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Description
Masquerade

"You're sure you're alright, Watanabi-san? You don't need to lie down, do you?" Kyouko asked in concern, fussing over the other girl who was feeling more embarrassed by the second. Especially under the quiet, watchful gaze of Tsuruga Ren, Japan's hottest actor and the #1 Man in Entertainment.

"I'm fine, Mogami-san! Really! It was just… surprising is all…" Fumiko insisted with a weak smile.

I wonder if this is what it felt like when Alice fell into Wonderland, or when Dorothy landed in Oz… The brunette wondered behind her humiliation, trying to avoid eye contact with both stars and pretending that she wasn't sitting and having supper with Kyouko and Tsuruga, lest she faint again and embarrass herself even more.

How sad was it that she'd spent the entire day with the girl, and it had only just now hit her that Kyouko was a star…? She'd been so wrapped up in comparing her to the 'Mogami' she used to be, or trying to figure out what happened between her and Shou, or even just being enchanted by the clothes and the cars and the cameras, and that fact had somehow just slipped right past her until now, leaving her feeling stupid and tongue-tied.

She was also trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Tsuruga visited Kyouko often enough that he had a spare key to her apartment. That seemed terribly intimate to the girl, especially for a pair that insisted they were just friends. No wonder everyone was so suspicious of the nature of their relationship.

Besides, Fumiko thought as she finally chanced a look at Tsuruga when the actor caught Kyouko's attention by offering to set the table. If a girl has a chance with a guy like that and she doesn't take it, she's either crazy or playing for the other team.

As if sensing her gaze, Tsuruga turned to look at Fumiko as she was contemplating this, making the girl turn fire engine red as she hastily ducked her head back down to avoid eye contact. She wasn't quite fast enough to miss the gentle, polite smile that the actor shot her as he made his way back to the table though, which would easily turn any woman into mush.

"I'm sorry I startled you so much earlier, Watanabi-san." The actor said in a warm, deep baritone that made Fumiko blush even harder.

"N-n-no! I-it's alright! M-M-Mogami-s-san told me that you m-might come!" The bruntette stammered out, all the while wishing that a hole would open up in the earth and swallow her to save her from embarrassing herself anymore. God, she sounded like she didn't know how to talk!

"Sorry, Tsuruga-san. Watanabi-san's visit was so sudden, and I wasn't sure if you were going to be visiting tonight at all, so I didn't call to mention it." Kyouko piped in guiltily from her kitchen. "It's my fault, I should have explained myself properly to both of you."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Mogami-san." Tsuruga chuckled, his smile warming into something truly breathtaking as he turned to speak to the younger actress. "Like you said, it wasn't as though my visit was a sure thing, so it's perfectly fine for you to have a friend over." Turning back to Fumiko, Ren flashed her yet another bone-melting smile. "Besides, now when someone jokes about me making women weak in the knees, I can take it literally."

"I'm pretty sure it was always meant to be taken literally, Tsuruga-san." Kyouko pointed out flatly as Fumiko tried to remember how the whole 'breathing' process worked.

"Was it?" Tsuruga said, sounding faintly surprised. Kyouko merely shook her head and mumbled something under her breath about playboys and poor, unsuspecting Japanese women as she slid a tray into the oven.

"That aside, Tsuruga-san, how is shooting coming along for The Requiem?" Kyouko asked, her eyes lighting up with almost child-like eagerness.

"You asked me that just yesterday, Mogami-san." Tsuruga reminded the girl, fighting a smile as Kyouko blushed cutely.

"But… It's just so amazing!" the little redhead said defensively. "I mean, it has magic, and princesses, and-!"

"Alright, alright! I understand…" Tsuruga said, laughing as Kyouko pouted to herself. "But that still doesn't change what I told you yesterday. The shoot is on hold until they can replace the equipment that got broken during the move. It should only take another week or so, if the estimates are right. How about you, Mogami-san? Have the fighting scenes for Hot Shot still been difficult for you?"

Watching the two actors discuss their various jobs, Fumiko felt a little odd. On the one hand, she was beyond relieved that the attention was finally off of her. This gave her time to collect her thoughts and come to terms with the fact that she was in Kyouko-chan's house, and a few feet away from the most well-known and beloved male actor in all of Japan. On the other though, she felt as if she was interrupting something… private. She wasn't exactly sure why she felt this way, since it wasn't as if Tsuruga and Kyouko were doing anything terribly intimate. They were just talking about their jobs. Fumiko did that all the time with her co-workers, too.

…Granted, her co-workers weren't award winning actors, but it was still more normal then almost everything else Fumiko had seen that day.

But still, there was something different about the way Kyouko and Tsuruga spoke to one another. Something that wasn't there when Kyouko had talked earlier with Igami-san, Le'Moire, Takarada and even Kotonami. Fumiko couldn't put her finger on it, but…

"Ah!" Kyouko exclaimed suddenly, making both Tsuruga and Fumiko jolt in surprise. "I almost forgot- Tsuruga-san, did you hear that Maria-chan's going on her first date this weekend?!"

"Ah, yes. I think the President mentioned something about that…" Tsuruga mused.

"It's so exciting!" Kyouko giggled, standing up to retrieve the tea kettle when it started to whistle. "She asked me to help her pick out an outfit. I'm not sure why- someone with such a cute sense of style like her doesn't really need help from a person like me- but I told her I'd help her any way that I can and she got really happy."

"Maria-chan's always happy to spend time with her beloved 'Onee-sama' Mogami-san…" Tsuruga chuckled softly as Kyouko began expertly pouring the tea. "I, on the other hand… It's rather tragic, but I feel as if I've been replaced in Maria-chan's heart."

"Oh come on, now!" Kyouko laughed outright at Tsuruga's words and the forlorn sigh that accompanied them. "You really think a middle school boy can compete with you, Tsuruga-san?"

"Maria-chan obviously does." Tsuruga pointed out, making Kyouko dissolve into laugher. As she watched their banter, something finally occurred to Fumiko, making her gasp in revelation.

"Oh, is Maria-chan the little girl from the pictures?" The brunette wondered out loud, her eyes flitting back to the candid shots she'd been admiring before Tsuruga Ren showed up. Turning back to the actors, Fumiko froze when she realized that both of them had also turned their attention back to her as well.

