* 'CLAMP School Detectives' is owned by CLAMP and others who own it. I only own the plot. This is the third chapter! It took a bit, haha. I thank 'James Birdsong' for reviewing my last chapter. Please RnR!!!!!

As you get older…

You will notice a person who keeps interfering into your life.

Not your parents, siblings, or friends.

That person is called a lover, admirer, or a killer.

In my case, he is a killer.

Every time I think about him, he gives me pain.

Every time I look at him, he gives me tears.

Every time I dream about him, he gives me anger.

Every time I say his name, he gives me regret.

But still, I feel well, whole, and even peaceful in contrast whether how much I feel negative.

It was a sunny day in the CLAMP campus, and a blue haired boy with well-built muscles was about to give a stinging comment to his life-long best-freind about slacking off from work, again.

"Look, Kaichou. What is up with you today? Is there something wrong? Be serious, Kaichou. You are now sixteen! Sixteen! You should be a role-model for the juniors!" Suoh exclaimed as if he couldn't help the frustration. 'I think there is something troubling him,' Takamura Suoh sighed. He have been Nokoru's best freind and bodyguard since elementary school, but he still didn't seem to get the hang of Nokoru's clouded emotions. "Is there something troubling you, Kaichou?" Suoh asked for the tenth time and added, "or is there another damsel in distress?" "Um, Takamura senpai?" liyujin Akira peeked behind Suoh's broad shoulders to look at Nokoru and the enormous paper work. "Yes, liyujin?" Suoh growled as he tried hard not to burst his temper.

"I think Kaichou has a problem. Didn't you notice the tension coming from him? I think something is indeed troubling him." Iiyujin prodded his words carefully as he handed an aspirin and some hot apple cider to Suoh. "Oh, thanks. liyujin. Its' just that a start of a new term makes everything so complicated. There are new paperworks to finish before Saturday plus, I can't stay in the council office until six o' clock." Suoh explained to the younger teen as he took a sip of his apple cider. Akira's eyes grew wide with curiousity and childish innocence that always made him look at least five years younger. "Why five o' clock, Takamura senpai? You usually stay in the office and finish extra work for tommorrow. I thought you were going to linger in the office until Kaichou finishes stamping all those documents!" Akira's pink lips blurted out the question as he made tippy-toes to look closer at Suoh's face which was in this case, burning red.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Nokoru opened his mouth for the first time in hours. "He has a lovely date with Nagisa san." He added with a gleeful smile and flipped open his fan that said in Japanese, 'How sweet.' In a split second Suoh's grim look faded and he fell down to the ground with a thump. "Tsk, tsk. Too much pressure is not good for a young man who has such a pretty girlfreind." Nokoru's mischevious grin came back, and fanned himself as he helped Suoh get back on his feet. "So, you were okay." Suoh growled sarcastically. 'I just can't read this man.' Suoh thought as he sighed and tried to clean the spilled apple cider. "It's okay, senpai. I can do it." Akira said in a cheerful voice and added. "That's really sweet. I heard from Utako san that Nagisa san needed your comfort since it's been a couple of days after Nagisa san's trip to New York for her flute concert. She must be tired. I guess I should make her a nice vanilla ice-cream with extra chocolate syrup, her favorite." "That is very nice of you. Nagisa will like that." Suoh said and he blushed slightly as he said her violet-haired girlfreind's name.

"Suoh, sometimes I am pretty jealous of you. It seems that you have so little amount of troubles compared to mine." Nokoru shifted his gaze towards the window of the council office. He always looked out the window in order to calm down his complicated and tangled feelings. 'At least, Suoh and Akira doesn't get kidnapped by strangers or has to agree to a family engagement.' He thought as he stared at the window. 'Nor they get weird nightmares.' "Um, Kaichou?" Suoh asked behind Nokoru's broad back. "If you are done staring at the window, you may start working now." Nokoru waked from his day-dreaming. "Oh, Suoh. I was just wondering if you guys wanted to go gliding with me right now." He wanted to change the subject and the tension of the room into gliding. "Yes, gliding would make me clear my mind for a bit. A good relaxation will do just fine," Nokoru remarked. Akira's usual cheerful smile changed into a serious one. "But, senpai. The lunch break is over and we have a lot of council duties to do." Akira's deep black eyes were full of concern and so was Suoh's. "Look, Kaichou. I know it have been like this since we were young, but we are not children anymore! We have a lot of resposibilities to take. It's different now. The whole CLAMP highschool district will expect better of you."

