Ren's arms were laden down with heavy bags from the shopping center in his apartment complex. It was a struggle to open his door with the burden, but he managed to do so.
Not that the laughing pair behind him noticed the delay in entering.
After a large debate between the three of them in his dressing room – in which Kyoko vehemently expressed her opinion that they could not go out to a restaurant as the two of them would attract too much attention – they finally agreed that she would cook as she had originally intended to do. While he agreed that dining out in public was not the best option – he didn't want his association with Hizuri Kuu to be on anyone's lips for obvious reasons – he wasn't sure how comfortable he was with being in such confined quarters with his father. He couldn't let his guard down for a single moment; if he did, there was a very real possibility that he could somehow expose his secret to Kyoko.
That thought alone had kept him mostly silent during their shopping expedition.
While he removed the key from his door, Kyoko led Kuu into his apartment and to the kitchen. A warmth spread through Ren as he watched her move about his home so comfortably. Though it was only for an instant, the look his father sent him showed he was taking note of her knowledge of his home as well.
"Why don't you get changed while I start dinner Tsuruga-san?" she quipped while removing the daikon from the bags.
"Yeah, go ahead Tsuruga-kun. I'll be glad to help Kyoko with everything."
Kyoko seemed to take no notice of the teasing lit to his father's tone so he once again sent that false smile to them and left for the safety of his bedroom. Their laughter followed him down the short hallway and into the darkness of his room. A heavy sigh passed his lips as he closed the door.
Was it even possible to be this happy and confused at the same time?
He knew he couldn't let Kyoko find out about his relationship with the man in his home.
He knew he shouldn't be spending this much time with his father until his goals were completed.
As much as he understood the wrongness of the situation, he couldn't ignore the happiness he felt at hearing his father and the woman he loved getting along so well. He missed being able to talk with his father as Kyoko was able to do. Long gone were the days when no tension stood between them. For most of the days he spent with his parents after the age of 10, there was nothing but arguments and accusations spoken amongst his family.
Another burst of laughter from the kitchen pulled a true smile from him and prompted Ren to leave the solitude of his bedroom. He schooled his features well as he rounded the corner of the hallway and entered his unusually bustling kitchen.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked as he watched Kyoko cooking the mackerel. Kuu stood at the counter, a mountain of vegetables waiting to be chopped piled before him.
"No!" she shouted before seeming to catch her slip. She gave a tremulous smile and waved her hand in what she hoped was a nonchalant fashion. "No Tsuruga-san. Why don't you just sit and relax while we prepare dinner?"
Kuu lifted curious golden brows at Ren and turned to smile at the young woman's back. "Is there any particular reason you're so adamant that he doesn't help with the cooking?"
He chuckled when her shoulders slumped.
"I'm sorry but...it's just..." she looked apologetically at her sempai before addressing Kuu. "He's so bad at cooking," she admitted softly.
The international star laughed loudly, never pausing in his swift cuts through the vegetables before him. "That bad huh?"
"I'm sorry Tsuruga-san, but honestly...I just don't know if I can handle your cooking again."
Ren smiled at her reluctant face. "It's alright Mogami-san. I'm fully aware of how bad my skills are in the kitchen."
Kyoko flipped the sauteing fish before moving over to an empty counter space and measuring flour out into a bowl. "I could always teach you how to make some simple dishes if you ever want to learn them Tsuruga-san."
His eyes traveled down the slim body moving about his kitchen as if it were her own. "But I much prefer your home cooked food Mogami-san."
She sent a timid smile over her shoulder to him. "My skills aren't that advanced, but I'm still working on it. Besides, you eat entirely too many convenience store foods so your tastes are probably easily satisfied."
Kuu laughed and added the contents of his chopping board to the growing mound in the large bowl before him. "It sounds like she knows your habits pretty well Tsuruga-kun."
"I could say she's exaggerating, but that wouldn't be entirely true."
"It wouldn't be true at all and you know it," the copper headed woman said without turning from her pans.
Ren poured himself a glass of wine before taking a seat at his rarely used kitchen table, watching the two work steadily beside one another. "So, what brings you back to Japan Hizuri-san?"
Kuu met the questioning eyes of his true son, glad to see there wasn't much of a glare accompanying that question. "A good friend of mine passed away in Korea; I've been there for the past few days. This is only an overnight stop before I go back home."
Ren glanced to Kyoko, making sure she was still focused on her cooking, before turning his questioning gaze back to his father. Kuu's facial expression and the negative shake of his head let him know he wasn't familiar with the friend of his fathers. "I'm sorry to hear about that."
"Thank you."
