The next morning, Yukina woke up early and stole a peek at Hatori, who was still fast asleep. She studied his face interestedly and blushed suddenly, for she realised with a jolt that Hatori was a stunningly handsome man to look at, even while he was asleep. His chest heaved up and down slightly when he was breathing.

All of a sudden, Hatori grunted and wrapped his arms around Yukina and pulled her close to him. Yukina was too surprised to do anything but stare at Hatori wonderingly. Apparently, he was still sleeping soundly. Her mind went completely blank and she could not feel anything but the warmth of Hatori's body. Unwilling to interrupt this precious moment, Yukina gently wrapped her arms around Hatori and snuggled deeper into his arms.

After an hour, Hatori awoke and found Yukina buried deep in his arms. Hatori's lips curved into a slight smile and could not resist from stroking her soft hair. He gazed at her for a long time and suddenly tightened his lips. He reprimanded himself silently, "This girl is absolutely off limits, Hatori. You are too old for her." He looked down at the sleeping girl again and tried to work out the reason why he was so attracted to her. Yukina was not outstandingly pretty, but she had a natural charm that reached out to everybody who sees her. Besides, she is adorably cute, and has an innocence, which touches the heart of all. Hatori's desire to protect her and make her happy grew stronger than ever.

Hatori went on staring at Yukina for quite a while until he remembered that he had planned to bring Yukina out that day. Seeing that she was still snuggled happily in his arms, he smiled and reached his hand out to pat her cheek caressingly. Slowly, Yukina's eyes flickered open and she stared at Hatori blurrily. Seeing her cute sleepy face, Hatori's smile became wider in spite of himself and he said, "Yukina-chan, it's time to wake up," and ruffled her hair softly. At that, Yukina immediately woke up and pouted at Hatori. "Hey, don't you go treating me like a child now. I'm already sixteen you know," and she poked her tongue out at Hatori.

Hatori could not resist the urge to poke more fun at her and he said, "Yes…Yes…Yukina-chan. I know that you are only sixteen years old." "Hmph," Yukina folded her arms peevishly and turned to face the wall, leaving Hatori to stare at her back.

Hatori had never seen Yukina affronted before, and every fresh aspect of her made him delighted. He decided that he had enough with teasing her, and he rolled Yukina back to facing him using his toes. Hatori feigned a pitiful look and said, "I'm sorry, Yukina-chan, please forgive me. As a token of apology, I will bring you anywhere you want to go today."

At this, Yukina brightened up instantly and asked, "Really?" Hatori nodded and said firmly, "Yes, Yukina-chan. However, you must wake up and get ready before I can bring you anywhere." Yukina's eyes sparkled, "Yes, sir," and did a mock salute. Hatori stared at her, wondering how she changed her emotions so quickly. She half-danced into the bathroom and soon the sound of splashing water was heard. However, Hatori was happy to see that she is behaving more as a girl her age should be, instead of the timid, fearful girl he saw a few days ago. He made a resolution to make this day a thoroughly enjoyable day for her, and for both of them, if possible.

Suddenly, Yukina's head poked out of the door and she said, "Umm…Hatori, do you have any clothes I can fit into? I'm afraid that I don't have any clothes left…" and her cheeks went scarlet. Her antics amused Hatori and he went to search for some clothes for Yukina. At last, he found one and handed it over to Yukina, who voiced a muffled "Thanks" through the bathroom door. After a short while, Yukina walked out of the bathroom, dressed in Hatori's old shirt and pants, which were hanging loosely from her body frame, as Hatori was quite tall and muscular.

Hatori heard her footsteps and turned around to look at Yukina, who was still dripping water and holding her old yukata in her hands. She was always a source of amusement to Hatori, who had never seen anyone as cute and special as Yukina. Smiling, Hatori said to Yukina, "Did you forget how to bathe? Anyway, I think you should dry yourself and throw your old clothes away. Our first stop will be Ayame's clothes shop, then. Now, please wait a moment as I get washed up, Yukina-chan." After that, he went to get ready for the upcoming tour around town.

Yukina did as Hatori told her to, and sat down on the bed while waiting for Hatori to finish. She took a good look around Hatori's house, which had only one floor. However, the house was big and wide. The fireplace was lit, and the bedroom, which was connected to the bathroom, was cosy and comfortable. There were few furnishings on the wall, which was painted with a delightful lime green. She was wondering how Hatori's garden would look in spring, when Hatori walked out of the bathroom. Hearing his feet treading on the floor, she turned her head to look at Hatori.

