A/N: *Author has duct tape covering her mouth and, FINALLY, a filter in her brain to make her stop over-feeding you peasants with information and words*

...

Mrrf. Mfft. Hmmf.

Chapter Ten. Fragile Woman, Likable Girl

Monday morning came with a fuming music-lover, a perverted Gemini, and a terrible headache.

"GUYS," Akari groaned, slumping forward in her desk. "I already explained to you, I was LOCKED IN! How could I have possibly met up with you?"

Aika inched closer to her face, but Akari just hid it in her arms.

"You. Could have. CALLED ME!"

"Didn't have my phone. It was stolen by a tiger."

"EXCUSES, EXCUSES!"

"Gee, you could at least come up with something believable." Kai added in.

Yes, apparently, he had remained Kai for all of Sunday, and moving into Monday. Akari was starting to doubt that Seiji was taking his pills or whatever helped him repress his 'other side'. She groaned and then gasped when a hand squeezed up her knee.

"KAI!"

"What? I'm finishing where I left off."

"In the classroom?!"

"I'm sorry," His dark eyes glinted malevolently as she raised her head to glare at him. "Do you wanna go find that supply closet again?"

Akari didn't have to exert the effort of slapping him, because Aika beat her to it.

"DON'T SEDUCE HER WHILE I'M DOING AN INTERROGATION!"

"You know what Aika, you're really sour. That's why I'm pursuing Mana-chan and not you- I bet she tastes sweet as-"

He was cut off when an Ipod was shoved up his nose.

Akari sighed as the two fought on, their screaming rage at one another wasn't amusing, more like edging on her headache that was steadily growing in her head. It thumped against her skull in waves of pressure and she leaned back, praying to whatever god there was that the day would come to a close sooner rather than later.

"Do you need anything?"

Tora was finally with his mother now, and though he was dressed in his school uniform, he had refused to leave the house. After a servant informed him that he was allowed to visit her, Tora had quickly called up Maki and asked him to handle his work for the day, and hadn't left his mother's room since.

One of the woman's pale, frail hands reached over and touched his arm affectionately. Tora looked deeply into her eyes- she appeared weak but strong at the same time. Of course, she was an Igarashi, she was strong and she could fight this off. He didn't need to worry...

"Tora, I'm fine."

"...You don't want any water?"

"Tea would be nice, actually."

Soon Tora was on his feet. With his regal steps, he walked across the room to the small tea station at the far wall, and rolled up the sleeves of his white jacket as he began to ready her tea.

His mother watched him through filmy eyes. He was so tall now, where had her little boy gone? He was almost as tall as herself, he must've now reached just over her shoulder. As she watched him, his back stiff and his shoulders set as he leaned over and began brewing some tea, she felt a pang of sympathy and worry take over. He, such a regal, calm, controlled young man, how did he look so lonely to her? He was tall and he was handsome, with a striking face that could catch whomever's attention. And yet he had no girl, except his fiance, though she knew he didn't love her and the girl herself merely respected and obeyed Tora. She didn't see them getting married, even though it was planned.

So, where was he now? In his life- he was so quiet and careful to stay out of her way that she wasn't sure how he felt about situations, but she was his mother and so she purely went by instinct. She watched him closely, his strong hands swift in their tasks, picking out the kettle, turning on the heat, pulling out spices and other things. He moved so surely, so confidently, and yet... when he turned slightly, so that she could see the profile of his face, his eyes were lowered, his mouth pulled in a certain serious way.

Calm on the surface, broken on the inside.

"Tora?"

His back was facing her as he was still busy in his preparations.

"Yes Okaasan?" His voice was rich and composed perfectly.

"I was wondering, why are you here today? Skipping school, much less, making me tea when any servant could do it. You should be working."

"I'm simply taking a break in order to watch over you, as a man of this household, I feel I must at the very least spend a day by your side while you are ill."

She continued to watch him as he took long, sweeping steps to his right, grabbing something from a tray.

"I suppose there's no wrong in it, if it's just for today. Did Akari go to school, at least?"

His mother blinked in surprise when her son's back suddenly went even more rigid than it already was. It was a very, very tiny movement, but his hands also seemed to fumble with whatever he was handling. Of course, it only took a split second for him to gain control and become fully composed once again, continuing with his busywork, but his mother had caught on by then already.

