Eun-Jung: To answer some of your questions; this story is not really set in any particular place from the manga; I just took the characters and put them in a Christmas story. This is mainly because I don't have the manga's and the closest copies that I know of are over 100 miles away. Um…if it helps just think of the characters as being taken a little after book 8 (that's the last one I borrowed).

Also, the reason Kyoko doesn't use the correct honorific when talking or thinking about Ren is because subconsciously…well…I don't think I can tell you any more because it might spoil something.

But you get the idea…

Ren is conscious of his feelings…that's why he doesn't use the honorific. (He too subconsciously misses them out.)

This is how Kanae guessed what was going on and helped Kyoko in the first chapter.

Hope that cleared everything up.

P.S. HA HA! You all thought it was Ren! LOLZ!


Advent


Day 9 – 16 days to go


Filming II


It wasn't as if she couldn't do it, Kyoko thought, it was just that she would rather not put up with him.

Gritting her teeth she stared past her reflection in the mirror where she was getting her hair done, straight at the sight of Sho, smugly sitting casually getting his own hair and make-up done.

Five women swooned around him. He looked like he owned the whole temporary dressing tent.

Kyoko hated him for that.

How dare he?!

How dare he swan in here and take over?

She was the one that had worked hard all of yesterday. She was the one that the director had asked for advice about the script from and then taken that advice. And she was the one who was the first choice for her part!

Ands what was he?

A lazy, good for nothing, second choice! That was what!

He wasn't even an actor!

He was just a musician who had gotten the part because of a good manager! That was all.

She fumed silently, glaring at the object of her hate in front of her.

Above her head and line of sight her make-up artist and hair stylist exchanged worried glances. Both wondering what was going through Kyoko's mind to make her glare at her co-star like that.

They would have thought that Kyoko had been a love-struck fan of his if it wasn't for the waves of rage that even they could feel emanating from her.

Kyoko watched as Sho said something and all the women laughed.

God, he was annoying.

And overwhelmingly irritating.

Didn't those women know that he treated everyone like dirt?

It was at that precise moment that Sho glanced upwards and just happened to catch her eye.

He smirked.

That smirk contained everything it needed to convey how smug he was feeling compared to her.

It was a challenge.

It reminded Kyoko of all the times that he had beaten her and pushed her down.

And how she had bowed to him, practically lying down at his feet.

Something deep inside her snapped which was echoed loudly by the sound of the mirror in front of her cracking and the terrified screams of the two women working on her.

Sho, though, had turned back to his followers and seemed not to notice.

Either that or he was purposefully ignoring her.

He would pay, Kyoko vowed.

He would pay dearly.

The sound of their laughter echoed around her.


The director looked worried but Kyoko didn't notice, too preoccupied staring at the object of her irritation.

Sho.

She didn't notice a lot of things that lunch break; like how everyone seemed to give her at least three metres of space, becoming too creeped out if the came any closer.

It was all Sho's fault though.

He had acted perfectly the whole morning, whereas she, on the other hand, had been so irritated by his smugness that she couldn't do anything other than be irritated.

It was a damning circle.

As such she had been unable to properly play the part of one-half of a loving couple.

Anyone would find it difficult to hold hands when all you want to do is strangle the person you are doing so with.

He was a musician damn it!

He shouldn't be this good at acting!

But that didn't change the fact that at this precise moment, he was out-acting her so badly she could see why he might deserve that smug overbearing smile of his.

What was even more annoying was the fact that he hadn't even looked at her that morning in the temporary dressing tent.

He was ignoring her on purpose and then turning his full attention on her when they shot a scene.

Being so totally ignored then so totally the focus point left Kyoko feeling more than a little dazed and confused.

It puzzled her how he managed to switch so fast between the two extremes.

And this irritated her as well.

She was beginning to feel a little upset and depressed.

Not even the fact that she was playing the role of a princess could cheer her up.

She sighed.

If only she knew what to do. If only she knew someone that could help her…But with all thoughts focused on Sho she couldn't think of anyone.

The view of Sho's smug face was abruptly blocked by two legs.

Kyoko glanced upwards in some slight surprise at the director who was lightly sweating.

He smiled nervously and then crouched down until he was at her eye level.

"Kyoko?"

Her eyes, who had been wandering to the side to try and see Sho again, snapped back.

The director smiled gently at her to show her that he wasn't angry at her whatever he was about to say.

"Kyoko," he repeated "are you all right?"

Her brow creased in confusion.

She was alright. Well…as alright as she could be working alongside Sho.

"Um, yes, I'm alright. I mean…yes. Why?"

The director paused, obviously deliberating what to say.

When he finally did speak it was in a very gentle and slow tone.

"It's just that you seem a little…distracted…compared to yesterday."

