R&R and thanks to everyone who already reviewed. Updates will be faster (hopefully) since both my friend and I are updating.

Tala slowly trudged up to the rooftop where Kai and Kira were still sitting happily.

"It's almost summer vacation." Kira commented. "I remember I first met you up here in the springtime."

"Really?"

Kira nodded happily smiling at him, despite the fact that his eyes were closed. All of a sudden, a violin melody started playing. Kai took out his cell phone and read the text message he just received.

'Kai, can you come with me to the photo studio for my photo shoot tonight? I'll wait for you at my apartment at 8. 3 MingMing'

"I have something else to do. I'm going to go now." He replied, not even trying to hide the fact that he was leaving because of the text message he just received.

"OK"

He took out a card and handed it to Kira.

"What's this?"

"MingMing's birthday invitation. She really hopes you can make it."

He got off the ledge as he walked off.

"Will you go?"

"Hm?"

"MingMing wanted me to ask."

"Um… I guess."

Lei walks away and Kira takes out the invitation and looks at it. Then she got off the ledge and slowly walks toward the door with her head bowed down staring at the fancy invitation. She was walking through the door when she sees Tala staring at her calmly. His icy gaze almost made her shiver.

"What are you standing there for? You almost scared me to death!" She commented gasping.

Tala didn't reply as he just kept on staring, his anger almost radiating off him at this point.

'This guy is so weird. He doesn't even bother answering me. He thinks he's so high and mighty!' "Tala, I have to go home now, can you let me through?" She asked seeing as he was blocking the stairway.

She tries to go around him but his hand shot out and grabbed her under her chin tightly.

"You're not leaving. You cheap bitch! You actually have the guts to mock me? The Ivanov heir?" He started out calmly but ended up yelling loudly.

"What are you talking about? Let go of me!" She yelled with equal velocity although her voice was laced with fear, as were he crimson eyes.

"It's all your fault!"

"What did I do now!"

"YOU UNDERSTAND VERY WELL WHAT YOU DID!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"You dare to betray me!"

He pulled his hand back and slammed a fist right next to Kira's head on the wall. Kira screamed in shock. Had she not moved her head out of pure fear he would have actually hit her, the wall next to her head wasn't so fortunate, seeing as Tala had managed to create a nice fist-sized dent in it, with pieces still crumbling off.

'He's actually for real. But his expression doesn't seem quite right.' She thought to herself.

Seeing Tala's eyes glaze over in thought, she took this opportunity and ran for her life, pushing the redhead aside.

"HELP!" She screamed, slamming her bag against Tala's head with no avail, as he easily blocked it with one arm.

Tala just stood there for a few minutes before chasing after her.

Kira ran up the stairs yelling, "HELP! HELP! HELP! DON'T COME OVER!"

Tala took a breath and went running after to her. After only a brief second Tala had successfully cornered Kira to the wall. Kira's breath hitched as Tala stared at her with an almost hate filled eyes.

"NO, Don't come near me!" Kira shook her head violently.

Tala turquoise eyes moved back and forth as he watched her struggle back and forth, finally he got sick of it and just grabbed her by the neck, pinning her to the wall.

Kira face went red almost immediately. "Tala…don't…what are you doing?"

Tala looked lost, his turquoise eyes stared blankly at her, feeling no shame at all. It was almost as if his eyes were dead, instead of their usual icy gaze.

Tears were falling down Kira's cheeks now, "Tala…" she managed to choke out as more tears roll down her cheek.

Her tears finally seemed to get through to the enraged and out of control Tala back to his senses and he pulls back, breathing deeply. Once Tala's hold on her slipped, Kira slowly slid down to the floor, with her hand over her face, sobbing her heart out. Tala kneeled down in front of her and struggled to control his emotions.

Tala avoided her eyes and softly replied "Don't cry…"

He puts a hand on her neck softly and leaning his forehead against hers, he gives her a kiss on her forehead before moving to sit down next to her, his back leaning against the wall while she continued to cry.

"Don't cry… " He paused briefly taking shallow breath "I won't hurt you again. I promise"

That night, Kira slowly made her way home wearing a turtleneck to cover the finger marked neck and stands in front of the doorway looking at the door with her eyes swollen from her crying. Fixing her hair, she wiped the last streak of tears from her face before opening the door.

Kira found her voice and called out "Mom, Dad, I'm back."

She heard her Mom's voice yelling from the kitchen yelling "You're back? Come have dinner."

"Ok."

It seems her mom had finally noticed that she wasn't wearing the same clothes that she had worn when she went to school this morning because she asked, "Why are you wearing that? Whose sweater is that?"

