Chapter 168: Love Mission

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, we'd get more insight into Yashiro's private life.

Yashiro groaned and rolled over to turn off the offending alarm wailing from his phone on the side table. He had not slept well after talking to Kanae on his return to the hotel early this morning. Closing his eyes and sinking low in the plush bedding, he recalled their conversation. They had talked about their day and Kyoko's unexpected performance dominating the entertainment gossip in Japan. Knowing Kanae's personality, Yashiro had no problems doing most of the talking. He learned fast that he needed to coax words out of her if he wanted her sweet voice to be the last thing he heard before he went to bed, so when all was said and done things grew quiet.

"Kanae? Are you still there?"

"Mmhmm, I'm here," she whispered. The car speakers emphasized how tired and vulnerable her voice sounded. "I miss you."

Yashiro inhaled sharply. Did he hear her right? If he wasn't driving he would have switched to video chat immediately so he could see her beautiful face. He could imagine her laying in their bed, her long raven hair splayed across the pillows, wearing his favorite lavender nightgown that clung to every curve of her body and accentuated the creaminess of her skin. His heart thumped at the image his mind had conjured up while navigating the roads of Los Angeles. He had driven them enough times this past week to memorize the path back to the hotel.

"I miss you too," he replied breathlessly, finding it difficult for his lungs to take in air as his chest constricted with emotion.

"Only two more days," she sighed cutely.

Yashiro's grip tightened on the steering wheel realizing his error.

"I forgot to tell you that we would be staying another day. Ren has an audition for an American film."

Yashiro strained his ears to listen as the silence in the car stretched on for several seconds. Did she fall asleep?

"I'm sorry," he added, unable to stand the quiet.

"It's fine, you're just doing your job. I'm going to go to bed now. I'm tired."

He really wished he could have seen her face; then he would know if she was upset with him or not. Since it was Kanae, he couldn't be sure because of her professional attitude towards work. The tone of her voice alone didn't yield any clues, she just seemed tired.

"Okay, sweet dreams. I love you."

"Good night, Yuki...love you."

And just like that, she had disconnected the call leaving him torn.

Yashiro opened his eyes and blinked at the ceiling of his hotel room. "Idiot!" he said aloud. He still felt unsure about the way things ended. He was probably reading too much into this since this was Kanae after all, but what if he was wrong. The absolute worse thing he could imagine was coming home to an apartment devoid of her presence. Three days from now was more than enough time for her to move out.

Enough with the negative thoughts!

He sat up in bed and raked his hands over his face then through his tousled hair in frustration. Slipping on the latex gloves he had sitting on the side table, he picked up his phone to check for messages. No new messages from her.

Don't panic! It's the middle of the night in Japan, she's still sleeping. He ignored all the other work-related messages crowding his inbox not particularly in the mood to address them just yet, and decided to leave her a message anyway for when she woke up.

Good morning, beautiful. Have a wonderful day! I love you! *kiss emoji*

Yashiro sighed and opened his album of photos. It was depressing how many more photos he had in his gallery of his OTP compared to him and Kanae. He needed to remedy that as soon as he was back in Japan. Swiping through his pictures, he stopped on one he begged Kanae to give to him as soon as he saw it. He loved the way the sunshine caught her hair in this picture as she sat on a park bench during her filming in L.A.

He sighed again and decided to go for a run in the hotel gym to help clear his mind. Yashiro washed up in the bathroom and threw on a fitted t-shirt, joggers, and sneakers. He left his glasses behind and stuffed his wallet, gloves, and phone into his pocket.

Forty-minutes into an uphill climb at ten miles per hour, the doubt plaguing Yashiro's mind still lingered, but at least an idea of how to spend his day productively began to form. He had declined Kuon's invite to spend the day with him and Kuu. He couldn't intrude on their family time. Plus, he still had errands to run. Yashiro had to pick up his tux and shoes for tonight's ball and buy some souvenirs for his and Kanae's family. Also, this new idea brewing could improve his mood and help him score some points with Kanae.

…

"There he is," he heard the barista, Denise, whisper loudly to her coworker Jackie. "He always comes in after his workout. All dripping in sweat and sexy!"

