I know it's been forever guys, I'm sorry. I've gone full adult now, fanfiction has had to take the back seat in my life. But I'll try to complete them, it's only a matter of time.

'we need to first know what we DON'T know'

XXXXX

Yashiro entered the penthouse, treading over the familiar carpet towards where he already knew his quarry would be. Two days he had been putting off this confrontation; but no more.

You can do this, you can do this. The fate of Ren's happiness depends on you!

Gulping, the manager hesitated only a moment more before entering without knocking. He never needed to. As one of the three people with a key for entry (the other two being the president and Ren himself), he hadn't bothered to alert the actor in years. He was expecting Yashiro; who had promised to drop off a revised script.

But now it was more than that.

You have a mission Yashiro, stick to it!

Taking a steady breath, he placed the pile of papers on Ren's countertop, before moving towards the Livingroom. Just as he thought, the man dedicated to his craft was there- going over a smaller script for a commercial run he had tomorrow. Yashiro took in the serene, handsome figure. Sitting content in this expensive luxury, his charge had no idea, no inkling of the disaster that loomed so close. Stick to the plan: Don't bring up Kyoko directly, learn what he knows about Bo, and if there's anything he could be hiding.

Operation: Protect Impossible Lovers.

"Tsuruga-san?" The number one actor glanced up, a calm smile on is face. Too calm. "Can we talk?"

The tranquil visage quickly morphed to surprise, and instantly Yashiro berated himself- because of course Ren would be surprised- rarely did Yashiro bother with proper titles anymore, and even less did he hesitate before trying to get an answer. You FOOL! He knows! He-!

"Are you alright, Yashiro-san?" Ren set the papers aside, eyeing the pale skin and cold sweat affecting the man. "Are you sick? Did you catch a cold?"

Trying to force casualness, Yashiro tossed aside his brief case and faced his friend, hands unconsciously kneading at his pant leg. "Ren, I- I'm alright. It's just…" Ohmygoshohmygosh I am not meant for acting seriously how does Kyoko lie to this man's perfect face?! Ren's eyes were only getting wider, making Yashiro panic anew and continuing the vicious cycle. AHHHH SAY ANYTHING- ANYTHING BUT THE TRUTH! "B-Bo…?"

"Bo?" Ren seemed to only grow more worried. "What about him? Is he alright?"

AHHHHHH WHY IS THIS SO HARD?! "It's- I went- present-?"

"The package for him?" The actor looked slightly hurt. "Did he reject it?"

"NO!" Yashiro bit his lip, taking a few deep breaths as his friend watched on. "I'm, I'm so sorry Ren. This isn't… the, uh, truth is… I… wasn't able to deliver the gift to… your friend."

Ren blinked but relaxed minutely, clearly having been afraid it was something worse. "Is that really all?"

Yashiro hung his head in a way that could be confused for shame, but was due to utter relief. "I-I'm…" He trailed off, actually at a loss. Carefully, he glanced up at his charge.

The actor assessed his features, eyebrows still tilted in concern. "Of course it's alright, Yashiro. I'm sure Bo has a busy schedule to." He relaxed back into his seat, assessing. "But it seems to me there's something else…" At Yashiro's rigorous head shaking, he raised an eyebrow. "… perhaps you're afraid to ask?"

Get ahold of yourself Yashiro! Gulping, he took a moment to think of every time Ren had dodged his questions, had brushed off his worries, and built as much stern intent as he could. "Not… afraid. But I am curious; and would like some answers." He sat down in the chair behind him, firmly setting his briefcase to its side and trying for a focused pose before he could lose his nerve. "Tell me, how did you and 'Bo' the chicken meet?"

Again, Tsuruga looked thoroughly surprised. "I didn't know it mattered to you."

"It didn't". Until I found it it was Kyoko! "Until I thought about how I don't know when you could have met. You also sent this gift to 'Bo', so you only know them as their character. It begs the question how you came to such a strong comradery with a chicken." Yashiro felt a brief moment of amazement at his own clear headedness. Keep going! Do your best! "Would you please explain?"

The actor assessed his manager for a few moments before shrugging, not seeing anything amiss. "Well, to be honest we met when I was working the gig with Hakuyuri."

Yashiro did his best to keep his face neutral, having expected this. He had freaked out enough already when he calculated the amount of time this secret had existed. (Since the beginning! Kyoko has kept this secret since the very beginning and he still has no idea! No clue! Ren how could you not have figured it out?!)"I recall. Go on."

