A/N: Alrghty, I believe it's time for another chapter to this fic! I've got some ideas granted from reviews on the last couple chapters, but the best ones are best worked into later chapters, which left me struggling a bit with this one, so it's much, much, much shorter than last chapter...only around 5,000 words. I had a starting point though, so, I went with the flow to see what would happen. I don't have anything major to apologize for this time, I hope. Except that pesky problem of still being on chapter number 24. Guh. I know people are wondering why I don't just catch up via scanlations. The reasons are twofold. Firstly: Scanlation sites, however reputable, seem to give my comp viruses. Therefore, I trust none of them. Second: I prefer to pay for the manga and thus allow the mangaka and the translators to profit from their honest work. And while I could read the manga online and then buy it when it comes out in America, I know myself well enough to know that that probably won't actually happen. I'm a horrible person that way.
Disclaimer: It should stand to reason that I do not own Skip Beat. But just incase you're confused...I don't. Lol.
Chapter 7: A Touch of Flirting
Kanae was, to her own surprise as well as everyone else's, running a tad late for work. Fortunately, she didn't have any actual filming projects scheduled for that day, but that was still no excuse to be so unprofessional! Irately, the talento muttered to herself as she bustled through the doors, storming her way through the building to the LoveMe Section's locker room, "Mo! I can't believe this! How could I have forgotten to make sure my alarm was set!"
It wasn't as though she was incredibly tardy, only about fifteen minutes or so behind schedule, but it was the principle of the matter! It made her look bad! Thus it was that the number two LoveMe girl already found herself in a foul mood as she threw open the door and stomped into the room where she would change into her garish pink coveralls. Of course, no sooner had she entered then she had to sidestep a flying hug from Kyoko, who fell into an unceremonious heap upon the floor in the now vacant doorway.
"Mooookoooo-saaaan~" The younger girl wailed in a mix of relief and lingering concern as she climbed to her feet, tears shimmering in her golden eyes, "I was worried! You never arrive late! After yesterday, I thought maybe-"
A glare from her friend caused her to fall silent, "Don't mention yesterday! Not ever!"
The previous day had been the apology gift debacle. It seemed like an eternity ago, and yet like mere moments ago. Kanae was still bearing the humiliation of the incident, but that would never have kept her from her job. It wasn't as though avoiding work would make the problem disappear. She just had to hope that Glasses-kun would be too busy to attempt to approach her in person.
Proceeding to her locker, she retrieved the gods' awful uniform she was required to wear, and began to change. By the time she was done, she could sense her best friend sitting at the table behind her, watching her back. It was a little creepy, actually. Even though she was pretty sure the rising starlett hadn't watched her change, the fact that she was staring now gave Kanae the willies. Whirling on the younger teen, she snapped, "Mo! What is it?"
"I don't know if I should tell you Moko-san…" Number one voiced in meek honesty. There was something she had wanted to tell her friend, but it had to do with yesterday, and now she didn't know if Moko would want to hear it.
"Just tell me!" The older talento was getting exasperated. Whatever it was, she didn't want Kyoko beating around the bush! If she had something to say, she should just hurry up and say it!
"Well…" Kyoko reached into the pocket of her own pick jumpsuit and withdrew an envelope, which she pushed across the table. While it was slightly rumpled from being in the pocket, it wasn't opened, and the name 'Kotonami-san' was clearly written across the back, "It was on the floor when I came in...I think Yashiro-san pushed it under the door. I didn't want anyone else to find it and open it, so I thought I would keep it safe. I should have let you find it yourself though, it was very inconsiderate of me to take it, gomen!"
Kanae held up a hand to silence her apologies before they could get out of hand as she snatched up the envelope, looking at her name on it, "You're sure it's from Glasses-kun?"
The Dark Moon actress shifted in her seat, "Almost certain. It looks like his handwriting, but I didn't see him leave it…"
The elder talent nodded. She wasn't sure why, but her heart felt like it was beating unusually hard. Surely that couldn't be the effect of the relief she felt over the realization that Yashiro had enough wits about him to not try to speak to her in person about her apology efforts. Wasn't relief supposed to cause you to relax? So why did she suddenly feel more nervous than before?
