Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!


Chapter 2 Celebrating the marriage

Lori choked with the cake while Kanae and Yashiro's tea took the wrong pipe. Their plate and cups felt on the carpeted floor, followed closely by them too.

"YOU DID WHAT? WHEN? They asked after they recollected themselves off the floor.

Ren put his arm around Kyoko's shoulder and slightly bend his head to kiss her on her forehead.

"We file in the papers two days ago. Honestly, we're together for a while and decided to wait until marriage but we couldn't wait anymore. We cannot live without each other. Sorry for keeping this a secret from you."

He's such a big liar. If I didn't know the truth I would believe him too. How many times didn't he deceive me with that bright smile of his? Kyoko thought while looking at Ren.

"You're a couple for a while? Are you kind to tell me since when?" no matter how much Ren would want to lie him, Lori could see through him.

"We became a couple after Valentine's days. At first we decided to keep it a secret, to avoid unnecessary questions but later we thought it isn't fair for the ones closed to us so…here we are, telling you about our secret love.

Kanae stood up surrounded by an aura worthy to rival Mio.

"So you and Tsuruga-san are in love with each other and you didn't tell me because I am not worthy to know? You married him and took me away the chance to see you as a bride. I always dreamed to be your maid of honor. I thought you're my friend."

Damn. She was indeed a fine actress, and her ability to cry in an instant was her forte. For a slight moment even Yashiro was caught in her emotional trap.

"I am so sorry Moko-san!" Kyoko left Ren's side and joined Kanae. "I never thought you had such feelings for me. I am really sorry Moko-san!"

"Oh, look how late it is! Ren, please wait for me inside your care. I need to discuss important matters with our president, it won't take long. And since Kyoko's site is in our way we can drop her in." he felt the need to intervene and stop the emotional show; it was too much for him to handle.

Silently, the happy couple left.

Behind them -

"I will look more into this matter. I don't buy their reason at all. I know Ren is love with her for a very long time but Kyoko is another different story. I can smell it – something is fishy here."

"We think the same." Yashiro and Kanae agreed with their boss.

"Kotonami-san you had a very nice interpretation. If your acting skills will always rise at this level I can see a bright future for you. You're dismissed now. Oh, and be here at 7 PM – we will pay a visit to our lovely newly couple and celebrate their impromptu wedding."

"I can't wait." They left grinning in anticipation.


During the day Yashiro never lose any opportunity to not tease his charge. His teasing reached the peak when he asked the question How did you spend the wedding night? Did you two stayed awake all night and …you now what?

Ren kept silence not paying attention to his over excited manager.

After a full day, tired from work, Ren found Kyoko already home.

"Okaeri nasai!"

"Tadaima." Many times he came home and none was there to greet him. His heart once cold filled with warm.

"How was your day?"

"Tiring but I am better now that I am home. How was your day?" Is this a common discussion among spouses?

"I am sure it wasn't as busy as yours, Ren. I just came home too and I still didn't prepared dinner wait. Please wait while I will cook something."

"Okay. Homemade food is the best, and yours is excellent."

Five minutes passed, enough time for Ren to change his clothes, when the door bell rang. Ren went opening the door, being graced by the presence of their closed friends, each of them holding different items in their hands.

"Good evening my children! I hope we didn't interrupt you or anything. We came here to celebrate the happy events." They invited themselves into the house.

"Because you secretly got married I didn't have the chance to see you as a bride. Even if that happened I do not want to lose the chance to celebrate it with you two. What are friends for?" Kanae strode towards Kyoko, giving her a slight embrace.

"Ren and I are happy to celebrate with you." a light blush adorned her cheek saying his name.

Their eagle eyes saw her blush over her cheeks. Their turned their gaze to Ren and saw him radiating pure happiness. They were sure about Ren's love feelings, however they wondered about Kyoko's.

At first glance if they could have been some strangers they could have been tricked by their acting; they simply looked like a couple in love. But they knew better, they knew something happened if they ended up like this.

They would find out sooner or later.

Since Kyoko didn'thave the chance to cook the French food brought by their guests was more than welcomed. During their celebration they chatted happily, answered embarrassing questions with well prepared lies.

Maybe it was because of the champagne, or maybe she always wanted to ask Kyoko, no matter which was it her questions still left her lips. Curiosity eating her alive.

"How it was? You felt good." Kanae thought that her question is clear with no chances of misunderstandings. She should have thought better.

"I felt good tonight Moko-san. Thank you for the visit. You can came anytime you want." Her dense little friend, and now a little drunk, was impossible.

"Mo, I am not talking about tonight but about your first night with Ren when you have slept with him." if before Kyoko was intoxicated she instantly became sober. Her face was a ripped tomato, unable to utter a single word.

"Moko-san, please stop teasing me." Unable to face her friend anymore she ran away to the place where the men were, joining their company. On the table she saw Ren's glass of whiskey; she took it and gulped down her throat the brown liquid.

"Hey, you cannot drink alcohol." Ren was taken aback by her action; she emptied the glass with just one gulp.

