"So, your parents said they will not be responsible of you and that from now on you will live on your own… But…"

"Apartments are too much so I just crash in your house for now, 'kay?"

But there's no fun in having the girl you like living under the same roof as you if there are no conditions in the agreement of letting her live here, right? He hums slightly with his eyes closed and thinking about those conditions.

Once he knows what to say, he opens one of his eyes and smirk at her. "Under these conditions that only if you agree t, I will let you live here. One, you will need to cook for lunch and cook breakfast every Monday. Second, bake at least a batch of cake during weekends for us to snack on. Third, you will need to obey one order from me every week… deal~?"

He looks at her expression, trying to read it. "Okay… just, no funny rules." He chuckle slightly at her glare that made him feel slightly self-conscious also good because it proofs that Michiko still has some common sense in not letting him do whatever he likes with her when he orders her.

"How about the first order is to confess to me~?"

"Confession is a choice, not an obligation."

Well, winning against her in an argument would be nice sometime but guess it's not his luck right now.

Their eyes look up to see their school building already in sight and friends backs too. "Oh yeah, Karma." He looks at her with a grin, hands in his pockets and eyes slowly looking at the bento in her hand. "Yours?"

She shook her head with a smile as she walk up to him and take one of his hand out of the pocket, "Yours." He holds the bento in his hand after she gave it to him and walks up faster than him to catch up to the girls.

He is curious about the contents though once lunch comes; he doesn't need to wait anymore.

Most of their classmates like to eat outside with the nature but Karma likes it better inside most of the time though there are some students that stay in class much like him and one of them is Michiko herself.

But his suspension of curiosity extends because he doesn't want to open his lunch. It's not that he is embarrassed but he just feel like it is troublesome to have them squealing just because Michiko made him a bento. Now that he think of it…

Isn't giving bento a gesture that couples do?

He might just feel himself grin at the unsuspecting Michiko who is happily eating her lunch but once she notices how his mercury-gold eyes is eyeing her though it took her as long as she can put the salad into her mouth to make her start reacting.

Her cheeks redden and eyes widen looking at him who is grinning at her like a Cheshire cat. "Having fun~?" they are pretty lucky that their classmates are focused on their own subjects so they aren't paying attention to the two.

"Eat your own lunch." She sounds so harsh and yet he likes it, he might even think that he is an M; a masochist but he is certain that he is still… a sadist.

"But there's your lunch~"

"Ungh…"

Oh how much he likes it whenever Michiko gets irritated.

~~XX~~Michiko~~XX~~

[Let's meet up to go to the convention. I need to make a report.

-Takeshi ]

I sighed, sometime I think that our teasing towards Karma is going a little way overboard but with my mood swings lately, I couldn't care less though really we are just rivals saying mean things to each other and wanted to tease Karma to tell him something…

Something very important to tell he but we need to show him to make it seep into his mind.

I put my phone into my pocket again and then look at Karma's curious eyes.

"Who was it?"

Should I be blunt and rub it on his f- nah, that was the reason as to why Takeshi and I are doing this. "I have a promise to attend with Takeshi." I can smirk if I want to upon seeing his expression.

I come out of the train earlier than him as he continue to his destination, his home or should I say our home?

I've known Takeshi to be someone who is very on time which is why when I arrived at our meeting place, he look up from the book he is reading, a hand in his trouser pocket and bag hanging by his shoulder.

I should say that he is attractive with that beautiful face of his but now I just find it slightly annoying. His green eyes glint with mischief and he point at something behind me as he approach me. But when I wanted to look behind me, he holds the back of my head and…

"I thought I told you not do that in public." He surely has the guts to at least kiss my cheek when we are in front of so many people.

"Don't look back, your friends are very nosy it seems." He whispers into my ear and I can only sigh. Of course, and that yellow octopus will be leading them along with a certain blonde haired girl.

He took my hand; he knows my bad sense of direction better than some people due to one of his experience going on a school trip with me.