Realizing that Kyoko was still watching her expectantly, Kanae snapped her gaze away from the envelope to glare at her friend, "Mo! What now?"
"Aren't you going to open it?" The orange haired talent inquired innocently enough, her head canted slightly to the side.
"Not with you watching!" Her fellow LoveMe member bristled in reply, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Who knew what sort of stupid things Glasses had to say in response to her apology. She didn't want Kyoko around to find out what was in the letter! Whipping around so that her back was to her friend, Kanae made an act of putting the envelope in her locker, "Don't you have a sempai to pester or something?"
"Not really…" Kyoko blinked at the question as she replied honestly. She had no real reason to meet with Ren until they left to work on Dark Moon that afternoon. A few moments of thick silence later, it seemed to finally dawn on her that Kanae meant she wanted left alone, "But I think I should probably find a nice, quiet place to review my script!"
With that, the younger teen made her way quickly out of the locker room, shutting the door behind her. As soon as the other was gone, her comrade withdrew the envelope once more, her gaze dancing over the way her name looked upon the back before she flipped it over to peel open the flap. Inside was a piece of lined paper, with a handwritten letter, which struck her as a bit odd, since he had access to a computer and could easily have typed it. Unfolding the paper, she began to read.
Kotonami-san,
I've already apologized for my own lack of tact at our last lunch, so I won't rehash that. I will apologize, however, for avoiding you. It was more out of embarrassment over my own actions than any offense over yours. In honesty, your straightforwardness is admirable. It's also admirable that you were able to admit that I had made a valid point. Tact, like all else, is something learned through experience. It sounds rather cliche, and perhaps being a manager I shouldn't draw such analogies, but tact is like acting, I suppose. Maybe not, but it seems similar to me. This letter isn't to talk about that though, still, if you want to, I would be glad to have the conversation another time.
I also apologize for leaving you to dine with Ren and Kyoko-chan. I imagine it might be awkward since I have made you aware of my efforts to bring them together. Of course, smart as you are, you wouldn't need me to tell you anything about that situation.
My final apology is for worrying people. I should have thought of how my actions would affect others. I didn't mean to worry Ren, Kyoko-chan, or you, Kotonami-san. I greatly appreciate the thought put into your gifts. I do like dogs, so it was nice seeing that you took the time to consider that. The clock was cute, and your explanation for your choice made it all the more so. So thank you.
I would enjoy going to lunch with you again, and would be glad to pay. Even if Ren and Kyoko-chan don't take the opportunity to spend time alone together, it would be nice to have a meal with a friend other than Ren once and awhile. Besides, it would give me the chance to make up for last time, and show my gratitude. Also, it would provide a chance to discuss my theory on tact, if you want. If you have any suggestions for somewhere to eat, feel free to voice them. If not, just let me know what you look for in a restaurant. I'm sure I can find someplace.
Yashiro-san (aka: Glasses-kun)
Kanae stared at the letter as she finished reading it. There was something about the way he had worded it, sprinkling it generously with compliments, calling her admirable not once but twice for instance, that made her feel a strange fluttering sensation. It was almost as though he were attempting to be flirtatious in the way he had written to her. He made a point of offering a future conversation topic along with his compliments, and stating that they could have lunch together even when it wasn't part of a ploy to get Kyoko and Ren together. But at the same time, he'd made sure to call her a friend, and offer legitimate explanations for not needing Ren and Kyoko as an excuse to dine together. Then, he'd made a point of signing not only with his surname, but with the nickname she had given him. What did he really want? She was getting slightly mixed signals from the letter.
Sitting behind his desk, Yashiro's gaze remained focused on the clock that had taken up residence near his rarely used computer, the canine caricature's tail wagging in the streaming sunlight. The manager was a ball of nerves, despite the reassurances of Ren, who had recently left the office.
