Disclaimer: The same as always.

Random Ramblings: I've been trying to be good with the updates. School's started and the anxiety has begun. I've still got my two other fics to continue, which I promised to start up again in September, so my attention will be divided. Based on my course load this semester, I won't have much time to write. I'll probably be writing two chapters a month, but not too sure from which stories. If you want to catch up with my progress on when this will be updated just check out my profile. I will post up any notes when I figure out what I will do with this. Excuse the typos. Whoo! 24 pages! As always review! Ja!

Chapter 6: Brothers and Sisters

Tsukushi carefully ambled through the hallway with Akira in tow. What had started as a night like any other had ended rather awkwardly with four badly injured men, one breakdown, and a sleepless night. Tsukushi placed a hand over her mouth as another yawn attacked her. She shook her head to knock herself back into consciousness. After entering her dimly lit apartment, she immediately headed for the living room to find Soujiro slumped over in a chair fast asleep and Rui passed out on the floor. Akira followed behind her like a lost little child wanting to grab onto her leg afraid of being left behind again.

"Get some sleep," she whispered as she stood up on tiptoe and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. "We'll talk some more in the morning." She tiptoed over Rui's sleeping form towards Soujiro and peered down at the sleeping man. Brushing away the wisp of hair that had fallen over his eye, she smiled in relief knowing that the swelling had gone down a bit. His face twitched at her light touch, but he did not stir awake. Delicately she picked up the sheet he had been using as a blanket and pulled it up higher on him tucking him in. taking one last glance at Akira who sat alone in a chair facing the large balcony to the window she mumbled, "Good night."

Akira's face reflected by the moonlight against the mirror revealed the slightest smile grace his lips. "Good night," he whispered in return. He watched as her small figure retreated into her bedroom listening to the tiny click of the door being closed.

Tsukushi fell onto her bed lacking any energy to change out of her clothes. Her entire body ached and her brain was pounding lacking any real desire to function any longer. The moment her head hit the pillow she surrendered to the night entering the world of dreams.

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Akira's eyes drowsily opened into two tiny slits letting the slightest glint of light hit his eyes before shutting them tight again. His mind was swirling in confusion of his present location. Along with the constant feeling that his head had been put through a blender, chopped, diced, and then pureed into a fine goop, he could barely make out what had happened last night thinking perhaps it had all been a nightmare. The dried blood on his knuckles and the foul lingering taste of alcohol on the roof of his mouth said otherwise, though, Yep, it was a nightmare, but one he had lived in reality.

Seeing as how he would have to wake up and face his consequences sooner or later, he forced his eyes open and rolled over in the chair he had fallen sleep in. The light snores coming from behind the couch were enough to bring him out of his swirl of confusion and into the present situation. He stood up from the chair attempting to straighten out his sore back. His face winced in agony as a loud crack and pop in his back sent a searing pain through his body from his neck to his toes.

"God damn!" he hissed under his breath.

You know you're old when you wake up one morning from a night of drunken debauchery to find yourself begging for nothing more than a the image of rubbing Ben-Gay on every fucking inch of your body. I've really got to stop myself from believing that I've still got the body of a seventeen year old. Shit like this is going to kill me faster.

He trudged through the living room grasping in the darkness towards the kitchen. Upon reaching his destination, he flicked the light switch on making sure that his presence would not awaken the others. Coffee. That was what he needed the most at the moment. After fumbling through a series of cupboards and cabinets, he finally managed to procure the bag of coffee grounds and pour them into the filter. In victory, he eagerly watched as the first drops of that god sent dark liquid sputtered from the coffee maker. He hopped up onto the counter holding onto the mug that Tsukushi had purchased for him ages ago. She had even gone to all the trouble to use a black permanent marker etching the word "Akira" onto the bottom making sure no one ever touched his mug. While he saw it as a sign of endearment on her part to go through all the trouble, she saw it as a necessary hygenic measure on her part. While she loved him like no other, she hated it when he used her cup not knowing where his mouth had been the night before. Akira cradled his mug in his hands carefully eying the pot slowly brimming full enough to fill his mug and pulled it out pouring the first of its contents into his mug. He took one slow, long sip from the mug letting the jolt of caffeine knock some sense into him awakening all of his senses with its bitter flavor. Peering over the edge of his large mug, he glanced down in shock at seeing a trail of red footsteps trailing through the kitchen and leading to the living room. A pang of guilt hit him once again as well as another migraine reminding him that he would have a lot of apologizing to do later. Knowing how Tsukushi was an extreme neat freak, he walked over to a closet and pulled out a bucket and mop. He would be cleaning up after a lot of shit he had created last night.

----------------------------------------------------

As much as he had wanted to sleep, Tsukasa just couldn't do it. The entire night had been spent tossing and turning. To make matters worse, with each turn of his head he would accidentally brush his cut on his forehead against the soft pillow sending jolts of pain through his head. So, he had resolved to lying flat on his back stiff as a board trying to let sleep succumb him. Only once had he been awakened. The creaking of the front door being opened muffled voices indicated that Tsukushi had managed to find Akira. They had come home last night at about 3 in the morning, one hour after he and the others had decided to crash. After taking in a whopping 3 hours of sleep, he restlessly sat upright and flung the sheets off of him. He stalked across the room and thrust the curtains open to see the sun slowly rising in the horizon. He wrinkled his nose as the inviting scent of coffee filled the morning air. Someone couldn't sleep either.

He peeked out the door to take a quick look at who could be up at such an ungodly hour before the sun. Tsulushi's door was closed so she must be still asleep. Rui was comatose on the floor and Soujiro was happily snoring away. That left one last person-Akira.

Akira. He's the last person I want to see this morning. I knew he was a freaking lunatic when I first laid eyes on him. I can't believe that he would get so riled up after some girl, a hooker for that matter! I mean she wasn't even that hot in the first place. She looked pretty much like any other whore you could find in the city late at night on a dark corner. Maybe she was an old girlfriend or something, who knows? Rui and Soujiro wouldn't answer nay of my questions. All they kept muttering was some shit about Akira and his privacy. Well, I thin he lsot that option when he decided to pull me into a riot started by him and not want to get a fucking answer as to why he did it. All I know is that I got my ass kicked last night because of him. Although I have to admit, I did enjoy that adrenaline rush when I knocked that bastard's teeth out last night. A fight is a fight, and I'm game for that.

