His Lingering Caress

Written by: L. Amari Espris

Chapter One

Bold and Daring

"Explain to me, please, why I am here again?" I manage to squeak as I stare at the huge office building before me. I strain my neck to see the very edge of the edifice, but little success was made from that. In spite of this, I know that somewhere near the top, it reads with enormous, bold letters, "Chiba Corp." Damn his birthright. Damn him and his wealth. Damn this man for building such a huge structure. Damn him in being so intelligent and talented. Damn himâ€umâ€ah, just damn him in everything he does!

"Because, Usa, you have a meeting with him in less than an thirty minutes, and you can't afford to be late for it either," my intellectual companion states. "Thus, the reason why you're early," I glance at her with eyes wide and teary, I presume, and sniffle out the next words,

"But, Ami, do I have to do this by myself? Can't you come with me? I don't want to be stuck, alone, in a conference room, with an undomesticated baboon like him!" I clutch onto my briefcase a little tighter as I glance back to the ridiculously immense building. Why the hell would he even want a place this big? It's just a workplace like any other. I muffle my urge to scream a 'Bloody Murder' again when I hear an aggravated complaint from my azure haired friend.

"Because, Usagi, this is your business meeting. Not mine. Also, I have to head back to the hospital now. And don't worry about getting any diseases or fatal illnesses from him. I'm sure he has gotten his shots," she adds, sarcastically. Oh, Ami, why now? What happened to all the love we have shared for one another? Why do you betray me, my darling comrade?

"Even if he's gotten his shots, I still don't like the idea of him and me being alone," I sniff with a hoity-toity attitude. "You really can't stay with me, Ami? My caring and loving best friend who will stick with me through thick and thin? And through times when I have to face the devil and his minions myself?" I whine. I whimper and pout, but it is useless. She sees right through me, and laughs. Oh, drats, she knows me too well.

"Usa, you still got it. Even after all these years, you still know how to whine and pout to the point that I become cowardly around you, but I'm not falling for it this time. I really have to go back to the hospital, Usagi. Now, suck it up, storm up to that building, enter it, go to his floor, and demand the meeting with—erm—the devil himself†Make it like the ones that will leave him breathless, Usa!" she encourages me. It doesn't help that much, but it's comfortingâ€a little.

"'Leave him breathless,' huh? So I can kill him?" I comment, monotonously. Ami chuckles at this and pats my back, sighing.

"If he refuses you, then you can kill him. But for now, just try to get through the meeting, okay? I know you can do it. I'll be cheering for you all the way, Usa. Now, get!" she says as her pager goes off. Yep, no doubt. I shall be facing with the stuck-up bastard myself. This is justâ€great.

"Traitorâ€deserter" I mumble under my breath, glaring daggers at the blue colored girl. But, mind you, I do appreciate her words of support. It really is meaningful to me. She knows that, too, for she smiles and starts to head off to her sedan that is parked a few paces away. Ah, alas, I bid thee farewell, my love.

"I love you too, Usa," she chuckles while walking away from me, deserting me in front of Chiba Corp. "Later, okay?" I manage a teary smile and call out to her.

"See you later, then. And thanks." She reaches her car, and I watch as she enters it, inserts the key, and the whole enchilada. Finally, she drives off to meet the freeway. Groaning, I say, forlornly, "Here goes nothing†I knew I should've worn sneakers instead of these three-inch heels." I grumble and begin my climb up the weary steps. No joke about that. Just the walk from the bottom of the steps of the building to the entrance to the lobby is pretty much a hike. "I'll be an old lady by the time I reach his office! If I'm not already dead, that is."

Glancing down at my watch to read the time, I heave, yet, another sigh. I've finally conquered that extreme ascend of those dangerous steps and entered the foyer now. It's 2:34 p.m. Before I had started the steps, it was 2:25. I only have fifteen more minutes until the evil conference. Gods, I am going to kill that insolent Chiba. If I'm late, it's his entire fault.

"Excuse me, Miss," a voice calls out to me, interrupting me from my thoughts. "May I help you?" I stare into the direction of the voice, and see a pair of beautiful green eyes. I know who those eyes belong to. I commence to open my mouth to greet him, but he beat me to it. "Usagi! What are you doing here?" I smile as he pulls me into a big bear hug.

"Hi, Motoki. I'm here for a meeting with the bigot here," I roll my eyes before starting again. "I'm glad to see you here, Motoki. How's your wife? Anything I should know about?" I hint. He flushes, much to my amusement, and scratches the back of his head. After glancing around the lobby for any suspicious and watchful eyes, he speaks.

