Due to a warning of a rumor that stories that put up review responses were taken off, I am now taking off the Review Response segment. Sorry. Thank you so much to everyone who supported this story. THANK YOU!

Chapter 17:

The door opened and Hatori was fairly surprised to see Hanajima, Saki wearing a sleek black dress with a wide round neckline, exposing to him her pale yet undeniably enticing neck, slightly covered by a thin black laced choker. It left much for the imagination to roam. He was also surprised to see that she wore her hair in a half pony, some of her hair fashionably loose.

"Hanajima…" escaped his lips when he just registered in his mind that he was indeed awake.

"It was…my mother's decision." She said, a slight flush on her cheeks. She never wore anything so daring before. Even though the dress had long sleeves and the skirt reached the ground, the fact that she was exposing her neck was enough to be indecent for her. When Hatori still said nothing, she started turning back, "I will change."

"No." he quickly said. "It's alright. I don't mind." She gave him a nod and stepped out of the house. She saw his car and walked towards it when, "Hanajima-san." She turned around and her eyes widened when she saw him with a bouquet of red roses.

It was just like how she secretly wanted it. She was an old fashioned girl. And to be given a bouquet of red roses on the first date was…dare she say it? "Romantic." She said with an appraising look. Hatori smirked at that and gave her the flowers.

"I thought you might like it."

"I do."

"Shall we go now?"

"Hai."

As the drive went on, there was a comfortable silence while Hatori focused on driving and Hana focused on the driver. "Where are we going?"

"A restaurant my distant relative owns." He answered.

"I see." She said, turning back to her bouquet, sitting on her lap. He was Yuki's relative, which must mean that the restaurant is owned by Yuki's distant relative as well.

"You're beautiful." He said so suddenly that Hanajima's mouth actually opened to let out a gasp. Thankfully she stopped herself before she did.

Silence ensconced them until she finally replied, "Thank you." It was then that she decided to finally ask, "Souma-san, why did you…ask me out?"

Hatori felt hesitant to say it but he decided to say it nonetheless. "I…wanted to see you."

"You can see me everyday at school."

"Exactly. I see you everyday. I want to see what you look like when the sun isn't shining."

"The difference?"

They reached their destination and Hatori easily parked the car. Before turning off the engine, he answered, "I want to see you surpass the darkness." She watched him get out of the car and open her door, offering his hand for her to take. She took it, feeling the calloused hand of age and wisdom.

They entered the fancy restaurant and went to their reserved table. The place was painted gold all over; there was a fountain to their far left near the entrance. Waiters with disciplined expressions went from here to there, serving with ceremonial and graceful movements.

"What do you think?" he asked, gaining her attention. She turned to him.

"It's grand."

Before the conversation could continue, the waiter had already come. Hatori ordered for the two of them and Hana took the time to look around some more. It was then that she sighted something that made her eyes widen. Hatori saw her expression and his eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"Yuki." She spoke softly. Hatori's eyes widened and he sharply turned to where Hana was looking at and indeed, there was the mouse staring back at them with surprised eyes. Behind him were Kyou, Tohru and Shigure, unaware of the tension slowly building up across the room.

"Yuki-kun, what are you—oh! Ha'ri! What a coincidence. Huh? Is that Hanajima-chan?" Shigure said, recognizing the couple quickly.

"Hana-chan?" Tohru asked.

"Hey, yeah, that's them." Kyou said, ceasing from struggling with the annoying tie around his neck. Earlier he'd been aggravated by it, not being accustomed to wearing things so formal. But to get in the restaurant, one had to wear formal clothes. "But what are they doing together?"

"Ufufufu! It looks like they're having a date." Shigure said with a mischievous smirk.

"Hatori-san and Hana-chan? In a date?" Tohru asked, sounding as if it couldn't be possible. Without warning, Yuki walked straight over to them. "Ah—Yuki-kun!" Tohru called back, their group following the prince.

Hatori and Hana both schooled their expressions as they saw Yuki coming closer with a dark look in his eyes. Wild. His waves were going wild. Many violent emotions were emanating from him, Hanajima concluded. She feared what he might do. A normal man with such wild waves could be called mad with rage. One would be bursting out and throwing a fit by now.

But Yuki continued to surprise her when he stopped in front of them and simply smiled. "Hatori-san, what a surprise. Do you mind if we sit here? Thanks." He didn't even give Hatori a chance to reply before sitting down beside Hana.

