Unplanned Revelations

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

Chapter 3 – A First-rate Actress

Yay! Update! I actually planned to post this chapter mid last month, but this has been so hard to write that I didn't finish it till today . I hope I didn't make Kyouko cry overly much….

Also, based on some reviewer's comments, I've changed the last few paragaphs of the previous chapter so that the transition between Lory's thoughts and actions would flow a bit better and feel less sudden. Thank you cacrulz, layalatania and J Luc Pitard for pointing out the sudden shift and your suggestions for making it better!

Once again, thank you all for reading and reviewing!

~SG

"CUT! NG!" Director Anna called out curtly to the four girls on stage before letting out another long, frustrated sigh. For the tenth successive time that afternoon, Natsu had missed her lines and had completely blanked out in the middle of filming for no reason. Well, maybe not for no reason given the shocking – and very ill-timed – news of Ren Tsuruga's accident right before filming. If only today's shooting of Box-R hadn't been so horrendously delayed.

Running a hand through his hair in exasperation, the director approached the stage. Asking the three girls who played Kaori, Tugumi and Yumiko to take a short break, he walked up to the remaining young actress who still stood frozen like a statue on the set.

"Kyouko-chan. Kyouko-chan?" he called out worriedly to the shell-shocked girl beside him, waving a hand in front of her face, "Kyouko-chan, are you okay?"

"Eh?"

The worried voice of the director abruptly brought Kyouko back to reality. Taking in her surroundings, she paled as she realised that she and the director were the only ones left standing on set. Mortified she must have missed his call for 'cut' again, she turned and bowed deeply to him.

"I'm so sorry Director Anna," she apologised profusely, extremely flustered and upset, "I'm really very sorry. Please let me try again. I'll get it right the next time. Please, I'm really very sorry."

Watching the distressed girl bow and apologise to him for the millionth time that day, the director sighed dejectedly. It wasn't that he didn't understand how she and most of his highly unsettled staff were feeling right now. Hell, he himself had been a little shaken when he heard the news concerning Ren Tsuruga. But while he was sympathetic to Kyouko and his staff, he was also feeling the stress of having to finish filming today's scenes on schedule. Not only did he have less time for filming today due to an hour's delay caused by an unexpected technical glitch, he also had to contend with some of his actors' extra tight timetables – the two actresses playing Kaori and Tugumi had to leave within the next two hours and if he didn't manage to finish the more crucial scenes with Natsu and her group, he knew he would be faced with a rescheduling nightmare.

In fact, he had hoped to count on Kyouko to help him catch up on some of the lost time; whenever she became Natsu, Kaori and Tugumi were inevitably drawn in by her acting and would react so naturally to her that most of the scenes involving Natsu's group only required one or two takes to shoot. He really hadn't expected her to freeze like a deer stuck in headlights take after take. It was just so uncharacteristic of the impressive young actress who he had come to deeply respect for her hard-working nature and exemplary professionalism. For her to become so upset as to completely lose her focus, Ren Tsuruga must be more than just an ordinary sempai to her.

Running a hand through his hair again, the director decided it was time to try a different approach. However much he wished for it to happen, it wouldn't do to spend the rest of the afternoon waiting to see if Natsu would miraculously reappear.

"Kyouko-chan," he said kindly to the girl who still had her head bowed, "why don't you take a break for a while. See if you can regain your focus and get back into character while we film some of the other scenes first."

"I'm sorry director. I'm really very– "

"It's okay Kyouko-chan. I know the news concerning Tsuruga-kun has come as a great shock, and that it's difficult to try and put him out of your mind right now, but I'm sure you can do it. Go take a rest, and when you think you're ready to take on Natsu again, we'll film your scenes."

Upset by Ren's accident and depressed over her own incompetence, Kyouko could only nod and thank the director for his consideration as she apologised to him once more before heading towards her dressing room.

Inside her dressing room, Kyouko was trying her best. She really was. But no matter how hard she tried to become Natsu, she just couldn't do it. Not today. Not now. Not when right before today's delayed shooting of Box-R, she and everyone else who had been waiting in the cafeteria had heard the special news broadcast on television that Ren Tsuruga had been involved in a car accident and was now in a critical condition in hospital. Kyouko knew she had her lines down – she had the script perfectly memorised days before. She also knew how she wanted to portray Natsu for today's scenes, but as she prepared to face her co-stars on set once more, her mind just refused to focus, instead cruelly fixed on the image of a familiar Porsche badly crushed and twisted on one side with the driver's broken door lying on a road strewn with shattered glass and metal debris. As if the disturbing image imprinted on her mind were not enough, the words of the news reporter kept cruelly replaying over and over in her head.

Earlier this afternoon, actor Ren Tsuruga was rushed into intensive care following a serious high-speed car collision near Shibuya. The 21-year-old is believed to have sustained severe head injuries and is reportedly in a critical condition…

'Rushed into intensive care'.

'Serious high-speed car collision'.