~~XX~~Flashback~~XX~~

"Michiko! Where are you?! Ugh, I'll be happy if you don't answer me!" he meant it but then he shook his head, no matter how much she hate the witty girl, she is still a good friend of his that always lend a helping hand.

"Takeshi…?"

His green eyes look at the shivering figure of the young girl who is whimpering at the coldness since it is raining.

"Sheesh, how did you get lost in the first place? And I thought we can look through the shop with ease. I can't believe it, my rival is the one who is interested in buying souvenirs and not Yuu!"

"Sorry…"

They can be harsh to each other but in the end… "Hey, let's go, the rest is waiting." He crouches down and takes her hand, silently ordering her to come under the umbrella with him.

He shouldn't have taken his eyes off her at such a crowded place..

~~XX~~End.F~~XX~~

"Let's go in." I take her hand almost forcefully into the building where we were immediately greeted by the many colors of the artworks inside of it. "Beautiful, eh~?"

Michiko is seriously letting her expression out right now, her eyes widen in awe at the many artworks that varies from paintings, photographs, and sculptures. "I didn't know you like this kind of thing." She stares at me.

"No, dear~! Do you think that science fits me? No!" both of us never liked to see numbers but we both likes to see and read literature or works of art. "Hmm… now I need to find someone who is easy to talk to…"

"How about we look at the photograph section? We might be able to find him…"

Him?

We walk to the photo section where many scenery or expressions are taken with the participants' own camera that are very expensive if we compare it with our own pocket money or the amount of the usual amount money that our parents would at least give us if we asked to.

She look around first and then tug on my sleeve, "What?" I ask her but she only point at the person who seems to be the one who carries the book that holds the name of the participants. "Whose name are you going to ask for?"

"Matsuoka Ayumu."

"A woman? But you said 'him'."

She shook her head. "It's a man… my cousin." He smirk at how she is shy at strangers but just fine with hiding behind her rival's back.

"Excuse me, can I ask if there is someone named Matsuoka Ayumu?" the woman look at us with a wide smile.

"Oh, Michiko-chan~?"

"Hello, Rin-nee…"

Who? Geez, she sure knows a lot of people more than I thought. "Oh who are you? Oh my!" and we think we know what she is thinking about very clearly so. "Finally, Ayumu been saying at how you finally had a boyfriend~! Come with me."

I asked her about who it is when we follow the woman, she just gave me an answer barely above whisper that I also barely heard. Rin, her cousin's girlfriend.

Michiko hang onto the side of my shirt all the way when we arrived, I can see the many pictures taken by her cousin but one picture took my attention.

As Michiko talk with her cousin along with Rin-san, I stare at the picture with anger and jealousy boiling my blood. The picture is beautiful I admit but what they are doing is what made me angry.

"Ayumu-nii will be accepting your request but there's someone who wants to meet him fir-" I can hear her but it sounds like it is a bit muffled?

"Why didn't you just reject me after that..?"

"Eh?"

She froze when she looked at it too. "I'll curse my teacher after this."

It's not just any kind of photo, it has great scenery and lighting and I can mistake the girl in the photo for anyone but the redhead is a dead giveaway that it is a certain someone that has such a fitting name to his usual hobby.

I can tolerate a simple picture but… even if I try to make myself believe that it is not Michiko and Karma in that picture, I can't though.

Ugh… I know those classmates of Michiko's looking or rather stalking us and I know just by guessing that the redhead is also there. I also notice at how Michiko is trying to avoid me asking anymore by looking at the pictures on the table.

I can pay this up just fine. I think that redhead will be a bit more reserved when doing such an act and that photo is surely something her cousin got by luckily taking the picture on time. With my hand at the edge of the table, I smile as I walk closer to her.

"Takeshi?"

Yes, that is the expression. I smirk at how her cheeks redden once she registered what I have done. "I seriously am surprised at how soft your lips are even though the owner is such a stubborn girl."

"You- I told you not to do that in public! An- Takeshi!" I laugh as I receive her exceptionally hard punches that are aimed to my chest. "You just did that in front of all of them…" she said in a whisper-like voice but I do like to see at how she is very distressed by my action.

