And my excuse for a late update is my mad jetlag. I have been travelling from the UK to the US to Japan for various things, so I have jetlag no matter where I go.

Thanks for all the reviews! I loved reading them. And many thanks to Kelly, who has taken the time to proofread and Americanise my writing for the US fanbase this site has.

Chapter 10: The First Day

When Kari awoke the next morning, she found she had fallen asleep on TK's bed.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of the night before. She thought of every fiery kiss they shared, each of TK's warm touches, everything had seemed so surreal. Never in her life did she think she would fall for TK Takaishi. Even more, never in her life did she think TK Takaishi would fall for her.

But things like this happened every day, and it happened to them.

Therefore, she planned to enjoy every single, waking moment of it.

Smiling uncontrollably, she stretched her arms, grabbed TK's pillow, and hugged it to her face.

And that's when she realised TK was gone.

Rika slowly opened her eyes, the sunny new morning greeting her cheerfully, begging to be seen through her squinted eyes. An upbeat whistle emanated from Ryo's closet. The room smelled of a heavenly breakfast, a scent Ryo probably brought from the breakfast table in the lobby.

It was such a perfect morning, and Rika despised every detail about it. Her back hurt from sleeping on such an awkward position, and she had woken up countless times during the night due to other uncomfortable positions.

Ryo emerged from his closet, dressed in, oddly enough, a suit. The only thing missing in the ensemble was a tie.

"Good morning, Rika," he said cheerfully, throwing the missing tie around his neck. "Sleep well?"

"Yes."

"That's great to hear!" He walked to where she was, took the remote control, and changed the television station to the weather. "Sunny all day at twenty-three degrees! Isn't that great?"

"Wonderful." Rika narrowed her eyes. "Why are you so happy? And why are you dressed like that?"

Ryo chuckled and began to work with his tie. "I'm going somewhere, obviously. You're coming with me, by the way."

"I most certainly will not."

"You most certainly will too." Ryo tightened his tie, positioned it perfectly in place, picked up a watch from the table, and wrapped it around his wrist.

"Um, no, I'm not."

"Um, yeah, you are. You're my date."

"I'm sorry." Rika crossed her arms. "I don't seem to remember ever accepting this date."

"That's because I never asked you for one." Ryo fastened his watch. "Yet, it isn't like we ever have choices around here, do we? Would it make you feel better if I ask? Not that you'll accept, nor will your approval matter."

"Where are you going?"

"We are going to go to some stupid party with our parents. Closing the deal, I'm assuming." Ryo straightened his jacket. "So, how do I look?"

"Like a pillock. Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Oh, you mean I forgot to tell you? I was so sure I told you after your mum told me to tell you a couple days ago. Oops. Sorry." Ryo made his way into the bathroom looking very unsorry—to fix his hair, no doubt. "Your mum wanted you four days ago, by the way."

"Mum, what's going..." Rika faded off, seeing a handful of people running around frantically around her mother's room, holding various beauty and alteration supplies.

"Rika, there you are!" Her mother seized her arm and hurried her to a stool. "We have to hurry, honey. Time is so limited."

"What's going on?" Rika demanded as three people rushed to her side with hair and beauty products.

"Honey, I told you Christmas that we were going to an important party with Mr. Atsushi, Mr. Hagiwara, Mrs. Abukara, and Mr. Akiyama today."

"No, Mum, you didn't." Rika gave a man with scissors an icy glare, warning him not to come near her hair with that. "I don't even know who the first three people are."

"Yes, you do. Mrs. Abukara is the head of the international department at my modelling agency. We've had dinner with her plenty of times. Mr. Hagiwara is the head of the international department at Mr. Akiyama's business, and Mr. Atsushi is the man who will sign the deal for us." Rumiko winced as Rika pushed the hand of a makeup artist away from her face. "Rika, please do us all a favour and cooperate."

"No!" cried another makeup artist to the first who had tried to dab something on her, grabbing Rika by the arm and pulling her next to her. Her accent was heavily French. "I need you to put 'er in a dress before you smo-ther 'er face with makeup. Where are ze dresses?"

Another woman came running to them with a rack of many different dresses, just waiting for Rika to try on. Rika looked horrified as she looked at her mother.

"It's only for a couple hours, please?" Rumiko begged. "Ryo's going, so you won't feel left out."