Nokoru ignored Suoh's concerned comments. He perfectly knew that Suoh and Akira were one-hundred percent correct, but something was keep nagging at the back of his mind. 'The dream!' Nokoru stared at the blue sky once more. He felt as if the sky was trying to tell him something, and begging him to come along. "I need to go gliding. If I finish my paperwork, can I go then?" Nokoru asked as he turned his back from the deep blue sky. Suoh and Akira looked at each other for a couple of seconds and stared at Nokoru. 'Did their anti-paperwork senpai just said that he was going to do paperwork in his own words just to go gliding? This was the first time in years! Were they dreaming? What a miracle!' As Suoh and Akira shaked their heads and pinched themselves to make sure this was actually real life, Nokoru already started working with his pen, writing rapidly. "Aren't you two working?" Nokoru queried. "Uh, yes, Kaichou!" Suoh and Akira said as if they were reciting a speech essay.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Time ticked by as the three CLAMP highschool council worked their tails off. Both Suoh and Akira pinched themselves a couple of more times as if they coudln't believe what was happening to their blond senpai. Akira turned his head towards Nokoru who was stamping through papers with extreme speed, and looked at Suoh. Their eyes met. "Are you done?" Suoh whispered to Akira. "Not even close." Akira whispered back, and said. "Look at Kaichou. The documents in the out-box is starting to thin out. For the first time too!" Suoh looked gleeful."Yeah, I think there is actually something weird about Kaichou today. If he just do his paperwork in this speed, I won't be late for my date and perpare a special event for Nagisa chan!" Suoh's voice was full of hopes and he saw a small grin curving around Nokoru's lips. He has heard. "Yes," Suoh breathed out these words with victory and triumph. Akira gave Suoh a thumbs up sign and got back to work. 'It's not even three o' clock yet,' Akira wondered as he shifted his penetrating raven gaze towards the clock.

"Done!" Nokoru exclaimed as he punched the paper-free desk with his fist. He thrashed the hard wooden desk pretty hard, but he couldn't feel the pain. 'Finally. I am done with that lousy paperwork before four o' clock!' The raidiant azure eyes looked slowly at his companions triumphantly. Suoh and Akira's jaws dropped in awe and surprise. "Ho, ho, ho, how." Suoh stammered. "Di, di, di, did." Akira stammered with Suoh. "You do it?" They both exclaimed as they both rose from their chairs at the same time. Nokoru laughed. 'Their faces make me laugh. It is just a nightmare after all. I don't have to worry about it.' Nokoru comforted himself with his perfect laugh. "So, shall we go?" Nokoru prompted. "Uh, yes, Kaichou!" Suoh and Akira recited the same phrase again. Nokoru flipped open his fan and pointed at the door. "Then let the blimp be ready!"

2:00 p.m. Tokyo Tower 4th floor

Kira looked herself in the dressing room mirror. She've stripped herself from her dirty hoody and skin-tight skinny jeans. Instead, her lithe body was covered in a snow-white kimono, and her petite shoulders were covered with a thin shawl that made her look small and weak. "I can't even walk properly in this, so tight." Kira complained to herself quietly, since there were no Hendrickson, Joseph, of any of her Danish freinds around to complain or whine. She stifled a sigh as she gave another quick glance to her reflection. 'I look so pale and unhealthy, even ugly.' Kira mumbled some of Joseph's choicable swear words under her breath. It was obvious that she looked pale and unhealthy because she haven't touched any breakfast or lunch today. Ever since she heard about her father's death, she tried hard not to spill any tears in front of other people. That was her nickname at her last school. Tearless, steelheart, etc, etc. It became her habit sooner or later. Kira's belly growled with hunger, but she ignored it. She couldn't feel any hunger anyway even though her legs shook from lack of energy.

