A/N: Hues, my writing process is a lot like what I post. I write like this, then go back and reread (like four or more times), edit, and then rearrange as needed. This entire story wasn't written in the order I'm posting, I've been rearranging and connecting as I go. I tend to have a general idea of scenes and events, or pieces of dialogue I want to use, and work those in. It takes longer to think of people's reactions and responses, too, and I tend to pause there and really think on it. Right now, I have a document of about 41 chapters of this story, and another of things I've removed and may use, but I'm not sure. Everything past this and the next few chapters is subject to change and being swapped, depending on how I feel my next read through. It's more chaotic than I usually do, but necessary for this I think, to paint the right picture. I hope that's enough to sort of satisfy your curiosity, but if you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to answer them! And thank you for the review, it's a huge motivator, I'm glad somebody is reading this and enjoying it. :)

"I took the wrong train… But my friend lives on this side of town, will you be alright if I stay with him a night or two?"

The sound that echoed through the phone was enough for Takasugi to hear it across the room. He turned back from his closet, as Kinu pulled the device from her ear, cringing. Kinu met his gaze, and he eyed the way she grimaced at whatever her mother was saying.

"Thank you... I'll uh… do that…" She turned her back, murmuring into the phone, and when the conversation took another turn, her voice lowered another pitch. "Mom! That- it's not like that-"

Takasugi was pretty sure he could guess what her mother thought.

"No- Mom, wait- Mom!" Jaw hanging, Kinu pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the blinking screen. "She hung up on me." As Kinu was gaping down at her phone screen, a square of cloth was slapped into her chest. She grabbed it, and frowned at the one eyed man. Ai was calling Otose. To gush about her new boyfriend. She looked down at the black pinstriped garment in her hands. There was no way something his size was fitting her.

Silent, Takasugi led her to the bathroom, and as soon as she was in, he closed the door behind them. Kinu wasted no time in finding the toothbrush he'd given her the night before. Brushed her teeth, wondering if he was going to stand there the entire time. She knew he'd said she'd be supervised, but that was a little excessive. When she finished, she turned back to Takasugi, brow raised.

The man extended his hand, palm up, and she glanced at it. Kinu placed her phone in his hand, and Takasugi's narrowed eye sharpened.

What? He wanted more? She didn't have anything else to give him. She stood there as he tossed the phone onto the yukata. Kept his hand open.

"Give me your wrist."

"What?" Recoiling, Kinu tucked her arm against her chest and stepped back. "No." A scowl flashed across her face, and as Takasugi moved towards her, she took another step back. Took on the look of a cornered animal, because that's exactly what she was. He grabbed at her, and the girl struggled away, forcing him to follow.

Takasugi's second attempt went better. His fingers wrapped around the offending wrist, and he squeezed. A sharp, pained cry escaped the girl and her knees buckled. Nearly took her to the floor before he had her pinned against the counter and started on her sleeve.

"Stop!" Her command was completely ignored. The man didn't even bother to look at her. "It's not like it matters, what's your problem?" Her knee jabbed into his thigh, and he nearly doubled over, hissing in pain. That wasn't normal! It hadn't even looked like she was going to do anything! As the girl tried to slip away, he stabilized himself on the counter and hooked an arm around her stomach.

Without warning, Kinu was spun around. Forced to face the mirror as he yanked the rest of her sleeve down her arm.

"You're not going to win this, just stop fighting."

Her surprise was traded for another scowl. Deeper and fixed on the man over her shoulder. He saw her next attack coming. Curved away from the elbow that shot back into where he had been and slammed the girl onto the counter. Toes barely touching the ground, Kinu struggled to squirm away. She pushed against the countertop, held in place by the hand tangled in her hair.

"Don't do this! I don't want to hear it, let me go! You're making this into a bigger deal than it is!"

She kicked against the cabinets. Tried to push away, but Takasugi's grip didn't loosen.

"Fuck! I hate you! I hate you so much!" Takasugi watched her outburst with a stoney disposition. "I hate everything about you, you're the worst! Drop dead!" She slapped at his stomach, and he seized her arm. Pinned it across her back as she kicked against the cabinet again.

