Some stories are just easier to write than others.

"What did you want to talk about Tsuruga-san?"

"…Maybe you should sit down."

"Tsuruga-san. You're acting strange. Did the reporters get a hold of your schedule again? Seriously, those people have no respect for an actor's privacy. They've gotten worse since the identity of Cain came out. At least they haven't been sitting outside your house again… Or have they? That does it! I'm going to-!"

"It's not that, Mogami-san."

"Then what is it?"

"There's no easy way to say this, and first let me say that I truly meant no harm. I wasn't going to say anything since it didn't seem like a big deal but then things got out of hand and I couldn't find a good moment to bring it up."

"You're kind of scaring me Tsuruga-san. Are you alright? Are you sick?!"

"No Mogami-san, I'm well it's nothing like that. It's just… well. I'm Corn."

The conversation after that reveal had haunted Kyoko's waking moments for the past month and a half. She remembered it word for word, replaying it on a constant loop in her head. Only through the stress of this retreat was she able to put it to the back of her mind.

That bubble of bliss (okay, so Crimson Threads was far from bliss) popped the moment she turned to meet his eyes. He was too close. Too perfect. Too not in love with her. Whatever feelings he had donned as Corn had not transferred over to Ren, yet she still had the memories of that kiss to taunt her. His lips claiming his love for her.

Plus, it was monumentally embarrassing. A fairy? Really? Like being deceived by Sho hadn't been enough, she'd been deceived by Ren as well. She hadn't grown up one bit. Now she had to stare into those atrocious glasses, grateful they were covering his face. She dreaded the feelings that would surface were he to remove them. She wasn't sure if she'd die first from embarrassment or overexposure to his superior male pheromones.

Thankfully, he was in character, and like with Setsu, she could mask her feelings behind the mentality that it was not Tsuruga-san she was speaking to. If this 'Ren' was the dweeb he claimed to be, then she'd go along with it. Worked for her just fine.

He gave an awkward smile, showing teeth. "Found you," he whispered under his breath.

"Hello, there," said Kyoko, smiling politely. "Um, do you mind?"

She shook her wrist gently. Ren got the hint, letting go.

"Sorry," he said, hunching his shoulders. An act that showed he was keeping up his character. No one would suspect he was Tsuruga Ren. "I didn't mean to seem forward. I just wanted to talk to you."

"It's fine," said Kyoko gracefully. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Stuff," said Ren lamely, shrugging his shoulders. That stoop put him at average male height. "You said you were an actress and I wondered if you liked American movies."

"I've seen a few," said Kyoko looking over the Daichi. The guy was still there, watching the conversation. "Daichi-san, have you seen any?"

Daichi, that wonderful man did not abandon Kyoko, coming closer to join their conversation. Rather than annoyed by the interruption, he spoke with genuine enthusiasm.

"I got into the MC universe recently from an online friend in America," he said. He jabbed a thumb at his own shirt. "Noticed the Avengers logo the second I saw you."

"Oh!" Magnified to a horrible range, Ren's eyes light up. "Did you see the most recent movie? It was so fantastic wasn't it?"

"Eh, I don't know, haven't seen it yet," said Daichi, losing steam. "I only just saw the second Iron Man movie."

Ren immediately deflated, retreating into the awkward shell that was his body. Apparently seeing just a few movies wasn't enough for the nerd soul that possessed Tsuruga-san. They fell into an awkward silence where Ren repeated filler words to find traction in the conversation. Wow, it was painful.

Daichi saved the day again. He bowed to Ren in greeting. "I'm Kiyota Daichi," he said. "If I remember you said your name was Ren-san, though I didn't get a family name."

"I didn't give one," said Ren.

No other information was given, despite Daichi's polite pause. It was well past time to leave.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," said Kyoko, grabbing hold of Daichi's arm and steering him away.

"Mogami-san, wait," said Ren.

