• "..." He was quietly listening to her hard pounding heart beat.

    "I'm sorry for yelling at you..." One of Saizen tears fell on her chest. "My sister isn't terrible... she's perfect..."

    "It's okay... I understand... I'm sorry..." She said without letting go off Saizen's hands. Saizen got untop of her again.

    "I love you, Isumi..."

    "I love you too, brother..." She said they looked at themself straight in the eyes and kissed.

    "I knew my first kiss would be with you... I just knew it..." She said quickly as she looked up at him. Saizen got off from untop of her. He sat down and wiped away the trace from his lips. "I'm sorry..." He apologized. "So I guess you're now prepared for when Rye tries to kiss you..." He said trying to cover what he just did.

    "No... not really..."

    "Huh?" He asked comfused.

    "I still don't think I'm prepared for such hard core..."

    "... um... okay..." Isumi sat next to him. Saizen looked up at her and they kissed again. For Saizen, that kiss was unresistable. But just that one. If he were to kiss her again, his concience would torment him.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The next morning, Saizen made breakfeast. He had class in the morning and work at night. He quickly got dressed and left. By the time he did, Isumi was still on her PJ's eating breakfeast. When she finished, she placed the dirty dishes and silverwear on the sink and washed them. It was sunday, a very relaxing day for her. She decided to clean the apartment a little bit. When everything was clean and nice, she stood on the leaving room and looked around. The apartment wasn't so small after all. She then had this crazy idea which she liked very much. "Well... if Saizen doesn't aprove with my idea, I can always return it..." She said to herself. She went into her room and pulled out from under her bed a small wooden box. The box was loaded with savings she had saved for a long time. she packed the dollarbills tightly into her hang purse and got dressed.

    She hanged her purse around her shoulders and grabbed her keys. She walked out of the apartment and locked the door.

    She was walking down the market. She was looking for something. She looks a little bit ahead and smiles. She found what she was looking for. She ran to where a young girl and her mother sat. Next to them was a big box. She looked inside the big box and smiled. "They are for free. If you'd like." Said the girl. Isumi smiled and pulled out a puppy from inside the box. She smiled. She looked down at the women and her daughter. they would smile up at her. She pulled out her huge money clip and gave it to them.
    "Wh-What?" Asked the mother grabbing the money clip.

    "You need this more then I do. I'll take this little guy from you and you can have it." Said Isumi with a smile.

    "Oh thank you, miss." Said the lady.

    "May I know it's mother's name?" Isumi asked.

    "Stardust... she's a stray we found pregnant. We couldn't just leave her. She only had one due to the bad nutrition. The others died. We have little money. But the little money we had was spent in it's health and my daughter's." Said the girl.

    "So he's up dated when it comes to vacine?

    "Yes..."

    "Well you did right..." Isumi smiled. She turned around and walked away with her new pet.

    "That's an angel..." The lady told her daughter. "Come, let's go buy you that medicine." She grabbed her daughter by the hand and walked the other direction.
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Isumi entered her apartment and calmly placed the dog onn the floor. Once that, the puppy got excited and ran around the house. She smiled as he played. The dog came running back to her and began to bite her shoe.
    "Ah silly dog. Quit it!" She said stepping backwards. The puppy then ran away to the kitchen. Isumi went to her room and took of her clothes. She changed into some shorts and a breezy shirt. Just to make herself comfortable. When she came out, she heard her cell phone ring. "Hello?" She asked.

    "Isumi?" Said two voices at the same time.

    "Hikari... Nanami...?"

    "Yeah, we're on speaker. Where are you?" Asked Hikari.

    "I-I'm at my house. I got a puppy."

    "A puppy?! No way!! That's it. I'll be over in 8 minutes." Said Nanami.

    "Wait n-" Nanami had already hunged up. Isumi ran to her room and got dressed again but with a different outfit. She looked cute.

    "Ah crap! I have to buy food for the dog... I guess it will be with milk for now..." She pulled out a bowl from a kitchen drawer and poored some milk into it. She placed it on the floor and the dog drank it like if there was no tomorrow. She sat on the couch with her new puppy. She turned on the TV and watched the news. The puppy was playing with her on the couch. "I wonder what kind of dog are you..." The dog had black and white fur. He had a thick coat of fur. He had blue eyes and a long tail and ears. She had never seen a dog like him. Shortly after, Isumi heard a loud knock on the door. So loud, the sound inpact made her fall out of the couch.

