Chapter 8

"Are you sure it's okay for me to be here?" I ask my companion.

He tightens his grip on my hand and rubs his thumb across my knuckles. "It's alright. Mother's not here."

I scan the house which almost seems like a mansion. I feel so out of place. There is an obvious disparity between my clothes and the prestigious glamor emanating from the abode. With its coated white walls and luxurious furniture, I'm almost afraid to soil it with my cut-rate shoes. I could feel my anxiety rising.

"Hey, I don't think this is a good idea." I pull back but it only makes him hold me tighter.

He stops and turns to face me. Beneath his eyes is a determination shadowed by a hint of concern. "I understand if you don't want to meet my family yet. But I wanted you to know the real me. What my life is like."

I look around again and the dread comes back. We're from two different worlds and it's something I've always known but never fully grasped until I set foot into his domain.

He sees the hesitance in my eyes. "This isn't all me. The glamorous lifestyle, the house—" he sighs and caresses my face, sending his warmth throughout my body. "I know what you're thinking. This is just what most people see but it's not what they know of me. You know me."

He leads me outside where a massive garden is situated behind their Victorian home. Flowers and plants of different kinds amass in every corner of the green area. It's all so beautiful and I find myself in awe of everything.

We walk past the foliage and behind the botanical collection lies a little shelter. It's an old little cabin built a little too sloppily, with its nails not hammered through enough to make the walls sturdier. I could tell the place had been standing for quite some time now. The vines had crept from beneath the ground covering most of the imperfect carpentry of the cabin. A creaking sound springs from the door as he opens it and waits for me to enter.

The room is small but neat, a contrast to the rather messy exterior. Shelves filled with books surround the area and bean bags are scattered on the floor for comfort. The windows let in the fresh air and sunlight from outside and oddly I feel more at ease in this rundown cottage than in the lavish house.

"Sit down. I'll get you something to drink." He ushers me to a bean bag and leaves to grab two sodas from a small vintage fridge sitting in a corner.

"You keep it stocked?" I scoff at the full freezer.

"Well my brothers and I hang out here most of the time." He says as he opens my can before handing it to me.

"Thanks. So how come I've never seen your brothers anywhere?" I ask.

He shrugs and plays with the can for a bit. "My older brother is in college. He's graduating soon and probably going to Britain to work for my grandfather's company."

"And your other brother?" I ask again.

He's silent for a bit and drinks his soda before answering my question. "He's not really my brother. We're cousins on my father's side. But he was the first friend that I made when I moved here and I've treated him like my sibling ever since. A lot of people say we look more alike than my actual brother." He laughs a little. "He's not very nice though. The three of us built this cabin when we were younger. Well my older brother just sat around."

I laugh at his remark. "Seems like you guys are pretty close."

"Yeah, we are. I'll let you meet them some other time." He stands up and browses through his huge collection of books. "As I thought, the one I wanted you to read is in the other library."

I gape at him. "You mean there's more?"

He bursts out laughing and places the can on a small wooden side table. "You're too cute. Though I'm surprised you'd still read the books I recommend you."

"Because it's you." I say.

It would be an understatement to call this evening awkward. It is extremely uncomfortable and yet Suzuna eats dinner as if she's not the reason for it.

"The food is delicious, Usui-san. Though I must say it's not the typical Japanese style." Suzuna comments.

"He's part British." I blush at the speed of my response. I faintly hear Usui's chuckle and I quickly brush it off. "Are you staying here tonight? It's too late for you to go home now."

"I wasn't planning to but the subway's probably closed now." My sister answers.

Suzuna suddenly places her elbows on the table and entwines her fingers together, seemingly devising a plan to make this night even more unbearable. "So…" she starts and I immediately wish I sent her home the moment she arrived. "How long have you been together?"

I choke on my food and glare at her. "Suzuna, we are not dating." I mutter through clenched teeth.

"Shame. And here I thought you'd finally have decent meals." She then goes back to eating.

Usui chuckles a bit louder this time. "Don't worry, Suzuna-chan. I don't intend to let your sister starve."

Suzuna gives him a playful salute. "I'm counting on you then, Usui-san."

I sigh and massage my temples to calm myself from embarrassment. The two notice my gesture and immediately grab my hand.

"Does your head hurt?"

"Are you alright, Nee-chan?"

I look at both of them in shock and realize that I must have looked like I was in pain again. "I'm alright guys. I'm not hurting."

Suzuna looks at Usui intently and stands up. "I'll grab your medicine."

