Disclaimer: I don't own Dengeki Daisy or the characters, etc. Just a fan. \o/

A/N: I LOVE Kurosaki/Teru, and there are many wonderful stories here on them, but... at the same time... I also like Kiyoshi/Rena and have been longing to read a story about them. Since I've yet to find one here on ff[.]net I decided to just post the one I wrote a while ago when I first saw the scans for ch 34-35 (can't remember exactly .) and liked the small moment these two shared.

So, while this an old fic it doesn't really have a set time. Oh, let's just say it's set in a happy future where everything works out for Kurosaki/Teru. X3 Other than that, no prior knowledge really needed, and no spoilers.

Kiyoshi was walking back home in the dusk of the evening when he first noticed the profile of the student council president walking in front of him on the street. He presumed the dark haired guy with his hair gelled down walking next to her, his arm over her shoulder, was probably her fiancé. He couldn't really see her face but her head seemed to glance away or point downwards, and every so often, she seemed to shrug her shoulder, moving his arm in doing so.

The action baffled him at first until he began to realize that her fiancé's arm was actually dangling from her shoulder and the hand seemed to creep closer and closer to her breas-

He stopped himself from looking. Wouldn't that be just as bad as actually being the one trying to cop a feel in public?

Another shrug caught the corner of his eye and he immediately returned his gaze back to her. She turned her head away from the guy and towards the street. Even though he was a little over a meter away he might as well been standing next to her as he could practically hear the sigh the cold night air gave a wisp of revealing. Her eyes seemed to gaze into the distance and, from seeing her profile, he could now make out a distinctive frown.

Where was the confidence of the girl who once bullied him? Where was the zest of the girl who yelled at him, defending her ex-boyfriend? Or the energy reserve he knew the girl had? (She tended to show it to her only two friends: Teru and Haruka.) This wasn't that girl. This wasn't the student body president he knew.

The… understanding that developed between them seemed to pull on his heartstrings. It wasn't as though he liked her; no, not at all. He did get to see rare glimpses of her kindness every so often; it was usually shown in her actions – rarely her words. Recently, he could almost swear that he could even see a small blush on her cheeks when she first hears his voice, but that could be his imagination… (Or wishful thinking, but that was an even more absurd and frightening thought.)

He knew of her first fiancé, and remembered how she later told the group the relationship ended – although why it "didn't work out", she left vague. She said she was happy to be single for a little while, but her parents didn't want to listen; counting back, Kiyoshi thinks this guy was her… fourth fiancé?

He frowned at the thought, although not really understanding why. Perhaps because he was beginning to have the sinking suspicion that her parents were just as much of a damens walker* as the president was.

He quickened his pace, just slightly, to be within ear reach. He could hear the fiancé talking – his grand plans of how he's going to run her father's company. How impressed she was going to be with him. How lucky she was for their newly arranged engagement. How he was going to make her be with him every night…

Kiyoshi saw him pull the president closer to him and with his other hand force her chin to look at him. He could practically see the man's lips move in slow motion as he whispered the words, "Starting tonight" to the president. Followed, naturally, by the sickest grin Kiyoshi had ever seen.

The president's eyes instantly widened and her body froze in shock. For a moment so did Kiyoshi.

His heart started to beat faster and his legs moved without his consent. "RENA!" He shouted, words escaping like water just released from a dam.

The couple turned around, breaking her away from her fiancé's grip. It was within that same instant that Kiyoshi instantly grabbed Rena's hand and continued sprinting off, her trailing behind like the tail in a game of snake.

After a few random, and sharp, turns he finally slowed down and crashed onto a nearby bench.

"Kiyoshi!" She exhaled, taking in a few breaths before she could steady herself. "What were you-? How did you-?"

"Idiot!" He said in between gasps for air, not entirely sure if he was insulting her or himself in that statement. He rested his forehead in the palms of his hands, catching his breath and shielding himself from her. He needed time to process this; needed time to process all the variables "this" comprised of.

He jumped as a light sliver of cotton grazed the side of his face. The soft sensation withdrew at the shock wave but then once again made its way back to his face, dabbing his sideburns below his glasses down to his jaw line with more confidence than before. Kiyoshi's eyes widened slightly and even though he had recovered from the sprint, his heart quickened. He could feel the three firm yet tender fingers patting down his face with a handkerchief and he slowly allowed himself to sit back up and look at her.

Rena withdrew her hand almost immediately and stared at him in silence. After it became apparent that he wasn't going to scold her she slowly reached up and took off his glasses, folding them up and placing them safely on her lap. She then resumed gently dabbing the thin film of sweat off his face.

"D-don't think that I'm doing this out of thanks." She started in her inflated tone as she continued her work, "I just don't want to be next to a sweaty person. Gesh, you never even ran that fast in P.E.! I will not be responsible if you get a heart attack. From what I've heard, scholarship students are supposed to be smart, but your lack of concern for yoursel-"

She was instantly silenced by Kiyoshi's hand on hers. Rena withdrew her hand and stared at her lap. Hesitantly unfolding the glasses, she didn't even look at him just felt his hand take them from hers.

