Emi POV

I sighed happily as I walked across campus towards the Kinesiology building, a skip in my step. A crisp breeze blew through the colouring leaves with a peaceful rustle and the scent of autumn was in the air. Fall had always been my favourite season and never failed to lift my spirits. Not even the fact that I was missing the typical Fall traditions back home (apple picking, pumpkin carving, haunted corn mazes) could lower my mood. I could now wear multiple layers without being uncomfortably hot and drink all the hot chocolate and chai lattes I could handle.

If I wasn't worried about looking like a total loon, I'd be twirling and humming right now. As it was, random passerby probably thought I'd ingested a moderate amount of ecstasy. I was so happy that it almost didn't register when a haughty voice cut through the idyllic scenery.

"Ugh, I can't believe the Host Club spends their time with her. They truly have stooped to new levels."

I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned towards the voice, taking in the girl's perfectly coiffed hair, delicately skinny limbs, and cold eyes. Her sneer quickly turned into a superficial smile when she realized I'd spotted her.

"I'm sorry, what was that you said?" I asked pleasantly.

Her eyes widened in false surprise and confusion, "Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, I think you might have the wrong person."

"Oh, really? I could have sworn I heard you say something about the Host Club, my friends… But, I must have been mistaken. After all, you would have to be a pretty bad fangirl to insult the people you idolize, right?" I sang cheerily, hoping my racing heart and sweating palms weren't evident.

Her smile tightened, and I could have sworn I saw her eye twitch, "Right."

I brightened my smile by another degree, "Right, well sorry for the misunderstanding! Have a great day!"

I turned around, smile dropping off my face as I walked away unhurriedly. And if I heard a not-so-quiet "bitch" well, I pretended that I hadn't. I wouldn't let her see that I'd been nervous and I wouldn't be continuing the confrontation. I felt my fingers tremble with excess adrenaline, and I sucked in a shaky breath.

I knew that the confrontation hadn't really solved anything but I just couldn't stand by and let someone talk shit about the people I cared about. If she had only been talking about me I never would have said anything but… Well, if this meant she'd be focusing her hateful energy on me from now on then so be it.

By the time I made it to the front of the Kinesiology building, where I was meant to meet up with Honey and Mori, my nerves were settled and I was back to basking in the autumn air. Today was to be my first day working with the little kids at the Haninozuka dojo, and since we were all going to the same place, I was carpooling with the two oldest hosts.

I looked around, unsure of where exactly they'd be, and quickly spotted Mori's towering figure looming over the rest of the milling student body. I trotted on over, hoping the little altercation with the fangirl hadn't made me late.

"Hey Mori! Hey Honey!" I called out as I came to a standstill before them. Mori smiled down at me, nodding his greeting as he leaned his back against the waiting limo. Honey seemed to startle, arms flailing out slightly.

"U-uh? Oh, hi Emi-chan!" he spluttered. I looked on in confusion as he looked anywhere but at me, his face becoming alarmingly crimson.

That's weird… Usually, I'm the one who's all flustered. I wonder what's gotten into him…

"Um, Honey, are you feeling okay? You seem a bit…off," I remarked in concern, reaching out a hand to check his temperature. He ducked away before I could feel his forehead and I felt a lump rise in my throat as I dropped my hand awkwardly. The lump was only slightly alleviated when he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the limo energetically.

"Eh? Haha, who me? I-I'm great! Perfectly fine! J-just hungry for cake y'know?" he replied somewhat twitchily, eyes still darting around.

"…Right…" I answered skeptically as I chose a seat and buckled myself in. The first few minutes of the ride passed in an uncomfortable silence. The air was thick with whatever was being left unsaid and my attempt to project an image of being unbothered was starting to crack under the pressure. I stared out the window without seeing the passing scenery, body stiff and nails digging into my palms. Now, I wasn't someone who was uncomfortable with silence. In fact, I'd always won the 'quiet game' in elementary school but this was just… wrong. Even Mori seemed to be uncomfortable, shifting in his seat nearly imperceptibly and eyes darting to his cousin.

I had thought I'd been developing a pretty good friendship with these two but now I was starting to doubt myself. Maybe I'd only deluded myself into thinking we were close and I'd actually crossed some boundary somehow.

I have to say something, apologize maybe… I'm about to start working for his family, at his family's dojo. I don't want it to be this awkward the whole time!

