Thank you for all your lovely reviews :3 Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

"Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time."

Chapter 5

This was not how Furihata imagined he'll be spending his weekend.

He had planned on lazing around in the morning then maybe calling the guys to play some street basketball. His brother was spending the day at some onsen trip for the teachers at school. But, certainly, being dragged by Momoi to go shopping for a suit at a prestigious shop he normally would have never set foot in, in his pajamas no less, hadn't been one of those plans at all.

"Hmmm," Momoi repeated once again, while circling the uncomfortable Furihata. She placed a finger on her chin, eyed the fabric of the suit then shook her head.

"It's just so plain. And black is clearly not your color," She finally concluded.

Furihata sighed as he was pushed again in the dressing room with another suit to try on. He couldn't understand all the fuss about the suits; they all looked the same to him. He came to know that Momoi was quite intense when switching her 'stylist mood' on.

The suit he put on this time was a dark grey one. Momoi looked at him with a calculating look, and then a smile played on her lips as she nodded once at him.

"Yup! This one would do," She said and nodded again and Furihata could finally sigh in relief. "But we have to do some adjustments for a better fitting, it should be done by the time of the party though,"

Furihata blinked in confusion. It was a bizarre enough situation to come shopping for a suit in the first place, but for the suit to be bought for the purpose of attending Akashi's birthday party next week, it didn't make sense at all, not to him at least.

"Why do I have to wear a suit to a birthday party?" He finally voiced his question, but was soon to regret it.

Aomine, who was leaning his back on one of the racks, burst out in laughter and Momoi clutched one hand to her stomach as she chuckled. Furihata felt like he had asked a stupid question and could only redden in confusion and embarrassment.

"W-what's so funny?!" He asked, flustered.

"Oh, Furi-chan, you're so cute!" Momoi said as she hugged him, but when she pulled away she looked at him with a sad smile.

"Parties in the Akashi family are never normal. They are so formal, nothing fun at all,"

Furihata felt the need to do something to free her of the solemn expression on her face. But, he was never good at comforting girls, or actually any one for the matter. Before he could utter whatever words his brain could construct, a tan hand was placed on top of Momoi's head.

Momoi glanced up at Aomine who stood next to her, her expression softened almost instantly and Furihata was dazed for a bit by the warm look in her eyes.

"You should be more worried about meeting Akashi's dad than the party itself,"

The sweet moment was cut short by Aomine, and Momoi's expression shifted into one of annoyance as she punched his arm. Not that it really did any damage, though, but at least it got her point across.

"Don't scare him like that!" She scolded with a pout and Aomine just tsked and turned to look away.

"It's the truth anyway,"

Furihata completely forgot that it was Akashi's dad who wanted to meet him and never stopped to actually think about why he wanted to What kind of person was he for Aomine to say such a comment? He remembered Akashi, too, wasn't so keen on the idea, but never said a thing about it.

It could also be that Furihata never gave him a chance to say anything, as he was mostly avoiding him for the past week.

Whenever he was around the redhead, his heartbeats would take a rhythm different from its usual one. Furihata wasn't that naive as to not know why, but Akashi seemed as composed as ever and he continued to act as if nothing had happened, and to be the only one affected by Akashi's unexplained actions, was frustrating.

Furihata couldn't deny the growing admiration he felt towards him, Akashi was one of the smartest and gentlest people he ever met after all. But, Furihata's history with romance wasn't glorious in any way, and none of his past interests shared a possible fatal curse with him. He doubted it was the time to address the issue of a possible crush when their situation was as complex as it is with eleven misfortunes left to overcome.

Nevertheless, the feeling of wanting to know more about Akashi remained the same. Even if he was to come face to face with his obviously fearful father, the party was the perfect place to learn more of his life.

"Look out!"

Furihata was jolted out of his thoughts by Momoi's voice.

But before he could begin to understand the source of her panic, a tall, built figure stood before him and shielded him from the large mirror which apparently was falling on him. Aomine took in a deep breath and set the mirror back in its place. He didn't even want to think about what Akashi would have done if he failed in protecting Furihata.

"Thank you for saving me!" Furihata said with a bow when Aomine turned to look at him. The taller male scratched his neck.

"It's nothing. But jeez, it would have been 7 years of bad luck if the mirror broke! You're jinxed enough as it is!" He remarked while glancing at the 6 foot tall mirror.

