I felt really really really bad about how you guys have been so supportive of me all this time yet I'm taking ages and ages to update much less finish this story. Especially diamond heart 82 who has been reviewing since chapter one and all the way from my previous stories (: you guys have no idea how much it means to me just to see you all ask for an update. That's why I didn't want to make you wait for chapter 10 too long, or I'd feel soooooo guilt-ridden. ): anyways here's chapter ten and I hope you'll enjoy it! ^^

Come to think of it, I hadn't thanked Dan for helping me yesterday. But then again, I wasn't really willing to thank him for it. After all, it was just this one occasion where he has helped me. Other times, he has only just caused me plenty of trouble.

I sighed. Still, he was a great big help yesterday. The restaurant's reputation could have been jeopardised if he hadn't been there to help. As a magnanimous lady with a big heart, I shall thank him.

I closed my locker door briefly and was just about to begin walking when I caught sight of Dan, who was in front of his locker. The brunette turned to me, blinking in slight surprise.

I began to fidget nervously. This is it, Runo Misaki. You only have to tell him one word. One word, that's all it takes.

"You okay, Kid? You look kinda... constipated."

I fumed, backhanding the brunette. How dare he said I was constipated? And to think I thought that maybe he had become more of a gentleman.

"Don't say that about me!"

Dan chuckled, rubbing his head as he did so. I couldn't help but blush slightly. He did look kinda cute... No, wait. I mentally slapped myself. What was Dan Kuso doing to me? I've been blushing around him so much lately and making a fool of myself.

"Did you want to tell me something?"

I snapped out of my daze and looked at the brunette, before laughing sheepishly.

"Well... I..." I began slowly, stammering a little.

"You...?" Dan raised an eyebrow.

"I just wanted to thank you for yesterday!" I said quickly, face all red by then.

Dan seemed slightly taken aback, before ruffling his brown hair. The brunette patted my head twice, before simply turning around without a reply.

I stared at the brunette. That's all I get for thanking him? Not a "you're welcome"? What was wrong with Dan Kuso? Couldn't he learn some manners?

I stormed off to the classroom huffily. Dan Kuso was such a jerk.

"Grr... That jerk!"

It was the lunch break and I still hadn't spoke a word to Dan Kuso since the morning. I was still furious at the clueless brunette!

The other girls laughed nervously as I huffily bit off a piece of meat, chewing it unhappily. Well, the other girls, except Julie, who looked most unamused.

"Runo, I think you should be more empathetic."

I paused, holding up my fork. I bit off the meat and wagged my fork at the silver-haired Australian.

"I should be more empathetic? Shouldn't Kuso be the one who has to be empathetic? He's been such a burden to me!"

Julie narrowed her eyes at me, pointing her own fork at me. She crossed our forks, causing them to be stuck.

"Apparently, this person who you call a burden has been saving your pretty little ass many times, Little Miss Annoyed," Julie pulled out her fork.

"Please enlighten me," I answered, biting my fork and folding my arms. The other girls leaned forward as well, nodding their heads.

"Well!"

"Mm hm?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Dan Kuso has been helping to defend you from all those hateful comments. Like when those people wrote you all those terrible notes? Who was the one who got rid of all of them for you?" Julie began with a smirk, folding her arms and raising her head high. I could've sworn her neck was just so close to snapping already.

"Well, that's just one matter!" I puffed my cheeks.

Julie held out her hand and showed me a V-sign.

"Two! Back at the restaurant where you work-"

"Wait!" I gasped, holding out my hand. "You know I work at a restaurant?"

"Who am I? I'm Julie Makimoto and I know everything about the teenagers in Bayview! Wait, now you just derailed my train of thought!" Julie was flustered.

"Back at the restaurant where Runo works..." Fabia wagged her finger while Mira and Alice giggled.

"Yes, yes, that's right! Why'd you think that Jenny and Jewels just left so quickly? Would they have let you off that easily?"

I blinked. Julie did have a point.

"If it hadn't been for Dan, they would never have been persuaded to leave!"

I gasped lightly. That was why Jenny and Jewels left - because Dan told them to!

"Thirdly, Little Miss Annoyed, this 'burden' of yours was the Prince Charming who got you that new pair of track shoes. Jenny and Jewels were the one who threw your pair away! Dan knew and decided against threatening them, since he was sure they wouldn't listen anyway. He instead got you this pair of new shoes!"

"And Dan specially joined Furusato to protect you!" Mira added, earning a weird look from me. The orange haired shrugged. "Well, we spied on you with Julie."

Instead of over-reacting from hearing that the girls actually spied from me, I tapped my chin thoughtfully. Everything that Julie and Mira made sense. No one would have been able to handle Jenny and Jewels as well as Dan could.

"So...?" Julie looked at me sideways.

I inhaled deeply.

"I'm going to go apologise and thank him."

I groaned, kicking the floor as I paced down the streets.

"I said I would apologise and thank Kuso, but then again, where do I even get the courage to do that?" I cried out, throwing my hands in the air like a drama queen... or possibly an anime character.

I pouted my cheeks. I never really thought that Dan Kuso would do so much for me. Was I really worth all his effort? Why would he go all out for me? Did he really like me that much?

But if I were to really go out with Dan Kuso, only trouble would await. There was still the issue of the girls in the school...

I shuddered at the thought. The girls would probably shred me into pieces if I were to go out with Dan. Just because I was rather close to him, I had already garnered so much hatred. And then there were Jenny and Jewels. I earned a slap from Jenny just because she thought I was dating Dan...

