I resisted the urge to cringe at my sister's (semi-melodramatic) exclamation at my last sentence, trying my best not to start bolting for the door when she started throwing stuff at me.

"How could you be so stupid, Suki! For crying out loud, I told you that he was off-limits but no – you just had to try and get yourself some dick in spite of the fact he's engaged to be married to a well-known doctor, " fussed Yumi, starting to drink her wine at a more excessive rate.

I rolled my eyes and protested, "Who says I was trying to sleep with him or something, Yumi? Tama's already drilled into my head that he's off limits based on how I almost made a fool outta myself when I seen him at your wedding." Now I was craving some of her wine as well from how much I felt a headache coming on based on how the conversation will most likely go.

Yumi smacked my hand away when I reached over to take her half-full glass of wine. "You're a recovering alcoholic! How many times do Tama and I have to beat that into you?!" she screeched, taking the glass and gulped it down.

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Fine. But what am I to do about Ushio?"

Yumi slammed her glass down after one more gulp and asked with her irises sharpening to slits, "What about Ushio? It's not like you slept with him or something. What did you do with him?"

I smiled sheepishly, tempted to just knock my sister upside the head and steal her bottle of wine from her. "Well …"

Flashback

I let out a sigh as I plopped down on a bench at the park, guitar still slung over my shoulder.

I really did have a busy day today with performing there for the local festival going on to benefit kids to the point that my feet hurt now, but it was worth it.

Running fingers through my hair, I allowed my eyes to close for a moment to get some much needed rest when …

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be taking a nap at home?"

My eyes snapped open, getting ready to dig a new asshole into the person who dared to harass me while I was trying to recuperate when I realized that it was him.

Swallowing a screech, I sneered at him, "I wasn't taking a nap. I was just resting my eyes."

He raised his hands defensively, a sheepish smile coming across his handsome features. "I wasn't nagging you or anything. I was just expressing my concern for your well-being, especially from how exhausted you looked. I just figured you'd want to get home and rest, is all. A pretty girl does need her sleep, right?" he exclaimed, ending his statement with a small wink and a cute smile that almost made me turn into jelly.

My cheeks flushed when I realized he called me pretty as my heart fluttered a bit.

He called me pretty, I gushed internally for a moment before I remembered one major detail involving him, Stop being a fool! He's engaged for crying out loud! He doesn't like you like that. Hell, he doesn't even know who you are!

I immediately stopped flushing after that, regaining my classic cool exterior just as his voice broke the silence between us.

"Why do you look so familiar to me?" he breathed more to himself than to me, a cute expression coming across his face as confusion hit him.

I held my breath, waiting, hoping that maybe … just maybe he'd remember me secretly after we had stared at each other for almost 30 minutes at the wedding.

"I met you at the movies one time, didn't I? Yes, the movies!" he exclaimed happily, looking proud of himself while my heart fell at how he apparently didn't remember me

"You really don't remember, huh?" I murmured out my disappointment, but it was loud enough for him to hear it.

He frowned. "Remember what?"

I sighed once again for about the thousandth time today and got up, extending a hand out for a handshake. "My name is Kou Suki; we met at my sister's wedding."

He stared at me in astonishment as a blush came across his face when realization dawned on him. Then he gripped my hand … oh how soft his hands were for a man … and returned my greeting with a firm, but warm shake, "Hi, my name is Tsukino Ushio. I'm sorry for not remembering you from Masao-kun's wedding."

I waved a hand in dismissal. "It's no big deal. It's not like we knew each other prior to the wedding, " I dismissed casually, withdrawing my hand.

But it was obvious that it bothered Ushio mildly for he rambled on, "But Masao-kun had told me who Yumi-san's sisters were before the wedding. If I hadn't ditzed out while he was telling me, I would've talked to you a bit more at the wedding."

Feeling slightly flattered at his thoughtfulness, I slicked my hair back with a cocky grin. "Oh, but you'd be hooked to me if you were to have hung out with me then. No one has been able to resist my dashing, roguish looks before, " I quipped proudly, not noticing the look he was giving me.

"You're pretty conceited; I think I must've been blind to not notice that from Yumi-san's attitude, " he mused with a crinkle of his nose.

I shrugged, cocking my hip to the side. "She is my eldest half-sister after all, " I said with a shrug of my bare shoulders. "Now that it seems like you're warming up to me, it looks like it's hide time to get to know each other."

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at my last statement.

I felt a flush making it's way up my neck and scolded myself, You've done it now, Suki.

