A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter. I had to break the date up to make things flow right. I think I threw in a curveball or two as well. Heheh.

Disclaimer: As per usual, these characters aren't mine. I've kidnapped them and am making them perform to my will. Sadly, no one is stepping forward to offer ransom, so I make no profit.


Chapter 12: The Big Date (Part One)


In the master bedroom of the apartment, two variations of outfit lay out on the bed. There was a pair of slate grey slacks, or a very similar pair in a lighter grey best described as cloud colored. Dress shirts in white or a slight off white were also options. There were sports coats in a deep earth brown or a dark grey color to finish should the look lend itself to one over the other. His standard black dress shoes would work in either case.

From the bathroom steam bellowed as the apartment's tenant attempted to rinse away his building nerves with the hot cascade of the shower. One large hand rested splayed upon the wall of the shower as the other smoothed through dripping locks of dyed dark hair. Eyes normally concealed by contact lenses stared at their natural color, cast in an obscure reflection from the condensation coated surfaces of the shower's chrome.

With a sigh of frustration Ren turned his gaze aside, breaking contact with that reminder of Kuon...Of Corn...Of the Fairy Prince that Kyoko at once held so dear, and yet had no idea was him. A secret he could never tell...at least not yet. This memory she loved was tied to the person he once was...a person and past he strove to escape.

A fist connected with the wall of the shower as his eyes squeezed shut. Again he sighed, opening his sights and shutting off the water before stepping out into the rest of the room. Tonight he would continue his role as Tsuruga Ren, keeping Hizuri Kuon tucked away a bit longer...He just hoped he could manage.

After toweling off and putting in his contacts, the star looked at himself in the mirror, the coating of steam having begun to dissipate, "What am I doing? A date with Mogami-san? Yashiro and Kotonami-san together are going to kill me...aren't they?"


In his own apartment, the manager was a bit more frantic. He was on his third outfit, simply because he couldn't settle on a proper shade of light brown. Was beige better, or more of a khaki? He'd decided adding a pair of dressy gloves to the ensemble was a nice touch, and made it less likely he would fry a phone in his jittery state. His hair was slightly slicked in an attempt at styling, and he'd poked his eye four times before deciding glasses were fine and he didn't need to try contact lenses.

Now that he was, more or less, dressed (the tan was better than those other colors, right?) The manager was focusing on other details. Traditionally one gave a date flowers and chocolates, but knowing Kanae, he'd stuck only to flowers. That had been a trial as well.

Roses seemed too intimate for a first date. Of course, he was no expert on flowers, but that was his opinion. Lilies screamed mourning, and irises didn't seem right. Carnations weren't good either. Finally he settled on violets, something in their vibrant colors catching his attention. He also allowed for a rose of a deep rich hue, but only one. Hopefully that wasn't too much.

His gaze lingered on the flowers a moment longer before he returned to the mirror, yet again checking his reflection. He knew he was far from unsightly. Some might say he was handsome, he supposed. But living in the whirl of Tokyo, working everyday to steer the career of Tsuruga Ren, the most desirable man in Japan...that did leave room to doubt one's own appeal.

How he had managed to get someone as beautiful as Kotonami Kanae to accept a date with him was unimaginable. He was certain this had more to do with Kanae wanting to put Kyoko in an awkward situation out of vengeance than any actual attraction to him.

Fidgeting with the tie he wore, a darker brown, he breathed a deep sigh, "Well, I'm as ready as I can get..."

Taking hold of his floral offering, the manager set off to where he would meet Ren. It would be strange for the star to pick up a colleague carrying flowers and looking ready for a date, so they were meeting in the building's parking garage, rather than the actor's usual routine of picking him up in front of the apartments.

Sure enough, there was said star, leaning against the car as Yashiro appeared, "Well, at least you look as awkward as I feel at the moment. Let's go pick up the girls."

"Wh-what does that mean? I thought this was a good outfit!" Yashiro fretted, climbing into the passengers side, Ren slipping into place behind the wheel.

"Ah...for a business meeting, maybe." His friend winced slightly, "This is a bit more casual, right? So, no tie. And if you're going to wear the gloves, a scarf draped over the shoulders maybe..."

"That's why you're the star, and I'm only the manager..." The bespectacled man sighed, removing his tie and gloves as advised.

