A/N: I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

AND I APOLOGIZE FROM THE VERY BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

WITH MY HEAD ON THE GROUND IN A SINCERE BOW OF APOLOGY.

I am SOOO sorry! It's been FOREVER, almost a YEAR since I've updated and I really do apologize with all the sincerity I can wring from my body! But don't let me keep you, and let me let you continue reading the chapter you've been waiting for! My excuses and huge THANK YOUS AND I LOVE YOUS will be said at the end.

Oh! And just so I don't torture you guys by making you constantly re-reading my story over and over again:

Introduced Orihara Izaya with writer's block Met Shizuo Got sick and taken care of by Shizuo Helped deliver mail with Shizuo and he stayed the night (due to stalker letter which actually held no significance sorry ^^') Sleepover Aquarium date/ Introduction to Shizuo's violence Comforts and stays with Shizuo Shizuo's story/realisation of his feelings Reconciled with dad, now suddenly greeted at home with Kasuka!

There! a really short chapter summary to boost your memory. Now don't let me stop you!

Enjoy!

Feeling a bead of sweat travel down his hairline and past the collar of his shirt, Shizuo swallowed nervously as he fidgeted in his seat, fists clenched on his folded knees. The humming that sounded from the kitchen was accompanied with the little thuds of the chopping board and the bubbles of water that rapidly heated itself in a saucepan on the stove. But none of those sounds eased the awkward tension that existed between him and the young male sitting across him in his living room on the floor, divided by a measly coffee table. He would tell you, if you asked, that he was extremely glad he did not have to initiate conversation first.

"How is nii-san faring?" a monotonous voice asked quietly. Perking up in his seat, Shizuo stuttered a little before answering.

"I-uh, I'm good! I guess… Nothing to complain about, how about you? Is everything alright?" Hardly blinking, as though the movement of his eyes would make the smaller man disappear from his sight, Shizuo waited anxiously for a response.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you." Releasing a sigh of relief he didn't realise he was holding, Shizuo smiled and nodded.

"That's good-"

"Why do you care?"

A clatter from the kitchen sounded right after the question was asked, but Shizuo made no move to check what Izaya had dropped or broken this time. Staring at his brother in shock, the sudden question had caught him off guard.

Why do I care? Why do I- Goddammit!

Slamming a fist onto the table, he restrained his strength as much as he could while the emotionless brother of his made no reaction to the sudden small act of violence.

"Because I'm your brother! Of course I would care, Kasuka! You…" Trailing off, Shizuo had nothing left to say, but lowered his tone and removed his fist from the slowly crumbling table as he uncomfortably shifted to a cross-legged position. "Sorry." Through his curtain of blonde locks, Shizuo could see his little brother shook his head.

"No need to apologize nii-san. Your concern is very touching." Blinking in surprise, Shizuo stared at the dark haired male, and smiled when he noticed that the uncomfortable face twitch that involved the tug of a thin set of lips was his brother actually sincerely trying to smile. Albeit painfully, but it was worth a start.

"Boys! Dinner will be ready soon. I assume you'll be staying, Kasuka-kun?" Izaya called out from the kitchen, peeking his head around the corner. Blushing, Shizuo furrowed his brows and watched his brother's response as he replied.

"Izaya, you really didn't have to cook, that was unnecessary, you're a guest."

"Tch, he says that now," Izaya muttered with a humorous eye roll as he popped back into the kitchen.

"Thank you for the offer Orihara-san," Kasuka called out calmly, and the red eyed black haired male peeked back out with curiosity. "But I must decline, I'm sorry. I have another flight tonight that I must get going to." Nodding sympathetically, Izaya disappeared from their sights again as he continued cooking.

"That's fine. A busy actor like you has his days. I just expect you to join us next time no excuses!" the jovial tone called out and Shizuo chuckled, feeling a wave of relief wash down his being.

"How have you been, little brother?" Shizuo asked quietly, smiling all the while. Kasuka's eyes widened slightly in shock before a faint tint of pink, barely visible, coloured his high cheekbones.

"I've been… okay… Nii-san." Raising a brow and tilting his head in confusion, Shizuo's gaze became worried.

"Why only okay? Haven't you been eating? You do look a little thin, actually-"

"No, I have been eating, thanks to Orihara-san. He lectured my staff on how they didn't take care of me enough."

"What?"