"Ryo? Eez zat ze boyfriend?"

"No."

"Yes."

"You crazy people, make up your mind! I al'eady 'ave an 'eadache from all zees madness going on een 'ere."

"Yes, that's her date," Rumiko said, giving Rika a look that told her she need not to argue.

"What colour eez 'eez shirt or tie?"

Rumiko and the makeup artist looked at Rika. Rika stared back. "How would I know? It's not like I look at him when I don't need to."

"Went home for the day. Be back at night," Kari read TK's note on her bedroom door. Slight panic took over. Was TK regretting something? Something about her?

No, he couldn't be. He wasn't one of those run-away-from-problems people.

Still, she should call to check up on him. Would that be needy and nosy of her?

She reluctantly reached for her mobile.

"It amazes me how much more girl you are than guy," Matt commented. "Honestly, I thought you were Keira for a second. Did you see her, by the way?"

TK continued to arrange a vase of flowers in order by colour and height. His brother had called him to come due to an 'emergency', and now that he was here, it turned out Matt simply wanted TK's company. "No clue. Who's Keira?""

"Damn." Matt, not really concerned for his girlfriend's wellbeing, nor his brother's curiosity, walked to the refrigerator and took out a can of… beer. "Damn, I'm glad Dad shops a lot. We have nothing to drink around here. Or eat."

He opened the can.

"Yeah, you guys eat a lot," TK added sarcastically. When he had arrived, Matt and his dad were pureeing raw eggs for breakfast. Hardly TK's idea of appetising.

"We should go out and blow all our money to buy Dad crap he'll never eat."

"We could," TK agreed. "But I haven't any money, and I'm sure your girlfriend—I'm assuming she is your girlfriend—will appreciate you leaving her."

"Where is she anyway?" Matt turned his head slightly to the side as if she would be right next to him. And then proceeded to yell her name.

"Maybe she went home."

"Maybe," Matt agreed, as if that was the correct answer. "Or maybe she was never here. I thought I saw her a couple minutes before you came."

"This isn't a mansion, you know." TK walked out of the kitchen and opened a door. "It'll take a total of four seconds to find her if we actually look."

"Nah, want to go grocery shopping with me?"

"No, not really."

"I can't believe you're wearing a dress. I can't believe your dress matches my tie," Ryo said, laughing as he opened the taxi door that the two were to take to the party. "We look like a real couple, don't we?"

Rika lifted her light blue dress and stepped into the taxi. "I'm glad you think it's funny, because I personally find this whole situation appalling."

Ryo got inside as well and told the driver their destination. "Appalling? Why? You look like a redheaded Cinderella. And I'm your Prince Charming, except better-looking."

"And less charming. And not a prince."

Rika angrily threw the hem of her dress aside. She hated dresses, the light blue colour, Ryo, "parties", and taxis where the driver was able to hear every bit of her conversation. So far she was cursed with having to deal with all five.

"Believe me, Rika, if I was a prince, I wouldn't be wasting my winter holiday with the likes of you."

"Yeah, well, if I had somewhat of a choice, I wouldn't be wasting my winter holiday with the likes of you." Rika gathered her carefully styled hair and pulled it up in a dishevelled ponytail, destroying each perfectly placed strand. "Unfortunately, my mum's a dictator, so I don't."

Ryo rolled his eyes and looked out of the window. "Your hair looks good, Rika."

"So does yours," Rika said with equal sarcasm. "Stop talking to me."

"But you're my date!"

"Whatever happened to me not being worthy of your presence?"

Ryo ignored the question. "Since you're my date and all, I thought I'd call you Red. You know, a pet name. How about it then?"

"Go right ahead."

Kari's friend, Yolei Inoue, was sitting in the lounge of Kari's flat, looking very amazed at the surroundings.

"So you're engaged?" she asked for the millionth time.

"Yes, Yolei, I'm engaged," she repeated calmly for the millionth time.

"Wow. Engaged?"

"Yes."

"As in you'll get married soon?"

"Yes, Yolei."

"To TK Takaishi?"

"Yep."

"You're engaged to TK Takaishi?"

"Yes, Yolei, I'm engaged to TK Takaishi."

"Wow, I'm so jealous," she said dreamily, hugging the silk throw. "I've always wanted to be engaged."