He was freaking persistent to a fault. She'd have run for it if Ren hadn't gotten a hold of her wrist again. Seriously, she needed to stop letting him do that. What, was she the main love interest in some fairy tale? Always trailing her hands behind her on the off chance that some handsome young man needed to grab them to speak with her? No, she was not. Because she was not anyone's love interest and she definitely wasn't in the middle of a sickening love triangle.

Either way, she halted again, too polite to yank her hand away.

"Yes?" she said, grinning through clenched teeth.

The nerd wasn't deterred. "I'd like to speak with you some more," he said. "Just us. Together." He gave Daichi an apologetic look. "If you don't mind."

She was still holding Daichi's arm. If that man let her go she would murder him!

Read the atmosphere Daichi-san, she plead internally. Don't leave me. Don't—

"Of course!" said Daichi happily. "Kyoko-chan is a very sweet young woman. You have great taste." He capped this lame spiel with a thumbs-up and a wink.

Daichi was no longer her friend. He was dead to her, just as Maria was. Daichi's happy smile bled away as he noticed the look Kyoko was giving him. Yeah, he'd better be sweating.

"O-or no?" said Daichi, stuttering. "Would you rather than I—"

Ren stepped between them. He had straightened, and though Kyoko couldn't see around his expansive back, she could see Daichi's expression. It had morphed to surprise, subjugated by whatever Ren was doing.

"Thank you for being understanding," said Ren. "I plan to take up some of her time, so don't bother waiting for her. Go and enjoy yourself with some other company."

Kyoko tried hard not to whimper.

Daichi swallowed, giving Kyoko a half-hearted wave before backing up. He nearly toppled over a chair before he finally turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

This was it. She was dead either way. As Ren faced her, she desperately looked around the room for something to distract him from—Oh hell. She'd forgotten about the cameras! One of them was trained directly on them.

"They're unpleasant, aren't they?" said Ren cheerily. No. It was Tsuruga-san speaking through that dorky demeanor. Though he still stooped and shuffled awkwardly for those viewing the conversation from afar, his voice had changed. Lowered to a husky tone. "I'd rather our conversation didn't have to happen in front of one of them either, but I'll do what I need to in order to speak with you."

"Then just wait until after the show is over." She still wasn't looking at him.

"I could, but then you'd avoid me again."

"I wasn't avoiding you."

"Mogami-san, that is a lie and you know it."

She winced. It had been a while since she'd heard his scolding. It stung, even more, considering what had happened between them.

"I needed time," she said, trying not to sound like a child. "You promised to give it to me."

And he had given it to her. About a week and a half before he'd texted her to see if they could meet up. She'd politely refused that text. And the next one. And then ignored his calls. And avoided his stalking. And blocked his number.

The silence was more awkward than the other ones had been, this one full of icky feelings she didn't want to address. And a big freaking camera.

Ren eventually broke it.

"You despise me, don't you?"

"Of course I don't!" she insisted, so horrified that he would think that she did something incredibly stupid. She looked up into his eyes. Without the added persona of Ren to block him, her face grew hot under his gaze. "I j-just. Um. Need more time."

Ren slowly blinked through those horrific glasses. He then sighed, as if the magnified vision had somehow given him access to scrutinize her deepest feelings.

"Sorry Mogami-san, but I'm not that patient," he said. "And since you ran here to get away from me, I'm guessing this was your answer. Too bad for you, I'm more persistent than most people."

"I've noticed," she grumbled, staring at his get-up. His every awkward word and movement gave the impression of a mother's basement dweller. That's what they had in America right? Yeah, America's equivalent to a NEET.

Suddenly, what he said hit her with the subtle equivalent of a jackhammer. It left her dazed with the possibility, laughing at herself for the incredulity.

"You didn't come here just to chase me down, did you?" How silly of her to think that. Tsuruga-san would never risk his future happiness with a spouse just to clear up their friendship.

Ren wasn't laughing.

Dread seeped into her bones. It was accompanied by the dishonest triumph of stopping Ren from being with the girl he loved… unless she was here as well. Knowing Kyoko's terrible luck, she was, and Kyoko would have to watch as he wooed the one he really loved. How could any girl do anything but fall for this specimen of perfection?

