I do not own Skip Beat!

Kyouko paced the floor in her small upstairs room at the Darumaya. She had accepted the role on Ren's current drama rather hastily. She had thought it over for one night and then, caught up with the insistence of her best friend, accepted the role without even considering the main person it would effect. She should have consulted Ren first. What if he didn't want to act opposite her? Sure he had seemed happy to work with her when her part had just been in one episode, but what if he didn't want to work with her for more than that? Had he heard that she accepted the part yet? Would he be angry?

She picked up her phone to call him and then put it down again. She paced the floor again, before scooping up her phone again. Her finger was poised above the speed dial button when it vibrated in her hands and she nearly flung it across the room.

"H—hello?" she said, recovering herself.

"Good evening, Mogami-san," came the voice she'd both hoped and dreaded to hear.

"Good evening, Tsuruga-san," she said, trying to calm her nerves.

There was a moment of silence which was broken by Ren's laugh.

"Tsuruga-san?"

"You don't have to be so nervous, Mogami-san. It's just me," he said.

Kyouko laughed nervously. He was not just anything.

"Um, why are you calling?" she asked.

"Can't I call you without a reason?" he said affecting a hurt tone. She could see the puppy dog eyes from over the phone.

"Eh? No! I mean— It's not that you can't. I just thought—"

Ren laughed again.

"Tsuruga-san! You're mean!" she said. "Why do you always have to tease me?"

"Because your reaction is always so enjoyable," he said.

"That's not fair, Tsuruga-san!" she complained. "You always tease me, and I end up flustered, but nothing I do ever gets to you."

"So you're trying to fluster me, Mogami-san?" he asked, dropping the pitch of his voice. "How very daring."

"Eh? No! That's not what I meant! I just meant—"

Ren's rumbling laughter again filled her ear.

"Tsuruga-san! Did you just call to laugh at me?"she asked, now more frustrated than nervous.

"No," he said, recovering himself. "I actually thought you might have some news for me."

"News?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Like a new role you might have, for example."

He knew.

"I'm so sorry I didn't say anything earlier. I knew I should have asked you about it, but then Mouko-san said that I should definitely take the part, because I liked the character and the cast and I definitely didn't want to play any of those seductive roles that they offered me, and I thought it would be a valuable experience, and then we were there and so she told me to tell Sawara-san and I did it without even thinking. If you don't want to act with me, I'll go back and see if I can still turn it do—"

"Mogami-san, stop," he said, humor evident in his voice. "I would love to act with you."

"You would?" Kyouko asked.

"I would," he said.

"But then why did you—"

"I was just a little disappointed," he said.

Kyouko's heart sunk.

"Usually, you call me and tell me about it when you get a new role."

"Eh? So, you're not disappointed that it was me?" she asked.

"No. Of course not," Ren said. "I was just disappointed that I didn't get to talk to you about it."

"W—well, we could talk now," Kyouko said, feeling very presumptuous. "I mean if you still want to, and if you're not busy. I don't want to take up your free time, since you're always so busy. When you have time to rest you should relax and—"

"Mogami-san, I called you," he reminded her.

"Ah, right," she said.

"So, are you free right now?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. She paused, blushing, "Actually, I was just about to call you."

"I haven't eaten yet, you know," he said. "Why don't we have our chat over dinner, and you can supervise my eating habits as you like so much to do."

"Eh? But is that alright? Won't that reinforce the rumors?" Kyouko asked.

"Mogami-san, would you be embarrassed to date me?" he asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko nearly screamed, turning ten shades of red, "No! Of course not! Who could possibly be embarrassed to date you, Tsuruga-san? I just don't want to ruin your reputation. I mean, for a man like you to be going out with a girl like me, people would definitely think—"

"That I was very lucky," Ren finished.

"Eh? No, I was going to say, they would think you had very bad taste!"

Ren sighed. "Mogami-san, you said you wouldn't be embarrassed to date me, right?"

Kyouko nodded, before realizing he couldn't see her over the phone. She cleared her throat and answered in the affirmative.

"So, if you wouldn't be embarrassed, would you have any other problem with me?"

"No! Of course there wouldn't be a problem with you, Tsuruga-san," she said. "It's just that—"

"Then there's no problem," he said firmly. "Right?"

"Um, right," she said.

"Good, I'll come pick you up right away," he said. "Are you at home?"

"Uh huh," she answered automatically.

"Alright, then I'll be there in about twenty minutes," he said. "Think about what you want to eat."

"Ok," Kyouko answered and hung up the phone. She sat there in a daze for a few moments, replaying what was just said, and then it clicked.

Kyouko's scream could be heard throughout the busy restaurant downstairs, and well down the block.

"Is everything ok up there?" a customer asked as the Okami-san delivered his order.

"Oh, I'm sure everything is fine," she said with a smile, "The young woman who boards with us is just very…enthusiastic."

The customer looked incredulous, but as the noise was not repeated, and his food was distractingly delicious, he forgot about the shriek and enjoyed his meal.

Back upstairs, Kyouko had stopped screaming and was furiously punching a number into her phone. The phone didn't even ring, but went straight to voicemail.

"Mouko-san! Help!" Kyouko wailed into the phone. "I think I've just agreed to go on a date with Tsuruga-san, and he's on his way!"

AN: Yeah, I know this chapter is shameless fluff...as will be the next one... But! Back to the plot after that! Hope you liked it anyway :D Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D