Sad Eyes
Summary: Kyoko was unprepared when Ren made the mistake of speaking his true feelings, and she ran away. Now she is more mature, but is unwilling to forgive herself for her childish action. Will Ren be able to win his way back to her side before another steals her heart?
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat! or any of the manga's characters. All of the rest is the invention of my odd, restless mind.
Chapter 2 – Behind that Gentlemanly Smile
Takanami Aika leaned into the final, grueling hill-cycle on the Stair-Master. She was trying not to count the seconds until the cruel, heartless machine finally switched to the cool-down phase. At least during this phase she could ignore the uncouth stares of some of the male members in the fitness center. She came during the early hours of the morning in hopes of avoiding those stares; but the city of Tokyo never sleeps, so there were people there whenever she went.
Aika had worked hard to create the body she now displayed in her workout clothes. In her profession, attractiveness was a key element in success. Men talk to a beautiful woman. They often say more than they intend, which was precisely the reason that Aika wanted men to find her beautiful. She hated the fact that some men seemed to feel that her looks were an open invitation for them to devour her with their eyes, or make rude, suggestive advances. Many of those men seemed to find it offensive when she was unwilling to succumb to their advances, or fawn over them. Still, she had learned to use their arrogance to her advantage.
Truthfully, Aika hated Tokyo men and their arrogant attitudes toward women. She had endured enough of it when the tourists visited her home. The boys from the mainland, and even a few of the older men, had often approached her during her teenage years. They acted offended when she didn't return their interest; as if she were just another free attraction provided by the island for their enjoyment; like renting one of the mopeds at her uncle's shop.
The step-machine suddenly became easier, and Aika wiped her sweating face as she began her cool-down. Aika had high expectations from a man. Her father had always been the perfect gentleman. Granted, she thought he was too subservient towards the tourist population, but at least he was the epitome of courtesy. Despite herself, she thought of another perfect gentleman… younger, tall, and handsome. He had been hers for the asking… except that she didn't ask. In fact, when he asked for her hand, she had turned him down cold. "You could become a great man in Tokyo. Instead you want to go back there and waste your life… I'm sorry."
Takanami Aika, entertainment reporter for Tokyo Daily, was a woman on a mission. She was determined to rise to the top of her field and prove that she was more than just an island girl. And to do that, she needed to break a story that nobody else had. She needed to be the first to report the truth about one of Tokyo's many mysteries… and she believed that she had found her mystery in the unnaturally tall, handsome man who she would be meeting in just one hour.
So as she stepped off of her machine and headed down the aisle towards the showers, she ignored hungry leers of the men in the gym. Let them look. I'll show them that I'm more than just a pretty face and body.
Keitaro forced himself to take in huge lung-fulls of air and control his breathing as he turned on the switchback trail and continued his run up the mountain trail. The sun was just appearing on the horizon, so the path was dim and he had to watch his steps. Still, his mind was not on the grueling pace he had set or the dangers of the dawn-illuminated path… his mind was on the past, and another journey up the mountain.
He had been walking slower that last time, holding Akemi's soft hand as they talked and laughed up the difficult trail. He owned the world that day because she was there to share it with him. But even on that day, so long ago now, there was also the tinge of sadness and the feeling that all was not right with the world. His father had taken a job on the mainland, at a resort in Kobe. Keitaro hated the idea… he had found himself on this beautiful island, and it seemed more like home than any place he had ever lived. Akemi, on the other hand, seemed ecstatic. She wanted to leave, and with only one year to go before graduation, she saw this as a connection to the larger world.
"I'll graduate with top honors, Keitaro. And then I'll join you there," She swirled in front of him on the path, "Kobe's not Tokyo, but it's a beginning. We'll make our start there and work our way up." She seemed so happy with the idea that he hated to disappoint her. Still… "Akemi-chan… I've told you my dream… I really hate cities…"
He saw her shoulders stiffen as she walked on. She didn't turn around or speak for a long time… neither of them spoke as they conserved their energy for the final climb to the peak. Then they were there, at the last switchback, and the terrain opened up to reveal the level top of Mt. Ukita. He watched fondly as the prettiest girl on the island, his girl, did a victory dance to the sky. He was more subdued, but he still drank in the beauty of the view. From this peak a person could see the entire island, from Old Town to the east to the resorts that dominated the western beaches. Everything was green and lush against the background of the China Sea… and it was all beautiful. He loved Ukita Island, and he loved the girl that he had found there… but her dream was to get as far away as possible. Why does life have to be so complicated?