Yashiro looked around the tiny cafe. He was the only guy in there that fit her description. Was he really that sweaty? It was kind of unhygienic of him to come in here straight from the gym, now that he thought about it. He fought the urge to sniff his shirt to check if he stunk. That would only bring him attention.

"Shhhh, Denise, you're being so loud. He can hear you."

"Good morning, Denise, Jackie," he greeted with a friendly smile pretending he had not heard anything they said. He had been coming in here every morning since his arrival and knew most of the staff during this shift by name.

"Good morning, Mr. Yashiro," the ladies greeted him.

"Running a little late today, aren't we," Denise added excitedly as a blush crept on her cheeks.

"Yes, I have the day off so I was able to sleep in."

"Sleeping in is the best. I forgot what that's like since taking this job," the young barista admitted dreamily.

Yashiro chuckled. "It's a rare occasion for me as well. Could I get a large iced Americano?"

"You betcha."

Yashiro paid and sat at his usual seat by the window. He put on his glove and browsed his phone while he waited, trying to piece together his itinerary.

"Here you go, Mr. Yashiro," Denise came by delivering his drink.

"Thank you, Denise," he smiled in gratitude, noticing the blush on the girl's face.

"So do you have big plans for your day off," she asked, lingering.

"Shopping for souvenirs to bring home for my family," he replied.

"That's nice, shopping is always a great way to pass time. You should try the outdoor market, they're big on catering to tourists."

"Is it this place," he asked, showing her his phone screen. It was a shopping area that Kanae had recommended to him since he insisted on buying a gift for every single one of her family members. She told him he'd go broke thinking of them and not to overdo it. As the manager of Japan's most successful actor, Yashiro had an excellent source of income. He may not show it, but he had money.

"Yeah, that's the one. You could find lots of bargains there...not that you need them….I mean... you're a guest here at Shangri La...there are quality stores there too with good deals." She stammered out trying to correct her assumptions.

"Thank you, Denise. I like finding a good deal," he assured her.

"No problem," she smiled calmly. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thank you."

Yashiro considered her for a moment before she left.

"Hey Denise, could I ask you something. If it's too personal please stop me."

"Sure, ask away," she replied excitedly.

Yashiro was suddenly embarrassed for asking a stranger about this, but he didn't want to bother Kyoko and everyone he knew in Japan was sleeping. If anyone else had asked him this question he would know how to answer them, but since he was on the other side of it, he couldn't figure it out himself.

"If a woman says 'it's fine'..." he began.

"It's definitely not fine," she blurted without hesitation before he could finish his question.

Yashiro sighed. "That's what I thought."

"An apology usually helps and presents are a bonus."

"Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome and good luck."

"Thank you, have a good day." He stood to go back to his room and clean up. He had some personal work to do.

"Ugh, he's taken," he heard her tell Jackie once she was behind the counter.

"The good looking ones always are," Jackie sighed.

Yashiro shook his head. Without Ren around, he was getting quite the attention here and American women weren't shy at all.

"Good morning, Mr. Yashiro," the man at the front desk greeted him.

"Good morning, Jeremy," Yashiro replied, making a detour toward him.

"I have you all set for staying another day with us. Thank you once again for your patronage at Shangri La."

"Great, thank you very much. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. You have all been more than accommodating."

"It is our pleasure, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with today.?"

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question," Yashiro began, noticing the gold band on the man's ring finger. He thought a second opinion from a male perspective would be helpful.

"Of course, sir."

"If your significant other tells you 'it's fine'..."

"It's a trap! It's totally not fine," Jeremy swiftly interjected. "My advice is lots of chocolate, expensive jewelry if you can swing it, and flowers."

"Thanks, Jeremy. Have a good day."

"You too, Mr. Yashiro, good luck."

Under the hot water of the rain shower is where Yashiro conjured up his best ideas. He had figured as much, Kanae must be upset with him. The advice he received from both Jeremy and Denise was something he would have given to anyone else if they had asked. It sounded so easy when dishing it out, but Kanae was different. That's what he loved about her. Underneath that cool exterior, lied a sweet and passionate woman that he couldn't get enough of. He would do everything in his power to make things right again. He left the hotel on a mission to regain her love.

