DISCLAIMER: SKIP BEAT! and its associated characters are the creations of Yoshiki Nakamura. This author claims no ownership of Skip Beat or any of its characters. All other rights reserved.

Author's Note: Although these events occur after Chapter 302, they're not a continuation of last chapter's reaction fic.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The word for this one is "Guide."

Tadaima

"No, no, no, Kyoko-san," the director said. "You're too stiff. This is your husband and he's just come home. Be warmer."

Kyoko gritted her teeth and apologized profusely to the director. She'd been asked to step in for another actress at the last moment, and there was absolutely no way she'd turn down a role. Especially one like this, which paid well and featured a kind of character she'd never played before. A job like this could only lead to more opportunities—so why wouldn't she take it? This was supposed to be a simple set of commercials—she was playing a housewife and Kijima-san was playing her husband, and they were selling a line of pre-bottled teas. There were different flavors—one of them was a plain green sencha, others included melon, or even sakura. One was even a chamomile tea meant to be taken before bed.

The scenes were simple enough. There was one for each flavor. The one they were shooting featured a husband coming home to his loving wife, who welcomes him warmly with dinner and a nice cup of tea. Tomorrow they'd shoot others, including a breakfast scene, an office scene, and even a scene on location at an amusement park. It should have been easy. It should have been child's play. But she found herself struggling. The first challenge was that she simply didn't know what it was like to welcome someone she loved home for dinner. She'd never lived in a situation in which people came home for dinner at all! Dinner usually meant a dinner rush, with her serving at the Darumaya, and, before that, at Sho's parent's ryokan. And the times she'd made dinner for Ren, they'd arrived at his apartment at the same time. The second challenge came in the form of Kijima-san. The last time she'd interacted with Kijima, she'd ended up chastised by Sho and Ren for being taken advantage of by a man who "wanted to have his way with her." Even if he seemed like a nice guy now, she…didn't like the idea of someone like that playing her husband. Not at all. Absolutely, definitely not.

"Take 4," the director announced. "Warmer, Kyoko-san. Act like you actually like him."

Kyoko bowed and headed over to the stove, where a pot of fake soup was bubbling. "Aaaand action!" the director said.

Kyoko had her hand on the ladle, stirring, and was about to taste her cooking to see if she had the seasoning right, when she heard the door open.

"Tadaima!" Kijima-san said.

"Okaeri," Kyoko responded. She smiled a gentle smile—

"And CUT!" The director had a hand to his forehead. "Kyoko-chan, I know you've only played villains so far, but you like your husband. Try not to grin like you're going to kill him."

Kyoko bowed…again. She was thoroughly disappointed in herself. "I'm sorry, sir, please, let me try again."

They got through the Tadaima part of the commercial this time, but when it was time for Kijima to put his head on Kyoko's lap, she couldn't help but shudder.

"CUT! No, no, no." Kyoko's heart sank. The director was seriously displeased. "Kyoko-san, I must be honest with you. I had doubts about your ability to step into this role, but Takarada-san assured me you were more than capable. These are just commercials, but I refuse to deliver subpar product to our sponsor. If you want my advice, you'll go home and think about how to act like a loving wife. I know you're a little young to be a wife, but a good actor should be able to act. We'll have to re-do this scene tomorrow."

And just like that, the shoot broke for the evening. Kyoko wandered out to the parking lot, where Yashiro was going to pick her up. She felt a little despondent. Where was the resolve to be a professional actress on par with Tsuruga-san? Tsuruga-san would never need more than one take for a scene as simple as this! She needed to get her act together. What would it be like to have a lovey-dovey household like that?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when one of the generic LME sedans pulled up. She smiled. It was so nice to see Yashiro-kun. He was always so supportive. She knew that Ren had a more demanding schedule, but she appreciated the fact that he was her manager. Yashiro-san always had some nuggets of wisdom. He wasn't an actor but he always knew what to say.

