Disclaimer: The rights of the 'School Rumble' characters belong to Kobayashi Jin-sensei and their rightful copyright holders. I do not claim to own any of these characters. No profit is made out of this story.

Author's note: School Rumble is one of my all-time favorite manga series, but like many other fans, the end left me largely disappointed; it was completely haphazard, no closure, no nothing. So I thought up an ending of my own, and from scene to scene it evolved into an entire sequel. I sat on this story for a long time, but I finally think it is time to put it in writing.

This will be a work of many chapters – I'm not sure how many yet – so I ask in advance for your patience. As always, thank you for reading, and looking forward to your reviews.

Chapter 1 note: The story kicks off at the end of chapter 281 of the last volume of the original manga (that's where the story ended as far as I'm concerned). Tenma has left for America, Harima is engaged to Eri but has gone to live with Yakumo. While he's working on his manga, Eri comes over to ask him to escort her to a party, and this is the beginning of the…

THIRD YEAR RUMBLE

Chapter 1 – The Party

"Like I said…why do I have to go to the stupid party with you?"

Harima's deep, irritated voice resounded inside the wood-paneled room of the old, Japanese-style house. The proud blond girl standing in front of him cast him an annoyed look. That Hige…why did he always have to make everything so difficult?

"As my fiancé, you are supposed to escort me to these kinds of things. It's not like I want to drag you around with me." She looked straight at him, her amber eyes shining defiantly. "You are the one who told me I can depend on you. Was I wrong to take you at your word?"

Harima's black eyes glinted dangerously. "I don't go back on my word, Ojou," he said, his voice shaking slightly with restrained anger. Then he sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable. "All right, I'll go and get dressed. You wait here."

"As if I'd ever want to follow you!" shouted Eri, blushing furiously. Harima did not deign to give her an answer, just turned around and stalked out of the room.

Eri turned her attention to Yakumo and Sarah, who had been watching them silently all the while. "I'm sorry for barging in like that, Yakumo," she said apologetically. "It is absolutely necessary that he comes with me tonight, otherwise I would never impose on you."

"It is quite all right, Sawachika-senpai. I know that Harima-san has certain obligations, being your fiancé," replied Yakumo with her usual calmness.

Eri directed a glance at the unfinished manga draft Harima and Yakumo were working on when she intruded on them. She asked hesitantly, "Will he have enough time to finish this? I wouldn't want Hige to miss his deadline because of me…"

"There is still plenty of time," Yakumo assured her. "Harima-san can afford to take one night off. He has been working very hard ever since…" Her voice trailed off.

Eri nodded. She knew what Yakumo was referring to, the departure of her sister Tenma to America. Harima had been hopelessly in love with her for two whole years but his feelings never got through to her, because she in turn was in love with another man. In a final display of self-sacrifice, he had sent her off with his own two hands to America to be reunited with her beloved, leaving him behind alone and bereft of hope. Eri and Yakumo had helped him pick up the pieces of his broken heart and move on; but they both knew the wound was still far from healed. It would take a lot more time for Harima Kenji to become whole once again.

"Alright, I'm ready," Harima's voice sounded behind them. Eri turned to look at him, and immediately flushed with anger again. Was he making fun of her or what? When he left he was wearing sweatpants and a faded T-shirt; now he wore jeans, a slightly less faded T-shirt, and a leather jacket. "What the hell do you think you're wearing?"

"What? These are my best clothes, you know. I wear them when I go to the editor's and everything."

"This is a CEO's party we're talking about! Do you really expect me to show up with you looking like this?" Eri exclaimed, livid.

"Well then, what would you have me do, Ojou?" Harima shouted back. "Do I look like a guy who keeps tuxedos in his closet to you?"

A polite cough behind them defused a situation that was getting rapidly out of control. It was Eri's impeccable and devoted butler, Nakamura, who had been standing discreetly in the doorway for a while now. "Excuse me, Ojou-sama."

"Yes, Nakamura, what is it?" asked Eri irritably. She disliked being interrupted before having the chance to give Hige the tongue-lashing he deserved.

"I anticipated that Harima-sama might not have appropriate clothes for the occasion, so I took the liberty of preparing something suitable for him. If you would come with us to the mansion, Harima-sama," he bowed respectfully to Harima now, "you could change there, and after the party put your own clothes back on before I drive you home."

"Oh, thank you, Nakamura, you're a life-saver," Eri sighed with relief before Harima had the chance to say anything. She reached out and grabbed Harima from his jacket lapel, dragging him out behind her. "You, get in the car already. We don't have much time, it's already six and the party starts at eight-thirty."

"I'm coming, there's no need for you to strangle me! Imouto-san, Sarah-chan," he turned to the two girls, "I'm not sure what time I'll be returning home, so make sure you lock the door and don't let anyone you don't know in, okay?" he instructed them with utmost seriousness.

The girls nodded and Sarah said reassuringly, "No worries, Harima-senpai. I'll take care of Yakumo, you just go and enjoy yourself!"

Harima let out a groan indicating that he didn't believe he would enjoy himself at all, but before he could answer Eri had shoved him inside the car and Nakamura drove off at full speed.

"Well, there he goes, Yakumo," Sarah said, turning to her best friend. "Are you sure it's all right to let him go with Sawachika-senpai just like that?"

Yakumo shrugged noncommittally. "Harima-san is engaged to Sawachika-senpai. I have no right to stop him from going out with her," she said quietly.

Sarah let out a sigh. "I really don't understand you sometimes. If Inaba-san was here, she would tell you that you'll never take your relationship with Harima-senpai to the next level if you keep acting like this."

