A/N: Yosh! Sorry for the delays... and uh... no reply in this chappie cause Im so tired~ Oh well, enjoy the chappie!~

"Stay"

"Same hair, same look, same face... but it's not the one you've once knew." -Anonymous

Chapter 8: She's No You!

"You promised to me that we'll always be open to each other, right?" The man nodded, then standing and looking out to the window. "Then why are you acting like this?"

"Listen, your condition is not in a stable state. Please, just wait until you fully recover and I promised I'll tell you the truth."

"Alright, but... just tell me... that girl, the one who look like Mio-chan... she's not Mio-chan, is she?"

The man sighed, he knew soon his wife going to figure it out. "Yes."

However, to figure it out at the very short time... Haruka can't believe how Minoru can act so calm, even though she knew that Haruka was lying about Mio.

Akiyama Resident.

Minamoto Isshi, taking the job as a private doctor. At first, his only intention to accept the job was because this could be his big opportunity to be a real doctor, like he always dreamt of. But certain reasons popping here and there, making him thinks that it's the best thing to take this job. Even though, his identity has to be keep as a secret.

"From now on, when you're wearing that glasses. People will call you, Dr. Minamoto Rizuki."

"You took my mid-name? People could easily recogni-"

"No. Listen, change the way you dress up when you wear the glasses. Use proper words to talk with people and try to be...cold, so it's really the opposite of the real Minamoto Rizuki Isshi."

"Cold... I'm nothing as cold... He's troublesome, just like his son..." Isshi mumbling as he following the black-haired girl in front of him.

He was lost in his thoughts and it cause him to- BUMP! "Ah, s-sorry, Doc- I mean, Rizuki..." He doesn't even realize that the girl had stopped and he's just walking without noticing it.

"Gee, sorry. It's not your fault... I'm spacing out..." Isshi looked to his left and a sudden thought passed by that this door on his left was the girl's room. "So uh, your room?"

The girl nodded, "Yes. I want to take a nap, are you suppose to watch over me while I'm sleeping, too?" She earned a few chuckles from the doctor.

Heh, she's never changed, huh? Smirking as he thought of that, he sighed. "Now now, don't mistake the word "Watch Over" here. Even though I said I'll follow you wherever you go, that doesn't mean I have to watch over you the whole time you're having a sleep or nap."

"Oh, alright... So while I'm taking a nap, you can... Uhm..." The girl thought a bit. She even had no idea what would be a good thing for the doctor to do while he's waiting for her. "I know, if you're tired, you can use the guest room."

Oh nice! Finally a time for me to kick-back~ Cheering mentally, he grinned at himself. "Yosh! Have a nice nap~" Isshi smiled and nodded before he walks to the other way.

"Chotto matte, Rizuki!" Isshi stop in the mid-way and turned back to the girl. He raised an eyebrow confusingly, "Uhm... the guest room is the other way, right in the corner."

In seconds, Isshi felt like hitting his own face. "Ah yeah! Ha-ha-ha... Thanks, I'll go now." With that nervous act, he took a few steps backwards and headed to the real way to the guest room. Great, just how embarrassing was that? C'mon, you're supposed to act cold! Why did you keep smiling at her? Told you what, I don't want to make the same mistake twice...

Something broken his thoughts, it was his cell phone. Reaching it on his pocket, he pushed the green button. "Uh... Why are you calling me, Kitty?"

"One reason. Students and Teachers keep interrogating me about where-the-heck-are-Minamoto-Isshi."

"They're looking for me? For what? I've finished my class for today, now I'm working at my part-time job."

"Not the class what's matter here. I also had no idea why, but there are about ten or more people asking the same thing. Seriously, why are they asking me about you?"

"Oh, that's because I told them to ask Nakano Azusa, if I'm missing or anything~"

"You know, I thought Ritsu-senpai is the most annoying brat I've ever known. But you, even worse than Ritsu-senpai."

"Gee, I'm your senior, Nakano!~ Have more respect with me, will ya?"

"Whatever. Just tell me, when are you gonna go back to the Uni?"

"Ah, about that... I just got a new job and well..."

"Don't tell me you-"

"Three days. Please, please, please! This is my chance! Please, Nakano-sama~"

"Ugh, alright. I'll tell them, but with one condition."