"I wouldn't be half the star without you, though," Ren reassured the other as the fastened seatbelts and headed onto the road, "You know that, Yashiro."


Kanae stood in front of the mirror in Kyoko's bathroom, a fluffy towel wrapped securely around her form. On the bed beyond the door were laid out two dresses, one for each of the girls, which had been purchased during a shopping trip specifically for this occasion. Matching shoes, clutches and jewelry had also been procured.

At the moment, the elder Love Me member was working on her makeup from her place in front of the sink as her friend did the same from the desk in the bedroom. While Kanae worked on a smokey eye effect, she had advised the less experienced girl that a more natural blend of brown hues that shimmered slightly would suit her.

Lashes had been curled, Kyoko hadn't liked that one bit. Eyeliner applied, charcoal in color for the smokey eye, and for the more natural look a bit of a mossy shade that was then smudged into the blend of eyeshadow. Once everything but the lips was complete, the girls went about slipping into their dresses.

Kyoko wore a forest green number with a sweetheart neckline. A brown sweater covered her arms, which would otherwise be left bare, in three quarters length sleeves. At her waist the dress flared slightly so it flowed pleasantly about her legs to just below her knees. Her favorite part was how it fluttered when she would spin.

Kanae dressed more boldly, a form fitting red dress wrapped about her frame. While the hem cut off an inch above her knee, the sleeves covered to her wrists, and the dress had a mock turtleneck collar. A black braided belt with a gold buckle draped about her waist.

Now the duo could focus on their hair. It was easy enough for Kanae to twist her long, dark hair into a low bun that rested in a figure eight against her nape. Her friend, however, couldn't imagine anything so elegant being fashioned from the short orange mop upon her own head.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko wailed in despair, "You're so gorgeous! How can I make my hair look that nice! I'm a mess!"

"Mo! Stop that! You'll ruin your makeup, crying like an idiot!" The older girl huffed in exasperation, snatching up a tissue and dabbling her friend's face to minimize damage, "Now, your whole look is more...innocent. Put in a headband or add some curls...you'll be fine!"

Blinking up at Kanae a moment in silence, eventually a grin erupted over Kyoko's face, ""Moko-san, you're wonderful!"

"Calm down, now," The red-clad beauty produced from her overnight bag a curling iron and a brown headband, "Which is it?"

After some indecisiveness, the headband was selected. Then lipstick was applied, a subtle pink for the more innocent look, while Kanae donned a stunning red to go with her outfit.

Jewelry for the red look was a plain, braided chain in gold that hung loosely around the neck, paired with a couple medium width bangles of the same material. Kyoko's jewelry was an obvious selection of Princess Rosa. It clashed some with the mostly earth toned scheme, but Kanae seemed to think Ren would enjoy seeing it being worn for the occasion.

As the time for the men to pick them up drew nearer, the girls slipped on their shoes. High black heels for Kanae gave her legs an even longer appearance. Her friend wore shorter heels in brown.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door; causing Kyoko, who was spinning to enjoy he flouncy dress, to nearly stumble in surprise. Kanae just rolled her eyes.

Through the door, the Okami announced, "Girls, your dates are here..."

"A-alright!" The orange haired talento flustered, smoothing down her dress. Suddenly she was very nervous! A glance at her best friend for confidence didn't do much good either, since Kanae worrying the corner of her lip.

After taking a moment to build her courage, the red clad teen grabbed a black clutch and huffed a sigh, "Mo! Come on! Can't keep them waiting too long!"

Kyoko quickly grabbed her own small purse and followed suit, stopping at the top of the stairs when the guys came into view. Taichou stood next to them, Ren and Yashiro waiting just inside the door under his scrutinizing gaze. The manager was visibly nervous, and even the normally cool actor seemed a bit uncomfortable.

Where the girls had paused to view the situation, Kanae let her sights sweep over her date. It was almost cute the obvious effort he was putting into things, with his attempt to slick back his hair and appear loose by losing his usual tie despite the suit. In his uneasy small talk with the Taichou the manager hadn't looked to the top of the stairs yet (though Ren was clearly smiling up at Kyoko,) leaving Kanae to clear her throat as the girls descended.

