After five minutes of processing, Kyoko went back inside. Everyone had taken seats at different lunch tables, the room abuzz with all the drama that had unfolded. Her entry didn't go unnoticed, the din lessening for half a second before it continued up again.

Was she also a subject of their conversations? Did they too see just how worthless she was compared to Ren? Did they think her heartless and horrible to him simply because she had originally been reluctant to speak to him only to turn around and give him a chance?

Ren stood next to one of the lunch tables, holding two plates of food and obviously waiting for her before eating. His ear-high shoulders sagged at her appearance, doing a perfect movie-worthy show of relief. Well, she could do the same.

She pushed the hair from her eyes, smoothing the lines in her forehead as she reached him.

"Were you going to skip eating if I didn't show up?" she teased, taking the plate from him.

"It would have been a decent excuse."

She ignored his too-perceptive eyes, searching for a table. "Should we eat there?"

They sat at a table with the two engaged couple that had deliberated flubbed the runway. Kyoko quickly engaged them in conversation to drown out any inquiries from Ren. Apparently, the two hadn't communicated with each other. They'd both individually decided to dress to shock, resulting in a hilarious surprise. They beamed and laughed in sync despite only knowing each other for three weeks.

Would she ever reach that with Ren? Or did he still think about the girl he had first fallen in love with?

He had at least some ability to perceive her moods because he inquired about it on the bus on the way back to the hotel.

"I'm… upset about the whole thing with Eri-san and Daichi-san," said Kyoko, deciding a partial truth was safe. "It's a mess, and I'm friends with them both. I don't want either of them to get hurt."

From the front, Daichi let out a loud bark of laughter followed by a squeal from Salan-chan. Seemed like the two were getting along great. Eri sulked from the back, avoiding everyone. Ren looked between the two, then back at her, likely seeing more through those ridiculous glasses than what she wanted him to.

"I'm sure it will work out the way it's supposed to," he said. "Despite the show. As annoying as these things often are, they do tend to bring to the front feelings and events that would have happened eventually, just at a much slower pace."

"You've been on a reality TV show before?"

"A few, though none nearly as invasive as this one."

She sunk in her seat, blowing the bangs from her face. "I don't think any show can be more invasive than this one."

Ren pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

"What?' she said. "You thought of one."

"I did."

"Care to share with the class?"

He looked away from her. "There's this show called… naked and afraid."

Kyoko had heard of the show. Crazy Americans. She'd just conveniently forgotten about its existence. But now Ren had reminded her and she couldn't decide what was worse. Maybe it was the image that flashed through her mind of the two of them being on that show. Or it was the idea of camera people recording the whole thing for millions to watch.

Or maybe it was the tips of Ren's ears as they reddened, his face still turned away from her. Her own face became strawberry red.

"Never heard of it," she muttered.

"You haven't?" His tone sounded too casual, face still turned away. "Not surprising. You're too traditional to be interested in that sort of thing."

She gave a non-committal hum that sounded more like being strangled. It was too much. Way too much. She pressed her face into her hands between her legs and stayed there.

Something shifted, and then a gentle hand came on her shoulder.

"Kyoko-chan? Are you okay?"

He wasn't Nerd-Ren right now. He was full Tsuruga Ren, earnestly catching onto her very obvious signs of distress. Because of course, he would. She was over here being dramatic, and it got his attention. Just like it always did.

Maybe she really was pulling him along, manipulating him to pay attention to her without realizing it.

She took a second, then slowly sat up giving him a twisted expression. She nearly faltered when she met his eyes, then let herself do so to complete the act.

"I lied," she said with mortification. "I have heard of the show. You're too shameful Tsuruga-san."

"Oh." His hand came off her shoulder immediately. Nerd Ren was back. "S-sorry. I guess I made you uncomfortable."

"Not anymore than this whole show has," she grumbled, and he let out a relieved laugh at that. She let the sound tug a smile on her face, setting aside her real emotions until the scene was over.

Kyoko didn't get a break.