Surely someone had made a mistake. There was no way Ren Tsuruga would be involved in a 'high-speed car collision'. Tsuruga-san was such a safe driver. He always allowed for extra time to travel between shooting locations. He would never be caught speeding. It just wasn't him. That's right, this was all just some cruel, tasteless joke. A case of mistaken identity. There was no way Tsuruga-san was in a 'critical condition' in hospital right now.

'Severe head injuries'.

'Reportedly in a critical condition'.

But what if it were really true? What if Tsuruga-san was so badly injured he was going to die? He wouldn't die, right?

He can't die.

Unexpectedly, the tears Kyouko had been fighting back all afternoon began to fall as she thought of Ren not being there anymore. What was she meant to do if he really did die?
She can't possibly lose the sempai she respected more than anyone else! He was the one who had made her realise the sort of actress – the sort of person – she wanted to become. If not for him, she would never have made it this far, would never have thought to do something for herself and become someone who others – who she herself – would be proud of. Tsuruga-san had always been there for her whenever she needed guidance and support. He was the one person whose very existence gave her courage and self-confidence. The only one besides Corn who had never let her down.

That's right, Corn! How could she have forgotten!

Trying to hold back her tears, Kyouko reached for her bag and quickly rummaged through its contents. Unable to immediately find the tiny coin purse she always carried with her, she panicked and upended her bag's contents onto the floor.

"Corn! Where are you?" she wailed as she knelt on the ground, her trembling hands frantically sorting through her scattered mess. Brushing aside a pile of her school textbooks, she almost broke down in relief when she spotted the object she was looking for. Grabbing the tiny coin purse, she unclicked it to tip Corn's stone into her hand. In her haste however, Kyouko fumbled clumsily and her precious blue rock dropped out of her hands and bounced off the tiled floor with a loud clatter.

"Corn!"

Horrified by her slip, Kyouko's eyes overflowed with tears again as she fearfully followed the stone's erratic bounce across the room. Fortunately, her scattered belongings quickly stopped the rock's progress as it landed on something soft. Brushing back the tears that were blurring her vision, Kyouko turned to see where Corn had landed and was momentarily dazed by what she saw. As if Corn knew the reason she was crying, the blue stone had come to rest on top of one of her Ren dolls - the one which had his 'not impressed' face on, and who at that moment looked as if he were scolding her for dropping Corn on top of his stomach. He had one arm bent at the elbow so that he was pointing a finger at her accusingly while his other arm lay flat across the floor, his finger pointed at the phone lying next to him.

Ren's oddly apt pose made Kyouko dredge up a weak smile. "I'm sorry," she sniffed, unable to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she picked up Corn and Ren and hugged the two tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry Corn, I'm sorry Tsuruga-san," she cried, not quite sure whether she was apologising for being clumsy, for not being able to stop crying, or for being unable to pull herself together to act Natsu. Her thoughts were in a confused mess as she clutched at the two things that were most precious to her and she whispered a fervent prayer to the one who had always listened.

"Please Corn. You have to protect Tsuruga-san. Please make sure he's okay. Please."

After a long while of whispered prayers, Kyouko was finally able to recover enough composure to stop crying uncontrollably. While she was still upset and scared, she at least felt much calmer after talking to Corn – somehow, no matter how sad or hopeless a situation she found herself in, the magical stone could always absorb at least a bit of her sadness and insecurity.

Still sniffling but feeling much better than before, Kyouko held the unimpressed Ren doll in front of her."I don't suppose you can tell me if you're okay right now?" she asked him weakly with a strained smile. If only there was a way she could make sure that he was fine. About to move Ren's arms back to their normal resting position, her mind suddenly registered the object he had been pointing to before she had picked him up.

That's right! Her phone! She had both Yashiro-san's and Tsuruga-san's number. She can call either of them to confirm the situation! Why on earth did she not think of it before?

Hurriedly grabbing her mobile from the floor, Kyouko keyed in the number she knew by heart and waited anxiously for Ren to pick up, entirely forgetting the probability of her call going to voicemail. To her surprise, the phone was answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Tsuruga-san! Thank goodness you're okay!" Kyouko exclaimed tearily, her face lit up by an immensely relieved smile. Her joyful relief was short-lived however when Yashiro's voice greeted her hesitantly on the other end.

"Ky… Kyouko-chan?"

"Eh? Yashiro-san?" Kyouko's expression changed to one of worry and confusion as a feeling of dread filled her heart, "Yashiro-san ... Is Tsuruga-san ...?"

"Ah, I'm sorry Kyouko-chan, but Ren… he…. he can't answer the phone right now..."

"Eh?"

So it was true? He really was in hospital? But ... if Yashiro-san was okay then surely Tsuruga-san was safe too, right?

"-ko-chan. Kyouko-chan?"

"Yashiro-san. Tsuruga-san's okay right?" she asked unsteadily, "He's not in a serious condition in hospital like they said he was, right? He can't be!"

