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█ ♪That was interesting in more ways than one. Yukito was aware that Shin would do his best no to kiss the paranoia girl if that was possible. That's why a bit of insensitivity was needed on the side with the cameras. It was a good thing he placed those precautions earlier, just for the possibility. Guilt? Remorse? Sympathy? Too bad, he doesn't feel anything like that as he watched the two exchange saliva with each other. Well, at this moment, he was indeed proud of Nemui for coming up with such an order. That would be start point where everything would go uphill. Yes, it was so for his sense of entertainment.

Done and done, the two came out of the closet. He simply have the brilliant smile on his face as if he was the very vision of angelic grace. His sunset orange eyes held nothing but the boons of simple joy. It was a good thing that he participated in this game, this would be a good outlet for him to exert his annoyances to some unwitting and hapless fools around him. It would be even better if he makes these step-sisters of his, all wretched and twisted. Just like so, he watched as Katsukawa or who he preferred calling as paranoia girl cover her bubbling emotions with a stern and strong mask, the problem with that? It was very fragile.

"I guess you should watch it, Nemui-san." He noted while glancing at Nemui who was rather flustered and was clear to him regretting her actions, but what is done is now history. "Katsukawa-san seemed out for revenge." His tone was nothing a playful banter as he looked at Himeko and noticed Ren offering a gesture of distraction, like that would work with how this evening would turn out. He has quite the antics that could help to make sure that everyone would have a rather interesting if not uncomfortable night.

"Just like what Kurumi-san, says. We have a secret or two, that are better off not known. Don't you think so, too Kuu-nii?" He threw his gaze at his brother's direction with a small smile before he focused on the one person that seemed so keen on sticking by his side which he has no idea why that was. Hence, the Leech was born from that gesture of his always wanting to be near him and even if not asked, the man who come to his aid which only irritates Yukito. He should be glad if anything, but it also meant that he was not as strong or as independent. That would mean he is still a child, although he is technically one, but in everything else, he intends to be an adult.

That was the only way... he think he could get over with everything... He stopped those thoughts from drifting further. He was not going to think about that for now. Instead, he will have fun to his heart's content with all of its black intentions. "Well, then, Leech-kun. Time to have a new King." He said since it seemed that the others were getting a bit impatient, though he was also well-aware that there are two people here that was probably worried about what would happen. There was Nemui and the rather exotic-looking girl who seemed even unaware what is Seven Minutes of Heaven and also seemed to be innocent in such ways as the word kiss made her blush, that was funny as he assumed that she was a classmate of his brother. That's why he knew this was going to be fun. "Let's take a look.. who shall be King this time around."

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♥█Everything about this game was certainly... scary. Aina didn't expect that it was this kind of game. She took a glimpse at the small screen and when the kiss started she immediately looked away. It was rather embarrassing and she could feel her cheeks flaring up. She covered her face. There was no way she could do that with anyone else, especially towards someone she doesn't know. That's right. She knew no one here anymore, even if in her journal. She was supposedly familiar with Kitomura-san, the older one, Ogawa-san, the one kissing, and Fujioka-san, the other sister. Ah that's right, she's a Kitomura too, right?

The others, she was meeting for the first time. That's right there was him... Len. But, the memories she have with him was when they were still children. Now, he was before her, all grown-up, and clearly was an attractive young man. Her cheeks flushed more, but thankfully, she was covering her face. She only managed to calm down, when the sound of the closet door was opened with a storming out... Katsukawa-san, that was her name. She seemed unaffected by what happened, but she never once looked back at Ogawa-san as she removed her hands from her face and looked at Shin.

They really did it... was it really that easy to kiss someone? Was it really that easy to make a jest about it as what the younger of the Kitomura brothers seemed to talk about it. She bit her lower lip and contemplated of leaving, but then Kurou reminded her about secrets when he asked about it. That's right... She stuck around for this game because of that condition. She really didn't want them to dig around her past and then look at her strangely because of her condition. More importantly, she didn't want to be treated as if... she was sick and especially by Len.

Her eyes landed on Ren's form who was offering a chip to Katsukawa who demanded the sticks to be passed, but it was Shin's turn not hers to hold it. In the end, Ren was still a kind soul in his absent-minded way. That was something she clearly remembered when they were much younger. That's it... At the very least... She had to hold on just for this evening. She would just forget about it tomorrow after all. That's right next morning, she would a clean slate and all of this would be a distant thing for her. She only wished that if there was an off-chance she was ordered to do something, it would be something that is a bit toned down than that the order of Nemui.

For everything that is holy, she can't imagine herself kissing anyone of them. For her, a kiss like that should be someone special, someone who makes you faint just by meeting their gaze or something like that. It shouldn't be taken so lightly. This was a chance for her to have a normal life, but more than that, she glanced at Ren briefly and then focused her eyes on the sticks. At that point, Yukito urged Shin to take the sticks and have them continue with the game.

That's when she finally noticed. Yukito kept calling Shin a leech. That wasn't a pleasant thing to say and from what she read on her journal, Shin was a kind person to him yesterday. He helped her and this was the least she could do, right? "Uhm, Kitomura-kun? I don't think it's nice to call someone a Leech." That's right she called out Yukito on that, unaware of the consequences that could follow from that simple gesture.

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█ ☠Aina was lucky enough for Shin to intervene as Yukito looked at her. "It's fine Malik-san. I'm fine with it." Yes, Yukito had that princely smile, but he knew better that there was nothing prince-like in what Yukito was going to do. Those orange eyes settled on him and gestured for him to take the sticks. "I got it." He took the sticks from Nemui. "Let's start." He presented the sticks to the group and as much as possible did not look at Himeko who he knew was clearly avoiding making any form of contact with him. He won't blame her if that attitude persists until old age.

Shin could still remember her words inside the closet. They weren't really endearing or humble, they were threats and he did not question her capability of delivering that. She was within her right to talk like that after of what they did and clearly, he was not going to speak anything about it. This would be another story for the rags and the media would love to make a circus show about it. No way, this was going to get out. At the same time, that kiss should not mean anything.... none at all, maybe guilt for kissing her and apparently he might be the first since she said that she didn't like someone.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the situations he's always placed in. He was musing on his own when he finally noticed that there was only one stick left in his hand. He took a look and he was not King, instead he was number two. It made him wonder who would be the King this round and what another ridiculous order would be said. He only hoped that Yukito would never be King, because he could already think the kind of orders the idol would do.

"It seems I'm the King this time around." Yukito showed them the King stick and then had a thoughtful expression on his face, as if he was not going to do anything bad. Shin was not counting on that at all, because yes, Yukito was thinking of what to do. He soon came up with something as he nodded his head in approval of his idea. "All right then, King's Orders. Number eight and number two will be chained together with this." Shin was uncertain how Yukito got that, but what the younger boy showed was a handcuff with a rather short chain. The people chained together would only be a meter apart at the most. Yukito then continued with that playful smile of his. "for the rest of the weekend... Saturday and Sunday. Of course, it can't be taken off. I made precautions against that. It can only unlocked with this and by me." This time he showed everyone a key.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to remove it when Monday comes. So who are the lucky ones?" Yukito looked at all of them and Shin released another sigh at this. It seemed he was on a roll this night. He showed his number which was two. "I'm number two." He only hoped that it won't be Himeko, because frankly this was to look like a prank or something. As for Aina, she was certain that this far worse than kissing someone. She couldn't afford to be chained with someone for two days... that meant they'll be sleeping together. Her secret would be revealed.

Another luck for her, her number was... "My number is seven," She won't be chained at the very least.

"Here."

Himeko was shocked that anyone was being kind. Aside from the boy known as Ren, Nemui and Shin were the only ones who weren't enjoying this game just a tad bit too much. The others seemed eerily psyched to play, even though this game was rather..risque. Himeko smiled kindly, accepting a small handful of the chips, "Arigato, Suzuki-san." she replied, taking a small bite out of one of the chips she'd taken. It did help, seeing as there was something natural in her mouth instead of.. She immediately took another bite, shoving the thought out of her mind. The less she thought about it the sooner it would go away, right?

"I guess you should watch it, Nemui-san."

Himeko was quite surprised, blinking in surprise. What was he talking about? Himeko retrieved a cherry soda, opening it and taking a small sip. She loved flavored soda, regular name brand caffeinated beverages always seemed to leave a bad taste in her mouth. She always preferred the lesser known brands.

"Katsukawa-san seemed out for revenge."

She had been slowly eating the few chips that she had taken, and nearly choked on them as Yukito's true meaning behind his words were revealed. She coughed a bit, some of the chip having gotten stuck in her throat during her surprise. Himeko took a quick gulp of her cherry soda, washing down the remains before speaking, "I am not!" She retorted, waving her hands in attempt to squash the accusation. Her brown eyes narrowed a bit, and she stuck her tongue out at Yukito. Her tongue was stained red from her choice of drink, but she was entirely unaware, "Butt out." she told him in a flat and painfully serious tone. Whether he was joking or not, she was not about to let him plant seeds of doubt in Nemui's head. So far, aside from Aina, Nemui was the only person in the room that Himeko felt she could be friends with.

"I wonder how many of us have secrets we don't want getting out?"

As those words were spoken, Himeko couldn't help but think of her brother Ren's death.. but also the secret that she was one of the girls who confessed to and were rudely turned down by Kurou. She had more than one secret to protect, and she would do anything to defend them. She had to. She came back to this school to face her fears for Ren, who always complained about switching schools and moving to an unfamiliar town. She couldn't help but feel guilty, because it was her inability to handle bullying that brought Ren to the town where he was killed.

"I think it's safe to say all of us, but if not, at least a vast majority or someone would have walked away by now."

Kurumi's words angered Himeko a bit, but she remained silent. They stung mostly because they were true. She would have already left if she didn't have those secrets. She would have never went through with kissing Shin. These rich brats had her exactly where they wanted her. This blows.. She thought to herself, taking another drink from her can of soda, realizing it was now empty.

"Just like what Kurumi-san, says. We have a secret or two, that are better off not known. Don't you think so, too Kuu-nii?"

She threw the empty can into the trash from where she sat, making it directly in the center of the can. Yukito's direct mention to his brother made her quirk an eyebrow in curiosity. I wonder why he brought up Kurou..? Did he catch on to that weird look Kurou gave me at the wedding?

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head, "It doesn't matter though, unless someone refuses, their secrets are safe." She reminded everyone, seeing as Aina and Nemui seemed just as nervous as she felt, if not even more. This game was only going to get worse after all, so she understood their apprehension all too well. She knew that this game was cruel and far from done with her, but she had no idea what it truly had in store for her.

"Well, then, Leech-kun. Time to have a new King. Lets take a look.. who shall be King this time around."

Himeko let out a silent sigh of nervousness. Although she spoke a big game, she really did not want to play this game. She was simply attempting to get it over with. She discreetly glared at Yukito, her eyes landing on Shin for the first time, but it was only for a split second. She didn't want to think about it. That was her first kiss and it was stolen from her. She didn't blame him as much as the others, but looking at him only brought it back to the front of her mind. She didn't want that, so she'd only look at him when it was necessary.

"Uhm, Kitomura-kun? I don't think it's nice to call someone a Leech."

Himeko couldn't help but laugh at that, covering her mouth with one hand to muffle her laughter into a mere snicker. She wasn't sure what was behind the nickname, but for an innocent girl like Aina to scold Yukito, that was simply hilarious. She couldn't get over that one, especially since she had done the same in a much less polite fashion the day before.

"It's fine Malik-san. I'm fine with it. I got it. Let's start."

Himeko let out a quiet huff of annoyance. She was actually enjoying that Aina called Yukito out on his rude antics. Seeing as the game had to continue, Himeko leaned over from where she sat towards Shin's outstretched hand. She was sitting on the same couch as Kurumi, but was on the opposite side next Nemui. She plucked a stick from Shin's hand, doing her best to avoid touching him before sitting back to peek at her number. I'm number eight.. I wonder who the King i-

"It seems I'm the King this time around."

Himeko felt a shiver run down her spine. He was the LAST person she wanted to see get that kind of power. He was the most likely to abuse it, at least in Himeko's honest opinion. This is bad. Himeko mentally whined, swallowing hard. There was going to be no mercy this round. As far as Himeko's opinion was concerned, Yukito was the devil. That boy was pure evil, no matter how much his physical appearance begged to differ. As soon as Yukito nodded, she felt her entire body tense up. He apparently knew what his order would be, and that left Himeko with a bone chilling sensation.

"All right then, King's Orders. Number eight and number two will be chained together with this."

EH!? Who is number two..!? Himeko thought with a sense of dread. She really didn't want to be chained to anyone, but being chained to Nemui, Aina, or Kurumi with handcuffs wouldn't be that bad. She couldn't help but hope it was going to be one of the girls.

"for the rest of the weekend... Saturday and Sunday. Of course, it can't be taken off. I made precautions against that. It can only unlocked with this and by me."

Himeko's chocolate eyes widened as Yukito finished his order. The entire weekend?! She couldn't go home like that, no matter who she was chained to. Her mother would freak out and call the cops. She did not feel like explaining this to the police or her mother... That was NOT going to happen. Finally she let out a sigh, deciding she should reveal her role in all of this. She proceeded in holding up her stick to reveal her number, albeit quite begrudgingly, "I'm number eight. What are the chances of two rounds in a row..?" She asked in an irritated tone of voice. This had to be the worst luck ever. She doubted that this had ever happened to anyone else. It was her poor luck that got her in this situation.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to remove it when Monday comes."

You better not lose that key, or I swear no one will be able to stop me from killing you." Himeko threatened Yukito, definitely serious. She was not looking forward to this arrangement, but if she was forced to tell her mother about it, she'd definitely take revenge out on him. The whole idea of sharing a bed with anyone in the room was humiliating enough, because she barely knew anyone here. As soon as Shin sighed, her eyes shifted to him and widened as she saw the number two written on his stick.

"I'm number two."

"This game is definitely rigged." She mumbled, clenching her fists as she glared over at Yukito. Her teeth were clenching so tight that she was worried one of them would shatter. She didn't care at the moment, she absolutely hated the situation she was put in. First she was forced to kiss him, and now she would be forced to spend the entire weekend with him practically conjoined to her by the hip. Himeko stood up, offering her wrist out to Yukito, "Just do it." She spat in a venomous tone, realizing she would have to sit on the same side of the room as Shin now. Though on the bright side, a meter was around three feet, so at least she could be that far away, right?

Kurou Kitomura
Kurou Kitomura: Keeping his dayjob

||Thought Color = c2150f||||Speech Color = d6a91c||

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"I think it's safe to say all of us, but if not, at least a vast majority or someone would have walked away by now."

What Kurumi said was most certainly true. Why else would Katsukawa have bothered giving up her lips for the first time to someone she did not know? If she was what was known as a "loose woman", then she definitely wouldn't have minded as much as she apparently did, so that was not the case. It must have meant that she had something she could not afford telling others, a secret she might even take to the grave. This intrigued Kurou. He didn't really have that many secrets, besides the one involving Kurumi herself, but would he have done the same thing in that same scenario? Maybe. He could not be so sure, as that seemed more like something you would only know when the time came.

"Just like what Kurumi-san, says. We have a secret or two, that are better off not known. Don't you think so, too Kuu-nii?"

