"You don't fear change. You fear the unknown. If you knew the future would be great, you'd welcome the change to get there."

-Joe Vitale

Chapter 4

I tried waiting up for Loid, but it got harder as the minutes ticked away. It was already pretty late when I found him in the living room drinking with Yuri of all things. He has been doing his best to get along with my brother for my sake. Sometimes I feel like I'm asking too much of him, but he never complains. He carries on with a smile and a kind word - even when Yuri is being irrational. There was something different about tonight though. Loid was being his charming self, yet the hostility in the air lingered like a thick cloud of smoke. Someone in that room wanted to draw blood and for the life of me I couldn't figure out who.

I had fallen asleep by the time Loid finally came to the room, but half-woke when he walked in. He reeked of alcohol, his face scrunched in a frown as he shuffled around the room and in the closest mumbling to himself. I heard beeping followed by the sound of metal hinges and something heavy hitting a shelf. A lock clicked and the door to the closet opened as Loid walked out - still talking to himself. He sat on the edge of the bed with his shoulders slumped forward, elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. If the hostility was coming from him earlier, you couldn't tell. The tension coming from him now was more distressed. Something was weighing on his mind.

He rubbed his face rigorously then ran the fingers of his right hand through his disheveled hair. His hand rested on the back of his neck as he tipped his back slightly and let out an audible sigh. "I won't lose them," he announced into nothingness.

Lose who? Was he talking about me and Anya? Why would he think he would lose us? Was he worried about tomorrow? All week he's reassured me that everything will be fine and now he has doubts? I was tempted to say something to him, maybe talk him through whatever was going on like he does with me but then he reached down grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling it over his head. I seemed to forget how to speak as I watched him toss the fabric aside and stretched, his back muscles flexing with every move he made. I shut my eyes and pretended to be sleepy when he slipped under the covers and laid on his back. He was asleep instantly and for the first time I heard a soft snore coming from him. He must be exhausted. The last few days have been pretty rough on him.

I stared at him for a moment. Even after three years of pretending to be his wife, Loid still managed to surprise me. Especially this evening. I was usually the one having too much to drink and making advances - usually when we got too close, I would freak out and hit him or someone/thing else or he would remind me I had too much to drink. But tonight he made a move and I didn't feel the urge to run and hide. It felt…right. Part of me did wonder if it really happened so, yes, I kissed him back. Twice. For the first time since we met over three years ago, I wondered what it would be like to really be married to Loid. I mean, for the most part we do almost everything married couples do. We go on dates, take family vacations, get dinner together every night…it's the intimate things we fake. Like share a room and have sex.

I let out a sigh and shut my eyes, willing sleep to come. Part of me is glad we didn't talk about "us" tonight. I was a nervous wreck waiting for him to come back to the room to talk. What would we say? What if he didn't want us to be "us"? What if he regretted kissing me? A million things ran through my mind all over again. My inexperience, my inadequacies…what if it was all too much? What if he changed his mind? My internal struggle was disrupted when I felt his hand grasp mine. I looked over at him, but he was still fast asleep. He couldn't know what a mess it was inside my head right now, but somehow I feel like he knew I still needed him. His comfort. Even if I was being tortured about our uncertain future.

I made a mental note to check in with him in the morning to be sure he was ok, but by the time I woke up his side of the bed was empty. I quickly got out of bed and headed out the door in search of him.

"That's good they were able to fix the problem so quickly," Loud said from another room.

"Yea," Yuri replied dully. "Not too much damage either. They replaced the carpet, but some of my furniture is ruined."

"Ah, but you have insurance right?"

"Mmhm." I turned the corner from the hall to see Loid in the kitchen cooking breakfast and Yuri and Anya at the table. It was odd to me that no one was fighting.

"Good, that should cover it. If it doesn't I know a guy that can help you out." Loid was walking out of the kitchen with a few plates in his hands already dressed in his dress pants and white button up shirt. "Good morning Yor."

