A/N: Okay, so I really think there aren't enough fanfics about these two. I know they're about as likely to happen as Sho and Kyoko but hey its still a fun thought. So just to be clear, since we don't know nearly enough about them I think its safe to say that they'll be a bit OOC in this story. Also I'm not sure of Yashiro's age so I just made him four years older than Ren. Call it poetic license if you will. That said , ON WITH THE STORY.
Chapter 1: Did You Just Ask Me Out?
That's it. I'm going to commit suicide. Seriously. Yashiro stood outside Ren's change room handing him various items as he was requested. They were discussing Ren's latest incident with Kyoko. Ren seemed to be in a sharing mood today for once or maybe he was finally starting to trust in him as a friend. He hoped it was the latter.
"Wait- you're telling me you had a prime opportunity with her and you let her go?" Yashiro said incredulously.
"Yashiro. what was I supposed to do? Shove her up against a wall and kiss her senseless?" came Ren's muffled voice. Yashiro flushed.
"Thank you for putting that image in my head. I'm going to have nightmares now."
"You asked."
"Ren, I don't understand why you are so determined to keep this relationship with her platonic."
"..." Yashiro sighed at the silence from within the change room.
"Okay, okay fine. Don't tell me. I get the feeling its taboo for various reasons."
"...thanks."
"BUT! The longer you play this sempai-kouhai game of yours, someone else is going to come along and make a move. And you know what? She might just go for it."
"Yashiro, we're talking about LME's number 1 Love Me girl here. No way."
"So? She's still a girl, a human being Ren. We can't exist to our full potential without it. It's a purely human emotion and its bound to resurface within her. Take you for example, for years you ran away from women like they carried the plague. You refused invitations to dates and parties all under the fear that you may start to like the woman. Kyoko showed up and barely lifted a pinky finger and here you are head over heels for the girl. in fact, didn't you hate each other at the beginning?"
"...that's true."
"And weren't you the one who said that you didn't want love or the complications that came with it?"
At this Ren emerged from the change room, now clad in his signature casual suit this time in a deep brown with a cream coloured dress shirt.
"Even if that were true, she's still too young." Yashiro pretended to pull his hair out.
"Argh! I thought we'd already gone over this! Ren, women mature far more rapidly than men. Her mentality is already well beyond her years because of her past and even more so now that she's in show business. I'm telling you she's not too young for you!"
Ren was silent as he turned and pinned Yashiro with a thoughtful look. Kyaaa! Yashiro fangirled inwardly. Are my words finally resonating within him somehow?
"Okay, so its all fine and good to give advice to others, but can you practice what you preach?"
"Huh?"
"Yashiro, you're four years older than me right? 24 years old?"
"..yes?"
"So you're saying that you would then, by using your own logic, think it was completely fine to ask Kotonami-san out on a date?"
There was a moment of stupefied silence. Then:
"WHAT?"
"I'm pretty sure I was clear in what I just said, Yashiro."
"Ren, this has nothing to do with me. Besides, I don't like her that way." Ren snorted.
"Right, and I'm in love with Fuwa."
"Eeek Ren don't say something so disastarous!"
"All I'm saying is that it's useless to lie to me. I've seen the way you look at her. You practically worship the ground she walks on."
Yashiro blushed.
"That is not true!"
"Right okay. Well, how about we make a deal? If you ask Kotonami-san out on a date the next time we see her and she actually agrees to date you, I'll make a move on Kyoko." At least one of us should have a chance at love, thought Ren internally.
"Wha- but I - I mean -" Yashiro sputtered incoherently. Ren stood impatiently in front of the dressing room door.
"So do we have a deal or not?"
Yashiro narrowed his eyes. This guy only looks like a gentleman on the outside. I'm almost 100% sure he was a member of the Yakuza in a past life!
"Yashiro?"
Yashiro gave up.
"Fine, fine! Deal, lets do this." he muttered as he stalked past an amused Ren into the hallway and waited for him to lock the dressing room door. There had been way too many incidents of people sneaking into his dressing room, Yashiro shuddered as he remembered a woman they had found in his dressing room a month ago. It had been the final straw before the president had installed a high quality lock on the dressing room door. As they walked towards the elevators he heard to his horror.
"Tsuruga-san!" Ren grinned at him sadistically as they turned to see Kyoko and - did the heavens hate him? - Kotonami Kanae.
"Speak of the devil, what a fortuitous turn of events Yashiro." Ren said as the two approached.
