Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal
Chapter Eleven
Acknowledgments: Runadaemon for beta-reading.
Dedication: BrokenFacades - Oh my god Nooooo! Not her MOM! DX
I don't own Skip Beat!
T Minus 5 Days Before White Day (March 9)
Sometime in the middle of the night
Ren's eyes opened as he sat upright in cold sweat and out of breath.
He had that dream again, he thought as he curled his legs and rested his forehead on his knees. The sound of tires squealing, the blood-curdling scream and the sight of all that blood - it was too real. For the nth time, he wondered where he would ever got the confidence to play the role of BJ again.
He couldn't get himself to move so he just stayed like that for a while.
The only thing that got him out of his stupor was a little whimper that came from the other bed. He turned his head, clicked on the lamp and found Mogami-san thrashing from side-to-side, her brows furrowed and her expression like she was worried about something.
Ren got to his feet and went to her side as he tried to wake her up. "Mogami-san," he quietly said as he gently shook her.
Unlike him, who would wake up from recurring nightmares because she was always there, she didn't.
"Mogami-san," he urgently called to her. When she still didn't respond, he hesitantly asked, "Setsu?" Her cheeks started flushing and her breathing start becoming erratic.
Ren grabbed her wrist, but she pulled it away and grabbed his hand tightly around her fingers. "Mogami-san." What kind of nightmare was she having? Considering her traumas - her mother, Fuwa... there were too many for him to think about.
"Don't go," she mumbled. "Don't leave me alone." The hold on his hand tightened.
Ren lifted his free hand and brushed the hair from her forehead. "I won't," he answered.
Without another thought, he gathered her in his arms and made room for himself on the bed. She continued to whimper so he started rocking her until she quieted down and cuddled against him.
Happy that he was able to do that, he let himself relax, kissed her temple and closed his eyes. After that, he never had nightmares again.
She knew she was on the bed, but it was pitch black so she couldn't see anything.
All she could feel was his lips over hers and his hands moving down from her cheeks to her neck down her shoulders and it clamped tightly on her arms.
Because she will never have her first real kiss and her life as an actress will plague her with fake kisses, she kissed him back. She mirrored his motions.
"Mogami-san.." the whisper came as she started trembling in his arms. "Mogami-san..."
That was Tsuruga-san's voice, wasn't it? she thought. He was the only one who called her that.
"Setsu?"
Oh, she thought at the back of her head as the kiss continued. It wasn't Tsuruga-san. It was Cain-nii-san. Did that mean that she was Setsu?
She started moving her hands to mimic the motions, but a large hand grabbed her wrist as she tried to pull away. "Mogami-san."
Ah, it was Tsuruga-san again. Selfishly, she grabbed onto his hand tightly and said, "Don't go. Don't leave me alone."
She felt him brush his hand against and forehead and answered, "I won't," he whispered. Then she felt herself being surrounded by warmth and being kissed again. She whimpered as she felt herself being gently rocked until a dull ache at the pit of her stomach went away as if a tiny explosion got set off.
After that, she felt incredibly calm as she was being held gently and a soft kiss touched her temple. She clung to the warmth and let herself be embraced by it.
Seconds - maybe minutes - or probably hours passed when Kyoko opened her eyes. It was already light out, she figured from the tiny streams of light that filtered through the thick curtains.
What a strange dream, she thought. She never had a dream like that before. Just about being alone with a man and kissing him. What an airhead she's becoming, she thought wryly. When she was awake, all she can think about was how Setsu can make up with Cain-nii-san. Now, all she can think about was kissing? Annoyed with herself, she turned to her side and slammed against a hard wall.
He made a little sound as he shifted onto his back and his thick eyelashes fluttered open.
Did he have another one of those nightmares again? she thought worriedly. He had them occasionally when they started living together after the Dark Moon shoot. She would be awaken by them and she would sit by him and hold his hand until he settled back to sleep or wake up. Who would have thought that he would climb on her bed like a little boy when she wasn't there for him? "Nii-san?" she raised herself on her elbow. "Are you alright? You didn't have another nightmare, did you?"
Cain-nii-san knitted his brows as sleep slowly left his eyes. "Yeah," he managed to answer. "But..."
"But?"
"What about you?" He turned his head to her.
"Me?"
"Did you have a nightmare too?" he asked huskily. "I was trying to wake you up, but you wouldn't."
Oh, she thought. She had a nightmare. So that was it. "Well..." She hesitated. It didn't feel like one, but there was no way in hell she was going to admit that she just had a dream about being in the dark with a man and kissing him.
"Oh," he reached over the night stand for his phone. "Well," he sat up as he stared at the clock. "The alarm's going off in a few minutes. Might as well get up."
