A/N: I'm sorry for the wait! I've been doing holiday things with my family, and I need to be getting ready for next semester. Lots of stuff going on….anyway, here's the next chapter.

Hiking

Kyoko sighed as she recounted her money. She was so close. 'If I could get another job…but I work here full time. There's no way I could find time for another job, unless I work at night.' She placed her money back in the envelope with a depressed sigh and hid it under her futon before dressing. In the bathroom, she splashed her face to rid her eyes of the redness. She wasn't sure how long she had sat outside last night, but was surprised that she hadn't gotten sick. Drying her face, she changed into her uniform. 'Hopefully I will get some more money today. Maybe Tsuruga-san will give me something for serving him.' Smoothing her uniform, she hurried down stairs to the kitchen to get the trays for serving breakfast to her guests. As usual, the Taisho avoided her gaze as she retrieved the breakfast trays, despite her ever cheerful greeting. He only turned back to the other workers and barked instructions for serving food to his guests. Sadly, she made her way upstairs to start her work.


Ren drained another cup of coffee and yawned. He had grabbed breakfast (coffee number three) at a local restaurant and was now walking through one of the many temples of Kyoto. Bored out of his mind, he was finally able to focus on Katsuki, a role he was determined to understand. 'Boss said that I've never been in love…and I guess I haven't. Every time a girl breaks up with me…I just let her go. But…isn't that what you are supposed to do, respect her choice? Why wouldn't I be able to do that?' A woman passed him, obviously irritated at his lack of movement.

He smiled apologetically and kept walking, pulling his cap down. Turning his attention back to the temple, he tried to concentrate. Since he had no idea which temple this was and had no interest in Japan's religious culture, he thought again about his father's portrayal of Katsuki, picking over it in his mind. 'Okay, how would I feel if I loved a girl…but wasn't allowed to?' The image of Kyoko, holding a breakfast tray, crying by the stream, smiling up at him, flashed through his mind, and he sighed. 'If I allowed my feelings for her to grow…if I allowed myself to love her…what would I do? Is this really what is necessary for me to further my career?'


Kyoko knocked on his door for a fourth time before deciding that the man wasn't there. He hadn't been in at all the previous day, nor had he been in his room for breakfast earlier, and she wondered what he was doing. 'It's none of my business.' She scolded herself. 'He's on vacation. He's probably sightseeing or…something.' Moving on, she delivered food to the rest of her rooms, thanked the people for staying with them, and tucked her tips into her pocket. She was one of the best workers at the inn, and she was aware of it, but wasn't really proud of it. It was her job, and she had been taught to put forth her best effort when it came to work. 'Maybe he'll be here for supper.' She thought, moving on.


"I want another chance at Katsuki!" He held his breath at his boss's silence. "Please." He spoke quietly. "Have they found someone else?" Lory hesitated.

"No." He said softly. "They haven't."

"Please. I have to get this part. I'll figure it out, I just need another chance."

"Ren…you've had a number of chances." Lory reminded him, not unkindly. "I just don't think you are ready for this."

"I will be!" He insisted. "When I come back from this vacation…please." Ren closed his eyes and waited, praying to every god he could think of that Lory would allow this.

"Ren, what makes you think that you can do it now?"

"I…I can't now…but by the time I get back…I will be able to."'

Ren stared at the empty wall in the large room. He took a deep breath. 'I have to know, what would I do if I fell in love with someone, but had to try and stop myself? The better question is, I suppose, what will I do?' He pictured Kyoko's face and smiled. 'I guess I'm going to find out.'


Slipping out of her uniform and into more comfortable clothes, Kyoko grabbed her bento and decided to go for a walk. She disliked eating with the other staff, who saw her as one of the Fuwas, and eating with the Fuwas was out of the question since they only saw her as one of the staff, and nothing was more peaceful than eating outside. Sighing, she slipped out the back door, grabbing her small backpack and putting the bento and water inside, and headed and into the woods. One of her favorite places, besides the clearing where she met Corn, was the forest, filled with seldom-used hiking trails and wildlife. Stepping into the forest, she quickly selected a trail and began the long hike to the top of the hill.

Coming to the base of a steep cliff, she saw a small cave she had not explored previously. Grinning in excitement, she stepped up onto a small ledge. Getting a grip on the next ledge, she quickly began pulling herself up. She had a grip on the ledge at the top when her foot slipped and the bit of ledge under it gave way, making her squeak. Looking down, she realized that she couldn't climb back down that way and whimpered a little. 'Crap...what now?' Although poking around in the small caves that littered the area was one of her favorite pastimes, she had never gotten herself stuck before.


