A/N: Okay, I know the usual focus of these stories is Ren and Kyoko, which is a pairing I love! However...I saw Yashiro and Kanae as a side couple in a fic I was reading, and kinda fell in love with the concept. And when I went looking for fics about them specifically, I was shocked to find how few there were! So, I'm going to try my hand at writing one. Please understand that I'm not completely up to date with the series, or even the American release. -sighs- I'm so far behind that I've been reading the Omnibuses as they come out in America because it's less expensive and less tempting to throw all my money away at once trying to catch up that way, heheh. So, the furthest I have gotten is Volume 24. I can't remember exactly what chapter it ends on, but it's the Valentines day one. The last scene is Fuwa walking into the Dark Moon shoot with a huge bouquet of flowers. I'll check and see what the specific chapter is as soon as I can and post that here so you know where I'm coming from. Anyway, I apologize for any inaccuracies in character or story that may result. -dives into a dogeza- Gomen!

Disclaimer: It should stand to reason that I do not own Skip Beat. But just incase your confused...I don't. Lol.

Lunch Date

Yashiro watched in mild amusement as Mogami Kyoko dropped into a dogeza bow on the floor before his charge, Tsuruga Ren. The latter was trying to assure her, as usual, that she had nothing to apologize for, but she just kept babbling about how sorry she was, and what an unworthy kouhai she was.

"Tsuruga-san, I am so terrible, running into you like that! I could have knocked you down and seriously injured you! It's unforgivable!" She was practically in tears as she begged his forgiveness.

Ren waved his hand at her, dismissing her concerns with a small smile, "Mogami-san, honestly, I doubt you could knock me down even if you tried...and it's not as though you could see me when you came around the corner, so really, it's not your fault."

The LoveMe member was having none of it as she continued to bow before him, "No, I should have been watching where I was going, instead of racing blindly around the corner! I am such a horrid person!"

The smile gradually faded from the seasoned actor's face. He was actually a bit irritated that she was speaking so lowly of herself, and that she had ignored his statement that she couldn't have knocked him over. Really, did she have to take everything to heart and make it her fault, "Mogami-san, really, stop apologizing. I'm sure you had a valid reason to be in such a hurry."

She was shaking her head, eyes closed as she continued to babble nonsense about how wretched she was. Ren simply bent down, and held out a hand to her, "If you keep apologizing, then I might actually be angry with you. But right now, I'm not."

The gentle yet stern tone of his voice earned a blink as she looked up at her sempai, then glanced at his hand, which he had held out to help her stand from the dogeza. She was being selfish by asking forgiveness, she realized! How horrible of her! Again she looked down, and began to apologize, by was interrupted by the cough that came from her mentor that told her she was doing just what she had been asked not to.

Hesitantly, Kyoko took his hand and let him guide her to her feet. Ren smiled at her, holding onto her hand a bit longer than he should have, which did not escape Yashiro's notice as the manager suppressed an excited squeal before turning around to sneak off and give the pair some privacy.

Tsuruga's smile was genuine, and so blinding that Kyoko's grudges seemed to wither before it. Suddenly realizing that her hand was still encased in his, she pulled it from his grasp quickly, "Umm….arigato, Tsuruga-san."

That smile faltered slightly at the speed at which her hand withdrew, but only momentarily before he was smiling fully once again, "Of course. There's no need to thank me, Mogami-san. Anyway, I suppose we should be going, shouldn't we Ya...shi...ro?"

As he looked around, he noticed his distinct lack of manager, a brow twitching in annoyance. That sneaky little...they'd been on their way to lunch together, but now he was left alone with Mogami-san!

Yashiro hummed happily to himself as he strode down the hall, perfectly satisfied that he had given Ren the slip! True, he and his client had been on their way to lunch together, but now, Ren and Kyoko could dine together instead! And hopefully, that would lead to a confession, and romance, and...and…

Dancing in a tight, gleeful circle, the manager finally let out the excited squeal he had been holding in. His fangirl mode was really starting to kick in, as he closed his eyes and began to skip merrily along, images of lovey-dovey Kyoko and Ren dancing through his mind. Not even realizing where he was as he frolicked down the hall, he collided with a door that had suddenly swung open in front of him, and collapsed back onto his rump, head spinning, glasses askew as he looked up to see the source of his sudden impact.

