Well, since I've left you with a cliffhanger, we cannot just leave it like that for eternity. Enjoy the next chapter.

My mind is full of questions when I see Misha herself in the threshold of the door, grinning as if it was class or anywhere else during some saner time. She's wearing a school uniform. Weird. I expected that this late she would be in her "everyday" clothes...

"...Isn't that too late for a lesson of chopsticks holding?" I only manage to groan a question. A cheerful grin disappears, replaced with a frown.

"Can't a girl check on a friend from time to time?" She asks back, pouting.

"I'm perfectly fine and it's twenty past nine."

"Oh, that rhymed." She notices, regaining the smile.

"Look, Misha, it's pretty late, curfew's going to hit soon and I'm not really in a mood to-are you even listening to me?" No, she doesn't, blatantly stepping into my personal space and locking the door.

Locking the door? I don't like where this is going.

"I was worried, Caschan." The straightforwardness of her response, combined with sudden deflation of her smile is almost shocking.

"Worried?" I find myself repeating bluntly. "What for?"

"For you, of course!" She seems a little offended that I could think otherwise.

"I'm fine... Just a little uncomfortable."

"Huh?"

"Oh, you know, I'm in my pajamas ready to hit the sack and you just sort of throw yourself inside." I point out the awkwardness of all situation. "Can't we talk tomorrow?"

"Can't do!" She says with a grin before reverting to more serious expression.

"...Fine. As long as no one will catch you being here, be my guest." I say defensively, shifting under my blanket and absentmindedly going back to my laptop, paying Misha minimal attention. Yeah, it may be a dick move from my side, but I really don't feel like talking with her after what happened in class this afternoon.

Of course, it takes her only a moment to glance around my room and invade my personal space, looking at the laptop's screen. Since I'm near the wall the only way she can see it is to assault my bed and place herself near me so close that our cheeks are touching. The fact that this is the other part of my face doesn't even seem to slightly phase her. I suppose being in Yamaku makes you tolerable to the weirdest of things.

"You were worried, right?" I ask, trying to not pay attention to Misha's presence. "What was the reason?"

"Your sudden exit this afternoon." She responds, staring at the screen. I can see she's really worried. That's kind of nice, to be honest. "You mentioned you have split personalities..."

"Yeah. Yes, in fact I do." Well, now that I'm much calmer than I was back then(though noticeably more flustered by pink-haired girl's closeness), I suppose I could tell the story.

"You seemed really... worried with that, Caschan." She says, glancing at me briefly. For a moment I consider closing the laptop, but then I would have no way to escape from her stare.

"I did." A long, awkward silence.

"Hey... If you're feeling bad, you can always talk to me. You know that?" She finally speaks up.

"Yeah... I mean, I think." Seeing Misha being worried for a second is bad. Seeing Misha being worried for more than few minutes though... This is an interesting sight. Makes my heart bleed, but it's an interesting sight nonetheless. "Why did you come here? You barely even know me." The slight bitterness in my voice is still perfectly noticeable.

"You're my friend, Caschan." She responds, poking my nose and lighting up slightly. "It's only natural I'll drop by to see how are you doing."

"We know each other for two days and you still-"

"Does it matter?" She abruptly cuts me off with a grin. I don't really know what to say.

"I think you should stop hugging my cheek." I mention offhandedly. "You'll get blood on your face."

"I'll wash it later." She says in a disturbingly dreamy voice before putting her arms around my stomach and pulling in for a gentle hug. I can feel myself blushing. "Oh, you're so comfortable, Caschan." Another commentary of hers makes me raise my eyebrow.

"Comfortable?"

"You're just so good to hug. Didn't expect you to be that cuddly." She says with a giggle. Yeah, embarrass me even more in my own room, will you?

What the hell is she trying to do? Pull a quickie on me? I'm pretty sure both Hisao and Kenji would make for better choices. I can understand why wouldn't she try with latter, seeing as she doesn't know him, but Nakai? He's more handsome than me, has more charm and, to top it all off, his injury isn't so blatantly visible.