"I was not used to westernised foods and so Orihara-san had planned an organised diet for myself in America-"

A clang from the kitchen was heard again as Shizuo stiffened in his seat.

"… Where did you two meet?" Shizuo asked, heart racing as his jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed downwards.

"America."

"Kyoto, Kasuka-kun! Kyoto!" a nervous laugh lied from the kitchen.

"Ah… is that so?" Shizuo grounded out, glaring in the direction of the kitchen as half a guilty looking face peeked out shyly around the corner. He shifted his gaze and softened his attention back to his brother as Kasuka made a small movement to pull something out of his pocket. Tilting his head to the side in confusion, Shizuo watched as thin, nimble fingers unfolded an aged, yellow piece of paper that was currently shaped into a small rectangle.

And when he saw what was on it, he felt as though he was about to burst from happiness.

Drawn in crayon and coloured in for emphasis, a mother with long brown hair, a father with short black hair and another smaller boy with long black hair all held hands on a grassy hill with a blue sky that totally enclosed the family of three and left no room for a fourth as Shizuo realized-

There, hastily scrawled on top of the blue sky was a fourth figure, a boy with brown hair and slightly taller than Kasuka, a wide smile drawn spread from cheek to cheek.

"After you had seen the drawing… I was very sad at the time. I didn't know it was guilt that had consumed me," Kasuka explained quietly as Shizuo gently held the paper in his fingers, as though it would tear apart if he held it any tighter. "I… I am very sorry Nii-san. I looked up to you, because you always smiled, even if you were in pain, despite the way father and I treated you."

A silence had ensued, and even the sounds of dinner being prepared had stopped as Shizuo gently set the paper down, and watched quietly as his emotionless brother laced his fingers together a little too hard, and a little too tight as they shook on the table. Face down, Kasuka could not remember a time where his heart beat this fast and his stomach felt this tight.

"I understand if Nii-san cannot forgive me. I do not expect to be forgiven." He paused a moment and took in a deep breath, because surely, this was the first time he had spoken so many words outside of his script. "I-"

"Kasuka," his older brother gently cut off. Stiffening slightly in his seat, Kasuka almost strained his eyes to keep his attention solely focused on the intense honey pools of his older brother. His breath caught in his throat as a rough, but gentle hand reached over to ruffle his inky black locks and his heart stopped for a moment as he regained eye contact.

"Wanna see the penguins again together?"

"Penguins are my favourite, Shizuo-nii!"

A childish voice echoed in his mind as memories shared from a long, long time ago had resurfaced. Nodding shyly, Kasuka turned his head downwards to hide the heat forming in his cheeks.

Shame, or embarrassment, whatever it was, Shizuo didn't care.

He had his little brother back.

"So… Kyouto huh?"

Izaya currently had his lips set in a firm, nervous smile as he served the hotpot into two smaller bowls, feeling a cold sweat suddenly overcome his being.

Kasuka had left not too long ago, and to Izaya's discomfort, Shizuo whistled and relaxed comfortably at the turned off kotatsu. He was doing little things, minor things, like inspecting his nails, or observing the cracks in the ceiling, but Izaya was still as scared as fuck.

"Yes... I told you I went to Kyouto..." Izaya nodded, shakily setting Shizuo's dinner bowl down until the soup splashed out of the sides.

"Mhmm..."

Silence ensued afterwards between the two, as a steaming hot dinner bubbled deliciously in front of them, but neither bowls were touched.

Simultaneously jumping to their feet at the same time, the smaller of the two ran for his life while the taller blonde chased with a maniacal grin.

"I~zaya ku~n!" Shizuo yelled

4 days prior

"What? You're going to where?" a bewildered Shizuo asked as he set down Izaya's espresso shot. Nodding his head in a thank you, Izaya willed his beating heart to calm down as he blew and sipped at the coffee and set it back down on the cafe table, not once lifting his eyes away from his laptop.

"I'm going to Kyoto to visit my family members. They reside there, and I moved to Tokyo since I found it too boring over there," Izaya lied easily, shrugging his shoulders but never making eye contact with the still, tall standing blonde. A silent pause settled itself between them as Izaya glanced up at the blonde in the peripherals of his eyes. Tight lipped and staring at a spot intently on the table, the blonde lifted the curtain of hair slightly before asking-

"How long will you be gone for?"

