Skin Deep
A/N: I'd like to apologize to the reviewers... again... for a late update. I realize there are things that don't make sense like dressing up in clothes that should have been gone long ago, or being OOC, or even my lack of updates and weird excuses for them. Well there's a perfectly good reason for it that I'm sure will satisfy everyone. Unfortunately it doesn't exist so let's just say I'm having a few technical difficulties and lack of priorities... ^_^ But don't the ends justify the means? *shrugs* I certainly hope so! Now I give to you Chapter 5!
Misao was staring at Soujiro in shock. She hadn't expected to see him so soon. She was still rather confused about their first meeting and hadn't quite figured him out or the situation. There was something about him that was appealing yet at the same time very strange. 'Kuso! I'm not ready yet! I don't even know what to do! If I talk about what happened then it'll be awkward and I can't just deny it! So what do I do!? I know! I won't say anything at all! I'll just pretend like nothing happened!' She smiled at her own little plan on how to deal with things.
Soujiro was looking at the variety of emotions that had appeared on Misao's face. He saw fear, excitement, uncertainty, mischievousness, and many other things. 'Maybe she's still feeling weird about our last encounter... What do I do though? Yumi always told be to be sensitive about others feelings, but I never had any dealings with emotions before. They just get in the way when you're fighting. Emotions make you weak and Shishio-sama always told me that it's wrong to be weak. Therefore having emotions are wrong. So what do I do? Hm... Just pretend like nothing happened!' His smile on his face got a little wider now that he knew what to do.
Kenshin was still confused about Misao's reaction to the new kid. He looked back and forth between them and saw that they were both smiling. 'Uh-oh... I know that smile on Misao-san's face. That's the one she gets whenever she comes up with a plan that usually leads to bad things. Also...' He looked at Soujiro. 'There seems to be something off bout that young boy. He's wearing that smile like it's a mask to cover up what's on the inside. I know that because I have dealt with many such as him in the past. Even though Suzuki-sensei doesn't look it, he's quite the fighter. He covers his kenki well and lives the peaceful life of a teacher. However this boy has no kenki that I can sense on the inside or out. I should keep my eye on him that I most certainly should.'
Suzuki looked between Misao and Soujiro and interrupted their thoughts with a small cough. He turned to Soujiro. "Can I help you with something?"
Soujiro looked at Okubo and gave a bow. "Hai Suzuki-sensei. Watashi no namae wa Seta Soujrio desu."
Suzuki smiled and gave a small bow to Soujiro as well. "So tell me Soujiro, what is it that I can do for you?"
"I believe that this is the next class I have." He held out his schedule for Suzuki to look at.
The teacher took it and saw that Soujiro was indeed in his class. "Next time you should avoid being late. Do you have a good reason for that?" He handed the schedule back to Soujiro.
Soujiro gave a nod. "Hai. The reason I was late was because I'm new here and had trouble finding the classroom."
Suzuki smiled. "I see. Very well then you may sit wherever you can find an empty seat."
Soujiro looked around and spotted a seat in the back where no one was. He shrugged and sat down there to have some peace and quite. Besides that, he really didn't feel like getting to know new people when his mind was in a state of turmoil. 'I still need time to figure out all these questions in my head. If I don't then I might go crazy.' He chuckled a little at that.
Misao's eyes followed Soujiro as he sat down way in the back. 'Huh? Why would he want to sit over there?' She paused to think. 'He must me avoiding me! Hmph! If he thinks Misao Makimachi is easily left behind then he's in for a surprise!' She looked over to Kenshin. "Hey Kenshin..."
He looked back at Misao and smiled. "Hai, Misao-dono?"
She smacked him over the head. "I told you not to call me that!" She looked at Kenshin with his swirling eyes. "Anyway something seems wrong with Soujiro, so I'm going to check on him."
He blinked. "Huh? Is that his name?"
She smacked him again. "Weren't you paying attention when he introduced himself?"
Kenshin gave a sheepish grin. "Gomen Misao-dono, I was lost in my thoughts."
Misao sighed and shook her head, temporarily giving up on breaking Kenshin's habits. She looked to the front and raised her hand. "Suzuki- sensei? May I help out Soujiro during class since he's new here?"
Suzuki looked at her and gave a smile. "Hai, you may do so. That's really nice of you Misao."
She grinned and went over to Soujiro who lost in though and completely oblivious to Misao's presence.
