Hi everyone, its been a bit. I'm really excited to hear everyone's thoughts on this next chapter. That being said, thank you to everyone who has PM'd and reviewed recently. Youda best. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ishida walked through the gates to Konoha a little after six in the morning. The two shinobi he had brought along as witnesses for the promotional ceremony had been talking incessantly for most of the journey. They bickered like children, unable to agree on the simplest of subjects. For example, they spent the better part of an hour arguing if a flower they had passed was blue or purple. At many points on their journey Ishida had been tempted to silence them. What had held him back was that he had invited the pair along for the proceedings, so although they were younger than him they were technically his guests.

One would think that after a week of listening to the pair argue nonstop he would know something of them. Unfortunately, the topics they chose never seemed to be anything of substance. Ishida was left knowing nothing more of them than he started. The girl was from a landed clan and the boy was of some average peasant stock from the capital. Somehow the boy had managed to win the chunin exams and the girl was training at the shrine. Other than that they were complete nonentities in the political world and garnered no further notice.

"Why don't you two go on and check in at the hotel," Ishida offered. His face was pleasant but his tone was strained. "You should get some rest."

"As if," The girl scoffed. She was tiny, almost childlike. The ferociousness she faced the world seemed more intense because of her size, as if it were concentrated in such a small form. "I've never been out this way. I have to get the lay of the land before I rest."

"Come on Ren," The boy was lukewarm at best. He faced Ren with a false bravado, a weak person who was trying to be strong. The act might work on a stranger, but Ren had known him so long that she completely ignored his attempts to be in charge.

"Daiske, listen to me," Ren poked him on the tip of his nose. "You can go and crawl into bed like a worn-out plow horse. This village is one of the big five. I'm not going to lay my head down somewhere I haven't sized up yet. We're small fries out here."

Daiske gave a weak sigh and shook his head. "Enjoy yourself. I'm getting some sleep." He turned and headed towards the inn, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

Ishida glanced at Ren. "Try not to get arrested while you're running around."

Ren held up her hand solemnly. "Priestess's honor."

Ishida cast her a dismissive wave and Ren took off at full speed. He considered calling out to her, his diplomat's tendency to worry kicking in. Ren was nearly an adult so any harm that befell her was her own fault. Free of his charges for the day, Ishida headed to his hotel. He checked in, headed up to his room, and unpacked his suitcase. When they had traveled together, Seiichiro had hassled him about "moving in". Seiichiro preferred the ability to leave at a moment's notice; Ishida had to remind him that Seiichiro was no longer a shinobi and that it was incredibly inconvenient to live out of a suitcase.

Once settled, Ishida took a hot shower and changed into a fresh suit. All cleaned up and free from teenagers, Ishida felt like himself again. He prepared his briefcase and set out to see the Hokage.

…

Insomnia had been troubling Neji for days. At first, he had done his best to lay still and hope that sleep claimed him. That strategy hadn't worked. It was incredibly boring and he ended up fixating on his thoughts even more.

Beki had been on his mind. She was always on his mind but now it was interfering with his ability to sleep. What he found most troubling was how physical his ruminations were; he kept catching himself fixating on her part by part. He had so many memories of her now that could be dissected and rearranged to suit his fancies. He knew the scent and warmth of her skin, the softness of her lips, and the taste of her kiss. Neji had also seen her naked so many times he had memorized every curve of her form. His favorite was the way the valley of her waist led into the mountain of her hip. He had spent hours the night before fixated on it, picturing himself tracing that curve with his fingers, craving the feel of her flesh. At about five a.m. he gave up and got out of bed. There was no point in letting a beautiful morning go to waste.

As Neji went for his stroll, the chilly autumn air helped him feel more alert. As he reached the outskirts of the village proper Neji paused. He could either return to the Hyuga compound and make himself some breakfast or he could start his day's errands early. He looked up at the sky and guessed it was not yet seven, so not even the market would be open yet. Neji gave a shrug and began to turn back towards the compound, thinking of what he could throw together for breakfast. Then he thought he heard someone call his name.

Neji turned and looked back towards the village. A young girl was fast approaching him, smiling and waving emphatically. "No," Neji shook his head. "It isn't a kid."

"Hey Neji!" Ren skidded to a stop in front of him, stopping just shy of barreling him over. She gave his arm a playful sock. "How have you been?!"

