"What are you doing here?" I finally managed to squeak, voice cracking.

Akira merely raised an eyebrow. "Getting breakfast."

I winced. Right. Stupid question.

Fumi and Ayumi were looking at Akira with interest. "Who are you?"

He paused before answering. "I'm a friend of Yui's."

Well, at least he didn't say that he was my lover or something.

Ayumi cocked her head to the side. "Really. We're… friends of Yui's, too."

No, no they are most certainly not! And by the tone of her voice, she's suggesting that we're more than friends. Evil little…

Akira's face darkened.

This is not good!

Without thinking, I hopped out of the diner's booth, vaulting myself over the back of it, and grabbed Akira's hand, hauling him away and calling back over my shoulder at the twins, "I'll be back in a minute, Ayumi, Fumi, Yuuki, Shouta. I just need to talk to Akira for a second."

And… I am so going to regret this. The twins are not going to be happy, but this matters! I don't want Akira to think that I'm dating them or anything like that because… Oh, shoot. I really do like him, don't I?

I dragged Akira around the corner of the room and out of view, mostly because it would totally figure if the twins could read lips. Then, I blurted out. "They're not friends!"

He blinked. "Okay, Yui, I didn't th-"

"No, I mean, they're really, really not friends. They might even be anti-friends. And I don't like them like that at all."

"Yui, I didn't think you did. I could see from your expression that you were trying not to freak out. You didn't look like your were enjoying yourself at all."

"Wha…" I paused. Huh? I tried to gather my thoughts. But he looked like he wanted to go all delinquent on them, not that he would, since I'm pretty sure he's too much of a gentleman to do that. And… I'm slightly confused.

I latched onto the least confusing part of what he had said. "I really looked like I was freaking out?" I so need to take acting classes or something.

He shrugged. "I could tell, and it was obvious that they were the ones causing your discomfort. Plus, Yuuki looked as though he wanted to eviscerate them and your other friend, Shouta? keeps looking at those twins like they were going to sentence someone to death at any moment. That's why I might not have looked… happy. But, it does beg the question why you were so eager to make sure I knew that you didn't like those two."

He moved closer, a very wolfish smile growing on his lips. I took a step back, only to run into the wall.

"Ummm…"

Because I've just realized that I really, really like you and I didn't want you to get the wrong idea of me being fed by cute, yet highly evil, twins. Yeah, like I'm going to say that. First, I should not encourage him, because I shouldn't like him in the first place and he doesn't need any encouragement, and secondly… He's going to want to know why I think the twins are evil which opens up the fact that I'm being blackmailed because I'm really a girl, another fact that he doesn't know and I don't want him to.

"Er…" My brain, my extremely damaged brain, was having absolutely no luck coming up with anything to say that were actual words.

Akira placed his hands on my waist, boxing me in against the wall, moving so that our bodies were only inches apart. "Because, Yui, it seems like that's something you'd do if you liked me and didn't want me to get the wrong idea."

Bingo.

In a really pathetic effort to distract him, I tugged on the ribbon, my ribbon, on his wrist and asked, "Why do you wear this?"

"Because I like you," he said simply.

"Ah…" I said unintelligibly. I think the universe is against be changing the topic of this conversation.

"And," he said, too smug grin showing sharp canines, "I think that you like me, too."

Any protesting the I might have done was promptly cut off by his lips. They moved softly but insistently against my own, and, for a moment, I considered pushing him away, but all of the reasons why seemed to have disappeared. I let out a soft sound that wasn't quite a sigh, and let him pull me closer.

My mind was rapidly turning into a very happy pile of mush.

I really do like Akira. He really likes me, too. And he's a good kisser and maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to date him except… He doesn't know that I'm a girl. I pulled back from the kiss abruptly. What the heck am I doing? I can't date him! He thinks I'm a guy, not that I'm sure he'd really care, and that would be lying to him. I'm lying to him now. And I can't let another person know that I'm a girl. I'm amazed that I haven't been kicked out of Seikou at this point. And what I'm doing is just wrong. Even by letting him kiss me, I'm messing with him and his feelings. This is just so messed up…

Panting slightly from the kiss, I avoided his eyes.

"Yui?" he asked questioningly, voice faintly worried.

I shook my head. "Don't kiss me again. We're not dating, and we just shouldn't be kissing anyways." I felt his surprise more than I saw it, since I was now looking firmly at his chest instead of his face. His very nicely muscular chest. No! Bad thoughts! I'm so blaming this on the hormones and karmic energy that get me into these sorts of situations.

"We could date," he said, somehow moving even closer to me, which I wasn't sure how from our closeness already.

"No. I'm focusing on soccer and I'm not going to be dating anyone for the foreseeable future." The excuse sounded slightly lame to my own ears.

"You can't focus on soccer and date?" Akira's voice sounded almost amused now.

"Nope."

"Yui, look at me."

Grudgingly, I tilted my head up until our eyes met.

"What's wrong?" he asked, flecked eyes searching.

Let's see, probably that cross-dressing as a guy and having the regrettable ability to attract general freakiness, oddness, weirdness, zaniness, and just plain abnormal things makes life a little stressful.

"Nothing," I lied, cringing slightly.

"Liar," he said without rancor, "something's bothering you. Does it have to do with those two girls?"

Well, that's a part of it…

"Are they blackmailing you?" he asked abruptly. If he hadn't of been holding me, he probably wouldn't have felt me jump ever so faintly, but, as he was, he did. "So they are."

Dammit. How did he even guess that in the first place? Do I have a stamp on my forehead that says "Blackmail me!" or something?

Akira's eyes darkened. "What do they have on you?"

I withheld a groan. I can't tell him that! That's the whole point of this! They can blackmail me with this because I can't let anyone know! Even people that I want to know but that I know I shouldn't let know because everything will come falling down.

"Yui, if you tell me, maybe I can help," he said quietly, seriously.

"I can't tell you," I mumbled.

"Yui… It's that bad?" He seemed almost surprised that I could have anything secret about me that someone could blackmail me with.

"It's not that bad… sort of, it's just something that I can't let them tell anyone. I swear I haven't killed anyone or anything like that," I said, trying to explain without really explaining.

I just need to shut up before I tell him that I'm a girl.

"And you're sure that you can't tell me?" he asked in the same quiet voice.

"I'm sure… Sorry."

His eyes searched my face, probably for answers, and then he shook his head. "Fine, but even if you can't tell me what they have on you, I might be able to help."

