This is my first Flame of Recca fic . Warning: This is pretty long by my standards. And this also isn't completely done in the sense that I think there are still some questions I have to answer. So read at own risk. The title may seem weird, but I liked it. It kinda fitted. So there it is and there it is to stay.

I have never read the manga Flame of Recca, much less seen it. I have only watched the episodes, starting to where Mikagami was introduced until Fuuko's fight with Mitoka. Mintora. ( That chick with the poisoned nails madogou . Don't really know her name. I just know that she's a real $@#* and it was a good thing she died ) Forgive me if I have not captured Meguri Kyoza's personality right. I have only read descriptions of him from the sparse FOR websites available that I have found. Heck, I don't even know if he's alive! If he is dead, then whoops. In my fic he isn't, so just imagine him to be alive. Pretty Please.

These characters are not mine, blah blah. Usual disclaimers. Don't sue me, I'm dirt poor. Etc. Anyway, without much further ado, here it is. And Please enjoy, although I may have sounded like I was discouraging you from doing so:

The Whimsical Adventures of My Tutor and Me
by Kathy

Chapter One - Summer Time Havok

Another fine day for the Hokage team. Recca was busy talking to his ' hime ' while Fuuko was giving Domon another bump on the head for making some crude comment (with no intention of making it sound crude. He was just making a simple comment ) about coconuts and women. Which left Tokiya and Koganei alone to say their good-byes to each other for the morning . Tokiya promptly left for class while Koganei jogged to his middle school nearby.

Nah, wait. Bad beginning. Let's fast forward to where the story really starts:

" Aw ! Not another F! My dad'll kill me! "

The obvious displeasure came from the throat of the boyish Fuuko Kirisawa.

" You may be smart Fuuko, but you do know that studying is part of the key to passing. " As gently as possible Yanagi informed her friend of the reason why there was a disappointing red mark on her current math exam.

" Yea, but.. aw ! I HATE having to memorize useless crap. Geez, it's not like I'm gonna be an engineer or something that I've gotta learn advanced algebra... " Fuuko smushed the paper to her face as if it would wipe away the apparent red mark. But all it did was leave some pen marks on her face. She continued on in an even more depressed tone " I'd rather be fighting in the Uroubatousatoujin all over again if it would avoid this stupid grade... "

" Well maybe I can help... " But Yanagi's face showed doubt that she could actually manage her time well enough to tutor Fuuko, take care of her household, go out with Recca, and baby sit the kids in the kindergarten. Fuuko sensed this and sighed. She waved away the offer with a swish of her hand.

" No worries Yanagi. I'll find some other way . But thanks a lot for wanting to help . " Fuuko glanced at the clock behind Yanagi and gave a yelp of dismay. " Ah! I'm gonna be late for my next class! I'll see you later Yanagi! Gotta run! " .

Grabbing her school bag she raced across the halls to find her next room, masterfully dodging students littered along the way. But turning a sharp corner without looking, Fuuko accidentally crashed into none other than the school principal. The force of the crash was not enough to make her lose her balance, but it did send the principal sprawling on the ground. The next few moments in Fuuko's mind had to do with a noise that oddly resembled a loud foghorn.

" KIRISAWA! GET YOUR BUTT INTO MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW! " Cursing her luck and muttering a reluctant 'Yes sir, right away sir ', Fuuko trudged unhappily behind the principal leading her to a place all too familiar.

--- o

" Kirisawa. I am fully aware that you are not performing as expected of you these last few months."

" Yes sir... "

" And I am fully aware that you have also not been attending school for the past few months as well. "

" Yes, sir.. "

" And I am to understand that these absences and this decline in standard performance has to do with you being sick with a rare disease that sucks out brain cells even as we speak. "

" Uhm... yes sir ? "

The principal took a deep breath and sat down in his seat.

" Ms. Kirisawa. Just how stupid do you think I am? A rare disease that sucks out brain cells by the second ? "

" Uhmm ... "

" Ms. Kirisawa. Since you seem to show no interest whatsoever in improving your grades, we will have to do the necessary measures for students like you. "

" Sir ? " Panicked thoughts of being kicked out started flooding Fuuko's mind. Her dad was gonna kill her, she wouldn't see her friends as often, she'd have to adjust...

" We must assign a tutor for you ."

" .... ". Definitely not what was expected. The principal continued on.

