A/N: Thanks to all reviewers who gave their say for this story. I apologize for the slow update, I am focusing more on processing my applications to various numbers of graduate schools now, and after this chapter, I've yet to write anything for this story yet, so expect slower updates from now.

Chapter 3

In the car on the way home, Tsukushi had a smiley look on her face. This didn't go unnoticed by her mother and Katie.

"You seem extra smiley, what happened?" asked her mother.

"After a flight, you are usually tired," noted Katie. "Did something interesting happen?"

"Not really, just that the guy who sat next to me on the plane was an interim CEO and he can see that I am a pontential employee," answered Tsukushi. "I guess he thought that I'm a commoner."

"Interesting, who is it?" asked her mother. "You know, I'm going to throw a party for you soon, and you will perhaps meet him again soon,"

"Can we have that party after I finish acting for the live action drama?" asked Tsukushi. "Please... Okaasan,"

"All right," grumbled Mrs. Makino. "It's a good thing that although I did tell them that you are coming home, I didn't tell them the exact date."

"How long does filming take?" asked Mrs. Makino.

"12 weeks," answered Tsukushi. "So, approximately three months."

"What about your school?" asked Mrs. Makino.

"Semester at Eitoku has yet to start, so I have all the time that I need," answered Tsukushi.

The next day, Aikawa Anna met up with Ishikawa-san, the financial backers and advertisers, and her costars in a restaurant in Tokyo.

The members of cast include Mukai Osamu, who will be playing her love interest Arima Soichiro, and Ikuta Toma, who will be playing the role of Asaba Hideaki, along with newcomers like identical twins, Ashiya Kaze and Ashiya Kaito, who will be playing her younger twin brothers, a difference from the manga where Yukino's siblings were girls. She was surprised to see that both Kashiwabara Takashi and Seto Asaka, two actors that she knew from Honey and Clover, will be playing her parents.

"Pardon me for saying this, but aren't both of you too young to play the part of Yukino's parents?" asked Anna.

"Well, if you have read the manga, Aikawa-san, Yukino's parents married each other at 18, thus, with me being 37 and Kashiwabara-san being 36, it is possible for us to play your parents," answered Seto Asaka.

"Ah, okay," answered Anna.

"Aikawa-san, where are you studying right now?" asked Mukai Osamu, a guy that Anna remembered also acted in Honey and Clover, and acted as Kikuchi in Nodame Cantabile.

"I'm still in the process of choosing a graduate school," answered Anna. "I graduated from University of Kent in Canterbury in Business Management, though."

"Despite staying in London all your life, you don't speak Japanese with an accent, and I was surpised to see you fluent in it," noted Kashiwabara Takashi.

"Unlike most Japanese British families, Mom and dad insist that my brother and I speak Japanese at home," explained Anna. "Besides, I have a Japanese citizenship, so I couldn't qualify as a Japanese-British actually."

Later that night, Aikawa Anna, along with Musai Okamu and Ikuto Toma, are invited to the Rio and Minami Show, a talk show where the hosts, Rio and Minami, interviews their celebrity guests.

While things are running along smoothly for Tsukushi, the same cannot be said for Rui. As he did not return to the mansion immediately after coming home to Japan, he met up with his father for their 'father-son' lunch, which has started to become lesser and lesser as Rui's workload increases.

"How was London?" asked Mr. Hanazawa.

"Typical," answered Rui.

"Have you met up with the rest of the F3?" asked Mr. Hanazawa.

"Tsukasa is in New York, Akira is in Milan, but I should be meeting up with Soujiro tonight after one of his tea ceremonies," answered Rui.

"At least you are socializing with the F3, your mother has started to worry after you refuse to escort her to any of the Society gatherings," noted Mr. Hanazawa. "Is this because of what happened with Shizuka?"

Rui tensed when his father mentioned Shizuka's name, but nonetheless replied, "No, I just do not wish to survey the marriage market just yet,"

"The daughter of one of my business partners has just returned from London herself, would you like to meet her?" asked Mr. Hanazawa.

