"Kyoko."

The actress hastily wiped her eyes before she turned around. The last thing Kyoko wanted was to give Sho an opening to laugh at her for being so sappy. "What?"

"Can we talk?" Sho asked gruffly. It didn't really sound like a question, but at least it wasn't a demand. Immediately, Kyoko's anger-detecting grudges had popped out, ready for the simmering waves of rage that Tsuruga-san would most certainly emit. But none came. She glanced up at Ren, expecting to see his terrifyingly icy politely lying smile. The actor was definitely fake-smiling, but it wasn't his sparkling smile of deception. Instead, Kyoko thought for a moment, Tsuruga-san looked almost… resigned?

Kyoko shook her head. She didn't want to make a scene, but Sho had already caused enough drama in her life and she didn't need any more. "I don't think I—"

"It's important," Sho cut in. He glared at the tall actor, who was watching silently. "If that's okay with your bodyguard, of course," Sho added pointedly.

Damn that punk bastard, Kuon thought grimly. And damn this stupid gentle act. He wanted nothing more than to tell Sho to get lost. Actually, what Kuon really wanted to do was punch the cocky brat in the teeth and then tell him to get lost. But Tsuruga Ren did not do such things. Tsuruga Ren took the high road. The actor was about to tell the punk to get lost — politely — when he noticed Kyoko hesitate beside him. At the word important, Kyoko looked torn. Ren wanted nothing more than to tell the actress that the only thing Fuwa considered important was himself. That Kyoko shouldn't listen to the arrogant bastard, shouldn't waste one more second of her time thinking about him. But what actually came out of Ren's mouth was polite acquiescence. "I'll be right here," he said softly to Kyoko, trying to sound both reassuring and appropriately distant, too aware of the crowds around them to say anything else. Kyoko hesitated for half a second, then threw Ren a grateful look before following the singer, who had already turned and begun marching away.

Sho walked out and turned down an empty hallway, only stopping when he was satisfied that the noise and chatter of the party was far enough away. He leaned against the wall, hands shoved in his pocket. Kyoko waited for him to speak. But instead the musician was looking down at his feet, scuffing his shoes against the carpet like a bored child.

"Stop doing that," Kyoko scolded automatically.

Sho muttered something under his breath, but he stopped. He fidgeted. "Well?" he prompted. "So, what did you think of my song?"

"Don't go fishing for compliments. What are you, twelve?" she retorted.

"I didn't mean it like that," Sho said defensively. "I know it's a good song — I did write it, after all." Sho managed to make arrogance look so natural that anyone except Kyoko wouldn't have seen the musician's slight hesitancy underneath. "I wanted to hear what you think."

His honesty caught Kyoko off-guard. For a moment, she just stared at him. As if invited by the silence, the memory of the song lingered in her mind, the last notes like a sweet and sad lullaby, and Kyoko found herself answering him honestly. "It was… beautiful," she said at last. "It suits Mayuko perfectly."

"I didn't write it for Mayuko," Sho said. His voice was low and intense as he avoided looking at her.

"What?" Kyoko wrinkled her nose. "I mean, it's not from Mayu-chan's perspective, but it's obviously about her," Kyoko said, with more than a hint of annoyance. Either Shotaro knew that he'd written a perfectly fitting song and wanted to be praised, or he was such a blockhead he'd written a perfectly fitting song by accident and now she had to explain it to him. Kyoko wasn't sure which scenario irritated her more. "Mayuko is—"

"I wrote it for you." Sho finally looked up. Kyoko was staring at him. He could feel her eyes looking through him. He'd never been able to hide anything from her, not really. "The song's about you. About us, I mean, I guess," he admitted. "I just… I didn't know how else to say it." Sho cleared his throat. "Kyoko— I'm sorry." Kyoko was silent, and Sho lost his nerve. The singer began to ramble. "I— I want to go back to how we were. I mean, how we used to be… before…." Sho trailed off, too ashamed of his past behavior to finish.

It took Kyoko's brain a moment to process his words, running them back in her head to make sure that she hadn't misheard him. Then there was an unpleasant weightless sensation in her stomach, the kind of suspended feeling that only happens the moment before a plummeting drop. Kyoko wasn't sure if the hallway was suddenly swaying or if she was, but she guessed by Sho's worried look and the way he reached out that it was probably the latter. She pushed away his hand, reaching out to steady herself against the wall instead, her brain noting the pain and regret on Sho's face with clinical detachment. It took the actress several deep, shuddering breaths before she could look at him.

