A/N: Okay, because I know that most of you are probably all pouty because the last chapter didn't have any White Day action between Ren and Kyoko, I'm going to, as promised, give you a chapter centered on their experience of the day! Just a short bit of reasoning behind the chapter title: I called the last one White Day Challenge for obvious reasons. This one is White Day Interlude because it continues telling about White Day, but doesn't follow our usually Yashiro/Kanae centered chapter structure. So, it's an interlude from the normal. Tada! I think I used the word right anyway, hah! Oh, and anyone who finds the reference to an American cartoon, and can name said cartoon, gets digital cookies! The chapter ends a bit abruptly and awkwardly...gomen, but it was already double my average length...I'll make it up to you with future fluff!

Disclaimer: It should stand to reason that I do not own Skip Beat. But just incase you're confused...I don't. Lol.


Chapter 9: White Day Interlude


When Kanae had arrived at LME on the morning of White Day, Kyoko was already dressed and in the LoveMe section's room, bouncing her leg nervously as she watched the door. LoveMe Number One jumped in surprise upon her best friend's entry before letting out a relieved and exultant cry and rushing forward in her usual attempt to glomp the older girl, "Moko-saaaan!"

With a raised brow, curious about Kyoko's odd behavior and nervousness, Kanae gave her usual exasperated sigh and side stepped the tackle attempt as she snapped out a response, "Mo! Who else would it be? What's got you so on edge anyway?"

Recovering quickly from her near collision with the closed door behind second LoveMe member, the orange haired teen dramatically sank to the floor, a dark aura of despair overwhelming her as her form trembled in anguish, "Today...its...another of those days...I thought it was over for the year, but I forgot about today!"

This was met with an even more confused expression as the girl's friend tried to piece together her, as expected, nonsensical ramblings. It was something to do with today that filled her with dread...which meant it probably involved romance of some sort, or just Fuwa Sho in general. Now, Kanae wasn't usually the one to be slow on the uptake, but between work and her current confusion involving a certain manager, she'd not really been focused on the date.

After a while of not hearing a response, Kyoko glanced up through her bangs to look at her bestie, shocked to see the normally with it teen having such difficulty figuring out what was going on, "It's White Day!"

"Oh…" The beautiful talento blinked as she realized why this day might concern her younger comrade. In an effort to assuage her fellow LoveMe member's worries she offered, "Well, the only guys you get gifts from on White Day are those you gave something to on Valentine's Day, right? So you shouldn't have anyone to worry about, right? If you do get anything it'll only be from-"

"NO!" Kyoko gasped in shocked horror as her friend stated the traditions of the day, "That's the problem! Beagle made me give him chocolate on Vain Day! And Sho...agh! What if he tries to...tries to…"

It was astounding to watch the original member of the LoveMe section's face cycle through the spectrum of reds. Really, Kanae had no clue faces could take on so many hues, but she did feel bad for Kyoko. There were at least two very legitimate people to worry about in her stalker and Fuwa Sho. Both had taken advantage of the naive teen over Valentine's, and either might try to give her some sort of vile excuse for a gift on this day. It would be hard to do, since she would be staying in LME pretty much the entire day, but Kanae wouldn't put it past the musicians to manage to sneak in somehow in an attempt to find their obsession, "Mo! We'll just stay in here, and they won't find you then!"

Even as the elder member folded her arms resolutely over her chest, she could see her friend's doubt surfacing. As she watched the orange haired girl's features shift with her thoughts, Kanae was losing patience. Just when she was on the verge of snapping at the young starlet once more, Kyoko finally voiced her concern, "But it one of those...r-r-romantic things...what if the President gives us something to do!"

Number One's expression moved fluidly from concern, to disgust and finally horror as she spoke. And her friend had to admit it was a possibility. White Day was usually secondary to Valentine's, but it wasn't impossible for President Lory to take advantage of such an occasion. Still, trying to keep Kyoko from going in to a full on panic, Kanae flipped her long hair smoothly over her shoulder with a cool reply, "He won't...not knowing what happened in February. He wouldn't put you at risk like that…"

Golden eyes continued to show doubts, shifting nervously as the younger teen bit her bottom lip. The President was considerate of his talents, and would try his best to keep them safe, true. He also happened to be obsessed with the emotion called love, however, and Kyoko wasn't sure which would win in a battle of his conscience. In the end, her desire to believe her friend triumphed over her doubts, and she gave a slow nod, "You're right, he wouldn't put me in harm's way...he even made sure there wouldn't be Dark Moon shooting today...that's probably why!"

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door, causing the orange haired teen to give a nearly inaudible squeak before climbing to her feet and cautiously approaching the entrance to the room and speaking with mild suspicion, "Who is it?"

She heard a young voice, but it was nearly drowned out by the familiar kindness of Ren's manager greeting her. Still, just to be sure there was no trickery going on, the rising star opened the door only a crack, just enough to peek out and confirm Yashiro's identity. She wouldn't be surprised to find out Beagle could steal people's voices like he had her grudge spirit! It was really the manager though, and the boy at his side was familiar as well...oh! The child was Hiou, a costar on Moko's drama.

Satisfied with their identities, Kyoko pushed the door open all the way, standing in it's frame to converse with her friend, whom she assumed had come by to talk with her regarding something about Ren or Dark Moon. As was expected in a polite exchange, Yashiro asked after her well being, "Worried about stalkers and singers?"

"Yes...I will not let them find me!" She stated firmly, though she couldn't suppress a shudder. As she was about to ask about the manager's day in return, she was pushed rudely aside by the young actor, causing her to blink and stumble as she was caught off guard. Thankfully Yashiro was there to help keep her from falling entirely.

"Umm…" The manager murmured, removing his hands from her shoulders and looking past her with what seemed like mild nervousness. She was surprised when he suddenly continued, "I hope you don't have any trouble, Kyoko-chan, but...I actually came to see Kotonami-san, I'm afraid."