Yashiro groaned inwardly. He was obviously hated by the heavens. He managed to hide it well enough in front of Ren, but the truth was, he really did like Kanae. She was strong, determined , and had a work ethic he strongly admired. She worked to the best of her abilities and never did things half - assed. She put her heart and soul into acting and he could see that she was fast becoming the same scary type of actor like Ren and Kyoko. She was also haughty, that he knew from experience. But he also knew that it was just a defense mechanism, designed to keep people at arms length from her. So far, it seemed that only Kyoko seemed to have gotten past her defenses. She was elegant today, dressed in a navy blue pencil skirt and a blue blazer with an off-white blouse. Her long black hair was out as usual and she was tastefully devoid of accessories except for a small handbag.
"psst Yashiro, you're staring." Yashiro came crashing back to reality as Ren nudged him lightly. He had distantly heard the girls say hello and looked to see them staring at him expectantly. He flushed.
"Oh, sorry, hello to you too ladies. How was your day?" Kyoko beamed.
"It was great! The shooting for Box-R is an amazing experience!. I honestly am having a lot of fun!... .which sounds weird doesn't it, since I'm bullying people in it?" Oh no! what if people think I really like to bullly people? oh my goodness I'm sorry!" Kyoko made to throw herself into a dogeza when Kanae shot an arm out, blocking her.
"Mo! Don't you get tired of doing that all time? Seriously, no one thinks you like to bully people, trust me." Kyoko went all watery eyed.
"Moko-saaaaaan! you're such a nice friend!" with that Kyoko attempted to squeeze the life out of the black haired beauty. Yashiro decided to intervene before she lost conciousness.
"Ahh Kyoko-chan! That's alright, look Kotonami-san is turning blue!" Kyoko let Kanae go, apologizing profusely.
"Ahh so Mogami-san, " Ren said, desperate to ingratiate himself back into the conversation. "Have you seen the changes to the Dark Moon script for thursday?"
"What, they changed some thing? I haven't seen it yet. What is it ?"
"Well you see..."
Yashiro withdrew from their conversation, and glanced at Kanae, only to see her staring back at him.
"What?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips, unintentionally drawing attention to her lithe figure. " You've been staring at me this whole time like it's the first time you've ever seen me."
"n-no its nothing like that Kotonami-san, its just I haven't seen you in a while and you just seem different, that's all." Yashiro desperately hoped that would satisfy her. He caught sight of Ren behind Kanae, looking meaningfully at him, flicking his eyes towards Kanae purposefully. Yashiro closed his eyes. Ren was going to have a week full of his ingenious little revenge plans to look forward to soon. Payback would be sweet once this was over.
"Um, Kotonami-san, may I ask you something?"
Go, Ren cheered silently as he drew himself and Kyoko away from the two. They needed privacy, meaning he couldn't be close enough to hear what they were saying. Sadly.
"Tsuruga-san?"
"Shhh." he said for once not paying attention to her. "Yashiro's trying to ask Kotonami-san out on a date." He heard a sharp intake of breath and realized his mistake. Shit. he'd forgotten about her.
"what -" Ren clapped a hand over her mouth. "Mogami-san, I wasn`t supposed to tell you that, but seeing as you know now, please don`t tell Kotonami-san, she shouldn't hear that from you. Yashiro wants to tell her himself.``
"But-" She began in a hushed voice.
"Kyoko, do you really think that Yashiro - Yashiro - would hurt her?"
Kyoko shook her head rapidly.
"That's not it Tsuruga-san. I just want to know, does he really love Moko-san?" Ren nodded and watched her eyes go misty and realized she was probably imagining Yashiro and Kotonami-san in some sort of fairytale setting in some lavish situation. He chuckled.
"Mogami-san?"
"Sorry. So he really does like her?" Ren nodded again.
"He's head over heels for her. He tries to hide it from, but I'm one his closest friends, I know when he likes someone. Well technically, Kanae is the first person he's really liked, but still. He keeps track of her progress all the time and he really is proud of how well she's making a name for herself already. You remember the roses that she received on the opening night of her drama with Hio-san?"
Kyoko nodded, already making the connections.
"Those were from Yashiro-san." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"You know, if she justs gives him a chance, she might just like what she sees." Ren said winking at Kyoko. Kyoko smiled at him and peeked over his shoulder at her best friend.
Kanae's normally composed face slackned as she stared at Yashiro blankly.
"I could've just sworn - and correct me if I'm wrong here Yashiro - that you just asked me out on a date?"