Summary: Basically, Haruhi comes into contact with the Yakuza at a young age, and all shall dread the days to come.

Authors note: I don't know if any of you read my A/N at Clockwork and a Teacup, but I wasn't kidding about my schedule, and on top of that, I caught a cold. Ugh. But I'm still alive and kicking! As incredibly cheesy as it might sound, what really gets me up and back to writing is you all. You're all so incredibly supportive of what my brain cooks up and I'm easily flustered by your reviews. Both reviewers and silent readers, thank you so much! Here you go, another chapter where Haruhi proves why she isn't the typical heroine of a story. Everyone who commented had interesting ideas (and thought in eerily similar pathways as me). Some of them will definitely be incorporated. Thank you!

And as an added note, I was surprised at how many of you disliked Ami on sight. You're really protective of Haruhi, aren't you?

Here you go, the chapter that refused to end in nothing less than 11k. Enjoy!


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Chapter 9

With a finger tracing the words, Haruhi quietly read through their English textbook. It was intermingled with literature works and notes of culture, which she thought was fairly easy to work on. With nary a whisper to be heard in the silent eve, Haruhi read. Intrigued, she skipped down a bit and squinted at the questions attached to it. What mood did the text prompt? What style was it written in?

"HEY! Catch, you dork!" An object was flung at high speed over her head, landing with a wet smack on someone's chest.

Haruhi resisted looking, only twitching a bit at the shout.

The mood of the text... She tapped her pencil across the words for another moment before she wrote down the obvious answer. It inspired silence and –

"NO!" A voice shrieked. "Not us! I don't want to go with them!"

She tightened her grip on the pencil until it became almost punishing. Closing her eyes, Haruhi counted silently to five. One. Two. Three. Fo–

"What are you doing?" A weight settled on Haruhi's shoulders and she could feel Ami's jaw work on top of her head when she smirked. "Free time doesn't literally mean we should continue to study."

"What else could it possible mean?" If the teacher had assigned homework, wasn't it obvious that it should be done in the allotted time? Ami evidently didn't think so, because she spun around and sat down on the table next to Haruhi's right side.

Plucking her pen with ease, which earned an indignant squawk from her, Ami leaned back on her hands. "Oh, poor little girl," she cooed. "Shackled by the pains of education. Let your dear ol' friend help you out."

"Old? We've known each other for a week," Haruhi said in exasperation and made grabby motions to retrieve her writing tool.

Ami smirked in answer but otherwise ignored her. "You know, I sometimes wonder about you."

"You wonder about me?"

"You continuously miss the important questions," Ami went on blithely, prompting an eye-roll from Haruhi. "Grades aren't the whole world no matter what they say. Screw them, okay? Instead of burying yourself in books, you should look up and observe the people around you." Nudging her head to the side, Ami pointed to the rest of the class. Some were furiously whispering with each other, some looked incredibly excited and the rest bordered on ambivalent and anxious. And all of them, every single one except Haruhi and Ami, were moving steadily out of the classroom. One quick glance outside showed that some blurry forms were already outside and moving to some far off point.

Haruhi frowned. "Where are they all going?" She hadn't heard anything about a school-trip or that a today-only special event was ongoing. Only a few special sales at the local market, but Haruhi doubted her class would be interested in buying soy sauce for a discount.

"Where we're going," Ami cheekily replied.

"... We are?" Haruhi sighed and then uttered in her most driest sarcasm; "No, wait, of course we're going. What else could we be doing during our free time?"

"Now you're getting it!" Ami clapped her shoulder, dropped the pen on her textbook and then jumped off. "I think your tall friend is coming too. Just," she winked, "if you needed another incentive."

Ami sauntered off, exchanging a few words with another classmate as she left the classroom.

Haruhi stared after her with a furrowed brow. She liked to think that she didn't only read books, but it was true that was the only thing she had done for the past week. Grades certainly didn't have such a high importance, but for Haruhi it was a necessary evil towards becoming a lawyer. But the way she had spoken those words... it had sounded surprisingly bitter. There was a story there, Haruhi knew. She wasn't going to pry though.

She tapped her fingers against the table, lips pursed. Another quick glance outside the blurry window and she relented, if only to satisfy her curiosity. Ami never answered her question after all.


The place they were all heading to turned out to be a badly maintained factory that laid a good ten minute walk away. Ami looked incredibly smug when Haruhi finally caught up to her. Their classmates gave short nods to acknowledge their arrival while some seniors only gave them a short glance. Haruhi could recognize a few yakuza children, third years and second years according to their altered emblems grouped together alongside the fence. A boy her age seemed to be messing around with the lock to no avail while an older girl who looked remarkably similar to the boy gave him soft directions.

She turned to Ami, confused. She smirked back, a finger to her lips while she shifted slightly closer. "We drew the short straw," she said in explanation... which made absolutely no sense to Haruhi. Ami seemed to sense this, because a brief flicker of surprise crossed her expression before it narrowed and she stared shrewdly at her. "Our school is hosting this time," she said slowly, almost experimentally. "The first years gets the task to prepare the area. Our class president just happened to draw the short straw."

Haruhi continued to stare, uncomprehending.

Ami stared back, eyes widening the longer Haruhi showed her confusion.

Seeing as they were in a stalemate, Haruhi was the first one to break eye contact. She didn't actually understand what their school were hosting, why it was considered bad luck that their class had to do it and why of all places they decided an abandoned factory would be the brilliant choice to have it in. What she did understand though, was that Ami hadn't been entirely truthful. "I guess Ritsu isn't coming, then?" He was in another class entirely and prone to having a cluster of yakuza children a respectful distance behind. There wasn't even a hint of red anywhere near.

"... No. Probably not," she admitted slowly.

"Oh. Alright then."

Ami's stare wavered before she tucked one eyebrow up, carefully folding her arms under her chest. "Alright?"

Haruhi nodded absently, slightly adjusting her bag so it sat higher on her shoulder. From the triumphant whoop, the boy at the lock had probably managed to open the gate. Classmates and seniors alike poured inside. Haruhi offered a smile before turning around. "See you later in class then."

"Wait!" Ami grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back."

"You can't." Haruhi raised a skeptical eyebrow, finally turning around to look at a pouting Ami. She fluttered her eyelashes and almost shyly took hold of the end of her uniform top. "You don't want to leave me alone here, do you? Your only best friend in the midst of two fighting gangs. That's not fair, is it?"

She mouthed 'fighting gangs' a bit incredulously, in which Ami only nodded back in answer and made a show of poking the ground with her foot. The pity was strong in her expression as she pleaded with her eyes. Haruhi looked at the girl, nonplussed and nowhere near impressed. She had spent her time in an okama bar in near regularity a few years now, and unlike Ami's fluttering, the professional transvestites did those things for a living.

She did sigh, however. Focusing on the most important part of her pleading, Haruhi wondered a bit incredulously, "Why would you want to stay in the midst of two fighting gangs?" Because clearly, there was something wrong with this girl if she would willingly go to such an event as a non-participator.