His boasting in the shower was nothing more than just that, boasting. He had found affordable quality items for her family and his made by local Californians at the recommended marketplace in record time. He kept an open eye out in each store for gifts for Kanae, but found nothing that conveyed the right message of "I'm sorry."

He moved on to his next errand. The atelier he found to provide his tuxedo for the night was nestled in a mall that housed all the high-end jewelry and Italian designers. Kanae took pride in her appearance and only wore name brand clothing, surely he could find a gift at one of these stores.

Candy was a big no. It would probably make her angrier if he gave her high-end chocolate because of the calories packed into every delicious morsel. As an aspiring actress, she was strict about the food she consumed. That only left jewelry since flowers were a no brainer.

Whenever he entered a jewelry store, he gravitated toward the ring section imagining how each would look on her delicate finger. He had to rein in his overexcited inner Yashiro whenever his mind took him to the end of an alter. Presenting her a ring, even as a promise, this early on in their relationship would probably scare her off.

But will it? She did agree to move in with me rather quickly.

Another portion of his soul escaped as he sighed. He was ready to leave the third store when a simple bracelet caught his eye. The olive leaf branch was simple and refined on a dainty gold chain. If she wore it on her dominant wrist, she would have no choice but to think of him whenever she reached for something. It was a symbol of peace and a way to convey that he was sorry without being gaudy or making her think he had spent an absorbent amount of money on the piece (which he still did, given the store brand).

Feeling happier than he had all day, Yashiro enjoyed shopping for Kanae much more. Remembering how sexy she looked in that red dress, he decided to find her another one so he could take her out on a romantic date when he returned. As a stickler for details, he knew all her measurements and found the perfect dress to compliment the blue in her eyes. He didn't stop there, purchasing heels and more jewelry to go with the dress and the sexiest set of lingerie to wear underneath it. He was an idiot for torturing himself like this, but it would be worth it once he saw her again. Satisfied with his purchases, he headed back to the hotel to relax until it was time for the gala.

Sitting on the balcony of his hotel enjoying a cold beer with his late room service lunch, Yashiro's mind became restless. The gifts he bought for her were great for when he returned but what about now. He needed to find something for her that could be delivered today or tomorrow. Flowers were a given, but he wanted something more special, more personal.

He went back into his room, retrieving his gloves and laptop. After a half-hour of browsing, he finally found it with guaranteed same-day delivery in Tokyo. He surveyed the room for anything he could use to help him finalize the purchase. Everything he tried wasn't working. He resigned himself to go out once more and buy supplies, rope and some strong adhesive tape were at the top of his list. He tried not to think about how she had failed to message him back and fought the urge to call her. Once she saw his gift, she was bound to forgive him.

When Kanae returned home the following night, she would check their mailbox and find a note stating that she had a package at the front office. In the office she would find a dozen roses waiting for her with a card from her beloved with the words, I'm sorry. Love always, Yuki. She wouldn't understand what he was apologizing for unless he had cheated on her with some gorgeous sun-kissed long-legged busty blonde in America. Kanae seemed to think the worst, not realizing that he thought she was angry because of his delay in America. The landlord at the desk would hand her a large rectangular package almost the size of her yet it wasn't heavy. She would have to make two separate trips to get both gifts into the apartment which she would find annoying.

Once in the apartment, she would carefully open the large package and discover something utterly ridiculous, causing her to blush profusely. She would search for the phone she misplaced when failing to put it in her purse this morning after rushing out to catch her train. With her excellent memory, she didn't need it to remember her schedule for the day. After sending her boyfriend a message of thanks, she would take a nice relaxing soak in the tub and get ready for bed. That night she would sleep soundly for the first time since he left, snuggled against the customized body pillow of her boyfriend barechested, glasses-free, with swept-back hair, and that dazzling smile that always took her breath away.

AN: Happy Love Day, my darlings! Hooray for more YukiNae! When I decided to write this last night, I thought 1k or less tops yet here we are. I just wanted to write a short special on what our Yuki was doing while the Hizuris were enjoying some much-needed family time. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Thank you for always reading and for the reviews on the last chapter. I HEART you all! XOXO

Guest reviewer: I did read Alitablake's "Pinned," I completely forgot about Yashiro using his superpowers to end that tape issue. I have a very realistic plan to help Kuon get out of it, which you partially guessed (Esper). I hope you like it.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^