Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

By the time I could make my way home after filming wrapped, it was way too dark and I was way too tired to deal with the concept of being subtle about my arrival. In the back of my mind I know I’m going to need to apologize in the morning for making such a scene at such an ungodly hour. But at this point I think I deserve it. One of the new actresses kept getting NG’d through her scenes--prolonging all of our nights.

We made it through though. And that’s all that matters in the long run.

Stripping myself of my stuffy clothing, I don’t even bother to take the time to look for sleepwear. I only have a few hours of sleep before I have to be up and I plan on sleeping every possible minute of it.

I slip under the covers and freeze when I finally realize the warm lump beside me in bed. Opening my eyes, my cheeks flush and I become hyper aware of the fact I’m only wearing a bra and panties. Yet this situation is only slightly worse than the one we were almost a year ago. “Re-en, why are you naked in my bed?” I whisper, nestling closer and running my finger through his mess of hair.

He grins first before peeping his eyes open sleepily. “I was waiting for you,” Ren murmurs as he wraps an arm around my waist and begins to play with the hemline of my panties.

Of course he was. “But you’re naked,” I remind him, tracing his jawline with my fingertips before moving farther down to outline the muscles of his chest. “And once again, in my bed.”

“Our bed.”

And with that he wraps his other arm around me and rolls my body so i lay against his chest. I can feel his whole body beneath me and I shiver happily. Kissing his cheek, I snuggle closer and wrap my arms around his neck. “Sorry, I keep forgetting that part.”

-FIN-

Chapter Text

My shout escaped my lips as soon as I realized my mistake. No... this is a mistake. I was just hugging Corn. But obviously not because this, this is Tsuruga-san. I can only imagine how violated he feels--having me cling to him so improperly and so closely. “Please forgive me, Tsuruga-san!” I wail, falling to my knees into a dogeza.

“Mogami-san, please get off the floor.”

“Eh?” I look up, expecting to see his gentleman’s fake smile. What I am not expecting is the same sheepish look he gave me when I first realized it was him. Sheepish isn’t a good look for him. “B-But Tsuruga-san, I acted so unprofessionally with you, I--” Blood rushes to my cheeks and my eyes fall to the ground. “I hugged you,” I choke out.

“I hugged you back,” he volleys back easily. And...he’s right. It makes so much sense now. He hesitated briefly when I clung to him but in the end he wrapped his arms around me. Around me. My head buzzes with the thought.

What does that mean? Does it mean anything? Tsuruga-san is my senpai...and it makes sense that a senpai would console their kouhai, right? It doesn’t have to mean anything. Not if he doesn’t want it to. He was just trying me make me feel better like...like that time Reino taunted me about Corn.

“Mogami-san,” he whispers. Whispers. Hmm? It’s then I notice the obvious warmth at my side.

Looking up, Tsuruga-san’s face is inches away from mine. I freeze. “W-why are you down here?” I whisper back, not trusting my voice at full volume. If I were to speak regularly I fear my flustered self would be too evident.

He smiles. It’s a genuine smile, one that makes me shiver. “You won’t get up, so I joined you down here.”

Blinking, I realize he’s sitting cross legged opposite me. “You didn’t have to do that. I would have gotten up.” Eventually--when I gain feeling back to my legs, I add silently.

“I did it because I wanted to.”

We sit in silence. Even the streets are quiet just for us. I study him and he stares back at me. The two of us like this must look like fools, sitting in the middle of the park. But it’s nice. Far better than thinking of...that. What my mother said. On national television. Cringing, I try to force myself to hold in another bout of tears. There’s no reason to embarrass myself in front of Tsuruga-san again. I look away from him and instead direct my gaze to the traffic lights behind him as I feel the tears spring back up.

“You saw the show, didn’t you?”

All I can manage is a nod.

And suddenly I’m warm again.

It’s him. Tsuruga’s arms wrap around me and slowly I feel my resolve weakening. He feels safe--as if as long as I’m in his arms, nothing can touch me. I inch my arms up from my side and return his hug. “I’ll be here for you whenever you need. Always.” His whisper tickles at the crown of my head and I tighten my grasp around his torso. I cannot vocalize how much his words mean to me. Not just as his kouhai. Not just a girl in love. But as the girl who desperately needed to hear those words.

“Thank you. For everything.”

Chapter Text

“You may not know this, but when a man gives a woman a gift of clothes it means he had ulterior motives.” Tsuruga-san looks me up and down from his seat across from me. I feel a shiver run up my spine. I knew he was mad, but about Kijima-san giving me clothes? “It means he wants to have his way with you. Just because Kijima volunteered doesn’t mean you should wear what he gave you.”

His eyebrows furrow together and his eyes once again evaluate my attire. I suddenly feel naked. I shrink further into my couch and pull my arms to my chest. He doesn’t mean? Kijima-san wanting to have--no. That can’t be it. “B-but he-he didn’t give me thi--”

Tsuruga-san’s anger flares. “He paid money to dress you up. It’s the same thing.”

Is it? My eyebrows shoot up and I feel my cheeks flushing. “I’m sorry! I was so careless and irresponsible and I--” I stop. But what about.... Setsu’s spirit pushes at my mind, reminding me of last week. She’s right.

“Mogami-san?”

I look up to my concerned senpai and I almost laugh. First he berates me for letting Kijima play dress up with me, and now he’s worried because I stop mid-apology? He needs to pick a side. Pulling my shoulders back, I tilt my head as I take my time studying him. Of course, he looks effortlessly handsome. I can’t help but wonder what I would be wearing right now if Tsuruga-san had dressed me up instead of Kijima. Would we compliment each other like we do when we’re the Heel Siblings?

Images of our trip to Jeanne d’Arc replay in my head: from my attempts to disturb him by picking out the most expensive outfit in the store to his throwing pants and an undershirt. How he, by the end of the night, had bought me three pairs of pants and several blouses. With his logic...his buying me clothes can only mean one thing.

“Tsuruga-san,” I start, looking him back in his eyes. My lips pull into a smile and I look at him curiously. “Does that mean you want to have your way with me?”

And for the second time tonight, he looks surprised at what I have to offer. But it doesn’t last as I had hoped. Well, as long as Setsu had hoped.
He stands up and I jump in surprise. Did I make him mad? Maybe I shouldn’t have let Setsu whisper to me. I didn’t want to come to such impure conclusions--especially not concerning Tsuruga-san. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for his anger to take over the room. But it never does.

No, instead I feel a sudden warmth surround me. “Huh?”

I open my eyes and try not to squeal as I realize Tsuruga-san’s face a mere centimeters away from my own. He leans forward, his arms trapping me on the small sofa. There’s a familiar light behind his eyes and I recognize it instantly. I’ve made a grave mistake. The Emperor of the Night has made his appearance.

I don’t even have time to pull away from him before he dives closer, his lips brushing against my right ear before traveling down to my neck. He kisses my skin gently, leaving a fire lingering on my skin. “Shall I,” he kisses me this time at my jawline. I forget how to breathe. “have my way with you right here?”

He pulls away and rests his forehead against mine. My heart pounds in my chest and I wonder if he can hear it so close to me. I look at him through my lashes and will myself not to blush in a thousand shades of red. Is he serious right now?

“Tsu-Tsuruga-san?” I whimper. He must be teasing me again, but my heart can’t help but flutter at the possibility of him wanting to have his way with me. Why is it that he can go and play with my feelings so easily? Isn’t he the one who wants me to protect my purity?

“Mogami-san,” he breathes. His eyes clear themselves of their dark gaze and I think he finally realizes our situation. “I’m sorry,” he whispers quickly, stepping away from me. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Of course not, we’re in public.”

The words slip out before I can stop them and I know deep inside the box has once again been unlocked by him. Otherwise I would have never said such a thing. But it’s too late now. I can only wait for him to get mad at m--

Except his anger doesn’t flare out. Instead, when I meet his eyes, he smiles.

Chapter Text

“The stamp you promised me--may I have it now?”

I blink. She smiles, pointing her palm where I can make out the slightest smudge of ink. And it all comes back to me. Guam. My promise of a stamp. “You remembered.” It almost doesn’t seem real. I was sure she would've forgotten about an insignificant LoveMe stamp as soon as she returned to her busy schedule. After all, that’s why she left Guam in the first place.

Kyoko looks at me with wide eyes and her wide grin drops as pink dusts her cheek bones. “Of course I remembered! Tsuruga-san promised!” Her eyes fall to her feet and speaks her next words to her toes. “And a promise from Tsuruga-san is important.”

“Oh?”

It takes all my effort not to reach out and embrace her. However, I allow a smile to slip. Despite knowing better than to take her words the wrong way-- even if it’s just for a moment, I’ll entertain the idea of being special in her mind.

She doesn’t respond. Instead she turns and points to the door. “My stamp book is inside,” she murmurs. I nod despite her refusal to meet my eyes. Should I offer to wait outside? No. We moved past avoiding each other the minute we stepped in the hotel room.

“May I come inside?”

“Of course!”

Kyoko’s head whips around and I can see the deep red that stretches across her cheeks. “I couldn’t possibly leave my senpai out waiting for his kouhai! Especially when you’re such a public figure that attracts as much attention as you d--”

“Mogami-san.” I sigh and run a hand through my hair, trying to stop her erratic thoughts. “I just want to make sure you’re alright. Don’t worry about me. Please.”

For a moment I think she’s going to object and I try to calculate my next step. She’s always worrying about everybody else. But tonight I want Kyoko to worry about Kyoko. And nobody else.

“Tsuruga-san?”

I look into her eyes and attempt to place the expression in her eyes. But it’s something unlike anything I’ve seen from her. Is she going to push me away? Tell me to leave? I can’t even bring myself to respond.

“Thank you.”

Her smile once again spreads across her lips and she pushes the door open to reveal a small dining area. “Kyoko-chan? Is that you?” A voice calls out from inside. A stocky, older woman comes running into the room with panic engraved into her face. How long has Kyoko been out for her to have been this worried?

“Okami-san!” Kyoko launches herself forward and into the woman’s arms, squeezing tight. “I’m sorry for worrying you, but I’m alright. I promise.” The brunette turns to me and offers a dazzling smile to her landlord. “Tsuruga-san brought me home safely!”

The older woman smiles and a mystified look crosses over her features as she looks me over. “Tsuruga Ren,” she breathes. She looks at me with a sense of familiarity that goes beyond seeing my face on a television or magazine cover. Instead, she looks at me as if she knows everything about me. Perhaps Kyoko has spoken of me? “You were on Dark Moon with Kyoko-chan."

“That, I was,” I smile. “Acting with Mogami-san was a pleasure.”
“Ts-Tsuruga-saaan,” Kyoko whines, her face flaming. She opens her mouth and I expect her to scold me about my open compliment. However, she instead shakes herself off and squares her shoulders. “Please wait here, I’ll go get my stamp book.” Before I can reply, she’s off and I can hear her feet run up the stairs. And that leaves me alone with the older woman. ‘Okami-san’, as Kyoko has dubbed her.

“Thank you for bringing her home.”

I turn, surprised to hear the woman speak to me without Kyoko present. We haven’t spoken before, seeing as I usually wait for Kyoko in my car when I pick her up. Even at the Grateful Party, we hardly exchanged pleasantries without Kyoko to urging us to do so first. Her eyes are warm as she smiles at me.“Kyoko-chan appreciates all you do for her, you know. Especially the rose you gave her.” She winks, as if we’re sharing a secret. “Especially ‘Princess Rosa’.”

“Kyoko-chan appreciates all you do for her, you know. Especially the rose you gave her.” She winks, as if we’re sharing a secret. “Especially ‘Princess Rosa’.”

My heart pounds in my chest. She told her landlord about my gift?

“I’m back!” Kyoko calls, rushing back into the room with her small notebook pressed against her chest. Her breathing comes heavily and her air is swept wild across her forehead. She looks more beautiful than usual, if even possible. The corners of my lips perk up.

The older woman, forgotten in Kyoko’s reappearance says something. I don’t quite hear her words, but she leaves the room with a grin. All I can focus on is the girl in front of me who looks up at me with a smile. All hints of her tears from earlier are gone. It’s enviable, her strength. She’s come so far from the girl she used to be.

We stand in silence, gazing at each other for moments before Kyoko remembers why she invited me in the first place. “Here!” She chirps, thrusting the book in my direction. She pulls the case of stamps from her pocket and surrenders them over as well.

I nod and take the items carefully from her fingers. “Right.” Pulling the blank stamp from the plastic, I flip the book open to a blank page. Stamping the pink ink down, I pull a pen from my jacket pocket and carefully draw an infinity sign before writing out my sentiments:

I can’t give enough points. You worked very hard!

“Ahh, it looks good on paper!” She exclaims.

Looking at her curiously, I hand the book back. “Is my stamp that important?”

Kyoko holds up the book, pointing to the freshly drawn mark. “Tsuruga-san! It’s only with this mark that I feel alright! This is a mark of incalculable and infinite possibility! It represents success!” She tilts her head to the side and smiles. “I feel like I can take on the world!”

“Really?” My eyebrows raise and I feel my eyes narrow at her proclamation. After all, it’s just a stamp from her senpai.

She nods furiously. “Yes! This mark is very special because Tsuruga-san gave it to me!” Her cheeks once again speckle themselves with a bright pink as she gazes at me. “I feel like you’ve granted me with some of your magic!”

I freeze. My magic? I thought the only one with magic was her Corn? When did she decide I had magic? Unless...

“You don’t know?” Setting the book down, Kyoko pokes my chest. “You have fairy blood in there, I’m sure of it!”

Capturing her hand in one of my own, I smile at her. “Do I? What does that mean?”

“We-Well, it explains your unparalleled talent and your godly looks and ability to transform into each chara--”

But I stopped listening to her at “godly looks”. My grin broadens. She thinks I’m attractive? I drop her hands. “Thank you, Mogami-san.”

“Huh?” She stops in her explanation of my fairy lineage and her eyes widen. “What are you thanking me for? You’re the one who deserves thanks!”
I decide to stop her before she gets ahead of herself. “Nope.”

The confusion in her golden eyes makes my heart ache. Does she not remember why I gave her her stamp? Surely that’s not the case. Hoping to prove myself wrong, I lift my hand from my side and tousle her short hair just as I did when we acted as siblings. “You were a lovely sister, Mogami-san. You helped me more than I imagined, that’s why I gave you your stamp.” Her eyes widen momentarily before her face is overtaken by a large grin. “Please remember our time together,” I whisper.

And in the back of my mind I want her to remember more than the numbered hours we spent on set. Instead, I want her to remember the countless hours we spent in our hotel room: talking, flirting (as normal siblings do), and simply living together. I want her to remember not the fear she felt for me when Kuon took over while I acted out BJ--but the afternoons we spent shopping, hand in hand.

“I’ll be sad to let Setsu go.”

“Don’t let her go just yet.”

Kyoko looks up to me with furrowed brows.

“The movie premiere will be before they out Cain Heel as Tsuruga Ren--and Cain needs a date.” Taking my chances, I pull her closer to me and bend down so my lips tickle at her earlobe. “I promise to spoil you at least one more time, Setsu.”

Love Me Number One pulls away from me and I’m afraid I ruined all the progress she’s made tonight. But instead of fear plastering her face, Kyoko’s face falls into one of Setsu’s trademark smirks. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, onii-san.”

And as quick as Setsu came to play, Kyoko quickly brushes her away.

“Thank you, Tsuruga-san. But I can’t have all the thanks. You helped me as well,” She grins, reaching for her stamp book through my confusion. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to help her that I’m aware of. Not like she helped me, giving me all of her heart whenever we were alone. Her fingers flip past my own stamp and she grabs my forgotten pen from the counter. In seconds, she recreates the stamp I drew on her hand before tearing it out and offering it to me. “I know you’re not a LoveMe member, but I can’t repay you right now the way I want to. Please take this until I can thank you properly.”

Smiling, I take the heart shaped paper from her fingers and slip it into my pocket. “Thank you, Mogami-san.” Maybe one day I’ll have the words to thank her as much as I want to--for saving me from my evil.

But for today a stamp and a new promise will have to do.

It’s going to have to.

Chapter Text

“It’s not going to bite, Mogami-san.”

I narrow my eyes at the offending item in my senpai’s hands and shake my head. If the cold hadn’t rendered me unable to do anything but shiver-- I would adamantly refuse his offer. This is inappropriate! How can he expect a pure maiden such as myself to accept such a proposal?

He looks down at me and something crosses his face. Anger? No. Not that. Perhaps... annoyance? “You’re going to get sick,” he says matter-of-factly. As if he knows what gets someone sick. Once again I shake my head, tightening my arms around my torso. He sighs. “Do you want to inconvenience the crew for your new drama?”

My eyes widen. After all the trouble I’ve already caused them... I couldn’t make the situation worse by coming in with a cold. Kaori-san already hates me. And I don’t think I’ll be able to handle middle school repeating on set.

Holding my hands out, I accept defeat. I might as well accept shame now instead of later when there are more witnesses. Vicious witnesses.

The sweater settles against my fingertips and I stare at the beige material. It’s most definitely Tsuruga-san’s sweater. Specifically one I only see after particularly long nights of filming Dark Moon. What I can’t see is how he expects me to wear it when it’s so obviously something he uses. Especially after he already insisted helping me take my shoes off at the door.

Thump.

I stagger back as another weight plops into my outstretched arms. Looking up, I only see Tsuruga-san’s back as he walks away. “Use the blanket too,” he calls over his shoulder, not giving me a chance to try to argue. “I’ll go make coffee.” It’s all he said-- but I heard the underlying message in his words: You better be in that sweater by the time I come back.

Rather than face the Demon King, I know the smarter choice is to simply get it over with. I make my way to the couch. I can wear a sweater. It’s not hard. It’s just a sweater.
But in the back of my head, I cringe. It’s not just a sweater. I can’t fake that it’s normal, seeing it’s definitely more than just a stupid sweater. It’s Tsuruga-san’s sweater. Hmph. If I keep thinking that I’ll never put this on.

No. It’s my senpai’s sweater. He offered it to me because he doesn’t want me to embarrass myself by getting sick so early into production. That’s it. I don’t have to worry about anything inappropriate happening. He’s just being a caring senpai. As always. I smile. Setting the blanket down on the couch, I pull the soft sweater over my head. It hangs loose over my body even with all the layers I already have on and falls almost to the hem of my skirt. Standing like this it’s hard to forget Tsuruga-san is so much taller than I am.

Sitting at the edge of the couch I can feel a warmth wash over me. It feels much like when he consoled me after the Beagle insisted my Corn was dead. The combination of this satisfying feeling and his scent-- I can begin to feel my limbs again. Pulling his blanket over my frozen legs only enhances this feeling.

Maybe it’s magic.

It has to be. Magic, that is. Because the longer I sit here--the more confident I become about coming here tonight. Surely I will create my own Natsu, one that can stand her own against Mio’s being. Once again I am indebted to the great Tsuruga Ren. Closing my eyes, I settle farther into the plush couch. I just wish I could properly thank him.

“Hopefully this helps, Mogami-san.”

I open my eyes to see Tsuruga-san sitting on the couch across from the one I’m on. He holds out a steaming glass cup, waiting for me to accept it. A smile stretches across my face. “Thank you!” I exclaim as I pull the cup into my hands and allow the steam to tickle my cheek bones.

He looks at me, arching an eyebrow. “You haven’t even tried it.”

A warm flush settles in over my cheeks. I shake my head. “Not for the coffee.” Looking down at the dark coffee, I try to hide my reddening face. “For accepting me tonight,” I amend in a quiet whisper. And for sharing your warmth with me once again.

. . .

Chapter Text

“What do you want from me?” I plead, prying my arm from Shotaro’s grasp. He’s followed me straight into the Daryuma and my only solace is that today is the off day. Meaning, luckily, nobody would be able to see this hideous display.

If he followed me into the dinner rush--oh, I can only imagine what the tabloids would say. A shudder runs up my spine. I can only imagine what Tsuruga-san would say. Probably something along the lines of--

“I-I can’t watch you with someone else, Kyoko. It’s tearing me apart!”

Tears rim his usually cold eyes and for a moment I want to believe him. It sounds so much like something old Kyoko would have wanted to say: it’s utterly romantic in prospect and is honestly more fit for one of Tsuruga-san’s dramas than my life. He wants me back as a maid, I remind myself bitterly. Then the weight of his words hit me like a brick. I can’t watch you with someone else. What does that even mean?