Suddenly Yashiro's eyes snapped up to meet hers. While he was determined to be a perfect gentleman and prove any thoughts of "perverted older man" false, he couldn't help the way his gaze swept over what was clearly a very grown up outfit. The manager didn't realize just what a jaw dropping effect the girl's appearance had actually had until a grunt from Taichou brought him to his senses, causes him to snap his mouth shut and attempt to regain his wits.

Beside the stammering older man, Ren snickered softly before returning his gaze to his own date, "Mogami-san, you look lovely."

"Oh!" Kyoko blinked with a bright blush, "Y-you don't have to say that! I know we're just along to make things more comfortable for Moko-san and Yashiro-san! You don't have to act like this is a real date or anything! I'm sorry you were a even dragged into it!"

The actor might have actually physically flinched at that stream of words. Drawing a calming breath he tried to keep his smile genuine, "I wouldn't be here against my will...and I wouldn't pay a false compliment. When I say you look lovely, I mean it, Mogami-san."

Yashiro quit his fumbling search for brain function and words long enough to gape at his client's boldness. That was an unexpected improvement in the communication between those two! An annoyed foot tapping drew his attention back to his own date and he finally found the wits to hold out the bouquet of violets, "Right, for you...and umm..."

Anything he said by way of complimenting her appearance now would simply sound like mimicry of Ren. Kanae reached out and accepted the flowers, her eyes focused on the man before her as he sighed and grumbled, "I'm already making a mess of this..."

"A little," Kanae teased with a smirk, brushing a finger against the soft petals of one of the violets, "But not too bad..."

"You look really nice...beautiful, really," Yashiro blurted, "Um..."

Deciding to save her poor floundering date from sinking further, the red clad talento gave a nod, "I get it. And at least you noticed."

Glancing beside her, the girl had to force herself not to groan in frustration at the sight of Ren trying convince Kyoko that the compliment was genuine and aimed toward her, not the outfit or makeup. Honestly, that girl could be so dense! With a roll of her eye's, Kanae intervened, "Mo! Just thank the man for thinking you're pretty so we can go! Okami-san, could you put these flowers in some water for me?"

As requested the woman came forward, smiling as she took the bouquet, "You girls have fun."

"Don't keep them out too late," Taichou was regarding the men with a harsh stare, "No funny business."

Yashiro gulped nervously, despite having no intention of anything inappropriate happening. Ren smiled and nodded, taking the moment to answer, "Of course. We'll have them back by eleven. Does that suit you?"

A final appraising look and Taichou nodded, leaving Ren and Yashiro to escort the girls to the actor's car.


As the group arranged themselves in Ren's car, Kyoko in the front passenger seat next to her date while Yashiro and Kanae settled into the back seats, the red clad talento looked to her male companion, "So where are we going, Glasses-kun?"

"I suppose trying to say it's a surprise would be considered cliche?" The manager gave a slight quirk of his lips and rubbed the back of his neck as his date leveled him with a stare that answered for her, "Right, well...I wasn't sure what would be the most comfortable for you ladies, and of course with celebrity issues like rumors and reputations to consider someplace known as exclusively for couples was out...so I thought a nicer location, but with a more open atmosphere. It really is a great restaurant, people go there for many reasons ranging from dates, to family dinners or business luncheons. We should be relatively safe from gossip."

Kanae had to blink at the fact that even when planning a date, he was taking a manager's perspective, accounting for PR risks. She smirked a bit and shook her head in amusement, "It seems you thought of everything."

"Yes...well..." Hoping that was correctly interpreting her words as a compliment, "I do try. After dinner, we can decide whether something else sounds fun...I...I mean...maybe we could take a walk or something...that's all!"

Unable to help herself a few laughs slipped past normally frosty facade the talent wore, "Oh dear. You were on a roll of not stammering too."

At that, the bespectacled man turned near crimson, falling silent and turning to stare awkwardly out the window of the vehicle as city scenery whizzed past. A moment later a soft touch landed on his shoulder. Slowly he glanced back toward the teen he dared to love, ready to apologize already for wasting her time.

"Relax, Glasses-kun...I think dinner and a walk is fine, and I'm pretty sure Kyoko-chan will agree if Tsuruga does. And..." She let her volume drop as she continued in an embarrassed murmur, "It's kind of cute when you stammer anyway..."

