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[ANIME] Unexpected; Skip Beat
Topic Started: Jan 16 2016, 07:28 PM (13 Views)
Soul Raider 116
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Title: Unexpected
Fandom: Skip Beat
Official Genres: Romance
Other Genres:
Rating: T
Content Notes:

Summary:
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Soul Raider 116
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A/N: Okay, I know the usual focus of these stories is Ren and Kyoko, which is a pairing I love! However...I saw Yashiro and Kanae as a side couple in a fic I was reading, and kinda fell in love with the concept. And when I went looking for fics about them specifically, I was shocked to find how few there were! So, I’m going to try my hand at writing one. Please understand that I’m not completely up to date with the series, or even the American release. -sighs- I’m so far behind that I’ve been reading the Omnibuses as they come out in America because it’s less expensive and less tempting to throw all my money away at once trying to catch up that way, heheh. So, the furthest I have gotten is Volume 24. I can’t remember exactly what chapter it ends on, but it’s the Valentines day one. The last scene is Fuwa walking into the Dark Moon shoot with a huge bouquet of flowers. I’ll check and see what the specific chapter is as soon as I can and post that here so you know where I’m coming from. Anyway, I apologize for any inaccuracies in character or story that may result. -dives into a dogeza- Gomen!

Disclaimer: It should stand to reason that I do not own Skip Beat. But just incase your confused...I don’t. Lol.





Chapter 1: Lunch Date[/big]





Yashiro watched in mild amusement as Mogami Kyoko dropped into a dogeza bow on the floor before his charge, Tsuruga Ren. The latter was trying to assure her, as usual, that she had nothing to apologize for, but she just kept babbling about how sorry she was, and what an unworthy kouhai she was.

“Tsuruga-san, I am so terrible, running into you like that! I could have knocked you down and seriously injured you! It’s unforgivable!” She was practically in tears as she begged his forgiveness.

Ren waved his hand at her, dismissing her concerns with a small smile, “Mogami-san, honestly, I doubt you could knock me down even if you tried...and it’s not as though you could see me when you came around the corner, so really, it’s not your fault.”

The LoveMe member was having none of it as she continued to bow before him, “No, I should have been watching where I was going, instead of racing blindly around the corner! I am such a horrid person!”

The smile gradually faded from the seasoned actor’s face. He was actually a bit irritated that she was speaking so lowly of herself, and that she had ignored his statement that she couldn’t have knocked him over. Really, did she have to take everything to heart and make it her fault, “Mogami-san, really, stop apologizing. I’m sure you had a valid reason to be in such a hurry.”

She was shaking her head, eyes closed as she continued to babble nonsense about how wretched she was. Ren simply bent down, and held out a hand to her, “If you keep apologizing, then I might actually be angry with you. But right now, I’m not.”

The gentle yet stern tone of his voice earned a blink as she looked up at her sempai, then glanced at his hand, which he had held out to help her stand from the dogeza. She was being selfish by asking forgiveness, she realized! How horrible of her! Again she looked down, and began to apologize, by was interrupted by the cough that came from her mentor that told her she was doing just what she had been asked not to.

Hesitantly, Kyoko took his hand and let him guide her to her feet. Ren smiled at her, holding onto her hand a bit longer than he should have, which did not escape Yashiro’s notice as the manager suppressed an excited squeal before turning around to sneak off and give the pair some privacy.

Tsuruga’s smile was genuine, and so blinding that Kyoko’s grudges seemed to wither before it. Suddenly realizing that her hand was still encased in his, she pulled it from his grasp quickly, “Umm….arigato, Tsuruga-san.”

That smile faltered slightly at the speed at which her hand withdrew, but only momentarily before he was smiling fully once again, “Of course. There’s no need to thank me, Mogami-san. Anyway, I suppose we should be going, shouldn’t we Ya...shi...ro?”

As he looked around, he noticed his distinct lack of manager, a brow twitching in annoyance. That sneaky little...they’d been on their way to lunch together, but now he was left alone with Mogami-san!



Yashiro hummed happily to himself as he strode down the hall, perfectly satisfied that he had given Ren the slip! True, he and his client had been on their way to lunch together, but now, Ren and Kyoko could dine together instead! And hopefully, that would lead to a confession, and romance, and...and…

Dancing in a tight, gleeful circle, the manager finally let out the excited squeal he had been holding in. His fangirl mode was really starting to kick in, as he closed his eyes and began to skip merrily along, images of lovey-dovey Kyoko and Ren dancing through his mind. Not even realizing where he was as he frolicked down the hall, he collided with a door that had suddenly swung open in front of him, and collapsed back onto his rump, head spinning, glasses askew as he looked up to see the source of his sudden impact.

“Mo! You should watch where you’re going! What kind of idiot walks into a door!” There, standing in front of the man stood Kotonami Kanae. Her appearance was slightly blurred by his off kilter glasses, but it was definitely her. The long, raven hair, confident stance, and the signature use of the phrase mo told him that. He gaped in silence, feeling like an utter idiot for having gone so far into fangirl mode that he’d run into the LoveMe section’s door as it had opened.

“Glasses-kun?” Kanae lofted a brow as she realized who it was she had been lecturing. Immediately the actress began glancing around for his almost constant companion and client, “Where’s Tsuruga-san? And how the hell did you manage to walk into the door?”

Her gaze shifted back to the manager, who was still looking at her through skewed glasses. She blinked, huffing and turning her head, “Mo! What are you looking at?”

