A/N: Right, so my Windows Bootcamp suddenly failed on me, so I panicked and couldn't find the right solution to get around the problem, which cost me a day of motivation failure. But no problem, I'm now using Macintosh HD and got my files transferred from Windows Bootcamp.

Phew.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my OCs. Warning! Contains language and maybe violence.

Well, enjoy this long chapter!


Chapter 8: Setting the plans to motion

Revenge and humiliation was what Yuuki has always felt ever since she suffered those emotional and physical wounds.

She never forgave herself for stooping so low and beg for mercy to that freak.

No, even if she was tortured for the few hellish hours, she shouldn't have done that.

The only time she let herself cried out of relief was when Shinichi came to save her.


"Well, well. It always benefits when you live for long enough."

Occasionally, Yuuki heard that voice—the voice that always sent shivers down her spine. It seems that he'd come from time to time for the entire few hours just to watch her suffer. Every time he made his presence known, her torturer would step back, and that man would take his place.

Each of his torture was much worse than that of her torturer. He'd whip the exact same place countless times, especially her hip bone area. Even after she couldn't feel her hip anymore, he'd still continue. He'd scorch and cut her back with hot knife again and again until the blood dried up from the heat.

Her eyes were always covered by the blindfold, but she could literally feel the eerie grin plastered on his face throughout the whole session.

At a point of time, he'd cut her some slack—treating her wounds, even. With each of his touch, she was disgusted. Again and again, he lets his fingers linger along her burning skin, occasionally planting fleeting kisses against her painful cuts. She could feel his gaze wandering around her abused body as he chuckled.

"Though Kohaku is charming, I think you're much more appealing and lovely." His voice was so sweet she felt like vomiting—he sounded on the edge, almost as if he was eager for something.

After a few minutes, they heard the loud sirens.

"Oh, look. It seems play time's up." A smooth yet evil chuckle violated her ears.

"But don't worry, you will not have the time to miss me."


Startled, Yuuki jerked up from her nightmare. It seems that she unknowingly fell asleep on the couch in the lounge of the studio. Closing her eyes, she brought a shaking palm to her sweat-drenched forehead, swiping the wet bangs to the back.

"That was an unpleasant thing to dream about." She muttered under her breath with a deep breath.

Just then, a certain blond teenager entered the lounge, a scowl on his relatively handsome face. If her memory didn't fail her, that guy is…

"Fuwa Sho."

The musician turned around when someone called him. There, he saw the girl in the picture that pedophiliac pervert entrusted him with. "You..!"

"?" Yuuki raised an eyebrow. "What, you know me?"

"…" Sho immediately shut his mouth. Should he just tell her that a certain someone is looking for her? Or should he just play dumb?

Maybe he should take his time with this.

"…No… Who're you?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious. "This place is off-limits to the general public."

"Well, why don't you call the security then? I'm sure they will throw me out if you're right." She reasoned. She wondered if he'd take the bait and blow his top off.

To be honest, Sho was tempted to curse, but his curiousity about Akatoki Ryuuzen's obsession with her won over his anger. He crossed his arms and frowned down at her, "Whatever. What's your name?"

Yuuki was slightly disappointed that he didn't lose his cool, "I'm—"

"YUUKI YOU BRAT! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"

Sho was startled by the bellow echoing from the start of the corridor and still resounding when it reached the lounge. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh. That's my boss… yours too by the way." Yuuki answered coolly as she started walking back to the studio.

"What? You're a staff here?" Sho followed, slightly unnerved by how this woman is being unreactive to his esteemed self. Because—you know how famous he is among women.

"What are you talking about? My name's written on the schedule board, big and beautifully." She pointed to the said board as they entered the studio.

The blond musician spared a glance at the board.

Asahina Yuuki

"…Hm?" He raised an eyebrow. Where had he seen that name before?

"AHHHH!" The both of them turned to the source and saw Kyoko pointing at Sho with a look of doom and shock, "Shotaro!"

"Shut up, bitch! Don't call me that!" He hissed angrily, and they start bickering in the background. Ren was initially busy watching them until he noticed Shinichi and Yuuki talking from the corner of his eye.

Shinichi glared up at his assistant from his director seat, "How many times have I told you not to wander away between breaks?"

"…I don't see why I can't." Yuuki replied normally, as if not taking in hints of his irritation; "You're like a naggy housewife these days, Shinichi-san. What's wrong with you?"