"Ah, yes actually, Watanabi-san." Kyouko said, sounding a bit flustered about something. "Maria-chan is the granddaughter of Shachou-san. She's in middle school right now, and is so cute and smart!"

"I-I'm sorry for butting in like that it's just… you two looked so close in those pictures."

"Maria-chan looks up to Mogami-san as a sister, Watanabi-san." Tsuruga explained to the girl kindly as Kyouko flushed cutely at his words. "They've always been close, since they day they met. Especially after Maria-chan found out Mogami-san's birthday is the day after hers."

"Oh! I… I see…" Fumiko said, feeling shy again.

"You have a little brother yourself, don't you, Watanabi-san?" Kyouko mused as she brought the tea over and served her guests graciously.

"Yes… You remember that?" Fumiko asked, more than a little surprised. She and Kyouko hadn't been close in high school after all, so for the starlet to remember such an odd thing about her…

"He came to school during one of our Cultural Festivals, and I spoke to him for a bit." Kyouko responded with a smile. "He even helped me clean up after some rowdy boys who made a mess of our class's food stand. I thought that was really sweet of him, so that's why I remember." Faintly, Fumiko could recall the Cultural Festival Kyouko was referring to. It was one they had in year two, where their class had decided to do a sweets stand and put Mogami in charge. The decision had been an easy one since it had the double benefit of using Mogami's extraordinary skills as a chef to win them first prize in the Festival AND kept Mogami busy and away from Fuwa-san so that the other girls had a chance at catching his eye.

The second part of the plan turned out to be a flop though, since Fuwa-san had spent most of the Festival hanging out with Mogami and venting angrily to the girl about his oppressive parents, but they still won the award for Best Food in the festival.

"I think Naoki was around eight back then…" Fumiko mumbled, mostly to herself. She remembered her brother as a two-faced little snot at that age, so it would be just like him to be 'sweet' to Mogami. Probably trying to score some free cake or something… "He's in his second year at Toriyama High School now. He's hoping to become a novelist once he's done with school."

"Really?!" Kyouko looked floored at this fact. "But… He was so little the last time I saw him! Wow, now I feel old…"

"It's been ten years now, Mogami-san." Fumiko reminded the girl, smiling. "A lot has changed since you and Fuwa-san left for Tokyo." As soon as those words left Fumiko's lips, there was an almost tangible change in the atmosphere that told the brunette she had just said the wrong thing. It didn't help that a cold, blank expression had suddenly replaced the pleasant smile that Kyouko had been wearing up until that point, as if Fumiko had just uttered the dirtiest word in the world. Even Tsuruga reacted to her words, his hand suddenly pausing on its way to lift his cup from the table, his expression hidden by the shadows and the angle of his face, but his demeanor suggesting that he was just as displeased as Kyouko.

What did I say? What did I say?! Fumiko thought frantically, going over the conversation again in her head to figure out how she'd offended the two superstars she was dining with.

"A lot does change in ten years, I suppose." Kyouko said quietly at last, baffling Fumiko further with the sudden tension that had fallen over the table.

"Ah, Mogami-san, I almost forgot… I ran into Amamiya-san today, after shooting some scenes for Beautiful Death. She had a present for you from the filming she did in Rome. I promised her I'd bring it to you, but it completely slipped my mind until now. Do you mind heading over to my room to get it? Amamiya-san said it was something personal, so I felt it wasn't right for me to look at it, and since Watanabi-san is here…"

"Oh, I understand, Tsuruga-san!" Kyouko said quickly, jumping to her feet. "I'll go get it right now. Please excuse me, I'll be right back!" and with that, the copper-haired actress immediately set off to her sempai's apartment. The front door had barely closed behind her before Tsuruga turned his attention to the brunette he was sitting with, a darkness swirling in his eyes that took the breath right out of the poor, unprepared girl it was directed at.

"Now then, would you mind telling me what's going on, Watanabi-san?" The actor asked bluntly.

And just like that, Fumiko felt her blood ran cold.

---

Oh dear gods, I've never attracted this much attention before in my life. Fumiko thought, her face burning as she walked through the train terminal. The feeling of everyone's eyes in her general direction was really, really creepy, and she was sure she saw more than one person snap a picture with their phone. The only thing that was keeping Fumiko from hyperventilating was the knowledge that almost none of that attention was actually directed at her. Rather, the vast majority of it was aimed at the copper haired woman walking gracefully at her side donned in a flowing white top, faded and fayed black denim shorts and silver gladiator heels. Ever the professional, Kyouko didn't seem to even bat an eyelash at the recognition she was getting, save for smiling sweetly at those brave enough to call out to her.

Fumiko, on the other hand, was suddenly very grateful for the seven foot tall muscle man walking behind them. Something told her that was the one thing that was keeping them from getting mobbed by Kyouko's fans.

"It's too bad that you couldn't stay longer, Watanabi-san." Kyouko commented offhandedly, making Fumiko practically jump out of her skin. "I'd really like to catch up more on how everyone's doing back in Kyoto. It feels like we barely got a chance to talk, since I was running all over the place for work. And you were so quiet during dinner last night…"

"Oh, I was just tired, Mogami-san." Fumiko said hastily with a weak laugh. In reality though, sleep was the last thing on the girl's mind during her stay in the starlet's home. She was just too terrified after her conversation with Tsuruga Ren to dare and open her mouth in front of either talents for the entire night. "…B-besides, it looked like you and Tsuruga-san really wanted to talk to one another one-on-one, so…"

Behind the girls, Kyouko's manager stopped dead in his tracks.

"Tsuruga came over last night? Again?" Shin said, his lips thinning in evident irritation. "Kyouko-san…"

"We've talked about this before, Shin-chan." Kyouko sighed. "As his friend and kouhai, I want to make sure that Tsuruga-san gets at least one decent meal a day."

"It's not that hard to order takeout." Shin reminded the girl sharply, glaring back at the flat look the young starlet gave him at that suggestion. "You know I don't trust that man, Kyouko-san. He's dangerous." Before yesterday, Fumiko would have broken down laughing at the seven foot mountain of terror that made up Igami Shin calling a charming actor like Tsuruga Ren 'dangerous' on any level. Now, she wholeheartedly agreed with the man.

