Her body moved against the soft sheets, stretching and twisting as she slowly woke up to the bright rays of the sun. As she sat up on the edge of the bed, her hands fiddled with the hem of her twisted shirt and pants. Kyoko struggled to get the clothing back in order and found herself irritated that she was having to do so. Why did she lay down fully dressed?
That question snapped her mind into the reality of the situation and she took in the decor of the room. The plush bed she still sat on was a far cry from her futon at the Daruyuma. The large mirror atop the cherry wood dresser across from her reflected the morning light; a beige couch rested against one wall – not a single pillow out of place.
Her face fell in horror as the slightly familiar surroundings penetrated the fog in her brain. Oh please kami no. Please, please tell me I didn't do this! I couldn't have!
She rushed out of the room, as quietly as she could manage, and slipped down the hallway to the living room. Though she was expecting it, she was still devastated to find herself in Tsuruga Ren's apartment.
How could she fall asleep at her sempai's home? Her hands gripped her head as if to steady herself from the shameful emotions racking her mind. She noticed her shoes still sitting in the small rack by the door, as well as Tsuruga-san's. The empty space between them brought Kuu-sensei to mind and she chided herself all over again. A glance at the clock showed it was nearing 8am. He was probably already on the flight home to America. She wasn't able to even tell him goodbye last night before she selfishly fell asleep on the couch.
Kyoko wanted to bang her head against the wall but refrained from doing so lest she wake the apartment's owner. She briefly thought about slipping out of his home before he awoke but since he obviously placed her in the guest room, doing so would not only be rude but would probably cause him to worry. She could do little more than lament over her horrible behavior and prepare to apologize to him when he woke up.
With nothing else for her to do, Kyoko started a pot of coffee brewing while she finished her morning toiletries. She didn't believe she had been in the bathroom for that long, but when she emerged, she found Tsuruga-san standing at the counter pouring himself a cup of the completed coffee.
"Good morning Mogami-san."
Even though the smile he wore didn't set off any of her warning sensors, she fell into a dogeza. "I'm so sorry Tsuruga-san. I can't believe I fell asleep while I was still talking to both you and Kuu-sensei. I'm the most unworthy kohai of all time; and for someone as wonderful as you to not even wake me but to place me in a bed - it is simply shameful for you to have to see my face this morning. Please, scold me as you will. I'm prepared to take anythin..."
"Mogami-san," Ren called to her loudly to be heard over her self-depreciating rant. "It was no trouble. You were tired from all the activities yesterday and it was only natural that you fell asleep."
Kyoko didn't raise her head from the floor as she answered him. "Regardless if I was tired or not, I shouldn't have fallen asleep like that. It was rude of me to do so and I can only pray you will forgive me. Kuu-sensei has already left and will probably be reflecting on how horrible of a pupil I am."
The actor sighed as he failed to get through to her. Placing his cup on the counter, Ren stepped forward to her kneeling figure and grasped her arms. A firm tug was needed to pull her up from her prostrating pose. He made sure to catch her golden eyes with his own as he tried once more to calm the young woman down.
"I've already explained to you that it was no trouble. Continuing to apologize when it isn't necessary is – honestly – a little tiring to hear," he was satisfied to see the widening of her eyes and her face flush. "Now, why don't you get a cup of coffee and tell me what you wanted to talk to me about last night?"
Kyoko happily accepted his words and nodded her head in agreement. She was still upset at herself for falling asleep in their presence last night, but that was now more out of guilt for not being able to say goodbye to Kuu-sensei. The caffeine from the hot coffee was a welcome treat to her body and mind. She took a few sips from the steaming beverage before breaching the subject of Sho.
"Sho's manager, Shoko-san, came to see me yesterday," she began. Tsuruga-san showed little reaction to this but she could tell she had his undivided attention at the singer's name.
"Really? And what did she want to see you about?"
"I'm sure you can guess." Kyoko quipped with a slight tilt of her head. "However, it seems Sho hasn't told her anything about that night. She didn't even know he'd been in a fight. I didn't want to tell you any of this over the phone so that's why I sought you out yesterday."
