Ai? Check it! (Kagami Nakamura)

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei Sakai loved school. It was ridiculous how much in fact. He was twenty, just celebrated his birthday in fact, and should have been doing stupid old teenager, young adult type things. But what was he doing? Going to class, coming home, changing and then going and working in the sewers. For a kid his age, it wasn't a bad deal. He was able to help pay for his classes and also was able to keep his apartment paid for and transportation. He could have been a lot worse off.

Although today was his day off from both classes and work, he still felt overloaded. Although for school, that didn't bother him so much. He liked being bogged down with school work much more than he probably should have.

Shosei sifted through his bills as he kicked his balcony doors open (they had never locked properly since he had gotten there), and walked out onto the balcony to listen to the hovercraft high above him in the heated arguments of traffic that gave him comfort. His apartment was adaquately placed about a ten minute walk from all his classes and a quick hover taxi ride from his job. It had been the only happy medium apartment since he had moved out of his brother's apartment.

Shosei tossed all the bills on the bed near the window except for a letter from his brother, who always insisted on sending him one every once in awhile. He said it kept them from forgetting how t write in their native language. Shosei pulled his reading glasses from his pocket and slid them on so he could see the characters clearly.

Shosei quickly read it before tossing it on the bed with the rest of the mail and glancing up to observe the broken lock on his balcony doors. They had never worked. The landlord had told him the the previous inhabitant had messed it up so badly no one could get it to lock. It didn't worry Shosei. It wasn't like anyone was going to come in and steal his food.

[Kagami Nakamura]

"Why? Why are you keeping it again, Gus?" Kagami didn't know why he was being such a jerk to her. She almost had a good guess considering she had told him no multiple times at his advancements to have her sleep with him. She was under so much stress her hair was coming out and she was almost at the end of her rope with her job as a waitress. She stood glaring up at the tall man who was large both in height and weight, his black hair slicked back by either hair gel or grease. She swallowed the fear she felt and almost lowered in his shadow, fear being struck deep within her because of the large man. She drew in a deep breath and nodded, knowing not to argue with him for she'd always end up paying for it in the end.

"Nevermind." She said lowly as she headed towards the doors where many of the waitresses were walking out after their mandatory meeting. She wanted to get away from the bar, away from Gus, away from her home, and away from all the problems that seemingly kept piling up on her.

"Mouse!" She heard the man yell out over the loud thumping music that was repetitive and shook her insides. She turned and looked at him sitting pretty on a barstool while drinking something down. "You'll get your pay next week." She nodded and walked out into the bright daylight of Coruscant. She had the worst luck when it came to money for she always had things to pay and never had enough time to actually buy things for herself, even important things like food.

Her stomach growled angrily as she held her leather jacket close to her stomach as she walked as far away from the bar as possible. She knew Gus wouldn't be giving her the money she needed and knew he had no true reason to keep it. She glanced around the busy streets and wondered how she was going to live the next seven days.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei yawned wide as he turned back to the table in his apartment and lugged one of his heavy books over. He flopped down onto the balcony and hung his legs over the side swinging them slightly as he rested the book on his lap and looked down into it. It was his favorite class, and he actually liked studying for it, but all of a sudden, he wanted to just go walk somewhere and have some fun. Something he hadn't done in so long it wasn't even funny.

But he really needed to study, and if he got finished with that, then he could go out. Maybe some of his friends would want to go with him. Either way, he needed to eat his breakfast and study.

Grabbing a bowl of breakfast rice from his stove after getting up and balancing his book on the railing of his balcony. He got a pair of chop sticks from his drawer, and began to eat, listening as his stomach purred happily. Speaking of purring, where were his pets?

He knew his dog, Miko, must have been sacked out on his bed, but his small cat, Miho should have been wandering about somewhere, as she liked to eat breakfast with him in the morning.

Shosei walked back out onto his balcony and pushed his glasses up onto his head and leaned on the railing, taking another bite of food, and sighing. If he kept stalling like this, he was never going to get through with his studying.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami was wondering how she was going to eat, how she was going to live, and how she was going to put up with Gus for God knew how long. She hated his advancements towards her especially when he got a little drunk. It made her shiver to think of Gus drunk for the past two times he had gotten a little buzzed he amazingly came to her room. She was respectful of her boss, even though she despised him more and more with every passing second, and tried to make the best of things, but it was coming to a point where she needed to find another job. He was withholding pay, she was almost positive he was stealing things from her, and she wasn’t getting much sleep at night due to his many one night stands.

She wanted to go to a place where she wouldn’t have to worry about food, warmth, and money. A place where she could sleep and relax without hearing constant thudding of music and a place where she wouldn’t have to worry about her perverted overpowering boss. She groaned to herself when she heard and felt her stomach growl with fury. She wanted so much to go work in a restaurant or find another job that consisted of warmth.

Kagami leaned her head back and stared up at the sky as she walked slowly, thinking to herself and wondering where she could get some free food. The soup kitchen had finally given her the cold shoulder when they told her she had been mooching for too long. Even though she had a job they weren’t hapy that she continuously dropped by and ate both lunch and dinner. She knew things that were free could only last so long, sadly two weeks of eating there straight caused them concern for the money they spent rather than received.

She paused breifly when she heard a conversation in front of her. She glanced down to see a crowd of people talking lively up ahead and she stopped to listen. She smiled to herself when she saw two little girls in pigtails running around the circle. She smelled food and immediately her mind wandered to oter things, better things than that in front of her. She glanced everywhere and saw nothing, until she looked up.

It was her Knight in Shining Armor, her Savior, her favorite person in the whole world at that exact moment. She could smell the rice from where he was and she took it into consideration to call out to him and beg him to drop some for her, but she resisted. She glanced around her hoping nobody saw her staring at the man eating healthily. She licked her lips in response to the smell, surprised it was being carried downward rather than away. She saw the fire escape leading to his balcony and wondered if there was a way to sneak up and get something to snack on. She had stolen many times to get by, but she was reliable and always paid her debts and dues. she shivered in a cold gust of morning wind, her body not producing enough energy for her to warm herself up. How she wanted something warm to eat. She smiled and looked back down and walked away. Perhaps some day she’d be able to eat like he was.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei had noticed the woman staring up at him as if he were god. He had tried to continue to stare away, but he had been drawn to look down at her. She was pretty, or at least what he could see of her from this far up without his glasses. And she seemed upset about something.

When she turned and began to walk again, he watched her walk away and wondered breifly who she was and why she had seemed so distraught. Finally passing it off as nothing, Shosei glanced at his watch, and went back into his apartment, shutting his balcony door setting the uneaten rice on his table and picking up his shoulder bag. He pulled it over his shoulder, proceded to pull up his pants and went to the front door. He slid into some shoes and went out. He was going to go down the street to a little cafe to study. It was always pleasant there and one of his best friends worked there.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami yawned as she took a seat on a nearby bench, basking in the warm sunlight that was barely heating her up. She pulled on her jacket and tried to think of a place to go for food, good warm food, free food. She knew a few people who worked around town but knew that their bosses monitored them carefully for they had been caught giving out things to strangers. She had no money to spend for it was all in Gus' possession, for what reason she had no clue. She needed money. She grinned to herself when she thought about stripping down to her skivvies and prostituting, but she hadn't the courage or desire to do such a thing.

Kagami blinked away the water from her yawn and glanced around the busy lower streets of Coruscant, hearing people and hover crafts whizzing by. She wondered if she could go steal something from the market on down the road, but security was getting tight for her honesty in repaying for the food she stole was causing her much trouble, both with security and with the stand owners.

She saw a man walking by with a book bag and a smile on his face. She frowned and noticed it had been the same man on the balcony, the same man eating. A light went off in her head. When he walked by she bit her lip and began to contemplate on what to do, what dangers lurked, how good it would feel to eat. When she turned to see he was walking away she stood up slowly and began to linger back to where she had seen him.

For some reason she didn't feel awkward or nervous by the time she was slowly crawling up the rusted fire escape to the balcony with closed doors. Many people could see her as plain as day, but they had no desire to stop her and for that she was grateful. She was slightly hoping the man wasn't going to come back, at least not yet. She needed food, even if it was a piece of bread. Kagami hated stealing, but she was in dire need today.

She finally found his balcony and walked to the closed doors. She had forgotten he could've locked it then she'd have waisted good energy on nothing. Kagami wondered if she should just turn around and climb down and try something else, but she wasn't willing to give up without trying. She turned and walked to the doors and pulled the handle. Slowly, and surprisingly, the doors opened and she had been granted to gift of getting some food.

Slowly she walked in, after glancing around to make sure nobody was around or paying attention. When it was safe she stepped inside the warm apartment, the smell enticing and welcoming. She closed the doors and frowned, seeing the lock was slightly broken. She smiled, happy to have found out this information. Kagami turned and glanced around, slightly snooping when she knew she shouldn't have been. But she was curious, curious of everything she saw which was why she had such bad luck.

Kagami moved around the apartment hearing something moving in a room she had not discovered yet. She held her breath not once considering the fact he might have had a roommate or girlfriend, maybe even a wife! But when she saw a very large dog apppear she leaned against a wall, gasping for life when she realized how huge it was and how scary he looked.

"Nice....nice doggy..." She said, praying to God it wasn't going to eat her alive. For over two minutes they stared at one another and he then proceeded to walk over to her. Kagami knew her life was over the second he began to sniff her and when he jumped on his hind legs she squealed, but luckily he began to lick her face. She began to laugh and then she realized, after of course she caught her breath, that he was friendly.

Kagami loved on him for a moment before pushing him away after spotting uneaten rice. She smiled happily when she picked up the chopsticks and proceeded to eat, while she walked around the home continuing to snoop.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei had settled into a seat outside the cafe, pulling out his heavy books and laying them out in front of him. His friend had already seen him and begun working on his tea that he always got when he came here. Shosei felt right at home.

Except for a small nibbling at the back of his neck, like something bad had happened. He didn't know what could have happened, nothing was wrong. He must have just been going off the deep end. He turned his attention back down to his books, the words spread out before him. He took a deep breath sighed it out, out of the mood to study now that he was somewhere different.

He saw he friend heading over with his tea and he smiled as the other university student came over and sat down across from him, handing him his tea. The other man was about as black as the coffee they sold, and was one of the kindest people Shosei knew. One of the only university students that didn't call him a Jap. Which he severely hated.

"Studying?" his friend asked and Shosei nodded.

"What else would I be doing, Rog?" he chuckled. Rog shrugged and Shosei smiled at him. There was that tingly senstion again. He looked at his friend. "You ever get the feeling something bad is going to happen at your house while you're gone?" the other man nodded a little.

"Yeah, I guess. You think something's wrong?" Rog asked. Shosei shrugged.

"I dunno," he said.

"Well, if you want me to, Sho, I have to head down that way anyway now that my shift is over, if you want me to stop by your place and giver her a once over it'd save you a trip," Rog offered. Shosei hated to ask his friend to do it just because he was paranoid. He sighed, pulling out his key and handing it over.

"Yeah...thanks Rog..." he said. The other man smiled and got up, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Okay, Sho. I'll leave this under your mat. See you later," Rog said, saluting and turning heading down the street. Shosei watched him walk and bit his lip.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami hummed slightly as she sat on his couch, drinking some warm tea she had made. The dog, who she just called puppy, had his head in her lap, snoring away as if she were his best friend. She was glaring at a magazine she had found on the table in the living room. She was staring at the pictures and the Japanese writing, wondering what it said and wondering if she could ever learn it.

Kagami was half English half Japanese, her Mother being the reason for her big eyes that should have been slanted. She didn't know why but she felt the nickname mouse was suited for her, she was quiet, curious, and had huge eyes that people seemed to notice quite often. She wondered why she never was taught her proper Japanese language, only the basics she knew.

"Okay, puppy." She said lowly as she sat the tea on the table along with the magazine. "Time for me to go." She moved and the dog growled, mad that his pillow was leaving. She smiled and rubbed his ears and gave him a long kiss on the head, loving animals always being a soft spot in her heart. "I will see you again." She winked at him and jogged to the balacony feeling better that she had eaten and had some warm tea and got to hear the sound of silence.

"Bye!" She said once more as she opened the doors and walked out. Hopefully, the apartment's owner wouldn't be too mad to see she had eaten his food.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei knew Rog had said everything was in order when he had checked up. But he was not this forgetful. He was sure he had left his bowl on the kitchen table and he didn't recall even drinking tea at home that morning. And he certainly hadn't eaten all of his rice.

He scratched his head, trying to walk himself through all his actions that morning. But he had really paid attention to what he had done. He had a routine and he just did it. Without thinking. So he supposed that he could have just forgotten where he had put things, and if he had left his bowl there then he supposed Miko the Great Dane could have gotten into it, or even his tiny cat, Miho. Although she had never had much of a taste for his rice.

Smacking his forehead and shaking his head, he walked into his apartment and gathered the dishes from his living room. He walked into the kitchen and deposited them into the sink, still trying to go over what he had done that morning.

He supposed it didn't really matter. Either way he had dirtied the dishes and now had to wash them. Whether or not he remembered putting them in a certain place. He heard Miko whine behind him and turned looking at the dog and smiling.

