She jumped up from the bed and ripped off the sheets, body still trembling in her sweat-soaked nightclothes. Shaking her head violently, she gripped the clock between her hands, staring in disbelief at what it read. How had she managed to sleep straight through her alarm? Now, she'd just barely have time for a quick shower, if she didn't want to risk being late for work. Ririchiyo prided herself on being punctual, but was it worse to arrive a few minutes late, or to appear unkempt? She'd have to decide in a hurry.

It was a struggle to get undressed quickly, peeling away the damp fabric from her skin, but harder still was not indulging in the palpable relief, as hot streams of water caressed her shivering flesh; washing her nightmare away. The fresh, slightly astringent smell of her handcrafted soap, eucalyptus and bergamot, tingling her nose and making her feel clean again, as she swiftly scrubbed her weary limbs. This was an important ritual to start her day, and it had to be cut short for the sake of expediency. She hoped it would not impact her too much.

Thankfully, she'd pressed her clothes the night before, and it took no time to wind her unbrushed hair into a neat chignon, before almost running into the hall. What she saw froze her in place - a tall, beautiful woman leaving the apartment across from hers. Ririchiyo's stomach twisted into knots at the stranger's friendly smile, and she caught a glimpse of a familiar face through the partially open door. Their eyes met for just a moment, his gaze widening at the sight of her, and she immediately turned and fled, the risk of lateness now a convenient excuse to escape.

She grappled against the urge to take off in a run, the rush of footfalls behind her spurring her into a panic; the knot in her stomach tightening so hard she felt sick. Facing him now was the last thing she wanted, not that there was any reason for her to feel anxious. It wasn't her business, she told herself, steps nearly frantic as she tried to maintain a casual pace. She didn't care, shouldn't care, and what he did or who he… it wasn't her concern. They were just neighbors anyway, barely even acquaintances really, and besides, she'd come here to be alone.

That didn't stop the inferiority she felt, her petite frame found wanting when juxtaposed with the shapely blonde's. If that was the type of woman he was attracted to, then it was even more likely his interest in her was solely because of her family. This was a thing she hated, misguided jealousy welling up inside her with the knowledge that she would never be good enough. Boring, that was the truth; her harsh tongue nothing more than an easy disguise to hide behind. Whatever he had to say, she didn't want to hear it; any more lies would just be salt in the wound.

"I don't much care for being an errand girl, you know," she sighed, pointedly handing him the manilla envelope.

"Nobara," he smiled politely, bowing, "I do apologize for the inconvenience."

"Is it really so hard to send a text, Soushi? Zange's whining is driving me crazy."

"You are right; I've been remiss in my duties. Other matters have kept me occupied of late."

"Other matters," she repeated, raising her eyebrows, "since when do you have a life outside of work?"

She pushed her glasses further up her nose, and eyed him incredulously. In return, he only smiled, unwaveringly civil and showing off the familiar mask of professionalism she'd long grown accustomed to seeing.

"Well, I'll let you figure out what to tell him, because I'm not dropping that bombshell."

He quickly, but surreptitiously checked the wall clock for the time, and breathed a small sigh of relief. It would've been difficult to come up with a convincing excuse to delay Miss Yukinokouji, and most likely would only have raised her suspicions.

"I appreciate you coming all this way, and I do apologize for the trouble."

He bowed low and heard her scoff slightly.

"Just don't let it happen again."

"Of course," he assured, glad to see her leaving.

A bolt of panic struck him when he caught sight of a pair of violet eyes from the hallway. No doubt she'd misunderstood the situation, and he certainly couldn't tell her the truth. Up until now, he hadn't actually lied to her, choosing instead merely to omit pieces of information that would expose too much. Explaining that his guest was nothing more than a coworker on an errand however, would mean verging into the potentially dangerous territory of discussing his job. That particular topic of conversation was one best avoided, the risk being too great.

"You know, I can't say I blame you," Nobara offered, a sudden and unwelcome intrusion of his thoughts.

"Blame me for what, Miss Yukinokouji?"

"I would gladly let a girl like that distract me from my responsibilities," she mused, her glasses beginning to fog.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," he insisted, smiling politely as he wondered how best to silence her.

"Don't worry Soushi, your secrets are safe from me. Unlike you, I was never his pet, and I have no interest in his power plays."

It would've been nice to take those words at face value, but he couldn't risk trusting her. Regardless of anything else, she worked for his former master, a fact that necessitated keeping up his guard.

"Now, are you just going to stand there like a typical, worthless man, or are you going to go after her like she deserves?"

Soushi never acted without a plan, his brain constantly formulating strategies for all foreseeable contingencies, so that he was never unprepared. When he dashed from the apartment in hopes of catching up with Miss Shirakiin, he did so without caring that his particular affection for her would likely be revealed to those he most wanted to protect her from. It was the height of foolishness, but he was undeniably compelled, and found himself quite unable to hold back. All that mattered was reaching her, and clarifying his relationship with Nobara. Rectifying the misunderstanding between them meant too much to him, despite how little he mattered to her.

