"Mogami Kyoko, you stop right where you are!"
Kyoko's steps didn't falter. She kept walking, her sanctuary just feet away. If she made it through the door they wouldn't dare force it open. Doing so would be a true invasion of privacy, and even Maria didn't go so far as to stalk her into the bathroom.
Kyoko placed a hand on the door and pushed.
It didn't budge.
What the-
Kyoko grabbed the handle with both hands, tugging and pushing with her feet and body. Open up you piece of sh—
"The door's locked."
Kyoko turned, flattening herself against the door as if she could phase through its wood. Maria and her gorilla assistant stood so close Kyoko couldn't see around them. All she saw was the poisonous smile of Maria and the man's broad chest.
"I need to use the restroom," said Kyoko.
"No, you don't."
"I do."
"You didn't do an entry for your video journal last night," said Maria, ignoring Kyoko's insistence.
"I don't keep journals." They were just bombs waiting for someone other than the owner to find. The only personal writing Kyoko had ever done had been burned, the ashes scattered, lest someone find them and learn her true thoughts.
Maria ignored Kyoko's insistence, holding up a piece of paper and tapping it with a finger. It was the contract Kyoko had signed. The one that threated a hefty fine and a permanent ban from future projects with the company.
The message was clear.
"Fine, I get it!" said Kyoko, wanting to throw her hands in the air. "Go on dates, get married, and film pointless interviews to entertain the public. You don't have to keep threatening me with that thing."
"What do you mean?" said Maria, blinking 'innocent' wide eyes at her. "I haven't said a thing."
Kyoko grumbled, ignoring her as she shoved her way back into the horrendous room. She flopped down into the seat, waiting as Maria entered and flicked on the camera. It was just the two of them now, the gorilla-man gone.
"This may take a while since you have to go over last night as well as the date you just had," said Maria.
Irritated as she was, Kyoko couldn't help some admiration as the young woman handled the tech with professional precision and care. Kyoko tried to avoid the tech at all costs. The last thing she needed was to break a camera. Who knew what Maria would do to have her "pay her back" for the equipment. And yet Maria, a girl teetering on the edge of womanhood, exhibited more professionalism and expertise than many people twice her age. It was impressive.
But then she glanced back and Kyoko, a wild grin betraying her real age. Nope. This was a child with a flamethrower. Kyoko blamed Lory for his bad example. Goodness knows her father Kouki was much more normal.
"Alright, ready when you are."
Maria took a seat in the back corner out of view of the camera. She slipped a tablet from her side, tapping it with her stylus.
"You know how this works, so I trust you won't need much prompting," said Maria. "But in case you do need prompt—"
"I'll be fine," said Kyoko. "Can I start?"
Maria gestured to go ahead.
Kyoko opened her mouth, then stalled. Oh crap, she really wasn't sure where to start.
She hung her head, mind whirling through yesterday and today. Where should she even start? What should she share and what should she keep close? What did the camera want? Thoughts. Feelings. Reactions and reasons. A chance to get inside her head and how her own side of the story.
Now that, she could get behind.
Twenty minutes later, Kyoko walked out of the windowless room smiling. That had been a lot more fun than she had expected. Maria trailed after her, grumbling as she clicked through the new footage on her tablet.
"Onee-sama," said Maria. "When I said share your true feelings, I didn't mean… do you know how much I'll have to edit this to make sure you don't look crazy?"
"What's the matter with the footage?"
"Nothing it's just… did you have to insult Ren-sama so much?"
"He's the one causing problems, not me."
"That's debatable."
Kyoko turned to Maria, smile stubbornly still in place.
"Can I go now, oh superior assistant director?" said Kyoko.
Maria scowled, dismissing her with a wave.
Kyoko walked away, determined to hide away in her room until dinner. She needed to review the men and determine her next target—husband! Gosh, she was still having trouble with that word.
But as Kyoko passed one of the sitting rooms, she found herself stalling by the door.