"Yuki, you should know better than to—" Shigure started, coming closer. But he then stopped when Yuki shot him a dangerous look saying 'sit or die'. He smiled widely, "but then again, there's no harm on sitting for dinner with old friends, right?" he said, sitting down beside Hatori.

"Who's old?" Hatori said, his dry humor covering his annoyance.

Shigure went on, distracting—er—talking to Hatori while Tohru and Kyou took their seats at the head of the table, across each other.

"Yuki-kun…" Hana said, staring up at the smiling Yuki. He turned to her and the smile vanished. She told him once not to lie to her again with such smiles and he will do just that.

"What are you doing here with him, may I ask?" he whispered with a calm voice.

"No, you may not." Hana said, turning back to Hatori, dismissing the subject. Yuki's frown deepened.

Hatori peaked Hanajima's way at the corner of his eye. Shigure was such an annoyance. Everyone was being an annoyance simply being there. His plans for dinner were ruined and it irked him very much. What was Yuki thinking, coming over to them and intruding in their dinner so rudely? It wasn't something Yuki, the gentle, polite, shy boy would usually do. Come to think of it, ever since his disappearance, he'd been acting very strangely. He wondered what happened in that one week when Yuki was hidden from their sight.

He remembered Akito's eyes burning with mad rage when he was informed of Yuki's little escapade. He went wild and threw a tantrum, screaming how Yuki was ungrateful and how he should rot in hell just like every other member of the cursed zodiac. Hatori patiently waited for his anger to wane. And when it did, Akito ordered that no one look for him.

"Stop." Hana whispered to him.

"Stop what?" Yuki icily asked as if he wasn't doing anything wrong. The food came and they were served. But Shigure gave him new orders to attain for the people that joined the two. Yuki didn't even look at her then; he was simply looking away at the dance floor where a few old couples were dancing.

"Your immature sensitivity."

"My what now?" he turned to her then. She turned to him too, staring at him with displeased eyes.

"…………………..nevermind."

He wanted to retort something to her but knew that it wasn't right. So he simply closed his mouth and looked away again. It seemed that she was disappointed in him. Well he was disappointed in her as well! Why was she with Hatori! In a fancy restaurant too! Why wouldn't she tell him! Why didn't he know about this? How long has it been going on? Was this their first date? Or…wait—he shouldn't be considering this a date. It wasn't a date. Why would he be dating Hana anyway? Why Hana of all people?

"So, Ha'ri, tell me; what's the occasion?"

"Nothing."

"Oh? Then why are you here with dear Hana-chan?" there was a mischievous glint in that dog's eyes and a playful smirk on his lips. But that didn't make Hatori doubt his answer.

"I asked her out to a date."

Everyone stopped at that. Shigure, Yuki and Kyou looked at him with disbelief while Tohru looked at Hana with surprise.

"And obviously, dear Hanajima-chan has accepted your invitation." Shigure said.

Yuki spoke through gritted teeth, "Then…" his fists balled tightly beneath the table. "we shouldn't have disturbed you." He finished. He turned to Shigure, "I'm going home." Then he turned to Tohru with a small smile, "Gomen, Honda-san demo, I don't feel so good. Congratulations on your promotion anyway."

With that Yuki stood and started walking out. Hana watched him walk out with blank eyes but in her heart was a soft aching. Sadness. First he felt Anger, then it turned to Sadness. Yuki was Sad. It was much sadder than the waves she used to feel from him. But that was a long time ago. For a while she had thought that the loneliness she felt in his waves were permanently gone. But now it seemed to have worsened. And for some reason, she felt the compelling urge to comfort him.

Shigure watched the scene play out with interest. So that was what's been going on in his household. It seems that Hanajima, Saki has captured two hearts. It was bound to happen though, he thought, when he found out that Hatori met Hanajima. Their dark personas mixed beautifully. But he was surprised to know that even Yuki had his heart stolen. He wondered how it started and yet at the same time he wanted to know how it'll end.

He looked at Hanajima, still looking to the door where Yuki had walked through and gone. He wondered who Hanajima will pick between the two. The person most compatible with her? Or the person most opposite from her? OOOH! THIS JUST INSPIRED HIM FOR A STOOOORRRRYYYY!