A/N: woot, you guys rock )

Misao sighed, exhausted, as she flung herself on the couch, kicking off her shoes.

"Man today sucked…" she sighed, staring up at her ceiling.

"How did that guy know bout Jiya anyway…"

She shrugged to herself and turned on the stereo. Nobody thought with her hyperactive bright attitude she'd be a fan of Linkin Park, but everyone who knew her very well knew they were her favorite.

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
(caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
Every step I take is another mistake to you
(caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)

Misao groaned, thinking that living on her own, she'd be able to forget about Jiya, Okon and them…but it looks like she'll never escape them.

"Hmmm…3 new messages…" she grumbled, dragging her feet to the answering machine to the flashing 3. She pressed play and listened as her own voice sounded back to her.

"Hi! You've reached Makimachi Misao! I'm either not in right now or just avoiding someone I don't like. Leave me a message after the beep, and if I don't reply, it's you." -BEEP-


I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I've becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

"Mi-chan? It's Okon."

"AND OMASU!"

"…Yeah ok, anyways, we were wondering…"

There was a pause on the other end, and Misao had a slight feeling she knew what it was gonna be about.

"When are you gonna come to your senses and come home? We miss you"

Misao didn't want to hear the rest of it as she deleted the message.

Message 2

"Misao-san? It's Takani Megumi. Please be at the clinic at 8:30 am tomorrow, that's all. Thanks, bye."

Message 3

"Misao…"


Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control
Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
(caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
And every second I waste is more than I can take

Misao stiffened at the very familiar voice of an old man. She quietly sat down, curious what he had to say.

"…I heard Okon and Omasu already made a call for you asking you to come home…They really do miss you…I miss you too. I know I asked you to do something you didn't want to, but hey, we can work out a negotiation, figure something out"

-BEEP- END OF MESSAGES-

Just the thought of taking the Aoiya after Jiya's death sickened her. He just had to understand she was serious when she said she didn't want to take control of the famous inn, and she even left home to try and prove her point. She just didn't want anything more to do with the Aoiya, but they just kept insisting…She remembered the day she said she was moving out. That's when things got ugly…

It was a terrible time; fighting everyday for a week straight with things being thrown about, and finally Misao declared she was moving out.

Everyone had laughed, thinking since she had been supported by the money from the inn her whole life, she wouldn't be able to make it on her own, but she'd show them. She was going to prove to them she didn't need the inn, and she would be able to make it on her own. She had managed to make a scholarship to Tokyo University on her own, she'd be a successful psychiatrist soon, and she'd show Jiya…


I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I've becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

"NO, JIYA! I TOLD YOU, I'M GONNA LIVE ON MY OWN, I CAN LIVE WITHOUT THE AOIYA! FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE OVER, I DON'T WANT IT!"

"You HAVE to, Misao! I TOLD you, you HAVE to carry on the Makimachi name for the Aoiya!"

"BUT WHAT IF I GET MARRIED? IT'S NOT GONNA BE MAKIMACHI ANYWAY, SO WHY BOTHER?"

"WHO SAID YOU WERE GETTING MARRIED?"

"SO FOR THE STUPID INN I HAVE TO LIVE A LONELY OLD LADY? LONELY AND ALONE WITHOUT A COMPANION IN THE WORLD? For the inn I have to become like YOU?"

"Misao…"

"NO! LISTEN to me, Jiya! FIND SOMEONE ELSE, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE CARE OF THE AOIYA, DEAL WITH IT!"

With that, she slammed the door, where her suitcases and boxes were already outside his office. She grabbed them all and threw them in the trunk and backseat of her Porsche and drove off to her recently bought penthouse, without a single look back.

In his office, Jiya sat down slowly, placing his face in his hands.

"…Hiroshi…my son…where did I go wrong?"


And I know
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you

Misao lifted her face from her hands and lay back down on the couch. Making up her mind, she dialed an oh-so-familiar number, praying no one was home. She gained her wish as the answering machine rolled its message, until there was a beep.

"…Hey, it's Mi-chan…just got your messages…" She paused, thinking what she would say. "…I just wanna say…please stop even bringing up the Aoiya…I don't want anything to do with it. I'm severing ties I have with it, so give it to someone else, please…"

Hanging up, she relaxed at last and put down the phone.

"Man…I'm such a bitch sometimes…"


I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I've becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

Misao turned over and noticed the manila folder on her coffee table. She lifted it up and scanned the file once again. She stared at his picture with a frown on her face.

"Shinomori Aoshi…you are one strange character…but I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, I'm gonna find out what relation you have with Jiya…"


I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Is everything what you want me to be
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Is everything what you want me to be

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

At 8:25, Misao's car pulled up to the Takani clinic parking lot. After finding a parking space, she sleepily walked into the clinic, showing the receptionist her pass, and the receptionist let her through to Megumi's office. Inside was Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sano, each talking amongst each other, and smiled when she walked in.

"Ohayo," Yahiko called.

"Hey Itachi!" laughed Sano.

"Ohayo, Misao-chan," called Kaoru after bopping Sano on the head.

"Mmph…" was her only response as the short girl took a seat and slammed her face down into the table before her.

The other three psychology interns stared at each other, and shrugged.

"I never thought a weasel that's so painfully genki wouldn't be a morning person!" Sano laughed, which earned a groan from Misao and another bop on the head from Kaoru.