I jerked my head up from where it had been halfway resting on his chest to stare at him. He's offering to do some delinquent stuff to threaten them, isn't he?

"Don't you do anything! Not one thing, Akira. They might look like sweet, innocent girls who would be scared off easily, but they're evil! They're like evil genii who enjoy stealing people's souls. I think the two of them together are a match for Yuuki. Yuuki? Do you hear me? And he's the smartest, most twisted person I know! Do you know what that means? If I step too far out of line and annoy them, then I'm doomed! Doomed, I tell you…" I groaned and let my head fall back against the wall. "I probably annoyed them by leaving them there to pour their own syrup on their pancakes, since cutting up their pancakes probably wasn't enough servitude for the meal."

"And why did you leave them at the table? Because you wanted to tell me that you weren't on a date with them," Akira said, voice far too pleased for my liking, although I could tell part of his mind was still on the twins and them blackmailing me but was respecting my wishes to butt out of the situation.

I didn't answer him, but instead said tiredly, "Akira, let me go. I have to go back and prostrate myself before them and beg their forgiveness. Shouta says that they'll get bored with me in a little bit and leave me alone."

"Shouta? How does he know?"

"They're his cousins."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

I know. I'm still surprised by that fact. It's like thinking about how your cute, cuddly, fluffy hamster is related to a rabid vampire bat.

"Now let go," I repeated.

He loosened his arms around me but didn't let me go entirely. "I'll let you go under one condition. You go on a date with me."

I froze in the half-hearted act of pushing him off. What? Did he not hear a word of what I said about kissing and dating and soccer earlier? And what is it with him and using leverage to get me to go on dates with him? First that thing with Shiro and now this.

"I'm not going to let go until you say yes," he commented after a moment, eyes glinting with something like laughter.

"That's not fair!"

"You do realize who you're dealing with, right?"

"Darned delinquent…" I eyed him.

I wouldn't put it past him to simply throw me over his shoulder, either. He's insufferable! Why do I like him again? Probably something to do with the fact that he's actually quite sweet and really likes me and… I am not going to think about those things.

"I am not going on a date with you," I said firmly.

He stared at me for a second, and then asked, "Do you like me?"

"Nooo…" I said, in a voice so unconvincing that he actually grinned. "Okay, now that we know you do, as if the kisses weren't proof enough-"

"You kissed me first!" I protested.

"And you kissed me back."

And there goes that line of argument.

"So, why won't you go on a date with me again?" he prompted.

"Because."

"Is it because of the kidnapping fiasco?" he asked suddenly, hands tightening on my waist.

"What? No!"

I had actually almost forgotten that little episode. Huh. I must be resilient.

"Then why?"

Maybe it would have been better if I had said that it was because of the kidnapping… And there's a lost opportunity.

"Akira… Please stop asking. Maybe I do like you and maybe I could like to go on a date with you, but I'm not going to. I can't, okay? I can't even really tell you why, but I can't."

The tone of my voice must have gotten through to him because he sighed. "Fine. I won't ask to go on a date with you anymore."

I blinked. "Really?"

"Yes. Instead, we can just hang out. Two guys spending quality time together, like over dinner or a movie." Even though his face was serious, I could see his eyes were dancing with mirth.

"But-but… That's just a date without calling it a date!" I protested, feeling a third of my brain melting while I tried to figure out what was happening. And I'm not a guy, I wanted to cry out.

He merely grinned widely while I sputtered hopelessly. Then, right before my brain headed for nuclear meltdown, he stepped back. He reached out and brushed my cheek with his fingers in a surprisingly tender gesture. "I'll see you later, Yui. And if you need any help with those two girls, let me know. I'll do anything I can to help you." Finally, he swooped down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips and strode out of the restaurant, leaving me standing there, stunned.

"I said no kissing," was the only thing I managed to mutter before sliding down the wall and placing my head in my hands.

Did that just happen? Yes… And what exactly just happened? I'm really, really not sure at all. My poor brain… I think it might have exploded. Nope. There's no brain matter on the walls. Make that imploded.

I whimpered.

It's like a natural talent of mine to make things even more complicated than they already are. That's it. I'm swearing off guys. That should simplify things at least a little, right?

A large shadow fell over me and I looked up. It wasn't one person's shadow, it was two. Ayumi and Fumi stood over me, standing close enough to be touching, and not looking pleased at all.

Oh, snap.

I tried to smile and failed miserably. "Ayumi… Fumi… Hi."

"Yui, we got worried about you since you didn't come back," they said in a sweet voice that was totally at odds with the steely look in their eyes.

"Yes, about that… I was just talking with a friend about something. I'm sorry that I worried you and took so long," I said, feeling my self worth shrink with every word.

Fumi nodded. "You mean that delinquent looking guy?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, it obviously wasn't a very good conversation, because you look sad, and I don't think you should talk to him anymore," Ayumi added after glancing at her twin.

Did… Did they just forbid me from talking to Akira? Yes, yes they did. And they're waiting for me to answer.

I swallowed and forced the words out. "Of course. You're probably right about that." That sentence, of course, caused them to smile since it showed how far I was under their thumbs.

"Glad you see it that way. Now, come back to the table," Ayumi ordered imperiously.

I slowly stood up. Yes, master.

"It would be mistress, actually."

I froze. Oh, no. I said that aloud. I risked a glance at their faces. Surprisingly, they didn't look annoyed. In fact, they looked pleased.

Fumi turned to me. "You can call us 'Mistress' from now on."

You've got to be kidding me… They weren't. I don't think I'm going to have any self-respect after this. "Okay…" Ayumi and Fumi merely gave me a look. "I mean… Yes, Mistress."

They beamed. I considered homicide. We went back to the table where Yuuki was looking just a touch frustrated and Shouta was still eating, apparently having ordered more food.

Yep. Definitely a stress eater.

Fumi slid back into the booth, with me following, and then Ayumi, making it so that I couldn't escape.

Yuuki gave me a very knowing look. "So, you and Akira have a nice chat?"

Before I could answer, Fumi answered for me. "No, they didn't. Yui won't be talking to Akira anymore."

Yuuki's expression only flickered for a fraction of a second, and then he said noncommittally, "Oh. I see." His voice was mild, but in that brief moment I'd seen disbelief at how far Ayumi and Fumi were going and then the sort of anger that made me think Yuuki could possibly make them burst into flame with his eyes.