She pulled open the rear door. "Yashiro-san! Thank—" She choked on the next word as her eyes met Ren's in the back seat. He was there, dark brown eyes illuminated by the streetlights. His gaze was boring down on her, drinking her in and she had to look away as she blushed.

"Mogami-san," his velvet voice said, "It's so nice to see you."

"Ah…umm…Tsuruga-san!" she said brightly. His smile was blinding, as usual. "I'm glad to see you as well." It had been a week since the eggs benedict incident, as she had dubbed it, and they hadn't had much of a chance to see each other. He'd been texting her, though, and even if she didn't know exactly how to act, she appreciated hearing from him.

"How was the shoot, Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked from the front. He never got tired of watching his two charges interact. "You look a little down."

To everyone's surprise, Kyoko was silent. She sighed. "I'm having trouble with the role," she said. "They said I was too cold. And then the director even said I looked at Kijima-san like a villain."

Ren looked at Yashiro, whose eyes were reflected in the rear-view mirror. He raised his eyebrow. Kijima? She's shooting a commercial with Kijima?

"What's the character like?" Ren asked. "Maybe I can give a few pointers?"

"She's…a housewife," Kyoko said. "She's a lovey-dovey housewife who says 'Okaeri' when her husband comes home, and then she cooks him dinner, and then he falls asleep on her lap after they have some chamomile tea. The director sent us home after I kept messing up." She sighed again. "But I couldn't help it! Having Kijima-san on my lap just feels wrong!"

Ren was waging a battle against a rising tide of jealousy. Kyoko as a wife! Probably in an apron! Welcoming him home! The scene in his mind's eye was irresistible. He could just see it…coming into his condo and finding it warm and full of good smells and Kyoko standing by the stove. Just that would keep him going for a year. And then he had to remember that it was just a commercial and worse—she was shooting it with Kijima. He gritted his teeth as the image of Kijima supplanted him as Kyoko's beloved husband in his mind's eye. Mine, he wanted to say to Kijima. Kyoko is mine. Nevermind that Kijima had been well and truly warned already—but it never hurt to reinforce the point. "Yashiro, why wasn't I told that there was an Ito-En commercial series? Might've been nice to shoot that," he said. The disappointment over it was overriding the jealousy.

Yashiro shook his head. "You were booked," he said. "And out of their budget. Plus Kyoko-chan was only pulled into it because Midori Yamazaki-san got ill. Takarada-san recommended Kyoko as a stand-in at the last minute." Nevermind that Ren hadn't even asked about how Kyoko had gotten the role—Yashiro knew that what Ren really wanted was to be where Kijima was. Poor Ren, he thought. Having to watch as Kyoko-chan gets lovey-dovey with Kijima-kun!"

"Anyway, we'll have to reshoot that scene again tomorrow," Kyoko said. "I'll be a failure as an actress if I can't prepare this character properly…I won't even be able to share a car with Tsuruga-san if I can't get it right!"

"Nonsense, Mogami-san," Ren said. "I have faith that you'll figure it out."

Silence in the back seat. Yashiro hazarded a look in his rear view to see his two charges looking at each other and then quickly looking away again, as if caught doing something they shouldn't be. He smirked. A plan had just hatched itself in his mind.

"Kyoko-chan," he said, "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, not yet," she said, "I was planning on seeing what the Darumaya had leftover this evening."

"I know for a fact that Ren hasn't eaten yet, either," Yashiro said.

Ren gave him one of his trademarked glares through the rear view mirror again, but Yashiro ignored him.

"As I see it, the solution is obvious, Kyoko-chan," Yashiro stated.

He's planning something, Ren thought. I swear, these days he's almost as bad as Lory himself.

"Solution?" Kyoko echoed.

"Why not act it out with your senpai? You haven't eaten, Ren hasn't eaten, so if you cook him dinner while he guides you through the scene, it'll be mutually beneficial! Get into the character by doing."