I narrow my eyes. “I’m not “with” anybody,” I grit though my teeth. Really? Where would he even get such an idea? “And even if I was--I hardly think that’s any of your business!” I mean, really! The nerve! He thinks he can walk into my home and push his so-called feelings at me? Who does he think he is? He pushed me to the ground, not the otherway around. There’s no way that he has the right to demand my full attention like this!

Shotaro looks at me with wide, unblinking eyes. “Then what about that pinhead actor you’re always with?”

“Excuse me?”

An ugly shade of red rushed to is face. “Don’t make me say his name,” he seethes through his teeth. But I still don’t know, raising my eyebrows high. And that’s when he bursts. “Tsuruga Ren! You’re with that lift wearing actor, aren’t you? AREN’T YOU?”

Oh.

Oh.

My cheeks heat up and I start furiously shaking my head. No. No. No. He obviously came to the wrong conclusion somewhere between his filming location and here. Definitely the wrong conclusion. “I-I-I-I’m not with Tsur-Tsurug--.”

“It’s okay, Mogami-san. You’re allowed to admit that I’m here with you.

I freeze, my body tensing and paling to what I can only presume to be an ashy shade of beige. Of all the days. Of all the days to forget about meeting Tsuruga-san, of course it’s today. In front of me, Shotaro’s whole frame erupts in a cherry tomato red. Now why could have have been so stupid as to lead Shotaro right into the lion’s den? Tsuruga-san is going to be soooooo mad at me. I was so stupid.

Slowly, I turn over my shoulder briefly and offer my senpai a weak smile. “G-Good afternoon, Tsuruga-san.”

“If you’re not “with Tsuruga Ren why is he here?” My ex flame shouts begin to fill the room. However, I can’t seem to extend him my attention any longer. Instead. my eyes remain plastered on my senpai. A million and one questions bombard my mind:

Why did he have to speak up?

Does he have any understanding of what he just implied?

And then the worst thought comes to mind, causing me to momentarily forget all about the musician in the front lounge.

How mad is he about me letting Shotaro following me in?

But searching Tsuruga’s eyes, I see none of his fake smiles that accompany his fury and make me cower in absolute fear. In fact, he seems totally unconcerned with the scene Sho is causing. I finally allow myself to relax and offer a full, proper smile to my senpai. And today? He gifts me with one of his dazzling genuine smiles. I don’t even flinch.

“What the hell?” Shotaro jumps between us and shoots me a dirty look. “You guys are looking at each other!”

It takes all my effort not to roll my eyes. So he can understand the concept of sight. Shoko has taught him well, I see. A polite response on my side would have required the energy than I can even dream of mustering. Luckily, I can count on Tsuruga-senpai for handling such things with copious amounts of grace and maturity that I can only be jealous.

“Of course we’re looking at each other--that’s what people do when they’re together.” He smirks, eyeing the musician up and down. “You might want to learn about it sometime.”

Okay maybe not maturity. But at least fineness is a Tsuruga specialty.

Shotaro sputters, looking between me and Tsuruga-san so quickly that I’m half-worried that he’ll end up with whiplash. Not that I would mind his having whiplash. Just, he would no longer be formidable opponent in the game of showbiz, being all injured and all.

“Mogami-sna, do we need to call his babysitter--I mean, his Agent? Or do you think he’ll be fine on his own in the streets?”

I stifle a giggle with my hand. Definitely not a mature fighter today, Tsuruga-san. His behavior almost reminds me of...Oh. right. He’s waiting for a response on my part. Schooling my wide smile, I bring my phone out from my coat pocket. “I’ll call Shoko-san and tell her that she lost her child on aisle three.”

I’m met only with blank stares, the joke going in one ear and out the other for the both of them. Of course. Neither of them understand. They haven’t worked a day out of the entertainment industry--not to mention nowhere near working as a store clerk. I sigh, waving the joke aside. “I’ll call Shoko.”

“Sho! What do you think you’re doing? I told you to stop harassing Ky-ok--”

Speak of the devil.

The usually capable manager freezes, assessing the situation. Me? Check. Shotaro? Check. Her cheeks burst into flames when her eyes finally land on Tsuruga-san and his amused smirk. she straightens out, her voice suddenly dropping to a deadly professional tone. “Sho. We’re leaving. Now.”

He doesn't even have time to make a new remark before Shoko thankfully drags him out of the front door.

When the door slams shut, I let out a sigh and deflate my shoulders. Finally. I can relax. My smile returns as I advance toward my senpai. “Thank you for helping me, Tsuruga-san.”

His eyes glitter with something I can’t quite place, so I ignore the butterflies that ignite with the said look. “Any time, Mogami-san,” he smiles. He extends an elbow out to me. “Now should we study your new script? I’m assuming you’ve already had lunch?”

I stop. Narrow my eyes, recognizing the sign for what it is: a distraction. “You didn’t eat today, did you?”

His laugh is his only answer. But it’s all the answer I need.

“Tsuruga-sannn,” I whine, pulling him toward the kitchen. “You’re so irresponsible! Come on, we’ll do this over food.”

. . .

I lay in my bed ruminating over my new Character. She’s still a bad guy, highly modeled Natsu--seeing as the show was creating after the director first laid on eyes on Box R. But Ryu has more of an affinity for stealing boyfriends and being a perpetual flirt as opposed to bullying.

Tsuruga-san helped me once again (discussed over some quick stir fry of last night’s leftovers), creating a character that was wholly mine and not the Natsu wannabe that the director initially wanted. We added more swagger to my model walk. We created a lilt to my voice that he insisted blew away any fact at all that I had no experience flirting. I’ve got it all down, he insists.

Well, I’ve got it all down with the exception of one thing:

Maybe I should actually memorize my lines.

Pulling the script I lent to Tsuruga-san off the coffee table in my room, my fingertips flip through to find the first highlighted line. Some slight action precedes it, Ryu beginning to stake her claim on Ayami’s boyfriend, looking deep in his eyes.

Of course we’re looking at each other. Isn’t that what lovers do?

My heart stops. That line sounds too familiar.

And then it hits me.

I jump out of bed, pressing my speed dial, ignoring the voice in the back of my head telling me that it’s far too late to me making a call. Especially considering that the person I’m calling has an early shoot tommorow morning. Oh, well. I’ll apologize to Yashiro-san later for disrupting his charge’s beauty sleep.

“Yes, Mogami-san?” Tsuruga’s tired voice greets me. Not even the fact that he actually sounds like he was sleeping (which he never does) stops me. Instead, I pull in a deep breath.

“TSURUGA-SANNNNNNNNN!”

. . .

Chapter Text

I settle into my bed with a sigh. The Box R shoot ran a bit low and we kept having to reshoot a lot of our scenes with our guest star. She was some idol gone actress making a cameo in our show for appearances. Meaning she got the role simply due to her presence as an idol. In other words: her cuteness.

Needless to say, it was hard to get Chiori to cooperate.

Pulling my phone from my bag I look for any messages from Kanae about her new drama--but what I found instead leaves me with nothing but questions. Kanae must still be shooting. But Tsuruga-san obviously isn’t. I have several missed calls. And...a message?

He never leaves message.

I click the play button without much hesitation.

What could he want that he would call five times?

“Mogami-san. No. Kyoko-chan,” His voice groans and I can practically see him run a hand through his hair before a silence comes over the speaker.

Kyoko-chan? Since when...did we at some point escalated past the point of senpai and kouhai without me noticing? I know we’re close. But I never really would have thought Tsuruga-san would ever consider me a friend. He’s Tsuruga Ren. He’s not supposed to be friends with someone as plain as a newbie actress! No! The men of his stature are supposed to be friends with models! Celebrities. People that aren’t... I deflate. People that aren’t me.

Obviously I misheard. He must have said--

“... and... and that’s it. Goodnight. Sweet dreams.”

Eh? What’s it? Surely this can’t be the whole message! Kyoko. Focus. Your senpai left a phone message. He wouldn’t do that unless it were absolutely necessary. Now listen, I scold myself, reaching for my phone again and pressing the replay button. Focus. Focus.

“Mogami-san. No. Kyoko-chan.” Another image of him running his hand through his hair. I was wrong. He did call me Kyoko-chan. Focus! I hear A “no good” sigh and then his voice begins again. “God....I just wanted to call and tell you...” another sigh. But not a NG. Just an average run off the mill sigh. “I just wanted to tell you, Kyoko, that you’re really cute and... and... and that’s it.” CLICK. And the line goes silent.

I don’t know what I was expecting. The message ended in the same place as it did earlier. There’s no way it could be any longer but I simply stare at my phone waiting for more. Another message. An incoming call. Tsuruga-san calling me up to apologize for sending me such an inappropriate message, to say: Joke’s on you! You shouldn’t have believed me.

Even a message coming in to say: Oops! I’m sorry, Mogami-san! That wasn’t for you. That was meant for another Kyoko. I wasn’t talking about you, Mogami Kyoko. A different Kyoko.

But I knew it wouldn’t come.

Kyoko may be a common enough name (making going unnoticed in the acting industry amazingly easy). Except he used my surname to open the voicemail.

Mogami-san. No. Kyoko-chan.

The way he said my name causes my cheeks to flush and I chuck my phone down to the comforter beneath me. Pinch my arm. Ow! No! My eyes widen and I pinch myself again. I flinch. It still stings. How is this not a dream? It has to be! The Tsuruga-san I know would never be so cruel to confess such things to a pure maiden such as myself! These are words meant to be shared between sweethearts--close friends, even.

They’re not the words a senpai would tell his kouhai.

Even if the said kouhai was stupid enough to fall in love with her senpai.

I sink my body further into my mattress and pull a pillow to my chest. Why does he have to do this to me? It’s bad enough that love keeps finding a way to finagle a way out of that damned locked box in my chest. And now he’s leaving silly messages on my voicemail? In-Infuriating.

My eyes flutter shut and a restless sleep consumes me, my thoughts never straying too far from Tsuruga’s cryptic message on my cellphone.

. . .

BLEEEP.

“I’m up!” I shout, shooting up from my bed. But I realize a little bit too late that it’s not my alarm clock that’s waking me up. No...it’s my...phone? Where did I put that thing? I know I had it before I went to sleep. Or, at least. Tried to go to sleep. I couldn’t get my mind off--

BLEEP.

Tsuruga-san’s message.

BEEP.

Found it!
“He-Hello?” I croak out, realizing too late that I didn’t even stop to check my caller ID. “It’s Mogami,” I clear my throat and wait anxiously or an answer. If I just picked up one of Shotaro’s midnight calls--oh! He’s not going to hear the end of it! My fingers grip my phone tightly. Waiting....

A quick inhale. “Mogami-san?”

I release a breath I never knew I was holding and allow a smile to sweep over my face. Tsuruga-san good. Shotaro bad. “Tsuruga-san? Is there something you needed at...” My eyes dart to my alarm clock. Surely this can’t be right. “At three in the morning?”

“I woke you.”

“N-No! Of course not.” I try to laugh it off. But it doesn’t exactly work. A yawn overtakes my attempt and my eyes blur with sleepiness. There’s no way I can sell this too him. “Okay. Maybe. But I’m up now.”

“I’m--I’m sorry. I can call you later.”

“No!” My answer comes to quickly and I curse in my head. Way to look eager, Kyoko. Goodness. “I’m already up. Besides. You might not have a chance to catch me until really late and by then you might forget.” It is Saturday, his days are busy as are mine. The likeliness of him calling when we both have a break are little to none. It’s now or never. I brace myself and hold a breath.

“Right.” He remains silent. Probably trying to determine the best way to break it to my gently. Silence. I’m about to open my mouth to ask if he’s still there when his words come tumbling out: “Did I leave any strange messages last night?”

Wait? Does he not remember? “St-Strange Messages?”

Tsuruga sighs. This time I can actually hear him running a hand through his hair. “I poured myself too much to drink last night,” He admits softly. “Don’t remember much. But I looked at my call log and saw your name. Several times.”

Too much to drink! Oh! That makes so much sense! He didn’t mean to tell me what he did. He was drunk! A laugh bubbles up my throat and I relax back in my bed, holding the phone close to my face. Don’t want to wake up the taisho an okami. “No. No messages,” I lie easily, a smile spreading across my lips. What a relief! “But you should be careful about how much you drink, Tsuruga-san! You’re not playing Cain-san anymore. You need to actually eat when you drink.”

A soft chuckle comes from the other side of the line. “Thank you, Mogami-san. I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

Next time, if he leaves me messages, at least this time I’ll know how to react. But in reality, I think I would much rather avoid being in another situation like this one. “You better,” I try to laugh and once again I am overtaken in a yawn. “Ahh, excuse me. Sorry, Tsuruga-san. For being so rude.”

“Don’t worry about it, you’re tired.” He smiles. “I should be the one apologizing to you.” Him? Apologize to me? I open my mouth to object. He’s quicker. “Goodnight, Mogami-san. Sorry for bothering you so late at night.Sleep well.”

“Ah, Goodnight, Tsuruga-san,” I breathe, trying to smother another sigh. I don’t do so well. “Work hard tomorrow.”

I click the phone off and curl my blanket back over myself.

This time when I fall asleep, I sleep soundly. With a smile on my face.

Maybe more drunk Tsuruga messages wouldn’t be so bad.

Chapter Text

It was a peculiar sight to anybody who might have seen them, not that anybody could have. No, they were hidden, presently, in a hot pink room at LME headquarters. Japan’s Number One Bachelor and Actor. Japan’s Rising Starlet Actress, a transparent butterfly of the acting world. They just laid there with their backs pressed against the white linoleum and their eyes pointed up to the dimmed fluorescent lights. 

It started first with the girl. She had entered the room with tears streaming down her face and thoughts of her mother plaguing her mind. Hate, the chestnut-haired girl could handle. She had dealt with it all of her life--being associated with the one and only Sho Fuwa until they graduated middle school. There was a long story about how she ended up here, in one of the most successful talent agencies. But that was a story for another day. What was important at that moment was that she was there. See, what her mother felt for her was worse than any hate.

Being denied an existence was that fate.

She pushed the table occupying the center of the room and promptly collapsed in its place. That was her home for an hour and a half. Thinking of nothing in particular and everything at the same time. Tears blurred her eyes but she refused to let them spill anymore.

Next came the man who entered looking for the girl, seeing as he was in love with her beyond the words of any of the languages he knew. He too had a back story, filled with a long series of self-hatred and deprivation. Also a story for another day. The only important part, really, was his undevoted love for her. When he walked into the room and saw her lying there he said nothing. Simply removed his shoes and laid down beside her.

His mind was filled with questions: lots of them. He knew the girl was supposed to meet with her mother again. It was obvious it didn’t go well. He also knew she had about a hundred and one things on her mind.  But he wouldn’t ask. Not until she was ready. So instead he simply remained silent and brushed his hand against her hand.

An invitation.

Which she promptly accepted without a word.

It was a peculiar sight, indeed. Because they remained like that, hand in hand, for another hour before the girl uncurled her fingers from his and sat up. He mimicked her motions, leaning up from the ground into a more proper upright position.

She stood up. So did he. She smiled and vice versa.

At some point at while he was with her--she could breathe again. She could see again. She could think again. And the tears were tucked away for a more dire situation. Hate she could deal with, yes. But she could grow from this. Because she had a new family and friends who would love her without any question. It didn’t matter what her birth mother said. ‘Cause as it turned out, this girl had found two other mothers who did love her. Who did accept her. Two fathers, too. And that was the best feeling in the world.

She whispered thanks to the man before promptly leaving the room, her body warm again and ready for work. The man stayed behind with a love-struck look on his face before pulling his shoes back on and making his way back to work. He probably didn’t have the time to spend it like that. But he was positive that his manager would figure out. His manager would do anything with his schedule as long as the girl was involved.

It was a peculiar sight, because the only word exchanged was her word of thanks. The rest was silence. Comfortable silence.

The girl was Kyoko Mogami.

The man was Tsuruga Ren.

And they would, in the eventual future, get married.

But that’s a story for another day.

Chapter Text

There’s that look again. Does she not realize that I can still see her when I’m not looking directly at her? ‘Cause her face sort of transforms whenever my attention is directed away from her. Not in a bad way. It’s not that her face fills with disgust; no that look is reserved only for the “Beagle” nowadays. I just... can’t place it. Does it mean anything? Or am I thinking too hard about it?

 I turn my gaze back in her direction and immediately her back straightens and pink tinges her cheeks as she looks anywhere but back at me.

 “That will be all, Yashiro-san,” I murmur, leaning back in my chair while I maintain my gaze in Mogami’s direction. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my manager quickly make his leave and I’m glad that he’s taking my sanity into consideration and forgoes making a comment about “my” Kyoko-chan into my ear. No, that would only ruin my concentration right now.

 The door slams shut.

 Kyoko jumps a little and looks back to me, shyly, trying to shrink into the couch in my dressing room. “I-I can go too,” she offers, prying herself from the cushions.

 “Stay.”

 Her eyes widen and she complies. Lowering herself back down to the couch without another word. And we sit in silence. She’s back to her usual game of avoiding my eyes unless I’m looking at her. If she avoids my look so adamantly, why does she look at me so intently when I turn away?

 “Tsuruga-san, do you--”

 “I’ve seen the way you--:

 We begin speaking at the same time and her cheeks flush brighter. I wave my hand and motion for her to continue. “You first.” After all, she’s the one I’m trying to figure out. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s simply more polite to let a lady speak first.

 Puffing her cheeks out in thought, she looks back at me. “Tsuruga-san. Is there a reason I’m here right now?” Her hands are held tightly together and she fidgets on the couch. I honestly don’t see why she still is so uncomfortable around me. It’s only seemed to get worse in the past couple of months.

 And here I thought we were making progress.

 “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I won’t notice.”

 Her voice jumps an octave and her cheeks flame red.“E-Excuse me?”

 I purse my lips and contemplate it all. Perhaps I am thinking too much into this. Yet her eyes refuse to meet mine as I’m bringing it up. “You look at me when I’m not looking.” She’s still looking to the ground. Rising from my chair, I approach her frozen form and use a finger to direct her face up to me. “Yet you avoid looking at me otherwise.”

 She flinches away from my touch. My heart stings but I pull my hand back. Yeah. I’m definitely overthinking me. “I’m sorry for bringing it up, my apologies.” I turn away and try not to let it get to me.

 For a second I really thought we were getting somewhere past the silly senpai and kouhai boundaries she put up around us.

 Apparently, I was mistaken....

 A warm hand grabs mine and stops me from going any farther. Hers. She’s holding my hand? Ah, well. This isn’t exactly a new development. We’ve held hands several times. As the Heel siblings. When I froze on the Dark Moon Set. When I was Kuon in Guam. I still have shivers run up my arm, regardless of how many times we’ve been in this situation. “M-Mogami-san?”

 That breaks the spell. She promptly drops my hand. Rises from the couch only to fall into a dogeza. “Tsuruga-san! I apologize from the bottom heart for being such a bad kouhai to such a great, wonderful senpai!” Her wails increase and Kyoko’s fingers dig into the ground. “I totally understand if you decide that I’m not worth--”

 “Mogami-san. Please get up.”

 She doesn’t listen. I should have expected that, really.

 Turning to face her, I crouch down and place a hand on her shoulder. “Please, Kyoko-san. Please get up.”

 “Huh?” Her head flings up and nearly collides with my own. Luckily my reflexes from Pre-Ren are still mostly intact. Or she would have simply been back on the ground. Apologizing for maring my face or something equally silly.

 Honestly? What’s the sudden profession of being a bad kouhai? I’m the one who even dared to suggest that she looked at me funny. Wait. Not funny. Differently. “I should be apologizing to you, Mogami-san for being so presumptuous.”

 “Nooo!” She shouts, tears springing to her eyes. “You can’t apologize!”

 I clench my jaw. This girl. How does she even do it? “Why no?”

 Kyoko looks at me, her eyebrows stitched together before taking a big gulp of air. “Youcan’tpologizenotcomplwro!” She squeals and ducks her head away from mine.

 I raise an eyebrow even if she can’t see it. What on earth is she so nervous about? “I’m sorry? Mogami-san. You’re going to have to speak clearly.”