Hearing her friend behind her speaking with her usual gruffness upon being given a gift from Hiou, Kyoko smiled and nodded, stepping aside to let Yashiro through. She knew that the manager was trying to become friends with Moko, which she thought was great, and so she wouldn't interfere. As soon as the bespectacled man moved into the room though, her grudges sprang to attention, whispering about the delightful impending disaster that had drawn them forth and hovering around the other three occupants of the room. Whatever was about to happen, the starlet didn't want to be there for it, so she began to slowly move out of the room, trying to piece together an excuse as she did, "Ah...gomen...I should...uh...go and do...something."

With her lame finish, all eyes shifted to her, causing her to feel an odd amount of discomfort. As an actress, shouldn't she be better at coming up with and giving excuses? Well, apparently improv wasn't her strong suit. Besides, she was only believable if she had a character, and right now she was just Kyoko.

It was Yashiro who came to her rescue eventually as he smiled at her while replying, "Ah, alright Kyoko-chan...oh, if you need Ren, he was in my office when last I saw him!"

Why the manager would mention her mentor, she had no idea. Of course Ren had better things to do with his time than keep her company! Still, she smiled at him and gave a small nod, "I'll keep that in mind, um...bye then!"

With that she quickly swept out of the door, shutting it and leaving the sense of impending doom behind her. She began to wander the halls, unsure of where to go, but certain that she wasn't going to waste her sempai's time. It would be rude of her, after all! She could just imagine him glowering at her and bemoaning the fact that his ungrateful kouhai thought all his time was hers to demand. Then he would stop speaking to her and giving her advice just to make his point that he did indeed have better uses for his time! She wasn't about to do something that would lead to such a horrid outcome! In preemptive despair she froze in her spot and looked upward, not even needing her Ren doll in order to see the face that she had envisioned so clearly during this waking nightmare, "Tsuruga-san! I don't want to waste your time! Please, don't stop talking to me, I promise, I'll leave you alone unless it's an absolute emergency!"

It wasn't until several passers by had stopped to stare in her direction that she realized she had been pleading her case aloud. Her features flushed in embarrassment as she gave a sheepish wave to her undesired audience, "Um...carry on, I didn't mean to disturb you...just...uh...working on a character!"

As the crowd resumed their routine with a mix of amused and bewildered murmurs, Kyoko gave a quick look around, and was relieved to find that there was no one too embarrassing there to witness her small breakdown. Giving a soft sigh of gratitude, she resumed her journey down the hall. The fact that it was one of those days was almost forgotten as she made her way to nowhere in particular. Almost, until she happened to pass by the trio from Bridge Rock who were lingering in the hall waiting for their manager.

As she turned a corner and stumble on the group, a smile spread over her features. It was always nice to see friends! Especially when she was not doing anything and had a chance to stop and talk. A small wave was given to greet the musicians turned variety show hosts, during which she failed to notice that the two members standing closest to the wall gave their leader a push towards her.

A small glare was sent from the short man to his friends before he turned a bright smile to the girl who played the chicken on their show, "Hi, Kyoko-chan!"

"Hello, Hikaru-san." She smiled warmly at the man who had stepped forward, not noticing that he seemed to be fidgeting nervously with something behind his back as she turned to greet his bandmates, "Hello, Shinichi-san, Yuusei-san!"

Hikaru took the moment she was distracted by his friends to cast a look over his shoulder at them, during which the gave him subtle thumbs ups in encouragement, "Umm...Kyoko-chan…"

"Yes, Hikaru-san?" The pink clad teen replied warmly, turning her soft smile back to the man nearest to her, her golden gaze catching his.

Giving a grin of his own, and looking a touch more confident than he usually felt around his crush, he moved his hands from behind his back to hold out a small, gift-wrapped box to the teen, "Here! This is for you, happy White Day!"

Kyoko paled at being presented with a gift and a reminder of the date. How could she have gotten so careless and let her guard down! Of course, this was just a present from the guys on Bridge Rock, it didn't really mean anything romantic. At the slightly worried look she detected on Hikaru's features, she put on a smile and accepted the box with a slight bow, "Arigatou. But you guys really didn't have to give me anything!"

The band's leader tried to keep his features from shifting to disappointment upon hearing the thanks directed to all of them. Instead he put on his best smile, not wanting to put too much pressure on her, "Sure we did! You've done a lot for us, we owed you something! In fact, I was thinking it would be a good idea to invite you to lunch or dinner if you're available later…"

Behind him, Shinichi was trying to fight back a smirk and snicker while Yuusei was smiling despite feeling sympathy for their leader. The fact that she thought they were all responsible for the gift must have stung, but the offer for lunch or dinner was a nice recovery! Yuusei figured that even if she attributed that to the whole band as well, he and Shinichi could duck out claiming they had something else to do, or some last minute illness. Though knowing Shinichi, he'd want to tag along and cause some mischief.

Kyoko smiled kindly as she considered the offer, then shook her head. She couldn't risk being out too long on a day like today. A public place was perfect for Beagle or Sho to corner her, "I appreciate the offer, but I really can't. It's nice knowing I have friends that appreciate me so much, though really, I should be thanking you!"

Shinichi winced at the fact that she had used the 'F' word to refer to their group, including Hikaru, who just couldn't catch a break it seemed. Yuusei sighed as another pang of sympathy washed through him. Hikaru, however, just put on his best smile and gave a nod, "Oh...I understand. I guess it is a bit of an awkward day to be offered lunch or something, huh? Well, maybe another time, then?"

"Sure! I'm sure we could all find a time that works to get some food together!" Kyoko smiled as she offered a bow, "But for now, I really should be going. Thank you again for the gift! You're such great friends to think of me!"

With that, the rising star turned on her heel and hightailed it to the elevators. She wasn't paying attention to the boys behind her as Yuusei tried to comfort Hikaru by reminding him that at least she had taken the gift, or as Shinich tried to stifle his snickers while telling the Bridge Rock leader how sorry he was that he had just been 'friend zoned.'

