Author's Note : Thank you for those who have given me your inputs. I'm glad the Kanzaki Yukiko in this story isn't OOC. As the story progresses, do feel free to keep giving me your opinions.

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Disclaimer : As much as I would like it otherwise, I only own the storyline.

Opposites Attract

Yukiko looked at him incredulously. Surely he knows this kind of place was exactly the reason why she went through the trouble during their assassination trip?

Ignoring the look that she gave him, he brushed past her. "Come on. I can't possibly spend all of them alone, these tickets are only valid within this week!"

She heard him loud and clear, but she still hesitated. Her frequent visits to this place was the reason why she was kidnapped. Granted, she disguised herself as someone else but still…

But Karma was already out of sight, so she reluctantly went after him.

-o0o-

Karma was already talking to the staff at the registry table when he turned to her. His knowing smirk indicated that he already bet that she would still come in and honestly, she wanted to wipe it off his face.

The male staff (she recognized him from her last visit many months ago) was surprised when he saw her but quickly recovered and ushered them inside with greeting.

Karma lead the way, humming over what games they'd be playing first, while Yukiko just kept her eyes on the floor.

When Karma seemed to have settled on one machine, he sat down and Yukiko followed shortly after.

He was inserting some coins into the machine, eyes glued to the screen. It's obvious that he didn't have any intention to explain anything to her.

"…Why did you bring me here?" she finally asked, eyes darted off to right and left.

"I don't know. I just feel like it."

She was silent for a minute, before she opened her mouth to speak again. "I was… Kayano and I were kidnapped because of me…."

"It was a piece of cake, but of course you have to make it sounds like it's a big deal." He rolled his eyes.

Yukiko looked at him incredulously. "You were punched on the head. Repeatedly."

For some reason, now he was glaring at the screen.

"It was nothing." He gritted his teeth.

"You're still knocked-out, Kayano and I were still on the verge of being God knows what they'd do if you guys didn't come—"

"We did, so it's over." He turned from the machine screen to her now, eyes sta. "It's over. Stop mulling over it. Now can we just play already?" Karma said before turning again to the big machine in front of them.

Yukiko sighed, before putting down her school bag that she had unconsciously been holding on her lap to the floor.

And that's how the two spent the evening.

-o0o-

"… I can't believe I lost again." He muttered, glaring at the bright red 'Game Over' writing flashed on his screen. Yukiko just smiled apologetically in response.

During playing, with eyes glued to their respective screens, they didn't speak that much but strangely, silence had never been this comfortable to Yukiko. Considering how clashed both of their personalities were and the fact that they hadn't exactly been friends, she honestly had expected the otherwise.

She glanced at her wristwatch, eyes widening when she saw the time. "Oh no, I need to go home now." She turned to him and winced when she saw just how many of the coupons still left. "I'm sorry Akabane-kun, it's very nice of you to invite me here, but I need to get going…"

"I'll walk you home."

"It's alright. It's not that dark yet, and besides, isn't your house on the other side of the city?"

"I have some things to take care of in that part of the city anyway." He stood up. Grabbing the coupons and put them back into his pant pocket, he slung his bag on his shoulder before he walked ahead of her.

Yukiko was completely stunned by now, but she shook it off and followed him anyway.

She reminded herself that it's no use of trying to understand Karma Akabane's action.

-o0o-

They were passing down the street to train station when Karma cleared his throat, effectively catching Yukiko's attention.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Eh?"

"I lost, probably a hundred times already today."

"I wasn't aware that whoever loses has to treat the other for food?"

"I'm hungry."

Yukiko stifled her laugh with the back of her hand. "Alright, sure." She looked around the street, noticing that there were plenty of foodstalls nearby. "Taiyaki would be nice."

"Are you on some kind of diet or what? Taiyaki is snack, not dinner." Karma scoffed, but he still made his way to one of taiyaki's vendor.

Yukiko's face turned red. "Akabane-kun you're unbelievable…!" she grumbled. "You really shouldn't ask that to a girl."

He shrugged. "Taiyaki is still not a dinner."

By now, Yukiko had caught up to him, now standing right beside him. "One red-bean paste please," she spoke to the vendor.

"Make it two, Oyaji."

"Two red-bean paste taiyakis, coming right up!" the old man repeated. He then gestured the two teenagers to nearby bench to wait.

-o0o-

They were sitting on the said bench, waiting for their orders to be ready. Karma's legs were splayed out, arms stretched back, eyes staring at the darkened sky above them. Yukiko folded her hands on her lap, schoolbag rested near her feet neatly. After a few moments of total silence, she turned to Karma to address him.

"Sorry you have to eat taiyaki too, Akabane-kun. Had I known that you'd eat the same thing, I'd choose something heavier to eat."

"There's next time." He simply replied.

