"Jiya!" Misao moaned in exasperation. Aoshi was already at the door, pulling his shoes back on. Misao glared sternly at her grandfather until he turned back around. With Okina's back to them, Aoshi took Misao's arm and pulled her gently but firmly into the hall.

"D'you remember what I told you before you fell asleep?" he hissed in an undertone.

"Was I suppost to?" Misao asked, wide-eyed in confusion.

Aoshi shook his head. "Don't worry too much about it. Just remember that the man I thought was the strongest then was defeated by Yukishiro. Keep your eyes open and stay on guard."

Misao nodded brisquely. "Right."

"I'm serious," Aoshi whispered fiercely, grabbing her shoulders and shaking a little. Misao looked at him oddly.

"I know. Don't worry so much. He can't do anything to me right now. We don't even know if he remembers anything. That's why I'll keep my eyes open and stay on guard."

Aoshi regarded her stonily. His face was impassive but Misao was beginning to learn how to read his emotions. The way his eyes were slightly narrowed, for example, and the bruising grip on her shoulders and the tenseness in his jaw that suggested he was grinding his teeth told her that he was worried. She hadn't seen him like this often, but once working over a paper after school with him she had watched him shatter a pen in his strong hands just like cracking an egg.

Smiling disarmingly at him, she grasped one callused fist in her hand and gave his fingers a quick squeeze. He sighed and released his hold, moving back a pace. "Sorry. You'll be careful. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Shinomori-kun. See you tomorrow." Then, she added for her grandfathers benefit, "Thank you for your help."

Aoshi paused briefly and glanced over his shoulder at the top of stairs. He raised a hand in farewell and Misao could have sworn he winked at her as he headed down the poorly lit stairwell.

"He's a nice young man," Okina hinted, twitching his eye brows at Misao as she closed the door behind her. Misao groaned and rolled her eyes.

"He reminds me of somebody," he continued pensively.

"Really? Who?" Misao asked innocently.

The old man paused a long time before replying. "I want to say a son, that's the first word that comes to mind, but as you're well aware, I had three daughters. Maybe he's the grandson of a friend," he mused. "What did you say his family name was?"

"Shinomori," Misao supplied, "Shinomori Aoshi. I don't know his parent's names, but I'm pretty sure the family comes from Kyoto."

Okina stared into space. "I seem to recall my grandfather came from Kyoto. I'll check at the Temple Registery."

Misao sighed. "Jiya, those things are so out of date."

"But, you have to admit, when a family moves to a new city, they go to the city offices to get registered at a temple!"

"Oh, go drink your tea," Misao huffed. As she passed the couch as leaned over and grabbed the phone.

"I'll need that later on," Okina warned as Misao retired to her room.

"Got a lady friend?" she jibed.

"Not at all," Okina huffed, "but I'm expecting a call."

"I shouldn't be too long," Misao lied easily. She dialed first Chiho for Gisuke's number, then called him.

A cheerful, motherly voice answered the phone. "Hello?" In the background Misao could hear the voices of at least two small children shrieking and giggling. A TV station was declaring its ads while a news radio show rambled on in discord. A warning voice called, "Your mother's on the phone! Quiet down!"

"Is this the Imazaki residence?" Misao asked nervously. Gisuke had never said anything about siblings.

"Yes."

"May I speak with Gisuke-kun, please?"

"One moment!" The phone was set down with a click on a hard surface and Misao could hear a knock on a door, muted voices, a pause, then Gisuke's voice came on.

"Chiho?" he asked excitedly.

Misao laughed. "No, it's just little ol' Misao."

"Oh, hello, Misao-kun. How are?"

"Just fine. I was wondering if you could tell me more about that Yukishiro Enishi you were talking about."

Gisuke chuckled knowingly. "I get it," he teased, "you're looking for a boyfriend. Isn't Aoshi-kun enough?"

"I just think I might know him from somewhere," Misao replied, too worried to acknowledge the jibe. Gisuke noticed and sobered up.

He was quiet for a moment before replying, as though he were making a concerted effort to give Misao all the information. "He didn't say much, and he wasn't very cheerful. He said he was from the Osaka area before he moved to Shanghai. I asked he between classes why he moved, and he told me his parents got a sudden adventurous streak and quit their jobs to go to China. While Enishi lived in a boarding school his parents traveled. They visited every now and then. They were gone for a long time so Enishi started high school in China, but his mother wanted him to move in with his aunt and uncle to go to school in Japan."

"Hmm," Misao said noncommentally. She was swiftly writing down all that Gisuke was saying in shorthand and finished up her notes before saying, "Why don't you invite him to eat with us, Gisuke-kun. I'm sure he'd like to join us."

"We can introduce him to everybody!" he said with relish. Misao smiled wryly. She'd let Chiho deal with Gisuke's want for attention and admeration. The latter would let him know, in no uncertain terms, that this Enishi was not a pedigree pet to be put on display.

She made her goodbye and hung up. Resting one hand on her knee and cupping her chin, she stared out her grimey window vacantly. Things were going to heat up, and fast.

'I just hope that Aoshi and I can handle this Enishi...'

END CHAPTER FOUR

NEXT CHAPTER: The introduction of Enishi, the first problems and maybe somebody will make a scene! A lot of questions will be asked...