"Well, I was having difficulty finding my place in the role. And then 'Bo' came up to me." He blinked, frowning slightly. "No, that's not right. I think he stumbled on me by accident, and tried to give me privacy, but I called out and asked him to come over." He chuckled to himself. "I must have come off as a bit desperate, asking for help from a total stranger, but even though he clearly didn't want to, he ended up approaching me."

Yashiro was leaning forward, hanging on every word (thankfully Ren didn't seem to notice). He could imagine Kyoko- probably just getting off her first night on the job, finding him backstage and wanting to avoid him.

Shrugging, Tsuraga turned to look out the window, watching the scene unfold in his memory. "I didn't want to admit it, but I was having trouble with my role. I tried to play it off, but he saw right through me, and thoroughly mocked me for attempting the lie. Even going as far as to tell me how much he couldn't stand my arrogance."

The agent's eyes were bugging out of his head. She didn't. No -san had been under no illusion who she was talking to, and yes their relationship at the beginning had been rather rough, but-

Oh my goshhhhhhhh Kyoko! You mocked your sempai!? You mocked him?! Talked down to him?!

Ren laughed, though he hadn't seen his friend's expression yet. "I guess my ire showed, because suddenly he was groveling on the ground, begging forgiveness. Ha, it was just made all the more comical because of that dumb suit." Yashiro shook himself, gaining control of his gaping mouth just as the actor turned back to him. "After that it was just… natural. You know I don't make real friends easily, Yashiro-san. But with Bo; it didn't even take effort. He's honest, straightforward, and I've helped him with some things he's been facing just like he's helped me."

The bespectacled man stilled; heart pounding. Oh no. "H-how has he helped you? Just with figuring out the roles?"

"Well, yes." Ren's looked concerned again, meaning Yashiro wasn't holding his anticipation together as well as he should, but the actor let it slide. "Do you remember when I was struggling to figure out how to act for Dark Moon? He… we talked again, and he revealed something to me I hadn't realized about myself."

Oh. Something in Yashiro's heart lightened, feeling just a touch foolish. Maybe we've been blowing this out of proportion. Kyoko is a good girl. She may have gotten herself into a mess like this, and it certainly didn't start well, but helping Ren learn more about himself, helping him to be better, that's a wonderful thing! Ren couldn't fault her for that if he found out. It might even help them draw closer! "What did Bo help you realize?"

"Ah, well, the fact that I was falling in love with Kyoko."

"WHAT."

Ren started, shocked by his manager's tone. "Are you alright, Yashiro?"

No, he was not. Yashiro knew he needed to get a grip. And knew he probably needed to let go of the expensive pillow he was currently using to stop his hands from pulling out his own hair. He couldn't help it, though.

The president was going to lose his mind.

"I- I can't believe! You, you confessed to Ky- to B- to a stranger!" REN CONFESSED?! HE CONFESSED TO KYOKO AREYOUKIDDINGME?! WHAT IS HAPPENING. HOW IS THIS HAPPENINGGGGGGG?! Seeing Tsuruga start to close off by his reaction, he floundered quickly. "N-no, nevermind. Clearly Bo is exactly who you needed to talk with. A-after all, they did help you realize you… loved… Kyoko."

Tsuruga-san rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I know it's strange to open up to a stranger like that, but there's something about him… Anyway, I was explaining how even with my feelings being what they are, I had hesitations about pursuing her."

This was the twilight zone. Yashiro was being punked, there's no way this was real. Kyoko hadn't batted an eye in his direction- and yet apparently Ren had literally confessed his true feelings to her?

This isn't adding up! "Did he tell you to stop? That your hesitations were valid? That she wouldn't feel that way for you?!"

"Actually, he told me how I was feeling- heh- the 'beginnings of love' and that sixteen is an adult in the eyes of the law, and I should pursue her with all my heart."

"But that doesn't- you guys aren't-?!" WHAT THE EVER LOVING CHEESE.

Ren looked at him like he was the one spouting things that didn't add up. "Well, of course not. But you know how Kyoko is, Yashiro-san. Right now she'd reject me outright and insist I am only her sempai."

