Hi! Thanks everyone for clicking on the link and continuing on with the story! So now that summer has started (HECK YES!) I hope that I will be more consistent with my updates. *fingers crossed* Anyway hank you so much for all the helpful reviews...as always. Hehe, so please Read and Review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.
Kyoko groaned in satisfaction as she sleepily turned onto her side. She was so warm and comfy. It was hard to believe that she wasn't in heaven right at the moment. It had to be a crime to feel so relaxed. And although she would have done absolutely anything to remain in this bed forever, Kyoko could begrudgingly feel her body starting to become more alert by the second. She sighed in disappointment and turned onto her back, draping an arm over her closed eyes. Intuitively feeling that it was around 10 o'clock in the morning, she raised herself to a sitting position and rubbed her tired eyes with her hands.
And as soon as she moved them away, Kyoko saw—
"AHHHHHHH—!"
She slapped a hand over her mouth as her widened amber eyes darted back and forth in shock. This wasn't the guest bedroom. This wasn't her bed. THIS WASN'T RIGHT!
And just when she was about to jump up in haste, last night's events suddenly flooded into her hectic memories, trapping her in place as a blush began to color her pale cheeks.
"That's right," Kyoko thought slowly, "I stayed here...with him."
Then turning her attention down to herself, she realized that the thick blanket was comfortably tucked around her body and the many pillows upon the bed were lined beside her like a wall. It was almost like she was surrounded by a plushy barrier of some sort. Extending a trembling hand towards the empty spot beside her, Kyoko tentatively pushed against the cushion, watching her hand make an imprint in the mattress.
And suddenly, it hit her.
She was all alone…
Kyoko curiously turned to the doorway and realized that the door was wide open. And just when she swung her legs over the side of the massive bed, Kyoko finally heard it: whistling…and it sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. Recognizing the soft voice immediately, Kyoko jumped to her feet and quickly ran down the carpeted hall. She made a swift turn into the cool kitchen and came to an abrupt halt when she was greeted with the most shocking image.
Ren was awake and he was standing before the stove with a black spatula in his hands while listening to the kitchen radio play a quiet song on the counter beside him. But at the sound of her rapid footsteps, he had smoothly turned around and met her astonished gaze with a warm smile.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Feeling as if her eyes were already burned out of its sockets from the brightness of his smile, Kyoko blinked a couple of times to get her vision to clear before she asked in surprise, "What are you doing, Tsuruga-san?"
"I thought it was a good idea to get a head start on breakfast. How do eggs sound?"
Kyoko shook her head in disbelief as she stumbled into the kitchen. "Tsuruga-san, why didn't you wake me? I should be the one cooking, not you."
He chuckled with a shake of his head. "You did so much already, Mogami-san," Ren explained patiently as he flipped the yellow eggs in the pan. "Besides, it was my fault that you didn't get proper sleep, right? I want to at least try to make it up to you."
Kyoko blushed profusely. How was she supposed to tell him that last night was actually one of the best sleeps she ever had? Although she had no idea when he had awoken or when she had shifted position so that her head was properly resting on a pillow, Kyoko woke up feeling refreshed and very well rested. And the part that surprised her the most was that he was there all night. She couldn't believe that she was actually able to relax in his presence. It almost seemed impossible—not to mention the fact that this was the SECOND time she slept in his bed!
Then feeling more humiliated by the second at what she did, Kyoko unsteadily pulled out a chair and forced herself to sit down to cease the violent trembling in her knees. She had to get a grip. At this rate, Ren was going to notice the change in her and if he forwardly asked her about it, Kyoko had no idea how to respond.
Ren, on the other hand, had turned his attention back to the pan and now had a small smile at the corner of his lips. Similarly to Kyoko, he couldn't believe that he actually shared a bed with her. Sure, it was because the situation conveniently turned out that way, but he couldn't deny the heavy pounding of his heart when he woke up in the middle of the night to her sleeping face.
Ren's hand suddenly stopped in midair.
To see her so vulnerable and innocent last night definitely didn't help his self-restraint at all. The flame of desire that he tried so hard to suppress within himself burned stronger than ever before as he forced himself to lower his hands away from her after he shifted her body so that she was lying flat on her back. Although Ren spent most of his night trying to remain calm, he also came to realize how strongly he felt about this girl. It was more than the fact that he loved her, but he wanted to be around her all the time. It was almost accurate to say he was drawn to her.
