Spoilers for chapter 160.

Kanae sighed with exasperation as Kyoko squealed at the sight of the ryokan, clapping her hands in excitement.

"It's just an inn," the dark-haired girl grumbled, shouldering her bag as they waited for the rest of the cast of Box R to catch up. "I thought you grew up in one?"

"Yes, but I haven't been to an onsen since the filming of Dark Moon!" Kyoko said, her eyes shining with the light of enthusiasm. "It's going to be so relaxing! And with Moko-san here, it's bound to be even better!"

Kanae grumbled a bit more and hurried up to the inn to hide the smile she felt lurking behind her characteristic scowl. She really did owe Kyoko, however. The female cast of the Box R drama was celebrating with a day trip to the ryokan. Kanae, of course, wasn't in the cast, but Kyoko had extended the invitation and the director had agreed.

One of the older girls was taking charge as they filed in and removed their shoes. She spoke to the proprietor and turned to the assembled young women who were donning house slippers.

"Toshiro-san says our rooms are ready. I don't know about you, but I want to drop off my things and have a nice long soak."

The girls agreed with enthusiasm.

Kyoko turned wide, gleaming eyes to Kanae.

"Moko-saaan, will you be my roommate?"

"Why do you have to ask such a question as if proposing marriage?" Kanae scowled, but remembered that she owed Kyoko and assented. She didn't even push Kyoko away when the other girl launched at her with one of her rugby-style hugs.

#

The girls noisily entered the washroom in the yukatas provided by the ryokan. Kanae was already showering off in one of the open stalls, her back to the chattering girls. Perhaps feeling that she'd let Kyoko have too much affection, Kanae had hurried through unpacking and had left their room before Kyoko had a chance to even put her bags down.

Kyoko smiled happily and chose the stall next to Kanae's, folding her yukata and placing it in the basket provided. Kyoko scrubbed and hummed, glad to have a break from work. As much as she'd come to love acting, it was nice to be able to be herself for a little bit. She'd come straight from Mio into Natsu and then playing Setsu at the same time. She had no idea how draining it could be. How did Tsuruga-san do it? He constantly had two or more jobs going on at the same time. And even now as Cain Heel he was playing a role within a role. She sighed, using a brush to scrub her feet. Tsuruga-san was so much above her. Maybe someday she'd be able to act on the same level as he. But getting to act opposite him as Setsu was almost as good. She smiled as she remembered the last time they'd been on set together. Their act was deepening. They shared smirks and glances like real siblings would. The fact that this seemed to enrage Murasame-san was an added bonus.

Kyoko shook her head. She didn't come to an onsen just to think about work. She wouldn't think of acting, of Setsu, or Tsuruga-san. Tonight was about relaxation to the extreme!

"Senpai, is there a reason you're posing like a superhero?"

Chiori's curious voice broke Kyoko out of her reverie and she realized that she'd been brandishing the showerhead like a sword with her other hand fisted on her hip.

"Nope! I'm just excited about the onsen," Kyoko said with a grin, refusing to even get depressed by how big the other girl's breasts were. Plain and no sex appeal, a small inner Shotaro-voice hissed before she ruthlessly squashed it.

The Box R girls and Kanae filed out of the washroom, towels slung over their shoulders, or already folded on their heads. The hot water springs were artfully created pools of stone with a privacy lattice overhead and a high wooded fence on the left that separated the women's bathing area from the men's.

Kyoko eased into the steaming water with a sigh of satisfaction, sinking lower and lower until her chin just touched the surface of the water. The hot water seeped into her skin, loosening tense muscles she didn't even know she had. Even Kanae seemed relaxed, that little furrow between her brows smoothed out for the first time since Kyoko had known her.

Talk among the girls was quiet at first, as they all adjusted to to the water and enjoyed simply soaking it in.

Setsu would enjoy this, Kyoko thought absently, eyes closed. She kind of likes the finer things and nii-san no doubt would pay for it if she asked. She could imagine the proprietor's nervousness if the Heel siblings showed up at the door and grinned to herself. Of course, they were the type of weird siblings who would go to one of the rural traditional onsen that had mixed bathing...

Kyoko's eyes snapped open. The heat of the water was suddenly overwhelming.

"Mogami-san, are you okay? Your face is really red," Chiori said, coming close to peer at her.

"I'm fine. J-just fine. I, uh..."

"It's a hot water spring," Kanae said in a dry voice, not even bothering to open her eyes. "of course her face is red."

"I thought she might have heard us talking about a new star," Chiori said with a small smile. "He's from a different agency, but Keiko-san says he's really cute."

"Murasame-kun!" sighed the aforementioned Keiko, fanning herself dramatically as she leaned against the edge of the pool. "I love that bad-boy aura."

Kyoko snorted before she stop herself.

Keiko gave her a suspicious glance. "What was that for?"

"He's a cheese-brain," Setsu said. Kyoko clapped a hand over her mouth. This was the second time Setsu's character had interfered with her. She really needed to get a better grip on that girl! Of course, she had sorta been in Setsu-mode just then... thinking about what nii-san would do at an onsen...

Keiko looked enraged, but Chiori merely curious. "Have you met Murasame-san, senpai?"

