Thank you for continuing to read this! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am writing it.

Chapter Three

"C'mon, Kai. Feel the burn!" Spencer said, standing over the young singer with his muscular arms crossed, watching him vigilantly.

"Shut up!" Kai ground out, his irritation fueling him through another grueling set of sit-ups. "Can't you let me suffer in peace?"

Spencer guffawed noisily. "When you look in the mirror, don't you get a feeling of satisfaction at what great shape you're in? It makes all this pain worth it, doesn't it?"

"No. It doesn't." Kai finished his last sit-up and fell back against the blue mat, panting loudly. He cracked an eye open when Spencer knelt beside him, willing him to go away.

"Good job on the sit-ups. Now time for push-ups."

"I… hate… you…"

"You say that everyday. Think up something a bit more creative, will you?" He pulled Kai up into a sitting position, then started him on a set of push-ups. "Count out loud," he instructed.

"I don't want to!"

"Do it. And pace yourself, you're not gonna have any energy left at the end."

"I don't have any energy left now," he muttered, beginning to count against his will. Spencer coached him until he reached fifty, then counted out loud for him. He stuck his face close to Kai's and grinned at him.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body, remember?"

Kai glared back at him, sweat dripping from his hair. He had a good mouthful of things to say at his fitness instructor, but lacked the breath to say them. Spencer leaned back and glanced at his stopwatch.

"Okay. You can stop now."

Kai gratefully sat forward on his knees, catching his breath and cursing mentally. Spencer slapped him on the back, eliciting a loud groan from the boy. Kai sucked in a deep breath and felt Spencer drop a towel on his head. He pulled it down wrathfully and buried his face in the soft material. Spencer chuckled.

"It's not half as bad as you make it out to be, Kai," he said with an amused look on his face. "You overly dramatize everything."

Kai grumbled to himself as he stood, grabbing a bottle of spring water and unscrewing the top. He had just taken a swig when the door opened and Emily stuck her carroty head in, pushing up her glasses.

"Good morning, boys," she said cheerfully. "Breakfast is waiting, so you'd better hit the shower, Kai."

"I'm going," Kai muttered, stalking out crossly. Mariah caught up with him and fell in step beside him, her long pink hair swaying every which way. She uttered a quick greeting and instantly began scolding him.

"You'd better hurry up if you don't want to be late for that photo shoot. Look at you, you're a royal mess!" She reached up and flicked his bangs back with a long, pink fingernail. He sniffed touchily.

"I just finished up with Spencer. What'd you expect?"

She ignored him. "I've got a long way to go to fix you up for the cameras, so shoo. Get a move on. Chop, chop."

Kai held his tongue and stomped to his room, slamming his bathroom door. He tossed his clothes aside and stepped into the shower after taking great pains to get the water flowing at the exact temperature he liked. Approximately four minutes later, he jumped at the sound of someone banging on the door.

"Kai! Quit dilly-dallying and get out!" Tala's voice.

"You get out!" Kai yelled.

"Michael's gonna have an orgasm if you're late."

Kai grimaced at Tala's choice of words, lathering sweet-smelling shampoo in his hair. A few minutes later while he was rinsing it out, he heard his cell phone begin to ring and cursed. It was sitting untouched on the rim of the porcelain sink. With an annoyed growl, he pushed the shower door open and groped for it with wet hands.

"What?" he said crabbily, pushing his dripping hair away.

"Kai, where are you? Your breakfast is waiting and so is Mariah," Michael snapped. Kai was about to answer when the small phone slipped from his fingers and fell with a splash into the toilet. He glared down at it, appalled.

"Shit," he muttered, returning to his shower. He quickly finished up and turned off the water, not bothering to fish his cell phone out when he left the bathroom. He dressed, toweled his hair, and set off down the hall to the kitchen area. Michael was waiting impatiently when he walked in.

"Why didn't you—"

"My phone fell in the toilet." Kai dropped into a chair beside Tala at the table and smiled sarcastically when the redhead pushed a whole-grain breakfast in front of him. Michael sighed heavily.

"Why can't you even take care of a simple phone?" Michael asked, rubbing his eyes stressfully.

"Why in hell's name did you have to call in the middle of my shower?"

"Just eat. And hurry up." Michael left, dialing on his phone.

Kai scowled, but did as he was told. Tala lounged around beside him, not paying any attention when Mariah flew in frantically.

"Kai! I don't have time for this!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, ignoring his protests. Tala waited about ten minutes before Kai burst back in, anger blazing in his eyes. Mariah followed after him, a little calmer now that she had Kai dressed in a red silk shirt and black pants.

"Okay, you cannot just grab me and go like that!" Kai yelled indignantly. Mariah waved her hand at him.

"You're dressed, aren't you? Just sit back and calm down." She pushed him back into his chair and began fussing with accessories. "Look at these earrings. They have little rubies on them." She shoved them in his face and Kai took a moment for his eyes to focus on the exquisite gold cylinders. He frowned.