"Yes, she is at her school as we speak." His voice was, again, rich and composed perfectly.

"Hmm... why does she go to that Seika High again? I had thought it was agreed she'd attend Miyabigaoka."

Mrs. Igarashi could've sworn she saw him shift a little in a miniature twitch, but he was now being overly careful about his movements, and it was hardly noticeable. The kettle whistled softly and he smoothly took it from the heat and started to pour a cup for her.

"I... arranged for that of my own accord."

"Hmm..." His mother said again, and was about to say more when suddenly he whipped around and, like an elegant butler, brought the tea cart rolling over to her. She stared at the many steaming cups in a look of boredom.

"I was unsure of what to make you, and then remembered you liked these three the best." He shrugged his shoulders as she stared at the three small cups. "I don't expect you to drink them all, but whichever you don't chose, I'll have."

Her eyes tried to meet his but he was looking to the side, out the window. the sunlight only made a single patch of light on the floor behind him, and the rest of the room was kept dark, in case his sick mother wanted any sleep.

Tora watched his mother pick a random cup and he waited until she sipped at it and made a pleasant face until he grabbed another. Personally, he didn't favor tea, but it was calming. And so he left the tea cart where it was and stood up tall, sipping at his tea and crossing his legs as he thought about something quick to say before she asked more about schools and a certain girl living in their home.

"I'd like to-

"So why did you have her transfer?" His mother made her voice clearer, despite her ill state, she was as fiercely determined as ever.

"It was- a decision made without a lot of thought."

"You, not thinking things through?" Tora's mother made a sound like a scoff, mixed with a sniff. "Tora, do not lie to your sick mother. That's shameful."

Tora bowed his head and set his tea cup down, apologetically.

"It's not that I am lying, as I realize now that it really was a decision made without much thought."

"What were you thinking in the first place?"

"Please, could we talk about something less unimportant?"

"Alright. Women."

Tora blinked down at his mother, openly confused. She simply took another sip of tea, one hand reaching up to push back her sweaty bangs. He then frowned. How could someone so fragile, also have such a fierce look in their eye? His mother was truly something, but then again she had to be, of course, in order for someone like his father to chose her.

"Are there any young girls in your life, Tora?" She asked, and then took another sip.

His mother watched his reactions carefully, but the most she got was the small muscle in his jaw twitching as he locked it in place.

"Of course. There's Chiyo."

"That's not who I meant."

"Mana~chaaaann~~~~!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU DIRTY GEMINI!"

"Come on, Mana-chan, lemme finish what I started..."

Akari bolted around the next corner, but he was slipping down the hall right after her. She whizzed by the Prez. and Usui, but she didn't call out to Misaki for help, as the other girl seemed to be in a similar situation with the other blonde boy.

"YOU PERVERTED ALIEN! GET OFF, WE'RE IN THE HALLWAY!"

Akari didn't catch Usui's reply, as she rounded another corner and bolted up a set of stairs without thinking. She could hear the stalking stomps coming from just over her shoulder- it wasn't fair, she had a head start but he was already caught up with her!

"Playing hard to get just makes it more tempting, Mana."

"Stop calling me the wrong name!" She breathed heavily as she kept climbing.

"But you told me that was your name-"

"Well you were calling me by Akari just two days ago!"

Wait, that was Seiji...

"EURGH!" She tripped in her frustration.

"The only thing I recall from two days ago, is not getting to finish pleasuring you properly..."

Suddenly, a hand was at her wrist, and she was yanked back into a firm chest. She gasped into his half-unbuttoned school shirt, and realized the situation was going to get much worse before it got better.

For a moment, her gaze wandered over the edge of the railing. They were at the top of the stairs now, one of the several sets in the school that led up to the roof. She seriously considered jumping over the edge...

"Come on, Mana..." His lips were at her ear, and he licked her lobe playfully.

"No! Getoffame! You perverted- ah!"

He suddenly bit the shell of her ear, and the pain caused her to call out in surprised.

"You're a- some sort of- sadistic animal!"

"I like you when you're all riled up, Mana-chan~"

Akari turned her head as far from him as she could, and barely peeked back over the railing. Wait, someone was ascending the stairs... she was saved?!