No, with the reminder of White Day and how vulnerable it left her, Kyoko had only one thing on her mind. She had to find a safe haven. Somewhere that Shoutaro and Beagle wouldn't be able to find her even if they somehow managed to get into the building. And the first thought that came to mind was Yashiro's comment that Ren had last been seen in the manager's office. That was a safe place, and if the number one actor in Japan was there, all the more so. She'd just have to apologize profusely for intruding on his time!

By the time the orange haired LoveMe member had reached the elevators, she was a bit winded from the speed at which she had been running. She had forgotten about the fact that the gift wrapped box remained clutched to her chest, all thoughts but her destination and its possible occupant gone from her mind. The only reason she hadn't dropped Hikaru's present was the autopilot mode she was in. There was no mental capacity spared for trivial things like releasing the grip she held on the package.

Gasping for breath, she waited as patiently as possible for the lift to arrive. When at last the ding sounded and the doors whooshed open, she quickly stepped inside and pushed the button for the desired floor. At least in a moving elevator, she was less likely to encounter her foes. After what seemed like way too long, she arrived on the managerial floor, and turned toward Yashiro's office. Kyoko didn't run this time, but she did walk briskly until she reached the room that was marked as his. Her hand reached for the knob, but she stopped upon realizing that even if Yashiro wasn't there, it would be rude to just walk in without knocking if someone was. So, she gave a tap on the door to announce her presence.


Once Yashiro had gone on his mission, Ren leaned back in the chair he occupied. The actor wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself for the moment. He had no pressing matters to attend to, and while he would like to see Kyoko, he knew she would most likely be in the LoveMe room with Kanae, or doing some sort of work for the President to celebrate the romantic nature of the day. Besides, he had no legitimate excuse to track her down. True, there was the matter of what had happened on Valentine's day, but he didn't want her to feel like he didn't trust her. Besides, if he came across as jealous or possessive, he might scare her off.

So, he sat in the office, staring in boredom at the ceiling as he wondered how his manager was succeeding in his White Day offering to the older LoveMe member. Of course, staring up and pondering could only keep one's interest for so long. Eventually he sighed and looked around in search of something else to hold his attention. Eventually his gaze fell on Yashiro's stupid little shiba inu clock. It really was a ridiculously cute and girly trinket, not something he personally would ever want, and yet he supposed it suited his bespectacled friend.

Chocolate brown eyes shifted back and forth with the movement of the sun driven wagging of the clock's tail. It was certainly one of the most unique dog themed gifts he'd seen his manager receive. It couldn't have been very expensive, maybe 600 yen at most, if it was even worth that much. And then Yashiro had to go and buy something so pricy as a return gift. Just because he could afford it, didn't make it appropriate. Sure, Ren knew what it was like to want to spoil someone you cared about, but he could also appreciate what a shock it would be for Kanae to see what was in the bag. He knew if it had been Kyoko receiving a gift that cost so much more than the one she had given, the girl would have never accepted, at least not willingly, due to feeling an extreme guilt for not having earned the bracelet because the gift she had offered before had been worth much less.

Ren didn't know Kanae well, that was true, but he had a feeling other LoveMe member would be just as likely to reject such an exchange, though probably for different reasons. If he knew anything about the raven haired talento, it was that she tried to distance herself from displaying any sort of caring or vulnerability. He'd seen it often enough in the way she treated Kyoko, acting cold and distant one moment, then fiercely protective and concerned the next. She also seemed very practical in how she managed her affairs in regards to how they affected her career, as demonstrated by her constant worry over her diet. So, though she may use the cost as an excuse, Kanae was more likely to reject Yashiro's gift out of fear of what it symbolized. After all, most girls would naturally associate jewelry with romantic intentions. Even if she didn't think romance actually drove his manager to offer the gift, she would be aware of what wearing the bracelet that had been given to her by a man would look like to outsiders. It would be a PR issue for sure.

When the seasoned actor had tried to explain such concerns to his friend, he'd thought at first Yashiro had understood and wouldn't go through with the White Day scheme. But instead, his manager had asked for advice on talking stubborn women into accepting gifts after initially rejecting them. Ren had been able to convince Kyoko to take Princess Rosa after all, so he must have had some ideas! If only to get the older man to stop asking him questions about such things, the star had run a few ideas past him. The fantasy story angle he'd used on his own love interest wouldn't work on a more reality grounded woman like Kanae, but meeting stubbornness with stubbornness might. And, Yashiro could also suggest that she not tell anyone where the gift came from, thus resolving the notion of gossip spreading. If the talento said she'd bought the jewelry herself, then it shouldn't be a problem.

Still, Yashiro had continued to worry and fret about what kind of reception his gift would receive. It was amusing, if a little pathetic, to watch. If he was going to resolve to the idea of giving a White Day present, then he should have done so with more confidence.

A knock at the door suddenly put a stop to Ren's thoughts, causing him to blink and look away from the clock to quirk a brow at the door. The damn time piece's wagging tail really did have some kind of hypnotic effect, it seemed! More importantly, though, who was at the door? Yashiro wouldn't be knocking, since it was his office. And as far as the actor knew, his manager hadn't scheduled any appointments for this part of the day. After a moments hesitation, the star finally called out curiously, "I'm afraid Yashiro's stepped out a moment...I'm waiting on him to come back, which hopefully won't take too long."

Standing he walked toward the door, figuring that asking a person to leave their name through the closed barrier was rude. Putting on a charming smile he pushed the door open to see who was there, "If you'll just...M-mogami-san? Did you need something?"

Kyoko's cheeks were flushed, though from the looks of it, the coloring was less out of embarrassment than a quick pace through the building. Judging by the expression in her golden gaze, she was slightly nervous about something...and Ren didn't have to think very hard to figure out just what that might be. White Day was a day for guys to show their affection for women, particularly the ones that gave them chocolates, though a certain blonde musician didn't seem to mind breaking tradition as the incident on Valentine's had proven. A swift once over showed him that she didn't appear to have been in any sort of physical altercation, her clothes weren't disheveled in anyway, nor was her appearance mussed otherwise. He didn't miss, however, the wrapped box she held to her chest. She hadn't thrown it down and stomped on it, so it must not have been from someone she absolutely detested.

