Sho was pissed, really pissed. They retake the scene where he was killed by Kyoko, five times. FIVE TIMES! Ever since he entered in the industry, he never made a mistake on his PV, only now.
Because of Kyoko! Because of that plain and boring Kyoko! He kicked the nearest trash can. He always froze every time he will saw her crying, he just don't know what to do.
"Sho! Calm down, will you?" Shoko scolded. "Remember your promise to Mimori-chan that you will give her a kiss after the PV."
The blond singer clicked his tongue.
"Eh? You're here to pick me up? Are you sure? But you will attract a lot of attention, you know."
Sho and his manager turned around and saw Kyoko on the phone, talking to someone. And it angers the singer. He strode towards her and grabbed her phone.
"Whoever you are, don't call her again." With that he ended the call hand her back her phone. "I never thought you can afford to buy a phone. Tell me your number."
Kyoko was beyond shocked, and her angels released all her Kyomons.
I WILL KILL YOU!
HOW DARE YOU DO THAT!
DIE YOU DEMON!
YEAH DIE!
DIE!
DIE!
Shoko shrieked and call the guards when she saw her charge turning blue, and being choked by something.
"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY CALL, FUWA SHOUTARO!" She growled. "IT SEEMS THAT PUSHING YOU TO FALL IS NOT ENOUGH TO KILL YOU!"
Sho coughed at the strange pressure around his neck and whole body. He saw her glaring at him, the kind of glare that he never saw before.
Kyoko jumped in surprise when someone tapped her shoulder. And all of her Kyomons retracted inside her body when she saw who the person was.
"Corn..."
Ren looked at his phone for the umpteenth times, it's been five hours since he got a message from Kyoko telling him that they will start their shooting, attached to it was a picture of her character. Without a second thought, he saved the said picture and used it as his phone's display wallpaper.
He looked at the time again and sighed.
Surely, a PV won't take that long to shoot. He thought. Unless that bastard hurt her! I will surely kill him if he laid his filthy finger on her! He stood up from his seat and excused himself from the director on the set, asking if he can pick her up.
Director Ogata agreed since it is not yet his scene.
He drove his car to the underground parking lot of the building.
Well, I will surely create an unwanted attention if I will enter the building as Tsuruga Ren. He opened the small compartment in his car and took the blond wig that he kept inside.
"I guess, Kuon will have his appearance today." He mumbled as he put his wig on, took off his contacts, and his coat and tie.
He dialed her number and to his relief, she answered it on the second ring.
"Hey, are you done?"
"Yes, the taping took longer than expected because of my co-stars."
"I'm here in the building right now to pick you up."
"Eh? You're here to pick me up?"
"Yes..."
"Are you sure? But you will attract a lot of attention, you know."
Ren chuckled, but before he can answer a voice that he knew so well interrupted.
"Whoever you are, don't call her again." With that, the person on the other line ended the call.
Ren narrowed his eyes. He's with her! That idiot is with her!
He walked faster and it's not hard to find her. On the right corner, he felt a sinister aura that worse than Mio, and there, he found her ready to kill the singer.
He tapped her shoulder to get her attention, her eyes widened and all evil pressure left the room.
"Corn..."
Her eyes were obviously sparkling. He smiled at her. "I've been looking for you." He said in English. "What took you so long?"
"Oh, this guy pissed me off and I wanted to teach him a lesson or two." She responded in English.
Ren, I mean, Kuon glared at Sho. "I see." He took Kyoko's bag and put his hand on her waist. "Let's go."
"Hey wait!" Sho called the two. There's no way he will end it like this. "Kyoko, we're not yet done! You can't leave until I say so!"
Kuon stopped on his tracks, and slowly turn around. Sho gulped when he saw the eyes of the foreigner, it was full of hatred and killing intent. He wanted to step back, but he can't move. His gaze made him froze in fear.
"W-what do you want? Y-you want a fight?"
Kuon smirked. "Heh~ what a brave words coming from someone who was trembling in fear."
Sho mustered up his ego and glare at him. He won't let this man intimidate him, although he can't clearly understand what he was saying.
