Promenade
by Apple-chan
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four
young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior
Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^
ACT II: Ready.
SCENE 5: The Perfect Bridal Candidate.
Tao Ran was impatient.
The beautiful, navy-haired, middle-aged Mistress of the Tao Clan, Wife of the
Tao Clan Head, and mother of the honest-to-goodness sole heir to the family
fortune, none other than the famous Aikido Master, sixteen-year-old Tao Ren--was
reclining gracefully on the luxurious loveseat at the center of the grand
spacious living room of the magnificent Tao Estate--and tapping her foot
impatiently. Very, very impatiently.
She gave a small sigh.
Hours ago, she had instructed Bason--family butler, driver, and bodyguard
extraordinaire--to pick up both her son and daughter from the high school. She
had also specifically instructed the two-time World Martial Arts Champion to
inform her one and only son to invite Pilica-chan once again to the Estate.
Although the main reason she had made this request was so that Pilica could be
fitted into her prom gown (which was already eighty percent finished), the truth
was, Ran adored her beautiful pseudo-niece to the ends of the earth, and she
really wanted to see the young girl.
Pilica was the rare, bright note in the Tao Estate's otherwise dismally serious,
sometimes monotonous and frequently dreary atmosphere. She was like a ray of
warm sunshine that illuminated all the dark, morose places, and frankly, in
Ran's opinion, their home could certainly use plenty of that.
Not to mention the fact that the only time she had ever seen her son smile--as
in really smile--and laugh an honest-to-goodness genuine laugh, was
during those rare times when Pilica was around. Ren was always pretty much
serious for the most part, and Ran knew that she had no one and nothing to blame
for that. Fact is, the Tao men (her husband included) had always been known to
be a bunch of cynics--too serious for their own good, too critical for their own
peace of mind, and...too arrogant for their own safety. Ren was no exception to
this rule; however, Ran was extremely thankful that at least, her son manages
to...smile even a half-smile, albeit rarely. She was also extremely grateful
that, over the years, his seriousness and cynicism had gradually softened.
She probably had the next-door neighbors to thank for that. Although he was
rarely around in the country, Liam Diethyl was a good, honest, polite, and
extremely kind man--and his one and only son with his late wife (God bless her
pure and beautiful soul) was all that he is and more, if that was even possible.
The Tao family moved to the neighborhood around one year after Lyserg's mother
died, and although the two boys--Lyserg and Ren, that is--didn't really start
out as good friends (mainly because Ren was a brat and Lyserg seemed like a wimp
to him), it was during that time when the transition in Ren's persona began.
Although Ran knew that there was no way Ren would EVER become as well-mannered,
as kind, and as sweet as his best friend, she was at least thankful for the
slight...softening influence, for lack of a better term--that Lyserg had for her
son. She really couldn't have chosen a better best friend for him. Of course,
Horo-horo, Pilica's older brother, would have been a good candidate,
but...he and Ren were much too far along in their personal rivalry for the
azure-haired boy to actually qualify for that part. She'd rather it be
Lyserg--if only for the sake of everyone's peace and sanity.
Anyway, that aside, one other thing she was really itching to do for the sake of
her son was: find him the perfect bride for the future. She clasped her hands
together and smiled to herself as she thought about that project. Operation
Perfect Bridal Candidate. Co-conspirators: Tao Ran and Tao Jun, mother-daughter
tandem extraordinaire. Groom in question: Tao Ren, son and brother of the
co-conspirators.
As her dear father-in-law would always say, it never hurts
to look ahead, plan ahead, and do ahead. Rainy days, and more
importantly--storms--come in the most unpredictable and unlikeliest of times,
and planning for the future was way, way, way better and much more
practical than just merely keeping the pantry well-stocked, and the bank account
reasonably sufficient. Financial and physical assurance were all well and good,
but they weren't enough to sustain a person; particularly, mentally,
emotionally, and other things non-physical.
The kind of assurance for the future that she wanted for both her son and
daughter was all-encompassing, designed (or will be as it was) to make
sure they never lacked anything, whatever the need happens to be.
