Disclaimer: Right, I own Skip Beat. Actually, I'm President Lory Takarada and these are just synopses from my favorite otome games 3

Title: Give Me A Good Reason

Summary: Ren's giving himself good reasons to give up Kyoko, Sho's giving him good reasons not to, and Kyoko's giving him whiplash. What happens when the only way he can keep all his eggs in one basket is to completely envelope the persona of Cain Heel, and all that that implies? (post-167)

Chapter: One: Tsuruga Ren, Number One Actor in Japan

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The tall man leans forward, pressing himself against the awkwardly low bathroom counters catering to the Japanese of acceptably average height, and levels himself with his reflection. Through the steamed mirror, the tortured man begins a staring contest he intends to lose.

'This shackle is a reminder, Ren. But it should not be necessary...' reminds his reflection, 'Get yourself together. You may have the career you've always longed for, but you can't have the girl, too...'

A sharp squeal from the other room nulls his inner conflict, and the actor instinctively rushes to open the door.

"What happ-"

And there, prancing around like a ballerina on speed, was the girl. The object of his desires and subject of his painful conflict sang, "Mooooooooooooookooooooooooo-saaaaaaaaaaan~~~"

Ah, Kotonami Kanae had called. Tsuruga Ren huffed with a relaxed grin and leaned comfortably onto the open door-frame he'd been standing in.

"Enka." Tsuruga blurted out involuntarily to the chipper young lady's cadence upon greeting her best friend.

"Moko-san! How-are-you-how-was-work-and-your-family-is-doing-well-I-hope-you-know-it's-rather-tranistional-weather-right-now-so-the-little-ones-might-be-catching-colds-around-this-time-and-oh!-Moko-san-"

Kyoko's bunny hopping was halted by a very shrill and very familiar, "MMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!" Followed by what Tsuruga could only infer to be a reflexive slew of insults. Luckily, before his dear Kyoko could sink into her familiar sea of despair, her smart friend must have added something to fill Kyoko's 'Biffle'-eating, golden-eyed sparkles.

At the magic words, the bubbly blonde returned, smiling and sparkling to the max, "Oh, Moko-san! There's nothing to worry about~"

After a pause from his lady love, the silly man realizes he'd been staring at the small woman and smiling like school girl all by himself. Quick to correct, Kuon gathered himself back into Tsuruga Ren, Number One Actor of Japan. With his gentleman's smile on, Ren deftly shifted his weight off of the door-frame just when gold eyes met green. Defensively, Ren's gentlemanly smile flashed just a tad brighter before the poor adult could remember that this smile usually meant his pupil would recoil from him. To his great surprise, and relief, she'd kept eye contact...

And not only had she kept eye contact, but there was a deep feeling within them...

For five slow heartbeats Ren was completely captivated. His mind went blank, his lips parted, his eyes drooped, his legs went lax... And the always 100% suave actor went weak at the knees (YES! THE TSURUGA REN, WEAK AT THE KNEES), almost falling where he stood. And, much to his chagrin, the actor had been caught by none other than his leading lady!

Oh, it's that look, "Tsuruga-san, are you all right?"

Kyoko's left hand held firmly to his left forearm while the other rested reassuringly across his wide back. Her gaze looked dewy to him, and her cheeks tinted like a cherub, and he let himself feel cherished for a second. He wanted to burn this feeling into his heart, even if it was only an illusion.

"Tsuruga-san...?" With the position he'd fallen into, it was easy for the poor man to catch the delicate scent wafting from her soft hair. He was almost close enough to her the sound of her dulcet breathing, close enough to imagine a quickening in her heartbeat... "Tsu... Tsuruga-san...?" Oh... Shit. Indulgence is a sin. He'd let himself rest against her so long that playing aloof was now absolutely out of the question...

Ah, well, fuck... Quickly, Tsuruga Ren drew up to his full height, held up his arms into an 'X' shape and made a very (almost unnervingly) cute, "Buu-buu," buzzer noise followed by a pout.

With instant understanding, a look of slow horror crawled onto his kouhai's face as her piercing golden eyes dulled and a shriek peeled from her lips. Convinced that he'd tricked her into thinking he was in-character and she was NG-ed, the senpai was able to calmly pat the girl on the head and calmly walk back into the bathroom, closing the door to let his favorite actress berate herself before quickly and professionally collecting herself and continuing the scene.

From the other side of the door, Kuon closes his eyes and mentally pictured the girl he loves in the other room. Briefly, he wishes he were the room itself, encompassing her, comforting her, coaxing her-

Tsuruga grips his wrist, tightening his shackle enough to imprint the cold metal head into his skin. As he slips to the floor, his mind plays a cruel film of dreams he'd never dared to dream, "No."

"... Get yourself together..."

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When Tsuruga-san came back out of the bathroom, he looked more stable, but...

