Chapter 2

"Milady," said Riffeal quietly gently shaking Atobe Enma. "We're here." Enma stirred and opened her eyes; she looked at Riffeal and wrapped her arms around his neck and now rested against his collarbone. Riffeal laughed. "Milady," he repeated, Enma let go and looked out the window, they were right outside the school gate.

"Drive down a kilometre or two," said Enma.

"Milady?"

"If someone sees me getting out of this car I'll skin you two alive, I'm suppose to be a normal student," said Enma, the driver looked over his shoulders and started to drive only when Riffeal nodded. He didn't doubt she could, once when the two had been abducted, he had hunted the food while she cooked it, she skinned it; even gutted it; without a finch of the smell or the thought of how her expensive clothes were getting dirty. He looked back on his memories when she had threatened to cut off a man's head herself, but with her slender frame it would had probably taken a full day for her to hack off the neck, in the end Riffeal shot him to save time and he was spared the pain and humiliation of being beheaded.

"On the condition I accompany you," he replied, Enma opened her mouth to argue but his raised an eyebrow and made an unmoveable expression.

"Che! No one's going to try assassinate me while I walk to school, no one knows I'm here, to them I'm Sodeno Shirayuki, a fragile but kind transfer student." Riffeal couldn't keep it in, he snorted at her words, although not in the slightest offended Enma still kicked him.

"Forgive me Milady; will this mean you'll be keeping than infamous sharp tongue of your in check?" Enma feigned surprise as the car pulled to a halt; she reached for her bag and opened the door.

"Well of course, if I don't practice my acting skills will diminish," she said in an overly feminine and innocent voice that seemed to come to her naturally, Riffeal smiled and shook his head in defeat, there was no arguing with her.

"If you say so Milady," he replied getting out of the car as well, closing the door he held out his hand for her school bag. "Allow me."

"Gosh, you think I'll be able to handle walking?" she asked handing him the bag.

"If you desire I could carry you," Riffeal offered with an overly formal bow. She scoffed at him and walked away, he soon followed, yet not once did he move his free hand from his coat pocket where he gripped a gun.

"Let the curtains rise."

* * *

"Did you see that?" asked Niou as he watched an overly priced black Volvo drive away. Yagyuu walked not far behind him with a book in his hand.

"See what?" he questioned pushing up his glasses.

"Nothing," answered Niou. That car, it doesn't belong in these parts, Hyotei maybe, but not here.

* * *

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Sodeno Shirayuki, and I will be your classmate starting from today," said a long haired female as she stood at the front of the class, something seemed different about her, something separated her from the rest of the class, Kirihara could put his finger on it, but he could feel it in his gut.

"Does anyone have any questions for Sodeno-san?" suggested the form room teacher as he sat at his desk.

"What's your favourite colour?" asked one of her new classmates.

"Why are your eyes blue?" asked another.

"Who's your role model?"

"What's your favourite book?"

"One at a time," scowled the teacher. "Sorry, they're young so they get excited over the smallest things." Sodeno covered a quiet laugh with her hand.

"You're not one to talk!"

"Yeah! Remember when your wife brought you a new tie!" Laughter echoed through out the classroom.

"Hush! Enough about my life, Sodeno-san?"

"Well, my favourite colour is blue, umm…I learn Ballet and a bit of the waltz," she began. "My role model…is Catherine the great and my current favourite book is 'Memoires of a Geisha'." Kirihara raised his hand.

"Favourite TV show?" Sodeno frowned for a second.

"Umm…most likely 'The Tudors' or I just watch the news," she replied. Kirihara frowned; even her TV choices were posh.

"Have you been over seas?" asked a female student.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I've recently been to England and France," she answered. "It was cold and I've vowed to only go back during the summer." It was a cheap joke but it earned quite a few laugh, most of them were from males who seemed to have a dreary look in their eyes.

"We'll could you sit down beside Kirihara-kun?" asked the teacher. Sodeno nodded and walked down the classroom, both male and female eyes starred after her in envy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said to him holding out her hand. Kirihara raised his and shook it, the touch of her hand wasn't what he had expected, they were slightly coarse and he could feel the define bumps of calluses.

"You too, I'm Kirihara Akaya, if you need anything, just ask," he offered.

"Thank you, I will."

* * *

Niou yawned as he sat on his favourite spot on the school roof, numerous numbers of students smoked and dank here but Niou just liked to cool breeze than smelt slight of stale vomit and alcohol. The sound of the door opening caught his attention; quickly he climbed onto the roof of the door and peered down. There was a blonde individual, dressed in all black like the matrix, he had a pair of binoculars in his hands and was looking through them to a second floor classroom in the west wing, them being in the north.

He didn't look like a starker, he was too handsome, if he wanted a female he'd most likely get her. Yet why was he here? Niou continued to hide while he pocketed his binoculars and pulled out a cigarette and lighter, ignoring the fact he was smoking Niou looked closely at the cigarette lighter, it looked to be made of white gold and was engraved, an expensive high-class item. Who was he?

Niou was tempted to just turn around and fall asleep when the door opened once more and this time a female with long black hair enter, he couldn't see her face but he was more interested in her legs anyway.

"I though you'd at least last until recess," remarked the man, she took the cigarette from him and took a puff.

"The class is a bunch of idiots, the teacher asks them to solve a simple quadratic equation and by god not even two of them can do it," she sighed and took another puff.

"Miss Enma, perhaps you're just that bit smarter than them," he noted sharing the cigarette.

"I have to go, I told them I was on my way to the nurse office," the female sighed, taking one last puff she turned around and pushed open the door. Niou hide while she did so, not being able to see her face at all.

Enma? He pondered, who was she? Was she the new student?

* * *

"Akaya-kun?" asked Yagyuu. "Is something the matter?"

"Hmm? Oh, no it's fine," replied the kouhai.

Atobe Enma or Sodeno Shirayuki now, walked through the school ground to the front gate where Riffeal waited, it had been a long and boring day, so boring in fact she began teaching herself a new pen trick. As she walked she spotted a tennis racket and ball on a nearby bench, the smiling face of her brother appeared in her him, she dropped her bag and picked up the racket, raising her arm she swung just as her brother had taught her, she pretended to serve and slice a ball remembering how to add both top and back spin, even after all these years her body remember.

"You there!" exclaimed a male as he walked towards her.

"Oh, sorry, I saw it on the bench and I had always wanted to try tennis so I…" said Enma with a fake slight blush and stuttered as she handed him back the tennis racket. "I'm sorry." The moment he had a grip on it she picked up her bag and ran.

"Something wrong Yanagi?" asked a stern looking Sanada as he walked towards the nearby drink tapes.

"Nothing, maybe," said Yanagi quietly. She said it was her first time but…her stance, it was flawless, there's no doubt she's played before…why did she lie? And why hasn't she joined the tennis club if she's this good. "Geniichiro, did you by any chance recognize her or catch her name?" Sanada frowned in thought.

"I saw her name on her bag; I think it was Sodeno Shirayuki."

"Sodeno Shirayuki, huh? Perhaps we found another prodigy in our mist…"