Izaya could still remember the way Shizuo's whole body drooped as he told him his trip was for three days. Almost like a kicked puppy. Settling into his first class chair with a frown, Izaya secured his seat belt and glanced at the screen in front of his seat, stating the flight was a ten hour ride. Sighing, Izaya closed his eyes and slipped the eye mask on top.

Heiwajima Kasuka... I hope you've been expecting me.

"Ne ne Shizucchi,-"

"It's Shizuo."

"Why do you look so down today?"

"I'm not down," Shizuo bit out as he poured the cappuccinos into their respective cups for Erika to serve. Glaring at her in the eyes, he rung the service bell loudly several times with the intention of getting the waitress to take the cups and go away. This plan was foiled as Yumasaki walked past and delivered the coffees whilst whistling, leaving Erika to continue staring at Shizuo with her wicked, all knowing smile.

"Ne Shizucchi~ Is it possibly due to the fact IzaIza didn't tell you he went to New York and not Kyoto?"

"Shaddup!" Shizuo said irritably, shoving a tea towel into her face and turning around to clean the benches as he worked. Giggling, Erika swooned and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead.

"I can't take it! The amount of moe is overflowing! To think, he flew all the way to New York to meet your brother at the film set just to fix up your relationship! Ah! The love!"

"Oi!" Shizuo yelled out, a red flush darkening his cheeks. "Shut up! And how do you even know about all this?!"

"Ohohohoho, I have my ways~"

"God dammit Erika-"

"Shizucchi!" Yumasaki called out happily. "Can I borrow your keys for a second? I need it for the cupboard and I seem to have left my own keys somewhere." Shizuo grunted in response and threw the keys over to the fox-resembling blonde, who stared at the keys and its accessories with a quizzical expression. "'I heart New York'... Could this be... a souvenir from Izaiza!?"

"KYAAAAAA!"

"GUYS, SHUT UP!"

"Ehhh~ Your shift's barely started Shizu-chan, and you're already this stressed?" a mocking voice taunted lightly as a feminine high pitched squeal left Erika's mouth.

"Shizu-chan?! Kyaaaa! You even have a nickname for him!? My moe flowers are going to explode!" she gasped, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead and falling into Yumasaki's arms. "True BL love!"

"Karisawa, shut it!" Shizuo snapped before turning to Izaya with a tilted frown. "What is it now flea. Don't you have some deadline that Namie fixed for you-" he was cut off as a stack of white paper, thick as a thumb's width, was dropped onto the counter with a satisfying 'thump'.

"Proof read by yours truly," Izaya grinned, proudly displaying the redone chapters of his upcoming novel. Eyes wide with shock, Shizuo stared down at the almost blank title page, bound together with the rest of the pages with a simple bull clip at the top. Gingerly, he picked it up to observe the front cover with both hands.

[Izaya's amazing fantastic upcoming next best seller crime novel]

[Orihara Izaya]

Face melting into a kind smile, Shizuo gently passed the draft back to the grinning author and ruffled his inky black locks.

"Good job kiddo."

Heart thumping rapidly in the thin cage of her body, a thousand butterflies had taken flight in her stomach as her breathing had stopped and her eyes had dilated. Standing before her with a charming smile and a warm hand, she couldn't help but let the endorphins in her body run free and blindly thrust her towards this semi-acquainted man, and put all her trust into his hands. The feeling that pulsed through her blood excited her, and there was no other way to describe this sensation.

She was in love-

"Ughhh I can't believe him!" a fuming and fast pacing author cried out in frustration. Walking back and forth behind his living room couch, Izaya fumed and pouted and frowned as he would have delightedly denied the red hue that covered the entirety of his cheeks and nose. "Kiddo? Kiddo?! What does he take me for, a child!? I'm bloody 21!" Uninterested, Namie brushed her long, dark locks of hair over one shoulder as she continued skimming over the manuscript in her hands on the couch. "Kiddo?! The nerve!"

"Shut up for a second!" Namie snapped quickly as her eyes scanned from left to right at an almost alarmingly fast rate. Izaya pouted and sat on the arm chair to Namie's far left as he crossed his limbs and fumed silently. Moments had passed and page after page was turned, and Izaya felt himself squirming with every slight face Namie had pulled during her reading. Fidgeting, his eyes darted back to his editor and back to the coffee table, nerves wracking and palms sweating.