Kuon leaned down and whispered on his ears. "Fuck off, you piece of shit." He faked his accented Japanese, and was satisfied when he saw blanched.
"What did you whispered to him?" Kyoko asked. They're on their way to the parking lot.
He grinned. "Things that you shouldn't learn."
She pouted. "Unfair!"
"We better get going. Director Ogata is waiting."
She gasped. "Right."
They climbed in the car, ready to leave, but she stopped him from turning on the engine. Kuon curiously looked at her.
Kyoko grinned at him.
"It's nice to see you in your real form again, Corn."
Shoko rubbed her temple. Sho was cursing and throwing things ever since they got home from the shooting. She was sure something had happened when she saw him in the hallway, gazing in the space, pale as the paper, and trembling in fear.
"For heaven's sake, tell me what happened after I left!" She yelled.
"That bitch! She's cozying up with a foreigner! A dangerous foreigner!" He kicked the center table.
She was shocked. Kyoko-chan is involved with a foreigner? "And so? Why are you angry again?"
"She has no right to throw herself on another man! She's mine! She's still mine! She's here in Tokyo because of me! She entered show business because of me!"
Shoko rolled her eyes. "She's not your property Sho. She can do whatever she wants in her life."
He was panting, tired from venting out his frustrations. "I must warn her on how dangerous that foreigner is! Shoko, help me."
The lady manager raised both her arms. "Don't involve me, Sho. I don't want to do something that might hurt Kyoko-chan... again."
Sho knew that kind of tone. He knew that Shoko was somewhat felt guilty from what he did to Kyoko.
"But she might be in danger." He said. "That foreigner gave me chills. He was emitting an aura compared to that of a beast, and if she's going to continue having a relationship with him, she's in trouble."
"But if Kyoko-chan chose that man, then it means she trusts him."
"She's naive when it comes to men! Just spout good things or romantic lines at her, she will fall for it! I bet that guy was using her naïveté to his advantage!"
"If you believe that this guy is dangerous, then tell me what to do to save her from him."
Sho hide his smirk. So easy...
"First... I want to have her phone number."
Kyoko arrived in her school early; her schedule for the day will only start in the afternoon, so she decided to attend her class. Her classmates behind her were giggling as she open her locker.
Her indoor shoes were vandalized, and there's a picture of her marked with 'X'. She ignored their obvious disdain towards her, and cleaned her shoes.
Mimori rolled her eyes when she saw her enter the room. She chatted with her friends about what happen during the PV, she boasted the fact that Sho kissed her.
"Unlike someone, who only got her role by stealing and using her agency's connection." Mimori said loudly and glanced at Kyoko.
"True! Maybe I will get some major roles if I will transfer to LME."
"But I heard it's difficult to enter in LME."
"Geez. If someone like her got accepted, then there's a chance for us."
"You're right. But then, maybe she bribed some talent managers."
Mimori and her friends laugh.
Those brats are not even whispering! Kyoko groaned mentally. And her angels were keeping her demons at bay.
Her classmates suddenly made a fuss over a female classmate who just arrived.
"Ah, it Ruriko-chan! It's been a while!"
"Eh? She came back from her local tour?"
Kyoko saw a fair lady, with brown hair and grey eyes.
She looks like a princess! Her eyes sparkled at the beautiful girl.
"Ruriko-chan, we have a new classmate, she came from LME too. I wonder if you know about her."
"Eh?" Ruriko looked at the person she was pointing at. She saw Kyoko looking at her with a dreamy look in her eyes. She approached her and smiled at her.
"I'm Matsunai Ruriko, and you are?"
Kyoko blinked and smiled in return. "Mogami Kyoko."
"Are you from LME too? I never saw you before."
"I just entered few months ago."
"Ruriko-chan, she played Mio in Dark Moon, you know. Together with Tsuruga-sama." One of her peers butt in. The young star's eyebrow twitched.
"Really? Do you have a taping later?" She asked with a force smile.
"Yes. I will go there after class."
