Just another day in the office I suppose. It's just another day in paradise in the world of Shoujo Manga. It drives me nuts with how much I have to take in this type of field. The constant long days of no sleep, the arguing with the printers, those pressing time limits and most of all...

"Onodera? What's with the zoned out look?" a hand was placed on my shoulder. I look up to find my boss, Takano Masamune, staring at me with his droopy-like eyes. He's also the reason of my troubles in my current field. Inside and outside of work. Mostly outside of work, considering I live in the apartment next to him. He always insists on me to go into his apartment to 'talk'. Yeah right...talk. heh.

I look at him clearly before I zone back out onto my work laptop in front of me. It was an e-mail that I got from Yokozawa-san, the head of the printing department. I groan as I read the e-mail once more in my head before answering my boss. "I have to meet Yokozawa-san before I leave to go home today to give me some paperwork. He wanted to go over some things that he felt needed a bit more work."

I hate going to the printers. They aren't the nicest people...including Yokozawa. He hates my guts pretty much. But, work is work. I need to put my thoughts aside when I see him and just leave. That is the best way of handling it.

I feel the warmth of Takano's hand on my shoulder slowly fade out. My heart skips a beat, as per usual. Damn this body and mind of mine. I can't seem to get Takano-san out of my head much these days...not after...

...

"You mean she's your fiancé."

My eyes widened as I look up at Takano-san. My heart felt like it stopped beating and my breathing slowly diminished.

"I hit the nail on the head, did I?" I heard him faintly say as I just stared at the floor as if I were a puppy trying to apologize for eating his shoes. "It looks like you two get along great."

I look up at him, only to see him turn my back to me, not even wanting to look at me. Takano-san...why...?

"I'm sorry, but I'm going out now, so do you mind?" I heard him speak as he started to walk down his hallway into the kitchen, mochi in hand.

Out? So late? "Y-you mean you're running to the store..?"

He turned into the kitchen, not even looking at me as he walked off. "I'm going to go see my cat."

My eyes widened. His cat? But...his cat is at-Y-Yokozawa-san's.. I-it isn't any of my business...why should I care? My heart is telling me otherwise. It feels like it's about to break apart on me. I-I don't want him to leave...I can't let him leave... I feel his wind against me as he walked by me to get to his door. My body started to shake slightly. What do I do..? I mean, why am I feeling this way still...even after all this time?

The next thing I knew, I see my fingers clinging to the sleeve of his coat tightly. My eyes widen to my body acting by itself. I can tell that Takano-san wasn't expecting it either as he stopped in his tracks. "What is it?" he spoke, still not looking directly at me.

I look back down at the floor, the words all jumbling around. Damnit, Ritsu! What is wrong with you? "There really is absolutely nothing between her and I!" Why am I yelling all this aloud. Am I trying to even convince myself that I do have feelings for Takano..? "Our parents decided this fiancé bit, but neither of us takes it seriously at all! It's the truth, Takano-san!" I bow my head slowly in his direction. I can feel my fingers trembling a bit as I continue to talk to him...or rather...CONVINCE him of the issue at hand...as well as trying to convince myself too, I suppose. I feel his eyes on me once more, knowing that he was listening to me. My eyes continue to stare at the floor, only to wander in all directions, except Takano-san's direction. "We were friends as kids. We're both only children, so we're like siblings."

"That girl's in love with you, isn't she?" my hand trembled once more to his words as my heart slowly begins to beat harshly, almost feeling like it wants to explode out of my chest. "You say you're friends, but she was standing out in the cold, waiting for you until her face turned red. You're so dense when it comes to things like this."

I looked away from him, my face getting hotter and hotter. My brain was rambling over everything like crazy. I'm having a hard time trying to talk to this guy...it just hurts..

"Why are you even telling me all of this, Onodera?"

"W-why AM I indeed..." I whispered. That's what I've been trying to figure out this whole time. My mouth just keeps moving, ignoring my brain at all. It isn't like I'm in a relationship with this man. The last time was 10 years ago, back in high school. By unknown forces, he's now my boss at my job currently. I can't wrap my head around at what I am doing here. I don't want to go down the rabbit hole more than I need to but..

"Let go, Onodera.." he spoke sternly, with no emotion. I did as I was told, as my fingers removed themselves from his sleeve slowly and reluctantly.

Is this for the best..? Is this alright? Should I just let him go? I look up at him, only to see him turn his back on me once more, only this time, towards the door to leave.

My body shakes. I-I don't want him to see Yokozawa! I felt him pause as I clung myself onto his coat's shirt sleeves. I shake terribly as I rest my forehead against his back, my face feeling super flushed and hot. Why..? I can't help this feeling much anymore. I-I...I..

I clung onto his arms more for support. My breathing heavy. I attempted to take a deep breath before more words spilled from my mouth "T-that girl confessed her feelings to me a long time ago, but, I rejected her."

"Why..?" Takano-san asked me softly, not moving an inch.

My hands trembled more as I fumbled with my grip on his coat. I clung to it once more, the shaking now more noticeable. "I-I told her that I was in l-love with someone else..that's why..."

"Why what?" Damn this! Damn this all! I can feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. My throat is clenching tightly as it becomes harder to talk and not break down.

"I-Im asking you to please n-not go to Yokozawa-san's place..." I whispered at him. If he left now...I don't think I will be able to stand myself and how I will be feeling. I just felt that I would have surely lost him.

We stayed that way for a moment or two, only to feel him grab my hand, having him push me into the door. I look at him, my face growing hotter as my breathing gets worse. I-I feel weak. My heart can't take this feeling.

