A/N: I don't want to die.

If you read the reviews for my story, you would understand why I am saying this.

Therefore, since I would hate dying anytime soon, I will try my best to update faster.

Also, it has occurred to me to make a valid point. If you killed me for not updating faster, then I would never be able to update again.

You would forever suffer an eternity of an unfinished story with no more updates.

Therefore, you should not kill me.

[ And after proving her sensible, well-established point, the author lived a long and happy life. The end. :D ]

Catch-22: a situation in which a person is frustrated by a paradoxical rule or set of circumstances that preclude any attempt to escape from them; a situation in which any move that the person can make will lead to trouble

Chapter Sixteen. The Catch-22

Akari showered. She ate the breakfast she asked the maids to bring to her room. Then she dressed herself and did her hair.

And now, she stared at the screen of her phone with the number she'd punched into it in the limo last night. The name associated with the number read: Ikehara.

Sighing, she drew a deep breath, counted down from ten to one in her head, and pressed the CALL button. The man picked up his phone almost immediately.

"Miss Michiyo! How lovely to finally have you be the one contacting me."

She ignored his creepy attitude and proceeded with what needed to be done.

"Have you talked with my father, Mr. Ikehara?"

"I have indeed, miss." His voice took on an unpleasantly dark tone. "I have indeed."

"And?"

"It would seem that there are two ways he would like to do this."

"...You didn't tell him what I wanted, did you?"

"Now I'm not saying I did tell him, but I'm also not saying I didn't try to tell him." She could swear, she heard him snickering. "He... was in a rather peevish mood."

"My father," Akari said. "Is always in some sort of 'mood'. I don't care about that as much as I don't care about what you had for breakfast. I simpl-"

"Broiled fish and steamed rice."

Akari, shocked at the fact that he had just described his breakfast to her, paused for a moment to hate him even more now.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Ikehara, is this a bad time for me to have called? You don't seem to be taking me too seriously." Her tone was hard and she tried to keep her annoyance at bay.

Tried to.

"Ahh, Miss Michiyo, you're always such a... delight."

"I could tell you the opposite."

"See here," His voice suddenly turned hard and rough. "I am some years older than you and should be treated with the respect I deserve."

"Sir, you obviously don't hold even an ounce of respect for me either." Her tone was ice cold now. "You proved that in your actions before."

"Oh, you would like to bring that up again?" His voice held a suggestion that she winced at, gripping the phone tighter.

"Nevermind. I did not contact you to have an argument. Tell me my father's terms."

"But miss, you just brought up a rather intriguing topic-"

"Tell me my father's terms or I'm hanging up."

"...Very well." His voice was unpleasant, a sneer, that was once again dark and left her shivering. "He wants you to move back into the estate still... and he has gone to, thus far, small extents to make you do so. But he's now become impatient and there is only so much time he says he can waste on you and your stubbornness. So, I present to you two options." She could practically feel him smiling on the other end. "Option one. You return to the estate, appear at the welcoming party that will be held in your honor, and say exactly what he wants you to say to the press about your little- disappearance. You return to living your old life and return to being a proper Michiyo resident and family member. You will drop out of Seika High and enroll at Miyabigoka, as originally planned."

"I refus-"

"Option two." He cut her off, continuing. "You refuse the first option and continue staying with the Igarashi's. Keep going to your... little school, and forget your father's orders." He paused, but she said nothing during the silence, expecting correctly for there to be more. "...But there are repercussions that will effect you and others if you chose this option, I'm afraid."

"I suspected as much, from father." She sighed. "What are th-"

"Your friends, will have their lives be made difficult for them. Your teachers and the high school you attend, will be thrown out of business. Good people will lose their jobs, and families will be torn apart. And if that isn't enough-" He paused, as if to let the drama unfold painfully slow for her. "You will be forcibly taken back, regardless of your objections or personal opinion."

She slowly sunk into silence. That was a lot, even for someone like her father. Maybe, though, he had gotten worse than she had thought over the years... he was so changed from the father he used to be, no, now she just had to come to terms with the truth.

Her father was a ferocious business man who would do everything to always get his way of things and keep his empire running right. And no matter how stubborn she was, that wouldn't change him. No matter how much she hated to bow out and follow someone else's orders, she couldn't defy her father anymore, when he was going to take things to such extremes as she'd just heard over the phone.

Akari Michiyo had never had a choice to begin with.

"When will I be picked up?"

Mr. Ikehara was so obviously smiling on the other end of that phone call. "I'm already on my way."