Keitaro was on the final climb now, and this drove away the memories of the past as he pushed through the burn to complete his run up the mountain. He was so busy trying to catch his breath that he didn't notice her at first. She was sitting on a boulder, as still as a statue, gazing toward the west, past the island. When he finally noticed her presence, he also realized that she didn't know he was there. For a week now his mind had asked the same question… is she pretty or not. Now, as the sun played on her raven black hair and the wind toyed with several loose strands, he decided that she was, in fact, beautiful.
Not wishing to startle her, he moved into her peripheral vision and softly said, "Asahi-san?"
She jerked out of her waking dream and turned her head to look at him. Once again those golden eyes gave him a thrill. He saw her hand move almost guiltily and drop something into the pocket of her jeans… something large and blue. She was dressed in blue jeans and a thick sweater, and her hair was pinned back casually rather than done up as it normally was. The bluish-black of her hair offset the ivory tone of her slender neck. She gazed at him in confusion for just a moment, and then recognition came and she said, "Chief Takage? Good morning."
Keitaro smiled the winning smile that made girls swoon, but she didn't seem to react at all. That almost pleased him, because he got tired of the type of young lady that usually tried to throw herself at him after just meeting him. Still, he would like it if she reacted just a little bit. "Good morning to you, Asahi-san. I'm surprised that Morishita-san let you out. I heard he keeps you pretty busy."
She smiled softly, almost fondly. Keitaro was amazed that such a look could exist when someone was thinking of Morishita. "He insists that I work too hard, so he has the other staff members help in the early morning. I don't usually begin my day until 9."
Keitaro scratched his ruffled hair and whistled, "Kindness from him? I heard that you had bearded the lion in his den. I found it hard to believe. But you actually have him acting considerate… now that is something."
The girl's golden eyes flashed and she visibly bristled, "He is a nice old man. Please do not disparage him in my presence again."
A young lady with a temper… I like that. And she's loyal too. He met and held her flashing eyes for a moment before bowing. "Please forgive me. You see, I worked for him during high school, and I'll tell you, he earned quite a mean reputation. If he has mellowed, that's wonderful." He studied her and still saw a hint of anger, "I meant no disrespect."
Her face relaxed and she nodded, "Forgive me as well. I don't like to hear people speak unkindly about the man who has taken me in and given me a position."
"From what I hear, and everything I've seen, he is greatly benefitting from your presence at the ryoken. The place seems to really be picking up this year. It's nice that one traditional hotel still exists, considering all of the glass-palaces being built." Both of them looked out over the western side of the island to where the urban sprawl and six large, rectangular structures scarred the landscape.
Asahi Fumiko replied softly, "They are unsightly, aren't they? You would think that they could have at least tried to work with the natural landscape, rather than leveling so much forest. Now it just looks like another beach that you could find anywhere in the world."
Keitaro nodded in agreement, "So you feel that way too? I shouldn't be surprised, considering that you've obviously had a traditional upbringing…" It was a leading sentence, designed to get the young lady to talk, but he didn't receive a response. This one keeps her own secrets well, he decided. He stretched his long form, rolled his head on his neck, and said, "I'm going to head down now. If you would like, we can walk together and talk?"
Once again those golden eyes studied him and sent a thrill down his spine. Then she nodded, "I would like that, Police Chief Takage."
"Please… call me Keitaro."
She shook her head slightly, something odd appearing in her eyes, and then she bowed, "I'm sorry, Takage-san; as you said, I was given a very traditional upbringing." With that she walked by him and proceeded down the path. Disappointed, he followed.
Kyoko groaned inwardly as the very handsome, very athletic young Chief of Police followed her down the path. Over a year ago she had experienced the shock of Tsuruga Ren's sudden confession. She had been overwhelmed by feelings of doubt, fear, disbelief… and longing. A part of her, the part that desperately wanted to be loved… the rebellious part that had already fallen in love despite her promise to shun love forever… that part had made her want to run into his arms. But the frightened little girl… the one who had experienced rejection over and over… seized control.
