"All right Tsuruga san. I'll meet you there at 11.", Kyoko spoke on the phone cheerfully. "Goodbye!"

Once she had hung up, Kyoko danced around in the love-me room happily. She glanced at the clock. "10:30!", she groaned. "How am I possibly going to wait another half hour?"

She sat down and stared at the papers on her desk. She couldn't get into the mood of finishing her love me assignments. She drummed her fingers impatiently on her desk muttering to herself. "Well tsuruga-san, are you going to tell me what I think you will be saying? Am I going to finally find out if moko is right? Are you going to finally tell me you love me?"

The door opened and her best friend Kanae Kotonami entered.

"MOKOOOOOOOOO!", Kyoko squealed , running to her friend, her arms outstretched and knocking her down after enveloping her in a bone crushing hug. "MO!", Kanae said exasperated. Though she was beginning to finally accept Kyoko's hugs, she hated it when her hugs became too enthusiastic. "Sorry Moko.", Kyoko apologized, helping her to her feet. "I'm just a little excited, that's all."

Kanae looked at her suspiciously. "And could the reason for your overwhelming excitement be 'Tsuruga-san' by any chance?"

Kyoko blushed. "What makes you think so?", she asked innocently.

Kanae snorted . "Just a hunch.", she replied drily. "You always get that lovesick look on your face when you hear his name nowadays. So what did he want?"

"We're meeting in the broom cupboard in the fifth floor at 11.", Kyoko explained. "He said it was very important."

Kanae looked stunned. "Excuse me?", she asked in disbelief. "Of all the places he could have asked you to meet, he chose a broom cupboard?"

"It wasn't his idea!", Kyoko said hastily. " He asked me which place would be convenient for me and I just said the first thing that came to my head!"

Kanae began to guffaw. "oOooooH! So Ren Tsuruga's going all out eh? He's going to sweep you off your feet when he confesses!"

Kyoko blushed at the word 'confesses'. "We don't know for sure that's what he's going to say.", she scolded her friend.

Kanae laughed again. " I guarantee it! He's been head over heels in love with you for a long time."

Kyoko looked at the time again. 10:55.

"I'll finish your work for you.", KAnae said kindly. " Go on! Take a break with lover boy! He's probably waiting to sweep you off your feet."

Kyoko smiled at her friend affectionately. "Thanks moko!", she said before rushing out like a tornado towards the elevator.

….

Ren nervously made his way towards the tiny broom . He shut the door behind him and sat on an upturned bucket. " Kyoko,", he began, " I love you. Will you go out with me? Nah…that's too direct. OK, Will you reciprocate my love for you? Too Formal…".

The door handle turned and in walked his faithful manager Yashiro.

"Yashiro!", Ren said crossly. "You startled me! And why are you here?"

Yashiro grinned. "Sorry lover boy.", he said. "When I saw you come in here, I thought I'd pop in to wish you good luck. But it looks like you really need help ! You're too nervous! Loosen up a little!"

Ren sighed. "I can't help it Yashiro. If she says 'no', I can live with that. But if she hates me for even suggesting it?"

"Ren,", Yashiro said in a stern voice. "Why did you decide to confess your feelings? Because she behaves differently around you right? You said so yourself. She's not so formal. And the other day , she was handing you your bento box and when your hands touched, didn't she blush?"

Ren nodded. "That's it then! ",Yashiro said triumphantly. "You definitely have a chance!"

But Ren still looked a little apprehensive, so Yashiro added, "And if she does reject you, she won't hate you. She respects you too much for that. In fact, she'll still consider you to be her friend."

"Right.", Ren muttered.

Yashiro decided to try and cheer him up. "Get up Ren.", he ordered. Ren stood up puzzled by his sudden authoritative tone. Yashiro then sat down on the bucket and looked up at him smiling. "Imagine for a moment I am Kyoko.", he explained. "And now confess your feelings."

Ren bit back an amused grin. You asked for it Yahsiro! , he thought wickedly.

He knelt down before his manager and flashed him his famous 'emperor' smile.

Yikes!, Yashiro began to panic. Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all! When Ren placed a hand on his and squeezed it gently, Yashiro nearly had a heart failure.

"Wh..what..?", he squeaked.

"I love you.", Ren said simply, his voice dripping with sincerity. All he had to do was imagine that it was Kyoko standing before him.

Yashiro glared at him suspiciously. "You're not telling this to me are you?", he growled.

Ren laughed. "These words are for the love of my life." Yashiro relaxed. Time to act like Kyoko! "In that case,", he said playfully , "You'll have to do better than that!"