After that, breakfast went on with Ayumi and Fumi feeding me, me feeling like I was extremely close to having a nervous breakdown, Shouta eating, and Yuuki most likely plotting.

After I'd paid for the meal, Yuuki gave us all an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry, Yui, but I just remembered that I have some really important research to do. I'm sure that you'll be fine with Ayumi and Fumi, though, right?"

Ayumi and Fumi's faces showed surprise and confusion.

I felt what little spirits I had left plummet. Noo! He's leaving me alone with them? Yuuki's… giving up? No. He wouldn't give up. I know he wouldn't.

Then, Yuuki jumped up and hugged me, bringing his mouth close to my ear and whispering, "Don't worry. I'm just going to go do some research. Keep it up while I'm gone." He pecked me on the cheek, and then said in a poisonously sweet voice to the twins, "Bye-bye. I'm sure we'll meet again later."

"I'm sure we will. It was a pleasure meeting you," the twins said in reply, identical polite smiles on their faces, although they still seemed confused.

I watched Yuuki skip away. Okay, I just need not to panic. Yuuki isn't abandoning me, he's just going to do some research. Probably to dig up some dirt on the twins.

And I still couldn't help but freak out slightly. The only barrier between me and the twins had been Yuuki. Shouta didn't count in this instance because he was even more petrified of the twins than I was.

Right, so all I need to do is hang in here until Yuuki can find something on them and come and rescue me. If it was only that easy. I glanced at the twins who had their heads bowed together in murmured conversation again. I think I'm going to crack if this keeps going on how it has been. Plus, I'm pretty sure Ayumi and Fumi are annoyed at me. I need to do something.

Suddenly, an either brilliant or amazingly stupid idea came to me.

I wonder… What if I stopped acting so cowed and freaked out and instead put on an act? Besides helping me deal with this whole situation, Ayumi and Fumi might like it, or it might throw them off of their game. Ayumi seems to like it when I call her "mistress", which, besides being really disturbing, gives me an idea. I could act like one of those "princely" types that you watch in all of those animes. I could behave like one of the high-class hosts; I've watched and read enough manga and anime to know what they should act like. Thank you Mamori for having a huge manga collection and being a closet otaku. Well, if anything, I highly doubt that the twins will be annoyed at me acting like that. And it still might work even though they know I'm a girl. It can't hurt, right?

Famous last words, a little part of my brain muttered.

I ignored it.

I just need to think about what Shiro would do if he was acting this part. Well, now's as good a time to start as any.

I curved my lips into what was, hopefully, a charming smile, and offered my arms to the twins. "Shall we? I'd like to introduce you to my friends, and I'm sure you two want to get good seats for the soccer match."

Shouta's jaw dropped at my sudden change in attitude, and the twins merely stared at me for a moment before taking the offered arms.

"That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it, Ayumi?"

"It certainly does, Fumi."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shouta staring at me as if he was wondering whether I'd finally cracked somehow or been replaced with a doppelganger.

As we walked back to the school, Shouta trailing behind us, Ayumi said, "I hope that you aren't too disappointed that you won't be spending your day with your friend, Yuuki."

I flashed a smile at her. "I'm not too disappointed at all. After all, I am in the company of two very lovely girls."

Are they… preening? This is so weird. They know that I'm really a girl pretending to be a guy and flattering them most likely under duress, but they don't care? I guess it's true that everyone likes flattery. I mean, they have to wonder what the heck is going on, don't they? Or do they know that I'm so far under their thumbs that they think I'm cracking slightly and don't really care? I don't know anymore… If I ever knew in the first place, which I didn't. Okay, I just really need to stop thinking.

We walked past the gate to Seikou, farther down the street, and turned into the ornate gate that signaled the entrance to Seisui Academy. There was a bustle of people moving in and out, and not just the usual female students. People were getting ready for the soccer match, Seisui's first soccer match. It looked like all of the girls from the school and their boyfriends from Seikou and their parents had turned out to help set everything up.

I wouldn't be surprised if it got television coverage like Coach Mori managed to do for ours, either.

I led the way to the soccer field and stared. They'd turned in into more of a festival than a soccer match, with game and food booths set up, not to mention a stall that sold soccer paraphernalia and pictures of the soccer players, which had probably been taken by Yuuki at some point. Bleachers had been set up on the side of the field and they were already half filled with enthusiastic students.

"Yui!"

I whipped my head around at my name and saw Leah running towards me.

"Leah, hey."

She smiled at me shyly and with quiet jubilation. "You made it! I'm so glad. Nanami and Noriko and Shizu and Miyo will be glad, too. After all, this wouldn't have happened if not for you. Oh… are these your friends?" she asked, finally noticing Ayumi and Fumi.

Friends? Try blackmailers.

I nodded. "Yes, they are. Leah, this is Ayumi and Fumi. Girls, this is Leah, a friend of mine."

They favored Leah with sweet smiles. "It's so nice to meet you. Good luck in the upcoming game."

Aaand… They just completely won Leah over.

The redhead was blushing and grinning. "Thanks. Why don't you guys take a seat over there? I'm going to go tell the rest of the girls that you're here, and there's someone else that we want you to meet."

I took a seat on the benches while Leah darted off. Shouta had disappeared at some point.

I sighed. He's probably off eating again.

"So… You created a soccer team at Seisui, yet you still attend Seikou," Fumi commented in a quiet voice.

"How very curious," Ayumi agreed. "Care to explain?"

She says that like I've got a choice whether to explain or not. But, then again, I'm not entirely sure what to say. I mean, Seisui has a great soccer coach and it's a girls' school. Why haven't I switched yet? I wouldn't have to disguise myself as a guy anymore. My life would get at least a little more normal, but…

"Is it because you have become fond of cross-dressing?"

I almost face-planted. Umm… Not quite.

Ayumi continued, "Because it wouldn't make sense to stay on at Seikou. Or are you just worried about how people will react? Maybe we would be helping you if we just told the school the truth about you and-"

"No!" I burst out. "No. Please don't. I just… I like it at Seikou and there are people there I care about and I don't want to switch schools."

And who knows what the aftermath of me turning out to be a girl would be?

Fumi and Ayumi exchanged knowing glances. "Are you sure that you don't have some sort of gender confusion?"

Really? "Not that I know of…"

Thankfully, that conversation was cut off abruptly as Ayumi's phone rang. She held it to her ear, listening for a moment, and then her grey eyes narrowed, turning cold. "I'll be back in a moment," she said in a clipped voice, standing up and walking away.