Soujiro was racking his brains for the answers he so desperately needed. 'Why do people continue living? They are weak and yet they survive. Shishio- sama says it's wrong to be weak. He says that they are food for the strong. So they continue living because...' He sighed knowing he came to the roadblock. 'I'll just have to get back to that one. Now, what else is there? Oh yes. What went on with Misao-san back there. Why did I bother to help her? Because she was in trouble and needed it. After all if I were in trouble then...' He immediately paused and was overcome with a feeling a sadness and despair. 'If I were in trouble...' His mind played back images of when he was a child. He was constantly beaten over and over daily. 'That one time... they were drunk...' An image of the katana gleamed in his mind. 'They... they wanted... to kill me...' He was running and screaming for help. He didn't want to die. He was afraid. 'No one helped me...' He remembered how scared and frantic he was. He desperately wanted to live on. 'In order to survive...' He then remembered their blood curdling screams. 'I had to...' The smell of blood seeped into his mind. 'It was to survive...' The images of their dead bodies. 'I killed them all...' The deafening sound of thunder. 'It was raining that day...' Unknown to him, a single tear made its way down his face.
Misao watched the smiling boy, curious to what he was thinking. She then saw what she would say was the first sign that there was more to Soujiro than his façade of happiness. She saw it glimmer down his cheek. It was a tear. Her eyes widened. 'Is he... crying?' She looked him over to see that his ever-present smile was still there. 'Why does he continue smiling?' She walked over to him, overcome with sympathy.
Soujiro snapped out of his thoughts and found that Misao was making her way to him. Inside he was eternally grateful for her interruption. He decided it was best that some things were just left alone. He gave her a wider smile. "Ohayoo Misao-san." He studied her face. 'Something's different about her. She seems sad...'
Misao looked at him. "Why do you smile, Sou-kun?"
His eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean, Misao-san?"
She reached her hand over and brushed the forgotten tear off his cheek. "You were crying... and you still smile despite that."
He moved his hand up to his cheek. "I was crying? I haven't cried since..." The feeling of despair came back again. "Since..."
Misao's voice became softer and moved closer to Soujiro. "Since when?"
He was interrupted by Suzuki. "Is everything alright over there?"
Soujiro regained his self-awareness and his mask was once again on. "Hai, Suzuki-sensei. Everything's fine."
Misao frowned. Everything wasn't fine. He smiled though he was sad. It was as if he were afraid to what might happen were he to be true to himself. She felt the eyes of the teacher on her and became aware that she was still standing up so she took a seat right next to Soujiro.
He looked at Misao in confusion. "Ara? Uh, Misao-san? Isn't your seat right over there?" He pointed over to where Kenshin was sitting.
She scrunched her eyebrows. "Why? Do you have a problem with that?"
He gave a smile. "Iie. I was just wondering why you chose to sit here."
She looked at him and gave a half smile. "Well I could ask the same question to you. Why do you hide yourself from everyone else? Like you sit all the way over here when there are plenty of seats in the front."
Soujiro blinked. 'She noticed?' "I just need time to think. That's all."
She got a curious look on her face. "Time to think? Like about what?"
He gave a small frown. He wasn't used to people asking him questions. Let alone about himself. 'Well Yumi always did say I should express myself more...' "I just think about the problems of life and try to search for answers. Sometimes I come up with them and sometimes I don't."
"Oh... so that's what you do when you're sad?" She stared him intently waiting for an answer.
Unfortunately Soujiro had his mask up and would keep it up no matter what. Just that small experience of past memories was enough to stir up many emotions within himself. Those emotions were... less than wanted. "Nani? I'm sorry but I don't have much experience with emotions."
Misao blinked. "But weren't you just crying?"
Soujiro gave a nod. "Hai. It would appear so, ne?"
"So how do you deal with it? How do you deal with your emotions?"
He paused. "I don't."
Misao was rendered speechless for a while. "Wh-what do you mean you don't? How can you not?"
Soujiro stared off into space. "Ano... I don't deal with emotions because I don't feel them. It's something that I've done since way back when." He gave a smile. "Besides I've been taught that emotions are for the weak and only get it the way."
Misao gave a small gasp. Never had she thought that there would be someone without emotions. She put her hand to her heart. "Sou-kun... everyone has emotions. Being able to feel is what being human is all about. Being able to feel happiness, joy, or excitement."
