Always With You

Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters

Chapter 9 – Intransigence

Intransigence: A refusal to compromise. When Kyoko filled out her application during her initial audition for LME, this was the word that she listed as her favorite. At the time it had a negative connotation: I will not back down until I destroy Fuwa Sho. As time passed, the meaning of the word altered for Kyoko until it meant: I will not compromise on my craft. I will always give my best.

On this particular day her intransigence would result in a major milestone in Kyoko's life. Let us go now to the set of Ronin's Children.

[The scene opens to a typical outdoor market, complete with food service booths.]

Enoki Masami sat astride her parked motorcycle and blissfully munched on a steaming Takoyaki. She was ignoring the occasional stares and whistles of the males that passed by in cars. The steaming meatballs reminded her of the school festivals she had been a part of when her parents were alive. The cool breeze of early evening played through her spiked hair, helping her to hold back the sadness of those memories.

Suddenly a very frightened young man ran through the tables next to the food stand and past Masami. In another moment three hoods ran through the same tables, leaving a path of destruction and chaos in their wake. Masami recognized the men as members of Makuda's gang. They were led by the same punk that she had laid out on the previous night. His left eye was black and one side of his jaw was unnaturally swollen.

In another moment they disappeared around the corner hot on the trail of the young man. Masami tried to shrug it off and eat another Takoyaki ball. She held it up to her mouth while her face contorted with scorn and annoyance. Finally she said "Mo!" and threw the remainder of her meal in the garbage.

[scene switches to the young man, Chino Ryoichi. He is cornered. The three toughs are spread out, blocking his escape. They are all in different states of breathlessness. They lean over and take gasping breaths. They were in no hurry now that they have their victim blocked in.}

Ako Juhei was the first to stand up and advance toward the clean-cut young man. He was still feeling humiliated about what that girl had done to him and he wanted to pound on someone. He popped his knuckles as he approached, "Now we're gonna have some fun."

Just as all three started viciously working over the young man a motorcycle rounded the corner and roared down the truck-service ally. The rider popped into a wheelie and roared forward, causing the three hoods to jump back against the brick walls. The sports bike dropped to two wheels and spun a cookie halfway around the victim, leaving the bike pointed back out of the ally.

[Cut! Switch with Kyoko!]

Kyoko, dressed identically to the rider, ran up and climbed on as soon as Aiko Mari, her stunt-double, climbed off. The two girls did a high-five as they passed.

[Ok! Ready on the set. Roll cameras! Go!]

Masami flipped up her visor so that the victim could hear her voice. She extended a hand peremptorily, "Get on, NOW!"

Chino Ryoichi, bruised and bleeding, scrambled up awkwardly and climbed on behind Masami. "Hold on tight!"

As she began to accelerate, Ako Juhei ran forward. She used the momentum of the bike and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to fly backward into the other two toughs.

[Camera focuses on Ako's mask of rage and murderous intent]

* * *

[(The camera has been fitted with a special lens to give the impression that the viewer is looking out of a person's eyes.) The eyes open to the wooden rafters of an old warehouse. There is the sound of metal clinking on metal. The eyes turn in search of the sound to show the back of a spiky-haired girl. She sits cross-legged on canvas and works on a motorcycle. The eyes close slowly and fade to black.]

[(Same lens) The eyes open. It is darker now. Sounds of "Kei-yah's" invade the darkness. The movement of the view indicates that the person is sitting and then standing. The person walks past the motorcycle and through a door that opens into a much larger space.

A fit young lady in Karate pants and a black tank-top is facing away from the viewer. She is wielding a Katana and flowing through a series of choreographed sword-katas with lightning speed. With each thrusting movement she yells "Kei-yah!"]

[The camera eyes focus first on her strong, supple neck, then her shoulders, then down her back until the eyes reach her… ]

The katana blade sings through the air and the point stops dead-center in front of the young man's adam's apple. He looks down on the point and then follows the tang to the hilt. Beyond that he sees a very cold, but beautiful set of golden eyes.

"You should never sneak up on a girl who's holding three feet of cold steel and has a really bad attitude."

[The camera returns to a normal view]

Enoki Masami lowers the blade and expertly returns it to it's scabbard. She looks at the young man who is still backed up against the door frame. His face is bloody and swollen in several places and his right hand is holding his side. "Good, you're awake. Get cleaned up and I'll drop you off at the nearest bus stop so that you can go back to where you belong."

