"Hello?" Keiko called into the empty music hall. "Ken-san?" She looked around for Staci's older brother, who she would be working for. She set down her breifcase next to a shelf, and closed the door behind her.

"He shall be here shortly."

Keiko spun around to the piano, to see Headmaster Obari sitting on the piano bench. "O-Obari-sama!" Her face turned a bright red. "I'm ready to start my first day of work, sir!"

"Let's stop pretending." Obari said to Keiko with a frown.

Keiko nervously smiled. "Excuse me, sir?"

Obari stood up from the piano bench. "We both know the truth, Amuro Keiko-san."

"Eh?!" Keiko's heart skipped a beat. "How did you know?!"

"I so regret having to treat you like I did Saturday..." Obari walked up to Keiko, "Pretending that we didn't even know eachother..."

Keiko was completely flabbergasted. "W-what are you talking about?!"

Obari put his large hands on Keiko's shoulders. "I wish I could make it up to you somehow...to heal any wounds I might have inflicted..." He took Keiko's glasses, and rested them on top of her head. He looked into her hazel eyes. "Please forgive me for being such a coward."

Keiko gave him a sympathetic smile, and shook her head. "No, Obari-sama. Please forgive me for putting you in such a position!"

Obari tightly gripped Keiko's shoulders. "We can endure, Keiko!"

"Yes!" Keiko smiled. "Love endures all!"

"Oh, Keiko! I can't bear an entire year like this!" Obari placed his hands around Keiko's face.

Keiko put her hands over his. "We always have holidays!"

"Keiko!"

"Kiss me, you fool!"

Obari pulled her close,and their lips almost touched when a voice interrupted their romantic moment.

"Shuu-san!"

The two turned to see an out of breath Kakeru in the doorway.

"Kakeru." Obari's eyes were wide.

"It can't be true! Say it isn't true!" Kakeru shouted across the room.

Keiko tightened her arms around Obari's neck. "Face the music,violin-boy! Shuu-san is mine!"

Obari kept his eyes on Kakeru. "But...Kakeru is..."

"Huh?!" Keiko's smile vanished, and she turned to Obari.

Obari let go of Keiko, and walked to Kakeru.

"W-wait a second!" Keiko turned to retrieve her handsome Don Juan of a headmaster, but stepped on a tennis ball,and fell flat on her back. She quickly recovered, and got on her hands and knees. She looked on to the two men in remorse.

Kakeru evilly laughed, and put his arms around Obari's neck. "What would a dashing headmaster want with a worthless do-nothing when he has an academic prodigy like me?" he taunted Keiko,and laughed again.

Keiko clutched onto the tennis ball furiously, until the air was completely deflated. That...BRAT!!!

Keiko was biting on her pillow when Anji fwapped her on the head with Monday morning's school paper.

"Get up, dangit!" Anji scolded.

Keiko's ravenous gnawing abruptly ceased after Anji hit her. Her round eyes opened, and her muscles relaxed. She blinked a few times, and sat up amazingly quick. "Obari-sama?!"

"In his office, I'm sure." Anji glared at his worthless sister. "Get dressed before the dorm monitor comes.

"Anji~!" Keiko looked at her older brother with watery eyes. "Obari can't be in love with Kakeru!"

Anji's face because twisted with shock at the extremely random outcry of his sister. "W-WHAT?!"

Keiko made a pathetic whimper, and sat with her legs folded on her mattress and a mess of piled sheets.

"I'm not going to even ask what that twisted mind of yours dreamt up last night." Anji put a hand on top of Keiko's head.

Keiko stuck out her lower lip, and sat still on her bed. She flexed her toes, and spoke again. "That's impossible, right?"

"I dunno, I heard a lot of guys say what a hot item Kakeru is." Anji handed Keiko her glasses.

Keiko slipped on her glasses, and looked to Anji. "But Obari-sama isn't gay!"

"You're probably right. I mean, look at how he flirts with Headmistress Nakaijima." Anji looked in the mirror mounted on the wall, and combed his hair. He watched Keiko's reflection in the mirror for her reaction.

