Very short chapter, remember? Sorry. (Next one's long) So, enjoy! ^^ Oh, and read 'What Could Have Been'. It's a fantastic story! *Shameless plug* Oh, and worship Hayabusa.

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Tossing her hair back, she smiled enticingly at the young man in front of her. "Well, I suppose that if you're that desperate…" she broke off, turning back to the group of girls behind her, almost as if silently asking their approval. One of them gave her a thumbs-up.

"Your brother won't get all anal again, will he?" the guy asked. She shrugged. It was true. Anybody who Hayate didn't like she couldn't date, not without getting heaps, anyway.

"Who cares?" she flashed that virtuous smile again, the one that the men seemed to love. But truth be told, she was just innocently flirting. She wasn't going to date him or anything of the sort. There was only one guy that she had her eyes set on, but that one guy was basically unattainable. Trust her to have high standards.

"Hey, Kas! Here he comes!"

She turned around. Yes, it was him. Ever since she had first set eyes on him, she had liked him. But how do you tell your brother that you're in love with his best friend?

Moving discreetly away from the now disappointed looking male, she 'accidentally' stepped in the way of the person she had set her sights on. He looked at her, emerald eyes blinking innocently as he cocked his head to the side.

"Good day, Kasumi,"

She looked up at him. His auburn hair was glistening in the light, the sun accentuating the natural streaks of copper and gold running through it. As always, it was tied up and hanging down his back. He wore the same expression that he always did when she saw him, but she liked to think that his countenance softened when they saw each other. It seemed to.

"Hi Ryu," she said, trying not to blush. "How you doing?"

"Fine, thankyou. And yourself?"

She loved that about him. Unlike the majority of guys in this school, he wouldn't have given her some stupid lecture about how his favourite basketball team lost, or whatever. And unlike the other guys, he asked her how she was as well. He certainly was the perfect gentleman. And she wanted him to be her perfect gentleman.

He was so kind and polite. Not to mention darn right sexy.

"Never been better,"

Anything else she was going to say was cut short by the bell sounding shrilly. She sighed. There went that opportunity. "Guess we had better head off then," she said, sighing as she glanced at her watch. "See you in History, then?"

Of course, the hidden implication to that question was 'I'll sit next to you in History?' but she doubted that he got the hidden innuendo. He nodded and before she could say goodbye, he was gone.

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