I sighed deeply. Why was I even thinking about dating Dan? Could Alice be right about me having feelings for Dan after all? I've never known what it's like to be in love with someone.

I stopped in my tracks when I heard a door slam shut. Turning to my left, I saw that I wasn't far from home at all - in front, I was just a short distance from Dan Kuso's house. I blinked when I saw a familiar brunette, hands tucked in his pockets.

I thought of going up to Dan to apologise and thank him. But before I could approach him, he walked away, almost neglecting my existence. Maybe he didn't see me though.

I was curious as to why there seemed to be a gloomy atmosphere hung around Dan Kuso. He always seemed bored, not upset. I made up my mind to follow him.

I was beginning to regret my stalking him when I realised that Dan Kuso was walking a long way from home and it was already sunset. If my father were to find out I'd been out with a guy, he would over-react and probably end Dan's life right away. It was strange though - I didn't understand where Dan could be going. I blinked as I realised a sign writing "Bayview Beach", and stopped momentarily behind a tree when I spotted Dan resting on a bench with his hand on his face.

I saw the brunette heave heavily before getting up and walking over to a cliff. He couldn't be thinking of jumping down and letting himself drown, could he? That was just insane!

On impulse, I dashed towards the brunette and pulled him by the forearm, causing the both of us to tumble onto the earth.

"Gosh... What's wrong with- Kid?" Dan rubbed his head before giving me a surprised look.

I smiled sheepishly as I rubbed my own arm. "Well, I kinda thought you were gonna jump off that cliff..."

Dan blinked at me, before letting out a chuckle and shaking his head. He got up on his feet and helped me up, before dusting some sand off me.

"Geez, I'm not that reckless, unlike you," Dan chuckled, turning away.

I pouted my cheeks with an unsatisfied look, before remembering why I had followed him in the first place. But before that, I figured it would have been better to show a little concern.

"I..." I began.

"Hmm?"

"I saw you dash out of your house angrily earlier, are you alright?" I took a deep breath and asked.

Dan held his stare at me for a moment, before turning away with folded arms. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Liar," I hissed under my breath, glaring sideways at the brunette.

Dan chuckled, before ruffling my hair lovingly.

"Just some family problems, Kid."

"Would you feel better if you share it with me?" I asked innocently.

Dan smiled, and took a deep breath. "You see... My dad is a major workaholic, and has been one ever since we moved to Bayview. He never makes time for my mum and I anymore, and because of this, my mum's a little... hot-tempered. She gets angry easily ever since and takes her anger out alot and me, and I really don't like to go home because of that."

"That's why you were sleeping on the tree?" I asked, recalling our first encounter.

Dan nodded his head with a helpless smile. He rubbed his neck as he turned his gaze towards the ocean. "We had another fight earlier, and every time we have one, I would just leave. I really wish to have a complete family again."

I felt so blessed. There were so many times that I felt annoyed by my parents' company, and here was Dan, who longed for his parents' company! Sure my parents loved their work, but never more than they loved me. Till the end, I was always their most precious treasure.

I walked towards Dan, placing my hands on his and grabbing them tightly. The brunette gave me a surprised look as he blinked.

"I haven't been any help at all, have I? I mean, I'm really the dense one when I've been claiming that you are the dense one. I never realised how many times you have saved me from Jenny and Jewels, and instead, I've only been pushing you away all this time. I'm sorry..." I whispered with my head lowered.

Expecting Dan to start hurling insults at me for being stupid, I didn't dare to meet his gaze. Instead, I felt his own pair of large warm hands embracing mine.

"Who knew you really were that dense huh... But still, Kid, that's one of the things that I really love about you. You're just really different, a good different. I wouldn't want any other girl. Just seeing you smile makes me happy, and knowing that you're safe puts me at ease. Just that is enough for me."

I slowly lifted up my head to look at the brunette who was gazing down at me with a smile. It seemed that Dan... that Dan really liked me alot... I felt guilty for being unable to return these feelings though... I didn't know what love is, and much less whether I loved Dan. I could only accept the feelings he have towards me.

"Runo..."

But this is the guy who has helped me countless times and who has actually made me smile so much. Right when he needs me, how can I be so heartless and not repay the favor?

"Dan..."

I stood on my toes and planted a soft kiss on the brunette's lips.

And that's chapter ten! And, as a way of saying sorry, I would like to give you a summary of the upcoming story: Playing with Fire.

In the frugal kingdom of Haos, only the most precious golden roses grow. Apart from these treasures, all that the Haylins can live on are the cattle and their own grown crops. Despite that, the Haylin were happy and pleased. Yet, in another corner of the planet Vestroia, there lives a kingdom called Darkus, ruled over by King Pierrot and Queen Miyoko. The notorious Prince Daniel who King Pierrot dotes on dearly wants the golden roses, which are actually the source of support for Haos. In an attempt to gain the golden roses, Pyrus is ready to declare war on Haos, but Runo Misaki, fairest lady in Haos, finds herself stuck in between both nations when she has been sent away as a peace offering. Prince Daniel was strongly against the idea before, and only agreed to leave Haos alone for two months to allow the Haylin to prepare for the war before Darkus troops would invade Haos. For the sake of her kingdom, Runo decides to take action against the prince herself, by serving as bait. Dan gradually falls in love with Runo, much to Runo's delight, but Runo refuses to return the feelings.