Kazume spent the remainder of her day at the temple having fun taking pictures with all her friends, although the majority of them were of her with either Megumi or Arimon. She stayed in a hyper mood for several more hours long after most people had gone home. Eventually all that were left was just herself, the Morisato's, the goddesses and Arimon. After their friends had left, the group found themselves inside the tearoom casually playing card games, and it was anything but quiet.
Kazume slammed her cards down and pointed accusingly at Urd. "That's not fair! You cheated!"
Urd shrugged with a smug smirk. "No I didn't, those are the rules."
Skuld stared hopelessly at her hand. "I don't get it!"
Arimon, who had chosen to sit out and was sitting next to Kazume, grinned. "Come on Kazume, be a good sport. She won fair and square."
The redhead pouted. "I hate this game."
Keiichi and Megumi, who also decided not to play, laughed at their friends' antics. Belldandy then walked in with a tray full of snacks and steaming mugs.
Kazume's eyes sparkled. "Oh Bell! My saviour! You've come with food!"
The goddess laughed. "My you must be hungry then!"
She nodded frantically. "Famished! This stupid game consumed my brain power, I need to reenergize!"
Everyone chuckled at the hungry girl, who swiped her share the instant Belldandy placed the tray on the table. She took a sip from her mug and let out a satisfied sigh. "Aaaah that's the stuff!"
Everyone followed her example, enjoying the snacks Belldandy had provided. Kazume then looked at her watch and figured it was getting late. So after shoving the remainder of her food in her mouth and swallowing the remaining contents of her drink, she stood to her feet and stretched.
"Well…it's been a long day, I might head home."
Megumi stood as well. "Good idea, I'm kinda beat."
Keiichi and the goddesses bid them farewell while Arimon walked them outside. Once they were near Kazume's bike, Megumi hopped on while her best friend turned to say goodbye to him. She grinned widely at him.
"Thanks for the fun day! I had a heap load of fun!"
He smiled. "You can thank Bell for that, she organised everything."
She grinned. "Yeah but who did I hang out with the whole time?"
He smirked. "I dunno…Megumi?"
She smacked his arm. "Smart arse."
He laughed loudly, while she giggled. Meanwhile, sitting on the bike, Megumi quietly watched. The two of them were driving her insane; the way they were interacting clearly suggested there was more than friendship between them. She was positive Arimon had some feelings there; she could see it in the way he looked at her. But Kazume was a completely different story. She knew her best friend cared deeply for the boy, but she wasn't sure whether or not her feelings for him were mutual just yet.
A giggle from Kazume brought her back to reality. She looked over in time to see her friend reach up and wrap her arms around Arimon's neck in an affectionate hug. His arms circled tightly around her waist as he hugged her back. Megumi could've sworn she saw him breathe in her scent, oh yeah the guy was definitely in love with her.
Arimon looked up from his hug and made eye contact with the brunette. She gave him a knowing smirk, silently telling him they were definitely going to talk later. He grinned back sheepishly before pulling back to look at Kazume. He smiled at her.
"You better get going, Megumi's waiting."
She smiled. "Alright then, I'll catch you later."
She gave him a playful salute as she walked back to her bike. He smiled and waved as she jumped on her bike in front of Megumi, turned her engine on and sped off of the temple grounds, down the road and eventually out of sight. Arimon kept his gaze on her, not looking away until the bike had fully disappeared. He sighed to himself; this being in love business was driving him mad. He needed to tell someone his feelings soon or else he was going to mentally explode. His thoughts turned immediately to Megumi. Yes, if there were anyone he could confide it, it would have to be Kazume's best friend. No one knew Kazume more than she did. Satisfied with that thought, he turned and made his way back into the temple.
Kazume yawned loudly as her and Megumi finally walked back into their apartment. Megumi stared bemusedly at her. "Getting tired?"
Kazume smiled. "Just a little, we were there all day."
Her friend nodded. "We did stay a little longer than expected didn't we?"