It was easy to find her, briskly traveling the familiar path to the museum where she worked. He felt her flinch when he reached for her, fingers curling into a fist as he pulled his hand away like one might from a fire, knowing better than to take such a liberty. Clutching a hand to his chest, he steeled himself against her censure, aware that she was likely to reproach his insolent conduct. So long as she did not dismiss him outright, then he would gladly bear any reproof.

"Miss Shirakiin, please wait."

"What do you want?" she demanded, pausing her movements.

"Please let me explain, about what you saw -" The words died in his throat when she brought up a hand to silence him.

"Your explanation is unnecessary, Mr Miketsukami. How you choose to spend your time, and who you spent it with, are of no concern to me. I am, however, perilously close to being late, and that is something I do care about. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Yes, of course," he assented, closing his eyes and offering a polite bow. "I apologize for keeping you."

He watched as she let out a hmph and turned from him, the space between them feeling miles further apart with her every successive step. His fingernails dug into his palms; his jaw forming a hard line, as he let out a harsh breath through his nose. What had he expected, and why had he dared to expect anything at all? This reckless behavior, rash and unthinking, was unlike him, and it started when she entered his life. While he would acknowledge the pleasure he derived from her presence, these strange and turbulent emotions kept him off balance. If he could not regain his composure, and his reason, he would find the game over before it had truly begun.

That a job had been quite literally thrust into his lap that very day, seemed almost to be providence. First, she distracted him from work, and now, he would use work as a distraction from her. The irony did not escape him, that she was the very reason he agreed to the assignment in the first place. With renewed determination, Soushi made his way back to the apartment, ready to immerse himself in the contract; putting all thoughts of her out of his mind. As he looked over the contents of the envelope, the relief he felt washed away, a deep-seated unease taking him over, as the papers fell to the floor.

She all but ran the rest of the way, panting to catch her breath when finally she faced the grand double doors of the foyer.

"Cutting it awful close, aren't we, Miss Shirakiin?"

She recognized the clipped tones from an uncomfortable conversation a few days earlier. Hopefully the woman wouldn't prove to be too much of a problem in the future, her dislike written clearly across her face. Ririchiyo couldn't remember her name, but she supposed it didn't matter.

"Funny, it appears that I have a full three minutes to spare. Plenty of time to check in."

That was a lie, but it didn't matter. She turned brusquely from the annoyed stare, and moved with purpose towards her office. The elevator was crowded, and her nostrils filled with the noisome scent of someone's offensively cloying perfume. Another benefit of arriving earlier, she thought, was that far fewer people were lingering about the building, and if she hadn't been so pressed for time, she might've taken the stairs to avoid them. It was too late now, but at least she had a private space of her own to escape to.

The coolness of the worktable soothed the heat of her flushed skin, but did nothing to calm the furious rapidity of her pulse. This was no good; she needed to regain her senses, and to stop thinking about him. That he was so easily able to disrupt her equilibrium was tremendously distressing, and at the same time, she refused to delve into the possible reasons why. Quiet solitude, that was all she wanted. Was that single, trifling thing truly such an unreasonable request that it should be denied?

It felt unfair, but then, what peace did she deserve? Perhaps her current predicament was some kind of divine retribution; a way to atone for her sins. It was not that she begrudged being punished, but rather that this particular method of reprimand bore too many painful memories. It was almost impossible to focus on work, when her mind was so otherwise occupied. How close she'd come to arriving late, a carelessness she could ill-afford; not when she still needed to prove herself. If she was to be truly independent, then she must stand alone; without the aid of her family's name or connections.

After work, she would confront him. The thought alone made her anxious to the point of feeling ill, and she didn't know how she'd get through it, but she had to, for the sake of her own sanity. The obstacles in her path seemed almost insuperable, but perhaps this was her own fault. Had she been more proactive; taken steps to prevent all this from happening sooner, then could the mess not have been avoided completely? This inattention was unlike her, and she would have to pay the price for such negligent behavior. Was it truly only because of her lack of sleep?

She pushed all the thoughts away and breathed in and out deeply, centering herself again, as she inhaled the evocative aroma of the decaying manuscript in front of her. Would this singularly pleasurable diversion be ruined for her as well, she wondered, the jagged edges of an old and bitter memory catching on some more susceptible part of her mind; dragging it into focus. Blood everywhere, so much blood.

The average adult had over a gallon of the stuff flowing through their cardiovascular system, but this sterile and abstract understanding by no means prepared you for the reality of seeing it firsthand. The viscous substance seemed to pour ceaselessly from a wound too deep to contain, as she watched the flicker of life disappear from staring but unseeing eyes; her hands becoming indelibly stained with red... It had been quite some time since she saw the nightmare while still awake, but she supposed that it was never too far away. It would be difficult to bury this time, she could tell, but somehow she'd manage it. She always did.

A/N: So, foreshadowing and introducing a new character, and at least one new character should also appear in the next chapter (which is kind of exciting to me haha). This didn't go exactly where I thought it would/meant for it to, but I'm rolling with it.

Thanks so much for reading! This fic is extremely close to my heart and means a great deal to me.