To Capture the Monster
Disclaimer: I have no legal or artistic claim to the manga Skip Beat!, nor do I have any claim to the characters therein (doesn't that sound nice and official?)
Summary: Kyoko is worried about Ren after his near-catatonic state that morning. How far will she go to help him to recover his equilibrium; and what will she learn in the process?
Chapter 4 – Do You Trust Me?
The story of Tsuruga Ren's catatonic trance and his subsequent revival at the hands of a beautiful teen-aged girl had been busted first by an ambitious reporter at Tokyo Entertainment Daily. She had a nose for the news and a gift for weaseling information out of people. It had been no problem at all to get the young boom-microphone technician to start talking about Mogami Kyoko, the young teen in question. In fact, it became quickly obvious that he had quite a crush on the actress. It had taken only a little more effort to get two of the other young actresses to talk. They only had bit-parts in Dark Moon, and they were both very jealous of the young lady who not only seemed to get all of the major roles, but who seemed to hang onto Tsuruga Ren's shadow wherever he went.
Of course, Nikora Samiko knew better than to take their words at face value. She conducted her own search for information and found out that Mogami Kyoko was quite an interesting lady indeed. First of all, this seventeen year-old newcomer enjoyed a sparkling reputation among industry professionals. She was usually on-time and in-character… in fact her character development was often far beyond what the directors and producers expected. In less than two years she had already racked up an impressive resume, including two iconic characters like Hongo Mio of Dark Moon, and Kitagawa Natsu or Box R. She had been described by both her supporters as "a very gifted but very strange girl." Her detractors… mostly young ladies usually left out the "very gifted" part.
One thing that stood out to Samiko was the odd way in which the entertainment professionals clammed up as soon as she started digging for information about the relationship between Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko. It was clear from their guarded expressions that there was some manner of relationship, but what manner of relationship was uncertain. Samiko knew that the girl called the twenty-one year old actor "Sempai." She knew that the girl seemed to feel free to approach the actor and his manager. There were even reports that she actually felt free to scold the tall, handsome man for his poor eating habits. That in itself suggested a relationship far beyond the norm. Most people were happy to stand within thirty feet of Japan's Number One Most Desirable Man… but this newcomer felt free to scold him.
The relationship seemed to work conversely as well. Those who would talk described Tsuruga Ren as being "highly protective" and even accused him of "jealously guarding" his junior. Everyone agreed that he often gave her professional advice and most agreed that they had seen him, her, and his manager together on numerous occasions. And yet Mogami Kyoko never used the great actor's given name, and he never used hers. It seemed a strange relationship indeed.
Samiko would have probably adopted a "wait-and-see" attitude, except for the near-accident and Tsuruga Ren's resultant condition. When everyone else failed to bring him back to himself, Mogami Kyoko had wandered off of her Box R set, walked freely into the Dark Moon set, and quickly brought him back to his senses. That, to Samiko, spelled r-e-l-a-t-i-o-n-s-h-i-p. And it also spelled big news.
Lory's instructions were clear. "Stay there, and for pity's sake, keep Mogami-san there. Don't let her leave yet."
After Ren closed his phone he turned to look at Kyoko's guarded expression. She hadn't heard the entire conversation, but she could tell enough from his words and from his expression. "What happened, Tsuruga-san?"
Ren startled Kyoko when he took her hand and led her to a barstool at the kitchen peninsula counter. "Princess, we need to talk."
"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said, blushing, "Why do you keep calling me Princess? I-it's not that I don't like it… but…?"
Ren sat on the next stool still holding the hand that she hadn't thought to pull away, "It's because you panic whenever I call you Kyoko. After what you did for me last night I think it's only fair to move our relationship to a first-name basis." When Kyoko flushed and tried to speak, he used his other hand to gently touch her soft lips, "Wait. I'm not finished. I don't ever intend to call you Mogami-san again, Princess. So if you don't feel comfortable with me calling you Kyoko, then you'll have to put up with me calling you Princess."
