Black ink, a tiny logo, and starch white 1 x 1/1 inch piece of card paper—Haruka dared to breathe as she took it out again and traced the title "talent scout" with her finger tip, a smile awakening in the midst of her awe.

'Me. Me of all people- scouted out by a talent scout? This feels like a dream. I feel like I could eat 100 bowls of ramen, I'm so happy!' the brunette giggled, leaning back and closing her eyes while her hands held the card on her chest.

It had been a week since her run-in with Jun, and almost two weeks since… 'Ugh, Satoshi! Just you wait until you're begging for mercy from the girl who you treated so poorly for 8 years!'
A twisted smile crossed her face as she pictured the dark-haired boy, eyes wide with surprise as what seemed like an alter-ego of herself crossed his path and he threw himself at her feet, weeping and apologizing for not seeing what a beautiful and talented girl she was. Haruka burst out laughing. It was too good to be real just yet, but someday… 'Someday,' she soothed. Taking the card in-between her two hands, she lightly kissed it.

Suddenly, the slightest twinge of unpleasant thoughts came over her. Many people made their debuts in their early teens and continued to be famous until they fell out of the public eye. Haruka, being close to age twenty herself, wanted to scream as the previous night's conversation with Hikari returned to her.

"My youth... It seems to be slipping away," Haruka pouted, moodily sifting through her bowl of rice with chop sticks. Hikari, sitting opposite to the girl, frowned momentarily. Her roommate seemed extremely gloomy tonight.

"Haruka-chan, you're only nineteen! How can you say that your youth is slipping away?" the dark-haired girl giggled, smiling reassuringly. "Age is what you make of it, but Haruka—you're young in all standards. Besides, don't you think Satoshi-kun should be the one worrying about such things? Most of his audience is in their early twenties and he is nearly twenty-eight." Hikari laughed, and the slightest of relief swept over Haruka. Living with Hikari was unexpectedly pleasant, because the eighteen year-old never failed to surprise her and put her at ease.

Haruka grinned. "If Satoshi is old, then Takeshi-senpai must be ancient!"
The two glanced at each other in momentary silence before bursting out in laughter. Haruka toppled over, holding her stomach. Her roommate's light laughter filled her ears and her worries seemed to trail away. Shifting, Haruka glanced at Hikari when her hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Takeshi-senpai would be devastated to hear you calling him old, Haruka-chan," the girl teased.

"No worries. Show him a good looking girl and he'll forget about it instantly," Haruka sighed, shaking her head. "Masato was best at keeping him at bay. Without him, I do worry what Takeshi-senpai does,"

"Maybe we should go visit him," Hikari's eyes widened, excitement filling them. "It'll be like old times! Takeshi-senpai's cooking is delicious and we could invite Shuu, Shinji, Masato, and everyone else! Ne, Haruka? Ne? Ne?" she clasped her hands, a grin trailing from ear-to-ear.

Haruka's eyes widened. "H-Hikari-chan…"

"Haruka-chan, this would be great for you. Everyone's encouraging you, so you should do your best, okay?" the eighteen year-old smiled.

The brunette giggled. Yes, she was still young, but her time to debut was quickly growing shorter and soon enough, she'd bee too old to break in. Perhaps such encouragement would be good for her. Still…

'Stupid Satoshi, still making everything difficult for me!' she hissed, glaring at the mental images of the boy as he smirked in her thoughts. She bit her tongue, frowning. Perhaps not. 'Maybe Satoshi did help... a little... After all, I really like music because of…' she paused, shaking her head roughly. 'No! That has nothing to do with him. I like music, but that's not necessarily because of that bone-head. '

Haruka glanced at her cell phone. Still no calls from Shuu. 'Typical.' Haruka thought bitterly. His voice was ringing in her ears and still she could not sum up the courage to call him during the day, even if she wanted to do it.

'He wouldn't pick-up anyways. Shuu-kun is busy with his job, whatever it is.'

Haruka sighed, pulling up her e-mail and scanned the new messages. Spam, spam, horoscopes, spam, Hikari, spam… Haruka tilted her head to the side as she read the date and time of the message from Hikari. It was recent, which was surprising when the girl was supposed to be working. Curiously, she opened the message.

"Haruka-chan,

I have an early shift today, but there's food in the refrigerator ^w^. Don't burn the house down if you use the stove!

Your interview with Todoke is coming up, so let's go shopping later! :D Call me back after 4 PM.