"H-"

Kai made a move to take her breath away by force, his lips hitting hers uncomfortably. Though they were soft as cream, she didn't kiss back and also refused his tongue access to her mouth. When he let go, put off by her actions, she ripped away from him and did something risky, as soon as she recognized the face belonging to the person climbing the stairs below.

"KANOU!" She screamed, jumping over the railing and experiencing a short burst of both fear and adrenaline, her skirt ruffling during her brief fall. If she had calculated correctly, she would land right-

"Akari-san?!"

In his arms.

"Thank god. Good catch." She said, as he struggled to hold himself steady after she fell right onto him- he had opened his arms to catch her right just in time.

"What on-"

"Don't talk, just get me out of here quickly!" She looked up and saw the very shocked, very angered face of Kai above them, as the blonde boy leaned over the railing.

"You're not invincible, you know." Kanou said pointedly as he turned and hurried with her in his arms down the stairs.

"Hmf. Falling such a short distance wouldn't hurt me."

"Onto a set of slippery stairs..."

"I'm wearing grippy shoes!"

"That's not really the issue..."

"You need to just focus on finding a place for us to hide. This school is pretty big, right?"

He turned down a hall she didn't recognize, running past a few bulletin boards until coming to a halt and setting her down. He was breathing heavily, having had run down a flight of steps, down a few halls, all the while with her in his arms.

"I wouldn't say it's too large, but hiding shouldn't be hard."

"Well where do you think that pervert won't look?"

Kanou mumbled something along the lines of "Dunno." Before Kai zipped right around the corner, finding them already. He was out of breath as well, his shirt almost completely undone now too.

"Jeez, Mana-chan, you're being awfully risky." He straightened up and flung his light blonde hair dramatically.

"Do you guys normally play tag at lunch time?" Kanou asked jokingly, though his tone was serious enough.

"Kai, could you please leave me alone?"

"Not with another man!"

"It's just Kanou!"

Kanou looked down at his feet, flushing in embarrassment. She turned to him and grabbed his arm.

"No, that's not- I mean, sorry, Kanou. You're awesome, don't worry."

He smiled just barely enough for her to see, despite her quite lousy apology. He only shook his head in humor at her hurried words.

"Alright, come on, enough games. Let's do each other good before we run out of energy because of all this chasing."

Kai advanced towards her, but Kanou simply stood in the way, quietly calm. He grabbed Akari's hand behind him.

"If a girl is willing to risk getting hurt just to get away from you," He said in a smart sort of tone. "doesn't that mean she's not interested?"

Kai blinked, stopped moving, and took a moment to think. Maybe somewhere within, Seiji was yelling at his other self, telling him to stop acting like a lunatic; but before anything could be said for sure Akari was suddenly pulled out a set of doors, cold air rushing around her and flushing her cheeks as Kanou brought her with him outside.

"Where are we going to hide?" She asked as he skirted around the edge of the building, and stopped for a moment. She received a very unexpected answer, as he suddenly yanked painfully on her arm, and dove into a cardboard mess that looked like some sort of project for the student council, with her in tow.

It wasn't a very ideal way to hide, with her aching head pressed into his chest and the rough feel of cardboard scratching at her bare legs, but Kai ran by without even noticing them, as the stacks of brown boxes and layers of cut up boards in odd shapes made them hidden and safe.

"Sorry." Kanou grunted, lightly pulling her off of him like she was a small china doll.

Not thinking at all, she took a deep breath and wrapped him up in her arms. So cute! He was so shy and careful with her... the exact opposite of that-

She suddenly growled, and just as quickly pulled away from the boy. Igarashi. He had locked her up! Sure, he had let her out now, but just the fact that he had actually locked her in her own room! That BASTARD! That- that stupid little fake little rich boy tyrant! She had thought she was starting to stop disliking him, but now- NOW she just, hated him! It may not be for forever that she feels this, but for now, the rage soared through her like a sugar high that wouldn't stop. With purpose, she yanked herself from the mess of boxes, barely noticing the cold in the air as she stood up, grumbling to herself.

"Ahhuuumm..." An uncomfortable voice said behind her.

She turned to see Kanou, who was blushing and still lying back into the brown cardboard mess, his legs and arms spread out and his face looking unsure. She quickly gave him a smile and helped him to his feet again.