A look of shock passed over Kyoko's face.

The director, seeing this, strived to make her feel better.

"It's okay though, we still have time to redo scenes at the end if need be."

Kyoko felt dazed.

"Er, yes. Thank you."

He patted her hand and stood up.

Then he paused just as he was turning away.

He seemed to be having an internal conflict over something.

Eventually he turned back to Kyoko, his mind made up.

"Don't worry about having to retake scenes Kyoko, we have time. You don't have to be perfect on the very first take. Sometimes perfection needs time to be taken on it to be completed."

Kyoko gazed at him, her mouth open.

The director grinned at her.

"Just relax and I'm sure that it'll come back to you."

"It?"

"The magic that allows you to become the character until you yourself don't exists anymore."

With that he walked away.

Kyoko stared at his retreating form long after he had disappeared from view.

Was she really distracted?

This was…

This was unacceptable.

She had let her personal feelings overwhelm her characters feelings.

An actor or actress and their characters were supposed to be two separate entities.

The director had thought that she was having trouble with the character or that she possibly couldn't do it.

That thought hurt.

Kyoko couldn't believe that she had let Sho distract her so much that she had actually forfeited her acting for him.

He was stealing her acting from her!

And the smug bastard knew it too!

All morning whenever they had taken a break between retakes he had had that stupid smug smile on his face.

All the time!

It was enough to make her feel ill.

She gritted her teeth as fiery determination coursed through her veins.

Well no more!

She wouldn't let him affect her anymore!

It was unfair to the director, whom she had grown to like so much and it was also unfair to everyone who had to stand around as she made mistake after mistake.

But most of all it was unfair on herself.

She was better than this!

She knew she was. Though you couldn't tell from the quality of acting that she had produced this morning.

But just…damn it!

This was so unfair!

If only the actor who had been the first choice for the part had been able to do it!

She didn't know who it was but anyone would have been better than Sho.

Right?

Kyoko sighed.

She also knew that she was mostly to blame in all of this.

She put down her unfinished lunch, having suddenly lost her appetite.

She was still shocked and upset with how much she had actually blinded herself.

This afternoon would be different.

She would make sure of it.


Seeing the director and the sound technicians move back to the filming area she tied up her tray and made her way over.

This time she would not let herself get distracted!

Coming in from the opposite side was Sho, a smug smirk plastered all over his face.

Stupid irritating smirk!

Kyoko felt the first twinges of annoyance start to affect her but they were quickly overwhelmed by her newly discovered fire of determination.

She wouldn't let him affect her so.

It was with this attitude that she faced him when the director positioned them for the next shot.

It did become a little harder to maintain when Sho started to talk to her though.

"So Kyoko, think you could do this scene in less than four shots this time?"

She just gritted her teeth and told herself to ignore him under her breath.

Unfortunately this didn't make him go away.

"It's just that it's getting a little tiring being perfect all the time."

Stupid Sho and his stupid annoying voice!

She glared at him.

"I mean…I'm not even actor! And I can easily beat you!"

It was getting harder and harder to ignore him.

'Ignore him' became Kyoko's new mantra.

She would act but she wouldn't stoop to his level.

"I could probably out-act Ren if I went into this business! Easily I bet!"

Something snapped inside of her.

"There's no way you could ever out-act Ren!" She hissed angrily.

A furious expression was evident on her face.

Sho smirked.

"So she deigns to speak at last."

"Okay people!" The director interrupted. "From the top!"

Kyoko turned to her starting position filled with determination.

She would show him!

Sho was going down.

"And ACTION!"


Sho had seemed surprised and slightly put out when she had said her lines perfectly all in one shot.

The director had seemed delighted at her progress and spent the rest of the afternoon with a large smile on his face.

Sho's surprise quickly wore off but her continual deliverance of perfect character knocked him slightly and he started to make mistakes.

After the twelfth or so one Kyoko heard him grumble under his breath.

She couldn't resist.

Turning she faced him and smiled.

"Try to keep up Sho. Maybe we can do this scene in less than four shots eh?"

Sho's face turned thunderous as he realised that she had used his own words against him.

He shook in anger.

Kyoko turned away again.

During the first scene of the afternoon she had quickly realised that if she just saw the character Sho was playing, instead of himself, then pushing away her annoyance at him became so much easier.

In fact, a lot of things became easier if she just ignored him.

How had she not thought of this sooner?


That evening Kyoko left with a smile on her face.

She had totally and completely gotten one up on Sho that afternoon.

This was evident by the foul look that was plastered across his face and the bad temper he was displaying to all the crew right now.

Walking past she smiled sweetly at him and was rewarded with a scowl.

Yes indeed.

This afternoon had been wonderful.


Sorry about the late update!