Yakumo stared at her thoughtfully. The next level, huh? It was weird, but she could never bring herself to imagine what that next level would be like. As far as she was concerned, she would be perfectly happy if they could remain the way they were now for the rest of their lives: doing housework and working on Harima's manga together, day in and day out. Harima was the first and, so far, the only man Yakumo had been able to trust implicitly. Having been gifted – or cursed – with the ability to read the thoughts of men who were attracted to her – which, in her case, meant practically every man she met – had caused her to become wary of men ever since she was little. Entertaining such dirty thoughts about her while feigning innocence on the outside – how could she ever place any trust in them? But Harima was different. She had never once sensed dirty thoughts coming from him, not even when the two of them were alone for hours on end. Around him, she felt safe…comfortable. Of course, she had realized soon enough this was because he was in love with her sister, but it did not change the fact that she liked being close to him. She didn't want that to change. She didn't want Harima to become like those other men, whose thoughts scared her off. What was wrong with the relationship they had now, anyway? Every time she tried to think about a different sort of relationship with him, an odd unwillingness made her push the thought away. She knew it wasn't normal…but then again she was not exactly a normal girl.

Sarah looked at her with concern and sighed again. "Come on, I didn't say that to make you upset. There's still time for you to figure out what you want to do, so just go at your own pace. Now, how about we make some dinner, huh?"

Yakumo nodded, looking at her friend affectionately. She was really lucky to have Sarah as her best friend; she understood her really well, perhaps more so than her own sister. Not that she loved her sister any less for that. She knew that Tenma cared deeply about her, in her own eccentric way. Even the way she misunderstood her was part of it.

Meanwhile in the back seat of Eri's luxurious limo, she and Harima sat as far away from one another as possible, avoiding each other's eyes persistently. After a while, Harima was unable to tolerate the oppressive silence any longer. After all, they were supposed to be engaged, it wouldn't do for them to look like they were fighting. "So, this house we're going to, how far is it?"

"About a half-hour drive from my mansion," answered Eri, somewhat mollified. "That's right, I should tell you a few things about the host," she continued. "It will go more smoothly if you know a bit about him, probably."

Harima remained silent, waiting for her to continue. "Saejima-san is the CEO of a large publishing company. K-Publishers, ever heard of it?"

"Nope," came the direct answer. "Do they publish manga or something?"

"No, I believe they deal more in books and women's magazines," answered Eri. "Still, he has a lot of connections in the publishing world. It might benefit your career to get to know him. I have to warn you, though, he's a hard man to approach, and he hates people sucking up to him. It's rather difficult to get on his good side, or so I've heard. To me he's always been very kind, so I can't tell for sure."

"So, where do you know him from, anyway? Is he a friend of your father's?"

"Yes, he and Father go way back, apparently. Every time he sees me he goes on about how he knows me ever since I was in diapers," said Eri, looking at Harima as if she dared him to laugh at her. "What, do you think it's funny?"

"You were probably way easier to deal with back then," muttered Harima under his breath. "What did you say?" Eri flared up again, but their arrival at her mansion prevented a new row from breaking out.

They separated at the top of the grand staircase. "Your dress has been laid out for you in your room, Ojou-sama," Nakamura said, bowing respectfully. "I will have Harima-sama meet you here as soon as he's ready."

As soon as Eri was gone, he turned to Harima. "If you would come this way, Harima-sama," he said, bowing again. "R-right," Harima said awkwardly. He wasn't used to having a butler attending to him, and found this situation positively unnerving.

Nakamura led him all the way down the corridor before finally stopping in front of a massive wooden door. "This is the dressing-room," he explained pompously. "Ever since you became engaged to Ojou-sama I expected such an occasion to arise, so I took the precaution of preparing a few outfits for your use." He gestured towards a large oak closet, then walked briskly towards it and opened it.

Harima's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He called that a few? Inside the closet hanged dozens of suits, complete with shirts and ties, as well as more casual clothes, probably for activities other than formal parties. He doubted his lifespan would be enough to wear all of them, even if he never wore each more than once. And of course, even he could tell they were brand-named and made from the finest materials. That's a rich girl for you, he thought, but then he remembered that Eri didn't seem to know about her butler's initiative. Shifting uncomfortably, he turned to the butler, looking for some guidance. "So…what do I do now?"

"Why don't you pick something you like and try it on?" suggested Nakamura helpfully. Harima started browsing through the suits hesitantly. They all looked pretty similar to him, how was he supposed to know which one was better? Finally, he pulled out a black suit with crisp white shirt. The reason he chose it was that it didn't seem to go with a tie, so he thought it would be less constricting.

"An excellent choice, if I may say so, sir. Try it on, why don't you." Harima shed his jacket and T-shirt and put the white shirt on. It fitted perfectly, as if it had been tailored for him. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How the hell did you know my size?"

"A butler's professional secret," replied Nakamura with dignity. Truth was, that time when Harima had stayed over at Eri's to work on the field trip album with her, he had taken the opportunity to measure his clothes while he was in the bath. He had a presentiment something would develop between Ojou-sama and that young man, and as usually he had been right.

Still eyeing him suspiciously, Harima retreated behind a nearby screen to wear the rest of the suit. He hadn't forgotten that time when Nakamura had ambushed him in Ojou's bath, dressed up like a high school girl. He was definitely a weird one, and Harima resolved to not stay in the same room with him any longer than necessary. He put hastily the rest of the suit on and stepped out from behind the screen, feeling rather self-conscious. "Will that do?"

"Oh yes, I think it looks very good on you. Just one more thing," said Nakamura, approaching him quickly. Before Harima had a chance to react, he had pried deftly his headband off his head, then with swift, ninja-like moves, he whipped some hair wax out of nowhere and fixed his long, unruly bangs. "There," he said proudly, "this is much better, if I do say so myself. Please, take a look," he urged, pointing to a large framed mirror at the other end of the room.

Harima looked at his reflection and was impressed in spite of himself. The suit complimented his muscular figure well, and the somber colors made him look manly and dignified, or so he thought. The hairstyle wasn't half bad either; he was used to having his hair pulled back, but the way they looked now, his bangs falling on his forehead directly above his eyes, was quite cool too. "I guess it's alright," he said grudgingly, and went to retrieve his wallet and cell phone from his jacket. Nakamura opened the door and led him back to the top of the staircase.

"If you would be so kind as to wait for Ojou-sama here, then," he said with yet another bow. "I will be waiting in the car," and just like that, he was gone.

