Okay, so this is a random story about Ren and Kyoko starring in a happy little romance together. I know, not particularly original, and I'm a mediocre writter. Still, anything is worth a try!!
Hana Akai means Scarlett Flower in Jap, as the movie in this is based on the Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy.
Happy Reading!!
DISCLAIMER: Of course, this awesome manga does not belong to me, because I couldn't draw to save my life.
000000000000
CHAPTER ONE!!
Ren sighed. This newbie actress just wasn't getting it; even the gentlemanly Ren Tsuruga was getting tired of her childish I'm-a-cute-young-girl act. If only it was an act. Her manager could probably do better than the unbelievable, flat drivel of lines pouring from Mayui-chan's mouth.
"Stop!" called Director Shinkai, after what seemed like the hundredth take. "Mayui-chan, you are supposed to be a smart, beautiful woman. I just can't feel that. At all."
Mayui-chan seemed to wilt. "I...I'm trying..."
Her manager tactfully suggested a period of recuperation, and the exasperated cast and crew were glad to comply. Ren walked over to sit next to Shinkai.
"Remind me again why I hired her..." the Director moaned.
"Because she is the daughter of a friend of a friend. Shinkai, I hate to say it but this just isn't working. Admit it. She's horrible."
"...She's not that bad."
Ren looked at him. "Director. In the first take she fumbled her lines. How can you fumble 'Yes dear'? Third take. She tripped and fell into a light stand. In the seventh take she said my lines!"
"Well, I promised her father I'd let her in on this project. I'd hate to break that."
"Actually, I think she'd do quite well as the character Suzanne; pretty but brainless. You need an actor with more depth."
"Well, we could always call Ruriko. You've worked with her before."
Ren: *Glares*
"...Or not. "
At that exact moment, Mayui-chan bounced up to them, tripping on the edge of the carpet and pitching headfirst into what looked like would be a touching reunion with the floor. However, Ren, game as ever to spoil a potential funny moment, immediately stepped up and caught the girl-child. He set her right way up again, somehow managing to do one of his sparkly fake smiles while drowning in her apologies.
Behind the polite facade, Ren grimaced. It was going to be a long movie...
0
Yashiro was happy. Why, you ask? Because he had just finished another chapter in the 'Force Ren and Kyoko together by any means necessary' plan. Mwahahaha...!
0
Kyoko stood just inside the main room, watching the filming. Yashiro-san had called in sick. Or rather, his auntie had. His poor sick auntie who need her favourite nephew's help IMMEDIATLY. You know how it is. So, she'd finished her LME LoveMe chores, collected Ren's schedule from Sawara-san, done some quick shopping and ended up seeing the last-ditch attempts of Director Shinkai to try to work with what he had. It wasn't going very well. It seemed that, like many aspireing actresses before her, the girl onstage with Ren was either being overpowered by Ren's amazing skills or staring at him for so long she lost her bearings. In fact, she was in danger of falling over, if this went on.
Finally, the Director called a halt. Kyoko saw Ren and the other actress, a young girl a little older than her, leave for the dressing rooms to remove their costumes. Their very elaborate, 18th Century costumes. I'm sure you can all imagine the sparkles around Kyoko's face.
She moved forward to talk to Director Shinkai. The last time she had seen him was ¾ of a year ago, when she had an act-off against the stuck up Ruriko Matsunai. She'd lost the battle when she fainted on set, due to her injured ankle. Kyoko remembered that Shinkai Seishi was very nice to her about it afterwards, even taking her to get a photo done.
"Kyoko-chan, hello!" He'd noticed her.
"Good evening, Director Shinkai!" she bowed, "You have a good memory."
He laughed. "You've got very famous now, Kyoko-chan! I've kept an eye out, you know?"
She blushed. After Natsu and Mio, she guessed it was quite natural of him to remember her. She was really very proud of the way they turned out. They exchanged the common pleasantries and began to talk about the new movie that Shinkai was filming. Well, they'd only started filming a week ago, but the plot sounded good. It was an adaption on an English story, the Scarlet Pimpernel, which had been renamed "Hana Akai".
The main characters were a seemingly stupid, rich English courtier who marries a beautiful French woman. There is civil unrest in France which breaks out into the bloody French revolution. A mysterious Englishman and his daring band of gentlemen steal into France and help the aristocrats to escape, with all manner of audacious schemes. Of course, the French woman does not realise this 'Scarlet Pimpernel' hero is her husband, and is blackmailed into betraying him. After much emo-ness, they are reconciled and live happily ever after. The end.
Of course, by now Kyoko was drooling and Shinkai continued to expound upon his genius idea. Then a thought struck him.
"Kyoko-chan?"
"Eh?"
"Why are you here, anyway?"
She blushed. "I've just come to get Ren and take him home."
The Director blushed. "Oh...um... right... Ahem, congratulations, you guys did get along so well..."
"Wha...?! NO! I'm his manager! His temporary manager!!"
"Eh?! Whoops, sorry about that. Oh, there he is now!"
They both turned to see Ren enter the room, briefly talking to a crewmember before making his way over to them. He smiled confusedly at Kyoko.
"Good evening, Mogami-san."
