Title: REALITY BITES
Chapter 1: When the Decisions were made
Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat, though I wish I did. I'd love to own Kyoko and Ren and all the rest of them characters so I can do anything I want with them. But I guess this fanfic will just have to suffice (sigh).
Setting: Supposedly a month after Ren's predicted accident during the Dark Moon shoot / Cain & Setsu Heel Arc.
Note: Thank you Alanis Morisette for your song which is the theme for the drama I came up with. Thank you for the great fanfic writers for writing the awesome fanfics about Ren & Kyoko and inspiring me to write one of my own, finally. (I did write once, but failed to finish it.. haha)
Ecstatic will be an understatement to describe what she is feeling now. For the past month, though she had many on-going projects, things seemed pretty dull. Maybe because Dark Moon has taken a break in filming due to Ren Tsuruga's absence, filling a lot of her time with empty spaces. She has more time for school now, though, and some other ocassional LoveMe duties, but she seemed to have lost a bit of her fervor. She didn't know why. Moko-san sometimes would scold her for fading out while they were talking about her bestfriends complaints with her current co-stars and some other general stuff. Those times when she would think about how she missed being being Setsu - cooking for her Nii-san and watching her Nii-san sleep. She wondered how he is doing now... and then she'd feel Moko-san's fist on top of her head, right at that tender spot, shouting at her to come back to reality.
So when the call came from Sawara-san that afternoon, she was more than thrilled and said YES right away, without asking for details. Especially when he told her it's not a bully role this time. Too excited, she got off the phone to respond to President Takarada's invitation. He was walking with his entourage, dressed like a Mob Boss, complete with a bright yellow gold chain around his neck and a hawaiian shirt underneath a crisp white suit, when he saw her walking while talking on the phone, and motioned for her to accompany him. She immediately complied, apologizing to Sawara-san for hanging up on him so suddenly.
"I see you're quite happy today, Mogami-kun" the LME President greeted, his eyes covered by dark sunglasses.
"Yes, Mr. President, I just spoke with Sawara-san about a new drama offer" she answered, after bwoing down to him, of course.
"Ah, so Sawara has told you. That's good. I was hoping I could tell you myself first, but that is alright. I hope you are most willing to accept it?" he asked with a tone full of sweetness and hope and so unlike a Mob Boss.
"Yes, Of course! I never thought I'd graduate from those bully-roles" she exclaimed rather loudly, then chastised herself "though I'm not saying I don't like my current roles" thinking about her adoptive Father "I am most happy to try out something different though" she said, looking down shyly.
"Ah.. That's good to hear. We can't say for sure, but who knows, maybe this will be your ticket out of LoveMe Division" the President answered. Kyoko could almost see the twinkle in his eyes.
Before she could reply after recovering from her astonishment, however, the President mentioned his other good news. "And also, I want to tell you that Ren-kun will be returning to Japan next week".
She didn't know exactly what happened, but something seemed to light up inside her.
"Tsu- Tsurugan-san!" she exclaimed with happiness.
"But is he already recovered? Will he be okay coming back to work so soon?" she suddenly relented, as if being happy for her senpai's imminent return was such a bad thing.
"Oh, he's completely well now. In fact, the man can't be dissuaded from coming back to work" Lory explained.
"Well, knowing Tsuruga-san, he's probably already worried about his work. He's such a professional. But really, he should think more about himself." she answered, drifting off, being preoccupied by something for which the LME President became curious of.
More like he can't keep away from you, any longer, Mogami-kun; if you only knew how lovesick that young man is, he thought, looking at the young actress before him. And I can't wait to tell him that his disappearance has affected you so.. hmmm
"I'm thinking of holding a simple welcome party for him, with Maria's insistence, of course. And she has requested of your contribution as well, Mogami-kun"
"I will be glad to help, just tell me when and where!" she said as she clapped her hands.
They parted after the President has given her the details of the welcome party's preparation. He decided to hold off telling her that the drama offer she has just received is also a new LoveMe project and that she will get to spend more time with her beloved senpai once it starts.
