Disclaimer: I've said it before, I do not own Skip Beat but I do own the OC's

Sorry this is short and sorry I've not updated lately... I've been busy.

Kyouko didn't understand what the muted voices were saying over her as she drifted in an out of consciousness, for a start it was all in English and secondly she could only catch meaningless words; 'exhaustion', 'stress', 'safety', 'health' 'rest', words that didn't register in her mind as she drifted off once again.

Ren glared at his laptop screen, like that would suddenly make the laptop spill all secrets on Kyouko's where-bouts, just as Ren was in mid-staring session his phone rung the annoying beeping that was Yashiro's tone. Yashiro now rung Ren every morning to check on his condition, update him on his investigation into where Kyouko was and what Ren's schedule for the day was; he was becoming decreasingly worse at turning up on set on time. All of Ren's spare time at the moment was going to his never ending search and it was beginning to tire him, he spent most of his night on his laptop, any break on set would be spent in his changing room, phone clasped to his ear searching for leads and all was fruitless.

"'Morning Ren. Did you actually manage to get any sleep last night?" Was the first thing Ren heard when he answered the incoming call; this was also customary now, a few months ago and Yashiro hadn't needed to worry about Ren's sleep, but now it was necessary.

"Yes, I did actually. I managed to get four hours." Ren answered a little moodily, he was tired, frustrated and worried, he had replied shortly to Kyouko's letter, nothing big but just a reassuring note that he was certain would not cause problems, telling her that he wished she could come home, and the press didn't bother him. But no reply had come from Kyouko and that was unusual, the polite and smart young girl that he knew and loved would not leave a letter unresponded to, especially if she had started the correspondence. Yashiro sighed over the phone, sure that amount of sleep was longer than anything that Ren had been getting recently but it still wasn't enough and his exhaustion was starting to show. Yashiro scrolled through his e-mails whilst chatting to Ren about his progress in the search for Kyouko that would be nothing so far, and listened to what Ren had to say. Yashiro opened a certain e-mail that was in red; the sender had lost their patience and highlighted every single word in a blood red in order to grab Yashiro's attention.

"Ren, you're not going to like this..." Yashiro started, he heard Ren tense, the phone cracking slightly over the phone line with the pressure that Ren was exerting onto it. "They're requesting that you accept one of the potential actresses to replace Kyouko as Sumire, they wish for you to reply immediately with positive results..." Yashiro winced as he heard something break over the phone, it sounded like glass.

"Replace Kyouko?! Are they stupid? I've told them ten fucking times already that Sumire cannot be played by any other actress out there at this moment!! Only Kyouko is the correct age group and talent to play her, all other actresses young enough to play Sumire do not have enough experience or talent and all actresses that do are too old to play her!! There is no other option than to wait for Kyouko's return to Japan." Ren thought his argument was sound, and to be truthful it was, but things just didn't work that way in the entertainment business and the producers would not accept this if Ren was a lower actor, but the fact that he was Japan's top actor at the moment stopped them from denying him the chance to find Kyouko and chucking Ren off the set, he had already refused to act with anyone else acting as Sumire.

Yashiro rolled his eyes, the producers wouldn't like this and it would be him that had to smooth out the trouble that this mess would cause, as he rolled his eyes they caught on a pop-up news icon. "Japanese teenage actress faints shockingly after audition." The icon was in English but Yashiro understood it well enough and it interested him, a teenage Japanese actress huh? He opened the pop-up and followed the link onto the Californian Times where the news article was from.

Last Friday a young Japanese actress took her first audition since arriving in America two months ago, the girl was reported to be in perfect health both before and during the audition as she acted out a role that she had formerly played in Japan, shocking both the judges and the girl helping her into speechlessness at the authencity of her role. The TV company, where the audition was held, has told the media that the teenager was accepted into the production in which she had auditioned for and had travelled home under the protection and security of close friends. It has been announced that the girl had begun to celebrate her acceptance into the role when she suddenly fainted having given no warning of previous illness or weakness before; close friends rushed her to a private hospital, but it seems no family has been informed of her illness. The girl is said to be in a stable position and will recover soon.

The information supplied on the girl is limited at the moment, the main piece of information is that she is of about 17 years of age, her group of close friends includes the pop-star Adam, who had not been previously believed to be Japanese but has now announced that he is of mixed heritage and the girl is an important friend of his family. Adam believes that his friends condition is due to the stressful occurrences that had happened before her arrival in America and exhaustion due to lack of sleep, he claims that her condition is not serious and that she should be up and working, as she insists, in the next few weeks, after medicated rest.

"Ren..." Yashiro paused for effect and so he could hear if Ren was acknowledging his existence, he got an irritated reply over the phone. "I think I've found her..."

Done!!!

Right this is really just a teaser until I have time to right the rest, that's why it's short... woop woop! Will Ren find Kyouko? And what's wrong with her? (seriously, I ask this cause I still don't sort of know...)

Sorry that it took like months... I've been working and school and my friends birthdays have all sort of come at the same time :S AH! It's a hectic life... I'm planning on getting the Beagles involved in the next chapter and Sho and Shoko will turn up soon... Man Sho is a bastard...

Love you all :)

xxxx