Still a ways away from the Igarashi estate, Mr. Kichiro Ikehara sat in his limousine with a sure look about him. He hung up the phone in his hand and flipped through the contacts, stopping his scrolling and hitting the call button before holding the phone to his ear.

"Sir, this is Kichiro Ikehara... I have good news."

Across town, inside the Michiyo estate and sitting in his office, Mr. Michiyo smiled into the receiver and listened to the next words he heard with smug satisfaction.

"She has accepted your terms."

Akari turned around, her phone grasped loosely in her hand as her mind spun and she dug her toes into the carpet. She opened and closed her mouth, about to say something reassuring to herself, but at the last second realizing there was nothing that could reassure her now.

Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of the couch sitting just ahead of her. A jacket was rested across the armrest of it, a white one that looked anything but like it belonged in her own room.

Stepping towards the sofa, she looked down at the rich, thick cloth, unsure of where it had come from for a moment. Picking it up between her hands, her spinning mind suddenly went blank.

And then a word crossed her wiped mind. A name.

Igarashi.

Tora Igarashi.

Bringing the coat with her, she turned off the lights and left her room, dropping her phone behind her in the dark.

Tora was pulling on a pair of pants when he heard the knock come at his bedroom door. Turning his head towards the door in slight surprise, he allowed his hands to finish their task of zipping up and buttoning his slacks before ambling towards the door with that light, smooth step of his.

He opened the door and stared down at the girl in front of him with a lowered gaze.

"Hi."

He looked her up and down.

"That's my coat." He gestured with his eyes to the white coat in her hands, leaning against the door frame as he opened his door wider, to give her the better view of his bare chest.

He watched her eye him for a moment, and smirked when her eyes finally met his own.

"I know. You gave it to me last night, I wanted to return it."

His eyebrows arched.

"Really? I don't remember doing that."

Her gaze suddenly turned cold, all too fast.

"Well, did you get drunk sometime later on in the night then?" Her tone was harsh.

He peered at her closer. Her face was washed clean, in fact, her whole body smelled of something fresh, like ginger, or mint. Something like a spice or herb. Her hair was waved as always and pulled up into a short ponytail, and she donned an outfit of jeans and a sweater, as usual. But something was off. He could sense it hanging in the air with her sudden presence like smoke rising to his nose.

And he, being himself and doing what he does best, would sniff out all the dirty details, eventually finding out whatever it was.

Smiling, he opened the door wider for her.

"No, I'm not one that can easily forget things while under the influence of alcohol. Come in."

She thrust the coat forwards and into his bare chest.

"I'd rather not. Here's your coat, Igarashi."

He peered down at the fabric pressing against his skin, and then up at her face.

"That wasn't an offer."

She had just enough time to look up at him before he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room with him, slamming the door behind them.

"I don't have time for your games-" She tried to say.

Tora pressed her up against the wall and pinned her there with his hands, staring down at her with a lazy smile and a glint in his eye.

"Akari. It's rude to make the trip to my bedroom and not even come in for a- chat." His smile grew into a smirk as she stared up at him with narrowed silver eyes.

"You're really idiotic."

"It's cute when you tell me what you think of me. But let's try another word, like-" He suddenly spun her around, pulling her back into his chest and tucking a wisp of her hair behind her ear. "Charming?"

She struggled in his grasp, but he only pulled her to him closer.

"Charming," She huffed indignantly. "Is hardly what I was thinking."

He grinned, his sharp, white teeth poking out with a malicious sort of allure at her words.

Akari could feel his smile against her neck when he whispered with a silken tone in her ear.

"What do you think of me, I wonder?"

She tried leaning forward, away from him, but he had her pressed against his chest and stuck there. She couldn't help but notice, he smelled nice, like fresh sheets and silk and... warmth. Nothing like the strong smells that enveloped him when he was all dressed up for the day, it was nothing like his arrogant colognes or the bitter-sweet scent of wine that often came with him. Nothing like the strong, musky scent that normally emitted from him. No- his current scent was fresh, and new- like the morning.

He breathed against her neck, making her eyelids flutter for a moment.

"Igarashi. Stop."

"I asked you a question, Michiyo."

"What is wrong with you today? Last night you were-"

"Ah, you see, the way questions work is-" His teeth grazed her skin. "When I ask them, I expect an answer."

She turned herself around in his arms, and tried looking for something in his eyes, a sign, or really just a way out. But they were like cold, cool, unyielding walls that one couldn't break through without losing oneself in the golden-yellow depths.

