An Unexpected Gift: Chapter 3
Ah gentle reader, sorry this chapter took longer than I expected; there was a lot I wanted to accomplish. What I originally intended as a short story is now turning into a full arc. At the same time, each chapter is getting inevitably longer *sweat* so for the sake of clarity, I didn't take you as far as I wanted to initially. Thanks again to all of you who read and reviewed. You motivate me to develop this story further. Doumo.
Alas, I do not own Skip Beat, just this fan fic. *smile*
I did create the following from my imagination: Madelline, L'Ocréal, Sera Kiyomizu, "the Man in White," "the Man in Black," Ariana Ima, Mika, and "the Woman on the Phone from America."
Italic: thought
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February 15th, Noon
In his office, the man in black sat in his high-back leather chair with his back against the entrance. About to leave for lunch with a member of his executive team, his attention was caught by an email that flashed onto his phone. An instant later, there was a knock on his door.
"President Karazawa, call from America on Line 1 for you." His assistant poked her head in from the partially open door.
The man in black swiveled his chair around to pick up the line. He did not hesitate, "I saw the email."
"And I saw the demo," a warm, husky voice came through the phone, "impressive."
"They both were. There is considerable talent in this country – one must simply dig a little." said the man in black.
"She's a little rough around the edges, but with some good direction, she can be magnificent." She replied. "Is Sugimoto continuing to be a problem?"
The man in black paused for a moment – he was pondering the exact same issue before her call.
"For the moment, he is neutralized. He did not expect the level of quality we got from both Kyouko and Kurosaki. Now the entire Madelline Japan's executive team is firmly behind the K&K duo. That threw him 'off course.' However, I wouldn't put it past him to try something else during the actual production or the release of the campaign."
"…Lucien," she replied after a moment's pause, "Take every care, because I think he will. Especially in light of what just happened that prompted my email. And…I don't think I can forget his reaction when he learned that Kuu Hizuri was the reason why Kyouko's name was thrown in the hat. It was volatile."
"Perhaps I should find out why." The man in black replied. "If Kyouko works out for the 'Glow' series campaign, we may sign her on in the future. I also tire of constantly having to watch my back around him. I have better use of my time."
A soft chuckle from the other end of the line, "He IS ambitious. I am sorry you're stuck, Lucien. For the time being, you must work with him since we cannot have him replaced per THAT particular agreement…at least not yet."
The man in black flashed a rare grin. "Is that an official apology?"
"Of course not," she smoothly replied with laughter in her voice, "but it's from me. Is that good enough?"
"It's more than good enough," the man in black's voice was warm but solemn, "For now."
Before she can respond, he continued, "I will inform Kurosaki of the change myself. He and his crew can test out the additional theme this week – though there is less urgency with this one."
"Do you think Kyouko Mogami is ready for the added theme? She is only 17 isn't she?"
"We shall see." The man in black withheld his judgment – a skill he has mastered since boyhood – so that he'd never underestimate his friend or foe.
Silently agreeing with him, she replied, "I will see you in two weeks. In the meantime, take care of yourself." Her words bordered on formal, but her voice was rich with care.
"…Until then." He said. He always ends his calls with her the same way. Somehow, telling her he's sure to see her again feels better than simply telling her good bye.
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"Moko-san? It's Kyouko." Despite getting six hours of sleep, Kyouko can feel the dryness behind her eye lids and her voice scraped across her keitai like sandpaper.
"…Young lady…you didn't call me back yesterday. We are no longer friends." Moko declared ominously.
"Neh, Moko-saaaaan, please please please don't be mad at me! By the time I finished work and got your message last night, it was near midnight, and I figured you were asleep for the night already. I didn't want to distur…" Kyouko pleaded, her hair stood on ends and sweat beaded down her face.
"You were working that late?" Moko interrupted in surprise, forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at Kyouko.
"Yeah, you know that Madelline opportunity you mentioned in your call? I was doing a demo test for them with Director Kurosaki – to see if I'm good enough for the CM. By the way, how did you find out about that? It was supposed to be top secret or something. Director Kurosaki forbade us from discussing the details with anyone."
"I see…well, you know this industry. There are never any secrets. People could PRETEND something is top secret, but it always leaks out somehow. Like yesterday. I was leaving the Love Me locker room when I heard a conversation down the hall. That gal was so excited, there was no way HALF of LME didn't hear her!" Moko exclaimed, still couldn't believe someone could be so excited over something she thought was trivial. In fact, if it wasn't because she knew it involved Kyouko, she wouldn't have pasted her suddenly-enlarged ears to the wall near the end of the hall. Of course not.
