Natsumi hummed as she sat in class creating the study notes they would need tonight. It had been two weeks since she started tutoring Ryuu and things were progressing nicely. Both with his studying and their unusual friendship. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she thought of her weirdo. Ryuu now spent every lunch with her out at their-he told her to stop laying claim to it-table and would walk with her back to class. Every now and then she would come out of a class to see him leaning against the wall waiting for her. He would make it seem like he needed to ask her something, but never would. She thought it was sweet that he would walk her to her classes, but knew better than to point it out at school.

Ryuu had become less of an enigma to her over the days they spent together. She understood now that he didn't like to show emotion around people because in his world that's the way it was and that was why people thought he was cold. It made her feel strange knowing that she was probably the only person in the school to have heard him laugh freely. But she was also glad she could. His laugh was deep and his eyes would turn to the color of strawberries when they lit up with mirth. She sighed as she realized she could never tell him that because he would use it as an argument towards her supposed obsession.

Still, despite how close they had become he refused to call her by anything other than Kimoto and it was starting to worry her. She knew that it was just the way he was, but for some reason she really wanted to be different from others. But she wouldn't push the issue and had to remain patient. He would come to it on his own time. After all, he seemed serious about this friendship and she was grateful to have him.

She never knew that having even one friend would make such a difference. She felt happier than she did before. Now when people snubbed her she didn't mind as much because she still had Ryuu waiting for her after school, and after work. She smiled brighter writing down the next set of words as she remembered the past nights that she had finished her shift and come out to see Ryuu walking up to the store. Every night that she had to work, Ryuu made sure to be there when she was done to walk her home. Her mother was really grateful for this as she had always worried about Natsumi walking home at night.

It was during these walks that she felt the closest to him. Maybe it was because he didn't have to be there out of any obligation. Or the fact that they talked about the most random of topics during their walks. They were mostly about her and what she liked because Ryuu was still a bit closed off about himself. But she did know little things and she would take anything.

For instance, he was more a fan of spicy than sweet, which she discovered when he bought them sodas before walking home and a chilli candy that only her little store sold. He told her that he wasn't much for sweets, but the candy that was covered in the chili powder was his exception. Which also explained why he didn't share her strawberries during their sessions. So she made sure to start carrying a supply of those candies at her home. Mr. Himoto didn't mind, believing he was helping her with her love life.

The bell sounded, jolting her out of her thoughts as she quickly gathered her things together and jumped up quickly. She ran out of the classroom and couldn't help the bright smile she gave him as he leaned against the wall across from her. Ryuu gave her a smirk and waited until she walked over to him.

"Don't you usually wait at the lockers?" She asked and he shrugged, reaching down and picking up his bag as they started walking. She giggled and started chattering about her plan for the night. His first test since they started was coming up and it would show if their time together had been sticking with him. He listened quietly, not commenting as usual, choosing to let her fill the silence. He left her to retrieve his own shoes.

As he slipped them on he heard several dark giggles and looked up to see three girls shooting triumphant smirks over their shoulders as they left. He frowned as he slammed his locker closed, catching their attention. Their eyes widened as blushes spread across all three faces and they skittered away. His frown deepened when he heard a soft sigh that was too familiar to belong to anyone else.

Quietly he moved around the lockers and peeked down to where Natsumi's was. She was kneeling down, picking up a small pile of folded papers. He couldn't see her expression as her long hair was hanging over the side of her head, covering her face. But he could see her hands shaking slightly as she read what was written on the papers she picked up. She hadn't noticed him watching yet, so she wasn't aware that he heard the small sniffle as she quickly wiped her sleeve across her eyes.

Ryuu's gaze sharpened as he gritted his teeth, watching as she collected the scraps and shoved them into her bag. He slipped back out of sight, his hands fisted in his pockets as he waited for her to join him. When she did the only thing out of place was her bow was crooked and there was a small blush to her cheeks. But that usual smile she wore was there as she apologized for taking longer.