"Reika is doing fine. She misses you, though, so you better call her when you get back home. And as for the news" he fades away, leaving me in great suspense. I raise my eyebrows at him, beckoning to continue. Seeing none but a deepening of his redness, I beam.

"Good to hear, Motoki! Out of all the people that I know, you've taken the longest in—ah—well," I hesitate for the right words, and whisper the next part, "having children with your lovely wife. Took you long enough! How long has it been?"

Chuckling, he replies a hardy, "Three weeks. We are so happy to be having this child. Everything's been settled and it's good to be able to settle down for sure at this point in time. We're going to have a new soul with us, Usa." I smile at him, warmly, at that remark.

"You deserve it, Motoki. I know for a very sure fact that your baby will love life with all of his, or her, heart." He laughs at that and I join in shortly after. "When were you two planning to tell me the news, though? Three weeks and no one's told me a thing!" I ask after a brief silence for ourselves to catch our breath.

"Well, we haven't told anyone yet. We're planning a surprise announcement within a month's time. It's a better way to publicize things after all." I chuckle.

"That's true. So, I'm the first one you've told?" I sneak at him. He chuckles again and nods his dull tinted blonde head. I squeal with happiness at this. At least I'm able to get something good out of this dreaded day, right? "I'm happy about that! At least I'm the first and not the last now. Congrats, Motoki! I wish you all the best. You know that." I tug him into another hug, and planted a gentle, harmless kiss on his cheek on impulse. So, we received a few stares from the people in the foyer. Big deal. It's not as if I'm in love with this old, married coot. "Tell Reika I said, 'Hi,' okay? I have to leave for my meeting now."

"Sure thing. See you, Usagi." We start to walk our separate ways: me to the elevator, and him to the entrance door for his lunch break, I guess. Quickly, I spin around and add,

"I won't tell a soul, Motoki. Don't worry about it." I wink at him, a playful smile resting on my lips. I see his shoulders relax a little more, and he winks back. At least he trusts me about not spoiling a secret. A big one, too.

The ding of the elevator signifies my arrival to the 34th floor of Chiba Corp. I wait, patiently, for the doors to open. Once it does, I exit and begin my search for his office. It shouldn't be that hard to find, right? Boy, am I wrong! All the offices look the same. It gives me a headache and a trauma just looking at them. Snarling, I head to the front desk of the floor and ask the girl there for directions.

"The last door to your left," she directs as she points to the area of Chiba's office. I force a smile while replying a simple thank you to her and head off to search for his office once more. Taking another fleeting glimpse down at my silver watch, I nearly melt in amidst my march. I only have four minutes before the meeting starts.

"Damn it!" I quicken my pace, and barge into the office with the title "Chiba Mamoru, Owner" only to be greeted with a big busted female with crimson tresses, cruel-looking sage eyes, and full maroon painted lips. 'Seems to me like she has too much foundation on,' I ruminate, disgustedly. 'Under all that makeup, I assume she's a beast.' I walk up to her desk. I wait for her to take notice of me and let me through those big white doors behind her. It didn't work. She didn't even bother to look up from her magazine. "Kami," I mutter under my breath. I clear my throat in another attempt to be noticed. Still didn't work. Gods, does she need hearing aids or something? I'm late for a meeting because of her now! I clear my throat again, only louder this time. Still, no use. If those won't work, speaking might. "Excuse me," I say in a loud, demanding voice. I won't even bother to hold back my anger. She looks up finally, but with an angry look in her eyes. What's her problem?

"What is it?" she barks at me with her thick voice. I blink in surprise and revulsion. How rude can a person get? "Well? What do you want?" she asks again, harsher this time. Wow, she even has a nastier temper than Rei when she's being a bitch head.

"I'm here for a meeting with Mr. Chiba Mamoru. Can you please tell him that I'm here? It's supposed to be starting now." Without saying a thing to me, she pushes a button on the phone at her desk.

"Yes? What is it?" inquires the masculine voice. Immediately, I feel my breath catch in my throat, my blood level rising and pounding at an even larger pace than normal. Trying to regain my composure, I grip the handle of my briefcase more firmly than necessary.

"There's someone here to see you, Mamoru," she half bites and slurs in a husky tone. So, she's on a first name basis with this freak. What a surprise†Not†I wouldn't be shocked if she's one of his sex toys, too. For some reason, though, a sharp sting comes to torment a place in my chest at the mere thought. A falling plunge in the stomach follows suit. How weird. Why am I feeling this?