The Tenken continued staring straight ahead with his smile on his face. "And what about sadness, despair, and agony?"
"That too is what being human is about. Feeling the good and bad of life."
"Hai. Demo... why would you want to?"
Seeing someone this deprived of emotions and lack of feelings was truly shocking to her. It never occurred that such a thing would even be possible. Yet here it was. A boy no older than her thinking that he was better off without with emotions. Such a thing enraged her. Everyone should be able to feel and experience the joys and sorrows of life. "Well isn't it better to feel something than nothing at all!?"
Soujiro remained silent having no answer for Misao's question. How could he, the emotionless Tenken, answer her on something he had no idea about. In all honesty, he never gave much thought to what it would be like to feel true happiness or sadness. It was always something he shrugged off since he never had use for it. Not one of the JupponGatana ever pressed him about it like Misao was doing right now. They may have not been the picture perfect family but they knew that they should leave certain things untouched when it came to him. Despite how long they've known each other, they never felt they had the right to dig up someone's buried past. Well, those who cared anyway. He doubted that all of them would know what much about such a complex thing like emotions, such as Iwanbo or Usui.
Misao could see that she was getting nowhere pressing him for answers, so she decided to try a different approach. 'If I can't force him with my logic then I have to convince him through reasoning.' She took a cleansing breath and started over. "Look... sure having emotions may have their downsides but there are ways around it. You don't have to suffer alone. That's why you have friends and family. They're there to help ease the burden off your shoulders."
He cast a wayward glance to Misao. "I have no one that I can call my friend Misao-san. My real family is long since dead and the one I live with now has taught me that emotions are the true burden that needs to be lifted."
Misao frowned. She was starting to loose hope, but she couldn't just let this happen. 'I swear I'll do everything I can in order to help him out! In order to do this then, I'll have to be sincere and speak from the heart...' She looked at the boy with the frozen smile next to her. "Sou-kun..." She put her hands on his and gave a small squeeze.
He looked over to her, slightly confused by this.
"You don't have to be alone. If you want... I can be your friend."
To Soujiro the world seemed to slow down around him. All he could hear was the beating of his own heart and the sound of his breath. 'She really wants to be my friend?' He seemed to ponder on this for a while and came up with a question that summed up all the things flying through his mind. "Why?"
She gave him a sincere smile. "Because... I was once like you." She took another breath. If she was going to help Soujiro have a better future, she would have to dig up her own past. "When I was very small, my parents died. I was left alone, cut off from the only people I knew in this world. After that I was left in the care of my grandpa Okina. He and his family showed my love and care, but all that didn't matter to me in my current state."
Soujiro look on intently as Misao was willingly digging up her own past.
"I was devastated Sou-kun. I finally reached the point her I didn't care what happened to me. All I wanted was to end the torment that was with me every waking hour and even in my dreams." She gave a small sigh. "It was horrible. I eventually became convinced that the only was to stop the hurt was to commit jisatsu." She then gave a smile. "But that's when things changed. On that same day, my grandpa brought in a new student. He helped me see that jisatsu wasn't the answer." She got a dreamy look on her face. "Yes. He helped me live on and for that I would always be loyal to him. I swore that no matter what, I would follow Aoishi-sama till the day I die!"
Soujiro blinked and did a double take. "Matte... This man... His name wouldn't happen to be Aoishi Shinomori would it?"
She looked back and gave a grin. "Hai! He is my Aoishi-sama!" She blinked "Why? Do you know him?"
Soujiro gave a smile, recalling his orders. "Iie... demo I plan to really soon."
---
Translations:
Jisatsu: This one means suicide. It has come to my attention that there is more than one word and more than one way to commit suicide with a new word for each way. This one though, seems to be the most general and sounds the best out of the others.
Demo: Used to change the flow of a sentence. Same as using words like 'but' or 'however'.
---
A/N: First things first... Gomen nasai to all those who may have waited for this update. Even though I warned you that it would take long. I really had no idea it would take so long to even get -started- on updating. I was just waiting for more reviews to come up for the chapter. *bows* That was very inconsiderate of me. Anyway as an apology, I promise that in my next chapter that there will be plenty of 'chemistry' between Soujiro and Misao. Oh yes, I need your opinions once again. I'm planning to make another chapter that is dedicated to the reviewers and answers any questions you guys might have. I did see quite a few of them, but no one left much means of me contacting them. This one is completely up to you guys! In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Ja ne!
