Chapter 2

Yashiro was studying Kyoko intensely, as she stood amid her fellow actors. They were doing a dry run through of the next scene to be filmed and Yashiro was curious to see if there was any indication of that. Since yesterday's interview, he had been strategically able to be assigned as Kyoko's manager. Although, he only had a week as her manager, he was confident that he would be able to at least scratch off any of the cast members of the Sacred Lotus in the Mire, as a potential love interest of Kyoko.

Taking his position in his director's chair, Morizumi Jouji called out loudly, "All right Hiromune and Kyoko, are you both ready?"

After receiving a nod from both actors, the director called out resoundly, "Ok, everyone. Action!"

Following the director's cue, Hiromune, dressed as the ronin, Sakanoue Shizuma, closed his eyes as he waited patiently on the ground, lying still and slowing his breathing. He could hear the soft footsteps of Momiji advancing towards him. With his hands reaching up but eyes still closed, he whispered faintly, "Chidori…"

His misnomer was deliberate, he needed to teach Momiji her place, and although he had been treating her more like a sister of late, it was time she understood where they stood with each other. It was no surprise to him that the footsteps stopped the moment she heard the name, he had spoken. Peering at her from beneath his eyelashes, he watched the anguish wash over her face.

"Chidori, come here…" this time he added a slow smile to his face but continued to keep his eyes closed.

Momiji, suppressed her bitterness at the mention of her rival's name. Inching closer to her beloved, she knelt down beside him. Her eyes, feeding on the brilliance of his face. Laying her hands over her knee, she sat in the seiza position, waiting for his next actions.

Instantly, Shizuma sprang into action, pulling her towards him. Rolling her beneath him, he positioned himself comfortably above her and stared intently into her eyes. Watching the surprise look pass over Momiji, he considered her still small form under him and a wide smile spread across his face.

"Momiji, haven't I told you not to follow me out here when I am napping?" a gleam flickered across his eyes.

"Yes!" a wide-eye stare of fear and dread played over Momiji's face. As her master, he was entitled to punish her in anyway, he saw fit and although he had always remained kind towards her, she had never openly defied his orders.

"So then, you would disobey me?" He challenged.

"No, my lord, my family has been serving yours for generations and I continue to do so as well," she answered tensely.

Shizuma's smile widened at her words. His hand reached out to cup her face, and he slowly brought his head down towards her. Inches before their lips would meet, he stopped and waited.

"Look at me," he ordered in a far gentler tone than she would have expected.

Suddenly, the tension changed and his eyes hooded with desire. Knowing something different was about to happen, Kyoko tried to pull away. But his arms tightened around her. Instinct began to kick in and bracing herself for what she did not fully understand, she waited in a near hysterical horror for what was about to play out.

The hard body above her began to move suggestively, while at the same time a firm mouth closed hungrily over her.

Kyoko froze. Wait! This isn't what's in the script. Why is he doing this and why isn't the director calling for a cut! Kyoko was confused. She understood that there were times when ad-libs were used but she was not prepared for what was happening.

As sudden as the kiss had begun, it also ended. Pulling sharply away from her, Shizuma rolled off her. With rage suddenly emanating from his eyes, he glared at her and snarled, "disobey me again and you will be very sorry!"

"Cut!" director Morizumi, jumped out of his chair in excitement. "That was phenomenal! Absolutely wonderful, I want to explore more of that!"

Smiling brightly, Hiromune beamed proudly, "Really? I'm glad, I was suddenly inspired to try out a different angle where Shizuma frightens her sexually and to see where we can go with his character development in that."

Nodding his head enthusiastically, Morizumi agreed, "Yes, splendid! We need to do that and I want to reshoot all of it in a close-up, to capture the intensity in your faces. Both actors, please get in positions, we'll roll again in 2 minutes. Camera crew, prepare to get in tighter!"

Kyoko had transformed into a Haniwa, a stiff statue. She was in disbelief at the new turn of events. Although she knew that she would be playing several romantic scenes with Hiromune, she was not fully prepared for them just yet.

"Kyoko, did you hear me?" the director called out to her.

But still Kyoko remained unresponsive, her body stiffened as if in rigormortis . It took director Morizumi several more attempts of yelling at her before Yashiro stepped in.

"Excuse me Morizumi-san, if I may, I believe Kyoko may not be able to finish the shoot today."