    "Open up, Isumi!!" Nanami yelled.

    "Okay. Okay. I'm coming. Sheesh..." Isumi stood up and walked to the door. The dog fallowed. She opened the door and everyone entered.

    "Where is it?" Asked Nanami. Hikari entered and behind her was...

    "Rye?" Isumi asked.

    "Oh hey, Isumi..." He said with a shy voice.

    "Oh my God... he's so cute. You got a siberian husky..." Said Nanami as she bent down to pick the dog up.

    "Siberian what?" Asked Isumi, Hikari, and Rye.

    "A siberian husky..." Nanami stood up with the dog on her arms. "Ski dogs..."

    "Ohhh..." They all said in unison.

    "Ugh... morons..." She mumbled. "So what's his name?"

    "Um... I haven't given him a name."

    "You haven't?" Hikari turned to Isumi. "Then you have to name it."

    "How about Reaper?" Rye suggested.

    "Reaper? What are you? Goth?" Asked Hikari in a sarcastic tone.

    "I-I like it..." Said Isumi.

    "You do? Oh well... I guess that makes you... you." Said Hikari with a smile. Rye smiled.

    "Oh my God. Can we take it for a walk?" Asked Nanami.

    "Um... sure. I guess so. But I'm not going."

    "Okay..." Nanami and Hikari walked outside.

    "Aren't you going, Rye?"

    "... No, I want to stay here... with you." Isumi remembered when she and Saizen kissed. Then she remembered how she had denied Rye a kiss on there first date.

    "I'm sorry, Rye..."

    "Huh?" Isumi stepped forward and kissed Rye. Isumi then closed contact with him and gave a step back.

    "W-Why are you sorry?" Rye asked.

    "For making you feel bad."

    "You mean about yesterday? Oh that. I simply tough it was a girl thing..."

    "Well no... it wasn't girl stuff... I just get those mood swings when I'm not near someone..."

    "Huh?"

    "Oh someone I hold dear in my heart."

    "Cool... so you get these mood swings when you're not near him?"

    "Yeah I don't know why."

    "... oh..."

    "and just yesterday, I whas feeling really down... because he was down... his girlfriend just died... yesterday..." Isumi got sad.

    "... oh my God... I'm so sorry..." Isumi hugged Rye.

    "She was like... a mother to me... she was the only girl I could personaly talk to... she was my... older sister..." Isumi began to cry.

    "... Isumi... would you... would you be my girlfriend?" Isumi looked up at him.

    "..." Isumi gave no answer.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Later that night, Isumi took a bath. She had already bathen Reaper as well. She couldn't sleep. Her mind was filled with the tought of becoming Rye's girlfriend. She sat on Saizen's bed along with Reaper. "Reaper, your owner sleeps in this bed. You might as well get used to his scent." Reaper yawned. Isumi tried to smiled but for some reason, she couldn't. She sighed and fell back on the bed. She made stupid facial expresions as she looked up at the roof. "I mean... I like him but... how come I didn't say yes back then? I do like him... right?" Isumi turned around sideways facing towards Reaper. 'What a cute puppy...' She tought. Shortly after, she fell asleep.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    It was 1 am and Saizen quietly entered and tip-toed into the apartment. He unbuttoned his black shirt and took it off. Then he hanged it on one of the chairs of the table. He slowly walked into his room and closed the door.

    "AHH! Oh my God! Isumi!!!" Isumi bursted up and Saizen turned on the lights and looked around.

    "Saizen, what is it?!" Isumi got worried.

    "T-There's a dog... n-next to you..." He said pointing at Reaper.

    Isumi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes... I bought it for you, brother."

    "What?"

    "Well you see, since Lara is no longer with us... I tought that maybe, perhaps, you needed a companion... so I got you Reaper."

    "Isumi..." Saizen sat next to her. "You didn't have to go trough all this..."

    "Yeah but... I also wanted a dog." Isumi smiled. Saizen turned to Reaper. He rolled over and petted Reaper. "Well I'm going to take a shower." Saizen stood up and walked out of his room. Isumi turned and sat next to Reaper. "You are one cute dog... to think that in your adult stage you look fierce." Isumi hummed a song as she petted him. Once again she rememberd Rye asKing her to be his girlfriend. Why did she not answer him? Of course she wants to be his girlfriend but the words just coldnt come out of her mouth. Suddenly, saizen storms inside the room and jumps on her and kisses her. when he realized what he had done he backed away. isumi was in shock. "I'm... i'm sorry, isumi..." Isumi was going to ask why'd he did that but then remember the fact that Lara's dead. "It's okay... i understand." She while hugging him. Saizen smiled and noticed one of Isumi's tears fell on his hand. "isumi... why are you crying?" He asked while at all raising her head up to the light. Her tears sparkled with the rooms light. "I'm just... comfused... that's all..."