"Tsuruga-san would never do anything to hurt me, Shin-chan." Kyouko insisted, a hint of irritation entering her voice. "He's been taking care of me for years now, and has shown me more kindness and support than anyone. Even as the Demon Lord or the Night Emperor, he's never done anything to shake the trust I have in him."

…Demon Lord? Night Emperor? Did Fumiko even want to know?

"He's hiding things." Shin said firmly, obviously refusing to let the subject die.

"Most people in this business are, Shin-chan." Kyouko said with a jaded sort of sigh. "But that doesn't change my opinion, you know that."

"I still don't like him being over at your place unsupervised." Shin grumbled. "It's not proper and people might get the wrong idea."

"I live in a private mansion with top security, and other then Tsuruga-san the only people on my floor are a retired soccer player who keeps to himself, a boxer who isn't even home nine nights out of ten and a business tycoon and his family who understand the situation and don't judge me or Tsuruga-san for it." Kyouko pointed out flatly. "Who exactly is there to 'get the wrong idea'?"

Shin's eyebrow kicked up as he turned an assessing eye to Fumiko.

"I-I won't breathe a word to anyone! I swear!" Fumiko promised hastily, her words barely more than a squeak. No way was she going to risk angering either Shin or Tsuruga….

"Even if she did, it's not like there's a story there." Kyouko reminded Shin. "He came over, we ate, we talked, he left. Not exactly the most exciting exposé for a tabloid, don't you think?"

"They can still make it seem less innocent then it is, Kyouko-san." Shin sighed before reluctantly letting the subject go. "…But I guess you're right. You and Tsuruga have already been reported as having a close friendship, so sharing dinner together isn't going to cause some huge scandal. But please be more mindful in the future, Kyouko-san. If not for the sake of your own career, then for Tsuruga's. I don't need you blaming yourself if he gets caught up in something again…"

"Ye~s, Shin-chan." Kyouko promised with a giggle, flashing the man an exasperated smile before grinning widely at Fumiko again when the platform for her train loomed into view. "At any rate, we better get going if we're going to make it to this morning's shoot for Sweet Sin. I'll get in touch with you when I come to Kyoto, Watanabi-san. Please take care of yourself until then."

"Yes, you too, Mogami-san." Fumiko responded in turn. "Thank you for all the kindness you showed me last night. I…" Fumiko swallowed painfully as her throat constricted. "T-thank you."

"Don't mention it, Watanabi-san." Kyouko said brightly, waving off the other girl's gratitude. "I'll see you again before the reunion, alright?"

"…I… y-yes…" Fumiko said, her stomach churning with guilt as she watched Kyouko and her manager hurry away to make it to their movie shoot.

Gods, she was such a miserable coward!

Sighing heavily, Fumiko fell onto a nearby bench, burying her face into her hands. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into?! All she was supposed to do was secure Fuwa-san's RSVP for the reunion, and now…

Before Fumiko's mental lament could continue any further, a shrill ringing noise sounded from her pocket, jolting her out of her thoughts. Fumbling for a moment, Fumiko pulled her phone out, eyebrows furrowing together as the ID flashed the words 'Restricted Number.' Frowning, Fumiko rejected the call and was in the midst of replacing her phone in her pocket when it started ringing again. Scowling slightly at the persistence of her mystery caller, Fumiko accepted the call.

"Hel-?"

"You gotta lot of nerve rejecting my call, you know." A familiar voice snapped before she could finish the greeting, making Fumiko's eyes widen.

"F-Fuwa-san?!" the brunette flustered, "H-how did you get my phone number?!"

"Doesn't matter. Is Kyouko on board for the reunion?" Shou demanded.

"Um… Yes, I think so…" Fumiko said uncertainly.

"You think so?" Shou's confusion was evident in his voice. "You mean, you don't know? Sabara said that you were gonna spend the night at Kyouko's place, and she's got some movie thing this morning so she's probably already ditched you by now, so how do you not know for sure if she's coming or not?"

"Well…" Fumiko hesitated for a moment, guilt, fear and desperation warring together as she weighed her options. If she told him everything that happened last night, he might call off the whole thing and not come to the reunion, which would get her killed by Shou's angry fangirls back in Kyoto. On the other hand, if she didn't say anything and Tsuruga carried through with his treat, then chances were pretty good Shou would come home to a Kyouko-less Kyoto, which would get her into serious trouble with the musician.

…In the end, Fumiko's desire to live outweighed the risks of not divulging the whole truth to the rocker.

"She said that she'll come. She was just sort of hesitant about it, since she was afraid you were coming too." Fumiko explained to Shou, who snorted in response.

"Figures…" He muttered under his breath before addressing Fumiko again. "Alright, great. Make sure she doesn't get suspicious before the reunion. Otherwise she'll turn tail and run and everything'll be a waste."

"Y-yes… I understand…" Fumiko said, biting her lip. "Um… Fuwa-san… If you don't mind me asking… How is Tsuruga Ren connected to you and Mogami-san?" Even over the phone, Fumiko could feel the temperature drop into the subartic range as soon as the actor's name left her lips.

"And what," The musician said in a voice so deadly that Fumiko immediately regretted the question she'd just asked. "Does that stupid cocky pretty boy have to do with ANYTHING?!"

"N-n-nothing!" Fumiko squeaked out. "I just… I saw a picture of him in Mogami-san's apartment and wanted to ask! It's nothing, never mind!"

"That I don't believe for a second." Shou said irritably, still upset over the fact that Tsuruga's name entered the conversation at all. "Look whatever that jerk might say or think, Kyouko is none of his goddamn business. He's nothing to her compared to my importance in her life, and nothing's ever going to change that. Not if I can help it."

"…I… I understand." Fumiko said quietly. "I'll get things ready for when you and Mogami-san come back to Kyoto."

"I'll call before I leave Tokyo to make sure she's there." Shou informed Fumiko, making her eyes widen in horror. "Don't let her catch on to anything before then. Later." And, with a sharp click, Fumiko was left with the sound of a dial tone as her life spiraled out of control.

T-this is bad… The brunette realized, dread flooding her entire being. This is really, REALLY bad.

Somehow, she had gotten caught up in the drama of someone else's life, and now there was no way out. If Shou didn't come, the other girls in Kyoto would murder her outright. If Kyouko didn't come, then Shou wouldn't set foot in the reunion, and now with Tsuruga in the picture…

How do I get out of this?!!! Fumiko moaned mentally, trying to regain control over the situation. Although now, she was starting to suspect that she never had any control over it to begin with.

