Chapter 4

"Itsumo kokoro we hoshi itsuka
Dare kato mata koi ne otshitemo
Itsomo kokoro ne eiro itsumo
Anata dake no basho ga aru kara", Franchine sang and sang again. It was midday and Misaki was still asleep. Well, that is before Franchine sang in her most off key voice.

"HOUJ, SHUT UP! CAN'T YOU SEE I STILL WANT TO SLEEP!" yelled Miaski on the top of her lungs.

"Wake up sleeping beauty! Rise and shine! It's a wonderful day today. The D-day. Remember?" Franchine reminded her sister slyly.

Miaski rolled over and groaned. "Don't remind me… You know how I hate taking orders from obnoxious persons. Much less stupid, obnoxious, crazy, red headed dragons!"

"You don't remember me… but I remember you…" hummed Franchine.

"Oh, SHUT UP!"

"You're telling me… you're the one who's head over heels incrush' with Tasuki here." Franchine mildly chided her sister.

"Go away, Houj", Miaski said weakly starting towards the bathroom. After some thought, added, "And to remind you, my dear imotusan, you were the one who's head over heels IN LOVE with dear Chichiri even though you know that he's too old for you."

"He's not old. And I'm not head over heels in love with him," clarified Franchine while standing outside the bathroom waiting for her sister to finish bathing, "I just said he looks
cute."

"Houjun, you can't hide anything from me, I'm your sister. And I happen to know that even a simple word or gesture could have a different meaning in your head", said Miaski stepping
out of the bathroom.

"Well…"

"Well, what? Can't find a suitable answer?"

"It's not that, just that… we better hurry", she finished lamely.

They ran to the dining room expecting to see everyone still there. But no, only Chichiri and Tasuki were there, talking and drinking tea – at least Chichiri is, Tasuki's drinking sake. Chichiri saw them and invited them to breakfast.

"Gee, thanks", said Franchine, "by the way, I'm really sorry for taking your kasa without permission. Here, as good as new".

She handed the kasa to Chichiri and smiled in deep apology. She was blushing furiously. Chihiri wandered why but did not ask aloud.

Miaski raised her chin a little higher and looked at Tasuki in a not-so-sorry way. "Here", she said thrusting the necklace to Tasuki.

"Shun, don't be rude. Say sorry", interrupted Franchine.

Tasuki was about to say something but Miaski beat him to it. "K, fine, I'm sorry", she said, sounding not so sorry at all!

Tasuki just threw her a look that would make the fainthearted shriek and the bravest man quiver on his toes. But Miaski paid no heed, instead, she returned Tasuki's look with one of her own. An unusual kind that tends to force hard-core guys to apologize as quickly as a Sanada Yukimura wouldn't hesitate to kill his brother, Sanada Nayuki, for a chance to have a match with Omine no Kyo.

"Franchine, why do you keep on calling Miaski, Shun?" asked Chichiri in effort to break the tension barrier.

It was Franchine's turn to feel how it is on the hot seat. She exchanged a startled look with Miaski. "Well, you see, um… err… that's my nick for her and because she's fond of shunning
people away", she added thinking fast.

"Well, don't do it in front of or within Tasuki's hearing span", Chichiri said nonchalantly.

"But why?" Franchine asked innocently though she already knew why. Miaski might not admit it but it's obvious she likes Tasuki.

"Because Tasuki's real name is Kou Shun'u, no da", Chichiri explained calmly. "Nuriko told me to command your life in the next seven days, no da. I tried to tell him that it's all right
and that you won't have to do your punishment but he insisted so, let's start your punishment, no da."

"What about Shun'u?" Franchine asked the Shun'u sounding much like shoon you' instead of shun you'.

Chichiri sighed and asked, "Which one?"

"My sister of course!"

"Well, let's leave them two so they could talk."

"Okay", agreed Franchine as she leaned down to kiss her sister's cheek, "see you later, SHUN'U". She said this with as much meaning as she could muster.

"See you later, HOUJUN", Miaski threw back. Chichiri threw her a startled gaze. But Miaski was quick to recover. "What I mean to say is see you later Hu-chan", she said.