Ren took the information without allowing himself to show any outward reaction to it. He was glad the singer hadn't said anything about the altercation but truthfully, Ren had never exposed himself as the one who fought Sho. That may be a large factor behind his unwillingness to speak of the incident but he had another, stronger suspicion...the young man just didn't want to ruin his image by admitting defeat.
Pride was a powerful thing – especially within a young man. Ren knew that for a hard fact. He'd hardly ever revealed the name of anyone he'd fought. Should he have lost a fight, he was sure the outcome would have been the same.
Kyoko sat watching him with an expectant look on her face. His hands clenched involuntarily as he thought about the horrible side of himself he'd not only made her see, but now she was worrying about the repercussions of it as well.
"Tsuruga-san?"
Ren forced a polite smile to his face and pushed away his dark thoughts. "Thank you for letting me know Mogami-san. I'm sorry you've been bothered with this."
"It's my fault as well," his confusion was apparent so she elaborated. "I'm the one who, unfortunately, has a connection to Sho. If he hadn't said that..." she sighed and looked back into his dark, unreadable eyes. "Thank you. I don't think I've ever had anyone stand up for me like that. I don't want you to get hurt or get in trouble but...thank you for helping me."
She was smiling at him.
They were talking about the violent act he'd made her witness and she was still smiling at him and thanking him. The urge to embrace her was overwhelming. Before he let his body do something he wouldn't be able to take back, he stood from his chair – putting his empty cup in the sink as an excuse for his hasty movement.
"You're welcome."
Though he wasn't looking at her, she could still hear the relief that filled his words. She smiled at his back, relieved that bringing up this subject had not caused him any distress.
"Do you have an early shoot or should I take you back home?"
Her answer was poised on the tip of her tongue when a thought struck her. There was something else she needed to discuss with him. To be precise, she had a favor to ask of him.
For over two weeks she'd racked her brain of how to deal with her insecurities about the Allure shoot. She'd tried to deal with the problem herself buy watching various dramas and envisioning what she would have to do. Just like Moko-san told her, doing just that wasn't enough. Even when she happened to see couples around the park or out shopping, the very thought of having to have some man draped around her like they were to their wives or girlfriends was enough to send her into a near panic. How was she supposed to get comfortable with the idea of someone touching her so intimately?
She briefly thought about asking one of the other actors she knew for help. That thought didn't last any significant length of time before she dismissed it outright. While she did have other male actors she was familiar with, there was no level of comfort between them to allow her to ask such a thing. The only person she knew she could count on was Tsuruga-san.
But the thought of being in his arms, having him run his fingers across her flesh set her heart racing at dangerous levels.
She'd admitted it – to herself anyway; Tsuruga Ren had wormed his way into her heart. The box that she'd so carefully hid away from the world and locked shut had been pried open by his deep eyes and gentle smile. Putting herself into a position where she would be wrapped up in his embrace was like pouring gasoline on herself and asking him to light the match. There was no way someone like him would ever even look twice at a plain girl like her so why get hurt when she didn't have to?
However, if she didn't get his help then the Allure shoot would be a failure. If she couldn't preform then Kurosaki-kantoku would have no choice but to hire someone else who could do the job. That would have horrible ramifications for the rest of her career as an actress.
Heartbreak was the lesser of two evils in this case.
She took a deep breath and found her resolve. "Tsuruga-san, there's something else I'd like to talk to you about."
"Hm?"
Her fingers curled into her shirt beneath the table. "My next commercial shoot is in a little over a week but I'm having problems with the material. I was hoping...if you don't mind and aren't busy one evening, that maybe you could help me with it."
His dark eyes caught the tinge of pink splashed across her face and became even more curious about the role. "It's been a while since you asked for my help with a job. I was beginning to think you didn't need me anymore."
Damn his playboy eyes! She huffed out a breath and tried to force her heart not to get so worked up over his flirty behavior. "I'm still so inexperienced. How could I not need your help? I just don't want to trouble my sempai so much."
