Everything went smoothly, until Ren got to the part where he had to act like he realized that he was in love with Kyoko. The angel she portrayed would walk away from him, after all of their planning to separate their friends' relationship. He had to look heartbroken all of a sudden because this might mean he might not see her again.
And that's what Ren did... except he didn't do it good enough.
"CUT! Tsuruga san! Why are you hesitating so much? I understand this might be the first role that you have that contains a little love... but at least act a little better!" Director Asami shook her head. "Okay... let's take it from the top." She waved her hand.
Kyoko signed to him that they had to redo the scene. She could see that he was struggling, but what could make him struggle? It was just a simple scene where he would feel heartbroken! Anyone could show that and... unless... Ren has never been heartbroken before? Maybe he's the type of person that breaks up with people first, so they'll be heartbroken!
Oh no... That's just cruel, Tsuruga san! Kyoko shook her head in dismay.
But what she didn't think of was that Ren had never been in love before. Sure, he had been in a relationship or two... or twenty. But he had never really fell in love with anyone. The President had always been complaining to him about this, but he never took his comment seriously... until today.
"CUT! Tsuruga san... can you... hey! Are you listening?" The director saw Kyoko signing to him again, and Sebastien translating—with a straight face and serious voice—to him what she was "saying". She had seen Kyoko do that several times, but ignored it. After all, the girl couldn't talk, right? Of course she would always sign and have a translator around her.
"Tsuruga san..." The director went up to him, and shook her head lightly. "If you can't do this scene, I don't think you can do the other scenes. After all, you must show the betrayal of your love killing your friend. And if you can't show that you're heartbroken by the fact that this might be your last meeting of her, I doubt you can do the other scenes... Why don't you take a break?" She gave a little tilt and smiled. "I'm sure in a half and hour or so, you can do it. You are, after all, Japan's best actor."
Collapsing into a chair, Ren ran his fingers roughly into his hair. Yukhito was next to him, holding a bottle to him to drink as he pulled out a chair next to him.
"Hey, are you okay?" asked Yukhito. He spoke softly, and slowly. Not too slow, because he knew how Ren felt when people spoke too slow. It would be like speaking slowly to a stupid kid, and Ren wasn't stupid.
He may be deaf, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a working brain. Heck, he worked twice as hard from a hearing person! He had to lip read and be able to respond at a normal volume without people knowing that he was deaf. And if someone said that deaf people were dumb, well... maybe they should try it out sometimes. It's not as easy as it looks.
Twisting the bottle cap off, Ren gave a slick gulp. He was just... frustrated. There was finally a role that left him stumped. He just didn't know what to do. A role that contained love... The President once said that he might not be able to do any, as he didn't know what love was. And if there was ever a time that he did get a role like this, he would watch love dramas, and all of his acting would be from his head, not from his heart.
How in the world was he suppose to do this? If he couldn't think of a way to do this... he would be fired!
*KNOCK KNOCK!*
"Huh? It hasn't been half an hour yet!" Yukhito went up to the door, and opened it. As he twisted it, the door revealed Kyoko. She was still in her angel costume, but she looked as if she was sad to the point she might commit suicide. Yeah... that sad.
"Kyoko? What's wrong? Don't you have to do your scenes?" Yukhito stepped aside to let her in. As she walked in, she shook her head in response.
I couldn't do the scene. I was too angry with Sho to do it. she signed.
"Ah... I see." Pulling another chair, Yukhito suddenly remembered. "Ah! Why do you not like him? Has he done anything to you?" He nudged Ren, who was thinking of how to not get fired (this was a trauma for him); it was only then that he saw Kyoko was in the room.
He asked why she was here, just like Yukhito, but he was signing.
Yukhito soon found out that Kyoko knew Ren's secret, or at least one of them, and was glad it was with her. Had it been someone else, Ren might have threatened them to the point that they had to look left and right to see that he wasn't stalking them back to their house.
I messed up one of my scenes too many times so they had to tell me to think over my role. Kyoko sighed heavily. I just don't get it. How do I kill like an angel? How can angels even kill? They're pure, right? Why would they want to kill anyone?
Ah... so what did you do? asked Ren.
Pausing for... maybe ten seconds, Kyoko replied, I strangled him.
...You strangled him?
Kyoko nodded.
