It was a terrible idea to go. He had seen her almost every day this week. After three nights in a row, Ren was sure someone would become suspicious. Usually he'd see her once a week at best, and never for much longer than a meal and drive back to her apartment.

Ren was never one to pay attention to fate, though Yashiro liked to mention it. ("Your fate with Kyoko…" was one of his favorite ways to start a sentence when the car ride became too quiet. "How can you be so blind!" was the way the conversation usually ended. ) The fact that the rain was torrential should have been enough of a deterrent; the fact that the wind was strong enough to push his car even more so. The fact that there were barely any other drivers on the Tokyo roads would have made perfect sense to Yashiro, so apt at noticing supernatural signals.

It wasn't that Ren couldn't see. Fate's sign was neon, well lit, and emblazoned at every traffic light and street marker. He was simply good at ignoring it. Like tonight.

Weaving his way through the Tokyo streets, he still went to see her. Not for the bet. Not even to deliver a photo of her to her landlords (a gift he thought even the Taichou would appreciate), but because his workload was so much lighter. Ren had more time to himself now than he ever had since the age of 13. The media frenzy had lessened his acting and modeling demands. Although Yashiro constantly assured him how it'd be temporary, how the gossip would die out, Ren wasn't too torn up about it anymore. He had the time now, so he wanted to appreciate it. The only way he could appropriately appreciate the time however, was to spend it with her.

So, Ren drove through the lightly flooded roads and chilly night's downpour to the beaten old restaurant at the outskirts of the city. In the silence and privacy of his own car, the actor broke into a tiny smile at the thought of her working. Diligently cleaning the tables, serving tea, welcoming customers like him... He quickly wiped away the expression when he thought of the situation that had convinced him to go, but the idea of her made his stubborn smile quickly return.

It was a small relief that Yashiro had work in the office tonight. He'd never tell his manager about going to the Darumaya; if he did, the teasing would never end.

Twenty minutes of driving through the gloomy, wet night got him to the Darumaya safely. As expected, all the parking areas next to the building were desolate, and he pulled up in the closest parking space.

Fumbling with the picture, making sure it was tucked away so it'd remain dry, a strike of lightning lit up the surrounding area. What caught his attention was not the lightning bolt, but a particularly strange bamboo tube exiting from the crack of the restaurant's front door. The tube was hollow, chopped through the middle, and laid empty except for the rain. The captured water rushed out of it like a gutter system, leading directly to the street and the sewer below.

The Taichou's face was surly as always when Ren caught his eye as he entered the room. The Okami was by the stove, stirring a large pot contentedly as her husband sharpened his knife. The irony of this sight was not lost on the actor, and he faintly hesitated in his step.

"Irasshaimase!" Her voice was clear as a bell, cheery but apologetic, as he fought to close the door behind him. Her back was to him. Kyoko turned as she put something down on the tables. "I'm sorry but we're clos-" Spinning around, she realized who the particular customer was. He gave a self-conscious smile as he caught her amazed face. It wasn't too far from his car to the door, but the freezing rain had substantially soaked his hair, and his fine leather jacket was dark with condensation. "Ren-san! What are you doing in this weather?"

The matron turned from her noodles as well, and instead of responding, he smiled towards Kyoko's landlady. "I was driving from a job and thought I'd maybe eat here tonight if it wasn't too busy. Also, I wanted to drop this off..." Pulling out the framed photo from its shielding plastic, he made his way towards the Taichou, with the picture extended.

Placing the knife next to the block of noodles, the patron slowly took the photo from Ren's outstretched grip. He remained emotionless during the exchange, but as his eyes raked over the geisha portrait, the deep irises turned unmistakably warm. His lips twitched upwards for only a few moments, but the expression was more than enough to confirm that Ren made the right choice in sharing the photograph with Kyoko's guardians.

"I'm sorry for bothering you all," Ren said politely, nodding his head as he released the photo and turned to exit. Watching the exchange, stunned by the intimacy her own photo would create on both sides, Kyoko quickly hopped up from her seat and ran to the door. Grabbing his wet jacket sleeve, she caught him and lightly tugged him back.

