DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

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Author's Note:

A change from the usual Kyohei-Sunako pairing. Hope you like it! Sorry to all Noi fans. :D

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CHAPTER 1: THE NAKAHARA HOUSEHOLD

The master of the Oda household stared at the younger Oda, his son, who had refused to look his father in the eye.

"Get out of my sight."

The younger Oda bowed and was about to move away until someone grabbed the sleeve of his yukata.

"If you don't want him. Return him to the Nakahara household. He is part of our family."

The older Oda stared at the beautiful woman who dared speak up to him. Could it be her? No it couldn't be… she couldn't be the scary little person who couldn't do ikebana properly. But then again, this beautiful woman was wearing the same kimono as the scary girl. He was amazed at her transformation… turning from a scary girl into a woman whose beauty surpassed those of the other women in the room.

The younger Oda stared too at the young woman who refused to let go of his sleeve. "Sunako-chan…"

The master's wife suddenly spoke up. "Let our son go. He has already proven that he will take over his responsibilities. Let us allow him to at least enjoy his freedom."

---

It had been two months since Noi left Tokyo.

Takenaga sighed and closed his eyes. Had it really been that long? He didn't want to break up with Noi but it was she who decided that it was for the best. Her decision had taken him aback, since he was always used to her telling him how much she wanted to be with him.

"Takenaga-kun, I don't want to be selfish. I don't know if I'll ever return to Tokyo so it will be unfair for you to wait for me," Tears were already falling down her cheeks but Noi continued to speak. "Besides, after high school you're going to return to the Oda household. I doubt your family will allow you to be with a middleclass girl like me."

"Noi-chi…" Takenaga said to no one in particular. He would never forget her. He refused to. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Takenaga sat up from his bed to greet the person who just came in. It was one of his housemates, and also the landlady's niece, Sunako Nakahara.

"I brought you some dinner…" Sunako placed the tray on the side table. When she reached the door, she paused for a bit and said in a small voice, "It's been two weeks…the others are wondering when you'll decide to leave your room and join us outside."

Had it really been that long? He didn't notice he'd been in his room for two weeks. He gave Sunako a weak smile. "I haven't been feeling well. I will try to join you for dinner tomorrow, thank you."

Sunako bowed and left the room, smiling to herself. Ah, if only such an environment existed outside Takenaga's room, she'd be in heaven. She was referring to the gloom that hung around inside Takenaga's room. She'd always been a peculiar girl, preferring the macabre to things normal girls appreciated like flowers, shopping and make-up. That was one of the reasons why she volunteered to bring Takenaga's tray to his room, despite the protests of their other housemates. When she arrived at the dining room, she was greeted by the three other boys who lived in her aunt's mansion.

"Sunako-chan, was Takenaga feeling a little better?" Yuki asked her worriedly.

She sighed happily and sat on her usual seat by the table. "Yes. I think he looked rather well."

Her response gained her a hit on the head from Kyohei. "Idiot! You're enjoying this aren't you? You honestly have no heart."

"Poor Takenaga…still not over his broken heart…" Ranmaru sighed, raising his hands to the ceiling. "If only Noi had not left him…then he would be with us, enjoying this banquet that has been served by dear Sunako-chan!"

"He's old enough to take care of himself, Ranmaru. He'll get over it soon enough. Noi is just a girl." Kyohei replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

Ranmaru looked at Kyohei as though he felt completely offended. "And that is the reason why you do not have a girlfriend!" He pointed an accusing finger at Kyohei and then at Sunako. "You have ruined your chances with Sunako-chan! See? See her bleeding heart watching you as you ignore her feelings?!"

"I don't have feelings for that radiant creature." Sunako suddenly said.

"Denial, denial, denial…every girl's defense mechanism against broken heartedness!" Ranmaru cried. "This is all your fault, Kyohei!"

"Whatever. I'll never have feelings for a creepy chick."

"And neither will I for a creature of the light!"