"It's none of your business!" She managed to slide up the counter, and the soap dish, along with her toothbrush clattered into the sink as the man applied more pressure to her form on the counter. He was surprised at the amount of strength in her, even without the adrenaline rush of impending death. Small as she appeared to be, she was no joke. "Bastard! Asshole! Leave me alone!" After spitting the last half, Kinu fell to silence, panting against the cool stone of the countertop.

Moments passed, and Takasugi held her gaze in the mirror. Her efforts to escape died down, until all that remained was the piercing mismatched eyes, seething at the sight of him.

"Are you finished?"

Kinu averted her gaze. Accepted her defeat, but didn't speak. Seemed like a good sign. When he was positive the girl had tired herself out, Takasugi pulled her to her feet. It was a single sharp motion that made Kinu stumble to the side, but she was immediately pinned against his frame. Takasugi propped her wrist up, displaying it in the mirror as he smooshed her chin in his free hand. Forced her to face the image. When Kinu peered across the room, he turned her head, and she looked away again.

Frustrating little bitch! Like he wanted to spend the rest of his day playing mirror tag with her!

"God damn it Kinu, look at yourself!" Hissing into her ear, Takasugi managed to turn her head again. Fix it straight, and hold it there, positively fuming. "Look!"

The girl barely raised her gaze. Flicked her eyes to his, then away again a few times before complying. She had to know she wasn't getting out of this if she didn't. Why the hell was she making it so difficult?!

"Exactly what part of you do you think is fading? Which part?!"

"I-" Again, Kinu looked away, then at the lines running through her skin. The hand squeezed under them. "I don't know-"

"You wrote it, right? Then you must know. Tell me where!"

Though the girl tried to turn away again, the motion was made impossible. She didn't answer. Found being quiet the safest route.

"And what the hell is this date? Two weeks from now? Then what?"

Blinking, Kinu kept her mouth shut. Stayed just as rigid as before, clutching his yukata behind herself. She couldn't meet this eye.

"Answer me!"

"It's nothing…" Her voice came lower than intended. "Really, it's nothing…" He was still looking at her. Smothering her with that knowing spark that told her that there was no use trying to gloss over the significance of what she'd foolishly written when she should have kept it in her own head.

The man behind her took a breath, and she finally felt she could do the same; unsure of whether it was only to yell at her some more, or resignation. Instead, she was carefully turned around. The grip on her arm loosened, nearly disappearing altogether as he stepped against her, holding her arm between them.

"Why do you do this?"

Kinu frowned as she stared down at the damage.

"I don't know…" It sounded like she didn't know a lot of things today. Even so, Takasugi slowly nodded. As if that actually meant something to him.

"I'm only going to say this once, alright? Are you listening?"

The girl pursed her lips. Gazed up at him, barely able to keep eye contact.

"You don't do this anymore. You're finished. Not even a little bit. I do the punishing, not you, and if you think you deserve one, that's still mine. But this," Lifting the wrist in question, the man ran his thumb over the marks. "this is behind you now. Understood?"

As if she had been holding her breath, Kinu's chest jumped with a single puff of air. She lowered her head with a quick nod. Her arm dropped, but one hand still hung onto the fabric over his hip.

"I'm sorry... for the things I said. And hitting you… Again."

"Every good kitten has a set of claws."

Though she'd just apologized for it, she smacked his arm. Before she knew what was happening, she was on the counter, swept up in a single motion. His lips crashed into hers, and she instinctively responded to his tongue. Wrapped her legs around his hips as the back of her head pressed into the mirror.

Why? Why was it happening again? The last time had been her fault, but now, she didn't know what to think. Didn't know how to curb the sound that carved a path through her chest into the open air as he nipped her lower lip, and pulled her to the edge of the counter, into himself.

A hand slid up her thigh, halting mere centimeters away from the edge of her skirt, and goosebumps erupted across her flesh. She pressed into him. Could have begged him to touch her if he hadn't been stealing her air with the demanding press of his mouth, or the arm perched across the small of her back, crushing them together.

The kiss lessened. Slowed. But the pressure remained, and his hand didn't abandon its torturously close perch to her core. The last thing Kinu wanted was for him to stop. She wanted the contact. Needed it. His impossible warmth, and perfectly in control demeanor that claimed to own even her, without actually giving her anything beyond a glimmer of hope. A scrap of affection.

Takasugi pulled away after one final nip at her lip.

"Take your bath."

