Saba: This is Saba reporting from Jazz Mine.

Jazz: Eh?! o.o

Put 'Jazz' and 'Mine' together and you'll get a full name. xP

Saba: We will now go to Kisshu on music.

Kisshu: Yo! Pai plays jazz on a tuba!

Jazz: Okay... o_o

Pai: *blows into instrument, blowing everyone away*

Saba: *hits a wall* This is Saba... reporting from- *faints*

Kisshu: -Jazz Mine. We'll report on Pai's condition once Saba recovers after the break.

Pai: *twitch* Not the... closet... O_O;

Love Potion

Confrontation! Kisshu's Escape

Time seemed to stretch in the room where Pai confronted his worst fear up close, the fear being Retasu's inability to love him back. He dreaded the day where he would catch her alone, and it had somehow become a reality, even fate, because of Kisshu's intolerance to ensure Retasu was safe by herself.

Pai's shadow shrouded Retasu in darkness, making her feel smaller than she had already felt.

"Let her go."

Kisshu stepped into the bedroom, his pigtails drooping towards his shoulders. The carpet below him seemed to form a puddle at his feet, his clothes drenched in unexplainable water.

"Kisshu-san. You're-"

"-wet. Yes, I know. Taruto found a hosepipe in the closet, connected it to a tap and watched me drown in the result."
He smiled weakly.

"I guess I lost, huh?"

Kisshu's laid back personality faded along with his relaxed expression, replaced by a frown which deepened continuously and a single dagger which was held within his pale hand. He raised his head slightly to look at the taller alien, a flame burning amongst the golden shine of his eyes.

"You heard me. Let her go. I don't care what you do afterwards, whether you inform Deep Blue or take matters into your own hands... can't you see I love her?"

Pai grunted, taking a step forward in Kisshu's direction. He dragged Retasu with him like a dog on a leash, biting her lip at the tension which surrounded them.

And it's all my fault.

"Stop deceiving yourself! It is clear to see that you are under a spell, a spell that Mew Lettuce herself will break by my force."

"I know that, Pai."

"What?"

A second knife found its way into Kisshu's other palm, his hand gripping it like lightning in the floating spaceship. With each step he decided to use to move in on Pai, he spoke in a voice which promised miracles instead of foreboding. It came across to Pai that he must have felt wonderful, as though he were walking around in paradise everyday rather than waking up in the middle of a war. A simple potion was all anyone needed to see their life had meaning and purpose, and Kisshu was living proof.

"Before I was chasing the wrong girl. She would never consider my feelings nor did she try to understand them. But... one day it all changed, you know? I started seeing someone else, and although she might not feel the same at least I know she probably did consider them, because she understood me. I'm over the moon, Pai!"

"Kisshu..."

"I'm happy. Why can't you accept that?"

Retasu bowed her head, allowing her leaf green bangs to fall over her glasses. She was just as shocked as Pai was to know what Kisshu always knew, yet she felt a sense of relief because she felt he wasn't in control of his decisions, that she had made him a puppet on the strings she pulled at continuously.

She was the escape Kisshu needed from the misery he suffered under Ichigo's hands. Who knew?

"You never will though, and I've accepted that. But seeing as I know you can't..."

A fang appeared from Kisshu's upper lip, a smirk crawling onto his face slowly.

"... you leave me no choice."

Kisshu lunged from his ground as he raised one dagger, intent on inflicting bodily harm against Pai. But in one quick movement Pai tossed Retasu aside, revealing a weapon of his own in the process; a fan.

Retasu fell face first on the rough bed before her, lifting her head up immediately to catch sight of what was to happen. Kisshu's eyes widened as he jerked backwards, but Pai had already brought his fan down on him.

"Fuu Rai Sen!"

A huge blast created from the attack sent Kisshu flying into a wall, shattering upon impact. Dust began to rise for a few seconds, blinding everyone present, even Retasu. She gasped at the blow, grasping the air with her hand as she couldn't pity Kisshu, but herself.

"Mew Lettuce."

Retasu sat up, the dust settling slowly to reveal a masculine figure which could only be mistaken for Pai. Retasu found herself digging her nails into the duvet cover, gripping the fabric tightly for a reason unknown to herself.

The dust was no longer airborne, exposing an unconscious Kisshu in the background. His head was tilted to the side as his back was up against a wall in the outside corridor, a confused Taruto scratching his brown head at the scene.

"Pai... what have you done?"

"Nothing of your concern, Taruto. I suggest you retreat for the day."

Taruto nodded, blinking repeatedly at a glimpse of green in the area. He didn't really enjoy being excluded from rare incidents like these, but he trusted his older comrade to deal with whatever had disrupted their peace. As long as it wasn't Purin, what was the worse that could happen to him?

Pai turned his head to Retasu, regarding her sternly.

"If Kisshu's life was not at stake I would have eliminated you seconds ago. But his sanity is in your hands and I demand you tell me about his condition."

Retasu placed her legs off the bed as her toes touched the ground briefly, her head bowed as she murmured in the form of an explanation. She was indebted to him, because he refrained from stealing her life again. He had the opportunity to let Kisshu kill her before, did he not?

"Ano... Kisshu was never meant for this, I-I swear! But... ano... he raided our cafe's kitchen and consumed an entire cake... my cake, in fact."

"Is this relevant?"

"O-Of course! It wasn't a n-normal cake. I used a potion during the baking of it, which was meant to be eaten by Shirogane-san... I'm... I'm really sorry... he just saw me after eating it and... fell in love again. I'm so sorry!"

Pai frowned, especially at the mention of a certain blonde boy. He was unsure of why he felt that way, but presumed it was because he was an enemy by default.

"Are you implying that all Kisshu suffers from is love?"

"Yes! And I was going to keep away until I saw how much pain he was in... I'm not like Ichigo-san. I can't hurt people, not intentionally."

"And a cure?"

"Love cannot be cured, Pai-san."

Pai looked taken aback by the -san, even disgusted, causing Retasu to realise her mistake and cover her mouth instantly. Her voice behind her hand was muffled, but enough for Pai to acknowledge she was apologising.

"B-But seeing as it was a p-potion we could ask P-Purin-san. She c-concocted it f-for me."

Pai nodded approvingly, leaving Retasu pleased with herself, but in doubt about whether there really was a cure.

"I didn't mean to hurt Kisshu-san. I think if Ichigo-san knew him like I did... she'd at least respect him."

"Perhaps you did not, but Kisshu is lovesick because of you. I will teleport you to the building you call a 'cafe', and come back at a suitable time to collect the cure."

"O-Okay."

Retasu sighed. Could love be cured?