"Tsuruga-san!" The name came out in a soft gasp of relief as he was revealed to be behind the door. Seeing the way he was looking her over, she thought that she really had offended him as she feared she would. She shouldn't have taken away from his precious time! Quickly the girl threw herself into a dogeza before her sempai could stop her, the box still held in one of her hands as she began to spout apologies, "Gomen! I shouldn't have come! I knew I would be encroaching on your valuable time! I didn't mean to take for granted that you would have a moment to spare for me! I know I'm completely worthless, and you have so many better things to do, but I really didn't know what else to do and-"

After trying to get her attention without success several times, Ren finally resorted to crouching down so she would be able to see the stern expression on his face better as he spoke in his most sempai like manner, loud enough to make himself heard above her stream of apologies, but gentle enough to let her know he wasn't actually angry, "Mogami-san!"

She stopped rambling and looked up at him, practically in tears at the thought that he wouldn't want to speak to her anymore. What would she do without the guidance of her sempai after all!

"Take a breath, and calm down…" The veteran actor instructed his kouhai as he placed a reassuring hand on her head, "I'm not angry, I'm worried. You looked panicked, so I thought maybe Fuwa had done something...he didn't, did he?"

Seeing his concerned look, and the frown that creased his features as he spoke Sho's name, Kyoko shook her head slowly, sitting up with her legs tucked neatly beneath her, though she remained on the floor in the doorway, "No...he didn't...but I wouldn't put it past him. Yashiro-san and Hiou-san were in the LoveMe room with Moko-san, and I didn't want to stay there with them anymore...so I left...and I didn't know where else to go to keep Sho and the Beagle from finding me…"

"First of all…" A small smile accompanied his sigh of relief as he learned she hadn't been harmed, "I doubt Fuwa would be capable of getting in without being spotted...Vie Ghoul is a bit more...devious. But I still think you'd be safe with the President watching out for you. Second of all, you never have to worry about imposing on me. If you're worried about anything, your acting or especially your safety, then you are definitely allowed to come to me for help. In fact, I want you to."

Hearing him encouraging her to seek him out at any time that she had a problem was a surprise to her. Certainly he'd get tired of her eventually, and she didn't want to become a burden, "I couldn't...I mean, I don't want to take advantage...and you do have your jobs to worry about...and-"

"Please, take advantage of me." Ren had insisted, before realizing the other implications such a statement held. With a slight blush he turned away and cleared his throat in an attempt to get his mind back on track, and off of the dirty images that had invaded it all of a sudden. In an effort to backtrack to a safety zone before she noticed how his first response could be interpreted, he decided to play a card he never liked using, "I mean, what kind of a sempai would I be if I weren't there for my kouhai when she needed me? As for my jobs, you can always leave a message on my phone if I'm not immediately available...I promise I'll get back to you as soon as possible. If it's advice you need, that can be done over the phone, if you need something more serious, I can make arrangements using my connections, I swear."

With a warm smile that disguised his sorrow at having just re-established that sempai/kouhai connection rather than moved forward to friendship, Ren stood and held out a hand to help Kyoko up as well. He watched her silently as she seemed to consider his words a moment before reaching out her hand to grasp his.

As she was pulled to her feet, she smiled warmly at him, using her free hand to hold the wrapped box she had been carrying when she arrived. A nod was given to show that she accepted his terms, though she wasn't hesitant about adding her own addendum, "Alright, but if I need anything more than advice, I won't bother you when you're on a job. I don't want to inconvenience the connections you have either...besides, I do have others I can go to for help if I have to."

While the veteran actor wished he could always be her hero, he knew that her adjustment to the agreement made sense. She couldn't be completely dependent on him, because someday, he might not be able to come through for her...or worse yet, he might be the one to...no, he couldn't let that thought intrude on his mind. Trying to change the course of his thoughts, he glanced back at the box she carried, arching a brow in curiosity. Doing his best to sound less like he was jealous, and more like he was inquiring out of friendly curiosity, he asked, "If you didn't run into Fuwa or Vie Ghoul...where did that come from?"

"Oh, this is from-" Kyoko had begun to reply in an easy and chipper tone, but she seemed to freeze as a thought occurred to her. She had no real reason to associate with the Bridge Rock boys, at least not as far as Ren knew. Sure, they all worked for the same agency, but they were in different departments. Hikaru and his bandmates were technically musicians, even if they did have a TV show, and she was a talento. There would be no real need for them to interact unless she had been a guest, which she hadn't, or a regular part of the show...which she had under the guise of a chicken...a chicken that had offered Tsuruga Ren some personal advice...a chicken that no one knew was her.

Noting the fact that his love interest had stopped speaking and apparently frozen before actually informing him of whom had given her the gift, he had to force his friendly expression not to shift into a frown. He couldn't keep his smile from slowly growing more gentlemanly though, "I'm sorry, who was that?"

"A...a friend." Kyoko quickly covered, though it was a rather lame response, "Just a friend! Yup, you probably don't even know them! So there's no reason to worry about it, Tsuruga-san! It wasn't anyone who was dangerous, so it's all okay! Shoutaro and Beagle didn't have a thing to do with it!"