Before Azusa could tell him the condition, Isshi had already guessed. "Okay, I'll tell them to stop asking about me at you. Do we have a deal here?"

"Deal."

Two days later.

"Dammit... Agh!" The tawny-haired girl cursing and groaning softly as she slammed the table pretty harshly. "...That Oyajii..."

"You can't force me to break-up with Mio or marry that girl. You don't forget about our deal, right?"

"Perhaps, you don't forget about the newest deal, hm?"

"What do you mean? Newest deal? I'm no-"

"See? You never read my emails, this is the cause. Oh well, I'll tell you. You have your three wishes, but with one condition."

"What was that?"

Suddenly, the door opened, making her turning her attention to the door. "Eh? Ritsu? Why are you here?" The girl who just walked inside the apartment asked, looking a bit surprised.

"Can't concentrate at the office... I thought I could concentrate here, but damn... this is so frustrating! I shouldn't have working on these! I should've back to my college-girl life!"

"Then why are you back to the company? Why did you take the job as the CEO of your father's company, permanently?"

"Do you really have to ask that, Mio?"

"Yeah. You said this is your decision and you said you wanted it. Even though I don't really agree, but I can't argue. Now I've heard you complaining about the work twenty times already. It's like you regretting your decision after all." Mio looking at Ritsu worriedly, she doesn't know what's bothering Ritsu's mind, so there's actually nothing she could do to help. "Maybe you're just tired, Ritsu."

Ritsu made a signal at Mio and the black-haired girl walking towards Ritsu. She patted her lap, allowing the other girl to sit on it. "C'mere." Mio feels this is kind of embarrassing to do, but since there's no one at the apartment, she sighed and let herself sat on Ritsu's lap. Ritsu waste no time to wrap her arms around Mio's waist, "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Sighing deeply, Ritsu lessen the tie on her neck with one hand and once again sighing in relief. "Actually, my dad gave me three options. We had a deal, but he renewed it and I had no idea about it. He said I could take my three wishes, but I need to take the job, as the CEO of the company permanently. The second one, I need to take care of the company overseas temporary, at least for five years. The last one, I could leave the company completely, but forget about my wishes and... About you..." Ritsu could feel Mio's hand clenching on her shirt, "You do know my decision, Mio."

"I'm sorry... If it wasn't because of me-" The tawny-haired girl shushed Mio.

"I'm not regretting my decision. It's none of your fault, okay? What's more is that, you know that I can never leave you. Cause there's no one better than you."

Mio chuckled, "That's cliché."

"What? I thought you loved cliché stuff~ I mean, for what you bought those shoujo-mangas?" Ritsu catched Mio's blushing face.

Mio just instinctively turned to the other way, "Well... If it's come from you... I don't know, it doesn't really suit you, Ritsu."

She puffed and pouted her mouth in a bit of protest. Then something just popped out of her mind, "Hey, Mio." She called out the other girl.

"Hm?" Mio turned to Ritsu who was smiling sweetly at her. She doesn't even have any idea how to respond to that smile. "W-what?" Mio began to stutter.

"I love you." With no other action, not even waiting for any reply, Ritsu pressed her lips against Mio's. Slow kiss, a gentle one and Mio knew this is really rare to have Ritsu like this. In seconds, as they kissed, Mio had figure out that this side of Ritsu was a lovable side. So different with the usual, cause Ritsu didn't even force Mio to getting it deeper than it should be.

Usually, a sudden action from Ritsu could lead them to do more than just a kiss. It's as if she didn't intend to do so. Mio even thought that way.

Finally, they separated. Panting softly, Mio frowned at Ritsu. "You okay?" Mio asked with the most concerned tone.

"Hey, what time is it now?" Ritsu ignored Mio's question and earned a hit on the head as usual. "What was that for?~"

"You ignored my question!"

"I'm fine! I was just wondering, if I still had more time here, maybe we could have s-" Ritsu stopped at the last part. She gulped hardly as Mio keep staring at her with a knowing look. "Uh..."

I know she intended to do it! Mio had changed her mind. "Have what, Ritsu?" She pushed Ritsu even more with the question.