"You were my only friend," she said hollowly, after a few moments. "My mother— well, you know how she is…" Kyoko shook her head. "Your parents were nice, but they took me in out of a sense of pity and obligation. But at least you, I thought…." Kyoko saw Sho flinch, but he didn't attempt to deny or interrupt. She felt the familiar sting of tears and fought them off. "I was so grateful… t-to have someone. Someone who wanted me around, who liked me. I thought— I thought that you cared about me, at least a little. I thought we were friends. B-but—" Her voice cracked and Kyoko struggled to swallow, breathing shakily through her tightening throat.

There was a time when remembering that day would have made Kyoko angry enough to cry tears of blood. When Sho had thrown her away, Kyoko had vowed to herself that she would make him regret it. She had pictured herself laughing as he groveled underneath her feet. Sho never apologized. She'd known him for most of her life, and Kyoko could count the number of times he'd said the words 'I'm sorry' on one hand, and the number of times he'd actually meant it were even fewer. The actress had thought that hearing him finally apologize would make her feel fulfilled. It would be cathartic, even. But instead it felt like a bucket of water being poured down an empty well. There was only a hollow sadness inside her and no apology from Sho, no matter how earnest, would ever fill that empty echo or give her back the time she had wasted, waiting for him. She was done.

"Goodbye, Shotaro."

"Wait!" Sho scrambled, stepping out to block her way. "I was stupid! I was so stupid, Kyoko. I was just young, and an idiot, and it's not— I didn't mean it! I didn't mean any of it!" He begged, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.

"I think you did," Kyoko said quietly, looking down at her hands.

"I was wrong," Sho said desperately. He reached out, wanting to touch her, to assure Kyoko someone of his sincerity, but something held him back, and his hand hovered awkwardly between them. "You're the most amazing girl I know. Honestly," he said, his voice breathy and reverent.

Kyoko had spent ten years of her life hoping Sho would say those words to her. But those years and that version of herself were gone. And while she felt a momentary ache for the girl she used to be, Kyoko found that was all she felt— there was no rage that threatened to consume her, no horde of inner demons came bubbling up, ready to be unleashed. All she felt was a bittersweet mix of regret and nostalgia. Kyoko shook her head, clearing the thought away, and gracefully slid around Sho's outstretched arm. "I need to get back," she said. Kyoko gave Sho one last look. Her eyes were watery, but no tears fell down her cheeks. She even managed a small smile. "Thank you for the song."

And then she was gone, wandering back down the hall to the party, leaving Sho alone behind her.

«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»

"Ren!" Yashiro hissed in his ear, "I just saw Kyoko-chan walk by with Fuwa!" His manager gestured towards the bar where he'd been standing, then stared pointedly at Ren, waiting for the star to spring into action. But the actor did nothing. He just stared glumly ahead, as if he had barely heard. "Ren?"

"I'm plenty aware, thanks," Ren answered dryly. It was like his manager had missed the fact that Kyoko had been standing right next to him. Ren shoved a hand in his suit pocket.

"Go interrupt them!" The manager cried. "What are you waiting for?!"

"I gotta say, I agree with Manager-kun," Kijima said, casually leaning over and inserting himself into the conversation. "You're being waaaaaay too passive. You're letting another guy just walk away with her!"

"He asked her to talk, and she said yes," Ren ground out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What was I supposed to do, grab her wrist and prevent her from leaving?"

"YES! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!" Yashiro shrieked. "ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!"

"What's the point?" Ren muttered, turning away. He had meant to sound glib, but it came out sour and hopeless. The actor forced himself to look around the room instead of letting his eyes linger on the doorway hopefully. Ren also did his best to steer his gaze away from the bar, despite wanting nothing more than to be left alone to drown his self-pity in a bottle of whisky. Noticing the star's mood, Yashiro pulled Kijima back a bit, trying to draw Hidehito into a conversation and give Ren some space, or at least as much space as he could reasonably get at a party full of coworkers and acquaintances.

Part of Ren did want to chase after Kyoko, to grab her and stop her from going. The singer seemed to have an unfortunate habit of appearing in her life somewhat regularly, and while Ren was glad that Kyoko no longer reacted with an all-consuming rage, her new attitude towards Fuwa's presence made Ren's chest clench with anxiety. But what choice had Ren had? If Ren had prevented her from going with Fuwa, if he had held her back — would he ever feel like Kyoko was really choosing to be with him? Or would he spend the rest of their time together always insecure, jealous, treating Kyoko like an object, a possession he had to guard, until she grew tired of his behavior and left him for good.