But before Ren could give his feelings another thought, the radio commentator's voice suddenly filled the silent kitchen with:
"Alright folks, hope you all enjoyed the premiere of Ai Otsuka's latest single, Planetarium. It will be sold in stores all this afternoon so remember to get your own copy. In fact, if you go now, you could meet the artist herself at one of her autograph signings so don't miss out on your chance to see this rising new star!" the male exclaimed enthusiastically.
"And speaking of rising new stars, Rui-kun, do you know who is the latest craze right now?" a female voice suddenly interjected in a conversational tone.
"Who, Mika-chan?"
The woman laughed. "Mogami Kyoko. You must have heard about her."
Ren and Kyoko whipped their heads to the black device.
"Oh yes," Rui agreed thoughtfully, "the new lady in waiting for Tsuruga Ren. I must say that girl is definitely an over-night miracle. Her name is just about plastered on every tabloid in the country."
"Well would you expect anything less?" Mika asked with a huff. "She is affiliated with Ren, the most famous actor in Japan. It would be a shock if she wasn't known."
"But, Mika-chan, I'm curious. How do you feel about this girl, considering you're such a big fan of Ren? Do you approve of her?"
Kyoko's heart stopped beating.
The woman named Mika clicked her tongue a few times before replying, "Well, I'll admit that I admired her acting skills in Dark Moon as Mio. She definitely has some talent. But as Ren's girlfriend? She isn't anything special."
Rui chuckled. "Is that your jealousy speaking, Mika-chan?"
"It is not!" she said defensively. "Have you seen her? It's obvious she's not the most attractive person. If anything, I would say she's pretty average."
Ren immediately turned his attention to Kyoko and saw that her golden eyes seemed to have frozen over as she focused intently on the radio. She didn't look angry, but Ren could feel the black aura that emitted from her tense stance. Even he had to admit it; she looked terrifying.
"Mogami-san," he piped in, "let's turn this off. It's no use listening to—"
Kyoko got to her feet. "I want to hear the rest, Tsuruga-san," she answered in a quiet voice.
Ren fell silent.
"Average?" Rui asked. "She's in the entertainment industry. She can't be too average, can she?"
Mika scoffed. "There are always exceptions to everything, Rui. I never said she was ugly, but she doesn't stand out. I mean, do you think anyone knew who she was before all this?"
"I guess not," he agreed slowly.
"Now, don't get me wrong. Ren has every right to choose who he wants to be with," Mika continued in the same haughty-like voice, "but what I'm curious about is how these two even got together. It seems so unlikely."
Ren had enough. He didn't want to listen to this anymore. It was practically grating his ears and he was also worried about how Kyoko was taking this. Although she looked completely unfazed, that intent look on her face was starting to worry him. But just when Ren was about to reach a hand towards the dial to turn off the radio, he heard the familiar vibrating noise of his cell phone upon the coffee table in the living room.
"Damn it."
"You should go get that, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko murmured without turning to him.
"Mogami-san, I—"
She met his eyes and smiled stiffly. "It's okay. I can handle breakfast from here," Kyoko replied as she took the spatula out of his hands. "You go on ahead."
And unable to come up with a proper refusal, Ren nodded once and walked out the kitchen, hoping that a new song on the radio was going to play soon. He didn't want her to listen to that garbage anymore.
Unfortunately for Ren (who had already walked down the hall towards his bedroom), a song did not play and the negative criticisms continued on with:
"No matter how you look at it," Mika's voice said through the speakers, "Kyoko is just another face in the crowd. She isn't well known, she doesn't look like a model, and she possesses no female sex appeal at all."
Kyoko dropped the spatula into the pan.
"DON'T YOU THINK I ALREADY KNOW THAT, YOU OLD HAG? I KNOW I'M NOT PRETTY LIKE THE OTHERS! I KNOW THAT I'M JUST A NOVICE IN THIS INDUSTRY! BUT DO YOU HAVE TO REITERATE THAT TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY? ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO PISS ME OFF? WHY DON'T YOU TRY TELLING ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW?"