His gaze suddenly lowered on hers, zeroing in on it's target.

"Now, shall I ask again? Perhaps," He cooed. "you had not heard me the first time." He leaned forward, pressing his chest to her own and holding her lower back with a hand. "What do you think of me?"

Her breath hitched for a moment, and in that moment, with his gaze locked on hers, everything became silent. She reached up with a hand and gripped his bare shoulder, as if to push him off of her, but to both of their surprise she ended up pulling him closer, until he had ducked down low enough for her lips to be placed at his ear.

"I think nothing of you."

They broke away together, him letting go of her and her stepping back. Tora stared down at her, his face pulled into a solemn, plain sort of look that he knew she couldn't read into. Though maybe she could feel something in the air, something in the atmosphere that had changed around them, like he could.

"I'm going back to my father's estate today." She said briskly, taking another step back.

He already knew that though. He knew that that was what had been wrong with her. He looked down at her hands, noticing that she was shaking a little bit, and chose to turn his back on her. He smiled, making sure it made it's way into his tone, so that she knew.

So that she knew that she hadn't in the least had any effect on him.

"Don't look so disappointed." He said, walking towards the wardrobe and pulling out a silken shirt. He peered over his shoulder at her with a smirk, and said very slowly; "We'll be seeing each other soon enough at your party, won't we?"

He could have laughed as the realization donned on her face. So, she was a smart girl.

"You talked. You and Ikehara."

He slipped each arm into the shirt sleeves, smoothly, languidly, as if it was a careful art. He smiled and turned to face her, hips switching to one side to lean against the wardrobe as he crossed his arms over his half-covered chest.

"I might've known the whole time." He said vaguely, causing her to give him a strong look of burning anger that he lapped up with pleasure.

"You're despicable."

He watched her as she turned, heading towards the door to his room, and opened it. Not stopping her as she was about to exit, but simply keeping his smirk widespread as she turned her head back to glare at him before leaving. And just as the door was about to shut-

"Akari."

The door was at a crack, but he could clearly tell she was still standing behind it. Straightening up, he smoothly walked towards the door until he was pressed to the other side of it, and put his lips at the edge of the opening.

"Thank you for my coat." He said deeply, and smiled when the door slammed shut and he could hear her stomping down the hall.

Understanding Tora Igarashi was like trying to make sense of the world's most annoying, incredible-yet-intolerable work of art. It might be beautiful, but harshly so. It might seem all mysterious, but it's annoyingly so. And it's pretty damned amazing- in the most aggravating of ways. His motives were like a work of art within a work of art within a puzzle. Doesn't make sense? Are you confused? GOOD. That's what the boy wants!

See, now Akari was just confusing herself. Her mind was in tangles of thoughts that were so mixed up it was like listening to a tape recording backwards in her head. She could make no sense of it anymore- of her own thoughts! Because of HIM!

"Damn that aggravating bastard!" She said, nearing her room and opening the door and pushing her way inside, fuming.

Last night, he had sort of warmly embraced her, which was strange enough as that was. She even believed him when he told her he'd been searching for her all day. But why, she had later wondered? What were his motives? Why would he go so far if he just wanted to fuck her? Why was he so... unsettling? Well, he was always unsettling. But even more so when he'd do one thing, and say another. Or say one thing, and then do another. For god's sake- he'd given her his coat last night when she was crying! Wasn't that a warm gesture? But then today... he was acting so completely infuriating.

Groaning, she collapsed on the couch, unable to make it to her bed. This life, was impossible. Living with him. Maybe it was a good thing she was going home?

An image of a hand marking her face, that feeling of a fist hitting her in the stomach, suddenly flashed through her. Curling up her legs, she held the nearest pillow in her arms and put her face in it. No, no. Going home would be much worse than dealing with whatever confusing mind games Tora was playing on her.

Pulling the pillow away, she took in a deep breath of air and then realized something.

She would rather stay with Tora, than take any other choice, really. Did that... mean anything? A girl had to wonder.

But not right now. Right now, she had to worry and think about more important things. Because her phone was ringing in her pocket, and when she answered it the voice that spoke to her clearly said;

"I just pulled up to the estate, Miss Michiyo. Meet me at the front doors."

Akari wasn't dressed up to her most elegant extent, but needless to say, she knew how she looked right now- especially so after she saw Mr. Ikehara staring at her with a look of stunned surprise as she made her way towards him, the maids following her with her bags.

"You look lovely in a skirt, I regret not telling you that the last time we met."