"I don't like those dangly ones."

"They look gorgeous." She pushed his hair back and slipped them on his ears, then stood back to admire her work. He shook his head.

"I hate the way they feel," he complained. Tala peered at them.

"You look pretty with them," he commented. Kai jerked his head around and glared at him ferociously. Mariah smiled.

"See? You're wearing them."

"Dammit."

Tala smirked amusedly, watching Mariah go through a dozen bracelets. Kai sighed irritably, his eyes resting on a clock hanging on the far wall. He counted to sixty and then looked at Mariah expectantly.

"What? You can't rush these things," she snapped. Kai snatched one up.

"This one. There, we're done."

She looked at it skeptically. "I guess…"

Michael stuck his head in. "Fifteen minutes and we need you outside."

"I didn't fix his makeup yet!" Mariah screeched, hauling Kai away yet again. Tala got up and wandered to Michael. They heard a door slam and Tala clucked his tongue.

"He is going to be royally pissed," he stated. Michael sighed impatiently.

"Yeah, well… that's Kai for you."

The day after the concert, Tyson walked easily past dozens of shops in town. It was a clear Saturday morning and he was without a care in the world; the sun was shining, his memories of Kai were still fresh in his mind, and above all that, a carnival was in town. He paused beside a rack of hats set up outside of a store, picking up a baseball cap that caught his eye. Absently setting it back down, he continued on his way. He was planning to spend some time at the fair and was looking forward to it. He loved all kinds of rides and had an exceptional liking of fair foods.

A pair of girls breezed past him, chatting excitedly. "It's an outdoor shoot so we'll be able to see him! We can't get close enough to talk to him, but if I turn the flash of my camera, I might be able to get some good pictures."

"This is so exciting. I was so bummed about missing his concert last night!"

Tyson's ears perked up. "Are you talking about Kai?" he blurted out without thinking. The girls gave him an odd, slightly hostile look.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing!" He wracked his brain for a second. "It's just that my girlfriend is obsessed with the guy, and I'm sure she'd love it if I could get a picture of him, that's all…"

The girls exchanged looks. "He's having an outdoor photo shoot this morning a few blocks from the park. They didn't announce it publicly since they don't want hundreds of people showing up, but I'm sure there's gonna be quite a crowd. The word spreads, you know?"

Tyson nodded eagerly. "Thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to try to get a snapshot for her." He winked. The girls left, heading off quickly. Tyson took a deep breath, not believing his luck. I could see him again!

He waited a few moments to gather his thoughts, then set off for the place. He didn't have a camera with him, but didn't want to go all the way back home to fetch his, so he decided to go without one. Seeing Kai would be enough, anyway, and he didn't want to be late. The carnival could wait an hour or two.

It was easy enough to spot where all the excitement was going on; there was a small crowd surrounding the area. Security officers kept the crowd a good ten feet away from the cameras and other equipment. There were trailers around along with miniature white trucks with cameramen hopping about. Tyson circled around, but there wasn't a spot that he could squeeze into to get a glimpse at what was going on. An excited buzz hung over the whole event.

Tyson walked around for a few more minutes, earning the disapproving stares of the security people. When he was about to give up and go ahead to the carnival, an idea struck him. He nonchalantly walked away, pretending to be leaving. When the crowd of people hid him from the security men, he slipped behind one of the white trucks. With an impish grin, he scanned the area around him. The camera people were paying him no mind at all, bustling about hurriedly. They were all dressed in casual clothes, so maybe they would mistake him as one of them.

He began walking normally, looking as if he belonged. There were no adoring fans back here, for which Tyson was grateful. He spotted a familiar face and recognized him as Kai's manager. He was walking about looking slightly annoyed, as if he were waiting for someone. Tyson let out a little giggle of delight at whom he could be waiting on. A pretty orange-haired girl with large glasses came up behind him, holding a clipboard.

"Mariah's done and Kai's ready to throw a fit," she said with a smile. "Oh, and don't say anything about his earrings. Tala's been making cracks about them all morning and if one more person comments on them negatively, he'll probably rip them out. Okay?"

Michael grunted. "Are they ugly or something?"

"No, they're actually really gorgeous. He thinks they're too womanly, though." Emily shrugged good-naturedly and walked off. Michael rolled his eyes.

Tyson suppressed a laugh. He was about to walk off again when he heard a trailer door burst open loudly. He glanced at Michael, who was checking his watch, and then scampered closer to the sound. Kai's gotta be around here somewhere.

"You look soooo pretty. Will you be my wife?" Tala asked, batting his eyelashes innocently. "I can bring you to social functions and show you off like a new doll."

"Tala! Shut up already," Kai ground out. "I'm in a bad enough mood." Tyson's heart skipped a beat. Found him!