"Hi Ren," Neji smiled down at her, his confusion plain. "What are you doing in Konoha?"

"Beki's promotion is going to be today," Ren explained. "Daiske and I are here as witnesses. We've been worried sick about her, everything that happened with her dad and all. How is she doing?"

Neji sighed. "Beki is doing better. She's been focusing on her work and training to distract herself but she has a dark moment from time to time."

Ren reached out and pinched his cheek affectionately. Neji balked and swatted her hand away. "What was that for?"

"You're just the biggest sweetie pie ever, aren't you?" Ren beamed and shook her head. "I should've known not to worry with you around. You've been spoiling her rotten and giving her all the cuddles she needs, right?"

Neji blinked. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Comforting her through all this!" Ren laughed. "It's obvious you've been taking care of her. I'm so glad the two of you finally hooked up."

"Ren, no, we haven't," Neji sighed and shook his head. "Beki and I are still just friends."

The mischievous grin slid off Ren's face and almost audibly hit the floor. "What?"

Neji felt anxiousness rising inside him. There was something unsettling about Ren when she was angry. She reminded Neji of little girls in horror movies, full of vengeful wrath and ire. She reached out and took ahold of his collar, pulling him close until their noses were touching.

"Why aren't you two together yet?!"

Neji reached up and tried to pry her fingers apart but Ren's grip from all the years working with the bow were hooked in like talons. "She's still with Gaara, Ren. I'm not a homewrecker."

"You should be!" Ren cried as she twisted his collar more. Neji shirt had twisted to the point where it was pressing against his Adam's apple.

"Ren…you're choking me." Neji sputtered.

Ren's dark expression softened, as though she had come back into herself. She relaxed her grip and Neji freed himself. "The two of them are good together. We've had this conversation, Ren. An ambassador and a kage, it just makes sense."

"The hell it does," Ren folded her arms and pouted. "He's never going to take care of her the way you do. I bet he doesn't even know how much Beki hates nattou! Not to mention he's stuck up and would probably get super upset if he knew that she ran around naked all the time!"

Neji paused for a moment at that. It had never occurred to him how desensitized everyone was to Beki's nudist tendencies. He was curious how Gaara would react if he found out Beki had walked through town more than once in nothing more than a borrowed shirt.

"Have you even told her you like her yet?" Ren socked his arm again and Neji rubbed the spot. The girl hit like a brick.

"No," Neji shook his head. "With everything that's been going on…there's never been a good time."

Ren stomped her foot with pure rage and Neji took a step back. "Are you kidding me?! That's the perfect time to tell a girl you love her! Are you stupid?!"

Neji stood there in silence. By the incensed expression on Ren's face, there was nothing he could say to defend himself.

Ren shook her head and buried her face in her hands. "You people are absolutely hopeless." She took a deep breath and pulled her hands down her face, temporarily contorting it ghoulishly as she tugged at her eyelids and lips. "Here's the plan. I'm going to find out if she thinks you're cute."

"Excuse me?" Neji shook his head. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If I find out Beki thinks you're about as cute as a horse's ass, then you'll have no choice but to move on," Ren explained. "But if Beki thinks you're a hot slab of meat…Now that's a foundation we can build on."

The devilish smile that crept into Ren's face as she sized Neji up sent a chill down his spine. It gave him the most sinister sensation, like he was looking into the face of fate itself. "How are you going to do that?"

Ren chuckled, tapping her fingers wickedly. "With jealousy and manipulation."

"Now hold on a moment," Neji stared her down. "Beki is not in the most stable state right now. You had better not be planning anything that's going to hurt her."

Ren sighed. "Look at you, ya worry wart. No. I'm not going to humiliate or otherwise harm her psyche. Based on what she's told me in her letters, it sounds like you're as much her best friend as Hinata. She's used to having your undivided attention and constant support. If you were say, spending a lot of time with me, she'd start to miss all your attention. Hell, she might even come to you seeking some of your comfort."

Neji opened his mouth to protests but Ren's words began to sink in. Beki chasing after him? That might be enough to give him the courage to tell her how he felt. Not to mention make up for the constant frustration he put up with. As he imagined all the possibilities his expression softened. When he at last came back to the present, he found Ren smirking at him. She raised her eyebrows coquettishly, as if she knew exactly where his mind had wandered.

"I know, right?"