He smiled at me like the empty whiskey bottle in our trash was there because of him.

"Good morning," I greeted, unsure if this was reality or if I was still asleep somehow.

"You're just in time for breakfast. Have a seat." He placed a plate in front of Yuri and Anya before retreating to the kitchen for two more plates. "Anya, you better not pick the vegetables out."

"They're gross, Papa," Anya whined as I sat across from here.

"That's not what you said last week. I distinctly remember you saying that you loved them."

Loid placed a plate in front of me before taking a set beside me. I listened as father and daughter debated vegetables and their level of grossness. Every now and then Yuri would give his two cents about a particular vegetable. It sounded more like he was stirring the pot more than he was taking either of their sides. For a moment, everything was perfect in my life. I was sitting at the table with my family enjoying breakfast. There was no hostility, no anger, no fighting. Everyone was smiling and laughing. I wish I could freeze this moment and live in it forever.

The beeping of someone's watch told me that this perfect moment was over. Yuri glanced at his watch and frowned. He said something about being late before putting his dish in the sink and heading out the door. Loid noted we should be leaving soon as well. He cleaned up the table as I went to shower. I was so worried about being late, I forgot to bring my clothes to change into with me to the bathroom. When I walked into Loid's room, clad in nothing more than a towel, he was walking out of the closet fixing his tie. He looked up and I heard him gulp loudly when he saw me.

"Oh, I…I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I, uh, I didn't realize you were…naked." He quickly grabbed his vest and jacket off the bed. He was trying not to look at me. "We'll wait for you in the living room."

He awkwardly made his way out of the room, being very careful not to get too close to me.

"Papa, are you and Mama making babies?" I heard Anya ask.

"Stop saying that!" Loid scolded as he shut the door.

I changed as quickly as possible knowing time was short. We got to the bus stop to drop Anya off just in time. When it was time to leave, she hugged Loid a little longer than usual. She was really worried that they were going to take him away. She begged him to let her stay home. Of course, he said no. He reassured her that everything would be fine and when she got home we would get ready to go on our trip. It did little to calm her nerves, but she accepted his answer and reluctantly boarded the bus.

Since City Hall was on his way to the State Security Service building, Loid offered to walk me to work. When we boarded the train, we made small talk. He talked about how he was nervous for Anya's finals. She was improving her studies, but still struggled. He also told me a funny story about taking Bond to the dog park and when he threw a ball for him to retrieve, our dog brought another, smaller dog back instead. He was bringing everything up except last night, so I was beginning to think he was going to pretend it never happened. When the train arrived at our stop, we both stood and headed for the exit.

"So about last night," Loid said just as we were about to cross the threshold.

I don't know if I was caught off guard or just being my klutzy self, but I managed to trip and the ground was suddenly coming toward me at an alarming rate. I shut my eyes tight as I braced for impact, but still instinctively reached out to try to grab onto something to stop my fall.

"Yor!" Loid yelled just as I felt his arm wrap around my waist. It was quickly followed by a small groan as I found something to hold onto. He quickly stood me up and held me close to his body. "I need you to slowly let go," he whispered in a strained voice.

"Let go?" I asked dumbfounded. I suddenly felt whatever I grabbed onto for balance started to feel like it was getting harder. How was that possi…I finally realized he was breathing a little heavier than usual. I looked down and saw that I was holding onto. I immediately let go and took a step back. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

He silently nudged his head toward a bench and we walked over to take a seat. "Are you ok?" he asked as he awkwardly sat, trying to be as least obvious as possible about the situation in his pants.

"I'm ok. Are you…um…"

"I'll be fine." He took his hat off and put it on his lap. "I didn't mean to catch you off guard like that. Before you say anything, I want to say something." This was it. He's going to tell me that last night was a mistake. "I'm sorry if I was out of line last night. I should have asked if it was ok to kiss you. I changed the entire dynamic we've built over three years without so much as consulting you. For that, I'm truly sorry. However, I'm not sorry for the act itself. I'm not sure about you, but I quite enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind doing it more. If we do or not, I'll leave that up to you. I'll understand completely if you choose not to. We can go back to how things were. We'd have to come up with a story for what everyone saw last night, but that shouldn't be an issue."

