Hello Everyone.
First, be nice with me it's my first story published on fanfiction and in english as my mother's tongue is french. But it's not my first try at writing do not worry.
I hope you will still like it however.
This story is for one-corny-stone for the skip beat-secret-santa-event. I'm a bit anxious to see if you will like it or not as i see you loved family stuffs. But they put you with the bad one for this. So i opted for fluffs things and while searching a way to make things happen between our two dear ones it somehow came out like that.
As you will later learn to know it i'm an hopeless intense romantic angst puppy. So in short, i love fluffy things but also intense dramatic things. So i tried to mix both even if in this one i very much tried to only be on the fluff edge. Unfortunatelly i wasn't able to round my mind on it. So here it is.
You didn't say you didn't like drama and don't worry i love happy endings.
Part one.
P.S.: I do not own skip beat or any of the characters in it. It's owned by the incredible and devilish Nakamura Yoshiki author.
Hardships doesn't always bring bad and sadness, sometimes the unexpected come from the worse, sometimes a little blow is enough for the wheel of fate to move and interlaced deeply and for eternity - the bonds of people's lifes.
Everything went well at first; Kyoko attended the room at TBM where the candidates would wait their turn. And for her part, she patiently stayed in one corner a bit away from the others participants of the audition.
She was quietly performing her training for Momiji's role and making the last alterations on her costume and attire (which consisted of a dark tight long-sleeves t-shirt and pants set, a low dark-blue scarf and fake bandages) until one incident happened.
Some loud voices were suddenly heard just outside the doors of the waiting's room.
At first, Kyoko planned to stay away from it but as it was bothering everyone else but no one would move she finally left her chair and went outside to see what the matter was.
There, she found some unknown girl and Morizumi Kimiko, the girl who was her biggest suspect and most possibly the culprit in the issue of koenji-san's injuries, having some ugly argument.
As she was about to address them to go farther away to continue, Morizumi-san started to entrain the other girl in empty room saying that they would inconvenience others and kyoko hesitated before to quickly follow them.
Then the other girl grab Morizumi-san in an instant and started shouting insults and accusing her to be a fake, to play sick games and threatening to show her true colours and her bad personality to everyone.
But before the calm and arrogant face of Morizumi-san, the girl finally lost it and slapped her.
So before it goes further, Kyoko quickly come in, wanting to prevent anymore violence though she knew she shouldn't mind or even more involved herself in the thing.
-You will do nothing of that Said Morizumi-san as kyoko approached them. And, imperceptibly, she pushed a mirror toward the poor girl as kyoko was just reaching her.
-Warning! Shouted kyoko as she managed to push the girl a little.
But not enough.
Not even nearly enough.
As the mirror still partially hit the girl and as, most of all, while trying to protect her it's finally Kyoko who took most of the glasses and most of the damages; hitting her on her back at the full force of the fall while only a very short piece of glass hit the right leg of the other girl.
The first thing that came in the mind of kyoko as she was recovering from the shock was that it hurts. Very much.
Everywhere.
It hurt so much.
"ouch…"
"Don't want to stand…" She thought.
The pain was nearly unbearable and she was feeling sored from all parts of her body. She could already feel some places that were tingling, burning or were warmer than usual. But other than that, she couldn't comprehend what had happened, couldn't think and wasn't able to come back to reality.
She couldn't even hear her surrounding, the loud cries and shouts from the girl, the voices and fast steps quickly approaching them.
She tried to open her eyes but even though she could vaguely feel air on her open eyes, she couldn't see a thing, not even the light of the sun going through the window.
No sounds, no views and no light could attain her. It was like she was completely blind and deaf. And if it wasn't for the pain in her every members she could even had thought she was dead.
But then-like a veil slowly ripped apart in a deathly silence-something came back into view.
Little by little, light slowly rushed back and get through her pupils in a painful and tingling way even if dark points continued to pass before her eyes.
And finally she heard some sound and eventually the voices trying to sooth the girl with some nonsense.
Then a man come near, knelt at her side and called her.
-Miss? Miss, are you okay?
She grunted as an answer but seeing he wasn't close to let her be, she nodded imperceptibly and oh so very slowly sat on her knees careful to not make any unnecessary moves-no, to move the least if possible.
Every little movement were hurting her and making her want to be sick.
Then the man suddenly shake her a little asking again and again if she was okay and she nearly pass out one more time when a pain burning and aching in the utmost painful way shot through all her left arm and back from the point where the man had put his hand: meant on her shoulder.
One thing was clear. Even if she still couldn't manage to record all her injuries she could already tell this one was the worst.
As the man was still fussing around her, she finally try to make a sound and two failed attempts later eventually cracked in a murmur:
-I'm okay, just a bit groggy. You should help the other, it looks much worse.
-You sure?
She then showed her best smile of actress, hiding all the pain she was feeling as she already knew what will be her fate and obviously what already was the one of the girl if they discovered she was injured. The guy quickly back out and went near the other girl.
They won't let them participate at the audition if they are injured. Not that this other girl would wish that after what happened but it was different for her. Even if it was just common sense to forbid them to participate in these circumstances and even if it would have been wiser for her to do so as she was seriously injured.
But she won't back out now. Not after all that happened. It would be too easy for Morizumi-san.
And moreover, she trained so much for this role; it really would be unfortunate and a pity to give up now. So even wound as hell she won't back off of the fight.
Speaking of which, where went the main responsible of this mess and her state.
Evidently, she was gone.