"Konnichiwa, Miko-chan..." he said, crouching down and scratching the big dog behind the ears. It panted lovingly and kissed him on the cheek before trotting happily off into another room. Shosei shook his head, still wondering about the dishes as he turned and began to wash them.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami dried herself off as she stood by her bed, shivering like a wet dog. She couldn't stand the fact that she was allowing Gus to withhold her pay and make her take cold showers. She swore her lips were deathly blue as her jaw shook and her teeth rammed together. She heard them chatter in the silence of her room, the music being switched in the bar.

She had gotten off work early for it was a Wednesday and not many people were partiers at such a late time with work tomorrow. But that still didn't mean she didn't have drunken men grabbing at her body all not long and hooting and hollering obscenities to her. She always felt dirtier on nights like these which is why she stayed in the freezing showers longer than normal. Luckily she was going to get warmed up with her black loose yoga pants and a baggy thick gray sweater with faded letters across the front. If her stove worked she'd warm up some water and drinkg some hot chocolate, but the maintenance man wasn't going to be there till tomorrow so she was having to drink water instead.

She scrubbed her head vigorously, feeling the towel soak up the droplets of water as she slid her feet into some flip flops. The music quickly started and she jumped slightly, quickly realizing that it was the bar music and the tune became apparent. She tossed the towel into her tiny hamper as she shook her head and rolled her eyes, knowing she wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight for the bar was staying open later than usual.

"Baka." She said in her native language that she barely knew. She walked over to the small counter that was in between the stove and fridge, grabbing her keys and heading out the back door into a damp alleyway that smelled of rotten food. She shook her head and prayed her make up wasn't all messed up from pulling on her sweater. She didn't really care since she wasn't going anywhere important, well...

Kagami glanced up and down the walkway seeing an opening in the mass of people who lived for the nightlife, like she did, traffic sounding loudly above her. She found the pace of the crowd and began to make her way down the street to the apartment she had been in earlier. She wondered if the man was there, hopefully he wasn't for she was starving and was actually wanting to see that cute dog again.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei stunk. He always did after getting in from work. A waste management worker. That was what this high class education was getting him. But it paid the bills and kept him in school and that was what mattered.

He was going to take a shower and head out to meet his brother down the road near a dirty bar where his brother's apartment had been conviniently situated behind. His brother had always hated the bar, but liked his apartment a lot.

Grabbing the bottom of his thin, dirty, smelly undershirt, he peeled it off of his still slightly sweaty chest and rubbed a towel vigorously over a scratch he had gotten on his arm. He undid his jeans and threw them both into the washer immeditely. He started the water of the shower and got in, feeling the heat rush over his body, soothing his aching muscles. He hated doing the weekend jobs. They were always nastier than during the week, as more people were going to bars, getting drunk, getting sick, having one night stands, etc and etc, he hated thinking of the details of his job. It was better to just filter with your eyes closed, than look at some of the things people got rid of.

It threw into sharp relief what a dirty city Coruscant really was.

Scrubbing his hair and body down, and rinsing everything away, he got out and dried himself and his hair, shaking the strands away from his face. He made his way into his room, digging through his drawers for some jeans. He found a pair, one ripped in both knees and on the thigh, and pulled them on, covering it with a white t-shirt reading 'Keep me cool' in Japanese.

He dried his hair a little more as he grabbed dog and cat food and his animal's bowls.

"Miko!" he called, glancing over his shoulder as he heard the skittering of dog claws. The hugs dog jump up, resting his paws on the counter and panting at Shosei, his eyes fixated on the man. Shosei smiled down at his pet and scratched its ears before setting down his massive bowl of food. "Yoi otokonoko, Miko!" he looked over his shoulder again. "Mi-mi!" he called, opening the can of cat food and putting it on a plate.

The tiny grey cat scampered in from his bedroom and its normal place right on the center of his pillow. It purred loudly and rubbed against his legs, meowing in little spurts up at him, gazing happily at Shosei with big green eyes. Shosei crouched down and slid his hand down his cat's back, lying the food in front of her. He smiled down at her before standing up and looking around the apartment for his keys.

He turned and went out onto his balcony looking to see if he left them out there. He got onto his hands and knees and began looking around his chair. If he had lost them, he was't going to be happy.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami grunted slightly as she climbed up the fire escape hoping to herself that he wasn't there. She had wanted to apologize for being a theif, but she was going to pay him back as soon as she possibly could.

She sighed and panted as she made her way over ther railing and onto the escape. She glanced down at the street and felt the wind lap around her and push a piece of her hair into her eye. She smiled as she pushed it away finding that little moment funny and enjoyable. She was making sure nobody saw her again and luckily they were happily minding their own business, too consumed in what was going on downtown.

She turned around and bit her lower lip in anticipation and slowly cracked the door open, listening it slightly creak. She stepped inside and glanced around, smiling still from the wind. Kagami was so excited to be there again, since she left she hadn't been able to think of anything else but coming back to his home. She heard movement in the other room and quickly turned and wondered if she shoud go back outside but she figured it was the dog.

"Puppy?" She whispered slightly. She moved towards the living area and peeked around the corner saying his name again. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped slightly when she saw the man standing at the kitchen counter. The first thing she saw, aside from his back, was his butt. She stared a bit too long but she quikly moved behind the corner when she saw him move, but it was a bad move for she felt a tiny picture on the wall come undone and fall to the floor. She gasped to herself and looked down at the floor to see the glass frame had come off, luckily she hadn't broken it.

Now that she had stolen some food, drank his tea, read a magazine, and relaxed with his dog she had now broken a picture. She heard movement and she knew he was coming. She jogged into a door nearby, but it was a bad idea for it was his bedroom. Where was she going to hide?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei jumped defensively in the direction of the crash and looked around him. God knew all he needed now was someone breaking into his apartment.

He moved to the door of the kitchen and glanced out and around his living room, noticing two things. First and foremost, being that his balcony doors were open. Second, his picture had fallen. The picture wasn't such a big deal, since he had had trouble with keeping it up ever since he had put it there. He shook his head and turned, looking to his window as a breeze blew forcefully in and whipped his papers around him, tearing at his clothes and hair. He squinted and cried out.

"Kusso!" he exclaimed, running to it and grabbing the doors, forcing them closed as he hoisted his too big jeans up over his hips with the other hand and held them as he jammed the door shut with his dog's empty food bowl. He sighed and shook his head again. "Watashi haniyotteokashikunai warui joutai shitagatte konoi mai mashii koto wo kotei suru hitsuyou gaaru!" he told himself, exasperated.

He turned, and took a step towards walking for his bedroom...

And promptly fell straight forward over his huge Great Dane that had taken up residence right at his knees. Shosei landed hard on the floor banging his head on the floor and beginning to curse up a Japanese storm. He put a stocking foot on his dog's shoulder and pushed it away from him. Miko looked at him indignantly before turning and beginning away from Shosei.

Shosei stood and rubbed his head, looking at the palm of his hand to make sure there was no blood. He sucked in a breath through his teeth and bit his lip.

"Ittai..." he whined as he walked towards his bedroom. That dog was going to be the death of him.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami held her left hand over her mouth tightly, squinting as she tried to not laugh. He looked so adorable when he fell onto the floor, saying things in Japanese. She was excited to realize this fact firsthand, athough the magazine's were a dead giveaway. When he said kusso then ittai she wanted to crawl out from under his bed and pinch his cheeks. He was adorable, sadly she was quick to know this already.

She closed her eyes for a second as she breathed in through her mouth and tried to calm herself. When she opened her eyes she silently gasped and raised her head, feeling it meet with a metal bar keeping the matress up. She grimaced and grabbed the back of her head, the Great Dane staring at her as he laid on the floor, watching her hide. She smiled at him and glanced over his large ear, seeing socked feet coming her way. If she didn't get caught it'd be a miracle.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei contintued to rub his head as he walked over to his bed and began to search for his keys. He could not remember taking them in here but he thought he ought to look anyway. Leaning down on the bed and stretching across, he looked into the drawers of his bedside table. Nothing.

Getting up and staring around he glanced down at his dog. Maybe he had picked them up and carried them somewhere. He could possibly even have swallowed them, considering his mouth and throat were huge and he would anything lying down or near to his level. Shosei shook his head down at his dog and sighed. Now what was he supposed to do?

Turning ad picking up his phone, he suddenly had an epiphone. He dialed a number and put it to his ear. After a moment he heard an answer.

"Hai, moshi moshi. Kyoudai, watashi ha tabunwatashi gaanatano apato de watashi no ki wo kinou nokoshita kadouka gimon ni omotte itaka?" he asked. After a moment he nodded. "Hai...hai...ah...no, no." He paused. "Okay. Sayounara." Then he hung up the phone. Well, he hadn't left them at his brother's apartment...so where were the damn things?

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami held her hand over her mouth just in case something should make her laugh or if she hit her head again. She had almost rolled out from under the bed when she heard the matress being pushed down by a light weight and she was almost about to be crushed, at least that was what she thought. Luckily the man was so light it barely made the bed move at all. She watched the dog glare around, mainly at her, as she heard the man speaking in Japanese so quickly. The only thing she could get out of that conversation was the fact that the man had called his brother. He did say yes a lot.

She glanced at the hallway where she had seen the man walk into the room after being tripped. How was she going to get out of this? She moved slightly, her hip bone hurting from being on the hard floor. She moved her left hand to reposition herself, but blindly putting her hand somewhere wasn't very smart. She bit her lower lip when she felt something sharp underneath her hand. She moved it and glanced at her palm where she saw blood rushing to the surface of where she had just been cut. She glanced at the object and saw keys.

"Ittai." She whispered. Apparently the man didn't take very good care of his possessions. She wondered if he were missing them, heck, what if he were looking for them!? She had the worst luck of anyone on this planet and it wouldn't surprise her if he had been searching up and down for them. She pulled the bundle of keys towards her, hearing them lowly scraped against the wooden flooring. She bit her lower lip and looked at his legs and up to where the matress hid his face and body.

Kagami slowly moved them towards her and glanced at the dog who was now moving and trying to crawl under the bed. She moved back and prayed to God he wouldn't for the owner would be suspicious, if he weren't already. She heard the dog whine and try to move his large body under the bed wanting to be petted. She pushed his nose away from her, but it only made things worse for he began to complain louder.

She moved away from where the dog was wanting to crawl and felt her body become unveiled on the otherside of the bed. Kagami was about to get caught she was almost positive, but it was the dogs fault! He needed to not be so curious and loveable. She bit her lower lip and pushed the mans keys out towards the hall, hearing them slide down the hall. Hopefully the man would see it and go after them and give her a moment to find a new, less obvious hiding place.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei looked down at the dog and sighed, pushing it away from the bed with his knee. That dog was wierd. Maybe it had found his keys. Getting to his knees, he reached his hand underneath the bed and felt around. There was so much stuff under his bed that he was sure he wouldn't have felt the keys even if they had been under there. He felt several lifeless lumps of clothing, then his hand touched something slightly warm. For a moment he wondered what it was, but before he could lean down and look to see what it was, his dog threw a fit and went after something on the other side of the bed.

"Miko!" he called when the huge Great Dane shoved him out of the way, causing him to fall on his back on the hard wood floor. He smacked the floor hard and got to his hands and knees, crawling after the dog. "Miko! Come here!" he was yelling at the dog in English, for Miko hated it when he spoke Japanese, although Shosei had never been sure why.

He scooted across the floor on his jeans and slid around the bed, looking to see what the dog was barking up a storm about. At first he saw nothing, but the dog insisted that there was something underneath the bed to be inspected. Shosei scooted towards the dog and sat on his knees, patting the animal on the head to calm it.

"Chill out, Miko. Everything's fine. What'd you find under here?" Shosei asked leaning down on one hand to look under the bed. But once again, the dog went berserkers, and barked at Shosei. It stuck its head under the bed and fished around a moment, before coming back out with the keys and key necklace hanging from his mouth. Shosei's mouth dropped open as he stared at the animal.

"All that over these?!" Shosei exclaimed, taking the keys and stuffing them in his pocket. "You need a hobby, boy. Now, come on, I'm taking you to Brother's with me. Come on..." he stood up and took the dog by the collar, leading it out of the room and shutting the light off behind him, also shutting and locking the door. If anyone broke into this apartment, they weren't going to have an easy time getting into his bedroom with all his valuables. He jiggled the handle slightly to make sure it was secure, then took the dog to the front door and hooked the leash on it.

Sliding into his flip flops, he opened the door and headed out, Miko in tow, shutting and locking the door behind him. He really needed to teach this dog some manners. It was beginning to get ridiculous what that kanine would bark at.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami waited paitently in the dark, watching the light peer out under the door seeing a few shadows move until the front door was closed, then locked. She waited for what felt like hours after that, contemplating whether or not she should even eat anything, but she was starving. Her heart was beating, her breath was hard to come by, and her stomach was growling loudly. She hadn't been so scared, excited, and hungry all at the same time.

Kagami moved slowly as if she were going to still get caught. The darkness and silence making her movements seem loud. She crawled out from under the bed and lifted herself up on her palms, keeping her eyes and ears open. She was wired now that she had escaped getting caught and she was hungrier than ever.