I stared at him as he rambled on, coming up with scenarios we could tell people that questioned us kissing. I thought I over thought things, but this seemed to be on a different level. He was coming up with scenarios off the top of his head and follow up possibilities. My head felt like it was going to explode just listening to him.

"I enjoy kissing you too," I said simply, interrupting his rambling. "I don't think we could go back to the way things were if we wanted to. I don't want to go back to the way things were. We've been married for a while now, Loid. I can't deny I feel something for you. Not anymore. I'd like to figure out what that something is with you, but I hope you don't mind since this would technically be my first relationship, we take things slow. Kissing I like it's the…other stuff I don't think I'd be ready for."

He let out a sigh of relief as he nodded. "I'd like for us to explore this as well. I'm fine with doing whatever you're comfortable with at the pace you're comfortable with. I mean, what kind of husband would I be if I rushed you into something you're not ready for?"

I had to laugh. My husband is my first boyfriend. Usually the sentence would be flipped, but unconventionality seems to be our thing. "How funny is it that I'm going to start dating my husband after three years?"

"Maybe we keep that to ourselves," he chuckled. He put his hat back on his head and stood, holding his hand out to me. "Come on. Let's get you to work before you're late."

He helped me to stand and we were on our way to City Hall. I had asked him about our upcoming trip and he seemed unsure about our plans, noting he may make a few changes to our itinerary. For a moment, he seemed dejected as if he was sad about the trip. But before I could even ask, his mood changed as he mentioned having a surprise for me at the end of the trip. For a man that meticulously planned everything down to the thread count of his socks, I never expected a surprise. Then again, this whole week has been one surprise after another.

As we approached my workplace, I noticed Camilla, Millie and Sharon ahead of us deep in conversation.

"No way that happened," Millie laughed. "This is Yor we're talking about." My ears perked up when I heard my name.

"Why would Dominic lie? He said he saw it with his own eyes," Camilla insisted. Oh no. They couldn't be talking about last night could they?

"It's not like they don't kiss. They're married," Sharon sighed. "I don't get the big deal. They're just more conservative in public."

"Kissing is one thing. But going at it like horny teenagers? In front of their kid no less? That's a hard sell," Millie shrugged.

"I bet it was a peck on the lips and everyone's blowing it way out of proportion because we've never seen more than a kiss on the cheek."

"He said they were standing there watching them making out for at least a minute," Camilla pointed out. "That's no peck."

A minute?! I thought they had just walked in when they interrupted us. How could they not tell us? I was absolutely mortified. Loid must have noticed because he cleared his throat loud enough for the trio to hear.

"Good morning ladies," he greeted with a smile.

"Yor! Loid! We didn't see you there," Camilla said nervously. She must be embarrassed that she was caught gossiping about us in front of us.

"Good morning, Loid," Sharon greeted casually. "Walking the wife to work today?"

He smiled and gave a quick nod. "I have an appointment today and it was on my way, so I jumped on the opportunity."

"I'm sure that's not all you want to jump on," Millie teased under her breath, earning her an elbow to her side from Camilla.

"Ah," Loid chuckled as he removed his hat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll assume Dominic filled you in on our little…ahem…display of affection."

"I told you it happened!" Camilla shouted.

"Camilla! Please, keep it down," I nervously hushed. No need to garner more attention.

"It did," Loid nodded. "I hope you ladies will use discretion about the situation? Yor and I aren't ashamed in the least of our displays of affection, but you all know that we value our privacy. I'd hate for it to get out that we…what was it Millie? Make out like horny teenagers? In front of our kid no less." I watched my friend's eyes widen in horror as her - and the other two's - face turned bright red. "Well, I should be on my way."

I grabbed Loid's hand as he started down the street. "You'll call to let me know when it's over?" I asked, a slight tremble in my voice.

