Author's Notes: Set in the Dark Moon story arc after vol 13/Act 78/the end of the anime. BL/slash subtext warning. Written for the LJ challenge community fanfic100. "OL" is short for "office lady" and is the Japanese term for a female "suit". Updated 3-25-15 to fix some typos.
A Manager's Devotion, Chapter 1: Passing
"Kyaa! Ren-sama! Tsuruga Ren-sama! Kyaa kyaa!" the crowd of girls and women shrieked as they streamed down both sidewalks after the car. Ren had to stop in the turn lane to wait for an opening in traffic so he could make the right turn into the studio parking garage, and only the oncoming vehicles on either side of the road preventing the fans from swamping the car.
Ren's manager, Yashiro Yukihito, watched the milling throngs of excited women with resigned irritation. "There must be thirty of them lying in wait today! If I ever find out who leaked your car's photo and information to that fan site, I'm going to open a sushi shop to dispose of the body."
Ren made an amused noise. "Leaked or not, the info would have been discovered eventually, Yashiro-san. It doesn't take long for fans to figure out which car is mine. This isn't the first time it's happened."
Both men watched the parking garage's security guards herd the women away from the entrance, just in time for a gap in traffic to appear. Ren made the turn, and when they passed through the divided crowd, Yashiro studied the fans on his side of the car with a pained expression. They were the usual assortment of Harajuku fashion refugees, mom-types, teenagers obviously skipping school, a handful of OLs in skirts and heels, and even a joyfully sobbing man in the back wearing a sparkly electric blue shirt.
The sunlight reflecting off that last one's clothing made Yashiro wince away. With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat and rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. "No, it isn't the first time. But it's definitely the worst so far, thanks to your role as Katsuki in Dark Moon. I think stalker fanatics and the camera cell phones they wield are the bane of my existence. If I could only get my hands on those devious little devices of torment, I'd gleefully fry them all. A preemptive strike!" He raised his hands and studied them, then curled his fingers into claws. His eyes glinted with half-serious malevolence.
At that, Ren laughed and moved his own cell phone from right to left pocket—away from Yashiro, who caught the motion and chuckled.
They claimed a parking slot in the section of the garage reserved for cast. Ren turned off the car's engine and looked over at Yashiro to give him a smile. "Adoring fans are the lifeblood of a celebrity, Yashiro-san. How about you consider their dedication as proof that you're doing your job well?"
Returning the grin, Yashiro climbed out of the car and shut the door with a satisfying thunk. "Then perhaps I've been doing it too well." The grin vanished as the pair walked to the elevators. "It's beginning to interfere with your work, Ren. That is not good."
"No, it isn't," he agreed, the joking tone stripped from his voice.
The elevator arrived with a couple of female passengers from the lower garage level, both OLs. They blushed and bowed when Ren gave them a polite nod as he stepped inside. Yashiro stood between them and his client, watching from the corner of his eye. To his relief, they maintained their professional manner and quietly enjoyed the dashing star's presence with shining eyes and dreamy expressions.
Satisfied, Yashiro focused once more on their car situation. "Frankly, I'm surprised the fans haven't already stalked you to your home. We could use an agency car and driver until the furor dies down. Have it pick you up at your condo in the morning, and me at the usual train station. That way, your personal car could remain safely tucked away."
Ren gave Yashiro a look as they left the elevator.
His manager returned it with a lifted eyebrow. "I know you like your independence, Ren, but there is a larger issue at stake here."
The actor sighed. "Of course, you're right, Yashiro-san. I suppose we need to have my car painted a different color and the license plates changed as well. Again."
"Yes, that's an excellent idea." Yashiro pulled his pen and calendar from inside his suit's breast pocket and made a note. "We can use the agency car while it's being taken care of. I'll make the arrangements today. And once the change is done, you will need to be more cautious about getting in and out of your car in public places, hmm?"
Grinning sheepishly, Ren rubbed the back of his head and exchanged another look with a very stern Yashiro. He ducked his head in apology.
Yashiro nodded. "Good. Let us hope it will be some time before the next—" here he paused and clenched his fists close to his suddenly bright-eyed and blushing face and turned his voice into a fangirly squee— "'Tsuruga-sama's car identified! Kyaaaa!' post to one of your fan sites," he concluded flatly.
Ren gave a rueful laugh. "Okay okay, I really do understand!" He shook his head with amusement. "I'll be more careful, if only to avoid another one of your...ah...enthusiastic impressions."
"As your devoted manager, I will do anything to protect you and your career, Ren." Yashiro sent him an evil smile that crackled with malicious intent. "Even bad kogal impressions."
"Tsuruga-san! Yashiro-san! Good morning!" the cheerful voice piped out over the hum of the makeup room.
The two men looked for the speaker. Yashiro found her sitting in a chair before the lighted mirrors, receiving the finishing touches on her Mio scar.
