Sometimes, being nice sucked. Erik, being the only American in the whole school, was getting plenty of attention—but only from afar as people whispered about him. No one had actually talked to him yet. Ema knew all too well how it felt to be the outsider, so when Erik looked like an aimless wanderer during lunch, she couldn't help flagging him to her table.

He gave her a tentative smile full of relief as he sat down.

"Guys, this is Erik Cannon. I met him when my dad's show filmed in the United States."

Fuuto narrowed his eyes and Yusuke's eyes widened in surprise. She supposed since she and Yusuke were friends she maybe should have mentioned that she knew the new American student—but doing that seemed like it would also require explaining the awkward atmosphere between them, so she'd said nothing. Erik was, thankfully, in the class next to theirs rather than in their class.

"Oh cool!" Sasakura said, seeming excited before looking uncertainly between Erik and Ema. "But what are you doing in Japan? You two aren't . . ." He trailed off.

"Ah, no," Erik said, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. I got really interested in Japanese culture after meeting Ema. When my uncle got transferred to Japan, I asked if I could come with." He shot Ema a glance. "It's really nice to already know someone here, but nothing is going on beyond that."

Sasakura nodded, looking relieved as he smiled at Erik. "Well, we're glad to have you here."

Ema perked up at that comment. "Actually, Erik played soccer at his old school. He was really good." If Erik got involved with the soccer team, that would hopefully keep him occupied with things other than her.

"Really?" Sasakura asked, his eyes shining. "I'm the captain of the soccer team. You should come try out! We had some good players graduate and this guy refuses to play this year." He jerked a thumb at Yusuke.

"What? I've got to study for entrance exams," Yusuke defended. "And I never wanted to be on the team to begin with, remember? You literally paid me to be on the team last year."

"Aw, but didn't you have fun?" Sasakura asked. "I swear you liked being with us sometimes."

Yusuke carefully kept his eyes from straying to Ema. The most exciting part of being on the team had been Ema watching his games or practices, and getting to spend time with her afterward. It still would have been nice to have that—but him getting into college was a long shot and he really wanted to go wherever Ema was going now that she'd decided to stay in Japan for college.

After that, the conversation turned to soccer. Ema was more than happy to eat in silence until Imai said, "Hey Ema, why does your food look so messy today? Your bentos normally look perfect."

Ema shot Yusuke a panicked look. If she said they'd made their bentos together on Sunday, it would probably sound like they were dating, and they couldn't explain the fact that they were living together since Yusuke didn't want to.

Wracking her brain for an excuse, she said, "I was in a hurry this morning. My lunch must have gotten jostled more than normal, that's all."

"Why is Yusuke's bento messed up too though?" Imai asked, staring at the red-head's lunch.

"Because we walk to school together, remember?" Yusuke snapped. "We were both in a hurry."

"Right," Imai said, giving a teasing smile. "The adorable childhood friends. I'd forgotten about that."

"Childhood friend?" Erik said, looking between Ema and Yusuke. "Is he from the family you emailed while you were traveling? The one you liv—"

Ema realized what he was about to say just in time and kicked him under the table. He jumped, giving her a bewildered look.

"Is the state of Ema's and my brother's lunches really that interesting?" Fuuto asked, sounding bored. "I thought you guys were making game plans for soccer."

"Right!" Sasakura said, before rolling his eyes at Imai. "That's what we were discussing before Imai interrupted." And he launched into questions for Erik about what soccer tournaments he'd played in.

Ema gave Fuuto a grateful look, but he raised his eyebrows in a way that said this conversation wasn't over.

~.~

Fuuto cornered Ema in the library after school, which was a place she was kind of beginning to think of as their place.

"So spill," he told her, folding his arms across his chest. "Is this a stalker or past boyfriend or what?"

She winced. "Erik really wants to experience Japanese culture for himself." Was that believable? Or did it really seem like he'd followed her here? She hoped no one else suspected anything. She also wished she hadn't admitted to knowing Erik, but inviting him to sit with them and then pretending like she'd never met him before would have been too rude.

"Bull," Fuuto said. "The guy snuck looks at you all through lunch. No way he didn't come all this way just for you. And why did he pick your school if he just wanted to experience Japanese culture?"

"Because it's scary to go to another country. Like he said, it's nice to already know someone in the area."

"Mmhm," Fuuto said in a skeptical tone. He was probably too preceptive for her to fool. Though how he could be perceptive about such things when he'd never been in a relationship was beyond her. "I know you had at least two boyfriends while you were gone. The cheating idiot—and the other idiot that turned you off of dating. Is this Erik guy the second idiot, or did you date more than two guys?"

Her eyes widened before she could even think of trying to hide the truth. Fuuto gave a satisfied nod. "I thought so. So this creep ruined things with you, then decided he's made a mistake and came all this way for a reunion. Was he hoping a big, grand gesture would make you forgive him?"

"He's not a bad guy," Ema said quietly. She didn't want to talk about this. Thankfully, Fuuto seemed to sense that. He really was perceptive. At least, when he cared about something he was. The thought that he was only asking because he cared about her warmed her and helped erase a little of the ache that Erik's presence brought.

"How do you feel about him being here?" Fuuto asked in a gentler voice.

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter how I feel. He's here and that's that."

"So you're not happy about it."

She sighed, tightening her grip on her bag. "Like I said, it's doesn't matter how I feel. Will you tell Yusuke to walk home alone today? I'm going to see Natsume."

She wanted to talk with someone who knew the story of how much Erik breaking up with her had hurt and why, which meant Iori or Natsume since Hikaru was too hard to get ahold by phone. But maybe she would email him and vent a little that way.

~.~

"So then my dad just tells him my address, thinking he wants to write me a letter because that's more personal than email," Ema ranted to Natsume, pacing his living room as he sat on the couch, listening. "Dad says he had no idea Erik would show up here, but he didn't even tell me he gave my address away! What right did he have to do that? It's not even my address, it's the Asahinas' address!"

"It's your address too," he interrupted. "My brothers were all in a tizzy while you lived away. It's your home as much as ours." He lifted one eyebrow. "More than mine now."

She gave him a grateful smile, but it was distracted. She stopped walking, wrapping her arms around herself. "Seeing him again, especially unexpectedly, is bringing back all those stupid feelings I should be over." Her shoulders sagged. "He made me feel worthwhile again after all those friends from around the world dropped me so quickly. But, in the end, I wasn't worth enough for him to hang around either. I don't think I ever even tried talking to anyone again after that."

The next moment, Natsume was off the couch with his arms around Ema. "You are worthwhile, Ema. Especially to the Asahina family." When Ema had told him she was coming, a small part of him couldn't help hoping that she'd been affected by his kiss and felt she had to see him again.

That she was instead here because this punk kid had entered Ema's life again kind of made Natsume want to hunt the kid down and punch him the face. But he was grateful Ema felt she could come to him to talk. Especially after how poorly things went the last time she told him about something upsetting her.

"If you need us to run interference to keep this guy away from you, just let us know, okay?"

He felt her smile against his shoulder before she leaned her head against him. "Okay."

She seemed perfectly content to stay where she was, and Natsume couldn't bring himself to move so long as she wanted to stay in his arms. He pulled her closer, hoping he was able to offer her some measure of comfort.