"What's their name, Miss Amaide?" Chiba asks the bitch in front of me. She shoots a glare at me and we lock eyes. My gaze never wavering from hers, I reply for her with my name. I can see her claws bared at me in great abhorrence. Wow, I make enemies fast, huh? It's amazing. "Come on in, Usagi. Oh, and need I say that—" I hate him. "—you're late" He shall pay for this humiliation and tolerance with this red headed freak of nature. "â€Odango." Oh, yes. He shall be castrated and pitiful to all eyes of the worldâ€if I ever find the right guts to do such a messy and discriminating deed. I give a hearty smirk at the phone before stomping off again to the white doors behind the bitch, 'Miss Amaide.' She doesn't seem all too thrilled with the idea. Oh, joy. I suppose I'll make her even more fury swiped by walking through them, which I am doingâ€now. Ah, there we have it. It's the sounds of the demons being let loose.

Upon entering the chauvinistic mandrill's cavern, I am prepared to yell at him, but instead, I'm welcomed with a beautiful sight of the city of Tokyo, Japan. It is such a spectacular view, and I marvel at it. I persist on staring at the magnificent sight, taking it in as much as I can. Too bad it is interrupted by two strong, steel-like arms encircling my waist, pulling me a little from my place. Enter the boar.

"You're late for the meeting, Usa," he whispers to me in his deep and rough baritone of a voice. I suck in a deep breath, resisting my sudden urges to sink into his embrace and also from strangling him. That can come after the deal. "How about a little payment to me for it?" He nibbles my earlobe a little, and I freak, mentally and physically. With my rock hard elbow, I stab him in the core of his abdomen. He releases his hold on me as I squirm to the other side of the room, away from the beastly him and from the sensations coursing through my veins.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Mr. Chiba, but believe me when I say that I can't and won't be sincere or humble when I say that you're barking up the wrong tree. I am not flattered by your treatment of me/ I am appalled, really. You're nothing to me, Mr. Chiba," I state, boldly and lowly. At least I have his attention. "Thus, I shall not tolerate such behavior from you, Sir.

"I am here for nothing more than a business proposition with you. If you continue to choose to harass me, I will, without hesitation, report you and break this deal." His eyes display a hint of amusement within them, annoying me beyond belief. I glare daggers at him, my eyes swimming with the blazing inferno I have developed from my loathing of him, I'm hoping!, and continue, seeing that I have his full attention. "Consider this a warning, Chiba. Don't you dare doubt me for a second.

"Oh, and for something off the record," I narrow my eyes, but never leaving his own. "It's about your secretary—Miss Amaide, is it? She needs an attitude adjustment. As I see it, with her being your wonderful bitch and pleasure toy, I think you can persuade her to behave, right?" Ah, so this is how it feels like to have an ego boost! I'm savoring this moment. His eyes darken slightly, causing fear to strike me but only for a second and no more. Smirking at him, I stroll over to his large desk and seat myself in the chair for the guests, my little snout high in the air.

"Watch your mouth, Tsukino. I don't think you'd want to lose this deal," I hear him say near my ear. His voice is dangerously low, with venom seemingly dripping off of his every word. Ah, so this is the sensation of one's ego dropping. Such a shame. "And for something off the record," he mimics me, "I can tame her. Quite well, too. But I won't. I only want to tame you, my Usako." That nickname he gave me. Oh, how much I dread it. He's been calling me that ever since those last few months of working with him at his apartment and I despise it. Even when he calls me Usa I still hate it. What's with it with him teasing me?

"Chiba, I'm warning you," I hiss with my deepest voice, glaring at him with all the hatred I could muster from within me. "I'm warning you for the last time. Don't you dare call me that name, Chiba Mamoru. You don't deserve that right and you never will. And also, you won't have me. I'm sure of it. Give it up and go crawling back to your harem. They're growing desperate without you there, Chiba," I sing to him, a death threat hanging off of each syllable that I utter.

"We'll see, now won't we?" he inquires a little all too assertively to my liking. "Maybe I'll even have you crawling to me, but then again, maybe not." I just growl at him, my anger and disgust clearly radiating from my petite form. Once again, if looks could kill, I'd be sure he is at least six feet under. He chuckles at little and gets up from his place behind me. I watch him like a hawk as he circles around me and then crosses to the other side of the desk. He's so lucky he has a desk to separate us right now. A slight groan of the wooden handled chair that I reside in distracts me from my plotting of death of him, unsurprisingly. Turns out, I am gripping onto this chair with everything I got. How do I do these sorts of unusual things without knowing it?

"Damn it all," I muster silently. I think he heard me though.

"Let's get down to business, then. Shall we?" he teases with a smirk and wink. For sure; he heard me. Damn him and his kind to the depths of the unforgivable lands of Hell.

