She strode confidently to the office of Kiriya Etou. She was really nuts, wasn't she?

It didn't take long for her to run back and hide after hearing some students walking with a teacher, asking for extra points in their grades. Cowardly, she left the school. She almost returned to her house, remembering that her temporary house was with Len.

"I'm back." She said, not sounding as cheerful as she would have sounded. She was that much of a coward, huh? She smiled disdainfully at herself as she passed by a mirror, staring back at a neat-looking Kahoko. She could tell that girl she stared back at was as haggard as someone who was lost and was deprived of finding whatever she set out to look for. Her eyes gave it away. She snapped out of it after hearing footsteps coming down the stairs.

"You're here." Len said, wiping his hair with a towel. Kahoko wasn't even sad anymore after seeing him. Strangely enough, her heart seemed like it was sinking down lower since she didn't see Etou, nor recognized his voice at all. Was she in love with two people? As impossible as that may sound, yes she was. She secretly groaned in frustration. She was tired of love triangles, or was it because she's been watching this new drama on TV? She better lay off on those and focus on her own drama for now.

Why again was she staring at Len? Right, because he was half-naked.

…

Yeah, that's not going to get her.

"Len, where's your shirt?" she asked, looking to and from his chest to his face.

He smirked. "Knew you'd get distracted." And ran back up.

She shook her head, staring at him as if saying 'What an idiot.'

She made her way upstairs as well, wondering how on earth she would sleep tonight. For one thing, Len might sleep beside her again tonight, and she couldn't always hide things from him easily. She wanted to see Etou, to make sure that he knew she wasn't mad at him for kissing her. She figured since Len was here, Etou couldn't spend time with her anymore, nor could she see him consistently.

She passed by Len's cellphone which was buzzing on the table in front of the Tsukimori family mural by hallway leading to the rooms. It was a message from his agent.

"That doesn't sound good.." she muttered and checked the message as she usually did before.

Are you done with your girlfriend yet? You won't be forgiven if you don't go to the meeting tonight.

Kahoko barely understood anything since it was in English, but she understood very well the word 'meeting'. She was extremely disappointed. If a guy really wanted to apologize and keep the girl, wouldn't he have stayed longer? What kind of a guy would apologize then leave her so soon? She thought he would make the effort to stay at least for two weeks, not two days.

She kept the message and put the phone down, rolling her eyes. She went in Tsukimori's room to pack.

She picked up her clothes that she laid out on the bed, then collected her toiletries. Len couldn't help but look at her questioningly.

"What are you doing? What are you packing?" he asked gently, picking up his jacket from the couch.

She didn't respond. She realized he might actually ditch that text and stay. She jumped to a conclusion way too fast. She's got to wait for him to see it.

"Packing? No, I'm not packing! I'm just.. making sure I brought everything." She lied.

He smiled at her as he wore his jacket. "Oh, have you seen my phone?"

She stiffened. "U-um, can you look for it yourself first, please?" she said, prolonging the please as if it had two syllables.

She made herself act like she was doing something as he left the room. If he ditched it, she had a feeling something good might happen tonight.

She was startled to hear his footsteps coming in the room so she stood up and pointed at one of her beauty products as if she was counting them. She looked up at him. "Did you find it?" she asked innocently.

He raised the phone victoriously and started reading the message silently.

She eyed him as he threw it on the couch and rushed to his bathroom.

That's not a good sign. He's probably packing secretly inside since he kept his travel bag there.

If she wanted a real answer, she had to go ask. There went an inaccurate (well, usually) saying that 'It never hurt to ask'.

She knocked on the door.

"Len?"

No response.

"I hope you're not hiding anything from me.."

Rustles.

"It's Christmas Eve, Len. Our relationship's not going to get any better if you leave now." She said almost pleadingly. There was a glint of hope in her heart thinking that if he left, she would be able to meet with Etou. She convinced herself that wasn't true and tried to bind a very strong feeling, as if it were too strong for handcuffs and chains.

He hesitated. "You saw it, didn't you?"

She didn't respond.

"I have to go, Kahoko. You know I'm not very independent these days. You understand that, right?"

She sighed in frustration. "I don't, Len. Not anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed again."It's… it's just..! Ugh! Everything's about you, you, you now. Success is all in your head and I don't think I'm good enough to compete with your goal, Len. It's hard! I'm tired of it. I don't want to keep fighting.." she said, leaning her hand on the door just like that time when she convinced Len that his performances were not meaningless, that day when he was locked in the closet.

"So you think I'm choosing my job over you? Why do I hear that everywhere?"

"Because you are." She said sadly.

