Special thanks for Rain-Lin, Kumioko, Chelly18, Cookies of Doom, Cheeziswin, psycobookcollector, Thanasi, VampireKittyMeow, kiekie290, Angeline G. McFellou, Frappe-B, EnvySilence, 02du68, darkella94, TsukiNoMay, Magui Potter, Daredevil girl, cobalt eyes, Viridium, and several guests for faving, following, and reviewing the previous chapters for the first time.

And as usual, thank you for everyone who repeatedly review my story! Your support is what drives me to go on.

muchachomomo: That was hilarious! Love it! You definitely should write a fanfic! Yes, you can use 'True Reflection' as your setting, as long as you mention that the setting is mine. I can also beta your writing, if you need it :) And I think you should turn your PM on, it's difficult to reply your review straight away with my pace of writing at the moment (lol).

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip-Beat!

Chapter 10: Let the Hell Begin

The thing Kanae and Hiou thought at the same time when they met face to face in the studio was: What the heck is that attire?

As an angel, Kanae was dressed in a sleeveless long white dress with low neckline. A long blonde wig was placed on her head, concealing her ebony long locks. The make-up artists, to her irritation, had insisted on her to put on blue contact lenses and put a lace choker around her neck, making her scream inwardly in agitation.

On the other hand, the famous child actor had been made to wear a sleeveless dark grey suede shirt, loose black leather pants, and a pair of boots. His short-cropped brown hair was covered under a shoulder-length black wig that was let out to flow against his nape.

At the moment, while they were staring at each other with jaws dropped, they both thought that the other's clothes and make-up were undeniably ridiculous.

"You look like a yankee," Hiou said while trying not to blush, being a tsundere he was.

Kanae with a blank look replied, "Aren't you the same?"

Marina then stepped in between the two and cleared her throat. "May I have the privilege of your attention at this moment, Kotonami-san? Uesugi-kun?"

Both of them finally turned their heads to look at the vice-president. Ren was standing behind her in amusement of their tiny banter, somehow irking Kanae.

Asami strode towards them and said, "Hiou-kun, Tsuruga-san, Marina-san, we'll begin now, if you're ready?"

"I believe we are ready," Marina answered while gesturing for Ren and Hiou to follow her.

When they had reached an empty spot of the studio, Asami looked at her clipboard and began explaining. "Alright, so the first scene we're going to take is the flashback scene. Hiou-kun, you're going to look sideway to the camera with a sad expression, and then slowly turn around to walk forward with your back facing the camera. Tsuruga-san, you will do the same later when Hiou-kun finishes. We will later loop them together with the CG we've prepared."

Hiou's eyes widened. "Just that?" he asked in disbelief. Being an infamous child actor he was, this was the first time for him to be asked to do just one simple scene and just that. "Where's the challenge in that?"

Ren could swear he heard Marina smirked beside him. "Uesugi-kun, you see," she said while bending her back to level his eyesight. "Every child wants recognition from everyone around him, do they not?"

"Err," Hiou stuttered a bit at their closeness, "yeah, that might be true, I guess?"

Marina's smile widened. "Then that is the same with the halfling. Being an orphan, he really needs a place to belong to, a home to return to, people who welcome him back. But, because he is a halfling, he does not belong to any realm, and everyone scorns him, refuses him. What will you feel if you do not have anyone to turn to because everyone hates you?"

Hiou pondered about it for a while, and then said, "Hate them back?"

Marina raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased, while Ren had to contain his chuckle. "I said, as a child, Uesugi-kun, not a rebellious teenager," Marina said sternly.

The child actor was silent again, closing his eyes and frowned in concentration, before saying, "Super sad? If I'm a crybaby too, I might as well cry 24/7."

That returned the smile on Marina's face. "And I want all those emotions to be shown clearly, Uesugi-kun, even if it will only be shown in 3 seconds, do you understand?"

Hiou's eyes widened in horror. "You want me to cry all the time during a 3-second scene?!"

"If you deem it necessary," Marina replied.

