Why did he say that? Obviously he and Misao were close, but the affection he felt for her was friendly, maybe a tiny bit of romance, but deffinately not the possesive care that filled him as the thought had formed in his mind.

"If it makes you feel any better," Aoshi said, reaching one hand up and touching Misao's hunched shoulder, "I don’t trust him either."

Misao smiled at him brightly. "Oh, don't worry. He was probably just making the story more dramatic for us." She half-playfully ruffled his hair, but her fingers strayed through his silky bangs and grazed his cheek as she dropped her hand.

Quickly, Aoshi grabbed Misao's hand. A twitch of her fingers was the only sign of surprise. Aoshi released her hand and ran his fingertips up to the back of her neck and pulled her a little closer to him. Misao bent down, her eyes closing.

She felt a hesitent brush at her lips, almost unnoticable, a pause, then...

...the phone rang.

Both of them nearly jumped out of their skins. As Aoshi scrambled for the phone Misao held her hands to her cheeks to hide the blush that was blooming there. She heard Aoshi speak in a slightly flustered tone to the person on the other end. He kept running his hand through his hair and shooting odd glances over his shoulder at the stunned Misao.

He hung up the phone and returned to the room. "Misao, that was Gisuke," he said gravely. She looked up at him. "Chiho's in trouble."

---------------

Chiho lay on her bed in a set of flanel pajamas. Her eyes were closed and her face flushed an unhealthy red. Gisuke stood at the foot of her bed, looking very upset while her family spoke with the family doctor to one side of the room. Chiho's parents were serious-faced and quiet, and her younger brother Keisuke was staring wide-eyed at his older sister on the bed. The oldest sister, Miho, looked particularly drawn and distraught.

Misao barrelled in, shouting Chiho's name, and threw herself at Chiho's side. The ill girl opened her eyes and smiled wanly at her friend.

"Oh, Chiho-chan, this is awful!" Misao wailed. "What's wrong? I rushed right over and didn't even hear what happened!"

Miho tugged on her bangs in distress. "I came back from college in the states over the summer. I got mono in the U.S. and I guess Chiho-chan caught it from me."

"Oh, Chiho-chan!" Misao wailed again.

Aoshi entered the door just then. The room grew dead silent. "Who're you?" Keisuke blurted. "Another doctor?"

Misao and Chiho paused in their conversation to giggle a little at Keisuke. Aoshi solomly shook his head.

"No, I'm Misao's friend," he said.

"What'll happen to Chiho-san?" Gisuke asked softly. His cowlick looked particularly bad. Aoshi guessed he had been running his hands through his hair in aggitation.

The doctor was silent in thought, then replied, "I know how hard school is already, but Chiho-san MUST stay home from school for a few days, at the very least, to recover."

"What!?" Chiho gasped, sitting up with a start. "No way! Doctor Yamamoto, I can't stay home! I've got dance! And my English teacher will be so angery! I- I- I've just gotta go to school! I'll be fine!" As if to prove her point, she pushed the sheets aside and stood up firmly. Misao poked her once in the stomach and she toppled back over.

"Chiho-san, I know you'll be fine, but mono is too contageous to let you go to school," the doctor soothed.

"Chiho-chan," Misao said comfortingly, patting her friend's head with a gloved hand, "I promise I'll bring you all the lessons so you can try and stay caught up."

Chiho smiled and nodded, saying, "I'll keep my grades up, and I don't care how long it takes to get well, you and I, Misao-chan..." She leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "...we're gonna dance at the year-end ball with Aoshi-kun and Gisuke-kun!"

"A promise!" Misao said, extending her pinkey. Chiho linked her feverish finger with Misao's and the two of them shook their joined hands. Misao released Chiho's hand and hid her distressed expression of concern by glancing at Aoshi and Gisuke conversing by the doorway. She looked back at Chiho and the two of them burst into giggles. The two boys turned and looked at them blankly.

"What's going on?" Gisuke asked a little thickly. Aoshi just blinked.

Chiho and Misao looked at their friends and began to laugh again. Their cheerful sounds echoed down the hall out onto the quiet street. Doctor Yamamoto quietly packed away his things and handed Chiho's father a bottle of medicine. As he walked down the hallway behind Miho to the front door he heard the shorter young man's confused voice ask what was so funny.

"Thank you so much, Doctor," Miho said as she bowed him out.

"Not at all," Yamamoto replied, "it's a pleasure to help you in any way I can. Besides, I doubt I'll see you for a while. Miss Chiho is on her way to an excilent recovery. Keep her laughing and she'll be dancing again in no time."

Bowing once more, Miho shut the door and looked back up the stairs. Misao blew Chiho a kiss as she shut the door behind her and descended the stairs with her friend, Aoshi.

'Misao-chan,' Miho thought as she caught sight of her face in the light of the genkan, 'you look nearly as bad as Chiho-chan. What's happening around here? What's going on!?'

END CHAPTER FIVE

NEXT CHAPTER: Things start to heat up with Chiho away from school to recuperate. Enishi, keep your big mouth shut! Aoshi, don't be a stranger! And Misao? Two cute boys, two lives, one past and only one can win! Poor thing... ^_- (My heart bleeds! Aoshi AND Enishi!? No fair!)