He padded down the hall to a rather unexpected sight. A rather battered Akira happily hummed to himself while wearing yellow rubber gloves and swishing a mop back and forth erasing the blood stained floors. eh stopped the minute he recognized another presence in the room and dumped the mop back into the bucket.

"You want some coffee?" he timidly asked while yanking his gloves off.

"Yeah," Tsuaksa grunted in return.

Akira spun around and emerged a few moments later with two cups in tow. He handed one to Tsukasa before sliding the glass doors to the balcony open and motioning him to follow. "Come. I know you probably have some questions about last night."

Tsukasa reluctantly followed wondering what Akira could have to say to explain himself last night. What more could there be to add to the fact that he had lost it. He closed the glass door behind him not wanting to disturb the others still asleep on inside. He chose one of the patio chairs across from Akira and looked out at the scenery waiting him to begin to speak. At the moment he couldn't stand the sight of the bastard. Hell, he wanted to pummel him fro getting him involved in the entire mess.

Akira set his mug on the floor and proceeded to place prop his feet up onto the balcony's railing. He pushed the chair up balancing himself on the two back legs. He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about last night. I really didn't mean to lose it."

"Sorry! Do you think a simple sorry is enough to make up fro this hole in my head. I wanted to fucking slam your head into that stone wall right now. The only thing stopping me form doing that is the fact that you appear to be the only one able to explain the shit that happened last night. I think I at least deserve that for my trouble.

"You're right. Isn't it enough that I feel like a self deprecating little shit right now. I would tell you what I was going to say if you would shut up for a damn minute!"

"Damn right! I can't believe you would go through all that for some dumb bitch prostitute," Tsukasa haughtily murmured under his breath.

Akira's back stiffened and he shot Tsukasa a deathly glare. His knuckles turned white form clenching the arms of his chair. "If I were you I would watch your words until I explain."

"Fine." Tsukasa waved a lofty hand and leaned back in his chair ignoring the look that Akira was sending him.

"Do you have any siblings?"

A warm smile spread across Tsukasa's lips at the thought of his sister. Deep down she was the only thing he missed the most from his old life. Living on the street and running away like a refugee from their parents hadn't given him much time to get in contact with her. He snapped out of his revelry and nodded, "Tsubaki. She's my older sister."

Akira's airy laughter echoed through the air. "Then you should understand more that anyone else where I'm coming from."

"You mean? That girl?"

Akira nodded his head in silent assent. "Reiko's my little sister."

Suddenly everything did make sense. Tsukasa imagined himself in Akira's shoes at the prospect of finding your sister working as a prostitute in some club. What man wouldn't have wanted to beat the shit out of the person that dared solicit his sister?"

"Dude, you've got one fucked up little sister, and I thought I had problems with my own. I would kill any bastard that tried to lay a finger on my sister. What the hell kind of guy

"Like any big brother, I would do anything for her. I guess I have myself to blame for it all really."

Tsukasa watched intently as Akira slowly began his tale.

"I guess the way Reiko turned out was partly my fault. I wasn't exactly the model big brother growing up. My family was never exactly rich you know. I had both my parents and everything, but they were never really around. My father worked like a dog morning till night. My mother was just another housewife picking up jobs here and there trying to get some extra cash. It was pretty much always me raising my sisters. My life revolved around my two sisters, Reiko and Aya. I was the one who would make their lunches, take care of them when they were sick, and tuck them in at night. They were my entire fucking life." From his wallet, he pulled out a tattered photograph of a boy standing beside two little girls. He rubbed his thumb over the worn piece of a paper trying to revitalize the picture. "The one on the right is Aya and the other as you can see is Reiko. They must have been about 8 and 9 at the time, while I was 15. This was the taken the last time we were together."

"So what happened to you guys?"

"When you're young you get caught up into a lot of stupid shit. I mean I was fucking 15 at the time and all I could care about was getting laid, cars, and all that commercial shit you're brainwashed into thinking you need. Peer pressure is a pain in the ass. I hated being poor. I hated living in a dump. Well, pretty much I hated my family for making me take care of everyone. I started shirking my responsibilities stealing cash from my parents when they weren't looking to buy clothes and shit. Then it kinda spiraled downhill after that. I took the money that was left to buy groceries and bought a fake ID instead. I used it to sneak into all the good parties. I hooked up with some guys like me there. We started playing around making a game out of how many drinks we could get women to buy us. I felt like hot shit and my reasons were only more justified when I found that usually I won the bet. It started innocently with drinks. Slowly, I started relationships with these women. It seemed as if they wanted to throw their money around on me buying me clothes, jewelry and one even bought me a fucking car. I mean it was a goddamn win-win situation. They got to show off to their friends and co-workers by going to functions and whatnot with a young, stud on her arm. I was their fuck toy, and I made them feel good about themselves. In return, I got whatever I damn well pleased. When my parents started questioning where I got all the new shit they weren't exactly thrilled with my new set up. They threw me out of the house. I never looked back once and walked away from them ignoring their begging for me to come back. I ended up spending the next two years living in an apartment given to me by one of my many admirers. I was living the high life. I hopped from woman to woman having them always give me what I wanted or needed. I thought I was unstoppable."

"So what made you stop? I mean you pretty much had everything. Why end it all?"

"I was lucky for getting by so long on my good looks and charm, but playing the game and winning can't last forever. Being who I was, you could say I had met quite a few people of the same type of profession. It's funny how you show up at those high society functions and realize that half of the dates brought along are no more than escorts or prostitutes. We're all hired to just look pretty and make our dates look good. As long as we keep our mouths shut up, smile, and nod at appropriate moments we're fine. They all walk around acting high and mighty pretending like we don't know each other. It's all part of the game we play. My head was so fucked up on drugs, booze, and sex. As long as the party was still raging on I wasn't gonna get out. Shit goes down and we are nothing more than the shit makers. Honestly, I had no clue who I was fucking half the time and I could care less. I won't name nay names, but it was my own idiocy that got me into the mess. Let's just say I got involved with a certain wife an infamous yakuza boss. I had no idea who she was. She set me up in a nice apartment, gave me all the money I needed, and even hired me a maid. What I didn't know was that she was using me to piss off her husband and exact her revenge on his infidelities. I was lucky I came out alive after he sent out his thugs after me. I was found lying in a dumpster somewhere in the Juuban district. It probably was a blessing in disguise that I got caught in the act with his wife actually. I lost it all after that. By that point I was waiting to die in the streets. I was pretty much in the same shape you were in. I couldn't go home with my tail between my legs running to mommy and daddy. Then I found Last Resort and I met the others. They helped me clean myself up, go back to school, and get my life back on track. That's pretty much my whole story up to now."

