A Life worth Living
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.
Chapter 3 – The Field Trip
Ren woke well before the alarm clock, as had become his habit. He let his eyes adjust to the dark, fixing his gaze on the pretty sleeping face of his young wife. This was his guilty pleasure. Even after almost a year of marriage Kyoko became uncomfortable if he looked at her for too long while she was awake. He was always aware of her needs, so he refrained from looking too long… or too longingly during their daylight hours. But the night belonged to him. In these stolen moments he took his fill of her. Kyoko never saw herself as beautiful, but to him she was his goddess.
One bare arm had slipped out from the covers. Ren couldn't resist stroking her soft, flawless skin. As always he was amazed at the effect that she had on him. His hand moved of its own volition to stroke her cheek. She purred in her sleep, or Ren thought so until her eyes opened, golden and glowing even in the dark. No words were spoken as they gazed at each other in the dark and his hand moved under the blanket.
An hour later Kyoko poured the miso soup into two bowls and added those to the light fare that she had made for their breakfast. The bedroom door opened and Ren walked out in only pajama pants while he used the towel draped over his shoulders to wipe his hair. Their eyes met again and Kyoko blushed.
Ren loved that she still blushed, but he didn't tease her about it. "Your field trip is today?"
"Yes." Kyoko smiled happily. She had never been so anxious to start on a new project. Then she frowned, "I only hope that my poor piano skills don't embarrass Shinkai-sensei."
Ren walked into the kitchen and hugged his much smaller counterpart from behind while he growled playfully, "Kyoko, you have been practicing for at least three hours a day for the past six months. You play wonderfully! And I doubt that Shinkai would have cast you if he didn't believe that you could do it."
"But this is a school full of musicians and…" she squeaked as Ren purposely found a ticklish spot, "Stop that! That isn't fair!"
"I'll stop when you stop downplaying your talents," he poked her again and she tried to squirm away.
"Okay…. Okayyyyy… Reeeennnn!"
oOoOOoOo
Ashina Mieko smiled to herself as she listened to the unfettered dialogue between Kyoko and Maria. It had been a year since she became Mogami Kyoko's manager; now she couldn't imagine doing any other work. Every person who pursues a career as a talent manager dreams of working with somebody special. Oftentimes the managers who are assigned the "top" talents hate their jobs. Some talents can be arrogant and pushy; other talents can be unprofessional and lazy. Probably the worst type of actors, musicians, singers, or models are the ones with bad habits that leave the manager always trying to hide or clean up their scandals. But Kyoko had none of these problems.
Kyoko was absolutely and totally devoted to her husband; there were plenty of other men interested in her, but she didn't even seem to be aware of it. Even if she was aware, she wouldn't look at any other man. And Kyoko, like her husband, was the ultimate professional; she arrived at each job enthusiastic and prepared. Her scripts were memorized and her characters were almost frightening in their accuracy. As a talent, Kyoko was as undemanding as a person could be. It had taken Mieko a month before she had finally gotten the young actress to lean on her for support and guidance. The only thing that that Kyoko had ever demanded of Mieko was that she use Kyoko's first name when addressing her.
One of the qualities that the middle-aged lady liked the most about Kyoko was the way that she treated Maria. She was the ultimate big-sister. She listened to the younger girl in a way that showed that she really cared what her "younger sister" had to say. She could be playful and silly with the girl and yet she always seemed to be ready to address serious issues with wisdom and maturity. She would sympathize with Maria's struggles with her father and grandfather without ever detracting from either man's authority.
A suspicious person might suggest that Kyoko's attachment to Maria was due to the obvious benefits she could reap from befriending the CEO's granddaughter. But anyone who observed them together would know differently. Just as in every relationship that Kyoko had, she always gave more than she received. It wasn't that her friends, or Tsuruga Ren for that matter, were using her; any one of them would gladly give Kyoko anything and everything that she asked for. It was the fact that she just seemed to instinctively find ways to make their lives better.
Take her friendship with Kotonami Kanae, for example. Even though Kanae had been initially furious with Kyoko for giving courting advice to young Hiou*, she now understood that Kyoko had been focused on making both of their lives easier. Kyoko wanted Hiou to act more mature so that Kanae wouldn't have to be pestered by a little brat for three months in Australia. But she also wanted Hiou to have an honest shot at winning the heart of the woman that he loved. Mieko had observed Kanae and Hiou in the nine months since the filming for Runaway Royalty had ended. She strongly suspected that Kyoko had been much more successful than even she realized. Those two care for each other; I'm sure of it.