"I'm sorry, if I've acted strange just now, it was... the cause of all this lunacy!" She waved her arms, exasperated, hoping she hadn't hurt his feelings.

"It's... fine. What exactly is wrong with, er-"

"Seiji?"

"Yeah. Weren't you calling him Kai?"

"He's got a double personality."

"Makes sense."

"Yup."

"...Yeah."

Silence.

She glanced at him. His glasses were gone, she noticed, and his sapphire eyes looked so beautiful it almost made her want to hug him again. Instead, she bent down and started shifting through the cardboard cut outs.

"What are you-"

"Your glasses. They must have flown off when... we fell."

"I'm sorry I pulled you like that."

"Oh, what?" She came back up, holding his glasses in her hands. Thankfully, they were unharmed. "It's totally fine so long as that idiot is gone!"

He stared at her for a short moment, as if adding something up in his head, and then he took his glasses appreciatively and moved out of the mess of boxes he was standing in.

"Do you wanna... er, come have lunch with me and Shouichirou?"

Akari thought for a moment, her face blank as she stared back at him.

"Shou...ichirou?"

"Oh. Yukimura."

"Right, sorry, I don't call him by his first name."

Kanou shrugged.

"Yeah, we're good friends, so..."

"Makes sense."

"Yup."

"...Yeah."

Silence.

Realizing that they had just repeated themselves from a few moments before, Akari sighed and started walking towards the side doors leading into the school.

"So, let's head to the student council room?"

"Um, yeah." Kanou was suddenly right behind her, following her back inside.

"Annnd we probably shouldn't mention that we... fell on their project."

"That was just the recycling..."

"Oh. That makes more sense."

"Yes."

"...Yeah."

Silence.

Tora walked out of his mother's room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He had just finished cleaning up the tea, setting everything back where it was, and as he had done that his mother had fallen asleep.

He passed through the halls purposefully, and finally reached the door of the study. Walking in, he realized with a grumble from his stomach that the tea was the only thing he'd had to eat today, as he had skipped breakfast and lunch. Maybe he could eat later, but for now, the only thing that could busy his mind from the words that his mother had said could be paperwork.

As he sat down at an elegant mahogany desk and started shifting through piles of invites and school papers and formal agreements, he frowned as his thoughts couldn't become caught up in his work. He had come here, solely for the purpose of distraction, but the black words on white paper were just making his mind lose focus. Black on white, white and black, words and words, signature here, stamp of approval there, it was a steady process he was so used to that he could have it all done in no time. But as his mother's words still seemed to haunt him, all he could do was look over everything and sigh in aggressive annoyment.

I like Akari. She's outside of the box, like her mother was...

Tora's eyes glanced over a letter he had opened. 'The so-and-so organization would like to propose that the Igarashi Foundation work in unison on the so-and-so project, provided that it is...'

...the one young woman who I actually find suitable for my son. It's funny really, because she just so happens to be my best friend's daughter...

Tora set the letter back in it's envelope, and picked up a student council paper that would need to be signed by him. He began to read it thoroughly; 'We would like to suggest that the date of the Miyabigaoka fundraiser be moved to an earlier date...'

Tora, do you like Akari at all?

The paper was swiftly signed and placed to the corner of the table. Tora reached for another, a whole group of papers stapled together that had to be none other than a business proposal that would distract his interest and thoughts for sure.

I honestly don't know why I'm so sure of this, but she seems to be a good match for you. I know that Chiyo is a lovely girl with all the right connections, but Akari's the type of strong girl that any Igarashi man needs by his side...

"This isn't working." Tora said calmly and flatly, setting down the papers and leaning forward, his hands folding so that he could place his chin atop them.

His eyes narrowed as he peered across the room at nothing, his thoughts only of his mother's words to him.

What is it that you feel when you're around her? After having just told me that you are not interested, then explain yourself. Why aren't you interested? Does she appall you? Annoy you? What feelings do you have towards her?

Tora just peered into space, not knowing how else to spend the time, as he couldn't move himself or distract himself with work. His mother had suddenly interrogated him back there, and then left him to ponder on it later like this... damn, what was with that woman?