Looking back in the direction Kyouko had disappeared in, Fumiko felt her guts twist uncomfortably again in guilt.

…She'll probably decide not to come after speaking to Tsuruga-san, anyways. Especially since she really didn't want to take time off to go in the first place. Fumiko rationalized, unknowing of the sadness that was creeping into her eyes at that thought. It's probably for the best if he's the one who tells her. She'll never forgive me again after the truth comes out, after all… Fumiko laughed weakly at that thought with very little humor as she remembered some of Kyouko's earliest acting roles, like Mio and Natsu. …She… she won't speak to me again after this, and I'll never see her again, so… it's better to just go along with the plan this way. At least like this, everyone back home won't hate me too.

Sighing heavily, Fumiko stood and obediently boarded her train when the doors slid open to allow people on, troubled thoughts still rolling around in her head as she claimed an empty seat. Frowning to herself, she recalled Shou's angry words over the phone when she had brought up Tsuruga's name. Looking back at the conversation she'd had with him last night after Kyouko left them alone though, the brunette had a hard time believing that the handsome actor was truly unconnected in the drama surrounding Kyouko and Shou. Not when his words and actions clearly implied otherwise…

Shaking her head, Fumiko pulled out her music player and plugged her ears with the white earbuds, scrolling through her songs until she came across one of her favorites, a Shou song that had been released years ago and had been one of the first to rocket him into superstardom. Closing her eyes, Fumiko tried to let the lyrics of Lying to Love You clear all thoughts of Kyouko and Tsuruga from her mind.

It didn't work. Almost as soon as Fumiko's eyes shut, memories of her talk with Tsuruga assaulted her violently, forcing her to relive it yet again.

"Now then, would you mind telling me what's going on, Watanabi-san?"

"Wh… What?" Fumiko croaked out, eyes wide as Tsuruga assessed her with unreadable brown eyes.

"Your story, about coming here to invite Mogami-san to your reunion." Tsuruga explained, frowning at the girl. "It seemed a bit… off to me. It's obvious that you and Mogami-san weren't particularly close in school, so why would you take the time and come all this distance to invite her personally? Wouldn't mailing her an invitation suffice?"

"I-I was pretty mean to Mogami-san when we were kids, so I… I wanted to apologize to her for that, Tsuruga-san…" Fumiko explained weakly, suddenly feeling like she was in a very dangerous situation. "I feel bad for what I did back then."

"Do you?" Tsuruga asked, his eyes narrowing and his gaze cutting through Fumiko like a knife. "I have a hard time believing that, Watanabi-san."

"Wh-what?" Fumiko said, her eyes going wide at the actor's oddly cold attitude. He was always so kind and polite when he was on TV…

"If you truly felt bad about what you've done to Mogami-san, then it's not very likely that you'd be here right now." Tsuruga stated coolly. "Would someone who feels honest regret for their past actions really impose themselves on the person that they hurt so badly in such a thoughtless manner?" Fumiko froze, trapped by the man's logic. If apologizing to Kyouko had been her true objective, then her guilt would have kept her from accepting the actress's offer to open her home to her, even after Kyouko insisted. It was so true, and yet at the same time something most people would overlook. Not one other person had thought to point this out the whole day.

Clearly, Tsuruga Ren had much more than just talent and good looks going for him.

Terrified and powerless, Fumiko said nothing to the actor's accusation. She wanted desperately to tear her eyes away from Tsuruga, to think of something to excuse her presence there, but something in his dark gaze spared her to the spot. Lying would have been useless, even if she could think up a half way decent one this man would see through it in an instant.

"I can only think of two reasons for you to blatantly lie to Mogami-san and take advantage of her kindness in such a way." Tsuruga said calmly, making Fumiko wince in pain at his words despite the bland tone they were delivered in. "One is that you intended to make her believe you were sorry to take advantage of her celebrity and use her for your own means. That's not very likely though, since you seem a little overwhelmed by what you've seen and done today. Most women who do that would be excited over those things, and try to push the envelope to see how much they can get away with as Mogami-san's old classmate.

"But the other possibility…" Stapling his fingers together, Tsuruga's gaze became something truly frightening as he continued. "…The other possibility is that someone else sent you to here to make sure Mogami-san attended this reunion. Someone who couldn't ask her for themselves… And if it's someone who is connected to Mogami-san past, there can only be one person."

<>

Shoot shoot shoot shoot SHOOT! NOW she remembered Fuwa-san's words about not mentioning him in front of Kyouko?! NOW, when the biggest actor in Japan was looking at her like he was channeling Yakuza Bosses and Serial Killers?!

Before Fumiko could say anything though, Kyouko reentered the apartment with an embarrassed smile on her face and an opened package clutched in her arms. Almost instantly, the oppressive air around Tsuruga disappeared.

"I'm sorry! It took me longer to find your bag than usual, Tsuruga-san. You had it in your room instead of by the door where you usually keep it."

"Ah, I'm sorry, I must've brought it in there by mistake." Tsuruga said, smiling brightly at Kyouko, who gave him a surprised look in response.

"…Ts-Tsuruga-san… Are you angry…?" Kyouko asked, sounding confused and a little wary.

"Hm? Angry? What makes you think that, Mogami-san?" The bright smile intensified, and Kyouko shrank back a bit, an alarmed look on her face.

"N-no reason…" The actress said weakly. "I'll… um… check on our dinner now. I'll be back in a moment."

Wait! Don't leave me here with him! Fumiko wailed mentally as Kyouko hastily made her way over to the kitchen. True, the kitchen was visible from where she and Tsuruga were, but Kyouko would have her back to them, and Fumiko was all out desperate for the actress's protection at that moment.

"I don't know what he's planning now, Watanabi-san." Tsuruga said quietly enough to keep from catching Kyouko's attention. "But whatever his scheme is, I can promise you that it's something Mogami-san doesn't need him putting her through. I won't let him use Mogami-san as he pleases anymore, Watanabi-san, and I promise you that if Fuwa shows the slightest hint of disturbing Mogami-san at this reunion, I'll do everything in my power to protect her.

