HALLO FRIENDS!

After a year of being inactive, momocandy is back! I apologize to all of the readers who had to wait a whole year for this chapter. I really did an awful job as a writer... DX

Nevertheless, I hope you still enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: Not even in a parallel universe.

Ichigo's POV

I barely slept that night. That woman's words kept haunting me in the darkness. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face, the glint of that knife, my mother's blood staining my clothes. The few times I did manage to fall into a fitful sleep I was tormented by nightmares and flashbacks of that night, and would always end up jerking awake, gasping for breath and sweating uncontrollably.

She couldn't even leave me alone in my dreams.

It was scary.

The next morning I rose from bed exhausted and glum. I glanced at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and cringed. My skin was a pale and sickly color and dark circles underlined my eyes.

I slapped myself repeatedly.

"Wake up, Ichigo! You can't go around showing Kashino a face like this!"

And with that, I brushed my teeth and washed my face clean and nodded satisfyingly as the color returned to my skin. The eyebags became less prominent, although they didn't fade completely, and I could only hope that Kashino and the others wouldn't notice.

I changed into my maid uniform, fixed up my hair into the pigtails that I always wore, and practiced smiling a few times in the mirror. I had already decided to face this head-on, so I couldn't go faltering now. That woman was definitely scary, but my fear of her didn't even come close to my fear of losing Kashino. So it was simple enough to come to a resolution.

I glanced at the clock.

8:00 AM.

It was time to go meet the others. I took one last deep breath and opened the door.

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGO!"

"Woah!"

A chorus of voices took me by surprise. I blinked at the three smiling faces in front of me and felt an unbearable pain well up inside my chest.

They had been worried. I could tell.

I wanted to cry again.

...but I had already sworn not to.

So I clenched one fist behind my back and stretched my lips into a cheerful smile.

"Good morning, Kashino, Hanabusa, Andoh!"

My fingernails dug painfully into my palm.

"Great news, Ichigo, did you hear? Kashino's stepmommy is leaving today!" Hanabusa told me with a huge grin on his face. "Isn't that awesome? Apparently she only came back for a day to check on something!"

I saw Kashino watching me from the corner of my eye.

"Really?" I tried to feign pleasant surprise. "She's seriously leaving today?"

"Yup!" Hanabusa cheered.

"That's great! She made me feel really uncomfortable, I didn't like her at all." I cringed to add more authenticity.

"I know right, she was such a creepy woman. Just looking at her gave me the heebie jeebies," Hanabusa shivered.

I laughed. I hoped it only sounded hollow to my ears.

"Actually, Ichigo, are you alright?" Andoh suddenly asked, concern reflected in his kind amethyst eyes. "You look a little tired."

My breath caught in my throat.

"Haha, of course I'm fine!" I smacked his shoulder teasingly. "Just stayed up a bit reading a good book. Stop being such a worrywart!"

He adjusted his glasses and smiled.

"Alright, if you say so."

"Yup, no worries, I feel as energetic as ever!" I ran ahead of them and started walking backwards, a jolly grin on my face.

I noticed that Kashino hadn't stopped staring at me. There was no expression on his face, so I could only wonder what he was thinking about, but I prayed to God that he didn't notice I was acting strangely. Out of the three of them, he was the one I needed to fool the most.

"Anyways, it seems like we have to see her off, so just cope with it one more time," Andoh said calmly.

"Uggghh, do we have to?" Hanabusa whined. "Why can't she just leave by herself, godammit?"

"It's only proper respect to our elders," Andoh explained, "—especially since it's Kashino's stepmother."

Hanabusa grunted gloomily and began to mutter profanities under his breath.

I patted his back to show him I sympathized, then set my lip and stared straight ahead.

I was going to have to face her one last time.

One last time.

Kashino's POV

When we gave Ichigo a surprise greeting at her door this morning, I wondered what her reaction would be.

But she just smiled like she always did.

When Hanabusa told her that my stepmother was leaving, I tried to see if she showed any signs of strange elation.

But she just replied normally.

When Andoh pointed out that she looked tired, I listened for hesitation in her response.