"So what DID you hear?" Kyouko asked curiously.
"Well, I won't make you tell me the details of the CM shoots since you already told me you can't. Besides, we don't know yet if you got the job for sure…but apparently…did you know by the way that you'll have a male "co-star" of sorts?" Moko's speech became surprisingly jumbled as she tries to figure out the best way to tell Kyouko what she learned.
"Umm, yeah, I think Director Kurosaki mentioned something like that. He said that model selection process isn't over yet either, but it'll be decided soon." Kyouko replied, feeling a tiny bit disappointed that Moko was telling her something she already know.
"Yeah, wait 'till you hear who that person might be!"
Kyouko rolled her eyes, "As long as his name doesn't have either Fuwa Sho or Beagle in it, I don't think it really matters."
"What if the name has "Tsuruga" in it?" Moko asked slyly.
She enjoyed Kyouko's sudden intake of breath immensely.
"…Moko-san…no way! That's who my co-star is going to be?" Kyouko felt a rush of blood to her head.
"Nah, I'm just pulling your strings," Moko said innocently.
"Mo…Moko-san…you enjoy playing with me, don't you?" Kyouko's dark aura descends. Even through the phone, Moko could hear the grudge Kyouko's threatening to come through the receiver.
"Uh…ahahahaha, sorry Kyouko," Moko quickly apologized, stuffing a little grudge Kyouko back into the receiver with her index finger. "Okay, so here goes. Your co-star could well be Hidehito Kijima!"
"Kijima-san…? Really? He was a guest star on Dark Moon for a few episodes, but I didn't really get to talk to him. I didn't know he does cosmetic CM's…I mean I didn't know he does modeling in addition to acting." Kyouko was surprised. Her limited impression of Kijima was that of a ladies' man who, strangely enough, also seems to like kids. Since he didn't really talk to her on set, she knows very little about him and didn't have any particularly deep impressions of him, except thinking he was a good actor.
"Yeah, well, he does LOOK pretty, I guess. But Kyouko, what I wanted to tell you was this: don't let your guard down around him. I heard he is the BIGGEST flirt and playboy. He is also rumored to frequently date his co-stars. On top of all that, he's got mean skills as an actor, so you've gotta do your best or he may steal your show." Moko warned. Somewhere in the recess of her mind, she knew Kyouko wouldn't welcome Kijima's advances.
I don't know whether Kyouko returns Tsuruga Ren's feelings or not…but until she's had a chance to sort out her own feelings, maybe I can prevent possible disaster like a future come-to-Jesus meeting with Tsuruga Ren if I make sure she doesn't fall for Kijima's womanizing tricks. Moko thought.
"I see…I doubt he'll be interested in me outside of work at all, but I'll be careful, I promise." Kyouko smiled into the phone. Moko's warning, spoken with so much care towards her, made Kyouko feel warm inside.
Although this time, she thought Moko's caution was unnecessary – after all, when it comes to love, she is immune.
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After hanging up with Moko, Kyouko looked down at her phone – uncertainty a live presence on her face. She has returned all of her phone calls from the previous day except one. Not sure if she can handle another disappointed Ren today, she took a deep breath.
No more procrastinating, Kyouko. Just do it. If he didn't like the gift, just get him something else. Kyouko softly chided herself. She found the appropriate contact and pushed the "Call" button. It was picked up immediately.
"Tsuruga-san? It's me – Mogami Kyouko."
"…Hello? Hello Tsuruga-san can you hear me? Hello?" Dead air greeted Kyouko on the other end. Something that sounded suspiciously like a shout, and a single beep ended the phone call.
That's weird?! Did we somehow lose the signal? Bewildered, Kyouko tried re-dialing. This time, she got the computerized greeting after 5 rings. A bit frazzled, she left a short message asking Ren to call her back.
"Kyouko-san, are you staying to watch our set after lunch?" Chiori Amamiya waved to Kyouko down the hall.
"Sorry – I'd love to…but I can't today – gotta run to a meeting. Next time though." Ridiculously embarrassed at almost being caught calling Ren, Kyouko smiled lightly at Chiori as she gets ready to leave.
"Alright then, I'll see you in a few days. Jaa ne!"
Leaving the Box R studio, still-frigid February winds lift the loosely tied scarf around Kyouko's neck, baring her skin to the cold. Shocked by the sudden chill, Kyouko pulled her scarf more tightly around herself, accidentally winding part of the scarf through her handbag handles in the process. As she struggles to free the tail of the scarf from the handles, she sees her keitai inside the bag. Again Kyouko wonders what had cut off her phone call to Ren, and decides to check her phone in case he's already called back.