"I am not someone you want for an enemy, Watanabi-san, so choose your actions wisely from this point onward…"

Description
Masquerade

"You're sure you're alright, Watanabi-san? You don't need to lie down, do you?" Kyouko asked in concern, fussing over the other girl who was feeling more embarrassed by the second. Especially under the quiet, watchful gaze of Tsuruga Ren, Japan's hottest actor and the #1 Man in Entertainment.

"I'm fine, Mogami-san! Really! It was just… surprising is all…" Fumiko insisted with a weak smile.

I wonder if this is what it felt like when Alice fell into Wonderland, or when Dorothy landed in Oz… The brunette wondered behind her humiliation, trying to avoid eye contact with both stars and pretending that she wasn't sitting and having supper with Kyouko and Tsuruga, lest she faint again and embarrass herself even more.

How sad was it that she'd spent the entire day with the girl, and it had only just now hit her that Kyouko was a star…? She'd been so wrapped up in comparing her to the 'Mogami' she used to be, or trying to figure out what happened between her and Shou, or even just being enchanted by the clothes and the cars and the cameras, and that fact had somehow just slipped right past her until now, leaving her feeling stupid and tongue-tied.

She was also trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Tsuruga visited Kyouko often enough that he had a spare key to her apartment. That seemed terribly intimate to the girl, especially for a pair that insisted they were just friends. No wonder everyone was so suspicious of the nature of their relationship.

Besides, Fumiko thought as she finally chanced a look at Tsuruga when the actor caught Kyouko's attention by offering to set the table. If a girl has a chance with a guy like that and she doesn't take it, she's either crazy or playing for the other team.

As if sensing her gaze, Tsuruga turned to look at Fumiko as she was contemplating this, making the girl turn fire engine red as she hastily ducked her head back down to avoid eye contact. She wasn't quite fast enough to miss the gentle, polite smile that the actor shot her as he made his way back to the table though, which would easily turn any woman into mush.

"I'm sorry I startled you so much earlier, Watanabi-san." The actor said in a warm, deep baritone that made Fumiko blush even harder.

"N-n-no! I-it's alright! M-M-Mogami-s-san told me that you m-might come!" The bruntette stammered out, all the while wishing that a hole would open up in the earth and swallow her to save her from embarrassing herself anymore. God, she sounded like she didn't know how to talk!

"Sorry, Tsuruga-san. Watanabi-san's visit was so sudden, and I wasn't sure if you were going to be visiting tonight at all, so I didn't call to mention it." Kyouko piped in guiltily from her kitchen. "It's my fault, I should have explained myself properly to both of you."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Mogami-san." Tsuruga chuckled, his smile warming into something truly breathtaking as he turned to speak to the younger actress. "Like you said, it wasn't as though my visit was a sure thing, so it's perfectly fine for you to have a friend over." Turning back to Fumiko, Ren flashed her yet another bone-melting smile. "Besides, now when someone jokes about me making women weak in the knees, I can take it literally."

"I'm pretty sure it was always meant to be taken literally, Tsuruga-san." Kyouko pointed out flatly as Fumiko tried to remember how the whole 'breathing' process worked.

"Was it?" Tsuruga said, sounding faintly surprised. Kyouko merely shook her head and mumbled something under her breath about playboys and poor, unsuspecting Japanese women as she slid a tray into the oven.

"That aside, Tsuruga-san, how is shooting coming along for The Requiem?" Kyouko asked, her eyes lighting up with almost child-like eagerness.

"You asked me that just yesterday, Mogami-san." Tsuruga reminded the girl, fighting a smile as Kyouko blushed cutely.

"But… It's just so amazing!" the little redhead said defensively. "I mean, it has magic, and princesses, and-!"

"Alright, alright! I understand…" Tsuruga said, laughing as Kyouko pouted to herself. "But that still doesn't change what I told you yesterday. The shoot is on hold until they can replace the equipment that got broken during the move. It should only take another week or so, if the estimates are right. How about you, Mogami-san? Have the fighting scenes for Hot Shot still been difficult for you?"

Watching the two actors discuss their various jobs, Fumiko felt a little odd. On the one hand, she was beyond relieved that the attention was finally off of her. This gave her time to collect her thoughts and come to terms with the fact that she was in Kyouko-chan's house, and a few feet away from the most well-known and beloved male actor in all of Japan. On the other though, she felt as if she was interrupting something… private. She wasn't exactly sure why she felt this way, since it wasn't as if Tsuruga and Kyouko were doing anything terribly intimate. They were just talking about their jobs. Fumiko did that all the time with her co-workers, too.

…Granted, her co-workers weren't award winning actors, but it was still more normal then almost everything else Fumiko had seen that day.

But still, there was something different about the way Kyouko and Tsuruga spoke to one another. Something that wasn't there when Kyouko had talked earlier with Igami-san, Le'Moire, Takarada and even Kotonami. Fumiko couldn't put her finger on it, but…

"Ah!" Kyouko exclaimed suddenly, making both Tsuruga and Fumiko jolt in surprise. "I almost forgot- Tsuruga-san, did you hear that Maria-chan's going on her first date this weekend?!"

"Ah, yes. I think the President mentioned something about that…" Tsuruga mused.

"It's so exciting!" Kyouko giggled, standing up to retrieve the tea kettle when it started to whistle. "She asked me to help her pick out an outfit. I'm not sure why- someone with such a cute sense of style like her doesn't really need help from a person like me- but I told her I'd help her any way that I can and she got really happy."

"Maria-chan's always happy to spend time with her beloved 'Onee-sama' Mogami-san…" Tsuruga chuckled softly as Kyouko began expertly pouring the tea. "I, on the other hand… It's rather tragic, but I feel as if I've been replaced in Maria-chan's heart."

"Oh come on, now!" Kyouko laughed outright at Tsuruga's words and the forlorn sigh that accompanied them. "You really think a middle school boy can compete with you, Tsuruga-san?"

"Maria-chan obviously does." Tsuruga pointed out, making Kyouko dissolve into laugher. As she watched their banter, something finally occurred to Fumiko, making her gasp in revelation.

"Oh, is Maria-chan the little girl from the pictures?" The brunette wondered out loud, her eyes flitting back to the candid shots she'd been admiring before Tsuruga Ren showed up. Turning back to the actors, Fumiko froze when she realized that both of them had also turned their attention back to her as well.

