Yuri heaved his breath. He was running almost all break time away from Kyoumi. He was too busy doing that he didn’t notice the out-of-this-world Oburi seating in the lawn behind the cherry tree in their campus.
She was sighing heavily while smiling at the sky and holding a book.
“Obu-chan,” he whispered. Oburi didn’t seem to hear him. “Kenshinki Oburi!” Yuri called loudly to wake-up the dreaming Oburi.
She looked at him. “Oh, Pres…” she recognized him.
He smiled at sat beside her. “What are you doing here?” Yuri asked.
“Reading a book,” Oburi answered.
Yuri laughed at her. His vice-president was really weird. There were times when the members of the student council couldn’t find her and she was caught day dreaming in one of the secluded places in the campus. There were even times that he heard her cutting classes. He wondered if she was deliberately doing it or she was just too busy day dreaming to hear the bell.
“By the way, what are you doing here, President?” Oburi asked.
“I am hiding from Kyoumi, she is just everywhere. I can’t take it anymore.”
Oburi laughed. It was random. Not many students see the very strict Oburi laugh and he was just one of those few people who were given a chance to see that.
Yuri smiled at her. “What is so funny?” he asked.
“I just thought, ever since Kyoumi came, the president’s life became a game of tug and hide-and-seek. Though, Kyoumi is always the ‘it’ and you are always on the run.”
Yuri sighed. “It is my first time to meet someone as persuasive as she is. Before, whenever there is someone who confesses to me and I’ll tell them directly that I don’t like them, they’ll just leave me alone, but this one… she is just a pain.”

Without their knowledge, Kyoumi caught those last phrases. Her eyes were filled with tears and she couldn’t stop them from falling. She was just a pain. Yuri had been enduring her ever since she came to the school. Maybe, he would be better off without her.

Yuri hadn’t seen Kyoumi after the incident in their breaktime. He felt relieved. He was walking in one of the path ways at the back of their school. It was his haven. There weren’t many students who are using the same path ways because it was already old and tattered. There were a few weeds here and there and the trees are large in these areas.
Yuri smiled while skipping. It was one of those times that he could go home early. He had finished all his paper works in the council so he was already free from his duties. He was in his best mood when he saw somebody seated in one of the bench in the pathway.
It was Kyoumi. His eyes widened, he was about to run when Kyoumi got and up and called, “Chinen Yuri!”
Yuri frozed in his tracks. It was the first time that Kyoumi called him in his full name. He looked at her. She looked gloomy. She had her head bowed low and her bag was dangling from her hand.
“Please come to daddy’s party.” She started saying. Yuri was about to resist when she continued, “Just this one time, and then I’ll let you go.” Kyoumi looked up to him. “Please!” she begged.
Yuri could see that she was in tears. There were still marks of dry tears in her eyes and they were reddish. He wanted to touch her yet he maintained his distance.
“Please,” Kyoumi said begging.
Yuri nodded. Kyoumi gave him a dull smile and walked towards where Yuri came from.