The redhead nodded letting out another yawn. "Yeah…well I'm heading to bed. What about you?"
Megumi shook her head. "Nah, not really tired. I might do some light reading, that always puts me to sleep."
Kazume smiled. "Alright then. Good night!"
Megumi waved. "Night."
Kazume wandered down the dark hall towards her room. Today had worn her out, she had been hyper for hours, zooming around like a maniac and behaving like a little toddler who had consumed too much sugar. Her wacky behaviour had now left her drained, exhausted and wanting nothing more than to collapse onto her futon. She stumbled into her room, and not bothering to change clothes, she lay down onto her bed, falling asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.
The following week flew by uneventfully as friends went about their daily business. Since Keiichi had now fully recovered from his accident, Kazume wasn't needed quite as often at the Auto Club. But they still needed her to participate in races that only she had the skill for. Belldandy usually stayed at home cooking meals and completing chores around the house, but on occasion she would accompany Keiichi to the university. Urd and Skuld mainly stayed around the house as well, the older working on potions and the younger on her inventions. But lately the latter had been spending a lot of her time keeping an eye on her sister, making sure that stupid man never got too close to her. She had been noticing they were acting more lovey dovey than usual. While she was doing everything to keep them apart, the oldest of the goddess was attempting the exact opposite. Urd was trying everything in her power to trap the lovebirds in a closed space, which allowed her to sit back and enjoy the show of potential romance. But every time she was even remotely close to accomplishing her goal, the younger goddess would always intervene and all her planning would be completely ruined. The clashing of the two sisters usually resulted in a rather loud shouting match.
This very vocal scene was what greeted Kazume one day as she rode into the temple grounds for another visit. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing Belldandy's two sisters on the porch shouting words she couldn't be bothered to comprehend, although she had her suspicions as to what their argument was about. Ignoring their quarrel, she walked up and helped herself into the front entrance. Belldandy had told both herself and Megumi that there was no need to knock anymore, and if they ever came around to visit that they could just go in and out as they pleased. Kazume grinned, that Belldandy was something else entirely; Keiichi sure was lucky to have someone that special in his life.
As she wandered down their corridor, she suddenly noticed how eerily quiet the rest of the house was. 'Where is everybody?' She thought.
"Keiichi? Belldandy? Arimon? Anyone here?"
"Kazume?"
She whipped around to come face to face with the hostess of the house herself. She sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness. Am I happy to see you Bell."
Said goddess smiled. "Well here I am! What can I do for you?"
Kazume rubbed the back of her neck. "Keiichi asked me to come here, said he wanted to do something. But he didn't tell me what."
Belldandy nodded. "Well you are here rather early, Keiichi is still asleep."
The redhead grinned sheepishly. " I do have a habit of waking up earlier than most people."
Belldandy gestured to the tearoom. "Well why don't you take a seat? I'll go wake him up."
Kazume nodded and made her way further down the hall. When she reached the tearoom, she slid the door open and froze. Sitting at the table, completely absorbed in a book was a certain male redhead.
"Arimon?"
The owner of the name looked up from his book and smiled when he saw who called him.
"Hey Kazume, what brings you here?"
She sighed. "Keiichi wanted me for something."
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh…is that so?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea, Bell's gone to wake him up."
The moment she said this, Bell stuck her head into the room. "Keiichi's up and getting ready Kazume, he would like to speak with you."
Kazume nodded. "Alright tell him I'll be there in a minute."
After Belldandy had left, Kazume turned her attention back to Arimon. "Well I better go see what he has in store for me."
He grinned. "Good luck with that."
She laughed. "Thanks, I'm probably gonna need it.'
She gave him one last grin before walking out of them room and back where she came. Once she reached Keiichi's door she lifted her hand and swiftly knocked.
"Come in."
Kazume obeyed the voice and entered the room. She smiled and nodded in greeting to the dark haired man who was waiting patiently. He nodded back in response.
"Thanks for coming Kazume."
