"See you later, sweetheart!" A feminine voice calls over my head. I jolt awake. It has been three days since I went to visit Ryoshi the first time. Meanwhile, being called 'Sweetheart' twenty-four seven has caused me to, well… get used to it. Now if anybody says it, I think they're talking to me. And I actually respond.

Gross.

I grunt, and sit up. That must have been Ryoshi's mom earlier. Which means they're up. Which means—

Knock knock knock!

"Sweetheart! Time for work!" The voice I recognize as Jared's sings through my closed door. For some reason, Jared has elected himself my pet. He acts like it's his job to make sure I'm as well taken care of as a helpless five year old. I've told him to stop, but with clockworkish accuracy, he continues to invade my space. And get on my nerves.

"Damn, Jared! I'm up."

"Good morning!" he exclaims.

"See you at breakfast!" Right. Breakfast. Then the room cleaning at seven, bathroom cleaning from nine to eleven, lunch break from eleven to eleven thirty… and Morino-sama said she wanted me to go out in town at twelve to buy some… flowers? Hell if I know why.

Today's going to be long.

I flop back down on the hard mattress.

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"Good morning, Sweetheart." Carol sits in her usual seat, against the kitchen counter. Oh look, breakfast is tea and biscuits this morning.

"Hey Carol-san." I smile on my way to the line, where John gives me a smile and a plate. Of course Jared is glued to my side.

"How'd you sleep?" he asks sweetly.

"Wouldn't you like to know," I mutter.

"I would love to know what it's like to be in your bed—gah, I mean to know how you sleep! I swear that's what I meant!" I give him the Okami glare of death, sending him running to the other side of the room. I roll my eyes. Idiot.

I sit curtly next to Carol-san. She takes a bite of biscuit before saying casually, "I saw Morino Ryoshi today—"

My head snaps up.

"Ah HA!" Carol-san exclaims, and pokes me in the side.

"You did it again!"

"I did what?" I frown at her.

"I noticed the first day you came here. Anytime somebody mentioned Ryoshi, you suddenly came to life with interest." She eyes me teasingly.

"Did he manage catch your eye?" She winks at me. I blush, degraded.

Jared must have that decided my rage has been turned down a few degrees, because he approaches us and sits on his regular stool.

"Hey Carol-san. Whatcha talking about?"

"Just Sweetheart's insatiable love for Morino Ryoshi-kun." The color drains from Jared's face.

"Hey, that's not it at all," I snap.

"I may have known you for less than a week Sweetheart, but you are a horrible liar! Just look at her face, Jar." Carol leans close to Jared.

"She's as red as the devil himself!" Carol laughs.

"Argh! I don't even… k-know him!" I cross my arms over my flat chest.

"Ah, see. Liar body language too. How long have you known each other?"

I squirm under her violet gaze. The sounds of conversations around us swirl in my brain.

"I don't know him, Carol-san."

She sighs.

"Okay, if that's the story you're sticking with… but you should probably know that you talk in your sleep. Loudly."

Oh God…!

A mortified look of horror crosses my face. I get up, frowning, as Jared stares. I turn around and shrug noncommittally.

"I have to go, um, fold stuff!" my voice squeaks, to my further agony. As I walk away I hear Jared sigh.

"I guess I should quit. Looks like she's already belongs to somebody."

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The work day passes surprisingly fast today. The smiles of my friends and coworkers make my time as a basic slave almost enjoyable. However, tension is in my heart. I must see Ryoshi tonight. And every night I risk getting busted and ruining everything.

I have gone every night this week. Every night, I can't do it. I can't take that last step.

Maybe tonight will be different.

You have two more weeks, I remind myself. You can do it. You will do it.

A beep from my watch announces that the time is eleven thirty. I rise from the kitchen stool I'm eating at and head up to my room to change into regular clothes and grab the cash Morino-sama gave me earlier, for the trip into town.

I eagerly strip out of my maid uniform and put on my regular skirt and boots. I wear a different shirt than usual, since my regular one has the Otogi Academy emblem on it.

I skip down the hallways cheerily. I'm so happy to get out of the house! Don't get me wrong, it's obviously a very nice place, but I've been stuck here, unable to leave, for practically a week. Talk about cabin fever.

As soon as I open the front door, I realize that I definitely should have packed much warmer. The icy wind whips around my bare legs and tosses my blue wig sideways. I shiver, and take a step back from the open door. My palms clench around something—the money. That's right, I can't just not go. My mistress has ordered me to buy these retarded flowers. I scowl, and step onto the frigid patio of the grand porch. No wonder she doesn't just do it herself!

As my feet slap the cold, unforgiving concrete, I curse myself. Why didn't I pack warmer? It's the middle of freaking winter!

Because Ringo always packs for you.

I grit my chattering teeth and stare down the dry road. I can make out the little shops winking at me from the end of it. The wind howls at my back.

Well. C'mon, feet.

Careful not to let go of the cash, I trudge through the blistering chill that wraps me in its frosty embrace. My skirt is blown between my legs. I suddenly hate that it has two enormously revealing slits in the sides.

