The early, Sunday morning sky was full of bright reds and oranges, like the roaring fire that consumed her home had bled out onto the sky. Kei sat outside near the front, staring at the burnt husk of a building in a morbid trance.

Kei hadn't made it back in time and every attempt she had made to save something, anything, from her apartment had been thwarted. All of her hard work had gone up in flames and thick, black smoke. Her furniture, her clothes, her life. The only things that she had left was a meager amount of money in her bank account, the clothes on her back, and her phone.

Distantly, Kei realized she felt numbed to the situation. Maybe a little shocked, too. Otherwise, she might've been bawling and drowning in self-pity. Kei was your typical struggling artist/college student. Sure she was slowly climbing the ranks and starting to get some of her work noticed, but Kei wasn't at the point where she could simply live off her art.

At the moment, she might have enough money to rent a cheap hotel room for a week, but not enough to pay for clothes, food, and her phone bill. She also wasn't sure how long it would take to move into her college's dorm, or if she could, and none of her friends had any room for her.

Abruptly, Kei climbed to her feet and began walking away. She couldn't stand the depressing sight any longer. There wasn't any particular destination Kei had in mind, leaving her to wander aimlessly.

As she neared the Kichijyouji Park, almost halfway across the city, the sky had begun to lighten to its regular true blue and she decided to rest on a bench further into the park. She was far enough away that there was silence in place of the city noises she'd grown used to. No rumbling cars, bustling people, or the murmur of a million conversations melting into one. It was peaceful with just the whisper of a light breeze ruffling through trees and ducks quacking quietly as they glided across the pond in front of her.

Kei's moment of serenity ended when an obnoxiously merry jingle cut through her daze. She looked down at the simple flip phone clenched in her hand and felt an urge to hurl it into the pond. It felt like ever since her father had called, anytime she answered the phone all she got was bad news.

The only reason her phone wasn't currently swimming with the fishes was because of the caller. If it was any other day, Kei would've smiled and answered with genuine glee. The person calling, Akita Sho, had been a complete stranger three months ago and now Kei thought of him as a close friend. Sho was somewhere north of forty and still very attractive and youthful with eyes a gorgeous shade of smokey topaz.

Their meeting had been spontaneous and like something out of a movie; they were in a crowded restaurant, Kei was at a table with one of the last remaining seats and offered it to him. Sho was a very enthusiastic, candid person with a great sense of humor and it had been a big surprise to Kei when they hit it off immediately.

Afterward, Sho made sure to keep in touch. They talked over the phone or texted frequently, laughing and gossiping and bonding. For Kei, it was like having an older brother figure and Sho admitted that he thought of Kei as the little sister he never wanted. Kei enjoyed the new experience immensely. It had been a while since there'd been a person she wanted to be close to. Add in the fact that he was a pretty well-known art dealer and it was like a match made in heaven.

Even so, Kei almost didn't want to answer the phone. She didn't want to expend energy to act like her life hadn't been ruined. Yet at the same time, she wanted to hear her friend's voice, to sink into loving arms and fall apart for just a second.

The moment she impulsively answered, Kei was almost bowled over by the concern in her friend's voice.

"Thank God you finally answered! Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No, Mom, I'm fine."

"Thank goodness," Sho ignored her little dig and heaved a quivering sigh, like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His relief made Kei's heart twinge and the brunette grimaced in distaste when she felt the beginning of tears stinging at her eyes. She shut them tight and shook her head until they went away as Sho continued.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're alright. When I heard what happened to your apartment I almost had a heart attack. Are you sure you're fine? Where did you even stay last night?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I'm fine and a neighbor was kind enough to lend me their couch," Katia said and winced at the hoarseness in her voice. If she sounded half as bad as she thought she did, Sho wouldn't leave her alone. Resignation was already starting to sink in before he could even respond. Kei knew where this conversation was about to go.

"You don't sound fine," Sho said shrewdly. "I'm coming to get you. Where are you right now?"

He plowed forward, overwhelming any of Kei's possible protests and leaving no room for anything but a 'yes'.

Kei let out a soft, disgruntled sigh, then bit her tongue when she realized the sound slipped out. She wasn't fully in control of her reactions and for Sho to suddenly get stubborn on her didn't help. She always felt guilty when she disagreed with Sho because she wanted him to always be happy.

Kei would be lying if she said her quick attachment to the bodacious blond didn't leave her mildly disturbed. Especially since Sho was currently the only person that could get Kei to fold faster than a wet napkin.

"...I'm at the Kichijyouji Park, sitting on a bench near the pond."

And fold she did.

Kei reasoned to herself that she was too tired to deal with Sho in one of his moods and the best way to get him off her back was to give in. Sho could be a force to be reckoned with when he wanted to be and Kei's control was shot. She wouldn't have been able to successfully talk Shou out of his decisions. Why would she anyway? It wasn't like Kei had any other options at the moment.

"Good. I'll be there soon, Kit-Kat."

"Bye," Kei said, her previously dull tone softening at the use of her nickname. Sho was the only one she would let call her that.

Once the call ended, Kei hugged her knees to her chest and tucked her face into them, ignoring the faint scent of smoke that still lingered in the fabric of her jeans. As she waited, she did what she always would do in the face of adversity. She shoved her more negative emotions into a box and placed it deep inside her subconscious.

By the time Sho got there, Kei would be firmly in a forced calm and able to don her regular persona without wanting to shrink into some tiny, screaming thing. She didn't want to worry Sho with her problems. He didn't deserve to be caught up in her mess.

It wasn't long before Kei could hear footsteps approaching, but it wasn't Sho. She slowly lifted her head and did a discreet once over of the person approaching her. The boy was slightly above average height and dressed in a familiar uniform. It wasn't until bright red hair came into view that Kei recognized him.

The boy walking towards her was Asahina Yusuke, probably on his way to school. He was a sweet kid and completely lovestruck. He had only joined the art club Kei advised because of a girl named Hinata Ema.

Seeing him brought the Asahinas back into Kei's mind.

She had completely forgotten about them while stuck in her own drama and a revelation struck Kei as Yusuke neared her, oblivious to his surroundings. Earlier, Kei hadn't been fully prepared to face the consequences of her actions if she went through with trying to deceive the Asahinas.

Now, she had nothing left to lose.