No missed call…I wonder if everything's okay…Kyouko ponders as she heads toward Madelline's HQ building.
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Madelline Studio, 1 pm
"Alright guys, so here's the deal. The Madelline bosses liked our demo, a lot. Kyouko's set as the female model, and the general look and feel of the CM has been approved. But there are some significant differences from what we were originally expecting for the 'Extreme Glow' ad." Director Kurosaki paused from his speech to the group as he flipped through his portfolio's pages.
"First, Kyouko won't be alone in this ad. Originally we thought a male model would only be used for the "Love Glow" and "Angel Glow" ads, but the bosses want us to pair her up starting in the first ad of the series too. So the rough storyline will go something like this: girl meets boy in 'Extreme Glow' – boy is very intrigued by girl but girl shows little interest. Boy and girl fall in love in 'Love Glow,' then their relationship blossoms in "Angel Glow."
"Now, here's the second change to the original production plans: Madelline originally wanted to cast a traditional male model opposite Kyouko because the company wanted to emphasize the products, not the CM stars. However, some of the marketing gurus want a more prominent name in the CMs," Director Kurosaki turned to Kyouko, "No offense, Mogami-kun." He continued, "To grab more public attention in the beginning of the CM series' release. So they've decided to cast a well-known actor, Hidehito Kijima, instead."
At this news, murmurs of speculation immediately broke out among the group. Kyouko, already warned by Moko, remained quiet; privately thinking that it was good Kijima-san isn't here to listen to all the speculation at his involvement. Impatiently glancing around the meeting room, Director Kurosaki held up his right hand for silence.
"There is more. A new development that happened just before this meeting will complicate our work, but just a little bit." Kurosaki's lips curled, signaling that he considered any change as a personal challenge. "Madelline wants two versions of 'Love Glow.' IF, and I do mean IF, the first, more 'innocent' version of 'Love Glow' is considered a success, we will produce a second, more mature, or 'sexy' if you will, version of 'Love Glow.'"
Director Kurosaki paused, looking around the room to make sure he held every participant's full attention. "Lemme call this second video and its represented product 'Love Glow 2' for now. Here's the interesting thing - it was originally a product meant for later, Fall-period release – with a story of, let's just say a more sensuous love between a man and a woman."
At this, a male member of the crew laughed out loud, "Yo, Director-san, you mean a 'hotter' version or what?" Male mirth broke out around the room.
Director Kurosaki's lips curved again, "Yeah, you can call it that. The CM was also supposed to feature L'Ocréal's international über spokes model, Ariana Ima, and meant for worldwide release under different product names to suit the individual markets. I don't know what kinda political thing is going on, but let's just say that Madelline Japan somehow secured the exclusive right to release 'Love Glow 2' first, before anyone else, and potentially feature a different model in its ads. Apparently Ariana is pretty sick anyway. I was told she caught mono while on location at a shoot in Brazil two weeks ago, and has gotten worse not better so she cancelled a bunch of assignments and can't do the ad at all."
Director Kurosaki turned to look straight at Kyouko, "Although the changes to the CM series can mean great creative opportunities for our entire staff, this 'Love Glow 2' change is potentially a terrific chance for you too, Mogami-kun. If you do well in the 'Glow' series of commercials, it's possible you may continue to work for Madelline on 'Love Glow2,' and who knows where that ad may lead if it does well here in Japan. Even though Madelline left the option of casting for Love Glow 2 open, it does mean you've got a shot. Think of it as an unexpected gift."
"Also, 'Love Glow 2' won't be easy for you to do as a 17-year old, since it features a more mature theme. At the same time, I would not want you to portray it as if you're 30 rather than 17. So it'll be tricky. It will challenge and push your acting skills even more than the other three. If you succeed, you would have truly grown as an actress." Director Kurosaki's unrelenting gaze pinned Kyouko to her chair, daring her to accept the new challenge.
"…Ye…yes, indeed it will push me as an actress. I look forward to testing my skills should it happen." Never willing to back down in the face of challenges, Kyouko met Director Kurosaki's eyes, her voice growing stronger as her determination also rises. Sera looked on with approval, a faint smile playing on her lips.
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Later on, alone in the dressing room in between costume try-on's, Kyouko doubled over.
She hugged herself tightly around the middle, suddenly feeling sick as she realized her naiveté.
Shaking slightly, Kyouko considers the challenge she so gallantly accepted in front of the crew.
