Tsugumi stepped out of the classroom, closing the door behind her. She quickly looked around for Raku, finding Kosaki instead.

"Where did Raku go?"

"I think he said something about heading to the lockers and waiting for you outside."

"Thanks."

As Tsugumi headed for the stairs she heard the door open and close behind her. Heading down the stairs she soon reached the lockers and put away her shoes before taking her things and exiting the building. Raku stood waiting for her at the gate, she slowly began striding towards him taking the the sight of his hair rustling with the wind and his violet eyes which seemed to glisten in the sun. As she approached, Raku brought his attention around to her.

"Ah, there you are. Are you ready to go?"

She took his hand, entwining their fingers together "of course."

The two of them began to walk out of the school grounds side by side, as they continued to walk Tsugumi began to look around at the leaves that were now beginning to fall and change color, and the couples that were out and about enjoying the crisp autumn air.

"You know, we haven't really had an official date yet now that I think about it."

Raku seemed to come out of his thoughts as he turned his head toward her. "What?"

Tsugumi sighed inwardly This airhead "I said, since we've started dating we haven't really had an official date."

"Now that you say it I guess you're right, we haven't really done anything like that yet."

"It's such a nice day, I think we should spend it together."

"Well, what should we do then?"

"Hmm, well for starters we should stop and get something to eat then maybe afterwards we can go see if there's anything good playing at the movies."

"That sounds like a great idea."

"Although, I wouldn't mind changing out of my school uniform so I think we should head back to the house first."

"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't be a terrible idea to change into something more comfortable" He said with laugh.

Tsugumi smiled up at him, she loved that smile of his and listening to him laugh was like music to her ears. As the two of them began to walk towards home, a figure appeared some distance behind them watching them as they began to fade from view. Once they returned home, the two of them separated each going to their rooms to change. Raku quickly changed into some street clothes and exited his room going to stand in the main room to wait for Tsugumi. As he entered the room his father looked up at him from the table.

"Going out again already?"

"Yeah, Tsugumi and I are heading out to go see a movie and maybe grab something to eat."

"I see, actually I needed to talk to you about that subject." He gestured for Raku to have a seat. After Raku was seated he continued speaking "I don't mind you having a relationship with this girl but you must keep in mind that you and Chitoge must maintain your relationship so that our parties may have peace."

"I know, and I'm going to do my best but having two relationships can be hard."

"Then, there's going to come a time that you'll have to choose between them. I trust that you'll make the right decision when it's time."

As they spoke Tsugumi finished changing and began heading to the main room, entering at the end of their conversation. Raku turned to see her standing there in a white dress with light floral patterns all across it, his eyes flicked to her face noticing the gloss on her lips and some makeup around her eyes that caused her ruby red eyes to stand out . She blushed as she noticed that he was staring.

"W-what?"

Raku shook his head, realizing that he had been staring a bit too long. "Nothing, I just couldn't help but notice how beautiful you looked."

She began to blush even darker, turning her head away to try and hide it. "Thanks, you look nice too."

Raku's father cleared his throat. "I believe you two need to be going if you're going to catch a film."

"You're right, thanks for the reminder" Raku took her hand and began heading for the door. "I'll see you later dad."

His father continued to watch them as they left, wondering what choice his son would come to make. The two of them walked down the streets until they finally came to the train station, they boarded the train to the next town. The car they were in was relatively empty save for a few passengers, Tsugumi held his hand in hers as she rested her head on his shoulder. A few minutes into the ride her soft and quiet breathing seemed to indicate that she was asleep, Raku looked down at her with a smile before planting a kiss on her head. As he kissed her a slight tropical aroma reached his nose, she stirred slightly as a small smile began to creep across her lips.

As their train came to a stop Raku shook her gently and watched as she stretched with a sleepy yawn, she looked around for a moment before looking up at him.

"Are we there already?"

"Already? It's been an hour."

She bolted upright, looking at him with widened eyes and a growing blush "I was asleep for that long!?"

"Mhmm, you're really cute when you sleep too."

Her blush deepened to a scarlet red and she stood up quickly from the seat "come on, we need to hurry up or we'll miss the stop."

Raku stood up from the seat as they both walked off the train onto the platform, he took her hand before entwining his fingers with hers once again as they headed towards the theater. Tsugumi hung her head slightly in embarrassment keeping her eyes on the ground in front of them. They chatted idly as they walked down the main street where they spotted a cafe, as they entered the hostess seated them before handing them both a menu and heading back to her station to seat the next customers. The next few minutes seem to fly by as the waitress came and took their order and before they knew it their food had arrived.

"I forgot to ask, what did you have to take care of after school?"

"Oh, Chitoge just wanted to talk to me about something."

"What did she wanna talk about?"

"She just reminded me to be on the watch for Claude since if he were to tell her father about our relationship that could cause a lot of problems for all of us."

