I have a pile of other things I should be working on. Woops.
Lights, applause, music, more cameras than a movie set. It all assaulted the group of women as they tried not to look like does being ushered onto the chopping block. Which, that's what they were. New meat for the contestants that had already been here for two weeks.
Kyoko blinked the water from her eyes so she didn't face plant into the contestant in front of her. Seriously, how did those girls in heels do it? Either way, she managed to get a glimpse of the place.
She stared, open-mouthed.
They had entered a huge dining room with white columns and a glittering chandelier. Tables covered in tablecloths and candles occupied with other contestants covered one end of the room. They were situated in front of tall double doors that was probably the main entrance. At the other end of the room was a huge stage the group was approaching. Stairs ascended from the side of the stage. Kyoko was instantly glad she had worn flats.
"And here we have our new lovely ladies!" said a loud voice over the speaker. Kyoko recognized it, head swiveling around until she saw the director. Ryou, the loud apparel wearing talk show host stood in the center of the stage, smiling so wide she could see the whites of his incisors from here.
"Don't be shy," he encouraged. "Step on up here."
The woman at the front stepped up to the stage, everyone following until they all stood in a line on one side of the stage. Great. They were literally being lined up on a metaphorical chopping block. Through the glare of the lights, Kyoko could see those in the audience standing as some continued to clap. Someone even wolf-whistled, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
Sakura, who stood beside Kyoko, bumped her shoulder and sent her a nervous but excited smile. Infected by her attitude and the enthusiasm of the moment, Kyoko gave her own giggle. Hey, even if she was here by force she might as well have fun.
With that attitude, she took a closer look at the people in the audience. It was pretty much what she expected. Handsome men in slacks, suits, or simple button-down shirts. One man, in particular, looked like he knew how to dress, and Kyoko instantly pegged him as someone to stay away from. She knew what self-satisfied jerks looked like. No one had hair like that without spending hours in front of a mirror.
The women wore elegant and fun gowns like they were movie stars at an award ceremony. There were probably designers lending out their fashions for the women to passively advertise their products while they were on the show. A quick headcount showed her nine men and nine women. So, that meant thirty people in total for the show once you added the new participants.
"Don't worry, you'll have ample time to get to know each young lady," said Ryou, motioning to whoever had sent the wolf whistle. "But first, we have to give our veteran ladies something new to look at." The women in the audience cheered, their smiles broadening to hungry grins. Ryou waved his arm in the opposite direction Kyoko had entered. "Send in the men!"
Kyoko turned her head along with everyone else as the door to the side opened. Six men walked out, lining up on the other side of the women with Ryou in the center separating them. Hmm. Looked like she wasn't the only one that hadn't gotten the memo. One of them was wearing converse and gray jeans with a collared shirt. At least he still wore a tie. The semi-formal look worked well for him, already able to tell by the man's wide grin and enthusiastic jitters that it fit his image. But he would stand out, just as Kyoko did.
The man suddenly caught Kyoko's eye and he winked at her.
Yup, he must be nervous. Otherwise, he would have noticed the other five wonderfully dressed and ready to flirt their panties off women that stood beside Kyoko.
Well, she was too distracted by the last man who had entered anyway.
Now this guy! He hadn't even tried to look decent. Baggy jeans, a rumpled t-shirt with some superhero logo on it and messy dark hair poking out from under a ballcap nailed him as a total slob. That wasn't even the worst part. A pair of atrocious glasses magnified his eyes to the scale of a bug-eyed monster. Everything about him felt nerdy. From his slouch to his closed stance, to his…
Kyoko's eyes narrowed. Those proportions… they were setting something off in her head.
This man also caught her eye. His grin was crooked, nervous, fitting in every way with a fish out of water. But Kyoko knew that jawline too well to be deceived. She had the man's bone structure permanently engraved in her mind.
The color drained from Kyoko's face.
"I have to get out of here," she said.
"Eh?" said the woman beside her. "Are you okay?"
Kyoko didn't even answer. She jumped down from the stage and high tailed it out of there, ignoring the surprised cries from the audience.
She burst into the entry hall, scouring the place for one of those suit-wearing henchmen of the chibi-devil. There! She found one, and perfect, he was already walking toward her.
What Kyoko did next was not assault, but civilized coercion by force. In the end, she had the walkie-talkie in her hand and that's all that really mattered.
"What is he doing here Maria-chan?" roared Kyoko into the radio.
