A/N: Thanks for your lovely reviews and comments. Usui and Misa are my fav characters and I have tried really hard to keep them in character. Here is Chapter II. :D Cheers!

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II.
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Three days pass. Three days full of anxiety that has Takumi Usui jumping at every hint of gossip, tiptoeing past every gaggle of girls. He has seen neither hide nor hair of Misaki Ayuzawa. He can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. She missed class since he saw her last, and the teachers seem calm about it. The suspense is killing him.

Her homeroom teacher calls him over to the faculty room at the end of the day. "Usui, you're excused from class duties today. I need you to take this to Ayuzawa." She hands him the homework assignments of the past three days. "It's not like she needs to do this, she's got perfect scores anyway. She just wants to. Weird kid, but hey. I know you guys aren't even in the same class, but your house isn't too far away from hers, and the student council doesn't have a meeting today."

"Is she sick?" he asks casually, trying not to show too much interest.

"Oh, no, she was excused from school because she had a competition. She plays the violin," the teacher says absently. "I think she placed first. You can ask her when you see her." She gives him Ayuzawa's address and cell number. "I would ask the class president of her class to do it, but he's got cleanup duty."

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Which is how he finds himself at the glass doors of a glass-and-steel tower, pretty close to the playground. His hand hovers over the buzzer as he debates with himself if he should just ring the bell and then run away, leaving the homework in an envelope with her name on it. That would be the coward's way out, he scolds himself. There is nothing he should fear from this temptress with eyes the color of amber. He reminds himself that she is the epitome of all he hates about girls; arrogant, the kind of girl who thinks she can get away with anything because of her beauty, the kind who steps on men to get where she needs to be. His hands clench into fists. There is no way he is afraid of her.

Case in point: he is here right now because she couldn't be bothered to go to school herself and collect her own assignments. They aren't even classmates, but there you have it. Takumi frowns at her level of irresponsibility. Checking his watch, he finds that he has two hours and a half before his shift starts at the Cafe. Well,

Ringing the buzzer according to the teacher's instructions, Ayuzawa's voice comes out breathlessly. "Yes?"

"It's-," Takumi clears his throat. "It's Usui. From Seika." Idiot, he thinks, of course she knows where you go to school. "I'm here with your homework."

"Oh, good. I'll let you up. Go to the 17th floor," she instructs, hanging up before he can object. What is he, her errand boy? Why is she ordering him around like this? The door opens, giving him access, and he heads inside, frowning. No, he shouldn't let her know that she is getting to him. Putting on an impassive face, he steps inside the futuristic elevator, studying the buttons.

There is no 17th floor on the panel, only a button marked P for penthouse. The next highest floor is the 16th. Is she trying to show off how rich she is? He stabs the P button, his mouth a straight line. The elevator goes up with an efficient hum, and he arrives there in seconds. The doors are unmarked, even by numbers, so Takumi checks his teacher's instructions again. Unit 5, it says.

One of the doors opens, and Ayuzawa pokes her head out. "President, come on in." He heads to the door, intending to hand her the envelope, but she isn't there, and the door is ajar.

"Have a seat," her voice floats back to him from somewhere inside the apartment.

"I don't want to impose," he calls back the proper answer. Takumi is determined not to let her see how much she rattles him. "Are your parents here?"

She does not reply. Curiosity gets the better of him, and so, he finds himself pushing the door open.

The apartment is massive, compared to the tiny home he lives in, and there are no walls. Except for a door in the far wall, everything is open and spacious. And, surprisingly, even if the floor is marble and the walls are wood paneled, the apartment is sparsely furnished. There is one big sofa pushed up against the wall, and a table with four chairs, but aside from that, there does not seem to be anything else. About half of the living room is covered in exercise mats, the kind that dojos use. Are her parents instructors?

"Pardon the intrusion," Takumi announces, in case her parents can hear. "I'm Takumi Usui, the Student Council President of Ayuzawa's high school."

"Who are you talking to?" Ayuzawa asks, emerging from the door. She is dressed in a hakama and gi, her long black hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. Avoiding her eyes, he holds out the envelope.

"Are your parents here?" he inquires. "I should greet them." The apartment is so big that his voice echoes through the room, yet there is no sign that it is anything more than a hotel room. There are no personal touches, no art or photos at all.