Two people stood in the center of a group, hands entwined in a manner that could only mean one thing. They smiled and blushed at the attention other contestants were giving them. Flutes filled with what was probably champagne were being passed around and drunk in celebratory sips. It was a western thing, Kyoko thought. Either way, the gleaming ring around Hime's finger was impossible to miss as she pressed a dainty hand to her reddened cheeks.
That was quick, thought Kyoko. Weren't they having a fight or something this morning?
But Kyoko's jaded thoughts turned softer the longer she looked upon the happy state of Suzuki and Hime celebrating among their friends. Unfortunately, softer was not necessarily better as it allowed other feelings to sour her heart. Feelings such as jealousy.
At least someone's getting their happily ever after.
Kyoko moved to leave, even more determined to get away to her room, but unfortunately, Hime noticed her. The newly engaged woman waved her over like she was a runway conductor. Kyoko had no choice but to enter with a strained smile.
"I've been looking for you!" said Hime. The woman grabbed Kyoko's wrist, yanking her into a tight hug. Kyoko 'meeped,' sending Suzuki a confused look over the blonde's shoulder. He was no help. The poor man looked like someone had bludgeoned him over the head with a bat. His eyes were half-lidded, a dumb smile on his face.
"Thank you so much Kyoko-san," gushed Hime. "This is all thanks to you and I can't tell you how happy I am. If you hadn't riled me up and then talked to him I would never have… Oh, I can't even begin to express- It was all just a big misunderstanding."
"Happy to help."
Which, when she thought about it, maybe she was.
Hime released Kyoko but only so she could continue to gush about the day's events to any who would listen. The other contestants gave appropriate 'ahhs' and snickers at Kyoko's supposed 'antics' that were definitely meant to push the two of them together. Because it was all calculated by the benevolent Kyoko Mogami. An ally of true love and a modern-day cupid.
Just… what?
"Think you can set me up?" laughed a man. "I haven't had any luck and I could use your benevolent skills."
"Is that so?" said Kyoko, who was one more stupid nickname from pressing her head into her hands and yelling. "Well, I'll be focusing on myself next round so I don't have any arrows to spare. You'll have to figure that out yourself."
"Or maybe we could work on it together?" he insisted. "Seems more efficient that way."
How would that—just—what?
Before Kyoko could ask any of the questions that had popped into her head, Suzuki hurried to introduce the two of them.
"This is Dino-san, by the way," he said. "He's been a great friend of mine through this whole show and he's a great guy. He comes highly recommended, as do you."
'Dino-san' -which Kyoko knew from the pamphlets was not his real name- raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Imagine that. Two people recommended by Suzuki-san. Seems like we should get to know each other."
"What a great idea," said Suzuki. He pulled two glass flutes from thin air, pressing them into Kyoko and Din's hands. "You two should go talk for a bit. Alone. You guys will get along great!"
Pushed along before she had fully grasped what was happening, Kyoko found herself next to the wall with the painting of a greenhouse garden near her head. And there was a camera about five feet away. They were definitely filming this exchange.
"I'm glad we can finally talk," said Dino. "I've been wanting to get to know you."
"Well, I already know a lot about you," said Kyoko.
"Do you?" said Dino. He seemed pleased to hear it. "Like what?"
She thought back to her notes. "Well, you're 24 years old, a newly graduated doctor currently working at the hospital until you can get an office of your own. You love instrumental music and can't live without your daily planner. You're described as adventurous, high energy, arrogant, talkative and a bit of a flirt."
Dino laughed, seemingly pleased despite the derogatory descriptions Kyoko had included.
"I see you've talked to people about me," he said.
"Not specifically," said Kyoko. "I learned as much as I could about all the male contestants. I wanted to find the correct partner for myself."
"Snatch him up before he was taken, I see. You're really serious about all of this aren't you?"
"Sure, he's my tax break after all."