Furihata laughed nervously.

"You have no idea, Aomine-san,"

If Furihata was nervous when he entered the formal clothing shop, then he was downright terrified when the limousine that came to escort him to the party stopped before a 5 star hotel located in the financial and business area of Tokyo.

One of the hotel's staff, dressed in a black tux, lead him into the hall where the party was going to be held. Furihata's eyes widened as he scanned the place. It looked like something straight out of a movie or one of those novels he always liked to read. The walls of the spacious hall were of golden color, and from the middle of the ceiling, a magnificent crystal chandelier dangled above the dance floor.

The hall was already filled with people, even though there was still some time before the party was due. Furihata found himself scanning the crowd, unconsciously looking for the familiar mob of red hair he came to miss seeing during the past couple of days. Akashi had been absent from school for the sake of attending a few meetings with his father while he was in Tokyo and so left the mission of keeping Furihata safe to Aomine and Momoi who appointed themselves as Furihata's new 'stalkers' in place of Akashi.

Furihata's heart was nagging at him though, he couldn't tell what it was, but something didn't feel right and he was genuinely worried about Akashi.

All those worries disappeared though, the minute his eyes found him standing near the stage.

Unlike Furihata who felt foreign in a place such as this one, Akashi looked at home wearing his expensive tux which was clearly tailored just for him. But even though he was smiling as he spoke with his companion; his eyes seemed more tired than usual which re-sparked the worry in Furihata's eyes.

As if sensing Furihata's stare, Akashi stopped talking mid-sentence and turned to look at the brunet staring intently at him and their eyes met. It could be Furihata's wishful thinking, or maybe it was his mind playing games with him, but he could almost swear Akashi's eyes lit up the moment they caught his.

Akashi's expression softened from a slight shock into a smile as his eyes took in Furihata's outfit for the evening. His usual messy strands were styled this time, which made him seem a bit more mature. Momoi couldn't have chosen a better suit for the brunet, the red tie she'd made him wear complimented his hazel eyes and there was no denying it was Akashi's favorite color and he loved seeing it on Furihata. Entrusting this job to her was not a mistake.

He motioned for the brunet to come closer with his hand, the action seemed to jolt Furihata out of his daze as he averted his eyes from Akashi's, a small blush on his face. The reaction send mixed feelings into Akashi's heart. While the flustered expression on Furihata's face was becoming something Akashi found extremely endearing, he knew it was because of his brother's thoughtless 'comforting' gestures. It felt unnerving to be avoided because of things he didn't commit.

Furihata walked to where Akashi was standing and it was then that he took a good look at his companion. He was tall, taller than 6 foot perhaps and had green hair. He was holding a drink in his right hand, but in his tapped left one, he held a pink blush toy. Furihata stared at the oddly familiar toy before his memory finally flipped a card.

"Midorima-sensei?!" Furihata said, louder than he intended. Midorima didn't seem fazed by his outburst and only adjusted his glasses.

Akashi chuckled. "Our parents are business partners. We've known each other for quite some time," He explained.

"Oh," Furihata said, unsure of how to reply to this new information.

"I should take my leave now, Akashi. Other guests would want to talk to you, I'm glad to know you are well," Midorima said with a small duck of his head and excused himself, leaving Furihata and Akashi alone.

"How have you been, Furihata?" Akashi asked with a smile. Furihata tensed a bit now that the conversation was directed at him.

"I'm fine!" He said, louder than he intended. He calmed down a bit and stared in Akashi's eyes. "Hoe have you been?"

"I'm well. I had to attend rather lengthy meetings, but it was rewarding in its own way. But I have to say I quite missed protecting you from falling objects," He chuckled. "I trust you were fine under Aomine and Momoi's care?"

The mentions of the pair eased the tension from Furihata's shoulders and he laughed, clutching a hand to his stomach. "Aomine-san kept glaring at the guys at the cafe and Momoi-san couldn't stop teasing Riko-san and suggesting a new new uniform for the cafe workers," He calmed down a bit, the giggles melting into a soft smile. "They are good people,"

"As you are,"

Akashi's simple comment caused Furihata's face to heat up. He lowered his head to avoid Akashi's gaze, but instantly he heard the guy before him sigh which made him look at Akashi again. He had a disappointed look on his face as his fingers tugged at a strand of Furihata's hair.

