Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat! Or any of its character.

Chapter 10

After the proposal scene a lot of people came up to them to congratulate them for a job well done. Kyoko put up a calm and collected persona but inside she was in turmoil. She wasn't even sure that the confession really happened. If it weren't for people telling her that the whole proposal was so heart warming and the kiss seems so real, she would have thought that it was all a dream. She could see from the corner of her eye that Ren kept giving her quick glances.

"That was beautiful, better than I thought!" Kurosaki beamed after watching the playback of what they just filmed. "One take, even without rehearsal. That's a wrap guys. Thank you for a job well done." Kurosaki shook both the actors' hand and walked towards President Tarakada to express his gratitude.

It was another half an hour before Ren and Kyoko were alone. They were sitting in the lounge area on the penthouse floor overseeing the now dark ocean. The whole floor was deserted. After the wedding reception scene the Watanabe's who were occupying one of the penthouses left. Kijima felt the day after. Now it's only Kyoko and Ren with Yashiro who occupy the whole floor. The president and Maria are staying at Haruto's private villa located near the garden of the resort.

Ren took Kyoko's hand.

"Kyoko, the words I said during filming are all true. Ai shiteru." (A/N: Ai shiteru-I love you in Japanese- according to my cousin who's married to a Japanese guy these phase is only use when the person saying it is really serious about the other person.). He lifted Kyoko's hand and placed it on his heart. "You've always been the only girl in here."

Kyoko could see the sincerity in Ren's eyes and it made her giddy with happiness. Never, even in her wildest dream would she believe that her senpai would like her more than a Kohai. And now he's telling her that she's the only girl in his heart.

"But before you give me your answer I want you to learn everything about me. About my true identity and my past. I'm not who you think I am. And my past is something I'm not proud of. But you have to know about them." Ren looked down. "I'm not worthy of you Kyoko" He said softly "But I want to try to be the man you'll be proud of. I want to be honest. No more secrets!"

Kyoko reached out and touched Ren's cheek with her free hand. He looked up and her heart ached when she saw the pain in his eyes. She wanted to take away all his pain but she didn't know how. She doesn't even understand why he's saying all these things.

"Ren, I..."

Ren touched her lips with his index finger.

"Kyoko, please listen first before you say something." Kyoko nodded. Ren looked into her eyes and she smiled. "To tell you the truth I don't know where to start."

Kyoko shifted her hand that Ren was holding to his heart so she can hold Ren's hand and squeeze it.

"I wasn't planning on confessing to you this way but I didn't want to my proposal to be scripted. I wanted to tell you about my past before telling you how I feel. I was just waiting for the right time, waiting for you to be ready to love again."

"I'm ready now" she said softly. Ren smiled.

"Kyoko, I was born in America. My mother is an American Model." Ren pause to let that sink in.

Kyoko looked at Ren in shock. She would never have guessed that he's not full Japanese. Then something occurs to her:

"When you taught me my Natsu walk you told me that you were teaching me the techniques of a model who said to be the most beautiful in the world, where you talking about your mother?"

Ren nodded and smiled.

"Wow!" Kyoko said and Ren squeezed her hand this time.

"Yes my mother is well known on the catwalk. My father is a Japanese-American actor. He's very well known here and in America..." He waited for Kyoko to make the connection but she was still trying to grasp the idea of Ren being American that she didn't think about the possibility that Kuu is Ren's dad.

"My Father's name is..."

Ding. The elevator chimed before the door opened. Ren and Kyoko let go of each other when they overheard two employees talking.

E1: You should have been there. The kiss was so real. If I didn't know it was all an act I would have thought they were really in love with each other.

E2: Were they really that good?

E1: Yes. The best.

The two employees looked up to find the topic of their gossip sitting at the lounge area, both smiling at them.

"Sorry Tsuruga-san, Mogami-san. If we're interrupting we could come back later if you want some privacy." The girl who had watched the shoot said.

Ren answered for them "No it's fine. We were just relaxing and having a friendly talk. Don't let us keep you from doing your jobs." He gave them one of his gentleman smiles which made the two girls lightheaded. They bowed and walked towards one of the penthouse they were about to clean.

When they were alone again Ren said "I guess this is not the best place to discuss this. We should talk about this in private."

Kyoko nodded and added. "But if I invite you to my room now or I go to yours it might create rumours."

Ren took her hand again. "I guess I have to wait to tell you. Will you have dinner with me on Wednesday Kyoko? We can have an early dinner then we can go to my apartment so I can tell you everything there."

"I'll cook dinner at your apartment instead."

"Ok it's a date." Kyoko blushed and nodded. "I think I better walk you to your room now."

When they got to Kyoko's door, Ren leaned closer to Kyoko and whispered "May I?"

She nodded. But to her disappointment Ren only gave her a kiss on the cheek before whispering "Goodnight my princess. Sweet dreams. I love you."

"Goodnight Ren"

Kyoko entered her room and Ren called Yashiro and asked him to come up. He went to sit in the lounge again waiting. When the two girls came out they found Ren and his manager sitting in the lounge talking. They bid them goodnight before leaving the penthouse floor.

Ren got up to go to his room.

