Chapter One: Strange Introductions
AN: I wrote this fanfiction many years ago with a great idea and then life got to me. But I am back with reborn vision for this story so I am revisiting and revamping each chapter, as well as continuing to write it. I recently rewatched Skip Beat and started rereading the Manga, so I think that the characters will be much more in character. Let me know what you think so far. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of Identity Crisis.
Kyoko stood gaping at the entrance to the LME Arts Academy for the young and wealthy socialites of Tokyo. Here it was, her first day at her new school, and already she felt a sense of dread. Being accepted into LME on a full scholarship because of her mediocre ability to act was not comforting, nor was the fact that she was a plebeian amongst a beautiful, talented, and above all rich student body.
Kyoko had come from an unbelievably poor family in Kyoto and she was abandoned by her mother at a young age, which meant she was pushed into the struggles of learning how to cope with her life on her own. This lead to that, and Kyoko worked away her dreams at a neighboring inn as a kitchen helper after school. The owners of the inn were the parents of a school friend of Kyoko's and they took care of her out of pity. They let her live with them in exchange for her work. It was an unfortunate situation.
Although she never spoke out and didn't expect to amount to much, Kyoko had always idolized the princess stories from her childhood, and secretly dreamed of becoming a star one day. Her greatest pleasure was looking at old fashion magazines the family threw out and imagining what her life would be like if she was rich and famous. It was a superficial and unattainable goal, but that didn't stop her from desiring a different lifestyle for herself viciously.
One ordinary day, at the end of a particular day of school, her entire life took an unexpected turn for the better. Her school's drama teacher had overheard her helping her friend Moko with her monologue for the school play. They were rehearsing an argument scene and Kyoko passionately acted out her role, crying out in agony when Moko's character slapped her. The drama teacher was truly impressed, and offered Kyoko a spot in the Drama club. She couldn't believe that someone had found talent in her plainness, but she joined anyway, secretly hoping that although she was lackluster, her tenacity and desire to improve her life would lead her away from the cage of the countryside. At the end of the year, Kyoko's hard work finally paid off and her teacher surprisingly told her that she should apply to an art school in Tokyo, instead of coming back to her regular high school for her Sophomore year. After a long summer of practicing her singing and acting, she had auditioned and made it into LME Academy, thanks to the kind hearted head of the school Takarada Lory, who had even offered her a full scolarship. He took the time to see the depth of Kyoko's passion and knew that her strength of character would make her a good fit for his school. But that alone would not lead her to stardom, he told her. She would have to work her ass off to deserve the help she was getting from the school. But perhaps the best part of the entire deal was that her best (and only friend) Kanae, or dearest Moko as Kyoko called her, was also accepted.
Kyoko snapped out of her reflective daydream with a heavy sigh and focused on what was ahead of her. Even though she had come for a tour over the summer and lived here for the past few days, the campus was always able to take her breath away. It was extraordinary and didn't resemble her old high school at all. It screamed upper class. The luxurious sports cars of the upperclassman parked in the school's long driveway looked like they belonged to movie stars. All the girls were beautiful in their expensive makeup and classic preppy haircuts. Even though everyone had to wear uniforms at LME: a white silk button up blouse, black cashmere cardigan, black and pink blazer, short pink dress skirt, and white silk stockings for the girls, they looked sophisticated and elegant. She looked drab compared to all of these wealthy girls, even though they all wore the same black and dark pink uniforms. It may have been because Kyoko didn't have any of the accessories and name brand goods the other girls had, or maybe it was a personality thing. Even so, she was glad that she had to wear a uniform because it would take longer for people to realize that she was just a poor and boring scholarship student. Kyoko was overjoyed to be wearing clothes that were expensive. On the day she received her uniform, she refused to take it off for a whole day, much to Moko's annoyance. Besides the uniform, Kyoko had tried to mask her plainness as much as possible, letting Moko dye her hair a light auburn/copper color and cut it short to make it trendier. Moko had also forced her to go shopping for some accessories that would make it seem like they belonged in the upper class atmosphere. Kyoko bought a simple, but cute brown satchel for school and matching "diamond" bracelets with Moko.