"Nii-san..." Setsu (or Kyoko) didn't understand it herself, but upon sighting her brother (slash Senpai), she instantly wanted to give him a hug. She'd completely forgotten about her recent plunge into NG hell, and only thought of him... "Nii-"

Woah, Kyoko... Hold on a minute, this is Tsuruga-san, we're talking about here! You can't just go hugging your senpai! Especially not when that senpai is Tsuruga Ren, Number One Actor in All of Japan! Do you want to be cursed by every lust-crazed woman in the country? Didn't think so... And yet, and yet... Kyoko couldn't help moving to him and holding his large hands in hers.

'Man, Setsuka sure is strong... I can't help but let her feelings take over...' Kyoko rationalized. Riiiight... Setsuka's feelings, not the person playing Setsuka... 'Okay. It's okay, right?'

Kyoko looked up at Setsuka's beloved Nii-sama, drinking in his expression- a mix of curiosity and tenderness... And something else that she couldn't quite place... Something someone with a more experienced eye might call longing.

"Nii-san, I don't know what kind of work you've had that kept you away a~all day long, but you're going to have to pay for it!" She raved in her best spoiled little sister voice. Kyoko wondered for a second why it was so easy for her to act out something so incredibly foreign. She'd never been spoiled a day in her life, and yet here she was, nagging her mentor's character about not paying enough attention to her... Kyoko gave herself a private smile, repeating her favorite reasonings when it came to her favorite actor, 'It's Tsuruga-san's magic.'

"E~hh, but, Setsu, you're the one who had me waiting by myself tonight~"

"Well, I... I was out!" Kyoko hadn't thought of a fitting excuse for Setsuka... Logically, Setsuka would never go anywhere without her brother. But Kyoko couldn't help it if they both had work! And afterward, Kyoko stopped to talk to Director Ogata about her mentor's condition, and she couldn't help that either! This wouldn't get her another NG, would it? "If nii-san couldn't even be bothered enough to bring along his one-and-only little sister, who came all the way to Tokyo for him, then why should she be bothered by waiting for such a baka-aniki to return, hmm?"

"Then where were you without your baka-aniki, Setsu?" Ren let a dangerous smile slip, pushing it away before his kouhai could catch it and slapping on his "so-what attitude."

"Where were you that you couldn't have me come along?" Kyoko quipped, feeling genuinely ticked for some reason.

Oh, he could sense that... And it put a mischievous smile on the idiot-brother's face, "Are you thinking silly thoughts, little Setsu?" And even though he was accusing Setsu, the accusor himself was feeling a tad bit guilty of his own delusions of grandeur. And who could help that, with the way Setsu spoke, one can't help but incur a slight craving.

"What did you say?" Thankfully, Kyoko hadn't caught onto a thing. She was blessed with sweet naivete.

"I'm just wondering why you're so worked up about it-" And there, Ren cut himself off. The look on Setsuka's face was enough to stay his penchant for teasing. His hands flew to cradle her face, and he gave her a steady gaze, "I missed you all day."

And it worked! Tsuruga let out a tiny sigh of relief. If he didn't know any better, he'd think his kouhai was testing his acting skills... Like repressing himself from his desires wasn't already enough of a challenge.

Kyoko actually hadn't meant to start an arguement... And she didn't even realize she'd felt hurt until he'd already made her feel better, "Nii-sama, I didn't mean to question you," And she gave a cute pout... A very very cute pout, and one, if you recall, on the face of the one and only love of the man currently holding this face between his hands... Oh, danger... Danger, danger... "All I wanted was to coax you..." Danger! Danger! "So that you might eat everything I've prepared for dinner, and then play with me after to make up for being apart all day!" Torture. This harpy! So what if it's not intentional provocation, it's provocation, nonetheless!

If it weren't for that adorable "Cutie Honey" smile she was beaming his way right now, the poor actor might have fallen over from over-heating. Luckily, he covered well, "I'll bite. Since you're being honest today, I'll do whatever my one-and-only wants. Good?" Ren smiled and tweaked his little sister's nose affectionately before sitting down at the table. This whole sibling-complex banter was something he could definitely get used to, Ren thought with a smile before glancing down at a table full of food.

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Author's Note: My first in this series... Don't go easy on me! Anyway, this is following Act 167! I just read Act 168 and I cried bucketloads! I don't know why! I don't understand it... Maybe has something to do with listening to my sad playlist.

I've got some good stuff coming up... I don't know how hot things will get, you guys let me know if I take it too far, ok? [I just love the idea of forbidden romance. Siblings is just such a sad, sad type of love!]

If you want steamy, I can write it. I prefer not to go in too in-depth, if you catch my drift, but I can write enough to set your teeth on edge if you'd like.

Anyway, let me know what you think! Guess which male and female is featured in the next chapter:

Yashiro, Sho, Lory, Maria, Chiori, Kanae