Static met her for a few seconds, then the tell-tale click of someone pressing the talk button came.
"Hmmm, I don't know what you're talking about," said Maria's sickly sweet voice. "Who do you mean?"
"Takarada Maria, don't you dare play games with me!" said Kyoko. "Japan's number one actor, model, and eligible bachelor, Tsuruga Ren. Why the hell is he here, dressed and acting like a complete geek? He doesn't need to come to one of these things, he can get any girl he wants."
A soft 'titter' of Maria clicking her tongue came through the radio. "Now now, Onee-sama, you know I can't go revealing personal information like that. If you want to know you'll just have to wait until this season comes out next month and watch his personal interviews like everyone else. Or – now hear me out on this. You could just go up and ask him yourself. Crazy, I know."
"You did this, I know you did," said Kyoko. "You sent him here to haunt and mock me."
"For the love of- What in the world is going on with you two anyway? Just be an adult, go back there and talk to him. He's not going to eat you."
Kyoko wasn't sure about that. Her eye caught the lens of a camera, and she froze. She was being filmed! Everything she was saying could be shown to the world. There was no way Maria or any decent director would allow drama like this to go unseen.
"Maria-chan, please," begged Kyoko, desperate. "Get me out of this game. I'm sure you can cut the shots to make it seem like I was never here just… please."
But Maria was unsympathetic. Like a callused judge, she gave Kyoko the execution order without an ounce of compassion.
"No can do. If you want out, you have to get married like everyone else or wait a month to be kicked off the show."
Kyoko closed her eyes in despair. This was it, wasn't it? If she wanted to leave the show she needed to get married. And considering her other option was hanging around to eventually get cornered by Ren and confront all the feelings she'd been trying to run from… there really wasn't an option. In the interest of self-preservation, Kyoko needed to attract a man and get married ASAP. Maybe tonight.
"Maria-chan," said Kyoko. "It's been nice knowing you. I'm officially cutting off our sisterhood until further notice."
Kyoko spun the dial on the radio, turning the volume to zero before tossing it back to the attendant she'd pilfered it from. Then she turned around, plastered an actress worthy-smile on her face, and glided back into the room.
As she suspected, she was met with the curious stares of everyone as she reentered. They were still lined up on the stage.
"Ah, it seems our run-away future bride has returned," said Ryou over the mic, and everyone gave a collective laugh. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine now."
Kyoko shuffled back to her place, pointedly looking anywhere but at Ren. A microphone was handed to her and Kyoko took it.
"What do I do with this?" said Kyoko, the mic picking up her voice.
More laughter. Sheesh, it was like she was on a variety show up here.
"We're introducing everyone," said Ryou. "And you're just in time for your turn."
"Oh, well I'm Mogami Kyoko…."
What should she say next? Had any of the other girls said anything other than their name? What could she say that would endear the men to her?
Hell, how did one 'attract' a man?
"What did you say about yourself?" said Kyoko to the woman who had handed her the mic.
The woman blinked, taken off guard before nervously stuttering. "I just said my profession."
"I'm an actress and part-time waitress," said Kyoko with a smile. It would work for now. "I think it's Sakura-san's turn. Here."
Kyoko handed the mic to Sakura, who took it nervously.
"I guess you all heard my name already," she said, her cheeks tinged pink. "My full name is Tanegawa Sakura, but you all can just call me Sakura. I'm a wedding photographer so um, if you see me with a camera don't be surprised. I love taking pictures."
Sakura handed the mic to the nearby assistant as she was the last woman in the line.
"And there we have it!" said Ryou. "Let's give it up for our new contestants."
Kyoko smiled as the men cheered enthusiastically. She noticed Sakura take a calming breath, her cheeks still pink. Kyoko took pity on her
"Public speaking makes you nervous?" said Kyoko.
"A little," admitted Sakura. "Think I did alright?"
"Better than me," said Kyoko giving a thumbs-up.
The other woman beside Kyoko snorted and mumbled. "Yeah, well, everyone looked good compared to your little display."
"Did you say something?"
"What, sorry?" said the woman, pointedly turning away to concentrate on the host. "I didn't say nothing."
Great. Looks like Kyoko might have finally found one of the she-monsters. It didn't help that Kyoko could tell one of the cameras was watching her every interaction closely. So much for keeping a low profile and not creating drama.
"Now, let us go to the men," said Ryou happily, a mic being handed down the row. "Introduce yourselves."