Kinu tried to hold onto him. To bring him back, or stubbornly refuse to let the contact be over, but he pried her hands from around his neck, and his yukata. Slipped from the grasp of her legs and left.

It was a pity kiss. That's what Kinu told herself as she pulled the collar of Takasugi's yukata back over her shoulder for the umpteenth time. She'd tried to pull it tight, but there was no hope, and the green eyed sadist beside her seemed pleased with himself. It was definitely a pity kiss. That was the only thing that made sense. He was gay. Incredibly gay. The gayest of them all!

But maybe if he was willing to supplement some unmet need for contact that she hadn't known she'd had, it was alright to touch him back. Like a game made out of necessity. He didn't seem to be getting any affection either, and who could blame them if they used each other until they found their respective replacements?

Kinu didn't want to try to use Shinpachi. Nobody really appealed to her that way. Takasugi was the safest bet. If she could trust him to actually see her for who she was, awful personality traits and habits included, she could probably rely on him a little more. Help him if he ever needed it.

After her bath, the man had made a point of disinfecting her scars. Uncomfortable as it had been, he meticulously swabbed each of her wrists and thighs, and wrapped them. And nobody had ever done such a thing for her before.

The thought of something so simple nearly repulsed her. It felt wrong. Even as he gently ran the fabric of his oversized yukata from her thighs, Kinu couldn't force herself to look at him. She didn't know why. Never thought that she actually felt any particular way about the marks, but now, she was embarrassed that he knew.

He didn't say a word. Didn't play up his actions with some over the top erotic twist, or flash her the smug smirk of finding a weakness to exploit. Just worked in silence.

Now, everybody was seated at the table, and it was as if none of it had happened. Even with the obvious glances between them as she quietly ate a bite of rice, she felt different. Good. It was a tiny shift, she wasn't sure exactly what to call it, but it started as a wave of goosebumps at the impossibly light touch of his fingers, and hung around as a refreshingly cold coiled ball between her stomach and chest.

"So, Kinu-chan," Kawakami was the first to speak to her directly, and she looked up from her bowl, trying to hide the pucker of her face. Red miso. It was strong, and pungent, and she had never liked the taste of it. Price didn't make up for the flavor. "The questions I have for you are simple, but may be a tad personal. If there's anything you're uncomfortable with, just let me know and we can skip it if it's not important. I think we all need a clear view of exactly who we're dealing with, though. If possible, it'd be nice to have a seasoned mechanic to work on the ship. Of course, we're willing to pay, but we can go over the details later."

A job interview? She wasn't prepared for this.

"Hm." With a short nod, Kinu set her bowl down. She glanced across the four people around the table, not surprised to find that Matako was glaring daggers at her. Had she done something to the woman? Said something rude? She didn't think she had, but from the look of it, it was hard to believe otherwise.

Kinu carefully pushed her soup towards Takasugi's food and he slowly glanced at her. Didn't speak, but took it.

"Let's start small. Kinu-chan, I'd like you to be as detailed as you're comfortable with. We know you run the tea shop, and go to the private professional school near where we picked you up. What else do you do, and why are you still in school?"

That was kind of loose ended.

"Sometimes I take repair jobs for a little extra money if things get tight, or if my brother gets an odd job he can't do. Summers, I part time at the hostess club my mom works at." Poking her chopsticks into her rice, Kinu watched as a half portion of steamed greens was placed in her dish. The one eyed man beside her was sipping the soup she'd pawned off on him.

Seemed like a fair trade.

"My grandfather saved money for proper schooling." Tilting her head, Kinu frowned to herself. "He was somewhere between calling me his only successor, and thinking I should marry a proper male heir. So my mom made sure I could go for mechanical engineering. But I also have to take other classes. Before, it was music and self defense."

Across the table, Kawakami nodded.

"Sounds like a waste of money if your shop is going out of business. What kind of screwed up priorities does your family have?"

Matako spoke before shoving a wad of spinach into her mouth, and Kinu frowned.

"Yeah, that's what I said, too. We should have put the money into the family, and not me. It's not like I'm particularly good at any of it. But I can fool a matchmaker."

The man beside Kinu snorted. Set his extra bowl of miso down.

"Your grandfather is the head of your family?" The deaf man finished the last piece of beef over his rice, and Kinu shook her head.