Harima was left alone at the top of the massive staircase, not quite sure what to do with himself. He hoped Ojou would not keep him waiting too long; women always seemed to take their time when they were dressing up. Just then he felt his cell phone vibrate in his inner pocket and flipped it open. It was a text message from his editor, mentioning some adjustments to the plot he had suggested a couple of days ago. Better answer him now since he might not have the chance to do so later. He bent his head over the phone and started typing.

Eri popped her head out of her bedroom door and took a peek in the direction of the staircase. Sure enough, Hige was standing there looking down at something, probably his cell phone. Eri felt a bit relieved he hadn't seen her yet; it was their first official outing together and she was more than a little nervous. Taking her courage into both hands, she shut the door behind her and walked towards him.

Even though she wore high heels, the thick carpet on the corridor silenced the sound of her footsteps completely and Harima didn't hear her approach, still pondering over his e-mail. Now that she was closer and could take a good look at him, she felt her heart beating fast. Even though he was just Hige, he looked…cool. She liked the thick black hair falling over his sharp eyes, and the contrast the white shirt made with his swarthy skin, and the way his chest muscles were outlined underneath the smooth cotton, and…Oh my God, what am I thinking? She mentally slapped herself for being a pervert, and walked quickly up to him. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," she said, a slight tremor in her voice.

Harima flipped his phone shut and began to raise his head. "Well, you sure took your sweet time, Oj…" The words faded on his lips as he looked up and saw her standing in front of him. For a moment, he forgot to breathe.

Was Ojou always…this beautiful?

Eri wore a long, gold-colored satin evening dress, draped tightly around her slim figure, accentuating her soft curves. Her blond hair was pulled up, exposing the long, milky-white neck. Her dress' straps were tied in a bow at the back of her neck and pulled up tightly, outlining her breasts clearly. No jewels and hardly any make-up, but she had no need for it, not with that smooth, flawless ivory skin. Harima caught himself wondering how it would feel to the touch, and felt a heat-wave surging inside him. His heart was racing like mad, and he seemed to have lost the ability to think straight.

"The suit…looks good on you," said Eri hesitantly. She didn't know what to make of Harima's gaze that was fixated on her.

The sound of her voice brought him out of his trance. Pulling himself together he blurted out, "T-thanks. You…don't look so bad yourself."

Of course that was a gross understatement of what he felt right now, but he didn't dare say anything more. Fortunately, Eri was too embarrassed to be offended by his curtness. She was pretty used to it, anyway.

"Let's get going, shall we? It's getting late," she said and started to go down the staircase, holding up the hem of her dress with one hand. Behind her, Harima gulped as he got an eyeful of her naked back and slim waist and the delicate curve of her hips. His right hand moved on its own in her direction, then he realized what he was about to do and grabbed it with his left one, panic flashing through his brain like an electric shock. What the hell is wrong with you, Harima Kenji? This is Ojou, remember? You're supposed to be fighting with her, not thinking she's pretty, or alluring, or… He stopped short, panicking even more at the direction his thoughts were taking. He didn't even understand himself any more. He had seen Eri dressed up before and it hadn't done a thing for him, so why now? Could it be he was coming down with something? It never occurred to him that it was his first time seeing her like that after he had his heart broken. Before, his mind was so full of Tenma that he hadn't even registered what he had seen.

Eri, already halfway down the staircase, sensed he wasn't following her and turned back to see what was wrong. "Hige? Are you all right?" Not trusting himself to speak, he just nodded and forced his legs to move forward. He must be under the weather or something, that's why he was having such weird thoughts, he told himself. There could be no other explanation.

Eri looked at him worriedly for a second, then turned and descended the rest of the stairs, Harima catching up with her soon enough. They got in the car silently, and Nakamura drove off. Harima sat at the very edge of the back seat and stared resolutely out the window, even though it was getting dark and he couldn't really see anything. He was determined not to look towards Eri for the time being. He was afraid…really afraid what looking at her might do to his state of mind.

Eri sat next to him, constantly throwing worried looks in his direction. Hige definitely seemed upset over something, but what? The only thing she could come up with was that he felt uncomfortable about the party. Unlike her, he wasn't used to this kind of social event. Eri decided that she should give him some moral support after all. She wouldn't admit it for the world, but she was grateful he had agreed to accompany her. It wouldn't hurt to show a little appreciation.

Tentatively, she inched close to him and put her hand on his arm. Harima tensed up at the touch of her hand, in more than one ways. The delicate scent that reached his nostrils went straight to his head and he gripped the car seat tightly in an effort to keep himself in check. "Hige? Can I tell you something?"

"I'm listening." He didn't turn around though, and just kept staring out the window. He really could not trust the expression on his face right now. Ojou normally never approached him on her own, why did she have to do it now of all times?

"I just wanted you to know I really appreciate your help," said Eri quietly. "I know you must hate going to this kind of thing, and yet…"

Mystified by her words, he forgot his restlessness and turned around to face her. "Hate it? I haven't been to one yet, so it's hard to say if I hate it or not. Although, to be honest, I don't expect I will like it as much as you do…"

Eri pulled back a little and gave him a strange look. "What makes you think I like it?"

"What, you say…Don't you always run off to some party or other?" he asked, a bit taken aback.

She shrugged a little, her face clouding over. "I go there because I have to, for the sake of my family. It doesn't mean I like it."

"Why not? The people there are from your class, right? Not commoners like me," he said curiously. "You must have a lot in common with them."

Eri tried hard to swallow the offensive reply that came to her lips. He didn't mean to insult her, she reminded herself, he just had no idea what he was talking about, as usual. However, she was unable to keep the irritation out of her voice. "If I wanted to hang around rich people, why would I go to a school like ours?" she demanded. "For your information, I hate it every single time I have to go to those fancy parties. The women apparently have nothing better to do than gossip about me behind my back. And the men suck up to me at first, and when I don't buy their act they say I'm a player, or a slut…or even worse. You don't know how it is, so don't jump to conclusions all on your own." It was too dark to see her face, but her voice sounded strained, as if she was about to cry.

Harima felt he had made a total ass out of himself. "Sorry, Ojou," he said awkwardly. "I didn't know it was like this…but you know, you shouldn't mind what these creeps say so much. You know what kind of person you are better than anyone else."