He laughed again. He liked to do that a lot. Much like Suzuki. No wonder the two had been friends. They were probably the leaders of the group. Dino was on the short side, but his energy made up the difference. And now that she thought about it, he seemed reasonably handsome in gray suit and slacks. He knew how to dress.
"No wonder you set the two of them up," said Dino. "I'm sure you could predict how the rest of the pairing will go."
"No, listen, that's just a misunderstanding."
Completely done with this line of conversation, Kyoko set down her untouched drink, taking a breath to gather her frustrations. All she had wanted was to go back to her room, mope about her complete failure and gather her energy for the next attack.
"I wasn't trying to set them up," said Kyoko. "I'm not an advocate of love. They ended up together because they lov—They care about each other. I'm not comfortable about any of this and I'm kind of lost what to do. I just…" she waved her hands helplessly, not sure what point she was trying to make. Dino's smile slid away as he caught on to her mood.
"It's unfamiliar to me," said Kyoko. "I feel like a hippo flailing in the water because I should know how to swim but I don't and here are all these wonderful swans and they look fantastic and I try to swim like them but I'm a hippo and I can't because hippos don't fly. Except I should be swimming not flying anyway."
She wasn't making any sense, even to her.
"I see you're stressed," said Dino, his jovial attitude completely gone at this point. "I'm sorry?"
"It's not your fault." She just needed to figure out what the heck she should do to catch a man.
"I want to make sure I have this straight," said Dino. "You're saying that when it comes to dating, you're inexperienced?"
Kyoko winced. She did not like how that sounded. As if she didn't already feel like a child among the contestants. According to the portfolios, she was the youngest person here by a long shot. The closest in age was Hime who was 21. Two years older than Kyoko's 19.
"I'm surprised," said Dino. "You're in showbiz, I just assumed they all dated around a lot."
"Some of them do. But we're just normal people. Is it bad that I don't have experience?"
The shine in his smile dimmed to a friendly more authentic glow. At least he didn't look disgusted.
"It's not bad, not at all," said Dino. "Though dating does take a while to get used to,"
Great, except that wasn't her end goal in this.
"Then help me out. What do men look for in a wife?"
Dino shrugged. "I can say what I like, but it's different for everyone. There are a few characteristics that most people want but even those are negotiable when it comes to love."
His eyes suddenly widened, that grin returning. "What about this? I can take you on a date and help you out. Get some experience you know and show you how it's done."
"I guess you could," said Kyoko. She wasn't opposed to the idea. Dino was on her list of possible candidates. While not at the top, she didn't mind skipping around a bit. "But that's assuming we can manage to win a date together."
"Oh, I'll manage it." He said it with perfect confidence. "I've won quite a few challenges."
Something about the way he said it… he sounded too eager. Way too eager.
They continued to talk for a bit, Kyoko getting to know him as he talked about himself. It was nice at first, leaning if he was a suitable partner. But after several minutes of listening to his drone on about med school and his past dating experience, she was done. Did he ever stop talking? And why was he joking about their hypothetical wedding? Or how many kids he wanted?
Kyoko was not the best at noticing them, but even she could spot hints when they were thrust into her face. This man was very interested in marrying her. Which could be a good thing. Right?
At some point, Daichi showed up to exclaim over her rumored stunt and mourn that he couldn't see it until the date was shown on TV. His presence was greatly appreciated as Kyoko had been trying for the past ten minutes to politely break away from Dino. She saw her opportunity when Daichi started gushing about movies. Kyoko was able to quietly slip away. She almost felt bad for sacrificing him to Dino. Almost.
She didn't get far.
In her haste, she nearly ran into Kimura-san. The blonde smiled as if Kyoko was just the person she was looking for.
"Here she is," said Kimura, motioning to Kyoko. Two other men and Eri stood in her circle. At a glance, Kyoko could see the atmosphere was tense. "The one everyone is talking about. Again. Though, tell me Mogami-san, does it feel good?"
