"How is your penmanship?" asked Nekozawa.

He and Haruhi were currently settled at the kitchen table surrounded by a large portion of Nekozawa's book collection and stacks of parchment – both blank and compiled with notes and diagrams.

"Not very extensive," she embarrassedly admitted, "I can write my name and record numbers and things, but that's about it."

"Wow," said Nekozawa, clearly astonished, "Your village is more backward than I originally thought." Haruhi shot him an expression of hurt. "We'll work on that first, then," he continued, "Writing is an essential element if you want to be productive in life, and some spells require accurate seals to be drawn in order for them to be effective." He handed Haruhi a quill and a bottle of ink after he unrolled a scrap of parchment for her. "On the top half I want you to copy the alphabet, and on the bottom half I want you to draw all of the geometric shapes that you're familiar with." Haruhi nodded and set to work. When she was finished Nekozawa looked it over.

"Overall your letters are fine," he said, "but your shapes are too rounded. Here, let me show you." Nekozawa stood behind Haruhi and cupped his hand around hers with the pen in place, and using this method he guided her in producing straight lines. Haruhi could feel her skin heat up at his proximity, and Nekozawa simply felt elated to be touching her skin. Unconsciously he lowered his head until it was hovering directly over her shoulder.

"I see," said Haruhi, "The school teacher in my village didn't go over shapes so; I had to guess at them."

"Well, luckily for you, you have me as your sensei now," he said, "And I can teach you so much more." Haruhi swallowed and Nekozawa stepped away so as to pull a chair up next to her. "Now, let's see you draw them on your own." He leaned forward and propped his elbow on the table, intently looking at the parchment. Haruhi drew a second set of shapes on the back of the parchment, and she had to admit they looked significantly better than the first.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, surprised with her accomplishment, "Thanks, Neko-sensei! I never knew it could be this simple." Nekozawa laughed.

"As long as you work hard and practice, everything eventually seems simple."

"Is that how it was for you?" she asked, "When did you start learning magick? Who taught you?"

"It was," he beamed, "and sometimes still is. My mother began my lessons when I was very small."

"Was she the one who gave you your healing gift?"

"No, that came from Bereznoff."

"And where did he come from?"

"…Oh, he didn't come from anywhere…he's always been with me. I just wasn't very aware of how really real he was until puberty."

"What did you think he was before?"

"Ah, so many questions," Haruhi blushed and he continued, "I suppose I've always thought of him as an imaginary friend, but as I got older I found out he wasn't so imaginary."

"How?"

"Things…started happening. He would take advantage of me…to a point where I'd have no control. At first he was satisfied with hurting animals, but as I grew his tastes changed and he wanted manipulate and harm people. I…used to have a little sister, you know," his voice softened and he dropped his gaze.

"…Used to?"

"Perhaps I still do. She could have gotten away for all I know."

"I see…"

Nekozawa looked up at her and tried smiling to lighten the mood. "Don't worry; it happened a very long time ago-"

Haruhi stopped him short by scooting over and pulling him down in a warm cuddle. His head was resting on her chest and she had her arms wrapped around him in a loving, maternal-like manner. "Is this the first time you've told anybody?"

He laughed and pulled away before drying his eyes on his sleeve.

"You, my dear, are too kind. Is this how you treat everyone?"

Haruhi brought a finger to her chin in thoughtfulness. "I suppose so," she finally said, "I've never been one to turn down a person in need, and you, Neko-sensei, need a good cry."

He laughed. "Didn't we already go through that yesterday?"

"I've cried all my tears for the moment. You apparently have a long ways to go."

He stared at her for the longest time before decidedly settling in her shoulder letting her wiry arms wrap themselves around him. There was no dramatic sobbing, only Nekozawa's silent tears slipping down his face as he revisited his childhood.

The chaos that ensued when the other children shunned him.

The way he felt when his father died at sea.

Him, crushing the hand of the girl who gave him his first kiss.

The day he ran away from home.

And when he returned, he found that his mother had passed away, and that his sister had been "kidnapped."

Bereznoff, consuming his senses more and more each day.

The exact moment when he put his foot down and took control of his life.

Haruhi stayed with him during his moment of vulnerability, and not once complained or interrupted him. When he felt he had had enough of his trip down memory lane Nekozawa sat up straight and took a deep breath. Haruhi reached up and wiped his stained face with her thumbs.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"I'm getting there," he said, "Now, why don't we get back to our writing lesson?"

Haruhi complied and they spent the rest of the day working on her writing skills. When night came, the two of them decided to make vegetable soup. They were preparing the ingredients when Nekozawa decided it was only fair he should get to know a few things about Haruhi.

"So, besides previously being a village girl who raises chickens, is there anything else spectacular about your life I should know about?"

"Hmm…nothing I can think of."

"Well, then what sort of things do you like to do?"

"I really like to read, but books are so precious it's often hard to get my hands on one. I used to share books with my friend Arai; He would come over every evening to sit beside me and read with me."

"Were you and this…Arai…very close with one another?" He couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that laced his voice.

"We're childhood friends; I've known him for as long as I can remember."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?" asked Haruhi. There was no taunting or annoyance in her voice; purely curiosity.

"Just tell me about you," he said.

"Oh, well…" Haruhi struggled on where to begin, "I like to think of myself as a rather adventurous person, daring to go where no one has gone before."

"Would I happen to be one of those, by any chance?"

"Oh, most definitely."

Nekozawa laughed at her bluntness.

"And I love fruit," she continued, "especially the smell. I used to spend my summers sitting in the orchards; just loving the sun and the smell of the air. The grass is soft and I would take naps there, too. And the girls and I would go swimming in the creek every time it flooded. I loved doing that the most, even if it was cold out."

"Heh, I don't know how to swim."

"Would you be interested in learning?" asked Haruhi.

"…I just might be."

The two of them finished the soup and ate in silence. Haruhi eyed Nekozawa's book collection with sparkles in her eyes until she selected a nice, pocket-sized book she could take to bed. Nekozawa took a bath while she did this. She was asleep by the time he came back in the bedroom, and he marked her book for her and tucked her in. He had a good feeling about this girl, and Bereznoff tried in vain to convince him otherwise. That night he would have dreams of him and Haruhi swimming in the river, picnicking through the sunset, and laying under the stars while she was kept warm under his cloak.

Bereznoff be damned.