A/N: This took me a while to write just because I had to go fill out an application for a job earlier. Sorry! But still...enjoy!

Chapter Two.

Yukari stood outside the decent sized house, biting her lip nervously and glancing ever-so-often at a copy of one of this "accomplished novelist's" books that she borrowed from her older brother. She didn't know what to expect at first, but after skimming what she would loosely call literature, she had an idea. Not exactly a pleasant idea either. Take another step, knock on the door, be prepared for a fat balding pervert to try and molest you...

On that pleasant thought, she instead took one step back, nervously playing with a strand of her raven hair.

Maybe I'll just go and shadow my mom or something.

But she stayed still in that spot, staring at the house, unable to go backwards or forwards.

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"This is a horrible idea," Yuki said quietly.

"I don't know," Touru began with a smile, "I think it's a really great idea!"

Shigure walked in, grinning like a fool, and stood beside Touru. "See? Touru-kun agrees with me! This is a brilliant idea! What would be better than taking a young female writer under my wing to show her the wonderful world of a novelist?"

"I feel sorry for the girl," Yuki added in a mutter.

"Say what you will, but soon you'll see how wrong you are!" Shigure replied in his same annoyingly happy tone.

"Hello?" an unsure feminine voice called out.

Shigure's eye grew wide. "She's here!"

He began to race to the door and would've made it if not for the fact that, around the corner, Kyo happened to be walking into the living room. Both trying to stop before a collision, they didn't make it in time and slammed full-force into each other. While the two were still on the floor, recovering, and Touru began panicking, Yuki simply stepped over the two and went towards the door.

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"Hello?" Yukari repeated, after hearing a loud bang from inside.

She sighed, ready to retreat back to her house, until the sliding door opened, illuminating the front porch in the yellow light from inside. She turned back to the door, only to see a young man with strange colored hair smiling politely. "Hello."

Yukari smiled in return, still a bit uneasy. "Hi, I'm looking for...Souma Shigure?"

Instantly, a dark haired taller man dressed in robes stepped in front of the purple-haired boy. He smiled pleasantly at her which just made her blink her dark brown eyes.

"Yes, I'm Souma Shigure," he answered with confidence. "May I help you?"

Phew...he's not fat or bald, she thought, not giving herself much comfort. "I'm Nakamura Yukari; your editor told me that I would find you here."

On the other hand, he couldn't help but stare. After all, there was a high school girl at the door to see him.

Shigure's smile grew wider. "And here I am!"

"Great," she replied, far less enthused. Shoving the book at the man roughly, she walked past him. "Can we get this over with?"

Shocked for a moment, he stood there in the threshold before blinking and sliding the door shut. Catching up to the girl, he found himself in the dining area where all three teenagers now were.

"Welcome to my home and place of work, not to mention inspiration!" Plastering a smile back on his face, he faced the girl. "This is my family. Over there is Touru, at the end of the table is Kyo, and of course you met Yuki."

"Hello!" Touru waved, smiling brightly.

Kyo mumbled a 'hey' while Yuki waved again.

"..hi there," Yukari said awkwardly, bowing her head. "I'm Yukari."

"Nice to meet, Yukari-san," Touru greeted.

Yukari smiled lightly at the girl. "Nice to meet you too, Touru-san."

Her demeanor changing instantly, she turned back to Shigure who was still holding his book. Sure, he was not fat or balding like she had expected, in fact he was quite handsome, but looks could be deceiving. Anyone who writes those kinds of books can't be all good, right?

"I'll be back on Saturday," she said in a monotone voice, not hesitating to walk towards the exit. Surprised by this, Shigure began to follow her.

"Wait! It's barely been five minutes!" he answered as she opened the door.

She sighed and faced him for a mere second. "Try two minutes. And that's all I really needed."

He stood there, face completely blank, staring at her as if she'd grown a horn on her forehead.

"This was just an introduction," she elaborated while walking outside. Her voice got louder as she got further away. "A general idea for what I'll be dealing with in the coming week."

"But..." Shigure started.

"I'll see you in three days, senpai," she called out bitterly before disappearing into the night.

Completely stunned and still standing at the wide open door, Shigure kept staring at the empty space before him. He let out a heavy sigh and closed the door once again. Walking slowly back to the rest of the household, dragging his feet on the way, he kneeled down with the others. Exhaling loudly, he looked around at everyone. "I think that went well."

All three looked at him oddly as the novelist began to eat his supper.

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"I'm home," Yukari called out as she walked into the comfortable sized apartment. Her voice echoed off the nearly blank walls as she made her way straight to her room, not bothering to look around for her absent mother or her mother's 'idiot boyfriend', as she called him oh so lovingly.

Stalking miserably into her room, she slammed the door shut in vain.

Passing her stereo, she switched it on as the loud music blared through the speakers. She plopped down onto her bed and spent minute after minute staring at her blank ceiling as if it would change or maybe wouldn't be there if she closed her eyes. Time passed slowly laying there, and soon the clock on her wall had struck midnight. No sounds were made, no voices were heard. It was midnight and she was all alone in that small apartment.

A sort of growl came from her throat before she grabbed her notebook and pen from her night stand. She flipped angrily through the pages before landing on a completely blank one. A split second later, her pen found the paper.

Look at me; I'm 18 years old, doing poorly in high school, I never see my parents, and I have to spend a whole week around some perv who happens to write. What else could go wrong?

It was a random club in a random town, not so different from any other. It hadn't been too long ago that they had been there before. It didn't change at all...The same music echoed off the walls, as the same kind of girls flirted their way to free drinks. It's not as if he wanted to be there or any place like it. It was more that his friends had dragged him there because he needed some "fun" in his life. This is supposed to be fun? Sure, his life hadn't been all sunshine and flowers lately, but then again whose was? His gaze floated over the crowd once more before returning to the drink he had been nursing for what seemed like eternity. Raising the glass to his lips, he only took a sip before placing it on the counter he was leaning against.

A door SLAMMED shut twice, leaving a dull ring in her ears.

Not her door, of course, but the front door. She set her pen down with her notebook, as she gazed solemnly at her door. CRASH! She flinched at the loud noise but stayed where she was.

Let the shouting commence.

What a wonderful week this will be.

To Be Continued.