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  “Senpai! Senpai iru?”

  The loud, singsong voice pierced the night, and they broke apart. They stared at each other as they heard the sound of feet hitting the ledge. Dei’s laugh was unmistakable, as he and his friends drew near.

  Aya grabbed her beer and jumped to her feet, putting some distance between herself and Ryo.

  What the hell had just happened?

  Aya had always been in control—at least when it came to the male species. Things happened because she allowed them to happen. But with Ryo, she knew she wasn’t holding the reins. And she didn’t know what bothered her more—knowing that she didn’t or the fact that when Ryo looked at her the way he did before he kissed her, she didn’t even mind.

  “Aya . . .” Ryo began.

  “Here you are, senpai! You’ve started drinking without us!” Dei brandished a six-pack of Asahi beer. Matsuura elbowed him in the ribs and motioned to Aya standing in the shadows. “Ah . . . so-sorry?” Dei glanced at Ryo and took a step back.

  Aya smiled at him. Dei was usually thick as a brick, but the tension between her and Ryo must have really been palpable for him to notice. “Hey, Dei. Yeah, we started without you. Gomen ne.”

  Her labmate smiled back, but his eyes darted back to his senpai. He looked nervous.

  She couldn't blame him. If looks could kill, Dei would be writhing on the floor by now.

  Ryo shook his head and sighed. “Osoi. You guys are so slow. Did you at least bring any food?”

  “Hai!” Matsuura and Taki chorused as they held up plastic bags of junk food.

  Aya sat back down as the three boys began distributing food and drinks. Though she felt his gaze on her, she carefully avoided looking at Ryo for the rest of the night.

  Oh well. At least she had managed to forget about Adrian.

  Chapter 12

  It was every girl’s dream date.

  Aya was sitting in an eat-all-you-can dessert café in Shibuya. The air was filled with yummy smells . . . sweet vanilla and tart lemon . . . and the tangy spiciness of the soup and pasta offerings on the sideboard.

  But more than the place and the food, having a gorgeous man hanging onto your every word was absolute heaven.

  Luc was the perfect date. Aside from being total eye-candy, he smelled delicious and his accent was charming. The amazing green of his eyes had Aya conjuring images of Harry Potter lookalike babies. His light brown hair was a bit longer than it ought to be, but that only added to his appeal.

  Her only problem? Luc didn’t do a single thing for her.

  He didn’t make her pulse race or her cheeks flush. He didn’t make her want to tear her hair out in frustration. He gave her compliments and listened attentively to what she said. He didn’t make fun of her, not even once. He didn’t even steal the food from her plate. He was the perfect date. He was . . . comfortable.

  But that was a good thing, right? Aya liked comfortable. It was like an old fuzzy blanket you used to wrap yourself in on cold, rainy days.

  But why was she so bored?

  She smiled at Luc as he told her about his research, nodding attentively every so often. But her mind was miles away.

  Her phone buzzed insistently, but she ignored it. But when Luc excused himself to go to the toilets, she snuck a peek.

  Mori-chan: Dou? How’s the big date going?

  aYa: Nice. Now at a dessert tabehoudai place in Shibuya

  Mori-chan: Sugoi. Don’t over-eat. Lover-boy might get scared.

  aYa: Hahaha. You’re the only one who over-eats.

  Mori-chan: Chotto! Is that the place with the chocolate gateau? Do you think you could slip some into your bag?

  aYa: You wish.

  Mori-chan: I’m working hard on our project here. All by myself.

  aYa: Unfair! It’s not as if I didn’t stay late last night.

  Mori-chan: Yeah, yeah. But now you’re eating chocolate gateau and I’m slurping cup ramen.

  Mori-chan: While slaving over OUR project.

  Mori-chan: We’ve a presentation on Wednesday, remember?

  aYa: I know. You reminded me last night. Three times.

  aYa: I’ll come in tomorrow to work on the model.

  Mori-chan: Or you could drop by after you finish your date.

  Mori-chan: You’ll be finished soon, won’t you?

  aYa: Sayonara.