"Of course my love.", Ren replied. "Will you marry me?" "Yes,Yes and a thousand times yes!", Yashiro cried out in a rather poor imitation of Kyoko's voice.

…

Kyoko couldn't believe her ears. When she had approached the cupboard, she was a little surprised to hear voices. She recognized Ren and Yashiro's voices and peered through the key-hole.

"EEEEHHHHHHH?", she thought to herself." Ren? You love Yashiro? This is what you wanted to tell me?"

Kyoko began to feel the demons within her reawaken as she slowly made her way to the love me room.

"Yashiroooo! How could you? You send me to Ren's place every other day only to steal him away in the last moment? I'll never forgive you for this you backstabber!", she said to herself tears springing in her eyes. It took her all her will power not to go back and pulverize Yashiro. He's not good enough for you Ren., she thought miserably. But if you are happy with him I'll just have to live with it.

She entered the love me room dejectedly. Kanae looked up in surprise. "Back already? I wasn't expecting you for an hour at least! Wh..what's the matter?", she asked as Kyoko suddenly broke down sobbing.

"H..he doesn't love me!", she wept. "He loves someone else!"

Kanae was stunned and ran to comfort her. "Are you sure?", she asked gently. "Did he tell you so himself?"

"I heard him confess to someone else! It was Yashiro!", she wailed.

Kanae stared at her. "Yash-i-ro?", she asked slowly, unable to believe it.

Kyoko nodded furiously. "He even proposed to him! Maybe that's why Ren wanted me to come. Probably wanted to ask me to be their marriage witness!"

But Kanae was no longer listening. She felt a boiling fury towards the two men, especially Yashiro and made off for the broom cupboard in the fifth floor.

….

Ren was waiting patiently in the broom cupboard for Kyoko. He was feeling a little more confident of himself thanks to his manager.

He jumped up when the door opened a second time, expecting to see Kyoko. To his surprise, it was Kanae.

"Kotonami-san?", he asked nervously. She was glaring at him with such intensity that he was surprised he wasn't shriveled to crisp by now.

"You lowly bastard!", she said through gritted teeth. "How dare you break her heart? And mine too for that matter!"

"Eh?", was all that a totally nonplussed Ren managed to get out. "What do you.."

"DON'T PRETEND!", she yelled. "Kyoko heard you two! She's absolutely heartbroken and is crying her heart out in the love me room and it's all your fault!"

She stopped to catch her breath and Ren seized the opportunity to get a word in. " Kyoko's crying? But why? What did I..", he started to ask only to be cut off by her exasperated roar. He actually stepped back alarmed.

"I'm not wasting my time explaining Tsuruga san! Where is he by the way?"

"Who?", Ren asked puzzled. "Your manager of course! He was here wasn't he?", Kanae said angrily.

"W…well yes, but he's now in the president's room.", Ren stuttered.

Any hopes that Kanae had of Kyoko being mistaken were dashed when Ren didn't deny that Yashiro had indeed been with him . She turned and stomped towards the President's office fuming.

Ren stared after her. Why is she so angry? Suddenly Kanae's words echoed in his mind. Kyoko heard you two!

And then it clicked! She thought I was confessing to Yashiro! Ren shook his head, half amused, half exasperated. Oh Kyoko! Why do have to jump to the most ridiculous conclusion. Looks like poor Yashiro is also in for it!, he thought to himself as he made his way to the love me room.

…

"Well Yashiro, so Ren finally decided to get a move on!", the president said triumphantly.

"That's right.",Yashiro replied with a grin. "He's probably confessing to her right now! He even practiced with me!"

Before The president could say anything however , there was a sound like a gunshot.

BANG!

Kanae was standing by the door in a towering rage. She entered the office and shut the door behind her. Yashiro gulped. Kanae was terrifying when she was like this.

"YOU BASTARD!", she shrieked making him jump. She marched over to him and jabbed him hard on the chest. Yashiro started to back away and Kanae continued to push him back with her prodding finger. "YOU CHEAT! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY Tsuruga san, kyoko and me!"

Yashiro was already beginning to tremble. "K.. ..what are you..", he stuttered.

"HOW DARE YOU CHEAT ON ME?", she yelled.

The president looked even more surprised. "Yashiro!", he said reproachfully. "The two of you were going out and you never even told me!"