At that instant, her face heated up and turned as red as a tomato. Hatori had wrapped the lower part of his body with a towel and was not wearing anything underneath. Consequently, Yukina found herself staring at Hatori's bare chest, which was quite well built and hairless. Hatori saw her look and quickly apologised, "Sorry, Yukina-chan. I was used to living alone, so I normally don't come out of the bathroom in my clothes…"

Face still red, Yukina put her thumb into her mouth and bowed, "It's okay, Hatori. Umm…I don't mind it, actually. I was just not used to…well…seeing men undressed." Shaking his head at Yukina's innocence, Hatori hastily got dressed and wiped himself dry.

"Well then," Hatori said, "Yukina-chan, let's get started with today's trip." He led Yukina into the car and started the engine. Then, he glanced at Yukina, "Remember having ridden a car before?" Yukina shook her head. Hatori leaned over and fastened her seatbelt for her, saying as he did so, "In any case, you must make sure you have securely tightened the seatbelt." After that, Hatori drove to their first destination, which was Ayame's shop.

As they reached, Yukina could see the sign hung high up in front of Ayame's shop, which said "Ayame's Fashion Boutique- for All Your Dressing Needs". Both of them then made their way into the shop, where Ayame warmly greeted them. Hatori said, "Please find some clothes for Yukina, as she has none." Ayame nodded with a grin, "Sure, I will be delighted, Hatori-kun."

He began with measuring her size, and noting her hair, eyes and skin colour. After a long while, Ayame brought out about fifteen sets of clothes that comprised of all kinds of clothing. Yukina's eyes went wide, and she said hurriedly, "Umm…I don't need so many, Ayame-san. Two or three sets of clothes will do." Ayame beamed and reassured her, "Don't worry, Yukina-chan. This, this and this," he gestured to a few pieces of clothes, "would be my welcoming gift to you, and Hatori-kun will pay for the rest. Anyway, now that we are better acquainted, you should not address me so formally, don't you think so?"

Flustered, Yukina began, "Oh…but…" she was interrupted by Hatori, who smiled pleasantly at her and said teasingly, "Never mind, Yukina-chan…I can afford all these. Anyway, you do need clothes, don't you?" Yukina reddened as she recollected seeing Hatori without clothes that morning.

Ayame clapped his hands, "Now that it's all settled, would you pick your favourite among these and change into them now rather than wearing Hatori's shirt, Yukina-chan?" Yukina blushed slightly and quickly began to surf through the pile of clothes laid in front of her. At last, she chose a purple blouse with a matching scarf, together with a plaited skirt. She went into the changing room and changed into her new clothes, while Hatori surveyed the clothes that Ayame had chosen for Yukina. He pointed towards them and frowned a little at Ayame.

"Aren't you forgetting something? It's winter and you should prepare something warmer, Ayame." Ayame clasped his hands together and said, "Oh right. I forgot about the winter clothes. I will go and get them now, Hatori-kun."

Ayame did as he said and at that moment, Yukina came out of the changing room in her new clothes, looking every bit the cute, charming girl she is. The sight of her in her new clothes, smiling shyly at Hatori, left him unable to do anything but gape at her. Yukina grew quite uneasy under his scrutinising look and asked softly, "How do I look, Hatori?" Her voice jolted Hatori from his reverie and he replied with a warm smile.

"I think you look very lovely, Yukina-chan. Now, would you wait a moment as Ayame is choosing a winter coat for you? You might easily catch a cold just wearing this." Yukina nodded and sat down beside Hatori, her eyes gazing at the rest of the shop, which contained all kinds of clothes with different designs and colours.

At last, Ayame came out with a thick warm fur coat and handed it over to Hatori. Hatori examined it for a while and nodded approvingly. Then, he gave the coat to Yukina, "Wear it, Yukina-chan. This will keep you warm." Yukina put on the coat and instantly felt warm all over. Subsequently, both of them thanked Ayame and departed from the shop to continue on their journey.

Afterwards, Hatori drove his car to a hypermarket and parked his car there. Then, he walked to the other side of his car to open the door for Yukina, who was fumbling with the lock and the seatbelt. At last, Hatori managed to get Yukina out of the car and it was the most natural thing for him to hold her hand as they walked into the hypermarket together. Hatori brought Yukina to the women's department and asked her to buy the things she needs. It was quite a hard job to convey it to Yukina without any embarrassment, and after he finished, both their faces were red. Hatori gave her some money and instructed her to wait for him at that spot after she finished, while he will go and purchase other necessary items. After an hour or so, both of them had finished their business and they left the hypermarket, with their hands laden with shopping bags.

