Disclaimer: I do not own Skip beat but I did write the following story for your enjoyment

Setsu got out of the shower and wiped at the dampness on her heated skin. Was her skin warm from the hot shower or was she still heated over her latest intimate encounter with Cain? Telling herself not to listen to the wild accusations from her inner self, she forced a serene smile onto her lips.

Walking up to the steam covered mirror, she palmed the surface until she could see her reflection. Sunken luminescent grey eyes stared back at her from a small pale face. "What?" she asked her reflection, "It's not like we've never touched one another before! I've even seen him in the shower by now, so of course…"

Her own voice trailed off, as she began to imagine the sensation of his naked body beneath her and the warmth of his bare skin. The way his large hands had trailed down her body, and the dark hungry look in his eyes when he swore he'd live as hers. Alarmed by the progression of her thoughts, she shook her head vigorously.

"I can't give up now, this is a critical moment in my life, my turning point and I'm not going to fail anymore, so you don't have to judge me like that," she stated through clenched teeth, although her voice sounded sharp and unfamiliar even to her.

But she continued to defend her case, "Cain Heel is supposed to be my beloved brother and there is no one else I, as Setsu, would want to be with anyway."

Then why does it make you so angry that he would know how to give kiss marks? A tiny voice questioned her back.

"It's because Cain's always been popular, he's handsome and lots of girls have always wanted him!" she answered back. Her eyes flared in anger and she stood nose to nose with her reflection.

Are you listening to yourself? Do you really believe that? Or is it because Tsuruga-san is actually Cain and Tsuruga-san has had lots of experience with girls? The tiny voice asked back, mockingly.

Kyoko gasped, as she digested the not so subtle question and what it implied. Was she mad at Tsuruga-san and not Cain? Wasn't this all an act anyway, after all, she was supposed to be Setsu, so why would she care anyway?

You care because you're in love with Tsuruga-san. Her tiny voice called back at her.

"You must be joking, I'm only being Setsu and as Setsu I'm in love with Cain!" she pointed out defiantly at her reflection.

Directing an angry finger at the mirror, she glared at herself, "What Tsuruga-san, who cares about that man, he's just a respected senpai, someone that I'm learning how to be a better actress from and that's all. But as Setsu, I'm in love with Cain and not with any other man. Especially not with him!"

Liar! You might be able to convince Shoutaro that but you know the truth. The tiny voice argued back.

"Truth? What are you trying to say? Do you really think that I'm that foolish that I could ever care about anyone else but Cain?" she replied, her eyes flaring in undisputed wrath.

You're not being truthful; we know that your mask as Setsu is slipping. Could it be that you're scared? Her inner voice dared question.

Tightening her lips in displeasure, she answered in an unwavering tone, "Who's scared? I'm only trying to be Setsu, who is madly in love with Cain, got that?"

So are you really capable of acting in love even as Setsu?

"Just what are you trying to imply? Are you trying to say I make a lousy Setsu? Do you think I haven't been growing as an actress? Of course I am capable, I'm capable of being in love as Setsu, Natsu or any other character that may come along!" she exclaimed in irritation, her warm cheeks were flushed red, maddened with rage.

Are you sure about that or was Shoutaro right? And is this really just an act? You already know that this means you're about to fall off that cliff. Her inner voice whispered back, daunting and daring her to admit the truth.

"Have we come back to that again? I told you I am only acting as Setsu; so I only care about my beloved brother, and I'm not in love with Tsuruga-san!" Shaking her head and refusing to indulge in any further argument with herself, she walked furiously out of the bathroom.

Still wearing nothing but her bath towel that was wound tightly around her, Setsu headed directly towards her closet hoping to find something acceptable to wear for bed.

In the dim lit room, she heard a soft click sounding at the door that drew her attention, as Cain entered the room.

