Chapter 4

Shotaro Fuwa was seething with anger. Who did this Yakuza looking pinhead think he was... putting his hand on the small of his property's back? Kyoko was his! Who did she think she was... going around with this guy and that pinhead actor? He was definitely going to get some answers.

"Oi Kyoko!" Sho yelled as he approached Kyoko and her manager from behind.

She ignored him and continued her conversation with Ken'Ichi.

"Oi! You plain woman! Listen to me when I talk to you!" He growled and reached to force her to turn to him.

Ken'Ichi grabbed Sho's wrist and wrenched his arm behind his back. "Takarada-sama... What would you like for me to do with this person?"

"What the hell Kyoko? Who is this guy?" Sho winced in pain.

Kyoko sighed. "Moto-san, please... no sama... and please let Sho go."

"Are you sure Takarada-san?" Ken'Ichi confirmed.

"Yes and please... It's Kyouko." She smiled gently. This was going to take some getting used to.

"As you wish Kyouko." Ken'Ichi released him and stood close to Kyoko to be sure Sho didn't try anything. He had been briefed by Lory on Kyoko's stalker problems and Sho fit into that category.

Kyoko sighed again. "What do you want Sho?"

"Who is he?" Sho snarled.

"He's my manager." Kyoko answered dispassionately.

"Why did he call you Takarada-san?" He was now confused.

"None of your business." She answered then turned to leave.

"Oi! I'm not done with you!" He yelled.

She turned back and shook her head with a bored look. She was now channeling a bit of Natsu and Setsuka as she checked her nails and cocked her hip with her other hand resting on it. "I'm done with you." Kyoko turned and walked away with Ken'Ichi following her to continue their discussion on the way back to her new modeling shoot.

Sho stood in the middle of the hallway wondering just what the heck happened. I thought she had a thing for that pinhead actor. He totally missed the fact that Ken'Ichi was her manager and focused on the way the young man had been completely engrossed in Kyoko's every word and movement. Sho stomped back to his dressing room and slammed the door behind him so that he could sulk in peace.

The two young men sat in their office. One busily doing paperwork and the other quietly suffering.

Yashiro sighed heavily. "Ren... If it bothers you that much, why not just ask her to dinner?"

Ren narrowed his eyes at Yashiro. "I don't' know what you're talking about Yashiro."

Yashiro scoffed. "You've been moping around for the last few days. It's obvious. Ever since Takarada-san told you Kyoko couldn't come to your apartment. Why not just ask her out to dinner?"

Ren rolled his eyes at him. "Do you honestly think she would go on a date with me? LoveMe girl #1?"

"Ren... You don't have to tell her it's a date. Oh for heaven's sake, why do I even try?" Yashiro commented in frustration as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Look... If you don't call her... I will."

"And what precisely would you say?" Ren ground out. He hated that his pushy manager wouldn't keep his nose out of his love life or, lack thereof.

"I'll just invite her and her manager to dinner with us. That way you won't have to worry about anything scandalous... Alright?" Yashiro laid it out for him as if he were a nervous teen trying to get the popular girl to date him.

Ren huffed. "Fine... You're going to do what you will anyway... I'm going to get some coffee."

"Could you grab me a double espresso?" Yashiro called out to Ren as he left the room.

Ren waved him off as he shut the door and left for the café.

Yashiro's little cell phone danced in vibration as it sat on his desk while he was waiting for Ren to come back with his drink. He lowered his pen, slipped on his gloves and flipped it open. He smiled.

"Hello, Kyoko-chan. How can I help you?" He asked cheerfully.

"Um..I... I'm having a dinner party at my new home tonight and I was wondering if you and Tsuruga-san would like to attend." She asked sheepishly.

Yashiro could barely contain his glee. Surely the President wouldn't forbid them from going to the dinner party. There would be others there. That would make it safe for them... Right? "Of course Kyoko-chan. We would be delighted."

"Wonderful! You and Tsuruga-san can bring dates if you like. My manager is bringing his boyfriend, so I don't have a problem with it." She told him casually.