Nooo she wouldn't! She would never because she knows it's youuuuuuu!He had to consciously fold his hands together to keep them from twitching towards the cell in his pocket. Lori could be called later. Lori had tobe called later. Why hadn't Kyoko taken time to act on what she had learned as Bo? The President seemed convinced of her hidden feelings, and surely knowing how much he cared about her would ignite feelings of courage for her to reciprocate! "W-What does Bo think about Kyoko?"

"Hmm?" Ren had apparently noticed the script he had brought and was wandering over to it.

"When you told Bo about Kyoko, what did sh- he think of her? Does he admire her as an actress?"

"Oh, well." He glanced briefly at him, then focused back on the new material he had to memorize. "I suppose I described Kyoko a bit, but now that you mention it, we never really talked about who Kyoko was. I just said I had feelings for this girl, and that I didn't know what to do about it. It doesn't really matter to him, really."

No.

No way.

"So you mean to tell me… Bo… doesn't know… that it's Kyoko you love?"

Ren looked back up. "No, he doesn't. Why would that- Mr. Yashiro? Are you alright?"

Yashiro had just fallen off the couch, so Tsuruga's concern was understandable.

"Fine!" He shouted, leaping to his feet as if electrocuted. "Fine finefine suuuuuuuper fine. I- look at the time, I need to get going to that… meeting!" Walking fast and not looking back, he waved off the fussing Ren was starting up. "I'm fine! I am fine! Er, I'll be back later!"

The greatest actor in Japan watched as the door slammed closed, completely befuddled by what had just happened.

Yashiro barely allowed himself to be led through the lavish home towards the back study where Lori presently resided. He brushed passed multiple people, not even apologizing in his haste to confess this latest development. Tonight's attire appeared to be an ode to Mongolian culture, but there wasn't time to care. Standing straight at attention, Lori's assistant was barely through the introductions before he blurted "Kyoko doesn't know!"

Frowning, the man regally gestured to a chair. "Yashiro, calm yourself." He was surprised when Yashiro remained standing.

"She…" The manager tried to expand his words, heart still pounding with the new knowledge. "She doesn't realize, Mr. President. It's… it's worse than we realized."

Sensing the drama, the founder of LOVE ME rose carefully from his own artful pose. "What have you found out?"

"They-" He shook his head furiously, muttering to himself. "How are they honestly so insensible?!"

"Okay, okay," Lori gestured placatingly, his heart eating up every moment of this. "Clearly, you've found out something worthy of this reaction. In truth, I have as well. It's only fair that we blurt it out at the same time, to get it out there, and compare notes after." He flicked up three fingers, confirming Yashiro was following. "Alright, three… two… one."

The jumbled explanations that they both blurted out were hard to unravel. Their incredulous shouts after, though:

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE CONFESSED TO HER?"

"REN IS HER SECRET CHILDHOOD FRIEND?!"

"HE TOLD HER?! AND SHE DOESN'T REALIZE HE'S TALKING ABOUT HER?!"

"WHY WOULD KYOKO THINK HE'S A FAIRY PRINCE?"

"WHY IS MY OTP SO BLIND?"

Both breathing heavily, they finally succumbed to settling down in the provided seats, trying to take this in.

"I can't believe it." Yashiro looked dumbstruck, his voice cracking close to hysterics. "I knew it was a strangely delicate balance, Kyoko keeping this secret, but now this too? Why has Ren never mentioned he knew her from when they were little?"

"How can that girl be so oblivious that he reveals his love, and she still doesn't realize it's about her!" Lori was seething as much as he was gleeful. "Can you imagine? Ren loved Kyoko, and even though he confessed to her literal face, she still doesn't know!"

"What…" Yashiro looked back up to him, askance. "What can we do?"

The president heaved a weary sigh, humbled by the task before them. "Honestly, there might still be even more we don't know. How they managed to entangle themselves so close without revealing their true feelings is… a catastrophe. But I-" He paused, considering. "I need more time. Kyoko and Ren are meant for each other, and we will see them together. We just need to find the right way to push them forward."

Both men stayed where they were, lost in their thoughts.

And Maria, who had snuck out of bed and followed Yashiro when he caused the ruckus entering, quietly backed away, eyes wide after hearing every.

Single.

Word.

Believe it or not (and it's okay if you don't believe it), this is the half way point. Somehow, this fic is that much closer to being done.

Up next: Maria schemes, and Moko-chan gets involved more than she ever wanted to.