Chapter 4

"Wake up, Mori-chan!" Kusano called.

Moriko opened her eyes slowly, adjusting her eyes to the brightness of the room. he rubbed her eyes slowly, getting up. Kusano lay on his stomach on the other bed, spreaded out in a light shade of blue, his hair puffing out messily.

"Ne, Mori-chan, you slept on my bed the whole of yesterday! You deprived me of my bed, ne!" Kusano complained.

"Tsk! You slept on my bed too, Nori nii-chan." Moriko retorted playfully, folding her arms. "If you love your bed so much, you could've woken me up or carried me over..."

"Ah, carrying you over is like carrying a full-grown elephant, and if I disturbed you, you would've reacted like an angry monster." Kusano teased, getting off the bed. The truth was, he wanted Moriko to have an undisturbed rest, yet even though Moriko knew his intentions, he purposely teased her.

"Nii-chan!" Moriko protested, her cheeks flushed.

After breakfast, Yuki pulld Moriko into her room, excitedly waiting for Moriko to lock the door behind her. Moriko turned round then exclaimed, "Ah, that Ryo poster, how come I've never seen it on your wall before?"

"Oh, that, I only put it up last night!" Yuki giggled. Moriko shot her a suspicious look. Nishikido Ryo on her wall? There must be something related to that poster...

Moriko sat down opposite Yuki, who could not stop grinning from ear to ear. "Hmm? What is it?" Moriko demanded.

"Yesterday, we went for Karaoke ne?" Yuki started, shifting in her seat in excitement. "An I found out that Nishikido-kun isn't that arrogant and stuck up after all! He actually knows how to have fun."

Inside, Moriko was reminded of Ryo bursting into the house, thinking that something had happened. Still... "Ah, you're mesmerized by him." Moriko spoke straight ot the point for Yuki. Yuki simply nodded. Moriko sighed. "No way, I'm not wanting HIM as my prospective brother-in-law! Ne, Yuki, don't judge by just that one meeting!"

"Aren't you doing the same?"

Moriko paused. She sighed. "In any case...I still don't hope he's coming into our family. Imagine arguing with Hiro nii-han, then arguing with Mr. Big Nose..."

"Mr. Big Nose?" Yuki inquired.

"Ahh, that's nothing." Moriko quickly brushed the issue off. "Want to go out together today? I feel better already."

"Hai!" Yuki agreed energetically. "Ano ne, nee-chan, promise me something."

"Hmm?"

"Whatever happens, don't fight with me over Ryo-chan, ne?"

"Ha!" Moriko replied. "Have you seen too many dramas recently? As if I'll ever fall for him! Ne, calling him 'Ryo-chan' so soon?"

A blush slowly crept over Yuki, and Moriko laughed. But Moriko grew to realise that over a span of only a few days, Ryo was getting too much of her attention...

--

Yuki was happily looking through the windows of the shops in the mall, but Moriko was oddly quiet that day. It wasn't about Ryo this time. It was about her schoolmates. There was schooling tomorrow, and she would definitely bump into them no matter what. She jolted as a firm grip was planted on her wrist, but relaxed as she saw the owner of that hand was Yuki. "Daijoubu yo." she told herself, trying to calm down. No matter how fierce Moriko was, there were times when she grew very afraid of something.

Moriko waited outside the dressing room for Yuki, who was suddenly very eager to buy new clothes. Yuki was usually not enthusiastic about changing her image, but it was probably her new-found crush that she was doing this.

"Don't forget you owe me it."

I don't... I don't owe him anything... Moriko grew afraid, and she could not bring out her dominant character suddenly. Something stopped her from feeling confident enough to fight them back. Maybe it was that nightmare she had last night... Or was it the aftermath of the fever that was making her frightened?

"Nee-chan? You are very quiet today. I don't think you spoke beyond 10 words while we were out. Are you alright? You are making me very worried? Ne, is the fever working again?" Yuki asked, raising a hand to feel the temperature on Moriko's forehead.

"Nothing, I'm okay, it's just that I'm worried about not studying for that test tomorrow since I was unwell yesterday." Moriko lied nervously. She looked around, then said, "Ne, Yuki-chan, we should just go in that shop!" She pointed straight ahead. "I would love to get a soft toy... I don't have many in my room yet." Moriko had half-heartedly looked around, but got nothing out in the end.

Yuki's ketai rang. "Hai, Yuki desu! Ah... that..." She turned to Moriko. "Ano, nee-chan, my classmates are inviting me to a karaoke outing to celebrate one of our classmates' birthday. Is it okay if you go home alone later?" Moriko nodded in agreement. Yuki smiled and then spoke into the phone again.

--

Moriko yawned, stretching her arms in front of her on the way home. It was another seemingly perfect evening again, a tinge of orange hanging about the town on the way home. Moriko stopped in her steps suddenly, recalling that she had forgotten to get supplies of strawberries. She turned round, making her way to the closest supermart, but suddenly froze in her steps again. She had bumped into them earlier than she had expected.

She was trembling, but still she put up a front, as though she were not afraid of them. She contemplated which way she should run if they were to advance, but she knew she would never outrun them, because they were notorious for chasing. She decided to give it a try after all. She sprinted off.

They caught up instead, pinning Moriko's figure to the wall. Moriko was afraid now. There was noone around here, noone around to call for help. "Onegai!" she cried out in defeat.

"What? You think we're like those soft guys in dramas? If I let you go, you'll just break free." He wouldn't let go, and Moriko was trembling too much to struggle.

"I'll promise you!" Moriko begged.

"You lie too much. Obviously you need some mark to make you remember your promise..."

Moriko started struggling as she felt his lips contac her neck, and she cried out in disgust. Seconds later, she was staring at the road across, gasping for breath. They were gone. There was Ryo, panting, looking at Moriko.

"I always have to bump into you." Ryo commented. Moriko did not even dare to look at him. He knew. He was the only one who knew... And he was not on good terms with her.

"Please don't tell my nii-chan." Moriko requested suddenly, looking at her feet.

"Moriko. I think you should rest first." Ryo said simply, and Moriko sat down on a nearby bench. She was still trembling all over. Ryo did not even dare to touch her, in fear that she would be frightened by the move.

"Arigatou, Nishikido-kun." Moriko first said. That was the first time she had not called him 'Mr. Big Nose' in his presence.

"What did they want from you?"

"... It's still none of your business." Moriko coldly replied.

"I don't think you feel good to keep it all inside."

"Then prove to me that I can trust you!"

"About that, it is only up to you to decide whether you want to trust me or not." Ryo leaned back on the bench, staring at the road. "I don't want to start an argument with you even when you are so down. I don't think you should just put up a strong, noisy front when you are suffering inside." But Ryo knew he was doing exactly the same thing that he had just said.

Moriko kept silent for a long while, before she timidly asked, "Ne, Ryo nii-chan... Can I borrow your hand for just a while?" She didn't care if she was losing the war NOW. There was another chance to get back at Mr.Big Nose. Ryo carefully put his hand on the bench, and Moriko held it. Her fingers were freezing from the shock. She had even called Ryo more intimately, out of finally deciding to trust him. "They are from a gang in the school." Moriko started uneasily. "They preyed on many girls, you know..." Moriko laughed nervously. "And then of course, at this stage, they still play childish games like getting girlfriends." Moriko stopped there, and Ryo understood what she meant. They loved girls who were more dominant, harder to reach.

He gave her tiny hand an extra squeeze as a sign of comfort.

Moriko sighed inside, realising how gentle Ryo was...