 Another sob jars at my ears and I flinch away. Did I say something wrong? “Moga--”

 “You can’t apologize, because you’re not completely wrong.”

 What? I freeze, my lips hanging open. I’m not wrong? Meaning? Meaning she is looking at me differently! Special? Perhaps. Regardless of how she’s looking at me: it’s a development. I can’t help the smile that crosses across my face.

 Maybe we’re actually getting somewhere.

Chapter Text

The sight in the store window stops me cold in my tracks.

Luckily the sidewalk is empty and I don’t seem to disrupt any sort of pedestrian traffic. A shame. Causing a hold up would keep me away from the display at sight.

I should walk past the display and continue my trek back to my apartment. I have to meet Mogami-san tonight to help with her latest project. That’s where I need to be. Not in front of a dress store. Especially not again. This is.... I purse my lips together and silently tick it off on my fingers. One.. two...three? Is it three times? Yes. And this makes four.

Four times I’ve minded my own business and found myself enamoured by a passing display. It’s always glitter. It’s always pink. Clothes. Jewelry. Purses and knick knacks. They all thread together with a single denominator: Kyoko would love them.

Consequently, she would also probably curse my way back to America to my parents if she ever found out about these spontaneous stops. They happen too often. On the way to work. From location to location. On the way to LME. The stores nowadays obviously know I can’t resist stopping if there’s even a chance Mogami-san might like what they have to offer. All too often I have to step away from the store with empty hands. And it’s all because of what I cursed myself with back at the Dark Moon Closing Party:

If a man buys you clothes, it means he wants to have his way with you.

It’s not a lie. It’s actually an entirely true sentiment in regards to Kijima-san--who finds Kyoko’s starlet presence more intriguing than herself. After all, isn’t that what the tabloids love to gush about? Rising Stars, bound by love, and rising together in fame. I hear about it all the time in my interviews. It’s stupid. Tasteless. A cheap way to move forward in your career.

I simply cannot have Kijima having his way with her. Not only sexually (my teeth grit even at the thought), but in the way he would use Kyoko’s rising fame as a way to gain leverage in the entertainment world.

So I projected my anger onto as silly a sentiment as buying clothes.

In turn, I’ve managed to dig myself into my own grave.

Take the dress in the window, for instance: She would absolutely swoon at the sight of the pink dress and it’s draping handkerchief skirt that I could almost promise she would call a fairy skirt without any sort of hesitation. I could buy it now and call it a reward for working so well in her most recent project (another bully role, but this one focused more in seduction and being a temptress than Natsu or Mio). But if I used this excuse I would, in turn, have to buy something for Chiori-san, who snagged a non-bully role in the same drama.

I worked with both of them as a cameo appearance and buying something for just Kyoko can be considered rude. Chiori-san would understand, seeing as she definitely knows about my feelings for her senpai. But Kyoko? She would scold me into next week for not only buying only her something. But the shouts would be especially bad if I buy her clothes.

If I am to buy her clothes now after the Dark Moon fiasco, Kyoko will definitely question my motives and insist that my interests lie in tarnishing her reputation as a pure maiden.

There are several other things I would much rather do to “tarnish” her reputation as a “pure maiden”.

Buying clothes.

Is not one of them.

(The fact she can still call herself a pure maiden after her stint as Setsu is beyond me.)

I should just buy the dress in the window. Make it a Christmas present. A birthday present. Any excuse will do. If I simply have it on hand I can always be prepared. Except...there are so many other things that I given in and bought. My guest room is cluttered with things I’ve promised myself I’ll eventually give her. The dress will go out of style before I can gift it to her.

That sells it.

I should ignore the dress and simply continue my way home.

But...

She would love it. Especially with her hair for the new drama: A deep brown that resembles the pictures she’s showed me of before she and Fuwa made the jump to Tokyo. Yes. It would definitely look good.

So I should buy the dress.

And suddenly: I'm in the exact position I was in five minutes ago, my hand hovering over my wallet and my eyes staring closely at the glittering display.

"Tsuruga-san! What are you doing here?"

Inside, my heart does about fifty somersaults as my ears perk to the sound of her voice. What is she doing around here so early? Now I definitely can’t buy the dress. Not with her right here. Quickly schooling my face, I turn from the storefront to the dark haired girl. “Mogami-san,” I greet with a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “You’re done early.”

Her golden eyes narrow and her brows furrow together as she steps closer. “Tsuruga-san, it’s eight thirty.” Is it really? Damn. I’ve spent nearly half an hour gaping like a fish at this display. “I’m actually running late,” she raises an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you can say the same for yourself, Mister I’m Always Punctual. ”

“I got distracted on the way home.”

“Looking at dresses?”

“Y-Yes.”

Between me, the display, and the dozens of similar displays, I see how bad this looks. I mean, there’s no real excuse for a man to be here. They can’t be for myself--so the dresses I’m interested in obviously have to be with someone in mind. The question is: will she make the jump to herself.

I study Kyoko as she tries to work it out in her head. A mix of confusion and awe swirl just behind her eyes as she takes in the display I’ve been obviously studying.

I was right, by the way, she loves the dress.

She never gets anywhere with trying to determine why I’m looking at the dresses. Instead, the mysterious expression that crosses her face quickly fades and is replaced with a stern gaze. Directed at me. Wait? What did I do?

“Tsuruga-san, were you getting ready to ditch our dinner date?”

She continues with her reprimand, but I can’t help but circulate around how she phrased it. A dinner date. Dinner. Date. Date. Date.

Date.

She’s referring to our working together as a date.

I can’t help the grin that spreads its way across my face.

Kyoko stops, her eyes going wide and her face going red. “Are you laughing at me?” She screeches. “Tsuruga-san! How can you be so cruel? You know how important this role is to me!”

Damn.

I really need to watch my smiles around her.

“N-No, Mogami-san,” I start, trying to wave off her anger, “I was by no means laughing at you! I was just...” What was I doing? I can’t very well tell her I loved how she was calling our dinner a “date”. No, that would confuse her.

Her eyebrows furrow. “Just...what?”

“I was simply smiling at your enthusiasm for your new job, despite it being a bully role again.”

That shut her up. Instead, Kyoko simply gapes up at me with trembling eyes. I expect her honestly to start crying--to have her insist that she doesn't deserve such a compliment from me. But instead, an uneven smile crosses her face.

“Thank you, Tsuruga-san.”

I return her smile and nod away from the store and instead to the direction of my apartment complex. “Now, shall we get to work?” To our dinner date , I mentally celebrate as we turn together into the sidewalk.

We walk silently side by side and I’m suddenly thankful that the area pretty much dies at six every night. Anywhere else in Tokyo and we would have never been able to share this moment. Which just makes me appreciate the moment even more.

In the back of my mind, I make a note to return for the dress.

Chapter Text

She’s waiting for me to respond to her--maybe to apologize to her. Whatever reaction she’s hoping for after disclosing her dizzy spells and nausea all those years ago--I don’t think she’s going to get it. I’m not sorry for existing and I’m not sorry I am here today.

My fingers turn Corn in circles. After only a few twirls, the small stone makes its way back into the pocket in my uniform’s skirt. I need something to squeeze. Take the brunt of my frustrations.

So I pull out my phone.

Its exterior feels cold and hard as I squeeze it between my fingertips. No give. I don’t know what I’m expecting out of it--but I can’t abuse anything else in my possession. Princess Rosa and Corn are out of the question seeing as I would rather die before letting harm come to them. I finally look back up to the unwavering gaze of my mother.

I didn’t want to see her this way. Instead, I suppose I wanted her to remain as I picture in my childhood: cold and distant. Hateful, even. But this woman in front of me...the same one that rendered me to tears despite my thinking of not being capable of crying due to her actions anymore...she’s too much like me. If I am to hate myself if I am to hate her?

Because I too fell victim to the blindness of love. Shotaro ruined me. Misonoi ruined mother. Is it a family curse? Just as she transferred unconsciously her hatred of my father onto me--I attached my hatred of Shotaro into every fiber of my being. Into my jobs. Into my LME audition.

I latched my hatred of Shotaro right onto Tsuruga-san. And I did so for the longest time.

So am I no better than my mother?

BZZT. BZZT.

A phone? My fingers jolt against a vibration and I realize then it’s not just any phone. It’s my phone. I rip my gaze away from mother and look instead to the letters that blink on the small display: Tsuruga-san.

An unwilling gasp makes its way through my lips along with the corners of my lips turning up. But I hide the tiny smile and instead flip the phone open long enough only to hit the decline button. Now is not the time to talk to Tsuruga-san.

His call, however, had the perfect timing. He always does. Must be thanks to his fairy blood. And for that, I’m thankful, because his call reminded me of something.

You are not your father .

Those are the words Tsuruga-san told Ogata-san when he fell to the ground after my Mio test. It was the first time the director heard such words from anyone. All his life, he was told he was just like his father. Even worse, I think his father kind of perpetuated it.

They may have both worked on a version of Tsukigimori, his father on the original and Ogata on what became known as Dark Moon. They even look the same.

And still, Ogata is not his father.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?”

I look back up to my mother, whose lips have twisted into what I can only describe as the curl of contempt. To think...I missed her when she left. I haven’t had to endure that look for years. Shaking my head, I flip the phone shut and stuff it into my pocket. “It’s not important right now,” I murmur. Besides, it would be extremely rude to step out of a meeting I myself arranged. I’m stronger than that.

She nods but I can tell she doesn’t believe me. I don’t blame her, really. My face slipped at the sight of Tsuruga-san’s name. There’s no doubt in my mind that she knows. Knows that I’ve fallen in love. It’s obvious that she doesn’t approve. And once upon a time ago, neither would I.

Once upon a....

Once upon a time.

It hits me.

Once upon a time ago.

I would have agreed with her, my mother. A girl like me. Falling in love. In the past, I would have been right alongside her beliefs. Don’t fall in love! As I told Sawara-san--it’s the prelude to despair. Hurt. Depression.

However, I don’t think like that. Not since I fell hard for Tsuruga-san.

Slowly, a smile spreads across my lips and my mother’s eyebrows stitch together. A smile is not the reaction she wanted, I see. But I can’t stop grinning. It feels as if my heart just grew a thousand pounds lighter. It feels like I can breathe again.

I’m not my mother.

I, Mogami Kyoko, am not Mogami Sanae.

“The child in your stomach was me. Yes.” I start, pulling my hands back up to the tabletop and folding them neatly. I can’t give you enough points. You worked very hard! I survived living for collectively a month with Tsuruga-san. And nobody found out either of our identities. If I could do that, this has to be a piece of cake. “You may not want the public to know--but I would like you to remember, always, that you do have a child.”

She blinks. Slowly. But makes no move to correct me. And she can’t. I’m right, after all. It’s not like she can refute that I’m her child. She just admitted it to me--it’s impossible to take it back now.

This is it, my grand finale:

Pushing myself up from my seat across from her, I allow a Natsu-like smile to fall over my face. “It doesn’t matter if you care about me, and frankly, it doesn’t matter if you hate me. But I’m your child whether you like it or not.”

My mother’s lips drop to a gape and her figure jumps up from the table, hip bumping against the wood and the silverware clattering.

I wave it off and pull my bag up off the ground and onto my shoulder. “Now if you excuse me, I have a job that I need to start soon.

“Moga--” Her voice dies out and I turn away. Start walking. Just like Tsuruga-san taught me: Shoulders pulled back and allow my hips to swing naturally as I propel myself forward. “Kyoko!” She calls after me--desperation clinging to her words. This is definitely not what she expected when I pulled myself out of Toudo’s car.

She probably expected me to cry.

I never dreamed, really of making such a dramatic exit seeing as they seem to always fit dramas more than real life. Yet the moment presented itself and now my escape looks better planned than I could have ever hoped. Even without my battle outfit, I made it out alive. I can’t stop smiling.

Even miles and miles away Tsuruga-san helped me today. There’s no question now, that he has fairy blood in him. No person would be able to reach me without being near. Like guardian ang--

BZZT. BZZT.

“Ahh!” I screech, flinching as the vibrating of my phone jars against the skin of my thigh. Right. I put the blasted thing in my pocket, something I almost never do anymore. My fingers fumble at the pocket, fishing for the cool plastic of my cell.

BZZT. BZZT.

There it is! “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I mutter, closing my fingers around the vibrating device. Tsuruga’s name blinks across the display as I bring it out of my pocket. Immediately, a million butterflies flutter at the center of my chest. What is it they say when this happens? Ah. Speak of the devil.

“This is Mogami,” I chirp, flipping the phone open to accept my senpai’s call.

There’s a moment of silence before his voice comes across the line, a dash of surprise underlying his voice.“Ah, Mogami-san, you picked up.”

I freeze. What if he was just trying to leave me a message? And I screwed it up by picking up the phone promptly? How could I have been so inconsiderate? “W- Was I not supposed to? I can--” I can hang up and you can try again , I finish in my head.

“No, that isn’t it. I’m just surprised.” He chuckles lightly and I instantly relax. Good. I don’t know what I would do if he wanted me hang up. Would I be strong enough to hang up? Or would I stubbornly refuse and demand his attention? “Anyways, I was just calling to see how you were faring.”

Eh? My lips purse together and I pause in the sidewalk. My escape may have been grand--but I simply took an opportunity. In short, I acted. My Box R shoot doesn’t start for two hours and I’m far enough from my mother to stop the model act and just be Kyoko again. Of course Kyoko has time to talk with Tsuruga-san....even if he has weird topic points. “How I was faring?”

He pauses and I can practically see him giving me one of his rare smiles. I blush despite being unable to see it. “You left a message about seeing your mother today,” he explains. “It sounded important and I was worried when I got to my break and you hadn’t called back with an update. It’s been a couple hours, no?”

Right. I forgot I did that, really. But obviously the message reached him well. Enough for him to...worry? About me? I can’t help but feel a little bit special--I quickly kill that sentiment.

It’s just a senpai worrying about his kouhai.

I try to emit a dazzling smile over the line like he did but I’m sure mine didn’t quite reach him. The smile feels fake after my realization. “You don’t have to be worried, Tsuruga-san! Everything went well.”

“Am I not allowed to be worried?”

My heart pounds in my chest so loudly I’m afraid that he can hear it over the phone. He...he can’t be serious, can he? I square my shoulders and toss the thought away. Nope. Not possible. He’s simply teasing me. Instead, I divert his question the only way I know how: with another question.

“Tsuruga-san, you said you were on break?”

His disappointment that I refused to take the bait is evident, seeing as he sighs softly before giving attention to my question. “Yes, I’m on break.”

I bite my lip. He’s confirmed my worst fear, I realize, my gut sinking. “Are you talking to me to avoid eating your dinner?”

A fake gasp on his side. “I’m offended!”

The corners of my lips twitch and I release my teeth’s hold on my bottom lip before breaking out into a full smile. “Good.”

“I’ll have you know that Yashiro-san is getting my bento as we speak.”

“Is he now?” My eyebrows raise because I don’t believe him. Not for an instant. If there was a trophy in the division of avoiding meals--he would take first place. And it’s not a good thing.

Tsuruga-san laughs, music to my ears. I can’t help but suspend my disbelief for the slightest moment and smile stupidly at my phone. For this moment--I can believe that Yashiro-san has somehow convinced my senpai to eat without my insistence. A content silence falls over the line and in the moment of dazzling fantasy--I remember that I’m standing in the middle of a sidewalk and I just walked out of my mother. All because of my senpai’s magic.

“Thank you, Tsuruga-san,” I blurt, unable to stop myself. My hand flies up to cover my mouth and the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips falls ungracefully from my face. I’m being weird again, aren’t I?

The silence that follows my slip up sends shivers up my spine. As much as the prospect scares me, I wish I could have been talking directly to him so I could see what he’s feeling. Or at least, try to guess what he’s feeling. Please don’t get mad, please don’t get mad , I plead in my mind, cringing at my silly mistake.

“Mogami-san, it’s just a bento. I know I’m bad at eating, but I’ve been getting better since Cain.”

I let out a sigh of relief and allow myself to relax. He didn’t get mad and he didn’t start questioning me. I am saved . A happy laugh bubbles up from the center of my chest and I push my phone closer to my face. “No, no. It’s not that,” I smile. “It’s something else entirely.”

The sound of intrigue fills his voice. “Oh, is it? Am I allowed to know?”

Is he? Well... of course. He gave me the strength to fight my mother! He gave me the strength to find myself as Mogami Kyoko. But explaining it over the phone will only cheapen the experience. So instead, we wait. “I promise to tell you as soon as you return to Tokyo and we can meet, alright?”

A moment as he thinks it over. I hold my breath in that moment. Was I too brash, asking to meet up front like this? I hope not, but it seems that I can’t help myself while talking to him. And luckily? Tsuruga-san agrees to meet with me without questioning my forwardness.  I can breathe again. “I return the day after tomorrow but have a shoot immediately after my return. I’m free starting at seven, is that alright with you?”

I rake over my own schedule. Day after tomorrow...all I have planned is Box R and the shoot ends at six. A grin crosses my face. “It’s a date.”

Chapter Text

I make it home later than expected--but I guess even that’s expected. My luck dictated that flights arrive late and I miss things. It’s why I didn’t bother trying to make it back in time for the show tonight. Too late to even try and catch the end as it aired in real time. It doesn’t matter, though, because Yukihito helped me record it. And perhaps I’m late enough that maybe...

Click .

Yep. I look at the electric light of the clock on the side table just as the door swings open to wash the entryway in warm light. “I’m home,” a voice calls gently into the dark room.

I smile and turn from the clock to the glowing princess at the door. My breath hitches in my throat and I immediately fall into a deep bow. “You’re beautiful,” I whisper, quickly pulling her hand closest to me and pressing my lips against its back. “I must have died on my flight home and arrived straight to heaven,” I murmur against her skin.

She sputters out a laugh. “Your version of heaven is your apartment?”

“Our apartment,” I correct, looking up to meet her golden eyes. “And it’s only heaven when there’s an angel present.

Heat flushes to her cheeks and she tries to tug her hand away from my grasp. I let her win and straighten out to give her form a once over. Has it only been a week since I’ve last seen her in person? Surely it’s been longer... however long--she seems even more beautiful since I left. “Rennn,” she whines, fidgeting under my gaze. My smile brightens.

“You look gorgeous.”

“Y-You said that already.”

“So I did.”

I could say it a million more times. It’s just...I take in her entire presence and feel as my heart swells in my chest. Everything, from her toes to the pale blue of her gown, to the embroidered flowers that bloom around her waist and arms...she’s the image of a fairy queen. Just like she is. “That’s the dress Mom bought for you?”

And Kyoko’s eyes brighten, her embarrassment being pushed aside for the sake of jumping up on her toes in excitement. “Mhmm! Julie-sama bought me and Moko the most beautiful dresses from the runway shows and--”

“You know she would shoot you if she heard you calling her ‘Julie-sama’,” I laugh, interrupting the spiel I’ve heard so many times since my mother took the girls to New York for Fashion Week. Leading up to the show tonight, every day there was at least one mention of the infamous dresses that she bought for Kyoko and Kanae both. “You dress makes you look like a fairy queen.”

“Oh! You should have seen Moko! She looked so sophisticated and beautiful!” Her eyes are filled with glittering stars as she goes into a spiel about Kanae-san’s dress; something along the lines of fairy queen of death (a very high compliment in her book). My comment, once again, has managed to slip her attention. I inwardly sigh, I should have said that before bringing up Mom. “You could see the dress now!”

My lips pull up into an amused smile. There goes her one-track mind again. “Oh really?”

Kyoko pauses, taking a minute to chew at her pink-stained lip. “You recorded it, no? We could watch and you could see Moko and then you’ll understand what I me--”

“Kyoko.” Best to stop her while she’s ahead.

She stops short, looking up at me with confusion. “Is there something wrong?” I hardly hold in a laugh, earning a very angry pout--only making me laugh a little bit more. “Rennn.”

“Sorry!” I manage to choke out, looking down at the lovely girl in front of me. “Don’t you want to relax a little bit?” I say, motioning down at her dress,. Beautiful as she makes it, I can’t imagine it can be very comfortable. After all, she’s been in it plus heels for several hours at this point. “How about you take a quick shower? The show will be there when you’re done.”