Tsukasa rested his head back against the chair and gazed up at the now sky illuminated by the long risen sun. "So, what happened to your sisters?"

"I thought you would ask about that. About two years ago, I eventually got the guts to go home in some futile attempt to reach some resolution with my parents. The second I stepped through the gates I was thrown back out. From my mother's strangles screams and my father's death threats, Aya and Reiko had run away two years prior of my visit. They discovered I had secretly been sending them gifts and stuff for their birthdays and Christmas reminding them that I didn't forget them. Hell, I did it to quell the guilt I was feeling for abandoning them. I spent the next few months trying to track them down wondering where they might have been. It was all coincidence and pure luck that I found Aya. She came to the club, but she wasn't alone. She was only 15, and obviously too young to be where she was. That was when I found her and promised to never leave her again. I took her home with me and in turn, she told me what had happened the last few years. Things at home only turned worse after I left, and they both hated our parents for forcing me to leave. One day out of nowhere they packed up what they had and left home. They struggled for the first few months living shelters and picking up odd jobs here and there for food. They finally met up with some people and pooled their money to get an apartment together. Everything was going fine for a few months, but then one day Reiko disappeared. She turned on Aya accusing her of always being weak and needing to be taken care of. So, Reiko ran off with some guy she met and never looked back. Aya was now the only one making money and it wasn't enough to cover her share of the rent, but one of the other girls offered her some easy money. She said a friend of hers could give her a job waitressing at a club he worked at. Aya agreed only because she had met the guy once before and thought him to be nice. The girl brought her to a club and left her alone in the room. That's where she first hooked up with Jay."

Akira's voice cracked as the man's name fell from his lips. His hands tightened around his mug trembling. Tsukasa could only focus on the cup expecting it to shatter into a thousand pieces. Instead, Akira put the mug cup down and steadied his voice bringing it down to a low almost inaudible whisper. He turned his face away, although the faint drops of water that fell onto the concrete told of his anguish.

"The bastard raped her that night. All she could do was scream while he fucked her over and over again in between beatings. He got away with it, too. They lured her to the club knowing the loud music and drunks would veil the torture that was taking place upstairs in one of the private rooms. The entire time he just kept repeating the same words over and over again, 'You're nothing more than a useless bitch for fucking.' He broke her that night and afterwards told her that if she wanted to live, she would become one of his girls. Aya had no other choice, so she took it. Later, she found out that Reiko had worked with Jay before, but she ran off with one of the clients. Aya had no clue that Reiko had become a prostitute behind her back. It only made her accept the job more easily knowing that if her older sister could do it, so could she."

Tsukasa knelt down beside Akira feeling for his agony. As a brother, how could you accept the knowledge of your sisters' indiscretions? He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder feeling the man's body tremble under the slight touch. "You don't need to say anymore," Tsukasa mumbled. He stood up and began to retreat from the balcony.

"No. Sit down. I'm not finished."

The calmness in this voice stopped Tsukasa dead in his tracks. He turned around bewildered by Akira's attempt to stop him from leaving. The command in his voice was enough to make him do as told. Dumbly he returned to his seat.

"I will finish what I've started," Akira grunted wiping the last trail of tears from his face. Slowly he began to speak once again. "It must have been the worst year of her life selling her body to live. It's seems pointless, doesn't it? In order to live, you have to die every night letting some strange person violate your body, mind, and soul. When I took Aya home with me, she barely resembled the chubby little 8 year old I used to walk to school every morning." He rifled through a secret compartment of his wallet and pulled out a second photograph handing it to Tsukasa.

Tsukasa could only gape at the photograph in disbelief that the little 8 year old girl with the two pigtails and chubby rosy cheeks had turned into that. She had grown a few inches taller and filled out in places in that transition from girl to woman, but her eyes said it all. They were glazed over as if she had seen hell and more so. Her once full soft, pink lips had become two thin, dry lines lacking any color. Her face was lifeless and the clothes she wore hung off her skeletal body. Tsukasa could hardly contain the look of disgust that crossed his face followed by a sharp gasp.

Akira snatched the photo back and tucked it safely away. "That's what I thought too when I saw her. Everyone was good about me bringing Aya into the club. I was going to protect her from Jay. I promised her and myself that I would never let him touch her ever again. Sakurako was more than thrilled to have another roommate who was female. Tsukushi was ready to train Aya, too. She never even made it to her first day, though. Sakurako and I were both at work and Aya was alone. Sakurako and I were both busy at work, and we told her we'd be back by 10 to go for dinner. She must have got hungry or something from waiting so long. She left a note saying she was running out to the convenience store. I got home and panicked the moment I realized she had gone out. I fucking told her to never leave without one of us. I fucking told her! I ran through every street looking for her, but I never did. I called everyone to help me look, but she was nowhere to be found. I must have ran from one side of Tokyo to the other looking for her. I deliriously thought maybe she had gone home and that it was some stupid mistake on our parts for not looking there. On the way home there I noticed a crowd gathering a few blocks from my apartment. There was a girl. They found her in the dumpster. She was raped and naked. Her body was covered in blood and bruises. Her face had caved in from impact of being beaten with a lead pipe. It was almost impossible to identify her, but I could recognize my sister in any way, shape or form. That bastard killed her."

At that point, Tsukasa wanted nothing more than to retch over the balcony at the sight of the girl's beaten dead body. His stomach lurched as the image formed in his mind. Akira stood up and sent a fist into the wall smashing few pebbles of concrete to the ground letting the dust swirl through the air. His cuts on his knuckles reopened streaking a thin line of blood from the dent in the wall.

"The fucking bastard had the balls to brag about what he did after. It was all over the street as a symbol of what Jay did to his girls if they tried to leave. The day of her funeral, Reiko showed up from nowhere. I went out with open arms and she in turn gave me this."

He pulled up the side of his shirt revealing a scar at the base of his back. A few inches to the left was his spine.

"She stabbed me in the back, literally."

"Akira!"