Fumi watched twin walk away, a tiny frown on her face, and halfway stood up before sitting back down.

Weird. I don't think that I've ever seen them apart before. I wonder… What's the first rule when you have two enemies? Split them up and cause discord. Otherwise known as divide and conquer. I don't really know how to do that, but I can try and work on making Fumi either like me or feel sorry for me while Ayumi's gone.

I stood up, reaching over to the tree that shaded us from the sun, and plucked a flower off of the trailing vine that was covering its trunk. The flower was pale purple with delicate petals and a starburst yellow center. Then, I bent down and tucked the flower behind Fumi's ear, saying in the most seductive voice I could muster, keeping my voice low and sensual, "A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl."

She stared at me for a minute.

Oops. Too much?

And then, she blushed, a pale pink flush covering her cheeks, and muttered something about "sexual identity crises." But she was still blushing.

Is this really working? Maybe I should start working as a high-class host. I bet I'd be really popular. It probably pays well, too, and… what the heck am I thinking? I'm a girl! Man, this all is really messing with my head.

I settled down next to her, closer than before, and said in a pleasant, conversational voice, "How long to you plan to stay in Japan?"

"Why?"

I knew what she was thinking. That I was wondering how much longer I'd be under their thumbs. Time to throw her a curveball. "I was just wondering how much time I'd have to look forward to spending with you. I have to say that I like my present company… very, very much," I said, smiling at her.

Her blush intensified.

I felt like cackling. Are you serious? Me acting like this is actually messing with her mind. It's… sort of fun, or it would be if I wasn't worried that they were going to tell everyone that I'm a girl. I kind of see why Yuuki likes to mess with people…

Before Fumi managed to say anything, Ayumi came back, and she didn't look anything close to the definition of happy. Or pleased. Or even content. She bent down and whispered furiously in Fumi's ear while I tried to listen to what she was saying while trying to look like I wasn't. "… looking into us… called Toshi… He almost convinced… Underestimated the bishonen."

Well, there's only one bishonen I know that they could be talking about. Yuuki's been making some inquiries, and they're not happy, which is good for me. I might just be able to get through this without too much mental scarring. It's really sad when I'm so ecstatic about that prospect. Yuuki's making progress! Yes! He might be able to find some dirt on Ayumi and Fumi.

And, speaking of Ayumi and Fumi, I'd finally begun to notice faint differences in the twins. Fumi's eyes were just a little lighter. Ayumi was the more aggressive one of the two. Fumi looked to her twin more. Ayumi was just a little taller. And Fumi was the one to work on, if I wanted to try to make sure they didn't out me before Yuuki got any incriminating information on them.

Ayumi and Fumi stopped talking immediately and stood up. I followed suit, confusion melting away as I saw Shizu, Noriko, Miyo, Leah, Nanami, and a girl that I didn't know coming towards us.

Shizu, hair as bright as ever, hugged me. "Yui! You made it!"

"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss it," I said honestly. Plus, Nanami would have disemboweled me.

Noriko merely gave me a little nod of her head and a small smile. "Yui."

I smiled back. Miyo, on the other hand, seemed more preoccupied with Ayumi and Fumi.

"Yui… Who are they?" she asked, pointing rather rudely at the twin girls.

"These are my friends, Ayumi and Fumi. They're in town for a little, and I'm showing them around."

Lies!

Miyo glared at them. "I don't like them! They're standing too close to you!" She tugged on Nanami's arm. "Make them stop," she whined. "Only Shouta and Yui's boy friends should be able to be that close!"

I choked, eye twitching, when I finally realized what she was going on about. She's mad because in her perverted fantasies I should be with Shouta or one of the others, and she doesn't want me to be close to any girls? That's just so… Miyo. She's got issues. Although, this just further proves my point that people who look really cute are more messed up. Miyo may not be evil, but she's certainly something else.

I shook my head and said in a low voice to the twins, "Ignore her."

Miyo's lip was trembling and she looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. "But Yui should be with Shouta!" she wailed, latching on to Noriko's waist.

Ayumi turned to me. "You and Shouta?"

Please tell me she doesn't think… I shook my head emphatically. "No way. Please ignore the perverted fantasies of a deranged cutie."

Miyo perked up, if only slightly. "You think I'm cute?" she sniffed.

I just refrained from bashing my head into the closest hard surface. "Like a rabid puppy," I said reassuringly.

By now, Nanami and Shizu were practically choking with laughter; Leah looked embarrassed and a bit confused, and Noriko just looked resigned.

The other girl, the one I didn't recognize, didn't even seem to be aware what was going on, her eyes fixed on the screen of a electronic reader. She had long chocolate brown hair with little lighter stripes, bleached almost golden from the sun, parted off to one side and held back with clips, wide hazel eyes, and lips that curved upwards at the corners.

Nanami nudged her, and she came back to the real world with a little jerk. "Wha?"

Nanami flipped her hair back and then said, "Yui, this is my roommate, Dai. She joined the team. Dai, this is Yui Suzuki, the guy responsible for creating the team. He goes to Seikou and is on their soccer team. Isn't he cute?"

I smiled at her, glad that I wasn't blushing from Nanami's comment, and said, "It's nice to meet you," only to have her face peer at me without saying a word. Her eyes were narrowed and scrutinizing.

Why is she looking at me like that? No way… Please don't tell me that she thinks I'm a girl. I don't think I can take that on top of everything else. Maybe I've met her before or something? I gulped. Please, please, please, please, please…

Nanami nudged her friend again. "What's wrong with you?"

Dai started and then flushed. "Oh, I'm sorry! It's just that you look familiar for some reason, only I can't think where we've met before. It's so weird…"

"Maybe you recognize him from Miyo's picture collection?" Nanami suggested.

Miyo's… picture collection? I don't want to know.

Dai gazed at me for a moment longer before shrugging. "That must be it. Sorry, I'm not usually this weird," she added apologetically to me.

She thinks this is weird? Try my life. She doesn't know the meaning of weird. "It's no problem. You're breathtakingly normal compared to the people I usually deal with," I said honestly.

And that little comment got several pairs of eyes on me.

"I hope you don't mean us," Nanami said, one hand on her hip.

Uh oh. She took it that I was meaning… I have the feeling that what say now is very, very important if I don't want a group of girls extremely peeved at me. This is like walking on a minefield. One wrong move and… boom!