"Does what feel good?" said Kyoko.
A twist of cruelty tugged on Kimura's lips. "Finally being noticed for something other than causing a scene?"
And it looked like Kyoko had somehow placed a target on the back of her head. She'd just realized that one of the men in the circle was Otsuka Yoshio, the man Kimura, Bow-san and Sexy-chan were fighting over. Great. And of course, Kimura seemed to be the type of woman that thought putting others down made her look better in comparison. High school was years ago lady. Leave it behind.
"Don't be a bitch," said Eri, surprisingly coming to Kyoko's rescue. She looked the most annoyed out of everyone, hands on her hips as she glared openly at Kimura. It looked like they'd been going at it before Kyoko got there.
The blonde put on an affronted face. "I was only joking," she said. "You don't need to take it seriously."
"Wow, you're so hilarious," Eri deadpanned. "Like a jester. Always one big joke is what you are."
Kyoko exchanged a look with the men. They looked two parts horrified and one part amused. It looked like this was normal to them. Did that mean Eri was after Yoshio as well?
As the two continued to take shots at each other, Kyoko silently waved at the two men who waved back as she scurried away. She had no desire to stick around for that.
She was more careful as she crept closer to the exit. Anyone that looked at her was avoided lest they try and engage in conversation. The exit was in sight. Just a few more steps and she was free!
Except even the best plans have flaws and this wasn't even a plan. It was a desperate struggle to escape her social obligations to crash onto her bed.
She saw him from the corner of her eye. A figure that had been seated near the door suddenly stood up. She sped up to avoid him.
It was useless. His two steps easily outpaced her four and in a second, he was in front of her, blocking the exit
"Excuse me," said Kyoko, slapping on the fattest fake smile she could muster. "I'm trying to leave. Bathroom, you know."
Ren ignored her excuse. "I have a question for you. Why will you be cursed if you say my name?"
Her protests died as her stomach dropped. She'd forgotten she'd said that out loud. He wasn't mad at her, was he?
Her name drifted out from the crowd.
Hell, it was Dino again. The freaking man was following her!
Desperate, Kyoko grabbed hold of Ren's shirt, yanking him around her so that she was blocked from view. Ren's magnified eyes widened further, looking like a children's anime character.
"Don't move," hissed Kyoko. She was so desperate she forgot to release Ren's shirt, huddling behind his massive form as she cautiously peaked out. "This man seems to have gotten the idea that I want to marry him. He even started naming our hypothetical children. Did he even ask if I want kids? No, he just kept going and wouldn't stop. I bet he got those names from a fortune teller or something."
Ren cleared his throat, the sound more a distraction than a help.
"Quiet, there he is." Kyoko yanked her head back to peer intently at him. "Don't move, or else he'll see me."
"Sure," said Ren. "I'm happy to be of help to you, Mogami-san."
Too formal. Which was weird considering his current character but she didn't care. Her mission was to stay hidden from Dino and get out of here. A quick peek around Ren showed that he was too close to make a break for it. He was facing away from her, but his head was swiveling around constantly. He'd notice her.
"While I don't mind being your wall," said Ren smoothly. "I'd also like to speak with you, if possible."
"What?"
This was not a helpful distraction. She finally looked at Ren, actually looked at him and how close she was to him and that she was still hanging onto his shirt. And his face was really close.
Her cheeks erupted.
Spouting a slew of unintelligible words, Kyoko yanked her fingers away as if burned. She'd have moved away as well if Ren hadn't stopped her. He grabbed hold of her shoulders keeping her in place.
A large smile split his face. "Would you like to dance Mogami-san?"
"What?"
Kyoko was very confused. Now was not the time to dance. It was time to book it out of here and—
One of Ren's hands moved from her shoulder to her waist. That move alone was very alarming mostly because she couldn't think of the last time she'd been held in such an intimate way. Well, besides the few times he'd hugged her, when he'd kissed her as Corn, or when she'd hovered above his bare chest on a bed.