Her guilty smile did little to reassure him. But if he was too persistent, she might figure out that he was jealous, which would let her know that he loved her, which would scare her away. Instead, his smile continued shifting toward the gentlemanly end of the spectrum, "I see, well, I'm glad that the gift is safe then. You should open it and see what it is…"

"Uh..I…" The acute level of gentlemanliness in Ren's expression was a little disconcerting. She'd done something to upset him, and she knew what it was. She'd lied to him. He could always tell when she was lying, but she couldn't exactly tell him the truth without giving away an even bigger lie! Shifting under that unnerving smile, she glanced at the wrapped box in her grasp, "I was thinking I'd open it at home…"

"Oh...it's something you need to open in private then?" The gentleman factor kicked up a notch at what that implied, "I see, you can save the intimate gift for home then...but why don't I take you out to dinner after we get done here? If you don't mind putting off finding out what's in the box a little longer, that is. That way you can have a nice dinner out without worrying about sleazy musicians, and at the same time, you can make sure I eat…"

He was really mad now. Her grudges were going crazy as they began to circle him, crying in joy at the sheer amount of pure rage energy flowing off of the actor. She was so distracted by the anger obviously displayed by the gentlemanly smile that she nearly missed the implications of the first part of what he said. When she did register it, her eyes grew wide and she blushed wildly, waving her hands, box and all, in front of her to discourage him from thinking such a thing, "I-intimate? Tsuruga-san, it's not i-intimate! I just...it's...I...r-really, I w-wouldn't get a g-gift like that! Who would want to give me something like that anyway? I...I mean...l-look at me!"

"I'm looking…" Ren said, letting his gaze sweep her over as she tried to convince him he had misunderstood. A bit of Kuon managed to slip through his cleverly crafted stage persona as he heard her defend and belittle herself at the same time, and he couldn't help letting slip, "I'm looking…but I don't see what you're talking about…"

This just made his kouhai freeze, hands still extended in front of her as she blushed even deeper at what he was pretty much flat out stating. But she must have misunderstood, because there was no way he could be telling her that he could see a boy giving her something intimate as a gift! Not when she was so plain and boring! A sheepish laugh escaped her before she frowned at him in a scolding manner, "Tsuruga-san! You shouldn't say things like that just to get back at people! Someone might take you seriously!"

Having not had time to completely quell the Kuon side of his personality, the veteran actor folded his arms over his chest, his gentlemanly smile turning into something almost like a smirk as he retorted, "Who said I was getting back at you?"

The orange haired girl quickly pulled her hands back, hugging the gift box against herself as though for protection as she turned her head to the side in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. There was no way he wouldn't hear the pounding of her heart, she was sure of it! What the heck was he trying to do anyway? Trying to keep from hyperventilating in shock and nervousness, the talento gulped before repeating, "Stop it! What if someone didn't realize you were trying to punish me with your jokes! I'll go to dinner with you, but you have to stop saying such ridiculous things…"

Sensing that he had let Kuon go way too far, Ren managed to reign him in and put on his best smile, trying his hardest to keep any hint of gentlemanliness from creeping into the expression. It was aggravating that even with Kuon's bluntness, Kyoko still didn't believe that she was worth caring for. She thought he was teasing, punishing her even! It made his heart ache as he wondered what he would have to do to actually get through to her, though at the same time he was relieved that her blockades to noticing his genuine attraction to her kept her from running away from him. With a soft sigh he gave her a gentle look, "My apologies, Mogami-san. I didn't mean to make you feel as though I was punishing you...perhaps I spoke out of turn, and I had no right to do so. I am glad you agreed to accompany me to dinner, however. If nothing else, it will give me a chance to make up for this incident."

Kyoko wasn't entirely sure what to make of his words. Yes, he'd apologize (which was mortifying in itself, the thought of her sempai daring to apologize) but he had never actually taken back what he'd said as part of that apology. In fact...had it seemed more as though he was trying to reinforce the idea with his obscure wording? No, impossible. He was her sempai, nothing more. The man she aspired to be like, her role model. Just a beloved sempai. Pushing the thoughts that he might have actually been serious from her mind she offered a reassuring smile, "No, Tsuruga-san, you don't have to apologize! I should be apologizing for speaking so harshly to you when you were only trying to teach me as usual!"

With a brow raised in curiosity, Ren had to force himself not to ask for clarification on what he was supposed to have been teaching her during their earlier exchange. It was better to leave it alone, after all. Questioning it would start the awkwardness all over, and bring her nearer to realization of the truth, and then she would run away from him. The star gave a warm and genuine smile of his own, "Now that we've both apologized, I think the matter is settled, don't you agree? Why don't we just look forward to a nice dinner together later this evening?"

"Of course, Tsuruga-san!" The teen's voice was much brighter now that they had dropped the earlier discussion. That conversation had been very confusing, and her brain was tired of trying to figure out what was actually going on. With the return of her sempai's warm and genuine smile, her grudges beat a hasty retreat, lest they be fried by it's brightness, "Are you sure you want to go out though? I mean, we could go to your apartment, and I could cook for you! Restaurants can be nice, but a home cooked meal is better, and usually healthier too. And with the way you tend to eat, Tsuruga-san, you could use a good home cooked meal from time to time!"

A struggle not to laugh was hidden behing a faux cough and covered by his hand as Ren listened to his crush lecturing him on his eating habits. Of course, she had no way of knowing that her cooking was his favorite thing to eat, period. He couldn't deny her the chance to prepare dinner for him, as much as he knew he probably should, "If you don't mind cooking, then that's fine. I'm paying for groceries, of course...I don't have much at the house right now..."

"As usual..." Kyoko replied with a smirk to his final statement. It was the same every time she would go to his house to cook, he never had any food there, at least not enough for an actual decent meal, "And I don't mind you paying this once...but you need to let me pay the next time, Tsuruga-san! It isn't fair that you always pay for the groceries!"

"Ah, but it isn't fair that you always have to cook, Mogami-san, so in the end, we're even." Her sempai smiled warmly at her as she pouted at his logic. Seeing as he really wasn't a very good cook at all, she was the one who always prepared the meal. And they were eating at his house, so he would provide the food.

"But it doesn't cost me anything to cook! And I really don't mind doing it!" She attempted to counter his argument with her own, and was simply met with a shake of his head.

"Cooking costs your time, doesn't it? So, I'll donate the supplies, and you can donate your time." He wasn't going to let her talk him out of paying for groceries, she never won this argument anyway.

"But-" Kyoko attempted to defend her stance once more, only to be interrupted by the sound of someone entering the room. She and Ren whipped their heads to look at who had come in, finding Yashiro, of course, with a very happy expression on his face, which only grew more happy as he saw his favorite couple standing in his office.