Neji shuffled uncomfortably. "Why are you helping me? Isn't Beki your friend?"

"That's exactly it, hot stuff. Beki is my best damned friend. That means she deserves a stone-cold hunk that's going to treat her like she's made of solid gold." Ren poked his chest. "You sir, fit that bill exactly. So, I am going to use every arcane power invested in this adorable body to make that happen."

It seemed pointless to argue with her so Neji nodded. "So, when do we start?"

"At the ceremony today. Beki's used to me hassling her about her sex life. Me asking her who the cutest boy in Konoha is won't seem so out of the ordinary."

Neji sighed and shook his head. "Alright, Ren. We can give this a try."

"I'll let you know what I find out today," Ren said as she turned but then paused. She turned, smiled at him, and pinched his cheek. "You two are going to have the cutest babies."

Neji watched as Ren skipped away wondering what he had signed himself up for. Ren knew Beki much longer than he had, so there was a fair chance her plan would work and maybe he could make some headway with her. In his heart, Neji knew his feelings for Beki weren't right. She was happily in a relationship with Gaara and if Neji really loved Beki he should let her be. At the idea that there might be a chance Beki could be his, though, he selfishly needed to give it a chance. Even if that meant seeing it burn up in flames, Neji needed resolution.

…

Beki had spent the last ten minutes binding up her breasts. It was a pain but Beki had burned through five bras and tank tops since she had gone Burned Maiden. Not wearing a shirt made the armor uncomfortable, too. She figured the ceremony would be short and was unlikely to be attacked so Beki figured she could put up with the discomfort. She was trying to build up her tolerance for if she really had to wear it into a fight. In that event, Beki would burn through her bindings and her underwear instantly and have to go commando for the rest of the duration. It was less expensive to rebind than it was to carry around extra bras everywhere.

After it had finished drying the day before, Beki had brought her armor upstairs to her bedroom. Normally she would have just thrown it on the living room floor and pulled it on but Naruto was home. Hinata always got this look on her face when Beki was less than decent and would yell at her about putting "real" pants on. Beki tried to be mindful of her feelings, even though it was clear neither Beki or Naruto really cared. Naruto acted like Beki was another guy in the house. Unless she or Hinata were crying, then he got uncomfortable and kind of threw them at each other.

Once she was bound up, Beki powdered between her legs and under her arms to help with sweat and chafing. Beki caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and chuckled. She looked like a corpse warmed over. If she had more time, Beki would go find Neji and sneak up on him. The poor guy had a horrible fear of ghosts and the undead that she frequently exploited for her own amusement. At last she began the tedious process of putting on the armor. It took her fifteen minutes to strap and tie herself into everything but the gauntlets.

Beki brushed out her hair and braided it tightly so the strands wouldn't get caught in any of the brackets or between the plates. Then she finished putting on the gauntlets and headed downstairs.

"Do you want to eat anything before you go?" Hinata asked.

"No," Beki shook her head as she pulled on her boots. "The ceremony won't be that long. Ren and Daiske are going to be there. I'm guessing they're going to want to go out for food and catch up after."

"When do you think you'll be home?" Hinata looked at the clock. "If you won't be home for dinner, Naruto-kun and I might go for ramen."

"Don't wait up for me," Beki smiled. "If I know Ren and Daiske they're going to keep me out late."

"Okay sweetie, have fun," Hinata gave her a soft smile back. "Today is a big day for you. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks, Hina chan." Beki headed for the door. "Just wish my dad was here to see it."

Hinata gave her a comforting pat on the back. "He's with you in spirit if what you told me about the armor is true."

"You're right," Beki shook her head. "I shouldn't be letting myself get so down. Can I get a kiss for luck?"

Hinata sighed and rolled her eyes. She leaned in and gave Beki a quick peck on the cheek. "Go get em."

"Have fun on your date tonight." Beki gave her a mischievous wink. "And whatever happens afterwards."

"Beki!" Hinata began but Beki was already out the door. Once she was gone, Hinata sighed and threw up her hands. "At least she's getting her sass back."

…

Ishida had arranged to use the conference room at his hotel for the ceremony. It was sterile and plain looking but it would accommodate the group comfortably. Hallowed ground was usually used for such occasions, such as at a shrine, or at a historic site. Unfortunately, no such site was available. The hotel owner said a wedding had been held in the room a week before. Ishida figured that the priest's blessings still lingered enough to count.