"Listen to me, Furihata. There's something you should know," Akashi let go of his hair and his expression turned serious. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now," Furihata listened intently.

But before Akashi could continue, one of the butlers approached him and informed him of the arrival of important guests that wished to see him. The redhead sighed and dismissed the man, telling him he'd be right there.

"Furihata, wait for me by the buffet. Try not to speak to anyone who approaches you as long as I'm not there," Akashi commanded softly. Furihata nodded. "We'll continue at some other time," He said in a low voice and left to attend to his guests. Furihata made his way to the buffet tables.

Furihata sighed as he leaned on the table behind him. He certainly did feel out of place, not only because he was positively sure anyone in this room either owned a big company or was close enough to Akashi's family to be invited here, but because they were much older than him. The youngest looking guest was Midorima-sensei and even he was seven years older than Furihata. Despite the apparent age-gap, Furihata looked at Akashi as he spoke to each one of them with ease, a gentle smile plastered on his face. The older men were clearly engaged in whatever they were talking about.

So far, the party has only shown him once again, how different he is to Akashi.

Furihata sighed again and turned to look at the food spread across the table. Momoi had been on his case since early in the morning and so he didn't have enough time to eat a proper meal. The food was mouth-watering and it was such a waste not to taste it.

He grabbed a nearby plate and started placing a bit of everything he wanted to eat. But when he reached for the last mini burger, another larger hand grabbed it before Furihata.

Furihata glanced up at the owner of the hand and came across a pair of red eyes looking straight into his. They both awkwardly stared at each other before the man with red eyes broke their contact to look at Furihata's half-full plate. He shook his head and placed a couple of mini burgers, from his own impressive pile of food, on Furihata's plate.

"You should eat more! That's way too little!" The stranger commented and stuffed one of his own burgers in his mouth.

"Ah, no...umm...T-thank you..." Furihata trailed off. The man before him grinned.

"Kagami, Kagami Taiga, oh and don't worry about it," Kagami said. Furihata found himself returning Kagami's grin with a smile of his own.

Kagami's built was similar to Aomine's, if not even more built than him. His hair was a dual color of red and black and except the weird shape of his eyebrows, that man was handsome. He seemed unused to those events as Furihata was, if him tugging on his tie every other second was anything to go by.

"I'm Furihata Kouki, thank you again, Kagami-san," Furihata said with another smile. Kagami looked sheepish for a bit, scratching the back of his neck.

"I told you it's fine! The food is the only good thing in those parties anyway," He said as he eyed the dance floor where couples were dancing to the slow tune. Furihata wasn't very fond of the party either, but it was not as bad as he feared it'll be.

"You were talking with Akashi earlier, are you a friend of his?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah...you can say so," Furihata replied. Kagami raised a brow at Furihata's answer but said nothing more.

The two ate their food in mutual silence.

"Seriously, Can you believe the Akashi family?" A guy said as he walked to the buffet table. His companion grabbed a plate and started placing some food on it.

"Right? Pulling this kind of thing for a 17 year old kid? People with too much money to spare sure are lucky,"

"Everyone is kissing up to him, you know? It's nice having everything in life served to you on a silver platter,"

Furihata felt his hands clenching into fists. He'd only known Akashi for a couple of months and even then he knew he worked harder than any other person his age. He was a lot smarter and kinder than many people he knew and for sure Akashi would have never talked about anyone the way those two were talking about him, no matter the status.

"Akashi-kun works harder than any of you! Don't speak of him like this!"

The two men put down their plates and turned to look at Furihata with a glare. "Huh? What's it to you, kid? What are you gonna do about it?"

Furihata really hadn't thought things through and just blurted the first thing that came to his mind. It wasn't in his intention to start a fight in the middle of Akashi's party, but he couldn't just stand there and listen to them badmouthing the redhead.

"How about I show you out if you really hate the guy," Kagami said, looming over the two smaller men while cracking his knuckles. They froze in fear before quickly dashing elsewhere. Kagami tsked.

"Those lowly scum really piss me off," Kagami stated, then sighed. "Most of the people present in this place think the same, you know. There's a rumor Akashi's gonna stat his training at the company after he graduates and everyone is already trying to get on his good side,"

Furihata's eyes scanned the hall once again and almost instantly he found Akashi speaking with yet another man in a fancy suit. His smiles by now were less genuine than when the evening had started and his eyes clearly reflected his little interest in what the man before him was saying. To be living in such a world of lies was such a sad thing.