Something flashed in his eyes and the flirty look he was giving her melted away into his usual polite mask. "I always have time to help you Mogami-san. I believe I have a relatively early day Thursday. Why don't we ask Yashiro-san to confirm my schedule later and see if that day works?"
"Thank you so much Tsuruga-san. Oh, and I don't have anything scheduled for this morning. If you don't mind dropping me off at home I'll change before I go to LME later."
"Alright then."
Ren left her in the kitchen while he went to change for the day. While he was happy about getting to spend more time with her – even if it was for work – her last statement had put a large dent in his excitement.
Would he ever be anything more than a sempai to her?
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"You get your own gas?" Kyoko asked, unable to hide the incredulous look on her face. Shortly after they'd left his apartment, he announced that he would have to stop to refill his car. His announcement had left her a bit stunned.
Ren turned half amused, half exasperated eyes onto her for a moment. "Am I supposed to have someone get it for me?"
She rolled her eyes at the sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Doesn't a big star like you get mobbed by the fans when you get out to pump your gas?"
"Generally, no. I am smart enough to wear my hat and sunglasses when I get out you know."
"I'm sure that doesn't always hide that face of yours. It is a pretty sad excuse for a disguise."
He chuckled in response and pulled into the nearest station. He reached into the backseat, pulling out the cap and sunglasses he always kept there for situations such as this. When he had them in place he turned to Kyoko, his lips pulling up in a grin. "How do I look?"
She shook her head at him and mumbled something unintelligible as she opened her door. "I'm going to get a juice. Do you want anything?"
"No thank you Mogami-san."
She couldn't help but to glance over her shoulder at his large form as she made her way into the store. The image of Tsuruga-san pumping gas was something she had never expected to see. Was it only in her imagination that he would have people to do things like this for him? Yashiro-san takes care of his appointments and schedule but she knew that was as far as his job went. It only seemed natural to her that a big celebrity like Tsuruga-san would have people to do these everyday, mundane tasks for him. Did he do his own laundry and clean as well?
An image of Tsuruga-san wrapped in an apron with his hair pinned back popped in her mind. She laughed loudly as she went into the store, causing the few people in there to turn and look at her as she walked in. She tried to convey her apologies but continued to giggle at the thought of him as a 'house-wife' type for a day. Her smile still lit her face as she deposited her juice onto the counter. The young man working the register stared at her for a moment before he caught himself and punched the amount in the computer. Kyoko could feel him turning back to stare at her face several times while she searched her purse for the correct amount.
"Umm...is there something on my face?" she finally asked the young man when she could take no more of his staring.
He flushed in embarrassment and shook his hands wildly. "Oh no. I'm so sorry for staring! Please forgive me for being rude but I...you...you're Kyoko-san, aren't you?"
Her hands hovered over the counter, money still clutched within her grasp, as her mouth opened in confusion. "D-Do I know you?"
A happy gasp escaped the young man who began practically twitching in excitement. "No ma'am, there's no way someone like you could know me but I'm just so excited right now! Please hold on, I gotta call Daiki-san out here. He's gonna flip!"
Kyoko continued to stand there confused, holding the money for her drink as the young man ran to the door behind the counter connecting the storage room and the store. She could hear the customers beginning to mumble amongst themselves and shuffle closer to her position.
"Daiki-san! Daiki-san, get out here!" The young worker came back to stand in front of her, eyes sparkling in happiness as he awaited his friend.
"What is it Takumi-kun?" The dark haired man in hid mid-twenties asked as he rounded the corner. The tag on his company shirt naming him as manager of the store. "What do you wa..."
He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on Kyoko's face. She felt slightly un-nerved at the open mouthed stare he was showing her. One of the women in the store had come to stand next to her; the attention was not something she was used to and wasn't sure how to handle herself.
"Kyoko-san?" the manager asked in awe.
"Umm...yes?"