Yashiro shook his head, blushing slightly. Why had he been staring, anyway? “N-nothing. And...I guess I was just spaced out. I apologize, Kotonami-san.”

A bow would have been offered had he been standing, as it was he simply dipped his head in her direction. The proud LoveMe member just huffed again, shrugging her shoulders as she reached out a hand to help him to his feet, “Whatever. Don’t keep sitting there, baka.”

The bespectacled man glanced at the hand a moment, a moment too long for Kanae’s patience to hold out, “Mo! Are you getting up or not!”

With a nod, Yashiro quickly gripped the offered hand. Even though she was much smaller than him, and seemed delicate, Kanae helped to pull him to his feet, only stumbling slightly in the process, “Um...arigato, Kotonami-san.”

As he straightened his glasses, the beautiful actress, for she was beautiful, that he had to admit, turned away again, her raven locks fluttering against her shoulders, “Well...don’t be so clumsy next time! What are you doing here alone, Glasses-kun? Kyoko-chan isn’t here, so-”

“I know.” He replied, mildly irritated, and yet amused at the same time, by the nickname she had given him, “I actually just left her. She’s with Ren!”

Turning to face the manager once more, Kanae narrowed her eyes. She could see the fantasizing, dreamy look in his eyes. Good grief, he was fangirling! Kyoko had been supposed to meet her for lunch! Now she was with Tsuruga, and this idiot was dreaming of them getting all lovey dovey! Well, Kanae wasn’t going to lose her best friend that easily! She started off down the hall in the direction Yashiro had obviously been coming from.

It took a few moments for the daydreaming man to realize that the girl had passed by him and was making her way toward where he had left his charge and Kyoko. In a panicked state he hurried after her. He couldn’t let their moment be interrupted! “Kotonami-san!”

She ignored him and kept walking, knowing that he was just going to ask her not to interfere, but she was going to lunch with Kyoko, dammit! Desperately, the manager lurched forward, taking hold of Kanae’s hand, “Wait! Uh, g-go to lunch with me?”

Kotonami blinked, and turned to face him. This man was much older than her, and he had just made a point of asking her to go to lunch with him. True, it was just to keep her from interfering with a possibly romantic moment between Tsuruga and Kyoko, but that blush on his face seemed to say otherwise, “What?”

“Umm...I…” What was he doing? The four years between Ren and Kyoko were one thing, but Kanae and himself had a bigger gap between them. Not to mention, he didn’t even know her that well. Yet it seemed like he had just asked her out or something? His face burned hotly, and he suddenly felt like he couldn’t breath, “Kotonami-san...will...will..you go to lunch with me?”


He flinched, waiting for the younger girl to slap him or scream at him for being an idiot. He highly doubted the tactic of asking her to lunch would work, but it was worth a try. Kanae looked him over as if sizing him up. He really was desperate for Ren and Kyoko to get together, wasn’t he? Just then a tune started playing on her phone, and the LoveMe girl took it from the pocket of her pink jumpsuit. Looking at the number she sighed. It was Kyoko.

The leggy beauty flipped her phone open and put it to her ear, barely having time to take a breath in preparation for greeting, and definitely not able to utter a syllable before her best friend cried out at her, “Moko-saaaan! Gomen! I am sooo sorry! I know I said we’d go to lunch together, and I’ll be there really soon, I just ran into Tsuruga-san...I guess I lost track of time and-”

“Mo! Don’t worry about it! Stop apologizing!” Moko, as her best friend had termed her, put a hand to her face, sighing again, “Actually, something’s come up, so I have to cancel lunch...but maybe you can go with Tsuruga-san or something. I don’t know.”

“What?” Kyoko sounded worried on the other side of the line, “Moko-san! Is everything alright? Did something happen? Oh my god! Moko-san, I’m coming! I’ll be right there, don’t worry!”

“Shut up! Nothing’s wrong, I just...forgot I had other plans.”” Silence from the other end of the line, “Kyoko-chan?”

“Oh...I see. Well, have fun then.” Kyoko sounded almost hurt, and no wonder, she had just been effectively ditched by her best friend. The phone was hung up on her end, and Moko fought back a guilty feeling, before turning to glare at Yashiro.

She was about to scream at him for making her upset Kyoko, but stopped short when she saw the man looking at her in surprise. The shocked look on his face slowly morphed into a giddy smile as he thought of what this meant for Ren and Kyoko...then a look of shock again. At first he had been shocked that Kanae went along with his plan, but now, he was shocked that the whole situation had even happened. He had asked her to lunch in desperation to give Ren and Kyoko some alone time...but now, he would have alone time with Kotonami! His face began to tinge red at the notion.

Watching the range of emotion he went through, Kanae couldn’t bring herself to tell him off. He was clearly trying to do what he thought was best for the pair in question. And he seemed a bit embarrassed by his earlier actions. The talento wasn’t sure whether to find that annoying, or cute. Was it so bad to be seen with her, that he had to be that embarassed, “Mo, this had better be worth it.”

Hearing her near unintelligible mutter, Yashiro seemed to come out of his shocked state, and offered her a small, slightly nervous smile. This was just a friendly luncheon. He was not a creepy pervert. And he hoped she didn’t think him one. Clearing his throat, he decided to question, “W-would you prefer to go out, or eat at the cafeteria?”

She cast him a sideways glance, “Kyoko-chan probably won’t let Tsuruga-san take her out...they’ll be in the cafeteria. So, I guess we should go out, then. But, don’t you dare try anything funny! Mo!”