Kurou wasn't sure what to make of that, though knowing his brother, it was essentially admitting that Yuki was onto him, that maybe he was suspicious of Kurou and Kurumi. He was oblivious at the moment as to what else he could feasibly be catching onto, after all, so he didn't think anything of Katsukawa's situation right then. And although his expression remained the same as it had been, his perpetual scowl, he couldn't help but shift his eyes slowly from his new "sister" and back to Yuki, as if instinctively. "I have to agree with you there. Even I have something I'm not willing to fess up about." he admitted nonchalantly, knowing that anybody here claiming to lack a deeper secret would just be called out as a liar. He was a lot more nervous than he would let on, as he knew that were Kurumi to be put in a bad situation this game, it would be very possible that his own secret would get out regardless. Relying on another was a frightening thing for Kurou, as he was a pessimist and assumed the worst, usually. Besides, he remembered her as a weaker-willed person in the past, simply because of the fact she needed a pretend boyfriend. Whether she was now or not remained to be seen, and he hadn't any reason to be confident that she'd changed too much on the inside.

Put bluntly, she was a liability in this game.

...but maybe he was getting too serious about this? It was merely a game, after all. A game where mental trauma was the standard, now, but a game nonetheless. He shouldn't think of it as a life-or-death situation.

"Uhm, Kitomura-kun? I don't think it's nice to call someone a Leech." Aina suddenly stated, evoking a laugh from Katsukawa and a small, hidden smile from Kurou himself. It was certainly funny to see him called out on that. Kurou could see that Yuki wasn't too happy about it, even if he was wearing a mask. As Kurou retrieved his stick after Shin, he wondered if he would get to be king now.

"It seems I'm the King this time around."

Right about the time that Kurou was about to view his number, Yuki had announced his legitimacy as the King for this round, disappointing the elder brother just a bit. He had a fun idea he could use, one that would likely trump anything anybody else had, though for him to implement the idea, he kinda needed to be the King. Oh well, maybe next round? Kurou decided he wouldn't bother looking at his stick unless he was obviously one of the people under his brother's command. As it turns out, Katsukawa and Shin had some really bad luck when it came to this game, so he didn't bother even looking at his number.

"All right then, King's Orders. Number eight and number two will be chained together with this." Yuki declared. "...for the rest of the weekend... Saturday and Sunday. Of course, it can't be taken off. I made precautions against that. It can only unlocked with this and by me."

So the King decreed.

"This game is definitely rigged." Katsukawa complained. He could see why, after having to go two rounds in a row, anybody might be irked about that.

"Maybe. Though for your sake, I suggest you never take up gambling." he joked at her expense. He didn't want people to think he was going to feel sorry for her or anything. That would be... unlike him. It did not fit his character. "Look on the bright side. I could've drawn the other stick." he said.

After all, aside from his brother, Kurou didn't think anybody else was as disliked by her as he was.

"I guess you should watch it, Nemui-san."

"E-Eh?" Nemui couldn't help but look towards Yukito as he spoke. What was he going on about? His ominous words were really making her feel uneasy.. She could already feel a knot forming in her stomach. How was she supposed to respond to an announcement like that? It was practically a threat.

"Katsukawa-san seemed out for revenge."

Nemui immediately gulped at that. She wasn't sure if it was true, but the mere mention made her doubt Himeko. She didn't know the other girl very well, so she couldn't possibly know the other girl's heart or intentions. The seeds of doubt that Yukito had planted were driving Nemui nuts. What if there were some truth to his words? What would she try to do in retaliation?

"I am not!"

Himeko seemed fairly adamant about denying Yukito's words, a small smile forming on Nemui's lips, but no matter how much she hoped that Himeko meant those words, she could not entirely banish the terrible feeling that was left in her. She remained suspicious, because aside from Kurumi, trusting other girls had never turned out well for Nemui. Plenty pretended to be her friends as a means to later humiliate her, so she felt more than a little skeptical when it came to accepting Himeko's words as truth.

"Butt out."

She seemed to be very angry at Yukito, but Nemui had been fooled by many believable actresses. The most memorable was a girl named Sakura. She nearly died because of that girl, and the mere thought of that girl made Nemui shiver. She could still remember the feeling of all that water in her lungs... Himeko-chan, I wish that I could believe you..

"I wonder how many of us have secrets we don't want getting out?"

Her golden eyes shifted to Kurou, and Nemui adjusted her large light blue glasses. She wondered that as well. She really didn't have many secrets she wished to protect, other than her love of manga or the extent of the bullying she received, but she wasn't entirely opposed to others finding out about those. I guess I don't necessarily want anyone to find out... but it wouldn't be the end of the world if they did..

"I think it's safe to say all of us, but if not, at least a vast majority or someone would have walked away by now."

"..I actually do not have a terrible secret to protect.." She responded, tilting her head at Kurumi. As far as she knew, Kurumi didn't have any secrets either, except that she wouldn't tell anyone who her first boyfriend was. Nemui let out a soft sigh, letting her fingers caress the bill of her blue baseball cap. It was kind of depressing that her sister didn't trust her with her secret, it kind of made Nemui irritated, seeing as she shared everything with her older sister, "I didn't know that you had such a horrible secret, Kuru-chii." Nemui responded, a slight twinge of annoyance in her tone. There was an obvious rift forming between the two Kitomura sisters. The air was just a bit more tense than before.

"Just like what Kurumi-san, says. We have a secret or two, that are better off not known. Don't you think so, too Kuu-nii?"

Apparently Nemui had more in common with Yukito than she realized, because suddenly he was making an indirect jab at Kurou, his older brother. She was smart enough to read into the subtlety of Yukito's words, but she couldn't help but wonder what was going on between those two. She knew vaguely what her own sister's lie of omission was about, but Kurou came across as a simple and primal man. What on Earth could a guy like him have to hide? A pizza?

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head, "It doesn't matter though, unless someone refuses, their secrets are safe."

Nemui nodded in agreement, finding assurance in Himeko's words, even though Nemui's secrets weren't as big. She wondered if the others were blowing their secrets out of proportion or if their secrets were truly far more incriminating. She suddenly felt like a child compared to everyone else, far more innocent and untainted.. She knew it was a good thing, but she definitely felt inadequate while sitting among them.

"Well, then, Leech-kun. Time to have a new King. Let's take a look.. who shall be King this time around."

Nemui let out a soft sigh, not really looking forward to continuing the game. She knew that she didn't have a choice, because whether or not she revealed her secrets, Kurumi would tie her to a chair before letting her step out of the room. She figured Yukito wouldn't allow anyone to quit so easily either, judging by how much he seemed to be enjoying himself. She was stuck playing for an entirely different reason than everyone else, so she had to make the best of a horrible situation.

"Uhm, Kitomura-kun? I don't think it's nice to call someone a Leech."

Nemui covered her mouth quickly with both hands, silently giggling to herself. She was careful to not make a sound, because she was sure that Aina had hit a nerve. It was funny to hear someone disagree with him, much like how Himeko had done the day before. That was the first time she had heard anyone yell at the idol, so she was quite surprised when the long haired beauty had come to her rescue in such a manner. A light blush formed on her cheeks, and she began to feel guilty for doubting Himeko. There was no way that Himeko would risk social suicide just to make fun of her, so she was now certain that the other girl's advances for friendship had to be genuine.

"It's fine Malik-san. I'm fine with it. I got it. Let's start."

After Shin took the sticks and held them out, Nemui gingerly snatched one from his hand, peeking at it before laying it face down in her lap. She could feel a ball of nervousness forming in her stomach, and Nemui wrapped her arms around her figure. Her blue jean shorts hiked up a bit, but they were long and baggy enough that it didn't show a lot of skin. Besides, her green, yellow, and white basketball shirt was large enough to almost sleep in. For once her nails were painted and she wore her red stud earrings, but she doubted that anyone noticed. No one ever looked at a girl like her long enough to notice those finer details anyhow.

"It seems I'm the King this time around."

Nemui felt her entire body grow cold. He was the last person she wanted to see become king. In fact, if Yukito ever became a true monarch, she would certainly flee the country before accepting his reign. She was almost certain that he would abuse his new power, because he definite did so at school. He put a target on her back without thinking twice about it, so she did not have a lot of faith that he would go easy on anyone now. Please don't say three, please don't say three... Nemui began to silently pray, closing her eyes as she waited for him to announce his order.

"All right then, King's Orders. Number eight and number two will be chained together with this."

She let out a sigh of relief, her golden brown eyes opening again once she realized she was safe, but a dark blush covered her cheeks as her eyes landed on the handcuffs. She was a few months older than Yukito, and even she wasn't sure where a kid their age could get ahold of something so scandalous. Why did he have bondage items and how on earth did he get them? Who did he have them for? An intense shiver ran up her spine, deciding that some questions were better off NOT answered. She did not wish to know who he had them in mind of.

"for the rest of the weekend... Saturday and Sunday. Of course, it can't be taken off. I made precautions against that. It can only unlocked with this and by me."

"E-Evil.. My brother is an evil sadist..." Nemui whispered under her breath, glancing over at Kurumi. She wondered who would be the next victims, hoping that her sister would be safe, even if the older girl didn't seem to trust her. Nemui's eyes shifted around the room, attempting to figure out who had the sticks numbered two and eight.

"I'm number eight. What are the chances of two rounds in a row..?"

Himeko was number eight, yet again a victim of the game. Nemui shot Himeko an apologetic smile, hoping that the other girl wouldn't hate her for inviting her to this game. Honestly, Nemui had never played this game before, and in all of the manga it never got this serious. This group was a bunch of sadists, Kurumi and Yukito especially.

"I'm number two."

Nemui almost laughed when she realized the same two people were chosen yet again. The group was rather small, so she understood the odds, but it was still rather strange that it happened two turns in a row. She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling sorry for the duo, but she was also relieved that it wasn't her. She felt bad for it, but she knew she wouldn't be able to handle being chained to anyone in the room other than Kurumi.

"This game is definitely rigged."

Nemui couldn't help but agree with Himeko, but she was more logical than that. She knew it was simply an anomaly, but she didn't want to be the know-it-all in the group, at least just this once she wanted to be as normal as she could possibly be. Even though this experience was nerve wracking and traumatic, she was somewhat happy to be here too. For once she felt as though she fit in, even though she was currently the 'goody-two shoes' of the group. Aina was in her category, but it seemed she had some kind of secret to protect as well, so she was unsure of how much of a 'good girl' Aina truly was. It made her kind exterior seem like an act, but Nemui said nothing.

"Just do it."

"Y-You're so brave, Hime-chan." Nemui responded, her eyes wide, sparkling with admiration. She would have never been able to make the first move, but it seemed that Himeko was beginning to thrive in this game, despite how much it seemed to bother her. Nemui was a quiet person, so she noticed a lot more than others gave her credit for. Himeko was putting on a brave face, but she was definitely affected by the kiss. Nemui wondered if it was her first one, seeing as Nemui hadn't had her first kiss either. She couldn't imagine losing it like that... She was a hopeless romantic, so Nemui secretly hoped to lose it to someone she loved at a perfect moment, like under light in a warm isolated cabin during a terrible snow storm or outside in the pouring rain after a passionate confession. I'm so childish.. like that would ever happen.. Get a grip

"My number is seven,"

"You have good luck then, Malik-Senpai..." Nemui replied, still trying to gauge the exotic girl's personality. She did not know her very well, and the fact that such a 'nice' girl hadn't tried to leave yet really made Nemui feel suspicious. What exactly was this girl hiding? She couldn't help but feel uneasy about someone who acted so innocent but had so much to hide from others, especially since the girl in question was inside of her home, "I-I guess we just move on after they're cuffed then.... H-Himeko-chan, it's your turn to pass out the sticks."



"D-Does anyone want cake? I baked one for the occassion.." Nemui ran off towards the kitchen, her blue socks making soft pitter patter noises as she left and carefully returned with the cake in tow. It was already cut into predetermined slices, with thirteen large strawberries on top designed in a circle so everyone would have at least one on their slice, five lucky people would have two strawberries however. Nemui put her own slice in front of where she sat on the coffee table, looking up to see who wanted one, "I-It took forever to find good strawberries. So I hope everyone enjoys it." She chimed with a small laugh. She absolutely loved baking, it was her favorite kind of cooking and she wanted to display her abilities while everyone who mattered was in the room, her stepfather and mother excluded. Her mother was never around long enough to know how good of a baker her youngest daughter had become.

---

---

"I didn't know that you had such a horrible secret, Kuru-chii."

"Frankly, it's no one's damn business what My secrets are. Okay?" Kurumi stated in a calm sigh, shutting her sister's curiosity down before it spread. She was not going to humor her sister's sudden nosiness. She had never asked before, so she wasn't going to put up with this annoying wave of curiosity. Her mood was a bit sour, but she slowly smoothed out her figurative feathers that were all ruffled up. It went without saying that Nemui didn't have much to hide, which ticked Kurumi off. She couldn't help but be a bit envious. She would change her past if she could, but that was currently beyond impossible.

"I have to agree with you there. Even I have something I'm not willing to fess up about."

Currently, they both were looking very suspicious in front of their siblings, but Kurumi just leaned back against the couch, adjusting her spot on the arm of it with a sigh, "Someone is stalling~" she chimed in a pleasant tone, changing the subject in an expert manner. She didn't want to be seen as sketchy, so she used the game to get everyone back on point, "Can we get back to the game please?" she smiled sweetly, clapping her hands together. She wished to get started, mostly because her legs were beginning to ache. She needed to take some medication, but that required going upstairs. Kurou wasn't her only secret, she also had multiple sclerosis and was NOT willing to tell anyone.

"Let's start."

Kurumi was glad that Shin was on the same page, though on the flip side Yukito had to give him a verbal shove as well... She plucked one of the sticks from the assortment and placed it on her lap. She wouldn't read it unless it ended up being her. She didn't feel like it, especially while dealing with the pain in her legs. She watched everyone else retrieve their sticks, wondering who was the king.

"It seems I'm the King this time around. All right then, King's Orders. Number eight and number two will be chained together with this for the rest of the weekend... Saturday and Sunday. Of course, it can't be taken off. I made precautions against that. It can only unlocked with this and by me."

She was surprised, but definitely intrigued when she realized it was Yukito's turn. She wasn't sure what he would choose, but she was certain that it wouldn't be boring. She smirked a bit, closing her eyes. She definitely was glad that everyone had gotten together for this game. There was no way she would back down, because she wasn't the same person as she used to be, not at all. Unlike Nemui, she was far more confident. It was almost as if Kurumi had stolen Nemui's childhood confidence. She knew that such a thing wasn't possible, but it was quite strange.

"I'm number eight. What are the chances of two rounds in a row..?"

Well, one number down, one more to go.. Kurumi thought to herself, taking a drink of water as she waited to see if anyone else came forward. She was confident, especially now that she knew she would at worst be chained to another girl. This was reassuring enough to make her uninterested with looking to her number, "I'm not good at math, but considering there are only eight of us, so I'm going to assume it's quite likely..?"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to remove it when Monday comes."

That's totally reassuring, not.. Kurumi thought with a quiet scoff. She said nothing however, considering that it was currently none of her business. The second person had still not come forward after all, and there was still decent time to do so.

"You better not lose that key, or I swear no one will be able to stop me from killing you."

"Now who better watch out Otouto~?" Kurumi mused to her younger stepbrother, giggling a bit, amused by Himeko. Although the girl didn't seem to like her, Kurumi definitely liked Himeko. She had spunk and Kurumi could definitely respect that. She knew she'd feel the same way in this girl's current situation.

"I'm number two."

Well... maybe not... Since it is Ogawa-San. She had to admit that she wouldn't mind being handcuffed to Shin, but two days was a bit extreme. When would they shower? When would they use the bathroom? This was highly intrusive even for Yukito. She even blushed a little bit for their sake, realizing the two would be in an awkward situation. They wouldn't even be able to wear clothes that didn't have removable straps or untied, "Good luck you two. You're going to need it." Kurumi giggled in amusement, hiding her mouth behind her fist to muffle the sound. She didn't mean to laugh, but their luck was absolutely horrible. She simply couldn't help it.

"This game is definitely rigged."