At her affirmation of his plans for the evening he turned and smiled at her in relief. When he caught that muttered compliment, his eyes widened in surprise as his lips shifted to a full on grin. She thought his horrid awkwardness was cute. And she admitted so, which meant she must really think so! She didn't say such things simply to please people. With a slight chuckle he tried to tone down his enthusiasm to mere happiness over giddiness, "Oh...in that case...thank you."

With a slight dusting of pink to her cheeks that she hoped was hidden by her makeup, Kanae nodded, "Yeah, sure."


While the two in the backseat were having their small talk, Ren was splitting his focus between the road and trying to talk to Kyoko. The orange haired talento was taking part in the conversation because it would be rude to ignore her sempai when he was already being forced to take her on a date, and more rude to listen in on Kanae and Yashiro, as much as she was curious about their progress.

She usually enjoyed speaking with the actor...but he kept saying strange things. Starting with when he and his manager had arrived to pick the girls up! Saying she was lovely, but not because of hair and makeup or clothing...what was that? And insisting that he wanted to be there with her? Surely he only meant as a favor to their friends!

Kyoko hoped the weirdness would end after getting into the car. It didn't. As soon as she fastened her seatbelt and the vehicle started, Kanae had asked about their destination. Once Yashiro had given the answer, Ren felt the need to resume his strange topics.

"Mogami-san..." The tall actor sent a sideways glance her way before refocusing on the road, "Why do you refuse my compliments?"

"Refuse your..." The rising starlet blinked and tilted her head. "Tsuruga-san...I didn't! I told you, Moko-san helped pick the dress so-"

"But I didn't say 'Your dress looks lovely' when I complimented you," Her mentor pointed out, glancing away from the road to look at her.

"O-oh..." She swallowed nervously, a few of her grudges perking in recognition of a growing annoyance from Ren's direction, "Well, she helped with the makeup too, it's really-"

"I also didn't say 'Your makeup looks lovely,' Mogami-san," The idol let his smile twitch toward gentlemanly.

"O-of...of course..." Kyoko budgeted in her seats, grudges swirling forth to drink in the anger seeping from her role model, "She helped with everything though...all of it! So without Moko-san's help-"

"Without her help, you would still be lovely." Ren's voice was stern, a bit of exasperated, as the car jerked to a halt, at a red light. He turned to look her in the eye, trying to explain as bluntly as possible, "You would still be Mogami-san."

"I...I don't...Ts-Tsuruga-san..what are.." As his rich brown eyes stared so earnestly into hers, the LoveMe member would swear she felt a rattling in her heart as it bucked wildly against its restraints. A sense of panic began to fill her.

Drawing a breath the star braced himself. How much more blunt could he get without confessing? "Mogami-san...I-"

Horns behind him blared, reminding the star they were only at a light. With a sigh of frustration he turned back to the road and began driving again, falling silent.

It wasn't much farther before they pulled into the parking lot of a mid-sized restaurant. It looked nice enough on the outside, anyway. Ren and his manager exited the car, then helped their dates out as gentlemen would. As discretely as possible, the four entered the establishment, though more than one onlooker turned to glance at the famous actor.

The younger male turned to his friend, "So, this place is rather low key?"

"It was among the best options," Yashiro quipped as they were led to their seats, "It may be hard to believe, but you tend to be noticed in most places..."

At that, Kanae had to smirk, though her lips quivered on the edge of a full out smile. She made a note that the snarky side of the manager was pretty cute too.

Near the back of the restaurant, the four were shown a table in a rather sheltered corner. Automatically Yashiro took a position that would best allow him to be on guard for unwanted attention, pulling out the seat beside his selected place for Kanae.

Ren did the same to allow Kyoko to sit down, and she hesitantly obliged. LoveMe Number One was feeling all the more nervous than she had when the evening started. After the conversation at the stoplight, her mind wasn't sure whether it was safer to kick into hyperdrive or shutdown. She hadn't said a word, locked in this inner battle, trying at once to convince herself she had misunderstood, and yet running out possible ways to write the compliments off.

The server asked for drink orders. Around the table, the others made their selections. Wine for the men, water for Kanae. Kyoto was in a daze, unaware that it was her turn until her date touch her shoulder lightly, causing her to flinch and look at him.