Finally, I stomp up to the center of town. The sign on the first building says 'Urishihara's Pots and Plants'. I roll my eyes at the cheesy name before running inside. The cold wind seems furious that I've escaped it. It roars at me as I shut the door in its face.

The shop is cute on the inside, decorated with all kinds of plants—bamboo, cherry blossoms that haven't bloomed yet, all sorts of ferns and baby trees. Some hang from the ceiling in colorful clay pots.

"How may I help you?" The old man at the counter asks.

"Oh my! You don't have a coat—or pants—on, in this weather?" He gasps.

"My parents are tightwads."

He laughs, but still gazes at me, clearly concerned. There's something familiar about his eyes. They are a vibrant, electric jade color.

"Excuse me, but you do happen to own this store?"

He smiles kindly at me. The déjà vu rushes over me once more.

"I'm afraid not. I'm just an honest employee. Sure, I could have retired a long time go…" he winks, "—but that would be pretty boring."

I smile.

"Are you Morino Ryoshi's grandfather?"

He looks at me in surprise.

"Yes, young lady. So you know my grandson." He laughs.

"I do seem to recall there was some girl he was extremely fond of. What's your name, miss?" I should lie, because he could tell Morino-sama. But… He's Ryoshi's grandfather. He is the man who taught Ryoshi how to protect me before Ryoshi even knew I existed. I owe this stranger more than just my physical safety. I can't lie to him.

"My name is Okami Ryoko," I sigh.

He stands up and walks over to me.

"So you are her." He examines me without any criticality in his eyes. His eyes that are Ryoshi's. After a minute or two, he nods.

"He has chosen nicely. You seem like an upstanding girl." I blush. To be honest, I have no idea how he could possibly tell after knowing me all of ten minutes. Then again, Ryoshi decided he was in love with me after watching—not even knowing, watching—me for a week. The men in this family seem to jump the gun a lot.

Though he seems very kind, I still can't have Ryoshi's grandfather tell on me.

"Well, the thing about that is… I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't mention it to him… or anyone, really… that I'm here." A confused look crosses his wrinkled features.

"I came for Ryoshi, but his mom thinks I'm a maid girl named Capulet Emi and his servants think I'm somebody named Sweetheart—but they made that up themselves—and I only have three weeks to get in touch with him and go back to Otogi Academy here he belongs because…because…!"

Just say it!

"Agh, because I love him!" I burst out. The emotions I've holding in explode in a current of words. I sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you…!" I exclaim, embarrassed. I bow.

"Please… just forget I said anything… can I, um, have two dozen red roses?" After a silence, he smiles at me, softly.

"No. I'm glad you did say something." Ryoshi's grandfather looks at me.

"He has missed you so."

My breath catches. Outside, it starts to snow. Inside though, this place is warm.

"Here are your flowers. I'm guessing you're on one of Mai's flower missions?" he laughs.

Mai must be Ryoshi's mother's name.

"Yes, sir." I say. He pauses.

"You needn't fear. I won't say a word." He hands me the roses.

"Take care of yourself, Okami-sweetheart." He grins at me as I smile.

"And take care of my grandson! Lord knows he needs help here and there."

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By the time I make it back to the house, my body is ravaged and shaking with the numbness of the ice and snow, but my heart glows.

I shut the broad doors behind me, locking out the wind and the bleak, gray sky. It is only two thirty in the afternoon, but it is as dark as if it were six. I knock on the door of Morino-sama's study. My hand quakes with sick, shuddering chills. I can feel the throb of a headache entering the center of my skull. I close my eyes, and feel the white hot burning behind my eyelids.

"Come in!"

"Here are your roses, Morino-sama." I say weakly.

"Ah! Thank you, Capulet-san. Oh dear." Her eyes take in my thin, revealing maxi skirt and my lack of arctic coat. And yeah, an arctic coat is defiantly necessary.

"You didn't go out in that, did you? It's snowing!"

I am aware…!

"I'm just fine, really," I assure her. Suddenly, a wave of nausea crashes into me. I stagger backwards, knocking over a picture frame that sits on a mahogany desk I've backed into.

"Let me take your temperature…" Ryoshi's mother places the back of her cool hand on my forehead.

"Oh no… Capulet-san, you're burning up! You've got a fever for sure!" she cries worriedly.

"No, I'm okay," I insist. This is bad. If she thinks I'm sick, she'll put me in the infirmary, and I won't be able to sneak out and see Ryoshi tonight!

"I'll just get some rest, and I promise I'll be good as new!" Which is a lie. I rarely get sick but when I do, it's awful. That's fine, though. I can certainly handle it by myself! Usually Ringo dotes on me without leaving my side when I so much as sneeze.

"Well… if you're sure…" she says. I can tell she's not satisfied. Before she can change her mind, I bow graciously and duck out of the study, shutting the door weakly behind me. Teeth chattering like a windup toy, I stagger downstairs to my room, and collapse in bed, dizzy with fever. My body is freezing, but my head is a volcano. I struggle to keep up my strength.

Only eleven more hours till I can see Ryoshi.