The room boomed with Ryou's voice, shaking Kyoko from her thoughts. The director was standing again on top of the stage.

"I hope you all have enjoyed this free for all," he said. "And I sincerely hope you've made good use of it. You'll regret it if you didn't for it's now time to separate and go to bed! But don't worry, tomorrow you will have time to meet and romance more people."

Everyone politely clapped, save Kyoko who was already trying to escape. She was stopped by Ren's voice.

"I'm going to win one of the competitions," he said, his threat making the hairs on her neck stand on end. "Then during our date, we're going to have a long conversation, Mogami-san."

Kyoko didn't turn around. Face burning, she hurried through the crowd to the corner where the women were supposed to leave. Everyone else was taking their time detaching from their conversations, politely laughing and flirting. Kyoko stayed in the corner, fanning her overheated cheeks. The faster she could find a husband, the better it would be for her health.

The other women joined her, forming one last line before they filed out. Everyone was abuzz with conversation and- guessing by the amount of giggling- alcohol. More than one woman removed their heels as they stepped out into the hall.

Rather than heading for the rooms, the person leading the group turned left, taking them into the women's lounge. Yeah, no, Kyoko just wanted to go to her room and sleep. She turned to take a different route.

She was barred by a suit-wearing worker. This one was a woman whose features were so striking she looked unreal. She had silver hair, a petite nose, and large pale eyes with an indistinguishable color. Kyoko tried to sidestep her, but the woman blocked her way again. And again. And again.

"Excuse me," said Kyoko. "I'd like to go back to my room."

"You can't," the woman said, her expression unchanged.

"What do you mean I can't?"

The woman's plump lips formed a hard line as she mutely pointed to the waiting room.

"That's not for me," lied Kyoko. "I'm not a contestant."

"Don't make me call the assistant director," said the woman, expression still unchanged. "We've already been informed to carry you into the sitting room if needed. I have other staff at hand to assist me if necessary."

Great. Maria had even turned the help against her. Kyoko's little demons wriggled from the corners of her heart. They cackled madly as they started twisting around the assistant, whispering threats and curses in her ears. There was no way Kyoko was staying for whatever show Maria was putting on. Sweat trickled down the worker's neck as her face threatened to break.

"You're going to let me leave," said Kyoko. "And you're not going to call for any help. You're just going to quietly allow me to leave and—"

"Oh! Kyoko-chan, there you are."

The demons withered under the bright smile of Sakura as she approached. The purity of that happiness was sure to kill them if left exposed to its light.

"I didn't see you after you left the stage, I was wondering what happened to you," said Sakura as she took Kyoko's arm. "Come, we're the last ones. They'll start without us."

Escape was impossible. Sakura was too happy. Kyoko allowed the woman to drag her into the women's lounge, settling into a love seat. She patted the spot next to her, and Kyoko took it, cursing her inability to say no.

"I just finished my interview," said Sakura. "I wanted to do it while everything was still fresh in my mind. Gosh, that was insane. I'm not too great with crowds. Did you have fun?"

"Fun is one word for it," said Kyoko, looking around. Everyone was still talking, the women forming obvious circles while maintaining the illusion of keeping their groups open. And there was more than one camera in the room.

Her attention turned back to Sakura, who was watching Kyoko with an expectant expression. It was flush with the emotions from the evening and sparkling with all the brilliance of a diamond. Everyone was, in fact. The room glistened with a sparkle that Kyoko knew well. The spark of newly budding romantic feelings and possibilities.

"Well?" said Sakura, drawing out the word. "Did you find anyone you like?"

"Not... exactly," said Kyoko. "I did get a proposal though."

"What?" Sakura's mouth fell open.

"Don't worry, I turned him down," said Kyoko "The poor guy deserves better than what I could give him."