She bit her lower lip and lookd around the dark room until she made her way to the door he had closed. She pulled the handle but realized he had locked it. She frowned. Who the heck locks their bedroom door? She didn't think twice. She flipped the light on and found the lock and opened it up and walked out, turing on the hall light so she wouldn't trip and fall on anything. She made her way to the kitchen, slightly feeling guilty for eating this boys food. His possessions were minimal and she wondered if he was as poor as she was. If so, eating hsi food and causing him to starve made her feel so awful.

"I promise to reimburse you, friend." She said to herself as she grabbed some bread and began to make a sandwich. She enjoyed herself for the while, happy to find a new friend, a cat. She named it kitty and was playing with it happily after she ate, overstaying her welcome, that is if she was welcome. She played with the tiny gray on the floor, watching it chase a string she had pulled off of her shirt. She loved animals, loved his animals.

Kagami was enjoying herself far too much and when she glanced at a nearby clock she almost gasped, noticing she had stayed almost two hours. She made her way out of the window and onto the fire esape, not caring to pick up any mess, turn off any lights, do anything to make it seem the way it was when the guy had left. Hopefully he wouldn't put any cameras in his apartment for he was keeping her alive.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei didn't want anyone mistaking him for a mental patient. For he was, in fact, quite sane. At least...he hoped he was...

Shosei clearly remembered shutting and locking his bedroom door. He distinctly recalled shutting off all lights, closing his window, and cleaning up his mess of food and such. And yet, his apartment was a mess. As if someone had come in and had a party and then just left everything there. Oh, if only cats could talk.

Miho, his tiny grey cat, sat happily on the railing of the fire escape outside his window, meowing at the moon, something he had always wondered where she had picked up the habit. The window was hanging open, there were the remains of food on a plate on the table, his lights were ablaze, his bedroom door was open, and his dog was barking madly underneath his bed.

"God help me..." Shosei muttered as he went out onto his balcony and peered over as if anyone who had been in here had stuck around. This didn't make sense at all. No one but he, and his friend, Kumiko, had a key to his apartment. And the fire escape was broken, so he doubted anyone was getting in that way. So was he really getting that bad a memory? To forget to turn off all lights and think that he had? Was he going insane? Did he need mental help?

Picking up his phone, he dialed Kumiko's number. She was a Japanese-Irish girl and knew one word of Japanese, which she used quite often. Normally even using it in situations in which it was inappropriate to use. Shosei knew the girl had a crush on him, she had only made it obvious since thier first day of classes together. But she was also his close friend, and the only one he would trust with a key to his apartment.

"Hello, Kumiko McNally speaking," came her cheery voice. Shosei smiled into the phone.

"Kumiko-chan!" he exclaimed. He heard a gasp on the other end.

"Shosei! Hi, what's up?"

"Did you stop by my apartment in the last two and half hours? For any reason at all? It doesn't matter if you did, but my house is in shambles and I am trying to figure out if I need to check myself into a mental hospital..." he said pathetically. He heard her laugh slightly.

"No...I haven't been up there since...well...I guess since you invited me and Aaron up for a drink after exams last semester. I...maybe Rog went up. I does know where you keep the spare," she offered. Shosei sighed.

"Okay. Thanks, Kumi-chan. Talk to you later...matane." He heard her hang up and he hung up as well, almost immediately picking it back up and dialing Rog's number.

"Hello?" came the answer.

"Rog. Did you come up to my apartment at all today?" Shosei asked desperately.

"Naw, man. Haven't been up since you asked me to check up on things a couple days ago. Why?"

"Someone has made a ridiculous mess of my apartment, and no one has a key except for Kumiko and I alreayd called her. You are the only one who knows where I keep my spare."

"Has anything been stolen?"

Shosei glanced around, checking quickly through his apartment before answering. He shrugged his shoulders as if Rog might be able to see him.

"Not that I can tell. All it looks like is some food being eaten and my animal's being petted. That's it..." Shosei said.

"Maybe...have you thought maybe you did it and just forgot about it, man?" Rog asked, gently as if he feared Shosei might get mad.

"Yeah...I have...anyway...thanks, Rog. Talk to you later..." Shosei hung up and put the phone down, sighing out through his nose and beginning to clean up what was apparently his mess. Although, Shosei was still almost posotive that he would not have forgotten all of this so quickly.

What was going on?

[Kagami Nakamura]

"I said no, Gus. No means no." Kagami slammed the phone down on the hook and shuddered as she stared at it. Why wouldn't he give up? What part of no did he not understand? She wanted to just shove a boot up his butt and leave the damn hellhole she lived in, but yet she couldn't because she needed money and shelter.

She grabbed her large hoodie and pulled it on over her tank top and headed out the door, shaking her head so her hair would get out from under the heavy sweater. There were only three places she went to to vent: the streets of Coruscant, a local cafe where she enjoyed watching people, and her newfound place. She knew she couldn't go back up to that man's apartment even though she wanted to more than anything. It was a place that made her feel warm and fuzzy, a place that made her feel welcome, and a place that reminded her of a home. She bit her lip as the wind lapped around her chilling her to the bone.

It was late, far later than usual. She couldn't sleep, something was bugging her. It wasn't due to the fact that Gus was trying to sleep with her again, but it was because she felt tremendous guilt for eating that poor man's food. He didn't have much of it to spare, but she didn't hardly have anyhting and she was planning on reimbursing him, somehow. She found herself walking under the fire escape, tempted to jump up and go inside to meet him.

She had seen the picture she knocked down, the family photos that were in his home, and she had seen him outside once. He was very cute, it would be great to meet someone so adorable. Hey and she even wanted to see his animals again, they made her very happy for she hadn't been able to have a pet in many years. It was nice to have things she normally didn't have but she techincally didn't have any of what the man had, these were things she had adopted and things she had stolen. But if it was so wrong, why did it feel so right?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei had settled down quietly with his manga, his dog spread out on his lap and a cup of hot tea to soothe his aching muscles. He didn't know why they were hurting so badly today as opposed to any other day, but they were. Miko the dog had taken up residence on his sparce lap and was sleeping like a huge baby, cutting off the circulation slightly to his ankles and feet.

Ignoring this thought, because the huge beast was keeping him warm, he slid his glasses on and began to read the characters on the page he had marked as being the one he had left off on. He didn't really know yet what the manga was about, but was sure that he would find out soon enough. Though the font of the Japanese characters made it a little bit difficult to read, he was getting through it okay. He wouldn't have been reading it if Kumiko hadn't suggested it to him, as she was reading the English version.

Shosei yawned and took a drink of tea as a cool breeze blew through his doors and he glanced up to see the skyline and starry sky above it all. He took a deep breath of the night air and wondered briefly about that girl he had seen awhile ago. Two days maybe? He couldn't be sure of when exactly he had seen her, but he mind wandered back to her. She had looked so upset, so longing to be with someone else of the human race that he had felt very poorly for her.

Shosei suddenly felt a little guilty that he was sitting up here in his warm apartment, drinking tea and reading a manga with his dog, while someone else was starving somwhere else in the world. He bit his lip and attempted to move out from under the dog a little to regain feeling in his legs, but to no avail. The animal was comfy where he was, and was not moving.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami had slowly, and dangerously, made her way up to the apartment's fire escape. Luckily the staircase was broken so she had to move a little away from the open doors. She wanted to sneak a peek into the man's home, but yet didn't want to get caught. She wasn't hungry, but just a little curious. That was something she had a problem with, she was too curious and too adventurous. If the man got up and saw her at that exact moment he'd probably throw a fit, call the authorities, and she'd be in the slammer.

"Least I'd have food and a good silent place to sleep." She didn't really know why she answered herself, but she did and hopefully not that loudly either. She heard the fire escape screech loudly and move unstably. She gasped and climbed up to a better part on the ladder, the metal balcony above the man's apartment. Hopefully he hadn't heard a thing otherwise she'd be busted so bad.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei jumped slightly when he heard the fire escape squeal. He had the mind to get up and see what had caused it to do so, but didn't. He was much too comfortable to care. It had probably been an animal climbing around on it anyway. Then again, if it climbed up to his balcony and got in, he would be hurting.

Shosei put his manga down and looked down at his huge dog. He was sleeping quite peacefully and Shosei didn't have the heart wake him, even though both his legs had gone to sleep. He took off his glasses and pushed them up onto his head, before leaning back slightly and reaching over to the table next to him and picking up a much more interesting Japanese magazine.

It was one of those magazines you hated reading because you felt like a superficial git, but read it anyway because its contents made you think that maybe you weren't. Opening the magazine and scanning the contents page, he turned to one giving a run down of a race that had gone on recently on Tattooine. He had never been into to racing that much, but it was fun to read about it anyways.

For a moment he read down the page, his eyes absorbing all the information, but his brain wandering somewhere else. For a moment, he thought about why he had moved out away from his parents in the first place. Oh, that was right. No privacy, whatsoever. It hadn't mattered where he had gone, they could always find him. His eldest brother had always found and read his journal, and his parents got mad at him for what he had written in it.

He loved his family, he really did, but his mother was much too traditional, and his father was too protective. He was sure that having to raise three rowdy sons had been a handful and a half, but still, they could have been a little bit more respectful of he and his privacy needs.

Then again, he did have some very funny memories of things that had happened in direct relation to his parents being into his business all the time.

As much, though, as he did miss them, he wasn't even going to consider going back. He enjoyed the life he had, no matter how hectic, and he was happy to have his own apartment, income, and ability to do as he pleased. Especially when it came to going out with whatever girl he wanted. Even though he wasn't exactly the player of the year, and couldn't have attracted any girl even if he had wanted to, he still had that freedom.

He heard the wind whistle past his balcony and was eased out of his reverie, finding he had finished the Japanese article completely and yet had no idea what it was about. He continued to flip through the pages, feeling suddenly that he wasn't alone. Although how could that be? He was the only one in the room.

[Kagami Nakamura]

"AH, Kawaii." Kagami whispered to herself as she crouched down on the fire escape looking into the window near the doors leading inside, the doors she went through to commit her crimes. She smiled slightly as she hugged her knees with her left hand and bit her finger on the other. He was much cuter than she remembered him being, then again she had been in search for things much more needing than a good looking boy. He had been flipping through a magazine for a while, Japanese at that. She had watched him like some sort of stalker and for a moment she had felt guilt but it quickly passed when she fouind herself severely interested in him.

His mind seemd to be somewhere else other than what laid inside the magazine. She wanted to talk to him for she wasn't one who had many friends. It was a sad thing to have to live with, a boss who was always after your body, a friend that was only your friend because of pity, and two newfound friends that were playful and spoke no language except cat and dog. She smiled at the dog sleeping on the mans lap, he was so adorable and she wanted to pet it and play with his ears again. The man had obviously been a good owner for the way the dog seemed content to stay on top of him made her chuckle, they were well tamed animals and very friendly and playful and she liked that.

"Animals take after their owners." She said to herself with a smile as she continued to watch the scene through a window. Hopefully it was too dark outside for the man to see her acting like a peeping Tom. Hopefully she was just allowing her mind to jump ahead after all she was just sitting outside of a public building...and just happening to be staring straight into someone's not-so-public apartment.

Kagami let out a sigh when she looked around her, wondering if anyone was taking notice to the brand new statute on the fire escape. Luckily nobody had seen her, nobody who actually knew the man inside. She slowly moved wondering if she should start heading back to her own little apartment, if she could even call it that.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei's legs were beginning to ache. He had to move the big beast. But he didn't have the gumption to fight with the bear of an animal lying on top of him. Sighing loudly and tossing the magazine away from him onto the floor, just because it was bothering him, he gave the dog a quick shove.

"Okay, Miko. Time for me to feel my legs again..." he said, using the dog's favored language. Miko's head raised sleepily upward, and his licked Shosei's hand before raising up and and flopping down on the other side of the couch. The blood began to rush back to Shosei's feet and he groaned. "Ahhh...ittai..." he whispered, sucking air in through his teeth and letting it out of his nose.

Standing, hoping to get some feeling back, Shosei moved around his table and then around it again, taking his glasses off on the second pass and lying them down on his table. When he felt stable enough, he stood straight again and stretched, glancing out his balcony doors as a quiet breeze blew in.

Moving towards it, he walked out onto the balcony, the darkness enveloping him and he leaned against the railing, staring out at Coruscant. He loved seeing the city at night, half of the reason why he loved this apartment so badly and hoped he never had to move. But with these wierd brain lapses he had been having the past couple of days, he wasn't sure if he should stay.

After all, who forgot that they left all thier lights on? He remembered distinctly closing and locking his bedroom door and yet, when he had come back home just from visiting his brother, it had been wide open, every light in the apartment had been on, and a bowl was sitting on his table. It was as if his friends were trying to play a joke on him. But he was not enjoying this joke in the least. He ran a hand through his hair and he felt his cat rub against his leg then jump up onto the balcony railing to join him. He smiled down at her and petted her.

"Chotto, Miho. Nani subeten itsuite kore wono kitei kangae ruka. Sorehaanata, haatsu notameni amari ni kyouki dearuka?" he asked her. She gazed up at him and meowed in her tiny way before climbing his shirt and perching on his shoulder, clawing his chest on her way up. He jumped and pressed down on the fresh scratch. "Ah, ittai, Miho! Arigatou!" he exclaimed to her, lifting his shirt slightly to see the small scratch. He sighed, dropping his shirt back down.