Since they'd had lunch back in the warehouse, the contestants were ushered into the next event as soon as they got back. Thankfully, it was a much simpler affair, Maria's budget likely needing a break; Just drawing numbers from a hat and sitting at various tables laden with board games. Something entirely mundane compared to the drama earlier. Maybe that was the point.

She held her breath as Ren drew his number after her, unsure what she wanted the result to be.

"5." He held out the paper. "You were 1?"

Kyoko let her breath out as the tension left with it. "Yeah. We're not together." Guess that answered that question.

Her relief lasted all of five seconds when she found out who else was wither her: Yoshio-san, glasses-san…and Dino.

Oh, joy. Kill her now.

She debated if she wanted to sit across from Dino so she wouldn't have to sit next to him, or beside so she wouldn't have to look directly at his face. Dang, these perfectly square card tables.

She chose across in the end, pointedly focusing on Yoshio-san. Mostly because he had immediately engaged her in conversation the moment she sat.

"Glad to see you again Kyoko-san," he said. "Are you okay after that fight with the redhead?"

"Her name is Eri-san, and yes. I'm fine."

He raised his eyebrows. "That was very unconvincing. Next time you could just use a knife to cut me instead of using your tone."

Dino scowled. "Don't be a jerk, leave her be."

"I was just messing around." Yoshio gave the group a pacifying smile. "Let's just enjoy some games then, okay? No drama, promise? I think Kyoko-san and I have had enough for one day."

Glasses-san immediately gave her consent, batting her eyelashes and scooting forward as if she could scoot through the table and into Yoshio's lap. It was obvious she planned to make use of this engagement.

"I agree," said Kyoko. "No romance. No drama. Let's just play some board games."

Dino was forced to give his reluctant consent, and for the next blessed hour and a half, there was nothing but brutal, ruthless, board game competition. Great for her focus. Too hard to think about unpleasant things when you're slowly building an enormous wall around your opponent's settlements to cut them off from gaining more supplies.

It was a great, easy release, and Kyoko found herself having fun.

She groaned as Yoshio placed his wall down in front of hers, finally stopping her expansion for good.

"Sorry, Kyoko-chan," he said. "Someone's got to stop you. Otherwise, you'll take all the resources for yourself and leave none for us."

Glasses-san scoffed, quickly turning it into a polite cough when Yoshio-san looked back at her. But Kyoko had gotten the idea. She'd been hearing it enough lately.

You're selfish. You're collecting "resources" like you would trophies. Stick to Ren and leave the rest for us.

She rolled the dice with a little too much irritation, knocking over some of the pieces.

"Careful."

Yoshio reached out at the same time Kyoko did, his hand touching hers. She didn't feel any spark. Any warmth or electricity at the contact like she did with Ren.

Then Yoshio's hand curled around her fingers just slightly.

She jerked them away.

"Woah, you really are testy tonight," he said, his manner easy despite the flabbergasted look Kyoko was giving him. "I meant nothing by it. I was just about to give you my thanks."

"What for?" she said. Oh, great, and there's the camera. What the ever-living hell was her life?

"It's just been nice getting to know you," he said. "As friends, you know? While I came here to find love, after today I just needed a break. Spend time with people who don't see me as a prize."

She was about to point to the other two participants at the table when Dino butted in.

"It has been fun Kyoko-san." He moved as if he too wanted to reach over and grab her hand, but she was too far back in the seat to make that move even look semi-smooth. "I've really missed spending time with you lately."

When the heck had they ever spent more than ten minutes together?

"I am trying out a relationship with Ren," she emphasized. "It makes sense I'd spend most of my time with him."

"You really should be careful," pushed Dino. "He is using you."

"He is not."

"What, you really think he isn't?" Dino shook his head. "You know who he is Kyoko-san. He's not the type to stick with a nice girl like you. Men like him want drama and live in the heat of the moment. They want that Hollywood glamour. Models and rich heirs. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Enough of that had sounded like things she'd said to herself that it stung. But it was also disrespectful as heck to Ren. He was not that shallow.