Finding her son the perfect bride--even if he was only sixteen--was central to
these plans. As of current, she and Jun haven't just yet found anyone REALLY
perfect--not for the lack of trying, nor for the lack of potential brides. The
main problem, in all truth and honesty, was actually Ren. Aside from being
unwilling (truth be told, neither she nor Jun have spoken to him about this
yet), there was NO girl in the potentials list who, as she and her daughter have
gauged, would be able to handle someone as haughtily arrogant and perfectly
obnoxious as her son. Despite the changes he had made in himself over the years,
there was a lot in his nature that would probably always remain the same, no
matter how much influence Lyserg had upon him.
He wasn't merely a tough case to crack. He was...how do you put it...somewhat of
an emotionless rock if and when he wanted to be--and he could be quite
hellishly stubborn. To date, there was actually only one girl in their list (the
one and the only name on the "seeded potentials" list) who could
possibly...POSSIBLY and potentially crack Ren's rock-solid exterior. A certain
girl whom the whole family had known for quite a long time, and one whom Ran had
been gauging and analyzing for quite some time. A girl who was actually number
one on her favorites list...and on Jun's too, for that matter.
A certain girl named...
Ran glanced at the clock and let out an extremely impatient sigh. Just how
long do they intend to make me wait? She had dispatched Bason around two
hours ago. They should have arrived by now. She wondered what was taking so
long. Their family seamstress, who was in her private receiving room, was
probably going crazy with worry already.
Somewhere in Ran's mind, she somehow sensed what it was that was taking
them so long. She could probably guess, but--
"Ouch, ouch, OUCH! Let GO of ME, you MEANIE!" A familiar, high-pitched voice
sounded from the front door. After a couple seconds, Ran stood up as the door
burst open and in stumbled her azure-haired pseudo-niece, Pilica, with her arms
bound behind her, and an expression of incredible fury on her beautiful face.
"...You're HURTING my ARM, darn it!"
A laugh sounded from behind her, and Ran watched as her son entered the front
foyer with a flourish. One of his hands were behind Pilica, while the other was
resting against the door frame. "You know, if you'd only agreed to come with me
peacefully, I wouldn't be doing this--"
"PEACEFULLY?!?" Pilica shouted into his face. "You DRAGGED me out of the LOCKER
room, Ren-niichan! You call that PEACEFUL?" She forcefully pulled off her arm.
Tightening his hold on her, Ren shrugged. "...Yeah," he answered
matter-of-factly.
A loud, exasperated sigh sounded from the door. Afterwards, the tall, graceful
figure of Tao Jun, Ren's beautiful older sister, stepped inside the house.
Flashing her brother a look, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shook her
head. Then, she stepped back to move away from the warfare. "Hahaue," she
greeted with a sigh of relief.
"Jun," Ran greeted back, patting her daughter's arm. "...What took you so long?"
Jun rolled her eyes again and shrugged. "Those two wouldn't stop fighting," she
answered dryly.
"Ran-sama," Bason stepped inside the house, rushed towards Ran's side and bowed
respectfully. "I apologize for our tardiness. It was all my fault--"
"Iie, it isn't, Bason," Ran told the butler brightly, with a reassuring nod.
"That's right," Jun agreed. "It's REN'S fault." She inclined her head towards
the war zone, a.k.a. Ren and Pilica at the front foyer.
Bason glanced at the two, and then, he scratched his head and smiled sheepishly
at Ran and Jun. "...Gomen ne. I couldn't stop them."
"I don't think ANYBODY can," Ran said dryly, still watching his son and his
favorite pseudo-niece with amusement. Currently, the two were still playing
tug-of-war as Ren pulled on Pilica's hands, and she, in turn, tried very hard to
pull away from him. And yes, they were also having a mini-shouting match.
"This is getting pointless," Jun said with a resigned sigh.
"Hai, it is," Ran agreed. "...But you have to admit..." she gave her daughter a
meaningful look.
"...They look good together. I know," Jun supplied with a weary shake of her
head. "But this is never going to work if Ren doesn't--"
"LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT YOU MEANIEAARRGHH!" Pilica shrieked in a voice loud
enough to break all the glass in the household as she slipped and fell...on top
of Ren. Apparently, as she struggled against the navy-haired boy's hold, she had
managed to walk straight into a couple of plants...and tripped over them. And
managed to land directly on top of him, for some reason.