But she just laughed and said that she'd been reading a book.

When Andoh told us that we had to see my stepmother off, I wanted to see what kind of face she would make.

But she just comforted the grumpy Hanabusa.

Nothing that she said or did seemed out-of-the-ordinary, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel that something was off. Yet I couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was aggravating.

She seemed fine yesterday too, after she had the conference with my stepmother, but when I went to bed last night I just couldn't forget how she had stopped in front of my door, how she had hesitated and then turned away.

There had to be a reason for that.

But Ichigo offered no clues.

And now I was starting to doubt myself.

Maybe I was thinking too much. Maybe I was just too conscious of everything. Maybe Ichigo really did just have a harmless talk with my stepmother.

I really didn't know.

"Kashino, you've haven't said a word this whole morning. Whatcha thinking about?" Hanabusa suddenly popped up next to me.

"Oh, uh—nothing much," I replied hurriedly, trying to brush it off with a casual laugh.

I saw Ichigo looking at me. She tilted her head as if to ask What's wrong?

I smiled and shook my head. I'm fine.

Yup, it was probably just my overactive imagination.

"Master Kashino, the mistress is in the foyer. She's about to head out to the car," Bella informed us after we'd descended to the first floor.

"Alright, got it," I nodded.

There was a feeling of growing dread in my stomach. Even if it was to see her off, the anxiety was still there. Just looking into those contemptuous blue eyes made me feel weak and nauseous. I wouldn't be surprised if I had a phobia of my stepmother.

The foyer lights were off, so only the dull rays of the cloudy morning sky shone through the windows. My stepmother's silhouette was outlined in the opened door as she stepped out towards the car.

"Mistress, your stepson is here to see you on your way."

My stepmother halted in her footsteps and turned around. My mouth went dry as soon as those electric blue eyes met mine. I felt Ichigo, Hanabusa, and Andoh tense up next to me.

"Well well well, if it isn't my darling stepson..." Her lips curled into that malicious smile of hers. "How sweet of you to think of seeing me off."

I struggled to keep my face void of emotions.

"Or are you secretly overjoyed that I'm leaving today?" She came over and put one sharp manicured finger under my chin, raising my face closer to hers.

I swallowed and tried to keep my eyes defiant.

"Look at you, acting brave in front of your friends..." she cooed.

Her eyes moved to either side of me and I noticed that they lingered a bit longer to the right.

Ichigo.

Then she smiled again, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Unfortunately, I won't be seeing you again for quite a while, dear. I'm sure you'll miss me."

She snickered and let go of my chin, making sure to scrape her nail again my skin. I grimaced.

"But don't worry, I won't make the mistake of neglecting you again," she smirked haughtily. "I can assure you that things will start to change in this mansion. I won't allow any nonsense under my watch."

Her eyes once again flickered to my right, and then there was one last cackle before she was gone, leaving those words hanging ominously in the air.

Suddenly my knees felt weak and I stumbled backwards. Gentle hands caught me and propped me up.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked softly. Her caramel eyes were filled with worry.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I replied shakily, feeling my face grow warm.

"No, you're not."

She shook her head and exchanged glances with Hanabusa and Andoh. They nodded.

"Ichigo, why don't you bring Kashino to his room and let him rest for a bit?" Andoh suggested. "Me and Hanabusa will inform Bella-san about the situation and cover your share of the work, alright?"

Ichigo looked apologetically at them. "Would that be okay?"

"Leave it to us," Hanabusa reassured her.

Ichigo smiled. "Thanks, I really owe you guys."

"Don't worry about it, Ichigo," Andoh patted her head lightly. "That's what we're here for."

"No, wait, it's okay, I'm fine—" I tried to refuse.

"Nope, you're coming with me," Ichigo insisted firmly as she pulled me up the stairs.

"Here, sit."

I obeyed Ichigo's orders and sat down on my bed. She went to the medicine cabinet and took out gauze, disinfectant, and a band-aid.

"What's that for?" I asked her. "I'm not hurt."