She smiled. "Not a problem, what can I do for you Keii?"
He leaned forward and linked his hands together. "Well I was thinking, we're around the same age right?"
Kazume felt a sense of dread creep into her stomach, but she pushed it down and nodded, keeping her face as neutral as possible.
"Then how about you come and spend a day with me at the University?"
Kazume's brain skidded to a halt. "Huh?"
Keiichi laughed. "I thought over it carefully. The only productive thing I've seen you do is work and race for the Auto Club, so I figured it could do you some good to broaden your horizon a little, do some exploring."
It took several more seconds for everything to register through Kazume's mind, and when it did a huge grin broke out on her face.
"That sounds awesome! Count me in!"
Keiichi smiled. "Great, well we'll be leaving in about ten minutes."
Kazume's smile instantly vanished. "W… We're going today?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I apologize for the short notice."
She waved her hands in front of her. "Oh no! That's fine! I guess I wasn't expecting to go so soon!"
He laughed. "Well I'll meet you outside in a bit then. Did you want to come with me on my bike?"
She shook her head. "No I'll just follow you on mine." She stuck out her tongue cheekily. "Just in case I get bored and want to go home early."
Keiichi laughed. "Well the likeness of that happening is pretty high. Oh and another thing, keep a look out for a girl named Sayoko."
Kazume raised an eyebrow. "Why? Queen Plastic of the campus?"
He sniggered. "Something like that, she hates Belldandy."
She looked horrified. "Who in the world could hate someone as wonderful as Bell?"
Keiichi sighed. "Because until Belldandy came along, she was the official Queen of the Campus. And now she feels her reputation is being threatened."
Kazume shook her head. "Wow she sounds up herself."
He shrugged. "Well I thought I should warn you."
She grinned. "Heh thanks. Well I'll go wait out by the bike."
She left the room and wandered back down the hall to the tearoom; she wanted to spend a little time with Arimon before she went out for the day. She slid open the door once again to see him still in the same place and position she had found him in several minutes earlier.
When he looked up she grinned. "Hey, thought I'd come and chat for a few minutes before I leave."
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, is Keiichi taking you somewhere?"
She nodded excitingly. "Yeah! He's taking me to spend the day at the university he goes to!"
He smiled at her enthusiasm. "Sounds like fun, say…he wouldn't mind if I tagged along too would he?"
She blinked. "Well, I don't think he'd mind, you'll have to take that up with him."
He nodded. "Alright let's ask him when you leave." He winked. "I can get myself there."
She sniggered. "Rub it in why don't you?"
They were interrupted when Keiichi stuck his head in the room. "Ready to go Kazume?"
She nodded. "Yeah I am…hey Kei?" When he looked at her she asked. "Would it be alright if Arimon came as well?"
Keiichi smiled. "Of course, the more the merrier. Just be sure to stick together when we get there, it's a big place and you can get lost easily."
Kazume grinned. "I'm sure we'll live…right Arimon?" She turned her smirk onto her friend who grinned in return.
"Yeah we're big kids."
Keiichi smiled. "Well alright then, let's go I don't want to be late."
They followed Keiichi out of the room and out the door towards the bikes. Arimon took a head start by flying himself up into the sky while the other two headed towards their significant vehicles.
Kazume was easily able to maintain a close distance behind Keiichi as they drove through the heavy traffic. Being on a motorcycle made it easy to manoeuvre around the large number of vehicles. Eventually they turned down a street and a huge building came into view, with a towering statue positioned near the entrance. Kazume stared in wonder around her. The grounds of this place was remarkable, she wasn't expecting the university to be as big as it was. She focused her attention back in time to see Keiichi pulling into the parking grounds of the campus and swiftly moved to follow him.
She pulled in next to Keiichi just as he dismounted his bike. She followed his example and turned around to see Arimon walking towards them.
She grinned. "Hope you weren't waiting too long, we were met with a bit of traffic."
