The scene was like an old movie. Broken images and blurred faces yet Kido could clean make out who it was.

"Does it hurt?" she was looking in a mirror above a sink, standing on a stool with a washcloth in her hands. She knew better than to ask questions, seeing as Kano still wore his mask of a grin, trying to make her think everything was alright.

"A little, but not that much." he answered back sweetly.

Another lie. "You know, you shouldn't get into fights." Kido told him, squeezing the damp towel in her hand of excess water.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have much choice in the matter." Kano replied grimly, "All I wanted was to try and get Seto out of there, but they seemed to think I wanted to join in on their "fun"." He held his hands up in dramatic gestures to prove his point.

Kido turned to look back at him. He looked perfectly fine, but she knew different. "Kano, I need to see if you want to get any better." she said. Kano looked away, and for a second Kido wondered if he was going to protest, but instead when he looked back, she saw. It pained her to see the side of his face all swelled up bruised.

"Come here." She gestured for him to move closer, which he did. "This may sting." she warned before pressing the washcloth to the sighed of his face. Kano visibly flinched when the wet fabric contact with his skin, but didn't protest. Kido looked at him sympathetically, feeling bad that she had to hurt him even more.

"Thanks." he said, smiling as best he could.

"It's nothing..." Kido muttered out loud in her sleep softly, and turned over while her voice seemed to fade throughout the empty bedroom. A dream; it was a dream.

Silence passed for a few more minutes before her smartphone blared it's pre-set alarm, jolting Kido awake. She sat up, blinking away the sleep from her eyes and trying to locate the source of noise. She looked over the side of her bed to see her phone screen down on the floor. Kido rolled her eyes and reached down to pick it up then turned it off. She then sighed, leaning back against the pillows and the light adrenaline rush draining from her body.

"That was... nostalgic." she murmured to herself, thinking back to her dream. More than likely it was some old memory of hers resurfacing. She vaguely remembered something that happened... in the past.

It had been a while since she had seen Kano or any of the others for that matter, no more than maybe a few months or so. But why was she dreaming about things like this now? Did she miss him? In the end she decided that no, she didn't. Kido looked back to the digital numbered clock on her phone. With a low groan she pushed aside her warm blankets and slipped out of bed, so she could start getting ready for work. While doing so, she distanced herself from the fact that she might be missing anyone, especially that idiot.

Within a few minutes she was already dressed, hair combed, and all the other stuff needed to make herself presentable. She was still tired though, and her neck hurt painfully every time she tried to tilt her head to the side, no doubt from sleeping wrong.

At the moment she was laying her head on her small table, she had in her small kitchen, waiting for the timer on the rice cooker to go off. She would have had cereal, but she'd run out of that and milk the other day. She was lucky to have found that bag of raw rice at all.

The timer went off, shrill and repetitive. Though Kido had been expecting it, she groaned at having to get up. Without even realizing it, she brought out two bowls and began filling both with rice and other miscellaneous items to make it more like a breakfast. To be honest, she felt like a struggling college student rather than just a hardworking, minimum wage employee.

Kido sat back down at the table, setting the extra bowl in the place of the seat next to her. As she ate, Kido thought about what she'd be doing today. She was going in early to work, so she'd be off around mid afternoon. After that... she didn't really have anything to do except maybe go shopping. But then again she didn't get paid till the day after tomorrow. Kido frowned into her breakfast. She'd probably be making due with these mix matched meals for a while longer.

It was only till after she'd finished and put her bowl in the sink that she realized the other bowl next to her was still there and untouched. Kido sighed deeply. Seriously? She thought, what the hell was taking him so long? If she had to go wake Kano up, she would-

She stopped mid thought and immediately stood up. Kano? What about Kano? He didn't live here. She hadn't talked to him in weeks. She grabbed the bowl fiercely, walking over to the trash.

"Goddamn idiot, working his way..." Kido growled through clenched teeth, continuing to insult Kano and calling him all sorts of rude names while she scrapped the food roughly into the garbage. And after that, she cursed herself for wasting food.

Kano woke up when he felt himself almost falling off the couch. He felt himself tipping over the edge and immediately his body jolted him awake before he fell over. He rolled over, his face now facing the back of the couch.

Why was he sleeping on the couch? Well, it wasn't bad if he didn't have a bed to sleep in, but after stumbling into his place around three in the morning, the couch was the closest comfort to his fatigued body and he immediately crashed. Now it was ten thirty, or something, and he'd been sleeping a good seven hours on his surprisingly comfortable couch.

He turned over again. He was squinting and realized all the lights were turned on, in the kitchen, the hallway, and the living room. He had a vague memory of turning them all on when he got home, so it didn't bother him. But with great power came a fairly big electric bill. He sat up and immediately dug into his pocket and pulled his phone out.