He needed to get a life. Maybe that was why he was forgetting these things. He needed to get a real life.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami was almost ready to stand up, venture off the escape, and head home but the man suddenly put a damper on her plans. She watched him with wide eyes of surprise that he was now on the same balcony, mere feet away. She could feel his body heat when he came out and could smell him from where she was crouched in the darkness holding her knees against her chest. She looked up at him as if he were some sort of Messiah, fear being struck inside of her so deep that she was barely breathing.

Her heart was pounding lively, she was going to have cardiac arrest at any given moment, she was sure of it. Kagami heard him speaking quickly in Japanese, words not meaning anything to her. She saw him playing with his cat and she figured its name might have been Miho, for he had said it upon its arrival. She put her forehead against her knees praying silently he'd stay away from her and not catch her sitting there in a ball, hiding in the shadows like some helpless homeless woman. She heard him hiss at the something and she looked up at him. That was a bad idea. She could see skin, nice soft, creamy, tan, muscluar flesh that was tempting. She felt her stomach flip and she groaned to herself and hugged her body tightly, as if this were keeping her from being seen.

Go away! She mouthed to his back, but a cold nose touching her cheek surprised her and caused her to silently gasp. She fell towards her right side but stopped herself with her palm. She saw the huge dog lingering down at her and if this were any other time she'd find this funny, but she could get in trouble. She pushed the dog away and glanced over at the man. The persistance the dog had was trying to pay off, but Kagami wasn't enjoying this at all considering he kept pushing her with his nose, licking her, trying to make her play with him. She was going to get busted yet, just hopefully not like this.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei blew his cheeks out with air and blinked to himself, thinking about his classes and his jov the next day. He didn't want to go. Not at all. He was tired of working in the sewers. But it kept him from being poor, and that was what count.

He heard his cat yowl from inside his apartment and looked over his left shoulder at her as she perched on the coffee table. He rolled his eyes and turned, walking back into the apartment, picking her up and putting her on the couch. She was not allowed on the coffee table and she knew that. Shosei sighed loudly, looking around fro his dog.

He glanced back out onto the balcony and could just see the dog's rearend and wagging tail. He whistled.

"Come in, Miko! Miko! Come in!" he called. The huge dog was preoccupied with something out on the porch. Shosei got down on his hands and knees and crawled silently forward, keeping his breathing and moving silent. He reached forward and grabbed the dog's tail, making a loud noise through his teeth. Miko jumped straight up into the air, turned tail and went running back into Shosei's bedroom. Shosei laughed out loud, knowing his dog was scared of everything, and that he had probably just given it an ulcer. He laughed loudly again before cralwing to his feet and leaning out of the balcony door, taking one last look at Coruscant before he shut himself in for the night.

The hair on the back of his neck quivered as he suddenly got the feeling that he wasn't alone. That was silly. He was the only one who lived in this flat, he was just being paranoid. Shosei glanced over the side of the balcony just to make sure no one was there before pulling back into his apartment and pulling his balcony doors close, jamming one of his shoes in between the doors to keep them closed.

He yawned wide, turning to go his bedroom, flipping off his lights as he went. He went into his room, closing the door behind him and lying down in his bed. It didn't take him long to fall into a deep sleep.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami jumped when she heard the unnatural noise and the dog! He clawed her in the stomach and then ran inside. She kept still until the man had finally disappeared and slammed the doors shut. When she figured it was safe to breathe again she did so, leaning her head against the wall and letting out a moan of relief.

"Jeez." She ran a hand over her sweaty forehead. She wasn't enjoying being scared out of her skin by the man's attempt to get the dog's attention, but then again she was deserved every scare she was receiving because she had stolen from this man. "And stalked him." She moved slightly and peered around into the doors seeing nothing but darkness. She moved on the balcony and saw the man's bedroom window to her right. She got onto her hands and knees and slowly moved underneath the window.

She lifted her head and glanced inside seeing the man laying down. She smiled as she watched him. He looked happy and warm and oh-so tired. Kagami thought he was the cutest thing she had laid her eyes on. She wanted to just pinch his cheeks and make squeaky noises. That was a useless and ignorant thought she knew. She moved away from the window after whispering to him to have a good nights sleep.

Kagami made her way down the fire escape, not caring for the loud creaking noise it made. She was going to climb up that sucker one of these days and have it break on her. She shouldn't even have been thinking that way because she shouldn't even want to go back into his home.

She felt her feet hit solid ground and she glanced around, a few people giving her awkward looks for her way of leaving the apartment. She just smiled and walked towards the bar. She needed to save all money she earned for she was sure she owed the poor man a lot of money for the items she was stealing on an everyday basis.

[Shosei Sakai]

"Bring it down over here, Sakai!" came the rumbling growl of his huge task manager from the top of the service walk that went up and down the sewers so people didn't have to walk through the mess.

Naturally, Shosei was not allowed on them.

The twenty-year old coughed loudly, as the thick smoke from the sewer machinery filled the air, coating his sweaty body with brown grime. He rubbed an arm across his forehead as he fixed the black mask over his nose again after trying to get real air. His hair stuck to him and his blue sewer worker jumpsuit was clinging to him. He had unzipped it to his waist to allow him to cool off, but instead, he just began sweating more as he pulled the huge peices of garbage from the thick, brownish-green water. He pushed the piece of metal he had been toting for a moment away from him and onto the large disposing platform, readjusting the head phones over his ears that kept the loud noises from bursting his eardrums.

"Hey you, Jap! Get down here and get the crane over to main tunnel five!" came a loud shout from somewhere to Shosei's left. He turned and saw his coworker motioning to him. Oh how Shosei hated that man. He raised his hand and flipped him off.

"My shift is over, Cal! Get someone else to do it!" he yelled back, glad that his manager hated Cal as much as he did, or else he would have lost his job.

Shosei made his way down the tunnel, the smell that had been so overpowering when he had fisrt come in, was now not detectable to him. He hoisted himself up and into the lifting arm, pressing the button that told the operator someone needed lifted out of the sewers. The arm revved to life and jerked upwards, lifting Shosei up and out of the service hole and onto the street again in front of the Sanitary Sewers headquarters building.

Shosei jogged over, even though his legs were aching, and knocked on the window of the service station. A younger man rolled over in his chair and lifted the window, gazing out at Shosei who lower his mask and ear phones. He nodded.

"I'm clocking out, Ryu. Make sure the Boss knows," he said. The younger man nodded.

"Okay, Sho. Have a good night," Ryu said, shutting the window back and grabbing the comlink to call Shosei a taxi. Leaning back on the wall of the headquarters, Shosei waited patiently for his taxi, glad to be going home.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami yawned as she rubbed Miho's neck and behind her ears the purring so loud she swore it'd wake the dead. She smiled as she yawned again, the cat being the one to cause her to yawn. She had done something she never thought she would, lay in the man's bed. She was playing with the cat and had somehow made her way into his room and was playing with the cat who had been hiding under the bed. Kagami was finding great entertainment by moving a string around the edges of the bed while the cat didn't see her feet. She had a ball until she realized how tired she had become.

Kagami had not been sleeping well and last night was the same as any other. She was tired and the bed was too comfortable for her own good. Then again anything other than a cot was comfy. She had been reading a magazine for over a half an hour, but the cat came up and sat on her stomach and caused her to stop reading. Kagami laid on her right side as she looked at the tired cat, continuing to play with her ears. But her eyes were getting heavier, her mind no longer working properly.

Kagami yawned and felt her hand drop from the cat only to find a nice soft, fuzzy, fluffy panda bear. She smiled and laughed lightly. "Are we sensitive?" She said to herself as she pulled the stuffed animal to her chest and squeezed it smelling the man. She smiled and yawned yet again. Before she could think twice about the time, she fell asleep holding the panda, Miho nearby, and the dog on the floor. So this was what it felt like to live.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei pulled himself from the taxi at his apartment, giving the man the money and watching as it hovered away and back up into traffic. He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. He was hot, sweaty, dirty, and smelled very bad. He wanted to take a shower, he wanted to eat, he wanted to take a nap.

Going up into the apartment building, avoiding the other tenants as best he could, Shosei made his way up the stairs to his flat, unlocking the door and going inside. He shut the door behind him, kicking his boots off on the shoe mat in front of his door and going straight to the bathroom.

He started up the shower, stripping off his clothes and getting in, savoring the burning trails of clean that the water left behind on his skin. He washed all the grime from his body before scrubbing his hair with shampoo and then cleaning his body with soap. Being clean felt so good after not being so for hours.

Leaning over and flipping off the water, Shosei stepped out, wrapping himself in his huge towel that he loved because when he wrapped himself up in it, he literally disappeared. One upside to being small was that he could drown in large blankets.

Moving out of the bathroom, he wrapped the towel around his waist and secured it there, moving into his kitchen he grabbed a box of strawberry Pocky and began munching on it as he headed for his bedroom. He watched his feet as he entered, wondering breifly where his house shoes were.

But when he looked back up, he was no longer thinking of anything but what was lying on his bed.

She was pretty. There was no question in that department. She was small and pretty, and--he noted--Japanese. However, she was not just walking by him down the street where he could make these observations at ease. She was lying, asleep, on his bed, in his apartment, with his cat, and his bear clutched to her chest. That was certainly very unnatural.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami was dreaming something magnificent and magical. She yawned as she felt herself waking slightly, but not enough to make her open her eyes. She didn't want to wake up, didn't want to see the animals, get off the bed, go home, go to her real life.

If she could she would honestly stay there in that man's apartment, stay on his bed, love his animals, eat his food...wait...she already was. She smiled slightly at that thought. She just wished she didn't feel so damn guilty for doing it. She shifted and frowned, feeling her body tense up at the realization she was awake. She kept her eyes closed as she moved slightly to a more comfortable position. She kept the panda bear clutched tightly in her arms, squeezing it and smelling the man better. She buried her face in the head and furrowed her brow, knowing she needed to get up and check the time. If the man came home and found her there it was untelling what he'd do to her.

[Shosei Sakai]

The Pocky box slid from Shosei's hands as he finally found himself. He opened the drawer to his chest of drawers and grabbed a pair of pants, clamboring into them, his eyes never leaveing the girl. As he got into them, he dropped his towel. He zipped up his pants, his jaw still on the floor. He didn't know what to do. She was obviously not hurting anyone, and had not stolen anything--at least, he didn't think so.

When he had worked himself into his pair of jeans, he started forward towards her, hoping that he could do something constructive when he got there. But as he walked, he brought his foot down on something hard and sharp and it hurt so bad. He bit down hard, and naturally, crunched his tongue inbetween his teeth.

"Kusso!" he finally yelled unable to hold in the exclamation of pain. He knew he had probably woken the girl, but all the better. He just let loose. He grabbed the blanket under her, and jerked, her small body coming easily off onto the floor. "Who the hell are you!?" he yelled down at her, his tongue and foot both throbbing and his mind and heart racing.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami almost had a heart attack. She felt her hip bone hit the floor and she wanted to start crying, but didn't. She looked up at the man to see this undeniable fury in his eyes. She had never been so scared in all her life. She leaned on her palms and scooted away from him into a corner, like some lost child. She brought her knees to her chest and she hugged herself for dear life, her heart racing so quickly in her chest that it might've exploded.

Kagami was at a loss for words. The attractive man she had seen many times before had suddenly changed. He was now a towering ball of furious energy. She was afraid he was going to hit her or physcially throw her out the window. How could she explain herself? How could she tell him she was hungry? Broke? Exhausted? How could she tell him that she envied everything he had?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei saw her scoot away from him as if he were going to beat the life out of her. Thing was, she didn't know he was as frightened as she probably was. He took a step back to get off of his hurting foot. He sucked on his tope lip a moment and allowed the air to still a little before he said anything else. Maybe she didn't understand English, there were plenty of Japanese people here on Coruscant who didn't.

"Naniwo kokoni shiteiru ka?" he asked, a little more calmly, but still upset. He could not believe she had gotten into his house, though with his balcony doors the way they were, he had really been inviting it. He licked his lips for they were very dry. He crossed his arms over his naked chest and shifted his weight. "Naniwo kokoni shiteiru ka?" he repeated.

[Jesimae Lawson]

EDIT

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami had no idea what he just said. Either way she didn't want to reply. She just wished that she had never went into his home nad eaten his food. She was so scared she would have given anything to be someplace else, even if that meant at the club with Gus. She tried to keep her emotions in check but she was shaking like a leaf on a tree she was so scared for she had never had anyone yell at her like that since....Gus.

"Please, don't be mad at me, Sir." She barely able to make herself speak, but when she did it was so low he probably couldn't hear her. She kept her body rigid and tightly squeezed in a ball for it made her feel safe since she remembered doing it when she was kid after a bad dream, whenever she no longer had her parents to hug her in the night.

"Please." She said again putting her mouth behind her knees as she kept her eyes large and stuck on the mountain of a man. "I was so tired." She didn't know if she was helping things or making them worse, either way she knew he was going to call the authorities.

[Shosei Sakai]

For some reason, the words that left her mouth relieved him much more than anything else she could have said. Even if it was a bold face lie, and this was an act she used regularly, for some reason Shosei didn't have the heart to be so mean. He wasn't like that.