    "Comfused? About what?"

    "About Rye..."

    "Rye? What happened?"

    "He asked me to be his girlfriend..."

    "Well... isn't that great?" Okay now Saizen was comfused. "Did you hit your head or something?" He said tapping her head.

    "No... it's just that... I didn't say yes..."

    "and why did you say no?"

    "I didn't say no either... I didn't give him an answer..."

    '"Well that's okay. Just go tomorrow and tell him that yes." He said with a promising smile.

    "No... it's not that... I just didn't feel like answering him... not answering... answering him!"

    "Oh... but why?"

    "I don't know. Thats why I'm all comfused..."

    "Hey and since when have you been feeling like this?"

    "Since our first date..."

    "Oh..." Just then Saizen had a wonderful idea. "I know!" He said with a smirk.

    "What?"

    "I know how to calm you down. Just do what I do."

    "What do you do?"

    "Well when I had problems with Lara, I would always run off to work..."

    "And how does that calm you down?" She still didn't get the point.

    "In my job I see many faces... faces who are going through worst problems then I am and it makes me feel a little better..."

    "So you're telling me that in order to calm down I have to stand around and watch drunk guys?" Isumi asked stupidly. "Well that's a wonderful idea!" She nooded.

    Saizen got pissed by her atittude. "No, why don't you come with me to work?"

    "Um... I don't think a bar is an apropriate place for a fourteen-year old girl."

    "Don't worry, you'll be with me. Besides, it's a bar at a hotel. They play the piano and are very sofisticated people there. Don't you like to play the piano?"

    "Well yeah but-" Her toughts were interrupted by Saizen's controversy.

    "Well then it's settled tomorrow, you and me, work!" Saizen declared.

    "Whatever." Isumi fell on her back and quickly fell into a deep slumber next to Reaper. Saizen rolled his eyes but then looked straight for he noticed something out of order. "Hey Isumi?"

    "Hmm?" She asked still asleep.

    "What are you doing in MY bed?"

    "AWW c'mon! I just fell asleep!" She whined as she turned the other way. Saizen rolled his eyes and nooded. "You know, you never really use your room."

    "Yeah..." Isumi gave a grin in her sleep. Saizen stood up and walked out.

    He took a short shower and got dressed and fell asleep next to Isumi.

    It was already 3:27 am and they were both sound asleep, when Isumi turns around the other way facing her sleepy Saizen and continues her sleep. There heads were very close to one and other. Saizen opened his eyes a little bit and saw Isumi. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead and fell asleep again.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The next morning, Isumi woked up with the smell of bacon. She turned to look at Saizen's big digital alarm clock to check the time.

    "8:30!! Oh my God I overslept!" She jumped of her bed so hard she fell and hit the floor with her head. "Ow..."

    "What are you doing?" Asked Saizen as he peeked into the room.

    "Saizen! Oh my God. You overslept too?"

    "No... I'm not going to school and neither are you."

    "Huh?" Well this was something Isumi didn't expect.

    Saizen stepped inside the room. He was holding the spatula he was using for the bacon. "I want to spend come time with my sister..."

    "... Maybe you should go with Kairin... she needs more help then I do." Isumi said in a low voice.

    "... I miss Lara, Isumi..."

    "Yes... I know..."

    "But that doesn't mean I going to act all depressed... specially if my sister is depressed. I just have to hide the pain."

    "Gee Saizen, you're so strong." Ever since Isumi was a little girl, she admired Saizen's strong will. He never cried. Even if she would accidently hit him, he never shed a tear. He would simply say: "It's okay."

    Shortly after, Isumi and Saizen were eating breakfeast. Saizen had a thing for cooking. He was so creative when it came to culinary arts.

    "Saizen, how did you learn to cook?"

    "Never. I can't cook."

    "What do you mean? This is delicious." Isumi said with her mouth full. She looked so childish.

    Saizen chukled. "I can't cook. Really. All I do is put things in a bowl and voila! dinner is served." He said rolling his eyes.

    "Okay, then how do you know what to put in the bowl?"

    "Anything that seems reasonable."