He smiled. "Not at all, I only just got here myself."
She rolled her eyes. "Sure you did." She then turned back to her other companion. "Well Keii? What's first on the agenda?"
Keiichi put up his hands. "You guys are free to wander around and explore as much as you want, I have classes I need to go to."
Kazume clapped her hands excitingly. "Really? Oh this is going to be so much fun! Come on Arimon let's go!"
She grabbed Arimon's sleeve and dragged him in a random direction, waving behind her at the dumbfounded Keiichi. "Bye Kei! You probably won't see us again for the rest of the day! We'll see you at home later!"
Keiichi waved half-heartedly back. "Sure…see you guys."
Meanwhile Arimon was trying desperately to pull away from the vice grip Kazume had on him. Sheesh where did this girl get her strength?
"Hey Kazume! Slow down! Where are we going anyway?"
Said girl turned her head to look him. "Don't know, don't care! We have lots to see!"
He shook his head in bemusement. This girl was something else. Well he wanted nothing but to see her smile, so he would allow her to do as she wished. So Arimon lowered his guard and let the girl he loved pull him into the campus.
They entered into a random door on the side and found themselves in a long corridor with doors on one side and windows on the other. Kazume stared with large curious eyes.
"Wow it's like those long hallways they show in horror films. You know with shattered glass and blood everywhere."
Arimon raised an eyebrow. "You watch that stuff?"
She grinned. "You didn't think I was Little Miss Innocent did you? I can watch some blood and gore every now and then. Doesn't really bother me."
He smiled. "You're just full of surprises aren't you?"
"Well, well who are these new faces?"
The duo turned their heads to see who had interrupted their playful banter. There stood a girl who was reasonably taller than Kazume but was still nowhere near Arimon's height. She had perfect straight brown hair that fell to her lower back and her expression held that of superiority as she leered suspiciously at the newcomers.
Kazume narrowed her eyes slightly at the girls' snobby attitude. "It's none of your business since you're clearly a student here."
The girl glared. "How dare you speak to me like that? Don't you have any idea who I am?"
Kazume shrugged. "Why would I care anyway?"
The brunette scoffed haughtily. "I am Sayoko Mishima, campus Queen of this University. You'd be wise not to forget it."
Kazume's eye twitched. So this was the Mishima girl Keii warned her about. Wow he wasn't kidding, she thinks she's the Queen of the Campus? This chick had nothing on Belldandy. She grinned at her.
"Oh don't you worry, it'll be hard not to forget."
Sayoko glared at her tone. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Kazume's grin widened. "I've heard of you…Sayoko Mishima, and of your widely known reputation. Word on the street is that you're nothing but a stuck up wench who can't keep her nose out of other people's business. And when someone interferes with yours, you do everything in your power to destroy them…sounds like someone is guilty of hypocrisy, don't you Arimon?"
The now smirking Arimon nodded in agreement while Sayoko by now practically had steam coming out of her ears. Kazume restrained herself from laughing at the infuriated expression on the girls face.
Her smile then disappeared and she turned serious. "You listen to me, Mishima. I've heard all about how you hold strong dislike for a girl named Belldandy." Sayoko's eyes widened at the familiar name but she remained quiet when Kazume continued. "I will say this only once. Bell is a close friend of mine, so if I hear you have been causing any trouble to her or even Keiichi, then you will have to answer to Arimon and me. And trust me…we're the last people you want to mess with." She snarled the last sentence out to make sure Sayoko got the message.
The taller brunette stared with wide terrified eyes at them. For some reason this smaller, harmless looking girl intimidated her. It could have something to do with the very tall redhead man standing next to her. But the two of them gave off a vibe that would scare even the meanest guy on campus. What was it about them that scared her so much?
"It would be a wise idea for you to move along Miss Mishima."
The deep male voice pulled her out of her reverie. She looked at the steely glare of the girls' friend. His sharp amethyst eyes pierced into her own brown ones and she couldn't help the cold shiver that ran down her spine. She gulped and slowly began backing away.
