Later that same day, sitting in Ryuji's dining room after eating dinner, Taiga made suddenly called, "Ryuji." sternly.
Looking up from the magazine he was flipping through at the table, he replied, "Hm? What is it?"
"I got a call from one of my stupid dad's business partners. The business... it went under. I guess my old man skipped town and... well... he isn't going to be paying for my rent any longer. He isn't going to be giving me any money."
Taken aback, Ryuji exclaimed, "Jeez, and the guy couldn't even call you himself to tell you that? Was he just gonna let you find out when you get evicted?"
"We already know he's a dirtbag, Ryuji. What I'm most worried about right now is that my stupid mom is gonna scoop me up and make me live with her somewhere else when she finds out. She doesn't really care for me any more than he does but she'd sooner die than have anyone find out her daughter's a tramp."
Ryuji looked at her thoughtfully and replied, significantly more calmly, "You're not a tramp. You practically live here now anyway, and I'm sure your mom would be fine with it as long as she knew you had somewhere to stay."
Taiga looked down at her hands resting on her lap and said gloomily, "That's the other problem. Without any money coming from my dad, I won't be able to help pay for groceries. I don't want to be any more of a burden on Yasu. I think I need to get a job. Maybe I can even help pay the rent"
Ryuji shook his head at her. "Yasu won't even let me get a job. As happy as she'd be to have you living here officially, I don't see her going for that. And anyway, it's not as if you're too much of an extra burden here, anyway. I'm sure it'll come out okay."
"If you're sure, then alright. But we should probably bathe together to conserve water anyway..."
"W-what the hell?" Ryuji cried.
"Ha! Pervert!" Taiga shouted
"I'm the pervert? I'm not even the one who suggested it!"
"Maybe so, but you were thinking about it! I read your mind!"
Taiga and Ryuji readjusted to school life, but they noticed the resurgence of people's whispers as they passed together, just like at the beginning of the year. Taiga was remarkably unfazed by the rumors.
"Let them say whatever they like. You're mine." she bragged.
"Taiga, I hate to break this to you, but as flattered as I am I'm not exactly in that high of demand."
"That's not true, don't you remember that dream idiot-Haruta was talking about before the Christmas party?"
Ryuji wasn't sure that should count as being in high demand, but Taiga seemed happy when she thought she was winning, so he dropped it.
Later that day, Miss-Yuri-the-eternal-bachelorette announced that the class would need to make travel brochures for their class trip. Taiga invited their classmates over to her house to work on it together. Then she gave them Ryuji's address.
Kitamura, Kawashima, and Kushieda looked suspiciously at them and then at eachother.
"Takasu's house isn't big enough for that many people, is it?" Kitamura questioned, rubbing his chin.
On the walk home, Ryuji confronted Taiga.
"You still have until the first of next month at your place, right? Why'd you invite everyone over to mine? There's not exactly that much room. And anyway, what happened to protecting our image, like we talked about?"
"I'm more comfortable there, you know. We can make space in your dining room, we just have to move some stuff around. And anyway, nobody knows the difference between your apartment and my apartment, so no-one will be the wiser."
Ryuji looked down impatiently at her. "Kushieda has been to your place, and Kawashima has been in both our apartments before. In fact, Kitamura knows where we both live, too. He's my best friend, but he's kind of an idiot, so word is probably gonna get out about our living arrangements, even disregarding what Ami might say."
"I... uhm... didn't really think about it that way..."
"But if those rumors go around," Taiga continued, with a sudden renewed vigor, "it might make me even more desirable than I already am! An experienced woman."
"Already getting second thoughts about me?" Ryuji teased.
"No, idiot, it's good for you. If I'm more desirable, that makes you a way luckier guy, obviously, and everyone else will be way more jealous of you."
Ryuji wrapped her gloved hand in his. "What makes you think I need that?"
Author's Note: Can you people see these?: ""Are they stars when you view them, or just little squares?