"Kira san? Are you ready yet? The funeral has started!" The motherly voice of Rijichou came from outside of the dressing room. "Yes, I'm coming!" Kira called loudly and bravely as possible. A shopping bag that held her clothes in one hand and Memory in the other, she opened the door. "Let's go, Memory. I will introduce you to Otto-san. If, if he can hear me." As Kira walked swiftly to meet the woman who wore a white kimono, she clicked open her locket and gave a small wink to the photo. "May I introduce to my husband Kira san?" Rijichou's cherry red lips curved into an apologetic smile as she stood aside. Kira then noticed a handsome man in his forties, but the man looked like he was still in his thirties. There were no wrinkles in his face and his hair was the color of honey gold which was neat against his brow. Kira's amber eyes met the pearly blue ones of the man and held out her hand. "Kotobuki Kira, desu." She murmured politely. The master of the Imonoyama zabitsu shook her hand warmly. "So you are the young lady who flew off to Denmark nine years ago. I had a lot of problem finding you. I postponed all my regular schedule to meet you today, and I am sorry."

Kira let go of the man's hand and said the same reply that she said last night. "It's alright, Imonoyama san. I'm fine." Rijichou put her white hand on Kira's shoulders. "The funeral has started. I think we can discuss this later." Kira nodded in agreement and walked slowly with the two, tall and gorgeous adults. Kira hugged Memory closer to her. 'Help me. This is the first time in nine years. My father didn't love me. He didn't care for me either. He didn't leave anything for me. He never even give me a phone call for nine years, but why do I feel so grievous? Why am I sad?' Kira shifted her glance to her thin wrists. Her blood vein showed slightly beneath her almost transparent skin. 'Just because I am related to him, doesn't mean that I should love him. Hendrickson san is the one who made me survive my harsh childhood, who gave me this personality! Not my father. I have only felt Otto-san's love for seven years, but still, I can't walk away from love.' Kira cleared her mind as she pushed open the double doors where her once beloved father lay in peace.

The Imonoyamas looked at her uncertainly as if they were expecting Kira to cry, but she didn't even spill a drop of water from her eyes, instead both of her hands rounded into a tight fist. Kira's gentle footsteps barely made any sound on the soft wood as she slowly walked toward the casket. Creak. There he was her father whom she missed and waited for so many years. Then came the anger. 'You dumped me in a foreign country with a retired old man, and now you give me this? Speak to me! Is this all I get? Grief and pain like last time? Do you know how many crimes you have done to your only daughter? You stole my freind, ruined my relationship, and made me into an heartless freak! Do you even know how hard it is to force a smile when I want to cry out loud? Don't you dare think you are going to get away with your treachery just because you dropped dead.' Kira's thoughts whirled inside her brain with hatred and anger, but beneath the enmity and loathing, she felt true sorrow and lamentation of losing the only family member she had.

As the funeral bells rang around the funeral parlor, Kira bowed down to her knees two times in front of her father's photo. (It is just a Japanese tradition to bow twon times to honor the dead spirit.) She felt pity for herself and for her father as she poured some liquor in a small cup made of jade. (This is also one of the funeral traditions in Japan.) 'I am sorry for what I said Otto-san. Will you forgive me? I need your help. Please look down at me from heaven and help me overcome my fears. I am still afraid.' Kira murmured a silent prayer as she grasped her palm tighter from shaking. Her father's portrait was smiling broadly at her. This photo was taken when Kira's mother was still alive. 'I'll miss you. Say hi to Okka-san for me. Good bye.' A single tear ran down her damp cheeks as she burned the last memories of her father away forever.

