In the male changing room, Ryo was trying to get his friend to participate in the latest bet as to what kind of panties they’d see through the hole Mick hasn’t even bothered to make in the wall. He was slowly losing his patience. There was something off with Mick. The man merely sat there, leaning against the wall that didn’t have a hole in it, eyes closed, expression slightly irritated.

“I say they’re black silk,” Ryo repeated again. “What do you say, Mick? Join in, damn it.”

“I’m not doing this,” Mick repeated for who-knew-what time in the past few minutes.

Ryo dug his elbow into his friend’s side, his patience definitely wearing thin. “Oh, come on. You’ve been all prim and proper for hours. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” Mick said slowly as if talking to a child, putting Ryo’s teeth on edge. “I only have different priorities than you, it seems.”

Ryo guffawed. “What other priorities are there than spying the women on the other side of this wall?”

“Winning this challenge, for example,” Mick said. “A challenge you obviously aren’t taking seriously, which means Kaori and I will win.”

The grin that split Mick’s face, a grin he was used to feeling on his own face, complete with googly eyes and the requisite drop of drool in the corner of the mouth, made Ryo uneasy. What was going on?

“Oh, please,” he went for glib, “do you really think you can win? Against me?”

Mick nodded, his face back to its normal expression, but eyes still fervent. “Definitely.” He turned toward him, gesturing widely with his hand. “Because, you see, there’s no Kaori to keep you in check anymore. You’re focused on the mokkori instead of the task at hand, while I’m more than focused on the challenge.”

Ryo crossed his arms on his chest, pouting. The fact he bothered everything with breasts didn’t mean he wasn’t focused. It just meant he was good at multitasking. But Mick was right, Kaori wasn’t there to curb his enthusiasm and while at first he’s been glad to be rid of her attacks of rage, he was starting to miss getting beat up. Ever since that morning, when he’d explicitly told her to leave him alone, she was doing just that. And he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit. He’d poke his eye out with a rusty fork before admitting it, but damn it, he really missed her mallets. They meant she actually cared and yes, he’d lose another eye before admitting it, but he primarily acted the pig to rouse her ire and jealousy. He liked her possessive side. Sure, she demonstrated it with violence, but she was so cute when she was pissed off. And in mid-swing, with the mallet raised high above her head, those delectable curves of hers were presented in the best of ways.

Damn it, he missed her, but he had no idea what to do or say to get her back. Or, more clearly, he knew exactly what to say and do, but there was his stubbornness and pride to contend with, not to say anything about his fears.

“Really?” he asked, instead of choking Mick with his bare hands out of envy for having Kaori all to himself these last few days. “And why is that?”

Mick smiled. No grin, this time, but a dreamy smile that made Ryo want to puke. “I have an added incentive to win this race, my friend.”

“Right.” Ryo nodded, skeptical to the end. “Which would be?”

“Kaori.”

Ryo could feel his back teeth grind into a fine powder. “And what does that mean?” he asked slowly, softly.

Apparently too slowly, too softly, because Mick eyed him knowingly, his smile turning mischievous and his eyes twinkling. “Just what I said. Kaori.”

“Mick,” Ryo drawled, his voice lowering to the pitch he usually reserved for the lowest of lowlifes. “I told you before and I won’t repeat it again. Keep your hands off Kaori.”

His soon-to-be ex-friend merely grinned. “You no longer have any say in the matter, buddy. You lost any sort of hold on her the moment you let her get away. Remember?” Then he shrugged. “Besides, it was her idea.”

Swallowing past the strange lump Mick’s reminder put into his throat, Ryo tried to focus on the conversation at hand. “What was?”

Mick lifted both his hands to his chest, placed them over his heart. “That if we win, she’d be mine. I only have to keep my mind focused, my eyes from roaming, and my hands to myself and Kaori and I will finally be able to live our dream of love.”

During his impassioned speech and much overacting in both gestures and facial expressions, Mick kept a close eye on his friend. What he saw, made him want to laugh and jump up and down in glee, but he refrained. It wouldn’t do to ruin the image. But the expressions flitting over Ryo’s face were priceless. From disbelief to shock, from shock to incredulity, from incredulity to disbelief once more...And finally rage. A rage so dark, so palpable, Mick half expected Ryo to pull his gun and kill him on the spot.

