“Then would you be offended if your New Year’s Kiss came from me?”

What the fu--? Did he just…?

“Are you serious?” Yuichi asked her breath catching in .

Koki just looked at her all cocky, like it was every day he offered girls he just met kisses. She didn’t know what to think about that.

“One minute.” Koki announces.

They can both here the sounds of the party revelers get louder and noisy, their voices floating down to them. And before she knew it she could hear…

“10…9…8…7…”

Could she do that?

“6…5…4…3..”

Before she could analyze the situation any further she leaned forward, and seeing that she was going to take him up on his offer he leaned forward as well.

“2..” They were a breath apart. “1!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!” And amongst the shouting, the horns blowing and general madness, Nakamaru Yuichi experienced her first and possibly the most beautiful kiss, ever.

As soon as their lips touched a spark of electricity ran through Koki’s body. His arms without hesitation wrapped themselves around her waist bringing her body flush with his. The heat of her body began to mingle with his; the fragrance of her delicate perfume was intoxicating. Koki knew that it would be forever imprinted into his brain. Her lips were so soft and full. They were just right for kissing. Her delicate hands clutched at Koki’s white shirt as Koki bit her bottom lip causing her to gasp opening . This allowed him to invade his tongue into her warm mouth. They both groan at the contact of their tongues touching.  The kiss went deeper until they had to separate to take in air.

Once they were separated, she touched her lips in a gentle caress as if she couldn’t believed that he had kissed her that way. Koki himself doesn’t know what came over him. All he knew was that he liked it, a lot actually, and he wants to do it again. But before he could he heard a cell phone alarm go off. Her eyes widened. Then someone began to call her name.

“YUICHI!!”

“Ano…I gotta go. Thanks for the kiss” She said blushing.

“Yuichi!!!” She looked back at the house, getting up she ran as fast as her gown would let her.

Koki stood up as well and went after her; because he was faster he caught up with her on the veranda and grabbed her thin wrist stopping her from entering the mansion.

“Wait!” Koki said stopping her. Turning her around he pulled her close into his space, he heard her breath catch in . Before he could think he pulled the masquerade mask off her face. “ She really is as beautiful as I thought she was” Koki thought. In the light he could see that her lips were red from their kiss, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. Koki couldn’t help but be pleased that he had caused that look on her face. “What’s your name? Yuichi?”

She paused and nodded. “Nakamaru Yuichi….and your’s?”

“Tanaka…Tanaka Koki”

And before he could say anything further the hostess of the party came over.

“There you are Yu-chan! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Ueda Tatsuya exclaimed. Koki noticed that she looked rather dishevel.

“Tat-chan! Hey” Turning to Tatsuya  she said, “Look I gotta go. I promised Papa I would be back home by one.” That last sentence she whispered out Koki almost missing it.

‘So she is a daddy’s girl’ Koki thought. For some reason that piece of information made her cuter. Although at this point he had no idea if she was a spoiled daddy’s girl or not; yet his intuition told him that she was not.

“Okay. Then let me walk you to the door.” Tatsuya said. Then as if suddenly realizing that Koki was there she turned to him then looked at Yuichi. She raised an eyebrow which Yuichi answered with a blush. “Excuse us.” And off Tatsuya went pulling her away Yuichi delicate wrist slipping from his hold. But before she did Yuichi e last time to look at Koki before she exited from his view…“

Koki’s alarm clock rang. It was 5 am in the morning and it was time to get up for school. It was now almost a week since New Years and Koki was still dreaming about Yuichi and that kiss. He didn’t know what to think about all that. It wasn’t like he was ever going to see her again. Yet he knew that he would never forget that name. Ever. Nakamaru Yuichi.

Swinging his feet over the edge of the bed he set up on the edge after clicking the alarm off. His little brother rolled over on his bed on the other side of the room. He knew that his brother would sleep for another 15 minutes then he would think more seriously about getting out of bed. Rubbing his callous hands over his face he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Yuichi’s face entered into his mind’s eye.

By Japanese standards she wasn’t a beauty, far from it. Her nose was too large and her lips too full. Her eyes…her eyes were small but sparkling. Koki knew though that he liked them. That he liked HER, even though in reality he knew nothing about her. Isn’t it amazing how a person can like someone and never know anything about them? Koki thought. He must have drunk something spiked, because this wasn’t like him. She wasn’t his type, at all. And girls were not part of his life agenda until he finished college and veterinary school.