Every woman Kuon had ever dated had left him. Whether for someone else or just to feel less lonely, each one had broken things off. He knew women found him attractive and he had tried to be a good boyfriend. But he had never been enough; something was always missing, and in the end they all dumped him. And he had let all of them go, convinced it was the right thing to do for their happiness.

Ren wanted Kyoko to be happy, of course. He wanted that more than anything, more than his own happiness. And yet he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to let Kyoko go, if that's what she really wanted. Ren knew that Kyoko respected and admired him. He knew that she cared about him. But were those feelings she had for him stronger than the red string of fate that seemed to tie her and Fuwa together? They'd grown up together. Kyoko was kind and soft-hearted. If she really did forgive Fuwa, choose Fuwa…

Ren sighed, his shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly. But Yashiro was watching, as always, and walked over, standing next to the actor in silence. The manager wasn't sure if he should berate his charge for his lack of romantic prowess or try to console his friend's broken heart.

The somber tone between Ren and his manager had apparently gone entirely over the other actor's head. "You're an idiot, Ren-kun," Kijima said bluntly, shaking his head in amusement. He sipped his drink. "You really should follow them. Kyoko-chan's too easy to manipulate, and she's too innocent for her own good." Both Ren and his manager turned to glare at the actor. "What?"

"You're not helping," Yashiro said acerbically.

"But it's true— you know it is," Hidehito pointed out. He looked at Ren.

"I hate to say it, but he has a point," Yashiro agreed reluctantly. He gave Ren several encouraging pats on the shoulder. "Go interrupt them right now," Yashiro instructed, herding the actor towards the door.

"Go get her!" Kijima cheered. "Just pretend you're me! I'm way better at flirting than you are."

"No, don't do that," Yashiro cut in, turning around to give Hidehito a sharp glare.

"Then what do I do?" Ren blinked at his manager.

Yashiro lost it. "I don't know— you're supposed to be Japan's #1 most romantic man! Figure it out!"

"Oh, she's back— Yooooo, Kyoko-chaaaan! Over here!" Kijima called loudly, waving an arm over his head to get her attention. Ren and Yashiro froze. Kyoko spotted the trio and began making her way across the room towards them. Hidehito threw back the last of his drink. "You owe me, big time," he said to Ren, patting him cheerfully on the shoulder. "And you—" Kijima said, addressing Yashiro, "really need to work on your wingman skills."

"What? You're one to t—" Yashiro began.

"Kyoko-chan! Welcome back!" Kijima said, ignoring the manager's growing aggravation and turning to look at the actress. He smiled, then frowned playfully at her. "What's this? Empty-handed? Kyoko-chan, this is supposed to be a celebration!" The actor chided. "Let me get you a drink!"

"Kijima—"

"Such a buzzkill," Hidehito complained dramatically. "Relax, I was only kidding."

There was an awkward pause in the conversation. Yashiro quickly filled it, launching into something he had heard Shingai saying to one of the producers about the director's upcoming projects. Once again, Ren thanked the stars for his manager. Kyoko was absorbed in listening to Yashiro, oblivious to Ren's careful appraisal. She seemed slightly subdued, and there was the barest hint of red around her eyes. Ren frowned. He glanced around the room — the musician was nowhere in sight. Ren caught his manager's eye, then glanced meaningfully between Kyoko and Kijima. Yashiro nodded, understanding his charge's message.

"Please excuse me, I'll be right back," Ren murmured. He gave Kyoko's hand the briefest touch before stepping away, his long strides looking elegant as he prowled towards the door.

He found Fuwa in the hallway, sitting on the floor with his head in his hands. The singer's knuckles were raw and scraped, and for a moment Ren felt his temper flare as the world turned red. He was about to pull the singer to his feet when the actor saw the fist-sized dent in the drywall. Ren cleared his throat.

"What do you want?" Sho bit out harshly. He didn't look up.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing, alright? Leave me alone," Sho said bitterly. The last thing he wanted was to be interrogated by Tsuruga. Sho pushed up to his feet, wincing at his scraped hand. He shot a glare at the actor before striding angrily away.

After a moment, the actor followed after him. "Fuwa, wait—"

"You've won, okay?!" Sho spun around, his voice raw. "You've won! So just leave me alone!"