"The moment I get out," he reassured.

He looked down at my hand. I guess my voice wasn't the only thing trembling. I've never felt so powerless. I've protected Yuri for all these years and now, when it really counts, I can't do anything. What if they don't believe Loid (not that he has anything to lie about)? Was that why they were having Loid go to the SSS building? Are they going to arrest him? Will they arrest Yuri and Loid? What if they do? How am I going to explain to Anya her father was arrested just for knowing Yuri?

Loid pulled me aside and out of earshot of my friends, but still within their view. "Hey, everything is going to be just fine, Yor. I made you a promise last night. I'll do whatever I have to do to protect Yuri."

"I know you will," I sighed. "I'm just scared of what's going to happen. I don't understand why they would think Yuri was doing something that would be so cruel."

I thought I saw a flash of doubt cross Loid's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Maybe I was just imagining things?

"He has nothing to worry about," Loid reassured me. "I'm sure this is one big misunderstanding. But no matter what happens, we'll get through it together."

Even if neither of us believed the words he was saying, Loud knew I needed to hear them. I was lucky to have someone like him that always knew just the right thing today at the right time to say it. I wrapped my arms around him and held him for a moment. He eveloped me in a hug of his own as I rested my head on his chest. There was something about him holding me that made me feel like all my troubles and worries in the world were melting away. It was a new feeling, especially since we never were this close before, but I liked it.

"I really should get going," he said as he let me go. "I will call once it's over. You just try not to worry all day."

"I'll try," I sighed. "Have a g…" I gasped a little when I felt his lips on mine. I don't think my friends heard it over their own gasps.

He pulled his lips from mine and I instantly felt the pang of loss. "Have a good day, Yor," he whispered to me. He tipped his hat to my friends who stood a few feet away with their mouths agape. "Ladies, as always, it's been a pleasure."

The four of us stared at my husband as he walked off. After the initial shock wore off, they all rushed over to me asking a million questions at once. I didn't realize how much people paid attention to other people's lives until this moment. Apparently if you and your husband don't kiss in front of people for three years, they start to wonder. Of course, we would give each other pecks on the cheek or temple, but nothing too intimate. Anytime we came close, I may or may not have run or hit him.

To be honest, the flurry of questions was a welcome distraction.

"Hey, are you listening?" Millie asked as she waved her hand in my face.

"Oh! I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked as we walked into the break room.

"I asked why you two are so handsy now. Is it true? Are you guys trying?"

Millie stared at me in anticipation as she waited for my answer. But exactly is her question? What would we be trying other than our relationship not being fake? No way they would know that though.

"If you ask me," Sharon interjected as she poured herself a cup of coffee, "I would reconsider. It was really hard after we had our second."

Second?

"Yea but Yor doesn't have any of her own." She looked back at me. "No offense. I mean, I'm sure you really love his kid, but after three years you guys probably want one of your own right?"

It dawned on me what they were talking about.

"Mama and Papa wanna make a baby." That's what Anya had said last night.

They think we're trying to have a baby! What am I supposed to say? Ok, maybe the idea cross my mind the last few days. But my mind wanders. It was never really a possibility until last night.

"Leave her alone," Camilla groaned in annoyance. "She's obviously uncomfortable." Did Camilla just defend me? That's a rarity.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and headed to her desk.

We hung out more when Dominic started hanging around Loid more. It started out as Loid running into him and Yuri after work and Dominic inviting him to join them, but over time he started inviting Loid to drink when Yuri wasn't around. Then we were invited to more dinner parties and suddenly the two were friends. Camilla was pretty resistant at first. She didn't - probably still doesn't - like me all too much, but she dislikes me a little less.

We all headed to our desks and got to work. I, unfortunately, was extremely distracted. Loid was asked to be at the SSS building by 10:00 AM since getting through security might take a while. His deposition would start at 10:30 AM. I wasn't sure exactly how long it would take and they didn't give him a timeline. I don't know why, of all people, they wanted to talk to Loid about Yuri. Wouldn't they think he would be biased? And what did they think Yuri was doing? He was a civil servant just like me. He worked in foreign affairs with Westalian government officials. He was keeping the peace, not starting a riot.