Ren wiped the sweat off of his forehead and took a swig of water from the bottle he had stored in his designer backpack, which also held a first aid kit, a few granola bars, rope, a flashlight, and a radio, all purchased at a local tourist shop along with hiking boots. He grabbed a tree to help him up a particularly steep hill and vowed to get more cardio in. He heard his heart pounding in his ears and dropped onto a boulder. 'This is more like rock climbing than hiking.' He though as he took another large drink, gasping for air. 'This is pitiful. I get plenty of exercise.' He waited for his heart to calm down as he enjoyed the peace and quiet that surrounded him in the forest. A squirrel stared at him and he offered it a smile and nudged a nut in its direction. The squirrel grabbed it and ran, eliciting a soft chuckle from the tall man. Suddenly, he heard a squeak and looked over at the bushes. Standing, he walked over to them, parted them, and walked over in the direction of the noises.

Coming to a small clearing backed by a cliff wall, he found a young girl dangling from the top. Shocked, he walked over to the girl. Reaching up, he could just reach her lower back. One foot was on a ledge and the other searched for a hold. "M…Mogami-san?" He asked in surprise. She looked down with scared eyes and gave him a weak smile.

"Um…good afternoon Tsuruga-san. How was your trip?" She asked and he laughed softly, trying to figure out how to help her down.

"Good. Thank you. How about you?"

"Um…it was okay." The end of the word went up in pitch when her other foot slipped and then grabbed the foothold again.

"So, what exactly were you doing?" He asked, half amused and half worried. He had a hand on her lower back but couldn't get his hand any higher. He thought about grabbing her waist and helping her down but was afraid that her hands would be too far south for her liking…. or for his sanity.

"I was trying to get to the top." She mumbled. He laughed.

"Can you take a step down?" He wondered, searching for another foothold for her and finding one.

"Um….I don't know…." She mumbled, bending her knee and searching around with her foot. He took a hold of it and gently guided it to a lower position.

Suddenly the ledge beneath her other foot crumbled and she cried out in fear, closing her eyes. 'This is going to hurt.' Was the last thought she had before she hit the ground and felt crushed. 'Wait…I didn't hit my head? What?' She opened her eyes and her heart stopped. Tsuruga-san was lying on top of her, straddling her, with a hand wrapped around her head and her waist. Frozen in shock, she stared at the sky, wondering what was going on, focusing on the dark clouds rolling in, and ignoring the pain of the backpack that she had squished.

Ren took a deep breath, feeling her scent invade his nose. His heart began beating erratically when he felt her soft, slim body in his arms, and her silky hair brushed against his face and neck. 'So…beautiful.' He sniffed her again, wrapping his arms tighter around her. 'She fits so well in my arms…I can't help but hold her tighter.'

Kyoko's eyes widened. 'What…what is he doing! Holding me! Why? Did he hit his head?'

Suddenly he moved away and his dark eyes met her own golden ones. "Do you have any experience in kissing?" He asked quietly, his face close to hers, and her face erupted in flames.

'He…he's asking me this…while laying on top of me…in the middle of the woods.' "N…no." She mumbled, wondering what he was getting at. "W…wh…why?"

He smirked and her heart pounded. "Would you like me to teach you?" He asked quietly. She had no response to that, and he leaned forward. As much as she wanted to protest, she realized that her voice wouldn't work, and he closed his eyes, his face only a few centimeters from hers. His eyes opened, and he touched his lips to hers.

Kyoko's brain stopped working and she felt a strange feeling in her stomach as he moved his lips against hers, giving her a brief, sweet kiss, before moving away. She just stared at him, not able to respond. 'My…my first kiss.' She thought in shock. Before she could further that thought, a raindrop hit her between the eyes, and she realized that it was starting to sprinkle. Shaking a little, she stared up at him, waiting for him to notice the rain.

Ren stared at her in shock. 'Did…I just kiss her? What am I thinking! Wait..is this a good thing? I did decide that I need to see what happens if I let my feelings grow….but kissing her in the middle of the woods? I…I couldn't help it.' He realized abruptly, and laughed a little, missing the incredulous look he was receiving from the blushing girl underneath him. 'I couldn't help it! What is the matter with me? I totally forgot about doing this for acting…and just kissed her.'

"Ts…Tsu…Tsuruga-san?" His attention was once again captured by the woman under him. "It…should we…um…it's raining." She mumbled, not meeting his eyes. His own widened and he looked around.