"I was wearing my school uniform the last we met." She replied dully, her eyes landing on the buttons of his suit. She refused to meet such a foul person's gaze- her mind was fighting the thoughts of what he had done to her in her bathroom that night...

She shuddered at the thought.

"A skirt is a skirt. Though I have to say sweetheart, I liked your uniform better. The skirt was shorter."

Akari turned around when he reached out a hand, the elegant ruffles of her skirt following with her. Under her breath, she muttered, "You're despicable."

"Now that's no way to treat a guest, Akari-san."

She froze. That voice- that sultry, deep, inviting voice had to be...

And how the hell had he heard her anyway, it's not like he was standing next to her!

All eyes turned upward as Tora came down the stairs in all his freshly suave glory. He donned a dark sweater and perfectly pressed khaki pants, but like everything else he put on, he didn't just wear the clothes, he seemed to make them emit an aura of both power, and charismatic, gentlemanly courtesy. But mainly power.

She watched him as his golden eyes switched from smirking at her, to staring politely over her at Mr. Ikehara. "I'd apologize for her attitude, but it would seem, given the current events, I won't be the one needing to apologize for her sake anymore."

Behind her, Ikehara laughed, a short bark that was somehow left behind a fading echo with it. "Yes, she'll have to remember her manners from now on."

Hating it when people talk about you as if you're not in the room with them, when in fact you are, Akari spun around to confront the man behind her.

"I know-"

"Akari-san."

Slowly, she turned back to Tora. He was descending the stairs, a single hand displayed on the banister as he moved downwards, and he looked so regal and all-perfect that even she couldn't speak for a moment. The lighting bounced off his golden hair, making it shine almost liquid-blonde, and his eyes seemed to spark as his long legs made his way down, closer to them, across the carpeted stairs. When he came to the bottom and landed on the marble floors, he stared directly at her, and his eyes looked as if they were hiding some big secret from her.

That look annoyed her to a rather huge extent. That secretive, alluring, nearly hypnotic I-know-something-you-don't look. It drove her mad.

"What is it, Tora-san." She used the same honorific as he had, though she wasn't one to use them and she hated the way it sounded for some reason.

Almost as if he sensed her discomfort, he smiled. It was a dazzling smile to anyone who didn't know any better- but she knew better, and so to her, there was an obvious hidden malice behind his sparkling teeth and bright eyes. Her brow creased as he began to take slow, sure steps towards her.

Though, when he reached her, all he did was set his eyes on her for not even a full second, and then his gaze flickered right on past her as if she wasn't there.

"Kichiro-kun," Tora gently settled his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Would you accompany me alone for a moment?"

Their eyes met, and though Tora's were challenging and bright, his smile sourly sweet like always, the other young man nodded and gave his own measured smile.

"But of course. We'll have to make is short though." He glanced at Akari, who was standing quietly, watching them with her bright, careful eyes. "I'll soon be accompanying the lady back to her home."

Tora narrowed his eyes on Akari for only a split second as well, taking note of the other man's sly tone, and then, with the hand placed on Kichiro's shoulder, led him into the next room with him.

When they were standing behind a set of closed double doors, Tora spun on his heels to face the other man, his smile brightening a bit too much as his eyes took in the older, distrustful business man.

"I think it goes without saying," He said carefully, not wasting a word on this idiot standing before him. "That she is off limits. At all times."

Kichiro began to chuckle, which made Tora's smile turn into a sneer.

"I'm sorry, pardon my laughter but-" He glared at Tora, but his smile was still plastered to his face. "Does she have some sort of name card on her that says she belongs to you? I haven't noticed one."

"She doesn't belong to me. I simply... own her."

The other man gave him a puzzled look. "I would call that the same thing."

"Believe me, it isn't."

Tora watched on as Kichiro folded his arms across his chest, leaning backwards against the wall. "Oh?" He quirked one dark eyebrow.

"She isn't a belonging. If she were simply a belonging, she could belong to anyone. But," Tora smiled, a single dagger of a tooth sticking out as his lips parted. "When I alone own her, that's a whole other concept."

"What is she to you then? If not a 'belonging'."

"A prize." Tora's reply was immediate and he straightened up, looking sure of himself, yet his tone suggested he was bored already with their conversation.

Kichiro smiled.

"I'm afraid prizes can be stolen, Igarashi."

"That doesn't worry me," Tora smirked at the other man. "I've already won her anyway."

"If you are so sure you've won such a prize, then why am I the one leaving your home with her coming with me?"

