Just a Number – Part One

WARNING: THIS DREAM NOVEL HAS SOME MATURE THEMES ON IT. CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Hideki tilted her face upward so that he could look into those emerald green eyes that had captivated him from the beginning. Even though silent tears were coming from them, he believed they were the most beautiful at the moment because of the raw, pure emotions shown from them that he himself could not easily express. He wondered, not for the first time, if her eyes were the reason why he always gravitated back to her every time he tried to push away.

"Even if you say that these feelings are foolish and all that we've been through was just a dream," Junko started, sniffing every now and then. Although her tears were blurring the image of the man she was in love with, she dared not wipe them away for fear that he would disappear. "Even so, I still want to stay in this dream, here with you," she finished, eyes expressing all the love she could possibly express. However, the love shown in her eyes was only a fraction of how much love she had for Hideki.

"I stopped having dreams," Hideki began, still looking deeply into her emerald green with his amber brown. "The dreams I had…had always given me hope, only to be crushed by the cruelty called reality."

"Hideki-kun," Junko muttered, sadness and understanding creeping in her eyes. She knew perfectly well how all his hopes had been crushed one after another until he decided to stop dreaming all together. With that reminder, her own hopes slowly dwindled.

"But," Hideki began, gently wiping away the stray tears. A gentle, albeit small, smile appeared on his face that made Junko's heart skip a beat like so many times before when she saw it. "Maybe… just this once… I'll believe in this dream again." He finished in a soft tone that rang clearly in Junko's ears.

New tears sprang from the girl's eyes. The difference from the tears before was that these tears were ones of happiness. "Thank you Hideki-kun," Junko said with a bright smile. She melted into his embrace—

"Do happy endings like that really exist?" questioned to no one in particular as she shut the book closed. She slowly ran her fingers over the glossy cover of the latest novel by her favorite author.

Letting out a small sigh, she placed the book among the others on her bookshelf and prepared herself for bed. Before turning out the light, she took a glance at the circled date on her calendar and lets out a small smile. One more day… hopefully I won't be too busy, she thought to herself, while turning off her light and slipping into bed. Her last thoughts before drifting off were if she would be able to live her own dreams.

**********

"I'm late!"

frantically gathered her things before rushing out of her house with a book hugged to her chest. She couldn't believe her luck when her mother had sent her out to do some errands. Not the one to disobey her mother, she did as was told. Unfortunately, it took her a while to do the errands and now she was running late.

was a third-year in high school at the prestigious school of Rikkai. She was a model student, excelling in academics and was student council vice-president. However, with her personality as such, she was a rather difficult person to befriend and more often than not, was seen alone in the library during her free time.

At home she was no different. Being raised by a strict but caring mother and stern but lovable father, she had grown into a respectable lady. She did as was told of her with no questions asked and in return her parents provided her with what she wanted.

However, there was something that would forever keep to herself. She was a dreamer and often times wished that she were able to live the way she wanted. She wanted to break out of the cage that had encaged her since her birth and spread her wings even if just once. Reading was her ticket into reaching those imaginable heights. Books were able to take her to places that her parents would never allow her to go and to see things that she had always wondered about.

Her particular favorites were the romance books that she bought with her own money. It was, at first, to show a little bit of defiance to her parents and to show to her self that she could make her own decisions in life. Although not really approving, her parents had allowed her to continue reading the romance novels on the condition that she didn't "become influenced by the rubbish that it fed."

With that, was able to indulge in the fantasy world of true love and intertwined destinies, wondering if anything like that could possibly happen to a girl like her. Over time, she had read numerous books and eventually found an author that she favored over the others, as did the rest of the female population. With intricate and beautiful storylines, Aki Yuushi was able to capture what she wanted to experience personally and have it written down on paper.

Picking up her pace just the slightest bit, wondered if she was too late to even get a glimpse of her favorite author. Seeing the bookstore she often frequented, excitement and hope filled her senses as she hastened to the place where the author was going to hold a book signing for his recent novel. However, upon arrival, she noticed that the place was nearly deserted, save for a few lingering about who were either reading or purchasing something from the bookstore.

All thoughts and emotions of finally meeting the author drained out of her system and a melancholic look spread across her face. Her shoulders sagging, the black-haired girl made her way toward one of her private solace spots, a park that she would usually go to after getting a book from the store. Still clutching tightly onto the novel that she had brought with her, she arrived at the park, wanting to sit down on her usual bench that was partially hidden by the shrubbery and generally away from the noise of the park. It was usually unoccupied because very few actually knew it was there but this time it was different.

stopped in her tracks when she noticed someone was sitting on her usual bench, smoking a cigarette and drinking a canned beverage. She tilted her head to the side, wondering just who this blue-haired male was. She jumped slightly when the person called out to her.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

shivered at the voice of the male. But as soon as it came, it was gone, and she gathered her wits, remembering that this was a complete stranger that she should not be speaking to. "It's nothing… just that I usually sit here to read," she informed quietly. She mentally slapped herself for admitting that bit of information to someone she did not know.

