Chapter Nineteen

Valentine's Day and Ren's birthday were quickly approaching. She had found the perfect birthday gift for him. It had been a little wolf in a sheep suit. She giggled as she ordered it and clicked the pay button online. It was perfect for him. Now all she had to do was figure out what she was going to give him for Valentine's Day. Chocolate was so common and obvious. To her, chocolate screamed "I love you!" to the world and that is not what she needed right now. She was still trying to figure out her own feelings on this and she certainly didn't want him knowing them before she did. "Hmm, wine gelatin. Perfect. It's subtle and sophisticated, just like his image." she smiled softly and began to write out the ingredients needed and calculated the proportions. She then added them to the list she was keeping for her chocolate making foray.

She had made the chocolates for her Nii-san's separately from the rest and earlier. She wouldn't be seeing them on Valentine's Day. She giggled to herself remembering how fortuitous it had been to find the cute little wolf molds for them. She had placed 10 in a small box, two for each brother and wrapped it in a big blue bow. This is what she had in her hands when Sho had crept up behind her and slapped it out of her hand.

"I see you're still the same stupid, love starved idiot you've always been." He told her childishly as he watched her pick up the box and examine it to make sure that nothing had been tossed or, broken.

"What do you want Sho?" She asked irritatedly. This was getting quite old. She wasn't about to let loose her inner beast here, especially after glancing up and noticing the security camera mounted in the corner that would definitely catch the whole scene of her ripping him limb from limb.

"I just dropped by to remind you who you belong to and make sure you remember who is responsible for you being in showbiz." He told her arrogantly, moving closer and pinning her to the wall. "Who are those for? Tsuruga?" He hissed as he grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding the box, causing her to drop it again.

Her brow furrowed in anger and contemplation. "What's it to you? It's none of your business who I give chocolate to and I don't belong to you! You made that very clear a long time ago."

"Hmph. You'll never change. You'll always be that weak love-sick idiot, throwing yourself at men that don't give a shit!" He hissed as his grip tightened.

"I am not!" She yelled as her temper started to raise.

"Really? Prove it!" Sho mocked.

A male clearing his throat sounded behind them. "She doesn't need to prove anything to you Fuwa." Reino told him.

"Take your hands off our sister." Miroku growled.

Sho turned to find all five members of Vie Ghoul behind him and they did not look pleased. "If I don't? What are you going to do about it? I'm a star and there are security cameras everywhere." He bragged not realizing how stupid he sounded.

Reino chuckled. "Exactly... and everything you've done to our Imōuto up to this point has been recorded. It would be horrible for said security tapes to find their way to the press, or maybe even to the police. Stalker-san."

Sho flinched at the realization and released Kyoko. "Whatever..." He then stomped off through the doors of Fuji TV to find his manager and perhaps do a bit of damage control.

"Thank you." She whispered in relief.

Reino smiled. "Anything for our baby sister."

"What have you got there?" Miroku asked referring to the battered little box.

She looked at them bashfully. "Well, I haven't done this in a long time but, they're Giri-choco for you guys." She held out the little box. "I hope they aren't too messed up." She added.

Reino took the box in hand and opened it. They all chuckled when they saw the shapes of little wolves in chocolate before them. "Thank you Kyoko-chan." They then all escorted her to her next destination, taking care to avoid any more contact with Sho.

"You really need to tell Shachou about all the things he's been doing. If any of this got to the press it would reflect badly on you." Kanae warned her as the rolled the little truffles and dipped them in cocoa powder. She was glad for her friend that Reino had come when he did. Kami only knew what that little punk would have done had he not been there. She would have to thank him personally for protecting her clueless friend.

Kyoko's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "He's just being a pest. Like a cockroach. Nothing to get all worked up over. I've dealt with bullying before. You have to ignore them. He'll get bored with it eventually."

"Whatever you say. I don't think he's that harmless, but you know him. So, for now... I'll butt out." Kanae sighed.

Kyoko nodded in thanks.

"What are you giving to Tsuruga-san?" She asked out of curiosity.

Kyoko stopped as her heart pounded erratically in her chest and she felt the butterflies again. "Um... I guess I'm making him this wine gelatin and I found something to give him for his birthday." She wanted to kick herself every time she thought of it. He had remembered her birthday and she got his wrong by nine days. She sighed to herself internally.