"But your head is big enough to cover what exactly happened though I do want them to guess it right~"

Her expression make me laugh more and more

~~~XX~~~Karma~~~XX~~~

He feels Nagisa's hand stopping him from jumping at them. Rio is snickering while Maehara is just shocked slightly with Isogai innocently blinking a few times; Kayano is covering her mouth with her hands at the sudden scene.

"Oh my…" Kayano was the first one to break the silence between all of us.

The redhead can feel his temper burn his blood and jealousy surging through him, but he himself is not certain yet but anger made him go into a conclusion that the green-eyed boy actually did kissed Michiko.

"Oh, daring~" I grit my teeth, glaring at the octopus who is grinning widely and a pink hue coloring his face which means he has found quite a nice and interesting gossip subject for his notebook.

{I have done the background scan on this boy}

{His family name is Isamu while his given name is Takeshi. A smart but dangerously prideful boy that seems to have a very friendly yet deep rivalry with our Michiko-san.}

"I have never heard of anyone named Michiko beside her." Nagisa commented, sounding as if he is trying to say that Michiko is surely one of a kind and rare girl to come by with.

{That is because 'Michiko' is a very rarely used name. Back to our topic, Takeshi is not exactly at the same class as Michiko's family that is exceptionally rich and famous if you consider it because of their wide relationship with many people.

But in comparison as to how Michiko was raised, Takeshi was raised preciously by his family.

Takeshi also seems to go to one of the best boarding school in our country but this boarding school seems to let its student out from time to time as long as they get their teacher's permission. And he seems to be the teachers' favorite.}

"So, basically he is a spoiled young master~" the redhead already said the same thing some time ago but Rio repeated it because she didn't bother to hear the boy.

{But, Karmakun, hear me out.}

"Hmm?"

{Takeshi was surely rejected by her.}

He looks at the AI that is staying in Nagisa's phone for the time being to talk to them. "Rejected him?"

{I was coincidently trying to find her when you asked me to and it was on the right time. She rejected him and I even heard a slapping sound.}

~~~~XX~~~XX~~~XX~~~

"Had fun?"

She came back at evening when he already finished making dinner and currently sitting in front of the big LCD television, waiting for her to join him eating dinner. But she came back with a full stomach and also a box.

"Fun? Yeah, kinda. You already cooked dinner, didn't I texted you to not to?"

So, that box is for him and she texted him?

"When?"

"Ju- Oh… It didn't get sent."

He might even be able to boil a kettle of water with just his flaming redhead because of the temper. She flinched when he hit the sofa hard, standing up after doing so and marching towards her.

"How long are you going to tease me?" she look surprised but then she laugh like a pure evil villain.

"I already told him that you won't get tricked for long… It's Ritsu's help, isn't it?" she know this all along and yet, my hands turn into fist and punch the wall behind her; making her almost choke from her own laughter.

"Why did you… even try to?"

The real question is…

Why do I bother about it so much?

I hate him to even look at her…

"Because he said if you act overly jealous, that would make me sure about your feelings."

He widen his eyes at her, she wants to confirm his feelings?

"And it was a success~! Why don't you admit it already?"

Did their role just switched? He wonders but he had enough of all of this, he takes his hand and pulls her closer. "Umm… sorry?" her voice sounds very sincere but also unsure.

He has a nice idea for a punishment.

