Greetings everyone! So I know this sort of "Ren" is a little different than what I'm used to writing, but I'm glad that you all are quite accepting of him. I usually love to write fluffies, but I think this sort of situation will make the story more interesting. Anyway, thank you for your support and I hope you like this next installment. Please Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.

Kyoko smiled as she flipped the omelet onto the other side. With her phone held between her cheek and the crook of her shoulder, she said into the receiver, "I'll stop by at eight…no, I should be done by then…right…right…yes…of course…I miss you too. Tell Taisho I said hi….okay…okay, I'll see you tonight. Goodbye, Okami-san." Then with one last smile, she hung up the phone and placed it upon the counter.

"I take it the conversation went well," Kanae pointed out as she walked into the kitchen and pulled out a metal stool at the island. "Going to eat dinner there?"

She nodded. "Thank you for telling to me to call, Moko-san."

"I shouldn't have had to tell you," she said while picking up a bowl of miso soup. "Honestly, I can't believe you were worried."

"I haven't called them in three years. I assumed they were mad."

Kanae rolled her eyes and put the barely-touched bowl down. "Can you please stop assuming that everyone is mad? If they're mad, I'm sure they'll let you know."

Turning off the stove and placing the hot omelet onto a plate, Kyoko took a seat beside Kanae and leaned her head against her shoulder. "Thank you, Moko-san."

"For what?"

"For staying my best friend."

"I never said that," Kanae retorted as she speared her eggs. "Who said we were friends?"

Kyoko smiled. No matter what she said, Kanae couldn't dampen her mood. She was the only good thing that happened ever since she had returned home. After running into her at LME and crying what felt like endless rivers of tears, Kyoko was finally able to get a word in and tell her just exactly how much she missed her. Of course Kanae was less than pleased with the spectacle she had created, but Kyoko couldn't keep quiet. She had missed her friend so much.

In these past three years, Kanae had clearly matured as well. She no longer had a cascade of black locks down her back, but a modern cut with side bangs elegantly swept off to the side. She was a little more tanned than usual and her figure seemed a little slimmer, or rather it was the clothes she wore that perfectly showed off her figure. Either way, Kanae had grown into a woman too. After the many successful roles she had played, she now had enough money to live the life she had always dreamt of, starting with the penthouse she was currently letting Kyoko stay in now.

It had two massive bathrooms that had both a shower and tub, two bedrooms with a view of the city, a modernized kitchen that seemed to come straight out of a home magazine, and a spacious living room that was perfect to host a party. Of course, her very large family of siblings would have demanded to move in too if not for Kanae making sure to remodel their place so that they would leave her and her precious privacy alone. So now living off of her own income, she was now a woman with a very stable career, the owner of a beautiful home, and had a reputation as one of the best actresses of LME.

Kyoko couldn't have been prouder of her.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go?" Kanae asked as she brought her dishes to the sink "Hongo isn't that close by."

"President Lory said he scheduled a ride to pick me up in about 10 minutes, so it's okay. What about you? Are you going to drive yourself down to LME?"

"Yeah, I need my car to get to across town for a meeting later today."

"With the drama director right?"

Kanae nodded. "We're going to go over the character I'm playing. It might take a while so just grab the extra set of keys on the coffee table and let yourself in. I won't be home until later tonight."

"You want me to bring you home some dinner?"

"It's alright. I'll just grab something along the way."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Moko-san, you're not dieting still, are you?"

"You think I keep myself in shape by eating junk food?"

"Moko-san, you look fine!"

"Fine?" Kanae repeated. "I want to look good!"

Kyoko cracked a smile as she realized Kanae and Carrie were very much alike. Maybe that was why she had bonded with her so quickly in New York. She reminded her so much of her own best friend back home.

"You know for someone who has a new job today, you don't look the slight bit nervous," Kanae pointed out as she leaned onto her arms upon the counter. "Aren't you worried as to what they'll have in store for you?"

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked, scooping an omelet filled fork into her mouth.

"These are brand new girls who just got accepted into LME. They're probably brimming with confidence and an over-inflated ego. I wouldn't be surprised if they chased you out of there."

"No way," Kyoko mumbled. "It can't be that bad."

Kanae smirked as she made her way around the counter. "Fine, don't believe me. Just don't come home crying when they give you a hard time," she called over her shoulder as her retreating footsteps walked down the hall.

Feeling her stomach twist uncomfortably now, Kyoko placed her half-eaten omelet into the sink and drank a glass of water. She had no idea what she was thinking in accepting this job. Since when did she ever lead anyone let alone an entire group? She couldn't help but feel she was way in over her head. But at the same time, President Lory must have had some faith in her or else he wouldn't have asked her to do this. And to quit before even trying seemed really pathetic.

