The sun rose slowly over mountains surrounding Mochinoki city in the early morning. The sky was a pinkish color as light reflected across the land, the tall buildings of the city seeming to glow as the sun hit them. It slid through the narrow openings in the window's curtains, illuminating Kiyomaro's dark room.

The boy stirred slightly as the small ray of sunlight hit his eyes and he closed them tighter.

"He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping. I haven't seen him like this in a while," A girls voice said.

Seconds later, the light strengthened, almost as if the curtains were open. Wait, were they open? Kiyomaro opened his eyes slowly. The sunlight was so strong. He closed them tightly once again, took a deep breath, then opened them. Gash sat on his bed, staring at him from the foot of it. Megumi's head seemed to hover above him as she stood to the side, staring at him. She was slightly red, almost as if embarrassed. Kiyomaro flushed and sat up instantly, looking to the window. Shion and Tio were tying the curtains open at the side of the window. When he looked to them, they smiled slightly.

"Good morning, Kiyomaro," Shion said happily.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" Megumi asked, looking at him with a small smile. Gash jumped off the bed, walking toward the door.

"Come on, Kiyomaro! Breakfast is ready, and it's me favorite!" With that, Gash ran out the door, Nyarurato, who seemed to come out of no where, following close behind.

Kiyomaro placed his feet on the ground and sighed, rubbing his eyes. He had slept in his clothes again. Changing into his night clothes was just something he kept on forgetting to do. He sighed and lay back down.

"Hey, Gash! Wait up, you'd better save some for me!" Tio cried, running after the two.

"Those three seemed to get along well last night." Megumi said.

"Not a surprise," Kiyomaro stated.

"Well, your mother sent us up here for a reason. Let's go," Megumi walked to the other side of the bed and took Kiyomaro's arm, pulling him up. He stumbled slightly before straightening out as Megumi pulled him toward the door.

"Ah, wait!" Kiyomaro said with surprise. The girl ignored him completely as she dragged him toward the door. "Come on, Shion,"

"Coming!" Shion stated. The ran out the door, all three books sitting on the desk by the window, and closed it.

As the three teenagers walked down the stairs, the smell of a home cooked meal filled their nostrils. Gash, Tio, and Nyarurato already sat at the table, staring at the yellowtail before them eagerly. Tio and Nyarurato at least managed to stay under control, by Gash was drooling as usual at the pieces of fish.

"Can we eat now, Mother?" Gash asked impatiently, standing in his chair with his hands on the table.

"Calm down, Gash," Tio said with annoyance. "Jeeze, You need to learn restraints!"

"I have restraints! I'm just hungry!"

Kiyomaro glanced at the kitchen clock tiredly. It was already 7:30. He gasped with surprise and ran out of the kitchen.

"What was that?" Megumi asked. Shion looked at the clock as well.

"School starts in twenty minutes!" She exclaimed. "Ah, I can't be late today!"

She ran to the living room, where her school bag still lay, and grabbed it. "Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, Ma'am," She said to Hana. The woman smiled politely in return.

"It was my pleasure," She stated. "Now, you and Kiyomaro had better─"

"Bye, Mom, Megumi!" Kiyomaro called. Shortly after, the door slammed shut. Shion looked at the door and frowned slightly.

"Well, Goodbye," She ran out the door after Kiyomaro, closing it softly upon exit.

"I'm sorry about that, Megumi-Chan," Hana said apologetically, putting a plate on the table. "Lately, he's been getting really wrapped up with his school work, when he's not fighting, that is,"

Megumi sat down and looked a the three mamono that remained. "He seems really stressed."

"After his trip to South America, he fell pretty far behind. He just got caught up a few weeks ago."

Megumi sighed slightly and placed her elbows on the table, leaning her chin on her hand. "Kiyomaro…." She muttered.

I can't believe I woke up so late! Kiyomaro thought to himself as he ran down the busy street. Cars drove by quickly. It seemed that a lot of people were running late today. He slowed to a walk, breathing with slight difficulty. He had run down three blocks non stop to make it to school on time, and since he was now across the street, he was comfortable with walking.

I feel kind of bad for just leaving Megumi there alone. He thought to himself. He sighed deeply as he entered the class room, taking his seat immediately. He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the white ceiling. Things were starting to get strange.

Shion entered the classroom, breathing heavily. She looked around eagerly for Kiyomaro, her eyes wandering around the entire room. When she at last spotted him, she took a step forward. "Ki─" Before she could finish, three people stood in front of her. She looked at them, having to look up since she was significantly shorter.

"Good morning, Hibiki," Hiroshi, Mamoru, and Tsuyoshi said at the same time. They each had their hands behind their backs, as if holding something. Her frown faded instantly and she smiled.

"Good morning," She said cheerfully. She looked passed them at Kiyomaro, who was looking over and watching them.

"I have something for you," The three boys said at the same time. They glanced at eachother, scowling. Each held out their hands. In Hiroshi's hand was a signed baseball. Mamoru held a miniature UFO, and Tsuyoshi held a small net. Shion looked at each of these items for a moments, blinking.

"Uhm…thanks?" She said hesitantly. "But… I don't really need them. I have plenty of them at home already," she smiled. She knew she was lying, but they did not.

A look of disappointment suddenly crossed their faces. Shion looked away, unable to stand it. "Thank you anyway though."

"Well then, why not come with us after school to buy you something else?" Hiroshi suggested.