Kiyoshi could feel the slight blush on his cheeks and was grateful that she wasn't looking his way. Looking back, his behavior was rather impulsive but he couldn't let that guy just have his way with the president, especially when it was obvious that it wasn't wanted. A gentleman's code of honor. Yes, that was the best way to justify the matter… or… rather… that was the only reason why he behaved in that manner.

He let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. 'Great.' He thought to himself. 'What am I doing?'

"Idiot." He started again.

She moved her eyes towards him but didn't dare move her face.

The lack of eye contact was actually preferred on his part, as he stared into the street and the people passing. "Weren't you the one scolding Teru about leaning on people? How there are always people who care about you to lean on. How long has that fiancé been treating you like that?"

"It was our first meeting… so, just tonight." She said while also looking towards the street in front of her.

Kiyoshi turned to the president, eyes slightly widened; her parents were supposed to be overlooking these arrangements, right? Perhaps they met him at a nice restaurant and let the two of them go? As he looked over the president's profile the thought became very plausible.

She was dressed up more than usual: a dressy skirt, nice shirt with a thin cover on top, necklace, earrings, her eyelashes seemed a little longer giving a slight hint that she was probably wearing a light coating of makeup. Her hair was pulled back with a ribbon and in loose curls. Kiyoshi's heart quickened as he fully appreciated how beautiful she looked and with him still in his school uniform – slightly muddy from his duties as "slave no. 2". They were definitely a mismatched sight.

He forced himself to stop staring at her and return his gaze back to the lights of the cars as they drove by. "What would you have done if I didn't come?"

He heard a small "heh" escape her mouth, "Yelled, screamed, kicked, thrown a tantrum right in the middle of the street. It would have been a spectacle, I'm sure. But it's better to fight them when these situations happen; Teru taught me that." She smiled to herself.

The edges of Kiyoshi's mouth hinted upward upon hearing the president willing to follow Teru's advice, and he wondered, for a brief moment, if Teru saved the president like Kurosaki saved him.

"At least this guy didn't get me drunk… I suppose, in that aspect, I'm moving up." Rena said while swinging her feet back a forth, hands gripping the side of the bench, now looking up to the sky with a sad smile.

Kiyoshi frowned, that type of "moving up" should hardly be bragged about.

"Hey, umm…?" She asked hesitantly and he turned to look at her.

"Thank you." She said flashing her brilliant white teeth in the only real smile he has ever seen from her directed at him. The city lights: white, red, yellow, and green, blurred in the background made the whole scene so surreal for him and his heart quickened once again.

"Don't thank me quite yet… You know… That was such a heroic act, you owe me big."

"W-what?" She moved back slightly, "Isn't my gratitude enough? Do you know how many people I thank?"

Kiyoshi laughed, "I'm sure not many…" He smiled at her, which seemed to set her a little more at ease. "Isn't this your fourth fiancé? Are you just going to let your parents keep picking these types of guys?"

"I tried to tell them I wanted a break, but they wouldn't listen…"

"Tell them you found a boyfriend at school."

Rena's eyes narrowed and she just stared at Kiyoshi.

"You know, lie. Use my name if you need one. If they want to meet this 'boyfriend', I'm willing to dress up nicely and greet them properly."

He peeked over at her, happy to see a genuine small smile on her face.

"Of course, this means that from time to time you'll have to act like you like me, you know, for appearance's sake. And, as I'm sure you know, I live my life in servitude so you might need to help every now and again. And-"

"My name." She interrupted.

Kiyoshi stopped to look at her, "Your name?"

Her small smile beamed, "You called me 'Rena' tonight. You'll have to keep calling me that."

Blush instantly overcame Kiyoshi.

"You know, for appearance's sake!" She continued in her high-and-mighty voice, a slight blush of her own grazing her cheeks.

"R-right! So these are just the preliminary terms. We'll hash out more of the details later."

"Right!"

"Right!" He repeated, although he wasn't sure why. Nerves? No. Couldn't be.

Kiyoshi jumped up, turned around, and offered his hand; taking a deep breath, "Rena."

"Kiyoshi." She smiled back and accepted the offer off the bench, a little reluctant to let go of the hand. The sound of his name falling from her lips had more impact than he cared to admit.

"I'll walk you home - just in case."

"Right, for appearance's sake."

'Or in case that creepy pervert comes by again…' Kiyoshi thought to himself as he made sure Rena was not on the side nearest the street, in case he should come by car.

They didn't talk for the remainder of the walk home, and the only contact they had was when Rena shivered and Kiyoshi offered her his dirty school coat, which she received with heartfelt eyes that couldn't quite look at him and another slight smile.

It was odd in many ways…

This was the girl he hated. The girl who made his life a living hell in the beginning. The girl who drove him to insanity on a regular basis. Yet, it became apparent in that one instant she smiled at him, that one instant she thanked him and the whole city slowed down in the process that maybe those weren't the only reasons why his mind constantly wandered her way.

This girl was definitely one that needed some protection, someone actually looking out for her best interest and, for some reason (one that he didn't care to explore or admit) Kiyoshi decided in that instance that only he could be her much needed protector.

Now only to find a better public excuse on why he needed to be near her…

Perhaps it was best to consult with Master Kurosaki on that matter…

End

Note:

*damens walker is a woman who has bad taste in men (in this case I'm throwing both parents in here... Wonder if I technically could... Ah, well :) )