Well, she couldn't think about her for now. She would just have to do her best at the audition. Which was, as she heard it, reported for a few hours until the incident and mess around it be clean up and when they would have put some light on what happened and why (which she doubts they will manage in time) and put everything in order to receive the participants again.
So, after another moment staying still on the floor to pull together her remaining strength and recovering from her shock and pass out, she wobbly gets up on her shaking legs.
And she immediately put less weight on ankle than the other feeling a diffuse hurt in the right one and regretted it in the instant.
Because first even if her right ankle was definitively twisted, it was nothing compared to the pain she felt when she did her mission at the Ring Doh shooting. More like just a little twisted. But her second and very reason was that she felt hurt in the palm of her bare foot when she pushed on it and that pain was far more intense to deal with while using her left foot than staying on the other barely twisted one.
She surely had a cut on it and maybe even glass in it but she couldn't check it now.
She had to hide any abnormal comportments and moves and make her look like she escaped from the fall of the mirror and wasn't injured anywhere. So she won't be able to look at her wounds until she will be alone.
But as she was starting to walk, the pain from the cut in her foot reminded itself to her and as a wake up from it, she begun to feel all the cuts in her skin. Little ones as the not so little. And the monstrous 'one in her left shoulder.
She grimaced in pain but quickly hide it again.
First, she has to leave this room. Then she would have to find a drugstore nearby. Then find a deserted room and eventually heal herself her injuries.
So,
First, leave the room.
You have to walk. And act.
Act.
Act!
And now walk.
And she walked and left the room full of worried people doting the other girl like she was perfectly fine and not at all in pain.
She went directly to the way out of the building in search of a pharmacy, feeling fuzzy and a bit nauseous but not even close to give in, glued to her determination like a mollusc to his rock.
When Ren parked in TBM parking, it was a little bit before eleven a.m. and he managed to be quite in advance for the appointment. The mysterious appointment made by his manager and some unknown directors for even more unknown job.
And if he was consequently rather curious it wouldn't usually have made him come more than two hours in advance, as the meeting was at half past one in the afternoon, and first of all he wouldn't even have time to wait that much time. But, for one, as he was just finishing a stressful job and coming back from it foreign location and he didn't want things to be too much pack up and busy the very next day of the end of his previous role.
And secondly, for an uncertain reason, he was a bit anxious since this morning and unable to stay in place. So, not feeling like taking some personal free time or even just rest a bit more in his bed, he came earlier.
He didn't even have to pick up Yashiro-san, as yesterday his manager excitably announced him his success in getting his driver's licence thanks to his training in the past two and half weeks where Ren was gone.
So it's in a fairly relaxed and casual way that he made his path in TBM's corridors until his regard suddenly crossed something familiar and he fixed his glaze on it while making his way to it.
It was Kyoko. And happiness was already blooming in him at the idea of being able to see her after his absence of the past weeks.
Even if she was with some unknown and irritably close to her guy.
Nevertheless, he greets her: Hello, Mogami-san, nice to see you today He said with a smile.
But still, that wasn't what bothered him the most. Not in the very moment anyway.
It was her face.
She was considerably pale.
And the awkward feeling that was wrong with her grows even more in puissance as she greets him in return.
-Hello Tsuruga-san, nice to see you too she answered with upmost natural.
Yeah, something was definitively off. But knowing that discovering what was happening was like pulling tooth out from her mouth, he opted for a subtle approach.
-And who is?
-Ah! Sorry Tsuruga-san She said urgently. It's Hikaru-san, he sometimes works with me for some job and we meet earlier as he has also others jobs at TBM and as I came today for Momiji's audition.
-I see.
-By the way, Kyoko-can, I have to take my leave. I finished my job for the morning and have one other work at another station.
Ren frowned before the using of the name of Kyoko but didn't comment.
-Bye Kyoko-chan. Tsuruga-san. He said with a little bow from the head before parting from them.
Ren then turned to Kyoko and said: Mogami-san, are you okay? You not seem so well.
She then turned to him and with another mastered natural smile: of course Tsuruga-san, I'm okay. Just a bit tired at the worst but okay, you don't have to worry so much.
-Okay.
She then explained she didn't have much time and that she would leave first. And he let her go.
It was the perfect answer. One she had even already said to him in the past in not so much different words and it was so like her.
And it nearly did it. Nearly trick him.
He was even actually starting to feel like he was overthinking and would have let it pass until he saw something on the floor.
Drops.
But not just any drops.
Dark red drops.
Blood's drops.
Luckily for her, Kyoko had found nearby a drugstore and bought a mountain of strips of cloth and dressing, antibacterial liquid, sticking plaster, a pair of scissors, sticky tape, tweezers, an all pack of first-aid kit, pain-killers, anti-inflammatory drug and cream and even some needles for stiches if needed.
She nearly faint while inside the pharmacy and fought all the way back to TBM building the numerous hurting she felt coming from everywhere on and in her skin.
She was in desperate search of a quiet place when she bumped in Hikaru and saw not so far a threat so much worse and complicates to avoid coming her way.
But the ironic thing of the moment was even in her state, even if she knew seeing him now wouldn't be good in any ways (hiding something from him being already a great challenge when she was in good form and that he would not let it go if he ever learned what happened) at the moment; all she could feel was pure joy at the idea of seeing him after nearly three weeks not being able to do it.
She cursed her chance and her heart and greeted him like every other times, showed her best fake-natural smile, hoping, praying even, it would camouflage her actual predicament to his eagles' eyes and took her leaves, backing away in the most quickly natural slow walk. Or so she hoped.