Afraid...

Alone...

Dark...

Change...

3:30 Tokyo Tower, the top most floor

A girl was walking down a narrow corridor still in a tight, white, and simple kimono. There was no one in the corridor only lines and lines of portraits of former CEOs of the tower. The corridor was almost dark. The only light it made was the sunlight that filtered thorugh from the huge windows which were located at the left side of the corridor. The funeral was almost at an end and Kira thought that she needed some alone time. She crouched down and put her head down into Memory's sweet smelling hair. "It's a dream. It's a dream. It's a dream. I, if I wake up, I will be at my bedroom in Hendrickson san's cottage, and who knows? Maybe Otto-san will come back from Tokyo! Yes, and I can go to the movies with Janie and Lizzy in the morning. Hang out at Joseph's at lunch, and have a sleepover at Rosemary's. Then tomorrow, I can go to the carnival with Otto-san and Hendrickson san! Please, this is just a nightmare. Wake up!" Kira opened her eyes with a flash, her bright amber eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. As soon as the orange glow met its' reflection, the bright flash that was full of hopes vanished. Kira slowly got up without holding on to Memory. "How can I be so stupid? Come on, this is not that horrible. Think positive!" Kira urged herself as she tried to pull back her tears, and looked down at Memory instead. "Help me, Memory. When will I be able to smile just like you?"

The CLAMP blimp 3:45

In the blimp, Nokoru sipped slowly at his herb tea with Suoh sitting beside him, and Akira gazed at the window and exclaimed. "We are getting closer. I guess we should get ready for our flight. Anyway, the Tokyo Tower still looks enormous!" Suoh laughed his rare laugh. "Iiyujin, do you remember when we went gliding four years ago? You didn't change."Nokoru made a slight smile on his lips too. "That is why president Ohkawa adores him!" This made Akira blush in deep red. "Ka, Kaichou. That's so embarassing!" Suoh and Nokoru chuckled. "Well, I have something to tell you guys." Nokoru said in a more quiet voice as he fanned himself from the noise he made. "What is it?" Suoh asked as he turned his golden eyes toward Nokoru and Akira's raven eyes did the same, both round and curious. Nokoru started to talk about his dream, but he only made an awkward silence by opening his nicely curved mouth by shutting them again. "Well?" Akira prompted. "I just wanted to say that I wanted to go gliding because I just felt that the sky is calling for me." Nokoru said abruptly. 'It's not a lie anyway, I have a strange urge to go gliding too.' Nokoru glanced at the window again which showed a wide sky with puffy clouds. 'It's a great weather for gliding anyway.' Nokoru sipped his tea some more, 'but why do I have this bad feeling?'

"We are almost ready for take off, Imonoyama san," the voice came from the cockpit. "We will ready the gliders in the flight deck."

"Now," Nokoru sipped the last mouthful of his tea and stood up, and Suoh and Akira did the same, as the three teenagers walked swiftly to the deck.

Whoosh. The wind blew hard in the atmosphere outside of the deck. "Take off!" Nokoru yelled excitedly against the roaring wind, and took the lead. As he jumped down to the clear blue sky, he flew straight towards the Tokyo Tower. "Kaichou, don't go too close to the building, and please be careful!" Suoh's scream drowned from the current of the wind, and Nokoru didn't seem to hear Suoh's warning. Akira was happy as usual. "I can see the whole CLAMP city from here, senpai!" He yelled out the words as if he was in great delight like an innocent child. "The cars are tinier than my thumb!" Akira made a irrepressible laugh and took up more speed to his glider. "Tokyo Tower up-ahead, 78m." Nokoru's left part of the glider said in a robot like way. "Such reminiscence." Nokoru said to himself slowly as he looked behind him. Akira was trying to speed up his glider as his, and Suoh was flying under him. 'Suoh is being too protective. I glided for years and never fell even once.' Nokoru made a small sigh, and gazed at the Tokyo Tower.