"Maybe they'll be nice," she murmured as she placed the glass onto the dish rack.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Kyoko turned around and wiped her hands upon the towel. Making a grab for her phone, she held the device to her face and read that the number was blocked. "Must be the ride."

She flipped her cell open and held the receiver to her ear. "Hel—?"

"One minute."

Click!

She stared at the phone with unblinking eyes. There was no way. It couldn't be. But that voice, she knew that voice…

Then without giving it a second thought, she ran into the living room, snatched up her purse and keys, jumped into her heels, and hollered over her shoulder, "See you later, Moko-san!"

"What? I thought you said—!"

But Kyoko had already slammed the front door shut. She skipped the elevator and ran down the flights of stairs, her heart beating a mile a minute and it wasn't from the running. There was no reason for her to be so frantic, but she couldn't help it. Just hearing his voice sent her back to three years ago, when he could get her to come to him without lifting a finger.

She should be scared out of her mind. She should be skeptical as to why he was here. But she didn't want to dwell on that. Kyoko just wanted to focus on the small glimmer of hope that maybe they could be okay again, that maybe things could go back to normal.

When she reached the front door of the lobby, her hand paused on the handle. She was so nervous. What should she say? What she should do? Kyoko just didn't know how to act around him anymore.

She shook her head. "It'll be fine. It'll be fine," she chanted. Breathing in deeply, Kyoko swung the door open and greeted the cool morning air. And there, parked right in front was the silver car. Her feet moved on their own accord. Step by step, they walked closer and closer until she was standing by the passenger door. With a quiet whir, the window rolled down.

"I said one minute."

"I'm sorry. I—"

"Get in."

She heard the clip in his tone. She should have rejected the offer, but she found herself reaching for the handle instead. And as soon as she shut the car door, dread filled the air. This was such a bad idea. Hesitantly, she stole a glance in his direction and noticed he was wearing a crisp white dress shirt over a pair of dark slacks. Most men wouldn't be able to pull off a look that was so incomplete, but he could. And he might have looked even more charming if not for the hard expression in his face. So swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, she asked, "W-w-why are you here?"

He buckled his seatbelt.

"Did President Lory ask you to do this?"

Ren's eyes narrowed.

Lowering her head in shame, she mumbled, "I'm sorry. I'll tell him—"

"Tell him what? That I complained? Are you so eager to put me in a bad light?"

"What? No, I would never—!"

He loudly started the ignition and made a sharp swerve out of the parking circle.

Feeling the heat rush straight to her cheeks, Kyoko turned to face him with flaming eyes. "Stop the car."

He made another turn.

"Stop the car. I'll find my own way to Hongo."

He switched to another lane.

"Stop the—!"

"Enough."

"No! I don't need you to drive me!"

"You think I'm doing this for you?"

Kyoko stopped.

Ren smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. This is only a job."

"President Lory should have never asked you to do this. And you're obviously very upset, so if you just drop me off, I can—"

"Since when do you give a damn about how I feel?"

The fight instantly drained out of her. She would rather be angry. She would rather be irritated. She would rather feel anything but this sense of helplessness.

Ren kept his eyes locked on the red light and chuckled. "What? Too soon?"

"I don't want to be in this car with you," she whispered.

The air rushed out of his lungs. But tightening his steely grip around the wheel, he answered in a firm voice, "That makes two of us."

Unable to say anything else, Kyoko turned to the window. Even though she tried to focus all of her attention on remembering the way to the agency, her mind kept drifting back to him. She deserved his cruelty. She deserved his hate, but did she deserve this torture? Her nerves were frayed and the tiniest noise made her flinch.

Kyoko felt as if she was tip-toeing on thin ice. She couldn't possibly do this every day she went to work. At this rate, she would have nothing left. After the airport fiasco, her plan was to avoid seeing him as much as possible, but with this new predicament, she would be forced to endure his coldness on a daily basis. Kyoko couldn't do this. She couldn't face him over and over again. He was going to tear her completely apart and there would be no way she would be able to pick up the pieces once he was done with her.

It was hard enough to see him. It was hard enough to have to look at him and think about what they were before and how much she missed it—how much she missed him. But this…this was too much, even for her.

The car came to a fluid stop. He cut the ignition, pulled out the keys, and opened the door without a word. Kyoko unbuckled her seat belt and followed suit, keeping her eyes on anything but him. They approached the largest building on the block with no sign or name. It looked more like a place for business than acting.

Two glass doors automatically slid open at their approach, revealing a fancy looking lobby decked with marbled flooring and a large crystal chandelier hanging from above. There was a girl sitting at the front desk, but someone must have told her that Kyoko would be coming because she let them pass without a word, except for an ultra bright smile flashed in his direction.

