Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango

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"He did what?" Tsukushi was incredulous.

Yuki nodded sagely. "He came clean after that, but it seems he still wants to date me."

"Ugh, that idiot. I'm surprised you rejected him so gently, Yuki. If it were me…"

Yuki smiled. It was nice that she had her friend's support on this, of course Tsukushi never really approved of Soujiro, but still. "That was yesterday, and he calls me all the time. He leaves weird messages since I don't pick up. Then there's that thing…"

"That thing?"

Sighing, Yuki opened her closet door, and took out the object that blocked her from all her clothes. It was shaped like a tree, and at first glance it looked like a willow tree made of colorful origami paper. It was a tree made of mini-paper cranes. That's what Soujiro had had sent to her school earlier that day. A tree of what looked like one thousand paper cranes, each bearing the same line in his handwriting: For Yuki Matsuoka to be my girlfriend.

After the initial softening at the impossibly sweet gesture, she had never been so embarrassed in her life. The fuss everyone made when it was delivered was a tangible thing. A third of the girls were happy for her, another third couldn't believe his nerve, and the last third envied her for receiving such attention. Luckily she was able to leave it in the nurse's office until the dismissal bell. The thing was quite heavy, and she didn't know how she was going to survive all the teasing. The train ride home was miserable, to say the least.

Tsukushi was watching her carefully. "You know he probably didn't fold all those himself."

"There's no way." She agreed. It would have taken months, while his campaign had only started recently. "Still, you have to admit, the guy is creative."

"Yuki…"

Recognizing her tone, Yuki said hurriedly. "Don't worry, Tsukushi-chan. I'm not going to fall for his tricks."

"It's not that he's a bad guy, Yuki. I just don't want to see you hurt again."

It had taken awhile after her crush on him that she began to move on, and not without tears from his initial rejection. Being his friend at first was painful, but she was able to put up a wall to keep him from getting that close to her again. His nightlife helped significantly. Now that he was cut off from that life, she had a feeling he's use everything he had to get her to date him. She worried about how she'd cope with the onslaught of his affection now that it was completely focused on her. He had a lot of ammunition, and she could only resist for so long. If she fell for him again, she'd break when he turned back to his old ways, for that was who was. He would never love her, and she must keep him back at all costs, even if she had to play dirty.

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"I'm sorry I'm unable to come to the phone right, but please leave a message and I'll call you back." Soujiro had listened to her voicemail for the third time that day, before snapping his phone shut. No matter when he called, she just wouldn't answer. Was the idea of talking to him all that horrible? If he knew her response to his "confession" would be total rejection and then ignoring him he would have had a better plan of attack.

No matter what she said, he wouldn't believe she wasn't interested. In addition to his perfect charms, there was her reaction to him on that train ride to her school. She liked being held by him. He knew the signs.

Then that voice spoke up.

She's too good for you and you know it! You'll only end up hurting her! Yuki was indeed different from all other girls of his acquaintance. She expected neither sex nor money from him, and only wished his company from time to time. She was there for him, helping him find closure over his regret with Sara, and thus made herself somehow special to him. He liked Yuki, and wouldn't mind doing things for her, but the one thing he probably couldn't do was love her, and if he was any kind of gentleman he'd give up. She deserved much better, and if he was being honest…he really didn't want to end up being hated by her.

No matter what reason he used to justify it, pursuing Yuki with the reasons he had was wrong. It had been a week since he first approached her, every day he either called her or sent a present to her school, workplace, or home. Not a single reply. On top of that, Yuki had missed their usual Thursday lunch. So, to escape being my girlfriend, you won't even be my friend anymore? How the hell did that work?

He sighed. No matter what course he took he would lose. If he gave up now, every girl he'd flirt with wouldn't look twice at him. If he continued after Yuki she would one day cut herself out of his life. Both prospects left him cold. Curiously, it was not so much the abrupt curtailment of his promiscuous lifestyle that bothered him, as much as the prospect of Yuki disappearing. That would be something to think about later.

He turned when he felt a top on his shoulder. Though her name escaped him, he recognized her as one of his repeats. He was hopeful for a moment that they had all gotten over their madness, and would be willing and ready for him again, but snorted to himself. He knew that would've been too good to be true. She smiled at him though. "You're not looking too good, Nishikado-san. Has the little miss really been putting you off? I commend her self-restraint."

He kept the scowl off his face, just barely. "Can I help you, darling?"

She handed him an envelope. Inside were a keycard and a small, bronze skeleton key. "The girls and I feel terrible that you're struggling so much, so we've decided to help out just this once."

