Disclaimer: I do not own Super GALS! in any way. If I did own it, then…uhm…I'd use the profit to buy myself a whole collection of DVDs full of dubbed anime with Japanese subtitles. Then, I'll abuse my power by owning a Japanese military warship and start a war with an insignificant island on the pacific…although there is no danger of that happening in this life much less the afterlife…(sighs)

I've been watching too much Samurai X (courtesy of our dratted local network) and after all those episodes, I really had to see Aoshi Shinamori once more. I just thought he was a mindless pawn of Shishio's until he bared his corrupted soul to Kenshee. Oh my! The world suddenly seemed to fall down all over me!

When I saw Aoshi, his dead eyes, the scars on his body…the evident sadness of his life, I fell into a snare of melancholy myself. To lose all your friends…to betray the ones left…to sacrifice your dignity as a human being just to fight for what you thought was right…and then, have someone smack the truth straight in your face…I understood why Aoshi couldn't stand what Kenshee was telling him…it's hard to believe the truth when you lived your life in lies.

So here I am, ranting about Samurai X in a SuperGALS! fiction. The reason? I was deeply affected by Aoshi's life and am refusing to smile in the least to say. You'd think its that stupid and corny of me to feel empathy for a character, but I can say I understand him…to have lost your friends, to leave the ones that you still have, to fight for something I believed was right and then having it turned against me…gods, I sound really pathetic at the moment…

Of course (smiles stupidly) I shouldn't burden you with my problems as I said in the previous fic. I just realized, if Rei grew up in a few years time he'd look exactly like Aoshi, minus the dark past and pointy eyes and the numerous scars in his body. Aoshi, in my opinion and to which most will agree, is very sexy indeed.

I don't wanna write about the Rant section right now, it was full of Tatsukichi anyway, and Yuuya was acting pretty pathetic for a girl like Ran. I'd just like to note that it was Rei and Yuuya playing table tennis in the first place, and that I caught them again…alone.

Aoshi and Rei…wow…

-

Chapter 12

Somewhere in Downtown Shibuya, nighttime

"Yes…I've got it all covered out. Just do as you are told and nobody has to come out unhappy…of course, I'll take care of all of it…good…" Akai ended the call, hiding his cellphone back in his pocket.

He stared at the bright lights in the nearby shops, his mind was elsewhere. Akai laughed, smirking at himself.

Oh this was going to be a fun year indeed. And if everything goes according to his plan, he'd have everything he wanted in his hands…

"Otohata…" He whispered, blushing faintly as his gaze reached up to the stars.

His eyes caught an empty billboard, his smile turning into an evident frown.

-

"Achoo!" Rei sneezed at the moment, Yuuya staring at him weirdly. The two of them were currently in Rei's room, pondering over their assignment for tomorrow.

"Are you alright, Rei?" Yuuya came close, feeling the other boy's head.

"That was strange…" Rei rubbed his nose.

"I know!" Yuuya grinned. "Maybe somebody remembered you!"

"Right…" Rei rolled his eyes, then slyly threw the throw pillow on Yuuya. The other retorted with a blind throw to Rei's face, dodging it nimbly. Both fell stupidly on the floor, laughing.

"I'm happy today Rei." Yuuya faced him, huffing a bit. Rei glanced at him sideways, mildly observing the playful smile Yuuya had.

"First, we had the most luscious dessert I hadn't had since years!" Yuuya stretched, his body lengthened as if tethered.

"Then, we met Aka-chan…" Yuuya gazed at him cheerfully, but then stopped noticing the dark frown Rei gave when he mentioned the name.

"Rei?" Yuuya suddenly felt something was wrong.

"Yuuya…" Rei looked deep into Yuuya's eyes. "I hope you don't become too close to that person…I…I just don't feel your safe when he's around."

"Why? Don't you trust him?"

Rei thought for a second before answering. "We just met him yesterday, Yuuya. I don't think that's enough reasonable time to know a person quite fully."

"But he seemed kind enough…" Yuuya sat up, sitting cross legged before Rei's stretched form.

"I know…and that's just it." Rei looked away, his mind on Akai. "He's just too…kind…he's too comfortable when we're both around."

Yuuya thought about it, scratching his head, trying to understand one bit. Rei sighed, seeing the confusion and evident disbelief.

"Just promise me…"Rei sat up, his pinkie stretched towards him. "Don't go with him alone if he invites you, and don't indulge him in any thing he might try to tell you."

"But, Rei…"

"Just promise me!" Rei almost said too forcefully. Yuuya was a bit mildly shocked, wondering why Rei was a bit…hyped up on the issue at hand. Taking a deep breath, he gave in, encircling his pinkie with Rei's.

"I promise…"

-

Yuuya just placed his last button in place that morning before limping down the stairs towards the dining room.

"Good morning…auntie…" Yuuya yawned, walking sluggishly towards the table, taking a piece of toast in his mouth. Rei sat on the other side, eating his toast and eggs silently, the TV droning out noise to what can be assumed as 'news'.

"In the latest news across Shibuya…" The newscaster droned, this time however catching the household's attention. All eyes drifted to the screen, waiting for the newscaster to finish.