I smiled. "What? Of course not. How could I mean such wonderful ladies such as yourselves? I was referring to some of the guys that I go to school with and quite possibly my family members."

They stopped looking like they were wondering the best ways to torture me. I let out a mental sigh of relief.

Girls are so touchy and… Oh my… I am a girl. That's it. I officially have at least part a mentality of a guy. That's a little worrisome.

Then, out of the blue, Dai said, "Oh! You go to school at Seikou, right? So you know Ryo Arakaki?"

Ryo? Yes, I know him better than I should.

I nodded. "Are you a fan of his?"

"Him? No. But… he knows an idol of mine, and I wanted to see if he'd tell me anything about her."

I have very bad feelings about this… "An idol of yours?" I asked, mouth dry and hoping that I was completely wrong in what she was about to say.

She got stars in her eyes. "Yes, my idol, Umeko."

Yes… Of course.

I felt the unaccountable urge to burst into hysterical laughter and then break down crying.

"She's an internet idol who came out of nowhere a while ago. She's beautiful and strong and smart and giving and supports orphanages and donated her body to scientific research after she dies and she gives money to charity and helps the shelters with animals and she's wonderful!" Dai gushed.

By this time, I was really trying not to gape. Since when do I do all of that?

Dai continued, "She's even created a foundation to help underprivileged girls to help pay for their schooling. She's just so amazing. And she does modeling, too, for a woman named Lolly. Last night, they held a party for the launch of Lolly's new brand and Umeko came to the event and apparently Ryo Arakaki knows her really well! So I wanted to talk to him to see what he'd tell me about her." She said all of it in one breath and then stood there, hugging her electronic tablet to her chest and smiling dreamingly.

I'd seen the screen of the tablet for a brief moment. It had the article that Yuuki had shown me earlier that morning about Umeko on it.

Shizu muttered something that sounded like, "Obsessed," and Nanami said thoughtfully, "I went to that party last night. It's weird. I never saw her. She must have disappeared right before I got there."

Or right after you got there. Or because you got there. Yeah. Probably that one. Why is this happening to me? WHY? What did I do to deserve this? Nothing! Or at least I don't think I did anything…. But, I suppose it's rather surprising, with my luck, that I didn't come face to face with someone obsessed with Umeko besides Ryo already. It was only a matter of time before the universe decided to try my sanity in this way. And that's why she was staring at me! Because I look like Umeko, or am Umeko, but she didn't make the connection. Okay, I just need to avoid panicking.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye at the twins. They looked normal, if a little bored behind their sweet exteriors.

Okay, good. They haven't made a connection, either. They don't really seem like the type of people to follow internet idols. I just need to make sure they don't see a picture of "Umeko." Right… No problem… I'm doomed.

"So," Dai asked, expressive eyes brimming with hope, "Can you introduce me to Ryo Arakaki? Please?"

Introduce her to Ryo who knows that I'm really Umeko who is really me who he proposed to who turned him down yesterday because she wants to ask him questions about Umeko who's really me. So, she wants me to ask him to talk to her about me. Right. Because that isn't awkward or confusing at all.

"Please?" Dai begged. "He's the only person besides Lolly who I know who's actually talked to her. And I already tried to talk to Lolly about her, but she wouldn't tell me anything! She said that she had to respect the privacy of her friend."

Thank you, Lolly.

Meanwhile, Dai was still gazing at me with her puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

"Yeah, Yui, why not?" Shizu asked while the other girls nodded.

They're ganging up on me! That's not fair. I sighed. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

Dai tackled me in a hug. "Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

I patted her on the back and tried to ignore the fact that Ayumi and Fumi were glowering at Dai slightly. Apparently they didn't like it when other people touched their property.

When Dai finally let go, I said jokingly, "You really admire Umeko, don't you? It's like you're in love with her."

Her eyes widened. "Do you think she likes girls?"

I froze and then muttered. "Forget I said anything." Really? Really? Of course that would be her reaction.

Hoping to put an end to the conversation, I said, "I'll ask Ryo as soon as I see him, okay?"

Disregarding the fact that he might not want to talk to me this soon. Now I can just hope that I don't see him for a while and…

"Isn't that him over there?" Noriko asked, slashing my hopes.

I followed her pointing finger. It was indeed. Universe, why are you doing this to me? It's like the unlucky cosmic energy of the universe is converging on me.

Dai bounced up and down like an excited child. "Can we go ask him now? Please?"

I sighed, feeling quite a large portion of my soul escape. I could almost see its ragged transparent outline floating away. I wonder how much of my soul I have left that isn't melted, mutated, fragmented, crushed, destroyed, or mangled. Probably not a lot by now. "Sure, let's go ask him."

I bestowed an especially bright smile on Ayumi and Fumi. "I'll be right back and then I'm all yours, okay?" "To boss around like a thrall" remained unsaid, but they understood.

They nodded. "Okay, Yui. Come back soon."

I smiled and gave a short bow, "As you wish." As I walked away, wondering if I overdid it again, I heard Miyo give a little squeal.

Okay, apparently, she didn't think I overdid it.

Dai trotted along besides me as we approached Ryo, who was leaning on the side of a stand drinking something from a plastic cup. "You know, I totally see why the girl's here have a fan-club for you. You're just like a prince!" Dai said with a slight giggle.

My stride faltered. Right, I forgot that I had a fan club. I wonder if it's really safe for me to be over here… Memories of being chased by fan-girls flashed before my eyes. I shuddered. Scary.

"You're not… by any chance a member of my fan-club, are you?" I asked warily.

She shook her head. "Nope. Umeko's my only idol. No offense."

"None taken," I said almost gratefully. Well, at least she's not a fan of me as a guy. Only me as Umeko…

We were almost at Ryo, but he didn't seem to have noticed me or Dai yet. I stopped and cleared my throat.

"Ryo?" I asked hesitantly.

His head jerked up and he spun to look at me. "Yui?" He looked paler than usual and not quite his happy-go-lucky crazed self.

And it's my fault. My hand went up to the ring hanging around my neck almost automatically. I could still say yes… No. I can't think about this right now. Later.

I attempted to smile at him. "Hey, Ryo. There's someone that I want to introduce you to. This is Dai," I said, trying to keep my voice normal.

He glanced at her, obviously a little confused as to why I was introducing her, and said vaguely, "Right. Nice to meet you."