And despite that, I can still feel my hands stroking her hair very delicately, carefully playing with this complicated haircut. I always liked to play with girls' hair, to be honest.

"So... Will you tell me something more, Caschan?" I can hear Misha's voice near me. Too close, definitely too close. "About this..."

"...If you want to listen..."

"Yup!" She grins again. Continuing stroking her hair, I manage a small sigh.

"Before I ended up here, in Yamaku... I used to go to the school in Tokyo. Nothing too elite, just a normal high school." Well, time for unpleasant flashbacks. "I was... Heck, I still am an eccentric person. Something one could call an artist. I write stories, you know? They're not really worth anyone's attention, but I'm trying my best..." I like to self-depreciate myself every now and then, in case you didn't notice it already. "I... avoided other people. I suppose I've been finding them stupid or unworthy of my precious time..." She doesn't cut me off, listening. I can feel her index finger moving slowly on my chest. "Then... I met my first girlfriend. First and last to be honest." Should I really carry on? A heavy sigh escapes my lips. "She was gentle. Caring. Beautiful. Pretty smart too. We even shared a few interests and hobbies... All in all, I stole the first kiss from her." I must admit... I still regard that memory as a nice one. Despite how it all ended... "We were a happy couple, but something was off... Very off." I can feel that all fond memories start to die out... To make a place for that particular one. "She was... possessive. I mentioned how she was gentle and caring. Well, she was, but only for me and me only..." Long silence. Misha doesn't rush me into saying more, just sliding her finger through my chest. It's a weird feeling. I don't stop her from that, still playing with her hair. They're as puffy as you'd expect them to be. "Every other girl that so much as talked to me risked being beaten up by my girlfriend and her posse. They were quite the delinquents. It was... terrifying me, you know? I... I suppose I just couldn't put up with that. I didn't want to have others suffer at my expense... So I broke up with her. She didn't take it well." Another moment of silence. One of my hands slides at Misha's back and starts gently massaging it. "One week later, there was a science lesson. Chemistry. We were experimenting with acids. Some of those are safe... Some are not." Pink-haired girl going wide-eyed makes me certain she knows what could I possibly implicate. "Sulfuric acid. She almost splashed the entire face."

"...I'm so sorry." Misha finally says, hugging me a bit stronger. She's sad. This so bubbly and cheerful girl is now sad... I don't get it.

"I'm used to the injury. I'm still not used to... him, though. Sometimes, an extreme pain can cause your mind to alter... With that, Nega was born." Yet another moment of silence. "He manifests on occasion... Usually when I'm shocked, whether by pain or, I dunno, unpleasant emotions. Rejection, for example." There's yet another long pause. "I... I really hope you will never get to see the other me, Misha." Well, now that I'm done... Will she go away?

"I'm pretty sure me and Shicchan would be more than able to talk him back." She says with a grin, snuggling. What is it you want, woman? "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I'm glad to be okay as well. Now, are you done?" Perhaps it's a little harsh coming from me, but I really worry what about two things: What would happen if someone had caught her here and what could possibly evolve from this awkward situation.

"Aw. You want me to go?" She says teasingly, winking at me. Do I? A part of me wants to, indeed. The other, the smaller one... Wants her to stay, at least a minute longer. Perhaps I'm just a weak man. I suppose I just need someone to hug every once in a while.

"You know curfew's up in a few minutes, right?" I mention after a long while of hesitation. She seems to notice this tentativeness as she only giggles quietly. I couldn't possibly suspect that Misha would be able to be that quiet. Dunno what to make of it.

"I do it every so often, Caschan." She responds, leaning a bit closer. I can feel her strawberry-flavored breath. It's very, very tempting. "You know, visiting people. Girls and boys alike." I... I really don't like where this might go. "Besides, what the eye does not see, the heart does not regret." Compose yourself. You barely even know her.

"Misha, please... I..." She bursts into her "wahahaha" laughter, albeit this one is much more subdued.

