The watcher selected another file. The silhouettes of a man and a woman could be seen through a sizable window. He watched as the man's head moved between the woman's invitingly parted legs- watched her body squirm in obvious pleasure until she reached her peak and collapsed. The male, in slow careful movements, rearranged her on the bed and lay beside her. And he watched her, anger simmering, anger building. He watched.

x=x=x=

Kyoko woke on Sunday morning and smiled at the sight of her sapphire curtains, enjoying the sense of tranquility they provided. The window covering depicting a magical white lotus resting on serene waters was one of the first purchases she'd made for her new apartment. It was also her favorite. The chef slid her feet into her Nissin Cup Noodles slippers, a gift from a culinary roommate, and shuffled towards the bathroom. Grimacing at the glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, Kyoko opened the shower curtain, noticing residual water in the stall. Guess Moko got an earlier start than I did. Not surprising since I had returned so late, I suppose. Thirty minutes later, she was back in her room, feeling somewhat refreshed and dressed in a cute, yet casual ensemble. She'd even managed to apply light makeup to her haggard-looking face.

Kyoko blew out a heavy breath, staring warily at her phone, knowing she could no longer ignore the anonymous text. Though initially shocked, she'd tried dismissing the seemingly ludicrous message outright, but it niggled at the back of her mind through the night, patiently eating through the blissful afterglow of events like a colony of termites in an abandoned house. The end result was a restless night that left the young woman feeling like she'd grappled with an opponent in a wrestling match instead of sleeping peacefully. Should I ask the sender if it's prank? If so, it's a nasty one and they probably wouldn't admit if it was. What if it's Sho is being a jackass again? He hasn't carried out any of his previous activities for some time now though...A myriad of theories flew through her brain raging from the absurd like discovering she was actually related to the Fuwa's by blood to plausible and most probable- Has someone figured out my connection to the Fuwa's and is trying to use it somehow? I do have some money from the Fuwa's since they mostly raised me as their own, but it's not nearly as much as the sum Sho currently receives or will inherit, however, I also have a part in that inheritance.

The teen was drawn back in time to middle school in Japan. It was one of those beautiful Spring days where few clouds dotted the sky, enabling the sun to shine it's brightest while providing just the right amount of pleasant warmth. A light breeze gently ruffled Kyoko's dark hair, carrying the sweet scent of cherry blossoms with it. Indeed, her handsome stepbrother who had called her to a private area behind the school, away from prying eyes, had a few of the delicate pink sakura petals stuck in his spikey blonde hair. Kyoko thought it quite a shame that the lovely atmosphere was about to be ruined, but when Sho commanded, the younger stepsister obeyed. Sho was the prince and she, the pauper.

"All right, I'm here. What did you-" she began in her usual quiet voice, but she felt a sharp burning on her left cheek as she sent sprawling into the grass by the force of a blow. His slap. Kyoko could only stare up at him, clutching at her wounded face and fighting back tears of pain and anger.

Sho swaggered over to where she knelt, his jaw clenched, hands making white-knuckled fists at his sides. "You little bitch!" he spat. "Bad enough my parent's spent so much time trying to "rehabilitate" you, but they've also decided to give you some of the Fuwa inheritance." His voice continued to rise in pitch and volume the more he continued. "My inheritance!" Abruptly her stepbrother's demeanor changed and he squatted down so that their eyes were level, his chilling gaze freezing her in place. "That money? It's still mine. Just. Like. You." He disdainfully looked her up and down, "Though, you're not worth much." Then he strode away, leaving a distraught and disheveled Kyoko in his wake.

She didn't even notice that he'd cut her cheek with his ring until later and when anyone asked what happened to her, she could only reply that she'd clumsily fallen and scratched her face.

Kyoko traced the faint scar on her cheek, thanking the gods she'd been able to leave that house as soon as she had and that Sho changed- at least some. The MacBook resting on her nightstand chimed in tandem with her phone, startling the elder teen out of her dark memory. Opening her laptop, she saw it was a video call from the one person she wanted to see the most. "Good morning, gorgeous," Kuon greeted through the computer with such a heavenly smile Kyoko expected to hear a melodious choir of angels in the background.

"Morning," she replied, blinking against his brilliance. The arresting male was, once again, dressed in an impeccably tailored Armandy suit that accentuated his powerful build, and he appeared to be sitting in his office at Menrui no Kisu. Mmm. His tailor deserves a raise. "But um, shouldn't I be saying that to you?" she teased.

"Nah," he brushed her comment aside with a shrug. Kyoko made a choking sound of disbelief as Kuon continued, "You're the beautiful one- a bright shining light in the darkness." By now the young woman was blushing profusely. "It's like this," he said, tossing her an impish smile that was mirrored in his lush green eyes. She couldn't help but think he looked like some dazzling, otherworldly being full delightful mischief. He sucked in a breath, grabbed a fountain pen as a mic and began an uncanny rendition of John Denver's You Fill Up My Senses.

