A/N: Okay... I shall just shut up and post this time. As always thanks for reading & reviewing!^^

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

Unplanned Revelations

Chapter 6 – Truth & Deception

Heading home together in the President's discreet private car, Kyouko felt distressed and uncomfortably awkward as she watched a second argument unfold between Yashiro and the President. Right after she had emerged from the ICU and had worriedly voiced her question over Ren and his parents, the President had greeted her with a tired half smile and had abruptly changed the subject rather than answer her question.

"Ah, there you are Mogami-kun," he had said, trying to sound like his usual cheery self, "It's getting rather late. Shall we head home now? Please give me a moment while I call Sebastian to pick us up."

Watching him pull out his phone and walk towards the hospital exit, Kyouko had been too confused to react, but Yashiro, who was already more than just a little upset over the unenlightening conversation he had been having, had seemed to be incensed. Practically stalking after him, Yashiro had been about to say something when the President's suddenly cold and unfamiliarly soft, threatening voice had stopped him in his tracks.

"Yashiro," he had warned without turning back, "whatever else you want to ask me, the hospital corridor is hardly the appropriate place."

Seated together now in the the expansive interior of the President's black Lexus, Kyouko wished she were anywhere but inside the car. While there were questions she wanted to ask, and she wanted to know why the President was refusing to call Ren's parents and why Ren wouldn't want them to be there, she couldn't stand the tense and almost hostile atmosphere that had slowly built up as the driver drove them towards her place. For all the time she had known the two men, she had never once seen the usually mild-tempered Yashiro look so furious and upset, and while she and Kanae had angered the President once, she had never seen him look so expressionlessly cold and forbidding.

"... but President!" Yashiro visibly seethed, struggling to remain civil in the face of the President's unforthcoming replies, "How can you have told the doctors such an unthinkable thing, that calling Ren's parents to the hospital is 'unnecessary not to mention unwise'? Even if you say that Ren wouldn't want them to be there and it's a greater kindness to leave them in the dark til you had better news to tell, I just can't accept it! - Sure, the doctors had said they were optimistic about his recovery, but that was also dependent on how well he did within the next critical 48 hours! In such a situation, isn't it better to have Ren's parents by his side? Given the seriousness of Ren's situation, isn't it too big a risk to take for granted that he'll be okay? President!"

Not getting any answers out of the stone-like figure seated opposite him and Kyouko, Yashiro was getting more and more angry by the minute. Just how can the man still remain so dispassionately calm despite everything that had happened? Just what the hell had he meant when he'd said that it was unnecessary to call Ren's parents? Didn't he realise that the accident Ren had been in was anything but minor? The possible consequences of any sort of traumatic brain injury were not to be taken lightly! Why couldn't the President, who was usually more astute than anyone else, see that? Was he even truly Ren's legal guardian as Matsushima had said?

In fact, the more Yashiro thought about it, the more he was beginning to doubt the claim. During the few years he had been Ren's manager, he had been there at most, if not all, of the work meetings between Ren and the President, and during those times there had never been anything in their manner to even hint that they had any other connection than a work-related one. For one thing, there was just too much formality between the two - Ren was just too properly polite and respectful towards the man for him to be some kind of family friend however distant. What's more, the President had even threatened to fire Ren if he didn't make the cut as Katsuki! Surely if the man were really Ren's guardian he would have been more lenient and supportive rather than threatening to fire him?

No matter how Yashiro looked at it, it just didn't make any sense. Just what was the exact relationship between Ren and the President? And given Ren's parents weren't dead as he had initially thought, then what was the deal with Ren's missing family contact?

The more Yashiro thought about it, the more he realised how little he knew about Ren. Despite that however, the talented young actor was someone he had come to regard as more of a friend and a younger brother than a client, and Yashiro was damned if he was just going to sit there quietly and accept the insusbstantial justifications the President had given him! Determined to get an explanation for his preposterous decision not to call Ren's parents, Yashiro once again voiced his vehement objections.

"President, I can understand wanting to wait and hope for the best in such a situation - who wouldn't? But even so, you can't negate the very real possibility that something could go wrong during the next two days! Just how do you plan to explain things to Ren's family if something does happen?..."