Kyoko tried to listen, she really did, but he eyes kept sliding back to the man at the end of the row. She'd catch a glimpse of those bug-eyed glasses before probably snapping them back to the current man speaking, her skin cold from sweat. She managed to catch snippets of their introductions; Several college students. One working man. Someone with the surname Utsumi. A reading hobby. A hiking hobby. A failed joke. Hmmm, now it was Ren's turn.
Ren gave an experimental blow on the mic, not too loud to hurt their ears, but still awkward as everyone winced at the act. It spoke of nerves she knew he didn't have.
"Hi, sorry. Um, nice to meet you all," he said. "You all can just call me Ren. I'm a big fan of American movies and comics so if you want to talk superheroes, I'm your guy."
Really? Ren? That was his pseudo name for an obviously undercover character? As if people weren't going to notice.
The applause was polite and completely unenthusiastic as he passed the microphone. Kyoko spotted more than one woman lean over to their neighbor with conspiratorial hands covering their lips before dissolving into unkind giggles. The sight ignited fury in Kyoko's chest. How dare people whisper mean things about Ren! He was amazing. So amazing that they hadn't realized he was standing right in front of them. He was hard-working, wonderful and… why was she praising him?
Kyoko slammed her palm against her forehead, giving a groan. Come on Kyoko, get it together!
"Umm," said Sakura. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"Yeah, just peachy." This day just couldn't get any worse.
"Now that we've met everyone, let me tell you a little about tonight," said Ryou. "Usually we have little games or things during the day that will determine who you sit with or if you're on dates during dinner, but since we have so many new faces tonight is a free for all. Which means you can meet and greet anyone you want at your leisure."
…
She really needed to stop setting off flags, even if they were only mental ones.
Everyone else seemed thrilled at the idea, cameras catching the excitement and subtle scooches toward certain people. Ryou smiled at the camera as if everything were a big joke before making a large sweeping motion with his hands.
"Well, come on. Get to it! No one's making you wait. Get a dinner buddy."
People moved, gracefully, tactfully, with an appropriate amount of hurrying while still being polite.
Not Kyoko. She moved with all the grace of a poor person hustling through a supermarket on a one-hour special. She all but tackled the man she had spotted earlier that wore sneakers and had winked at her. She grabbed his arm, shifting seamlessly into Natsu.
"Excuse me," purred Kyoko. "But would you like to enjoy a private dinner with me?"
The man stared. Choked on his first attempt to speak, then cleared his throat and managed to get out. "Uh, yeah that'd be g-great."
"Good," said Kyoko happily, Natsu's soul popping out of her. "How about we go over here?"
As she guided the man to a table at the center of the room (There was safety in a crowd) she glanced over her shoulder.
Ren was only a few feet away. His eyes trailed her over the rim of his glasses, hinting at the man beneath the act. It was obvious he'd been about to approach her. Whew, she'd managed to dodge that bullet.
They sat down, the first to take a table but she didn't care. The important thing was to look busy so Ren wouldn't bother her.
"You're quite pushy," said the man. "Not that I mind it much. I like it when a woman knows what she wants, and I mean that in every way." He gave her an odd expression. His grin was crooked, eyebrows waggling up and down so quickly he might waggle them off his face
"Um, that's great," said Kyoko. "Sorry, but you'll have to remind me of your name."
"You… forgot my name?" he said, looking crestfallen. He recovered a second later, smile widening. "Oh, I see. You were too busy staring at me that you missed it. Don't worry, I don't hold grudges. The name's Kiyota Daichi. No need to remind me of your name. Mogami Kyoko-san, you made quite the impression."
"I'm really sorry for creating such a scene," said Kyoko, only now starting to feel self-conscious of her little episode. There had been a good reason for it, and if others knew the situation they'd understand her actions.
"Phht, don't worry about it," said Kiyota. "We all have moments where we can't hold it because we're nervous."
"Umm, right."
Eww.
"You know," he continued. "You mentioned that you're an actress Kyoko-chan. Can I call you that? One of my favorite actress's name is Kyoko, but I don't think I've seen you in anything. I know I'd remember."
He gave her another wink.
Kyoko was very quickly getting tired of this guy. He wasn't… arrogant like Sho was. He just felt like a child trying to be an adult.
Considering leaving this idiot to himself, her eyes ventured around the room, noting the other groups of people that had slowly begun to form. Almost everyone was talking to someone at this point… except for Sakura.