"Na-" Mouth opening to call her name, he immediately shut his lips again as his editor held up a hand to tell him in hand speak to shut up. After agonizingly long moments had passed, Namie sighed loudly in exasperation and threw the papers down to the coffee table. Jolting in his seat, Izaya stared at his editor, wide-eyed and waiting. A slight red tinted the editor's cheeks as she tucked stray hairs behind her ear and mumbled something inaudible. Blinking, Izaya asked.

"Pardon?"

"I said it's alright!" she snapped, tucking her legs underneath herself to the side as she wallowed away in her sulking pride for delivering a semi-compliment to the author. Heart fluttering, Izaya straightened up in his seat as a wide grin enveloped his face.

He was back on track.

Suddenly, his ego and confidence had returned as his legs automatically crossed themselves and his arms settled behind his head, a haughty air of pompousness stiflingly returning. Namie pursed her lips and scowled, but could not hide the small twinge of happiness that escaped into the twitch of her lips.

"About time you realised my professionalism Namie. I think you just overlooked it this whole time and just needed me to put it in a different way for you to understand," he huffed, Namie imagining the nose of his pride extending farther than Pinocchio ever had. Scoffing, she crossed her legs and arms and glanced at him cautiously, wondering how on earth the author had suddenly grasped an understanding of the emotion he had no relation to.

"There's one thing I don't understand though," Namie questioned, the tension in the air thickening as she narrowed her eyes. Izaya blinked and stared at the woman as though she had a third eye growing from her forehead. How dare she question his masterpiece? "How were you suddenly able to achieve this?"

"Well," Izaya began, hooking his elbows onto the back of the chair he sat on. "I began creatively expressing myself through pictures and drawings at a very young age when I had a talent of displaying my imagination through-"

"Idiot!" Namie barked. Izaya hid his flinch and snuffled his nose as he looked partially offended by the editor's snappy attitude. "You know what I mean. A few months ago I had walked out of your apartment saying fix yourself, and you have!" the editor said exasperatedly. Her wary look regarded the author with slight more respect than she had last week, and she did well to hide it. "What did you do? I have to admit, Orihara, you've made me curious." Guard lowering, Izaya lowered his arms to settle his hands on his lap, and fiddled with his thumbs as he interlaced his fingers. Eyes lowered and bangs hooded, Izaya pursed his lips and directed his solemn gaze to Namie.

"To be honest, I don't think I can tell you, even if I wanted to…" he murmured quietly. Raising her brows, she couldn't help but let a peek of her over-caring older sister role show through her concern. "I just… when I was writing this, I… I dunno… it just came to me naturally I guess." Frowning with his response, Namie simply closed her eyes and sighed, seeing that this was going to be the only response she would get from the author. As long as he got the job done she supposed. Standing from her seat, she donned her coat and scarf and grabbed her handbag to head out the door.

"Excellent work Orihara. I assume normal standards and conditions apply now that you've gotten over your writing block?" Namie asked, back turned but head tilted towards the man that didn't move. Startled out of his reverie, Izaya blinked, dazed as he stared at the editor.

"Can… can I give you these chapters slower than usual…?" Izaya asked coyly, and Namie had to double take and take her hand off the handle.

"…What?"

"I'm a little more distracted lately compared to… previously," Izaya admitted sheepishly, arms wrapped around his legs which now settled its feet against the edge of the chair. Frowning once more, Namie rolled her eyes and left the author in his dimly lit apartment as the door shut with a resounding click.

Left alone in the silence with nothing to ease Izaya's wariness, he glanced at his phone on the coffee table in front of him and stared blankly.

"What did you do?"

Raising his head and staring at the door his editor had just left through, he struggled to calm the turmoil that began to unfurl itself within the pit of his stomach.

To be honest, I don't know Namie.

I don't know.

"I cannot explain to you, Flea, how much I hate those pyjamas," Shizuo bluntly stated, one arm holding a plastic bag full of takeout sushi and the other hand resting firmly on the door frame. Peeking said pyjama head out of the blankets, Shizuo was greeted with black, beady eyes and a large, fluffy head of-

Cow.

"You're just jealous you can't fathom to be even remotely as adorable as me," Izaya huffed, sticking his tongue out as he wrapped himself into a tucked ball of blankets and farm animal.

"Seriously Flea. You change out of those pyjamas, or I don't give you any of this sushi," Shizuo threatened quietly, lips pulled taut in an angry grimace. Izaya harrumphed and snuggled himself into the blankets further and then suddenly paused.