For a moment the hallway was silent as both men sized the other up.

"I haven't won anything," Ren said softly.

Sho scoffed. "Oh, shut up." He'd seen how Kyoko acted around the tall actor. Only an idiot could miss it. Sho rolled his eyes. "What, so she's not as easy as the rest of your starlet girlfriends huh? Do you expect me to feel sorry for you?"

Ren's fists clenched instinctively. They stared at each other for several more moments. Then Sho drew himself up, finally having gathered his courage.

"You don't deserve her."

"On that at least we agree," Ren said, holding the singer's eyes. "Neither of us do."

"I won't give her to you."

"Unlike some people, I understand that Kyoko is her own person," Ren barely managed to keep his voice even. "She's not a thing to be won."

"I didn't treat her like a —"

"You did," Ren said. "You used her, and then you threw her away. Like she was a toy that you were tired of." The contempt in Kuon's voice felt like smoke, creeping along the floor and filling the hallway. "You don't get a second chance. Stop trying to mess with her."

"T-hat's not— I-I'm not—" the musician spluttered. He wasn't messing with Kyoko. He just wanted her back. It had taken Sho time to realize that being number one on the charts wasn't the only thing he cared about. Fuwa Sho was Japan's #1, the media called him the Prince of the Oricon charts. Sho had worked hard. He was proud of himself. And of course, he was glad to have the adoration of his millions of fans. But what he really wanted was someone who knew him. Who he didn't have to pretend around. Part of Sho always thought that Kyoko would be waiting for him, ready to forgive him with the same easy grace that she always did. But tonight, Sho felt like she was slipping out of his grasp, maybe forever. She was going to leave him behind. The musician swallowed, fighting back a rising panic as the imposing figure of Tsuruga Ren stared down at him. So Sho did the only thing he could think of. He lashed out.

"I get it now," Sho forced out a laugh that sounded brittle and hollow. "You don't love her, you just want to use her, same as I did. Let me guess. Kyoko's boring, but she's always been so eager to please. I bet she's the same way between the sheet—"

"If you finish that sentence, I'll break your jaw," Kuon said with deadly calm. The actor was smiling down almost pleasantly at the singer. From faraway, the two men could have been discussing how nice the weather had been recently. But beneath the smile was something dangerous.

Sho snapped his jaw shut. He wanted to retort, to spit out something, anything, that might hurt the taller actor. But the singer couldn't think of anything to say. And even if he had, self preservation would have kept his mouth shut. Sho could admit that he was stupid, but he wasn't that stupid. They continued to glare at each other.

Fuwa broke the stare first. "Whatever," he muttered, before turning and slinking away.

Ren let him go, a mix of disgust and pity churning in his gut. Fuwa was only just beginning to realize the value of what he had thrown away, the magnitude of his loss. The actor didn't feel sorry for the musician— the way Fuwa had treated Kyoko was unforgivable, and he deserved to be miserable for it. And yet in a strange way, Ren did feel sorry for the singer. He almost felt like he and the singer understood each other, on at least some level. They both wished the other would simply disappear from Kyoko's life, but each man suspected that the other was there to stay. So they would simply have to co-exist somehow. Maybe someday Ren would learn to tolerate the abrasive singer's presence. If Kyoko's happiness demanded that he do so, he could stomach plastering on a fake smile for Fuwa. At least for now, the singer was gone. Ren breathed a sigh of relief, forcing his face back to neutral before he rejoined the party.

Kyoko looked relieved when she saw Ren reappear. He came directly over to join her, and Kyoko scooted over to make room between her and Yashiro. They had been talking with Uo-chan and her fiance. Ren smiled and introduced himself, nodding along as the conversation required but adding nothing. Kyoko watched him, and he seemed to barely be paying attention, preoccupied with something else. Eventually Uo-chan and her fiance departed and Yashiro wandered off. Kyoko turned to her senpai.

"Ren-san? Are you… alright?" Kyoko asked softly. Ren almost jumped. His head turned slowly, inch by inch, in her direction. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

"You just called me Ren," he said dumbly, making Kyoko flush. "You said my name, without calling me Tsuruga first."

"You said it was less weird than calling you Tsuruga-san," the teen muttered, too embarrassed to look at him. She was glad she had waited until they were alone.

"I just… didn't expect you to actually do it," Ren said. He grinned down at her. "Will you do it again?"

"N-no! We're already talking, that would be weird!"

"Alright, alright," Ren grumbled. He looked around the room, then down at his watch. "Are you having fun?"

