Here is chapter 7, everyone! Your support has been wonderful so far, and I'd like to thank you for that. I've been reading a lot of books and fanfiction lately, and that's what's been inspiring me to write more for my own story. By the way, in case you haven't noticed, I did end up switching Zoe's name with Izumi. It just seemed better that way. Also, if you want to check it out, I'll be adding another story soon for Chrono Crusade! (That's also why this chap is late). Enjoy!

x x x

I'll admit, I did cry a little.

The news of Kanon and Takuya's relationship hit me like a ton of bricks – that being an understatement. It also opened my eyes to the fact that, for the past couple of months, I had been blind to the world outside of modeling. It was naïve of me to think that time would freeze for my old life until I was ready to face it again. The same goes for Takuya. Of course he would have moved on by now; would have found another girl he deemed worth dating. And since we never stayed in touch, he probably assumed that I had moved on as well, when really I had been waiting to prove myself to him. As for Kanon, I don't know what to think. Obviously I'm jealous and angry that she stole the subject of my affection, but then I feel bad because I remember that I never had a claim on Takuya in the first place.

I started this all for you, Takuya… I thought to myself…what am I supposed to do now?

I sighed and reached for a tissue to blow my runny nose, mentally slapping myself for acting so pathetic. I furiously swiped off the stray tears that had collected in the corners of my eyes. The moody teenage attitude was not something I was used to. Or enjoyed. I've been alone in my room ever since the TV program ended, excluding the brief period when my mom forced me out to try a piece of her cake.

The glowing green numbers on the clock read 3:45 a.m. I groaned an pulled the covers over my head, hoping to at least catch a few hours of sleep before work at 7, but knowing full well that it would be impossible. My mind was too scrambled to relax.

Before I knew it, morning reared its ugly head. My mom barged into the room and cracked open the shades until sunlight engulfed every corner. I groaned and flipped the covers forward onto my lap, sending a frosty glare in her direction.

"A face only a mother could love," she sighed, kissing me on the forehead. "Did I wake you?"

Ignoring the obvious question, I squinted at the bright sunlight. "What time is it?"

"Ten after six," she replied calmly, gathering up my laundry as part of her usual morning routine, "you should start to get ready for work."

"Yeah, I know…" I sat up on my mattress, only to feel an enormous pounding in my head. My hands trembled as I rubbed the painful spot to try to ease some of the tension. Mom noticed my position and immediately rushed to my side.

"Are you alright, Izumi?" She asked worriedly, placing her hand on my head. As soon as it touched my skin, she pulled it back with a yelp. "Oh my god, you're burning up!"

"Seriously?" I said while trying to focus on my real mom, but my vision was so blurry that it seemed like there were four of her. Mom #1 gave an anxious squeak and leaned me back against my pillows. She tended to freak out whenever a family member got sick.

"Stay right here, I'm going to get you an ice pack and some medicine." She left the room and I could hear her opening and closing several drawers in the kitchen. While she was busy doing that, I threw the covers off my body and held onto the bedpost for support, making my way over to the dresser. I had a red shirt in my hands when my mom came back through the door. "What are you doing!?"

"Getting ready for work," I replied, grabbing a pair of jeans.

"Oh no you don't!" She scoffed, taking the clothes from my hands and directing me back to the bed. "You have a fever, so you are definitely not going to work."

"But Mom…" I whined, "I can't miss today. We're getting ready for my cover shoot in Mirage!"

"Well, they'll have to reschedule." Mom huffed, clearly not thinking about the laws of business. "It's impossible to model when you're this sick. Believe me, I've tried. I'll stay home so I can take care of you." She wrapped the ice pack in a dish towel and held it to my forehead, then reached for my cell phone. "Call your agent and tell him that you won't be there today."

"But—" I started to protest, but she shoved the phone in my face with a glare.

"Do it now," She growled and turned to leave. "I'll be in the kitchen making soup. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

A suit of armor would be nice, I gulped, because Kouji is going to kill me.

I glanced at the screen of my phone, scrolling down the list of contacts until I reached his number. Reluctantly, I pressed the call button and held it to my ear. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?" He asked softly, and my pulse immediately quickened.

It's the fever's fault, I argued to myself before answering. "Hey…it's me…"

"Izumi?" He guessed automatically. "Where are you? It's almost seven."

"About that…" My lip twitched nervously. I sucked in a deep breath and answered, "'IhaveafeversoIwon'tbecomingintoworktoday. Bye!"

Then hung up before he even had a chance to comment.

By My Side
.::Chapter 7::.

"How are you feeling?" Mom asked, ungraciously kicking open the door to my room while carrying a long tray. She set it down in front of me to reveal a large bowl of chicken noodle soup, a glass of water, and a few pills. I took a swig of water and swallowed the pills all at once.

"Terrible," I mumbled. I stared at the soup, debating on whether my stomach could handle food right now or not.

"Poor Izumi," Mom pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear with a pout. "You're so overworked."

"I couldn't sleep last night," I said nonchalantly, hoping she wouldn't ask me the reason behind it. It certainly seemed like she wanted to, but she just shook her head and stroked my hair.