Akira dropped the bottom of his shirt concealing his old wound. Hiding his bloody hand behind his back, he stirred from his melancholy. "Morning, Kaya!" He shot her his famous Akira smiles and strode over to the open door where Kaya impatiently stood awaiting his arrival. Like always he picked up the fragmented remnants of his lackadaisical mask placing it over his face. Although he smiled the same smile the world had become so adjusted to the small group knew what he was doing. He was trying ot hid all the pain, regret and anguish by putting on his false pretense of happiness. Yes, he appeared happy, but at the same time he was devoid of any more emotion. He would never feel anything ever again the same way. Kaya linked her tiny hand in his free one pulling him inside. He silently nodded towards Tsukushi, Soujiro, and Rui who had been standing there listening for quite some time. He walked past them without a word following Kaya into the living room.

"Mama, didn't tell me you slept over too. Did you see Jiro's eye?! It's all black and blue and gross! Why did you sleep over? What happened to Papa's face? Mr. Pineapple looks like a mummy with his head wrapped up."

Akira nodded his head in agreement with the little girl's endless barrage of questions. She was exactly what he needed at the moment to lift his spirits. He took the towel Tsukushi leisurely slipped to him and wrapped it around his bloody hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

"It's nothing," he sighed patting her on the head and picking her up.

With a soft thud, he dropped her onto the couch. All the energy drained from his body and his knees went weak forcing him to sit down beside the little girl. Kaya snuggled closer to Akira resting her head on Akira's chest staring blankly at the television screen. She tugged at the edge of the blanket Soujiro had left pulling it up to her chin. Her body trembled from the slight chill coming from the open windows to the terrace. From behind, Tsukushi leaned over the back of the couch laying a comforting hand on Akira's shoulder. Tsukasa was drawn into the living room and stood between Souijro and Rui staring blankly at the television screen. The monotone tone of the news anchor filled the large room breaking the deathly silence.

"According to police reports, the young woman was discovered dead at the scene of the hotel room. The victim has been identified as a regular patron of the Silver Palace Motel seen entering with various men nightly. Some confirm having seen her working as one of the local prostitutes who venture into the establishment for business. As of right now, investigators are ruling the cause of death as murder."

Tsukushi cupped a hand over her mouth cringing at the idea of who it might be. She wearily dragged herself onto the other couch seating herself next to Soujiro who had slumped down onto the armrest. She rested her head on his lap watching the camera pan to the EMT's rolling out the body bag. She buried her face in Soujiro's lap not wanting to watch another moment of it while Soujiro rubbed her back trying to sooth her. Akira snatched the remote form the coffee table and flipped the channel. The melodious chime of the background cartoon music resonated through the air disturbing the tense silence.

"Let's watch something a little more appropriate for little girls," he sighed.

Kaya absorbed herself in the flash of colors emanating from the television screen becoming engrossed in the high pitched voices booming out of the box. "Sailor Moon's on!"

All the adults except for Akira glanced at one another wondering what could be going through Akira's mind. For someone who had just exposed his entire soul to a complete stranger, he was acting a little too calm for comfort. That was Akira, though. He would only see what he wanted to see and no one could do anything to force him into doing what he refused to do. An impending headache loomed over him, but he pushed it aside to stare blankly at the television screen in front of him. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. His brief lapse of inexplicable depth and maturity would be buried once again by the shroud of idiocy he hid behind.

"Is it just me do any of you think Sailor Moon is fucking hot?"

Tsukasa's jaw dropped to the floor. Rui rushed forward and grabbed his impressionable child away from the grasps of the pervert. Tsukushi and Soujiro grabbed for the nearest thing sending cushions flying at his head.

"Idiot!" they all screamed in unison.

"Remember what Papa told you about staying away from Akira, Kaya. He's not a good role model," Rui whispered to the little girl hugging her close to his chest. "Don't listen to anything that comes out of his mouth." He covered her ears and mouthed something extremely inappropriate for a child Kaya's age should hear at Akira. He uncovered Kaya's ears and ordered her to go to her room and change. Nodding her head, she obediently exited the room.

"What?!" Akira incredulously asked in innocence. "Like none of you guys have ever thought about that before. I mean shit! They draw her naked when she transforms."

"Actually, now that you mention it I've always kind of had a thing for Neptune and Uranus. Girl on girl action always turns me on," Soujiro laughed while edging away from the disapproving glare of Tsukushi.

"I've always been partial towards Pluto," Rui murmured under his breath.

"Oh god, not you too!" Tsukushi screamed in exasperation throwing her hands up on the air.

Soujiro grinned at Rui's response forming a very shrewd conclusion to the way the man's sexual preferences. "I see you still retain your penchant for older women, Rui."

"Get off your high horse, Tsukushi. We all know you have a thing for Tuxedo Kamen."

"Did not! How would you know, Akira?"

"Rui told me once," he snickered under his breath.

"I can't believe you told him!" Tsukushi rushed over and tackled Rui to the ground straddling him between her legs while trying to suffocate him with a pillow. Her face blushed a few shades of red before turning back to normal. Soujiro pulled her off a gasping Rui and settled her onto the couch fuming over the little leak of private information.

"You do realize that they're only cartoon characters, right?" Tsukasa sarcastically inquired baffled by their immaturity. Who would imagine that a room of twenty-somethings would be arguing over which cartoon girl was the hottest.

"Loosen up, we're only kidding. You must have found one of the sailor scouts hot at one point?" Akira raised a leery eyebrow not buying his good guy act one bit.

"Jupiter," Tsukasa shyly mumbled. His face flushed at the confession.

"Hmm. You like the tall Amazon type, eh?"

"Well, I've always liked a girl who could kick ass. It also helps that she does it in a short skirt."

"Yeah, Sailor Moon's legs just seem to go on forever. What does she see in that prick, Tuxedo Kamen? I'll show her what a real man can do."

"God! I'm surrounded by idiots!" Tsukushi stalked out of the room towards the kitchen leaving the men to further discuss their sexual fantasies involving imaginary characters from the anime world. She proceeded to pull out random pots and pans trying to zone out their conversation from her head.

"Hey, have you guys seen that new anime, Hana Yori Dango?!" Tsukasa animatedly asked. "The leader of F4 is the shit!!

"Yeah, it's pretty good. Although I can't believe that those four rich guys would wanna associate with the poor girl. I mean they could have at least tried to make her better looking. Too plain for my taste. I prefer the friend that works at the dango shop," Soujiro stated in a serious tone as he analyzed the main characters.

