After some intimacy in the alley with Etou...

When she arrived home she scarcely got in the door when her mother dragged her to the front parlor. There on the table was a beautiful floral arrangement with lilies, ivy, and button mums. Right away she knew who sent it and why. As lovely as the arrangement was, it was sweet and modest and she knew that he had practiced restraint in order to send a message. She got the feeling that it was more about pleasing her than in creating the perfect arrangement. Time would tell if his intentions were genuine or not, but it was a nice gesture, regardless.

"So, Daughter. Who would send you such a lovely bouquet? There was no card."

"I think that it must be from Yunoki-sempai. The Yunokis are the Ikebana family. He and I will be going on a date sometime soon."

"Really?" Mrs. Hino seemed surprised. "That's exciting."

"Yes, maybe. He seems to like me, but I'm not getting too worked up about it because he moves in completely different circles from regular people."

"Are you saying that my daughter isn't good enough?"

"Motherrrr…"

"All right. I know that you have good judgment. I won't read too much into it...Why are you so popular these days? You've hardly been home at all."

"I know! All of a sudden I'm being asked out a lot!"

'And you know why' she thought to herself. 'You kissed 6 guys in one week and now they all want more of you.'

"I'm happy that you're able to enjoy your high school years, Sweetheart. When I was in school I didn't really have much of a social life, as I've told you before. I always regretted not dating more before marrying your father…But you won't neglect your schoolwork, right Dear?"

"No worries, Mother. I'm on top of it." Actually, she wasn't too sure about that, but at least she would have some help with her homework this week.

"And Sweetheart, I know you have a good sensible head on your shoulders and that you know how to follow your instincts. But now you're really dating. You will remember the things we've talked about, regarding boys?"

"Of course, Mother...I'm going to call Yunoki-sempai now, to thank him."

"Thank him nicely, Dear. That's a very special bouquet."

He answered immediately. His voice was intimate. "Hello Kahoko. Do you like my gift?"

"I do. It's really beautiful. Did you do it yourself?"

"Yes..."

"Then it is even more special to me. Thank you."

Silence, then… "Did you understand it?"

So Yunoki. Did other people have strange conversations like this?..."I think so. Just like when you let me and Etou-kun walk in peace today...It feels like you want to show me that I'm important to you…and that you respect me."

He laughed. "Cheeky girl."

"Am I wrong?"

"No. You got it right. You are important to me…and I will respect your wishes from now on."

She wasn't sure what to say… "Thank you, Yunoki-sempai."

"Maybe if I'm nice to you, one day you'll address me by my first name?"

She smiled. "Maybe…"

"Can I have my date soon?"

"Yes." She giggled a bit. "When would you like our date to be?"

"Now."

"Huh?...I just got home! You mean now now?"

"No, I was actually thinking that I could pick you up soon and we could have dinner. I would be bringing you home late."

"You should have given me more warning. I can't get ready that quickly."

"Are you saying No? Because there are other people that will be affected by your decision."

"By my decision? But you're the one..." She sighed. "Fine. Let's do it."

"You should dress up. I will pick you up in an hour."

"Uh"...Typical Yunoki..."All right. My Mother will want to meet you."

"Fine with me. I'll arrive a little earlier, then. Your mother and I can get to know each other while you get ready."

She wasn't sure she liked the idea of leaving him alone with her Mom since he would probably try to sell himself as the ideal boyfriend, but she understood that time was of the essence and she needed to get ready. She would do damage-control later. "What time should I tell her you're arriving?"

"In 45 minutes."

"Oh boy! Okay, see you soon."

"Soon, Kahoko."

The second she heard the click on the line she ran to find her Mom. "Mother, he's taking me out tonight! And he'll be here to meet you in 45 minutes!"

"What?" Even though her Mom hadn't fully digested the news, she began scurrying to get ready. One didn't second-guess the young gentleman of such a family. She began tidying and then hurried to change into nicer clothes. The time flew by and she was soon opening the door to an elegant and stunning young man.

Kahoko was ready, and pleased with how she looked. At her Mom's insistence she chose one of her sister's black cocktail dresses. She chose a swingy sleeveless one that skirted the knee. She accessorized with classic gold jewelry of her Mom's, and a pair of black stilettos. She put her hair up with a decorative rhinestone comb. The way she did her eye makeup made her look older, more sophisticated.

Her Mom and Yunoki were chatting easily in the formal parlor. To her satisfaction Kahoko noted the expression on his face when he rose to greet her. "Hino-san, you look beautiful. I will be very proud to have you on my arm this evening."

"Thank you, Yunoki-sempai."

He declared regretfully that they needed to get going, and promised that he would get her daughter home as soon as he could.

'…as soon as he could.' Kahoko guessed that he had told her Mom where they were going. Her guess was somewhat confirmed when her Mom handed her a black shawl to take 'just in case.' "You look lovely, Sweetheart." She whispered "My little girl is growing up."