As his clear blue eyes scanned the floors of the Tokyo tower, he could tell that most people were wearing black and white. "I didn't know black and white was the new fashion style. How weird?" Nokoru uttered the words as he gazed more intently at the black and white crowd. "No, this is a funeral." He just couldn't help pitying the people and could feel his heart aching as he noticed some women in the crowd. The scene of the people in black and white reminded Nokoru about the old lady whom he saved from distress as he flew upwards. 'So this was the bad feeling I had in the blimp.' Nokoru wondered peacefully as he scanned the hollow corridor of the tower's top most floor. The peace in his face soon faded and it got replaced by surprise and sorrow. He didn't expect another lady in tears. There she was. A damsel in a pure white kimono stood out from the dark background. Her left hand was in a tight fist and she was covering her lips with her right palm. Nokoru didn't need to see the woman's mouth to tell that her lips were trembling. Nokoru couldn't help himself from flying closer to the tower.

He quickly noticed that the woman was very young, maybe in his age, and her hair was in a loose bun that looked pretty messy, yet natural. The girl's eyes were tightly closed, her lashes wet, and she looked so fragile that she looked as if she will break into pieces any moment. Nokoru's own eyes tingled with sorrow as he could feel the pain from the despairing figure. He was so close to the tower, but he didn't dare slow down as if the tower itself was a gigantic magnet. There he was flying in the warmth of the bright afternoon sunshine, and there she was weeping in the pitch black corridor. Nokoru just stared at the crying person as if hoping that she will feel comfort from his tender looks. It felt as if he was dreaming again, only better. He wanted to break the thin glass that was parting him and the girl to just simply hug her in his warm arms and comfort her, but his peaceful daydream shattered like fragile glass as the girl flashed her eyes open.

His daydream turned into lastnight's nightmare all over again. Her amber eyes were glowing much more fiery than the dream because of the bright sun, but there weren't any ferocity or detest from the intense gaze. Still, he could feel that her gaze was searing him as if he was really on fire. Despite of the cool breeze in the air, his body was soon full of sweat and Nokoru could feel his cheeks growing all red. 'I'm on fire. I'm burning!' Yet, he could not feel any pain, only a hot sensation. His adam's apple tingled uneasily and his hands gripped tightly on the handle bars as thay were slipping from sweat. 'No, this can't be happening. It feels as if she is looking through me! Is she reading my thoughts?' Nokoru thought frantically , but he just couldn't fly back to Suoh and Akira. He couldn't shift his stiff body or use his proffessional gliding moves to turn back. The only thing he could do was to remain his gaze to look at the thin white figure, and the figure looked back at him slowly. 'What should I do. I can't move. This is my nightmare all over again. It wasn't just a dream. I would fall now sooner or later.' Nokoru thought in despair.

"Kaicohu?" A familliar voice rang behind Nokoru's back, and Nokoru's attention to the amber eyes faded.

"Kaichou, it's getting chilly. We must go back." It was Suoh, flying gently beside Nokoru.

"Oh, uh, yeah that's right." Nokoru replied feeling stupid as he took this moment an opportunity to turn his back to the tower. "What were you looking at, senpai?" Akira chirped cheerfully as he glided gracefully next to Suoh. "Can't you see? She is right," Nokoru stammered as turned his glider towards the enormous glass windows where the girl have been standing. "There," Nokoru ended his phrase with his mouth hanging open. There wasn't any sight of a human being in the window. Only a single, elegant, and gorgeous European doll sitting on a corner. 'Where did she go? No, no it can't be.' Nokoru wondered as he flew back to the blimp with Suoh and Akira. 'A person can't transform into a doll, it's impossible. Why do I still want to see her when I felt so afraid just looking at her?' Nokoru had an urge to fly back to the tower in search for the mysterious girl, but he paused as he looked back at his fellow companions. 'Why do I feel pain when I see her? My heart still aches.'