Rui nodded his head in disagreement. "Well the poor girl represents someone completely opposite to women in their world. You're supposed to see her as beautiful for her personality and not her looks. She does look kind of pretty when they dressed her up. I have a problem with the quiet guy. What's the deal with him and that violin? All he ever does is mope around and play that damn violin."

"I think he's using it in place of jerking off all the time. Do you see that face he has when he plays? That dude has got to be getting off on that thing."

Akira stood up and walked out of the room leaving the very thought provoking discussion analyzing today's anime for the kitchen. "I'm going to help Tsukushi." He walked over to the sink and unwound the towel from his bloody hand putting it under the warm running water of the faucet. He winced in pain feeling the water cleanse the open cuts purging it clean.

"Let me take a look at it," Tsukushi offered holding up a first aid kit.

He submissively nodded his head and hopped onto one of the stool on the counter letting her examine his hand.

"Doesn't look too bad," she muttered while spraying some antibiotics. She kept her eyes intent on the task at hand not looking up at his face for a reaction to the question she was about to ask. "You don't think it was her, do you?"

"No. She never works the Silver Palace."

"I see you told Tsukasa you're story. Did you tell him everything?"

"I may have left out a few minor details here and there."

"You must hate having to repeat what happened."

"Yeah, but he had to know to understand. If you don't let people know the truth they'll never understand you. I still don't understand why you have to hide who you are Tsukushi. You can't shut people out."

"Why? It'll just end up in someone getting hurt."

"Mainly you."

"Don't."

"I worry about you. You know you're like a sister to me."

"I know. Just like how you and Jiro are like brothers to me."

"Then you understand it's my job to look out for you then.

"Don't start with me again, Akira. I'm not in the mood for anymore of your."

The ring of the doorbell interrupted her in mid sentence ending the beginning of what would have become a heated argument. "Someone's at the door.'

"We're not done here yet."

"We never are," she sighed waving a dismissive hand. She passed the ever so intellectual meeting of great minds still enthralled with the analysis of modern animation and headed straight for the front door. Swinging the heavy door open, she greeted her expected guests. "Hey."

Sakurako looking less than pleased to have been rudely interrupted in the middle of her early morning romp in the bedroom grudgingly forced out a small, "Morning." She slumped against the doorframe letting out a drawn out yawn. "Where's mine?"

"In the kitchen."

She cracked her knuckles preparing to knock some sense into her ward. "Time to kick some sense into his sorry ass." She pushed pass Tsukushi fuming at Akira for once again falling prey to his sister's mind games.

Every time this happens. Every fucking time she always gets to him. I've seen way too many girls like her go around playing with their heads. Shit, I was one of the best in my day, but that life is over with now. I've risen above all that. She probably used Aya against him like always. She thrives off knowing she can jerk him around with that. Aya was a sweet girl. She was just forced to do unmentionable things, but Reiko is a whole different story. She's just like me. We want it all at any price-money, power, dominance. It's all a matter of fucking the right people at the right time. I cast all of that aside when I joined this family. I shed the false security of the 'girls' and found something real. I didn't have to watch my back constantly feeling wary on another encroaching upon what was mine, what I had worked so long and hard to obtain. I truly pity Akira. He lost one to the street and now he's stuck in a never-ending battle with the other. He doesn't know how it works between women. He may not be strong enough to break off ties with her, but I'll be damned if she pulls him down. If she wants a fight, she'll get one. I'm tired of his hesitations and cowardice. That little girl has another thing coming to her. She hasn't met this bitch yet.

Sakurako stormed past Rui, Tsukasa, and Soujiro chatting in the living room ignoring the look of fear in their eyes. Rui and Soujiro both knew what was coming and could only cringe when the wooden blind was pulled closed shielding them a view of the kitchen. The last sound uttered from the dying man's lips was something along the lines of, "Eep."

"Should we go help him?" Yuuki giggled trying to talk over Sakurako's slur of expletives screeching through the apartment.

"Naw. I think he might make it out alive."

-----------------------------------

"What is she doing to him?" Tsukasa asked cringing at the clatter of glass being smashed. "Should we go and help him at least?"

"Don't bother. A word to the wise, don't mess with that girl when she's pissed." Soujiro glanced over to the kitchen that had suddenly turned deathly silent. "I think she's done."

"If I have to come over here again and pick you up again I'll make sure you know what real pain is!"

"Fuck! You could be more gentle next time." Akira walked a few steps behind her nursing his freshly bandaged hands.

"Don't be such a wimp! All I did was clean up your cuts."

"Well Sakurako does like to do everything rough."

"Shut up! You're in deep, too, Jiro."

"What are you talking about?" He froze the moment his eyes connected with hers. "Yuuki." he stuttered. He quickly recovered the look of terror with a weak smile.

"Don't even try that. Believe me, I won't be half as gentle as Sakurako was on Akira."

"Okay, okay, okay. Since we're all here I was going to tell you about the change in schedule. Akira you're normally off today, but after last night's events you're off the rest of the week. Jiro, you can take today off, too. We need you to tend bar tomorrow, and with that eye looking the way it is you need the rest." Her tone hardened the second she faced Rui. "I take it you and Shizuka will be practicing today."

"Who'll take care of Tsukasa?"

"I will."

"You?"

Soujiro pushed Tsukasa's slack jaw closed and slapped him on the back laughing. "You sound like she'll kill you or something?"

"I want you to teach me. She's probably not half as good as you are. I don't wanna settle for anything less that the best."

"Excuse you, but who do you think taught Jiro all he knows?"

"She's right," he smirked. "She taught me every drink and every move I know."

"It's settled then. I'll meet you at 4." She walked into the kitchen and pulled out a baggie. "Shit! I've got class at 8," she muttered under her breath. "Kaya! We've got to go now!'

"Coming!" Kaya streaked out of her bedroom with her book bag slung over her shoulder. She jumped into Rui's lap wrapping her arms around him and kissing him softly on the cheek. As she hopped off his lap she looked around the room and waved. "Bye!"

Tsukushi plucked her off the ground and started for the door. "If we hurry, we can stop and get some breakfast somewhere. See you all later.'

Soujiro stretched his arms up into the air yawning. "I need to get back to my own bed and sleep. That couch wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep."