He was rational and tolerable throughout the whole meeting between us. Guess he turned himself on to 'businessman mode.' He's too much of a puzzle to me, but it's not a puzzle that I'd like to put together, really. We talked like two normal humans for once, without any snide remarks or threats from me to him and vice versa, and both of us were happy as the result. We both accepted the other's offer, made the deal, set the date, and, viola! We're done with the two of us happy and satisfied. I hate to admit it, but when he's in this type of mood, he's good and comfortable to talk to. Oh, but I still hate him with a passion. It's not like my feelings are changing towards him just because he's more charming to talk to as a stranger than anything else. Yep. It's definitely not that simple for a girl like me.

"Well, Miss Tsukino," the deep blue eyed charmer says while standing up. A few of his raven locks fall into his, eyes giving him an unnatural and heavenly look. I defy my bodily senses in reaching out to brush them out of the way, and stood up with him, smiling. "I hope to see more of you in the future. It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Miss." He sticks out his large hand for me to shake, and I accept while saying,

"Likewise, Mr. Chiba. I'm glad with the outcome of this meeting. I know you are, too." I give him a true, genuine smile of happiness with those words. Once again, I see the shimmer and distant look in his eyes. Alas, the infamous emotion that always sends me into turmoil and uncertainty. I shrug the thought away, though, when he holds my hand in place a little too long. I feel his thumb gently kneading my tenderly delicate skin, following a soft but firm wring. It sent chills running up and down my spine. Before I can complain, he relieves my poor hand and that look disappears again.

"Yes, I am," is all he says before smiling at me. I know it's a fake, though. The smile never reached his eyes. Albeit, they're unreadable, but even with those dead orbs, his true smiles would show in them. I've been around him long enough, which is a scary thought, to know so. "Have a nice evening, Tsukinoâ€Usagi."

"You too, Chiba." After giving him a curt nod and bow, I exit his office. He's really the leading enigmatic, egotistical, bigot and player that I know of in this country. Without looking at the whore's counter, I say, with a great amount of pride defined in it, "Good evening to you, Miss Amaide." She scowls.

Containing my leer, I continue my walk out the office, down the hall, and to the elevator. There, I free my longing smile of a simple ego boost. This was a good one, too, not a terrible selfish one. Ah, how many ego boosts have I tasted today? Well, two I think. Or is that only one? Ah, well, who cares? All I know is that I'm feeling rather happy with myself right now. A little bit of self-esteem boost never hurts anybody, right?

"How do I get myself into these kind of things?" I find myself droning. Honestly, I'm guessing that the only good thing that happens to me today is meeting Motoki and him telling me the news of him and Reika. Yep. My life is too sad.

"Because you love us and you would do anything for us," chides a perky Minako.

"Just like we would do for you, Usa," adds the fiery Rei. Oh, I forgot the mention that little detail†She's back from her trip. She came back around three or four days ago.

"Remind me to never do any of you favors anymore," I cry as I stare at the four girls in front of my sight. Each of them are dressed in clothes that are somewhat revealing, but conservative still, and all à la mode. They look like a group of models.

And where are we now? One of the places that I hate, but that I love: a night club. I hate it for the stupid bastards that we tend to encounter while dancing in there, but I love it becauseâ€well, reason is obvious: it's dancing! It's a nice way to relax, too, and meet new people. You can choose either to keep that person or throw them away. That is only in my opinion at least. The place we are at now is a new one, though. It's called Satin Petals, Club S.P. for short. The girls wanted me to tag along with them to this new one, so here I am! Ah, the things I would do for them

"Usagi, Minako, Makoto, Ami, Rei! We're over here!" a voice calls out to us. All of us turn to see Kumada Yuuichiro, Rei's boyfriend, standing at a booth in the bar not that far away from us, waving his arms frantically in the air. Along with him are Ken, Urawata Ryo, and Yaten from the Three Lights, a very popular band in Japan right now. I still can't believe that Mina is dating him, but if she's happy, then it's all just dandy.

We amble on over to them, each of the girls standing next to their love and me by myself, but I don't mind. I don't feel like bringing anyone. I've been fine on my own so far.

Ken leans down to give the brunette a peck on the lips. Yuuichiro does the same to Rei before she grabs either side of his head to give him a full kiss. Aiyah. She knows how to take hold of a situation well, eh?

Ami and Urawata just stand there, blushing. I smile at that. Even after all these years, they still act as if they just realized that they had feelings for one another; it's too cute.

Unfortunately, Mina and Yaten are too busy making out in the corner of our booth to notice any of us in any way possible.

While rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I veer away from the couples to scan the dance floor. I cross my arms as if to be in deep thought and scan the place with my judging eyes.