"Ah, yes actually, Watanabi-san." Kyouko said, sounding a bit flustered about something. "Maria-chan is the granddaughter of Shachou-san. She's in middle school right now, and is so cute and smart!"

"I-I'm sorry for butting in like that it's just… you two looked so close in those pictures."

"Maria-chan looks up to Mogami-san as a sister, Watanabi-san." Tsuruga explained to the girl kindly as Kyouko flushed cutely at his words. "They've always been close, since they day they met. Especially after Maria-chan found out Mogami-san's birthday is the day after hers."

"Oh! I… I see…" Fumiko said, feeling shy again.

"You have a little brother yourself, don't you, Watanabi-san?" Kyouko mused as she brought the tea over and served her guests graciously.

"Yes… You remember that?" Fumiko asked, more than a little surprised. She and Kyouko hadn't been close in high school after all, so for the starlet to remember such an odd thing about her…

"He came to school during one of our Cultural Festivals, and I spoke to him for a bit." Kyouko responded with a smile. "He even helped me clean up after some rowdy boys who made a mess of our class's food stand. I thought that was really sweet of him, so that's why I remember." Faintly, Fumiko could recall the Cultural Festival Kyouko was referring to. It was one they had in year two, where their class had decided to do a sweets stand and put Mogami in charge. The decision had been an easy one since it had the double benefit of using Mogami's extraordinary skills as a chef to win them first prize in the Festival AND kept Mogami busy and away from Fuwa-san so that the other girls had a chance at catching his eye.

The second part of the plan turned out to be a flop though, since Fuwa-san had spent most of the Festival hanging out with Mogami and venting angrily to the girl about his oppressive parents, but they still won the award for Best Food in the festival.

"I think Naoki was around eight back then…" Fumiko mumbled, mostly to herself. She remembered her brother as a two-faced little snot at that age, so it would be just like him to be 'sweet' to Mogami. Probably trying to score some free cake or something… "He's in his second year at Toriyama High School now. He's hoping to become a novelist once he's done with school."

"Really?!" Kyouko looked floored at this fact. "But… He was so little the last time I saw him! Wow, now I feel old…"

"It's been ten years now, Mogami-san." Fumiko reminded the girl, smiling. "A lot has changed since you and Fuwa-san left for Tokyo." As soon as those words left Fumiko's lips, there was an almost tangible change in the atmosphere that told the brunette she had just said the wrong thing. It didn't help that a cold, blank expression had suddenly replaced the pleasant smile that Kyouko had been wearing up until that point, as if Fumiko had just uttered the dirtiest word in the world. Even Tsuruga reacted to her words, his hand suddenly pausing on its way to lift his cup from the table, his expression hidden by the shadows and the angle of his face, but his demeanor suggesting that he was just as displeased as Kyouko.

What did I say? What did I say?! Fumiko thought frantically, going over the conversation again in her head to figure out how she'd offended the two superstars she was dining with.

"A lot does change in ten years, I suppose." Kyouko said quietly at last, baffling Fumiko further with the sudden tension that had fallen over the table.

"Ah, Mogami-san, I almost forgot… I ran into Amamiya-san today, after shooting some scenes for Beautiful Death. She had a present for you from the filming she did in Rome. I promised her I'd bring it to you, but it completely slipped my mind until now. Do you mind heading over to my room to get it? Amamiya-san said it was something personal, so I felt it wasn't right for me to look at it, and since Watanabi-san is here…"

"Oh, I understand, Tsuruga-san!" Kyouko said quickly, jumping to her feet. "I'll go get it right now. Please excuse me, I'll be right back!" and with that, the copper-haired actress immediately set off to her sempai's apartment. The front door had barely closed behind her before Tsuruga turned his attention to the brunette he was sitting with, a darkness swirling in his eyes that took the breath right out of the poor, unprepared girl it was directed at.

"Now then, would you mind telling me what's going on, Watanabi-san?" The actor asked bluntly.

And just like that, Fumiko felt her blood ran cold.

---

Oh dear gods, I've never attracted this much attention before in my life. Fumiko thought, her face burning as she walked through the train terminal. The feeling of everyone's eyes in her general direction was really, really creepy, and she was sure she saw more than one person snap a picture with their phone. The only thing that was keeping Fumiko from hyperventilating was the knowledge that almost none of that attention was actually directed at her. Rather, the vast majority of it was aimed at the copper haired woman walking gracefully at her side donned in a flowing white top, faded and fayed black denim shorts and silver gladiator heels. Ever the professional, Kyouko didn't seem to even bat an eyelash at the recognition she was getting, save for smiling sweetly at those brave enough to call out to her.

Fumiko, on the other hand, was suddenly very grateful for the seven foot tall muscle man walking behind them. Something told her that was the one thing that was keeping them from getting mobbed by Kyouko's fans.

"It's too bad that you couldn't stay longer, Watanabi-san." Kyouko commented offhandedly, making Fumiko practically jump out of her skin. "I'd really like to catch up more on how everyone's doing back in Kyoto. It feels like we barely got a chance to talk, since I was running all over the place for work. And you were so quiet during dinner last night…"

"Oh, I was just tired, Mogami-san." Fumiko said hastily with a weak laugh. In reality though, sleep was the last thing on the girl's mind during her stay in the starlet's home. She was just too terrified after her conversation with Tsuruga Ren to dare and open her mouth in front of either talents for the entire night. "…B-besides, it looked like you and Tsuruga-san really wanted to talk to one another one-on-one, so…"

Behind the girls, Kyouko's manager stopped dead in his tracks.

"Tsuruga came over last night? Again?" Shin said, his lips thinning in evident irritation. "Kyouko-san…"

"We've talked about this before, Shin-chan." Kyouko sighed. "As his friend and kouhai, I want to make sure that Tsuruga-san gets at least one decent meal a day."

"It's not that hard to order takeout." Shin reminded the girl sharply, glaring back at the flat look the young starlet gave him at that suggestion. "You know I don't trust that man, Kyouko-san. He's dangerous." Before yesterday, Fumiko would have broken down laughing at the seven foot mountain of terror that made up Igami Shin calling a charming actor like Tsuruga Ren 'dangerous' on any level. Now, she wholeheartedly agreed with the man.

