Chapter 26
Morning came but they weren't due on the set of Tragic Marker till 1 in the afternoon. Kyoko woke up around 6:30. The nap from yesterday made for a short night, or would that be longer since she was stuck keeping quiet so Ren may sleep. Honestly, she really didn't mind. She was happy that she didn't have to hide anymore. It felt like she was freed as bad as that may sound, but she couldn't help the feelings she had. Which once again was a reason why she should have never dated Hikaru.
Kyoko couldn't help how she felt. She couldn't stop the world from spinning, and she couldn't stop her heart from moving on. She glanced over at the sleeping form next to her and smiled softly. The only thing she could do now was live with it and hope that her heart would continue to move forward - passed Sho, passed Hikaru and passed Ren to a mutual relationship with someone.
She quietly got up, did her morning routine and started making a pot of coffee. Kyoko wanted to make breakfast, but that little pastry box was asking to be emptied. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she heard rustling from around the corner. She knew Ren was awake, he always woke up shortly after her. Even as Cain, Ren was awake, just pretending to be asleep.
"Good morning," he said with a thick voice. Kyoko turned around to reply and was once again greeted with a stunning vision of shirtless Ren. Ugh, what a playboy. She looked down and tried to focus on making her coffee. She lifted it up and hid her smile and gaze with her coffee cup.
"Good morning," she whispered behind her cup. She walked around the little countertop right as he walked through as well. They both side stepped each other, their bodies only inches away from each other. Heat burned up to her face as she looked at his bare chest, and oh how wonderful he smelled - better than any cup of coffee. She picked up the yellow box and almost ran to the table, away from the handsome sight next to her.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked as he came back with a mug in hand. Kyoko pressed her lips together as he started walking closer. Did he have no sense of modesty? No, of course not, he's a model. She knew how little modesty he had.
"I'm not sick, Tsuruga-san," she told him again as she tried to keep her eyes down.
"Are you sure? You look a little flush," he observed as he sat down next to her.
Well, duh! Kyoko wanted to scream. She coughed to clear her throat and asked, "Are you acting as Cain right now?"
Her question confused him. He responded from Tsuruga, didn't he? Wasn't it obvious that he wasn't? "No," he answered, "Why do..."
"Um, then could..." she flushed and darted her eyes towards him and then back down, "could you please put something on?"
Ren looked at her, then back down at himself and finally smiled in understanding. "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. I sometimes forget myself." He set his mug down and got up to put on a shirt. He should change for the day, but he didn't want his coffee to get cold.
"Yeah, and it always seems like it's around me," she grumbled behind him making him still for a moment.
"Oh?" He turned giving her a cocky smile. "You think I'm doing this on purpose?" he asked as he walked back to her, his shirt in his hand instead of on him.
"Perhaps," she said defiantly with her eyes closed and face turned away from him.
"Mogami-san," Ren whispered huskily to her. Kyoko felt a shiver run through her as she felt his presence next to her. The chair creaked under his weight and his hand appeared on the arm rest across from him. She blinked down looking at his hand and her heart started to race remembering the last time he pinned her to a chair. She looked up at his handsome face and couldn't breath.
"If I was going to seduce you, you would know," he whispered softly making her look away as her face burned a deep crimson red. He chuckled softly and moved away. Kyoko pouted angrily and watched him put his shirt on through a slit of her eyelids.
"You're so mean to me," she mumbled. Ren simply laughed as he took his place back in his seat. It's because you become so cute when you are flustered like that. He watched her for a moment. She was looking down at the mug in her hands with cherry cheeks and a coy smile. The desire to touch her, to take her in his arms coursed through him, and he quickly had to change the subject.
"It's been a while since we had breakfast together," he mentioned casually and then wanted to take back his words. Great topic, Ren. Still, the damage was done, and he went with it. He pulled over the little box and pulled out the peach tart he took a bite of from before and started eating it.
"Uh, yeah," Kyoko agreed quietly. "Things have been rather interesting, haven't they," she replied softly. Ren stopped eating and looked at Kyoko. Her tone was soft and forlorn and her expression matched. She was staring off again, lost in her thoughts. He frowned as he watched her, her eyes started to shine with unshed tears, and her brow furrowed deeply.
"Mogami-san," he called out to her and touched her arm gently. She took a sharp intake of breath and twisted towards Ren. She smiled sadly at him and then looked down.
"We should eat, huh," Kyoko quickly switched her expressions and attitude like a light. She smiled at him and reached for the pastries and pulled out the other peach one. "Is it good? I had the strawberry one yesterday. I hope they still taste alright," she commented and took a bite of the peach tart. "Oh, it's good!"
Ren scooted up in his seat and forced her to look at him. "Mogami-san, what's wrong?" he asked bluntly. A flash of fear and then pain crossed her eyes, but she quickly hid it like the expert actress that she was.
"Nothing is wrong," she quickly countered with a nervous laugh. "I was thinking the exact same thing when you mentioned breakfast," she replied as she pulled her legs in with her on the chair. She took lifted the tart to her lips and paused to speak, "When was the last time we had breakfast like this. All the days are starting to blur, aren't they?" She smiled and took a bite of the tart.
Ren stood up with a suspicious glare and stepped up in front of her. Kyoko gulped the food in her mouth and looked up at the obscenely tall man in front of her. "Tsuruga-san?" she breathed worried. He didn't say anything, but squatted down in front of her. She pulled her feet closer to herself as she watched him move down to her level. "Tsuruga-san, what are you doing?"
