I don't own skip beat, obviously :p

enjoy the fanfiction

'Why is he angry? What could I have done to anger him this time?!' Kyoko stressed as her grudge demons started to seek out the negative energy hungrily. There just hadn't been enough fuel for them lately. This man was the source of their doom, as well as their salvation.

"Why are you asking to learn about seduction, Mogami-san?" Ren asked, his sparkles blinding her.

"No, that..." she whimpered and shivered like a small animal, the source of her unease slowly easing a bit as he watched her. Even with him toning back his sparkling smile, she could still feel his displeasure, bubbling just under the surface. "I... Mok... K-Kanae-chan and I were just talking about the kinds of rolls we would likely be asked to perform in the future. It came up that seduction is an important skill as well, but then she refused to explain how one does that." she lied, quickly trying to squirm out of the situation. Kanae looked back at her, eyes flashing accusingly. The older girl had never heard such a blatant lie come from the girl's mouth, and with a relatively convincing expression to boot. The auburn-haired girl looked shy and unsure, easily convincing when coupled with the topic. Oh, she was not going to forget this.

"I see...," Ren spoke thoughtfully. Kanae's eyes snapped back over to the man, unable to stop the feeling of annoyance coursing through her like fire. Even when wanting to support Kyoko and her decisions, she just couldn't get past her feelings of wanting to gloat and brag and show her superiority when it came to her friend.

"Mo, let's go already. I'll at least help you get the basic understanding." she said, grabbing Kyoko's wrist and pulling her along as they left the two shocked men standing in the hallway.

"Really?! Thank you so much, Moko-san!" Kyoko cried out gleefully.

Yashiro looked to Ren nervously, unable to stop his mind from making all kinds of insinuations from that conversation.

"Don't, Yukihito." Ren warned in a deep voice, as soon as the manager's mouth opened.

"But... you don't suppose those two-..." he snapped his mouth shut with an "Eep!" When Ren send a side-long glare at the man. Satisfied that the other man had been effectively shut down for the time being, Ren turned and headed for the next location, Yashiro dutifully following behind with only a small glance back to where the girls had disappeared.

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"Why are we watching a high school drama?" Kyoko asked, frowning lightly. Wasn't this the president's hobby? Was he rubbing off on Moko-chan? Would she be next?!

"Because this is the fastest way I could think of showing you how to act seductive. There's lots of different ways for a girl to be flirty and seductive, but those different kinds match specific character types. Seduction is like a game of wit. You need to know how and when to move to heighten your chances of being noticed and desired." She explained while Kyoko nodded in understanding. That might be how Morizumi Kimiko had snagged Tsuruga-san's interest! Kyoko paused before wilting a bit at that thought.

"Do you think it's wrong?" Kyoko asked with an uncertain frown.

"What?"

"Playing a game of seduction, isn't it just playing with other people's emotions? I don't want to stoop to the same level as that girl, manipulating Tsuruga-san into liking her. It seems so fickle."

"Tsk, haven't you heard the term 'All's fair in Love and War'? That girl already moved on to a new target. If that guy really even had any feelings for her, you would be doing him a favor, wouldn't you? Do I need to put it into fairy-tail terms for you or something?" Kyoko looked to Kanae with curiosity and the older girl groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Fine! Imagine he's some... I don't know, a prince or something that's been tricked off his path by some conniving witch. If you want him back on the path of clarity and direction, you have to be the one to do it, otherwise he'll be wandering around in the dark forest for who knows how long. Happy?" Kyoko clasped her hands together as she looked to Kanae with adoration and admiration.

"Moko-san, that was beautiful!" she cried from being so touched. Kanae huffed and motioned to the screen with the drama playing.

"Whatever. The point is, he's wandering around aimlessly by himself, and you want him. So just take him before some other witch comes along! The great think about flirting and seduction, is that you don't have to outright give away your intentions. You leave your target guessing and hoping. You need to find the right form of seduction for your character's personality, though. Too strong, and he'll think you're messing with him. Too soft, and it won't convey the message you want." Kanae explains before pausing the scene. "This character here is using a stronger form of seduction. Touches, those little glances and tiny smiles. chewing her lip to draw attention to it, widening her eyes when she looks at him to make them seem bigger and more innocent. It's very blatant. She's deliberately acting cute, but also staying secretive and deliberately acting oblivious when asked something directly, trying to stay mysterious and leave her target curious and hoping. This doesn't really fit you, but you can take a couple little things from it. Do tiny gestures to draw attention to your good points. You can draw attention to your mouth by biting it a little or wetting them with your tongue. Some characters use candy to that effect, usually lollipops. Guys go crazy over lollipops." Kanae rolled her eyes at that.