"Well, get as much rest as you can today."

I nodded, blowing on the steam from the soup. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and we both jumped in surprise. I sat up, but Mom gave my hand a pat and got up instead.

"I'll see who it is," she said before going out to the living room. I shrugged and lifted a spoonful of soup to my lips.

Probably the mailman, I thought, listening to the front door click open.

"Is this the Orimoto residence?" A familiar voice reached my ears. I almost choked on my soup.

"Yes it is," I heard my mom answer, delightfully confused. "I'm Naomi Orimoto. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Kouji Minamoto," he answered back.

What? My mind wailed and I dropped my spoon. What is Kouji doing here!?

"Oh, so you're the infamous Kouji!" Mom clasped her hands together happily. "Izumi talks about you all the time."

I closed my eyes and shrunk back under the covers. Mom…you didn't…

Kouji's voice came again. "Is she here? I heard she was sick, so I came to visit."

"How nice of you," Mom cooed, and my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "She's in her room right now, but I'm sure she'd love the company. Follow me!" The sound of footsteps was my only signal that they were coming. I panicked, throwing the covers off and closing my eyes to make it look like I was sleeping. Mom's voice was much closer this time, "By the way, she feels terrible about missing work today, so go easy on her."

"I will," Kouji said as the door closed behind him.

And then there was silence.

My fake acting was a success; my eyes were tightly shut and my breathing was under control. Unfortunately, that plan crumbled when I felt the mattress sink down slightly and Kouji's body at my feet. I let out a small gasp.

"Izumi?" Kouji turned to face me now that he knew I was awake.

To go along with the charade, I yelled, "Kouji!?" in surprise and sat up.

"Relax," he held up a hand. "I just came to visit. Your mother let me in."

"Oh…"

Silence.

"How are you feeling?" Kouji spoke up first. "I would've asked you earlier, but you hung up on me." He glared.

I cringed and thought back to my hit-and-run phone call earlier. "Uh…sorry about that. I thought you were going to get mad at me."

"Don't be stupid," he sighed. "You're allowed to miss work when you're sick. I had Arisa reschedule the photo shoot to a later date."

"Sorry for the trouble," I said, reaching for a glass of water. "I can't believe this had to happen now, of all times. I guess that's what I get for worrying all night. Stupid Takuya." That last part wasn't meant to be said aloud, but I only realized my mistake after it slipped. I slapped a hand to my mouth.

"Takuya?" Kouji's eyes narrowed. "Who's that?"

I needed a way to cover that up fast.

"Oh, you know…Kanon's boyfriend?" My stomach twisted into a painful knot upon mentioning it. "He's…a childhood friend of mine. I was just thinking how we haven't seen each other in a while."

Kouji stared at me for a long moment, then shook his head. "That's a lie, isn't it? I can tell because you're not keeping eye contact with me." He leaned forward and cupped my chin between his fingers, forcing me to look at him. For once, his hand was cold and it felt so good against my skin that I unconsciously leaned into it. "What made you so upset that you came down with a fever?"

"It's not important," I muttered, fighting a wave of dizziness.

"Don't be like that, Izumi." Kouji kept his gaze firm, but removed his hand and turned so his feet were dangling off the bed. I quietly whined in protest. "I'm trying to help."

It was a while before I said anything.

"Remember at my first job…" I started, sinking back into the pillows, "…when I told you that I was rejected by someone?"

Kouji put the pieces together quickly. "It was Takuya," he said flatly.

I nodded. "I…loved him…"

Kouji tensed, but I couldn't see his expression. I figured he might as well hear the whole story, now that it's out there. I continued, swallowing the tight lump in my throat, "But he only saw me as a tomboy. When you offered me a modeling career, I figured it would be a good opportunity to get him to notice me as a girl. I worked so hard, hoping to change his mind, but it was all for nothing. He has Kanon now." I gripped the bed sheets between my fists, no longer holding back the tears. "It's time for me to stop pretending to be a model."

And that's when Kouji kissed me.

He leaned in close and cupped my chin with his hand once again, pulling me forward until our lips pressed together. The moment they touched was like nothing I've ever experienced before. It was so complete; so satisfying. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the tingling sensation that came with his cool touch. Finally, we broke for air and I stared at him with a dazed expression.

"Stop talking like that," Kouji whispered, breathing deeply. "If you're going to give up on modeling just because your crush likes someone else, then you're not the girl I thought you were." He brought his thumb to my cheek and wiped away the tears. "I hate your reason for joining, but I hired you for a reason. I believe you can do it, so I'm not going to let you quit."

"Kouji…why…" I started, but shook my head and offered a small smile. "Nevermind. Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"For coming to visit, I mean," I explained. I already felt a little better.

He smirked and stuck his hands in his pockets, standing up. "I'm going to go; you need to get some sleep." He paused, then flicked his finger against my forehead. "For real this time."

I blinked, then laughed. "Bye."

"Bye." He said, closing the door on his way out.

I snickered and pulled the covers up to my face, knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to sleep after that.

x x x

Next time: Kouji and Zoe go on a date.

A bit of Kouzumi fluff for you.

You should review, that I think you should do.