Ryuu sat against his bed, with his black rimmed glasses, drowning himself in red wine gifted by the sponsors. he pressed his temples and pondered about the day's unhappy episodes, in the dimly lit room assigned to him. the models, including Mariya, had their rooms close by, but the assistants had their rooms situated in another building. he placed the 'do not disturb' sign on his door as he sought solace from a temporary recluse. he needed to consolidate his thoughts and determine his next step such that he doesn't continue hurting Megu. frankly, he wanted to know how she feels about him now that they are together, cause he felt like she's afraid of him, still withdrawing herself from him. love has no room for fear isn't it, he innocently thought.

"ahhh I don't know...." he crashed onto his bed and screamed with his head buried on his mattress, muffling his frustration.

*ding dong

the untimely ringing of his room bell irritated him further.

"what now?!" he shouted unconsciously and stormed to the door. When he swing it opened forcefully, he saw Mariya standing in front of his door with a revealing pajamas. his eyes shifted up and down, slightly aroused by her nice figure, but quickly regained his senses this time.

"Ryuu, I know you're troubled over what happened earlier. I don't know why Megu did that but I'm here for you... you can talk to me or lean on me...you'll feel better with me."

She leaned her body towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. her exposed s rubbed against his chest, as if deliberately done to trigger his lust. As opposed to his retarded reaction the last time she sneaked a kiss on him, he pulled away almost immediately and soften his glance.

"I'm sorry Mariya. I see you only as a friend, so I hope you would respect yourself as well as me. Megu is my girlfriend, so if i'll make my own judgement about what happened. i don't need anyone's comments. anyway I'm tired. goodnight, see you tomorrow" Ryuu closed the door behind her and sighed. He hoped he put his point across clearly, and regardless of what happens between him and Megu, he has no intention to go to Mariya. he cannot give Mariya any false hope that he is ever interested in pursuing a relationship with her.

before he could touch down on his bed again, the door bell rang the second time. this time, he's fuming mad. He opened the door harshly this time and shouted absentmindedly, "I said I'm tired! which part do you not get it!"

the timid soul before him was trembling after he raised his voice. He regretted cause he got his target wrong. but the girl only continued looking at him with great anxiety.

"Megu?"

As much as Ryuu wanted to insist on his reclusion, he saw from the corner of his eyes as he adjusted his glasses, Mariya who was watching their moves. 

"sorry, I thought it was someone else... come in" 

Ryuu let her in then shut the door behind them. He sighed as he stood behind Megu who hasn't turned around to face him.

"it's so late into the night, why aren't you asleep?" he asked, but there was no reply. she just stood with her back still facing him, motionless like a statue.

He sighed irritably "you should turn in now, I'm sure you're tired as well. I'll bring you back to your room. we can talk tomorrow" Ryuu clutched her by her elbow and led her to the door, but to his surprise, her hand intervened before he could open the door. He turned to face her and saw a look of seriousness on her face. 

"what is it?" Ryuu asked softly, but he could not continue anymore. his lips was occupied and it wasn't his initiative for once. Her hands held onto his shoulder blades for support while she fixed her position on his lips. Her body was so stiff, her heart was beating so tremendously fast, her eyes were so tensely shut, he knew she was nervous beyond her threshold . the moment her lips crashed on his, he could already feel her trembling, and in that instance, he knew she has forced herself to take such initiative. it hurts him alittle to know she still hasn't got used to his presence, strengthening his belief that perhaps they both needed more time before they start a relationship. He withdrew from her lips slightly and looked intensely into her teary eyes which was wide open in surprise.

"Megu, you don't have to force yourself..."

"I'm not.."

"your body doesn't lie. you are trembling so badly.... Megu, maybe I have been impatient, maybe I should have waited until you're ready to date.... maybe we should just..."

"no! I love you! I really do, Ryuu!!!" she threw her arms around the nape of his neck and buried her head on his shoulders as she cried intensely. 

"Megu?"

"I don't wanna lose you to someone else. I want the whole of you! I want you to be mine! I'm jealous of Mariya, I hate her for snatching you away from me. I hate her serenading you that day when you went out with her, I hate her for staining your lips! I hate her claims that she captured your heart! I don't wanna lose you to her..." she cried hard, so hard that he could feel her tears streaming down from her face, wetting his clothes. He was stunned by her revelation that his dense mind never thought of, he was even more surprised and guilty that she witnessed what happened that day with Mariya.

"Megu... how did you know about that?" he pulled away, cupping her sunken shoulders and looking softly into her wet eyes.

"I'm sorry, I followed you... I know that's unethical but I felt so uneasy..." she said in an apologetic tone, choking on her cries at several intervals.

She was surprised that Ryuu chuckled and patted her head slightly. "so you are obsessed of me...I was beginning to think you didn't like me as before when you first confessed. I see you are always so frightened of me and I really took that seriously and wondered if I have pushed you too hard"

Megu shook her head shyly, bending her head down to avoid his eyes. he, however, led his warm hands on her cheeks and forced her to look into his eyes.

"I'm sorry for what happened that day. I hesitated before I pushed her away. I'll do anything to make it up to you, but trust me, I have no feelings for her at all."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit her today...it's really unbecoming of me to be doing that"

"here here..." he secured her face as soon as he sensed her hiding from his gaze again. "I was very harsh so I need to apologise for that too. but Megu, you're a very nice girl so I don't want you to involve yourself in such violence, that's why I got angry. frankly, I don't care whether you hurt Mariya or not, but I just don't wanna see you appearing in a bad light. if there's anything at all, let me do the dirty work for you."