"Is that so? Please don't mind me. I just wanted to relax for a bit after dealing with a stressful event earlier this morning." The male gestured to the rest of the space on the bench towards her. He gave her a small smile to show that he did not mean any ill intent.

considered the blue-haired male's offer. She felt like sulking for a bit before returning home and this was her solace spot. The black-haired Rikkai third-year took a closer look at the male and noticed that he did indeed look stressed out and just wanting some peace and quiet. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt her to sit down for a few minutes with the male, she moved to take up the space beside him.

"Sorry for intruding," mumbled shyly, looking anywhere but at the male.

"Don't worry about it." The blue-haired male waved off the apology, letting out a puff of smoke in the process. Hearing a cough, he glanced over to his unexpected companion and noticed that she was holding back her coughs but was failing. A small smirk appeared on his face as he snuffed out his cigarette on his empty can.

noticing what he was doing, gave a slight protest. "You don't have to do that because of me."

"It's all right. I was already finished with it," the male said as he tossed the can into a nearby trashcan smoothly.

turned toward him to apologize once more but stopped in the process of giving a slight bow. It was then that she actually got a good look at the male. He was definitely someone older than her, with blue hair and matching blue eyes, partially hidden behind a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. From his accent, she concluded that he was most likely from the Kansai area and made her wonder what he was doing in Kanagawa. She snapped out of her musings when the cool blue eyes landed on her. A light pink dusted her cheeks as she averted her gaze elsewhere.

"What book is that you have there?" The handsome male inquired, gesturing toward the said book clutched in her arms.

"This? It's Aki Yuushi's latest novel," replied with a bit of embarrassment.

"Oh?"

"I love all his books. He probably gets that plenty of times from his infinite amount of fans but it's the truth for me," confessed with a small smile on her face. "For me, he was able to show me something, even if the probability of it happening in real life is slim to none."

"And what is that something?" The blue-haired male asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I don't really have the opportunity to experience what love is. I think it's amazing that Aki-sensei was able to capture the various ways in which love can be portrayed. Even if all the things in his books are most likely surreal, I'd like to believe that they could happen to anyone," finished as she was gently turning the pages of the book.

"May I see the book?"

"S-sure." The black-haired female handed the book over to him who took it and flipped through the book. She took the chance to examine him once more and could not deny that the man was handsome. Her blush increased and she turned her head to avoid being noticed by the man. Suddenly her book was in front of her face. She followed from where the book came from and stopped when her silver grey eyes landed on the face of the male who was no longer sitting beside her.

"I'm sure he appreciates knowing that he has such a passionate reader such as you," he said with a boyish grin.

took her book back, a genuine smile on her face. "Thank you."

"Thank you for your pleasant company." With that, the man bowed and left the third- year Rikkai student to her own devices.

stared after him until he was completely out of sight before looking back at her book. For some odd reason she had a feeling that there was something different about it. With her instincts eating at her, she opened the front cover. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed something that was not previously there.

To my most passionate reader,
Thank you for your genuine support. Continue to dream, for surely it will become your reality.

let out a small gasp when she saw the signature. It was signed: Aki Yuushi. She felt the blood rushing to her face when she realized that she had just spent the last few minutes with her most favored author. Clutching the book to her chest tightly, let out a real smile as she made her way home for the day.

**********

"For someone who claims that they had to deal with a troublesome book signing in the morning, you seem awfully relaxed, Yuushi," Mukahi Gakuto observed from his seated position.

"Ore-sama didn't think you would come, Oshitari," Atobe Keigo drawled, his usual smirk in place.

"I said I would come, didn't I?" Oshitari replied as he took a seat at the table where the former Hyoutei regulars were having their once-every-two-weeks get-together. They were at their usual restaurant that was, unsurprisingly, owned by the Atobe Group.

"So how was the book signing Aki-sensei?" Gakuto teased, with a big smirk on his face.

"Stressful," was Oshitari's clipped reply before he took a sip of his alcoholic beverage.

"Funny because you don't look stressed out," Shishido Ryou commented as he took a sip of his own beverage.

"Just because I said that the book signing was stressful doesn't mean the rest of my morning was," Oshitari remarked off handedly. The others, however, seemed to find this vague piece of information very intriguing.

"So how was the rest of your day Oshitari-san?" Hiyoshi Wakashi asked the question that was on everyone's mind. Everyone tuned in to hear what the novelist would say.

"Relaxing," Oshitari responded before taking another sip to hide the smirk that the others would notice anyway.

"Come on Yuushi! What did you do? Did you meet someone?" Gakuto drilled, wanting details on how the blue-haired writer was able to relax so quickly after something stressful like a book signing. It usually took a day for Oshitari to completely relax after doing something that would promote his books. The redhead was curious, as was the rest of the group.