She had to disagree, seeing as this was simply a game of chance, but she didn't say anything. She nodded in agreement for Himeko's sake. Even though she was technically lying by pretending to agree, she knew in some way it reassured Himeko a bit.

"Maybe. Though for your sake, I suggest you never take up gambling.Look on the bright side. I could've drawn the other stick."

"He's right. Anyone would be burdened to have a guy like him at the other end of their handcuffs.. At least it's Ogawa-San. It's not that bad. I honestly wouldn't mind." Kurumi left all flirtation out of her tone, but her words were hinting towards an underlying attraction. She also made this statement to strategically get Yukito off of her back. Kurou was making worse statements, having flirted with nearly the entire room with the kissing statement last turn. She did feel a bit dirty for making a comment in front of Kurou, but it was necessary to throw Yukito off their trail. To clear her own conscious, Kurumi also reminded herself that it was not important, Kurou had dropped her like a broken toy, so why did she care?

"Just do it."

She didn't seem happy about it, but Himeko stood up first. She had to admit that she was being bold, but still, she didn't understand why anyone would mind being chained to Shin. He was quite attractive, and he wasn't rude or cruel like Kurou typically chose to be. She truly agreed with Kurou's statement that being chained to him would be much worse.

"D-Does anyone want cake? I baked one for the occassion.. I-It took forever to find good strawberries. So I hope everyone enjoys it."

"Looks good, but I'll pass. Thanks for the offer."

"He's right, it looks amazing, Ne-chan." Kurumi hadn't ate a single thing the entire game. She didn't even drink a soda. She had a bottle of water, and that was it. In fact, she had never eaten sweets in front of anyone present, aside from Nemui when the two of them were younger, "I'll take one piece..." She smiled, standing to retrieve a plate and put one slice on it herself. After the jab she'd received from her sister, she didn't want to ask Nemui for even the smallest favor. Keeping her secrets was difficult, especially knowing how much it was hurting Nemui, but Kurumi refused to jeopardize her secrets. She didn't want anyone to know, because as much as it was embarrassing that she needed a fake boyfriend, she was also ashamed of her disease as well. She wished it wasn't like this, but she knew dreaming did nothing. She took a bite of her cake, then ate the strawberry topping, "Delicious." The icing and cake breading wasn't sitting right in her stomach, but she would try to eat as much as she could without getting sick.

---

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█ ♪It was entertaining to see that Paranoia girl still has some spunk inside of her. This also goes for the exotic girl who apparently has a preference over Shin. This was indeed getting more entertaining. "There is no need to be spiteful. This is nothing more but a coincidence." He noted with a smile which was bordering politeness and careful assurance. "Leech-kun, do sit beside Katsukuwa-san." His voice was rather calm and affable as if chaining the two together was nothing more but a good discussion about the current weather.

Shin complied as he stood from his seat and took the spot beside Himeko. "Sorry." He stated after settling himself beside Himeko. Yukito then proceeded handcuffing them together with Himeko's left hand and Shin's right hand. "There you go, Do enjoy getting to know each other. You'll never know." He then looked towards his brother who noted that it would have gone worse if it was Kurou. He would beg to differ. His brother has an acute sense of disorder and Katsukuwa was the same in his opinion. He could sense that there was something between this two and that would have been a good choice instead.

But, Shin would do now. This would serve as his punishment for preventing him to lash out on the exotic. "Just be careful, the paparazzi don't see you later." That was of course the reality, Shin was truly a famous persona as a model and sought out bachelor. It would be a good story for the media to eat after, Shin denied any relations to the one dubbed as Coffee Girl and now, they're chained together. This was like something you read in a romance story of hilarity.

After that, he returned to his former seat and pondered on what to do next. His reign as King had come to an end as he gathered the sticks and handed it to Himeko. "Good luck," Yukito was not really that affected whether he was forced to do something here at this game. It was also no consequence to him Kurumi tried to see though his secrets, because frankly, these girls would more likely leave this manor if they did know. So, it was really not that bad for him to stay in this game. He only does this for the fun factor of messing everyone up.

Then, Nemui presented some of her baking prowess. That was hateful. This girl even if legally considered as family. It doesn't mean she could do whatever she pleases in a kitchen that once belonged to his mother. "Such a beautiful cake, Nemui-san. Thank you for the treat." He noted with that sincere admiration for the craft work. Of course, that was not true at the very sense. He wanted nothing more but to throw it away in the trash can. "I hope you don't mind, but I am rather starved for strawberries." There is truth behind that. He and Kurou are indeed avid fans of strawberries.

It is a reminder and a thing which they had inherited from their mother which makes him resentful of the girls more especially Nemui. "If I take this one." He took a piece where there are two strawberries and then took a bite. "This is delicious." He gave an approving nod. "It would be a waste not having a taste, Suzuki-san. Have some." He looked at Ren and offered a piece from his own.

---

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♥█Aina was really thankful that she wasn't the one who was being chained with another. Still, she does feel bad for Shin and Himeko. They looked rather despondent and does not even see the brightness of being restrained together. She does understand that being tied together with someone, that is a stranger is a horrifying thing. It was a moment, she would experience every time she wakes up. That's why it would be impossible for her to be with someone. She was not someone meant to be married by anyone. She'll just be a burden.

Her eyes swayed towards Len when he didn't take the offer of cake. She remembered that he had much of a sweet tooth as she did back then when they were children. Did that change now? Somehow, that was inevitable, but she also felt sad about it. She shook the thoughts away inwardly and looked at the cake instead which was prepared by Nemui. It looked fantastic and reminded her the ones she would make with her mother. Those were such wonderful days.

"What a lovely cake, it felt like it would be a tragedy to eat it." She said with such clear admiration and truth in those words as her eyes looked at the cake in such a child-like wonder. "I hope you wouldn't mind if I take a piece?" She asked and took a sliced piece and put it on her plate. It reminded her of the strawberries she had yesterday. It was written on her journal and it was something she shared with Kurou. Her eyes traveled towards the said person as she smiled warmly. "Kitomura-san, you like strawberries, right?" She asked and then handed her plate to him, the piece with two strawberries. "Here."

She then took another plate for herself and noticed that the younger Kitomura was also fond of strawberries. "Kitomura-kun and Kitomura-san are fond of strawberries. Is it because your parents are the same?" This was but an honest observation and an innocent question. She really did not mean anything behind it as she then took a bite of her cake. "This is delicious!" Her smile was really radiant. "You're a wonderful baker!" She looks at Nemui with such a bright smile.

"Very true, Malik-san." Yukito entered the fray of conversation and then looked at Aina. "And to answer your question, our mother is an avid fan of strawberries and would manage to incorporate it into our meals." He answered the question with a tinge of gentleness and a smile. There was nothing out of place there, Aina nodded at this answer and somehow that explains a bit about the brothers' fondness of strawberries other than it being delicious on its own. "She sounds to be a lovely and fun person." This was her honest assessment from what she had heard.

"Yes, she was." At that hint, Aina felt something was up and was about to speak further when Shin interrupted. "It's time to get your sticks." Shin noted as he could sense that if the conversation take a bit deeper, It would not be best for two new connected families. Aina nodded her head as she understood what was being said without such loud words. That's why she focused on eating her cake. "All right." She then waited for the round to start while Yukito continued to eat in peace as if there was nothing wrong, though inside, he knew that Shin was getting to know him more than he should.

---

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█ ☠Once the handcuff was set, Shin felt a certain nostalgia. This was a sensation he was used to before he met Yukito. It came to a point where... He stopped his thoughts at that and vowed to keep that a secret. It will be the one he would take to his grave. He glanced towards Himeko. He does feel sorry for her for being dragged down into situations like these with him. He also knew well that Yukito was having a ball about it since, it would be seen as a fitting punishment.

Then, Yukito had to remind him of the paparazzi, literally the media who was rather earnest in knowing who he was going to have as a girlfriend. Why won't they just cut it out, already? There was also to take into consideration that he openly announced that Himeko has no connections with him, but if they were seen like this together. It was going to be a cover story yet again. He would also be called a liar and the media would probably make stories how madly in love he is with her and why he did it to protect her and so forth. Such nonsense... and basically it would be a circus.

It only meant that he would need to do something to make sure that he is not seen with Himeko which he believes would be something that she also prefers. The only question, where would they be staying at her place or his? From that, he could devise a more comfortable lifestyle for both of them for those two days. "Thanks for the tip." He sighed at this and then looked at the cake Nemui presented. It reminded him of something that Yukito would eat or even make.

"It looks good." He noted as his eyes lit up like Christmas lights. He was rather fond of sweets. "I'd like to have one." He said as he took a plate with just one strawberry on top. He used his left hand to reach, as not to cause discomfort to Himeko and even ate it in that away. It was hard since, he was not used in using his left hand, but it will have to do. "This is good." He said with wonder as he took another bite. It was clear that he meant what he said, and it was rather adorable in his own way as he ate as much as he could.

It was at that point, he heard about Aina's questions. He knew that the girl didn't mean anything behind it. She was simply asking, but that doesn't mean it could not be interpreted differently. That's why he intervened at that point and Aina understood, That was a good thing. He looked at Himeko. He was not pressuring her or anything. He just didn't want to get it messy as much as possible. It is true that the Fujioka and the Kitomura are now joined by legal means.

Still, Shin knew well enough that Yukito even with all of his smiles and gentle actions towards the sisters are not his real feelings on that matter. There are still things he doesn't understand about the idol, but he knew much about how he was very loving towards his mother who had passed away, and then came here a new family and all. It was a good thing that these brothers were keeping up with it as much as they could That was probably the same with the sisters.

It made him wonder if these four just clash it out. That was really worrisome.

"Sorry."

"Don't bother... I'm getting used to this to be honest.." She was partially telling the truth, but for the most part she was lying through her teeth. The blush on her cheeks that she could not control was defying her strong act, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't simply will it away. These rich bastards didn't care about how she felt, but this wasn't normal, she knew that there was nothing normal about this game. Did they truly believe this is what most teenagers did?

"There you go, Do enjoy getting to know each other. You'll never know."

"Whatever.." Himeko rolled her eyes, not even wanting to look at Yukito, let alone speak to him... Then there was a brief moment of silence. ... Well, this was extremely awkward.. With Shin to her right, she wondered if this could truly get any worse like Kurou had implied, "I'm not old enough to even think of gambling, but thanks for the advice..." She replied in an exhausted and halfhearted tone, even if it was slightly delayed due to the current events. She then turned her attention to Shin, "Unless you want a personal set of these, we can't go to my house. My father would try to cut your hand off and my mother would call the police..." she spoke quietly, being more discreet. She wished to keep as much as she could from Yukito for as long as possible. She truly did not like that boy. He made her contemplate murder more than once.

"Just be careful, the paparazzi don't see you later."

Himeko immediately smashed her palm against her face in dread. How were they supposed to make it anywhere with a bulky chain binding them together? She had totally forgotten about Shin being some big shot model for a moment. Suddenly she felt very burdened by his status, even though he was a complete stranger. Ever since she'd bumped into him the day before school started her life had been turned upside down. Everything was so complicated now, and she silently blamed him, but mostly Yukito. He made a bad situation much worse. At least Shin voiced being apologetic, even if she wasn't entirely sure that she believed him. She didn't notice Yukito gathering the sticks, but accepted them once he had. She let out a sigh, jumbling the sticks up for safe measure.

"Good luck,"

She wasn't sure if he was intentionally making a jab at her, but it damn sure felt like he was. She kept her mouth shut however, quite literally biting her tongue to keep quiet. She held out the sticks, letting everyone choose their sticks for the next round. After everyone grabbed her stick, she saw her's was the number six. She wasn't King yet, but she was surely going to condemn someone at least somewhat near as badly as she was suffering.

She silently stared at the piece of cake that she had received, putting the cake in Shin's lap before she even notice how much he was enjoying his slice, "You can have mine, Ogawa-San. I can't eat it. I'm lactose intolerant.. Gomenasai, Nemui-chan.." Himeko informed Nemui regretfully. She hated being strange, but it couldn't be helped. Ice cream, milk, she couldn't eat or drink anything of the like. It was a shame really, but it's just how her body functioned. When she noticed how Shin was eating his cake, she couldn't help but laugh at him. Once she had gotten that out of her system, Himeko noticed that Yukito was trying to convince Ren to eat a bite, "He might be full. Chips stick with the stomach after all." She responded, trying to repay him for sticking his neck out to distract her from the hell she was living, even at the risk of being personally targeted by Yukito.

"What a lovely cake, it felt like it would be a tragedy to eat it. I hope you wouldn't mind if I take a piece?"

Himeko found herself impressed by Aina's politeness, especially for a foreigner. Himeko did not know the exotic girl, but she seemed rather kind and naïve, similar to Nemui in that respect. She wondered what everyone was thinking, but tried her best to not stare at one person for too long, "So, who is king?" Himeko asked curiously, nervously playing with her hair with her free and non-cuffed hand. She just wanted to get this game over with, but she did wonder how this would work out, especially since they had to somehow avoid paparazzi AND couldn't go to her house.

"Kitomura-kun and Kitomura-san are fond of strawberries. Is it because your parents are the same?"

Himeko nearly stopped breathing as she brought up their parents. She knew that something terrible happened, because why else would the father have to remarry? Even simple divorce was tragic. Himeko wanted to change the topic, but for some reason her voice caught in her throat. Suddenly she could practically see Ren inside of the room. If he were here, Yukito would have never gotten her in those cuffs and she would not have had to kiss Shin. Ren would have punched the hell out of anyone who tried to force her to do anything... A tear fell down her cheek before she could stop it, and Himeko wiped it away as unnoticeably as she could manage. She truly missed her brother with every fiber of her being.

"And to answer your question, our mother is an avid fan of strawberries and would manage to incorporate it into our meals."

Himeko was surprised to hear about their mother. The only time she'd ever heard about their father was on television or at the wedding and she never once heard about the Kitomura boys' mother. For once Yukito seemed moderately human, but she tried to not be fooled by him. He was definitely the devil. She refused to let herself forget how horrible that angel faced blond truly was. She actually hated him more than Kurou by this point. Yukito went out of his way to make her life a living hell.

"She sounds to be a lovely and fun person."

Doesn't she realize she's treading on delicate ground? This family was just joined legally today, they don't need this kind of tension.. she wished to reach over and cover Aina's mouth, but thanks to these handcuffs she couldn't quite reach the girl even if she wanted to..

"Yes, she was."

Does that mean...? Is their mother... dead..? She knew how it felt, she nearly lost her own mother and she had lost her older brother. Death was something that Himeko was well associated with, so she picked up on it rather quickly compared to Aina who seemed about to ask another question. Something had to be done to stop her, because it would surely get insanely awkward, hostile, or worse, both.

"It's time to get your sticks."

"He's right, some of you haven't gotten yours yet. Let us continue the game." She chimed in with an awkward laugh. She wasn't certain that their mother was dead, but most normal individuals didn't refer to their family in past tense unless that was the case.. so she preferred that the subject had been changed. She let out a silent relieved sigh, her free hand against her chest. Thank God She retrieved another cherry soda, opening the can and taking another drink. This was the worst day ever.. Well, no, it wasn't, but it felt like it... Having a dead brother made it impossible for any day to be worse, at least until someone else that Himeko loved inevitably died.

Kurou Kitomura
Kurou Kitomura: Save in the name of true love!

||Thought Color = c2150f||||Speech Color = d6a91c||

---

Kurou thought long and hard about the strongest he had ever felt in his life, and he realized that the most emotion he had towards any single individual was his mother. People always say or imply that there's another person out there, on you can put all your trust, faith, and heart into, that you will love unconditionally and permanently. A love to rival even that you feel towards your family, perhaps. However, he never felt this way before --- at least until now.

