Author's Note: Wow, I haven't updated this in forever. I am sorry. Honestly, I haven't been able to read the manga since one of the sites I used to read Skip Beat on was taken down. That and I have been on the grind at school. I literally just started nerding out again after four to five years of being inactive. It has sucked! Now, that school's coming to a close, I can just update whatever I feel like updating. If you have any suggestions, constructive criticism, or some information on the manga you'd like to share with me, feel free to message me per the usual. Constructive criticism would be in a review, wouldn't it? Pfft! I messed up there, didn't I? Well, enjoy this new chapter of Guro and her brief adventure.

He was pissed. There was nothing else to say to it. He hated this whole situation. His brother called this gaudy, two-faced bitch named Hiyashinsu to be his manager and she didn't even bother to stay with him. As much as he would love to just call him and give him a piece of his mind, something was telling him not to do that. There was something... mixed between relief and comfort that settled onto his being when he heard his band was getting some help from L.M.E. That's a big deal! For Lory Takarada to even recommend a person to step in was really a blessing, but... Did it have to be that... that... that evil spawn? She's been gone for a full hour! On top of that, he's just been sitting in his hotel room waiting for said hour and petting his snake during that time. Where was she? Why the hell was he even waiting for her? What did he expect from a gaudy, unprofessional woman anyway? There's the problem. She's a woman! What would she know about any of his problems or how to fix them?

"Hell with this!" Tenno shouted, standing up and placing his snake gently in his broken tank. No, seriously, he needed a new one. Growling, Tenno then said, "I'm going to the hot springs."

It didn't take long for him to get dressed for a nice lounge in the sauna. It didn't even take long for him to walk there. The staff paid no attention to him, which was a nice change of pace considering all he got from them were complaints, and they even took his card and scanned it for proper access to his information. Everything was going smoothly. As soon as he walked to the hotel's hot springs, that's when shit started hitting the fan. He wasn't sure if he could call it literal but it was pretty close.

"We're sorry, sir," the manager said, bowing respectfully. "We're closing the springs because of maintenance. It'll be open in another hour. Something leaked into the water and caused skin infections. Be mindful of where you step."

"Wha - ?" Tenno questioned, seeing the janitors dressed in protective suits to figure out where the hell purple sludge came from.

No way that's a coincidence... he thought.

Okay, so much for the relaxing hour in a sauna. Where else could he go to relieve some tension? Oh yeah. Hotel's got a gym! Like before when he got dressed for the sauna, he went back to his room and got dressed for the gym. Good thing there was a boxing ring on the ground floor. A good couple of punches should do the trick. Then, he can stop thinking about his crazy manager. She was still away and didn't seem to be looking for him. He checked his cell phone for new calls and messages. Nothing came in. No voicemail. No text messages. Nothing. Was she seriously not coming back until she could walk in the room and put her stuff down on the floor? Dumbass broad! Grinding his teeth, Tenno left the room again to make his short journey to the gym. When he saw some people standing outside of the hallway and huddled over, he had a feeling something stupid was going to happen as soon as he asked.

"We're sorry, sir," the manager of the gym said. "Something happened with the equipment. Five injuries occurred. We're looking into the situation as we speak. We'll be closed for the day."

"What is going on here?" Tenno questioned, furrowing his eyebrows and feeling his chest tighten.

Is that crazy bitch some kind of bad luck magnet? he thought, eyebrow twitching in anger.

Okay, there's no hot spring in operation for another fucking hour and no gym for the rest of the day. Now what? Should he even dare try to go somewhere else without there being a problem? It's no wonder the staff wasn't focused on him. They had their own shitty problems to deal with! It's that damned broad's fault! None of this was happening before. He's been staying at the hotel for an entire week! Out of curiosity and mainly to see if any of this was coincidental or intentional, Tenno decided to walk towards the pool. He wasn't going to bother getting in but he wanted to test to see if anyone would let him near it. No one was actually swimming in it right now, so that had to mean something. Maybe some toxic, invisible chemical that the bitch snuck in her duffel bag was swimming in there now. He'd probably die on the spot. She'd be more dangerous than his pet snake. Right as he was passing through the automatic sliding doors, a staff member ran after him and gently grabbed his bicep.

"Wait, sir!" the woman called.

"What the hell now?" Tenno sighed in frustration.