Yashiro let out a sigh. So she did think he was a creepy pervert. That wasn’t what he wanted at all. It wasn’t that he was super worried about his reputation, he was just a manager, after all. But, for some reason it bothered him for this girl to think such things about him, “I wouldn’t do that, Kotonami-san.”

She could see the look of dejection on his face, hear the fact that he sounded upset by her remark. Her gaze softened some as she folded her arms over her chest, turning to step back into the locker room, “Alright then. Give me a couple minutes. I’m not going to the cafe dressed like this! Oh, and you’re paying!”

He blinked and looked up as she disappeared into the LoveMe section’s room. She’d sounded a bit more pleasant just then, as hard as she’d been trying not to. With a small smile, he leaned against the wall beside the door (on the side where he wouldn’t get hit by said door when it swung open) and waited for Kanae to change from her pink jumpsuit into her street clothes.




Kyoko sulked as she hung up her phone, Ren blinking at her from behind, “Is everything alright, Mogami-san?”

“Moko-san canceled on me!” She practically sobbed in reply, “She said she had other plans!”

“Then, since your friend has other plans, and my manager has vanished...perhaps we could have lunch together?” Ren suggested. He knew this was what Yashiro had hoped would happen when the bespectacled man had abandoned them. Really, couldn’t Yashiro just stop meddling in his love life?

“I couldn’t do that!” Kyoko replied with a gasp as she looked at her sempai, “It would inconvenience you!”

Ren smiled at her, “No, it wouldn’t. I was planning to go to lunch anyhow. Of course, if I go by myself, I’ll eat hardly anything, as usual-”

“No you won’t!” Kyoko cut him off, his ploy having worked, “Because I would never allow that! I’ll eat with you, and make sure you eat everything on your plate!”

Her sempai covered his mouth and coughed slightly to disguise a laugh.
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Soul Raider 116
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A/N: Right, so, here’s chapter two! I still haven’t gotten past volume 24, lol. So once again I apologize for any inaccuracies in plot or character. I’m trying not to tie it in too closely to canon storyline, so hopefully I can avoid being too obvious with my inaccuracies. Bah. Just know it takes place sometime after Valentines Day, okay? Also, just a reminder that the main pairing in this story is Yashiro/Kanae. There will also be a lot of Ren/Kyoko though, so you won’t be disappointed! Please read and review to let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading this far!

Disclaimer: It should stand to reason that I do not own Skip Beat. But just incase you’re confused...I don’t. Lol.



Chapter 2: Yashiro and Kanae?! Suspicious!



It wasn’t a very long wait before the door to the LoveMe section’s locker room swung open again and Kanae stepped out. Yashiro turned to look at her, and couldn’t help letting his gaze linger. She was pretty enough in her pink jumpsuit, but in street clothes...well...it was no wonder she was in the talent industry! She wore black leggings, and her knee high white boots, that had just enough of a heel on them to give her a slight boost in height. Her top was a white cowl neck sweater, with bits of silver woven into it. On her head she wore a newsboy style hat of the same white and silver color scheme. It was truly gorgeous! And with her jet black hair and pale skin, it was just made all the more lovely.

The young actress could feel him watching her, and shot him an agitated look as she pulled her white peacoat over top of the ensemble, “Mo! What are you staring at, Glasses-kun?”

With that, the manager turned quickly to hide the slight blush on his features. He was so embarrassed to have been caught staring. Especially at someone so much younger than him, and so far out of his league to boot, “N-nothing. I just…”

A ebon brow arched in curiosity as the female waited for him to finish his thought, but he trailed off. He was acting very strangely in her opinion, “You just what?”

Yashiro hadn’t been sure what he was going to say. He wanted to compliment her, but how could he do so without sounding like a pervert? Even without looking at Kanae he could sense her irritation, she was tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for a reply, but he dared not give one.

“Well?” She snapped at him, hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed into a glare, “I asked you a question!”

“Ah...I...I just...umm…” He was feeling more nervous by the second. This girl was so confident, and it seemed to intimidate him for some reason, “I wanted to tell...you...how nice you look…”

Again, the manager flinched, glancing at her from his peripheral as he prepared for a slap or verbal barrage. But he received neither. Instead, the young actress seemed to be staring at him, a bit dumbstruck. Why was that? Surely she’d been given compliments before. A beauty like that? It was impossible that she hadn’t been told by someone! Then, to his mortification, she burst out laughing.

“Th-that’s what you were having trouble saying?” Kanae brought a hand to her mouth trying to quickly stifle the laughter and regain her usual cool and controlled front. She wasn’t one for displays of emotion. And she couldn’t let her guard down in front of anyone. Even Kyoko rarely saw her warm side, and that was her best friend. Finally she coughed and calmed down, straightening herself, and flipping her raven locks over her shoulder as she fixed the manager with a cool, even stare, “You’re serious? What, you’ve never given a girl a compliment before, Glasses-kun?”

If he hadn’t been blushing before, Yashiro was definitely doing so now. His face was nearly crimson with embarrassment as he pushed off from his place against the wall and started walking for the exit, “Kotonami-san, we should get to that cafe you were wanting to eat at…”

His tone sounded hurt, she realized as he skulked away.Blinking she suddenly felt a bit bad. Being around someone like Tsuruga Ren all the time probably didn’t get him noticed much by women, so maybe he wasn’t very popular with them? She’d never really given it much thought. But she was sure that she’d hurt his feelings, “Hey, Glasses-kun!”

