A/N
I was looking through my files the other day and found this short, three chapter stories and decided to post it as a lead up to my seasonal two-shot A Christmas to Remember. I'll update on the 21st and 23rd and then post the first chapter of A Christmas to Remember on the 24th.
Anyway, hope you enjoy and happy holidays!
Kyouko stared at the four demons—ahem—children sitting at the table with her. The runts had dragged her to an ice cream parlor and before she could object the brats had already ordered and started consuming the frosty treats. She had gotten herself a small cup of chocolate and paid for it with what little money she had on hand. They were good though. If Kyouko had been any other person in this situation, she wouldn't have realized how evil the little things were.
A day of babysitting, President Takarada had said. It would be easy and a great way to prepare for her new role as a new older sister and sole guardian of two nine year old boys. The liar. The demons she'd been saddled with were spoiled rotten and knew just how to rub a person the right way. Except Kyouko. She could see through their fake smiles, and innocent masquerades.
The four of them were all boys, three of them seven and one of them eight. All of them sons of some famous entertainer or another from somewhere who couldn't watch their own demon spawn. Kyouko certainly wouldn't have wanted to spend more time than necessary with these boys.
"Kyouko nee-chan," the oldest Kenta Yukasi said, looking up at her with wide "innocent" brown eyes, "you have some ice cream on your face."
She blinked, grabbed her napkin and began dabbing around her mouth. "Did I get it?"
The brown haired boy shook his head, before putting his lips to the right end of her mouth. "I got it for you."
"Thank you, Kenta-kun," Kyouko said, trying to figure out the boy's ploy. When these boys were doing nothing, they were getting into trouble.
Kenta had been expecting a different response, something along the lines of "why you little playboy" or "aren't you a little young for that kind of thing, you rascal." It just went to prove what he had thought upon meeting the plain older girl. She was different. Which meant she was interesting: a challenge. Kenta liked challenges.
"Nee-san," a black haired boy blubbered from across the table, "Jun got ice cream in my hair!"
Said young woman sighed and grabbed her napkin again. "Let me see, Ryuu-kun." The grey eyed boy, Ryuu Holt, came around to her side of the table, a little hand wiping at his eyes.
Oh Kami-sama, he wanted her to think the other boy had made him cry. Did she look extremely gullible? Finding a small glob of Jun-kun's mint chocolate chip ice cream on the crown of Ryu-kun's head, Kyouko carefully removed it, trying to get as much as possible. Once finished she turned a stern look to the other boy involved, Hitaki Jun. "Jun-kun, apologize to Ryu-kun."
"But—!" the brown haired seven-year-old started, clearly unhappy.
"No, buts, Jun-kun. When you do something wrong you apologize."
"But Kaa-san doesn't apologize after she yells at her manager and the director."
Kyouko pinched the bridge of her nose, praying for patience. "That doesn't make it okay. People let your kaa-san get away with it because she has a lot of influence in the entertainment industry." They knew it; she could see it in their beady little eyes. Jun-kun just wanted to give her the runaround and maybe even sidetrack her enough that he didn't have to say he was sorry.
"Then why do I have to?"
"Because it's the right thing to do."
"But you said people don't have to do it."
"No, I said people don't call your parents on it because they have a great deal of influence." Was this kid seriously trying to do this with her? Did he think Kyouko was that stupid and pliable? Did President Takarada tell these kids absolutely nothing about her?
"But I could use my parents' influence, couldn't I? You know, like make it so you couldn't get any more roles and stuff."
Finally, Kyouko thought. The kid was doing something mildly intelligent. Still stupid, but smarter than the "I'm so cute and stupid and innocent, forgive me" routine.
"You could," she said blandly, "but I'm still going to make you apologize to Ryu-kun, Jun-kun." If she got fired, then it meant she wouldn't have to watch these demons anymore. Kyouko wouldn't mind jumping on that. Sure, she wouldn't get her revenge and she'd have to give up something she loved, but this was torture. Pure, unadulterated torture.
The black eyed boy pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. If he hadn't wanted to keep up a mature appearance, Kyouko could see the boy stamping his feet and throwing a tantrum. She wished he would. It meant she could justifiably give the troublemaker's backside a good tanning. Hell, Kyouko would love to give any of them a good spanking. Maybe after she got rid of the brats Kyouko would see if some poor person wanted to spar with her. Or, even better, if someone wanted to hold those padded target things for her.
"Jun-kun." Even though Ryu-kun was starting to look awfully smug, Jun-kun needed to apologize. He did something wrong and he needed to admit and understand that.
Jun-kun grumbled out something vaguely resembling an apology, and Kyouko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "At least try to sound sincere, Jun-kun. It isn't that hard for someone on the same level as you four to do."
The remaining boy, Hiro Usuki, snickered as Jun-kun flushed. He grew even darker when Ryu-kun started laughing and badly disguised chuckles could be heard from Kenta. Kyouko didn't feel guilty. The boy had brought it on himself.
"Okay, you three, that's enough." They'd been going for at least five minutes and Jun-kun still needed to apologize. "After Jun-kun says he's sorry, you guys have to tell him you're sorry."
She was greeted by protests and a wide grin from Jun-kun, who went to apologize as so: "My dear friend Ryu, I am deeply regretful for my childish act. Why, I have no idea what possessed me to commit such a heinous action. I shall wallow in my idiocy for my sin, all alone in the solitude of my remorse and guilt."