"Are you okay?" He whispered and she blinked, but he had seen the flash of hurt in her eyes giving her away. She chuckled and tilted her head to the side, giving him a weird look.

"Of course I am. Geez, I take a few extra minutes being careful so I don't fall and you assume something's wrong?" She laughed, but it was dry and forced. He knew the difference because he had heard the real thing so often. She waved her hand through the air and began to walk out of the school.

"You're such a weirdo. Now come on. We have a lot of work to do tonight if you're going to be prepared for that exam." She said cheerfully as she smiled brightly at him. Ryuu frowned as he followed her, trying to figure her out. Over the course of their time together he realized that the more he knew about her the harder it was to figure her out. It was strangely comforting. But the only downside was that he was out of his element and unable to use his skills to get his way. It was shaky ground and he didn't like feeling nervous and unsure of anything. But that was exactly how Kimoto made him feel.

She was a mystery, one he couldn't easily solve and it was both infuriating and intriguing. She always did something he wasn't expecting and it had a strange calming effect on him. To the point that he felt he didn't have to put on an act around her. And that was the main reason he considered her his only true friend.

So, since she was someone he actually felt a connection to he didn't like it when something was obviously upsetting her and she refused to tell him. He stayed quiet the whole way to her home and for once she didn't try to fill the silence. It was almost like that first walk, but even then she had been relaxed. He could see something was occupying her thoughts and he decided he would figure out what.

Stolen novel; please report.

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Natsumi knew that she was letting something trivial distract her from her duties and it annoyed her. So she shook her head and forced herself to focus as she read the words off the list and listened as Ryuu spoke them in English, his accent still making her cringe. But he remembered most of the words and only missed three. She smiled proudly at her pupil and nodded,

"Pass. So long as your teacher doesn't choose one of the few words you have a hard time remembering you'll pass the vocabulary part. Now let's try the sentence part." She said and he nodded absently, typing something on his phone. She rolled her eyes, having given up on stealing the thing during their sessions. Although he did ignore it most of the time and right now they were just reviewing what they had already worked on.

"Okay so I want you to say 'She is special to me. She is a close friend.' In a sentence that means the same thing, but with different words you know." She said and blinked as he frowned suddenly and snapped his phone closed. It made her jump as he almost looked annoyed. She cleared her throat and whispered,

"I can pick a different one if it's something you can't remember the words for..." She suggested and he shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the table as he concentrated.

"She means...alot to me...She is the...the girl I love." He stuttered and glanced up at her. She grinned and clapped, giggling lightly as he blushed softly and looked away.

"Perfect. You may have a hard time pronouncing things, but you were still understandable and that was the exact translation I was looking for. Great job Ryuu!" She laughed before her eyes widened at her slip. Ryuu looked at her strangely and she felt a pit form in her stomach as those harsh words replayed through her head. She shook them away and stood up, quietly mumbling an excuse about needing to use the bathroom.

She walked out of the room, keeping her face hidden as she shut herself inside the bathroom and sat on the toilet, resting her head in her hands. She shouldn't feel so embarrassed about dropping the 'san' at the end of his name. It was something she had been meaning to do anyways, but today her emotions were a bit more exposed and fragile. She didn't want to worry him though so she had hidden the notes and intended to dispose of them later when everyone was asleep.

But she hated how deeply the messages had cut her because they played on her own insecurities and fears about a certain orange haired boy. She knew that it was foolish to think that way, but she still had a small amount of fear that Ryuu was just playing some sort of cruel game with her. She had always pushed this thought away as soon as it formed and did the same thing now, but she couldn't deny that things would be more difficult from here on out.

"Great job Natsumi...You just managed to put one more target on your back." She mumbled and ducked her head down, sighing loudly.