"I'm back," he called from the entry way, closing the heavy door with a quiet thud. Turning around he froze as his eyes focused on her. She stood straight and still in the middle of the room. Her small frame looked even smaller, in the plush soft fabric of the extra large towel.

"That was fast," Setsu replied at the tall figure. "Were you able to find the director?" she continued to ask him, knowing that Cain was openly staring at her and beginning to feel her heart beat quicken from the intensity of his presence.

His silver gaze travelled slowly down her petite figure and stopped briefly at her small bare feet before coming back up towards her face. A slight blush tinted her cheeks at the heated look emitting from his appraisal.

"Your hair is wet," he stated huskily, as he silently walked up to her and touched the damp blonde locks from her shoulder. Resting his large hands on her shoulders, he watched the color of her eyes turn from liquid silver to dark mercury.

Wanting to bury himself within her tempting form, he sought out her lips with his hand. Would she let him kiss her? He wondered as he trailed her pink lips with a tender finger. Was that something that would be acceptable as the Heel siblings?

Wanting to find out, he began to lower is head towards hers. Urging her body closer to his with a firm hand at the small of her back, which drew her towards him.

His soft touch and close proximity sent her heart in a panic. Kyoko could feel herself beginning to fall under the persuasive spell of his sexual prowess. Reacting instinctively and without thinking, Kyoko slapped his hands off her.

Taking a wide arc as she crab walked around him, she tried to dismiss her irrational reaction by quickly resuming the topic, "I'm still in the middle of drying my hair."

His hands stung from her slap but his heart had sunken at the sharpness of her tone, making him frown with concern. "What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

It wasn't like Setsu to suddenly be reacting strangely towards him. Wasn't she acting fine when he had left to meet with the director about how to handle Murasame? Was she mad that he had thrown her phone across the room the other day? Or did he just unknowingly cross the line with her just now?

His mind drew a blank for a short moment as he tried to uncover what could be the cause of Setsu's sudden aloofness. With the way Setsu has been recently portrayed, Ren was finding it more than a challenge to understand her.

Could it be because Kyoko's acting had taken on yet another different direction? Was she now trying to behave jealous? And if so, what had he done to cause it?

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly as he stood dejected in the large bedroom, his shoulders slouched over in gloom. His soulful dark eyes followed her every motion, as he urged her with his eyes to answer him.

However, without answering him, she steadily continued to gather her clothes before hastily retreating into the bathroom. He could barely stand the thought of her being angry at him and openly rejecting him but he understood that this was probably something he had deserved.

Hell, Kyoko had become so unexpectedly good at portraying Setsu that even he was becoming surprised by her credibility as an actress. Lately, he had been feeling like he was being led by a master conductor into an intricate musical concerto, one which he could scarcely keep up with.

He had even felt shaken and unnerved by her convincing sensual and erotic representations of a younger sister with a larger than life brother complex. When he had expected her to be ashamed of him for the kind of jealous fool he had become over Fuwa Sho, she had instead surprised him with her improvisation.

Her performance was worthy of an Oscar nominee. Faced with such an amazing talent, how was he going to cope with her future ad libs? Ren was beginning to realise he needed to improve his own talent, so as to not fall behind her.

More importantly, he needed to regain control of the situation; he was supposed to live as her version of what a loving older brother should be. He wanted her approval as much as he desired her love. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint her.

Kyoko mumbled a scolding to herself for the kind of fool he was taking her for and immediately felt guilty at her inability to remain indifferent about Ren's past sexual experience. Quickly gathering herself and forcing herself to maintain her Setsu's face, she poked her head back out from the bathroom door way.

While shooting Cain a hungry look, she replied in as sexy a voice as she could muster, "The only wrong thing you did was that you didn't invite me to come along with you when the director called but instead, you left your cute sister all alone."

Releasing his breath in a long exhale, his shoulders relaxed as he took a step towards her. Pleased at her sultry form, Cain nodded his apology and opening his arms wide, he firmly stated, "Come here."