"Are you friends with Akashi too, Kagami-san?" Furihata asked, as he was curious to know how Kagami came to know so much about Akashi.

"Ah, no. I work for the Akashi family. I'm head of the security guards protecting the Akashi family," Kagami explained.

"Oh! Kinda like Aomine-san!" Furihata said the first thing that came to his mind. For some reason, Kagami cringed.

"So you met that bastard, huh? He's Momoi's personal bodyguard though," Kagami said and Furihata nodded in understanding.

The band stopped playing and people left the dance floor and each grabbed a glass of wine from one of the trays the butlers were holding. Everyone's eyes were glued to the entrance of the hall and Furihata couldn't help but wonder what everyone's been looking at.

A man in his fifties walked through the doors, his coat fluttering behind him. He had this dominant and authoritative air around him that sent shivers through Furihata's spine. His golden eyes were cold and piercing and he walked with steady and calculated steps. Behind him, Momoi entered the hall dressed in a green evening dress that hugged her body and highlighted her curves, Aomine followed close by.

"That's Akashi's father," Kagami said. Furihata nodded, having his assumption confirmed.

Akashi greeted his father with a bow and the two exchanged a few words before they turned to look in his direction. Furihata tensed under the watchful eye of both Akashi and his father, they were too intense for his liking. Akashi motioned for him to get closer.

He excused himself, bowing to Kagami briefly and started walking to where Akashi was standing. He could feel the tension in the air even before he got there and it was making him feel nervous already.

When he was walking though, a jingling sound caught his attention. He stopped in his tracks, a little puzzled about the sound which echoed rather loudly in the hall. Before he could begin to wonder about the source of the noise, his body was shoved to the ground with such force. The person who shoved him tackled him to the floor and covered Furihata's face with his jacket.

It wasn't long before they heard a shattering noise.

Furihata slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head and stared at the dance floor. The chandelier that once hung up from the ceiling was now on the floor in pieces right where he used to be standing a few seconds ago. His heart raced when the thought of what would have possibly happened to him if he was still standing there crossed his mind.

"That was a close one! Are you okay?" Kagami's voice woke him from his trance as he stared down at him with worried eyes. Furihata nodded and accepted Kagami's hand when he offered to help him stand.

"Thank you," Furihata said after finding the strength to stand up again.

"Kouki! Are you okay?!" Akashi asked frantically as his eyes scanned Furihata. Furihata laughed nervously.

"Yes I'm fine! Kagami-san saved me," At Furihata's words Akashi calmed down a bit and looked over Furihata's shoulders to where Kagami was standing.

"Taiga," He addressed the man with narrowed eyes. Kagami didn't seem affected by it, though.

Akashi took a deep breath in. "Thank you...for saving Kouki. I'm indebted to you," He said, bowing at the man.

At this Kagami stared at him with wide eyes. Was Akashi seriously bowing at him in thanks? "N-no! It was nothing! My instincts took over me I suppose!" Kagami stammered his reply as he wasn't used to Akashi directing such genuine gratitude towards him. The two hardly ever spoke and Kagami was convinced Akashi didn't like him one bit. Kagami's eyes then were fixed on Furihata who was dusting his clothes. Just who was that kid to Akashi for him to lose his composure like this?

"I see the stories are real, Furihata Kouki," The deep, cold voice of Akashi's father halted all conversations.

"Aomine, why don't you show our guests to the other hall where the deserts are served while the hotel employes take care of the mess?" He commanded, not even sparing a glance at Aomine. The tanned man nodded and proceeded to his task.

"Seijuurou, I wish to speak with Furihata Kouki alone,"

Furihata could feel Akashi tense beside him which made him even more nervous.

Akashi took deep breaths through his nose and tried to calm his other self down a bit. He couldn't blame his brother for worrying about Furihata talking to his father alone, but he tended to get a bit reckless when it came to Furihata and he couldn't risk him saying anything that could complicate things more than they already were. When he re-opened his eyes, they were both red again.

"...Yes, of course, father."

He could feel Furihata shaking beside him. Akashi squeezed his hand in reassurance and surprisingly the tremors stopped.

"I'll be there too, Furi-chan!" Momoi said as she grabbed Furihata's arm.

Akashi watched at the trio walked towards the lobby of the hotel. He turned to look at Kagami.