"It's not like I want to," Ami said, finally dropping the act with a disdainful whiff. She looked over her shoulder at the building and crinkled her nose. "I would even spend my free time studying with you, rather than fix this old rust-bitten place up. It's a tetanus infection waiting to happen."

Ignoring the implied insult easily, Haruhi prodded, "Then why do you?"

She made a sound of frustration and threw her arms up. "Alright, that's it. I can't decide if you're yanking my chain or if you really don't know." Completely exasperated now, she turned on her heel and strode away, answering over her shoulder, "Because we drew the short straw, and unlike you, I can't skip this darling event alongside the yakuza kids." She twirled her fingers in a mocking salute, sending one last grimace over her shoulder before she squeezed through the open fence. "Have fun studying, bestie."

Haruhi tilted her head. She had gone with Ami to get some answers to where they had all been going, and most importantly why, but she had been left with even more questions instead.

She turned the problem over in her head and scrutinized it in different angles. She could always follow Ami and see for herself, but then again, she didn't need to be apprenticed to a yakuza lawyer to know some of the terms that had been used. Like what could fighting gangs possibly mean? She could guess well enough from over here, thanks.

… Oh well. Not her problem.

She turned and walked back to school. Plausible deniability and all that.


Ritsu was usually surrounded by a bubble of privacy in the classroom. Everyone bolted from their seats the instant the class was over, and this day wasn't any different. Even those that he had seen on the Kasanoda grounds had chosen to respectfully back away at his presence. If it was because they respected him or was intimidated by the scowl remained to be seen.

He tried to appear friendly, smiling the way Haruhi does to him when she's being all flowery and sparkling, but it usually had the opposite effect for him. They scattered even faster and he hadn't known that was physically possible.

Fact of the matter, Ritsu wasn't surprised at all that Haruhi was the only one that breached the bubble of solitude at lunch break. He sipped at his tea in content while she brought out her own bento.

She said as a way of greeting; "You never mentioned anything about school-gangs fighting."

He choked.

"I mean," Haruhi went on, uncaring to his plight as he spluttered and coughed, "you didn't really mention anything about this school. I had to look up the information myself. And now that I think about it, the pamphlet was suspiciously sparse about the students."

"Hrnh?!" He coughed, spluttered and eventually managed to wheeze out, "Who told you that?"

"Ami did."

Ritsu's expression grew foreboding, and his classmates flinched automatically, scooting a bit closer to the end of the room. "Who is Ami? And what family does she come from?"

"Just Ami," Haruhi deflected. She looked up from trying to locate her chopsticks in her bag and gave him an unimpressed look. "And don't change the topic."

The class stared, fascinated when Ritsu backed off and squirmed uncomfortably. He coughed and averted his eyes. "Hrnh," he muttered aggressively. She waited patiently. After a few seconds where he tried to muster up his bravery to face her head-on, she took the option away by speaking up first.

"I'm not accusing you," she began delicately. "It's merely," she shrugged, plucking up some plain rice, "it would have been nice to be forewarned about this."

Ritsu flinched.

Haruhi hadn't looked pissed, betrayed or anything similar, and that was precisely the reason Ritsu couldn't bear to look at her any further. She was so strange sometimes, entirely new in her thinking and so independent that he could scarcely think anything unpleasant might touch her. He had been in so much awe of her when they first met. But then again, he had been reminded time after time that she was only human. She could cry, could become scared and as he had come to realize, she could also flounder.

It was only recently that he had gotten Haruhi to trust him enough to, little by little, hand over the reins of her life.

To help her father. To choose a school. To assist in her dreams. To trust their friendship. And wasn't that a whole world of difference to the responsibilities garnered by the Kasanoda name?

Ritsu winced. He had really screwed up this time, hadn't he?

"Sorry."

Haruhi blinked up at him. "What for?"

Despite her clueless expression, she seemed a bit too knowing with her eyes. Definitely the influence of their lawyer, he grumbled internally.

An unpleasant buzzing could be heard in his ears the longer she stared, and he shifted, suddenly feeling like the sun had decided the classroom should have its cousin within it. The fascinated eyes of his classmates got him to only scowl harder. He rubbed the back of his neck, rushing the words out under his breath.

His attention shifted when Haruhi put away her bento and leaned forward in concern. "Sorry, what did you say?"

His shoulders went up, but he grudgingly forced his tongue to cooperate. "I'm sorry I'm not the friend you deserve," he snapped out, cheeks flushing. When she looked ready to protest, he shook his head sharply. "You're always doing things for me, helping me and being beside me even though it interrupts your life. I know you would have been happier without me. Could have gone to the school you yourself wanted, wouldn't have learned kenjutsu even though you dislike hurting people, getting kidnapped... because of me..." His voice petered out. The last one always made his chest squeeze tight and he looked down in shame. "I shouldn't have been so selfish in my decision. Next time... Next time, I promise you that I will consult your opinion on the matter." When she didn't react more than to raise her eyebrow at his spiel, he hurried on and added, "As a sign of my regret, I will be in your debt."

Her eyebrow was soon joined by the other when she realized the stunned audience they had to their conversation. She slowly dragged her gaze around, taking in the speechless and gaping students before her eyes returned to meet his. She blinked, once. "Ritsu, you didn't have to take it that far," she said mildly, both berating and fond in the same breath. "I'm your friend. And besides, you've already apologized to me once."

He frowned. "Still," he said stubbornly. "You deserve better."

She looked ready to argue the matter, but she thought better of it when she glanced to the side. "Alright," Haruhi said instead. Her eyes promised further discussion though. "It is my debt to collect."

With those formal words, her entire posture changed and she relaxed back into the chair, picking her bento up and continued to eat. Ritsu stared at her alongside his classmates.

Was it a good thing or bad thing that she had been introduced to their lawyer?

"So. About gangs fighting," she prodded, and he winced. He had hoped she would have forgotten about that.

"Yes?" He scowled. Taking his own store bought bread, his fingers twitched from the tight grip he had.

"Would I have to participate?"

His bread fell to the desk. "I –" Ritsu closed his mouth. She was serious, he realized. Her question was in all sincerity about if she would have to fight. Of all the things she could have brought up... He shook his head dumbly.

She smiled. "Good."

Then she returned to her lunch, carefree and ignoring the way the entire class was staring at her. It took a moment for his brain to catch up with his eyes, but he took upon his most fiercest and scowling expression to make his classmates back off. They tripped over themselves in their hurry to comply.

"How is your History going along?"

He returned his attention to her, much to the relief of everyone on the other end of his eyes, and picked his bread up again. The rest of the lunch continued with the discussion of the Meiji era and the conversations in the classroom gradually returned to buzz around their ears. Ritsu sipped his tea, content.


The school life continued as normal, or as normal as such a school life could be. Motorcycles raced across the road outside when the bell rang, the older groups huddled and smoked, Ami hovered over Haruhi's every action, and Ritsu continued to wait for her before walking home together since she adamantly refused the car.

The rumors, however, was something Haruhi didn't know how to deal with.