He lit up at her answer and bowed his head deeply. "I'm such a huge fan of yours Kyoko-san! You're such an amazing actress and so beautiful and oh dear kami-sama I can't believe I'm meeting you!" She squeaked a bit as he abruptly stood back up, gazing at her with the wonder of a small child. "Could I please ask you for your autograph?"
Eyes wide and stone still, she somehow managed to squeeze out a yes for the excited fan. He pumped his arms in excitement and ran into the back once more.
"Excuse me," the older woman standing next to her began. "Are you really Kyoko-san? The young lady who played Mio in Dark Moon?"
"Yes ma'am."
"You did an excellent job my dear. I can remember watching the original drama and I have to say you far outdid Izuka-san's performance."
"Yes! You were wonderful as Mio but I love Natsu even more!" A young girl of about 17 called from behind them.
An older woman with her, perhaps her mother, smiled at Kyoko's dumbstruck face. "Well, I'm enjoying the new commercials you've been staring in. I can't wait to see the rest."
As the small crowd around her continued to praise her performances, she found herself in such shock that she could only mutter 'thank you' repeatedly.
"Kyoko-san!" the manager yelled as he ran back to the counter. "Forgive me but I was searching for this. I would really appreciate it if you would sign this picture for me."
She numbly picked up the pen on the counter as he slid the magazine to her. She vaguely remembered the other cashier calling his name so – without a previous experience to recall from – she simply wrote 'To Daiki-san' and scrawled her name underneath. She passed back the magazine which held the ad from the Achieve fragrance to the enthusiastic young man. The encouraging words from everyone rolled over her as she finally paid for her drink and exited the store.
She was still in shock as she settled herself beside Ren in the car.
It finally happened.
People recognized her.
Though she had already played in a commercial, a music video, and two dramas, no one ever recognized her face when she walked down the street. Now, after filming the set of commercials for the Hirongi group, people were recognizing not only her name but her face as well.
And they liked her.
Kyoko didn't even realize she wore a bright smile while she replayed their words in her mind. They liked her acting and – she thought with a blush – the manager even said she was beautiful. She should have done more than stand there like a mute! What was wrong with her? She actually had fans that were appreciating her and she didn't even thank them properly! Her smile dipped a bit at the realization of her actions but she swore she would not be caught off guard next time.
At least, she hoped there would be a next time.
"Mogami-san?"
Her head whipped over to Ren's concerned face.
"Are you alright? I've called your name several times."
"Oh, I'm sorry Tsuruga-san. I was just thinking about something."
The crease between his brows told her he didn't believe her. "Are you sure something didn't happen back at the store? I saw you speaking to the men behind the counter."
"Oh, that was just..." her face flushed once more. "A guy asked for my autograph," she admitted shyly.
Ren's concern melted away, a teasing smirk replacing it. He glanced at her once more before turning his attention back to the road. "And you were scolding me earlier. Looks like we're gonna have to get little Kyoko-chan a disguise of her own."
She whined in protested to his teasing but couldn't remove the satisfied smile from her face.
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He glared at the sparkling object that had dared to draw his attention. Out of habit he quickly checked the area around him, making sure no one of any importance was around to see him focused on such a girly trinket.
Sho had not been aiming to find anything else in the rather posh store to purchase that day; he'd simply been glancing at the many different glittering jewels behind the glass cases while waiting on the clerk to fetch his newest purchase. The ruby studs he'd ordered a few days ago were finally ready and he'd had to time on the way to a recording session to stop and get them himself.
Now he found himself transfixed on the dainty white gold necklace resting against it's velvet backdrop. Everything about it screamed her name. The tiny fairy pendant with her wings spread wide, the emerald flower she held between her hands...
Kyoko would be squealing if she could see this.
He sneered at the offending object and turned away – trying to force himself to stop thinking about that sexless girl.
His foot tapped in irritation, arms crossed against his chest. He wasn't going to look at it anymore...
Damn, it's like the thing was testing him or something!
Begrudgingly, he turned once more to peer through the glass. He supposed it was a nice piece, if one went for that sort of thing.
Which she did.
