"So what do you think of this part?" Seiji Shingai leaned forwards folding his hands in front of his pursed lips. He felt his nerves were on edge as he awaited commentary from the man seated across from him, whom was lazily smoking a cigarette as he read the script in his hands.

"Fucking brilliant, like most of your works…but my question is why are you showing this to me instead of the person you need the approval of for this project?" Ushio Kurosaki watched the face of his long time friend and drinking buddy contort with what he perceived as frustration.

"Because even for me this project is a little nerve wracking….It is one of the ones I have been secretly working on, even before I got recognized for my other works. Being that it is extremely close to my heart I want it to be perfect. I want this work to be the first one people think of when they hear my name…" Seiji let out a long shaky breath as he buried his head in his hands.

"And knowing this I want the casting to be perfect, I want that man to love it enough to allow me to use that particular person. Theirs was the first name to come to mind, even if I only worked with them briefly on one of my movies, the impact they made was unforgettable…"

Kurosaki noticed his friends shiver, and he felt himself relate to the younger man. The impression a film made all depended on how well the characters were portrayed, and to say the least this was a complex character. Taking another drag from his dying cigarette, Kurosaki exhaled the tension he felt on his fellow director's behest.

"So what if that man refuses to let you use them? Are you going to scrap your beloved project?" The half smile Seiji gave the older man was all he needed to know what the other was thinking, he sighed as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Then you better fight tooth and nail for this. And if need be I will back you."

Seiji had expected the first words for Ushio to say, he had not expected him to offer to stick his own neck out for his long nurtured brain child.

"Why?" Kurosaki gave the most devilish grin Seiji had seen on the older man since their high school days when they were a couple of hoodlums with grand ambitions.

"Because I want to see that kid's acting in person again, I want to see this character of yours brought to life."

Seiji found his lips forming into their own devilish smile.

"Yea, me too."

….….….….….….….…

Gold eyes nervously scanned the room noting all the possible exits, to say her heart was racing was an understatement. It felt like fireworks were being set off in her brain.

"Ah, Mogami-kun. I apologize for my tardiness, my other meeting took a bit longer than I had anticipated." Lory Takarada strode into his grand office wearing what could only be described as an expensively ornate outfit, of what particular origin it belonged Kyoko wasn't sure. She was too focused on her breathing.

Lory sighed under his breath, he should have known this girl would be nervous on seeing him again after their last meeting in this particular room. The time he had forced her to admit her feelings and face her emotional turmoil head on must be replaying itself in her mind. He was glad he had done so, other wise he would not have been able to present her the opportunity of a life time. Not that he would have even considered it without her emotional growth.

"I called you here to discuss an important offer. It was one that was personally presented to me just this morning." Kyoko jolted herself out of the typhoon of thoughts battering around her brain.

"Oh! I thought I was in trouble for something." Lory audibly released his frustration this time

'why does she always think I am out to punish her for something?' Without meaning to his own thoughts brought up the image of the beautiful lawyer with a stern face that Kyoko so highly resembled. He shook himself out of his own darkening thoughts, he had business to discuss. Yes, this would surely bring up her mood immensely.

"There has been a personal and specific request for your talents on a tentative movie project. Director Shingai made a point to insist it had to be you to take on this role." Kyoko was currently scouring her mind for a face to fit the oh so familiar name.

"Ah the director of Ring-doh!" She remembered the director she met on her first official 'Love Me' assignment.

"Yes, moving forward, Director Shingai proposed this film to me not more than four hours ago, and he seemed set on you taking the lead role in this film."

Kyoko felt her breathing hitch and her heart flutter, she was requested for the lead? For the first time she wouldn't simply be an antagonistic supporting role? She shook her head. 'No, Mio and Natsu are still my precious creations to whom I owe so much to.'

Lory always found it amusing to watch the 'Love Me number 1' get lost in thought, as one could read the emotions clearly running across her features when she was not set into a role.

"Well more correctly put, he is requesting you for the leading 'roles'."

Kyoko's head shot up as the President of LME contemplatively corrected himself.

"Roles?"

Lory had to stop himself from laughing at the sheer confusion the teen was displaying.

"That is right, this is quite a complex film centering around and extremely emotionally tumultuous plot. Your acting would be the center point of this, saying that, this would sky rocket your notoriety and fame."

Kyoko felt chills running down her spine at the seriousness of the tone the president's voice carried, and the implications it laid out. If she couldn't pull this off she would prove how unready she was to become an actress on level with her beloved sempai, and that thought alone caused her hands to shake as she reached for the script being pushed in her direction.

Her breath caught at the title, it pulled at her heart strings.

" 'Fractured Butterfly'." It was a beautifully poetic title, that much was certain. How well the film would be received was something else all together, and it all hinged on this girl's acting. Lory felt the pride of a father watching his child grow up, but the fear that she wasn't ready for the harsh reality of what the world would demand from her. And this was a film that would push her to the brink. He didn't even know if Ren could handle such a large work load, he knew the actor would give it his all, but whether the portrayal was to be emotionally wrenching he didn't know if the actor could lose himself this much. It was a highly challenging role for any actor, to say it was a surprise when director Shingai had basically put a rather large caveat that it could only be Kyoko to star in this film was an understatement. Seiji had expressed how dear this project was to him and how long he had fine tuned it, keeping it hidden from prying eyes. It came as a shock to Lory that the man would rather never see it be made than not have the young actress take lead in the film. For himself Lory wanted to see the film in its final stages, it pulled at him and terrified him all the same.

….….….….….….….…

Gin Saito stared at the screen in front of him, unable to tear his eyes away. His eyes flicking back and forth between the images presented on the screen.

"This is not possible…" The words came out as a breathe, but he knew they weren't true. The reality was displayed so clearly in front of him, it made his throat clench as fear, confusion and anger welled inside of him.

'This is….terrifying.'

A\N: I want to work on my writing and challenge myself to put readers in suspense, the characters are not mine they belong to Nakamura Yoshiki, to whom I greatly admire for keeping many fans in addicted suspense over years with her brilliantly written works.

All credit goes to Nakamura Yoshiki for such beautifully created characters.