Tora did not falter. "That's a minor setback I can use to my advantage." He waved it off with a hand, his tone plain and dismissive. "Plus, it'll be easier to keep track of her with her now attending my school."

"You haven't completely claimed her yet, have you?"

Tora looked up at this, eyes narrowing.

"What do you mean by that?"

Kichiro started laughing. "Please, you're a smart boy. You of course, know what it is I'm talking about."

"Of course I do. What I'm saying is, what makes you so sure I haven't conquered her yet?"

Turning towards the door, the other man seemed to signify their little chat was over.

"Why else would you still be so interested in her?"

And with those words, he started to push open the doors, only to be stopped by a hand around his wrist. He looked up the arm of the hand until he met the face before him, all golden hair and yellow eyes, burning now in ferocity that almost made him wince.

Just as suddenly as Tora grabbed the man he released him, stepping back and straightening his sweater. He glanced at Kichiro and smiled, a certain glint displayed in his eyes that the other man couldn't quite grasp.

"You're right. Why else would I be interested in her, I wonder?"

The words were said with a taunting sort of malice, and the secret behind Tora's eyes was both eminent but just hard enough to grasp. However, Tora knew this. And being a man who liked to end all his conversations with himself getting the last say, he pushed past the doors ahead of the other man and walked calmly out into the main hall once again.

Seeing Akari waiting at the other end of the hall though, directly across from him, he faltered for merely a few seconds, his steps slowing as he walked.

She wore a silken skirt, nearly floor-length, that hugged her small frame in a way that somehow made her look taller. It was a deep royal blue that caught the eye right away, and the fabric clung to the edge of her hips and moved whenever she did. Above that her top was plain and black, a button-up that she had simply tucked into the skirt.

In short, the look made her appear to have the slightest edge of elegance, and he took it in greedily for about two seconds. That slight and tiny edge had somehow caught his attention, if only for a moment.

Tora blinked and looked away, quickening his steps to his normal long-legged pace once again. He made a quick exit turning down the adjoining next hall, disappearing around the corner without so much as supplying an answer to the man stuttering behind him, or facing the girl behind him whose silver-blue eyes followed him with a more than curious gaze.

"What?"

Kirchiro quickly looked away, narrowing his eyes to stare back out the window. He had been staring at her back and forth for quite some time now, but hadn't been exactly stealthy about it. He looked back at her, sneaking yet another peak once again.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed onto him. "What is it that you want already?"

He made a certain 'humph' sound, leaning back further into his seat and spreading his legs out further in front of him. In response, Akari crossed her legs away from his, trying to make some room for herself, supplying her own personal bubble every time he tried to pop it.

"You keep staring at me. I want to know why. What did Tora say to you in that room?"

He looked over at her and grinned.

"Nothing you need to know about."

"If it's what's causing you to stare at me in such a creepy manner, I think I should know."

He almost rolled his eyes. "The reason I'm staring at you has nothing to do with it." His eyes landed on her body, looking her up and down with an arrogant, predatory look. "Can't a man just enjoy the view he has before him?"

He was then promptly kicked in the shin.

"You're worse than Igarashi." She muttered, holding her arms protectively around herself.

"I wouldn't be so sure." He chuckled, ignoring the dull pain in his lower leg. "You know, being away from your home so long has certainly made you more feisty than before."

"Why is it that I don't remember you being around ever before, but you seem to know me so well?" Her eyes narrowed on him, suspicious and far from trusting.

He sighed. "You can be such a bother with all your questions sometimes. Do you ever just- relax?"

Akari stuck her chin out, turning her face away from him. "I'll relax when I'm at home and have locked myself safely in my own room."

He made a sort of grunting, scoffing sound, dipping his head down so that she couldn't see his gaze.

"...What was that?"

"That?" He looked up at her, smirking. "That was my quite appropriate reaction to your ridiculous thoughts of safety. Your brother would happily loan me the keys to your room if I wanted them..."

"For you sake, I hope you don't want them."

"For my sake?"

"Yes. For health reasons."

His eyes narrowed on her, and he grinned. "Is this your idea of some sort of- warning?"

She smiled, albeit sourly. "What if it is?"

Leaning back in his seat, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, and a lighter. He reached for her, and she realized he was handing her the lighter. "Would you?"

She rolled her eyes, but took the silver box anyway as he stuck the cigarette in his mouth and leaned forward. She lit it for him, looking down at him as he leaned over, enjoying the leverage she had for a moment. She didn't like always being the one looked down upon.