"I'm surprised to see you here. Is Kuroko with you?" Akashi asked.

"No, he's stuck at one of his tea ceremonies back home. I came in his stead," Kagami said while scratching the back of his neck.

"I see. Though, It's unusual of you to leave him alone," Akashi said. A blush crept upon Kagami's cheeks.

"He's gonna be okay! He's at the main house, nothing will happen," Kagami said flailing his arms a bit. Akashi chuckled.

"Well, then. Would you mind keeping me company until they are done talking?" Akashi asked as his eyes were fixed in the direction of the entrance.

"Sure," Kagami said, sensing the worry in Akashi's voice.

Furihata fidgeted in his seat as he sat across from Akashi's father and Momoi. He didn't say anything and continued to stare at Furihata with a calculating look that reminded him of Akashi for a bit. Finally, Furihata heard Akashi's father sigh.

"I suppose I should formally introduce myself. I'm Akashi Masaomi, Seijuurou's father and current CEO of Akashi corporation," Masaomi said in a business like matter.

But before Furihata could introduce himself, Masaomi cut him short by raising his hand up. "I already know who you are, Furihata-kun," He said and then glanced at Momoi who was seated beside him.

"Let me introduce myself again, Furi-chan. I'm Momoi Satsuki, personal advisor of Akashi-sama," She said with a small bow. Furihata looked at her, shocked. He was sure she told him she was a stylist the first time the two had met. Sensing his inner conflict, Momoi continued. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I wanted to take note of you and Akashi's relationship under Akashi-sama's orders, so I told Akashi-kun not to tell you anything,"

Furihata nodded slowly at that. He had been under some kind of investigation without him even realizing it. He was acting like his normal self in front of Momoi and he felt a little betrayed to know she was only there to observe him and Akashi.

"I never believed in the stories my mother told Seijuurou, not even after he send a letter saying they were true. But after Momoi-san's report and the earlier incident, I suppose I have no other choice but to believe they are so," Masaomi said with a heavy sigh.

Furihata didn't know if he was to respond or how to respond to Akashi's father. But even if he did know what to say, it seemed Masaomi wasn't planning on letting Furihata join the one-sided conversation, as he continued on with his speech.

"What interested me in Momoi-san's report though, is the fact that your presence stirs Akashi's second personality,"

At this, Furihata's mind stopped. Second personality? What was Akashi's father even talking about? At his clear bafflement, The cold look Akashi's father was fixing him with turned into one of amusement.

"You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" Furihata shook his head. Masaomi smiled, but it was a kind of smile that didn't seem friendly at all. Furihata was actually scared.

"If Seijuurou didn't tell you yet, then he doesn't trust you enough. It makes this a lot easier," Masaomi spoke in a business like manner. "Seijuurou is my son and only heir. So be it a curse or not, I would do what I can to protect him, even if it was on your own behalf. Am I clear?"

Furihata could only nod.

The ride back home could only be described as awkward.

Furihata didn't say a thing since he came back from his brief meeting with his father and he refused to tell Akashi anything. Momoi kept apologizing for hiding her true occupation from Furihata, but the boy said nothing and only nodded at her with a weak smile.

This didn't settle well within Akashi, not one bit.

Upon reaching Furihata's home, he further assured Akashi he was okay. Not that it had convinced the redhead, but not wanting to pressure him into anything, he bid him goodnight and watched in silence as he disappeared through the doors of his home.

"Did my father do anything to upset Furihata, Momoi-san?" He asked once he was alone with Momoi and Aomine in the car.

"Not that I can think of," She shook her head. "Maybe he's tired? A lot happened tonight,"

Akashi sighed at her response but didn't question any further. He'd have to admit a lot had happened today and dealing with those business men took a toll on his own body. As much as he hated it, he saw it would be better to address the issue tomorrow when Furihata would be, hopefully, willing to share.

"I hope Furi-chan doesn't hate me. It'll be troubling," Momoi said as she leaned against the car.

They had just dropped Akashi off to his place and so she and Aomine were standing alone outside his apartment complex.

"Well, it couldn't be helped, I guess," Aomine said as he stifled a yawn.

The sound of foot steps caught his attention and he quickly stepped before Momoi and tucked her behind him, glaring at the small alleyway.

"Relax, Aominecchi. It's just us," A voice said with a small chuckle, as a blonde haired man appeared before him. Aomine's stance relaxed almost instantly.