Kyoko had run. And in running, Kyoko had done something far worse in her own mind than fleeing love: she had betrayed the trust of those around her. She had broken her contracts. She had failed in her obligations. When she finally came to her senses it was too late. Nobody in their right mind would ever again want to do business with someone like her. And how could Tsuruga Ren, the consummate professional, ever accept somebody so irresponsible and unprofessional. And so, even though she had come to the realization that she wanted desperately to accept Tsuruga Ren's love and return it one-hundredfold, she knew that she could never go back.
One side-effect of this experience was that Kyoko was finally able to accept the fact that men found her attractive. The honest person inside had seen the look of interest in Takage Keitaro's eyes. She had seen that look quite a bit in other men's eyes as well over the last year. Some of them were almost as handsome as the young chief of police… but none of them were as handsome as Tsuruga Ren… and none of them made her heart thrill in the way that her sempai did.
The first part of the path down was precarious enough that there was no room for conversation. In a way this was good, because it gave Keitaro a chance to recover from Fumiko's rebuff. By the time they reached a more gentle decline, he was able to converse casually again. "How do you like the island so far? Are you planning on staying?"
Kyoko snapped out of her own thoughts and regarded the man. He had a strong, manly jawline and wavy hair that would make him a good candidate for television and movies. "It is a very beautiful island. I like the local people, though I'm not fond of some of the summer transplants."
Keitaro laughed, "You already sound like a local. It's an odd situation here. For the winter months this place belongs to families who have lived her for time out of mind. The locals have a deep personal and spiritual connection to the island, and they wish to preserve it. But when the weather starts warming up we are taken over by an entirely different crowd with an entirely different attitude toward life. The resort owners are like maggots. They want to gorge on the opportunity for profit without regard to what they are doing to the island itself. In their mind, if the island loses its beauty, fails to attract tourists, and ceases to deliver a profit, then they will just move on."
"Those are pretty strong sentiments, Takage-san… won't those feelings make it difficult to do your job?"
"You mean, because I favor one group over another?" Keitaro glanced over to get an answer. The pretty young lady with the serious, golden eyes nodded. "I suppose it might, if there were a major struggle, but there isn't anything like that right now. This island has been peaceful for many years, and I'm sure it will continue to be so."
Takanami Aika was slightly irritated when the very tall, very, very handsome actor didn't exhibit any interest in her womanly charms. She couldn't explain why she felt irritated, but she did. As much as it annoyed her to have men examine her like a piece of meat, it also verified her attractiveness. Naturally, she had assumed that a man like Tsuruga Ren, a man who had built his career on physical attraction, would want to verify his own good looks by trying to seduce her. She had been prepared for that; in her mind she had written a play in which she was the beautiful, yet professional reporter who politely rebuffed all of the actor's best efforts to possess her.
Only… it wasn't working out that way at all. Aika had been the one who was shocked when the actor and manager joined her in the empty conference room. She had seen Tsuruga Ren in photographs and movies, but had always attributed his looks to the magic of the camera. Now she realized that the man was even more handsome in-person than on the big screen. As an entertainment reporter, she was also used to the arrogance and conceit of handsome actors… but this man didn't seem to be that way at all. His greeting had been gentlemanly, his manner polite, and his posture confident. And from the moment he had walked into the room he had been unfailingly professional.
If Tsuruga Ren found Aika attractive, he didn't give any hint of it whatsoever. She attempted to catch him looking by glancing down at her notes and then quickly looking back; nothing. She had used gestures and head tilts to guide his eyes to her more attractive features; still nothing. She had even used the age-old ploy of un-crossing and re-crossing her long, shapely legs… with no result. It wasn't that he didn't notice, he just didn't allow his eyes to linger.
He might be gay. I hope not. That would blow my whole theory out of the water. He just has better control than most of the jerks I'm used to dealing with. Fine, Mister Handsome Actor, you win round one. But round two belongs to me.
They were through with all the usual interview questions. She had asked the canned questions, and he had given the canned answers. Now that he was relaxed, it was time to move in for the kill. She leaned forward slightly, the huntress preparing to pounce, "Tell me about Mogami Kyoko, Tsuruga-san."