Or in this case, it was a particular rumor that she couldn't really understand. Ami had been the one to enlighten her about its existence and then proceeded to stare, waiting for her reaction. Haruhi had raised one eyebrow to show how unimpressed she had been and went about her day without giving Ami the satisfaction of a grimace. It was only when she was home and alone that she pressed her face into the pillow.

Alright. Yakuza she could handle. Being side-eyed by the police she could ignore.

Being tiptoed around because they were scared of her?

Haruhi groaned. Was it because Ritsu had lost face by publicly apologizing to her? It wasn't often she acknowledged that side of him as the primary part, but she knew he was first the Kasanoda heir and last Ritsu, the friend, to others. Doubly so because in this yakuza mini school there was famous in the streets, and then it was famous with the police. The hierarchy that was in place made sense in a convoluted 'who's got a shinier toy' sort of way.

Haruhi wasn't shiny. She was the opposite of shiny, in fact.

Except she was a friend with Ritsu, and therein laid the problem. He was the top dog, and she was somewhere around there because of her association with him. The rumor that had burst out from lack of information spun tales from everything from honey trap to the secret underground spy.

She rubbed her face tiredly. What did honey trap even mean? And what would she be spying on? Homemade recipes? Maybe that was what honey trap meant... Now that Haruhi thought about it, there might be some recipes including honey in it. What did they think she was, the wicked witch in the honeybread house?

She muffled her laughter into the pillow.

"Honey?" Ranka peeked inside, voice tentative. "You okay?"

Her shoulders began to shake.

"Honey?"

Haruhi frantically waved him away, body curling into a tight ball so that her toes could barely be seen. Her father paused slightly at this, but he went in and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong? Did the Kasanoda boy," and his voice went unerringly dark at this word before going soft again, "do anything? You can talk to your daddy. I can help with your revenge! Toss whatever he made back at him tenfold and I can always have a little talk with him, man to man, if you want."

Her breathing eased up slightly and she only let out a muffled giggle once or twice at his insistent protecting. She could only imagine what this talk would imply and the way Ritsu would flail in his hurry to appease. Really, out of everyone in her life, she couldn't imagine the two of them ever intentionally hurting a hair on her head. Except in training of course. If anything, they had only brought unintentional damages to her life. Like the relentless teasing in her former school that her father was a mother, or the new rumors that was the reason she had a headache. It wasn't their fault at all, of course, but it got tiring real quick.

Sobered by the turn her thoughts had taken and determined to shake it away, she peeked out from the pillow and gave Ranka a warm smile. He returned it with some confusion, but seemed pleased nevertheless to see her respond.

"Do you need help?" He asked gently. "Remember, daddy is always there for you."

"I'm fine." She brushed her fingers against his frown, smoothing them out as she hummed lightly. Haruhi wasn't usually demonstrative with her affections so Ranka took full advantage of it by pulling her into a tight hug. She squirmed slightly but allowed the contact after pulling her arm free. Poking his cheek, she mock-frowned at him. "That should be my question to you, remember? Are you taking your medication as you should? The hospital changed management, so it might have confused your paperwork with another's. Do you feel you need any supplements to your dinner? I don't want you getting another heart attack on me."

His smile softened in paradox to the way his arms tightened against her. "Don't worry. The Doctors assured me that I've had a complete recovery and that I'm healthy as a horse! In fact," his grin widened and she stilled in horror, "I think we should take it to the test."

Before she could do more than shake her head, he had swung her onto his back and stood, forcing her to wrap her arms around his shoulder if she didn't want to be dropped.

"Dad!"

He hoisted her higher and grabbed her legs before taking off, rushing to the kitchen and back to the living room. She gave a splutter more than the squeal he had expected but the muttered, "Your hair tastes like vanilla," explained why. He laughed at her struggle with his hair and she retaliated by jabbing his shoulder.

"Now that I've got your attention, please let me go."

"Nope."

"Wha–"

He began spinning. She clamped down tightly, let loose a squeak and buried her head into his neck.

Ranka laughed and despite the way he got dizzy himself, he forced himself to continue until he wobbled back to the futon. He dropped carefully face first, puffing a bit from the effort. Haruhi scrambled back and made sure she accidentally poked her knee at a nerve cluster on his back.

He yelped. "Haruhi!"

"Dad!" She huffed.

"You're no cute at all. You should be all giggles and breathless squeals!" That statement earned him another jab, and he winced. What was she learning at the Kasanoda compound? Then again, he aimed a big goofy grin at his wary daughter, she would definitely be able to take care of herself when boys came sniffing. "I'm so proud of my daughter," he proclaimed tearfully.

She rolled her eyes. He could see the shift when she decided to ignore the subject altogether as she turned thoughtfully to him. "What you said about revenge... was it true?"

Immediately alert, he rolled onto his back and lifted so that he leaned onto his elbow instead. "What do you mean? Did someone actually do something?" Hastily, he tacked on, "I will definitely help you!"

A smile tugged at her lips. "No, not that part. When you said I should toss it back tenfold?"

He nodded sharply. "Of course. Anything that makes my daughter hurt should hurt more to the attacker! To prove them wrong on your own terms." He lowered his head, voice going dark and threatening, "Whose arm is it that I should twist?"

"I'm fine," she repeated absently. She was looking at the kitchen with narrowed eyes and before he could open his mouth, she was standing. Her smile was a bit too fixed for his liking.

"Honey?" He called in confusion.

Her gaze snapped to his, laughter bubbling out from her. "Honey," she repeated faintly, then shook her head. "Right. If they want honey, I will give them honey."

Then with a passive aggressive approach that she didn't know she had it in her, she began compiling the recipes mother had left her and picked out those she could use. The sharp smile she wore as she served them dinner worried Ranka a bit. He recognized that expression from the other side of Haruhi's gene pool and knew somebody should begin to run.

At least it wasn't directed at him.

Haruhi watched him carefully as he blew on the prawns. "Oh, these are quite expensive. Didn't know we had sea food at home," he commented. She shrugged stiffly and picked up a prawn of her own. Taking a bite, he made a sound of surprise. "Didn't know you liked sweet food either. What is this?"

"Marinated honey-tea prawns," she said casually. "Do you like it?"

He plastered a big soppy smile and aimed it at her. "I love it! I don't think I've had this particular dish since the Yomiuri Giants pitched a perfect game."

She smiled at him, though her lips were perhaps a little too tight. "Great. Then it would be a prefect time to mention something." He hummed to show he was listening, another prawn falling on his tongue. In that instance, her smile dropped and she dropped her own plate harshly. "Stop buying things we don't need!"

The sudden change of tone made him choke, and he had to cough and splutter when he swallowed wrong.

She passed him her own untouched glass of water absently, frown heavy enough that Ritsu would be proud of her. "These prawns would have gone out of date tomorrow, and if I hadn't found them, that would be several yen in the trashcan! Dad, you can't keep on doing this. And the clothes," she took a deep frustrated breath. "You don't need so many pairs. I don't need so many pairs. I've outgrown half of them already!"