"At age seventeen?"

"No, I suppose in the early twenties or so." Yolei hugged the throw tighter. "You're so lucky, Kari. TK Takaishi."

"Yes, I suppose I am."

"Is he any good?"

"Pardon?" Kari queried, looking a bit embarrassed.

"A good person, I mean," Yolei rephrased.

Kari thought for a second. "Yes, I suppose he is. He's nice and all."

"Wow, attractive and kind and athletic and smart." Yolei looked at the throw dreamily. "So, so lucky."

"I suppose," Kari agreed.

Yolei suddenly scurried out of the couch and ran toward a glass cupboard that held pictures of the Takaishi/Ishida family, as well as Kari's own.

"Is that Matt Ishida?" Yolei demanded, pressing her finger on the shiny glass. She was pointing to a particular picture with Matt and his band practising.

"Yes."

"I'm going to rape him one day," Yolei announced.

Kari sweatdropped.

"Do you know him?" Yolei asked excitedly.

"Sort of. He's TK's brother, so—"

"He's TK's what!" Yolei now had her entire face pressed on the cupboard, now staring directly at TK's family picture: his dad, his mum, Matt, him, and Miko, Kari's cat.

"Brother," Kari repeated.

"What is this! The world's best-looking family or something?" Yolei demanded, spinning around to stare at Kari.

Kari let out a forceful laugh.

"Introduce me to Matt! We can be sisters-in-law!"

Kari sweatdropped again. She had invited Yolei to discuss her relationship as she had more experience with boys than she had.

"Do we drink milk?" Matt asked, picking up a carton.

"I drink milk."

"Does Dad drink milk?" Matt rephrased.

"You live with him!"

"Only for the holiday."

"You lived with him for eighteen years!"

"So? You knew him for seventeen. Does the guy drink milk?"

TK thought about it for a minute then shrugged. He had no idea.

"Fantastic sons, we are." Matt threw the carton back, and TK immediately set it upright. He hated grocery shopping, but shopping with his brother was a lot more entertaining than with anybody else.

"Cool Whip!" TK grabbed a can of whipped cream and put it in the cart.

"What are we going to eat with whipped cream?"

"Anything can be eaten with whipped cream, Matt."

"That's disgusting." Matt picked up a can of salsa. "Salsa sounds good."

"With whipped cream?"

"That sounds gross."

"Yeah, it does." TK picked up another can. "What about whipped cheese?"

Half an hour later, Matt and TK were home, bags of foods spread across the dining table.

"Lemon juice. Why the hell did we buy lemon juice?" Matt asked.

"I don't know. Lemon squash?" TK guessed, referring to what their grandmother called lemon cordial.

"Goddamn, you sound like a 100-year-old." Matt pushed a lock of hair away from his face. "But that sounds good anyway."

"This was a stupid idea."

"You say that now, but after I'm done cooking something, you'll be apologising for being a whiney baby."

Rika, who had planned to ditch Ryo as soon as she set foot at the party, found herself following him around. He was the only one there that she knew, so she didn't really have a choice. Ryo didn't seem to care or notice her, as he was having the time of his life, talking and drinking with random people.

"Damn, I love Australia," Ryo said, grinning as he approached Rika, a glass of something definitely alcoholic in his hand. The top button of his shirt had broken off from when Rika tried to choke him with his tie for calling her Red. Ryo had ditched the tie to avoid further outbursts from Rika. "You seem to be having loads of fun."

Rika frowned. "How could you tell?"

He chuckled. "Why don't you make some friends or something?"

"I don't know these people."

"You are so antisocial." Ryo started to roll his eyes, but stopped midway, his eyes expanding larger than she had ever seen them.

"Are you o—"

Ryo grabbed Rika by the arm, turned his body a full 180 degrees, and ducked his head. "Sh, pretend you're talking to me."

"I am talking to you," Rika pointed out, pulling his fingers off her arm. "Stop touching me, you—"

"Ryo?"

Rika turned her head to see a tall girl, probably near their age or older. Her long, warm blonde waves cascaded down her shoulders, each hair carefully in place. Her dark blue eyes were caked with more makeup than Rika had on her entire face, but they made her eyes so striking. She was, Rika had to admit, beautiful.

Ryo looked up, feigning shock. "Kylie!"