However, my mind slowly started to feel at ease as I felt his warmth get closer to me. His face was so close to mine. For a moment we looked into each other's eyes before he pulled me into a kiss. I-I don't know what I'm doing anymore. My heart skips a beat as I feel his fingers intertwine with my own shaky ones. After a few moments, my body slowly starts to become at ease. A part of me stil hates this and my body of acting out on its own, but, somehow, it still feels right.

He pulled away from the kiss slowly as I look up at him "T-Takano-san..." I panted out weakly as I start to feel my knees buckle a bit. I guess he noticed since the next thing I knew was he began to drag me into his bedroom. My face turns a bright red as I said nothing else to him. I see him turn off the lights to his room, only to drag me to his bed. He sat me down and bfore I knew it, he was laying on top of me. My whole body shook as I looked up at him. The tears were reluctant to leave as I felt the ache in my heart once more. Takano...

"I don't know what you've done these past ten years.." he whispered softly as he laid down fully upon my body. His body heat was resonating with my own. "So...tell me everything. I don't want anything to be hidden."

My hands instinctivly clung to his shirt tightly as he moved up to stare down at me. My face was still beat red as I couldn't help but to stare back at him "I want to know everything about you, Onodera.."

My eyes widened at his words. They were kind and gentle sounding. It wasn't that of the verbally abusive boss that he is at work, but, the nice and gentle Takano-san that I rarely get to see. He's usually sarcastic about things, but here he is; holding me as if I was a precious thing to him. He laid back down on top of me, his warmth on me once more. I hate this feeling of mine. The feeling of loving this man. But, I can't tell him. I can't tell him how I really feel about him. No one has ever made me feel this way before. Not even Ai-chan. Takano-san is an important person for me, but, my pride won't allow me to say such a thing. It hurts...Takano...it hurts. I feel the tears finally fall down my face. The painful feeling of loving this man more than life itself has driven me up a creek without a paddle. Takano-san..I don't ever want this to end, no matter what I might say or do..Takano-san..

...

"Onodera?" I blink out of my thoughts as I stared up at Takano. How long was I in this stuper and staring at him for? I quickly shake it off as I quickly look back at the computer screen.

"I-I just have a lot on my mind is all." It wasn't really a lie. Between Takano's annoying advance, work being near its last cycle of the manga publishing and my advertisement proposal for the current manga I've been working on with Mutou-sensei, sleep has just never been an option. Maybe an hour or two here and there. "Excuse me, but I have to meet up with Yokozawa-san with the edits on my project."

Before I stood up off my chair, I looked up and noticed Takano's face real close to my own. I'm sure he noticed my red face at that point. "T-Takano-san...why are you-?"

Next thing I realized was a hand on my forehead. What? Why is Takano-? "Just as I thought. You have a fever."

F-Fever? Of course I would be hot! You are so close to me! Curse Takano! Why does he try things when I feel the most vulnerable? He knows it, too. Cocky bastard.

"As soon as you deal with Yokozawa, try to go straight home. We have a three day weekend coming up. Use that for rest." He removed his hand from my forehead as he started to walk out of our department "You can't afford to miss a day with your current project."

"W-Well excuse me! I'm sorry if I become a future burden to you!" This is too much. He always does this sort of thing. Consistently teasing me and driving me nuts. "Well, I have to meet up with Yokozawa-san to get some paperwork."

I don't understand it. He is just staring at me with that face. The face of concern. His eyes are purely focused on me and my actions. Do I really look that bad? Granted, I haven't really had the time to admire my looks in the mirror in the past few days due to all this work and this extra work added on. The clothes I have worn were aside most of the time instead of being ironed like normal. On some days I just pass out once I enter my apartment, not eating the food I buy in the convenience store. It stays in the bag where I dropped it, chopsticks sticking out of the plastic confines. Energy drinks have been the source of my breakfast in the mornings from the fridge. It's all I can muster up as I race for the subway station and attempt to not miss the train to work. The bags under my eyes probably weren't noticeable before, but I'm sure as hell know they are very visible now. Maybe I don't look all that great, but I don't think I'm getting sick. Sure I feel hot, but, I think it was just from Takano being real close to me again.

I quickly look away, not wanting to get lost in his eyes. I'm sure the blush on my face is very noticeable. I feel the heat burning my eyes. Damn Takano. Damn it all. I quickly close the laptop in front of me and stand up just as quick. I grab the folder I needed to give to Yokozawa as I grab my coat and scarf. "I get it, I get it. I'll try to relax as much as I can to not be an inconvenience for work!" I refuse to look at him anymore. I still feel his eyes on me, and it makes me uneasy. Takano...why do you really do this to me when you have Yokozawa..?

I dart out of the department and head towards the elevator. Time to handle Yokozawa. Then I can go home and call it a night. As I reach my hand out to the elevator buttons to head down, a wave of dizziness overwhelms me. I managed to catch myself on the wall, my eyes squinting a bit. What was that? Why did that happen? Is it because I'm actually sick? But, I don't really feel much of anything. Maybe it is just the lack of sleep? Well, whatever it was, it's gone now.

The sound of the elevator opening woke me out of my trance as I quickly darted in. It's out of habit anymore as most of the time, I try to avoid Takano as much as I can and not be alone on the elevator ride with him. It's become almost second nature to me. My fingers move just as fast as I quickly push the right button to head down to the printing department. My eyes wander towards the doors, my mind hoping that Takano won't come on. it just feels all second nature. Most of the time I hardly even think about doing this sort of thing anymore. Curse Takano. Why does he keep pushing this onto me? After ten years, he still insists or pushing a love I pushed out. But, I know that isn't true. My feeling are buried underneath my pride. But, I can't tell him that. I just can't. He would like that too much.

Man. My mind is wandering all over the place today, isn't it? I laugh lightly to myself as I make it to the designated floor. Here goes nothing.