"Wait—" I rise to stop her but Usui holds my hand firmly. He still looks worried and I remember his words from this morning.

"Just because you don't need my help, doesn't mean I can't worry."

I breathe deeply and sit back down. I guess I'm just not used to people taking care of me.

The dinner resumes and ends rather quickly as Suzuna still has some studying to do. I volunteer to do the dishes as usual since that is my only contribution in every meal.

"Nee-chan, I'll throw out the trash. It's piling up." She says casually.

I flush and sneak a glance at Usui who is reading again and notice a smirk resurface. "S-suzuna, I'll take care of that."

"Usui-san, would you mind helping me carry these? I bet it's a month's worth of trash." She points at the two huge garbage bags beside her and I feel even more embarrassed.

"Not at all, Suzuna-chan." He easily lifts the two bags and heads out the door.

I scowl at my sister and she merely laughs albeit the blasé expression in her eyes.

I sigh loudly as soon as they leave. I didn't expect Suzuna to tease me so much. I projected a different kind of reaction but she be can be so unpredictable sometimes. You never know what she's thinking.

But I guess this is good. I needed to tell her about him anyway. And the fact that she's staying over means we have a good amount of time to talk about things like my plans for my future and of course the trip next weekend. I'm still a bit hesitant to go, to be honest. I don't trust myself enough to go there but I promised that I'd pick myself up no matter how long the journey may take.

Though I must say I'm relieved that I have people that support me so much. The staff at Maid Latte—no matter how loud and nosy they can be— have always made working fun and less dreadful. My sister who's been through so much with me, I can never thank her enough for everything. And then Usui. Despite having known each other on a personal level for only a couple months, he's already so involved with my life. The comfort he gives me, the sense of familiarity, it all makes me feel a little bit braver.

A couple minutes pass yet Usui and Suzuna still aren't back yet. I peep through the window to check if they are still outside and see them just walking back from the disposal area. They share a serious look while talking and I'm tempted to ask what it's about.

My sister has never been one to pry about my social life. The past two years, she's never asked whether I was meeting with friends or hanging out with anyone at all—not that I had the luxury to do any of those. It was only after I met Usui that she questioned about it.

Of course, I knew from her stories of my past that I never had that many friends to begin with. I was always too busy studying or juggling between two jobs. Maybe that's why she's a bit curious about Usui.

I hear the door open and Suzuna enters with Usui trailing behind.

"Thanks for dinner." He says.

"What are you thanking me for? You made it." I mutter quietly. He only chuckles at my response.

Once Usui leaves, Suzuna goes to my bathroom to freshen up before doing some homework. I grab extra pillows and blankets for her and place them on the bed after deciding to sleep on the floor.

Now that I think about it, Suzuna has never stayed over since I moved. She visits all the time but leaves before night comes. Again, she never complains. She understood how much our hometown felt foreign to me.

"What are you thinking about?" Suzuna comes in with a towel around neck. She settles on my empty study desk that hasn't really served its purpose other than a placement for my dirty clothes.

I shrug in response. "The staff at the shop are planning on a trip next weekend."

"Oh?" Her eyes are focused on her textbooks but her tone delivers the usual casualness. "That would be nice. We haven't really gone on trips since we were kids." That's true. Ever since our father left us, we've aborted all ideas of spending on unnecessary luxuries.

The sound of friction between her pencil and paper is the only thing that breaks the silence after her remark. She notices and looks at my sitting form on the floor.

"We're going to Hana Subdivision. In Kamakura." I wait for her reaction but as usual she is calm.

Suzuna brings her focus back on her textbook. "And what do you think about that?" My little sister never pushes. She worries but doesn't tell me what to do.

"I think…" I pause for a bit considering what to say. I've decided to face my clouded past. That was my resolution. No matter how painful it is, I want to know what I had lost.

The sound of writing has stopped and I know Suzuna is waiting for my answer. "I think I'll go."

She turns to face me fully. The lamp illuminates her face and the shadows create depth to her features, making her look older than her age. Her lips curve the tiniest bit upwards and suddenly she looks proud. "Well, if you wish it. Although if things go south, you know where to find me." She pauses and cocks an eyebrow. "You remember where I live, right?"

I roll my eyes at her sense of humor. "Funny."

We say nothing more about the trip and I begin telling her about Manager Satsuki's offer to me. She listens without a word of response but an occasional humming comes out whenever she agrees with something I have said.