Eri nodded vigorously. "I know. That's why I'm still able to socialize with them, you see." She raised her blond head proudly. "I refuse to be broken by the likes of them."

For a while, Harima stared at her in silence. He used to think she was just a shallow rich girl who liked to play around, but recently he had discovered that was not the case at all. As a result, his opinion of her had changed and a certain trust had formed between the two of them, but he still had a lot to learn about her, it seemed. He did not expect her to be so averse to people from the same social background as her, for instance. Harima wondered just what had happened to her in the past to make her react like this.

Just then, the car passed through an elaborate cast-iron gate and entered the main alley leading to the mansion. "It looks like we're almost there," Eri said as if nothing had happened. Indeed, a minute later the car stopped in front of a huge European-style mansion. Nakamura held the door open for them and Eri got out, followed by Harima. She was just about to head for the entrance, when Harima impulsively reached out and grabbed her hand. She stopped in her tracks, casting him a startled look.

"We're supposed to be engaged, so we might as well look the part," said Harima without looking at her. He headed for the entrance in large strides, pulling her by the hand behind him. He wasn't sure why he had done this; all he knew was that he didn't want her to carry her burdens alone anymore. Not while he was there with her.

Eri was stunned for a second, then she felt a wave of warmth washing over her heart. She was not on her own that night; here was someone she could rely on. Smiling happily, she squeezed Harima's hand and walked beside him with her head held high. They ascended the entrance stairs and were ushered through the ornate wooden doors into the brightly lit mansion, hand in hand.

Saejima-san's huge living room was just like Eri remembered, decorated with numerous tasteless paintings, statuettes, vases and other trinkets, every single one of them terribly gaudy and overly eye-catching. Saejima-san liked to think of himself as a patron of the arts, but his taste in them left much to be desired. Still, he was a good man and Eri didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him what she truly thought of his precious art collection.

A lot of guests had already arrived, and Eri could hear a lot of hushed and not-so-hushed whispers around her as she walked down the living room, hand in hand with Harima. "Is that Sawachika-san? She looks lovely tonight…" "Who is that man with her? I've never seen him before," "There was a rumor she was engaged to some commoner. Could it be him?" "Oh my, he looks like a delinquent, but so handsome!" "And tall, too. Really manly…" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see quite a few women looking at her enviously. You got that right, you arrogant witches. He may be a commoner, but he's more of a man than all your wimpy rich dates put together.

She cast a sideways look at Harima, and was pleased to see that he walked proudly with his head high, and did not seem unnerved or intimidated in the slightest. If he could hear the whispering around them, he gave no indication of it, his expression unreadable as usual. They headed for the far end of the living room to greet their host, a short, fat balding man in his fifties. At first glance he looked like a kind old grandpa, but his eyes were shrewd and appraising. A lot of his business rivals had been taken in by his jovial appearance, only to regret it later.

"Why, if it isn't my little Eri-chan!" he exclaimed affectionately, grasping both Eri's hands with his own and squeezing them. Harima raised an eyebrow at this unusual display of intimacy, but decided not to say anything. The old man was less reserved than the average Japanese, but it didn't look like he was a pervert. Besides, Ojou didn't seem put out, so he was probably still treating her like a little girl or something.

"I swear, you're more beautiful every time I see you!" the old man continued his enthusiastic rambling. "I've heard about your engagement, of course. My, my, how time flies! It seems to me it was just yesterday when you were in diapers!" Harima struggled with all his might to suppress a snicker, and it was fortunate he managed to maintain his serious look, because now the fat man had turned towards him. "Is that the lucky young man?" he asked.

"Saejima-san, please allow me to introduce my fiancé, Harima Kenji-san," said Eri in her most polite demeanor. "Kenji-san, this is Saejima Souichirou-san, an old friend of my father's."

"My name is Harima Kenji. Pleased to meet you, sir," Harima said, bowing. Even without looking, he could feel Saejima-san eyeing him all over appraisingly. "Well, he certainly looks like a handsome, well-spoken young man," he told Eri, then he turned to Harima again. "I understand you and Eri-chan are classmates, yes?" he asked.

"That is correct, sir." "So, what do you plan to do after high school?" the old man went on with his questioning. "Going to college? Or are you going to look for work?"

"I already work as a mangaka," answered Harima without hesitation. "It is my intention to continue in this direction."

"Oh, an artist then! Splendid, splendid! I sincerely hope we will hear of your successes in the future," said the old man cordially. Then he turned to Eri again, inquiring about her parents' well-being, as well as a bunch of other people Harima had never heard of. He could not quite follow their conversation, so he started gazing absentmindedly at his surroundings, his eyes drifting over the garish decorative artworks. Pretty soon he was immersed in his observations, trying to imprint the details of the room in his memory as much as possible.

"I see you are quite taken with my little collection, young man," Saejima-san's voice broke through his concentration. "Do you have an interest in antiques as well?"

"Actually, I was thinking about my manga," he replied. "I have to draw the inside of an old lady's mansion for the next chapter, and this room is almost exactly what I had in mind."

To his surprise, the old geezer's face lit up and he clapped him on the shoulder enthusiastically. "Ah, it is most gratifying that my humble home has served as inspiration to a promising young artist! Please, feel free to look around as much as you want. I have to entertain some important guests now, so you two youngsters have a good time and we'll talk some more later, yes?" He squeezed both their hands with an affectionate smile and headed for the entrance, where some new guests – foreigners, judging by their looks – had made their appearance.

"Wow, that was really smooth, Hige," remarked Eri, impressed. "Usually it takes a lot more to win Saejima-san over. That bit about you wanting to draw his living room in your manga went down really well with him."

Harima looked at her in mild surprise. "I didn't say that to flatter him, you know," he said evenly. "I just told him the truth, that's all. This place really is just the thing for the old lady's mansion. Too bad I didn't bring my sketchpad and pen with me," he shook his head regretfully. "But I can at least try to memorize it as much as possible."