The woman stood awkwardly between close-knit groups, a no man's land where borders were barred. Her height exacerbated the problem, taller than some of the men even in her flats as she wandered like a scarecrow through a field ripe for harvest.
Kyoko was about to get up when Kiyota reached forward and rested his hand atop one of hers. Startled, it made Kyoko freeze as she stared at what the man probably thought was a sexy smolder.
"You know, I felt like there was a connection between us the second our eyes met," said Kiyota. He half stood, leaning across the table as he continued to make eyes at her. "I believe destiny brought us to this moment. We are meant to be."
"You're… on fire," said Kyoko
The man's grin grew. "I know. I'm rather dashing, aren't I?"
"No, I mean literally. Your tie is on fire."
Kiyota, in leaning across the table, had trailed his tie right into the candle's open flame.
The man gave an undignified squawk, tearing the tie loose and throwing it to the ground. In his haste, he threw himself off balance, knocking into the table while making the plate and cutlery rattle. His converse descended again and again on the burning article in an effort to put it out. With each stomp, he gave spurts of high pitched shrieks.
Help appeared in the form of a pitcher of water thrown from one of the wandering waiters. Silence fell as everyone stared in shock at what had just happened.
Kiyota's arms darted up and down the front of his body as if checking to make sure everything was there, eyes still wide. "Holy crap, I thought I was going to die," he said.
Kyoko gave a snort, clapping hands over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. But it was useless. It came out, and Kiyota stared at her as she laughed. It was… just too funny. The man had been trying to act smooth only to fall apart when his tie lit on fire. And he now looked like an owl, staring unblinkingly at her in confusion. It just renewed her giggles.
His face cleared in understanding a moment later, head swiveling around. The room was watching them, either with rapt interest or already turning away to gossip to their friends about what had just happened. His face fell
"Awww man, are you serious?" he said, flopping down into his seat. "That was so uncool. Now no one will want to marry me."
"It wasn't that bad," said Kyoko, still trying to keep her giggles down. "Really, at least you didn't start crying."
Kiyota stuck out his lip in an ultimate pout. He'd completely lost his energy from before, deflated like a sad balloon.
"Really. I can't imagine anyone acting with grace in a situation like that," said Kyoko, sensing that maybe he was actually hurt by the experience. "You're over exaggerating it."
"Oh. Well. Thanks." He looked much happier, rubbing the back of his head as his cheeks flushed. "I'm just… I wanted to make a good first impression, you know? First impressions are important and… that's my only tie."
His 'only tie' was currently being cleaned up by the crew and thrown into the garbage. She saw Kiyota's eyes darting to those around them, as well as the camera that had probably captured every single moment. Her heart went out to him. Goodness knows she didn't like them hovering like flies as they tried to talk and eat. She'd like nothing more than to swat them away. Instead, she reached forward, careful to avoid the candle as she rubbed his arm soothingly.
Kiyota's eyes flickered to hers, lines of worry lessening as he responded to her touch.
Before he could say anything, they were interrupted by someone tackling him. It was one of the other female contestants, hugging him around the shoulders while cackling madly. It broke Kyoko's contact with Kiyota, her hand raised awkwardly from being batted aside. Rude.
"Oh, sweet Daichi, you just can't help making a fool of yourself, can you?" cooed the woman, poking Kiyota's cheek. He smacked her finger away.
"Stop that," he said. "Go away and let me die in my misery."
"No can do. It's way too entertaining to watch you squirm from how lame you are."
"Don't call me lame."
"Laaaaaaaame."
The woman poked Kiyota's cheek one last time before standing up, hands on hips as she walked around the table to stare at Kyoko. It gave Kyoko a good view of her as well, realizing that it was the woman that had talked to her earlier. The one that had given her the tip about standing out because of her plain outfit.
This woman herself was in no way plain. Her purple dress was short, flaring out and revealing a large amount of leg. They were lengthened by six-inch heels, nails painted to a shocking pink. Her arms were decked out in gold bangles with matching rings, one of them considerably larger than the rest. Add the bright makeup, large eyes and wavy red hair, the woman looked like a miniature fireball in the flesh.
"I should have figured the two of you would find each other," she said, grinning through a peace sign. "Two oddballs in one place. You're perfect for each other."
"Stop it," said Kiyota. "Don't pick on Kyoko-chan."
"Kyoko-chan?"
