Rei was pleasantly surprised that (Y/n) showed up. She still seemed very wary of him, confused at his still somewhat kinder behavior. He didn't mind. Whatever reaction she made was bound to be entertaining, and she still acted the same, so it wasn't of any concern to him. As long as it was "sincere", he was willing to accept it. He would also give her the same treatment just so it was fair. And he never cared about "fair".

As she met up with him and Akari, her eyes first focused on Rei. Different from their normal uniform, he was wearing surprisingly humble clothes albeit ones that were layered fashionably. She very much doubted they were just normal clothes. If anything, the clothes he wore probably cost more than her entire house. That wasn't really saying something though. She also happened to notice they were of a Vethelan style, standing apart from things she'd seen in Athain.

The blonde smirked, noticing he was being observed. Really, it was always a pleasant feeling. So, while she decided to check him out, he decided to do the same to her. She looked very plain. Her beauty stood out, but apart from that, if he hadn't known her, he would have just passed her by on the street. At least the uniform at Keisetsu was flattering and stylish. What she was wearing was just a white dress. There were no accessories and she wore her same worn-out shoes.

"I don't want you to say anything," she sighed, making him chuckle, "It's not funny."

Though she didn't tell him and rather wanted to hide the fact, it was her best dress. She didn't have many in-tact clothes, but she had managed to tuck that one away. It was the only one without soot or any other questionable stains on it. And the shoes were the only pair she had. It wasn't as if she had been blessed with the kind of money Rei was. He probably knew that quite well.

"Well, we can make another stop to fix this. Don't give me that look. I think you're lovely, but, like I said, I only keep quality people around me. You have to look the part."

"And Akari? Does he have to look the part, too?"

(Y/n) pointed at the blonde who was currently immersing himself in the playground, hanging upside down and doing all kinds of energetic tricks. He was weirdly good at it, too, which she wouldn't have expected. All she knew about him was that he could be kind of an airhead. But, of course, right as she thought that, he made eye contact with her and fell off the bars. The male landed on his feet like a cat but it was hardly graceful.

Akari was more casual in his choice of clothing but it really worked for him. The simpler things were, the better he would look. By no means was he dressed to the calliber that Rei was. Moreover, they didn't match. Akari, unlike his friend, had Athainian style clothes. Then there was the fact that his clothes were somewhat loose on him while Rei's clothes were likely tailor made in order to fit him perfectly.

"He's a bit different," Rei hummed, tilting his head, "Believe me, I'd like to see him be able to wear something with more class, but...I also think he looks better this way. Don't you?"

"I don't know. It's nice and all. It's just also not my type."

"You keep saying that. Do you say that to everyone?"

"Of course not," A pause. "I don't say it to Narahashi."

Rei stood, incredibly offended at that little comment. Again, she wanted to bring up the bluenette. Try as he might, but he could never understand that. It wasn't like he was bringing up Akari every five seconds. With a huff, he snapped his fingers, the younger blonde coming running up to him before entering the car with them. He did so silently, tucking himself on the opposite side of the back that (Y/n) and Rei were on. Rei scoffed. He'd never seen Akari dislike someone so much before.

"What is your type then?" the blonde mumbled, eager to have her eat her words, "Overly cheerful student council presidents that act like nothing in the world is worth losing a smile over? Tch. I bet he practices that smile."

"Maybe I just like people that are nice to me."

"That'd make you easy. You're not easy. We both know that. Just look how hard I have to work just to get you to pay attention to me. Besides, I want a real answer."

"Fine, but you won't like it. I happen to think Yamato is attractive in a few ways. He was a dick to me at first, so I hold something against him, but I can't deny someone like him is nice."

"What? Was it his bribery? If I give you food, will you think I'm hot, too?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Generosity is nice and all, but it's his strength I like. He does judo."

"So, you're into athletic guys."

"No."