"Morning, Kyoko-chan!" he called out in greeting with a bright smile, which she returned.
"Good morning, Mogami-san," Tsuruga echoed in his customary formal tone. The girl turned her smile to him.
Yashiro was pleased to see a blush dusting her cheeks.
When they reached Kyoko, an assistant swept the 'Reserved for Tsuruga-kun' sign off the chair next to her so the actor could take his customary seat. His only recently customary seat, thanks to Yashiro's orchestrations. Yashiro caught the assistant's eye and gave her a smile. She also blushed, then quickly moved aside to allow Tsuruga's regular makeup artist, Jelly Woods, begin to work.
Yashiro happily watched Kyoko and Ren talk, Kyoko asking an acting question, and Ren considering for a moment before answering. Kyoko drunk in every word, no doubt adding it to the decorative wall scroll Yashiro fondly imagined she had started. One with the title of 'Wonderful Acting Advice from Tsuruga-san' written with beautiful calligraphy and many decorative ribbons and flowers around the margins. He was disappointed when the girl's earnest blush vanished underneath her pale Mio makeup. He liked seeing evidence of the continued success of his plan.
"Um, Yashiro-san?"
With a start, he turned away from the pleasant scene to find the same assistant as before holding a tray containing coffee pitcher, creamer, sugar, and two mugs—one already filled—out to him.
"Would you like some coffee, Yashiro-san?" Her face was still flushed, and her eyes could only seem to meet his for a moment before they flicked away. "I prepared it for you."
He glanced down at the tray, took the steaming mug, and tried it with a cautious sip. "Thank you, Otani-kun." He paused to smile at her. "You remembered how I take it."
Her face burned red. "I-I thought I did, but that's why I brought over everything. In case I misrememberered," she stumbled out in conclusion, making a mess of the last word.
"I see," then he added with nonchalance, "I'm very glad that was not the case, Otani-kun, as now you can use the empty mug yourself and join me."
Otani's face lit with delight. She quickly retreated back to the small refreshment table and prepared the second mug. She was rather plain, but skillfully applied makeup and the right choices in clothing made her pretty, and she really did have a beautiful smile. Unfortunately, she was a bit clumsy. In her haste to return and stand next to Yashiro, she almost tripped over a low crate of supplies and barely avoided splashing hot coffee on one of her fellow assistants. She recovered self-consciously, quickly bowed, apologized, and stepped with utmost care through the remainder of the distance to join him against the back wall. Yashiro gave her a nod, pretending he hadn't noticed her faux pass, and she ducked her head with a shy smile and busied herself with sipping coffee. She seemed content to giddily stand there, just far enough apart to maintain formality, but close enough that it was obvious they were standing together. Yashiro caught a few exchanged glances between the other makeup artists and assistants in the room when they noticed the very nervous Otani standing next to him.
Yashiro studied his reflection in the bank of mirrors on the opposite wall, where he was visible over the shoulders of still-seated Ren. His suit today was a warm cream. His lightened hair was expertly styled, and the gleaming rims of his glasses gave him that perfect, competent air. Satisfied, Yashiro took another sip of coffee. He was always careful with his appearance, particularly as he was the manager for the increasingly popular Tsuruga Ren. Yashiro was determined to live up to his expected role of cool, elegant efficiency.
He caught Ren's eye in the mirror and gave him a proprietary smile.
Ren returned the smile, then noticed the blushing assistant standing next to him and blinked. Jelly moved then as she worked, temporarily blocking their line of sight. When she was once more out of the way, Ren raised an eyebrow at him.
Yashiro's expression turned a mite smug. He lowered the mug and silently mouthed one word in reply: 'anything.'
After a full day of filming Dark Moon, Yashiro and Ren retraced their steps through the studio to parking garage, where the LME agency car was awaiting them. Yashiro had made arrangements for both transportation and Ren's car via his cell phone—and his usual rubber gloves—while Ren was on the set.
"But we will be using the agency car until a week after the fans thin out," Yashiro concluded. Once they were inside the vehicle and he had given the driver Ren's address, he opened his schedule book and flipped on his overhead reading light. "Speaking of those fans, the fan contest group date night is next Saturday. The restaurant was decided several weeks ago and remains unchanged, and the club venue the President has personally booked is—oh my—Mount Fuji's Trash." Yashiro pushed his glasses up his nose with a slight grimace at the name. "Apparently that's the really hot club at the moment. I suggest you dress for fun, not formal."
"Yes, I suppose a tuxedo would be rather out of place at that particular establishment," Ren agreed dryly from where he sat next to Yashiro on the bench back seat. "Let us hope they have better taste in music than names."