Upon instinct, the moment he realized that she was about to walk into the said
plants, Ren had grabbed her and turned her around so she wouldn't hit the hard,
marble floor. He had ended up hitting the said floor instead.
Currently, Pilica was still on top of Ren. He was still on the floor. The two of
them had frozen in time, and were staring at each other in horror (Pilica) and
disbelief (Ren).
It was Ren who recovered first. Coughing, he managed to flash her his most
charming and arrogant grin. "Hmph. I knew you would fall for me one of these
days. It was only a matter of time."
At that comment, Pilica's face flamed, and she gave him a furious look. "How
DARE you--" She gave a startled gasp as he rose up, leaned over...and kissed her
on the cheek.
Silence.
The young girl's face flamed even more. Ren gave her a triumphant look as he
stood up, pulling her with him in the process. Almost mechanically, she allowed
him to pull her up.
"Hm." With a final, arrogant smirk, Ren winked at her. And then, he turned
around and strutted out of the room, ignoring his mother, his sister, and Bason
all the way.
Pilica stared at him in aghast and confusion. Her hand crept up to her cheek, to
that part where he had kissed her.
He had kissed her.
He kissed me!
"YOU...YOU..." Her voice was loud, and shrill. "You...KISSED me!" Her face held
a very incredulous look. She stayed like that, blushing and looking over where
Ren disappeared to, with her hand on her cheek, for the next couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, Ran, Jun, and Bason, who had witnessed the entire exchange, glanced
back and forth between Ren's retreating back and Pilica's frozen figure.
Bason gave a resigned sigh. "Bocchama is too...bold to do such a thing."
"He is," Jun agreed, frowning at her brother. "...Hahaue, will this
really work?"
Ran smiled reassuringly. "I think it will," she declared. "It definitely
will."
***
"Ran-obasan, Jun-neesan, are you sure about this?" Pilica asked tentatively, as
she looked back and forth amongst Ran, Jun, and the seamstress repeatedly, all
the while holding her semi-finished gown in front of her.
"Of COURSE we are," Ran declared, turning her around, and then gesturing to the
seamstress meaningfully. "Take the gown, Fei. We're going to take off her
uniform."
"W...WHAT?!?" Pilica started blushing as she stared in shock at the three women,
unable to move as they stripped her clothing off of her.
"Ran-obasan...Jun-neesan...!"
"Just RELAX, Pilica-chan," Jun said with a reassuring smile as she tugged down
the girl's skirt. "We're all women here, aren't we? And we need to do
this so we can be assured of the gown's fit...isn't that right, Fei?"
"Hai, Jun-sama," the raven-haired, middle-aged personal seamstress of the Taos
agreed with a smile at the young girl.
"Besides," Ran put in cheerfully as she tossed Pilica's blouse and upper
garments aside, "...it's not like we're going to let my SON in here while you're
in the NUDE," she added with a playful wink.
At this, Pilica started blushing as if there was no tomorrow...out of
embarrassment, frustration at Ren...or some strange thrill brought about by that
measly little kiss, she wasn't so sure...
"Alright," Ran clasped her hands together, looking over her pseudo-niece's form
with approval. "Let's do it." She flashed Fei a look.
"Hai, Ran-sama." Fei spread out the gown again with a flourish.
"Jun...please do me a favor and...go see what your brother's doing, onegai?"
"Hai, Hahaue," Jun said with a brief nod. With a final, friendly smile at
Pilica, she opened the door just enough to squeeze herself out. "I'll be back in
a jif--" her voice stopped abruptly. She slammed the door shut.
Silence.
Three minutes.
The clock ticked. Four minutes.
Pilica flashed Ran a questioning look.
The middle-aged woman shrugged at her pseudo-niece and continued with what she
was doing. "Don't worry about anything. Jun can handle him," she whispered,
clearly indicating her son.
Pilica nodded, but she couldn't resist listening in to what was happening
outside. She could hear the faint sounds of...someone crunching. And a foot
tapping. Impatiently.
"Ren." Jun's tone was quiet, and betrayed no emotion as she...probably
confronted her brother in whatever the hell state he happened to be in. For some
reason, she sounded quite surprised, too...
