Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime.

Edit: Okay, someone pointed something out that I made a big mistake in this chapter so I went back to correct it!

For newcomers, Shizuru is OCed slightly in this, so if you like Shizuru the way she normally is, don't read. XP

Okay, so maybe I have a small addiction. It's not like it's serious. I have one or two after every meal and during brakes; one when I feel the urge and one out of habit. Maybe it's the rush I feel when it's in my mouth or going down my throat. Maybe it's the calm, serene sensation I get when it lingers and starts to evaporate. Maybe it's nostalgic feeling I have when I think about it.

'Course, people might call me strange for feeling this way about candy, but it's the truth.

Shizuru Fujino woke up that morning to an alarm clock effectively doing its job. She groaned in annoyance, knowing that if she hit the snooze button, she wouldn't be able to get out of bed, so might as well do it now and get it over with.

She hastily sat up and kicking her legs over the side of the bed. She hunched over and gripped her head with both hands, trying to bypass the thumping pain in her head that you get when you lean up too fast. Thankfully, that went away almost as soon as it came.

She looked over at the messy white sheets on her western-style bed and sighed, running her right hand through her light brown, knotty hair. She lazily got up and went to the bathroom to take a morning shower after grabbing a change of clothes. She slipped her white t-shirt, sleep-pants and undergarments off as she turned on the water, waiting for it to get a lukewarm temperature. When satisfied, she climbed in and let the water droplet slowly wake her up.

After she put on a change of clothes for the day, she continued with the morning necessities: brushing her teeth and hair, washing her face, make-up, etc. She then exited and went into the small kitchen of her downtown apartment and made a small lunch consisting of eggs, toast, and orange juice.

She noticed the time.

Her rust-red eyes widened as she held the fork in her mouth, staring at the clock in horror. She quickly gulped down her food, "I'm an hour late?! Did I fall asleep in the shower without knowing it?!" Talk about airhead.

She quickly stood, picking up her plate and fork and almost throwing them into the sink. She dashed around the house, trying to find her keys, her purse and thinking about what her plans for today were all at the same time.

She ran down the stairs, throwing her stores' dark green apron on and tying it in the back. She sprinted, unlocked her car's door, and jumped in, closing it behind her. She then placed her purse in the passenger's seat and placed the key in the ignition, listening to the engine come to life. She sighed heavily as she started to back out onto the street. The drive usually didn't take that long, and her guilty pleasure usually made the time fly by even faster.

Speaking of which:

Shizuru chuckled to herself as she steadily drove in the morning rush of traffic. Her hand reached mechanically over to the passenger's seat as she kept her eyes glued on the road ahead. As she pulled her hand out, which was now contained a wrapper. The orange-red wrapper was covering something small and oval shaped. Expertly, with one hand, she removed the wrapper and revealed a small piece of the same colored candy inside. She smiled brightly as she placed the piece of candy into her mouth and indulged in its orangey-tangy flavor.

Then something unexpected happened.

She felt a pulsating pain in her lower-left jaw.

"Ara?"

She frowned at its persistence and her free hand, now wrapper free, and moved it up to the part of her jaw where the pain was originating from and rubbed it slightly, trying to make it go away. When it wouldn't go away, she reluctantly swallowed the candy and opened her mouth. She placed her hand into her mouth and tried to find the cause. When she found it, she flinched, "Itai!" She yiped, removing her hand at once.

Her tooth was sore.

"That can't be good…" She muttered to herself as she continued down the road.