As she listened to Kyoko and Maria in the car she had to steel herself not to burst into laughter and drive the car into a ditch.
"You could design three new versions: Romance Ren, Adventure Ren, and Wedding Groom Ren!" Maria insisted enthusiastically, "I could handle all of the marketing. We'd make a fortune in the first month!"
Through the rear-view mirror Mieko could see that Kyoko was torn, "No Romantic-Ren: His Emperor of the Night look belongs to me now. I'm not sure about making any more dolls. You saw how he looked at me when I presented you with the half-sized Ren, Maria-chan," Kyoko shuddered dramatically, "If I try to make any more he'll show me his 'B.J. Striker' face!" Maria and Mieko were among the select few who knew about Kyoko and Ren's time spent as the Heel siblings or about Cain Heel's role as B.J. Striker.
"Onee-sama," Maria-chan answered tolerantly, "Ren-sama would never harm you and you know it. He would walk across a kilometer of hot coals barefoot before he would ever think about hurting you. Please think about it. Nobody else can make those dolls the way you do."
"I'll ask Ren, Maria-chan." That was clearly the most that Kyoko would concede.
"How about Master-spy Ren? Oh! I know! What about a Hizuri Kuon doll. Or maybe we could have a doll with an interchangeable head; one blonde and one brunette!"
Maria motioned popping of one head and popping on another as Kyoko looked on, horrified, "Maria-Chan!" Then she mused, "I should have thought of a pop-off head when I made the Fuwa Sho doll."
Suddenly Mieko pulled the car off of the highway and down to a small convenience store. "I'll be right back," she said, almost frantically, and then ran into the store.
Kyoko and Maria looked at each other in bewilderment. Maria asked, "Do you think she needed the bathroom?"
Inside of the store the poor bewildered clerk didn't know what to do as the professional looking middle-aged lady in a business suit ran in the front entrance only to burst into laughter, tears running down her face. He was deciding whether to call the paramedics, the police, or the looney bin by the time she finally got control of her laughter.
Thirty minutes later a much more in-control Mieko pulled her car into the parking lot of Oshima Takaji Memorial School for the Blind. Director Shinai had asked the three ladies to make a trip to the school in order to get a feel for the way that the students interacted with their peers, the teachers, and the curriculum. The curriculum of Oshima School was special because it also focused on teaching music to every student who was willing to learn. The school boasted an entire music wing, complete with sound-proof practice rooms, several small performance halls and one large auditorium.
A dignified looking older gentleman greeted the trio at the door. "Hajimemashite, I am Kamo Yujiro, the principal of Oshima School. I am both pleased and proud to welcome all of you to our humble school. And most especially you, Mogami Kyoko-san; I and many of the students and faculty are big fans."
Kyoko looked surprised for a moment, but didn't speak the thought that immediately sprang to her mind. But Principal Kamo read her thoughts anyway, "You are wondering why blind students would be fans of a film star, aren't you, Mogami-san?"
Kyoko's face reddened, "Err, well… yes; I did wonder that, Principal-san."
He chuckled in a deep, pleasant way, "Relax, Mogami-san; you will not cause offense that easily here. While it is true that my students cannot see you, they can hear you. I am sure that you are aware of the fact that as much, if not more of the character's emotions and intent are communicated through the voice than can ever be communicated through the face. Many actors and actresses are excellent visual thespians, but they are lacking in the quality of their voice-acting. You, on the other hand, are as believable with your voice as you are with your facial expressions and movements."
Mieko, seeing that Kyoko was embarrassed, stepped in, "I am pleased to meet you, Principal Kamo. I am Mogami-san's manager, Ashira Mieko. And this…"
Maria stepped up and bowed prettily, "I am pleased to meet you, as well, Principal Kamo-san. I am Takarada Maria. Please take care of me."
The elderly principal returned the bow, "Please allow me to escort you around our school. I know that the director wishes to employ some of our students and teachers for certain aspects of the filming. Nothing has been set in stone yet, so we should tread lightly concerning that issue."