Confliction shrouds her face and for a moment I think she’s going to argue with me. But the fight dissolves from her features and she nods with a small smile. “That’s actually probably a really good idea,” She admits. “These shoes are slowly suffocating my feet.”

Nodding, I lean down to brush my lips across her cheek--careful not to mess up her makeup before she has to take it off herself. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Kyoko gives me one of her dazzling smiles and pulls her fingers up to her cheek where I kissed her. Just like she always does, almost as if she can’t believe it just happened. I don’t blame her. Sometimes I still don’t believe that we’re together. And we’ve been together for almost a year.

Almost a year.

God, the words sound so good in my head.

I watch as she scampers from the entryway we had crowded ourselves into to the restroom. Her movements are quick and graceful and she manages to not even step on the floor length train of her dress. Mother’s obviously been giving her lessons. I smile to myself and turn my attention to the living room.

I love her so much .

The thought invades my head and repeats itself like a broken record as I begin to rearrange the room into our show watching setup. Push the coffee table out of the way. Pull the blankets and pillows from the closet. Go to the Kitchen . Make coffee. Don’t burn the popcorn. I burn it anyway. Bring it all into the living room and make a picnic on the floor. Sit down with my back against the couch. Wait .

“You burnt the popcorn.”

I look up from my place on the ground and smile sheepishly. “I tried,” I argue weakly.

But it’s kind of hard to form a coherent thought as I drink in her freshly showered body. Skin still flushed from the steam of the shower and still damp hair--she’s definitely way too excited to show me Kanae’s dress. I guess I can’t blame her, really. Knowing my mom, if it’s even half of what Kyoko’s dress looks like: it’s going to be phenomenal.

She doesn’t bother with a rebuttal of words, opting instead to roll her eyes before settling down on the ground beside me. “I suppose I can deal with burnt popcorn--better than the undercooked chicken served at the show.”

“See? I was just making sure I didn’t poison you by undercooking your popcorn!” I joke easily, wrapping an arm around her warm skin. Kyoko laughs and snuggles closer into my embrace while I reach for the remote and switch the television on to turn on the award show. “So do you want me to fast forward through anything?”

A moment of silence. Then she looks up at me with something stirring in her eyes that I haven’t seen in quite a while, to be honest. “Sho and his fiance performed the opening.” She says, finally.

Ahh. Sho and his... fiance. Some girl from LME, I think. The relationship that managed to quell the intensity of the rivalry between our agencies. I always forget that Sho managed to settle down with a girl with the promise of marriage before I did. But patience is my virtue and I would rather not rush through things. Neither would Kyoko. I click my tongue and poise my thumb over the fast forward button. “You want me to skip?”

“...No. I was just... warning you.”  

I smile and kiss her forehead gently before pressing play and letting the show gone. Fuwa’s performance and all. Before long, the Ishibashi brothers step on stage, playing hosts. Bo stands behind them, wagging his tail feathers awkwardly. I nudge Kyoko and laugh. “Who’s the poor soul that had to replace you tonight?” It’s always amazed me how she still manages to find time to play Bo. And yet Yukihito has somehow managed to fit it in her schedule.....maybe he needs a raise, soon.

But Kyoko just smiles to herself and keeps her eyes glued to the screen. A question for another night, it seems.

We continue to watch in comfortable silence and it isn’t until we watch as Kyoko herself steps onstage to accept an award for best supporting actress that she sighs wistfully and brings herself closer to me. “It was so glamourous--I miss it.” She sniffs and I know she’s trying not to let her tears spill from her eyes. “I wanna look like a princess again.”  

Bringing my other arm around her, I capture Kyoko into an embrace and pull her into my lap. She looks up at me with wide, tear-filled, eyes and opens her mouth to object but I shake my head, bringing a finger up to her lips.

“You’re still a princess to me, Kyoko.”

Tears finally fall from her eyes and I rush to catch them with my fingers. “H-How can you say that?” she whispers. Almost as if she can’t trust her own voice in front of me. “I’m in pajamas and have wet hair.”

I laugh quietly and use the arm still wrapped around her to bring her closer to me, still. Her body heat warms me as I look into her golden eyes. “Even princesses have to go to sleep sometimes,” I explain. “And you’ll wake up tomorrow and get ready for work and you’ll still be a princess. Because even princesses have work in their castle--Do you understand?”

Kyoko offers me a small nod, her tears beginning to fade from their prominence in her eyes. I grin and swoop my face so it’s level with hers. “Good.” And I kiss her. Wait to see if she responds, if she gives me permission, and tug gently at her bottom lip with my teeth. But before we can get any farther into it, I pull back quickly.

“And one day, I’m going to make you my queen, if that’s alright with you?”

Heat flushes her cheeks and she wraps her arms around my neck, bringing our heads level again. She kisses my cheeks. My nose. My chin. Before closing in on my lips and pressing hers against them in a movement that I can’t ever seem to get used to.

She whispers one thing to me:

“ Yes .”

Chapter Text

His fingers crawl carefully up my thighs, both hands pushing my legs apart in a fluid movement. A shiver runs up my spine as I dig the lower half of my body into the bed. I squeeze my eyes shut and focus on my breathing as his fingertips hook the edges of my panties. One, two, three.  One, two, three . One. Tw-- His mouth descends to the skin of of my inner thigh; sucking, running his tongue in careful circles

“ Ahh ,” I groan. Try to bring my thighs together to bring him closer to the pressure building at their apex. Doesn’t work, though. He’s wedged his torso between them. There’s no turning back . But the worst part?

I don’t even want to.

And he pulls down my panties, raising his lips from my skin and creating an immediate absence of warmth . “Ky-o-ko,” he whispers and even with my eyes pressed closed I can still imagine The Emperor of the Night looking up at me with dark eyes. God . Don’t stop

My fingers clutch desperately at the covers of the bed as my naked hips jut up to seek his touch. “Tsu-ru-ga-saaa,” I breathe, opening heavy eyelids to catch a glimpse of--

An empty room.

Not even my empty room. Tsuruga-san’s guest room. No. No . Looking down, I see my sleep shorts hanging low on my hips and my top hiked up around my waist. Panic rushes through my veins and I scramble to pull my attire properly over my body. Even my clothes participated in my dream , I think miserably to myself.

I try to push myself up and roll out of bed but my legs seize up and I end up tangled in the bed sheets instead as I ungracefully fall to the ground with a scream. I can’t believe I dreamed-- I squeeze my eyes shut. To have the audacity to even think it in his apartment !

“Mogami-san? Are you alright?”

My eyes fly open and I see that the victim of my shameless dreams has appeared at the the door frame. Sleep clothes still hang on his body, an uncommon sight in comparison to his normal prim and proper dress. I feel heat creep up my cheeks and I shake my head furiously. “I-I’m fine! Just. Forgot where I was for a second.”

Tsuruga-san’s eyebrows furrow together and he takes a step into the room. I can see the wheels in his head starting to turn: I’m not forgetful and am usually put together far better than this. Usually. “Are you sure? You look a little hot....” He begins his descent into a crouch and reaches a hand out to press against my forehead. “Do I need to call your director and tell him that you need a sick day?” His fingers brush my bangs from my eyes and I feel my face grow even redder.

He brushes my hair from my face and gives me a smile. His emperor’s smile. And then he kisses me. Like he kisses his love interests on all of his dramas. But this isn’t a stage kiss. And we’re not acting. I squeak in surprise and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. That’s how it began .

I flinch away from my senpai’s touch and jump up quickly. Dizziness swirls in my head but I keep my feet steady. Try to keep the panic from reaching my voice. “No! I’m fi-I’m fine!” I wave my hands and the sheets decide then to disentangle themselves from my body, allowing me to move my legs in a jogging motion. “See? Fit! Ready for the day!”

“Ehrm...” Tsuruga manages, his eyes raising up from his lowered position and honing on my hips. “Mogami-san.” He motions to my lower extremities and quickly looks away. Embarrassment crosses his face and I look down. Nerves buzz at the core of my stomach.

“Ehhh!” I squeal, pulling the sheets back up from the ground and draping them over myself. Somehow in my struggle, my sleep shorts had once again slipped from their proper home at my hips and fell to a comfortable position at my crotch.  Meaning...

I just flashed Tsuruga-san my panties.

Traitors.

“I’m so sorry, Tsuru--”

He pulls away, but not before both of us are breathless. “I-I’m so sorry, Mog-Mogami-san.” His eyes drop. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he murmurs.

This is the part where I’m supposed to back away and come up with a way that this was not my beloved senpai’s fault, in fact--it was mine.   I shouldn’t have tempted you!? I shouldn’t have come over!? But the apologies and dogeza never come. Instead, I use his shirt lapels and pull him back down and kiss him back. Kiss him harder. Because I might never be able to do this ever again.

At first he’s surprised, I can feel it in the tenseness of his back. Then he melts back into me and I try to pull him closer. Closer. He has a better idea: His hands trail down my back and he hoists me up, my legs finding place tied around his waist.

An unfamiliar pressure presses between my thighs and I moan into his mouth. Yes . I might never be able to do this ever again.

“Mogami-san?”

Tsuruga-san’s real voice breaks me from the vision from my dream and I flinch away from his sudden closeness. Out of here . I need to get out of here. Otherwise...what else am I going to remember? “I-I think I should leave,” I squeak out, unable to look my senpai in the eyes.

“Let me drive you home.”

I rack my brain for excuses--but I know they’re going to be seldom. Both of us had this morning off which is why I came over to make dinner last night in the first place. Neither of us had to be anywhere until the afternoon. And even then, we’ll be headed to the same studio for our respective dramas.

While that may be convenient in regards to rides and not having to bike to work all the time. It makes this situation a lot harder than I would like it to be. I shake my head quickly, unable, still, to come up with an excuse

He gives me one of his NG sighs and I immediately snap my neck up to look at him. Excuse me? What exactly did I do to deserve a NG? I wasn’t aware that we were acting . My fists curl themselves into the sheet I’m using to cover myself. “I just need to be alone for a little bit! Is that too much to ask?” I shriek.

Except, when Tsuruga’s eyes go wide and an an unfamiliar sense of hurt crosses his features I realize how much I just messed up. It’s not his fault my dirty dream is invading my every thought. It’s not his fault I’m such a bad kohai and pictured my senpai doing such...private...things to me.

Tsuruga-san backs away slowly and no longer meets my eyes as he smiles gently. “I’m sorry for pushing you, Mogami-san. I’ll let you get ready.” He turns away and makes his way to the door. “See you at the office tomorrow.”

My heart cracks. I shoot my hand out and reach for his slow receding figure.

“W-wait.”

When he turns back, I can see the hope he’s trying to keep hidden in the depths of his eyes. A sight I haven’t seen recently. “Mogami-san?”

In a rapid turn of events, we ended up in his bedroom. On his bed. His figure looming over mine, my legs loosely entangled in his. Tsuruga-san lowers his lips to my ear. “Are you sure this is okay?” He whispers as his teeth nip at my earlobe.

The only thing I can bring myself to do is nod with a heavy groan.  Words are impossible to form in my mind. I still can't believe this is happening.

His fingers then pull out from under me and get to work on the zipper of my LoveMe uniform.  The heavy pink material is slipped from my shoulders and pulled from my body, leaving me in only my undershirt and panties.  

Another moment--my undershirt finds itself flung across the room.  

My first instinct is to shrink my mostly naked torso from him, the thought of him telling me to protect my innocence a distant memory.  But as he lowers his mouth to my breast, tongue flicking out against my skin: all my inhibitions fall flat.

A moan pushes through my lips and I arch my back and wrap my legs around him once more.  Pull him closer.

One word dominates my mind: MORE.

I pull myself from the vision of the dream with minimal blushing. Tsuruga looks at me still,  puzzlement crossing his features. Did I make any weird noises just now?

I can’t think of anything to say. Nothing that can quite fix my yelling at him. Instead, I cross the room and pull at his sleep shirt until his pace is parallel to my own. And then I kiss him. Drag my teeth at his lower lip before pulling it between my own. Try to imitate his kiss from my dream.

Pulling away, I blush. “I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, Tsuruga-san.”

But he simply smiles and shakes his head before descending to my lips once again. I freeze at first--but slowly melt into the feel of his mouth moving against mine, allowing his tongue to invade my mouth. And before I can register what’s happening, he hoists me up and my legs pull up and around his waist. My arms wrap around his neck.

An unfamiliar but amazing pressure builds between my legs as the hardness of Tsuruga-san presses against my core. I moan into the kiss and close my eyes as a shot of white blinds my vision.

The sheet I held at my waist falls to the ground.

It’s so much better than my dream.

Chapter Text

It’s unusually silent for the day after an album release. In fact, the day has been blissfully quiet.  Shoko hasn’t come up to badger me about interviews. She hasn’t texted about any appearances on any of the talk shows. She hasn’t told me to stop watching television.  She hasn’t even asked me if I had heard the news.

I mean, I did.

Obviously.

It would have been impossible for me not to. I know I tend to close myself off from the media outside of Akatoki around album release. But when something this big happens it’s kind of hard to even turn the television on without seeing the bright images and announcements. The frenzied headlines have overshadowed what was supposed to be a very highly anticipated album. I wonder if either of them noticed.

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt .

When I grab my phone, I expect it to be Shoko. Maybe telling me that this was all a scam brought on by the LME president. Or telling me that this is the media’s subtle way of telling me that the album sucked. But it’s Kyoko’s name that flashes across the screen before I bring it to my ear. Interesting . “Hello?”

“ Imsosoridino!!!”

I flinch away from the shriek. “What?”

“Imsosorridintno!” The girl shrieks again, slower. Not by much, though.

There’s still no way I can understand the words she’s stringing together. I close my eyes. I’m so sai domino? I’m so sorry, indigo? “Kyoko, you’re going to have to try this again.” I pause. “Preferably this time not like a banshee?”

But before I can prepare myself for another round of her screeching another voice intercepts the line. His voice. Tsuruga Ren. “She just found out that your album released today. Swears she didn’t know.” He says it smoothly and I can practically see him trying to calm a blubbering Kyoko down with his one free hand.

What didn’t she know? Kyoko doesn’t really go out of her way to look out for my albums anymore so why would she know about this one’s release. I mean, I totally understand. “My Album?”

I can hear Kyoko’s wail despite her phone now being in the hands of her long-time boyfriend: “WE STOLE YOUR SPOTLIGHTTTTT!”

My...spotlight? Wha--? A smile stretches across my face and I snort. She called crying and screeching, on the day of her engagement announcement, because she was worried about me ? Some things never change . “Congratulations on your guys’ engagement,” I laugh with tears coming up to my eyes. Kyoko has never changed. “When’s the wedding?”

On the other side of the line, Ren chuckles. “We haven’t decided yet. We have to plan it around our work.” He pauses for a moment. “When’s your next album set to release, that should be a good day....”

I snicker along with the actor and it the background Kyoko shouts that Ren “shouldn’t be so mean” and that “it’s not something to joke about”.  And in all honestly, they already sound like a married couple.

“I don’t know if there will be another album after this flop,” I joke. “Maybe I should try my hand at acting?”

We laugh and again I hear Kyoko screeching, this time directing her frustration to me. She honestly makes it way too easy to tease her. I wouldn’t have her any other way, though. And obviously neither would her “amazing” (her word, not mine) boyfriend. Well, fiance now.

“You should probably go console your future wife or something,” I remark.

“Probably.”

And yet both of us remain on the phone. Not saying anything. Just silence. Kyoko whimpering in the background, presumably snuggled up against the man on the phone.

“Sho?”

I perk my ears up and lean back into the couch. “Yeah?”

“Kyoko and I are going to make this up to you. You know that, right?”

Laughing, I nod against the receiver. “Damn right, you are!” There’s no question about it. Like I thought earlier. This isn’t something I need to be worried about. Let them have their cake. I’ll have my own some other day.

A bigger, better cake.

“Of course.” The relief in the man’s voice sweeps across the line and I’m reminded of why he always topping me in talent rates; he can make anybody feel what he’s feeling. Damn actors.

Before I have an opportunity to make a snide remark, I hold my tongue and continue with proper farewells. The phone is passed back to Kyoko who simply mutters another apology and a small ‘goodbye’ before the couple finally hangs up.

And I’m alone again.

When I put down the phone, I can’t help but grin. Sure, the lovebirds might have potentially ruined the media in regards to my album release. But everything is only going to go up from here. I can feel it in my bones.

In that moment, Shoko finally makes her way into my apartment. Worry etches over her face and my smile only widens. She was expecting me to be down in the dumps, huh? “Sho,” she starts, approaching me carefully, “are you alright?”

I nod carefully. “Yeah, why shouldn’t I be?”

“Well...um...” She can’t even look me in the eye. What does she think? That somehow I had reverted back to being seventeen? That I’m upset Kyoko “got away” or some other stupid thing I might have thought ages ago. “You see, something happened this morning...”

Ah. Yes. Here it goes. Yet, I don’t want to really hear it from her. She’s going to make it seem like bad news. And it’s not. I push myself up from the couch and wave my manager off. “Actually, there’s no need, I know about the engagement.” Grabbing my phone, I brush past her and start for the door. “Can you do me a favor? Contact that one group that did my suit for that award show last month, please?”

Shoko sputters and probably turns to face my receding figure. “Wh-What? Why ?” Her voice drops to a scandalized whisper. “ You don’t have anything to wear something that extravagant yet. ”

The implications of her whisper kind of offends me. My album will reach people. Just give it time. She is wrong about one thing, though. I have exactly the occasion to wear something “that extravagant” and flashy.

“Of course I do,” I toss over my shoulder, opening the door to let myself out. Take a walk or something. “The Tsuruga Wedding.”

The door slams shut behind me.

Chapter Text

It was a perfect plan, really.

Both Kyoko’s manager and I had corroborated their free time so today we could shove them each into the LoveMe room within minutes of each other. Now an hour has passed and surely there has to be some sort of development between the two of them. There has to be. ..right?

After all, it’s been, like, fifteen years of breathtakingly slow, antagonizing development. Okay--not fifteen. Like, three. But still. Too long.

I mean, last year seemed so promising: Kyoko finally stopped referring to Ren as her senpai and instead as her friend . Her friend! Ren could not stop smiling for an actual week. But then, of course, they both ended up slammed with work--Kyoko having enough for Lory and Sawara-san to finally assign her a manager (thankfully a very well qualified woman instead of some handsome heartthrob type). And since then their relationship has remained practically stagnant

Sure, they’ve seen each other every once in a while. But they’ve never had so much time apart, I don’t think. Not the best thing for a budding relationship. Ren has had many women make their advances on him and has been turning them down with grace. But Kyoko is a rogue bullet. I never know what to expect from her.

Especially now.

So as I re-approach the room: I don’t know if I should even hope for anything. According to Kyoko’s manager, she’s not dating--but that by no means reflects the girl’s feelings on the inside. What if she met someone else? Someone she sees more often. What if I walk in and find a room with only Ren .

God. He would never forgive me. I’ve spent the last year encouraging him in maintaining a friendly relationship with Kyoko because I was sure she reciprocated some sort of feeling for him. But what if I was wrong? I would need to move to--

“Yashiro-san?”

I look up. Kyoko’s manager stares at me, blinking slowly. When she realizes she has my attention, her eyebrows furrow together and she tilts her head. “Is everything alright?”

Is everything alright ? How can she ask me that? Does she not harbor the same fears as I do, but hers directed at Ren? Or was pulling Ren here today one of the biggest mistakes of the year? “I-I...it’s..ummm...” I point a finger helplessly at the bright pink door. “I’m...uh.....”

She smiles and shakes her head. Then she starts in the direction of the LoveMe! Room without hesitation. I can’t help but follow. There’s something about that woman that’s just so calming. I guess that’s why she was put with fly off the wall Kyoko. The President chose well. “I was just there,” she explains over her shoulder. “We’ve got nothing to worry about.”

We . I breathe with a sigh of relief as the woman in front of me swings the door open. She said we have nothing to be worried about. I’m not going to be fired.

The door opens and we step in.  