"Hello Tsuruga-san! I'm your temporary manager again!"
"Oh." Shinkai could have sworn he heard disappointment in Ren's voice, but decided that he must have been mistaken as Ren immediately smiled and said, "That's very good of you, Mogami-san. Thank you for taking this on...short notice?"
"Yes, Sawara-san called me just an hour ago. Yashiro-san has some family problem at the moment."
0
Of course he does, Ren thought as he left with Kyoko. He always has something that makes it necessary to shove me and Kyoko together in small, enclosed spaces where I can hear her every breath, feel the vibrations from her slightest movement and breathe her scent whenever... no! Snap out of it, man, you sound like her stalker! Can you see the headlines?
"Japan's top actor, a pedophile!"
"Tsuruga Ren denies allegations that he harassed a teenage gir!"
"So," began Kyoko, startling a brooding Ren from his make-believe paparazzi fun park of horror, "How goes your new movie?"
"Not well." Ren admitted. "The female lead just doesn't fit the part, as I'm sure you noticed."
"Well... I guess I did. She's so lucky! Playing a beautiful, smart gentlewoman... And the dresses!!"
Ren chuckled as Kyoko continued to elaborate on her theme of tragic princess/lady and her one true love. If only... but no. She was too naive to realise that he would love to be her happily ever after.
They stopped at Ren's apartment and got out. Then he realised.
"Mogami-san! I forgot to take you home! And it's very late..."
"Eh? It's all right, I brought some groceries and a change of clothes. I hope you don't mind, but... well, you've got an early job tomorrow and your day is as busy as ever. I want to make sure you eat something." She smiled.
Ren spent about half a second imagining that she just wanted to be around him, before he noticed the bags Kyoko was taking out of his car. Lots and lots of them. He saw rice and meat and fish and vegetable and cans and little packets of flavouring. How the hell did they get in his car in the first place?
He hurried towards her to help her with the shopping. They took off their shoes as they got inside, and Ren put the bags onto the table. His apartment was a nice one, relatively large for someone who lived alone, but what can you say? It's not like he couldn't afford it. Kyoko immediately went into the kitchen, after commanding him to sit down and relax after his hectic day. Soon all sorts of strange clanging noises could be heard from his kitchen, no doubt from utensils he'd never seen before.
Soon, the smell of perfectly cooked rice and fish, plus soup with a side of greenery filled Ren's simple but stylish (and no doubt expensive) living area. He turned his head around to see a glowing Kyoko happily transporting her dishes to the table. They sat in a companionable silence that was broken at intervals by small talk varying from the fish they were eating to Ren's coming appointments. Of course, Kyoko was more like a live-in housekeeper than a manager, but Ren didn't care. He enjoyed being around her, no matter the reason.
0
Kyoko sat by the table and contemplated Ren. He seemed happy, but he wasn't saying much. He looked... tired. Distinctly tired.
"Tsuruga-san?"
"Yes Mogami-san?"
"Have you been sleeping badly lately?"
Yes, Ren thought, I've been thinking about you all night, to the point where I fall into an exhausted sleep only to dream about you, and then I wake up in the morning and start thinking about you again... "No, why?"
"Oh. Nothing. You should make sure you sleep and eat lots, you know, to keep up your strength."
Um, actually, with you sleeping over at my house I think that you might be at least a little worried about what I might need my strength for...
"Ok," He said.
They lapsed into silence.
Kyoko began clearing up as soon as they had finished, bringing the dishes from the table to Ren, who, surprisingly was very good at washing up. Huh. Fancy that. But of course, she realised, Tsuruga-san is good at everything! She smiled to herself. After retrieving her sleepwear from her bag, she called out to Ren.
"Tsuruga-san, I'm going to get changed now, where's the bathroom again?"
"Um...it's the, err... the one on the left down the hall." She didn't see him blushing.
"Thank you!"
Kyoko locked herself in Ren's bathroom. It was as big as her bedroom back at the Daruma. Feeling curious, she took a look in the cupboard above the sink. It contained various hair products (chuckle), a razor, some aftershave, a first-aid kit and a toothbrush. All were distinctly male products. She unscrewed the aftershave bottle and sniffed at it. It smelled somewhat like Ren, but not completely. It was odd to realise she knew what he smelt like.
She changed quickly, brushed her teeth and said goodnight to Ren. His carpet was a nice cream-coloured fuzzy one, the type you feel like wriggling your toes in. So she did. This time she slept in the guest room, not on his table, which was a distinct improvement. Beds tend to be somewhat softer than tables. It's just one of those things.
Kyoko fell asleep. She didn't see Ren look in on her, standing in the open doorway before quietly closing the door and retiring to his own room.
0
Director Shinkai paced in his study, thinking.
It was his movie. His first major one, backed up by the President himself. And Mayui-chan just wasn't good enough. Her acting was just not right for the part. And her looks were wrong. She was cute, but didn't have the charm or grace that the lady Marguerite should have. He'd have to choose another actress; Mayui could have Suzanne instead.
And then it struck him. Of course! She wouldn't possibly refuse...
0
Okay, that's it for now!! Please tell me what you think; even if you just say "I read it" or "You suck". Seriously. 0_o