She was perfect in everyway in his eyes. While most of her skin was a pale white, reddish dimples peppered her in the most fantastic way. A bit on the round side, for sure, but he could get over that easily. Honestly, it was love at first sight, and he was already questioning how he had lived up to this point without her. Why hadn't she come into his life earlier?

"D-Does anyone want cake? I baked one for the occasion.."

This was how "she" was introduced to Kurou. He would remember this moment for the rest of his life. Kurou did not want to share her with anybody, he wanted her for himself, but "she" was a cake, and "she" wasn't his alone to have, no matter how much he desired that to be the case. He grudgingly accepted this cruel twist of fate and instead watched as she was torn apart by the others, whom all managed to grab plates while he was stunned by "her" beauty. What a mistake on his part, but it seemed like there was enough of "her" to go around, so he settled for taking a piece after everybody seemed to have done so. Kurou looked Nemo in the eyes for but a brief moment, a determined look more than anything, and simply nodded to her. She had done well, and he would acknowledge this fact because of it. Soon though, he sat back down and began dining on the cake, taking little time to finish it. It was so good, and he was already raring to go for another piece.

Aina's voice stopped him from doing so. She had apparently not noticed his first plate and offered him another. Judging by its size, he could afford to eat another piece without being murdered by the rest of the group. Well, even if that wasn't the case, he probably would've snatched another piece regardless. He looked at Aina. Deeply into her eyes, and he seemed almost on the verge of tearing up. She had given him strawberries the day before, and now today too. What did this mean? Was this... was this love that he felt right now? His heart was beating a bit faster than normal, and he didn't seem irritated right now. Maybe.... maybe love was when someone continued granting you strawberries, he thought.

No, that's not really it.

He hadn't truly felt "love" before, at least the kind that involved people that weren't related to him, so he couldn't say with absolute certainty, but this feeling he had... it was probably temporary. There was little chance that he actually had fallen for this exotic woman so fast, and acting on impulse he would be foolish. For now, he had to regain his sanity and not do things he might regret in the future. What if, 20 years down the line if he and she had ended up hooking up, that there weren't any strawberries in the relationship? Then what? He just sold his life to someone because of a small "crush" - if you could even call it that - and now he was doomed to a life with not as much strawberries he could be having. He would always look back on this moment with regret, then.

"A-arigato." he thanked her. Despite realizing all of that, the face he made was closer to an awestruck boy who was in love, at least that is possibly how it might have appeared to the others who witnessed it. It did not help that he was thankful enough that he didn't even bother hiding his thanks beyond some tsundere-ish words or the sort, like he would normally do. His words to her were much different than they were to anybody else, another thing anybody familiar with him might pick up on.

Kurou devoured the slice with an extra strawberry on it just as fast as before, but ended up enjoying it less, despite all his theatrics and the sort that occurred prior. It was because the very same girl he was just admiring had brought up perhaps the worst topic in the world that she could have. Up until she had mentioned that, Kurou almost seemed quite please. There wasn't necessarily a smile on his face, but he didn't have that scowl either. He looked determined to enjoy the cake, but now that all changed.

"Kitomura-kun and Kitomura-san are fond of strawberries. Is it because your parents are the same?" Aina inquired, apparently oblivious to the situation they were in.

The elder Kitomura was willing to ignore this, since she was a classmate who did not just attend the wedding they were at. She was also a foreigner, so how would she even know if she hadn't been explicitly told about things, right? He didn't bother thinking too much on the subject, allowing Yuki to deal with it.

"And to answer your question, our mother is an avid fan of strawberries and would manage to incorporate it into our meals." his brother wore a reminiscent look on his face as he spoke. Kurou too remembered the meals that his mother made, and how they almost always included strawberries in some form or another. He missed those days.

"She sounds to be a lovely and fun person." but Aina hadn't caught on just yet. Sure, it wasn't the easiest thing to pick up, but still...

Kurou absolutely loathed being reminded of that event. He could still hear the loud bang as the trigger of a gun was being pulled, and he hadn't forgotten what it felt like the moment he came to the realization that his mother was dead.

"She's---" Kurou was about to begin, but Yuki ended up cutting him off. Kurou hadn't really spoken that loud, so it was likely he hadn't even been heard by most, probably for the better. Yuki gave a response more calm and composed than Kurou's would have been, so he opted to leave it at that, and the subject had been changed by none other than "Leech-kun", who had likely noticed where this was about to be headed. But the damage had been done, at least to Kurou's mood. There was not a single trace of that less-scowly Kurou that was there just a minute ago. He began to crack each of his digits individually at a fair pace as he thought back to the last time he had enjoyed something his mother had made. Why did it have to be so long ago? What a cruel world this was, and what an idiot he was for being so blindly optimistic and kind back then too.

"Kitomura-kun and Kitomura-san are fond of strawberries. Is it because your parents are the same?"

Kurumi, having lost her father at a young age understood how insensitive a question like that truly was. She couldn't help but lose her appetite, placing her half eaten slice of cake on the coffee table. She took a drink of water to wash the icing out of her mouth, not looking to anyone directly. This wasn't even about her dead parent and she already wanted to change the subject. All she could think about was her father hooked up to so many IVs and that see through mask on his face that kept him breathing. Her fingers immediately began trembling, and she stuffed them inside of her hoodie as soon as she noticed. She never usually approached the topic, seeing as Nemui took the loss of their father the hardest, but Kurumi missed him every day as well. She noticed that Himeko was wiping away a tear, and wondered how many people here were victims of broken homes. It was such a sad and terrible thing that so many could take one question and their whole day was dampened.

"And to answer your question, our mother is an avid fan of strawberries and would manage to incorporate it into our meals."

Kurumi smiled a bit when Yukito used the word 'is' because it was present tense, implying that their mother was still alive, but if she were, why did their father marry her mother? She was certain there was more to this story, but unlike Aina, Kurumi did not wish to step on a landmine. She knew that discussing parents with strangers was never a good idea. Too many people their age were growing up without parents. It was rude to assume that someone had both. She knew Aina wasn't trying to be rude, but ignorance was not always bliss. She really hoped that the girl's oblivious nature would ease up over time, for Aina's own sake. Kurumi opened her water bottle before taking a quiet drink out of it, taking long gulps before closing it once again. She placed it next to her plate of cake, rubbing the back of her neck. This wasn't exactly appropriate small talk...

"She sounds to be a lovely and fun person."

Of course complimenting someone's parents was usually a good way to go, but she still had a bad feeling about this topic. The air in the room could have been sliced with a butter knife at this point. The entire room felt tense, and it gave Kurumi the creeps. What exactly was going on? She wanted to change the topic, like now.. but some of the others had not chosen their sticks.

"She's---"

"Yes, she was."

Kurumi narrowed her eyes a bit realizing that Yukito had beat Kurou to the punch. She never would have known had she not been looking in Kurou's direction when his lips began moving. Then Yukito's words confirmed it. Their mother truly was dead, just like her father. She didn't understand it though. He had spoke of her in present tense a moment ago, but now he all but verified that she had passed on. Kurumi closed both eyes, feeling rather depressed all of a sudden. I never knew that his mom died... When did that happen...? She couldn't help but wonder when, because there were so many unanswered questions that she had for Kurou. She knew that she could never ask them, because she honestly did not want to talk about her own father, so how could she expect him to talk about his mother? She was alive when she first fell for Kurou, so the death was definitely more recent than her father's passing.. so she doubted they were in a better place than she and Nemui currently were, as far as grieving was concerned.

"It's time to get your sticks."

Kurumi brought her finger up to her lip in a shushing motion, hoping Aina would get the hint. She knew that the kind girl wasn't trying to damage the mood of the room, but she was being very successful in doing so anyhow... Kurumi herself could have cried if she was the same person she was in junior high. Suddenly Kurumi realized that she had not drawn a stick, so she switched her attention to Himeko and she plucked one from the bunch, eyes widening when she realized that she had the King stick. She immediately had a grin on her face, nodding a bit. She had a little while to come up with an order, so she sat on the right arm of the longest couch, where Nemui, Shin, and Himeko also sat with a pensive expression on her face. She had to come up with something good, but she had to be careful as well. She didn't want to condemn the innocent into something terrible. She had a lot of thinking to do before making her announcement, but she didn't have a whole bunch of time. She had to act quickly. What if I choose the wrong numbers...? What if it's Kurou or Nemui...?

"He's right, some of you haven't gotten yours yet. Let us continue the game."

"I'm King this round.." Kurumi announced after everyone retrieved their stick, holding up her own as proof. She then smiled very sweetly to the group, feeling confident in her choice. Kurumi left a moment of silence before letting out a calm breath. She knew it wasn't as risque as the others, but it wasn't child's play either, unless the two involved made it that way, "The King orders that number five has to listen to ALL orders given by three for an entire week. No exceptions." She stated, making a tsk, tsk noise while waving one finger. Kurumi looked around, trying to figure out who her victims were, but no one had revealed their stick yet. Suddenly she was quite impatient, wishing to know who she'd thrown under the bus, because her gut told her that she'd made a mistake. She no longer felt confident after speaking her order out loud. Perhaps it was just the pain she felt in her legs, or even the processed sugar in the cake? Either way, she knew that she did not feel right about something, so she decided to ask, "Who's numbers five and three?" she inquired with a curious tone, tilting her head. She tapped her finger against her cheek with her glossy pink lips lightly puckered in an adorable manner.

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"That and I can't be full yet, because I need to eat dinner with my obaa-chan. But, really thanks."

Nemui shook her head, a smile on her face as she responded to Ren, "I-It's alright. It's nice to hear that you care so much about your Obaa-san." She was being genuine, trying to remember the last time she'd seen her grandparents. Three of them were dead, but she still had one living grandmother, on her father's side. This reminded her that she should go visit them, before she lost her chance forever. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with her grandmother now, even if she was suffering from dementia.


"Kitomura-kun and Kitomura-san are fond of strawberries. Is it because your parents are the same?"

She wasn't aware of the landmine that Aina had stepped on, but Nemui felt her gut wrenching as it was brought up. She took a big bite of her own slice of cake, trying to distract herself from the conversation as much as possible. Her father was dead, so any time that 'parents' were mentioned she always felt her chest tighten in agony. She still wasn't entirely over the loss of her father and something told her that she never would be. He was such an amazing man, she doubted that anyone would be able to replace him. She never wanted anyone to be able to. She gladly clung to his memory, even if it hurt.

"And to answer your question, our mother is an avid fan of strawberries and would manage to incorporate it into our meals."

Nemui smiled bitterly, vaguely remembering how her father would often sacrifice the cherry on his desserts because he knew that Nemui enjoyed eating them. This often made Kurumi jealous when they were children, but Nemui understood the reaction. Their father did have a bad habit of making it obvious that Nemui was his favorite, it was one of his few vices. He didn't do it purposely, but the entire family knew. Nemui didn't realize it until it was far too late, but she had over chewed on the piece she'd taken, finally swallowing it.

"She sounds to be a lovely and fun person."

Nemui gripped her fork, instinctively taking another bite. It kept her from speaking, which was definitely something she certainly did NOT need to do. Anything she had to say in this mood would be much too harsh and irreversible. She chewed slowly this time, trying to make this piece last longer than the one before it. Suddenly she wasn't so enthusiastic. She wanted to go upstairs and forget this evening, but she suddenly had a new obligation.

"Yes, she was."

"It's time to get your sticks."

She was glad that Shin interrupted the conversation, but Nemui did not liven up compared to Himeko, Kurumi and the others. She was still feeling moody, and she still was thinking about her father. A change of subject would not immediately remedy the horrible wrenching she felt in her torso. She hated how phony everyone else was being. She clenched her free hand into a tight fist, letting out a silent sigh of annoyance. She was no longer in the proper spirits for this game.

"He's right, some of you haven't gotten yours yet. Let us continue the game."

Seeing as quitting was no longer an option, Nemui chose a stick from Himeko's hand without giving it much thought. She was beginning to think that she might be lucky, like Aina, but she didn't want to become too optimistic. She learnt from her father that when one became too cocky it was usually when a stroke of bad luck would arise for that person. She let out a soft sigh, shivering a bit. At first she thought it was simply her nerves, but Nemui brushed her arms with her palms and realized she was truly freezing. The living room was abnormally cold this evening, because usually she didn't have to worry about the clothes that she decided to wear.

"I'm King this round.."

She was a bit relieved when her sister drew the King stick, hoping that this round would be a little more tame. Perhaps a fate her sister chose wouldn't be so bad? Nemui chewed her bottom lip before taking a bite of the cake she'd prepared, opting for one piece with less strawberries. She didn't want to fight her brothers over something they seemed to love immensely. She understood, because she only took up cooking because there was no one else in the home that knew how, but also because her father would often complain about how much he loved a home-cooked meal. Her mother often refused to cook, which made Nemui sad after their father died, because his request wasn't too difficult. In fact, she rather loved cooking, but that might have been because it reminded her of her father.

"The King orders that number five has to listen to ALL orders given by three for an entire week. No exceptions. Who's numbers five and three?"

Nemui checked her stick as she took a bite out of the strawberry on top of her cake, letting go of her fork immediately as she saw her number was five. The fork thankfully didn't drop, but instead stuck out of her mouth, still connected to her strawberry. She sat frozen for a moment, but took the fork out slowly and swallowed hard, "I-I'm number five." She announced in a timid manner, revealing her stick. She only hoped that the person 'in charge' of her would go easy on her. Nemui's golden eyes shifted around the room in attempt to gauge everyone else's expressions. She half hoped that someone forgot to draw stick number three or that it had been misplaced so that there could be a redraw. She did not want to be someone's slave for an entire week. She had a job and she also had to study, she didn't have time for anyone's selfish whims. Not to mention she had to finish her manga! She couldn't wait to find out which boy the main heroine would choose and she was not about to let anyone keep her from that discovery.

Nemui closed her eyes for a moment, letting a sigh out. For once, she kind of wanted to punch Kurumi. An answer hadn't come yet, so Nemui decided to speak her hope aloud, although she withheld hopefulness from her tone, "Maybe number three got dropped somewhere?" she announced in an innocent and concerned tone. She was faking the concern of course, and began twirling her short hair around her finger, to hide her nervousness. She was practically praying that it would be the case. Besides, what if the person who was in charge decided to be a pervert? Kurumi had clearly stated 'no exceptions'... that had her very worried. There were certain things that Nemui just simply wasn't comfortable doing...

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█ ♪It was brief but Yukito knew that his brother was probably in one of those moods again, perpetually in it until further notice. It was also the same for him. The topic of their mother will always be a delicate subject for them. It was a wound that has not even scabbed yet and from his point of view will never do so. He does make a good cover up that it was never seen on him. He was simply a boy moving on with his life. He wasn't offended by what that exotic girl had asked. It was thoughtless, but it was without malice. It is amazing though that the most innocent things hurt the most. Just like that, he continued to eat his strawberry cake.

"I guess another round it is." He picked out his stick and looked at the number with a simple nod. There was nothing else to do at that point. He was not the King though, that was too bad, he still had a lot of idea that he would want to try on the others. Well, he could always have another means of doing that without the need for this game. That thought made him inwardly smirked while keeping his ever proper and amiable mask completely in placed. In truth, everything has changed inside of him, like his older brother, he was not that silly kid that their mother would need to cuddle anymore.

It was at that point when Kurumi revealed that she was the King this time around. What would be her pleasure then? It was simple master and servant relationship for an entire week. Somehow, he knew that Kurumi had soften. She might have felt awful after the two orders or maybe about the topic of death. He wasn't as ignorant as they were. Did they really think he did not do any background checking on them when his good-for-nothing father announced that he will remarry to a woman with kids of her own. He knew much what happened to their father, but it doesn't factor in that he would say they're kindred spirits. It was far from that.