I continued. "She wanted to ask you…" I stopped and then said, "She wanted to ask you if you'd talk about Umeko with her since she's such a fan and you were talking with Umeko last night."

He merely stared at me for a second before cracking up into laughter. It started as a sort of snigger and then grew into full-blown gut-busting laughter. He was gripping the edge of the stall to keep himself upright.

Dai glanced at me unsurely. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine. It's sort of an inside joke," I said sourly. "Don't ask."

I'm so glad that he's amused by this.

We waited while Ryo tried to get his laughter under control. Finally, he straightened up, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes and managed to say between chuckles, "Y-you asked Yui to ask me to talk about Umeko with you?"

Dai nodded, still looking like she thought he might be having a psychotic episode.

He burst into giggles again, and the edges of my lips jerked upwards into a smile against my will. Even if he was basically laughing at my life and it's absurdity, it was still nice to see him laughing.

"So, will you talk to her about Umeko?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, of course I will. It's one of my favorite subjects."

I ignored that and instead said to Dai. "There you go. He'll talk to you about Umeko."

Dai beamed at both me and Ryo. "Thank you so much! I love Umeko, but no matter how hard I try to find out who she really is, I can't make any progress!"

"Oh, I'm sure that she'll turn up under your very nose one day," Ryo said airily.

I glared. Not funny. Well… it would be if it wasn't my life.

Then, Ryo said, "Right. So, Umeko. Before I tell you anything about her, I just want to say that I think she's wonderful and beautiful and just perfect." While he said it, he was looking at me.

I felt a blush rising to my cheeks and practically ran away. I tried to ignore the slight bump of the ring against my chest as I walked quickly away.

Ayumi and Fumi and the rest of the girls were still where I'd left them, apparently having perfectly pleasant conversation. I doubted the conversation would have been nearly as pleasant if Leah, Nanami, Shizu, Noriko, and Miyo knew they were talking to evil demons who were really after my soul.

"Yui! You're back," Fumi said sweetly. I translated it as, "Why exactly did you take so long, minion? Don't do it again unless you want forty lashes with a whip." My translation may have been a little off, but I didn't think so.

"Yeah, sorry it took so long."

"Aww… How cute. I was wondering who the lucky girl who captured Yui's attention would be," Nanami said in a drawling tone. "I didn't expect it to be two of them and twins at that. Who knew you were such a player, Yui." She finished it all with a wink.

My brain was having trouble processing what she was saying and "Does not compute" signs kept flashing in my head. She thinks what! I guess I could see how it looked like – no! No, I can't! My brain! My brain is dying! That was the comment that finally tipped it over the edge.

Ayumi and Fumi put their hands to their cheeks in a very innocent and maidenly gesture and exchanged glances. "Oh! We're not dating Yui. We're… We're cousins of Shouta's and Yui offered to show us around while we're in Japan."

Meanwhile, I was foaming at the mouth, mentally if not yet physically.

"Oh. Sorry about that, then. I just thought that you all were out on a date or something. But I get it. Yui's just being a good friend. I guess Shouta wouldn't let Yui date family members. Something like a bro code, right, Yui?"

I stared at her blankly. I have no idea what she's talking about.

In answer, I made a vague sound that could have meant most anything. Please change the topic, please change the topic, I chanted inwardly.

Thankfully, someone did.

"So, Yui, what do you think of our uniforms?" Shizu asked, doing a slow spin to show it off.

They were, quite frankly, awesome looking. Where Seikou's school colors were a neat white and black, Seisui's school colors were a softer silver and white, and their image, instead of a phoenix, was a lotus. The soccer uniforms looked elegant, although I'm not entirely sure how, and sleek, although I couldn't help but notice they seemed a little tighter and shorter than the usual uniforms.

"I designed them, of course," Nanami interposed with a smug smile.

Shizu gaped and then rounded on her. "What? We designed them. As in together."

"Do you really think someone with your lack of style and fashion sense could have designed these?" Nanami asked with an arched brow.

Shizu looked a hairs width away from tackling her.

Okay, I guess they haven't quite gotten over their rivalry or whatever it is. I really don't want to be in the middle of a catfight…

I cleared my throat. "Guys? Or rather, girls? I wish you guys luck and I'm sure that you'll be brilliant, but I promised to spend some time with Ayumi and Fumi, okay?" Lightly, and hoping that they wouldn't take offense, I grabbed Ayumi's and Fumi's hands and tugged them slightly towards the stalls of games and food.

Nanami nodded, now ignoring a fuming Shizu, and said, "Sure. Go spend some time with your dates or whatever it is that you're calling them. Just make sure to watch us beat the stuffing out of our opponents later."

I hurriedly walked away, and, for some reason, I felt the need to apologize. It must be the conditioning they're putting me through or something.

"I'm sorry about them and the whole dating thing and… yeah."

Ayumi just shrugged. "It seems that you're very popular among the females here."

Yep. Despite the fact that I'm a female.

And then I realized that I was still holding their hands.

"Sorry!" I almost yelped, dropping them.

The twins just looked amused and headed over to the first stall, while Fumi called over her shoulder, "Don't apologize. Apparently, we're on a date."

I twitched. I'm not entirely sure how much more of this sort of thing my heart can take. Apparently, I'm on a date with my blackmailers. That's right, plural. I sort of was flirting with Fumi… No! This is most definitely not a date. I was flirting because I need her to think kindly of me and stuff and… I'm not entirely sure I can tell up from down anymore. How disconcerting.

I followed the twins as they walked through the stalls. As soon as they saw the sweets stall, featuring mochi with a strawberry filling and strawberry pocky, they turned to me expectantly.

"All right. I'll buy it."

What is it with them and strawberries? Is it fuel for their demonic powers or something? Instead of drinking blood?

After paying I handed some to Ayumi and then to Fumi with a flourish, saying, "For you, Princess." The telltale blush crept up her cheeks.

Maybe she is human. Or maybe she has a soft spot for cross-dressing girls who act like princes? I'm not sure which of those is more likely.

"Princess?" Ayumi asked, not looking anywhere as pleased as Fumi.

I nodded, "Yeah. I mean, you wanted me to call you mistress, right? But it doesn't make since to call both of you that. So she'll be my princess."

Come on, please accept my brain damaged logic.

"I like it," Fumi said, while Ayumi frowned but said, "Fine."

Step one. Create a rift. Done. I guess it really is easy for a cute guy to split up girls. Although, in this case, I'm not technically a guy… Eh, technicalities.