… Remembering that did not help.
As she floundered, his other hand placed hers on his shoulder in the fashion of partner dancing. His left grabbed her right, palm warm and smooth in her hands. It felt nice.
There went any semblance of expression on her face. She couldn't tell if she wanted to run away or stay here forever.
It seemed Ren didn't feel any of her tension as he quickly spun her around. Kyoko scrambled to keep pace as dance lessons kicked in. Her feet remembered the steps and soon they were twirling around and around and getting all sorts of looks. What was Ren doing?
Then she saw Dino's face in the whirl of people. He was looking right at her.
"Let's get out of here," hissed Kyoko. The second she broke from Ren, Dino was sure to pounce.
"With pleasure," hummed Ren.
Their trajectory changed and the two of them danced out of the room. Literally, like they were in some sort of Cinderella scene. Except there was no music, the prince was a closet-nerd, the princess was using him to avoid another man and everyone was staring in confusion rather than envy… so maybe not like Cinderella.
The stares continued until they were well into the hallway. Kyoko immediately broke away, dizzy.
"Careful," said Ren. "I apologize, I was too enthusiastic with my twirling."
"You're forgiven," said Kyoko, backing away. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
"Mogami Kyoko-san don't make me chase you down again."
The threat in his voice made her stop. While it was still gentle there was a definite note of command and annoyance. Why did she have no immunity to him or his anger? Her stomach was already in knots just at the thought of his frustration at her.
She kept her eyes to the ground, praying the cameras in the hall were visual only.
"Is there something you need, Tsuruga-san?" she said.
There was a pause. It lasted for several seconds, her curiosity eventually tempting her to meet her senpai's eye. Ren was scrutinizing her, brow drawn but not in anger. As if he were contemplating what to say next.
"I asked a question earlier," he said. "Why will you be cursed if you say my name?"
They were back to that. She'd hoped he'd forgotten about it.
"I'm so sorry," said Kyoko, feeling compelled to apologize. Only a proper dogeza could express her sincerity.
Ren either had fast reflexes or anticipated her movement based on past experiences as he grabbed hold of her shoulder, jostling her before she could reach the floor.
"Don't do that," said Ren. "I'm not mad. I'm just curious."
She eyed him dubiously, not sure if she believed him. Her anger antenna wasn't going off, so he was telling the truth in that respect. But she was a fool if she believed that perfectly composed expression.
"You're breaking character you know," said Kyoko. "You don't seem like a nerd."
"And if someone comes around the corner I will happily find a private place to speak with you. Don't avoid the question."
Tsuruga's attention hadn't left her. He waited patiently, eyes capturing her every move as if he could read their intentions. A smile returned and with it, the unanswered question he'd given.
"Well?" he insisted.
Kyoko shifted uncomfortably, wishing he'd let her go.
"I'll be cursed because I know who you are," she said, giving him part of the truth. "Which means I'd be shamelessly taking advantage of the situation to call you so casually, which is highly inappropriate as your kohai."
Ren nodded as if he had suspected that answer. "Did you consider that if I didn't want you to use my name I would have chosen a different one?"
"I didn't. But it would be presumptuous to assume that without first speaking with you. And honestly, I doubt the thought occurred to you until I was pressed with a dilemma where I had to say your name."
"No, it occurred to me," said Ren. "And I don't mind you using my name Mogami-san. You won't be cursed."
"Then why didn't you say anything to me? You know me too well to think that I would be comfortable using your name without previously discussing it." She frowned, a suspicion making her eyes narrow. "You knew I would be uncomfortable. You did it on purpose to see what my reaction would be."
"You think too highly of me, Mogami-san," he said, voice raising a hair. "I hadn't thought about it at all. I just thought Ren would be easier to answer to than a fake name. If you're presumptuous it's because you assume that choosing to use my name had anything to do with you."