"I'll drive," Yuuki sighed grabbing his car keys from his hand. She wrapped one of Soujiro's arms over her shoulder to help him out of the apartment. "Later."

"I guess we should be going, too."

"Yeah. Hey, Rui can you give us a ride back to our apartment?"

"Come on."

Rui, Akira, and Sakurako departed shortly after leaving Tsukasa alone for some much desired peace and quiet. He stumbled back into his bedroom and fell onto the soft mattress of the bed. Quietly he stared up at the ceiling memorizing every point of chipped paint and cracks. His mind lingered on the details that Akira had filled him in on. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered how Tsubaki was faring. God only knows the trouble she could get herself into.

"Any man who has a sister is as good as dead," he muttered to himself.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tsukushi held tightly onto Kaya's hand as they walked through the barren alleyway behind the club. She nodded her head while listening to Kaya talk a mile a minute about her day. It was times like this she just enjoyed her company the most. All she needed was Kaya. Why let someone else into hr life, when all she needed was in front of her.

The moment they approached the open doorway they could already hear long sultry notes being carefully arranged into a cacophonous harmony. For a moment, Tsukushi closed her eyes surrendering to the music. She had to admit it really was quite beautiful. The only thing that soured the peaceful enjoyment of the music was the afterthought of the two who created it.

"Mama."

"Yes?"

"One day I want to sing like an angel, too."

"I bet you will," Tsukushi weakly smiled. She intently watched Kaya twirl in circles humming a playful little tune she had made up off the top of her head.

Not if I have anything to do with it. I swear to never let you ever taste the addicting lure of being on stage. Singing in front of crowds begging for more of your voice and body is like drugs. You can't get enough of it. You thirst for it. Ache for it. Prostrate yourself for it. Addiction. It's a dangerous thing.

"Come. Let's go inside.'

They stood in the back of the room watching silently as the song unfolded. Rui enclosed himself in the music letting it spill forth with the touch of each ivory key of the piano. Tsukasa dumbly leaned his chin against the back of the chair with his mouth hanging open. He openly gawked at Shizuka who stalked towards him swaying her hips and staring intently at him mesmerizing him. She slipped an arm over his shoulder and huskily breathed the last few words of the song into his ear before slipping away and back onto stage. She devilishly grinned to herself knowing her true effects on her unsuspecting victim. As the song came to an end, she seated herself besides her lover and leaned against his shoulder while softly humming the last few notes. Rui pushed away a fallen strand of hair and kissed Shizuka on the forehead forgetting they weren't the only ones in the room.

"Ahem," Tsukushi coughed drawing a rather nasty glare from Shizuka.

"Hello, Tsukushi." Her voice dripped with a saccharine sweetness. "We didn't even hear you come in." She walked off the stage picking up the long trail of her skirt to greet them. She dismissively eyed Tsukushi before bending down to meet Kaya eye to eye. "How are you today, Kaya?"

"Good. I was just telling Mama how one day I want to sing just like you."

"Really?" she feigned modesty. "That's so cute of you. Maybe I can give you some lessons. We could start right now. Would you like that?"

"Uh huh!"

Tsukushi pulled Kaya back and stepped between the two breaking into their private conversation. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Kaya whined. She folded her arms across her chest pouting.

"I don't want you taking too much of Shizuka's time. Also, I don't think it's appropriate to learn the type of singing Shizuka would teach you. If you want to learn I can teach you or even Yuuki. "

Shizuka raised an eyebrow and threw hair back in annoyance. "If I recall correctly I was the one who taught you how to sing, Tsukushi."

"You learned from Shizuka! Why can't I?!"

She hated it when they blackballed her like this. Tsukushi could feel them ganging up on her giving her no choice in the matter. She knew she was going to sound extremely unreasonable, but she knew what was best for her daughter and that meant keeping her away form that whore Rui chose to associate himself with. She was tolerant when Rui would bring Shizuka out with Kaya, but even she had her limits. It was an outright slap in her face to let this woman lure her child into that woman's clutches.

I've been silent all this time. I've never intentionally berated Shizuka in front of Kaya. Most people would say I'm a saint for even letting my child go near that woman. Enough is enough. I know how Shizuka works. She'll see her as a little project or play thing. She'll make her fall in love with her, worship the ground she walks on, love her unconditionally. She'll raise her up grasping for that brass ring, and the moment she almost touches it she'll let her fall. She'll grow tired of her and just walk away. Even when she leaves, that little girl will love her ever more so because she adores that woman. She'll walk away without a second thought and her with a broken heart. Shizuka will betray her love. I should know. I was that girl.

"No and my decision is final!" Tsukushi roughly snapped.

"But."

"No buts. I don't want to hear another word about it!"

"You're not being fair!"

Rui saw the thin ice Kaya was walking on and quickly interrupted fearing that Tsukushi would go into a murderous rampage. Her first target would be Shizuka. Like he didn't have enough to deal with as is. "Kaya, you're mother's right. Why don't I teach you how to play the piano?"

The gentle sound of her father's voice roused Kaya from her bout of sulking. Being just as stubborn and unforgiving as her mother, she stomped towards her father and nodded her head. Rui took her hand and lead her away giving the two feuding woman a look of warning.

"Don't you dare fucking dare mention singing to her again"!

"Why not? She wants it. Who am I to refuse the darling child?"

"Stop acting all saintly like that! We all know what how you really are. She's just too young to see you for what you really are. For all I am concerned, you have nothing to do with her."

"I beg to differ."

"If you try to pull the same shit on her as you did me, I'll cut her off from him."

"Yeah, you the wonderful mother using your own fucking child as a weapon against her father. You should win mother of the year."

"Yeah, like you're a better role model. Who'd you sleep with to get that diamond bracelet? You have no right to ever judge me. You've done worse things than I've ever imagined. You should be so lucky that he didn't find out about what you really were. I still can't believe he fell for you. You strung him along using him for your own benefit while fucking someone else behind his back. I should have told him before this all happened. He's the only reason you're still here. Let's talk about you're life." Tsukushi triumphantly watched as Shizuka's lip tightened into two thin lines. "You've got nothing to say now. I should have known."

"You really are a spiteful bitch!"

"You should know. I learned from the best."

Shizuka pushed Tsukushi aside and stormed off towards the back. "I'm going home!"