Thinking up a quick reason, he explained, "She's internalizing this new act and it appears she's having some kind of conflict with the change in this scene. In fairness, her contract does not include ad-libs, so with any change in the story, one should allow a brief incubation period. In addition to respecting their artistic abilities, it helps foster an environment of creativity, thereby contributing in a positive manner to these very talented artists, while they absorb their character's latest predicament. I believe that if you give her until the rest of the day, she will be able to develop her character into someone who would fully astound you.''

Morizumi was not happy with the suggestion but had to give Yashiro credit for his reasoning. On the other hand, the filming for the romantic drama had only just begun and it wasn't too late to replace the new actress with his niece. It was almost as if the heavens had answered his prayer when it suddenly dawned on him that Kyoko was having difficulties with a love scene. Could it be, she had a vulnerability in her so far flawless talent?

It was time to see if he could engineer a way to replace the actress. Raising a brow, he answered, "If that is the case, then I will even give her 24 hours to do as you have said. Only, I will expect her to add to this scene in a manner that is worth my wait, otherwise I see no reason to not find a suitable substitute that can do this scene, after all, she wasn't exactly listed as an actress on her profile was she? "

Yashiro smiled politely but did not say anything as the director made his way to the camera crew. He was glad to be able to buy some time for Kyoko to resurface from her catatonic state. However, he was also concern about whether or not she would be able to satisfy Morizumi. It was very apparent that Morizumi viewed Kyoko more as just a mare talent instead of an actress. His attitude also reflected his desire to use his own niece as Momiji as well.

Although it was a fact that Kyoko was capable of producing incredible characters. He had always known that she could be extremely unpredictable and that she would only give her absolute best when performing. She was never one to do the bare minimum, especially when she had competition.

Glancing at her still form, he wondered if her effort would be geared towards director Morizumi's taste. This was as black or white as they come, she was either going to pass or fail. Perhaps this was a moment when Yashiro should seek out an acting coach for her.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Yashiro put on his gloves, before he made a phone call. Kyoko, blinked as if waking up from a dream, alerting Yashiro that she was coming out of her trace. Without thinking he replaced his cellphone into his jacket and went to attend to her.

Driving casually down the street, Ren wasn't really intending on going anywhere in particular, as he pulled his Porsche into a parking lot near the Shibuya station. He found himself wanting to visit the Jeanne d Arc store where Cain once took Setsu shopping. He wasn't really looking for anything in particular, it was more just him wanting to relive that moment when he had Kyoko all to himself, while playing his role of Cain Heel.

He knew that it was something he alone missed. That shared togetherness. That girl was not just an amazing actress but she had been instrumental in helping him through his role. Whether or not she fully understood his words, he would never forget Cain's promise to Setsu.

I won't do anything that is out of character, nothing that will disappoint you like tonight. As long as I live, I'll live as yours, as long as you keep on looking at me.

Instinctively, he knew that that was more than just a promise to Setsu, it was something he meant for Kyoko.

As long as you keep on looking at me, forever.

He couldn't easily forget her. No matter how hard he willed himself to. It was for this reason that he needed to remind himself that he could not have anyone important in his life. It was as he had mentioned to Bo once, there could never be a time when he would be allowed to have someone special. It was also for this reason that he depended most on Rick's memory to keep him from stumbling.

As long as he never acted on his love for her, he would never rob Rick's life of love. It was a small price to pay for him to give up all hopes of love, since he was the one that stole Rick's life. It just wouldn't be right to live out what he had taken from Rick. It would be the worst thing he could do since killing his best friend in an accident.

And yet watching Kyoko develop into a stunning young woman was like being tempted by the greatest aphrodisiac. He could still feel the taste of her lips when he stole a kiss from her as Kuon. It was one of the greatest moments of his life. Making that suicide back flip off the balcony was his way of showing her he was able to fly. It was meant to signal to her his positive growth.

It was during that moment when he realized that he was glad he was born as Kuon. It had given him the opportunity to know the real Kyoko and to be able to tell her the feelings he had in his heart towards her. Only Kuon and not Tsuruga Ren had that closeness with her.

Stepping into the store, he barely noticed when the sales clerk dropped a hanger. Dashing quickly up to him, she smiled brightly, as she introduced herself, "Welcome! I am Noriko, and I am delighted to help you, should you need anything."

Smiling back, he maneuvered his tall blond form though several of the female outfits before spotting a fenrir, a wolf like head covering that he remembered Setsu trying on. She had looked incredibly cute in it but had refused to let him buy it for her. Picking up the pricey accessory, he impulsively decided that he would now purchase it, without any regards for the reason behind it.