However, when Oshitari offered no retort to the last question, everyone's interest piqued. "Ah~n? You're not going to deny it, Oshitari?" Atobe inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"So you did meet someone!" Akutagawa Jirou exclaimed, with a look of surprise on his face. Surprise turned into excitement as he realized what he had just said. "Who did you meet? Was the person a girl?"

"Jirou-san, I think you should tone it down a bit," Ootori Choutarou suggested, noticing the looks from other diners towards their table.

"But Ootori! This is Oshitari Yuushi we're talking about!" Jirou protested with a cute pout that he never lost from when they were still in school together even though he was 27 years old.

"Yeah, Choutarou. This is the man that said he would be a bachelor for the rest of his life," Shishido reasoned, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"But we don't even know if he even met a girl or just someone he knew," Ootori stated.

"But he hasn't denied it, either," Hiyoshi pointed out. He turned toward the silent novelist who seemed to be enjoying himself. "Are you going to confirm whether you met a girl or not?"

"Hn." That was all Oshitari said but it was all the confirmation they needed from the Kansai-ben male.

"Amazing! This girl must be someone awesome if she was able to get Oshitari to relax so easily," Jirou praised.

"You think they'll go out later?" Gakuto asked teasingly with a big smirk on his face. "Maybe they'll eventually get married, too."

"You guys should talk. Aside from Atobe and Jirou who are already married, none of you have anyone you're even talking to." Oshitari pointed this fact out with a smirk to the others who immediately scowled at the blue-haired novelist.

"Shut it, Yuushi!" Gakuto exclaimed with a slightly flushed face. "Anyway, who is this girl anyway?"

"I don't know," Oshitari admitted with a shrug. The others, with the exception of Kabaji, raised questioning eyebrows.

"Was she one of your fans or something?" Shishido questioned prodding further.

Oshitari nodded before gesturing to one of the waiters to get him another glass. He turned back to the others who all wore expectant faces, Kabaji being the exception once again. "I met her at the nearby park where I was trying to relax after the signing. We talked for a bit and then I left. That's all."

As the others began to pry further about the novelist's morning, Atobe wondered if it really was all that Oshitari said. The Atobe leader had a feeling that there was more to it than the writer let on. There was obviously something special about this girl and he definitely wanted to find out, but decided to just let everything write for itself.

**********

"Ohayou gozaimasu otou-sama," greeted her father when she sat down at the dining table.

"Ohayou ," Shigeru greeted in return, and then proceeded to finish his morning coffee. Setting down the finished cup, he stood from his seat and gave his only daughter a kiss on her temple before leaving. "Have a good day at school."

"Hai, otou-sama. Itterasshai." bade her father politely.

"Ittekimasu." With that Shigeru left for his work.

Once she was left alone, began to eat her breakfast before it got too cold. She knew her mother wasn't home at this time because she usually went to a friend's house for morning tea. She usually ate breakfast by herself and occasionally her mother or father would be there. Although she was used to it, she still didn't like the silence of their house. Quickly finishing her traditional Japanese breakfast, washed the dishes before heading out to school.

Making sure her uniform was straight and done as was regulated by the school, the third- year entered the campus grounds after just twenty minutes of walking from her house. She ignored the whispers that erupted from the lingering students. From the underclassmen, they were whispers of awe and admiration for the senior while the ones from her peers were those of respect with the occasional sneering of the model student.

Almost robotically, changed her shoes and immediately went to her classroom, taking a seat at her desk that was by the window. She was in the process of taking out her books for the first class when she overheard two of her fellow classmates talking. She nearly dropped her books but managed to continue on after a short pause.

"So did you go to Aki Yuushi-sensei's book signing the other day?"

"Yeah I did! I got to shake his hand. Aki-sensei is so handsome," one of them swooned at the mere mention of the romance novelist.

"Lucky you! I couldn't go because I had to go shopping with my mother." Disappointment was clearly in the girl's tone of voice. However, that didn't last long when she asked her friend for all the details about the event. would have listened further if she weren't so immersed in her own thoughts about what happened that day.

The lightest blush appeared on her face before she was able to hide it away. still couldn't believe that she had spoken to the famous romance novelist, and about his work, no less. The blush resurfaced when she realized that she had told the blue-haired writer her deepest thoughts about his books. She shook off her blush a second later. Although what she said was the truth for her, he probably got those same praises from all his other fans.

The black-haired student didn't have the time to ponder further since the final bell signaled the start of classes. As the teacher came into the classroom, she had one last fleeting thought on the handsome novelist before focusing her attention to the teacher and began to take down notes.

**********

"-san, would you please look over the budget for all the clubs to make sure they are accurate before turning it in to me?" The student council president requested of his vice president while handing a stack of papers to her.

"Hai," agreed, taking the papers and carefully placing them into a folder before putting it in her briefcase.

"That's all for today. We'll meet same time next week."