Franchine almost tripped at Miaski's lapse but managed to recover and followed Chichiri out of the dining room.

"I don't really think it's wise to leave those two there all alone. For all we know, they'd be after each other's throats any minute now", Franchine said to Chichiri.

"Don't think such", he said comfortingly, "Tasuki won't hurt your sister."

"But you don't know my sister", Franchine replied, she stopped walking, "she tends to say things that could make the most calm tempered man in the whole world raving with anger".

Chichiri had no chance to reply when a frustrated shout was heard.

"YOUNG LADY, GIVE THAT BACK!"

"GIVE BACK WHAT? THIS IS NOT YOURS, IT BELONGS TO MY FAMILY!"

"BUT IT'S MINE!"

"OH YEAH? HAVEN'T YOU HEARD THE SAYING? FINDERS KEEPERS, LOOSERS WEEPERS?"

"WHY YOU-!"

Chichiri threw Franchine a startled look and Franchine retaliated with an I-told-you-so look. And they both ran back to the dining room. When they arrived there, they found tables overturned, plates broken and the whole room in a mess. Miaski and Tasuki are in a corner of the room shouting at the top of their lungs despite the nearness of each other. Chichiri used his magic to immobilize the two.

"I hate to say this but I told you so", said Franchine in hushed tones.

"So you think I could let them go now?" asked Chichiri throwing Franchine an inquiring look.

"Oh, you really should! That is, if you can stand the noise", she said nonchalantly.

"What about you?"

"Me? I'm so used to it, I could sleep on it and wake up as though nothing had happened. But if I'm the one who angered Miaski, well, um… never mind…" she finished lamely.

Chichiri threw her a questioning look at which she ignored by saying that he ought to let the two go. But the truth is that every time Miaski's angry at Franchine, Franchine would end up
with either crying or attempt suicide which never got past the mixing of acids state.

Chichiri let go of the two and held his breath for the endless tirade but it never came. Miaski still looked stubborn and Tasuki was fuming badly. On Miaski's hand was a very valuable
looking watch at which Franchine thought familiar. Something snapped in Franchine's head.

"Hey! Miaski, don't tell me you've been to my things again…" Franchine asked suspiciously.

"I am not! I saw you drop this when you went out with Chichiri", she replied.

"Shun, I happen to know that I was not wearing it this morning," Franchine said in a low voice.

"Ok. I was about to as permission from you when we arrived here but you went out abruptly with Chichiri. And when he saw it, he lunged for it and so our argument issued.

Franchine turned to Tasuki, she raised her eyebrows, quite familiar to one Miaski loved to use. "Well?" she asked pointedly.

"Well, what?" Tasuki said arrogantly.

Franchine took a deep calming breath. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

Franchine saw Chichiri rolling his eyes but she chose to ignore it. "Did you try to take it from my sister?" she asked Tasuki, holding on to her patience.

"Damn right, he did!" confirmed Miaski.

"Shun, let me hear his side of the story."

Miaski stared at Tasuki below her nose but chose not to reply.

"Ok, I did try to get it from her but I did NOT lunge for it."

"Well, then, that's fine enough," Franchine dismissed, turning to her sister, "Shunny, I'll take the watch. And please don't make another scene like this… you know it breaks my heart."

After saying this, Franchine walked out of the room with Chichiri.

Miaski stared at Tasuki, she heaved a sigh, "Well, I guess, for my sister sake, I have to be at my best attitude."

"That's no problem. But I doubt if ye have any. Best attitudes I mean," Tasuki said slyly.

Flames started to form within Miaski's eyes but she withheld her temper. Instead, she retaliated with her honey-sweet smile a.k.a. 100-megawatt smile. "Ye bet I do," Miaski said confidently adapting, Tasuki's language.

Tasuki's brows went up, he smirked at her revealing his fangs but left the statement unanswered. He motioned for her to follow him and went out. Miaski was blushing furiously by the time Tasuki has turned his back. She didn't expect that Tasuki would smile at her or, for this particular situation, smirk at her. She followed doggedly behind him and smirked herself as she started planning numerous insults to throw his way.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!

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