"We're going somewhere for our holidays and I won't accept no."

~~~XX~~~XX~~~XX~~~XX~~~XX~~

I descend the stairs to the kitchen to see what is making this delicious smell that is wafting from there. I found out that it is Karma, making breakfast and also seemingly hasn't been sleeping.

Did my- I mean our joke went too far?

"Karma?" I approach him and I notice his little reaction upon hearing my voice calling him. "What?" that sounds cold, he must be really angry.

"You haven't changes your clothes." I notice his blue and white t-shirt and pair of black shorts that I know he wears to sleep last night. He look at me and then to his outfit, shrugging and ignoring me.

"Sheesh, I told you I'm sorry." I tug the back of his shirt and he… laugh?

"I've never heard you apologize so sincerely due to your pride…"

I want to kick him.

"Go and change! I'll take over." I can feel my cheeks heat up upon realizing that it is his entire act to make me apologize again. Well, this is annoying.

He continues to chuckle as he goes back to his room to change his clothes and probably take a bath since I hear him descend the stairs after a few minutes and the water in the main bathroom starts running.

Continuing with my task and that is making breakfast for the both of us, I ignore the sound of wet feet taping on the marbled floor and coming closer to me and that is until I feel droplets of water dripping onto my shoulder.

"Eh?"

I meet his curious mercuric gold eyes that are looking at the food and now looking at me. He smirks at me widely, seemingly satisfied with my expression and possible blush. He looks so… stunning?

His red hair is wet and dripping droplets of water everywhere and the towel around his neck is not helping much with the task of keeping the floor dry because it is intended to be there to keep the drops from wetting his new shirt.

"It's already cooked." I snap back to reality and see that his hand already turns off the stove. "Well, we almost eat burnt fried rice thanks to you." Growling at him only make him laugh more as his teasing work quite well on me.

"Prepare the table, I'll put the fried rice into a bowl." I order him and he obey quite surprisingly but of course with a little addition like most of the time. "Okay, dear~"

I swear, I might actually act as if I am his wife if I continue to nag at him and all… Oh… "You should take care of your clothes, the buttons are wrong." I unbutton the shirt all the way, ignoring how his chest is bare to me but I just continue to button it at the right spot.

And… I just did it again… I mentally face-palm myself. Seriously… I have very short agreement with my own body and mind. "Thank you, dear~" and with our height, people might actually think we are a married couple.

Or just Karma is a man who marries a girl who is younger than him.

I sigh and sit down, fried rice as our breakfast and also some nuggets and sunny-side-ups to accompany it. "What's with the simple breakfast?" I wonder out loud and he rise his eyebrows.

"I was too sleepy to think."

"By the way, I heard the guys were planning to come for a group study."

He only nods because he still has some food in his mouth, well, saying that Karma is bad is not exactly true because just look at his table manners. "Yeah, they said they were coming but I declined their plan."

"Why?"

"You're here."

Can I slap him? He look so flirty with that smirk, I swear I thought it was another person who said that.

"I can stay in my room."

"You'll starve; you always eat no matter where or when. It's like you live to eat and not eat to live."

"I'll bring snacks into the room."

"It'll get messy and my dear wife won't like that, will you?"

"I'm not that messy!"

Wait… what?

"And I'm not your wife!"

~~XX~~~XX~~~XX~~

"Uwah! Your house is so big!"

Maehara exclaim in awe but Isogai's awe is not to the size of the house but to the delicious smell of cake and baked good wafting through the air around them.

"Why aren't the other girl's here~?" an expected question from Okajima.

Karma did not exactly said it as a part of agreement with Michiko, he will not say that she is here and she will let him take the credit of baking the cake though he decline but requested for something she rather reluctantly accept.

She will play a game of pocky with him after everyone goes back home. Sounds easy but mentally challenging.

He smiles again when he remember their agreement while his friends is still getting used to the house and the warm and comfortable white sofa. "Now, do you guys know the reason o this get together?"

Well, it seems necessary for the class rep to ask.

"To switch information about girls!"

"To switch information about-"

"No, Okajima we are not going to do that." Okajima only laugh sheepishly when Isogai cut him off. "Chiba?"

"Share plans about the assassination while the girls and Sugaya also Sugino work for the drama?"

"Now, that sounds reasonable." Chiba blush a bit, it's rare to hear him talk so Isogai praise for giving out his opinion.

"Can't we just bash that octopus head?!"

"I hope you don't bash anything in my house~"

And so that is how their group studies and also planning for winter assassination starts.

They help each other, the ones who are best in that subject helps the other who are not so good in it but then they meet Terasaka's brain. Both Karma and Isogai was a bit speechless that one of them was smart enough to…

Karma took the phone away from Nagisa with a very forceful way. "But, Karma-kun, Michiko might know how to handle this." But he too has something in mind; they would become suspicious if they hear Michiko's phone ringing in his house.

"Trust me, I tried asking her to teach me and she did it badly." That is the truth though Nagisa doesn't seem convinced with that. "She did fine when she taught me."

"But then…" Nagisa trace off… "At this kind of hour during a holiday, she is surely still asleep and tucked under a pile of blankets."

Dodged one problem for now…

"We might need kagebushin no jutsu to handle Terasaka." Maehara said that only as a teasing but Terasaka seem to take it to heart. But of course the boy knows that stirring problem in the devil's den is serious business.

"We might actually say that he is as stupid as Naruto." And they all laugh together at Karma's statement.

Studying become very boring as time pass on and somehow they managed to drill some things into Terasaka's brain, so they cut the cake and share it between them also the snacks was finished by them too when they studied.

"I never knew you can make this kind of delicious cake, Karma~!" and Isogai is practically almost worshipping Karma's cooking abilities though sure the redhead can cook but he can't exactly bake such a beautiful cake.

Michiko probably went a little overboard while decorating the cake with strawberries, vanilla frostings and also frozen chocolates that she shaped into hearts. She started making them in right after breakfast and did well in doing multi-task.

"But…" he seriously need to drag Nagisa out to the back yard for a second.

Nagisa look at Karma warily, knowing something is bothering the younger boy but he just doesn't know what exactly is bothering him. "Nagisa, Michiko is in my house." That was pretty straight-forward.

"I thought she rented an apartment."

"You think she have the money?"

The blue-haired boy shook his head lightly. "No." and he sighed before he look at Karma again. "Make sure you don't make the wrong move."

"Why?"

"Michiko can get very moody and cranky at around these last days of the month."

The redhead raises an eyebrow. "After exams?"

Nagisa only smile, in a way that makes him think that he is being teased by the shorter male. "You'll understand soon enough."