"No, I live alone." She eyes him speculatively. "By the way, do you know kendo?"

Confused by the question, he nods. If she lives alone, what business does she have inviting him up here? His opinion of her plummets further. Is she that kind of girl? Funny, but he never heard of that. Her reputation is more of an untouchable Madonna, an unattainable beauty beloved by the girls and worshipped by the boys. Also, he was captain of the kendo team at his middle school, but she doesn't know that. Ayuzawa smiles. "Great. My sparring partner didn't show up. You can spar with me. My promotion test is coming up."

Usui hesitates. On the one hand, it would be great to practice again, and he does have the time. On the other hand, this is Ayuzawa, a girl living alone. If she were to get hurt, or claim she did, it would be a problem. This could be a trap.

"I don't have gear," Takumi tells her. She is already striding away to a closet, ponytail bobbing.

"Do you know ukemi?" she asks over her shoulder, referring to the basic falling technique in most martial arts to avoid injury.

"Yes," he sighs, giving up and putting down his bag. Emerging from the closet, she is holding a wooden sword and a set of protective clothing. And so, in ten minutes, Takumi finds himself standing in front of her, holding the sword.

"Wait," he protests. "Shouldn't I have head gear? And where is your sword?"

"Oh, I should have told you, we're sparring for Aikido. I need to defend myself against sword attacks," Ayuzawa tells him sheepishly. "Are you ok with this? There is no need to hold back just because I am a girl."

"Then why did you ask if I knew kendo?" Usui snaps, irritated. Sword attacks do not need any particular skill, not in aikido defense.

She smirks at him. "I had a feeling you were good at sheathing your sword, but I wanted to see how well you could handle it," she tells him with a wink. The innuendo makes his ears burn, but he chooses to ignore it. He wasn't planning to hold back, anyway. They go through their stretches separately.

"Are you ready?" she finally asks, the corner of her lips curling. He raises the sword over her head and attacks. A few swift movements later, he is on his back, disarmed and pinned. They do this over and over, but he notices that she seems to be getting rougher on him. After one particularly brusque instance, he decides to put up a fight.

He rushes her again, and she deflects his arms with a well-placed blow. Instead of letting her grip his wrist and throw him, he circles around her legs with his other foot, using his elbow to hook her neck and push her off-balance. Her eyes sharpen, and she takes a step back, yanking his arm with her to keep him on his toes. He matches her, keeping his balance, whirling around behind her to lock the sword around her throat. "Checkmate," he tells her smugly.

Hooking her ankle around his, she goes down on one knee, flipping him over her back. "Finally, you're getting serious. I wanted a sparring partner, not a mannequin," she taunts, holding the sword over his hands. Her skin is warm and damp with perspiration, and there is that damned scent of hers again, making his head spin.

Twisting around from underneath her, he rolls to his feet, locking his gaze with hers. "I never thought you were the delicate princess type," he tells her, feeling an adrenaline spike. He goes into the next stance, "But don't go too overboard. Aren't you the queen of Seika?" Ironically, that is the name she is known by, among the male population of the school, and neighbouring schools as well.

Judging by the flash in her glare, he seems to have hit a nerve. Her famed brow furrows, and she lifts a hand in a "Come at me" motion, challenging him to another round. Exhilaration fills his veins. Since he became Student Council President, he hasn't had enough time to exercise like this, and not with an opponent as skilled as she.

Takumi holds the wooden sword up in the classic kendo stance, meeting her eyes over the tip. She nods at him, biting her lower lip in concentration. He attacks, no longer pulling his punches, now that he is confident she can take care of herself.

She defends herself, avoiding the blows. "Good job, President," she smirks, out of breath but not missing the sarcastic tone she uses when she calls him by his title. She knocks the sword out of his hands, not as easily this time, but Usui adjusts his angle, grabbing her by the sleeves. He twists her arms up behind her back, getting her on her tiptoes. Her scent is stronger now, probably because she is perspiring, and he tries his best to ignore it. Unexpectedly, she propels herself against the wall, landing behind him and switching their positions. Now it is Takumi who is pinned by the arms.

However, he has one advantage over her, and that is strength. He breaks her hold, locking onto her wrists. She tries to bring them up, but he grips them firmly, forcing them behind her back. Ayuzawa struggles, almost breaking his hold, so he lifts her up, pushing her back against the wall. Now, she has no leverage.

