By Kaosu

It had been two days since the picnic; Kaosu was a bit concerned. During the last couple of days, Kotohonou kept talking to Kurei and whenever she would come into the same room as them Kotohonou went quite and left the room. She figured that she just wanted Kurei to know more about them so he wouldn’t be so uptight. But that’s not why she’s concerned; she’s concerned because Kotohonou’s birthday was a couple of weeks ago and since she wasn't with her, she didn't get anything for her, and she felt bad.

Kurei was confused; it seemed like he was always confused ever since Kaosu and Kotohonou raided his house, but he was more so now then ever. Kotohonou kept telling him all about her and Kaosu’s past and what things Kaosu liked. He just figured she was just acting friendly, but still….

Kotohonou was excited; things were going according to "the plan". She learned the dislikes and likes of Kurei and found out they were quite similar to Kaosu’s. She was upstairs drawing out ‘the plan’.

"Hey, Kurei." Kaosu said to Kurei who was sitting in the family room watching the ‘News’. "Kotohonou’s birthday was two weeks ago and I want to get her a gift."

Kurei looked at her and said, "When was her birthday?"

"It’s the ninth of March."

"When’s your birthday, I mean, just so I know."

"The thirty first of this month."

"That’s coming up. Kind of short notice, isn’t it?"

"Yeah…" Kaosu said, a little annoyed he wasn’t getting up to get the car keys, "You don’t have to get me anything, all I want, right now, is for you to get up and get YOUR CAR KEYS!"

"Alright." Kurei said as he turned off the TV.

"Kotohonou, Kurei and I are going to the mall, bye-bye!" Kaosu’ quickly said. "Come on Kurei, hurry, let’s leave!" Kaosu whispered to Kurei.

"Why? What’s the hurry?" he whispered back.

"I’m coming too!" cried Kotohonou from upstairs.

"That’s why." Kaosu said with a sigh.

They all got in the car and drove to the mall. Kurei was driving his Lexus and was going the speed limit, but Kotohonou kept arguing about how slow he was driving and kept telling him to speed up. When they finally got to the mall they got out of the car and entered.

"Ok, you and Kotohonou go off and do what ever you want, I’m going that way," Kaosu said as she pointed behind her, "don’t you dare follow me, Kotohonou."

"Why don’t you AND Kurei go together." Kotohonou said.

"That’s ok, I want to go alone." Kaosu said, she wanted Kurei to distract Kotohonou. Just as she was about to leave them Kotohonou said, "Wow, Kurei, I can’t believe you’re actually wearing normal clothes! I wish I could take a picture of this! I’m so used to seeing you in your…hehe…robe." This gave Kaosu an idea for a gift.

As Kotohonou and Kurei walked through the mall people kept starring at him, mostly women.

"I wish I had worn my sunglasses and the patch to cover my scar." Kurei said, he was very uncomfortable with the attention he was getting and believed every one was looking at his scar.

"If you’re worried about people looking at your scar, don’t worry, besides the guys are actually looking at me," she said with a smile on her face, "and the women, I don’t think, are looking at your scar."

Kurei turned red. They sat down on a bench, a guy kept checking out Kotohonou.

"Sorry, got a boyfriend already!" Kotohonou yelled at the guy, "But thanks anyway!"

The guy turned red and ran away.

"You know, you’re very good about scaring people off." Kurei said sarcastically.

"Uh-huh." Kotohonou said, not really paying attention to him, "Come on, help me pick something for Kaosu’s birthday, it’s coming up you know."

Kotohonou grabbed his arm and dragged him from store to store.

"Hhhhmmmm…how about this? No, no…how about this…no." She kept saying.

"Awww…pick something already!" Kurei said.

"Well, what are you going to get her?" Kotohonou said, annoyed at his impatience.

"She said she didn’t want anything." Kurei said.

Kotohonou stared blankly at him, "And you’re actually going to do that?" she said.

"Well…I…" he mumbled, "I guess I could get you both something for your birthdays."