He stopped so that she could catch up, which didn’t take more than a few strides, but he didn’t look back at the teenage talento, “Yes, Kotonami-san?”

She walked after him, coming to a stop just behind where the manager stood. Somehow, she didn’t like the way he had gone from being friendly and somewhat nervous, to almost cold towards her. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot as she looked off down a side corridor, “Look...it’s...uhh…”

Yashiro blinked, turning to face her, “Kotonami-san?”

“Mo! Thanks for the compliment, okay? It was very nice of you to say!” Her face tinted pink in embarrassment as she refused to meet his gaze. Why was it so hard to just look at him and say thank you?

Pushing up his glasses, Yashiro smiled, and turned toward the exit once more, “You’re most welcome, Kotonami-san.”

Now his tone seemed pleasant again, it seemed she had been forgiven. And that relieved her, for some reason. Kanae smiled as well for a moment before putting her normal cool expression back on her face and following after the manager as they walked down the hall, and made their way to the building’s exit. The path to which just happened to pass by where the hallway to the cafeteria emerged into the hallway that led to the LoveMe section was located.



“Tsuruga-san, you are not paying for my meal!” Kyoko argued with her sempai, turning and heading back towards the exit of the cafeteria, “I just left my purse in the LoveMe section locker room! I can get it and be...right...back…”

The talento had frozen halfway down the hall as she had been trying to outpace the longer legged Ren in an effort to avoid letting him pay the cafeteria bill for her food. She blinked once, then twice, forgetting all about the man approaching from behind, “Mogami-san? Is everything a-”

Kyoko held up a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, and pointed down the hall. Her sempai followed her gaze, and blinked as well. There, passing by the turn that would have led them to the cafeteria, were two very familiar people. Yashiro Yukihito and Kotonami Kanae were walking towards the building’s exit together. And from the way Yashiro was smiling towards the young actress, it seemed as though they were going the same place!

“Y-yashiro-san...and Moko-san?” Kyoko murmured in surprise as soon as the pair had left the building. It was a shock! Her best friend had called off their plans so she could spend time with Tsuruga-san’s manager of all people? But why? It didn’t make any sense...unless…

Golden eyes drifted to look at her Sempai, who was calculating something in his mind. The older actor wore a bemused smile as he figured out a bit of what must have happened. Yashiro had left him alone with Mogami-san so that she and he would become closer, as the manager always wished they would. Somewhere along the line, he had met Kotonami-san, who he discovered had lunch plans with Mogami-san. Then, one way or another, the clever manager had managed to talk Kotonami-san into giving up her lunch with Mogami-san. That had to be it. But why was he still with the young, raven haired talento? That was the mystery. They had left the building together.

A mischievous look came into the star’s eye as he glanced to the blooming actress he secretly loved. He could see her looking at him curiously, and he smirked at her, “I wonder what their up to...shall we go and see?”

“Ts-Tsuruga-san! That would be spying!” Kyoko huffed at him. As curious as she was she knew that spying wasn’t right. She folder her arms over her chest and shook her head, “I will not be a part of it!”

Ren canted his head to one side, “Well...don’t you want to make sure Kotonami-san’s okay? Not that I don’t trust Yashiro to take care of her...but she is your best friend…”

Kyoko frowned some, “Yashiro-san wouldn’t hurt her…”

She hoped he wouldn’t anyway. Of course, Kyoko’s trust wasn’t the greatest when it came to men. Especially in relationships. She looked down, contemplating, “Tsuruga-san...I know he’s your manager and your friend...but...maybe it’s better just to be safe…”

Ren smiled at her, nodding, “And I know Kotonami-san is your best friend, Mogami-san. But I would still like to see just what’s going on. It might be nothing...or, who knows.”

He offered a shrug as he moved through the building. He knew Yashiro and Kanae couldn’t be too far ahead, since they were walking. It wouldn’t be too hard to keep an eye on them, especially if he had an idea of where they were going, “Where does Kotonami-san like to go for lunch?”

“Oh!” Kyoko smiled at her sempai, “Someplace healthy! There’s a cafe not too far from here where she usually orders a salad. I bet that’s where they’re heading!”

“Alright, then.” The seasoned actor pulled on a ballcap and donned a pair of sunglasses to hide his identity, pulling on his coat as he guided Kyoko back to the locker room. If her hunch proved right, then they had some time. And they would be less noticeable if the Love Me girl were in her street clothes.
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A/N: I’m pounding out the first few chapters, it seems, lol. And I still haven’t gone past volume 24. So this probably isn’t the most accurate portrayal of the story or characters. Gomen! Again, it probably takes place sometime shortly after Valentine’s Day, since the last chapter I read left off in the middle of that story. And once more I remind you it’s mostly a YashiroxKanae story, with RenxKyoko as a supporting couple, lol. Alas, when I began typing this chapter, I still had no review. So sad. But at least I have a couple of followers! Yay! Just read and review! Constructive critique, please, so I know how to improve.

Disclaimer: It should stand to reason that I do not own Skip Beat. But just incase you’re confused...I don’t. Lol.



Chapter 3: I Spy….A Date!



Kyoko and Ren made their way toward what the former claimed to be Kanae’s favorite cafe. Ren had on his ball cap and sunglasses, the rest of his ensemble hidden by a long black coat that came to his knees. Below that, his pants were revealed to be a nice pair of black slacks, and his shoes were also a shiny black. He didn’t often walk, but Kyoko had said the restaurant was close, and Yashiro would likely recognize the actor’s car.