Ryuu noticed a finger print on her reddened face and realised she's hurt as well. "does it hurt?" he touched the reddened cheeks gently so it doesn't hurt her further. there was a prickling pain, but much more than that, she felt a tinkle in her heart and felt like the room got hotter. she's flushed red. it was lucky Ryuu had his gaze locked on her swollen cheeks that he didn't her deafening heartbeat.

"I'll go get a warm pack to subside the swelling, then I'll bring you back to your room, ne" Ryuu didn't wait for her to respond before he moved towards the door, but his arms had him occupied. He turned to see her cold hands wrapped around his arm, holding him back.

"can I stay with you tonight?"

"huh?" Ryuu didn't understand what that implied but chose to think of it innocently since Megu wouldn't think along the other line.

he was wrong.

he saw her fingers struggling with her buttons that's keeping her clothes together. She was trembling once again and she's bitting her lips to keep herself together. after much struggling, she finally undone her first button and become more anxious to undo the rest. Ryuu took a long while to comprehend her unexplainable acts but when he regained his senses, he stretched out his hands, grabbing onto hers firmly. Her heart came to an abrupt pause after the heavy pounding. her eyes widened at his intervention and felt as if she has failed. her eyes teared again and he became worried.

"what happened? why are you doing this?" he buttoned up 
her shirt.

It was as though he scolded her, cause she broke down into tears once again not long after the previous.

"heh Chotto matte Megu. why are you crying again..." he quickly ushered her to his bed and sat beside her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. he removed her hands covering her face and looked at her with utmost concern.

"she's right... I have nothing for you..." Ryuu could barely make out the words she uttered, what's more the context in which it's spoken.

"did Mariya say something to you? if she did, I want you to tell me."

she choked on her tears as she tried to breathe properly but Ryuu's firm grip of her arms ease her tension a little.

"she said I won't appeal to you cause I'm not beautiful"

"that's why you wanted to offer yourself to me? Megu! you are really a Baka! you know what, I would never do such despicable stuff to a girl I truly love, not until she's sure I'm the one for her. so unless we get married, I won't take away the precious part of you."

"it's not because I'm not attractive?" she stopped her sobbing and looked at Ryuu with anticipation.

"definitely not because of this. so Megu, this is why you girls fought?"

"she said she will snatch you back too, that's why I couldn't take it. I didn't mean to do that to her..." Ryuu pulled her closer and let her head lean on his tough shoulders.

"she did it to you too. anyway, it's my fault first that I added to your uneasiness. I'm sorry, so if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know."

"yes, there is..."

She sat upright and exchanged deep glances with Ryuu.

"accompany me tonight... I don't want to face the room alone...I am tired of being alone" Megu requested once more, but this time Ryuu knew it was pure, unlike previously.

"alright. I'll rest on the sofa and you can have the bed to yourself" Ryuu gave her a bright consoling smile.

"it's okay, we can share the bed, Ryuu" she entwined her fingers with his and returned an assuring glance. she felt the warmth radiating from his fingers tip and felt his supple skin with his tough veins wrapped around her small hand.

"if you trust me, I'll be happy to be by your side..." he leaned forth and gave her an everlasting kiss on her lips before tugging her into bed. She laid on his arms which circled around shoulders, bringing her close enough that her arms comfortably rested on his waist. they laid facing each other the whole night with almost negligible gap in between the two, immersed in each other's sweet breathe and the calming smiles left on their faces. As the night grew colder, she tugged herself in his embrace and enjoyed the tentalizing warmth from his chest where her face leaned on and his tender touches which rejuvenates her heart and soul. 

and so the night bonds them as one, spiritually, not physically. the misunderstandings were sought end out and mutual consensus were reached. Megu dissolved her nervousness with Ryuu and found even more protection in every love he showered upon her. His sincerity has broken the barrier she unknowingly and helplessly erected, allowing him closer so that he could shelter her from any impending troubles she would encounter. with him, she finally felt like she's not gonna be alone, cause her crush-turned-boyfriend has sworn to look after her and stand by her through thick and thins. it may sound like a miracle that a average girl like her could get the love of someone high up in the social spectrum but she has put aside this thought and believed in fate and true love as he insisted.

*****

Morning came, the sun shone against their backs and onto their faces. Ryuu slipped deeper into his blanket and buried his head under Megu's chin and his hands securely wrapped around her back. Megu however was awakened almost instantly. As her eyelids flickered opened, she found herself overwhelmed by happiness that the first person she saw was Ryuu. The top of Ryuu's head was in her line of sight and his warm breathe that brushes on her neckline made her heart race excitedly. A natural smile reveals itself on her face, and as if it was telepathic, he raised his face and greeted her with an eye smile and a blissful whisper in her ears. "ohayou, Megu"

even though they never did anything that would infringe on her ity, anything that Mariya would have done, a simple companionship beside each other's decent embrace on a single bed, with the first person they see as dawn breaks being ones they treasure most, is truly what Megu would call happiness. it has been her dream to wake up in the arms of her beloved, now it's a reality.

her face flushed red at the mere thought of it and her random chuckles, got him looking at her with curiosity. "what are you thinking?" he asked while giving himself a stretch.

"nothing..." she turned her back against him to hide her seemingly obvious blush. 

He crawled towards her and leaned on her side with his face close to hers and intimidated her for a more satisfactory reply. "it's not nothing, ne. your face is so red like a tomato"

"you're so irritating Ryuu!" she grumbled, and that was the first time she showed something apart from being extremely polite an