A/N: I know that Falling Into Temptations is supposed to be a sequel to the Fighting Temptations and I already said that I'll give each pair a chapter. But I do really want to put the previous story and this one under the same title. This is another way for Rei and Yoshino's story. I thought about this once I'm done with everyone's story. I thought it would be a waste of my time and effort if I will just delete the previous one in favor of this so I decided to post them both as versions 1 and 2. So basically, this story isn't a continuation of Chapter 3A.

Chapter 3B. It's Eriko's Way

Torii Eriko smiled inwardly as she saw that Shimazu Yoshino was getting irritated. And she could also see that the younger girl was trying to suppress it.

That was new.

Since when did this person started to learn to control herself?

"What is it really that you want from me, Eriko-sama?" Yoshino asked in mild annoyance. This was getting to her. Why did this person called for her anyway? And she, too, why did she agree to met Eriko? She didn't really know why.

Or maybe she knew.

This may have something to do with Hasekura Rei, her cousin and grande soeur. There was no way this person would met her other than that reason.

"Yoshino-chan, haven't you been listening to what I've been saying? I told you I just want to see my little sister's cute little sister," Eriko said in amusement. It wouldn't be long before she could get a rise from the younger girl.

"I don't believe you," Yoshino said, barely hanging on her control of anger. This was odd. Since when did she learned or even tried to control herself? Maybe because Eriko had put something in her food that she hadn't seen, and accidentally ate it? Now that was stupid, Yoshino, she chided herself. There was no way Eriko could have done that or would do that. On the second thought, knowing her, she just might. But then she hadn't heard of anything that could be eaten that would help a person control his or her temper. If there was, then probably her parents or Rei would have made her eat it, or forced it on her a long time ago, being the recipient of all of her stubbornness.

"I don't care what you think, Yoshino-chan. I've already told you the truth and you didn't believe me. I wonder how ever Rei could put up with someone like you. If it's me, I would have left you a long time ago. Don't you think it's really rude to force on people what you want?" Eriko continued.

"Aren't we the same?" Yoshino said in gritted teeth. It wasn't a question. It was a truth.

"Ah, but we are not the same, Yoshino-chan. I don't force people to do what I want. They just do what I want without me threatening them or shouting at them or pouting at them or sulking at them or…"

"That's enough! What do you really want from me?" Yoshino asked, not trying to control her annoyance anymore. Why would she bother? This was just so stupid.

Eriko merely chuckled at Yoshino. She did it for quite some time, if only to irritate the person more.

Yoshino stood up, irritated to the core. She wouldn't waste her time anymore sitting here as Eriko laughed at her. Normally, she never ran away from anything. However, this time she would, not because Eriko got the better of her but to avoid making a scene. They just couldn't have a shouting match here. It would be embarrassing, she thought as she glanced around the restaurant where a few people were having snacks and chats.

I guess she had grown up a bit, Eriko thought, looking at Yoshino's red face. Not red with embarrassment but with anger.

"I'm going."

With that, Yoshino turned to leave.

Eriko watched Yoshino as the latter walked away. After a few steps, she said, "You're in love with Rei, aren't you, Yoshino-chan?"

Yoshino stopped dead in her tracks. She could feel her heart beating fast. How did that infuriating person know?

"Will you come here and talk to me properly or are you going to let me tell everyone about little Yoshino in love with her Rei-chan?" Eriko teased.

Yoshino was frozen. If Eriko told the others, what would they say? More importantly, how was she going to face Rei if she found out from another person and not from her?

Gritting her teeth, Yoshino went back to her seat and sat ungracefully, in anger, in embarrassment.

"Good girl, good girl," Eriko said, smiling, to what Yoshino thought as a wicked smile.

---o---

"Onee-sama, did something happen?" Rei asked for the second time when Eriko remained quiet.

"Rei, what do you think if I get marry now?" Eriko asked suddenly that startled Rei who almost spew the tea she was drinking.

"You're getting married?" Rei asked in surprise.

"I said what if, didn't I?" Eriko said with raised eyebrows, a smile playing on her lips.

Rei cleared her throat as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, you did."

Eriko nodded.

"How about you, Rei, do you have plans of getting married?"

This time, Rei spewed the tea.

"How rude," Eriko mused, chuckling as Rei apologized. "So what is it, Rei?"

"Onee-sama, why did you suddenly ask that? Surely you didn't invite me out just to ask that," Rei said, avoiding the topic as she began to worry. What did her Onee-sama really want from her?

"Answer me, Rei," Eriko said in a commanding tone, and Rei could say no to that.

"I don't have plans for now, Onee-sama. I'm planning to finish college first and then probably work before I…" Rei didn't finish her sentence when Eriko spoke again.

"That's so like you, Rei. But how long are you going to waste your time pretending and all?"

"Onee-sama?" Rei asked, confused with the question.

"Don't you think Yoshino-chan deserves to know?" Eriko continued.

"But Yoshino knows already that I'm going to college and will work later and…"

Again, Eriko cut Rei.

"Do you want me to do it for you then?"

"What are you going to do for me? Onee-sama, I don't understand you at all," Rei said, a little worried.

"Tch, poor Yoshino-chan. She will have a really long, long wait," Eriko said in patronizing tone.

"What? Did something happen to Yoshino?" Rei asked, now really worried. If she thought about it, Yoshino seemed bothered these last few days.

"You're in love with Yoshino-chan, aren't you, Rei?"

This time, Rei dropped her cup of tea, spilling it on the table. And yet she didn't notice it, for all she could think was about how Eriko knew. All she could hear was the words spoken. And all she could see was Eriko's chuckling face.

---o---

"Rei-chan, what are you doing here?" Yoshino asked in surprise. She wasn't expecting to see Rei in the restaurant that Eriko told her that she would meet her.