"Oh yeah, I had completely forgotten about that." He chuckled quietly.

"We shouldn't be laughing about this, if they were to find out about this then both families would start fighting again." She sighed disappointingly "I'm honestly kind of ashamed of myself for forgetting about it."

He put his hand gently on top of hers "Don't worry about it, we just have to be careful right? We can just include Chitoge in a few plans so that way everything looks okay."

She nodded solemnly before taking a deep breath and forcing a smile. "You're right, we just need to be careful is all. Now we need to get going or else we'll miss our movie.

The two of them got up from the table and paid their bill before walking back out into the street and walking towards the theater, Tsugumi glanced around looking for familiar faces or a glint of glasses.

Raku looked over at her as she glanced around. "Looking for Claude?" Tsugumi nodded.

He sighed softly and shook his head "I haven't seen four eyes for a few days so I doubt he's around."

Tsugumi clung to his arm, looking him dead in the eyes "The fact we haven't seen him is exactly why I'm worried."

They continued toward the theater as the sun began to drift closer to the horizon, Tsugumi kept her eyes and ears open for any sign of Claude. There was something about Chitoge bringing it up all of a sudden that left her feeling on edge. They arrived at their destination without incident and quickly took their seats after paying for the tickets and concessions. Tsugumi began to relax as the movie started and soon began to forget about Claude and everything else, just taking in the time she was able to spend with Raku.

After the movie ended they stepped out to be greeted by a brisk breeze, the two of them stood together for a moment bracing themselves against the chill of the night. Her hand quickly slid into this his, their fingers wrapping around the others creating a warm bond that radiated throughout the rest of their bodies.

"What did you think about the movie?"

"I thought it was kind of cheesy personally, I mean love never happens like that in real life."

"How would you know? People fall in love all the time; how do we know that something like that hasn't happened before?"

As they strolled toward their home, guided by the dim light of streetlamps mixed with a pale moon they soon lost themselves in their banter. Tsugumi almost missed it, she quickly put her arm out in front of Raku and crouched before putting a finger to her lips. Her gaze held steadily at the intersection in front of them.

"Show yourself!"

"Hm, I thought for sure you wouldn't be able to detect me in the dark." A shadow stepped out from behind the fence, moonlight gleaming across the glasses on his face. "I must say you've gone above the call of duty for this mission."

"Mission? What's he talking about?" Raku looked at Tsugumi with a quizzical gaze.

"The mission to spy on you to prove that Chitoge and you aren't actually in a relationship, that the whole thing is a sham. I just needed her to get some proof, I didn't think she would pretend to date you to get it. It's absolutely brilliant I would expect nothing less from my protege."

Tsugumi found she couldn't meet raku's gaze, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her as thoughts and emotions began to quickly race through her. Her cheeks flushed as her heart began to quicken, the next few minutes felt like hours and she was able to tear her eyes away from the ground and look up at Raku. The eyes that met hers were filled not with anger but understanding, not hurt but kindness, tears flooded her eyes as they streamed her face to meet the edges of her mouth as they curled up.

"Why would it matter if me and Chitoge were dating or not?"

Claudes jaw dropped slightly as his glasses slid part way down his nose. "You're kidding right? The supposed relationship between you two is all that's keeping the two families from going to war with each other."

"If they really wanted to fight, I'm sure they would find a reason to."

"Well it doesn't matter now because once I reveal that your relationship with Chitoge is a sham then we'll finally have the fight we've been itching for." Claude breaks into a sprint down the street leaving dust in his wake.

Tsugumi quickly puts her feet under her and takes off after him, her arms begin to pump as wildly as her heart I must catch him, I can't let him get to Chitoge. Streetlamps became a blur as the chase continued never once losing sight of him for more than a second her legs felt like lead after the first two blocks. How much stamina does this guy have!? Tsugumi breathed heavily her legs feeling like jelly as her steps began to slow before falling to her knees her chest heaving with every breath.

Raku ran around the corner his chest heaving, gulping in air like a fish out of water. He walks over to Tsugumi sitting down beside her resting against the opposite side of the light pole tilting his head up to be greeted by the shining stars.

"I lost him" Her voice barely a whisper

"I know."

"What are we supposed to do?"

"I guess we wait and see what happens, maybe by tomorrow morning our two families go to war."

"If that happens, I won't let any harm come to you, even if it means turning against my family."

"I know you would, I would do the same for you. We should get back to the house it's not doing us any good just sitting around here."

Tsugumi lifts her head weakly seeing Raku through a light mist, her lips curving slightly into a small smile. Raku extends his hand down to her as she lifts her arm to wipe away the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She takes his hand, slowly getting to her feet with a quiet sniffle. His hand slowly comes up to wipe away the tears from her cheeks before pulling her into an embrace, she buries her face in the crook of his neck as her shoulders begin to shake. After a moment he released her from his embrace, she wiped the remaining tears away from her red puffy eyes, her smile spreading further across her face.