There was a long pause at the other end of the line as Yashiro considered what to say. He hadn't expected Kyouko to find out about Ren so soon and he didn't quite know what to tell her that wouldn't cause her to be even more distressed than she already was. He knew Kyouko was meant to be in the middle of shooting Box-R right now and he didn't want Ren's news to upset her acting.

"Yashiro-san? Yashiro-san! Tsuruga-san's okay right? He has to be!"

"Ah ah, sorry Kyouko-chan. Please don't cry. I just got cut off for a bit – the reception in hospital isn't that great. Sorry. And of course Ren's going to be okay!"

Well... he better be. Any thought other than that didn't bear thinking of.

"He's in surgery right now and the doctors said they're confident he'll be fine!"

Well, no... they didn't say that. They just rushed him into ER without telling the President or him much at all, hurriedly apologising that explanations would have to wait as the second lot of CT and MRI scans that had come back for Ren had shown that his condition had deteriorated and immediate surgery was needed if they were to save his life. But he can't possibly tell such news to an already worried 17-year-old, right?

"It's okay Kyouko-chan. Don't worry, I'm sure Ren will be okay. He should be out of surgery in a few hours and by then you would have finished your work for the day right? I'll come and pick you up to visit him then. I'm sure everything'll be fine. Right Kyouko-chan? … Kyouko-chan? … Kyouko-chan?"

Earlier, Yashiro's long pause before he had answered her had sent Kyouko into a panic again and even as she listened to the comforting words he told her, she struggled once more to hold back a fresh torrent of tears as she tightly held onto Corn and Ren. Not trusting her voice not to break, she replied with a murmured, indistinct affirmative.

"Kyouko-chan?" Yashiro didn't like the sound of Kyouko's shaky 'mm' one bit. She sounded like she was choking back tears and he was starting to become really worried. Given Kyouko had been so distressed as to try and call Ren in the middle of her shoot, there was a very high probability that she'd only become more upset as the day passed and become unable to concentrate. Surely there was a way he could help make her feel better? What would Ren have done in such a situation? ... Ah! That's right!

"Kyouko-chan. Kyouko-chan? … It's okay, everything's going to be fine. Besides, Ren will not want you to be distracted because of him. He'd be really upset if he knew that his accident caused trouble for you and your co-stars on set. You don't want him to be disappointed with you for failing to act your role and do your job properly right?"

Disappointed with her? For failing to act and do her job properly?

Yashiro's words made Kyouko recall the image of Ren's retreating back the day she had been unable to act Mio because she had been too depressed over being late for her previous job.

"First rate of all things," Ren remarked curtly, unimpressed, "Someone who can't act isn't needed on the set."

That's right, Tsuruga-san had been really disappointed with her and had scolded her for causing trouble for the staff.

"To be honest, you're being a pain," he said softly, his expression stern, "… the showbiz world is harsh. Enough that it's said 'even if a parent has died, don't drop a job'. No matter how badly you're suffering, when it comes to your work, there will be times when you need to laugh and joke around. At those times, to be able to change your feelings in an instant and get over that makes you a pro. To not let even someone's death affect you makes you first rate…

"Not being able to let go of those moods and being unable to act, you should be sent home already…

"Someone who can't act isn't needed on the set."

Ignoring her shock, Ren walked away, causing Yashiro to run after him.

"Oi! Ren! That was … harsh!" Yashiro shouted disbelievingly, "Surely you could have put it better! Kyouko-chan is depressed enough as it is!"

"I know that already," the tall actor replied, not looking back, "but kindness alone won't allow a person with talent to develop."

"Besides," Ren turned, giving her a gentle, warm, believing smile, "I wouldn't ask for something totally unreasonable, especially of someone who wasn't capable."

That's right. She had told Tsuruga-san that day that she wouldn't make the same mistake again, and that she would take his advice to heart. She couldn't possibly let him down again!

"…ko-chan. Kyouko-chan? Are you there?"

"Ah! I'm sorry Yashiro-san," Kyouko said, furiously wiping away her tears.

"Kyouko-chan, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine now. Thank you, Yashiro-san. Please don't worry about me. I'll be sure to finish my job properly… Yes, please let me call you again when I finish work today. Thank you Yashiro-san."

Ending their conversation, Kyouko took in a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. With a determination that would have made Ren, Yashiro and even Kuu proud, Kyouko focused all her concentration into becoming Natsu once more. Yashiro-san was right. Tsuruga-san would be really disappointed in her if she allowed her own emotions to interfere with her work. Tsuruga-san wouldn't want to be associated with a kouhai who caused trouble for others on set. She'll prove to him that she can do it. She might not be a first rate actor like Tsuruga-san right now, but she was a professional just like him. Besides, Tsuruga-san will definitely be okay. Corn would make certain of that. Just as the precious blue stone had once helped to take away Tsuruga-san's pain and sadness, Corn's magic would protect him from harm for sure.

With those thoughts firmly embedded in her head, it was the usual, cool and composed Natsu who walked out onto the set. "Director," she said confidently as the man finished wrapping up the latest scene, "forgive my lapse earlier. Please let me make it up during whatever time we have remaining today."