"What was that all about?" Yashiro asked as they were walking

"They saw me with Kyoko when they got off the elevator and I didn't want any rumours." Was all he said.

Ren left early Tuesday morning along with his manager, Lory and Maria. Kyoko wanted to go with them but stayed at Yamamoto Haruki's request. She's now walking around the resort thinking about Ren, his confession and the impromptu kiss during the shoot. She blushed at the thought. She lifted her right hand and touched her lips. She was so absorbed with her thoughts that she didn't notice the girl with long wary hair approach her until that said girl linked her arms onto hers. Kyoko looked up surprised at the sudden closeness of the girl.

"Hello Kurosaki-san." She said.

"Hello Kyoko-chan. It's Nanami-chan or Nami-chan. Kurosaki-san is my brother. You look distracted and lonely you must be missing your friends. I'll keep you company today so you won't get lonely." The bubbly girl said without letting Kyoko speak. "Let's go shopping!"

For the next two and a half hours Kyoko was dragged and pulled into every store and boutique around the resort. Clothes were shoved into her arms and she was pushed into dressing rooms to try them on. Shoes, accessories, makeup and perfumes were also tried by the two girls. Kyoko was so busy keeping up with Nanami that she didn't have time to think about her senpai until his name was mentioned by her companion.

It was when she came out of the dressing wearing the red floral summer dress Nanami insisted she try on. She must admit the dress suits her perfectly. The white thin belt made her waist look tiny and the above-the-knee length makes her legs look longer. The scoop neckline accentuates her elegant long neck. The overall effect is demure and girly but sexy.

"Oh my, Kyoko-chan! That suits you well. You look gorgeous! Not that you didn't look gorgeous with the other clothes you tried on but this one...WOW! Tsuruga-san will fall in love with you more when he sees you wearing that dress."

Kyoko blushed.

"Um... Nanami-chan w-why did you say that?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you think that Tsuruga-san was i...um in... in love with me?"

"Well I thought he was your boyfriend Kyoko-chan. I can tell he was in love with you by the way he looks at you. Was I wrong?"

"Well he's not really my boyfriend."

Nanami studied Kyoko's blushing face then she smiled.

"Not yet, but he's in love with you. I'm sure he will be your boyfriend soon."

"I..."

Ring ring ring.

Nanami checked her caller id. "Matte Kyoko-chan, its Ruki." Kyoko nodded and waited for Nanami to finish her call. It was just a short phone call.

"Kyoko-chan Haruki wanted to have lunch with us, I hope you don't mind. He's at the Italian restaurant."

"I don't mind. Let me just get change."

"No just wear that."

"But..."

"You look good in it. Just leave that on. Everything's paid for anyway."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know but I want to do it. Please Kyoko-chan, accept it as a gift from me. Please. You're like the sister I've always wanted but never have. Every time I buy clothes for my brother he never wears it instead he kept wearing those ugly clothes." Nanami wrinkled her nose and pouted to emphasis her point.

Kyoko giggled at her new friends antics. "Thank you" she said.

"No, thank you for letting me dress you. Now let's go before my fiancé finds another girl to marry." She once again linked her arms to Kyoko's and pulled her towards the counter.

Nanami instructed the sales girl to send everything in Kyoko's room. What Kyoko doesn't know is that "everything" meant all the clothes and shoes Kyoko tried on that Nanami liked.

Kyoko, Nanami and Haruki were sitting in the same Italian restaurant that the three Love Me girls ate in during their first day in the resort for almost two hours now, talking and laughing. Kyoko was surprised that she actually felt comfortable around these two people.

"So Kyoko-chan do you have any brothers or sisters to complain about?" Nanami asked after telling them about her latest effort to change her brother's fashion sense.

"No, I'm an only child." Kyoko said sadly.

"You're like Haruki then"

"I wasn't always an only child. I had a sister." Kyoko heard sadness in his tone as he corrected his fiancé. She looked at Haruki but she couldn't see his eyes through his sunglasses.

Nanami felt sorry that she opened this topic. She forgot about Haruki's dead sister. She patted his hand and mouthed the word sorry.

Haruki smiled. And Nanami changed the subject.

"So what do you want to do now?"

"I'm not sure. You girls decide and I'll just tag along if you don't mind. Ushio is having a meeting with his editing crew so I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Kyoko have you been here to Okinawa before?"

"No, this is the first time I've been here."

"Then we should go sightseeing."

"That's a good Idea Nana. Let's bring Kyoko-chan to Shuri Castle."

"Would you like to go there Kyoko-chan?"

"Yes please."

"Ok then Ruki. I just have to get my purse in your office."

"I'll meet you girls there. I'll just have to stop by the Villa."

Nanami lead Kyoko into a big office. While Nanami headed towards the desk Kyoko walked towards a portrait that hangs on the wall. She couldn't take her eyes off it.

"Kyoko-chan would you like to..." Nanami stopped. She looked at the portrait then at Kyoko then back at the portrait again. She gasped.

There on the wall was a large picture of a girl who looks like Kyoko but a bit older. Nanami didn't notice the portrait when she entered the room this morning. But then again she was only there for a few minutes before she went to find Kyoko.

