Kamiko couldn't help but stare at the tall building in awe. How was she to know that searching for eight boys and one girl could be so difficult?

"Knowing Atobe, they're probably on the top floor."

"Ah, that would be where King-chan is, thanks, Mi-chan!" Kamiko grinned and turned to her friend, but her grin soon dwindled down when she remembered why they were there.

"We'll hurry, Mi-chan." Kamiko said.

Hitomi only nodded, something that Kamiko could barely see. After what had happened earlier Hitomi had put on a sun hat, a scarf to cover half her face, and big sunglasses, and this was in addition to the oversized jacket she wore over her Hyotei uniform. Hitomi was unrecognizable as of now, and the girl insisted on it. Kamiko knew it was for good reason.

"Hopefully there's a bathroom along the way." Kamiko added, she had noticed the way the white paper bag in Hitomi's hand shook, causing the contents to knock against each other.

"Un." Hitomi nodded again, and she took a deep breath as they headed into the building. Crowds filled the first five floors, bustling in and out of restaurants, shops and entertainment centers, when Kamiko and Hitomi stepped into the elevator the buttons of all fifty four floors were labeled. Office spaces, big corporations, and even high end banks took space in the sixth floors and up to the forty ninth. The top five floors were taken up by one corporation, and one corporation only- Atobe Co.

The elevator door stopped on the fifty fourth, and when the two girls stepped out they could see a view of Tokyo out the windows. A receptionist at the front desk spot the girls, and she smiled at Hitomi's odd outfit.

"Are you girls looking for someone in particular?"

"King-chan!" Kamiko stated enthusiastically. She was excited to see such a view, especially when everything around her screamed luxury and elegance.

Hitomi's answer was partly muffled by the scarf, "We're Atobe Keigo-kun's friends. He and his tennis team are eating here and we were invited."

"Oh! Sure, let me call up the private room and tell him you've arrived. May I have your name, sweetie?"

The receptionist's attention turned from the two girls as the line picked up.

"Hello, young master Atobe, there are two girls here saying they were invited to your small gathering."

Hitomi and Kamiko could hear Atobe's voice on the other end, "Ah~n? Ore-sama doesn't know of-"

Kamiko jumped atop the desk and leaned towards the phone, "King-chan, it's us! Mi-chan, say hi!"

"Kamiko!" Hitomi pulled the girl back, "Behave!"

"...send them in."

The receptionist, bewildered at Kamiko's actions, quickly stood and hung up the phone, leading the two girls to the farthest corner of the building. A private room, they realized, as the receptionist opened the door. Atobe, Oshitari, Jirou, Gakuto, Shishido, Ootori, Hiyoshi, Kabaji and Suzuki all looked at Kamiko and Hitomi, at first surprised, and when the door closed Kamiko let out a big sigh.

"You're hard to find, King-chan. And a lot of people kept stopping us on the way up!"

"Security is of utmost importance in my father's business, little peasant." Atobe replied.

Shishido grimaced at the ugly sun hat, "What's with the get up?"

"Mi-chan wanted to ask- ow!" Kamiko stepped further away from Hitomi's elbow as she rephrased her sentence, "-made a proposition, with me. Mi-chan?"

Hitomi was glad her sunglasses and scarf hid her expression, because she didn't want anyone, especially that arrogant, cocky, self-

...Hitomi took a deep breath, and Kamiko rolled her eyes.

"You promised, Mi-chan!"

"I know!" Hitomi snapped back at the second year girl, she turned to Atobe, "I wanted to- ...I would like to know if it's not too late for me to accept your... Invitation."

"Hitomi..." Oshitari was a bit disconcerted at her decision. He and his teammates, hell, even Suzuki, had wanted Hitomi to go and stay with Atobe. It was the safest option. But only something extreme could have happened to make Hitomi change her mind, and even now she was reluctant. Kamiko nodded in agreement to Hitomi's statement as she looked hopefully towards Atobe, and it clicked in everyone's minds then. Kamiko had been one of the driving forces behind the sudden change of heart.

Atobe nodded back, "It's never too late to accept."

"Arigato, King-chan!"

Hitomi ignored them as Kamiko took a seat beside Atobe and Oshitari, she pat the extra chair that had been pulled up next to her, "I can explain! Mi-chan, take a seat!"

"Is there a... Is there a mirror around?"

"Kabaji."

"Usu."

Hitomi watched as Kabaji stood up and went to where everyone's belongings were placed, she sat silently as he rummaged around Atobe's bag. He pulled out a gold compact mirror, and held it out.

"Thank you." Hitomi nodded.

"Usu."

"I told Mi-chan that it was either stay with King-chan, or I go to the police and tell them." Kamiko simply stated, "And because of her acting roles she can't afford to go to the police and waste all that time, the shows would drop her and find someone else! Mi-chan said it herself, show business is cut throat."