Imonoyama Nokoru wasn't the only one who carried an aching heart. Away from the sunlight, away from the warmth sat a fragile looking figure crouched in a corner, it's body trembling from head to toe. "Who, who was that. Could it be?" Kotobuki Kira whimpered to herself as she peered cautiously to the window, but instead of looking directly thorugh the glass, she paused. Her minds blurring here and there as her thoughts whirled crazily like a roller-coaster. 'I'am scared, afraid. I don't want to him to see me in this state!' Kira gulped slowly and glanced at the window. He was gone. She laughed loudly, almost as if she was mad. As the chocalate colored hair whipped freely from the tight clasp, Memory's azure eyes blinked twice. Kira hugged Memory firmly in her arms and stared straight at her reflection with her hair flowing down to her waist. 'I looked so weak and hopeless when my hair was stuck in that stupid clasp! This is the real me!' She promised herself as her reflection laughed like a person who just won a lottery. 'If I have to face Nokoru and ignore him for the rest of my life, I should stay strong.'

'I'm a different person now. Acting always worked. It worked in Denmark when my Okaa-san went to heaven, but will it work now?

Everything will be okay.'

Click, click, click.

The sound of her shoes rang around the walls as her childish chuckle vibrated through the damp, dark, lonely, and grievious corridor.

That was the beginning of my change. A different me.

Ha, ha, ha...

CLAMP high school district council office 5:45

Tap, tap, tap...

"Takamura senpai, don't you think Kaichou looks even more anxious from the gliding trip? I am so worried. Should I give him some anti-biotics? I mean, if he is sick or something." The raven haired treasurer prompted gently as he shifted uneasily in his seat next

to the secretary with the blue-hued hair. "I don't think we have to worry that much Iiyujin. If Kaichou is indeed troubled, he will ask for our help." Suoh replied as he took his jacket from the rack. "Maybe he has seen another damsel in distress. Ja ne." Suoh took off, his feet light as a feather as he half ran, half walked to his lover. Akira sighed at the closing doors which held the presence of Suoh just seconds ago. 'He changes so much whenever Nagisa san is included. Oh, well that is the same for me and Utako chan, right?' As Akria watched Nokoru pace back and forth, then back and forth again, he decided to just ignore Nokoru. 'I won't be able to read his thoughts unless I become Imonoyama Nokoru himself.' "Um, Kaichou. We need to go now, or do you want to stay a bit more? I can fix some dinner at the terrace." No reply. "Imonoyama senpai!" Akira yelled, but his scream was barely louder than his usual voice since he rarely yelled. Still, no reply. Akira sighed, then decided to make a plan. Akira guessed that he knew Nokoru enough.

"Look Kaichou! There is a lady in tears!" Akira yelled more loudly. Luckily, Nokoru have heard. "Oh, gomen, Akira. I will try to concentrate on what you say from now on." Nokoru apologized although he still looked as if he was still lost in his thoughts. "Aren't you going to look for the lady in tears?" Akira asked even though he knew it was a lie and he felt guilty. "You know there is no lady in tears right now Akira. At least, not here in the campus. I can't feel any sign of a female crying." Nokoru finally replied as he shook his head as if he was trying to shake off a bad omen. Akira suddenly felt a rush of respect and reverence toward the older council president. 'How can he tell?' As if Nokoru read Akira's thoughts he took his own coat from the coat rack and walked towards Akira. "Don't be guilty, Akira. It is my fault not yours. I just feel a bit gloomy today that's all. Don't worry." Nokoru said warmly. While Akira gaped in surprise, Nokoru turned off the lights of the council office. "Coming?" Nokoru asked Akira in his usual kind voice, but it couldn't stop Akira stop wondering what was wrong with Nokoru.