She instinctively gritted her teeth together as she heatedly faced the radio, feeling the anger pulse throughout her body. The rage was rolling off of her like tidal waves. Kyoko was practically trembling with it. But aware that Ren was still in the house, Kyoko forced herself to keep silent as she shrieked within the safety of her own head:
"NOT EVERYONE COULD BE AS PRETTY AS A MODEL! I KNOW JUST AS WELL AS YOU DO THAT THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I COULD BE TSURUGA-SAN'S GIRLFRIEND, BUT I'M NOT SO LOW AS YOU THINK! YOU JUST WATCH! I'LL STAR IN SO MANY MOVIES AND SHOWS THAT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, MIKA! I'LL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR DAMN WORDS! I'LL BECOME THE BEST GIRLFR—!"
Kyoko froze.
"Mika, Mika," Rui suddenly chided from the radio, "all that can be easily fixed."
"What?"
"You just described everything that can be changed, Mika-chan. After all, she can always star in more movies, she can definitely grow into her figure, and a little sprucing up may change Kyoko into quite a looker," he explained in a thoughtful voice.
"You think she's pretty?" Mika snorted.
"Well, it doesn't matter what I think, does it?" Rui asked with an amused chuckle. "But it seems we have an eager caller on the line, so let's see what the public has to say, hmm?"
Kyoko groaned. Did she really want to hear from more girls about how unfit she was for Ren? Besides, it wasn't like she didn't know. She was already well-aware of the fact that as a "girlfriend," she wasn't exactly the perfect candidate for a man like Ren. But still, even with that knowledge, Kyoko couldn't say she was mentally prepared for all of this criticism. It was hard enough coming to terms with it herself, but now she had to hear it from the public too? She sighed heavily.
"I guess it can't be helped…"
Then with a quiet click of the phone line from the radio, Rui greeted enthusiastically, "Hello! You're on with Rui and Mika. What's your name?"
"Maria Takarada!" a girly voice stated in a proud voice.
Kyoko let out a blood-curling scream and snatched up the device.
"MARIA-CHAN?"
"Well, Maria, what do you think about Ren and Kyoko?" Rui asked in a friendly tone.
"I THINK THEY ARE GREAT TOGETHER!" the shrill like voice continued in the same deafening tone. "ONEE-SAMA AND REN-SAMA ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER. BESIDES, A STUPID GIRL LIKE YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT'S PRETTY IF IT SMACKED YOU IN THE FACE, MIKA-BAKA!"
"Excuse me?" Mika exclaimed angrily. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"
"Onee-sama?" Rui repeated in a curious voice. "Does that mean you are Kyoko's little sister, Maria?"
"I am!"
Mika scoffed. "Her name is Mogami Kyoko, not Takarada. There is no way she's her sister."
"SHE IS SO MY SISTER!" Maria shouted hotly. "She's the best onee-sama I could ever ask for! And Ren-sama feels the same! He likes her a lot and definitely approves of her! You wouldn't know! You don't even know Ren-sama! You're just another jealous-crazed fan!"
Kyoko dropped to her knees as she moaned in dismay, "Oh my god…"
"AND YOU DO?" Mika yelled back hotly. "A GIRL LIKE YOU? HOW WOULD YOU KNOW REN?"
"For your information, I see Ren-sama all the time at LME!"
"LME?" Rui asked back in surprise. "As in the famous acting industry? Wait, Takarada…I knew that name sounded familiar. Maria, are you in any way related to President—?"
But before he could finish his question, he was suddenly interrupted with:
"Grandfather! What are you doing?" Maria called out in a somewhat distant voice.
And clearly over the commotion, a deep male voice could be heard saying in a stern tone, "Maria, who are you—? Give me the—phone! Maria!"
"No! She's insulting—Onee-sama! Stop it, Grandfather! I don't want to—!"
"Uh…Maria?" Rui asked uncertainly. "Are you still there?"
"Hang—up—the—phone!" the male demanded, grunting in what seemed to be a struggle.
"Wait! Wait! Grandfather—no!"
CLICK!
Kyoko's entire body trembled as she held the radio up to her face and waited with abated breath. She couldn't believe what just happened. It had to be her imagination. There was no way she called in. This wasn't happening!
"Um," Rui began in an obviously confused voice, "I guess we should go to a commercial break then….uh, yeah! That sounds like a good idea! So, don't touch that dial and we'll be back with more famous hits after this!"
And in an instant, the familiar sound of advertisements filled the cold kitchen, leaving a motionless Kyoko on the floor who felt like she had lost all the feeling in her legs. She had no idea how to react to what just happened. It almost felt surreal.
But before she had any time to recollect herself, Ren had already entered the kitchen and was leaning against the wall with an amused smile upon his face. Kyoko looked up at him with wide eyes as he said with a chuckle, "Maria-chan sure is something, isn't she? That girl is never afraid to speak her mind."