"No. He was a patriot." The room had already seemed still before, but at the mention of his endeavors upon death, it became impossibly more so. Apparently, everybody at the table knew the implications, and Kinu didn't need to specify the end he'd met.

"And your father? He's a samurai?"

The girl hummed a yes, snapped from her internal dialogue, then rolled her eyes.

"I guess. Not a good one."

Again, a layer of silence settled over the table. Kinu wasn't sure if this was awkward or not. It didn't seem like she was being grilled.

"Can you use a sword?"

Looking at him, Kinu swallowed the last of her rice.

"Not like my mom could. I'm not good with them, if that's what you mean."

"She can't anymore?"

As Takasugi looked on, Kinu shifted in place. Her head inclined, and her brows cinched together. A machine processing a request. Slowly, she finished her vegetables and shook her head.

Her refusal to divulge was taken graciously. Kawakami nodded once and didn't bring it up again, bust she tacked on a bit that snagged Takasugi's attention. "Most of the men that came back were different. So was my dad."

"When was he in the war?" This time, Takasugi asked the question, and Kinu wasn't sure if that meant anything in particular.

"The end, I think? He got hurt, so he didn't get to finish. But he only came back about two years ago."

There were plenty of men that had been injured and forced to sit the last few fights out. How the hell had Amagi gotten this information? Who on earth was keeping tabs on her father? Most men that returned did the same as him. They went underground and resurfaced after coming to terms with the loss and horrors of war. The things they'd seen. But only coming back to his family two years ago? That was absurd.

Inoue. He'd known a few of those, but not personally. Couldn't remember speaking to them beyond in passing. Yasu, Osaru, and the younger brother that had been too eager to prove himself, that Takasugi knew a bit more personally. The one that had sobbed the entire way back to camp. Riku.

Most men that had families wanted nothing more than to return to them. As he contemplated the ragged edges of whatever memories he could piece together, Kawakami started up again.

"And your father is teaching you the family form? For tea ceremonies?"

"Fat chance." A dry snort escaped her. "He knows it, but no. My grandfather taught me."

"This is all pointless, we don't need to know any of that." Matako gathered her dishes into a single stack, and crossed her arms. Scowled directly at girl that was readjusting her collar. "Why don't we get to the real questions?"

What did that mean?

"You've been helping the Amagi family with their investments. Why wouldn't you just let them buy your shop out, if you're so close? Wouldn't that solve all of your family's money problems?"

Kinu's head tilted, and her eyes trailed off to the side.

"Amagi?" Her finger tapped her chin. "Did I do something like that..?"

"What? Why are you asking us?! Playing dumb isn't cute! You did, he told us you did, don't pretend like you don't know!"

"Some guy did ask if I wanted investors a while back. I thought his name was Adachi, or… Amgiri? Amano?" That was the guy, right? The one on their screen when she'd opened the door. Akagi? Was it Amagi? "He gave me a business card, but I didn't read it… He's my teacher's friend."

"Down playing it isn't gonna work on us. We know better than that, random people don't just offer a ton of money for a dusty old dying business!"

"It's not dying." Spitting the words back, Kinu smacked her chopsticks onto the table. The already silent room dropped another pitch, and Matako leaned back, wide eyed. "I know the sword ban black listed samurai owned businesses, and we don't have as much family as before, but we've made it this far. My mom has slaved to keep that damn place open, and I don't care how it looks to you or anybody else. It's not dying."

Takasugi stared at the wooden table in front of them, listening to the edge in Kinu's tone.

Well, Matako had decided to take things into her own hands. Everybody knew Kawakami was the talker, and she hadn't been subtle in the slightest. As long as it wasn't a real fight, it was fine. He'd just note that the shop was a sore spot.

Even though Kinu had nothing to do with the actual war, it had all but destroyed her family, apparently. That defensiveness would do her no good. The Amanto had been there before either of them had been born.

"Ladies, we should be uplifting each other. Not fighting over terminology. The world has done enough to keep you down, there's no reason to perpetuate it." Matako sucked her teeth at Takechi.

"What do you mean we? You one of us now?"

"Matako-chan, we're all just as eager to sort out these details. It's perfectly fine." Kawakami took the woman's stacked bowls, as well as his own, and the rest of the table's. He collected them onto a single tray and carried the dishes back to the kitchen.