Kyoko made her way down the main hall, more than hyperaware of him walking close behind. Biting down on the inside of her cheek to refrain from turning around, she found the room President Lory told her to go to: Room 167. She had expected Ren to leave once she opened the door, but to her surprise, he walked through the archway with her.

Upon entering, Kyoko saw a group of about thirty girls all dressed in sweat pants, tank tops, and sneakers. Most were on the sidelines watching two girls in the center of the room. One of the girls had a round-like face with short brown hair that barely touched her shoulders. She was sitting on one of the two chairs that were facing each other while the other was standing on her feet. With straight red hair and icy green eyes, she towered over the other and stared the other girl down like a hawk.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME? YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN?"

The girl that was seated stared up at her with tears running down her face. She looked so scared. "I n-n-never wanted to w-w-win," she stammered as she sunk lower into her seat.

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER BE BETTER THAN ME! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SECOND BEST AND THERE ISN'T A SINGLE THING YOU CAN DO—!"

"Stop!"

Kyoko met the ice cold gaze of every single girl who turned to look at her as if she was some kind of intruder. The red-head straightened up and faced Kyoko with dark eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

Walking to the center of the room, Kyoko placed a gentle hand on the crying girl's shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Hey! I asked you a question! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Slowly, Kyoko rose to her full height and looked her straight in the eyes. "Mogami Kyoko. You?"

"Tanaka Sayuri. Care to tell us why you interrupted our scene?"

"Scene?" Kyoko looked down at the terrified girl and raised an eyebrow.

Sayuri let out a laugh. "Oh my god, did you actually think we were bullying her? Go ahead, Mimi. Tell her. Was I bullying you?"

The shy girl shook her head, her eyes glued to her lap.

"See? I guess American actresses don't know as much as they thought. Yes, President Lory told us you'd be coming," she continued at Kyoko's cocked eyebrow. "Although, I have to say I thought you'd look more like…an actress."

"And what does that entail exactly?" she asked.

"You're looking at her."

Kyoko's eyes widened. Well, this girl definitely had fire—she'll give her that. Her personality may not be as charming, but fire was exactly what she needed to go far in this industry. Unfortunately, she pointed it at the wrong target. There could only be one leader here and Kyoko had no plans on giving up the title just yet. If she was going to successfully lead this group, she needed to break her. So hooking her purse over the arm of the chair, Kyoko took a step back and said, "This is a scene, you say?"

"Obviously," Sayuri scoffed.

"Hmm, and you are supposed to be interrogating—Mimi-san, is it?"

The young girl nodded as she stood up and tipped her head in greeting. "I'm playing the mistress of Tanaka-san's character's husband."

"Which explains the yelling," Kyoko said as she turned to Sayuri.

"I like to give it my all when acting. Although, I'm surprised I have to tell you that considering you're an actress of such high caliber."

On cue, the other girls giggled in unison, causing Sayuri's confident smirk to grow even wider.

Kyoko smiled back in return. "Well Tanaka-san, I have to say your all is quite…loud."

A small chuckle sounded from behind.

Kyoko turned. He was standing by the open door with his arms crossed over his chest, unmoving and at the greatest of ease. She knew that laugh and she was certain it came from his lips. When the gasps started to erupt from behind, Kyoko figured they did too.

"OH MY GOD! TSURUGA REN!"

"IT'S TSURUGA-REN!"

The other girls swarmed around him with squeals of delight and amazement as he warmly greeted them all with a smile. Ignoring the pang she felt at seeing him be so kind to the others, Kyoko turned back around and was surprised to see Sayuri in the same place. From the look of her eyes, she was obviously a big fan of him as well, but her professionalism kept her still.

"Hmm, not bad."

But her good opinion of Sayuri instantly turned sour when she said, "Look, I don't care what President Lory thinks. If you think you can waltz in here and take over just like that, you have another thing coming. Even with Tsuruga Ren's help, we'll never accept you. Just take your fancy clothes and American talents back to wherever you came from because we certainly don't need it."

"On the contrary," Kyoko said as she took a step towards her. "You might."

"Excuse me?" And in an instant, Sayuri's eyes turned so bright green that flames may have spit from their depths. "You think you can do better than me?" she whispered.

The giggles quieted down. Kyoko could feel all eyes boring into her back, one pair distinct from the others. She had no idea why this was so important her, why she felt the need to prove herself. But she found herself smiling and saying, "I can."

Sayuri's eyes gleamed. "Prove it."

Finding the script next to the chair, Kyoko casually picked it up and placed the packet of paper into her opponent's hand. "If I can make you cry by the end of this scene, I win."

"Win what? The position as our leader?"

Kyoko shook her head with a smile. "No, just the pure satisfaction of putting you in your place."