Then, when out of his sight, she slowed down, catching her now erratic breath and trying to calm her spinning head and feeling some sick shivers running down her back then quite instantly feeling a lot warmer. Too much warmer.
She had fever.
It was becoming urgent she sit down. She had to check her wounds and quickly with that.
But most of all: she had to rest; even just a little would help a lot.
She took another quivering breath and made some quaking steps before resuming her search of an empty local; not even noticing the blood flowing from her shoulder and running down her left arm before dropping from her hand and onto the floor. Reds drops left behind her passage.
Finally; she saw some storage room in an isolate corner of the first floor and partially hidden behind an emergency flight of stairs.
Well it was more of an empty room than a storage room she noticed as there was nearly nothing in it apart from a large used couch, a comfy armchair and a few old chairs barely handling on their tired and worn out feet and the table to make the set of it. That and a small wall cupboard and a sink fixed to the back wall just one or two feet under it.
But that wasn't what matter to her at the moment, there was light available from the ceiling lamp and if it wasn't enough to alights her several cuts she could still use what she just noted to be an old desk lamp near the armchair. Well, if it still works.
But still she was more than fine with this room. That was even a great find. Quiet, comfy, not too cold and most of all no one to disturb her. She felt like she wanted to lick her wounds in peace and wanted to mentally prepare when she would have to return to the audition. And to doing that she needed three things: healing her wounds, rest and alone 's time.
Still she felt relief pouring out in her veins and with the loss of adrenaline, the pain resurged with much force than before, nearly mind-blowing her for a moment; and she knew she couldn't have resist much longer.
So after carefully closing the door behind her, she settled to use the desk lamp-after having check it still works- and turned off the ceiling lamp to not attire the attention of anyone to this room.
she made two more steps before reaching one of the walls, sighed profusely and started to shake.
She let go of everything she had in her hands and all of the items dropped to the ground. Her sport bag followed.
It hurts too much, she couldn't handle it anymore.
-Ahhh…she murmured in a cry a pain.
And closing her eyes in a painful gesture she let herself fall, her back slipping slightly on then more and more against the wall until she reached the ground, shivering from every members and drowsy from the effort it took to ignore the pain until now.
She stayed like that a moment, focusing her attention on her breathing, the air filling her lungs in and out again and again until her respiration finally came back even.
She was also trying by every means to not think about anything and even less her awful state. Refusing to see her terrible quakes or acknowledge the burning pain she was feeling.
But after a while however as nothing but her breathing were getting better she was starting to think she won't be able to prevent herself to pass out.
Just one instant.
It would be se pleasurable to black out; even just for a little while.
But then at the last moment she remembered she needed to nurse her wounds before anything.
She signed and trembled a little.
What a nice start for her audition.
Anyway, after another unending moment of rest, she gathered her courage to move.
Trembling, she raised her right hand and tried to reach to all the healing things and drive them back closer to her.
The simple move left her sweating and shivering even more and she let her head fall back against the wall.
At a very slow pace, she turned her forehead to the said wall and concentrated on the refreshing feeling of it coldness.
Then she attempted to start making count of all the wounds she could feel. She knew she had a slightly sprained right ankle, she could feel her left knee was also a bit sored and didn't bulge very well and the same was right for her left wrist.
She then remembered the way she fell on the ground not so much time ago. She hit pretty hard the floor with her hands and knee. It was surely at that moment she did it.
Then came the cuts, there were countless little cuts that she couldn't even point on where they were. But there were also several more severe cuts. She could feel a bad one on the front of her left thigh that will require bandage ( how a piece even managed to attain this point knowing the angle of the fall on her was a mystery), one or two at the backs of her legs with rather the same severity that the one from the front.
Another sad cut at her waist was burning a lot, she had even one at her neck and two even worse others ones at her back with innumerable smaller ones. Her back was nearly numb from all the pain and different wounds.
And of course, there was her shoulder.
She didn't even want to think about it for the moment. She won't be able to nurse it right away anyway. She had to regain a bit of force first.
And if she wished to still attempt the audition she won't even have time to band every little cut. Just the worst ones.
Stop.
Don't think about it now.
One thing by one.
First she will look after her feet. She has to be able to walk. If not, going to the room of the audition wouldn't even be possible. She has put back earlier some loose baskets on her feet before going out of the building but now she needed to remove them.
She curved to her feet with softness to not make stir the cut at her waist and the ones at her back and remove the one from her right foot.
And after another sharp breath she took the shoes from her left foot too, her face contorted while in the process.
Still, because of her state, the excessive pain she was feeling and her focus one only thing, she wasn't conscious of the real danger.
As natural consequence, the deepest and largest wounds were bleeding.
A lot.
Especially the ones from her shoulder and her back.
And slowly-silently- scarlet liquid was flowing unconsciously to her from her body.
On the wall and down to the floor.
But she was too focused.
Too feverish.
And just in a too sick state to have knowledge of that.
One would even say she wasn't really there, wasn't completely conscious anymore.
Kyoko caught one strip of cloth and bandaged her twisted ankle before passing to her left foot. She took a tweezer and looked with attention at the palm of her foot searching from where the sharp pain was coming.
After a moment she managed to find the piece of glass responsible of the torturous pain and pulled it out with the help of the tweezer. She then put antibacterial on it and enrolled her left foot with bands of white cloth.
She did the same with her twisted left wrist and also bandaged the palms of her two hands where deep cuts had handicapped her until now. She put strip of cloth on her forearms too even if it was less deep than some other cuts. But it was a sensible part and was hurting a lot. She even put cream on it before bandaging it.
