As fun as teasing Hio was, I knew I could never pass the chance to tick Kanae's nerves and so after a good half hour of telling him my tried and tested tips, I went home and headed straight for Kanae's house. Not only is she more sensitive, she is easily roused by the smallest of things. After that, I asked my manager to let me off by my own this time since I do not have any further engagements, I wore my favorite cap and glasses and pulled down my hair to look and to blend in like the rest of the high school students in the crowd.

A good thirty minutes later, I was at her home but all thoughts of teasing her were gone. I was a little, okay, more than a little worried ever since her runaway groom incident that one of these days she just might snap and literally take out her- whoa, whoa, whoa, stop! My inner actress is rearing its ugly head and giving me these worst assumptions ever. For a good five seconds, I calmed myself and went inside. Though the room was not lit, I've been here enough to know where the switches are, so I breathed a sigh of relief when my vision confirmed that nothing was torn, shredded, or even out of place.

However that new information did nothing to alleviate ALL of my fears. Kanae is a private person so probably she is in her room. After hastily taking the stairs two at a time, my former thought was verified.

"Kotonami-san, what happened?" Seeing blood and broken glass with her lying on the ground face down, and long, black hair covering her face made me automatically assumed the worst. 'You stupid, stupid, stupid woman! He's just one guy why would you even think of doing that?'

I took her hand and thanked whatever god out there that her pulse is beating and whole. The blood was apparently by a cut, that much is obvious and she was just asleep. Another sigh of relief, I immediately dusted the broken glass and dipped my handkerchief in the tap in her kitchen and started wiping her wounds. That was when I saw the picture she was clenching in her hand. Just like that, my initial prejudices vanished replaced by something I could only describe as pity. Pity for this woman who was rejected in the most horrible way possible yet couldn't keep contained the fact that she was deeply affected by it no matter how she want to show others that she's not.

***Yashiro's house***

The journey on the way home was very quiet, I was eyeing Mika from my peripheral vision and although she tried not to be bothered by Kotonami-san screaming at her, she was. I really want to comfort her but I'm not so sure what to say so I just opted to be quiet.

As soon as we got home though, it seems her silence mode finally reach its limitations, I only managed to see a glimpse of my living room before she was all over my face, rambling, "It's not my fault Dad. I didn't know that vase was important to her! If there was something that important, shouldn't she have locked the door? And why was she even shouting at me? I'm not a- "

Before she could kill herself from talking a mile a minute, I put my hand on her shoulder, kneeled, looked her in the eye and with the gentleness and father-like sincerity I never knew I possessed, I said… "Mika, it's not your fault. Kotonami-san is just… -" actually I kind of get the gist of what happened, no thanks to nosy people who spread the rumors "… experiencing some unavoidable circumstance. If you want, I can apologize with you, do you want that?"

Mika need not to say anything for me to know that she liked the idea, but being the brat that she is, she just shrugged off and in a haughty manner mumbled, "Just to be clear, I'm not saying sorry cause I didn't do it…"

My eyebrow raised a bit at that, then she added, "…intentionally, there's a difference Dad." before she strutted off to get a change of clothes on my spare room which is now officially her 'territory' as she called it.

"Whatever you say Mika, Whatever you say…." I smiled to myself before I dragged my feet to the kitchen to prepare for our dinner. For a fleeting moment, the thought that being a dad isn't that too bad crossed my mind.

**********Kill me now, its been 3 years since my last update, I should be killed T_T. When I opened my account, I was surprised, someone was reading this still, so I thought it wouldn't kill me to just finish it whenever I have time. Yeah, I know you probably think it will take another five years for me to continue this but don't worry, it will probably be just days.*************