A.N. Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update, but I've been really busy lately. But here it is, Chapter 7! Enjoy your reading, folks!

Oh, yeah… Is anyone here a Harry Potter fan? If you are, do you support the Harry/Hermione or Draco/Hermione ship? And do you have a knack for fantasy/adventure stories? Those who fit into these categories might be interested in co-writing or at least beta-reading one of my new fanfics. Just pm me and I'll give you the plot and the first chapter. Help is urgently needed!

Well, anyway… go on, then…

The cool breeze wafting outside the Sakishima building was what Uchiyama needed as he went out on the balcony. He sighed and leaned against the railing, closing his eyes as to relieve his tension. He was not anticipating Shin's appearance tonight, especially in a Yakuza-driven place. Seeing his old friend made him relive the anger he felt at his desertion.

"Uchiyama," Yankumi's voice sounded from behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to get out of there," Uchi replied, not looking at her. "I felt it was too crowded at the place."

Yankumi sighed and walked over to him. "You know you shouldn't act like that whenever Sawada's around," she said. "You could at least try to act civilly."

"Why should I?" Uchi said. "He doesn't deserve it."

"I know it's hard for you, Uchiyama," said Yankumi. "But please, don't fight with him. For Ojii-san's sake, at least."

Uchi turned to look at her, his eyes anguished. "You don't know how hard it is, Yankumi, to just act like nothing happened." His eyes flared with anger. "It's bad enough that I get to see him whenever I least expect to. I get worked up when I see his face! It's because until now I can't figure out why he left us for his stupid stuck-up father that wanted nothing with him other than his obedience and business smarts!"

Yankumi watched as Uchi put a hand over his forehead, trying to quell the overwhelming feelings that had come with his statement. She grabbed his arms and stared at him in the eyes.

"Don't hurt yourself with such thoughts," she said. "It's true that Sawada hasn't been with us for the past years, but it's time that you move on, Uchi. It's not helping you. You're such a good friend to care about why he did what he did, but it's Sawada's choice to whether to come back to his family or not. It's not our position to dictate what he'll do with his life. The best thing we can do now is be happy for him, whether we like it or not."

"It's so easy for you to be happy for him," said Uchi sullenly. "I can't be you, Yankumi. I can't be happy about these kind of things. I know Shin well. It's not like him to just give up and go back to his father."

"Uchiyama…"

"I'll be inside," he said, pulling his arms from Yankumi's grasp. "I'm gonna go get a drink." He walked away from her and entered the ballroom, not noticing that somebody had watched them talk.

Yankumi leaned against the railing, frustrated at Uchi's stubbornness to accept Shin. She sighed exasperatedly, willing her frustration to wash away.

"It's hard to talk to him, isn't it?" said a voice from behind her. "Don't worry about it; I can handle him being like that about my life now." She turned around and saw Shin staring at her, his hands buried in his pockets.

"S-sawada," she said, surprised at his sudden appearance. "Why are you here?"

"Nothing," he said. "I felt like going here. I didn't know you two were out here."

Yankumi groped for something to say. Right know she didn't know whether to punch him for just disappearing like that and coming back when they least expect it or to just be happy for him like a good old homeroom teacher would. She stared at him in a mixture of anguish and concern, making her look like she had a bad indigestion.

Shin stared at her. "If you don't want me around then I'll go, there's no need for you to look like that."

"Uh…" Yankumi wiped the look from her face. "Sawada, it's not that I don't want you around. It's just too hard keeping up with you two while you're fighting! I mean, you used to be good friends, but now it's like you don't know each other. Uchiyama acts like crap when you're around while you just stand there without giving us any reasonable explanation why you didn't show up for four years and act like it doesn't matter! What do you think I should do? Try to be happy for you while I go around making Uchi feel better when he's angry?"

"H-hey, you don't need-"

"I don't know what I should do with you guys anymore!" Yankumi said furiously. "Sawada! Why can't you just say what really happened? It's not like it's gonna kill you anyway!"

