Dating Sim #3- Kacey and Fuji

Gabihin Kacey hated Fuji Syuusuke. She despised him from the bottom of her heart with a stabby, burning passion. Ever since she could remember, she grew up with only one goal: be number one. Her parents forced this on her, and it was all she had known growing up. When she entered junior high, things stayed the same. She remained number one and continued to best Fuji Syuusuke academically. Then senior high school came, and she found herself slipping in the tenth grade. Fuji flew by the days with no problems. Their test scores grew closer and closer, until he began to surpass her. Her parents stopped caring, and soon she found a new sort of…inspiration.

"I have no clue why you're dating him." Oishi Syuichirou had been friends with Kacey since their childhood, and as the two grew older, they remained as such. "I know your parents lack discipline, but this is…Kacey, I'm worried."

Kacey didn't bother smiling. Oishi had always managed to somehow see right through her. "It's practically your fault anyway." She snapped.

Oishi knew how she was. He let her continue.

"After all, I met him while going to one of your stupid tennis games."

Oishi knew this. He blamed himself for unintentionally setting his best friend up in an abusive relationship with Akutsu Jin.

"Going to Yamabuki after school today?" He asked. He already knew the answer. "We have an essay test in history tomorrow."

Kacey shrugged and glared at him. "I'll pass. I always do… don't I?"

Oishi hated when she visited Akutsu. Every time she did, he always got a "surprise" visit from her in the middle of the night, and had to tend to her wounds. He hated the way Jin abused her, yet, he failed to do anything about it.

"I'm sure Fuji will pass too."

Her gaze sharpened.

That night, Oishi received a very descriptive email on every controversial topic brought up that past unit in history. It was titled "Happy now?". Oishi smiled.

-----

This routine continued for another month or so until one ignorant art teacher did the unthinkable: She assigned Gabihin Kacey and Fuji Syuusuke as project partners.

Tension filled the air, yet the two merely smiled at one another and set up a time and place to meet. Saturday at one worked for Fuji, and he offered up his home as their meeting spot. She cordially thanked him and returned her attention to the teacher. Fuji chuckled to himself.

-----

Oishi developed his plan the very first time he ever saw the two of them together. It was unintentional, of course, him seeing them, but he did not regret witnessing it. He thought about it, but decided that it happened for a reason. For Oishi Syuichirou, watching Akutsu Jin hit his best friend in public was the final straw.

"Nya, Oishi…" Eiji noticed that his partner was distracted when they met up for coffee (which Eiji didn't need, but drank anyway). "What's wrong?"

"Eiji…what are you supposed to do if you see someone you love being abused?" It was a stupid question, but Oishi was stuck.

"Oishi! Is someone abusing you??" Eiji asked loudly.

Oishi quickly hushed him. "No, not me. I'm fine."

"Then who?"

Oishi was hesitant to tell him, but finally did. "It's Kacey."

Eiji made a face. "You mean Fujiko's arch-nemesis?"

Oishi sighed. "Yeah, her. She's seeing Akutsu Jin."

"The bully from Yamabuki? Why?" Eiji asked.

"I don't know, and she won't tell me why."

Eiji sat in quiet thought for a moment. "Why don't you set her up with someone else?"

Oishi was surprised. He would've never thought of that. "But who?"

"I didn't think of that…"

Oishi laughed; Eiji always made him smile.

"But I'll help you!" The redhead exclaimed enthusiastically. "What are friends for?"

Oishi sighed- relieved. Hopefully he could help.

-----

Saturday came soon enough, and Kacey arrived on Fuji's doorstep at one o' clock on the dot. Knowing her well enough, Fuji didn't expect any less of her. What he also didn't expect was the black eye and the sling supporting her right arm.

"What happened?" He asked.

"None of your damn business." She snapped.

Oh this would be fun. Fuji let her in, and they got to work. After about an hour, their work was interrupted when Fuji Yuuta threw the front door open, threw his duffel bag on the couch, then slammed the door shut again.

"Ah, Yuuta." Fuji greeted his younger brother with a smile. "I didn't know you were coming home this weekend."

"I live here. I didn't realize that I needed an invitation." He replied coldly.

"Well let me go get you something to eat." Syuusuke darted off into the kitchen.

Yuuta groaned and looked at Kacey. He vaguely remembered her, but he couldn't tell from where.

She chuckled darkly. "So you're the infamous Fuji Syuusuke's baby brother."

He glared at her. "And you're the girl who's second to him."

Kacey returned the expression. They both spoke again at the same time, and what they said was almost identical.

"I hate your brother."

"I hate my brother."

Kacey smirked and Yuuta crossed his arms as Syuusuke returned from the kitchen with a sandwich and a glass of milk for Yuuta. The younger took his food and stomped upstairs to his room. He reemerged four hours later, just as Kacey was leaving. When the door had closed behind her, Syuusuke sighed.

"She hates you." Yuuta remarked from the top of the stairs.

Syuusuke turned to him, his blue eyes gleaming. "I know."

-----

"Kacey, why?"

She sighed as Oishi carefully studied her broken arm.

"Because of that one night I chose to study instead of going to see him."

Oishi was silent for a moment. "It's my fault, isn't it?"

Kacey looked at him. "No, Syuichirou. It's my fault. Everything is always my fault."

She left without another word. Oishi pulled out his cell phone. He couldn't take it anymore.

-----

Yuuta adored spying on his brother; especially listening in on his phone calls. By the sound of desperation in the caller's voice, he could tell that this would be a good one.

"Fuji please- you have to do something."

"Do what? You know she hates me."

"That's why you'll be able to get through to her! You saw what he did!"

"Oishi…What could I possibly do?"