Nails slipping off of my sweat-slick palms, I turned towards the uncharacteristically tightly-wound blonde who sat a seat over from me. Inwardly, I frowned at the physical distance between us.

God, I guess his desensitization plan was a little too effective… now I'm uncomfortable because he isn't touching me?! I need to get a grip!

I cleared my throat, looking down at my clasped hands as the metaphorical spotlight shone on me, "U-Um, look, I'm really sorry… if I... crossed some sort of boundary or did something to upset you."

Silence. Absolute silence. I felt my shoulders inching towards my ears and I felt almost short of breath, though I tried to breathe more shallowly so they wouldn't hear me gulping for air.

I lifted my head, chancing a peek at Honey's face. He looked dumbstruck. And I mean, just absolutely flabbergasted. His eyes were so wide that the phrase 'as wide as dinner plates' didn't do him justice. He honestly probably could have won some sort of Guinness World Record. His lips were parted and he seemed to be mouthing something but I didn't hear any sound coming out. This left me to assume that this meant he was either so shocked that he'd lost control of his vocal chords or that my body was shutting down with the stress and my hearing was the first thing to go.

Just when I thought I might lose my mind and start shouting nonsense just to provoke some sort of response, the taller cousin coughed pointedly, the sound seemingly pulling Honey back to earth.

He turned to his cousin, letting out a small "Oh!" and then turned towards me, expression flitting between sheepish, confused, and contrite.

"Ne Emi-chan, why are you apologizing?" he inquired, eyes no longer bugging out of his head but still wide, "You didn't do anything wrong or upset me!"

I blinked at him stupidly, my brain starting to feel like it was contorting itself into a cramped ball of bewilderment.

Did I imagine the whole thing? Was it just my anxiety making me see things?

"Oh… Okay…I just thought- Well, I thought I made you uncomfortable- you know what, nevermind, I guess I misread things," I mumbled, cheeks flaming. I probably just seemed overly anxious and needy now. Why had I felt the need to check-in again?

I looked away again, pretending to be ultra-interested in the various suburban homes that zoomed by us, and missed the comprehension that dawned in the eyes of the bunny-loving man seated to my left. I didn't, however, miss the small calloused hand that covered my own clenched fists and pried them apart. My breath hitched as I was granted the proximity I'd come to crave.

Jeez, how pathetic…

I steeled my spine, resolving to be a bit less obvious in my insecurity, and met chocolate eyes resolutely. To my shock, those warm brown eyes were brimming with crystal tears.

"I'm so sorry Emi-chan! I didn't mean to make you think you did something wrong. You didn't do anything, okay? I-I was just um… I didn't eat as much cake today as normal so I probably just have low blood sugar!" he assured me, voice sweet and sincere.

…Low blood sugar?

"…Okay… Um, it's okay Honey, you don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything either really."

With that, it was as if nothing had gone amiss at all. My hand, and left side, were kept warm for the rest of the ride, the cutest host (hey it wasn't me who'd decided that) cuddling up to me as he babbled about the karate class he'd be teaching while I would be teaching the youngest martial artists.

Soon enough we were pulling up to a property that seemed to be just across the street from the Haninozuka and Morinozuka estates. A winding driveway lined with various rocks and plants led to a compound of large traditional-looking buildings that I presumed to be the dojos. I had to say that for a property that was geared towards fighting, the outdoor scenery was extremely peaceful. Though I supposed there was also an element of mindfulness required for being so disciplined.

"We're here!" Honey declared, pulling me out of the limo excitedly and leading me towards one of the buildings to the right, Mori's pace behind us much more fitting for the relaxed atmosphere.

The blonde ball of energy slid open the doors, led me inside, and instructed me to take off my shoes. He then pointed out the changing rooms, which were on either side of the mat-covered floors, and we went our separate ways to get changed.

After some thought I had decided to teach a combination of Creative Movement and Modern dance styles, since it wouldn't require the kids to have any sort of specific dance clothing or shoes and I felt those dance styles were better suited to children anyway. Anyway, this meant that I changed into a pair of slightly wide-legged stretchy pants, a loose black t-shirt over a black tank-top, and black crew socks. It wasn't glamorous, but it was very similar to what my own Modern dance teachers had worn so I assumed it was the norm. I reached up to scrape my curls into a messy, puffy bun as I stepped out of the changing room.

I wasn't surprised to find that the guys had finished before me and were sitting on the mats stretching. I surveyed the room thoughtfully as I thought about my lesson plan. I was, admittedly, a bit nervous. This would be my first time teaching dance, or anything actually.

