They arrived at Eizan and Mio’s apartment. They were all surprised when they stepped off the elevator. Ome turned towards Eizan. “How big is this apartment?”

“About 600 square meters.”

“That’s as big as a house.”

Ren looked over at Mio. “You didn’t tell me you were on the top floor.”

“Would you like to go see the view from the balcony?” Ren and Hattori both nodded. The girls went out to the balcony to look at the view.

Koga looked over at Eizan. “You really under sold how nice this place is.”

Eizan laughed “Like I said, it comes with strings attached.”

Koga had a weird look on his face. “I think it might be worth it.”

Eizan shook his head. “What if I told you that you would have to say goodbye to all of your friends and family and move across the world?”

Koga and Ome looked at him with wide eyes. “Are you going to have to leave?”

Eizan shook his head. “I won’t agree to it. I would rather be poor.”

“Where would you have to move?”

“I’d have to move to the United States.”

Koga sighed “Yeah, I can see your point.”

Ome asked “Does Mio know that?”

Eizan shook his head “No, I haven’t told her. Frankly, I don’t know how to tell her. Can you two keep that a secret for now?” The both nodded. “Honestly, this apartment doesn’t have that type of condition put on it. The condition was put on our marriage. If she doesn’t decide to marry me in the next 3 weeks, I might have to move. I don’t want her to base her decision on that though. So please don’t tell her. Granted, I will resist moving with everything I have, no matter the outcome.”

Koga and Ome both had stern expressions on their faces. Ren popped her head in the door from the balcony. “Ome, come see the view.”

He replied “Be right there.”

Eizan, Koga, and Ome all looked at each other. Eizan put on a happy expression “We better go.” They all went out to the balcony and took in the view for a while. Eventually the girls went to her room while the boys got ready for the study session.

Mio, Ren, and Aika were standing in her room looking around. Ren walked over to a stuffed animal and picked it up. “You have it set up just like your old room. The room is way bigger though.”

Mio smiled softly “Yeah, he had my mom and brother bring all of this stuff so I could feel more at home.”

Ren smiled “That was really nice. He’s always so nice to you.”

Aika was still looking around the quite large bedroom. “You really are lucky. I would love to live here.”

Mio frowned a little. “I like the apartment just fine. But I liked his old place better. It had a more comfortable feel. Besides I can tell he doesn’t like this place. He’s only living here for me.”

Ren and Aika both gave her strange looks. Aika asked “Why wouldn’t he like this place. It’s wonderful.”

Mio shook her head. “His family situation can be complicated at times. Things like this have strings attached. He’s had this place for months and never moved in. If we hadn’t been forced to move, we wouldn’t be here. Actually, I think he agreed to move here partially to show me that. Plus, he’s hiding something I can tell.”

Ren sighed “He can be a mystery sometimes that’s for sure. I always thought he was poor until you got engaged.”

Mio shook her head. “Eizan is poor. His family has money but he rejects it every chance he gets.”

Aika asked curiously “Isn’t that weird?”

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Mio smiled “Like I said knowing his grandfather it has strings attached. Whatever those conditions are it makes him not want to take the money. He never talks about it though.”

Ren sighed “If you decide to marry him would you want him to take the money.”

Mio shook her head “Not if he didn’t want too. Besides, you know how smart he is. He could easily make money on his own. I’m not really concerned about it.” She all of a sudden got a sad look on her face. “I’m sure my parents think differently though. I’m sure my father expects him to take his grandfather’s offer. That’s why he wants me to marry him.”

Aika frowned “That’s kind of messed up. So, if you marry him, he will be forced to do something he doesn’t want to do?”

Mio’s expression is pretty sad. “I don’t know for sure.”

Ren shook her head “Then try to forget about it for now. It’s not like you have to decide now. We came here to study so let’s go.” They all studied at the kitchen table for a couple of hours.

After everyone left Eizan was making dinner while Mio took a shower. He was stirring the pot of curry he was making when he heard a scream from the bathroom. He rushed to the door. “Mio, are you ok?”

“Don’t come in. I’m not wearing anything.”

“I heard you scream are you alright?”

“N-no, there’s a huge spider in here.”

Eizan started laughing.

From behind the door, she scolded him “Don’t laugh, you jerk. Just get in here and kill it.”

“I can’t”

“I covered myself.”

He stood there lost in thought for a few seconds. He was pondering the implications of what he was about to do.

“Eizan, I’m scared hurry up.”

He slowly opened the door to see her cowering next to the vanity in a towel.

“It’s ok now. Where is it?”

She pointed above his head. There above the doorway was the tiniest spider he had ever seen. He laughed a little. “I can’t believe she’s scared of this tiny spider.” He walked over and grabbed the small hand towel next to her. He then went and killed the spider. She finally relaxed. He was staring at the alluring sight in front of him. He completely lost focus on everything else. The sight of her standing wrapped in a towel completely shut his brain down. The towel was tightly wrapped around her and left little to the imagination. She looked completely embarrassed “C-can you get out now?” His mind snapped back to reality. “Y-yes” He turned to leave.

Eizan was in the kitchen stirring a pot of curry. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what he had just seen. The image of her still wet from the shower standing in a towel kept replaying in his head. His male instincts were driving him crazy. “I need to calm down.”

Meanwhile in the bathroom Mio was staring at herself in the mirror. “I’m so embarrassed. He’s probably laughing at me.” She looked down at the herself. “Plus, I was only dressed in a towel.”

A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom, still looking slightly embarrassed. Eizan was still spaced out trying to figure out what to say to her. She sat down on the couch and hugged a small pillow. Eizan glanced over at her and thought “Here I was worried that I was the only one who would be embarrassed, I’m such an ass.” He approached her from behind “there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We can just forget the whole thing happened.” He was thinking to himself “Well, I’ll never actually be able to forget that.”

She looked up at him. Her face was completely red. “Thanks.”

He smiled “Dinners ready. Are you hungry?” She nodded.

After dinner they were standing on the balcony enjoying the cool night air, gazing at the city lights below them. She looked was looking down at the city lights “It’s really peaceful all the way up here. I feel like a bird looking down at the world from above.” Eizan sighed “Yeah.”

“Hey, Eizan I have a question for you.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“Since we all decided to be done with the study group today. Can we go shopping tomorrow, after school?”

“Sure. Is there anything in particular you want to buy?”

“Um… I need a new swimsuit. Since we have a pool, I thought it might be nice to go for a swim.”

Eizan tilted his head “Now, that you mention it. I thought you couldn’t swim.”

Mio looked down at her feet. “The truth is I lied. I don’t really know why. I’m sorry. It’s been bothering me for a while.”

Eizan laughed “Well, we didn’t really know each other very well back then. I could see not wanting a strange man you just met to invite you out to a pool.”

“Really, you’re not mad at me?”

All of a sudden, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Her face turned completely red. “Now were even.”

She frowned “A kiss isn’t a punishment.”

He smiled seductively “That was for trying to seduce me in the bathroom earlier.”

She hit him in the arm. “You know that’s not what I was doing.”

He burst out laughing.

“Besides you said you would forget everything about it.”

He smiled softly “That was before I found out you lied to me.”

“She puffed out her cheeks. Like you’ve never lied to me.”

Eizan tilted his head and thought for a few seconds. “Nope, I don’t believe I have ever lied to you.”

“You keep things from me all the time.”

Eizan laughed “Yeah, I have. But I’ve never lied to you.”