"How was the lunch?"

I nodded and smiled happily as we walked back down the narrow street in the rain. "It was wonderful, thank you," I said, glancing up at Kasanoda's red hair. That's all I could see through the rain with the dim street lights. Boy am I full. "I've never had any of that stuff before though, so it was pretty interesting. But thanks for taking me."

A smile grew on his face, and he did a little skip on the sidewalk. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he said, taking my hand in his. The touch caused me to blush for a moment, but then it felt so natural that I smiled warmly. I think the bubbles in my stomach are good. They certainly feel nice. Kasanoda pulled me close as we walked, whispering in my ear, "Stay close to me here. This isn't the nicest part of town." I nodded and walked closer to him, glancing around the dark avenue. Nobody was in sight. "Maybe I can take you out on a regular basis, yeah?" The nervousness in his voice was evident. "Like Thursdays or something?"

"That would be great," I answered. "Maybe you only pay every other Thursday-"

The breath was knocked out of me when a hand grabbed mine and tugged me into a pitch black alley. I could see Kasanoda in the light, surprise on his face as he looked into the alley. While one hand kept pulling me back the other had covered my mouth. Kasanoda ran into the alley after us, shouting and yelling threats.

"You're just the right bait for the son of some big syndicate, pretty girl," the man mumbled, his breath spreading across my face as we ran. Well, he ran and I was dragged. "He has to care quite a bit about his girlfriend." The rain made it slippery I guess and my captor slipped, pulling me down with him. I heard him groan.

Excuse me, Mister, but I am definitely not that heavy...

His hand covering my mouth left with the shock of falling, but my wrists were still held tight behind my back. It kind of hurt... "Get the hell off!" Kasanoda shouted, pulling me up off the man, who reluctantly let my hands go. "What the hell're you trying to pull?" He lifted the man by his shirt to his feet. I couldn't see his face in the darkness, my eyes had not yet adjusted. It was a good thing too, because Kasanoda was beating him up... Maybe he did deserve it? I don't know about these things...

But after several loud cracks and screams I grabbed Kasanoda's arm. "Maybe that's enough, Kasanoda," I said, trying to drag him away. The rain was really heavy now, and it's probably a good thing too for that man because he's bleeding all over the place... All I can see is the glint of red in the water through the cobblestones. But it's everywhere.

"He hasn't learned his lesson yet," Kasaonoda breathed out heavily, growling the words. His fist was raised again, over the man who lay limp on the ground gasping for air.

I stood in front of the whimpering man to prevent Kasanoda from hitting him again. "If he's ever going to learn his lesson it would be now after you've beat him up this much, and if not then there isn't any point in continuing, so let's just go..." The cold had started to get to me, into my bones and what felt like even my very soul. "He's already hurt pretty bad. Leaving him here will probably do more good than doing more to him physically."

The anger left Kasanoda's brown eyes and his face held something like shock. Or surprise. Or realization, I don't know. The rain was too dense to really tell. But he lowered his hand and just stared at the man with that shocked/surprised/enlightened face of his. And then at me. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "He was going to hurt you though..."

That look touched my heart. More surprises come from him every day... I slid my hand through his and tugged him away, back down the alleyway. "Let's just go," I whispered.

He nodded and followed. "I'll drop you off at your house."