Sorry. I know this shouldn't be an excuse but English isn't my first language so trying to get the past and present tense to work is difficult. I'll revise. Thanks for the comment Callio I'll work on it and try and reduce it and change the past chapters to have it consistent.

Chapter 4: Protective

Morning came, and Kyoko woke up with a headache. By the time she reached home, she passed out from exhaustion and she had not eaten dinner. Dragging her ass off her bed, she reached for her phone and saw three unread messages, one from Yashiro, one from the company and one from Ren.

Tsuruga-san?!

Slightly panicking, she opened the message and noticed it was sent at around 8PM last night. Where was she at 8PM? The meeting. Why had she not seen the message earlier? Cramming her brain, she remembered what caught her attention.

The twelve missed calls.

Dropping back onto her bed, she remembered the situation last night. The hell of an outcome that she never saw coming. How was she going to explain it to her company? How was she going to explain it to Ren?

'Kyoko-chan,' the landlady came up to her room and knocked lightly on her door. 'Your manager is downstairs. He says he will wait for you.'

'Ma-Manager?' Kyoko stuttered. Is Tsuruga-san with him? No, that's not possible. He wouldn't come all the way here when he has so many things to do. 'I-Is he alone?'

The landlady tilted her head with a questioning expression and nodded. 'Well, yes. He's alone. I've prepared him a small breakfast. You should come down too and have some before you leave.'

'Thank you,' Kyoko bowed her head before slumping back on her bed. He's not here. I don't know whether I'm relieved or disappointed.

Undressing and entering the shower, Kyoko closed her eyes and allowed the water to drift her to the moment before her peace was shattered. When she had thought that her heart troubles were the only thing bothering her, a new enemy shows up in the form of the possible destruction of her career.

She sighed quietly and lightly slammed her tightly clenched fist on the marble wall. 'You're so stupid! How could you even let yourself get into that situation?!' It hurt to be shouted at by him. It felt degrading to be called stupid by the likes of him, but she still knew he meant well. Their relationship has been set in stone that they would consistently meet each other one way or another. No matter what they do, call it fate or destiny, he will appear.

'Damn it,' she cursed under her breath.

The message by Yashiro was just to inform her he would pick her up at 8AM. Clearly, he arrived a lot earlier and Kyoko expected no less from him. The one from the company on the other hand was something she dreaded all night. She couldn't sleep. Last night, she had shoved her phone deep in her bag in fear that anyone would come and send her straight to see the President. The fear and her exhaustion eventually caused her to pass out.

Nothing can save her out of this mess. 'Even if you're not in the wrong, you have no cables or connections to save your ass!' She remembered him shout. 'They have people that can bail them out. You? Your relationship with your mom is only just starting, if she saw this, don't blame her for disowning you!'

'That was harsh,' Kyoko thought but his words were true. Reading the message from the company sent shivers down her spine.

"We require you to be present for a meeting with Human Resources tomorrow at 9AM. We have contacted the director and producer for A Lotus in the Mud of your change in schedule and we will take personal responsibility regarding it. Your manager will be in touch."

'This is it,' Kyoko thought quietly and shrunk to the floor. The droplets of water from her wet hair, splattering on the wooden bedroom tiles. Her eyes had shrunk from fear and exhaustion. She prepared for the worst, but she had prayed it wouldn't have come to it.

Trying to present herself in the best way, Kyoko gave a small kiss to Princess Rosa and adjusted the make up on her face. She took a good look at herself and he was right. Who was she? She had no power in the showbiz world. No one to defend her. No one to back her up. She's recyclable. When the company doesn't need her, they throw her out.

The thoughts struck her deep. She had always wished she meant more to them than just a substitute amateur rookie. She had no one to represent her or introduce her to the company. She literally did everything with aggression and determination. It landed her roles but initially they weren't what she wanted.

In the beginning, she wanted to become big, quick. She wanted to show off and show to the world, to him, that even she's capable and that she is independent. Bring strung around like a maid was pathetic and she saw it. She pitied the old her who was aimlessly following others. She had no self-worth. Now… now she does. She has something she wants to protect. She has something she had put in so much effort to build.

Glaring at the mirror, Kyoko smiled. 'I won't back down,' she said. 'Even if they throw me out, I'll come right back at them.'

She loves acting. She loves the life, the joy, the adventures. It was something she wants to protect. She has to protect. Lowering her head, she shook her head slightly. 'Help me, please.' She whispered to nobody.

'Kyoko-chan!' The landlady smiled as Kyoko skipped downstairs and greeted her. 'Here, have something to eat before you leave.' Kyoko bowed her head and Yashiro gave a slight nod as she took her seat. 'I have to prepare the tables. Eat up.' The landlady left the two alone.

'I contacted the cab company and they said you did not get a ride from them,' Yashiro said.

'Oh, yeah, I found my own way back,' Kyoko replied. 'Ah, but, I didn't have to pay for it, so really, it wasn't a problem.'

'The problem is your safety, Kyoko-chan,' Yashiro said. 'I failed as a manager if I do not know your whereabouts at that time and I had specifically informed the company of your number and should you call, you are a staff of LME. They will gladly send you home. It's a company we trust.'