Setsu's eyes flared wide as she looked into Cain's dark gaze. "I'm not even dressed yet!" she exclaimed while watching nervously as her bother took another step towards her.

In her mind Kyoko could hear the snickers coming from the thugs of her inner psyche, and her small voice was telling her to run for her life.

"Come here," again Cain asked, this time with a sensual smile curved at his lips.

This wasn't like the last time when Tsuruga-san had waited for her outside the hotel room. Rather than resembling a drowning man that was barely clinging onto a piece of drift wood, this was the emperor of the night that was looking at her.

Run, run, run, run. The little voice was beginning to repeatedly scream inside Kyoko's head, as she found herself unable to maintain her Setsu composure. Wait, maybe if she could just stop focusing on the wild beating of her heart and instead channeled Setsu back, she could think of a way out of this.

Imagining herself as the calm, rebellious and slightly spoilt Setsu, she forced a sweet smile to her lips and replied, "What? Do you think with just some cuddling you can change my mind? Nii-san, you owe me more than that for having me share your time with the director!"

Stopping in his tracts, Cain laughed at his cute but pouty younger sister. "You are right; don't I already owe you a date in Tokyo on our next day off? How about we spend the entire day doing whatever you want?"

Imagining herself taking another closer step to the edge of the cliff, Kyoko gulped audibly but forcing on the valor of Setsu, she produced a coquettish smile and nodded in compliance before firmly shutting the bathroom door.

Leaning against the closed door, she let out a long exhausted breath. Now what was she going to do? Wasn't their next day off tomorrow?

Resting quietly in her bed, Kyoko tossed and turned throughout the night. Once again, she punched at her pillow, trying to soften the already soft padding in order to fall asleep. The dark room felt cold to her as she pulled the blankets up over her shoulders and sank further underneath the covers.

Laying just a few feet from her was Cain in his own bed. But just his closeness had her nerves shaken and although she could hear his soft rhythmic breathing indicating that he was asleep, Kyoko was still unable to rest peacefully.

Did she really have to spend her free day with him? Was she really going to have a date with Tsuruga-san, or rather Cain, while she was Setsu? The last time they were together sightseeing, she had felt so uneasy especially when they started to hold hands. But thankfully the moment had been interrupted by Director Konoe's call indicating that they were running late for the day's filming.

But admit it you did have a great time. Her subconscious reminded her. Shutting her eyes tightly she refused to answer.

Why was this happening to her? Even though she was obligated to spend the day with him, as Setsu, Kyoko still found the concept daunting. If only Setsu had kept her big mouth shut, then she wouldn't have this tragic event to deal with. Perhaps she could find an excuse to cancel the occasion.

Think, Kyoko! Surely you have something you can work on. Her mind raced erratically inventing things that she could do.

And while I'm at it, maybe I could find a disguise, cut and dye my hair, then run away to a far, far away land….Wait a minute, haven't I already cut and dyed my hair, and tried to change my identity just for Shoutaro? Am I just repeating this pattern?

Kyoko digested this fact while her stomach began to churn in protest. Even her throat muscles tightened at the very thought. There was a huge difference between what she had done for the sake of gaining revenge and what she was contemplating now.

After all, she just needed some time, or more like three to five hundred years, before she could go back to feeling normal around Tsuruga-san. If only she wasn't Kyoko anymore. If only she could find a way to escape from her current reality. Be somebody else, just anyone that didn't have to ever face Tsuruga-san ever again.

No! I might not be able to do that but I should still invent something to avoid spending the day with Tsuruga-san tomorrow.

After all, Tsuruga-san was not aware of what her schedule as Kyoko was. Therefore, he could not fault her should she have something already planned for the day. As long as he was not aware that she was deliberating feigning at being busy.

Quietly reaching for her cell phone which she had left inside her purse, on her night stand, Kyoko searched her schedule and realised that she hadn't been to the LME office in a while.