"As I mentioned Otoosan, I do not wish to survey the marriage market," repeated Rui.

"Meeting up with Atsuya's daughter would not be considered as surveying the marriage market," explained Mr. Hanazawa. "Atsuya's daughter has never been in Japan before, having lived in London all her life. All you have to do is be her friend."

"I don't need a female friend, the F3 is enough," said Rui.

"So now, I assume you do not want to meet Makino Atsuya's daughter?" asked Mr. Hanazawa. Seeing Rui's silence, Mr. Hanazawa answered his own question, "All right. I won't force you to meet her."

Later that night, Hanazawa Rui and Nishikado Soujiro met up at one of the bars that they usually frequented during their teenage year.

"This place hasn't changed much," noted Soujiro. Rui nodded in agreement.

"So, how are you, Mr. Interim CEO?" asked Soujiro. "I haven't seen you in six months."

"Aside from Shizuka calling off the engagement, I'm fine," answered Rui. "It's rather tiring to jet off from London to Tokyo constantly though, how about you, Mr. CEO?"

Soujiro's father has retired a few years ago, and now lived quietly in Kyoto.

"Aside from not having enough time to spend with women due to heavy workload, I'm fine," said Soujiro and let out a small chuckle. "If someone tells me four years ago that the F4 would break apart due to distance, I would ask Tsukasa to give that person a red tag,"

Rui smiled at that memory. He didn't really participate all that much in Tsukasa's red tag games, but he would give an arm and a leg to get back to those times, the times when he was not the interim CEO and Shizuka was still his fiancee.

"Have you gone to any of the blind dates your mother is pushing you too?" asked Rui.

Soujiro shook his head, and answered, "No, it annoyed her to no end, what about you?"

"My father asked me to befriend a girl," answered Rui.

" A girl, as a friend, interesting," replied Soujiro. "Who is it?"

"The daughter of Makino Atsuya," answered Rui. "Not an airhead though, she's an alumni of University of Kent, did a degree in business management, and now choosing a graduate school."

"I bet she's not pretty," laughed Soujiro. "Most of those choosing to enter graduate school aren't usually good looking."

"Doesn't matter actually, I don't care, I'm just not interested in the opposite sex for now," noted Rui.

"You are still hung up on Shizuka, are you?"

The question went unanswered. Despite the fact that Shizuka called off the engagement six months ago, it had felt like he only heard the news yesterday.

"Looks like you still do," said Soujiro. "I hope you don't decide to bat the other team, Rui, I'd support you, but think what would your father feels."

"I'm not going to swing the other way," Rui snapped. "Though I'm not interested, doesn't mean I don't appreciate their beauty."

"The girl who sat next to me at the plane the other day was beautiful, too bad she's a commoner," continued Rui. "Not only is she beautiful, she has brains too, she's applying to enter Eitoku University."

"She must be wealthy enough to enter Eitoku University," pointed out Soujiro. "The university does not offer scholarships to students, what is her name?"

"She only gave her first name, Tsukushi, her English is very good though, a Japanese-British," said Rui. "I think she's a commoner, she said something like, and befriending a rich guy would make her look like a gold digger."

"I still do not think she's a commoner," said Soujiro. "Okay, since I'm bored, and both Akira and Tsukasa are not here, let's make a bet."

"What is it?" asked Rui.

"If you meet this Tsukushi of yours, and she turned out to be a commoner, as you said she is, then, I will give you ten sessions of the tea ceremony, conducted by me for your guests, for free." answered Soujiro.

"If she's not a commoner?" asked Rui.

"Then you give me your private plane," answered Soujiro. "Plus ten of your best wines from your vineyards in France,"

"Well, since you want my plane, if I win, I want ten free sessions of tea ceremony, and your private ship, if you win, you get ten of my best wines and my plane," replied Rui.

"Yeah, so deal?" asked Soujiro.

"Deal," answered Rui.

End of Chapter 3 - please read and review