Too Good to be True to Me 10
a/n. WOOOO! keeping both my promises! Longer and coming to you faster! i'm awesome .
~I did those calculations… I couldn't figure it out, lol. There will definitely be at least four more chapters, probably more, but I'm not sure. Ha ha.
~ rjifblue, he is a total creeper isnt he? lol.
~OH! People have said that there's no reason to hate Sho in this fic yet. Um, yeah there is! In case ya'll missed it, he still called her his maid and trashed her behind her back and worked her to the bone and then wasn't grateful for it. Kyoko just didn't find out. So please, go on hating him.
It took almost a month before Sho and Kyoko could manage to find time off for their first date. It was mostly because of Sho's schedule. He was starting his new album, and only worked in the afternoons, while most of Kyoko's filming was during the day. Basically, when one was free, the other was busy, for four weeks straight, until Sho became impatient enough to tell his manager to clear an evening for him, and he would work in the studio in the morning instead. Everyone who knew his habits was shocked, and thought that there must really be something special about the girl who could get Fuwa Sho to wake up for a nine AM studio session.
When Sho told Kyoko that he had found a day when they were both free, she didn't exactly jump for joy. She stated her happiness, and told him she was looking forward to it, which was true. It was, she thought, a second chance for Sho to be her prince charming. She just had to fall back in love with him. It should be easy enough, she thought, since she was in love with him once already.
Their date was in mid-September. The day before it, Kyoko went shopping with her reluctant friend, Kanae to find a nice outfit, since she had no clue what was appropriate for a dinner date. Kanae wisely explained the many benefits of a black cocktail dress.
"It can be dressy or casual enough for any restaurant you go to, the color doesn't clash with anything your date wears and it's flattering. You look great in it. Now let's get you a nice pair of heels to go with it. Pumps should work. After that we need to get you some good makeup, nothing too dramatic, we don't want you to look like a slut." Kyoko was in awe of her friend's wisdom.
The next day, Sho knocked on the door of the Darumaya to pick her up at 7:30. He had made a reservation for eight o'clock at a restaurant known for hosting celebrities. Therefore, there were always paparazzi nearby to see who was with whom and get the latest scoops. That was the idea; Sho loved being in the spotlight.
When she came down, Sho complimented her on her appearance. He wasn't just saying it; he really thought she looked beautiful. Her dress stopped just above the knee and had a modest neckline but hugged and flattered her modest curves. Her makeup was subtle but classy and made her look mature. Three inch heels brought her a little closer to his height.
He promised her guardians to have her back by eleven. The Okami smiled politely and wished them a good evening, but Taisho scowled. It wasn't his usual scowl, the one he wore every day, this expression made it clear even to the oblivious Kyoko that the Taisho absolutely hated Sho, who decided to get out of there quickly; Kyoko, bowing goodbye, followed him out.
The Okami turned to her husband and raised an accusing brow, silently asking why he had been so blatantly rude. He grunted, and said, "That boy is the reason Kyoko-chan didn't go to high school and worked like a slave last year."
His wife nodded empathetically, "I know, but it won't help if you're rude. We can only hope she changes her mind. Who knows, maybe someone better will catch her eye soon." She smiled as she imagined men chasing after cute little Kyoko-chan.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet. Kyoko didn't know what to say, and Sho made no attempt to start conversation. When they arrived, Kyoko thanked the driver, since she knew Sho wouldn't. He put her hand on the crook of his arm and escorted her into the restaurant. It was a French restaurant. Kyoko preferred Japanese food, but she understood why he would avoid traditional Japanese restaurants; they reminded him too much of home.
When they stepped in, Kyoko felt uncomfortable. She never liked people spending much on her, and they were in a very classy place. She made a mental note to thank Moko-san again, because for once in her life, she didn't feel under-dressed. However, when she looked at Sho, he didn't seem appropriately dressed. She hadn't really noticed before, but he was wearing a maroon button down shirt with black embroidery and the three top buttons undone, and black ripped jeans. The rips in his jeans worried her, but she couldn't do anything about them. Instead, she reached out and closed two of the buttons on the shirt.