"Mo! You should watch where you're going! What kind of idiot walks into a door!" There, standing in front of the man stood Kotonami Kanae. Her appearance was slightly blurred by his off kilter glasses, but it was definitely her. The long, raven hair, confident stance, and the signature use of the phrase mo told him that. He gaped in silence, feeling like an utter idiot for having gone so far into fangirl mode that he'd run into the LoveMe section's door as it had opened.

"Glasses-kun?" Kanae lofted a brow as she realized who it was she had been lecturing. Immediately the actress began glancing around for his almost constant companion and client, "Where's Tsuruga-san? And how the hell did you manage to walk into the door?"

Her gaze shifted back to the manager, who was still looking at her through skewed glasses. She blinked, huffing and turning her head, "Mo! What are you looking at?"

Yashiro shook his head, blushing slightly. Why had he been staring, anyway? "N-nothing. And...I guess I was just spaced out. I apologize, Kotonami-san."

A bow would have been offered had he been standing, as it was he simply dipped his head in her direction. The proud LoveMe member just huffed again, shrugging her shoulders as she reached out a hand to help him to his feet, "Whatever. Don't keep sitting there, baka."

The bespectacled man glanced at the hand a moment, a moment too long for Kanae's patience to hold out, "Mo! Are you getting up or not!"

With a nod, Yashiro quickly gripped the offered hand. Even though she was much smaller than him, and seemed delicate, Kanae helped to pull him to his feet, only stumbling slightly in the process, "Um...arigato, Kotonami-san."

As he straightened his glasses, the beautiful actress, for she was beautiful, that he had to admit, turned away again, her raven locks fluttering against her shoulders, "Well...don't be so clumsy next time! What are you doing here alone, Glasses-kun? Kyoko-chan isn't here, so-"

"I know." He replied, mildly irritated, and yet amused at the same time, by the nickname she had given him, "I actually just left her. She's with Ren!"

Turning to face the manager once more, Kanae narrowed her eyes. She could see the fantasizing, dreamy look in his eyes. Good grief, he was fangirling! Kyoko had been supposed to meet her for lunch! Now she was with Tsuruga, and this idiot was dreaming of them getting all lovey dovey! Well, Kanae wasn't going to lose her best friend that easily! She started off down the hall in the direction Yashiro had obviously been coming from.

It took a few moments for the daydreaming man to realize that the girl had passed by him and was making her way toward where he had left his charge and Kyoko. In a panicked state he hurried after her. He couldn't let their moment be interrupted! "Kotonami-san!"

She ignored him and kept walking, knowing that he was just going to ask her not to interfere, but she was going to lunch with Kyoko, dammit! Desperately, the manager lurched forward, taking hold of Kanae's hand, "Wait! Uh, g-go to lunch with me?"

Kotonami blinked, and turned to face him. This man was much older than her, and he had just made a point of asking her to go to lunch with him. True, it was just to keep her from interfering with a possibly romantic moment between Tsuruga and Kyoko, but that blush on his face seemed to say otherwise, "What?"

"Umm...I…" What was he doing? The four years between Ren and Kyoko were one thing, but Kanae and himself had a bigger gap between them. Not to mention, he didn't even know her that well. Yet it seemed like he had just asked her out or something? His face burned hotly, and he suddenly felt like he couldn't breath, "Kotonami-san...will...will..you go to lunch with me?"

He flinched, waiting for the younger girl to slap him or scream at him for being an idiot. He highly doubted the tactic of asking her to lunch would work, but it was worth a try. Kanae looked him over as if sizing him up. He really was desperate for Ren and Kyoko to get together, wasn't he? Just then a tune started playing on her phone, and the LoveMe girl took it from the pocket of her pink jumpsuit. Looking at the number she sighed. It was Kyoko.

