New Friends
Kyoko clears the dirty dishes from the final tables as the okami-san accompanies the last customers to the door for the evening. The older woman invites the customers to return again before closing the door and sliding the lock into place. When the two owners of the Daruma-ya join Kyoko in the kitchen, the teen looks up from the glasses and bowls that she is loading into the dishwasher trays. Nervously, Kyoko bows to her landlords before starting a rambling apology.
"I am so sorry to bother you, I realize it gets really busy on Sundays and I normally help with the lunch crowd. I can't help with supper though even though I don't have work because, well, I have a favor to ask, and I realize it is short notice and it's not like I'll make a habit of doing it because, of course, you really don't have time for me to do it that often and then it would be a bother and I wouldn't want to bother you. Except that, well, tomorrow I really need to bother you especially since I already invited them. I promise to clean up and everything and I can even pay for the food and stuff and..."
"Kyoko," interrupts the older woman. The teen falls silent and looks expectantly at the okami-san.
"What do you want to do tomorrow evening?" she prompts since Kyoko's explanation would have most likely have continued for another five minutes and still been just as confusing.
Kyoko grins sheepishly and replies "I invited three friends over for supper."
"How lovely. We've always wanted to meet your friends. Are any of them your boyfriend?"
Kyoko blushes as she insists that they are just her senpais from her job as the chicken.
"Wait, those three cute boys who work with you every Friday night?" her landlady confirms.
Kyoko nods.
The Tashio snorts. Both women look at the chef as he stands by the sink cleaning his knives. They are much too important to put into the dishwasher so every night he carefully washes the tools of his profession. Kyoko explains why she invited the Bridge Rock boys for dinner and about their kind offer to buy her a dress for the Asian Television Awards. When the actress explains that she has been nominated for an award, the Tashio looks up from his cleaning ritual.
"It is good that your industry is acknowledging your hard work, dedication, and skills," the gentleman states in his normally stoic tone before returning his attention back to his knives.
"Oh, yes, Kyoko. Congratulations!" the older woman exclaims as she gives the teen a hug. "We are so proud of you."
Kyoko basks in their warm wishes as she helps finish cleaning up for the day. As the last dishes are stored, the teen stretches and sighs. She wishes the restaurant owners good night then heads up the steps with thoughts of a relaxing bath enticing her. She is gathering her toiletries when her cell phone rings. Vibrating like a cartoon character who put its finger in a light socket, the actress pulls out her phone and checks the identification. Her stomach clenches and her body freezes for a moment when she reads blocked caller. She mutters a quick prayer that it is someone from work and not her senpai. She is horrified by her behavior this morning and she is sure that Tsuruga will berate her mercilessly if he is the caller.
Like a yellow-bellied coward, she avoided him after the shoot. She even refused his ride home by insisting that she and Moko had plans. Luckily, Moko had gone along with her story. Kyoko grimaces. Of course, her best friend had only gone along with the tale so that she could have a chance to berate her behavior once again. Kyoko sighs. She had kind of liked playing Ami but it seems that no one else seemed to like her. Well, except maybe Koga. He seemed to like her well enough. Kyoko frowns. Maybe he liked her too much.
Stealing her nerves and pushing away her thoughts of the photo-shoot, Kyoko answers the phone.
"Good evening," she hesitantly murmurs into the phone.
"Good evening," replies her dreaded senpai. His voice is more husky than normal and he drags his enunciation out longer than would be expected.
Kyoko blushes profusely as she once again dives headfirst into an apology for her unruly behavior at the photo-shoot. She drops to her knees in contrition even though her senpai can not see her action.
"Mogami-san, you already apologized for that. You don't need to do it again," mutters Ren right before he takes another gulp of his golden drink. On his table, a mostly empty decanter of scotch sits beside an insulated bowl of ice. The actor laughs. "You should get off the floor, Mogami-san," he recommends before taking yet another drink.
Kyoko holds the phone away from her ear and stares at it as she wonders how he knows she is on her knees to apologize.
"Do you have ESP or something?"
Ren laughs. "I have something," he chortles. "Definitely something."
"Tsuruga-san, are you okay?" Kyoko asks with concern because something is decidedly wrong with her normally calm and reserved senior.
"ah uh."
"Are you sick?" she asks. Kyoko worries that he is running a fever. A high fever can make a person act strangely and strange is definitely how her respected senpai is acting. She stands and grabs her coat as she hastily decides to go check on her senpai who is obviously sick and by himself. After all, he doesn't care for himself properly when he is well let alone when he is ill.