"Hey," said Yoshio, straightening in his chair. "That's a little too much, don't you think?"

"I'm just being realistic," said Dino. "I don't want to be a jerk who doesn't tell her the reality of the situation just because I'm scared of being seen as mean. Sure, Kyoko is in show biz but she's not like them. She isn't shallow or only focused on her image. And Ren will ultimately make her unhappy."

Okay, now Kyoko was angry. He had insulted not only Ren, but all her friends. Literally, all her friends in one way or another were involved in show-biz.

"Thank you for your kindness," said Kyoko. "But I really don't want to receive it. So please, return to sender and don't bother with a follow-up."

"You're making a mistake," said Dino, who was ignoring not only Kyoko's words but protests from Glasses-san and Yoshio at this point. "No, listen. He's really Tsuruga Ren. There's no way someone that famous would want someone like you."

"That's enough," said Yoshio. "Don't go making up lies just because you're jealous."

"It's not a lie," said Dino. "Tell him Kyoko-san."

She was really getting sick and tired of this man. "Our relationship is my business, not yours," said Kyoko. "So just stay out of it."

"I'm just trying to be a good guy here and you're making such a fuss."

The legs on Kyoko's chair screeched as she stood up and marched away. She was so done. So entirely done with this man and everyone's drama.

She heard a similar scrape of chair legs and sped up, making a beeline for the beverage table.

"Hey, wait."

It wasn't Dino who had followed her. It had been Yoshio-san.

She grabbed a drink from the table, considering it a second before setting it down for one of the non-alcoholic ones. She really didn't need to try drinking for the first time in this situation.

"What an ass," said Yoshio, grabbing a drink beside her. "He's really stuck on you, isn't he?"

"More than I realized," she muttered into her drink, watching the room around her. The groups had started to intermingle, some pulling tables together to play bigger games while others dissolved as they moved to talk individually or grab some drinks. The whole atmosphere had become very casual with more organic opportunities to talk and interact with the other contestants. She'd been too engrossed in her game to notice.

Why hadn't Ren come talk to her then? His table was still together, sure. It had even merged with another one, but he could have escaped to come spend time with her.

Well, she could have done the same but had wanted to avoid him.

Because hiding and running was what she did best.

Which was just another way of sulking that Ren was sure to pick up on and chase her again because she was just that annoying of a person. Just like Eri had said.

Speaking of Eri, she was at the table with Ren. She rolled her dice, a split second of tension holding her body in place until she saw what the dice had cast. Her squeal was met by moans at the table from everyone but Ren, who gave her a timid high-five. Which she met with girlish enthusiasm.

She looked just fine to Kyoko. No heartbreak there. And was that her leaning a little too close to Ren? Because that blouse was low-cut and even Kyoko's eyes were drawn down.

I wasn't even his first choice to begin with.

Kyoko drained her drink, wishing it had the same effect of relieving her nerves that alcoholic drinks appeared to have in cinema.

Kyoko had chosen to forget about that fact. Chosen to accept that she would be second choice and run after him anyway. To find a way to change his opinion and fall for her instead of whoever it was that rejected him. She had thought she could throw away her pride and hesitancies in pursuit of this, but at the slightest provocation, she had fallen so easily. Why? Why was she like this?

Because a part of me still agrees with everything Dino said.

She was plain. Uninteresting. Common. The only time people looked at her was when she took the role of someone else. Became one of those exciting, make-up-wearing forces of nature that demanded control of the camera. Kyoko didn't have that charisma. Ren had it in truckloads, on or offset. At least he had been kind enough not to laugh at her efforts in seducing him. Man, she was a joke.

And so was that bruise on Kimura's cheek. That at least made her smile for a second. Good job Sexy-chan.

Yoshio gave her shoulder a gentle nudge.

"Want to get out of here together?" he motioned to Ren. "I noticed you seemed relieved when you weren't paired for the same table. Which I thought was odd considering you're 'trying' right now."

"It's not unreasonable to need breaks to collect your thoughts," grumbled Kyoko.