Immediately feeling hurt and guilty at once, Ren dropped his hand, "Mogami-san...do you know what you want to drink?"

"H-huh? Oh! Um...iced tea, I guess?" She stammered, fiddling with her dress' hem. The server wrote the order down and went to get the beverages, "I...erm...I'll be right back. Please, excuse me a moment."

Standing abruptly, the girl bobbed a bow as she excused herself and quickly walked away, stopping brief to ask an employee where the restroom was. the Idol watched her go, a frown on his features. He'd really screwed up, getting far too bold after his manager's success and his own frustrations.

Across the table Yashiro and Kanae exchanged a look. Suddenly the bespectacled man felt awful. All this time he had been pushing Ren to confess...now he could see first-hand how easily spooked the orange haired teen was, "Ren..."

"I should have left well enough alone..." The taller man grumbled in defeat. Running his hand through his dark hair.

After a few moments of sullen silence, the remaining LoveMe member slapped a hand on the table, "Mo! Stop sulking and go fix it, baka!"

The sudden bang of hand on table caused Ren to jump slightly as he was lectured. She was right of course. If he didn't do a hasty patch job there was no chance for the future. With a nod, the actor rose from his seat and set off in the direction he had last seen Kyoko going.

"Are you sure he should be the one going after her?" Yashiro questioned uneasily as he watched his client walk away. He certainly hoped things wouldn't just get worse from this...

"Glasses-kun," His date turned to him with a coy smile as she explained, "When things became awkward due to the gift incident, the clock I mean, who had to fix things? A friend, or one of us?"

"Well...I suppose I had to take the initiative there..." Was his honest reply. If he hadn't written the thank you note, things may have remained awkward.

"Exactly. So, if I went after her, it wouldn't do any good. Tsuruga screwed up. He has to go get her. Besides," She sighed and slouched, "As much as I hate to admit it, he can figure out how to get through to her better sometimes..."

"Ah. Well," The manager smiled at his date, "She can be dense. But if it makes you feel better, her enthusiasm for your friendship is always quite clear. I don't believe I've ever seen her attempt to tackle anyone else."

At the way Kanae's features twisted into an embarrassed grimace and colored with a heated blush, Yashiro couldn't help but laugh. The girl tried to silence him with an icy glare but he grinned at her knowingly, "You'd miss it if she suddenly stopped, though. Just like Ren would miss it if I stopped pestering him over his love life."

"I would not!" The teen blustered, earning an odd look from the server who had just arrived with their drinks. The talento was pretty sure she liked the man better when he was too flustered to form proper sentences at this point.

After reminding the server which drinks went where, and confirming that they would need more time before ordering, the manager adjusted his glasses, "Kotonami-san, you are much more caring than you like to show...that much is clear from your treatment of Kyoko-chan. You may think it's soft...perhaps a weakness...But it's not. Being able to make friends helps in the long run, both in life and show business. I think Kyoko-chan herself shows that well enough."

"I...wh-what?" The way his light brown eyes looked at her as he spoke, tenderly urging her to let her shell chip away, was startling. It made her uneasy, to say the least, the concern and admiration that seemed to cohabitate within that gaze, "Mo! Is this career counseling, or a date? And where is the sudden confidence coming from?"


As Ren had been walking away from the table in search of Kyoko, he paused at a pillar just around the bend from the portion of the restaurant where the restrooms the girl had been heading toward were. Beyond the wall where he stood the establishment took on a more laidback feeling. More importantly, beyond the wall the star could hear his date speaking to someone. Someone slightly familiar and decidedly male. Brown eyes narrowed as he listened a moment to decide the best course of action.


As Kyoko walked towards the bathroom, her thoughts still racing though her steps had slowed to a more normal pace, the last thing she really expected or wanted was to run into another familiar face. She vaguely registered a nearby fuss, then someone bumped into her from the left, sending her stumbling off balance slightly. Though she had not initiated the collision she automatically turned to apologize, eyes widening at what she saw.

"Oh...it's..." She blinked black the flustered feeling that lingered from from Ren's compliment, bowing slightly, "Ah, gomen, Hikaru-san. I didn't see you."