"Don't lie to me Kashino," was her soft reply.

I immediately felt guilty. I should've known that there was nothing I could hide from her.

"Lift up your chin."

I did as I was told.

"See? There's a cut," she said as she traced her fingers lightly next to the place where that woman had scratched me.

It tickled. I tried not to move. The room seemed a bit stuffier than usual.

Ichigo rubbed some disinfectant on it with gauze and then pressed on the band-aid. She stared at it for a while before giggling.

"It looks kinda funny."

I saw my reflection in the mirror across the room and cracked a smile. One side of the band-aid was jutting out onto my chin, making me look ridiculous.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Ichigo shrugged innocently.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Then I saw Ichigo's reflection next to mine and remembered something.

"You have a band-aid too." I reached out and touched her cheek. Yesterday she came out of her room with the band-aid on, but I never had the chance to ask her where she got it from.

Her eyes widened just the slightest and her hand went up to touch it as well.

"Y-Yeah, it was from a kitchen accident," she smiled sheepishly. "You know how clumsy I am."

I looked directly into her eyes.

"Really?"

I didn't remember seeing it before her talk with my stepmother, but there was no hesitation in her reply.

"Really."

I stared at the band-aid a little longer before shrugging and lying down on the bed. If Ichigo said it so surely then I had no reason to doubt her. I sighed and let my mind switch to other matters.

"My stepmother is so messed up."

Ichigo smiled sympathetically and scooted closer to me.

"Don't think too much about what she said."

I put my hands behind my head and stared at the ceiling.

"But don't you think it's funny? Out of all of the women in the world, my Dad just had to chose her."

"Yeah..." Ichigo trailed off.

I glanced at her. Her eyes seemed to be looking far, far away.

"Hey, you okay?"

They refocused again.

"What? Yeah, yeah I'm fine! You should be worrying about yourself right now, Kashino." She smiled and nudged my shoulder.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" I said.

"Hmm?"

"My stepmother looked at you twice, and it wasn't the same look that she gave Hanabusa and Andoh," I became more certain.

"Oh really? I didn't notice." Ichigo wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Ichigo."

She fell silent.

I sat up and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Ichigo, tell me what's bothering you. Don't keep everything to yourself. It's annoying as hell."

She tried to give me a questioning look.

"What are you talking about, Kashino? I'm totally fine!"

And then she smiled that brilliant smile of hers. But I wasn't fazed.

"I know my stepmother said something to you. You seem to have connections with her too. You told me you would explain everything, Ichigo. I want to know."

Ichigo's gaze fell to the bed sheets. There was a long moment of silence. Then she sighed.

"Fine...I'll tell you."

I nodded approvingly and crossed my legs, ready to listen.

"So...I used to live on land that your stepmother owned," Ichigo began, absentmindedly playing with the ribbons on her uniform. "But my family never had enough money to pay our taxes." There was a pause. "...Naturally your stepmother got mad and kicked us out, so we had to move elsewhere." Another pause. "...That's when my mom and dad got sick and died, so I was sent to an orphanage. And then I came here."

She looked up. I saw genuine sadness in her eyes.

"...I guess your stepmother still has a grudge against me for all of the financial trouble we caused, and adding to the fact that I coincidentally became your personal maid, of course she had a few things to say to me. But it wasn't anything serious, so don't worry about it, Kashino," she finished with a reassuring smile.

I pondered her words in silence. Something still didn't feel quite right to me. But it was the first time Ichigo had ever told me about her past, so I didn't want to push her any further. Besides, I couldn't find any flaws in her story. I decided not to dwell on it.

"Thanks for telling me," I smiled back.

"No, I should've told you before," she shook her head. "But I was still kinda shocked from seeing her again, so I avoided you. Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just glad you were able to tell me the truth."

I thought I saw Ichigo's lip tremble. But then she broke into a grin.

"Nope, I'm happy I told you!"

I frowned and flicked her forehead. "Don't be an idiot anymore. Tell us when you have a problem."

She stuck her tongue out at me. "You're the idiot, y'know! You better not be keeping any depressing thoughts to yourself either!"

