Yamato stuffed half a cookie into his mouth, swung his bag over his shoulder and walked out to the doorway. He tossed his hair back and jammed his shoes on, "Dad," he called, "I'm going to school now, TK's already gone!" he said and looked up to his dad sitting in his office and barricaded with papers. "Dad?"

"Hmm? Oh ye…mn, yeah," he accurately replied with the wave of a hand.

Yamato tilted his head, "And by the way, did I mention I'm not coming home till midnight?" he called.

"Uh yeah, sure, TK," he repeated he gestures.

"Or maybe I can't come home considering I'm going off to marry Daisy. Yeah, she's this woman who I met last week in this crazy party!"

"…huh, okay, have a great time."

"Thanks, and I forgot—we might even get married at my young age of thir-teen! And we already adopted TK so don't expect him to come home either!" he shouted. "Actually, TK's getting married too!"

"Okay, okay, tell me later, Yamato I have work to do."

Yamato sighed and shook his head then headed out the door. After he was gone, Masaharu ran his hand through his rigid and sweaty hair that felt warm for it had been brushing against the heated lamp for the whole night as Masaharu worked. Folding his arms as he leaned down his chair, Masaharu gazed up the roof.

He sighed, "I'm getting to old for this…that girl is going to be the cause of my death!" he threw his arms down and let it dangle beside his chair.

-Last Night-

"They're what?" Masaharu exclaimed. "Kaiba Kyoto's alive!"

Mishiru raised his hands, "Calm down, Masaharu, I had expected you to take this in a more relaxed manner?"

"Of course, forgive me," Masaharu said and Mishiru nodded. Masaharu began pacing back and forth. "I guess we've put our guards down too much that even I didn't know this. The girl—uh, Mimi! Do they know you have her?"

"Apparently so, Kyoto's men have been hunting for us—and you—for the past year now but I managed to sneak off to another place every time."

"Why didn't you just kill them?"

Mishiru shook his head, "It was too much for me alone to handle. And besides, defenses are what I excel in, not offense," he sighed and cleaned his glasses. "The poor girl, I've had to move us so many times now she can't keep her life straight, no friends, no one to talk to. Tell me this is worth deteriorating a child's life."

"It is when that girl is the key to destroying other lives. And you have to think about it, people will get suspicious if this girl passed through five birthdays and still looked twelve."

"I have enrolled Mimi into Odaiba where I hope she'll stay for a long while, enough to make her happy," Mishiru replied. He sighed, putting his hands to his head and grabbing a handful of hair. "Speaking of which, what are we going to do now that Kyoto's come out to play sooner than we had expected?"

Burying his face in his hands, Masaharu answered, "I honestly have no idea. We're just gonna have to wing it all from now, but we must keep Project Shattered Mirror in keep close and hidden from public as much as we can."

Mishiru grunted, "Could you please, call her by her name?" he asked rather sarcastically. "What about your sons, are they not in danger now too?"

Masaharu snapped his head up and bolted up from his chair, his eyes widening the second he called their names, "Yamato! Takeru! Now where could those two have gone so early?"

-----

Folding his arms as he leaned down his chair, Yamato heaved a long sigh and pondered how long it'll be until lunch comes along.

"Good morning, Yamato."

Yamato laid his hands down and looked at who it was; a smile went across his lips, "Oh. Hi, Sora." He greeted as the red-head girl sat herself next to him. "What's new?"

Sora stuck her tongue out playfully, "My parents are taking me to Hong Kong just before spring starts. Can you believe it? Hong Kong! They want to take me to watch the snow melt and the first flower blossom, and then we're going for a picnic."

"Sounds, great…"

"So what are you and your family planning to do?"

Yamato grinned, "Oh. Well, my dad promised to take us on a picnic a long time ago too…though I guess his promise went on a picnic too now…"

"Aw, well don't worry. Give him a chance; don't give up on him yet, Yamato. Watch, I'm sure he'll come through one day?"

Yamato nodded, "Yeah, yeah I guess you're right, Sora! I should never give up on something I really believe in."

"Class, settle down and take your seats please," the teacher announced as she strolled into the classroom and stopped in front of her desk. "Class has begun, take your seats, I have an announcement."

"Great," Yamato groaned and laid his head on his crossed arms. "Probably another boring update on her love life doesn't she ever stop and think how gross that is?" Sora giggled silently.

The teacher seemed to have heard his remark for she didn't breathe a word about that, "We have a new exchange student joining us today from—Hong Kong," she said amusingly and caught everyone's attention. "She will be with us for a little while and I hope for all of you to make her feel welcome. You may come in, Mimi."

Mimi, what a bogus name, Yamato chuckled at his thought when suddenly a brunette poked her head from the doors and caught his eye. She wore a pick turtle-neck, a brown skirt that matched her boots as well, she had round-hazel eyes that eyed and seemed to smile at the room as so did her rosy-lips. Murmurs and whispers echoed around the room the girl walked in front.

"Hello, everyone," she bent half her body and smiled. "My name is Mimi Tachikawa and I'll be here with all of you for a while—I hope longer. I'm very excited to get to know you all as I hope you get to know me." she picked her head up and Yamato suddenly felt she was smiling at him.

"Thank you, Mimi," the teacher smiled. "Now, why don't we place you…there, right in front of Sora Takenouchi. Sora, raise your hands please so she knows who you are."

Sora did so and flashed a friendly smile at Mimi as she headed towards her. Yamato snapped himself back and leaned towards Sora, "She's gonna be a teacher's pet," he slightly sang and laughed to himself and Sora nudged him, apparently the teacher noticed this too.

"Matt Ishida!" she scowled and sent him stiffening to his seat. "I'm quite surprised you get As as much as you talk. Now, please be quiet while class is in session, maybe Mimi here can show you how to keep those rude remarks to yourself."

"Hn, yes, ma'am," Yamato recited as Mimi sat down. When the teacher turned around Yamato turned his head to Sora and kept his eyes on Mimi, "Told you. What kind of name is Mimi?"

"Better than having name after something you wipe your feet on," the girl called Mimi, answered.