"I need it." she whipped her mouth with her sleeve. She took the bottle and purred another glass; she choked it down her throat with just one gulp.

Ren was stunned by her doings. When she was about to purr another glass his hand was faster taking the bottle out her reach.

"You're still underage. You cannot drink alcohol." She knew he has right but she still need it. Kanae's question still rang inside her brain.

"I know Ren but I still want another glass. I need another glass to cool my head down.

"No." his answer was straight, no chances to change his mind. She stretched her hand trying to steal the bottle off his hand. Grace to her short stature she failed lamentable in her little mission.

Somehow, while she was stretching to reach him, her gaze felt on him, more exactly on a certain part of him. She blushed furiously while dark, erotic thoughts crossed her mind and nested there, making ravages to her innocent mind.

"Kyoko, something is wrong?" Minutes before she was perfectly okay; he couldn't figure out what could happen to her. His question awoke her from her dirty thoughts bringing her attention to him. She casted her gaze away from a certain part of him to his angelic face.

"Ren, the truth is that Kanae – "the alcohol started to effect her faster than she could have imagine. Her sight became blurry, unable to certainty indentify Ren.

"What Kanae did?" a crimson red adorned her cheeks remembering her question.

"I cannot tell you what she did. It's too embarrassing." Ren turned his eyes from his drunk but beautiful wife to her best friend. She was sitting across the table playing innocent.

"Ren" his name coming through her lips brought his attention back to his drunken wife "I think I am going to fall asleep. My eyes are heavy." Her body became light, numb, falling on Ren.

Ren took his sleepy wife to her room to rest. The trio left before Ren returning and say goodbye. Coming here they accomplished their mission. They have seen a happy Ren when Kyoko said his name. Also they did see a wife blushing every time when she said her husband name.

They still didn't know why they got married but they were satisfied by what they had seen.


The next day Kyoko woke up with a horrible headache. Aimessly she searched inside her drawer for painkillers. Ren was already in the kitchen, savoring his morning coffee when she stepped in inside.

"Good morning! Did you sleep well?" he asked his beautiful wife.

"Morning. I slept like a new born baby. However I woke up with a horrible headache." Going to open the fridge she took a bottle of water, turned the cap, the cold liquid going down her aching throat.

"For a petite woman such as yourself you drank too much so you have a hangover."

"I am so sorry. I do not know what happened to do that. I promise it won't happen ever again. I would prepare breakfast immediately, please wait some more time."

"You overslept. We don't have time for breakfast."

"Why didn't you wake me up? Look, you drank your coffee on your empty stomach."

"If I survived years without breakfast I am sure I can survive one more day. Nothing is going to happen me."

"It's my fault. If I wouldn't have gotten drunk I wouldn't have woken up late. I am such a bad wife."

"It's okay, I am not mad on you. Now I know that when you're drunk you would fall asleep pretty fast. Some are very talkative in that state but not you." And is such a pity since I wanted to know what Kotonami-san did to you. He completed in his mind. "Anyway, what's done is done. However your hungover is another problem. I have prepared you a special drink."

From the counter he picked up a glass with a strange yellow substance in it holding it to her. "It would help you with your hungover. "

With suspicious eyes she looked at him and hesitantly made her mind; she took the strange drink off his grasp choking the liquid down her throat. The taste, the smell were so bad that she thought she will throw up on that moment.

It must be the payback for the time when he had that cold. Yeah, he certainty took his revenge with his killer drink. What the heck did he add in this drink?

After several mental kicks kyoko gained control over her gag reflex. She could still feel the taste into her mouth but not strong as before. In her attempt to remove the sour taste she drank a glass of orange juice.

Several minutes later they left to their sit filming.


Kyoko was in her dressing room when her phone rang into the silent room. She picked up the device and read the message.

My adorable Kyoko, how are you? You missed daddy? Daddy missed you a lot. Daddy had good news for you; next Sunday daddy will come and take you with him in South Korea. Daddy took care of everything.

With love, Daddy!

Few days ago she would have been terrified by his mere presence but not now. Grinning till the ears, her fingers pressed the keyboard of her cell phone for a reply.

I am so sorry Daddy but I cannot come with you in your journey. My husband completely oppose this.

With love, your married daughter!

Five minutes later another message filled her inbox.

What husband? Why Daddy knows nothing of such matter. Who's the man? Who dared to steal my precious daughter without my permission? Your Daddy demands to know his name. This Sunday your Daddy will come and pay you two a visit.

With love, your pissed Daddy!

Kyoko sighed. The next days would be the hardest ones; her acting skills would be but to trial. Her fingers typed another message with the address. Later she send a message to Ren informing him about their visitor.

She hoped that Sunday she would fake a perfect, happy marriage in front of her bearded-man father.


Time flew, Sunday coming in the blink of an eye. Ren arrived home early than usual, while Kyoko had the day off preparing for her father's visit. The door bell rang and she hurried to the door open it.