Yuki was going through the plan for the inth time in her mind. She already knew it by heart but she couldn’t miss. She was wearing a black over-all. Her back pack was dangling in her shoulders. She sighed heavily, she was ready.
She put on the back pack in her back and tugged at the rope on her waist. She looked at the trees ahead. She focused on one of them and let go of the pin at the end of the rope. It hooked on one large branch of the tree. She tugged on it. When she was sure that it won’t give up, she rappelled herself upwards until she reached the top of the tree. She jumped on the lawns.
She could see several guests were already arriving.
She went directly at the back. She entered the fire exit leading to the highest part of the hotel where a meeting was already undergoing. She looked at the way the building was constructed. The windows were all made of glass. She couldn’t go inside the building since several securities were roaming around.
She tapped the small voice recorder in her pocket.
She crawled up the window holding on to the steel protector. She reached her destination. There was a curtain that shielded her from the view inside. She smiled.
She tried to reach for the laser in her back pack. One wrong move and one wrong footing then she would be a goner. She tried to look below her. She could see nothing since it was dark but she was sure that if ever she loose her footing, she’ll fall head first on the ground. She held her breath and rummaged at the back pack which was dangling in her shoulder.
She felt the thin long rod and took it out. She smiled. She needed to get this over with since her other hand was already feeling numb. She took off the lid with and pushed the small button. She made a circular motion with her hand in the glass.
When she already made a solid crack on the wall she put the lid back, put the pen in one of her pocket and pulled a sticky tube from her back pack, using the sticky side, she pulled out the glass, let it drop it her bag and pulled on the audio recorder. She stuck it at the glass through the opening that she made and traced her way to the fire exit.
When she reached the stairs, she sighed heavily and rested her back on the cold wall. That was probably the hardest infiltration that she had done in her entire career. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a message to the company. It was now their area. They will activate the audio recorder in the office. She, on the other hand needed to get away. She was done for the night.
That was Yuki’s thought when she saw a familiar figure in one of the rooms of the hotel.
She held her breath when Ryosuke took off his black polo and walked on one of the huge dresser in the room. He held a pink long-sleeved polo and tried to match it on the white coat.
She bit her lips when he brushed his hand on his damp hair. Yuki choked on her saliva. Now, who is being erted? She pried her eyes away and made her way downwards. The fire exit was dark except for the few lights that were reflecting from the open light of the hotel rooms.
She didn’t know where she was walking when she came to a broken step. She lost her footing and directly fell downwards. She only stopped falling when she was able to hold on to one of the steel of the fire exit. She looked downwards, she couldn’t see if she was already near the ground. She didn’t know whether to let go or hold on.
She was currently in that situation when a beam of light blinded her eyes. She looked down to see one of the guards shining a torch on her. “Intruder!” he shouted.
More security guards showed up. ! She blew her cover.
Two of the guards went up to the fire exit and pulled her up. They restrained her even though she was struggling.
“Yuki?!” she looked at the voice. Ryosuke had opened his window. He might have heard the commotion. He was still half .
“This girl is an intruder, Ryosuke-sama,” one of the guards explained.
Ryosuke’s face was full of confusion yet he smiled at them. “Never mind. You can let go of her, she is one of guess. If you’ll just her to my room, please.”
The guards were as confused as Ryosuke but they let her go. They opened the exit door and escorted her upwards.
She came face to face with the room where Ryosuke is. One of the guards knocked on the door. The smiling Ryosuke opened it. Yuki gave him a sullen look and let her in.
The room was neat. It was well-furnished. The bed was really inviting.
“So this is the important thing that you are doing?” he asked.
Yuki looked at him and shrugged. She couldn’t let him know that she was spying on his father and business partners.
She sat at the bed. Ryosuke pulled a chair and faced her. “If you just said that you wanted to spy on me, I could have just let you in.”
Yuki twitched in the word spy but then gave Ryosuke an angry stare, “I am not spying on you, and will you please put something on?” she said and looked away.
“Is my ness bothering you?” he asked “Then I won’t wear anything.” He said laughing.
“Do you really like to bother me, don’t you?!” she asked angrily.
“I do, Yuki hime.”
“Stop calling me hime, I am not hime!” she exclaimed.
“Oh, you are. You are my hime and mine only.” He said softly.
Yuki stared at him. What is with this guy? She asked herself totally confused with his words.
“By the way, since you are here, I might just ask you to join the party.” He said. He stood up, put on the pink polo and headed out. “I’ll just get some clothes for you. And don’t dare go out looking like that, they might think that you are a thief or something.” He commanded.
Yuki frowned at him. Ryosuke this and smiled at her. He was about to open the door but then he went back inside. He pulled Yuki to him and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Yuki felt herself blush so she didn’t look up until he was out of the room. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was embarrassed seeing herself like that. She looked like a ghost.