"Tsuruga-san would never do anything to hurt me, Shin-chan." Kyouko insisted, a hint of irritation entering her voice. "He's been taking care of me for years now, and has shown me more kindness and support than anyone. Even as the Demon Lord or the Night Emperor, he's never done anything to shake the trust I have in him."

…Demon Lord? Night Emperor? Did Fumiko even want to know?

"He's hiding things." Shin said firmly, obviously refusing to let the subject die.

"Most people in this business are, Shin-chan." Kyouko said with a jaded sort of sigh. "But that doesn't change my opinion, you know that."

"I still don't like him being over at your place unsupervised." Shin grumbled. "It's not proper and people might get the wrong idea."

"I live in a private mansion with top security, and other then Tsuruga-san the only people on my floor are a retired soccer player who keeps to himself, a boxer who isn't even home nine nights out of ten and a business tycoon and his family who understand the situation and don't judge me or Tsuruga-san for it." Kyouko pointed out flatly. "Who exactly is there to 'get the wrong idea'?"

Shin's eyebrow kicked up as he turned an assessing eye to Fumiko.

"I-I won't breathe a word to anyone! I swear!" Fumiko promised hastily, her words barely more than a squeak. No way was she going to risk angering either Shin or Tsuruga….

"Even if she did, it's not like there's a story there." Kyouko reminded Shin. "He came over, we ate, we talked, he left. Not exactly the most exciting exposé for a tabloid, don't you think?"

"They can still make it seem less innocent then it is, Kyouko-san." Shin sighed before reluctantly letting the subject go. "…But I guess you're right. You and Tsuruga have already been reported as having a close friendship, so sharing dinner together isn't going to cause some huge scandal. But please be more mindful in the future, Kyouko-san. If not for the sake of your own career, then for Tsuruga's. I don't need you blaming yourself if he gets caught up in something again…"

"Ye~s, Shin-chan." Kyouko promised with a giggle, flashing the man an exasperated smile before grinning widely at Fumiko again when the platform for her train loomed into view. "At any rate, we better get going if we're going to make it to this morning's shoot for Sweet Sin. I'll get in touch with you when I come to Kyoto, Watanabi-san. Please take care of yourself until then."

"Yes, you too, Mogami-san." Fumiko responded in turn. "Thank you for all the kindness you showed me last night. I…" Fumiko swallowed painfully as her throat constricted. "T-thank you."

"Don't mention it, Watanabi-san." Kyouko said brightly, waving off the other girl's gratitude. "I'll see you again before the reunion, alright?"

"…I… y-yes…" Fumiko said, her stomach churning with guilt as she watched Kyouko and her manager hurry away to make it to their movie shoot.

Gods, she was such a miserable coward!

Sighing heavily, Fumiko fell onto a nearby bench, burying her face into her hands. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into?! All she was supposed to do was secure Fuwa-san's RSVP for the reunion, and now…

Before Fumiko's mental lament could continue any further, a shrill ringing noise sounded from her pocket, jolting her out of her thoughts. Fumbling for a moment, Fumiko pulled her phone out, eyebrows furrowing together as the ID flashed the words 'Restricted Number.' Frowning, Fumiko rejected the call and was in the midst of replacing her phone in her pocket when it started ringing again. Scowling slightly at the persistence of her mystery caller, Fumiko accepted the call.

"Hel-?"

"You gotta lot of nerve rejecting my call, you know." A familiar voice snapped before she could finish the greeting, making Fumiko's eyes widen.

"F-Fuwa-san?!" the brunette flustered, "H-how did you get my phone number?!"

"Doesn't matter. Is Kyouko on board for the reunion?" Shou demanded.

"Um… Yes, I think so…" Fumiko said uncertainly.

"You think so?" Shou's confusion was evident in his voice. "You mean, you don't know? Sabara said that you were gonna spend the night at Kyouko's place, and she's got some movie thing this morning so she's probably already ditched you by now, so how do you not know for sure if she's coming or not?"

"Well…" Fumiko hesitated for a moment, guilt, fear and desperation warring together as she weighed her options. If she told him everything that happened last night, he might call off the whole thing and not come to the reunion, which would get her killed by Shou's angry fangirls back in Kyoto. On the other hand, if she didn't say anything and Tsuruga carried through with his treat, then chances were pretty good Shou would come home to a Kyouko-less Kyoto, which would get her into serious trouble with the musician.

…In the end, Fumiko's desire to live outweighed the risks of not divulging the whole truth to the rocker.

"She said that she'll come. She was just sort of hesitant about it, since she was afraid you were coming too." Fumiko explained to Shou, who snorted in response.

"Figures…" He muttered under his breath before addressing Fumiko again. "Alright, great. Make sure she doesn't get suspicious before the reunion. Otherwise she'll turn tail and run and everything'll be a waste."

"Y-yes… I understand…" Fumiko said, biting her lip. "Um… Fuwa-san… If you don't mind me asking… How is Tsuruga Ren connected to you and Mogami-san?" Even over the phone, Fumiko could feel the temperature drop into the subartic range as soon as the actor's name left her lips.

"And what," The musician said in a voice so deadly that Fumiko immediately regretted the question she'd just asked. "Does that stupid cocky pretty boy have to do with ANYTHING?!"

"N-n-nothing!" Fumiko squeaked out. "I just… I saw a picture of him in Mogami-san's apartment and wanted to ask! It's nothing, never mind!"

"That I don't believe for a second." Shou said irritably, still upset over the fact that Tsuruga's name entered the conversation at all. "Look whatever that jerk might say or think, Kyouko is none of his goddamn business. He's nothing to her compared to my importance in her life, and nothing's ever going to change that. Not if I can help it."

"…I… I understand." Fumiko said quietly. "I'll get things ready for when you and Mogami-san come back to Kyoto."

"I'll call before I leave Tokyo to make sure she's there." Shou informed Fumiko, making her eyes widen in horror. "Don't let her catch on to anything before then. Later." And, with a sharp click, Fumiko was left with the sound of a dial tone as her life spiraled out of control.

T-this is bad… The brunette realized, dread flooding her entire being. This is really, REALLY bad.

Somehow, she had gotten caught up in the drama of someone else's life, and now there was no way out. If Shou didn't come, the other girls in Kyoto would murder her outright. If Kyouko didn't come, then Shou wouldn't set foot in the reunion, and now with Tsuruga in the picture…

How do I get out of this?!!! Fumiko moaned mentally, trying to regain control over the situation. Although now, she was starting to suspect that she never had any control over it to begin with.

