The only thing I have to say here is "Keep up the amazing work".

HOLY SHIT that was a ride. Ch 1: adorable. Ch 2: nailbitingly awkward. Ch 3: EXCRUCIATING ANTICIPATION. Ch 4: more awkward. Ch 5: lights, camera, action! Oh and how about some ominous plot foreshadowing? :D

You mentioned FFN, and here I am. Amazing, that. :D

Oooh man, I feel like you were going somewhere with this. I love it.

Beautiful ending.

I just knew it had to be someone impersonating the Black Reaper to make Misaki think BK201 was after her - and the way you've written this is ingenious! (And I love Hui's price - that's a brilliant little detail.) It was such a relief that Hei didn't listen to Misaki and came in to help them out. And Misaki and Saitou's conversation at the end... so very fitting (and a little hilarious.) Anyway - I loved this story so I'll definitely be checking out more of your work in the future! Thanks for sharing!

I just adore how you've crafted this story. I love being inside Misaki's thoughts, you write her so well. And this cliffhanger! I know what it implies, but I don't want to believe it. Can't wait to read the finale!

I am dying to find out what happens next! I can't believe Kouno and Saitou found out about Hei! And if someone is really going to come for Misaki ... excuse me while I go satisfy my curiosity!

Oh my goodness, too funny how Kouno and Saitou nearly broke down the door... (thank god Misaki got herself clothed before they saw her.) ... and the assassin is BK201, what?! I must satisfy my curiosity...

This is so sweet. Marvelously written. Love it!

I love your writing so much! It's everything I could hope for in a non post season 2 Hei/Misaki relationship. I've been a fan of the distractions series since I discovered it months ago, but I never seem to write reviews...which needs to change, especially for a writer as talented as you! As a side note, I am cracking up at the image of Saitou showing up at a ramen joint or something for a meal only to find Li as the chef after having committed to purchasing the bowl. I love the idea of both these men being jealous of each other but unable to express it because of hidden identities. And poor Misaki, with the embarrassment of Saitou of all people knowing exactly what (or who) she is spending her evenings doing!
Anyway, keep up the good work, I wait eagerly for your next installment!

This is an interesting universe, and I'd like to see if you write more of it. Any chance of season two stuff? Or even more of Misaki's friends finding out her relationship?

Okay, were to start?
I hope you don't mind, that I'm going to do the review of the four chapters in one review.
The Kuono scenes were really funny. It reminded me of Misakis thoughts in the last chapter about the 'neighbor incident' in 'Wine & Sympathy'.
The way you've written Saitou was great. His unbroken loyalty towards Misaki and that deep trust. I fully understood that he was worried, irritated and hurt, because to be honest, yes it was betrayal, even when Misaki had a bad conscience towards her subordinates. It was so believable that Saitou trusts Misakis judgement about the mole in the department and nevertheless counts on her like she can count on him. That deep trust they need to share for their job, not only as chief and officer but as partners in that job.
No words to Hourai - we know the last few episodes and I despise him so much. I can easily believe that he would sellout his subordinates, especially Misaki, to archive his goals.
Yay, Misaki in her police-mode. I just like this strong woman. You handled that fighting scene so well. It just surprised me how easily Hei and Misaki let their relationship be exposed, but I guess that was due to the circumstances.
And as highly romantic the dagger - rose ending was, you really killed me with this two scenes:
Hei pulled something out of his pocket and passed it up to her. A hair tie. She smiled at him, and tied her hair back.
Hei sighed, then kissed her tenderly. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Thanks for coming back. Even if I didn't need you." She squeezed him tightly, wanting nothing more than to stay there in his arms for the rest of the night.
"Always."
They were just... *sigh* Those meanings along their lines and beyond the surface of their actions speaking of so much care for each other.
And with all your stories you prove that it would have worked with them in the series. I know the creators had something else in mind and their reasons but hell... When I see them waiting for the old stars to appear and this scene, when their hands are shown, side by side, just a little movement of one of them and it would have been perfect.

I loved Hei's compromise at the beginning of the story and the thought of him hanging out in her bedroom while all the shop talk is going on in the living room. . . and her irriation that he didn't follow her instructions. The way Hei lets her know with just a glance that he won't do anything to Hui that she would find objectionable is another lovely detail.

I like the way you play Misaki's character when she is in full on detective mode. Reading her reactions as she considers the evidence locker to come to the conclusion that the document was falsified.

Finally, we get the admission from Saitou that the two of them make a good team. I put special emphasis on the "stiffly" portion of that sentence. This situation must be very hard for him to wrap his head around.

The end of this was lovely and I felt the quicksand observation was especially appropriate for someone as restrained as Misaki.

Surely this isn't the end of the story, is it? Or at least will there be another short? So many unanswered questions! So much conspiracy at the brink of being uncovered!

I really enjoy how you had Misaki and her team handle the contractor intruder. Misaki just going for his legs and tackling him to the ground was superb. Hui was sent to "frighten" Misaki; yeah, right, that's foolproof- the Syndicate have no idea who they're dealing with when it comes to her, and my money is still on Hourai being the ultimate puppet-master behind this. I thought the twist of the memory-erasure cases in the beginning of the story being explained by Hui's power was really clever, as I was definitely expecting it to be ME (or...allergy medicine); as was having his price being forgetting. (Also, Hei can speak Korean now? Damn, I can't keep up with his polyglottery!)

It's actually quite a relief that Misaki not only more or less knows Hei's price now, but who he works for and that the police are somehow in cahoots with his organization; I feel like finally, the two of them will be able to clear the air regarding their employers and uncover this massive conspiracy together. I'm actually digging the idea of a Misaki-Hei-Saitou partnership. The dynamic sounds really interesting; I'm glad that even if Saitou probably still doesn't trust Hei fully, he's starting to see that Hei really does have Misaki's best interests at heart, and that will go a long way towards Saitou at least being tolerant of Hei. And of course Hei wasn't really going to leave Misaki alone after an alleged hit was put out on her -by "him," no less- I find it kind of amusing how Misaki was peeved to find out that he was in her apartment the whole time, like he would really go gallivanting back to his own apartment while it was in his power to help her.

Also, the rose Hei leaves propped up by his dagger- did he have that rose already with him when this whole fiasco started, or did he leave to get it after Misaki called it in? Either option is sort of great for my interpretation of Hei's secret inner corny romantic. "What do girls like? Flowers? Weapons? Weapons and flowers?"

(BTW, noticed a small typo, when Misaki's teasing Saitou- "That was a joke" instead of "That was joke.")

Aww 3 so adorable! The end (that last sentence in particular), was so adorable. I have a guess who left it for her ;)