Beyond the door she found out an angry bearded-man. Her sixth sense could she small rage demons swirling around him who looked awfully similar with hers. Did she inherited this trait from him?

Without an invitation, the bearded-man made his way into the apartment going to the place where Ren currently was, the living room. The bearded-man hesitated to shake hands with Ren; instead he glared at him, death obviously in his gaze. The bearded-man looked at Ren like he was a thief, a notorious criminal who corrupted his daughter into crimes.

It didn't last long until the bearded-man started his interrogatory.

"When did you two met for the first time?"

"Well, we saw each other for the first time at LME when Kyoko came for a talent audition."

"Since when you two are a couple? Last week I had no information about her beintg involved into a romantic relationship."

"The truth is we had feelings for each other for a long time but we become a couple after Valentine Day."

"When did you two got married?"

"Few days ago."

"Your parents, where are they? What they do to earn their living?" in the past ren had multiple relationship but never met the parents of his partners so he had zero experience with the girls fathers. He was asked about his parents; he had no idea what to answer. He certainty cannot tell the truth about his origins; he had to say a lie fast.

"They're not here?" his voice was low and filled with pain which made Kyoko and the bearded-man to think the worst.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know they aren't in this world anymore."

Technically speaking Ren hadn't lie; his parents don't reside here in Japan but in USA. If the bearded-man understood something else then the fault lays at the bearded-man not him.

During the dinner none dared to speak; they ate in silence. However the bearded-man interrogatory it didn't end.

"How's your bed life." Ren and Kyoko chocked with the last bite of their food. Bed life? They have none of it but the father doesn't need to know.

Kyoko leant into her husband shoulder, her head resting on it. "Oto-san, how can you ask something so embarrassing? But since you asked let me tell you we don't have problems beyond our bedroom's door.

Mogami Kosuke, a man over forty experienced love more than once, more than twice, and more than trice. During his four decades of life he had seen many young couples in love but none of them was so platonic like the one currently in his sight.

If they tried to trick them with their so-called love they certainty failed to do so. A man like him cannot be tricked by youngsters. But he wanted to see more of their so called love so why not play their game a little bit more -

"The truth is that I think you're acting; I do not think that you two are a couple. However I could change my mind if you two will kiss. If you two really are husband and wife and deeply love each other I am sure you have no problem to kiss each other now, for me to witness your deep love. If I am not convinced we, my sweet daughter will take the first plain to Seoul, South Korea, which is later tonight."

Ren turned towards Kyoko, facing her. The bearded-man gave him no choice; if he wants Kyoko still be into his life in a way of another then he must kiss her. He hoped that Kyoko will forgive him one day for what he's about to do.

Ren's thumb caressed her bottom lip. For a slight moment her mind recalled memories of him touching her like this for the first time; when they repeated for Dark Moon. She could clearly remember his seductive aura, the Emperor of the Night.

He was possessed by him again. Kyoko from that time panicked but the one from now stayed still waiting for his kiss; his lips descending closer, closer to hers.

It's just a kiss. I am an actress; in the future I could get roles in which I will kiss men. How much damage can this kiss do?

How much damage?

She found out when Ren's soft lips gently pressed on hers, locking them together. The locks which kept her heart buried in a box deep inside her core snapped open, her new released feelings seizing her body.

For months she did everything she could to avoid the truth; that she's in love with the man whose lips are locked with hers.

She couldn't deny her feelings anymore; she wanted the man. Somehow she knew what she should do; her lips move on their own, responding to his kiss. Nothing mattered for them anymore, not even an ugly bearded-man.

Ren was taken aback by her reaction. Overwhelmed by pure desire for the woman he deepened the kiss, his mouth devouring the small whimpers of pleasure coming from inside her throat.

"Very persuasive but I am totally convinced." Ren cursed the man who dared stopping from his pleasure. "But since I am in a good mood I will give you another chance to prove your love. From tomorrow on I will move in here to observe your love for each other."

Without giving them a chance to protest, the father sat up and left their apartment. The moment he was out the door his eardrums almost break by the shrieking sound from inside.

"WHAT?"

Kyoko's plan was simple: pretend that she's married and after the father will go out her life she will return to her room from Darumaya. Damn, her father had other plans though.

When she heard the bearded-man statement she automatically knew what him moving with them means: she should move in her sempai's room since his condo has only two bedrooms.

Maybe she would have dealt with it better if her locks wouldn't have been utterly destroyed by a simple kiss.

"I guess I should move my things from my room." A slight color of rouge adorned her cheeks; the thought of sharing the same room, and maybe the same bed with him made her heart flutter faster.

"Yes you should." Half of him exuded in happiness; he even started to think that her father presence it's a blessing. However his other half was in despair; he knew very well he cannot touch his legal wife no matter how much he would want to.

Not if she won't have feelings for him, other than respect.

In the same night Kyoko moved her things into Ren's bedroom. However she decided to not join in that same night; her heart wasn't prepared yet.

In that night her mind replayed the kiss they shared, on and on; the feeling of his touch still lingering over her lips many hours after it ended.