Keiko burst into tears again. "Now you're being mean!"

"You've got twenty minutes until breakfast." Anji set the comb on his bedside table.

Keiko gasped, and leapt off of her bed. She threw her sheets across her bed, and dashed across the room to the chest of drawers. She grabbed her folded up uniform from the bottom drawer. She quickly changed into it, and hobbled around, putting on socks. "Where's my shoes?! Where's my shoes?!" She tripped over the Polaroid camera she left on the floor, and caught herself on the wall.

Anji handed Keiko a pair of shoes, and walked out the door. "See ya."

Keiko sat on her bed, and squeezed into her shoes. That Kakeru brat's got everything handed to him on a platter! He's the most undeserving...child I've ever seen! She tugged her shoelaces a little too tight, and hurt her foot. He could certainly be more mannerly! He does attend one of the finger schools in the country. She stood up, and tapped her right toe on the floor.

The weekend was over. Time to get back to business. The first week had passed, things should run normally now. All she could do was wait for a haunting to occur.

Otaru watched Keiko read the newspaper at breakfast. He leaned back on his seat from across the table, and bit off a piece of toast. "Looking for anything in particular?"

Keiko popped an orange wedge in her mouth, and turned the page. "Not really..."

Otaru helped himself to one of Keiko's orange wedges, to which Keiko replied--

"Just a sec! I don't remember offering you my orange!"

"You have a horrible memory." Otaru ate the piece of citrus.

"I know I didn't offer you any!" Keiko leaned over the table and grabbed Otaru's wrist.

"You should have, if you're a good friend." Otaru pulled back with his wrist.

Keiko tugged back with both hands, "That's my only orange, Otaru!"

"How will you ever make it through class?" Otaru teased.

"I'll starve to death, and you'll be held responsible!" Keiko threw herself back on her chair.

"Look lively, ladies!" Jiro pulled out a chair, and sat on it backwards. "You know what today is, right?"

Keiko blinked cluelessly behind her classes. "It's Monday."

Both Jiro and Otaru gave Keiko an unbelieving stare. Their mouths hung open.

Keiko's eyebrow twitched. Why do I always get these reactions?!

"Sempai...all the clubs start their sign-up today." Otaru nervously said.

"So?" Keiko went back to her breakfast.

Jiro's face went back to its serious expression. He rested his arms on the table, and leaned forward. "Does that mean you haven't joined a club yet?"

"...'yet'...?" Keiko gave Jiro a "look".

"Are you on a sports team?" Jiro asked.

"What do you think?" Keiko rose an eyebrow.

"What exactly are you doing after school?" Jiro rose an eyebrow in the same fashion.

"Why is it any of your business, Senor Presidente?" Keiko looked at him over the rim of her glasses.

Otaru nervously smiled at the scene. "S-sempai! No need to get personal!"

Keiko looked to Otaru, and looked back to Jiro. "I'm working in the music hall."

"Oh! What instrument can you play?" Jiro situated himself a bit better in the chair he was sitting in.

"A kazoo." Keiko stood, and took her tray.

Otaru laughed, and Jiro stood.

"I'm serious, Fujishige-kun! You need to play your part in your school's race to championship!" Jiro called across the table to Keiko.

Keiko looked to Jiro, and paused. She cracked a small smile. "Someone's gotta play the part of the loser."

Jiro and Otaru both remained in their places as Keiko went to dump her tray.

First period began normally.

"Rise!" Jiro's voice boomed in the classroom.

All of the students stood as Tomohazu-sensei entered the classroom.

"Good morning, Sensei!" the class chimed.

"Good morning." the teacher calmly addressed the class, and set his briefcase on his desk.

The students all sat in unison.

Keiko hoped that the first period would drag on niiiiice and slooooow...She dreaded second period with a whole new nature now. She sat right next to Shiranui Kakeru.

She wondered why she never noticed him before. He wasn't the most...outstanding of the student body. He hid his emotional conspicuousity rather well, actually. After all, there's nothing miserably odd about him never speaking to her...Well, now that she thought about it, it did strike her as kind of odd! He sat next to her...next to her! And it never even occured to her that he even existed!