"Neesan." Ren's tone, on the other hand, sounded highly amused, dry, and of
course...VERY arrogant. Pilica sighed with irritation as the seamstress fitted
the gown on her, with Ran observing and giving instructions all the while. The
azure-haired girl resumed listening to the noises of the siblings outside.
"What in the WORLD are you wearing?!?" There was a note of incredible
horrification in the elder Tao sibling's voice.
"What does it look like? Boxers," came Ren's blunt and extremely dry reply. "You
know...shorts. Underwear."
Jun sighed loudly with frustration. "Can't you put on something more
decent?"
"What, my boxers aren't decent enough for you?" From the background, she could
hear Ren crunching something--an apple, she guessed.
"We have a guest, you know. We have Pilica-chan here, in case you forgot!"
A snort. "How can I forget? I brought her here, didn't I? Kicking and
screaming, I might add," he said with a note of amusement that almost made
Pilica shout with indignation.
This time, she heard Jun's sigh of resignation. "For ONCE, Ren, can't you even
be a gentleman? Pilica-chan is a young lady. She deserves some respect!"
"I'll give respect where respect is due," Ren said haughtily. Pilica wanted to
wipe the smug smile she was sure was gracing his face right at that moment.
"...Unfortunately, she hasn't earned it just yet. And she probably never will."
Now she wanted to kill him.
"You know, you're EXACTLY the kind of GUY women love to hate." Jun shot back.
"And what kind is THAT, pray tell?"
"A TOTAL jerk!" Jun echoed Pilica's thoughts exactly, and she couldn't help but
hide a grin at this comment. Near her, she heard Ran's soft chuckle of
amusement.
"...I'll take that as a compliment!" Ren threw back triumphantly. Darn it all to
hell, but the guy really was insufferable. So full of himself. So arrogant.
...So attractive. Pilica winced. That comment is so uncalled for,
she told herself silently.
"Now I UNDERSTAND perfectly why you've never had a girlfriend in your whole
life--"
"I don't NEED a girlfriend! I'm perfectly satisfied being a single eligible
bachelor, thank you very much!"
"--I mean, for all I KNOW," Jun ignored her brother and resumed her discourse,
"Pilica-chan's probably the only girl in the whole world who can even stand to
be with you, and you don't even RESPECT her!" She stated pointedly, making
Pilica almost sing with gratitude...at least, until... "How will you ever get
married?"
"Who says I wanna get married?!?" Ren's voice held a note of incredulity.
A lot of incredulity.
"Well it's bound to happen sometime, and you know WHAT?" Jun's last statement
ended in a shout.
Ren sighed with irritation. "No, I DON'T, and I DON'T CARE," he answered dryly.
"...But you're going to tell me anyway whether I want to hear it or not, so
what's the point?"
"So FAR," Jun continued, her voice laced with practically an overdose of
exasperation, "Hahaue and I haven't FOUND anyone perfect for you at ALL. That
is, except for--"
"Pilica-chan." Pilica's heart stopped upon this declaration, and from
Ran, no less. She wondered how in the world Ren's mother (as well as the
seamstress) had managed to leave her in the room without her knowing...she shook
her head in defeat. She was probably too busy listening to the conversation. She
didn't even realize that she was already fully dressed in the gown. Slowly, she
stepped towards the full-length mirror...and looked.
Hmm, she smiled her most charming smile at her reflection. Not too
bad, considering the fact that I'm feeling very annoyed as of the moment.
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shrugged. Better get used to it,
Pilica-chan. You're probably going to be annoyed for the most part during prom
night, considering that your DATE happens to be the King of Arrogance.
She sighed with resignation. This is what I get for being an obedient
daughter and younger sister. Just what in the world were my brother and my
parents thinking when they decided that my best option for a prom date
would be Tao Ren? Never mind everything we owe their family, but why him? That's
the one hundred million dollar question.
"WHAT THE HELL?!?" Ren's extremely loud shout of indignation broke through her
thoughts. "Hahaue, do you realize what you're saying? I'm SIXTEEN. She's
FIFTEEN! What the HELL are you and Neesan doing thinking about THAT this
EARLY? Just what do you think I AM?" Never mind that she couldn't see it, she
could practically feel the redness gracing his entire face--from fury,
embarrassment or both--she wasn't certain. For her part, though, the redness on
her face was caused entirely by indignation, and nothing more. Nothing
more.