"But Haruhi!" He wheezed out. "You look so cute in them."

"Maybe I want to look cute in a house?"

He set his face, expression mulish. "I just want you to have everything you might possibly want. Is that so wrong?" She folded her arms and held his defiant stare for a long while.

Eventually she sighed, uncurling enough so she could pick up her plate again. "Suit yourself."

He picked up his own plate with some hesitation, not quite believing the way the conversation had ended. It wasn't the first time Haruhi had brought up the subject of his spending so he was admittedly confused by her easy defeat. It usually ended in a lot more growls and halfhearted promises to pinch his wallet, and not... this. He held a wary eye on her as she continued to eat, quickly decimating her portion with the single minded intent of somebody starving.

Haruhi noticed him staring and gave him a saccharine smile that made him shudder. "Enjoy your prawns."

When she had left the table and taken her dishware with it, he turned his wary eyes onto the prawns. She had mentioned they would go bad soon, hadn't she? He poked one of them. It didn't howl as he had half-expected it would.

He glanced over his shoulder. No Haruhi to be seen. In fact, he could hear her turn on the water in the kitchen.

Turning back, he bit his lip in indecision. Would she really serve something that would take him out of commission for a day? No, not his cute Haruhi. Absolutely not. Yet... Ranka hesitated, looking some more at the innocuous prawns on his plate.

Steeling himself, he popped one into his mouth.

Nothing happened. He tried chewing and the wonderful taste of honeyed tea met his taste buds. Nothing.

With one more glance over his shoulder, he shrugged and decided it had only been his imagination. He bit into another prawn.

The sharp and shocked yelp that met Haruhi's ears in the kitchen finally made her smile turn satisfied. Operation Honey Trap had been a success. She hadn't even needed to smear some wasabi on the honey melons they had at home. Only a bit of pepper and a dash of horseradish on one of the prawns, and really, he usually liked spicy food. He shouldn't complain.

She continued doing her dishes, eyes going distant while she contemplated about school. Why they all insisted on keeping a wary eye on her was beyond Haruhi. It's not like she could serve every student modified honey dishes. They were more than a hundred, all in all. Getting called honey trap and such – utterly ridiculous.

Ritsu, on the other hand, needed to stop with his dramatics.

Maybe a honey cake would help?


The month following, she visited Ritsu frequently in hopes to maybe instill some sense into him. He refused any reasonable argument she had about the debt, insisting in turn that he had wronged her. The louder their discussions became, the wider the yakuza' eyes became, and it got to the point she simply had to throw her hands up in the face of his stubbornness.

"Alright, fine. I'll take your stupid debt."

His cheeks colored, smile wobbling between a scowl and a smile. "Thank you!" Under his breath, he added, "You didn't need to make it sound so unwanted though."

"It is unwanted," Haruhi volleyed back, only stopping herself from continuing by taking a deep breath and rubbing her temples. She wouldn't fall for that trap. It was over and done with now.

"Hrnh!" He muttered aggressively.

She pinned him with a flat look. "Maybe I will even collect your debt right now."

His expression drained away into a wide-eyed look that mirrored the yakuza who pretended that they had errands around the small garden. Ritsu tried to work his jaw but found he couldn't so much as throw a glare at the witnesses. As was common in cases like these, Ritsu fell back on yakuza training.

Slamming his palms on top of his knees and bowing low enough to be subservient but not entirely submissive, he ground forcefully out, "I will try my hardest to fulfill your wish."

The only sign of her surprise was the twitch to her hand. "Good," she said instead. She folded her arms. "Then I suppose you won't have any problem asking your Kobun to a game of kick the can?"

"I will of course– what?!" He was close to making the grass meet his face, the only saving grace being the way his feet had rooted to the ground. Ritsu looked wildly around, face alight with embarrassment and expression deadly enough to scatter the shell shocked yakuza. Turning to her with teeth bared, he hissed, "How did you – I'm too old for that crap!"

If he thought he was being subtle about his longing gazes whenever they were around, he really was more of an idiot than she had first realized.

"So..." She tilted her head. "You don't want to play with me?"

His mouth flapped open, but no words came out.

Drawing upon the lessons Yoshiteru had given her, she slyly asked, "Does that mean you retract the debt?"

Ritsu looked torn between horrified and fondly despairing. His mouth continued to open and close while his arms waved aggressively between them. Eventually, he made a strangled sound and all energy drained out of him. He hung his head.

"How... How did you know?" He whispered.

She stepped up to him and offered him a commiserating smile, patting his shoulder. "You're really obvious."

His bottom lip wobbled, but he gave a sharp nod and spun on his heel, determined to get the task over as fast as humanly possible. He stomped over to the nearest yakuza, almost making the floor quiver. Haruhi shook her head fondly when his approach made the yakuza squeak.

"Play kick the can with me!" Ritsu demanded of the grown man.

He nodded frantically. "Yes, Ritsu-sama!"

"Good," he said sharply, his voice almost strangling the word to oblivion. He made a furious motion to the courtyard and then strode to the next yakuza with the same gritted determination.

Haruhi could almost see the steam that flowed out of her friend's ears. "He's that embarrassed, huh?" She commented absently.

The yakuza who had been directed to her side glanced at her. His lips tightened. "Yea, Nee-san," was all that he offered in return. His shoulders shook slightly, and even Haruhi wasn't sure if that was because he was afraid or containing laughter. Considering the sanity the yakuza contained within, she would guess it was a little bit of both.

Returning her gaze to Ritsu, she smiled. He was stomping around the compound and gathering men to his game of kick the can. The subordinates was rushing left and right to gather the cans needed, shouting between them, "CANS! Get the cans! Just chug it and get it here, Ritsu-sama wants them!" The small inner-courtyard was steadily filling up with men jostling for elbow room, some of them invited to the game but as she had expected, the clear majority was those that had missed playing the game with Ritsu. He was the darling heir, and when he wanted to play, then there better be somebody playing.

Despite how she was forced to retreat to the terrace to not be crushed, her smile did not waver. Ritsu's bright eyes outweighed the clear exasperation she felt for stubborn yakuza.

Honestly. "Simply do what makes you happy," she sighed. Was that so hard to understand?


Ami slung an arm over her shoulder the moment she entered the classroom. "So the rumor's that you've forced Kasanoda-san to gather all of his men."

She raised one eyebrow, confused. She had somehow expected more. The last time the rumor had centered around her, variations had sprouted forward like branches out of a tree. "That's all?"

"Nah, but that's the only point they agree on. I hardly think you would actually stage a war on the Kyoto branch, for example... Right?" Ami stared intensely at her.

Haruhi only got more confused. "Why would I do that?"

She let out one sharp bark of laughter. Despite her agreeing nod, Haruhi noted the way her shoulders relaxed in relief. "No, no, you're not that bloodthirsty." Steering Haruhi to her seat and allowing her to settle down, Ami remained standing, her hip leaning on the side of the desk. "But is the rumor right? About the first part?"