The place doesn't seem too shabby. The music's nice and so is the lighting of the club. It's dim and gloomily lit, naturally, but it has a certain atmosphere that makes this particular night club magical and addictive. Yep. I like it already. Nodding my head in approval, I turn back to the group when I hear one of them call my name. They, in exception of the two geniuses, are still cuddling and kissing. Who could have called me then?

"Hey there, Usa," creeps a voice behind me. Speak of the devil†"What brings you here? And by yourself?" Damn this man for being observant as well. I plaster a smile on my features and unhurriedly rotate in my place to set eyes on his finely chiseled features. Oh, damn it. I look straight into his eyes again. "Do I have something on my face that you like, Usa?" he wittingly mocks. Curse him, Kami.

"Yes, actually, but it's not anything that I like. Quite the opposite. I don't like your face. It's tooâ€cold and callous for my taste," I imply. 'Leave me alone, you womanizing man whore,' I think to myself. If I ever call him that in public, I will get eaten after getting beaten to an extra fine pulp. I see his face darken a little, but, as usual, it returns to normal before I can say anything more about it. I notice a certain red headed vermin clinging onto his arm now. What do we have here? Miss Amaide, huh?

Another sharp pain shoots all the way through my heart, but I ignore it to the best of my ability (it isn't much right now).

"Hey, Chiba, how about you ignore the klutz here and return to treating that rat on your arm? I'm sure she needs more attention than I do. Remember the little talk we had this morning? I'm sure you do, so I'll leave you alone to work your magic, boy." Before neither of them could say anything to me, I whisk around, sauntering off to the bartender. In a lively manner, I order a Piña Colada. Can't hurt for some little alcohol, right? I am of age, too.
"I'd like the same as this woman here," an unfamiliar tenor beckons to the bartender. I turn my head to the side to see who the owner of the voice is and meet up with a lovely pair of forest painted eyes and golden light hair. Wah, such a pretty boy. Literally.

"Haruka! You can't get drunk tonight!" another voice calls out. This time, it's for sure a feminine one. A beautiful lady with aquatic waves and cerulean eyes comes running up to us and takes a hold of the other person's, Haruka if I'm correct, arm. She looks so graceful. Surely, this is a match made in heaven. They're perfect for each other. I smile at them.

"Ah, Michiru, you're no fun. Just one drink and that'll be it, okay? Please?" the blonde one begs.

"Haruka, really! If you get drunk again I will just leave you here for the dogs to prey on."

"You're too harsh," Haruka whines.

"You know I have to be, sweetie."

"Much to my dismay," was the flaxen's grumbled remark. Their little banter is too cute and I can't help but laugh. They notice me and I apologize, and then explain myself.

"Sorry, it's too cute. You two are perfect for one another. It's nice to see people like you two nowadays," I blushingly ramble. The two of them take their time to comprehend what I just said, and then burst out in laughter. I blink at them, not understanding the joke.

"Oh, no, sorry. There's nothing wrong with your answer, sweetie," the aquatic one laughs. Haruka finishes for her.

"We do get that a lot. It's a good feeling, reallyâ€justâ€ah" She hesitates in her words with an apparent red lining in her cheeks. She leans closer to me, much to my surprise and Michiru's interest, and whispers the next words in my ear. "I'm really a girl" That is a breather.

"Oh my. I'm sorry! I didn't know, but you two areâ€ah—" I clear my throat, blushing profusely. "â€lovers, right? I don't really see anything wrong with that. As I've said, you two are perfect for one another, hearts and looks." The two of them gawk at me, and then smile a charming and attractive smile. At least I didn't klutz out for this one. It appears that I've said the right words.

"Thank you," is the reply from Michiru. She really is a beauty to behold. Haruka, now that I come to look at her again and more closely, really is a female. Her features are similar to a girl's, but it's just her style that makes her like a man's. Interesting thing I've happen to come across.

"It's only the truth, Miss," I smile at the lovers. I hear, from a distance, another female shouting out to me. "Well, I'd like to stay and chat with you two, but I have to leave now. I hope to see you two again someday!" I give a slight bow to them, and leave with my drink, which has just arrived . Talk about perfect timing. I jog over to my friends' booth. Much to my dismay, we have an extra, no, two extra guests there. Guess who?

"Usagi! Where were you?" Mina queries. I take a seat away from the two adversaries of mine and next to my twin and the cook. I wave my drink in the air as if it is the answer to everything. It is, practically, the answer to where I've been. Minako squeals in awe and asks for a sip of my beverage. Smiling, but still remaining silent, I pass her my Piña Colada. She takes it from my and drinks it happily.