Leaning to the side, Takasugi pulled his pipe from his yukata. He struck a match, and ignited the tobacco. Waved the flame away. As he set the match in an ashtray, Kinu glanced at the woman beside her.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean it to come out that way…" She ducked her head in a shallow bow. Didn't want to step on any toes. This was Matako's home. Kinu was the guest, it wasn't right for her to be so rude. The woman looked at her, azure eyes steely and penetrating. As if she wanted more, somehow, and Kinu wasn't sure what else she could say.

She would apologize, but she wasn't doing anything else. Everything she'd said had been phrased to provoke Kinu. To incriminate her, among criminals, and there was no way to prove she hadn't been doing secret spy stuff.

When Kawakami returned to the table, he placed a cup in front of everybody and set a bottle in the center of it. Filled each cup, including Kinu's, and she frowned down at the clear liquid as Takechi poured a cupful for Kawakami.

Everybody gave their respective thanks, and sipped the drink, but Kinu wasn't sure what to do. It was alcohol, right? Sake?

She raised her cup, acutely aware of Takasugi's eye on her. As soon as she smelled it, her face puckered and she set it back on the table. What was she supposed to say?

Was there a polite way to refuse? She'd never been given alcohol before, was it bad to say no? Everybody else was drinking, but the whiff she'd gotten had been enough to tell her she didn't want it.

Her mind exploded with possibilities. She'd be ostracized. Detested because she didn't like the smell of the sake, and didn't think she could get it down without gagging. Refusing would prove her guilt. Prove Matako was right.

"What, you're too good to drink with us now? Don't wanna lower your guard?"

She was right! Matako had already noticed and was calling her out. Kinu's mouth opened, but she swallowed. Tried to think, but the cup was scooped from in front of her before she could come up with whatever words were going to smooth the situation over.

"I'd rather not see what happens when there's alcohol in her." Looking up at Takasugi, Kinu watched as the man tossed back the entire cupful and set it back on the table beside his own. She never thought she'd be relieved to know an alcoholic. He drank the night before, and now he was doing it again. That was too much. "Besides, that would be illegal."

The collective look Takasugi found himself on the receiving end of was enough to make him chuckle. Matako took a breath. Turned her head.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine... " Kinu snuck a peek at the woman. She wasn't sure if that was meant for her, or Takasugi.

"Kinu-chan, about that customer," The conversation was picked up by Kawakami, and Kinu was grateful for it. "have you seen him aside from that? Spoken to him before?"

Nodding, Kinu reached across the table. Took the bottle of sake, and refilled Takasugi's cup, then Matako's. She offered it around the table, happy that she could at least do that. Nobody had to fill her cup, so she could be the official pourer. Be a little useful, even if it was small.

"He came in once with some things. A propulps container, and switch for emergency air supply. He couldn't understand the manual, so I went through it with him."

"Did he say why? I'm sure he has a team for that."

Frowning at Kawakami, Kinu shook her head.

"I thought that too, but…" Foolishness crept over her, and she touched her pointer fingers together. "I didn't care… He said the blueprints were classified, and I really wanted to see them, so…"

The man beside Kinu snorted and she peered at him, too serious for her own good. Then Matako and Kawakami echoed the sound.

Confused, Kinu looked over the group as they slowly broke into fits of into laughter, and Takechi blankly peered at her. That sort of made him creepier than he looked.

"He baited you with blueprints?!" Matako choked the words out, and Kinu fixed her wide eyes on the woman, helplessly silent. Why were they laughing? Even Takasugi laughed harder at the exclamation. The only thing that could have made it worse would have been pointing.

"Oi- I've got some blueprints you could check out-"

Two large cerulean eyes set on Takasugi. Squinted. But her mouth twitched. The fit intensified, and Kinu covered her mouth. It wasn't malicious. They weren't laughing at her, they were laughing at how stupid it sounded. Kinu's shoulders shook as tried to resist joining in.

She failed.

"Kinu-chan, you need to be more aware." That's what Kawakami told her once the group got their fill of entertainment and played up the way she'd wandered over to a complete stranger for classified documents. It was funny, but unsafe. Especially if she was going to be involved with them, no matter how casual it was. He told her that she zoned out too often, and needed to be mindful of her surroundings.