"Um, Honey, is it okay if I move the mats for the class?" I asked, "I'll put them back after!"

He bounced up to a standing position and nodded rapidly, "Sure Emi-chan! Whatever you need!"

In a flash, the two martial artists had started piling the mats off to one side and I sprang forward to help them before they could do it all themselves. Once that was done, Takashi politely excused himself, Honey informing me that the gentle giant liked to meditate before class. He explained that he would stay with me for the first few minutes so that he could introduce me to the students, then he would go to teach his own class.

By the time the young students started trickling in, both Honey and I had stretched and were peacefully reviewing our respective lesson plans. Five minutes later, I discretely wiped my palms as Honey greeted the students and introduced me.

"Alright everyone, welcome to the new dance class that will be part of your training! This is my friend Emi-chan and she's going to be your dance teacher!"

There was a chorus of "Hi Miss Emi!", several sets of large eyes looking up at me. Some shyly, others curiously, and some… Some seemed to be resentful?

I waved, hopefully not awkwardly, and smiled, "Um, hi everyone! It's nice to meet you all and I look forward to getting to know you more over time. For now, why don't you all take turns introducing yourselves?"

One by one, the eight students told me their name, age, and a fun fact. Finally, it came to be the turn of the last student, who looked positively sulky with his arms crossed and black bangs shadowing his eyes.

"I'm Haruka, I'm 7 years old, and I think it's stupid that we have to dance," he sniped sullenly, glaring off to the side.

"Haruka!" Honey rebuked sharply, looking at the boy disapprovingly.

I held out my palms placatingly, despite the galloping of my heart, "It's okay Honey." I turned toward Haruka and smiled gently, "Haruka, can you tell me why you feel that way?"

He sputtered for a moment, probably not having expected to explain himself, then muttered, "…Well, dancing is for girls."

I tapped my chin in thought as I answered, "Hmm, well you know, there are some girls in this class but putting that aside… Why is it that you think dancing is for girls?"

I couldn't say I was surprised. I would have been more surprised if there hadn't been any children who were skeptical, this was a fairly traditional population after all.

He glanced at me oddly, "Cause it just is! Everyone knows that!"

I nodded contemplatively, "Well, I know that some people think that… but why do you think that is? What makes dance 'girly' but martial arts not?"

Haruka sat up straight, looking more confident in his answer this time, "Because you have to be strong to do martial arts and dancing is just… moving." Some of the other students nodded along, clearly agreeing with this logic.

I hummed as I considered his answer. "Well, you're right. Dance is movement… but so is martial arts. Dance actually takes an enormous amount of strength and hopefully you'll start to see that as we progress. But for now… how about a demonstration of the type of strength you can build through dance?"

Haruka nodded assertively, having apparently taken on the role of spokesperson, "Yeah, we wanna see a demonstration!"

I shrugged, "Okay then!" I looked towards their blonde sensei, "Honey, would you mind being my partner? I'm going to show them a lift." He looked surprised for a moment but nodded his assent enthusiastically. I gave him a quick rundown of what I'd need him to do and then we walked towards different ends of the room. I turned towards the children again, "Now, I know your sensei is a little shorter than me but he's pretty strong right? And muscles are heavy. So. Do you think I'll be able to lift him?"

"No way!" they chortled in amusement.

I smiled, "Alright, we'll see I guess!"

I then turned towards Honey and dipped my chin in a signal for him to make his move. He ran towards me smoothly, slowed down enough that I could grip his hips, and then bounced just enough so that I had the momentum to lift him above my head and hold him there as he giggled with his arms outstretched. There were gasps and cheers from the children as they took in the sight of their sensei being held up in the air by a woman. I held him there for a moment more before slowly lowering him back to the ground, arms quivering just slightly. I thanked my lucky stars that we had practiced the famous 'Dirty Dancing' scene at the cabaret, otherwise I never would have been able to pull that off.

"That was so cool Emi-chan!" Honey cheered, "Wasn't it everybody?"

"Yeah!" The kids yelled in unison, now seeming significantly more enthused about the prospect of taking a dance class. Even Haruka looked begrudgingly impressed.

I smiled, and turned towards them, "So you see, dance can take a lot of strength…but this class isn't actually about increasing your strength, it's more about helping you to develop your coordination, your grace, your awareness of how your body moves and how it interacts with your surroundings. From what I understand those are all very important when you're a ninja," I said conspiratorially as I glanced towards Honey.