"What?" His eyes widened with comprehension. "What have you done?"

She sniffed, as though affronted by his instantly suspicious tone. "We've done nothing to your precious missy that you wouldn't have wanted us to. Consider it a present." With that she walked away, leaving him worried and wary at the implications of her statement.

An hour later he stood outside the room of one his frequented love hotels. Yuki was on the other side, probably either very angry or scared to death. He hoped she was all right. He slid the key card through the lock, and let himself in. The sight that greeted him had him freezing in shock. There…sleeping on the bed, was Yuki…dressed in a seemingly simple and harmless sailor uniform. Simple, in that the plaid skirt displayed her long smooth legs in its modest fabric. Simple, in that her blouse was just a smidge of a size smaller, leaving nothing to the imagination about what lay beneath. Harmless, in that she looked so vulnerable and innocent sleeping there. Good God, even her hair was braided and tied with matching ribbons.

He flatened himself up into the closed door, too stunned to move closer. He should not be as turned on as he was. He had slept with more gorgeous women than Yuki. There was nothing he hadn't seen or done, having been introduced to sex fairly young. He could think of several of his lovers that wore almost this exact same outfit for him. She should not be able to affect him this thoroughly this easily! Helplessly, his eyes roved over her form. He knew that she was pretty. Hadn't he admired how she looked in her school uniform just last week? But never had he thought of her this way. How could he? First it was because she was Makino's friend, and Makino would kill him for touching her. Then it was because she was his friend, and he hadn't wanted to hurt her. But this was torture. Second level of hell torture. Just how was he supposed to calmly walk away?

Already he could feel the want clawing through him. It's because I'm frustrated. I've been celibate for almost two months now. He tore his eyes from her alluring form, to the wall at her head. That's when he noticed. Her arms were stretched at the sides of her head, her wrist handcuff together to the headboard. Her breathing also seemed a little shallow for sleep.

"Yuki?" He ran to her side then. He frantically felt around her neck for a pulse. It was steady, but she looked so pale. "Come on, Yuki. Wake up." He shook her gently, and sighed with relief when her eye lids slid opened.

Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw him. She instinctively tried to scramble away from him, only to slam back onto the bed by the handcuffs. "Eh?! What is this?" Then she looked down at herself, her face exploding in red. "A sailor uniform? Are you kidding me?" She sat up on her knees and tugged at the cuffs, hoping that with enough leverage the chain in the middle would break. She froze when Soujiro put a hand to stay her movements. "Nishikado-san?" His eyes were unreadable. He took a something from his pocket. The key? Realization dawned. "Those girls…they were friends of yours weren't they?"

He sighed, releasing her from her metal binding. "If I knew that those girls were this psychotic, I would have tamed them better. I'm sorry, Yuki-chan. You must have been so scared." He braced himself for her reaction. She would either burst into tears or explode in her icy anger. Then she surprised him. She laughed.

Here she was, handcuffed to a bed in a love hotel, having probably been rendered unconscious, dressed in one of every male's greatest fantasy and she thought it was funny. To say nothing of the notorious playboy in the room with her. Her face was red, and her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably in her mirth.

"I…fail to see how any of this is anything to laugh at." He said finally.

She glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling in amusement. "They dressed me this way, Nishikado-san, because they knew it was your type."

He recoiled, unsure, but she pressed on. "Sweet, innocent Yuki, at the mercy of the powerful Soujiro Nishikado. Helpless to do anything, as he slowly devours her." She fluttered her eyelashes, adopting a wide-eyed innocent look, laughter still pending. "Or maybe this is role play? The worse delinquent in the school kidnaps the studious class president, takes her to hotel and punishes her for giving him detention. Bending her willful nature into submission. Or maybe you're the young Sensei who has taken a liking to his student? A sadistic man who wants to bully a painfully shy girl, who is hopelessly dazzled by his charm and good looks." At a blink, she went from looking innocent to looking helpless and a little frightened.

Soujiro could feel a foreign panic building. What the hell is going on? He had always prided himself on his self-control, but with her pushing at him like that…however unconscious her actions were…he just wanted to jump her.

In truth, Yuki was mortified to find herself in this position. Though she thought it impossibly funny that his girlfriends had planned it out this much, had her wrapped up like a present just for him, she didn't feel comfortable with the situation at all. She attempted to bluff her way out of her discomfort, hoping that he would laugh or say something to alleviate the awkward scene, but he only continued to stare at her. He also seemed to be a little tense. Maybe he's angry. Whether at the situation or at her she couldn't tell, but she got off the bed, hoping it would help in some way.