"Except you love to tease me."
Kyoko shifted, breaking Ren's hold on her as she pointed a finger at the superhero logo on his shirt. She gave it a harsh jab.
"You can't hide behind glittery smiles or horrendous glasses," she sneered. "I know what you are. You're a bully posing as a gentleman, and I won't be manipulated into apologizing."
Ren's eyes widened in surprise. She was confused by the reaction until he started muttering to himself.
"Normally she'd turn around and apologize, but it looks like she's learned a few things." He raised his hand, giving her several enthusiastic claps. "Well done Mogami-san, I'm proud of you."
Kyoko gave him a flat stare.
"No, I'm serious," he said. "I'm glad you're able to express your irritation with me."
"Because it means I'm learning to see through your manipulative ways?"
"Because it means I'm worth your time," he said. "If you really hated me after the Corn thing, you wouldn't bother."
That sobered her quickly. Trust Ren to deflate all her previous annoyance and twist it into something positive. Tier 1 manipulator of her heart right here.
"I already told you, I don't hate you because of the Corn thing," she muttered. "Your expectations really are too low. There's no reason to get so excited about it."
"I think there is." He leaned closer, and Kyoko couldn't help peeking up as he did so. What was it with his proximity today?
"You've avoided me, Mogami-san," he said. "And I'm desperately trying to figure out how to fix this. I want the friendship we had as children. I want us to be closer."
This wasn't fair. They were already way too close in her book. Her heart squeezed at the words, at his proximity, tempting her to forgive everything and agree with his desires. Here he was, asking for an intimate friendship without realizing the damage he was wrecking on her heart. It wasn't fair. How could she deny him when he looked so earnest? When he was her Corn and her Tsuruga Ren?
She chose silence to keep herself from making a horrible mistake. Ren took it as a good sign, pressing greedily with his demands.
"Will you call me by my name?"
"No."
"Then can I call you Kyoko-cha-?"
Kyoko took a very large step back. Heat burned her cheeks as an ugly expression of pure happiness threatened to destroy her face. She turned away from Ren, slapping herself without enough oomph to make the action sting.
"Kyoko-chan?" he said.
Of all the forgotten gods! He was not allowed to have so much power over her just by using her name. Kyoko buried her face into her hands and let out that muffled scream she'd been holding in for the past hour. She felt more than heard Ren come and stand beside her.
Kyoko's hand shot out, stopping Ren from closing that gap once again.
"No," she said firmly. "You can't call me that. I don't allow it."
"Fine," said Ren, apparently undeterred. "Then can I—"
"No," she said again. "I'm going back to my room."
"May I—"
"No."
She lowered her hand, praying her face had regained enough structure to level the glare she managed to muster.
"If you want to talk, then win a date like you promised," said Kyoko.
Her face blanched. She immediately wished the words back.
Threatened. He threated to win a date with you Kyoko, not promised.
Ren had noticed the slip as well. His dumbfounded expression was almost worth it. Almost, because the expression that came after that was a cupid's arrow to her heart. He didn't smile, but his eyes softened in what suspiciously looked a lot like hope. Or maybe that was her own desires coloring her vision.
"I'll win," he said. "That, I can promise you."
Kyoko couldn't even respond. She was too busy fleeing as her heart threatened to jump out of her chest.
Thanks for reading!
To answer your question cleocat333, no, I doubt I'm going to write a companion story with Ren's perspective. Waaay too much work and I don't need to do that to myself, what with all the projects I constantly throw upon myself.
Nothing else to say except this is still like... last on my list of projects I've got going on. So, yeah. Sorry. Updates will still be slow. Oh and of course thank you all for wonderful words and reviews and nice things and the like. :)
-Blushweaver
Imouto: Blushweaver, it says a lot about who you hang out with that all your female characters are backstabbing b*tches and all your male characters are clueless nice guys. #You really need some different girlfriends.