Another gulping sound from Ritsu could be heard, "I-Is it just me or it's g-getting hot in h-here?" She has cold-sweats in no time as she keeps scratching the back of her neck, lack of nervousness.

"The weather outside is 9° Celsius now. Find a much better excuse."

Ritsu sighed in defeat; she realized she had failed her main mission. "Just forget it. It's not like you want to."

"I almost thought you didn't intend to." That makes Ritsu raised her eyebrow.

"Who's the one who insisted me to take it slow?"

"Well, I guess I got used to do it your way..." Mio silently said, making Ritsu even curious with the meaning of those words. She knew pair of eyes was eyeing her curiously and she hates when someone did that. Well, a certain someone. "Stop looking at me like that. You know I hate it."

Grinning happily, Ritsu ignored Mio's word and focus on the first sentence she had said. "What do you mean by that? Got used to do it my way?"

"Ugh, we don't have to go into details now, do we?" With she even realized, Ritsu already dominating her neck and jaw. "R-Ritsu..."

"How about talk less, do more?" Ritsu whispered, but Mio pushed her forcefully and stood up from Ritsu's lap. "What?"

"Not here! Gosh!"

"Why not?~ Gee, I'm wondering when are we going to find a new way to do it."

"Do we really have to find a new way? I'm fine with the way it is." Mio had left Ritsu and walking towards the bedroom by herself.

Ritsu followed the black-haired girl from behind, "Of course we do have, Mio~ I mean, Yui ever said to me that she ever did it in the kitchen!" Mio suddenly stopped and turning around.

"Ritsu, you're not thinking about trying it out, are you?" Ritsu received an indirect glare from Mio.

"What?~ I'm just telling you! Gee..." She glanced a bit at her hand watch and it's fifteen minutes left to go back to the office.

She heard Mio sighed, "When should you go back?"

"I'm not gonna tell you." Ritsu quickly answered and dragged Mio inside the bedroom. "Admit it, Mio."

"Admit what?"

"Admit it that you wanted me to stay a bit more here. I mean, we're about to start it~"

Rolling her eyes, Mio knew she can't get such opportunity easily like this, if she wastes this one. If she tells Ritsu to go back to work, they wouldn't have done it and she had no idea when the time comes after that. Ritsu would go back from work over-midnight and that's the reason why she just indirectly admit it to Ritsu that she wanted the tawny-haired girl to stay a bit longer with her.

"This is... Mr. and Mrs. Akiyama..." He mumbled as he stares at the photo on the small table. Then turning his attention to the whole room, walls. "Did they did it on purpose? There's no single picture of her?"

"NOOOO!" Isshi's eyes went wide in shock after hearing that loud voice. Apparently came from Akiyama Mio's room; he dashed to go to the room as fast as he could.

With no second thought, he opened the door forcefully with his strength. "What happened! ?" He asked, panicking.

"I... I just... sorry to make you worry but... I was just having a bad dream..."

Isshi sighed in a lot of relief, walking towards the bed and sat on it. "Can you tell me about it?"

"Well, it's weird... I got that dream twice already and when I looked at a certain places, I remembered a figure of someone... but I can't remember." She weakly said while trying to sit. "However, there's... there's a scene that always playing in my mind... I thought it was some part of my memories." Mio keep her head low, thinking if that dream really her past or it's just a weird coincidence to have the same dream twice.

"That's okay, no need to push yourself too hard."

"No." That sudden answer really made Isshi confuse. "I'm sorry but I can't. I need to ask my father about it-"

"W-what? No... Uh... I mean... Listen, this is not the right time. You don't even sure if that dream is your past memories, so take it slow."

"How much longer...Rizuki? Why my father never told me that I ever had an accident on a motorcycle! ?"

Motorcycle...accident... Those words echoed for a few times in Isshi's mind. "Was that...the bad dream...?" He asked slowly, while trying to act as normal as he could. No, please. Say it was just a dream! Tell me it's not your past! Tell me... talk... I need to know... Praying and begging mentally, he waited patiently for Mio to answer.

On the other side, Mio feels something inside her heart sink in, but she doesn't have to hide it from the doctor. "Uhm... Y-yes..."

