Somewhere in Japan, the media: reporters, journalists and others from around the world were seated in front of a small stage with a buffet-like table and three chairs. Behind it all was a small tent where Ryotaro and Hino were currently getting ready.
Ryotaro and Hino were in front of a mirror, with people telling them to look good. Ryotaro had to wear something semi-formal considering that he had three other interviewers after this in another country. Hino had to wear a white, glittery, sleeveless balloon-ish dress with a metallic blue-green ribbon around the waist. Ryotaro was trying to tie it properly from the back.
"Do you think you can do this?" Ryotaro whispered.
"I don't know!" Hino muttered through clenched teeth.
He ruffled his hair. "Ugh, he got you into this.. why should you be the one to answer to most of it?" he muttered while tying the ribbon tighter.
Hino was tying her hair, which was one of the obstructions in Ryotaro's vision. Her hair would sting his eye and mostly tickle his face. He wasn't really having a hard time with the ribbon. He just missed this kind of proximity with her. But he didn't think of her the same way before. He treated her like his sister, but Etou's relationship with her was entirely different. He was convinced they were dating until Hino told him about it 5 minutes ago.
The person who was supposed to cue them to go sit in front of the people with questions came in the tent.
"Is Tsukimori Len-sama here yet?" he asked, annoyed.
"No." Hino and Ryotaro said at the same time.
He marched out, muttering to himself.
Where is he?! Finally nervous because he'll be sitting beside Hino the whole time? Hmph. Ryotaro thought.
"Guys, let's get started. He's already seated." He called out.
Hino and Ryotaro exchanged bewildered looks and went out.
As Hino was going up the stairs, she nearly slipped. She was not very fond of high heels. As the light shone on them, her hands started sweating. There were so many people, and many flashes of cameras. She couldn't smile, but Ryotaro treated it like it happened everyday and waved with a smile.
Len sat unmoving in his chair with his eyes closed. Even though his face was unreadable, he must have been nervous, thought Hino. Something that worried Kahoko was that their arms might brush each other later on. She quietly whispered to Ryotaro if she could switch places with him but he gently refused and encouraged her to sit beside him.
She sat, lightly shaking in her seat. She held on to the end of Ryotaro's sleeve for encouragement.
She remembered fainting after Len confessed on the radio.
"Okay, so are you three ready for the questioning?" the MC asked.
The three nodded and Len finally opened his eyes. Sweat streamed down the side of his face despite the fact that it was air-conditioned and that it was snowing outside.
"Tsukimori-sama, when you said you were in love with Hino Kahoko, were you secretly dating her? There have been no reports of you dating anyon—"
"Yes and No." he simply replied.
People tried to get more information from him but he could somehow easily twist their words and eventually asked Hino instead, causing Tsukimori to be even more annoyed.
"U-uh.. Well, I.. I don't know?"
There was confused silence among the audience of reporters and journalists. Ryotaro was clearly annoyed since he made a face and ruffled his hair quite.. slowly. Probably trying to not gather attention.
Ryotaro's agent whispered from behind the background for the three. "This isn't working! If you refuse to answer properly you'll—"
"I get it!" he whispered back. He faced the audience with a smile and explained:
"Actually, we were all in the same school in Seiso Academy. That's how we knew each other." He said, in a very charismatic way.
The reporters brightened up and scribbled on their notepads, typed on their laptops and recorded and whatever. Len acted normally. He was always like this during interviews, without knowing that his fans called him a 'hot and sexy man' because of his serious looks.. Ryotaro was a lot better to watch and a lot cuter, according to many girl fans.
Dwelling on the press conference fully would make this story quite longer and a lot more difficult and boring. Basically, they started to speak of the violin romance and part of Hino's life has been revealed to the world. Hino was able to loosen up as Ryotaro helped her by making answers more conversational.
Tsukimori was very quiet. At times the people asking would forget he was even there, but Tsukimori had quite a lot of journalist fans, especially when a bunch of girls attended and stayed at the back, where the security allowed them to stay. Their screams of 'Ryotaro-sama! Be mine!' and 'Tsukimori Len, marry me!' could be heard very clearly, as if they were a few feet away.
