Sweets Shop

Introduction time!

This is my first fan fiction. So yeah, it will probably suck, and I apologize for that. Now that that's out of the way, here are the pairings:

Tsukasa + Tsukushi

Rui + Shizuka

Soujiro + Yuki

Akira + Sakurako

Kinsan + Shigeru

Shizuka will most likely not be in the story, I just wanted to make it clear that they were still together. Just consider her off in France somewhere.

I hope everyone enjoys this, and I look forward to hearing any comments. :3

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters...blah blah blah...all rights are reserved and belong to Yoko Kamio...blah blah blah...yeah ok, that's all.

Tsukushi arrived at work a little early. It had been nice and sunny that day, so naturally many people were out. Tsukushi figured that the Dango shop could use a little extra help if it was as busy as she thought it might be. Seeing her boss, she smiled. "Good afternoon, Liz. How has it been today?"

"How has it been today? Look around," Liz said, as she glanced around the shop once again, amazed at the lack of customers, "it's been like this for the last four hours. We won't be able to stay open much longer if things continue this way."

"I guess you don't want me to start early then?"

"Not really. I was actually going to ask you and Yuki to take the day off. This store is really not doing the business to be able to support so many employees."

This made Tsukushi nervous. Her job at the Dango shop was her main source of income, and she really didn't feel her waitress job could support her even if only for a little while. "That's ok Liz, I understand," she said, feeling defeated. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, Tsukushi. Thanks for understanding."

With that she left the shop for home. Tsukushi had yet another incident with the F4 earlier that day, and if you take into consideration what just happened, she had the distinct feeling that this was not going to be a good day.

Ugh, it's all that idiot Tsukasa's fault. My day is always better when I don't see him in the morning. I still can't believe he had the nerve to say that I bumped into him when I was the one sitting down!

It wasn't long before she reached her home. Tsukushi lived by herself because her parents and brother were away in a fishing village. She really didn't mind living by herself though, it allowed her many more freedoms than she would have had if they were still there, but she did miss them all terribly. Except, of course, when her mother would pester her to find a rich husband. That, Tsukushi could whole heartedly live without.

Tsukushi, standing outside of her apartment looking for her keys, could already hear the beep of the answering machine. Great, she thought, who could that be from? She briefly hoped that it would be from Liz at the Dango shop asking her to come back because it suddenly got busy.

As soon as she pressed the button a wave of worry passed over her.

"Hey Tsukushi, this is Caleb from the restaurant. I have some bad news for you. As you know, business has not been that great, and hey, I really wanted to tell you this is person, but it looks like that is no longer possible. We're going to have to let you go. It's nothing personal, really, you were one of our best waitresses. I wish you luck in finding another job, oh, and don't forget to return your uniform."

What?…He…But I…...Crap. Now what am I going to do?

Tsukushi had not felt this miserable in a while, so she decided to rest in bed for a while. After all, she had nothing better to do. Hundreds of worrisome thoughts swam through her head. How was she going to support herself when her only remaining job seemed to be ending also? Tsukushi wasn't just supporting herself either, what would her family do without the money she sent them each month? The fishing business had proved to be very difficult for her parents, and they had come to depend on her to supplement their income. Before she knew it her alarm was going off, signaling that it was time to get ready for school.

At least her walk to the school was peaceful. Maybe yesterday was all just a bad dream? She could hope.

The school gossip cliques seemed ablaze with the latest information about the F4.

"Where are they?"

"They're not here. I bet they went on vacation somewhere, maybe someplace exotic. Oh, I wish they would have taken me along!"

"Maybe they are just late?"

"If they were going to be here today, they would have shown up by now."

Grief, Tsukushi though, these people should get a life. I wonder if their parents know that, instead of paying for their children's education, they are really paying for their social lives.

Gladly, Tsukushi found that the day passed by relatively fast, and she found herself outside of the Dango shop once again. Briefly, she peered inside the window, looking to see how Liz was. Judging by her small smile, Tsukushi hoped for the best and entered the shop. "Hello Liz, are things going better today?"

"A little. I suppose that's only Murphy's Law after yesterday though."

"What do you mean Liz?"

"Well, word came down from management that we were going to be closing at the end of this month. Actually, we are going up for sale, but the managers don't think anyone would be interested in buying a Dango shop with the bad sales record that we have, so they are preparing us to close."

Tsukushi's mind shut off somewhere after Liz said they would be closing at the end of the month, and one thought haunted her.

What was she going to do?