Rui continued playing on the piano with Kaya by his side. His music slowly drowned out the underlying tension that left behind. He glanced up at Tsukushi who was now forcefully pulling bottles out from under the bar and then towards door Shizuka just slammed. He weakly smiled fro his daughter and continued to play. That what Rui always did. He knew not to get involved in their business. It was a fight between two women, something no man should ever dare enter. He did the only thing he could think of doing, play.

"Let's get started," Tsukushi growled from underneath the bar.

Tsukasa meekly stepped behind the counter and inched away as bottles were slammed onto the counter. By now, he knew better than to get in the path of Tsukushi's wrath. He gulped down the lump in his throat knowing it would be a long afternoon. He was going to be on the receiving end of her pet up aggression.

----------------------------------

For as far of as his eyes could see, they lined up in a perfect path. Each one looking exactly like the last marking the final destination for its inhabitants. Akira s meandered past each gravestone following the same path imbedded in his head. He always ended up there after hashing out the details of his sister's death. It was rather therapeutic for him to make a visit cleansing himself of the same doubt that plagued him day and night. He clutched the simple bouquet he had purchased from the elderly woman by the entrance gates. Briefly he stopped at the simple headstone and laid the flowers down on the earth. Whispering a silent prayer, to himself he knelt down on one knee and kissed the cold marble. It was a short meeting, but just the same as any other time he had visited. He couldn't bring himself to stay too long knowing that if he stayed a second more he would never be able to tear himself away. The silence was all but broken for a moment as he gazed longingly at the grave. His lips moved letting the words be carried away by the gentle winds.

"I'm sorry."

He stood up and placed a stone on the grave adding to the small pile tallying his number of visits. At that point, it had reached a small mountain. With one last look, he turned around and trekked down the small slope towards the main path. There was just one other person he needed to see.

Akira strode down the main path away from the densely populated section of the cemetery and turned off the main route onto a small dirt road. His heartbeat quickened as he submerged himself deeper into the desolate area. The grounds in that part of the cemetery were bleak and unkempt unlike the area where Aya resided. He stared down at the ground counting off the numbers etched onto the markers.

"98120.98121.98122."

He stopped in front of the tiny pillar that marked the unknown grave. Akira had walked into the unknown dead. It was a rather depressing place to be based on the fact that the graves were never visited or taken care of. However, that one particular grave that Akira had found himself facing was oddly clean. A small patch of green grass sprouted on the earth in front of the headstone. Even the stone was kept impeccably clean. His fist tightened on his sides and he stared down hard at the ground. He bent down low putting his face a few inches from the ground.

"I told you I would stop you. You'll never hurt another girl, Jay."

-------------------------------

"Gin and tonic"

Tsukasa traced a finger among the bottles lined up against the wall searching for what he needed. Upon finding it, he pulled the bottle out from the rack and began mixing the drink apprehensively. It was the fortieth drink Tsukushi had ordered him to make. In a mere three hours, she had quickly ran through a list of drinks teaching him what went into what. Now it was her turn to test him on what he had learned that day. The last hour had been filled with his own mistakes. Each time he made a drink, she would snatch it from the counter and take a small sip spitting out it's contents screaming about the god awful taste even though he had followed her direction to the letter. Nothing was ever good enough for her. The counter was covered in glasses filled with a plethora of colored liquids. According to her, they were all failures.

"Bleh! This just tastes like gin! How much did you put in it?!"

"I put the amount you told me to put in it!"

"This is the worst shit I've ever tasted!" She pushed the glass aside feeling a twinge of a buzz coming on. Forty drinks later, and she was starting to feel it.

"I can't take this anymore! They can't all be bad. Let me taste it." He snatched the remaining liquid and poured it down his throat letting the alcohol sting his throat. He closed his eyes letting his sense of taste take over. "It tastes fine!" Now realizing that perhaps she had been screwing with his head the entire time, he began snatching drinks left and right taking sips from each of his so called 'failures'. "I don't understand what the hell you're talking about. They all taste the way they're supposed to taste."

"That's not good enough! A good bartender doesn't just makes drinks that taste the way they're supposed to. You've got to make something that is even better. I can see that today has been a total waste of my fucking time. This lesson is over. I'm going to my office. Clean this up yourself if you think you can manage this simple task." She hopped off the bar stool and stalked towards her office slamming the door causing the walls to tremble in her wake.

"Crazy bitch," Tsukasa muttered under his breath as he began clearing away the glasses.

-------------------------------

"Fuck!" Tsukushi screeched at the top of her lungs as she ripped the apron around her neck and chucked the crumpled ball at the wall. Upon impact it fluttered open falling onto the ground in a small heap. She fell onto her chair and let her face fall onto the desk with a thud.

It's always the same thing. She always finds a way to annoy the hell out of me. She called me a bad mother! A bad mother! Me?! She's hardly the person to be going to when it comes to right and wrong. She always had to have what she desired forsaking everything else. To think, I had once worshiped the ground she walked on absorbing every word that came out of her mouth, They were all lies. I won't and will never forgive her. She took my life from me. Even after all the sins she's committed, she still wins in the end. She'll always have her place here and he ensured that. That's' the way it'll always be here, our own personal hell.

------------------------------

"Hey, Kaya and I just got back from dinner. We thought you might be hungry, so I got you this." Rui tossed a bag onto the counter. He hopped over the counter and pulled out two bottles of beer from the fridge. He snapped the cap off and clanked his bottle with Tsukasa's.

"Thanks," he grumbled in between bites of the greasy burger in his hands. He gulped down the cold beer letting the cold liquid slide down his throat.

He silently nursed his beer while stealing quick glances at Kaya, who was quietly sitting at a nearby table coloring. "How do you like the apartment?"

Tsukasa nearly choked on his beer at the sound of Rui's cold voice. Even though he had only met Rui a few times, he had already formed one conclusion about his general demeanor- reclusive. "It's alright I guess. It's a lot nicer than my last place."

"That's good." He silently continued drinking his beer and tossed the empty bottle away. "Do you think you could watch Kaya until Tsukushi gets back? I've got somewhere to go."

"I don't think that's a good idea. I don't deal well with kids."

"Don't worry. She likes you," he dismissively waved away his excuses.

Rui walked over to Kaya and bent down to whisper a short good bye to his daughter. He picked up his jacket and flung it over his back.

Kaya's looked up from her paper and stared inquisitively at Tsukasa like a lion hunting its prey. She jumped off her chair and climbed up onto one of the bar stools to stare at him while he cleaned the rest of the glasses.