"Oh." He remained for a second, his arms wrapped around her, then the realization hit him. "Oh!" Quickly, he sat up and helped her up, frowning when she winced, rubbing her back. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"Um…I'm fine." She was still blushing. 'How can he just not say anything about kissing me? Does he have a concussion?' "I just fell on my lunch." He smiled a little at that, the wrapped his arm around her.

"We should probably head back." He told her simply, pulling her along, until she pulled away.

"I can walk on my own." She spoke quietly, starting to get irritated. 'First he lays on top of me, then he kisses me, and now he's walking with his arm around me like we're a…couple!' Part of her was enjoying being near him…which bothered her. 'I love Sho! Remember! Shotaro, my best friend! So what if he never kissed me…or held me…' She shook her head firmly. 'That doesn't mean that he doesn't like me. He wanted me to go to Tokyo with him, right! So why would I want anything to do with this Tsuruga Ren, when I have a man that I love and would do anything for!'

Confused and a little hurt, but not sure how to bring up the subject, Ren followed Kyoko back to the inn as the rain came down heavier and heavier. Once they had returned, she headed back to her room without a word to him and he went to his own. 'I think she's angry…but why? It's not like I sexually harassed her…right….?' The thought worried him. 'She's probably a traditional Japanese girl…and she said she'd never kissed anyone….crap.' He dropped his head into his hands and moaned. 'How could I have let myself do that! But she was so…' He wasn't sure how to finish that thought. 'I like her.' He told himself. 'But acting this way…is going to scare her off. And then what will I do?'


When Ren woke the next morning, he knew that something was wrong. He had planned on going to another temple, though the thought didn't exhilarate him and he was more than willing to skip, but he felt strange. When he moved to sit up, his head felt too heavy. His throat was sore and he kept coughing, making it worse. Groaning, he forced himself to sit up and brought a hand to his protesting head. The room spun a little before settling down. He grabbed a bottle of water sitting on the table beside him, but flinched when the cold water ran down his sore throat, making it worse.

A soft knock on his door announced his breakfast and he wondered how he was going to tell them to come in. Forcing his voce to work, he croaked a greeting. Mogami Kyoko entered, took one look at him, and dropped the tray on the table. Running to the closet, she grabbed something that he didn't get a chance to see before it was shoved into his mouth. "Mog…"

"Keep your mouth shut." She scolded gently, placing a cool hand on his forehead. "Did you even bother taking a hot shower last night?" She cried. He started to answer, but she glared at him. Instead, he shook his head, wanting to tell her that he had planned to shower in the morning. "Well then of course you caught a cold."

She removed the thermometer. "I've never been sick in my life." He protested. She rolled her eyes a little and showed him the tiny digital screen.

"You have a fever, Tsuruga-san." She placed her hand on his shoulder and he found that he couldn't resist as she pushed him back into the bed. "You need to rest. I'll be right back with something for you to eat."

Suddenly very drowsy, he couldn't help but comply.


"Corn! Are you okay!" He looked up weakly at the little girl. A tear was trailing down her face, but she was holding a wet handkerchief, which she placed on his forehead. He smiled and somehow ] managed to crack his eyes open.

Kyoko sighed as she worked to replace the ice pack on his head. She had been with him most of the day on and off, checking on him, brining him shaved ice and honey, which she managed to get him to wake up and eat a couple of times, and getting him to change his pajamas when they had been soaked with sweat. Worried, she managed to replace the ice and lifted his head, putting a cold water pillow under his head. He moaned and his eyes cracked open, and she heard him mumble something. Smiling a little, she sat back. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" She asked, not really expecting a response.

His eyes softened and he smiled up at her kindly. "Thank you, Kyoko."


Kyoko stared at the table blankly. She felt like she was unable to think clearly since that...playboy had done all those things to her. 'Holding me, kissing me, then looking at me like…like that! What is the matter with him!' She blinked. 'Not just him. With me. I love Sho…right? But, when I compare the two…I can't help but think…that Tsuruga-san is…' She shook her head, pushing the thought away. 'No. this is stupid. I've already decided to go after Sho. I'll apologize and we'll live happily ever after…and I'll never have think about Tsuruga Ren again.' Something about that thought disturbed her, but she couldn't bear to think of it anymore.

A/N: I really am sorry that this is short and that I took a while to update. I feel like I'm busier now than I am during the school year…anyway, happy New Year everyone!