"I guess," she answered distractedly, rummaging around for the first lesson's books. "Not all yakuza, since there's outer branches of Kasanoda that almost never come to the compound and plenty of men and women that lives with their families, but pretty much."

"... C'mon, do I have to beg? What did you demand of him?"

Haruhi finally looked up at Ami, a smile appearing at the memory. "We played kick the can."

Ami visibly paused.

"Ah... You're joking." She peered at Haruhi, her expression becoming stiff when she shook her head in answer to the silent question. "You're... not joking? You mean to tell me that the debt Kasanoda-san owed to you, where you could demand anything of him and his honor would make him obliged to fulfill, you asked for... a game of kick the can?"

The few classmates that was as early as Haruhi stood silent, hardly daring to breathe.

She only shrugged in answer. "I don't know what to say. That's what happened."

Ami burst out into helpless laughter, some classmates joining in with graceless chuckles at the sheer ridiculousness of it.

Haruhi knew how it must sound to them, but really, this was her everyday life ever since she met Ritsu. It was entirely his fault, and that was one opinion she wouldn't drop.

Ignoring Ami who had seemingly collapsed into her chair with sporadic laughter slipping out from between her tightly clasped lips, Haruhi opened her book and turned to the chapter they were on. She had done her homework the day before and her neck still hurt from the effort. It had become slightly annoying the way her back would ache from late study sessions. She would always have to sit close to the book to even see the words nowadays.

She rolled her shoulders, grimacing lightly. The game of kick the can might have exacerbated things, of course, but she couldn't forget the way the yakuza had cheered their throats hoarse whenever Ritsu would manage to topple the mountain of cans. His eyes would alight before he remembered where he was, and she really couldn't regret the game despite how it had forced her to be up at night.

Discretely rubbing her neck and completely missing the unwavering stares on her form, she stood up with the rest of the class when their teacher entered, bowed, and sat down again with the direction of their class president.

While the teacher droned on about the Meiji and giving a summary of their earlier lessons, Haruhi allowed her eyes to linger on the school board. She sat a few rows into the classroom, comfortably in the middle where it was neither too hot nor too cold in the days. Despite this, she found it a bit cumbersome to be placed there.

Haruhi didn't want to complain though.

She stared at the school board, eyes squinting hard until she began to tear up from the effort and the crisp lines of her teacher's chalky words began to spin and whirl in her vision. She shut her eyes against the confusion, yet it only seemed to make things worse. The kanji danced under eyelids, taunting her by adding and detracting lines to make the meaning incomprehensible.

Tilting her head down and opening her eyes to the sight of her notebook, she pursed her lips. Haruhi rolled her shoulders and gripped her pen a little tighter, allowing the droning of her teacher to float through her while she made notes. She used her textbook diligently when she didn't quite manage to catch a word, only glancing up when their teacher made a motion to add emphasis on a sentence.

Ami was the first one up when the lesson ended, but Haruhi wasn't far behind. While two hours with History always felt longer, Haruhi couldn't quite muster up her usual joy at learning something new.

"Ugh, I can't believe we have to sit inside. And it's such a beautiful day, too" Ami groused, words heavy with sarcasm. She linked her hands behind her head, the two buns bobbing alongside her as she turned to Haruhi.

Haruhi faltered. "What do you mean, beautiful day?"

Please say she heard wrong.

Ami rolled her eyes, leading the both of them to the lunchroom in a careless pace. Several of their classmates walked past them. "I know you're the student with an apple ready for every teacher, but c'mon, what did I say before? Look around you a little more. It was raining cats and dogs outside!"

All the color drained from Haruhi's face, and she stopped walking.

Ami stopped too, but she didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Her expression was screwed up with heavy dislike. "I can't believe we have to be outside after lunch. We will literally freeze to death in those lecherous bloomers!"

Stiffly, Haruhi turned to the windows lining the hallway, already knowing what she was going to see. She heard herself respond faintly, "I thought you liked those lecherous bloomers." Ami usually wore her skirt short, after all.

"Yeah, but not when it's a storm rolling in."

And as she said, when Haruhi glanced outside and saw through the blurry windows the black rolling clouds, she knew a storm was coming. In the distance, rain had begun to fall, rapidly closing in on their location.

Haruhi tensed.

She was always careful to look at the weather prognosis every week. It was Monday now, and while she had yet to pick up the newspaper for her father, she thought it highly unfair how a storm could surprise them with its presence with only a day to gather itself. There had been no hint of it yesterday.

Uneasily glancing at the window, she picked up her pace unconsciously and walked with Ami to the lunch room. It wasn't until her eyes had landed on red fiery hair and how her shoulders relaxed at the sight of him that she realized who she had been looking for.

Ritsu caught her eyes, eyebrows flying up. He immediately went to her side, plowing into the crowd easily like a boat cutting through the ocean.

"Haruhi," he said breathlessly, "are you alright?"

She gave a tight nod.

Ami lingered, maybe a bit too curious than was healthy considering the glare Ritsu leveled at her. He didn't have to say anything. Ami's eyes flickered between them before she gave a mirthless smile and bowed out of the conversation.

Ritsu herded her outside to the hallway just in case. "Are you sure?" He demanded brusquely.

Haruhi could feel it when a mask slipped onto her face. It was with ease of repetition that she said to him, without even glancing outside, "I'm fine. It's just a bit of rain."

If anything, his face became more fearsome. "Don't lie," he hissed out. At her startled look, he took a deep restraining breath and exhaled his frustration. "Not me... Don't lie to me, please."

She breathed out too, her expression mirroring his tight concern. "I'm fine," she stressed.

He looked at her dubiously.

"For now," she added.

They stared at each other, neither willing to be the first one to break off. The clamor from the whole first division of the school taking lunch break at the same time got muted, muffled by the heavy doors closing after the last student slipped inside.

The soft patter of rain against the windowsill made her break their eye contact. She frowned at the clouds outside. There was no thunder yet, but she knew it would be only a matter of time before the heavier clouds would descend on them.

Ritsu grumbled, catching Haruhi's attention again. He drew himself up and scowled. "I guess I'll make up a reason for your teacher. You have gym next, right?" He grumbled audibly under his breath, "He's such a pain in the ass."

She stared at him.

"What?" His cheeks colored and he glared at the wall. "He is. There's no use denying it."

She blinked. "I'm... not?"

He flushed more, his stance becoming threatening thanks to it. "Look, I can get you out of school if you don't want to be here when the storm hits." As if to prove his words, he began to usher a silent Haruhi down the stairs. "Just get home and eat ice cream – do whatever you need to do to become happy."

She continued to stare at him, seemingly unable to take her eyes off him. He took advantage of this by gently steering her outside and across an open walkway that would cut straight through towards the shoe lockers. They made a strange sight, a gruff boy with his shoulders nearly to his ears stomping in the rain and a smaller girl following him with a dazed expression. Older students glanced outside their classroom windows and saw the usual Kasanoda pair, up to their strange antics.

Haruhi didn't care at the stares they attracted. She stopped walking, forcing Ritsu to come to a stop too. "What are you trying to do?" Her voice quivered.