"You know what game he's playing at, don't you?" She said suddenly, causing him to look up at her as the butt of his cigarette lit itself. She closed the lighter but refused to hand it back to him, even pulled it away when he reached for it.

"Come now, don't be like that miss-"

"You get your lighter back when I get some answers."

They caught each other's eye. His neck snapped back with his body, and though they both knew he could have easily taken the upper hand and used force to get the lighter back, they also both knew he was enjoying this too much to attempt it.

"Alright. If it's answers you want, then I'll give a little. For a girl like you-" He flashed her a conniving smile. "I'd love to play like this. It's great fun for the both of us."

"Disregarding the fact that I don't find this fun and actually only you do-" She caught his eye with her charmingly harsh smile. "I'd love some answers right about now."

"You asked about his game? Tora plays many games. I can't possibly even know one of them, though I can guess."

"What did you talk about with him before we left?"

"You."

She pulled back, making a confused face before he laughed.

"He's fairly interested in you. It's probably what his main game is about right now. He called you a-" He stopped a moment, causing her to stare at him with her full attention.

"He called me a what?"

"He called you his prize." He smirked, watching for her reactions.

However, all she gave him was a nod. She might have even been about to laugh, because he thought he saw her lips quirk slightly upwards.

"He's really an idiot. Of course he'd refer to people like objects, that's just who he is... Well, anything else?"

"I don't fully understand what you are to him," Kichiro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "At first I was thinking you were just another conquest for him, but he gave me reason to believe... otherwise."

"Be a little more clear."

He smirked. "Say please."

"Alright, please be a little more clear." She was acting calmly, but her impatience was steadily growing inside of her.

And he could tell. Smiling, he leaned forward and snatched the lighter from her hand. "It's cute, how worked up you're getting because of this. I'll finish with this- I think you mean more to him than we both think."

Akari stared at the man before her for a moment as he blew a stream a smoke into the air in the limo.

"What... does that mean?"

"You figure it out." He made an 'o' with his lips, puffing out more smoke but this time directing it at her.

Coughing horribly, she rolled down the window beside her, trying to breathe again.

"Having trouble?"

"Stop smoking in the car!" She turned on him, glaring.

"You're the one who lit it for me."

"I was caught up in the conversation. I wasn't thinking about it."

He gave her an inquiring look.

"Do you, ever think?"

She turned to the window, pushing herself closer to it and trying to breathe in the cool, crisp air outside. That's when she caught sight of the gates just opening up for them. Her eyes widened, and the passenger sitting across from her took note of that.

"Welcome home, sweetheart." He grinned, flicking his cigarette past her face and out the window as the car rolled into the drive.

She turned to look at him, obviously struggling to wipe her face clear of all emotions.

"Let's get one thing straight right here right now, Mr. Ikehara." She glared at him. "If you really do come into my room without my permission, I will be sure to have you fired."

His laughter seemed to echo in her head as the car abruptly pulled to a stop. That's when she knew it for sure- she wasn't in charge at all, despite what her name said. She may be a Michiyo, as sure as Tora is an Igarashi, but where he stood in power and where she stood in power was on a whole scale of difference. Tora has control because of his family name. She is controlled because of her's.

Picking the option of returning home meant a whole world of trouble for her.

But then again, staying back with the Igarashi's would have caused double this amount of trouble... not only for her, but for several others...

Groaning, she took that first step out of the car as the door was opened for her.

A/N: Hello! I am in pain. :D

Me and my best friend went to the gym yesterday and it did feel pretty great- until I woke up today and felt the soreness set in. :/ Ah, well. Exercise hurts in a good way- beauty is pain- and all that nonsense or whatever. Seriously though, my thighs are burning, there might literally be little fires ignited in my muscles.

Anywho... I have *BIG PLANS* for the next upcoming chapters... Tora's gonna be all... meanwhile Akari will have to... and then at the... he's gonna... and it'll be sooo...

Yeah, I'm not filling in the blanks for you. Hehehe... I'm an evil tyrannical writer, remember? Now you peasants should get some rest before the next chapters, you're gonna need it in order to keep up. Also, take a bath. Seriously, you're all filthy.

;) I love you all, and thank you so much for reviewing or simply just viewing my story! That's totally completely indubitably fantastic of you! Keep the reviews rolling in!

Peasants!

Catch you later, as the story begins to pick up and sparkle and such ^-^ Go Michiashi! Or whatever you want to call them. Torari?

I really don't know what their couple name should be so just call it what you want.

CK :*