Matako said she'd willingly crawl under a basket with a nice wrench under it, which, according to Takasugi was the natural born enemy of Kittens everywhere. It was an epidemic, apparently.. They didn't want her to talk to that guy if she saw him again, and stressed not being tempted by any fancy machines or hunks of metal he slapped onto her counter.

Even if she didn't recognize them.

It wasn't a hostile conversation. On the contrary, after laughing, even Matako warmed enough to poke fun at her. Or maybe she just thought Kinu was a hapless fool with no sense of self preservation. Her voice had still been cold, but she spoke more freely, and her every sentence wasn't about some grand conspiracy theory, orchestrated by the cunning criminal mastermind; Kinu.

Kinu helped the woman with the dishes, under the watchful eyes of Kawakami and Takasugi. Now that they had all spoken, and she was semi established as a separate entity that wasn't a prisoner, she was at a loss for what to do.

They dried the last of the dishes, and Matako crossed her arms as Kinu took out her cellphone.

"You really have some nerve, walking around here in Shinsuke-sama's yukata like you belong."

"Hm. I'm not sorry." Oh, so it really had been an act. To smooth things over in front of the men. Kinu didn't know when they had left, but the room was suddenly empty, and she was alone with the woman.

"Excuse me?"

"About what I said before. And I don't have any other clothes. Unless you wanna loan me something that fits. I'd kill for some underwear right now." Tugging the collar of the oversized yukata up, Kinu glanced at the steely blonde across from her.

"Wh- you're not wearing any? That's gross, why-"

"Well I'm not gonna wear his. I mean, I don't really want yours either, that's just weird…" It was as good a time as ever to collect all her love points and level up her boyfriend, right? There were a few new scenes to play through, anyway. He took her to a festival and she spilled ice cream on herself.

"That- hey, you can't distract me with that, I know you're just trying to change the topic! They may be fooled by that innocent act, but I'm not. I'm watching you."

"'Kay."

"You and Shinsuke-sama… Are you trying to date him?"

Frowning, Kinu glanced towards the woman.

"It crossed my mind, but that'll never happen; you know, with him being gay. We're just playing around."

The woman mirrored her expression. She leaned back, squinting, but Kinu paid her no mind. Apparently, clumsiness was rewarded in this game, because Kinu unlocked a hidden route, and got a sizzling image of her Yakuza licking said ice cream from her cheek. How did she take a screenshot again?

"Oh… Yeah. Yeah, totally. He's completely gay. It sucks, doesn't it?"

Humming back, Kinu nodded.

"But it's good that he's open about it. And has people that support him." She really didn't get why Matako was upset over her being there. As Kinu ogled the picture, a deep, suggestive voice echoed from her phone.

"My, my, what a clumsy princess."

Her blood ran cold. There was voice acting? A shadow fell over her eyes at the sight of Matako's scrunched face.

"... What was that?"

"It… there was an ad-" The woman was at her side before she could think to close her phone, gawking down at the image Kinu was trying to save.

"Are you serious? You play these lame games? I thought you were… I dunno reporting back to your spy headquarters, or trying to call the police, not playing through some cheesy visual novel…" Pressed into Kinu's side, Matako frowned at the screen. "Who's that guy?"

"He's uh… my boyfriend... Satoshi-kun." How humiliating! Why had Kinu even said those words out loud?! Now Matako knew she was too lame to get a real boyfriend and desperate enough to delude herself with some mobile game! "He's a level twenty three yakuza…"

That didn't sound cooler! That probably made it worse! Kinu clicked the dialogue box, and another image popped onto the screen. The woman at her side snickered, but her brow wrinkled, surprisingly interested. Maybe it wasn't so bad. Matako might like things like that, too.

"He looks deranged, what's wrong with him?"

"He's a yandere." Kinu grinned back at Matako, and pointed to the stat bar in the corner of the screen. "He just leveled up, cutting some guy's eyes out for looking at me… He's really romantic."

Matako arched a single brow and met Kinu's gaze before turning back to the phone.

"What's he doing now?"

"He's uh… licking ice cream off me."

Matako was quiet for what felt like forever. The woman swiveled on her heel and started around the counter.

"Must be nice enjoying stupid games like that." Upon reaching the table, Matako swept the bottle of sake up, and shook it. Was pleased to find a few more servings in the bottom. "I wouldn't even waste my time on… What was the name of it?"