"Can we come with you?" Ruriko begged in a sweet voice.
"I don't think they will allow outsiders to observe the taping."
They heard Mimori chuckled "Did you hear that? She's just a newbie who got lucky for taking the role, but she acts like she's someone special."
Ruriko narrowed her eyes at her. "Stop that! I don't want you to talk to my co-talent that way! If she got the role, meaning she deserved it!"
Mimori huffed and flipped her hair. "LME talents are so bothersome!" She said, and went back to her friends.
"Never mind her Kyoko-chan, she's just jealous."
"Yeah. She only got a job because of her chest-to-waist ratio."
"So, can we come with you later?" Ruriko asked again.
Kyoko smiled, for the first time, someone stood up for her. "Sure. I hope the director won't mind."
Ruriko and her friends hid their smirk.
Kyoko-chan was nervously sweating; Ren was clearly in bad mood despite of the smile he was showing, since he saw her with her three classmates on tow. Especially when Ruriko immediately throw herself on him, and introduced her two lackeys.
She was ignored by them the moment they arrived in the set.
"I didn't know that you and Ruriko-chan are classmates." Said the voice behind her. Yashiro-san handed her a canned coffee.
"I don't know it either until earlier. Do you know her Yashiro-san?"
"Yes, she's quite famous as an idol, and she's one of LME's rising stars. But..." He paused. "They said that she's quite handful."
"Oh. I see."
Ren nearly groaned in annoyance when he saw Ruriko as one of the people following Kyoko. She already texted him that she will bring few classmates in the set, he agreed without asking their names. Who would've thought that they are classmates?
"Ne~ Ne~ Tsuruga-san, you will accept my offer to be the male lead in my new PV, right?" Ruriko asked, batting her eyelashes.
"I don't think I can, Ruriko-chan. My schedule is packed." He politely answered.
"By the way Tsuruga-san, why would a no name newbie got to play the complicated and hard role of Mio?" Todou Hirumi, a newbie idol and one of Ruriko's friends, asked.
"Because she deserves it." He answered plainly but with pride. The girls didn't miss the faint smile on his lips.
"Tsuruga-san, you need to get ready for your scene with Kyoko-chan." Director Ogata announced.
"Excuse me ladies." He smiled at them before leaving them.
"Take your time, Tsurugu-sama~" The three said in unison.
Kyoko gasped when she felt a vicious aura behind her. She immediately turned around but only to see her classmates smiling at her.
"Good luck, Kyoko-chan!"
"Do your best!"
"Don't get nervous!"
The actress smiled back at them. "Thank you."
The three teens crossed their arms as they watched the scene before them, and impatiently waiting for Kyoko to get an NG from the director, but there's none.
"How can she be that good? She's just a newbie!" Shimizu Erina, daughter of one of Japan's veteran actors, grumbled.
"And she got the chance to work with Tsuruga-san right away!" Hirumi exclaimed.
"Ruriko, we should not let that no name actress get ahead from us. We must do something." Erina said.
The said idol smirked. "Leave it to me. She's from LME after all."
The three shivered when they saw Mio smirked at their direction.
Wh-wh-who was that?! They screamed mentally.
Sho was livid. His PV is the new topic in show business, but they are not talking about him or the song, but rather, they're talking about the angel-turned-demon character.
Yes, they are talking about Kyoko, and the reviews he got are mostly praising her even the critics in the music industry, which made Sho even angrier.
"Damn that ugly bitch! The only reason she was praised was because she dressed up as an angel." The singer grumbled in front of the television.
"She's the actress who also played Mio in Dark Moon, and she's Mei-chan's new talent." The host informed with a smile. "No doubt Kyoko-chan will become one of Japan's rising stars. We should sit back and see on how her career will take off from here."
Sho throw the remote on the wall. "Damn her! She won't be here in Tokyo if it wasn't for me! She owed everything to me! Her career and even her life!"
"For heaven's sake! Stop it already and just focus on writing your music!" Shoko exclaimed after she witnessed his tantrum.