"No, no, stay! I didn't realize it was you, Ren-san." Kyoko clenched his coat, looking up at him. A lump caught in his throat, as she blushed in light embarrassment. The rosiness on her cheeks and the averted gaze reminded him of Setsuka's embarrassed-appreciation look, and Ren could feel his self-conscious smile convert to an emotion much deeper. Realizing the inappropriateness of her grasp, Kyoko hurriedly let go of the wet material.

"Oh yes, please stay Tsuruga-san," the Okami agreed, peering at the framed photo from her husband's side. Her gratitude glowed as she delicately took the gift from her husband. "We would be happy to have you over for dinner, if only to thank you for helping our Kyoko and for this beautiful picture."

Kyoko looked at the motherly woman, both appreciative of her agreement and unsure of how to respond to the matron's claim. Her unsure face switched from the tall man and the sweet rounded woman, biting her bottom lip while pondering how to politely retort. Responding to the silence, the Okami continued.

"We're having nagashi somen tonight. It's a bit strange to be having such a dish during such a rainy night, but we thought it would be nice to use the set one last time before packing it away for next summer. It should be ready in about twenty minutes." Her husband picked up the knife, and started slicing the fresh somen into perfectly thin pieces. "Please, take off your coat."

"That's very kind of you…" Ren replied graciously, voice trailing as he took off the designer leather jacket.

Bringing her hand to her lips in surprise, she realized his plight. "Oh I'm sorry Tsuruga-san! This is my husband Satou Takumi, and you may call me Honoka."

"Thank you Honoka-san" He said, truly appreciative of her generosity. This was the type of mother he would expect Kyoko to have. He could see Kyoko's positive traits echoed in the other woman, as if the actress had been raised by her. Kyoko took his jacket as soon as it was fully off of him.

"Look at your jacket Tsuruga-san; it's not made to get wet!" Kyoko scolded, looking at the state of his coat. She gaped silently at the brand as she took it off his hands; N. Hoolywood was an extremely expensive men's brand. It almost seemed sacrilegious to treat the jacket as if it were nothing.

She ran in and out of the kitchen in a burst of momentum, putting it above the heater to dry and bringing back a towel in record speed. "…And you're soaked! You're going to get sick again!" Kyoko threw the fluffy towel over his neck and watched in annoyance as he lightly patted himself dry. "I'm going to get you some tea so you can warm up."

Watching Kyoko return to the kitchen (slower this time) to make some hot tea, Ren made his way to the table she had been sitting at. Sprawled out on the counter were colored markers, several ghost-like decorations, and pieces of white napkin stuffed with cotton and wrapped around the middle so that the pieces appeared to have heads. One of the objects seemed to already be done. Drawn in frighteningly accurate detail was the Taichou. It was a miniature version of his face with a tiny knife hanging by his side, while the body was simply a flowing white cloth. Next to it was the half completed Okami, as well as a few blank items.

"They're teru teru bozu dolls." Kyoko said brightly, returning with a pot of tea, along with a few cups. Setting them on the larger table nearby, Ren picked up one of the blank ghosts and examined it. She blushed as he looked at the incomplete work. "…I thought it might be nice to personalize them."

"I..don't quite remember the story," Ren lied smoothly. He had never seen one of these ghostly dolls, except home in America during late October for Halloween. However, he doubted Kyoko would draw her landlords' faces as ghosts. Kyoko looked at him, smiling inconspicuously at their shared secret. She already knew why he didn't know the story so common to native Japanese children. "Would you remind me?" Ren asked, taking a seat at the cluttered table

Pouring him a cup of tea and placing it in front of him, Kyoko nodded. Pausing a bit, she added "…if you make one."

Ren looked at the blank dolls, and then at the expertly crafted ones she herself had been working on. As a response, he pulled one of the blank dolls to him and took an orange marker.

Taking a seat next to him and picking up the half completed doll, Kyoko smiled as she watched him focus on the doll. Picking up a black marker, she too went to work, with the usual inhuman speed and exactness, talking all the while.

"Once, there was a terribly sad village. Everyone was terribly sad because it rained constantly: day in and day out. There was so much rain that it constantly washed away their livestock and crops, leaving the village hungry and miserable.

An old bald monk, dressed plainly and carrying nothing, came into the village one night. He went straight to the village people, and told them that he could bring a stop to the rain, and promised a sky full of sunshine tomorrow."

Jolting him like a sudden shock, a deep baritone voice spoke from within the kitchen. He recited the rhyme by memory, smooth and rich.

"Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu

Do make tomorrow a sunny day

Like the sky in a dream sometime

If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell"

Setting the now complete doll down on the table, Kyoko picked up the second blank doll. "Just as the monk said, he brought a sky full of nothing but blue and sunshine. The village cried with happiness, celebrating in relief from the horrible weather."

This time, his wife spoke. Her voice was soft and filled with a light tune, as she continued the children's poem. Ren partially listened, as he picked up a yellow marker to draw her eyes. He squinted his eyes and his hand twitched, as he focused on drawing the circles of her familiar facade. A tiny bead of sweat emerged from his intense concentration.

"Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu

Do make tomorrow a sunny day

If you make my wish come true

We'll drink lots of sweet rice wine"

Pulling out a piece of colored thread and a hidden needle, Kyoko went into overdrive as she began to stick the miniature designer jacket she had just recreated, bringing the folktale to its end. "In the fading daylight, while a beautiful sunset glowed upon the town, they begged the monk to stay. The monk declined politely, telling them that there were other villages waiting for him. He said if the villagers wanted him to return, to hang these dolls and he would return to bring sunshine again.

Finishing up the sewing with a smile, she followed her story with the last lines of the poem.

"The village people pleaded

"Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu

Do make tomorrow a sunny day

But if the clouds are crying

Then I shall snip your head off"

Setting down the three dolls upon the table, Ren glanced up to look at the magnificence and personification of his kohai's work. Although all the dolls still retained the basic round head, and skirt-like tail shape, the faces of the dolls were amazingly distinctive.

The first two dolls were drawn to perfection. The impassive face held tiny wrinkles by his jaw and eyes; straight tense lips just as unwelcoming as the real man. He had a tiny, plastic knife by his side, and even his hair gleamed in the same way as it did when you walked into the restaurant. The other doll's face was full, cheerful, and bright. The round cheeks and wide eyes glittered in the same merry way the model's face would as she greeted a customer; just as it had as she formally introduced herself and her husband to him.

What did and did not surprise him, was the teru teru bozu doll of himself that she had made. Instead of drawn, his face was etched into the fabric with colored threads. The way the doll wore a leather-like jacket, hanging over the white sheet as if it were an actual garment, and the fact that its hair looked slick, made him think that she had based the doll upon him at that very moment. Her ability amazed him.

Ren slunk back as he gazed upon his doll. The hastily drawn orange spikes were too bright to really invoke her hair color, too long in some areas and much too short in others. The yellow eyes were irregular wriggles instead of circles or even the narrowed golden slits her darker characters wore. In a rush to imitate her as close as he could with his zero artistic talent, the doll was colored from the neck string down bright pink, an attempt to reference the LoveMe uniform Kyoko was known for in the LME headquarters. He was pretty sure Maria's attempt in preschool would have looked better, had she known Kyoko at that age.

"I suppose we should hang those up." Ren said smoothly, standing up. "The sooner the monk comes, the better." He purposefully slipped the doll under the table and into his pocket, making sure to use his broadness and height to block Kyoko's view of his artsy failure.

Saying nothing and picking up all three of the dolls, Kyoko trotted to the window and carefully hung the embellished dolls like an obedient child. Using a stepping stool, she hung them in the windowpane.

As he watched, Ren felt unsure about how the third doll was not of Kyoko, who completed the family, but himself, who was only a visitor to their dinner.

As he looked over to the Taichou, Ren was surprised to notice the small smile of approval the chef wore as he took in the two dolls appearance at the window. It wasn't until he watched the third circle around that his smile dropped. Ren swallowed lightly as he watched the chef's gaze switch from the invading third doll to its inspiration. It was obvious he felt that the doll shouldn't have been put up, especially at the expense of his surrogate daughter. The chef looked up at the doll, and seemed to focus on the string that held the doll up, wrapped tightly around his neck.

Ren swallowed again and looked towards Kyoko. She had her hand out, as if waiting for a contribution. She didn't have to say anything to explain what she was waiting for. Unsure of hanging up such an admittedly ugly doll, he only relented when Kyoko looked from his pocket to her hand in the same way she often looked at his admittedly empty stomach, to his semi-guilty face. He sighed lightly, reached into his pocket and handed the doll over.