Slowly, he crouched downwards, looking her in the face, hoping to see truth there, hoping that she wasn't lying. He bit his lip, his eyes and face softening as he stood and rubbed the tiny sheen of sweat on his forehead. He began pacing back and forth, his hands raised to his temples. He stopped and looked at her, furrowing his brow.

"You do realize that this is a crime, right? It's called breaking and entering, and I could have you arrested and put in jail for this," he said, wondering if she really did know that this was a crime. She hadn't stolen anything that he could see right off the bat, but she had still entered a home without the consent of the owner. He shook his head, half angry, and half worried for the small girl. "Do you have any idea the trouble I could get you into?"

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami finally made a move. She sat straight up, her legs falling out in front of her, her protection now gone. She raised her eyebrows and gasped.

"Please don't do that!" She knew that this was wrong and that she was breaking and entering, but she also knew what horros laid ahead when dealing with Gus and trying to explain why he had to come and bail her out of wherever the authorites tossed her. If she made him spend his own money he'd withhold her pay more than he already was and probably make her pay him back however he saw fit.

"I will reimburse you for the food! I promise! I....I promise." She couldn't go to jail! She just couldn't! "Look...ummm..." Kagami stuffed her hands into her pockets and felt nothing, but praying she could at least have a credit or something to give him. She bit her lower lip and looked up at him. She didn't have money, she never did, how was she going to pay him back for the food she had stolen?

"I don't have any money, Sir. I know I shouldn't have come into your home, but if you only knew how I live." She stopped before she could expose more things about herself. Besides she was sure the man was probably thinking she was lying, but what kind of theif fell asleep in his bed?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei was surprised by her sudden outburst. For some reason, she seemed very sincere in what she said. Shosei held his hands up to placate her, nodding down at her and then sighing.

"I'm not going to turn you in, don't get worked up," he said, looking around him as if he would find his next statement written on the floor. He scratched his head and looked back down at her. She looked so pathetic. She was so tiny, and looked so frightened, Shosei couldn't believe she had come here with malicious intentions. He licked his lips again.

"Look, I just want to know why you are here, what you took and why, and what you need," he asked quietly, hoping not to scare her anymore. He figured if she was guilty of something she would have tried to run already. "Just let me know you aren't the theif I'm pretty sure you're not, and you'll be free to go."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami swallowed the baseball in her throat, she was watching him still with wide eyes. She was praying to God he wasn't going to do something awful to her for stealing his food and sleeping in his bed. She had to tell him she had been sneaking in.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out and tried to become more comfortable but couldn't be completely okay with telling this man what she had done.

"I...I have been sneaking into your apartment for about a week, I am really sorry! I ate some of your food, mainly noodles. I drank some tea once, too I think?" She frowned trying to recall. "I...I came by today to eat again. I got lost in playing with your cat and dog and I ended up playing with your cat on your bed." She lookd over at it and jumped onto her knees and grabbed a string and then held it in front of his face.

"See! I was just...moving it quickly and she was playing with it and I just got so tired. I don't get to sleep as well as you do. I don't want to promote sympathy for my living situation, really I am not. You asked for the truth so I am telling you! I will pay you back! I will! But...my boss is not giving me my money."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei watched her eagerly tell him what she had been doing, and for a few moments, he was dumbfounded. Either this girl was the most innocent thing that had ever walked the planet, or this was the most elaborate lie he had ever heard.

Unsure of which one, he sat down on the floor across from her as he listened to her talk. She seemed so sincere, so interested in telling him the truth that he could not help but believe what she told him. And besides, even if he wasn't the best guard dog in the world, if she had tried to steal something Shosei was pretty sure Miko would have had a cow and at least bitten her once. However, he did not see a mark on her hands, or at least not a dog bite.

Leaning back on the heals of his hands, his mind somewhat eased, he raised up again and looked around the room. He made a round, making sure nothing was stolen. He glanced out his door and down the hallway. All his valuables were in fact in place, what few of them he had. He bit his bottom lip and glanced over his shoulder at her. He sighed, then nodded.

"I beleive you. Nothing has been stolen, so I know you aren't after my valuables, especially if you've been at this a week," he said, turning and walking to her. He crouched in front of her and balanced himself by hanging onto the bed. He shrugged. "Food is food, it can be replaced, no harm has been done. My animals seem to like you enough so I know you can't be all bad..." He stood and extended a hand to help her up with. If she was going to become a violent theif, now would have been the time to do it. But when she didn't, Shosei was pretty sure he could trust her. He had always been trusting, and now was no different.

"I apologize if I hurt you when I pulled you off the bed..." he said, with a slight chuckle, finding it a little ironic that he was apologizing to the girl who had broken into his apartment.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami looked at his hand then at the man who was so tall, so drastically huge that she wouldn't dare to steal something of importance although food did let people live. She swallowed and took his hand amazed at how long his fingers were and how tiny she felt when she stood up and realized his true height.

"I'm sorry for stealing your food." She bit her lower lip so she could not cry. She had never been one to bawl, but for some reason she wanted to cry like no other. "I didn't mean any harm. I will repay you, I swear! If you don't believe me you can come by my apartment. I live in this tiny room in the back of 'Ignition' it's a dance club that I work at. My boss was kind enough to let me live there, but...its a night club and it goes on till daybreak. I don't get much sleep so if you ever need me..." She felt stupid for saying that. This man probably didn't want to have anything else to do with her after he tosses her out on her rear.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei smiled at her, a little amazed by her and he eagerness to either just get out of this place so she could run, or just to keep him from being so angry. He shook his head.

"I think that should be my offer," he said, smiling. "My name's Shosei Sakai. My brother actually lives behind Ignition. If you need, you can come to my apartment, and you can knock and I will let you in," he said, popping one eyebrow at her, but letting her know that he was no longer angry with her. "There is no need for you to pay me back. There was nothing of importance taken. Just ask next time."

He felt somewhat like an idiot, he didn't know why. He just hoped he had just this little girl right.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami watched him for a moment in silence, wondering if he was just kidding or if he was serious. When she felt she had looked at him for far too long she felt the fright suddenly go away. She couldn't help but feel her face tighten and a smile break out. She had never been so happy and relieved at the same time. She laughed lightly and nodded.

"Shosei!" She repeated his name a bit too enthusiastically, too happily. "I like it, it is a nice name." She felt like an idiot for being so excited to learn his name and to learn that he was not going to throw her out just yet, hopefully.

"I am Kagami! Kagami Nakamura. Nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. "As for paying you back, I will the moment I get my money. I don't steal things without telling the owners and paying them back." She closed her eyes and hissed. She had just let that one slip.

Kagami had stolen many times before and had been caught almost every time, but for some reason paying them back always seemed to keep them on her good side, simply because she was an honest theif, if one would want to call it that. She opened one eye and looked at Shosei. "Sorry. I have gotten in trouble before, many times and I don't mean to be such a theif but I have no other choice sometimes."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei waved a hand in front of his face, turning slightly to look at her. He didn't really care what she had done in the past, that was not what was going on now. He looked at her and shook his head firmly.

"No, you don't have to pay me back, Kagami," he said, happy that she had a Japanese name that he could say correctly. "Just worry about keeping it to help yourself, believe me, you'll want to."

Shosei took a deep breath, and realized just then that he had yet to put a shirt on. He felt his cheeks get a little hot as he turned and opened his chest of drawers, getting out a white t-shirt with his old soccer team name on it and pulling it on over his head. He turned back to her.

"Well, then," he said, smiling. "Let me ask you if, instead of breaking in tomorrow, would you like to come let me make you dinner tomorrow?" he grinned at her.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami drew in a sharp breath of surprise.

"Really?" She wasn't meaning to be so hyper about it, but she had never had anyone ask her such a question before. It was kind of nice. She smiled brightly and nodded, feeling like an idiot, but he had just made her day, maybe even her week.

"That would be very nice of you! But I don't want to be more of a burden than I already have been. I suppose finding me in your bed wasn't very nice to see when you come home, huh?" She glanced at the floor, it reminding her of the sharp pain in her side. She saw the panda bear and smiled, walking over to it and picking it up and squeezing it once more before handing it to him. "Here, it shouldn't be on the floor."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei squinted one eye at the bear, now thoroughly embarassed. The panda bear, aptly named Panda Bear, had been a gift from his brother when he had turned four because he had loved panda bears. He had never gotten rid of it because he and his brother were so close, and it rememded Shosei of him. But he rarely, unless he was very close to them, told anyone that he had it, or that he laid it on his bed in the morning and kept it on his dresser at night.

He reached slowly out for the bear, quickly taking it and then leaning down to grab the blanket that was still lying there. He wrapped Panda Bear up in it and put the wad on his bed. Then he stood straight.

"Well, I get off work at seven thirty tomorrow. Is eight too late for you to eat?"

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled to herself when she watched him quickly hide it amongst the blankets and toss it onto the bed as if it were just there on his bed for looks. She bit her lower lip when he looked down at her and told her his work schdule for tomorrow evening. She couldn't help but feel the huge desire to give him the biggest hug ever to be given by man.

"No, no. It is perfect." She smiled brightly at him, nodding her head once to show her enthusiasm and excitement. She knew she was blowing this out of proportion, but it was a dinner she wasn't going to feel guilty about.

"Where do you work?" She asked as she titled her head slightly.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei took the initiative to move out of the bedroom, hoping she would follow. He shrugged looking over his shoulder at her and sighing out through his nose.

"I, um..." he was embarrassed to say it, as his job was not held highly, and he was only working there because there was nothing with enough pay to pay for his classes and his living conditions and keep him comfortable. He moved into his living room and inspected his balcony doors, closing them and jamming one of his shoes into it to keep it shut. He turned around and squinted one eye, sucking air in through his teeth.

"I am a sanitary worker for the sewers..." he said flatly, biting his lip and sighing. "Its such a glamorous profession, I just want to share the joy with everyone..."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami put her hands in front of her and held them at the wrist as she walked behind him, scuffing her feet as she did. She heard him sigh out before he closed the balcony doors in an odd way. She smiled wondering how she was going to leave his apartment since she was accustomed to exciting off the balcony.

She moved her eyes around the room and found Shosei and smiled as she fumbled with what he was going to say. The second he told her he worked for the sewer she laughed, but only at his response to his job.

"You have a job, Shosei! Although it doesn't smell like roses it is at least a good steady job that helps you live the way you do." She nodded at him and continued to smile. For some reason thinking of him worker in such a nasty profession, working so hard and long everyday made her sympathize for him considering she worked the same, except hers was less smelly. She got hot, sweaty, smelly, and had to work tiresome hours and it made her feel slightly closer to him, although hers wasn't half as bad.

"You are living well with your animals and that is what really matters, not how you feed them."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei nodded at her, shruggin as he yawned and went into his tiny kitchen, getting his kettle and putting it on, getting the sudden urge for some tea. He glanced in at her, and then looked down at his watch. 7:30. Good, it was still early enough to invite her for some tea. He nodded to a mug as he got one down.

"Do you take reagular or Green Tea?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the bag of Green Tea he had gotten down from the shelf, dipping the tiny spoon inside and putting two spoonfuls of the powder into his glass. He smiled. "Or I think I have some soda in the fridge...and then there is milk, juice, and water, of course." He grinned wide at her, for some reason finding his drink choices funny right at that moment.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami frowned, was he wanting her to stay? Any normal person would probably kick her out and call the authorities, but why was he still being nice? And why was he inviting her back over and wanting to give her tea? Oh well, it wasn't like she was going to complain!

"Green tea would be nice." She said timidly and with a shy smile. He was cute! She wanted to see him smile because it was a good smile. His eyes disappeared, it was kawaii.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei saw the confused look that flashed across her face, and he realized that she had realized how stupid he was being. She had sneaked into his house, stolen his food, and slept on his bed. But for some reason, and part of it was because Shosei's biggest fault was to expect the best of people, he couldn't not let her stay. She seemed so pitiful, and she was so tiny, and kind. He couldn't actually see her doing anything malicious towards him. He was usually a pretty good judge of character.

He just hoped he had judged this one right.

Setting the tea kettle on the stove to allow it to heat up, he leaned on the counter, glancing at his feet and then back up at her. He furrowed his brow.

"You're Japanese, right? Nakamura?" he said. Then nodded back to his bed room. "Why did you not respond to me in Japanese?" he asked, curious about it. He was hoping maybe she had just wanted to keep it English. He was hoping he had found a kindred spirit who spoke Japanese and whom he could have a conversation with in his own language. He went far too long without hearing it.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami looked at him keeping her movement limited for fear he might think she was going to run away from him or violate his personal space more than she already had. She nodded in response to his question.

"Yes, I am half English have Japanese. My Mother was English." She smiled at him and then realized that wasn't anything to be ecstatic about so she slowly wiped it off, not wanting to scare the man more than she had. She cleared her throat as her eyes moved curiously around the kitchen since she didn't remember being in there too long. She made her eyes back to Shosei and she wanted to smile really bad, but she refrained.

"I can only speak a little Japanese. I lost my parents when I was young so most of what I had learned went otu the window. I can remember some things though." She smiled and widened her eyes. "I read one of your magazines! It was very interesting and very...kakkoi." She smiled, she was an idiot for saying that word because of all words to say she was chosing a simple plaion word that aould have been more descriptive than that.

