Disclaimer: Takaya Natsuki is the rightful owner. I'm merely borrowing her creations for my own diabolical ideals. No, really.

A/N: Information gathered about the location of the characters' residence are factual and fictional, because some components of it have been created by me. It will concur like this throughout the fic . . . If I get any farther at all, that is. Reviews usually keep me going, though, so keep them coming. XD

Life's Many Indulgences
Chapter 3: One That Stood Out

"Great, I didn't think I'd be catching a cold so early into the winter season," Kyo muttered, as he massaged his aching forehead. "And it seems like you've recovered just in time, huh, Tooru?"

Kyo, Tooru and their mother and father lived on the island of Honshu. Their region was Chugoku, Shimane prefecture; their residence was within the capital, Matsue, and it was well-renowned as the city of water. The reason it was called this was because there were many canals running vertically and horizontally throughout the city, and there was well over five-hundred bridges for crossings over the many channels.

This year, even though it was in the early flow of winter, it was still considered a sure easy way of catching a cold. Since the entire city was made almost only of water channels, it was notably obvious that the air created extremely cold fog early in the morning. That alone is enough to make anyone go running home into bed with an unhealthy stature. Alas, as the winter months will progress, the cold season was only the beginning, because it was definitely going to get chillier. Talk about freezing . . .

"Yup. My class is having an exam today, so I'm glad that I will be able to make it. I am grateful that you've been bringing home all my lessons for me." Tooru bowed deeply, and Kyo sighed as he yanked her to her feet. "Ah, I'll make sure to bring your lessons for you, too, until you get all better."

"You don't need to bow so low for something as simple as me bringing you home your schoolwork." Kyo sweat dropped when his sister bowed again. "Geez, Tooru."

"It's okay. I don't mind thanking you from the bottom of my heart. You've been a great help to me all of my life. Showing appreciation for it is nothing to be ashamed about."

"Tooru . . . I'm not going to convert to your ways, you know." Tooru laughed. Kyo glared. ". . . I'm not kidding, either."

"I know. Just be yourself."

Kyo was home alone when Tooru left the house, because their mother and father had already gone to work. Solitude wasn't such a bad thing every once in a while - at least with this time alone Kyo had the chance to do things he didn't want to do around others.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Hey, Yuki, where should we hang this?" a boy asked.

Yuki was once again wrapped up in the student council affairs. There was never a day where there wasn't anything to do, because each school day had to be regulated by the council members. His job was the toughest since he was the president, and everything needed his inspection or permission before the other council members could even begin voting on it.

Once Yuki wasn't so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of a student council president's life, he finally had the time to make note that Kyo didn't come to school today. He was somewhat disappointed that his usual 'good morning' didn't reach Kyo's ears. Kyo's little sister, Tooru, did happen to pass by him today along a hallway, but he hadn't the nerve to ask about Kyo's reason of absence. Yuki sighed and wondered why he couldn't ask such a simple question. A bunch of Kyo's fanatics got wind of the answer from Tooru, but Yuki was not around to hear, so it couldn't be helped.

"Seems like we're done with everything, Mr. President," Kimi said.

"Yuki would be just fine."

Toudou Kimi was one of the student council members, and even though she looked like a slacker on the outside, on the inside she was a pretty hard worker when she applied that with effort. However, she used most of her time to spend with Manabe Kakeru, another student council member that Yuki, too, seemingly noted as a slacker.

"Wow," Yuki looked behind her, "you actually did stack them all, didn't you?" His voice didn't carry much of a convincing tone though.

"Yup!" Kimi stuck her right arm into the air." Of course Kakeru stacked most of them though! He's such a doll, isn't he?"

"I figured as much." Yet, instead of sighing like Kimi thought the student council president would, Yuki smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "In any case, good job."

From the corner of his eye Yuki could see Sakuragi Naohito, another student council member (better known as simply Nao), getting yelled at by a very angry female. It seemed like he didn't do as he was told to do, so he was going to have to put up with her ranting.

Poor, Naohito.

Yuki did not have a part in it, so he wasn't going to go to his rescue, because Naohito was looking over at him, hoping beyond all hope that he'd do just that.

Not a chance.

The outcome was pretty simple though. He had sisters that constantly told him to do this or that, so in eventual time, he was also going to do the bidding of the ranting girl sooner or later. Sunao was pretty much a pushover once he gets roughed around a little too much, and that constituted as one of his weak points in his personality.

Such a shame, really.

"Kaaaaaakeeeeeeruuuuuu!" Kimi called at the top of her lungs. A lanky-looking teen then strutted up to her. "You should have heard what the president said to me! He praised me!"

"I can't believe she's taking all the credit . . ." Yuki muttered under his breath.

Kimi and Kakeru had gotten pretty close to one another ever since summer vacation of this year. It was now the start of winter, but during the summer months, without Yuki's knowledge, even though the student council met regularly over the break, he didn't notice that Kimi and Kakeru were developing feelings for one another.

They seemed like an unlikely match to begin with, but it actually happened, believe it or not.

"Well, we'll see you later, Mr. President," Kakeru announced.

"Bye-bye, Mr. President," Kimi said.

"Yuki would be just fine!" Yuki repeated, for the second time in the last fifteen minutes.

Within the student council almost everyone that was a member called one another by first name basis. This didn't only pertain to the student council, but of all sorts of clubs and programs on the school campus. Students spend so much time together within a school year, that a strong bond is usually formed. So that was why Yuki preferred that Kimi and Kakeru call him by his first name, and not Mr. President.

For some strange reason when the gray-haired teen stepped foot out of the student council, Tooru was standing right there in front of him. Startled by the girl, Yuki back-stepped a foot or two. He had no idea how long she waited out here in the hallway, but the student council did finish early for once. It was a rare occasion, but it happens nonetheless.