I laughed and lay down on my bed again. Somehow, I no longer felt any anxiety from my stepmother. It was as if Ichigo was a purifier. She had this amazing talent of just washing away all of my worries. Soon, my eyelids started drooping from the exhaustion of a sleepless night and before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep.

Ichigo's POV

I knew I shouldn't have volunteered myself to be alone with Kashino.

It was just a really bad idea.

But after that encounter with his stepmother, I couldn't leave him alone. He was obviously suffering.

The looks that that woman had given me before she left were cruel reminders of the situation I was in, but that much didn't affect me anymore. I knew what I had to do and I would do it.

However, I wasn't prepared at all for the conversation I had with Kashino in his room.

I was too careless. I didn't expect him to question the band-aid on my cheek. I didn't expect him to notice the exchange between me and his stepmother. I didn't expect him to do a lot of things.

But he did.

And suddenly he was asking me what was wrong and about my connections with that woman and everything in between. I almost panicked. If I said nothing it would only arouse more suspicion, but I couldn't tell him anything either. So I had only one option. My first big lie.

Each fake smile made me want to puke in disgust. Each sentence felt like a punch to the stomach. Kashino trusted me so much, and yet I was completely taking advantage of it. But I had expected this. I had been ready for this.

It didn't make it any less painful.

Soon after, Kashino fell asleep. He had hidden it well, but I knew he was tired. He probably didn't sleep at all last night, just like me. I smiled at his peacefully dozing face and leaned over to stroke his beautiful amber hair.

My first friend.

My everything.

"I will definitely protect you, no matter what it takes."

Kashino slept like a log. I pulled a chair over, lay my head down on his bed, and soon drifted off as well. Then, around noon, just when I was coming to, there was a knock on the door. I stood up, yawned, and dragged my feet over to see who it was.

Hanabusa and Andoh.

"Hey Ichigo, is Kashino still sleeping?" Hanabusa whispered.

I looked behind my shoulder and saw Kashino slowly get up and rub his eyes.

"Not anymore," I whispered back.

"Who is it?" Kashino squinted at the door.

At the sound of his voice, Hanabusa immediately rushed in and did a cannonball onto his bed.

"My man, Kashino, rise and shine!"

Andoh watched as Kashino narrowly avoided being squashed and sighed.

"Hanabusa, if Bella-san just happened to see what you did just there you probably would've gotten another hour long lecture and no candy for a month."

"But she didn't," Hanabusa shrugged.

Andoh put a hand on his head and sighed again. I stifled laughter as Kashino started yelling at Hanabusa about how he had almost killed him and if he was in his right mind.

These guys were seriously the best.

"Anyways, Bella-san wanted us to tell you that there are three new maids waiting for you in the foyer," Andoh reported.

"Again?" Kashino asked incredulously. "All my age?"

"Yup. Your dad really seems to like kids." Hanabusa wiggled his eyebrows.

"Stop, that's disgusting." Kashino gave him a look and pushed his face away.

"Bella-san's busy right now so she wants you to give them the tour, Ichigo," Andoh said as pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, no problem!" Ichigo consented, eager to meet the new girls.

It was only after she saw the three of them sitting in the foyer that she realized it was not okay.

"Master Kashino, meet Sayama Chinatsu, Nakajima Ikue, and Koshiro Miya."

All Ichigo saw was a head of curly red-orange hair.

And there we have it!

The heiress finally makes her official appearance! And it took me absolutely FOREVER to find the names of those mean girls from Group B.

I also want to come up with another color to describe Miya's hair cuz red-orange just sounds tacky, but nothing comes to mind, so if any of you guys have a suggestion I'd be happy to hear it!

And of course, reviews and critiques are always appreciated!

Luv ya guys!

-momocandy XD

P.S. I already mentioned this in another of my stories, but even if I take a crazy long time to update, I will definitely continue updating until the day I actually give you guys the message that I'm stopping fanfiction. Which won't be anytime soon, btw. I still can't say for sure when I'll be able to update this again, but I hope this at least reassures you a bit!