The first thing her eyes landed on was a full length mirror, strategically placed across from the bed. She looked at herself, reaching up a hand to touch her braids. How long had it been since she put her hair in braids? Her almost childish features had once been a sore spot for her, but looking at the get-up designed to intentionally make her look younger, she couldn't help but giggle. "Not bad." She turned to look at herself from the back, momentarily forgetting Soujiro and the entirety of the awkwardness. "This is a really cute outfit. I may just keep it."

Soujiro was still in turmoil. He thought he'd be able to calm down once she had stepped away from him. If he was only able to divert his thoughts to a different direction, he'd be able to get of here with his honor in tact. She was even ignoring him now, so it should have made distancing himself from the tempting sight of her all the more feasible.

"Ah, N-Nishikado-kun! Please, stop! I-I'll never give you detention again." His eyes shot towards her. She was still looking in that damned mirror, playing with expressions. This amuses her! He thought incredulously. Here I am, trying my damnedest not to touch her, and she's having fun musing about stupid fantasies! The crux of it was she seemed totally oblivious to her affect on him.

She blinked at his reflection in the mirror. His face was drawn into a scowl and he appeared to be...growling? "Nishikado-san?"

"I'm trying really hard to be your friend right now, Yuki." He bit out. "You're not exactly making it easier."

Her eyes widened, at the implications of that statement. Rather than blush and run from the room, as he expected. She straightened, and turned to look at him. Her expression thoughtful. "I'm sure you've been with girls prettier than me, Nishikado-san. Don't tell me, that something like this is turning you into a monster."

He narrowed his eyes at her flippant tone. "Would you like me to show you what you're doing to me?"

She stared at him for a moment, and then marched to the bathroom. He heard the water from the bath running for a few minutes and was abruptly shut off. Yuki walked back in, carrying a bucket and without warning, dumped its contents over his head.

"Calm down." She said coolly, amusement long gone. "You and those girls want the same thing right? To prove that the two of us are just friends? To date me and prove that we aren't compatible? That's why you asked me out, right? Do you want to know why I rejected you?" Rather than wait for him to say anything, she continued. "It's not just because I'd hate being used that way, but I cannot see myself seriously dating you, Nishikado-san. Even if we tried it, we'd end up hating each other. You're a playboy, and playboys do not have it in them to be good boyfriends." Perhaps she was being cruel. She knew that the things she was saying were only picking at old wounds, but he needed to hear it. "Unless you intend to start from scratch, monogamous relationships will be impossible for you."

Soujiro sank on the bed, dripping all over the sheets. "Then teach me."

The quiet statement, gave her pause. "Nishikado-san—"

"I won't be a playboy forever, Yuki. I'll be a married man someday, and I refuse to follow in my father's footsteps. Even if it's an act, I'd like to know how stay faithful, and I'll never learn if I've never had just one girlfriend."

"There are others—"

"No," He interrupted, "there is not. A girl I like and respect. A girl I want to spend time with. A girl I already care about and trust implicitly. There's no one else besides you, Yuki-chan."

Yuki felt torn. On the one hand, this could end horribly. She'd fall for him, and have to let him go sooner or later. On the other hand, if she treated it like lessons…teaching him how to enjoy all the things entailed in a real relationship…for the good of the family he may have someday…could she do it?

He heard her sigh, and go over to where her clothes sat neatly folded. She then walked to the door. In the doorway, a foot out the door, she said quietly. "Then the first step is to get me to forgive you. No tricks, no elaborate displays, and no expensive gifts. You are a simple man, seeking forgiveness of a girl you wronged."

As soon as she walked out the door, Yuki practically ran out of the building. Her heart was pounding a mile a minutes at the thought of what she just consented to. I hope I can be strong enough for this.

Alone in the hotel room, Soujiro felt a grin grow on his face. She was giving him a chance. Relief and elation coursed through him. He was telling her the truth, when he said he didn't want to be like his father, and this was definitely an opportunity learn how to focus on one, but he'd be lying if he said the prospect of Yuki being that one didn't excite him. He licked his lips in anticipation. Brace yourself, Yuki-chan, I'll make you mine.

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A/N

Okay, I'm sorry if the sailor uniform thing offended anybody. It was either that or a maid uniform, and really…I can't picture Yuki wearing something like that. I have a limited supply of male fantasies in my imagination arsenal. So, tell me what you think. Chapter 19 of The Siege is still in progress, but the wheels are still turning.