"Hello again, Kyoko-chan! I'm glad to see Ren was still here when you arrived!" The manager was grinning like that cat that ate the canary. Given the smile on Ren's features when he had come in, he figured this had been a doubly successful White Day! There was a gift in the LoveMe member's hand, he noticed, his grin never fading even as he cast a questioning glance at his charge, who had made it quite clear he had no intentions of giving the orange haired starlet a present. He was met with a look that plainly conveyed an answer would be given when the girl had departed, and that the actor expected some answers as well.

"Oh! Yashiro-san! I'm sorry for leaving the LoveMe room so quickly, I just...um..." She wasn't sure how to explain the tense atmosphere that had driven her away. Heck, she wasn't even certain which of the three it had originated from! So, she changed tactics and offered a polite bow of gratitude, "But thank you for letting me know where Tsuruga-san was! This is actually a much better place to keep from being found by...idiots."

Before Yashiro could actually respond, the seasoned actor spoke for him, "Yes, the LoveMe room does seem a likely place to find a LoveMe member in retrospect...Tsuruga Ren's manager's office is probably safer...however I think you might want to go back and make sure Kotonami-san knows you're alright, since you did leave in such a rush..."

Yashiro lofted a brow at the hurry Ren seemed to be displaying to get rid of Kyoko. It was strange, he thought, looking between the two talents, wondering if maybe the day hadn't gone as well as he thought it had for them.

"Oh! You're right, Tsuruga-san! I didn't give a very good reason for leaving either...Moko-san is probably really worried, I should go apologize..." Kyoko fretted as she turned and hurried passed the manager to the room's exit, pausing to turn around and offer one more bow, "Arigatou! To both of you!"

"Oh! Mogami-san," The younger man spoke up before his crush could leave, causing her to straighten and look at him, "I'll stop at the LoveMe room for you when we're ready to leave. If you're so worried about the...idiots as you call them...then it's better that way. Besides, you are cooking dinner for me, correct?"

"Of course!" The girl agreed with a grin and another quick bow before turning and hurrying out of the room so she could go apologize to her best friend.

"Dinner, hmm?" Yashiro smirked at Ren, crossing the office to take his normal seat behind his desk, "She's cooking for you on White Day...aren't the men supposed to be the ones doing the gift giving today?"

"My gift to her is to not give her food poisoning with any cooking I might attempt," The actor replied smoothly, shrugging as he resumed his earlier station in one of the seats in front of the desk, "And speaking of gift giving...you seem to be short one lavender gift bag, and plus one very satisfied smile..."

"Ah...well..." The manager suddenly blushed deeply as the topic was brought around to his own White Day experience. It was rather annoying how good his friend was at turning things on him, "It was...a rather successful day, yes."

"I see..." Ren offered a somewhat playful smirk, "Now that I think about it...Mogami-san had mentioned there was another person who wanted to visit Kotonami-san. Hiou-san...he's her costar in her drama, isn't he?"

This comment was met with a blink of surprise followed by a pause before an explanation was finally crafted, "Yes...he had some chocolates for her...she'd given him some on Valentine's, apparently..."

"A little competition for her heart?" Ren shook his head in faux despair before turning the words his manager often used against him back in retaliation, "You should tell her how you feel before someone else does and you lose your chance..."

"He's a boy, she said so herself!" Yashiro replied grumpily, propping an elbow on his desk and supporting his chin in the hand attached, "Besides, he told her before leaving...basically."

This definitely earned a curious look from his charge, silently urging him to elaborate. With a sigh, the older man tried to do so as succinctly as possible, "After I gave her the bracelet, she was very stubborn about trying to give it back, as expected. One of her arguments was that it would lead people to the wrong impression about our relationship, again, as we thought...and with Hiou-chan being so annoying and smug, I sort of...pulled him into the conversation..."

A fake coughing fit failed to cover the stifled laughter of his friend at the idea of his manager referring to a seasoned actor, even a child star, as –chan. At least when said actor was male. After an irked look Yashiro for his interruption, Ren gestured that he should continue on.

"Anyway..." The older man proceeded, trying to make sure he picked up in the proper place, "I pretty much sacrificed his pride to try and make her accept my gift. It wasn't a very kind thing to do...but I wasn't exactly...rational? Would that be the word to use? Well, either way, I asked Kotonami-san if Hiou-chan's gift didn't have the same risks attached."

"And she said?" Ren urged as his manager hesitated to conclude the story. It was hard to think of the bespectacled man using such an underhanded tactic, but love does make people do strange things. Hell, just a short while ago he was practically telling Kyoko he wanted to give her something intimate. The actor fought back the blush that threatened to accompany the memory as Yashiro sighed again.

"She said it was different because I was an older man, while Hiou-chan was a boy. Of course, he didn't like that at all..." It was clear from the expression on the manager's face that he bore mixed feelings over the occurrence, part happiness because whatever the ultimate outcome had been was apparently in his favor, part regret at having crushed a young boy's romantic aspirations so cruelly, "Before he left though, he told her quite boldly that he would grow up someday to be the kind of man she wanted..."

At this, there was no hiding the soft build up of Ren's laughter. His friend cast him a curious look. After all, he had just confessed to destroying a child actor's relationship with Kotonami Kanae...well, maybe not entirely destroying, but certainly making it awkward and difficult. In truth, whatever the outcome was, he felt guilty about that part. The actor and model tried to reign in his amusement, gasping out between continued fits of snickering, "G-gomen...gomen...I...i-it's just...th-that boy! He...hah! He managed to...to do what...we've been...s-struggling with...so easily!"

Well, looking at it that way, it was rather amusing, Yashiro had to admit. He gave a single puff of laughter as a smile spread across his face, "I guess so...if only we had the courage of the young..."