"Pool's not open at this time. Someone dumped chemicals in the water," the woman said, backing away from Tenno when his body imploded from within. She really dumped chemicals in the fucking pool!? How? How did he know she was going to do that? New powers? No! Just crazy manager bitch! The woman nervously continued, "We're cleaning it up. We'll open it in another thirty minutes. You can sit in the lounge area if you wish."

"No, thanks!" Tenno shouted, marching to his room. "I'll call a taxi to go someplace."

THAT MANIACAL BITCH! he thought, grinding his teeth hard enough to produce sparks. How'd she even find chemicals in a ten-minute span? Everything's staff only! I am going to murder that woman!

He took a deep breath as soon as he made it to his room. This was insane! She couldn't have done all of that within an hour. No, no, he's overthinking it. No way some chick who can't even dress right would know how to rig a hotel that fast. What was happening here would take hours if not a day to do single-handedly. That's like eighteen different jobs she'd have to know. It's all good. He'd just have to hit the town and go exploring or shopping or something. Forget this hotel! There's plenty to do on the streets. Tenno took his cell phone in his hand and started dialing the cab company he had been using recently to get to gigs. He really didn't want to use them anymore since they caused him to be late on more than one occasion but it was the only company he really knew. As the phone rang, it clicked, redialed, clicked, redialed, and started beeping like the phone wasn't on its base and someone just left it off by accident. He tried again, getting the same dial and click combination before a voice rang through his ears.

'We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please hang up and try again.'

"What the fuck is going on?" Tenno shouted, loud enough to scare his snake.

"Excuse me, sir," a voice said through the door. Tenno turned to it, opened it, and scowled as the hotel manager bowed respectfully to inform him of ongoing bad news. He said, "We're sorry to inform you of this, but the phone lines have been disconnected. We're trying to get it working now. A technician will be here in thirty minutes."

Tenno took a deep breath to calm his nerves and then patiently ground out, "Does this hotel have a shuttle I can use?"

"Why, yes sir," the manager said brightly. "There's one at the front. It doesn't leave here for another two hours to pick up other hotel guests."

"Where's the nearest dollar store in this fucking area?"

"Hm?" Guro chirped. Her cell phone was ringing and vibrating in her pants pocket. She reached in the right pocket and pulled out the black and blue device to check the caller ID. It was the president. She unlocked her phone to answer it and greeted him in curiosity. She said, "This is Hiyashinsu."

'What the hell did you do to that hotel in the past twenty minutes?' he shouted, making Guro hold the phone away from her ear until he calmed down to wait for an answer from her. When he received none in the five seconds that transpired, he shouted some more, 'I get you a LoveMe assignment to be a manager and you completely destroy the hotel your band's supposed to be staying at?'

"Uh," Umareta started, raising a single finger to argue in a civil manner, "we don't actually stay here. Just the vocalist."

Guro looked at the man with an almost confused face until she put the phone by her ear to respond. She said, "Did you get any of that?"

'Any of what, ya little demon?'

"Repeat what you just said," Guro ordered, pushing the speaker icon on her phone and holding it out.

"Uh, the band doesn't stay in this hotel. We're in a hotel closer to the gig space. The vocalist stays here on his own. I doubt this girl could actually destroy a hotel in twenty minutes," Umareta said, chuckling.

'You underestimate this one. What's she doing right now?'

"She's just..." Umareta started, looking at Guro. When he saw the wicked smile on her face and felt a cold breeze pass over his skin, he was instantly frozen in place at what he was seeing. No way... This hottie destroyed a hotel in the span of a few minutes? How? Umareta then questioned, "What?"

'Is she smiling at you with a ghost-like wind brushing over your skin as you gaze into her eyes? Are the eyebrows pointed down in an almost satyr-like mischievousness only found in hell? The girl you've been getting to know on the sly is a sweet, charming lady, but underneath the kindness and humility is something very dangerous and unnerving. I have three other girls in LoveMe who share something in common with this one. In this department, these women are destructive and cunning: Kyoko, the time bomb who can use a burst of energy or supernatural forces to get to something she desires; Kanae, the passive-aggressive drama queen who uses deep-rooted strength and tactics to escape out of the stickiest situation; Chiori, the tormentor who can coax someone into fighting or cowering; lastly, my newest addition, Guro, the she devil. Of all my girls, this one is not to be toyed with.'