Getting up he made his way to the bathroom to shower before he lost his chance. With six men and one female living in one house the bathroom was always occupied and this particular morning it was no exception.

***

Not three blocks away to the east of Koki’s house is Yuichi’s. Just as Koki was getting up Yuichi was already up as she had awoken at 4:45 am to shower and brush her teeth. She wasn’t dressed in her school uniform as she had put back on her pajamas. She didn’t want to get her freshly starched school uniform dirty as she quickly mixed the batter for her Monday morning pancakes that she made from scratch. She also cooked bacon and eggs to go with them. Yuichi’s Monday morning’s American style breakfast.

Over the years because she was the lady of the Nakamaru home it had fallen to on her young thin shoulders to understand the nuisances of running a household and to execute the duties that would have been her mother’s if she had lived. Yuichi deeply loved and cared for her father and brother so she took to those duties without looking back and out of respect of her mother’s dying wish that she looked after the men in her life. Of course her father wouldn’t allow her to do too much but Yuichi did carry her weight around the household, if not more. Needless to say when the time came to run her own household for her own family she would be a pro.

In a matter of minutes the house began to fill with the fragrant, mouth-watering smells of the foods that Yuichi-chan was cooking. It was more than enough to awaken the sleepy dad and little brother from their warm beds. Hearing them patter around she couldn’t help but to smile at the noise they, especially her little brother, were making in the morning. He brother didn’t know what silence meant, apparently.

“Ohayo Ni-chan” Kenjiro-kun smiles brightly at his older sister as she set a loaded plate at his place at the kitchen table.

“Ohayo Kenji-chiba” Yuichi affectionately ruffled his hair as she called him by her nickname she had for him.  “Did you sleep well?”  Her father Kenji came in shortly. “Ohayo Papa! What about you? Sleep well?’

Kenjiro nodded his head that he had as he had a mouth b with too much food to actually answer in words. Kenji-san laughed at the sight of his son.

“Slow down, Kenjiro. I don’t want you to choke.” He handed a napkin to his son. Then taking the plate his daughter handed to him he answered her question. “Yes, very well. How about you?”

Sitting down to eat her breakfast as well she nodded yes.

“Are you working today?” Kenji-chiba asked?

“Nope. I took today off since it’s the first new day of the semester. Which can only mean that between now and the end of the day something will pop up, like a club meeting, a major assignment that will need me to spend three hours in the library or Tatsuya needing me in some way.” She stuff some pancakes in .

“A normal Monday I would say.” Kenji-san stated to his daughter. There was no other way to put it.

“Well, if Tatsuya needs you today, it’s okay to bring her over here. I’m totally fine with it.” Kenjiro’s eyes lit up at the idea of Tatsuya spending the day at the Nakamaru household. It was no secret to Yuichi that her little brother had a major crush on her best friend. The only person who didn’t know, or rather pretended not to know was Tatsuya.

“That would make you happy today, wouldn’t it?” Yuichi asked to which Kenjiro little head bobbled up and down like a bobble head toy. Yuichi laughed heartily. “I’ll see what I can do.” She said before taking a swallow of orange juice.

Before long it was time for Yuichi to get dress for school. Her routine was rather simple so she was ready in ten minutes. Finishing up her preparing her brother and father’s lunches she handed them to Kenji and Kenjiro and kissing and hugging them both good bye, they headed their separate ways. It was 6:30 in the morning she had to be at school by 8:30. So began her commute to school.

***

For the most part Koki and Yuichi’s daily routine was simple and downright predictable both beginning the commute at 6:30 AM. It wouldn’t be until about a month later that they realized that for 18 years they had lived four blocks from each other and just passed each other on the way to school barely minutes apart! But as mention earlier they wouldn’t discover this until later.

Kenjiro and Yuchi walked down the street they lived which was already coming alive with morning activity. The neighborhood they lived in that encompassed six blocks were blocks were business that were also homes for the  owners of said businesses. Yuichi’s father was a welder that was on a small cramped piece of coast line; they actually lived within the borders of Tokyo.  There were all types of businesses in the district, meshing of this and that. Yet despite the district being a business one, it was a fairly poor one, but Yuichi loved it. There was no other place like it within Tokyo.

As was the routine Yuichi walked her brother to his city bus stop and as they walked her inquisitive brother began his morning inquisition.

 “So…is Tat-chan still dating Nishikido?”

“Yes, why? Are you hoping they break up soon”

“Well…Nishikido isn’t good enough for her. She should find someone else.”

