I grab my things and stand up, tears in my eyes. Then I race towards the entrance, past the hallways and rooms that I had been so happy to see.

Then...

"Amano!"

My heart skips a beat. K-Kashino?

"Where are you going?" He yells. "You just got here!"

"I'm not welcome," I state coldly. "So I might as well leave."

"Idiot! What are you talking about?" He lies, taking hold of my arm.

I jerk it away from him. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." My voice wavers slightly, as I struggle to hold back tears.

"Please, Amano." He pleads. There's a desperation in his voice; one that I almost believe to be real.

Almost.

I ignore him, making my way over to the door. I'm not going to fall for his false sincerity. Not again...

"We need you..." He says, in one last attempt to make up for his lies.

I slam the door in reply, without ever looking behind me.

~x~

"Ichigo! You're back!" Aoi blinks, surprised.

I bury my face in my hands, tears flowing down my cheeks. "What's wrong?" She says quietly.

I take a deep breath, blinking back tears, and tell her everything.

~x~

I pick up my phone, dialing Kurai-sama's number. She picks up after the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Kurai-sama," I reply. "This is Amano Ichigo."

"Hi, Ichigo! How can I help you?"

"About the exchange..." I trail off, unsure of whether to continue. Is this really worth it? After so long, St. Marie has become my home. Haru, Noburu, and Sho, may have been kind to me, but they're still far from the sweet princes.

St. Marie is everything to me.

Or at least, it was.

"We don't need her. We've never needed her. Amano's skills are worthless compared to Emi's."

"I wish we never had to deal with her in the first place."

"All she ever does is cause us trouble. I wish she'd just leave."

The sweet princes' words echo in my mind. Anger engulfs my senses. How could they say that? How could they break me like that?

I don't deserve this. I may not be an expert in making sweets, but I try my best to do things right. And for all my efforts, I deserve some respect.

I stare at the phone in silence. For the first time, I find myself wondering what would happen if I went back to St. Marie. And what would happen if I didn't.

~x~

Sorry if I disappointed you with this chapter... QAQ Anyways, Ichigo's choice will be revealed in the next chapter! But the story is still far from over. ;v;

There's a poll on my profile if you want to guess if Ichigo will leave or stay xD

Once again, a special thank you to my reviewers!

1. MintyAngel

2. meredyr

3. Cally

4. sunshine7984

5. Guest

You guys make me so happy. Thank you for all your lovely reviews! ❤