She then rolled up to her knees the legs of the slim black bermuda from her ninja's costume she was wearing and banded her twisted knee.
She was exhausting herself, nearly passed out several times and had to take a lot of breaks but she still finally succeeded in finishing nursing her legs after she had disinfected and bandaged the deep wounds at the back of her legs.
Then she stopped, there was no ending of it. She didn't even do the half of her body and she was running out of energy.
Again she rested her head against the wall.
Her trembling feverish tired breath was escaping her lips sharply. Her mind was fuzzy; her head was twisting, throbbing and aching at more than a few places.
Her face was hot but the rest of her members were cold and shivering.
She couldn't think straight or see clearly anymore.
Her tongue felt like she was made of sandpaper and of the cuts burned sometimes like dozen of stings, sometimes like putting white-hot iron on the wounds.
She wanted to rest.
She needed it.
But she couldn't.
She had to resist.
She had to hang on until she would have taken care of all of her wounds.
-arfffhh…she signed.
-…have to resist.
-…resist.
Have to resist.
But only a few seconds won't do any bad, doesn't it.
Right, she just needed some minutes and she will resume taking care of herself.
…Just some minutes, please. Let me rest just a little moment and I will be up to it.
At the end, she was not far from going into unconsciousness when she heard someone slowly pushing the door open and entering in the room.
She had turned off the big lamp so you couldn't see everything in the room placed at the opening and had to look closely and come nearer to see her as she was partially hidden in the large space between the couch and the armchair.
So, it didn't surprise her when she heard the sound of the door closing and heard soon after that light slow deadened steps coming to her.
She stayed there, she didn't even try to open her eyes and she didn't have enough force for that nor the want to waste it to see who it was.
So it was merely pure will who was keeping her awake and the curiosity on one fact.
She had been very discrete and didn't tell anybody where she would go. Of course, knowing it would do worse than good if anyone knew.
But before this mystery, one question was tingling in her mind, how someone even found her and who.
Even though, she wasn't even close to open her eyes just for one mysterious stranger in her state.
She thought she was drifting back in her semi-consciousness state when she heard a sharp loud intake a breath.
Ah. So her mysterious smart guest had found her and she finally passed out.
When Ren saw the blood on the floor, he stayed paralyzed for a while. Battling with his himself to not panic and to continue thinking rational.
First thing first.
He wasn't even sure it was her blood. Or that it was her who was hurt.
Yeah, she had seemed pale but she didn't look hurt, just not natural.
However, he knew she was incredible, to hide her worries and even more incredible of an actress.
So it could have been bluff.
Still it could be just a little cut, nothing to be alarmed of, nothing she thought she should tell me.
Nothing of serious.
But once more, she precisely tend to hide even more and even more better her most serious matters and issues.
So it could not mean a thing.
But then again if it was something grave wouldn't he have noticed something?
Would he not have noted anything more than just a pale face?
If there was something to find in the first place, of course.
But no matter how he reasoned or turned the situation in his mind, he couldn't bring himself to leave it go.
Because, against anything else, something was wrong and he knew it.
And it was far more deeper than some reasoning, it was his instinct who was echoing inside him.
Something happened and this time it was grave.
He started to move again without even thinking about it.
He couldn't help it. His intuition was telling him that it was not like the others times, that it was serious and that she was in danger.
So he started to follow the little red drops feeling the anxiety rising at a high pace with each step he took, with each drop he found.
The drops were spaced out of several meters sometimes but he succeeded in following them until he crossed the path of some staff cleaning the very drops he needed to find the owner.
He quickly approached the man and accosted him: Excuse me sir?
The man not even turned focused on his task.
-Hm? He just said as an answer.
-Sorry to bother you but that blood…From where…Who was…?
-Ah the man said. Well apparently, some girl from an audition was hurt and drove to hospital so I suppose it's from her.
Weird, Kyoko was here just a moment ago, it couldn't be her.
-When was it?
-Earlier in the morning, man. Something like one hour ago.
After all, the only thing who was false and the timing, maybe flowing time wasn't natural for the man or Ren was starting to turn mad and a lot more time had passed.
But he had to check first.
-And the girl? What was her name?
-Not sure. Something-ko I think.
Ren started to let go of his intake breath but then-
-Ah I know. Miko. Miko Asaki.
All his hopes crushed in an instant and worry came back at full force.
-I see Ren said. Thank you.
And he left him resuming his looking for her.
It was worse than what he had imagined; if he was right she had been hurt too and decided to hide it to everyone.
She was surely somewhere in the building.
She has to.
Where are you Kyoko?!
Necessarily.
He searched and searched again and looked for her nearly at any places possible as he had lost track of the clues that were her lost blood.
Finally, at the start of an isolate hall he found back the marks of blood on the floor.
But in much more quantity.
He started to panic.
The legs slightly weak, he progressed like in trance at an erratic slow pace and moved forward toward the direction the drops were leading.
Steps after steps the anxiety raised and raised until it was completely eating him alive.
Things becoming worse and him more anxious for each time the quantity of blood increased.
And he was nearly running when ultimately he arrived at a turn to another small hall partially hide behind emergency stairs. And at the end of the little hallway -on the side of it, hidden quite under the stairs-
A door.
He approached it quickly but when face to face with it, just before opening it, his hands started to tremble.
He took the handle of the door between his long fingers and shaking greatly he turned it in a very slow soft way like he thought it would explosed to his face at one moment or another.
