/ . / . /

She shot a glance over at Ichijouji, who looked very out of place in the pulsing music and flashing lights. His messy black hair reflected the esoteric lighting that the club pumped out.

"Want to get out of here?" She yelled through the hardcore breakbeats that rattled the drink beside him on the bar.

He looked up at the girl, wearing white stocking with garter hooks, a white corset, and a short poofy white skirt along with matching white arm warmers. Her long dirty blonde hair, wavy all the way down her back, but the thing that stood out the most were her striking ice blue eyes.



Her smile was very appealing and welcoming to him, especially after constant jeers and hatred.

"Sure." As he got up, walking with this heavenly creature made his gray suit looked very plain next to her angelic ones. But walking out with her made him feel good.

Outside where the dirty bricks were drenched in the bass from the club, he ambled with her and they occasionally bumped into one another. She was very playful.

"So you're Ken Ichijouji, prodigy and star soccer player. What an honor to meet you." She smiled and bowed her head at him.

He cocked his head to the side, surprised by her actions.

/Someone who treats me with respect? She hasn't heard of the bad side..How odd../

He smiled and thanked her. "I don't have a large fan base, its nice to meet someone who knows about me and isn't trying to get an interview or asking a favor." He walked along, looking up at the moon. She laughed, easing his anxiety a little.

"I think I may ask if you want to go somewhere and get something to drink, but I won't swamp you for an autograph." She pointed at a cozy little cafe stuck in between some larger restraunts, tugging on his arm for him to follow her.

As they closed in on the tiny cafe, he caught sight of wire chairs and wood topped tables that littered the store's interior. As they entered through the front doors a rather worn-in man in his late 50s, with quickly graying hair greeted them.



"Hello Yukiko. What can I do for you?" He asked, wiping his hands on the white apron that covered the front of him.

"Hey Komioji, can we get two cups of tea and a couple of those homemade chocolate chip cookies? Hmm..fresh if you have them." She leaned over on the counter and smiled very sweetly. The old man grinned a little, nodded, and walked into the back kitchen. She pulled a few dollars out of her corset and set it on the counter for him.

"We can sit down, he'll bring it out when he's done." She looked over at him, already sitting down and walked over toward the table he'd chosen.

As she walked over he looked over at her. The way her hair moved, her skirt rustling, but most of all, the way her chest rose up and down as she breathed. The strings of the corset fit so nicely with it, the lacey rim and beautiful material.

She crossed her legs as she sat down. Ken was impressed with her, with her behavior and her world that she so generously let him into.

"So who are you exactly?" He asked, curious about this girl's place. How she knew about him, this place, the club.

"My name is Yukiko. I'm the local Snow Shrine girl." She sighed as she looked off in the direction of the city's Snow Shrine. Longing filled her blue eyes.

"I do get out occasionally though. Komioji used to know my parents. I always come around here after school or on weekends when I want a good snack." She looked over at the old man walking over to their table with a tray full of cookies, milk, two cups and saucers, and a piping hot tea kettle smiling happily as he placed their drink on the table.

A quaint blue and white painted design on all of the platterware reminded Ken of the snow falling.

He looked over at Yukiko, pouring herself some tea and helping herself to the cookies. She looked so happy and secure. He watched her as she sipped at the steaming cup and nibbled at the warm cookies delightfully. Her snowy eyes moved off her plate and over to Ichijouji's untouched cup and plate.

"Aren't you hungry or thirsty? If this isn't to your liking, I'll ask Komioji if he'll bring you something different." She looked at him as though she had done something wrong. He laughed. He genuinely laughed at her. How she got frazzled because she felt as though she hadn't pleased him.

"No no, it's wonderful. I was just admiring you. You're a very sweet person, not many people like you left out in the world in this day and age." He smiled softly, almost smirking.

She was so much better than the plagues of people who asked him endless questions about his brother.

She was sweeter and cared about him more than his so called parents ever would.

She was everything he wished the world would be to him.

Yukiko leaned over and poured him some tea and put a few cookies on his plate.

"Just tell me if you don't like them. They're a special recipe that he's kept secret for years and years." She laughed to herself. "I always ask him for it, but he just won't give it up, stubborn old man." She covered her mouth and blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."