CHAPTER EIGHT
SEA OF CUPID’S NAUGHTINESS

Aoi was admiring Keito. He was really handsome in his black coat and tie. He looked so gentlemanly but then she had been just staring at him for an hour now. They’d even finished their food and yet he still hadn’t talk to her. She was getting bored.
She tapped him on the arm. Keito finally looked at her.
“Aren’t we going to dance?” she asked.
The couples are already out there dancing and she had been very eager to do so, too. Miharu and Yuto were already at the dance floor and enjoying themselves while she was here waiting for him to ask her.
“You go,” he replied.
“What?” she couldn’t believe that he actually said that. “Why did you ask me here in the first place?” she asked.
Keito looked at her. “Miharu asked me to date you,” he said tactly.
They looked at Miharu who was enjoying herself with Yuto.
“And I am actually excited for this night?” Aoi was really disappointed. He was stupid after all.
She ran towards the garden, and sat on the swing. She felt a lump in her heart. Is this really how a broken hear should feel? She thought.
She looked beside her. Inoo Kei was seated on the other swing. She beamed. Nobody was with him.
“Inoo Kei, can I have this dance?” Aoi asked extending her hand.
Kei looked at her and stood up, “Gomenasai,” that was all and he was gone.
Aoi was left thunderstruck in her foot.

Kei was walking on the fifth floor. The party was three floors below. He was not that enthusiastic with formal occasions so he just roamed around. He hasn’t seen Ryosuke for a while. The guy said that he’ll just be changing his clothes but he was gone far too long. He felt out of place there. The guys had their own partner to take care of while he was alone. In fact, he was the only one alone. He didn’t know how that happened.
The other day, they were all single and yet he felt that tomorrow some of them might even have a girl friend. Kei sighed, “why is it only me?” he asked loudly. He should have grabbed his chance on Aoi when she asked him out earlier, but then she already had Keito. He frowned.
He didn’t notice the woman in front of him.
The woman held a dirty cloth on him so that he won’t bump on her.
Inoo looked at her, at the cloth and his coat. “What the…”
The woman stared at him, “You are on the way, you are not on earth,” she said in broken Japanese.
The woman passed his way, and stopped on one of the sculptures. She cleaned the statue using the cloth.
“Hey, are you a maid here? I am a guest, you should pay respect and at least look for a way to clean my suit,” Kei said angrily at the insolence of the woman.
The woman looked his way. She was pretty and her eyes are very innocent. She had a long curly brownish to blonde hair.
She stared at him. I am not a maid here,” she clarified.
“Eunice, why are you here?” It was Yamada’s head butler, Hanazawa-san. “Ah, Inoo-sama, I guessed you already met my daughter, Eunice.” He introduced. Then he looked at Kei’s coat. “What happened to you?”
“Your daughter thought that I am a statue and she tried to wipe me with that cloth,” Kei pointed at the cloth in Eunice’s hands.
“Ah, sumimasen, Inoo-sama. I’ll just get a new coat and I’ll also ask a maid to clean that for you,” Hanazawa-san helped take Kei’s coat and walked away.
“What in the world are you doing?” Kei asked Eunice who returned in cleaning one of the statues.
“I’m bored so I am cleaning.” She answered without looking at him.
“I thought you are not a maid then why are you doing that?”
“The maids here didn’t know how to clean the statues properly, so here I am cleaning them. Antique statues are very sensitive, you know. If you leave a single dust on the unseen places, it can eat the color and these statues are all hand painted so they are very delicate,” she explained.
“How did you know that?” Kei asked.
“I am studying arts in England.”
Kei opened his mouth in shock. He was amazed at his find.
“Do you dance?” he asked.
Eunice looked at him. Her cute round eyes stared at him in scrutiny, “Why?”
“Coz, I am inviting you to the party downstairs,” he said.
Eunice smiled at him, “I am part of our university’s dance troupe.” She said.