A/N: I'd like to apologize to the reviewers... again... for a late update. I realize there are things that don't make sense like dressing up in clothes that should have been gone long ago, or being OOC, or even my lack of updates and weird excuses for them. Well there's a perfectly good reason for it that I'm sure will satisfy everyone. Unfortunately it doesn't exist so let's just say I'm having a few technical difficulties and lack of priorities... ^_^ But don't the ends justify the means? *shrugs* I certainly hope so! Now I give to you Chapter 5!
Misao was staring at Soujiro in shock. She hadn't expected to see him so soon. She was still rather confused about their first meeting and hadn't quite figured him out or the situation. There was something about him that was appealing yet at the same time very strange. 'Kuso! I'm not ready yet! I don't even know what to do! If I talk about what happened then it'll be awkward and I can't just deny it! So what do I do!? I know! I won't say anything at all! I'll just pretend like nothing happened!' She smiled at her own little plan on how to deal with things.
Soujiro was looking at the variety of emotions that had appeared on Misao's face. He saw fear, excitement, uncertainty, mischievousness, and many other things. 'Maybe she's still feeling weird about our last encounter... What do I do though? Yumi always told be to be sensitive about others feelings, but I never had any dealings with emotions before. They just get in the way when you're fighting. Emotions make you weak and Shishio-sama always told me that it's wrong to be weak. Therefore having emotions are wrong. So what do I do? Hm... Just pretend like nothing happened!' His smile on his face got a little wider now that he knew what to do.
Kenshin was still confused about Misao's reaction to the new kid. He looked back and forth between them and saw that they were both smiling. 'Uh-oh... I know that smile on Misao-san's face. That's the one she gets whenever she comes up with a plan that usually leads to bad things. Also...' He looked at Soujiro. 'There seems to be something off bout that young boy. He's wearing that smile like it's a mask to cover up what's on the inside. I know that because I have dealt with many such as him in the past. Even though Suzuki-sensei doesn't look it, he's quite the fighter. He covers his kenki well and lives the peaceful life of a teacher. However this boy has no kenki that I can sense on the inside or out. I should keep my eye on him that I most certainly should.'
Suzuki looked between Misao and Soujiro and interrupted their thoughts with a small cough. He turned to Soujiro. "Can I help you with something?"
Soujiro looked at Okubo and gave a bow. "Hai Suzuki-sensei. Watashi no namae wa Seta Soujrio desu."
Suzuki smiled and gave a small bow to Soujiro as well. "So tell me Soujiro, what is it that I can do for you?"
"I believe that this is the next class I have." He held out his schedule for Suzuki to look at.
The teacher took it and saw that Soujiro was indeed in his class. "Next time you should avoid being late. Do you have a good reason for that?" He handed the schedule back to Soujiro.
Soujiro gave a nod. "Hai. The reason I was late was because I'm new here and had trouble finding the classroom."
Suzuki smiled. "I see. Very well then you may sit wherever you can find an empty seat."
Soujiro looked around and spotted a seat in the back where no one was. He shrugged and sat down there to have some peace and quite. Besides that, he really didn't feel like getting to know new people when his mind was in a state of turmoil. 'I still need time to figure out all these questions in my head. If I don't then I might go crazy.' He chuckled a little at that.
Misao's eyes followed Soujiro as he sat down way in the back. 'Huh? Why would he want to sit over there?' She paused to think. 'He must me avoiding me! Hmph! If he thinks Misao Makimachi is easily left behind then he's in for a surprise!' She looked over to Kenshin. "Hey Kenshin..."
He looked back at Misao and smiled. "Hai, Misao-dono?"
She smacked him over the head. "I told you not to call me that!" She looked at Kenshin with his swirling eyes. "Anyway something seems wrong with Soujiro, so I'm going to check on him."
He blinked. "Huh? Is that his name?"
She smacked him again. "Weren't you paying attention when he introduced himself?"
Kenshin gave a sheepish grin. "Gomen Misao-dono, I was lost in my thoughts."
Misao sighed and shook her head, temporarily giving up on breaking Kenshin's habits. She looked to the front and raised her hand. "Suzuki- sensei? May I help out Soujiro during class since he's new here?"
Suzuki looked at her and gave a smile. "Hai, you may do so. That's really nice of you Misao."
She grinned and went over to Soujiro who lost in though and completely oblivious to Misao's presence.
