A/N: Sorry about the super-long wait!!! Our computer broke and I didn't get a chance to be on it in TEN DAYS! I know, GASP. But I'm back and here to say that I am not abandoning this story. I mean I can't leave you all haning when I didn't even get a chance to write about Shigure's darker side or any parts with Akito in them!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 5.

Yukari blinked, as she stared wide-eyed at the boy. Shigure did something along those lines as well, though far more surprised. Yukari's wide-eyed look soon turned into a deadly glare as she balled up her fists. I can't believe he followed me! That mistrusting freak!

"Akihiko!" Yukari shouted, standing up in a flash. She stomped over to the boy, her face nearly matching that of a fire engine. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Narrowing his eyes, Koji pointed an accusing finger at the girl. "I should ask you the same thing! And don't call me that! What happened to your supposed 'school project'?!"

"I'm doing it right now," she growled in a low voice.

He made a 'hmph' sort of sound and folded his arms, glaring at Shigure. "It doesn't look like it to me."

"Well, I would be if it weren't for my idiot brother," she said, poking him hard in the chest as she spoke.

"Then why are you in a house full of guys, spending time alone with one that looks way older?!"

Her anger began to subside at his last comment, as she sighed. Attack of the protective older brother, I suppose... Rubbing her temples and frowning deeply, she replied, "It's job shadowing, baka."

Behind her she heard Shigure mumble, "I don't look that old…"

Silence enveloped the room rather awkwardly for Koji while he stared back and forth at the two.

"Job...shadowing?" he choked out, his voice shrinking.

Yukari exhaled loudly and gritted her teeth. "Yes, oh paranoid one."

"Well...you should have said so before you left!" he replied, gaining back some confidence, yet still sounding a bit sheepish.

"Of course or else you'd hunt me down like you don't trust me," she muttered barely loud enough for him to hear, making him wince a little at the comment. "Anyway, this is Souma Shigure, a novelist. I'm surprised you don't recognize the name, I did get one of his works from you."

"...So that's where you got that book!" Shigure spoke up with a grin. Standing as well and walking past Yukari, he looked at the younger man pleasantly. "It's always nice to meet a fan!"

"Souma...Shigure?" Koji wondered aloud, rubbing his chin in thought. He suddenly paused, and gave Shigure a surprised stare. "Oh...that book..."

"So what did you think of it?" Shigure asked, conceit seeping into his voice.

"Uhm..." was the only response that came out of his mouth before he glanced over at Yukari who gave a questioning stare to her brother, awaiting a response as well. He gulped down hard, his nervousness setting in quickly. "Hey, I'm gonna go wait in another room while you two finish up for today so I can walk Yuka-chan home, if that's okay. Alrightly then, I'll be going now."

In a flash, Koji was out of the room and out of site. Yukari sighed in relief and took a seat at her chair once again. Shigure followed in suit, slightly confused about the happenings of the last five minutes.

Just as Shoiri was about to speak again, Koji poked his head in the room with an evil grin. "Don't take too long, KariMari!"

And he was gone again.

Yukari huffed loudly as Shigure stared at her strangely. Note to self: kill Koji in his sleep.

"Sorry about him," she muttered, her stare on the ground.

He chuckled lightly, fiddling with another one of his pens on the desk. "It's quite alright. It was actually an interesting experience."

"I'm still sorry though," she explained, holding her head in her hands to cover up her face. "This was supposed to be as professional as possible and then in walks my airhead of a brother pointing fingers and shouting..."

"Really, it's no trouble at all, Yukari," he said, gently patting her shoulder. She lifted her head only slightly, her cheeks still slightly pink. Smiling pleasantly, he added, "So why did he call you KariMari?"

Her eyes bulged out in shock as her throat released a low groan and her face was once again buried in her hands. "My family usually calls me Kari and Koji thought he was clever by putting something that rhymed at the end."

"...And Akihiko?" he said, amused by her reaction.

She rolled her eyes and huffed loudly. Project, project, project... "It's his first name...he hates it. So I figure it's just as bad as his nickname for me..."

"You said you're family calls you Kari," he started but paused half way through. He leaned back in his chair. "I'm guessing there's another part to this name game, then."

Yukari drummed her fingers against the arm of the chair, clenching her jaw. "What's with the twenty questions?"

"Fine, fine...shall we continue with your twenty questions?" he asked, his voice not faltering one bit.

Yukari examined his expression, completely astounded that this person, this successful writer with his own small, deranged – and albeit closet – fanbase, was so very laidback. His personality gave her the impression that he didn't have a care in the world, not one worry. That's impossible! Everyone worries! Everyone! He couldn't possibly be as happy as he makes himself out to be! ...Right? She blinked rapidly, realizing she had been staring at his face for ages. And to her horror, he had been staring at her as well. Her eyes widened and her face turned a deep shade of red, to add to her embarrassment. "What are you staring at?!"

He chuckled lightly at the familiar hostility. "I was going to ask you the very same question."

She gulped down, biting her lip. "I was...I wasn't staring at you for the reason you think I was, okay!"

"Is that so?" He leaned forward in his chair, resting his head in the palm of his hand. "And what is real reason, then?"

She shot him a glare as a growl formed in her throat. "I..." She exhaled loudly. "Why are you always so...happy?"

"Well, why are you always so unhappy?" he retaliated, with a laugh.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not funny."

"Who said I was joking?" he asked, the laughter completely gone but Yukari could still feel lightness of it in the room. "An explanation for an explanation?"

"But I asked you fir-" She cut herself off, finding that Shigure's expression was clearly waiting for something. "Alright, fine! You want to know why I'm unhappy?"

He simply nodded.

"Well, the person who I'm job shadowing refuses to cooperate with me on my project even though if I don't get an amazing grade on this, I fail and have to take this class over again." She added a sneer at the end for effect.

For the first time that night, Shigure's smile completely disappeared as he lifted his head up again, sweatdropping. "That's all I'm going to get out of you at this point isn't it?"

"Yep," she replied with her own smile, feeling a sense of accomplishment at the fact that she wiped his own smile off for once. "So...an explanation for an explanation."

"Why am I always happy?" He looked at the ceiling, tapping his chin in thought for a few seconds. "Well, no one's always happy." I knew it! She thought, almost forming a smile before he interrupted again. "I'm happy at this precise moment because you, Yukari-kun, are so very amusing to me." He paused, looking quite pleased with himself. "But I'm not saying that for the reason you think I am."

She glared, still recovering from her last several embarrassments. Unable to control her level of tolerance any longer, she pointed at him threateningly, shouting, "This is SO not like when I was staring, okay?!"

"Well, at least you'll admit you were staring," he replied with a pleasant grin. "They say the first step is admitting you have a problem."

"I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM!!!" she shouted back, her anger flaring again. "Besides I would've figured that you'd be the last to consider it a problem!"

He chuckled to himself as if it was mere playful banter. "And I would've figured you'd be the first."

"That's it!" She stood up in a huff and stomped out of the room, leaving all her materials behind with the novelist. She turned to him for a brief moment before leaving the room. "I'll be back tomorrow!"

"I'll be looking forward to your visit," he replied in a sing-song voice.

Yukari roughly grabbed Koji's wrist before stomping out the door. "We're leaving!"

In the house, Shigure smiled to himself and laughed lightly. He leaned far back in his chair listen to the clearly awkward silence coming from the three teenagers in the other room. "Tomorrow, then."