". . . Mizunashi."

"Did I surprise you?" Tooru asked. Her facial expression seemed troubled. "I'm so sorry."

"No . . ." Yuki re-assembled his composure ". . . No, not too badly, at least." He sweat dropped when the brunette-haired girl bowed down really low - several students walking by gave her funny looks. "Did you need something, Mizunashi?"

"Um, it's okay if you call me Tooru," she said. A light blush crept up Yuki's cheeks, but the girl seemed to be unfazed by her own declaration. One usually didn't call another by their first name unless they were really close. As a matter of fact, Yuki and Tooru hardly knew each other. Addressing Yuki's question now, she said, "by any chance, I was wondering if you saw Kyo's paperwork lying somewhere around here."

"Paperwork?"

"Yes. I placed them down on the floor beside me for a second, so I could change out of my school slippers. When I looked back to where I settled them down they were gone. Either the wind blew them away, or someone took them."

"That's strange; as far as I can tell the news this morning didn't mention it being windy at all today," Yuki pondered. He noticed that Tooru's shoulder's considerably sagged. "I have the same class as your brother; I can ask the teacher to give you another copy to give to him. I'm pretty sure Mr. Katamura hasn't gone home yet."

Sure, photo-copying Yuki's untouched paperwork seemed like a good idea, but the school didn't allow such methods to be conducted. If a student was caught doing something like that they were deemed as a cheater, or a perpetrator of helping a cheater. Students are taught to be responsible for their own actions and belongings, so it could only be considered natural that missing paperwork would be a student's loss. Nonetheless, asking your teacher for another copy was a sure way to avoid taking that path.

"Really?" Yuki nodded. "Thank you so much! The reason Kyo didn't come to school today was because he caught a cold from me! I didn't mean to spread such a nasty virus to him, but he was always near me while I was sick! This is the only thing I can do for him in compensation!"

"A cold, you say?" That was a logical reason to miss school. "In that case, I'll make sure to bring something for you to give to him. Would he mind, Tooru?" Yuki smiled at the fact that he called her by her first name. It wasn't something he was used to saying, but it was easy to become comfortable continuing to call her by her first name.

"Oh, of course not!" Tooru exclaimed. Being the happy-go-lucky girl that she was, there was no way that she'd decline something from anyone let alone the Prince of the school.

"All right, then. I'll go ask Mr. Katamura for another assignment. And please don't hold in any reservations about calling me Yuki. I won't mind."

XOXOXOXOXOX

As soon as Yuki got home he immediately went into the kitchen to start preparing what he planned on giving to Kyo. When someone is sick it was common knowledge to give them some type of soup, broth, or dish high in fiber and protein. His mother noticed the urgency in her son's footsteps, so she followed him into the kitchen.

"Yuki, why the sudden busy-body routine?" Mrs. Usuda asked.

"A classmate of mine caught a cold, and I thought I'd make him something to help him feel better." Yuki pulled out a stack of cookbooks that was kept in a cabinet to the right of the stove-top. "I am planning on making soup. What kind of soup should I make, though?"

"Depends on what we have inside the refrigerator," his mother replied.

Not really sure he wanted to know, Yuki asked, "so we have a lot of greens, at least?"

"Only leeks."

"Leeks?" Yuki wasn't too fond of leeks, but neither did he hate it. In fact, it tasted really good when sautéed with onions and lean chicken breasts. "Then would leeks be fine as a soup?"

"Leek soup is very nutritious," his mother answered. "It should be fine.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"What the hell is all this crap?" Kyo asked.

"All these girls came up to me, and told me that they're for you. They want you to get well soon." Tooru happily smiled as she placed basket after basket, and bentou after bentou of food in front of her now angry brother. For the sake of everyone who has made you something, I do hope you'll eat them all."

"All of this?" Kyo's eyes widened. He knew what sort of havoc his littler sister can cause him without realizing it. It was obvious that she must have told all the fanatics in school that he was sick. "All of this! There is no way I can eat this much; I wouldn't be able to finish this in a day even if you helped me eat some!"

"Usuda made you something, too," Tooru said.

"What is it?" Kyo heard himself asking.

"From the looks of it, I think it's leek soup."

"I hate leeks!" Kyo opened the first bentou box closest to him and growled. "This is eggs fried with leeks! I don't want to eat leeks! I want to have nothing to do with them!"

"Ah, well, Kyo, I don't think everything has leeks in it." Tooru could tell that her brother was overreacting. "Try opening another bentou."

By the end of the day Kyo was feeling more horrible than at the start of the day. Sitting on the couch in the living room, Kyo flicked on the t.v. A commercial immediately caught his eyes:

"Have a loved one or friend that isn't feeling well? It is getting a little chilly, isn't it? Well, listen up, then, because we have a wonderful vegetable for you! Leeks! That's right! Leeks! They can be put in different dishes, and its very nutritious! That special someone or friend shall be back on their feet in no time! Trust Mikami Produce! A hearty leek leads to a hearty recovery!"

"Don't tell me everyone actually listened to this commercial and actually followed along with it . . ."

Most of the dishes he ate had leeks in them. Yet, one seemed the most bearable out of them all; Yuki's was the only one that came in the form of a soup, and it was easy to swallow. Kyo cursed under his breath then, only to turn his head towards the garbage bag to barf. He was absolutely miserable.

"Hmmm, I guess that was why the fried tofu tasted funny to you yesterday, Kyo," Tooru said.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Wow, we really didn't have anything else other than leeks. That commercial I saw on t.v. can only be a coincidence," Yuki said to himself. "Simply a coincidence . . ."

Chapter 3: END