"Nii-sa-" she called out as she reached for the hem of his shirt. He turned to her with sleepy eyes and she squirmed. She didn't want the distance between them ruin the last few days they have as Cain and Setsuka. She met his eyes and asked, "Are... are you OK now? You're not mad at me anymore, are you?" Although, she grudgingly thought. It would be better if he just told her what she did that made him distant between them.
Cain-nii-san smiled and bent down. His mouth hovered before her eyes for a s second before it settled on her forehead. "I was never angry in the first place," he answered.
Kyoko smiled back shyly at him before he turned around and made his way to the bathroom. If he wasn't never angry in the first place, why was he being distant in the first place?
4:15 PM
"Oh my Go~d!" Mogami-san broke into a sprint as soon as she stepped out of the car and into TBM Studios. "I'm sooo~ late."
Ren sighed as he hurried along after her.
Because of a prop mishap at the movie shoot, it ended a little later than scheduled. As a result, Mogami-san was a little late with her 4:00 PM appointment in TBM. He was there for his last day in the guest starring role in the drama for TBM, but he wasn't due on the set until 5:00 PM.
They boarded the elevator to the ground floor where he will be meeting with Yashiro-san.
"Sorry about all this, Mogami-san," Ren apologetically said. He really felt bad. Mogami-san had a good record back in Dark Moon, but he wasn't sure about this job.
"It's OK," she huffed and puffed for breath. "The delay was unavoidable. The call time isn't really until five-thirty. We just always meet at four."
"We?"
She never got to answer because the door opened and Mogami-san immediately noticed the person who was standing just outside it. "Hikaru-san!" Without another word, she stepped out of the elevator. Her sudden alightment surprised Ren, who stepped out after realizing that it was also his destination. Ground Floor.
"I'm sorry I'm late," she repeatedly bowed to the idol.
"It's alright," Hikaru-san smiled at her. "I just finished talking to the producer. Anyway... let's go?"
"OK," she nodded. Then, as though she just remembered him, she turned around and bowed to him. "I'll see you later, Tsuruga-san."
Ren suddenly felt as though he'd been left out as they walked away animatedly talking.
"What'll it be?" Ishibashi-san asked. "The usual with 'in the forest' topping on a half-anpan?"
"Nope! I want a whole one this time," she answered. "Still getting Golden Cola to go with okonomi-anpan?"
"You're still getting tea," Ishibashi-san answered enthusiastically. "The question is if it's going to oolong or red tea. Oh, by the way, I'm doing Majisuka again."
"Really? That's great! For when?"
"Tomorrow at around three in the afternoon. The other guys will be there are guests too. We'll be done around six or seven."
"Really? I'll be shooting for Box 'R' around that time too..."
The pair disappeared into the general direction of the cafeteria and Ren was left to stare at nothing. What the hell was that? What on earth was Mogami-san doing here again? Again, on a Kimagure Rock night. Could it be a Love Me Section task? Ishibashi Hikaru-san and the rest of Bridge Rock are also part of LME so they have the power and authority to assign tasks to the members of the Love Me Section. Maybe, he thought, Ishibashi-san was assigning her tasks for the purpose of being close to her. But it didn't seem right. He didn't know the idol well, but he didn't seem like the type to do things like that. He obviously liked her a lot though.
"Ren!" Yashiro-san waved upon seeing him as he came into the hallway. "Waiting long?"
He was dying of curiosity. He knew she was going to be here until ten in the evening while he at nine, which is why they were going home together. "No," he shook his head. "I just got here." Now wasn't the time to be thinking about these things. He had work to do and, suspicious as it was, so did she. He made a mental note to ask her about it tonight.
5:45 PM
Takarada Lory had free time on his hands.
His 5:00 PM meeting was canceled because the person he was meeting was out sick. He then did as he always does: go around to the main lobby to gossip with the frontdesk girls about their boyfriends. It was only a few days before White Day after all. He just wanted to know what the ladies expected from their boyfriends - it wasn't harassment, like what one of his executives said.
In the middle of it all, his attention was caught by a woman who just entered through the main door. A visitor, and not part of the entertainment industry. Being the owner of one of the largest entertainment agencies in the country, he was used to seeing beautiful and striking women. The woman who entered was not only beautiful, she moved regally in the manner of a refined lady in a kimono - a rarity in business of creating trends and being in fashion.
Funny, he tilted his head as he studied her some more. He was certain that he has never met her before, but she seemed very familiar.
She reached the receptionist and bowed. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon," the receptionist answered with a bow. "How may I help you?"
"I'm here to see Mogami Kyoko-san please," the woman answered.
Suddenly, it clicked.