Raku takes her hand in his gently, entwining his fingers with hers. "What do you say we head home now?"

"But what about Claude?"

"Well, I'm sure we can talk to my dad and get this whole thing worked out before it turns into a big mess."

Tsugumi nods entwining her fingers with his as well. "Alright, let's head home then."

The two of them begin moving towards Raku's home, the cold beginning to seep into their bones as the moon climbs higher into the sky. Raku moves closer to her, their arms now pressed up against each other as they try to stay warm in the cool autumn night. They reach his house, opening the door as quietly as they can and takes off their shoes before silently walking towards the main room to be greeted by three people.

"Welcome home you two, we were just discussing you as a matter of fact." Raku's father says as the two of them enter the main room, gesturing to Chitoge and her father seated across from him. "Now if you two would take a seat we'll finish our discussion."

"Now, where were we. Ah yes, we were discussing what to do about this whole situation. Now the whole reason we created the relationship between Raku and Chitoge was so that our two families would have a reason to unite instead of fighting each other. You two have certainly put us in a precarious position. While Tsugumi is from my organization it's not as binding as a bond between the two children of the leading members. On the other hand, you two do seem happy with each other and we don't want to break that up either so you can see our predicament."

Raku looked over at his father his brow knitting in thought "so what does all this mean for us?"

Chitoges father was the one to answer as he looked over at Raku. "It means that without you and my daughter being a couple, our two groups cannot coexist in the same territory."

"Why can't you just tell them that me and her are together, it was a lie to begin with so why can't we keep it up?"

"If we were to take that route then you and Tsugumi couldn't be seen together publicly, you and Chitoge would have to be seen together on a regular basis and even if you did take Tsugumi along to look like a bodyguard or escort you and her still couldn't show affection or else it would ruin everything."

"What can we do?"

"There are really only two options, either things stay as they are now and our groups end up fighting or one of us ends up leaving and seeing as how this territory belonged to your group to begin with our group would have to relocate."

"There's nothing else we can do?"

"Not unless you could get the two groups to sign a truce, but that would be difficult. We couldn't do it before and realizing it was a sham would make it even worse."

Raku looks over at Chitoge "What are your thoughts on this?"

"Honestly these past couple of months have been hard on me seeing you two together as I began to realize my own feelings, I don't want to see you two separated since you both look so happy together so I'm in favor of the two groups separating."

"So you're willing to just leave the life you've built here over the past two years? Willing to leave your friends? Willing to leave me?" Tsugumi says in a shaky voice looking Chitoge in the eyes as she does.

Chitoge sweeps her eyes over to Tsugumi, the glittering of tears filling her eyes as she walks over to her friend and circles her arms around her before drawing her into a hug. "I would never leave you, just because I may not be here doesn't mean I wouldn't send you emails every day." She says, her words like a spring breeze.

Tsugumi wraps her arms around her friend in return, squeezing her eyes shut as tears slowly begin to well up. "I don't want emails, I want you. You've been my friend for about as long as I can remember, you can't just leave like this." Tears beginning to fall as she speaks.

"You're right, we've been friends for about as long as either of us can remember and as your friend I want what's best for you. I only want you two to be happy, and so as hard as it is for me to leave you like this it's what I have to do."

Tsugumi hair sways quietly back and forth as she shakes her head quietly, looking up at her friend with red puffy eyes "I can't accept this, there has to be some other way. I'm sure we could talk the two groups into signing a truce."

Chitoge looks down at Tsugumi, tears spilling from her eyes freely "We've went over all the options, the two groups were at each other's throats the only option was to unite the two families but Raku isn't interested in me, and I won't live a lie if it means sacrificing your happiness. That's what friends are for."

Chitoge continues to hold her Tsugumi, rubbing her back softly in attempts to comfort her distressed friend, sniffling quietly taking in the comfort of the embrace as much as her friend is. She continues to hold her until tears cease to flow from both of them. After a few moments Tsugumi untangles herself from her friend, looking up at her with puffy eyes.

"I know I can't stop you but if you miss a single email then I'm coming over there and hauling you back to Japan myself." She says with a small smile despite her tears.

A small laugh escapes Chitoges lips as she speaks "You've got yourself a deal. I promise, I won't miss a single email."

The next few days were hard for the group knowing that one of their friends were going to leave them for a long time. The class held a going away party for Chitoge as did her friends, until the fated day came that it was time for her to leave. Chitoge made her way around the group, giving and receiving hugs as well as a few extra gifts that weren't given at the party, tears were shed, and goodbyes were said. Raku held Tsugumi's hand as Chitoge made her way to the plane. She turned to back to look at the couple once more before making a dash back to her friend and throws her arms around her in a big warm hug before boarding the plane and heading to new but not greater things.