"Kylie" laughed and hugged Ryo tightly. "Oh, my gosh! It's been so long. You look so much hotter! Oh, my gosh! Is this your girlfriend? She is so gorgeous."

Rika made a face of disapproval. "Actually—"

"Yeah, she's pretty, isn't she?" Ryo finished for Rika, taking her lovingly by the shoulder. "Kylie, this is my girlfriend, Rika. Rika, this is an old friend, Kylie."

Rika glared at him, who looked at her pleadingly. Throwing his arm off her, she scowled. "You must be kidd—"

"Pleased to meet you, Rika," Kylie outstretched an arm, which Rika reluctantly shook. "How long have you been dating Ryo?"

"Two years," Ryo answered, still staring at Rika desperately.

She was unaffected by sympathy. "Actually, we aren't—"

"Two whole years?" Kylie exclaimed. "I didn't know you had that in you, Mr. Akiyama."

Ryo gave a nervous laugh as he sipped his drink. "Yeah… Are you here alone?"

"Oh, no, my boyfriend is with me."

"Oh, I see." Ryo sipped his drink nervously once again.

"I am not his—"

"You look thirsty, baby." Ryo stuffed his glass in Rika's mouth. "Drink that."

"God, something to drink sounds good right now," Kylie announced. "I think I'll go get some. Be back soon, guys!"

When Kylie bounced away, her electric-blue dress flowing behind her, Rika seized the glass from between her lips and glared at Ryo. Before she could talk, Ryo began.

"Rika, do me a favour and pretend you're my girlfriend," he begged, holding his hands up in the praying position. "I'll do anything!"

"Um, ew, no." Rika glared angrily, brushing her shoulder off. "I don't owe you any favours."

"Rika, please!" Ryo rubbed his palms together. "I'll die if Kylie thinks I grew up to be some loser. I will honestly die."

"Not having a girlfriend doesn't mean you're a loser—"

"Believe me, to her, it does," Ryo muttered darkly.

"And I care about this why?"

"I'll give your bed back to you," Ryo tried, frantically watching Kylie prance to her boyfriend, then prance off to get drinks.

"Oh, a couple nights in a soft bed are hardly worth pretending to be going out with you."

"I'll…" Ryo looked around, looking for any sort of idea. "I'll be your slave for the rest of the time here."

"My slave?" Rika repeated, finding it a bit humorous that he was being so childish.

"Yes."

"All right then," Rika grinned. "Along with that, I get first dibs on shower, I get to choose when lights go out, you can't wake me up randomly for your own good anymore, I get the telly whenever I feel like it, and whatever else I think of, you have to follow."

Ryo scowled. "Fine. Other people just follow along to preserve friendship."

"I would, except we aren't friends." Rika smiled gleefully.

"I remember Ryo back when he lived in Kyushu," Kylie said, giggling. "He was a bit of a mess, really. A big improvement, Ryo."

"A mess?" Rika repeated, a smile forming across her mouth. "How exactly?"

"I don't think that's necessary, Rika," Ryo said, nervously giving her a glare.

"Why not, Ryo?" Rika asked innocently. "After two years of dating, I think I should know a little about when you were younger, don't you think?

"Ah, don't be a baby, Ryo. It's all in the past, so what difference does it make?" Kylie laughed and sat down in a chair. "C'mon, sit down! I have tons of stories on Ryo Akiyama. Did you dye your hair, by the way? I could have sworn it was at least five shades darker."

Mortified, Ryo found himself being forced into a chair.

"He used to wear a brace, which worked, I suppose, seeing his teeth are so perfect now." Kylie laughed. "Ryo, smile!"

"A brace, huh?" Rika smiled and looked at Ryo. "I bet you looked good with one of those."

Ryo looked away, grumbling to himself.

"One time I got him to get hot pink for the colour, and it was so awful! His mouth was a like one of those neon glow signs for a month!"

Rika grinned again, looking at Ryo with pure amusement. He glanced her way before turning to stare at the hors d'oeuvres again.

"He had these thick, nerd glasses as well. I'm guessing you wear contacts now, Ryo?" Kylie looked at Ryo for an answer, who pretended not to look at her. "Yes, well, they were huge and black. Have you ever seen Family Matters? Steve Urkel?" Rika nodded. "They were almost exactly like those, but even uglier. And you know how Urkel's really thin? Ryo was a goddamn mammoth in size! He was huge! I swear he weighed as much as three grown men!"