A thought occurred to her, perhaps she could find a plausible excuse to head to the office then while there, volunteer her day with the Love Me Section. At LME, there was always something that she could do.

Glad she had thought of it, Kyoko finally rested her tired head onto her pillow and amply proceeded to fall asleep for the remaining three hours of the night. Her thoughts drifted off into a peaceful dream as she sighed in relief.

Stepping into the LME office, Kyoko rushed towards the Love Me Section located on the third floor. She was hoping that Mouko-san would be there and together they could catch up with each other.

As she headed in, she was also glad that Tsuruga-san was nowhere to be seen. After she had woken up this morning, she had quickly put on her school uniform before hastily rushing out of the hotel room.

Tsuruga-san was barely waking up when she left him and when he saw her in her uniform, he had nothing to say. Nor did Kyoko wait around for him to say much, bowing good bye, she had left him while he was still climbing out of bed.

Though it was unlike her usual routine for waking him up as Setsu, Kyoko was functioning under a primitive sense of survival. Remaining even a second longer alone in the hotel room with Tsuruga-san when she didn't need to be there as Setsu was unacceptable to her.

The thugs in her psyche would have been eager to bully her had she stuck around that morning. Seeing him in bed with his hair tousled only quickened her heart with a sense of longing which she currently did not want to explore.

Kyoko's weary expression changed to one of delight as she saw Kanae standing by the Love Me locker. Smiling warmly at her she greeted, "Mouko-san!" as she flung herself at her unsuspecting friend.

With a single hand stretched out to stop Kyoko, Kanae was able to catch Kyoko's forehead in the palm of her hand. "When will you learn that it is unacceptable for you to treat me so casually?"

"Sorry, sorry, I was just missing you so much. It just felt like we haven't seen each other in such a long time that I thought a hug between us would be alright."

"Even if it were the social standard to hug in Japan, do you really think I would let you hug me?" Kanae asked, her brows wrinkled together as she pretended to be indignant.

"Sorry, Mouko-san, I have forgotten myself. Please forgive me." Bowing deeply, Kyoko waited a full minute before raising her head.

Straightening the sleeve of her blouse, Kanae nodded before returning her friend's apologetic smile with a warm smile of her own.

"What are you doing here today? Didn't you have a dangerous mission assigned to you by the President? And how has that been?" Kanae asked in rapid succession, her tone implied more than just mild curiosity.

"Sorry Mouko-san, that was something that President Lory has forbidden me to talk about but I'm here today to see if there was something else that I could find to do at Love Me." Kyoko loathed not being able to tell Kanae the truth but she also realised that delving into this would also unearth a dangerous matter that she was not prepared to face at the moment.

Forcing an exaggerated smile to her lips, she continued, "What about you? How has your something messy mission been coming along?"

Kanae winced as if in pain before grumbling, "As if I don't have enough problems bothering me, let's not talk about that,"

"Mouko-san, what are you saying? Are you having problems? Is there something I can help you with?" Kyoko's inner antennae alerted itself at the prospect of being able to be of service to her best friend.

"Tch! Why would I need any help? It's not like I can't figure out how to act in this stupid drama."

"Mouko-san, are you talking about that period drama where you have to play the role of an orphan girl that falls in love with a samurai that saves you?" Kyoko asked, her head tilted at an angle as she scrutinized her best friend.

Sighing, Kanae nodded before openly admitting, "I just am not doing a good enough job at acting like someone who is in love."

Brightening up, Kyoko tried to cheer her friend on, "Well, if you need any help you can always come to me, and we can practice together!"

Kanae's eyebrows shot up almost to her hairline as she asked in surprise, "Practice with you? What are you talking about?"

"Well, it's not that I can teach you anything about being in love but surely we can pretend it? Something like a strong friendship?" Kyoko replied, her eyes were glistening with stars as she imagined the possibilities.