"Well, in that case, so much the better; you got two birds with one stone. I'm really happy for you, although," she pouted a little, "I must say I'm a little hurt you didn't consider using my mansion for your setting…"

"Nah, your place would never do," said Harima matter-of-factly. Say what? Why that Hige… Eri flushed angrily yet again and was just about to lash out at him, when he added, "…The old lady is supposed to have really bad taste in decoration."

Eri stared at him dumbfounded for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh, Hige, it never gets dull around you!" she gasped whilst holding her sides, her eyes teary from laughing too hard. Harima stared at her in astonishment; he didn't think he had said anything particularly funny. Not wishing to make him feel awkward, Eri stopped laughing and pulled herself together. "I just remembered something funny, that's all," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Come on, there are some people we have to greet," she went on, tugging at his sleeve, and led him across the room.

A couple of hours later, after having exchanged countless meaningless pleasantries with as many boring people, Harima was finding it increasingly difficult to repress his yawns. It didn't help that the room was pretty hot and stuffy. The juice he held in his hand was of little use; the ice had melted ages ago and it was now more lukewarm than cool. Beside him, Eri was just finishing her farewells with a middle-aged couple. Good, they were finally running out of acquaintances to greet, apparently. On the whole Harima hadn't talked much, although he was really polite those few times he spoke. He had thought the 'strong, silent type' approach would be best here, since he was in unfamiliar surroundings and had nothing in common with the people he talked to. Ojou probably approved of his attitude, too, seeing as she didn't seem to mind carrying out most of the conversation herself.

"Tired?" asked Eri after the middle-aged couple had left. She, too, seemed quite fed up. "Yeah, pretty much. How much longer do we have to stay?"

"I think we can excuse ourselves in a little while. We're not supposed to stay up all night anyway; we're still high school students after all. Phew, it sure is hot in here. Say, Hige, do you mind if I go to the ladies' room for a second? I'd like to wash up a bit."

"Sure, go ahead. I think I'll head outside in the meantime," he said, pointing towards the terrace. "Cool my head a little."

"Good idea. Go catch some fresh air. I'll meet you there," and they headed in opposite directions. But just as Eri was making a turn for the stairs leading to the upper floor and the guests' bathrooms, she saw a woman making her way towards Harima in a very determined fashion. Even though she was quite far away, she recognized her immediately. Those light brown hair with red highlights, a slutty dress as usually, and most eye-catching of all, those huge breasts…no doubt about it. It was her.

"That hussy again! I bet she just waited for Hige to be left alone so that she could make a move on him!" Eri's nostrils flared with anger. Her first impulse was to march right up to her and slap her across the face, or dump a glass of juice over her head, but unfortunately that would never do. She didn't even have a legitimate reason to make a scene, since the other girl had done nothing to offend her yet. But she was going to, Eri was sure of it. It was always the same with Tadatomo Mitsuko.

Eri had no idea what she had done to earn Mitsuko's spite. Maybe she was jealous of her, or perhaps some guy or other had rejected Mitsuko because of her…she really had no way of knowing. Mitsuko had never bothered to enlighten her, and she thought it a waste of time to try and find out the truth. She didn't really care about being hated by such a person anyway. Mitsuko was exactly the type of 'cheap rich girl' Harima believed Eri to be before she beat the truth about herself into him. A girl who liked to party and fool around, and often made use of her bodily assets – namely, her breasts – to get men to indulge her whims. For some reason she had set herself as Eri's rival, and every time she saw a man express any interest at all in her, she would go out of her way trying to snatch him away from her – of course, most of the time she failed, which made her all the more vindictive. Of course she would never miss an opportunity to make a pass at her fiancé.

Up till then Eri didn't really mind Mitsuko's meddling, since she didn't really care about any of those guys who tried to win her affections. If anything, the stupid wench had taken one or two of those annoying flirts off her hands, sparing her the trouble of rejecting them. But Hige was another matter; no way was she letting her make a move on him. Eri turned back and made her way towards Harima, taking cover behind a row of pillars so as not to be seen. She would not hesitate to make a scene if necessary, but she wanted to see Harima's reaction first. On some level she already knew he would never go for that kind of vulgar woman, but she couldn't help but worry nonetheless.

Harima was on his way to the terrace, when he was suddenly cut off by a girl in a very low-cut sequined mauve dress greeting him. He did not recall being introduced to her, so at first he thought he'd just bow and move on. Unfortunately, she wasn't inclined to let him go that easily. Standing deliberately right in front of him, she was effectively blocking him from going on his way, and it was impossible to turn around and leave without appearing rude. Therefore he was left with no choice but to stand there and listen to her inane and overly familiar chatter with growing irritation. Harima had always found this type of clingy woman particularly distasteful. To make matters worse, he disliked her appearance as well. Her face was passable, but she had way too much make-up on for a girl her age, and both her attire and attitude were way too loose for his taste. The way she flaunted those gigantic boobs in front of him…amazing how crass some of those rich girls could be. And to think he had viewed Ojou's attitude as loose in the past. Compared to that, she was practically a saint.

It was pretty evident even to him that this girl thought she could wrap him around her little finger just by dangling her breasts under his nose. Well, too bad for her, because he wasn't even remotely tempted by them. Because of his infatuation with Tenma, Harima had always been partial to small breasts rather than big ones. Medium-sized ones like Ojou's went down okay with him, but cow-tits like that woman's were more of a turn-off than a turn-on. Of course, Mitsuko had no way of knowing this, so she kept making full use of what she considered her greatest weapon, foolishly interpreting Harima's appalled look as that of someone stunned by her beauty.

Eri had managed to get pretty close by then, and hidden behind a pillar next to them she was finally able to overhear their conversation. "Sooo…you're Sawachika-san's rumored fiancé! I've been, like, dying to meet you, after having heard so much about you!" Mitsuko was dawdling, in full attack mode.

Harima furrowed his eyebrows perplexedly. No one but Ojou could have spoken about him to that woman, and he couldn't quite picture her hanging out with such a person. "Are you a friend of Oj…I mean, Eri-san's?" he asked, as politely as he could.

