Ah… Finally, a break in my schedule while I'm at LME. Yashiro developed both this helpful and dreadfully annoying habit of keeping tabs on Kyoko's schedule. And today she'll have free time at the Love Me Section's lounge.

Love Me… I can't believe the President named it that. It's like a command, or a desperate plea asking for people to love them. I don't think the name is what did it, but I can't deny that I have fallen for their number one member, Mogami Kyoko. But she has no idea, it's almost as if her ability to recognize love was obliterated when her heart was broken.

But she'll be there, adding a little bit of sunshine to my day, whether she knows it or not. I don't know if I would have realized my own emotions if it hadn't been for that chicken. Between her and the chicken, my career was saved by enabling me to perform in Dark Moon after realizing what love is and that I was in love. It also opened up this helpless world of unrequited love.

I wasn't really paying attention lost in my thoughts as I neared a corner, so the collision of a much shorter person and myself came as a surprise. It was even more of a surprise when it was the girl in my thoughts that collided with my chest. I looked down at her and her previous thoughts seemed to have vanished. I love watching her face. It's so expressive, but I always dread the look of panic whenever I hint at anything remotely related to attraction.

While my chest always feels tight whenever I see her, there was another sensation. I realized her right hand hadn't left it. I wished that it'd always stay there. I wonder if she felt my heart beating quickly under her fingertips.

My eyes locked with hers. For once there wasn't fear at being so close. What changed? I hope it wasn't something temporary. I could only smile since she wasn't pushing away.

"Tsuruga-san…" It was spoken with a soft and caring voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes widened, probably hearing how it sounded. It was said like a lover. I braced myself mentally for her to panic and break down apologizing.

I waited as her face went from shock to embarrassment and confusion to contemplation, understanding and back to shock. Her mouth dropped opened slightly and thankfully her left came to cover her mouth, leaving her right still touching me. Her eyes came back and met my own.

"…I love you…"

It was more to herself than to me. Those expressions must have been her revelation of her emotions. I couldn't hear anything beyond the silence between us and the stopping of everything, including my own heart. I was frozen there staring breathlessly back at those golden eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I wouldn't mind getting lost there forever if she would let me.

Is this what it felt like, to have the one you love return your feelings? To have the one that occupies your thoughts and dreams relentlessly finally turn and tell you that yes, those dreams could come true…

Does that mean she feels like she belongs with me like I do with her? Does it mean that whenever she closes her eyes near me, that she feels like she could soar? Soar somewhere between the heavens and earth like I did for her when we were little? Could it be that time stops for her when she thinks of me, like it does for me?

I had felt so lost and purposeless. I was professional acting machine, then she came along. We've come so far from that initial animosity. Slowly I started to fall for her. Then this unrelenting bond between her and Fuwa Sho drove any hope I had developed. Even then, I celebrated every moment that she acknowledged me, even the smallest progress. Those small victories where the source of Yashiro's excessive teasing.

But now all of that is melting away. I finally have a purpose now and it's to love her and be loved by her for as long as she'll let me.

I must have displayed a shocked face since Kyoko looked concerned and hesitant. Her hand started to move away from my chest but I quickly placed my hand over hers and pressed it against the pulse that had started racing again. My other hand cradled her cheek softly. My thumb brushed her lips like the time she fell and I caught her in my kitchen.

"When you say you love me, do you know how much I love you?"

I saw hope in her beautiful golden eyes.

I leaned down and moved my lips near hers, leaving just a breath between us. I felt her right move up my chest and her left snake up along and behind my neck and pulled closer. Her lips are softer and sweeter than I ever imagined them to be.

I finally have what I have wished for thousands of times.

She finally forgot about me being her sempai and her my kohai. She forgot about all of the other people around the hallways of LME. She forgot about her once broken heart and Fuwa Sho.

She thought about me instead.

I pulled her waist closer, pressing her against me. I was holding her and she was kissing me and reaching in my hair. She was so worth the long and grueling wait.

I slowly pulled away from her figuring we needed to breathe sometime, especially if we wanted to do that again. I watched her eyes. They were glazed and she was smiling softly. I'm pretty sure I was smiling like the love sick fool that I am.

I came to my senses when I heard a gasp from behind Kyoko. I raised my eyes to see Kotonami-san glancing around in surprise at the scene that greeted her around the corner. She must have come searching for Kyoko. Kotonami-san glanced back at Yashiro, and I looked back too, not letting go of Kyoko. Like I ever would at this point. Yashiro's face was full of delighted shock. He was going to be impossible now. But I don't think I'll mind too much since I finally have Kyoko in my arms. I glanced back at her, seeing her blush a color that would match that Love Me uniform that she might not need to wear again. She was eying the hallways at some passersby that caught a very interesting afternoon performance.

"Mo, we need to get going." Kotonami-san finally spoke up getting over her shock.

"Tsuruga-san –" Kyoko started, I refuse to be called that any longer by her.

"Ren." I cut her off earning a deeper blush from her.

"...Ren, I need to get going. Can you let go?" I smiled more. Kotonami-san started tapping her foot. Apparently this whole situation wasn't that much of a surprise to her.

"Mmmm… No." I pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. Yashiro giggled a bit at my childish reluctance. She was relaxed in my arms and not stiff as a board.

"Please?"

"Never." I must have been grinning like an idiot.

"But! We have jobs! We can't act while we're like this! Our characters aren't cast as both of us!" I chuckled a bit, her thoughts and assumptions are entertaining.

"OK, ok, only if you promise me we can do that again soon. And go on a date together?" I pulled her away a bit so I could see her face as I smirked. Even her ears were burning red. She looked to the side and made a small smile and replied shyly.

"OK..." I stole a kiss before I straightened up and turned to Yashiro, letting my hands slip away from the girl who loves me.

"Ready to go now?" Yashiro asked rolling his eyes all the while smiling.

I nodded and looked over my shoulder. "See you later, Kyoko." I swear if she could have blushed more, she would have.

As we started walking back down the hall, I could hear Kotonami-san's voice echo through the halls.

"Mo, how did that just happen!" We were too far away to hear Kyoko's response by then.

I don't know, Kotonami-san, but I'm just happy that it did. Now, to deal with this fan girl of a manager shining and smiling next to me…