"Stop staring kid!"

She cocked her head to one side and only continued to stare more intently at him. "Why?

"It freaks me out?!"

"Why?"

"Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to stare."

"Why?"

"Just stop it already!"

She fell over in a fit of laughter knowing how easy it was to get him riled up. There was always something innate in children that could allow them to detect who would be an easy target. "You're very grumpy.

"I am not. You're just very annoying."

She frowned at his last statement revealing a small hint of hurt by his words. Strangely her lips curled up into a small smile. "That doesn't matter. I like you anyway.'

"You're really one weird kid," he chuckled. He grabbed a small glass and mixed her a drink setting the red fizzy concoction. Trying to be fancy, he tossed a cherry high in the air catching it in the glass with a plop. He set it down in front of her and crossed his arms over his chest awaiting the verdict.

Kaya picked up the glass and inquisitively stared at it wondering what it could be. She lifted the glass up and sniffed the contents. Daintily she took a tiny sip from the straw while scrunching up her face fearing the taste as if it were medicine. Her expression changed soon after. "This is good."

"Well at least somebody likes my drinks."

"If you managed to get Kaya to like one of your drinks, that must mean that it's damn good. She's normally a picky eater and drinker." Tsukushi leaned against the doorframe of her office watching Kaya slurp up the last few drops of her drink.

"Thanks, Mr. Pineapple."

"Will you stop calling me that?!"

In response, he received a raspberry.

"You really are the most annoying kid I've ever met."

"Can I have one of those, too?" Tsukushi shyly asked.

"Uh, sure." He repeated the same steps he had done to make Kaya's drink and set it in front of her.

She took a small sip and the despondent look on her face lightened. "She's right. This is good. It looks like maybe you will get the hang of this. You make a damn good Shirley Temple. It's a start." She slapped the glass back onto the counter and picked up her purse. "Leave the rest. We can clean them up tomorrow. We should call it an early night." She wearily bent down on the ground to pick up Kaya's scattered book bag, jacket, and books.

The three of them slowly walked out the back door after turning off all the power and locking up. Kaya's head lilted from one side to the other showing signs of fatigue. Tsukushi picked her up and wrapped her chubby little arms around her neck. With no free hands Tsukasa volunteered to carry their things.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier, baby. Mama was just very stressed out. Do you forgive me?"

"I forgive you," Kaya dreamily replied closing her eyes.

As they approached the car Tsukushi walked directly towards the passenger seat leaving Tsukasa a bit perplexed. She tossed her car keys at him. "How about you drive? I'm too dead to drive."

"Sure, but are you sure?" Tsukasa choked out in utter surprise. In most circumstances, Tsukasa wouldn't have thought twice about getting n the car. He stared down taking a good look at the vehicle realizing that he had not actually taken a good look at it the first time. Then again, his inebriation had hindered his memory and vision that night, so that could explain how he could have missed this.

"You gonna get in or what?"

"Yeah." He slide into the driver's seat feeling the cold leather beneath him. He stared ahead at the hood of the care seeing the familiar icon he had grown up with. It had been a long time since he had driven one of those. He woke up room his revelry and started the engine listening to the soft purr of the engine. Little things like this he had grown to miss. The car lurched forward as he sped down the winding streets in Tsukushi's Jaguar.

This woman never ceases to amaze me.

-------------------------------------

After tucking Kaya into bed, Tsukushi wandered down the hall stopping at Tsukasa's door. The closed door and lack of light leaking out from underneath the door indicated he had probably turned in early. Sighing relief of at the newfound solitude, she trudged towards the kitchen to make herself a cup of noodle. Silently she mentally cursed herself for not picking up something to eat on the way home as she slurped up the partially uncooked noodles. Wearing an old oversized sweatshirt and baggy sweatpants she trudged over to the couch and continued easting her sad little meal. She closed her closed and indulged in the surrounding silence.

It's rare that I just get a chance to breathe. My days are usually filled with deadlines, errands, and bills. I just.I just wish I didn't have to do it all alone.

She slipped out of her comfortable position on the couch and walked over to her bedroom shutting herself out from the rest of the world. Feeling a bout of insomnia hit her, she walked into her closet rummaging. Finding what she had been searching for, she settled herself into her favorite chair and opened up the book. The memories flooded back into her mind bringing with it all the youthful joy and energy she once had. She could feel herself being transported to a better time in her life when everything made sense. All the photographs in the album documented the only time in her life she felt safe, secure. They were filled with familiar faces- Yuuki, Jiro, Akira, Thomas, Kin, Tsuyoshi, and Junpei. Every few pages she would stop and frown at the empty pages with specks of old glue leftover from the photographs removed. The feeling could only last so long. She slammed the book shut and tossed the album onto the table not wanting to let that creeping sensation of foreboding encroach upon her happy memories. She peered down at the box and pulled out another album containing a different set of pictures. This one contained a few copies of the same pictures she had taken out of Tsukasa's room. She longingly stared down at the mysterious man with the sun kissed blonde hair and light tan. She could almost faintly recall the soft rumble of his deep voice when he spoke. The look of pure devotion in his eyes reserved only for her and her child. Droplets of water slowly dripped onto her the smiling man's face. Regret was rearing its ugly head, and she decided to put all the photographs away before she completely broke down. As she pushed the box back onto its high shelf, a small slip of paper slipped out and onto the ground. She bent over to pick it up and stared hard into it as if trying to burn a whole through it. Staring back at her was her own figure along with Rui, Shizuka and the man. Rui stood on her left while the man to her right. Shizuka had her arm wrapped around his free arm on the other side. Tsukushi could only stare down at the small glint of light coming from Shizuka's finger recalling when the picture had been taken. In disgust, she tore off the two ends of the photo cutting out Rui and Shizuka.

I remember the day that was taken. You were so happy, so in love, so stupid. I loved you with all my heart, and she stole you away from me with her false promises. She never loved you with half as much heart as I did you. She hurt us both in the end. They both hurt us in irrevocable ways. Why did you have to fall in love with her Susumu? Perhaps once she did love you, but not enough to be loyal to you. I could have forgiven her for taking Rui, but not for hurting you, my own brother, in the process. I just don't know anymore. I should have tried to stop you from going through with it, but you were too much in love with her to see the truth. The person responsible for our undoing was Shizuka, your fiancée.