Sarah: Hello all! I have finally updated. At least it was a lot sooner than the last one. After reading this short filler chapter you might all think that our dear Ryou and Ichigo are out of character... but I don't want to hear any crap about it. It will all make sense in future chapters okay?? I tried to make this one as entertaining as possible. Hopefull I didn't fail. RxR please! Enjoy!

Despite the amazing suspicion Ichigo felt at the invitation to a party she got from the three people who hated her most, she was standing in the middle of the mall with Lettuce, Mint and Zakuro reviewing clothing options. They led her into a shop that she wished could shop at, browsing at clothes nonchalantly. Why the heck was she here….. She didn't even have any money for clothes.

"Erm, guys?" They split off into the inner workings of the shop. Zakuro and Mint just being plain rich and famous and Lettuce had her parent's credit card. "Guuuuuuuuys…." They continued to shop, ignoring her.

"GUYS!" Ichigo shouted causing the entire population of Japan to stare at her. She shrunk back a little. "You all know I have no money to shop in a place like this, right?" Ichigo sighed, defeated.

"We have this covered," Zakuro replied quietly, still sifting through racks of expensive clothes.

"Yes," Lettuce added, "We are also quite aware that you do not want to be here. So let this be our treat."

"I'm just here because I have cash to burn," Mint smirked, not realizing her cruelty as usual.

Ichigo sunk. She sat on the edge of a platform holding mannequins modeling clothes worthy of a goddess.

Her friends picked out assorted cute tee-shirts and jeans, along with a nice casual baby doll dress. Score!

'How in hell am I going to pay this back?' Ichigo trailed behind everyone just a couple of steps. She tried to calculate her debt in her head. But instead of realizing each pair of jeans was twenty-five dollars, she thought the jeans in total were twenty-five dollars and messed herself up.

"Great, I'm going backwards… I can't even add." Math? Wait a second….

Amidst her sulking, her phone vibrated in her purse. She took it out and looked at the LED screen.

Ryou Shirogane

Oh shit.

'Oh no!! I totally blanked on tutoring today! He's probably wicked pissed. All right, just play it cool. Answer the phone and pretend you're not flipping out of your pants.'

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?"

'Think, think, think. Fast!'

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Uhm… there was kind of an emergency, and I burned my house down… Yeah, and now I'm trying to figure out where to live. So I have to go—"

"Are those new jeans? Very flattering."

"Oh I know! Aren't they the coolest? They— wait a minute… How did you know I'm wearing new jeans?"

"Look up." And Ichigo did. There leaning casually over the banister on the second floor was Ryou Shirogane… in the flesh… waving... at you.

Double shit.

Ichigo froze. "Damn…" She slumped her shoulders and slowly closed her phone. Her friends abandoned her, leaving to check out a sale at some store. Ichigo gave up without a fight… (Ha didn't see that coming) She was over embarrassed that she had been caught lying. Her face was about the color of her hair and she hoped that Ryou would have some compassion and not flick her.

"Hey sunshine," Ryou said with the fake smile on his face, shielding his murderous intention.

"H-hi…" Ichigo murmured. Flinching occasionally, because she wasn't sure when he was going to attack.

"Sooooo. If you burned your house down, why are you off gallivanting at the mall?" Ryou slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!! I panicked when you called. The smarter me says that I should've just let the phone go to voicemail! But then you would've been even more pissed. And, and—"

"Whoa. Time out… There is a smarter side of you?"

Totally walked into that one.

Ichigo punched him hard in the arm. She pulled her hand back, trying to hide the pain she felt. The kid may be lanky, but under that layer of skin is rock hard muscle. Ryou was rubbing at the sore spot.

"Jeeze, why'd you do that?"

"Because you piss me off," Ichigo went to walk around him and try to find her friends again.

"What? You skipped out on tutoring that I do for YOU, and you're mad?" Ryou grasped Ichigo's shoulder and turned her around.

"I know! God I know… you have every right to be angry, but making fun of me takes that away! Maybe if you just scolded me or something I wouldn't have cared." Ichigo walked over to the bench by the fountain in the center of the food court. 'Did I just ask to get yelled at? What is wrong with me today?'

"Exactly you dip. You wouldn't have cared. I don't discipline you just for fun… sometimes. I want to make sure you learn something. So criticism is your weak point. I get in your head, that's the whole point of making fun of you… kind of." Ryou smirked again.

Ichigo stood up and hit the brick wall beside the bench as hard as she could. "Hey there…" Ryou said.

She repeated until Ryou's hand slid down her arm and covered her throbbing hand with his own. Her back leaned against his front. He leaned down to her ear.

"Are you done yet?" he whispered.

Ichigo stood there motionless… She didn't even realize Ryou sat her back down. She also didn't realize he was still lightly holding her hand.

"You sure know how to spazz out," he ran his free hand through his hair. Moment officially ruined.

"Hey girls there's Ichigo," Lettuce's voice rang out from a store in front of them. "Oh wait! They're having a moment… retreat!" All three girls went back inside the store snickering to each other.

Triple shit.

"It's not what it looks like!" Ichigo sprang up defense mechanisms at the ready. Ryou pulled her back down.

"Ha. You've been abandoned. Let's go." Ryou dragged Ichigo out of the mall and back to the Café, where she spent the rest of her afternoon doing speed tests and minute drills.

"Revenge is so sweet." Ryou leaned back on his chair as Ichigo sweated over the piece of paper. She looked up glared, and kicked over his chair sending him to the ground below.

"Yes. Yes it is." Ichigo stuck her tongue out and proceeded to finish her quiz.

Sarah: So how was it? Not to off topic, right? well whatever I updated. That's all I care about. But I do need your help. Should I do another funny filler chapter or get right back into the plot? I think I know the answer already, but still. It's nice to know what you all think. Now you see that little blue box over to the left? Isn't it so tempting to leave one little review? I will be so grateful!! Please rxr!! I hope you enjoyed! Till next chapter, TTFN!