"Or maybe you're not into girls, Caschan?" She asks in a teasing tone. Oh... A low blow. She notices my bemused frown."Just kidding, just kidding."

"I was about to formulate a snide remark." I respond, pouting. Her sweet breath will make me lose senses very soon, if I don't do something.

"Oh really, Caschan? What were you going to say?" She's just inches from my face, not even slightly moved by the sight before her eyes.

The consequences will be horrible. If anyone will spot her here, we'll be in a bucketful of trouble. Misha said she had visited other guys and even some girls... How should I respond to that? How can I interpret that? Why is it... so hard to comprehend?

"I'd have to ask you to leave." I finally manage to say, but my voice is so weak I doubt she had ever heard me. To be honest, I think she might be purposely shutting down any words that she wouldn't like to hear. After a longer moment of silence I manage to shift a little bit from her face and check the watch. Five minutes past curfew. Great. Might as well put the laptop someplace safe.

"Too late for that?" She asks with a sly smile. I'm pretty sure she knows that it is indeed too late.

"Hmph. Can't you cut straight to the chase?" Misha pouts a little. Hilarious. She has me on the ropes and yet she still doesn't like the situation. A picky girl.

"I like to enjoy the intimacy, Caschan." She says playfully before sliding a little bit down and lightly nibbling my neck. She surely knows how to make a man aroused... But I cannot put up with that... As much as I'd love to. "Don't you?"

"...I do every once in a while. You take it too far though." Another giggle.

"Someone's a bit stark." She whispers, smiling slightly and embracing her hands around me and doing the same with her legs. She has me in a deadlock, giving me a mischievous wink. "You should ease up a little. Didn't you do it with... her?" Long sigh coming from my side.

"No. We only did so much as kissing and it wasn't so blatantly sexual." I respond, trying to keep my head cool. Choose your words carefully and perhaps you will save your dignity.

...Do you really want that though?

"Oh, so it would be your first time you have a girl this close to yourself..." She giggles. God, stop giggling. As if I wasn't nervous already.

"Yes... Not exactly the most comfortable of moments..." She seems jokingly offended.

"Are you implying I'm unworthy of your magnificence, Caschan?" She asks rhetorically. I can't help but chuckle. She chuckles as well.

"I wouldn't dare." I respond. I feel like giving up and just rolling with it... But some part of me, getting progressively smaller, screams curses at my own wanton. What should I do? What is it that I want? "Still, it's getting late. Take the bed if you want, I can sleep on floor today." She seems bewildered. I take another sigh. To be honest... I hope she'll take it well. "Look, Misha... You're a beautiful girl. Very charming, even if a little obnoxious with your constant laughter... I dare to say, you're sex appeal personified." For the first time it is she who profusely blushes with embarrassment. "However... I don't think I'm ready for such a move. We know each other so far as two days and..." And suddenly there's her index finger on my lips, silencing me.

"Are you saying all of those hoping that I'll give up?" She asks with a grin, just inches from my face. This is it... I'm finished. "I'm not planning to give up anytime soon, Caschan. You're different from others though. You shy away from physical contact."

"Is it really that bad?"She smiles and it's a gentle, genuine smile. For some reason... I feel even more disturbed.

"It's new for me." Huh? "Every other guy so far was more than eager for a quick ride." So... It was her intention all along. She wasn't interested how am I doing, but..."But before you think something, Caschan, I was really worried about you..."

"...Well, I'm doing quite fine now." I'm not going to admit how do I feel on that one. Her concern did seem completely genuine though... No. I'm not going to be mad. There's no reason for that. For now, I just want to be with this pink-haired angel I misjudged earlier. She said I shy away... But that doesn't mean I cannot be made to change my opinion.

"Hey. Did it help, telling someone about this little thing?" There's a long silence before I finally respond.

"Yeah. Thank you, Misha."

"You can call me Shiina, if you want to." She embraces me again.

