Kaoru sat quite comfortably beside Kenshin on his couch, with her head against his chest. Ever since returning from Gohei's office they were pondering possible students who would ever agree to help Gohei ruin the girls' kendo team for money.

"This is impossible Kenshin. Nearly everyone in this university could do with some extra money," groaned Kaoru looking up at his violet orbs.

He stroked her hair, all tied up in a ponytail passively. "That's true. But one thing we know for sure it wasn't anyone on either of our teams or our friends. Otherwise we would have recognized their voices on the tape." Kenshin reached into his pocket and pulled out the tape.

Kaoru took from him and fiddled with it in her hands as if hoping that somehow she'd unlock the answer. "Ugh, there's so many motives. Money, spite, sexism, how are we ever going to figure this out?"

"Ssshhh," soothed Kenshin as he passed his hand over the top of her head and kissed it. "We will get to the bottom of this."

"But Kenshin," Kaoru pulled herself up and sat up straight, looking at Kenshin with a meaningful stare. "You guys have your tournament coming up. If the girls' team can't compete for one more year that's fine. But you guys always bring home the trophy, and the school loves you for it. I wouldn't want to distract you."

"Kaoru, c'mon how could you say that?"

She winced and, looked away from him. "No. Look Kenshin, I appreciate you wanting to help, but I could never forgive myself if you guys lost this year because of me-,"

Kenshin admired Kaoru's selflessness, but he couldn't help but feel a little responsible for all that happened. Even if it wasn't his fault at all, he was determined to help her. "Kaoru, we're not going to loose and we're going to figure all this out in time so your team can win their tournament too. Don't worry, we'll get through this."

Kaoru smiled at him but slowly shook her head. "Thanks Kenshin, but this is my fight and I need to finish it." She stood up and placed her soft hand gingerly against his cheek, "I just need you to concentrate on your team."

She breathed in and dropped her hand and took on a defiant tone, "After all I am the captain of my kendo team and can take care of myself."

What was he supposed to say? The girl had her mind made up and by the fiery look in her eyes you weren't going to change her mind.

He opened his mouth to speak but was silenced when Kaoru put her pretty finger to his lips. "I have my mind made up Kenshin. But you can make plans to take me out for dinner." She winked at him and strolled out of the room, playfully blowing a kiss to him before leaving.

Sighing in defeat, Kenshin stretched himself out on the couch. Maybe there's something on the tape we missed. Let me listen to it again. He reached his arm out to the coffee table in front of him and felt around for the tape, but his fingers found nothing but tabletop. He jerked up and saw that there was no tape anywhere…he chuckled.

Kaoru. When I handed her the tape she never put it back down… She really does want me to stay out of this.

Aoshi sat in his small kitchen, watching each drop of water from the tap of the sink swell and fall and finally burst with a faint echo. All that was going through his head was Misao…Misao and Soujiro. He had a mug filled to the brim with green tea that at one point was steaming and now it would taste cold and bitter…much like how he was feeling.

The moment kept replaying in his mind, Misao and Soujiro's shadows in the car making out. Each recollection made him shudder. Maybe he should have accompanied them to the movies as an undercover chaperone for his own motives. What if something happened? He didn't think he could take Soujiro bragging about how long he and Misao frenched. Soujiro wasn't good enough for her, that much he was at least certain. As for what made him feel this way, well he wasn't ready to admit that.

Another drop exploded in the steel sink and another and another. Thoughts of the movies filled his head. Soujiro would probably take her to some corny romance like Casablanca or something like that, then when all the popcorn was gone and the drinks would be empty and Soujiro, being his stupid self, would yawn and stretch his arms then let one rest upon her shoulders. She'd look to him and smile with teary red eyes then like most of the couples that go to the movies they'd lean towards each other and…

"Hey Aoshi you here!"

His troubling train of thought was broken when Soujiro came strutting into the room, throwing his keys and wallet onto the kitchen counter. An annoyingly arrogant smile across of his face.

"What the hell are so pleased about?" snapped Aoshi.

Soujiro looked to his roommate sitting at the kitchen table with his legs crossed griping a mug of cold tea. "What's your problem?"

But Aoshi only grunted and looked in the opposite direction, giving no answer.

Shrugging it off as one of Aoshi's off days, Soujiro quickly grabbed some crackers during the few moments of awkward silence and stuffed them in his mouth. He mockingly returned Aoshi's grunt and slammed the door shut as he left.

"SQUIRT!" yelled Aoshi.

"ICEMAN!" Soujiro bellowed back.

Stupid kid, coming in here smiling like a complete fool. Next time I'll wipe that smile off his 'oh I thought Misao liked you but she really likes me much better' face. In fact…why wait? I'll just go now.

Aoshi jumped from his chair and marched out into the hall. Soujiro wasn't in view. Then a provoking notion gripped Aoshi. He immediately recalled from memory the need information and headed down the red carpet halls. If that kid went back to Misao….

A few moments later Aoshi was standing outside the familiar door looking up at the gold numbers hanging from it. He looked around, the halls were empty. At this later hour everyone was probably out living up their weekend.

"I still can't believe I agreed to this."

Voices from the other side of the door could just barely be heard, but Aoshi recognized the faint voice to be none other than Soujiro's. A fiery sensation burned in his chest as he pressed his ear to the door to listen.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet!"

Aoshi matched the voice to Misao, but what could they be talking about…

"You saw how awkward he felt today at lunch. That's exactly what we wanted," said Misao.

What? Are they talking about me?

"But still this whole little ploy you put together is really cutting into my dating life," whine Soujiro.

Aoshi furrowed his brow. Ploy? Dating life? I thought he was with Misao…

"Look, its too late to back out on me now Soujiro. We had an agree me and I don't think you'd want me going back on my word. After all I told Izumi not too long ago about how sweet and charming you are."

Aoshi heard Soujiro sigh. "How long before you think I could ask her out?"

"I assume you mean when we succeed making Aoshi green with jealousy," said Misao. "I'm not sure, but judging on how he reacted to us during lunch, I'd say no more than a week."

Finally it all came together; it all started to make sense to him as he connected the dots. Soujiro and Misao they were talking about making him jealous, obviously by 'dating'. But if Aoshi recalled the recent ravings of Soujiro about how gorgeous this girl in his chemistry class is, her name was Izumi. So apparently Misao knew this Izumi and was putting in good word for Soujiro with her. All this in exchange for Soujiro to pretend to date Misao and to make him jealous.

Well…I guess Misao never really got over what happened.

There was some bustling noises from inside and Aoshi dashed down the hall and around the corner. He poked his head outside the corner, just far enough to see Misao and Soujiro exit the room and part in separate ways with a quick goodbye.

Misao came down the hall he took and Aoshi pressed up against the corner as she passed. He watched her walk down the hall with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment.

So she thinks she can make a fool out of me? Okay Misao, I'll play your little game.

Aoshi let a few moments pass as a precaution and stalked down Misao.

A/N: Okay everyone I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write. I don't really have a legitmate excuse besides I wasn't really in the mood to write this week so I forced this much out of me. Well the next chapter I think will have be soley Misao, Aoshi and Soujiro stuff. Who knows what will happen now that Aoshi knows that Misao and Soujiro are playing him? But anyway I hope you're all enjoying this and don't forget proper manners; read and review!