"Kyoko-chan, by any chance, are you related to the Fugiwara? Your resemblance to Haruki's mother is so uncanny "

Kyoko turned to look at Nanami. Nanami's eyes widen some more. Now that she could see both faces at the same time, she had goose bumps. The resemblance between the two girls was so eerie. Apart from the hair colour and length, the fuller lips of the girl in the portrait, the slight difference in the jaw line and the age, Kyoko could pass as Yamamoto Akemi. Their nose, cheekbones and eyes are the same.

"I don't know." Kyoko answered quietly. "I don't really know any of my relatives. I only know my mother who I haven't seen in ten or so years."

"Your eyes are exactly the same as Haruki's. Why didn't I notice that before?" She said more to herself than to Kyoko.

Haruki entered the room at that time. He looked at the two girls then at his mother's portrait. He sighed. His father instructed him not to say anything yet to Kyoko because President Lory was supposed to talk to her first when she gets back to Tokyo. But he now he has to explain. He closed the door behind him.

It was Kyoko who spoke first.

"Haruki-san?" was all she said in a questioning tone.

"I guess I have to explain. You both better sit down." The two girls obliged.

"Kyoko-chan remember I mentioned that I had a sister before?" Kyoko nodded. "Well she disappeared when she was two years old. I guess I better start from the beginning.

"My parents got married early. My mother was nineteen and my father was twenty-three. They had me a year later. When my mother was six months pregnant with me they discovered that she had a weak uterus so she was bedridden for the whole duration of her third trimester. And when I was born the doctor told them that she could never have another child because her uterus had been damaged. They were both thankful that they at least had me.

"I was fine being an only child until I met Ushio. I started to wonder how it would be like to have a sister of my own. I asked my parents if I could have a sister but they explained to me that it's impossible to have one. Because of my mom's condition.

"When I was seven my mother got very sick and they didn't what was wrong with her. They did every test they could do but they couldn't see the problem until one of the nurses suggested a pregnancy test which turnout to be positive. We were so happy. It was a very hard pregnancy for my mother, my father and I tried our best to help make her comfortable.

"At last my sister was born five weeks early but she was healthy. We called her our miracle baby. My parents gave me the privilege of naming her. I named her Akiko which means bright child because she brightens our life. Everyone loved Akiko, she was a happy baby." Haruki smiled at memory.

"I was always excited to come home from school so I can play with her. Mom lets me help take care of her, most of the time my job is to feed her and at night I read her books. Her favourites were fairytales. Our family was perfect at that time. Until my mother's accident." Haruki took his sunglasses off to wipe his teary eyes and looked up at Kyoko.

A shiver run down Kyoko's spine. She's now looking at Haruki's golden eyes, which was exactly the same as hers. "What happened to her? What accident?" Kyoko asked softly.

"It was a week after Akiko's birthday. New Year's eve, my parents always go to this charity ball for orphan children. That year my father couldn't go with my mother because he had a very important meeting with these important investors. So my mother went by herself. On the way home, the driver of her car fell asleep on the wheels and the car veered towards the oncoming traffic and hit another car. The driver and my mother died instantly while the driver of the other car survived." Nanami moved to her fiancé to console him.

"My father was devastated with grief and couldn't function for a few months. I helped take care of Akiko. When I'm at school her nanny takes care of her but when I get home she usually follow me around like a little shadow. When I get home from school I used to find her waiting for me at the foyer of our house. We would eat dinner together, brush our teeth together and I'm the one who puts her to bed." Haruki smiled a little before his mood darkened.

"I wasn't there when it happened. I was at school. Akiko was two years old. Her nanny received a phone call from her mother asking her to go to the hospital because her father had a heart attack. She called my dad to let him know the situation. My father was in a meeting at that time and his Personal Assistant told him she'll take care of the situation. She'll look after my sister until I get home. You see my father couldn't leave the meeting because there was a discrepancy in the financial books of the company. There was five million US dollars missing from the company. Plus Akiyama Rika, my father's PA has been a family friend for more than ten years so he entrusted Akiko to her but little did we know.

"When I got home that afternoon Akiko and Rika-san weren't home. Our butler told me that Rika-san took Akiko to my father's office because her nanny had an emergency. I went to my dad's office to pick up Akiko but she wasn't there either. At that time we were worried already. When we got home we found a note from Rika-san saying that she's got Akiko and if we try to find her she'll kill Akiko. It was Rika-san who embezzled the money and she took Akiko as her safety net in case she gets caught. My father called all his contact from the police to military and private investigators to find Akiko but they couldn't find them.

"Days turns to weeks then months then finally after two years they had a lead. A mother and her four year old daughter were travelling to Osaka by train. The police were going to intercept them at Osaka station. But there was another accident. Before the train arrived at Osaka it was derailed. Some of the carriage burst into flames. Fourteen died and a lot of people got hurt. Unfortunately the mother and daughter that they were investigating were among the fourteen. But there were evidence that Akiko was on that train."

"I remember going on a train ride when I was four but we got off before we got to Osaka."

"Kyoko-san can you tell me what you remember about that train ride?" Haruki asked urgently.