Friendship was hardly an appropriate term to describe her relationship with Eri but she couldn't really describe the exact nature of their relations, given the circumstances. Wisely deciding to avoid the question she said instead, "I'm Tadatomo Mitsuko, but you can call me Mii-chan. All my friends call me that," she continued, tilting her head in what she obviously thought was a cute gesture. Unfortunately for her, it was just as obvious that Harima did not share her opinion, if the disapproving look in his eyes was anything to judge by.

Mitsuko, however, was nothing if not persistent. "Sooo, Sawachika-san left you all alone, you poor thing? Well, there's no helping it, I guess…I'll keep you company for now. How about we go grab a drink?" She moved to latch on to his arm, but Harima foresaw her move and backed off in time. The last thing he wanted was to spend any more time in that stuffy room with that insufferable woman.

"Sorry, no can do. I was looking for Eri-san just now; we're about to leave," he replied, making a real effort not to sound rude. In any other circumstances he would have told her to take a flying leap already, but he didn't want to embarrass Ojou or his host – the old geezer had treated him pretty well after all – by making a commotion.

"Aww, do you have to leave so soon?" pouted Mitsuko, evidently not getting the message. She inched a bit closer and dropped her voice confidentially. "Not that I don't understand, mind you…Sawachika-san can be kind of…unpleasant company sometimes, but it's not just her here, you know." She bounced her breasts ostentatiously and added with a confident smile, "There are lots of other pretty women here, don't you agree?"

Harima decided he'd had just about enough of this. He had tried being civil but some people simply could not take a hint, apparently. Well then, no choice but to go with the direct approach. "Funny you should say that," he remarked coolly. He let his eyes wonder about the room purposely, then transfixed her with a cold glare than not even she could mistake for anything other than blatant revulsion. "I've been here for hours already, and I've yet to see any woman even half as pretty as her."

Mitsuko stared at him for a few seconds in wide-eyed astonishment; then her face went crimson with anger and humiliation and she turned around and stomped away from him in a huff. Harima glanced around, but no one seemed to have noticed what had transpired; fortunately he hadn't spoken very loudly and the background music had probably muffled his voice sufficiently. That woman was going to have a really bad opinion of him but he couldn't care less really, and he strongly suspected Ojou wouldn't either. Relieved that this uncomfortable scene was finally over he made a beeline for the terrace as quickly as he could, before someone else got into his head to strike a conversation with him.

Alone behind the pillar, Eri stared at Harima's back as he went away, a wave of joy and affection swelling in her chest. It wasn't that he had managed to fend that annoying woman off all on his own without even causing a scene; it wasn't even that he had defended her so admirably. More than anything, she was happy because she had heard him openly declare she was the prettiest girl in the room. And it wasn't just empty words; Hige was not the kind of guy who dished out meaningless compliments. He was far too straightforward for that; heck, in the past he had called her the most horrible names, both to her face and behind her back, without turning a hair. It was safe to assume that what he had said just now was his honest opinion. Sure, it wasn't the same as a love confession, Eri was well aware of that, but nonetheless it made her happy he thought so highly of her.

She wanted to do something for him in return, give him a token of gratitude, but she wasn't sure what would be appropriate. Most of the time she treated him rather harshly, and if she suddenly started acting overly nice now it would probably creep him out. Undecided, she cast a look about the room, and finally her eyes settled on the bar at the other end. Getting him a fresh drink wasn't that big a deal, she decided. It wasn't much of an appreciation gesture either, but at least he wouldn't freak out over it.

Finally some peace and quiet, thought Harima as he leaned against the terrace railing. Fortunately it was still rather chilly outside this time of the year, and there was no one else outside. He had the whole place to himself. Pretty big place it was, too; at least as big as Imouto-san's back yard, if not bigger. There were tables and lawn chairs here and there, and even clumps of huge decorative potted plants. Harima went all the way down to the far end and half-concealed himself behind a few of these plants before he finally began to feel a bit at ease. The whole evening had been rather tedious for him, and the unpleasant encounter with the slutty girl just now had been the finishing blow to his mood. At least here he could wait it out until it was time to leave without further disturbances.

Or so he thought, but it was not meant to be. Barely five minutes had passed when he saw someone step through the glass doors and make his way towards him. Harima sighed in frustration; it seemed he wasn't going to be left alone after all. At least this time it was a man approaching him, some guy in a white tux. About the same age as him or maybe a few years older, it was hard to tell. Rather on the short side, seeing as his head barely reached Harima's chin; slender, but hardly muscular and without the natural moving grace of a fighter. After years of street-fighting, Harima could tell at a glance whether a man could put up a decent fight or not; this one looked like he could be knocked out with one good punch. As for his face, he was what one might call a pretty boy; good-looking but kind of wimpy, and overly conscious of his good looks. All in all not someone he would be overjoyed to meet, but since he was headed straight towards him there was probably no getting out of it.

"Ah, Sawachika-san's fiancé, I presume," he drawled with affected politeness. Well, what do you know, it seemed that everyone in this gathering had heard of him. Harima gave him a sideways glance, and then decided he might as well get it over with. He bowed curtly and said, "Harima Kenji. And you are?"

"Iwasaki Kaede." The newcomer eyed him from head to toe with a wry smile on his face, making him feel like some sort of curious exhibit. After a few moments of awkward silence he drawled out again, "Well, I must say…you are nothing like Sawachika-san's usual style."

It was right at this moment when Eri stepped out to the terrace, holding a glass of juice in each hand. Just as she was looking around for Hige the wind carried Iwasaki's words over to her ears, and sure enough, there they were on the far end, standing in front of each other next to the railing. At the sight of Iwasaki, Eri's brow furrowed and she bit her lip nervously. Of all the worst luck! First Mitsuko, and now him? She was fully aware how ill-disposed Iwasaki was towards her, which made her really afraid of what he might say to Hige about her. On the other hand, if she intruded on them now, after what he had just said, it would be quite awkward. No two ways about it then; apparently this was going to be a night of eavesdropping. Luckily neither of the two men had noticed her, engrossed as they were in staring at each other. She quickly hid behind a clump of potted plants and strained her ears to hear their conversation.