At work yesterday, he had started texting Seto when he was bored on his lunch. They talked about mainly useless things and such, but then the conversation had turned to Kido. Kano had been curious as to how the stern greenette was doing. Unfortunately, Seto replied that he hadn't talked to Kido much either for a few weeks now, but suggested Kano talk to her it if he really wanted to know. So that's what Kano was doing. At exactly 10:43 a.m. he texted her one simple message.

And then he waited.

Kido froze as she felt a strange tingling against her upper thigh. She looked down and felt relieved that it was only her phone vibrating in her pocket. She rarely got texts or calls anymore, so the feeling of her phone buzzing had become foreign. Thankfully, she was on break and could pull out her phone without shame.

"What the...?"

It had managed to be a good three an a half hours for Kido to forget the previous incidents of the morning, but now this text brought them all flooding back. It was from Kano, Kano Shuuya. And was just one simple word: Hey.

If Kido had been expecting a text from him it, would have been some long ode to how she 'never texted him' and 'why was she so cold and distant?' Instead it was just this simple message, but then one simple word was all that was needed to start a conversation.

"Tsubomi-chan, your shift's starting again." Kido heard one of her coworkers call.

It seemed that she didn't have time for a conversation at the moment. Kido placed her phone back in her pocket without replying back.

After waiting about fifteen minutes for Kido to respond, Kano dozed off. He fell in and out of sleep, taking little cat naps here and there for about three hours. Eventually, he couldn't sleep anymore, so he just laid on the couch. It was around 1:30 at the time.

At 1:40, Kano got up to find something to eat. Since there wasn't anything sweet or microwavable, Kano deduced there was no food in the house and sat back on the couch. He checked his phone, but there was still no response.

He turned on the TV, not really watching it but just for noise. An hour soon passed. Kano slumped against the couch and groaned. He was so bored. Where was Kido? Surely she'd seen his message, but why didn't she want to talk to him?

C'mon Kido, text me. Can me. He commanded in his head, or...I can call you.

Kano picked up his phone, already scrolling through the contact list to find Kido's name. He'd call her until she picked up, and even if she never did, he could still leave embarrassing voicemails that she couldn't ignore.

He waited for the ringing to stop, a bit impatiently.

Pick up...

Kido placed around her kitchen table, the sat down at it. Her phone rested in the place she was sitting and she glowered at it. She repeated these actions a few more times before slumping in her chair.

You don't want to call him. You don't need to call him. She repeated to herself firmly while chewing on the tip of her thumb. Even if she did call him, what was she supposed to say? She didn't like talking on the phone anyway. It should only be used for information to be passed. But her phone seemed to be urging her on. Call him, it said, talk to him. You know you miss him.

"No, I don't." she replied verbally. She was in denial, totally and completely. Kido picked up her phone and glared at it before it vibrated in her hand.

Oh, the irony life brings, she thought as she saw who was calling. It was Kano. She struggled, her hands almost shaking. A few more rings and the call would be rejected. What was she supposed to do?

"Hello?" Kido said, placing the phone to her ear, finally giving in.

There was a pause. "Kido?"

Kido didn't expect it, but hearing Kano's voice was... nice, wonderful in fact. A small smile made its way across her lips. "Hi Kano." she said casually.

She heard him chuckle lightly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't think you were going to answer."

"Why?" Kido questioned.

"It's nothing." Kano brushed off her question, and she could imagine him doing it with a wave of his hand. "So, how have you been?"

Kido leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Good, good." she replied, "You?"

"Ah, just fine." he said, "Have you missed me at all?"

"No!" Kido said all too quickly, her cheeks heating in embarrassment. She heard Kano cracking up on the other end, and then said softly, "Maybe..."

Kano stopped. "Huh? Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, it's kind of hard to when you're constantly worming your way into my life!" Kido snapped, but she didn't filter her words.

"Oh, so that's it~" Kano said in a sly, sing song tone, "You've been thinking about me. That's sweet Tsubomi."

Kido spluttered indignantly, "You're the one who asked."

"Wasn't expecting you to actually admit anything."

"I guess there's a first time for everything."

Neither one spoke for a second. Kido heard rustling from Kano's side, indicating he was still in the call. Then he said in a soft tone. "I really miss you Kido."

Kido was hesitant before answering, "Yeah... I really miss you too."

"Good." Kano said, snapping right back to his original tone of voice. "Cause I'm right in front of your door."

"What?!"

"It's still where you lived last time right?"

"Yes." she said slowly.

"Okay, phew. I would get embarrassed if I knocked on the wrong door."

Kido stood up straight, no longer leaning against the counter. "There is no way you are here." she said, but the sudden knock on her door proved her wrong.

"Guess again~" she could hear Kano's voice on the phone and muffled from outside her door.

Kido just sighed in complete bafflement, though she was also amused. Kano Shuuya just wouldn't go away, so she guessed she had no choice but to let him in.