  Aya rolled her eyes. Deliberately, she took a bite of the chocolate gateau and savored it.

  She ought to be thinking about her date, but instead she thought about the guy she’d been avoiding for the past week.

  Well, not totally avoiding—she and Ryo were working together on a project after all. But for the past week, Aya had tried to avoid being alone with him. Not that she thought he’d try anything in the middle of the lab, but there were times she caught him looking at her . . . times when their eyes met and she’d feel heat pooling in her belly. He’d open his mouth and she knew instinctively that it wasn’t their project he wanted to talk about.

  That was her cue to go to the bathroom. Or the library. Or the department office.

  It didn’t really matter where she went. She just wasn’t ready to deal with him yet.

  Sure, people kissed all the time. But the kiss . . . awesome though it had been, was a mistake. Because Ryo was leaving and she’d had enough of messy, long-distance relationships. Better to nip everything in the bud.

  So she’d stopped having dinner and coffee with him. If she couldn’t get out of it, she dragged April and Reggie or roped anyone who was in the lab to eat with them.

  She’d even started working at the communal area downstairs instead of at her table beside his. When he’d asked why, she told him that she needed more working space.

  He’d snorted and asked if her laptop had magically morphed from thirteen to fifteen inches. Yeah, he’d noticed.

  And when he’d asked her yesterday if she was coming to the lab today, she’d begged off and told him she had a date. With Luc.

  He hadn’t taken that too well. He’d stomped up the stairs and holed up at his desk. He’d been so surly that Matsuura and Dei, whose tables were near theirs, had packed up their things and joined Aya at the communal area downstairs.

  “You alright?” Luc slid into the seat opposite hers.

  She smiled. “I’m good.”

  “How’s the gateau?”

  “Sinful.”

  “I should get some then. You want some coffee?”

  “Sure, thanks!”

  Might as well enjoy as much of this date as she can. There probably won’t be a next one.

  + + +

  Her phone was ringing again.

  This was the fourth time in the last fifteen minutes. Someone sure was persistent. And though Aya enjoyed Arashi’s “Happiness” enough to set it as her ringtone, right now she yearned for silence. Her head felt heavy, he joints were achy, and her mouth felt like it was stuffed with wool.

  Not the ideal frame of mind for appreciating the musical awesomeness of Ohno, Sakurai, Aiba, Nino-chan, and MatsuJun.

  She groped for the phone on the shelf above her bed. “Hello?”

  “A-ya-chan. Osoi no yo.”

  “Ryo?” Ugh. I sound like a croaking frog.

  “What happened to you?” Ryo’s voice filled with concern.

  “Sick. Feel like a truck ran over me. I probably won’t be able to come to the lab today.”

  “Baka. Of course you won’t. You sound like Yubaba.”

  “Yu-who?”

  “Shiranai? Yubaba was the bath-house lady in Sen to Chihiro.”

  “Um, as interesting as this conversation is, I think my bed is calling me.”

  “Chotto, do you have food? Medicine?”

  “I’ll find something later.” And because she was too tired to argue, she ended the call and went back to sleep.

  Two hours later, she woke, her body racked with chills. I need my mommy! She sighed in relief when she found some ibuprofen in a drawer. Chugging down the tablets with m
ilk, she headed back to bed. She was almost asleep when she heard someone knocking on her door.

  “Hai?” Cursing, she got up. “Yeah, what is . . . Ryo?”

  He put his hand on her forehead. “Chikusho, you’re burning up. What have you done to yourself?”

  “Baka. If you think I wanted to get sick . . .”

  Ryo shushed her as he led her back to bed. “What happened?” He put several plastic bags on her desk and placed his backpack on a nearby chair.

  “Forgot my umbrella on the train yesterday.”

  “And you walked in the rain?”

  “It wasn't raining that hard.” At least not when she’d started out. “I didn’t want to sleep in the station.”

  “You could have waited for someone.”

  “Oh yeah, why didn’t I think of that?” Aya’s tone dripped of sarcasm. She had thought about it—when she was halfway to the dorm and already soaking wet. “Ne, what are you doing here?”