Harima did not ask what Iwasaki meant by 'usual style', although it was obviously expected of him to do so. It wasn't something he needed to ask about, really; surely, Ojou up till then did not show up at these upper-class parties in the company of delinquents, and he knew full well that despite the suit and everything his appearance was still that of a delinquent. Seeing he did not take the bait, Iwasaki went on to say, "Then again…Sawachika-san has always been kind of picky in her personal relationships. You may not know this, but she has refused a lot of arranged marriages in the past, even one last Christmas." He gave Harima another crooked smile. "I was wondering what sort of man would be able to tie her down."

Harima frowned visibly. Oh, that was rich. He knew about Eri's refusal of the arranged marriage all right, seeing as he was the one who had given her the necessary confidence to break it off. And now this prick was trying to use that to make him look down on her? Harima felt his anger rising all over again. With great effort he restrained his desire to bash Iwasaki's head in and said instead in a deceptively calm voice, "What do you mean, tie her down? She's not an animal, you know." Anyone who knew him at all would have realized by now what danger they were facing, but Iwasaki was too absorbed in his little game to notice Harima's menacing countenance. He laughed sarcastically and said, "Well, no, of course not, but she is pretty wild, if you catch my drift…Word is that she refused all her marriage candidates so that she wouldn't have…too many demands on her private time."

Behind the flower pots, Eri's face had turned deathly pale, and she was squeezing the two glasses she held so tightly they all but shattered in her hands. In agony she tried to make out Harima's expression in the dark, desperate to guess at his thoughts. Hige…you don't believe him, do you?

For a full ten seconds, Harima was perfectly still, staring straight into the other man's eyes. Then, without warning his right hand shot out like a flash, grabbing Iwasaki by his shirtfront. With little effort he lifted him up with one hand until they were at eye level; of course, with their height difference, that meant Iwasaki's feet no longer touched the ground, dangling helplessly in the air. Harima leaned forward threateningly, his black eyes gleaming like blades, and in a low, bone-chilling voice he asked, "Did you just say…that Eri-san is an easy woman?"

Iwasaki was scared shitless. He had thought he could have a little fun provoking Eri's commoner fiancé, but this was no ordinary dumb delinquent. This man was far more perceptive and dangerous than he had imagined, and now his foremost thought was how to get out of this situation unharmed. Shaking with fear he stammered, "Of-of-of course not. I w-would never say something like that for S-Sawachika-san."

"Good," said Harima, without however releasing him just yet. "I don't give a damn what you rich brats might say about me, but I will beat the crap out of anyone who badmouths my fiancée, do I make myself clear?"

"P-perfectly," said Iwasaki, desperately trying to refrain from peeing his pants. "Good," Harima said again. "I am so glad we understand each other." He unclenched his right fist and dropped Iwasaki unceremoniously on the ground. Without bothering with farewells, Iwasaki scrambled to his feet and fled for the living room as though he was being chased by a horde of demons.

Alone at last, Harima leaned once again on the railing, burying his face in his hands. Damn, once a delinquent, always a delinquent. He had managed to get himself into a fight yet again; it was sheer dumb luck nobody had noticed the incident. Oh well, no use fretting over it now. That scumbag was probably too scared to babble about what had happened, and in any case he did not regret what he did one bit. He, too, had spoken badly of Ojou more than once in the past, but he definitely wasn't going to stand by and let some rich twit slander her in his presence, no matter what the situation.

Slowly he breathed in and out, forcing himself to calm down. Well, at least now he knew why Ojou detested attending parties so much. To think that all these years she had to put up with this kind of treatment from her so-called social circle alone, unable to say anything back, with no one to look out for her…Sure, her family provided for her, probably cared about her too, but they weren't there for her when she was vulnerable like this. And yet, she hadn't been crushed or bent; she had grown strong, stronger than most people of his acquaintance, and that was saying a lot. Never losing sight of her goals, never giving up halfway, never accepting defeat. A person he could respect, because he could not help but respect a strong spirit and an indomitable will, ultimately that's who Sawachika Eri was.

Still concealed in her hiding place, Eri watched him silently. Once again she was grateful, not so much for what he had done but for how he felt. Of course she was thankful he had spoken up for her too…it was probably the first time someone else had got angry for her sake, but more than anything she was truly happy to know that his opinion of her would not change just because of a fake accusation. Since the beginning she had always thought she had fallen for him for no good reason, but now she felt she had plenty of good reasons to be in love with him. The Harima Kenji before her right now was indeed a man worthy of her feelings.

She wanted to go to him, but she was unsure how much should she say about what had happened. Would it be better to pretend she hadn't seen a thing, or should she talk about it openly? It was hard to tell which course of action was best with Hige; he was always so unpredictable. In the end, she decided to probe him a bit and see if he was willing to talk about it on his own. If he wasn't, she would drop the subject. Having made her decision, she slipped out of her hideout and walked up to him.

"There you are." Eri's voice abruptly interrupted the train of Harima's thoughts. He turned around and saw her standing near him with two glasses of juice in her hands. Tentatively, she held one out to him. "I thought you might be thirsty."

"…Thanks." He took the glass from her and downed most of the contents in one gulp, then set it on the railing beside him. Eri waited for him to say something but he remained silent, peering out into the darkness with an inscrutable expression. Seeing he did not seemed inclined to talk first she asked hesitantly, "Was Iwasaki-san here with you? I thought I saw him leaving here just now…"

"There was some guy. I didn't catch his name." He wasn't lying; in the rush of his anger the guy's name had completely slipped his mind. He gave Ojou a searching look, wondering if she was mad at him for picking a fight with another guest, but she seemed rather calm, almost subdued. After gazing at him for a few seconds she asked again, "So, what were you two talking about?"

"…Nothing worth mentioning." His tone was odd, Eri thought; not quite as sharp as usually, more like…troubled, although she couldn't figure out about what. After another long pause he asked her in turn, "Is he a friend of yours?"

Now that was an awkward question to answer. Eri's brow puckered as she wondered how she should reply; after a minute of self-debating she decided it was best to come clean. "…No, not a friend," she said slowly. "Remember that arranged marriage you helped me break up last Christmas? Iwasaki-san…well, in point of fact he was supposed to be the groom."

