A/n: to shenhui and the anonymous reviewer, this is for the two of you. As well as my Angel. I'm brokenhearted (ouchy!).

CHAPTER 8:

"I should have left him out here and jumped back to the window," Fuuko sighed. However, she could not bear this happening so she just dragged Tokiya to a nearby tree, his clothes gathering leaves and dust. Little did she know that he was dreaming about something.

DREAM (IN TOKIYA'S POV)

I walked down a dark lane, alone. My footsteps echoed throughout the place since there's nothing to hold it back. I think I remembered this one but whatever it was, it was not important.

I heard another set of footsteps and I was eager to follow it. Because it was dark, I based everything in my sense of hearing. I followed the footsteps, its sound getting more and more distant and nearer at the same time. Later enough, I discovered that that person was carrying light, the only light that I could see among these dark corridors. I accidentally touched the walls. It was not really a corridor, is a wall of ice, cold in my touch. I felt that the figure was running away from me so I decided to quicken the pace. Whenever I am going nearer to that parson, whenever I tried to touch that person, that person runs away.

Finally, after countless times of this run-and-chase, I finally caught up with the figure, pulling her back. Because of that, I fell on my back. The figure turned its back to me, lifting the light overhead and smiling at me softly, offering a hand. It was a smile of hope, a smile that never expected for me to get that hand, though she was really open to that fact…

END DREAM

"…Fuuko…" Tokiya mumbled in his sleep. He suddenly jerked awake, panting not because of the dream, but because of the dawn of realization that hit him. First, he touched his head that seemed to hurt as though a train ran over him. He then shot a glance at Fuuko, who already fell asleep at the other side of the tree, and went near her, touching her cheek lightly. She was getting really pale.

"It's because of a dream. And that dream is standing right in front you and you cannot see it. I want you to see it, Tokiya. And if you keep seeing me, you won't." The words of Mametsuki hovered inside his head. Was that the name that she heard when she was talking about that dream? Was that Fuuko?

Fuuko shivered in his touch but she's still asleep. He realized that she was shivering. There was smoke coming from a heap of ashes beside them, indicating that there was fire, but now, it's out. Without any moment's hesitation, he went beside her and embraced her. He had no idea that Fuuko was in her subconscious-conscious state.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, the two of them woke up, in each other's arms, sitting under the tree. They were finally able to enter the house, only to find out that Mametsuki was gone.

"What happened?" Fuuko asked Mametsuki's secretary.

The secretary shook his head and handed them individual letters. Clearly, it was from Mametsuki.

Fuuko opened her letter first.

Fuuko,

I'm really sorry that I won't be there for you when you go to compete with more challenging couples in dancing. However, I have complete confidence in you. I know that you took everything I taught you by heart.

It was never easy for me to find you. I really promised myself to find the person fitting to win the goal I was mistaken to go for. I was really fond of your skills and I know that you have a bright future ahead in dancing. Why? Because I know that you are destined on the dancefloor with a person fitting to you.

If you remember clearly what I have told you, you'll dance the best dance when you have fire in your fingers. That's how I lived these past ten years. I lived, looking for the perfect man to fit my hands, who'll take me to an eternal bliss once I step on my haven of marble. However, I knew that I was only pleasing myself.

Fuuko, if you have any worries fighting with the best couples, don't worry. They have the feet but you have the face and the heart. I knew that if you dance with the perfect partner of your life, you'll win all the fights.

Mametsuki

Simultaneously, Tokiya opened his letter.

Tokiya,

You know that everything has a reason. I declined to your offer when you were muttering a name of a person in your sleep. She seems to be important to you, more important than me. I vowed to find her for you because I know that you will be happier with her.

It hurts me so much to leave you without any reason. I was hoping that you will forget me so that you will realize who that person was. Maybe if I let you go back here and meet her, you'll be able to forget me wholly and be with her finally, since she was dreaming to be with you on the first time I met her. I thought that was an unclear dream but I suddenly realized that your hand was not beyond her reach, you knew each other before. Maybe you even loved her but you completely forgot that because, knowing you, you will never admit your feelings and you would rather live in dark secrecy than going to the light with her.

I hope you'll realize everything before you will decide. I am hoping for the best.

Mametsuki

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After an hour, everyone packed up to return to the city.

"Who will manage the institution?" Fuuko asked Mametsuki's secretary.

The woman shrugged. "I think it will be managed by Mametsuki's brother, Yoichiro. I think he will also be the one who'll teach the piece for the Tokyo Dance Fair."

Fuuko raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about him?"

Tokiya was silent. Of course, he knew Yoichiro. "Not that guy," he thought miserably.

"I've heard that he's a real gentleman and he studied higher levels of dance education than Mametsuki, though he never wanted to manage the institution. It was just for Mametsuki," the secretary replied.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fuuko arrived in the institution, in its largest hall, at the exact time, three days from Mametsuki's departure. The secretary called her to tell her that Yoichiro had arrived and he needs to talk to the couple the next day.

Fuuko opened the door and sat down on the bench at the side. She was shocked to know that there was someone observing him from afar. "What a fair lady," a manly voice said. A man with bluish-black hair and blue eyes like Mametsuki (did I tell you that her eyes are blue? Never mind…) approached the purple haired girl and kissed her hand. Fuuko blushed.

"Hajimemashite," Fuuko greeted, bowing in front of him. "You must be Nashi Yoichiro."

"Si," the man replied with an accent. "I am Nashi Yoichiro. And I supposed you are…?"
"I'm Fuuko. Kirisawa Fuuko," Fuuko said, giving a hand. Yoichiro shook it.

"I see. I never thought that the stubborn student of my sister is as beautiful as you," Yoichiro said. "So, how about your partner? I did not see him arrive."