A staff of LME. Am I? Kyoko thought. The landlady had made a simple Japanese breakfast for them. Grilled saba, rice, miso soup and pickles. Just the way she likes it. She could only afford a weak smile as she picked up her chopsticks.

'Your face looks more troubled than it was yesterday,' Yashiro said.

'It's nothing, Yashiro-san,' Kyoko said.

'You are worried about the meeting with HR today?' He asked and she paused before continuing to chew. 'What if I told you that I know what it is about and you will be fine?'

Her whole body stopped moving. He knows? Kyoko quickly turned her head to face him. He knows the video is out for the world to see. 'Th-Then…'

'You're lucky you're part of LME. We take these issues very seriously, and as it was shown that I am a witness to the scene, they have better information. They need you to give your side of the story, so that they can give an official statement regarding the incident,' Yashiro explained and it felt like a boulder was lifted off her shoulder.

'E-Erika-san…did she-?!'

'No,' Yashiro shook his head. 'I believe you did not want to doubt her either.' Kyoko nodded. Erika was a sincere actress with a very competitive nature. This sort of thing was something so dirty that Kyoko wouldn't be able to believe had she purposely allowed it to be released online. 'We have made contact with her and discovered the source to be from a regular phone. We suspect it's a resident of the building across the incident. We're still investigating.'

'I'm so sorry to have troubled you. I'm so sorry to have made this mess. I shouldn't-.'

'You are the victim, Kyoko-chan,' Yashiro interrupted. 'As much as I appreciate your apology, it was not your fault. So please, cheer up. You being gloomy all day will make Ren depressed too.'

Tsuruga-san!? 'He knows?!' Kyoko asked and slammed her hands on the table. 'Tsuruga-san knows?!'

Yashiro sweated and realised he shouldn't have said that. 'Uhh, well no. He's just…worried that you were out of it yesterday. That's all.'

So, he doesn't know. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

'By the way, Kyoko-chan. Who gave you a lift home last night? I heard you stayed back even with the stunt crew and they left late to prepare their equipment for the scene,' Yashiro said and saw Kyoko fidgeting.

'Ah, that,' Kyoko stuttered. 'It's…a friend.' Not a friend. 'He was kind enough to pick me up because he was nearby.' Gave me a headache of a nagging on the way back. 'It was no problem.' Shocked the living hell out of me with the video news.

'A friend? Kotonami-san?' Yashiro asked.

Feeling like she shouldn't lie, especially to the man who was working hard to solve her mistakes and problems, Kyoko shook her head. 'No.' She muttered and hung her head low in defeat. 'F-Fuwa…Sho.'


Last night…

'What.'

When the other end picked up the call, Kyoko refused to be polite and kind as she usually is. The grunt made her confirm who the owner of the unknown number was. 'I was at work. You could leave a voicemail as you usually do.'

'So, you don't know. About the thing travelling all around the internet.' He said as a fact rather than a question. An act he's used to doing as he knew she really doesn't bother much with social media.

'What's travelling around?' She asked.

'Where are you?'

'Work.'

'Where.' He asked, sternly.

'Natsume Estate. Outside Tokyo.'

'I'll get you in a few minutes.'

'Wait, what?' The call was cut off and it enraged Kyoko. 'Sh-Shotarou?! Oi! He cut me off?!' She was starting to get angrier until she received a text from the same unknown number. It was a downloadable link and Kyoko sank to her seat when she saw what was sent to her.

Watching it over and over, Kyoko saw how Kimiko and her manager had dragged her and lifted her over. Even through the pixelated faces, Kyoko could see her grin. She was happy, she was more than excited to do this. Hurting or killing anyone didn't seem to bother her one bit.

Kyoko was only lucky Erika knew what Kimiko was up to. Kyoko was lucky. She held herself suddenly, realising that there are other demons out there in the world. While she deems Sho's act is unforgivable, it's nothing compared to this girl. She was a heartless cold-blooded bitch. And Kyoko suspected Sho knew.

As much as they hate to admit it, Sho is still important to her, in some way, and she believes she is to him too. They were childhood friends. She's seen him through thick and thin and vice versa. It's how he knew how she would react to her mother's words on national television. It's how he knew what she would do.

If he didn't care, he wouldn't know where she lived presently. Wouldn't bother to reveal the message his parents gave him regarding their visit. If he didn't care.

After a half hour, a limo arrived and Kyoko stood up, knowing that the boy would come in a fancy vehicle. He's always liked showing off. The entertainment world is fitting for his kind. 'Mogami-san,' the driver called out and Kyoko nodded and made her way into the car.

The ride back into Tokyo was filled with silence at first. Both parties looked out of the window and stared at the starry night sky. It made Kyoko wonder what life would be like had Sho not taken her to Tokyo. If they both had stayed in Kyoto and finished high school together. A lot of heartbreaks, Kyoko thought, remembering all the girls Sho would date while knowing clearly how Kyoko felt about him. It's probably more painful had we been together.

'Were you hurt?' He finally asked, startling Kyoko. She expected him to start shouting the moment the car door closed but he was quiet all the way.