"I am!" Kyoko replied cheerfully, then she hid a small yawn behind the back of her hand. "But I'd be ready to go soon— that is, whenever you're ready," the teen added politely.

Ren didn't really want to leave. He felt like they'd barely spent any of the evening together, even if he was aware that it wasn't quite true. But it had been emotionally exhausting, and Ren found that he was ready for the party to be over. It took them a few more minutes to make their exit. Kyoko insisted on saying a final thank you and good bye to the director, despite the fact that she'd most likely have to see him for re-shoots next week. Ren said his goodbyes too, and then they both were ready to go.

Ren drove Kyoko back to the Darumaya. He got out and walked her to the door as usual, then gave her a kiss goodnight. The actor pulled back much sooner than he wanted to, worried that the restaurant's gruff owner was lurking inside and ready to yank the door open if Ren lingered too long. So the actor reluctantly stepped back, keeping his fingers threaded through hers, placing a kiss on the back of Kyoko's hand before promising he'd see her again soon. He spent the drive back to his apartment trying to figure out exactly how many days until he got to see her again and praying for it to be just one day sooner.

«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»

It ended up being the better part of a week before Ren saw Kyoko again. In the grand scheme of things, four or five days was not much, but Ren felt her absence like a missing tooth. Going from seeing Kyoko every day back to his regular routine made the days feel long and empty. When he drove to a location, he drove alone, or with Yashiro. When he was standing around on set waiting for the lighting check to be done, Kyoko wasn't there to talk with. He still called her, of course, most evenings when he was finally finished with work and she was done with her shift at the restaurant. But getting to hear her voice for a few minutes a night wasn't enough to sustain him. Ren felt greedy, but he needed more.

"I miss you," Ren said softly into the phone one night. He was aware it had only been two days, and perhaps it was pathetic to say it, but Ren didn't care. He missed her.

"I miss you too," was Kyoko's cheerful reply. "I'll see you in a few days at LME, right?" She stifled a yawn. "I'm so sorry Ren-san, I need to go. If we stay on the phone any longer I might fall asleep like this," Kyoko joked.

"That's fine by me," Ren said with a smile. Actually, it was better than fine. He could put his phone on his pillow and fall asleep to the sound of her breathing, pretending she was laying beside him.

"What? No! That would be so rude!" she protested. "I c-couldn't do that!" Kyoko sounded scandalized. Her voice dropped. "What if I snore?"

"Kyoko, we've shared a hotel room. If you snored, which you don't, by the way," Ren said quickly, "I'd already know by now."

"You were always asleep before me," She accused. "You were so wrapped up in your blanket cocoon I was worried you'd suffocate! How could you possibly hear anything like that?" Kyoko demanded. "And maybe I just snore really softly!"

"Maybe," Ren conceded graciously. He didn't bother to correct her about his sleeping habits during their time as the Heel siblings. "I doubt that's the case, but even if it was, I think that's adorable."

"You have strange tastes," Kyoko muttered. She stifled another yawn.

"I should let you get to bed," Ren said regretfully. "Goodnight, Kyoko."

"Goodnight!"

Kyoko was glad she had washed up for bed before their phone call. Within minutes, she was asleep. Paradoxically, after the Bitter Sweet Heart wrap party, Kyoko's schedule had gotten even more hectic. Even though the rest of the cast was finished, Kyoko was called back for close-ups and a few re-shoots. Plus some dialogue was changed and Kyoko had to re-record some of her voice overs for Mayu-chan's internal monologues. And then Kyoko had new projects and offers to look over, and auditions and castings to attend, and her final semester of high school work still to finish up (although going to class became an increasingly infrequent activity). Ren had already started a new project, and so it was Yashiro who drove Kyoko to her jobs, picking her up extra early in the morning (at Kyoko's insistence) so that the manager could still make it on time to whatever Ren's first appointment was that day. Yashiro was always on time and polite, but the extra long hours and back to back days were beginning to take a toll on the manager.