"I hold no feelings towards her at all. It'a a neutral sort of relationship, she's simply living in our house."

"...You really have absolutely no interest in her?"

"None at all."

"And you feel no need to acknowledge her?"

"That's right."

"Well that's a blatant lie, Tora. Your father told me that he saw you carrying her to her room the other night."

"...Is that so?"

"Yes. So obviously, you care somehow. And Tora, there's another thing."

"That proves nothing, and whatever you'll say next will prove nothing as well."

"Oh I'm not trying to prove something now. I just wanted to tell you, your father says he likes her fair enough as well."

"He doesn't like people easily, Okaasan. You must be mistaken."

"That's the thing, Tora, I am never mistaken."

"But he doesn't even know her well."

"Ah, but it's that feeling that she gives off, isn't it? She makes people feel-

"Real." Tora didn't think he had said it aloud, but he had, and he had a growing suspicion that his mother knew that he felt it as well.

He hated to get all sentimental, but that girl was somehow changing him. She was the catalyst for the downfall of all of his barriers that he'd worked so hard to build around himself. She could somehow take the fake feeling in his words and gestures, and see what was real underneath.

But what was he to do about it? What was his mother expecting to happen? It's not like he was going to tell her the truth- that yes, he did enjoy Akari, to the extent that he saw her differently- as a prize- and that he just wanted to win her over.

What exactly did he plan to do though? He wasn't 100% sure himself. Sleep with her, that was a given. But he somehow knew that she couldn't just be treated as every other lay he'd gotten.

What the hell was he supposed to be planning towards, then? Akari... damn that likable girl!

"Hey Mana-chan..."

"Ah!"

*punch, groan, laughter*

"Gee, you're still so fired up!"

Akari sighed and turned around to face the boy she'd accidentally punched in the face. (Though, truth be told, it wasn't really that much of an accident...)

"Get out of here, it's time to go home." She said flatly, and then turned to leave.

She was almost to the doors that lead outside, when a hand planted itself on her shoulder and pulled her back into a firm chest.

"You aren't going anywhere, until I've finished my job."

"Job. Hmf. I don't recall hiring anyone. In fact, I don't think I even sent out any applications." She tried to turn to face him, but he held her back tight against him.

"There's an unused classroom just down that hall." He whispered to her, pointing in a specific direction that she wasn't really paying attention to.

"Kai, I'm not going to have sex with you." Akari hissed at him, deciding to be frank and prayed to god none of the passing students heard that.

"Well... it could just be a little fun. No sex- yet."

She struggled in his grasp. She REALLY missed Seiji- funny, loose, easy-going, charismatic Seiji. How could he turn into someone so perverted, dirty, uncaring, pushy, and arrogant? Really, it was beyond her.

"Come on Mana!"

Suddenly, she was being yanked away by the blonde, though she wouldn't come easily.

"Get the fuck off of me or you're asking for it!" She said, smacking his arm, pulling back, digging her heels into the slippery surface of the flooring. It slowed their process, but his grip was like iron, clamped on painfully to her wrist.

"I'm already asking for 'it', but you said no. So we're just going to show each other a good time. Hey, I bet you'll change your mind in the middle of it." He looked back and winked at her, and she wondered how come nobody walking past was trying to help her. What, did they think that her pulling and yelling meant she was enjoying this?!

"KAI, just- just LISTEN." She said as they turned a corner and were suddenly walking down a much emptier hallway.

"Maaaannaaa-chan." He said abruptly. "I don't wanna listen. I wanna do much more than that."

"But-"

She could say no more, for suddenly, another firm grip was on her wrist, and with a powerful jerk, she was free of Kai's grasp and in someone else's. She only saw a flash of snow coming through the window as she was pulled around and had to start running to keep up with someone else's pace.

"That guy is really persistent." A familiar voice noted plainly.

She finally looked up in front of her to see the black-haired boy whisking her around another hallway, pushing up his glasses on his face and then pulling her into the gymnasium.

He lead her behind the bleachers, and put a hand over her mouth when she was panting too loud.

Moments later Kai burst in, and without a second thought he ran to the other side of the gym and exited through the doors there, probably thinking he was still chasing after them when in fact, he'd run right past them.

Kanou let go of her mouth, letting her lean over slightly and catch her breath.