The leggy beauty flipped her phone open and put it to her ear, barely having time to take a breath in preparation for greeting, and definitely not able to utter a syllable before her best friend cried out at her, "Moko-saaaan! Gomen! I am sooo sorry! I know I said we'd go to lunch together, and I'll be there really soon, I just ran into Tsuruga-san...I guess I lost track of time and-"

"Mo! Don't worry about it! Stop apologizing!" Moko, as her best friend had termed her, put a hand to her face, sighing again, "Actually, something's come up, so I have to cancel lunch...but maybe you can go with Tsuruga-san or something. I don't know."

"What?" Kyoko sounded worried on the other side of the line, "Moko-san! Is everything alright? Did something happen? Oh my god! Moko-san, I'm coming! I'll be right there, don't worry!"

"Shut up! Nothing's wrong, I just...forgot I had other plans."" Silence from the other end of the line, "Kyoko-chan?"

"Oh...I see. Well, have fun then." Kyoko sounded almost hurt, and no wonder, she had just been effectively ditched by her best friend. The phone was hung up on her end, and Moko fought back a guilty feeling, before turning to glare at Yashiro.

She was about to scream at him for making her upset Kyoko, but stopped short when she saw the man looking at her in surprise. The shocked look on his face slowly morphed into a giddy smile as he thought of what this meant for Ren and Kyoko...then a look of shock again. At first he had been shocked that Kanae went along with his plan, but now, he was shocked that the whole situation had even happened. He had asked her to lunch in desperation to give Ren and Kyoko some alone time...but now, he would have alone time with Kotonami! His face began to tinge red at the notion.

Watching the range of emotion he went through, Kanae couldn't bring herself to tell him off. He was clearly trying to do what he thought was best for the pair in question. And he seemed a bit embarrassed by his earlier actions. The talento wasn't sure whether to find that annoying, or cute. Was it so bad to be seen with her, that he had to be that embarassed, "Mo, this had better be worth it."

Hearing her near unintelligible mutter, Yashiro seemed to come out of his shocked state, and offered her a small, slightly nervous smile. This was just a friendly luncheon. He was not a creepy pervert. And he hoped she didn't think him one. Clearing his throat, he decided to question, "W-would you prefer to go out, or eat at the cafeteria?"

She cast him a sideways glance, "Kyoko-chan probably won't let Tsuruga-san take her out...they'll be in the cafeteria. So, I guess we should go out, then. But, don't you dare try anything funny! Mo!"

Yashiro let out a sigh. So she did think he was a creepy pervert. That wasn't what he wanted at all. It wasn't that he was super worried about his reputation, he was just a manager, after all. But, for some reason it bothered him for this girl to think such things about him, "I wouldn't do that, Kotonami-san."

She could see the look of dejection on his face, hear the fact that he sounded upset by her remark. Her gaze softened some as she folded her arms over her chest, turning to step back into the locker room, "Alright then. Give me a couple minutes. I'm not going to the cafe dressed like this! Oh, and you're paying!"

He blinked and looked up as she disappeared into the LoveMe section's room. She'd sounded a bit more pleasant just then, as hard as she'd been trying not to. With a small smile, he leaned against the wall beside the door (on the side where he wouldn't get hit by said door when it swung open) and waited for Kanae to change from her pink jumpsuit into her street clothes.

Kyoko sulked as she hung up her phone, Ren blinking at her from behind, "Is everything alright, Mogami-san?"

"Moko-san canceled on me!" She practically sobbed in reply, "She said she had other plans!"

"Then, since your friend has other plans, and my manager has vanished...perhaps we could have lunch together?" Ren suggested. He knew this was what Yashiro had hoped would happen when the bespectacled man had abandoned them. Really, couldn't Yashiro just stop meddling in his love life?

"I couldn't do that!" Kyoko replied with a gasp as she looked at her sempai, "It would inconvenience you!"

Ren smiled at her, "No, it wouldn't. I was planning to go to lunch anyhow. Of course, if I go by myself, I'll eat hardly anything, as usual-"

"No you won't!" Kyoko cut him off, his ploy having worked, "Because I would never allow that! I'll eat with you, and make sure you eat everything on your plate!"

Her sempai covered his mouth and coughed slightly to disguise a laugh.