low to me) that I began to write fanfictions to (hopefully) improve myself. Wow! I look up to people who can draw manga well! Thank you!