The woman straightened, her smile lessening as she turned to stare at Kiyota. "Oh gosh, she has the same name as actresses you like, doesn't she? And she's an actress too. So uncool, your objective is so obvious. Too bad it's not her."
"And what's your name?" cut in Kyoko, annoyed by the woman's interruption. Seriously, who acted like this?
"Umeki Eri," said the woman, flipping her hair for emphasis. "Just call me Eri, though. I don't like my family name. But let me give you some advice, Kyoko-chan. Don't waste your time with this one. He's super lame."
Kiyota groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead in defeat. It spoke of a person broken from a long history of abuse.
"Actually, I think he's not that bad," said Kyoko firmly. "Well, once he got the stick out of his a—what I mean to say is, I think he's sweet. A good guy once he stops trying so hard."
And she meant every word. In the couple seconds after the fire had gone out she felt like she could see his true personality. While a little on the dramatic side, it was a lot better than the haughty act he'd put on before.
Kiyota stared at Kyoko as if she'd said she had twelve children.
"A good guy?" said Eri. Her expression had fallen, those huge eyes narrowing to surprisingly dangerous slits. "There's not anything wrong with your head is there? You didn't fall headfirst off the stage, did you?"
"You think I'm a good guy?" said Kiyota, pointing to himself with a finger. Hope was blooming across his face like a flower to the sun. "Really? I'm not super lame?"
"You are lame," insisted Eri.
"I'm asking Kyoko-chan, not you."
"And she doesn't know you like I do."
Something dawned on Kyoko the longer she watched the two go at it. The sneers, the informal address, the personal attacks. She knew what this was.
"You two are close," said Kyoko. "What, were you guys childhood friends that came together? Or ex-lovers?"
"Ex-lovers? No way," said Kiyota, looking horrified at the thought. "Dating Eri-san would be like stuffing a firehose in my mouth and turning it on. Nah, we're just friends, it would be too weird. Dating Bigfoot would be less awkward."
Eri raised a hand and slammed it against the back of Kiyota's head. It gave a loud smack, his head nearly banging on the table from the force.
"Well, I'd never want to date someone so lame anyway," she huffed, turning her nose up away from them. She marched away, whisking a glass from a wandering server as she did so. It was probably filled with alcohol.
Kiyota rubbed the back of his head, grumbling to himself as he slumped on the table. Poor guy.
"I swear, that girl is going to kill me one day," he said. "I'm so sorry about her. It's like my worst nightmare come to life finding out she was here as well."
"Don't worry about it," said Kyoko. "I have a childhood friend as well and… things happened, and we don't get along anymore either."
A strained silence fell, Kyoko taking a drink from the water in front of her. Almost everyone had found people to sit with at this point. Some had exclusive tables like hers and Kiyota's. Other tables were large, allowing for groups of people to talk and meet. Ren was nowhere to be seen.
Someone placed a plate of food in front of Kyoko, and she happily started to eat. She was hungry from all the stress.
"So, did you mean what you said?" said Kiyota, hope in his voice. "When you said I'm cool?"
She hadn't actually said the word 'cool'. "I do think you're more charming when you act like yourself. I've had my fill of conceited jerks and prefer good honest people."
"Really? Then, would you marry me?"
Kyoko, who had just stuck food in her mouth, swallowed it without chewing. In a coughing fit, she gulped water to clear her airway.
"S-sorry" she gasped. "Did you just ask—?"
"I like you a lot, Kyoko-chan," he said. "And I know we could fall in love. I wasn't kidding when I said I felt a connection. You're really cute and… I really wanted you to like me."
Kyoko's cheeks erupted into red. He was being serious! All the haughty air was gone, replaced by pure sincerity, hope, and anxiety.
This could be her chance! The opportunity to leave the show and be rid of the cameras. She could happily continue to avoid Tsuruga Ren forever. Avoid love and all the heartbreak that came with it. This was perfect. The bright, hopeful man in front of her could become her husband and he…
…would have a loveless marriage.
She couldn't take advantage of that.
"I'm sorry," said Kyoko, lowering her head. "But I can't accept."
"Oh." He wilted, then shrugged it off. "No, it's fine. I put you in a bad spot. I guess I shouldn't have jumped to proposing that quickly."
"It's not that." Kyoko raised her head, allowing the regret she felt to shine through her eyes. "I'm just not here to find love. I'm here to find a husband."
"…Come again?"
