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Kirihara doubted she'd literally eradicate the so-called Red Rat. Nevertheless, erring on the side of caution never did anyone bad. He could think of a hundred reasons and shout a thousand more, but not one was efficient in deterring Akemi from opening the door to the home economics room.

"Sorry for interrupting," she announced, putting one foot out. Ironically, she sounded not a touch apologetic. "But may I have a word with -"

"Oho! Looks like we have our final contender here!" a voice out of nowhere whooped gleefully. "Thank you for joining us today, miss!"

A hand shot out, grabbed her wrist, and hauled her inside.

Moments later, Atobe, Kirihara and Kabaji found themselves standing in the midst of a cheering crowd confined to the front of the room, looking equally befuddled at the sight of Akemi standing behind an island counter that was laden with all kinds of baking ingredient thinkable.

Gaping shamelessly back at them and holding a folded apron in her hands, the noirette looked none too sure how she'd ended up in this spot too.

"Oh! Akemi-chan!"

Lo and behold, the Red Rat donning a chef outfit waved enthusiastically from the counter beside hers.

"Nice of you to participate in our bake off!" Marui grinned widely and puffed out his chest. "Just so you know, beating this genius is impossible!"

"That's right!" The MC appeared at Akemi's counter out of the blue, nearly blowing her eardrums to bits when he shouted down the microphone. "To win our contest, all you have to do is simply beat our resident Cake Connoisseur's score and –"

Akemi whipped her head around, glaring indignantly. "Hang on! I've never said anything about join –"

"– the lucky winner will bring home one of these great prizes!" He flung his arm far and wide, presenting the baking gadgets stacked on a table in the centre of the room.

The noirette fell into a pensive silence. She gave them a brief once-over sceptically and felt her heart skipped a beat.

"Game on!" She thumbed up; eyes glimmering with excitement glued on a particular prize. Her decision prompted a decidedly excessive cheer from the MC and the rest of Marui's class. One would think they're extremely desperate for contestants.

Atobe calmly made his way to the long table at the windows where a familiar figure sat with the other judges.

"Oh? That's rare," the Hyotei Captain smirked derisively as he halted before the figure. Arms crossed over his chest, he jerked his head up so that he's staring down at him. "Ore-sama never imagined you as someone who'd participate in this kind of meaningless event – and as a judge to boot, Sanada."

Emulating his rival's posture, the Rikkai Vice-captain merely scoffed at the scathing remark and shifted his eyes back to the front where the rules were being explained. "It isn't as frivolous as you make it out, Atobe." His dark brown eyes glinted in the light. "This is part of my endurance (sweet stuff) training."

Atobe was about to retort, but a commotion brought his attention to the contestant sides.

Marui had swung by Akemi's island counter with an advice.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" the redhead cautioned, pointing a finger at her. "I've been crowned champion for five years straight. Nobody has ever surpassed me! No second thoughts?"

"None at all," the noirette retorted airily as she pulled the apron over her head. "Admittedly, I am an amateur in this field. But I have the fine assurance needed to win. This is my warning to you, Marui-san. Overconfidence will only be your downfall." With one firm tug, the string was secured around her waist.

Atobe arched an eyebrow.

So, only when something of great intrigue piqued her would the usual lackadaisical girl possessed such vigour and heightened resolution. Much like...

"It's a great honour to compete with Marui-kun in a bake-off! Akutagawa Jirou will give it his all!"

...Hyotei's own volley specialist currently fawning over his idol while Akemi looked on bemusedly. Not like he'd fault her. That blonde was completely overlooking the fact his apron was on the wrong way around.

Resisting the urge to rake a hand down his face was a huge struggle, not least when he's presently surrounded by a few individuals from the same club he captained.

He'd never told any of them. So understandably, Mukahi and Shishido were miffed, Ootori tried to calm his senpais, Hiyoshi looked as though he would rather be anywhere but here, and Oshitari…Oshitari's surprisingly absent. Though a quick explanation revealed the bespectacled tensai simply bumped into his cousin. From tennis to bragging about petty things (pets etc.), the cousins' competitiveness towards each other was well-known.

It's a blessing in disguise for the Hyotei Captain.

After Akutagawa readjusted his apron correctly, the bake off commenced with the contestants scurrying for ingredients.

Compared to the crowded front, the judges' area offered better views and adequate breathing room. That in mind, Atobe settled down in a chair brought by Kabaji, and along with the rest of the Hyotei regulars who remained standing, watched the ongoing flurry of activities.

There were two others competing against the Cake Connoisseur in addition to Akutagawa and Akemi, but his dark blue eyes were fixated on the noirette deeply engrossed in her cake mixture.

It was quite a sight to see her lips pursed in a thin line and eyebrows drawn together in concentration. Strangely, she seemed undaunted by the presence of an audience when she was extremely wary of facing one back at the café.

Perhaps when she's focusing intently on a goal (the original long flown out the window), the irrational fear's disregarded. Her features did light up at the sight of a certain prize hidden amongst the clutters. Atobe wasn't certain which low-grade, mediocre thingamabob roused her fighting spirit.

But by the end of the one hour limit, he was no longer in doubt that her mind was working in full gear.

XXX

Marui was grinning like he'd already won the bake-off as they presented their individual works to the five judges.

