I had just finished writing this first chapter when I stumbled across Fangurl Ayane's wonderful Mistletoe Not Included and realized what a terrible, unoriginal writer I am. However, seeing as I have a rather dry sense of humor, I decided to post what I'd written anyway.
All I can think to say for myself is that, perhaps, great minds think alike? Or more likely, great minds want Ren to see Kyoko in as few clothes as possible. Who doesn't?
Anyway, go read Mistletoe Not Included, as well as the rest of Ayane's fics. You won't regret it. Satisfaction guaranteed *wink*
This is a little late for Christmas, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. I own nothing, by the way.
Chapter One - Christmas Cake
'Twas the night before Christmas, and in Lory's house, many creatures were stirring.
But there was no mouse. The staff had checked this time.
There was, however, one large animal by the name of Tsuruga Ren. He was making his way through the upper floors of the LME building. He had just met with the head of the Acting section and was now on his way to the first floor to meet his manager, Yashiro Yukihito, before heading home for the day. There was no shooting today, as it was a holiday, and most of the parties Ren had been invited to took place in the evening.
Even then, Ren knew he would not be feeling very festive. The building had been decorated for Christmas, but it was lost on Ren. If anything, they only lowered his spirits.
Kuon had celebrated Christmas with his parents, of course. Christmas was much more important in the States than it was in Japan.
Ren could remember the feasts his mother, Julie, used to prepare on Christmas day. This memory was somewhat painful for him, for several reasons. He could recall the decorations in the house, the giant Christmas tree that stood at the center of it all, so colorful and bright...
He found himself lost in thought as he walked down the hall. The sound of his cell phone distracted him. He took out his phone and saw that Yashiro was calling him. Had something happened?
He flipped the phone open and said, "Yukihito-san? Is something the matter?"
An anguished cry on the other end of the line caused Ren to jump and hold the phone away from his ear. Feeling like his heart might jump from his chest, Ren gingerly lifted the phone again and said cautiously, "Y-yukihito? Are you all right?"
Thankfully, the reply was more restrained this time.
"Ren! You won't believe this! It's terrible!" Yashiro cried. His voice was hard to make out, as if he was standing in a crowd. There was a sense of urgency in his words.
Despite years of experience in dealing with Yashiro's way of overvaluing minor incidents, Ren began to worry.
"What is it?" Ren asked.
"You have to go to L.A. Hearts right now! You have to do something!" the other man shouted.
Ren frowned at his phone.
"What for?" he asked.
But Yashiro was beyond reason.
"You have to stop her!"
Suddenly, Ren felt nervous.
"...her?" he said. He had a horrible premonition.
"Everything's gone craaaaaazy!" Yashiro wailed. Something must have caught his attention, for he cried, "Ah, you! Don't touch that, please!"
Before Ren could ask any more questions, the line went dead. Ren stared at the his phone, bemused. He closed it thoughtfully, holding it in one hand as he contemplated what had just happened.
What was going on? What was Yashiro talking about?
And more importantly...
What is she up to now? Ren thought desperately.
He rushed down the hall. Several people attempted to speak to him as he passed, but Ren brushed them off as politely as he could, telling them it was an emergency. As he entered the elevator, he heard two people say behind him:
"It must be serious. I've never seen Ren in such a hurry!"
"Maybe he's on his way to-"
"Ah, right! Did you hear? They have-"
The doors closed on their conversation, much to Ren's agitation. He rounded on the doors, but the elevator was already on its way downstairs. The other people in the elevator were staring at him. Seeing them, Ren put on his gentleman's smile and greeted them. They responded in kind. Ren struck up a conversation with a young girl who was standing beside him. He managed to ask casually:
"Have you heard about any strange things going on at L.A. Hearts today?"
The girl blinked at him.
"Strange things? I haven't heard of anything like that...oh! But I hear they're giving out cakes today. I was going to get one on my way out. They're very good! I got one last year, and it was delicious. You might get one too, Tsuruga-san. Unless you don't like sweets?" the girl asked him.
Ren was surprised by the sudden question, but he smiled and responded cordially.
"If they're as good as you say, I wouldn't want to miss it," Ren said. His smile would have blinded passing planes.
"Well, I..." the girl stammered, blushing under Ren's gaze.
The other men in the elevator thought, Lady-killer...
They reached the first floor. Ren disembarked, after a parting word to the young girl who was now staring after him, and proceeded to his destination. He was no longer in a hurry. He moved slowly, thinking to himself as he went.
Ren could remember the cakes being distributed among the employees last year, but as he never celebrated Christmas these days, he hadn't bothered to pay much attention. He had no one to celebrate with, after all...
Cake...what could be so terrible about cake? Unless they expect me to eat it. He must be messing with me again. Even if she's there, I doubt there could be any calamitous events underway. It's just cake, after all.
How wrong he was. Ren reached L.A. Hearts, expecting at most a crowd of some sort, but nothing more. What he found was enough to stop his heart.
Kyoko was standing just outside the restaurant, handing out cakes to customers and various passerby. She seemed quite happy in her work. This was no surprise to Ren; she was always a hard worker.
What surprised him was her outfit. She was dressed in a short red dress with a white trim on the hem and neckline. It was so short that it barely reached to mid-thigh, and the neck was so deep that Ren was surprised that nothing showed. The outfit was completed by a pair of high-heeled boots, gloves, and an oversized cap that was threatening to slip off the girl's head.