It takes everything in me not to squeal. This-- This is development. It may not seem like much but I know this is only going to be the start of something big. Bigger Ren coming out as Cain Heel. Bigger than Kyoko calling Ren her friend. I titter quietly and beside me Kyoko’s manager smiles at our charges:

Kyoko: sitting all curled up on Ren’s lap, her head resting against his chest. Ren: His arms wrapped around Kyoko’s waist, pulling her closer. Both of them have gentle smiles on their faces.

In that moment they look like they’re more than friends. More than dating. They look like they would belong in a fairy tale; the kind of story that Kyoko adores--the one where the prince and the princess are in love with a happily ever after. Just like they deserve.

Ren and Kyoko’s road to together will be anything but easy. But seeing this: they’re going to make it through. Even if they will wake up any minute from now and start making loud excuses for the sake of both me and Kyoko’s manager. Even if they don’t see each other for another long while. They’re going to make it.

My grin hurts my cheeks as I clasp my hands to my chest. I wish I had my-- Click --phone. I turn to the suited woman beside me and watch as she takes a few more pictures, soft clicks sprouting from her phone. “For prosperity’s sake, ” she whispers.

I nod knowingly. I was thinking the exact same thing .

That’s when I notice a pair of scripts laying on the floor, forgotten. The secret project Ogata-san swore Ren and me into secrecy about. Except Ren only has one script.... I look closer. The other bears the name of one of the supporting characters.

Kyoko’s name is scrawled underneath.

Chapter Text

“Kanae-san, can I ask you a question?”

I look up from my lunch, my hand still poised over the bento the set provided. “Hmm?”

Hiou pauses for a moment, concentration crossing over his features before red flushes his cheeks. Is he embarrassed about something ? I’m about to let him off the hook of his question but he looks straight at me with determined eyes. “ IsTsuGarenthekiofmayoinrsin?”

I blink.

However, he’s not deterred. As he recollects himself quickly, gripping his fists at his sides and straightening himself out in a movement that for a moment reminds me of Kyoko in her moments of stress. Which only brings to question: what could Hiou possibly be stressed about right now? The drama?

“ Is Tsuruga Ren the kind of man you’re interested in ?”

As quickly as he blurts the question, a weird shadow falls over his face. Like he regretted asking it immediately. But unable to help myself, I end up barking out a laugh in spite of myself. “Tsuruga Ren? Nope. Not possible.”

Hiou’s eyes go wide and for a moment I think his eyes flicker to something behind me. But perhaps that’s just my imagination. He looks back to me, unbelieving. “N-Not possible?”

I nod, confused by the line of questioning. We’ve managed to avoid the topic of Japan’s number one actor for so long...and now Hiou decides that he’s a fan? Is it somehow wrong that I don’t have a bumbling crush on the guy? Must be because Tsuruga is in the area filming.... “Besides, even if I was interested in the guy-- and I’m not --it doesn’t matter. He’s interested in someone else.”

“Someone else,” he repeats blankly. And again. He looks behind me. I even feel a sort of unbalanced presence behind me. But the only one who usually inspires such an intense aura is...Kyoko. And I’m ninety percent sure that she went to school today. “And that would stop you?”

I close my eyes and sigh, thinking back to Maria’s Grateful Party. And how Tsuruga put himself into the position of being the first one to give Kyoko a present for her birthday--and even knowing her birthday before I did. I tighten my grip on my chopsticks. It still pisses me off . “It’s an issue of who exactly he has his eyes set on....”

“ Who he has his eyes set on?” He stares at me blankly.

“Well, yeah. You usually don’t go after the guy your best friend is in love with.”

A moment of silence falls over us as Hiou’s face twists in confusion. “Yo-Your...best...friend?” Recognition flickers over his features and his eyes go wide. “Demon-san is in love with Tsuruga Ren?!”

Raising an eyebrow, I take the opportunity to drop my utensils from my grasp and fold my arms over my chest. There he goes with that Demon rap again. “Why do you still call Kyoko ‘Demon’ Aren’t you over that yet?” Honestly, he’s been holding this grudge for almost two years now.

But he’s not listening. Instead, he keeps rambling onto himself. “Kyoko is in love with Tsuruga-san. Tsuruga Ren is in love with Demon-San!” Hiou looks to me, a stupidly happy grin on his face. But then he turns his attention once again to a place behind me. So there is someone there. “ Is it true ?”

True ? I turn around in my chair, half expecting to see a mortified Kyoko--glaringly mad at me for divulging her secret (as well as my own speculation about Tsuruga) to Hiou. Instead, I see Tsuruga himself leaning against one of the pillars, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. I cringe and plant my feet into the ground. He has the same aura as Kyoko .

“How long have you known, Kotonami-san?”

Known? You mean like it hasn’t been obvious? “Known about what,” I try to joke feebly, my face going hot. “It’s all just speculation?”

If even possible, his smile widens and gains a sense of glittering. Behind me I hear Hiou cease up. Good. Now he should know not to address a man whose secrets were just spilled. “Speculation?” Tsuruga repeats. “Speculation about?” His smile drops and he raises a deadly eyebrow. “Her feelings? Or mine?”

I try to swallow but my mouth is regrettably dry. Backing my chair against the table, I raise my hands in surrender. “Ummm,” my voice cracks, “yours?”

Something flickers across his face and in that instant, I feel the tension in the room drop. His face falls into a more natural position. And for a second I swear a real smile plays at the corners of his lips. “Really?”

I nod quietly. Did he not notice? Is he just as blind as Kyoko in regards to her obvious crush on him? Before I have the opportunity to ask him--he turns and stalks away, an unfamiliar bounce in his step. “Your welcome,” I call weakly, glad to finally start regaining feeling to my legs. As his figure disappears from view, I let out a sigh of relief and turn back to the table and rest my face down.

“So I’m guessing Tsuruga-san does like Kyoko?”

It takes me a second to digest Hiou’s question. But I nod my head against the hard surface. “Yep.”

“That’s nice.”

Once again I nod. But I cannot help but notice a sinking feeling in the bottom of my gut:

Somehow this is going to bite me in the butt.

Chapter Text

People do a lot of strange things when they think children aren’t looking.

Take onee-sama and Ren-sama. Both, I think, are perfectly respectable people. After all, Grandfather hired both of them by his own hand. And he trusts the two of them to watch me on their rare off days together (I, of course, trust them but my opinion doesn’t mean all that much in regards to who’s responsible and trustworthy for Grandfather to ensure I don’t get kidnapped or something equally horrible). Except...whenever they think I’m preoccupied with sleep or my spells or something--their whole dynamic changes.

It’s then I realized that onee-sama was in love with Ren.

Of course I then stopped doing my usual activities to their full extent and instead began simply pretending to do them. Instead, I decided to eavesdrop and watch them as secretly as I could. They smile and joke with each other and relax in a way that very few people get to see often (I’m one of the few). Ren, a little more relaxed than normal. Which is nice. The smile he gives Kyoko..however...is similar to the one he give me. Just a little more...special.

Then I realized that Ren-sama is in love with onee-sama.

But I think the most surprising part is that I’m perfectly okay with it. Imagine that. Ren-sama is in love with someone that’s not me and I’m fine. Onee-sama is a perfectly wonderfully lovely girl and by all means, is worth of his affections (I gather that she’s been through a lot from the way Grandfather talks about her on the phone). However, there is one thing that I’m upset with...

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that makes it okay that they’re not together. People so obviously in love with each other should be together. After all, isn’t that the point of all the romance dramas Grandfather watches?

So, you see, I devised a plan to help them along:

I cast a spell.

Not a love spell--the ones I know are all love-at-first-sight spells. Knowing my luck, Grandfather would walk in as soon as it was cast and end up the recipient of one of his talent’s affections (then it would really be a sticky situation). No, I was smarter on that. I cast a spell that was nothing out of the normal. Something that probably nobody would notice. Probably. I think. I mean, it was a simple spell. All I had to do was enhance a personality trait for a few hours. Simple. Easy. Onee-sama would scoff at how easy it was to create the incantation. But...not really. I mean, it was directed at her.

I kind of sort of cast the spell to make her a little more clumsy.
It’s not that much of a stretch. My beloved adopted sister is not by any means naturally graceful. I mean, she is. Totally. Especially on her shows. Especially when she’s working. But when she’s just with me and Ren? Totally tripping over everything. Banging her legs against side tables. Tripping over practically nothing. It definitely takes effort for her not to come over and not end up having messed up something that regular people would get right on the first try.

Then again. Onee-sama isn’t normal and that’s what I love about her. It’s what lets her be such a good older sister. We’re on the same wavelength (does that mean I’ll become clumsy as I grow older? I hope not)! But moving on--my spell!

The intent is to somehow manage to push them into a scene like the ones in Grandfather’s dramas. Something cheesy, like Ren catching a falling Kyoko in his arms! And she would blush and something and by the end they would kiss. Or...something like that.

It started working almost as soon as I finished the incantation; the next moment was filled with a loud shout and a thump. We were playing Hide-and-Seek and I was supposed to be counting. “Is everything alright?” I called out, running back into the living room. “Was that you, Kyoko-chan?” I only got a muffled groan and when I turn the corner, I realized why. There was Kyoko, all sprawled out on the floor with Ren kneeled down with a mightily concerned look on his face. Her face smushed against the ground. Her butt in the air. And her knees, by the look of it, were probably going to bruise. “Onee-chan?”

Ren looked up at me and shook his head. “I don’t think Mogami-san will be up for playing games any more tonight.” Then he turned his attention back to the girl on the ground. He reached out a hand and tousled her hair. “Mogami-sannn, are you okay?” There was a slight whine in his voice. My jaw dropped.

Kyoko groaned and tried to push herself up from the ground. She failed, collapsing once again to the plush carpet. Must not be so plush, though when you have your body slammed against it. “I’m okay!” She called out, voice muffled.

I chewed at my lower lip. I thought that maybe the spell wasn’t as good of an idea as I thought. After all, onee-sama ended up hurt. And it looked like it was bad. “Onee-sama?” My chest squeezed and I felt like I was little again, blaming myself for mother’s death.

“Maria-chan, can you go find someone to help?”

I didn’t need to be asked twice and bolted from the room, not even looking back. In fact, I went straight to the one person who would understand exactly what I did. And exactly why it needed to be done. Grandfather.

Sure, he told Ren and Kyoko that he was busy today. All day. Do no interrupt. But I know he’s just messing with Natsuko in the pool or something. That’s what he always does on his days off. That, or watch romance dramas for hours on end. So I burst into Grandfather’s office and let the doors fly open.

“Kyoko-chan got hurt!”

A half a dozen faces then turned to face me. All of them unfamiliar. All of them just as confused as I was. Apparently today was a day for Grandfather to actually get work done for a change. “I, umm.” I backed up, trying to think of a way to talk myself out of this one. I came up blank.

“Maria.”

Grandfather’s voice. I froze and turned in the direction of his voice. “Yessss?” I asked as sweetly as I could, swaying on my feet. As if I hadn’t just totally probably ruined some business thing that was in the works.

He studied me for a moment before nodding. “Perfect timing,” he concluded, rising from his seat. He motioned to the others then and they also rose. “Take us there.”

I looked at them with wide eyes. Take. Them. Them . This wasn’t part of the plan and I wasn’t exactly sure that these strange people were going to be any help in fixing the spell I cast on onee-sama. But whatever Grandfather asked me to do, I did. So this was no different.

I led the group of people in business suits and my grandfather, dressed in a more colorful, metallic variant of their suits to where I left Kyoko. And I prayed to all of the mystical figures that I could think of in that moment to make sure I didn’t just embarrass my older sister.

We reached the corridor where I left the almost-not-quite couple; I stop. Behind me I heard the strangers also halt, consequently running into each other. But they didn’t make a noise. None of us did. Because the sight in front of us was too good to disturb:

Ren had picked Kyoko up from her sprawl and cradled her into his arms. In the silence of the scene we could hear him murmur into her ear while he rubbed her back. Squeezed her closer to him. And Kyoko was nursing her wounds, rubbing absently at the angry red carpet burn on her palms and knees. She snuggled closer to him. Closed her eyes.

He kissed her hair.

Opened his eyes.

Saw us.

His eyes narrowed at me but instead of shouting and risking waking Kyoko, he simply jutted his head forward. It told us everything: Move .

And we did. Quickly. Ungracefully. We stumbled out of the room. I, with a stupid smile on my face.

Because I, Maria Takarada, had just successfully used my magic for the sake of the greater good.

Chapter Text

It was stupid of me to think that after all these years, she would be in the same place.

People change. I know I did.

But at the bottom of my heart, when the boss told me that this job would be filming on location in Kyoto, I could not help but wonder.... Could not help but hope ....

So when the director calls a halt to filming for the day because of some rain (it was something I personally think we could have worked through but I was not going to fight it) I found myself wandering through town. Nobody would recognize me because I was no longer Hizuri-san’s son. No--he’s hidden inside of me. Tsuruga Ren. That is me now. And I wander through town until I make it to the hotel I remember vividly from my younger years.

I just stand outside and look at the building from the outside. It still looks the same and yet I cannot find it in myself to see if the people are the same. It’s not like I can waltz right in and ask for Mogami Kyoko. I’m a stranger here.

“SHO-KUN, You left me at sc--ahh!”

A girl’s frantic shouts come to a screeching halt as she runs into my stopped figure and before I have a chance to realize what is happening, I pull the girl into my arms to stop her from falling. “Are you alright?” I finally manage to croak out.

She just blinks at me. Golden eyes. Certainly an uncommon trait? “N-No?” Yet as soon as the words are out of her mouth she shakes her head frantically. “No! I mean, I-I’m okay! I just...I wasn’t watching where I was running.” The girl wiggles out of my grasp and bows deeply, ignoring the fact that it’s still raining and her school uniform is soaked through. She must be freezing. “I’m very sorry.”

When she rights herself up and looks me in the eyes--I still cannot shake it. Her eyes look familiar. I must be looking strangely at her because she flinches under my gaze. “Di-Did I hurt you?” Her head tilts as she tries to asses my so-called injuries. “You can come inside and the Okami-san can fix you up good as ne--.”

“Yo, Kyoko.”

She flinches again and this time an unfamiliar look flickers in her golden eyes, turning them a deeper amber as she turns to the bored boy standing in the entryway of the building. He wears a matching male uniform for the same school. Impeccably dry.  “Tha-That’s because you took my umbrella and left me alone at school, Sho-kun.” A whisper of a whine tinges her words. “I had to walk home alone.”

It is then I realize who she is.

A girl with golden eyes and dark hair (though the latter is quite common). She has a boyfriend named Sho. And lives here. At the inn. The girl in front of me. She’s Kyoko-chan.

She’s actually here .

“Walking home in the rain or not, my mom has chores for you before the dinner rush.”

The girl--Kyoko, looks back at me helplessly. “A-Are okay, sir?”

Okay? I’m fantastic . I just found my childhood best friend and love. I want to break out into a smile and just pull her into my arms. But...I can’t, I remember suddenly. I am Tsuruga Ren . Not Hizuri Kuon. Not ‘Corn’. Not until I can make my name for myself and prove that I am not my father. So instead, I force myself to nod quickly. “I’m alright, go ahead,” I say carefully. “I don’t want to get you into any trouble.”

Kyoko looks relieved and nods quickly before turning back to the boy. Her ‘Sho-chan’. Her prince from ages ago. Seems like his princely image is getting to his head, especially considering that he let a young girl he supposedly loved walk home in the rain. Alone. Without an umbrella. But that isn’t any of my business.

So I turn back from the hotel. Back to being just Tsuruga Ren.

God .

I have to get used to this.

Chapter Text

“Have you lost your damn mind ?”

I shrink away from my senpai and look carefully down at my shoes. This is different from the usual times he’s mad at me--I can’t feel the vengeful hate waves drilling themselves in my direction. And I can’t sense the Demon King here like when Cain was around. Instead, it feels like a cold wave washes over me as his tall frame towers over me. “I-I’m sorry, Tsuruga-sannnn.”

And in that instance, the wave drops.

When I look up, Tsuruga’s face is twisted in pain. But only for a second. Guilt and shame seem to take up residence across his features. In a way that looks oddly familiar in a way that I just can’t place my finger on.

“I am so sorry, Mogami-san.”

Hmm ? My eyebrows pull together and I blink. Wasn’t I the one who was supposed to be apologizing? I was the one who messed up today. Tsuruga-san was just being protective and angry about my faults like he normally is. So what changed this time?

“Tsuruga-san?” No response. “Tsuruga-san, are you alright?” I carefully reach my hand out to reach for his arm but he gracefully moves just out of reach. Avoiding my touch. A pain swells in my chest. He never does this . What I did this time...I never realized that it could have so many repercussions. If I knew it was going to push my senpai away from me....

The best option for me, then, is to leave. Give him space. Fix today’s mess on my own. And maybe tomorrow I will be able to make amends and have him trust me again. But before I have the chance to turn and walk away, I feel a familiar pair of arms wrap their warmth around me. I am pulled flush against Tsuruga-san’s chest and I feel his lips on my hair and it takes everything in me not to go weak in the knees. I’m so close to him .

“Don’t scare me like that, Kyoko .”

Chapter Text

The roar of thunder drowns out my initial groan of frustration. And as it quiets down, I continue to stare at my partner-in-crime and senpai down in character , nonetheless. Setsu’s signature whine bubbles up from my throat as I try to hide my disbelief. “Ni-sannn, we’re in the middle of a thunderstorm--and you want to stop and feel the rain?”

Out of all the things Tsuruga-san has done as Cain, I have to say this takes the cake. Losing himself into his darkness is one thing. A thing I can understand and relate to. But stopping in the middle of a storm with arms wide open when we are supposed to be getting back to the hotel? I cannot and will not understand. The longer we stay out here, the bigger the possibility we have of Tsuruga getting sick. Which complicates the schedule of not only Cain Heel but the megastar himself. Not to mention the increasingly uncomfortable aftermath of tight-fitting leather becoming wet....

“ Doesn’t it feel like a cleansing ?”

He speaks the words in Japanese, a polar opposite to the English we usually speak to maintain our appearances. The tone, however, is not Cain nor Tsuruga-san or any other character I’ve had encounters with.

But he also doesn’t sound like the stranger weighted with sadness.

The voice is still a stranger to me and I cannot help but hope that this is my senpai trusting me with a little part of his true self. The man behind the mask of Tsuruga Ren.

So instead of allowing Setsu to continue her annoyance streak, I cool my previous frustration. Smile and drag my way through the rain until I’m at his side. I put an arm on his arm and am trying to come up with the words to convince him to come back with me to the hotel but before I even have the opportunity to open my mouth--he looks away from the sky and back down at me.

“You’re wet.” He blinks and his arms drop from their outward position to his side. And then there is a flicker in his eyes and I see the Tsuruga Ren I’ve been getting to know for the past year. And quickly enough, he reverts back to the Heel’s English: “Let’s get you home and dry.”

He offers me his arm, which I graciously accept with a relieved smile. We continue our saunter home, the rain letting up just a little bit and the thunder roaring in the distance.

Chapter Text

At first, it was really easy to lie about my feelings for Tsuruga-san.

Kinship and respect feel so much alike to love to the hardened heart. So I lied to myself to protect my own broken heart and I lied to everybody else to maintain this same front.

It was easy, still, when I accepted Tsuruga-san as a teacher as well as a friend. Nobody blinks an eye when adamant affection is translated and displayed as a close friendship (in hindsight-- some people blinked their eyes but goodness knows I was focused on a hundred million other things).

And then Cain and Setsu happened.

It became nearly impossible to hide my feelings. President Lory had me figured out and yet by the skin of my teeth, Tsuruga-san never put the same pieces together (but maybe that’s because he had his own demons to deal with).

So I just kept lying.

(To make it easier for Tsuruga-san.)

(Probably.)

I used this love to cultivate myself. Establish my very own Mogami Kyoko that nobody could take away from me. But whenever Tsuruga-san comes around--everything falls to hell. My cheeks go red and I stutter and I use every power of my being to try and act as we used to when we were on set together. And sometimes I think he’s getting a hint of my feelings--but he just keeps smiling and never leaves me.

Sometimes I think he’s going to say something to be about it. But he’ll stop himself and shake his head and maybe change the topic. He smiles, of course.  

And I get hopeful that maybe he’s lying about something, too.

(At the back of my mind, I know better than to hope.)

But one day I’ll stop with all my silly lies.

And I’ll tell the truth.