With that, the members of the council were dismissed. Everyone began packing their things and leaving. On the other hand, took her time and was the last to leave the classroom. Making sure that the door was closed behind her, she made her way through the vast school and left campus grounds.

Glancing at her watch, she noticed that she had a bit of time before she needed to be home, so she decided to take a slight detour from her usual route. After about ten minutes of walking, she made it to her second solace spot. It was a small café that very few came to because of its isolated location. The black-haired girl had stumbled upon it while trying to find her way to a certain shop her mother had wanted her to go to.

Letting out a small smile, entered the shop and was greeted by the small chime of the bell from the door. Glancing around, she found that there was actually more customers than usual. Seeing that her usual table was free, she made a beeline for it to secure her seat. Like her bench at the part, this seat was partially hidden behind a divider. No one would really notice it unless they were looking for a specific place to sit.

"Finally decided to come back, -san?"

looked up to see a familiar smiling face. "Hai. It's been a while Miyuki-san."

"You want your usual or would you like to try something new?" Miyuki asked while handing the Rikkai student a menu to look at.

"I think I'll just have my usual this time. I haven't had it in a while, after all," replied, denying the menu with a shake of her head.

"All right then. I'll have your order ready in just a moment." With that Miyuki gave a smile and left to get her order.

Once Miyuki left, decided to get some of her work done before she went home. Taking out the budget files that the council president had entrusted her, she distantly heard the chime of the door's bell before concentrating on the paperwork before her. However, she wasn't able to get very far when a figure blocked a bit of her light, overshadowing the print on the paper. When she glanced up to see whom the person was, she froze when she saw the face that had occupied her mind since she first saw it.

"We meet again. Is it all right if I sit here?"

"Aki Yuushi-sensei!" gasped out in surprise, dropping her papers onto the tabletop. Quickly gathering her composure, she gathered up her papers and placed them back into the folder, all the while keeping her head tilted downward to hide the blush that blossomed. That didn't help, however, because the novelist took it upon himself to take the seat across from her and saw the evident blush she was sporting.

"Oshitari," the blue-haired novelist said after settling into the seat. He let out an amused smirk when he saw her confused expression on her face. "My real name is Oshitari Yuushi. I'd rather not let anyone know I'm here, lest we'd be surrounded by my fans."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry," apologized after realizing that she had said his name a bit loudly. She bowed her head in an apologetic manner, shifting in unease the slightest bit, sensing him staring at her. The dark-haired female lifted her head when she heard a low chuckle coming from the person across from her.

"No need to be so formal. Relax. I'm just a normal person at the moment. Just like you," Oshitari said, the ever-present smirk on his face. His smirk widened even further when witnessing the blush blossom on the young female's face once more.

It seemed that Lady Luck on was 's side when Miyuki returned with her usual order, placing it in front of her. She smiled gratefully at the waitress but noticed that Miyuki's attention was not on her but focused on her sudden, unexpected companion sitting across from her. wondered what was running through the waitress's head at the moment and briefly wondered if Miyuki even knew the famous author.

"Well, -san, are you going to introduce me to your handsome companion or are you going to keep him all to yourself?" Miyuki questioned, a playful smile on her face as she glanced at the said girl with mischief shining in her eyes. Maybe Lady Luck wasn't favoring her today.

"Oh! Miyuki-san, this is Oshitari Yuushi-san. Oshitari-san, this is Miyuki-san. She works here and coincidentally or not, is my usual server when I come here," introduced the two. Miyuki gave a polite bow while Oshitari just gave a nod in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Oshitari-san. Is there anything I can get for you?" Miyuki asked politely with a smile.

"Hmm, I'll have what she's having," Oshitari said, gesturing towards 's beverage which was a mocha latte that was topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with what looked like mint chips.

"Coming right up." With that Miyuki took off to get the order ready, giving a discreet wink that made the young female glare back with a blush.

"So you come here often?"

That question snapped 's attention back to her temporarily-forgotten companion. She had to think about what was asked of her for a second before being able to respond. "Not really. I only come here when I get the chance to."

"Oh? From the way Miyuki-san seemed so familiar with you tells me otherwise," Oshitari commented with a raised eyebrow.

"She usually talks to me when I am here," said a bit off handedly. She took a sip of her latte and gave a smile of contentment at the rich taste that attacked her taste buds. "Just the way I like it," she mumbled to herself before taking another sip.

"So you go to Rikkai?" Oshitari stated more than questioned. When seeing her questioning look, he gestured toward her school uniform. "I recognize the crest on your jacket."

"Hai. I'm a third-year at the high school that isn't too far from here," informed shyly and took a timid sip from her cup once more.

"If it's not too far from here, then why don't you come here more often?" Oshitari asked, curiosity getting the better of him. For reasons unknown to him, he was genuinely curious about this black-haired female that he had only met once before. As he learned more about her, he became even more curious as to who this female was.