Was he... helping her?

But she didn't need help.

"I promised to protect you."

"And I said I could handle myself," she whispered. Her skin crawled at the contact of the rain, reminding her again why her heart was constricting and her chest expanding with live electricity. She shook slightly.

He held her gaze with an unwavering focus. "Please. Let me help you."

She curled her fingers tight, locking her limbs in place and tried to breathe. She... She absolutely despised this weakness of hers. How it made her shake like a leaf, everything that made her Haruhi blown away like the wind.

And yet...

"Alright," she breathed out. She smiled tremulously and nodded. "I trust you."

He nodded back.

They continued across the small garden, hurrying once again inside.

"I can come with you if you want," he began, but continued easily when she shook her head, "but I can also stay. Get the gym teacher to let you slip one measly class."

She nodded absently to his words while also trying to get her wet socks to slip into her shoes. It was a surprisingly hard endeavour. Outside, the rain beat hard down onto the ground, and she winced. The general grumblings the clouds made in storms was uncomfortable but not devastating to her. It was the actual thunder she couldn't stand.

Ritsu abruptly tossed an umbrella at her, and while her reflexes wasn't as good as his, she managed to catch it with some awkward fumbling.

"This isn't mine."

His stare said take it. She debated giving it back, but with one more look outside, she accepted it. Shuffling uneasily towards the door, she laid a hand on its cold surface.

She looked back over her shoulder and attempted a small, sincere smile. "You know, you were really cool back there."

"HRNH?!" His face exploded into an inferno and he flailed his arms, almost desperately beckoning for her to leave.

She stifled a giggle. Giving him a short bow that made him splutter and scowl even more, she pushed the door open and gratefully escaped the confine of judging eyes while she was at her weakest.


The sky rumbled over her head and she forced her stiff legs to continue to propel her forward. Her heart drummed a loud rhythm in her ears that she followed, almost sprinting across the streets with a see-through umbrella guiding her way. A few people ran past her, although most were inside in either cozy apartments or stood snug under roofs, waiting for the bus to arrive.

She rushed past the blurry sign of the underground subway and the police station that was located nearby. The friendly police would probably offer her their break room if she asked, even though she was quite clearly skiving class, but she knew she couldn't take advantage of them like that. It would put them in a precarious situation.

Despite this, she sent a longing glance at the street to her right. Her house was much further away, and unfortunately for her, the weather had a bad habit of never waiting for anybody.

"Oi! You!"

A form was running from that direction, the figure nearly unintelligible thanks to the cascading rain.

Haruhi stopped, distracted by the rude address. Were they talking to her? She looked around. "Yes?" She called.

The figure came closer and closer until she could finally see the broad figure of a boy her age looming over her. His lips was curled into a soft bow of a smile, but his eyes were cutting in their intensity. "Yea, you. Can you help me?"

She looked up at him in surprise. He had the colors of a foreigner, blond hair slicked back from his pale eyes and high cheekbones. Even his words had the distinct tone of a more rhythmic dialect. His clothes was from a neighboring school too, so she supposed he hadn't meant to be rude. Maybe he was an exchange student?

Either way, the small lull while he patiently waited for her made Haruhi conscious of the rain beating against her umbrella. She shuffled, uneasy.

"Yes, of course," she replied eventually. She glanced to the sky before returning her attention to him. "How can I help you?"

"Give me your umbrella."

She blinked. "I'm using it."

The quick refute startled him. He straightened his back, eyes narrowing at her while his smile remained firmly fixed. Rivulets of water poured from the top of his head and down his neck, utterly soaking his black uniform. She felt a brief stab of pity.

"You can always buy an umbrella at the nearest shop," she informed him. "It barely costs anything. And if they don't sell any, I'm sure they can direct you to the nearest shop who do."

He continued to stare at her. It was a bit unerring, but she only shuffled, occasionally glancing up at the sky with a churning stomach. The boy took a step to the side, inclining his head to the street he had left.

Used to non-verbal communication from Ritsu, she obligingly looked over and saw nothing but blurry shapes of houses and forms on the ground. Trash, most likely, that had blown over in the wind. She looked back at him, confused. Going out on a limb, she said, "There's a police station down that road. I can take you there, if you want, and help you get settled. Maybe help you direct any inquires you want?"

He stiffened.

A beat later, she stiffened too from the brief flash she saw from the corner of her eyes. The thunder that raced across the sky five seconds later was subdued in its magnitude, but it made Haruhi stop breathing for a moment. Her knees locked and every muscle she had became rigid. She closed her eyes briefly, pushing out her chest to stimulate normal breathing patterns.

When she managed to look up again, she was met with dark eyes and teeth. He reached a hand out with his fingers curled, almost agonizingly slowly as his eyes were fixed on her.

It took a conscious pull of her strength to command her legs to move again. Her skin felt like it was on fire, burning and at the same time, soaked with ice. Beyond jittery at this point, she stepped forward to meet his outstretched arm and lifted the umbrella above them both. "Look," she said quickly, her voice shaking slightly, "I need this umbrella a bit longer, but come with me and I can give it to you. Is that alright?"

Maybe he didn't have any money to buy an umbrella, maybe he didn't like talking with officers and simply wanted her to introduce him to them, but either way, she couldn't stay still any longer.

His arm hovered between them, awkward and limp. His eyes were large enough that she could see his whites reflecting back her stubborn expression.

"I know you might not want to share an umbrella with me," and wouldn't it be inconvenient if her father saw her sharing with a boy, "but please. I promise you can have it later."

She urged him forward, shuffling forward and beckoning for him to follow.

His arm fell. He continued to stare.

Now he was simply being impossible. She scowled and grabbed his hand with her own free left hand, gave him a tug, and then released him to nudge him forward with her shoulder. The umbrella was meant for a single person, but they were both around twelve years old so they barely managed to fit if they walked side by side.

At her touch, he jolted, eyes widening before he returned to his first expression he had greeted her with. A smile coupled with burning eyes.

"Alright," he said slowly, almost caressing the word with how it came out. "Lead on."

Grateful, she pushed for a fast pace that he easily managed to keep up with. She could feel his stare drill into the side of her face as she ducked into different alleys.

"Are you leading me into an ambush?" He spoke up about halfway there, startling her.

She glanced at him, but her eyes skittered back to the sky a moment later when she saw another flash. Apprehensive, she closed her eyes and continued forward. "No. Unless you count my father, but I doubt he's home."

"... You're leading me to your house?"

Distracted by the delaying thunder, she nodded. "Yes. You can have the umbrella after that." She didn't think it was her friend's umbrella, and even if it was, Ritsu wouldn't mind.

Her feet snagged suddenly on something, and she yelped, eyes flying open. Steady hands on her shoulders prevented her from doing more than stumble.

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't think maybe you shouldn't close your eyes around a stranger?" Sardonically, he added, "Maybe you shouldn't lead a stranger to your house either. What are you, eight?"

"Twelve actually." She glanced to the sky and breathed out a relieved smile when there was no sign of thunder. Maybe the lightning had been too far away.

