The LOVE BUG
Chapter 3

Sticky notie from me: I'm here again, sorry if it's been a while since I updated. Anyway, thanks a million to the reviewers which this story has caught attention. Your questions will be answered slowly as we tackle down through this story. Your comments and encouragements are really appreciated. LOL! I'm really thankful to you guys. But then, the praises are not only for me but also for my awesome beta partner, Mitsuki-chi (xXmoonlight angelXx) who always finds time to help me on this one. Yey to her!!~

Oh yeah, let me hog the space here before you read the story below…

:The nameless soul: Uhh... I think the bar does let minors in. Although that's only in my imagine, i think. Lol!~ But seriously, I don't know coz I haven't been in one!! lol

:Sweet Sarah8: bosk : .miyuri-xandx-yuzuki. : phxjoker88 : Thanks for the reviews!!

: LilyandIvy : thats absurd.I LOVE IT : Ashlyn Darke : Your questions and theories will be proved later on as we tackle down the story. Yie!~ hehe... I'll keep quiet for now. teehee... :D

:kyoko minion: Oh Kanae will tell him. Just you wait. :D :3

I think I've hogged enough space. So I hope you enjoy!~

DISCLAIMER: The LOVE BUG is one of my favourite songs by BoA… if you have time, listen to that song. It's really good. ^-^ And Skip Beat… I don't own either.

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Chapter 3: The story they didn't know.

"You tell me. You were with her in the hotel 6 years ago, right?" He looked at her and she glared at him back.

"Why are you suddenly digging the past?" He asked with a suprised voice. He thought that she had forgotten the incident.

"Nothing much. You just haven't told me everything that happened that day. Tell me, what happened to you two 6 years ago in that hotel?"

...

"Like I told you before, I helped her from her drunken state." He answered her question seriously.

"Right… and pigs could fly." She mocked.

"I'm telling the truth." He raised a brow at her and frowned. "If you don't believe me then don't. I won't force you to believe me. It's not my problem anymore so you should just stop discussing this matter."

Kanae found him too much defensive at her question. She eyed on him more with suspicion. Even back then, he was like this whenever she asks him about Kyoko and how he knew her. Also, why Kyoko hated him with utter most odium and dislike. It was if he was avoiding a way to talk about their past.

Then as Sho slowly finished his meal, she remembered what happened 6 years ago…

Kanae received a call so early in the morning one Sunday morning. She took her phone and saw Kyoko's name in the caller ID. She answered the call with a frown pasted on her face. She readied herself for lecturing, "What is it this time, Mogami-san? Do you even know what time it is?" She questioned her friend's sudden call in the middle of the night. She was already used receiving calls from Kyoko everyday. But then getting a call this early was quite distressing. She wondered if anything happened to her. She was worried about her friend but then she didn't express that emotion in her.

Then after a huge pause the person on the other line spoke up, "Hello. This is Kyoko Mogami's friend right?"

Kanae rubbed her eyes. Was she still half awake? The person on the other line wasn't Kyoko! It was a guy!! Why the hell did Kyoko lend her phone to a guy? She would never do that. Kanae knew her friend she doesn't want some guy using her phone except for close ones. But then, the man on the other line was so unfamiliar to her and yet at the same time a little recognizable. "Who is this?" She replied.

"This is Sho Fuwa. Kyoko Mogami is with me right now. Can you pick her up at the Legacy Hotel as soon as possible? Thank you."

Before Kanae could ask what happened to Kyoko, the guy named Sho Fuwa ended the call. She wondered how and why that happened to her friend. Drunk? Since when did Kyoko get drunk? She never even heard that she drinks. But then… now? Why did Kyoko get herself drunk? Plus, why was she with Sho? If she remembered correctly Kyoko hated him. But now… they were together. Not to mention they were in a hotel. Why?

Kanae didn't even dare to go back to sleep and got herself ready. She wasn't going to let something like this pass. Her friend was in the hands of her most hated guy, not to mention drunk!

She hurriedly changed her clothes and walked out of her room.

…

Kanae stepped out of the cab and walked towards the hotel named Legacy. Then as she strolled towards the receptionist, a man called her attention. She spun around and saw a handsome blonde guy looking down at her. She eyed at him and recognized his appearance. The man was none other than Sho himself.

"Where is she?" She asked bluntly with a stern face at him.

He slightly frowned and replied, "Follow me." Then he turned around and walked towards the elevator. Kanae followed him silently and walked inside the elevator with him.

"What happened to her?" She asked him with worry.

"I don't know. I only saw her in the nearby bar. I never even imagined seeing her there." He replied.

"Are you saying the truth?" She eyed on him with suspicion.

"Why would I lie about that?" He answered back at her without looking.

"Then why did you help her?" She changed the question. "Didn't you break her heart?"

"She told you that?" He asked back and looked at Kanae.

Kanae's piercing gaze met Sho's wondering ones. Then Kanae shook her head and said, "No. I just guessed."

"I see… she doesn't talk about me then." His tone was somehow saddened.

Kanae looked away and stated, "But she does. She just tells us how much she hates you though… but after that, there's nothing else more. Although I think Tsuruga Ren knows more than me about your relationship with Mogami-san."