'Should I tell Akira what I saw back at the tower? But, no. That won't be fair to Suoh. I guess I should keep it to myself.' Nokoru was lost in his thoughts again back in the limousine with Akira gone as he twirled his cell in his smooth hand. He looked at himself at the car window and was half glad that his driver was so intense on driving because of the heavy traffic. Nokoru couldn't help himself from thinking of the two glowing amber eyes, now the color of crimson from the glowing sun. He shook his head, ruffling his perfect golden hair. 'This is not just a coincidence. Not just a dream! I could have just forgotton those glowing pair of eyes, and now I can see them everywhere! When will this stop? Who was that person anyway? Where did she go?' Nokoru took a deep breath as he closed his own blue eyes tightly, as if shutting his eyes tightly would stop him from seeing the amber ones.

'Yes, I won't see them now, but..' Now, the image of the girl weeping appeared in view and he felt his heart aching

Then, another scene appeared in view. A familiar image slowly slipping as if it was one of his images like his dream. The image was covered in thick fog and every time Nokoru tried to take a glimpse of what was behind the mist, he failed. The only thing that seem to catch his eyes was a thin figure. In the darkness, with all of his senses thrown in with the mist, Nokoru could hear something from the figure. 'Dark, scared, lonely. alone, despair...' 'Who are you?' Nokoru mouthed, and when he almost saw the outline of the figure's face, a loud, booming voice woke him from his imaginary concentration.

"Nokoru sama, we have arrived." Nokoru blinked twice before he shook his head a bit to concentrate on real life again. "Thanks for the ride, um." Nokoru paused as he looked at his driver more closely. 'That is weird. Saku san is usually my own driver in school days,' Nokoru thought. "You are not Saku san? Are you a new driver?" He asked politely at the young driver. The man looked like a body-guard than a driver. "Saku san, couldn't come today because of a special errand for Rijichou." The driver answered flatly as if he was trying to be all man-like. Nokoru thanked the man politely again for the nice ride and walked toward the grand doors of his family's estate. 'Rijichou is on a special errand?' Nokoru thought curiously his mind away from the weeping girl, but somehow, his footsteps seemed light as a feather despite of the troubling gliding trip. Masaharu san, one of the Imonoyama's gardener was busy doing the finishing touches of the hedge maze. "Good evening, Masaharu. I see those hedges are almost done, I believe. What is it for?" Nokoru asked in a childish manner. "What is it for? What do you mean, what is it for. It's for entertainment, ne? You go in and get lost, and come back out again. Simple isn't it? I made it extra challenging for our master's brains! Such brains!" Masaharu exclaimed in his usual bad-tempered voice. Nokoru chuckled slightly. How hard his gardener tried to advance the level of the maze, all of the Imonoyamas found it extremely easy.

Ca-thump.

The grand marble doors opened and Nokoru was again welcomed by the bowing maids and housekeepers who were in a straight line. "Good evening, Nokoru sama," they chorused in an orderly fashion. "Good evening, ladies, gentlemen." Nokoru acknowledged them as he handed his school uniform coat to a random maid. "Your brothers and sisters are all in the living room sir." The maid who received the coat said in a squeaky voice. Nokoru's pure blue eyes turned round and his mouth hung open. "Really?" He said in surprisement as he dashed off to the living room as fast as he could. Nokoru couldn't believe of what he just heard. He didn't receive any signs about the visit of his brothers and sisters. Being the youngest child was sometimes very boring, since he was the only male in the family who didn't take part in his family's buisness because he was still a student. Plus, Nokoru himself didn't really want to take part in his family's buisness. He was in fact more intrested in CLAMP Gakuen, the school he adored since elementary. Both of his brothers, 'Aidoru' and 'Shoji' were traveling different parts in Europe, Asia, and North America in order to increase their comapany. His eldest sister 'Shinaka', who was currently married to the emperor's grandson came home too! As for his youngest sister 'Midori', who was only two years older than him also came back from her trip to California.