" There is a very bright student who is one grade above you. Apparently you know each other and that is what will make it even better for you to learn well. "

Oh please don't mean...

" His name is Tokiya Mikagami. "

" Not the Fridge Boy! " Fuuko clamped her mouth hurriedly with her free hand, but it was already too late.

" Yes, the Fridge Boy! Uh, I mean, Mikagami! He will be your tutor until the end of the semester and if you do not improve by then.... "

" Ah ! yes sir! "

" Now get to your next class Kirisawa! You will meet back here after your last class to talk to Mikagami. Is that clear? "

" Yes sir! " Relieved to get away, Fuuko grasped the doorknob to turn it and exit from the office of the evil...

" And KIRISAWA! "

" Ulp! Yessir! " She stood up straight with back turned to the principal, too afraid to be met with his glare once again. What else did she do wrong?

" You will have 2 days of detention , starting tomorrow, for bumping into me. "

---- o

It was not like she hated Mikagami. Hate is such an strong word. No, more like she felt a bit... uncomfortable. You'd think that she would feel a bit more relaxed around him after fighting in the same team and all. She could chum around with Domon and Recca. Chat with Ganko and Yanagi. Tease Koganei to no end. But Mikagami ... Oh, she tried to treat him in more or less the same fashion, but all that did was get her odd stares from him. It made her feel... uncomfortable. Damn uncomfortable. It was better to leave him alone and not really bother engaging in small talk. But now she had him as a tutor. Well, maybe, just maybe, she could learn to feel more at ease in his presence this time. They weren't fighting anyone, so the pressure of winning was not going to be there. She was more worried on whether or not he would teach her properly, and heck, if he was even willing to teach her! Patting her hair and smoothing out her uniform, Fuuko entered the room. Tokiya was sitting down on a chair in front of the principal's desk, arms folded across his chest, legs crossed , and looking at her with uncaring, bored eyes. So what else was new.

" Ms. Kirisawa. About time you got here. "

" Sir. "

" I have talked to Mikagami, and he has agreed to be your tutor for the semester. "

Ah, he was willing. Now the next problem was whether or not she would learn anything from him. Only time would tell that.

" Mikagami, I will count on you to make sure that Ms. Kirisawa passes all her courses ".

Tokiya faced the principal.

" Yes sir. "

" Now both you are dismissed. Kirisawa, be here at 7 a.m. sharp for detention. " With that the principal waved them off and they exited.

Left alone, Moesama slumped down in his seat. Being principal was not an easy job. He liked Fuuko. She was a smart girl. He would hate to see her transfer. But he would do it if he really had no choice. Being her father also did not make it easier to kick out his own daughter. It was a shame to see such intelligence go to waste. But cases of unused brain power were frequent and it had to really count on the student's decision on whether or not to continue their studies. His eyes then strayed over to a worn out photograph of his family framed on his desk. Thoughts of his dead wife flashed through his mind . Fuuko had the same bright blue eyes and smile. But his wife was more feminine. She would have taught her daughter a bit more on being ladylike. Moesama Kirisawa proceeded to grab a cigarette and puff away. To hell with school policies of no smoking in the building. He needed one badly.

--- o

" So, Mikagami, what's the deal ? " Raising her arms to lock her fingers behind her head, Fuuko walked beside Tokiya.

" No deal really. If you pass, then I get to stay in the school for one more year, free ".

" Huh. Dad really is shameless ". She paused for a moment . " So, sensei, what are your plans for me ? " Fuuko threw a smile in Tokiya's direction, and immediately wished she didn't tease him so. He was looking at her weird again. He saw her look of surprise and his eyes once again shifted back to indifference.

" I need to know your schedule first of all. Who your teachers are, what areas you need the most help in ".

" Sure, no problem ".

" I also need to know why you're not attending class. "

She halted. " Why do you need to know that ? "

" Well, in order to get rid of the problem we have to first find the root of it. We just finished the tournament, so no excuses there for you being absent. What really is your problem? "

Fuuko shrugged. " Nothing really. I just don't like the teachers, that's all ".

Tokiya didn't look like he bought her explanation. But he shrugged as well and accepted it, for now. " Fine. So give me your schedule, and tell me where you're failing in ".