Rika laughed at the thought. Ryo found himself subconsciously improving his posture.

"Oh, and he had this hideous mullet. It was so awful, but we all said he looked good. Then somebody told him he looked like the mum from The Brady Brunch, so he cried in the boys' toilet at our primary school for hours. He was in counselling for weeks, and his mum bought him this really expensive haircut. Everybody called him gay afterwards; they assumed only homosexuals spend so much on their hair."

"I think you'd look really nice with a mullet, Ryo," Rika said, mussing his spiky hair with her hand.

"Believe me, it looked awful." Kylie laughed jovially when Ryo shot her a dirty look. "C'mon, don't look so embarrassed! We all have embarrassing pasts."

"I don't think mine can compare." Rika smiled at Ryo, who angrily took hors d'oeuvres and put it in his mouth.

"It wasn't as bad as she says," he muttered.

"It sounds pretty damn bad."

"It was!" Kylie chimed in. "He really was a bit of a disaster. So much improvement now! He even scored a girl as pretty as you. So, Rumiko Makino's daughter, huh? You're so lucky; you look so much like her!"

"Is this TK's jacket?" Yolei asked, wrapping the jacket around her shoulders. "Is this his bed?"

She proceeded to jump on his bed and bury her face in his pillow.

"He smells nice," she declared.

"Yolei, I don't think we should be—"

"He's your fiancé. He'll understand, right?"

Kari flushed. "Yolei, I really don't think—"

"Oh, what is this?" She picked up a pair of boxers off the floor and giggled. "He even has cute pants!"

"I can't believe she still thinks so little of me!" Ryo angrily hit a beautiful arrangement of flowers with his fist. "Me not worth you! Does that make sense to you?"

"Yes."

Ryo gave her an evil look. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Really? Let's see, how am I not worth you?"

"Well, from your friend's point of view, she remembers you as a fat boy with glasses, a brace, and a mullet. She saw me for the first time today as a famous model's daughter."

"Do I look fat to you?"

"No, you look like a beanpole."

He ignored her. "Do you see glasses on me? No. Brace? No. Mullet? No."

"Don't get so uptight about it. I'm sure she thought you looked very attractive."

"Are you mocking me?"

"What?"

"Are you mocking me?" he repeated, obviously annoyed.

"I just found out you were one of the ugliest little kids alive. Of course I'll find every chance to mock you. So, you have contacts, eh?"

Rika shot her face centimetres from his face, staring into his eyes. He stumbled back, clumsily knocking over a chair.

"What the hell!" he snapped, trying to stand back up while praying nobody saw him.

"I was checking if you had contact lenses on." Rika smirked. "Do you really have highlights?"

"No!" Ryo snapped, running his fingers through his sienna-coloured hair. "I've had this hair colour since I moved to Tokyo. Do you really think I was dying it this entire time?"

"Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson do it."

Ryo narrowed his eyes. "I'm not Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson, am I? This is my natural hair colour."

"If you say so," Rika mocked as if he were a small child telling her that Santa Claus had to be real.

"Wait, so you guys are actually dating?" Matt asked, staring at TK. "Thanks for telling me."

TK shrugged.

Tai eyed TK with slight suspicion. He had come over just a bit ago to help Matt and TK on their cooking experiment. "You're dating… my sister… And you're… Matt's brother."

"You say it as if being my brother is a bad thing."

Out of nowhere, a tall girl with pixie-short brown and blonde hair came out from the hallway.

"Hi Keira!" Matt said happily. "I was looking around for you."

"What happened to Vanessa?" Tai asked.

"Oh, she moved back to Europe yesterday."

"So when did you meet Keira?" Tai asked.

"Yesterday."

"So, like I was saying," Tai eyed TK once more. "You're dating… my sister… And you're… Matt'sbrother."

"I'm Matt's nobler half!" TK defended.

"Nobler half!" Matt cried, laughing. "Hear that, Keira? The boy thinks he's my nobler half!"

She laughed, not really getting it. TK flushed.

"Oh, my God! The self-centred dick!" Yolei gasped as Kari finally told her problem. "The goddamn douche bag! He can't do that to you!"