"I am terribly sorry about your loss but...I'm happy I got to see you Kuu-sensei." Kyoko said, opening the next pack of fish to be cooked.
"I'm glad to be able to see you again too Kyoko." Kuu's warm smile had her quick working hands slowing as she fell into a happy daze from hearing those words.
They all continued to chat as dinner was being prepared. To Ren's surprise, there were no lulls in the conversation nor any awkward moments between them. The topics would change frequently, flowing smoothly from one to another; laughter filled the kitchen, and the tension he'd felt when he initially arrived in his home evaporated under the smiling faces around him.
When they sat down to eat, Ren couldn't hold back his smile at the familiar sight of several overflowing plates placed in front of Kuu. The obanzai ryori Kyoko and Kuu prepared filled his home with the wonderful and nostalgic smell of Kyoto style cuisine he'd enjoyed in his childhood. His own dishes were – thankfully – much smaller than Kuu's. Instead of the silence that normally accompanied him eating a meal in his apartment, the steady stream of conversation never wavered as the food was enjoyed. Ren liked watching the amusement show on Kyoko's face while she watched his father eat. Though he knew they had several meals together before, it seemed she was not yet accustomed to the slender man devouring enough food to feed a small army.
Much to his kohai's displeasure, Ren insisted on helping with the clean up. She could do little more than pout as he gathered the dishes and prepared them for the dishwasher. The timer on the stove drew her away from trying to help him with the task. She removed the cake she'd prepared for dessert and set it up to cool just as Ren was finishing up.
"It's good that your cake isn't ready to eat yet, Mogami-san."
"Huh?"
Ren smiled at her as his hand lifted to his toned stomach. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy any of it right now."
A laugh escaped her as his meaning set in. "I was just surprised you actually ate nearly everything on your plates without any prompting."
She felt her chest tighten when he playfully pouted at her. "I can eat without being told to do so you know."
Kyoko forced herself to look away from his teasing eyes. "Just not very often."
Kuu stuck his head around the corner of the kitchen, eyes closed while he took a deep breath. "I smell cake."
Kyoko laughed and gently pushed him into the living room. "It's not ready yet sensei, therefore you aren't allowed near it."
"Fine, fine." Kuu relented and sunk down into the large chair in Ren's living room, turning an eye onto the tall man. "I know what we can do to pass the time until it is ready. Do you mind if I turn on your TV Tsuruga-kun?"
"Of course not." Ren said and slid onto the the end of the couch – secretly pleased that his father had chosen the chair so that he and Kyoko could have the couch.
Kyoko's eyes were drawn to her sensei's hand as he reached for the TV remote. She'd never noticed it before, but the structure of his hand was so close to Tsuruga-san's. Actually, the more she looked at it, the more she was convinced it was exactly as Tsuruga-san's. The length of his fingers to his knuckles, the large span of his hand, wrist to elbow, elbow to shoulder...
Their bone structure was nearly identical.
It was uncanny. She had always been so sure that no one else was built the same as Tsuruga-san. Yet, the more she observed her sensei the more the similarities became clear. Of course, there were some differences. Tsuruga-san's legs were slightly longer than Kuu's and his torso was maybe an inch longer as well. The proportion of his head to his shoulders was the same and the spacing between their eyes was identical. Tsuruga-san's jawline was slightly more square than sensei's was, but their noses were similar.
She was shocked. Kyoko never thought anyone else would even register near the Tsuruga-san mental scale she'd made. Her eyes flickered back and forth between Kuu and Tsuruga-san. The more she looked, the more similarities she found.
What could that possibly mean?
"Mogami-san?"
Tsuruga-san's voice made her head snap up and she feared she had been caught staring at one or both of them. It wouldn't do for them to think she had become some sort of pervert all of the sudden.
"Are you alright, Mogami-san?"
It didn't seem as if he noticed her odd behavior and she gave a sigh of thanks. "Yes, sorry. I'm fine Tsuruga-san."
He smiled at her response and turned back to the TV. Commercials were still playing so she had no idea of what they were watching. "Kuu-sensei, what is it you wanted to watch?"
The blond smiled. "Boss told me it was on tonight. If I hadn't been able to run into you, I was planning on watching it from my hotel room."
"Okay, but what is it?"
He didn't answer but a familiar song began filling the room. Stunned, golden eyes locked onto the TV to watch the opening credits of Box R. A glance at the clock confirmed what she was already seeing; it was indeed time for her drama to come on. Kyoko felt the couch dip a bit as Ren leaned further back into the soft cushions.