Yuri stared at Kyoumi. They’ve been together the whole night but she had been so quiet ever since. She didn’t even try to hug him or hold his hand or steal a kiss from him. Was she being true to her words? What was bothering her?
Yuri should have been thankful but yet he was not used to it. He was used to seeing a very cheerful Kyoumi and not this Kyoumi.
She just took his hand only when he offered a dance to her but she let go after one song.
“Are you alright?” Yuri asked.
Kyoumi smiled at him and nodded then she went back to sipping her drink quietly.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked. She nodded her head to him.
“I’ll just get some fresh air,” she stood up.
“I’ll go with you,” Yuri said also standing up.
“No need.” Kyoumi walked away. Yuri followed her anyways.
Kyoumi stopped at the balcony of the hotel. She had her back on Yuri. Her long curly brownish hair was flowing on the wind. She was very beautiful tonight in her long flowing white gown. Her silky smooth skin competed with the satin of her dress. She looked like a goddess in the night, shining brightly.
Yuri sighed heavily and walked towards her. He put his arms on the railing on each side of her. She was pinned in front of him.
Yuri felt her gasped. He put his face on her bare shoulders. “You shouldn’t wear this kind of dress, it reveals so much skin,” he commented and nuzzled on her neck.
He hugged her to him and let his lips rest near the pulse in her neck. She smelled of morning dew. He inhaled her scent.
“Yuri, let go,” he heard her say quietly but he didn’t. He even held her tightly. “I said let go!” she exclaimed.
Yuri was shocked but he let her go. She walked away from him, but he was sure, he saw tears coming from her eyes.

Miharu and Yuto had fun dancing on the dance floor. It was Miharu’s first time to enjoy such party. They both smiled at each other before going back at their table.
“I’ll just go to the comfort room,” Yuto told her.
Miharu looked around. She couldn’t find Aoi anywhere. “Where is Aoi?” she asked Keito who was the only one left in their table.
“I don’t know,” he answered.
Miharu looked at him in awe. “You don’t know where your date is?” she asked in disbelief.
“I am not the one who wanted to date her in the first place,” he retorted.
“You…!” Miharu wanted to curse the guy. He was just so insensitive. “Then why did you asked her out?”
“You told me to,” he said in a matter-of-factly tone and looked at her.
“If you didn’t want to, then you could just leave her alone,” Miharu said. She was terribly angry now.
Keito stared at her. “You look very beautiful tonight,” he praised her.
Miharu looked back at him. “You are not interested in me, and I am not interested in you, too.” She was really worrying for her friend now. She tapped her fingers in the table and looked around. Where could she be?
She felt Keito tugged a stray hair out of her face and let his hand roam around her cheek. She shoved away his hand. “You can’t really read a situation, can you?” she asked.
“Of course, I can. Don’t worry about her, she was just out in the garden.” He said.
“How did you know?”
“I looked for her a while ago,” he answered.
Miharu looked at him suspiciously.
He laughed heartily. “Just believe me, okay.” He said.
She looked away from him. “By the way, where is that Yuto?” she asked.
“You seem to be very attracted to him,” he commented.
“Who wouldn’t be, he was nice, caring and thoughtful, not to mention super cute.”
“I never thought you could be very appreciative with guys.”
Miharu looked at him. He was sipping a brownish liquid.
“Are you drinking?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said smugly.
“I mean like alcohol or something?”
“You want some?” he asked her.
“Eh!” she shrieked. “Okamoto Keito, why are you drinking that? You are not yet of age.” Miharu tried to take the glass away from Keito.
Keito laughed at her. “I never thought you could actually sound like Aoi. So you’re really a girl, hah?”
“Stop making fun of me, Okamoto! Just let go.”
Keito finally let the glass go. She sniffed the content of the glass and gave him an angry glare. He laughed. “Yes, that is just iced tea,” he said still laughing.
She gritted her teeth to him.
“So tell me, what is your status with Yuto, now?” he asked.
Miharu looked at him and thought. Since, she was not really interested in guys and Yuto is a guy so that would be, “none.” She answered.
Keito nodded. “So you wouldn’t get angry if I do this?” Keito pulled her close to him and kissed her on the lips. Miharu held her breath. She felt her heartbeat quicken, the way only Keito could do to her. She felt how soft his lips on hers were and how sweet his kiss was.
He let her go after a while. “I would love to kiss you more but then I remembered that we are still in a public place,” he told her with a smile.