Akemi rolled her eyes in exasperation, placing her work – a sponge cake with a fruity cream filling in the middle – carefully on the table. As the cakes were cut and distributed, she glanced furtively at the others' and did a double take at the redhead's 3D cake.

Since marzipan wasn't provided, it had to be made from scratch. For his cake, Marui used it for the foundation and the little green balls lining the edge of the top surface, where an immaculate mini version of the school's tennis courts sat in the middle. It was flawless however she saw it. For the redhead to accomplish such a feat in a short span of time…

She mentally shook her head and turned her eyes back to the front as the evaluation started. 'Presentation isn't enough, taste is just as important.'

And by the look on the judges' face when her cake was tested – very important.

Unlike Akutagawa and two other contestants who'd received a mixture of 'O' and 'X', she was given a string of disapprovals from the judges.

"I don't understand! I-I demand a reassessment!" Akemi insisted restlessly.

"Much as your cake looks appealing, I doubt flour works well in place of icing sugar," Sanada explained between coughs. He paused long enough to drain the entire water from its bottle. "Tarundoru."

Akemi balked. "T-t-t-ta-ta-ta-ta –" she stuttered; utterly gobsmacked. He'd never used this phrase on her (until now).

"And did you weighed the sugar properly?" the vice-captain's classmate sitting beside him asked. "It's like swallowing an entire bag of sugar." He cringed at the aftertaste. "Too sweet."

Scowling sceptically, she took a small bite from the remaining portion of her cake. Sadly, they were right about the sweetness and flour.

'But I'm sure it was icing sugar,' she frowned dejectedly at the plastic spoon in her amount of sugar she wasn't as certain.

At the end of the day, Marui emerged the victor.

"I did warn you, Akemi-chan! Defeating this tensai, you're a hundred years too early!" The redhead threw his head back and laughed raucously to the cheers of the crowd (mostly his classmates, squealing fangirls and Akutagawa).

'Yeah, thanks for rubbing salt in the wound,' Akemi thought dryly, wrenching the apron off. 'Really appreciate it.' She chucked it back at the MC who caught it awkwardly.

A silken handkerchief appeared before her eyes. Such luxurious quality...

"Don't be such a sourpuss," Atobe reprimanded harshly. When she didn't make a move, he roughly placed his handkerchief in her hand and pushed it towards her. He gestured at the corner of his mouth, causing her to touch that side of her face where there's a bit of cream. "It's your fault for being careless."

Couldn't he at least be gentler with the criticism? But he's right on all counts, thus vexing her even more.

Akemi dropped her gaze, scowling at the offered handkerchief. Thanking him sulkily, she returned it unused and tore a piece of kitchen towel from its roll.

"He's right."

Akemi looked up in puzzlement; her mouth now spotless after a swift wipe.

Along with Kabaji, a group of boys stood behind the Hyotei Captain. Owing to this morning's embarrassment, she recognised them as the Hyotei regulars she'd shared the VIP box with at the national tournament. The one who spoke was the second tallest boy in the bunch.

"You'll have plenty of opportunity in the future," the tall, silver-haired boy encouraged her with a polite smile. "Don't let one failure dishearten you."

That's what she wanted to hear.

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully, feeling a bit better. "You're….umm…" Despite remembering their faces, names she couldn't.

"That's okay," he forgave after she'd apologised sheepishly. "I'm Ootori Choutaro, a freshman at Hyotei Academy."

As though acting on cue, the others started to introduce themselves.

"Shishido Ryou," the dark-haired brunette dipped his head respectfully, touching the peak of his blue cap. "Same school, second year."

"Mukahi Gakuto! Same school, same year!" the redhead flashed his pearly whites.

All eyes went to the remaining regular who was visibly reluctant in disclosing his name.

"Ah! You're Hiyoshi!"

Perhaps with vengeance deeply engraved in her heart, his name (albeit his surname) out of many she remembered to this day. Their first encounter wasn't exactly terrific in the sense he'd falsely accused her of stalking Oshitari without any proofs. Yet, she wasn't regarding him threateningly. Her large grin when Ootori cordially informed her that she'd guessed correctly unsettled the ex-captain.

"Akemi-chan!"

The grin faltered.

Marui bounded up to them with Akutagawa following closely behind. Kirihara was more reserved in terms of skipping.

"We're taking a half hour break while the clean-up crew tidy things up," the redhead grinned widely, removing his chef hat from its perch. "Want to join us for some fun?"

Like two ends of a battery, their quintessential idea of fun was poles apart. Anyway, she wasn't exactly in a mood to romp around school after the loss. At this point, she couldn't care less if Atobe hung a sign around her neck with 'sourpuss' written on it.

"No thanks, I'm going back."

Of course, Marui heeded none of her protest and dragged her along to Jackal's class.

XXX

Few things Akemi's bad at and art was one of them.

Insofar, she's demonstrating it perfectly in the quick-fire round. None of her doodles matched up with what she'd pictured.

Jackal's class was hosting a pun game which involved stringing two words to make one as written on the cards. While Hiyoshi (reluctantly joined), Akutagawa and Shishido made up the Hyotei group, the Rikkai team comprised of Akemi (also reluctantly joined), Marui and Kirihara.