"This is good, Nee-chan. I did mention before that I wanted you to continue studying." She says without looking at me. "At this rate, we'll start college together."

I smile at the thought. Suzuna has said before that she plans on going to a university in this town so she has better options for a part time job. Although I'm a bit worried that mom will be left alone but I'm hopeful that she gets better enough to leave the hospital before we both graduate.

"Perhaps mother and I could move in with you." Suzuna says, as if reading my thoughts.

I sigh deeply. "Perhaps." It would be a dream for us three to live together again after such a long a time. I'll make it happen for sure.

"So, Usui-san…" His name suddenly slips from Suzuna's lips and my heart flutters for a second.

"W-what about him?" I stutter.

"He's being awfully friendly for a neighbor." She sneaks a teasing look at me then goes back to writing.

I squeeze my sheets tightly in embarrassment. "He's just trying to help out that's all. He knows my current situation."

Suzuna raises an eyebrow. "He knows?"

I nod. "I told him."

Now both her eyebrows shoot up in mild surprise. "Well, I didn't think you'd open up to anyone other than me. You must trust him that much."

I shrug, making it seem like it's not a big deal. "I don't know. I feel comfortable around him." I pause for a bit. "Too comfortable."

Suzuna tilts her head, studying my confused face. "What is it?"

"It's weird. I've always felt this nostalgia whenever he's around. He's just so familiar to me." I say out loud for the first time since I've felt it.

"Did you know him?" Suzuna now has given me her full attention, pencil and paper completely forgotten. "Though, don't try remembering too hard. I don't want you hurting again."

I shake my head. "I've tried asking him questions about his life but he's said nothing much even after the months we've known each other." I cross my arms against my chest and let my mind wander for a bit. "Suzuna, you really didn't know any of my friends?"

She sighs quietly. "Like I said, you didn't have that many. You rarely went out. The only people I've known to be somewhat acquainted to you are the managers of the shops you worked at." She pauses for a bit, seemingly deep in thought. "I've heard a couple of names from our conversations about school but Usui does not ring a bell to me."

I hum in response. "He's certainly acted weird before too. Like he was being too familiar with me as well."

My concentration is abruptly stopped when Suzuna lifts her forefinger up as if figuring out the answer. "He must have been your secret boyfriend." She says in the most deadpan voice.

I sigh in disbelief. It's been a long day. "Go to bed, Suzuna and don't ever bring that up again."

The cold breeze brush against my skin as I enter the shop, teasing the arrival of the winter season. I'm not particularly fond of the weather just because it's hard to work when your legs are exposed to the chilly environment. Plus, once the holidays kick in, our shop we'll be even busier. In fact, people are pouring in as we speak.

"Welcome back, Master." Erika bows at the two women who just entered and leads them to a table.

"Wow, it's a full house!" Manager squeals from behind me. "Our second floor is packed with customers too. We need to work double-time ladies!" the staff giggle at Manager's little pep talk and disperse from the kitchen.

"Alright." I stretch my arms and head to the main hall. There are currently four maids in the first floor and the rest are upstairs tending to the other the customers. I smile a little as I see our regular masters enter.

"Welcome back Master." I bow as I lead them to the second floor.

At the corner of my eye, I see the two women that just entered look at me and whisper to each other. I brush it off and pretend like I didn't notice them. But as I move about and continuously appear in their line of vision, their stares become more apparent and at this point, I'm feeling a bit annoyed.

"Excuse me." One of the girls finally come up to me as I pass by their table. She has light brown hair with a hint of blush pink twisted in high pigtails at either side of her small head. Her eyes, as I look at them fully, are a bit familiar yet I can't point where I've seen them before.

"Yes, mistress. Is there anything you need?" I smile and ignore the growing familiar feeling.

She looks at me with those big doe eyes, seemingly searching my face for something. "A-are you Ayuzawa Misaki?"

I give her a questioning look. "Yes." The more I look at her, the more familiar she becomes. "Have we… met before?"

Her voice cracks as she answers. "Do you not remember me, Misaki?"

My smile slowly falters. It doesn't take long for me to realize that this girl is someone the old me used to know. The strength on my hands start to fade and I grip on the tray tighter.

"Sakura, let's not push her." The other woman gently grabs her friend's elbow and pulls her away from me.

"Misaki…" the girl named Sakura pleads.

I am frozen for a second, not knowing what to do. It's not the first time I have met people that once knew me from before the accident but it's the first since I moved away. Like always, I can only give them disappointment as I can't recall.