"Wait. Did you say… sushi?" a small, muffled voice inquired. Though unseen, Shizuo nodded.

"I did." At this response, the cow had risen once again to the surface and licked its lips in anticipation.

"Does that mean… there's ootoro in that bag?" he asked feverishly. Shizuo smirked.

"It might."

Slowly unravelling his plush, furry body out of the blankets and tentatively reaching towards the takeout bag, his eyes widened to a comical childish like size with an insatiable curiousity. Outstretching his fingers to his just-barely-there prize, he almost had the fatty tuna-

Until Shizuo took a swift step backwards and startled a hungry Izaya cow.

"PJs. Now. We're going out afterwards."

And with those words, Shizuo slammed the bedroom door in front of the waiting author's face. Exhaling loudly through his nose, Shizuo ruffled his blonde locks of hair and coughed embarrassedly, heading towards the kitchen with their morning breakfast.

Not before he had heard a long, agonizingly painful moo from behind the door, in which he was sure it was done just to spite the blonde even further.

"Flea…" a frostbitten voice commented, huffs of oxygen crystalising in the air with each breath let out.

"Mmm?" came the response, muffled by a warm (Shizu-chan heat induced), stolen, red scarf.

Currently, the two males were seated on a park bench, watching Ikebukuro life pass by as people chattered, the fountain sprouted its melodic rhythm of water droplets, and listened to the bustling of the city life. One was dressed in a black overcoat that decidedly wasn't enough for this winter, and the other had slipped on a red beanie to match the scarf he had taken from his dear friend.

Heiwajima Shizuo's only wonder was why they were doing all of this now.

In the middle of winter.

"What the fuck are we doing?" the blonde bit out angrily through the biting cold.

"Au contraire, monsieur Shizu-chan, we are people watching," the author replied smartly.

"I know that Flea!" Shizuo snapped. "Why are we doing it here and n-now- ACHOO!" Giggling, Izaya simply kept his eyes on the people and leaned back into the icy wooden seat, snuggling into his clothing. Sniffling and turning red faced, Shizuo grumbled under his breath. "Goddammit Flea, the things I do for you…"

"Mmm," Izaya simply mumbled in return. "Oh. Sorry, when you said go out, did you have something else in mind?" Izaya questioned, settling his eyes on a particular old couple that walked together peacefully.

Straightening up in his seat immediately, a breakout of furious red had coloured Shizuo's face and he answered stiffly.

"No. Absolutely nothing in mind. Not at all. Didn't have anything planned." Izaya raised a brow at the seemingly odd behaviour of Shizuo but didn't make any word of it as he continued watching the elderly man laugh and hold hands with his partner. One of those faithful couples that had lasted, he supposed. "Uh, Izaya…" Shizuo began, and Izaya hummed to let him know he was listening. "Y… Y'know… Um…" Narrowing his eyes, Izaya watched as the female of the pair stopped to groom the elderly man, obeying obediently as she finger patted his hair down and fixed his eyebrows. An unknown, uncomfortable feeling began to settle itself inside the pit of his stomach as he continued watching. By his side, Shizuo's mouth kept moving and words kept spouting from those handsome thin lips of his, but Izaya had drifted off in his own mind, and couldn't help but feel…

Angry?

Conflicted?

Why was he so contemptuous towards an elderly couple he didn't know?

Furrowing his brows, Izaya continued to rack his brain for any reason that could excuse his odd behaviour, when it suddenly clicked.

Envy.

I'm… I'm jealous?

"-earth to Iza~ya?" a firm voice called out, snapping Izaya out of his reverie.

"Ah, sorry Shizu-chan. I was paying attention, I swear," the author said a little too quickly, blinking his wide eyes. Shizuo had a look of gentle understanding, but a smile that said 'you're hopeless' to go with it.

"Ah~ well. Looks like I'm not cooking dinner for you tonight." At this, Izaya ripped his eyes away from the elder couple that had just disappeared from sight behind a thicket of trees and directed his alarmed gaze to Shizuo.

"What?! Why?!" Shizuo tilted his head back and laughed richly, but for reasons unknown, Izaya's stomach created a nervous mess of itself and his scarf suddenly felt too hot for his neck and face.