"He'll be arriving in a short…" Fuuko started at the moment Tokiya opened the door.

"You…" Yoichiro said, looking narrowly at Tokiya who glared back with his cold looks. "Mikagami Tokiya."

"You know him?" Fuuko asked. "Stupid question, Fuuko. It is impossible for the brother of Mametsuki not to know Tokiya, since they had a relationship before."

Yoichiro faked a smile before showing a hand to Tokiya. "Let's settle down everything since we only have three months for practice."

Tokiya sat down beside Fuuko while they listened to Yoichiro's proposal and speech. Three times he asked Fuuko to stand up and then he demonstrated some steps with her. However, Tokiya could only look at Yoichiro's movements as perversion.

"Mi-chan, what can you say about Yoichiro-kun?" Fuuko asked as they got outside the building.

"You should avoid him in all costs," Tokiya said coldly, though there's a trace of worry on his eyes (FYI, he had never realized that he loved Fuuko. Well, not yet).

"Why?" Fuuko asked suspiciously.

"Just do it, okay? You don't want any ranting flirts behind you, do you?"

Before Fuuko could open her mouth, she saw Tokiya darting out of the gate. Yoichiro approached her. "Fuuko-san, do you care if I could take you to dinner?"

Fuuko looked at Tokiya's car, now turning to a speck of dust from afar. She though for a moment and nodded, smiling at Yoichiro.

"What do you think?" Yoichiro asked Fuuko.

"About what?"
"About me," Yoichiro replied. "You know, about my dancing skills. Am I better than Mametsuki?"

Fuuko frowned a little and said, "I think I should not say anything about that. I don't want to hurt any feelings. But I could say that the both of you specialize on something. Like you specialize in waltz and she does on Latin dances."

"You are really speaking like a professional dancer. Why did you become one?" Yoichiro asked curiously as he started to sip some tea.

"Well, it's a secret," Fuuko said, blushing a little.

Yoichiro pouted. "Oh, that's naughty, Fuuko-san," he said like a father scolding her daughter.

"I'm not like what you think," Fuuko said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As days passed by, Yoichiro and Fuuko became close to each other. They talk to each other before each practice, leaving Tokiya alone on the bench, watching them in disgust.

One day, Yoichiro laughed at Fuuko while she was talking to him. "You're jealous, aren't you?" a voice whispered near Tokiya's ear. It was Yuri.

"What are you talking about?" Tokiya asked annoyingly.

"I just took some advice from our dear teacher," Yuri said airily. "If you're jealous, why don't you tell her how you feel?"

"She's too dense," Tokiya said.

"She's not, Tokiya," Yuri said, sipping her coffee. "You don't even know the meaning of dense."

"Are you intimidating me?" Tokiya asked her.

"I'm not. I'm just worried. You won't know what Fuuko is thinking this instant," Yuri said in a singsong voice. Apparently, she knew the secret. The secret that Tokiya was Fuuko's dream partner. "Her plans would change if you don't make a move."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That's it, a little lower on the back, please," Yoichiro instructed Fuuko, holding her bare back (since she was wearing some low back blouse, the one used by dancers in their practice) down.

Fuuko stood up straight. "This is getting harder everyday," she complained.

"I know. But my sister did that kind of training and look who she is now," Yoichiro said.

"Oh well," Fuuko said, standing up once again, stretching, and slowly bending her body. "I just can't see the relevance of this."

"Fuuko-san, you will see the relevance when you have to bend upwards," Yoichiro explained. "Anyway, where's Mikagami?"

Fuuko stood up and shook her head before continuing her warm-up. She finally stopped when Tokiya arrived, looking grumpy for that day. "Oi, Mi-chan, what's with the face?" she asked teasingly.

It was obvious that Tokiya had overslept because his eyes were kind of red. "None of your business," he said, waving off.

Yoichiro beckoned him to the middle and started the music. The tempo was kind of slow and sensual so they danced slowly. However, it was obvious that the grumpy face of Tokiya was suddenly changing, slowly changing.

Suddenly, Yoichiro's phone rang. The two suddenly stopped and Tokiya said, "I thought you gave us a policy here?"

Yoichiro made an innocent face. "Honestly, I don't know!" he glanced at his phone and smirked a little. "Please excuse me, anyway. This is an important call."

Yoichiro sat outside the hall and sighed. "You scared me," he said.

"Or did the silver-head distract you?" the voice replied sarcastically. "How did it go?"
"How did it go? You should have given this stupid job to some other romance addict, Mametsuki-nee-chan! Please! I can't take him looking at me!" Yoichiro complained like a kid, pouting at the same time.

"Oh, my dear baby brother is so upset," Mametsuki replied on the other line. "Just go on with the plan and I'll assure you that the institution is yours!"
Yoichiro shook his head. "You're really crazy. Turning over a dancing school for two geeks falling in love with each other? That's the most wonderful thing I'll hear from a psychotic like you!"
The mood changed when Mametsuki's tone changed. "For me, Yoichiro?" Yoichiro's eyes became wide when he heard the sad voice. "It is not always that Mametsuki nee-chan wishes something from you."

Yoichiro sighed. "Don't be like that. You're saying like you're…" He managed to smile than to complete the sentence. "Don't worry, nee-chan. I'll do this for you."

"Oh my quick-witted little brother! You're so smart!"

"Bye, get well soon!" Yoichiro said. He placed his hands behind his head and said, "Sometimes, my sister uses the most effective way of nagging people, dying." He wiped a tear after that before returning back to the hall.

a/n: what the hell? Yoichiro is really a geek like her sister. Degree level no. 2. got my point? No, I think not.

However, no matter what happens, please review… interactions, please! Flames come from Syaoran's sword. And I also thought that flames are produced by Roy's snap!