"Erm..." No one can simply enter the door and ask to see anyone in LME. Let alone their celebrities. "Um... do you have an appointment, ma'am?"
"Well, no," the lady answered. "I assume with the kind of work she does, she's not around?"
"Yes, ma'am," the receptionist answered. "Kyoko-sama is elsewhere at the moment."
"Then," she smiled. "I need to speak to her superior. Or, perhaps the President of this company."
Lory pursed his lips as the receptionist turned to him. He wasn't meeting anyone unless it's for something really important. Someone more important than asking the boys in the Talent Section about what they're going to be doing for their girlfriends for White Day. Still, the daringness of the lady to ask for him and not know him at the same time made her interesting. "That," the receptionist replied, "would also require an appointment."
"My..." the lady exclaimed, raising her fingers to her mouth. "I didn't think that it would be this hard. I'm only here in Tokyo for today. Either way, I think my purpose here would be considered important. Would saying that I'm family suffice?"
The receptionist's eyes slowly slid towards him again. "That would depend, ma'am," she answered. "May I know your relationship with Kyoko-sama?"
The lady knew that she had her ticket and she let out a serene smile. "I'm her mother."
6:30 PM
"I'm done," Ren placed his chopsticks down and reached for his water.
"Ren..." Yashiro-san frowned at him. "You hardly touched your food."
"I ate a lot earlier and had a late lunch," Ren answered. "It's only seven o'clock so it's much too early for dinner." He then stood up and said, "I'll be taking a walk."
"Oi, Ren!" Yashiro-san protested.
"I'll be back by the time we start shooting again." He gave him a careless wave as he stepped out of the cafeteria.
Why was he feeling agitated? He already knew that Mogami-san wasn't going out with Ishibashi-san. She told him so he believed her. Still, what the heck was she meeting him tonight for? Didn't they already meet yesterday?
Her presence around Ishibashi-san might be Love Me-related, he reasoned. A lot of employees in LME assigned long-term tasks for the Love Me Section members. However, from the few times he'd seen her with Ishibashi-san, he knew that they were more friends than people who were working together.
As he turned down a hallway to the studio where he knew Kimagure Rock was shooting because he met with the producer yesterday, he stopped.
He remember that guy, he thought darkly. The guy from Vie Ghoul, the guy who tried to hurt Mogami-san in Karuizawa. What the hell...? The Beagle... no, Reino!
He was standing in front of the studio door, staring at it in contemplation. Was he attempting to see her again? Ren thought in alarm.
"You!" he called out as he approached. Ren knew he was a dangerous person for Mogami-san.
Reino slowly turned his head and almost jumped back at the sight of him. "Tsuruga Ren."
"Didn't I tell you not to come near her again?" Ren asked darkly.
"I'm only trying to protect her," Reino answered.
"From what?"
Reino didn't answer. Ren could tell he was on guard, but he was taking small glimpses around the hallways. Ren had been in enough fights in his life to know he was trying to find an escape route.
He wasn't going to do anything to him. Least of all in a place like a TV studio where anyone would be coming from any direction. It was a night Kimagure Rock had a live shoot so there were more people than usual.
But he knew he had to get his message clear. He just wanted to scare him into learning. He took a step towards Reino and the singer took a step back. "I already told you once that nothing is going to happen as long as you don't come near her again," he said in a smooth, silky tone with the just right hint of a threat. "You already saw her last Valentine's Day. And you're trying it again." He glared at him. "There won't be a next time."
Ren saw understanding lit up in Reino's eyes. The visual kei artist straightened up, turned around and walked away.
He really, Ren thought, wasn't very brave, wasn't he? Because Mogami-san believed in supernatural nonsense, she was intimidated by his flash and effects. She really needed to get over that trait. Reino was only good at confronting people he knew he could intimidate and control and Ren wasn't like that.
Now that he was alone in the hallway, the only thing that stood between Mogami-san and him was the door. At least, if he entered, he would finally learn what the deal was between Mogami-san and Ishibashi Hikaru-san. He suddenly realized that the temptation was moving his hand to grab the handle.
Suddenly, the door opened and Mogami-san came rushing out, zipping past him with all of her things in tow.
"Kyoko-chan!" Ishibashi Hikaru-san rushed out and started coming after her. When the idol caught up with her, he huffed as he asked, "It's an hour and a half before curtain. Where are you going?"
"Back to the LME office," she answered hurriedly, not stopping for anything as she walked. "There's an emergency situation that I need to attend to."
What? Ren also started coming after her. "Mogami-san!" He called out as he rushed to her side. "What happened?"