"It's none of your business whether I decide to go back to my family or not," said Sawada coldly. "It's my life, isn't it?"

Yankumi stared at him, as though gaining control of her ranting rage. She sighed exasperatedly and leaned on the railing, turning her back on Shin while she tried to grab on to her anxiety.

Shin watched her back, his expression unreadable. "You know, attending this charity event only made things worse." He walked closer to her, though she still didn't look at him. "It's not like I don't know about the company's real affiliations. You're just wasting your time with the Sawada Industries."

"I don't know the reason behind all this, Sawada, and I don't think I can wiggle any explanation from you right now," said Yankumi, her back still turned on him. "I'm not your teacher anymore, so I'm not privileged of any information about what's happening on your life." She sighed and finally turned to face him. "Everything is new about you, but that doesn't stop us from caring. We're still waiting for you to come back. Every one of us, even Uchi. You're not a stranger, Sawada. Don't try to be one. You're a part of our lives whether you like it or not."

"I was a part of your lives, Yamaguchi," said Shin, his old stranger term for Yankumi returning to his vocabulary. "Right now I can't be one. Can't you see that I'm working for my father? I have my own concerns, and I can't bother myself with what happened in the past. You don't have to waste too much time on me. You have the other guys to deal with."

Yankumi maintained her firm gaze at her former student, who had suddenly transformed into another person in front of her. She sniffed a bit, but remained stony faced. "I-I see. It's none of my business, right? Thanks for enlightening me about it." She walked away from him, back to the dazzling ballroom where everyone else was gathered. "I hope you'll enjoy the party." She added before she disappeared inside.

Shin couldn't quite decide if he's going to be relieved or angry with himself for what happened. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to get rid of the sinking feeling in his stomach that came with Yankumi's words.

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Yankumi walked inside the ballroom, searching again for Uchiyama. He was her date, after all. She spotted him near the punchbowl, and could see that he was starting to drink too much champagne.

She strode over to him and snatched the glass from his hands. "Uchiyama," she said sternly. "We're not in a bar."

"Aww, you're killin' me, Yankumi," Uchiyama slurred as he made to grab another bottle of wine. He had already finished his first one. He threw his head back and gulped down the contents of the bottle.

"Uchi!" Yankumi pulled the bottle away from him. "This is a charity event! Don't you try to mess this up with your drinking! And you have work tomorrow, for goodness sake!"

"Stop being such a mother hen," said Uchi irritably, gazing at her as she stared up at him through angry eyes.

"Damn well I'm not!" She said, annoyed. Suddenly, without warning, Uchi grabbed her hands and steered her to the middle of the ballroom. He twirled her around, moving to the sound of the music.

"H-hey!" Yankumi said indignantly as she was danced by a drunk Uchiyama. "Uchi! I don't dance!"

"Yes you do," said Uchiyama as he pulled her close, changing his rhythm while the orchestra started playing a slow tune. Yankumi was then forced to move her feet with him, dancing while the other couples around them sighed happily with the music.

"You're drunk," she hissed at her former student. Uchi responded by pulling her closer to his chest.

"I'm not," said Uchiyama as they danced. Yankumi looked around, noticing that some of the guests were watching them. She inwardly groaned, realizing that she can't just push Uchiyama away if she wanted to. Further thinking led her to the fact that she doesn't really mind being this close to him. She could smell his scent through his shirt, and a large part of her wanted to lay her head down on his chest, close her eyes and sigh dreamily.

She blushed, shaking herself away from the sinful thoughts. He's your freakin former student! Don't mess it up! She gasped as she felt Uchi bury his face on her neck and inhale her scent, making her blush fiercely.

"You're really pretty tonight, Kumiko," said Uchiyama huskily as they danced.

"U-Uchiyama…" Yankumi said, suppressing a moan as she felt him press a few light kisses to her neck. To an outsider they simply looked like a sweet couple enjoying the slow dance, but what Uchiyama was doing was enough to send tingles down her spine.

