"You want me, admit it." Reizo looked deep into Akina's eyes, challenging her to deny it.

She looked away and said in a hurt voice, "No, I don't. Besides I'm already married. What are you going to do about that?"

"Nothing... It doesn't matter. You don't love him and he can't give you what you want."

Akina narrowed her eyes and said in cold tone, "I have everything I've ever wanted. Tomeo has given me the world. What do you have to offer?"

Reizo looked at her sadly. He fingered the ornate chain around her neck.

"This? This is all you want? All you need?" He gestured at the necklace, "You deserve more than this. You deserve more than that old man can give you. You deserve passion, adventure! Don't let these golden chains hold you down. You deserve to be happy."

"Let me make you happy..." He whispered softly.

Kanaye leaned down to kiss her, a hand on her cheek, and she rose up to meet him half way. But unknown to the two lovers, Leiko saw and heard all...

"So how was it?"

Kanaye turned around and smirked at the anxious girl beside him.

"It was horrible. You suck."

"WHAT?!" Yuko stared wide-eyed at him, her jaw slack.

"I'm just playing! This was actually good. OUCH!"

"Don't mess around with me like that! Asshole..." Yuko tried her best to look mad, but she was already laughing harder than he was when he confessed.

"Anyways," She continued, "This is where I'm planning to enter it..." She handed him the magazine she had hit him with and opened it to where she had marked.

It was a two page advertizement for Make-out Paradise, the famous publishing company known not only for having the most popular adult manga titles, but also for their infamous writer/owner Jiraiya who had paid many sexual harrassment fines and is notoriously known as a major playboy.

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"Gosh Kanaye! Do I have to spell it out for you? This is a manga contest! I want us to do a collab job with you as my artist!" Yuko said in a excited voice.

"And I'm going to agree because..."

"'Cause you're my best friend silly! I'll go over to your house tomorrow so we can get started. M'kay?"

not done yet... will finish tomorrow...