At that time, it was already past noon. Hatori took a glance at Yukina, who was beside him in the car and was staring out of the window with a faraway look in her eyes. He smiled slightly and asked her, "Yukina-chan, what would you like to eat? There are a number of nice restaurants around here." Yukina snapped out of her thoughts and answered hesitatingly, "Umm…I'm not familiar with this place…so would you make the decision, Hatori?"

Hatori considered for a moment, and got a sudden inspiration. "Well then, but I will keep the place a secret from you until we reach there." Yukina did a mock pout at him and continued to stare out the window silently. Hatori could not help but wonder what was in her mind, and whether this trip will be too exhausting for her. He observed Yukina for a moment, and concluded that she was fine; maybe she was just trying to see if she had known these places before.

Finally, they reached the destination, which was a café located beside a lake. Hatori led Yukina down form the car and into the café. The owner of the café, a plump, smiling old woman, came out and greeted them enthusiastically. "What a pleasure to have you in my humble place, Hatori-san. By the way, who might this sweet young lady be?" and she pointed towards Yukina, who bowed shyly as a gesture of greeting. Hatori smiled and introduced, "Miko-san, this is Yukina, and Yukina-chan, this kind woman is Miko, who bakes the best cakes in town, or I might say, the whole state."

The woman, now known as Miko, laughed heartily and said, "You are flattering me as usual, Hatori-san. Anyway, it's good to see that you have a girlfriend now, after being single all these years and breaking all the young girls' hearts out there." Hatori smiled a little, but he did not try to deny his relationship with Yukina, who was blushing self-consciously. Instead, he took Yukina's hand and both of them went into the café.

Once they got to the inside of the café, they caught whiffs of the appetizing scent of cakes. Hatori sneaked a glance at Yukina, whose face was still red as the result of Miko's misunderstanding of their relationship. Miko ushered them to a table for two, and began to take their orders. Hatori smiled at Yukina and asked, "What would you like to order, Yukina-chan?"

Yukina stared at the menu for a long time and could not make up her mind between all the kinds of cake. Suddenly, a word caught her eye. Yukina pointed towards the menu and asked Miko curiously, "What kind of cake is 'Freestyle', Miko-san?" Miko grinned and shot a look towards Hatori, who smiled again.

"Yukina-chan, 'Freestyle' is Miko-san's specialty. She will make a different cake for the customers based on her instincts. Would you like to try it?" Yukina was interested as she had never heard of this kind of service before, and she nodded happily.

As the owner bustled around in the kitchen to prepare their orders, Hatori looked at Yukina again. She felt his eyes on her and flushed again. Hatori could sense her shyness and decided to make her feel comfortable again, even if he was not honest to himself. "Yukina-chan, about just now…Miko-san just had a misunderstanding of our relationship. Besides, she had been pestering me to get a girlfriend for ages and could not resist commenting when she saw both of us together. So, please don't feel ill at ease, okay?" Hatori said gently. Yukina raised her eyes to him and smiled timidly, "Umm…I don't mind it, actually. They can just say what they want, right?"

Hatori was relieved and a little depressed at the same time. On the other hand, Yukina was longing to tell Hatori that she felt something different, which she could not understand herself, for him. However, she did not have the courage to do it, as she regarded Hatori as something like a god, and she felt she did not deserve somebody as noble and superior as him.

Their conversation was interrupted as Miko came out of the kitchen balancing a tray of cake, drinks and for some reason, a cup of ice cream. She laid all the food down on the table and said, "Here's your order, Yukina-san, Hatori-san. By the way, the ice cream is my treat for the both of you. I hope you will enjoy your meal," and she got back to being busy around the shop. Both Yukina and Hatori stared at the cake she made for them with a mystified expression. The cake was pink in colour and was made in a shape of a heart. On it was the words 'Hatori-Yukina-forever'. Spontaneously, both of them grinned knowingly at each other.

After that, Hatori took up his knife and spoon and Yukina did the same. Yukina showed reluctance to eat the cake, making Hatori glance at her questioningly. "Is there anything wrong, Yukina-chan?" he asked. Yukina shook her head and smiled, "No, it's just that I'm quite unwilling to spoil such a beautiful cake." Hearing that, Hatori chuckled and said, "It's not a problem at all. If you like it, I can bring you here anytime you want to. Furthermore, Miko-san would think that you don't like her cake if you don't start eating, Yukina-chan." Then, Hatori took Yukina's hands in his own. "Would you do the honours of cutting the cake? I'm quite curious to see what Miko-san put inside it."