"Shiina?" I do the same, accidentally feeling a clasp of her bra.

"That's my name. Misha's just a nickname." So close... So close to taste her lips.

"I was actually wondering if you're half-Russian. That would explain why your laughter is so loud." She grins in response before planting a small, short kiss in the corner of my lips. It tastes sweet... Very sweet.

"Nope." She responds, smiling. There's a small moment of silence.

"Hey... Shiina..."

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you want to kiss... that?" I ask with slight unease. The incident miraculously left my nose untouched, but the same couldn't be said about my mouth. At least third part of it melted with the other part of my face, if not the half... It would be like kissing a bare jaw. She, however, understands my concern.

"Don't worry about it, Caschan." She responds, her eyes shining with happiness. Even if I'm meant to be a one-night event for her... I still am delighted.

"You can just call me Casper, you know?" She giggles before pushing me all the way down to the bedsheets, our chests touching.

"I know." The girl with pink drills smiles gently before kissing me for the second time, but this time, she goes all-in, her tongue invading my cavern. It takes only a second for me to recover from initial shock of how good this girl kisses and kiss back, doing the same. Went from a small kiss to a full French Kiss in a matter of several seconds... That escalated quickly. Kissing, kissing, not even bothering to catch a breath. As long as possible. Feel her, be with her... Become one with her. I succumbed. I'm such a weak man sometimes...

The kiss finally ends as both of us break away to catch a breath. She's panting heavily, looking directly in my eyes.

"...Did you like it?" She asks, struggling to align her breath.

"I loved it." I respond truthfully. Such a weak man... Misha seems to notice that I'm still a bit uncomfortable and makes a small frown.

"Casper... If I'll make you feel bad, just tell me, okay?" The girl before my eyes goes back to smiling slightly. "I don't want to hurt you." Do you really think I'd be able to tell you that in a heat of night? Still... Your concern makes me certain you really do care.

"I hope I won't pass out of God knows what first." I respond, trying to joke. She giggles before kissing me for the third time. If I thought it's impossible to squeeze more passion from a kiss the last time, then I've just been proved damn wrong. She breaks away after a while, smiling triumphantly at my utter shock.

"I promise not to do anything overly naughty." She says with a sly smile before nibbling my neck again. How can I believe that if you've just bit me again? She winks playfully at me.

"Try it too." She purrs, rolling off me. Does she want me to...? With some hesitation I place myself on top of her. "Your eye is flashing." She says teasingly. Does it? It takes me some self-control to not look away and even more of it to lean down a bit and gently nibble her neck. How does she do it so freely? I suppose it boils down to her experience while I am but a novice to all of that.

Her reaction is pleasing, the soft moan escapes her lips... Oh God. Oh God, what am I doing?

I move away, surprising her slightly.

"Something's the matter, Caschan?" She asks. I'm pretty sure she knows the answer.

"...I can't. I don't want to do something both of us would regret, Shiina. Even if it's casual for you, I just..." She silences me with her index finger and smiles gently.

"It's okay." She pulls me into a hug as we roll sidewards, staring at each other. "If that's the case, let me just cuddle with you." Yeah. I can allow as much. I embrace her delicately, being very careful to not stumble upon the clasp of her bra again. We just lie there and look at each other, feeling the warmth of our bodies. She moves a bit closer to me, smiling.

"Misha, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Are we friends?" She giggles quietly before planting a small kiss on my forehead.

"Of course. I'm always here for you." I can't tell if she's telling that to every person she seduced or is really being genuine. I sincerely hope that the latter's the case. "We can always repeat it, if you feel like it." She adds in a slightly seductive voice. I can't help but chuckle awkwardly.

"I suppose I'm that kind of a person who just needs a hug every so often." I reply, holding her hand in my own. "Thank you again, Misha."

"You're welcome." She buries her pink-haired head in my chest, smiling. "Good night."

"Yeah... Good night."

I suppose it still isn't bad enough for M rating. Anyway, there you have it. Read and Review. :)