Then he pushed open the door and entered in the room barely alight a little desk lamp almost completely concealed between an old couch and some armchair.
But he didn't saw her.
He closed the door and took some steps forwards.
Where are you?
He eventually attained the little lamp and reached for it planning to use it to alight the other parts of the room when while moving forwards and doing so, he came closer to the actually illuminated large place between the pieces of furniture.
He gasped. His breath stayed stuck in his throat and his blood and members turned so cold he could have swear ice was forming at the surface of his skin.
First he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. His brain was refusing to acknowledge it.
Too numb by the view to work correctly.
There was so much blood…
…So much wounds…
But then unintendedly his mind started to record what he had before the eyes and his face turned in a grimace of pure horror and despair.
Kyoko!
Kyoko!
Here she laid, the back of her head dropped against the wall behind her in the small sea of her own blood with first-aid items all around her, her feet, ankles hands, wrists and legs covered with strips of white cloth; and if it wasn't for the so very light breath which was making raise her chest you could had thought she wasn't even alive.
And for one deadly second, he had thought that she was in a much more worse state, that she was already-…
A frisson run down his back but he shook himself. Not now.
That wasn't the moment;
She needed him.
He fell to his knees near her and tried to call her, to shake her.
-Mogami-san?!
-Do you hear me?
-Wake up, please!
-Do you hear me?!
But no matter what he did she didn't move, didn't open her eyes, and didn't even stir.
-Mogami-san! Kyoko!
Kyoko!
-You hear me?! Wake up!
-Kyoko, for god's sake wake up!
Despair was pointing in his voice and in his heart as he wasn't managing to have any reaction from her and he couldn't handle it, couldn't stand it, it was too much pain.
Too painful to even imagine that-
He took her in his arms and supported her body with his arms and slowly brushed her cheek with the tips of his trembling fingers.
-Kyoko! Kyoko…
-kyoko! Please wake up…
-…wake up…
-…Please…
His eyes started to burn but he didn't even bother them and dropped his head in the hollow of her neck.
-Kyoko! Ren finally shouted desperate.
-…Kyoko please… she heard someone murmured at her ears in a familiar tone even if strangely deformed by the emotions in it.
She grumbled and muttered and attempted to crack one eye open to see who was talking to her.
She found herself face to face with Ren who had so much relieved printed on his face it was melting.
-Thanks god…she heard him signed and one second later was once again pressed against his hard broad chest and squeezed with force.
-Ouch…ouch…slowly..ow she squeaked when he inadvertently pushed at the wounds on her back and shoulder.
He released her a little but kept her in his arms while him was sit on the ground and Kyoko vaguely asked herself how she would handle the repercussions of it later. As even barely conscious she felt joy to be in his arms.
-Sorry he said.
She blushed a little but quickly composed her face.
-How did you-
-Find you?
She nodded.
-I followed the track of your blood.
-Oh. She didn't have thought about that. Well, she hadn't even conscience of the gravity of her shoulder's state or the lost blood so of course.
-You have to show from which wound it come from and we have to take you to the hospital quickly.
-No way.
-What?!
-Kyoko, you are in a bad state and you lost a lot of blood, you have to be take care of rapidly.
She didn't know why he was calling her by her first name nor did she had still enough stamina or blood to really blush but she still remarked it.
-Still, it's a no.
Ren was close to lose his mind, she was hurt, badly and she didn't want to be treated.
He thought for a moment that he will take her to the hospital with her accord or not but then he saw her eyes and face. Even in her state, for some unknown reason she was determinate.
He sighed. He was going to lose some years of life in the process he was sure of it. He won't be able to relax and rest until she will be safe and healed.
But well, anything for her.
-Okay. But first you have to explain me why and it has to be a good reason or I promise you to drive you be to the hospital faster than a wink of eye.
Her head was starting to throb again so Kyoko rest it on his chest and silently nodded.
-Are you really sure? Ren asked again seeing her sick sweating feverish face and all her wounds.
He wanted nothing more than helping her to be better and healing her but he knew that if she wasn't bulging from her positions it has to be something important. Still he wasn't even sure they did have a choice to take if him or someone in this building weren't able to help for the wound at her shoulder.
-Yes.
-Then, for second, we're going to try but if your shoulder can't be taking at least the minimum of care to not bleed anymore or if your condition become worse; then even if you don't agree I will drive you to the hospital.
-Tsuruga-san, I can't impose on you like that, you surely do have a job and I can-
-No!
He won't leave her. Not in this state, not after seeing her wounds. He couldn't stand it. His heart wouldn't allow it and he won't be able to forgive himself if he wasn't there when she needed him the most.
-I'm quite sure your condition is too bad so you can do it all by yourself, you need a hand this time Mogami-san.
-But you don't have to and-
-Third, our deal is only on if you let me help you. You won't be able to cast me aside today Kyoko. I'm gonna stick to you like glue until you're better and safe.
-But-she tried again.
He looked at her with a pointless look and she gave up.
-Okay.
-Good. So first, I'm gonna check your shoulder and after that you will explain me everything.
She turned a bit in his arms to make it easier for him to look at it and closed her eyes, just staying awake was draining her of all her forces. So maybe he was right but she didn't want to bother him.
I will have to rip apart the sleeve once I will have remove the threads stuck in your wound.
-Okay.
-By the way, I have to say I'm quite mad you didn't tell me directly. Did you distrust me so much?
-No…That's not that…It's just I didn't want to bother you and thought I could handle it all alone she said in a whisper.