Five minutes in, neither of teams was making good progress. Akutagawa dozed off halfway through a sketch more than anyone could count, and Marui floundered desperately trying to decipher the noirette's sketches.

Remarkably, Hyotei won due to Hiyoshi's (though bored out of his mind) accurate deduction.

Hand moving up and down the flip chart, Akemi continued her sketch glumly regardless of the exuberant merriment from the other side. Kirihara tried to comfort his senpai, but none of his words went through. Even the chocolate bar Jackal gave them as a consolation prize couldn't lift the heavy atmosphere from her head.

Only Marui remained childishly peeved at the loss and envious of the large pile of chocolates their rival team won.

"Akemi-chan! What is that!?" he demanded hotly, rapping a fist on the flip chart until it shook violently on its tripod.

"Elephant," she replied coolly, placing the marker pen on a nearby table.

Marui glared at the so-called elephant, squinted for a moment, and felt his lower jaw dropped. His reaction garnered attention from Kirihara and Jackal who turned to examine the sketch. They too immediately wore the same expression as the redhead. Despite the long trunk and big ears, this resembled no elephant. Rather, the sketch looked disturbingly (and awkwardly) familiar.

To the bristling manageress, the Troublesome Trio were mocking her terrible sketch outright. Seething, she tore the paper from the flip chart and would have shred it down to a million pieces if they didn't pounce on her, begging for mercy on top of their lungs.

Was it terrible or not?

With an impatient click of her tongue, she broke free and crushed the paper into a tight ball in full view of the trio. Sure the shrieks confused her, but even if they passed out at her feet she wouldn't bat an eye.

Turning sharply on her heels, she tossed the piece of junk over her head and made a beeline towards the exit.

Eyes marvelled after the smooth parabolic flight path before the crumpled paper disappeared inside the bin in the far corner of the room.

Unfazed by the silence, she stomped past the bewildered Hyotei group.

Atobe realised it too late. When he poked his out the door, she'd vanished in the sea of people.

XXX

After burning off her foul mood on the aimless walk, she reflected on her actions back at Jackal's class. She must've had left one heck of an impression on the Hyotei regulars.

Sighing wearily, Akemi switched off the vibration mode and pocketed her calmed phone.

"What a surprise, I was just going to find you."

She paused in her tracks and looked up from burning holes in the ground. Her feet had brought her to the corridor where the art room was located, and standing at its doorway was none other than Yukimura.

His lips curved into a smile. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, there's a dark cloud looming over your head."

That dark cloud released a thunderous roar only the ears of Akemi could hear. 'Thank you, captain obvious.'

"I'm unveiling my latest work. It might interest you."

Frankly, she wanted nothing to do with arts of any form. Yet…

"How so?"

...she could never keep her curiosity at bay.

"You'll understand when you see it," he answered cryptically, motioning with a wave of his hand as though extending an invitation to the dark side.

XXX

Yukimura really had a way with coaxing her into submitting to his petty pleas.

Perhaps since he's (indisputably) the top brass of the club which she's (contemplating her ill-fated position) only a manageress, she couldn't say no. Or it's the enigmatic smile, the glint in his eyes, the riddle of words that flowed fluidly from his tongue that always captured her curiosity so easily.

Whatever it was, she's not amused.

Plotting his timely demise sounded appealing as she stood frozen on the spot, and once again, gaping shamelessly at his latest artwork. However magnificent his watercolour painting was (as noted by his fellow artists), Akemi couldn't find a grain of flattery to add to the compliments piling up his ego.

"Akemi!"

Strides long and purposeful, ego in its most glorified form marched up to the noirette.

"What were you thinking, running off on your own like that?" Atobe gripped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. "Ore-sama have been looking all over for you! And why won't you pick your phone? Harh? Oi!" He paused in his tirade, puzzled by her unresponsiveness.

He waved his hand until it became a blur in front of her eyes. He snapped his fingers beside her ears. Nothing…

Curious of what'd petrified Akemi, he glanced behind her where the Rikkai Captain stood next to the painting displayed on the podium as he chatted with a group of admirers.

A smiling young girl met his eyes, but her soft brown eyes weren't on him.

She's gazing lovingly down at her hands. Peeking out from the gaps between the fingers were petals of blood red, pure white, bright yellow and deep blue. Even if a few had slipped through her fingers and whipped from her grasp by the breeze, her determination to protect them remained, as she held them possessively against her chest while cautious of damaging the delicate petals. A wreath of white flowers sat lopsided on her head of raven-black hair like a crown. Hovering in the dark background, the full moon cast an ethereal glow on the shockingly familiar feminine features.

Atobe whipped his head back and forth – tilted her head up – and continued glancing from the painting to her face numerous times until his neck cricked painfully.

No mistake, that girl in the painting and the one standing stock-still before him…

Yukimura stepped down from the podium. "Ah, Atobe-san," he greeted the Hyotei Captain and waved an arm at his painting. "Princess Yugao, the heroine of our play. With no memories of her past, she embarks on an epic journey through unknown lands in hopes of regaining them."

Hounded by the evil Red Queen, dangers lay in every corner.

Atobe mentally shook his head. There were more pressing issues than recalling the synopsis of the play. For example, when did Akemi pose for the Rikkai Captain? Were they alone in a room? For how long? Hours?