Kyoko wasn't nearly as short of breath when she returned to the room where she had left Kanae, she'd hurried to get there, true, but despite he desire to avoid potential...idiots...and to apologize to her friend, somehow the pace hadn't seemed as vigorous. After taking a few moments to draw a couple deep breaths and regain what wind she had lost, Number One pulled open the door and swept inside before shutting it behind her, already preparing to pounce her best friend, "Moko-sa-"

The starlet froze mid-pounce attempt as she saw Kanae. The older teen seemed completely out of touch with the room around her, focused on her wrist, which she traced the back of back and forth repeatedly. Placed in front where she sat, a box of gourmet chocolates rested on the table, but it didn't look like she even noticed them anymore. Rather than the usual cool and collected expression that Kyoko was used to seeing on her best friend, there was a thoughtful and distant look, almost as though she wasn't really focused on her wrist at all, but some point beyond it. Something about this just didn't seem right, not in the slightest! Whatever the doom foretold by her grudges had been, it had transpired and gravely affected her fellow LoveMe member!

Carefully, not wanting to frighten the clearly unaware girl, Kyoko moved closer to get a better hold on the situation. As she looked on, she thought she caught a glimmer or gleam on the path being traced along Kanae's wrist. Blinking in curiosity, the orange haired teen leaned in for a closer examination, she wasn't close enough yet to be noticed by her friend, but that didn't mean she couldn't see what was glinting on her arm. With a gasp, the Dark Moon actress completely forgot about stealth and cried out in surprise, "Moko-san! Where did that come from!"

Kanae jumped about a foot in the air as she was pulled out of her day dream, landing on her feet and whirling to face the only one who called her that name. It was easy to put together what the shouting had been about, even if she hadn't been paying enough attention to really register the words at first, given the shaky finger directed at the sapphire studded silver that encircled her wrist. Her gaze darted to the bracelet, then back to Kyoko, then repeated the course once more before she finally responded, "Mo! No where! I...I bought it myself!"

"You did not!" Kyoko shook her head, not believing a word of it as she swept in closer and grabbed her friend's hand before the older girl could pull away, yanking her arm up so she could properly investigate the elegant piece of jewelry, "You definitely did not! No offence, Moko-san, but even as skilled as you are, we're still just starting out! This...would you even be able to afford it?"

Blushing fiercely at the ineffectiveness of her lie against her usually naïve friend, the raven haired beauty jerked her hand free of Kyoko's grip, "Mo! If I said I bought it, then I did!"

"The chocolate is from Hiou-san, right?" Kyoko gestured to the package of imported sweets on the table as she tried to piece things together. Something was weird...something was very off. Kanae didn't get distant and dazed and sappy, nothing made her that way, at least not in such a serious state that she wouldn't even notice she was being walked in on!

"Yes," The older girl replied with a roll of her eyes, annoyed with the interrogation, hoping that her friend would soon be satisfied with the fact she knew where everything came from and leave her alone.

"I thought so...the box is the shape his gift was..." Kyoko nodded, proud of herself for at least getting that clue right, "So, who gave you the bracelet then? I mean, it's obviously a gift, you were all dreamy a minute ago, and Moko-san doesn't ever get that way! So it must be someone important to you...like a long lost friend, or family member...or...or someone you...l-l-love..."

Good grief! How could the girl be so clueless about her own romantic affairs and pick up so keenly when others were...were...wait, wait, wait! Kanae was not having romantic issues! There was nothing romantic at all between her and Yashiro! The bracelet had been a way too extravagant thank you gift that she had only excepted to get him to leave her alone...even if she had told him she was going to make lunch plans with him for the earliest convenient time during a meeting scheduled for the next day. At least he'd stopped bugging her about the damn bracelet! It was painful to listen to Kyoko speculating about her love life, though. Seriously, the orange haired LoveMe girl couldn't even say the word love without cringing and looking like she wanted to run for the hills.

To make the point that her suspicions were ridiculous clear to Kyoko, Kanae put her hands firmly on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her friend, making her seriousness on the matter clear, "Mo! It's nothing like that! I wasn't dreamy at all! I was thinking about how stupidly expensive this damn bauble was! Especially as a stupid thank you for a stupid cheap apology present!"

"Yashiro-san!" Number One gasped in shock as she covered her mouth. Instantly the elder of the two regretted giving too much away with that last sentence. How could she have forgotten she'd told Kyoko the real purpose of the original present? But the pieces were clicking now as the Dark Moon actress thought back on things. Yashiro had been the other one present when that sense of foreboding had drawn out her grudges, he'd come to see Kanae, not her, and if she thought back hard enough she even recalled a gift bag...pink...maybe more purplish in color. It would hide the shape of the bracelet enough, "But if it cost so much more than the apology gift, why did you accept it?"

"Mo! Idiot! He wouldn't stop bothering me until I did!" The teen flipped a stray wisp of raven hair over her shoulder in agitation, "He's so annoying! Like I even wanted a gift back!"

"He..." Kyoko crinkled her face as she considered her bestie's words. Yashiro had practically forced Kanae to take it, according to the way the older girl spoke. That definitely didn't sound like the man she knew him to be. Where would he get such ideas, and why would he be so desperate? Glancing back at the sapphires that decorated her friend's wrist, a possible reason presented itself to the younger girl's mind, and try as she might to shove it away, it just wouldn't make room for other notions. She might as well voice it, she decided, and see if doing so cleared the way for fresh thoughts, "You don't think...it's probably a silly thing to say, gomen, Moko-san, but...jewelry is considered a gift between...well...ummm...s-s-sweet...hearts..."

It was a definite struggle to get out that last word, which had only been used because the word lovers would have totally fried her circuits had she even attempted to utter it. The effort to voice her thought wasn't aided by the steadily darkening look in her friend's eyes as she worked her way towards her theories conclusion. By now, the older LoveMe member was nearly glaring at her, silently daring her to say such a thing again. Instantly Kyoko was in a dogeza before her friend, pleading with her, "Ah! G-gomen, Moko-san! Please forgive me! I'm such an idiot for ever thinking such a thing! There's no way Yashiro-san would feel that way for you! I mean, that's not to say that there's any reason a man shouldn't feel that way for you...but of course if you had any reason to believe he had, you would have turned him away immediately, and sent his gift with him! It was obviously a token of gratitude and friendship! Please don't hate me!"

