A/N: OH MI GOSH! I'm sorry for the suuuuuper duuuuuuuper late update! I was totally absorbed in my school life that I forgot I had a life as a writer here! Geez, one wouldn't want to forget stuffs easily. Anyway, here's one chapter I've cooked up in a hurry, hope it's not too bad.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of Skip Beat! characters, but only my OCs. WARNING! May contain language and violence (no, there's none in this chapter)

Enjoy~


Chapter 7: Preparations

Asahina Yuuki loves animals in overall. Cats, dogs, dolphins, seals… just name it all. That's right, that love includes lions. Proud, majestic, furry… squishy paws…

Yuuki stared up at the tall, somewhat handsome actor. As an animal lover she is, Yuuki just can't see this person as a 'pessimistic lion'… or picture him in a lion's suit, roaring charismatically as a real one would.

"No matter how you look at him, he's just a uselessly handsome human." She uttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Ren caught that mutter and felt his pride a little damaged.

"Tsuruga-san, I need to speak with you." She looks at him again, grabbing his arm next, "Alone."

The silence in the whole studio was so heavy that it rings in everyone's ears. All of the staffs gawked at the two with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

"Er..." Ren was confused. Why would she have anything to speak to him, not to mention alone with him? She even made that request out loud, he's bound to—

A loud crash echoed throughout the silent studio, drawing everyone's attention to the source. Shinichi looked like he could kill anyone in a spur of movement, with the veins of his crossed arms pulsing hotly and his eyebrows furrowed to the point they almost stick together. His raised leg kicked down the table of manuscripts, causing them to scatter messily on the ground together with the fallen table.

…Yeah, Ren can totally understand the director's feelings now. After all, densest girls are the worst love subject to men in love. The best example: Kyoko. (*insert image of Kyoko looking innocently clueless*)

"?" Yuuki looks back at Shinichi, then shrugs and returns her attention to Ren. "So? Is it okay with you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure." He rarely gets caught off guard by anyone other than Kyoko. Seriously.

Unlike just 10 minutes ago, the current studio is buzzing with noise. Rumors of Yuuki and Ren was so actively discussed among all the staffs that it hurts the ears of the people close to the duo.

"Geez, Yuu-chan really has guts." Kohaku remarked nonchalantly as she placed a finger to her lips while glancing at an edgy Shinichi, "Or should I say, she really has no clues."

Just then, Kyoko arrived at the studio with her trademark sunshine smile. "Good morning everyone!"

That's when she realized the weird perky atmosphere around, she asked a random staff. "Did something happen?"

The staff whispered the whole incident to her, "Ever since, they haven't return yet."

"Oh." So Yuuki-chan liked Tsuruga-san… I never noticed. When she caught herself sighing out of what felt like disappointment and a little of something she could've recognized but decided to face away from, she shook her head with such vigor that surprised the staff.

Get a grip, Mogami Kyoko! You're just a humble kouhai!

"Sorry for the wait." Ren called out as the two of them returned to the studio. Everyone was searching Yuuki's face for something, anything to represent her current feelings. Unfortunately, nothing showed.

Shinichi glared at Ren, who in return gave an apologetic smile and shook his head a little. The director harrumphed and shifted his gaze to the girl, who was playing with a fraction of her bangs.

"Good morning, Mogami-san." Ren smiled divinely at his lady love, who was momentarily blinded while some of her unfortunate grudges died from the light.

"G-Good morning to you too, Tsuruga-san." She greeted back, averting her eyes from the holy shine of his smile.

"?" Ren noticed how she glanced away from him. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? N-No?" She looked back at him, bewildered, "Nothing at all?"

Raising an eyebrow at her odd behavior, Ren was about to say something when Shinichi gathered all the actors and actresses for a briefing.

He sighed as he watched Kyoko run away. Well, I can ask her later.


Sho took another look at the picture in his hand. He frowned. Why is that creep after this girl? Just look at her. She's just your ordinary high school girl, right?

Absentmindedly, he slipped into the black van he always use for work transportation. Shoko glanced at her charge worriedly, "What did President want?"

"…" The blond musician looks uncertainly at her, "…Woman finding?"

"Eh?"

He lets out a breath of frustration, "Argh, that pedophilia creep wants me to get in touch with this girl."

