Note: I will be changing the name of this fanfic when the next chapter is out.

CHAPTER FIVE

Kise watched as Hitomi giggled and stroked his hair happily, having just walked back from 'a chat with Suzu-chan'. Said girl had mysteriously disappeared and the model was craning his neck, trying to catch sight of her curly hazel hair.

"Where's Suzu-cchi?" He finally asked the - still giggling - Hitomi, who had now grabbed her lunch and sat down next to him.

Her grin faltered a little. "Hmm? Oh Suzu-chan? She went off somewhere, said she didn't want to be disturbed, so I left her alone."

When Kise made to get up to find her, the ash-blonde-haired girl pouted and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, I think she'll only be angry if you bother her now, so can't you just...well..." She then opted for the shy, sweet look that really didn't work on her. "Stay with me?"

He considered his options for a while. He could either go and try to find Suzume, which would probably take the whole lunch, and he wouldn't even be welcome, or he could stay and have fun for once, with Hitomi, who seemed like a nice enough girl, especially as though she made an effort to befriend Suzume.

"Okay then!" Kise replied brightly, and plopped back onto the seat.

"You know," She went back into giggling mode. "Suzu-chan doesn't seem to like me very much."

He nodded sadly. "No, she doesn't appreciate my company either."

"Really?" Hitomi asked, a hint of irritation mixed with curiosity in her voice. "I thought...I thought she was forcing herself on you..." She said the last part very quietly.

Nevertheless he heard. "No, no! I just kept following her around! No!"

Her eyebrows creased into a haughty frown. "Right... Of course."

Meanwhile, Suzume was still standing in the silent courtyard, rubbing the spot where that annoying girl had hit her. She had no right to do that, whatever the reason. She felt her blood boil and started back towards the canteen, only to see Kise coming out of it, Hitomi hanging on his arm. They were laughing and talking about something and she felt a prickle of irritation at the sight.

But of course, he had probably given up already. The task of befriending was so challenging even he couldn't be bothered. Well, this was predicted anyway. Suzume turned her back on the pair and walked off to the library to clear her mind.

The library was one of her favourite places, and also the most familiar place, in the school. There were fluorescent-coloured lamps on the round mini-tables and of course, books. Rows of shelves in every direction, sometimes a table or two hiding in a cosy spot, and they were all filled with books of every kind. Whatever you can imagine, it would be there.

Suzume went to find a table in a dark corner, switched on the lap and flicked open a book.

She stayed in that position all lunch, reading and absorbing information on her next Chem class. She always had to read up on their future classes just in case she couldn't catch up. Besides, she had nothing else to do, really, since she disliked socialising and the like. She would draw but recently she just... there was no inspiration.

Everyday was a dull blur and she felt no compulsion to pick up her pencil and do something awesome with it. She felt like she wasn't living for the sake of living anymore, she was living because there was nothing better to do.

Dimly, Suzume heard a bell ring and hurried over to World History, where she slid into her seat, still half in a daze.

She doodled in her book while the teacher went on and on about something she probably already covered on her own. Barely hearing the bell ring yet again, she looked up only when she realised that most people had gone already.

The girl packed slowly and walked outside into the soft spring sunshine, squinting a little. She strolled over to the school's sakura trees, and stroked the branches, feeling a spark of inspiration for the first time in weeks. She tilted her head up and watched quietly as the light wind blew the pale pink petals down. They floated in the air for quite a bit, then came to land in her open hand.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A voice behind her made her jump, and she whirled around to see Hitomi clutching the blonde again, staring up at the sky.

"Yes!" Kise grinned excitedly, and on cue Hitomi giggled.

They didn't seem to have seen her yet, and she quickly tiptoed away, not wanting to be spotted. But it seems as though luck just wasn't on her side today.

He gave a small start as he saw Suzume, as if she was something he'd just remembered. "Suzu-cchi..." But of course, this is Kise we're talking about here, and he recovers pretty quickly. "Suzu-cchi, do you wanna come to karaoke with us today? It'll be really fun."

She tried to decline, but his grip was much stronger and somehow she got dragged along anyway, under the piercing glares coming from Hitomi and some other girls from his fanclub, who just joined them.

They turned out to have a small room in the karaoke place that was dark and had flashing disco lights everywhere. Suzume, who never wanted to be there in the first place just curled up in a corner and tried to disappear. Key word: TRIED. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. The giggly girl who clung to Kise was going to give hell for this, for sure. And she thought Kise had given by now? Well, seems not then.

Halfway through, said blonde left the room with another girl to get some fresh air. Truth is, she needed fresh air too, but she daren't move, or else she might get spotted by the fangirls or something again.

"Oi, girly." A very familiar voice called. Her eyes darted over to Hitomi, where she had her hands on her hips and was smirking right at her. "Yes, you. Come out here."

She heaved a sigh and trudged over to where everyone else was. "What?"

"WHAT? Did you just say WHAT?!" One girl said dramatically, looking outraged.

Hitomi smiled disgustingly. "Sweetie, you don't say 'what' to me. I am the Kise Fanclub PRESIDENT."

Suzume blinked. "Um, so?"

"SO? So I am the only who's allowed to date Ryo-kun." She frowned. "Let me explain the rules here. A girl is only allowed to talk to Kise with company, and only if she is in this club. The vice-president is allowed to flirt with him, nothing more. But the president, and only the president, can date him. Got that, honey?"

She couldn't really care less about these rules, I mean they didn't apply to her anyways so what's the point? "And who made up these stupid rules?"

"Why, the club of course."

"And why do I have to follow them if I'm not in the club?"

She looked mad now. Oops-y daisy. "Look here, girly. I've been in the club for a long time and I've worked forever to be the Prez, don't you go spoiling my game."

"I-" But Hitomi had had enough. She gestured to her minions and they came forward, one holding her arms back while others pulled her hair, kicked her with their high heels on, and the like.

Suzume kept her head up high the whole time. Even if she couldn't do anything against them she would not go around acting like she was scared of them or anything; she wouldn't give them the pleasure.

Each time a punch or kick found its target, she made sure it didn't show on her face. At least she would have her dignity.

The fangirls were so absorbed in making Suzume's life hell that they didn't see the door open. They didn't see Kise coming in, bright and happy, but expression turning as soon as he saw what they were doing.

"Just WHAT do you think you're doing?!" He yelled, making everyone stop in their tracks.

Hitomi gasped. "Oh Ryo-kun, it's j-just-"

"Shut up." He hissed, looking furious. "I don't want to hear your voice." All the while he moved towards where Suzume had collapsed in the centre of the girls.

"I... It isn't what you thin-"

He glared at her. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

She shut up.

"Now if I see or hear anything like this again, I'll make sure you regret it." No one has ever seen him look so mad.

Hitomi nodded silently.

"Were you responsible for her falling down the stairs and also the Bunsen burner incident too?" He asked her. "Were you?"

She hesitated, then nodded again.

Kise picked Suzume up as if she weighed nothing, then turned his back on all of them. "That's enough. We're leaving."