"I'm sorry for coming in here, I should have used my better judgement." She spoke quietly now fully ashamed for getting caught.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei sighed, her words for some reason making him wonder why she was so bad off. She was cute, and kind, and seemingly talented to boot. After all, she had been sneaking in and out of his apartment without being discovered by him, or seen by someone on the street. He wondered why she could not simply get a better job if the one she had was causing her so much strife. Shosei looked over at her and nodded.

"Yes, I imagine you aren't as dumb as that decision was, but..." he paused, turning fully towards her. "I'm not one of those who are going to turn you out because of a bad decision. If you are willing to find forgiveness, I am willing to give it," he said, smiling a little. The kettle behind him whistled at him, telling him that the water inside was boiling. He turned back to the stove and picked up the kettle, pouring water into each mug and setting the kettle back on the stove. He opened his drawer and pulled out two pairs of chop sticks.

Shosei dipped his into the tea and stirred the Green Tea powder and the absorber that he had dropped in there earlier. Then he put the other pair into the other mug and carefully carried it over to the girl, handing it gently to her so as not to spill any. He smiled at her.

"There you are."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami jumped like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The whistling kettle frightened her beyond belief. She let out a laugh when she realized it was nothing to be scared by. As Shosei poured the hot water into the mug she couldn't help but take a moment to realize how cute he was and how kind he was being to her. She wondered if he was thinking she was some helpless child who needed to stop complaing and perhaps she did, but when one didn't have a proper education to get a good job...it made things very difficult, especially when it came to money.

She watched him turn and hand the mug to her, being slow and kind as not to spill it. She smiled as she took it from him feeling the warm skin of his hand brush against her cold skin. She took it and brought it up to her nose and inhaled deeply, loving the smell of tea.

"Arigatou." She said with a nod as she smiled widely loving how the hot steam felt against her cold cheeks and hands. "It has been so long since I've had green tea, not counting the cup I had a few days ago." She felt her cheeks grow red with embarassment. She had bad luck, her curiosity and inability to stay hidden for long periods of time the cause of this situation.

Although it was early to say, Kagami was glad to have been caught for Shosei was being too kind to her and she was enjoying their conversation and his company far too much. His inviting her back tomorrow and asking her to prolong her stay with the tea, she was enjoying this very much and she was enjoying Shosei Sakai.

[Shosei Sakai]

"Douitashimashite," he said absentmindedly before realizing that she had just spoken to him in his language. She knew a few things, obviously, and to hear his own language made him happy. He looked at her and smiled, nodding to the chairs in his living room. He moved in there and sat down. He was no sooner down than did his huge beast of a dog jump up next to him and spread out over his lap. His tiny cat also jumped onto the couch, climbing his shirt and perching on his shoulder.

Shosei smiled at Kagami, nodding to the chair across from him. He figured if she got uncomfortable and wanted to leave she would go ahead and do it. He was feeling laid back now and didn't care whether she left or stayed. He thought she would leave when she wanted, and he could nothing about it. Although, having her interesting company was keeping his occupied.

Shosei took a drink of his tea, and looked back up. He suddenly hear a small buzzing coming from underneath the couch. He leaned around his dog and looked undrneath it. One of his comlinks was under there and had began to buzz. He reached under for it and pressed the answer button, putting it to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked. He heard his brother's voice on the other line asking about whether or not he got home alright. Yutaka had an issue with the job Shosei had. Not only was it messy and smelly, it was dangerous and many dangerous people worked in and around it. And it never helped that when it came to Shosei, Yutaka was a worrier.

"Iie, hi, Kyoudai. Watashi ha yoi. Watashi haumakuaru, watashi ha yakusoku suru. Watashi ha zannen yobu kotowo wasure teita. Watashi ni yuujin ga ima kochiraniaru. Kanojo haanatano mae nosono basho de hataraku. Hai...hai...okay. Bye," he said, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. He close the link and put the comlink down, looking back up at Kagami. He nodded.

"Sorry."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami drank slowly, sipping as to not burn her tongue listening and watching Shosei with interest. The person on the other line was his brother, she knew for she had heard a few words that she was able to translate. She wondered if he spoke Japanese as a first language or if he spoke it as a second. She was surprised to notice how interested she was in him considering she didn't have many friends. She took a seat and hoped he didn't mind considering she had already made herself at home many times before.

When he got off the phone she smiled at him and shook her head. "No need. So, you have a brother. Do you have any other siblings?" She was too interested in Shosei Sakai for her own good. She didn't want to get on his nerves by bugging him with questions and she knew anyhow that she was to be at work in an hour.

In the back of her mind Kagami was screaming and pleading to not go in, to ignore Gus, to just leave...but she was tied to him in many ways that she was not able to escape. She wondered if he'd try to do anything with her tonight, try to harm her like he always did when she refused to sleep with him. She shivered at the thought the fear already coursing through her veins. She knew she had to leave him sooner or later, but at this moment she had no place else to go and no money to live on. But she would honestly freeze and starve rather than live with Gus who constantly abused her both mentally and physically. She was in an abusive work relationship and she knew she needed to get out of it, but she had no idea how and had no idea of where to go.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei swallowed his tea and felt the heat slide down his throat, and he savored the sensation. He listened to her question and considered it a moment as if he didn't know the answer. Then he nodded.

"Yes. I have him, Yutaka, who is just very close to my age. And then I have Kyoshi, who is older than I. We are not close. That's it. I'm the baby of my family. Yutaka and I have always been very close...and in fact I lived as his flatmate for a little while when I moved out," he explained, putting his tea cup on the coffee table and leaning back in his couch. Then he nodded to her. "What about you? Have family?"

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami looked up at him as if she were surprised by his question considering she never had conversations that were this normal. She pulled the cup down from her mouth and raised her eyebrows.

"Eh?" She said to him, her surprise not meaning to escape. "Family?" She sat her cup on her knees that were closed, her whole body tight and upright. She swallowed and thought a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"I..uh..." She took another sip of her tea and then shook her head, it was a shame she couldn't remember her family. "No I don't have any family." She of course had family she just didn't know of their whereabouts. She just remembered living on her own and trying to go to school, but without money one didn't get very far.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei's face dropped slightly. He hated how his family had always butted into his life, but he had still had the privilege of having and knowing them. He still had an extremely close relationship with his brother, still loved his mother and father, and they were always there when he needed them.

He looked up at her, and gave her the nicest smile he could muster.

"I am sorry, Nakamura-san. I don't know what that's like, but I am sorry," he said, nodding, not knowing what else he could say. He got uncomfortable comforting other people if they weren't his close friends. So, he went silent, unsure of what else to say.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami bit her lower lip and looked around the room becoming smaller and her body temperature rising. She felt uncomfortable now, like she had given too much information to this stranger. She was bringing her troubles into his life and she didn't want to do such a thing. He was a happy guy, that was obvious, and she knew that her awkward lifestyle would bring anyone down and cause trouble.

She drank the hot tea, ignoring the burn and stood up and sat the cup on the table and bowed to him. "Arigatou, Sakai-San, you have been very kind to me and you truly are an angel." She smiled and walked towards the patio doors but stopped knowing she could easily walk out the front door, the correct door.

"May I..." She pointed at the door, wanting him to come unlock it and allow her to leave. She had overstayed her welcome, or at least she was fearing this. "I am having to go to work, if I am late...Gus...it is untelling what he'll do."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei stood and nodded to her, walking to the door and opening it for her, standing aside so she would have room to get out beside him. He hoped he hadn't made her too uncomfortable as she was leaving fairly quickly. But there would be no way for him to tell. He smiled at her.

"If you are still interested in a free, legal dinner tomorrow, then please, allow me to make one for you."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami looked up at him and saw something in his eyes that sparkled, as silly as it was it made her smile brightly. She felt like a child when she was around him perhaps because he had this alluring aura that made her want to smile all the time. He was so cute, so cute it should have been illegal. She nodded and continued to smile like an idiot.

"Hai. That would be very, very kind. Especially since..." She let out a nervous laugh she was going to pay him back, had to. "See you." She waved and walked out the door, but she suddenly turned and stood on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Arigatou." She turned quickly and walked down the hall towards the stairs, towards her exit, towards her horrific night. The sooner tomorrow came the better she'd be.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei shut the door behind her and walked back into his apartment. his dog was lounging back on the couch, not noticing anything but the inside of his eyelids. Shosei shook his head and gathered his and the girl's cups and brought them back into the kitchen, putting them in the sink and washing them. He replaced them back into the shelf from which they had come and turned looking out his balcony doors.

There was alot now to think about. The fact that a girl had broken into his apartment for a week and had eaten his food being the first and foremost. He wasn't exactl sure what to make of the little girl. She seemed so kind and innocent, yet she had broken into his home, and apparently, many others. But then again, she had stolen nothing but a few bowls of heat up noddles, and some tea. It was nothing big, nothing that his salary couldn't cover, he hadn't lost that much.

And she was kind, and apologetic. Of course, most people are once they get caught. But Shosei had a good feeling about Kagami Nakamura, even though he should have been angry with her and didn't even know her.

Patting his dog on the head and this time securely keeping his balcony doors shut, Shosei went into his bedroom and locked the door behind him. He went over to the bed and sat down, smoothing the blankets out and putting Panda Bear on his dresser. He slid under the blankets and turned out the light. He was so tired for no real reason and was out in a moment or two.

[Kagami Nakamura]

"Leave me alone!" Kagami screamed into her pillow as loud as her lungs and vocal cords could muster, tears soaking into the pillowcase. The constant pounding of the dance music was hurting her ears, as well as the phone that was rining nonstop because Gus was having one of those nights.

She looked athte phone, her eyes bloodshot from both tire and tears. It was nearing 4 in the morning, the club was going to be shutting down soon and she could expect Gus to be pounding on her door, but now he was deciding to harass her by phone. So far he had called her a total of twenty times, cursing her out for not sleeping with him, then he'd call to apologize. He was so weird, she needed to get out, find another job. For some reason the first thing she wanted to do to escape this ridiculous harassment was to go to Shosei, but she hadn't dared known him long enough to cry on his shoulder.

Kagami unplugged the phone after a moment of listening to the phone ring for five minutes straight. She knew that he'd be down quicker if she did it, but she had to. She wiped her eyes and wondered how long it would be till he broke in and tried to force her to do things she didn't want to do. She was so passive, she barely could stand up for herself anymore, how would anyone want to be her friend when she could barely keep her life in order and had to run to others for help.

She sighed and fell onto the bed. It was almost daylight, it was almost time to eat dinner in....many many hours. Kagami needed to find a job, but who was going to hire a girl with a high school education? Certainly nothing that paid half as well as Gus...then again she was getting nothing for the moment so what was the difference?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei jolted awake. His alarm clock had awakened him and his ears were stinging from hearing it. He hated getting up so early. It made him more tired. But if he didn't get up at five thirty he would have time to take a shower, dress, eat breakfast, call in his work schedule for that evening, and make it to school in time for his seven o'clock class.

Shosei groaned as he reached over and shut off the alarm staring up at his cieling for a few moments before feeling a tiny weight on the end of his bed. He glanced down to see his cat had jumped up to inform him of the fact that he had not yet fed her. He smiled down at her as she curled up near his feet.

"Ohayo gaozaimas, Mi-mi-chan," he muttered, his morning voice deep and husky. He sat forward, yawning and stretching. Shosei swung his legs over his bed and sat on the edge for a few moments looking down at his feet and thinking about the things he needed to do before he left for class.

Getting up, Shosei went into his kitchen and started a pot of coffee. He moved into the bathroom and started up his shower. The hot water quickly steamed up the mirror and he smiled as he drew a few characters in it, first jotting his name in Japanese and then a sentance or two, before getting in the shower and cleaning up.

When he got out, his apartment smelled of coffee and shampoo. It wasn't an unpleasant scent. He went to his room and dressed, going back to his kitchen and eating breakfast and drinking coffee while reading his newspaper.

He didn't want to call in for his work schedule, but he knew he had to. He always wanted a different one from the one his supervisor wanted to give him. So they usually ended up getting in fights they laughed about later. Picking up his comlink and dialing the number of his manager, he listened as it beeped.

"Yeah," came the answer. Shosei sighed.

"Hey, its Shosei Sakai. I am after my schedule for today," he said, cringing slightly. He hated saying those words. He heard a shift on the otherside.

"Actually, if you don't mind, you can have the rest of your shifts off for a few days. We'll pay you, don't worry. But we got everyone covered for awhile, so, if you like, I'll call you when we need you again. That should be three or four days," the man on the other end said. Shosei grinned.

"Yeah, that would be fine. Thanks. Okay...bye," he said, shutting the link and smiling wider. His day might end up being a good one afterall.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami stepped out into the bright day, feeling the cold hit her bones as she pulled her sweater tighter around her frail form as she locked the large brown door that led out into the alleyway. She didn't know where to go but she was so tired because of last night, Gus never leaving her alone. Kagami rolled her eyes as she grabbed her keys and put them into her pocket and ahead against the wind towards the street that was busy and filled with those who lived for the day.

Kagami hummed a tune and wondered if it would be okay to go see Shosei, but what if he was at work? Normally he'd be gone and she'd take advantage of the opportunity, but for the first time since she started to break into his home she wanted him to be there. She smiled thinking of him her face growing a bit red for getting caught yesterday. She liked him, he was cute and that panda bear...