The only luxury item she had even purchased was a small bottle of Chanel perfume which she had to spend an entire year's savings on. When they walked into the store that sold the perfume, the salesperson eyed them suspiciously, thinking they would steal something. It made Kyoko's cheeks redden went she went to the register to pay, and lady gave her a cold stare, probably thinking how such a plain little country girl could afford Chanel. It was the truth, that she couldn't, but decided to spoil herself for once in her life. After all it was a new chapter, a new beginning, and Kyoko thought it would be unfair for her expensive uniform to smell like drugstore body spray.
The most essential aspect of LME Academy for Kyoko was that it was also an optional boarding school. Because of their many exchange students and other students that came to study in Tokyo, the school provided full furnished dorms for students who requested one. Kyoko would live at school and have her own room right next to Moko's in the East Wing. It was like a fairytale dream come true. She had never truly had a place to call her own before, and seeing the room back in August had brought tears of joy to her eyes for hours on end.
"Kyoko look at the view. Isn't it refreshing?"Kanae sighed as she stared out the window.
"Nevermind the view Moko, come here and feel this blanket on my bed. It feels like the belly of the little white rabbit we used to play with on your uncle's farm in Kyoto!" exclaimed a super hyper Kyoko.
"That rabbit was later turned to stew Kyoko." Kanae said with a playful frown.
"Maybe it was turned into a blanket," Kyoko giggled as she absentmindedly stroked the throw on her bed.
Kyoko pulled out a little beat up hot pink cell phone and looked at the time. The muffin she had gotten for Moko from a French bakery down the street was already cooling. The school had a superb cafeteria, but she knew her best friend loved muffins. Kyoko was left with 15 minutes to get to her class before the first day of school officially started. Moko was nowhere to be seen and the students were slowly making their way inside the grand school building. After waiting for a few more minutes at the entrance, she decided to get to class. She thought to cross the driveway and take the back entrance that lead her through the garden and the library. Maybe she would find Moko there. She was just about to cross the driveway, when a sleek silver Porsche came zooming in and scared her half to death. Kyoko jumped back just in time for the car to narrowly miss her foot, losing her balance and dropping her phone on the ground instead. She cringed as she heard the crunching of her phone as it shattered under the tire of the Porsche. Her face turned crimson from anger and embarrassment.
"Great! Just great!" she mumbled under her breath as she watched the car come to a sudden stop with a scream from the tires. A tall, dark, well-sculpted man came out of the car and ran to her side.
"I am so sorry! I thought I was going to kill you! Are you alright?" the stranger asked.
She looked up into midnight colored eyes and long black locks that fell in front of a sharp, concerned looking face. Kyoko had a sudden urge to look away. She quickly nodded and looked down, her blush deepening.
The stranger took her right in his and examined it.
"I saw you hit your hand against my side mirror and drop your phone. I am truly, really sorry. Does your hand hurt? I am a really big idiot, I know. I just didn't expect to see anyone walking in the driveway. You must be new if you have the guts to walk in the driveway. Everyone knows its a death wish. I'm Tsuruga Ren by the way," the stranger introduced himself and blew cold air on her wounded knuckle.
Kyoko closed her eyes in pain and frustration. She was going to be late for her first class and knowing rich people, he would probably cause a ruckus and blame her for stepping in front of him and she would not only have to be late but also deal with him and it was just her horrible luck that-
Kyoko stopped her racing mind to process the moment. He had just sincerely apologized to her.
She looked up at him timidly and croaked, "I'm alright, just a bit annoyed that I had to deal with this on my first day of school. I don't know how I am going to explain my tardy to my Drama teacher Yashiro-senseiā¦"
"Oh that's easy, I will explain it for you and clarify that it was my fault entirely," the stranger responded, raising his eyebrows jovially as he took in her casual way of speaking to him, "Besides, I am conveniently also going to Yashiro-san's class, since I am his student assistant and the president of the Drama organization at LME" he smiled calmly, as if he just told her something mundane like his favorite color, and not the fact that he was the ruler of LME.
AN: So what did you think? Thumbs up? Please R&R!