"Who told you about my birthday?" Kotohonou said, "oooohhh, that’s why she wanted to be alone…..Hehehe…. GIFT FOR ME, GIFT ALL FOR ME!"

"Yeah…" Kurei said. "I can’t believe she’s actually turning 367 years old!" Kurei thought.

After some more walking around they ended up in an antique jewelry shop.

"Oh this is PERFECT!" Kotohonou said as she leaned over the glass.

"The arm band?" Kurei asked.

"Yeah, it’s not too plain, and not to extravagant, and it’s made out of metal so it won’t…hey wait a minute." Kotohonou said.

"What?" said Kurei.

"Hana-sama’s mother had an armband just like this! She told me about it and she even drew me a picture of it! She lost it ever since her…mother…" Kotohonou pause and grinned at the sales clerk.

"So you like this band, eh?" said the clerk, "It would look lovely on you. What a kind boyfriend you got!"

Kotohonou and Kurei looked at each other and started laughing, the clerk was confused and started laughing with them.

"She’s not my girlfriend." Kurei was able to say.

"Oh really!" said the female clerk, "Then that means you’re available…"

Kurei was shock, Kotohonou was annoyed, and the clerk was smiling away.

"Listen," said Kotohonou, "this band, here, it belongs to my master, so give it back."

"Excuse me?" said the clerk.

"I said," Kotohonou yelled, "GIVE…IT…BA-"

Kurei didn’t want any trouble, well, at least not today, so he covered her mouth and said, "She’ll take it."

"That will be 4600 yen." The clerk said. Kotohonou paid her the money. "And here is your receipt."

"Thank you." Mumbled Kotohonou as she reached for it.

"Not for you!" said the clerk, "For him."

Kurei took the receipt and looked at it, it had her phone number on it. The clerk winked at him.

"…uhh.." Kurei said.

"Let’s go Kurei!" Kotohonou said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the store, that woman wasn’t going to mess up ‘the plan’.

"Oh look, there’s Hana-sama! HANA-SAMAAA!" Kotohonou yelled.

"Oh." Said Kaosu as she met up with them, "What’s in the bag, Kotohonou?"

"Nothing. What’s in yours?" Kotohonou said.

"Nothing." Kaosu said.

"So you both got nothing, did we all go to the same store?" Kurei said, he was trying to make a joke.

"What did you get Kurei?" Kaosu asked.

"He got someone’s phone number!" Kotohonou said as she giggled, but than remembered ‘the plan’ and quickly added, "But he’s not going to call her, ARE YOU Kurei." Kotohonou gave a look at Kurei.

"Um...no." He said, he was going to say no anyway, but the look Kotohonou gave him, made him fear what would happen if he had said ‘he would call her’.

"Ok, let’s go home then." Kotohonou said as she wrapped her arms around Kaosu’s and Kurei’s shoulders.

When they got home Kurei made a quick phone call. The girls were in the living room starring at each other, trying to think what could be in each other’s bags.

Kurei walked into the room. "I have a birthday gift for you two. It’s not anything special, but there’s this fancy French restaurant and I made reservations for four at six….so ‘Happy Birthday!" He quickly smiled and then went back to his usual self.

"Wow! Thank you Kurei!" Kaosu said.

"Yeah, thanks, but for four? Kurei I know you have some problems, but there’s only three of us." Kotohonou said.

"I invited…" He mumbled, "…Tokiya." Its not like he hated the guy, but he also didn’t like him either.

"OH, Kurei," Kotohonou said as she gave him a big hug, "I could kiss you, but I won’t because…." She went up stairs to pick out her outfit for the evening.

"Kurei, what’s the dress code?" Kotohonou yelled form upstairs.

"Oh, you’ll have to wear a dress." Kurei yelled back.

"A dress?" said Kaosu.

"What’s wrong?" Kurei asked.

"Well, I don’t have one." Kaosu said.

"You can barrow one of mine!" Kotohonou said.

"Oh. Thank you." Kaosu said.

"You don’t like to wear dresses do you." Kurei said.

"No." she said as she walked up stairs.