She twists in his arms, but Takumi has years of hard labor to hone him. He waits for her to tire herself out, hearing her gasp. "Are you going to tap out, Ayuzawa?" Takumi asks, breathing hard from his exertions. She is pinned between him and the wall, on her tiptoes, and the front of her body is pressed against his. The glow of perspiration on her skin transfixes him.

He bends his head down, instinctively. Staring up at him, she stops struggling, her eyes dark and intriguing. Overwhelmed by her warmth and scent, he has this sudden urge to kiss her. Abruptly, he stops and pulls his head away, gazing up at the ceiling. Her breath is warm on his throat. He swallows hard, certain that he has never felt this way around any girl.

"President, I didn't think you were this kind of guy," she snaps. He realizes, then, the impropriety of their positions. Alarmed, he releases her instantly, taking a few steps back.

"Ayuzawa, I'm sorry," he mutters. He had forgotten, for a few seconds, that she was a girl, and had gone overboard. "I should go. Thanks for the workout." Takumi heads for the bathroom, feeling his face heat up. He has never, in his life, lost control around a girl before. Quickly dressing, he folds the hakama and gi, propping them on top of the dresser. The cafe has a shower, and he doesn't want to spend another second in this empty apartment with this confusing girl.

Splashing cold water on his face helps cool down his anxiety. Takumi dries off quickly, staring at himself in the mirror. He almost kissed Misaki Ayuzawa, the Queen of Seika! What the heck is wrong with him? Her fans would have his head if they even found out. Luckily, he has reputation to protect him. Shaking his head, he opens the door and freezes.

Ayuzawa is standing by the window, pulling her gi off. Transfixed, he watches her discard the padded jacket on the floor, gazing out at the view, wearing only her lace camisole. What is she doing? She is a teenage girl, alone and vulnerable in an apartment with a stranger. With one lily-white hand, she pulls her long hair off her neck, fanning herself with the other. He can see the outline of her dark pink bra under the white cotton, and immediately does an about-face. Does Ayuzawa have any common sense at all?

"I'm leaving!" he announces, sprinting towards the door. His ears are burning from embarrassment, though he tells himself that it is she who should be ashamed.

"Wait, President," she calls after him.

Good manners be damned, he has to get away from this temptress. "I'm late for work. Sorry!" Takumi yells back, not daring to turn his head in her direction. Slipping his shoes on, he dashes out the door. He can hear her behind him. Skipping the elevator, he heads for the stairwell and runs all the way to the ground floor, making his escape.

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When Takumi arrives at the butler cafe, he is an hour early, just enough time to take a shower. As he unpacks his bag, he realizes he left his cellphone in Ayuzawa's apartment. Checking his watch, sees that there is no time to go back. With a sigh, he grabs his suit, and heads for the bathroom.

This week's special theme is thieves, a tie-in with a popular TV drama. Sighing, Takumi ties on a black mask that covers his eyes, glad for the disguise.

The shift is quiet and slow. Four of their regular customers are present, and the rest of the tables sit empty. Eiji, a 20-something who is trying to make it as a model, is the other person on his shift, and he whines to Takumi about the girl he met the previous week who is trying to rope him into a relationship. Takumi listens with half an ear, trying to figure out a way to retrieve his phone from Ayuzawa.

The door opens, and three senior girls from his school walk in. Takumi goes on alert. If any of them recognized him, his school life would be over. The girls are loud and obnoxious, but fall silent when he welcomes them at the door with a low bow. "Hey, doesn't he look like the Demon President?" one of them asks the others in a hiss, her nose ring gleaming in the dim cafe lights.

He remembers scolding them at the school gate the other day. Of course they would remember him. Takumi retreats to the employee area. "Eiji, can you take care of that table?" he asks his co-worker in a low voice. Eiji winks and gives him a thumbs-up. He takes care of the other tables, conscious of the senior girls' stares.

"Hey, you, blond guy!" The one with bleached hair calls out, flapping her wrist at him.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but Taku is not available right now," Eiji interjects smoothly. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Taku? His name is Taku?" the toughest looking one repeats, looking thoughtful. "What was Usui's first name again?"