He then recalled his number in inner pleasure. What they might think as a simple thing and probably Nemui's wishful thinking were never a possibility. Things were always in his favor and what could he say. It was probably the way of the universe of making his life completely awry with that splatter of blood. "I apologize, Nemui-san, but," He then showed his numbered stick which showed the number... "I am number three." He offered an apologetic smile. It was crystal perfect, there was not even an error in the execution of that expression of his.

In truth, he was going to have a lot of fun with her. He was going to enjoy Nemui for a whole week without fail and unlike his brother who the primary example of a seething caveman. He was not. "I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right?" He lowered his plate on the nearby table as he was finished eating his part and gave a kind smile towards to an entity that he has to interpret as a sister. Really, what has the world come to? He would never know. "Do not worry, I will take care of you."

That is indeed an assuring statement of his, but Yukito never meant any part of it as anything positive. He will show her or appropriately them, that this will never be a family. Never, because they never are.

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♥█Aina wanted at this moment to crawl in some hole and disappear. She knew that her fellow white-haired senior did his best to diffuse the situation, but the damage had been done. The earlier tensed atmosphere because of the ridiculous orders changed into another kind with a somber note. She also noticed that Kitomura, the older one changed from his rather cheery and childlike moment into that of a pensive and frustrated scowl. This was clearly her fault and she should have not entertained her curiosity from the beginning. She bit her lower lip in a show of her own regret even if the younger Kitomura seemed unaffected. It was not the same for everyone in the room after all.

They lost a mother. She would not be a hypocrite and say that she knew how they were feeling. Yes, they have a similar experience but the emotions they had at that moment are only theirs alone. As for her, she could never ever forget it. That was the last thing she had been allowed to remember. Every morning, waking up to that horrifying scene and experiencing all of it for the first time always. Always, coming to the terms of her current reality and moved on. It was... She wouldn't want anyone to be burdened with that.

She looked at the stick she had picked. It was not the number that had been spoken by the new King who was her fellow classmate, Fujioka... Ah, that is right, they were now family with Kitomura. They were trying to move on, don't they? That was good, it was compared to her that will always be stuck and left behind. She was never allowed to move on, it must have been the price to pay for her to survive. She really should have died back then. She shook her head and inwardly slapped herself. If she doesn't stop negatively, it would be a bad thing for her grandfather. Right now, she can't leave him. He was the only family she has left.

She focused herself on other things like the order which was that number five would follow all number three's orders for the entire week, no exceptions. That was not something new or was it completely harsh, but that depends on the person involved again. She doesn't think it would be a terrible thing especially, if the pair are both girls. The boys also seemed to hold an air of decency and won't overused that authority, but then again, she has her doubts about the younger Kitomura who seemed to have a myriad of ideas. Anyway, it was soon revealed that it would be the wonderful baker and the younger Kitomura. He seemed to be nice and even saying that he will take care of her. She must be wrong. This was not a bad round at all.

Her eyes lingered towards Len for a bit who seemed completely at ease and said something about him having to eat dinner with his grandmother. He had always been considerate of other people. She couldn't help but smile ever so small. He was still the sweet Len she knew, just all grown up which meant that she could not drag him to her problems. She can't do that to him. She then looked at the older Kitomura who seemed to be closed off once more. A lot different when she offered that cake slice. She didn't want to down the mood again by speaking outloud. She was near to him as she leaned a bit forward, for his ears only. She would also apologize to the younger Kitomura when she has the chance. "Sorry, Kitomura-san for my thoughtless words. I really am." Her voice has a melancholic gentle with her sincerity and empathy that she had a similar experience, of course, it was very subtle and not used as an excuse.

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█ ☠The atmosphere never returned. Shin knew it was by a long shot, but this was supposed to be a night of fun and bonding right? Then again, it started with threats and such. There was nothing fun about it. He looked at Yukito who seemed to be perfectly calm and rather unaffected. He knew that not to be true at all. Losing a parent... It was something one could never get over with, specifically, a loved one. No one could get over that and it shouldn't be a bad thing if one doesn't as well. He released a soft sigh, before looking towards the other Kitomura, the older one.

Shin doesn't know him personally, but he could tell that the guy was not in the best of moods, not the same as before. He couldn't really blame Aina for it as well, because the girl was ignorant about the entire situation. The damage has been done as he looked at the number of his stick and then to revelation that Kurumi was the King of this round. It would be a good thing that in this turn, he wouldn't be involved in any of the orders and if it was not a long stretch, his current chained partner as well. They already had to go through much and the weekend to survive this chained situation of theirs.

It seemed his wish was granted this much as the next participants of the order was not them but was Yukito and Nemui. Well, that was not good. It was a given that the order could be harmless, playful, but nothing grand in its scale. That would work if Yukito was not involved, but that was not the case at all. Nemui would have a hellish time for sure. He could already see it and he couldn't help but curse the younger girl's luck. He could restrict Yukito's machinations if he is present and such, but he can't be there always, especially when the two are officially by law are siblings. They have more time together than anyone.

"I guess that rounds it up." He cast a glance towards Yukito who did not even turned his way. The pop idol does really know how to handle himself isn't it? It was also probably the reason why he knew that Yukito loathed him to a degree, because even without needing to speak, he could tell... what the younger male wanted. But, that was not because he was a mind reader or anything. It was because, he had always been looking at him. He will always watch over him and because of that, he learned a lot of things about him.

"Next round then." He noted as he wanted the flow of the game to be a continuous one. If something gets on going, it could alleviate the somber tone of Aina's questioning had brought. It was also a way of a distraction if possible. This may be insensitive or anything, but this was reality, no one wanted to talk about losing someone they cared for, because that would open up a lot of wounds, even his.

He lost his mother too, not in the way the Kitomura boys did, but to a villain that pride itself in giving a slow and agonizing death. He watched someone so beautiful slowly wilted before his eyes and he couldn't even do a thing about it. He couldn't protect her or avenge her. The world is unfair. It always has been. He stopped his thoughts at that.

"Who's next?" He asked as he handed out his stick to start the next round.

"That and I can't be full yet, because I need to eat dinner with my obaa-chan. But, really thanks."

"Sounds about like one of my home's traditions. That's really nice.", Himeko thought about it, deciding that 'mother' was going to be a taboo word, at least for the day. Though it definitely made her think about dinner. She closed her eyes to keep them from relaying her mood to the others as she thought about her own mother. She always ate dinner with her mother, every single day since her brother Ren was murdered, but she realized she would have to cancel this time. She had her story set up, she just had to make sure that she was away from the rest of the group when she made the phone call. Everyone drew their sticks, and Himeko looked to her own. She certainly hoped she would not become victim of the game any more tonight, she wasn't sure she'd be able to take much more of her 'bad luck'.

"I'm King this round.."

Himeko was definitely worried, seeing as Kurumi proved herself to be far more sadistic than Nemui. Kurumi was the one to bring up black mail, and was one of two people in this room that she absolutely wished to see burning in hell right about now. Sure, she wasn't exactly fond of Kurou, but he was not on the list. While she did blame him for her brother's death, she blamed herself even more. She simply had to keep him at a distance so that others would not recognize her. She did not want to be a social outcast again, she doubted she would survive another year of torment from his fangirls. I don't think my parents could even afford to replace another window.. This is no longer a matter of my own perseverance..

"The King orders that number five has to listen to ALL orders given by three for an entire week. No exceptions. Who's numbers five and three?"

Himeko thought about the order, and realized how horrible it could be if it were left in the wrong hands. There were several in the group that she considered to be 'tame' enough for this to be a safe order. However, there were two in the group, the current King excluded, that she honestly did not ever wish to have that kind of power, ever.

"I-I'm number five."

She noticed that Nemui seemed to be very surprised, then Nemui's words explained everything. Nemui was one of the subjects, namely the one who would be taking orders for an entire week. She had to admit, now that she was no longer the subject of this game's cruelty, it was actually a bit fun. Despite what she had said about not wanting revenge against Nemui, Himeko couldn't deny that this seemed like some sort of divine justice, or at the very least an act of karma. Squash the thought. Nemui's a nice girl that made a mistake. That's all.

"Maybe number three got dropped somewhere?"

"...Perhaps...? No one has number three?" Himeko hesitated to respond, realizing that Nemui's hopes were highly unlikely but she asked around anyhow, looking to each person in the group, but the one she was handcuffed to was the last person she gave a glance. She honestly had been avoiding making eye contact, because she really couldn't accept that she'd be practically conjoined to his hip for the entirety of forty-eight hours. There would be plenty of embarrassing moments within that time frame. She'd never survive it. She'd surely die of embarrassment before the cuffs were removed, Himeko was almost certain of that.

"I apologize, Nemui-san, but, I am number three. I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right? Do not worry, I will take care of you."

Himeko immediately felt a shiver run down her spine. For the most part, Yukito seemed to be an innocent boy, but the air about him screamed otherwise. Just being in his presence put a nervous knot in Himeko's stomach. She sincerely felt bad for Nemui, taking back her thoughts of karma and divine justice. This was far too harsh of a punishment for what she'd done to Himeko, and even Himeko admitted that. If it were her, she'd have committed suicide then and there. There was no way she'd let a guy like that have that much power over her. The kind smile on Yukito's face was beautifully eerie. It was then that Himeko decided she would avoid that devil in disguise as much as possible, because she felt that he brought a whole new meaning to the definition of 'pure evil'. Of course she had no proof, but simply breathing became difficult around the youngest Kitomura, and Himeko learnt a long time ago to go with her gut instinct.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

She couldn't help but feel a little relieved when Shin broke the current sinister air that clouded the room. She did not wish to witness what was in store for Nemui, in fact, although selfish, she did not wish to know anything of the hell that the innocent girl would surely endure. "Etto.. Suzuki-san hasn't passed out the sticks yet. As long as everyone gets a turn it doesn't matter what order we go in, right?" She knew that traditionally it would be Yukito's turn, but if no one was going to argue, she would prefer that someone else passed them out. Besides, she really didn't want to say Kitomura or Yukito at the moment. After all, Himeko was not particularly fond of either one of the Kitomura brothers. Himeko looked to the handcuff around her wrist, suddenly seeing jewelry in an entirely new and unfavorable light. She always would covet jewelry at the mall, but suddenly all she wanted to see was absolutely nothing on her wrist. How did it turn out like this.. Why does it always happen to me? Himeko shifted in her seat, getting comfortable as she possibly could, given the circumstances. Tonight would be a long one, after all.

Kurou Kitomura
Kurou Kitomura: Probably the one people should be looking out for!

||Thought Color = c2150f||||Speech Color = d6a91c||

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"I apologize, Nemui-san, but, I am number three."

Kurou did not necessarily feel very sorry for Nemo's situation. She agreed to the terms of the game when she decided she was going to play, and starting the game off with a bang like she did only meant things were going to get worse by each turn. In this world, it was "Kill" or "Be killed". Inevitable that she was a victim of unfortunate circumstance, nothing more and nothing less. Besides, maybe seeing his "sister" humiliated a bit would be fun in its own way, so long as Yuki kept a leash on himself. He had never been in a situation like Nemo was experiencing, so Kurou wasn't exactly sure what his younger brother was going to do, he just knew that, just like him, Yuki wasn't very accepting of his newest "family", even if his smile said otherwise.

Well, as long as he doesn't mentally scar her, I guess it'll all work out in the end.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

Shrugging in disinterest, the elder Kitomura lazily dragged his eyes across his fellow players. He could tell that there was nobody in the room who was envious of Nemo's position. Katsukawa especially did not seem to like the idea of it happening, even to someone who had previously condemned her to lose her mouth's purity. In fact, she seemed fairly tense before Shen broke the silence that had swept over the room; almost as if she had simply watched a friend be dragged away, never to be seen again, and felt guilty about it. Well, if this was how people were going to react to Yuki being in power, then his victims probably wouldn't be too happy when they learned just what was in store for them, come his turn. This thought had, fortunately, caused Kurou to completely forget that he was upset about thinking about his mother. He was much too busy imagining how much fun he was going to have. Oddly, he found himself smirking. Man, he was prone to mood swings recently, wasn't he? He would probably blame this on the cake.

Oh well.

"I'll pass the sticks out if we're going to sit around, wasting time otherwise." Kurou had intentionally discarded his smirk once more, though he was still just as excited. That being said, he didn't want to appear as though he was a child or anything, so he had made an excuse of being annoyed because they were taking too long. Actually, that too, was genuine but only due to the fact he really wanted to take up the throne. The quicker they got to playing, the quicker it would eventually come to feature him as the king. And who in their right mind would not want to be led by someone as benevolent and sweet as he? Sure the rest of the room would relish in such an opportunity! So, he should probably ensure that those few lucky beings would have quite the time. Fortunately for them, he already had quite the order for them planned out, he was just pondering a few important things about it.

Hmm.... I wonder, are you allowed to wish for more wishes, in this case? I supposed we'll see.

"I-I'm number five. Maybe number three got dropped somewhere?"

Kurumi's heart stopped when she heard Nemui speak up. It was just as she had feared. Her sister was a victim of the order, and worst of all, she was the person who would have to be an unidentified person's slave. She immediately sent Nemui an apologetic look, but then giggled a bit. Deep down Kurumi couldn't help but feel that this was an act of Karma against her younger sister for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. She knew that it made her a horrible sister, but part of her was glad that Nemui would not be pestering her tonight. I'm going to hell.. She thought to herself, with a playful smile on her face. To others, she appeared psyched that her sister was the victim, but on the inside she was more worried about her eternal soul than her sister's seven day fate.

"...Perhaps...? No one has number three?"

She was relieved that someone was as hopelessly optimistic as her younger sister, but Kurumi knew that it was not the case. Everyone had a stick in their hands, so like it or not, someone was going to be ordering Nemui around for an entire week. Kurumi leaned back on the couch, curling up more comfortably on the arm of the couch, sitting a bit higher up than everyone else in the room. She began twirling her blonde hair around her finger, the pain in her legs dying down somewhat, though she knew it would be back before day's end. So far she had been lucky, but Kurumi knew her luck would soon run out. After condemning her sister to a week of hell, she knew that her fate would be much worse.

"I apologize, Nemui-san, but, I am number three. I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right? Do not worry, I will take care of you."

Kurumi could have died right on the spot. Her entire body grew icy, and she wanted to disappear. She could not believe that she had subjected her sister to do their own stepbrother's bidding. Yukito thus far had been nothing more than an accommodating younger brother, but he seemed to have a sadistic streak in him as well, seeing as the camera in the closet had been his idea, then the entire handcuffs ordeal. She couldn't help but mentally picture Nemui, Yukito and bondage in the same image. She immediately shivered, mentally screaming at the top of her lungs. She did NOT want to imagine that happening, especially under the same roof! AHHHH!!! No, No, NO!! Kurumi was unaware of it, but she was twirling her hair much faster now, subtly giving away how nervous she was becoming.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

She owed Shin BIG, she'd have to buy him a three tier cake or something, pr whatever else it was that he liked. Getting attention off of her order was the one thing that Kurumi wanted more than anything right now, "Yukito-san, Kurou-san, Malik-san, or Suzuki-san, in any order can draw sticks next I suppose so long as everyone gets a turn." She responded, seeing as she was the one who chose the party's activities. There was nothing really planned after the game, but it was already growing quite late as things stood. After the game most of the group would be expected to make their way home anyhow. Speaking of going home, she figured she would have to lie for Himeko... all weekend. She knew that Nemui wasn't a convincing liar, so it was left up to her to protect the other girl's reputation.

"Etto.. Suzuki-san hasn't passed out the sticks yet. As long as everyone gets a turn it doesn't matter what order we go in, right?"