Kyoko took a good look at the doll's squiggly yellow eyes, bright pink skirt, and spiky orange hair. She didn't laugh at the childishness of the sketch. Still, the humiliation slithered deep in his stomach, as deep as what he felt when he was fired from his first acting job. The purity of her smile melted the knot and thanked him in a more sincere way than any of her deep bows or rushed thanks in the past.

"I know you think your dad is crazy, but once you realize you've met the second most beautiful woman in the world, outranked only by your dear mother of course, you will know why your Uncle Lory is so crazy about love. There's no better experience in life than love, Kuon. I would give up our house, all the money in the world; I would even give up acting, for love. Love is a feeling you will never want to live without, once you've found it."

Taking a tack, Ren put the pin in Kyoko's small, outstretched palm. She handled the doll as if it were a rare treasure. Eventually, the four chibi teru-teru-bozu dangled together in the window. The two happy pairs swung as a prayer for a sunshine-filled tomorrow.

Taking a couple steps back, Kyoko bowed her head. Clapping her hands twice, she quietly recited the common teru teru bozu prayer. "Fine-weather priest, please let the weather be good tomorrow."

Or let the weather it be so bad, Ren thought, that the night never ends…

"The broth is done," Honoka announced happily, draining the boiling water from the noodle pot and allowing the broth to cool. "Would you mind helping me set up the nagashi somen Kyoko dear?"

"Of course," she replied perkily, turning away from Ren and trotting to the stove. Taking the large pot in a pair of kitchen mittens, she went to the sink and began to wash the noodles.

"Feel free to wash up, Tsuruga-san. We'll get everything set up and ready by the time you come back." The matron chirped. She picked up a ladle, and asked Kyoko to pick up some of the finer bowls in the back.

Agreeing to the suggestion, Ren went to the wash closet. Instead of washing up however, he pulled out his cell phone.

His father was only half Japanese, half American, and his mother was mostly Norwegian blood, mixed with a few obscure eastern European nationalities. Living in America, the melting pot of cultures never allowed him to fully engulf himself in the Japanese culture. His dad taught him Japanese, but besides a few presents from his extended family, and that fateful visit as Kuon 'the fairy prince,' he was unfamiliar with the island's culture that only a native child would know.

After living years on the small island country, the most useful product he had was his cell phone. Many times it had saved him from embarrassment. Old-fashioned words, wives' tales, and obscure sayings constantly popped up in scripts, and when he wasn't by his computer, the phone was a saving grace. Well, his cell phone and the strange mascot chicken.

This time, the mobile failed him.

He exited in the restroom, tucking away his cell dictionary's strange translation.

Nagashi Somen – "Flowing Noodles"

The direct translation wasn't very useful, and he pondered the meaning of flowing noodles as he brushed past the sheet hanging over the bathroom door. It didn't explain the pipeline bamboo contraction that peeked out the door completely, but he had an idea that the instrument was for dinner.

Waiting between the hallway of the restaurant and the tucked away restroom, the Taichou leaned against the building. He had his back to the wall, and he fingered the rumpled object in his chef's jacket pocket. He caught the actor by surprise, and Ren apologized as he turned to move past the patron.

Feeling a sudden strong grasp on his shoulder, Ren froze. Slowly, he turned around to face Satou-san. His young heart began to beat a bit faster, worry fluttering in his stomach. The last chat with the chef had not boded well and the space between them was a bit too close for comfort.

Letting the actor go, the chef pulled out a photo from his pocket. He handed Ren a sepia, permanently creased photo. Hesitantly, Ren took it and gazed down politely at the photograph.

The photograph was of a much younger couple, the man wearing a firm, identifying frown and his wife bearing a kind face that would age well. Surrounding the couple were four small boys, all posing in front of a restaurant that read "Grand Opening." It was a happy family, what seemed like a long time in the past.

"I have raised four sons, and they are now all on their own, with families of their own." Ren smiled weakly, unsure of why exactly Satou-san would show him a photo of his large family. "We were not blessed with a daughter, not until now…"

The chef smiled, more proudly than Ren had seen him on any other occasion. It was a slightly larger smile. However it did not last.

"There is little about you that I have not seen in my sons, several times before. Each boy made us happy as parents; gave us insight into the mind of a young man. The expression you carry, the way you interact with her now; it has become different than the way you did in the past."

