Chapter 1

It was 7am when loud noises were heard behind the door of apartment 21. Normally for any person living in that particular city 7am was late for a person, especially an adult to be only just beginning to wake up. But such was the case in the Makino household.

" Susumu, why didn't you wake me up, you brat. Now I'm going to be late and I haven't even had breakfast yet. Do you want your sister to starve, resulting in death follow by a stop in income, then who's going to work their ass off for your tuition fees," screeched a furious Tsukushi. Of course she knew it wasn't his fault, especially when he didn't even need to get up until 9 if she hadn't woken him, but she had to relieve her stress somehow.

" I'm sorry sis, but I'm too sleepy to care right now, so can you take your yelling else where," was the reply of a recently asleep Susumu whose brown eyes could hardly be kept open.

" Arh, fine go back to sleep then, I don't care just don't do it again," Tsukushi had been shouting from the bathroom, she now emerged clean but still in her pyjamas. She hurriedly proceeded to her room hoping to be able to throw something on and have breakfast. Tsukushi was an average height girl with a slim figure. She savagely brushed her silky brown hair in to a plain ponytail and somehow it had turned out neat. She added some mascara to accent her deep brown eyes. She stared at her reflection one last time, a slightly pretty woman smiled back at her. Never one to wear much make up, Tsukushi looked natural and pretty. Now all she had to do was get dressed.

When the doorbell was heard, she was still struggling to put on her pantyhose.

" Susumu get it." her voice was so loud that he didn't dare hesitate and ran to the door, the loud voice was a warning of impending doom, if her instructions were not followed. Susumu continued to dream of the day her tyrannic sister would get married and leave him alone, or at least let him move out. He loved his sister, but her mood swings were scary. Susumu was taller than Tsukushi and had light brown hair. His brown eyes could intimidate anyone, but after years of living with his 'bossy' sister, he lost his talent. He prayed to God that the person at the door was Yuki.

The door opened to a cute short blonde woman holding a plate of pancakes with a smile on her face. Susumu reacted with a sign of relief; the only person who could calm his screeching sister had arrived.

" Yuki's here." At that precise moment Tsukushi had chosen to emerge from her room fully dressed and ready.

" Yuki, oh my god, you're a lifesaver, are those pancakes for me?" she said while eyeing the pancakes hungrily.

" Morning Tsukushi, you have to share these with us, Susumu needs to eat more, his a growing boy you know." Yuki said laughing at her friend's childishness. With out further ado the two sat down and had breakfast remembering to save some for Susumu, when he next woke up.

Yuki lived next door and usually woke up an hour earlier than Tsukushi. She, like many other females, took some time picking out the perfect outfit, even if it's just for work. She also did her make up and hair. She had extra time if she decided to change her hairstyle. She always listened carefully at 7 to see if her neighbour had had breakfast yet.

Yuki and Tsukushi had been friends since junior high. She had been there to support Tsukushi through Makino Yuri's death, her mother. When Tsukushi had finally turned 18 and no longer needed her foster parents to act as her guardians, she and Susumu moved to live in the city. Yuki had followed after a few months and they studied in university together. Yuki had promptly rented the apartment next to Tsukushi as soon as it was available. Now 5 years later, the two continued to be great friends and looked after one another, Tsukushi was like the over cautious mother to Susumu and Yuki. She even played the role of an overprotective brother to Yuki. All the boyfriends Yuki introduced to Tsukushi were interrogated and threatened with death if they hurt Yuki. Of course Yuki never found out about the threats but she did guess that something like that was going on. Tsukushi believed that if someone as pure as Yuki wasn't protect by someone like her, then horrible things would happen.

" We're leaving Susumu," Tsukushi had yelled as loud as she could with out having to worry about complaints from neighbours.

" Tsukushi you shouldn't wake him."

" You're just too nice Yuki, anyways how else is he going to learn not to mess with me?" Tsukushi added with a smile, only to frown after seeing what time it was.