Ryotaro chuckled at their screams. He stood and waved, with even more screams that followed. Tsukimori watched the fans as they held up illustration boards with lots of fan messages. All he did was:
"Hello." and gave a small smirk.
That caused even louder shrieks. Suddenly they started singing his song very loudly. He stifled a small smile.
He thanked them, and later on, the conference continued.
Some fans even cheered for Hino, causing her to blush and to thank them as well.
But of course, not everything was boring from the press conference.
"Excuse me for asking this.." a female reporter who closely resembled Amou—though Hino was not sure—asked when everyone was in a better mood.
"Tsukimori Len-sama, you did say that you were in love with Hino Kahoko-san, right?" she asked.
"Obviously." He said, nonchalantly. Hino giggled a bit, It's just like him.
"Well, she's beside you now, what do you want to say to her?"
Shockingly, he pursed his lips, looked to the right sharply and hid his eyes with his longer hair.
The fans squealed—holding their very nice video cameras, using it to see clearly—because this was the first time Len acted this way. Even to Hino, although he couldn't help it, this was the first time they asked him about Hino.
This isn't like him at all! Hino thought, surprised.
But as they all thought that he would say something sweet, he said "I have no obligation to answer." Looking much more like himself, and apparently, wasn't blushing like he should have been.
The press conference didn't take long, thanks to a lot of lacking answers, but the day was saved thanks to Ryotaro.
They started at 5pm. It was now near 6:30 in the evening and only four or five people were left. Producers and janitors were cleaning up, two reporters finishing their work. The fans left, thinking the two boys left already when they ended it at 6. Ryotaro had to leave early, and Hino and Tsukimori were alone. Tsukimori's driver expected the conference to end at 7 and was busy driving for his parents. He couldn't call him and make him bail on his parents, of course. So he had to find a cab or hitch a ride.
"N-nice job today.. Tsukimori-kun.." Hino said quietly, as they got their bags and were getting ready to go.
As he was reaching for his bag on the couch, he hesitantly looked at her to nod. She bit her lip.
Together, they went outside, walking. He walked knowing that his house was miles away. Hino was going to ride with Kaji and Etou, who were later going to pick up Hihara and Hino's friends. He would have to wait 'til 7.
"Tsukimori-kun, did you really mean it? On the radio?" she asked.
"Do you think I'd lie about it? If it was a joke, drama would rise up concerning Ryotaro,"
"But—"
"I know.."
It was ironic, indeed. He confessed it to the entire world just because he couldn't keep his cool whenever he was around her or in other words, his way of showing he was stronger, and not a weak person who always runs away. They arrived at the bench where they were to wait. Hino wiped some snow off a small part of the bench and took a seat while Tsukimori kept his distance, and did not sit on the bench.
"We can still—"
"Don't say it."
Hino was taken aback. "W-what?"
"You really like toying with love, huh?"
"I—"
"How many more people do you plan to two-time? You're dating Etou without the press knowing! Now you're telling we can be together again?!"
"It's not.. !"
Tsukimori held up his hand, motioning her to be quiet.
"How much more do you plan to hurt me?"
"….."
"I admit I have hurt you, and most likely I am doing it right now." He said, since Hino started tearing up. She stared at the ground, clutching the skirt of her dress.
"I-I'm sorry." She said quietly.
That hindered Len from saying anything for a few seconds, and he continued.
"I don't have to repeat what I said before. But.. please, just do me a favor, do all your other lovers a favor and find yourself before you find anyone else." He said quietly and started walking. It started to snow and he didn't have a good jacket.
Kaji's car arrived as it was about to get even more chilly from the snow. Etou was not present.
"Hey, Hino-san! Etou's grounded. But I picked up Hihara already. Let's go! Mio, Nao and the others."
"I'm not good at relationship stuff.." Tsukimori thought to himself as he walked, calling his driver. He was shaking from the cold. He nearly lost his voice and he was getting a cold.
"Ugh, I can't afford to get sick. I have a concert with my mother tomorrow." He said to himself, clearly sounding like he had a cold.
He ended up getting picked up at 7:20.
"Tsukimori-sama! What happened to you?!" his driver exclaimed as he got there.
He had no voice. Nor did he move.
He was sitting on the bench, freezing. He was hugging himself, and shaking.