Soujiro was racking his brains for the answers he so desperately needed. 'Why do people continue living? They are weak and yet they survive. Shishio- sama says it's wrong to be weak. He says that they are food for the strong. So they continue living because...' He sighed knowing he came to the roadblock. 'I'll just have to get back to that one. Now, what else is there? Oh yes. What went on with Misao-san back there. Why did I bother to help her? Because she was in trouble and needed it. After all if I were in trouble then...' He immediately paused and was overcome with a feeling a sadness and despair. 'If I were in trouble...' His mind played back images of when he was a child. He was constantly beaten over and over daily. 'That one time... they were drunk...' An image of the katana gleamed in his mind. 'They... they wanted... to kill me...' He was running and screaming for help. He didn't want to die. He was afraid. 'No one helped me...' He remembered how scared and frantic he was. He desperately wanted to live on. 'In order to survive...' He then remembered their blood curdling screams. 'I had to...' The smell of blood seeped into his mind. 'It was to survive...' The images of their dead bodies. 'I killed them all...' The deafening sound of thunder. 'It was raining that day...' Unknown to him, a single tear made its way down his face.
Misao watched the smiling boy, curious to what he was thinking. She then saw what she would say was the first sign that there was more to Soujiro than his façade of happiness. She saw it glimmer down his cheek. It was a tear. Her eyes widened. 'Is he... crying?' She looked him over to see that his ever-present smile was still there. 'Why does he continue smiling?' She walked over to him, overcome with sympathy.
Soujiro snapped out of his thoughts and found that Misao was making her way to him. Inside he was eternally grateful for her interruption. He decided it was best that some things were just left alone. He gave her a wider smile. "Ohayoo Misao-san." He studied her face. 'Something's different about her. She seems sad...'
Misao looked at him. "Why do you smile, Sou-kun?"
His eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean, Misao-san?"
She reached her hand over and brushed the forgotten tear off his cheek. "You were crying... and you still smile despite that."
He moved his hand up to his cheek. "I was crying? I haven't cried since..." The feeling of despair came back again. "Since..."
Misao's voice became softer and moved closer to Soujiro. "Since when?"
He was interrupted by Suzuki. "Is everything alright over there?"
Soujiro regained his self-awareness and his mask was once again on. "Hai, Suzuki-sensei. Everything's fine."
Misao frowned. Everything wasn't fine. He smiled though he was sad. It was as if he were afraid to what might happen were he to be true to himself. She felt the eyes of the teacher on her and became aware that she was still standing up so she took a seat right next to Soujiro.
He looked at Misao in confusion. "Ara? Uh, Misao-san? Isn't your seat right over there?" He pointed over to where Kenshin was sitting.
She scrunched her eyebrows. "Why? Do you have a problem with that?"
He gave a smile. "Iie. I was just wondering why you chose to sit here."
She looked at him and gave a half smile. "Well I could ask the same question to you. Why do you hide yourself from everyone else? Like you sit all the way over here when there are plenty of seats in the front."
Soujiro blinked. 'She noticed?' "I just need time to think. That's all."
She got a curious look on her face. "Time to think? Like about what?"
He gave a small frown. He wasn't used to people asking him questions. Let alone about himself. 'Well Yumi always did say I should express myself more...' "I just think about the problems of life and try to search for answers. Sometimes I come up with them and sometimes I don't."
"Oh... so that's what you do when you're sad?" She stared him intently waiting for an answer.
Unfortunately Soujiro had his mask up and would keep it up no matter what. Just that small experience of past memories was enough to stir up many emotions within himself. Those emotions were... less than wanted. "Nani? I'm sorry but I don't have much experience with emotions."
Misao blinked. "But weren't you just crying?"
Soujiro gave a nod. "Hai. It would appear so, ne?"
"So how do you deal with it? How do you deal with your emotions?"
He paused. "I don't."
Misao was rendered speechless for a while. "Wh-what do you mean you don't? How can you not?"
Soujiro stared off into space. "Ano... I don't deal with emotions because I don't feel them. It's something that I've done since way back when." He gave a smile. "Besides I've been taught that emotions are for the weak and only get it the way."
Misao gave a small gasp. Never had she thought that there would be someone without emotions. She put her hand to her heart. "Sou-kun... everyone has emotions. Being able to feel is what being human is all about. Being able to feel happiness, joy, or excitement."