"I don't think Tsuruga-san cares for sweets much, Moko-san." Kyoko says uncertainly. She had never asked him directly, but he just hadn't struck her as the type. Maybe it was his physique. You couldn't take in a lot of excess sugar if you wanted to stay so perfectly fit like that.

"What? No! It's not for them to eat! Guys like it because...," did she really have to explain this? One look at Kyoko's innocent expression and Kanae sighed as she resigned herself to her fate. This is what she got for offering up her time and home for 'Girl talk' and 'sleepovers'. "The tongue, the TOUNGUE, woman! Guys like to see a girl using her tongue!" Kyoko scrunched up her nose as she frowned.

"Why?"

"UGH! Really! Why do I have to explain this kind of thing to you? Sex, it makes them think about sex. Men are easily influenced by sexual desires! 'Thinking with the wrong head' and all that!"

"The wrong head?"

"You know what? Forget it. This kind of thing isn't suited for your kind of personality, anyway. You're such an innocent type that... Actually no... That... that might work!" Kanae's face slowly adopted a somewhat sadistic smirk, laughing darkly. It was perfect. Kyoko would get to attempt seduction, all while undoubtedly torturing that man. She almost wished she could see it play out. Almost! "Kyoko!" Kanae whipped around and grabbed the younger girl's shoulders with almost a bit of urgency.

"Y-yes?"

"This is something you should ask Tsuruga Ren directly!" Kyoko's face went red as her eyes widened in horror.

"What?! I couldn't do that! It would be too embarrassing!" The smirk on Kanae's face widened.

"You might think it would be embarrassing for you, but I bet you anything that man will be far more embarrassed than you. Don't you want to see him squirm? He might even blush and stutter!"

"Tsuruga-san wouldn't-"

"Any man would! Even fathers have difficulty when asked something on this topic from their daughters. The embarrassment and uncertainty is only enhanced when it's someone closer to your age! Don't you want to see how he would react?" Kanae was chuckling darkly again, but Kyoko was too lost in her thoughts to notice or care. She wanted answers, and... it would be interesting to see how Tsuruga-san would act in response to such questions. Slowly, she nodded her agreement.

"Alright, I'll try it."

"Great!" Now she had fulfilled her best friend duty as consultant, AND she didn't have to explain such embarrassing topics! Ah, she was such a genius sometimes.

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Why did she have to say that she would do this?! Kyoko had managed to arrange a day she could make dinner for Tsuruga-san under her go-to excuse of wanting advice on something -making sure not to say what exactly- but with the night getting later and the dinner almost ready, she was getting more and more unsure of herself.

"So, Mogami-san, what was it you wanted to ask me about?" Ren asked pleasantly as the sat down at the table to eat in the living room. Kyoko fidgeted in her spot timidly as she poked at her food.

"Well... I was talking to Moko-er... Kanae-chan last week, and she brought up a lot of things I didn't quite understand. She didn't really explain it well, so I'm still really confused, and I thought that maybe you could help me understand it better." she says a bit vaguely. Ren hummed and nodded his understanding.

"Of course, Mogami-san, I'm always happy to help if I'm able." he says, happy to be someone she felt she could confide in and come to for advice.

"What does it mean when people say men think with the wrong head?" Ren spat out the water he had been drinking, silence falling as Kyoko stared with wide eyes at her frozen mentor. She had never thought she would see an actual spit take in real life, and yet here she was. Ren didn't move for a solid two minutes before his glass hit the table with a 'thunk' and he turned a wide-eyed gaze to her. Kyoko blinked, curious at the faint blush that was slowly growing on his cheeks. 'Wow,' she thought, 'what a cute expression.'

"M-Mogami-san," Ren cleared his throat quickly, but she had already heard how unsteady his voice had been, "That... Why do you need to know such a thing?" She watched him with a mixture of curiosity and awe. She was glad Moko had convinced her to ask Tsuruga-san. The sight before her... this was a side of him she still had never seen before now.

"Well, Kanae-san said that there were characters that use candy and such, like lollipops, to draw the eye to their mouths and tongues to make them look more sexy and sensual. Something about it reminding men of sex." she said thoughtfully, plowing ahead with the plan in hopes of seeing more interesting reactions, even though she could feel her own face heating up in embarrassment at the topic. Ren wasn't even drinking this time, but he starting having a coughing fit anyway. "Eh?! Tsuruga-san, are you okay?" she quickly rushed over to him, patting his back quickly. "Are you choking?" He quickly held up a hand and shook his head in response before resting his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. Kyoko blinked and hunched over in an attempt to look up at him, staring with surprise and silent glee as she saw that the man was a vibrant red.