She saw him stiffen slightly before recomposing himself. Gotcha! There is a story there, after all. He answered with the same calm, gentlemanly tone, but there was just a hint of something else there too, "What do you want to know about Mogami Kyoko?"
"Frankly, I'm fascinated with the mystery of the promising young actress who suddenly disappeared. It doesn't make any sense. Now, I know that the police have verified that she is safe and sound somewhere else. But what I'm wondering is what would make a young lady who was on the verge of stardom simply vanish."
"I can understand your interest, Takanami-san, but I'm afraid that I'll have to direct you to LME for any answers." Tsuruga Ren's manner was calm and collected, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes; pain or guilt maybe?
Aika gave her best smile as she leaned back, confident that she had found her story, "Takarada Lory and LME have the usual scripted answers, but I thought that you might have a different perspective. From what I have heard through the grapevine, you and Mogami Kyoko were actually quite close. She followed you around, hung on your every word, and even called you 'Sempai.' Word is that she was receiving special training from you."
The tall man stiffened on the last sentence, and his gentlemanly mannerism changed with frightening speed. Takanami Aika felt a moment of panic as very angry, very cold eyes held hers… and then the man relaxed and put his mask back on. "Please rephrase your last sentence, Takanami-san. It is true that Mogami-san looked at me as her mentor. She was… is one of the most promising young actresses I have ever met. But there was never anything inappropriate in our friendship. Mogami Kyoko is not the type of person who would ever do anything dishonorable to advance her career. She is not only talented, but she is the epitome of traditional values."
"Then I apologize. I hadn't intended to imply anything inappropriate by my question." My god! I got it all wrong. He wasn't manipulating her… he's in love with her! "But may I ask this question: what could possibly make someone with such promise, such potential, suddenly run away?"
Ren couldn't hide the pain in his eyes as he tried to find a way to answer.
It is always interesting how people become friends. A person may encounter thirty new people in the course of a week and experience no particular draw towards any of them. And then one more person appears and there is an instant attraction… not male/female, but platonic. For some unknown and unexplainable reason, this thirty-first person will have something about him or her that stands out; a connection that wasn't there with the other thirty. That's how it was as Kyoko and Keitaro descended Mt. Ukita.
Somehow, as they walked along the trail, they both just relaxed and forgot about the fact that they were male and female. Keitaro liked this young lady because, once she dropped her okami-san façade, she was intelligent and imaginative. Kyoko liked the young man because he was also intelligent, and he was interesting to talk to. He had a relaxed and manner that concealed a hunger for life and a love of adventure. Before they were halfway down the trail both of them realized that there was a potential for true friendship… although Keitaro also hoped that there might be a day when there was also something more.
One conflict did cloud the promise of friendship. At one point, as they reached the lower third of the trail where the trees were the thickest, Kyoko came to a sudden halt. Keitaro stumbled as he tried to stop on the steep decline, but he managed to stay on his feet. "What's wrong, Asahi-san?"
She looked at him with golden eyes that were very serious and a little pained, "You keep trying to dig for information, Takage-san. I realize that you are a policeman, and that it is part of your job, but please don't. I can promise you that I haven't done anything that would demand the attention of the police. Other than that, my life and my past, are my own."
Keitaro smiled apologetically, "I apologize. I could use the excuse of my inquisitiveness being a professional hazard… but the truth is that you interest me. Forgive me? I will not pry… I'm sure that you have your reasons for secrecy. But I would like to be your friend. This is a beautiful island, but it can also be lonely. Please consider me as a friend?"
Golden eyes studied his for what seemed like a very long time. Finally she bowed, "I would consider it an honor if I can call you friend, Takage Keitaro-san. Please take good care of me."
And with that, they finished their trek down the mountain.
Notes: I must apologize in advance if Kyoko seems a little out-of-character. In my mind she had matured over the course of her self-imposed exile. Don't worry, I will try to make sure that she has all of her usual, adorable Kyoko-ness as the story progresses. As I promised, this story will be different from my other stories in many different ways. I hope that you can still enjoy it.
Please remember that Ukita is a fictional island, just as the mountain with the same name is fictional. The details and description of the island will be described naturally during the course of the narrative.
Thanks for reading. LFU