This chapter is rather random to me…ahahaha….. I hope it doesn't bore you… I'm sorry I took so long to update….Had writer's block… It isn't very good, but I've done my best… This chapter is based a lot on Fuyu and Anna, a weird sort of mother/daughter relationship... Please review! Thank you!

Chapter 4: Lesson Learnt

Asuna Usui backed nervously away from the crowd, unsure if she should continue to make her way into the school hall, where the whole school, consisting of the kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school would be having a Founder's Day banquet together.

Someone pushed her roughly from behind just as she decided, with a shake of her head, that she would just go home, causing her to stumble and fall with a sharp cry.

"Loser," The boy who pushed her sneered from behind, and Asuna felt hot tears welling in her eyes, "You can't even stand properly!"

As Asuna struggled to stand up while the other students sniggered, a familiar, warm hand pulled her up by her arm, and looking up, she saw her cousin, Tao Rin, standing beside her with Fuyu, Hana, Areno, Kyo, Soujiro and Mayura.

"Hey," Fuyu began with a frown, staring coldly at the boy who had pushed Asuna, "How'd you like being pushed onto the ground and then called a Loser, you punk?"

"Fu-Fuyu… Forget it…" Asuna whispered, terrified to see her so angry, but Rin only pulled Asuna gently back, silently advising her not to interfere.

Not giving the boy a chance to interrupt her, Fuyu continued, "How'd you like it if I told a teacher that you've been bullying Asuna every single day since you've met her, just because she shows no resistance whatsoever, hmm?"

"Fuyu sis… let's go in and ignore this idiot," Hana suggested; the dangerous glint in his sister's eyes showed him that she might just snap and do something mean, and he didn't want that to happen. "We can tell the teacher after the banquet, there's no point in ruining this event now…"

When Fuyu showed no sign of relenting, and Hana tugged hopelessly at his stubborn sister's bag, looking sheepish, Areno stepped forward, and wordlessly grabbed Fuyu by the arm gently, leading the surprised girl into the hall.

"Ah… Areno, why…" Fuyu began, confused, as Kyo and the others hurried after them. "I… don't like brawls in front of kids like Rin, Soujiro and Asuna…It will scare them…" Areno replied flatly, and without saying more, they dived into the crowd of students, and disappeared from sight.

After School. On the way home

"Is aunty Jun and uncle Ryu cooking lunch today?"

Hana asked Kyo, and he nodded. "We should head straight home." Kyo told them.

"Well, I want to the teacher and tell her about Asuna being bullied!" Fuyu declared, still sore over the fact that she hadn't given the boy a good thrashing. Asuna opened her mouth, looking panicky, and Soujiro said quietly, "Asuna doesn't want you to, Fuyu sis, so just leave it be, alright?"

"Well then, you all should have allowed me to give him a punch just now," Fuyu grumbled, swinging her bag pack violently over a shoulder and stalking angrily towards the Funbari Onsen, "I'm itching to kill that idiot."

"Well, if I were you, Fuyu," Matilda said, "I wouldn't wanna waste my time on people like him, y'know?" She did a lively skip and walked beside Fuyu, who growled in return, but said nothing when she saw her parents standing outside the Onsen, waiting to greet them.

"Mum, dad." Fuyu said stiffly, not looking at her parents as she approached. "Hello, Fuyu," Yoh said with a pleasant smile," How was school today?" he added, glancing at all the other children. Hana beamed. "It was great! There was so much food during the banquet…" He trailed off, looking dreamy, and everyone laughed. Even, Anna, who hardly showed much emotion, gave one of her rare smiles, but turned sober when she saw Fuyu's angry look.

"Did something happen?" She asked quickly, glancing at Fuyu before looking at the other children, who were looking slightly guilty.

"Well…"Hana mumbled hesitantly, "Just a little bit of problem before the banquet, but..."

"It's fine, aunty," Areno interrupted quietly after glancing at Asuna and Fuyu, "It's all been settled, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Really…" Anna wasn't convinced.