"I don't believe I've been able to watch an entire episode yet," Ren said, a slow smile working its way to his face. "I'm glad you remembered this Hizuri-san."
His father's answering chuckle swept past a still stunned Kyoko. Her sempai and her sensei were stretched out in their seats, looking for all the world like two comfortable, contented men. Her heart was in overdrive. She couldn't decide whether to be extremely happy or give in to the incredible nervousness she could feel wanting to take root in her body.
What if they didn't like it?
What if her acting wasn't any good?
Her hands clenched in her lap as the indecisiveness taxed her mind. The first scene of the show came on and a completely different emotion took over her body and mind.
"NO!" she shouted in reflex and leapt from the couch. "We can't watch this tonight!"
Kuu and Ren turned shocked, slightly fearful eyes onto the young woman.
"Why not?" Kuu finally asked.
"B-Because..." she stammered, unwilling to finish the sentence.
"Because what Mogami-san?" Ren asked.
Kyoko felt the heat rising to her cheeks. She couldn't meet their probing eyes and slid back into her seat. How could she tell them she didn't want them to see this particular scene? It wasn't like they couldn't just watch it another day...but at least she wouldn't have to see their reactions to the indecent actions Natsu had preformed.
"Mogami Kyoko." The commanding tone in Kuu's voice had her siting up ramrod straight, head upright, and wide eyes focused on him.
"Yes sir?"
His narrowed bright blue eyes burned as they watched her reaction. "Did you already do a nude scene?"
Kyoko didn't move for the space of three seconds while that question fully processed in her head.
"WHAT?"
Getting the knee-jerk reaction he'd expected, Kuu laughed and settled back in his chair – eyes once again focused on the screen. "I didn't think so but I had to check."
"Sensei!" she exclaimed, righting herself on the couch once more. "How could you even ask if I had done that?"
"You never know what kind of roles you will be offered. I told you this before didn't I?"
"Yes, but a nu...nu..." she blew out her breath in exasperation. She couldn't even repeat it! "How could I do that?"
"That's your own personal choice. Plenty of actors have done varying degrees of nudity in their careers. It's all up to you how much you are willing to do for your role."
While the laughter still lingered in his voice, there was a serious note under it all. He was telling her another fact of the acting world...one that she'd never even thought of before. She knew there were dramas and movies that had nudity in them, but it had never occurred to her that she may be requested to do something like that in the future. Her comfort level for the kiss scene they would be watching in a few moments had been terribly low. Now, she had to prepare for the Allure commercial set to shoot in a few weeks. While there was most definitely no nudity in the shoot, it was still beyond anything she'd ever done before.
She knew there was no way she could ever bare herself in front of the camera.
"Mogami-san?" She turned to her sempai. "Why didn't you want us to watch this episode?"
Though his question was politely asked, she felt the demand for answers coming through his voice. "I'm..." she sighed, giving up on hiding what they would see shortly. "I'm just embarrassed."
Ren's dark eyebrows shot up but he wasn't able to respond to her as Kuu turned up the TV.
"You two hush. I can't hear anything."
"Yes sir." Kyoko mumbled and sunk back into the large couch. Ren almost repeated her statement but held himself back, though he did stop talking and focused on the episode.
When Hiroki's character came onto the rooftop, Kyoko forced herself to not turn towards either man sitting in the room.
Ren was having a very difficult time keeping his composure.
Every move she made, every word that came from her mouth was meant to seduce...and she was doing a damn fine job of it.
He couldn't get mad at the boy playing opposite of her – after all, this was work. He'd been required to kiss any number of actresses in the dramas and films he'd been in. While his scenes hadn't gone much farther than that, he'd still preformed slightly more intense scenes than the one he was watching. Ren could separate the fact that the kiss was nothing more than what Natsu's character needed to do. So for that alone, he felt no anger towards Kyoko or the man playing Hiroki.
What he could do was desperately wish he was able to trade places with the actor falling into the web she was spinning. He wasn't entirely sure he would be able to resist following the trails she was laying down but he knew he'd have the time of his life trying.
This scene was nothing more than torture to him. Her eyes, her pouty lips, the slow, sensual movements her hands made trailing up the boys arms, the breasts that crushed against his chest when she sunk her teeth into his lip...he knew what those breasts looked like. His nails dug into his palms as he tried to keep his breathing slow and steady. Arousal was flaring to life within him and this was most certainly not the time to be dealing with it.
The kiss finally ended and he watched as Natsu turned on the poor girl who'd seen the whole thing. Ren took his time cooling his blood while the rest of the episode played out.