Kanae saw how Sho's hands turned to fists and his face wrinkled to a frown as she mentioned Ren's name. She eyed on him silently. Then the door opened and Sho walked towards the room where Kyoko was using. He stopped at the room and opened the door with a pass key. Then he and Kanae entered the room. After a while, she saw the bed where Kyoko lain. She was asleep and like Sho said, she was pretty much drunk like hell. Then her face wore a pained and tired expression. It was very noticeable since there were dark circles around her eyes and her lips were turned to a frown. Plus, she also noticed that she had become slightly thin. What had her friend been doing?

She looked at Sho. Like her, she was looking at Kyoko with worry. She averted her gaze away from Sho and back to Kyoko. She extended her hand to Kyoko's face and gently caressed it. Then she heard Sho curse under his breath.

"Can you drive her back to my place, Fuwa-san? I think it'll be better if she doesn't found you with her when she wakes up. Even though I still don't know what happened to her and you… I don't want her problems to build up even more." Kanae uttered with a worried expression on her face as she touched Kyoko's cheeks.

"Okay." She heard Sho reply. She didn't even dare to look at his expression as he said that. But then, she was sure he was also anxious at Kyoko's present situation. "Thank you for helping her." He added afterwards.

"Don't thank me yet. You are still a suspect on how Mogami-san became like this." She sharply snapped back at him.

"Then you should also add that bastard Ren to your list." He retorted back at her.

At that statement, she looked back at Ren with curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why don't you ask him?" He grimly uttered back.

"He won't do anything to hurt her."

"Are you sure?" He asked seriously at her. His gaze was firm and grave.

He wasn't fooling around with her. But then she knew Ren and Kyoko's close relationship. She believed that Ren wasn't the person Sho thought he was. "Of course, Mogami respects him very much and he treasures her back. There's no explainable reason why he would try to hurt her."She defended Ren.

"But I have such intention? Is that what you're saying?" He asked her with a questioning stare.

"Yes. You are the prime suspect at this. Just the scene with you and Mogami-san in this room makes you look very suspicious." Her tone was rising as she told him those words.

"Well then… if you want to believe that. Then I'm not going to force you to believe me and take my side. All I know is… that bastard did something to her. This isn't a drama series we watch on the televisions and shed tears at. If I look like the villain, then let it be. If that's what you think... then do, that's your choice."

"Are you sure this isn't jealousy and envy? So you could blame everything to Tsuruga-san?" She raised her brow as she told him that. He was only saying those sweet words with silver tongue so he could coat her with lies. He wasn't just a good singer. He was also a fine actor. But then, he wasn't a good liar. She was sure of that.

He frowned even more at what she said. "And do you think I will become the good guy after all I've have told you?" He sarcastically replied.

"You have every motive to do so."

"But I won't do such a thing. I'm not that bad as you think. I'm not low as to use the opportunity to destroy the beautiful image, you two both have, of Ren Tsuruga." Then he walked towards Kyoko and added, "We should go before she wakes up in this place."

Kanae didn't say anything back and nodded. She helped Sho as he carried Kyoko. They used his car and drove her and Kyoko to her house. After that, they placed Kyoko to her bed and laid her there. Kanae tucked her in and wryly smiled at her friend's face. Afterwards she escorted Sho back to his car. She eyed on him and crossed her hands in front of her chest.

"What am I going to say to her when she wakes up?" Kanae asked him.

"That's up to you. It doesn't really matter to me what you say." He replied and opened the door to his car. He stepped inside his car and started the engine. Then he pulled his window down and looked at Kanae. "Good luck with her."

"I could blame you for everything, do you realize that?" She threatened him.

"I told you. It's up to you… I don't really care what you say to her. After all, you are her friend. Who else will she believe the most?"

"It doesn't matter to you if you're the bad guy in her sight, right?"

"Yeah, I don't care as long as she's willing to bring me down by herself. But now that she's like that… I don't care if I'm the worst guy in her eyes." He looked away and slightly tilted her head. "Just as long as she won't look like that… because, I feel like there's someone else better than me at hurting her. I think one heart break is enough for her."

"You're so weird. Do you know that? You're acting mean and bad like a villain and yet your intentions are good and pure like some martyr."

"Thanks for the strange compliment. See you then." Then he pushed the pedal and the car started to drive away from her house.

She eyed on his yellow convertible car as it disappeared from her sight. She sighed and thought of what she was going to do. Then she shook her head and went inside. She still didn't know what to tell Kyoko when she wakes up. But one thing for sure, she didn't want to see her in pain like that. She would do everything to help her because she was her friend.

...

"I'll be going then." Sho's voice made Kanae look at him. He looked back at her and stood up. He placed his hands on his pockets and smiled. "Thanks for the company by the way."

"Hmp. Like I care about that." Kanae coldly remarked back. She looked away and frowned.

"Whatever. At least we had dinner together right?" He smirked at her reaction.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Fuwa. So stop dreaming."

"Ouch." He uttered sadly. He acted as if a bullet killed him. She wished that it was real so she won't have to murder him herself when the time comes she's so full of him.