"It's true!" he confirmed, nodding mock-seriously. "Anyway, I have to go teach my class but I hope you all enjoy your class and make sure to give Emi-chan a warm welcome, 'kay?"

"Yes sensei!" the children sang obediently.

He turned to me and said more quietly, so only I could hear, "I'll be in the dojo on the far left, if you wanna come see me after!"

With a last wave, he bounced out of the dojo-turned-dance-studio, leaving me alone with the expectant children.

"Alright! Let's get started!"

I spent the next hour teaching the children how to point their feet, turn out their legs, cross the room like a monkey on their hands and feet, ooze across the floor like goo, and leap through the air like gazelles. I ended the class with an improvisation activity, where I counted and they moved however they wanted as long as their movement was most intense when I reached 10 and least intense when I got back down to 1. I grinned as I watched the way the kids moved with absolutely no self-consciousness, giggling and shrieking as they reached the peak of their movements and then shushing each other as I counted back down, bodies quivering with their attempts to contain their energy. I had to admit I was a bit envious!

I'm pretty sure that even when I was a kid I absolutely hated improv activities in dance class 'cause I felt so self-conscious…

I waved goodbye to the chattering children as their parents came to pick them up, then released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

Well, it seemed like they enjoyed the class in the end so that went about as well as I could have hoped for! This might actually be kind of fun!

After moving the mats back into place and then changing back into my regular clothes, I considered whether I should stop by Honey's dojo or just go home. I didn't want to disturb or distract him but it felt a bit rude to just leave… And he had said I could come by…

I'll just stop by and wait quietly until he's done!

Decision made, I quickly made my way towards the leftmost dojo, slowing down and practically tip-toeing as I got closer.

Wait, what do I do once I go in? Will there be somewhere to sit? Do I just stand? No, that would look even creepier… I could just sit on the floor maybe?

I hovered outside the door of the dojo like a confused house-fly who didn't understand how to get out of an open window, considering whether I should just wait outside.

After all, he didn't say to come in… Ugh! Maybe I should just go home after all.

"Are you going in or what lady?" a voice questioned me impatiently, causing me to gasp and spin around as my heartrate skyrocketed and my cheeks flushed in humiliation at having been caught standing in front of the door like an imbecile for god knows how long.

I came eye to eye with a brown-haired bespectacled young man, younger than me, who looked vaguely familiar.

Before I could utter a peep, a rather large hand came down and knocked the guy harshly on the head. I gaped as I stared at the large bump already forming on the stranger's head and snapped my gaze to the owner of the hand as he spoke.

"Chika-chan! Stop being so rude!" the tall, black-haired young man scolded before turning to me with a megawatt smile, "Sorry, don't mind my cousin! He can be a little grumpy sometimes, or more like all the time."

Holy shit, this dude looks like a younger, slightly shorter version of Mori! But…he's so… expressive!

"U-Uh, oh! No problem! I was kind of blocking the door…" I stammered sheepishly, then mentally slapped myself for my lack of social skills. "Oh! And I'm Emi Shima, the new dance teacher…" I introduced myself, hopefully avoiding them thinking I was just some sort of pervert trying to creep on the martial arts class. Hopefully they were aware of the new dance initiative, otherwise my introduction would be pretty confusing.

"Oh! So you're the girl Mitsukuni-kun was talking about! The dancer!" the tall one exclaimed, grey eyes wide in apparent excitement, "I'm Satoshi Morinozuka. Little brother to the awesome and mighty Takashi Morinozuka!"

"Oh! I thought you looked like Mori! It's nice to meet you," I greeted, going to reach out my hand before remembering myself and bowing slightly instead.

Wait so if he's a Morinozuka and this Chika dude is his cousin…

Chika sighed, rolling his brown eyes, "And I'm Yasuchika Haninozuka, younger brother of the cake alien who hired you."

Cake… alien…? What the fuck is a cake alien? And how can this moody guy be Honey's brother?!

I smiled politely, choosing not to comment on the whole alien thing, "It's nice to meet you Yasuchika."

"Yeah yeah, whatever…" Yasuchika muttered in response. And was swiftly punched in the head by a beaming Satoshi.