"Hey, Mina, don't drink too much. You don't want to be drunk tonight. You're the one who's driving us back home!" the pyromaniac chides as she takes a seat next to me. Makoto nods her head in agreement as well as Ami, who is standing behind my alter ego.

"Recap my memory for me, please," I question to the girls. "How did we end up having Minako as our driver for tonight? I have a slight feeling a car crash shall commence soon after we leave this club." That deserves a kick from under the table from the offended. I wince in pain, but regain my composure to kick her back, playfully. "Aw, I don't mean that in a bad way, Mina. You know I love you."

"We all do, but your driving's reckless," Rei states matter-of-factly. Leave it to the psychic to be cruelly blunt.

"Where have I heard that before"

"Just last week if I can recall." I lean forward to prop my head up with my hands, elbows on the table. I grin when Mina makes a cute puppy face.

"You two are sad, you know that?" Minako whines. She takes another sip from my snifter, draining half of its contents now.

"Mina, you just drained half of that in a gulp," Ami observes, worry and panic clearly evident in her voice. We all agree with her with our silent gapes. Minako sticks her tongue out at us and continues to drain my alcoholic drink. Is she trying to kill herself? Or better yet, does she want to kill us?

"That's it! Usagi, you're driving us back. With Mina like this, I do not trust her with the steering wheel," complains Rei before the rest of us can say something about Mina's unbelievable alcohol consumption. Once more, the girls nod their heads in agreement with my raven haired feline companion, much to my disappointment.

Stuttering a little, I bite back. "Hold it! I had to drive you girls home the last time we were at a club! Then, you guys end up wrecking my apartment because you psychos were all deathly drunk. I am not facing that again! Oh, no. I agree that Mina shouldn't be driving us back, but choose someone else, not me! Don't I deserve a little fun?" Silence is my answer. Damn them all to Hell.

"Odango Atama, " Rei starts out. I'll kill her when I get the chance to. She begins her reasoning with the words, "your driving is, with the exception of Ami here, the best out of us group of five. The guys came with Ken in his car and Urawata came by himself. Ami has to go back for her shift in a while with him, leaving you in charge with us. You understand, right?" Ah, damn her and her logic. She should just stick with her sacred fire readings. This isn't fair.

"Why don't you drive, Pyro? Your driving's better than Mina's—" I hear a "Hey!" coming from the twin. "—and I had to take care of all of you last time. You especially. You were the most drunk out of all of them, idiot," I growl, pointedly at Rei.

"Hey, I had a right to get drunk—"

"—until the point you threw up and stunk like an oversized skunk! Seriously! You funked up my whole place with your mind-boggling stench." That part's true, but it was also because of Minako. She ranked second place, first being Rei, in the most highly drunk female out of us five.

"What about all the other girls, Odango?" Ah, curse it all.

"Don't call me that!" I whine at the top of my lungs. Oh, Kami, please grant me the power to kill!

"Why not, Odango? I've called you that ever since I've first met you. It's my name for you, Odango Atama!" The both of us stand up from out seats at our booth and start the notorious bantering again.

"No it's not, you Pyro-freak!"

"I'm not a Pyro-freak, Odango Atama!" Oh, someone should stop us now.

"Explain why you nearly burnt down the Hikawa Shrine then. You and your fire readingsâ€too extreme," I sigh, tiredly. That memory is all too familiar in my mind.

"That was an accident! And if I remember correctly, it was your fault most of all!" Oh, someone please stop us! I'm groveling here on all four! Mentally at least

"My fault? How's it my fault? Who was the one that told us to gather the papers and things for you to burn in that lovely fire place of yours?" Too late.

"Who was the one whose foot got entangled in a burning talisman tassel's hook, tripped over a nonexistent object on the ground, and fell into the pile of flammables in the corner of the room?" Ah, crap. "I know I have an excellent memory capability, and I remember that that freak of nature was no other than the Odango Atama!" That's it. I've had enough of this. Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself to give her a scolding she would regret.

"Why you—" CRASH! THUNK! Scream—silence†I hate my life.

"There you have it, folks! Another klutz attack by my dear friend, Odango Atama!" I hear Rei screech with laughter. At least someone's enjoying this moment. Yet again, this klutz attack is caused by my wonderful pair of three-inch slip-on heels.

'Note to self: Burn these blasted shoes, along with all those that have threatened my and other's life, in the sacred fire at the Hikawa Shrine. Toss in Rei and all those other that dare defy me into the fire as well. Cook for about ten minutes and then proceed with the torture treatment. Thou shalt not live to see the rising morn of the fond 'morrow.'

"I'll kill you, Rei," I grumble ferociously when I finally am able to resurface from my place underneath the table. A replay of what had just happened flashes across my mind again.