"My parents usually want me to be home after school, but since I'm the vice president of the student council I have to stay after school for an uncertain amount of time on Wednesdays," explained freely with a small shrug. "So Wednesdays are the only days I can really stay out later than usual. But I don't come here too often because they might become suspicious of me."

"Really."

Somehow after that, both of them began to talk about things in general and their conversation lasted well over an hour. When realizing the time, decided to leave and quickly excused herself. Oshitari just stayed in his seat, watching her rush off and exit the café with an amused smile on his face. A few minutes later, the blue-haired novelist placed the correct amount of money on the table before leaving as well.

"I think things will become a bit more interesting now," Miyuki said to herself as she picked up the money that was enough to cover for both drinks.

**********

From that time onwards, it seemed to be an unspoken agreement to meet up at the café every other week on Wednesday. Eventually was able to become more comfortable being with her favorite author and have a chat like normal people. The more time she spent with Oshitari, the more she felt that she didn't need to be prim and proper like her parents wanted to her to be. She didn't know about the writer, but she had begun to look forward to their Wednesdays together.

"You want to go somewhere else?" repeated the request with a questioning look on her face. "Where do you want to go?"

"Let's just take a walk around," Oshitari suggested with his usual smirk on his face.

, on the other hand, had a suspicious look on her face as she examined him with a critical eye. "Wouldn't that be a bad idea? What if someone recognizes you?"

"We'll worry about it when it comes to that," Oshitari said with a shrug. He grabbed her hand and led the way to the door. He let go once they were outside and just began to walk leisurely with beside him with a small frown. Noticing the tiny frown, the novelist raised an eyebrow at the younger female. "What's with the face? You don't want to spend the day with me outside of that shop?"

"It's not that. I just don't want to get involved if someone recognizes you and we're suddenly chased by your fan girls," stated bluntly.

Oshitari smiled at the concern hidden within her statement. He bent down so that he was level with her head and whispered softly into her ear. "Don't worry. If it comes down to that, I'll protect you."

stepped away from him, blush bright red on her face. If it was even possible, she blushed even harder when she saw him smile at her. However, she didn't have time to ponder anything when a shrill scream caught their attention. Both of them looked toward the direction from where it came from and saw two teenage girls pointing in their direction. Or more accurately at the male standing next to her.

"Kya~! It's Aki Yuushi-sama!"

"Aki Yuushi-sama? Where?"

"Looks like we'll have to worry now," remarked as she eyes all the females that were quickly making their way towards them.

"Come on." Oshitari grabbed her hand and ran off in the opposite direction of where his fan girls were chasing after him. Thankful that people stepped out of their way when they approached, they were able to slip into a park that had plenty of trees to hide behind. Oshitari pushed against the tree and hiding her body with his as he watched and listened for any signs of anyone approaching.

Meanwhile was doing her best to stop her heart from leaving her chest. It was beating so fast, she'd be surprised if Oshitari wouldn't be able to feel it. He was so close to her that she could even smell the slightly faded scent of his cologne that he wore.

"Seems like they're gone," Oshitari murmured loud enough for her to hear. It was then that he realized that how close they really were. Being this up close to her, he could clearly see the endearing blush on her face that brought an amused smile to his face. However, looking past that, he was able to see her natural beauty not covered with cosmetics that many females nowadays used. The one feature that honestly caught his interest were her silver-like light grey eyes, an eye color he rarely saw.

"U-umm, Oshitari-san?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, the blue-haired novelist once again remembered the close proximity they had. "O-oh sorry," he said and took a few steps back from the senior high third year. Both took a few seconds to compose themselves before stepping out from behind the tree.

Releasing a sigh of relief, turned toward her older companion with an annoyed glare. "Didn't I tell you? Someone easily recognized you and we ended up being chased by your crazed fan girls."

"And I told you I would protect you, did I not?" Oshitari replied back with his usual smirk. "At least here we don't have to worry too much about them."

Looking around the near deserted park, relaxed just a bit more. She just hoped nothing like that would happen again. However, she may have thought that too soon when someone called to the male beside her from behind.

"Ah~n? What are you doing here, Oshitari?"

"I could be asking you the same thing, Atobe," Oshitari retaliated with a smirk. "Oh? Anna, you're here too?"

"She was the one who insisted we get out without the use of the limo," Atobe explained with a slight hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Oh quit complaining, Keigo. I'm sure you'll live without the convenience of your precious limo for one afternoon," Atobe Anna reprimanded with a roll of her honey green eyes. "It's been a while, Yuushi. How have you been?"

"Writing, publishing books, appeasing the fans, you know the usual," Oshitari replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"Same as always huh?" Anna mused with a smile. When her eyes landed on the young female standing beside the novelist, her expression changed to one of questioning. "Yuushi, who is your companion?"

At that question, Atobe turned his interest to the young girl standing near his long time friend with an inquisitive look. He observed the girl closely, his insight naturally kicking in after so many years of use. She didn't look any older than eighteen, and the school uniform she sported clarified that she was still in senior high at most. The Atobe leader wondered just why the Kansai-ben male was with someone so young.

