“The party’s over, kids.” They heard the Discipline director said. “Go back to whatever you are supposed to doing now.”
The students went back to their snacks but Yuki’s group could still feel the thick air surrounding them. It was a mix of emotion. Some students were curious about what happened, some are jealous, some had fun watching the live action drama while the rest couldn’t make up their mind on how to treat the event.
Yuri sat next to Yuki. Kyoumi had her arms around Yuri while Yuri was trying to push her away. Aoi was a bit embarrassed and gloomy while Miharu was smiling at whatever she thought was funny.
“Will you get off me?” Yuri asked Kyoumi. He was well aware of the funny stares of his school mates.
Oburi came and pried Kyoumi away from Yuri.
“What?!” Kyoumi asked angrily at the girl.
Oburi frowned at her. “The president is needed in the Student Council room,” she said in annoyance.
Yuri sighed happily. “I have to go,” that was all and he was gone.
“I hate your brother,” Yuki told Kyoumi.
“He was usually nice but he was just overprotective,” Kyoumi tried to argue for his brother.
“Nice?!” Yuki exclaimed. “He is an annoyingly, boastful, selfish, erted brat. What’s nice about that?”
Aoi, Miharu and Kyoumi looked at her. “erted?” Kyoumi laughed at her. “Did he try to ually abuse you?”
In Yuki’s mind, a flash back appeared. It was just after Ryosuke’s performance in the finals of Hikari Singing Contest. He whispered, “I can even give you a private performance if you just ask nicely.” Yuki shook her head to push away the memory. She felt her cheek burn.
The other three gave her a knowing smile.
“What?!” she asked a little too loudly. Kyoumi stared at her and held her face. “Did he ask you out?” she asked.
“NO!” Yuki exclaimed. “I hate him!” she said.
“Yuki, I really like Ryosuke but if you like him, that would be fine with me since we’re best friends. Besides, I found Inoo and Keito kind of cute.”
Miharu stared at Aoi.
Aoi looked back at her, “what?”
Miharu just looked away seemingly disgusted.
“Do you want to play with him?” Kyoumi asked Yuki. Yuki’s eyebrow went up and smiled menacingly. “Here is the plan…” Kyoumi whispered so that only the group could hear.
“Are you planning to do that to my brother?!” Yuki asked worriedly after Kyoumi finished explaining the plan to them.
“Of course not, how would I have a nerve to do that to your super duper cute brother?”
“You mean, you only like my brother because he was super duper cute?” Yuki asked.
“Ah… well… sort of.”
“Eh, Yuki looked like him, don’t you have a crush on her?” Aoi asked naively.
Kyoumi looked at Yuki, held her face and move towards her. Yuki was surprised yet she moved backwards away from Kyoumi’s face. Kyoumi stared at her eyes for a while then blinked.
“Nah, I don’t really like cute girls,” Kyoumi said letting go of Yuki’s face.
Yuki breathed deeply. She thought Kyoumi would really kiss her.
Kyoumi laughed at Yuki. “I could have considered kissing Yuki because she looks like her brother but I thought the feeling wouldn’t be the same.”
Aoi shrieked while Miharu’s mouth flew open.
“So it was true? You really stole a kiss from Yuri?” Miharu asked happily.
“Miharu, for somebody who doesn’t like romance, you are the only one who is that excited with kissing scenes,” Yuki commented sharply.
Miharu smiled, “Who said I don’t like romance? I am becoming engrossed with it now. I might even think of writing some.”