"Well...I ran into you, so that's my fault," The Bridge Rock leader responded with a smile. The musician turned variety show host glanced over his shoulder to glare at his band mates, expecting the usual thumbs up and teasing grins, but they had made themselves scarce after pushing him into his crush, "Um...I wasn't expecting to see you here, Kyoko-chan!"

"Oh...um...yes...I..." She didn't want to be rude, but she needed to get somewhere she could be alone with her thoughts...and before Ren found her!

"You look really nice by the way!" He rushed out, wanting to do so before something inevitably went wrong. Hikaru would have loved to bring her here as a date someday, he could just imagine her wearing a cute dress like that too. Suddenly his thoughts crashed to a halt, "Are...you here with someone?"

"I...I do?" She squeaked out at his compliment, for the first time realizing all it might imply. As he posed his question she nodded, shifting a bit, "I am..."

"Is everything okay? Because I can-" Hikaru was going to offer to play hero. He would save her from her date if he was a jerk! He was chivalrous like that, but he was also much smaller than the man who had just stepped up behind Kyoko wearing an eerie yet gentlemanly smile.

In front of him, the talento stiffened, rigidly turning to face the source of the dark aura that so thrilled her grudges, "Ts-Tsuruga-san..."

"Mogami-san, I'm glad I found you," He smiled in all the faux brilliance he could manage as he turned to the short male, "And you are?"

"Ichibashi Hikaru, no need to ask your name, Tsuruga Ren," The musician eyed the other warily, "So, you're here together?"

"Partly as a favor to friends of ours. How do you know Mogami-san?" Never once did that gentleman facade falter, though now Kyoko could feel tension from both men.

"Why, from work of course, the same as you." Hikaru gave his own grin, though it was more a challenging smile. Kyoko, meanwhile, had a mini-stroke.

"She's never been a guest on your show..."

"We both work for LME, right?" Hikaru wouldn't say she was Bo, but Ren's wheels were turning. LME was a big agency, so what were the odds...

"Right..." He looked to his date with a full gentlemanly smile, "They'll be wanting our orders soon. And Kotonami-san is surely wondering where we are. She and Yashiro seemed concerned that something might be wrong, I assured them I probably said something foolish."

"N-no...I..." Kyoto scrambled for a way to assuage her sempai's irritation without lying about the cause for her discomfort.

"Of course, I stand by the words I said..but perhaps I should have been less insistent." Now Ren sighed, his smile a subtle but genuine expression, "Please, Mogami-san, return to the table. I will refrain from further uncomfortable comments, and remember that we are here as support for out friends, so forgive me."

"Tsuruga-san..." Kyoko looked at him in a curious wonder. Perhaps she had somehow overreacted...

In the meantime Hikaru was becoming increasingly aware of what was going on. His dream girl was here as part of a double date, with Tsuruga Ren as her escort. Even as unaware as Kyoko could be, she seemed to have picked up some romantic hint or other that made her uneasy.

Clearing his throat the shorter male put a hand on his castmate's shoulder, earning a unnerving glare from Ren, "Well, Kyoko-chan! Sounds like you should be getting back to your friends. But if things get too uncomfortable, you can find me and the guys, we should be hanging out here for a while!"

Ren hadn't missed the veiled threat in that last phrase. A challenge that if he screwed up again, Hikaru was waiting in the wings. With a subtle nod to the musician, Ren gave his date time to say goodbye before they headed back to their table.

Watching the two round the bend, Hikaru found himself flanked by his bandmates. Shinichi flung an arm around his leader with an exaggerated wince "Tough luck, man."

Yuusei nodded and patted the older male's shoulder, "Tsuruga Ren, that's tough competition..."

"I'm not giving up just yet, guys..." Hikaru assured them. If Tsuruga Ren could send Kyoko running once, it could happen again. And if anything, the Bridge Rock leader was patient when Kyoko was concerned.


As much as he wanted to sling a claiming arm around his date, Ren refrained from such action. Instead he avoided temptation by nestling his hands soundly in his trouser pockets as they walked toward their table. Speaking casually he commented, "Ishibachi-san seems nice..."

"Yes, he is. All of them are!" Kyoko was quick to make it a generic statement about the group, remembering the strange tension between Hikaru and her sempai, "The members of Bridge Rock have been very kind to me!"