"That's fine with me, so long as it's okay with everyone else." Kurumi replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. She covered her hands with her blue hoodie, her fingers growing quite cold. For some reason the room felt like an ice box. She knew it wasn't her clothes, seeing as she'd wore less than this to sleep in and had no problems about a chill. Was the thermostat set on a lower setting or something or was it simply colder outside and a draft was making it's way in, "Is anyone else cold? I mean, I'm wearing a hoodie but my fingers are freezing."[/b] thankfully her hoodie sleeves were a little too long, so she was able to cover her fingers rather nicely with the soft, royal blue material.

"I'll pass the sticks out if we're going to sit around, wasting time otherwise."

"...That works too..." Kurumi replied after everyone passed them to her former ex and current stepbrother. She hesitantly reach towards him and withdrew a stick from Kurou's hand, looking to the number before placing it face down in her lap. So I'm number six..? Alright.. six, six, six.. Don't forget it. After she was certain she'd memorized her number, Kurumi shoved both of her hands back into her hoodie with a slight shiver. She wasn't faking the cold thing, her fingers and legs were practically freezing off! She didn't notice her legs were that cold, seeing as they were currently numb, which she considered to be heaven compared to the pain she usually felt. Although she could barely move them, which really wasn't very beneficial in the event of a crisis. If there was a fire she doubted she would be able to stand, considering she felt like her legs had be carved from a ton of lead at the moment. She was almost certain that she would fall to the floor if she attempted to stand, hence the reason she leaned towards Kurou, despite the stretch instead of getting up to retrieve her own Popsicle stick, "Everyone get your sticks from Kurou-san before it starts to snow in here." She joked with a genuine laugh, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Izaya stared out the window with solemn look on his face as his mother drove him towards the next house, yes, house. Izaya stopped looking for 'home' a long time ago, because it was a fruitless effort. This was not the first time that he had experienced a move, in fact, he was quite accustomed to moving. As he grew older, Izaya learnt to never fully unpack, because that always meant he was becoming too attached to the newest house. The sun had went down, so it was growing quite late. He wished to just go to his room and unwind, but he was riding towards his destination with a purpose. There was a family illness, and he had to take up the responsibility his cousin had been taking care of so that his cousin could return home. Everything about this situation was troublesome as far as Izaya saw it, but it wasn't like he could refuse. He could never say 'no' to his mother or grandmother, no matter how much he really wanted to sometimes.

House number seven.. I wonder how long we'll be here.. Izaya thought to himself with a moody sigh. He crossed his arms, shifting in the back seat uncomfortably. He hated riding in cars, they were always built too small for his build, especially the back seats. He wanted nothing more than to hop out and stretch his legs, even if it meant jumping out of a moving vehicle, but then he'd end up worrying his mother, and he couldn't do something that irresponsible. His mother had it rough anyhow, he did not wish to cause her any further stress. His father had done enough to cause his mother pain, he would do anything in his power to make her life easier, because he did not wish to grow up to be the same kind of man his father was.

Finally the car pulled in to his grandmother's cozy little house, next door to a rather extravagant one, well, at least from what he could see. He couldn't make an accurate evaluation, what with the huge stone fence surrounding the property. Once the car came to a halt, Izaya stepped out of the car, brushing his fingers through his black hair with a sigh of relief. The cool night's breeze felt far better than he could have anticipated, and being able to freely stretch his limbs was just as wonderful. Once he felt his mood shift, he silently gathered up the luggage and moved it into the house where his Grandmother was weeping. He wasn't sure how to deal with the situation, so he was glad that his mother went to comfort her. Izaya found a spot to place the luggage and rubbed the back of his neck.

He wanted to get away from the crying women, so he came up with a solid excuse to leave, "I'll go fetch Ren.." He muttered under his breath, his deep voice barely noticeable under the wailing, but somehow his mother managed and gave him a swift nod. With recognition and permission, Izaya made his way out the door, not hesitating to head out to find his cousin, but stopped at the door when he heard his grandmother's voice calling out to him.

"Z-Zay... -sniff- ...Lottie is next door...-sniff- at Sakura Square.." She informed the dark haired male, and all Izaya could manage was a grateful smile and reassuring nod. He closed the door behind him, making his way across the lawn. He stared up at the fence, then sighed a bit. Getting permission would be tedious, so he decided to go with the fun method. He took a few steps back before lunging at the bars of the gate, hoisting himself up. It stretched his arm muscles which had been long overdue for a workout after that treacherous car ride, and he dropped down on the other side, brushing his hands off on his jacket, seeing as it was much darker than his red pants. He approached the front door, knocking calmly, "Ooooi, Ren. Emergency." He called in casually. His cousin sprang up, considering Izaya never made surprise visits.

Izaya and his mother only showed up for weddings or funerals, so his sudden appearance here definitely meant something. When Ren opened the door, Izaya was leaning against the brick wall of the house in a nonchalant manner. He had a serious look on his face, despite his calm demeanor, "Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up.." His eyes peered in, noticing several cute girls among the room. It appeared they were playing a game somewhat like Truth or Dare, but he wasn't certain what this game was exactly. He watched Ren leave, rustling up his own hair. He was mentally exhausted, but he supposed this couldn't be avoided. Life never took sick days, so he had to keep up with his responsibilities, no matter how much he despised them. Once he was certain that Ren was gone, Izaya tilted his head at everyone inside of Sakura Sqaure. He supposed that he might as well introduce himself, seeing as they'd be neighbors until his mother decided it was time to move again, however long that would be. He raised a hand and waved very informally, "Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on."

Now that he had properly introduced himself, he felt awkward just standing in a stranger's doorway, so he decided to close up the conversation if there was nothing else left to discuss, "He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night..." his eyes landed on the two with handcuffs on, a light blush crossing his cheeks, clearing his throat to compose himself before continuing, "With whatever it is you're doing.. He ended his statement, not certain that he wanted to know what this game was after all, it would surely lead to embarrassment he did not wish to reveal to those around him. There was a clear reason that Izaya avoided games like this, and that was because it was his greatest weakness. He couldn't shut off his perverted mind when it came to games like this, and he did not enjoy indulging in that side of himself. He did not wish to behave like his irresponsible father. He certainly hated disrespecting women in such a manner, hence why he otherwise behaved like a proper gentleman. His every day behavior was a penance of sorts for his perverted tendencies.

"I apologize, Nemui-san, but,"

She knew it, a miscount would have simply been too perfect to ever be true. She recognized the owner of the voice well, she did not even have to glance over to know who had drawn the other number. She refused to look up as he held up the proof, because looking at the number would make it seem far more real, and at the moment she was in a state of denial. If she didn't actually see the evidence, she could delude herself for a little while longer. As a wise man once said, ignorance is bliss. She finally understood the meaning of that quote.

"I am number three."

She remained quiet, only nodding her head as she realized her fate had been sealed. However, no matter how many times thought about it, she still couldn't entirely compute that she would have to follow every order given to her by Yukito without exception. A shiver ran up her spine, but she wasn't sure why, aside from occasional teasing, he had not treated her very bad thus far... He's my brother, what's the worst he can come up with? Errands? Chores? As she thought it over more in depth, she regained a bit of confidence, able to return her gaze to the group, a weak smile crossing her lips for a moment, then disappeared just as quickly.

"I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right?"

She cringed a bit, hating the fact that she was quite literally someone else's plaything for an entire week. She wasn't sure what that would entail, but regardless of the commands she did not like the idea of someone else having that much power over her. She quietly sighed, then put on a smile for the group, "A-Arigato." She responded with a nervous laugh. Her smile was not perfect, but she was well versed in pretending that everything was okay, so she knew it would fool most, including her own sister. Kurumi hardly had a clue about the more recent bullying Nemui endured, except for the cases where there were physical marks left behind.

"Do not worry, I will take care of you."

She tensed up, closing her eyes for a moment as a sense of dread washed over her petite frame. She opened her eyes shortly after, reminding herself that regardless of how she felt, the game had to continue, and others were waiting. She opened her mouth to speak, but someone else had beaten her to it. Her golden brown eyes shifted towards the source, Shin.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

Nemui would have said Yukito's name, but she wasn't sure how to address him other than by first name or Fuwa, and she doubted many in the group would understand who 'Fuwa' would be, seeing as everyone knew him by either Yukito, or 'The Younger Kitomura brother'. She was in a jam, and once again, she was saved, but this time it was Himeko instead of Shin that spoke up.

[color=navy]"Etto.. Suzuki-san hasn't passed out the sticks yet. As long as everyone gets a turn it doesn't matter what order we go in, right?"

"That's fine with me, so long as it's okay with everyone else."

She was glad that everyone seemed keen on playing the game, because she was not looking forward to Yukito's first command, but she had to admit she couldn't wait until his last, because then it would truly be over. No one seemed to care about the order that they were going in anymore as far as passing out sticks were concerned, so Nemui just shrugged her shoulders, "I-I don't mind either way..."

"Is anyone else cold? I mean, I'm wearing a hoodie but my fingers are freezing."

Numui sheepishly raised her hand. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt, so she could easily fetch a hoodie, "I-I can bring hoodies down for any of the girls that are cold.. Malik-senpai? Katsukawa-san? D-D-Do you want a blanket, Kuru-chii?" She asked with a bit of concern in her voice. She had heard that Kurumi had been caught in the rain the other day, so she couldn't help but wonder if her sister had caught a cold. She knew it could have been simple chills, but ever since illness took her father, Nemui had been on edge about her loved ones getting sick, no matter how minor. Nemui looked around to see if any of the girls in the room were cold besides herself and her sister.

"I'll pass the sticks out if we're going to sit around, wasting time otherwise."

Nemui sweat-dropped as Kurou's voice brought her back to the previous matter, feeling like she was always in the eldest Kitomura's way. He seemed very impatient compared to his younger brother and so far she felt as though she only managed to make a bad impression towards Kurou. She bit her bottom lip as she began to mentally scold herself for getting lost in idle chit-chat. Nemui truly wanted to make this entire 'family' thing work, even if no one else involved aside from their parents was willing to try... so getting on her older brother's bad side wasn't really helping. She couldn't shake the feeling that he disliked her, but she wasn't sure why, other than she'd held up dinner the night before.

"...That works too..."

Nemui quietly passed her stick to Kurou, waiting for all the others to do so as well, watching everyone turn in their numbers. Immediately anxiety struck the short haired girl, wondering if there was anything else left in store for her. She truly hoped that there wasn't, but she didn't want to let her guard down too early either. Once Kurumi reach over and retrieved her stick, Nemui let out a silent sigh to calm her own nerves, psyching herself up so that she'd be able to muster up the courage to draw a straw from the boy's hand.

"Everyone get your sticks from Kurou-san before it starts to snow in here."

Nemui walked over and plucked a stick from Kurou's hand, quickly returning to her spot to look at her number. Eight. She was going to be number eight this time around. She put the stick in her lap, wondering when she would be able to get a hoodie, because honestly she felt like her arms would break off at any moment from the chill in the air.

"Ooooi, Ren. Emergency."

Just before Ren could draw a stick there was a knock accompanied by a voice. She was immediately startled, a slightly worried expression on her face, "D-Didn't we lock the gates? How simple is it to get to us?" She asked in a curious tone. Now that she knew others could reach the house so easily, she wasn't going to sleep nearly as well as she had the nights before in her new home. After this she would have nightmares for sure, and be paranoid about reality's horrors. Plenty of rich families were robbed, especially ones without security guards.

"Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up.."

She was immediately horrified to know that a member of the group was having intense family issues, but she totally envied Ren... he was getting a free pass to leave before being mentally scarred by this game. She honestly wished she could go in his place. She however knew what it felt like to lose a father, so she knew he wasn't really all that lucky. She sincerely hoped his father was doing better than her own had been when he fell ill. Poor Suzuki-kun...

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on."

Nemui's eyes immediately shifted to Shin, Yukito, then Kurou. She knew it was cliche, and she often scoffed when girls did it in manga, but she suddenly found herself looking to those three for comfort. There was no way that the girls could take on someone as tall as that guy on their own... plus he seemed fairly muscular. She was immediately terrified by this stranger, especially since everything about his appearance screamed 'delinquent'. She would have hid behind one of the guys, but she was currently wedged between Kurumi and Himeko. Kurumi was to her right, sitting on the arm of the couch, while Himeko was to her left, with Shin on the other side of Himeko.

"He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing.."

Although it was incredibly rude, Nemui had to admit she was glad to hear the stranger say he was going to leave, but with the new information that he'd be their neighbor, she was incredibly frightened. This boy's appearance frightened her, no matter how casual and friendly he seemed to act in front of everyone else. There was something about him that gave her the creeps. W-Why does he scare me so much...? I... I'm trembling.. she could feel her entire body trembling against her will, and she attempted to tense her body to hide it, hoping that no one noticed the more gentle tremors of her body. If they did, she'd pass it off as being cold, because that wouldn't be a complete lie.

Kurou Kitomura
Kurou Kitomura: "Neighbor most likely to threaten you into a game you don't want to play" running champ, 2015.

||Thought Color = c2150f||||Speech Color = d6a91c||

---

Kurou felt his master plan had a very high chance of succeeding, and so was confident as the number of sticks he held began to disappear one by one. If he could snare at least one of his "siblings" in his web, then his plan will have been executed just about perfectly, and because of how he was going to word his command as king one it was his turn, he was sure to have quite a bit of fun with this. Again, he was very excited and could not wait until he could order a few people around.

But that would probably have to wait.

"Ooooi, Ren. Emergency."

An unfamiliar voice called out to one of his potential victims and, despite the message, it didn't actually seem that serious. It was delivered in a very nonchalant tone, but regardless, Ren had reacted with an urgency Kurou wasn't expected. Do they have some form of telepathy or something? the elder brother mused jokingly, before realizing that he should normally be worried about something else in this situation.

Wait, how the fuck did he just get in? Are our gates really that crappy? And who does this guy think he is?

"Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up..."

If it was enough to warrant someone trespassing onto another's territory just to inform him, then that wasn't likely to be a normal illness, or so Kurou suspected. Hopefully. Because it was either that the illness was fairly serious or that the people Ren knew were very good at overreacting, which was something Kurou didn't particularly care for. He was willing to assume it was the former, judging by how fast Ren was reacting.

"Sayonara." Kurou said as Ren suddenly disappeared, before turning his eyes to the intruder, whom had yet to introduce himself.

Were things going to have to get violent? Honestly, Kurou had hoped not. Fighting was effort, and if something escalated, the game was certain to be called off before he had had his fun! That was not allowed.

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on."

His cousin? Neighbor? I guess I should be more surprised by this, but considering my own situation....

"He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing.." This Izaya fellow seemed just about to do that. But would that even be fun? No, it probably wouldn't. They would lose a member of the team and that would mean one less victim for Kurou to potentially abuse!

Kurou gave a quick look around the room, noticing how tense it was. The man, as far as he could tell, obviously meant no harm, but that didn't change the fact of what he had just done. Nemo particularly, seemed very threatened by the young man. It would be a pain if she suddenly started to freak out or faint, perhaps he should get this man out of here? Well, that would be the nice thing to do. Unfortunately for her, Kurou was not known for being a very nice guy.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor." Kurou suggested, knowing full-well that the stranger probably wasn't very welcome here right now. Not like he cared. This guy wasn't about to ruin Kurou's fun. In fact, it might make things even more interesting if this guy joined in. "Here" Kurou stood up and extended his arm towards the young man, presenting his hand with the sticks in them. "Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?" there was a smile on Kurou's face, as one might've expected from a friendly neighbor, but the actual meaning behind it was anything but. To Kurou, this man was just going to be a replacement victim for the one that had escaped, poor man.

---

---

Nonchalantly calm, Yukito picked a stick. It seems he didn't get a chance to be the king once more for this round. That was disappointing, but he didn't mind sharing the spotlight in certain situations. It was bound to get interesting hearing the orders escalating either obviously or with subtly. Anyway, he would not mind being an onlooker or being commandeered, as long as it's going to be entertaining. His eyes looked at the number and it was 2. All right, he'll keep that in mind and see who has the honors of being King.