--- o

It had been two weeks. Two weeks of pure hell. Tokiya was not a very merciful tutor. He would spend at least an hour lecturing and another 2 on drilling her with exercise problems. And if she took too long or answered incorrectly he would look at her with such resentment that made her feel like crawling under a rock to hide. He would also scribble something down in his report to the principal, which she couldn't see no matter how hard she pleaded, cajoled, or tried to trick him into showing her. It was enough to make her commit suicide. But at least the good part was that she understood. She still didn't attend class though, only coming to school to take the quizzes. And this bothered Tokiya. He was supposed to act as a tutor, as in someone who helped a student who did not understand everything. He was not supposed to take the entire task of teaching. If this kept up he would have to ask the principal for payment.

" What is the square root of x when y is divided by 2xy and 5 cubed? "

Fuuko took a moment to write down her answer on a piece of paper. Too long. Tokiya narrowed his eyes and scribbled on his report.

" You are still taking too long ".

Fuuko looked up and sighed. " I still haven't gotten used to the system yet, that's all ".

" Your major exams are tomorrow. If you do not get an A at least... "

" I know, I know. If I don't ace it then I still fail ". She cursed herself for getting so low in her past exams that even if her quizzes were now good, she would still need an A to pass. Tokiya sat down beside her and looked straight into her eyes. She couldn't help but fidget a little under his gaze.

" Which is why you will be staying here an extra two hours to practice ".

" WHAT?! It's past 5! I gotta go home soon! "

" For what? " Tokiya doubted she had anything important to do.

" Uhm.. for.. " Fuuko desperately searched through her mind for an excuse. " er, I gotta fix dinner for me and my dad ". Yea, that was it. " He can't cook so... "

" What nonsense are you giving me Fuuko? We both went to the Uroubatousatoujin remember? We stayed there for weeks. One night will not make a difference ".

Drat Mikagami for being sharp. Maybe if she touched on his selfish side...

" How about you? You must have something more important to do. Like say, study for your exams? They're tomorrow too " She silently pleaded in her mind : Please, please don't make me stay for another 2 hours. I'll collapse from exhaustion!

" Unlike you, my grade will not suffer greatly if I miss a few exams ". Fuuko conjured a mental image of blowing Mikagami out the window with her Fuujin. He continued on - " quit making excuses and give me the answer to 22a to the 5th power, minus 50d when 7c is multiplied by the square root of 57 ".

Fuuko took a minute.

" Too slow Fuuko! "

She gritted her teeth. Her pencil was on the verge of snapping.

" I'm doing my best, okay ".

---O

Two more hours of hell had passed. But strangely enough, Fuuko felt fine. She even felt happy. The problems didn't seem so hard anymore, in fact, now she felt as if she could take on whatever math problem the world threw at her . Mikagami, however, was beat. Two more whole hours of lecture, giving her practices and scribbling down notes, was enough to make him want to fight Kurei all over again. Broken bones were nothing compared to this. ' It could have been worse though ' , he thought.' It could have been that idiot Recca instead. Good Lord, I can just imagine Domon. It would take months to teach any of them anything ' . Fuuko's voice interrupted his mental judgements.

" Hey, Mikagami, I still don't get this part ". Leaning over to where Mikagami was seating , Fuuko pointed out a problem with her pencil . The faint smell of freshly grown strawberries filled the air. She was close. He could put an arm around her chair, just like he'd seen some guys do in the movies. And maybe she wouldn't notice... ' Damn. Since when did I start thinking like some pervert? ' He frowned and pushed away all thoughts he considered indecent. It must be because he was tired. Fuuko saw the frown and bit her lip. She assumed it was because she had asked for help, or taken too long to understand or something or other. In any case, she expected him to scribble in his blasted report.

" Here, you just divide the 63, add 89, carry over the 94 and multiply the xyz. Then you subtract 22 and you get the answer. See, simple ".

" Oh I get it. I must have missed the getting the square root of 42y in the beginning. Thanks ". She wrote down the answer and had to marvel at Tokiya's ability to calculate at lightning speed. Mikagami couldn't help but smile ever so slightly at his pupil's quick learning ability. He once again thanked his lucky stars it was not Domon in her place. He stood up from his seat.

" I declare this session over. I guarantee you'll do fine tomorrow ".

She stretched her arms and grinned. " Great, let's eat then. I'm starved !".