He hummed in agreement. "I actually secretly switched with someone else to be with you."

"What?"

That was allowed? Why hadn't Ren done that? And why had this guy? Oh, no, please tell her he didn't—

"—You and Ren-san are together," said Yoshio. "Yes, I heard. Like I said, I just want to be friends. So, what do you say? Want to sneak out?"

She wasn't considering it. Not even a little.

…actually, just a little so she could piss off Kimura even more. But not really.

A sharp laugh across the table stopped her from answering. Bow-san plucked a strawberry from the top of a sweet at the table, twirling it between her delicate fingers by the stem.

"He wants to make out with you in the halls," said Bow-san. "He heard you're a famous celebrity, and then you made yourself pretty with all that makeup."

She bit into the strawberry, licking her lips like she was trying to change her nickname to Sexy-chan.

"I am not," said Yoshio. He didn't look nearly as friendly as he had before. "Don't be petty."

"It's what he did with me," said Bow-san, ignoring Yoshio. "Me and Ashiya-san got talking. Noticed a pattern. You're quite the narcist."

Yoshio scoffed. "That's not fair. I told you both from the start that I was exploring my options."

Bow-san chewed for a second longer. Swallowed. "I doubt you'll ever stop."

The woman snatched another few strawberries, scalping the sweets before strolling back to her table. Yoshio glared, watching the sway of her hips for a good five seconds.

"Don't mind her," said Yoshio, brushing the interruption aside. "Breakups are never great, and that was a messy one."

"Oh, uh, right."

"So, what do you think? Want to get out of here?"

Did he seriously think she was going to say yes?

"No," she said.

"What? Because of what she said?" he shook his head. "She's mad and feeling scorned. Of course, she paints me in a bad light. Which isn't exactly her fault, this competition has been a lot. Look, we'll just go into the hall and talk. It doesn't have to mean anything. We can just blow off some steam."

Competition.

He had called it a competition.

It slammed into her. These men. Dino and Yoshio. That was why they wanted her. That's why they didn't listen. They saw her as a trophy. A famous person they could say they kissed or slept with or whatever. They weren't trying to find love, they were competing for the top prize.

Which apparently was her.

Kyoko's face reddened as the sickly tendrils of shame crept into her chest. She had felt a little pride at being wanted, even if they were annoying. For the first time in her life, she was seen as desirable. But now she knew why. It had nothing to do with her. It had everything to do with her title as a "famous person". It had been pointed out before, but she had scoffed because she was so insignificant.

I'm so stupid.

And a hypocrite. The other women were right. She'd been full of herself. She had started to think she was someone that others would want. That she was desirable.

She was nothing.

Yoshio took her silence as assent. He nodded his head in the direction of the hall, turning to go.

Kyoko slipped into his blind spot and booked it for Ren.

She didn't turn as Yoshio called her. Shame continued to burn as Ren looked up at her approach, gaze fixed on her behind his thick glasses. She stopped dead, the other occupants of the table indifferent to her appearance.

Her mouth opened. Then closed.

What was she doing here? Coming to lick her pride with his sweet words?

It didn't help that he kept eye contact. She could almost make out the pale color behind his colored contacts, hiding his true identity from the rest of the world. Why did he have green eyes anyway? And why did he gaze at her with such open patience and want? As if she could give him everyone he wanted if she just said the right words.

She swallowed.

"Goodnight," she said. "I'm going to bed."

Whatever he wanted her to say, it hadn't been that.

"Want me to walk you?" he said.

"No. Thank you. I'll be okay."

Then she booked it for the hall.

—only to be stopped by Maria.

The miniature devil from hell pointed at her with a walkie-talkie. "I'll let you leave early, but only if you do your video journal entry first."

"Fine." She'd gladly trade that for some time alone.

Maria followed her personally to the soundproof room. Kyoko needed to remember that part. It would be a great place to scream where no one would hear her. They took their respective places, the young woman uncharacteristically quiet as she worked the camera.

"No comments from you tonight?" said Kyoko.