"The President said that I need to go to the office," she said as she pushed the button of the elevator. When it didn't open immediately, she walked towards the staircase. All Ren and Ishibashi-san could do was come after her. She moved so fast!
"Why?" he and Ishibashi-san asked in unison as they descended the stairs.
"I can't explain it right now until I've sorted everything out," Mogami-san said. "All I know is that I need to head back to meet with someone who came here to see me." When they reached the landing, she turned towards the parking lot. "He said I need to straighten this whole thing out or else I won't be able to work anymore."
"Kyoko-chan," Ishibashi-san said. "It's the President. You know how he can overreact."
"No," Mogami-san shook her head. "I spoke with her. She's someone I really need to talk to."
"Her?"
"Who is it, Mogami-san?" Ren asked as they neared the door where the car that drove them to TBM was waiting.
But Mogami-san had already slipped into the backseat. She looked up at them and said, "Some crazy lady claiming to be my mother-in-law." With that, she slammed the door and the car moved forward and out of sight.
Crazy lady? Mother-in-law? Ren thought in wonder. Someone came into the LME office claiming that and has been entertained by the President? That was impossible. Unless...
Ren's heart lurched. Didn't President Takarada assure him that his parents took a private plane to Singapore, which was next of his mother's itinerary on her promotional tour? Her father accompanied her because he just finished his work and had free time. She couldn't have... given everyone the slip again and headed back. She already did that. She couldn't have done it a second time, could she?
Of course she could! was the answer that came to him.
Ren raised his hand to his face and sighed. Under his breath, he muttered in exasperation, "'Kaa-san."
Strangely enough, Ishibashi-san had the exact same reaction.
7:30 PM
"Would you like some tea, Fuwa-san?"
"I would love a cup," Fuwa-san graciously answered. "Thank you, Takarada-san."
Lory knew right off the bat that the woman wasn't Mogami-kun's mother. She looked nothing like the photo supplied to him by his people when they sought her out to sign the consent form a few months back.
Once she claimed to be her mother, she quickly amended to say that she was her mother-in-law. And because Lory connected the dots based on Fuwa-san's mannerisms in moving about, speaking, and how it was so identical to how Love Me's Number One Girl behaved when she wasn't being her outrageous self, he knew the boys in the Talent Section would have to wait another day.
Fuwa-san had reservations about meeting with Mogami-kun in front of them, but he already pointed out that she wanted to discuss it with Sawara-kun or him. Besides, Love Me's Number One's mother-in-law was a big and private matter that was better off discussed in the privacy of his office. And after Mogami-kun's outrageous reaction when she answered the call through speaker phone, there was no way on earth he would let this kind of news unfold without him.
"Sawara-kun," he told his astonished manager when he just stared. "We already know she's beautiful, so stop staring."
Fuwa-san let out an embarrassed ladylike giggle. "Why, thank you. How embarrassing."
"No..." Sawara-kun uneasily stared at her. "Well, she is. I'm just having a hard time picturing Mogami-kun being married."
"Well, she isn't," Fuwa-san answered. "Yet. My husband and I have been very fond of her since she was a little girl. Her marriage to our son is a mere formality. After what he's done to her, and given the circumstances we have now, we want to make things right for her."
"Your son?"
"They ran away from home a little over a year ago here to Tokyo," Fuwa-san nodded, though she looked a little sad. "You cannot believe the kind of talk it caused, especially about Kyoko-chan. Well, she was never popular so the rumors were very bad. They have died down a bit though especially after how everyone heard that she's now some kind of celebrity. But having them marry is the only solution to put all of those ridiculous things about her to rest. Also, my son's two months away from being of age." She thanked the servant when tea was set in front of her.
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. His assistant entered, but before she could announce her, Mogami-kun appeared from behind her and exclaimed, "Oba-sama!"
Fuwa-san sharply turned to her and said, "Kyoko-chan, manners!"
Lory straightened up at the sight of her. The main star had arrived, he thought with a grin.
"Oh," Mogami-kun caught herself. Then she did a very formal bow. "It's been a while, oba-sama," she greeted. Then she greeted Lory, then Sawara-kun, then thanked the assistant.
"Why don't you take a seat, Mogami-kun." Lory gestured on the vacant chair.
"You cut your hair," Fuwa-san remarked as Mogami-kun sank down on the chair.
"I did," she smiled sheepishly. "But it's such a surprise you're here, oba-sama." She looked confused. "Did you come to see Shotaro?"
"Shotaro?" Sawara-kun's ears perked.
"No," Fuwa-san shook her head. "I came here to see you. I'm sorry it took me this long, but this is the only free time I have."
"No, no," Mogami-kun shook her head. "I understand. I'm really flattered that you took the time to see me." Then she looked at her curiously. "Um, why did you come here?"