Yuichi smiled, “Someone like you?” She turned and looked at her little brother, “You do realize you are SEVEN and she is EIGHTEEN”

“Age ain’t nothing but a number!” Yuichi really let out a laugh. Her brother was a riot sometimes.

The City bus ambled its way up the road, once Kenji-chiba boarded the bus safely, Yuichi headed on to her school, Seiko High.

***

On most school days, Koki never rode his motorcycle to school, and today was such the day.  (Unbeknownst to him 150 yards behind him was Yuichi-chan walking the same road). He was dress in his school uniform looking absolutely y and yummy. With his earphones in his ears he walked to school listening to his music which was mostly J-hip hop and American Hip Hop R&B.

As he walked he was completely unaware of the females that were around him that devoured him with their eyes. Koki had no idea how y cool he was, the dominance in the way he walked, the charisma that flowed from him with ease, all of this went unaware as he slightly bobbed his head as he walked towards the nearby subway station.

All of a sudden Koki was startled out of his cocoon of his bubble by the hand of Junnosuke Taguchi landing on his shoulder.

“WHAT THE HECK” Koki said, turning around and promptly kicking his friend in the behind. And so went their morning greeting to one another.

Junnosuke and Koki had a rather sadistic and at time violent friendship. With Koki out most of the physical abuse with Junno sadistically taking it. Koki like  to call them “Love Taps”.

“Well, it has been an exciting New Years.” Taguchi said

“I would say” Koki agreed. They both followed the flow of pedestrian traffic to the subway tunnel. Walking down the stairs, Koki said, “Jin told me that you made out with Tatsuya Ueda”

“And Jin also told ME that you kissed her friend Yu-something-or-other that night too.”

“It’s Yuichi and yeah I did. But what’s up with you attacking Ueda-san?! Do YOU have a death wish? If your parents and her..”

“No one will know and I guarantee she won’t tell anyone, she has a boyfriend remember. Besides she doesn’t know I’m a Tagughi.” Junno reasoned.

The both made their way down the subway entry stairs and sliding their subway passes into the gate slot they entered the subway platform. It was getting crowded with the crush of bodies that were waiting for the train to arrive.

“If you say so, although you have more guts than I realized.” Koki cracked, smirking at his friend.

Junnosuke Tagughi had more then guts, he had determination, smarts, suave and a smile that was full of sunshine. Immensely popular with the females yet he wasn’t a playboy. Junno was a off-spring of the Taguchi family, an extremely wealthy and powerful family that was worth millions if not billions of yen. Although the Ueda family was EXTREMELY wealthy the Taguchi family was at least ten times wealthier.

Then why was Junnosuke taking the subway instead of having a chauffeur or driving himself? Well, one he was a simple kind of guy that was not trapped by the trappings of being a wealthy only child. That was one of the reasons Koki liked Junno. And as much as possible he liked to be a normal guy, sometimes even walking on the wild side. Kind of like the stunt he pulled at the Ueda’s New Year’s party.

“Well, You know I’m that kind of guy” Junno smirked back as the subway train pulled up to the platform.

***

“YU-CHAN” Tatsuya waved to her best friend as she walked up the street towards Seiko High School. Tatsuya, hadn’t walked to school, why should she? She was a princess after all. Her driver had just dropped her off five minutes before Yuichi had turned the corner to walk the last block to her school. Once Yuichi saw her best friend she jogged the last few yards to greet her. Once they were side by side Tatsuya linked arms with Yu-chan.

“Why do you insist on riding the subway? I know Japanese public transportation is, like, the best but you really should let me drive you to school” Tatsuya argued as they walked into the gated campus of the elite-all girl high school.

“Then how would I be able to see off Kenji-chiba?”

“You are such a mama. If I didn’t know any better I would think that Kenjiro was YOUR son and not your brother.”

“Well, that is the nature of our love for one another. You should try it.” Yuichi said as she shoulder bumped Tatsuya’s. “Oh yeah, I forgot you’re a only child spoiled princess.” Yuichi laughed.

“Shut Up! So what? I have you.”

It was true that Tatsuya considered Yuichi her sister, not just her best friend. She loved her as if she was her flesh in blood sister.

Once at school, they and the students  enter an area full of small lockers in which they place their street shoes and don school slippers. These slippers are pink because, of course, they were girls. Because this was the 1^st day if the new semester after the holidays there was a special school-wide assembly first thing that morning.

As Tatsuya and Yuichi changed shoes locking them in their assigned lockers, in walked Megumi Nakajima. Megumi Nakajima was one of the “it” girls of Seiko High and the arch rival of Tatsuya Ueda.