"Deserve better? What do you mean by—"

Sakura was cut off by the repeated ting of someone tapping their glass with a utensil. One of the women near the center of the circle had stood up. She wore a gold halter dress that bunched in a puffy bundle mid-thigh. Her long hair was parted at the center, a distinct mole located just below her left eye. She demurely placed the raised glass and utensil down, smiling at the attention she was getting.

"Alright everyone, I hope you all had a good time tonight," she said, winking at a nearby camera. "And of course, I want to be the first to welcome all our new lovely ladies. While I would say I look forward to getting to know each of you, I'm here to find my true love, and if any of you get in the way of that, I'll tell you now to step aside because I don't play nice."

While some in the group like Sakura took the comment as a joke and laughed, Kyoko had to snatch the tail of one of her inner demons who had shot for this woman. Get those hearts out of your eyes mini-me! This was not a woman to mess with.

"My name is Kimura Kichi," said the woman. "Are you girls ready to have a little fun tonight?"

Small cheers went up, though Kyoko noticed they mostly came from the veterans. The other new girls looked as confused as Kyoko felt. There hadn't been anything else on the itinerary tonight. Why had they all been shoved in here anyway?

Kimura traded her glass for a remote from the coffee table, turning on the widescreen Kyoko had just now noticed. It hung on the wall above a fireplace.

"I remember when I was in your shoes two weeks ago," said Kimura. "Excited, nervous, happy, but completely overwhelmed at the idea that I had to pick someone from these men to become my husband. Well, because we're so nice—" Some of the other women laughed. Probably from an inside joke. "—we've decided to continue a little tradition that our predecessors began."

She clicked the remote one more time.

Fifteen pictures appeared on the screen, spaced evenly in rectangular frames. They were headshots of the fifteen male contestants. Kyoko saw Ren's located near the center, his glasses reflecting light. The shot was unflattering and proved that even beautiful people could take terrible pictures. She happily spotted Daichi however, noting that his shot perfectly captured his enthusiastic personality.

Talk erupted the moment the pictures appeared. The women on the couch across from Kyoko had actually shrieked. The one squished in the middle failed to hush her friends as they snickered conspiratorially.

"Oh, I had forgotten about this," said Sakura suddenly. "They only started it in the latest season. I guess they've continued it."

"What is it?" said Kyoko, "Do you watch Crimson Threads?"

"I do, though I've missed a few seasons. It's—"

"Ladies!" said Kimura, rolling her eyes smugly at the mess her little stunt had created. "I know we are all excited but hold the comments for the rest of us to hear. Because we are going to go through each of the men and help you all learn about the ones already here."

Seriously? They were going to gossip about the men. Now? Like this? Kyoko could think of twelve reasons off the top of her head why this was such a terrible idea. Nope, thirteen. This was sure to give her a headache.

"This will be a good refresher," said Sakura, nodding to the screen. "I met so many people that I've already forgotten about half of them. Pictures always help me remember faces."

"You're optimistic about this," said Kyoko. "Aren't you afraid of the men seeing this later when it airs?"

Kyoko knew she was. It was why she'd never openly say anything about her feelings for Tsuruga-san. Once on film, always on film. The internet had just made reality TV that much worse and she knew this without having great access to either of them.

"I… guess that's a good point," said Sakura, who now looked nervous. "Ugh, I had just forgotten about the cameras too. Thanks, Kyoko-chan."

"Anytime."

Sakura smacked Kyoko on the arm, who smirked. She had an idea. Maybe this little gossip session could be useful. Help her find a target—a man! A man to marry. She'd pay close attention this time when the men were introduced now that Ren wasn't here to distract her. Was there a pen and paper somewhere?

"Where are you going?" said Sakura, as Kyoko stood up. After about ten seconds of searching, she'd found a pad of paper and a pencil. Handy they had them laying around.

"You're taking notes?" Sakura gave Kyoko a strange look as she sat back down. "I didn't realize you were so serious. To be honest, I thought you seemed unenthusiastic about the whole thing."

"My life rides on this decision," said Kyoko. "I can't not take it seriously."