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Ryuu sat leaning against the wall as he waited for the weirdo to come back. He didn't understand why she jumped up so suddenly after saying his name. It's not like he wasn't prepared for the moment when she would finally drop the title at the end of his name. He frowned wondering if this had something to do with what he had seen earlier. At that thought he glanced to the side at her school bag sitting on the floor. He knew that if she caught him it would mean a possible kick to the head, but he had said he would figure out what was bothering her.

He lifted the flap at the front and unzipped it enough to slip his hand in and grab the pages she had shoved in. He pulled out the scraps and unfolded the first one to scan over the scrawled note. His gaze hardened as the harsh words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Who do you think you are you little nobody!? Stay away from Ryuu-sama and remember your place is at the back of the line!

Yoshida is only paying attention to you because he's bored. Don't think that he actually cares about a little ordinary pet like you. He must feel sorry for you because of how un-extraordinary you are. It's so pathetic to watch you throw yourself at him like this and I bet he laughs about it all the time with his real friends.

Don't think you're special to him you little tramp! I've heard the way he talks to you and it's no different than anyone else! You are nothing and mean nothing to him! Ryuu-sama would never feel anything for a sniveling pet like you! So don't go getting any ideas about fairy tales or happy endings because you have no hope of someone like my prince falling for you!

He's just using you as a form of entertainment. It's so sad that you actually think he cares about you. So stop acting like you're special and actually mean something to him. People like Ryuu Yoshida don't form attachments to people like you. And if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from him from now on.

Ryuu felt like he was going to crack a tooth with how hard he was gritting them. Each message was as cruel as the last and each one fueled his anger and annoyance with the females of his school. He had known that people would take notice to the fact that he was hanging around Kimoto more, but hadn't let it affect him. He had forgotten that it could have repercussions for her. The jealous idiots wouldn't like the fact that he had chosen her to be his friend.

They were all idiots and the exact reason that until Kimoto he had assumed he didn't need any of them. He frowned as he looked down at the cold words once more and realized that Kimoto wasn't one to think too much about what others thought, so these shouldn't have affected her as they obviously had. So why was she upset by their words?

'Don't think you're special...no different than anyone else...you actually think he cares about you...' His eyes widened as he realized she would only be affected by things that she already thought herself. He remembered on one of their walks from her work when she had shared a piece of herself that had revealed more than she intended. All he had asked was why she felt the need to be such a pet all the time, that people would leave her alone if she would ease up. She had shrugged and a strange look had crossed her eyes.

"I don't know why everyone insists that I have to suck up to teachers to get my grades. I just like helping is all. I have a hard time saying no when they ask me for something. It's not because I want any favors in return. I know I'm not that smart...they don't have to constantly remind me though..."

He sighed as he carefully placed the papers back in her bag, even though he wanted to tear them into shreds now. He didn't want her to know that he had seen them. He resumed his spot against the wall and pulled out his phone so she wouldn't suspect anything when she returned. He knew what would calm any fears she may be dealing with and planned to surprise her once more.

When she returned, she gave no sign that she was upset as she resumed her spot and took up testing him once more. He focused on the sentences she forced him to reword until he got the call that his ride was here. As they rode down in the elevator he watched her pale cheeks and smiled. Even though he always suggested they just take the stairs, she would refuse and force herself to ride in the elevator for him. She was such a weirdo, but he couldn't deny that she had a kind heart.

"Bye Ryuu-san. I'll see you tomorrow." She said at the gate and he turned back to smile down at her, catching her off guard. He usually left with a simple hand wave without a glance back. Instead he pulled her into his chest in a one-armed hug and whispered into her ear. He pulled back and chuckled at the way her cheeks flamed up at his words. He patted her on the head and walked out to his waiting car, climbing in without another glance. But as he rode away he let his held in laughter out. His driver gave him an odd look in the rearview mirror, but ignored it as he grinned up at the sky. That stunned look had been priceless and he would enjoy using the new nickname to taunt her from now on.

"You know you can just call me Ryuu. You are my friend after all Sumi."