"And... Why are you coming to ask me these things, Mogami-san?" he asked, his voice muffled by his hands as he desperately tried to plow forward.

"Well, because we had been talking about how men work. Not only is Tsuruga-san a man, but has a vast amount of wisdom, right?" She didn't want to throw her friend under the bus and say Moko had suggested it, and she certainly didn't want to admit she had agreed simply due to the promise that she would get to see something interesting of Tsuruga-san. A heavy sigh spilled from the man and Kyoko started to worry that perhaps this hadn't been a good idea after all. He seemed quite troubled by the topic, actually. Just as she was about to apologize for bringing up the topic, Ren slowly lifted his head and smoothed back his hair, showing a somewhat more tame blush while his eyes found a strange interest in the ceiling. Kyoko marveled at how quickly he had managed to control his face from that bright blush, though she could still see hints of it brushing his cheeks.

"Those things... are a bit of a mature topic, Mogami-san." he said uncertainly. Kyoko frowned lightly.

"Could it be that Tsuruga-san is seeing me as a child?" She asked, sounding a bit displeased. And she was. No girl wanted to be seen as a child by the guy she liked. She wanted to be seen as a woman. Ren looked at her with shock.

"No, I didn't..." he stopped for a moment. He somewhat had, hadn't he? "You're only a high school student." he explained, the excuse sounding flimsy even to him. High school was far past the time that a lot of teens started to grow curious of the mature world. Hell, he had learned of these things in his early years of middle school. Kyoko... she was so innocent and ignorant, but perhaps that was a consequence of her isolation. Her father had been absent, and Ren would be downright surprised if Kyoko's mother had bothered to teach her anything, let alone give 'the talk'. The bastard's parents might have taken on the responsibility of caring for her, but that didn't mean they would explain things like puberty and sex to her. He didn't even know if Japanese households discussed that topic with their children. Was that just an American thing? He didn't know. It was certainly more likely to have been talked about among peers in private... which Ren realized she also did not have a lot of interaction in. Damn it, why couldn't Kotonami-san have just explained everything properly? Ren let out another heavy sigh as he rested his chin in his propped up hand this time. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you, Mogami-san. I was just taken a bit off guard. You really want to hear about something like this from me?" he asked, looking to the girl. As if to further torture him, she bit her bottom lip softly and nodded. God, he really must be cursed by all the fates. Ren ran a hand over his face in an attempt to bid his time and sooth his nerves a bit. "Alright, where to start. Yes, men are often swayed easily by sexual desires. A lot of women use this to their advantage by doing things to trigger that desire, raising their popularity or manipulating men into doing what they want. Men sometimes do these kinds of things too, but usually they have different methods than women on how they manipulate and seduce. It's essentially the more primal part of seeking out partners, like how animals in the wild use different tactics to attract a mate and ensure the survival of their species. Humans have such a high population that extinction is highly improbable, but I think now it's become something more centered on our desire for companionship. Even with so many people in the world, it's still surprisingly easy for someone to feel lonely." He explained, a somewhat pained look flashing in his eyes for a moment. Kyoko hummed lightly as she thought on that.

"Lonely in a crowded room. I think I understand that." she muses. Ran smiled lightly at her as he nodded his agreement. "So then, what does 'thinking with the wrong head' mean? I know based off of context that it's referring to boys, but I don't really understand it." Ren's chin slipped out of his hand and he face planted onto the table. 'This girl is going to be the death of me'. He thought mournfully. "Ts-Tsuruga-san?" she called out nervously. A thousand-year-sigh poured from his lips and Kyoko seriously started to worry. He seemed to be doing that a lot tonight.

"Mogami-san..."

"Y-Yes!" she answered nervously when he tapered off, still not lifting his head from the table. This was very amusing to see her senior like this, but she really was starting to grow worried. Was this a really difficult topic after all?

"Do you know what the difference between a male and female?" Kyoko blinked in confusion.

"Well... I know that they have different reproductive organs." she says slowly, feeling a bit embarrassed to discuss such private things with a man. With Moko-san, it would be a simple discussion. With Tsuruga-san... she found her eyes trailing down to a less appropriate place. She hadn't really spent a lot of time thinking about those things in the past, but she had the basic knowledge that anyone her age would understand. Male mammals had testis and a penis. Female mammals had breasts, a womb, ovaries, and all that really embarrassing stuff down there. Even middle school kids knew how to tell the difference between a boy and a girl dog, which was obviously not so different from any other animal, including humans.