"While I like the intro you gave me," Guro started, turning off the speaker and placing the phone on her ear, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I got to the hotel room as promised, saw it was a literal pig's sty, and told the vocalist to clean the shit up. Assuming he's a dick and won't listen to anyone, I told the hotel to close off any form of leisure activity he might partake in and to not let him leave until I get back. Assuming the hotel staff are stupid, I found a few people who weren't stupid and would listen to me via blackmail or what have you. I noticed the manager was having a hot, steamy affair with one of the desk clerks, so I badgered him into making sure the vocalist was escorted to a nearby discount store that had cleaning supplies and a pet store that had snake cages on sale. If the escort was touched in any way, I told him to have security nearby and have a cleaning lady leave cleaning supplies by the door. Let's just say these pictures I have of said manager made him pretty quick to comply. Now, assuming the manager is a hardcore idiot, I had him direct me to different areas that the vocalist frequented at this hotel and instructed each one of those lower staff peasants to trick the vocalist into thinking he can't do anything without cleaning the hell hole he calls a room. My room in hell, assuming I am in fact a she-devil who's come gathering souls for my aforementioned master of the damned, is a fuck-load nicer than his hotel room. Until he gets it cleaned, he goes no where and I hang out at the lounge gathering information about this band and how I might be able to save it from extinction."

Umareta's jaw hit the floor and stayed there long enough for a cat to walk over it and cross the street. When he was able to reel it back in, he whispered an impressed, "Holy shit, you are evil..."

"And I'm after your brother's soul assuming he didn't clean the room yet because he's a stubborn dick," Guro said, hanging up the phone and grinning a bit wider.

"Whoa, those cleaning ladies did a number in here!" Umareta complimented.

He and Guro decided to return to the hotel to see if all went according to plan. The hotel staff did as told. Tenno walked back to the hotel with a new snake cage and cleaning supplies and hadn't left his room again since. Guro, apparently as promised, gave the manager the photos she took of him and one of the desk clerks she caught him with, but she decided to keep the video footage of him a secret until later. You never know when Tenno might get on her nerves again. The rest of the staff had their own dirty little secrets caught on her phone. All footage, however, remained with her. Umareta was shocked by how much she was able to catch of the staff within a few minutes. She didn't even need a whole lot; in fact, each little secret and tidbit was the length of either one or two minutes. All she needed was a laptop, maybe a movie creator program, and some wine to get a decent montage. It was genius really, and only he knew of the evidence she managed to snag. He was told to act cool when they went up to his brother's room, so that's why he was so calm about everything now. Otherwise, he might've had a fit when he learned what Guro went through just to force Tenno to clean up his own mess. Speaking of which, said cute girl didn't even bat an eyelash when she looked about the room. It was flawless! She had to give Tenno credit for that.

"They didn't!" Tenno argued, not breaking Guro's concentrated gaze over the room. She was inspecting it, too! She lifted the comforter to see if anything was shoved under the bed, opened the drawers to see if any unnecessary items were lingering about, watched the snake slither its way up a new tree branch in its new tank, and even started walking into the bathroom before Tenno stopped her with more shouting. He said, "I was on lockdown and had nothing else to do because of this scheming bitch!"

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about," Guro said with that finch chirp, opening up a beer with a swift finger.

"Like hell you do!" Tenno shouted, face growing huge as it ballooned up from the other side of the room. He then stared at the cold beer, looking at the condensation dripping seductively along the can's bodice, and snatched it away from Guro. He said, "Gimme that!"

Umareta and Guro just watched as Tenno chugged the beer to its last drop without stopping. He still smelled like the cleaning products either that were given to him or that he was forced to buy, so he just got finished cleaning up from the looks of it. He spent a good hour probably cussing like a sailor and scrubbing until the bacteria or whatever was left pleaded for mercy. When Umareta saw a beer being handed to him, he looked at Guro's wicked smile again and blushed when she winked at him. The smile wasn't as cold as before; in fact, it was more child-like and mischievous. It was as though she successfully pulled off the greatest prank ever on her crabby old neighbors who blamed her for everything.

"Thanks," was all Umareta could say before he smiled warmly at her.

"This... what is this?" Tenno asked, looking at the beer's label.

"A beer?" Guro answered, raising an eyebrow. Her smile had reduced to a smirk now. She then said, "You cleaned up nicely. I think the staff will be happier with you now. You even got a new home for your friend there! Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to go back to business now. First, I don't ever want to see this place dirty again. If I see it dirty again, you will be locked in here until the tour is over. I don't care if you starve to death. I'll squeeze in some beer breaks for you until the tour's over, but the timing is limited so enjoy it while you can."