'No.'

'Who is she?' He asked again.

Wondering if she should tell him, Kyoko shook off the idea and decided that she could trust him with this. 'Morizumi Kimiko,' Kyoko answered.

'Mo-Morizumi…the Morizumi clan?! The one that has actors and directors right and left?! What did you do to piss her off?!' Sho shouted and Kyoko snickered, she liked this Sho better.

'She pissed me off,' Kyoko muttered and sighed. 'It wasn't anything big. I just got the part that she auditioned for.'

'She actually auditioned, hah, I thought those kinds of people would use any means to just get called in for roles. I didn't think she would have to audition,' Sho snickered.

'She injured the girl who got the role so that she could have the part,' Kyoko muttered under her breath but the silence from Sho caught her off guard and she turned to find him looking at her.

'What did you say?'

'Nothing,' Kyoko brushed it off.

'Wait, did she…did she try to throw you off that because you got the part she wanted?' Sho asked, completely bewildered and Kyoko's silence speaks volumes. 'Did. She?' Sho had grabbed Kyoko's wrist at that point and she pulled herself away.

'You know how girls are,' Kyoko spat. 'They do the stupidest things when they're after something. This girl is just one extreme that I never knew one was possible to get to. She caught me, blindfolded me and next thing I know, I was breathing fresh air out of the building and feeling gravity pulling me off-balance. If it weren't for-…' Kyoko stopped herself and calmed down. 'If it weren't for a friend, she would have possible tossed me over like a used tissue.'

'A friend? You don't have friends.'

Agreeing, Kyoko just smiled. She only makes a small number of friends. 'No, she's not a friend, but she can be. She's kind at heart.'

'So, what happened, what stopped her?'

'A flash or something. It distracted Morizumi and her manager and then I was suddenly pulled back down when I heard Yashiro-san's voice. It was all so quick, I didn't get to register what happened,' Kyoko recalled the incident vividly. 'That friend knew what Morizumi is capable of, so she prepared cameras to record the incident and to make sure she doesn't do it again. I was relieved.'

'Yeah, and now that very same video is out in the open for the world to see. Knowing you, you'd never know this existed until it blows over in the morning!' Sho threw his phone on her lap and she watched the video again. 'By this time tomorrow, there is no way no one would not know it was you. At least the people in your company.'

'Look, it wasn't my fault-.'

'You're so stupid! How could you even let yourself get into that situation?!' Sho shouted and startled Kyoko. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. 'You said you want to beat me and you go off getting yourself pulled into these sorts of stunts. You're over, do you know that? The moment people figure out the orange-headed girl from the video is the girl working for LME, you're done!'

'I'll figure a way out. I always do.'

'A way out? Kyoko, look at this. You're against a bigshot here. You've messed with the wrong person,' Sho pointed to the pixelated image of Kimiko. 'Even if you're not in the wrong, you have no cables or connections to save your ass! They have people that can bail them out. You? Your relationship with your mom is only just starting, if she saw this, don't blame her for disowning you!'

That stung. It really did.

'So, why did you call me? Did you really just call me twelve times to vent out like this? To throw to me how irresponsible and reckless I am? Because Sho, this is not something I want to hear coming from you!' Kyoko shouted back.

The two could hear the driver sigh as they began their usual argument. 'If it wasn't from me, you wouldn't know until you got fired!'

'Do you expect a thank you to leave my lips!?'

'No, I'm only giving you a warning!' Sho shouted back.

'What for, Sho? Why would you care to warn me?!'

'Why?!' Sho scoffed. 'She asks me why!'

Kyoko was more than annoyed now but it was only to distract her from the real problem at hand, the video. 'You must be happy that I'll be gone from your sight tomorrow,' She folded her arms across her chest. Please no. She prayed in her head. Don't let me lose my job, please.

'I'm not.' That was all Sho could say before they finally arrived in front of Kyoko's residency. She heard him say it but didn't push on it. The driver opened the car door for her and she stayed inside for another minute.

'Have a great time in Tokyo, Shotarou,' she managed the smallest smile before walking out. It almost made him want to pull her back but he restrained himself. She needed to gather her thoughts. She's Kyoko. She'll sort it out. He quietly thought.

'Home, sir?'

Sho nodded and watched her walk through the doors at midnight. She won't fail here. Sho was convincing himself that she wouldn't be gone from the city. There has to be some way that she gets through this. She needs someone who could back her up. Someone with power in that line of business.

He knew who was close enough and would be willing to help. He knew. Would he put his pride on the line to meet him and tell him about this? He hates me as much as I hate him. Thinking about it, that man probably wouldn't even know about the video so Sho just shook that thought out of his head.

'But can he help?' He asked himself. After five minutes of complete silence, Sho raised his voice and sighed. 'Hey, change of plans. To the xxx Suites.'

And that was Chapter 4. Sorry for the delay from Friday. I am… not in the best condition or mood to write atm. Fucking hate break ups on the worst days. I didn't know what to write basically. I was, on a writers-block or rather, I didn't really want to write. But then I reread the last chapter and realised I really do want to figure out what happens so here it is.