The trio nodded in understanding. They followed Kamo into the main building and were surprised to find that it looked much like any other school inside. "This is our original building, and where we teach all of our core classes. Oshima Takaji, as you probably know, was a famous blind violinist. He retired as a very wealthy man, but without any family. He donated a portion of his fortune to our school with the proviso that we build and staff a music wing. It cost us every penny of what he donated before we completed the work, but I think that you'll be impressed with the result.
The followed him as he turned to the left and walked down a long hallway. As they walked they passed students walking in the opposite direction. Most were using canes, but some were simply touching the walls as they went. As they passed they bowed and greeted the principal by name.
"How do they know it's you?" Maria asked in bewilderment.
Principal Kamo smiled, "My aftershave. Here, let's do a little experiment. Ladies, please stop and close your eyes. Tell me what you notice with your other senses."
Kyoko, who had already been training for four months with a blindfold, was the first to speak, "I feel a breeze coming toward us from the front. There is probably a door open further on."
"I can smell your aftershave!" Maria said, pleased. "Oh, and I can smell Kyoko and Mieko-san's perfumes."
Mieko took a moment longer, "I can hear music. It sounds like an entire orchestra."
"Good. Now open your eyes again and we will allow the music to lead us."
They passed practice rooms where different instrumentalists and singers were obviously practicing, even though all sound was blocked off. "We have ten practice rooms. Each room has a piano, as well as jacks and speakers for electric instruments."
They continued on, "We're passing the two mini-auditoriums, one on each side. I believe that there is a string quartet practicing on the right. The left is presently unoccupied. Now let's move on to the main auditorium."
The doors to the auditorium opened up to allow the powerful sound of a full orchestra to blast past them. "Brahms!" Kyoko whispered happily.
"Symphony 1," Maria whispered back.
The principal led them to seats in the middle. Kyoko noticed that the director wasn't using a baton, but he was calling out occasional instructions to individual musicians. They let the sounds wash over them. All three were surprised at the level of the performance, considering that these were middle school and high school students. Principal Kamo smiled with pride.
They all sighed dramatically when the music ended. "The man directing is Harada Yoshida." He saw Mieko's look of surprise, "I see you know the name, Ashina-san. Many years ago he was a very well-known conductor, perhaps the best in Japan at his age. Then he suddenly began to lose his sight. When we were given the money to build this music wing he was the first person I called."
"May I ask, Principal-san, how did they become so good?"
"Ahh… well we can't claim all of the credit. You see, many blind children 'find' music at an early age. But most places are not set up to accommodate and teach a blind musician. So they have to struggle through with what training they can get. When news of our school got out, we suddenly had more applications than we could accept. What you just heard is our A orchestra. Many of these students have been playing and performing for years."
Maria sighed, "It was beautiful."
The principal stepped up to the stage, "Harada-sensei, could I speak with you for a few moments?"
"Certainly, sir," The handsome, distinguished looking man walked over to the stairs without a cane and easily navigated himself down the stairs.
"I would like you to meet our distinguished guests. They will be involved in filming the movie I mentioned at the staff meeting." He began his introductions according to who was standing closest. As he said each name, the director bowed and said a short greeting, "Allow me to introduce Ashina Mieko. And this beautiful young lady is Takarada Maria. And finally, a name that I think most of the school recognizes, Mogami Kyoko."
Harada Yoshida was beginning to bow when Kyoko's name was said. The man must have tripped, because suddenly he was falling forward. The principal and Mieko stepped forward quickly and caught him. As he stood back up, he straightened his suit with shaking hands. Visibly composing himself, he made a stiff bow to Kyoko.
Mieko couldn't help but notice two things: his face had gone completely pale, and his hands were trembling.
Notes: I apologize for the long delay. My step-father, who was a true father to me, passed away last week. It fell upon my wife and I to take care of his affairs and to ensure that my mother is well cared for. It hasn't been a fun week, as you might imagine.
The readers are probably wondering why I'm using the name Mogami instead of Tsuruga or Hizuri when referring to Kyoko. In private she is Hizuri Kyoko; but in public she retains the name that has become well-known.
I am walking barefoot through a room full of broken glass by taking on a story involving a blind person, a school for the blind, and blind musicians. My uncle was blind; he lived with us for years, so I understood him well. Still, I know nothing of schools for the blind. Somewhere within the story, despite my research, I am bound to make a mistake in my facts. If you spot this, please tell me so that I can correct it. I have been and still am doing a great deal of research to present you, the reader with an accurate story.