So I am really sorry about the wait. The last few weeks have kicked my ass. The fourth of July was brutal. Thank you to every one who has decide to follow, favorite, and/or review. Thank you so much for your patience.

I persist in not owning Skip Beat

I rush upstairs barely able to contain my joy. He finally came home. I go to open the door but instead of the handle my hand hits only air and my face hits a solid chest.

"God, pay attention to where you are going." He looks down. "Dammit you stepped on my shoe." He sighs at me.

I hate these moments he looks so disgusted with me. It makes me feel dirty, like some unclean thing. "Sorry, I didn't think you would be headed out with out even waiting to say goodbye to me."

"Why the hell should I wait around for you. I just needed to drop of some laundry and pick up some clean clothes."

"Oh..." I don't even know what to say. "Are you sure you don't want some dinner? Or maybe a snack? We could..." I cut myself off at the look on his face. That glare is chilling and perhaps in spite of myself I can't bring myself to continue.

"I already ate. My manager is waiting, I have to go." He breezes past me. I turn sharply and watch him leave, he doesn't even glance back on his way down the ornate hallway or as he gets into the elevator.

My eyes begin to sting as I go inside and shut the door behind me. I don't even make it into the living room or to a chair, my back slides down the door until I'm on the floor.

All I can think about is those eyes, they look so cold when Sho is angry. So similar. It hurts, he looks at me like I'm dirt, something low and vile. I hate it. I cry.

I hear my alarm go off and even across the house it wakes me up from my spot on the floor. Three in the morning already, I look around confused, I must have fallen asleep here. I take a quick shower and get ready for work. I toast a piece of bread and eat it on my way to work, no time for a full breakfast this time.

I feel awful, sleeping against the door makes for stiff shoulders though the biking seems to help work out the stiffness thankfully. Sadly, It does nothing for the red in my eyes, and the soreness there from crying so long. Hopefully no one will notice until it fades some.

The next several weeks are uneventful. Sho doesn't visit, and it seems my strange encounters with Ren Tsuruga are oddly frequent. He never visits Darumaya again, however he shows up at the store about once every two weeks. The store is relatively close to a studio called TBM, so perhaps he stops there on his way to work. He must have noticed I'm always cashiering when he comes in the morning because he greets me with a small, polite smile now.

I overhear my coworkers talking about some celebrity gossip while I'm changing after my shift at Moz. Apparently Tsuruga Ren passed out on set and was taking to the hospital, for what turns out to be a mild cold. With what I've seen of his eating habits at the store I can't say it would surprise me, I mean I am reasonably certain our store can't be the only one he visits like that. I hope he's okay.

I frantically shake that thought from my head. Sho would be so angry if he thought I was worrying about the enemy. Yes, that's right as good a customer as he is Tsuruga Ren is supposed to be the enemy. I can't let Sho down. I feel a pang of emptiness in my chest at the image of Sho's disgusted expression looking at me. I can't let him look at me like that again I have to work harder.

A few days later, we were absolutely dead in the store. One would think a store in Tokyo would have constant business, but I could count the number of customers we've had today on one hand. Tsuruga Ren comes in with his polite smile and nod in my direction that I try my best not to return.

He comes up to the register with his usual onigiri and his faithful friend trailing behind him complaining about it. Without even thinking I smile and ask him if he is feeling better.

He looks awkward at the question, and asks what I mean. "Oh, sorry, I heard a little while ago that you passed out at work."

"Yes, Yukihito here caught a cold and managed to give it to me." He looks almost bashful about the entire thing.

"Well, I hope you treated it properly. You might not have gotten as sick if you didn't eat this unhealthy food all the time." I lightly chasten him.

"Surely, the cashier should be promoting products not upbraiding paying customers about purchasing them." I would have been insulted or at least chagrined by the comment if it weren't for the strangely cheeky smile on his face. Is he making fun of me! How rude. I decide to tease him back.

"Surely, such an important and famous person would be able to afford to eat a little bit better, it seems unprofessional to be so afraid of food when you make a living off of your face."

"Maybe me and Yashiro should just go back that restaurant we ate at a while back." He glances back at his flabbergasted friend "What was it called again? Darumaya?" The man nods and he looks back at me. "I remember the waitress there was so polite and kind."

"Perhaps you should at least there she could see you eat properly." I retort.

"I guess I'll just have to go there sometime then." He finishes paying and leaves with all his usual grace. I'm not sure how much of that was a joke and how much was serious.

After a few minutes his final statement dawns on me. "What did I just do?!" Sho is going to be so disgusted I practically invited him to eat where I work. Even if that wasn't the friendliest conversation it was still one. Sho will be so disappointed.

Hopefully, there won't be another long wait between chapters. But, I am going out of town to visit a friend my next set of days off, so it will at least be until next week. Have a nice week and leave me a review with and questions, comments, concerns, or ideas. I promise I'm reading them.