"Really." Areno assured her, but Anna saw more than 'a little problem' in Fuyu's brown eyes, which were narrowed, and said, very softly, "Fuyu, come with me. Yoh, lead the others into the dining hall for lunch, please."

And as Fuyu stalked off silently with her mother into the backyard, Yoh led the children into the house, saying, "I don't know what has happened just now, but if it's something important, you'd better tell an adult, okay?"

The children didn't answer.

"Fuyu."

"…"

"What happened in school?"

No reply.

Anna glared at her stubborn daughter, who squatted glumly beside the pond, her skinny hand dangling in the water. She decided not to raise her voice.

"Fuyu," Anna began again, taking a deep breath to keep her voice down, "Will you please tell me what happened?"

"Asuna's been bullied," Fuyu snapped, glaring up at her mother, "and just because she doesn't want anyone to know about it, Hana and the others just pretend that nothing has happened. Why can't they see that the bullying will only get worse if the teachers aren't aware?"

Anna stared thoughtfully into the water before answering, "Well, Fuyu, you're right, it will get worse if the teachers aren't alerted, but if telling the teachers make Asuna unhappy, then it is better not to let them know."

"Not you too, mum!" Fuyu cried, exasperated, but Anna's stern glance silenced her.

"You see, what you can do is get Soujiro and Rin to stick with Asuna whenever they are having lessons at the elementary school. The bullies won't dare to hurt Asuna if she has friends by her side. They pick on her because she's always alone, but with Soujiro's firm and unyielding personality and Rin's calmness, there is nothing the bullies can do."

"But what if Soujiro and Rin get picked on too?" Fuyu argued; sometimes, she really doesn't know what her mother is thinking.

"Then you can alert the teacher, "Anna answered, "Because if they get picked on too, then it would no longer be Asuna's problem alone, do you understand?"

"No! No I don't, and I don't think I ever will understand mum's logic!" Fuyu burst out exasperatedly, "Shouldn't we tell the teachers so that they know what is going on!"

"By right, we should, Fuyu," Anna explained, losing her patience, "But if Asuna doesn't want to let the teachers know, and you go ahead and tell them anyway, it will make her unhappy, and she might do things like skipping classes, which is even worse! At least, if Rin and Soujiro stick by her and defend her, Asuna will have a better time going through all the taunting, because she is not alone!"

She stopped to catch her breath, and Fuyu's expression softened considerably as she said, rather grudgingly, "Fine, I'll listen to you, but I really don't think it's going to work."

"Think as you like, Fuyu," Anna told her, "The result will prove to be a valuable lesson for a headstrong person like you."

When Fuyu joined the other children for the study session after their lunch, she told them about Anna's advice, and they all decided to follow it, and see how it turns out.

A month later

"Mum."

"Huh?"

Anna turned away from her accounts and saw Fuyu standing behind her, looking sheepish.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Anna asked curiously. Fuyu almost fell when she heard Anna ask that.

"I mean…" She began, not believing that her mother had forgotten all about their argument a month ago, "Last time, about my arguments on Asuna being bullied…I was wrong to argue about it…and I was wrong to doubt your words, so I'm sorry."

It took a while for Anna to realize what Fuyu was talking about, and when she did, she just smiled.

"So Asuna's doing okay, right?" She asked, and Fuyu nodded silently. "That's good,' Anna commented, "And I'm glad that you seem to be doing well in school too."

"It's because Kyo and Hana always help me when I meet problems with my work," Fuyu replied stoutly, unused to having a conversation after she's apologized, "Well, I'll get going, then…"

"Ok. Please continue to work hard and look after the young ones when we adults are too busy to."

Fuyu blushed when she heard her mother's words- Even after being so rude and stubborn and silly, Anna still trusted her so much, and even asked her to shoulder the responsibility of looking after the children…

"I'll do my best, mum.' She said quietly, and, hearing a hint of guilt in Fuyu's voice, Anna turned back to her work with a satisfied smile, glad that her daughter had matured.