Maybe that explained his disgruntled attitude. Always being overlooked would cause a person to become peevish.

Not that she was excusing his sour countenance! Certainly not!

"Fujishige-kun."

Keiko perked up. "Yes?"

Tomohazu studied her for a moment.

"...sir...?" Keiko peeped.

"First period is over, sir. You may leave now."

Keiko paused, and then looked up at the clock. The second bell rang.

...No way first period could've been that fast!!! Keiko dashed down the hallway to her regular classroom. Tomohazu-sensei must've wanted to be rid of me!!!

Keiko walked into the classroom. The students were already seated, and her entrance interrupted her English teacher.

The entire class stared at her in the doorway.

"Fujishige-kun, please set your things down at your desk and stand in the hallway." the teacher, Sanada-sensei, ordered her in a flat tone.

Keiko silently nodded, and kept her eyes on the floor as she paced to her desk, humiliated.

Kakeru looked up from his assignment pad, and followed Keiko with his brown eyes.

Keiko set her briefcase next to her seat, and walked towards the door. She lifted her head just long enough to see Kakeru watching her. She quickly lowered her head again, and passed through the doorway.

She leaned against the wall outside, and looked up to the ceiling. Her back felt stiff and sore from the constant use of the tight wrapping around her chest.

She wondered what she could possibly do to get Jiro off of her case. That comment of hers wouldn't keep him for long.

Keiko sighed, and rested the back of her head on the wall. And Otaru was in the drama club. Who'da thought? Keiko knew some drama club members at Phoenix School...but they were all really popular and outgoing. Not exactly how you'd describe Otaru.

Keiko's brow furrowed. Why am I thinking so much about Otaru?! He's doing just fine!

That was true. No new bruises, there was a new cut the Keiko pointed out--

"Ah! What's that?!" she freaked, and yanked Otaru's hand in front of her face to examine. She adjusted her glasses. "A SCRATCH! WHO DID IT?!"

Otaru nervously smiled. "I hit the corner of my desk."

Keiko eyed him suspiciously from behind her glasses.

"Honest."

--that turned out to be nothing.

Right. She had others to concern herself with. Toseki Mai, for example. Good grief, what a headache! Not only was she a rotten attachment to her arm, but she seemed to be able to find her, no matter where she hid!

Keiko looked down to the tile floor, and stared at her reflection. My the floor certainly is shiny...her thoughts began to drift to pointless things. I wonder if it's new--WAIT! NO! BAD GIRLISH THOUGHTS! She grabbed her head in frustration, and winced. That's what got you into trouble in the first place! She looked up at the hallway clock, and frowned. She had been out in the hall for a good ten minutes. Wasn't that long enough? She stared back at the floor,and clasped her thin fingers together. She examined her hanils as she rested them on her legs. I'm sure if Otaru got a good look at my hands, he'd figure it out...Keiko thought. She crossed her ankles, and put her arms behind her back. She leaned back on the wall, and stared again at the floor. I had better get my act together before I completely screw up.

"And in the beginning, there was a man and a woman. Translate." Sanada-sensei read from a textbook, and looked up. His eyes first laid on the vacant desk belonging to the absent Fujishige-kun. His eyes naturally shifted to the right, and rested on the unsuspecting Kakeru.

"Shiranui-kun, please bring in Fujishige-kun from the hallway." Sanada ordered the violinist.

Kakeru looked up, and set his pencil down. With a disappointed, understated sigh, he pushed himself up from his desk, and headed to the doorway. This dilenquent student ailed him, even when not in contact with him!

Keiko heard the soft sound of heels clikcing next to her, and nervously kept her face lowered to the floor. She straightened her facial features, to make them cold and masculine.