" Let's ? " Tokiya frowned again. He had no intention of staying another minute with this girl. Fuuko expected the scowl to show on his face. She just grinned even wider. She knew he wanted to go home, but damned if she wasn't going to exact a little revenge for making her suffer. Hooking her arm around his in a grip that threatened to cut off his circulation, she ushered him out the door.

" Yes, let's! "

---o

" C'mon! I'm treating you! Call it a thank-you for helping me out! " His plum haired friend still had her arm hooked around his, not really because she wanted to, but just in case he wanted to escape. Tokiya didn't really seem to notice. He had his mind set on more important things. He had to go home and get at least a little studying before sleeping.

" You can thank me by letting me go home! "

She put her hands on her hips. " O no you don't! I am treating you to dinner and you are going to like it ! Now tell me where you want to eat ". She searched for a nice, preferably cheap, Ramen house. Fuuko didn't hear a muttered ' I thought I was I going to choose ' remark from Tokiya. She found a cozy looking Ramen house and promptly dragged him there, despite more grumbling and complaints he had to say.

---0

She was late. Half a minute late. Did she do poorly on the exams? Maybe he should go look for her. Maybe she met an accident along the way.. maybe she.. maybe nothing. Now a minute late. If it was something Tokiya Mikagami could not stand, it was waiting. He turned his back on the door. Apparently he had been watching it, expecting it to open any second and to be greeted by an annoyingly cheerful " Hi Mikagami! Sorry I'm late! " . His eyes absently wandered to Fuuko's seat. Last night had been enjoyable. There really was nothing like a warm meal shared with a good friend. Plus it was free. ' Good friend? ' . He scoffed. Since when did he use that description for anyone?

The door suddenly slammed open. He turned around to face Fuuko with the best stern look he could muster. But what she saw instead was complete surprise and a slight blush forming across his face. He had only been hugged by Fuuko once, when he won his first fight in the Uroubatousatoujin. Luckily for him, though, Ganko's little pet whatever had thrown itself on his face, giving him enough time to gain his composure back. Now it was a different story. All he could do was blink his eyes in disbelief and stammer a " What.. "

" I passed the exams! Tokiya!! I owe it all to you! " Fuuko took a step back but still had her arms secured around his neck. " I'm so happy, I could kiss you! "

Tokiya gawked at her. Vague thoughts of ' what's stopping you ', ( odd ) and ' when did you start calling me Tokiya ' and ' get away from me ', and ' what's happening ' skipped across his mind. But all he could utter was an even louder " What ? ".

She took her arms off from around his neck and showed him a piece of paper which had her exam grade on it. It had been on the bulletin board so other people's names were written down as well. She proudly presented her 98% .

" Look! Look! Isn't it great?! C'mon , it's a Friday! You! Me! Let's go out and celebrate! Let's paint the town red! "

Celebrate? Tokiya Mikagami did not celebrate. He had to tutor her. He had better things to do than indulge in her whims. She could go find Domon, or Recca, or Yanagi to play with. He simply would not waste time. And he told her so. She didn't seem to hear him. Despite vehement protests he was once again suckered into keeping her company for the afternoon.

---o

The local fair was only open for a limited time. Fuuko smiled to herself. She couldn't help it. If it was one thing she noticed during the past two weeks, it was that if Tokiya was shocked and wasn't given enough time to think, he most probably could be pushed into whatever situation. Hence, the reason he was with her now. She would have invited Recca and Yanagi, but it was parent's day in the kindergarten and Recca insisted that his ' hime ' might need his protection. Domon was...well, Domon, and although he was more full of life than Tokiya, he had to work in his mother's shop. Fridays were busy days for them. She could have gone with Koganei or Ganko, but Koganei had promised Ganko that he would spend the day with her, like a big brother should.

So that left Fridge Boy. But she didn't see him as that anymore. Not as much as before anyway. On rare occasions she had seen him " smile ". And he was always concerned about her current standing in class. Then again, it could be because she needed to pass in order for him to stay in school for free. No, but he did stay last night to help her out, at the cost of his own school standing. And didn't they have a pleasant dinner together? He could be nice, in his own arrogant way. Satisfied with her deductions and her excuses on why she was with Tokiya, Fuuko turned to look at Mikagami.

Mikagami was lost in thought. Here he was, in the stupid fair with, of all people, Fuuko. If it was all up to him, he would not even be here in the first place. Heck, if it was all up to him he would not even be tutoring Fuuko! But, the free year of schooling was very tempting. His inheritance would not last forever so until he could get a full time job he would have to suffer. And despite his best efforts to brood, he was actually ...