While paying for the item, his phone suddenly began to ring. Not wanting to answer the phone in front of the cashier, he stepped out of the store and made his way back towards his car. Striding purposefully, he fished into his pocket and finally answered his phone on the last ring.

The caller id displayed Yashiro, and on the other end he could hear his manager talking to someone. Listening in, he waited for Yashiro to acknowledge him. But after several moments, he began to realize that either his phone number had been accidently dialed or Yashiro had not been able to complete his call.

Thinking it was rude to listen to his manager rumble away at someone about how they needed to be coached though a scene, he was about to hang up when he suddenly heard Kyoko's voice. It was like a lightning bolt charged though him, when he realized the conversation taking place between the two. Was Kyoko having complications in a performance? Trying to catch the specifics, he turned up the volume of his phone but to his frustration he was only able to make out a few muffled words. It was no use, he wasn't sure what kind of problems Kyoko was facing.

However, he was certain that she was having some kind of acting-related difficulty. Wondering if she would call him for advice, he quickened his steps back to his car. He needed to get home quickly just in case she turned up at his place. He was still in his Kuon form and he didn't want her to discover him like that.

While driving down the streets, it didn't take him long before he realized that she was shooting in a remote studio location that even had fully furnished housing. Therefore, there was a possibility that she would be staying there while shooting her latest drama. Perhaps it would be a better idea for him to go to her?

Since he was already in his Kuon form, it was also likely that she would confide in him, when they meet up. And as her own personal fairy, he was certain that he would be able to help her through her scene. Even if it required him channeling Tsuruga Ren's acting abilities though Kuon's magical abilities.

Frustrated at the turn of events, Kyoko couldn't look anyone in the eyes as she walked back slowly towards her boarding home. It wasn't that she didn't know that her role as Momiji didn't involve at least one romance scene. It was bound to appear at some point in the plot; however, it was just that when Koga Hiromune was laying on top of her, she could no longer think of him as his character Sakanoue Shizuma. And that was when everything started to fall apart.

The idea that someone she barely knew was now kissing her and doing that with his body while on top of hers, was more than she could handle. Even if it were someone she had known for a long time, she probably would still have not been able to endure that.

Grimacing, she wondered what Mouko-san would think if she were to drop out of the film now. They had both worked so hard to get here. Not just with all the martial arts training they had endured at Noshikiga manor but also all the effort that they had gone through during the audition process. Maybe she could find someone to coach her.

But Yashiro's suggestion that she called upon Tsuruga-san for help in the romance scene was completely out of the question. She did not mind the idea of his coaching her when she required the external input but this was not an action that was imaginable. Just the thought of practicing her lines with him made her cheeks flush bright red.

She didn't think she would be able to restrain herself and the last thing she wanted was for him to discover her feelings for him. An image of him scolding her for falling in love with him popped into her head. She could almost hear him call her an idiot for selecting him as her latest love interest. No, this was never going to ever happen. She didn't want to lose his respect. So then who could she ask to be her partner? Should she approach Koga-san? Wouldn't that make the most sense, since he plays the protagonist in the plot, the very person that Momiji is in love with?

A shudder ran down her spine as she remembered his kiss… and that. No, there was only so much she could take from him in one day. She needed to just find a nice and quiet spot to clear her mind and reflect on everything. It wasn't as if she could not pull from her plentiful feelings for Tsuruga-san as inspiration for Momiji.

As she headed towards a nearby bench that was richly secluded by rosebushes, she started reflecting on Momiji's affections and how similar they were to hers. Although Shizuma is Momiji's master and Tsuruga-san is Kyoko's sempai, they both functions very much like an older brother. On the other hand, things could still change for Momiji, she was still the better candidate for the Ronin's love than Chidori.

A sad smile crossed her face. This would mean she would have to try hard at gaining Shizuma's love. But how? All she had in her arsenal of experience was that one-time experience when Cain had pressed Setsu into the bed. Had she not been so concerned for Tsuruga-san at that moment, she wondered what would have transpired that night. In the end, she had only gained the ability to leave a love mark.

Holding her head in her hands she groaned in misery. Kyoko, you idiot, you should have taken advantage of that opportunity, instead of cutting short that moment because you got jealous! If only you could have reined in your feelings about his experience and let him share some of it with you. It's not like such an opportunity like that would ever present itself again.

A/N: Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed reading my latest story. I always enjoy hearing from you, so please R & R to let me know how you feel about the story so far. For those of you that are interested, Kyoko's impression of how Ren would feel about her love is from SB Ch 200