"Tell me," he commanded making Kyoko flinch. She licked her lips and shook her head.
"Tell you what? Tsuruga-san, you're being weird," Kyoko tried to dodge his questions but then she looked into those big brown eyes of his. His face held such concern, and a waiting warmth as if he was going to accept whatever she told him. If he only knew the truth about his little kohai, he would never be concerned with such a cruel person.
She sighed and set the partially eaten tart on the rim of her coffee mug. She stared at the pretty confection rather than look at the man in front of her. Kyoko let her emotions cover her face, the sad depression of what she did filled her eyes.
"Hikaru and I broke up," she said softly. A deep sigh came from Ren and his hand appeared in front of her vision as he took her coffee and sweet away. He twisted and set the cup down then turned back to her. She watched him gently take both of her hands and envelope them in his, and then rest them in her lap.
"What happened?" he asked gently. Her heart warmed as if the warmth from his hands touched it intimately. This, this is what happened. I couldn't do this with him. To touch and be touched so casually. Do you have any idea how much this little contact makes my heart race? How your smile can brighten up my day? How your simple presence gives my life new meaning? Tears started to cloud her eyes, but she dare not let them fall. It took her a moment, a moment to try and figure out a way of telling him what happened without revealing too much.
"Cer...," Kyoko's voice came out hoarse. She coughed and started over, "Certain unavoidable issues arose, and he..." she pressed her lips together trying to find the words, "no, I," she clarified, "I basically wasn't there for him." She nodded once and slipped her hands from within his.
Ren frowned. "You were working," he defended her. "You are a rising star, and this is a very time consuming business. He should know that. He's a talent himself. What was he expecting you to do? Stop following your dream?" The more he spoke, the angrier he got, and Kyoko definitely noticed.
"No, he never said anything of the sort," Kyoko quickly retorted. She looked down sadly and then gave him a weak smile. "Who wants a girlfriend who is too busy with her work to have a date, right?"
"Someone who loves you," he lashed out and abruptly stood up. "He has some nerve. First he makes things so difficult for you this last month with inconvenient demands, comes onto set almost every day, and he still has the audacity to hurt you like this. Does he even realize how hard it was for you to get this point?" Ren was ranting as he paced around the room.
Kyoko shook her head. No, that's not what happened. "Please don't blame Hikaru. It really wasn't his fault. It's mine," she tried to convince him, without having to say the real reason they broke up.
Ren unexpectedly stopped in his tracks and came back over to her. Her eyes widened as he knelt down in front of her and again took her hands. "No, it's not," he stated adamantly. "It is not your fault. This is not your fault, Kyoko."
He said my name - my first name! Kyoko looked down embarrassed making Ren think that she didn't believe him. "When will you stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control? Kyoko, if things ended with Ishibashi-san, then they were never meant to be. You can't blame yourself for fate's interventions."
Kyoko suddenly laughed. "You believe in fate, Tsuruga-san?"
Ren blushed due to the childishness of that statement but went with it. "Yes, I suppose I do," he confirmed with a timid little smile. He looked up at her and thought, Yes, I definitely do.
"Then fate is undeniably cruel," Kyoko said darkly.
"It can be yes," he said thoughtfully causing Kyoko to look at him again curiously. What does this man have to be so upset about? His life was perfect. "But it can also give you gifts that you never knew were so very special," he said with a kind smile. "For instance, your break-up with Fuwa." Kyoko looked at him unbelievably.
"Would you have found acting if it wasn't for him? Isn't acting your passion now?" He asked daring her to deny it.
"I much rather have found it through a school play or something like that," she grumbled. Ren laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, okay. That would have been nicer, but you can't stay angry at them for long. It brought you here, to this very room with your debut movie almost completed and much more to come, I'm sure of it. Can you really argue with that?"
Kyoko stayed silent as she looked at him. Fate brought me here. She moved her hand that was still hidden within his and gently tickled his palm. Her heart grew heavy as she thought about it. Fate brought me here, to be tortured by introducing me to the most wonderful man I have ever met and not giving me even the smallest chance at happiness with him. However, that detail was not what Ren asked.
"Yes, I'm happy that I am able to find myself, to be able to do things that were unimaginable two years ago," she said with a small smile.
He smiled softly at her and squeezed her hands. "Everything will work out for you, I know it will," Ren reassured her.
"I wish I had your confidence, Tsuruga-san," she spoke softly as her hand absentmindedly touched his. "How can you be so sure?"
"I can't," he admitted making her snort. "But I have hope. I will work hard to achieve my goals," he spoke as he started to rub her hands with his thumbs, "to overcome my past, and to live happily with those I love." He picked up her hands and placed them before his mouth. Her heart jumped to her throat wondering if he was going to kiss them. He weaved his fingers with hers and she felt his lips on her skin, but no kiss. Instead he gripped her hands and stood up, bringing her up with him.
"Come on," he said in a playful voice and started heading to the door.
"Wait, where are we going?" She asked confused by this sudden burst.
"Out, away from here and into some fresh air," he declared making Kyoko smile and then laugh.
"In your pajamas?" Kyoko pointed out making him blush.
'"Oh, yeah, give me a moment," he said with a little laugh and dropped her hand to change. Kyoko couldn't help the smile on her face as she busied herself cleaning up their half eaten breakfast. She reached out for the cup and looked at her hand. Her face softened endearingly thinking about his warm hands holding hers.
"Hope?" she spoke softly as she caressed her hand. "Dare I hope for such a thing?" she asked the fates. Hopefully, they are in a good mood when it's time to read her heart's desire.