Yashiro, I love you! For once, Ren leapt at the idea. He hadn't known what Yashiro was planning, but this was genius! He wished he didn't have to rely on Yashiro and on underhanded tactics like this to be able to spend time with Kyoko, but the man had a point. And it wasn't as if he and Kyoko hadn't worked through scenes before. He beamed at his manager, who kept ignoring him.

"I think that's an excellent idea, Mogami-san," Ren said out loud. "Cooking is part of the commercial too, right? We can start at the top and I can give you some pointers."

Kyoko could help but feel she was being manipulated somehow—though Yashiro and Tsuruga-san were completely right, of course. It WOULD help to talk about this role, workshop it a little, and who better to do that with than Tsuruga-san? Of course the fact that she…may or may not have imagined him in Kijima's role…had nothing to do with it. Nope. Not at all. She would never presume to imagine Tsuruga-san coming home to her with that heavenly smile of his, and her telling him 'Okaeri' and then maybe he'd hug her and—

NO. Nope. They'd acknowledged their mutual feelings for each other, but that did not give her license to act like an idiot in love!

Still, it was a good idea. "I…guess, Tsuruga-san," she said. "You can be my guide."

"Then it's settled," Yashiro said. "Ren-kun, I'll rely on you to take Kyoko-chan home after you work the scene."

Ren merely nodded, thanking the acting gods for the opportunity.

=.=.=.=.=

Half an hour later, Kyoko was stirring cream stew in Ren's kitchen, and Ren himself was in the hallway waiting to make an entrance.

He let himself in, oddly pleased with the fact that Kyoko's shoes were in his condo's foyer ahead of his arrival. "Tadaima!" he called out.

"Okaeri," Kyoko responded, smiling. She wasn't going to NG this scene—there were no cameras, but Tsuruga-san's opinion of her acting was far more important to her than any two-bit director's commercial. It was funny how different she felt about it—she meant her 'welcome home' all the way from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. The idea of Tsuruga-san coming home to her was too sweet, too cozy to give up. It was a little bit like knowing everything she loved had come home safely and could rest here, far away from whatever troubles existed in the outside world. She stopped and took mental note of the situation. This feeling, she thought to herself, this feeling is what I have to remember tomorrow with Kijima-san. I am an actress, so I should be able to use this feeling for my acting.

Ren came in, momentarily blinded by Kyoko's smile. He wondered, briefly, if this was the effect Yashiro referred to when he'd told Ren to deploy his smile at the press conference. Was that smile just an act? he asked himself. If she keeps this up, she won't need much from me at all! She had her back turned to him again, preoccupied with the actual cooking. "I made cream stew tonight," she said. "I'm just adding the vegetables and it should be finished soon. Would you like some tea?"

They'd bought the same tea that would appear in the commercial, and she offered him a bottle. "Nothing like refreshing Ito-En Jasmine Oolong after a long day at work," he teased.

"Now it's available in even more flavors," Kyoko responded. She opened the refrigerator and gestured at the bottles she'd arranged in a line on the shelf. "Melon, sakura, lemon, hojicha, and chamomile! Choose your refresh moment!"

Ren laughed. It was such a cheesy marketing slogan that he couldn't help it. "I'll stick with the Jasmine Oolong, thanks."

Kyoko pouted at him. "Tsuruga-san," she said, "Acting is serious. You're supposed to be my husband!"

Ahhhh, he thought, there goes my kohai making a basic mistake. She shouldn't have broken character over such a thing. But he decided to tease her about it anyway. "I'm always serious, Kyoko." She gasped and blushed as he used her first name and he grinned at her. He moved towards her, slowly. "And who is this Tsuruga-san? Are you calling your husband 'Tsuruga-san?' Shouldn't you be calling me 'Ren,' instead?" he asked. Might as well go all-in, he thought. "And…as a husband…don't I get a 'welcome home' kiss?"

Kyoko took one look at the Emperor of the Night and said "eep." She didn't want to lose, but a kiss was too far, wasn't it!?