(Probably.)

Chapter Text

At first glance, he hoped it was photoshopped.

On second glance, he knew it wasn't.

There it was, clear as day: Sho Fuwa, number one bastard in Tokyo (at least, in his mind), leaning down and kissing Kyoko. On the mouth.

He looked up to the President. “I presume it was Ruto-san that took this picture for you.”

Lory said nothing.

“It's the same night, isn't it? The night Mogami-san’s mother had... That interview...” His heart pounds in his chest. Even though he was asking the questions--he didn't have to. He already knew. “That's what she was wearing when--”

“You know, things might be easier to answer if you finished your sentences.”

It's the same night, isn't it? The night Kyoko’s mother declared she had no children. That's what she was wearing when I found her that night. The night....

He remembered that night clearly. He remembered the haunted look on her face when she sat alone on the bench. It must have been shortly after the incident in the photo. He remembered that she hadn't told him anything about what had upset her.

He remembered clearly feeling so goddamned pleased with himself for being a distraction to her pain.

And he let himself be pleased because it seemed like he saved her that night.

Ren turned the photo over on the bar. Once again, he looked his boss in the eye. This time, he's looking for answers. “Why are you showing me this?”

Lory hummed to himself and crossed his legs carefully. “An exercise.”

“An exercise?”

“What do you see in this photograph?”

His hands tighten into fists. What does he see? He sees Sho kissing Kyoko. Taking advantage of Kyoko. Taking advantage of Kyoko in a time of despair. He sees a man taking advantage of a woman. Or maybe... A man trying his hardest to reach out to a woman he--

Nope. He wasn't going there.

Unsatisfied with the actor’s reaction, Lory shifts gears. “Okay, change of strategy. What do you feel looking at this photograph?”

Ren finches. “I-I feel...”

In his head his first instinct was to lie. It always is. But the boss knew him better than that. The last time he tried to lie how was through the president, Ren ended up in an acting slump with Katsuki. Last time he tried lying about his feelings to someone else, he ended up pinned to a bed by someone who should have never been beneath him to begin with.

So he started over.

He felt.... Betrayed? Kyoko promised him she would never allow herself to be tainted by Sho Fuwa advances again. Hurt? Kyoko didn't feel close enough to him to disclose this information to him later that night. Lost? He thought Kyoko felt something for him like he felt for her.

He felt....

Lory leaned over. “Ren, I think... The word you're looking for is jealous. This picture makes you jealous .”

Jealous? No that's not It. Ren’s fists were heavy in his lap. He wasn't jealous. Jealous was what happened when you don't trust your partner’s judgment or attachment to you. Jealous wasn't Ren Tsuruga--Jealous was Kuon, not understanding why Rick could figure out life but couldn't. Jealous was Cain Heel being overprotective of Setsu. Jealous was....

“I-I'm not jealous.”

“Yeah, that hesitation is the sound of a man totally sure of himself.”

Ren tried again. “I’m not... Jealous. This photo doesn't make me jealous .”

Lory nodded. “So you're not jealous of Sho Fuwa?”

“Why would I be J-jealous of Fuwa?” He couldn’t hide the shake in his voice. His acting wasn’t going to help him tonight. But then again, did he really expect it to? There was no reason for him to be jealous of Sho Fuwa. Not now, anyway.

“Jealous that he has Kyoko.”

He flinches. Lory had to do it; he had to hit Ren where it hurt.  “He doesn't have Kyoko. Nobody does,” Ren bites.

“But if he did?”

“If he did? Stop with the damn speculation. He doesn't. He won't. Kyoko wouldn't--” he stopped himself. He knew exactly how he would have finished that sentence: Kyoko wouldn’t betray me like that . Ever since he forced her to promise him that the incident with Sho would never happen again--he had been possessive. To a fault. For no reason, even. Because you’re not supposed to own a person like that.

You’re just supposed to love them.

Lory smiled, an unknown something glittering in his eye. He leans over the bar and flips the photo back over. “If Kyoko decided today that she was in love with Sho Fuwa and Show Fuwa was in love with Kyoko, would you be able to say in good faith: congratulations, I wish you well?”

Ren looked down, away from the prying eyes of the president. Instead, he found himself staring at the picture again. Was it really so bad to lie again even though he promised he wouldn’t? He let out a shaky breath. “Yes. Of course.” After all, wasn’t that what love was supposed to be? Selfless giving when all you wanted was to take? And have?

He hadn’t even had the chance to try and have.

And now this.

Silence hung in the air.

His vision blurred and once again, Ren reached across the bar. He turned the photo over once more. “No.” He swallowed everything he thought he knew of love. “No I wouldn’t.” Ren paused.

“That makes me a bad person, doesn't it?”

Lory smiled. “No, that's what makes you human. A human in love, too.” He leaned back against the bar and contemplated the haunted look on Kuon’s face. “So I’ll ask you once again: what does this picture make you feel?”

“I-... I th--” Ren stopped and straightened out, looking back up. “It makes me jealous.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

Ren let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. What was he going to do? When he told Ten to tell Lory that he was ready--ready to pursue Kyoko in a romantic manner...he didn’t have a plan. He still didn’t.

What he did know, is that he still had something he needed to do.

Something he’d been meaning to do since March.

“I need to go.”

Chapter Text

The faint sound of music woke him.

It stopped as the water shut off in the next room.

He pushed himself up and blinked the sleep from his eyes. The sun was barely rising but the bathroom light across the hall was bright and shining. When the door opened, steam glittered in the light. And there she was.

“Ehhh, did I wake you?” She whispered into the room, pulling her towel closer across her body. “Sorry-- Yashiro-san won’t be here for a couple hours. You can go back to sleep.”

But he shook his head, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. “Come here.”

She quirked a brow but said nothing as she wandered back into the bedroom. She hoisted herself onto the bed, careful to keep the towel tight around her body. “You know, I would hate to have to take another shower.”

He laughed, playing with the hem of the damp towel. “No, no. Not that. Not right now, at least.” He snickered at the last bit, but straightened his smile into a serious line. “I have something I wanted from you. If you let me, that is.”

“No, you can’t borrow my ring for an impromptu cleaning.”

“Kyokooo, I’m trying to be serious.”

Her grin sobered and she looked down at her husband curiously. “Yes?”

He took a deep breath, deciding to go for it. He had to know if his hunch was on mark. If that music he heard.... “I want to hear you sing.”

“Sing?” Her eyes narrowed. “What brought this on?”

Ignoring the question, he brought out his puppy-dog pout. “Pretty please?”

Sighing, she knew she couldn’t counter that face. It was her one weakness. So she rolled her eyes and leaned over. She wrapped an arm around his waist and settled her head against his bare chest. Her towel draped open slightly.

And then she continued the song where she left off in the steam-filled bathroom:

I let you fly-- Now you’re gone

While I might mourn

You’re better off on your own

When she was done, she opened her eyes to see her husband with his eyes closed in almost a blissful construction. A moment later, he opened his own eyes with a curious look in his gaze. She arches a brow. “Satisfied?”  

He hummed in agreement. “Also thinking of how much it’s gonna take me to convince Fuwa to do a collaboration of that song with you.”

She shrieked. “Kuooonnnnnn.”

Chapter Text

“Oh.”

I blinked. “Oh? That’s it? ” I don’t know what I was expecting as far as reactions go, but this definitely isn’t it. Maybe this isn’t as earth-shattering to the queen of over-reacting as I thought it would be. Perhaps that’s better for our...our friendship. However, I can’t help but keep her lack of reaction from stinging a little bit. “Mogami, I think--”

“It makes sense.”

It--It didn’t. It couldn’t .

She looked up at me, pink dusting her cheeks. “Since Guam, I think I’ve known. Unconsciously, at least. It makes sense .” There she goes, repeating that same impossible words. And I must be making an untoward face because she cringes into herself. “Not to say your news isn’t amazing! I mean, it is! I know a real fairy prince! You can’t comprehend how amazing it is to have your most shining childhood memory share the identity of the man that--”

She froze, almost instantly. The glittery aura surrounding her from the talk of fairies dulled to a pale shimmer. I don’t let my heart finish her words, no matter how tempting it would be to indulge myself for once. “The man that, what?”

But Kyoko morphs from pink to bright red, all the way to the tips of her ears.

So that’s the way it’s going to be. I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Maybe this wasn’t my best idea. I said I was going to start being truthful with Mogami-san because I thought that I was ready. How could I have been so stupid and forget to think if she’s rea?y. She is the originating LoveMe member, perhaps I just confused--

“I’m Bo!”

I tilted my head. “Bo?” Bo, Bo, Bo--my heart skipped a beat. “Bo the Chicken.” Faintly, I recognized the fact she nodded quietly, but at the same time, my mind was going in every different direction but Mogami’ face. “Oh.” If Mogami is Bo, then...then she would know...everything. And if she knew everything. That's why this was all lackluster. She knew I loved her and she knew that I've never been in love. This is... This is her soft-way of letting me down.

“I-I understand,” I said quietly. I turned away from the chestnut-haired girl. “I just--” If she was Bo, I had to have even the only one left in the dark about this. She must've been joking about her confessional rendezvous with Tsuruga Ren for months. “Just please take into consideration that my identity is sensitive information. I'm trusting you, Mogami-san.”

“I'm trusting you, too, Tsuruga-san!” Her eyes burned with a passionate fire, her face still tinged-pink despite the minutes that had passed. “You're the only one outside of Bridge Rock and Sawara-san that I've told! Oh, and Moko but she's been with me since day one of Bo. It's one of my biggest secrets.” Mogami smiled at me. “If you were willing to share such a pivotal part of yourself--I also need to be truthful about a part of myself. I trust you, Tsuruga-san. ”

Her words echoed in my mind and I didn’t have to confidence to try and tell her to use my given name. “You trust me?” All this time I thought she was

“Of course I do!” Kyoko shrugs. “I’m actually surprised you trust me so much--but then again when I was Bo I guess you didn’t realize you trusted me with so much.” She looked down to her toes. “I also promise not to tell anyone about the mystery girl you're in love with. Your confidence with Bo will not be a regret.”

She would promise not to tell anyone .... It hasn’t dawned on her yet. God, I-- I could walk away from this whole situation unscathed. On the other hand, that would be a direct contradiction of everything I promised myself. I have to tell Kyoko the truth. The whole truth . Step One: Tell Her I’m Kuon Hizuri; CHECK. Step Two: Tell her how I feel: IN PROGRESS. “I have one more truth to tell you, Kyoko ,” I murmured, careful to pronounce her first name with all the care and respect I could muster.

Kyoko’s brows crinkled in confusion just as expected. “Tsu-Tsuruga-san?”

I forced a smile. “You can call me Ren in private.” Her face paled and she swallowed what would have been her adamant rejection of such casualties with her senpai; her friend, however....

“Ren?” she whispered, unsure of the words in her mouth.

I could tell it was killing her to drop the honorifics. I almost wanted to retreat and tell her to call me Tsuruga again to avoid her pushing me away. But at the same time, all I wanted in the world is for her to look at me as more than just her teacher. Tonight’s that first step. I took a deep breath and pulled my shoulders back for a semblance of confidence. And before I could over think them, the words tumbled from my mouth:

“I’m in love with you.”

Chapter Text

Seeing President Lory Takarada around the LME building isn’t anything particularly unusual. When you’ve been in the industry long enough, you live to hear the rumors. The LME President is “eccentric” and “odd.” When you’ve been managing the LME talent for going on five years--you start to experience the rumors. So I thought I’d seen it all:

Arabian Nights Month complete with singing belly dancers? Check.

Two Weeks of Alligator Hunting (complete with screaming part-timers)? Check.

And who could forget the day he brought Natsu the Anaconda into the office (complete with some part-timers that actually quit)? Definitely, check. Check plus, even.

But seeing the president sitting outside the infamous LoveMe room wearing the descript clothes of an LME janitor was beyond suspicious. It bordered on scandalous.

“Uh, President Takarada?

“Shhh....”

I pause. Part of me knows that listening to him is the rational thing to do. He’s my boss. And yet at the same time... If he’s scheming...outside the LoveMe! Room... something is bound to be transpiring inside. So against my better judgment, I crouch next to President Takarada and wait. For what?

I could only imagine.

The dedication the President has put into a LoveMe! Is only paralleled by the amount of effort he has put into screwing with their personal lives. After all, the main point of the section is to allow the young talents rediscover the love that has, at some time left them. It actually seems that the newest member, Amiyama-san, seems to be making more progress than the originating members. So something tells me that whatever is going through President Takarada’s head right now does not involve that particular young actress. Even Kotonami-san is unlikely, considering the

It only left one option. Excitement built in my gut and a loud squeal from inside the room confirmed my suspicion. Inside is Kyoko. It’s been almost a year and a half since the LoveMe! Section was established and Kyoko proves time after time that she’s the most stubborn out of the group. And while I’m confident that my own client will finally come to his sense and help her, I’m far more interested in seeing Takarada’s plan. 

“You two look like you’re waiting to peek into a women’s restroom.”

The President and I wave our hands, synchronized. “Shhhh....”

Tsuruga Ren walks up behind us. I had forgotten that I was technically on my way to meet him. If there was an impending meeting, perhaps we would be in trouble for my distraction. However, it was the end of the day and all Ren and I had left was a planning meeting for tomorrow. Then home.   

And maybe, if it wasn’t President Takarada crouched next to me, Ren might be annoyed with me. Instead, he just had to deal with it. Around LME, Takarada’s antics border on law. “What are you two doing?” He pauses. “Was that Mogami-san that I heard screaming in there?”

The president’s lips curl into a smile. “Maybe.

Ren’s stature shifts and his aura changes. Suspicion morphs into outright panic. He steps around us and swings the door of the LoveMe! Room open. What I see inside made my jaw drop in complete and utter awe. Is that --

“Tsuruga-san, what have you done?” Kyoko’s voice screeches at an incredible volume the moment she lays eyes on Ren. But the door closes behind him, and I can only hear a murmur of his response. Probably denying that he had anything to do with the chaos in the Love Me! room.

“Were those....” My voice trails off and I’m left unsure of how to finish the question. There is no doubt about what was in the room. Flowers. As far as the eye could see. Flowers.

President Takarada nods, humming my confirmation.

I blink. “How many?”

He giggles (yes, giggles ). “As many as I could fit. Bought out two entire florist shops for the occasion.”

I nod, unsure how to process the information. In my head, another question still remains: Why ? But I don’t want to ask it. It’s almost more fun without knowing the situation or the plan. I instead stayed silent and waited.

And I didn’t have to wait long.

“I bought all the flowers and they were all signed ‘from your secret admirer.’ All of them. Except one.” He snorts. “There was one that was signed. I left that one in her locker. Bigger than the bouquet that Fuwa Sho brought her on Valentine’s day.”

I glance at him. Who told him ? But his eyes gleam with secrets. He has eyes everywhere. I should know that by now. Heck, it was probably Ogata-san. “And it was ‘signed’ by who?”

He just laughs and continues to stare at the door. I turn back to the door and remember the look on Kyoko’s face when she saw Ren. Her face was red and flushed and Ren knew absolutely nothing. I smile. That bouquet, the one in her locker, could have only been "signed" by one person.

Chapter Text

Tsuruga-san cursed under his breath as he rummaged through his bag. We had left the production building together, having run into each other on the way out. I was working on the finale for Box-R and I think Tsuruga was working on a commercial. Or at least, that’s what it sounded like Yashiro-san explained to me in a rush before he left back to the office. Ever since he started driving, it seemed that Yashiro-san was more likely to leave me and Tsuruga-san alone. More paperwork than he used to have. It bordered on suspicious but I never asked about it. “Is everything alright?”

“I--” He sighed and pulled his hand out of his bag, his fingers curled around something. I stared at his hand as his fingers unfurled to reveal his watch. The watch I had found while I was still playing Setsu. I knew why he cursed; the front face of the watch was shattered.

“Oh,” I said, reaching my hand out to the watch. At first, he had flinched, like he was going to recoil and pull away. Instead, he let my fingers rest on the shattered face. “This is an important watch.”

I didn’t phrase it as a question, but Tsuruga-san stared at my hand, nodding. “Yes. It belonged to an old friend.”

I nodded and pulled my hand away. My mind went to when the Dark Moon finale was filming. Specifically, when the chain on Princess Rosa broke and Tsuruga-san had his situation in the car. “A sign....”

Tsuruga-san flinched. “What?”

“It could have been a sign. Maybe from the person you got the watch from?” I shrugged. “But I’m superstitious, so it’s probably just--” I stopped. The atmosphere changed. His eyes gained a far-away quality that I couldn’t quite place it.

“Mogami-san, would you like a ride home?” His eyes didn’t quite meet mine when he asked.

“I, uh,” I stared at him. “Sure.” Maybe things would cheer up again in the car.  

But the whole ride to the restaurant was silent. An almost uncomfortable silence and I couldn’t help but wonder if I said something that made him angry or annoyed with me. However, the only thing we really talked about was his watch. Was it what I said? Guilt crept through my gut.

He stopped in front of the Darumaya and I pushed the passenger door open. Tsuruga’s eyes remained trained on the road. Didn’t even acknowledge that I was leaving. I turned before closing the door behind me and looked back. “Tsuruga-san?”

Nothing.

I tried again, trying to keep the emotions that were battling to bubble up at a low simmer. The last thing I needed was to get overly emotional. This wasn’t about me (technically). This was about the man in front of me. “Tsuruga-san, if I said something that upset you about your watch, I didn’t mean to. It’s just me being....fantastical again.”

He didn’t move. I sighed and started to close the door. Instead, I head Tsuruga-san call out. I froze. “Mogami-san, please don’t be worried.”

“Huh?” I didn’t trust my voice.

“I’m not mad. I just....” He sighed. “You said something that’s most likely very true. About my watch. I’ve been looking for a sign for a really long time.”

I blinked. “A sign?” Tsuruga-san didn’t seem like the one to be looking for signs. At the same time...my mind flashed to the omu-rice incident. Where he was using it as punishment. My lips pursed. Does the sign he’s looking for have anything to do with that?

Tsuruga-san nodded. “You’re right about my watch. It’s breaking is a sign.” He offered me a small smile. “I think I know what I need to do.”

“Oh?”

And he graced my presence with the most wonderful smile. One of his majestic, gentle smiles. “But I need your assistance in what I need to do.

“My assistance?” My heart raced at the thought. I remembered the first time I helped him...”Like Katuski help? Or omu-rice help?”

He tilted his head. “A little something different.”

I smiled, unable to stop myself. “Oh, really?”

Tsuruga nodded. “What time are you done with Box R on Saturday?”

Saturday? That was only three days away. Very straight to the point. I thought about it, tapping on my chin. Questions like this made me wish Yashiro was still acting as my manager. He said he would pop by when the movie started filming if Tsuruga’s schedule allowed it. Not to say I suddenly became incapable of remembering my schedule, but I was spoiled. “I think we’re done at 8?”

“I’m done with a shoot at 9. If you want to wait at your studio, I can pick you up?”

I thought about it. While it was almost an hour after we were scheduled to be done, there would still be watchful eyes that would gossip like bees if I got into a car with the Tsuruga Ren. I shook my head. Too embarrassing. “What station will you be at? I can just meet you there?”

He considered it for a moment. “I would prefer to pick you up but I’ll be at CBX if you wanted to meet me there.”

I smiled. “I’ll meet you there, don’t worry about it.”

“Saturday.”

“Saturday. Goodnight, Tsuruga-san.” I said cheerfully, glad to see him in better spirits.

As I closed my door, I heard his voice carry softly over to me. Goodnight, Kyoko-chan . But I hardly had time to react, instead, he drove away, leaving me in front of the restaurant, flustered.

Kyoko-chan ? When did he decide to call me that?

Saturday was going to be interesting....

Chapter Text

It was one of those rare days. We both managed to have an evening off, where we didn’t even have to think about work. Instead, you and I ended up curled up on the couch, watching whatever movies we ended up finding on television. Our fingers were intermingled as we settled in to watch a comedy that came out a few years back. Neither of us or anybody we knew well were in it, so it was a good choice to have in the background. I looked up to you, into your green eyes, deciding to bring up a conversation I’d been having with Kuu for the past few days. “I’ve been thinking.”

You looked down at me, curiosity in your eyes. “Oh?”