"Dunno. I forgot."

"Well find it!"

Frowning, Kinu glanced back at the woman. She flipped to the title screen of her game.

"The Wolfish Yakuza: Five Nights in Paris."

Across the room, Matako rolled her eyes. She pulled her phone out, and the screen lit up the bottle tucked under her arm.

"I bet it's cheesy"

"Kinda but if you pick the right choices there are explicit scenes, and the reviews said they were good, so…"

Matako was mashing the buttons on her cellphone, only half listening. She turned towards the hallway, but Kinu followed, holding her phone out.

"Wait, add me. We can go on double dates, and get extra points. I really want this dress but I don't wanna buy it." Kinu showed her the clothing menu. Pointed to her user number. But Matako only looked for a second before turning back the way she was headed.

"I'm not gonna play, I'm just downloading it to see how dumb it is!" She snapped the words and promptly left.

After being ditched in the kitchen, Kinu wasn't sure what to do. Was she allowed to leave? She didn't know where anything was, and didn't have anything fun. All of the hallways were a metal labyrinth of doors and strange people wandering outside of the living space, and Kinu wanted no part of that.

When it came down to it, Kinu had no idea what to do with herself away from the shop. There was always something that needed to be done there. Being away was completely foreign to her, and she felt every wasted second ticking away under her skin. Her hand instinctively reached for her breast pocket, and caved with the empty fabric.

No pocky. She'd left it in Takasugi's room. Kinu wandered to the refrigerator, hoping to find something sweet. She stared at its contents, plotting her path of destruction. Half a shelf was purely dedicated to yakult. How strange.

She wished Matako would come back. Add her on the game and just admit that she liked Satoshi too, so they could go to the beach together and have one of those exclusive romantic dinners with pasta and wine or something. Earn enough Sexy Sparkle points to buy that dress she'd seen. Maybe Matako's Satoshi would turn out to be one of the lovable types, with a good sense of humor, and leave the gang for her.

Kinu had to know.

Her hands started working without any conscious register of what she was doing. Takasugi really liked yakult. She wondered if he'd like something made from it.

A little exploration of the kitchen revealed everything she needed. She snickered to herself as she spooned the mixture into hollow cavities and placed the container into the freezer.

She wondered how he'd react.

Even she thought it was ridiculous, but they were cute, and that was a plus in her book. Thirty minutes came and went, with Kinu playing through more scenes, and when those were up she took the soft set jellies and put them in the refrigerator. Kinu had never been a huge yakult fan, but just knowing they were almost done, she was excited. Not to give them to Takasugi, but to taste them. She wondered if she'd used enough sugar.

Turning back to her phone, Kinu frowned as the screen switched and a blocked number popped up. Her ringtone went off, and she immediately silenced it. Didn't think she wanted to draw attention to the kitchen with a random chirp that made her think of raindrops and little bees buzzing around to pollinate flowers. She answered the call. Held the phone to her ear, and listened, but nobody responded.

Weird. Maybe it was a wrong number.

Hanging up, Kinu opened her game again, but the same screen appeared before her. Unknown number. Incoming call. This time she ignored it. Was is a telemarketer? She hadn't signed up for anything weird lately, so there was no reason for the call. Probably some random asshole trying to prank call strangers.

Kinu leaned over the counter and checked the time again. Only a few more minutes. Then she could take her sweets out and devour them. Or, at least test them before trying to find a baggie to put them in. She washed the few dishes she had, staring at her ringing phone right up until she dried her hands and decided she'd rather turn it off. The battery was low, anyway.

The first sign of life was Takasugi rounding the corner. He stood across the counter from her as she pulled the solidified mold from the fridge and straightened the cellophane baggie she'd found.

"I hope you don't mind…" Murmuring to the man, Kinu twisted the mold and eased her nail under one of her creations. "Matako-chan left, and I didn't know if I could wander so…"

The man watched as she placed the bear on her tongue. Her eyes met his, basking in the green as she carefully bagged each milky white confection and held it towards him. They were sweet. As she had hoped.

"I thought maybe you'd…"

Gazing down at the bag, Takasugi took hold of one of the sweets. He held it towards Kinu and a smile curled her lips for a split second before she accepted.

If she'd freely eat a randomly chosen one, it wasn't likely that she'd poisoned them. He took another and popped it into his mouth, processing the flavor that danced onto his tongue.