The Taichou's look burrowed through Ren's skin. He felt exposed, as if the chef had read Ren's last week with Kyoko, and the original reason for them, on his forehead.

"I emphasized and taught all my sons to treat women with the respect they deserve. However, I am not your father. I will not attempt to instruct you as if you were my son." His voice became cooler, stronger and more intimidating than the sharp steel knives he carried. "I simply want to inform you that if your intentions are impure, I will teach you a lesson in the way lessons are taught between men."

Taking the photo from his shocked hand, the Taichou walked away, leaving Ren speechless in the hallway. He swallowed deeply in the dark area, trying to bring his heart back into his chest.

Were his intentions impure? He did care. Whatever feelings he carried for Kyoko had been created long before the stupid bet…but it was true the way he interacted with her now was different than before. Somewhere the bet, the rumor, it all became background noise.

But would she see it that way? How would Kyoko feel if she knew her senpai had taken a bet against her arch-rival? In the matters of trying to win her heart, without her knowing, for his own public image?

She would hate him too. No, likely it'd be worse. She wouldn't just decide to beat him like she did with Shou. Kyoko would clam up in herself. She'd never love again. She'd never trust again. Anyone. He'd never see that smile again…

He went back into the restroom and washed up, splashing a bit of cold water on his face, to calm himself down. Leaning over the sink, her smile stuck in his mind.

I have to tell her myself…Everything. Past, present, and where my feelings lay.

He swallowed as he exited the bathroom one last time.

"Over here, Ren-san." Kyoko said as he returned to the woman's side. She picked up the ladle, and filled up a small bowl, warm and delicious smelling.

The way she naturally addressed him as "Ren-san" was almost as smooth as when she called him "Tsuruga-san." He vaguely wondered how it'd be if she were to reach the point of calling him "Ren" or even "Kuon." The intimacy it'd take just for her to call him "Ren" would be a step he wasn't sure he could take in stride. Not before, and especially not after Satou-san's speech.

For her to call him Kuon, he'd really have to come clean to her. He'd have to tell her that the conversation at the restaurant wasn't the end of it. That he was her fairy, and that she was his…something that he should never want after all the things he's done…

"…unless you'd like something other than somen?" Kyoko said lightly, breaking his concentration. She hesitantly held out a warm bowl of broth, and a pair of wooden chopsticks, pulling the broth back at the lack of response she was getting from him.

"No, I'd love to try some." Ren said, a tender heart-filled smile escaping onto his face.

The dangerous smile caught the young girl off guard, almost dropping her things to run away to a safer distance. Noticing the intent to flee, Ren caught the bowl, and her hand in his own.

"Let me take that…" he said, using his other hand to take the bowl from her. However, he didn't move his hand away from hers, as he took the bowl. Blushing hard, but consciously fighting it, Kyoko looked to the floor. The hands lingered only a few moments longer than it needed to, and every person in the restaurant noticed it.

Coughing politely, Honoka broke up the moment so that Ren could withdraw with dignity. She stood by the wooden tub, holding onto a small latch that seemed to separate the contents of the hefty tub to the small bamboo tube connected to it. "Are you ready Kyoko-chan?"

"Ready" Kyoko said lightly, concentrating hard on the bamboo chute. She made sure not to make eye contact with Ren, embarrassment mixed with a tinge of confusion.

Pulling the lid up lightly, a burst of cold water began to rush down the chute like a miniature flood. It surprised him to see such a wave of water speed so quickly down the bamboo, and the point of it mildly perplexed him. It wasn't until he spotted her actions, did the whole setup make sense.

Kyoko brought the chopsticks to the water with such speed he wasn't able to see the wooden utensils. Immediately, she pulled up the chilled spaghetti over her head like a successful fish catch. Caught between the chopsticks was a bunch of twisted noodles, still dripping from its stream. She smiled at the actor and brought the noodles to the warm broth, spun it in the flavored soup, and brought it to her lips.

Following suit, the Taichou watched the waterfall, and spied a group of noodles. He watched it float past him, and with nimbleness he hadn't expected from the older man, he brought his chopsticks to the water and picked out the cooked noodles with ease. Only a small bit escaped, washing out with the rest of the water down the chute, outside with the rain, and likely down the drain with the rest of the storm.

