Pure Romance (girl's side)

A stranger introduced [1.]

   Akemi 明美, meaning "bright beauty"

It had been a long day and Akemi and Misaki were walking home from school together. The walk was peaceful until Misaki looked at his grades and let out a dramatic wail.

"Akemi-chan, I don't think I'm gonna get into Mitsuhashi with grades like these!" Misaki whines, clenching his report card, wrinkling it as he did so.

"Don't say that, you'll pass.Have more faith than that, Misaki-chan." Akemi said happily, while patting Misaki on the back trying to sooth him.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, Your grades are good."

"I don't find C's and D's good. Besdies, M-University won't accept grades fairly that low. You have to get like A's and B's," Akemi said as she sighed looking at her low-grade report too. The only class Akemi was truly gifted in was Literature. Akemi would get A's in that class, but C's and D's in the rest of her other classes. Heck, she wasn't even athletic enough to pass gym. They both were unfortunate.

"Ah, your right. But you do have a passable grade in Literature. That counts for something, doesn't it?" Misaki said trying to reassure Akemi.

"I guess so."

The talk about grades and M-University soon faded, and the walk was now silent. Until Misaki broke the silence.

"Hey Akemi-chan, since we're walking towards my apartment anyway, wanna come over? Takahiro's probably home, so maybe he can tutor us." Misaki asked as he smiled at Akemi.

"Sure, I don't mind. But..." Akemi paused, looking away.

"But?" Misaki inquired as he stopped in his tracks along with Akemi.

"Will there be cake?" Akemi asked as she slowly raised her head. Misaki giggled at her reply and said yes. The walk soon continued.

"You can be so cute sometimes, Akemi-chan." Misaki said still giggling at her last comment.

"D-d-d-d-don't call me cute!"

"But you are! You get asked out by guys like almost every week, or sometimes every day! It's surprising, you have better luck with love than I do." Misaki said.

"It's not like I enjoy being asked out by complete strangers." Akemi mumbled under her breath while blushing.

"Whatever." Misaki said as he rolled his eyes and giggled.

"But I don't get it, these cool guys that look like they come out of shojou mangas ask you out, but you reject them. Why?" Misaki inquired as he turned to face to Akemi's.

"Well I uh...I have my reasons." Akemi stated while not giving Misaki an I contact, afraid that she might blush in front of him.

"What kind of reasons." Misaki inquired again, still facing Akemi.

Geez, what's with all the questions. He's making it harder than it alreay is. Akemi thought.

"Well...I already like someone." Akemi said still trying to look confident. But on the inside, this was killing her.

"Ehhhh?! You doooo?!" Misaki shouted sounding even more dramatic.

"Well don't act all surprised." Akemi said, feeling kind of insulted by his last remark. He acted like she was the cold type that wasn't even interested in guys. Then again, she never even talked to Misaki about her love life, even when they were kids.

"You must tell me who he is, Akemi-chan!" Misaki stated loudly as he shook her shoulders like some kind of madman. Akemi was starting to get nauseous. Akemi starts to explain, but has a hard time to because she was being shaked to death.

"It....doesn't matter....anyway,...he.... doesn't....like....me..now let....gOoOoOoO" Akemi tried to breath out. Misaki let go of her and gave Akemi a pitiful look.

"Are you sure he doesn't. Did you ask?"

"Misaki, it's still a beautiful day, please don't make it depressing by dredging up sad stuff. Besides, we're already at your apartment building." Akemi said tyring to work up a smile and pointing to the building. Misaki looked in the direction her finger was pointing to. He finally calmed down.

"Ah, your right." Misaki said letting the whole thing go, even though secretly he did feel sympathetic for her.

"Well, who ever the guy is, he's an idiot for not falling for you." Misaki said as he put on a brave smile.

"Thanks...(its you, you idiot.)," Akemi thought as she rubbed her now sore shoulders from Misaki's strong grasps.

The walk to Misaki's apartment door was rather short. All you had to do was walk up the titanium stairs, a couple of feet, and you were there. Misaki unlatched the door with his key and takes off his shoes without noticing his brother being seduced right in front of him.

"Onee-saaaaaan, I'm hoooooome. Oh yeah, I also brought-" Misaki stopped dead in his sentence when he noticed something he least expected.

"Hey Misaki, what's the hold up? Your blocking the doo-" Akemi stopped dead in her sentence also. Now there was this awkward silence between the four. Thankfully, Takahiro breaks the uncomfortable ice that holds Akemi and Misaki in place. Akemi and Misaki both have they're mouths in the shape of an "O."

"Oh Misaki, your home. This is Akihiko Usami, one of my old friends from college. How rude of me, you brought Akemi-chan and I didn't prepare any tea and cake. I'll go prepare some." Takahiro says smiling happily as he walks to the kitchen. Soon enough, all three could hear pots and pans clanging, that let them know that Takahiro was working on the deserts.

"If you two don't mind, could you please step aside. Oh, and your both making a puddle on the floor," says the strange guy with the heartless glare. The strange man walks past Akemi and Misaki and slams the door behind him.

"Misaki-chan, Akemi-chan, the tea and cakes are ready! Oh, did he leave already? I wanted to tell him some good news. By the way, why are you two standing there like a dear in headlights?" Takahiro questioned. Akemi and Misaki snapped out off their daze and eventually walked down the wooden hallway to the kitchen.

Misaki sips his tea slowly and reavaluates the situation that stood before his very eyes.

"What in the world was that! Who does he think he is?! Looking all nonchalant while pinning by brother to the wall like some...LIKE SOME YAOI OR SOMETHING!!!" Misaki thought to himself as he now sipped his tea angrily with tense.

Meanwhile, Akemi was also thinking about the strange fellow herself.

"That was a strange man. Akihiko Usami...hmm, now where have I heard that name before? He was kind of...handsome." Akemi thought to herself as she slowly took a bite of her moist cake.

"What's with those two? They've been awfully quiet. Hmm..." Takahiro pondered to himself as he walked past the kitchen to pick up Misaki's shoes. Soon enough, Takahiro slips on a puddle of saliva that was left by Akemi and Misaki.

"Why is there drool on my hardwood floors!" Takahiro thinks to himself as he slowly grumbles some unkind words.