"Who are you?" Chino Ryoichi asked in wonder. He had never encountered anyone like this girl before.

"Not important. You're safe as long as you stay away from the lower west-side. What did you do to get Makuda's boys riled up?"

"Makuda? Is that the gang leader's name?"

"Medium height, oily-handsome type, meaner than a shark?" The young man nodded, "He goes by Johnny Makuda. Don't know his Japanese name. He thinks the English name makes him sound tougher. Doesn't matter; he's a lowlife no matter what you call him. Back to my question: Why were they chasing you through the market?"

"I was walking with my girlfriend and a couple of others through the market when… um… uh."

"Cut! That's enough! Let's wrap it up for tonight. We need to make some adjustments, so everyone stay in the Tokyo area and we'll call you.

Director Etsuko rubbed his temples. That was the twelfth NG for just that one short conversation. It had been like this for every scene with Choshi Kazu in it. He turned to face the producer, "Ugata-san, do you see what I mean?"

The producer's eyes followed the tough, sexy looking young actress as she mingled with the stunt crew and several other cast members. "Yes, I can see that you were right. I'll schedule a meeting with Takarada-san in the morning."

* * *

The paunchy older producer, dressed in a three-piece suit, sat across from a tall, skinny, mustachioed man in the costume of an Argentine Matador and they held a serious conversation (as hard as that may be for the reader to accept).

"So you see, Takarada-san, she's just too powerful an actress to play alongside Choshi-san. He's supposed to be the star of the movie, but nobody can stop looking at her. It's not just her looks either; when the camera is rolling she is Enoki Masami. Her character is so captivating that Choshi becomes background noise."

Takarada rubbed his fingers over his carefully sculpted mustache. "I'm not surprised. She is the scary type of actress who becomes whatever character she plays. We will have to be more careful with the roles that we let her accept."

Shino-san was warmed up to his subject now. He continued speaking as if Takarada had never said a word, "Did you know that she learned to ride that motorcycle like a pro in just four weeks? And the martial arts! She has been practicing both Karate and sword for at least four hours every day for over a month. How many teenagers are that serious? My stunt crew and sword master like her so much that they're ready to adopt her!

"If the director didn't put his foot down she would have even tried doing all of her own stunts; and she probably would have done them right! You know that they showed that bootleg clip of her on the Rumiko Show? Did you know that after that we have received over 25,000 hits on the movie website?"

Takarada Lory looked a little confused, "So… Shino-san, aren't you saying that you need to drop her from your movie?"

"Drop her! NO! Half of my crew would quit on me! Takarada-san, I want your permission to make this her movie debut! We'll re-vamp the script to make her the lead. This would have been a B-rate movie, but now it has the potential to be a box-office hit."

"But I thought that this was Choshi-san's movie debut?"

"I've already spoken with President Uchida of Nippon Premiere Entertainment. After he watched the clips of his actor he has agreed that the young man isn't ready for this level of work yet. They are already working on a spin to extract him gracefully."

Takarada leaned back and thought the matter over carefully. "I'll have to talk to my people. You realize that this has the potential to explode in our faces?" When the pudgy producer nodded, Takarada's face took on a sad look, "I really wanted to make her debut a romance."

Shino, who had known Lory for years, rolled his eyes, "Don't worry. We'll throw in a little romance to keep you happy."

* * *

When the director, writers, cast and crew of Ronin's Children were notified of the changes there was a spontaneous celebration. They hated what Choshi Kazu would have done to all of their hard work. They were also deeply impressed with Kyoko.

Kyoko was told of the news by the producer in President Takarada's office. She had really come to love the tough, no-nonsense character of Enoki Masami. She wanted to become as confident and self-assured as her alter-ego. She also loved the idea of making this movie her debut.

To her credit, she did spare a few minutes to feel sorry for Choshi Kazu, but only a few. He had never seemed that interested in the movie anyway.

The news releases claimed that Choshi had suffered from an incapacitating injury and would have to avoid strenuous work for an indefinite period.

The young man in question got rip-roaring drunk and vowed revenge on Mogami Kyoko.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: I hope that the 'camera through the character's eyes' wasn't too confusing. I tried to describe what the movie watcher would see as the camera eyes moved.

At this point in the story, at least in my own mind, Kyoko separates the characters that she creates from her own person. She doesn't see them as parts of herself because she still lacks self-esteem. That is why I wrote that she "wanted to become as confident and assured as her alter-ego." Does that make any sense at all?