"You- you're really..." She started, and then stopped and had to lean against him for a moment, breathing hard. Jeez, being jerked around at the speed of light wasn't easy.

"No problem." Kanou suggested, since her words couldn't be said clearly, he just accepted her unsaid thank you and watched her catch her breath. She straightened up properly after a moment, blushing when she saw the sincere look on his face.

"You like this, don't you?" She asked, a sly smile gracing her lips.

He blinked, his eyes widening as he looked at her.

"Wh-what?"

"You like to be a hero, getting to save the girl-"

"No, no." He said suddenly, stepping away a little. He looked embarrassed. "I just happened to be walking by-"

"At exactly the moment I needed you?"

"...Yes."

She looked up into his blue eyes, hidden behind those sharp glasses of his. He looked very regal right now, for some strange reason, almost like a prince. He really was some sort of ladies man, she'd bet, even though girls intimidated him.

"Hey, you know, you can relax around me, Kanou." She said, surprising him once again.

"I... know that already." He said, looking away, his face turned to the side so that he didn't have to see her.

On tip toes, she reached up, craning her neck and pulling on his arm to make him bend down a little bit, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

It was nothing really, but his reaction amused her and she had to stifle a busting laugh when he blinked, flipped his head to look at her, and backed up, touching his cheek lightly, and then quickly removing his hand like it had been burned. He had a sort of deer-in-the-headlights look about him now, and his body twitched in an involuntary shudder.

"What- what..." He started, very quietly, but then couldn't say more.

"You earned that. For being my savior for the day. It's 'a token of my gratitude.'" She stated jokingly, remembering that to be something princesses often said in kid movies. "Anyway, thanks for being there for me. Hopefully Kai will revert back to Seiji soon, so I don't have to trouble you so much."

She turned and started to walk away, and when she looked back over her shoulder, he was gone. Momentarily surprised, she turned her head from side to side, and then caught a glimpse of him- hood up, hands stuffed deep into his pockets, hurrying away from her and out the doors at the other end of the gym.

All Akari could do was laugh. The people at this school were so strange. She loved it.

A/N: The chapter that I just finished above is the actual chapter. What follows below is what I had originally planned for chapter 10, but scrapped because I wanted to skip a day in order to shorten the story in order to get to the much-awaited lemon chapter quicker. This, (below) is what the chapter had originally been set up to be like, but it was really just going to be a chapter where not much happened, so I switched my approach. Enjoy if you wanna see what had been written before!

The Original Chapter Ten. That Was Scrapped Due To It Not Being Important Enough. (aww how sad):

If anyone were to think that Akari would just give up, give in to someone else's demands so easily, they would be very wrong.

A single glass of wine had turned into two... and then five... yeah, things were indeed getting out of hand...

Akari peaked out of each of the large windows in turn. Did they even open? (most windows did!) No...

Tora peered into the empty bottle of wine. He withheld a hiccup. (men did not hiccup!) Dear god...

She was trapped.

He was drunk.

Seeing no point in trying to break out today, as it was growing further into the evening and it'd be much easier to escape when she wasn't so tired, Akari lazily changed into light pajamas and settled into her bed, restlessly turning this way and that, not content because of the feeling of being trapped that tormented her.

Tora was sprawled across his couch like a lazy drunken fool. He grinned for no reason, a harsh grin, as he thought about how he wanted to rip that Kai kid's throat out for kissing his prize like that... No, that was a bit gory, wasn't it? He couldn't think proper. Maybe he'd just settle for punching the guy in the face when next he saw him.

Akari looked at the clock on her nightstand. At first, she had reached out for her phone, only to remember that Tora had taken it, which only enraged her all the more. When she glanced at the time, only 7:38, she became so easily aggravated that she whacked the clock off of it's perch and onto the floor with a soft 'thump'. She groaned miserably, turning in the bed and then trapping her head in a soft place between two pillows. Sleep... that's all she needed for right now... and then she could come up with a plan.

Tora had been staring at his hand for literally hours. He would grow increasingly amazed by the slice across his palm, cutting through his lifeline in a thinning white scar, and then his eyes would droop and it suddenly only was some stupid scar to him. Which should he be, amazed or tired of looking at it? It was nothing to him. He'd just broken some stupid vase... and then she had helped him. Why had she helped him?