Kyoko thought that this day is one happy day. She just received a new project and she just found out that her senpai will be coming home soon. It seems rather selfish, but she brushed this feeling aside, concentrating on the welcome party project at hand - about the cakes she will bake and the poster to make, etc etc. Nothing could definitely go wrong.
Then, she didn't know how very wrong she was.
A month has passed that he didn't play any role. He didn't even play Ren Tsuruga. He had come close to losing his life in more than one ocassion before, when he was younger and more rebellious. But his most recent brush with death shook him more than anything else, because he realized he had so much more to lose now than before - even things he thinks he might never gain, such as her affection, flashed before his eyes, moments before the windshield of the car came crashing down upon him and he found himself facing the dark and cold asphalt. He realized he'd rather live without her returning his affection, than not live without seeing her or being by her side.
Julie has fussed over him for the past month, turning down modeling offers and commercial projects to be with her beloved son. He didn't know what came over him that he failed to say "NO" when she pleaded for him to come back to America to recuperate. He even took a break from filming Dark Moon. Good thing that Director Ogata was more than accomodating, being badly shaken up for almost losing the lead star of his drama. That, and Dark Moon's ratings increased more than 50% after the accident, and the fans gladly welcoming reruns of previous episodes to fill-in the episodes they failed to shoot because of Ren Tsuruga's absence.
He was thankful for his sudden plunge into anonymity. In America, he's not much of a big star as he is in Japan. He'd seen some clips in late night talk shows about his accident, but not much more. Even his secret hiding place in the west was kept top secret indeed. They were oblivious to the fact that he had lived for the past month as his TRUE self, reverting even to his original hair color and discarding his dark contact lenses.
Apart from regular family dinners, in which he became full just by watching his father snarf all edible things on their table and going with his mother on seemingly endless and boundless shopping trips, he used his time thinking and reflecting on things he needed to do. Then 3 weeks into the longest vacation he's ever had, he received a call from the President.
"I hope you can come back by early next month. I have a new drama for you" President Lory introed.
"What about my other role, what about Cain?"
"You will have time to finish the filming within next month. And the month after, you will have time to start this new project."
"What is so special about it? You forced me to come here and encouraged me to stay even longer, now you want me to return so quickly" he couldn't resist the temptation to challenge the man, despite his curiosity.
Lory chuckled, "I apologize, Oh mighty one. Would you be more interested if I tell you that you will be acting beside Mogami-kun this time?"
Ren almost choked. He tried not to think about her, but things and circumstances just go back to her and her alone, making him even more desperate to see her again.
"We will be telling her about the project by next week and I have a feeling she will definitely say yes" the President teased.
"Hmm.. and why are you so certain about that?"
"Oh, you know how Mogami-kun would want to graduate from her bully image.." the man answered matter-of-fact "and for her, this will be a new LoveMe Project" he added. The last few words were left hanging in the air.
That definitely meant something.
Ren issued an almost imperceptible groan.
"If it's you, I think, with this drama, she may even graduate from LoveMe" the Love-lover added.
"And if I say NO?" the young actor retorted.
"Then you will be passing a once-in-your-pitiful-lifetime opportunity. You will regret it even until you reach the afterlife" the boss answered with seriousness that is unknown of him.
"I wonder why you even called me" he countered and the other man laughed on the line.
"Oh you know how much I wanted to tease you, Ren-kun"
Their conversation ended with them finalizing the details of his return to Japan. The president also assured him that he will take care of his parents, especially his mother, who is most definitely going to disagree of him leaving their home on such short notice.
He is facing the inevitable now. He may either do so or hide forever. It's either he let the demons out and get it over with or be plagued by nightmares all his days. If he did the former, he may lose his chance of being by her side and earning her forgiveness. He may. But if he did the latter, he will just be reinforcing the fact that he, a pitiful coward, doesn't and will never deserve her.
End of Chapter 1