"I'm . Nice to meet you," introduced herself with a proper bow.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Atobe Anna and this is my husband Keigo," Anna greeted in return with a smile. Glancing over at her husband, Anna could tell that he wanted to have a little chat with his long time friend in private for a bit. "Keigo, you and Yuushi go over to the crepe stand and get us some crepes."

"Ah~n? Are you telling ore-sama what to do?" Atobe inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Anna confirmed boldly. When she turned toward her demeanor did a one-eighty. "-san, what kind do you want?"

"Umm, I guess strawberry," replied meekly, slightly surprised at the sudden change in the older woman.

"You heard her. Go. You know what kind I want." With that Anna pushed both males towards the crepe stand, allowing no further protest from either of them. "Now that they're out of the way, let's have a little girl talk, hmm?"

blinked in surprise before a smile morphed onto her face. "Sure."

**********

"Oshitari, is she the reason why you seem to be so easy going nowadays?" Atobe questioned seriously to his long time friend as they waited for the crepes. Oshitari remained silent as he observed the crepes being made. "If the media finds out, it would cause a lot of trouble for the both of you, especially since she's so much younger than you."

"I know that," Oshitari muttered under his breath, still not looking at the Atobe leader.

Atobe continued to observe the blue-haired man. Although he knew that Oshitari had been in relationships before, he never acted as he did at the moment or the past few weeks for that matter. It was so cliché like in his friend's novels that he didn't want to believe it, but what other explanation could there be? "Oshitari, do you seriously like that girl?"

"I don't know." With that, Oshitari ceased the discussion by taking the crepes after paying for them and making his way to the two talking females. Atobe let out an inaudible sigh before taking the crepe for his wife and following after.

"That's how you two met? Really?" Anna exclaimed in amusement.

"Yes," the younger female responded with a fond smile on her face.

"Here you go," Oshitari offered, handing the strawberry crepe to . She accepted it shyly and began nibbling on it. The four of them stayed there for a bit longer, making small talk to ease the silence.

When Anna extended an invitation for dinner, had to decline since she had to be home before then. Excusing herself when it was time for her to go, left the trio in the park. Oshitari stared after her as she exited the park, Atobe's question still ringing in his mind.

**********

"Business trip?" repeated curiously.

"Yes. We'll be gone for about a week," Michiyo, the matriarch, stated in a clipped tone. "We trust you will be able to take care of yourself while we are gone."

"Okaa-sama, when will you and otou-sama be leaving?" asked meekly, hoping that she wouldn't anger her mother for asking.

Michiyo eyed her only daughter critically before deciding that answering her inquiry wouldn't hurt. "We'll be leaving tomorrow. We expect you will go about things as if we were still here. Is that understood?"

"Yes okaa-sama," replied obediently, lowering her head as a sign of submission.

"Good. You may go do your homework now."

With that dismissal, bowed to her mother before going upstairs to her room. Closing the door behind her, she let out a sigh before a smile blossomed on her face. This would be the first time that her parents would allow her to be alone in the house whenever they would go on these business trips. She could hardly contain the happiness that was swelling inside of her at the thought of being free to do what she wanted for a week. She'd treasure the time she would get to spread her wings, even if it was only for a short time. After all, it was better than nothing.

She sat at her desk to begin her homework when a certain book caught her eye. It was the very book that her favorite author had signed the first time they had met, even though she didn't know it was he at the time. She smiled fondly at the mention of the blue-haired novelist.

Ever since she had started to speak with him on a regular basis, had started to crawl out of her prim and proper shell that her parents had encased her in. Every time they met, she felt less like the doll her parents had made and more like a regular person. Although they never really shared any deep personal information to each other, she felt closer to the older male, more so than with anyone else, mainly because she didn't really have any friends. The more time she spent with Oshitari Yuushi, the deeper her feelings seem to go.

Picking up the book, clutched it close to her chest. "Oshitari-sensei, you said for me to keep dreaming for it would one day become my reality. But now I'm not so sure if this is still a dream, or I'm finally living in reality."

**********

"This doesn't look good," Oshitari muttered as he observed the darkening sky. A minute later, rain start falling from the dark clouds, making everyone scatter for shelter. "We need to find shelter fast."

"My house isn't that far from here," informed without really thinking about it. At the moment, she just wanted to get out of the rain and wet clothes as soon as possible. Starting off in a run, she led the way to her house with the tall blue-haired male on her heels.

Within minutes they were standing inside the house being sheltered by the pouring rain. Standing near the door, Oshitari waited for his sudden host to retrieve a towel for him. He took in his surroundings, noticing that the furnishing of the house was rather elegant for a middle class family. Once returned and offered the towel to him, he asked the question that had been on his mind the moment he stepped onto the property. "Is this all right with your parents?"