Surprised at her sudden action, he shook her hand off. Kyoko blushed and apologized. He didn't feel it was necessary to tell her it was alright, leaving her to worry all the way to their table. When they were seated, she apologized again, and he said, "It's fine, damn."
Looking over the menu, Kyoko recognized several traditional French dishes since she had briefly studied foreign cooking over the years. She chose a familiar starter and main course, and Sho just ordered the same thing. He didn't understand the menu, and figured Kyoko had good taste.
Throughout the meal, Sho acted like his usual self. He talked about himself and the songs he was starting for his next album, trying to impress her. He reopened the two buttons she had closed. He gave her compliments that usually worked on women, but they instead made Kyoko feel awkward, and Sho didn't notice.
He was doing things that usually made women fall at his feet. What he didn't do what pay attention to Kyoko, otherwise he might have seen that she wasn't very happy. She kept up a smile, since she was an actress and wouldn't be caught frowning on a date. She was having second thoughts, and their main course hadn't even come yet.
First, she was flattered and hopeful since he had asked her out. Then he started treating her like any other bimbo he would hit on, and she felt uncomfortable and annoyed. She wondered if he even cared for her. Since he had made the first move, she had imagined that he must like her, maybe even love her. If he didn't, and he certainly wasn't acting like he cared for her any more than he ever had at that moment, why had he asked her to be his girlfriend? Maybe he just needed a girlfriend for convenience? That didn't make sense either, because he could get many prettier women, she knew, and being taken couldn't help his popularity. Most of his fans were women who fantasized about him. She got chills when she imagined what they would do to her if they knew she was dating Sho even though she didn't love him. Fangirls were nightmare-inducing creatures.
Either way, she was too modest to understand why she was there, to think that he loved her, or that she was suited to be a fake girlfriend if that's what he needed.
Kyoko listened to Sho talk about a song he was sure would top the charts, and wondered if she should try and contribute. She tried mentioning the number one song from that week, but he shut her down; he didn't want to hear her talk about the competition. She tried again later to try to talk about her own work, but he sulked at the mention of Ren's acting skills, so she stopped trying and just listened to him.
The worst part of the night was when they left. The press, having seen Japan's number one musician go in the restaurant with a date, had surrounded the place. With the benefit of one good picture of her when they entered, they had figured out that his date was the actress Kyouko, who was rapidly making a name for herself in the year's most popular drama, as well as her other notable roles that year.
When Sho and Kyoko walked out of the restaurant, they were surrounded by photographers and reporters asking questions about their relationship. Kyoko wanted to just say no comment, and let LME's PR handle the press later, but Sho grabbed her hand, and started answering their questions, while she forced a smile. Yes, they were dating, he said. They met during filming of his PV and kept in touch since then, he lied. He asked her out, he said. It was their first date, he answered.
"Kyouko, Kyouko! Why haven't you said anything?" One man asked from behind a camera.
She just smiled wider, and pulled at Sho. "Let's go," she said to him. The car had been waiting while Sho answered questions, and they then managed to get in. Once they door closed, cutting off the noise of the press, Kyoko dropped the smile and sighed.
Sho was basking in his fame, and didn't understand her reaction. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I've never been mobbed by the press before. It was horrible."
"Really? I like it. It means everyone wants to know what I'm doing."
"I know," she sighed again. The rest of the drive was fairly silent. Sho was happy, Kyoko was feeling disappointed. It hadn't been much of a first date.
When they arrived at the Darumaya, Sho walked her to the door. At the stoop, Kyoko started searching her purse for her key. When she found it, she looked up to say goodnight and quickly go inside, but found him staring at her with an intense look.
She blushed, and stammered, "Um, go-goodnight."