"No, of course not," Kyoko said, thinking rapidly. She couldn't tell the truth. The "dangerous mission" was an absolute secret! "I... I just heard... gossip, is all... when... when I was filming a PV." She clamped her mouth shut before she mentioned Shotaro. But the PV was the best explanation. None of the girls here had any connection to it and wouldn't be able to contradict her. She hoped the other girls would let it go, but Kanae was eyeing her with suspicion.

"Speaking of Murasame-san..." said a giggling voice, "I think he's here!"

The girls all gasped and squealed in alternating voices of excitement and shock. The girl who had spoken was Hinata, a buxom girl who was currently by the wooden fence, peering at something.

"Are you... are you peeping at the men?" Keiko gasped, face red.

Hinata grinned. "I didn't intend to, but this knot on the fence just popped out and I accidentally looked ..." She made a show of gazing the small hole and made a noise of appreciation. "Hmm. Murasame-san sure has a nice back... among other things."

With nervous giggles, Keiko and a number of the other girls clambered out, crowding around Hinata's spot at the fence.

"Of all the fool things," Kanae growled, fingering the towel on top of her head. "Don't they know that a hole looks both ways?" She stood. "I'm going to tell the proprietor so they can repair it."

"I don't think that's Murasame-kun," Keiko said, sounding disappointed.

"Yeah, that looks more like Tsuruga Ren to me," said Chiori. "And... yeah, there's Yashiro-san, his manager."

Kanae froze, turning to look back at Kyoko. She wasn't the only one. Most everyone at L.M.E. knew the that she was close to Tsuruga Ren, though most were too polite to ask her directly about it. But Kanae could see the other girls' faces lighten with expectation. As for Kyoko, her face twisted as she tried to adapt an expression of supreme nonchalance. Then something switched and her expression changed as if she'd donned a mask. Kanae, who knew her better than the other girls, saw Kyoko's character face come on. She'd retreated into a Natsu or something to deal with the curious gazes of the other girls.

"Aren't you going to come look at your senpai, Kyoko-san?" called Hinata with a giggle.

"Why should I? I came to relax, not play peeping Tom." Kyoko said in a unconcerned voice, drifting her fingers in the water, and suddenly seeming a lot more relaxed than she had a moment before.

"Because he's hot, that's why," Hinata said with a grin, tilting her head. "You know, I'm sure I've caught you looking at him funny during a shoot. I'm surprised you don't want to come over here and take a peek."

Kyoko gave her a bored look. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

In the silence that followed, Kanae lunged at Kyoko just in time. The shouts and demands for explanations descended on them as Kyoko, face rapidly melting into her typical "what in the world did I do?!" expression, followed Kanae at a near run into the washroom, slamming the door against the shrieks from outside.

An inn attendant in the washroom looked scandalized at all the noise. Kanae offered a short, apologetic bow, and dragged Kyoko to their baskets, draping a yukata around her friend's shaking shoulders.

"What did I do? What did I do?" she moaned under her breath. "He's going to kill me and then resurrect me so he can kill me again. I'm going to be a zombie! Twice!"

Kanae grabbed her own robe, tied it around her waist with an impatient motion and pulled Kyoko back to their room, the short-haired girl still moaning the whole way.

"You," Kanae said, as she shut the sliding door, and turned to face the trembling Kyoko, "have a lot of explaining to do."

"B-but, M-Moko-san..."

Kanae held up a hand and the other girl fell silent, her face fearful. "First, though, we gotta come up with a good story for what you just did. Because they're going to be coming soon demanding to know what you meant." She tapped her mouth with a finger, pacing as Kyoko immediately sat seiza, looking up with wide eyes as if Kanae was her angelic rescuer.

"I got it," she said, snapping her fingers. "There's that one scene in Dark Moon. Katsuki is shirtless when Mizuki stumbles into the room, right?"

Kyoko frowned. "Yes... but Mio wasn't in that scene. I don't even think I was on set the day that was filmed."

"Doesn't matter," Kanae said, waving a dismissive hand. "Those hyenas won't know that."

Kyoko's expression cleared. "Ah, so I can just pretend that's what I meant." She looked relieved.

Kanae cocked her head, hearing footsteps coming their direction. "They're coming. Better get your game face on."

Kyoko nodded, spine straightening and looking determined as the flood of girls came chattering in.

#

"Glad that's over with," Kyoko said, swiping the back of her wrist over her forehead. She'd literally broken out in sweat at the girls' interrogation. But she'd done well. With a nervous laugh, she'd told the wide-eyed girls about the shirtless Katsuki scene and that seemed to satisfy most of them. Only Hinata looked suspicious, but she didn't say anything and left with the rest of them to their respective rooms.

Kyoko stood only to see Kanae looking at her speculatively.

"What?" the other girl asked, biting her lip.

"You've actually seen Tsuruga-san naked?"

"I didn't mean to!" she wailed, covering her crimson face with her hands. "But I didn't look anywhere except his face I swear, and... Moko-san why are you laughing?"

Kanae wiped away genuine tears of mirth. "Because," she gasped, "you are the only fool woman in the entire world who would walk in on Tsuruga Ren naked and only look at his face."