"Nee, Sugata-kun who are we waiting for? We've been here forever!"

"Its only been 5 minutes Kazuma-kun, please try to restrain yourself for a little longer."

"But what if I can't?!"

Suddenly the door busted open, "Bocchan, sorry for making you guys wait." Sarina, Jaguar and Tiger come in but stop at the door after seeing Sugata and Kazuma in a weird position.

Sarina raised an eyebrow, "Are we interrupting something Sugata?"

Sugata sat up, "Not at all Sarina..."

"Please tell me at least one of you saw him pin me down!?" Kazuma shouted jumping over to Sarina.

"Bocchan, what were you doing to that boy?" Jaguar asked him.

"Oh nothing serious, MISS Jaguar, I was just about to tie him up, to make it feel like a real kidnapping...or just to pass the time really."

"You really shouldn't do that, he might think its weird and we might lose his trust. And stop calling me miss!"

"His snow white hair, its positively beautiful!" Tiger shouted clearly not in either conversation.

"You worry to much, MISS Jaguar." Jaguar growled, "Fujimoto-kun, allow me to introduce you to Drama club president, Endo Sarina, third year, Miss Yamasugata Jaguar, second year, and Sugatame Tiger, first year. Girls, this is Fujimoto Kazuma-kun."

"Nice to meet you, Kazuma-kun." Sarina told him.

"Domo." Kazuma replied then turned to Sugata, "Why didn't you just tell me you wanted me to meet the Drama club? If I knew, I wouldn't have asked so many questions!"

Sugata smirked, "Meet the drama club, eh?" He mumbled to himself.

"But one quick question, why do those two girls call you Bocchan? And do they have your name in their last names? Did you name them?" Kazuma asked jokingly as they froze, "Or was it all irony?~"

"PURE COINCIDENCE. AND LEAVE IT AT THAT." Was Sugata's only response in a very intimidating tone. Kazuma backed up a couple inches.

"Oh Bocchan, Takuto said that he and Niika would be here in a little bit~" The door slammed open.

"Actually, we're right here." Niika told them out of breath. Sarina came to her side.

"Goodness Niika, you look like you just ran a mile. What were you two doing?" Niika struggled to answer.

"She was trying to ditch her brother and needed my help." Takuto told her. Niika flicked him in the forehead.

"What are you talking about? I saved you before he killed you! You don't tell someone's brother that they're taking their younger sister to an 'undisclosed location'! Are you crazy!?" Niika froze, "Don't answer that."

Sarina sighed, "You haven't told them you're in the 'Drama Club' yet have you?" Niika shook her head. Wako suddenly walks in silently.

"Niika-chan, Takuto-kun." The two looked up to see Kazuma, "You're in the drama club too?"

Niika started to answer him, but Takuto beat her to it. "Fujimoto-kun." He was glaring at him.

"Takuto-kun, I told you guys that you could call me Kazuma. Forget the honorifics!" Kazuma tells him, but he glares harder. "Um, is he okay?" Kazuma asks Sugata, Sugata shrugs.

Seeing the tension in the air, Sarina stepped in, "Hey guys, since we're all here, lets get started. I have a surprise for everyone." She steps around to the back, and when everyone follows, they find a long table full of food and drinks, "Surprise! We're having a club party!" Jaguar and Tiger squeal, while everyone else gawked at the feast. "Well don't just stand there, sit down and dig in!"

Takuto's face returns to normal as he does just that, "Baka." Niika murmurs to herself.

"Nee Sugata, is it really okay for me to join in? I mean, I'm not in your club." Kazuma asks.

"Sure it is. You're welcomed, just say you're an honorary member. At least until, you join the club that is."

"Who said I wanted to~"

"KAZUMA EAT." Kazuma sat down out of intimidation and start picking at a bit of food. Niika sighed at all of this.

Not long after, everyone all had gotten their drinks and were actually having fun. Especially since the tension in the room died down. Takuto had completely forgot about why he was angry. Even the little yellow~fox I guess, was drinking with them. "Cheers!"

"Whoa. It's drinking juice!?" Kazuma murmured, but no one responded because someone else came in the room.

"Good day." Everyone looked up.

"Headmaster?" Niika questioned.

"He's our adviser." Sarina explained.