The car reached the parking garage's exit and paused to wait for an opening in traffic. Yashiro looked out the tinted window and saw a hopeful crowd of fans glance up with excitement at the sound of their approach, then visibly wilt when they realized it was not 'Kyaaa! Tsuruga-sama's car!' The fans had gone through an apparent shift change, at least as best as Yashiro could tell. One group of squeeing fans was really like another, and thanks to Ren's popularity, he did see a great number of them. At least the man in the fearfully bright blue shirt was gone.
As Yashiro was turning away from the window, he met the eyes of one of the ubiquitous OLs that seemed to particularly obsess over his client. With a start, he realized she could see him through the tinted windows, due to the combination of lit interior and outer shade cast by the garage's overhanging entrance.
Her eyes widened behind her own glasses, and she raised a hand to her mouth in surprise.
Yashiro only froze for a moment. He recovered, quickly lifted his hand, and held a finger to his lips as he reached up to flick off the light.
The OL blinked, then gave the slightest bow, done with a graceful lowering of eyes and tip of the head. She took a step back and half-turned away from the car, glancing up again as they passed to pull out into the street.
Safe behind the tinted glass, in direct evening sunlight, and with the reading light off, Yashiro studied her. She calmly walked down the sidewalk, pacing them before they accelerated away. In her office suit and heels, with a small black purse and forward-sloping wedge haircut, she was the picture of professionalism. Especially since she maintained her composure and chose not to betray their escape.
For that, Yashiro sent her a silent whisper of thanks.
He positioned his calendar to take advantage of the sunlight that reached the interior of the car through the dark windows and continued, "President Takarada has told me almost all the club attendees that night will be LME plants, to reduce the chance of recognition and 'crazed fangirls ripping your clothing to shreds for better camera shots'." He dropped his voice to say the last of the line in a flawless imitation of their irritated LME President.
Ren had to choke back a laugh.
Yashiro snapped shut his calendar with relish, heartened by their escape and Ren's enjoyment of his latest impersonation. "Perhaps Kyoko-chan will be a plant at the club!" His expression turned catty. "You might even squeeze in a dance with her. Hmmm?"
Ren gave him a pained look. "I seriously doubt that. She's still a minor. And I'll be on a group date with the contest winners. I'll need to spend my time with them."
Yashiro pouted, then brightened. "I'll think of some way to make it happen. You can count on me!"
"Yashiro-san, are you really planning for me to skive off work and spend time with Mogami-san instead?"
"Just for one dance. Like when the group dates go to the bathroom. Women always go to the bathroom together! While they're away, you grab Kyoko-chan and dazzle her on the dance floor!" Eyes sparkling, he clasped his hands together and saw it perfectly with his mind's eye. Ren looking dashing in a leather coat over a tight shirt, Kyoko-chan laughing with delight as Ren spins her around, making her short frilly skirt flare up around her cute legs. Yashiro quivered with anticipation. The pheromones would be high upon the air! Everyone would stop to marvel at the glorious couple!
Ren rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Again with the pushing of Mogami-san and me together." He sighed. "Yashiro-san, if you spent as much time on your own love-life as you do on mine, you'd be married by now."
Eyes hooded and still enjoying his mental vision, Yashiro purred, "I am content with my love-life as it is, Ren."
"Then you have someone? Is it Otani-san?"
Yashiro lost his playful manner. "Ren, you know I would never infringe on someone else's love. Otani-kun has a boyfriend. She told me herself."
With one hand braced on the seat between them, Ren leaned over and looked his manager in the eye. "Then what was that scene in the makeup room this morning?" He, too, had dropped the playful manner.
Voice calm, Yashiro answered, "That was me sharing a coffee break with a cute co-worker. We have an understanding, and part of that understanding is knowing that we are both already taken." He held Ren's close gaze without wavering.
The men stared at each other in silence. Neither blinked nor retreated for a very long and breathless moment.
Ren finally broke the spell. "It's one-sided, isn't it? One-sided on your end. That's why you've never spoken about it to me, as open and engaging as you are."
Yashiro swallowed and turned away to face the front of the car. He silently ordered his heart to stop pounding and didn't trust himself to speak. He felt the bench seat move beneath him as Ren shifted away.
"I'm sorry, Yashiro-san. Your private life is your own. I should not have pried." His voice was solemn and sincere.
With another swallow, Yashiro adjusted his glasses and resumed perusing his calendar. "Don't worry about it, Ren. I know it's silly for me at my age. That's why I'm passing my love on to someone else. It's better for everyone that way."
He sensed Ren was looking at him once more, and when he spoke, Yashiro's brow knitted in pain at the gentle concern that shaded his deep voice.
"Again, I'm sorry, Yashiro-san. But this time it's for your situation. Only sadness can come from one-sided love. And guilt for the one who knows they are loved but cannot return the feeling." Ren sighed. "'Passing your love on'. If that's really what you want, perhaps it is best. To give up and find someone else. Someone who will love you in return."
Yashiro pressed his lips together and did not say a word.