Yuuki closed her eyes, letting her facial muscles relax. "I-I-think what I said back there was-"

She felt with each word she said, Zero's grasp on her becomes tighter, stronger, as if trying to desperately hold onto her. Not able to see his face, she could think calmly, precisely, however the answer will not come to her either. She tried harder, the word yes almost tipping over her lips. Then it was as if everything around her was fading. She could no longer sense Zero's touch or his breath which she knew was so close to her. A small sharp pain ran through her head at that instant and she finally opened her eyes. Her lips moved by themselves, as if controlled by something, "promises are, when they are believed..."

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Crisis 9

Present Resolution

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Zero stared out into the dark night sky, unable to sleep just like yesterday, when he was worried about Yuuki being lonely or cold all night long. "Promises are, when they are believed," he whispered to himself. "I couldn't react to that. All I could do was walk away from you. Am I supposed to believe?" He felt his heart throb of uncertainty. His feelings were mixed and unstable to the point that he didn't know how he felt anymore, as always when it came to Yuuki. He looked into the reflection from the window. Like a ghost haunting him, although Yuuki wasn't physically in the room, her image appeared, a unreadable expression on her face, but the eyes that seem to plead for something. He held back some tears, "Yuuki, Yuuki, Yuuki. I wish I could've protected you. My lost Yuuki. Stay with me this time, stay..."

The night slipped on, patching the wound from a misled heart...

--- --- ---

Sayori flicked through her texts on her mobile, laughing and sighing over each and every one of Yuuki's messages. "You silly girl," she smiled reading the last text from Yuuki which was all about how she escaped from one of Zero's attacks again, "you and Zero are even more intimate than a couple."

Fully observed in reading Yuuki's messages, Sayori trurned the corner, not realising there was someone approaching. The mobile dropped to the floor along with Sayori as she bumped into someone.

"Oh no," she flustered, "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

The guy gave a small laugh, picking up the mobile for Sayori, "I should say sorry instead."

Sayori shook her head. She took her mobile back and suddenly felt annoyed to see a complete black screen. She kept pressing on buttons.

"What's wrong?" the guy asked.

Sayori sighed, "Its broken. I bought this recently too."

The guy became flustered, "I-I'm so sorry I-I didn't mean to I was-"

Sayori tried to calm the guy down, "it's not your fault. Don't worry over it."

"Even if you say that I," the guy said, flushing pink, "I won't feel right if I don't amend for this, I-"

Seeing the guy get more frustrated, Sayori smiled, "what's your name?"

"Er- my name?"

"Yeah, your name."

He breathed and calmly replied, "my name is Kaname Kuran."

Sayori looked at Kaname, holding out her mobile to him, "well, Kaname, please buy me a new phone."

Kaname smiled, "I'll be glad to."

--- --- ---

The sun shone brightly, flooding into Yuuki's room and blinding her in its warmth. She stared paranoid into the mirror, pulling random faces and pinching herself to check if she was in reality. She sighed, "what happened to me last night? I was sleeping in the corridor and nobody seemed to notice till this morning. The last thing I remember is Zero getting angry but over what I really can't recall." She grabbed a brush and quickly fixed her hair, all the whilst talking to herself, "anyhow, I remember making a promise to support Zero and help him at the company...why did I promise that anyway?" She blushed, "I also said forever...I wonder if he took it seriously. It wasn't like I said that half-heartedly as well but..." As Yuuki thought more about yesterday's events, she began to feel more agitated. She finally slammed the brush back onto the table, "I'll find him."

As a person who would just do something as soon as it came to mind, Yuuki immediately dashed out her on-suite bathroom to reach for the door that led to the corridor.

"OUCH!" she ended up crying, holding her head from the fall. "How bad can my day get?"

"Yeah, how bad can my day really get?" a familiar voice said.

Yuuki looked from side to side as the voice continued to say, "do you really like being on top of me, Yuuki?"

She slowly looked down and at the speed of light, removed herself from being on top of Zero. "W-wha-"

He laughed, "you opened the door and jumped right on top of me when I was about to knock." He got up and edged closer to Yuuki, "so-"

"Liar," Yuuki said with a light slap to Zero's head, "you weren't planning to knock at all and don't you try to molest me first thing in the morning."

Zero sighed, "well, you remembner what you said yesterday right?"

"Ahh-er- about yesterday, why were you suddenly mad?" Yuuki asked with a worried expression upon her face.

Zero looked back at Yuuki. His heart feeling warm from her worry over him. He remembered what he told himself to do last night, to spend the present with Yuuki as happily and care-freely as he could. To make memories that counted even if they were to part. He would not have regrets. The present is what's most important now, the future is too far away afterall. This was Zero's resolution. He finally smiled, "S.T.R.E.S.S."

Yuuki blinked.

"STRESS I guess. I'm sorry I took it out on you," Zero said.

He began to walk away and Yuuki could only follow, feeling somewhat unanswered. "I understand," was all she could say.

"Anyhow, there was something more important you said yesterday..." Zero continued to promt.

Yuuki twitched, "r-really."

Zero grabbed hold of Yuuki's arm, "Yuuki said she'd help me with my family business so-"

"So..."

Zero's smile turned to that of a smirk, "I'll start training you from the basics in how to run a LOVE HOTEL!"

Yuuki felt herself freeze up as Zero happily dragged her down the corridor. GOD - am I really that fated to spend my life in a Love Hotel? Yuuki asked god in her own head. Its the most embarassing job ever, and with the worst partner ever. I mean Zero will defineately do this and that to me and- well I'm sort of used to it but- but I'm a well mannered girl and...what happens if-if I end up liking this job. NOOOO. MY GOD - why did you send me to this replica of hell? What have I done?

"Don't worry," Zero suddenly said breaking Yuuki's personal mind conversation with herself, "I'll make sure to teach you every aspect of the love Hotel."

Yuuki gulped, "I-I've changed my mind about this. I mean- its bothersome for you to teach me all the tim-"

Still holding onto Yuuki, Zero leaned closer, "I won't let you refuse. I'm going to hold onto you forever." Skillfully he licked her lips, "I'll teach you to have s*x too..."

Anger raged through Yuuki, pulling herself away from Zero's grasp as she flexed her fists, "ZERO KIRYUU...HOW DARE YOU DO THAT!"

So the special training to taking care of an expanse Love Hotel chain company shall shortly begin.