I was about to yell at Rei for being the fool that she is and so much more until the grip that I had on the table of our booth somehow slipped from my reach and something fell onto the ground beside me with a small clinking noise. I ignored it. Dreadful mistake. I took a slight step backwards to allow some space between my rival and me in case I needed to run either away from her, or to her to strangle the life out of her. Another fatal error. My heels decided to be bad and so did my endurance for I slipped on the object that had fallen and went sliding and plummeting to the cold tile below me. I think I took my chair down with me, which knocked over some other chairs nearby. Also, I tried to get up from my place on the ground, forgetting that I'm under the table, and end up banging my precious crown on the table's hard shell. Hard.

Oh, the slippery object was no other than a simple ice cube from my Piña Colada. Isn't that splendid?

Anyway, I slid a little more somehow and winded up under the table. Trying to get up, I grasp for something, but it turned out to be someone's leg. I'm guessing that person was walking and was surprised by my sudden grasp of their leg and freaked out. Well, that person went sailing to somewhere that I don't know because the club is dark and I was underneath the table.

I don't know where that person flew off to, but my guess is that they attracted enough attention to be focused on the scene of the crime, our booth, to find me under the table, crawling around, and a group of raving hens over the table. Most laughs were feminine, so I'm guessing my best friends were the ones that were laughing at me. Everyone else in the club was basically stunned silent and unmoving. See what I have to live with?

I'll never live this down. I glance, wearily, around the club. Sure enough, we have an audience. A big one. I look at my friends, still raving and clutching their stomachs in pain from their mirth. Rei and Mina have little tears in their eyes, too. Well, at least they're in pain. Looking at the table's surface, I see that the ice cubes are sprawled all over. Obviously, the glass of my emptied drink was knocked over. I begin to wonder if Mina is the one who caused this accident. I mean, how can a single ice cube just slip onto the ground out of no where?

"That was too funny," I hear someone cackle between breaths of laughter. I growl at that, but the laughter didn't cease. At all.

"No, it wasn't, girls. Quit laughing already. Mina, I'll kill you when we get home," I say while glaring at the rampant twin of mine. She stops for a short while, only to give me an innocent guise, and then starts up with her hyena craze again. "Damn you all," I manage to utter. Feeling as though my knees would snap on me, I lean backwards to take a seat, once again forgetting that my chair was still knocked over along with the rest of the seats at our booth and the next. I remember too late. Damn! 'Hello, Mr. Cold-and-Hard-Floor! I seem to meet you everyday! More than once, too. Maybe I should just get married to you, huh?'

"Here we go again!" I hear a male voice echo. It sounds like Yaten. Ah, even more to have murdered. I wonder when I shall be able to locate a good assassin, though. All the good ones are taken so soon and are mostly unavailable until too late. So sad.

I feel a cool breeze upon my foot and look down in wonder. Ah, I seem to have lost my shoe. Great. When did that happen? Crying out in frustration, I stand up from my place on the ground and, without even trying to contain my rage in, I scream, "Where's my freakin' shoe?!" A sound of someone clearing their throat from behind me reverberates in my ears. As I've said before, oh, woe is me!

"Looking for this, Usagi?" the cold character asks me, amusement and annoyance visibly in his tone. Turning around with full force, allowing my loose hair to whip him in the chest for I am still too short to reach his face, I stare, deathly, at the man who is holding my heel in a nonchalant manner. I make a reach for it, but he pulls away at the last minute and grabs me around my waist. He molds me against his firm physic, dangling my damn heel above my head. Great! Now, more taunting of this poor child!

"Hand it over, Chiba! I'm in no mood for your mockery right now." My only response is him wrenching me even closer to him, if possible, allowing me to get a great feel of his well defined abs and chest. I hear myself yelping in surprise when he leans closer to me, our faces now only a few millimeters apart. If he even dares toâ€kiss me

"That really did hurt, Usa," I hear him slur. Surely, he can't be drunk, right? His breath didn't smell like it at least, but who knows? Unable to bear the closeness he created between us, I swing my foot that still has on the painful heel on at his shin, vigorously, and jump to snatch the heel in his loosened grasp. All the while, he releases me to bend over to inspect his welting shin. Hooray for me.

I slip back on my captured shoe swiftly and make a mad dash to the dance floor. Hopefully I can disappear into the crowd so that he can't find me. If he does find me, I know I will die. I did just injure the most eligible bachelor and player in all of Tokyo. I wouldn't be surprised if it's all of Japan, actually.