"The thing is, I don't know if he's running away or if he just has errands—"

"Who bloody runs away from his wife the day after—"

"But I'm not his—"

"It's an outrage! You should kill him in his sleep or something. I don't care how hot he is or how perfect his brother may be! One thing a guy never should do is—"

"But Yolei—"

"I say dump the bastard and go for his brother! That'll show him! That'll show him not to mess with Kari Kami—"

"I would never do anything of the sort—"

"Matt's a heck lot sexier than TK any—"

"Yolei!" Kari shrieked, raising her voice sternly. "You're talking nonsense!"

"I most certainly am not!" Yolei gasped, exasperated. "He left you, Kari. Only an insecure little prat would do that. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Just dump the boy and go for his brother. Musicians are far more romantic than athletes anyway. Long hair owns short hair. Matt's sure to be a heck lot more famous than TK. Honestly, bas-ket-ball? Please, trying to be a professional basketball player is career suicide. Might as well try to be the next JK Rowling. Now, Matt, he has real ambitions. Rocker. You can't go wrong with a rocker, I always say…"

Kari sighed, giving up. I knew ringing her up would be a bad idea.

Matt strummed one of his guitars while watching the news, something he always did. Personally TK found the guitar distracting when he was trying to concentrate on future terrorist attempts. His brother was airily playing Nirvana, missing several notes due to lack of concentration. Tai seemed to enjoy it, singing horribly off-key to the lyrics he did not know, filling in the unknown gaps with lyrics of his own.

Neither were any good, and TK was slowly reaching insanity, but didn't say anything. He knew better to insult his brother's playing, for he actually was very talented. As for Tai… he pretty much blew at singing. Tai was not very musically orientated.

"You should bunk the band and start a duet group with me, Matt." Tai reached over and plucked a guitar string, much to Matt's disapproval. "We can be called… Taito."

"What's 'to'?"

"Yama'to', duh."

"Because I go by Yamato," Matt muttered, switching from Nirvana to Coldplay. "Besides, that sounds like we're gay or something."

"First of all, no, it doesn't. Second of all, you do look slightly homosexual at times, Matt."

Matt gave his best mate a glare.

'Where are you?'" TK read from his mobile screen. Kari. Biting his lower lip, he pondered whether he should call her and tell her or type out a response. The first one sounded more logical as it would take less time, but it would also cause potential immaturity in Tai and Matt. He decided to go with typing. Flopping on a chair, he began to swiftly type away on his mobile.

"Sending a sms to my sister?" came a rather scary voice behind him.

He instantly shut the phone and turned around, hitting his face on the side of the chair. Naturally, he grabbed the origin of his newfound pain—his nose.

The pain was awful, but the thing that scared him was the gush of blood now staining his hand. His eyes dilated, staring at the blood in sheer horror.

"You have a little something… right there." Matt scratched his nose, trying to stifle his laughter.

"You aren't thinking of perverse thoughts about my little sister now, are you?" Tai asked, half joking.

"No!" TK cried, horrified. He grabbed some tissue paper and held it under his nose, looking very much embarrassed.

"Ryo and I had this little fling when we were younger," Kylie explained, giggling. "We were both young, and I suppose I felt a bit sorry for him. We made this stupid bet that he would never find another girlfriend besides myself. Guess I was wrong, huh, Ryo?"

"Guess so," Ryo responded. As if evidence was needed, he put an arm over her Rika's shoulder and gave her the fakest smile she had ever seen. It was enough to nearly make her throw up.

Rika wanted to scowl, but looked at him instead, kindly smiling. "My, you're touchy today. Are you trying to impress your friend?"

"No, it's only because I love you so much," Ryo said, smiling the exact way Rika was but giving her shoulder a harsh squeeze. "Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not! You know I love you too, right?" Rika slammed her palm on Ryo's shoulder blade.

"Oh, my God. You two are so cute together," Kylie gushed.

"Yep… That's us… cute…" Ryo muttered, loosening Rika's shoulder due to the pain on his own. "…Together…"

"You two seem so unloving though." Kylie winked at Rika, causing Ryo to gain suspicion.

"What do you mean?"

"For going out for two years, you seem awfully uncomfortable with each other."

