Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 9

School...

'Beautiful... How come I've never noticed before?'

Shin blankly walked through the hallways heading for his next class. His mind couldn't shake the visage he had seen two nights before. He had seen Rei asleep many times, so why was it affecting him now?

"Hey. You're...Shin, right?"

Shin blinked out of his revere to see the dark-haired Reiji, standing beside him and heading the opposite direction.

"Yes."

"Is it true that you live with Rei?" Reiji inquired.

Yes." he repeated in dry monotone.

Reiji narrowed his eyes slightly, "Are you two related?"

"No." Shin then added, "But I watch out for her."

"Oh, okay." Reiji replied. "That sounds a little weird. But hey, you're quite the lucky dog to be with a girl like that." he grinned.

"............."

Reiji merely shrugged off the dark silence, "Guess I'll see you around."

Reiji walked away, leaving a confused and mysteriously irritated Shin behind...

*******

After school...

Amid the students that were casually leaving the school, one particular figure quickly moved through the crowd of student in order to leave. Her head turned a few times as she moved cautiously away. But her efforts would soon be for naught, for the very figure she sought to avoid was watching her from above. As Uriko crept away from school, a sudden burst of leaves and a log halted her run and revealed the lean form of Kenji.

"Kenji!" Uriko had to stop herself from falling on her rear. "Geez, you scared the heck out of me!"

The mole-zoanthrope simply looked at her with calm, but blank eyes. "You've been avoiding me all day today and yesterday."

"N-no." She stammered. "I've just been really busy. You know, with the dance, and everything."

"......."

Uriko frowned at his silent treatment, "Why do you care anyway? It's not like you want to go."

"Uriko..."

"Why would you want to go with me anyway? I'm just you're friend, right?"

"Uriko..." he repeatedly, albeit louder.

"And what's the deal with that Nagi girl?" Uriko continued on. "I mean, she just come struting out like some sort of..."

"Uriko!"

The auburn-haired girl finally noticed Kenji plea and stopped in her rave, "Huh?"

It was then that Uriko noticed Kenji's face. They seemed to be centered inward, as if he was concentrating... hard. So hard that his face seemed to be stone. And his cheeks were turning red

"You…want to go to the dance with me?"

Uriko blinked in surprise. She had been upset ever since the day before and had been dealing with the pent up tension inside. She would have vented it all over Kenji right now, but his question seemed to wash it away, replaced by her previous nervousness of going with him.

"Yes…"

"Would...would you....the dance...with me...?" he stammered incompletely.

"O-okay."

Kenji's eyes blinked rapidly, "Okay?"

"Yes." she replied quietly; her own face a light flush of pink. "Kenji, I'll go to the dance with you."

"Okay."

The walk home was quiet indeed...

***********

Saori's restaurant...

The restaurant was business as usual. Considering that it was still a weekday, they didn't have to worry about a truckload of customers. As Saori came out to check on the workers, her gaze fell upon a certain worker. He was currently clearing one of the tables, but the table was already cleared clean. Saori moved up behind him.

"I don't think it's going to get any cleaner."

Shin suddenly snapped out of his daydream, "Huh? Oh, sorry, Saori-san."

The woman smiled, "I told you already. Just Saori."

"Yes." he nodded meekly.

The manager pulled up a chair at sat in it, "Now, what's on your mind?"

Shin was a bit edgy at Saori's forward manner and managed to answer, "Um, nothing really. Just thinking to myself."

Saori smiled again, "You do that all the time, but it's different now."

"I don't know."

"Is Rei involved?"

Shin blinked lightly and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at Saori. For someone that was supposed to be the manager, she was awfully friendly. Perhaps too friendly? In any case, she was right, but he didn't reply.

"I'll take that as a yes." she stated simply.

Shin sighed, "There's a dance in a few days and she's going with some guy named Reiji. She's really excited about going, I think."

"But..."

"I don't know." he shrugged. "I should feel happy for her, but I feel...different."

Saori cocked an eyebrow, "Overprotective, perhaps?"

Another shrug, "Perhaps. I'm not sure."

Saori placed her elbows on her chin and her head on her palms. "So who are you going with?"

"Me? I'm going alone."

Her smiling face soon darkened into a slight frown, "Alone? That doesn't sound right for a dance." Then just as suddenly, a mischievous grin formed on her lips. "Perhaps I should accompany you?"

Shin nearly jumped back into another table, "Saori-san!"

Saori crackled in laughter, "I'm just kidding, Shin. I wouldn't want to embarrass you. Or worse, make you popular." she added with the same grin.

Shin sighed deeply at being teased...by his boss, no less. Saori lifted her from her seat. "You're a good guy, Shin. But you shouldn't try to do everything alone." She then lent a hand on his shoulder. "Just remember that you have friends."

Shin gave a small smile and nodded, "I'll remember."

Saori nodded back and then turned around, "Well. You have work to finish. Try not to daydream so much this time."

"Okay."

As Saori left to check on the others, Shin went to the next table. As he began, he now thought about Saori. Not in the way most would have. She was a really attractive woman, but he never looked at her that way. As her employee, that would look bad. Besides, the way she acted around him seemed parental, maybe even sisterly. But wasn't that how he was supposed to feel about Rei? Whatever he felt between himself and Saori, it definitely wasn't the same with him and Rei. Not anymore...

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

After work, Shin sped his way home, but stopped briefly in the street. Seeing no one around, he pointed his fingers up and disappeared. He reappeared on top of one of the buildings and stood on the edge. Taking a breath, his golden eyes lift toward the clouds. The stars barely shone through and even the moon wasn't bright enough to peek through. 'Strange' he mused to himself. 'I'm an eagle, yet I seem to enjoy the night more.' He bent his knee and sat on the edge of the roof. His mind soon became as the clouds in the sky. His feelings for Rei were not as they used to be. Ever since the night before, he had felt different. That and his sudden dislike for Reiji made him more curious about his own emotions. Why did he react that way? Was it really the reaction of a caretaker watching his charge? Or was it something else?

Was there something...far deeper?