Good evening everybody. Here is a delicious new story that I have whipped up for you. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!

Something Complicated

Chapter 1

Valentine's Day.

In all of her nineteen years in this world, Kotonami Kanae was never a fan of the holiday…ever. To her it was just a useless excuse for stupid couples to be more stupid and eat tons of high-calorie sweets without a guilty conscience.

However, over this past year Kanae has learned there is a new day to be feared, even more than the dreaded Valentine's Day.

It was the dreaded Day After.

Kanae felt her gut wrench as she grabbed her pamphlet, watching President Lory Takarada with a wary eye as he gave the Love Me girls a cheery smile.

"Have you all received your assignments?" the young women slowly nodded as he continued, "Good. Now just like last year your assignments start today. For some of you, this might be a good opportunity to reach your next destination. Otherwise, have a wonderful rest of your day." As he turned to the door he called out, "Happy Day After," and proceeded to leave the Love Me Section.

Kyoko, Kanae, and Chiori all sighed the moment he left. The President took it upon himself that since all three of them were so successful the last time he did this, he decided to do it again as "a change of pace."

Kanae snorted at the reasoning. If by "change of pace" it meant another level of going through the tortuous unknown while he laughed at their misfortune, then Kanae completely agreed. "Alright then," Kyoko started, her pamphlet crinkling in her grip, "on the count of three." Kanae and Chiori held their pamphlets out, awaiting the signal.

"One." Kanae realized her pamphlet was pretty thick compared to her companions.

"Two." She tried to glance at the other pamphlets, but couldn't catch a glimpse.

"Three!" All three Love Me members quickly opened their pamphlets and began to skim, picking out who, what, where, when and why before they announced their challenge. Being the first one to finish Kanae glanced at both Kyoko and Chiori, their expressions not what she was expecting.

Kyoko looked like she was on Cloud Nine; she could literally see sparkles brightening around her the further her eyes read down the page. Kanae peeked at Kyoko's challenge, to which it was labeled "something wet."

Hook, line and sinker, Kanae rolled her eyes. She assumed Kyoko was assigned to something fantasty-related, otherwise it wouldn't grasp her friend's full and undivided attention. When she glanced to Chiori though, she almost stood out of her seat. The smallest girl of their trio looked like she was about to keel over, judging by how pale she was. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop, her mouth hung agape as she read. With the smallest glance, Kanae read "something wild" while she waited for the girls to finish. Either she received the easiest challenge or the hardest one. It was difficult to tell what made their love-sick President tick.

"So," Kanae started, turning to her chestnut haired friend, "what's so magical about your assignment, Kyoko?" Her eyes still shining, Kyoko babbled about how she was appearing in the reenactment of The Little Mermaid, but she wasn't sure what her part was until she went over for the debriefing. Kanae decided not to mention they might be reenacting the original story instead of the Disney version. She didn't want Kyoko to be already heartbroken before the actual filming.

It would be interesting to see who would be 'Prince Charming.'

Chiori went next, albeit a little quieter than usual, about how she obtained a part about a young woman who was addicted to extreme sports. At least it was progression from her mean girl image. She didn't clarify what those sports would be, but the look on her face said she was not looking forward to it.

After their brief summaries, both Kyoko and Chiori looked at her expectantly, curious as to what her pamphlet held. Kanae internally groaned as she looked back down at her thick pamphlet, her eyes trying to burn the scribbled lettering.

Something complicated

"It's not really as bad as I thought it would be," Kanae started, feeling Chiori and Kyoko's stares, "apparently President Takarada had an emergency meeting today and is having me escort one his long-time friends for the next few weeks." She paused, mulling over how boring this actually might be but could still feel her co-workers intense looks. "The individual himself fell ill at the last minute, so he's sending down one of his children to handle his business in the city. She should only be here for a month tops."

"Sounds boring." Kanae couldn't agree more.

"What's the man's name?" Kyoko asked curiously, trying to keep the peace.

"Deon Dranias," Kanae recalled, "there wasn't much information about his expertise, but I'm supposed to be meeting his daughter Diana at the airport in an hour. I should probably ask Sebastian if he could give me a lift." Having said that, she quickly said her goodbyes and left the Love Me room. It only took a few minutes later for Sebastian, with Arabian wear and all, to bring a limo around and head off to Narita-Haneda Airport.

Despite having read the pamphlet, Kanae decided to read it again to pass the time. After a few minutes of intense reading, she had a fairly clear idea whom she was dealing with during their stay.

Great, I have to deal with snooty rich people for a month. As if Koenji wasn't bad enough.

With a sigh she turned the pages a little too quickly and noticed a small photo fall right next to her seat. Surprised she didn't see it earlier, Kanae carefully picked it up, flipping the photo over to see six smiling faces at where appeared to be a beach. On the bottom corner of the photo showed the date of summer of last year, but she was more focused on the six attractive figures clad in beachwear.

Whoever copied this photo thankfully gave Kanae names to faces. From left to right were Deon, Angelique, Athena, Diana, Ken, and Alexander. She decided to focus on Diana, who with surprise saw that she was no older than herself. Shaking off the thought, Kanae started with the long wavy brown hair, down to angular features, to stunning sea green eyes and pouty pink lips. She noticed Diana was held in a secure piggyback fashion by this Ken individual, who also looked around her age. She also couldn't help but notice the two of them alone smiled the brightest out of the six of them.

Her boyfriend perhaps? Kanae glazed over the young man's features, taking in his tall frame, uneven inky locks, bronze skin, and his shit-eating grin. Despite his eyes being hidden behind his messy hair, she could still see glowing hazel looking directly at her. For a moment, Kanae sincerely thought those eyes looked…familiar.

It was on the tip of her tongue when she heard a vibration against her right thigh. The thought lost, Kanae groaned and took her phone out of her Love Me uniform. In seconds, she could feel her eyebrows go up to her hairline as to who was on the caller ID.

"Mom?" she answered with as much surprise as she felt.

"Kanae, sweetheart, how are you?" She seriously thought both her parents were still in Guam for another month, but she decided to think about that later.

"I'm working. I'm on an assignment at the moment and we're really close to the destination."

"Oh…okay then, I'll try to be quick." Kanae tried really hard not to notice her mother's excited voice suddenly turn meek. It was a long process to be on good terms with her family, but it was so difficult when everything she worked hard for turns to smithereens the moment she walks through her family's door.

"Anyway," she noticed her mother trying hard to cheer up, "When your father and I came home yesterday, I found a letter mailed to the house addressed to you."

"A letter?" Kanae asked in confusion, "for me?" Her mothers' chipper tone grew more excited by the second.

"I know, and you won't believe who sent it. I still can't believe after all these years he still remembered our address. Oh bless his heart." Kanae tried not to roll her eyes at her mother's exaggeration, but her curiosity was piqued.

"Who sent it, Mom?"

"Oh you wouldn't believe me even if I told you, but I couldn't keep it to myself. It was-"

"Kotonami-san."

Kanae slightly jolted from her seat as Sebastian looked at her from the rear-view window. "It is almost time for the plane to arrive. We should hurry."

"Oh, right, thank you. Look Mom I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Wait did you hear what I said just now? I said-"

"Yes, yes Mom I heard. Now I really have to go. Bye Mom."

"Kanae, wai-" She didn't let her mother finish as she hung up, her car door already open and her form walking quickly into the airport, refraining from twitching every time a person stopped to gape at her choice of attire.

If walking through the airport in this atrocious uniform was the most complicated her mission was going to get, then she would gladly take it.