Alix kicked the stand and got off her Ducati monster bike. She threw the keys and shoved her helmet to the guy that was waiting for her by the building entrance.

"You’re late! Dai-nii is going to have your head in a silver platter!" the guy said in panic.

"Don’t worry, he needs what's inside my head so he won't do anything so brutal. Take care of my baby. Thanks, Ken-Ken!" she yelled smiling as she run through the automatic doors.

"Stop calling me that!" he shouted back to no one.

 

"Running late, Alix-sensei?" Alix was greeted by one of the guards.

"A little, Akiyama-san. So how's your family?"She stopped for a moment.

"I’ll tell you all about them after you see the president, you're here to see the president, right?"

Alix nodded as she continued on her way. "Ja!"

"Hold it!" she sprinted to the closing elevator doors.

"Late, Alix-sensei?"

"Ohayou, Tamaki-san. Not really." Giving Tamaki-san, one of the company managers, a sheepish smile while she pushed the right floor button.

"You know you're going to get an earful from your cousin the president, ne?"

‘Well, if he knew what I had been up to, an earful will not be the only thing I’ll be getting from him.’

"I know. But it was too comfortable in my bed, and staying there is a better choice than seeing my dragon of a cousin makes a slave out of me. And I don’t even know why he wanted me here."

"Did he not tell you why?"

Alix shook her head.

"That’s odd. I think the president has a plan and I think you won’t like it one bit."

"That dragon! What is he up to now?"

She heard snickers coming from the other people in the elevator. Almost all the employees under Tamaki-san knew her or have heard of her. And it was known to everyone that her cousin had put her in the middle of some schemes more than she care to remember, on which she never agreed on, as he stayed on the sidelines to watch everything unfold. And the same employees where the reluctant expectators.

"Well, good luck, sensei! I think you will need that." as he gets off along with rest.

"Ja, Tamaki-san! Give my regards to your wife and new baby!"

"Arigatou! Feel free to visit sometime."

"Good luck, Alix-sensei!" said the employees as they go to their offices.

"Thanks a lot, I think." Alix waved at them.

 

Since she was the only one left on the elevator she put on her headphones, cranked up the volume of her iPod and put on the hood of her black Hurley hoodies to cover almost half of her face. The elevator stopped and 6 guys got in. Alix was so busy listening to her music and thinking what's the crazy idea her cousin is cooking that she did not notice the people around her.

When Screw and their manager entered the elevator they noticed the lone passenger. The guys looked at each other and then back to the person at the back of the elevator.

"Is the company signing up new artists?" Kazuki nudged their manager.

"No, I don’t think so. Because if  they did I will definitely know about it."

"Then who's the kid?" Kazuki asked again. Nobody goes beyond the 3rd floor except the president, the artists and people who personally works with them.

The manager shrugged his shoulders .

 

"Excuse me." Alix made her way out as the elevator stopped on her floor.

Byou snapped in attention when he heard the voice. His brows furrowed looking at the person exiting the elevator.

"That couldn’t be her. This person looks  like a he than a she." he shakes again his head in frustration.

"So guys, what do you think about the lyrics I gave you?"

"It was good." Manabu answered.

"And have you added the music?"

"Yup." Manabu nodded.

"We’ll try to play it today actually." Kazuki informed their manager.

 

Alix got off the elevator and went to her cousin's office and greeted Mizuki.

"Finally you're here. You're cousin has been acting like a caged lion and you know how dangerous he can get when he's in that state."

"What’s new? He’s always like that every time things don’t go his selfish way. And I don’t know why I always get to be the er for his schemes."

"Do I need to answer that?" Mizuki, secretary to the president asked with a playful smile.

"I think I need to re evaluate my life."

The secretary just smiled at Alix's response. Anyone who is close to the Mori family knows how close Alix and Dai is. They would do anything for each other, even cross the continent in a blink of an eye if the other needs help. And they were not even blood related. She remembered the time when Dai got his heart broken, when Alix found out she left her studies in Canada  just to be with her favorite  'cousin'. Alix was the only one who was able to bring Dai out of his misery. The family even went as far as thinking of getting them married to each other but unfortunately they don’t feel that way. It took a lot of persuasion from the ‘cousins’ to get the family to understand.

Alix did not bother to knock, she casually strode inside the president's office.

"You’re late!"

"You dragon! What are you up to now?" Alix shot back accusingly.

"Got a job for you. And I think you will love it." Dai said trying to divert her attention.

"I don’t like your tone. It's one of your devious plans again is it?"

"Nope! When did I put you in trouble?" he asks innocently.

"So many times that if I have it filed, I could fill a room!"

"I promise, it will not get you in trouble this time."

"This time?! Heard that before. And every time you say that, it always gets me in trouble."

"Wait a minute! Why are you so defensive? What did you do?"

"Don’t you dare turn the tables on me!"

"Hah! You are hiding something from me!"

"What is there to hide?" Alix faltered a bit, good thing her cousin did not notice.

Dai looked at his cousin. Alix stared back. It became a battle of wills.

"You did it! Did you?!" Dai exploded.