He lifted his hand to her face and ran his thumb gently along her cheekbone. Kyoko froze. She didn't move again until he moved his head down towards hers. As he leaned in to kiss her, she hurriedly leaned back, enough to almost make her fall. Her flailing arms caught the doorframe of the restaurant and she regained her balance. Sho watched with shock. Why did she lean away?
Kyoko took a deep breath, and said in a rush, "Um, Sho, maybe we should just stay friends."
Sho was surprised and annoyed. "Why?"
Nervously, Kyoko apologized, "I'm sorry Sho, and I'm flattered that you asked me out, but I can't figure out why you did. I mean, it's not like you were particularly interested in anything I had to say tonight. I thought maybe you liked me, but if not, then I would like for us to go back to being friends."
After she got that off her chest, she said goodnight again and unlocked the door. She opened it and was halfway in before Sho grabbed her hand. She looked back at him, to see him with a more desperate look on his face than she had ever seen.
"I'm the one who's sorry Kyoko. I was doing what I thought would make you happy, but I guess I was wrong. I do like you, Kyoko. I'll show you, if you'd give me another chance," he almost begged.
Kyoko was touched. She pulled her wrist out of his hand, in order to hold it. She gave his hand a squeeze, and agreed to give him another chance, as long as he treated her like Kyoko, not a woman he was trying to impress.
Sho's smile was soft, relieved. "Of course, Kyoko."
The next morning, a delivery was made to Kyoko right before she left to go to the set of Dark Moon. She went to the door to get it, and instead or a delivery boy she say a huge bouquet of moth orchids, with pearls and crystals decorating it. She thought it was beautiful, and started tearing up. On it was a note that read, Kyoko, thank you for giving me a second chance. You won't regret it. Sho. It wasn't sentimental or lovey-dovey. It was more of a declaration of his determination. But Kyoko thought it was better that way, more like him, less like he was hitting on her, more long-term. It was sweet.
After Sho left the florist, he went home to sleep more. He'd had to get up ridiculously early, so he could try to not catch attention, and because he knew that Kyoko went to work ridiculously early. No one should wake up and go to work at seven in the morning the way she did.
When he finally got up, Shoko picked him up and told him that before going to the recording studio, they had to go to Akatoki, to see the president.
They went straight up to President Sato's office. Shoko waited outside while Sho went in. Sato sat in his chair scowling over several tabloids, all of which featured Sho and Kyoko on the front page Sho noted with a smirk.
"Morining, President. And how are you?" Sho asked smugly.
"Fuwa, what the hell is this?" Sato asked angrily, gesturing at the photos. Sho noted the use of his family name with interest. The president was usually annoyingly nice to him, since he was the biggest star at Akatoki, and called him Sho.
"What's wrong? Not in a good mood? It's a good thing when your top star is on the cover of what looks like every tabloid published in Japan."
Sato glared again at the picture. "Not when he's seen with his new girlfriend, when he didn't inform our PR department. You do realize that you have a mostly female fanbase don't you?"
Sho smirked and responded archly, "Yes, as I'm sure you realize that Kyoko's popularity has just skyrocketed thanks to this coverage, and added to her already obvious talent and her growing reputation for professionalism within the industry, she is on her way to becoming a very big star. And you insulted and refused to hire her. That must hurt."
"Watch your mouth, Fuwa. I'm your boss."
"But you can't get rid of me. As I said earlier, I'm your main attraction, your biggest money maker, your most popular pop star. It's not my fault you judged Kyoko too quickly. It's not really good for business to judge like that you know."
The president was practically growling with anger. "Get out. If your next album isn't a huge success, I can and will fire you."
Sho laughed. "Don't worry, boss. It's going to be my best yet. I have something to sing about now."
I hope you all enjoyed akatoki's president getting pissed off and antagonized by Sho.
School starts tomorrow... Someone kill me...
Anywho. Review! Cheers.