The Tenken continued staring straight ahead with his smile on his face. "And what about sadness, despair, and agony?"
"That too is what being human is about. Feeling the good and bad of life."
"Hai. Demo... why would you want to?"
Seeing someone this deprived of emotions and lack of feelings was truly shocking to her. It never occurred that such a thing would even be possible. Yet here it was. A boy no older than her thinking that he was better off without with emotions. Such a thing enraged her. Everyone should be able to feel and experience the joys and sorrows of life. "Well isn't it better to feel something than nothing at all!?"
Soujiro remained silent having no answer for Misao's question. How could he, the emotionless Tenken, answer her on something he had no idea about. In all honesty, he never gave much thought to what it would be like to feel true happiness or sadness. It was always something he shrugged off since he never had use for it. Not one of the JupponGatana ever pressed him about it like Misao was doing right now. They may have not been the picture perfect family but they knew that they should leave certain things untouched when it came to him. Despite how long they've known each other, they never felt they had the right to dig up someone's buried past. Well, those who cared anyway. He doubted that all of them would know what much about such a complex thing like emotions, such as Iwanbo or Usui.
Misao could see that she was getting nowhere pressing him for answers, so she decided to try a different approach. 'If I can't force him with my logic then I have to convince him through reasoning.' She took a cleansing breath and started over. "Look... sure having emotions may have their downsides but there are ways around it. You don't have to suffer alone. That's why you have friends and family. They're there to help ease the burden off your shoulders."
He cast a wayward glance to Misao. "I have no one that I can call my friend Misao-san. My real family is long since dead and the one I live with now has taught me that emotions are the true burden that needs to be lifted."
Misao frowned. She was starting to loose hope, but she couldn't just let this happen. 'I swear I'll do everything I can in order to help him out! In order to do this then, I'll have to be sincere and speak from the heart...' She looked at the boy with the frozen smile next to her. "Sou-kun..." She put her hands on his and gave a small squeeze.
He looked over to her, slightly confused by this.
"You don't have to be alone. If you want... I can be your friend."
To Soujiro the world seemed to slow down around him. All he could hear was the beating of his own heart and the sound of his breath. 'She really wants to be my friend?' He seemed to ponder on this for a while and came up with a question that summed up all the things flying through his mind. "Why?"
She gave him a sincere smile. "Because... I was once like you." She took another breath. If she was going to help Soujiro have a better future, she would have to dig up her own past. "When I was very small, my parents died. I was left alone, cut off from the only people I knew in this world. After that I was left in the care of my grandpa Okina. He and his family showed my love and care, but all that didn't matter to me in my current state."
Soujiro look on intently as Misao was willingly digging up her own past.
"I was devastated Sou-kun. I finally reached the point her I didn't care what happened to me. All I wanted was to end the torment that was with me every waking hour and even in my dreams." She gave a small sigh. "It was horrible. I eventually became convinced that the only was to stop the hurt was to commit jisatsu." She then gave a smile. "But that's when things changed. On that same day, my grandpa brought in a new student. He helped me see that jisatsu wasn't the answer." She got a dreamy look on her face. "Yes. He helped me live on and for that I would always be loyal to him. I swore that no matter what, I would follow Aoishi-sama till the day I die!"
Soujiro blinked and did a double take. "Matte... This man... His name wouldn't happen to be Aoishi Shinomori would it?"
She looked back and gave a grin. "Hai! He is my Aoishi-sama!" She blinked "Why? Do you know him?"
Soujiro gave a smile, recalling his orders. "Iie... demo I plan to really soon."
---
Translations:
Jisatsu: This one means suicide. It has come to my attention that there is more than one word and more than one way to commit suicide with a new word for each way. This one though, seems to be the most general and sounds the best out of the others.
Demo: Used to change the flow of a sentence. Same as using words like 'but' or 'however'.
---
A/N: First things first... Gomen nasai to all those who may have waited for this update. Even though I warned you that it would take long. I really had no idea it would take so long to even get -started- on updating. I was just waiting for more reviews to come up for the chapter. *bows* That was very inconsiderate of me. Anyway as an apology, I promise that in my next chapter that there will be plenty of 'chemistry' between Soujiro and Misao. Oh yes, I need your opinions once again. I'm planning to make another chapter that is dedicated to the reviewers and answers any questions you guys might have. I did see quite a few of them, but no one left much means of me contacting them. This one is completely up to you guys! In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Ja ne!