"The headmaster is your adviser?" Takuto finally picked his head up out of his plate.

"It's a hobby of mine." The man says.

"Finally come back up for air?" Niika asked him, Takuto silently glared.

"You're Tsunashi Takuto, Takashiro Niika, and Fujimoto Kazuma, yes?" They looked at him, "We finally got some new members, hm?"

Kazuma waved his hands in front of his face, "Oh no. I'm just..."

Sarina chuckled cutting him off, "Oh you know Headmaster. Besides, the rest have been the same since middle school."

Takuto asked, "This isn't a popular club?"

"Quite the contrary. It's extremely popular, so our standards are quite high. You see, there are a lot of kids that want to join just to get closer to Wako and Sugata, but they don't get very far. Not that we don't get a ton of costume designers, set workers, backstage crew, stuff like that." Sarina explains again.

"Kazuma-kun, are you after Wako too?" Jaguar suddenly asks, making Niika cringe for some reason.

"Eii, no way. I respect other people's relationships. Besides, Sugata already 'made it clear' to me that he and Wa~" Sugata suddenly reached across the table and stuffed a bun in his mouth.

"Chew on this will ya?" Kazuma looked at him with droopy eyes.

"What about you Takuto?" Niika cringed again. Takuto looks over at her out the corner of his eyes then looks down. Wako just blushes slightly.

"The master and Miss Wako are betrothed! Don't joke about things like that!"

"Can you cut out the "Miss"?" She asked.

"And the "Bocchan," too." Sugata chimed in.

Tiger smiled, "You are the master, after all. And Miss Wako is the Southern Maiden."

Sugata sighed, "And enough about the betrothal. My parents decided that without me."

"So we've got the preeminent pretty-boy threesome on our side. This year's Night Flight show is gonna be unbeatable! We'll push their magnetism to the limit and light up the stage!" Sarina pumps a fist into the air.

"Their magnetism...?" Wako murmurs then suddenly has some kind of weird fantasy which for some reason, all the girls can see, including Niika. She shakes her head violently, "No no no no no..."

"Wako, what the heck were they doing?!" Innocent Niika shouts at her.

"Miss Wako! That fantasy was très bien!" Jaguar tells her.

"That's not what I was thinking of at all." Sarina states. "But...Of course, we'll get you to sing sometime."

"She sings?" Kazuma asks.

"Wako wants to be a singer, you know."

"That was when I was little!" Wako protests.

"Last year, some pinup mag's staff came to the island for some pictures, and she was scouted by the producers..." Sugata started. "If you hear her sing once, you'll fall for her completely."

Wako sighed, "Stop it already! "

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you not want me to talk about that?"

"You're being mean..."

"Well, I'm not going to lie about it."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Wako dear." Headmaster told her. "The clearer your dream is, the easier it will be to reach it, after all. I will be eagerly looking forward to your work, everyone." With those words, Headmaster then left.

"Well, looks like you're pretty and important around here." Kazuma told Wako, "I guess since everyone else has so many high expectations about you, we must look forward to seeing you exceed them. Can't wait, Wako-san." She blushed slightly.

Whether it was out of embarrassment or not, Niika don't know. All she did know is that Wako was pissing her off. 'Miss Wako is so great, she's pretty and important. She can sing too. Fiancee, south maiden bla bla bla...'

"Well its obvious everyone cares about her sooo much~" Niika said out loud with realizing it. Everyone looked at her. She stared back in boredom, still not realizing her fault. "What?"

"No way!"

"I can't be!" Sarina, Tiger and Jaguar were huddled in a group whispering to each other.

"I didn't think..."

"...it was possible." Takuto and Sugata were whispering to each other as well.

"What?!" Niika shouted. Wako stared blankly. Kazuma scooted closer to her.

"Ano, Niika-chan...Are you jealous of Miss Wako?" Realization in 3...2...1...

"What!? No! Its not like that! I, I just~"

"Takashiro-san." Sugata spoke up, "What's your specialty? You know, what are you good at? Do you play sports? School clubs? Perhaps you draw? Maybe you sing as well?"

"What I'm good at?" Niika repeated in thought, everyone leaned in waiting in anticipation, "I'm sorry. But I'm not sure what you're talking about." Everyone anime fell from their seats.

"What do you mean Niika? You've never heard extra curricular activities?"