"Awfully uncomfortable," Rika repeated to Ryo. She looked at Kylie and added with slight sarcasm she knew Kylie would pick up, "No, we're so comfortable with each other. We're practically siblings. Who just so happen to be dating."

Kylie giggled. "So have you guys done anything yet? I'm guessing with two years you've surely done more than just kiss."

Rika raised an eyebrow at Ryo, showing she would not follow any sort of story he would make on this one.

"What happens intimately between us is really our own business, isn't it?" Rika asked, knowing that she was unintentionally sounding rude.

Kylie shook her head. "Sorry, I apologise. It's just awkward to see Ryo like this. You know… grown up."

"Uh-huh." Rika raised an eyebrow once again.

"Yeah, I'm right here."

Kylie smiled at him. "Yes, I know."

"And I don't really appreciate you telling embarrassing stories of my childhood to my girlfriend, Kylie."

Kylie fiercely slapped his shoulder. "Oh, don't act like such a child, Ryo. It's all just a bit of fun really! It's like giving out your roster—not that I'm promoting sex to you kids."

Ryo looked away with an agitated look while Rika awkwardly glanced at him.

"What?" he snapped at Rika, forgetting for a split second that they were 'dating.'

"I was just wondering how the hell I ended up with such an insecure bastard, that's all."

Ryo and Kylie stared.

Kari, who had locked herself in the bathroom, whispered in her mobile so Yolei wouldn't here.

"Hi TK," she said softly.

"Hi Kari," he replied, his voice as soft as hers.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Your brother scares me."

She giggled quietly, sitting in the bathtub with her knees close to her chest. "Were you with Tai?"

"Yeah, Matt wanted some company. Sorry to leave you without warning. I didn't want to wake you up."

Kari smiled. "Oh, it's fine. Why are you whispering?"

"Because you're whispering. Why are you whispering?"

"Because I'm in the bathroom."

"Oh." His voice was back to normal.

"My friend's over and she hates you."

"Oh," he replied awkwardly. "Do I know her?"

"Probably not. She's a year higher than us." Kari played with the cat charm attached to her phone. "Are you having fun?"

"No, not really. Tai scared me when I read your message and I hit my nose, so I started to nosebleed. The two think I'm perverted now."

Kari giggled. "Sorry about Tai. He's overprotective at times."

She heard TK grumble.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Where are you now?"

"Driving home. I'll be there soon."

"Oh, good. Better go kick my friend out of the flat then."

TK laughed. "She can stay if she wants."

"No, believe me, she's been cursing you out all day."

"Oh…" TK replied, awkward still.

Kari giggled. "Well, see you when I see you."

"Okay."

"TK, wait," she said quickly.

And hesitated.

"What?"

Silence.

"Hurry up."

TK gave a chuckle. "I will. See you soon."

Kari smiled secretly to herself. "Bye."

Silence.

"Are you hanging up?" TK asked.

"After you."

He chuckled and turned his phone off. She smiled again and turned her own phone off. She was right. He wouldn't have regrets.

"I JUST REALISED MATT'S EYES ARE BLUER THAN TK'S!"

She scrambled out of the bathtub, ready to break the news to Yolei that she should leave.

"Well, that was fun," Ryo declared as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the suite. "Wasn't today fun, Rika?"

"Yeah," Rika said sarcastically from her bed. "I kept my part, so you better keep yours."

"What was the deal again?" Ryo asked, honestly forgotten it.

"I get to make the decisions when it comes to telly, the bed, the time to go to bed, where we go if we must go somewhere, when we go if we must go somewhere, and if I buy anything, you're paying. Oh, and you're my slave"

"You definitely added to the list," Ryo muttered, opening his wardrobe doors and kicking it open. "Not that it sounds any different from the way things were before."

"Yes, but now I won't have to waste time forcing you, will I?" Rika stretched her legs on the king-sized bed, watching Ryo give her a dirty look before walking into his wardrobe. "Can't be bothered with such things anymore."

"Uh-huh." Ryo grabbed a random t-shirt to wear to sleep and kicked the door closed, wondering what sort of torture he had to undergo the remaining days of his winter holiday.

I can't believe I finally finished! Was a bit useless to make this chapter, but the chapter was originally a page long or so. I'll try to update quicker, but I'm extremely busy these days. My lack of a computer also contributes to this.