As Ayame and Tohru were walking home from the Sohma residence, the designer merrily chatted about the catching up he and Shigure did, and she listened eagerly to his stories. She was delighted by the fact that her big brother was opening up to her again.

"And 'Gure told me that he was planning to teach Literature in the Kaibara High, but Yuki objected," continued Ayame, giggling like a little school girl. She couldn't help but giggle too. Her onii-chan's happiness was simply too contagious!

Then upon the mention of the name of Aya's brother, she felt her cheeks turn hot. She remembered the incident again when he nearly kissed her just to insult her for being too close to his brother.

Unfortunately, Aya noticed the sudden peculiar reaction of his little girl. "Tohru-kun?"

She looked up, flustered. "Y-Yes, Aya-san?"

"Did something happen between you and my brother while I was in Shigure's room?"

Her eyes widened. "N-No! O-Of course not!" She looked down. "I-I mean…" She wasn't used to lying to him.

Aya knew that too. His eyes twinkled. "Sure?"

"Y-Yes!" cried the onigiri.

"Okaaaay," said the snake in a sing-song voice. As if he really believed her and trusted her sincerity.

That got her. "Aya-san, Sohma-san tried to kiss me because he thinks I'm your lover!" She bowed, face flaming. "I'm so sorry for lying awhile ago!"

Aya was stunned, then he smoothed the girl's hair. "H-He tried to kiss you?"

Tohru nodded slowly.

"I wonder why…" mused the snake, wearing an ear-to-ear grin.

"It was all for fun!" cried Yuki, when Shigure cornered him in the kitchen, asking about Tohru. It took the writer only three and a half minutes to make him confess that he nearly kissed his brother's apprentice.

"Fun? You mean you're actually learning what fun is in a Sohma Shigure vocabulary?" asked the novelist, smirking.

Yuki fumed. "Don't compare me to you!"

"Okaaay," said the dog in a sing-song voice, as if indulging him like a little brat.

That got Yuki. "Shigure, I just didn't like the fact that the Sohma snake is having an affair with such a young girl. He's old enough to be her father!"

"And you're old enough to be her lover, is that it?" asked Shigure, smirking some more.

Yuki's usually calm face freaked out. "Nonsense!"

"Nonsense it is," mused the dog, wearing an ear-to-ear grin.

Ayame suddenly had a flash of an idea. "I know!"

Tohru looked at him, puzzled. "Huh?"

"Why don't you get close to him?"

"Huh?"

Shigure suddenly had a flash of idea. "I know!"

Yuki looked at him, utterly bewildered. "Huh?"

"Why don't you get close to her?"

"Huh?"

Ayame held the girl's shoulders excitedly. "Just think! My brother had never experienced what it's like to have a girlfriend! If you win his heart, then you'll be his girlfriend, and knowing you, I'm sure you'll make him very, very happy!"

"B-But," sputtered the onigiri.

Shigure placed his arms on the boy's shoulders excitedly. "Just think! That girl is a virgin!"

Lethal look from the nezumi.

"Ehehehe!" The inu scratched his cheek. "Anyway, she surely has never experienced what it's like to have a boyfriend! If you win her heart, then you'll be his boyfriend, then the rumors about your gender would stop!"

He was shocked.

"W-What if he doesn't like me?" Tohru's voice barely came above a whisper.

"What if she doesn't like me?" asked Yuki cautiously.

"He'll love you!" guaranteed Ayame, all smiles. The girl still looked doubtful, but she nodded anyway. She trusted Aya-san, and he wouldn't decide on anything that would not be for her good.

"She'll fall for you!" guaranteed Shigure, smiling the smile of a secondhand car salesman. The boy looked like he does not trust him one bit, but he nodded anyway. He would have to trust Shigure on this, because he knew that sneaky as the dog is, he wouldn't decide on anything that would not be for his good.

The next day….

"What?!" cried Tohru.

Aya nodded calmly. "That's right! Take off that uniform. I had you transferred to Yuki's school yesterday, and you'll be going to his school starting today."

Her eyes were still wide with shock. "B-But…"

"No buts, young lady. Change your clothes now, and hurry. You'll be late for school." Ayame looked at his watch. Shigure called him awhile ago and told him that he had forced Yuki to drop by in the shop to walk her to her school.

He'll be here any minute now.

Sure enough, a polite knock came into the door.

"Will you answer the door please, Mine?" asked the snake courteously.

"Sure!"

A minute later, Yuki entered the dining room, looking like he was ten years older due to frustration. "So where is she?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Aya smiled at him grandly. "She'll be down any minute soon." He gestured to the hearty breakfast on the table. "So while waiting for her, why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable? Or come and partake in our delicious breakfast Mine made for us with delight?"

His assistant smiled gratefully at the mention of her name.

Yuki was tempted to eat –he didn't eat breakfast at home because none of the residents there was a decent cook – but he chose to look away. "No, thank you."

Just then, they heard quick running footsteps going down the stairs. "Aya-san, I can't find the other pair of my socks-" She paused when she saw Yuki gaping at her. Because of her momentary confusion, she lost her footing and crashed down the stairs.

"Are you sure you can still walk?" asked Yuki as he looked at the limping girl beside him.

"Of course!" said Tohru, flexing her arms. "This always happens to me! I'm used to it!"

Yuki sweatdropped. He cared no more to ask her the history of her stair falls and crashes. "You must have a healthy set of bones to survive all of those accidents."

"I drink milk everyday!"

He couldn't help but chuckle. The girl's replies were always unexpected.

She smiled back at him. "You know, if you're not threatening girls and cornering them against a wall, you can be really nice."

He laughed softly. "Thanks, I think."

Tohru looked down, wondering what else to say. His presence was making her tongue-tied again.

Yuki did the same. He knew a lot of one-liners that can make any romantic buff swoon but somehow, he couldn't speak the lines out.

"Sohma-san?"

"Yes, Honda-san?"

"May I ask you why you fetched me today?"

He blinked. "I-I just want to."

"Y-You're lying," she said softly. "Why would you want to do that after what happened in the Sohma residence?"

He looked away. "I admit. This wasn't my idea. It was Shigure's."

She giggled. "It's ok! Don't feel bad! I walked with you because Aya-san told me so too."

He blinked. "S-So all these time…we were just doing these because someone else told us so?"

She couldn't find a reply. "Er…"

Silence.

"So…um, now that we have both come clean to each other…should we stop this now?" she asked.

Yuki vehemently shook his head. "NO WAY!!!"

Tohru blinked.

He looked away again, embarrassed by his sudden outburst. "I mean, we still have to concoct a revenge plan against those two meddlers."

"I don't know…" said Tohru slowly. She didn't like the idea of doing that to her onii-chan. And Shigure-san looked like a nice guy.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt them physically. It's not even serious," he said coaxingly. I won't let you get away with your meddling ways, you two!

"We'll humor them both at first and pretend that we're getting very, very well along with each other. Then we'll break up, then tell them that all along we know their plans!" explained Yuki.

Tohru frowned. "As long as we don't hurt them seriously…"

"We won't," he promised. "It's just like playing a practical joke."

"OK," she said reluctantly.

Yuki offered her his hand. "Deal, partner?"

She took his hand, ignoring the sudden electricity that she felt when she touched his hand. "Deal."

tsuzuku