Kakeru slowly strolled past her, remaining out of her eyesight (for she was focusing on the tile), and positioned himself beside her, against the wall. He looked ahead, outside the full-panel glass windows across the hall. There was relative silence again, until Keiko could hear short gasps of breath beside her. She nervously kept her eyes on the floor. So what if he was having trouble breathing? Not her problem. Time passed, and the gasps became less frequent. She grew a little anxious. What if he really was suffocating?! She felt obligated to at least look up. She could still let him suffocate, if she wanted. She saw the pale student leaning forward, crouching in a feeble position. "Kakeru, are you alri--"

Kakeru burst into outrageous laughter.

Keiko furrowed her brow, and sweatdropped.

"How many times can you get in trouble in one week?!" Kakeru turned to Keiko, tears lining his eyes. He held his stomach, a huge smile on his face.

Keiko looked up to him, and glared lethally at the violinist.

He snickered as he walked past her. Keiko's eyes followed him with a death stare.

Kakeru stood in the doorway, and paused when he realized that he was forgetting what he came out for. "Come on." he beckoned with his slender hands.

Keiko blinked, and silently walked in. Kakeru was in his seat already by the time she passed through the doorway. None of the students looked up to her as she entered the room. Everyone was scribbling down writing in their notebooks.

The teacher was at his desk, filing papers.

Keiko sat down, and got out her English notebook and a few loose leaves of paper. she got out a mechanical pencil, and clicked it a few times. She looked around, examining what the students were doing. She searched for any trace of an assignment on the blackboard, but saw none. She looked to Kakeru on her left, and then jotted down a note. She nudged her foot on his ankle to get his attention.

Kakeru looked at Keiko with an unbelieving stare, amazed at the nerve of this guy to bother him again!

Keiko swallowed what pride she had, and held up the sheet of paper she wrote on. It read: "What's everyone doing for assignment?"

Kakeru mouthed an answer Keiko couldn't make out. Keiko furrowed her brow, and tilted her head, clearly stating her confusion.

Kakeru rolled his eyes, and shook his head as he wrote down a reply on his notebook. He looked back to her with his annoyed brown eyes, and held up his notebook discreetly: "Why should I repeat it to you?"

Keiko's chest puffed up angrily, and she scribbled down a hasty reply. "Oh, come on! I was in the hallway when he gave it!"

Kakeru smugly wrote back: "And whose fault is that?"

Keiko gave him another lethal glare, and wrote back with further aggression: "Why must you answer everything with another question?!"

Kakeru wrote: "Why are you still bothering me?"

The war ensued.

"Why are you mocking me?!"

"Why aren't you leaving me alone?"

Keiko was scribbling down a reply, and lifted her head and her paper, when she saw Sanada-sensei standing between them in the aisle.

Sanada cleared his throat. "Should we leave you two alone?"

Chuckles arose from the class. Meanwhile, Keiko clutched onto her paper, terrified, and Kakeru blushed in the manner of a thermometer.

"Please don't, sir." the violinist peeped.

Sanada nodded, and walked past them. "Fujishige-kun, save your love letters for lunchtime. You can tell him his eyes are like warm chocolate then."

More laughter from the class. Keiko saw Kakeru give her the most dangerous glare she had ever seen.

This was not going to go well.

Keiko sunk in her seat, and cowered in her English text. Her favorite class was turning into her worst nightmare.

Keiko was so relieved that she attended a boarding school, and not a local one. The escape to the cafeteria was proving to be one of her favorite aspects of being away from home. She wouldn't be stuck int he same classroom as Kakeru while eating, she could retreat into the crowd of boys and lose the monster in the sea of students.

But on the other hand, lunchtime meant that she had only three more classes--Phys. Ed., History, and Chemistry. Then came...her first day of work.

Keiko sat down at a table, and tried to get her mind off of it. She tried to focus on more pleasant things! Such as...such as...she began to search the cafeteria for Otaru. He usually sat down by now...

Keiko saw Obari pass by the cafeteria in a rush, and her heart sped up at the site of her dreamy headmaster.

Her gaze ended when she felt a tiny but hard object peg her on the left temple. She flinched, and spotted the object that hit her land on the lunch table next to her hand. She snatched the eraser up, and turned to her left to see Kakeru leaning forward on the table, his head resting on an elevated fist. His free hand was frozen in the position it took after flicking the eraser.