Kyoko felt strangely moved by Ren's assertive declaration, and she was intensely aware of the tingle in her hand and on her lips where he had touched her. She was still dressed in his shirt, and the feel of the flannel, with his lingering scent, was a constant reminder of how she had slept during the early morning… and how it had made her feel. Rather than argue, she nodded, "Okay, Tsu…"
Again his fingers touched her lips, "Ren."
Her eyes grew large and stressed, but his eyes communicated his determination. She gave another short, jerky nod before saying, "R-Ren…" honestly, she liked the way his name resonated in her mouth, "What was the phone call about?
"We may have a problem… well, truthfully, I don't consider it a problem for me, but it might be harmful for your career if it's not handled correctly. So the question is, Kyoko, do you trust me?"
She realized that she liked the sound of her name on his lips as well. "I don't understand."
"Do you trust me?"
Kyoko slipped in and out of sleep throughout the night as Ren drove on. She had no idea where they were going or how long it would take to get there. He had asked her to trust him, and just like the character in one of her favorite fairytale movies, she had chosen to believe in him.
She had been horrified when she had heard that the press was trying to link her name with his. Her first concern, characteristically, was for his reputation… after all, to have his name tied to a "no-talent newbie…" Ren had stopped her right away. "Kyoko, I won't ever allow you to talk like that about yourself again. You may have been talked down to by your mother and by that punk Fuwa, but I have always believed in you"
Kyoko looked at him meaningfully and he chuckled, "Okay… at the beginning I was unhappy with your motivation, but after I truly began to know you… and I found out who you really are..."
"I don't understand."
"Wait. I've asked Takarada-kaicho to delay the press for twenty-four hours. At the end of that twenty four hours you can decide how you want to approach them. I'll explain when we reach our destination." He had smiled at her then, a boyish smile that warmed her heart and made her want to hug him again. That had been a problem all day. Ever since she had slept cuddled with him on the couch she wanted to revisit the experience. Never before in her life had she felt as safe, or as needed. There was something else too; an elusive feeling which threatened to rise to the surface… something that, until that night, she had thought was gone forever. And so, despite the thousands of questions that were running through her head, and despite the sense of mystery that was wrapped around this trip, she had decided to trust him.
The day had been a long one, full of the numerous appointments that defined her life. Thankfully President Takarada had arranged for her to work on closed sets so that the press was kept safely away. In between locations Jelly made herself available and transformed her into one of thousands of twenty-something businesswomen so that the reporter and her cohorts wouldn't spot her. There seemed to be some sort of conspiracy, with several people involved and everyone understanding except for her… and still Kyoko decided to trust Ren.
When the last scene of the day was filmed and the last promotional photo was shot, they climbed into Ren's car and hit the road. Kanae had stopped at the Daruma-ya for Kyoko's clothes at Lory's request. She wasn't happy about being kept in the dark, but Kyoko promised that she would let her know as soon as she knew. Ren's schedule had been cleared for three days after the incident and so he had been left to fidget alone all day long.
Kyoko did not ask where they were going. Something told her that it wasn't time to ask. Oddly, she felt completely safe and even happy riding with this man through the night into the unknown. Sometime during the night they stopped for gas and something to drink. Later, early in the morning, they stopped for directions. Kyoko stayed in the car and surveyed the area through sleepy eyes, but nothing seemed familiar. Then they were off again. Just as she drifted back off into sleep she felt Ren take her hand again. She wondered vaguely if it had been that way all night; it pleased her to think that it might be so. She squeezed his hand as sleep overtook her.
She woke again to find the car parked in front of a wooded area. Ren was outside of the car, sitting on the hood and sipping coffee. His breath and the hot coffee sent steam vapors into the cold morning air. Kyoko opened the door and tentatively stepped out into the morning. The touch of his hand still lingered and she felt as shy as a little girl as she walked to the front of the car. Ren smiled and picked up a second cup of coffee from his hood. Kyoko took it gratefully. She hesitated for a moment, rocking on her heels, and then she took a seat beside her tall companion.
The air was crisp and clear. The forest scent surrounded them and made everything smell fresh. Birds chirped and flitted among the trees. It was so beautiful… and familiar. "Where are we?"