"You're no fun, you know that?" Tala was saying. Kai gave him a look. They walked down the wooden steps, Tala grinning and Kai frowning. Tyson bit his lip, contemplating on what he should do next. If they got to Michael, Kai would probably be too busy and Tyson wouldn't be able to see him. But if he did approach him, would someone get him into trouble? He was trespassing, after all…

"Hey, look. It's that kid from yesterday," Tala said, pointing straight at him. Tyson froze. That didn't take very long. Dammit! Now what do I do?

"What are you doing back here?" Kai asked bluntly. Tyson came a few steps closer.

"Um… I got lost?"

"Again?"

Tala nudged Kai in the ribs. "He's lying, you idiot."

"I know," Kai hissed, shooting daggers at him. He looked at Tyson again. "If someone finds you, you're going to be in huge trouble."

"Well… you guys have already found me…" Tyson blinked and tried to look innocent. Tala clucked his tongue.

"So, you think we're not going to snitch on you, eh?"

"I'm kind of hoping you aren't."

Tala turned to Kai. "You have a photo shoot to do."

"Thanks for the reminder," Kai said sarcastically. "It's nice to know you're so eager to have me go. I appreciate it."

"What are friends for?"

Tyson stood somewhat uneasily. He had wanted to see Kai again, but now that he was standing in the very presence of his celebrity crush, he didn't know what to do next. He knew one thing, though: Kai looked absolutely gorgeous all made up for the camera. He smiled dreamily.

"You should go now, you know," Kai was saying. "Before you get caught."

Tyson snapped out of his reverie. "Oh! Well… I guess…"

"Yeah, Michael would have a cow if he knew you were back here," Tala said warningly. "Kai's late enough as it is."

"Okay. Uh… it was really great seeing you again, Kai," Tyson said with a cute smile. "I'll be off, then…"

"Wait." Kai turned to Tala. "What day is it?"

"Saturday," Tala said. Kai growled and stomped his foot in annoyance, crossing his arms with a frown. Tala and Tyson both gave him a weird look. Kai glared.

"It's Saturday. Today's the day of the carnival. Hello? Where are your priorities?"

Tala snorted. "You want to go to the carnival? You sissy."

"Shut up. I've never been to one."

Tyson perked up. "Really? Never in your entire life?" Kai shook his head and Tyson smiled. "I was planning to head over there today. I stopped by here when I heard about your photo shoot."

Kai looked pensive for a moment, then looked at Tala out of the corner of his eye. The redhead seemed to read his mind and instantly grew sour.

"No way. You can't go, you have a photo shoot!"

"But I've never been before."

"I'm sure you'll get over it."

"Just tell Michael you couldn't find me!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure that'll sit well. Hey, Michael, I lost Kai. You can tell the mob outside and the camera people to leave, now," Tala mimicked. "He'll be losing money. He'll have my ass."

"I can take you if you want," Tyson offered. Kai looked charmed and Tala frowned.

"Look, kid, you're really not helping."

"I'd love to go," Kai blurted out. Tala smacked his forehead and Kai gave him a look.

"Okay, just how do you plan on leaving then, huh?" Tala asked.

"I'll just walk out," Kai said with a shrug.

"With no one seeing you?"

"He came in with no one seeing him," Kai pointed out, gesturing to Tyson.

"He's not you."

"We'll just go through the back," Kai said irritably. "You know, if you avoid Michael, he won't be able to chew you out."

"You'll really come with me?" Tyson asked excitedly. Kai Hiwatari actually wants to come with me to the carnival? Oh my God! This is unbelievable!

"Come on, let's go now." Kai grabbed Tyson's arm and dragged him back behind the trailers and trucks, leaving a huffy Tala behind. Tyson allowed himself to be lugged along, still processing the thought that Kai was completely his for at least a few hours. I'm in heaven…

"I don't think anyone will notice us," Kai said, letting go of him and peeking around. "There's no one back here, anyway."

"Yeah, but…" A thought struck Tyson. "Once we get on the streets, everyone'll recognize you."

Kai sighed and let out a grumble. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, putting them on. "Any better?"

Tyson gulped. Damn him for being so sexy. "I can still tell who you are…"

"Well… damn."

"You could buy a hat," Tyson suggested brightly. "In the meantime… you could borrow mine."

Kai reached over and plucked Tyson's hat from his head. Tyson blinked and watched Kai pull up his silky tresses in the back and fit the hat snugly over them. He raised his eyebrows at Tyson.

"Thank you. Is this any better?"

Tyson laughed, his confidence growing. "As nice as those earrings look, you might want to take them off." The sun glinted off of the rubies set in the gold as they dangled from Kai's ears. He slipped them out and deposited them into a pocket.

"Okay, let's go," Kai said impatiently.

To Be Continued

Horrible place to leave off, I know. It would be nice if I could just write one long, continuous piece of fiction without stopping for chapters. :) Of course, it would take me forever to get finished… in any case, please review and tell me what you think. Thank you!