Warnings: AU, was kinda spur-of-the-moment, angst, probable coarse language, more warnings later, I'm sure.

Disclaimers: Skip Beat belongs to Nakamura Yoshiki, Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams – the magazine that publishes the manga) and... others. I dunno who else. Not me though, I assure you (else Shou would pop up more often, Kyouko wouldn't be so childish, Ren would have more success with her, and the art would be a LOT worse. So it's good I don't own it – Ren is too pretty!!!)

Adventual

Related to the season of Advent. In this case, a day within that season.

The change was astronomical, but it was also quickly subdued. Still, her eyes were brighter than before, and her smiles more genuine. No one else could tell, though they probably felt just that much more welcome to the Ryoukan. But Makoto had taught Kyouko everything she knew about their industry, and she could see just how pleased the girl truly was after her short sojourn to the eastern capital.

At first, she had attributed it to Kyouko being pleased to have finally achieved her vaunted perfect grade. They had sent word to her mother the day the scores went up on the internet, only two days after the tests had been taken, but nothing had been sent by the woman in return on that matter. She must have received the email, but she didn't reply... and Kyouko didn't seem to care in the least bit. In that one instant when the subject was breached she had blinked in surprise – had she forgotten about the grade, or her mother's tough policy? – before smiling and saying it was fine.

As far as Makoto could tell, it was. It was frightening. The workaholic girl was still as much of one, but her focus seemed to have shifted.

With a slight huff in her head, Makoto went back to preparing for the Christmas Party preparations. "Kyouko, we're going to have another VIP guest on Christmas," she did not, of course, mention the girl's birthday. They would celebrate just before or after the party, depending on time, and no more would be said of it. "Would you make sure that that room is prepared?"

If anything, Kyouko's smile grew wider, and Makoto grew suspicious. When Hizuri Kuu had come, barely over one week previous, Kyouko's smile had faltered, just like every other time when she was told to tidy Shoutarou's old room for a guest. As she skipped off, entirely too happy for her previous most hated task, Makoto was stumped.

Slowly, she made her way to the kitchen where her husband was deciding on the menu for the party. It was tradition that he would invent some sort of blend between a Western food and traditional Japanese food; last year had been a green tea cake with peppermint, the year before that an interesting soup (why anyone would combine pumpkin and pear was beyond her) with a Japanese garnish.

Kyouko had actually made a suggestion this year, to make sugar cookies – it was a tradition that Hizuri had supposedly informed her of – and decorate them in a Japanese fashion rather than a Christmas related one. Makoto scoffed at the idea, but she supposed it wouldn't be too bad.

Still, to have the Ryoukan pander to the crowds with such a gimmick... she was only the matron though, the head server, not the chef. And with how pleased Kyouko had been with the admission that this was feasible, Makoto couldn't bring herself to criticize the idea.

I never would have been a proper mother in law to her, Makoto thought to herself. Even with Shoutarou gone, I like her too much. (1)

"Have you settled on a menu?" she asked without segue upon entering the kitchens. Kenta only nodded as he was looking over a long list, probably what they would require from the grocer. "Kyouko has been very happy since last night, have you noticed? She was even pleased to go clean Shoutarou-kun's old room." Again, no segue. It didn't faze the man in the least.

"I think this is her way of telling us she met Shoutarou," Kenta admitted, a soft smile on his face, "and that he is doing well in Tokyo."

And, despite herself, Makoto almost teared up as she buried her face in her husband's shoulder, smiling.

Author's Note: Daw, touchy feely moment for Makoto. Thought I'd belt this out real quick. Off to hang out with all my alumnus friends – bye! (Sorry! I thought I put this up before leaving but apparently not. Here it is)

I'm running out of words to use for the titles... I have a word for day 25 (three guesses what, and the first 2 don't count), but I need to find them for the next three days. Hopefully I won't have to resort to using adventure any more, might have to use adventuress again though (there is one more definition for it...).

(1) In traditional Japanese culture, the mother in law is very disapproving and generally hates the daughter in law. This goes beyond the cliche in Western culture, as the Japanese mother in law is constantly criticizing and even has the right, if she is displeased enough, to force her son and the daughter in law (whom the husband usually has made an agreement with the father of for mutual benefit) to divorce.