Summary: Rising star, KYOUKO, had it all. A wonderful job. Brilliant friends. A steadily growing pseudo-family. And last but not least, an amazing boyfriend who happened to be the long lost fairy prince from her childhood. Could her life get any better? Of course, it could! Unfortunately, it can also get worse.
Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat! or any of the Characters. No Profit was made out of this story.
Chapter One.
"So, how was your meeting with the PR?" Kanae asked as both of them dived into their Sundaes.
"Mo- Moko-SAAAAN!" Kyoko sputtered as she promptly chocked on her mouthful.
"Mo, it is a valid question!" Kanae growled as she took another bite "And its answer is pretty simple as well. Either, It went well or It didn't go well." She lectured on as if she was talking to a young child.
Kyoko fidget a little with her spoon as she lower her head "Ren says it went well."
She continued quickly as Kanae's eyebrow went up and she appeared ready for another -longer- lecture. "It is just that I don't think it is wise to go public yet."
"Yes, well, then maybe you shouldn't have been caught in public doing that!" was Kanae's vicious reply.
"MOKO-SAN!" Kyoko shouted, now blushing madly and truly scandalized. "It wa-wasn't like that! He was just saying goodnight!" Her blush, if possible, was getting redder and redder the more she talked. "NOT like that! He was just whispering it in my ear after dropping me off because the noise from the Daruma-ya made it difficult for us to talk, someone had reserved the restaurant that day for a party and the party crowd was getting rowdy after a few too many bottles of sake."
"Anyway, it isn't like you are going public yet." Kanae brought them back to the topic at hand "The two of you are lucky that the president was able to retrieve the photos from the reporter"
"The man was bayed handsomely in exchange for the photo according to PR." Kyoko growled in irritation as she remembered that particular information.
"Yes, and made to sign a none-disclosure as well." Kanae answered back trying to keep them on track "What I meant is that you might not be lucky next time and that is why this meeting with PR was important. Believe me; you wouldn't want to be caught unaware with the paparazzi if your relationship ended up going public one day."
Kyoko smiled sympathetically at her friend as they both remembered Kanae's own troubles with the press shortly after they both debuted. Luckily for Kanae, the relationship that got her all that unwanted attention was a mere rumor and after a while the press died down.
Kanae frowned as she noticed her friend's unease. "Seriously, Kyoko, you make it sound like it would be disastrous if the public were to find out."
"Well, it is just that…" Kyoko started but ended up closing her mouth with a snap.
"This isn't about the 'I don't deserve him' nonsense again is it?" Kanae practically snapped.
"Well…"
"Well nothing! You are an amazing actress! He should be the one honored to have his name linked to you!" Kanae could feel herself blushing, she was not one for gushing about and to her rivals but she still had to say her piece "I understood your concerns back when we were new to the entertainment world, but now you have your own follower and fans to rival his! Neither of you could be accused of using the other as a stepping stone."
"If you say so." Kyoko said with a small smile.
"What are you smiling at?" Kanae asked, trying to mask her surprise at how quickly her friend was willing to let go of the topic, usually Kyoko would argue loud and long about how much of a no-body she is, well, maybe she was finally starting to see.
"You think I am amazing actress!" was Kyoko's gushing reply.
"Mo, don't get use to it!" Kanae snapped as she started to walk faster, but at the back of her mind something started to nag at her.
It wasn't for a couple of hours later that she was finally able to realize what that was. As she was getting ready for bed, she started to go over her day mentally.
…The director from her morning shoot was stricter that normal, which usually spelled troubles in the form of sudden script re-writes and numerous re-shooting.
…That annoyingly flirtatious actor from her other drama appeared to have moved on to their other co-worker who was more than happy with the attention, good for them and hopefully now she can go to the set in peace.
…Kyoko is still unable to see herself as others see her even if she was more easily persuaded to stop arguing the point. However, there is a chance that the quick stop of the argument doesn't actually foretell a change in Kyoko's believes, after all she appeared quit distracted all through their outing today.
Now that Kanae was thinking about it, she also appeared quit unwell, aside from the brief moment where she was very scandalized and alarmingly red in her state of blushing denial, she was very pale all through the hour and a half that they were able to spend together.
They haven't met in a while because of their busy schedule so she wasn't sure if this paleness is a new thing or if her friend was merely just recovering from a spot of cold.