"Now that she's back what are you going to do?" She changed the atmosphere between them.

His smile faded as he said, "I still won't stop giving you flowers." He joked around and the grinned.

"Screw you." She cursed him and shot him a glare.

He laughed at her reaction. Then he turned serious as he said, "Why didn't you tell her what happened that time on the hotel?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said with a blank expression. She didn't tell Kyoko what happened in the hotel. She didn't even tell her that she was saved by Sho. She just told Kyoko that she was drunk when she went to her house. Then she scolded Kyoko until she fell asleep on her bed. Luckily Kyoko believed it and apologized to her for so many times.

"Right, you like me don't you?" He teased.

"As if." She shot back. The man was utterly confident with himself.

He smirked and shook his shoulders. Then he replied, "See you around then… ice queen. I'll be kicking that little boy's ass soon." After that he turned around and waved back at her.

"Dream on Fuwa Sho." She yelled at him as he walked away from the table she was sitting at.

"Yeah, I will." Sho shouted back and exited the restaurant.

She frowned at their conversation and sighed. And here she thought her problems would be over when Kyoko returns. She cursed Sho as she remembered his friendly courting with her. He had been using her these past 6 years to befriend her in behalf of Kyoko since she was in the states. At first she didn't mind it. She thought that he was just toying with her since she knew what happened that night. But as time passed everyone noticed that she'd been receiving gift almost everyday. She got irritated and yelled at him. She even cursed and fought, like earlier, with him whenever she receives a gift from him. But then even though Sho was showering her with affections, she knew that he had still his eyes on Kyoko. She sensed that. After all, she was still a female who knew men far better than Kyoko could ever be.

She sipped some tea and sighed. But then, there were some things that even she could not recognize. And one of those is Kyoko being...

...

"Moko-san, where's the idiot?" Kyoko's voice stopped her thoughts. She grinned at her and shook her shoulder.

"Who cares, anyway... forgot about him. We should go home before your manager calls us. Or worst... your overprotective father and his company." Kanae told her and grinned wider.

Kyoko slightly blushed at the thought of her father's worried expression as well as... "Otousan isn't that protective and so is—"

"Right. Anyway, let's go." Kanae stood up and called the waiter. The waiter immediately walked towards her and gave her the check. Kanae paid the orders and then exited the restaurant with Kyoko. Then she drove her car back to Kyoko's hotel.

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Kyoko sighed as she dropped her body on the soft bed beneath her. She closed her eyes and relaxed herself. Then as sleep was about to take her in, she heard the phone on her desk ringing. She picked it up and answered it.

"Hello? Kyoko speaking."

"Kyoko-chan." A male hoarse voice called her name.

Kyoko's eyes rounded and her lips turned to a sweet smile. "Hello otousan. How are you?"

"Not fine, I'm still livid at your sudden take off from America." He said with a furious and heartbreaking voice.

Kyoko couldn't help smile at her father's caring attitude. He was always like this ever since she was taken under his wing. She tried to become serious as she uttered, "I'm really really sorry otousan. I know you are still enraged about my decision. But believe me this wasn't rash, I thought of this a million times."

"What else can I do, now that you're there?" He sarcastically mumbled and sighed. "Not to mention planning your trip there without me and whispering behind my back with Diane."

"I'm really sorry otousan." She whispered apologetically.

She heard a sigh on the other line. She touched the bedcover of her bed and sighed as well.

"Anyway... let bygones be bygones. How's your first day there? Anything new?" He changed the topic. There was still sadness and anger in his tone but then Kyoko knew her father had forgiven her... for now.

"Thank you otousan. Anyway, it's great. I've met Moko-san again. Plus, I also saw my arch nemesis, Shoutaro."

"I see… the singing dude with blonde hair right? So what you talk about? Were you alone with him?"

"Nope. He met me with me and Moko-san accidentally at the restaurant."

"I see. So... do you still hate him?"

"A little. But then, I guess... my hatred for him isn't burning passionately as before."

"That's good to hear. After all, he is still your childhood friend."

... She sighed. Childhood friend. Yes, he was her childhood friend. But then... he also broke her heart. Even though it was in the past, it was still a poignant memory for her. "Maybe. Anyway... how's he? Is he there with you? Can I talk with him, otousan?"

"Sure. You can talk to him."

...

"Where are you?" A familiar voice welcomed Kyoko in exchange of her father's voice. She smiled sweetly as she heard his voice and felt a little teary. How she missed him...

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Sticky notie from me: Okay, so who's 'he' you ask? Well... you'll know who in the next chapter. Okay, so I was hoping to insert Kyoko and Ren's side of the story but then... it would have been so long. So I decided to cut it... again. Anyway... hmmm... they'll be meeting one another soon. So what do you guys think... will Kyoko be able to face Ren or not? Hmmm... and what do you guys think President Takarada is planning for our love birds? Tell me what you guys think ^-^ and please do review, if you have some free time. Believe me, this would only take a few seconds. Anyway... bye for now guys!! I still got school tomorrow. Ja nee!~

~haruki-chan :3