"Oh, it's just Kise," He said in a lazy tone.

"It's Midorin, too!" Momoi said excitedly, noticing Midorima walking behind Kise.

"You're late Aomine. The Misfortunes began two months ago," Midorima said with a hump, as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Quit complaining. I'm here now aren't I?" He said. "Don't you know how hard is it to work for the Akashi family?"

Midorima ignored his remark and instead turned to face Momoi. "What do you think of the situation this time, Momoi?"

The smile on Momoi's face turned into a smirk. "I already have all the data I need, but I will continue to observe them. This time, they won't surprise us," She said in a confident tone which caused Aomine to smirk as well.

"I was the only one not invited to the party," Kise whined with a pout. "It was boring watching from afar,"

"It's your job to watch anyway,"

"Aominecchi is so mean!"

Kise's attitude lightened up the atmosphere a bit. But the four knew it'd be a long time before they could truly relax again.

"It's pretty late, so we'll be on our way. Need a ride?" Aomine asked, even though he knew the answer. Kise smirked at him.

"We could manage," He said as he and Midorima floated in air. "Don't slack off on your job again!"

"Shut up!" Aomine shouted at him as the two disappeared into the night sky.

Furihata entered his room with a heavy sigh.

It wasn't Akashi's father's final threat that caused this deep feeling of disappointment he felt, Akashi was his son and he could totally understand a parent's desire to protect their child.

Akashi's second personality

The words kept repeating in his head since he had heard them uttered by Masaomi. He knew Akashi still didn't trust him, he knew it and still it hurt when someone else said it out loud. There were still many things about the redhead he wished to know and yet he was so easily dismissed by Masaomi because he didn't gain Akashi's trust as of yet.

It hurt. More than any other physical injury he sustained during the course of the curse.

He sighed again as he took of his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He hanged the jacket carefully in his closet as it was probably the most expensive thing inside it. When he closed the closet and was about to take his shirt off, his eyes caught his reflection in the mirror.

The flower on his chest now had five petals instead of six.

Furihata panicked as he checked the reflection again. If the flower's only got five petals, it means they did manage to overcome the second misfortune. He was sure it had six petals this morning and so the misfortune must have occurred at the party.

Furihata placed a finger on his chin as his brain went through the events of tonight. Ah! It must have been the falling chandelier! Now, he was truly grateful for Kagami for saving his and probably Akashi's life.

At the thought of Akashi, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Akashi's number, eager to tell him the news. The phone didn't need to ring twice before the line was picked up.

"Furihata?" Akashi's voice said from the other side, his voice sounded surprised.

"I-I just wanted to tell you that the flower has five petals now," Furihata said. He knew he didn't need to elaborate more as Akashi was going to understand what flower he was talking about.

"I see. Then I suppose we do owe Kagami-san a gift," Akashi said with a hint of smile in his voice.

Hearing Akashi sound so relieved made Furihata relax, and his own lips curled up into a smile. A long pause stretched on. Neither of them spoke, they continued to hear each others' breath over the phone. But it was Akashi that interrupted the silence.

"Furihata...Whatever happened with you and my father today?" Akashi asked and the worry was clear in his voice. Furihata tensed.

"N-nothing happened, really!" Furihata said in a haste. He heard Akashi sigh.

"I'd wish for you not to lie to me."

Furihata said nothing and he could tell Akashi was waiting for him to say the first words, but Furihata wasn't very sure of what to say or if Akashi was going to be okay with what he has in mind. His hand clenched on his phone.

"I...I trust you Akashi-kun," Furihata said. Akashi made a humming noise, a sign for Furihata to continue speaking. "I-I want you to trust me too! I know that I'm not really reliable and always get you into trouble, but...I want us to be...friends. I want to know more about you, that's all,"

Furihata's heart was beating so loudly as he awaited Akashi's response.

"...I was under the impression we were already friends, Furihata," Akashi finally said with a chuckle that send color to Furihata's cheeks. He was suddenly very glad he was speaking to Akashi over the phone.

"If that's what was troubling you, then it's a relief," Akashi said, his voice happier than it was when he started the phone call.

"If you wish to know more about me, then come with me,"

"Eh?" Was all Furihata could say.

"Come with me. To Kyoto,"

Next time: A trip to Kyoto and Kagakuro :D