Shinichi stood up with a sigh, grabbing her neck with a little force applied as he bent down to look at her right in her eyes, "That should be my question. What the fuck is wrong with you these days? You go out on a date with that silver kid and brushed me off like I was annoying you, when I was just worried about you; you declared to speak alone with a male actor even when you should be more aware of your position as his superior. You're hiding things from me and you expect me not to try and find out just what the hell you're up to? Or what—do you mean I don't have the least rights to know what you're trying to do?"

Ren panicked when the impulsive director suddenly stood up and grabbed her neck, and then he started saying something that literally changed the girl's expressionless face into one of surprise.

"…No…" She looked away with a troubled expression, "That's… not what I meant to express…" That's the first time he'd been so angry. She just didn't want to involve him further into her problems and shackle him by being his baggage.

"C…Can we talk about this after we knock off from work?" She whispered, "I…"

When he heard her timid and meek voice, Shinichi snapped out of his shrouds of irritation. Oh, shit. She's about to cry—in public.

"My bad." He pushed a palm against her eyes as he straightened up and looked the other way, "I didn't mean to make you look like that."

"…"

The actor thought something was wrong. From what he'd observe for these past few days, Yuuki isn't a girl who would show any excessive expressions to anyone including Shinichi.

"Hey, Tsuruga Ren." His eyes widened when Reino suddenly appeared behind him with a small glare.

"You—"

"We're putting the plan to motion tonight." Reino cut him off, "I have a bad feeling about this whole thing, now that Fuwa is here."

"Huh? What are you—"

"That pedophile must've sent him here to look for Yuuki." The musician continued monotony, "I can't protect her by myself, and I can't count on that demon director completely, so I'll need your help."

"…So I heard." Ren said. Yuuki told him about the plan, though he's still skeptical. "Will it really work?"

"…Hopefully." Reino closed his eyes briefly. "As long as you can confuse him as planned, it'll at least delay him for a while."

"What do you mean by that—" When Ren turned around, Reino was already a few meters away, which honestly creeped him out. How can a person walk that fast?

Ren sighed, crossing his arms as he looks up at the ceiling. He thought back about the day before, when Yuuki called him out for a private talk.


Flash back


The two of them went out to the vending machine, where Yuuki leaned against the wall beside the machine.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" Ren asked awkwardly. She hadn't been speaking ever since they left the studio for privacy.

"…You know Akatoki Ryuuzen?" She asked.

"Well… yeah. He's the president of Akatoki Agency, right?"

She looks at him, "I want you to help me 'exterminate' him."

He blinked, wondering if he'd heard her wrong, "What did you just say?"

"I said, I want you to help me 'exterminate' Akatoki Ryuuzen."

A confused frown appeared on his handsome face, "Why?"

"He's the reason I turned out this way." She held her arms tightly, "And he's coming back for me, so I want to exterminate him before anything happens."

"…By 'exterminate', you mean—"

"Don't be silly, Tsuruga-san. I wouldn't go as far to kill him. Just…" She looked away, "Annihilate him."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Reino said you're essential to this last boss extermination." She continued as if she heard nothing, "So here's the plan."

Is she not going to hear my refusal to this?

"Cain Heel will pretend to be my boyfriend, and confuse Akatoki Ryuuzen."

He blinked in awkward silence, "Cain Heel? Who—"

"I knew from the start, so don't worry." She cut him off with a nod. "Anyway, Akatoki Ryuuzen believes that I cannot forget him, so if I have a boyfriend, he'd be confused and will try and find out who you are."

"So… I'm supposed to brush him off?"

"He's sure to send some thugs after us, so we need to be careful about your identity." Yuuki then hummed under her breath, "Are there any days where you take a break from Tsuruga Ren?"

"Er… Yeah. I have the whole week off after this week." He then realized what she wanted to say, "But Mogami-san will be with me."

She looks at him with a look of what seemed like surprise, "You have to keep it a secret or it wouldn't work."

"Ugh." How can he keep secrets from the brother-complex Setsuka? She's bound to find out.

"Right. No more negotiating. We'll set this plan off by Reino's cue call." She then turned around to return to the studio, "I hope we'll get along, Tsuruga Ren-san."


End of Flashback


The first time he met her, he noticed Cain's impenetrable love for Setsuka cracked. If he meets her again, what would happen to him and Setsuka?

Ren sighed for the nth time.

"This is going to be a rough ride."


Whew! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though it was a bit longer than the rest. Well, guess what. I was just scanning through my previous chapters when I found out that there was Cain in the first one, which made me go Eureka over a new idea.

Look forward to the next chapters! :D