Keiko turned back to her lunch in a snap, and glared at her food with a glare so cold, she could've frozen it. I'm getting fed up with this brat!!! She looked back to Kakeru, who was drinking his orange juice now, not looking at her. She threw the eraser back at him with all the strength she had.

It nailed him right on the cheek, and he choked on his juice. He dropped his cup, and spilled his beverage all over the table.

Keiko smugly smiled as the brat coughed, and he suddenly stood to avoid the huice running down the table. He grabbed his throat and coughed some more as he turned to face Keiko.

She leaned back on her chair, and raped an arm over the back of her chair. She pointed to the table. "Forgot your eraser."

Kakeru glared at Keiko again, but this time with as much shock as anger.

Skinny squirt probably can't throw a punch to save his life. Keiko once again looked over the fragile-looking violinist. It looked like you could just snap one of his arms in two.

Kakeru yanked out a seat a few chairs down, and sat down in a miserable, silent fit.

Keiko was extremely amused by Kakeru's manner of losing his temper--instead of blowing up, he pouted like a rebellious twelve-year-old! This was hilarious! She was getting such a kick out of pissing him off, she could do it for a hobby! Quite addictive, indeed! It would certainly serve the poor sucker right for being such a talented li'l brat.

Keiko's brown furrowed at herself. When did she become so vulgar?! It must be from hanging around all the boys so often...she was letting herself get a little too into the part...

But it felt SOOO good to have the last word for once! That almost never happens! Keiko smiled at herself, and picked up her fork. Man, did it feel good.

But she wasn't the least bit surprised to discover that the feeling would be brief.

The worst tortures of Phys. Ed. wouldn't compare to what awaited her at the music hall.

"UNBELIEVEABLE!"

Mitsui Ken dropped the sheets of music he was holding on the floor. He was residing in his office, finally able to catch his breath after a busy Monday's work. He glanced up at the wall clock before bending over to pick up his papers. "So much for a moment's rest..." he straightened up, and walked out of his office into the hall. "`Afternoon, Fujishige."

Keiko stood next to Kakeru, and extended her right arm to point at the violinist. "What the heck is he doing here?!"

Kakeru went about his business as though Keiko wasn't even there. He took a few sheets of music out, and neatly set them on the music stand in front of him.

"Dude! Kakeru, my man!" Ken held out an open palm, "Didn't hear ya come in!"

Kakeru slapped Ken's palm, and clutched it tight. "You were singing too loud."

Ken laughed, and released Kakeru's hand. "You heard that, huh?"

Keiko folded her arms, and tapped her foot impatiently. "Excuse me."

The two young men looked to Keiko.

"Da-da! Da-da! Duuuude looks like a laaa-daaay!" Ken burst into song, and Keiko gave him an unamused stare.

Kakeru ate it up. "That's it! That's exactly it! I love it!" Kakeru cracked up. "Ken-san, you are so right!"

Keiko didn't care too much for being laughed at. She set down her briefcase, and looked back to Ken. "Where do I start?"

"Whoa. Right." Ken turned his attention away from Kakeru, and began to lead Keiko around the music hall. "Man, this place is in desperate need of a cleaning. You can start by sweeping the floor, then dusting the awards...then the windows need t'be wiped down..." Ken looked at the clock. "And that should be enough for today."

Keiko nodded. "I can handle that."

"All the cleaning stuff is in a cabinet in my office." Ken pointed his thumb over his shoulder, to the room behind him. "I'm heading out, there's a teacher's meeting in a few minutes."

Keiko's face turned fretful. No adult supervision?!

"If you have any questions, Kakeru here should be able to answer `em." Ken took his briefcase and walked out of the hall.

Keiko stared at the doorway as Kakeru tuned his new violin. I'm sure he'll be helpful...She sarcastically thought, and turned to Kakeru. She got eyecontact with him.

Kakeru finished playing the C-major scale, and lowered his violin. He blinked, expecting Keiko would say something.