Whatever, it wasn't like he'd ever bought her anything before. Why should he start now? She was his possession; it was her job to make sure he was happy. All she had to do was continue to think about him and not that damnable, freakishly tall actor who hung around her too much.
What was that guy's problem anyway? For some reason the recent polls still ranked him as the number one man in showbiz – though Sho had every intention of removing that title soon enough – so he should be off with the models or top actresses and not bothering with someone like her. The guy was an idiot; that's all there was to it.
"What's taking so long Sho?"
He flinched as Shoko-san's voice came over his shoulder. Too late, he couldn't hide the fact that he'd been looking at that particular necklace. It was too much to hope she wouldn't say anything about it.
"Oh, that's cute. Are you going to buy that for someone?" Her tone belied the innocent content of the question. "Maybe as a thank you gift or something?"
Sho turned his back on both the case and her as the haughty look came over his face once more. "Why should I bother with that? She did that of her own free will. It's not like she expects anything in return." That was true enough. Kyoko didn't do things because she wanted him to give her something; it was just enough that she could do for him.
"Then surprise her."
He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Eh?"
Shoko smiled as only a woman who knows could. "She seems to think so badly of you sometimes. Prove to her that she's wrong. Wasn't she surprised after you gave her those flowers that time?"
Not that Shoko-san is aware of the true nature of that incident but yeah, she was surprised.
"Besides, all girls love getting presents."
Could this work to his advantage somehow? True, he'd never really given her anything before. He did try...sometimes; but inevitably she'd refuse the gift, instead praising him and encouraging him to work harder to make his dream of being a musician come true.
She did love everything associated with fairy tales. And you couldn't get much more fantasy than a fairy itself.
"I wonder if Tsuruga-san has given her a gift before?"
His teeth clenched at the thought. Had that bastard gone and given her something in return for whatever she'd given him on Valentine's day? Damn it! He'd never thought about that possibility. He had an advantage though. They grew up together. He knew everything about her – including her love of fairy tale stories.
A cocky grin appeared on his face once more as he looked at the delicate necklace. Whatever Tsuruga thinks he is to her, he can't sever that connection they share.
How happy would she be when she opened the box and saw this? Try as she might to hate him, there's no way she could refuse such a perfect gift. The moment that happened, his presence inside her would grow even larger than it is now. This would probably confuse her about him but that was okay too. As long as she was thinking about him, nothing else mattered.
"Forgive me for taking so long Fuwa-sama," the older clerk announced as he returned from the back room, an ivory box within his hands. "but I have your purchase right here." The experienced salesman noticed Sho glancing through the glass counter in a particular direction. "Could I help you with something else today?"
Sho pasted on his winning smile as he reached for his wallet.
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The crowd entering LME's doors was thick as the lunch hour was nearing it's close. Office workers, receptionists, and talent's alike were piling back into the building to finish out their workday. Kyoko only had a few LoveMe tasks to complete so she had taken her time in getting ready after Tsuruga-san dropped her off at the Daruyuma.
She gripped the front of her blouse as her heart began to pound once more. Yashiro-san had confirmed that Tsuruga-san was indeed free Thursday afternoon so she could come over for them to work on her next commercial shoot. Of course, she'd agreed to make dinner for them as well that night; it was the least she could do in return for his help.
Perhaps that would also give her time to gather her wits about her as she knew the next few days wouldn't be nearly enough.
What the hell was she thinking? That she would be able to just casually relax inside the warmth of his arms? Perhaps have to feel his lips on her body at some point? There was no way she was going to be able to handle this!
The loud murmurs of the crowd around her alerted her to the fact that she'd stopped walking and dropped to her knees, cradling her head in her shaking hands as she mumbled to herself.
With as much non-nonchalance as she could muster, she stood from the floor and made her way to the LoveMe dressing room. None of her fellow members were about but she preferred the quietness of the room for the moment. She couldn't go about the next few days in this state. Somehow, she would have make her heart understand that what would happen would only be acting. There would be no deeper meaning behind any of it.
"Lory-sama wou..."