"Actually, I'm going to hang out with Kiyomaro today. Sorry," She said, coming up with the first excuse that came to mind. The boys turned their heads slowly and stared at Kiyomaro with absolute loathing.

Kiyomaro looked at the group with a small smile on his face. He felt bad for Shion. Those three were always trying to impress her, along with all the other guys in the class. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but apparently, she said something they didn't like, obviously about him. He straightened up as they looked at him. The piercing glare was all he needed to know that Shion had used him as an excuse to avoid hanging out with them. Seconds later, they walked toward him, Shion remaining at the door. Kiyomaro got a glance at her, and she smiled weakly. He noticed her mouth the word 'sorry' to him, and knew what was next.

"I thought you were going to give us a chance this time, Takamine!" Hiroshi said quietly when the three reached Kiyomaro's desk. He sighed and looked at them. I am not really in the mood for this. He thought to himself. He figured he'd go along with it though. Megumi was going to hate him for it later.

"Well, you have to make a move before me from now on," He said with a small smile. The three stared at him with amazement.

"You asked her on a date?!" Tsuyoshi asked loudly. The entire class looked at them. Kiyomaro winced at the word 'date'. Yup, Megumi is going to kill me… He thought to himself. He glared at Shion with a 'you owe me' look, and then looked back at the three boys.

"But I thought you had a girlfriend already," Mamoru stated.

"I only said that so you three would lay off," Kiyomaro lied. He was already picturing what Megumi was going to do to him if she found out.

"Alright, that's enough!" The teacher said. "Take your seats,"

Tsuyoshi, Mamoru, and Hiroshi walked away from Kiyomaro and sat at their seats as Shion approached him and sat behind him.

"Thank you," She said softly. Kiyomaro smiled ever so slightly and nodded his response. The teacher roughly wrote notes about science as he spoke in a cold voice. Kiyomaro looked at him, then glanced at Shion. He turned his head when the teacher faced the blackboard and looked at Shion.

"Let's go to the park today," He muttered. Shion nodded in agreement.

"Takamine, Hibiki, stay after class," the teacher said. Kiyomaro turned quickly and faced the front.

"Sorry," The two muttered in unison. The teacher turned and proceeded with the lesson.

Shion and Kiyomaro remained silent for the rest of the period, waiting for the class to end with complete boredom. Kiyomaro didn't even bother to take notes, seeing as he already knew half the things the teacher was talking about. At last, the bell rang, signaling to the students that class was over. Kiyomaro stood, the fact that he had to stay after completely slipping his mind until the teacher mentioned it.

"Sit down, Takamine," He said. He looked at the two with disappointment. "What was so important that you needed to disrupt my class for?"

"We were just agreeing on a meeting place for today, sir. We're really sorry," Shion stated politely.

"Agreeing on a meeting place so early in the day? I understand what it's like to be a teenager with his girlfriend, but ─"

"She's not my girlfriend,"

"He's not my boyfriend!" The two teens said in unison.

"They wouldn't leave her alone, so I figured I'd help her out," Kiyomaro stated. "Now, if you don't mind, we're going to be late to class,"

"Goodbye, Sir," Shion said as the two walked out.

"Naomi-Chan! Stop it! Please!" Gash cried, running in circles around the park to avoid the small girl that always seemed to torment him. Tio stood on the side lines with Koruru, laughing at Gash as the other pink haired girl thought of a way to make her stop.

"Tio, we should help him," Koruru said to her friend.

"This is too entertaining," Tio said with a smile. "To think that he can face all these mamono with out a second thought, but a human girl torments him on a daily basis. It's priceless!"

"Tio, Koruru has a point. It's cruel to let her do that to him," Megumi said. She wore her usual pink sunglasses as a disguise, and a yellow sundress. She frowned at the girl chasing Gash, since she had no authority to do anything about it.

"Mreow!" Nyarurato stated in agreement. It wasn't as if any of them could understand him anyway.

"She'll stop eventually," Tio said. "And besides, a girl saving a guy isn't right! Boys can take care of themselves. Come on, Koruru, let's go on the jungle gym!"

"Uhm, Ok…" Koruru said softly. She followed Tio to the large climbing area with Nyarurato behind them.

Megumi leaned back on the bench she sat on eyes glancing at all four children. She didn't really have to keep an eye on them, but it was a a nice day. Kiyomaro had called her and said to meet at the park. All she had to do was wait about ten more minutes and he'd be here. She quickly adjusted her sunglasses so they covered her eyes more thoroughly as several people walked by, glancing at her. Hard object suddenly collided with the back of her head. She cried out with surprise, attracting the attention of all four mamono, as her glasses fell from her face. A basketball fell beside her as well, and she picked it up slowly.

"Oh! Megumi, are you alright!" Tio cried, running toward her partner.

"I'm fine, Tio…" Megumi said in return.

"I'm sorry, Miss. My friend here doesn't really know how to shoot properly, so…." He trailed off, looking at Megumi's face. Oh no. Megumi thought. She knew what was next. "Hey, aren't you, Ooumi Megumi?" At those last two words, everyone in the area stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

"I uh…" Megumi started. Before she could finish, people crowded around her, holding out a pen and whatever they had to sign.

"Megumi, can I have your autograph!"

"Megumi, let's go!" Tio exclaimed. The mamono were with her as she ushered Megumi away from the crowd.

"She touched my basketball! She touched my basketball!" The boy cried, holding up the basketball with triumph. Others crowded around him, trying to take it. Megumi took this advantage and broke from the center of the crowd, leaving her glasses behind.