Half listening to Yashiro's upset protests, Lory struggled to keep his patience as he mentally kicked himself. While outwardly he appeared calm and composed, inwardly he was more than a little worried and was angry at himself for being so uncharacteristically careless. How could he have been so absentminded when the doctors had suggested he notify Ren's parents? Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut rather than so unthinkingly mumble out his immediate thought? If his response had not implied that Ren's parents were alive, then he could at least have said that neither of them were here anymore(1) and let the connotation behind those words neatly stall everyone's questions. Right now, however, he was stuck trying to think of a way to prevent further speculation over Ren's parentage. Damn it! If only Yashiro hadn't been there when he had made that one stupid slip which was now causing him so much trouble!

Strained and completely exhausted from the day's events, Lory didn't feel up to handling Yashiro's persistent questions. Rather than responding immediately, he sorely needed some time and space to think before he made a further mess of things. Given Yashiro's agitated protests, however, it didn't look like the reprieve he so badly needed was something he could afford; the longer he evaded Ren's inconveniently sharp manager, the more suspicions he knew he would raise, and it would not do to leave Yashiro's dangerous questions dangling in mid air. In such a gossip-hungry industry as they were in, it would be a disaster if such unanswered questions led to wild speculation followed by a full scale investigation into Ren's unknown background. And he needed to prevent that at all costs. While Ren had relaxed enough to obligingly send a video back home to Kuu and Julie and he had grown strong enough to finally take the first steps towards healing the hurt from his past, he was still far from willing to share his secret with anyone. The fragile smile Kuon and not Ren had given him when he'd handed him his video had seemed to say that he was still afraid that everything would just fall apart if his true identity were exposed before he was ready.

But what exactly could he tell Yashiro and Mogami-kun without giving too much away?

Denied the chance to carefully consider the possibilities, there was only one way Lory could think of to deal with the current dilemma. And he didn't like it. While the option was relatively safe given Ren could easily verify his answer if pressed, he disliked having to mislead two people he really liked and instinctively knew he could trust. But short of breaching Kuon's confidence, it didn't seem as if he had much of a choice.

"President! Just how can you refu-"

"Yashiro, enough!" Lory finally snapped, sounding angry and frustrated though he was more worried and tired than anything else. "Please,"he continued in a softer voice, massaging his temple wearily, "contrary to what you might think, this is not an easy decision for me to make."

Less than satisfied at receiving yet another vague response, Yashiro nonetheless forced himself to calm down at the President's tired plea. Pursing his lips, he did his best to reign back his temper as he waited for the man to finally give a proper explanation. As the minutes ticked by however, it was a timid Kyouko who broke the uncomfortable, tense silence.

"I... I'm sorry," she spoke up tentatively, conscious of the fact that it was probably not her place to interrupt and ask her own question, "But... is there... some sort of reason that the President can't call Tsuruga-san's parents? Does Tsuruga-san ... does he not have a good relationship with his family?"

Sighing tiredly at Kyouko's questions, Lory once again fervently wished he could turn back time and take back his ill-spoken sentence. But what was done was done, and all he could do now was to play with the cards he had left, however bad they were.

"Mogami-kun, Yashiro," Lory replied quietly at length, resigned to his decision, "Ren's parents will both be fine. But Ren will not be if either of them step foot inside that hospital."

"But why?!"

Because, Lory thought grimly, Ren would literally rather be dead than have either of them fly to Japan and expose his true identity as Kuon Hizuri when he wasn't ready. Because even if he did call Kuu and Julie right away, it would take them more than just 48 hours to clear their schedule and fly over without raising considerable suspicion over their sudden departure. Because, given even the slimmest chance that Ren would be okay, he simply refused to compromise the precious life Kuon had spent the last 5 years so desperately rebuilding.

"Because," Lory told Yashiro and Kyouko reluctantly, "Ren's father is dead (2)."

"?... but then, surely his mothe-"

"and his mother is happily married to the man who killed him! Please, before either of you ask me any more questions, know that by telling you this I've already said too much. While I understand your concern for Ren, I cannot tell you anything more right now without him getting hurt."

Finally getting some extended peace as a stunned, awkward silence filled the car, Lory dropped his head in his hand with a headache. Boy, you had better be okay, he prayed fervently with closed eyes as he wondered how he was going to deal with Kuu and Julie. Not looking forward to the phone call he knew would inevitably come, Lory hoped the two of them wouldn't discover the news till Ren had woken up and he could prevent utter panic by reassuring them that he was fine.

Notes:

If you haven't figured it out what Lory meant by now:
(1) not here in Japan
(2) Hozu Shuuhei

Am sadly struggling with writer's block where I know what I want to write, but the words just refuse to come out on paper. As such, while I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, I hope it was okay. ;_; *sobs*