But before anything else, an unfamiliar voice piped in from outside the door. The one being addressed was Ren and it was an emergency. He looked at Ren who immediately went to the door. That was not surprising really, but he was rather at odds as to how easy for other people to enter the grounds of the house. That is a bit troubling thought, the security of the house had always been a priority ever since he entered the entertainment industry. Even the address of his house is kept private, it was for safety purposes for the media and fans alike. That only meant he would need to readjust certain measures here and there, otherwise he kept quiet for now. "It's a good thing we have something to improve on, Nemui-san." He looked at Nemui and smiled kindly. "Don't worry." He stood from his seat and gently placed a hand on her head. Something very akin of a comforting gesture, patting her head. He then gently took back his hand and then faced the direction where Ren and the newcomer were.

Then, there was the news. "Suzuki-san, be strong and until we see each other again." His voice delivered a depth sense of sincerity and his eyes firmly landed on Ren's figure who managed to look back at him, giving a nod which was free of interpretation, but he would guess it was both of gratitude and goodbye. Then, Ren was gone, just like that. And, here comes the stranger who introduced himself as the cousin, Izaya Shuuhei. He has nothing against the guy, even on how he looks, though it doesn't seemed to be the same with Nemui. He caught her trembling from the corner of his eyes. She was scared of Izaya and made him terribly curious. He could use this very well.

That's why it was a good thing his brother piped in when Izaya decided that he would leave. Kurou invited the newest addition to the group and somehow, he knew for a fact that his older brother has something up. The only time his brother would do anything was out of convenience or out of his own self-interests. If he would take a guess, it would be probably because of the stick Kurou got. There was a great chance that his brother is the King. If that's the case, this might get a bit way out of hand. Then again, it was already so from the very beginning. "Well, if you won't mind or you're not busy, Shuuhei-san. Why don't you join us like my brother suggested? More fun the merrier. The name is Kitomura, Yukito." He introduced himself in his perfectly friendly position. "Welcome to the neighborhood and welcome to our house, Sakura Square."

He then gestured for Izaya to take any place to seat among the vacant ones. "Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process." He stated returning to his seat with his ever carefree smile, as if nothing is really wrong. "So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?" His eyes then looked at the others which served as the cue.

---

It seemed that everyone was once more focused on the game. It also looked that Kurou was also feeling better and that made her smile lightly. That was a good thing to see as she really had no idea what Kurou was really thinking about at the moment or what devastating effects the older Kitomura had planned for. That's why when the sticks were offered she also took one. She got number 4. "Thank you." She then waited patiently for another round to begin, hopefully the next King would give another order that would be simple and won't be rather... uhm... she wasn't sure what the right word to use, sexual? It was a little bit too much for her to handle at this point.

Then, there was an unfamiliar voice coming from the front door. She was not fearful instead, rather concerned and curious, because it involved Len. Her eyes landed on him as he stood up and opened the door. The words of the wonderful baker about locked gates was left out of her comprehension for now. Her focus was on Len. It was also clear on her face that that she was very worried especially when the stranger finally presented himself to them by the opened door. Then said, that Len's father was sick and he would need to go now.

He was going to go... He was going to leave... Those words repeated in her head, as she then bit her lower lip. She understood his situation. Family is important, but she couldn't help but feel sad. It's true that she told him before to forget the promise, that is what she read and did, but she would hold on to that, because it was for the best. Their situation would have never worked out especially now with her condition. She would just hurt him, but perhaps, the reason why she was feeling such sadness was probably because of what she said to him when they finally met again.

She averted her eyes for a bit and saw the younger Kitomura comforting the younger Fujioka sister... oh that's right his younger sister now. She only looked again when a few parting words had been given to Len by Kurou's little brother. She saw Len looked back and gave a small nod. She also felt his eyes on her. At that point, she stood up from her seat and followed Len who left without saying another word to anyone else. She did not even noticed the new person who was at the door. All she cared for right now was to catch up with him before leaving. "Len!" She shouted after him and he entertained her by stopping and looking back at her. "I am really happy to have met you again, and I'm sorry for what I said before..."

She then gave him a smile, a heartfelt one. "I'll pray for your father's safety and yours as well." She then took a step back before taking a deep breath. "Let's meet again, okay?" Ren smiled at him, the same smile back then. She couldn't help but blushed at that memory before Ren turned his back and left for good. She watched him disappear from her sight before she returned back at the house while doing so, she felt a bittersweet feeling. She never felt this before... no perhaps she did... she was left behind. She was now at the front door and was taken out of her own musings when she saw Kurou and his brother inviting the one who called out on Ren.

Aina wasn't against the invitation. She shook her feelings for now, but she would be writing it down for sure in her journal. She didn't want to forget it... saying goodbye to an important person. "Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to." Once again, she offered that smile of hers.

---

It didn't take long as the others got their sticks and he took what was left. Shin got the number 7, apparently. Though, he is rather worried about Yukito's new sister being under the pop star's commandment. He would not declare that he knows Yukito more than anyone else, but he would like to think that he knows the younger boy especially with intentions. He could only hope that Yukito would not vent frustrations on the girl or if possible, there would be a situation that could diffuse that. If not... just good luck.

His eyes then traveled towards Kurumi who said that she felt cold. Was it? He wasn't sure as he feels fine. That was when he looked at Himeko to just make sure if she was feeling cold as well. "Are you feeling cold as well, Katsukawa-san?" He asked and he believed to be right, after all, she would be inevitably bound to him for the rest of the weekend. He didn't want to make things more uncomfortable as it has been already now. At the very least, he would provide her comfort in the things that he could do. In any case, if it was indeed cold, he would perhaps ask for something warm to drink for both girls and everyone else if they want to.

It seemed that Nemui had offered blankets for the girls. That was a good thought. "Perhaps, something hot to drink as well. I'll help." He stated and was about to stand from his seat when an unknown voice was heard. His eyes went to the front door where, Ren as he has been called went for it in such urgency. Well, the word Emergency would do that. Yet, there was another worry that Nemui voiced out. It was about the security of the house. That goes without saying as a stranger to anyone of them was able to get into the grounds easily. He took noticed how Yukito handled that and also the snippets of dialogue that Ren's father was sick and must go.

That reminded him of the past... a much further past... He looked down as those eyes of his were covered by his bangs as his consciousness traveled way back in time. How he would always rush to the hospital so, he could stay with her. How hard he prayed and asked for help so that she would not be taken away. In the end, she was gone. That's why he wished that would not be the same scenario for Ren. He was only startled in his thoughts when a rustle near him was made. It was done by Aina who stood without a word and exited through the door. That made him wonder as to what happened.

At that point, the stranger introduced himself as Ren's cousin and so on. Yukito's brother invited the guy over. He would like to believe that it was out of the goodness of the heart, but knowing that Kurou was the infamous pop star's brother. There was a possibility they share similar interests. This was also prompted by Yukito and Shin simply decided to keep quiet about his own opinion since this is the house of the Kitomuras not his. Though, he wondered if that was for the best, because from what he could see, Nemui was rather uncomfortable.

"It's fine." He stated as he looked at Nemui before returning his attention to the Kitomura Brothers and the new guest. Though he wondered about Aina who had just left. Does she know Ren? As if on cue, the girl appeared. She was likely the same, but he couldn't help but sense something different about her, a sadness more pronounced. Well, she introduced herself and Yukito did imply for them to do the same. "Ogawa, Shin." He stated while raising his free hand without the cuffs before lowering it to his side again. Somehow, this new guy reminds him of something... and it was not pleasant memory, but he wasn't going to judge for he knew better.

Himeko retrieved a stick from Kurou, deciding the order did not particularly matter in the end so long as they got the game over with. She gazed at her number before placing the stick face down on her lap. Everyone seemed to be less nervous as the game continued, that is, except for the females in the group. She shot Nemui a reassuring smile, then one to Aina as well. She didn't know either of them very well, but she knew what they were currently feeling more than anyone. She had been at the blunt end of this game's cruelty already. So far Kurumi hadn't had it so bad, nor had Aina, but she knew that couldn't last forever. She doubted the devil would allow that.

"Are you feeling cold as well, Katsukawa-san?"

Himeko immediately blushed, although it was only a light one. Why on Earth was he asking her that? I'm not your responsibility or anything! She shouted in her mind, feeling embarrassed that he was attempting to tend to her. Himeko shook her head a little quicker than was normally seen as polite, biting her bottom lip as she spoke up, "N-Not really. My fleece sweater is warm and my leggings are fairly thick. Thanks anyway." She responded in a low mumble, still rather shaken by his question. In other circumstances, she would have handled herself, but anywhere she decided to go Shin would also have to tag along.

"Perhaps, something hot to drink as well. I'll help."

Himeko would have protested, but they were both interrupted by a voice outside. She was kind of glad for that, seeing as she would have had to follow Shin along to make the drinks, which would mean time alone in the kitchen, and that would be nothing less than EXTREMELY awkward. Thank God... She thought to herself with a silent sigh of relief, believing that this was divine intervention.

"Ooooi, Ren. Emergency."

However, Himeko's eyes immediately shifted to Ren when she heard the word 'Emergency'. The boy who shared her deceased brother's given name apparently had to leave, and it wasn't long before worry managed to engulf Himeko's prior positive expression. She knew what 'emergencies' this late meant. She'd gotten a knock at the door, but it was far more formal, seeing as it was police instead of a civilian. She watched as Ren went to the door, noting the stiffness of Ren's motions. He was definitely shaken by the stranger's presence. She immediately felt a sense of dread, hoping this was less serious than it seemed.

"D-Didn't we lock the gates? How simple is it to get to us?"

"I'm sure at least one of these guys are stronger than they look. If not, there are enough girls here to take on one guy." Himeko responded to Nemui, reaching over and squeezing her hand. She let go immediately however, because she did not want Nemui to find out the truth. Himeko's words were far braver than she truly was. In fact, Himeko was just as scared as Nemui, if not more. She was shaking as well, but tightened her grip around her skirt, hoping that Shin could not feel it from the other end of the handcuffs. The last thing she wanted was pity from him or anyone else in the room. She wanted to be seen as strong, even if it was little more than playing pretend.

"It's a good thing we have something to improve on, Nemui-san. Don't worry."

Himeko was honestly surprised by the devil's ability to be a decent human being towards Nemui, perhaps the first time she'd seen him treat her like an actual sibling. She had a bias against Yukito however, seeing as he had been tormenting a girl the first time she had met him, much like his terrible older brother had done to her, except Kurou had never been so nice, he did not even treat her like a girl. She could remember exactly how he had turned her down in front of the entire school, like it was just yesterday. Kurou did not even accepting her love letter, hell, he didn't even open it. She had not even been considered for a moment, as if there was no possibility that he could ever return her feelings for him. She had been immediately shut down, and to be honest she was still somewhat shaken by the cruelty he had displayed that day, even to this day. I'm not sure if he's genuine, but at least his words were kind.

"Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up.."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't as bad as she thought, but that could change at any minute. She fell silent, thinking about her brother, remembering how she'd felt when she found out that he had died. Sadness suddenly consumed her, but she refused to let herself cry in front of everyone. She wasn't going to give anyone that privilege, not until she knew that they deserved it. Though when Ren left, her eyes lifted, noticing that Aina had disappeared as well, but also that the boy who delivered the bad news was rather awkward and had a bad boy appearance, much like her older brother had. She immediately smiled, feeling a certain level of fondness towards him, even though he was ultimately a stranger and a male. Because he looked somewhat like her brother, she immediately felt more friendly towards him than the other boys currently in the room.

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on.He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing."

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!" Himeko scolded, frowning at Kurou. She knew that this was his house, but what would he possibly do? If they kicked her out for being 'snappy' then she would be blessed by being able to go home early. Honestly they wanted her here for the game more than she wished to remain at Sakura Square, so she was relatively confident that her attitude would go unchecked. She knew that it would look odd that she stood up for an absolute stranger, especially seeing as she treated the other three boys and all of her other male classmates rather bitterly.

"Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

Himeko took note as Yukito mentioned their intercom. She knew that several wealthy families had intercoms and even cameras to protect their privacy and themselves in general, but she hadn't noticed their system upon arriving, but perhaps that's because Nemui had picked her up? She didn't even know where to begin looking or how to even use such a device, so she was glad she had very little incentive to return to Sakura Square after tonight. Besides, this wasn't the kind of crowd that Himeko wanted to get tangled up in, especially seeing as Yukito and Kurou were among the group. Yukito not Kurou seemed to be bothered by the stranger, so Himeko brushed aside her own nervousness as well. If they felt there was nothing to fear, then she doubted it was worth panicking over.

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

"I am Katsukawa, Himeko. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-San. May your uncle have good health and long life." Himeko greeted him in a far kinder manner than she had ever addressed Shin, Yukito, or Kurou. She was obviously not as warmhearted towards Izaya as she was towards other females, but she was being pleasant, which was more than could be said about her icy behaviors towards the other three remaining men. She stood and bowed respectfully, before sitting down next to Shin again. She began toying with the cuff around her wrist, then sighed to herself.

"Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to."

Himeko smiled a bit as Aina offered a much warmer welcome to the newcomer than she could have, and Himeko's attention shifted to Nemui, giving her a reassuring smile. She knew that the smaller girl was frightened by Izaya's 'bad boy' appearance, but as far as she could tell the boy was as harmless as anyone else in the room, arguably less than some, if she had to be frank about it. To avoid Nemui having to introduce herself, seeing as she still looked mortified, Himeko spoke up again, "Who's the King this round?" she asked, feigning excitement, though she honestly felt a sense of dread with each round. However, if it took the limelight off of a damsel in distress, she would gladly fake whatever emotion necessary.

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on.He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing."

Kurumi's eyes took in the newcomer, not even noticing that Ren had left. She had completely forgotten about Ren as the 'bad boy' calling himself Shuuhei, Izaya, walked in. He seemed to be about to leave, which she definitely would have protested to, but she was beat to the punch by the least likely person, but she was grateful that he did. She definitely wished to get to know this Izaya person better, and it was especially intriguing when he mentioned being their neighbor.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~" Kurumi shamelessly chimed in a flirtatious tone. She owed Kurou one for his 'strawberry' incident with Aina in class the day before. Whether this actually bugged him as much as him and Aina sharing food had bugged her, she was unsure, but it was worth a shot. She was half sincere anyhow, she truly did need a tutor if she wished to escape Nemui's wrath after the test she had bombed on the first day back to school, "Could I come over sometime?"

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!"

Ouch. She told you. Kurumi giggled a bit, but managed to compose herself before too much attention was drawn to herself. She couldn't deny that she found it refreshing that someone had enough backbone to call Kurou out, even if Kurumi had made her own threats at the beginning of the game. She understood that she deserved to have similar treatment at times, but no one had said anything, so she decided to enjoy Kurou being reprimanded while it lasted.

"Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

As Kurumi thought about the gate and the stone walls, she was immediately impressed that the new guy had managed to get through, she tilted her head, tapping her cheek as she made an inquiry, "Did you really climb over all on your own?" She asked, noting that the gate was nearly twelve feet tall. She knew that her tone came across a bit flirty, but she didn't mind. After all, she was single, so she did not have anyone to answer to. Besides, Kurou agreed with her that there had been nothing between them, so what did it matter if she decided to mingle? Perhaps blatantly in his face wasn't the best choice, but since they lived together, what other option did she have?

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

Kurumi stretched, allowing someone else to go first. She did not want to seem too eager after all. This gave her a moment to examine Izaya, noticing his eyes were both two-toned. They were a shade of orange towards the bottom, but a dark hue of purple towards the uppermost part of his eyes. They were definitely unique, even captivating if one wished to be bold.