Harima stared at her in astonishment, unable to believe his ears. The nerve of that scum! Even if he was bitter about the match breaking off, how could he go about and speak of the woman he had almost got engaged to in such an insulting manner! Unconsciously he clenched his fists, the veins at his temples pounding furiously. If I knew about this, I would've beaten his sorry ass to kingdom come and to hell with good manners, he thought, literally boiling with rage. "Your parents wanted to marry you off to that? Some parents," he remarked acidly before he could stop himself.

Drawing her eyebrows together, Eri cast him a withering look. Despite her feelings for him, she wasn't disposed to let him speak ill of her family. "They were trying to ensure my future, Hige," she said severely. "I'm not saying it was the right choice, but I'm sure they did it with nothing but my interests in mind."

"And this was the best they could come up with?" he asked scathingly. "Oh, don't be such a child," snapped Eri. "Surely your parents too have done things you didn't like because they thought it was for your own good."

Harima's face clouded over, and he turned away from her once again. "I'm afraid you're wrong," he said bitterly, his eyes fixed somewhere far away. "My family never bothered with me enough to interfere with my life."

Eri bit her lip guiltily; unbeknownst to her, she had stepped on a landmine. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" she said awkwardly.

"Don't be," he snapped curtly. Then catching her hurt expression he went on more softly, "There's no need to feel bad, really. I got over it a long time ago."

But Eri still seemed worried, and he felt he should at least try to give her an explanation. "It wasn't some big drama or anything," he said. "My old man split a little after I got into elementary school – not that he was much around before anyway. A year or two later, my mother remarried and had my kid brother. Him I didn't mind, but I didn't get along with my stepdad, so as soon as I got the chance I ran away from home. That's pretty much it," he concluded impassively.

"Why didn't you get along with your stepfather?" inquired Eri. "Did he…mistreat you or something?" It was a pretty delicate question, she knew; with all her heart she hoped he wouldn't think she was being nosy. This wasn't idle curiosity on her part; she wanted to know because she was genuinely concerned about him.

Harima, however, simply shook his head. "He didn't beat me up, if that's what you're thinking," he replied evenly. "I just didn't trust him enough, I guess. I always thought, if I couldn't trust my own father, why the hell should I trust a stranger, just because my mother got married to him? So I decided I should live only for myself and never let anyone, family or not, close enough to tie me down or meddle with my life. I suppose that's why I left home after all."

Eri leaned over the railing next to him and looked out into the night. After a few moments of silence she asked again, "But now…you no longer think that way, right? Something must have happened to change you so much…what was it?"

"I…met someone. Someone who changed my life." He wondered why he was telling Ojou all this; he always thought of himself as a very private person who hated others prying into his affairs more than anything. But somehow, he did not feel uncomfortable opening up to her. For some unknown reason ever since he first met her he had always been able to be himself around her, without caring about being judged or looked down on. It might be because he didn't feel the need to make a good impression on her seeing as they always fought anyway. Whatever the cause though, he sincerely believed he could tell her anything, and she of all people would understand him.

"Tenma," Eri said. It was a statement, not a question. No one but Tenma could have brought about such a change. "What did she do, Hige? What could she do or say that meant so much to you?"

She took a peek at his face and saw him smiling faintly with the same faraway look. "Well, first she entrusted herself completely to me, a total stranger, and then she called me a pervert and ran off. Can you believe it?"

"Actually, yes, I can," said Eri, also smiling a little. "That sounds exactly like something she would do." Yes, that was Tenma all right. Clumsy, an airhead, always quick to misunderstand others, but nevertheless able to touch people's hearts in the most unexpected ways. She had experienced it herself after all. When she first went to Yagami High, she thought she would never make any real friends; but Tenma, Mikoto and Akira had wholeheartedly accepted her regardless of her status or family. Without even realizing it, associating with them had made her a much better person. It was only natural that someone like Tenma could change Hige as well.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she wondered aloud after yet another long pause. "You never talked about yourself before…so why now?"

"Until recently, I was trying to keep a secret that I was the pervert Tsukamoto ran away from," he explained. "But it doesn't matter anymore now, does it? I mean, she's gone…for good." The look in his eyes was an odd mixture of resignation and pain Eri had seen all too often these last few weeks, and it invariably made her heart ache. "Maybe she'll come back one day," she said, instantly regretting her words. What are you doing getting his hopes up, idiot? she berated herself. But Harima merely shook his head. "Even if she does come back, it'll be with Karasuma," he said simply and with finality. "Trust me, I know. Nobody knows her better than I do." He turned his head away and spoke no more.

They stayed like that for a while, lost in their thoughts, until Eri said in a low voice that it was time to leave. They said goodbye to their host and got in the car, and for the better part of the drive they were silent. Shortly before they arrived at Eri's mansion, she lifted up her head and said to him, "Hey…thanks again for coming with me tonight. And…I'm sorry you didn't have such a good time…"

"It wasn't that bad," he replied quietly. "Not a blast, mind you, but it did get my mind off things, at least for a few hours…I suppose I should be thankful for that."

Eri kept looking at him, even though she couldn't make out his face in the darkness. For the first time it occurred to her that in many ways he was different from the Hige she had got to know for the past year. He had changed, and was still changing. And she discovered that she liked the changes she saw unfolding before her eyes. Although she had no idea what the two of them would end up like, she wanted to be there and see where this transition would lead. From up close.

The car came to a halt in front of her house and Eri opened the door without waiting for Nakamura. "Well then, see you. Goodnight." She started to get out, then all of a sudden she impulsively turned again towards him. In the dark, Harima heard a rustle of clothing, and felt the faintest brush of lips against his cheek; the next instant, Eri was out of the car and rushing up the stairs to the entrance as quickly as her feet could carry her. Dumbfounded, he brought his hand to his cheek, unable to make heads or tails out of what had just happened.

Half an hour later he was back in the car again in his own clothes, headed for home. Exhausted, he leaned his head back on the car seat and closed his eyes. The evening had been…eventful, to say the least. A whole lot of new experiences for him, both pleasant and unpleasant. But above everything, it was the memory of Eri's fleeting kiss in the dark that lingered on his mind the most.