And so began another tedious day, at least that's what Tsukushi told herself. If anything different ever happened, she would welcome with a smiling face with both arms stretched out. But on the other hand, she felt that if she lived life expecting wonderful things, it felt like she was just jinxing herself.

" Good morning Tsukushi" greeted an extra chirpy receptionist named Madison.

" Morning Maddy how was your weekend?" The striking brunette answered with enthusiasm, Tsukushi could always count on Madison to make her laugh in the morning. It helped to physc her up to bear the social climbing and gold digging activities of her other colleagues, beyond the reception desk of the Hanazawa Corp.

Tsukushi had believed that after high school things would be different. Sure people would still want to be rich and suck up to the rich, but she had honestly thought they would be more civil about it. From the snippets of conversation she just could not help overhearing in the female restrooms, it sounded like the women were main characters out of a movie, the movie of course being about a gold digger who met a horrible end.

" Well if it isn't the pauper Makino Tsukushi," said Yuriko Asai, one such woman, " You really should try to acquire some stylish clothing. After all, you are working at the Hanazawa Corp. You wouldn't want to dirty the Hanazawa image would you? People believe the employees here are elites in their chosen fields. But then I guess you bluffed your way in." A chorus of giggles could be heard; the similarity between high school and the present was really getting to Tsukushi.

" It's just work, why dress up?" Tsukushi replied nonchalantly.

" Yeah, unless you were planning on meeting Hanazawa san? And sinking your claws in him," asked the new comer, but the last part was meant only for Tsukushi's ears, a private joke shall we say.

" Well if anyone here should meet Monsieur Hanazawa, it should be moi," huffed Asai and turned away.

" Wow, it must be your lucky day today Tsukushi, you met the Queen of gold diggers first thing in the morning," said Mikah.

Mikah Lauren was a good friend of Tsukushi's; her own life up until now was pretty much like Tsukushi's, which had made it easy to relate to her. But they had never spoken of their problems, just subtle hints and situations that they both knew well.

" Feels like high school again doesn't it?" Mikah smiled, it really was getting too easy to understand Tsukushi.

" At least people don't really get bullied here," Tsukushi waved good-bye and walked towards her office. The floor wasn't small or cramped and it wasn't divided in to rows of cubicles. It was actually quite spacious in the Hanazawa building. Each employee had a wide desk, the desks were grouped in to lots of 4 they had a low panel dividing them, so each person had some privacy. They could still talk, mainly gossip, rather easily, they could see their neighbours clearly with out stretching their necks. Tsukushi being a bit higher up than some of the others, had been given her own little office. It had a view of the city, a desk, a computer, chairs, cabinets and some personal items. This was what was left of her career building days, on the 18th floor in the 22 storeys Hanazawa building. The higher you are the higher up you are.

Tsukushi spent her day working on a small legal issue regarding the company's acquisition of residential areas and changing them into commercial areas. Tsukushi's dream had been to be a top lawyer, but the lonely nights she had spent at the office had changed her mind.

When the clocks strike 5 at the Hanazawa building it meant the day was finally over, and some sure were glad. But for Tsukushi the day wasn't over yet. There was still her other job, the one that brought a spark to her life. Her talk show allowed her to interact with people she would never had met if it wasn't for the show. She'd even accumulated a large number of fans. It was lucky none of them new her face. There was one particular 'fan' that called constantly. She wasn't creepy, as you'd expect, but a very chirpy and enthusiastic person who seemed to have an ogre for a boyfriend.

" Tsukushi your next caller is Shigeru, it seems more problems have raised in her dramatic relationship with Mr D.T" said Jimmy, her silver haired producer, who looked like a rock star with his interesting choice of hair dye.

" Stop teasing me Mr Jimmy, you don't know how hard it is dating you men," was the reply audience around the city heard. " Unless you're gay, which is totally ok," a giggle was also heard. Tsukushi could see Jimmy fuming she tried hard to stifle a laugh.