The moment the clock turned 10:30, my anxiety levels skyrocketed. I couldn't keep still as time slowly ticked away. 10:37. Only 7 minutes? It felt like an hour! I feel like I'm going to be sick. How was I going to get through today?

"Hey," I heard someone call. I looked up to see Camilla standing in front of me.

"Oh, hey Camilla," I managed to get out in a somewhat steady voice. "Is there something you needed from me?"

"I just wanted you to know Dominic wasn't gossiping about you. He told me but asked me to keep it to myself. So earlier was my bad, I guess."

"Oh it's ok. Loid is really understanding, so he's not too bothered by it and if he's not I shouldn't be either."

Camilla turned to walk away, but turned to face me again. The expression on her face was a lot more serious than a moment ago. "I did hear something else that I didn't repeat to the others."

Thump, thump, thump. I could hear and feel my heart beating out of my chest. What exactly had she heard?

"I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but if you need anything…you can talk to me I guess."

"Oh, Camilla, thank you. I appreciate that. And for…earlier."

"I don't know how you managed to get a man like Loid, but you must be doing something right to keep him around. It's definitely not your cooking. If you guys are trying to have a kid, I hope it works out."

I wasn't sure what to say. She was wishing me luck for something I don't know will ever happen. Did I really want children? Like I said earlier, I've let my mind wander and imagined what it would be like to have a little Loid or Yor running around the apartment, but then I remember what I do for a living. I take life, I don't give it. What kind of mother could an assassin truly make? Anya's doing ok, but I'd attribute that more to Loid's parenting than mine.

"Oh and Dominic wanted me to give you this." Camilla held out a piece of paper to me. "He said he mentioned some convention to Loid last night. We went to one a few months ago and something happened, so they gave us some free passes to any of their events. I doubt we'll be going again soon. He wasn't sure where you were going, but one of these things is nearby you'd might wanna take your st…your daughter."

I took the paper from Camilla. "This sounds like fun. I'll check with Loid if it's something we can do. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone about this. I don't want anyone knowing I've been to one of those things."

"Your secret is safe with me," I chuckled as I hid the paper away in my purse.

"Yor!" Chief Barnes called from across the room. "You got a call."

I looked up at the clock, 11:03 AM. It must be Loid. I jumped to my feet and hurried over to my boss. He led me to an empty office and I quickly picked up the phone.

"Loid! You have no idea how happy I am to…"

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but it's not your husband," a familiar voice said, sending a chill down my spine. "We have a guest waiting for you, Thorn Princess."

What am I doing here? I can't keep doing this. I shouldn't be trying to scrub blood out of my dress. I was lucky I had stashed a spare dress at work. Otherwise this would have never worked out. I'm already gone longer than I should be. I need to get back to work before someone notices how long I've been gone. Plus Loid is supposed to call. If I miss that call, he might come by and he'll wonder why I'm not there.

I sighed as I threw down the corner of my blood stained dress. This has to stop. I have a family now - no, I've had one for three years. But now we're not going to pretend. I'm going to be a real wife and mother. There's no hiding anymore. I need to tell Shopkeeper this is it. I'm leaving this life behind me. If Loid found out…

No. He can't find out. He won't. I'm ending this here and now. I just need to get this damn blood stain out!

Click, whirrrrr.

I spun around quickly at the noise. What was that? I grabbed the stiletto I kept strapped to my thigh and started making my way through the sea of dead bodies. I'm sure I had cleared the warehouse. Everyone in here was dead. The echo was throwing me off, making it hard to pinpoint where the sound came from. Or was it? I haven't exactly been at the top of my game lately. I can't even get this stain out of my dress. I'll have to have it cleaned when I pick up Loid's shirts. I can just say I was trying to cook and it didn't go as planned.