"You heard, Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko whispered.
He nodded. And smoothly walking towards her, Ren leaned down and extended a hand. "Would you like some help?"
Kyoko blushed, but eventually placed her hand in his. And as she was pulled to her feet, she realized she had never felt so embarrassed in her life—even more so than before! Because not only was she publicly ridiculed, but she also had to be defended by an eight year old? Although Kyoko was more than grateful that Maria was so supportive of her, she realized how pathetic she must appear in Ren's eyes. She really was useless.
But before she could open her mouth to apologize for embarrassing him, her eyes suddenly fell upon his neck and she noticed that it was really red and very irritated. Then understanding immediately, Nurse Kyoko resurfaced in a snap with a glare that could kill.
"Were you scratching, Tsuruga-san?" she murmured in a dangerously soft voice.
He blinked in surprise. "What?"
She raised her hand and pointed at his swollen throat. "This was your doing, wasn't it?" Kyoko accused.
"Huh. I didn't even realize I was scratching," Ren replied as he ran his fingers over the itchy bumps.
"TSURUGA-SAN!" Kyoko shrieked as she snatched his hand away. "THAT WASN'T A SIGN FOR YOU TO CONTINUE!"
Then in an irritated huff, she wrapped her hand around his wrist and forcefully pulled him into the living room. Plopping him down upon the black couch, Kyoko sat beside him and reached for the bottle of the lotion that was conveniently sitting upon the coffee table, swiftly unscrewing the cap.
"Tsuruga-san, didn't I tell you not to scratch? If I knew you were going to continue, I would have never taken those oven mitts off of you in the first place."
Ren smiled warily. "The scratching is subconscious, Mogami-san. I guess I'm itchy without even realizing it."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. But deciding to let the matter drop, Kyoko steadily extended two hands toward the top buttons of his shirt and began to un-loop them. Of course, while Nurse Kyoko was in action, she didn't notice how provocative her actions were. In fact, Kyoko didn't even see the look on Ren's face as he watched her bravely undress him. Ren couldn't believe it himself.
His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he felt her slender hands graze his sensitive skin as the top three buttons were loosened. Although Ren was clearly suffering, Kyoko wasn't affected at all. She just squirted some lotion onto her palm and gently smeared the cream onto his collarbone and neck.
Ren unconsciously closed his eyes, trying to hold down the sigh of contentment in his throat. Her hands were doing wonders on both his skin and his heart. If she continued with these movements, he had no idea how he was going to suppress the Emperor of the Night that was already trying to force his way through. And that was a battle Ren was sure he would lose (and possibly even willingly).
But then to Ren's utmost surprise, Kyoko's hand suddenly faltered at his neck, causing him to open his eyes and to look down at her face.
She sighed.
"Tsuruga-san, I'm really sorry."
Horrified, Ren shook his head and replied in earnest, "It's okay, Mogami-san! If it makes you uncomfortable doing this, I can apply the—!"
Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Tsuruga-san, what are you—? Oh! No! Not this! I'm not talking about the lotion! I was referring to what happened earlier…"
"You mean with Mika and Maria-chan?"
She nodded, slowly moving her hand up and down his neck once again. "You must have been humiliated."
"I'm surprised you're worried about me when you were the one who was attacked," Ren answered, feeling his heart flutter at her touch.
"I'm used to that," Kyoko said with a slight grimace. "Insults don't really bother me anymore."
"Well, I have to say that that's unfortunate," Ren replied in a matter-of-fact voice, "especially when they are completely absurd."
Kyoko stared at him with wide eyes.
And with a gentle smile, Ren murmured, "I personally agree with Maria-chan. You really are great."
"Tsuruga-san, you don't have to—"
He shook his head. "Let me finish, Mogami-san. In my opinion, there's much more to someone's character than just beauty or popularity. And if those are the only factors that Mika will count against you, then her argument is quite pathetic, wouldn't you agree?"
Kyoko blushed.
"Besides," Ren continued in a soft voice, "I don't think you're average at all."
Her hands froze to a standstill as her heart stopped dead in her chest. She slowly raised her astonished gaze to meet his brown eyes which seemed to burn right through her. Kyoko could feel her lungs constrict from the lack of air, but in reality she could have cared less. With such simple words, Ren made her feel so incredibly happy without any effort at all. Suddenly, it didn't even matter that she was despised by the rest of the world. This man's approval was more than enough for her. All she truly longed for was his praise and nothing else.