Len opened the door slowly and looked at her. She was right, she looked exhausted not in her looks but something beyond that. He sighed through his nose and patted her on the head. "S-sorry.."

I didn't even watch him leave incognito on the airplane. I watched him leave the house then packed my things. It was the middle of the night; it's dangerous but why care? He's leaving me anyway. No wait, he's left. And it's for real this time. He won't give a damn about me wandering the street at night, getting a cut, or anything anymore. Would you call this an indirect break-up? It does feel like one. My tears won't come out, I'm pretty sure they haven't even dried out. I feel so.. dead. It's strange, not having Len around. I've been used to it for a long time but it's different now… he's really gone. I'm rejected. My eye bags feel like they're dangling.

Kahoko kept walking, lost in her negative thoughts. She wasn't used to this different feeling. It's like Tsukimori's permanently left her heart. It was completely nothing like the break-up they went through on the phone. She snapped out of her emo thoughts after hearing someone call her.

She couldn't see clearly but there were two guys walking up to her; a guy with a beanie and another with a pink highlight.

"Hey, cutie! Why are you so gloomy, huh?" 'Beanie' asked.

She was dumbstruck and just gaping at them, not knowing how to respond. She smiled awkwardly and bowed in respect.

The two guys looked at each other and chuckled, bowing all the same.

"Do you need some company, lady?" 'Pinky' asked.

"N-no. I-I'm fine." She said, walking along.

One of them pulled on her shirt. "Come on.. We won't hurt you! We'll just go hang out!"

She tried to break free and say no politely but then Pinky went up close, way too close for her comfort.

"Hey, you're Tsukimori's chick! You broke up, right? Thought you guys were getting married." He said, staring at her neck, then her jaw.

"That's Tsukimori's chick? Whoa! Hey, you think it'll be alright if—"

"Please move, I want to go home." She interrupted him and tried to move since Pinky started touching her neck.

"Hey! Come on, get back here!" they said and caught up with her. They surprised her by binding her and holding her to the wall. Kahoko realized now what they were trying to do! She didn't know Aikido or Judo or any martial art for that matter! What is she going to do now?

"S-stop! Get away!" she yelled, but Beanie covered her mouth with his hand and placed his lips on top, as if he was already kissing her.

"Better keep quiet, Ms. Hino." He said.

None of them were able to hurt her, thanks to some guy that just kicked Pinky in the head with so much force that he fell to the ground.

"F—WHAT THE—"

Beanie put up a fight and threw punches but the guy dodged everything. Beanie tried to throw another punch but got kicked in the stomach then the chest followed by a blow to his jaw, making him cough and fall on his butt. The man that saved Kahoko suddenly pulled her and ran for it. Kahoko was in shock and didn't realize what just happened. She tried looking back and those guys didn't follow.

"Th-thank you! Thank you so, so much!" she said as they ran.

That guy let go of her arm and led her to her school, the juku for violin lessons. It was much brighter there and she didn't have to think about who that man was when she saw him rest on his motorcycle.

"Etou?"

He smiled at her, wiping his forehead with a small towel.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"Well, I wanted to visit you. I saw two guys with you and I thought it was probably Kazuki and some other guy with gay highlights but, no~ They were rapists!" he said, his tone getting angrier.

Kahoko became quiet.

"How can you be so stupid to walk alone and especially at night! Do you think Len would like it?"

"..I don't care about what Len thinks." She said indifferently.

"…Do you think I would like it?" he said after that, his tone getting softer.

"Kahoko, I kissed you! I love you, okay? It's been so long, and I have the chance to tell you now." He said, looking at her as she leaned on someone's car. He walked up to her and held her face with his hands, his forehead leaning on hers. "Don't get yourself wrecked because he ruined you, alright? I'm still here." He said, holding her gaze. Her tears suddenly poured out and she embraced him, crying on his jacket. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Well, does this bring back memories or what.." he said as he looked up at the sky.

"Kiriya, when a girl's crying, you gotta hold her! No matter how much she thrashes and pushes you away, be her support! You've got no other chance than that ma'boy! " said his father.

"But dad, I don't want to make a girl cry! Mommy said I'll go to jail and I'll get spanked for sure!" Etou said with fear in his voice.

He felt his father massage his arm. "Kiriya, it's not just you that's going to hurt a girl. Just be there for her. I know so."

"But dad, you're not there for mom. She's sleeping inside a glass case! Did you see her face? She looks like she's crying!"

His father smiled sadly. "I can't hold her anymore, son. She's in someone else's hands now.."

"Hey, Etou?" Kahoko said after a while.

Etou pulled back to look at her face, wiping her tears away and trying to forget a memory.

"Thanks." She smiled.