The Love Me Section’s number one member had done her best to look inconspicuous for this mission. She wore a ball cap, much like the one that Ren had on, paired with a tan over coat that fell to her hips, hiding her shirt. With that, she had a short denim skirt, and a pair or suede boots that matched her coat. Sunglasses finished off the look. The most identifying aspect of the girl, was her unusual orange hair. As they approached the cafe, she nearly forgot they were spying upon seeing her friend and Yashiro sitting together inside, “Tsuruga-san! There they are!”

Ren clamped a hand over her mouth, and pulled her into some bushes from behind which they could see through the window to the table where the manager and the talento were seated. Really, did Kyoko have to be so loud? And why had she started heading right for the door anyway? Hadn’t he made it perfectly clear this was a covert operation? “Mogami-san, please, hush. We don’t want them to know we’re watching, remember?”

He flashed her a gentlemanly smile that let the rising star know he was irritated with her. Realising her mistake, a nod was given, and Ren dropped his hand from over her mouth, at which point she instantly bowed and began to apologize. Ren twitched and smiled a little brighter, his agitation level rising, “Please stop, Mogami-san. You’re drawing attention.”

Immediately murmuring one last apology, Kyoko sat up and was quite as she focused on zthe window and what was happening beyond their range of hearing. All the two in the bushes could register were the movements of their friends. Not the conversation that went along with them.




Yashiro and Kanae had walked in relative quiet for most of the way to the restaurant. It suited the female wonderfully, she didn’t feel much like talking anyway. But it made Yashiro a bit uncomfortable. If he was spending time with the Love Me member, at least she could talk to him! But then, he wasn’t exactly the most interesting man on the planet. Most women only wanted to talk to him to find out more about Ren. His shoulders slumped at his thoughts. There really wasn’t anything that interesting at all about a man like him. What would they talk about? How to maintain a schedule? That wouldn’t exactly be a fascinating conversation for the teenage actress!

Casting a sideways glance at the manager, the aspiring star could tell he was getting a bit depressed. Why the heck was that? He was on his way to lunch with a beautiful girl, so why should he look so glum? Maybe he didn’t really want to eat with her at all? It must have been a ploy to get her away from Kyoko, and nothing more than that. That aggravated her, even though she had suspected as much from the start, “Mo! What are you all depressed for? If you don’t want to eat with me, just say so!”

“Wh-what?” He looked up at the talento as she glared his way with a hand on her hip, having stopped walking to look at him harshly. Where had she gotten the idea that he didn’t want to eat with her? He hadn’t said that had he? He blinked before responding, “I asked to eat with you, didn’t I?”

“Well yeah…” She turned to look away from him, not sure of what to say, “But that was just to keep me from interrupting your little scheme to get Kyoko-chan and Tsuruga-san together!”

He let his mouth open, then snapped it shut once more. How was the manager supposed to respond, when that was pretty much exactly why he had initially asked her to join him? She’d caught him, it seemed, “That was the primary reason, yes…but...I would still like to get to know you better.”

It was the raven haired girl’s turn to blink and look at him in surprise, “So even if I tell you you don’t have to eat with me, you still want to? I won’t go running off to Kyoko-chan, you know.”

“I know.” He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to see this lunch date through. Wait, had he just called it a date? He blushed at the realization and turned away to hide the shifting colors on his features, “I still want to treat you to lunch though.”

Kanae eyed the man with mild suspicion, “So why are you so mopey?”

Oh, she had asked him already why he seemed depressed, hadn’t she? It was a good question. What was he supposed to say? He sighed softly, “I...well...it’s going to sound stupid…”

The young performer raised a well groomed brow at him, indicating that she was still curious, “Whatever, Glasses-kun. But if you want to tell me...I guess I can listen.”

Yashiro stared at her back as she began walking toward the cafe again, his eyes wide at the fact that she seemed genuinely concerned for him. He still wasn’t sure about that nickname, but she seemed to at least care enough to worry over him a bit! Catching up to the talento in a few long strides, the manager smiled down at her, “Thank you. I feel better just knowing that, Kotonami-san.”

It was Kanae’s turn to blush slightly as she looked to the side, “Mo! Don’t read too much into it, okay! You’re Kyoko-chan’s friend..so, for her sake I figure I should make sure you’re okay!”

Well, at least it was something. Even if she only cared about him for Kyoko’s sake, she cared about him. And that was what mattered. Reaching the cafe, the manager opened the door, and the pair entered the establishment, once more out of the frigid air and into the warmth of a building. They walked to a table, and Yashiro, gentleman that he was, pulled out a seat for Kanae before taking his own place across from her.

It wasn’t long before the waiter approached their table, he was a handsome young man with darker hair and eyes like dark chocolate. That deep gaze shifted from Kanae, to Yashiro, then back to the girl, where it would linger as he spoke, “Hello there. Can I get you and your...boyfriend...something to drink?”

Kanae felt the color first drain from her cheeks, then surge back into them as a deep blush hit her, she began fumbling for a reply, “Him? O-oh...he...he’s not...we just…”

Yashiro blushed as well, though a touch more subtly. He glanced at the young talento as she tried to explain but seemed to have a hard time doing so. Strange. Was it so hard to dismiss the notion that they were dating? She wasn’t interested in him, so why would she have trouble saying so? His eyes drifted to the waiter, who was still staring at Kanae in slight confusion mixed with a tinge of hope. Obviously the server liked her. And he was closer to her age, if appearances were anything to go by. With a soft sigh, the manager cut into her stammering, “We aren’t dating...we simply work together.”