-yeah, I saw that, you even managed to band a part of you wounds and honestly you could have make it if it wasn't for your shoulder.
I respect your wish to be independent and not to be a bother for others but sometimes you can ask for help you know. I'll be more than willing to help you when you have a problem and I prefer one thousand times more that than finding you how I found just a moment ago Ren said in a soft voice.
-Sorry she muttered.
-Don't be. I'm not really angry but you made me sick worried earlier.
Ren was making all he could to concentrate only on his task and the sound of her voice because if not he would have break down a long time ago. Every times he saw her numerous wounds fury would fire inside him against the person who did this to her but at the same time he had never felt so miserable, weak emotionally, so lost at the perspective to almost losing her and were making him realized just how much more he cared for her and just consciously supposed until now. And every little realization shook him to the core.
She could have disappeared! She could have died! And he wouldn't even have known it!
I would ever-never-be able to support it, to stand or live if something should- …
-…Dear god, I really had the fear of my life…
He sighed.
He finally managed to remove all the cotton in the cut and ripped the sleeve from her arm and for the second times of the day his breath got blocked in his throat.
It wasn't haemorrhagic but that was the end of the good part. It was bleeding a lot and Ren was sure this cut would need stitches.
Ren put shivering tips on the cut; that was really a bad one and will maybe even leave a scar. Oh kyoko…
Ren took back the piece of ripped sleeve and put it around her shoulder before tight the tissue and make a knot to apply a tourniquet to the wound shoulder. The flow of blood stopped almost completely.
-Kyoko.
-Hum?
-Oh no. No way.
- You can't sleep. I forbid you it to you. You hear me.
She didn't answer.
-Don't sleep! Kyoko, please. I had enough fear for the next ten centuries.
-Stay awake with me. Stay with me, please. Kyoko!
-I'm…not sleeping…not yet.
-neither yet nor ever. You can't sleep Kyoko. Not until you can tell you feel better while awake and until you regain a bit of your forces, okay?
-Hum okay.
-Promise me.
-I promise.
-Now for your shoulder, I'm afraid you need stitches.
-Is that serious?
-Yeah.
-I see.
Ren cursed himself to not simply let her believe he couldn't help her and so they would need to go to the hospital right away but if her reason was important he could not ignore it.
-I could do it Ren finally said. But not like that. So I'm gonna make a call.
He carefully put her back on the ground and against the wall, took off his vest and enveloped her in it then went slightly away to call Yashiro-san.
He asked his manager to come back with two syringes, one of antibiotics for opened wounds and one of anaesthetics, chocolate, regular food, drinks with sugar and water, a cover, a change of clothes for both of them and one who could be used as a new ninja costume by Kyoko.
Then he asked to Yashiro-san to postpone all of his day or if not possible to cancelled it.
Then he hanged out before his nosy manager could start asking questions. He would have all the answers soon enough. And Ren will explain it to him at that moment.
He came back to Kyoko who was barely still there.
-Kyoko, while we are waiting for Yashiro-san to come back with what I need for your shoulder, I'm going to try to take care of the other wounds if I can. Is that okay?
She nodded.
Where? he asked before putting her back in his arms.
-My-y..back, my waist, my neck and my front leg thigh…there are the biggest ones.
-Okay. Now tell me. What happened?
She didn't answer and he frowned.
-It will keep you awake.
She nodded. She would have need pain-killers because the pain was murderous right now but in her precipitation she forgot a drink to take the drugs. And her fever was rising.
-Kyoko, focus on my voice and telling me what happened, don't think about anything else. First, how did the accident happen?
-…It wasn't an accident.
-What?!
-Well, I-i wasn't the main target as I didn't do anything to provoke her yet but as I tried to push aside the girl, it was me who took the most of the pieces of glasses.
-Pieces of glasses? From what?
-A mirror. It fell on me.
-So you saying me you took a mirror on your head.
-Well yeah quite literally even if it was more on my back than on my head.
-And the other hurts girl?
-just one of her legs. Fortunately she will be soon better. But she couldn't participate to the audition as she was hurt.
Ren couldn't believe it, even now she was more preoccupied by the other girl state than her own.
And while he listened her, he turned her back to him and rolled up her shirt, hissed in outrage in front of the serious damage and wounds on her back and on the side of her waist. Then, averting her it will tingle, he started disinfecting them the more gently he could do-still he heard gasped of pain all the while- and bandaging all the cuts he could see there. Only after that he resumed to speak again.
-And that's why you hide your wounds. To still be able to participate to the audition.
-Yeah. Bu-ut it's not just one audition, it's for Momiji's role.
-And you trained a lot for it. I understand.
-That's not only that. That's only one of the reasons. A big one yes but not the only one.
-Then?
-There are good chances she win the role even if I'm there because some support in the backgrounds.
-I see.
-But even though it's like that, I think I know sufficiently well the role to still have a chance as it's still the director who decides. And I don't want to let her win after all that.
-And there is one more thing. One more reason I don't want to back off even in this state.
-Which is?
-It's not the first time she has done it she huffed in fury even though very feeble.
-What do you mean?
-There is someone I know who attempted this first audition and is now in a wheelchair. And this person asked my help to not let her win this time.
-And that's the other big reason.
-Yes.
Can you bend a little, I'm going to check your neck.
She did and hissed in a hurtful tone when he put antibacterial on the cut which was there.
-Sorry. I try to be as careful as I can but-
-You didn't do anything wrong-arffh-…Tsuruga-san. I'm sensible at this place that's all.
He arched a brow.
Oh. That really was an interesting information to know now. Oh sweet innocent Kyoko.