I felt my eye twitch nervously, Well that's a little scary…

"Nevermind him! He's just a grump, don't take it personally," Satoshi apologized for his cousin once again. His smile softened some, becoming a bit less manic as he continued, "Anyway, were you waiting for Mitsukuni-kun? We were about to go sit in on the last few minutes if you want to join us! Taka-kun and Mitsukuni-kun are the best so it's definitely worth watching!"

I couldn't not smile at how much he clearly admired and loved his family members and I certainly couldn't turn down the offer to go in with people who knew what they were doing.

"I'd love to join you, if you don't mind. I was hoping to talk to Honey after, about the dance class, and watching might actually give me a better idea of how I can help my students."

I had scarcely finished my last sentence when I found myself pulled into the dojo and onto a wooden bench at the back of the room, the two younger men sitting to my left.

Well at least I didn't have the time to get nervous…

I looked on as pairs of fully grown men and women sparred with each other. Occasionally, I spotted Honey's slightly shorter frame and Mori's taller form weaving between the pairs, sometimes stopping to make corrections. I tried to focus on the movements of the students but my eyes kept slipping towards Honey. It was odd to see him looking so stern. His presence was commanding and he gave off an aura of authority that I actually found a bit intimidating, though attractive. All too soon, the class was wrapped up and students were dismissed, Honey's demeanor changing drastically as he turned to wave at us cheerfully. I started to wave back but was distracted by Yasuchika suddenly rushing forward and attacking his brother in a flying kick.

What the fuck?!

I gasped, standing in reflex as my hands fluttered around me uselessly. I breathed a short sigh of relief as I saw Honey block the kick to his head and then gasped in shock again when he used his hold on Yasuchika's foot to throw his brother away. He just literally threw his brother across the room?!

What did I miss? Why did they suddenly start fighting out of the blue?! I've heard that siblings fight but…damn!

Then I saw Chika flick two shiny and sharp-looking objects towards his blonde counterpart and nearly had a heart attack, a shout ripping itself out of my throat. I glanced wildly towards Mori and Satoshi, who were lounging about as if we weren't all about to become witnesses to an assassination. Is nobody going to do anything?!

I stepped forward (though with no clue what I thought I could do) but was stopped by a tug on the back of my collar, Mori having somehow teleported to my side to hold me back the way a mother cat would hold its kitten. He shook his head minutely, looking faintly amused. "Watch."

I turned my gaze back towards the fight and, to my relief, saw no blood. Honey wasn't lying on the floor slowly bleeding to death but was instead leaping and flying around the room, using a staff to block his brother's attacks. They parried back and forth so quickly that I could hardly distinguish what was happening. Slowly, I relaxed, no longer worried that they would kill each other. The more the fear leaked out of my body, the more I was able to simply watch in awe and appreciate the grace of their movements. Well, it was really Honey's movements to which my eyes were drawn. The agility with which he avoided all of his brother's attacks and the elegance of his offensive strikes was… awe-inspiring. I could just imagine the way his muscles must be accentuated under his keikogi. When I'd seen him in his swim trunks at the beach I'd been pleasantly surprised by his lithely-muscular physique. And right now those muscles would probably be flexing and rippling deliciously…

Deliciously?! What am I, some sort of fangirl? Jesus! Stop that!

With herculean effort, I directed my gaze towards Honey's face, which I mistakenly thought would be a safer option. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how I looked at it, I zeroed in on his eyes and… Oh my god, those eyes.

I squirmed slightly, fighting the urge to fan my face and settling for pulling my collar away from my neck slightly as my body heated up to blistering temperatures. Honey's eyes were focused on his opponent with a piercing intensity that part of me wished was directed towards me. I found myself imagining those eyes raking over me with a different sort of intensity.

It was a gentle pat on my head that drew my attention back to my surroundings. I felt my face heat in shame at Mori's subtly knowing expression, though he simply pointed his chin back towards the center of the room. "Watch. Mitsukuni is about to end the fight."

And end the fight he did. With what he made look like a simple sweep of his arms, he disarmed his younger brother, simultaneously pinning him to the floor with his own blades. And just like that his eyes went from intense to playful. He twirled towards us and bounded over as flowers danced around his head, giving off an air of innocence and whimsy that was at odds with the fearsome fight I'd just witnessed.

"Emi-chan! You stayed! And you met Chika and Satoshi!" he gushed just before he flung himself at me in a big hug, face nuzzling into my neck. I staggered slightly at the sudden force but managed to keep my footing.