The same group that had talked with Yukimura flocked to him, demanding for tickets if they were any left. Moments later, they left holding tickets in their hands; big smiles on their faces like the one the Rikkai Captain wore.

Beaming happily, he slipped a bulging wallet into his pocket. "As of now, we're sold out."

Hands clenched tightly into a fist, Akemi walked around Atobe to confront Yukimura.

"Did you plan this PR stunt from the start?" she snarled; eyes narrowed in thin slits. Even if it's for boosting attendance, she'd never agree to this. He undoubtedly foresaw it and went ahead. Because who in their right mind would appreciate having an imprint of their faces shown in a public exhibition without a little warning?

Her captain smiled pleasantly, unperturbed by the murderous intent she's exuding in waves. "I'll be honest. The sketch was completed ages ago –"

Disbelief flashed in the dark blue eyes. So she did pose for him? Aside from showing the Rikkai Captain a tender side (smiling dreamily at berry sundaes didn't count) he'd never seen, what else was there? Breath hitching in his throat, Atobe stiffened in horror. Surely, she'd never agree to something as unspeakably indecent as – he blanched at the idea – nude?

"– but that impulsiveness overwhelmed me during one plot discussion," Yukimura chuckled almost sheepishly, scratching his chin. "Though the painting differed from the original version drastically, it turned out well don't you think?"

Akemi's reply to that rhetorical question was a thunderous exit.

"..."

Yukimura turned back to the painting; the smile no longer present.

Much like her namesake, Yugao (trans. moonflower) was a girl who blossomed in times of darkness and turmoil. He'd hoped the girl outside the canvas world remembered the connection – it was she who came up with the name after all – and her frustration (ranted about it during yesterday's rehearsal) at the ten unsold tickets.

Whatever that's besieging her head's graver than assumed.

XXX

By the time her fury's spent on another aimless stroll, it was time to move the props and costumes to the school auditorium. Directing the relocation and prop arrangement on stage fell on her and Yanagi, though the latter had warned he'd be a little late.

"You're looking really down there, aneki."

No matter how many times she'd pleaded, her senpais never stopped calling her aneki.

Akemi winced bitterly and lifted her gaze from her trusty clipboard. "That better not be a pun, Sakurai-senpai," she frowned.

"Unintentional…unintentional," he chuckled heartily. Adjusting the prop on his shoulder, he sobered up and smiled sincerely. "Really, you look upset."

"Did someone hurt you?" Ishikawa (his friend) growled angrily, cracking his knuckles. "Who was it? We'll beat that jerk into a pulp for you."

Tilting her head to one side, she gripped her chin pensively. "Hmm…I don't suppose you can send buchou to his grave."

"EHHH!?" they cried in unison, jumping back from her.

Akemi chuckled wryly, waving one hand dismissively. "Kidding – I'm tired that's all."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"Why don't you take a break? I'll take it from here."

Akemi glanced over her shoulder to find Yanagi's dismissed from his student council duty. Halting before her, he held out a hand and waited expectantly with a raised eyebrow.

After a few moments of hesitation, she relinquished the clipboard and turned around, muttering her gratitude to the three boys.

In a less congested part of the stage, Akemi found a nice perch (an unopened crate) to sit on. She glanced around the busy scene for a few moments before sighing despairingly.

'My day went from bad to worse,' she lamented; feet kicking to a stop. Remembering Yukimura's pep-talk, she snorted. 'Pfft…how is today meant to be fun? It's been nothing but disaster after disaster.'

She took out her phone and stared wistfully at her hazy reflection on the glass surface.

Atobe had tried calling her once after the abrupt exit…

…and that was it.

She assumed he'd show up just to grind another rebuke into her skull...and expected a host of other things. Oddly enough, the regulars coming after the deranged manageress was one of them. Considering how testy she'd been, it shouldn't be a surprise they didn't.

Yet, everywhere she turned were just ghost of her selfish imaginations.

'It feels heavy here,' Akemi placed a hand over her chest where the rhythm of her heartbeat poked back gently. Was this disappointment…and longing she's feeling? How strange –

"Woah! So this is the auditorium? It's bigger than I thought! Amazing!"

"Heheh! Isn't it?"

Akemi perked up at the sound of Marui's smug voice erupting from somewhere below. But the redhead's arrogance couldn't compare with a certain someone.

"Keh! Why are you marvelling at this inferior structure?" She could just hear him waving pompously at the air. "Compare to Hyotei's, this is just a kiddie toy house. Na, Kabaji?"

"Usu!"

"Do you honestly expect Royal Albert Hall, Keigo-san?"

Fifteen pairs of eyes flickered to the loudspeaker looming over their heads.

"Eh? Was that Akemi-senpai? But I can't see her anywhere."

"Ohh! Maybe she's playing with the PA system!"

"Or the loudspeaker is hollow inside and she's hiding in there? Let's go check!"

There was a scuttle of feet.

"Oi, Jirou!"

More joined in.

Resisting the urge to smack her forehead on the wall, Akemi groaned inwardly. Seriously, she ought to stop making a habit of returning all of Atobe's jibes. Venting a sigh, she jumped off the crate and faltered at the fruity aroma.