The boy scowled. He had never expected the character he had to play had to show so much sadness, because he always thought that the halfling had tough personalities from being all alone his whole life. And when he had first known that Kanae would be in the PV alongside him, he was so ecstatic to show the tough part of him. Never had he thought that he had to act a crybaby. "Damn you all," he mumbled in frustration.

"How about you, Tsuruga-san?" Marina asked. "I might as well expect that you have known what to do, mightn't I?"

When she fully looked at Ren, she was surprised to see him with a grim and bored expression on his face, like he did not care about what happened around him and how people saw him. She then realized that the man in front of her was no longer Tsuruga Ren, but the halfling that did not know about love that she had written about.

"I-I see," she stammered, still dumbfounded. Never have I thought that I will see the halfling this soon, Marina thought. She turned to look at Asami and nodded.

Asami nodded back. "Alright, people, places. We will begin with Hiou-kun first. Scene 2 Part 4."

"'True Reflection' Scene 2 Part 4," the assistant director repeated while clapping the clapperboard in front of the camera.

Hiou took a deep breath and stood at the center of the empty space, looking sideway at the camera. Okay, he thought, I'm back to being 7 years old again, and all people hate me. I'm 7 years old and people hate me. 7 years old and they hate me.

"ACTION!" the director yelled.

In an instant, Hiou was brimming with tears. He looked sadly at the camera, and then slowly turned away from the camera and walked away.

"And… CUT!"

Hiou quickly blinked all his tears away, before walking towards Asami, Marina, and the director who were reviewing the taken scene. He noticed the vice-president frowning a bit.

"What do you think?" Hiou asked, somehow knowing the answer already.

Marina chewed the inside of her cheek. "Not enough grief," she said before Asami could say anything. "This looks fake. One more take."

Asami and Kanae who was watching from afar could only sweatdrop while Hiou did the best he could to not groan.

Kyoko entered the studio to watch Hiou facing the camera with a dejected face and tears threatening to flow from his face. It reminded her of her own expression when her mother had rejected her the times she had not gotten perfect scores in school.

Yeah, she thought sadly, however hard I studied, if I didn't score a hundred, she would never acknowledge me.

Ren chose that moment to turned around and saw a dirtied beauty with long, flowing wavy blonde wig. She was wearing the same dress she had worn in 'Prisoner'; however the staff who handled the costume had made small rips that were scattered on the dress.

She was still as lovely as ever in Ren's eyes.

He then noticed the sad expression on his girlfriend's face, and the character he had grasped as the halfling went away from him instantly. He snaked one arm around her waist when she was close enough, making Yashiro who at that moment noticed squealing inwardly in delight. "You okay, Kyoko?" Ren asked in a low voice.

Kyoko gave him a small smile and nodded. Ren smiled back. "You look stunning, by the way," he whispered again, his lips near her ear. He chuckled when she blushed.

"And… CUT!"

The couple turned to see Hiou striding towards them with an annoyed expression while Asami, Marina, and the director once again reviewed the take. "Satisfied?" he asked with a clipped tone.

"Yes," Marina answered, smiling. "This is exactly what I want."

Hiou exhaled the big breath he had held unconsciously in relief. He then walked towards Kanae and stood beside her.

"Your turn, Tsuruga-san," Asami called.

Ren released Kyoko from his light embrace and gave her a comforting squeeze on her shoulder. He took a deep breath and let the halfling came back into him while he walked to the spot Hiou had stood at before. He turned his body to look sideway to the camera, and make a bit of his memory as Kuon slip out a bit.

Immediately he could picture the people who had scorned and bullied him when he was fifteen at the place where the camera stood. Rage started to grow inside his heart, but he flinched and turned his gaze towards Kyoko.

I can't let my rage take control now, he thought, strengthening his resolve. It will only disappoint her.

"'True Reflection', Scene 2 Part 5," Ren could hear the assistant director speaking loudly.

He sighed with a blank expression; the halfling had completely taken over his body.

"ACTION!"

Don't they have any other words to call me with? He thought. Such a waste of my time.

He glanced at the camera with an indifferent face, and then with the same pace as Hiou had done, turned and walked away.

"And… CUT!"

The halfling immediately left him. He turned to walk towards Kyoko who was watching the reviewing of the taken scene and slipped his arm around her waist again. The girl blushed a light shade of red, which went noticed by Kanae. The ravenette glared at Ren enough to bore holes in his head if possible.

