(Izumi)

Lost in a dance
Waiting for the chance
All I really needed was to love you
Night after night
Searching for the light
You saved me
You gave me something I could feel

(Love is all that matters by Carmen Eric)

In the Depths of Darkness

Chapter 5: "My Sushi..!" Something's wrong...

"Kou!!"

Kouji, or Kou, as he is known for in school, turned his head to a girl running to him. He smiled back.

"Hey Izumi! Ohayou!"

"Ohayou Kou-kun!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So, you escaped my 'fans'??"

Izumi pouted and nodded. "They really want me dead."

(Flashback)

Izumi walked with Kouji to school, hugging his arm. She had to stop and pick up something in a store so he went ahead of her. After getting it, the 'Kou Mizuaki fan club' came, glaring daggers at her.

"Uh... h-hi??"

"Don't you hi me Izumi Orimoto!! First you turn down my offer and now you have 'our' Mizuaki-kun!"

"Not to mention you call him 'Kou-kun' when we couldn't!"

Izumi sweat dropped "Um... What's wrong with that?!"

"You stole him from us!!" They chorused and chased her around the streets of Shibuya.

(End of Flashback)

"I can't take this..."

Kou laughed at her. "Don't worry; they can't get near you when I'm around."

"I don't know... I-"

"Trust me. If they hurt you, go ahead and spread my secret."

Izumi looked at him as if he was going to jump off a cliff with sharp rocks beneath it.

"Are you crazy?! I promised you that I wouldn't!!"

"I know. But trust me on this okay?"

She nodded and they both walked into their classroom. During the lecture, Izumi had received a lot of notes from Kou's fan club, telling her that 'She dies after school' or 'I'm going to get you for this!' or maybe even 'How is it to be the girlfriend of the popular guy?'

Every time she finished reading a note, she would sigh or twitch an eye. Kou kept glancing at her and shaking his head with a smile on his face. He pitied her but he will not let anything stop their relationship and that goes the same for her.

After endless hours of spending time in the classroom, the lunch bell had rung and boy! Was she relieved! She immediately got out of her seat and waited for Kou outside the door but bumped into his fan club again.

"Now you die!"

She shut her eyes but reopened them again noticing the immediate silence. Izumi turned her head to her right and saw Kou glaring at them.

"What did you just say to my girlfriend?"

"Um... I... uh that is..." Suzaki stammered.

Kou grabbed Izumi's hand and pulled her away from the group.

"If I ever see you near her again, I swear, I won't talk to you or even think you existed."

He left them dumbfounded. This time, he really made sure that this will be the last time he'll see them look at Izumi like she committed a crime. This stayed stuck in his head. She did have something to do with it.

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She fell in love with an assassin and let him get away with killing people.

"Izumi?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really sure you're okay being with me? It could get you in trouble..."

She cocked her head at him and smiled. "Didn't I tell you my answer last night?"

His gaze fell at the ground they walked on and remained silent. Yeah sure, she did say that she didn't mind, Izumi loved him for who he is and not because of what he is. He smiled at her and placed his arm around her shoulder and held Izumi close to him.

"Thanks Izumi-chan."

"No problem!"

"Hey lovebirds! Hurry up or I won't save you a seat!" Takuya or Tayuki, yelled from a distance.

"Alright! We're coming." Kou yelled back and they both ran in the cafeteria.

"So Izumi how was your day?" Kouichi/Kiei asked, grinning at her.

"As if you didn't know." Takuya answered for her, snickering.

Izumi blushed and looked down. "C-cut it out guys..."

Junpei or as students call him in school, Jiro, may be a year older than them but he had the same lunch period they had. "Why? What did happen?"

"She just ran into my annoying fan club." Kou answered.

"And what did you do?"

"Something that I would usually do." And with that, he ended the conversation and began eating.

Tayuki took a piece of sushi from Kiei's lunch box and ate it. Kiei saw it and elbowed him. "MY SUSHI!!"

"Hey! I just wanted one!"

"Well, you should've asked!"

"You wouldn't give me one if I did!" Tayuki argued.

"What's with the 'my sushi' routine bro?" Kou asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um... well..." Kiei blushed and looked down at his shoes.

Tayuki grinned. This was an opportunity to get back at him. "Yuki made it for him."

"Shut up Taku- I mean, Tayuki!!"

Izumi blinked "You mean, Yuki Okinawa?!"

Kiei nodded slowly. "Y-you know her?"

"Yes."

"Cool. Maybe you could introduce him to her." Kou suggested with a slight smile on his face.

Kiei narrowed his eyes at his brother. "What're you planning?"

"Nothing." Kou replied which sounded convincing enough.

Izumi just laughed. When lunch period had ended, they all went back to their respective classrooms and the teachers began another boring lesson.

Tayuki slouched in his seat. "Wish our winter break would come soon..." he muttered.

Kiei smiled at him. "Why not check your circulars and maybe you'll be happy."

He raised a brow and checked it anyway. His eyes widened with disbelief. Written right there was telling him that today was the last day of school while they go for their winter break.

"I can't believe it..."

"Well, you'd better." Kiei said and went back to listening to the sensei.

After school, students can be heard chattering and glees of delight were also expected from the teens.

"Yes!! Freedom!!" Tayuki yelled.

"Not really. We've still got a mission on Shibuya ski resort." Kou reminded.

Tayuki stopped and sighed. "Do you always have to ruin the fun??"

Kou grinned. "Yes."

Kiei smiled "Its okay Tayuki. We can have fun at the same time finish the job."