"Huh. You Japs all look the same at that age."

"Rude," Haruhi countered immediately. She was tempted to tilt all the rain water onto his shoulder, but he was already soaked. It wouldn't solve anything. She frowned at him. "Do I really look eight?"

He considered her from his height of a head longer. His smile was entirely fake when he suggested, "Maybe it's your behavior...?"

Haruhi huffed at him, but she didn't respond. He had a strange humor. She would have been insulted if he had actually meant it – however, he reminded her of Ami. She was always testing her, saying things she didn't actually mean so that she could observe Haruhi's reaction. It was a strange past time to be engaging in. Common, but strange.

The tight ball in her stomach eased when she finally turned another corner and saw her apartment complex. She eased into a slower pace and handed the umbrella over to the boy. "Here's where I leave you. Keep the umbrella, and good luck with getting home!"

She gave a short bow before hurrying home, almost sprinting up the stairs and flinging the door open. It was just in time, because thunder boomed behind her and she slammed the door shut behind her, almost diving across the floor to pull a comforter over her head.

As the sky continued its discontent outside the house, she reflected that maybe she should have been more polite before leaving the boy outside. Maybe he needed help getting back? She could at least have offered her name, but as the sky rumbled, she burrowed in and tried to forget anything about the outside weather.

… Maybe she should grab some ice cream like Ritsu had suggested. That would distract her.


She woke up well rested the next day, greeted by a sleepy Ranka who had collapsed in the bed a few hours earlier. He had also brought home a free newspaper that reported how the weather would stay clear for the rest of the week. A glance outside confirmed this.

Ami was once again the first familiar face she was met with upon entering school. Her arm was slung over her shoulder, and Ami cocked her hip to the side. "People are talking."

"Aren't they always?"

They shared a knowing glance. "True enough," Ami laughed. "And did you know something else? You're an excellent side-stepper of speech."

"Sounds like quite a title," Haruhi commented. She smiled at Ami's disgruntled expression. "Just kidding. I honestly don't know what you mean. What are they talking about now? Honey cakes?"

She looked briefly confused. "Honey cakes?" She shook her head. "No, nevermind. I swear, your entire existence is born to yank my chain." Ami gave a rueful sigh, mostly for dramatics if Haruhi could read her right. They walked to their classroom, and as usual, they garnered glances. Ami put on a swagger and winked.

"People talking?" Haruhi prompted after awhile.

Ami gave her a sidelong glance. She looked ahead again as she stated casually, "Those who wish to stay a neutral observer in the school must not do anything untoward to upset the fragile balance." Ami lowered her voice. "They must not fraternize with the enemy."

The usually cocky girl let that sink in before she brightened again, changing the conversation towards what she had missed yesterday. No matter how Haruhi tried, Ami refused to talk about what she had said.

Fraternizing with the enemy? Was it like how lawyers wasn't supposed to contact the other client?

While she mulled that over and tried to find an answer that didn't begin and end with 'insane', she carefully filed away Ami's warning. Also, the way she had said it... What twelve year old uses words like 'untoward' and 'fraternize'?

Ignoring herself, obviously.

She made careful note of it, but the tension around Ami's eyes convinced her not to point it out. When and if Ami wanted to tell her, she would know.

Soon the bell rang, and she couldn't question her even if she had wanted. Today's Japanese lesson had dumped them with a whole slew of new kanji to learn, and her eyes got a little dizzy only thinking about it. She had been afraid she would know nothing about what the teacher had written on the school board. Thankfully, they had gotten a sheet listing them all that Haruhi actually understood. She knew half of them already from her reading of the law book. Although she would need a dictionary for some of them, she was pleased with the results late study sessions had brought her.

Next period was another teacher-free one, and Haruhi grumbled a little internally at that. Ami took that chance to smile with enough teeth to make anyone wary and propel her towards another empty building site. Haruhi had put her foot down on missing lunch, so Ami was particularly insisent that they should hurry. "C'mon! You haven't been to any of the fights since we hosted. You've got to see this one."

"Do I really?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yes. You have to. One more fight and we'll win!"

Haruhi glanced dubiously at the other students hurrying alongside them. There were mainly third years this time, with the few second and first year student intermingled. Apparently this was a popular affair among the older students. "I don't know..."

Ami didn't take no for an answer. Placing them in the middle of the crowd and an arm interloped with her own, Ami effectively stopped her from escaping.

A few dozens maneuvers that the Kasanoda yakuza had instilled in her to break such a grip came into mind, but she dismissed them easily. She was among classmates in the school Ritsu himself had chosen. There was no need for any sort of violence here.

She sighed in defeat, ignoring the triumphant grin Ami wore. "So who are we fighting? What will we win? And why?" Before she could say anything, Haruhi clarified, "No, I'm not yanking your chain. Yes, I'm honest. Yes, I actually don't know. No, I'm not going in there without knowing."

Ami closed her mouth. "Huh." She blinked. "That's effective. So to answer your questions like you're a newborn foal who was born from a rock..." Ami trailed off suggestively, waiting for any input to the contrary. Haruhi only waited expectantly. "Huh. Alright then. We're competing against our rivals, that darn school that I will literally cry if you don't know about. We will win power over all the schools in the Tokyo area. And why... Obviously it's so that we will have power over all the schools in the district."

"Obviously," Haruhi echoed flatly.

Ami hummed, neither clarifying her obtuse answers nor diminishing her large grin. The opposing students some random group in Haruhi's school was fighting against appeared to be in middle-school too.

She recognized those uniforms though.

And that boy who stood stonily in the center of the ring that had naturally formed around him. Haruhi tilted her head. His slicked back blond hair was familiar, but more so the umbrella he gripped like a walking cane. "Huh," she muttered. That must be what Ami had meant when she talked about fraternizing with the enemy. She turned to Ami for confirmation. "So he's the enemy?"

"Yes," she whispered back, eyes hungrily taking in the scene of two opposing groups squaring off against each other. Neither had moved yet, so Ami spared some of her attention. "He's single-handedly beaten every other school. I've heard that those who are behind him is only there to take care of the wounded."

"Do you think he will win?"

"No. Yes. Maybe." Ami shrugged. "The odds are everywhere on this one. But our school hasn't lost yet. We're the crème de la crème and he's the upstart foreigner... I wonder who will win."

Those close to them murmured their agreement, shifting to get closer. Ami was one of the shortest in their class if one discounted the two buns on her head, but Haruhi was the shortest of all the first years. She was disgruntled from this and a bit resigned that it would mean she was always going to be jostled around.

A sharp elbow to the side was too much though.

"Hey! Watch it!" She cried out, twisting away from the uncomfortable feeling. She heard a muttered sorry before a strange hush descended on the pseudo-arena.

Ami looked startled, eyes flickering from her and then to the inside of the circle. With an apologetic glance, she stepped away from Haruhi on an unseen signal, leaving Haruhi to suddenly stand alone.

"You."

She... recognized that voice.

Haruhi looked up to see the foreign boy looming over her again with a friendly smile. The eyes communicated something else entirely. "Hello. Again." She tilted her head. "Did you have a nice return trip?"