"No way, she's just confused. That's like saying she doesn't know what fun is." Kazuma replied.

"Fun? What's that mean?" Some of them started looking at her with their eyebrows raised, everyone else started looking skeptical. "I'm serious, I've never heard of it. What is it?" No one said a word. Half looked at Niika with pity, the other half looked concerned. "I really don't no what it means. Why won't anyone believe me?" She started shaking, knowing she was about to cry.

Seeing Niika's current state, the one to rescue her was again, Sarina. "I really hate to say this, but we've been socializing for a little too long. Its about time to get down to business." She stood up and looked at everyone, "Since I didn't say this before, I don't think...Welcome to the Night Flight drama club, Takuto, Niika, and if you'll officially join us, Fujimoto-kun."

"Only if everyone never calls me Fujimoto-kun again."

"Understood, Kazuma. Welcome." Sarina started to look serious, "Kazuma, before we continue, we are obligated to tell you our club isn't normal. Everyone thinks we're just the drama club, but the truth is everyone in this club has a secret."

"Well here I go thinking you guys are the normalest bunch at this school, when it turns out you guys might be the weirdest. Alright, what's the catch, Sarina-sempai?" Kazuma folded his arms.

Sarina became serious, "Kazuma, everyone here has a connection to Zero Time."

Kazuma eyes widened and held back a gasp. He then put his head down, his bangs covering this face. "Is that so?"

"We can't exactly say that everyone here has a cybody, but we all know about Zero Time. That's why we haven't let anyone else join the main cast of actors for the club. This part of the club is well...special." Sarina sat up closer to the table, "Wako told us that you were able to transform into and pilot a cybody..."

"So that's why he brought me here. Figures." Kazuma murmured and stood up. He walks over to the door and starts to leave out with everyone watching him.

"Wait Kazuma-kun," Niika says, "Why are you leaving?" Kazuma inhales, Then exhales loudly.

"You're wondering why?" He turns around with a dark expression, "I know what you people want from me. And if you think accepting me into your little club is going to make me give in, then you're dead wrong." Kazuma spoke in the voice that he used in Zero Time, "You are NOT going to use me or Alphonse." Kazuma then walked outside slamming door behind him, making Niika jump.

"What's his problem? We didn't even ask him anything yet." Tiger says. Out nowhere they realize as the door swung open that Takuto had jumped up and ran outside to where Kazuma had just left. That provoked everyone to follow him.

Takuto grabbed Kazuma's arm, "Let go of me."

"Your cybody's power, its strong..." Takuto starts to say.

Kazuma tries to grab his collar back, "So?! Why do you care? You aren't get anywhere near it! Gotta problem with that?~"

"What I have a problem with is your reckless attack patterns in Zero Time!"

"So that's why you've been glaring at me, because I beat someone from the crux instead of you?"

"No, its that you attacked and destroyed a cybody in Zero Time with so much force. What if there had been a natural mark user inside?! With all that force you could have killed him!"

"Then I guess he'd be dead then." Takuto grunted and already had Kazuma by the collar. "Let me go Takuto."

"You~" Sugata finally got between the two.

"That's enough, Takuto." He told him making him back off him slightly, "Kazuma, we're not trying to use you or Alphonse. Sarina just simply wanted to know more about your mark."

"Well I'm not telling you guys anything." Kazuma stated darkly.

"But Kazuma-kun, they aren't trying to use you or cybody, they haven't done so with me either. Why not hear them out?" Niika asked him.

Kazuma huffs, "They've already brainwashed you. You're too blind to see that they only want to use your power to fight the crux."

"That's not true!" Tiger shouts, "Kazuma you're just being mean now."

"Well I'm sorry its starting to sound that way, but I'm not telling you anything! And especially now," He glared at Takuto who glared back at him, "I'm NOT changing my mind." Then he stormed off.

Jaguar pushed her glasses further up on her face, "Well then, he's a lost cause."

"Be quiet, MISS Jaguar." Sugata said purposefully.

"Kazuma." Sarina mumbled, "It seems like he has something against Zero Time..."

"We all have something against Zero Time!" Takuto shouts, "But he won't even take 2 minutes to listen!"

"Well it didn't help that you almost punched the guy!" Niika shouted at him.