"Oh, I have lots of questions." Maria flicked on the camera, a smile stretching across her face. "I'm just waiting until the camera is rolling."

Of course.

Kyoko closed her eyes to gather herself. But her emotions swirled and slipped through her attempts at control. She felt raw. Worn out from so much drama and very confused. More than anything though, she felt small.

"What am I even doing?" she said before Maria could even start talking. "I was going to try to seduce Ren-san this morning. Good job Kyoko. You're just some stupid nobody. Try and seduce the sexiest man in Japan while knowing he was likely mourning from being rejected by the one he loves. See how that goes."

It had been okay. Sort of. Until she talked to Eri and realized her behavior toward Ren had been abhorrent. Kyoko wasn't paying the slightest attention to Maria or the camera anymore. She just wanted to vent.

"And these stupid men won't listen. I've told Dino-san 'no' so many times but he won't stop. I really hope Yoshio-san doesn't get fixated on me as well." Her mouth twisted. "I'm sure the other girls would gripe at me for that. 'Of course, Kyoko thinks another man is pining after her. She's so full of herself.' No. I think Bow-san nailed it. I'm just mildly famous so they want the novelty of going after me."

She dragged a hand through her bangs. "They're so persistent. They don't listen. I keep telling them that I'm together with Ren-san, but does it stop them? Why won't they just take a second and think about what the other person is saying!"

Why did this complaint sound so familiar?

"And Dino-san especially is getting annoying. Accusing Ren-san of being so shallow to only care about 'Hollywood' drama and appearance. He has one idea in his head, and he can't comprehend that it's not what he imagined. Even when I spell it out to him, he doesn't listen. It's like talking to a wall. He is…"

Kyoko stalled, staring for a full ten seconds before shaking her head.

"What I mean is—he's not open to hearing the truth, though it should be obvious."

Now where the heck had she gotten that from? It tickled her mind like a persistent itch, begging for attention.

"Anyone should be able to tell that Ren and I are…into…each other…."

What was she saying? Why was her chest constricting with a sudden panic?

"The reason should be obvious. I'm positive most of our acquaintances could tell you."

"Perhaps I'm being a little pushy, but I am trying to communicate with you Kyoko-chan."

Oh.

Wait.

She was the one that hadn't been listening.

Kyoko opened her mouth. It stayed there, ready to catch flies and all the life-changing words that sounded an awful lot like Ren's.

"You willfully misconstrue my meaning. And since we are trying to be more honest with each other, I don't want you to misunderstand anymore."

"I already said my bit. You're the one who won't believe me."

"If you can't even imagine it, then your heart's not open to hearing it. Though… I would very much like to tell you."

Her heart thundered so hard it might burst from her chest. Another voice of Ren's came. Quiet, lost, speaking quietly to Bou,

"Something happened recently that changed our relationship, and it hasn't been good. I'm afraid telling her my feelings will just make it worse."

There were others. Maria, Sakura. They rang with all the earth-shattering fright of an airhorn blaring into her ear.

"Poor Ren-sama was bearing his heart and you coldly rejected him. You even told him to marry the person he loves, which is you!"

"How complicated can it get? He proposed to you! If that doesn't say 'I love you' then I'm not sure what does."

And the last ones. The ones that were all Ren's kindness and non-deadly sparkles.

"You're not a rebound. I didn't propose to you to get over anyone."

"I came to Crimson Threads to talk with you. And to be clear, out of all the contestants you are the only person who knows that I am Tsuruga Ren."

"It's you, Kyoko-chan. I'd like to marry you."

"I'm happiest when I'm with you."

She couldn't breathe. Everything stalled as one single point of fact slammed into her brain like a searing hot iron. It was the only conclusion. The only thing that made sense when she stopped lettering her own preconceived notions and ideas cloud her judgment. When she started listening.

Ren was in love with her.

Ren loved her.

From toe to crown, her entire body reddened.

Huh. Turns out she got to test the soundproofing of the room sooner than expected.

Thanks for reading!

Shout out to BOTHECHICKEN's fic! Naked and Afraid. hahaha.