Innocent…sensual…"Love"…
…of the "Queen" of the Night variety, no less?!
What on earth has she gotten herself into?
I'm SO going to need help understanding this – I've never even been kissed before until yesterday (oh that *&%#^ Shotaro!). What should I do what should I do what should I do what….!
"Kyouko-san, you ready or need help? Mika and I want to see if this one will work." Sera knocked on the dressing room door.
"Oh okay, coming!" Kyouko hurriedly checked to make sure she was decent, then opened the door to let Sera and Mika the costume manager in.
Sera looked at Kyouko up and down, her eyes sparkling, "I think the Dolce will do…very well indeed, ne Mika-san?"
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"Gather around, everyone!" Director Kurosaki shouted. "Let's go through the general storyboard for 'Extreme Glow' one more time just so everybody is on the same page. I don't want any 'I forgot' excuses for retakes once we start." He waits for everyone to huddle around him and his sketched out storyboard cards before continuing.
"Again, we're shooting the three CMs in order of 'Extreme Glow,' 'Love Glow,' and 'Angel Glow.' The idea is that the three ads represent the three major stages in a relationship: Attraction, Anticipation, and Devotion. In other words, for 'Extreme Glow's 'Attraction' theme, we need to infuse that 'this is our first fateful meeting' type feeling into the atmosphere of the ad."
"I'll leave it to your imagination as to what Anticipation is all about," collective chuckle broke out among the staff, "But I think you all get the idea. 'Love Glow' is literally about falling in love, but remember 'Love Glow 1' is about a more innocent type of love; in other words, not carnal in any way, alright?"
"Devotion, the theme of 'Angel Glow,' is about commitment between a couple once they are solidly in a relationship. I think that one is pretty straightforward. Any major questions about the themes?" Director Kurosaki looked about the room.
Seeing no hands going up, he continued, "Here's the basic story of 'Extreme Glow' – we'll discuss the CG effects and other details as we work along. A young woman is transformed from cute to stunning with a swipe of her Extreme gloss after work or school. She confidently strides through the trendy streets of Shibuya for her destination – one of the hottest clubs in town for a night of dancing fun – when a young man catches a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eyes. Captured by her beauty and mysterious air, he follows her to the club."
"This means we will be shooting 'Extreme Glow' in two major segments – outdoor and indoor. In the next hour it'll be dusk and we will head to the streets. There is a section of Shibuya that Madelline has cordoned off for the shoot, and is where Mogami-kun will be doing her 'prowling' and Kijima-kun his 'stalking.'" Collective giggle at the expense of the two models erupts. Kyouko looked down slightly in embarrassment, while Kijima leans back on his heels with a confident, rakish grin.
Kijima-san has been pretty quiet since he got here this afternoon, and he looks relaxed but confident. I guess it's the type of attitude that comes with experience…wish I can feel that at ease too. Kyouko thought with a bit of envy.
"Now here's the important part for everyone. I want every single one of you to be absolutely ready for the shoot once we arrive on scene. This means the camera and set prep need to happen like that," Kurosaki snaps his fingers, "I want to catch the remnant rays of light at dusk to add to the effects, so we are not gonna get the luxury to do many retakes if at all. Got it?" he glowers menacingly around the room, making sure everyone understood the importance of getting things right on the first take.
"Alright crew, off you go to load up the equipment. Kijima- and Mogami-kun, you two stay for a minute." Director Kurosaki waved the two over to his side.
"Mogami-kun, we discussed the character for Extreme Glow a bit already for the demo, but let's refresh our memories since I want to get things right the first time once we get to Shibuya. This is a girl who's similar to your Natsu in her flirtatiousness, playfulness, and edginess, but without all that grand evil-scheming-ness. She's out for a good time, but not really looking for guys per se. Her absolute confidence in herself, her style, and her looks make up half of her beauty, know what I mean?"
Kyouko nodded. It all makes sense so far.
"So what will you do when Kijima tries to catch your attention the first time or two?" Director Kurosaki quizzed Kyouko.
Without thinking, Kyouko said, "I will be amused, but won't give him a second glance."
"Excellent. Kijima?" Director Kurosaki cocked an eyebrow at said actor.
"I will be a slobbering mess stumbling after Beauty." Kijima drawled. Although without makeup or costume at the moment, Kijima once again marvels at Madelline's choice.
I think I'll just have to pretend I'm looking at the REAL Ariana Ima…
End of Chapter 3
Author's Notes:
I know this is a longer chapter, thank you for patiently reading thus far!
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