"Really? Wasn't his birthday on the 10th?" Kanae asked.

Kyoko sighed again. "Yeah... I got the date wrong. The employee directory was an old one and had printed his birth date wrong. He didn't seem to be bothered by it when I told him though."

Kanae snickered. "Of course not."

Kyoko looked to her in confusion, but refrained from asking what was so funny.

"What the hell is this?" She hissed as he tossed the large bouquet of flowers at her.

"What you don't like it? I thought since no other man will have a pathetic girl like you I would give you something to make you feel wanted." He told her arrogantly.

Ren's ear twitched in annoyance.

"Aren't you going to thank me properly?" His voice turned low but, Ren's sharp hearing caught the whisper and before anyone could react Ren's hand was in front of her face with Sho's lips on his hand and his other hand tightly gripping Sho's collar.

"I think you should leave Fuwa-san, before security is called." Ren growled.

"How the hell is this any of your business?" Sho spat out.

Ren leaned down and growled sinisterly into his ear only for Sho to hear. "A little mutt like you should know his place. Would you like me to show you?" A feral grin crossed his lips and sent shivers down Sho's spine. Ren was imposing and Sho felt like a small animal being trapped by a much larger one in the wild.

The familiarity of that growl made Sho's blood run cold. He decided to approach her some other time when this dangerous man was nowhere near them. He quickly left, leaving all of her co-workers stunned at the little scene.

That entire morning she seethed with anger and frustration long after he had left and the whispers questioning her relation to him angered her even more. She had memories of being bullied that flashed through her mind as she retrieved the chop-sticks that she had dropped to the floor and it irritated her even more. She quickly picked them up and left to replace them, then was reminded of the wonderful creation she had made for Ren when she saw a long, red dessert spoon. "This is perfect." She pondered quietly to herself, then grabbed one and made her way back to their shared table.

"Ren..." She started shyly. "Um, do you have a little time before your scenes? I.. I have something I would like to give you." She told him as she stared at the floor.

"Of course Kyoko." He smiled at her gently wondering what she had planned.

"Thank you." She smiled brightly and led him to her dressing room.

She sat him on the sofa and made him close his eyes. She sat the tall rose-vine wrapped wine glass before him and placed the red spoon in it. "Okay... You can open your eyes."

"Is this for me?" He asked with a hint of excitement, feeling his heart swell a bit.

She nodded and sat next to him. "I really hope you like it. I wanted to make something special for you. I knew you got chocolates from practically everyone and I thought maybe you would like something unique." She told him quietly. "I hope the flowers..." She stopped thinking of the flowers that Sho had thrown at her and winced. She then started thinking about how he almost destroyed the chocolates for her Nii-san's.

Ren had a hunch on what was going through her mind, so he decided to take action. He was going to erase this boy completely from her thoughts. He leaned in and took in her heavenly scent, that was now back to it's normal level, but still intoxicating to him. "Kyoko..." He whispered, snapping her out of her deep thoughts. His eyes peered straight into hers and his hot breath was on her skin. She could smell light scent of the wine gelatin on his warm breath mixed with his own scent. Her mind went blank when his tongue passed lightly over his lips to wet them. "Thank you." He whispered and gently kissed her just beneath her ear on her neck, sending shivers of pleasure shooting throughout her entire body.

The only thing she could remember was the kiss and the sound of the door shutting as he left the room. What was that! She screamed in her mind, blushing furiously each time the kiss invaded her thoughts. He's such a playboy! She thought as she patted her blushing cheeks in the mirror. Mio doesn't blush. I need to go deeper into character or, I won't survive the day. She scolded herself, but every time she saw a wine glass, a dessert spoon or, a rose, she would start blushing furiously and lose concentration.

After director Ogata had given her a break, Ren decided it would be best to smooth over the kiss and portray it as something a bit more innocent than he had originally intended.

"Hmm, all of this for just a thank you. Tsk, tsk..." He muttered behind her catching her attention and annoyance.

"That is not how you say thank you." She scolded.

He chuckled. "Well, maybe not usually, but I wouldn't say thank you like that to just anyone." He told her casually.

"You shouldn't say thank you like that. It gives the wrong impression." She told him irritably.

He sighed but, smirked internally. "I will remember that Kyoko. I apologize." He bowed and left, leaving her comforted in the lie that it was something more innocent than she originally thought.