I shook my head. I need to get back on track. If I don't focus and someone else is here, I can die. I heard a groan from one of the bodies. The man was trying to gather whatever strength he had to crawl away. He must have heard the clicking of my shoes against the floor because he rolled onto his back. His eyes were full of fear. He knew he was going to die. He put his hands up in surrender, waving them around as he shook his head.

"P…please. Show me mercy," he begged. His face was covered in a mixture of dirt and blood. "I won't tell a soul. Just let me go. I have a family."

A family? My face softened. Suddenly I saw Loid's face in place of this man's. His blonde hair matted to his head by blood. His blue eyes wide in fear. What kind of monster was I to take a father from his family? I reached down to help him up. It only took him a second in my moment of hesitation to pull out his gun and aim it at me.

"Die you stupid bitch!" he yelled as he attempted to shoot me.

Before he could pull the trigger, I stabbed the stiletto in his neck. The initial spray of blood got all over my dress and face as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground.

"Ugh! Are you kidding me?! It's in my hair!" I sobbed as I dragged myself back across the room to the sink.

I needed a shower, but a splash bath will have to do for now. I cleaned myself up quickly and changed, careful not to get any blood on my work clothes. I had to hurry back to City Hall and pray that no one asked any questions. The entire way I couldn't stop thinking about seeing Loid's face on that criminal's. Because of me, someone's papa would never come home. Of the hundreds of people I've killed, I'm sure many of them were parents, so why did it bother me so much now?

And what was that sound? I searched the warehouse from top to bottom, but still couldn't find the source of the sound. Come to think of it, why was I even called there at this time of day? I rarely get called to an assignment in the middle of the day. It was too risky. Maybe these are all signs that I should give up this part of my life. I'll have to tell the Shopkeeper that I am retiring. It was a surprise to hear from him today…or at all for that matter. Something wasn't sitting right. All I wanted to do was finish work and go home to my family.

"Forger!" my boss yelled as soon as I walked in. "You've been getting calls for the last hour! Where have you been?"

I cringed as I slowly turned to face him. "I'm so sorry, sir," I apologized. "I lost track of time."

"Whatever. Your husband is on the phone now. Hurry up with that call and get back to work."

I nodded as I hurried to the room the chief was pointing to. I quickly picked up the phone, almost dropping it.

"Hello? Loid? Are you there?" I asked frantically.

"Yor, is everything ok? I've been trying to get a hold of you for an hour and they said you weren't there," Loid said, his voice filled with worry. I'm such a terrible wife.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just had to…get something. For the trip. And it took longer than I thought." Lying to him now feels so horrible. He remained quiet on the other end of the phone. Did he not believe me? "Loid?"

"I'm here. I just…I thought something happened to you," he sighed. "I'm relieved, but I just worry."

He was worried? I made him worry. I'm the worst.

"How was…the thing?" I asked hoping to change the subject and make this feeling go away.

"It actually went really well. Like I said, it was just a misunderstanding. I'm sure that everything will settle down in the next few days. By the time we get home from this trip, it'll be like it never happened."

"You're right. Ugh I needed to hear some good news. Thank you, Loid."

"I didn't do much. I just told them the truth."

"Still. Thank you. Well, I guess lunch is out of the question today."

Loid laughed. "Unfortunately, it is. Someone took too long running an errand."

I giggled. I felt like a schoolgirl for some reason. "Are you at home then?"

"Uh, no. I stopped by the office to pick something up, but I'm about to head home in a bit. Did you want me to pick anything up for dinner?"

"No, nothing in particular. You do know how much Anya loves your hamburg steak though. Maybe we can have that."

"Hamburg steak it is. I'll see you tonight."

"I'll see you tonight." Click.

I let out a sigh of relief as I put the receiver down. It wasn't that I didn't believe Loid before, but hearing him say that everything was fine made me feel a lot better about the situation. This was the confirmation I needed that it was time to put Thorn Princess behind me. My brother was safe and I didn't have to kill anyone to protect him. Now I could really focus on my life with Loid and Anya. Loid is our protector and provider. He can take care of us. I won't need to continue on with this work. I can be a regular civil servant with no reason for anyone to come after me.