Now the young actress turned to stare in shock at the man who so easily brushed off the mention of being her boyfriend. Did he dislike the idea so much that he had to make it plainly clear that this wasn’t a date? Why did she even care, anyway? It wasn’t like she actually liked him! Wait...had his voice when he said that...been disappointed? Was he upset at her for something?

As she stared with mouth slightly open at the manager, she didn’t notice the relief that swept over the waiter’s features, only to be replaced with confusion a moment later. If they weren’t dating, then why was she staring at the older man like that? Weren’t they simply co-workers? He’d seen Kanae in the restaurant before, with her friend...the actress from Dark Moon, what was the other girl’s name again? It didn’t matter, because it was Kanae he was drawn to. But here she was with another, older, man. A man who apparently also worked at LME, the place of employment having often coming up in conversations between the two actresses when they would frequent the establishment. The younger man had never had the courage to ask Kanae out, despite his instant attraction to her. But if she was going to start showing up with men, and not her friend from Dark Moon, then he might have to take the chance.

Yashiro looked up from his menu to order his drink, noticing that the waiter was still staring at Kanae. That drew the manager’s attention to his co-worker, and he blushed as he saw the way she was staring at him. Turning to the server once more, he quickly cleared his throat to gain the younger man’s attention, “I think I’ll have a cup of hot tea.”

The waiter was torn from his thoughts, and nodded at the bespectacled man, scribbling the order on the notepad he was carrying with him, “Um...and for you miss?”

Kanae blushed again as she realized she had been staring, and lifted her menu to shield her face from view, “Oh...uhh...I’ll have an iced tea. No sugar. And a slice of lemon on the side.”

The waiter nodded and turned away from them, giving one last glance over his shoulder before hurrying off to get the drinks.

“Well, he certainly seemed enamoured…” Yashiro observed quietly, glancing up at his companion to see how she would react to being told such a thing.

She shrugged and looked at him over her menu, “He’s not my type, Glasses-kun. So, I guess it doesn’t matter if he likes me or not, because I just don’t feel any attraction to him.”

“I see…” Yashiro tried to maintain an even tone in his voice, though his heart was lifted some for an unknown reason at her words. She had no interest in the waiter, and that, for some reason, was a relief. Without realizing that he was speaking out loud, he let a question slip, “So...what exactly is your type?”

Kanae blinked up at him, unsure of where this conversation was going. Her eyes drifted over him, regarding him cautiously as she wondered what he was up to, “Well...I’m not entirely sure…”

This earned a surprised look as the manager realised two things. First, that he had spoken the inquiry out loud, which cause him to blush. Second it occurred to him that though she had heard his question, she hadn’t responded as he might have expected. The man would have thought she would have said something along the lines of Mo! That’s none of your business!

Instead, the teenager had given a calm response. The fact that she wasn’t sure of her type was rather surprising in itself. She seemed like the sort that would have a very defined notion of what she wanted in a man, “You aren’t sure?”

“Mo! That’s what I said!” Now he had pushed a bit too hard, earning a snapped reply. Her brow twitched as she looked at him, watching him shift in his seat as the waiter returned with their drinks. He set a small pot of hot tea and a tea cup on the table in front of Yashiro first. Then turned and set the iced tea in front of Kanae, along with a small bowl of lemon slices. It seemed the server hadn’t heard the remark about not being her type, because he concluded with a small wink before asking, “Do you know what you want to eat?”

Kanae ordered her usual, a chicken salad with a light raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Healthy, yet filling. Yashiro placed an order for a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with mayo and cheese. Not as healthy, particularly with the mayo on it. But, it wasn’t too bad. The waiter wrote down their orders and hurried off, a bit disappointed that his wink had gotten no response from the beautiful actress.

Yashiro was perfectly willing to let the talk of dating and types drop. He didn’t want to push his luck any further and get Kanae really upset with him. However, he wasn’t entirely sure what to talk about to fill the silence. He stared out the window, chin rested in his palm as he tried to think of a conversation topic. Wait..had he seen a flash of orange hair? No...must have been his imagination. There was a rustle in the bushes, but that could be anything. And Kyoko was at the cafeteria with Ren!

“-kun?” Kanae finished her question, sighing agitatedly when the man she was addressing looked at her as though he hadn’t heard a word. It had been awkward enough to ask the first time, to bring his own inquiry back around on him, “Mo! Pay attention! I asked what your type was, Glasses-kun!”

He blinked and stared at her dumbfounded. What? True, he had asked her, but he hadn’t meant to wonder it aloud! And now, she was deliberately asking the question back at him? Why did she want to know? The longer he looked at her in surprised silence, the more she started to blush, “I-it’s not that I really want to know or anything...you asked first! And...since I answered, now you’ve got to tell me too!”

Yashiro smiled, failing in his attempt to hold back a laugh which earned him a glare. Obviously Kanae thought he was making fun of her, but he wasn’t. He just thought she was cute when she made excuses like that, “G-gomen, Kotonami-san. Though, you know you didn’t really give much of an answer.”

She looked away and folded her arms with a huff, “If you don’t want to answer, then say so! It doesn’t matter to me!”

“I’ll answer.” The manager smiled at her warmly, “On one condition. While I’m talking, I want you to think on your own criteria, then you can give a more definite answer in return, alright? It only seems fair.”