Ren looked at her again with an expression that made her want to turn into jelly and slide down the hood. "Finish your coffee and we'll take a walk." She complied, content to simply bask in the perfect morning setting, and in the presence of her sempai. As soon as she set the empty cup back down on the hood of the car, Ren's large hand took possession of hers. "Let's walk."
Meekly, submissively, and with a rising sense that something amazing lay ahead, Kyoko allowed herself to be led into the woods. Once again the feeling of familiarity surrounded Kyoko and haunted her. This wood almost seemed like… and then she saw a familiar snag, an age-old stump overgrown with lichen and clover. "Tsuruga-san?"
"Trust me, Kyoko... and call me Ren... for now." He led her on and now she was certain of her location. She had never taken this path in this direction, at least not to its source, but she had explored almost every nook and cranny of this little forest. But how can Ren know about this? How could he possibly… the answer to that question lingered at the edge of her consciousness, and yet just out of reach.
The path split. Ren followed the left path, the one that led down, and now Kyoko was certain. They were heading toward the faerie clearing… her favorite place in the world; the place where she had met Corn… Kyoko stumbled when she shot a startled glance up at her ridiculously tall companion. He reacted quickly, catching an arm around her waist and lifting her effortlessly. As she hung almost horizontally in his grasp, she felt his warm breath on her face and she met his eyes… and she wondered why she had never noticed before: Green eyes… just like Corn.
Her eyes left his eyes and drifted down to his lips… so close… so… Then, as suddenly as she had fallen and he caught her, she was on her feet again. "Careful, Kyoko." With a profound feeling of regret she couldn't quite shake, she allowed herself to be led once again.
Ren began speaking then, talking in a dreamy, far-off way, as if remembering something from the far distant past. "I was ten at the time. My father had a film here in Japan and he dragged me along so that I could 'experience the other side of my heritage. Dad is half Japanese, half American." He stepped down into a trough that had been washed across the middle of their path. He turned and casually gripped both of his large hands around Kyoko's slender waist, lifting her and setting her down easily on the other side of the broken path. Kyoko tried to keep her composure even though her entire body was tingling from that momentary contact.
As they resumed their walk, he continued where he left off, "I was already having a hard time fitting in; spending a summer in Japan among strangers wasn't helping. Dad was originally from Kyoto, so during a long break in filming, he decided to bring me here. As soon as we arrived he was surrounded by fans. I just needed to get away for a while, so I went for a walk." He lifted her hand in his and caressed it with his other hand. Kyoko was too caught up in the euphoria of the situation to even flinch.
"I found the path that that day and I followed it. Then I found this place." They stepped out of the woods and into the morning sunlight as it danced on the surface of a burbling brook. Below the brook, spread out in the middle of a beautiful clearing, was a large pond. A mother duck and four tiny ducklings floated effortlessly in a line across the pond toward the opposite bank. Ren stopped and turned to face Kyoko. His hand released hers and both hands rose to lightly grip her shoulders.
"I stood there admiring the view on that day for almost a half hour before a little girl ran crying into the clearing." His voice became husky with emotion, "She was crying so painfully, as if her world was crumbling around her." His right hand rose up and moved a lock of hair out of Kyoko's face, "I can still hear her little voice today."
Kyoko looked up in wonder as the sun played across Ren's dark hair. Her eyes measured his long, lanky frame and the way that his large hands hung on his long arms. She might have examined him more, but the truth struck her and her eyes filled with tears. How long they stood there is difficult to determine. Neither of them moved, except that Ren would occasionally use one thumb to wipe the tears that streamed down her face. After a time he asked, "Are you disappointed?"
Kyoko shook her head and then leaned her face into his warm hand. Ren pulled her close and she buried her face into his chest. He smiled gratefully at the sky as her slender arms wrapped possessively around his waist and held him. It had been a gamble, perhaps the biggest gamble in his life so far, and he had won.
Notes: This chapter was intentionally written as a narrative rather than a dialogue. I wanted to portray Kyoko wrapped in a state of euphoria, first from her realized attraction, then from her sudden willingness to love and trust again, and finally from her sense of impending destiny. If it was confusing at all, then I apologize.
Thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging with your reviews. The next chapter will be out soon. This entire story was in my head at the outset, so I'm just typing it out for.