"Something- anything! Please…"

Who were they talking about? In Yuuta's opinion, this sounded like some sort of soap opera.

"Oishi…"

"Fuji, Kacey is my best friend. I can't keep watching Akutsu abuse her."

Oh, her again. She sounded like nothing but trouble.

"But why would I help her?"

"Because you love her, and you know it!"

There was silence on Fuji's end. Yuuta remembered now. Kacey and Syuusuke had grown up rivals like Oishi and Kacey had grown up friends. She had always been hostile towards his brother's kindness, and it only got worse from there. Yuuta recalled Syuusuke coming home every Valentine's Day in disappointment because she had ignored him the entire day. Yuuta remembered watching the two of them on the playground together- Syuusuke completely captivated by her, and Kacey acting as though he didn't exist.

"Well what do you want me to do?"

"Anything."

"We're meeting on Friday. I'll tell you how things go."

-----

"Say… Kacey…"

She glared at Fuji, and paused while working on her part of their project. "What?"

"I had been thinking about your arm…It wouldn't have anything to do with Akutsu, would it?" Fuji smirked.

Kacey froze. "That would be…none of your business."

Fuji chuckled. "No…you're wrong. It is my business. Oishi came to me for help."

"Oh Syuichirou did, did he? Maybe instead of bringing it up with you he should've talked to Jin about it. In fact, why don't I do that for him?" Standing, Kacey gathered her things and left.

That had definitely not been part of Fuji's plan.

-----

"She's unpredictable. It'll be hard for you to really get through to her."

Fuji laughed lightly at Oishi's remark. "Don't worry. She's unpredictable, yes, but she won't stray too far from human nature."

"I hope you're right. I'm really worried about her."

Fuji shifted slightly, resting the phone between his shoulder and his head. "She'll be here soon; we still need to finish our project."

"Then I'll let you go…Thank you, Fuji."

"It isn't a problem." Fuji smiled. As soon as he hung up, the doorbell rang. "Speak of the devil…"

"I apologize for yesterday." She told him, stepping into the house. "Truth be told, I didn't really go to Jin. Although, it really isn't a good idea for you to go prying into matters that do not concern you."

Fuji sighed. "I suppose you're right. I apologize as well."

"Now that the formalities are out of the way…" Kacey muttered. "Shall we get started?"

"Saa- before we do…" Fuji said thoughtfully. "I thought that we could play a small competitive game…To lessen the tension."

Kacey paused to think. "Do I get to pick the game?"

Fuji smiled. "Of course."

She chose chess. Before they began, she opened her notebook and quickly jotted something down. "We'll see who the real tensai is here today." She said to him. She handed him her notebook, which she instructed him not to open. Though he was curious, he complied.

Fuji found it easy to defeat her. It didn't take very long, and he thought of it as a quick and painless defeat.

She said nothing to him about it for the rest of the afternoon. Just as she was leaving, however, she turned to him.

"Just for the record…I'm the real tensai."

-----

Fuji had taken awhile to figure out what she meant. By the time he did, it was time for them to meet again.

She had predicted his victory. She had written down all of his steps and every move that he would make in her notebook, before they started playing. She was one hundred percent correct.

"You're good at reading people." Fuji complemented her.

"Not necessarily." She shrugged. "You're just predictable." A smirk danced on her lips. She shifted in an uncomfortable way and unzipped her jacket. She had recently gotten her cast off.

"It's a tad warm in here." Fuji remarked. "Why don't you take your jacket off?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

They started working, and Fuji began to notice that she was not fine. She had started sweating a little, and was beginning to seem slow and lethargic.

"Kacey, please-" He took her arm (A/N: I first wrote "ham" instead of "arm" by accident. Just thought you'd like to know) and tried to move her, but she resisted.

"Nobody taught you about personal space? What a surprise…" She laughed meekly and wiped her forehead.

Fuji retreated slightly. "Kacey…"

She glared at him.

"What do you have to hide?"

It took a few minutes, but she finally shed her jacket to reveal her arms- decorated in a mass of scars and bruises. "This."

Fuji was almost speechless…almost. "Akutsu…am I correct?"

"I'm sorry; do I have to answer to you?" Kacey snapped.

"I'm only concerned." He managed to stay calm.

"Oh? How interesting. Might I be so bold as to inquire why?" She crossed her arms and stood.

Fuji stood with her. "Because I wouldn't wish this-" He gestured to her arms. "Upon anybody."

"Not anybody? You don't loathe anyone with such a fiery hate that you just wished they would die?"

"Of course not." He answered. "Hate is wasted energy."

"I hate you."

"I love you."

Kacey was silent. She showed no signs of being phased by his declaration.

"You don't know me."

"I know you more than you think."

All smiles were gone now.

"I dare you to prove it." She challenged.

Now laughing lightly, Fuji reached into his pocket and handed her a folded piece of paper. On it was their exact conversation written out in Fuji's careful handwriting.

Kacey glared at him, quickly gathered her things, and then stormed out.

-----

"I tried, Oishi." Fuji admitted to his friend at school the next day.

Oishi sighed. "Well, thank you." Before he could continue, however, Kacey walked up. She grasped Fuji's hand, lacing their fingers together, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hi Syuichirou." She said, smiling.

"Hi Kacey…" Oishi said slowly. She was acting peculiar now…and he was still worried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…Yes I'm doing better." She looked over at Fuji. "Right, Syuusuke?"

Fuji smiled, leaned in, and kissed her gently.

Oishi bid them farewell and walked away with a smile on his face. The bell rang and Kacey began to walk off to her class.

"I'll see you during lunch." She told Fuji, calling back to him over her shoulder. "Tensai!"