"Do I look like I want gummy bears?" His question made the girl avert her gaze. "If I want a yakult, I'll drink one."

Blank faced, Kinu stared back at him. Her fingertips drummed along the countertop. Instead of responding, she grabbed the bag from in front of him and walked to the garbage. Takasugi leaned over the counter, hand extended.

"Oi- don't- what are you doing?" He retracted his hand. Clearing his throat he straightened himself, and Kinu shot him a look. "Don't be so dramatic. That'd be a waste of good yakult, give them to me."

The girl waited a second, pondering the sudden shift of his voice, then took her foot from the lever of the garbage can.

"No."

"Excuse me?" A single narrowed olive eye set on Kinu as she tucked the bag into her yukata. Well, his yukata.

"No, I'm keeping them. Since you don't want them."

Perfectly still, they sized the other up. Takasugi didn't dare go back on his word, but he grated back at the girl, tight jawed.

"Good."

The corner of Kinu's mouth twitched upward, but quickly flattened again. Well aware of his irritation, the girl pulled another bear from her yukata and bit into it.

"Hm."

Instead of trying to con the bag out of the girl, Takasugi took her to the laundry room and handed her freshly cleaned clothes off to her. She wasted no time in sliding her underwear up her legs and for the first time it clicked in his mind that she hadn't had anything on under his yukata. He eyed the girl as she wiggled her hips into the garment, then started on the belt of the fabric she'd been drowning in for the better portion of the night, and as the halves parted he turned away.

"You trying to cripple me? What the hell are you doing?"

Arching a brow at the man's back, Kinu dropped his yukata, and took hold of her bra.

"It's fine, right?"

It most certainly was not! He already couldn't look at her without his mind wandering, how would this make it any better?! As his increasing irritation and discomfort swarmed in his head, a pair of hands found his back and he stiffened. She couldn't possibly be dressed that quickly. Her form pressed into him, and he gaped at the plain white wall in front of himself as a soft voice flooded his senses and an equally soft pair of lips grazed his ear.

"What are you gonna do? Defile me?"

"Don't-" Spinning on his heel, he gathered her wrists and forced her back a step, instantly regretting his decision when his eye roved over her lingerie clad body, and the words died on his tongue. At the very least she'd put her button up on. At worst, she'd forgotten how buttons worked, and hadn't tried to figure it out.

"What's wrong?" Kinu cut him off and a guileful smile took her; dark and all too knowing. She reclaimed her spot, far too close for comfort as she tiptoed her way through his defense and back against him. "It's not like you're attracted to me, right?" Her palms connected with his chest as her mouth pressed into his throat. She planted a trail of kisses to the pulse point under his jaw, where her tongue danced over his skin. "It's not like you're thinking of bending me over the folding table… Right?"

Well, now he was!

Back in his ear the girl snaked an arm around his neck.

"Because if you were…" Takasugi could barely hear the whispered words over the sound of his own heart. "I might…" He waited for the rest of her sentence, and instead got a cold puff of air that he instinctively flinched away from before the girl unlatched her claws and took a backwards step, snickering.

He glowered at her as she stepped into her skirt and pulled it over her hips.

Before Kinu knew what was happening, she was flat against the folding table and her skirt was yanked up. The swat against her hindquarters earned a surprised squeak that immediately broke off into a laugh which died at the sensation of his thumb pressed into her stinging skin; squeezing as his frame curved over hers.

"Do you have any idea of what I want to do to you?"

That…

That didn't sound like a joke at all. Mouth suddenly dry, Kinu tried to swallow her nerves as his hand circled her thigh and dragged a torturous line that halted mere centimeters from her core. She fully anticipated his touch. Held her breath as his hips pressed into her, and his hand retreated, only to return; maddeningly lighter.

"How hard-" He was hard. "it's been to keep my hands off you?" Why? It was just a game; he'd said so himself. His hand, stroking her thighs didn't feel particularly gay. Whatever that meant. Utterly confused, Kinu frowned back at him, still holding her breath.

Takasugi retreated then. Kinu watched the door slam behind him, and finally exhaled. Her heart had been in her throat the entire time, and being alone did nothing to return it to its rightful place.

Kinu propped her jaw on her fist, still staring at the door. He'd been trying to keep his hands off her?