"Will you...excuse me for a few seconds? I need to make a call..." He quietly said, stood up and walking with his head down. Mio... yeah... she needed to know. With that last thought crossed his mind, he grabbed his cell phone and quickly dialed Mio's number. After a few seconds, "Konnichiwa, Mio."

"Oh... Isshi? Is that you?" From the way she talks, Isshi sure that he just woke Mio up by the call.

"Uh... Did I disturb you-?"

"Yes! You are, Isshi!" Sweat-dropping when he recognizes that other voice talking on the phone. "Ritsu! Ugh, sorry about that. Uhm, why did you call me?"

"Etto, this is really surprising news. You might believe it or not, but this is the fact that I know. I just thought you needed to know about this."

"What is it? Nothing bad happened, right?"

"No. Actually... this is about your family, Mio."

BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!

"Ugh, damn cell..." Cursing softly, the tawny-haired girl opened her sleepy eyes slowly. Rubbing it while glancing a bit at her companion on the same bed. "Gee, she doesn't even bother with the cell~" She grabbed her cellphone, which vibrating for the tenth time already. "This better be urgent." And when she opened her inbox, it was three messages from "Dammit, Yui."

From Yui: "Ne Ricchan, I know you're busy and all. Etto, even so I still have to ask you. Can you really come to our Christmas' Eve party?"

A sigh, "Oh great... Christmas Eve..."

To Yui: "Yeah, sure. I've planned a surprise for Mio there, so just tell everyone that I'm gonna be there."

After replying Yui's text message, she put her cell phone back to where it should be. She planned on having a few more nap before going back to the office, but Ritsu heard another vibrating sound, from the bedside table on the other side. That noise makes her companion awake from her nice sleep. Ritsu only watched Mio grabbed her cell phone; she answered the phone without even check who's the caller.

"Oh... Isshi? Is that you?" Mio sleepily asked.

The tawny-haired girl put her ear closer to the cell. Hoping that she could hear whose calling or what are they talking about. "Uh... Did I disturb you-?"

Hearing that, Ritsu shout on the phone. "Yes! You are, Isshi!"

"Ritsu!" Mio pushed Ritsu off, causing her to fell with her back on the bed. "Ugh, sorry about that. Uhm, why did you call me?"

Gee, was that a proper way to treat the one you just had sex with? Whatever, she's just incredibly abusive. Ritsu decided to stand up from the bed, grabbing her clothes that scattered on the floor randomly. She put the pants on, then buttoning her white shirt. Almost finish after the last piece of her tux, until she heard something just fell on the floor. She quickly turned to Mio, "...Mio?"

Ritsu stared at Mio for three seconds and the other girl seemed to have a sudden snap that make her space out so badly like this. The weird stare and act makes Ritsu even more worried about Mio, she decided to approach Mio and sat on the bed.

"Hey, what's wrong? Mio? C'mon, snap out of it!" Snapping her fingers three times, Mio gasped all of a sudden. Ritsu sighed in relief, "Gosh, you freaked me out there."

"S-sorry... It's just..."

"That's okay; I won't force you to tell me. In fact, I'm already one and a half hour late. It's three pm already~"

Mio looks troubled about something, so she forced a smile on her face. Sadly, Ritsu didn't notice that odd smile. "You're going now?" The other girl nodded.

"Yeah, uh... Before I go, I want to know what did Isshi said on the phone." Mio went silent and noticing that she don't have much of time, Ritsu decides to keep Mio's answer later tonight. "Alright, you can tell me later. I need to go now; we'll talk later, okay?"

The black-haired girl bit her lower lip, feeling a bit guilty for not being able to tell Ritsu about what Isshi had said to her. She can't really talk now, so nodding at Ritsu was her only answer before Ritsu walking back at her and kissed her on the lips. It's weird, unusual and... Strange... not Ritsu, not the kiss, but it's Mio who's not kissing her back.

"You sure you'll be okay, Mio?" Ritsu worriedly asked. Again, Mio nodding her head, making Ritsu groaned. "Answer me. Properly."

"I'm okay... sorry I was just- don't worry about me. I'll tell you when you're back from work."

Ritsu stares at Mio with a lot of questions inside her head. She wanted to ask, but there wouldn't be enough time to talk now. She knew that she doesn't have time, but she doesn't even make a single move outside the apartment or even glance at the other direction. "Look, if this about-" A sudden vibrating sound playing in the middle of Ritsu's words, she checked the caller and it's obviously... "Oyajii."