In the back seat of the limo Azuma took her hand and kissed it. "You do look stunning, Kahoko."

"Thank you." It was by far the most genuine, no-strings-attached compliment he had ever paid her, and so she blushed. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"What did you and my Mother talk about?"

"This and that. I told her where we're going, told her a little about myself and my family, said that I'm very fond of you and hope that one day you will come to feel the same about me."

"But…that's misleading. You made it sound like you have some kind of long-term commitment in mind."

"I do, Kahoko." His tone of voice stunned her into silence. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed each finger, then looked at her seriously. She stared at him in amazement.

"But Yunoki-sempai; you couldn't commit to me for any length of time before your family would somehow break us up."

"I know that. But I also know what I feel. For some strange reason, I care a lot about you and I don't want to lose you. We don't know how far our relationship can go, but it should be our decision to make. Not my family's."

He sandwiched her hand between his and caressed it as he elaborated. "I care enough about you to fight for us, and I have the means to prevail against them. I have hidden resources and therefore means for securing my freedom. They wouldn't have any power over us."

She had a lump in her throat and could feel tears welling up. It was a surprising declaration, but she recognized sincerity when she heard it.

"But what if you got disowned and we eventually decided that it wasn't working between us?"

"I'm willing to take that chance. I would rather have a clear shot at being with you, than not have tried at all."

She hadn't realized how much he cared. In the back of her mind, she thought he just wanted to win against the other boys. But he couldn't say these things without meaning them. She moved along the seat to rest her head against his chest and put her arms around his waist. When he raised her chin to wipe away her tears she kissed him. He was touched by her reaction and her affection. They kissed each other lovingly and held onto each other the rest of the way.

When they alighted at the harbor she still hadn't figured out where they were headed…until he led her to a huge, gleaming yacht. Holding her hand, he steered her up the ramp to a deck adorned with glittering white twinkle lights. The captain and wait staff introduced themselves before disappearing to do their jobs.

Azuma gave her a tour of the sleek vessel that boasted several oak-paneled suites with marble floors, opulent dining room, meeting rooms, media room, sauna and steam room, gym, a very technical communications and control room, etc etc. When they reached the sundeck her attention was drawn to the azure waters of a well-appointed Jacuzzi. Azuma encircled her waist and spoke suggestively in her ear. "It's heated, if you want to get in with me."

"No thanks" she demurred politely. If she chose him then one day she would love to shock him by taking him up on one of his steamy offers, but not this time.

They went over to the railing to look at the shimmering waters and city lights as the ship headed into the bay. Azuma stood behind her and began setting the mood. With one hand caressing the curve of her hip through the dress, his other hand pulled her hair back to clear a path for his lips. She leaned back into him and succumbed to his touch. One touch led to another and just as she was wondering if this was too public a place, he grabbed her hand. "Come."

He led her to a large suite and let her admire the luxurious sitting area for about 3 seconds on their way to the bedroom. A king-size bed was covered with embroidered silk bedding and sumptuous pillows and the air smelled of sandalwood. There were candles flickering in all corners of the room. She watched in a trance as he closed the door behind them, kicked off his shoes, took off his dinner jacket, tie and and belt and hung them over the back of a chair, then climbed to the middle of the bed. He patted a spot next to him, beckoning for her to join him.

She hesitated. This scene had all the hallmarks of a grand seduction. "Uhh…What do you have in mind, Yunoki-sempai?"

"What do you think? I want to touch you." His golden eyes were sparkling in the warm light of the candlelit room.

She was frozen in place. She had been kissing and touching a lot lately, but never in a bedroom with the door closed...on a powerful man's yacht!

He sighed and patted the bed again. "Come on, Kahoko. We're running out of time to enjoy being alone before dinner. Trust me, please."

She wasn't completely sure about this, but…

Author's Note: Do you hate me for cutting it off here? :) I just had to, because otherwise the chapter would be too long. And I haven't finished the chapter that follows...

Azuma seems ready to sacrifice a lot for her. Can you imagine his reaction if after all of his efforts she doesn't choose him?

I think that although living within his family's expectations has comforts that Azuma has taken for granted, he's ready to grasp at any excuse to leave his golden cage. He might not go to the trouble unless there were a compelling reason, but the way he feels about her is reason enough for him. Realizing how much he would have given up could be a big burden to Kahoko, and it could factor into her final decision. If he's smart, he'll convince her that he would be happier away from his family, and that happiness is more important to him than privilege.

Kahoko is so in-the-moment with all of these guys. On each date she is full focused on the boy that she's with, trying to immerse herself in the experience of being with him, so that when the time comes she'll have all she needs to make a wise decision. She's not even really comparing the boys at this point. She knows how difficult that decision will be, and she has decided not to think about it until her last date is done.

Next Chapter: a bit of lemon ;)