"What made you think I stopped, Fuwa-san?" Kyoko's confident declaration echoed back on his mind.
"Damn it! She's still doing it!" Sho looked at his manager "Kyoko still writing songs until now!"
Shoko gave him a look. "So?"
"You don't understand. If that woman can still hold a pen, then she's a threat to my career!"
"So what do want? Cut off her hands? Are you stupid? And besides, she's not the only one whom you should be wary of, Sho."
The singer glared at her manager "Are you talking about that crappy band called Vie Ghoul?"
"Yes."
To Shoko's delight, it seems that Sho calmed down a little.
"I won't let them catch up to me. Over my dead body!" He declared and stormed out the room.
Kyoko sensed that there's something bothering Ren, after he read script, his eyes become distant.
"Are you okay?"
He softly sighed "Yeah, I'm fine. Do you want to watch the original Tsukigomori with me?"
"I prefer not!" Kyoko waved her hands, and shook her head "What if I will get overwhelm after watching the original Mio."
Ren gave her a look "Impossible. Your Mio is too dark that even the original Mio is scared at your Mio."
Kyoko pouted beside him, she mumbled. "Beside she's a cursed princess, right?" She glared at him when he snorted. "How dare you laugh at Mio!"
"I'm not laughing." He chuckled.
"Geez. Come on, let's watch it already."
The two sat in silence in the living room as they watched the original series together.
"This" Ren started when a certain scene was played "was where my father got a lot of praise." He sighed "and this scene got the highest rating twenty years ago."
Kyoko took his hand with hers, and silently encourage him to continue. She wanted to hear all of Ren's worries and help him with everything she got.
"And tomorrow, I will act the scene that made my father's name famous in Hollywood."
"Are you nervous?"
"Yes. But I will give everything that I've got in order to surpass him."
"CUT!" Director Ogata called. The set filled with murmured on why he called for a cut. "Tsuruga-san, you are too stiff and nervous, please relax. Okay?"
The actor nodded, but his heart was pounding too fast. He's nervous. For the first time since he came to Japan, this was the first time he got nervous while taping.
Father made this scene as his ticket to Hollywood. I can surpass him. I will surpass him. I –
"CUT! Tsuruga-san, you are trying too hard. Please, don't think of anything else and focus on your character."
Kyoko's hands were cold as she silently prayed. She was nervous as she watched her fairy prince being trapped in his father's hand, in the corner.
"Father's hands are too big that it prevented my wings from growing. No matter how high I can fly, I will always get trapped and fall." Kyoko remembered the times where he talked about his father.
Corn... I never thought that your father's hands can still reach you here...
"I can't believe that Ren will be pressured this much." Yashiro-san said beside her. "I think this is the reason why the president opposed to him from playing the role."
Kyoko remained silent and watched the scene before her, Director Ogata was talking to Ren. The actor has the troubled expression on his face.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen!" The casts and crews turned around and saw Lory enter with his entourage and bands.
Ren's eyes widened, in shock and fear. Why is he here right now?!
"What's with that serious face of yours? I wanted to watch the filming, since two of my valuable employees are here." He said but his eyes narrowed at Ren, who stiffened on his place.
Lory looked at the director. "I'm not getting in the way, am I?"
The bishounen director smiled nervously and shook his head. "Of course not, Takarada-san!"
Lory's assistant gave him a decorative chair for him to sit on. "Well then, please continue."
The eccentric president was seriously observing his number one actor.
This won't do Ren, you can't surpass him with this kind of Katsuki.He sighed and softly shook his head. Before Director Ogata can call for another NG, Lory beat him to it.
"Stop, Ren." He glared at the director "How many NGs he got for this scene alone?"
The director gulped. "Th–Th–That's the fourth time." He whispered.
"I see." He returned his gaze at the wide-eyed Tsuruga Ren.
"I'm sorry. I'll do it –"
"No."
"But Boss –"
Lory glared at him. "No Ren, I've seen enough. I told you that I won't help you when you will get stuck in the middle. You are not yet ready for this role."
He was trembling. Is this really is it? Is this really the limit of what he can do? He disappointingly sighed.