Now, I am in the middle of the dance floor, panting heavily after my great escape of a workout. The heels are now killing my ankles and the soles of my feet are throbbing with pain. After catching my breath, I take a good look around. Seems like everyone's having fun with dancing. That's a good thing. And no signs of those cobalt eyes and tarmac colored hair. That's a very good thing. Ah, spoke to soon. How does he find me so soon?

"Go away, you bigot. I've already told you that I'm in no mood for you and your attitude, so go away. Go back to your whore," I gaffe the insult. It must be that tiny sip of my drink that did this to me. Biting my cheek, I pace in the opposite direction of him, but he still follows me. All he has to do is take a few medium sized strides for a tall figure like him and he can grab a hold of me again. Yep. That's what he does. Damn him and his height.

"That was a very childish thing you did back there, Odango," he murmurs beside me. I'm really not in the mood to deal with him. I crane my neck to the side to meet his face, but a brief glimpse of a vaguely familiar face staring at the both of us catches my eye instead.

It is him.

Oh, Kami†Please, not this. Not now! Not here of all places! Straight away, I break away from Chiba's grasp and back away with cautious and terrified steps. My sapphire eyes widen in horror as I keep a close lock on the face that's now smiling at me. His eyes

"Oh, Gods—" I whimper. Flashes of my past come whizzing by me. Blood. So much blood. That knife, that laugh, and that smile; those hands, those eyes†"Kami"

Those eyes†They are so lifeless and dead. It is so unreal and unwavering as they peer into my soul. It feels as if I am dying all over again. Someone save me from this place. Someone bring justice here again. Free me from my memories. There's no mistake. That man that has haunted me all these yearsâ€he's here. He's here in this very place, this very club, looking directly at me. I'm that foolish ten year old again. I'm that stupid child that believed in those men again

I feel a slight wetness stain my cheeks and a salty taste enter my dry mouth. Ha, so I'm crying now. How long has it been since I've cried such tears? Ten years? I hear myself screaming at the top of my lungs and my feet take action on their own. I start running in fear and shock. I start to sprint away from the crowd, away from Chiba, and away from him. The man who has always disturbed my very being completely is back. He's back and he's going to finish what he started so long ago.

I feel those strong arms encircle me again, but I struggle to get away from his embrace. I don't need Chiba right now. I don't need anyone. I can't have anyone. I can't let anyone close to me anymore. I need to escape. I need to go away. I can't keep living like this anymore. He'll never go away, will he? All these thoughts keep racing through my mindâ€it won't stop. It can't stop. Not as long as I'm alive. I need to die. That's what he came here for, right? To kill me. To end everything

The tears blind my sight, but I keep running. I don't know where I'm running to, but I'm sure that I ran away from the club now. The scenes of those that had spilled their blood for me while protecting me won't leave my mind. To save me, they sacrificed themselves. The sickening tearing of their flesh when the knives came in contact with their skin, the shots from that beautiful Magnum piercing the hearts of those that I love†I still remember it. I remember it so well.

Suddenly, a shadow appears in front of me. Fear and terror flows rapidly and painfully through my veins as he firmly takes hold of my thin wrists. I know I'm screaming because my throat is hurting me now. I'll be voiceless soon. I know I had fallen because my knees are bleeding and raw now. I wonder if I can walk again. I know I'm still crying, the tears never ending because I feel the watery trail upon my face. When will my tears stop falling?

I hear a soft voice, though. I can't quite make out the words, but I hear it. It's a soothing deep baritone. It's the voice that I've always found comfort in. It the voice that always sends those intolerable shivers in me. I listen to that voice a little. Maybe the evil thoughts will go away. Maybe I'll be at peace now.

I know I'm being held, too, because I feel a great warmth sweeping through me. I feel a pair of arms and legs around me, too. They're trapping me, making me locked in the person's embrace. For sure, I can't escape this person's encirclement now. A large hand is running through my wild hair and the other one is rubbing my back. It's a soothing movement.

I hear more voices calling out to me now, but I don't care. All I need is this person's warmth and touch. Their caress is soothing me in a way. I still see those comatose eyes gazing at me from a distance, but that's all right. All I need is this person's tenderness. That's all I need. The person is still calling out to me, but I can't understand a word they say. All I do is snuggle closer into their embrace in hopes of my fantasy to come to claim me. And it did.

All I see now is an endless light of darkness.

'Release the boiling beast

That resides deep within me

And allow him to cause

All the sorrows in the world

To rise to the new dawn.

Permit him to cause pain

In those that deserve the regrets

In causing harm to others

And to those that I've loved

And still do so love.

Let me be able to free myself

And be, for a drastic change,

Bold and forever daring

To try those new sins

That are forbidden to me.'

T.B.C.