Kanae frowned to have her hopes raised, only to see them dashed immediately. Shaking her head, she replied flatly, "Thanks but I don't think that would work, having a friendship kind of love isn't the same thing as having a romantic kind of love."

Undeterred, Kyoko offered in a hopeful tone, "But even so, we are actresses and as actresses we should be able to act the part shouldn't we? Mouko-san, I have an idea. How about I play the role as your boyfriend and you can act in love with me. I might not be a man but since I once had to act like a boy…perhaps I can act as a man?"

Taking a long quiet stare at her only friend, Kanae quickly assessed the very idea before continuing, "Kyoko, do you really think you can?"

"Yes! Please let me try!" Kyoko replied, her eagerness was evident in the way she was practically bouncing with joy.

Nodding her acceptance, Kanae asked, "but how should we start? You don't really look much like a man…"

"Well, why don't you tell me what your type of man is and I'll try to find something suitable?" her happy tone reflected her self-confidence and desire to oblige her friend.

"Ah, um…I don't really have a type. I've never really met anyone that I could love, so I'll need to depend on you to make up someone suitable," Kanae said while she chewed at her lips. Hoping that her lack of experience would not be too embarrassing, she kept her eyes on the ground and would not look up at Kyoko.

"But Mouko-san, surely in all your life there was someone you felt something for maybe even respected? Maybe even as a senpai?" Kyoko asked, unaware that her question was only further crushing to her best friend.

"Kyoko, what are you saying? Are you talking about someone like Tsuruga-san?" Kanae asked suddenly, while becoming defensive.

"Ah yes! I mean, no, no, no!" flustered, she quickly corrected herself, "I mean if there was someone you could love would he appear as someone like Tsuruga-san?"

"Appear as Tsuruga-san? In what way are you referring to?" Her eyes narrowed as she stared suspiciously at her friend, this was not something Kanae enjoyed admitting to.

But the fact that although she was just a few months older than Kyoko yet had still never experienced as much as Kyoko had in that particular area just made her feel more insecure and juvenile.

Kyoko interrupted her thoughts when she clarified, "I mean, would he be tall, handsome, smell nice, feel warm and have a nice body like him?"

"Eh? What do you mean by all that?" a bewildered Kanae asked Kyoko. She was now growing more aware of her inexperience in these matters as she looked to Kyoko for answers.

However, Kyoko's eyes widened as she realised that by over describing Tsuruga-san's body, she would be giving too much of her own feelings away. Blushing to the roots of her hair, she quickly amended, "What I mean is if you had a choice wouldn't you want someone who cares about his figure and does not eat caloric rich foods, since you hate high caloric foods as well?"

Kanae didn't miss the note of panic in Kyoko's voice nor did she miss the vivid description of Tsuruga-san's physical person. But because she was already feeling so insecure about her own inexperience, she chose to remain oblivious about Kyoko's experience. Rather than highlight her own lack of confidence and sexual awareness, she kept her mouth shut despite her gnawing curiosity at Kyoko's words.

Instead she pretended ignorance when she replied, "Yes, I could see myself wanting someone who would take care of himself physically and ate the right kinds of foods but probably not like the way we girls do. Anyway, just come up with someone suitable and I think I should be able to manage."

"Well then why don't you give me thirty minutes to borrow some clothes from the costume department and we can meet downstairs for our first real date?"

"Alright, I'll meet you downstairs." Kanae replied while she gathered her belongings and exited the room with her friend.

Kyoko was ecstatic by the idea of becoming a man; this was similar to her original idea of changing her identity. Ha! In fact, this would be a great way to escape having to be anyone but me today!

Giggling to herself she headed towards the costume department with the intent of becoming someone that no one would be able to recognise. The pleasure she felt at being able to help her friend out at the same time only boosted her ambition to become the best boyfriend that could ever exist.

A/N: Hi everybody, hope you are enjoying my new story. Please R & R to let me know how you feel about it so far.