Hello all! Nice to see you all again after such a long period…yet again :3 This chapter is pretty but just think of it as a bridge to longer, more detailed future chapters. Hope you enjoy~~

Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat

Chapter 20

Ren watched as Kyoko bit into her dinner. His eyes were trained on her while his mind mulled over his recent applauded representation of Katsuki's forbidden feelings of love.

Love.

The realizations that had come over him as Katsuki had followed him home and had tormented him for days. He couldn't help but turn those realizations over and over in his mind, trying to figure out exactly what it meant for his personal life. He had after all come to those conclusions based on his relationship with Kyoko.

"Is…something wrong?" Kyoko asked as she looked up at him, her eyes asking the question as well.

"Hmmm, no everything's fine," he replied.

"Are you sure? You've barely eaten anything," she said, her eyes drifting to his still full plate.

"Ah, I haven't," he said, grabbing up his chopsticks to eat. He wasn't one bit hungry though as he had filled himself up with thoughts of Kyoko and thoughts of loving her. He snuck a glance up at her. The more time he spent with her, the more he could feel her magnetic pull. It made him just want to spend even more time with her, alone, just like now. He could tell that there was still a lot to know about her, but he could feel that he would enjoy every minute of getting to know who she really was. As a matter of fact, he had a feeling that he would need a few lifetimes to fully appreciate her.

Wasn't that what love was? Wanting to spend forever with someone?

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his head but he couldn't. All he could think about was the lady sitting in front of him and all he wanted to do was be with her. His simple life had just become even simpler.

XXX XXX

Sho couldn't remember the last time he had felt so out of it. He stumbled against a wall, feeling the ragged concrete scrape a warning on his forearm. He pushed himself away from it, tilting his head back to stare at the sky. All he could see were dark clouds and he remembered a certain rainy night 3 years ago…the night he had thrown Kyoko on the streets. He pressed his eyes together tightly, trying to erase the memory and calm the alcohol that was coursing through him quickly, but he couldn't erase it, and he couldn't help feeling dizzier by the second. He was also feeling something else, something he never thought he could feel. Making his way to the top had stripped him of these feelings, right? He had learned to not regret and not feel guilty right? After all, there were so many people he had had to step on to reach to the top, friends he had to discard in order to reach his dream. His head fell into his hands as he shuffled forward.

Yes, his mind was clouded by the alcohol he had downed earlier, but it wasn't so clouded that he would forget where he was going. After seeing Kyoko looking so alive on screen, he had demanded an explanation from Shoko, which she swiftly gave him after making a few phone calls. The end result was extremely shocking. Apparently, Kyoko had been working in a shop called 'The Seductress', from which she was bought by Tsuruga Ren. Disbelief had flooded to him when he heard that name. Of all the persons to pick up Kyoko, it was that guy! That guy whom both he and Kyoko had hated. Of all people…

Sho continued trudging along, the directions already memorized, never to be forgotten.

What did he intend to do though, when he came upon the shop Kyoko had lived and worked at? What would he do with the remnants of her left there? As he looked up at the brightly lit sign, he acknowledged that he didn't quite know and frankly, he didn't quite care.

"Well, hello there, customer. Would you like to come in?" A sly voice called out to him. He shifted his attention down from the sign to realize that a window had opened and a girl was partially sitting there, smiling at him. He nodded to her, his eyes moving around to examine the place.

"Then, this way please," she said, using her hand to guide him. Suddenly a door opened to her left and the dim light from inside poured out onto the street. Hands and faces came to the doorway, grabbing him and smiling at him as they pulled him inside.

"What would you like to do first my dear, handsome customer?" One of the girls asked. His eyes scanned the room, latching onto the bar. He motioned with his head and they chit chattered away as they led him there. As he sat down a glass slid into place in front of him. He stared at it for a while before he realized that a hand was attached to it.

"I think we're both lucky tonight," the owner of the voice said as it slid from the glass to cover his hand.

"I wonder why that is," he asked rhetorically as he took his hand from hers to get to his drink. He knocked it back, flinching at the burning pathway it made down his throat.

"Because no one here has or will ever have a clue about who you are…except me," she said. Sho could hear a smirk in her smile. He glanced up at her.

"Even more reason for me not to take you up on whatever offer you have." She smiled in a fox like manner before leaning over the counter.

"I disagree. I think it means that you'll definitely take me up on whatever I'm offering you." She signalled to him to move closer, to which he leaned forward. She placed her cheek against his as she whispered into his ear.

"Because no matter what, because I know just how famous you are, I will never tell a soul what happens here between you…and me." Her lips gently connected with his. Instead of protesting about a strange female kissing him, he found his eyes closing as he moved his lips to the rhythm of hers. Was it the alcohol? She pulled away completely from him.

"See? Now how about…" She started.

"I have some questions first," he cut her off. His insides were being stirred around by the liquor and her kiss, but there was one topic that would just not dissolve amongst this mixture. Her eyebrows rose in a 'do go on' gesture.

"Tell me about Kyoko," he said. Her face immediately fell into one of hate and malice.

"She isn't someone worth talking about," she hissed as she started turning away.

"Exactly…which is why I have to know. Tell me about Kyoko's time here." She stopped in her action then turned to look at him.

"And if I do…?"

"That…we'll have to find out."

"My name is Ruri…"

XXX XXX

Sho leaned his head against the arms of the couch as the last throbs of his headache faded away. Being clear minded now, he was impressed at what he had accomplished the night before while being so intoxicated. Even though he had found out a lot about Kyoko's time as a seductress, he had come to another, much bigger realization while "talking" with Ruri. He had figured out that Tsuruga's actions had set him up for a most scandalous scandal. His career would go right down the drain when the public found out he had visited nothing short of a brothel and had bought one of the girls. Wasn't that called human trafficking? With Ruri's voice he'd be able to knock Tsuruga out of the ring and maybe even into prison. He smirked to himself. One less person in his way. What would he do with Kyoko then? He smirked even wider and turned onto his back. He would do whatever he wanted with her.

Ooooooo! What is Sho up to? Well, the story is finally winding down so that means only a few more chapters to go, maybe 2 to 5 chapters left. Wow, four years of this story is ending soon. I'm a bit sad but happy at the same time.

Thanks to all those who reviewed for the last chapter:

Yin-Yang M, Naru-fan3400, JapaneseAnimeChic, Jayne-Myu, mrs. zala, wendy1903, DangerFiction, Manga Ren, Nla1220, Rycans, MichelleSnoopy, Princess Ren, kurokazeryuu, Beauty's Black7 and my anonymous reviewer.