"WE WERE GOING OUT!", Kanae shouted. "But I guess he has other plans!I mean can you believe how stupid I've been? He told me to keep our relationship a secret until Tsuruga san hooked up with Kyoko. Said it wouldn't look too good if the famous Ren Tsuruga's manager had found himself a girlfriend before him! I should have known better than to have believed a crappy reason like that!"

"Kanae!", Yashiro finally had the courage to raise his voice. "Why do you think I am cheating on you? I love you!"

Kanae laughed hysterically. "Just like you love Ren Tsuruga?"

There was a stunned silence. The president cleared his throat. "And er..what makes you think that Kotonami san?, he asked politely, trying to contain his laughter.

Kanae turned to him. "kyoko heard them getting all lovey-dovey in the broom cupboard! Tsuruga san even proposed to him!",she said bitterly.

Both the president's and Yashiro's faces cleared once they realized the misunderstanding. The president however decided to have a little fun.

"Is this true Yashiro?", he asked seriously. Yashiro nodded.

"AHA!", Kanae yelled pointing at him accusingly. "See! He's not even denying it! AND HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON EH? IT'S ONE THING TO GET DUMPED FOR A GIRL, BUT FOR A GUY! AND.."

But all her yelling was cut short by Yashiro when he pulled her in a tight embrace and kissed her. Kanae started to struggle, fiercely at first and then half- hartedly as Yashiro only held her closer.

When he finally drew away, he began to explain. "Kanae, Ren was just practicing in front of me. And I'd never ditch you. I love you!"

He said all this looking her in the eyes. Kanae had to believe him. After dating him for one year, she had long since come to the conclusion that Yashiro was a terrible liar.

"Right.", she muttered looking down. Yashiro looked relieved when…

Thwack! He received a sharp whack on his arm .

"That's for not stopping me from making a complete fool of myself in front of the president!", Kanae said fiercely.

"Kanae I tried to stop you, but you kept interr..ow!"

Thwack! "That's for kissing me in front of the president!"

Thwack! "And that should serve as a reminder for what will happen to you if you are late tonight!"

Kanae nodded at the president and walked out of the office.

The president shook his head in amusement. "I can't believe you managed to keep this from me!", he said. "C'mon. Let's check up on Ren. I hope he had the sense to go to the love me room."

…

Kyoko stared at the photograph in her hand getting angrier by the minute.

"That Yashiro!", she said to herself furiously. "First he steals away Tsuruga san and now he's two timing him."

Kyoko had found the photograph in a drawer. It was a picture of Kanae and Yashiro. He looked different. He wasn't wearing his glasses and was tucking away a lock of Kanae's hair behind her ear. It was a cute picture and in normal circumstances she would have been happy for her friends.

"I have to show this to Tsuruga san.", she decided. "I am going to expose his lying manager!"

Just then the door opened and Ren walked in closing the door behind him.

"Tsuruga san! Just the person I wanted to see!", Kyoko said bounding forward.

When she reached him Ren wrapped his arms around her. "Kyoko,",he murmured, "Why do you always jump to the most ridiculous conclusions?"

Kyoko pulled away from him frowning. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that incident in the cupboard. Kotonami san told me that you er…misunderstood that scene. Kyoko, I was only practicing in front of Yashiro, who was pretending to be the girl I love."

"Oh.",Kyoko said dully. "So you wanted me to pretend to be that girl and asked Yashiro when I didn't turn up."

Ren couldn't believe a person could be this dense. I'll knock some sense into her head if it's the last thing I do!, he thought furiously. And before she could pull away from him completely, he did it the only way he could think of.

Kyoko's mind went completely blank when she felt Ren's lips on hers. All memories of Sho and his disgusting kiss were out. Right then she was only aware that the man she loved was kissing her with just as much love as she would have.

All her doubts against Ren were gone. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. This time it was the real thing. The man before her loved her selflessly. He would return her love unconditionally. This was how she had imagined love to be . Mutual. Selfless. And no demands. The complete opposite of her relationship with Sho.

"You see.", Ren said finally pulling away. "You are the one I love."

Kyoko nodded brimming with happiness. She hugged Ren again. "I owe Yashiro san an apology.", she said , feeling ashamed of herself.

Ren chuckled. "Don't worry. He won't tahe it too badly."

"He's dating Moko,you know.", Kyoko said showing him the photograph.

"That would explain why she was so upset.", Ren said grinning as he remembered the red faced young lady blowing him out for 'stealing' her boyfriend.

The president sighed contentedly. Mission successful. Two Love me members will be graduating soon. Life may be a little dull now…"

…..

If you've read it till the end, thanks a lot! Please review!