I guess this is what Tsuruga Ren can all do. He chuckled bitterly; Ren braced himself from what Lory will say next.
"Ren, you're fi –"
"WAIT!" Kyoko exclaimed. She went to stage and bowed "President, please give him a chance. Tsuruga-san is the only actor who can play this role perfectly." The actor widened his eyes.
Kyoko looked at the director. "Director, you said that the reason why you personally choose Tsuruga-san for this role, was because you know that he can surpass the original Katsuki, right?"
Director Ogata nodded "Yes."
"Then please, give him a chance to look for his Katsuki like how you gave me a chance when I'm still struggling with my Mio." She pleaded; she's still on her knees.
Ren can't take it anymore, seeing the woman he loves, pleading, and lowered her head for his sake. He approached her, and helped her to stand. "Mogami-san, it's alright. I guess it's for the best –"
"No! Why are you giving up so easily? I believe that you can do it, like how you believed in me."
Director Ogata joined Kyoko and Ren on the stage, with his knees on the floor, he begged. "Takarada-san, I still firmly hold on my beliefs that Tsuruga-san is the best actor for the role. Please, don't fire him. Give him a chance."
Lory was beyond shocked. He already anticipated that the director will beg, but Kyoko? He heaved a sighed.
"I can't believe I hired another stubborn actress." He grumbled. "Three days. Ren, I will cancel all of your appointments, and use that free time to look for your Katsuki."
"Yes, boss."
Kyoko gasped in delight. "Thank–"
"But" He sternly followed up "if I'm still not pleased, then I will fire you both Katsuki and Mio." The whole casts gasped in surprise.
Ren froze. He will also fire her? Her, who worked so hard for the role? He clenched his fist. He won't let him destroy Kyoko's hard work.
"Deal." Kyoko agreed firmly. Everyone was surprise at Kyoko's unwavering verdict.
"Kyoko-chan..." The director called worriedly. To the director's surprise, she smiled at him.
"Worry not, Director Ogata and believe in Tsuruga-san." She winked at him.
Lory stood up "Then it's settled, I'll be back in three days then." He announced and walked away from the set.
Ren sitting on the floor, feeling so helpless. He went home first to clear his mind. He's in his dark room, alone, with a glass of whisky on his hand.
"Corn... Do you want me to go home with you?" She walked with him to the parking lot after Director Ogata advised him to take a break and rest.
Ren softly smiled and caress her face "I want to be alone for now, sweetheart."
Kyoko softly nodded "Alright." She whispered and kissed his cold lips.
"How arrogant of me to think that I can surpass him in just six years." He mumbled. "And I even dragged her in my failures. I'm the worst!"
His eyes slowly felt heavy and he fall asleep.
In Daruma-ya, Taisho noticed his part-timer sighing frequently.
"What's weighing on your mind now?" He asked.
Kyoko sighed "My best friend is depressed right now, and I don't know how I can help him."
"Hmm. Is this the first time he got depressed?"
"No. Few years ago, his best friend died, he was blaming himself from what happen, and he shut himself from the world."
"So, what did you do during that time?"
"I... wrote a song for him and sing it to him." She whispered.
"Then, you should do the same to him right now."
"But what if it's not enough?"
"You wouldn't know if you won't give it a try. If it won't, you should write a letter–"
Kyoko gasped at the mention of 'letter' "A letter!" She suddenly exclaimed. "How can I forget about something so important?!"
Taisho looked at her curiously. "You can end your shift early."
"Really?" Kyoko asked in surprise. The middle-aged man nodded. "Thank you so much!"
She changed her kimono and get dress, and hurried to get home.
Kyoko softly open the door in their apartment, she tiptoed on her way to the guest room, where her other things were kept. She reached for her satchel, where she carefully kept Kuon's letters throughout the years.
"Where is it? Where is it?" She mumbled as she scanned all of them. "There!" She breathed, and grasped the sealed letter up high.
"Please..." She hopefully whispered
"Please let your words reached out on him...
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Rick..."