"Yoshino? I'm…someone invited me here," Rei said, surprised too. If Yoshino was here, then how she and Eriko were going to talk about Yoshino?

"Oh, you two are quite early," said by a familiar voice behind them. They turned to see Eriko and, surprisingly, Yamanobe-sensei.

"Onee-sama."

"Eriko-sama."

'So she invited both of us,' Rei and Yoshino thought at the same time.

Once Eriko and Yamanobe-sensei were settled, they ordered food and had some tea, and for the rest of the time, Eriko dominated the conversation.

"Are you a couple?" Yoshino blurted, unable to hold the question in her mind any longer because Eriko kept talking without even explaining to them what this little reunion was all about.

"What do you think, Yoshino-chan?" Eriko asked with twinkling eyes while Yamanobe-sensei shifted a little in his seat.

Yoshino didn't respond to Eriko's question, suspecting that it was a trap. What if Eriko suddenly blurt to Rei about her feelings? She would kill her.

Not really waiting for a response, Eriko turned to the also quiet Rei.

"How about you, Rei, what do you think?"

"I don't really know, Onee-sama," Rei said, a little anxious. Knowing Eriko, she just might blurt out of a sudden about her feelings for Yoshino. She earnestly hoped that the latter wouldn't.

"I see. Do you two want to ask me something about you?" Eriko asked that made Rei and Yoshino almost tremble with worry.

'She is going to say it!' Yoshino thought anxiously, angrily, and fearfully. How was she going to deal with it?

'Oh no. She will say it!' Rei thought worriedly as she glanced at Yoshino. How would Yoshino react if she found out that she had been hiding the truth from her? She rubbed her palms on her pants, feeling them starting to sweat.

"I guess you don't want me to. Okay then," Eriko said, toying with her little sisters, enjoying their discomfort. This was really quite interesting. Before this day ended, she would make sure that something would happen.

And so throughout their conversations, Eriko kept saying things that would make Rei and Yoshino anxious, then relaxed them when she wouldn't say anything that they were expecting her or afraid that she wouldsay, and then worry them again with words that almost spilling their secrets to each other, the secret which was known to Rei but not to Yoshino. And slowly, Eriko's plays were getting on Yoshino and Rei.

"Ah, it's time. We will leave now. We're going to meet my Father and brothers today," Eriko said.

"Why?" Both Yoshino and Rei asked at the same time, curious. Why was Yamanobe-sensei going to meet Eriko's parents? Unless…

"Why? Well, I'm going to introduce him to them, formally this time," Eriko said, smiling as she hooked her arm on Yamanobe-sensei's.

"And?" Rei and Yoshino asked again.

"That's all. Why, what else do you think?"

Both Rei and Yoshino shook their heads and watched Eriko and Yamanobe-sensei leave. A few feet away from them, Eriko turned. "By the way, you two are invited to the wedding?"

Chuckling at Rei and Yoshino's astonishment, Eriko resumed moving away.

---o---

Rei and Yoshino eyed each other quietly, a little awkward. After the surprise at Eriko's announcement, they went home, both quiet. And without conscious thought, they both headed at the Shimazu residence right into Yoshino's room. They were lost in thoughts. Not about Eriko's wedding anymore but with Eriko's remarks about the two of them.

"Yoshino."

"Rei-chan."

The two said in unison. Then they went quiet again.

"Let me talk first, Rei-chan," Yoshino said after a moment.

"No. Let me do it, first, Yoshino," Rei said.

"No. I want to say something to you. It's really important. At least to me," Yoshino said. She wanted to do it now that she still had the courage.

"No. Let me do it first," Rei said. She wanted to do it now, now that she had made a decision as she could hear Eriko's voice telling her not to make Yoshino wait and wait.

Yoshino opened her mouth to insist what she wanted with a raised voice but she closed it as she remembered Eriko's words telling her that she always forced what she wanted.

"I'm in love with you."

In the end, both of them confessed in the same time, though Yoshino was the one who was really surprised.

"You do?" Yoshino whispered unbelievingly. This was more than she could hope for.

"I do. I've been for a long time. But I don't want to tell you before," Rei said softly as she held Yoshino's hands.

"Why?"

"Because I thought that you won't grow up if you ever found out that I'm in love with you. I'm worried about what you'll do," Rei explained.

"Rei-chan, how could you think of the worse from me?" Yoshino asked in wide eyes. If it had been another times, she would be really mad at Rei for saying that. But now, she was just too happy to feel any anger.

"Because you're so stubborn. And you're always jealous of everything that I put my attention to," Rei said with a smile.

Yoshino pouted as she feigned anger and said with raised eyebrows, "Rei-chan, since you know me so much, then you should have known that I'll have my way one way or another."

"Am I not aware of that?" Rei asked in mild sarcasm. "What do you think made me do what I've just done a few moments ago? Why do you think I told you what I feel now?"

Yoshino smiled in pure victory.

"Because whatever patience you may have, Rei-chan, I will still defeat you."

"Yes, yes. Eriko-sama told me so," Rei said with a smile.

"She did? She told me so, too," Yoshino asked in surprise.

Rei was only surprised for a moment.

"Well, you know Onee-sama, she always have her ways one way or another. You two are too much alike."

"We are not! Well, maybe a little," Yoshino said sheepishly. She grinned happily when Rei smiled at her. She was so happy, and she knew that Rei was happy, too. Now, they were really together thanks to Eriko.

A/N: And, I'm not really sure but I think I should stop trying so hard to write a story for the other pairs because it's just so…hard! :) Sometimes I loses my focus on the story and have to find my way again. If you got confused with the turn of events, well (grinning sheepishly :)

---Arvendell---

12 April 2008