The ceremony was slated to begin in fifteen minutes yet there was no sign of Beki. Daiske and Ren were waiting patiently outside the door so Ishida could finish setting up. At first, Beki's absence irked Ishida. He had to take a deep breath and remind himself that although to him it was poor manners, fifteen minutes early was not technically on time. Finally he heard footsteps heading towards them and the pair outside began talking excitedly.

"Come on in," Ishida called out, relieved they could begin on schedule. The head that came through the door was not blond but the darkest of blacks, so deep and rich it seemed to steal the light from the room. Ishida's mouth dropped into a frown. "Lady Asou."

"Didn't think I was going to miss my daughter's promotion, did you?" Yukihana crossed the room and languidly took a seat against the wall. Ishida wracked his brain for some excuse to throw her out. He soured as he came up with nothing. He would be forced to tolerate her presence.

"You two might as well join us," Ishida sighed. "Perhaps Miss Tsukimori will decide to grace us with her presence soon."

"Chill out, Ishida," Yuki cocked her head. "She's still ten minutes ahead of schedule."

"How did you find out where and when we were meeting, anyway?" Ishida spat.

Yuki tapped her nose and grinned, maintaining a mysterious silence. Ishida hated her for all her pomp and self-satisfaction. The woman probably eavesdropped and yet she acted like it had been some great feat.

Daiske and Ren cautiously walked in the door. "So um," Daiske rubbed the back of his head. "You said you're related to Beki?"

"Eyes like blue lightning, hair as black as ebony, and alabaster skin with freckles," Ren's eyes widened. "You're an Asou!"

"Bingo," Yuki pointed at Ren. "You've studied your bloodlines."

"Beki's half Asou and half Tsukimori," Ishida scoffed. "She had a fifty-fifty shot."

Yuki ignored him and smiled at Ren. "Black hair, amber eyes, and olive skin. You're a Tsukiyama."

Ren clapped excitedly. "I've never met an Asou before! I thought Yukihana was the last of the line."

"That's correct." Yuki folded her hands and waited.

"You're saying you're Yukihana?" Daiske blinked in confusion.

"She's been dead for twelve years," Ren looked at Ishida for an explanation.

"Asou Yukihana trapped herself in her own jutsu for twelve years," It took all Ishida had not to snap. After so many years of peace, Yukihana had been thrust back into Ishida's life and was stealing the spotlight from everything else.

"Ouch," Daiske shook his head. "I knocked myself out with my own jutsu once."

"Once?" Ren shot him the side eye and Daiske mumbled something.

Heavy footfalls sounded down the hallway and Ishida let out a sigh of relief. Beki let herself in without announcing herself and looked around the room. "Hey guys. Been here long?"

Ren shook her head. "No, you're still five minutes early."

Beki looked at Ishida, who opened his mouth, but she interrupted him. "I know, five minutes early is ten minutes late." Everyone's eyes were watching her expectantly, although Ren had inched so close to Yuki they were almost touching. Ren's eyes were wide and she was shaking with excitement. "Keep it together, Ren. You can interrogate my mom in a minute."

"SHE'S A LEGEND, BEKI!" Ren danced. "There are so many things I need to know!"

"Okay, Ishida," Beki shook her head. "How are we doing this?"

Ishida sighed. Seiichiro hated the pomp and ceremony of office and his daughter had clearly inherited his disdain. "We'll make this quick, then." Ishida unrolled the scroll he had so carefully transported from Getsugakure. "Receive his Majesty's royal decree."

Beki, Yukihana, Ren, and Daiske all kneeled and bowed their heads.

"By order of the King, Tsukimori Haruka is now promoted to the rank of jounin in honor of her disposal of enemies of the crown. With this promotion, she is also appointed as her father's successor to the position of regional senior ambassador."

"I receive his Majesty's decree with gratitude," Beki kept her head low as she held up her hands and accepted the scroll.

Ishida also placed a heavy metal object in her hands. "This is your seal. Guard it with your life. It is the only definitive proof that you are who you say you are when acting as ambassador on the king's behalf."

"Thank you, Ishida." Beki looked up at him. "I know this has put a lot of extra work on your table."

"It isn't anything I wasn't expecting, Miss Tsukimori." Ishida folded his hands. "Do your best not to start any wars while you're out here."

"Will do," Beki bowed. "Thank you, Ishida."