Takumi closes his eyes, mentally cursing Eiji. Couldn't he have at least tried to give him an alias? Satsumi, aware of Takumi's predicament, steps out. "Stay inside for now, until they leave," the older man tells him. Takumi nods, feeling hunted.

The girls linger over their coffee, leaving him trapped in the employee area for a good half hour. Restless, Usui decides to take out the garbage. After all, he would feel guilty collecting money for his paycheck without doing any work. In the alley behind the cafe, he sorts out the recycling from the rubbish.

"I knew it was him," he hears behind him. To his horror, the three older girls are there, cell phones up and smirks on their faces. "Smile, Demon President."

Of all the times to forget his mask. He raises a rubber-gloved hand to block the photos. Suddenly, someone rushes in front of him, obscuring their view of him. With a sinking heart, he realizes it is Ayuzawa. "Excuse me," she says, bowing deeply to the other girls.

"What's with this chick?" Nose-ring girl asks Bleached blond. The other girl shrugs.

"I beg your pardon, but… Could you keep this a secret, please? As a personal favour to me?" Ayuzawa asks, the top half of her body parallel to the ground.

The wind goes out of their sails. "Is that… Misaki Ayuzawa?" The tough one gasps. Misaki rises gracefully, tucking a lock of hair behind her cheek as she grins at them."Yes, it totally is! Ayuzawa, you helped me out of a tight spot last year. I'm Emiko by the way." She frowns. "Why do you want to protect this asshole? He hates all the girls in our school."

"Well," Misaki bites her lip and looks at him, her eyes widening meaningfully. This is all an act, of course, he thinks, so he should play along. Slipping the garbage gloves off, he slips an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"You caught me," he sighs loudly. "Misa and I are…" He has to swallow past the lump in his throat. "Dating." He can practically hear three jaws hit the ground at his statement.

"Y-you? You and the qu-queen?" Nose ring shrieks. He makes a mental note to inspect her nose closely on Monday. "Ayuzawa, are you serious?"

She smiles sweetly at them, reaching into her pocket. So she really can act feminine, he notes, if the situation warrants it. "Yeah, I came to drop off his phone, since he left it at my place earlier." Pulling out his phone, she presses it into his hands. Nothing that she has said is a lie, but Takumi digs his fingers into her hip, warning her not to go too far. Subtly, she moves her leg, digging her heel into the toes of his shoes until he releases her.

"You understand why we need to keep it a secret, right?" Takumi asks, summoning up his most innocent grin. Mesmerized, the girls nod. "Thank you very much. Please, feel free to visit the cafe again. I'll treat you ladies to a drink as thanks for keeping quiet."

After the three leave, Ayuzawa sinks to her knees, heaving a sigh of relief. He studies her, noting how her sheer presence screams money and class. Her hair gleams, even in this dingy alley, and her skin is luminous. His chest aches. Odd. He presses the heel of his palm to where his heart is galloping.

"Get up, Ayuzawa, the ground is dirty," he mutters, lifting her by the shoulders of her simple grey hoodie. It has been washed so many times that the cloth is soft and thin, but he can tell by the way it fits her that it's an expensive brand. Begrudgingly, his respect for her rises. She is such a contradiction. Be careful, his brain warns. She's still a girl.

"Before you yell at me, let me explain. I really did come to give you back your phone," Ayuzawa explains, her cheeks glowing pink. "I didn't mean to-"

He interrupts her with a raised hand. "Stop. Have you had dinner yet?" He remembers the bare apartment that she lives in, and wonders if she is lonely. He, of all people, should understand what it is like to be surrounded by people and feel alone. She is probably bored, which is why she's slumming it with him, but she did him a favour, after all. However, their sparring earlier had felt like a match between equals.

She avoids his eyes. "I swung by the convenience store for an onigiri. I'm fine. I waited a while since I figured you might be at work, so that I could give you back your phone."

"Come in and have dinner. It's the least I can do for your help." Mentally he calculates the cost of a meal for her, and sighs. "Then I'm walking you home afterwards. You could have brought the phone to school, you know."

She quirks an eyebrow up at him. "Then I would have missed the sight of the Demon President in a butler uniform. You're so cute, President." Her direct gaze is disconcerting.

"You must be hungry, you're spouting nonsense," Takumi grumbles, steering her inside.

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