A/N- This chaper introduces Inspiration of Imagination/Divine Wolfe as my new beta. *claps* So if you dislike anything about this, BLAMEZ HERRRR. (Though Jestry did this one, too.) No, I kid.

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Chapter Four

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Rhyme stretched in her seat at her desk, the last bell having rung. Ahh, free at last! She had quite a reason to celebrate. Hanekoma had invited her over after school to get her opinion on something. Her! Of all people!

It was Friday, three days after Shiki and herself had been added to Joshua's (because he was possesive like that) circle. Not that she'd seen much of him since his odd behavior at WildKat. Apart from meeting eye contact, which he always broke first, in the hallway as they moved between classes, she hadn't seen him.

Neku met her in the courtyard. "Beat got detention again, so he told me to take you to WildKat." The orange-haired teen adjusted his headphones absently. "His own fault, but I wanted to go anyway, so don't make your worried face."

His face kept the same disinterested scowl, but his eyes were soft. Rhyme smiled. "Ok. " Her gaze flicked over to where Shiki stood watching them a few feet off.

"Hey, Shiki, you wanna come, too?"

Neku turned to watch her, expression unreadable as Shiki shifted her weight uncomfortably, her handmade cat plushie dangling from one hand. "No, sorry, I have to be heading home."

"Neku, why don't you walk her home? WildKat's only a ten minute walk from here- I'll be fine."

The teenager shot her a glare that was as cold and fierce as a sudden gust of winter wind. Rhyme murmured under her breath to him, "it's to make up for not doing it last time."

He colored in shame, then swallowed and followed the black-haired girl off.

"What's with you?" She heard him ask Shiki. The girl jumped a little. "N-nothing! Sorry!"

"Quit apologizing."

"Ok! Sorry!"

Rhyme bit her lip nervously before heading towards WildKat. Sorry, Shiki, but it's for the best.

Reaching Cat Street at last, the blonde first-year student nearly skipped to the cafe, twirling in the weak sunlight like a leaf caught in the fall breeze. She was grateful for the long, dark socks that came up to her knees- it helped ward off the chill.

"Mr. Hanekoma," she called, pushing the door open with a shyness and restraint that belied her abandon in the road moments ago. It wasn't often she was allowed to have such a privilege as this and she didn't want to cause any trouble. Not that you could with Mr. H, but Rhyme always believed in caution.

"Rhyme?"

Joshua was lounging on an auburn couch- at her entrance, he sat upright and fixed her in a rather accusing and guarded look. "What are you doing here?" He demanded, looking past her quickly at the door then back to her again, adjusting his - thankfully, male this time- uniform with an air of tension.

"Mr. Hanekoma said he wanted my opinion on something he was working on, " she explained, a note of apology entering her voice by force of habit. "I'm sorry, do you need me to-"

"Get in the back," he hissed suddenly, eyes on something behind her. Even as she moved automatically, the door opened suddenly behind her.

"Joshua," commanded a sharp female voice. A strikingly beautiful woman stood commandingly in WildKat's doorway, long fair tresses billowing in the wind like threads of sunlight made tangible. Intense indigo eyes raked her surroundings with distain that sharpened to suspicion when it crossed over Rhyme.

"Who is this?"

"No one," Joshua murmured, not meeting the woman's eyes. The woman gave Rhyme another look and opened her mouth before Joshua cut in with a voice like frostbite. "What do you want, Mom?"

Rhyme's eyes widened in shock. That's his mother, Ageha Kiryu? She's so beautiful!

"Joshua, come home. It's not good for you to be spending all this time here when you could be studying. You graduate-"

Her son spun on his heel, turning his back on his mother and making his hair whirl and frame his face perfectly for a moment- there was no doubt who his mother was. Furious as he was, Rhyme couldn't help not noticing the curiously and strikingly delicate features on both Kiryus.

For a moment, mother and son stood there in a silent contest of will. At last, Mrs. Kiryu stepped forward and caught her son's slender shoulder- his jaw tightened but he did not pull away- and he followed his mother past the stunned Rhyme.