"When will you two stop fighting?!" Yuki exclaimed. "Our friend Takenaga is in pain and he doesn't even want to talk to us about it. All he has done is lock himself up in his room. We should at least try to cheer him up."

Sunako rubbed her chin. He doesn't want to talk to us? Hmmm…

---

It was past dinnertime when Takenaga finally had the guts to leave his room. The truth was, he had no desire to leave his room nor go to school anymore. All he wanted was to bring Noi back, to brush away the silky strands of her brown hair from her face, to hold her close, to kiss her lips. He sighed. He hated moments like this, when he wished he could have done more to make her happy. He'd always been too serious in their relationship, rarely smiling and he was regretting never being able to really laugh with her. He always made Noi cry, although unintentionally, her always telling him she felt she was never good enough for him. But she was, and he doubted he could ever love anyone the same way.

The night wind was getting colder and he could feel a shiver creep up his spine. He walked towards the balcony, leaning against it to watch the stars. Was she watching the same thing? Did she still think about him? "Noi-chi…"

Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him. He turned around and the sight in front of him turned his entire body white. It took a few seconds for him to realize that it was just Sunako who appeared out of the darkness.

"S…sunako-chan…why are you still up at this time of night?"

She didn't say anything, but walked to where he was. "I couldn't sleep. I wanted to eat chocolate but there wasn't any left. So I decided to just make some pastries," she handed him a few biscuits. "You can have some if you like. I tend to make too many so that there would be left over's if any one else wanted them."

He smiled. "That's awfully nice of you, Sunako-chan. But if it's okay, I'd like to be alone." He patted her hand as he took her offered biscuits.

Sunako suddenly remembered Yuki's words. He doesn't even want to talk to us about it. All he has done is lock himself up in his room. "You know, um…" Sunako began, trying to find a better way to say what she wanted to say. "If you're looking for someone to talk to, you can always borrow Hiroshi-kun." She bowed and was about to leave when Takenaga called out to her.

"Thank you, Sunako-chan. Maybe that won't be such a bad idea."

---

"WHAT?! TAKENAGA IS FAILING HIS EXAMS?!" The three boys chorused. It all happened when the principal of Mori High sent a letter to the Landlady. Lady Nakahara had then decided to give a surprise visit, much to the dismay of the three boys.

Sunako, who was busy preparing lunch didn't look surprised. "He hasn't come to school in two weeks. What do you expect?"

Yuki clutched the letter that the landlady handed out to them. "Takenaga has to come out! How long does he intend to lock himself up in his room?!"

"The musings of a broken heart…" Ranmaru said dramatically.

"Idiot. He just can't get over the fact that Noi dumped him." Kyohei groaned.

The Landlady sighed. "Kyohei, you are so naive when it comes to love. I completely understand Takenaga breaking down. That girl was very special to him, but…" She looked at the three boys and at Sunako who, by that time, had finished setting the table. "As Takenaga's friends, it's your job to make sure he gets over his broken heart, no matter what it takes."

"What do you mean?" All four chorused.

The Landlady rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you don't know what will happen when Takenaga refuses to go back to his old self." She turned her back on them and grabbed her purse. "If word goes out that Takenaga is failing his grades, wouldn't his family think the Nakahara household isn't a good environment for him again? And seeing as they all know what you look like, it would be difficult to bring Takenaga back, should his family decide to have him return to the Oda family."

---

The beautiful girl clad in a navy blue kimono bowed to the master of the household. "I see, so you want me to bring the young master back."

The master nodded. "I do not want him to return immediately, but I need to see just what kind of lifestyle he is living in that household. It is not that I do not trust my son, nor the landlady, but I want to make sure that he will keep his promise and live up to the Oda name. He has many responsibilities to fulfill and I hope he keeps his end of the bargain. And if you feel that something is not going well, I want you to return home, with my son."

"Understood, Master Oda."

"I knew I could count on you, Michiru. Once Takenaga sees you again, I know that he will be in for a big surprise."

- END OF CHAPTER ONE -