"I'll take my leave then," Ishida looked around the room. "You all seem to have important matters to discuss."

Beki tugged at his sleeve as he passed. "I'll check in with you at the hotel later so we can discuss our game plan."

"Take your time." Ishida gave her a polite bow and walked out the door.

"So how long has your mom been undead?" Daiske asked, his confusion plain on his face.

"She's only been around for about a month," Beki explained. "I haven't written you guys about it because we're trying to keep it secret."

"Why? Your mom is one of the most notable Getsu shinobi in the last hundred years!" Ren threw up her hands. "Wouldn't everyone think she's more of a badass if she raised herself from the dead? Talk about unstoppable."

Yuki shook her head. "There have been a lot of attempts on Beki's life since I got back. If no one knows I'm here, no one will be expecting me to protect her." She sized Daiske up and pinched his cheek. "You're cute. You're not from a Maiden line, so who are you?"

Daiske swatted away her hand with no luck. "I'm not from a landed clan or anything."

"That doesn't matter, sugarplum. Who are you?" Yuki pat his now red cheek.

"Daiske," He said as he rubbed the offended cheek.

"Hey, while your mom is interrogating Daidai," Ren hip bumped Beki. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot," Beki let Ren lean against her.

"So, who's the cutest guy in town?" Ren looked up at her. "I think I've scared off the last of the boys in Getsu."

Beki looked down at her suspiciously. "Just so we're clear, anything you do here reflects on me."

Ren rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't make them cry. Too much."

"The cutest guy…" Beki started counting off on her fingers. "Neji is definitely by far the best-looking boy our age. He's so pretty he makes me insecure about myself as a woman. Naruto is handsome but he's taken, so I would advise against that because I wouldn't put it past Hinata to murder any competition. Then, um…" Beki narrowed her eyes. "Should I count them if they hate me?"

"If they hate you, then they'll probably hate me." Ren shook her head. "Leave em out."

"So then I guess it would be Shino and Lee-" Beki stopped abruptly and threw up her hands just in time to deflect a snowball.

"Good," Yuki laughed. "You're finally getting it."

Beki let out a frustrated sigh. "So, do you guys want to get lunch together?"

"Yeah," Daiske stood a cautious distance away from Yuki, putting Ren between them.

"You think they'd like my diner?" Yuki cocked her head.

"You can bring them down there," Beki nodded. "I'm going to go and see Ishida for a minute."

…

"So this is the place," Yuki turned and faced the pair. "Should we go in and wait or do you like hovering awkwardly outside?"

"Actually, I have something to take care of," Ren backed away. "I'll be right back."

"Ren," Daiske's eyes darted to Yuki and then to Ren. "You're just going to leave me-"

"BYE!" Ren darted off down the street.

"Wow," Yuki elbowed Daiske. "Talk about lucky. She's a good wingman."

"What do you mean?" Daiske cast a cautious look at her. Her eyes gleamed like a feral cat on the hunt. Daiske felt his stomach plummet and it was all he had to keep his knees from knocking together.

Yuki slung an arm around the boy's shoulders, reveling in the way his skin crawled. "Your friend knows I'm an attractive young widow and just left the two of us alone."

Daiske's eyes widened and his knees locked up. "You're my friend's mom…"

"Aw come on Dai-dai! That's what makes it so much fun! Or… are you not interested in older women?" She leaned over,

3263 stopping millimeters from his lips and took a menacing sniff at his neck. Yuki paused suddenly and pull away from Daiske. "Are you crying?"

Daiske turned away buried his face in his hands. "No!" He said through sniffles.

Yuki sighed. She liked making young men cry, but only from pent up sexual frustration. These cries were soft and broken. "Look kid, I'm sorry I've been picking on you," Yuki looked around nervously. "I guess in a mostly girl squad you probably catch a lot of crap, huh?"

Daiske nodded. He lowered his hands but tears still gleamed at the corners of his eyes. Yuki put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Would touching some boob make things better?"

Daiske viscerally retracted.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Yuki threw up her hands in a gesture of submission. "No touching. I get it."

"Tsk tsk,"

Yuki glanced up at the source of the sound and her face pulled into a sneer. "Go on. There's nothing to see here."

Kakashi gestured at Daiske. "You're bullying children, Yukihana."