~~~XXX~~~XXX~~~XXX~~~

That night, he woke up with a hungry stomach that wants a late night snack so he obeyed it and descends the stairs to the kitchen to search the refrigerator or one of the cabinets and what did he found?

"Who bought burger?" he asked to himself but shrugged it away, too sleepy and hungry to think of whoever owns the juicy food. He takes it and also opens the refrigerator again, taking a bottle of syrup and a glass to make some cold syrup to drink with the burger.

He doesn't know how wrong his actions are…

"Karma…"

He almost thought Michiko is an actual ghost with that black hair that looks like it is owned by a witch, yes, a witch. That's how funny and messed up her bed-hair is.

"Michiko?"

She stares at him like with sleepy eyes but then her eyes widen and she starts to glare at him and it almost made him thought that his mother has come back home from one of her trips with his father and found out that her only son is staying up late.

"Insensitive redhead."

And… actually, Yui has sent him list of things not to do around the last days of the month.

Don't;

- go against her wishes, even if it is very childish.

-call her moody.

-stress her out

-bother her when she is sleeping

-annoy her too much

And… he has gone against the most important part that even Yui has gone through and that is, eating her food without permission…

"Umm…" he guessed it in a few seconds, he needs to fix this fast because if he doesn't, it will become a problem that would annoy both of them in a very great scale. "Mi-"

But she doesn't let a simple apology slip because that burger is precious and even though she is mostly generous about her food most of the time and would just say 'Buy me a new one and I'll give that to you.' But this time she doesn't feel like it.

"I'm going back to sleep."

He watch her petite figure turn around and walk away from him who has put down the food and also left the cold syrup to chase her. "Michiko!"

"I'm too tired for your games…"

"I'll b-"

"You can't buy back a disappointed stomach."

And he really thinks that Michiko is just being a Drama Queen though during these days, Michiko is the Queen of all Drama Queens.