"…a mystery message was posted on a vacant billboard stand on top of downtown Shibuya. It concerns a certain 'Mr. Rei Otohata', which according to the message seems to be either a death threat or a warning…"

Rei and Yuuya's eyes widened when they saw the image. It was a message, splashed in red paint, the face of the message resembling of dripping blood.

'Rei Otohata…you will be mine one day…'

Mrs. Otohata dropped the plate she was carrying; Yuuya went slack upon seeing the message…however, Rei was gritting through his teeth.

"Rei…are you alright?" Yuuya shifted his attention to Rei, noticing the anger coursing through him.

"This is…this is outrageous…" Rei was unmindful, mumbling incoherently. Yuuya grew worried, not seeing Rei this angry before.

A knock was heard on the door.

Yuuya stood up and answered it. Rei waited for the blonde to see whom it was, but was surprised when a throng of reporters came inside, Yuuya being dragged along.

"Tell us, Mr. Otohata, what do you think about this issue at hand?" One female reporter asked.

"I think this is stupid…" Rei answered lethargically.

"Are you worried about this? Is this another one of your stalkers?"

"No…not in the least. Stalkers I can handle. It'll be just like dealing with an overactive fan…" Rei brushed the question off.

"Mr. Otohata, this was the first time an admirer came out and professed such emotions to you. What can you say about this?" A teen reporter asked, cameras facing Rei for his answer.

Rei gazed at the lenses of the weird machine. "I don't have time for this sort of nonsense, whoever you are. Just quit right now if you know what's good for you." He answered, a bit of irritation in his tone.

The reporters crowded for more questions, had not Yuuya pushed them all out of the house and into the streets. Locking the door behind him, he sighed before returning to the table.

"Thanks Yuuya…I didn't think I would be able to handle them a bit longer with their questions…" Rei sighed on the table, massaging his temple.

"Rei…I don't think we should go to school today." Yuuya voiced out his concern, his eyes showing evident worry over the brunette.

"Nonsense…" Rei answered, standing up to take his things from the chair. "One thing the stalker would appreciate is finding me cooped up in my own house because I let him affect me. What's important is that he shouldn't feel I'm the least affected by what he's doing…"

Yuuya smiled, nodding in agreement. Both left the house, the reporters trailing them behind like a pack of bloodhounds.

-

School wasn't as forgiving as it was back at Rei's house. The students were more on the issue, frequently asking Rei what's with what. Rei, being the typically quiet and type of person that says 'I'd rather be alone than stuck with people I don't want to be with', had his hands quite full. Yuuya, sensing Rei's quiet consternation, managed all inquirers towards him, sparing Rei the pain and annoyance.

While Yuuya was busy answering each and everyone's questions, Akai quietly slid in the room and sat beside Rei, who spied him only a bit too late.

Rei immediately grabbed him by the collar, dragging him to a secluded area of the room. Akai only grinned half-heartedly, amused by Rei's behavior.

"What do you think you're getting at?" Rei hissed at him, perplexed by the young man in front of him. "What went into your screw-loose head of making a big scene at downtown!"

Akai shrugged a bit, before answering Rei. "Chill, Rei. It's to remove any suspicions why a few 'accidents' would be falling your way a few days from now. Wouldn't want somebody thinking all of it was just 'coincidental' and planned…"

Akai trailed off, pleased with himself that Rei was relaxing a bit.

"Fine. But you took things a bit too far…I had reporters hounding me from morning ever since. And Yuuya undertook the job of becoming my personal secretary…" Rei crossed his arms, his gaze turning towards Yuuya before turning it heatedly back on Akai.

"Ok, ok…my bad. Sheesh. Calm down, maybe I got carried away ok? Sorry, I get the message. I'll notify you when chances will tell me to start carrying out the plans…" Akai left him, turning to shy-schoolboy mode and taking his place alongside Yuuya as if he too was "curious".

Rei furrowed his eyebrows at Akai, each day his opinion of him growing worse and worse.

-

Afternoon came, and Rei found himself walking with Yuuya and Akai along main street Shibuya, his gaze following towards the billboard that was being taken down.

"Now who do you think who could have done that?" Rei openly said, his tone mocking. Yuuya sensed the note in it, his suspicion that Rei knew who was behind it.

"Hey, Rei!"

The three guys turned around to see someone running up towards them.

"Oh, hi Ran!" Yuuya greeted her, along with her two companions as well.

Ran placed her hands on her hips looking crossly at the sight behind them. She then turned her attention at the brunette, who also had a line of irritation evidently plastered across his face.

"Rei…do you know someone who's stupid enough to do this?" She asked, mildly noticing the slight hitching of his breath when she bought the topic up.

"Not in the least. This happened the first time…" Rei swept his gaze away from the girl, turning to Akai but not directly at him. Akai glared at him, telling him to zip it. Rei gave it a mental shrug.

"So I see. I could know that no Shibuya gal is capable of doing this…" Ran crossed her arms, as if thinking. "Certainly, not the girls of Ikebukuro, who as far as I'm concerned are not that desperate."

"And I'd be very happy if people would just leave it at that." Rei cut in. "The last thing I need is that stalker jumping up and down because he succeeded in annoying me out." Rei shuffled his hands and walked away slowly, his thoughts elsewhere.

He grimaced, starting to regret of entertaining the whole idea out in the first place.

-

Oh my, this is turning out to be a longer fiction than I expected.

Do read and review!