"Might I remind you that we are still in school?" Izumi stated as they stopped and looked at some students who stared at them.

"Um... nothing! We were just going to the ski resort and well, have a job there." Jiro said quickly.

The students nodded and went back to their friends.

The group sighed in relief. "Quick thinking Jiro!" Tayuki muttered.

They went back to their headquarters with Izumi tagging along.

"Stay here and wait for me alright?" Kouji told Izumi inside his room. She nodded and he went out the door and into his dad's office.

"Are all of you here?" He asked, checking the group.

Kouji and Kouichi just arrived, Takuya and Junpei were there and so was Tomoki.

"I'm assuming that you'll be taking Izumi along?"

Kouji nodded and turned to the group for approval. They nodded as well.

"It'll be boring without a girl around." Takuya exclaimed.

"Very well." He sighed and began telling them his instructions about the mission. "You'll be staying at Shibuya ski resort for a week. Tomoki and Junpei will be in charge of hacking and decoding passwords. Kouichi, watch Kouji and Takuya's back when they're able to get inside Riko Matsuda's turf; Takuya, grab all the stolen documents he got and the profiles of his next targets and Kouji? Don't hesitate in killing him and any witnesses. And I mean ANY witnesses."

They all nodded as Kousei continued.

"I've been informed that you'll be getting 3 vacant rooms. One room is good for two so just divide yourselves into groups okay?"

They once again nodded letting every bit of information sink deep into their head.

"If you finish earlier, then take the rest of the day off."

This time, they didn't nod but cheered, except for Kouji and Kouichi who remained calm.

Riko Matsuda: the one responsible for their mother's death and they're about to get their revenge.

Kouji went back to his room to be greeted by Izumi. He just looked at her and then on the floor.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, concerned.

He walked to his bed and sat down beside her.

"We're finally getting our revenge. And I'm getting nervous for some strange reason."

She made him lie on her lap. "Go on."

"I don't know why I'm acting like this." He said, closing his eyes as she pushed some of his bangs away from his face.

"Are you scared of seeing that man again?"

"Maybe... but I don't have a clue why..."

"Because he once haunted your past... and the fact that you'll soon be seeing him... is a bit of a shock to you."

He opened his blue orbs and looked at her. "How'd you know that?"

She bent down and kissed his forehead. "I'm sort of a part of you since last night." She smiled at him and he blushed a bit.

"Oh. That..."

"Hey! You act like it was nothing! I even gave it my best!"

Kouji smirked "Yes. I can tell as it felt great."

Izumi laughed "I wouldn't mind doing it again in the ski resort."

He gave a small laugh and got up. "I'm sure you wouldn't."

"Listen, why don't you relax a bit? You've got a big day ahead of you."

"And you're coming."

"I know that." She answered and made him lie down on bed. "Get some rest okay?"

He nodded and closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep. She smiled and took his bandana off and covered him with a blanket.

"Who would've thought that you're this innocent when you're asleep?"

She went to the bathroom and changed her clothes and lay down beside him.

"Oyasumi Kouji-kun." And she rested her head on his shoulder and went to dreamland.

Kouji awoke the next day thanks to a knock on the door. He noticed Izumi asleep beside him so he got up slowly to answer the door.

"Hey Kouji! Will you move it and open the-"

"What?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

Takuya blinked. "C'mon! We're leaving!"

"Okay! Okay! Give me five minutes and wait for us downstairs."

Takuya nodded and left.

"Izumi?" He shook her gently as she stirred and opened her eyes. "C'mon. We're leaving."

She sat up and yawned. "This early?" She asked, checking the time which was 6am.

"To avoid traffic."

"Oh. Okay."

She packed her things and they both got their snow gears and he got his weapons. When they went to the lobby...

"It's about time!" Takuya spoke up.

Tomoki yawned as Junpei fell asleep and Kouichi greeted them with a smile.

"Who's driving?" Kouji asked, yawning.

"You!" Kouichi answered tossing him the keys of the van they were going to used.

"Okay... fine..." He groaned.

They got their bags inside the van as Kouji started the car and drove off to the ski resort.

'Riko Matsuda... I'll never forget what you did to me and Kouichi...'

(Flashback)

"Well, well, well. What do we have here, a couple of witnesses."

They both struggled to get free but the grips of the men were too tight.

"Should we kill them?"

"No." The head said. "Just knock them out and leave them here. They're only kids. It's a waste of time to kill them now."

They all agreed and hit their heads hard, leaving them outside like they were dead.

The boss looked back and grinned evilly.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing you both die in my hands."

(End of Flashback)

Kouji gripped the steering wheel as the red light turned to green.

'No... you'll be the one to die in my hands...'

He thought with the laughter of Takuya and Junpei in the background and Tomoki's amusement to Kouichi's smile.

'I'll make you regret for not finishing me off when you had the chance...'

Although he was silent throughout the trip, Izumi kept glancing at him. She was worried and she knew that something wrong will happen once he does the mission. She made a mental note to talk to him later... alone.

'Kouji... I don't know why I'm worried but...' she looked outside the window. 'Please tell me what's bothering you...'

Ohayou- Good morning

Sensei(s)- Teacher(s)

Oyasumi- Good night

So, any of you readers know why Kouji's acting weird?? Just a little spoiler I'll be giving you. He's going to do something wrong and he'll be regretting it. R&R please. And should I put lemon in the future or not?? grins Oh yeah, and 'summer fun' is only a one-shot. Watch out for 'A walk in the Park's' sequel: 'A Christmas Wish'. Check my bio to know more about it.