"Okay. You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. Okay?" Keiko folded her arms.

Kakeru turned to his music, and moved around a few papers. "Sounds fine."

Keiko nodded. "Fine."

"Fine."

Keiko tried to ignore the attitude from Mister-Talented, and went to Ken's office. She heard Kakeru tune his violin some more as she opened the cabinet. She got out a broom, and a bottle of ammonia and paper towels.She set the bottle and towels on Ken's desk, and carried out the broom.

Kakeru moved around some papers again, and finally began to play a piece.

Keiko immediately recognized the piece as the one she heard at nighttime. She looked up from the floor she began to sweep, and looked to Kakeru. "Why do you always play that song? Don't you play anything else?"

Kakeru stopped playing, and glared at Keiko. "I thought we agreed to stay out of eachother's way."

Keiko frowned, and went back to sweeting in a huff. "It's so depressing." She muttered.

Kakeru went back to his music, and lifted his violin to play. He paused, and stared at his music.

Keiko grimaced when she heard "Chicken in the Straw" come from Kakeru's direction. She gripped on the wooden broom handle, and glared over to Kakeru.

Kakeru looked over to her with a menacing grin, and sped up his playing to a vigorous pace.

"Why you...!" Keiko muttered below her breath, and leaned forward on her broom.

"Get to work!" Kakeru shouted over his playing.

Keiko narrowed her eyes, and began to sweep more aggressively, venting her anger on the faultless floor.

Kakeru let out a satisfied "hmm!", and turned to his music stand. He continued the obnoxious tune, to Keiko's dismay.

Luckily, it finished before Keiko was done with the floors. She swept the pile of dirt into a dustpan, and dumped it in a nearby wastebasket. She sighed as she straightened up. Her taped up torso hurt even worse now.

At least it's done...she thought. She took the broom, and walked back into Ken's office to put it away. After putting it in the cabinet, she turned to Ken's desk, and picked up the bottle of cleaner and paper towels. She saw a picture of Staci on his desk. She paused, and picked it up.

In the photo, Ken was standing next to her, with a shaggy haircut. She held in her giggles at his hairstyle. The Statue of Liberty was serving as a backdrop, , and Staci was cuddling up close to some blonde American guy. An old boyfriend, perhaps?

Keiko set down the picture frame. Staci never spoke much about herself. But that never struck her as weird. That's just the way Staci was. She probably had a closer friend she shared those things with. Keiko walked out of the office. Probably someone in America...

Keiko's footsteps and thoughts came to a screeching hault when she reached the doorway. Her eyes bulged, and her jaw dropped.

Papers and other wastebasket contents were littered across the floor in front of her. Papers piled up at her feet, and she followed the direction of from where they were falling.

Kakeru was seated on the floor, and the wastebasket was placed in his lap. His back faced Keiko, and he was muttering below his breath. "No...nope, not this one..no..."

"HEY!" Keiko aimed the spraybottle at him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Oh!" Kakeru continued in a sympathetic voice Keiko could tell was being faked. "I'm sorry! I can't find a page of my music! I'm afraid I might have thrown it away!"

Kakeru stood up, and walked to his music stand. "But it's not there..." he trailed off.

Keiko knelt on the floor, and began to pick up the papers.

"Ah! Silly me! It was right here!" Kakeru cheerfully piped, and held up the paper for Keiko to see. He laughed, and made an innocently cute smile. He stuck out his tongue foolishly, "Right in front of me all this time! Hilarious, huh?!"

"It'll be more hilarious seeing you on your hands and knees picking up this mess you made." Keiko looked up to him from the floor.

Kakeru smiled at Keiko, who was on all fours. "Sorry, that's what you're getting paid for." His eyes widened. "Oops! That's right! You're not getting paid!"

Keiko growled, and stashed all the papers in the wastebasket. Bratty li'l sonuva...She got back on her feet, and took the wastebasket out of the music hall to dump it. She also took that time to cool off.