Ren watched fondly as Kyoko dashed around his -previously- barely used kitchen. He couldn't really believe his luck! This awesome young woman was really his. Granted, it took him too much time to gather his courage and actually confess to her. Then it took him nearly as much time and effort to knock some sense into her and make her see that he was sincere.
Ren shuddered remembering that awful moment where he could clearly see her disbelieve turn into anger and mistrust before he was finally able to make her see and believe the truth.
A loud crash snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up in time to see Kyoko leaning heavily on the countertop as she looked down on the pot she dropped in shock. He jumped from where he was standing out of her way and was by her side in a second.
"I… I'm sorry, Ren!" She started talking immediately "I don't know what happened. I really don't! I… I didn't mean to…" He cut her off before she worked herself into frenzy.
"It's alright! It's alright!" He said with a smile, gently guiding her away from the fallen pot and its undeniably hot content "Are you okay? Did any of that get on you?"
"No. No I'm okay. I'm just surprised. I think I lost my balance for a moment and the next thing I know…" She gestured somehow wildly at the floor and the spilled pot. "I'm really sorry, Ren"
By now he was looking at her with a concerned frown "You tripped?" He asked, trying to understand what exactly caused the loss of balance.
"Er… no, more like lost my balance." She stammered trying to drive him away from his questioning but had to lower her head and confess after sensing his anger rising at her misdirection "I got a little dizzy and lost my grip on the pot."
By now Ren was really panicking "WHAT? Are you ill? Why didn't you say something? You look a little pale." And then, in a true self-loathing voice "How could I not notice?!"
"Ren! REN! It's alright. I am alright. I think… well, maybe I just didn't get enough sleep last night" She reassured him. "Really!" and insisted when he didn't look much assured.
It took him a couple of moments but he finally let it go. However, unknown to her, he made an internal vow to watch out for her and see if it was really a momentary issue caused by lack of sleep or if it was something more serious.
Phew! Kyoko couldn't help but feel relived that her day was finally over. What a day! Scratch that! What a damn week!
It started with her monthly visit to the Daruma-ya. She usually visit with the elderly couple whom she owns a lot to, have a chat about what was going on in her life over dinner and then spend the night. Except that she and Ren were careless that day, even though they weren't overly PDA and had never, never kissed in public, the way that that photo was taken made it appear as if they were kissing.
She was grateful for Lory's quick intervention when the reporter approached L.M.E for a comment, and even more grateful for the PR's help and guiding on how to handle the press. But this constant stress wasn't doing her health any good. Ever since she caught that cold last month she noticed how she wasn't getting any better, in fact, she was starting to believe that she was now getting worse and now she was actually starting to show it.
The lack of appetite, the constant fatigue and the frequent dizzy spell were bound to start affecting her job. She really hated it when she was an inconvenient to others, and if she truly fell ill now she would be burdening her numerous co-workers, crew and directors.
She cringed internally when she remembered how skeptical Ren was while she was trying to write off her slip up as a lack of sleep induced fatigue. She really hoped he wouldn't question her about it further.
Two figures stood facing each other in the emergency escape stairs of one of the most prominent studios, both fuming but both still holding onto their anger to stop themselves from snapping in this relatively secluded place located in the very much public building.
"What do you want, Fuwa-san?" Kyoko asked as politely as she could manage, after all they hadn't had any encounters since the first time his parents visited both of them in Tokyo so long ago, but still she was quite startled when a pained look passed through his eyes at the formal address.
Although Kyoko was sure to stay polite when Sho's name was brought up in her conversation with his parents, she was quit sure that they had somehow figured the reason behind their separation. When he suddenly stopped harassing her and popping up left and right shortly after the Fuwas went back to Kyoto, she realized that one of them must have talked with Sho and told him to leave her alone.
"When did it happen?" He asked, quickly masking any hurt.
"I'm afraid you will have to be more specific." She was quickly losing her patience with the unwelcome encounter.
"Oh, let me see. I might be asking 'When did you fall for that pin-headed overgrown ken doll?' or maybe it is 'when did the two of you start your relationship?' or maybe I am asking 'When will you ever learn?' Are you daft?" by the end of his little speech he was practically growling and she was positively fuming.
"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked through gritted teeth, though, she was pretty sure she knew what he was about.
"Don't deny it!" He shouted at her "I was there! I saw the two of you in front of your house!"