Yashiro's ears perked at this new information. "Oh no Kyoko-chan... It will be only me and Ren tonight. Ren and I don't have anyone we are dating at the moment." He wanted to make sure that he pointed out that Ren was completely and undeniably unattached to anyone.

"Oh... Okay." She paused. "He still hasn't asked the girl he's in love with out?" She sounded a little down when she said it.

"Huh?" Yashiro was puzzled by this question. He had heard nothing about this. Why would Kyoko know about something like this and not him?

"Oh... Sorry... Forget I said anything about that." She quickly backtracked her statement that was filled with information that only Bo was supposed to know.

"Kyoko-chan... where did you hear something like that?" He asked. He absolutely needed more information.

"Huh? Oh... Um.. Never mind. It's none of my business. See you tonight." She then gave her new address and hung up quickly without giving Yashiro a chance to ask any more questions.

Yashiro was perplexed. Why didn't Ren tell him he already had a girlfriend? The more he thought about it the angrier he got at him. Was that why he didn't give Kyoko-chan a White Day gift yet?

Ren walked in just as Yashiro was firmly giving himself a good palm to the face and grumbling about stupid playboy actors and how he was going to make it his mission in life to protect Kyoko-chan's fragile heart.

"Yashiro-san? Did something happen to Mogami-san?" Ren was a bit worried from the little bits and pieces that he had heard.

Yashiro looked up at him with an icy glare. "You dog! How could you dare go near that innocent girl when you already had someone else in mind! I should have known better. Oh my god! This is all my fault!" He ranted.

Ren was in shock. "Yashiro! What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you going after Kyoko-chan when you already have a girlfriend! How could you?!" He ranted indignantly at Ren's feigned, yet not feigned innocence.

"Yashiro! I don't have a girlfriend! Between work, Kyoko and you... I don't have time for it. Why would you think I would date anyone other than her anyway?" He growled.

Yashiro sighed. "She asked us to her house for a dinner party tonight and informed me that we could bring dates. When I told her both of us had no commitments or, significant others... She asked me about the girl you were in love with and if you had asked her out yet."

Ren rolled his eyes, then explained his conversation with his chicken friend Bo and seriously considered a meal of fried chicken later in the week.

"Ren... Why would you confide in a chicken at TBM? Wait! Did you say TBM?" Something in Yashiro's memory clicked.

Ren nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Kyoko-chan has a steady job at TBM." He drew in a sharp breath. "You don't think..."

Ren tightened his lips, furrowed his brow, shook his head and sighed loudly.

"Ren... You really need to fix this. She actually thinks you meant someone else. She's never going to look your way if she believes you belong to someone else." Yashiro warned. "Perhaps that's why she sounded so down when she asked." He pondered.

Ren shook his head. "She doesn't see me that way. It's probably something else."

"Oh? You mean like you giving White Day gifts to every woman other than her?" Yashiro gave him a pointed look. "No not at all. She thinks you have a girlfriend, you tease her and act like you aren't interested, and you pay special attention to every woman, but her on White Day. That couldn't possibly be the reason you've made absolutely no progress whatsoever." He finished grumbling sarcastically. "Were you aware that Hikaru Ishibashi has been trying to court her?"

Ren shot what could be considered a worried look at him. "No..."

"Well he is. I found out when I was trying to discover what she did at TBM. That's also where I heard that you had given out White Day gifts to all the other women that Kyoko-chan feels are more worthy than her to be around you. I honestly didn't know it was that bad..." Yashiro shook his head.

Ren stared at the floor as he plopped down on the small sofa and placed his head in his hands.

"Honestly... I just realized after seeing her research your little co-star from Purple Down, that maybe she really does see you and other men like you in the same light as Sho Fuwa. Men that always have a girl hanging on them for some reason or, another." Yashiro commented.

"I'm not that way..." He hissed.

Yashiro sighed. "I know you aren't but, a picture is worth a thousand words." He told him as he pulled up the blog photo that Kyoko had browsed to on his phone and flashed it to Ren. "Perhaps she believes... You're in love with Kimiko Morizumi..."

Ren looked at him in shock. "You're kidding... Right? She's as bad, if not worse than Erika Koenji." Ren sighed again. I really need to fix this.