Yukina nodded and held the knife in her hands. Suddenly she looked pleadingly at Hatori, who was watching her cautiously in case she accidentally hurt herself. "Hatori, how am I going to divide the cake? It seems so sad to cut it into halves, because it will resemble a broken heart then." Hatori was amused and could not help smirking.

"Is that shat you are worried about, Yukina-chan? Don't worry; I will cut it in such a way that the heart is still whole." Then he started 'sawing' the cake into half so that the cake, which was originally in a heart shape, became two hearts with half of the original height. Yukina was staring at his actions with wide-open eyes, amazed at Hatori's ingenuity. At last, Hatori finished separating the cake into two, and began to serve himself and Yukina.

Unknown to them, Miko was watching them from where she was, smiling and musing to herself as to what a nice couple Hatori and Yukina made. On the other hand, both Hatori and Yukina were enjoying themselves immensely, eating the cake Miko made, and the romantic atmosphere of the café too was a delightful pleasure to both of them. Hatori noted that the faraway look in Yukina's eyes had disappeared, replaced with a tranquil happy light, and rejoiced at her change for the better. Finally, they finished their cakes and turned their attention towards the ice cream, and lastly, the drinks.

After satisfying their stomachs, Hatori and Yukina bade their goodbyes to Miko, and thanked her again for the enjoyable meal they had. Hatori held Yukina's hand and led the way to their next destination. Eventually, both of them arrived at the lake, which was just beside the café. It was quiet and peaceful at the lake, as it was frozen and covered with ice. Hatori glanced at the girl who was silently watching the scenery, mesmerised by the beauty of it. At this moment, her eyes contained a deep, unspeakable sorrow, so sad that Hatori longed to clasp her into his arms, and replace the sadness in her eyes with joy she deserved to have, more than anyone else.

However, his inner voice spoke again. "You know that you cannot possibly own her, Hatori. She is so young and sweet, and you are just a sombre, dull doctor who had been dumped once." He growled, angry at being reminded of the painful experience years ago. The sound of him startled Yukina, and she asked, "What's wrong, Hatori?" Hatori then realised that he had spoken aloud, and smiled gently at Yukina. "Oh no, it's nothing, Yukina-chan. Anyway, what are you thinking of?"

Yukina's eyes became wider; she had not expected such a question. Her hand reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears, and she replied, "I was just thinking what a beautiful place this is, Hatori." Hatori looked at her, noticing that her hair had fallen into wisps around her face, making her look all the more enticing to him. He trembled a bit, afraid that he might not be able to control his feelings. Hatori clenched his fists, and spoke in his normal voice again. "Yukina-chan, I think it's time to return home, ne?"

Yukina saw him clenching his fists and wondered what was on his mind. However, she did not think it necessary to question him, as he will tell her when he is ready to do so. She nodded obediently and followed him back to the car, where Hatori stopped for a moment. He looked tenderly at Yukina, who was not able to remove her eyes from his captivating glance and she looked at him with timid, unsure eyes. In her mind, she knew that her heart had already belonged to him; the only problem was that she did not have the courage to admit it.

It was hard for Hatori to prevent himself from confessing his feelings to her there and then. Suddenly, he remembered something, then took something from his coat and handed it over to Yukina. "Here, this is a present for you, Yukina-chan."

Yukina reached for it shyly, wondering what exactly it could be. The gift was placed inside a small exquisite box, tied in ribbons. Her delicate fingers removed the ribbons tentatively, afraid of spoiling the gift. As she uncovered the gift, she gave a small gasp of shock. Inside the box was the prettiest necklace she had ever seen, with a simple but captivating design.

Hatori was delighted when he saw Yukina's reaction. He had bought the necklace on impulse while Yukina was inside the hypermarket, feeling that it was just perfect for her. To his surprise, Yukina's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. He turned to face her, looking at her with eyes full of concern.

"What's the matter, Yukina-chan? Don't you like the necklace?" Yukina shook her head, tears flowing down her face.

She then looked up at Hatori, eyes full of gratitude. "No, Hatori…it's just that…nobody has ever given me such a wonderful present before." Unable to help herself, she flung herself into Hatori's arms, which opened up to embrace her in time. He enfolded her in his arms tightly, so tight that there seemed to be no room left in between their bodies. Both of them felt their bodies heating up, not because of the thick clothes they were wearing, but because of each other.