-Hikari "

Haruka giggled. Why the bubbly girl used so many symbols in her messages was a mystery to her, but still, she couldn't not help but be even the slightest bit happy. Shopping with Hikari was exactly what she wanted to hear.

It was a quarter after 5 PM as Haruka anxiously waited for the appearance of Hikari, who had called her earlier and asked to meet in the down-town area in front of a small café' before exploring the shopping district near by.

Glancing around, the brunette felt tiny among the bustling crowds. Osaka was allegedly the third most populated city in Nihon, but never had it dawned on her how big those estimates really were. Shyly, her gazed trailed to the ground as she tugged at the pleat of her pink mini-skirt. Yes, she could admit to being uncomfortable in such feminine attire, but the request had come for Hikari for Kami-sama knows why.

Her gaze raked the gray slab of pavement for a moment longer before bright-emerald caught her gaze. Haruka's breath hitched in her throat and heart pulsed in her ears as she studied the back of a young man with slightly shaggy emerald hair who wore a dark-gray business suit.

"Sh-Shuu!?" Haruka yelped, eyed widening. She had not been able to look at the male from the front, but even just a passing glance had bestowed hope in her. She hyperventilated, shaking her head as her fists clenched. The desire to chase after 'Shuu' was overwhelming and she knew she couldn't control it for much longer. Her heart was racing and she knew she would regret not following him.

She swallowed heard- nervously. If it was Shuu, who was to say he would spare her even a passing glance? 'No, no. Shuu-kun wouldn't ignore me, even if he was busy. He can be mean sometimes, but Shuu-kun is a good person!' she debated, shifting anxiously back and forth. Suddenly, her legs were moving in pursuit. Whether she was wrong or right, she'd find out later as her thoughts followed behind her.

'Shuu-kun! Shuu-kun! I miss you! I've missed you!' she cried inwardly, staggering forward as she dodged crowds of other business men dressed similarly. Subconsciously, her hand was extended forward, almost within reach of 'Shuu's' shoulder.
'Shuu-kun, there's so much I need to tell you. Please don't leave me… No, please, please don't anymore!' She bit the inside of her lip as her hand was finally within reaching distance and seized the man's shoulder, heart pounding more than ever. "Shuu-kun!" she mouthed.

To her disappointment, calculating emerald eyes and a familiar face was not what she saw when the stranger turned to face her. Light hazel eyes filled with surprise met her own, and there was a strange silence as the corner of Haruka's mouth slipped into a slight frown.

"Sorry, miss. I don't think I'm who you're looking for," the man chuckled. He looked a tad older than twenty-three and bore a professional and polite smile, just as Jun had. "Sorry to disappoint you. I hope you can find your boyfriend soon," he continued, shrugging off her hand and turning away. Haruka's mouth hung open as he left before she could utter a word of apology.

Her knees grew weak as she processed what had just happened once more before staggered forward. Weakly, she held her face in her hands as tears welled in her eyes, a strangled sob escaping her.
"It wasn't Shuu-kun… I was wrong after all," she hiccupped, removing her hands from her face and wiping her eyes several times. Her hands trembled as she took in several shaky breaths and glanced around. For the first time, Haruka took note of how far she had chased the stranger.

'I chased him for a good 5 minutes, and now Hikari is probably at the meeting spot. Ugh! 'She frowned, shaking her head again. 'I can't believe how stupid I am…'

Blue eyes surveyed her surroundings once more as she tried to calculate which direction she had come from.
'Was it west on the Avenue, or North?' Haruka fretted, pivoting on her heel. A sick feeling clenched her stomach as it dawned on her. 'I'm undeniably lost…'

Instinctively, her hand reached for her purse and quickly fished out her teal cell phone before she glanced at the screen. A frown line set—her battery was near dead and she couldn't get even the slightest bit of cell signal here.

'Oh, kami-sama! Oh, kami-sama! Please help me!' the teen yelped, panic filling her expressions as she glanced around frantically at her unfamiliar surroundings once more.

"Hikari-chan is going to kill me…" Haruka whimpered, falling to her knees and staring up at people who passed by with the expression of a lost child. One or two would occasionally spare her a glance, but there was no hope in the expressions of these CEOs, dressed elegantly in imported suits. There was no hope anywhere for a lost teen who just wanted to find her childhood friend.

Lupeh: Poor Haruka. Even I feel sorry for having made her feel this disappointed D: But~ Maybe if you review enough, the next chapter will be better. ;]

Thanks for your time. Please continue to Read and Review!!