"What? How do you even know where I live?"
"I freaking know where the hell you live! I have been there more than a couple of times! The old lady invited me in even" He screamed back at her, wondering if that was her distracting technique.
"What? Are you talking about the Daruma-ya? I haven't lived there in months!"
"What? No, I saw you there two weeks ago! I have been waiting for you since then to confront you but I haven't been able to catch you yet!" He was huffing a little in his effort to calm himself down.
"Yes and you wouldn't have been able to 'confront' me for a while seeing as I don't live there anymore! I was merely visiting." She finished her sentence slowly as if she was talking to a child.
"You know what! That doesn't matter at all. What matter is, your so-called relationship with this no-good, pin-headed actor."
"Stop calling him that!"
"I'll call him whatever the f**k I want to! Stop changing the subject!"
"Listen, Shotaro, my relationships, called or so-called, are none of your concerns."
"Don't call me that!"
"I'll call you whatever the f**k I want to!" She said in imitation to his earlier respond.
Sho stopped and took a large calming breath before continuing. "Look, I know that I am the last person you would want to listen to- "
"Damn right you are!"
"- but I am only trying to warn you!" He spoke loudly over her comment "Do you want a repeat of what happened to you before!"
That was the wrong thing to say!
"A repeat! Oh, you mean when you threw me like yesterday garbage the moment you made a name for yourself?" She asked in a deadly quit voice.
"Look, I didn't… I wasn't trying to bring that up. But you have to admit you are too nice for your own good!" He spoke quickly to diffuse the situation but it was too late.
"Of course, because the use-and-abuse-Kyoko is a Sho-only privilege."
"Kyoko-"
"Or maybe because you believe that everyone is as much of a jerk as you are."
"See! You love someone and they become a holy figure to you! How do you know that you won't be blinded to his flaws! How do you know that it won't end up badly again?"
"I don't know." This time she was so calm answering him. "and he isn't some holy figure. He is a human, he has his own flaws but don't you ever dare to compare the two of you together! He is nothing like you!"
"Kyoko-" but once more he was interrupted.
"Both of you left your homes at the age of fifteen to persuade your dreams…" even if Ren had a larger reason for leaving home "… but unlike you he left with his parents approval…" well, it was only one of his parents that approved and he might have only done so to save his son's sanity, not that she was telling Sho this "… and unlike you he went at it alone…" actually, he had Lory, but Lory was a father figure and thus more appropriately able to take care of him without either of them suffering "… and unlike you his rise was slower because he wanted to prove himself without flaunting the agency name and his connections left and right…" this was something that both Lory and Yashiro complain about loud and clear especially when they realized that she wanted to follow into his footsteps "… and unlike you Ren is grateful and full of respect to everyone who ever crossed pass with him wither in his various jobs or in his personal life…" both of them knew that the severing of their childhood friendship was the living proof of how Sho can't live up to this particular trait of Ren "… and, finally, unlike you he has a reputation of being professional and always well prepared in all of his jobs." Sho might be serious and focused when it comes to writing his songs and singing them but their one and only job together attest to Sho's lack of professionalism when it came to anything else.
By then Sho was feeling increasingly small and insignificant. He brought this into himself; he used and then alienated her. He continued to torment her just so that he can have a place into her life and now he was standing here, well aware of his next to none existing chance of ever returning to her life.
"Leave me alone, Sho" she said it softly "It has been a long day and I'm really tired, I don't need all of this –whatever it is- to top it off." And she really was. They spent more than six hours today alone shooting and re-shooting all the scenes of one of the supporting characters since its actor was suddenly offered a leading role in a movie that will require him to spend the next two months in Hokkaido.
Now, her overworked mind was screaming at her and demanding some sleep, or maybe some food, she wasn't very sure. All of Sho's nagging and arguing were really getting on her nerve. She sways a little forward and then jerked backward as she tried to right herself up but then her vision doubled and she knew that it was too late.
"Look, I know that…" but he didn't get to finish because the next thing he know Kyoko was going suddenly limp and right as he jump toward her to catch her and prevent further injuries, he realize that not only was he too far to prevent a collisions with the hard floor but also, Kyoko is falling backward, towards the loooong flight of stairs.
A/N: The story is only just beginning, so I understand if things appear to be very confusing and unclear. However, everything well clear up as the story progress. (23.06.17)