"Don't," he muttered coldly as Rhyme opened her mouth to speak. She flinched inwardly at his tone, cold as a glacier.

"Joshua," Ageha stated again, and without another word, both Kiryu's were out the door and into a limosine. As Rhyme stood awkwardly in the now-empty cafe, she vaguely pondered whether she should be tending the counter.

From the back room, Hanekoma emerged suddenly, stretching leisurely. "Oh, Rhyme. Hey there."

"Mr. Hanekoma, um.. " Rhyme bit her lip. It seemed wrong to tell anyone about the scene she had just witnessed.

"Oh, yeah, I know about J's stuff with his parents." The cafe owner chuckled. "But, really, I'm the one they hate. I'm the one who tries to get Joshua to break free of the future his parents have picked for him."

"...Oh." Rhyme looked away, feeling uncomfortable. "I don't think he-"

"-Wanted you to see that?" Again he chuckled, this time sliding behind the counter and turning on the expresso machine. "No, he didn't. And this isn't something you should spread around, either. He feels it's a sign of weakness and..." He turned to catch Rhyme's gaze. "...He'd never forgive you if you told."

He'd what-?

The first-year bit her lip. "But everyone has some kind of problem at home. It's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign he's human."

Hanekoma grinned. "Try telling him that and see how far you get."

Rhyme mentally replayed the brief conversation she had with him outside WildKat the previous day, then sighed. "I still won't give up. Oh, Mr. H, what was it you wanted to show me?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, it's a board I'm working on for your brother. I need to know where the place the wheels. C'mon."

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Evening was approaching swiftly when Rhyme was finished with all Hanekoma had asked her to do. No sooner had she taken two steps outside of WildKat did a loud voice and a huge form ambush her.

"Rhyme! Where'd ya been, yo?"

Rhyme kicked her legs in the air, smiling as her brother crushed her in a bear hug. Over the muscled shoulder, she saw Neku give her a suspicious look and mouth 'We need to talk'.

"Beat, " she wheezed, " I told you where I was going."

"But Neku didn' walk you here! You should be always watchin' out for creeps, sis. " Beat set his sister down and looked quite serious. "I don't want you to walk around here along when you're still in uniform."

Rhyme pulled the hem of her short skirt down lower and her socks higher. "Ok, Beat. I'll be more careful."

Then she was pulled into another hug, and Neku coughed. "Keep that up, and you'll be an only child, Beat."

"Awight, " the other boy mumbled and set his sister down gently. "Hey, did H fix your thing yet?"

Rhyme shook her head, suddenly reminded of the oddly bare feeling that came with not wearing the bell-pendant necklace her brother had gotten her for her tenth birthday. The clasp had broken last week, right before school, and Hanekoma was mending it. "No, he says the parts haven't come in."

Beat shrugged. "So long as he fixes it, yo. Hey, le's hit up Stationside for some ice cream "

His enthusiasm was contagious, and Rhyme found herself as fired up as her brother. "That's a great idea! Neku, you gonna come with us?"

Neku shrugged- he seemed to have an immunity to said enthusiasm. "I don't think so. I'm going over to Shiki's house to study."

"Oh, you gittin tutored by her like Joshua tutored Kasume?"

There was an odd moment, as Neku froze, then flushed, then spun on his heels bristling with defensive fury, eyes blazing. "What the hell are you suggesting? Why is everyone convinced that I give a rat's ass about her! Neku, walk Shiki home, Neku, who was that charming young lady, Neku, are you getting laid? Shut the hell up. " With that explosion, the fiery-haired and fiery tempered teenager stormed off, leaving the Bito siblings in the dust.

"Wha' happened to Phones?" Beat murmured, mystified.

Rhyme sighed, not really having the heart to explain to her brother Joshua's version of 'tutoring'. And they call me the naive one...

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I Heart Angry Nekuuuu