"I am Katsukawa, Himeko. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-San. May your uncle have good health and long life."

She noticed that Himeko seemed to be a bit fonder of this boy than the others, not that she could blame her for having a bit of a grudge against Kurou, but she wasn't sure what Yukito had done to earn her rage, well, aside from all the teasing he'd done when she had to kiss Shin. Speaking of Shin, she also understood why she wasn't exactly willing to show him kindness, especially after the headlines Kurumi had seen. That had to sting. From what she could tell, Shin was a relatively good guy who ended up in a lot of misunderstandings, she felt bad for him honestly. He must have been a terrible person in his previous life to deserve this kind of Karma. Kurumi thought to herself, allowing her azure eyes to shift to the silver haired male for just a moment, stealing a glance of the model before looking away. She did not wish to get caught, because the last thing she wanted was for someone to start another rumor about him. She felt that the model deserved a moment's peace, especially since he would have to evade swarms of paparazzi on his way home. Suddenly she remembered that she had not introduced herself, her eyes landing on the tall, dark, and handsome newcomer, "I am Kitomura, Kurumi.. it's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-san." She greeted with a sugar-sweet expression on her face, even standing up to shake his hand before returning to her seat, glad that her once numb legs had decided to cooperate with her.

"Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to."

She wanted to add that this was likely a trap, but if this Shuuhei guy walked into the lion's den, it wasn't any of her business. She would let her new brothers eat him alive if it meant they would be distracted from Nemui and herself. Sure, she felt a little bad allowing the guy to sign his death warrant, but it was better him than one of her own. She would choose Nemui over anyone else whenever given the choice. It was a no-brainer. Sorry that I'm not sorry.

"Who's the King this round?"

The tone that Himeko used seemed a little generic, so it didn't take Kurumi very long to realize what the other girl was doing. She decided to go along, also noting her little sister's anxieties, "Not it. Too bad~" Kurumi responded with a sigh, though she only had herself to blame. She had completely wasted her own turn, so she felt a bit of envy towards those who had yet to give an order. She hated to find out who the next King was, but at least if it was someone who already went that meant there would be a redraw for a new King so that everyone would get a turn before the night was over.

"I'll be right back, I'll get some blankets." She called out to the others, rushing to the stairs. She had a few of her own, so she didn't have to look around the house for the spot that the Kitomura's stored theirs. She hated living in a house where she felt like an outsider. Despite her age, Kurumi used the rail of the stairs, her hand clasped tightly around it as she made her ascent. Most girls her age would have simply ran up them, herself included, but her legs were not agreeing with her today. She was incredibly frightened that they might fail her in front of everyone. She eventually made it up the stairs with minimal incident, but her legs did buckle once. She hoped that no one actually watched her take her leave.. because unless they did, she was confident it went unnoticed. She didn't actually stumble or fall, but her legs did show physical weakness. She opened the door of her room, walking inside without bothering to shut the door behind her. She would be leaving the room with the blankets within minutes, so she saw no need to.

"It's a good thing we have something to improve on, Nemui-san."

Nemui had to admit she was surprised by the smile and words of assurance from her newest pop star of a sibling. He did seem to enjoy making her life more difficult, or perhaps he was simply unaware of what he was doing, either way she had not anticipated receiving comfort from her classmate and stepbrother. She nodded slowly, but she would have preferred impregnable security over 'needs improvement' any day. Perhaps the fact that she was abused by her bullies quite frequently made her feel more vulnerable than everyone else in the room? Nemui wasn't sure why no one else seemed to be as alarmed as she was, but she felt this was something to be taken seriously.

"Don't worry."

Unsure of what was about to happen, Nemui closed one eye as the idol closed the touch barrier. A pout formed on her lips as he gave her the 'pat the puppy on the head' treatment. She knew for a fact that she was older than him by a few months, slightly irritated by this gesture, but also feeling slightly safer somehow. When Yukito removed his hand and turned away, it finally clicked in Nemui's head, a blush forming on her cheeks. He's not a character from the manga... He only THINKS he's that cool.. She refused to believe that Yukito was anything like the boys she swooned over in her beloved manga pages. To admit that he had similarities would be to admit that she admired traits that her brother had, and that would ruin everything. She refused to cross that line, "....Arigato.." she stated hesitantly, only loud enough for Yukito, Kurumi, and perhaps Himeko to overhear.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

Just when she thought the newcomer would leave, Nemui felt herself glaring at the back of Kurou's head for a moment, only for a moment! She then turned to Kurumi for a response, but immediately felt isolated as she noticed the figurative hearts in her sister's eyes. She let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head a bit. Everyone was taking this too lightly as far as Nemui was concerned. If he starts killing everyone, I am leaving you all for dead since no one ever listens to me. She thought to herself bitterly.

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~ Could I come over sometime?"

When she thought it couldn't get any worse, Nemui was left wandering what on earth did her sister thought she was doing. Nemui was nearly nauseated by her sister's lack of shame, especially for flirting with a stranger who held the appearance of a delinquent. She was beginning to question her sister's taste in men, but shrugged it off. If Kurumi wanted to place herself in dangerous situations then there was nothing that Nemui could honestly do to stop her. She just hoped that her sister was smarter than she was pretending to be at the moment.

"Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

Or get stabbed... Nemui thought to herself. Had he done this on a day when Nemui was home alone, she surely would not have hesitated to stab Shuuhei in a mixture of fear, and fight or flight instinct. Nemui began twirling her slightly wavy locks of blondish brunette hair around her finger. She couldn't relax now that there was a stranger in the room, no matter how much her mind told her to try.

"Did you really climb over all on your own?"

It was painfully obvious that her sister was flirting with the newcomer and she bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn't sure what her sister was playing at, but she obviously was trying to get on someone's nerves. If she was trying to make Nemui angry, it surely was working. She was starting to wonder why Kurumi was born first, because Nemui felt she was always taking on the role of the responsible sibling. Just throw yourself on the floor and tattoo that you're single on your forehead... Nemui thought to herself as she rolled her eyes at her sister's display.

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

"It's fine. Ogawa, Shin."

Nemui smiled faintly at Shin for the reassurance, nodding in confirmation. She did not wish to say more about the matter, seeing as the intruder was now a part of the game that everyone was playing. Nemui decided that she would introduce herself last, seeing as she was in no rush to talk to this stranger.

"Who's the King this round?"

"Not it. Too bad~ I'll be right back, I'll get some blankets."

"I'm Fu-... Kitomura, Nemui." She announced after her sister left, turning her gaze to one of the windows. She felt like a complete outsider in this house when her sister was not by her side. Nemui finally released her hair from the fast paced twirling that she had forced it to endure, before looking over to Himeko. The girl had done a lot to make her feel better the past few days, Nemui knew that she'd have to find some way to repay her fellow freshman's kindness, "I'm not the King either.." She hoped the game would simply continue, because the sooner the game was over, the sooner this stranger would remove himself from their home.

Besides, Nemui had lost a lot of study hours and it would take a significant amount of time to make those up. If she started tomorrow, it would only take about a week, granted she got the chance to go to bed early enough tonight.

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~"

Perhaps much to the chagrin of Kurumi, Kitomura Kurou was a very mature man who held absolutely no feelings for her other than the negative ones associated with her becoming his sibling. So, of course, her attempts to rile some form of reaction from him were in total vain.

Except not because most of that was untrue.

"Could I come over sometime?"

The elder Kitomura's default, unhappy expression hid the irritation he felt just hearing her blatantly obvious flirting. He couldn't tell if some part of him was simply jealous, for some weird reason, or if he was just annoyed at hearing that kind of stuff in general. He'd like to believe it was the latter, and so chose to respond to it as such by doing what any mature male of his age would do in that position and remained quiet and pretended to not have any interest in it, because he certainly did not. Definitely. Well, possibly.... maybe...

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!"

While most others seemed busy giving out introductions or perhaps cowering in fear (which was the normal thing to do when random people broke into the premises, Kurou would admit), Katsukawa managed to use this as an opportunity to scold Kurou, for whatever reason. This was a blessing in disguise since it allowed him to ignore Kurumi. But what was so bad about what he did? Sure, he was taking advantage of the situation so as not to lose a potential victim in the game they were playing, but was that really so bad to do when this man decided to hop into their house without an invitation? Kurou thought that this was a very nice thing considering he could have easily just called the cops or beat this guy up or raise a weapon to him.

"It's not nice to break into homes either." he shot back, ignoring a giggle from Kurumi and narrowing his eyes at Katsukawa for a moment. Kurou was still upset about her identity, or rather, the fact he hadn't figured it out yet. Right now, she was just a source of irritation, not just because she seemed to be down Kurou's throat at any chance, but also because he was getting frustrated trying to think about where he remembered that name from. It didn't help that Kurumi was going heart-eyed over the new guy.

By the time Aina had finished her introduction, Kurou had realized he never gave his name to the man he had nearly forced to participate in this game. Normally, when people broke into homes it wasn't frowned upon to not give out names, but in this very special case, Kurou would have to make an exception. Besides, he would be seeing a lot more of this guy in the future, given that he was moving in next to him and his brother. Oh, and sisters. When the rest had seemingly finished their introduction, Kurou went ahead and gave his. "I'm the elder brother, Kitomura Kurou. Good meeting you, I guess. Just take my brother's advice and use the intercom next time." Kurou didn't seem particularly interested in giving it all of his heart, but he figured that introduction was all that was needed. Besides, who complains about introductions anyways?

"I'll be right back, I'll get some blankets." Kurumi announced, heading for the stairs. It would be nice to not have her fawning over the new guy for at least a minute or two, or so Kurou thought as he took the last remaining stick and looked at it. It would seem that this turn, Lady Luck was smiling. Kurou couldn't help but grin just a bit.

Now this was going to be fun! He knew that if she had smiled upon him once, Lady Luck would do so again this round. She had to! But it would only be worth it if he could get Kurumi as a temporary slave. Yes, this plan relied on that for the maximum amount of entertainment, anybody else was just an unfortunate victim of collateral damage. Kurou stood up from his spot on the ground. "I'll give you guys some time to prepare yourselves for my reign, but numbers 6, 2, and 3 will be treating me as though I was the king for the next couple of weeks" he stated with a cruel grin, as if he was a torturer who enjoyed their job, presenting his stick to the group before continuing. "Well, I'll go fetch our missing player. Don't make it too obvious if she's a victim or not when I get back~" so saying, Kurou Kitomura decided to head up the stairs to make sure Kurumi hadn't snuck out the window or something akin to that. Of course, he didn't actually expect her to go to such lengths to leave the game when she didn't even know who the king was yet. Besides, where would she go? This was supposed to be her home now. Not that Kurou necessarily liked that, but it's simply how things turned out. Maybe she was going to write something in her diary about the new guy? Yeah, something seemed odd when she was crawling up the steps. She was probably so excited about meeting this guy that she just couldn't wait. Hell if he knew. He wasn't completely oblivious, but it is not like he could solve the riddles of a girl's mind just by looking at them, mostly. Maybe she really did have a giant crush on Shoe.

"Well, she'll have to ignore that for a bit if things go my way. Heheheh."

As Kurou reached the next floor, he shook his head. Am I becoming a villain? His turn might not end as well as he would hope, and he was even starting to creep himself out.

"Oi, Kurumi, what's taking so long?" he called out, noticing the open door. "How many blankets do you need? We're waiting." the elder brother stood at the entrance to her room as he finished that sentence.

Kurumi began retrieving blankets from her bedroom closet, picking out the ones that weren't embarrassing. Many were plain colors like purple or blue, but one or two had a delicate and feminine touch to them. Her favorite one was the black and pale pink blanket, with cherry blossoms depicted on the fabric. Once she got around five different blankets, Kurumi went to her dresser and opened her prescription bottle and shook a single pill into her hand. She didn't like to medicate often, but she couldn't lose herself in front of everyone. The potential side effects were worth keeping the secret of her illness. She could feel the weakness and pain in her legs, and she gazed out her bedroom window for a moment after returning the bottle to the inside of her dresser. She thought back to a time when she never had to worry about her illness, but found herself shocked as she heard an all too familiar voice behind her. Kurumi spun on her heel to face Kurou, stumbling back for a moment. She brought her hand to her face as if in shock, but that was only to discreetly take her medication without alerting Kurou that she was doing anything of the sort. She was unsure about how long he had been there at her doorway, but she hoped that it had not been very long. How do we always end up alone!?

"Kurumi, what's taking so long? How many blankets do you need? We're waiting."

Little did she know, he had just arrived right before she had turned around. She immediately placed one hand on her hip, frowning at him, "I was gathering them for the group, and I have a lot of them. Girls get cold easy. Sue me." She responded in a defensive manner, sticking her tongue out at him. She wanted to tell him to stop addressing her so familiarly, but she knew I would only do more harm than good unless he slipped up in front of Yukito or their other classmates. Since this was growing more and more awkward by the second, Kurumi scooped up the blankets, even though five of them were a rather bulky load for her to carry. Though as she approached him, she stopped once she was right next to him in the doorway, "Is there a reason you always show up at my bedroom door? Why would I try to escape my own game? I'm not the person that I once was, but seeing as you did come, does that mean you were the king this round?." she inquired with what seemed to be genuine curiosity. Honestly she felt awkward standing this close to Kurou, but thankfully only her heartbeat was irregular.

She finally stepped past him, turning to look back at him as she met the top of the stairs, "I'm done, so close the door on your way out of my doorway, okay? Do your worst, I can handle anything you try to throw at me." She responded in a defiant tone, unsure if she was actually one of his victim, but she was fairly sure he wouldn't have came after her unless that was the case... Unless.... Did I actually make him jealous? Kurumi proceeded in making her slow descent back into the living room. She refused to let Kurou help her carry the blankets. She did not want to give Yukito any reason to believe that there was anything sweet between her and Kurou. As she returned to the group she asked Nemui which numbers were called out. She immediately recounted the numbers for her older sister, and much to Kurumi's annoyance, she was one of Kurou's victims. She let out a sigh, but placed the blankets on the table after clearing off the silverware. She rested the cherry blossom blanket on her perch, right on top of the couch's right armrest. She took the dishes to the kitchen and returned with an impatient expression on her face, "Oi, someone tell me what his order was so we can get on with the game.." She then reclaimed her spot, perched higher up than anyone else in the room. She wrapped up in her blanket, finally warm for the first time since the game began.

Her attention then shifted to Izaya, tilting her head curiously, "Are you cold Shuuhei-San? Help yourself to a blanket. I recommend the purple one. It's super warm~!" She inquired before pointing to the purple blanket on the coffee table. She turned her attention to everyone else, gathering up the sticks and handing them to Yukito. She just wanted to get this show on the road. It was getting quite late and she was looking forward to some well earned sleep. She'd spent enough time faking smiles, and was forced to give up the last legal thing that claimed her as her father's daughter. She no longer even had his last name, which was taking a larger toll on her than she had anticipated. To be honest she just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, which could only happen if the game came to a close. Kurumi combed through her blonde locks as she waited for everyone else to draw a straw first. She decided she would choose last, seeing as her luck had finally chose to run out. Whatever Kurou had in store for her, Kurumi was determined to rise to the occasion. She couldn't let him win, especially after how he ended their fake relationship. She had to prove that she was over him, to herself, and to him. However, she also had to prove that she was no longer the shy and introverted girl whose heart shattered into a million pieces the day he'd called things off without rhyme or reason.

I'm not going to let him get in my head, not this time. I know what kind of guy he is now, and I won't be fooled twice... I can't afford to feel that way again, so this is my chance to prove there is nothing left. Kurumi's dark blue doe eyes scanned the room, waiting for everyone to hurry up and draw a straw from Yukito.