Hitomi had taken the jacket and sun hat off, and looked over at Kamiko, "That's not- this damn scarf!" Hitomi pulled her scarf from her neck, wincing at how it felt against her skin, and took off her sunglasses to reveal her glare, "You forced me into agreeing!"

"Hitomi-chan!" Suzuki gasped.

"Whoa, Hitomi, your face!" Gakuto exclaimed with wide eyes.

Hitomi looked around the table, and tried to keep her composure as everyone took a good look. She knew she must have looked bad, but was it really as terrible as they saw? She glanced down at the compact mirror, and winced when seeing the injuries. Her eyes were puffy, and the right side of her face, from temple to chin, was badly bruised. The cuts on her left cheek had stopped bleeding, though, that was a minor plus. Her bottom lip that had been bleeding had stopped as well, and she noticed the marks on her neck starting to form into bruises.

She set the bag on the table and took out a make up set, avoiding everyone's looks as she took out foundations and concealers.

"Don't freak out; I can fix this." She muttered as she looked closer under her right eye.

Kamiko's frown quickly disappeared when Hitomi glanced up at the Echizen. Hitomi turned her face so her right side would show in the mirror, and gently dabbed a brush coated in concealer at the most noticeable spots before blending it into her skin.

"Uh... I kind of forced it, but only because Mi-chan won't listen. She made a promise to tell you!"

Hitomi stopped blending in the concealer on her left cheek and put the mirror down, "Kamiko."

"Well you did!"

She picked the mirror back up and continued covering up the left side, moving onto the dark circles under her eyes as Kamiko continued.

"Anyway, I was visiting Mi-chan to tell her about a Gladiator match soon, when I saw the window opening. Mi-chan climbed out all beat up like what you saw and we heard her dad coming out so we started running. And when we stopped at a local shop we managed to sneak into a bathroom without anyone seeing and clean Mi-chan up. But if she stepped out onto the street in the state she was in then people would have gotten suspicious and Mi-chan doesn't want the police involved. So we bought the jacket, hat, sunglasses and scarf and ran all the way down here. And we bought makeup to help hide it and tried putting it on but the security didn't like us taking so long in the bathroom."

Hitomi let out a small grunt of agreement as she lined her eyes, the thin black line on her eyelids swooped out into wings, and she began applying mascara. She placed the foundation and concealer she'd already used in the bag, along with the eyeliner.

"No police." Hitomi said as she finished applying the mascara. She took the lip brush and, while running the brush over the lip makeup, looked up, "I'd rather run away than have the police involved."

Kamiko watched as the brush seemed to glide atop Hitomi's cut lips, the pink color hiding the injury just underneath the glossed surface. Hitomi winced when she reached the bruised corner of her lips, causing the gloss to streak out. She immediately began fixing the small mistake, looking up when no one was talking.

Kamiko turned her head, "Mhm! And then Mi-chan agreed to staying with King-chan so long as none of us called the police or told anyone about her dad!"

"Exactly. So that brings us here." Hitomi closed the mirror and held it out to Atobe, "This is yours, right?" She asked when he didn't take it.

And who could blame him? Everyone was still trying to understand the transformation they'd just watched. They were processing still how the pale, broken cheeks suddenly looked rosy and lively, how Hitomi's eyes seemed to shine bright and how her lips seemed to be fuller, because not too long ago she was battered and bruised, looking like she was on the verge of death.

He grabbed the compact mirror from her with grace, and set it aside, his eyes traveling down to her arms. They were bruised as well. Hitomi pulled her outstretched arm back and searched again for the makeup to hide her injuries.

"Tonight, then?" He asked.

Kamiko nodded, "Mhm! Eto... Mi-chan can't come along with you after this, she has her show to shoot today."

"Which I should be leaving for right now..." Hitomi frowned when she looked at the time, she was going to be late if she didn't hurry.

"A town car is waiting downstairs. Give him this card and the address of where you're filming; and tell him what time you'll be done. He'll pick you up as well." Atobe held a small purple card in between his forefinger and middle finger. Hitomi took the card and nodded.

"...thank you, Atobe." She said as she left, grabbing all her things with her.

Kamiko waved goodbye happily, "Bye, Mi-chan! I'm glad you finally got your brain to work!"

"Urusai, Kamiko! You blackmailed me!" Hitomi huffed angrily as she left.

Kamiko turned to Atobe as the door closed, "Arigato, King-chan! Please keep Mi-chan safe!"

"You're a demon at times, little peasant. Though your work is admirable." Atobe replied nonchalantly, though Kamiko felt maybe it wasn't as nonchalant as it could have been.

She'd have to ask Hitomi about that later...

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters/plot/etc., of the PoT manga/anime.