"Uh huh," Ren replies as he empties his glass and attempts to place it on the table. He misses and drops the glass on the floor instead. The thick carpet protects the glass and it rolls out of reach. Ren laughs as he flops onto his back on the couch.
"I'm deathly ill, Kyoko-chan," he mutters in a suddenly serious tone. "It's terminal. My heart is never going to recover."
Kyoko's chest suddenly feels tight and tears fill her eyes.
"No, that can't be," she denies. "How could this have happened so fast. Have you seen a doctor? You were fine this morning, right?"
Ren snorts. "I was most certainly not fine this morning. I haven't been fine in over a year. You will be the death of me yet, Kyoko-chan. You drive me insane."
"Huh? I drive you..."
Ren interrupts her response, "Hey, do you think Yashiro has to wear gloves with his kitchen appliances or only with his cell phone? I wonder where he gets all those gloves. Do you think he is having an affair with a doctor or something?"
Ren starts to laugh again.
Kyoko suddenly has an epiphany about why her senpai is acting so strange.
"Tsuruga-san, are you drunk?" She asks in a slightly accusing tone as she drops her hastily gathered outerwear and her bag.
Ren instantly tries to stop laughing as he claims to be completely sober.
"Tsuruga-san," says that teen in a tone that makes his name sound like a scolding.
"Well, maybe I've had a drink or two... or maybe three," admits her senpai as he frowns. "Or would that be five or six? Does it count as separate drinks if its all in one glass?"
"Senpai, I think you need to go to bed. Are you at home?"
Ren looks around his living room and nods his head. Since Kyoko can't hear his head rattling, she asks him again. This time he answers properly.
"Then go to bed, Tsuruga-san. Pretty please."
The way she says please reminds Ren of Koga's response to her this morning at the shoot and his alcohol induced mirth suddenly plunges into sadness. In a tone more expected from a lost little boy, he asks her why she acted that way with Koga today. Kyoko sighs as the conversation comes full circle and she is back to apologizing.
"Tsuruga-san, I'm sorry I acted the way I did. I know that I shouldn't have gotten carried away with the character I created but I had to create her. There was no way I would have been able to dress in those clothes on the set without someone to protect me."
"I would protect you. I will always protect you," Ren promises tenderly.
Kyoko sighs. "But you can't protect me from my job, Tsuruga-san. It was my job to participate in the photo-shoot in the clothes the director requested."
"Setsu wore clothes like today without problems and she didn't throw herself at the first handsome man she encountered," Ren accuses jealously.
Kyoko doesn't recognize the tone as jealousy. Instead, she thinks her senpai did not approve of Ami. A small angry ball lodges in the pit of Kyoko's stomach but she pushes down the frustrated bile. "Setsu only had eyes for her brother. She would not have worked at the photo-shoot. She would have realized Cain was missing and tried to force you into the role and that would have been bad for both of us."
Ren mumbles something and Kyoko asks him to repeat it. Ren covers his eyes with his arm and mutters that he misses Setsu. A smile plays across Kyoko's lips as she sits at her desk and admits that she misses her too. Despite everything and all her protests, it was fun playing Cain's little sister. Kyoko had loved having an excuse to be spoiled, protected and cherished. Those are feelings she wishes she could have every day. It was just like being a princess without having to worry about the stupid prince mucking up all the tale by forcing her to fall in love.
Despite his drunken state, Ren summons the brain power for his own small epiphany. "You don't have to be Setsu to feel like her."
"Are you offering to be my big brother again?"
Ren shudders and thinks 'God forbid' but answers aloud "no, not your brother but you mentioned that a senpai can be your friend today. I can be your friend and friends can do all the things that Setsu and Cain did. I enjoyed spoiling Setsu."
Ren's tone turns pleading and Kyoko can just image the puppies lining up in the box behind her senpai. "Will you let me spoil you, Kyoko?"
For a moment, she considers the tempting offer.
"I think I would like that, Tsuruga-san," she finally admits. "But only if you really want to be like that with me."
Ren sighs as he thinks that she truly has no idea how much he wants her in his life.
"Well, then I will let you treat me like Setsu the next time we are together and I will treat you more like Cain. In fact, I will start now. Tsuruga-san, you need to go to bed now," she states in a very firm tone. "Good night."
Kyoko hangs up the phone before Ren can reply. He looks at the phone which is now emanating a disconnection sound and he starts to laugh.
"Good night, my love," he whispers to his empty apartment. Despite the silence that greets his whisper, Ren smiles softly as he plans on ways to spoil his kohai. Images of presents and spending time together flash through his mind as he drifts off to sleep. No matter what Yashiro says, even small progress is still progress in the actor's mind.