"You can't tell me that's not it. Your little president does track and Yamato does judo. I did tell you I do sports, too, right? So, you should think higher of me than you do. I'm being generous, aren't I? Taking you out for a nice formal dress and some new casual clothes."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes. She also chose not to mention that Narahashi did mixed martial arts like she did. Besides, Rei was only playing around. And Akari...Well, he stared very intrusively at her with little beady eyes not unlike those of a cat. She hadn't quite figured him out yet, trying to understand exactly where he fit into the rest of the group and who he was as a person. She didn't even know what his family did. The girl made a note to look it up in the future.

Rei ended up taking her to a very nice boutique with a name that was written in a language she did not understand. She assumed it was Vethelan, and when the blonde read the sign out loud for her, the language sounded familiar and very elegant, too. He even translated it to mean "Ethereal". The inside matched the name, the shop stunningly colored with pale hues and with gorgeous artwork hanging on the walls, almost like a museum. As the older male went to greet the boutique's owner, the girl turned to Akari who continued to stare incessantly.

"How do you two know about this place? Have you been to this city before?"

"Hm?!" the blonde jumped, startled as she started the conversation, "Oh, well, my mother...likes to frequent this place. And she works with this place for her models. So...it's good. I promise."

"Models, huh? I guess I know what everyone else's family does, but is yours..."

The girl trailed off when she noticed the blonde looking extremely uncomfortable. He began shifting his weight from one foot to the other before fiddling his hands nervously behind his back. His expression wasn't great either. She stopped talking, not wanting to scare him off. It was more natural to ignore him when Rei came and slung his arm over her shoulder, practically dragging her to the dresses.

"What kind of thing do you want in a dress?" he hummed, glancing around, "Long? Short? Flowing? Tight?"

"Uh, I don't want to stand out. So, something plain."

"That's ridiculous. You'll be attending with me. As my pet. People need to look at you and know you're with a prince."

"I was going to go with Narahashi. And I'm sure he's going to wear something simple, too."

"Going with him? Fine. But you won't be with him the whole time, so, when you're standing next to me, you'll need to stand out," A pause as the girl remained silent. "Then I guess I'll choose."

The blonde spent a bit sifting through clothes with a determined look on his face. He was absolutely set on seeing just how stunning he could make his pets. The male already knew Akari would impress, but the younger girl wasn't at all used to dressing up. As such, he had to pay special attention to what looked good on her. As usual, his taste was incredibly opulent, so he ended up looking at only the most expensive things. Eventually, after having her try on a few different styles, Rei settled on a dress style he liked on her. He took joy in noting, "Vethelan was best".

"Then, we should settle on a color."

"There's a theme on the invitation," (Y/n) sighed, "It's some fancy name for gray."

"I don't need to follow that. I doubt anyone else will either. Let's just think what color would look good on all of us."

"Well, what does Akari think?"

Again, as she turned to face him, starting a conversation with him, the blonde stood bewildered. Frightened, he made sure to take a few steps back, turning immediately to stare at the ground. No matter what, he looked determined not to interact with her. She gave a frustrated sigh, met with a small smirk from Rei.

"He's not one for thinking," he simpered, knocking on the male's head like it was hollow, "Akari just has to sit there and look pretty. That's his job."

"What does that even mean?"

"That I make decisions for us. Obviously. And for this decision, I'm thinking...Ah, pink. Believe it or not, Akari looks great in it. And I can pull off any color."

Rei turned to the staff of the boutique and spoke in a language she didn't understand - presumably Vethelan. The staff all nodded and helped pick out things according to his taste. Though some others continued picking out things for her, it wasn't long before Akari was shoved into the dressing room first. He went along with it, too, seemingly unbothered when he came out. It must have been a part of his daily life.

Truth be told, though she didn't know where to place him in the scale of cute to handsome, Akari looked quite nice in the pink outfit. It wasn't formal, probably more semi-formal, but it fit him well. Unlike his other outfit, this one fit him a lot more snug, the staff saying they would tailor it to his size, if needed. Rei was satisfied though, saying it was unnecessary. That was all it took for Akari. Just the one. The same happened with Rei.

For (Y/n) though, it was a completely different story. Rei had her try on dress after dress, insisting that she do little spins to show him the full look. Though mortifying, it was probably made all the worse that everyone - including the staff - was staring at her. The only exception was Akari, who chose to sit backwards on the chair just so he didn't look at her. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or insulted.