Oh wrong. Very wrong. Oh bad bad mind. Not a good idea, think about something else idiot.
Too late.
-Oh really?
-Yeah. Why?
-Nothing. I just thought a little magic would surely help.
-Magic?
Bad mind but can't help it. She's too cute.
He clenched his arms around her and tight his embrace.
-Don't move or it will not work.
-As if I could move while you're holding me like that and in my state Tsuruga-san said Kyoko managing to blush despite the blood loss.
He laughed.
-What have you in mind?
-It's a secret. Now chute.
-I didn't know you could cast magic Tsuruga-san.
-Don't expect too much He laughed. It's just a little trick.
He then bent to her neck and kissed the skin there just a bit above the cut.
Kyoko nearly jumped and froze at the same time but at the end as all the remaining blood rush up to her face she half fainted and fell back against Ren.
He kissed her. On her neck. Ren kissed her.
That dawned playboy. That adorable screwed lovable playboy gave her a kiss in the neck.
She was totally screwed. She wasn't even able to insult him properly in her head. And even while teasing she think him cute.
She raised her head up to crossed the look of Ren then ask with a pout and one risen brow:
-A little trick?
- A little trick said Ren in an echo with a smile going to one ear to another before bursting with laugher in front of the accentuation of her pout and her blush.
So beautiful.
-You're cute like that. Warning, this little trick isn't reserved to only one place.
She gaped.
Did she hallucinate things or did Ren just menaced to kiss her. It couldn't be right.
Because-because it was like he was flirting with her.
And it was impossible.
Yeah she was definitively hallucinating, she had fever after all. And even without that, it was probably just Tsuruga-san usual teasing.
She tried to detach herself from him but he tights his hold on her.
-Oh no. You're not going anywhere from here. You have fever so things will become worse if you're cold and the warmest place is in my arms. And I have still cuts to bandage.
She looked at his so very innocent face and said:
That's not fair.
-I know. But you have no choices seeing your condition for now.
When she didn't answer he asked:
-What? You hate being in my arms so much?
-Tsuruga-san, you're teasing me.
He inclined his head a little on the side.
-Maybe he said finally with a smile.
Childish. Ren was being childish with her. She couldn't believe it.
She giggled and shook her head from right to left. But then it made throb her head so she stopped and Ren soon asked in a calmer and gently voice:
Is there anymore big wounds?
She nodded.
-One on my left thigh.
-Ah right and he fixed her thigh like he was pondering something important and adverted his eyes blushing.
-I'm sorry but I don't think I can do it without removing your Bermuda. It's too slim to be roll up after the knee and we are taking the risk to put threads in the cut.
Asking what he meant was her first reaction as her fuzzy mind couldn't record what he said but then it clicked.
And she blushes. Again. Profusely. And more.
-Sorry said Ren again.
And even worse, she would have to be in his arms while he will do it. She had to be in her simple underwear in front of Ren. And she was even too weak to do it herself.
Now she was sure she was going to faint.
But knowing they had no choices, she slightly nodded.
Ren kept her in his arms and said again: sorry.
She shook her head while mentally preparing herself for one of the most embarrassing moment of her life. Sure, Ren had seen her in Setsuka's sexy clothes before it wasn't the same. First, there had a lot less pieces of tissues this time and second they weren't playing a role right now. They were just themselves. But the worse part wasn't that. Because, while being so uncovered before Tsuruga-san was already quite an awkward moment-knowing how he made her feels around him-but that was the knowledge of her so plain body who was troubling her the most. She was being self-conscious, at a time like that. She couldn't believe it.
But still, she couldn't help it. Because of course she knew how Ren wouldn't even bother seeing her body- well only her naked legs but still- and would even be bored and worse disgusted by it. She was now nearly ashamed of her.
And that's why it was so embarrassing. Because if it wasn't for that even if she would be still shy about it, it won't bother her so much Ren see her body. Well, she would be purple either way but it was him. Because it was him, it was okay.
Or more like she trusted him.
Well even like that. Even with a body like that she trusted him to don't say anything about it and be the perfect gentleman. So, one way or another she would be okay.
She would have enough natural blush printed everywhere on her for the next century but she would be okay.
She regained her right mind. First she trusted him. Second that wasn't the time for that. Tsuruga-san was kindly helping to nurse her and she was focused on these sorts of useless details.
She shook her head again winning an even fuzzier mind but thought that the faster they would did it the faster she could buried it and forget it.
-Okay she said.
There was a break then he eventually asked in a very quiet and gentle tone: Did you have enough force to-?
… …Sorry she said after a moment resigned when she tried and finally acknowledged her poor state. She did need his help.
-Don't worry. He then put her lightly on the side holding her with one of his arms and put his hand on her thigh.
-Tell if at any moment I hurt you while removing it.
She nodded.
Hands slightly shaking despite of him in front of the situation (He was undressing Kyoko after all) Ren pulled to him the piece of pants and-
-Ouch…
Some strand of cotton stayed twisted in the cut. He removed it and then pulled off the cloth completely.
Ren swallowed with difficultly. For two reasons. First, she had really marvellous svelte long and beautiful creamy legs. And Ren had a hard time controlling and preventing himself to touch her or not just blankly staring at these beauties and even simply focusing on more urgent matters. Like the second reason of his shock and stare.
Her wound on her thigh.
The severe cut was running on a great part of her thigh and had a bad aspect.
He could tell because it was the first one to look a bit swollen, not sane and after so very lightly touching it-very warm. The others were warms too but not so much. Apart the one her shoulder which was normal seeing the severity of it.