"Well, I came here to give you this," Fuwa-san pulled out a large envelope and held it out to her.
Mogami-kun looked at it cluelessly as she took it with both hands. "What is it?"
"What else could it be?" Fuwa-san smiled. "I hope you don't mind that it took this long since I've had this for a few months now. You and Shotaro are very busy and all. Not that it would have made much difference anyway because of Shotaro's age. I know that these days, people do things that should be done after marriage and I know that the two of you are living together, but I won't have that for my children. Since Saena-san signed the form, I took the liberty of putting all the documents together from Family Registry so the two of you can get married by June."
Sawara-san spat out his tea.
President Takarada choked on his cigar.
"Hah?" Kyoko growled as she opened the envelope and pulled out a handful of documents - birth certificates, consent forms, application forms - the whole damn thing was a completed marriage packet!
"By Shotaro..." Sawara-san asked in a raspy voice. "You don't mean Fuwa Shotaro. As in Fuwa Sho? The musician?"
"Why yes," Oba-sama nodded. "But he's not from this agency. He and Kyoko-chan are childhood friends. They're practically engaged." Kyoko looked in mortification at the things that oba-sama was saying. "Since Shotaro's going to be 18 in two months, they should do the proper thing."
What the hell is this? Kyoko thought strangely. Is this a joke? She stared at the application for a marriage license. Is she being told to marry that jerk and go back to Kyoto? No way. No. Frickin'. Way.
Oba-sama turned to her and said, "Because you two have made lives for yourselves here, I doubt that either of you have any desire to go back to Kyoto other than to visit." She sighed. "The kind of work that you've chosen demands that you lead respectable lives. Two underaged children who ran away and are living together hardly constitutes that." She turned to her and looked her in the eye. "Kyoko-chan, when you left, there was a lot of talk. Saena-san was furious at me for letting this happen."
"I-I see..." she swallowed. "My... my mother put you up to this?"
Oba-sama avoided her eyes and looked at her lap. "Kyoko-chan, it's best that you forget about her. You're going to be part of our family. You don't ever have to think about her ever again. I don't understand how someone we consider to be a friend can just shove a consent form at us and leave for another trip like she has no intentions of attending the wedding. She hasn't been back in months!"
Kyoko suddenly wanted to cry.
"But she was right," she sighed. "What happened to you was all because of Shotaro."
"O-oba-sama..." Kyoko scratched her head, very confused. "Have you even talked to Shotaro about this?"
Oba-sama shook her head. "No, I haven't. You remembered how things were when you two left. Your oji-san and I were hoping that when the two of you have married, the situation will change and things will go back to how it should be."
Hah? What the heck was she supposed to be? The bridge that closes the freaking gap between separated families? Couldn't oba-sama understand that her own mother pushed her to be the Fuwa family problem?
As much as she cared for Shotaro's parents who opened up their home, raised her and taught her everything she knew, she just couldn't fulfill this insane wish.
"I'm sorry, oba-sama," Kyoko bowed her head. Because, she was no longer the girl who did what people expected of her. "But Shotaro and I are no longer on speaking terms."
"What?"
"We don't live with each other anymore and I only see him occasionally," she explained.
"Kyoko-chan," oba-sama looked at her in horror. "Don't tell me that... you've dumped Shotaro."
"Huh?" She was surprised. Her? Dump Shotaro? "No, no. It's not like that."
"You already know that Shotaro hates being treated like a baby, but he secretly loves it, right? More so because it's you and he really cares about you,"she hurriedly said. Then she sighed. "Your oji-san and I knew that we never had to worry about anything when the two of you left home because I knew that you'd be there to take care of him. He wouldn't have been able to look after himself." She looked very worried. "Don't tell me that you met someone else more important to you than Shotaro is."
At the mention of the word 'important', the face of Cain Heel came into mind. She shook her head to clear the image out because it was totally unrelated to what was being talked about at the moment. "No, it's totally different from what you're thinking, oba-sama. He was the one who dumped me."
Oba-sama raised her eyebrow and exploded in a tirade. "That idiot boy! Your oji-san and I doted and spoiled him so much, he didn't have to want for anything. We even carefully chose the perfect bride for him and this is what he does?"
Perfect? Kyoko tilted her head. Now that she knew what Shotaro is really like, she knew that his idea of the perfect girl was someone with big breasts and a dynamite body. She wasn't anything like that. What they were thinking was a total mismatch! What the hell was wrong with his parents? Didn't they even know what their son was really like?
"So?" Oba-sama asked. "Have you met someone else?"