"What?! What did I do?!"

"Don’t you give me that innocent act. I know you too well to fall for that."

"I don’t know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I’m referring to. And don’t try to lie to me, I know you will be lying, Alix! You promised me! But you just have to go through with it, don’t you?! Are you crazy? Why do I even need to ask that! Oh God!" putting his palms on his face and started pacing again.

"It was way better than I expected, if that's any consolation" Alix whispered biting her lower lip. Alix knows she's really going to get it now.

"That’s why you have been avoiding me for the last three weeks. Isn’t it?" Dai asked even though he knows the answer as he stopped his pacing.

"And what do mean by  'better than you expected'? No! Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know." He sat on one of the couches in his office. Alix sat beside him waited for him to look at her. And when he finally did, she gave him a weak smile. Dai hugged her.

"Did you use protection?" he asked.

Alix shook her head.

"Damn it, Alix!" hugging her tighter.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

She nodded again.

"Don’t worry, I did not catch anything. And I’m not pregnant, I think."

"Alix!"

"I’m joking! I made sure that I will be safe."

"I could never understand how your mind works, really. Once something is concocted in that head of yours, one way or the other it will happen. How do you do that?"

"Beats me? I even surprise myself sometimes."

"Does he know who you are?"

"I don’t think so. I made sure that he won’t recognize me. I think he doesn’t even know who I was. So I’m safe."

"Good to hear it."

"Now that you know what I did. What did you do?" letting go of his cousin as Dai did the same.

"Remember the notebook of your poems you wrote when you were in college?"

"What about it?" getting a bad feeling about what her cousin is about to say next.

"Aika was going through some old boxes of my things and she found your notebook..."

"Don’t tell me she read it?"

"She did. And when she gave me the notebook she gave me an idea on what to do with it." Dai gave Alix the mentioned notebook.

"And...?" flipping through her old notebook

"I gave one of your poems to one of the bands and ask them to put music on it, as some sort of experiment."

"Which band?"

'Not them please....please not them!''

"You’re favorite, Screw!"

"Oh crap!" Alix yelped.

"I thought you would be happy? What's with the reaction?"

As Dai said those words, something dawned on him.

"Alix! It was with one of the guys of Screw isn’t it?! You promised!"

Alix winced at her cousin's voice. Dai took a deep breath as he asked the inevitable, bracing himself for her answer.

"Yup?" biting her lower lip again.

"Which one?" glaring at her.

"Byou!" Alix closed her eyes and waited for what was coming next. When she realized that she’s not going to get clobbered by Dai she opened her eyes. Dai was looking at her.

"I assure you he does not know who I was. I did not give him my name even. Sorry, Dai-chan. I don’t think he even remembers me. He must have girls falling at his feet at every venue. So I’m sure he forgot about me the next day."

"Oh, Alix! I don’t even know how your mom and dad manage to keep their sanity when you were growing up."

Dai stood up and ruffled her hood covered head.

"They stopped trying to understand how my mind works because if they did they would have been in the loony bin a long time ago. And they still have my sisters to look after."

"But they are proud to have you as a daughter, crazy as you are. One more thing, we will be meeting with Screw, that's why I made you come here."

"Do I need to be in the meeting?"

"Yeah, I told them I’ll introduce to them the writer today. Why? Are you scared Byou might recognize you?"

"Not really. But I want to stay far away from him as much as possible."

"Well cuz, you should have thought of that before getting it on with one of my artists."

"Dai-nii, please?"

"Don’t go Dai-nii on me. This is additional work for you. I heard from gramps that you have been doing some crazy stunts lately. They are worried."

"I’m doing the same things I do all the time."

"Like what?You went bungee jumping twice in a week. And went car racing almost every day. These stuff, I know you do regularly especially on your down time but this time its way beyond regular. And you have been riding your bike everywhere. You don’t ride your Ducati on a regular basis. Slow down. Everyone is getting worried. You don’t want Rei-nii to get wind of your activities."

"It’s just that I feel restless. How do they even know I was doing all those? Do they have people following me around? Do they know what I did? Does my half brother know?" Alix panicked.

 

"No, they don’t have people following you around. It’s just that everyone knows the 'rebel princess' and they feel they need to tell gramps if something is not right with you. No, nobody knows  about what you did three weeks ago except for me. And no, Rei-nii does not know anything. Not yet, anyway. That's why gramps asked me to talk to you before they talk to your brother. It’s going to be ugly if he finds out. They told me if I can make you slow down, there's no need to talk to Rei-nii about it. And you have been avoiding everyone that's the other reason they were worried."

"Ok, I’ll lessen the car racing, and  no bungee jumping."

"Don’t forget your bike riding."

"Ok lessen the bike riding,."

"No skating too."

"Hai."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

"I think the reason why you're restless is you're in love." Dai teased.

"In love? What the heck? With whom?"

"Don’t ask me. I'm not you, so how would I know."

" You know what? you are such an . I don’t know what Aika-nee chan sees in you."

Dai gave her his most charming smile and Alix stuck her tongue at him.

"Me in love? With whom?"