Sakura blinked in demure shock.

Then she left and returned with her own pad and pen.

"You're taking notes?" said the woman sitting on the couch next to them. She had a black A-line haircut and glasses that didn't hide her thin eyebrows. Kyoko recognized her as the rude woman who had stood by her on the platform.

"That's a little weird, isn't it?" she said. "I mean, you can do what you want, but it's just weird."

"Hush, I'm trying to listen," said Kyoko, watching Kimura with rapt attention. She'd just started on the first male.

The glasses woman clicked her tongue, turning her attention to Kimura as well.

"This is Suzuki Hansuke-san. He's a nice guy, but not terribly interesting," said Kimura. "He's an office worker though he's trying to publish a book on the side. Hime-san was after him for a while but not anymore."

"We just weren't working out," said a woman with golden hair who was probably Hime. She was wearing a pink dress that hinted at the shape of a ball gown. Her parents had named her aptly. She looked like a princess. "He's a nice guy, I promise, just not the right one for me."

Kyoko scribbled quickly on her pad, noting down anything she felt was important. Others chipped in as well, the presentation turning into a discussion. Sakura wrote as well, though her notes were considerably shorter than Kyoko's.

They spent maybe five minutes on Suzuki-san before going to the next man. Kyoko carefully took notes on each man as a few stood out to her. One man was universally seen as an uptight jerk and none of the women had anything nice to say about him. Another man looked like he'd taken his casual clothing style from Sho, so he was a no-go. One had five cats. Another was an organic food and body-builder nut. He probably weighed himself more often than Kyoko did.

This doesn't help me if all I'm doing is eliminating people, thought Kyoko, adding a cross next to the name of the latest male. He was apparently all but engaged to one of the women who – to Kyoko's fury – wasn't there because she was allowed to skip. Those two were just here to win more prizes.

"That's the end of the men we know," said Kimura, twirling her remote like a scepter. "Now it's time to start with the new meat. And wha-ow! We started off with a good one. Check out this guy."

The picture of Ren looked ten times worse blown up on the screen. That coupled with the snickers in the room made Kyoko's insides curdle.

"This guy, hmm, he's a character, that's for sure," said Kimura, laughing as she failed to appear neutral. "I didn't talk to him, but does anyone have anything to say about him?"

"He's awkward," pipped up one of the women. "It was painful trying to keep up a conversation."

The murmuring continued. The word 'strange' echoed around the room along with harsh jokes and laughter. It buzzed so loudly that Kyoko couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you okay, Kyoko-chan?" said Sakura.

Nope. She was done.

"He's a good guy," said Kyoko loudly. "You'll regret saying rude things about him."

Everyone turned their head. Each displayed a myriad of reactions. Either way, Kyoko had the floor, and the awkward beat of silence that followed should have been filled with her vehemently defending her statement. Instead, she let her feelings swell on her tongue, biting them back lest they reveal themselves.

Then someone laughed.

"Figures you'd say that," said Eri. The redhead leaned across her armchair as she grinned at Kyoko. Bracelets clinked while they slid down her thin arms. "I mean, you thought Daichi-kun was nice, and he's a total dork! If you're trying to get points for being the good girl, then you can have Ren-san all to yourself."

Kyoko was about to tell them all that it was Tsuruga Ren they were all bad-mouthing, but someone spoke up before she could.

"He really is a sweet guy," said Sakura, pipping in beside Kyoko. "A little awkward, yes, but a lot nicer than some of the men I talked to."

"Great," butted in Kimura. "Then you two can have Daichi-san and Ren-san."

"What? No, I don't want either of them," said Kyoko, appalled that this woman thought she could just hand men to them. Imagine trying to hand Ren to anyone. Ha!

"So… you vouch for them, yet you don't want either of them as a husband?" said Kimura as if Kyoko had just tried to explain why two plus two equaled three.

"Well...not exactly. I mean, they're both great and… It's not a question of wanting them or not." This was not coming out the way she wanted. How was it any different than Hime who had just explained she had backed off from Suzuki?