He was now very glad having asked an antibiotic syringe to his manager. She would grandly need it.
He finally looked at Kyoko or more like at the crawfish in front of him. As she was so very red her face looked like it had been painted in red.
He chuckled.
-Are you okay Mogami-san? You seem a little hot he teased her.
She squeaked a little and become even redder if possible but didn't say a word.
So cute he thought.
Ahhh…If we weren't in this situation I…
He focused again and took the anti-bacterial in his hand.
It's gonna tingles a lot this time he warned and put the liquid on her swollen wound.
She clenched teeth and jaw and moaned in her knuckles all the while he applied it. And Ren hold her tight against him every time he knew he somehow hurt her.
…I'm sorry. This one has really a sick aspect and we will to look after it by a doctor quickly.
The painful tingled feeling remained a moment and Ren decided to try to distract her.
-Well the best way to make leaves the pain is again to do my little trick.
Kyoko turned to him, still not recovering from the pain and confused by his phrase.
-I beg you pardon?
He laughed when he saw her air so totally and absolutely lost.
-Come on Kyoko. You know, right? My little trick of earlier.
She stared at him for several second then the blush came back covering her face faster and in the reddest way he ever saw.
Then she frowned and muttered while turning her head on the side, so very embarrassed: Don't tease me, Tsuruga-san…Please.
Oh, how he loves the way she said that. It should have a limit to cuteness, really. It was becoming very dangerous for his self-control and most of all for his poor heart.
-Why not? He said. You're terribly cute when I do it. So of course I want to do it again.
-Tsuruga-san Kyoko nearly shouted. Then turning slowly her head to him a few seconds later she faced the genuine and so very dangerous twisted smile and the gentle eyes of Ren looking at her adoringly.
Her heart constricted in a strangely agreeable but torturous way and skip a beat before doubling in fast and she was sure she would never ever recover or forget that smile of him. It was one of the most sincere sweet and innocent faces he has ever showed her.
It was pure. Genuine and tender.
A bit childish she giggled internally.
In short awfully too adorable to handle.
Not being charmed was impossible.
Not wishing to protect this smile-His smile- was unthinkable.
She was already looking like beat meat and would soon transform and melted in a pool of tender feelings for him at this pace.
If she didn't know better she would think he was looking at her with tenderness. But it was impossible and she knew it. Hope was her enemy and she has to stay vigilante.
She has to recover and fast. She has to restart her mind but where the hell did the on button hid. She didn't remember.
-And now? Who said I was only teasing you while his smile morphed in a smirk.
-What?
But without even letting her processed what he just said he bent to a left thigh, put lightly the palm and fingers of his large hand on the side of it and kissed the skin there just beside the cut.
-For the second time, Kyoko gaped. On her thigh.
This time it was on her thigh.
He kissed her on her thigh.
She blushed and blushed and blushed endlessly.
Did he wish to kill her?! How was she even supposed to forget that or to just look at his face after that.
In this time, without even stopping to look at the face of Kyoko, Ren resumed his past nursing and bandaged her wound trying to focus his eyes on her cut and only on that.
Then he lifted his head to her and looked at her expression.
Well, she was embarrassed at the least.
He grinned.
-You are going to catch fly he said observing her open fish mouth.
She clasped it close and stared at him with a furious blush on her cheeks and an outraged face.
He tried very hard to keep a blank expression but as her face was tending to even more redness he eventually lost it.
-Pfff…Hahaha… hahaha he exploded in unstoppable laughs while holding his sides with one hand and holding her close ( as she was still nearly as feeble as before) with the other and shaking both of them all the while. If you could see your face.
She sighed and tried to pout but too tired for that she just whispered:
-Tsuruga-san, you're mean. And a playboy!
-How rude. And here I was using my little trick to help you to remove the pain.
She puffed at him lightly and murmured something before relying on head on him.
-Sorry. Don't be mad. I wasn't making fun of you. I just wanted to alight the atmosphere a little and distract you.
-I know. I'm not mad she muttered.
-Sure? He asked while turning his head to his side to be able to look at her face.
And sure thing. She didn't seem mad. Just awfully pale and tired. Anguish came back in the pit of his stomach. She needed rest.
-Hum. I'm starting to be used to your playboy attitude I think she whispered quietly.
He laughed a little.
Well, that wasn't so bad…I suppose…
He took back his vest from her shoulders and put it on her legs and kept her in his arms.
Half an hour later, Yashiro-san eventually called to say he was here with everything and Ren let a sigh of relief passed his lips.
He indicated the place where they were hidden to his manager and let him enter with Kyoko securely in his arms. She was now only able to fight to not fall asleep and Ren already had to shake her several more times.
The reaction of Yashiro-san when he saw her was at the high of Kyoko's state. But then, he shook himself and asked if he could do anything. And he obtained a negative answer he quickly backed away and went make some calls to cancelled Ren's schedule of the day.
Words of the author:
I know. It seems a bit too much. But when you think that one girl has finished in a wheelchair in the first audition it doesn't seem so impossible that Kyoko could be hurt too and that with her determination she wouldn't want to give up no matter what. She tried her best with a nearly broken bone in the ring doh show after all.
Second, knowing Ren's past, it seems possible he could have some knowledge in wounds and stitches.
Hope you loved the first part.
In advance thanks for the reviews and possible futures comments.
Give me a piece of your mind one-corne-stone please. I could if you really don't like it make something else.
The part two will come right away.
kisses.