Akemi frowned at the approaching group and felt her eyes widened in horror. There were dark stains on some of their clothes. If that's not the eeriest sight, the stains formed a dark band down the front.

"Wh-what were you guys up to?" she eyed them apprehensively.

"Settle an old score," Sanada replied. Images of red liquid splattered all over the ceiling and walls, dripped from their bats, and stained the lab coats they wore, flashed through his mind. At the blank look on her face, he swiftly amended, "Watermelon splitting."

"Oh."

"It was great fun (though nobody won)!" Marui exclaimed, prompting a wince from the noirette.

Strolling up to them, Yanagi greeted the Hyotei regulars before addressing his team mates. "Everything's ready. Doors will open in twenty minutes. We should get changed."

Yukimura nodded in understanding and turned to their guests. "You're welcome to stick around if you like – just not the stage please," he added briskly when Akutagawa gasped loudly.

Atobe grunted an affirmative, flicking a warning glare over to the blonde who deflated with a cry of dismay. As the rest of his team mates descended the stage, he hesitated for a moment, his body half turned, and glanced over his shoulder.

Whilst the Rikkai regulars had disappeared behind the veil obscuring the frenzied activities behind, his indecisiveness reflected perfectly on Akemi.

Dithering on the sidelines, that's not what the Atobe's revered for. He marched to a clean halt before her and took a good pinch of her cheeks between his fingers.

"That hurts!" Akemi gasped; tears welling up in her eyes at the sharp pain. Her hands rose up to seize his wrists. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Naturally, he didn't.

"Ore-sama don't know what's going on," Atobe glared reproachfully; relentless even when she tried shaking him off. "But you should get down from your unicorn before the play starts."

Dumfounded, she paused in the middle of wrenching his hands away to gawk. Sure he's not the one riding the unicorn down a rainbow?

"Have the Sakura fairies taken you on a journey too?" he continued the nonsensical gibberish talk indifferently for goodness-how-long until –

"Keigo-san, what the blazes are you talking about!?" She briefly renewed her futile struggle before finally giving in. Growling menacingly, she lifted one foot into the air.

Much to her frustration, Atobe stepped away withdrawing his hands in time to avoid a nasty injury to his foot. The one dance lesson they had (thankfully) improved his reflexes.

She made a move like she was going to claw his face off the surface of the Earth.

Unfazed, Atobe raised a finger and pointed it at the spot between her eyes, causing her to freeze (and he didn't have to use World of Ice).

Brows furrowed together, he looked her straight in the eyes unwaveringly and imparted words of wisdom to the stunned noirette.

"Remember your ambition and what drives you to this point."

He patted one of her red cheeks…

"Break a leg."

…and left her standing there, speechless.

One hand gingerly felt the place where he'd patted.

XXX

Why won't the butterflies leave her stomach alone?

"Remember your ambition and what drives you to this point."

The words broke apart, scattered into individual letters and swirled inside her head.

Trying not to squirm in her seat, Akemi recited the phrase repetitively under her breath.

"A thick layer isn't going to be enough to hide your complexion if you continue pondering like that, Akemi-chan," Kirihara Erisa chided gently, expertly moving the brush across her eyelids. "You look like you're going to throw up."

Haha…how accurate.

"Don't worry," she smiled assuredly. Setting down the brush, she tilted the noirette's head in different angles. "Once you're out there, you'll forget the audiences exist. It's just you, the guys and the stage." Deeming her work perfect, she started to pack away her make-up kit. "Trust me. I've been there a few times during college before deciding it isn't my cup of tea –"

"Ane-chan! Are you done yet?" the younger Kirihara shouted from behind the dressing room's door.

"Yes!" Erisa hollered and turned back to Akemi, "Though I do hope Aka-chan doesn't follow my route," she whispered sheepishly before getting out of the swivel chair, and swung her bag onto one shoulder. "I'll leave my makeup set behind with you just in case." Raising her voice deliberately, she added, "I can't trust my little brother with anything for one second. Last time, he broke the washing machine during his turn on the laundry."

"Ane-chan!" came the shriek of mortification.

Chuckling wickedly, the older Kirihara sibling winked and stood up. Akemi quickly mirrored her move.

"It's good to see you," Erisa grinned. "Please continue taking care of my stupid brother."

"I will," the noirette promised, bowing deeply, "Thank you for coming."

A flash of pearly whites and a quick wave, the older girl exited the room.

"Ane-chan! Did you have to embarrass me in front of senpai?"

"Oh? I think I have every right to do that. Today's supposed to be my day off. Look where I am now."

"You're the one who volunteered to do the makeup!"

"Hark back! Weren't you nagging my ears off the other day? Anyway, you look very pretty."

After his sister (finally) left, Kirihara was still fuming outside the dressing room when the door behind him opened. He made a huge mistake by turning around.

As the main antagonist and villain, the freshman was (forced) dressed in a flamboyant gown of blood red and gold, complete with an elaborate white ruff around his neck and a plastic tiara on top of the long wig spreading down his back. His face didn't escape the brushes (and lipstick) of his sister.

Very pretty indeed…

Bending her knees, Akemi did a mock curtsy. "Pardon my boldness, dear queen. Have you seen my underclassman?"