    "Reasonable?"

    "Yeah. I mean, you're not going to put a burrito and pour apple sauce untop."

    "Eww..."

    "Exactly. Perhaps a steak with wasabi."

    "Hmmm... steak..." Saizen chuckled one more time.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    "Okay, big brother! What are we going to do today?" Isumi jumoed untop of Saizen who was laying on the couch watching TV.

    "Uff!!!" Saizen coughed. Isumi bounced off of him and landed next to him and laughed.

    "From where do you get such energies, woman?" He asked rubbing his abdomen. Isumi stood up and got really closed to him; face to face. Saizen hesitated for a moment. Isumi closed her eyes and got closer as in position to kiss.

    "Breakfeast..." She whispered. Saizen nooded and pushed her out of the way and changed the channel. "Hey!" Isumi exclaimed and then nooded. "No really... what are we going to do today?" Saizen gave a grin. He jumped untop of her the same way she did and looked at her passionatly in the eyes. "Hmm... what do you want to do?" The position was akward but and it made you get the wrond idea but Isumi laughed. "I don't know what do you want to do?"

    "I don't know... I will do anything you want to do..." He said seriously. At first Isumi laughed but she came back to reality at Saizen's seriousness. "... anything? Don't be silly."

    "You don't understand... I rarely spend time with my cute sister. I want to let her know that even if I'm not present at the moment, I'll always be there for her." He said with his soothing smile.

    "But I understand the why you're not there... it's because you're busy..."

    "Yes, but I want you to know that I am there... always."

    "I know you're there. I know you always wish me the best of everything..."

    Saizen, still in the same position, rolled his eyes and nooded. "Of course you do..."

    "No really... I do..." Isumi looked down and placed her hand on his shirtless chest. "I do know you're there..."

    "Then prove it..." For them, the TV's sound was mutted and they looked at each other straight in the eyes. Saizen closed his eyes and placed his hands around her neck and got closer. Isumi also closed her eyes and played along. Saizen got very close to her. They were about to have contact when Saizen suddenly stops. "I'm sorry... I can't..." He placed one foot down and got prepared to stand up but Isumi abruptly grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him towards her. Saizen hesitated but when he could even say a word, his lips were already locked in Isumi's. Saizen's sleepy eyes grew big but Isumi's were tightly closed. Slowly, he closed his eyes and his tensed muscle relaxed until he fell untop of her without letting go. Isumi wrapped her arms slowly around him and hugged him tightly agains her. Saizen did the same except he hugged her tighter. "I want you to know that I'll always be here for you..." He whispered without opening her eyes nor facing her. They then kiss again. Saizen felt guilty. As if he was doing something bad. Saizen, while kissing Isumi, has a vision were he sees Lara running out towards him with a smile on her face. He opened his arms and she jumped on her and hugged him. When they let go, it wasn't Lara... it was Isumi. "Saizen...?" Isumi said in his vision.

    "Yes?"

    "Saizen?"

    "YES? What is it?!" Saizen got annoyed.

    "SAIZEN!!" Isumi got altered. Saizen noticed Isumi wasn't listening to him. "SAIZEN! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Isumi began to shake Saizen by his shoulders. "Isumi, what are you talkng about?!"
    *********
    Saizen suddenly opens his eyes and sees Isumi untop of him. "SAIZEN! Oh you're okay." She quickly hugged him. Saizen was confused. "W-What happened?" Asked Saizen dizzy from the shock. "You went out cold for like fithteen minutes." Isumi said. "Really? I did? Oh... my vision lasted longer then I expected..." Said Saizen.

    "Vision?"

    Saizen didn't wanted to trouble Isumi with the weird vision. "Nothing... I'm just a little dizzy and am saying crazy things..."

    "Um... okay..." Isumi rolled her eyes and noticed that Saizen was looking at her straight in the eyes. "What are you looking at?" Isumi blushed.

    "Why are you blushing?" Saizen asked while giving Isumi a strange look. Isumi rolled her eyes and then focused her sight on Saizen's. He blushed too. "... I get your point." He said with a chuckle. Isumi laughed and helped Saizen up from the couch. Reaper came running and jumped on Saizen. "AW! AW! ACHOO!" Isumi sneezed.

    "Isumi... aren't you supose to be allergic to dogs?"

    "Well yeah but I haven't sneezed at a dog since a long, long, time."

    "That's because you never had a dog, Isumi." Isumi rolled her eyes and nooded.

