"Guess a number between one and twenty."

"Ten."

My head dropped in defeat. I hopefully raised it, meeting his eyes. "I wasn't ready yet," I insisted. "One more time, for real."

Koga stared at me blankly. Taking that as his agreement, I spared a short glance at the row of pastries near the front half of the room, and the last two slices of the drool-worthy strawberry cheesecake covered by the glass.

"Okay, ready," I said, craning my neck back up to him. "One and thirty this time."

"Ten," he said again.

I clenched the fabric above my chest. "You monster. You're cheating."

"It's fair and square." He rolled his eyes. "You said you'd treat me if I guessed the right number. And I guessed the right number. Twice."

I stared down at the last of my allowance I held in my palm, and pushed out my lower lip. "That first time didn't count though! One more—"

"Ten."

My heart sunk in my chest. "How obvious is it?"

"Enough for everyone with working eyes to tell. Let's just buy that number ten item, that cheesecake, and get out of here."

Koga socked me forward and up to the cashier, and I scowled and shoved him back. After he threw a hand up in apology, I jutted my chin and strolled on up to the lady standing at the front counter.

"Are you finding everything all right?" she asked sweetly.

"Swell," I answered, giving her a polite smile of my own.

She laughed. "So, what would you like today?"

My eyes glazed over the glass, and I could feel my insides melting at each and every delicious pastry. This place was heaven I tell you. "Two slices of that strawberry cheesecake, please," I said. "And a chocolate chip cookie—"

I was interrupted by a cough.

I gritted my teeth as both the lady and I turned around. Regardless of our stares, that didn't shake off Koga's beady gaze, piercing through me like a knife. Cursing under my breath, I relented to our deal from earlier and returned my focus to the lady.

Her smile had wavered the slightest as she went to grab the pastries, but amusement was still evident within it. "Is that all?"

Oh flying fucktards. "Scratch the cookie. Make it two slices of peanut butter cup cheesecakes for the grumpy old troll you see back there."

I was jostled from behind. I winced and glared at him. He stepped up beside me and wrestled for the bill in my hands. After shooting me a bone-chilling glare, I relented and let go. He handed it to the lady, received the change, and was dragging me by the collar out of the shop with our pastries before I could refute.

I shook him off of me when we finally made it outside into the open.

"You have your entire life to be a jerk. Why not take today off?" I spat.

"You dragged me out here when we should be getting that work done that Juuna..." He glanced over our shoulders and breathed in relief that the ogre hadn't appeared. "I mean, Master, gave us. Obviously it makes sense that you'd treat me."

I swiped the change from his hands, staring down at the measly coins. I scowled at him. Koga sneered and scuffed his feet down the sidewalk.

"Let's go already. I don't want those lunatics on my back tomorrow."

I puffed up my cheek and ambled after him. I had to bite my tongue to refrain from telling him I hoped they were. Because in all honesty, no matter how much of an ass he was, he didn't deserve that. No ass, no matter how filthy, deserved that treatment.

"About that," Koga continued. "What the hell did you do to Okabe? He wasn't acting like his creepily perfect self today."

At the mention a shiver ran up my spine. To my utmost distaste, this morning's events were only recreated after school. Shuuhei was at my beck and call after classes ended. He'd come to my classroom to pick me up.

Me.

Needless to say, I received countless glares of envy and death looks by the other girls and even boys on our way to the sanctuary. Still, that didn't stop the dude from grinning and provoking me with extremely masochistic statements.

It was a newfound nightmare that gave me chills; one where all this heart-eyed, puppy-like behaviour was his way of getting into my head.

"I've been cursed to death," I finally responded.

Koga didn't look impressed. "Really now?"

"Yeah. You should really get yourself quarantined. The madness with those lunatics only manage to escalate every passing day."

He shook his head in discontent. "Like I can."

"If only you weren't a peeping Tom," I agreed. "You'd have a chance."

Koga scowled at me, similar to a rabid dog. I sweatdropped and halted in place to put a significant amount of distance between us in order to assure my safety.

Much to my relief—and slight amusement—Koga spat at me and led me into a neighbourhood.

"Do you ever shut up?"

I opened my mouth to refute but ended up shaking my head. "Not really, no."

When he went and flipped me the bird, I withheld a grimace. I guess I deserved that.

Koga pinned his eyes forward in that poised manner of his, towards the streamline of houses stretching far off to the right. He came to an abrupt halt.

"Don't make me regret this."

I produced a cheeky grin. "I'll be the best houseguest in history of houseguests."

Koga deadpanned. "No need. We're only here because I left some of the documents in my room. You're staying out here while I go get them."

I adjusted my tie anyway. "C'mon, Ashikaga. I have to formally introduce myself to your parents."

He steered me to the front gate. "The only thing you're formally introducing yourself to is this fence."

I stared at it then turned back to him with indifference.

"Are you serious, man? Inanimate objects don't talk back."

"That's the point."

He slipped inside his gate and up to his doorstep.

"Wait, Ashikaga," I called after him. "Why do I feel you don't want me to meet your parents?"

He was silent as he unlocked his door with a key. Until he finally mumbled, "Just stay there."

"You're shy for a delinquent."

He swivelled around in exasperation. "Stop opening your damn mouth!"

I held up my hands in defence. "A sourpuss, too... I can't see you attracting any ladies at this rate."

He heaved an aggravated huff and stomped in through his doors. "Come inside already."

He'd long disappeared from sight but his words were fresh in my head. I laughed and ambled after him. "Although that sounded a little sexual, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt—"

I was smacked upside the head. I hissed, gripping the spot.

"Guess I deserved that... Again."

"You're one and the same with those bastards," Koga spat, flipping on the nearest light switch to the otherwise dark household.

He slipped off his shoes and beckoned for me to do the same, and once in comfortable slippers, I followed him into his living room. Like the rest of the house, it was spotless; too perfect to believe people actually inhabited this place. As I took a seat on the couch, Koga headed into the kitchen. My eyes wandered around my rather plain surroundings to the framed picture propped upon the table in front of me.

In it was a smiling middle-aged couple and a black-haired girl and boy. The boy was hiding behind his father, but it was still easy to identify him to be Koga (as odd as it was seeing him so young). But then there was the girl beside him who gave off a sense of refinement. The more I stared at her, and the innocent smile curving up her lips as she looked dead at me, a shiver ran up my spine. It was an expression just as sweet as Juuna's. Talk about a face that could appear in your nightmares...

"If your parents weren't home why were you making such a huge fuss about letting me inside?" I finally asked.

Koga was running the tap water. After what felt like a long pause, he spat, "Just drop it."

Were his parents a touchy topic? Well, not only his parents—everything was a touchy subject for him. A grumpy old fart he was.

With peeping issues, of course.