"Alright, fine. You do your people-watching thing, and I'll do the grocery shopping, okay?" Izaya settled down at this and nodded, but the fluttering in his stomach wouldn't go away and the heat on his face made him tug uncomfortably at his scarf.

"Come back soon…" Izaya mumbled, and he missed the dark glint in Shizuo's eyes, and it took a moment for him to realise that his world suddenly went dark.

With trembling fingers and nervous, uneven breathing, Shizuo tugged the author's red beanie over his whole face and leaned forward to press the lightest touch of his numb, cold lips against Izaya's cloth covered ones.

I can't hold back anymore, the blonde thought warily as he let his body do the talking for once, after forbidding for so long. Stepping back and turning on his heel, he chose not to watch the author cutely flail underneath the beanie and yank it off his fine, black hairs. He heard the younger male say something snappily, but his heart was thundering too fast and his fingers shook within his pockets, not from the cold.

What are you doing to me, idiot…

Pouting, the 21 year old male watched Shizuo's retreating form as it head to the supermarkets, and he sank down on his seat, unaware of what had just transpired.

"Stupid Shizu-chan… Making me look like a fool like that-"

"How were you suddenly able to achieve this?" Eyes widening, Namie's voice suddenly flitted back to his ears, and he felt his breathing slow.

"I have to admit, Orihara, you've made me curious." Concentrating, Izaya glared at the pavement in front of him, focusing on what could have possibly changed from his life of writing before, to now. And why was I jealous? he questioned loudly in his own head. He picked apart the scene that replayed in his mind, the smiles and laughter of faces that would soon pass on in their sleep peacefully, and the happiness that radiated off of them. Watching the thicket of trees they had passed by, Izaya frowned.

Old age. Walking. Smile. Laughter. Holding hands. Grooming. Faithful. Love-

Heiwajima Shizuo.

At this point, crimson red eyes widened and the nervous fluttering in his stomach became a vice like grip on his innards, stopping his heart in the process. His head racked for a different answer, a more realistic answer, something that didn't make his head spin and the words in his mind tumble too fast-

"What did you do?" Namie's voice inquired, and Izaya fearfully stood from his seat, head spinning and eyes staring blearily at the winter scene ahead of him

Heiwajima Shizuo happened.

Feeling his feet stagger beneath him, he took a step forward, dropping his eyes downwards to see that his foot landed in the large print of Shizuo's that he had left earlier.

Heiwajima Shizuo happened to me.

Unused to the several sensations that invaded his body and made his pulse race and his blood boil like never before, unease settled itself into the author's entire being and he held his head for a moment.

What… am I…

And the world stilled but his head kept spinning as the sounds of Ikebukuro suddenly stopped and the next words that rang in his head never stopped ringing-

Am I in love with Heiwajima Shizuo?

And with that fleeting, but terrifying thought, Izaya ran, leaving a dangling, red scarf to flutter from his neck and settle itself onto the park bench he tore away from.

By the time the snow began to dance its way into Ikebukuro's cold, cold city, Shizuo returned to the spot he had left, with bags of groceries in his hands, heart sinking and eyes devoid of emotion as a foreboding, ominous feeling began to clench his entire being. The seat was empty and the snow was as cold as his heart except-

Save for the one red scarf that rested on the seat, lonely and abandoned.

A/N: I'M SOOORRYYYYYYY

ALMOST AS SORRY AS THE CAPTAIN THAT SUNK THE TITANIIIIICC

But in all honesty, I had tried my hardest so many times to get this one chapter up! I was constantly opening and closing the document helplessly, adding a word or changing a sentence but never progressing ;A;

But after coming back to the story every few months, I honestly have to say, it's you READERS who pushed me, that final shove that actually got me going. Reading your reviews and seeing the amount of people that followed me for this story, I just couldn't leave you guys alone. And I am so thankful to you all that stay by this story loyally, despite my lack of updates and such.

During the time I was on hiatus, I finished my university entry exams, graduated from high school, and got a boyfriend.

And got into uni! Which, in itself, was way too hectic, added on top of trying to find a new job (which I have! Yay!) and balancing boyfriend and friends and life and you guys-

T^T

But it's honestly you guys who got this chapter up, and I thank all of you, each and every one of you, for giving me the support I needed.

I will try to keep to my 'update once a month' thing! and especially since I'm on mid year break now!

Thank you so much everyone!

(hearts and hugs)