I stare at her in shock. Her eyes are still on mine, hoping that perhaps a slight memory of her comes back to me. I look down and clench my fists.

Remember. Remember her. Why can't you remember her?

Classrooms. Teachers. Students. Friends. A few images flash in my mind but as soon as they appear, the pain shoots again. I shut my eyes and slowly breathe in and out of the panic attack that's about to come.

Sakura holds my hand between her tiny ones and she starts to sob. "We kept looking for you. We visited you at the hospital. Don't you remember? My name. Hanazono Sakura." She points at her companion. "This is Shizuko. We were friends in high school. We used to eat lunch together all the time."

"Sakura, stop. You're scaring her." Shizuko is now tugging her friend with a little more force.

"But Shizuko, it's been so long…" the girl in front of me encloses my hand tighter in hers.

"Misaki, how could you forget us again? We came to see you at the hospital and you still don't remember?" It's not fair. It's not fair for these people to lose their friend but it's not fair for me to be blamed for something I had no control over.

"Sakura, enough. People are looking." Shizuko whispers to Sakura's ear but the girl only looks at me with so much disappointment and longing.

"I…" the flashes are back again. Bits and pieces of memories playing behind my closed lids like an old film. Sakura was there. At the hospital. She was there that day too. When I got into the car that drove me to the accident.

The tray rings a loud clang to the floor as the strength in my hands leave me. The café turns to the little commotion happening on the side and I immediately whip my hand back from the woman's grasp.

"Misa-chan, what's going on?" Manager Satsuki comes to my side and quickly clasps my shoulder.

My breathing gets harder and I make a dash for the kitchen, past the lockers and to the restroom at the very back of the café. My back rests against the door and I clutch my chest tightly, clawing the fabric restricting my airway.

"Misa-chan! Are you alright? What happened?" Erika comes and bangs through the door.

"Stop! Please stop knocking on the door!" I yell in between heavy breaths.

The loud banging stops. My legs give in and my body slumps to the floor. I close my eyes and start taking deep breaths through my mouth. There are hushed voices on the other side. I can faintly hear Manager Satsuki talking to the other staff.

The ringing in my ears grow to a quiet and I stay in that position for what seems like an eternity. My eyes are still shut and the only thing I can focus on is my slow breathing. This isn't my first rodeo with panic attacks but it's always so terrifying especially when no one knows what you're going through.

"Misaki?" a gently voice springs from the other side. "Shhh, everyone be quiet. Go to the kitchen. Everyone leave, please." Manager Satsuki hushes the others who I assume are all huddled around the restroom door. "It's alright, Misa-chan. They're gone. You can come out whenever you feel like it."

I wait a few more minutes to assure myself that I can stand on my own. Hesitantly, I swing the door open, revealing a very concerned Manager. Her worried expression finally makes her look like her age.

"I'm sorry for causing a ruckus, Manager." I'm still not fully out of the restroom as I speak to her. My hand is still attached to the door knob.

Manager Satsuki shakes her head. "It's alright. We're all just worried. Would you like to stay out of the main hall for a while until you feel better?"

"Just five minutes." I plead.

"You can take longer than that. Come now." She reaches her hand forward for me and I slowly grab it for support. Once we reach the lounge area, Manager Satsuki hands me a glass of water.

"Thank you." I take the glass but don't drink from it just yet. "Those two…"

"They left. They wanted to go after you but I thought it best for you calm yourself down first." She grabs a seat next to me and gently rubs my back. "If you ever need to confide in anyone, I'm here alright?"

I nod and finally take a gulp from the glass of water.

"Misa-chan, you know that I care for you, yes?" she says, hand still patting my back. I nod again.

She takes a deep breath first. "I completely understand if you have things you don't want to share. It's only been a couple months since you started working here but we all treat each other like family." She smiles sadly as she says the last word. "It's not good to keep it all in. I'm not going to force you to say anything but I want you to know that you can trust us."

I grip the glass tighter. The reason why I did not want to talk about my life was because I didn't want to be pitied. But I look at Manager Satsuki and all I see is concern.

It takes all of my strength to finally reveal to her the reason why I moved and why I reacted the way I did with those two girls. As I speak, Manager only listens and does not interrupt. A few tears escape my eyes as I reach the part about mother getting extremely ill.