Heat creeped up my neck and face as the man I'd just been almost-fantasizing about (while three of his relatives were in the same room!) held me close. I patted him on the back uncomfortably, and breathed a bit more easily once he stepped back.

He's my friend. My. Friend. And he's a guy! Though, androgynous people are my weakness… regardless of gender… Ugh, stop, no, it doesn't matter because he's my friend!

"Uh, y-yeah! I did! Um. That was crazy. Your fight or sparring or whatever, I mean," I answered maladroitly. I was currently busy losing my own fight. To not stare at the slight bit of collarbone and sternum that had been revealed by the Gi that must have loosened and slipped slightly during his fight.

I groaned internally, Jeez I'm really living up to the Queer stereotype by ogling his collarbone like some sexually-repressed Victorian heroine. But… fuck! His skin is practically glimmering! Granted, that's probably sweat but that is not acting as a deterrent right now.

"-Emi-chan? Emi-chan~"

A familiar calloused hand waving in front of my face snapped me back to reality and I immediately wished my feet would just sink through the floor as I realized I'd zoned out while staring at Honey's collarbone (of all things!) and he was now smirking at me.

"E-eh?! Um, sorry, I-I guess I got lost in thought for a second. I was, um, thinking about how what I just saw could inform what I teach the kids," I stammered, absolutely lying through my teeth and firmly keeping my eyes on his face.

His eyes sparkled roguishly, "Hmm, really?"

Satoshi, bless him, leapt forward and unwittingly saved me from further embarrassing myself. "That's really awesome Emi-chan! You know, I never really thought about dance being able to improve someone's martial arts skills but it makes sense I guess! And dance is pretty cool! I'm not a great dancer, but it's fun anyway. Takashi's a great dancer, even though he doesn't do it often-"

"Satoshi," Mori intervened somewhat exasperatedly.

"Oops, sorry! I got carried away again," he chuckled good-naturedly. Yasuchika, having released himself from the blades that had pinned him to the mats, simply rolled his eyes.

"Oh, no problem!" I rushed to reassure my oblivious saviour. "Um, anyway I just wanted to say goodbye before I left so… uh, yeah, um, have a good night!" I squawked, cringing at my own awkwardness. I spun on my heel, ready to flee this whole situation and pretend it hadn't ever happened.

Someone knock me out. Right now. Before I say anything else.

"Hey! Don't go! Why don't you stay and have supper with our families?" the mini-Mori suggested. I turned back around, staring in horror as my former-saviour interrupted my escape.

No way. No way! This can't be happening… Why would he want me to have supper with their entire families?! Oh god. Oh god!

Even as I panicked on the inside, Honey was brightening and bouncing on his toes with enthusiasm. "That's a great idea Satoshi!"

I smiled somewhat tightly, "Oh, no, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to impose on your family dinner!"

"Well at least she has some sense," Yasuchika muttered, and was knocked to the floor by a kick to the head, Satoshi blinking innocently next to him. Mori rubbed the bridge of his nose, shooting his younger brother a look of disapproval.

How does that kid not have a concussion by now?!

"Aw, don't listen to this silly goose, he's just sour that he lost~," the bouncy Morinozuka said dismissively.

"Yeah, Emi-chan, please don't listen to Chika-chan! You're more than welcome to come for supper, ne Takashi?" Honey pouted.

"Yeah."

"Uh… I really don't want to impose…" I croaked. I didn't want to offend them by turning down their offer for supper but I also really didn't want to impose. I could also admit that I could feel my anxiety bubbling up at the prospect of meeting a few new people, people I knew very little about, and having dinner with them. Plus, the day had already been sort of a lot, what with teaching for the first time and meeting Yasuchika and Satoshi.

I glanced at the room's tallest occupant, who only stared back at me impassively. Against my better judgement, I looked towards the gorgeous blonde and was instantly blown away by shining eyes peering up at me through thick lashes. His soft-looking lips were jutting out and I just wanted to kiss the pout off his face.

WHOA! What kiss? What am I thinking?! Oh my god, I need to stop!

"Please Emi-chan?" His voice was soft, reaching out, wrapping around my heart and anchoring me to him.

"…Oh alright, um, I'd be honoured to have supper with you and your family," I caved, my body filling with relief at having avoided offending them but also anticipatory anxiety.

"YAY!" The exclamation was paired with an excited leap that somehow transitioned into me being pulled along behind him at speeds almost too fast to comprehend.

Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into now?