Kagami sighed out and shivered but kept her mind on good things, but the loud shouting coming from behind her ruined that euphoric happy feeling. She slowly turned to see Gus standing by her door, yelling at her to come there. She turned and jogged towards the street, she was off right now and he did not own her.

"Nakamura! Get over here, now! We need to talk about last night!" Kagami broke out into a run and bumped into a group of girls.

"Gomen!" She said as she turned and jogged through the sea of people. If there was any place to go it would be to Shosei's apartment, but how would he feel for having her come there for an annex?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei's seven o'clock class had been, as it always seemed to be, completely and utterly the most boring hour in his entire life. He had decided that he had learned nothing so far in that class and could not figure out why he had to take it.

He yawned deeply as he checked his watch and pulled his brown trench coat around him tighter, keeping his scarf around his face. He hoisted his shoulder bag up a little as he made his way to the air taxi platform, awaiting the warmth of the inside. He caught one and boarding paying before it lift off and huddling down in the seat for the ride.

All morning, Shosei's brain had been going back to the girl. That girl from the night before. Kagami. His mind had been working over her ever since that morning when he had gotten up. He was wondering about her, wondering if she was okay. The way she looked had told him she really was not getting the nourishment that she needed. And whether or not she had been telling him the entire truth or not about everything, he still felt awful for her. He wanted to help her in anyway. He just, didn't know what more he could do.

The taxi stopped at Shosei's place and he got out, hurrying to the door and going in. It was cold outside this morning and he couldn't help but just want to crawl under the covers and stay there. Shosei unlocked his flat door and went inside, hearing the deep ecstatic barks of his great dane, who came galloping in and jumped up on his, barking in his face. Shosei laughed, pushing the dog down and shedding his jacket, bag and scarf, and toeing off his shoes at the door.

He hoped that Kagami still wanted to come to dinner that evening.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami shivered as she made her way to the apartment she lookd up at the building and sighed out, wondering how she was to gain access. Kagami looked at the people passing by hoping someone would be going inside. She was getting frustrated, nobody was letting her in or even going into the building.

She was freezing, she prayed to God that Shosei wouldn't get mad. Kagami brushed by people and walked to the fire escape, ignoring the looks she was getting from a few passerbys. She climbed up the ladder and towards his doors, if he wasn't there she was going to just go on in, like she planned anyhow. She hummed a tune to herself as she made her way up like it was normal, which in her case it kinda was.

Kagami crawled over the railing and onto his patio and walked over to the doors preparing to open them but remembered...she lifted her hand to the doors and knocked despite not being able to feel anything that was exposed which was her face and fingers.

"Shosei? It's Kagami." She prayed he was there and he wasn't going to be annoyed for her early appearance but she was freezing to death and tired.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei nearly jumped out of his skin at the knock on his balcony doors and the voice that sounded there. Any knock he heard he always expected from the front door. And this was a surprise.

Shivering slightly after the initial shock wore off, Shosei stepped over his dog and adjusted his jeans around his waist. He grabbed his balcony doors handles and pulled on them. The doors quickly swung open and a cold wind rushed in from outside. Shosei looked out at Kagami, then stood aside.

"Come in," he said, the wind very cold. He wanted to shut the doors as quickly as possible.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled inside, so grateful he was home and allowing her entrance. She stepped inside embracing its warmth. SHe shivered in her small jacket and turned around and watched him close the doors. She smiled so happy to see him more so than she had thought.

"I couldn't get into the building, Shosei. Sorry I couldn't be normal for once." She shrugged her shoulders and grinned shyly afraid to be too blunt, but it was truth. She was trying to be like a normal guest in his home but it wasn't going too well for the moment. "And I am sure you didn't want me to come so early, but I was having troubles with my boss. He has been...harrassing me since last night."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei shook his head, shivering and motioning to the chairs in his common room. He hurried over to the hoodie he had hung up on his door knob earlier. He picked it up and pulled it on over his head. It was much, much too big for him but it was comfortable and warm. He walked back into where Kagami was.

"That's okay. I am free for a couple hours. I have a twelve o'clock class. But I'll be back by one. You will be welcome to stay while I am there," he said, sitting down and drawing his stocking feet up into the couch with him to warm them. He smiled at her. "My animals will keep you company...my friend might stop by later, if that doesn't bother you. But you are welcome to stay as long as you like. The place gets a little lonely with only a cat and dog to talk to." He grinned again. Then he sobered. "About this boss of yours. Do you mind my asking what he is doing to you?"

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami watched him with bright and excited eyes. She was so ecstatic he was allowing her to stay, even when he wasn't there. She had done it before and she was amazed that he was even allowing her back into his apartment since she did break in. When he took a seat and asked her about Gus....she felt sick.

"My boss?" She bit her lower lip nervously not knowing if she could tell him, but how she would love to! How she would love to tell someone how awful he treated her.

She slowly walked over to a seat and glanced at him, rubbing her hnads together trying to get them warm but to no avail. She drew in a deep breath and shrugged, wondering if perhaps it was her fault for the way he treated her since she was too scared to leave him.

"His name is Gus...he...is withholding my pay because I won't...I won't do what he wants me to do...with....him." She felt nervous suddenly for telling him this, as if he were going to think ill of her. Kagami smiled at him trying to shrug it off but knew it wouldn't work. She was going to keep the horrors to herself the way he harrasses her on the phone, at the door, at the bar, anywhere and everywhere. She was also going to keep the many times he has become violent and tried to rape her.

Kagami had always been afraid of the dark, but since she moved into Gus' club the many failed attempts to sleep with her scarred her. The nightmares she has...

"He isn't the kindest person to work for, Shosei."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei listened to what she had to say, and he felt the anger rise inside of him. For no apparant reason the news made him angry. He wanted to be able to do something for her, help her somehow, but he didn't know what he could do. He didn't know anything about the man, and he knew even less about the bar in which she worked. His brother had been there twice, not much cared for the place and had never gone back. He hadn't had much to report to Shosei either. Just that there were a lot of drunks, a lot of sex, a lot of people who had harrassed him for his com number. He hadn't exactly been impressed. He instead preferred the cleaner scene of a dance club up town near Shosei's college. Even Shosei had been there a few times.

But with the limited knowledge he had of the situation, he didn't know what help he could offer to Kagami. But he would offer what he could. Shosei leaned forward on his knees and looked at her.

"Well, I mean...I know I don't know you well, and vice versa. But, if there is anything that I can ever do, please tell me. And, my brother, Yutaka, lives right behind the Ignition. He will help you too, go to him also if you need something or someone. Please?"

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled the new information making her feel happy, like she was somehow being protected. She nodded at him and smiled even brighter than before.

"Arigatou, Shosei-Chan, but I didn't mean to make my troubles your own." She didn't know what to say or how to tell him that she appreciated everything he had done for her in the past week even if he hadn't known about it. She slowly moved in her seat and glanced up at him.

"I don't think I knew anyone lived behind the Ignition." She wondered how come he never called the authorities considering she had been molested several times and had ran out of the building screaming for help. She was sure that if she heard someone screaming bloody murder she'd stay far away as well and out of peoples business.

Kagami liked Shosei and everything he was offering her, even if it wasn't but a mere gratuitous gesture. If something were to happen she didn't think she could ever come to Shosei and tell him what had happened, if he only kknew the whole truth about last night. Kagami felt a pain run down her arm, luckily it was hidden by her long sleeves the bruise he left was a nasty one.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei nodded.

"My brother had lived back there for awhile now. I lived with him for a few months when I first moved out of my parents house and before I started classes. He has actually been in there twice, but that's all. I have not heard good things about the place, not to speak ill of your place of work. Just that some of the managers and owners of the bar aren't exactly up to par with what they should be," Shosei said, shrugging slightly.

Shosei readjusted himself in his seat, as his backside was beginning to sink too far into the couch, and it was dragging his jeans off his hips. He looked down and saw his cat looking up at him with big green eyes. He patted his leg and the cat immediately took him up on his offer, bounding up into his warm lap, kneading his leg and purring loudly before settling down into a tiny ball. Shosei looked back up at Kagami.

"Well, I will talk to Yutaka today anyway, and...really, if anything bad happens, and you can't get ahold of someone who can help, go to him or me. We'll help however we can, I am sorry that that won't be very much..."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami nodded again and yawned. She didn't know what seh was going to go home and see when she returned. Hopefuly Gus wasn't there, hopefully he had gone back to his nice expensive apartment on the best side of Coruscant. She knew that he'd be bugging her for a very long time until she gave him what he wanted but she didn't know how much longer that would be until he finally succeeded in forcing her.

"If anything happens..." I'll be leaving in a body bag. The thought made Kagami shiver. Gus was violent, she had witnessed it firsthand and she didn't know how much longer she could take his crap. She had no true experience with anything except waitressing and bartending. Her education wasn't anything to be proud of considering she barely made it out of high school.

"If anything happens you'll be the first to know, Shosei."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei nodded. And then, an awkward silence fell. Shosei didn't know if it was because he was just an awkward person, or if they actually didn't have anything else to say to each other, but whichever, he shifted uncomfortably on the couch, and looked up at the ceiling thinking a moment.

He began wondering why he was giving all this help to this girl who he didn't know. And who had been stealing from him to boot. He didn't know what it was about her that made him think that she wasn't all that bad. Maybe it was because she seemed so sincere, maybe it was because she was so cute, maybe it was because she looked so pitiful. For some reason, Shosei had a funny urge to help her.

He hoped he wasn't doing it blindly and stupidly.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami didn't like the silence, it made her feel like she had done something or said something wrong. She wondered if perhaps she had intruded on his day off and butted into his relaxation. She was sure he didn't want a poor helpless girl hanging around him, especially one who had seemingly made her living situation well known.

She smiled at him wondering what to say.

"Did I interrupt something? I just wanted to get away from my boss for a while." She bit her lower lip. What could she say to Shosei? What could they talk about? Why was he so willing to help her? That question popped into her mind and she was wanting to ask for his eagerness was quite surprising to her. Could she ask such a question? It could offend him and he might not be willing to help her out in her awkward circumstances.

"Shosei, how come you are being so nice to me?" Kagami asked before she even realized. She shouldn't have been questioning his motives, then again she wasn't one to trust people so easily. But yet...here she was in his apartment with him alone. Apparently she trusted him enough.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei cocked his head. Why was he helping her? He didn't know specifics. Not really. There were all kinds of things that realted to it in some way or another. His eldest brother had been in a seriously binding occupation where he had been all but mistreated by his boss. He had always had a personal vendetta against that man. That was a little bit of it. A little bit of it was that he seemed to know, somehow instinctively, that she was not here to harm anyone. He believed that she truly was who she said.

Shosei looked at her, and let a sigh out through his nose, shaking his head slightly and then shrugging.

"I dunno, Kagami," he said honestly. "You haven't stolen anything from me, or at least nothing of importance. You came here again, even though you knew I might be here. So you obviously mean me no harm. You're kind and apologetic. Frankly, kind of remind me of me." He smiled a little. "I just want to help you."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled a little and nodded. Shosei was so cute! She doubted she was anything like him for that would have made her day and she wasn't one for luck. She was clumsy, curious, and sometimes too shy for her own good. For her to be so girly and so tiny and shy she sure did work in a place that was completely not her style, but that was all the options she ad instead of going to jail to probably suffer a horrible death.

"I am sorry," Her face grew red and she smiled shyly. "I shouldn't even be asking such a question, kindness should never be questioned." It was true for one who was accepting this generosity he was giving her happily by asking such a thing might make him think she wasn't appreciative which that was far from what she was!

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness, Shosei, but I will try my best. I might be getting paid tomorrow night, but it is most likely not going to happen. I will repay you for the debts I owe...sometime."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei waved a hand in front of his face and shook his head. She didn't need to repay him. He thought he had told her that already?

"Don't worry about it, Kagami. There's no need to pay me back for anything," he said, grinning at her, and then getting up. He was freezing and needed to turn the heat on. Shosei moved into the kitchen and adjusted the heating unit up so that there was more heat in his apartment. He heard the unit come on and smiled, hoping it would heat up soon. He glanced back over his shoulder. "Really, don't worry about any of it."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled to herself as she heard him walking away over to his hearter, hopefully turning it on for she was cold as ice from that long walk to his apartment. He was so nice and cute, he gave her a comfortable feeling when she was around him and she liked that. She spent many hours around men who didn't respect her, wanted to harm her, made her feel so uncomfortable that she was barely able to breathe for they smothered her in a horrific feeling. She wasn't used to hospitality, wasn't used to kindness, wasn't used to anything Shosei was kind enough to dispurse to her.

"Thank you, Shosei, your kindness means a lot." If the man only knew half of the things she endured at work and at home. THe things that she had endured before all of this. She was surprised she wasn't in jail yet, that or dead.

"Ah," She said in a tiny sigh, looking up at the ceiling and finding new things to look at around his room. She drew in a deep fulfilling and energizing breath and looked over to Shosei, seeing his back and how fit it was. How nice he looked with a shirt on.

"Shosei," She said lowly and in a tiny voice. "Would it be okay if...if I took a tiny nap on your couch? Just for a little while?" She furrowed her brow softly hoping he'd not say no. The tire and exhaustion she felt from the many nights of never sleeping was finally hitting her for the comfort she felt in his home was overwhelming.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei smiled and turned back to her, walking back into the living room. He licked his lips and checked his watch, then he looked back at her and nodded.