The previous night the bespectacled man had taken the opportunity to write a reply to Kanae's apology note. He'd thought about approaching her in person, but he wasn't stupid and thus he realized that wouldn't be a good idea. If she'd been uncomfortable enough to flee his office at the idea of him reading her note while she was present, then she certainly wouldn't want to actually talk about it. Writing the letter, though, may have been an equally poor idea in hindsight.
It was ridiculously easy to become overly confident when writing, he now realized. He'd put things down in that letter and sealed them in the envelope without a second thought, only noticing how they might be construed after the message had already been slipped under the LoveMe section's door the next morning. He might have tried to get it back, but he knew Kyoko was already in there. He was comfortable enough with the fact that his charge's crush wouldn't open a letter addressed to her friend, but what he dreaded was Kanae's reaction to the letter upon receiving it. Things had gone from friendly to semi-flirtatious, and he hadn't noticed it until he was replaying the message in his head after it was too late.
Now, Yashiro couldn't help but tick through the things he'd said that could be read as attempts to flirt. He'd called her admirable twice, smart once, mentioned that her explanation of the clock made it more cute (which essentially amounted to calling her cute,) and had offered to pay for a meal at a restaurant of her choice even without the motivation of setting Ren and Kyoko up. On top of that, he had suggested a topic for future conversation in an attempt to encourage contact between them. If she were as oblivious as Kyoko seemed to be, it might not matter. Kanae was much more shrewd than her fellow LoveMe member, though. She was bound to notice his efforts.
He gulped nervously, wondering if she would hate him for such a thing. Maybe she would choose to just ignore his foolishness? He was pretty sure he could handle that, maybe. It wasn't the same as being rejected, after all. If she went along with a friendship but didn't acknowledge his attempts at anything more for now, he would be fine with it.
Now that he thought about it again, he'd also made sure that what he'd written could be interpreted as friendly, right? He'd even made a point of calling her a friend. So, he really wasn't trying to rush things too much. Everything was going to be alright. With a sigh of relief, he smiled to himself, seemingly mesmerized by the steady wagging of the dog clock's tail.
Ren couldn't help smiling slightly to himself at his manager's worries. It was a bit of karma, honestly, if one believed in such things. The meddlesome man was getting a taste of what it was like to be in love with someone that you couldn't reasonably expect to have a relationship with. Maybe now Yashiro would understand that it wasn't as easy as he thought for Ren to just confess his feelings to Kyoko. Afterall, LoveMe number one was like a wounded animal, and if he tried to get close to her, she would run away. It was best to proceed slowly.
His focus shifted from musing on Yashiro's misfortunes to dwelling on his own feelings for Kyoko as he wandered the halls of LME. It wasn't as though he had a particular destination in mind, the star just felt like stretching his legs by roaming the corridors. And as fate would have it, a certain bend in the hall brought him to a girl with orange hair sitting crosslegged on the floor, her script resting in the space between her knees, a look of concentration on her face.
He watched in silence a few moments, admiring her determination to do well in her role. Was she studying for her part as Mio, or Natsu? Well, she should have Mio pretty well down by now, so it was more likely the Box "R" character. Finally Ren approached, a smile on his face as he drew near, the rising starlett never noticing until he called out to her, "Mogami-san, how are you?"
Startled out of her intense focus, Kyoko jumped slightly, the script pages shuffling shut in her lap, "Tsuruga-san! I didn't see you there!"
"I noticed," He replied, still smiling a warm, genuine smile that made her grudges run for cover, "Are you studying your role for Box 'R'?"
"Hai," She returned his smile with a nod, "I still wish I didn't have to play the bully, but Naachan is an interesting character, so I guess in the end, I'm really glad I accepted the role!"
"That's good," Ren moved to sit beside her, his position slightly more awkward because of his longer legs as he leaned against the wall with one leg bent in front of him and the other crossed beneath it, "You can't be picky when just starting out, but you still have to be able to enjoy something about every role you play...even if it's just being able to make them your own. Keep up the good work, and you'll be playing a princess before you know it."
