Chapter 2

Tsuki's POV

I must be really stressed or something because I just imagined a piece of black cloth talking to me. Must have been the move... I swear it's got these two tiny slits for eyes and flower embroidery on its bottom left corner. Ririchiyo's cheeks are tinged pink as she turns to the floating piece of black cloth and suddenly grabs both ends of the cloth, slowly stretching it outwards, making it longer. A small cry escapes it.

"Ah, Ririchiyo..." It says, sounding strained. "Don't pull me, I'm not elastic you know..."

"Hmph, what the hell you said was just trash. And what did I say about transforming in public?"

"But I can just pretend to be a dirty rag floating in the breeze -" The floating cloth emits a pained yell and whine. "AHH OWW! I don't stretch that way Ririchiyo..."

"Now, don't you dare transform in broad daylight again. The next time I catch you I'll wring you out and use you as a rag to wipe my window." Ririchiyo says, letting go of the cloth. The piece of cloth groans slightly before shaking itself, and with a 'poof', it turns into a person.

A young man in his twenties stands before me. He has a tattoo that stretches down from his eye to the nape of his neck, his hair messy and his clothes - a tracksuit and singlet - sloppy. He raises a hand in greeting.

"Yo. I'm Renshou Sorino-Zuka, resident of Room 3. I'm two floors below you so drop by if you need help settling in." He says casually as if nothing happened.

"Uh - Tsuki Yoake, Room 5..." I'm almost shocked speechless, but I catch myself and manage a greeting.

"Oh! You're one floor above Ririchiyo! Good for you, Ririchiyo! You got a new friend! I'm so happy for you... Finally, my little Ririchiyo is growing up..." Renshou takes out a handkerchief and dabs at his eyes.

"Ririchiyo-sama, you can finally get some rest now! You've been so nervous for Yoake-sama that you haven't been able to catch a wink-" Soushi is halfway through what he's saying when Ririchiyo interrupts him.

"She's not a friend! She's only a-an…. acquaintance! And I wasn't nervous! I just had insomnia!" Ririchiyo blurts out hastily and waves one of her hands in his face, all the while still holding my hand with her free hand.

She really can't be honest with anything at all, huh. I smile quietly to myself. I shouldn't really take any of her insults to heart; I guess they're only a mask for her true feelings.

"Ah Yoake-san….. If Ririchiyo says anything to offend you, please don't mind her. At least with you around, I don't have to look out for her anymore-"

"AS IF THAT HAPPENED!" Ririchiyo lets go of my hand and starts to hit Renshou, the man still teasing her. With her tiny fists, it looks like it doesn't hurt him at all.

I turn to Soushi. "Miketsukami-san, is this normal?"

"Hai. Ririchiyo-sama and onii-sama have been like that as long as I can remember. Ririchiyo-sama doesn't show it but she actually cares a lot about onii-sama." Soushi looks in Ririchiyo's direction, a smile tugging at his lips. That look in his eyes radiates a sort of softness, reminding me of marshmallows.

"Is Renshou related to you?"

"Regrettably no, but I would have liked someone like onii-sama as my real brother."

"Hah? So he's not family? Then why do you call him 'onii-sama'?"

"Because onii-sama wants me to."

"So just because he told you to you do it?"

"Hai."

"You shouldn't let people tell you what to do you know. Sometimes you need to take control of your own life and navigate life's waters on your own." I say quietly, looking at Soushi intently. His eyes widen for a split second before he recomposes himself.

"Yoake-sama… You'll soon learn that everyone at Ayakashi Hall treats other like family. So whether I call onii-sama 'onii-sama' by my own choice or by following orders, it no longer matters. It's because I respect onii-sama as a person as well as Ririchiyo-sama."

The both of us keep eye contact for a while before Renshou interrupts us.

"Let's go in already. I want to eat curry ramen now."

"Who eats curry ramen at 4 in the afternoon? Hmph, only fools would do that."

"I bet Yoake-san has weird eating habits too right?" Renshou laughs and looks at me. I roll my eyes and pick up my box, taking care to put Ririchiyo's gifts carefully inside.

"Let's quit yapping and go in, I've dawdled enough already-" Suddenly the box is lifted from my hands.

"Allow me, Yoake-sama." Soushi says politely and carries it for me.

"T-Thanks...? And you can just call me Tsuki, no need to be so formal..." I stammer, unsure of myself. As I look at Soushi, a strange feeling washes over me. This man is too fascinating and too hard to read. I think to myself as we all walk inside Ayakashi Hall.

As I step into the building, a gasp escapes my mouth. The lobby is magnificent, beautifully decorated with plush furniture and decorations, just like a classy hotel. Soushi sets down my box and we all take a seat on the couches. I break the silence first.

"So you're an ittan-momen... Didn't expect to see one here, much less one like you. You don't look like you could smother anyone at all..." I say to Renshou, crossing my legs.

"Hmph, just look at the state of him! He's never getting married, that's for sure!" Ririchiyo scoffs.

"You'd been saying that ever since we were kids," Renshou smiles, patting Ririchiyo on the head. She blushes.