Kyoko was relieved when she heard the ending song for the drama begin to play. That relief was short lived when realized Kuu had turned to her to comment on the scenes he just watched. Try as she might, she couldn't remove the fierce blush that stained her face. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever criticism her sensei had. His eyes twinkled and the large grin eased some of the tension running through her frame.
"That was very well done Kyoko."
"Really?" she asked hopefully. "It wasn't...too much?"
"No, no...it was wonderfully done. Judging from your words and actions, Natsu seems to be the ring leader of this group of bullies, right?" she nodded her head in confirmation. "The kiss to Hiroki was really just a way to get at the girl who broke down when she saw it. You did excellent. The set up for the scene, your body language as you drew in your victim...hell, even the way you seemed completely uninterested in the kiss and opened your eyes to see the girl come on the rooftop. It was great."
Kyoko smiled in unabashed pleasure to hear Kuu give her such wonderful compliments on the scene. Having such a renowned actor as Hizuri Kuu say the scene was done very well made the last reservations she had disappear.
"I fully agree with Hizuri-san, Mogami-san. You did an excellent job." Ren added.
Kyoko wasn't sure if her smile could get any larger. She was almost overwhelmed by the two famous actors praises.
"Were you just embarrassed by the contents of the episode? Is that why you didn't want us to watch it?" Kuu asked.
"Yes sir. I've just never done anything like that before and I wasn't very confident going into it. Even though the director said the shoot went well, I've been worried about it ever since."
"Well stop worrying because I can assure you, you did a wonderful job."
Kyoko felt tears stinging her eyes and formally bowed to both men. "Thank you so much." She took a deep breath as she rose, though it didn't do much to help her composure. "I...I'm going to go get the cake. I'm sure it's cooled off enough by now." She hurried to leave the living room. Their praise was too much for her and she didn't want to shed the grateful tears in front of two of the most important men in her life.
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Lory reclined on the leather chaise lounge and watched as his assistant led Sawara into his personal office.
The call from his head of the talent section had come a few hours earlier. He didn't elaborate much – he simply stated that he had something he must see. As Sawara informed him it wasn't an emergency of any kind, they agreed to wait until after business hours to meet up. Lory was a curious man and his interest had been peaked ever since the phone call. With a wave of his hand, his assistant left the two men alone to discuss their business.
"Alright Sawara-kun, what exactly is it that you said I had to see?"
"I'll get it set up right now, president." Sawara said and walked over to load the DVD he was carrying. "I received a call from Takenaga-kantoku earlier today saying he had Mogami-kun in his studio and he wanted to try her out for the part of Madoriko in his drama Through the Darkness."
"I thought he already had an actress cast for the part?"
"He did but you know how Takenaga-kantoku can be." Lory nodded in understanding and pulled a cigar out. "I wasn't sure if she would have time to do the part but he assured me it was only for two scenes; the longest one being the one he shot today."
"So, how did she do?"
Sawara crossed the large office before sitting on the couch opposite his boss. "Takenaga said she had the part and he was going to use the shot from today for the series. What surprised me is when he called later to thank me for letting her do this part. You know how he is, can you imagine him thanking anyone? On top of that, he had a courier bring over a copy of the uncut scene they filmed earlier. President...you've just got to see this."
Lory was more than confused by his employee's words but sat back and waited as the DVD loaded. Sawara gave him a quick run down on Madoriko's character history and what the scene should entail before hitting play.
He spent the next four minutes in transfixed awe of his number one LoveMe member.
He had seen her preform before in the acting school, he'd watched her in Dark Moon and now in Box R, but this emotion she displayed was unlike anything he'd seen Kyoko do before. He felt his own tears run down his cheeks as she lamented the loss of her husband. The gut wrenching pain she felt was laid bare for everyone to see...he was moved beyond words.
He could do little more than thank Sawara for bringing this to him and watch him leave.
Lory played the video three more times before he finally shut the TV off. It was just an amazing piece of acting and he made a mental note to congratulate her on the job the first chance he got.
She had come so very far since the first time he'd met her over a year ago. The painful sadness she just showed was something he wasn't sure she could have accomplished when she first began working at LME. Little by little she was changing and he was happy he got to see it unfold before him.
He thought again about the role he'd given her as Setsu. Could some of this change be attributed to the interactions she'd had with Ren under the guise of his sister? He'd like to think so, but he didn't have any proof of that just yet. Though, that had been part of his original intentions. Placing the two of them together during the filming of this movie was a way to kill two birds with one stone.