"Moving on," said Kimura, yanking the chains of their attention back to her. "We can go over Daichi-san since we just talked about him. Anything else you wanted to say about him, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko opened her mouth to respond.

"Great. Then we'll continue," said Kimura, flipping to the next male.

Kyoko closed her mouth with an audible snap. Fine. Kimura and everyone else could make complete fools of themselves. It wasn't Kyoko's fault if they didn't listen to her goodwill.

She continued to fume as they breezed through the last men, the material a lot more scattered and superficial due to them being new. At least Kyoko didn't cross out half as many men on this round.

Her brooding was interrupted when Sakura nudged her arm.

"I'm happy you stood up for Ren-san," said Sakura, giving a shy smile. "I was too scared to say anything. They were being really rude about him."

Kyoko mumbled something, unsure how she felt about it all.

"I mean, he helped me when I couldn't find anyone to talk to," continued Sakura, tapping her pen against her knee. "I really am bad at crowds, as I said before. I doubt he did it on purpose, but it helped me get out of my shell. He's a really nice guy. He seemed to know you."

Kyoko paused in her note-taking. That blabbermouth!

"I know him," said Kyoko, measuring her words. "We've worked together in the past."

"Is he an actor then?" said Sakura. "Are you two close?"

Something about the way Sakura asked made Kyoko look at her. Sakura had set down her pen as well. She wasn't glaring or scrutinizing Kyoko. It was genuine curiosity, hinting at some other motive.

"Maybe we used to be," concluded Kyoko, unsure what the truth of their relationship had been. "but I'm avoiding him right now."

Sakura nodded, her curiosity seemingly satisfied for now.

Kimura's voice grabbed Kyoko's attention as the TV screen was shut down.

"And there we have it," said Kimura. "That's all of them ladies. If any of them grabbed your attention make sure to snatch him, lest one of the other women beat you to the punch."

"Wait a second," said Kyoko, raising her hand as if she were in class. She had counted the men on her notepad, seeing they had only gone over 14. "You're missing a man."

The stare that Kimura gave her spawned three demons from Kyoko's head. They twirled around the blonde, lapping up the dark aura like parched dogs. It looked like Ren wasn't the only person that could smile through their anger.

"Did I?" said Kimura, placing a manicured finger to her lips in pretend thought. "I was so sure I got them all."

A snort came from another couch. One of Kyoko's demons abandoned Kimura, gunning for two other women who, well, kind of sat together. If it was possible to share a couch while also sitting in opposite rooms, these women had achieved it. Nothing in their posture or attention implied that another human being sat inches from them.

"Kimura-san 'accidentally' forgot to include Otsuka Yoshio-san," said the woman, her fruity voice purring the words in open mockery. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun topped with a large bow. The shade matched her red lips as they twisted into a smile that hid all sorts of adorable secrets. "Because she thinks she's laid claim to him."

The woman beside Bow-san tittered. If Bow-san was curtness personified, this woman was sexy given legs. A strapless dress barely held in a set of backbreaking breasts. Her auburn hair had been swept to one side, exposing the supposedly tantalizing nape of a long neck. Kyoko was told neck fetishes were a thing. Personally, she didn't get it.

"There's no point in listing him when he's taken," said Kimura, glaring at the pair. "He's all but told me he's going to propose to me soon."

"Oh bull!" said Sexy-chan. "He said he only keeps you around because he feels sorry for you. You're so obvious it's sad."

"What's sad," said Bow-san, raising her voice a pitch higher as she smiled through seemingly sincere eyes at Sexy-chan. "Is how you throw yourself at him. It takes more time for you to sneeze than wriggle yourself out of your dress."

Meowch. The tiger claws were out and mauling. Kyoko did not want to be anywhere near that as the girls snapped and growled. No wonder Maria loved shoving them all into the same room.