    "Yeah but ever since he's been here, I haven't sneezed. It's probably just the cold I caught a few days ago."

    "Probably... but it's more probable that since you haven't been close to a dog since along time, your allergy probable got inactive. But since you suddenly got close to a dog, it must've taken some time for it to activate." Isumi hated that. She hated when he sounded like a doctor. Saizen noticed Isumi got pissed.

    "So? What's your point in all this?"

    "I'm saying you should return him. We don't have space, nor money, and shouldn't you have asked for my consent?"

    "RETURN HIM!? But I bought him for you!"

    SAizen gave a disaproving look. "But I don't want a dog..."

    "A fish? A bird? A... snake...?" After saying that, Isumi tought twice. "Nevermind..."

    "Don't you know someone who can care for him?"

    "Well... perhaps Nanami..."

    "Aww yes, Nanamichiru-chan. She always wanted one."

    "Yes... I'll give to her tomorrow..."

    "Great." Saizen smiled his smile.

    "So... I still don't know what were going to do today..."

    "Let's go to the amusement park..."

    "Nah. The amusement park isn't fun during the day"

    "Okay... how about the beach."

    "NO! Let's go to the beach next saturday!" Isumi suggested. "That way I can bring Hikari, Nanamichiru, and Rye with me."

    "Okay..." Saizen then nooded. "We already made plans for next saturday but not for today..." Saizen tapped Isumi's forhead.

    "Ow!" Isumi pushed his hand off and rubbed her forehead. "Yes we did. We made plans for tonight."

    "Yeah but the difference in time from now to tomight is big." Isumi nooded. "How about we... hmm..." Saizen tapped his finger on the sofa as he tought of an idea. "I know! Let's go to a museum!" He said instantly.

    "Eww... you sound like my history teacher."

    Saizen nooded. "Hardy har har. Fine, what do you have in mind?" He replied.

    Isumi sat toughtful. "Let's go with aunt Kairin..." She suggested. Saizen then remembered Lara and got sad. Isumi noticed. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry..." She abruptly hugged him.

    "It's okay..." He said. "But you know... lets..." His tought was interrupted by the sound of his phone. He stretched his body to the coffee table and grabbed it. "Who is it?" Asked Isumi. Saizen looked down at the caller ID. "It's Kairin... well that's ironic..." He said as he rolled his eyes. Isumi noticed how he hid the pain. He was taking everything so lightly.

    "Hello?" Saizen answered the phone.

    "Saizen, it's me, Kairin."

    "Yeah... Kairin... what is it?"

    "... let's see Lara one last time..." Saizen sat quiet for a moment.

    "Okay..." He hung up and looked down. "What's wrong, big brother?" Isumi wondered. This time he wasn't hiding the pain. "I know of something we can do today, Isumi..." He said in a low voice.
    "Huh?"
    ------------
    Saizen parked the car infront of the house that belonged to Kairin's family. There were many cars. Isumi and Saizen were both dressed in black. They got off the car and Isumi stretched out her arms.
    "Yo Saizen. Long time no see." He turned around and saw Kairin's fiancee, Hiro Nishida. He walked to Saizen and hugged him. "I'm sorry, man. We'll miss her." He said.

    "Yeah..."

    "Hey Isumi!" Isumi looked up and saw Hiro walking towards her with his arms wide opened. She smiled and hugged him. "How are you, sweetie?"

    "Good..." She said not really sure what to answer. The three of them walked inside. Practicaly everyone was weaping. In the center of the living room layed a coffin with one side opened showing Lara's upper body. When Saizen saw it, he ran towards it. He ooked down at Lara's corpse.

    "Brother..." Isumi placed her hand on his back as teared streamed down his face.

    "I-It looks as if she were sleeping... she has this peaceful look... as if she were going to wake up and say how she felt..." Kairin, who was in the kitchen, was looking at Saizen and then looked down at the knife she was holding. One tear fell on it and she flinged it in the sink.
    ----------
    "Well bye everyone." Isumi said. She and Saizen were standing on the front porch of the house.

    "Saizen, wait!" Kairin came running outside.

    "What is it?"

    "I have to talk to you... before you go..." She told him. Saizen was comfused.

    "Um... Isumi, get in the car. I'll be right back." Kairin pulled Saizen inside. Hiro and Kairin's parents were in the kitchen. Kairin pulled Saizen on to the study and closed the door. The study had a piano inside and had bookshleves filled with big books tightly packed.