Again the Love Me member turned her gaze on the manager, lofting a brow. He seemed like he was up to something, but the way he smiled at her said he was being sincere. It also set her heart aflutter, “Mo! Fine, deal!”

“Alright,” Yashiro nodded, pushing his glasses up as he stopped to think, “Well...let’s see. I suppose my ideal woman would be kind, caring and loyal. She would be strong, and bold, not afraid to speak her mind. I need someone who can keep me….”

Here he trailed off. This part was a bit embarrassing. He tried to portray himself as very professional, and part of being professional was being confident. While he was confident in his job, he wasn’t confident in other areas of life. And that’s what he wanted. A woman who would keep him confident, lift him from self doubt. But for some reason, he wasn’t sure he wanted Kanae to know about this particular shortcoming.

“Keep you…” Kanae prompted him to continue. He didn’t. She frowned at him, and finally raised her voice, “Mo! Keep you what? If you don’t tell me, the deal is off!”

The people in the restaurant glanced their way. Yashiro shifted uneasily as he lifted his hands to try and calm the girl, “Alright, I’ll tell you, please, shh. People are staring! Anyway..what I was saying is...I want someone who can help keep me...confident.”

Kanae immediately fell silent at his mention that everyone was staring. She didn’t mind the attention, after all, she wanted to be a star, so people staring couldn’t really bother her. Of course, the reason they were staring wasn’t that great. She’d been having a bit of a tantrum, it seemed, without meaning to. When he continued on with his list, she canted her head. He certainly seemed confident. He was good at his job, and he seemed to know it, “Confident, huh?”

The manager looked down at the table, nodding in shame. She was going to laugh at him, probably. It wouldn’t surprise him. Why shouldn’t she? He was admitting that he lacked a vital asset to life!

“I guess we all could use that, sometimes.” She said with a shrug, shocking the man into looking at her. She blinked at the way he looked at her, “What? You thought I was going to start yelling or something? Mo! I’m not that cruel! Everyone has moments of self doubt!”

A small laugh escaped Yashiro’s lips as he looked at the Love Me member, “I suppose you’re right. Anyhow, did you give anymore thought to what your type is?”

He was leaning on the table, hands folded beneath his chin as he looked at her eagerly. That made her shift nervously. Kanae took her turn to look down at the iced tea the rested on the table between her hands, “Well...I suppose someone mature, not someone who acts childish all the time. But of course, he should know how to have fun when the time is right. Someone reliable, who is there when I need him. He should be willing to listen, and not afraid to offer advice when needed. Loyalty is important, like you said. I don’t think I could fall for someone overly flirtatious, or who is too full of himself. Confidence is good in the right measure, but cockiness is just annoying. And he should be willing to help people he cares about! Be it me, or a friend or family member.”

That was not what Yashiro had thought she would describe as her ideal man. He figured he would need to be suave, and full of confidence. Someone who could come in and sweep her off her feet. And...she said mature. Did that mean she liked older men? Wait, why did he care? Sure, she was pretty, but…

Kanae lifted her gaze from her glass to find the manager across from her staring at her, seemingly lost in thought. She blushed slightly as she looked at him, trying to meet his gaze, but he seemed like he wasn’t focused on her at the moment, despite where his eyes were pointed. He was contemplating something, probably what she had just said. Had something in her words struck him as odd?

“What about looks?” He suddenly broke the silence, realizing that her eyes were trained on his, and looked away as he cleared his throat, “What is your type...you know...physically?”

What? Why did he want to know that? Kanae was thoroughly confused. Was he going to try and set her up with someone? He did seem to like playing matchmaker, if his actions with Ren and Kyoko were anything to go on. She hesitated, but was compelled to reply with a shrug, “I don’t really have one. I mean, it would be nice to find a handsome guy, I guess. But looks aren’t that important…why?”

“Ah, no reason! I was just wondering is all.” He chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head, “I mean, I never see you with any of the men at LME, so I...um…”

Where had he been going with that sentence, anyway? He hung his head as he left the words hanging in the air. Kanae narrowed her eyes at him, “Mo! I don’t need you setting me up like you’re trying to do with Kyoko-chan and Tsuruga-san! If I wanted to date, I could find a guy myself, you know! But...none of the actors or other celebrities I’ve met seem to fit my type, so...mo! I don’t know, I guess famous people are just too full of themselves!”

Yashiro was taken aback at her outburst. He hadn’t been trying to set her up with anyone. He’d just been curious, really. And maybe he’d been wondering if her physical type might lean towards him, but, she didn’t seem to catch on the fact that that might be why he’d been asking. Which was probably a good thing. Someone as pretty as her, and so much younger than him, would never agree to date him anyhow, “I...I wasn’t trying to play matchmaker for you...honest!”

When she continued to eye him skeptically, he sighed, and reached over to rest a hand on her arm. It was an subconscious movement. But even as he realized what he’d done, he didn’t withdraw his hand, hoping it would somehow allow her to sense his honesty, “Kotonami-san, I swear, I wouldn’t do something like that, not without your consent.”

Sure, he didn’t exactly have Ren’s consent to continue trying to push him and Kyoko together, but that was different. He knew Ren quite well, and knew he really loved the rising star. He didn’t know Kanae that well, even if he did now know her better than he had when they’d run into each other before lunch. And he had no clue if she was interested in anyone. So, he wouldn’t mess with her love life unless she wanted him to.