"Mhm," he smiled. "I think this belongs to you."

She accepted the umbrella with both hands. "Thank you. I appreciate it, but," she glanced around at all the stares directed at the two of them. They were being quite blatant. And rude. He didn't seem to mind though, so she shrugged, offering him a smile. "It's not mine though. I did give it to you."

He mimicked her head tilt. "And I'm giving it back to you."

He was being awfully polite with his words. Was it unlike him, or was it the norm? She nodded slowly. "Alright. Thank you."

"Are you going to watch the fight?"

She glanced at Ami. "Yes. I suppose I am."

He snapped his fingers with a friendly smile. "You suppose? You don't want to?"

"I don't see the point," she answered. Several people gasped, and she shrugged. She really didn't understand the culture they had built on power and prestige. It made more sense than the fixation some people had on appearances and the like, but Haruhi was more a pacifist at heart.

"Then do you wanna ditch?" He asked nicely. It took a moment for that question to get through, and she wasn't the only one who blinked dumbly at him.

"Yes?"

"Good answer."

He nudged her shoulder like she had done to him and started walking to the exit. The students gasped, staggering from the abrupt leave. Haruhi thought she even saw someone face flop.

She hesitated briefly before following him.

"Want to explain what that was all about?"

"Nope."

Haruhi sighed. "Okay then."

He stopped. "Wait, what?" He turned to her, bewildered. "Really?"

"If you don't want to talk, I won't force you."

"Not like you can."

"True," she agreed easily.

He started walking away from the building site again, and since it was along the same route she would use to get back to school, she followed. "You're still eight, you know."

"My behavior again?" She sighed in exasperation. While it was much more simple talking with him when rain clouds didn't threaten them overhead, his words only made her head hurt. "What is it this time?"

He started walking backwards, his hand curled into a fist and grin sharp. "Your sense of danger is –"

"Nee-san!" A sharp cry cut through.

And the following few seconds would be imprinted in Haruhi's mind for a long time more.

Several familiar faces dove forward, tackling the startled boy she was walking with and bringing him down to the ground. The two adults from the Kasanoda Syndicate was struggling to subdue him, growling and trying to throw their whole body weight against him. He was putting up quite a fight though. He pushed and rolled, taking advantage of the small height difference they had to make up for his age.

She honestly wasn't sure who would have won if it wasn't for the five more yakuza who surrounded him.

"Nee-san!" They called. "We've subdued the threat!"

She stared at them. "What?"

One of the yakuza stepped up to her and bowed deeply. "We've heard reports that this sinister individual has been seen outside your apartment."

"What?" So they were still protecting her house. She knew it! The realization made her face change from neutral to dangerously flat. "That's why you attacked –" She couldn't say anything more before someone had pulled her into a car, or more accurately a limousine, and shut the door on her.

She glared balefully at the yakuza who smiled sincerely at her. "You're safe now, Nee-san!"

They refused to hear a word of what she said on the contrary. They were adamant that the boy had threatened her before and was going to harm her. She tried to explain – only to be cut short again and ushered into the Kasanoda compound and guided to a secluded room where guards was posted outside.

She bristled like an angry cat.

Ritsu came thundering in when she was beginning to entertain thoughts of bodily harm five minutes later. "Are you alright?" He growled out in worry. "Are you –" He stopped short at the smile she aimed at him.

"Can I be let out now?"

"I-I – Yes, I can – I'll open the door," he tripped over his own feet before he opened the door, pressing himself flat against the wall as she passed with that same smile fixed on her lips.

The guards had a similar reaction when they saw her.

"What did you do?" She could hear Ritsu whisper frantically.

"We didn't do anything!"

Haruhi breathed out slowly, trying to calm herself. But the startled look the boy wore when he was tackled stayed in her mind. From experience, she walked along the hallways that housed a few of the lawyers and then deeper into the compound where a certain room with a crane on its wall were. The opposing wall had a red bridge with a moon overlooking the scenery. Kasanoda senior had disliked the idea of her wandering into that area, but he couldn't really deny the result she had brought when she went on a cleaning spree.

His compromise had been to post guards whenever the room was occupied.

She was met with two guards, as she had expected.

"Let me in," she said simply. When they looked ready to protest, she smiled wider and pulled all of her years together with Yoshiteru the lawyer and said, "He was taken for being a suspicious individual and acting threatening. He was found outside my apartment complex and you deemed him a threat. You don't have all the evidence though: I led him to my apartment. He never once initiated contact with me. And lastly, the appearance of an individual should never rule your mind, and since actions speak louder than words, I will say he never acted on any violent impulse he might have had in my presence."

She took a deep breath, squarely meeting their respective eyes.

"Hyobe-san, Hideta-san. Let me in, please."

They shared an uneasy glance. Bowing to her, they murmured, "Yes, Nee-san." That frigid smile was remembered from the last time Haruhi had stormed into the compound in search of their heir. That fight had gotten legendary, the rumors as always spiraling out of proportion.

Haruhi was reaping the benefits from it now.

Striding inside, she immediately bowed to the startled boy and said, "Sorry for the inconvenience. You're free to leave whenever you want."

He gaped.

"I understand if you will never want to hear of me again. The Kasanoda will stay clear of you and I won't ever come to witness another of your fights again if you wish it so."

He nodded slowly. His smile twitched into a friendly one, and she blamed her exhaustion at dealing with paranoid yakuza when she couldn't pinpoint it as false. "Goodbye then."

He walked out without a second word spoken.

She followed him at a distance, making sure that he left the compound unharmed and that anyone who protested would answer to her.

There weren't any protests though. The two guards from that particular room was escorting her around, glaring at anyone who glanced their way. Ritsu did the same, not knowing why but always up for helping.

She didn't go back to school that day, only settling down with a book and ignoring anyone who tried to start any sort of conversation. She stopped by the cooks briefly and wrote out a recipe they could use a few hours before dinner, and went back to her book after that.

That night, the cooks helped prepare her dish of honey-sprinkled meat. Nothing untoward had been added to it. Certainly nothing bad that would warrant the ill grimaces that the dish had been awarded with at the dinner table. Haruhi didn't understand it, but she thought so most of the times she visited, so this was nothing abnormal.

Smiling sweetly at them, she tore a chunk out of the meat and politely chewed with a hand over her mouth. She wasn't quite ready to forgive them yet for the breach in privacy, but she was trying. They were honestly looking out for her well-being, so she would try to treat them with the same courtesy.

That didn't mean she wasn't prepared to serve them food dripping with honey.

For the yakuza, their grimaces might be more from her sickly sweet smile and not the actual food, but no one said a word of it.


A/N Alright, I admit defeat. This was longer than I wanted and the one before was much more shorter. Maybe it balances out? And with how my planning seems to be going, I'm going to cram two years into the next chapter, so it will be roughly 10k too.

I sincerely hope you liked this chapter, even if it seems a bit odd with its events. It will all tie into her middle-school arc.

See you at the next chapter!