"No," she denied. This was embarrassing - and in front of the President and Sawara-san who were looking at her as though she was some exotic animal up for display. This was getting confusing for her too. Of all the people who'd come, Shotaro's mother was the last person she'd expected to come for her. And she came here to marry her off! Out of guilt because of what Sho's done to her!
Kyoko bit her lower lip and organized her thoughts about what she needed to say. "Oba-sama..."
10:00 PM
Ren sat worriedly in the car on-stand by as Cain Heel.
It was almost eleven in the evening and Mogami-san still hasn't returned from LME. She wasn't answering her phone. Neither was the President or Sawara-san. The only person he could contact, Matsushima-san, had no clue as to what's going on.
He jumped when the phone rang and hurriedly answered.
"Ren," the President said through the other line. "Sorry. You've been waiting an hour, haven't you?"
"Never mind that," Ren pushed the unnecessary pleasantries aside. "What happened to Mogami-san?"
"She left the office about fifteen minutes ago and will be arriving at the hotel shortly," he answered somberly. The tone of the usually jolly man made him nervous. "Ren..."
"Sir?"
"The Mogami-kun that's coming back to you will need your understanding," the Preisdent hesitantly said. "I don't think you can cheer her up with Cain's usual methods."
"What do you mean, sir?" Ren asked worriedly. "Did something happen with Mogami-san's visitor?"
"Then," the President cheerfully declared, ignoring his question. "I leave everything up to you."
"Wai-!"
Too late. He hung up on him. Ren stared at the phone then cried out, "Crazy old man!" He frustratedly threw his phone and it bounced against the passenger seat before it landed on the floor.
Something happened to Mogami-san... She'll need his understanding... He can't cheer her up with his usual methods...? Couldn't the President have been a little more specific? He'd been beside himself with worry.
Mogami-san arrived soon after. He peered through the car window, but he couldn't make out her face since her hair covered it. She disappeared into the trailer and emerged fifteen minutes later all smiles and cheerfulness when she greeted him. "Hi, nii-san, I'm back!"
Slowly, Ren stepped out of the car, intently scrutinizing her face for any sign that something was up. "Setsu..." he said precariously.
"What is it?"
"Did something happen during your talk with the boss?" he asked as she attached herself to his arm and they made their way to the elevator.
She paused then let out a laugh. "The boss and I just had a little chat."
She was ignoring the issue, Ren thought. Well, they can't really talk normally since they haven't reached their room yet. He continued to watch her face for any changes.
Once Ren slipped the card key into the slot and the door opened, Setsu dropped her purse on the coffee table and made a beeline for the kitchen to prepare his after-work drink.
"By the way, Tsuruga-san," she said when he slammed the door shut. "I never got to tell you. About tomorrow? Since Setsu's going to be out sick, I got Yashiro-san to help us out." She moved quickly as she filled a tall glass with ice and beer.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yashiro-san and I talked about it. It's kind of unnecessary though. I'll be able to manage it on my own." At least she opened the conversation as herself.
He opened his mouth to ask, but was shocked when she lifted the glass and took three gulps. "Mogami-san!" he cried out as he stalked over to her and grabbed the glass. "You can't drink that!"
"Why not?" she asked almost angrily. "You don't think I can handle it? I've been preparing and serving drinks since I was in middle school! You don't think I guessed the ingredients of your wine jelly or your Christmas cocktail do you?" She bit her lower lip. "Setsu's an outlaw who does everything her brother does so if he drinks, so does she!"
"Something happened at the office, didn't it? You can tell me, Mogami-san..."
"Tsuruga-san..." she swallowed.
"What is it?"
"Is it too much if I ask you to stop calling me that and just call me Kyoko instead?" she asked in an almost pitful tone.
"Eh?"
"I don't care if you call me Kyoko or Kyoko-san or Kyoko-chan, -tan, -chi, -kun," she babbled. "You are my senpai so I don't care. I would just really rather not be called Mogami anymore."
Ren wouldn't mind at all. Not in the slightest. But there was something off about how she asked it. "What happened in the office?" he asked in a demanding tone.
She opened her mouth, but she closed it immediately. She walked over to the coffee table and took out an envelope. "I brought this along because I don't want anyone else to see it."
"What is it?" Ren took the envelope and opened it.
"My mother's way of disowning me."
"Eh?" he yelped out in surpirse. He pulled out a document and saw the names 'Fuwa Shotaro' and 'Mogami Kyoko' on a document that clearly stated 'Marriage License' on it. Ren wasn't sure how, but he managed to be calm enough not to rip it to shreds.
"I never told you, did I?" she sounded almost ashamed. "My mother and I are on outs with each other." Her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not her perfect little girl. The woman who came to see me today was Shotaro's mother. She made it perfectly clear that my mother dumped me onto that jerk's family." Her voice broke as tears started falling from her eyes and she crouched into a ball on the floor.