Finally, Mio is the one who made the move. She pushed Ritsu to the door, forcing her to go to work soon. "I told you, we'll talk later. Go now, your dad needs you in the office."

"No, he's not." Ritsu quickly answered.

"Ugh, just go! I don't want to be the reason for you coming late to the office!"

"Alright, alright!~ but..." Once again, Ritsu just stood there in front of Mio. She pouted her mouth, like begging for something, but Mio seemed to have no idea was that mean.

Mio frowned and raised her eyebrow, "What?" She asked.

"Gee, you think I didn't realize?" Hearing that, Mio rolling her eyes and bring herself closer to Ritsu's lips. Even though just a peck, Ritsu grinned happily. "Bye, bye, Honey~"

The next day. Tokyo University.

"Ne Mio-senpai, have Ritsu-senpai tell you about the Christmas' Eve party at Mugi-senpai's villa?" The pig-tailed girl asked as she walks side by side with her senior towards the campus' park. Weirdly, the senpai doesn't even give her any answer. She tried once again, "Mio-senpai? Hello?~" Waving her hand in front of Mio, the said girl finally shook her head softly.

"Oh, Azusa... I'm sorry, I was just wondering... Do you see Isshi around here? I haven't-"

"You too, Mio-senpai?" She cut Mio with another question.

Mio shot her back with a puzzled look, "What's that suppose to mean?" Mio asked.

"Nothing." She mumbled and sighed, "Anyhow, why suddenly asking about him?"

"He called me yesterday, saying that he had something to tell me. He also mentioned that it's urgent."

"Well, if you didn't notice or hearing me two days ago... You wouldn't ask me where is he now." That's even makes Mio more confuse than she already is. Seeing her senpai so confuse, Azusa sighing once again. "You really didn't hear what I said, did you, Mio-senpai?" Mio lowered her head and shaking it slowly. "It's okay, I can understand. Uhm, Minamoto-senpai had a new job and now he's having three days off from Uni since two days ago."

A new job...? Suddenly Mio remembered what Isshi had said to her yesterday. "Listen, I'm undercover now. We'll meet up tomorrow, twelve o'clock, at the cafe nearby the Uni. You need to address me as Doctor Minamoto Rizuki, okay?"

"Well, he said that to-" Before Azusa could finish her sentence, she was left alone. "Eh? Mio-senpai...?"

Tainaka Big Company.

"That wouldn't work. Remember the last time we decided to do that? It blows up."

The other man seemed to disagree with the idea, "So you were saying we need to take-"

He stopped when he heard the door just opened in the middle of the meeting. Everyone in the meeting room having their attention to the door. "Excuse me. Sorry for being late." A girl with a black-hair walking inside confidently and took her seat on the long table. The man who seat in the middle of the long table, smiling at the girl.

"Before we continue, I would like to introduce our new worker." He said as he stood up from his chair and held his hand to the black-haired girl's direction proudly. "Akiyama Mio. She'll join us with this new project about the location, the situation and also the person who'll run the new overseas company. It's really good to have you here, Akiyama-san."

Mio nodded and smiling gently to the entire businessman, then stood up from her chair. "Thank you very much for your welcome, Tainaka-san and also everyone." She bowed her body a bit in a lot of respect. "I hope we all can work together in this great project." She sat back on her seat and all the other man continues the meeting.

But somehow, a certain someone just chuckled. It was the man next to her. "I thought your dad is the one who will be joining us here." He whispered to the girl.

"Yeah, but he's not in a good term now. So I'll replace him." She smirked and whispered back to the man beside her.

The two didn't continue their little chit-chat, they knew this is a meeting and this is not a good time and place to talk about stuff.

An hour later.

"So as what Akiyama-san had advised, the new company will be in this country." He pointed at the screen, on the map. "Australia. We'll keep this meeting for the day after tomorrow and in the mean time, I hope you can finish your presentation about the situation and location, Akiyama-san." Mio nodded at him with a assuring smile. "And for you, Tainaka-san. You need to work together with Akiyama-san in this project."

Ritsu frowned, she knew what her father meant by that. "Alright." She easily replied.