Kyoko was summoned to LME headquarters for an early morning meeting. Ruuto led her to the President's office, setting down coffee and tea before disappearing. Lory had then appeared, carried in on a palanquin and dressed like a Roman senator. He hopped down from the gilded chaise with surprising grace, striding over to congratulate the teen on her performance in her debut and upcoming graduation from the Love Me section. There was a surprising amount of business to take care of: new terms and contracts to read over and sign for her position as an official debuted actress under LME management, transferring Kyoko from under the Talento Section Head Sawara to the Acting Division Chief Matsushima, updating Kyoko's profile on LME's website, setting her up an appointment with the PR department, figuring out how to fit all these things into her already full schedule. When Lory mentioned getting Kyoko her own manager, the teen looked up at him with a politely skeptical face, ready to refuse. Certainly she wasn't the caliber of star that needed her own manager. The older man's eyes twinkled with amusement, and he let the subject drop.

When Kyoko mentioned it off-handedly to Ren that night as they were cleaning up dinner, the actor's reaction surprised her.

"He has a point," Ren said. "You can't keep biking around Tokyo like a regular civilian whenever Yashiro or I can't drive you." It wasn't safe, especially not for a rising star. Ren wasn't keen on giving up the privileges that came with sharing a manager, however. But it also wasn't fair to expect Yashiro to keep doing twice his job.

"I'm fine," Kyoko insisted, drying the dishes and putting them away (at least, the ones she could reach). Ren refused to let her wash them, but he couldn't keep her from drying. And he liked having her company. "Nobody ever recognizes me in public, and I'm a very safe biker."

Safe was not the word Ren would have used. Unusual, sure. Proficient, definitely. Impressive, no doubt. But safe wasn't exactly what he remembered from riding on the back of Kyoko's bike when she'd been his stand-in manager. But he let the issue drop in favor of blowing a handful of soapy bubbles at Kyoko's unsuspecting face, grinning as she shrieked and playfully swatted him with the dish towel.

«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»

Ren picked up Kyoko the next morning from the Daruma-ya and dropped her off at LME before heading up to a meeting with the President. When she got to the Love Me section room, Yashiro was already there, sitting at the large table with several neat stacks of paper.

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan! Perfect timing," Yashiro greeted her, gesturing for her to sit. The chair that he had pulled up for her was stacked with folders.

"Um, should I—"

"Ah, you can move those — just set them on the floor, it's fine," the manager said, and Kyoko dubiously followed his instructions.

"Thank you very much for helping me sort through all of this," Kyoko said with a small bow. Yashiro waved it off.

"It's no problem at all; it's my pleasure," he insisted.

"But—"

"I'm not invited to all of Ren's meetings with the President," Yashiro said easily. "So I promise you're not making me miss work. Let's go over your new offers."

Kyoko shook her head. Yashiro explained a few terms, then left her to initial and sign as required, while he continued to organize. There was a stack of offers for Kyoko to sort through, which had to be evaluated both on which were interesting parts, which she should take for the money, which ones were good career-building opportunities, and what could fit into her schedule. Together, they sorted through them, discarding most until the teen had only three projects that she and Yashiro deemed worth following up with. Kyoko thought they were done, but then Yashiro slid one last folder towards her.

"I think you should consider this one as well," Yashiro said. "It just came in yesterday."

It was an offer for a small, potentially recurring guest role in a new TV drama series that was based on Sherlock Holmes, but set in modern day Tokyo. The iconic detective was going to be played by none other than Tsuruga Ren. Kyoko read the character description.

"You think… I should take this," she confirmed, looking at the manager.

"It's a role you haven't played before, which will broaden your range. The audience for the show is different from your current fan base, which is always good. The production team is excellent, it fits in your schedule. The pay is not bad. And," Yashiro adjusted his glasses "Ren's in it."

"I don't know if that should be a consideration," Kyoko said, blushing.

Yashiro shrugged. "Why not?" He asked. "Personal factors are perfectly valid. You'd take something if Kotonami-san was in the cast, wouldn't you?" The manager pointed out. Kyoko looked away, but nodded. Yashiro smiled fondly. "Ren has four projects lined up, and a few more offers that he's considering. His schedule is going to be packed. It makes sense to capitalize on any time you can spend together," Yashiro concluded.

Yashiro did have some good points. And besides, Kyoko did want to work with Ren. Not just because he was her boyfriend, but because he was a phenomenal actor. If he was in something, it was bound to be good. Kyoko nodded. "Alright, then I'll take it."

The manager grinned, taking the folder back and making several notes to himself in the margins of Ren's calendar. Kyoko's phone binged loudly — a strange, almost demanding-sounding gong. Definitely not the default message tone. Yashiro looked up to see Kyoko already pulling out her phone, a sappy smile on her face.