Kira raked her head for a quick excuse, "It was cold, so I borrowed it from a classmate."

Her mom seemed to have believed her because she said, "Ok, ok. Hurry up and come eat dinner."

Over at the Ivanov mansion, Tala is sitting in the huge living room holding out his right hand, while a maid is helping him bandage it up.

After Kira gets into bed, she couldn't sleep so she sits back up on her bed.

Kira held the blanket to her chest and thinks to herself 'What exactly happened? Why? What exactly is wrong with that fellow? In the morning, he was still welcoming people with a happy smile on his face. Makes one really uncertain what exactly he is thinking about.'

/ Flashback//

"It's all your fault!"

"What did I do now!"

"YOU UNDERSTAND VERY WELL WHAT YOU DID!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"You dare to betray me!"

He pulled his hand back and slammed a fist right next to Kira's head on the wall. Kira screamed in shock. Had she not moved her head out of pure fear he would have actually hit her, the wall next to her head wasn't so fortunate, seeing as Tala had managed to create a nice fist-sized dent in it, with pieces still crumbling off.

/ End of flashback. /

Kira never thought he was that strong. Even using all my strength to struggle is no use."

While Tala is having his hand bandaged by the maid, he is also reminiscing about the event that happen that day.

He thought about it for a moment and said out loud "what exactly was I doing!"

Kira said to herself "That's not the normal Tala. I never thought that guys could be this terrifying. What exactly did he want to do?"

Next morning, back at school, Tala stuck a big note on the school's bulletin board.

The note read:

"No one bully Kira again! Tala Ivanov."

A whole bunch of students stood in front of the bulletin board talking about the notice when Kira herself walks over. Peering through all the heads, she sees the note on the bulletin board and stood there with her head down trying to figure out what it means. The students finally see her and all the talking ceased as they all turn and stared at Kira. Noticing that it had suddenly gone very quiet, Kira looks up and notices all the stares that are directed at her. Bending her head down, Kira quickly runs away from their staring eyes.

Later, Emily is slowly walking with Kira.

Emily reaches in her bag and pulls out a card "Right. Did you receive Ming Ming's birthday invitation card?"

Kira smiled and nods her head. "Yes. You got it too?"

Emily nods her head "When I just received Ming Ming's invitation card, I was so happy! This is my first time attending a dinner banquet! But I really don't know what to wear to attend to a dinner banquet. Yet the time is coming closer and closer and I'm feeling more and more troubled."

Kira grimed "Why get upset over a little thing such as that?"

Emily stopped walking and looked at her "It's because of a scholarship that I can be a Bakuten University's student. I really don't know what to wear to attend a dinner banquet. Even though I don't want to admit it, but there are times when I have to lie to myself and say a person can be poor, but his ambition is not poor."

That afternoon, Kira goes to the parking lot to pick up her scooter and finds a gift box hanging on her scooter. She stands there staring at the box and then looks to her left and right with a curious expression before picking the box up. Untying the pink ribbon on the box, she opens it up to find a beautiful, long yellow dress inside.

Kira took the dress out, eyes widening in awe "Wow! Such a pretty dress!"

After staring at the dress for a few more seconds, she reaches inside the box and pulls out a card to find a note written on it.

Kira. This present is for you 3 Dao Ming Si."

Kira reads the note, with an angry tone "Tala! That damn stupid, idiotic dumbass that won't go away! Did something this mean to me and now he's giving me a present! You think if you do this I'll forgive you? Looking down on people!" She quickly crumbles the dress together in her hands and attempts to throw it away. " Who wants your stupid gift!"

She stops suddenly as a thought comes to mind.

She sub-consciously put a hand to her chin and smiled. "Even if I return it to him, he won't be able to wear it." She laughed at the thought of Tala in a dress. " I should give it to Emily. She just happens to need this."

Back at Kira's home, Salima is sitting on Kira's bed while Kira's telling her about the incident with Tala.

Salima (A/N I realized I've been spelling Salima wrong all this time) yelled with an incredulous tone "You're lying! Something like that really happened!"

Kira nods her head while she folds her clothes.

Salima folded her arms "Then wasn't it very frightening?"

Kria stopped folding her cloth and sat down beside Salima."That's why I don't dare to tell anyone about this. I only dare to tell you."

Salima looks as if she's still doubting the fact that the great Tala Ivanov would do something like that "But why did Tala suddenly almost killed you? And then he sends you a present? He wants to apologize to you? Why is he so confusing?"

Kira stood up and continue to fold her cloth. Rolling her eyes she replied "Right. I really can't figure that idiot out. In the morning, he was normal, making jokes. Acting like he's god.. "

She breaks off as she remembers back to that scene again.

