"Well well well… look who's been such a gentleman!" said the voice, dripping with sarcasm. "I –" Kyohei began, nearly shaking.

"Just you stop right there… How can you, betray her like this? This is utterly totally insolence and I will not tolerate having anyone hurt my Sunako. You will PAY."

Kyohei and Ipsita stood stunned inside the mansion, facing the potential wrath of the LandLady. Sunako (balancing against the wall, with the cast still on), Noi, and the guys were standing leaning on the wall, shock registered on their faces -- their expresions saying : Shit, the guy was kidding about the date! Its Ipsita!

The word PAY (in caps, no less) made Kyohei look up in alarm towards Sunako and the gang behind the LandLady. Sunako shrugged, mouthing "Say anything…!!!" while the boys huddled in fear also motioned the same.

"You have got to listen to me-" Kyohei began again. No luck.

"I don't need to, I KNOW. You betray my Sunako, and you go out with this-" the Landlady gave Ipsita a dirty look – to no avail, as Ipsita stared coldly back. Ipsita then turned on her heel and was about to reach for the door when a cool hand grabbed her shoulder, and forced her to turn back. Kyohei was red and fuming and practically shouted, "She is Ipsita, Ipsita Roy, our new classmate. She helped Sunako a few days ago and she is, I'm sure, LEAST interested in going out with me. Alright?"

Ipsita's face changed, she had finally pieced together what was going on. She plastered on a smile, joining her hands in greeting as she did so ,"Namaste. I am Ipsita, Sunako's friend and I assure you, you are mistaken. I was just heading here with him to meet up with Sunako. And he's right. Blondie is way too irritating to go out with!!!" She winked at Sunako, who actually smiled back.

The landlady stared around, fuming, fishing hard for something to say."Whatever it is, I hope you sort it out. Fast. I have arranged a party in a few days. I never- NEVER- want to see Sunako in this state again. Make her a lady or else… you know your price." Her menacing tone made the statement complete. She threw a dirty look towards Ipsita (who promptly ignored it) and disappeared within seconds.

Her departure made the room a little warmer, but the teens stood, stunned into silence. Takenaga, trying to keep his face straight, cleared his throat and said, "So… was it… love at first sight???"

"BWAAAHAHAHHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAA" – the sound rocked the mansion. Even Sunako joined in.

Sunako motioned to Ipsita to come over. "I hope Aunt didn't bother you… she's a little –umm- possessive." Ipsita smirked, "I didn't know you and Blondie.. whoo hoo, eh?"

"Please, don't start with that… it was a ploy to get her out of finding boys for me." "WHAT????!!!" Ipsita sounded as if she thought it was unthinkable. "Well…" Sunako didn't have anything to respond to.

"But still, you don't – well- like him - and stuff???" Sunako looked disgusted with the thought but before she could answer the door opened -

"Heyy Sweetheart!!! You gotta head back now, right?.. I'll leave you there…if that's okay with you." Kyohei (still muddy) barged in with three cups of hot chocolate in his hands, balanced somehow.

"I can manage… but I have something for you, Blondie… now that Sunako doesn't need it.. Tag along then." Ipsita spoke as Kyohei handed out the drinks. Sunako didn't bother asking it would mean looking up from her hot cocoa.

"That was one heck of an episode… is it always like that?" Ipsita asked, shoving her hands into her dry-mud coated sweatshirt pocket as they walked on. It was cold and wet. Kyohei looked at the dangerously cloudy sky before answering, "Mostly, yeah. She has a way of entering and shocking... and scaring ... and then leaving abruptly. Oh that, and threatening higher rents. But I guess she just cares for that friend of yours."

"You do too, don't you? I saw the way you were looking around that day with the stage accident." Kyohei laughed, making Ipsita cringe inwardly (that cute laugh), "Nah… I just don't want our rent tripled. We have to take care of her, she cant do it she very well points out herself"

Ipsita, still wondering about the way he behaved, remembered the dialogues of the play, and suddenly remembered their play. "What happened to the play?"

"Sensei is sacked. So well…Its up to us, they said. Frankly, that play was shit, so I still don't give a damn. Why?"

"Nothing." Ipsita remembered the storyline, and giggled. "Hehehe… what if the princess ran away with the guy who fans the king?" Kyohei smirked, "Me-the prince?… wont be too pleased…what if I flirted with the Princess's male-gown-maker or the Princess's brother or the witch herself is actually a guy??? OoOoo the plot is getting interesting…!"

They walked on, their different strides somehow matching up, chatting all through and laughter breaking the cold wind that brushed of them somehow had created a plot of the most unlikely fairy-tale story ever, full with songs and dances and imitations of japanese and international stars by the time they reached Ipsita's hostel.

Still giggling, she asked him to wait she disappeared inside, Kyohei stared back at the sky… She was the second person whom he's talked to this much… only after Sunako. They werent all too different, but talking to Ipsita was a tad easier task. She was somehow a little different...

"Math."

Ipsita was back, and she was handing him a giant notebook. And with that word, Kyohei felt within him a terror rise so fast, he forgot all else."A-What?" Kyohei remembered the math teacher's warning about the test which was due the next day : "Pass it or else…!!!" He had used the same menacing tone as the Landlady (have they met?)

"I was planning to help out Sunako, but she got a free ticket out of it, so… you win the lucky do you look so shocked?"

Then she realised. "You havent…??? Oh boy, blondie… you are in such deep – " He cut her off… "Yup I am. What is this though?" he asked pointing toward the notebook.

"I made some notes back home, they're pretty good, and they cover most types of the questions. You better get back. Read the theory once, do the questions, and try the school 'll take hardly 3-4 hours."

Kyohei looked at her. It nearly amounted to GAPED at her. She stood there, a total stranger to him, she'd known him for most of three days, she'd already saved him once, taken care of Sunako, seen him nearly break down, and borne his antics for a day, and now…

And there under the grim clouds, on a sudden impulse, he moved ahead and gave her a quick hug. Beep Beep Beep. Even under the dim hostel lights upon them, the shock on her face was hard to miss. In that brief moment, he'd felt her easily fit into his arms, and smelled the wet grass in her hair, the faint jasmine smell still lingering somewhere in the muddy depths, and felt deeply grateful.

Ipsita had frozen, stunned into statue-ness. Kyohei, realising his mistake, shook her hard saying,"Oi, don't do that to me! I just wanted to thank you…! Aww come on…" Ipsita, coming out of her statue-stupor, shoved him hard, smiling but with knit brows, "You meanie, you know my shockphase issues with brightness like yours- "

"Oh not that again!!! Spare me the weird adjectives."

"Okayy, just finish this alright?… and thanks for a great day, Blondie… I'm sorry to have kept you out for so long, I didn't know you hadnt prepared! But thanks so so much!" She smiled at him, a very genuine smile, he thought.

"No sweat. I'll manage. See you at school then, jiggly-poo…!" he smirked. He cringed. Yuck, since when did I come up with that??? Killed my victory gloat… Kyohei smiled and shook his head, admitting defeat.

Sunako didnt miss a beat, she tut-tutted with an almighty gloat --- "What are you, some kind of freaky name-vending machine? You're definitely having technical problems here." She pointed to his head. Ipsita had the victory gloat today.

He ruffled his hair, smiling, turned and started walking away, raising one hand in goodbye as he did so.

Ipsita turned around, a smile playing on her lips… She looked up at the dark sky, trying to let the feeling of being in Blondie's - no, Kyohei's- arms sink in. His laugh sounded from the distance… or was it in her head?