"It's too early in the morning for your jokes, ye damned rooster…" growled Misao, face still in the table.

"Couldn't agree more, Misao-san…" came Megumi's voice as she entered the office.

"Ohayo, Megumi-san!" Kaoru chirped happily.

"Ohayo," called Yahiko

"Yo, Fox,"

"Mmph," grumbled Misao from her table

"Ohayo minna, and shut up rooster."

Megumi and Sano continued to bicker as Misao set her head back on the table and closed her eyes. Last night was not one of those good nights. She tossed and turned the whole time, thoughts running through her head. The main one: Why the hell did the name Shinomori sound so damn familiar?

Then it hit her; the Shinomori family was to take over the Aoiya if the Makimachi heir (herself) didn't want to take over. THIS WAS JUST PERFECT! She would just convince Jiya and Shinomori to give Shinomori the inn!

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Dreams are always so nice…

Misao should have known that convincing Shinomori to admit that it was indeed, his family, which would take over the Aoiya, was a LOT easier said than done.

"Look, is your family or isn't it second in line to the Aoiya in case the Makimachi heir does not want the inn?"

Shinomori simply leaned back against the tree of the park they were in, eyes closed.

"Shouldn't matter to you, since you're not of THAT Makimachi family…"

Misao knew she was about to blow, but also knew she wasn't supposed to. Otherwise, that damn bastard was gonna say something about her temper to get her even MORE mad. It was just the kind of thing he'd do.

"Look…it's VITAL that I find out if you're of that Shinomori family. I-I know the Makimachi heir, and she does not want anything to do with the inn…just tell me. Are you or are you not of that Shinomori family?"

Aoshi kept in his position, but eyes open and staring deep into her eyes. He stayed in that position for about three minutes; he turned his head back up and closed his eyes again.

"Nope."

Misao had a feeling he was lying, but heck so was she. But if he said he wasn't of that Shinomori family, it was no use trying to persuade to tell him of the truth if he WAS lying.

Misao groaned, and ran her fingers through her cropped hair. As a form of rebellion, she hacked off her long braid till it was shoulder length after a fight with Jiya. She got the reaction she wanted; Jiya gaping at her, mouth moving like a fish out of water. Oh boy was it worth it.

Finally after 10 minutes of silence, Shinomori's left eye popped open and glanced at Misao, who hadn't moved from her position.

"Aren't I supposed to be going through therapy or something like that right now?"

"…Yeah…"

"So when's that gonna start?"

"…aren't you relaxed?"

"…yeah, but what's that got anything to do with therapy?"

Misao simply gaped at him.

"Do you even KNOW the definition of therapy?"

"Of course I do. It's the treatment of a sickness or disability. I'm not sick, nor am I disabled, so I don't see why I need to do this. So I'm not as painfully happy-go-lucky as most people, I got sent here for 'treatment'."

"Not to mention the fact you're a cynical bastard…"

"What's that?"

"Nandemonai…" (Yet another way of saying 'nothing')

Aoshi glared, but said nothing.

"Okay, in order for me to be able to help you, I need to get to know you."

"No you don't"

"Yeah I do"

"Okay fine, maybe. But you already know me"

"…No I don't…"

"You know my name, my age, my problem, what more do you need to know?"

"Why do you have that problem?"

"Cuz I had an attitude problem, people sent me to this loony bin, and I got stuck with my problem so she could finish her internship."

"Very funny,"

"I can be a funny guy when I want to be,"

"So why did your family say you have an attitude problem and send you to this 'loony bin'?"

"Cuz they're BITCHES, that's why."

"Ass-munch,"

"Feh, sticks and stones,"

Misao screamed for almost a whole minute straight. Aoshi didn't even flinch, he simply waited until she started breathing normally again, without the screaming.

"Done?"

"Yeah,"

"Feel better?"

"Much,"

"Great, can I go now?"

"NO!"

"What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to take this seriously!" Misao finally yelled, slamming her fists down on the grass in frustration. "You keep taking this therapy like some sick joke, but some people get hurt by your attitude! You're just some depressed freak who doesn't realize it, but you actually have a family who actually care for your well being! If they didn't, they would've just tossed you out in the street and been done with you, but no they care. I don't know why they'd care for someone like you, but fact remains that they do."

Her face was flushed from so much yelling, but she still glanced up into his glaring eyes.

"Done yet? I wanna leave."

Misao couldn't believe her ears. He just…didn't care? She was left alone with her frustrations as Aoshi stood up, brushed the grass from his clothes, and went back into the clinic.

It didn't show in his empty eyes, but her words hit home.

'Bitch. She doesn't know anything. They don't care bout me, they just wanna save face. She just can't see through their acts…'

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Misao snapped from her trance and realized he was already leaving.

"Damn…" she swore and stood up, brushing grass from her clothes. Soon her phone started to ring. Groaning, she picked it up; swearing when she noticed it was from the Aoiya.

"What?" she grumbled, picking up.

"Misao-sama…"

Misao frowned. She only knew two people called her that.

"Shiro? What's wrong?"

"It's Okina-sama…"

Misao growled. "Tell him I don't care how much he begs, I'm not coming back."

"No, please come back. He needs you,"

"GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD; I'M NOT EVER COMING BACK!"

"Okina-sama just had a heart attack, in critical condition. Misao-sama, he might not have much time…"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

TBC