"Not you too!" he groaned in dismay, eliciting a giggle from her.

Though he's burying his face in his hands, he seemed cautious of ruining Erisa's effort. Despite teasing him endlessly, his sister deeply cared for her precious baby brother – and he knew that.

"You're being unusually silent. Feeling alright there?" "Tarundoru." "It's your fault for being careless." "Want to join us for some fun?" "I'm unveiling my latest work. It might interest you." "Why don't you take a break? I'll take it from here."

Were those coincidences...

"Ore-sama don't know what's going on… but you should get down from your unicorn before the play starts" "Have the Sakura fairies taken you on a journey too?"

...or something more? Well, there's always one way to find out.

"Sorry."

Kirihara lifted his head. "Eh?"

"I've been preoccupied since this morning that it's gotten me badly –" Akemi turned around, but not to the nonplussed freshman, "– is that what you want to hear?"

From out of the shadows, the King of Hearts emerged in the form of Yukimura Seiichi smiling in amusement.

"You've planned this all along," the noirette scowled; arms crossed over her chest. "You were the first who noticed it." Her absent-mindedness.

Chuckling, Yukimura raised his hands. "Guilty as charged."

"So you told them?" she waved at the figures that had appeared behind the captain.

"Not really," Yanagi piped up. "He was very vague with the details."

But they worked it out in the end, tried cheering her up in their own (aggravatingly) unique ways and failed splendidly. As an apology, they granted her space and hoped it'd persuade her into enlightening them.

Such futile attempt…

Sighing, Akemi turned around and started down the corridor. "Sorry, you're not going to hear it from me." Someone would in place of her. "It won't get in the way of my acting, I promise."

"You've got the wrong idea," Yukimura chuckled, "Rather than acting, we were more concerned about you."

She abruptly halted.

For a dubious moment, she just stood there uncertainly. Then –

"Thank you," she flashed a smile over her shoulder and continued down the long passage.

This wasn't about ambition anymore, but the people around her.

XXX

Finale Act

Mounting the tension inside the auditorium, the clatter of swords striking together rang in the ears of those watching the fierce battle unfold on the stage.

Eyes the size of platters, Akutagawa, who had fallen asleep straight after Marui's brief appearance as the heroine's adopted parent alongside Jackal, stared in wonderment. "Woah! That's amazing!" he exclaimed.

"Shh!"

"The choreography is something," Shishido agreed in a low voice. He lifted the programme up and squinted in the dark for the production staff. "Hmm…stunt coordinator: Sanada Genichiro – haha that's for sure –" He broke off abruptly, gawking at the name beside Rikkai's vice-captain. "Eh!? Noda Akemi!?"

"SHHHH!"

On the stage, the heroine (manipulated by the evil Red Queen) clashed earnestly with the White King (Niou), the Black Emperor (Sanada), and the King of Hearts (Yukimura). In the background, the White King's Royal Chancellor (Yagyuu) and the Emperor's Royal Adviser (Yanagi) battled it out with the Red Queen's minions. Whilst wary of hurting her, the Princess – or rather Akemi – didn't hold back her brutal attacks. It was every man for himself.

Despite the climax of the scene…

Leaning against his hand, Atobe smirked in amusement, but not at her sloppy swordsmanship. His sharp eyesight perceived a huge struggle beneath the mask of apathy. 'She's having fun – too much for Niou's liking.'

Akemi's evidently trying not to laugh. Much to the Trickster's frustration, she's deliberately directing her attacks at him more than others. Obviously, he's targeted for humiliating her this morning.

A sigh of relief escaped through his parted lips.

A good sign.

Eventually, the Princess was freed from the queen's manipulation by the White King who quickly caught her in his arms when she nearly fell from the shock of the abrupt transition.

Not for the first time, Atobe's fingers twitched faintly. What? It's just play-acting.

With his encouragement, Yugao rounded on the Red Queen, formerly known as the Raven Witch. Being the one who started this whole mess with a curse, she declared she'd take full responsibility and openly reconciled with her brother whom she had a strained kinship ever since the arranged marriage to the King of Hearts was revealed. The curse, which had turned the Emperor into a bear, was thus broken.

The puff of smoke rolled away to reveal Sanada in a set of black and gold robes, instead of the bear costume he wore for the majority of his parts.

The Emperor drew his weapon – a katana encased in magic powerful enough to vanquish manifestations of evil spirits – and swiftly thrust the blade into the witch's heart. Shrieking in a mixture of anguish and fury, the witch cast a spell on a tree before vanishing in another puff of smoke. Frozen in fear on the spot, Yugao watched as the tree began to inch towards her form. The White King darted forward –

Suddenly, the lights in the auditorium died.

BANG

Clammy hands gripped the armrests tightly. Atobe nearly jumped out of his seat when that crash sounded, not in fright like most of the audiences.

No…

Whispers of confusion broke out around him.

This didn't seem to be a mere dramatic effect for a cliff-hanger.

'What's going on?' he wondered disconcertingly, trying fruitlessly to see past the darkness and smoke concealing the chaotic activities on stage. His mind was filled with nothing but the image of Akemi standing right underneath that prop before the lights went out.

The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

Dark blue eyes widened in horror at the text message on the screen.

Akemi 16:43

SOS! Come to the backstage!