Ren took one look at her shocked face and sighed. Maybe one day, he thought, but not today. He briefly brushed his lips on her cheek in an echo of the kiss he'd given her last Valentine's day and felt her freeze. "Thank you for cooking dinner, Kyoko," he said. She truly was hesitating more than she really ought to be, and he knew that if she did it tomorrow, the director would likely send her packing. He had faith in her, of course, but if he was being honest, he simply wanted to spend time with Kyoko-as-she-was-right-now, not Kyoko-his-imaginary-wife. It made him a little bit of a failure as a senpai, but they were moving beyond that, weren't they? Weren't they inching along ever-so-slowly to being an actual couple? Realistically, he knew he should address her hesitation, have her re-center herself and have her look at the way she'd prepared her character. But instead, he just enjoyed her company.

"You—you're welcome," she responded. It's just a thank you kiss, just a thank you kiss, a thank you kiss, just like the one on Vain Day, he kisses foreign women to say thank you all the time, Kyoko, calm down…

"You're welcome…." He motioned forward with his hands, raising an eyebrow at her.

She blushed. "You—you're welcome, R-ren…"

He beamed. This wasn't doing anything for her acting, but the sound of this name from her lips—even if it wasn't his real name, was too cute. He'd take it for now. He'd tell her about Corn some other day. "It smells delicious."

He insisted that she call him by his first name during dinner, too, and after a few hesitant starts, she got used to it enough for them to have a normal conversation—even an easy-going, lighthearted, fun conversation—over the course of the meal. He had to endure some discussion about Kijima-kun, but all-in-all, conversation between them flowed as smoothly and as easily as it always had. When it was time to do the dishes, he cleared them away before she could even argue.

"So now what?" he found himself asking. He knew what was coming next. He knew he was a little too eager to practice this part of the commercial.

"I guess…I guess we have the chamomile tea flavor while we watch TV?" she answered. And he'll put his head on your lap…and he won't be sick this time, Kyoko!

"Sounds good."

She hung back awkwardly as he fiddled with the TV.

He watched her hesitating out of the corner of his eye. "What would you like to watch?" he asked, his back to her. He was treating her like a skittish cat, waiting for her to come to the couch on her own. This isn't going to cut it, he thought, she needs to get more comfortable with the role. None of this would work for her commercial tomorrow, and he needed to acknowledge his failure in helping her prepare for it. Was he a senpai, or was he in love? Were the two mutually exclusive? Kyoko worked best when she figured things out for herself. That's how her roles came together. But if there was one thing he could say for himself, it was that he always supported her in whatever way she needed. Just as she'd supported him in his hours of need.

Kyoko inched towards him, finally sitting on the couch. "Ah! I know," he said. There was a re-run of Dark Moon tonight on one of the cable networks. The sound of Fantasie-Impromptu, the series theme song, filled the room.

"Nooo! Wait, no…!" Kyoko said as the opening scene came on. Tonight's episode featured a particularly brutal stunt by Mio, and she wasn't sure she wanted Ren to watch it.

"No? Why no?" Ren asked. He knew exactly why Kyoko was jumpy, but she was being so cute right now he couldn't help but needle her a little.

"Because…because…I…almost stab Mizuki?" she said.

He muted the TV. "Why wouldn't I want to watch my wife in the celebrated role that revolutionized the way the entire series was being made? Hmm? Not to mention the fact that I was on set while you tried to stab Mizuki, so it's not like it'll be a surprise."

Kyoko eeped again, internally. She'd almost forgotten why she was at Tsuruga-san's place!

"I…I guess not." She sat down on the couch with a sigh. "I just…didn't expect this to be so difficult."

Ren reeled in his Emperor, which had been lurking just underneath the surface all night. Kyoko needed her senpai, and he could still give her the advice that she needed. "Every role has its challenges, Mogami-san," he said.