"Well…uh…I won't bother you anymore. Have a pleasant day!"
And before they could blink, she had dashed back the way she had supposedly come, leaving a trail of smoke behind her.
Kazume exhaled loudly. "Gee she was a bit of a handful, we'll need to keep an eye on her. We may have scared her, but that doesn't mean she won't attempt to do something to Bell and Kei."
Arimon smiled. "Don't you worry, if she tries anything I'll be sure to know."
Kazume sighed. "I wonder what she has against Bell?"
Arimon put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. She doesn't seem to have any power except for her pride and popularity. It's nothing we gods and goddesses can't handle." He winked as he said this.
She chuckled. "Hey quiet down about that stuff, you never know who's listening."
He shrugged. "Relax I know when to be careful. Now come on let's keep looking around."
They continued walking from door to door, exploring each room to see what lesson was taught there. A couple of times Kazume's enthusiasm had gotten the better of her and she burst into a classroom that was full of students attending class. But instead of the usual embarrassment one would experience in this situation, Kazume politely apologized claiming she had the wrong room and swiftly exited, pulling a confused Arimon with her.
This was a routine that went on for the next few hours until finally Arimon suggested they go grab some lunch. Kazume stared down at her watch in surprise.
"Lunch time already? Wow I didn't realize how fast the day had gone."
Arimon chuckled. "We still have half a day left."
Kazume sighed. "Yeah but we've looked around pretty much all of the campus already. Hey! Look it's Keii!"
Arimon followed her gaze to where Keii walked out one of many doors to head towards the canteen area. Kazume ran towards him while waving frantically at him.
"Hey Keii!"
Said man jumped in surprise at being shouted at. He looked their way and seemed to relax when seeing who it was.
"Gee Kazume, I thought you were my sister. She's the only other person who would yell my name like that."
She grinned cheekily. "Sorry, I've been in a weird mood all day. Say is Megumi here? I haven't seen her all day, I had left our apartment before she even woke up."
He nodded. "Yeah she is, I'm on my way to meet her for lunch. Care to join me?"
Kazume's eyes brightened. "Ok! I'll head there now!" Before the boys could even blink, she had zoomed off to see her best friend. "I'll meet you guys there!"
Arimon chuckled at Keiichi's stunned face. "She's quite the firecracker isn't she?"
Keiichi sighed. "Where does she get all that energy?"
Arimon patted his shoulder. "Believe me I've been asking myself the same question, and I'm not even human."
Keiichi turned towards him. "Say Arimon, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
Arimon raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Uh…sure I guess."
"Do you have feelings for Kazume?"
Arimon stared in surprise at him, was he that transparent? "Why do you ask?"
Keiichi smiled knowingly. "You should see your face every time you look at her. Everything about you seems to soften. Doesn't take a genius to notice."
Arimon sighed. He may as well tell him the full truth; someone was bound to find out eventually.
"Alright you caught me. But it's more than just simple feelings…I'm in love with her."
Keiichi stopped and looked in surprise at Arimon. "You're…Wow, are you serious?"
Arimon nodded. "Whether she's around me or not, I can never get her out of my head. And on the days we hang out, I have to make sure she's distracted with something else so she doesn't catch me staring at her all the time."
Keiichi smiled. "Gosh you really have it bad for Kazume don't you?"
Arimon smiled in spite of himself. "Yeah I really do."
"HEY GUYS OVER HERE!"
The boys turned their heads to see a smiling Kazume waving them to some seats with an equally excited Megumi sitting next to her. Keiichi glanced beside him to see Arimon's reaction and was not disappointed. The taller mans' eyes were full of nothing but love and tenderness for the redhead girl. Keiichi smiled in understanding, he knew exactly how Arimon felt; he was also in love with a wonderful girl.