...Right. keep telling yourself that, Pilica-chan.
"The heir to the Tao Business Empire, if your father has anything to say about
it," Ran's somewhat amused voice answered Ren's question.
"What the HELL does BUSINESS have to do with MARRIAGE?" Ren wanted to know. "I
can handle the company no problem without a WOMAN beside me! I KNOW I can--"
"I assure you, marriage has everything to do with it." His mother answered
matter-of-factly. "...You can even ask your father."
"--do it without a hitch, and without help, and besides..." Ren's voice broke
off abruptly. "W...WHAT?!? You've gotta be kidding me."
Ran sighed with exasperation. "I'm not--"
"Hahaue...Ran-obasan?" Pilica corrected herself hastily, her face flaming full
force and gradually intensifying as she peeked through the doorway at the three
Tao's. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried very hard to ignore Ren, who was
leaning against the door frame, very handsome, very sweaty, and looking extremely
pissed--yet extremely comfortable, clad in only his boxers and nothing else.
Nothing else. She wasn't having much success. "J...Jun-neesan, I...I'm--"
"PILICA-CHAN!" Jun interrupted as she stood up, flashing her mother a meaningful
look and subsequently pushing Pilica back inside the room. "Let's see if your
gown fits well. As for you," she called out to Ren in a warning tone. "...Stay
HERE and behave yourself."
"Are you telling me I'm NOT allowed to see her? I'm her DATE, dammit--"
"Exactly," Ran told her son firmly as she herself entered the room. "You will
see her during Prom night, and not before."
"Then what the HELL am I here FOR? I could be training right now instead of
wasting my precious TIME waiting for you! What do you think I am, A SENTRY?!?"
"...If you put it that way, then YES!" Jun called out to her brother. Then, she
smiled at Pilica, admiring the way her best student looked in the gown. "You're
going to make all the guys fall on their knees, I swear."
"...Not to mention Ren," Ran whispered, winking at Pilica's reflection, causing
the latter to blush like there was no tomorrow. "You know, once you get around
to him, he's actually a pretty nice guy," she inclined her head at the door,
clearly indicating Ren. "I'm sure you two will be fine come Prom night, ne?' She
grinned at Jun.
"If Ren behaves himself, Hahaue," Jun pointed out. "And he'd better
behave himself, otherwise..." she shook her head, then gave Pilica a reassuring
look. "Just in case he starts being mean to you, remember, I'm one of the
chaperones. You can tell me, and I'll straighten him out, no problem, ne?"
"H...hai," Pilica nodded, smiling gratefully at the two women. Really, sometimes
she found it hard to believe that Ran and Jun were Ren's mother and sister,
respectively. They were sweet, nice, and incredibly kind, unlike him--
"Well...FINE!" Ren's very pissed voice sounded from behind the door. Very
loudly. "I'll just stand here for LONG HOURS and wait PATIENTLY until you're
THROUGH talking girl TALK with that GIRL!" He emphasized the last word in a
mocking tone.
"I have a NAME, you know!" Pilica shouted out indignantly.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't you think I know that? Keep your shirt on. And HURRY UP!" He
paused. "I'm growing mold here."
"...Serves you right!" Pilica sniffed. "Meanie."
"Thank you." Ren shot back, triumph in his voice. She wanted to kick him.
"You know what, Ren-niichan? I hope you never have a girlfriend! Nobody
would ever want you, you selfish, arrogant, obnoxious--"
"--handsome and charming bastard?"
"UGLY bastard!" Pilica shouted furiously, perfectly aware of the protest her
whole being was making as she uttered the words. UGLY...him? For some
reason, the mental picture of him earlier flashed across her mind's eye.
Nope, FAR from it.
Too handsome for his own good, actually...
Exactly what every teenage girl's fantasy is made of, in fact...
"You know what, Ren-niichan?"
"Yes, Pilica-chan?" The tone of his voice was mocking...but it was laced with
sultriness as well. Sultriness that only she noticed.
Sultriness that made her heartbeat quicken. Sultriness that was quite obviously
directed at her. She fought the urge to moan out loud. Remind me to
kill myself the next time this happens. "I wouldn't be your girlfriend even
if you were the last guy on EARTH!"