By the time Kuon got to "like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean" Kyoko had already fallen off her bed and hot, thick tears were pouring down her face.

She begged him off and he threw a little pout in his lips though his eyes twinkled with humor. "You're making me leave out the best part."

A few more giggles escaped before she regained full control. "You should have gone into acting," Kyoko asserted, wiping the wetness off her face.

A somber smile settled on his handsome face. "I did, briefly."

The young woman contemplated that for a moment before lightly smacking herself in the forehead with the tips of her fingers. "That's right!" She looked at his amused expression and her own turned a little embarrassed. "Sorry, sometimes I get a bit lost in my own head."

"I find it rather endearing," his voice was soft with affection.

Kyoko cleared her throat. "So...what happened?" She hastily added, "If you want to tell me."

The model took a deep steadying breath before answering. "My cousin did. I tried acting a few times when I was young," he suddenly paused, wincing at the memories spinning through his mind- his cousin's triumphant grin, the director running his thumb across his throat, his aunt gripping him by his hair, laughing at the tears flowing down his cheeks- but then he closed his eyes for a moment and, opening them once again, focused back on the present- back on the woman he loved.

"I'm sorry," she spoke softly, noticing his pain and understanding how easy it was to get sucked into unpleasant memories.

"Anyway, it ended up not working out thanks to my cousin and aunt. When I told my parents about the situation they were livid and explained about some preexisting family feud I was evidently drawn into. But that's how we ended up living in Japan for a while and our families became even closer. It led me to you so I'd say it was worth it," he winked.

His voice was abruptly husky, "I want to see you dressed like that in person." She looked down at her t-shirt and jean combo, about to say she wasn't wearing anything special, but the molten desire in his eyes when she looked up caused the words to stick in her throat. She felt too warm and yet not nearly warm enough.

What would happen if I said…. "I'd like to see you out of that suit."

The manager rose to his feet with a cocky smirk. "I believe that can be arranged, Ms. Mogami." She loved the sound of any part of her name on his lips. He shed his suit jacket, loosened his tie, slipping it off his neck, and began slowly unbuttoning his shirt, revealing well-defined pecs and utterly sinful v-cut abs. Kyoko became lost in the memory of the heat and feel of his smooth, toned body. Though that's nothing compared to having him in my mouth, she thought and unbridled need unfurled in her gut, rippling out like a drop of water in a placid pond.

The craving Kuon read in her amber eyes created an uncomfortable strain in his pants. I can remedy that easily enough, he thought, giving her a slow sexy smile. Her eyes widened when she saw him begin to unbuckle his pants.

Kuon immediately halted when he caught movement from Kyoko's willowy, dark-haired roommate. Kanae came to a stop, covering her eyes in the background. "My gods, Kyoko, if you're going to do that kind of thing, close your door!" she called, stomping off.

In the time it took for Kyoko to watch her friend's retreating form and close the door, the model had already restored his shirt. He chuckled lightly at her exasperated and highly embarrassed expression before changing the subject, "I have some good news for you. Takai believes you are ready to move to the next station now." In truth it was the GM's suggestion to the Head Chef, but Osamu Takai apparently was already a step ahead of him with his plan to promote the promising jr. chef when she returned on Monday. Kuon felt she was ready to go even further due to her talent and dedication, but his main goal had been to get her away from Antony Rossi and he didn't want the matter to be construed as favoritism, especially if it was ever discovered that they were in a relationship.

She was silent a moment, eyeing her beloved with suspicion. "You- you didn't ask him to advance my place, right?" her tone was hesitant, clearly afraid the answer would be yes.

Technically, no. He smiled slightly, "I do believe you are ready for that and have no qualms in saying so, but it is Osamu's plan, effective tomorrow."

The soon-to-be assistant meat Chef de Partie beamed at the man she loved through the screen. "I'll do my best!"

"I know you will." Her boss glanced at the corner of his monitor. "I've got to get back to work- I just had the strong urge to see you and hear your voice," he casually shared as though mentioning the weather, unaware he was turning Kyoko's stomach into an acrobat.

"I'm glad you did." Then she remembered what they were going to discuss later and turned crimson, babbling out, "I'm-looking-forward-to seeing-you-later! Love-you,-bye!" in a rush, and ended the call before he could say another word.

I was going to ask what her plans were for the afternoon, but I guess I won't he snickered to himself. Still, he wondered what troubled her- for all she had attempted to adopt a cheerful guise there were clear signs of fatigue. I'll have ask her later, he concluded and got back to his work.