"It's from Moko-san!" Kyoko said happily, her face melting slightly as she read it. "And she included a picture! She never does that!" Kyoko held her phone out, so excited by a photo attachment that she almost shoved her phone into Yashiro's face by accident.

"Ah, yes," Yashiro agreed quickly. The photo was not of Kanae, but a view down over a city with some bright emerald hills behind it and a cloudy gray sky above. He adjusted his glasses, and his cheeks seemed ever so slightly pink. "I'm glad she's getting to enjoy the scenery." Yashiro paused, looking self conscious. "Have you heard much from Kotonami-san?" His tone was carefully inquisitive.

"No." Kyoko pouted. She fidgeted with her phone.

"Well, I'm sure she'll tell you all about it when she's back," the manager said, trying to cheer up the star. It seemed to work. Kyoko happily relayed what little information Moko-san had shared with her while she was away. Then, remembering work, Kyoko eventually put her phone away reluctantly— but not before texting Kane almost twenty messages in a row about how amazing the photo was and how she couldn't wait to hear all about it when the actress returned. Kanae, in her usual fashion, did not respond.

«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»

Kotonami could keep her distance over the phone, but there was nothing she could do to stop her best friend from coming to pick her up at the airport three days later, with a home-made banner that read "WELCOME BACK MOKO-SAN" with a million glittery hearts drawn all over it. Kyoko was wearing her shocking pink Love Me jumpsuit, waving the poster frantically to catch Kanae's attention.

"MOKO-SAAAAAAAAAAAN! OVER HERE!" The actress yelled, waving both arms and jumping up and down. Kanae was so embarrassed that a few seconds she seriously considered just ignoring Kyoko and walking right by her.

"MO! Stop! You're embarrassing me!" Kanae hissed.

Kyoko dropped the sign with a squeal of glee and launched herself at Kanae. "MOKO-SAN I MISSED YOU SOOOO MUUUUUUUUUUUUCH!"

"GET OFF ME, YOU STARFISH!" Kanae struggled for a moment before managing to wrench herself out of Kyoko's vice-strength hug. "I just got off a twelve hour flight, the last thing I want is someone clinging to me!" Kanae attempted to smooth her hair back into place. She went to go pick up the banner that Kyoko had dropped, but someone else had beaten Kanae to it.

"Welcome back, Kotonami-san," Yashiro said with a smile. "How was your trip?"

Kanae had not been expecting anyone besides Kyoko at the airport. The actress reflexively smoothed a hand over her pants, trying to get out the creases. It was hard enough not to feel rumpled and unkempt after a long flight, and standing next to Tsuruga Ren's manager in his immaculately tailored suit did not make Kanae feel less put together. "It was fine," the actress briskly. "What are you doing here?"

Before the manager could answer, Kyoko hand linked her arm through Kanae's, blubbering as rivers of tears ran unashamedly down her face like a little kid. "Moko-saaaaan I missed you so much! You can never go away again for so long without me! We didn't get to go to a summer festival together! Next year we have to, okay?! Promise! Promise me, Moko-saaaaa—"

Yashiro wisely gave the girls some space and went to collect Kanae's bag from the luggage carousel. The actress was somewhat stunned when the manager correctly pulled her nondescript black suitcase out of the line of other nondescript black suitcases.

"You're not the only one with a good memory," Yashiro said with a good-natured smile. "I dropped you off, remember?"

Kanae didn't know what to say. Thankfully the manager didn't wait for her to respond, leading Kanae (and Kyoko, still draped all over her friend) back to the car. He stowed her bag in the trunk and held open the car doors for them. While Kanae had originally been split on how she felt about Tsuruga Ren's manager being part of her welcome committee, she had to admit to herself that it was convenient, at least. Kyoko piled into the back seat with Kanae, peppering her friend with questions all the way back to Tokyo. How was filming? Was the international industry different? What were her coworkers like? Did she like the director? Could she understand everyone's strange accent? Was the food good? When was the movie coming out? Kyoko was already determined to go opening night.

"Mo, I'll invite you to the premiere," Kanae said gruffly. "As long as you don't embarrass me."

Kyoko had squealed with such enthusiasm that Kanae actually winced, then caught Yashiro's amused eyes reflected in the rearview mirror as they pulled into LME's underground parking lot.

"Thank you for driving us, Yashiro-san!" Kyoko chirped. "Moko-san, you must be starving, right? Let me treat you to lunch!" Kyoko begged. "Oh, you should join us!" She invited the manager.