"Although I am intrigued," Sugata said, "Whatever it is, caused him to have sort of a split personality, either that or a really bad temper when it comes to Zero Time."

Tiger looked in the direction Kazuma left, "I wonder what happened..."

Kazuma's POV

A few minutes later I walked back into the building because I forgot my book bag at the club. Luckily all the members had seemed to have left so I wouldn't bump into any of them coming out. I was still very much pissed off from earlier to have a calm convo with any of them, especially that red headed idiot. To think, that someone like him could be the one called Ginga Bishonen. He probably doesn't even know what he's capable of. Its already a given that he barely knows how to control Tauburn.

As more thoughts pop into my head, I suddenly heard voices talking which made me come back to reality. Getting closer I know its coming from the science room. "Something smells..."

"The sense of smell is closely connected to memory. This scent is bringing up a pleasant memory for you." A girl's voice. I look though the window to see that this voice to be our homeroom's class prez, Nichi Keito. I also see Tiger inside with her. "So, what do you remember? Can you remember something... pleasant?"

"Pleasant..." I become concerned when Tiger collapses into Keito's arms. I don't know why, especially when she is with "them". But the expression on Keito's face was suspicious. She didn't even seem phased what so ever. Which reminded me of someone I've seen before...in Zero Time.

Just as I crack the door open to get a better look, Jaguar comes into the hallway. "I'm here! Huh, Tiger did you leave already?" Keito turned toward the doorway only to find that I had moved away from my previous location. I think she saw me though, I mean I saw her; the glare from her glasses nearly scared me to death. "What the? Kazu~!" I cover Jaguar's mouth just to be safe. I shushed her then backed up away from the door.

"What in the world is going on, Kazuma?!" She whisper-shouts at me once I let go.

"Its none of your concern." I start to walk away, hoping that she wouldn't try to start a conversation with me. I was really not in the mood.

"Fine, but have you seen Tiger? I've been looking for her." I froze. I quickly decided on what I should tell her.

"I haven't seen her." I say and continue to walk away. If Jaguar wanted to know where she was she would have to find out on her own. Right now, I had more important things to worry about.

Something isn't right. The scene from before, Tiger falling into Keito's arms. Keito seemed so composed, almost as if, she wanted it to happen. And I remembered why Keito seemed so familiar. The glare I received from her earlier told it all. She was Ivrogne, leader of the "Bougainvilleae" Squad...of the Glittering Crux Brigade. Now there's no doubt in my mind that Tiger collapsing was her plan all along. If Ivrogne is involved then the Crux is as well. But why would they want Tiger? What are they planning...

Niika's POV

I woke up the next morning slightly in pain. I wanted to erase yesterday's events from my head, but I couldn't exactly do that when I still felt the pain. After the daily morning routine, I searched the house looking Arata, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Arata, I'm coming in!" I opened to door to his room. Its was empty, it looked untouched. That wasn't normal. Not even for my brother. He may be a neat freak at times, but come on. "The sheets aren't even messed up in the slightest." I continue to look for him.

"Arata! Where'd he go?" He wasn't in the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room and even the attic. God forbid I ever go near a basement again. And since I knew my brother's the same way, I automatically assumed he wasn't there.

Since he was nowhere in the house I assumed he was already on his way to school. I had no idea whether he was just going early or I was just really late because all the clocks in the house weren't moving. That was weird. The fact that my brother left me alone was even weirder.

I decided not to walk today and take the bus so I walked into town, but no one was there. From the shops to the streets, there was no one. I had even found a running bus but there was no driver or passengers. I was all alone, just like before. That scared me. It didn't take long for me to start freaking out and not long after I was backed up into a corner. To make things worse, it started to rain and the lightning and thunder had started. That corner became my only shelter; if I moved I would get wet. But I was afraid of it, I was afraid of it all. I didn't even have my brother to protect me. I didn't know what to do. So I couldn't help but do what I usually do, cry.

"Niika?" A shadow leaned over me. Someone must've heard me whining. When I looked up, I surprised to see Kazuma standing above me, an umbrella in his hand. I just stared at him until he gained a serious face, which startled me. He suddenly grabbed me by the arm, "Come on. lets go."

Kazuma still wore the face I saw from earlier, but it didn't look like he would hurt me.

Still, should I be afraid?