A/N: I was going to wait before posting this, since I've planned a few chapters that chronologically precede it, but since I haven't written or posted anything for a while, I figured I'd just go ahead and post it anyway. Future chapters will be out of order.

"Ah, Ren. Overly punctual as ever, I see." The President, looking fresh as a daisy, despite the fact it wasn't even eight o'clock, beamed at his young protégé.

Ren returned the greeting more placidly and accepted the seat his superior offered him with a lazy wave of his hand.

Ren was early, half an hour early. He had slept badly, woken by nightmares repeatedly. By the time five a.m. rolled around, he simply gave up and got up to face the day. Kuon's fist clenched involuntarily at the reminder, and he swiftly turned the motion in a brushing gesture, as he smoothed an imaginary crease in his immaculately pressed trousers.

He had thought he was past all that by now.

It had been nearly a year and a half. His career was blossoming, though some commentators may have preferred to say sky-rocketing, and he was really too busy to think about anything other than work. Far too busy.

Hence the need for this meeting, though he still wanted to protest weakly. He did so now.

"I still don't think this is really necessary, sir."

President Takarada rolled his eyes theatrically. "Ren, you have offers flowing in non-stop. Poor Matsushima–san can barely keep up, and you know he has the whole acting department to manage, not just you. And you really shouldn't have made that comment about R'Mandy in that last interview, you know. You'll have the whole modelling industry fighting for a piece of you now."

"You make me sound like meat."

Lory bestowed a rather pitying smile on the actor. "You are meat. Fresh meat! That's what this whole industry is about! Honestly, I thought you knew that. You're the new face – new and exciting! Every eye is on you! You've just got to keep it that way. Keep the audience's attention! And their love!" His smile was beatific as he flung an arm out dramatically for emphasis.

Ren did not roll his eyes. Tsuruga Ren would never roll his eyes. Even if his boss was insane.

"Speaking of love, let's not forget about that incident last week. You've still got the scratches, right?"

Ren winced and put a hand up to his neck. It had only been three girls, but it sufficed to say: fan girls could be terrifying. Somehow they'd slipped past security as he was leaving a studio after a job. In all honesty, it was in that moment that he first started seriously crediting the President's warnings about his security in the face of his growing fame. He had seen the fans outside, of course, as he entered and left the building, but he really hadn't thought they were there for him. He was playing a supporting role in a medical drama, and there were several far more established and, he had assumed, more popular actors and actresses in the lead roles.

Regardless of the fact that such offers for supporting roles were starting to thin out in favour of main parts, he still sometimes had a hard time believing the rate of his popularity's growth.

"Which just goes to prove my point," the President continued blithely. "You need a manager. Someone to arrange your schedule, answer your job offers and look out for your security. Luckily for you, I've found just the man for you. He has a few – eccentricities, but I assure you, he's very good at what he does."

Ren eyed his boss doubtfully. Currently arrayed like an eighteenth century Venetian gondolier, the words pot and kettle ran through his mind.

He shifted his seat a little to avoid getting the hem of his coat in the artificial river that surrounded them. He should have surrendered it to the aide before entering the room, but he really hadn't expected something like this. Their chairs, plus another prepared for the candidate, were positioned in an oversized replica gondola, reached by stepping stones from the door.

Ren shook his head. The President truly was insane. Who else would turn their entire office into what was essentially a paddling pool so he could cosplay? From where he was sitting he could even see koi carp, lazily wending their way past his seat. Hardly a historically accurate feature, Ren's inner pedant whispered. The floor tiles were also highly polished – were they actually mirrors? He would put nothing past the President. Glancing down, he could clearly see his own reflection.

But, then, who was he to judge?

Lory was still chattering gleefully about this paragon among managers. Listening with half an ear, Ren gathered he had poached him somehow from Akotaki.

"Not that it was Yashiro-san's fault, of course, that young man going off the rails like that. They really need to keep better control of their talents over there, and there's only so much a manager can do," he finished, trying and failing to sound appropriately sympathetic about the rival agency's misfortune. "Oh, but don't give me that look!" he complained. "It is a shame, of course, but one must look on the bright side! A very talented young man has been liberated from his old duties, and can now go on to brighter, bolder things! I've thought for a while that he might suit you – I mentioned him once before, do you remember? – and now the timing for you both is perfect!"

"Oh, really? So what'll it be, a May wedding?" Ren could have bitten his own tongue.

Fortunately, Lory just laughed, genuinely amused. "Oh, I don't think so, young man! Don't think I didn't hear about that girl from the PV. What was her name? Kisa-chan? Or was it Kira-chan? I forget."

Ren flushed, but was saved from replying by the sight of Lory's aide materialising at his elbow to announce their guest's arrival.

"Ah, he's early! Just like you! Didn't I say you two were suited to each other?"

Biting back a comment about matchmakers, Ren turned in his seat to face the door. In all honesty he was favourably impressed by the man's promptness. Since beginning his career in Japan, Ren had garnered a flawless record for punctuality, and he intended to keep it that way, with or without a manager's help.

That initial good impression was a little confused the moment a slim, good looking young man stepped through the door and stopped short at the edge of the 'river'. From what the President had been saying about security, Ren had been expecting someone beefy, like a body guard. This – Yashiro-san, was it? – was slim, almost willowy, and shorter then he was, though in fairness, most people were.

I could take him in a fight, the irrational thought flitted across his mind, and Ren squashed it ruthlessly. Still, he wasn't what he'd been expecting in some kind of protector. If anything, standing next to him, Ren suspected he'd look like his body guard.

And he was so young. He'd been expecting someone older, much older. Sure, Lory had called him a "young man", but men his age called everyone that, didn't they? Ren was barely seventeen, and this man only looked about twenty, mid-twenties at most.

Though aside from that, he did look the part, immaculately dressed in a light grey suit, wearing glasses and a serious look and carrying a black leather briefcase. With light brown hair and eyes, porcelain skin and high cheekbones, he looked like he might have just wandered in from a photo shoot. Was he an escapee from the modelling department, maybe?

Though, judging by his comically wide-eyed expression as he took in the scene before him, he had not met the President before.

Yes¸ Ren thought with a certain amount of grim satisfaction. Drink it all in. Welcome to the insanity.

To his credit, Yashiro-san recovered quickly, and stepped forward right to the edge of the pool before hesitating.

Lory seemed to have enjoyed watching his reaction too, and was smiling broadly as he stood to welcome him. "Yashiro-san!" he boomed jovially. "Thank you for coming! Please, come and join us! Just use the stepping stones, I assure you it is quite safe."

Smiling gamely, Yashiro lifted his leg high to step over the edge of the pool and reach the first stepping stone with exaggerated care. Ren watched with sympathy. Meeting a new potential client must be nerve wracking enough without adding in the extra nightmare possibility of an embarrassing, unplanned soaking.

However, he reached the gondola without mishap and with evident relief, and Ren couldn't help smiling warmly as he rose to greet him.

"Hello, I'm Tsuruga-Ren," he said, holding out his hand without thinking. "Please take care of me."