Kyoko blinked at him, blushing slightly at his praise, and the oddly specific casting choice he had made for her. Of course, she would love nothing more than to be a princess in a fantasy movie, but it seemed strange to hear him say it, "That would be wonderful! I'm still not sure how all these bully roles will get me there though."
"Just be patient," He assured her reaching over and resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, trying to be the most sempai-like man he could manage, "I'm sure someone will see beyond your current roles."
Seeing the confidence her mentor held in her, the young actress beamed up at him with gratitude, "Arigato, Tsuruga-san! Coming from an accomplished actor like you, that means a lot! I'm not sure I can live up to such expectations though!"
"You need to have more faith in yourself, Mogami-san," The older man insisted, resisting the urge to give an agitated sigh, though he was unable to keep his smile from slipping into one of its more gentlemanly forms.
"It's easy for you to be confident," The younger talent sulked slightly, sighing, "You're Japan's number one actor! I'm just...me."
"There is no 'just you,'" Ren's smile was drifting further into the gentlemanly spectrum, "You have talent, or you wouldn't have gotten as far as you have. You fall completely into character, you give off a professional demeanor, Mogami-san, you have an instinct for acting."
Though she was happy about his praise, Kyoko couldn't hide the lingering doubt as she gazed at the floor. Maybe she was talented, but she was still plain. She wasn't the glamorous sort that became a star.
Looking at her, her sempai was able to read the sense of self deprecation on her features, "If you give up now, then you really aren't the quality of actress I thought you were. You'll never reach stardom unless you think you can…"
Golden eyes met brown as the kouhai considered her mentor's words. She wanted to beat Sho at his own game, and she couldn't do it if she didn't believe in herself, "Of course, Tsuruga-san! You're absolutely right. With the help of makeup artists and costume designers, even I can become a star! I have the talent, or I wouldn't have made it as far as this!"
Ren slumped in mild defeat. She'd missed his point entirely. She was supposed to have confidence in all of herself, not only her abilities as an actress. This was a start, though, and maybe he could take the risk of trying to boost her confidence with a more direct compliment. She was just dense enough that she might not realize such words came from his attraction to her.
"You know, Mogami-san…" He began, hesitating slightly as she turned to look at him expectantly. He really hoped he wasn't pushing the line too far with his next comment, "You don't need to rely on the makeup and costumes…"
"Hmm?" Kyoko blinked in confusion, not understanding what he meant by that. Of course she needed to depend on the crew of whatever project she was working on! That was a part of the job, "But, Tsuruga-san...they're the ones who make me look the part...it's their job."
"That's not…" He sighed as she once more missed what he had been trying to say. The statement he'd made had nothing to do with work! It was a general compliment, "What I mean is, even outside of the character's you play...you really are quite bea-"
"You!" The attempt at a compliment was interrupted by a person neither of them had seen approaching. Kyoko was instantly on her feet, script forgotten on the floor as she attempted to pounce her best friend. Kanae simply stepped neatly out of range and continued to point and glare at Ren.
The seasoned actor gave a groan of defeat at the timing of the second LoveMe member's arrival, his hand sweeping over his face in frustration as he plastered on his most gentlemanly of smiles, "Kotonami-san, what can I help you with?"
LoveMe Number One was watching from where she had landed behind Moko, lip quivering. She wasn't sure whether to be more upset over the fact that her best friend was ignoring her, or the fact that Kanae seemed to be trying to steal the attention of her sempai!
There was a moment of silence as the older girl shifted uneasily, the envelope grasped in her hand crinkling as her grip tightened on it. Ren could see the tint of red staining her cheeks from his position on the floor in front of her, but Kyoko was left clueless as to the reason for her discomfort. The senior agency member had to fight to keep his gentlemanly smile from turning to a smirk as he waited for her reply. After what seemed far too long between words, the teen finally snapped at him, "Mo! Just tell me if Glasses-kun is in his office!"