But with a quick shake of her head, Kyoko dropped her flustered gaze and moved her hand away. "You don't mean that," she whispered.
"Then shall I prove it to you?" Ren murmured as he placed a hand under her chin.
Kyoko froze.
Ren stared into her eyes intently.
"Do you want to know?"
Her legs were shaking, her hands were trembling, and her heart was pounding so fiercely that she thought she was going to die. Kyoko had no idea what to do. She was rendered speechless. This was surely the side of Ren she could never get used to, no matter how hard she tried. It was at moments like these when Kyoko understood just how helpless she was against this man. He was too overpowering.
But seeing the frozen look in her face, Ren decided he had to take a step back from his pursuit and let her be. He figured that that was as far as it was going to go today, even though he desperately wanted to continue. Still, even Ren noticed it; it was starting to get more and more difficult restraining himself. At this rate, he might not be able to hide his desires much longer.
However, with a silent sigh, he smoothly got to his feet and looked down at a seated Kyoko who continued to stare up into his smoldering eyes.
"Thank you for this," he said as he buttoned up his shirt again. "I'm always making you do unnecessary things, aren't I?"
Shaken awake by the sudden change in topic, Kyoko rigorously shook her head in defiance and replied, "No, Tsuruga-san! I'm glad to help! That's what I'm here for!"
He smiled.
"Well, I think I'll get breakfast ready, so you can go freshen up if you would like."
Kyoko nodded, unable to find the voice to argue.
But as soon as she shakily stood up to walk to the bathroom, he suddenly called out her name. Kyoko curiously turned around and saw that he was standing with his back to the kitchen entrance. Ren smiled.
"Mika was right about one thing though."
She blinked in confusion.
"I'm the only one with the right to choose who I want to be with…and no one else," he replied.
Kyoko's eyes widen because right at that moment the oddest feeling erupted inside her heavy heart. She felt happy—and not because he praised her or because he complimented her. She was happy because for the first time ever, Kyoko felt like out of everyone in the world…Ren had chosen her.
"Sho, let's go! We're going to be late!" Shoko said sternly as she grabbed his duffel bag off the bed in the hotel and walked into the living room. "I swear, it's amazing that you get anything done!"
With his legs lazily crossed upon the white couch and his head lying on the armrest, Sho tipped his head back so that he stared at his attractive manager upside down. "Shoko, would you relax? We got time. Besides, you know that no one can start without me, so there's no need to rush. Just let me finish the show."
Shoko sighed. It was incredible how his personality changed from one extreme to another. Whenever he was working in the studio, he would be so wrapped up into his song that he would sometimes go hours without eating or sleeping. Then there were times like these when he acted like a little kid who refused to do anything he didn't like. Shoko shook her head. If there was anything he was consistent in, it was definitely keeping Shoko on her toes.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's great!" he exclaimed loudly as he sat upright, holding his stomach.
She smiled amusedly. "Well, I guess a couple of minutes wouldn't hurt."
So as she sat on the seat besides the couch, Shoko nonchalantly flipped through the folder upon the table to go over all the appointments they had for the rest of the day. Although Sho was still a very young musician, his musical fame was slowly escalating to new-found degrees which meant his time was stretched thinner than ever before. The industry and his fans no longer just wanted his songs and presence—they now demanded it.
And even though it was a lot for such a young star to handle, even Shoko could see the pride in Sho's face. He enjoyed what he was doing and was willing to give it his all, no matter how hard it may seem.
"Alright," Sho suddenly yawned as he stretched his arms above his head and got to his feet, "it's over. Let's go."
Shoko raised her head.
"Already?"
He nodded. "It's just the news now."
Shoko laughed. Sho was never one who would watch such a program. If it didn't make him laugh or glorify his reputation, he felt that there was no use in watching it. However, as Shoko reached for the remote to turn off the television, his large hand suddenly whipped out of nowhere and tightly gripped her wrist.
"Sho! What are you—?"
She stopped.
Sho was frozen from head to toe. It was like his body suddenly lost the ability to move as his eyes gazed intently at the picture before him.
Following his line of vision, Shoko's confused eyes slowly trailed towards the glowing screen. And there, displayed for the whole world to see was the raving headline:
LME'S NEWEST SWEETHEARTS: TSURUGA REN AND MOGAMI KYOKO