It was the kind of thing one saw in the lingerie section of a department store around the holidays. Ren had seen such things before, though only in passing, and he had never imagined he would see it on Kyoko.
There was something provocative about the ensemble. If someone had handed Kyoko a riding crop at that moment, it would not have seemed at all out of place.
Ren realized he was staring and shook himself. He now understood what Yashiro had said. This was terrible. He had to stop it.
He had to get a closer look.
Ren approached the young woman, who was at that moment dealing with an older man who did not seem to know where to look.
"Here you go," Kyoko was saying. She smiled cheerfully and handed a white box to the flustered man before her. The man fixed his eyes on a nearby window and thanked her, blushing profusely. He rushed off, and Kyoko watched him in concern.
Is there a cold going around? Everyone's faces are so red today...she thought.
She caught sight of Ren, who was standing a short distance away. Her face lit up.
"Tsuruga-san! How are you today?" Kyoko asked. She began to bow, and Ren closed his eyes.
"Hello, Mogami-san. I'm fine. And you?" Ren asked. His voice was strained.
"Are you sure?" He heard Kyoko say. "You look flushed. Have you been taking care of yourself properly?"
He knew that if he opened his eyes, Kyoko would be looking up at him in that concerned way of hers, looking far more innocent than anyone in such an outfit should be allowed. The last thing he needed to think about right now was Kyoko trying to play nurse for him. The mere thought made him shiver.
"Tsuruga-san? " He heard her voice very close and, against his better judgement, opened his eyes.
Several thoughts went through Ren's head, few of them suitable for innocent minds.
One of the least objectionable was: Please put some clothes on.
The next: When I find the president, he will probably be expecting me.
And the last, the one Ren decided would be best for addressing the young girl before him, was:
"Aren't you cold, Mogami-san?"
Kyoko looked at him, her expression surprised, and glanced at herself.
"Now that you mention it, this outfit did take a bit of getting used to," she said, smoothing her skirt as she spoke. "I'd prefer something a little more modest, but there's not much I can do about it."
"Is this Love Me work?" Ren asked. Like the man before him, Ren found it easier to look at something else while he spoke to the girl. Anything, it turned out, except the floor. That had been polished to a mirror-shine, and it reflected far too much for Ren's comfort.
The same was true for the window behind Kyoko. It provided an excellent view of Kyoko's...behind.
Kyoko did not notice Ren's distraction. She was still very self-conscious, however, and fidgeted as she spoke.
"Ah, yes. The president asked me to pass out Christmas cakes to the employees. It seems to be a very popular promotion," Kyoko said. She tugged at her hem once more and began to play with her hair.
Ren watched her out of the corner of his eye and found her too cute for words. Anyone passing by might have thought they made quite the couple, two people standing bashfully before each other and looking at anything but the other person. Ren looked at the ceiling and said, "Have you seen Yashiro-san today, by any chance? He told me I might find you here."
Kyoko gave a jolt and looked up.
"Yes, Yashiro-san was here," she said. She frowned. "He seemed upset. He asked what I was doing, and when I told him, he got very excited. He ran off in a hurry, saying he had to make a call right away. It was very strange."
Ren turned to look at her. Kyoko went on.
"I gave him a cake before he left. He seemed to need it. I hope he's okay..."
She trailed off and stared at the floor, her face worried. Ren watched her, his thoughts a mixture of amusement and suspicion.
Did you now? Ren thought. He didn't mention that...
"What will you be doing for the rest of today, Mogami-san?" he asked suddenly.
Kyoko looked up, curious as to why he was interested in her schedule.
"When I'm done here, the president wants me to go help out at some of the bakeries in the area. Then I'm going home to help with the evening rush," Kyoko said.
Ren's face, set into a pleasant and open expression, did not falter.
"And when are you going to change?" he asked lightly. Kyoko blinked at him.
"Change? I'm not going to change. I'm supposed to wear this while I'm working," she replied.
She did not see it, but something in Ren snapped. He smiled at her in his most blinding way. Kyoko stiffened.
"I see. Would you like a ride, then?" Ren said kindly. At least, he sounded kind.
"A ride? W-why?" Kyoko asked. She subconsciously leaned back from the man before her.
Ren did not miss a beat.
"It's very cold outside, Mogami-san," he said. "Surely you don't mean to walk around Tokyo in the middle of December in such an...inconvenient outfit?"
Kyoko allowed herself to relax slightly. He was just worried about her. Probably he thought she was acting in a way that was not appropriate for a young actress.
"Well...you're probably right. If it's no imposition..." she said slowly, not wanting to sound too eager. Surely he had better things to do than drive her around all day. He was only being polite...
Ren smiled at her again, and this time it was genuine.
"It's no such thing, Mogami-san," he said warmly. "How long will you be working here?"
"Oh!" Kyoko looked as if she'd just remembered something. "I forgot! I'll go check! Please wait here."
She made a bow, causing Ren to nearly lose his composure. Then she turned and ran into the restaurant. Ren watched her go.
How does she manage to run in those? he thought. I don't understand women...
That's the first chapter! With any luck, the next one will be up tomorrow. Lots of misadventures with Ren and Kyoko, a special appearance by a person who frequents Santa's Naughty List (some people like that about him, though), and some of the calamity that was mentioned in the summary.
On an aside: including a refererence to The Night Before Christmas in a Christmas fic is almost irresistible. Add in Lory's madness and you just can't avoid it. I've got a whole other story going that pretty much revolves around the poem, but I don't know if I want to post it. It's just silly...