"To put it simply," Ren was still seeking from the table, refusing to lift his head. Kyoko was grateful that he hadn't seen how she was leering at him indecently. "Men have a penis... the tip of the penis is called the head. When referring to a man thinking with the wrong head, you are stating that he is thinking with his sexual urges and desire to f... to have sex rather than with his logic and reasoning. Does that make sense?" His voice sounded a bit shaky. Kyoko couldn't even get her own voice out. It was like something was stuck in her throat. Ren finally shifted his head to look at her, still resting it on the table as he observed her beet red face. He chuckled softly and her eyes snapped over to glare at him. She couldn't stay mad at him, though, not when he looked so cute with his own red cheeks and that precious smile. Her grudges cowered from the warmth of his smile, but Kyoko basked in it, offering her own tiny smile in return.

"I guess I've brought up a really strange subject." she says timidly. Ren let out another chuckle, one Kyoko now recognized was one of joy instead of teasing.

"Well, I wouldn't really call it strange. Most people become curious about these things sooner or later. It's a bit uncommon for someone to have so little understanding at your age, but I doubt that's your fault. I... I'm happy to help you with anything you don't understand, even if it's a more embarrassing topic like this." 'I would rather she come to me than go asking some other man.' he thinks with determination. Kotonami Kanae and other girls were one thing, but things that needed male insight were best brought to him, he decided.

The two soon settled back at their plates, the food a little cold now, but they hardly noticed as their minds swam with the conversation. Ren eventually turned on the tv to combat the silence, but all it did was allow more room for the both of them to stay quiet with their thoughts.

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"And then?" Kanae prompted, smoothing out the facial mask for the beauty routine they were trying together at the little sleepover.

"Then we pretty much ate without saying a word to one another. Tsuruga-san had to turn on the television just to give the room some white noise until we managed to pick up some small talk about our jobs." Kyoko stated with a huff, her face feeling warm from recounting the whole ordeal to her friend. She had been really excited when Kanae offered to have her over for a sleep-over so they could have another one of their "girl talks", but so far it had mostly been the older girl inquiring on how her attempt to seduce Tsuruga-san with her innocence had gone. Kanae had gotten an amused smirk on her face more than a couple times while being told the story, even letting out a laugh here and there. What was so funny about her awkward situation anyway? "Moko-san, I admit that it was really fun seeing how Tsuruga-san reacted, and I'm happy to have gotten to see such cute faces on him, but how exactly is this seducing?" Kyoko asked with a frown. Kanae huffed and waved her hand flippantly.

"One tactic of seduction is innocence. It's usually a really annoying and cheep tactic, but for you... I guess it's more accurate to say you're sheltered instead of cutesy, so you can get away with it without it being annoying and fake. Lots of men go for that kind of thing. It stirs the manly desire to protect or something." she rolled her eyes at that. Really, what a lame and cliche trope. Even so, it stemmed from some kind of truth.

"Do you think Tsuruga-san likes that kind of thing?" Kyoko asked. It did somewhat fall in line with the tactics she heard Kimiko used to try and appeal to men. She didn't really like the idea of following in that vile girl's footsteps, but if that was the kind of thing Tsuruga-san was in to... She shook her head quickly. "I don't think I should do this kind of thing, Moko-san."

"What do you mean?"

"Like... I think it's wrong to act like a different person just to capture his attention. If I'm going to have him, I want him to want me for me." Kyoko said sadly. Kanae huffed in annoyance.

"Mo, that's why we went with this way. Did you have to act like a different person for this?" Kyoko stared at the still unopened script in her hands for a moment before shaking her head.

"I had to push myself a little in some parts, but I didn't try to act like a different person or anything."

"See? I'm not telling you to be someone you're not for the sake of love and all that bull-shit. We're strategizing and using your strengths for the pursuit of your desires. As for Tsuruga Ren's interests, I'm sure he'll be thinking about that conversation for months." She grinned mischievously. Who knew that helping her friend pursue a love interest could be so sadistically fun against the man in question? "We should start planning our next attack so he can't recover fully. We'll keep hitting him with out tactics until he'll have no choice but to beg for your affections." Kanae chuckled that dark chuckle of hers while Kyoko lightly picked at the edges of her face mask. Hadn't these been on for long enough already?

Mwahaha, this was really fun to write. My favorite pictures are when Ren gets absolutely stunned by Kyoko.

I'm pretty sure cursing warrants the rating to be Teen and up, but I'm not really sure if their conversation passed a boundary with that. I don't think this really warrants a mature ranking, but... some people might be sensitive to the word penis or something? I don't really know. I started exploring a curiosity in these kinds of things from a young age, and it's not like they actually DID anything. I think this is the kind of understanding conversation I would have liked growing up. Curiosity is natural, and I don't think people should have to feel ashamed of things that are natural...

Sex-ed is important. Hope the technical terms didn't make this too boring.