On the outside, he continued to wax poetic, keeping his face arranged in a dreamy, besotted expression—which wasn’t that hard to do, mind you—while inside, he smirked. Serves Ryo right to suffer a bit. Or maybe a lot. He wanted to tell him that what goes around comes around, that his idiotic reasoning and behavior where it came to Kaori has finally come back to bite him in the ass, but he figured Ryo has already come to the same conclusion.

And then his internal smirk finally externalized as Ryo stormed out of the dressing room without bothering to take even a peek through the hole he’d made in the wall earlier.

Leaning back against the wall once more, Mick crossed his arms over his chest, chuckling. This assignment should be interesting indeed. Sure, he could admit at a modicum of regret knowing he’d lose the opportunity to make Kaori finally his, but even he wasn’t as delusional as to think he’d ever had any chance in that department. He’d seen the carefully banked panic in her eyes earlier as she’d offered herself as prize. And the hurt she’s been so desperately trying to hide. The hurt Ryo had put there and only Ryo could take away.

“You lucky bastard,” he muttered. “Fuck it up again and I’ll kick your ass.”



“Kaori.”

The low growl made every single hair on her body stand on end. It also had a strange effect on the gym. The clinking of equipment stopped, conversations died until the only sound that could be heard was the soft whirring of treadmills and air conditioning.

She looked at her current charge, shook her head slightly at the wide-eyed, deer-trapped-in-headlights expression on the woman’s face. She could bet every single person’s expression in the gym was more or less the same. And who could blame them. Ryo could be scary when he wanted to be. She just didn’t know why he wanted to be scary right now.

“Can I help you?” she asked calmly, not bothering to turn. Why give him that satisfaction?

“I need to talk to you.”

“As you can see, I’m busy. Can’t it wait?”

“No, it can’t.”

And she found herself dragged bodily out of the gym, his grip on her wrist akin to the bite of manacles.

Refusing to make a scene, he wasn’t worth it, she quickly caught up—God bless her long legs—and kept pace with him until they were outside...and back at the same bench on which she’d had her morning conversation with Mick.

“Well, I’m here, you can unhand me, now.” She wiggled her wrist, but his grip didn’t slacken. It made her want to pancake him with one of her mallets, but hey, they weren’t partners anymore. “Get your hands off me, Saeba!”

He looked down at where he still gripped her wrist as if he’s just realized he was holding her. Then he closed his eyes as if bracing himself, and slowly let her go, until the last brush of his fingers on her inner wrist felt like a caress.

“Is it true?” he asked her in a low voice.

How was she supposed to know what he was talking about? “Is what true?”

“What you promised Mick, if you two win?”

Kaori rolled her eyes. Naturally Mick went and flapped his jaws. Was nothing sacred anymore? And they said women were blabbermouths. So much for not bragging.

“What’s that to you?”

He glared at her. Actually glared at her. “Is it true or not?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “So what if it is?”

“Are you crazy?!” he exploded.

“Not that I know of,” she replied nonchalantly. She knew it would piss him off even more. What he had to be pissed off about in the first place was beyond her. It’s not like he cared or anything. He’s proved it over and over again.

“I’m serious, Kaori,” he growled.

“So am I and stop growling. I’m not a criminal to be intimidated. Back off.”

“I. Won’t. Back. Off,” he bit out between clenched teeth. “You can’t go around promising sexual favors to men willy-nilly.”

She giggled. “Willy-nilly? What are you, ninety? And I’m not going around promising sexual favors to men. I found the perfect incentive to keep Mick focused, I don’t know what your problem is.”

“You’re not seriously going through with it, are you?”

She poked him in the chest with her index finger. “Unlike some people, I don’t go back on my promises, Saeba. Besides, it’s my body and I can do whatever the hell I want with it. Back off.”

He grabbed her wrist again, making her wince. “I can’t let you do that, Kaori. Damn it!”

“Why the hell not?!” she snapped. “Need I remind you, you have absolutely no say in the matter. We’re not partners anymore. Remember? You said it yourself this morning. I’ve left you be since then. You’re free to do what you please, so leave me be as well.”

“Kaori—”

“And don’t go ruining your flighty image by pretending to actually care.” She forcefully pulled her wrist out of his grip. Damn, she’d probably bruise later. “Your obligation towards my brother and the promise you gave him is terminated. I’m no longer your problem. Butt out!”

And she turned and calmly strode back into the building, proud of herself for finally standing her ground. It’s been a long time coming, but it sure felt good.