Yuki woke up as she heard a noise in Ryu's room. She jumped out of bed and changed into her uniform. She quietly followed Ryu out of the house, making sure he wouldn't know she was there until they were out of the house.

"RYU-KUN!" Yuki cried out. Ryu turned around, surprised that she caught him in the morning when everyone should be asleep. "Where are you going?"

"To return the money," he said and turned around to walk again.

"How can you think of going there when--" She paused. "Wait...You're returning her money?" Yuki asked with a small smile.

"Mhm," He grunted his response.

"I'm glad you are, but I'm curious," she said running up behind him. "Why are you doing this?"

"That's none of your business," Ryu repeated coldly and kept walking. Yuki followed Ryu while pouting the whole way. The two waited in front of the stairs of the school entrance for Yankumi. Hours later they saw her walking to the school glummy, yet determined about something. Yuki snapped out of her thoughts and ran after Ryu as he walked towards the teacher. As they approached her, they noticed Yabuki and his crew behind Yankumi too.

"I used some of it," He stated. "But I'm definitely returning this to you. Don't come near me again." Ryu began walking away, grabbed Yuki's hand and dragged her away with him.

"Hey!" She cried trying to get him to let go. She could hear Yankumi yelling "Are they really your friends?Is that really where you belong? I'm sorry but I'm not the type of teacher who does what her students tell her! I didn't become a teacher with half-hearted feelings. I won't give up until you come to school!" As they got to an empty hill side, Yuki stood in awe at the beautiful sunset in front of her. Ryu sat down on the ground and that's when Yuki realized he was still holding onto her hand.

"Ryu-kun!" Ryu turned around already annoyed by the girl in front of him. "Why are you so cold to her? You yourself know you don't belong there and that Yankumi and I are trying to help you!" Yuki crossed her arms and glared at him as he glared back at her.

"You too," he said after a few minutes of silence. "You are one of the stupidest and annoying girls I've ever met. I'm rich! You know that! How could you believe that I owed someone else money?!" He screamed at her. That last line made her feel stupid.

'Stupid Yuki, should've thought of that before...' She thought, blushing at how obvious she was.

"And stop calling me Ryu-kun. We're not close to each other at all." He stood up and walked away, leaving her to ponder on her thoughts.

'I have to follow him!' Yuki gave herself a pep talk and stalked Ryu to his destination, trying to make sure she couldn't be seen. she began to have a bad feeling in her stomach again as she saw him going into Frentzen. She stood by the door to see what was happening.

"What's going on? You're late," one of the men at the table said. "Finish the order of the beers!" However Ryu continued standing at the table nervously. The man looked up again. "Hey...What are you standing around for?" Yuki's curiousity caused her to peer in a little closer. Ryu said something that she couldn't quite make out. But what the man said next told her exactly what he said.

"You want to slip away from us?" Several men stood up around him.

"Ryu, you know what this means right? You don't think we'll just let you go, do you?" Yuki gasped quietly, but apprently its echo was loud enough to catch the attention of the men. "Who's there? You! Go get her!" Yuki turned to run, but two strong hands had a good grip on her and she was pushed over into Ryu, who pushed her behind him to attempt protecting her. "Bring these two, let's go!" Again, Yuki was grabbed by another man. Ryu quickly punched him to get his hands off her, but recieved a punch by the boss for doing so.

"Ryu!" Yuki jumped in front to block the hits, but realized the men weren't attacking because she was in the way.

"Well Ryu, looks like you have a little girlfriend. Let's see how interesting this gets." The boss grabbed Yuki and pulled her to him. "Come with us and she won't get hurt ok?"  As she was dragged out, Yuki felt her heart breaking as she heard the men punch Ryu to make him go outside. They were thrown in the trunk and the men began driving.

"Are you stupid?" He yelled at her in a hushed voice. "You could get us both killed!"

"I'm sorry, but I was just worried ok?" The car ride became silent for a few minutes until Yuki spoke again. "Ryu? I mean, Odagiri-kun?" Her small voice made him look at her, or tried to since the trunk was dark. "What do you think they're going to do to us?" Ryu could hear the fear in her voice and how close she was to crying.

"I don't know, but I'll protect you ok?" Yuki felt his hand squeeze hers to give her reassurance. She gave him a quiet thanks and the two felt the car come to a stop. Ryu squeezed her hand one last time and let go before the people could see them like that. The men dragged them into a warehouse and threw Ryu onto the ground.

"How dare you ask us to let you off." A man threatened and punch Ryu. All the men surrounded Ryu as as man held Yuki, making sure she saw everything.

"Who do you think took care of you? When you were abandoned by your parents and school?" Ryu took a punch to the stomach, causing Yuki to yell his name again. Yuki began crying as she saw how bloody he was getting. She tried harder to break out of the man's grip and finally succeeded.

"Stop it please!" She cried as she threw her body over Ryu's bloody one. "Please, I'll pay you as much money as you want, just don't hurt him anymore." She begged. The man she escaped from walked up and slapped her. Angry, Ryu jumped up and punched the man, only to be knocked down by three others. Yuki began trying to block him again.

"Your boyfriend Ryu just hit my men, do you think we'll let him go that easily?" The boss jeered and threw a punch at Ryu, who was still being blocked by Yuki. As a result, Yuki was punched in the back instead. She let out a shrill cry as she felt the seering pain.

'I'm in so much pain from just one punch, Ryu's received at least one blow from each men, kicks, and was slammed against the table...I can't protect him like this. Someone please help us!' She cried in her mind. Someone pulled her off Ryu and the men began beating him again. His grunts of pain broke her heart as she tried to get away again. She kicked the man holding her where the sun doesn't shine and jumped on Ryu again.

"Please, just stop, I'll do anything just don't hurt him anymore," she begged. The man came up and tilted her chin up at him.

"Our club can use a few more dancers, so you work for us instead of him and we'll let him go." Tears came out of her eyes as she realized it might be the only way.

"Hold it!" All eyes turned to the front of the garage. Yankumi walked through the doors looking confident as ever. Taking this chance, Yuki got away from the man and ran over to Ryu. She hugged his top into her chest trying to get his pain to stop. Even though he was weak, Ryu could tell a fight was about to come out and didn't want such an innocent girl exposed to such things so he raised up his hand and tried to cover her eyes. A few minutes later, Yuki felt Ryu's hand leave her eyes and Yankumi in front of them. She helped them to the side of a road and tried to make Ryu trust in her again.

After the long talk, Yuki walked with Ryu to his home and she led him to his room(Well he led her since she got lost a few times).  As she laid him down in his bed, she went to his bathroom and got water and a cloth. She gently cleaned his wounds, with a few protests from him, but was able to do it peacefully later since he was too tired to fight back anymore. She proceeded to bandaging his wounds

"R-- Uhh Odagiri-kun?"

"What?"

"How come you won't trust Yankumi-sensei?" She asked curiously.

"None of your business. Now get out of my room, I want to sleep." Ryu turned away trying to end their conversation.

"Ryu, listen to me," Yuki pleaded. "We're forced into an arranged marriage and I don't like it either. But can we at least try to get along? I don't want us to be miserable the rest of my life."  However she got no response and assumed he was asleep. Sighing, finishing her job, and left the room. But before she left, she looked back at him. "This would be much easier if we loved each other." Little did she know, Ryu was still awake that whole time and heard everything she said.

"If we fell in love, it'd mean my dad would think he made the perfect decision again, which means he'll try to conrtol me more," Ryu said sadly.  "Besides, you're the most stupid girl I've ever met. And I hate stupid girls." With that he closed his eyes and began resting after such a day.