"They aren't home at the moment. They're away on a business trip," explained simply. It was then that her words clicked in her mind. Her parents weren't home and she was alone with an older male who happened to be her favorite author whom she had developed deep feelings for. She froze in place at the idea.

"?" snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards her unexpected guest. "Is something wrong?"

The black-haired girl just shook her head before turning away to hide her blushed face. "N-no it's nothing. Is there anything you need?"

"Would it be all right if I take a shower?" Oshitari asked, gesturing towards his wet clothes. "I don't think it would be wise of me to stay in these clothes for a long time."

"Su-sure!" squeaked uncharacteristically. She did her best to calm down before talking again. "I think you'd be able to fit my father's clothes for the time being until I get your clothes dry."

With that, she led the way through the house towards the bathroom. While Oshitari waited, made her way to her parent's room, hesitating before stepping inside. She looked in her father's drawer, pulling out a pair of sweats and a shirt that she believed the novelist would fit. Making her way back to her awaiting guest, she handed him the clothes and left him to his own after making sure that he knew where everything was in the bathroom.

then decided to take a quick shower as well and slipped into the other available bathroom where she proceeded to take a hot shower. Once finished, she dressed into something comfortable, figuring that she didn't need to dress to impress. Stepping out of her room, she noticed that Oshitari was still in the shower and decided to make something to drink to warm them up. Once in the kitchen, she began to make some tea. Minutes later while she prepared the tea, she heard the bathroom door open.

"?" Oshitari called out loud enough for the third year female to hear.

"In the kitchen," responded as she put hot water into the teapot. Hearing footsteps, she turned towards the doorway and froze. Before her stood Oshitari in her father's clothes, his hair still wet with a towel around his shoulders. In one hand he held his wet clothes while the other hand was wiping at the water drops on his face with the towel that held his glasses.

"Where can I dry my clothes?"

"I'll take them for you," offered when she snapped out of her staring. She grabbed his clothes and quickly left the kitchen, leaving behind a smiling Oshitari.

The blue-haired writer couldn't help but smile at his host's antics. She was rather adorable being all flustered when he saw that there was no reason to be. Over the weeks, he noticed that she had become more and more comfortable around him as they spent more time with each other.

He then thought back to the question Atobe had asked him not too long ago…

"Oshitari, do you seriously like that girl?"

He had thought about it after the Atobe leader had imposed that question on him. Even at that moment he wasn't so sure. He did enjoy the time they spent together, but whether it reached that far, he didn't know. He snapped out of his thoughts when the object of his thoughts returned.

went back to the teapot and hoped that it hadn't gotten cold while it was sitting there. Releasing a light sigh when she saw that it was still hot, she poured the tea into a cup and handed it to her guest who took it appreciatively. "Do you want to watch something to pass the time?"

"That sounds fine," Oshitari agreed with a nod.

Picking up her own cup of tea, led the way to the television room. They settled for something on TV since her family didn't own very many movies to watch. After flipping through the channels, they settled on a romance drama since there was nothing else interesting on. It wasn't long after finished her tea that she fell asleep on the couch.

Oshitari sighed when the drama ended. The ending was rather predictable, almost like his books. He glanced over to his side towards his host and noticed that she was in a deep sleep. On a closer look, he saw that she was shivering just the slightest bit, but still shivering nonetheless.

Looking around and not seeing that could have been used as a makeshift blanket, he gently eased her to his side and wrapped his arms around her. Unconsciously, the smaller female snuggled closer to the heat source. Oshitari shifted as slowly as he could into a comfortable position so as not to wake her up. It wasn't long before he too fell asleep.

**********

Sunlight filtered through curtains, landing on two figures on the single couch. let out a small groan as the light shined on her eyes. She was way too comfortable where she was to get up and go to school. She snuggled onto her pillow. Seconds later her eyes flashed opened when she realized that her pillow was actually moving. Turning her head, she saw the reason why.

Oshitari Yuushi, also known as Aki Yuushi the famous romance novelist was lying right next to her and was currently posing as her pillow. She blushed a bright red when their position finally clicked in her head. She would have gotten up had it not been for the arms that were holding her close to his broad chest.

Her heart pounded at their closeness. Knowing that there was no way that she would have another chance like this, she decided to make the best of it. She laid her head on his chest again and listened to the steady heartbeat that was lulling her back into a light sleep.

An hour later, the blue-haired male awoke from his slumber. He opened his blue eyes, blinking the sleep out of them. It was then that he felt the lightweight on his chest. Looking down, a small smile emerged on his face at the peaceful look on 's face.

He did his best to not wake her up when he moved, but luck wasn't on his side at that moment because she opened her eyes at his slightest movement. "Ohayou ."

Realizing that he was awake, sat up from his embrace. "O-ohayou gozaimasu!"

"I didn't mean to wake you," Oshitari said with a sheepish smile.