"I see." The veteran actor nodded thoughtfully. She knew all of the Kimigure Rock hosts, then. That seemed unlikely. Trying to keep his tone to simple curiosity he questioned, "Was Ishibashi-san the one who gave you that gift the other day?"

"Huh? Oh! That was from all of them! It was a thank you for-" Her eyes went wide and she stopped in her tracks as she realized she almost blew her secret.

"For what?" Ren urged with a gentleman's smile.

"A LoveMe job!" Technically it was the truth, and her mentor could tell. He nodded and they resumed walking.

A few moments later they arrived back at their table, where Yashiro and Kanae stopped their own conversation to turn their attention to the duo. The atmosphere between sempai and kouhai had changed, but not resolved, they noted silently.

As Ren pulled out Kyoko's chair once more, his manager spoke, "There's a wide variety on the menu, foreign and Japanese. I'm sure we can all find something we like."

"Is there anything light on this menu at all?" The red clad teen frowned.

"I know you like to maintain a healthy diet, Kotonami-san," Yashiro smiled her way, "But you really have nothing to worry about if you splurge occasionally. And it's a special occasion, at least I hope so..."

"Glasses-kun, just because I'm on a date doesn't mean I can afford to forget about watching my figure," The talento continued to browse the menu, sighing.

"Come on..."He pouted slightly, and she fought back a blush at how ridiculously cute the expression was on his face. Given that she'd been calling him by a nickname for awhile now, the manager decided to be a bit bold, "We're going on a walk afterward, Kanae-chan...you're burning calories anyway!"

Having just taken a sip of her water to distract herself from his adorableness, the use of her name in such a familiar fashion caused her to choke and sputter in surprise, spraying Ren, who was unfortunately in the way. He had been unaware of the fit as his focus had been on assuring Kyoko that she could order whatever she wished, despite a pricey selection.

"Really, Mogami-san. It's the least I can do after-" And then his face was dripping, and across the way Yashiro was torn between concern for the sputtering girl and amusement over his wet friend.

Kyoko was fretting, of course, her eyes darting between her best friend and her sempai, unsure of who to be more concerned for, "Ts-Tsuruga-san! Moko-san! Tsuruga-san!"

Since Yashiro seemed to be trying to fix his own mistakes, she chose to focus on her mentor, quickly grabbing a napkin and dabbling up the water that dripped from his face, "That was...umm..."

"Unexpected," Ren finished for her, eying his manager with an arched brow, then sighing, "And not without embarrassment. Thank you for not laughing, Mogami-san."

"Why would I laugh?" Kyoko asked, though it was then that he noticed her lip twitching, and a few giggles slipped out from her pink painted mouth, "G-gomen, gomen! I tried, Tsuruga-san! But it was like a scene from a comedy! I know I shouldn't laugh at my respected Sempai, gomenesai!"

"You shouldn't laugh at your sempai..." Ren shook his head, then smirked playfully, reaching over and missing her hair, "But most people laugh with friends, don't they, Mogami-san?"

"F-friends?" She peeked at him through her bangs and smiled, forgetting the awkwardness of earlier, "Yes! I am honored to have Tsuruga-san as my friend!"

A part of the actor broke at the fact they were only now making friendship official. Another part rejoiced at the progress. And some part still turned over the information regarding Kyoko and Kimigure Rock.

As the long struggling pair made their progress, Yashiro fumbled to redeem himself, "K-kotonami-san...I...if I spoke out of turn, then I'm sorry...you've been calling me a nickname, so I thought...but I was too bold. I-"

As he had as babbling his hand hesitantly rubbed over her back, trying to sooth her coughing spate. When Kanae had air she cut him off, "G-glasses-kun, quiet! I...Mo! You surprised me, that's all! If you want, I guess you may address me by my given name."

The manager grinned like a giddy high school boy, "Really? That's..thank you...Kanae-chan."

"Yeah, sure..." The talento's cool exterior cracked into a blushing smile as she looked at him in return, deciding she might as well indulge in a few more calories than normal.


A/N: This was just the first half of the date. It kinda started feeling rambling, and was up to more than 5k words. So I decided to break it up. Next chapter will be about them taking their walk. Bet Hikaru's showing up threw yinz for loop.