Ren's heart was lodged in his throat. He knew as a child that her mother was some perfection-obsessed freak. It was so different from how he was practically drowning in his own parents' love that he almost couldn't comprehend it.
Feeling absolutely useless at releasing her from her pain like how she released him from his that time on the Dark Moon shoot, the only thing Ren could do was walk over to her and pick her up as though she were a baby. After he did, he wasn't sure what to do so he just walked to the overstuffed chair, sat down and let her cry against his shoulder as her legs spread across his.
As far as he was concerned, she was much better off, but he knew he couldn't say that. He knew how important her mother was to her.
"I wish I never went to Tokyo," she babbled on. "If I stayed in Kyoto, I would have-"
"Don't say that," he said. He knew what she meant, but the mere thought of it...
"And you know what the saddest part about it is?" she sobbed. "She gave me away to the Fuwa family saying that it was all Shotaro's fault and that the only reason why people are not talking about this or have reported it to the media is because that jerk's fans from home wouldn't say anything that will hurt him. My mother is pissed off about the whole thing and Shotaro's parents are so guilty about the whole thing that they want to marry me off just to make things right."
"Don't tell me they led you to believe that," Ren said. "They can't possibly force you." If he could credit Fuwa for anything, it would be taking her away from that place.
"What are you talking about?" She blinked at him. "No." She shook her head. "I refused."
"You did?" He looked up at her in surprise.
"Well, yeah..." she answered as though it was obvious. "After I told her Shotaro dumped me, there wasn't much to talk about after. I didn't even tell her that I hated his guts and want nothing more than to have him burn in hell." Then she straightened up. "Besides, I'm no longer that girl who does things because she's told to or just because it's expected of her." Almost indignantly, she continued, "I told you before, didn't I? I like acting because I want to find my true self. Not that I wasn't happy at the ryokan, but I wouldn't trade what I'm doing for anything in the world."
Ren smiled and pulled her head back on his shoulder. "Good girl."
"Besides," she continued. "I don't want to get married. Never. Ever. I'll live alone, strong, wisely, and sturdily."
"Remind me to laugh at you about that on your wedding day," he laughed against her hair.
Then she turned a little quiet. "I thought that if I become really good at acting, my mother might have..."
"Is it even worth crying over? I've known you for a long time now, and I've never heard you talk about her." He heard it endlessly as a child, but not since they met in Tokyo.
"She's my mother!" she looked up at him and sniffled.
"Really?" he asked. He was right: The reason didn't matter, she cared about it because it was her mother. Still... "How much have you seen her? Did she call you when you debuted in the Kyurara CM? Or when Dark Moon became a huge hit?"
"She..." she paused to think of an answer. "She just doesn't know where I am."
"Really?" Ren shook his head. "You and Maria-chan threw a Happy Grateful Party last December. From what I remember, you told me that you invited people that you were grateful for. I don't remember seeing or meeting her there." That woman left her on her birthday in the hands of strangers. "Did you even sent her an invitation? All I remember seeing was Kotonami-san, Maria-chan, the couple you live with, Yashiro-san, some people from Dark Moon and..." His brain suddenly got jolted. "...the Ishibashis." He brushed the last thought aside. He wanted to make her realize of all the good things about her life since she left that place, not bring up his personal insecurities.
She looked thoughtful for a few seconds. Ren knew that he was succeeding because he saw a hint of a smile. He didn't know how she felt about her mother might change, but he didn't want to see her crying anymore. She sniffled.
"Feeling a little better?" he asked precariously. She nodded slightly. "Good." He tipped her head back against his shoulder. At least for the first time in a long while, he felt like he was good for something to her. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Ren was relieved that she somehow calmed down.
"Tsuruga-san."
"Mm?"
"The beer tasted really bad."
"You drank it like a champ," he answered.
"I don't drink," she answered. "When I do it at the ryokan or the restaurant, it's only a sip and only to make sure it hasn't gone bad. Plus, it's usually rice wine."
"You were the one who picked it up," he shrugged.
After another few minutes of silence, she once again said, "Tsuruga-san."
"Kyoko," he exasperatedly cut her off. "If I'm going to address you by your name, you might as well call me by mine."
"But you're my senpai." She lifted her head and looked at him. It was really close, in Ren's opinion. "I can't really complain if you call me by anything you want, but I can't address you so casually when we're not that close."