Yashiro looked between the actresses, then shook his head. "I'd love to, but unfortunately I have work. Besides, I don't want to intrude on your time together," the manager added. He smiled at Kanae. "It sounds like you had a good trip. I'm glad it went well."

"Thank you," Kanae said stiffly. Sensing something strange, Kyoko looked back and forth between her friend and the manager. But before she could say anything, Kanae linked her arm through her friend's. "Let's get lunch, I'm starving."

«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»

The beginning of September passed by in a blur. Kyoko spent as much time as she could with Moko-san and getting ahead on her schoolwork. Her schedule was beginning to fill up with promotional interviews and appearances for Bitter Sweet Heart. There was prep work with the public relations department and photoshoots for her magazine interviews, not to mention the beginning of production meetings for the Sherlock project. Kyoko never would have managed it all by herself.

Fortunately, the teen didn't have to. A few days after she had accepted her new offers, she had been called to the President's office and introduced to Nagashima Mami, her new manager, an ex-stuntwoman in her early forties. Mami-chan, as she insisted Kyoko call her, was intimidating at first glance. She was tall and broad-shouldered, with a short cropped haircut and dark, serious eyes. Her smart gray pantsuit and short cropped haircut reminded Kyoko of a middle school principal, but that faded away when Mami-chan's face lit up with a friendly smile. They got along fabulously.

Mami-chan picked Kyoko up at the Daruma-ya the next morning and drove her to her first day on set for the Sherlock project. Ren had started filming a week ago, and Kyoko was looking forward to seeing his take on the iconic detective.

The production had blocked off a whole intersection downtown for filming that day, and a large crowd had gathered to watch from the sidelines. Traffic slowed to a crawl for the last few blocks as Kyoko and her manager approached the area. Finally, they were able to park and began walking over to the set, security and staff clearing a path through the throng. Kyoko felt incredibly nervous — she had never shot in front of such a large crowd before. Mami placed one protective arm over the teen's shoulders.

"It's Kyoko! Kyoko-san!" someone in the crowd screamed. The teen tried to turn her head to see where the noise had come from, smiling and giving a small wave. The cheers and screaming got louder.

"Kyoko-san! Over here!"

"I LOVE YOU NATSU-CHAN!"

"KYOKO-SAMAAAA!"

Mami ushered her charge forward the last few steps, hurrying her over to wardrobe and away from the crowds. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. At least in the familiar interior of a trailer, where the crowd was muffled, she could pretend that it was just another day on set. Kyoko was just finishing getting into costume when a cheer so loud went up that she could hear it through the trailer.

"Seems your co-star has arrived," Mami-chan said to Kyoko with a smile. The manager peeked out the window of the trailer. "Wow, I didn't realize Tsuruga-san was so young!"

The wardrobe assistant finished carefully adjusting Kyoko's costume, then gave the actress a final look-over and pronounced the teen finished.

"Hair and make-up is two trailers down," the assistant said with a friendly smile.

"Thank you!" Kyoko bowed, before going to grab her bag. The teen looked around the trailer, then saw her manager had already scooped it up and was waiting by the door.

Kyoko exited the trailer and immediately bumped into someone, her face colliding with what felt like a heavy wool blanket. "Oof!"

She felt a familiar hand on her arm, and Kyoko instantly relaxed. Her eyes were closed, but she could tell it was Ren. The familiar scent of his cologne tickled at her nose. She blinked her eyes open, vaguely aware that Yashiro was asking if she was okay and introducing himself to her new manager.

Ren's face was so close she could see the rim of his contact lenses. His hair was mostly combed back, but some of it fell charmingly forward over his left eye and Kyoko felt the instinct to reach up and push it back, like he so often did to her, before recalling that they were in public and snapping back to reality.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, stepping back and bowing to him. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's my fault," Ren said easily. "I was hiding from the onlookers."

"You shouldn't be hiding from your fans," Kyoko teased him.

"They're not all my fans," Ren replied with a mischievous smile. "I'm pretty sure I heard someone screaming for Natsu earlier."

Kyoko felt her cheeks flush. "Well anyways, you're too tall to hide out here," Kyoko said practically.

"We were heading to hair and makeup," Yashiro clarified.

"Ah, so were we," Mami-chan said easily. She gestured for the two stars to lead.

Ren wanted to offer Kyoko his arm or hold her hand, but he forced himself to put his hands in his pockets, out of the way of temptation. She smiled up at him, beaming with excitement, and Ren couldn't help smiling back. "Shall we?"