Um... Ren rubbed his neck. He really didn't know what to say to that. Why?
Because I hate him. I thought that was obvious. Laying a hand on her cheek, she motioned with one hand, He hurt me.
Ren widened his eyes at this. There was a soulless light reflecting in her eyes, as if this was enough to tell him the whole story. She gave a rueful smile, and forced a laugh.
He used me as a maid. The whole time when we were friends, he lied and brought me here to Tokyo as a convenience. After founding out about this, I left him. Letting her head drop, Kyoko shook it, with new-found tears rolling down her cheeks. I thought I loved him... but I don't. But... now I don't know what love... is!
She covered her face, not wanting to face Ren or Yukhito. They must think she was stupid, for following Sho and believing that he would let her support him as a friend. A maid... ha! Why didn't she realize that? They hadn't even known each other all that well... and he just dragged her! Why wasn't she thinking at that time? Was it to escape the fact that she was banished?
She was still swirling around, so confused, when a hand ruffled her hair. Looking up, she saw red eyes piercing into hers. She wasn't scared, as her demon side had red eyes similar to these, but... they weren't as soft and understanding as Ren was now.
I... He bit his bottom lip. He closed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows, and signed, I don't know what love is, but were you ever happy with him?
Kyoko thought for a moment. Yes, but it was like a being-happy-that-someone-you-just-met-was-friends-with-you kinda feeling. I don't think that's love.
Then you weren't heartbroken.
Huh? Kyoko cringed. Why do you say that?
You said you think that you were never in love with him. Then that means that he never broke your heart. Besides, if he did break your heart, Ren began cracking his knuckles, I'll kill him! he signed with a smile.
Nooooo! Kyoko waved her hands frantically, gripping his hands apart. Don't do that!
The two were laughing at each other, talking about how they were confused about their roles, and giving each other suggestions. Yukhito felt like a third wheel, but he didn't mind as much. Ren was rarely friends with anyone, as he always kept everyone an arm's width apart from him. They would rarely get to be close enough to him to see his mistakes.
And Kyoko seemed to be the only person other than him that saw Ren lose his cool more than once.
"So we finished almost all of the scenes with Ren and Kyoko... we just need to send them back." Asami san motioned someone to go fetch the two, and went back to explaining to Sho and Kanae. "Okay. We'll do Ren's scene first, to see if he can act it, and then we'll see if Kyoko can do her scenes. After that, I'm pretty sure we can do all of the scenes by the end of the day." Tapping her pencil and looking at the storyboard one last time, she murmured, "Sho, your solo scenes where you're just performing will be tomorrow. We'll might be able to fit the school scene that I mentioned early to you tomorrow also."
"Okay." Sho looked bored. Acting was easier than he thought. He didn't had to put too much effort, and he'll get the right scenes. And he beat that over-sized doll at his own game! Hah!
His smug look earned him a smack on the face, as Kanae slapped him. A stinging red hand print was left in its mark.
"Hey! What was that for!" This woman was beautiful, as Sho noticed. He was going to ask for her number later, but after what she just did? Forget it!
"You... were smiling. I just thought that you were thinking that you were better than Tsuruga san, that's all." She turned around, and began to walk away from him when she saw Kyoko.
Sho looked ridiculed. "That's because I am! I didn't get any NG's, yet he did. That just proves that I'm better than him and-"
Kanae's hand quickly came up to his face again, and this time, she looked serious. Her ice-cold glare pierced him as she spat, "His role is harder than yours. All you had to do in this PV was act like a playboy. Since you're already a playboy, of course it was easy. If you can't tell the difference between an easy role and a role that requires thinking, then you aren't even an actor!"
He was going to argue back, until he saw the scene commencing. Ren's NG's were starting to be forgotten.
[ An angel and a demon... they were determined to separate the relationship between their friends. They knew that the more times they fell in love with each other, their powers would drain. They would do this, until they died.
The demon thanked the angel for her understanding. She just said that she would try to stop his friend, as he had already tried, and failed to reason with him. As she turned to enter back to Heaven, away from the bridge that connected both Heaven and Hell, he suddenly realized that after this, after they saved their friend's lives, they might never see each other again.
Never again.. ]
Ren looked away, his eyes closed. He then opened them quickly, and he showed everyone how determined he was. He didn't want to let her go. Never...