"It's fine. I was just waking up too," assured with a nervous smile. There was no way she was going to tell him that she had already woken up before him. She turned her attention to the nearby clock and saw that it was well passed the time for school. I guess I won't be going to school today, she thought to herself.

With a light blush, climbed over the still-lying man to get off the couch. "Do you want to anything to eat before you go or something?"

"I don't see why not," Oshitari replied, accepting the offer for food. He was rather hungry since they hadn't eaten anything the night before.

"I'll get your clothes so you can change and then make a late breakfast," stated before leaving to do as she said.

The morning went by rather quickly, too quickly for 's liking. However, she wouldn't trade it for anything. Once everything was cleaned up after eating, she saw him to the door. There they bade each other good-bye that held the usual implication of meeting at the same time at the same shop as always.

Neither noticed the figure at the neighboring house entered the said house with an object in their hands.

**********

released a sigh as she made her way home from school. Her parents had returned the day before and everything had gone back to the way it was before. Her freedom had only lasted for a short time but she had made the most of it. She fondly remembered one particular night when Oshitari had spent the night.

Just when she closed the front door of her home, her mother grabbed her arm and harshly pulled her into the living room. The matriarch practically threw the younger girl onto the couch. When got her bearings back, she looked up at her mother and cowered slightly at the angered expression her mother wore. Right across from her, her father sat. Although it didn't show as much as her mother, she knew that he too was angry.

", would you like to explain these to us?" Shigeru questioned gesturing toward the table in front of them.

looked to where he was pointing. Her eyes widened in shock and fear. There before them were shots of her and Oshitari going into the house the night it rained and the morning after as he was leaving the house. She glanced up towards her parents only to receive a slap from her mother.

"What possessed you to bring a man into this house?" Michiyo questioned furiously. "I know that we didn't raise you to be that way."

"How long have you been seeing this man, ?" Her father inquired calmly.

"About three months every other week," answered obediently with her head down.

"And how old is he?" He asked again in that calm voice.

"Twenty-seven."

"He's ten years older than you?!" Michiyo exclaimed in shock.

"But he's—"

"I do not care who he is. We did not raise you this way," her mother stated, anger and disgust in her tone.

"We didn't do anything!" exclaimed in defense, even though it wouldn't help against her parents.

"However, that doesn't change the fact that you have been spending time with a man that is ten years older than you. Not only that, but you brought him into this house as well," Shigeru reasoned with a frown on his face. "Your mother and I have decided that sending you away for a while will be a suitable punishment."

"What?!"

"You will be going to live with my sister in Europe and attend a private school there," Michiyo informed. Handing her daughter the plane ticket, she added, "You will be leaving in a few days."

"Otou-sama, okaa-sama," whispered as she took the ticket and looked at it with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

", we just want what is best for you," Shigeru explained.

didn't hear anymore and just bolted to her room, locking the door behind her. It was only then did her allow the tears to fall. Sliding down to the floor, she let loose her storm of tears.

Hours later when all that was left were silent tears, she slowly stood up from her position and made her way to her desk. She took out a piece of paper and a pen, glancing at the book that had remained on her desk since she placed it there. She had a letter to write.

**********

Oshitari had an unsettling feeling as he made his way to the usual meeting spot with the young third-year female. The only way he could explain it was that it did not feel right. When he entered the shop, he expected to see the Rikkai female waiting for him at the usual table. However, when he reached the said table, he didn't see the black-haired girl.

"Oshitari-san."

The novelist turned around when his name was called and nodded in greeting to Miyuki, their usual waitress. "Is here yet?"

"I'm afraid that -chan will no longer be coming to this shop," Miyuki informed, melancholy coming off of her in waves. At his questioning look, she handed him a letter that was addressed to him. With that, she returned to her duties to leave the blue-haired male alone.

Oshitari read the letter in silence, facial expressions changing from shocked to confusion in a matter of seconds. He understood what the letter was telling him. It was all too clear for him. What he didn't understand was the sudden emptiness that he felt once he finished reading it.

He sat down at their table. For reasons that evaded him, he felt this heaviness that made him have the need to sit down. He placed a hand over his chest where it ached the most and began rubbing it to ease the pain. However, it wasn't letting up at all.

Wanting to read the letter one more time, he glanced at it only to realize that he couldn't see the words on the paper. He glanced around and noticed that everything was blurred, even with his glasses on.

Bringing his hand up to rub his eyes, it was then he felt wetness on his cheeks. Wiping his eyes, he looked at the liquid on his fingertips. Seconds later, realization dawned onto him.

He was crying. Crying for the sudden lost of the young female that had met with him for the past three months. It was then that he finally understood what he was feeling. It was so much like his novels, he couldn't believe that he didn't realize it sooner.

He was in love.

**********

looked out the small window of the plane she was sitting in. Although she had thought that she had shed all the tears the nights and days before, two more managed to slide down her face.

Oshitari-san, good-bye…

##########

April 1, 2007
Written by: Kurohane
Edited by: linchpin