"He was when I left," Ren replied easily, which was met with a huff from Kanae as the girl instantly stormed off in the direction of the manager's office.
"Waaaah!" Kyoko suddenly wailed as her best friend disappeared down the hall, earning a concerned look from her sempai, "Moko-san didn't even say hi to me!"
Ren had to cough to keep himself from laughing at the poor talento's expense, a habit he seemed to be developing lately. She was too cute sometimes, though! Lowering the hand he had used to hide his mouth, he regarded the girl he loved with a gentle gaze, "I'm sure it was nothing personal, Mogami-san. It seems as though Kotonami-san had a lot on her mind."
Once she had actually reached the door that bore the manager's name, Kanae froze in mid-action, her hand stretched halfway between herself, and the closed door. She wasn't sure she could do this. She wanted to see him now. Writing letters back and forth was a perfectly ridiculous way for two professional adults...or friends as he had put it...to communicate. She was nervous though. What if he really had been trying to flirt through what he had written? Would he be bold enough to come onto her in person? And how would she react if he did? A blush crept over her features as she contemplated such notions.
Well, standing out in the hallway debating herself over the issue wasn't going to solve anything. And the last time she had hesitated to follow through with what she had planned, this very same door had smacked her in the head! She certainly wasn't going to risk that happening again. So, she drew a deep breath, steeling her nerve, and rapped her knuckles firmly on the door.
From the other side she heard a shuffling of papers and a few moments of silence followed by a cheery, "Come in!"
Yashiro must have been lost in daydreams again, because when the knock at his door caused him to refocus on the digital display of the shiba inu clock, he found that he'd somehow lost a good half an hour somewhere along the line. This time, his mind hadn't been imagining a future of happiness for Ren and Kyoko, but rather playing out possible reactions to the letter he had left in the LoveMe locker room.
Thinking that whoever was in the hall must have been there for business reasons, he tried to make things look like he had actually been attending to business matters all morning. The manager shuffled through some papers, spreading a few out over his desk as though he had been looking over them. When he was satisfied that the office gave off the appearance of a work environment, he cheerily called out, "Come in!"
It took a moment, then two and by the time the door gradually opened Yashiro was beginning to wonder if he'd imagined the knocking sound. But slowly the door pulled back into the hallway, revealing the subject of his earlier daydreams. Yashiro blinked behind his glasses a couple times before standing and moving around his desk to meet her just inside the office, "Kotonami-san, I wasn't expecting you...it's a pleasant surprise though…"
He would have kept babbling, but he literally bit his tongue to keep himself from seeming like an idiot, then proceeded to change topics slightly before allowing himself to talk once more, "Have a seat...would you like a drink?"
Kanae's eyes shifted from the chairs he had gestured to upon offering her a seat, to the fridge she remembered from their last encounter. Her heart was pounding, but it seemed like the man who greeted her had calmed down a lot since her last trip to the office. She made her way to the cushioned chair nearest the front of his desk and sat, crossing her legs neatly as she replied in an offhanded tone, "No. I'm not thirsty."
As soon as the teenaged talento moved toward the chairs, Yashiro pulled the door closed. He was surprised at how little he was rambling, actually. Normally he was a complete wreck in her presence, and even now his heart thudded against his chest, but somehow through sheer force of will he was able to keep from making an idiot of himself. When she declined the offer of a drink, he moved around to his own seat with a nod, "Alright...umm...what brings you here?"
Not having a ready answer for that, Kanae let her eyes wander the contents of the managers desk to buy herself some time. There was a mild sense of surprise when they landed upon the clock she had given him, "You're keeping it here?"
"Excuse me?" Behind his glasses the man blinked in genuine confusion. He didn't think her words quite went with the question he'd asked her.
"The clock," She elaborated as though it should have been obvious, punctuating the statement with a roll of her eyes and a gesture to the shiba inu figurine on the desk, "Why would you keep it out in the open like that?"