"I don't want to fall in love," Kyoko clarified. "So, if you want your wife to love you back, I'm not the right woman for you."
"Then, why did you come onto this show?" said Kiyota. He was very confused, setting his drink back down on the table. "Why come to a dating retreat?"
"To get married," said Kyoko. "And avoid the tax hike."
Kiyota rubbed his chin, scrutinizing Kyoko as he hummed. Then he snapped his fingers, pointing at her. "I got it," he said. "We can get married, and you'll fall in love with me in time. I don't mind waiting."
"No… that's not— Look, you're a nice guy, but I don't want to fall in love. Ever. I don't trust it."
"But you'll trust a random stranger to marry you to avoid the tax hike?" said Kiyota flatly.
Kyoko nodded.
Kiyota gave Kyoko a look of complete disbelief before letting out the world's largest sigh.
"So, I'm back to being the 'nice guy' no one wants to date," he grumbled. "Great. Happy to see nothing changes no matter where I go."
Kyoko didn't like the bitter attitude, or how he was making her out to be the bad guy. It wasn't her fault that he was here. Hell, it wasn't even her own fault that she was here.
"You've got fourteen other women you can meet and court," said Kyoko tersely. "Well, thirteen if you're not counting Eri-san, unless you want to swallow a firehose full of water."
Kiyota gave a snort, eyes sliding back to Kyoko. "Look, sorry, that was rude," he said. "I shouldn't take my anger out on you. It's… just hard always being friend-zoned. I thought it would be different here but…no. It's fine."
He cleared his throat, giving Kyoko a shy smile. "I'd like to be friends at least," he said. "Please, call me Daichi, Kyo- I mean, Mogami-chan."
"Oh," said Kyoko, surprised by the invitation to call him so informally. He was trying to make up for grumbling at her. He really was a nice guy, even if he had his moments. Heck, Kyoko knew she had her own moments all the time.
Kyoko smiled, feeling herself finally relax. "You can keep calling me Kyoko if you'd like, Daichi-san," said Kyoko.
Daichi smiled, and she saw him relax as well. The atmosphere cleared. Lines had been laid down, a friendship had been formed. It was nice. He was nice.
They continued to eat, their conversation lively as they talked and learned more about each other. While Daichi could have been a very quick and easy way to leave the show, she would have felt horrible for depriving the man of a chance to marry for love. And man, did the guy want to fall in love. She couldn't help giggling and gasping in horror as he told her story after story about each of his failed dates and relationships.
"By the way, what have you acted in?" said Daichi after a while. They were almost done with dessert, Daichi loading the last slice of chocolate cake on his fork as he asked; "Now that I've talked your ear off, what do you act in?"
"A few things," said Kyoko with a shrug. "The most notable was probably in Dark Moon as Mio Hongo."
The fork fell from Daichi's lax grip and onto the floor.
"Y-you're," he stuttered. "You're Kyoko-sama! You're—oh my gosh. I can't believe I'm meeting you!" Then his face paled. "I'm an idiot. I've been so rude and… I proposed! Oh gosh, I'm so lame!"
Kyoko did her best to calm him down, she really did, but almost everyone was done eating at this point and people were starting to mingle even more. Kyoko and Daichi were getting strange looks.
"Can I shake your hand?" he asked meekly after she had finally managed to get him to stop freaking out.
"We're friends, of course," said Kyoko. "Now stop dill dallying and go meet some girls. Don't you want to get married?"
"Yes, of course!" Daichi said, giving a serious salute.
"Then go out there and find a wife!"
"Yes, Kyoko-sama."
He pivoted on one foot, the other stuck straight out as he spun.
In a complete circle.
Landing with straight legs facing her.
That was not the right way, fool!
"Come with me," he said, face screwed up in determination. "We can meet people together, then it's less awkward."
Kyoko was about to reluctantly agree when another voice stopped her. A deep, masculine, sexy voice that had been purposefully distorted to sound lame. But it didn't fool her. No matter how he changed it, she would recognize it.
"Mogami-san."
She couldn't feign ignorance. Daichi had heard him, and the man was right behind her.
A hand circled around her wrist, gentle, only a suggestion, but he really had no idea how much power his simple touch had on her. She could no longer run. Her skin drank in the contact and she wished to never be disconnected from him.
And the other part of her wanted nothing more than to run from the room.
Using every ounce of acting power she had, Kyoko kept a neutral face as she turned to face Tsuruga Ren.