Hatori then stroked Yukina's hair tenderly and caressingly, all the while murmuring, "Please don't cry, Yukina. I can't bear to see tears staining your pretty face. If anyone deserves it, surely it is you. Here, let me put on the necklace for you," and he fastened the clasp of the necklace around her neck.

From inside Hatori's arms, Yukina stared up at him, unsure and apprehensive. Suddenly, she felt something cold on her face and was startled. In fact, Hatori was trailing a long finger down her face, gently wiping away her tears.

"Well, accept it as a token of my thanks for the dinner you cooked last night, Yukina-chan," said Hatori softly. "Anyway, did you enjoy today's day out?"

Yukina was incapable of saying anything, and she nodded fervently, all the while clinging to Hatori tightly. Reluctantly, the two of them separated. Then, Hatori patted Yukina's head soothingly, and gently guided her into the car.

Both Hatori and Yukina were silent throughout the whole trip home, minds occupied with each other, but too afraid to admit it.

At last, they arrived at their home, and Yukina, being a fast learner, had no trouble getting out of the car. Hatori observed it with satisfaction, happy that Yukina is intelligent, having all kinds of knowledge, proved when Shigure and Ayame came for dinner. Hatori smiled at Yukina, who was cheerful and quite feisty after reaching home.

"Yukina-chan, I think you should go and pack the things you need, for we are going to stay a few days at Shigure's place," Hatori reminded Yukina.

Yukina sucked her thumb cutely. "I heard Shigure said something about some other teenagers living together with him…who are they?"

Hatori then realised that he should inform her about the few teenagers before they went to Shigure's house, so that she would be better prepared.

"There are four people living together with Shigure, Yukina-chan. Among them, three are my cousins and one is their friend. First, there is Kyou Souma, who is the cat; you would know him by his flaming orange hair. His girlfriend, Tohru Honda is their friend I was telling you. Next, the rat, Yuki Souma is the one with silvery-grey hair. Kyou, Honda, and Yuki, all of them are seventeen. The last one is Hatsuharu Souma or Haru, who has white and black hair, and is sixteen years old."

Yukina heard all this and was rather interested. "How can Haru-san have white and black hair at the same time?"

Hatori chuckled, "Oh, I forgot to mention that Haru is the cow. So, his hair is all white on top, and the inner layer is black," his tone became more serious here, "Yukina-chan, you must remember something. Never ever go near Haru when you are alone, understand?"

"Why, Hatori?" Yukina asked, perplexed.

"This is also caused by the animal curse. You see, in the story the cow was tricked by the rat into giving him a free ride. When Haru was small, people often teased him mercilessly about it. As a result, he would suddenly flare up and become very furious. Until now, he would still get into one of his tempers unexpectedly. When he is normal and nice, we refer to him as 'White Haru'. However, when he turns evil and angry, we call him 'Black Haru'. Furthermore, I can't know when he is going to turn black or white, so it's better for you not to be with him alone."

All the while, Yukina was listening attentively. "If it is your desire, I promise not to go near Haru-san when nobody else is present," she agreed obediently.

Relieved, Hatori gave Yukina a push. "Well, you should go and pack your things now, Yukina-chan, and go to bed early, for you have had a long day out."

Yukina did as Hatori said and finished packing in a few minutes. At the same time, Hatori was preparing for the stay over too. After the both of them had finished, they went to bed together. It was quite a sight to see them sleeping together, for Yukina was not shy to cuddle up to Hatori, and he reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her body.

On the other hand, Shigure was also 'briefing' Kyou, Tohru, Yuki and Haru about the guest they would be receiving tomorrow. He told them most of the things he knew about Yukina, including her previous 'master', her painful experiences, and how Hatori found her and welcomed her into his house. However, Shigure left out the part about seeming to recognise Yukina, for he wanted to see their own reactions when they saw Yukina for themselves.

Other than that, Shigure also cautioned them to be careful when they are talking, and not say something that might remind Yukina of her dreadful past. Besides, Shigure asked them to tolerate Yukina, because she might behave a little strange compared to normal accepted behaviour. All the four teenagers are kind-hearted people, and they agreed readily to accept the task to make Yukina welcome in her new society, and adapt to it well. Besides, they also felt great pity after hearing the narration of her being abused and tortured, especially Yuki, who had undergone such experiences before, and he sympathised with Yukina deeply, although they might not have met each other.