" Having fun Tokiya? " Fuuko tilted her head sideways a bit and flashed him a grin. He looked so deep in thought, maybe finding a way out of this fair, that she decided to cut in.

Her question was awarded with a very bored " No ".

She took no heed of what he said.

" So let's try out the rides next, okay ? " Ever energetic, Fuuko started to walk towards the rides. They had already tried most of the booths. She had won a stuffed teddy bear about the size of Ganko, but had given it away to some crying kid whose ice cream cone had melted. Besides, there was the fact that she kinda cheated. She used her Fuujin to alter the winds, in order to direct the ball so that it would hit the bottles. The stall owner was pretty mean anyway. Hmmm.. she was getting hungry, maybe she could try getting Tokiya to buy her a drink or something, and then they would try out the ferris wheel --- Her planning was brought to a halt however when his warm, soft hand too hold her's from behind.

" There's someone watching us ". Mikagami held on to her hand to restrain her from going any further. He was sure he saw a bush move.

Fuuko instantly scanned the surroundings with suspicion. Whatever Mikagami saw, it was not there now. But she waited for a few moments before making sure that there was nothing.

" It's gone. I don't sense anything. What exactly did you see Tokiya ? ".

" I could swear I saw a bush move , and uh ? ". Why was Fuuko looking down ? Was there something on the ground that...

Tokiya dropped her hand like a hot potato. He was too engrossed with the bushes to realize he was still holding on. She didn't notice either until she looked down. Both turned away from the other, muttering a change of subject like the weather and how it was really late and they should go home now. Fuuko could feel her face getting a little hotter and scolded herself for that. He just held her hand for God's sake! She's hugged him twice! She folded her arms across her chest while Tokiya stuffed his hands in his pockets. They were definitely not going to repeat that little accident again.

---O

In the small forest grove located at the outskirts of the fair, the ' bushes ' argued.

" Would you quit crying Domon? You make it sound like her hooking up with Mikagami is the end of the world ". Recca Hanabishi was getting a bit peeved at Domon Ishijima's wailing. It sounded too much like a small pig being slaughtered.

" So it's true then!! My poor, darling Fuuko has been seduced by the charms of Mikagami! " Domon couldn't help stop the flow of tears. To be betrayed by his one true love like this!

" I think it's really sweet. They look like such a cute couple. " Yanagi Sakoshita added her two cents worth. She really thought it was a bit romantic. Besides, it was nice to see Fuuko and Tokiya out on a date.

" Yeah, they look real cute all right. A tomboy and an overly effeminate guy . They're perfect for each other. " Kaoru Koganei felt stupid wearing the bush costume.

" But Aunt Fuuko does look good with Uncle Tokiya " . Ganko chimed in.

" Yes, it seems like a good match ".

All heads turned in shock at the extra voice. Recca Hanabishi was the first to speak out.

" Mom ?! "

" Yes? " . Kagerou Kagehoushi had decided to join in their little camouflage mission. She looked absolutely darling in her little bush costume. Only her head stuck out from the green foliage.

" What're you doing here mom?! "

" Well I decided to see for myself how far this little tryst between Tokiya and Fuuko would go. I like to keep an eye out for my son's friends ".

In the background all the while was Domon's lamenting wail.

---o

" Hey Domon! Wait up! " Fuuko ran to catch up with her friend. He didn't seem to hear her because he wouldn't stop. " Hey! Domon! " She finally caught up with him and placed a hand on his shoulder . " What's wrong? Didn't you hear me ? "

Domon spun on his heels to face Fuuko, big watery eyes about to pour.

" How could you!!! " Then burying his face in his arm he ran as fast as he could, leaving a huge trail of dust behind.

Fuuko's hand was still in mid air, to where Domon's shoulder had been. She was too bewildered to even ask what exactly was he talking about.

---o

" Hey! Recca, Yanagi. What's with Domon? " Fuuko hoped that maybe they could tell her what was wrong.

" Well, well.. aren't you the sly one ".

Fuuko didn't like Recca's grin. She didn't like it at all. It looked too malicious, and that usually meant bad news for her. Yanagi's next statement however explained more or less what was going on.