"Very well. Now it's time for lunch, thanks for your time, gentleman."

Sighing in relief, Ritsu stood up from her chair and gave a sign to the girl next to her to follow her outside the meeting room. "Come with me for a sec." Mio nodded and followed Ritsu.

Sadly, before she could even walk to the door. Someone stopped Ritsu from doing that, "Wait, before you go I need to tell you something." Ritsu shot him with a knowing look. "For today, you only have an hour to have lunch."

"What? Why? Dad, I need to talk with Mio, a-about works. You said we needed to work well together, so in order to do that, we needed to know each other first."

"Using work as your excuse, Ritsu?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting you two, but all Ritsu-san said was right. Don't worry; I'll make sure he'll be back on time, Ryuuji-san." Mio reassured Ryuuji. Even though she knew that Ritsu wouldn't talk about a thing about work.

Ryuuji sighing deeply, "Alright, since it's you who will accompany Ritsu today. I'll let you have your usual lunch time."

"Alright, see ya after lunch!" Ritsu grabbed Mio's hand, but once again her dad stopped her. "What now, Dad?"

"I don't want to see you back here at three, just like yesterday. Understood?"

At the cafe.

"Hello? Isshi? Where are you?" Mio impatiently asked on the phone. She's been waiting for Isshi at the cafe nearby the Uni for thirty minutes already. "Just how lo-"

"Sorry! I got stuck with the traffic!" He sighed in relief.

Mio turned off her cell and put it back on her pocket. "I thought you're gonna get here before me. Whatever, just... tell me what do you know about them?"

"Okay, to the point. You know I've been working as a Doctor, right? And I said to you that I'm undercover, it's true. It really surprised me that my friend's father gave me this job so suddenly, it even surprised me more when I figured out that the patient I'll be taking care of is... the daughter of the Akiyama family." Mio looked speechless and Isshi can't even describe the expression written on Mio's face.

"Here's the-" CLANK! The waiter accidentally spilled the drink all over Mio's jeans.

Isshi instinctively stood up from his chair and shout at the waiter angrily. "Oi! What the heck are you doing! ?" He protested. "You okay, Mio?"

"My deepest apologize, Ma'am... L-let me-" When he's going to help Mio clean the stain on the jeans, Mio stopped him with a smile.

"That's okay." Mio sighed in defeat and stood up from her chair, "I'll go clean this up in the toilet, okay?"

"You'll be fine?"

"Of course. I'm just going to clean the stain and go back." And so be it. Mio walking towards the toilet, she cleaned the yellow stain on her jeans neatly. "How great is this? I think this stain can't be clean with water..." Just then, another girl came inside the toilet. Weirdly, the other girl seemed to have the same problem. Stain on the jeans, unless the other girl using a skirt. Coincidence or what?

"Were some waiter spilled your drink on your jeans?" The girl asked politely without even raising her head.

Neither did Mio, she's busy with the stain on the jeans. "Yeah, you too?"

"Well, not really. It's my companion; he's the one who accidentally spilled the drink on me." Once she finished, the girl raised her head and finally face Mio. She gasped, "Wow... you... you really..." She can't find the right word to describe it.

Until it made Mio facing back to the girl. Mio was shocked... "You really looked like me..." Mio's eyes went wide after she just blurted out her thoughts.

The two didn't bother to look away, they can't even do that. This sight was too unbelievable. Until a cell phone rang broke the silence, Mio checked her cell, but it wasn't hers. "Y-yes? Hello?"

"Gee, are you okay in there? The stain is not cleanable? You're in there for twenty minutes already."

"Ah, sorry. I... I'm finished..." The girl quickly made her way out of the toilet. Mio could only watched in disbelief, "I'm so sorry, Ritsu-san!" It felt even weirder when she heard the girl mentioned Ritsu's name.

Ritsu...? Did my ears heard wrong? My eyes are obviously not going wrong... Is she the girl Isshi was talking about? The daughter of the Akiyama family...

A/N: So yeah... another cliffhanger... Gyahahaha! I apologize for the delays (again)... I've told you, I'm gonna be so busy and the fics are gonna have more delays that it should be. Hope you guys can bear with it~

~Thanks for R&R~