Disclaimer: See chapter one

Chap. 7

School…

"Almost got it."

Uriko and Rei had just finished putting up the final banner to the dance. It was to take place in two days time, but Uriko wanted to be way ahead of schedule. Unfortunately for Rei, she was dragged into helping her.

"No, no, no." Uriko frowned from below the ladder. "You have to move it a little to the right."

Above, Rei frowned back, "Oh come on Uriko."

Uriko pouted and Rei sighed, "Alright, alright."

She moved the banner over and the brown-haired girl below smiled, "Much better."

Rei shook her head as she came down the ladder and to the floor. 'Uriko is going to pay for this. And I know just the thing.' she grinned inwardly.

"So Uriko. Has Kenji asked you to the dance yet?"

The plan worked like a charm and Uriko's face blushed almost instantly, "Uhh, well, no. But why would he anyway?"

"Because you two are made for each other." Rei answered plainly.

Uriko tried her best to hide the deepening blush, "Stop it."

Rei continued, "Instead of waiting for him to ask you, why don't you ask him? Kenji is kind of shy, you know." Even though she was teasing her, she did want to help those two get to together. If Uriko could just focus her usual energy into it, then they would be the cutest couple ever.

"Hey! What about you, Rei?" Uriko suddenly cried. "Has anyone asked you to the dance?"

"No." Rei answered simply.

"Well, I've got an idea. Why don't you ask Shin to take you?"

Rei blinked and her cheeks flushed lightly, "Shin...?"

Rei turned to hide her blush, but Uriko noticed it instantly, "What was that?"

"What?"

"That!" she pointed to her lightly flushed cheek, "You just..."

"Hello ladies."

Both girls turned to see a smirking Reiji standing behind them. Uriko instantly frowned at his interruption.

"Reiji, what are you doing here?"

"I was just passing by and I thought, 'I should ask the prettiest girl in the school to the dance'." His gaze centered in on Rei. "Miss Rei, would you accompany me to the dance?"

"Uh, well." Rei started uncertainly. Reiji simply smiled while he waited and finally Rei answered.

"Sure. I'd love to."

This earned a gasp and a shocked expression from Uriko. Reiji on the other hand, simply widened his smile.

"Great. So I'll see you then."

Reiji walked away, still smiling while Uriko finally broke out her own and and practically yelled, "Rei, are you nuts? The guy's a jerk."

"He seems nice enough." Rei answered back. It was true. Though his attitude seemed a little too arrogant at times, he was always kind and respectful to her. But in hoping to calm down her now steaming friend, she continued. "Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll slap him all over the dance floor."

Uriko's glare began to soften and it suddenly turned into thoughtful smile, "Hm. Well, since you put it like that."

***************

Ohgami Residence...

Kenji had just returned home from school. His arrival was a little early, but it didn't matter to him. In truth, he was absentmindedly trying to avoid Uriko. He never said it, but he was nervous about asking her to the dance and he didn't know how to do it. But he knew he had to hurry before someone else asked her. He just needed some time to think.

"Yugo? You here?" Kenji called out. The house was quiet, but Kenji did detect some faint sounds coming from upstairs. Moving up the stairs, he headed for one of the rooms and entered in. But he had neglected to knock and when he entered, he was faced with the backside of a young woman. A backside barely clothed in a damp towel.

"*gasp!*"

Kenji swiftly turned around as the young woman pulled the towel over herself tightly and dashed into the bathroom nearby.

"Oh, sorry!" Kenji quickly blurted out.

The woman's voice came out of the bathroom, "No. I'm the one that's sorry."

The door creaked open and the woman stepped out, this time wearing a blue bathrobe.

"Kenji, right?"

Kenji turned to see that it was the injured brunette from the hospital. Nagi...

"What are you doing here?"

She was about to answer when a rumbling sound came from downstairs and Yugo burst into the room.

"Hey Nagi. I...oh, hey Kenji. I didn't know you were here." A devious grin formed, "Kenji, you sly devil. Going for two girls, huh?"

Kenji's face almost flushed at the statement, but he kept himself cool and asked, "Yugo. What's going on here?"

Yugo half-blinked and scratched his head, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Nagi here is going to stay with us for awhile until she gets more of her memory back." Don't worry. She's going to stay in one of the guest rooms." Giving Kenji a wolfish grin, "Just don't try anything, bro."

This time, Kenji couldn't stop his face from flushing red. "Yugo!"

Nagi partially blushed as well while Yugo broke out into laughter. But it was cut short when a sudden rumbling caught his attention. A few items shook lightly, but then the rumbling stopped abruptly and so did the shaking. All three stopped stiff.

Kenji was the first to snap out of it, "What...what was that?"

"An…earthquake?" Nagi answered uncertainly.

"Maybe it was just a truck rolling by." Yugo countered, even though he didn't really believe it himself.

"Maybe."

Yugo shook his head slightly, "Well, let's get you settled in."

Nagi nodded and she followed Yugo to her room. However, she felt an uncertainty about what just happened. More so than the other two.

And her arm shuddered slightly...

*********

Nightfall

Shin silently strode through the streets heading for home. He wasn't able to see his friends at lunch today due to a change in schedule. When he went to work, he almost asked Saori about her questioning of Rei the other day, but decided against it. Rei had said not to worry and he wouldn't. But that didn't mean he couldn't be cautious about his employer. And after silently watching her that day, he should have kicked himself for not noticing before. The way Saori carried herself was...unusual. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her that made her quite different from other people. Still, she was the boss and she also was the one to help him when everyone else didn't. Best to leave it alone for now.

As he continued down the dark road, a flicker of motion caught his attention. Believing it to be a mugger, Shin instantly readied himself for an attack, although his regular pose didn't change. Turning around, he blinked at the sight.

Standing across the street was a little girl. She had dark blue hair, tied on both sides and equally blue eyes. She was clothed in a white robe and her hands were folded behind her. Shin simply stared and the girl stared back, not saying a word. Suddenly, a car brushed by in the street, obscuring Shin's view for a moment. By the time the car passed on, the mysterious girl was gone. Shin looked across the entire side, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Baffled, Shin simply began his silent journey home, unaware that another object dashed away into some nearby bushes.

A white fox...