Ok, it might take awhile for the next update. The next chapter is almost finished, but I'm just not satisfied with it, so it needs time for tweaking. Probably won't get to it till after finals, meaning after Christmas. Possibly Christmas break. Thank you all for your reviews, please don't hesitate to call me out on mistakes!

Ch. 4

When Kyoko arrived to the shoot, everyone was already there. Including Ren. Kyoko wondered if anyone had tried to get a hold of her, and quickly took out her phone and glanced at it. Five missed calls. Great, she thought sardonically.

"Kyoko! Where have you been all-" Yukihito Yashiro, who had been the first one to notice her presence, started to speak but stopped upon actually seeing Kyoko close-up.

Seeing the look of concern on the manager's face, Kyoko quickly assured him she was as fine and fit as ever. "Besides, with my wig, the injury won't be seen. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to have make-up done now." Kyoko finished and bowed quickly when she noticed Ren approaching. She quickly took off towards the dressing rooms without a word.

"Was the Mogami-san I just saw? Where has she been?" Ren asked his manager, the slightest hint of worry showing through in his voice.

"I don't know, but… she doesn't look so good, Ren. Maybe you could, you know, check up one her?" Yashiro teased, making light of Kyoko's situation for the sake of Ren's pathetic love live.

Ren suspected that Yashiro had some sort of dark power that allowed him to twist any sort of situation into one that involved Kyoko, no matter how obscure. Recently more than ever he pushed and prodded Ren to take advantage of all the LoveMe work Kyoko did with him, saying it was "destiny" and that he should make the best out of all of the opportunities given to make her his. Ren (although he would NEVER admit it) agreed with him, and had tried.

However, he couldn't help but feel that these experiences were pushing them further apart. Every time he was near her on one of her LoveMe assignments, something seemed to happen that disallowed them from having a conversation. If she wasn't avoiding him while she worked, when he finally did get to approach her, someone would pull her away or scold her for talking with him. Even worse was last time, when she had fallen quite badly and had a drink spilled on her.

Even when she wasn't on a job, she seemed to avoid him. When he tried to talk to her, her eyes would dart around, surveying everyone in the area. Ren was used to many of her odd and amusing antics, but she seemed to be becoming… paranoid, or something. Instead of as Yashiro said, "these things are a sign from God telling you to go after her!" Ren was starting to believe that the Gods were in fact against him.

"Kyoko-chan! What happened to you? You look like you've just been pushed down the stairs and run over a few times!" Kyoko's make-up artist was in an almost resigned state by the time she was finished looking Kyoko over.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko said, her eyes fixed on her shoes. "I kinda got into an accident on the way over here." She said, giving no more explanation than that.

"Kyoko-chan… you need to take better care of yourself. I mean look at you, you're scalp is a bloody mess from a clotted injury, your hair is covered in it too, you have dirt on your face and scrapes on your knees and hands, you're sickly skinny and your skin looks like paper… something is not alright here, Kyoko," the woman said, genuinely concerned.

"Can you cover it up?" Kyoko asked.

"Huh?"

"Can you cover it up?" Kyoko repeated.

"Well…yes, but…"

"Good then. I thank you for you're concern, but, as long as I can stand, I'm going to act. Please take care of me," Kyoko said, putting on her professional face and giving a bow.

After her shoot, Kyoko stood outside the LME building and prepared for the long trek home. Without her bike it would be awful, and Kyoko was over exhausted. Looking down the long avenue, the street lights stood like soldiers in a row, and the lights of the cars moved quickly in whites and reds. Kyoko's vision began to blur as she watched, and, feeling light-headed, began her walk.

It hadn't been long until she knew she needed to rest. Slumping onto a bench, she buckled over her lap and put her head in her hands. Glancing over, she could still see LME, looming over the nearby buildings. I haven't gotten far at all, she thought, turning her head back down to face away from the building. I can't even move. Maybe I could just close my eyes…just for a second… and slumping lower onto her knees, she sighed deeply.

Suddenly a loud honk broke her from her dreamless sleeping. Sitting up quickly, a pain shot down her back. How long had she been there?

A car was parked in front of her, sleek and silver under the moon on the side of the road. Frantically, she squinted to try and get a look inside.

The car door flew open and out stepped Ren. He didn't look pleased to see her.