Looking back in the direction Kyouko had disappeared in, Fumiko felt her guts twist uncomfortably again in guilt.

…She'll probably decide not to come after speaking to Tsuruga-san, anyways. Especially since she really didn't want to take time off to go in the first place. Fumiko rationalized, unknowing of the sadness that was creeping into her eyes at that thought. It's probably for the best if he's the one who tells her. She'll never forgive me again after the truth comes out, after all… Fumiko laughed weakly at that thought with very little humor as she remembered some of Kyouko's earliest acting roles, like Mio and Natsu. …She… she won't speak to me again after this, and I'll never see her again, so… it's better to just go along with the plan this way. At least like this, everyone back home won't hate me too.

Sighing heavily, Fumiko stood and obediently boarded her train when the doors slid open to allow people on, troubled thoughts still rolling around in her head as she claimed an empty seat. Frowning to herself, she recalled Shou's angry words over the phone when she had brought up Tsuruga's name. Looking back at the conversation she'd had with him last night after Kyouko left them alone though, the brunette had a hard time believing that the handsome actor was truly unconnected in the drama surrounding Kyouko and Shou. Not when his words and actions clearly implied otherwise…

Shaking her head, Fumiko pulled out her music player and plugged her ears with the white earbuds, scrolling through her songs until she came across one of her favorites, a Shou song that had been released years ago and had been one of the first to rocket him into superstardom. Closing her eyes, Fumiko tried to let the lyrics of Lying to Love You clear all thoughts of Kyouko and Tsuruga from her mind.

It didn't work. Almost as soon as Fumiko's eyes shut, memories of her talk with Tsuruga assaulted her violently, forcing her to relive it yet again.

"Now then, would you mind telling me what's going on, Watanabi-san?"

"Wh… What?" Fumiko croaked out, eyes wide as Tsuruga assessed her with unreadable brown eyes.

"Your story, about coming here to invite Mogami-san to your reunion." Tsuruga explained, frowning at the girl. "It seemed a bit… off to me. It's obvious that you and Mogami-san weren't particularly close in school, so why would you take the time and come all this distance to invite her personally? Wouldn't mailing her an invitation suffice?"

"I-I was pretty mean to Mogami-san when we were kids, so I… I wanted to apologize to her for that, Tsuruga-san…" Fumiko explained weakly, suddenly feeling like she was in a very dangerous situation. "I feel bad for what I did back then."

"Do you?" Tsuruga asked, his eyes narrowing and his gaze cutting through Fumiko like a knife. "I have a hard time believing that, Watanabi-san."

"Wh-what?" Fumiko said, her eyes going wide at the actor's oddly cold attitude. He was always so kind and polite when he was on TV…

"If you truly felt bad about what you've done to Mogami-san, then it's not very likely that you'd be here right now." Tsuruga stated coolly. "Would someone who feels honest regret for their past actions really impose themselves on the person that they hurt so badly in such a thoughtless manner?" Fumiko froze, trapped by the man's logic. If apologizing to Kyouko had been her true objective, then her guilt would have kept her from accepting the actress's offer to open her home to her, even after Kyouko insisted. It was so true, and yet at the same time something most people would overlook. Not one other person had thought to point this out the whole day.

Clearly, Tsuruga Ren had much more than just talent and good looks going for him.

Terrified and powerless, Fumiko said nothing to the actor's accusation. She wanted desperately to tear her eyes away from Tsuruga, to think of something to excuse her presence there, but something in his dark gaze spared her to the spot. Lying would have been useless, even if she could think up a half way decent one this man would see through it in an instant.

"I can only think of two reasons for you to blatantly lie to Mogami-san and take advantage of her kindness in such a way." Tsuruga said calmly, making Fumiko wince in pain at his words despite the bland tone they were delivered in. "One is that you intended to make her believe you were sorry to take advantage of her celebrity and use her for your own means. That's not very likely though, since you seem a little overwhelmed by what you've seen and done today. Most women who do that would be excited over those things, and try to push the envelope to see how much they can get away with as Mogami-san's old classmate.

"But the other possibility…" Stapling his fingers together, Tsuruga's gaze became something truly frightening as he continued. "…The other possibility is that someone else sent you to here to make sure Mogami-san attended this reunion. Someone who couldn't ask her for themselves… And if it's someone who is connected to Mogami-san past, there can only be one person."

<>

Shoot shoot shoot shoot SHOOT! NOW she remembered Fuwa-san's words about not mentioning him in front of Kyouko?! NOW, when the biggest actor in Japan was looking at her like he was channeling Yakuza Bosses and Serial Killers?!

Before Fumiko could say anything though, Kyouko reentered the apartment with an embarrassed smile on her face and an opened package clutched in her arms. Almost instantly, the oppressive air around Tsuruga disappeared.

"I'm sorry! It took me longer to find your bag than usual, Tsuruga-san. You had it in your room instead of by the door where you usually keep it."

"Ah, I'm sorry, I must've brought it in there by mistake." Tsuruga said, smiling brightly at Kyouko, who gave him a surprised look in response.

"…Ts-Tsuruga-san… Are you angry…?" Kyouko asked, sounding confused and a little wary.

"Hm? Angry? What makes you think that, Mogami-san?" The bright smile intensified, and Kyouko shrank back a bit, an alarmed look on her face.

"N-no reason…" The actress said weakly. "I'll… um… check on our dinner now. I'll be back in a moment."

Wait! Don't leave me here with him! Fumiko wailed mentally as Kyouko hastily made her way over to the kitchen. True, the kitchen was visible from where she and Tsuruga were, but Kyouko would have her back to them, and Fumiko was all out desperate for the actress's protection at that moment.

"I don't know what he's planning now, Watanabi-san." Tsuruga said quietly enough to keep from catching Kyouko's attention. "But whatever his scheme is, I can promise you that it's something Mogami-san doesn't need him putting her through. I won't let him use Mogami-san as he pleases anymore, Watanabi-san, and I promise you that if Fuwa shows the slightest hint of disturbing Mogami-san at this reunion, I'll do everything in my power to protect her.

"I am not someone you want for an enemy, Watanabi-san, so choose your actions wisely from this point onward…"