"It's cute…" Yashiro shrugged, blushing slightly. He realized it was an embarrassing thing for a man in his mid-twenties to have on his desk at work, but he liked the thought of keeping it there. It reminded him of Kanae, and he didn't want to hide a gift from her as though he was ashamed of it, "Besides, why shouldn't I show off a gift from a friend?"
He'd called her a friend again, she noticed, so maybe he hadn't really been trying to flirt with the letter after all. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or annoyed at that, "I suppose that makes sense."
"You didn't come here just to ask about the clock though, did you?" He was genuinely curious, and hoped that she had come in response to his letter. His pulse increased as he waited for her to answer.
"Mo! Of course not!" She snapped at the ridiculous notion that she had come to his office merely to investigate whether he had kept his clock on his desk. Of course, she instantly knew the next question would be one of the real reason for her visit, "I...I came to say that...the letter writing is stupid. We're adults, so we should speak directly!"
Yashiro had somewhat expected the harsh reaction to his question. The comment that followed caused a whirlwind of emotion to surge through him, leaving his face momentarily blank as his mind tried to determine which feeling should be displayed. The letters were stupid...so she hadn't wanted him to write back? Oh, but she wanted to communicate directly, so she'd rather speak in person! That was good! He wanted to grin at the fact that she had actually come to discuss the letters in a positive light...well...sort of. Then there was the confusion that passed through him at her phrasing 'we're adults.' Was she trying to hint that she didn't want to be viewed as a child? Not that he saw her that way anyhow.
When he finally noticed her giving him a look of agitation and concern, he realized his face had fallen expressionless. That wouldn't do at all! It was totally out of character, for one thing, and inappropriate for the situation for another! So, he smiled in an agreeable manner, though he couldn't keep a hint of admiration from slipping into the arrangement on his features, "You're absolutely right, Kotonami-san."
Satisfied now with his response, she let her own features be schooled back into her cool mask of relative indifference. Kanae offered a nod, "Of course I'm right. And, Glasses-kun, don't you dare take me to eat anywhere that ruins my diet!"
"Diet?" Yashiro blinked and gave a look of genuine surprise. He knew she was health conscious, but he hadn't realized she was actively dieting. He was so taken aback by the revelation that it didn't even occur to him to get excited about the implications of her statement that he would be taking her to eat.
"Mo! Yes, diet!" The talento flipped her hair over her shoulder and folded her arms across her chest with a huff, "If you want something, you have to work at it!"
"I suppose," The manager began, still staring in shock, "But Kotonami-san, don't women diet to lose weight? You already look wonderful...so why would you need to lose weight?"
Kanae opened her mouth to speak, then stopped as she realized what had been slipped in amongst the questions. He'd told her she looked wonderful. Of course, she'd heard it often enough before...so why did it seem so different coming from him? Her cheeks heated slightly as the uncertainty turned to irritation, "I have to maintain my weight, Glasses-kun! If I don't eat right, I'll start to gain weight! Baka!"
"Ah…" Yashiro nodded slowly as he tried to understand, though a frown creased his brow beneath his glasses, "I think you might be using the wrong word in that case, but it doesn't really matter. I know what you mean."
Rolling her eyes once more, the LoveMe member stood and headed for the door, "We'll have to decide when we're going to do lunch. I know that you're busy with Tsuruga-san's schedule, and I have my own things going on, but I'll squeeze you in sometime when you're free."
With that, Kanae had left the room. Her parting words had let him know that he hadn't lost his chance to take her out again, as friends for now, even if he had perhaps said the wrong thing on the diet issue. He didn't think he'd said anything insulting...had he? In fact he'd told her she looked...wonderful. Oh. Well, it was safe enough to panic now that she was gone, so he did.
Yashiro's mind raced a mile a minute with thoughts of how she might interpret the words he'd used. He really hadn't been trying to flirt, he'd only been giving his honest opinion on the matter! But she still wanted to go to lunch with him, so that was a good sign, right? He sighed, resigning himself to hope for the best.