We were halfway back to the bleachers when Fumi turned to me with a sweet smile and asked, "Will you go get us two strawberry sodas?"

"As you wish," I said with a smile. Out of their sight, I rubbed my cheeks, which were getting sore from smiling so much.

Quickly as I could, I got the drinks and returned, only to see Ayumi and Fumi in conversation, and, apparently, arguing, at the side of one of the stalls.

Arguing? Seriously? I crept along the side of the stall, out of their line of sight until I was close enough to hear what they were saying.

"No, Fumi," Ayumi said firmly.

"But why? I don't think she'll give us much problems. She's got some sort of weird Stockholm syndrome, not to mention that whole gender confusion thing. And she's fun to play with!"

I'm just going to make a guess here and say that they're talking about me.

"I don't care. It's too dangerous this time. That little friend of hers is digging into our business. I don't think he found anything, but better to be safe than sorry."

"Ayumi! He's no match for us, and you know it. Now, what's the real reason?" Fumi asked.

There was a moment of silence, and then Ayumi muttered, "She pays more attention to you."

Are you serious? Ayumi's annoyed that I've been paying more attention to Fumi? That's… unexpected. I guess they really are just teenaged girls with the mentalities of soulless demons. But still teenaged girls.

"Aw, Ayumi… Don't be mad. I think it's just because I spent a little more time with her. Her mind's really malleable."

My mind is what?

Fumi continued, "I'm sure that if you spend more time with her, she'll act like that to you, too. I like playing with her. It's like having your very own prince doll."

Should I take that as a complement?

Another moment of silence, and then Fumi asked, "So? Can we?"

I heard Ayumi sigh and then say, "Okay, fine. We can keep her."

Time slowed down and my blood ran cold. What did she just say? She didn't just… She did.

Shouta's words came floating back to me. You want to keep them, happy by doing what they ask, but don't get them interested in you, because then they'll want to keep you.

I forgot his advice! They'll want to keep you… What have I done? I just wanted to get a rift between them, not this! It backfired… Now what am I going to do? And more importantly, what are they going to do to me? Because being kept doesn't sound good at all.

The sudden image of me wearing a dog color and on a leash popped up in my head.

I'm so doomed.

Ah! I'm back in the city again to post up another chapter! Ah. This chapter was so fun to write. I mean, Yui acting like that... I don't really know what else to say. Huh. This is a short author's note, isn't it? Well, all I have to say is that I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Ooh. And special thanks to Puella Magi Mystia. I seriously couldn't have done this chapter without her. One more thing, a lot of people have requested a list to keep all of the characters straight, since there's so many of them. So, I'll try to work on that.

indescribable music: Yay! This is really your favorite story to read? That makes me so happy to hear. And, yes, Yui's life is very messed up. And, no, she can never seem to catch a break. Yuuki's one of my favorite characters, too. He'll be back in a few chapters.

TamashiiWolf: I know. I think Yui's sanity disappeared many, many chapters ago. As for something going right for her... I'm sure it will all work out for her in the end... somehow.

Puella Magi Mystia: Ah. I hope you liked this chapter. It was fun to work Dai into the story. And I loved making Ryo crack up and have everything extremely confusing. It was a little less horror and more comedy in this chapter, showing that the twins were human after all. As for not showing emotion towards anything or one but that person while she was with you... Uh huh. That's interesting. Odd. I guess she's just really attached to you? Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.

Iceleaf: You don't like Kaito because he's normal? Well, I suppose he is one of the more normal ones in the story. I'll have to work on that. Oh! And I have read the Patricia C. Wrede books. That's where I got the inspiration for the soap and lemon juice and water from that series. I love it so much! And you have a twin!

Kura-Tokiwa: That's right. Be afraid, be very afraid. The twins are coming for you! Just joking. You're safe, I think. But I think Yuuki will manage to save Yui, and maybe Akira will be able to help somehow.

KoriNeko18: I know. I love Akira, too. Somehow, he's managed to become a very popular character in a very short amount of time. I think it's the mixture of bad-ass and sweetness that appeals to people. And the twins are very evil, but still human. I hope that Yuuki and the others will be able to save Yui somehow. As for finding out what the Twins subjected Shouta to... I'm not sure whether I want to keep that a mystery or not. I'm still not really sure who I want her to wind up with... I have it narrowed down to a few, though... I think. Sort of. And Koji will reappear! And now... I'm going to go get some chocolate.

Scarlettos: Okay, okay. I'm eating now! It was just an experiment. The M rated fanfiction. Um... Let's just drop that topic. I'm getting way to many ideas that I would be embarrassed to write down. So, you knew the fan-service was coming when Yui went to Yuuki's? You have the gift... to tell when fan-service is appearing. It's very useful. And, yes, Akira was very understanding about the whole thing. And I'll think about Yui asking Takumi sempai to help. I think Yuuki would be likely to ask him.

Guest: Yes, the twins are very scary, aren't they? You're wise to be afraid of them. And, you're right, Yui's mom might be able to help the situation, too. And, yes, Akira is awesome. I think most of us can agree on that.

Diamond Starlet: Hello! Ah. It's always nice to know that someone's happy when I update the chapter. And I do think (hope) that Yuuki will be able to help Yui. I think he'll manage something. As for Akira... Surprisingly, he was understanding. He's such a sweet delinquent.

SilenceShouting: Why do I have a cliffhanger... Well, because I'm evil, obviously. No, seriously, I don't mean to make cliffhangers, they just sort of happen. Oh, no! The truffle monster will get me? That... acutally sounds delicious. Except that I'd get fat. But I updated, so I'm safe from the truffle monster, right? And I'm very glad that you like the twins. I love Yuuki, too. (I read all of Fruits Basket, too) Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

Kiteria: Yes. "Wow" does indeed describe the twins, doesn't it? I think Yuuki will be able to take them, though... I hope. As for where Mamori is when Shouta is in his time of need... She goes to a different school that's a while away. I think she should reappear in the story, though. Thank you for reminding me. And Kaito! He definitely needs to reappear. Maybe in the next chapter. Or the one after that at the very latest. And, no, darn it! I don't know who I want her to wind up with yet! It's so confusing! And, yes, I did understand what you wrote about the Twins falling for Yuuki. It's a possibility. As for me keeping track of the story... I don't know how i do it, but I seem to manage pretty well. I think it's because I'm more twisted than the story. I think the story is still rated T. M is usually for explicit scenes. I've never written one of those... And thank you so much for reading! I'm really glad you like it.