Time after time again, Rei sent her back in to try something else on, each time with a different complaint. She was showing too much skin. She wasn't showing enough skin. It wasn't elegant. It was too elegant. On and on, he went, dissatisfied with everything until she ended up coming out with one that made him shut up. He just stared, walking around her with a low and persisting hum.

The dress itself was nice, in her opinion. It fit snugly and felt comfortable, which were two things she hadn't anticipated being an option. However, she also liked that it made her feel attractive. The slit at the front of the dress opened up just enough to get a peek at her legs but didn't show everything. The front of it, too, dipped down just barely. Meanwhile, the back was completely open, stopping just above her tailbone.

"I like it," she mumbled, waiting for Rei's comments.

"I do, too," he grinned, "They say a dress should match the personality of the person wearing it. In this case...both are teases."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes playfully, only emphasizing the male's point. Nonetheless, he was quick to have all of the outfits rang up, paying like the price was nothing to him. Though, considering his position, it probably was nothing to him. Akari was left carrying the bag, lingering behind the two quietly as they walked back to the car. However, before he entered, once again, he glanced at the girl and became uncomfortable.

"Rei?" he ended up muttering, receiving a nod from the older male as permission to talk, "I'd like to walk back."

"All the way across town? Don't be an idiot."

"I just...haven't gotten to walk yet today is all. I'll be back before long."

"...Whatever. Just make yourself useful and grab me some tea. You know what I like."

Akari gave a grateful smile, handing the bag off to the older male before waving goodbye. Even as they drove off to find a store to get her everyday clothes, the (h/c) haired girl watched Akari. The entire time, he never dropped his smile. It made her wonder. All the others seemed to be on relatively equal terms. Though she knew Haru and Rei were on a different rung of the hierarchy, they were still treated fairly similar to the others. And she also knew that Yamato didn't have as much money, but it didn't really matter. So, why was Akari any different? She brought it up as she came out of the dressing room, showing off the simple dress.

"So," she paused, given a smile from the prince for starting the conversation, "What is he? I mean, he goes to Keisetsu, so he's probably wealthy, right?"

"It's a bit complicated, I guess," A pause. "It must look like I'm bullying him from your perspective."

"You are."

"Well, that's not untrue," Rei chuckled, clearing his throat before continuing to say, "Akari's family is the Otsu family. They're a very wealthy count family in Vethela that make their money from...Actually, I forget. But they're a big deal in Vethela. But Akari's mother was, in a way, disowned for marrying a foreigner, so he's technically just a commoner."

"I guess that's not surprising. He doesn't really seem like the others when it comes to poise or pride."

"Right. He has money. Don't get me wrong. His father is probably the most famous photographer in the world: Katsurou Otsu."

"I wouldn't know."

"Well, then you'd know his mother: Cecelia Otsu. She owns a few magazine companies and works with models. So, don't worry about Akari's pockets. He's as wealthy as Shota and Yamato are."

(Y/n) didn't know whether to feel relieved or not. She had thought Akari's wariness of her stemmed from their difference of social classes, but, clearly, it was not. The girl was almost entirely sure he asked to walk back because of her. Why, she didn't know. After all, he was involved in helping bring the whole 'Pillow Princess' incident to light, too. So, she was determined to find out his desire to distance himself from her.

"Then, why do you treat him like that?"

"Maybe he likes it," Rei scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Well, he's also my playmate. It's his job to make me happy. Who cares anyway? Why don't we talk about me now? You'll find it much more interesting."

Though the girl humored him, asking things of little importance to satiate his ego, she could not stop thinking about the other male. Akari, at any chance, chose to ran away from her. He seemed fine with others. A feeling of dread welled up inside of her but she was quick to choke it down. And, before long, they pulled up to the same park she'd been picked up from, the blonde even teasingly opening the door for her.

"Are you sure you don't want to invite me to your home?" he smirked, placing his hand on his hip confidently.

"It's not my home. It's my house. And, I'm sure. Though, I appreciate the clothes."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. What is it supposed to mean?" she teased.