"Hai, hai..." he said absentmindedly as he thought a moment. Then he shook his head. "Um, yeah! But, why don't you use the bed? It's more comfortable than this thing," he waved a hand to his couch. "If you'll give me a minute, I'll change stuff for you and turn on the heater for it. Then you won't have to get under cold blankets."

He turned to go, then paused. Turning back to her he bit his lip.

"Ummm...I might be gone when you wake up. I have a class in about an hour and a half. But, you're welcome to stay, its just...my friend is coming over before I get out of class and I don't know how much you want to deal with her. She's a little..." he shrugged. "She'll jump to conclusions...but..." he thought a moment. "You know what, nevermind. Just stay and if she comes then I'll talk to her later and if she doesn't, then that's fine too." He grinned. "Sorry." Then he turned and continued on to his room.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled at him and watched him leave. She nodded to herself, the grin not coming off anytime soon. Shosei was an angel, she knew it. She yawned glad to know that she was finally going to get a bit of sleep, even if was considered mooching she didn't care the tire she felt.

"I'd rather deal with your female friend than my boss." She said to him as she heard the moving and shifting in the other room. She was wanting to elaborate on that sentence, but she decided to let it slide she had enough of her boss and only talking about it would cause her to be more upset than anything.

"You really don't need to change anything in your room, Shosei, I am sure you are clean as a whistle." She stood up and moved into the bedroom where she saw him busying himself quickly ripping off sheets and tossing them aside for a moment. "And if it helps, I'm not filthy." She smiled at him as he moved, his back taking beautiful shapes under his shirt that was snug and allowed her to see his outline. The attraction she felt towards the stranger was more concerning than her boss. She should't have a crush on Shosei it wasn't normal for her to like a guy she broke in on. But... there she was...watching him make the bed and admiring the curves he had, admiring the strength and kindness that resonated off of him.

"I won't mess anything up, either. If I do I shall clean it up myself, but I don't think I'll be raiding your fridge anytime soon."

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei chuckled, going to the closet and pulling it open reaching up onto the shelf that was too high for him and pulling down two sheets and a pillow case. He walked back over to the bed, spreading one sheet over the matress and then putting the new pillowcase on. He put the other sheet over it and then his comforter, flipping on the heat on the side of the bed.

He leaned down and gathered the bedsheets, dumping them into the basket in his closet then shutting the doors. He passed Kagami to push open the door near to his bed. He pointed into it.

"That's the bathroom, you can use anything in there you like. Although I doubt that you'd be too inclined to use the cologne that is in there," he said scrunching his nose up and then chewing his bottom lip a little. "Ummm...and you are welcome to raid the refridgerator if you like, although I imagine it is empty. I have to make a store run tonight anyway." He sighed, feeling as if he had just read a book to her. He nodded, bowing.

"I think that's it. If you need anything..." he said, turning to his desk and picking up a pen, grabbing a peice of his Japanese class's old homework. He jotted down his com number and handed it to her. "That is my comlink number, you'll reach me anywhere."

[Kagami Nakamura]

kagami giggled uncontrollably as he moved around the room, jumping to reach the sheets, showing her the bathroom, speaking of cologne, the fridge... it was all too cute. Did this man know how cute he was? Did he actually see the beauty that resonated off of him? Did he understand at all? She held her hand over her mouth trying to stifle it but couldn't. She coughed and tried to calm herself when he spoke of more serious matters.

"Arigatou!" She said happily when he handed her the number. She glanced up at him and folded it and put it into her pocket, keeping it forever in there in case she ever needed him period. She drew in a deserved breath and giggled a little more before wiping it off her face. "I will call if I need anything. You have a good day in class, Shosei!" She smiled at him and wrinkled her nose, he was so cute! The girl he dated was by far the luckiest woman on Coruscant. One day maybe Kagami would find someone that kind and beautiful.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei grinned at her.

"I will try desperately, although the History of Coruscant and its Inhabitants is not exactly the most riveting class ever!" he said with a chuckle, feeling like it was never as true as it was right then. He sighed, then rolled his eyes. "Okay, gotta finish getting ready, and then I will be out of your hair." He turned and went into the bathroom grabbing his comb and running it through his hair, quickly putting the tiniest amount of cologne on, as he hated taking a bath in the stuff, then went back out into the bedroom.

"Okay, Kagami-chan. Sayounara! Oyasumi!" he bowed to her, then went past her and out to the front door. He grabbed his satchel making sure everything was in it before sliding on his shoes. He grabbed the door knob and was about to leave when a thought crossed his mind. He turned and looked back to his bedroom.

"Ah, Kagami-chan! Come here!"

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami breathed in deeply as she smelled him spray the cologne then walk by her. It was a warm and inviting scent, something that should've ben smelled only close up and personal. She was basking in the thoughts of being held in his arms and then walking away only to still have him on her clothes, have him in her long term memory. She so wanted that from someone. She opened her eyes and stopped hugging herself when she heard him call for her. She turned and walked out into the hall another thought coming into her mind.

What if she were to live with him? What if she could always have him in her thoughts and dreams, what if she could always be in his arms and smell him? What if he could always say good night to her? What if she could see him off before he went to school? She tried to push them out, but couldn't. She saw him standing there with a satchel and she smiled brightly. That would have been a great life.

"Hai, hai?"

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei reached up to the key hold on the wall and pulled down his second spare key on a key ring. He held it out to her.

"Here. This is the key to the building and to my room, so you won't have to climb up the side of the building to get in here next time. And you can come whenever you want, not just when I am here. You're always welcome," he said, smiling at her. He looked at his watch, then grinned a little bigger. "Okay, okay! I gotta go! Sayounara, Kagami-chan!" He waved and turned and was out the door, wondering if she would actually want to come back after realizing how loud and obnoxious he was.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami smiled and giggled as she looked at the key he had just handed her. She squeezed it tight and smiled brightly as she closed the door and locked it. She skipped to his bedroom where she pulled down the covers and toed off her shoes, mad that she hadn't done it before hand at hsi door. She let it slide as she crawled under the covers and placed the key on his side table. She was never going to forget that or his comlink, never.

She smelled him on the pillow, his whole home smelled like him even clean sheets. She moved around and found comfort, but something was missing. She glanced over to his dresser and she smiled. She got off the bed and grabbed the panda bear and jumped back into the warmth as she hugged it tightly. Hopefully he wouldn't mind her borrowing him for a while. She smiled to herself as she felt herself drift into sleep as she held panda thinking of Shosei and the preciousness he possessed.

[Shosei Sakai]

Oh god, how he hated that class.

It wasn't that the material wasn't interesting, it was just that the hour never seemed to end. It was always the longest hour of Shosei's life. He had the hardest time trying not to fall asleep in that class.

He was ecstatic that it was over and he could go home and eat. He was starved half to death.

The breeze was cool as he walked towards his apartment, his shoulde sack slung over his shoulder. His hands were thrust deep in his pockets, his red pullover helping a little with warmth but his jeans helping next to none. He hoped that his apartment had warmed up.

As he moved, he heard a small beeping in his pocket. He reached deeper inside and pulled out his comlink, glancing down at it. He answered it and sighed.

"Yeah," he said.

"Shosei! It's Kumiko! I'm here at your apartment and I started some noodles for you. And some vegetables. I hope that was okay," came the chipper voice of his friend. Shosei sighed a little.

"Yeah, that's fine, Kumi. Look, don't explore the apartment till I get there, okay?" he said.

"Why?"

"Just don't. I am on my way."

He hung up the comlink and broke into a jog. He did not need Kumiko McNally stumbling onto Kagami Nakamura sleeping in his apartment. Kumiko would be all over it, and she would probably kill Shosei about eighty times over. He grinned, not that he would mind she mistake he and Kagami for boyfriend and girlfriend. But he was not sure how Kagami would be treated.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami yawned as she walked out of the bedroom holding his panda bear for dear life. For some reason she didn't want to let it go, it helped her calm down after the horrific nightmare she just had. She never understood why, but whenever a nightmare woke her up she needed something to hold onto, something to let her know it was just a dream and that it would be okay. Luckily Panda had been there for her support.

She had heared something in the other room and she immediately smelled noodles, she grinned and walked towards the kitchen hoping it was the man she was dying to see.

"Shosei-Chan, is that you?" She yawned again and scuffed her socked feet as she made her way to the kitchen where she saw a woman stirring something in a steaming pot. She didn't know what to think, but then she remembered Shosei's words. "Oh...hi!" Kagami smiled at the woman who turned around and looked at her.

"I'm Kagami!"

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei unlocked the building door, huffing and puffing for air. He had tried to get there as quickly as possible. He hurried up the stairs and got to his door, fishing out his key again. He unlocked his door and stumbled in, smelling food cooking. He glaned up and saw Kumiko standing at the stove, looking over, in complete and utter astonishment at Kagami who was standing there, his bear in her arms, a grin on her face. Shosei bit his lip as he stepped out of his shoes and dropped his satchel walking over behind Kumiko and wrapping his arms around her.

"Hi, Kumi-chan..." he said slightly apologetically. She glanced around at him and cleared her throat.

"Ummm...I see you have a friend here already," she said a little stiffly. Shosei chuckled and walked over to Kagami standing beside her, a bit of a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He had not thought Kumiko would come this early. He had hoped he would be home before she came. He had been wrong.

"Yeah, this is Kagami--"

"Yeah, I know. I'm Kumiko McNally...Shosei's good friend," she said, smiling. Shosei grinned plastically. He turned to Kagami and took her shoulders.

"Let's go talk back there!" he said cheerfully, steering her away from Kumiko and back towards the bedroom. He shut the door behind them and sighed. "Sorry about her...I am going to try to get her to leave. I thought I might be here before she came. I can tell she is going to be rude to you."

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami laughed lightly at his sudden embarassing situation. She could tell that the girl, Kumiko, was going to be mean she already was whether or not she was trying to be.

"So... she is your good friend? Are you two...together?" Kagami giggled at the question by the way he reacted it didn't seem he was up for that much, but it was still funny to see him squirm. She glanced at the bear and she let out a sigh, embarassed that she was caught holding it.

"Oh, gomen." She said as she walked over to his dresser and put the bear back up. "I...was...needing to hold something." Her face turned red. Now who was the embarassed one?

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei shook his head quickly, quicker than he had ever said no to anything, squinching up his face in slight disgust.

"I don't even think no can answer that question fully. Kumiko is in no way with me, and never ever will be, and I am glad. She's my friend, and she wishes it were more, but that can just..." he shook his head. "No." He looked down at the bear and his cheeks went even more pink than before.

"Oh...um...Panda...yeah..." he scratched the back of his head and chewed on his bottom lip. Then he shook his head. "A-anyway, I am going to see if I can talk her into leaving. You have no idea how bad her cooking is. Just...gimme a minute, Mi-chan!" he smiled a little, and went back to the door of the bedroom. He hoped Kumiko would leave peacefully, although now that she had spotted Kagami, he doubted she would leave him alone ever again.

[Kagami Nakamura]

Kagami, after he left of course, began to giggle and her face went red as could be. She hugged herself and smiled brightly the nickname he had somehow came up with for her making her smile and feel a fuzzy feeling inside. How kawaii he was! At least she wouldn't have to deal with Kumiko and her jealous tendencies considering she gave her that impression when they had met a while ago. The look on her face had been priceless as well as Shosei's.

Kagami sighed out and turned to the bed and saw it was messy. She shook her head nad walked over to it and quickly made it for him, cleaning up any mess that she had happened to make while sleeping. She made sure there wasn't a wrinkle one on his sheets or comforter and she had fluffed his pillows and sat them neatly at the head of the bed. She smiled and grabbed the panda bear and sat it in the middle of the pillows, leaning him properly. She laughed to herself imagining Shosei holding him, squeezing him... he was so cute that imagining him with Panda... that was just against the law. He was too cute for his own good and she could've sworn he had no idea about it.

"Ah, kawaii." She whispered as she stood back and glanced around the room seeing it was perfect and immaculate, just the way she wanted him to see it. Hopefully his luck with Kumiko was going as planned for she hadn't heard any noise from the kithchen. Yet.

[Shosei Sakai]

Shosei watched as Kumiko huffed out of the door, the excuse that he wanted to be alone with Kagami not going over well. It was the only thing he knew that would run her off. Even if it wasn't the complete truth. Yes, he wanted to be alone with Kagami but it wasn't in the way Kumiko thought. Then again...

As Shosei closed the door behind the other woman, leaning on it and sighing heavily, he wondered for a moment if his excuse wasn't really true. He didn't know Kagami, that was for sure. But she had a strange appeal about her. She was small, kind, intelligent, it seemed, and much too cute for her own good. Shosei wondered if she had a boyfriend. Not that it mattered, they were just friends, he told himself firmly. Though it had been a little while since Shosei had had a crush, he was pretty sure that that was what this was. But that was all. A silly little crush that would pass soon.

Walking back to his bedroom, he opened the door and peered inside, looking for Kagami. He did not see her right off the bat.

"Mi-chan? Iru no," he said in a quiet, sing-song voice, grinning for no reason at all. "Kumiko has vacated the building. I can cook you something good, if you like."