"I wasn't bullying him, I was teasing him and I took it a little too far," Yuki looked at Daiske. "Tell him buddy."

"I, uh," Daiske looked between her and Kakashi who were both staring at him expectantly. His nerves were already in tatters and he could feel a sob catching in his throat.

Kakashi shook his head and Yuki turned to offer Daiske another apology. Before she could speak, Kakashi beat her to it. "Now you're intimidating the poor boy!"

"My parents are going through a divorce right now and my mom might be leaving our village and she…" Daiske gestured towards Yuki. "She looks like my mom…"

Yuki scoffed, quite insulted to be compared to someone's mother.

Kakashi shook his head. "Control yourself, Yuki. This is unbecoming, even for you."

"Hurry up Beki…Ren…" Yuki whispered. "What's taking you so long?"

…

"There you are," Ren skated to a stop a little too late, skidding right into Neji. He threw up his hands to keep her from falling.

"Ren," Neji looked around. "Is Beki with you?"

"No," Ren shook her head. "I have good news."

Neji felt his heart begin to race. Did Beki find him cute, or better yet had Ren taken things too far and told Beki that Neji liked her and she secretly had a crush on him? He did his best to keep his composure as he spoke. "What about?"

"She thinks you're cute," Ren explained. "Beki says you're so good looking you make her insecure about herself."

Neji's heart sank somewhat. "That…sounds like a backhanded compliment."

"She was being a hundred percent honest, girl to girl," Ren threw up her hands. "I'm not sugarcoating anything." At the sight of Neji's crestfallen face, Ren gave him an affectionate pat on the cheek. "Chin up, soldier. This is good news! We can move on to phase two!"

"What's phase two?" Neji furrowed his brow suspiciously.

Ren looked up the street, standing on tiptoe. "We've got to make her a little jealous."

Neji folded his arms. "Ren-"

"Trust me, okay?" Ren returned her attention to Neji. "Has Beki kissed you yet?"

Neji's face flushed scarlet and he stammered nervously for a moment before answering: "Why would you ask that?"

Ren rolled her eyes. "Beki likes kissing. I know her well enough to know she's probably kissed all her friends here. So, has she kissed you?"

"Y-yes," Neji sighed and averted his eyes. His face was still as red as a beet as he spoke: "You have to understand, it was an emergency situation and-"

Ren stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the collar of Neji's shirt, pulling him down into a full mouth kiss. The suddenness of it stunned him momentarily. The force of her kiss surprised Neji. She was pulling him against her with an almost carnal desire. It both scared him and made his heart race. Her tongue poked at his lips, but before he could pull away, Ren had already released him and turned around to face the street.

"Hey Beki," Ren grinned, licking her lips.

"Ummm…. Hey guys." Beki looked back and forth between them. "Am I interrupting something?" Her matter of fact tone made it obvious that she had seen everything.

Neji was horrified. He searched Beki's face for anger or any familiar emotion. Her expression revealed nothing. He opened his mouth to explain, but Ren subtly elbowed him and Neji snapped his mouth shut.

"No," Ren shook her head. "How'd your meeting with Ishida go?"

"Fine," Beki turned slightly towards Ren, but kept her gaze on Neji. "Are we still getting lunch or do you two have other plans?"

Ren shook her head. "No plans! Let's do lunch." She reached over and looped her arm around Neji's with a poignant grin.

Beki blinked, but recovered her composure almost instantly. "You're welcome to join us if you want, Neji." Beki said. "Plenty of room."

"Thanks, Beki." As soon as her back was turned, Neji activated his Byakugan. He watched for any sign she was in distress; an elevated heartrate, sweating, or abnormal breathing. Neji found nothing. Beki was fine. "What were you thinking?" He turned on Ren. "How is this supposed to help me?"

Ren shook her head. "Remember? If you are spending time with me, Beki will realize how much she likes spending time with you."

"You didn't even ask if you could kiss me," Neji shook his head. "I didn't know this is what you had in mind."

"It's not like I took your first kiss," Ren rolled her eyes. "Pony up. Come on, let's go to lunch."

"Do you seriously think I could sit at the table with her after that!?" Neji buried his face in his hands. Ren had been right about one thing, this would force him to get over her. If she kept up at this rate, Neji would be so shamed and humiliated around Beki he could never look at her again, let alone ask her out.

Ren grabbed ahold of his sleeve and dragged him along. "It all gets better from here."