Akemi hummed as she walked along. She looked at her watch. She had three hours by herself and then she was joining Raine and Hitomi for dinner. "What to do?" She smiled as she walked. "Maybe I'll go get some candy… or maybe go see a movie." She stopped to think, but stopped as she noticed a familiar figure sitting on a bench a little ahead of her. "MOMIJI!" She waved happily. The two of them had been texting and calling each other constantly since Kami had gotten the numbers passed between the two of them. Momiji had become one of her best friends.

He didn't look up at all as she ran towards him. "Momiji?" She leaned in close to him. "Mr. Bunny!"

He looked up. "Akemi?" He asked weakly. He had a depressed expression on his face.

Akemi frowned and sat down next to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm weak." He sighed. "I'm not like Yuki or Kyo… I can't protect anyone." He looked down.

Akemi frowned and grabbed his arm. "Come on." She dragged him up. "You're coming with me!" She started running, dragging him behind her. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. And luckily it was just around a couple corners.

"Akemi where are we going?!" Momiji asked.

"You'll see!" She grinned and after a couple minutes the two of them were standing in front of a street festival. "Look!" She ginned. "Want to look around with me?!"

Momiji looked down. "I don't know."

"It will make you feel better." Akemi grinned. "Come on." She tugged at his arm again. "They have sugar stuff and I heard they have a couple games. Come on… Please."She smiled.

Momiji looked at her and then nodded. "Okay." She grinned and clapped her hands together. "Then let's go."

The two of them spent the next hour running around and playing different games. They also looked at the different stalls and Akemi pointed out what the different stuff on sale reminded her of, mostly her family members. And after about twenty minutes of going around Momiji seemed to lighten up and started laughing and enjoying himself.

Akemi sat down next to Momiji on a bench and handed him an ice cream cone. Both of them had gotten a strawberry ice cream cone and it tasted so sweet. "This is delicious!" Akemi grinned. "Thank you for coming with me Momiji, I'm glad we were able to hang out."

"Me too." He smiled and licked at his cone. He stopped and looked down. "I"m also sorry about earlier." He sighed. "I've just got a lot going through my mind… I just got home the other day from a summer vacation house that my family goes to every year." He sighed. "And I realized there that I'm weak."

"What do you mean?" Akemi looked at him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"A good friend of mine got hurt… and I could have stopped it… If I had wanted to I could have protected her, kept her from getting hurt." He looked down. "But I couldn't do anything…. I was too weak."

"I don't think you are." Akemi frowned. "You're amazing." Akemi smiled. "And someday I bet you'll be a strong capable man…. Right now you are just a little small and young, but that will change someday. I'm sure of that."

Momiji looked down at his ice cream cone. "I don't know…. But why don't we go try some more games when we finish up our ice cream."

"Sounds good to me… And don't let it bug you too much." Akemi took another lick of her ice cream. "I still have to win that big stuffed animal hanging there." She pointed to a stuffed pink rabbit. "I think it's super cute! Don't you?"

Momiji smiled. "I think the red squirrel over there is cuter." He pointed to another game. "But I'll try to win your rabbit first." He finished his ice cream in a big bite and grinned. "Let me go get it!" He jumped up and ran over to the game.

Akemi laughed and finished eating her ice cream and then stood up. SHe was about to join him when a bunch of guys walked up to her, much taller guys. They grinned down at her. "Hey there cutie, you want to join us for a game? There is a fun game over there." They grinned. "We could win you a prize. What do you say?"

"Sorry I'm already with someone." Akemi tried to look over the high school boys towards Momiji, but she was too short.

"You mean that little foreign boy you were sitting with? Why don't you hang out with some real guys." He smirked and moved closer. "We can get you more than just ice cream."

"I like ice cream." Akemi frowned trying to back away but she couldn't with the bench behind her. And she was trying her hardest not to be frustrated with them, which really only left her feeling scared.

"Then we'll get you more ice cream." One of them grinned and grabbed her arms.

"Owe!" Akemi gasped, his grip was way too hard. She was sure there would be a bruise when he let go.

"Leave her alone!" Akemi gasped as she heard Momiji's voice. Her 'attackers' moved a little so she could see Momiji standing there holding a rabbit stuffed animal and glaring at the guys. "NOW!"

"Why should we little guy?" The one holding her laughed. "Why don't you get out of here. Go find some toys to play with."

"Leave him alone!" Akemi kicked at his leg.

"OW!" He gasped and his hand let go as he grabbed his leg. Akemi took the chance and using her quick squirrel like movements to get past them and ran behind Momiji. "You little brat!" He groaned.

"She told you she didn't want to." Momiji frowned. "So go away and play with some toys yourself." Momiji frowned and grabbed Akemi's hand. "Come on Akemi." He started to walk away, his grip on her hand was strong and all feelings of fear flew out of her body. She smiled as she followed him.

"Thank you Momiji, you are my hero." She grinned excitedly. "And you won me my bunny! I'm going to name her Momo!"

Momiji stopped and looked down. "I'm sorry I left you alone… And you got hurt."

"That doesn't matter." Akemi rested a hand over the sore spot on her arm. "What matters is you stood up for me and rescued me." SHe grinned happily. "Because you are awesome." She smirked. "Now let's go enjoy the rest of our…." She looked down. SHe was about to say date and she felt her cheeks flush. "Um… Our adventure."

Momiji looked a little red too. "Okay…"

Akemi rushed towards Hitomi's house and shifted Momo in her arms. She arrived at the house and knocked on the front door. Natsuki was the one who actually opened the door. "You're late."

"Sorry I lost track of time." Akemi smiled and followed Natsuki in. "So who is here?"

"Everyone." Natsuki looked ahead. "Hitomi said it was important." They walked into the kitchen to find Hitomi, Raine, Shouta, YIn, MIyako, and Aki sitting there and talking. "Akemi is here now."

"What's up?" Akemi sat Momo down on the floor.

"It's Kami." Raine said looking around at them all. "I don't think I'm the only one who hasn't noticed that she is acting weird?"

"She was spacing out when I tried talking to her yesterday." Shouta nodded. "She was just walking by herself and looking down."

"Could it have been something Yukio said to her?" Miyako whispered. She had just gotten out of her special room the day before. "Is it my fault?" She whispered.

"I doubt it." Natsuki growled. "We all know Yukio would never hurt Kami, he's always been softer on her than anyone else…. I think there is something else going on?"

"I just know that it all started right after Miyako got in trouble." Raine sighed.

"So it is my fault." Miyako looked like she was about to cry.

"No." Shouta frowned. "We've all gotten in trouble before and Kami has always been there to lessen the punishment as much as she could… The question is what makes this time so different." He folded his arms. "Okay everyone here needs to work together. I think we should all agree to do some detective work."

Akemi looked over at Momo. "Do you think this could have something to do with the Sohmas?"

The room turned silent. "Do you think he found out?" Yin asked.

"If he did wouldn't we be in a different situation… None of us would be allowed to see them. He would have flat out told us all…"

"But what if he did find out and just hasn't said anything yet… What if he's taking it all out on Kami?" Aki whimpered. "How can we help her?"

"We research and figure out how to help her… And we don't let her know we are investigating." Hitomi set down some food. "Let's start planning."

Akemi looked at each of her cousins. "I guess it's our turn to protect her." Everyone nodded at each other.