Yuki, Miharu and Aoi was seated on one of the table in a sushi restaurant. Kyoumi had gone home early because she knew her brother would come looking for her if she was gone too long.
A girl wearing tight jeans and green blouse approached them. She was very pretty with her long brownish hair that ended up to her shoulders. “Girls, girls, girls, what do we have here now?” she asked as she seated herself beside Miharu and opposite Yuki.
“We need your help, Naru-chan,” Yuki said.
“As expected or else you will not call me in the university and ask me to come here.” The girl put her bag on the table and took the menu. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
“I’m broke,” Aoi said.
“Then wash the dishes,” Naru said still flipping with the menu. “Ah, I like this one.” Naru showed them a really expensive dish. The three looked at each other.
“You will pay for my meal, right, since you dragged me here.”
The girls smiled at her. “That is too expensive.” Yuki complained.
“You can always work here. I heard they allow those who couldn’t pay the bills to work part-time. You just have to wash the dishes, throw the garbage and so on and so forth. That would be easy for you.” Naru said calmly.
Aoi looked at her well-polished nails and sobbed.
They heard Naru laughed loudly. “Ok, fine, I’ll pay the bills.” She said smiling at them. She sighed. “Who in the world in their right mind would allow to be dragged away from her university works and pay the meals of kids who were asking for her help.”
“Only you, Naru-chan. That is why we really love you.” Aoi said cheerfully.
Naru laughed at Aoi’s antics. She called the waiter and ordered.
“So what is it this time, school work? I doubt.” She looked at Yuki.
Yuki smiled at her, “This is very interesting.”
Naru’s eyebrows tilted. “Drug-deal, ion den, vampire pen?”
“Much better than that…” Yuki told her the new assignment.

It was Saturday morning, Aoi and Miharu was still sleeping at the cot made for them by Yuki’s mom. They had a sleepover party last night. They wanted to invite Kyoumi but she said she was busy. She attended a party that night.
Yuki’s cell phone rang. When she looked at the message, she was shocked to see the ID. It was a very long time since the company called her.
According to the message, they wanted to meet her first thing in the morning. She took a bath and hurried to her friends.
She woke up Miharu. “I’ll be gone for awhile. When you get hungry, the breakfast is already in the table.” She said.
“Where are you going?” asked the half-awake Miharu.
“I’ll just take care of something,” she replied.
“Uhn,” she heard Miharu say then the girl went back to sleep.

Yuki checked on Yuri. He was still sleeping. Her mom was gone to the department store while her dad had gone to the office because they had an emergency meeting.
She sneaked out of the house. She took the train to Nagoya. How many months had Yuki been gone to this office? Long enough to close the wounds in her heart but then, seeing the same building made her remember all the things that had happen in the past.
She took a deep breath and went inside. The guard acknowledged her. The receptionist let her in. Her life these past few months had been uneventful yet she still carried a burden of guilt and self-hatred.
She reached her destination. It was an office surrounded by glass. A lone figure was inside. He must be waiting for her.
She went in. There was no need to knock since there is no wood to knock into. The man had his back on hers. He was staring at the pavement below the building.
“You called me, sir?” she asked.
“Yes, Chinen. I have an assignment for you.” The man said without looking at her.
“What is it, sir?”
The man looked at her and walked towards his table. He sat down and put his chin in his hand. He always reminded her of Yuya. She once told Yuya that he would be like him when he reached his 50s and Yuya would just laugh at her.
“Does Yumi know that you are here?” he asked.
Yuki shook her head.
“She might get angry if she learned that I called you for an assignment.”
“She won’t know.”
“I’m not sure, Yuki. This one is huge.”
She smiled bitterly. A spark of adrenaline went to her head, “I’ll still take it.”
“Will you, even if it has something to do with drug dealings?”
Yuki was taken aback. She was not prepared for that.
“See, Yuki, that is why I had to think twice before giving you this assignment.” The man said.
“How big is it?” she asked.
“We might have a hint of who was behind the dealings of your friend before.”
Yuki stared at him in shock. “You do?”
The man nodded. “All the evidences pointed to one source, Yamada Houtarou.”
Yuki felt her hearth stop. “You mean the owner of Yamada Hostelier Corporation?” she asked.
“Yes. He had three children, one is of your age, a girl named Kyoumi, one is older than you, a blooming popstar, Ryosuke and one is in the university, Jhenie.”
Yuki felt her head spin. Was this déjà vu? She asked herself.
“Now, Yuki, are you going to take this assignment?” the man asked.
“Hai, Oji-sama.” She said.
The man smiled at her. “We are just behind you.” He said and gave her a quick hug. He gave her the envelope containing the information and the infiltration plan.
Yuki went out of the office. She hugged the envelope tightly in her chest. “I will make sure that what happened last time will not happen again. I will regain his trust and save the others,” she promised herself.