Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's back to Machi's POV this time, and a little longer than the previous chapters.

Afternoon lessons went quickly, as usual. As long as she concentrated on the work and didn't daydream, Machi could make them go as fast as she wanted. But it was a little harder today. She had a lot to think about. When the bell rang, she was still wondering about the events that had happened during lunch break. Most of the students hurried out of the classroom, but she was one of the last to leave.

Stupidly, Machi had assumed that there was a council meeting today, and had taken the path home that Yuki Sohma often walked. When she turned the corner onto the main road, there he was, just a few steps infront of her. So close, infact, that she could hear his conversation with Hatsuharu-san from her class.

"Where's Tohru today?"

That's Honda-san's name, isn't it?

"I think she went somewhere else. Hanajima-san's house, perhaps?"

"What about you? I thought you had a council meeting today?"

So did I, she thought to herself.

"No. There was one scheduled, but it was cancelled this afternoon."

Was that because of me? No, it wouldn't be. It doesn't matter whether I'm there or not.

"Why?"

"The treasurer... the treasurer resigned."

"Huh? Machi? Why?"

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me."

But I did tell him! I told him plenty of times!

By now, Machi was feeling quite annoyed, which was rare. Then again, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. First she got angry at him because of her bookmark, and again today. And now this. Maybe she didn't need another excuse for leaving the Student Council. He was enough.

Hatsuharu and Yuki crossed over to the other side of the road at the next set of traffic lights. Machi slowed her pace - they were now walking almost parallel to her, and she couldn't let them see her! However, this also meant that she could no longer hear their conversation easily. She strained her ears but could only hear a few snippets, many of which contained the name 'Honda-san' or 'Tohru'.

That was proof enough for her. Yuki had mentioned her, briefly, but had not gone into any detail and had denied even knowing why she had resigned! Now he was talking about Honda-san again. She seemed to be one of his favourite topics. Sometimes, even Kakeru joined Yuki in talking about her.

At least they'll be happy like that. Then again, she wondered, does that mean that everyone except me will continue to believe that he is 'perfect'?

Machi looked up and realised that the street was now empty of Yuki, Hatsuharu, and in fact any students at all. She must have slowed down a lot in her daydream.

Hoping to be back in time to finish all of her homework tonight, Machi hurried home, not that she needed to. All she did was homework – she didn't have student council meetings anymore, she didn't have friends to phone, manga or literature series to catch up on, she didn't even have a television or computer at home. When she had first moved into her own house, she hadn't thought of buying one; she had still firmly believed that all she was meant to do was to follow orders. She couldn't let anything distract her from that. Now it was just habit. She was used to it.

Machi's house was not far from school, it usually only took ten or fifteen minutes when she came this way. She reached it quickly, fumbled in her bag for the key and opened her front door. She threw her schoolbag on the floor, walked over several textbooks, pens, and pencils, and picked up some clothes from the weekend to shove in the washing machine. Eventually, she reached the small kitchen in her apartment.

Machi opened the cupboard and took out a sachet of miso soup base. She filled a pan with water, turned on the gas ring on her oven and let the soup boil. Whilst chopping up some vegetables to add to her dinner, she pondered today's events. He didn't seem that bothered, really. He came to talk to me once, but... She replayed the scene in the corridor in her mind.

"I don't mind you quitting"... he had said that. And then, when she left, nothing had been final. It had felt almost as if Yuki had simply given up and let her go. I couldn't have been such an 'important council member', then.

The saucepan was bubbling and steaming by now. Machi got a bowl and spoon out of the cupboard which had been left open, and poured her soup into it. She turned off the gas, leaving the dirty saucepan on the stove, before walking over to the table where she sat down and made a small space by brushing a box of tissues and a small plush Mogeta doll onto the floor.

When she finished eating, she left the bowl on the table and sat down on her bed with her notebook and pencil case. But she was tired, even though she'd only come back from school an hour ago. She lay down and picked up that bookmark they'd argued over. Is that to be forgotten now, as well? Am I to be abandoned yet again? Would he do that to me? I thought he knew how it felt to be lonely.

Until now, she hadn't realised what a mistake it had been to leave the Student Council.