Maybe he's doing this to test you...Keiko walked outside to got to the dumpster. If you get past this first day, it'll be smooth sailing from here...she approached the dumpster, and emptied the wastebasket. He'll get sick of it, and he'll leave you alone.

Keiko heard Kakeru playing a much lovlier song by the time she walked back in. It was romantic, not depressing and dark like the previous piece.

Amazing...that such a jerk could create such romantic music. Some talent was distributed rather unfairly, it seemed.

Keiko walked up to the music hall, and stood at the propped open doorway. She needed to see for herself--a beautiful melody coming from a monster's hand.

--And there he was! Submerged in his music, the bitter, immature prize pupil looked peaceful! It was as though he was hypnotized by his own music! His beautiful, romantic creation!

Keiko found herself leaning against the doorway, relaxed for the first time since she arrived. She caught sight of the clock, and realized she still had dusting and windows to do.

She stepped into the music hall, the only sound make being the soft "click" of her shoe's heel.

Kakeru's violin made a shrill screech at her step, and he flinched. He turned around to see Keiko.

Although he didn't give her any signal of blame, Keiko felt at fault for him messing up. She quietly began to dust the top awards shelf. The task was easy, if you ignored the excruciating pain in Keiko's back.

Keiko picked up a clear glass violin statuette on the middle shelf, and polished it. She wasn't surprised to read "Shiranui Kakeru" on the nameplate. She set the statuette down on the file cabinet next to the awards shelf, and dusted the shelf holding it. She set it back on, and continued dusting.

The rest of the evening was relatively peaceful. Nothing was said between the two students, and it was certainly for the better.

The sun was just beginning to lower into the horizon when Keiko was through. She put all of the cleaning utensils back where they belonged, and before she left, she loked the place over with pride. Not too shabby, if she did say so herself! She walked out of the hall with a strong sense of self-accomplishment. Not only did she do a heck of a job cleaning, but she did it wihout stooping to that lowly Kakeru's level!

Keiko let out a forlorn sigh as she approached her bedroom. She wasn't too sure about how long she'd be able to handle him, though. His obnoxiousness..it was inhuman!

Keiko collapsed facefirst into her half-made bed, and let out a pathetic wimper. "It hurts...!" she made a futile attempt to sit up, but collapsed back into her pillow. Got...to...get up...homework...still...

Keiko paused, and she leapt up. "MY BREIFCASE!" She ran out the doorway. I left it in the hall!

Kakeru was no longer playing, it seemed. The hallways were silent and empty.

Maybe he already left...Keiko thought, and saw the light still on. Idiot could've at least turned off the light. She silently walked partially into the doorway and reached into the room to turn the switch.

The glass violin statuette she dusted earlier flew in her direction, and missed her head by mere centimeters.

Keiko fell back against the outside wall, her heart pounding. Glass shards flew, and trinkled on the tile floor like raindrops. Keiko looke don the floor, identifying the object. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, scared half-to-death by the attack. She looked into the hall, but remained in her hiding place.

Kakeru was facing the awards shelf, once again, his back facing her. His long hands were spread out, as though twitching to grasp onto something.

Keiko watched in horrified silence as the violinist rested his hands on top of the cold file cabinet. She broke her glance off of him for a split second, to find her briefcase. To her luck, it was just a few centimeters past the lightswitch, against the wall. Keiko looked back to Kakeru, and slid down the wall, to take a seat on the floor. She stretched her arm into the hall, and took a hold of her precious briefcase.

Without a single cry, Kakeru shoved off every paper, every file, every item on top of the cabinet, and onto the floor. All in one furious, desperate swipe.

Keiko quickly drew back her arm, and clung closely to the outside wall, praying Kakeru wouldn't see her in the middle of his furious tantrum. She squeezed her eyes shut, until all of the clattering ceased. She then opened her eyes, and snatched her briefcase successfully. She held it against her throbbing chest, and began to slowly scoot away from the doorway.

Kakeru spun around, and threw over a stack of chairs.

Keiko got on her feet, and before she could get a good look of Kakeru's face, she ran.

End Chapter Seven

Go on to Episode Eight

Go Back To Episode Index