"God, you're an idiot," came a disgusted male voice.
Ren quickly turned away from the corridor he'd been headed down, knowing that was a conversation he certainly didn't want to overhear.
"What the hell? How dare you talk to me that way you imbecile?" came a high-pitched reply.
He stopped dead in his tracks. Was that her? It couldn't be. But, even with dread mounting inside him he found himself edging back toward that often deserted area he made a habit of passing through when he could on the off chance of seeing the chicken. It was ridiculous to actually want to see a man in a chicken suit, but honestly, Ren had come to accept more and more in his life that would doubtless be considered piteously ridiculous to an outside observer if they ever knew.
"And how dare you come marching up and act so rudely to a guest on the show. I realize you just want to ruin my career any way you can, you selfish bastard, but I won't put up with you being rude to others just to get at me."
It was. That was definitely Kyouko, and with panic chilling his gut, he knew without even looking around the corner that the person she was screaming at could only be that little bastard, Fuwa Sho. He was the only one who could make her fall apart so completely, like a lover's quarrel every time.
"Oh please, I don't need to sabotage you to be more famous than you," came his smug reply. "I was saving you from a lecherous old creep who was trying to get you into a locked room, you utter retard!"
Fury and despair flooded through Ren's full six foot three inch frame. He did it again. That bastard. That bastard Sho had saved her when Ren wasn't there. Fear gripped him and fury and shame again. She'd been trapped alone with a predator...
"Whaaat! Don't be ridiculous! He was the guest on the show. He was just curious about the costume. What is the matter with you? And, what the hell makes you think I need your help with anything? EVER? Just stay away from me!" The last part was said with contempt, and Ren could hear it ... with pain. That little creep could still cause her pain.
"Kyouko." Fuwa's voice was lower now, though no less angry sounding. Ren had to move close to catch the rest of his words. "Kyouko, you're not a kid anymore. One of these days your idiocy is going to get you into real trouble." Ren could peek around the corner unseen behind the tall, portable lighting and sound booms pushed up againts the wall for storage. Kyouko was dressed in a tank top and spandex shorts, her hair pushed back with a wide band. Looking small and vulnerable with her whole body in stark outline from the close fitting clothes, her fists were clenched tightly and her face was turned away, while Fuwa stood with his hands jammed into a pair of ridiculous gray jeans that were more holes than fabric, his face contorted with something that looked like a frustration so old it had long ago turned into a grudge.
"Shoutarou, I have no idea what you're talking about. I've had a long day. I'm going home," came Kyouko's terse and suddenly tired reply. She made to walk past him, but his arm shot out and grabbed her wrist. Ren nearly bolted forward, giving himself away as an eavesdropper, when he saw that contact, but she didn't pull away. Why wasn't she pulling away? God, he was an idiot. Of course she would still let that little shit touch her, when he couldn't even lay a finger on her without sending her into a state of panic. He felt another little part of his crumbling self- esteem break right then.
"Listen to me, will you?" Fuwa's voice pleaded, not looking at her. Neither of them looking at the other now, just connected by his hand on her wrist. Damn it. Always connected. "You never see it. You never see when a man wants you." Kyouko's entire body seized up with tension, but he still held onto her wrist. "It's just like with that damned Beagle. You're so blind and one of these days you won't be with a guy who stops himself from touching you just because you're terrified." Ren's heart rate was pounding. Her frozen face in his mind's eye, her body stiff with terror. Fuwa knew. he knew it just as sure as Ren himself, and yet somehow he was able to talk to her about these things, something Ren could never do.
With a burst of spiteful strength, Kyouko twisted her wrist out of Fuwa's grip, leaving red marks behind. Ren was impotently furious as he watched.
She laughed, heavy and dull. "Please, no-one wants me like that. You said it yourself, I'm a plain, boring girl, no man would want. Do you have to be cruel and rub it in?" She began to walk away again.
"You fool! Of course I wanted you! Who wouldn't want you?" he shouted after her. She froze on the spot, her back to them both. "But you never, ever wanted me back!" Fuwa's hands flew up and gripped his hair, body tense with some held-back emotion.
Kyouko turned slowly around and glared at the boy. "How dare you?" she snarled. "How dare you say things like that just to mess with me?"
"God! you're fucking impossible!" he yelled, arms thrown out, releasing his hair and looking for all the world like he was about to hit her. Again, Ren tensed to leap out. Fuwa kicked a box of props across the floor, and sat heavily with head in hands, ironically where Ren had sat himself, pouring out his woes to a guy in a giant chicken costume.
Leave, leave Kyouko. Leave now, thought Ren. But instead she stomped over to the boy and stood with her hands on her small hips, fuming down at him.
"You dare to call me impossible. You trick me into leaving Kyoto, leaving school, dragging me to Tokyo to live with you, letting me think I was somehow special to you, when all you brought me along for was to be your FUCKING MAID?" she screamed, and kicked him in the shin.
"OW! OW! FUCK! God damn it, you fucking BITCH!" he yelled, rolling around, clutching his leg.
"I'm not taking your lies anymore Shoutarou! I'm not stupid enough to be fooled twice. I know you. I know you better than anyone else, and you're a lying, selfish, egotistical bastard who uses everyone and anyone to get even the smallest thing. Don't even try to talk to me about wanting me," she snorted derisively. "You only ever saw me as your servant, and nothing more."
She turned and to Ren's dismay began walking his way.
"That is not the truth, and you would know it, if you ever stopped lying to yourself, even for a minute," came a tired reply.
Complete confusion warred with indignation all over her face as Fuwa continued in a lowered voice.
"Maybe that's why you've turned out to be a pretty good actress. You're such a good liar." She was pure outrage as she turned back around.
"No. Shut up." He raised a hand to stop her from talking.
"Shut up and listen. In my parent's house, with you playing the perfect little daughter all the time, the perfect hostess, trying to please them, all the while scared to death they were going to throw you out if you did anything wrong ... You used to cry." He shifted, clearly uncomfortable just thinking about it. "And, I never knew what to do. And I know you made yourself cheerful. And I hated them! I hated the whole damned thing. I brought you, not just because you're a seriously good cook," he smiled as though at a personal joke "and not just because you were going to be my wife anyway," Ren's lungs constricted in shock "but just to get you out of there! And ... and to get you ... with me. I thought," he paused and grimaced, then laughed "I thought somehow that having you alone in an apartment with me, I'd finally get to touch you." He glanced up and Ren was furious thinking about that scheming bastard alone with Kyouko in an apartment, every night. He could see the little jerk measuring the result of his words, hoping still to get his hands on the girl. Fury returned.
"Touch me?" she echoed faintly.
"Yes," he replied, rising up standing in front of her, much, much too close.
She shook her head, almost spasming with denial. "No!" she yelled and jumped back.
Fuwa growled and jammed his hands back into those stupid looking jeans of his. He made a snicking sound of disgust as he brushed past her, walking in Ren's direction, then paused. "Seriously, I pity the next guy who is dumb enough to fall in love with you."
With that he walked on, passing where Ren leaned, attempting foolishly to look casual, head tilted back against the wall. And with some horrible sixth-sense, Fuwa turned his head suddenly and saw Ren standing there. He paused in shock and then with a look of loathing that morphed into a grimacing smirk he shook his head and left.
There was a thud and the sound of stifled sobbing. Ren pounded his head against the wall once, twice and then cursing himself for a fool pushed off to go comfort a girl who had completely ruined his ordered, compartmentalized, safe life and brought him the only joy or comfort he'd felt outside of acting in over seven years. He walked over quietly and crouched before her, stopping himself once again from reaching out a hand to touch that untouchable star.