Rei gave a competitive grin, exiting the car before moving to hold onto her hand. Tauntingly, he kissed the back of it, acting like a "real" prince. She gave a pleasantly surprised look, a small smile threatening to appear on her lips. Yet, when he asked if he was still scary to her, she very tauntingly rubbed the back of her hand on her dress. The look she gave him, too...He felt chills run down his spine.

"I'll take it that's a 'no'," he chuckled sinisterly, observing her figure closely, "Otherwise, you wouldn't dare piss me off like that."

"Really?" she questioned, drawing out the question with a teasing tone before turning to go back to her house.

"Ha," the male scoffed to himself with great amusement, "I was right, after all. She is a tease."

The blonde was quick to run after her and grab at her waist, pulling her flush against him. To no shock, he was met with her hand on his wrist, the girl threatening to break it. He knew she could, too. After Shota and Yamato went on and on about her skill in martial arts, he'd done some research, too. He had nothing on her when it came to physical abilities. Maybe that made it all the more taunting.

"Careful," he warned, enjoying the feeling of having the elusive girl in his arms, "My guards don't like it when ladies get rough with me. They might just shoot a bullet between your eyes."

"So? Who do you think will be quicker? I bet I could snap your neck before they even pull the trigger."

"Really?" he mimicked, drawing out the question just as she had done before chuckling, "And you say I'm scary. But, you know, I like you, Ms. Shiratori. Very much."

The blonde held up his hand, telling his guards in the car to stand down. They obeyed, though there was a wary air about them. Regardless of his orders, they kept their eyes on him, surveying for any possible threats. At the same time, Rei chose to come closer, turning the girl around to face him before he leaned forward. He merely smirked when she put her hand up, the girl blocking his attempt at a kiss. Still, he took the opportunity to kiss her palm, his eyes fixated on her reaction - which was utterly stone-like.

"You're a lot more romantic than I thought you'd be," she mumbled, unimpressed.

"I'm only playing along. This is just how I think 'your type' would act. No?"

"No. I told you - "

"Sincerity, I know. But I doubt you'd actually want to see that from me. I would only scare you even more, and I don't want that."

"Don't you? You seem to like it when I'm afraid; when Akari's afraid; when everyone's afraid, really. Don't lie to me. Just be yourself. I can like you or I can hate you, but, if you do that, I'll always treat you as you are. And that's what you really want. Just like me."

Again, Rei could not fight his smile. Yes, she was right, and she was just about one of the only people who ever cared to understand that. Squeezing her a bit tighter, he found his desire to know her only increased. How lovely it would be to have another little pet. One that understood him inside and out and who allowed him the same luxury. Yet, (Y/n) was quite a bit feistier than Akari. He smirked.

In reality, that was perfectly fine for him. He very much looked forward to teaching his pet obedience. He had done it with Akari, and now, he would do it with her. The male shivered at the thought, letting his imagination run wild. Rei imagined anything would look wonderful on her: cuts, burns, brandings, etc. If only he didn't care so much about keeping her alive. If it wasn't like that, he would have wanted to take his time enjoying watching her bleed out. The looks on people's faces when they reached their limit was always so beautiful. No doubt her expression would be even better.

"You're not making things easy on yourself," he warned, "Still, I'll restrain myself. For now. As for your 'house', I expect an invite in a week. I can bring some gifts, if it incentivizes you."

"...fine," she sighed, pushing the male away while somehow still fostering his grin, "You'll find out where it is sooner or later. I'd rather it be that I get to choose when you show up at my door."

"Perfect. I'll make sure to bring some nice gifts, too. Text me the address. I know you've probably forgotten about it, but you do have my number, cupcake. Use it," the male noted darkly, pausing just before he entered the car, "And, if the police manage to catch the bastard that wrote that stupid story, I do expect a reward. See you Monday."

With that, (Y/n) turned to leave. And, out of the corner of his eye, a light flashed, Rei turning his head to see what it was. Immediately, he sent one of his guards to check it out, but, when the man returned, he had seen nothing. The blonde scoffed as the car took off, his mind wandering back to the little light every now and again.