The boys joined the girls on the bench, Kei next to his sister and Arimon next to Kazume on the other side. The four friends enjoyed their lunch and conversed amongst themselves for the next half hour. Kazume happily munched on a meal that her roommate had brought along and was happy to share between them. While the girls ate their meal, Arimon observed them from the corner of his eye, doing his best to avoid being obvious. But then the object of his affection let out a small giggle and he found his stare fixated on her. He watched with a small smile as Megumi leaned forward and whispered something the boys couldn't hear. It must've been funny because next moment Kazume threw a hand over her mouth, barely containing the spurts of drink as small streams sprayed from the cracks of her fingers. She took a moment to swallow the remainder of contents in her mouth before collapsing into a fit of giggles with her arms clutching her stomach. Any other person would've disregarded her unusual overly hyper behaviour, but that wasn't the case for Arimon. He saw a girl that he loved, who he believed to be truly happy for the first time in her life. He watched as her brown eyes lit up, swirls of chocolate and caramel mixing together. The bright sun reflected off the soft pools, giving them a gentle golden glow. Now with a slightly open jaw, Arimon moved his gaze down to her mouth. Since discovering his feelings for her, he was constantly day dreaming about how it would feel to kiss her. To have those soft pink lips gently pressed up against his own, and to run his hands through her silky, fire coloured hair.
"Arimon, are you okay? Is there something on my face?"
Arimon snapped out of his fixation on Kazume to see she was staring at him with concern. Oh crap, how long had he been gazing at her?
He grinned sheepishly. "Oh no… I just sort of…fazed out. And…uh…I just happened to be staring at you. Sorry about that."
Kazume seemed to accept his excuse and turned back to her meal. But when he went to turn away, he caught the eye of Megumi who was smirking knowingly at him. He flushed with embarrassment and averted his gaze from her, only to be met with the same mischievous expression of the brunettes' brother. He groaned in aggravation, he wished he could dig himself into a hole right now.
But Kazume was none the wiser to the secretiveness of her friends. She finished her lunch and was ready to explore the rest of the University. Jumping to her feet, she hugged Megumi and Keiichi goodbye and once again dragged Arimon by his sleeve back the way they came. Arimon was barley able to bid goodbye to the siblings as she yanked him off the bench and back onto the campus grounds; this was going to be a long day.
"Stupid, conniving, selfish COW! Who in the hell does she think she is?"
Arimon sweat dropped as Kazume stormed inside her apartment later on that evening. The hours following their lunch break at the University had run smoothly. But at the end of the day as students were leaving their daily lectures, they had once again crossed paths with the so-called campus queen Sayoko Mishima. The brunette had seemingly forgotten being threatened earlier since she did nothing but taunt and insult Kazume the moment she laid eyes on her, claiming that she was a good for nothing, midget tomboy that guys wouldn't give the time of day for. She even went as far as sidling up to Arimon and clinging possessively onto his arm, despite his desperate attempts to shake her off. Sayoko's next words were the reason Kazume was in the foul mood she was in now.
"Why don't I do you a favour and take this man off your hands? He's way too handsome for a girl like you, you'd be nothing but a burden to him."
Arimon watched as something flashed in Kazume's eyes before they turned blank. She bowed her head downwards a little so that her bangs hid her expression. Sayoko smirked with satisfaction, thinking that she had again come out on top, but Arimon could feel a sense of dread build up in his stomach. He knew that right now Kazume was a ticking time bomb, and this girl had no idea. He struggled to escape Sayoko's tight grip on his arm, he did not want to be in the line of fire when Kazume exploded.
His eyes widened in fear when she lifted her head and glared hard at Sayoko. If looks could kill then this girl would be dead more times than he can count. The brunette had also seemed to notice the death glare she was receiving and her smile instantly vanished. Arimon was just able to manage to pull his trapped arm the moment Kazume let out a growl and leapt towards the taller girl, who squealed in fright and dashed away with a furious redhead on her tail. Arimon was able to reach out and catch Kazume's arm in time to prevent her from killing the girl, but it didn't stop her rant.
