Chapter Thirteen: Address to the Press
Kyoko, Kanae and Chiori huddled around the TV in the LoveMe room, watching avidly as a daytime talkshow host engaged her audience, both in the studio and watching at home. None of them spoke, but Kyoko clung to her friends' hands as tightly as she could without hurting them. As the first guest of the show entered the stage, the door opened and Maria and the President walked in and sat next to the three older girls. After a moment, Maria crawled into Kyoko's lap and leaned against her, eyes fixed on the screen.
Once the first guest had left and there had been a commercial break, Lory spoke. "Ren is very nervous about today. It's going to take all of his skills at fending off inquiries to get him through this."
"He should be," growled Kanae. "He's put Kyoko in a bad spot."
"Be fair," said Kyoko. "I was there of my own free will."
"But as your senior, it was his job to take care of you," said Chiori. "And now you're being dragged through the mud by the tabloids, and people who don't know you believe what they're saying. Even some people who do know you believe it, and that's just from seeing your interactions."
"Not helping," said Kanae.
The conversation dropped as the show resumed. The host introduced Ren, and he walked onto the set with a charming smile to much applause and squealing in the audience. He and the host bowed to each other and settled into seats across from each other. Kyoko bit her lips and squeezed Kanae and Chiori's hands. They squeezed back.
"Welcome," said the host warmly. "It's wonderful to have you on my little show."
"Thank you for having me," said Ren, composed and settled in the guest chair on the biggest daytime entertainment show on Japanese television.
"You've had quite the week," said the host.
"I have," agreed Ren. "My poor manager would be lost without his scheduling book. I really don't know how he does it." The audience laughed.
"Yes, you are part of several dramas right now," said the host, "including one in the tabloids. Miss Kyoko is quite something, isn't she?"
"She's a wonderful actress and a genuinely good person," said Ren. "Completely the opposite of Mio of Dark Moon, or of Natsu from Box 'R'."
"Is that where you met her, on the set of Dark Moon?" asked the host.
"We had met well before that, actually," said Ren. "I ran into her just before her audition, and she made quite the impression. She's very determined, in addition to being talented. Kyoko seeks to constantly improve. It's something we have in common."
"So then by the time you were part of the way through shooting, you must have been quite close," said the host.
"As close as friends can be," said Ren.
"Friends," said the host skeptically. "That picture doesn't look just friendly to me."
"It was just friendly," said Ren. "As I said, Kyoko is a genuinely good person. And I'm glad for her kindness that day, or I really would have set shooting back by being tired."
"So as a friend, she let you nap in her lap?" said the host.
"Yes," said Ren. "Filming Dark Moon together certainly brought us closer, and as opposing characters we had to know and trust each other a lot."
"Have you ever been this close to any of your other co-stars?" asked the host.
"No," said Ren. "But then, I haven't played such an intense character before this. I think you'll find that intense characters are something of Kyoko's specialty, though certainly she can play others. I was inspired by her performance, and I believe that the director was as well."
"But you're working with her again soon, aren't you?" said the host.
"Yes, in Kyoto Underbelly," said Ren. "I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with this role."
"Then I think we should all be excited about it," said the host. "So what are you working on right now? What should we, the people of Japan, be watching?"
Ren laughed. "I'm sure that I would be biased."
The host waved this away. "We want to hear what you think."
Ren obliged, describing briefly three of his current projects, another one or two of actors who he respected, and, oddly, the variety show Bridge Rock. The host had stared at him for half a second before recovering her composure and continuing the interview. There were a few more times when the host had tried to ask about his love life, and Ren had denied everything in words, but his body language told a different story. He was in love with someone, and that someone might be the girl he had praised in the first half of the interview.
Kanae and Chiori exchanged looks behind Kyoko's back. Maria looked up into her big sister's face. From the shadows, the President looked at his favourite talent. And Kyoko, oblivious to the scrutiny she was under, sagged in relief as Ren walked off the stage and into the wings.
"He did it," said Kyoko. She looked at the President. "Do you think they believed him?"
"They believed exactly what he wants them to believe," said the President. "And he's walking a very fine line. The public doesn't want to see his star fall, yet they need him to be more approachable than he's been. Seeing him in love a little? That will endear him more to them."
"As long as Kyoko doesn't get hurt any more, I suppose it's fine," said Kanae.
"I am doing everything I can to protect her," said the President. "PR is working on it; Minako is overseeing it herself. I have eyes on the various media outlets, watching for more pictures. And now that I've been told the extent of their relationship, I can work to better protect Kyoko and her reputation."
"Is she in danger?" asked Chiori.
"Not that I know of," said the President. "The other half of PR, the side that monitors fansites, has reported a spike in hits for Kyoko's page. People are restreaming episodes of Dark Moon, and Box 'R' has had a major ratings boost. Curara is rerunning that commercial. And the video for 'Prisoner' has been seen more than ten thousand times in the last twenty-four hours. People seem interested in her. I wouldn't be surprised if Velvet Blue Rose got an interest boost from this as well.
"It only takes one deranged fan to change everything," said Kanae darkly.
"That it does," said the President. "And I am sure that our mail screeners will do their best to report any threats that they find to the head of their department, who will inform me. I take care of my people."
"Thank you, President," said Kyoko. "I should – I should stay away from him for a while, shouldn't I?"
"If you think it's a good idea," said the President. "Though I don't agree with that. It would prevent any more paparazzi photos and tabloid stories. But it would also leave you both a little lonelier."
"Your safety and your career are more important," said Kanae, "than a few moments of happiness that create a lifetime of pain."
"I know," said Kyoko. "I just really don't want to leave him on his own."
"Then don't," said Chiori. "Just phone each other. I mean, you do that already, right? So keep doing that."
"Please stay close to him," said Maria. "He'll be sad if you leave. And confused, and hurt. He's been so much happier since he met you."
"That is true," said the President. "but your happiness is important too. What do you need?"
Kyoko was silent for a moment. "I'm going to stay away from him. I'll answer his calls and talk to him when I see him, but I won't search for him or go places with him. I just – we need the separation, I think. For now."
"You have to do what you think is right," said the President.
Kyoko shifted Maria off her lap. "I need to go to the bathroom."
As soon as she left the room, Chiori turned to Kanae and said, "So are we going to talk about how Tsuruga is definitely in love with Kyoko?"