"We were only neighbors; you lived next door to me, nothing more. So don't act like you know me." Ririchiyo mumbles.

"Did the both of you hang out with each other when you were younger? Sorino-Zuka-san looks old enough to be your big brother..." I ask carefully.

"Hai, Ririchiyo was always kinda alone because of that nasty mouth of hers! Anyway, I always had to play big brother to her, you know, look out for her and stuff." Sorino-Zuka chuckles and explains.

"I could actually look after myself! I didn't need you to look after me-"

"Really? Remember when we were 5th grade, when that girl named... Misaki, or something like that, asked if you wanted to play with her? Do you still remember that?"

A little girl with hair up in pigtails bounces up cheerily to a petite black-haired girl sitting by herself. "Chiyo-chan, wanna play tea parties with us?"

The little girl sniffs imperiously. "Hmph, if I was a goodie-goodie two shoes like you I would. And don't act like you're so familiar with me, I don't want to associate myself with the likes of you."

The pigtailed child sniffles, tears welling up. "Okay…" She backs off and walks away.

"And then afterwards you moped around the whole day. Curled up into a little ball in the corner and crying your eyes out… "Renshou shakes his head and says.

Ririchiyo flushes red and retorts. "That was because I had the flu that day!"

"Well and that time after we had a big argument, you wrote an apology letter that was almost 5 pages long-"

"I WAS JUST PRACTICING MY HAND WRITING!" Ririchiyo squeals, smacking Renshou in a futile effort to make him stop. Renshou laughs again and Soushi chuckles knowingly.

"Lucky." I whisper softly, looking at Ririchiyo. At least she had someone to look after and be concerned about her. A glimpse into my past and I recall the solitude and the aching loneliness…

I blink and take a deep breath. Just forget about it. Right now, just focus on your first day here. I raise my head and notice Soushi observing me thoughtfully, his mismatched pair of eyes strangely piercing, as if he's reading me like an open book. Was I being too obvious? Shit.

"So Chiyo-chan. How long have you been here at Ayakashi Hall?" I question Ririchiyo, trying to distract myself from my dark thoughts.

"About half a year I suppose..." Ririchiyo scoots closer to me and whispers into my ear. "It seems like a century with this guy though, acting like a loyal dog all the time." She gestures towards Soushi as she says so.

Loyal dog? Why would Ririchiyo refer to Soushi as a dog? He looks like such a gentleman after all…

"Ririchiyo-sama, let me remove the seeds for you." Soushi who got up earlier comes back with a tray of watermelon and takes out the seeds. He's going to crush it…

Ririchiyo shouts at Soushi indignantly. "Miketsukami-kun I can do that myself! See what I mean, Tsuki-chan?" She turns to me and complains. I think I kind of get it now.

"But Ririchiyo-sama! Let me do this for you…Or am I no longer of any need to you?" Soushi's eyes sparkle with sadness as he suddenly produces a katana. Wait, where did he get the katana from?

"Then, please dispose of me, Ririchiyo-sama..." He gets down on his knees and bows his head, holding out the katana to Ririchiyo.

What the hell is he doing? I really don't get what he's trying to prove here.

"Enough of that already! How many times do I need to tell you that I'm not killing you?" Ririchiyo swats the katana out of his hands and exclaims. All I can do is blink. This is just too much of a shock for me...

"Don't worry, Miketsukami-kun and Ririchiyo do this every day! It's kinda like they're a bickering couple." Renshou reassures me.

"He's just my SS agent, that's all." Ririchiyo says haughtily as she tries to get back into character.

"Hai. I exist only to serve you, Ririchiyo-sama…" Soushi's eyes sparkle with the light of complete devotion.

"So what are you? I'm an ittan-momen, and you'll find out what Ririchiyo and Soushi are later, but what about you?" Renshou asks me curiously. My whole body freezes.

"Um…I-" But before I can even get a word out another voice interrupts me.

"MANIAC!"

Maniac? Where? I look around for the source of the voice but then suddenly someone slams into me, gripping my shoulders. A young woman with blonde hair stares at me, her blue eyes shining with hunger behind the rims of glasses. She blushes and pants hard as she looks at me.

"Long white hair with that cute hairstyle, ruby red eyes, fair complexion, rosebud lips and a cute top and shorts... my, aren't you TROUBLE!" She says breathlessly, her glasses fogging up.

Who the hell is this crazy lesbian? I shove her off me and scramble to my feet, backing away defensively.

"Don't touch me! Get away from me!" I can feel my body bristling with power again, in a self-defense mechanism.

"Whoa! Yoake-san! Calm down!" Renshou gets up and tries to pull me back to sit on the couch again, but I shrug him off blindly.

Ririchiyo touches my arm and look at me reassuringly. "Tsuki-chan, that's just Nobara-san. She's an SS agent. Specifically, she's Renshou's agent, so she's not a threat to anyone." I give Ririchiyo a skeptical look.

"She's surprisingly honest with her feelings." Soushi says to me, then addresses Nobara. "This is Tsuki Yoake of the Yoake Clan, she just arrived an hour ago."