Ren looked at the chopsticks and the warm broth in his hands, leaning over the water chute. Not too far, the Taichou watched him, gaze firm and straight. He nodded to the tall actor, just as another glob of wet noodles escaped from the tank and began to zoom down the channel.

Determined not to make himself look more of a fool than he already had, Ren positioned himself quickly at the side of the bamboo. His chopstick hovered just above the water, and he fixed his eyes to the noodles. It sloshed with the cold water, coming quickly to the point of intersection. He arched up his elbow, he parted his chopsticks, and sensing the moment, dived at the cooked noodles.

Pulling up an empty hand, he watched in amazement as Kyoko skillfully picked up his missed bounty, and consumed it with a catlike ease.

She was the leopard, paws of lightning and the nature of a hunter, posed over the bank of a river full of fish. He was the clumsy bear cub, new to the sport, grasping at the water for whatever he could get and mostly missing.

His ears perked at her small giggle. He turned to her, and she flicked her head up to the wooden crate's opening, signaling at another cluster of noodles about to escape.

Slowly but surely he got better, as the four began to catch and eat the nagashi somen. The atmosphere became more relaxed, Kyoko showing him how to better catch the noodles, and Honoka taking some noodles straight out of the tub to put in Ren's bowl.

Her sudden dramatic vibration shook the chairs and table next to her, taking Ren's eye away from the noodle chute. Strangely, the couple kept serving and eating, likely accustomed to the teenager's strange actions. Pausing only for a moment, he reached his chopsticks back into the water, but kept her in the corner of his eye.

Standing up and pulling out her pink LoveMe cell, Kyoko looked at the name and perked up. "Moshi moshi Moko-san!"

He couldn't hear what Kotonami-san said, but Kyoko's face turned immediately to worry.

"What's wrong Moko-san? You're talking so fast! Is something wrong?"

Ren pressed his hearing to work as best as possible, but he couldn't make out the other line. However he could tell something was wrong by the tone of the tall actress. He settled to listening to half of the conversation, haphazardly attempting to stab at noodles to look like he wasn't eavesdropping.

"I'm having dinner at Darumaya. You should come too! We're having nagashi somen and it's really good!"

"Yes, I know it's not summer anymore, but we were so busy this summer that I never had a chance to have any. That's why you should come!"

"No, I'm not having it alone. That's why you should come. The more people the better!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Satou, and Tsuruga-san als-"

Suddenly holding the phone away, Ren could distinctly hear Kotonami screaming angrily on the other line.

His chopsticks paused. He didn't know much about Kotonami-san, except that she was the only person Kyoko openly adored and they were both in the LoveMe section. She had never reacted to him before when she passed him. Why would she suddenly start respond to his name this violently now? Something in his stomach dropped as the upset actress eventually stopped shouting.

"Of course you're my best friend Moko-san!"

"Okay, if you say it's important, I'll come right after I cle-" The shrieking started again, and Kyoko cowered audibly.

"Nooooooooooooo! I'll come right away!"

Clicking the phone shut, grabbing her jacket, and placing her dinnerware in the sink, Kyoko ran to the door before Ren could realize she was already halfway out.

"Let me drive you Kyoko" Ren offered, before she pulled the door shut.

"Oh no! Keep eating Ren-san! I'll be right back!"

With the bright dismissal, she disappeared from sight. Listening to her bike tires peel away, Ren heard the light jingle of his own cell phone coming from the kitchen area. Excusing himself, he bowed and put the dishes along with Kyoko's.

Wondering if Kyoko changed her mind about the ride, he picked up his cell phone and opened it without glancing at the screen.

"Ren! Ren! Did you pick up?" Yashiro cried over the phone. His voice was frantic but hushed."Oh God, Ren, Kotonami knows! She knows, and she's going to tell Kyoko! Please, pick up!"

Please review to prove I didn't lose everyone *cry* Thanks Runadaemon!

Nagashi somen is real. N. Hoolywood is a real brand. Teru teru bōzu dolls are actually made and hung outside. I did have to make names up for the Taichou and his wife. I've been avoiding it for a while, but if you were having dinner with someone, you wouldn't call them Chef/Landlady/Wife etc.

Sorry I made everyone wait so long, but I hope this chapter keeps you on your toes. I have the next two chapters planned so you shouldn't have to wait as long as this chapter. I hope the length makes up for it.