Chapter 7

"Where's Shigure-sensei?" Mit-chan wailed, "the autograph signing starts in ten minutes…"

Yuki, Tohru, Kyou, and Kagura exchanged looks and shrugged.

Mit-chan's phone rang, "Moshi-moshi?...Shigure-sensei!...Nani! You decided to eat brunch before coming here, but forgot your wallet, so the owner won't let you leave but did give you the right to one phone call!...Where are you?...I'll be right there!"

She looked at Yuki and them, "I'll leave you guys in charge. Keep them calm for as long as you can."

"…"

Mit-chan ran off.

"So…what should we do?" Kagura asked.

"I'm going home," Kyou said.

"But Kyou-kun, we promised to help Shigure-san out," Tohru said, "we can't just leave…"

Kyou paused.

"Don't worry. I'm here!" Shigure said walking out with a smile on his face.

"You're so cruel to Mit-chan," Yuki said.

"Maa, maa It's time to work, so I'll be assigning your jobs. Two people can keep control on the line, making sure no one butts and stuff like that. The other two can be in charge of the book stand. I'm sure lots of people will be wanting to buy my books," Shigure said.

Kyou couldn't believe the line was that long, 'That guy actually has fans?'

"Ano…" Kagura said to a girl, "can you help me get my books signed?"

The girl looked at her, "I guess…"

"Arigatou!" Kagura said and pulled out four books from her black leather backpack, "tell him to sign it 'to Kagura' please."

'Where's her to regular teddy bear backpack?' Kyou wondered.

The girl nodded.

"You're a fan?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Kagura said admitted sheepishly, "his works are actually very good. Especially the Acid Raindrops saga in the Soul's Tears series."

"What?"

"He has a big series call Soul's Tears, and within that series he spurs sub-series, the connection is it all takes place at the same city and they all know each other. My favourite sub-series is the Acid Raindrop saga because it's really touching. Want to know what it's about?" she asked.

'No, not really,' he thought but since he had nothing better to do right now, "whatever."

"Well, it's about these four main characters. Two of those characters are Rumusa Akago and Samo Yuuko, they were friends since childhood, but as they grew older, Yuuko began to distance herself from Akago who fell in love with her. Yuuko has a rival call Maki Youso, they love to bicker and fight over everything. Well, the real story begins after the arrival of Dan Ohuruto. He's a really kind, sweet, helpful guy. So naturally Youso and Yuuko falls in love with him."

"Sounds familiar…" Kyou muttered.

"Yeah, there's a lot of stories out there like it. Like Koppa Mijin no Koi1, but Shigure-niisan's novels are so sad…I really can't explain it. If you want I can lend it to you."

"I don't want to read that crap."

"What are you calling crap!" a group of girls in lined demanded angrily.

Kagura stood between him and the girls, "He didn't mean anything by it…"

It was Kyou and Kagura's turn to go on their lunch break. Kagura looked at Kyou walking in front of her. The scene actually seemed very familiar to her.

"I'll go buy us lunch," he said.

"Demo…"

"Go get us seats."

Kagura shrugged and went to an unoccupied table, 'I didn't tell him what I wanted. I guess he should know.'

Kagura pulled out Acid Raindrop volume four, 'I wonder if Akago will get together with Yuuko in the nest book…or at the very least get closer…'

Kyou handed Kagura the hamburger and sat down to eat his filet-o-fish.

"Hamburger?" she said making a face.

"Yeah, so?"

"I don't like meat and most poultry. Pork seems cannibalistic and I'm really fearful about beef. I'm scared that Haru might have lost his sense of direction and walk into a slaughter house in his animal form and…" she shivered but paused and asked, "dumb, huh?"

"Yeah," Kyou said, 'how come she never told me that before? She usually just eats the hamburgers I get her.'

"I'll go buy something else. Let's take the burger back to Mit-chan, she must be hungry. And dealing with Shigure drains you energy pretty quickly, ne?" Kagura asked and jogged off.

Kyou looked at her backpack on the chair. He picked it up and the burgers, 'What does she plan to buy without her wallet?'

He found her inside a bakery, looking at the displays, "Kiwi cheesecake looks delicious but I love chocolate and that triple chocolate mousse looks so tempting…"

The old man standing behind the counter looked amused.

"Which would you recommend, Teinosuke-kun?"

The old man smiled, "I personally like this mixed honeydew-cantaloupe cake."

Kagura smiled, "Ok, I'll try that…I forgot my wallet…I'll be right back.

"Chotto matte, Kagura-chan."

"Eh?"

"It's on the house," the old man said.

"Oh, I couldn't…"

"You come and help me out sometimes and won't accept my money. Plus I'm happiest when I see people enjoy my creations, and you always seem to enjoy them."

Kagura smiled, "Well, I come to help out because you give me free food afterwards. And your cakes are so delicious, that I can't help but enjoy them, eating them makes me feel happier."

"I wish others shared your passion. So many girls are concerned about calories and their weight now…" the man said with a sigh and handed her the box.

"Arigatou," she said taking the box, "don't worry. You just need to need a little promotions, I'll help you. Once people taste it they'd be hooked, like me."

"Kagura-chan, you're really cute."

"So desu? Are you just saying that?"

"Of course not, and you seem very genki today too."

'Cute and genki? I guess that's true. I never thought of her along those lines…always found her violent. But that's because I never really saw her like so…'

"Can I help you?" the old man asked, taking notice of Kyou.

"…"

"Kyou? You brought me, my backpack."

"Yeah," he said and thrust it out to her.

"Ah, your boyfriend?"

Kyou was about to correct him, but Kagura beat him to it. She laughed and said, "No, he's my cousin. Actually, I think I'm going to buy a couple more cake. I want…one of that…that, that…and that. Kyou chose a piece."

"You're going to eat all that yourself?" Teinosuke asked surprised.

"No. One for each my friends and that way I can have a chance to taste a bit of everything, without being afraid of wasting it," Kagura said with a smile, "Kyou which one would you like? Pick the coconut-lychee one, I want to try it."

"I don't like sweet stuff," he said.

"Really?" she asked, "what do you like to eat then?"

Shigure watched Kagura and Kyou come back from their lunch break, 'Kyou seems a bit different…recently he hasn't been paying as much attention to Tohru…'

He held the book out to the girl, "Here you go Aoi-chan."

"Sohma-san, will Akago and Yuuko ever get together?" she asked.

Shigure smiled, "It appears there might be a breakthrough in volume six which I'm working on. Volume five which comes out in two weeks might be the beginning of it."

"Might be?" she asked.

"I sort of let the inspiration come to me," he said with a grin and added, "can I have your phone number Aoi-chan?"

Mit-chan cried, "Next!"

TBC

A/N:

1. Koppa Mijin no Koi is a manga written by Rika Yonezawa that has a total of 12 volumes. It's a funny, silly romance manga, about this love square. Most ppl never even heard of it, but I had to include it in there b/c it's my all time favourite manga.

It's obvious where Shigure gets the ideas for his books, and if you look at the character's names you'll realize something. And Shigure's books will be of importance, I didn't just throw all that stuff in there, and since I actually got some planning I'll be updating in a week (July 23rd). Depending on my mental productivity and how lazy I am, I might have one/two chapters up.

Tell me what U think. Should I speed up the romance or cont. to let it slowly seep through?