Guest 2: Awesome? Aw, thank you. Yuuki really is amazing, isn't he? I lub him. Cute and EVIL. So cute! . And, yes, I love strawberries, too. Chocolate dipped ones are good. And strawberry pocky? Sooo good. Although, I think I prefer the chocolate ones. I want to try the banana pocky. Hope you enjoy the chaper!

King0Mik: Oooh, that movie. Well, that was never actually in the story. That was in a very wonderful fanfiction done by Sanareth that he let me publish. As for what the Twins did to Shouta... I'm not sure that I want to tell. I might just keep it a secret. I think it makes it scarier for everyone to imagine what they did to him. But maybe I will tell. I haven't decided yet. And I liked your review. It wasn't too short. It was just right.

E. Armstrong: I think that Yuuki will be able to win against the twins... I think. I hope. Maybe? He wouldn't be defeated, would he? No, he couldn't... I think he should get some help from Takumi, though. And maybe Akira. I like that idea. Thank you.

mapusyaw: Hmmm... I think... No, I have to give the prize for being more devious to the Twins over Yuuki's twin sisters. The Twins are just... evil. But cute. I don't know what it is with me, but I seem so associate cute with evil in my mind. I wonder why? Oh! And thank you very much for reviewing my story. I'm so happy that you like it!

sweetmockingbird: You know what? Everyone keeps asking what they did to him that was so bad that it scarred him and left him thinking that they were the antichrist. And I'm not sure I want to tell you all. It's scarier if I don't tell because it makes your imaginations run rampant. Tell me, what do you think they did to him?

Yours Truly: Your father thinks you'll get obsessed with DA? Well, since when is that a bad thing? I'm obsessed with three things mainly. Food, alll aspects of it, and writing and reading. Food is my main obsession, though. I think about it all of the time. Anyway, I hope your father says yes. I think you may be right about some of my reviewers being crazier than I am. Isn't that nice? Do I think Koji would put two and two together... I think it's a definite possibility. He's certainly not stupid. A jerk, yes, but stupid? No. Cute is a synonym for evil... I love that so much. And, as for what the Twins did to Shouta, refer to the review above, please. People keep asking me! I'm... not really sure who Yui's first kiss was with, actually... I should probably know that.

Asu Usa: Yay! You loved the last chapter! Woot! I'm glad you liked that Akira appeared at the end, too. He's just so... him. Does that make sense? Sadly, though, I don't have a clue who Yui will end up with, either. I think that's the first time that anyone has said that I've "enchanted" them with the story. I'm very glad.

Alyksandra Barqada: Huh. What an interesting review. And here's my answer... Here's more! I really, really hope that you liked this chapter. My beta reader (Read:Mother) liked it. She cracked up at two parts of it.

Akemi713: So, you think Yui should go to her mother? Well, that is an idea. I kind of had something sort of like that in mind. Not quite, but Yui's completely frighening and awesome mother does play a part in the solution of this mess she's in. Poor, poor Shouta... He's so scarred. And as for Akira... He's just plain awesome. Aw, and thank you for the comment about how it should have so many more reviews. It's sweet of you to say so. I'm still shocked that it has that many, though.

Wiplash11: I'm glad you think it's awesome. Did I update soon enough? It's sort of hard, because I'm out of the city for weeks at a time, and then we come back for a few days and I only have a bit to write reviews and finish the chapter up and post it. Anyway, I hope that you like it!

bex: It makes me really happy to hear that you love my story. it always makes me grin to read that. As for a list for characters... You aren't the first person who asked for that. Maybe I really should make a list. An alphabetized one. Well, if you want one, I'll see what I can do, okay?

Guest 3: Wow. You made fictionpress bow down to you! Amazing. CUTE IS A SYNONYM FOR EVIL! Ah. I love that so much. And it is accurate in this story. I don't know why my mind connects the two. As for the part of review about Yuuki... Exactly. And plausible deniability and claiming self defense? Well put. And, no, I don't have a character chart, but so many people are asking for one that I think I need to make one. I'll see what I can do. There are an awful lot of characters, aren't there? And I love your description of Yuuki for not being either good nor evil. I know exactly what you mean about reading something on the computer while someone else watches something on the television. I started giggling uncontrolably while someone got shot... My brother thought I was nuts. Ice cream! It is indeed a moderm marvel. I love ice cream... And thank you for setting me straight about the Onii vs. Onee-chan.

Danieru Hagasaka: Aww... That last chapter made your stomach hurt? Well, that's not good. The last chapter was a little bit dark for what I usually write, wasn't it? But you still liked it! Amazing, you say! I like the part with Yuuki. He's always fun to write. Why? because he's completely awesome. This chapter is a bit more light comedy, I think. I hope you like it.

bkpatt96: Well, whatever it is about Koji that you like so much, I'm sure you'll be glad that he's going to come back. I mean, once this whole mess with the twins is sorted out. And if Yui isn't completely crazy by them. And if she still has enough of her soul to function. You have sports trailing all summer? What sort of sports? I... am extremely unathletic. I look like I would be athletic, I mean I look pretty fit, but I'm not. I like cooking and reading and writing. Those are not strenuous activities. This summer, like every summer, I've been camping with my family. We're going to go to Lassen in a little, which is pretty interesting. I spend a lot of the time reading, too.

ericaangel: Good. I'm very glad that I can made you laugh with my story. That's what I aim for. And thank you for reading and reviewing my story.

SkyeValley: Yay! You love it and think it's epic! But, but... Don't be jealous! I'm sure you're a good writer and drawer, too! Do you have any of your drawings up on the web? And as for turning it into a book or manga, that would be great. When I finally finish this story, I'm hoping that I can make it into a book. That would be so cool. And you'd buy it! Thank you! Um... I think I basically agree with your choices for who Yui should wind up with, except... Did you like coach Mori, or am I hallucinating?

SoraAkihira: Well, thank you. I do try to put up good chapters, and, thankfully, I don't usually have to rewrite anything. It's been a while since I've seen a review of yours, I think. How have you been?

Enent Cozamalotl Berengarius: Yes, yes! The lack of sanity! Embrace it! And Yuuki is really, really awesome, isn't he? Ah. I love him so much. He'll be back in the next chapter or the one after that. I can't not write about him for long. He's just that... epical. Anyway, I'm really happy that you liked that chapter. Thank you for reviewing!