I nodded, biting my lip. It almost seemed silly to talk about...but it had been bothering me since I was introduced to it. “Kuu told me about something he learned about in America....”

“You know, I don’t think that it’s actually physically possible to consume--” You snorted, bringing up the last conversation I had with Kuu. He had told me that he was thinking about the likelihood that a man of his appetite and stature could compete in an eating contest against twenty other men. A televised event for charity, you and Julie quickly stopped that before he got carried away. Even President Takarada intervened, it was so absurd.

Annoyance bubbled up in my chest as I cut you off. “ No , I’m not thinking about that. Something else. Something real.”

“Oh, this is gonna be good. What did he tell you now?” You were still in playful mode. Something I didn’t appreciate when I was trying to be so serious. And there you were trying to make it all a joke.

My cheeks puffed out. “ Kuon .”

“Yes?”

“If you keep this up, I’m not going to tell you.”

You smiled in amusement but didn’t say another word, instead, you just continued to play with my fingertips. I relaxed; it was safe to continue. “Kuu was telling about the Butterfly Effect” I looked at you, who suddenly turned your eyes away from me. “What’s that look on your face? Are you making fun of me?”

You shook your head. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Normally, I would take the opportunity to elaborate on all the times you, in fact, did dare to make fun of me. But the look on your face told me that this wasn’t the time to bring up the things you did when you met me as Tsuruga Ren. “Have you heard about it?”

“Of course, I grew up in America.”

I didn’t know exactly what America had to do with it; Kuu told me it was scientific and a lot of people didn’t believe it. “So the theory is that one small thing will have an avalanche effect on something that seems unrelated.” My words felt like cotton in my mouth. It was a conflicting thought. The idea that the smallest things have huge effects on other things makes me think about all the small details that led to my being here, right now, with you.  “I was thinking...if you and I never met when we were children and...if Shotaro never broke my heart...if I never made it to LME...or even if I never dropped Corn and you found it and realized who I was...if we would be....”

“ Kyoko .”

My cheeks flushed as you pulled your fingers away from my hand and instead brushed them across my cheeks. There was something in your eyes that reminded me of the night you confessed everything and told me the truth. Passionate with a hint of something else that I couldn’t identify, even after a year of thinking of it. “Yes?”

“If none of the things that led to us happened, I would still crawl over broken glass to make it to you and be with you.” Your eyes shone as you continued, and butterflies fluttered in my tummy. “If we were complete strangers, I would still be waiting for the day we met so I could sweep you off your feet.”

“Truthfully?” I almost didn’t trust my voice. Your words sounded too good and too fantastical to possibly be a reality. I must be dreaming.

You smiled, pulling me closer until I could feel your breath on my cheek. “Even after we die, I will find you in every other life.” And you sealed the truth with a kiss. One on my cheek dissolved into a trail of butterfly kisses across my face until you reached my lips. “It isn’t chance of some butterfly flapping its wings that we’re together, Kyoko. It’s fate.”

I giggled and leaned into your lips, fluttering my lashes closed. Fate? I liked the sound of that.

Chapter Text

The first memory I had of Kyoko was of her tears.

I don’t know if it’s a regrettable situation or simply a melancholy memory. On one hand, I know that her tears were because of another boy. Sho Fuwa was causing problems even then. But she soon began to smile with me and that was what I preferred to remember of our childhood years.

When I met her once again as Tsuruga Ren, I worked so carefully not to upset her in a way to make her cry. I didn’t want to be like Sho Fuwa, scarring her heart--causing more damage to her ability to love. But Fuwa did not adopt such a doctrine as the two of them grew older together. Instead, making her cry almost became a game to him. And maybe it isn’t always intentional, she’s been in tears more times in the past month than I remember her crying ever since she started in the LoveMe! Department.

Now, as she cries in my arms, once again because of Fuwa’s stupid emotional manipulation, I can’t help but wonder if my fate is to fix all the breaks the musician makes in this precious girl. It started with the publication of those paparazzi photos President Takarada showed me. Everything went downhill from there.

Death threats were the beginning of the end. Not from Fuwa, but from his fans. I learned then that teenage girls were just as vicious as Kyoko and her friends portray them on Box R.

Then came the interviews Fuwa did where he made a formal statement saying that he would never date someone as stupid and plain as Kyoko. She wasn’t bothered until tabloids began to insult her looks, chalking her beauty up to expert makeup work.

And then, the cherry on top. The reason she was here tonight, finding her way to my apartment at the unholy hour of two in the morning. She was fired from A Lotus in the Mud , from her role as Momiji because the director was unsatisfied with the “controversy” that surrounded Kyoko.

So, Sho Fuwa, wherever you are, this is my promise to the universe:

If Kyoko cries because of you one more time, I’ll personally wring your neck.

You’ll spin it to the tabloids that I did it out of jealousy of your career or because you ‘caught’ Kyoko first. But I’ll make it clear. This isn’t jealousy. I have everything I want and I have everything that you want. I blame this all on you, Fuwa.

This isn’t jealousy.

It’s pure, unfiltered hatred.

Chapter Text

He didn’t really know what prompted to do so, but he ended up calling her after Yashiro-san’s text. Actually, no. He knew why. Make sure she’s okay. After all, the last time they spoke--she was facing her family dilemma. And more importantly/selfishly, he wanted to hear her voice and he wanted to talk to her.

The phone only rang once before her voice filled the earpiece.

“This is Mogami!”

He hesitated answering. Her voice didn’t carry its normal, cheerful music. Instead, she almost seemed...depressed? Maybe not the right word. But it certainly wasn’t the voice of someone who just won a major acting role in a feature film. “This is Tsuruga.”

“Is something wrong? Is there something you needed to tell me?” Her mind darted to the worst. Something was wrong. They needed more Cain reshoots. The president did something stupid. Or worse.... Her mind flickered to the fuzzy memory of Sho the night her mother said that thing . Could he possibly know ?

Ren didn’t like the sound of Kyoko’s voice. It was almost accusatory. Like she expected something to be wrong. “Can’t someone call their friend for the sake of calling?”

Kyoko hesitated, considering. “Yes.” She continued. “But you would never call me for no reason, not when you’re as busy as you are.” And while she did consider the two of them to be friends, she also knows that historically, Tsuruga-san has never called her for the sake of being social. Business only. Just like their friendship. She bit her lip.

Ouch . He flinched. “Ah, yes, well, Yashiro told me that you had gotten the part of Momiji and I wanted to congratulate you.”

“Yeah.”

Well, that was a little less than enthusiastic. “Are you not excited, Mogami-san?”

It was then that she realized her mistake. Immediately, she began to attempt to retcon the situation. “Oh...yes! Of course I am! It’s a role in a movie, not just a drama.” She paused, trying to maintain a cheerful front. “Why wouldn’t I be excited?

He knew something was wrong. “Mogami-san, I think you’re hiding something.”

She tensed, gripping her phone tightly in her hand. “Why--Why would you say that?”

“Mogami....”

“I, uh, think you need to talk to Yashiro-san first.” She panicked, blurting out words before she could really think about it. In front of her, Yashiro arched a brow, looking through the rear-view mirror at Kyoko, silently inviting her to ask the question.

Before Ren could respond, Kyoko took her face from the phone. She was talking to someone else. He could hear Yashiro’s voice mumbling something to Kyoko but the voice was too far away for him to discern the words. That’s strange , he thought , isn’t he sitting next to Kyoko? After all, neither of them drove, so he would have expected them to be in the back of a company car together.  “I’m talking to Yashiro-san in an hour, but I would prefer to hear it from you.”

Ren heard Yashiro’s voice stop talking and Kyoko paused to mull over what was said. Maybe he was in the front seat....but then again, he would be more likely to offer Kyoko that spot. He shelved the confusion for future thinking when he heard her take a deep breath before speaking.

“Yashiro-san said that I could tell you,” she said.

Silence followed. Neither of them spoke. Ren, because he didn’t know what to ask. And Kyoko, because she didn’t know how to say it.  

“What’s wrong, Mogami-san?”

“I...um...when I auditioned for Momiji, Moko-san and I promised that we would work together and she would also get the role of Chidori. Today, it was finalized. I got Momiji but she didn’t...she didn't get Chidori.”

“Okay.

“But she was instead offered the leading role in another project that the producer is working on.” Kyoko’s chest tightened with anticipation. She couldn’t believe what was happening. It seemed to like a TV drama or anime to be happening to her in real life.  

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Then again, that was Kyoko for you. She worried over the tiniest of things that, in the long run, were much smaller than she had thought they were. Kyoko has a big heart that cared about many things.  

Kyoko deflated. Now she just seemed like a jealous friend, which was not at all what she intended. “I mean...yes...but....”

“But?” He prompted her. If he wasn’t careful, this could take all night.

“It’s the project she’s working on,” she said finally.  

Dread filled him. There’s only one person that could be involved with the project that would make her react like this. “Are you allowed to talk about the project?”

“Technically, no.”

He gritted his teeth together. That picture that the president showed him, it was the beginning of the end, wasn’t it? “It it Fuwa?”

“What? No! That boy could never be in a prestigious project that involves Moko-san!”

That boy ? His lips curved into a half-smile as he relaxed. Well that was progress he didn’t realize she had gone through. “So everything is going to be alright. I know you wanted to work with your friend, but--”

“Shesworonyounecaeelprojtoppahu!”

Ren’s eyebrows crushed together. Normally, he’s rather capable in the art of translating her seemingly senseless babble. And maybe it’s all the travel getting to him, but he had no idea what she just blurted out. “Repeat, slower please”

Kyoko took in a deep breath. Of course she said it too fast the first time around but did she really have to repeat it? It was going to speak it into existence and cement her fate as the Worst best friend on the planet. “Moko-san is playing the lead. In movie that the director is currently in discussion with LME to borrow one of the actors they have contact with.”

That one stumped Ren. She didn’t say that LME represented the actor, but then why would the director be in cohorts with LME otherwise? “What actor?”

She swallowed, not wanting to say it. This was not the plan as far as President Takarada had intended. But it seemed that the set had leaks and now they were in trouble. “They want Cain Heel.”  

His gut dropped as he processed what Kyoko just said. Certainly, that can’t be right? “Oh.”

Her voice raised about an octave. “What do you mean, ‘oh?’”

“‘Oh,’ as in, I don’t really understand what you’re saying. Cain Heel....are you sure?”

“I’m sure!” Kyoko cried loudly. “Moko-san told me that she was letting me in on a secret about en English actor that was doing movies right now and I had to promise that I wouldn’t tell anybody! But it’s! It’s you!” She sighed miserably. “I had to tell you. Yashiro was surprised because the President said the movie wasn’t going to made without Cain and now that means that there’s been some development that the President has been somehow able to clear your schedule.”

He stayed quiet. There was an obvious mole on the set and he wondered who it was. But at the same time, it’s surprising that he hadn’t even heard of the possibility of the film from Yashiro-san. Perhaps he was distracted with Kyoko’s Momiji audition but an acting job for a very secret alter-ego seems to him like something that should have been brought up sometime before its actual confirmation.

“And that’s not the worst part!”

Ren’s throat strained as he choked out a response. “It’s not?”

Kyoko sniffled. “Moko-san could trust me with something so big so that’s why she told me. But now I feel bad because I couldn’t trust her with the Setsu secret. She’s going to hate me when she finds ouuuuut.”

He relaxed because the ‘worst part’ wasn’t as bad as he anticipated and didn’t involve his impending doom. Immediately, he felt guilty. This was Kyoko’s stress and there he was, making light of the situation. “How is she going to find out, Mogami-san?”

“Because she’s going to realize it’s me as soon as she sees Setsu on set.” Her voice wobbled and she sounded close to tears. “Moko-san is super smart, I can’t outact her. And if she knows it's me, it’s only a matter of time before she realizes who you are and then everything will be ruined!”

“Mogami, we could always hire another actress if you think she’ll discover the truth.”

“No!” She blurted it out without really thinking it through. Yashiro glanced at her through the rear-view mirror, but remained silent as he pulled up to the front of the restaurant. Kyoko thought about another actress playing Setsu and being close to Tsuruga-san and she was filled with a fit of flaming jealousy and she hated the feeling.

Ren was surprised to hear such a vehement rejection from the young girl. “No?” He let himself

Play with the thought that Kyoko could possibly be jealous. But the more likely situation was that it was just her Setsu-spirit joining the conversation with her usual possessiveness of Cain.

Kyoko stumbled over an excuse, trying to gain control over her feelings. She couldn’t tell him the truth, but it was hard to come up with a lie. Butterfly nerves turned into hornets. “It’s just that it would be so unprofessional....” The excuse was weak and she knew it.

“You can always just say you want to see more of me,” he joked. But he wasn’t truthfully joking. Just hoping.

Her breath caught in her throat. “You’re teasing me!”

He deflated. “Of course.” In reality, he was being deadly serious but he supposed Kyoko wasn't exactly in the mindset to accept subtle flirting. Would she ever? The thought worried him. “Relax, Mogami-san, Kotonami-san will never suspect.”

Kyoko felt herself bristle in her car seat. She, however, didn’t let her emotions get the best of her. Especially not in front of Yashiro-san, who was currently sneaking sly glances at her through the rear-view mirror. To some degree, she had to admit that she was jealous. But it wasn’t like President Takarada would give Setsu to another actress. Who else could fulfil the role as well as play manager and speak English? It was already a miracle that she was qualified to be trusted with Tsuruga’s secret. In this moment, though, she felt vulnerable. She was either going to ruin the Heel roles along with her friendship with Moko or....ruin her friendship with Tsuruga-san. Or all of the above.

“Mogami-san?”

“Huh?”

Ren sighed. “I’m just trying to see if you were still here with me or if you were lost in your thoughts.”

Kyoko didn’t have a response. Instead, she kept the phone pressed to her ear and kept her eyes trained ahead of her. She still didn’t notice that they were in front of the Darumaya. Instead, she was just imagining how mad Moko was going to be when she discovered the truth. The whole act would be ruined before it had the chance to continue.

“I’m sorry, Mogami-san, for teasing you.”

She nearly jumped up out of her seat at the sound of his words. Tsuruga Ren? Apologize to her ? After all, it was her that was about to mess everything up. “Excuse me? You don’t need to apologize, Tsuruga-san!”

He sighed; she was getting worked up again. “Of course I do”

“No--”

“Mogami-san, I upset you. So I’m apologizing.” He cut her off before she could start babbling about how she didn’t deserve an apology because she was messing things up. She hadn’t even done anything, he thought, and her anxiety is going through the roof.

She dwelled on those words, turning them over and over in her head. And she probably could have stayed there forever if it wasn’t for Yashiro. He finally gave up on the prospect that Kyoko might realize they were stopped in front of her home on her own so he cleared his throat. Loudly. She flinched, tearing herself from her thoughts and Ren’s words, and realized where she was. “Oh.”

That bordered on anticlimactic, Ren thought to himself. “Oh?”

It took her a moment to realize what she had done and attempted to adjust her tone. “Oh!”

“Mogami-san, are you alright?”

“Yeah. We pulled up to the Darumaya. I just noticed.”

“Ah.”

She smiled to herself and Yashiro watched slyly from the mirror. “Yeah.”

“Then I’ll let you go.” He hesitated briefly. “Goodnight, Mogami-san.”

“Goodnight, Tsuruga-san.” Kyoko said the words brightly as she opened the car door and pushed herself up and out. She was happy the conversation was over. Now she could regroup her thoughts and try and come at this reasonably. Hopefully.

Ren spoke quickly, trying to make sure he caught her before she hung up. “Mogami?”

“Yeah?” She hesitated as she was closing the door. Yashiro-san tried very hard to pretend not to be eavesdropping, but she never even noticed.

He was quiet for a second before speaking again. “Please know you can trust me. If you’re despairing again, you can talk to me.”

And she slammed the door, turning away from Yashiro’s gaze. She smiled softly, glad that Tsuruga wouldn’t be able to see her and glad that his manager would be unable to spill her truth. This smile was hers to keep secret. “Of course.” And she hit the ‘end’ button, avoiding another farewell. “Thank you, Yashiro-san! For all your work!” She called out over her shoulder with a wave. She couldn't face him now and he didn’t force her to.

“Anytime, Kyoko-chan,” he called from the driver’s window. And he drove off, allowing her a taste of privacy before going into her home.

Kyoko hated to admit it, but she knew the real reason she had been filled with dread when she heard the news about Moko working with Cain Heel. The Tsuruga-acting curse of his female co-stars falling for him extended beyond Tsuruga Ren. Kyoko herself fell victim but at this point, it was a lost cause.

Manaka proved that this curse still existed when Ren was under the guise of another. Nobody should have reasonably fallen for Cain, and then Manaka happened. And Kyoko knew that it was risky to have Moko act alongside Tsuruga-san in any circumstances, even up against Cain Heel. Kyoko shuddered at the thought.

Because if Moko fell for Tsuruga--what chance did Kyoko have herself against her best friend?

Chapter Text

“Mogami-san, I think it would be a good idea for you to breathe.”

Several stagehands passed by, surprised to witness my body morph into a statue. After the formal instructions of how the shoot would run, we had broken for lunch. Ordinarily, we would have had a straight run but I the director had an emergency meeting regarding another shoot that he needed to attend to.

Which was good for me, considering I’ve managed to forget how to breathe.

I’d been frozen in place since the director (or, I guess, he would be the photographer? I still didn’t quite understand how this modeling stuff worked) brought out the clothing for the shoot. Every time I blinked, I could see the blindingly white gown that was presented to me. It was gorgeous. It was also something I never thought I’d wear in my entire life: a western-style wedding gown. Even with my foolish aspirations of being Shotaro’s bride, I always imagined a more traditional wedding complete with a kimono. And still—I was supposed to put on that dress for this shoot. It was a princess dress, suited for someone far more beautiful than I was.

So again, I couldn’t breathe.

How could I possibly have ended up in a situation like this?

Tsuruga-san attempted to shake me from my daze, but it was no use. I couldn’t bring myself to move, either. It was all too overwhelming. Signing, he pulled on my arm and dragged me from the watchful eyes of the editorial assistants. We ended up in a vacant hallway just off from the main studio that was transformed into the interior of a beautiful church.  

Releasing my arm, a few moments passed. Away from the overwhelming atmosphere of the make-believe church, feeling returned to my limbs. I could breathe. “Thank you, Tsuruga-san,” I whispered. But I didn’t say anything more.

He sighed at my refusal to elaborate. Tsuruga inched closer to me and my breath hitched again. His hands grasped my shoulders as he crouched to meet my eyes. Worry circled in his eyes and I inwardly cursed. He was so close. “What’s wrong, Mogami-san?”

“It’s—It’s a wedding shoot,” I managed to squeak. My face burned as I stared up at Tsuruga-san. A wedding advertisement! With him ! At this moment, I wanted to kill Yashiro-san for not properly warning me of the situation. I could have prepared my heart for this. I’m decidedly not prepared; I didn’t know if my heart could survive this shoot.

Sighing, his brows furrowed together as he stared at me. “Did you not know what this was when you agreed to take the job?”

“Of— of course I did!” I cried. My unnaturally high-pitched voice betrayed my lie. “Kind of.” He looked at me and there was an intensity that made me avert my eyes. As usual, he could see right through me. “Okay, no I didn’t. I just knew—” I stopped myself before I made a fool of myself.

Tsuruga-san was unimpressed. He stood up straight, taking a step back from me as he folded his arms across his chest.  “Just knew . . . what?”

I just knew Yashiro-san promised me that I would be working with Tsuruga-san. Outside of that fact, I knew it was a modeling job and that was it. But I couldn’t say that. I would look completely irresponsible (and lovesick, and that would simply not do). I shook my head. “Nothing.”

He knew I was hiding something but didn’t push it. Instead, he sighed and brushed his bangs back with his hand. “Now, we don’t have time to create a model persona for you . . . .”

I bit my lip. “A model persona?”

Tsuruga-san nodded. “Like when you develop your acting roles . . . you make a new persona for yourself. Ordinarily, I would suggest that you would have created a person you could use strictly when you take on modeling jobs. Seeing as you weren’t aware of . . . the whole situation . . . of this shoot, you don’t have time to create the new persona you would create on the chance you decide after this to continue modeling.

“Oh.”