XXX

"This should do the trick."

At a flick of a switch, the lights around them came back on.

Marui sighed in relief as Yanagi shut the fuse box's door and stood up. "Man, this really is the worst timing for a power outage," he scratched his head in frustration.

"Well, at least we've fixed the issue," Jackal shrugged.

"This one though," the redhead amended, taking a more sullen approach in reminding them about the more severe issue at hand.

Behind the trio, Akemi crouched down on the floor and pried the object that had caught her attention from the tiny gap between a box and the wall. It was just a hair bobble with a floral print ribbon. Rising to her feet, she studied the accessory. ' Strange...this looks familiar…'

"Akemi!"

Said girl turned around to find Atobe strolling towards her.

A look of relief briefly crossed his features. "Are you alright?" he asked agitatedly. Before she could reply, he grabbed onto her shoulders, turned her several times on the spot, tilted her head in different angles, peered straight into her eyes, waved her arms floppily in the air –

"I'm fine, Keigo-san," Akemi sighed in exasperation, pulling his hands away. "If you must know, I bolted before it could hit me.

He stepped back, frowning in puzzlement. "Then the message?"

"We need your help in an important matter," Yukimura replied urgently, appearing behind him with Yagyuu and Sanada. "When the electricity tripped, Niou-kun accidentally caught his foot on a wire trying to stop, and tumbled."

Atobe winced sympathetically. "Is he alright?"

"Except for the sprained ankle, he's fine," Sanada replied, "Renji did the necessary assessment and it's genuine. Niou's heading to the nurse's office as we speak."

"And the important matter?" Atobe narrowed his eyes, already dreading the answer.

"Can you replace him as the White King?" Yukimura inquired.

"Harh?"

"There won't be any speaking parts at all. We have about five minutes until the play ends anyway, so –"

"What kind of tosh are you asking of ore-sama?" he interjected condescendingly. "Can't you find anyone in your club to do that?"

"We (mostly herself) believe you're the only who can be the White King," Akemi asserted briskly before things could get out of hand, judging by the way some of the boys were bristling. "Furthermore, you'll fit Niou's costume perfectly."

Cajoling him? Oh, he's not going to fall for that…

"No, ore-sama's not getting into some pile of rags."

…and Akemi predicted that much.

Sighing in exasperation, she turned to Yukimura and extended a hand. "Lend me your sword for a moment."

Puzzlement flashed in his eyes before a knowing smile overtook his features. "As you wish, milady," he bowed chivalrously, holding out the prop in his hands.

The Hyotei Captain eyed her suspiciously as she drew the sword from its sheath. He blinked in surprise when the prop was shoved into his arms.

Stepping back, Akemi clapped her hands once with delight. "Mm! You do look good carrying a sword, Keigo-san!" she grinned widely.

Like a kid receiving his first gift on Christmas Day, Atobe instantly perked up. "Eh? Really? You think so?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Like the fearless and dashing Kingstraight from the books."

"Is it?" he beamed happily; a shiny aura around his form. He smirked, rubbing his chin pensively for a moment before striking various poses with the sword. "How do ore-sama look?"

"Very cool!"

Posed again...

"What about now?"

...and again...

"Charming!"

...some more...

"What if ore-sama do this?"

...he pointed the sword at a glowering Sanada.

"As expected, Keigo-san's swordsmanship is truly amazing!" Akemi continued gushing and clenched one hand into a fist. "If you get on that stage, the crowd will be dazzled by your performance in no time! I'll even bet you look suave in the White King's clothes!"

"Pah! Without a doubt!" Hands on hips, Atobe threw his head back and laughed hysterically.

"Come, my valiant King, your chariot awaits."

Eyes trailed after the retreating form of the noirette ushering the guffawing Hyotei Captain to the dressing room.

"…who was that girl just now?" Marui asked no one in particular after a long period of stunned silence which stretched on.

XXX

Dignity, dignity,

Went out the chimney,

To the teeth gnashing Hyotei Captain, the costume's ever so itchy.

"Geez, stop whinging will you?" Akemi moaned exasperatedly, setting the black case sharply beside her. Fed up with his incisive grumbling, she grabbed his wrists and held them until he stopped squirming on the ground like there were ants crawling in his – ahem. "Nobody will know you're you."

And luckily for him, the curtains were drawn after they'd recovered electricity.

Wearing the white wig Yagyuu whipped out of nowhere, Atobe glared at the girl nonchalantly fumbling the case for something. He fidgeted discreetly; the tree prop lying across his torso was an utter nuisance. It wasn't heavy, but it's not feather either.

"Can't believe you've roped ore-sama into this," he sulked under his breath. Even though he could have just high-tailed at the first chance... "Ridiculous."

Akemi unscrewed the cap of a bottle that looked horribly like a concealer. "Don't move," she warned, bending forward armed with the brush-end of the cap closing in on his face.

"Oi! Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Atobe writhed violently under the weight of the prop. He stiffened in horror when something revoltingly wet and cold pressed against his skin.

"There, we're done," Akemi chirruped, capping the concealer. She raised an eyebrow at the amazing sight of him wheezing as he blinked the sweat from his eyes, evidently traumatised. 'Talk about excessive.'