  “What else? You haven’t eaten, have you? I’m going to make you some soup.”

  “You are?”

  “Just rest. I’ll take care of you.” He stood up and looked around her room. “Uh. Where’s your stove?”

  Aya laughed weakly. “Communal kitchen. My stuff is there. Box 412. Key is on the desk.”

  “Hai, hai. Don’t go anywhere.” Ryo scooped up the key and the plastic bags and headed out the door.

  Where would I go? But as she drifted off, Aya thought this might be the sweetest hallucination ever.

  + + +

  “Should we wake her?”

  “Well, he asked us to.”

  “But she looks so peaceful.”

  “She needs medicine and food. Go on, wake her up.”

  “Why do I have to do it?”

  The faint murmurs teased Aya awake. Reggie and April stood beside her bed, arguing. “Uh, I’m awake now. What are you guys doing here?”

  “Aya! You’re awake!” April sat on the bed.

  “You sound terrible. How are you feeling?” Reggie laid a hand on her forehead.

  She smiled at Reggie. “Tired. But I’ll live.”

  April leaned forward. “Ryo is right, you look like hell.”

  “Ryo?” So it had all been real?

  “Yeah, we bumped into him in the kitchen and he told us you weren’t feeling well.”

  “You should have called us,” Reggie chided.

  “Sorry. I didn’t want to be a bother.”

  “Gaga. You’re not a bother. You’re our friend.” April snorted as she fluffed up Aya’s pillow.

  “Next time something like this happens, you call us. Okay?” Reggie said as she straightened the futon. “Anyway, we’ve instructions to get you ready to eat.”

  “I don’t want to go outside.”

  “Nah, you won’t. Your tray is coming soon.” April pushed another pillow behind her so that Aya was now sitting up. “Your boyfie is such a sweetie. And he’s an amazing cook.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  April stared at her incredulously. “Ano ba, Aya. Put the guy out of his misery.”

  “He’s not into me. We’re just friends.”

  Reggie shook her head. “We’ve been here only four months, but I’ve met enough Japanese guys to know he doesn’t treat you only as a friend.”

  “Yeah. And if you seriously believe that you’re just friends, then you’re either really thick or heavily in denial.”

  Aya was saved from having to reply when they heard a knock on the door. April rushed to open the door for Ryo.

  He thanked her and deposited a tray on Aya’s desk. Taking a bowl and a spoon, he walked over to Aya. “Do you want me to feed you, Aya-chan?”

  “I can feed myself.” Aya reached for the bowl. Belatedly, she smiled at him. “Thank you for making this for me.”

  “Yeah,” April perched on the desk and idly picked up Ryo’s train pass. “You came all the way here just to take care of Aya.”

  “And you bought groceries too.” Reggie started folding plastic bags into neat, little triangles.

  “Well, I am her tutor.”

  “Hmm.” April looked disbelieving. “I don’t know if my tutor would come all this way if I were sick. What about you, Reg?”

  “No, I don’t see Junya rushing over here. You’re really lucky you got Ryo for a tutor, Aya.”

  Aya glared. She knew what her friends were trying to do with their not-so-subtle comments. But they just smiled angelically back.

  “Sou ne,” Ryo agreed. “I keep telling her she’s the luckiest girl on campus.”

  Aya decided to ignore this. She was too busy eating. She didn’t know what Ryo had put into the soup, but it tasted damn good.

  “Like it?” he asked.

  “Mmm. Oishi.”

  Ryo gestured toward the desk. “There’s more there if you get hungry later. I also bought you milk, bread, and lemon ginger tea. Ah sou, and this.”

  Aya blinked as Ryo stood up and fetched a plate. “Uh, grilled leeks?”

  “Sou.” Ryo fetched a length of linen from his bag and began making a compress. “This is for your throat.”

  Aya wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I’m not putting leeks on my throat.”

  “Yes you are. They’re great for sore throat and congestion.” Ryo tried to hand her the compress, but Aya shook her head. “Aya. If you don’t tie this around your neck, I’m going to kiss you.”

  Aya’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Behind him, she could see her friends convulsing with laughter. She grabbed the compress and put it on. “There. Happy?” She glared at him.