She smiled warmly, remembering the long gaming coupons they still had to use. "Yes, I guess you're right. There will always be next time.." Yukiko spoke softly, looking up to stare at the same dark sky that Karma stared at just now.

Karma sneaked a glance at her for a few short seconds before he looked at his own watch, "Let's go. I bet our orders are already done by now."

Following Karma, she got up from her seat and picked up her schoolbag.

Karma was right. By the time they arrived right in front of the taiyaki vendor, two hot taiyakis wrapped in two small paper bags were already served.

After putting some cash on the table, Karma just picked up the hot item with his bare right hand and was about to lead the way toward the train station when he noticed Yukiko rummaging through her schoolbag. He watched her, slightly curious of what she's doing and was about to ask what she's looking for when she pulled up a napkin from her bag with triumphant smile. Carefully, Karma saw how Yukiko delicately wrapped the hot taiyaki with her napkin.

He sighed, though he found himself smiled a bit. 'Always the perfect manner', he scowled half-heartedly.

Still having her eyes on the now napkin-wrapped taiyaki, Yukiko walked to his direction. "Akabane-kun, I have another napkin if you want—"

"No thanks." He waved it off, started walking toward the train station. "Watching you paying that much attention to the fragile taiyaki is painful already."

"Well sorry but we've still got a long way to go home…" She was embarrassed now, she didn't think Karma was watching her the whole time.

"Yeah, yeah."

-o0o-

The train was quite crowded.

Yukiko was lucky enough to get a seat, but Karma said he preferred to stand instead.

Now that Yukiko had sat down, she had plenty of time to pay attention to her surroundings. People were coming home from work, lovers were out to have good night date, students were on their way to go home from supplementary lessons.

She was about to lean back and relaxed a bit when she looked up and saw Karma had this alert look on his face.

"Akabane-kun, is something wrong?"

Karma looked down, meeting her concerned gaze before looking away. "… No. I just hate crowded train. Too many blind spots, too many people to look out for."

She slowly nodded, although she didn't understand why Karma had to constantly be on-guard.

"Don't fall asleep."

"I won't!" She hissed, face was as bright as a ripe tomato. In class, she silently hated it every time Karma was being patronizing toward their classmates. This time was no different. She expected Karma to have this smirk and know-it-all expression, but when she spared a glance at him, his eyes weren't even on her.

He was still looking around warily, almost like he expected something horrible popped up. Yukiko almost asked him what seemed to be the trouble, but upon realizing that he probably wouldn't answer her like usual, she stopped herself.

She sat back and just enjoyed the view from the window behind her and soon, they almost reached her stop.

Yukiko carefully got up, making her way to the train door while muttering soft apologies to people she accidentally bumped into.

Now she's standing right in front of the door. A minute later, from the door's glass reflection, she saw Karma came up and stood behind her. With his left hand holding his taiyaki and his schoolbag, he used his other hand to hold onto one of the poles to keep himself steady.

"Kanzaki-san." He called out in low voice.

Yukiko turned to him slightly, as much as the space could give her, her wondering eyes were enough to signal Karma to continue whatever he's about to say.

"You owe me big time now." There it was, his little smirk.

"What for?" she quirked one of her eyebrows up, her tone was getting defensive. She truly hated that smirk.

"I think it's safe to say that my presence here has successfully scared away some….unwanted attention." He pointedly glanced to his right, toward some highschool guys who hastily turned their heads away from their direction.

She laughed. "But Akabane-kun, I wouldn't get on the train this late were it not for your invitation."

Karma scowled. She got him there.

-o0o-

After getting out of the train station, she insisted that Karma didn't have to walk her home because it's already close, but he didn't buy it. Before she could utter another protest, Karma had walked forward, loudly telling her to just start leading the way.

10 minutes walking and analysing the area, Karma found that Yukiko lived in a pretty nice neighbourhood. There were a lot of big traditional houses, a rather spacious flower garden open to the public... How very typical of her, living in this kind of neighbourhood, he almost chuckled to himself. He was snapped from his own thought when Yukiko, who walked a few strides ahead of him, stopped. "This is my house. Thank you for walking me home, Akabane-kun."

"… I'll be going now." He was about to turn around when he heard her spoke softly.

"Thank you for the taiyaki, I had a really good time today." She smiled, lifting her half-eaten taiyaki. "Please have a safe trip home."

He stared at her retreating back, before he too turned to the direction where they walked from and started walking.

Author's Note : There you go. Sorry for the long delay, I graduated from uni a while ago, things were hectic before and after that.

Anyway, I'd very appreciate it if you guys can tell me what you think on this new chapter in Review section. You have no idea how much reading your reviews meant for me. Of course, if you have any suggestion on where the story should go from now, feel free to also tell me that in review/PM section.

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