Kanae glanced at his hand on her arm, but didn’t move to pull away. Instead she met his eye, and saw the honesty there. With a sigh, she nodded, “Alright. Well, just don’t go getting any ideas about playing matchmaker. Because I won’t consent anyway!”

Their food arrived then, and Yashiro withdrew his hand from her arm as they both began to eat in a lingering silence.




Though she had been reluctant to take part in the spy mission, Kyoko was really getting into it as she peeked from the bushes to look through the window at the couple inside. She observed carefully, reporting to the man who was sitting behind her, though he could easily see them through a small gap in the branches, “There doesn’t seem to be much happening...they’re just sitting there!”

“Well, at least their talking about something.” The seasoned actor replied, wishing he could read lips. With his luck, they were joining together in a plot to make him propose to Kyoko or something. That didn’t sound like something Kanae would do, but with Yashiro involved one never knew.

He saw the the waiter approach the pair to take their order. Even at this distance, it was easy to tell that the young cafe employee had a crush on Kanae. Well, to Ren at least. Kyoko didn’t seem to notice much. She wasn’t paying any attention to the server, instead she was focused on her friends, “Hey, Moko-san is really staring at Yashiro-san a lot...he must have something on his face. But they haven’t even eaten yet…”

Her sempai wasn’t sure whether to be amused or upset at her absolute obliviousness to the situation. Did she really not see that there was something interesting going on? Evidently, Yashiro had said something to the waiter that left Kanae staring at him in shock. Which meant that the manager had probably come across as jealous or something. A fox-like grin spread over Ren’s feature’s at the thought. If Yashiro liked Kanae, then he could hold it over his manager’s head and blackmail the man into ceasing in meddling in other’s love lives.

Kyoko was leaning forward out of the bush to get a better look as the waiter returned to deliver the drinks. The cafe worker had just winked at Kanae! Even as dense as she was, the orange haired girl recognized that as a sign of romantic intentions! Or devious intentions, as she thought more likely. Grudges started swirling about her, ready to fly to her best friend’s aid, “That waiter is trying to seduce Moko-san!”

The seasoned actor sitting near her saw her about to charge into the restaurant and save the girl she considered her friend. At the same time, he caught site of Yashiro looking their way. Quickly Ren grabbed the Love Me member by the collar of her coat and pulled her back into the bushes, causing her to stumble and land flat in his lap. The male blushed slightly and turned his face away to hide the slight tint of his cheeks, “Mogami-san, please. We are trying not to be seen, remember?”

As the teenaged actress tried to climb out of his lap; he held her by the arm to prevent her from racing into the cafe. The fact that she insisted on struggling while in his lap made things very difficult for the man, “Tsuraga-san, I am not letting that fiend hurt Moko-san!”

Ren sighed, still fighting the urges that came with the squirming against his lap, “Mogami-san...do you think Yashiro would allow her to be hurt?”

Suddenly the blooming star ceased her struggle and blinked, looking to her sempai. He wasn’t making eye contact, still trying to hide his blush and resist the urge to try anything too forward. She wasn’t sure what was causing him not to look at her, and figured he was angry. Then again, there was no hint of his gentlemanly smile, more a nervous look. Why would that be? Still, assuming that Kanae would come to any harm while in the company of Ren’s dear friend was wrong of her! A nod was given to show she understood, which her mentor saw from the corner of his gaze and released his hold on her. As soon as he did, Kyoko was in a dogeza before him apologizing as quietly, yet frantically, as possible, “Forgive me, Tsuruga-san! I should never have doubted Yashiro-san! He is your manager and friend, and I should know that he will take care of Moko-san!”

The corners of Ren’s lips twitched as he smiled slightly, still trying to will the blush away from his features and control his desires, “Yes, well...alright then. You’re forgiven.”

“Thank you, Tsuruga-san!” She bowed so her head touched the floor a moment longer, then sat upon her heels, “What’s going on now?”

Her sempai turned to peer through the opening in the branches. The orange haired teen crawled forward on her knees to peek through the bushes once more. It was the older actor who spoke first, “It seems Yashiro’s said something wrong...Kotonami-san looks rather angry with him.”

Kyoko nodded. It was plain to see that Moko was raising her voice slight and had a slight glare fixated on the man, who looked taken aback. Golden eyes widened at the next turn of events. Beside her that foxish grin spread once more over Ren’s features as Yashiro reached across the table and rested a hand on Kanae’s arm. Well, well. That was an interesting gesture on the manager’s part.

“It would seem he’s trying to calm her down.” The veteran actor observed, not missing the fact that that touch had worked. Very interesting. Kyoko missed the implications of the gesture being anything more than friendly, but Ren didn’t. He also didn’t miss the brief glances his manager kept directing toward raven haired teen across the table from him as their food arrived and they began to eat, “Mogami-san...I believe we’ve seen enough. Perhaps we should return to LME before Yashiro and Kotonami-san catch us. They seem to be fine.”

Kyoko blinked at his sudden suggestion that they leave. Hadn’t he been the one so insistent that they follow the pair? But all of a sudden, it seemed alright to leave? She didn’t understand. But she didn’t think Moko would like being watched from the bushes, and it seemed like Yashiro was taking care of her a friend should. So the number one Love Me member gave a nod, “Alright, Tsuruga-san!”

Carefully to go unnoticed, the spies stood, and started back towards their place of employment. Ren continued to smile as he plotted his sweet revenge on Yashiro for the manager’s habit of meddling. It would be fun to give the older man a taste of his own medicine!
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