" We're so happy for you Fuuko! But why didn't you tell us that you and Mikagami were going out ? "

" We're WHAT?! ' Fuuko felt a chill run up a down her spine. " You know he's my tutor! Since when did you get this crazy idea from?! "

Recca butted in.

" Aw, don't play dumb with us Fuuko. We saw you together at the fair yesterday ".

" You what?! How did you... waitaminnit. How did you know that?! Weren't you supposed to be at the kindergarten ?! ".

An alarmed ' opps ' escaped Recca's lips before he was chased away by a ranting Fuuko. She turned to demand an explanation from Yanagi.

" We're sorry Fuuko. Someone said they saw you and Tokiya eat dinner at a fancy restaurant. You seemed to be having such a good time. And we knew how badly you wanted to go to the fair, so we thought that if we were all busy then you would go with Tokiya without us along and Tokiya looked like he needed to loosen up a bit and ... "

Yanagi babbled on inserting numerous apologies along the way. The Fuujin wielder more or less got the picture of all of them spying on her. Now she knew how Yanagi felt the first day of school when Recca had promised to be her ninja and everyone had found out. This was probably revenge from Recca. Fuuko did help spread the rumor around. But after making sure Yanagi understood that they just had dinner at a Ramen House, she exasperatedly put in her trademark saying whenever someone accused her of liking a guy.

" Would you please stop thinking that way about me Yanagi? I'm just not that kind of girl ". That would usually shut them up.

" Yes, but... " Yanagi was unsure of how Fuuko would react. " But you're still a girl, right ? "

Of course she was! What was that supposed to mean?!

---o

" Well, Mikagami. It's a nice weather today, isn't it?"

It was a Saturday morning in the principal's office. Moesama Kirisawa looked out the window and wondered just how fast time passed by. First they were tiny babies, then they would start walking, then talking, then when they reached their school years, they would eventually get married, have children....

Mikagami answered an emotionless " yes ".

Moesama Kirisawa sighed.

" How is my daughter doing with her studies? Has she flunked any exams yet? "

" No, in fact she is doing very well. She has exceeded my expectations of her " . Tokiya managed a half smile. She had indeed passed his expectations. He couldn't help but congratulate himself for also being an excellent tutor. Moesama Kirisawa continued to gaze out the window.

" Yes, she is very smart. Isn't she ? "

" Yes. She learns fast ".

" And... she is kind and caring too, isn't she? "

" Uhhh.. I guess .. "

" And lovely? Don't you think she's pretty? "

" I ... suppose, sir.. " He never really noticed. What exactly was the principal getting at?

" And she can take of herself, you know. Tough as nails, my daughter is. That's why you got to be firm with her! " Moesama Kirisawa faced Tokiya with a look of pride. " But she can get into a lot of trouble, and that's why I need to ask you... ". He took Tokiya's hands in his own. " I must ask you to take care of my little girl! "

Tears were practically welling from the principal's eyes. Mikagami was at a loss of words. He supposed that being her father and the principal made the man's concern doubled. But this was ridiculous.

---o

" Domon! Hey, Domon! "

Domon was on his bed unhappily staring at the wall. He could hear the alluring voice of Fuuko in the distance . Taunting him. Calling his name...

Fuuko elbowed him on the head ( that part mostly unused so it wouldn't hurt as much ) and snapped him back to reality.

" Fuuko?! " He could not believe it. His angel had come back! He grasped her hands tightly, tears of joy springing from his eyes. " I knew you'd come back to me my darling! I knew you'd see past Mikagami's looks and come back to the man that loves you the... "

" Knock it off Domon. " Fuuko slapped his hands away. " I came here to tell you something ".

Domon kneeled down to where Fuuko was sitting.

" Domon. I know how much you like me and... "

He grasped her hands again. " Yes, my love? "

" Would you cut it out Domon?! I'm not here to confess my love for you or anything stupid like that ". She took a frustrated intake of breath. " I really like you as a friend. You know that. I'd give my life for yours just like you'd do the same for me ". Damn. She was not used to intimate conversations. She'd much rather be beating the crap outta something, or someone. This was getting a bit difficult for her. But she had to say her peace. " And I know you aren't really in love with me.. "

" How could you say that?! " Domon felt a heart attack coming on. Why was his beloved doubting his feelings for her?

" Domon! Please! The only reason you think you're in love with me is because I beat you all the time when we fight! You're confusing admiration with love. "

Domon's mouth gaped open. So that was the proper word for it. Fuuko still wasn't finished.