"Hm." Ren snorted arrogantly. "I'll take your word for it...IF you can RESIST
me, that is. Because I'm pretty sure you won't be able to." He added
triumphantly. "...Take for example: just a little while ago, I do believe you
totally ENJOYED the little KISS that I gave you..."
"OOOH!" Pilica looked up at the ceiling and prayed for patience. And
self-control. She wasn't sure if she wanted to smack him on the head, punch him
on the stomach, stomp on his foot, or bite his neck. Or his arm. Or his
shoulder.
Or his...lips. His mouth. She rubbed her face and shook her head vigorously.
Note to self: erase that stupid picture of him clad in his boxers and only
his boxers from your mind. Completely. Right now.
...No such luck. Aargh! This is all his fault! Parading around in only
that little number...what in the name of heaven is he THINKING?
She wanted to hurl herself against the wall and tear her hair out. Tao Ren is
continuously doing very serious damage to my mind and there's nothing I can do
about it...
If I live through this, I swear to God, I'll be dedicating my whole life to
serving the less fortunate. As a missionary. Or a nun. Either way works, as long
as I'm never allowed to marry. Perfect bridal candidate or no, there's
absolutely no way I'm ever marrying Tao Ren. No. Way.
"Well?"
"No matter how perfect I may be for you, Ren-niichan, mark my words: Never in a
million years will I EVER want to marry you. So there."
An amused laugh. "...If you say so."
***
Biting on her second peanut butter cookie, Pilica tapped her foot impatiently
against the fancy chair in the dining room. "WHERE in the WORLD is he?' She
muttered under her breath as she chewed. Resting her chin against her hands, she
gazed around listlessly, trying to count down the seconds and minutes until His
Royal Highness Tao Ren, King of Arrogance, finally arrives to take her home
and--
"Hahaue, have you seen my sneakers?" Her breath caught ever-so-slightly as out
of the corner of her eye, she got a glimpse of him as he entered the dining
hall.
Thankfully enough, he was no longer wearing just his boxers. Instead, he was now
donned in a pair of dark blue pants and a button-down white shirt that he was
currently...buttoning up. Very, very slowly...
His hair was also slightly damp, the obvious implication being that he had just
taken a bath...which explains the current scent that was wafting through her
nostrils. Some kind of scented soap, some kind of cologne, some kind of
aftershave--whatever it was, it smelled quite...nice...
Before Pilica became dizzy from inhaling him, Ran came out of the kitchen,
holding a tray of a fresh batch of peanut butter cookies. One of her eyebrows
were raised as she gazed at her son. "Did you look in your room?"
Ren shrugged airily. "It's not there." He suddenly glanced at Pilica as if he
had just noticed that she was there. She was still staring at him. "What?"
Finally snapping back into focus, Pilica rolled her eyes, shook her head and
turned away. "Meanie," she muttered, taking another bite of her cookie and
subsequently sipping on her glass of milk.
Ran placed the tray of cookies on top of the dining table, smiled at Pilica and
flashed her son a look. "What about the front foyer?"
He shrugged again. "Maybe." He glanced back and forth in between the
azure-haired girl, and the cookie on her hand. A slow grin was starting to form
on his face.
Pilica tried very hard to ignore his presence behind her. Somehow, she could
sense that he was looking at her...but for what reason, she didn't know. She
took another long, long sip from her glass.
...Suddenly, he leaned against the table, gave her a big smile...and promptly
took a big bite from her cookie.
"--HEY!"
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, grinning at her triumphantly. "...Hahaue, that's
very good." He continued to smile at her, chewing all the while.
Pilica blushed in spite of herself. "WHY...YOU...YOU...YOU MEA--UMMPH!" She
choked as he shoved a fresh cookie into her mouth. She gave him a murderous
glare and raised her hand up...
...He caught it deftly, and subsequently pulled her up from the chair. "Come on,
I'm taking you home," patting her hand, he gently led her out. "I'll be back in
a few hours, Hahaue!" He called out as, dragging Pilica gently by the arm, he
retreated towards the front foyer.
Pilica had no choice but to follow suit; as it is, she was still a little bit
disoriented. Too many things happening at once...I can't handle this...