He slowly put his hand in his lap, and then after that his mind lost itself again before it could even pick up on the logical thing he'd been beginning to conjure up in his mind, and he began to have another intense staring contest, this time with the carpet.

"Miss Michiyo?"

Akari sprang from the bed as if it was made of hot coals. She had been having a nightmare about her father sending servants to come take her unwillingly back to the estate... it was horrid.

"Yeah?" She said, clearing her head and walking to the door, pausing just in front of it.

"I was told to bring you your breakfast?"

Akari's mind jolted, and she was suddenly fully awake. Had that Igarashi menace made a mistake? The maid should have snuck in quietly while she was sleeping... why was she asking permission to enter the room? Perhaps it wasn't a mistake- she might just not have access to the room.

"Do you have a key?"

"Oh, I do Miss."

"Please wait then, I need to dress myself."

"Right, Michiyo-san."

Akari entered the closet and allowed her pajamas to form a pile at the floor as she proceeded to pull herself out of them. Her mind was so active with thoughts of what she was planning to do that she hardly payed attention to the clothes she was putting on. When she exited the closet moments later, she looked down to see herself dressed in a sports bra underneath a widely-stitched beige sweater, and long dark stockings that were warm on her legs. Eh, she guessed it was weather-appropriate, right?

She allowed the maid to enter the room after making sure to be ready by the door, and no sooner had the woman walked past that Akari had bolted into the hallway, the only words she offered over her shoulder being brief with no explanation in them.

"Just set the food on the table!"

Tora moaned and stood up from the couch, swaying the slightest bit. He may be in a drunken daze, but even the heavy influence of alcohol couldn't dumb down his brilliant mind- he needed to shower, sober up, get ready, and check on Akari. He hadn't slept at all but for a few uncomfortable naps he'd fallen into on the couch, and he was now still wide awake with a kink in his neck and a slight headache. He somehow found the bathroom and closed the door behind himself, stripping down to the skin and sighing heavily. He needed a good shower, then to check on her...

The door was locked.

He always locked his door, even when he was in the room, wasn't that right? Of course she should have thought of that!

To get the address to Aika's house, she needed the phone. And to get the phone, she needed to get into his room. But even if his door was left unlocked, what did she expect? If he was awake, he'd lock her up again, overpower her again, wouldn't he? It'd be easy as the last time. She hated sexism, but one had to be realistic. The male species was built stronger than the female, it was a known fact that there was no use getting around-

The door began to open slowly in front of her. Flinching, Akari barely had time to jump out of the way, behind it, before it opened fully and a dripping Igarashi stepped into the hall...

(And that's as far as I got to. Maybe, if requested, I can continue this as a sort of *BONUS chapter, that doesn't really follow the story line and is just there for your entertainment. I could turn it into a fun little lemon if you want. But since I'm a lazy buffoon, I really don't feel like doing that, unless, of course, it is requested by one of my viewers. I'll do anything for you guys! ;D Laziness, abandoned! Juss' for ya! Anyway, since I've so far written no more after Tora steps out of his room, I'll let your imaginations think up whatever happens next. SUCH A TEASE! ;)

A/N: Oh. Hi. So, finally got the duct tape off my mouth. My lips feel positively raw. -_-

As a short answer for the kind reviewer Princess Sakura2456, actually, about the lemony goodness, I have that chapter already written up, (it's quite delectable), and I am simply waiting to insert it at the correct place into the story. Also, about my OC being a virgin or not- that is also included already in the lemon chapter I have written, as I decided if she was or not before hand, and I guess you'll just have to wait and see for the answer... ;3

"Critique me!" My story says. "Review, Follow, Favorite!" It cries a again.

You all, you all who review, I love you.

And all of you who don't review- eh, I love you too. ^_^

Just thanks for even viewing my story in the first place! I'm so happy that ya do~!

Also, I wanted this chapter to simply be a fill-in-the-blank chapter, ya know? Where nothing vitally necessary really happens, it's just sort of... there. That's why it's relatively short compared to most of the other chapters.

Going back on what I just said, I guess it is kind of important that Kanou and Akari are growing closer. It's a build-up for a rivalry. Oh, how scrumptious!

CK :*