I left the room with a little spring in my step. Things were finally falling into place for me. When I got to my desk, I noticed there was a manila envelope under my keyboard that wasn't there before. Something told me not to open it where everyone could see.

I slipped the parcel under my desk and opened it to take a look at the contents. My heart immediately stopped. How could this be? Where did this come from? There, in my shaky hands, was a photo of me…covered in blood surrounded by a sea of dead bodies. I recognized this warehouse. It was the one I was just at. This photo was taken, printed and delivered today. I searched the envelope for any clue that would lead me to who this had come from. When I turned the photo over, in blood red ink were four words: We know Thorn Princess.

I frowned as I stared at the dress in front of me. Something was…off. It wasn't right, but I couldn't figure out just what that something was. Maybe I was just tired. I was staying up later than usual to get this done. But I was on a time crunch. What time was it anyway? When was the last time I slept? I let out a sigh as I plopped onto my folded futon and a magazine fell to the floor, opening to an article.

Cosplayer Marine takes World by Storm!

Teenager Marin Kitagawa has become a worldwide sensation with her breathtaking cosplay costumes made by her boyfriend, Wakana Gojo…

Gah! Why did she have to say that? I mean, we are dating but did she really have to tell the world? I was happy just fading into the background and letting her live her dream, but she wanted me to get credit for my work as well. Honestly, I'm just not used to the attention. I'm also not ready for the snide comments.

How did he get a girl like her?

I don't even know the answer to that. But people had their opinions. From pity to blackmail to payment to…well-endowment. I've heard it all. I tried to go unnoticed, but that wasn't Kitagawa. She didn't care what other people thought. She was proud I was her boyfriend. I can't imagine why. I was no one special. She was like the moon, lighting up the night sky with her radiance and beauty. Me? I was a dying star barely giving off enough light to be seen through the clouds. It's only a matter of time until she figures that out. I just have to prepare myself for the inevitable.

I let out a sigh as I pushed myself off my futon. I needed something to drink. I made my way downstairs and saw the light in my grandfather's workshop still on. I looked at the clock on the wall. Wow, was it really 10 PM already? What was grandpa doing up this late? I took a peek through the crack in the door to see my grandfather unpacking some dolls. They were old. Probably older than me. There was something about them that was different. They weren't regular hina dolls. Their faces were painted with the same diligence and dedication I knew my grandfather for, but the clothes…they seemed to have odd patterns sewn into them. He placed one of the dolls in a stand and stared at it for a moment before letting out a long, heavy sigh.

I got the feeling that this was a private moment. I headed on to the kitchen to get a cup of water before retreating to my room. I laid out my futon and laid down, turning my head to stare at the black dress on the opposite side of the room. It wasn't a costume. Kitagawa had been invited to a special event after one of the upcoming conventions we were going to that was hosting some foreign celebrities. It was a big deal because the hosting country had been at war for decades and they were finally opening their borders again to welcome artists from other countries. Kitagawa expressed an interest in cosplaying a character from one of their local programs called Spy Wars.

How was I supposed to keep up? She was going to travel the world and meet someone new. They'll be less awkward and much more interesting than me. How can a guy like me hope to ever keep a girlfriend like Kitagawa? She's beautiful and talented. She's fearless and has the best personality. Me? I'm just a boy that loves hina dolls. I'm hopeless.

I was about to drift off to sleep when I heard the buzz of my phone. The screen lit up as Kitagawa's name and photo flashed across the screen. I quickly picked up my phone and hit the green button.

"Gojo, are you there?" Kitagawa asked through the phone. Her voice sounded strained. Like she was scared.

"Yes! Yes. I'm here," I replied fumbling with my phone. "What's the matter? Is everything ok?"

"No. I need you. Can you come over?"