She flashed an apologetic look at Ran and waved goodbye hastily. She would have
said something, but a cookie was currently hindering her to do any talking.
...Well, he certainly knows how to shut me up, she thought wryly. I
think I'll give you a point for that, Ren-niichan.
"Hahaue, was that Ren?" Jun stepped out of the kitchen and peered at the
hallway.
"Hai," Ran answered, gazing at the pair's retreating form with a fond smile on
her face.
"What are you thinking of?" Jun leaned her elbows against the dining table and
gazed at her mother.
Ran glanced at her daughter and grinned. "What did I tell you? She's definitely
perfect."
"Perfect? For what?" Jun wondered aloud. "...As a bridal candidate?"
"Iie." Ran shook her head, then smiled, a playful twinkle in her eyes.
"...Perfect for your brother. Absolutely perfect."
TSUZUKU.
A/N: Sorry this is a little later than usual. Okay, okay, a LOT
later than usual. Got a little too busy with my two RPs.^^;;; One is for
Suikoden III, and the other is for SK...I'm playing Hao.^^ If anyone wants to
see Hao's LJ, the link is up on my profile, or you could copy and paste this on
your browser (just remove the spaces):
h t t p : / / w w w . l i v e j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / l u n a t i c
_ f i r e b o y /
Review Replies: FORFIRITH-on-a-sugar-high, here ya go.^^
Lafine, it's got to do with the parents. The situation is a little more
complicated, actually. And don't worry.*laughs* Pilica will never do the needle
thing on Ren, I assure you. keiko, not psychic, just resourceful.^^
Itako No Anna Asakura, yeah, I thought so.^^ grandsummon, glad you
think so. Here's the update! Trinity, that's what happens when you fall
in love, you become unreasonable. No yaoi pairings here, don'tcha worry.
Saikoro, aww, thank you!=) Dragon Pearl1, I hope you got the picture.
So sorry I just sent it now...got a little sidetracked.^^;;; Keitorin Asthore,
cabana boy Yoh, lol. Here's the update! Eikou, he'll be in the next one,
don't worry. got oranges, I think there -are- Ryu fans, as few as they are,
so...*shrug* syaoranz gurl, thanks. Sheo, that's okay.=) I'm glad
you liked the last two chapters! And thank you.^^ anoyedshehighsupremeautho,
Jeanne does not have an eating disorder...she's just worried about getting
embarrassed in front of Lyserg and Silverberg. KristiexxNguyen, here ya
go! Thanks. Miko-chan, ganyan talaga silang lahat na lalaki, mga denial
king.=) Sir Iron has got a lot of...issues, actually. We'll see what happens.
Kira, amen to that.^^ Fluff Inc, well, it was a great, great fic. And
sure, you can call me that.=) Thanks! Mendori-chan, hope this was somehow
worth the wait! Oh, and thanks for adding me to your friendster and for the
testimonial, I appreciate it.:) KageNoTenshi, love your latest fic! And
thanks a lot for the reviews (all seven of 'em). And we love Hao-sama, all of
us.=) Fe-chan, you're welcome, you're welcome.^^ gatita, I think I
did, yeah. Anyhow, glad you liked this. Thanks! Nezumi, Hao has nothing
to complain about...as he and Yoh will be appearing next, once again.=) chibi,
the better question is, -if- he ever finds out. Professor Silverberg is quite
smart and resourceful.^_~ flitter bug, don't worry about it. Oh, and
thank you.=) Takari-san, you can review longer next time...^^ Shaina
(sabi ng Ate mo kamukha mo raw), salamat sa pagrereview! Next time, maggawa ka
na ng account mo, ha?^^ Sana nagustuhan mo itong chapter na ito...para sa yo to.
Sorry medyo late.*sweatdrop* Kasalanan nga nung RP...alam ng Ate mo yon...si
Jeanne, ganun talaga...tandaan natin na iba ang paglaki nya dito sa paglaki nya
sa SK world, so...yon. Salamat ulit! Mahal ko kayo ng Ate mo!^_^ fue-chan,
I like the pairing too, though it isn't necessarily my favorite (I'm in LXJ mode
these days...). DayDrEaMiNg-child, no, I am -not- stopping...as you can
see.^^