"Oh yeah?" he turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "We live together. We eat together. We've seen each other naked - though separately. You've slept on my bed, I've slept on yours. You wash my dirty underwear so you even know my size. We share a closet - though, I hardly call that sharing. You left me with one measly shelf for my own clothes. I don't even have the dignity of my own underwear drawer so I have to share with you. Now I even know the cup size of the man-eater underwear that you're so fond of wearing. Heck, we even share a toilet. How much closer do the two of us have to be to say that the two of us are close?"
Her face turned red and she buried it in his shoulder. "You make it sound so bad."
"I don't think so," Ren let out a guffaw, feeling incredibly good to be doing something for her now. He couldn't seem to be there for her when it really counted. "So what's going to happen now?"
"I'm not sure," she shrugged. "I don't really know how these things go. The President said I can do whatever I want, but all I've doing is having these crazy thoughts about changing my name. I even went as far as thinking that I could ask Kuu Hizuri-sensei to adopt me so I can have the name Hizuri Kyoko or something like that."
That certainly had a ring to it and that wasn't the only way to get it, Ren thought, but he threw the careless thought aside. He has no plans of telling her anything - especially when he's just started coming to terms about what happened in the past and especially when he was so unsure about what she felt for him.
"Tsuruga-san?" she breathed against his neck.
"Mm?"
"Thank you for listening to me," she said. She wrapped an arm around his waist. Ren could sense that she still feeling uneasy about what happened. Normally, she would be on the ground begging him for forgiveness for being a weight burden to him. "I'm feeling much better now."
"I told you to call me Ren," he answered back.
Who Knows What Time It Is...
Kyoko slowly opened her eyes.
Because of where she was and the position she was in, she was a little disoriented. She moved herself when she felt the strain on her back and wondered why she fell asleep while sitting down curled up like a little ball. The warm and comfortable thing she was lying on shifted and she immediately raised her head and saw Cain-nii-san's sleeping face.
No... she stopped herself. Before they fell asleep, they were talking as Kyoko and Tsu- she blushed. As Ren, she amended. Somehow, the thought made her absurdly happy. She never thought she would become close to him. Never in a million years.
What he said about their closeness made her blush. They were so personal that it's not even polite to talk about or think about it too much. She should really wake him up. At some point when they drifted off, he ended up slouching against the backrest and crossing his legs on the table. If she felt sore the other evening when he slept on top of her, he would be too when she did the same thing.
She raised her hand to shake him on the shoulder when her eyes landed on his mouth. Then she shook herself. What the hell? She was back to thinking that again? There was something seriously wrong with her if she kept thinking that, especially after everything that has happened.
Kyoko shook him awake and he smiled at her. They moved to go about their usual routine. He looked at her worriedly before stepping into the bathroom. She smiled back at him as she opened the fridge to get something for their dinner. She felt much better than when she arrived at the hotel. Tsuruga-san really had magic in him. It could have been stronger than Corn.
She looked around the room and saw the scattered documents that were given to her by oba-sama. She frowned. Without another word, she walked over to her purse, grabbed her phone and dialed the number of a producer she hadn't talked to since the night Director Ogata fainted on the Dark Moon press conference to ask her a question.
11:45 PM
The insistent ringing stirred Sho out of his sleep.
"Huh?" He raised himself from lying down on his stomach and reached for his phone on the night stand. Without bothering to look at the caller ID, he flipped the phone open and said, "He-wof?"
"It's me," a sweetly familiar voice came from the other line.
Instantly, he was awake and he was even straightening his posture as though she was there and would disapprove of him slouching. "Kyoko!" He said disbelievingly. "Did you get the flowers?"
"Yes, I did," she answered. "Look, I need to see you."
Chapter Notes:
- Well, I did say that I didn't like Saena. However, I have always been fascinated with Sho's mother. I always saw her as someone who liked Kyoko very much, but probably not as warm and affectionate like Juli. Considering that Kyoko pretty much grew up under her tutelage, the pre-BSOD Kyoko would have been a lot like her. Honestly, I kinda regret putting the whole mother thing to light because I had a hard time writing it that it came out being written as pseudo-academic/logical and not as emotional as I wanted it to be. I just needed a reason for Kyoko to see Sho.
- Some notes: The 'in the forest' topping on a half-anpan is macha and adzuki - it's in the manga. Also, Kyoko can get married at 16 if that old bag Saena consents, but Sho can't until he's 18 with oji-san and oba-sama's consent. Sho's birthday is May 29th.
- Next chapter: Kyoko and all the players of the chasing game are in Fuji TV. Except for Ren who is at his movie shoot. He's not sure if he'll be there on time. May take a while because the beta has school.
- Thank for all the reviews you've been leaving. I'm sorry I don't get to answer them because I've been kinda busy. Again, reviews are appreciated but not expected.