Nokoru pushed open the anicient Japanese doors which lead to the grand living room. "Konbangwa, Nokoru kun. Long time no see, eh?" Aidoru and Shoji hugged him tightly while Shinaka and Shoji laughed gently as they put their delicate hands on Nokoru's shoulders. "Wow Nokoru kun! Look how much you have grown since I left to the castle. You are taller than Aidoru now," Shinaka said sarcastically. "Shinaka chan! I missed you so much, and Midori chan." Nokoru said as he winked at his two older brothers who were giving their sisters a jealous look. "Well, well Nokoru kun. Here is a present for you from California," Midori said as she handed Nokoru a small giftbox wrapped in red wrapping paper. "You shouldn't have." Nokoru said as he glanced at his sister uneasily. 'Midori haven't changed.' The gift was a golden watch that had an elegant emblem of an angel on the bottom. "Wow, Midori. Arigato." Nokoru smiled at Midori as he unhooked his silver watch and replaced it with a new one, and glanced at the table behind Midori. "You have another present?" Nokoru asked when he noticed a bigger giftbox wrapped in blue wrapping paper. "Oh, that is for our guest." Shoji answered brightly. "We have a guest?" Nokoru asked curiously, his curiosity nerve bursting open. "Who is it?" Nokoru looked around the large living room once more. There was no sight of a new guest.

"I'll give you a hint," Aidoru said. "Our guest is a female." Nokoru's brain buzzed with puzzlement, then groaned. "Another damsel from the fiance list?" Nokoru was half glad when all four of his siblings shook their heads. "Not quite, she is not your fiance, but she is a daughter from a couple who was our parents' freinds." Shoji explained in a calm expression. Nokoru could already imagine the apearance of the new guest. The only thing he had to do was to just think about the girls who visited the Imonoyama estate a couple of times to win over his heart. All of their parents had a connection with his parents, and all of them were exceedingly pretty. Just like a model. Just like any celebrities from Hollywood, but at the last moment he just didn't want to select a fiance since he is a true lady's man, right? Anyway, this new guest seems to be a daughter from an extremely rich family. Obviously, the only people who would befreind his parents should be either rich or wealthy, I mean what's the difference? Okay, so she would have a perfect face, a fabulous body, and a shy manner. Nokoru himself have been kind to those ladies all the time. He never said 'no', and eventually they fell for him very easily. He expected this girl to be predictable, fiance or not. His guess was always right anyway.

"So, where is she? I am looking forward to meet her." Nokoru asked carefully trying hard to keep his mind closed from his genious brothers and sisters. "I don't know. She was right here with us before you came in didn't she, Shinaka?" Midori leaped gently from the elegant feather sofa as she cocked her head to one side, facing Shinaka. "Yeah, she was right here. Oh, maybe she wandered off somewhere. Gosh, do we have to organize a search party?" Shinaka made a small frown worriedly. 'Oh, so she's lost. Guess she will be terrified right now.' Nokoru wasn't so surprised by the sudden news, since there once was an occasion about a large group of reporters from a radio station lost in the basement of the Imonoyama estate, but they were always found quickly, in a blink of an eye.

"Well, I guess I should take a part in the search. I just can't keep still if a beautiful damsel is in need. I'll search the backyard first." Nokoru ignored the soft giggles from Shinaka and Midori as he leaped off from the balcony to the backyard which was lit with rows and rows or romantic candlelights. "Where are you, princess?" Nokoru asked to himself, his lips curving into a mischevious smile. During the amusing search and patrols in the backyard, Nokoru laughed quite a few times when he tumbled on the grass in exhaustion, but the crimson eyes and the figure still lingered in the back of his head. For a few minutes, Nokoru just lay there forgetting the important search of the new guest, but he soon leaped back to his feet. "Maybe she is inside. Guess I should just go in. Oh man, it's getting so cold out here." Nokoru shivered since he had no coat to protect him from the hissing winds, but as soon as he turned his heels towards the balcony, a sweet harp song tingled his ears.

Music that seemed to trap and seize his body in place...

Voice that seemed to waft and dull his senses...

Song that seemed to control and penetrate his mind...

Someone who seemed to wait and yearn for him...