" And so... I came to offer you a.. well call it a compensation of sorts... a gift of appreciation ".

What exactly did Fuuko have in mind? Domon was still a bit dizzy from absorbing this newfound piece of information. But he had his pride . Did she think his affections could be bought by mere materials?

" Domon. I found this really cute girl from a school who seems to have a really big crush on you ". Fuuko prayed she wouldn't get zapped by lightning for telling such a big lie. The girl had actually said that she had a small interest in big, dumb, strong types. Domon certainly fitted into that category by Fuuko's standards. And she wasn't really THAT cute. She was... well.. average actually. But average was better than nothing.

" A girl? To replace you? " Domon blinked his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face snootily to the side. Hmpff. He wasn't going to be swayed. No way. Even if Fuuko didn't like him, he would stick to her no matter what... " How cute exactly ? "

---o

Domon deserves better than me . She turned one last time to look at the café where she had left Domon and his date. They seemed to hit it off pretty well. Domon expected a total babe and was about to say so if he wasn't pinched by Fuuko at the last moment. The girl seemed satisfied. When Fuuko had found her, the girl was talking to her friend on how she wanted someone big and strong to protect her. The girl also wanted a boyfriend desperately to buy her things. It seemed to Fuuko like this girl wanted someone obedient, so Domon was practically perfect. Of course, Fuuko threatened that if this girl ever broke Domon's heart she would not live to regret it. But everything had turned out well for now. The girl was pretty sweet. And Domon would be a sensitive and caring boyfriend.

Fuuko was a bit surprised when she felt a pang of jealousy. It was not because Domon was not her ardent admirer anymore. Actually that fact kinda made her feel like a huge burden had been taken off. She wouldn't have to keep up with his supposed advances any longer , or his cheesy one liners of love. No, it was more like... like her friends were growing up in front of her eyes. Recca was acting more responsible and he was totally devoted to his ' hime '. Yanagi loved Recca and they practically acted like some married couple already. Their minds and feelings were one. Domon was acting more mature. He was even on his first date! Koganei was almost graduating from middle school, and little Ganko was soon going to be 9 years old. Fuuko scoffed at her sentimentality. She must have received that part from her father.

But... what was it that Yanagi said? Wasn't she still a girl? A puddle left by the rain a little
while ago was still intact. Fuuko could see her reflection clearly in it. Yes, she was still a girl. And her only admirers were a dirty old dragon, some pervert club and, up till now, a hulking gorilla. A menagerie of sorts. Yanagi had found her soulmate. And why shouldn't she? She was kind, and sweet, and pretty and loving... Much more deserving of a great guy like Recca. Huh. Fuuko stamped her foot on the puddle, making the water splash in all directions. What was wrong with her, thinking of stupid stuff at a time like this?! Screw her feelings as a woman. She didn't need it. She was happy having great friends, and a caring father.

---o

Mikagami was confused. He didn't know what was wrong with the principal. During the time at the office, the principal was more interested on Mikagami's " intentions " on his daughter. Tokiya didn't really know what to say, except that he intended for Fuuko to pass so that he could get a free school year. The principal only nodded his head gravely and looked at Mikagami up and down . Tokiya felt more like he was on trial for homicide. He only expected to hand in his report on Fuuko's progress and have a few comments on her study habits. He did not expect to be drilled with useless questions on what he thought of her and of his " intentions ". Tokiya shrugged it off. Moesama Kirisawa was Fuuko's dad after all. It was probably only parental concern that made him ask all of those things.

Tokiya exited the school grounds and was making his way home. Walking through the alleyway he ( speak of the devil ) saw Fuuko look back towards a café. Domon and a girl he did not recognize were having a snack. He saw Fuuko smile wistfully and continue on her way until she came to a puddle. From there her face distorted to a frown. It didn't suit her at all. He was used to seeing a smile on her face. What surprised him even more was when she stamped on the puddle and proceeded on her merry little way, a grin pasted on her face once again. Did she have feelings for the overgrown lummox? It always seemed to him that Fuuko did not. It must be something else. Today was certainly strange. Hmmm.. and it was high time he found out where exactly she went whenever she skipped school.

Next chapter
To the Flame of Recca Fanfic Archive [Index by Pairing], [Index by Author]