  Ryo smiled. “For now.”

  “You have to get better soon, Aya.” Reggie nudged April. “It’s AgeHa night next week, remember?”

  “Oh yeah, Gaby was so excited to go dancing with you, er . . . I mean us.” April giggled.

  “You’re going to AgeHa next week?” Ryo asked. AgeHa was a popular nightclub that was famous for its all-night parties.

  “Well, we can reschedule if Aya is still feeling bad. I’m sure Gaby would understand. Right, Reg?”

  “Oh, definitely.”

  “I’ll be okay by then.” Aya put the bowl aside and snuggled back under her blankets.

  “How can you be sure?” Ryo frowned down at her, his arms folded across his chest.

  “You aren’t my doctor. And this is just a bug. It’ll be gone tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “You should come with us, Ryo,” Reggie invited.

  “Yeah, that way you can keep an eye on Aya,” April added. “You know, in case she has a relapse or something.”

  “You don’t have to,” Aya told him.

  “Oh yeah, Gaby’s going to be there anyway. He can take care of Aya.” Behind Ryo, her friends’ shoulders shook with silent laughter.

  “Sure, I’ll come,” Ryo decided. “What time do you guys want to leave?”

  Chapter 13

  “Onegai, Aya-chan, let’s not make a habit of this.” Ryo said as he deposited her on her bed.

  “Mmm?” Aya’s eyes fluttered open and she saw him stretch his back. They were back in her room. Last thing she remembered was tossing back shots with April at AgeHa. “Where are April and Reg?”

  “Back in their rooms, I guess. We took a taxi home because you and Reg were tipsy.”

  Aya giggled. “Reg got drunk?” she couldn’t quite imagine it.

  “Puked on the sidewalk.”

  “And April?”

  Ryo chuckled. “Now that woman can handle liquor. She impressed even Sergio.”

  “Wow.” She smiled as she snuggled into her pillow.

  He leaned on the edge of her desk and watched her. “Good thing your dorm is near AgeHa or we’d be waiting for the first train on the streets.”

  Aya closed her eyes for what seemed like a couple of seconds, then felt Ryo shake her awake. “Hmmm? Whatisit?”

  “Take these before you go to sleep.” He handed her a glass of water and t
wo tablets.

  She sat up and looked at the tablets in her hand. “Are you . . . are you drugging me?”

  He laughed. “In your state? I wouldn’t need to.”

  “Okay.” She took the glass and downed the tablets.

  She thought she’d be able to go back to sleep, but the man beside her bullied her into changing clothes in the bathroom. Though she’d grumbled, she did feel better when she had her pajamas on.

  When she came out of the bathroom, Ryo was arranging a spare futon on the floor near her bed. “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like? I’m getting ready to sleep. It’s two in the morning and there aren’t any trains.”

  She sat down on her bed as he stretched out on his makeshift mattress. “Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

  “Try sleeping on newspapers on the lab floor, then talk to me about uncomfortable.” He shifted, trying to find a comfortable position.

  “Hmmm.”

  He glanced up at her. “You okay? Do you need to go back to the bathroom?”

  She shook her head. “I was just thinking.”

  “What were you thinking about?”

  “Who was that girl you were talking to?” Damn. The alcohol must have loosened her tongue. She hadn’t meant to say that at all.

  “Huh? What girl?”

  “The pretty one with long hair, who you were arguing with near the bar.”

  Ryo’s expression cleared. “Oh, that girl.”

  Yeah, the girl with the tiny dress and legs that went on forever. Not that she had been paying special attention. But when Ryo had stiffened and excused himself, her eyes had followed him. He approached a female at the bar and tapped her shoulder. She had whirled around, the smile on her face changing into surprised guilt when she saw him. Ryo’s back was to Aya, so she couldn’t see his expression, but the girl he was talking to had pouted and stomped her foot while they talked. Well—argued—by the look of it.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, nothing.” Aya traced the swirling pattern on her bed sheet with a finger. “Is she your girlfriend or something?” Ugh. She wasn’t supposed to ask that either.