" Now Shigeru, what's you problem for today? I would have thought by now Mr D.T would have fallen head over heels for you." It was true, by just listening to the lengths the girl would go to just to win the heart of her 'boyfriend' many male members of the audience had fallen for her. Since Shigeru's discovery of Tsukushi's show, she had called at least once a week. Tsukushi's listeners had started to treat Shigeru's love life as a radio drama they even got to participate by giving suggestions.

" You would think wouldn't you? I mean, I've tried everything, conventional and non conventional. He still just calls me the monkey girl. I mean I know that this relationship wasn't something he wanted but he could try. Even I could fall for him, and he's hard to get a long with. You'd think he could at least be amiable."

" Shigeru, I hate to say this but maybe you should let this fish swim," said Tsukushi with all empathy. After talking to Shigeru for all those months, Tsukushi had started to imagine her as a friend, and like any other pal, Tsukushi didn't want to hear about her getting picked on.

" I can't let go, not yet at least, not until he's out of that world." Shigeru's tone had became serious, it really didn't suite the bubbly image Tsukushi had of her. " I need to try harder, something big has to happen before I can let go."

Her voice sounded sad and wistful to the many that heard her, their heart's cried out to her and cursed the man who brought such a charming girl sadness.

" Tsukushi, you've got 3 more minutes," whispered Jimmy through the microphone that was feed directly to Tsukushi's headphones.

" Unfortunately guys, we're nearing the end of the Show. Shigeru, keep trying. I know that one-day all that you've done with reach his heart and make him understand. Maybe you should give him some time to miss you, the heart grows fonder with distance. And to all you love birds out there, you should follow Shigeru's example and try to make your loved ones as happy as possible. This your host Tsukushi signing out. Good night and may new loves bloom and old one continue to." The light in the on air sign blinked off.

" That was greet Tsukushi, it's too bad about Shigeru. That girl has it hard," said Jimmy slightly distracted by a blinking light on the telephone. " Must be another caller. Do you wasn't to take it?"

Tsukushi smiled, something out of the ordinary had just occurred. " Sure why not".

" Hello, Tsukushi here." The voice that replied was one she knew well.

" Tsukushi, it's Shigeru. I was wondering if you'd meet up with me. I've been thinking maybe the reason why the ideas don't work is because you've never met DT."

" I don't know Shigeru, I don't think it's a good idea," Tsukushi said hesitantly.

" Come on Tsukushi, how about you and I meet for a coffee and if you don't like me you don't have to help. Or think of it as an adventure, a once in a life time opportunity." The word adventure had got to Tsukushi. Isn't this what she wanted, inquired a voice in Tsukushi's head. She wanted something different and here it was right in front of her. Anyhow, Shigeru sounded nice enough, and Tsukushi really wanted to help her. What could go wrong?

" Okay, I'll meet you and how can I not like you?" Tsukushi smiled, she could feel it an adventure was about to start.

" Great, how about lunch tomorrow, one at la petite France, do you know where that is?"

" Yeah, it's near where I work. I'll meet you there."

" Magic, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. Bye."

Tsukushi in slow motion, replaced the phone, she sat down and looked around. She slowly placed her hands on either side of her head. That's when a volcano erupted. Luckily she was still in the sound proof room.

" What the hell was that? Oh my good, I could get chopped up tomorrow or poisoned. Why did she have to use the work adventure and 'one in a life time opportunity'? What am I, desperate?" all this was yelled in under 5 seconds. Having realised what she had done Tsukushi was now paranoid. A whole graphic list of scenarios was going through her mind. What if it wasn't Shigeru just then? What if it was a mad man, a stalker? What if… What if…? The 'what ifs' continued.

By the time she had gotten home, she had calmed down. She decided she'd go. They were going to a public place. And if it really was Shigeru, Tsukushi would finally meet the face behind the voice. Anyway Tsukushi knew how to fight. Dealing with bullies and scary exs were her specialty, it couldn't be that different. But she was just being paranoid right? She continued to reassure herself. It should be fine and probably fun. Those were the last thoughts she had before falling asleep that night.

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