"Well, that is all for the evening," said Kimura, raising her chin and voice as she purposefully detached herself from the heated words being thrown at each other. It gave her the illusion of being above the tussle. "I suggest getting rest while you can. Things are going to be lively and you'll want to look your best for the cameras."

"No amount of time could solve the travesty that is your face," said Sexy-chan.

"The real travesty here is your fake boobs."

And the Tigers were at it again. Yeah, Kyoko was staying way the hell away from that mess.

"I think I'll go to bed," said Kyoko, stretching where she sat as she yawned. Sakura yanked her attention from the fighting women to look at Kyoko in shock. A few others had as well.

"Right now?" said Sakura, nodding to the conflict.

"I'm tired, and I need to determine my game plan for tomorrow," said Kyoko, standing up. "No point in being here."

Sakura scrambled up with her. After another second, several others joined them as they left the fight behind and filed out of the room.

"You're something else," said Glasses-san, who had surprisingly followed them out. She shook her head. "I can't keep up with you." It didn't sound like it was meant to be a compliment, yet the woman waved to Kyoko and bid her goodnight. Weird woman.

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan," said Kyoko happily, grabbing Sakura's hands. "I'm glad I've made a friend like you on this show."

"And I'm happy to have met you as well, Kyoko-chan," said Sakura with just as much enthusiasm. "I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast?"

"Of course!"

Kyoko waved goodbye, Sakura's room in the opposite direction. It was so nice to make a female friend this early in the game. And such a lovely one as well! Better than other options she could have ended up with.

As Kyoko inserted the key to her room, she noticed Eri entering the room next door. That must be her bedroom. The woman caught Kyoko watching, scowling before blowing a huge raspberry and shutting the door.

Kyoko entered her own room and locked it behind her. Her smile grew as she reentered the fairy themed area. This was truly her haven from the troubles of the demonic show. A paradise where she could hide from it all.

One hot shower and a complimentary cup of cocoa made from the pot by her desk later, Kyoko laid down on the bed, hair wet and wearing nothing but her towel. Gosh, it felt good to unwind. She sat up a little as she sipped on her drink, staring at the list she had made. The notes were spaced evenly, organized and even depicted small quickly drawn renditions of the headshots. By tomorrow she should have all their names, basic information, and measurements memorized. But would it help?

She placed her cup and notes on the side table, laying down as her mind wandered. Without the pressure of watching eyes, she allowed herself to tread down paths she'd avoided with a vehemence.

Ren had looked… good. Well, he always looked good. He was Tsuruga Ren. But Tsuruga-san usually looked immaculate. Maybe it had been the act. Yeah, that was it. His persona was made to look a little worn out.

A goofy smile traitorously crossed her lips as she returned to their conversation, indulging in the fantasy she'd asked him near the end. That he had come here just to chase her down. Despite her internal scolding that it was not true, the smile wouldn't fade. At least, not until the sobering sledgehammer of reality slugged it off her face.

Ren did not love her. He may be her Corn, her only good memory in childhood, her senpai, her strength, but he was not hers. While it was possible she was important to him, the feelings would never go past friendship. He'd made that clear.

"Does that mean you want to forgive yourself? To try loving again?"

"I'm not sure. I chose her over my past, but I just can't push myself to take the final step. Something happened recently that changed our relationship, and it hasn't been good. I'm afraid telling her my feelings will just make it worse."

"Then don't. Maybe the past is stopping you for a reason. Salvage what you can out of the current relationship, stay single, and keep your feelings to yourself. I'm sure they'll fade with time."

"… Surprisingly, I think that's what I needed to hear. Thank you, Bou-san. I've decided it's time to take chances. No matter what happens, I need to be honest with her. And more than anything else, I want to be with her."

Kyoko turned over on the bed, hugging the pillow to her face.

"Stupid Tsuruga-san," she mumbled. "How can I curse your romantic life when you look so happy talking about the girl you love?"

Thanks for reading!

And wow, thank you for the enthusiastic reception. Hope you continue to enjoy the chapters. This wrote itself even while I was in the middle of moving. Until next time!

-Blushweaver