Chapter 11
"I'm telling you, it's real. I'm not making it up!" she insisted, scrubbing the remaining of her chocolate mousse "He was just plain rude."
The conversation had landed on Hiromune Koga for some reason, and Kuon took the opportunity to test the waters. It seemed the actor had spoken ill of him, which apparently ticked Kyouko off. He liked that. He knew she wasn't a mindless fan, and even though the nature of her inclination was not exactly what he longed for, it warmed his heart every time she defended him. He remembered his father had mentioned impact marks on the walls when he pretended to belittle him in her presence.
"I'm sure Hiromune san is a fine professional you can learn a lot from." He had been reassured that she favored him more. He wasn't sure how things would go, once she got the part – which he didn't doubt she would – but he didn't want to stoop to the level where he would bad talk someone he didn't even know. Sure he would keep his eyes on the situation, but still…
"He said..." she put the porcelain bowl down on the table in front of her and looked up to him intently "he said he was always second best, and even this role, you refused it before it was offered to him."
Kuon hadn't ordered a desert. He was finishing his liqueur.
"Yashiro refused it, it's true." He put his glass down. "I can't tell you how much I regret that he did."
A faint smile appeared on her lips as she allowed herself to imagine how it would feel like, if he was the one cast for the wandering samurai. It would be torture. Such a sweet torture.
"You would have been Moko san's love interest." she said without thinking.
"I would have gotten to see you everyday." he wasn't exactly thinking either.
They stared for a second before she spoke again "What time is it?"
Her question brought him out of his reverie.
"Yes" he stated, looking at the time on his phone 'we'd better get moving, we have 15 mn."