Whatever the president's assistant was about to say was drowned out by the scream she let out. Clutching the door of her locker, she turned frightened eyes onto Sebastian who'd walked soundlessly into the room.
"Forgive me," he began in his polite yet mono-toned voice. "but Lory-sama would like to see you."
She held her purse tightly in her trembling hands as her heart worked to calm itself once more. "Oh, okay. Is he in his office?"
"No Mogami-san. Lory-sama is currently awaiting you in Sawara-san's office."
Though she was confused, she quickly gathered her things and followed Sebastian through the busy building to her manager's area. It was obvious the eccentric president was around as the office was filled with various people dressed in a circus theme. Clowns, acrobats, a girl carrying an umbrella that she could only assume was supposed to be a tight-rope walker...
Kyoko suppressed her sigh over his frivolousness and waded through the throngs to her superiors.
"Ah Mogami-kun, you've made it."
Of course he would be dressed as the ring master. "Good afternoon. I hope you haven't been waiting long."
"Of course not," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Sit down for a moment. There's some things I'd like to discuss with you."
"Is everything okay?" A tinge of fear leaked into her tone.
Lory picked up on her nervousness and rushed to reassure her. "There's nothing to worry about my dear girl. I have nothing but good news for you."
Sawara-san nodded his head in agreement while a large smile covered his face.
Lory clapped his gloved hands twice and a clown – red nose and all – appeared at his side with a thin stack of papers. "First things first. Here's the remainder of the contract for your work on Through the Darkness. There's only one more shoot left for your part but we do have to go through the formalities."
Kyoko happily took the contract. It was a very difficult role for her to do but she was happy that her character had been accepted.
Lory perched on the side of Sawara's desk. His eyes took on a more gentle glow as he observed his number one LoveMe member. "Takenaga-kantoku sent me a copy of the shoot that day." Kyoko looked up from her writing to see the look on his face. His soft, serious tone sharply contrasted with the outfit he wore. "That was an amazing job you did Mogami-kun. You captured the anguish Madoriko was experiencing over losing her beloved husband so well. I can't compliment the piece enough."
Pleasurable shock ran through her at his words. Not only did Kuu-sensei and Tsuruga-san tell her she did good but the president of her company was accepting her character as well? Happy tears filled her eyes as she stammered out her many thank you's to her boss. He gave her one last sincere smile before leaning back and assuming his carefree smile once more.
"There's one other thing we have for you today."
"What's that sir?"
He held out another sheet of paper with a proud smile. "You've been asked to do your first talk show!"
"What?" her excitement was palpable in the room.
"Yes! It's scheduled for Monday night so before then I'll have you meet with the folks from PR. They can help you better understand what sort of questions are typically asked and how to handle interviews appropriately."
"This...this is just amazing. I can't believe they want me to do a talk show."
Sawara shared a proud look with Lory before turning to his charge. "You're quickly gaining popularity. Box R has been a big hit as well as those commercials you're doing with Kurosaki-kantoku. People are starting to recognize your name more and more."
She couldn't even focus on the notice for her appearance as she greedily ate in his words. Even though she knew it to be true now – what with the incident in the gas station earlier – but it was just all to good to be true. She was finally climbing that ladder to the top!
Wait...she had her routine work as Bo on Mondays. She would have to see if she could find a replacement for that night.
"I think this is the best possible first interview for you as well; seeing as how your so familiar with the cast. It'll be easier for you to be comfortable around your usual co-workers."
"Huh?"
Lory grinned into her dumbstruck face. "Haven't you read the request yet? The interview is on Kimagure Rock."
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A/N:
PR – public relations
I am so sad that Extravagant Challenge is over! I think they did a great job of adapting Skip Beat into a live action show. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. You can find all of the episodes on viki
Again let me say a super big thank you to all who review! Though I may not have been able to respond to everyone individually, please be assured I am thankful for your wonderful words. I always read them periodically while I'm writing my new chapters to keep the inspiration flowing!
With that in mind, don't you feel like leaving one now? ;)