And she was THE ultimate mean girl. And she hated Tatsuya. When Megumi entered with her clique of devoted followers she glared at Tatsuya then just as quickly dismissed her as if she was nothing.

Tatsuya just outright ignored her; there was no need to involve herself in any outrages drama that Megumi wanted to start that morning.

Obviously, there was a moment of tension until both girls exited the area making sure to walk in opposite directions. Yuichi observed this with a roll of her eyes. But she ignored Megumi also. It was Yuichi’s policy to avoid her at all cost, she shuddered at  the remembrance of when Megumi had made a new freshmen cry on her very first day at the school because Megumi thought that the girl was too cute for her own good, which in Megumi’s mind meant that she was trying to take her spotlight away. The poor girl whenever she had to be around Megumi got no rest. Not to mention the unfolding drama between Tatsuya and Megumi that started from day one of their freshmen year.

The student body slowly entered the large assembly hall that was able to hold all of the female student body from the freshmen class to the senior class ready to hear what the chancellor of the school had to say at the start of the new semester.

“Is Megumi still holding a grudge over that guy, her boyfriend?” Yuichi whispered as they made their way to some seats somewhat in the middle of the auditorium.

“Proably, but I don’t care. I can’t help it if he came on to ME. Or that she has bad taste in guys. That’s HER fault, not mine.”

“Just watch your back she has venom at times that is as posioness as a snake’s” Yuichi warned.

“I will, but you got my back too right?’ Tatsuya asked getting comfortable in her seat.

“You know it.” Yuich smiled at her best friend.

At that moment the chancellor of the school walked onto the auditorum stage.

“Good morning students….” An on the speech went for 15 minutes. She talked about the coming expectation for the new semester, especially for the graduating seniors. There was also a mention of some new exciting projects for the senior class to particapate in, such as the end of the year play that the Drama Club would be put on this year. All in all Dr. Reiko Sagawara had them all excited at the prospect of a bright new semester by the end of her speech.

Afterwards the students assemble in their homeroom classes for the day's studies. The school day starts with standard classroom management tasks, such as taking attendance and making any addition announcements that was not made at that morning assembly. These activities usually are conducted by this week’s rotating duty schedule called "toban" was Maki Horikita affectingly called Maki-chan.

Each homeroom has an average of 40-45 students. Unlike schools in the United States where the student change classes ever 90 minutes the students stay in their homeroom classrooms for most of the school day while the teachers move from room to room, operating out of a central teachers' room. Of course for physical education, laboratory classes, or other subjects requiring special facilities do Yuichi and her classmates move to different parts of the school.

Between classes and at lunch time, classrooms can be noisy, lively places. It is ALWAYS loud when you get a large group of people together, ESPECIALLY girls. And unlike some schools in Japan, Seiko High School had a state of the art cafeteria/café, although for Yuichi, Tatsuya and their other friends they usually eat together in their homeroom classrooms.

Tatsuya would say the best period of the day was lunch because at that time all of their friends from all three grades ate in Tatsuya and Yuichi homeroom, Class 3-A.

***

The café was b with people, noisy and active. It was cozy and intimate. One of the reason that Ryo liked to patronize it. That and that it was in a little hide away in Tokyo that only the adventurous soul would find.

Ryo entered in the café, nodding to the hostess but not stopping, as he waved to Aya who sat at a table in the very back. He and Aya were regular customers to this out of the way place.

When he came to the table, he leaned over and kissed her lips before sitting across from her at the table.

“How was the day, so far”? Ryo asked he placed his backpack behind him.

Ryo had just finished his morning classes at Tokyo University.

“Missing you, although I am still ticked off at you. I don’t want to share you Ryo” Aya Ueto said looking at her boyfriend part hurt part love in her eyes.

Ryo, with nothing but love in his eyes, said, “I know Aya. And you won’t. I will find a way to end it with Tatsuya, soon I promise. And I will tell my father about us.”

“I want to believe you, Ryo-chan but what if telling your father, telling the world about us, means that you have to leave behind everything that you know? Financial security, you family, your friends, your life as you know it? Could you handle that? Seriously, think about it.

Ryo was silent for a moment as he seriously evaluated the question.

Ryo Nishikido and Aya Ueto had met in the most unlikely place. At a car show. Ryo who had a affection for fast and technology advanced cars. He had been at the car show to see what the latest models were out with the hopes that he could find something that he liked. He had. And her name was Aya. She was there as a car model and she was the most beautiful woman there. Even though her out was skimpy (because sales) she wasn’t like the other car models. There was something different about her.