Though in all fairness to Atobe, she'd cruelly smeared that poison over the tear mole – his charm point!

After adding a new mole at the bottom corner of his mouth with black liquid eyeliner, she packed away the makeups and turned back to him. 'Goodness, now that he has quiet down, he looks like a lost puppy without its tail.' Sighing wearily, she rummaged through the contents again.

Atobe started and flicked his eyes to the noirette dabbing the sweat from his brows with a tissue.

"We really appreciate you lending us your strength, Keigo-san," Akemi muttered softly, carefully wiping around the concealer. "Really, we're not going to forget it in a hurry." Done, she sat back on her knees, and zipped up the makeup case. "And it means a lot to me," she added mostly to herself, but he heard everything. "I'll return the favour on behalf of my club."

Finally, he tore his eyes away. "…then next time we're going out, ore-sama will pay for everything."

"Deal," she smiled brightly.

"Senpai! We're ready to start!"

"Understood!" Akemi shouted back. She paused in the midst of gathering up the case in her arms and said, "Thanks…and sorry."

Atobe watched her scurried away until the shadows of the backstage swallowed her up.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

XXX

As the swirling smoke rolled away, Yugao pushed herself up from the ground and glanced back to the spot where she was standing not long ago. The tree laid on the ground and underneath the tremendous shape she glimpsed a familiar figure. Almost in a trance like state, she hobbled towards the fallen tree and collapsed on her knees beside the White King; eyes wide with fear.

Using the collective strength of the men, the tree was lifted off his body, but the White King remained motionless on his back.

Hand trembled as it reached forward to touch his face hesitatingly.

Lying as still as possible on the floor of the stage, Atobe fought back a flinch. 'Her hand is cold.'

In the darkness, he sensed the audiences holding their breaths, felt the weight pressing down his chest, the itchy jacket being gripped tightly, and heard the pre-recorded sound of fake sobbing filled the entirety of the auditorium.

Suddenly, an image of a snow-capped landscape and a lake flashed in his head.

Strange…what was that?

Dark blue eyes blinked blearily at the bright lights shining over his form. The others were standing around him, head hung low in mourning. But his mind only registered the girl sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. The sight of it and the sound of the recording blasting from the speakers made his lips curled in distaste.

'Stop.'

As if hearing the unspoken command, the sobbing noise instantly ceased, followed by echoes of gasps moments later.

Slowly, Akemi lifted her head from the jacket, causing the large hand to slip away from her hair. Not a hint of tears marred her face.

'That's right, it's only acting,' Atobe reminded, pushing his back from the ground. Then why couldn't he shake off that feeling of unease?

Without warning, he was jolted from his thoughts when a weight launched itself onto him, nearly throwing him off balance. But it successfully cast aside the niggling cobwebs clinging to the back of his mind. He blinked once and wrapped his arms around the warm body – gingerly at first, but quickly fell at ease once he'd become accustomed to the comforting presence in his arms.

Cheers erupted from the audience.

It was the happy ending they'd wanted. The response everyone in the tennis club hoped.

Grinning wildly, Akemi soaked in the jubilant atmosphere, oblivious to the fact Atobe's slowly turning blue.

'He's lucky this is part of the play,' one vexed vice-captain gritted his teeth, hands itching to aid his neighbour.

Catching the look, Atobe managed a sneer despite the agonising pain burning his lungs and throat. Maintaining that challenging visage proved itself more of a mammoth challenge as seconds ticked by. It's becoming more apparent this wasn't in the script and she's exacting revenge on him for pinching her cheeks puffy.

Tears stinging his bulging eyes, the dignified Hyotei Captain thrashed vehemently against the hold – no longer finding it comforting in any form. This wasn't how one should be thanked.

"L-let g-go!" Atobe gagged, trying to yank her off.

Did she?

Would she ever?

Wearing her biggest smile the chuckling group of Rikkai regulars had seen all day, the manageress naturally did the contrary and clung onto him like a happy koala bear.

"LET GOOOO!"

And all was well, all was well.

XXX

That night

"…and they dragged me out for yakiniku after the school festival ended…yeah, it was fun…alright, I'll keep that mind…enjoy Zurich…keep an eye on papa…love you."

Beep

Akemi shut the lid of her laptop and plopped down on her bed.

"Urgh, why do we still have school tomorrow? I'm shattered," she groaned, hitting her head on the pillow. She laid there for a dubious moment, listening to the tranquil silence of her house, and grabbed the stuffed toy from her study table.

It was a leftover prize from the watermelon splitting game. Kirihara gave it to her as a token of apology from everyone.

A smirk crossed her features, remembering the looks of horror (puzzling the others) on the Troublesome Trio's faces when the wrapper was peeled off to reveal...an elephant.

Giggling softly, she gently placed the mammal beside her pillow.

"..."

She pulled out a card from her bag and held it over her eyes which instantly lost the mirth at the sight of the gold letters.

Invitation to Atobe Keigo's Birthday Party

The next few days were going to be more wearisome than facing Sanada tomorrow.

Never intended to bring in any of the regulars' siblings early in the story. FYI, Aka-chan translates to baby in Japanese. If you're curious about that 'settle an old score' bit, refer to 'Prince of Trunks.' Warning: prepare your eyes and heart.