The picture held before her made Shoko frown in repulse. "Are you serious?"

"It's either I find her or I get sacked... maybe killed." Sho shrugged, "Since that old man's asking me to find her, she must be in the entertainment industry… and somewhere close by."

As if understanding where this is going, Shoko fished out the manuscript given to her yesterday. "This…?"

Flipping to the first page, Shoko read out the main casts and staffs.

"Well now. Just how much does that annoying old man know?" Sho huffed angrily, "Kyoko and that Ken-doll are working together again?"

"Sho, you're there for the songs, okay?" His manager reminded, much to his annoyance.

"Argh, I know, I know. Stop nagging." He growled, covering his eyes with his cap while he lounged against the seat. "I'll focus on the songs… and that stupid task."

Shoko sighed heavily, taking another closer look at the girl in the picture. What did she do to make that sadistic president of Akatoki to go after her? Maybe played with him… or the other way round… and he is planning on continuing his amusement.

"I'm not keen about this after all…" She whispered to herself.


"My apologies, Mr. Director Kudou." Kyoko interrupted despite the rudeness as her facial expression turned 360 degrees, "May I request you to repeat what you just said?"

Shinichi raised an eyebrow grumpily, "What, are you deaf? I said the singer for the opening theme will be Fuwa Sho, and the ending theme will be Vie Ghoul."

"Fuwa… Sho." Her dark aura starts to emerge as she cackled under her breath, "Fine by me. I'll show him how much I've improved over the days! I'll no longer be controlled by him. Hehehehe."

"Mogami-san?" Ren needed to remind her of his presence. He would never want her to have her head full of that stupid traitor again. If only she'd look at me…

Snapping out of her planning, she turned to her senior and saluted seriously, "Please don't worry, Tsuruga-san! I will not break my promise to you, so please don't concern yourself over such trivial matters such as my business! After all, it's just that ant-eater!"

It felt like steel arrows just stabbed him in his heart.

"Please don't concern yourself over such trivial matters such as my business!" = "it's none of your business because you're just a senpai to me".

"Plane crash?" Yuuki commented briefly.

Ren eyed her critically from the side. "Call it emergency landing if you may."

"I think the plane will just crash into the asphalt runway… get what I mean?" She replied mercilessly, shooting more painful arrows to his damaged heart.

"You're quite a sadist." Ren said with a glare that went unnoticed to others except for Yuuki, "I can't believe you're having fun because the plane is crashing."

Slightly irked, Yuuki glances at him with a vague frown, "I didn't say I'm enjoying this… and you just admitted the plane's crashing… onto the asphalt runway."

"Ugh." Ren felt like he found a new way to look at the individual 'Asahina Yuuki'.

Kyoko blinked several times at the weird conversation between them, before a look of comprehension and panic replaced her clueless one. AH! That's right! Yuuki-chan likes Tsuruga-san! She must've misunderstood because I was talking so informally to him! I-I should apologize!

Before she could even apologize, Yuuki raised a palm right in her face, "I don't know what you're thinking, but you don't have to apologize. Just focus on acting and throw away any misunderstandings you have in your mind right now."

"B-But…" What misunderstandings?

"Would you rather Shinichi-san yell at you?" Yuuki made a serious contemplation for a few seconds there, "I see. You're a big M."

"...M?" Kyoko blinked innocently as Ren (who heard her) sent a warning glare to the younger girl.

What the fuck is she trying to teach Kyoko?! He (Kuon) fumed silently behind his fake full-burst smile as Ren.

"By the way, Tsuruga-san." Yuuki walked up to him, "About the afternoon plans… are you sure you're able to make it?"

Ren gave a slight shrug, "I can ask Yashiro-san for at least a break."

"Great." She pats on his upper arm as she gave a thumb up with the other hand, "I'll see you then."

Ren sighed as he watch Yuuki stroll towards the set while giving instructions to the staffs. He wasn't sure what he should do, especially when the one who came up with the plan was that Vie Ghoul spiritualist.

There's no doubt he's up to something.

Yuuki lets her palm roam the perimeter of her right hip bone, where it was stinging dully and numbly from the old wound. Her expressionless face immediately turned into that of loathe.

She'll definitely get that bastard for everything he's done to her… and crush his plans he has from now on.

Definitely.


Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Once again I apologize for the late update! ;_;