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Disclaimer: Still taint mine.

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The Challenge :: Part 5

Ken answered the rather insistent knock on their front door. Miyako was standing there looking slightly flushed, upset even. `Great,' he thought, `was today the day the whole world was going to fall to pieces?'

"Hey, Ken," she said before he could ask here what was wrong. "Is Daisuke here? I really need to talk to him."

"Daisuke?" Ken questioned. Miyako let out a pent up sigh.

"Yes! Daisuke. Daisuke. You know...they guy your dating. The one who lives here, too?" Ken cringed at her response. She was obviously getting more and more upset with each second that ticked by. She had begun flailing her arms about in that way that had always made him nervous. I took an involuntary step backwards.

"No. I mean he went for a walk or something." Ken shook his head, trying his best to remove the cobwebs and fog that seemed to have taken up residence there. `What is going on?' he thought. This was just too coincidental to be a coincidence.

"Miyako, is there something you know that you're not telling me? Did Daisuke say anything to you?" Now it was Miyako's turn to look cornered.

"Huh? No. I mean, don't worry about it." Ken continued to study her as if he did not believe what she was telling him. "Look," she continued, "If he comes back just tell him I'm not sure anymore." She looked at Ken again; his face was filled with look that ranged from heart broken fear to concern. "Or, hell, just tell him, err, tell him I said that I was wrong and really, really stupid. Ok? Just tell him that." Ken still did not have a clue what was going on, but the truth was beginning to scratch its way out. Miyako took his moment of stunned silence as a chance to escape and was already half way to the stairwell before he could call out for her to come back. She did not act as if she had heard him.

Daisuke watched the entire exchange from under the lamp on the other side of the street. He could well imagine what she was telling Ken. Daisuke caught Miyako's eyes as she darted out the apartment complex. She immediately ducked her head and began hurrying along the street. His eyes were drawn back to the balcony were Ken was studying him intently, no doubt having been alerted to his presence by Miyako's hasty departure. Daisuke turned and started down the street. There was little point in going up there now.

`Shit!' thought Ken, `What the hell is going on?'