Ushio soon recovered from his shock as he puffed his chest and huffed out, "You do know that I'm engaged to a beautiful, aspiring doctor who -."

"Ushi-kun!"

We turned (I more like snapped) around to see a familiar, gorgeous raven-haired girl who is none other than …

"Mai-chan!" Ushio exclaimed with childish glee, closing the distance between him and his gorgeous fiancée.

I held back the urge to be sick as the happy couple stared into each other's eyes.

"I'm so glad that you're here! I was starting to worry, Mai-chan! I thought you forgot or something and that I'd have to -," babbled Ushio before Mai put her finger up to his lovely lips.

Her eyes, which oddly look similar to mine, gleamed with amusement and other emotions as she cut into his rambling, "I'm here now and that's all that matters, Ushi-kun. Had a meeting before I left for my lunch break for the day. But how are you? I see that you have found a new friend from the looks of it."

Ushio's face broke into a proud smile as he drug the woman over to where I was at. "This is Mas-kun's wife's baby sister, Suki, " he gestured to me first, then to her, "Suki, this is my fiancée -."

Mai cut him off once again, reaching for my hand for a handshake. "Hello, my name is Chiba Mai. It's a pleasure to meet someone so young and talented."

I didn't know whether or not to be insulted by that 'young' comment, but I brushed it off as I flashed my million-dollar smile and shook her hand quite firmly. "Kou Suki, singer, musician, and songwriter. Nice to meet you, " I greeted her and withdrew my hand.

Ushio smiled and gave Mai a brief kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad that you two managed to meet on such short notice. Why don't we head out for a milkshake?"

I wanted so badly to say 'yes', but I just remembered that I have to go meet a client for another gig soon and truthfully … I didn't really want to hang around Mai too much, even though she seems cool and collected.

"I'm afraid that I'd have to call a rain check on that, Ushio. I have a previous engagement that I have to accomplish soon, "I declined, adjusting my guitar strap over my left shoulder.

Ushio's face fell slightly at my rejection as he answered me, "Oh, I see. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. We'd better let you-." He soon found himself being tugged over to Mai, who whispered quickly in his ear.

I just finally noticed the height difference between the two now that they're not paying any attention to me as they whispered amongst themselves. She was taller than Ushio by 25.4 centimeters, not that I minded him being shorter than myself by 15.24 cm. His height made him even more cute than before.

He suddenly turned back to me and asked, "Mai and I wonder whether or not you'd like to join us for dinner a week from now? Just to get to know each other more."

Cut into FLASHBACK for a moment …

"Please say that you said 'no', please!" implored Yumi, already knowing the answer.

"Well …" I started, before I continued with my tale.

I forced a smile and replied, "Yes since I have nothing much to do next week."

Ushio pumped his fists and cheered, "Yes! Thank you very much! I'll let you know when to come over!"

I actually smiled at him after that display of childlike glee and said, "Ok, but I'd better be on my way now. I don't want to be late for my appointment." Then I started on my way to my client's business.

Mai smiled at me and gave a small wave as I started to leave. "Goodbye, Kou-san!"

Ushio called after me, "Don't forget to dress formally and good luck at your job!"

My heart fluttered once again as I exited out of the park, feeling much more excited for my appointment after his encouragement.

I can't wait to see him again soon, though …

End of Flashback

"Maybe I am definitely way over my head this time?" I added sheepishly to wrap up my tale.

Yumi stared at me like I was crazy, not answering me.

I cleared my throat and snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Uh … Yumi? Yumi?" I poked at her and still no reaction. "Yumi, are you dead or broken? Yumi~?"

Then suddenly she smacked my hand away from her body and pounced on me.

"I'm gonna kill you!"

And that was why I dreaded coming over to get advice from the sister who wasn't pregnant and didn't have a abyss of wisdom for a brain as sister dearest started wringing my neck like a wet rag.

"You're a freaking idiot! Don't you know he's engaged?! I swear that you're a masochist! Dad should've …"

Slap

That's gonna leave a mark on my face. I reached up to start fending her off when my cell phone started ringing.

We both stopped squabbling and stared at the phone as if it were death itself.

I shoved Yumi off of me and crawled over to my phone, not recognizing it.

"Would you answer it already?!" she screeched at me, throwing a pillow at me.

I numbly answered the phone, "Hello, you've reached the phone of Kou Suki. I do almost everything, except jump out of cakes."

A pause was my response and I almost hung up when …

"Hello, Suki. You're a stripper?"