Back to 'Mogami-san,' Kyoko thought. Is our practice over? OR…oh no…She was slightly ashamed. She'd broken character. If she was honest, she'd never been in character, not really. Not since he'd walked into the kitchen to mess around with her dinner preparations and her heart. He'd been humoring her by not calling her out on it.

"Have you thought about why you think the role is so challenging? After all, you've done everything you'll be doing in it before…" with me, he thought, but didn't say.

"It's just that everything feels so awkward," she said. "How am I supposed to act when I'm…" in love with someone, she wanted to say, but didn't.

"...Married to someone?" he finished for her.

"Yes!" She was giving him a stern look. "Tsuruga-san said he would help me, but all you've been doing is playing tricks on me and teasing me."

"Really?"

"You keep flirting."

"Mm. To be fair, I was playing Mogami-san's husband, wasn't I? A husband should be affectionate, don't you think?"

Kyoko pursed her lips. He had a point. Had she played right into his trap?

"Mogami-san, what is your impression of how a married couple should act?"

Kyoko thought back to the married couples she'd known. Sho's parents hadn't been very affectionate with each other at all, and both of them worked in separate areas of the inn. She'd rarely heard Yayoi-san greet Sho's father at all. When they were in the same room, they were very formal. As for Taisho and Okami-san at the Darumaya, well, they were different. They weren't very lovey-dovey, but…they were comfortable. "Well," she said, "I guess a married couple should be comfortable around each other?"

"Precisely." He looked at her, waiting for her to connect the dots. "I think you should concentrate on being comfortable. This is your home, and he's your husband…so you shouldn't be nervous, or hesitant, or jumpy."

"I…guess I haven't been acting comfortable around Tsuruga-san."

"And yet you were comfortable when we made the eggs benedict," he said. "And you were comfortable when you were making dinner and while we were eating it just now. And you and I have watched TV many times before, especially while we were Cain and Setsu. So why are things different?"

She thought the situation through. I guess I don't know how to act around Tsuruga-san, she thought. I know we aren't a couple, and yet…he called me when that article came out about him and Kana-san…and then that night with the eggs benedict, he went out of his way to explain the necklace. Why does Tsuruga-san bother? And there was also that one thing she didn't like to admit to herself—the fact that being around him felt good. That she really looked forward to seeing him. She didn't like admitting the fact that she'd sought him out on her own the night they'd made eggs benedict. And she didn't like admitting how she'd been secretly hoping to talk about this role with him.

He took a look at her blushing face and said, "I'm still me, Mogami-san. Just because you know how I feel about you doesn't change that." He schooled his face into a serious expression. "And it shouldn't change your professionalism, either. You were able to act an amazing angel even when you were working with Fuwa—so you should be able to act an amazing wife with me." He gave her an encouraging smile, but he could see that his words had a galvanizing effect on her. Ha! he thought, Of course mentioning Fuwa would get her acting spirit riled up. "In fact, a real actor is able to play the role no matter who their co-star is. Doesn't matter if it's me or Kijima or even Fuwa—I believe that you have the ability to be the perfect wife."

Kyoko sprang up from the couch and bowed deeply to him. Oh no, what have I done!? he thought.

"Tsuruga-san!" she said. He could almost see flames coming off of her. "I am sorry I have failed you!" Kyoko bowed one of her traditionally extreme bows.

"Mogami-san, wait, I didn't mean—"

"Please, allow me to do this again! From the 'Tadaima'?"

How could he say no? "Alright, but since we've had dinner, I'm going to improvise," he responded. He watched her march to the kitchen again and take up the ladle at the pot, which had now cooled but still had the leftover stew they hadn't consumed. He went out to the hallway with his keys, waited a minute, and then opened the door.

"Tadaima!" he called.

"Okaeri," she replied. And there was the smile again.

This time, it was his turn to choke down the surprise as she came up to him and kissed his cheek softly while she was on the tips of her toes. It wasn't a particularly forceful kiss—it was no more substantial than the flutter of a butterfly's wing on his cheek, really. Even less substantial than the brush she'd given him on the lips as a High Priestess in Guam. He managed to control his shock, but not his joy, and for a moment the two of them just smiled at each other in his kitchen.