At first Ryo was hesitant to speak with her, yet he gathered up his courage and approached her while he was on break. Aya had a easy going personality while Ryo’s has rather...shall we say a snarky one. So their first encounter had been less than stellar. And even though Aya had disliked the most arrogant, conceited and snarky man she had ever met she could not forget him, even days later.

It was by chance that she met him again delivering lunch (that particular day she was working extra at her aunt’s restaurant) to a study group (that Ryo was a part of) in a empty class room at Tokyo University. This time Ryo was able to make a better impression and even succeeded in getting her cell phone number. Ryo waited all but 6 hours before he called her. Like her, Ryo couldn’t get her out of her mind.

And so their relationship had began, so simple yet had become so complicated. The complication came due to their family backgrounds. Ryo came from a relatively wealthy family, a family with ambitions. Aya came from a middle class family, not poor by any means but not a wealthy one. In other words, a powerless family. Ryo’s father wanted power, influence, as well as more money. And besides working hard to achieve those thing another way was to marry into a family that already had more of those things then the Nishikido family.

Which is where Tatsuya Ueda comes in, the freshly “matured” 18 year old heiress to one of the most influential, powerful and insanely wealthy family of Tokyo.  Ryo’s father in a brilliant move had maneuvered himself as a small business partner of Yoshi Ueda some years ago and Ryo had impressed him allowing Nishikido-san to plant the seed that the Nishikido and Ueda families could unite and become more powerful in both the political and business worlds.

Ryo, pressured by his overbearing and tyrant father, is pushed into a relationship with Tatsuya at the most critical time in his and Aya’s relationship. At that time Aya and Ryo had been dating steadily and romantically for three months.

Ryo had no choice but to go along with the demands of his father. Being a better actor then he thought possible he played the part of a slightly snarky yet caring boyfriend perfectly. And in the course of Tatsuya and Ryo’s relationship, Tatsuya had fallen in love with Ryo, while Ryo (who had come to care very deeply for the girl her teasingly called “Hime”) saw her as the best female friend he ever had yet could never love the way she had fallen in love with him.

And that was eating him alive. He loved Aya as the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, making babies, working side by side and growing old together. And he also loves Tatsuya as the friend and sister that he hadn’t realized that he had been wanting and missing all his life. So to lead Tatsuya on was hurting him as it was for Aya to watch the man she loves in her heart kiss and hold hands of someone that she knew he could never love.

There was only one decision that he could make.

“Yes. If I have to abandon everything I know to be with you, I would. I will.”  Ryo said with a quiet determination and conviction.

Aya, looking deeply into his eyes for a moment, smiled.  “I believe you would…I won’t pressure you but I want to set the record straight that I don’t want to be hidden in the dark. I love you Ryo and I want to be with you.”

Holding her hand, caressing it, “ And you won’t  be. You won’t be my hidden love for long. I promise. Remember what I said after I kissed you new years?”

I promise that you and I will be together forever. I will love you forever. I will find a way to be with you

Aya nods her head that she does.

“Trust me.”

“I believe in you, Ryo.”

Ryo smiles relieved and vows to fulfill his promise to HIS Aya Ueto.

***

Preview of Chapter Six

Tat-chan! That ball was OFF THE CHAIN” Tegoshi  aka Ya-chan said. “Thanks for inviting me!”

Tatsuya laughs at the over hyper Yuya. “I heard from a little bird that you and Tomishia Yamaa were making out in one of the bedrooms upstairs.”

Ya-chan’s eyes widen and a deep blush covered her cheeks.

“WHAT?!” Yuichi nearly screamed. How come she hadn’t heard about this!

“And I heard that Yuichi was kissing a guy as well.” Crystal, who had not been able to make the party because she had flown overseas to America to visit her father’s family for Christmas and New Years, so how the hell had she known about that?

Yuichi eyes widened as she realized. “TATSUYA!”

Smirking, “What? What’s a little gossip among friends?” Tatsuya laughed. “Girls, maybe you can get Yuichi to tell us who the guy is. I didn’t know him. Which mean I didn’t invite him and she won’t tell me his name for some reason…”

A/N Iam back!! But was I ever really gone! My stress for the moment is gone and I can write a little more. Right now I am so HAPPY. I pray that I can hold on to this happiness. I will definitely try

@Springjasmine91: Remember Yuichi and Tatsuya are girls! XD