Salmia hopped off the bed and waited eagerly for Kira to continue " And what? What did Tala do?"

Kira bit her lip "Orh, nothing. I just don't know exactly what he was thinking about over Salima signed in desperation and flopped back to the bed "Really?"

Kira looked up at the ceiling light "Really. Moreover, after I received the gift, I haven't seen him. He probably skipped."

Kira gasped slightly as she remembered something. Suddenly, she reaches into her bag and pulls out Ming Ming's invitation card.

"Salima I never asked you to do anything for me before but I'm asking you if you would please go with me to this, ok?" She putted on a pouting face and hands Salima the card.

Salima laughed and went on opening the envelope to see the card, "Invitation? Invitation card? Eh, isn't this sent by Ming Ming?"

Kira slowly nodded her head, "Please go with me. Because I don't want to refusing her. Go with me together. In any case, Daichi and Emily will also be going."

Salima raised an eyebrow, "Who's Daichi?"

Kira quickly explained to her "You don't know? I didn't tell you? Daichi is my schoolmate from elementary school. He's a very nice person. Very cute. Moreover, he's studying in Bakuten now. I think you would not have a problem getting along with him. Please go with me."

Salima pretends to hesitate "Mmm…"

Kira put her hands together and said "Please?"

Salima stuck out her tongue and replied "Fine, fine. But what are we wearing? Didn't you give your dress to Emily?"

"That's where my crisis comes in. I'm still thinking…"

Out of nowhere her Mom's came happily in the room holding a bowl of fruits "Come, come, come, Salima, have some…"

Kira eyes went wide as she realized the invitation card is still in Salima's hands. She stuck her arm out and tried to get it back before her crazy money loving mother sees it. She managed to get it and quickly hids it behind her back, but not before her Mom saw it.

Her Mom looks suspiciously at Kira's hands which are hidden behind her back

"…fruit" Kira said hopefully her Mom would believe it.

Much to her horror her Mom reached behind her and grabbed the card from her hands. "What is this?"

Kira nervously replied "It's nothing! It's a birthday card."

Mrs. Tagoshi apparently wasn't as stupid as she thought because she replied "Birthday card? Birthday card is has Happy Birthday on the front. But this only has one word called Invitation! Invitation is…invitation card! Is Tala inviting you two to his birthday?"

Kira shouted "No!"

She qiuckly reached for the card again to prevent her Mom from opening it any farther.

Her Mom pushed her hands away and said "Let me see, let me see… MingMing Teng. Is it that Teng Enterprise? Is it that biggest company that holds the eight biggest different types of organization? Have investments from steel to manufacturing types of organizations, THAT Teng Enterprise!"

Salima's mouth dropped as she watched Kira's Mom recite this information from memory "Wow, Mrs. Tagoshi is so impressive! Your expression just now is like Channel 4's stock broker teacher!"

Mrs. Tagoshi just gave a weird look to Salima "Right! You must go! What are you hesitating about, daughter? Is your head not clear again?"

Kira tries to grab the card from Mom's hand again "Mom!"

"This kind of party, there would be lots of rich people there. If it's not Tala Ivanov then it's Ivanov Tala. If you just randomly catches one… You two must go and take them all by surprise!"

Kria growled and with one final try she managed to grab the card "Mom, stop talking!"

Salima, certainly not feeling Kira's discomfort cheerfully said "Actually Kira is worrying about what to wear."

Kira gasped and grabbed Salima by the shoulders and gave her a death glare "You're still Talking! Stop NOW!"

Mrs. Tagoshi watched as Kira shaked Salima's shoulder and quickly pulls kira away "Eh, Salima You really are outstanding. What to wear? Has this been worrying you two for a long time? Gees this little thing should have left it up to me! Back in the old days, twenty years ago, Mom was the class drag queen.."

Salima looked really excited and said "Really? That's so great!"

Kira whacked Salima on the head "Great your head! Didn't you hear my mom say that she is going to fix us like a drag queen"

Her mom gave a laugh. " Definitely not lie a drag queen but it's definitely going to be very pink, very bright, and very pretty small powdered ball."

A little later, Kira's mom dresses both Kira and Salima up. Kira is left with wearing a light purple dress with a big flower on the right shoulder, a pair of spider webbed stockings and a pair of knee high gold colored boots. Salima, on the other hand, is wearing a frilly black and hot pink thin strap dress that falls to above her knees.

Salima stood there in the dress looking very uncomfortable, "Mrs. Tagoshi, our clothes doesn't seem too right."

Kira nodded her head in agreement: "Right."

R&R