Asami and Marina exchanged glances, and Asami said, "This looks perfect. Let's move on. Kyoko-chan, it's your turn now."

Kyoko released herself from Ren's hand and went to Asami and Marina's position, still blushing. Marina gave her a knowing smirk when their eyes met.

"Kyoko-chan, in this scene, your angel is suffering," Asami explained. "You're to wander around the woods," she pointed to a set of fake dried up trees, "and lament on your sin. When you're nearing the designated point, sway your body as if you're losing all your strength and faint."

Kyoko nodded in understanding. Asami gestured for Ren to come. "Tsuruga-san, after Kyoko-chan fainted, you're to approach her like if you find a fainted stranger. Show caution in your every move."

"Also do not forget to show the halfling's indifference towards others," Marina added.

Asami continued, "And then, when you turn her around and see her face, show that you're surprised."

"And show that you are falling in love at first sight, but you just do not recognize the feeling," Marina chirped in.

The three of them were silent while looking at the oblivious vice-president.

I thought they start to fall in love after spending some time in each other's company,Asami thought. Did she just make it up?

"Can you do it, Tsuruga-san?" Marina asked, her eyes glinting with excitement and challenge for the actor.

Ren returned the challenged grin. "As you wish."

Haha, as I've thought, now she hates me with all her might, Kyoko thought, giggling like crazy while walking around the fake woods. I've known it and I've prepared myself for it, but why does it still hurt?

To everyone's shock, beads of tears started to flow out of Kyoko's eyes and down her dust-coated cheeks. And she was still giggling.

Did I really do the right thing by killing that demon? Even though I did it to save her, did it really worth being hated by her and banished from the heavens? Oh no, I'm losing… my… strength…

Kyoko fell down to the ground, her long golden locks covering her face. Dumbfounded, the director almost forgot to signal Ren for his entrance.

Ren wandered around the other side of the woods for a bit before going near Kyoko's position. His face was void of expression. He noticed Kyoko's limp body on the ground from afar and approached her.

Seeing a fainted woman, he sighed. What a pain. He walked with a slow pace towards Kyoko, pausing several times. What if she is dangerous? I bet she's no different from those people who want me gone for the better.

But the angelic part of his heart kept nagging. He groaned inwardly. Who cares? He reached Kyoko and crouched down, turning her over to her back by her shoulder. His eyes widened instantly.

In front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Although her long blonde hair was tangled everywhere and covered with dirt, it still shone a golden color. Her face features were sharp yet soft, and her body shown the perfect epitome of femininity.

Unknowingly for him, he blushed. She's breathtaking, he thought. But then, noticing her ripped dress and unconscious state, he frowned. What happened to her? Why is she here?

He picked her up bridal style and brought her to his home.

This looks better than what I've pictured before, Asami admitted to herself while reviewing the scene. As expected, I can't underestimate her creativity. In some sense, I understand now why people say Akatoki Marina can't be underrated. She glanced from the corner of her eyes at Marina who was smiling in satisfaction at the monitor before turning to talk to Kyoko and Ren.

Asami looked back at the monitor and replayed the scene one more time. She paused at the part where Kyoko was giggling with tears flowing from her face. The producer frowned.

It happened again, she thought. That time, I saw an angel turning into a demon with my own eyes in her. And now she has completely turned into a fallen angel who's suffering because of the weight of her sin. Her crying wasn't planned at all, but it added the emotional tension. Akatoki-san didn't even instruct her to do that.

A smile grew on her face. She had grown into a great deal of an actress. If Sho was to act in this PV, he would lose right in the first take with her. You have to watch out, Sho.

Sanada could not believe her luck.

The original aim for the interview with Fuwa Sho was to promote his newest single, yet the singer willingly gave her a piece of information that could stir the whole media. She typed on her keyboard furiously.

Her article about Fuwa Sho shall headline the celebrity gossip section on the newspaper tomorrow morning, outlining the true meaning of 'True Reflection'.

I am wondering if I made Hiou seem OC. What do you guys think?

Please review :) Thank you!