"THAT'S RIGHT YOU BETTER RUN! CHICKEN! STAY AWAY FROM MY MAN!"
Arimon's jaw dropped. 'Her man?' Does that mean she has feelings for him?
But whatever it meant, it didn't seem Kazume was aware of her sudden declaration. The rest of the afternoon had her steaming and ranting on about how she couldn't stand 'That Mishima wench.' Even now as they returned home, her anger didn't seem like it was letting up anytime soon and Arimon didn't want to leave her alone until she had calmed down. But as luck would have it, her best friend and roommate walked through the front door.
"Kazume? Anybody home?"
Arimon opened his mouth to announce himself but was interrupted by Kazume zooming past him and flattening her roommate in a tackle.
"Megumi! I'm so grateful you're home!"
Megumi stared down in surprise as her friend clung to her then looked up at Arimon. "What the heck is going on? Why does she sound so frantic?"
He sighed. "We had a run in with Sayoko Mishima, she said some things that made Kazume angry. She's been in a foul mood for a while."
Realization dawned on Megumi's face. "Oh, I thought I heard yelling." Her eyes then widened. "I'm sorry to kick you out Arimon, but I need to have a private chat with my roomie here."
He nodded. "Perfectly fine, I need to head back to the temple anyway."
Kazume, who had finally calmed down, let go of Megumi and stood up to say goodbye to him.
Sensing the usual routine, Megumi grinned at Kazume. "I'll go wait in your room Kaz."
Kazume smiled. "Ok I'll be soon."
As her best friend disappeared down the hall, Kazume turned back to Arimon.
"Alright then my good sir, please allow me to walk you out."
Arimon smiled and bowed. "Why thank you milady."
She giggled and gave him a curtsey. He then offered his arm to her which she willingly accepted and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. They smiled at each other as he led her out the front door.
Megumi sat in the darkness of her best friend's room, waiting patiently for her to return from saying goodbye to Arimon. She had many things to discuss with Kazume regarding said man in relation to her friendship with him. But as far as Megumi was concerned, there was a lot more than friendship involved. Those two were too close and intimate to be 'just friends'. Oh yes, she was going to have words with that girl.
"Hey Megumi, sorry to keep you waiting. Why are you sitting in the dark?"
She grinned. "Hey Kazume, come sit down. We have much to discuss."
Kazume sighed and sat down, sensing the tone in her best friends voice. Interrogation, here we come. With the moonlight now shining through her window, she could just make out Megumi's outline as she leant forward and stared intensely at her. Yup, this was going to be a big talk.
"You're in love with Arimon aren't you?"
Kazume groaned. "For goodness sake Megumi what's the big idea? Why do you keep insinuating I have feelings for him?"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "Oh please who are you trying to convince? You obviously didn't hear what you said during that little outburst of yours today."
Kazume narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. Sayoko was putting her possessive claws all over Arimon and it was obvious he didn't like it. So I told her to stay away from him."
Megumi laughed. "That's not what I heard!" She cleared her throat. "Stay away from my man!"
Kazume stared her flabbergasted. "I did not say that!"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "Oh please I heard it from a mile away. At the time I wasn't sure who it was, but when Arimon told me earlier that you got real pissed at Sayoko I put two and two together. Come on Kazume! You're in such denial, why won't you just admit it? It's not like he hasn't given you a reason not to fall for him."
Kazume opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out. Her friends' words echoed inside her mind. Did she have feelings for Arimon? Would it be so bad to be in love with someone like him? She thought back to when she first met him and how cruel he had been, but she had long since forgiven him for his past actions. The bitterness of those first few weeks was now nothing but a distant memory. Now whenever she thought of Arimon, all she saw was the gentle, kind and compassionate man that he now was. For the first time in weeks, that gentle but burning feeling rose in her chest when Arimon appeared in her mind. She placed her hand over her chest to feel her rapidly beating heart.
Was Megumi right? Was she falling in love with him?
End of Chapter