She opened her eyes dazedly, not noticing that it had fluttered close as she enjoyed the sensation of his lips on her skin. Tearing her eyes from his chest to stop her daze, she looked around and paid her attentions to the guests flocking around the ballroom. Her eyes took a stop on her other former student, who was standing near the balcony window, watching them. Her eyes widened.

Oh my, she thought frantically. Sawada's gonna think I'm romancing my students now! What will he say about me?! "Uchi!" She pushed gently at her drunken companion who had taken permanent residence on her neck and was currently enjoying it. "W-we shouldn't-"

She stopped in mid-talk as Sawada's eyes caught hers. He raised an eyebrow as he observed her current predicament, and although his face remained impassive, he certainly did not like what he was seeing. His unrequited affections for Yankumi bubbled up in anger and jealousy as he watched Uchiyama pull her closer and nuzzle her neck. The only thing that betrayed his emotions was his tightening grip on his class of champagne.

He saw Yankumi gaze at him with an apologetic look. He almost snorted. What the hell is she apologizing for? Deciding that he can't take looking at the sight of them anymore, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving his former teacher staring at him, anxious and worried.

"Shin-san," Megumi greeted him as he approached her table. "You didn't tell me that Yamaguchi-san was your former teacher."

Shin groaned inwardly. "Uh, I didn't think it was important, I'm sorry," he said to Megumi, who gazed at him in concern.

"Is there anything wrong, Shin-san?"

He shook his head. "No, there isn't. I'm just not feeling my best this evening."

Megumi nodded understandingly. "Oh, okay…" She turned back to watching the people on the ballroom that were dancing. "Yamaguchi-san seems to be happy, ne?" She said after a while, gazing at Yankumi and Uchiyama who were still out there. "But isn't it weird? Didn't she say that that guy she's dancing with now is your old classmate? Does that mean she taught him too?" She turned to look at Sawada questioningly.

He had no choice but to say the truth, as he couldn't find anything to say otherwise. "Yes, he was my classmate at Shirokin."

Megumi's eyes widened, looking again at the pair. "Wow, and she managed to snag someone as young as he is! Well, I couldn't blame him though," she said understandingly. "Yamaguchi-san is really pretty, and she seems really nice. You're lucky that you had her as your teacher."

You have no idea, thought Shin, looking back to the days when she played class 3-d's knight-in-shining –armor and Mother Teresa combined. She seemed like an angel sent for heaven to look after them, and he was more than thankful that he had her for a teacher.

However, it was really sad that fate pulled a cruel trick on him and made him fall in-love with a depressingly oblivious sensei who also happened to be a Yakuza boss. And now she's wrapped up in the arms of his old friend who had the courage to tell her how he feels.

I wonder what would've happened if things didn't end up like this, thought Shin. He then pushed the thoughts away. You have no choice but to face the present now, you idiot. It's you who brought this upon yourself, after all. Dreaming about the past won't help matters.

He suddenly put down his glass of champagne and stood up. "Come on, Megumi," he offered his hand to the surprised girl. "Let's dance."

Megumi blushed furiously and took his hand shyly. "H-hai, Shin-san…" She allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, where they joined the happy couples dancing to the music.

For the rest of the night Shin tried to focus his attentions on dancing with his ever blushing fiancée, but he couldn't help his mind from flitting back to the beautiful woman who stood there a few paces from them, dancing with his former classmate and now rival.

Amazing how things ended up like this, him being flagrantly successful as his father's son while losing everything he cared for in return, even the one girl he had ever loved.

A.N. There you have it, the 7th chapter of my story. I hope you like what I did with the charity event, and how I played the characters emotions and thoughts right to the end. I'm sorry if it's a bit short, but the next chapter should satisfy your hunger for ShinKumi and UchiKumi action.

To those guys who are interested with the Potter fic, please don't hesitate to email or pm me at least! I really, really need your help and assistance on this matter!

Till next, everyone! Don't forget to REVIEW, REVIEW AND REVIEW! It helps me write these stuff you see in front of you now! Hungry calls for new chapters won't go unnoticed!

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