"I don't hate you..." Kanae mumbled as she rolled her eyes in exasperation once more, wishing the stupid girl would just get up off the floor already, she was only embarrassing herself. And though the older teen would never admit it even to herself, she had the feeling Kyoko's stupid theory might actually be more accurate than either of them wanted to believe. No matter how she looked at it, that was how it added up. Yashiro's flirtatious words in his response to her note, the fact that he'd gotten her a thank you gift and chosen to give it to her on White Day, the glaring contest between him and Hiou (no, she hadn't actually managed to entirely miss that,) the extravagant cost of the gift, the fact it was jewelry of course, his insistence that she accept it, not to mention that cruel trick he pulled making her admit that she viewed Hiou as only a child while he was in the room (she didn't appreciate that one at all) it all equaled one thing...Glasses-kun was, for whatever reason, in love with her. The thought made her stomach flip-flop, and she didn't know if that was good or bad. So, she decided to do the only thing she could. In a world where two plus two equaling four is absolutely unacceptable, you make it equal fish. Just close your eyes, focus as hard as you can, and convince yourself it's the truth. Two plus two is fish, "I don't hate you, but Glasses-kun doesn't love me. He's just an idiot who spends way too much on friendly gestures!"


And so, for the rest of the day, topics of romance were mostly avoided. Kyoko did not want to draw questions about the gift she had gotten from the Bridge Rock boys, Kanae didn't want to face the obvious truth about her bracelet, Yashiro didn't want to face the guilt that was mixed with his small victory, and Ren didn't want to face his manager's teasing over the dinner Kyoko was going to cook for him. So, it was mutually beneficial to all of them, if they just forgot the whole subject until it absolutely needed to be addressed again.

The need to do that was kept at bay until Ren was getting ready to leave for the evening. As he had promised, his first stop was to the LoveMe room so that he could escort his crush to his car, then they would go to the market for supplies before heading to his apartment so she could cook. He knocked firmly, but not harshly, at the closed door, which was opened by Kanae who was already grumbling at the person she had been expecting to find.

"Baka, Glasses-kun, I agreed to keep your damn gift if you left me alone, now go away until tomo-" Upon realizing that it definitely was not the man she was actually expecting to find, the raven haired girl went practically crimson, narrowing her eyes at the man who now carried two strikes in her eyes. Of course there was the fact that he had been trying to steal away her best friend, with his managers help. And that lead to strike two, because in that very process, he'd managed to somehow get her tangled up in...fish! Because two plus two was fish...yup, definitely fish. Whipping around to head back into the room she called out in a bored tone, "Mo! Kyoko-chan, it's for you!"

Having known that Ren was going to be coming for her, and having finished any LoveMe assignments, which thankfully had nothing to do with it being one of those days, early, Kyoko had changed about a half hour ago. Of course, this left her with plenty of time to do nothing but sit around. She filled the void at first by opening the gift Hikaru had handed her. It was a cute chocolate, a single piece, but larger than average and molded into the shape of a ballerina. It wasn't quite a fairy, but she knew they had tried, so she gave them points for effort. They really were good friends! The chocolate was stored in her locker for use in case of later chocolate emergencies, hey stress happens and chocolate must be available, before Kyoko returned to her place on the couch. The whole process of opening, appreciating, and storing the gift had taken only a couple minutes, and now she literally had nothing else to do. Kanae hadn't talked to her much since she'd made the mistake of mentioning the forbidden 'L' word...hopefully that would blow over soon, Kyoko really didn't want to lose her best friend over such a stupid lapse in judgment. As boredom set in, the first LoveMe member stretched out on the sofa, staring at the ceiling for lack of a more constructive past time, and eventually fell asleep.

It was Kanae calling her name that caused her to abruptly sit up, orange hair sticking to the corner of her mouth and slightly rumpled at the back of her head, and she gave a surprised murmur of, "I'm up!"

"I'm glad, Mogami-san," That wasn't Kanae's voice that replied, however, which drew a bleary look from the talento, who upon realizing just who it actually was leaped off the couch and stood, "I'm sorry to intrude on your nap, but I was looking forward to that home cooked meal..."

"No! I mean, of course!" Kyoko responded emphatically as she began rushing about the room to gather up the last of what she had left lying around. Her purse was on the table, her coat draped over the back of a chair. Realizing that she couldn't hold the purse and put on the coat at the same time, she set the bag on the couch and tugged her coat on over her red sweater with a swooped neckline, which she had paired with a pair of dark washed jeans that day and fished with a pair of mid-calf black boots. The tan color of the coat clashed a bit with the boots, but she didn't think it was that big a deal. Once she was weather ready, she snatched her purse from the couch and hurried forward to meet Ren, who was waiting with a patient and bemused smile near the door, "Sorry to make you wait, Tsuruga-san! I accidentally dozed off!"

"Then you must have been tired," The tall actor reasoned, "Maybe we should reschedule dinner...I can drive you home instead. It must have been a stressful day for you with the risk of tragic encounters..."

"It would be horribly rude of me to reschedule now..." Kyoko started, and sensing a 'but' the senior actor gestured that she should continue, "But I really am rather tired...and on a day like this...I would like to just go home. Not that I don't want to spend time with you, Tsuruga-san! Please don't misunderstand! I just think sleep would be better at this point. But...I will make it up to you, I promise!"

"I understand, of course." Ren smiled politely, giving a small nod to show he agreed with her assessment of the situation, "Then I'll drive you home."

Together he and Kyoko walked out to where he had parked, finding Yashiro waiting for them. Either way, they would have been delayed by having to drop the manager off. Ren smirked slightly as he noticed his friend shifting uneasily, the actor dropping a sideways glance to the teen at his side, confirming that she was giving an appraising look at the bespectacled man. This could be an interesting drive.