Kyoko's issues with love and trust were obvious as that's what landed her in the LoveMe division, but Ren had his own problems that weren't so well known. That man still believed he didn't have the right to be happy and did everything in his power to push aside any chance at it he got. On top of that, Lory had been worried about his mental state the moment he'd accepted this role. Regardless of the actual events, he knew Ren thought of himself as a murderer. Lory worried what playing the role of a cold-blooded serial killer would do to his mind.
Considering what he'd heard about so far, he'd done well to place Kyoko with him.
He was just immensely pleased that the situation with Fuwa Sho had not been any worse than it was. Since he had never heard anything from Queen records, the eccentric president had his network of informants gather any evidence at all about Fuwa's condition. They were able to procure a few photographs of the singer leaving the agency and attending recording sessions throughout the week. From what he learned, Fuwa never reported being involved in an altercation with anyone and didn't miss any time from work following the fight.
Just glancing at the photographs in his hand, Lory could see how no one had any call to question him about anything. Fuwa looked as put together as he normally did. Since Lory was looking for anything out of the ordinary, he was able to spot it. As the young singer walked to his car, the wind blew his hair back for a moment and exposed the healing bruise just beneath his jaw. There was also another spot on his forehead, right at his hairline, that looked like a cut. Whatever Ren had done to him that night, he had not placed many visible wounds on the young mans body.
A world weary sigh tore free from the veteran of the entertainment industry and he took a deep drag from the expensive cigar between his fingers. The sweet smell of the smoke filled the opulent room and he tried to focus again on the more positive news of the evening.
If Kyoko continued on the path she was treading, he would have to think about holding a graduation ceremony soon.
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Ren turned the TV down until it only served as background noise so as not to disturb the young woman curled into the corner of his couch. The corner of his lip tipped upwards while he watched her sleeping face.
After they'd eaten the cake she'd quickly frosted – they had a slice each and Kyoko presented the rest of the cake to his father – they continued talking about both of their recent work, including her modeling. Not long into the conversation, Ren noticed her eyes beginning to get heavy. Kuu had noticed this as well and during a deliberate lull on their part, she fell asleep. Ren took the empty plate from her hands and placed it on the table before him.
"With the intense scene she shot earlier today and the large meal she just prepared, it's no wonder she fell asleep." Kuu commented.
"It also is pretty late." Ren added as he glanced at the clock.
"Was that a hint?"
Ren ignored the teasing from his father. "Of course not. I was merely stating a fact."
"Sure ya were. It's alright, I gotta get going anyway. Early flight and all."
"How is your wife doing?" Even though it seemed Kyoko was deep in dreamland, Ren thought it best to continue the charade they'd upheld all night.
"Julie's doing good. She has a favorite DVD now that she's almost worn out from watching it so much," the blond said with a heartfelt grin to his child.
"I'm glad." So much that wasn't said was able to be transmitted through the smiles they shared in that moment. Ren knew his father would tell his mother the things he was not yet able to say.
Kuu stood from the chair, his eyes lingering on Kyoko's sleeping form. "Should I take her home?"
"No, I'll put her in the guest room in a moment."
Kuu walked towards the front door, Ren following closely behind him. "I don't know how I feel about my little girl over there spending the night in a young man's apartment."
Irritated eyes narrowed at the back of Kuu's head. "There's nothing inappropriate about her staying here. She's done so a few times in the past already."
"Still..."
"Didn't you just say you have an early plane to catch?"
Kuu chuckled and turned to face his son once more. "I didn't think Tsuruga Ren's persona allowed for rudeness."
"I wasn't been rude, just truthful."
Knowing his son wouldn't allow him to embrace him just yet, Kuu simply held out his hand – smiling when Ren took it without hesitation. "Take care of yourself Tsuruga-kun."
"I will. Have a safe trip, Hizuri-san."
"Thanks. And take care of that young woman in there. I like her."
Ren's warm eyes stared meaningfully into his father's. "So do I."
Kuu smiled and stepped out of the apartment, casting one last look to the son he wouldn't again for some time. "I noticed."
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A/N:
So I finally tried my hand at a one-shot the other day. Figured it was time to do something a little different, and guess what? It's a Skip Beat! Fanfic! I'd really love for you all to check it out and let me know what you think. It's called Reality of Dreams so please give it a read when you get a chance. Oh, and warning...it's definitely rated M. :)
Papa Kuu is leaving so we're gonna get back to the meat and potatoes of the story. Maybe some training for Allure in our future? Hmmmm...
Oh and I know I wrote Kuu calling Ren Tsuruga-san in the last chapter. I must have had a brain fart because he called him Tsuruga-kun in the manga so I swapped it back in this chapter.
Thanks for reading and pretty please leave a review! Thanks!