"I stopped trying to remember mainly because it gave me panic attacks and also because we didn't have enough money to keep putting me to therapy and pay for my mother's hospital bills." I pause to breathe for a bit. "Those two, I think I know them but because I tried so hard to get away from my past that I guess I also lost my memories of them."

"They said they visited you at the hospital though? Wouldn't you have remembered them?" Manager finally asks.

I nod. "My sister said some of my classmates and teachers went to visit me to help me remember but because of the severity of my injury, new memories did not stay permanent. It didn't help that I moved away." I sighed again. "I guess the trauma of remembering the accident scared me so much that I just thought it would be best to not remember it at all."

I shake my head in exasperation. "I can't keep being like this. I'm so tired. I made my resolve to finally face all that I've left behind but every time a sliver of my past shows up, I just cower and hide."

Manager envelopes me in her arms and I rest my head on her delicate shoulder. "I apologize for not noticing it earlier. It must have been so difficult for you. I may not fully understand what you're going through but don't be in a rush to solve everything." Her small taps on my back send a sense of relief to my entire body. "I know how impatient you must feel since it's been a such long time but going slow doesn't mean you're not getting there. Step by step, Misaki. And if there's anything we can do—anything at all, just tell us, alright?"

I nod against her shoulder and let myself be consoled. She's right. There's no use rushing through like a bulldozer when I don't even know what's ahead of me. Slowly. I'll get there soon.

I talk to Suzuna about what happened at work with those two girls – Sakura and Shizuko. She says she knew of them but didn't think they were more than mere classmates to me.

"She said we ate lunch together all the time." I say while buttering a slice of bread, phone trapped between my ear and shoulder.

"Hmm… you must have been pretty close then considering how upset she was. I remember her from the hospital. She visited twice or thrice during your stay but after the panic attacks, we just stopped letting anyone come for a while so we don't overwhelm you." I hear the tapping of her keyboard on the other side of the line.

"They wouldn't have time to see me anyway since I moved right after that." I bite off the piece of bread I call my dinner since Usui had classes until late evening. I'll be sure not to mention this or else, he'll cook up a feast to make up for my unhealthy meal.

The line goes quiet. "Suzuna?"

"Nee-chan, how are you? Do you still want to remember?" her tone is dripping with worry and I smile a bit.

"Yes. Now more than ever. I want to take it slow though." I sigh deeply. "I pushed myself too hard that time. I didn't want to disappoint her by saying I don't remember so I forced myself."

It's Suzuna's turn to sigh. "You just decided to start remembering and you're already doing too much. This is exactly why we agreed to have you move. Seriously, Nee-chan. You never half-ass anything in life, do you?"

I laugh at her choice of words. "It's kind of funny to hear you say that in that tone. And who taught you those words?"

"Nee-chan, I'm telling you again. Take it easy. For your own sake." Her voice starts to warm.

"I know. I get it." I chuckle before continuing. "It feels like you're the older one in the family."

"I don't mind. Can't help it if my sister is a handful." I laugh again, a little louder this time.

We say our goodbyes as it is already pretty late and hang up. I notice Usui has sent me a message saying he's coming home with food in case I didn't eat properly again and I roll my eyes. How does he even know?

A few minutes later, Usui arrives with dinner in hand.

"You know, one of these days I'm going to start thinking you have a hidden camera set up in my apartment." I say as he enters my living room.

He chuckles and places the food on the counter. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out you haven't eaten dinner yet. Kitchen sink is empty and dry plus—" he stops and grabs something from the counter. "—the evidence." He lifts a butter knife with crumbs of bread and butter.

"Okay, Sherlock." I smile and rummage through the food. "What did you bring?"

"Chinese takeout. Didn't have time since classes ended a bit later than usual." He carefully takes out the containers one by one.

I shrug in response. "I don't mind. I eat anything that's free anyway."

"Who says it's free?"

My hands abruptly stop midway from forking a piece of sweet and sour pork. "How much do I owe you then?"

Usui pretends to think and leans closer. "Just tell me about your day."

I gulp a bit and divert my eyes away from his. I don't know how to tell him what happened without worrying him. Even though he has requested that I allow him to feel worried, I just can't stand looking at his concerned expression. I don't want to burden him since I owe him so much already.

He's still leaning closely towards me, waiting for my answer.

"Today… I met some people." I play with my food for a bit and wait for his reaction. Hearing none, I continue. "They were my friends from back home. I couldn't… remember them. I tried. I—I just have these images in my head that are all jumbled and it's confusing me."

"What happened?" his voice is gentle as if talking would break me.