She broke their gaze first. "Would you like some tea, dear?" she asked.

"I'd love some," he said.

"I picked up the other flavors from the store," she said. "They've got melon, jasmine, sakura, lemon, chamomile?"

"Maybe the chamomile, Kyoko," he responded, reveling in the faint flush on her cheek, "and then perhaps we can watch some TV for the evening?"

"Sure," she said, grabbing two bottles of the chamomile tea flavor.

She followed him to the living room, where he sat on the couch and patted the cushion right next to him. She sat next to him as closely as she dared, though not quite on his lap as she'd done when she was Setsu. He took the bottles of tea, set them down, and reached for the remote control as the episode began to play. And right when she thought she was safe, he brought his arm around her shoulders and then down to her waist, pressing her gently but firmly against him as his other arm pulled a blanket up to cover their legs.

Remember, Kyoko, this is about looking and acting like a normal lovey-dovey couple! she told herself. You have to work on looking like you're comfortable! Kyoko willed herself to melt into him, because that was what a good wife did, and she was being a good wife. She was determined not to show any hint of surprise, protest, or bashfulness, but none of those emotions came. Instead she just felt overwhelmingly cozy. Warm. Secure. She breathed in Ren's scent and let out a sigh of contentment that wasn't acting at all, though she'd never admit that to anyone.

"Comfy?" Ren asked quietly.

"Mmmhmm," she responded.

"Good," he replied. "Here's your tea," he said, handing her the bottle of chamomile.

=.=.=.=.=.=

Minutes later—or was it hours later?—Kyoko found herself stirring from what felt like a wonderful dream. Everything was so soft…so pleasant. Something smelled nice. Dark Moon was still playing on the TV, she could hear the dialogue right at the edge of her awareness. She stretched out, wonderfully warm, and then froze. Where was she!?

Kyoko's eyes flew open as she became aware of a heavy weight placed on her hip—and then she realized it. She had fallen asleep on his lap! She stifled a gasp as she realized he still had his arm around her. Briefly she remembered how she'd caressed his hair when he'd been on her lap and blushed. It was impossible that he would have done the same to her, wasn't it? Still, she hazarded a look up at him. He was asleep, the steady rise and fall of his chest forming a soothing rhythm that she didn't want to disturb. His head was leaning back on the cushioned couch-back, exposing his long neck and the arc of his jawline. He's ridiculously good-looking even from down here, Kyoko thought, recalling again how he must've looked up at her from the same way so long ago in Karuizawa. Not that she could've possibly looked that good from this angle. She found her hand wandering up to his face, taking a stray lock and smoothing it behind his ear. Just a little longer, she thought to herself. Let me stay just a little longer, even though this is taking advantage of Tsuruga-san's kindness. She'd never slept on anyone's lap before. She understood why people did it now. She felt so protected—as if she belonged here. As if nothing could ever harm her so long as she kept still. She closed her eyes and filed that feeling away to remember when she was acting. Even though she was the one on his lap, she could imagine wanting Tsuruga-san to feel the same way she felt now.

He seemed so much younger when he was asleep…more innocent…more like Corn. She must have tensed or something at that thought, because next thing she knew, he was looking down at her with sleepy eyes. "Kyoko," he said, a tiny smile lighting up his face. He nuzzled his face into her hand which had frozen by his jaw while she tried to keep herself from running off. Is he really awake? Are we still in our roles? What is going on? Kyoko thought. She was a second away from full-on panic, ready to engage whatever self-defense mechanism would answer her right now.

"You fell asleep," he smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san!" she wailed. She had scrambled off his lap, but thankfully he still had his arm around her. It kept her from doing a dogeza on the floor…or whatever it was she did these days to apologize. "I was so inconsiderate of your time! Even though we were working on my role I fell asleep on you!"