Listening to him say that, it made a lot of sense. Especially since I didn’t suppose that the Tsuruga persona that did his modeling was the same one that’s talking to me. Ugh . I couldn’t believe I was so stupid! I was completely unprepared and I couldn’t even blame Yashiro-san! It was my own fault!

Luckily for me, he didn’t notice my inner turmoil. Instead, he continued as if nothing was wrong. “I would suggest Natsu, seeing as you created her around the idea of a glamourous model.”

My cheeks puffed out. “Naa-chan doesn’t seem like the girl to go ahead and get married.”

He stared blankly at me. But as he continued to look at me, his lips curled up into a smile. He coughed out a small laugh and shook his head. “So not Natsu . . . .” Tsuruga-san paused, leaning back against a wall. “Why not try me?”

My breath caught in my throat. “Y—You?”

“You modeled Natsu off the model training . . . and your model training was based on me acting as a female model. So why not just use that for the time being?”

I blinked. He wants me to . . . play . . . him? I mean, it’s playing him pretending to be a woman. But—it’s Tsuruga-san! “I can’t do that! It’s—”

Tsuruga-san arched a brow. “A way to survive the shoot until you can create your own persona?”

I looked down to my shoes. What he’s suggesting is very tricky . . . it could go very poorly. And if it all goes to hell? It’s wholly my responsibility. “I don’t want to kick dirt on your name if I mess up.”

“So don’t mess up.” I flinched, flicking my head up to meet his eyes. His face was set with obvious determination. He trusted me far too much. “Mogami-san, I hereby give you permission to borrow my female model persona for this shoot.”

My chest clenched as I stared at my senpai. This could go one of two ways:

1. I decline his offer and act as regular-Kyoko through the whole shoot. As soon as I put the dress on and look at Tsuruga-san in that tuxedo, I erupt into a stupid grin and make my feelings for him super obvious. I ruin the shoot because I’m incapable of being professional and lovestruck all at the same time. From past experience, I know it’s near-impossible to keep my actual emotions hidden without creating a character first (Evidence: the mess that was Shotaro’s PV before I created my character).
2. I accept his offer and act as he taught me all those months ago the night we cultivated Natsu. I’ll put on the dress and I’ll be professional and I’ll be able to hold myself without dissolving into a puddle of mush. While I may not be as refined as Tsuruga-san’s own modeling persona, I would be able to remain calm enough to school my face and look into his eyes while we act out the directed wedding scene. It might take a few takes, but we will make it through today without my feelings for Tsuruga-san being revealed.

I had to go with the latter. It was the only viable option.

So it was settled. I would take on the persona Tsuruga-san has so graciously allowed me. I held out my hand, taking a deep breath, and stuck my pinky out. It was a childish motion, but at this moment, it felt exactly right. Tsuruga-san blinked before recognizing what I wanted. He held his hand up with a smile and curled his pinky around my own.

“You won’t regret this,” I promised.

He smiled one of his beautiful, gentle, real smiles. “Of course not.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I trust you, Mogami-san.”

Chapter Text

I recognized my mistake as soon as I ducked in the Darumaya. Three things were wrong with this picture:

1. The Taisho was giving me a dirty look.
2. Sho Fuwa was here, sitting at the bar and also indulging in some sort of breakfast.
3. The Taisho was not giving Sho a dirty look. In fact, he seemed rather pleased with the musician.

I shouldn't have attempted chivalry just stayed in the car as Yashiro asked. It's obvious that I'm interrupting on something intimate. The president was right. Except, I think, by the time he told me it was already too late. Has Kyoko been with him since that night she cried about her mother? Here I was, like an idiot, hoping for some privacy before a long day. Stupid.

I turned back to the door and attempted to duck back out to the car. However, it seemed the Okami had different plans in mind. She called after me as she came out from behind the counter. “Ah, Tsuruga-San! Are you here for Kyoko-chan?”

Her words piqued the attention of the two I really didn't want to draw attention from. I focused on the small woman's eager expression and offered a weak smile in return. “Yes, I'm here with Yashiro-san to escort Mogami-san to her table read.”

It wasn’t in my best interest with this audience to explain I didn’t actually need to be here this early. Okami-san might’ve appreciated the sentiment.  Taisho-san and Sho? Probably not.

“Oh, a big hot shot actor like you fell into obscurity and now you have to stoop as low as assisting actors like Kyoko?” Sho crowed, puffing his chest out. “Let me tell you, if all your faux niceties are getting too tiring, maybe you should give the rest of us a fighting chance and just retire. Let the young people with energy take over,” he said.

I didn't bother reacting to his question. There was no use to point out that I was just over three years older than him. Instead, I continued to focus on the Okami. “If it's alright with you, can you let her know that Yashiro-san and I will be waiting in the car? I'll be out of your way.” This way I don't have to witness whatever couple's rituals Kyoko and Sho enact in. I'm suddenly glad I stayed in the car yesterday morning.

She blinked, tilting her head. “Are you sure? You're welcome to wait here! My husband could make you something for breakfast?”

The Taisho grunted and I could only assume he disagreed with his wife's idea. I shook my head and smiled politely. “I wouldn't dare impede on all of yo–”

“What, you don't want to sit? Talk?” Sho called over, rice falling from his mouth as he spoke. He grinned impishly. He was mocking me. I wouldn’t allow myself to react. “We could even talk about your new girlfriend if that's more comfortable for you.”

“Tsu–Tsuruga-san’s...girlfriend?”

My shock from Sho's accusation is worsened by Kyoko's voice as she appears at the bottom of the staircase leading to the restaurants living quarters. The look in her face was a cross between shock and... Sadness? It couldn't be. “I–”

Her face remained unreadable. “I'm happy for you and Morizumi-San for going public.” She bows deeply in congratulations.

Morizumi-San? As in Morizumi Kimiko ? Why on Earth–

Sho broke the awkward silence with a laugh. “Who's that? I'm talking about....” He turned down to his phone and started furiously typing. Already, I didn't like whatever he was going to say. “Kana something-rather. Super hot magazine model.”

“Kana-San?” I asked weakly. That name could only mean one thing. Someone had managed to sneak a photo when she managed to pull me in for a kiss. I’ve never been one for paparazzi scandal and here I am, being wrapped into one against my will.

Kyoko studied the image he showed her and frowned. “An insincere playboy,” she muttered sadly. But she refused to look at me. “You're going to break your beloved’s heart.” She directed her words to the phone.

“I'm not dating anybody, Mogami-san.” I insisted. “Not publicly. Not even privately. Not since before Ring Doh.” I looked to Kyoko, hoping she would understand the underlying meaning behind my declaration: I hadn't dated since I met her .

Sure, it wasn't love at first sight. We hated each other. But even before I fell for the most hopeless cause on the planet (hopeless as in, hopeless she'll ever reciprocate), it was hard to focus on women when my main goal was to watch Love Me #1 fail

I continued at Kyoko's continued silence. She stared at some wall behind me. Everybody else stared at me but I tried so hard to ignore the attention. “I haven't talked to Morizumi-San since we wrapped Purple Down II. I didn't even know she was back in Japan; as far as I’m aware, she's been in the US since then.” I took a deep breath. “And Kana-San? I haven't seen her in almost a year. She invited herself to sit with Kijima-san and I when we were drinking the other night. That picture?” I motioned to Sho’s phone. “She forced herself on me when I attempted to pay.”

The restaurant remained quiet as I finished talking. I held my breath, waiting for a reaction. Any reaction. Even nonsense from the peanut gallery would be acceptable. Except Sho just looked at me with pitiful amusement. “Mogami--”

She broke the silence, interrupting me. “You know for such a wonderful actor, you're a terrible liar.” When Kyoko turned to speak at me, her eyes were empty, ice cold. “Morizumi-San told me all about your relationship. The promise ring. And you can't even bother to admit the truth when it's important.”

She spat the last part at me and stormed past, hiking her bag up her shoulder. It hit me as she brushed past me and out the door. The door slammed and I had to pause and think about what exactly she meant. ‘ And you can’t even bother to admit the truth when it’s important .” What did Kyoko think she knew?

“Oh, look you've made her mad.” Sho drawled, interrupting my thoughts. “You know, she takes love very seriously. Even when it's not her own.

Oh, really? I wanted to snap. And whose fault is that ? I kept my voice as steady as possible as I continued to stare at the entrance. “Yeah, I remember. I believe that started when you dumped her to the curb like a used tissue.” I turned to him and narrowed my eyes. “Why she took back a sleaze like you is beyond me.”

“What was that about a used tissue?” The Taisho’s voice was dangerously low, speaking up for the first time. Shivers ran down my spine.

“It’s not my fault she thought I was her prince!” Sho protested. He completely ignored the deadly air that filled the Darumaya. Which is probably the worst mistake he’s made all morning. “She was sixteen and thought we were going to get married!”

Realization dawned and the Okami's normally friendly face morphed to stone. “Are you the boy that made poor Kyoko work two jobs in order to afford that fancy apartment?

Sho didn’t know how to answer; served him right.

I need to get out of here .

Once again, I felt like I was invading a private situation. This time I would actually leave. Everything that could go wrong already had, so what do I have to lose? “I’m... I’m sorry for interrupting you all this morning. I need...I need to get to work.” The lie came easy to me, despite the truth that I didn’t have any work engagements until noon. See, Mogami-san? I’m an excellent liar. Though I supposed now was not the time to point it out. It would only make her angrier.

The Okami looked up at my farewell and waved sadly, restraining her husband’s increasingly hostile behavior. I have half a mind to feel sorry for the singer, except he’s the one who started this mess so I only feel satisfaction. As I duck out from the restaurant, Yashiro’s car was gone. My phone chimed, notifying me of a voicemail. Funny, I didn't even hear it ring in all this chaos.

Ren, sorry to leave you but Kyoko said you called in for a ride from the office? I know you wanted to discuss... that thing. I'll let you know when I can make my way back to the office. Text me.

Wonderful.

At least he had the sense to keep my real motives on coming with them under wraps. The wrapped box in my jacket pocket felt like the weight of the world.

Reluctantly, I backed out from my inbox and dialed the office. Might as well accept Kyoko's out and pass time there while I wait for the fire to die down. And maybe what to figure out what to do with this White Day gift.

Chapter Text

“You should tell me what you’re thinking; I know you’re mad,” I say finally, as Yashiro pulls away from the restaurant. Trying to navigate around the Okami about Tsuruga-san’s expression and my despair wasn't ideal but I almost wish I remained home instead of ducking into the chilly car. 

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” His voice is eerily calm. I hate it

I pull my shoulders back and stare at him, even though he won’t reciprocate the action. “You’re mad about Sho.” Again . But I didn’t vocalize that last part. I still didn’t quite understand why Tsuruga-san seems to hate Sho even more than I did.

“Who you spend your nights with is none of my concern, Mogami-san.”

I flinch. Is this what he really thinks?   “He didn’t stay over!

Tsuruga-san remains nonchalant, keeping his attention on whatever was outside the window. “After Fuwa trifled with your heart and kicked you to the curb, who knew that the reciprocation of your previous affection was all he needed for you to come back to him with open arms?”

“How--How dare you?” I can’t believe it. Tsuruga-san has been mean to me, yes. But I can’t remember him ever being this cruel.

He shrugs, a stupid movement that’s unlike his typical persona and it makes anger boil in my blood. I could feel, for the first time in forever, my grudges perk up.  

I push them down and force myself to mirror Tsuruga’s posture, slumping myself as I watch the world pass by through the speed of the car’s window. People on the sidewalks are smiling and I can’t help myself but feel completely and unabashedly jealous of their happiness. They didn’t have to deal with inconsolable men, it seems like.

Their smiling faces plague me until we roll up to the curbside nearest to where I need to be. I knew this wasn’t what Yashiro had planned; he was supposed to stay with me until Lunch to pick up Tsuruga-san. I wonder how the day would have gone if Tsuruga wasn’t here this morning....

I look to Yashiro in the rearview mirror, who looks torn between silence and his job. I suppose it doesn’t matter. I have work to get to and if I’m not careful, I’ll run late. And that’s the last thing I want.

This conversation is over before it even began.

“Thank you for the ride, Yashiro-san,” I call up to the front, pulling my bag from the ground and into my lap. I pull a bag from my purse and leave it on the seat I vacate. The lunches I had Taisho help me prepare. Can’t waste them. I can’t even look at Tsuruga-san right now, lest my grudges pop up and attack him.

I wouldn’t hurt him, no matter how much he hurt me.

I.  Will. Not. Stoop. To. His. Level.

I love him too much . Except I squash that thought. It’s bad timing and all around, the worst thing to be thinking of. If today is any example, I know he will never reciprocate. Perhaps he’d even grow to hate me like he hates Sho.

I relent on my silence, unable to be rude as I step from the car. “Have a good day, Tsuruga-san.”

To my surprise, he looks up as I speak. His eyes are dark like how I remember them from when he worked as BJ but he quickly shakes the expression. The darkness is replaced with the most obscene display of niceness he’s ever shown me.

“Have a good day at work, Love Me Girl.” He smiles, that brilliant, sparkling smile I haven’t seen in ages, as I close the door.

I refuse to flinch in front of him.

Love Me Girl

I turn from the car, hiding my face and force myself to start navigating toward the reading room to meet the cast. Between now and then I have to cool my face and pretend that everything that could have possibly gone wrong today didn’t just go wrong.

Except I keep going back to his words as I left. ‘Love Me Girl.’ Tsuruga-san hasn’t called me that since before I was his manager.

Worse. Unlike last time, I have absolutely no idea how to get myself out of this mess.

Chapter Text

Kyoko wasn’t sure how she managed it, but she managed to break the silence. Regardless of whatever turmoil stirred in her heart--she couldn’t allow that awful sentiment linger in the air. She’d grown enough to at least allow herself that. “I understand you hate Shotaro for whatever reason but I... I can't imagine why you think so low of me.” She spoke her words slowly, deliberate, looking away from Tsuruga’s ice-cold gaze. “I already told you I wasn’t thinking straight, much less operating enough to push him away.

“Your perception and misunderstanding of the situation paint me as an awful, love-sick person who might find affection in whosever arms offer comfort. But if that was true, wouldn’t I--” She shook her head and forced herself to stop. Now wasn’t the time for that outright admission. She pivoted. “If Sho had ‘moved me’ as you so claim...I wouldn’t have...I wouldn’t have run into you that night.”

The implication hung heavy between them.

Realization struck Ren. Too little, too late. The shield he’d carefully laid over his emotions cracked to reveal devastation. Jealousy. Hope. He reached out, his hand shaking, but Kyoko was faster even in her numbed daze.

“I apologize but I must go.” Her hand sought the door handle as she pulled her purse from the ground. She looked to their driver and managed an expression barely resembling a smile. “Yashiro-san, thank you for the ride. Please don’t worry about me; I’ll find my own way back home. Have a good day.” She said nothing to Ren and exited the car without another word.

Then there was silence. Again.

Yashiro waited until Kyoko disappeared into the building they used for the table reading to start the car back up. He almost wished that Ren didn’t wrap Tragic Marker so fast. Then none of this would have happened. At least...most of this wouldn’t happen. There wasn’t much to say about the photo that his charge somehow managed to see. He wanted to ask how Ren had seen it if neither LME or Akatoki gave permission to publish. However, this was not the time to ask. He looked to the rear-view mirror at Ren’s pitiful posture. “Ren, you really are an idiot,” he chided, shaking his head.  

Ren sighed, resting against his hand once again to stare out the window. This time his words were probably beyond remedy. He’d really fucked up this time. “Yes. Yes, I know.”

Chapter Text

I knew I was in trouble when the president called me up to his office that evening. I knew I was a dead man when I arrived and found Kyoko seated across from him, her hands folded primly in her lap as she avoided my gaze.

Neither of us had cleared the air since she’d left this morning. She called me a bastard and I couldn’t recover quick enough before she made her escape. I was left with nothing but Yashiro berating my cold demeanor and the worst sense of regret in the entire world. I had tried, I really had, to prove myself the bigger man. I’ve been quick to anger in regard to her relations with Sho Fuwa more than I was proud of. This morning, I managed to portray an emotionally detached man. As if seeing her with Fuwa didn’t twist the knife in my gut. I could still talk to her and not be in love with her (I was wrong but I thought it might just take more time).

Now the President would allow her to deliver the final blow.

And I couldn’t help feeling like I deserved it. My mother taught me that it was always inappropriate to make girls cry. At that moment, Kyoko had looked like she had when I discovered her that night with her mother’s interview: ready to explode into tears.

I couldn’t figure out why she looked like that. Either she was upset she was so see-through with her intentions or my attempt at ‘emotionally detached’ ended up a lot meaner than I intended.

“Good Evening, President Takarada,” I greeted carefully from the entryway. There was no telling when he was going to drop whatever bomb he had planned. I preferred keeping close to the available exits for the time being. I turned to Kyoko, attempting my gentlest smile. “Mogami-san.”

She didn’t look at me, much less react to my greeting. Lory hesitated before turning to me with an uneasy smile. “Kyoko-chan was petitioning for her own manager. Apparently...it’s become quite...complicated...for you two to share Yashiro-san.” He eyed me carefully. “I offered her Ruto for the time being until either Sawara-san or I can vet the potentials.”

It felt like a test. I had no intentions of failing. “Don’t be silly. I’m the one causing problems.” My eyes flickered over to her and she remained unmoving. Dammit . I’d hoped that would at least garner some sort of reaction. “Yashiro-san can remain with her. I will have Ruto-san accompany me.”

The President rolled his eyes. Not a good sign. He beckoned me to the couch with two fingers and a miserable expression on his face. Really not a good sign . Normally he took joy in making my life miserable. Where was his smile? “I already gave her that option; however, it’s come to my attention that that is no longer a viable plan."

“No?” It was an option the other night. What changed since then? But I couldn’t find it in myself to voice the thoughts. Instead, my eyes were glued to the printout sitting on the table between the couches. I blinked. Because there was no way this was happening.

Japan’s #1 Bachelor Finally Settling Down?

Actress Yoshida Kana Spills All!

Below the deadly headline was my worst nightmare: a paparazzi shot of two nights ago at the bar as Kana-san pulled me down for her kiss. I assured Yashiro that we shouldn’t have to worry about it...but obviously, Yashiro was right to question her motives. This would certainly keep her name relevant after a hiatus from acting. No doubt if I read the blasphemous article, my faux “vacations” while I was Cain Heel would be attributed as time spent with her.

I’ve been a fool.

“Welcome to the tabloids, Ren.” President Lory clucked his tongue. “It seems like you’re going to need Yashiro-san more than ever.”

“This isn’t what it looks like,” I said quickly. My full attention should have been on the President. He was, in fact, the person who had to deal with this mess. He was the one I needed to be apologizing to.

However, I couldn’t look away from Kyoko. She continued to ignore my presence. Panic rose in my gut. The tables from this morning have flipped, haven't they? “I was out with Kijima-san the other night and Kana-san joined us. When I went to pay the bill, she kissed me out of nowhere. I didn’t--we didn’t--” I let out a shaky breath. “We’re not together. The headline is a lie.”

She turned to me slowly, smiling sweetly. My heart dropped to my gut. Her eyes are ice-cold. Tilting her head, she murmured the words I've regretted since I spoke them:

“No one asked.”

So, this is what it felt like. At that moment, I understood the expression on Kyoko’s face this morning. I’ve been a fool but also an asshole. Wonderful .

I wouldn’t put it against her if she never spoke to me ever again.

Kyoko excused herself, bowing politely at the president and ignoring me completely. Lory blanched as the door slammed shut behind her. He let out a low whistle. “She's pissed.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I'm guessing this originates beyond this situation?” Lory motioned to the printout between us.  

“An astute observation,” I said dryly. This day actually managed to go from bad to worse. Not only did I have no way of disputing the claims without revealing Tragic Marker ’s secrets but now I had direct confirmation of my deepest fear:  

I’d ruined any chances I ever had with Kyoko.

Even if she didn’t love Sho Fuwa, there would be no way she could ever love a cold, cruel man like me. Especially not with how I treated her this morning. God, I should have listened to Yashiro and avoided leaving early. This morning could have been avoided. Then perhaps I could have circumvented this Kana mess without Kyoko twisting the knife one last time.

I deserved this.