What was he feeling?
He began to walk faster towards the girl that was moving away from him. She heard his footsteps, and turned to see what he wanted. She just didn't know that she would be engulfed by him. His warm arms... all around her. Circling her, with surging happiness bubbling up to her.
She blushed, as Ren continued to hug her tighter. This wasn't what he was suppose to do! She looked up as he loosened his grip, and he... looked heartbroken.
Ah... if he looked heartbroken now, while he had her in his arms, rather than her away, it would be more effective. With her away, it was cliché, too common. With her in his arms... it was like saying he didn't want to let her go.
Moving away, as he realized what he just did, he swiftly ran away from her, and off the set. She continued to blush, until... she smiled. The angel she played was in love with him also... so him hugging her allowed her to know that he loved her back. Loved her back... What a wonderful feeling.
Kyoko did her scene perfectly, as she took Ren's suggestion. What would Kanae think if Kyoko killed someone Kanae was in love with. No matter how dangerous the circumstances were, even if she would die, it didn't matter. Kanae would be angry at Kyoko that she would feel like killing her, even though they're best friends.
Up on the tower, where she was going to push Sho off the tower, Kyoko cried. She didn't want Kanae to hate her, but she had to do this. She loved her friend so much. She wouldn't want her to die.
As Sho fell off, as she let go of his neck, Kyoko looked down and saw Ren shouting something to her. She gasped. The love of her life was angry at her. Why wouldn't he, as she just killed his friend. She didn't mean to! He kept refusing to leave Kanae alone!
She soon, up on the tower, saw her friend running up to the dead body that she just dropped. Kanae shouts, with tears streaming down her face. Kyoko shakes her head, almost feeling the blood in her dropping.
This was just an act, but she felt herself slipping into the past bit by bit.
As Ren, moving around a green stick with a cloth around, hit Kanae, this gave the editor time to edit the slashes. The green on Ren's held object was to act like a green screen. Since they couldn't have a real sword slashing Kanae, and they didn't want blood all over the pink ruffled dress as it would be used at a later time, they would edit in the injuries. Ren's "sword" would be a magical one in the PV.
After being hooked up with invisible wires stuck onto a transparent backpack, Kyoko descended down to Ren. In this, it would look as if she was flying once they added the wings using CG's (computer graphics).
They both couldn't believe what they just did. They killed the people who they promised to protect. They were both planning how to separate them, and then they ended up losing them forever. Too sad to even comprehend, Kyoko closed her eyes slowing, and collapsed into Ren's arms.
In the PV, she would disappear, only into feathers. As Ren looked at them flying around him, he soon looked up into the sky. He was all alone.
She finished changing back into a red and black zebra-patterned dress and was close to putting her hair into a ponytail until she heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was either Ren or Kanae, she immediately opened it, not realizing that it was Sho.
Kyoko didn't had Sebastien in the room, as she was changing and didn't want him to see her... ahem, naked. Or at least half naked. She was about to go get him when Sho finally mustered what he came for.
"Why did you leave me?" He, with the most concerned face he ever gave to her, sadly said, "Why did you do that?"
Her hand was lying at the doorknob still, as she continued to stare at him. Should she tell him? But what was she going to say? "I finally know that you used me as a maid?" or "I know you aren't my prince?"
She continued to stare at him, and sighed. She opened her mouth, and for the first time, Sho heard her voice.
Her lovely voice that could enchant men to drown underwater if she sang... and let them come to her in sea.
"I loved you, and you used me. So I no longer need you in my life. Nor do you need me in your life." She smiled, and gave him a kiss. Her lips were soft, and were molding his still ones as he failed to respond to her. Brushing her lips for a final kiss, she looked up at him. Her arms were around his neck, circling him, as she sadly pushed him away.
He was still dazed, but when he was finally out of his reverie, he had forgotten all about Kyoko.
A mermaid's voice can enchant men into the ocean to drown. A mermaid's kiss can make someone forget.
Just like a certain someone out there in the world forgot that she saved him. He might have forgotten the kiss that she gave to bring him back to life. And he might have forgotten the song she sang to make sure he would be alive enough to hear it.
The forgotten melody... Humming the tune out loud to herself, she started to want to cry inside. She might never see her prince again. Whoever he was... she might never see him again.