"Kyoko—"

"And then I had the audacity to wake you, when you were probably so tired!"

"Mogami-san."

She stopped, wide gold eyes looking upwards at his face.

"The truth," he said sheepishly, "is that you looked too cute to wake up."

Her eyes widened as a rising wave of red spread over her cheeks.

He just smiled at her. "Anyway, it's quite late…you're welcome to stay, of course. I'd be happy to stay right here with you and keep you warm."

She looked at him like a stunned pigeon, blinking silently with her mouth open. He sighed.

"Just kidding. I have a spare bedroom, of course." He wasn't quite ready to give up on this evening yet.

He must be too tired to drive me home, she thought. "Oh! I'm so sorry to trouble you, Tsuruga-san—I should be able to find my way back home! Please rest—you must be very tired!"

Arghhhh! Kyoko! "Mogami-san, no…no, that's not what I meant."

She had already picked up her purse and was halfway to her shoes. "Yes, Tsuruga-san?"

"After all this time, do you honestly think I'd let you wander home alone this late at night?"

Kyoko looked abashed. "I…I'm sorry to trouble you so often."

"It's no trouble at all," Ren said. "Please…just let me take care of you. OK?"

He flashed her the kind of smile that bordered on being angry…and thankfully, this time, there were no detours into the emergency stairwell. They began a critique of their roles from the night's activities, continuing the conversation through the ride home.

When they got to the Darumaya, he walked her to the door.

"Just remember, be comfortable," Ren said. "That's the essence of the scene. The director probably wants to create a feeling of being at home with someone you love."

"I understand better now." She gave him a tiny smile that made his heart beat faster.

"I'm glad."

"Goodnight, Tsuruga-san."

"Mogami-san?"

"Yes?"

"Can I keep calling you Kyoko-chan?" He held her breath while he waited for her answer.

There was a long pause. He couldn't make out her face in the dim light. "Of course, Tsuruga-san!"

"Ren, please."

"Oh but I can't—"

"Kyoko-chan. Ren. Please."

"Ren-kun," she said in a whisper.

"Thank you," he said. As quickly as he could, he kissed her pinkie softly and then headed back to his apartment.

=.=.=.=.=.=

"OK, that's a wrap," said the director. He had been favorably impressed by Kyoko's improvement on the kitchen scene—and her performance on all the scenes that followed. The retakes they'd had to do were all Kijima's fault. What had the actress done overnight, exactly? She was a different person. Yesterday's Kyoko was a skittish, awkward girl. Today, the actress was a gracious, smiling, and lovely woman. The kind of wife any man—and some women—would want to come home to. "Good job, Kyoko-san," he added. "I had my doubts, but Takarada-san was right. You pulled it off admirably." Thanks to her, shooting had actually ended on time—and that, despite the fact that they'd had to re-shoot yesterday's scene.

Kyoko bowed formally in thanks to the director and to Kijima-san, who was looking at her wide-eyed and a little dazed. By now he'd seen her transformations—had seen her change unbelievably, even, and right before his own eyes. But today's Kyoko left a little hole in his heart, made him jealous of Tsuruga in a way that he hadn't been before. Did he dare? If she wasn't dating Tsuruga yet, there could be no harm, right?

"Kyoko-chan, do you have a ride home?" he asked. "Have you eaten?"

"Oh I'm sorry, Kijima-kun," she replied. "Yashiro-san is coming by with Ren-kun to pick me up."

'Ren-kun,' Kijima thought. Ha! He's been promoted from 'Tsuruga-senpai.' So he's finally making a move! Good for him. Some guys had all the luck.

That night, Yashiro found a much happier Kyoko who was bouncing in enthusiasm as she entered the car.

Ren smiled. "It looks like it went well, Kyoko-chan!"

"All thanks to Ren-kun," she responded.

The two of them kept talking, failing to notice the fact that their manager was fangirling frantically in the front seat.

Small but important progress.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think :)