Omi walked in the store to find Aki sweeping and Ran arranging some flowers.

"Hiya Aki! Did you sleep well?"

"I sure did. Ran was very hospitable." She said with a bright and cheery smile. "Shouldn't Ken

and Yohji be here yet? It's almost opening time."

"Yohji won't be here for another, oh, I'd say about forty minutes, and Ken should be

here...right...about... now."

JINGLE

"Hey guys! Am I late?" Ken said while trying to gain his breath. He looked up finally, "Hi Aki!

Sleep well?"

"Why, yes!" Aki said with a giggle. Ken leaned in closer to her and whispered,

"Was Ran acting like an ass?"

"No,... he wasn't braying or anything." Both Ken and Aki burst into laughter, when Yohji

walked in.

"Hey! What's so funny?" He started.

"Yohji! You... You're early!" Omi exclaimed.

"Well, I have to give a good first impression to our new teammate." He swiftly slipped his arm

around the girl's shoulders. Aki turned very icy just then.

"Touch me, and I will make it so you can never touch another woman again." She said through

clenched teeth and with such venom, Yohji practically jumped away.

"Uh...Aki? Could I speak with you? Over here? Please?" Omi asked the girl nervously.

"Sure!" She walked over to him, "What?"

"Why so cold all of a sudden? It didn't seem like you, I mean, we've only known you for a day,

but that seemed almost cruel, not how you were before." Omi looked at her with such innocence,

she just couldn't lie.

"I'm so sorry! It's just, I've been...uh...oh! I can't tell you now. I may be able to sometime. But

please, forgive me! I can't get over my past sometimes!" She kneeled down on the floor, and was

crying with her hands covering her face. As Omi bent down to help her, she stopped herself

abruptly.

"Well, no use in crying. How can I help here?" She asked cheering up quickly. Too quickly

Ran thought.