"They were just as disappointed as I am about not being able to recall. I tried really hard but instead I panicked when I started remembering the accident." I breathe out loudly. "I'm alright now though. I'm not going to stop trying. I'll just go slowly this time."

I go back to digging in to my food and faintly feel Usui staring. I look up and directly meet his olive eyes. "W-what?"

He smiles softly and pats my head. "I'm proud of you."

I feel my cheeks heat up and playfully swat his hand away. "Yeah, well that's nothing really. Say that to me again when I've fully recovered."

"You're getting there. That alone is something to be proud of."

I suppress the smile threatening to surface and mutter a shy "whatever." Usui chuckles and takes his seat across from me, helping himself with the food.

"I'm sorry about the other day with my sister. It must have been uncomfortable." I say after a few minutes of silence.

He lets out a small chuckle. "On the contrary, it was rather refreshing. You two are pretty similar in some ways."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "That's the first time I've heard anyone say that. Usually, it's the complete opposite. Why do you say so?"

"Well, you're both very guarded." I squint my eyes at him, expecting a more elaborate answer. "And smart." He adds.

I roll my eyes. "So? What did you two talk about when you were out?" I couldn't help but ask.

Usui simply shrugs. "Nothing much. I just asked about you."

I cross my arms on the table and lean forward. "What about me? Is it something you can't ask me directly?"

He smiles without looking at me. "Like I said, you're very guarded."

"Well, if you ask me nicely then perhaps I can answer." I say playfully.

His smile grows wider. "Come now, Ayuzawa. I thought we were past that stage."

I roll my eyes again. "Hey, you're one to talk. You haven't spoken about yourself much you know. There's a lot more I don't know about you."

"Then ask away, Milady." He says in his British accent.

I blush at the sudden change of tone in his voice. It's the first time I've heard him speak English and I'm not going to lie, it sounds really good.

I clear my throat and act composed. "D-don't suddenly put me on the spot. I haven't even thought of a question to ask yet."

He smirks and leans forward. "Just ask, Ayuzawa."

I pretend to think and just blurt out whatever is in my head. "Any siblings?"

His eyes widen for a split second before he smiles and leans back on his chair. "Brothers."

"Ooh, eldest?" I ask again.

He shakes his head. "Youngest of three."

"Ahh…" I try to picture Usui being the youngest in the family and imagine a really cheeky boy who loves to tease his older brothers. I chuckle at the image in my head.

"What's funny?" he asks, noticing my little outburst.

I wave my hands dismissively. "Nothing. I just can't imagine you being the youngest. So, are you guys close?"

He pauses for a bit before answering. "Yes. We were." I don't miss the hint of sadness in his voice.

"Were?" I say.

He sighs and smiles at me. "Let's just say, even siblings grow apart. That's nothing new though."

"That's… sad." I blurt out, a little to carelessly.

He seems taken aback by my comment. "I-I mean, I'm just saying. Suzuna and I have been apart for a while now but we've always been close despite the distance so I just thought it was sad to gradually drift apart from your sibling."

He chuckles and goes back to eating. "I do agree. It is quite sad. I just didn't think you'd be so upfront with your thoughts."

"Sorry." I mutter.

"Don't be. It's nothing to be sorry for." He entwines his fingers together, elbows on the table. "Does this mean I can ask you anything too?" his teasing tone is back again.

I mentally exhale in relief, thinking I dodged a sensitive topic. "Ask the right questions. So don't bug my little sister about me. Don't bribe her too. She'll easily accept it."

Usui chuckles. "You just gave me an idea."

I groaned. "She's gonna start thinking you're interested or something."

"And what if I am?"

The meat between my chopsticks falls back to the plate as I gape at this man sitting across from me. I search his eyes for a hint of his usual playful look but I find none of it. He rests his chin on his entwined fingers as he waits for my answer.

"Usui…"

He repeats his question, a bit more determined this time. "What if I am interested, Ayuzawa?"

We are back with Chapter 8! I'm so sorry it took so long. I've had such a busy month with work. I just couldn't find the time to finish it. But here we are! I've been planning to update every month or so, so please be patient :)

Anywho, I'm trying my best to unravel what happened to Misaki and Usui's past slowly. I don't want to be too obvious hahaha. Also, I hope the romance isn't going too slow for you guys. I'm just a sucker for slow romance, that's really it. I'll try to explain everything in the next chapter. Again, thank you so much for waiting! Please leave reviews my awesome readers! Xoxo