"Whatever..." Tenno remarked, tossing the can in the trash and plopping on his bed.

"Umareta-san said you haven't been showing up to shows on time. Why?" Guro asked, no longer smiling but placing a hand on her hip.

"Stupid driver wasn't geting here 'til it's thirty minutes before showtime. After I canned his ass, I've been taking the cab. Traffic's a bitch even if I leave an hour before," Tenno replied, closing his eyes as he placed his hands under his head.

"You don't rehearse, do you?" Guro asked, a prickly feeling lingering in her chest.

"I do vocal exercises to build up my voice. The rest of the guys tune everything while I'm doing that," Tenno responded.

"No wonder you guys suck," Guro scoffed, opening a beer that was sitting in her pocket.

"What?" Umareta questioned, feelings a bit hurt.

"I spoke with some people who listen to your music on my way to the gas station," Guro said, lifting up her beer can as if to explain why she went to the gas station in the first place. She sat at a chair next to the window and then spoke again, "Most of them hate your live shows. The reason why your albums sell out is because that's the one time when you're in tune with each other and not individually tuned."

"How would you know that?" Umareta asked.

"I don't. I never heard of your band until today. That's what some people told me after I asked if they heard of you. Mind telling me why you don't rehearse?" Guro asked, looking at Umareta.

"That's what the recording studio and practice set is for, but he never makes it there," Umareta responded, sighing and taking a long sip of his beer.

"Why's that? Because of the women?" Guro questioned.

"That happens at night," Tenno answered, feeling fatigue overcoming his body. This atmosphere was... pleasant, calming. He guessed he really just needed the one person who mattered the most to him around him, Umareta. That'd explain the second bed anyway. Maybe it was a hidden desire to have him nearby to keep his head on his shoulders. He then said, "The agency keeps calling me before practice."

"Who's your tour manager?" Guro asked, stopping in mid-sip of her beer.

"You now," Umareta and Tenno said in unison.

"When's your next gig?"

"Oh, you know, in three hours," Umareta answered, checking his watch.

"Three hours!?" Guro shouted. That was the first time she reacted in such a way since they met her. She was usually calm. Guro then asked, "Where is the rest of your band?"

"Running errands for the rest of the week. They'll be at the club in fifteen minutes. They're usually really early," Umareta replied.

"Why don't you ride with your band in the tour bus?" Guro asked Tenno.

"The manager kept fighting with him, so he took the cab or found a chauffeur," Umareta answered.

"Fucking... great..." Guro whispered, taking a big gulp of her beer. "Who's the driver for the tour bus?"

"You now," Umareta and Tenno replied in unison again.

"Who the shit makes the tour manager drive the tour bus?" Guro questioned.

"Oh, you know, the agency. Our band manager. Us," Umareta answered in almost a matter of fact tone while shrugging a shoulder.

"Where's your gig schedule?" Guro asked.

"With the tour manager... you know, the one that got canned..." Umareta responded nonchalantly.

"Tell me your agency has a copy of the schedule," Guro said, dark and vengeful souls were seeping out from underneath her skin.

"Only the one for today. The manager was booking gigs as we were doing them, so... yeah... nice job. We still have an album to pump out in the next two to three days thanks to the band manager," Umareta replied, downing the last of his beer before throwing it away and sitting on the other bed untouched by anyone in his brother's room.

"Who also got canned last night by the agency for the rushed deadline," Tenno said, a serious and solemn look emanate on his face. He held no smile there, no smart remarks, nothing. He was just outdone by this tour. He then said, "Now we're just out here in the middle of fuck knows what."

"Dude, why didn't you say so before?" Umareta questioned, leaning on his right knee and positioning himself to quickly stand and demand an explanation.

"This isn't my band! It's yours!" Tenno shouted, quickly silencing himself when he let it out. "You're supposed to know this shit long before I do! I don't know what's going on with anything! I'm sitting here in the dark just like you. I only found out about it this morning when you hired this crazy bitch last night, too! I'm just an add-on to your success. You can find someone else to sing songs if it'll help you."

I see... the tour and the band managers were trying to get him to fire his brother. He's been doing all this to save him and his band. Guro thought.

"Hey, the crazy bitch is talking now!" Guro said, gaining the brothers' attention. Tenno's phone rang from a text message, but Guro decided to look at it. She then said, "There's your band, huh? Let's get some rehearsal in while we have three hours to kill. We'll plug up outside for a good hour then plug up inside for another hour."