He probably would have gone on if Kyouko hadn't decided to stop him at that point. A little thick for her taste, but it would suffice. It took a bit more prodding and not-so-empty threats, but she managed to get a chorus of sincere-seeming sorry's from the other boys. After everyone had finished their ice cream and made sure they didn't have smeared faces, Kyouko headed off to her intended destination: the "Dark Moon" set. Whether she was on babysitting duty or not, she had filming to do. It was only four scenes and then she was free until that evening when she had Bridge Rock.
Catching sight of bleached blonde hair under a ball cap and dark shades on the boy's face, Kyouko glanced down at the kids grudgingly holding her hands. Thank god, Kenta was wearing a hat. An American football hat, if she wasn't mistaken, but it would do the job.
"Hey, Kenta-kun, can I borrow your hat?" Damn it, she felt eyes on her.
The boy looked up at her questioningly, but he held out the hat to her. She piled her brown dyed hair under the cap and pulled it down far enough to shade her eyes.
"Thanks, brat."
Kenta-kun snorted but shot her a half smile. They had probably traveled two blocks when a hand grabbed her wrist, turning slowly Kyouko barely managed to keep a scowl off her face. Of course, Shou Fuwa's face always put her in a sour mood.
"Something you need from me?" She made sure to throw her voice down until it had a boyish quality. Kyouko had worn jeans and a plain, too large unisex t-shirt today because of being saddled with four little boys so it was hard to tell a definitive gender. Sometimes she thanked God for blessing her with a washboard chest.
The long fingers gripping her wrist were gone in an instant and the boy had the decency to apologize, grumbling something about a look-a-like.
"Maybe you need glasses," Kenta-kun suggested, sounding like an earnest child meaning no harm.
Jun-kun and Hiro-kun added their two cents, saying, "Maybe you should get that eye surgery, and maybe spring to get a little work done on your face too. It would be bad if you went around scaring little kids and girls."
Ryu-kun administered the final blow, admitting that he didn't think "Nii-chan had enough money to fix that much ugly."
Kyouko had to hand it to the twerps; they grew on a person after awhile.
After apologizing half-heartedly for the little devils, she ushered the kids along towards the "Dark Moon" set, hoping to make it on time, if not a minute or two early. She wanted to make sure Director Ogata was okay with her having the kids waiting offset for her to finish with her scenes.
The boys turned to look at her wide eyed when security let her on set, both men asking why she had the brat pack crowding her feet. Kyouko laughed, saying something about the president's idea and Love Me section. The kids didn't get it, but the security guys seem to and gave their condolences as Kyouko herded her charges into the building and told them not to wonder off without telling her or a stagehand. It didn't take long for Kyouko to spot the director. She waved, calling out to him.
The pale haired man looked up for the script and smiled, walking towards them. "Do you need something, Mogami-chan?"
"Well, I hope it isn't too sudden, but I'm watching these four today and I'm wondering if it would be okay to let them kind of roam offset while I do my scenes," she admitted.
He smiled and agreed. "You better head to make-up. You, of all people, know how long it takes for them to put the scar on."
Kenta-kun, being the boldest of the bunch, asked curiously, "Scar?"
"Why, of course. Mio wouldn't be Mio without her scar."
The quartet of pains looked up at Kyouko, all of them pale.
She laughed and crouched down to their eyelevel. "It's only a role, you guys. I'm not like that all the time." That reassured them some and the brats went with Director Ogata while Kyouko headed to her changing room.
An hour later, a certain tall actor and his manager arrived. While the actor went to wardrobe and make-up, the manager Yukihito Yashiro went to with talk with the director. Imagine his surprise to see four young boys being toured around by the meek man.
"Are they guest stars?" Yashiro asked, coming up behind them.
Director Ogata shook his head. "Mogami-chan is their supervisor today and she's in wardrobe right now."
"Ah, yes, the President mentioned something about that earlier. I didn't tell Ren though. I wonder what his reaction will be."
Director Ogata shrugged. "With Tsuruga-kun, it's hard to tell."
"Are you guys talking about the number one actor, Ren Tsuruga?" a brown hair boy—the oldest it seemed—asked, looking up at them innocently enough.
Yashiro squatted down, nodding. "Yep, he's one of the protagonists."
"I know that," the boy responded dryly. "Why would he react to knowing she's watching us?"
The three boys behind him nodded, all of them frowning at him. It was sort of creepy to feel that much pressure and hostility from four little boys, no older than seven or eight.
"Well, he's in love with her."
Their eyes went huge and their eyebrows seemed to jump right off their heads. "In love with her?" the lot parroted, incredulous.
The older man nodded, sighing. "A pity really since Kyouko-chan's sworn off love. Sometimes I want to straggle that brat."
"Kyouko nee-san?" a grey-eyed one asked.
"No, no, Shou Fuwa."
That had the black eyed one looking confused and frustrated. "The singer?"
"Wasn't that the guy we saw on the way here?" the light brown haired one asked.
The light seemed to come on in their little heads before they went off in a tight grouping, whispering amongst each other as malicious grins marred their faces.
"Did I just do something to endanger his life?"
"They're just kids," Director Ogata offered.
"That just means they can get away with it."