A/N: Okay, I am back but only for now. The next chapter will have to wait until after finals which will be during the second week of May. Hope you guys can wait until then. Please read and review! Thanks!

-x-

What was so important that the Ox had to cancel our meeting? It wasn't as if I had called him to meet me just so his puny head would be ripped off. I mean, we're just eating at a Sukiyaki place!

"Damn him . . . And I already ordered enough meat for two. How am I going to finish it all?" I grumbled to myself. I stuffed the cooked meat into my mouth and chewed.

"Oi," a voice said and a body sat itself in the seat across the table from me. I stopped mid-chew and looked up at the face of Haru.

"What happened? I thought you weren't coming," I said haughtily.

"Change of plans. Is this for me?" Haru wondered at the beef pot.

"No," I glared at the Ox. He sighed,

"Well, I can't just not eat." (1)

"Then order something else, like Shabu-Shabu," I shrugged, stuffing another piece of meat into my mouth.

"I don't have money, besides you told me that you were going to treat me to dinner tonight."

"Yeah, well you lucked out. This is all mine," I replied waving my chopsticks over the hot pot.

"So, you're not treating me?" The Ox wondered. I turned my head,

"No." I heard him sigh and he suddenly got up. My hand shot out without warning and stopped mid-air. What was I just about to do?

I pulled my hand back, accidently brushing against the hot pot.

"OW! Damn it."

"Really now, you always make yourself hurt or vulnerable without even trying," Haru turned back and examined my already red wrist. He waved a waitress over,

"Where's the restroom?"

"Over there," the woman replied and I felt the Ox pull me up by the arm and led me into the restroom where he ran cold water onto my stinging skin.

"Does it still burn?" Haru wondered.

"Huh?" I must've been in my own world thinking about nothing because I didn't hear what the Ox was talking about.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, the cold water helped lessen the pain just a bit. I'll put some ointment on when I get home," I said pulling my hand out of his grasp and examined it.

"Just be careful next time, alright?" His soft voice, almost caring, kind of confused me.

"Whatever," I said and we both headed back to the table. When he was about to leave, he took my slightly injured hand and pressed his lips to the pink area,

"Remember, the ointment."

"Yes, yes."

"Good night, Kyou."

"Good night."

-x-

(1) Ootani Shinya says this in the Japanese movie, Ai No Kotodama