"Hi, I'm Nobara Yukinokouji! I'm so sorry, that was rude of me. So, you're Tsuki-chan. You're so kawaii! I hope we can get along… in that way, of course. HOH HOH HOH. MANIAC!" With that, Nobara runs off. All of us stare at her retreating back.

That was an SS? I suddenly don't feel safe anymore...

I take a deep breath and sit down again, trying to compose myself.

"S-Sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out like that."

"Ah, it's all right. No sweat. You'll get used to her." Renshou waves the issue off as he stares after Nobara. He makes a sudden sound and turns to look at me. "Oh yeah, before I forget! Where's your SS agent? I thought you would have met him or her by now..."

"Come to think of it, it is rather odd. SS agents are here to welcome you once you arrive, like how Miketsukami-kun immediately was there on my first day." Ririchiyo rolls her eyes skywards as she reminisces.

"It was more like he was professing his undying devotion to you." Renshou snickers.

"Hai, because I am only devoted to serving you, Ririchiyo-sama! This is my only purpose in life." Soushi clasps one of Ririchiyo's hands with his own black-gloved ones, his eyes shimmering with reverence. There he goes again. The novelty is already starting to wear off.

"Enough of that, Miketsukami-kun! We're straying off subject and…it's embarrassing." Ririchiyo mumbles, blushing.

"I rejected the SS." I say, matter of fact. There's a pause before Soushi speaks.

"This was the same case for Ririchiyo-sama, but afterwards she gave me permission to remain by her side and serve her..." Soushi says dreamily. Ririchiyo raises an eyebrow.

"Hmph, I didn't expect that. Well, I would have expected a weakling like you to have an SS."

"What's wrong with having a SS? It's nice having a hot or cute body guard protecting you and staying by your side 24/7, like your own personal James Bond or something." Renshou states as he looks at his fingernails.

"James Bond was a spy, not a bodyguard. You really don't have anything in your brain, baka." Ririchiyo corrects him.

"I can manage all right on my own, I don't need, nor do I want help from anyone. I can handle myself just fine!" I raise my voice slightly as I voice out my opinion. The room falls silent for a minute and surprisingly, it's Ririchiyo that breaks it.

"That was what I used to say before. Hmph, how ignorant of you! You'll soon learn, despite how slow you look."

I feel like something uncomfortable will be brought up soon so I stand up, although I really would like to talk to them some more.

"I'm going up to my room first. I have to unpack my stuff."

"Oh, going so soon? Alright, see ya." Renshou raises an arm lazily in farewell.

"Whatever. I suppose I'll be seeing you, whether I like it or not." Ririchiyo smiles.

"It was nice to meet you, Yoake-sama." Soushi bows to me.

"I told you, just Tsuki will do." I say impatiently. For some reason, my cheeks feel warm.

"Yoake-sama, would you like me to help you carry that?" Soushi ignores my statement and gestures towards my box.

"It's fine, I can do it myself." I pick up the box, walking towards the lift and entering it. Before the doors close behind me, I swerve around to face Ririchiyo, Soushi and Sorino-Zuka.

"Jana, minna." I say as the doors close, leaving me completely alone.

3rd Person POV

As soon as the doors of the lift close, Soushi's smile disappears and he narrows his eyes. Renshou whistles.

"Some temper she's got there. Even Ririchiyo doesn't have one as bad as that."

"Hmph, I don't have a temper in the first place, baka. But though I hate to admit it, she does have a lot in common with me. Looks like she'll have to learn the hard way."

"With a temper like that, who knows what might happen? Wonder if it came from being pampered so much?" Renshou says thoughtfully.

"Onii-sama, may I voice my opinion?" Soushi asks carefully before proceeding.

"Yoake-sama…has definitely not been pampered. It's something else…" He mumbles.

Ririchiyo eyes Soushi thoughtfully.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Yoake-sama thinks that she hides it well, but with my eyes I can tell."

Ririchiyo falls silent, her mind working furiously.

"I saw her client form and it was filled with…disturbing details. Like the clan she comes from, her clan and her personality…I didn't want to sour the atmosphere so I chose to keep it quiet until now. Forgive me, Ririchiyo-sama, onii-sama."

Ririchiyo's head shoots up as she looks at her SS agent, whose brow is furrowed.

"What do you mean? I also took a look at her tenant files and I saw nothing worth of interest. N-not like I was really looking at her file anyway, I just happened to chance upon it."

Renshou leans forwards and speaks in an uncharacteristically serious voice. "Honestly speaking, Ririchiyo, Zange has been acting strangely ever since I informed him of her coming. He saw something but tried to cover it up. I don't know if he's ever lied about seeing other things, but this time he had a hard time smoothing it over. He seemed pretty disturbed to me."

"I agree, onii-sama. Ririchiyo-sama, try not to get too close to Yoake-sama until we find out more about her."

Ririchiyo frowns. "The both of you are overthinking! Tsuki-chan doesn't look like the type. Typical of Miketsukami-kun to worry but not you Renshou. Stop being stupid and worrying so much about pointless things."

"Ririchiyo sama... You can't trust someone like her." Soushi says, face devoid of expression as his mismatched pair of eyes gleam menacingly.