A Reprise
A/N: Uh, immediately follows ch. 260. I don't really know what else to say about that. It's fine. I feel like I'm writing a bunch of chapter ones of stories and just hoping I can keep them as one-shots. I have actual novels to write. I don't have time for this, noooooo.
Also duly noted that nobody really vocalized interest in that last one. Will avoid writing more of those for SB and will defer that style to a different fandom _;.
He didn't really know what prompted to do so, but he ended up calling her after Yashiro-san's text. Actually, no. He knew why. Make sure she's okay. After all, the last time they spoke--she was facing her family dilema. And more importantly/selfishly, he wanted to hear her voice and he wanted to talk to her.
The phone only rang once before her voice filled the ear piece.
"This is Mogami!"
He hesitated answering after her. Her voice didn't carry its normal, cheerful music. Instead, she almost seemed...depressed? Maybe not the right word. But it certainly wasn't the voice of someone who just won a major acting role in a feature film. "This is Tsuruga."
"Is something wrong? Is there something you needed to tell me?" Her mind darted to the worst. Something was wrong. They needed more Cain reshoots. The president did something stupid. Or worse... Her mind flickered to the fuzzy memory of Sho the night her mother said that thing. Could he possibly know?
Ren didn't like the sound of Kyoko's voice. It was almost accusatory. Like she expected something to be wrong. "Can't someone call their friend for the sake of calling?"
Kyoko hesitated, considering. "Yes." She continued. "But you would never call me for no reason, not when you're as busy as you are." And while she did consider the two of them to be friends, she also knows that historically, Tsuruga-san has never called her for the sake of being social. Business only. Just like their friendship. She bit her lip.
Ouch. He flinched. "Ah, yes, well, Yashiro told me that you had gotten the part of Momiji and I wanted to congratulate you."
"Yeah."
Well, that was a little less than enthusiastic. "Are you not excited, Mogami-san?"
It was then that she realize her mistake. Immediately, she began to attempt to retcon the situation. "Oh...yes! Of course I am! It's a role in a movie, not just a drama." She paused, trying to maintain a cheerful front. "Why wouldn't I be excited?
He knew something was wrong. "Mogami-san, I think you're hiding something."
She tensed, gripping her phone tightly in her hand. "Why--Why would you say that?"
"Mogami..."
"I, uh, think you need to talk to Yashiro-san first." She panicked, blurting out words before she could really think about it. In front of her, Yashiro arched a brow, looking through the rear-view mirror at Kyoko, silently inviting her to ask the question.
Before Ren could respond, Kyoko took her face from the phone. She was talking to someone else. He could hear Yashiro's voice mumbling something to Kyoko but the voice was too far away for him to discern the words. That's strange, he thought, isn't he sitting next to Kyoko? After all, neither of them drove, so he would have expected them to be in the back of a company car together. "I'm talking to Yashiro-san in an hour, but I would prefer to hear it from you."
Ren heard Yashiro's voice stop talking and Kyoko paused to mull over what was said. Maybe he was in the front seat...but then again, he would be more likely to offer Kyoko that spot. He shelved the confusion for future thinking when he heard her take a deep breath before speaking.
"Yashiro-san said that I could tell you," she said.
Silence followed. Neither of them spoke. Ren, because he didn't know what to ask. And Kyoko, because she didn't know how to say it.
"What's wrong, Mogami-san?"
"I...um...when I auditioned for Momiji, Moko-san and I promised that we would work together and she would also get the role of Chidori. Today, it was finalized. I got Momiji but she didn't...she didn't get Chidori."
"Okay."
"But she was instead offered the leading role in another project that the producer is working on." Kyoko's chest tightened with anticipation. She couldn't believe what was happening. It seemed to like a TV drama or anime to be happening to her in real life.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Then again, that was Kyoko for you. She worried over the tiniest of things that, in the long run, were much smaller than she had thought they were. Kyoko has a big heart that cared about many things.
Kyoko deflated. Now she just seemed like a jealous friend, which was not at all what she intended. "I mean...yes...but..."
"But?" He prompted her. If he wasn't careful, this could take all night.
"It's the project she's working on," she said finally.
Dread filled him. There's only one person that could be involved with the project that would make her react like this. "Are you allowed to talk about the project?"
"Technically, no."
He gritted his teeth together. That picture that the president showed him, it was the beginning of the end, wasn't it? "It it Fuwa?"
"What? No! That boy could never be in a prestigious project that involves Moko-san!"
That boy? His lips curved into a half-smile as he relaxed. Well that was progress he didn't realize she had gone through. "So everything is going to be alright. I know you wanted to work with your friend, but--"
"Shesworonyounecaeelprojtoppahu!"
Ren's eyebrows crushed together. Normally, he's rather capable in the art of translating her seemingly senseless babble. And maybe it's all the travel getting to him, but he had no idea what she just blurted out. "Repeat, slower please"
Kyoko took in a deep breath. Of course she said it too fast the first time around but did she really have to repeat it? It was going to speak it into existence and cement her fate as the Worst best friend on the planet. "Moko-san is playing the lead. In movie that the director is currently in discussion with LME to borrow one of the actors they have contact with."
That one stumped Ren. She didn't say that LME represented the actor, but then why would the director be in cohorts with LME otherwise? "What actor?"
She swallowed, not wanting to say it. This was not the plan as far as President Takarada had intended. But it seemed that the set had leaks and now they were in trouble. "They want Cain Heel."
His gut dropped as he processed what Kyoko just said. Certainly, that can't be right? "Oh."
Her voice raised about an octave. "What do you mean, 'oh?'"
"'Oh,' as in, I don't really understand what you're saying. Cain Heel...are you sure?"
"I'm sure!" Kyoko cried loudly. "Moko-san told me that she was letting me in on a secret about en English actor that was doing movies right now and I had to promise that I wouldn't tell anybody! But it's! It's you!" She sighed miserably. "I had to tell you. Yashiro was surprised because the President said the movie wasn't going to made without Cain and now that means that there's been some development that the President has been somehow able to clear your schedule."
He stayed quiet. There was an obvious mole on the set and he wondered who it was. But at the same time, it's surprising that he hadn't even heard of the possibility of the film from Yashiro-san. Perhaps he was distracted with Kyoko's Momiji audition but an acting job for a very secret alter-ego seems to him like something that should have been brought up sometime before its actual confirmation.
"And that's not the worst part!"
Ren's throat strained as he choked out a response. "It's not?"
Kyoko sniffled. "Moko-san could trust me with something so big so that's why she told me. But now I feel bad because I couldn't trust her with the Setsu secret. She's going to hate me when she finds ouuuuut."
He relaxed because the 'worst part' wasn't as bad as he anticipated and didn't involve his impending doom. Immediately, he felt guilty. This was Kyoko's stress and there he was, making light of the situation. "How is she going to find out, Mogami-san?"
"Because she's going to realize it's me as soon as she sees Setsu on set." Her voice wobbled and she sounded close to tears. "Moko-san is super smart, I can't outact her. And if she knows its me, it's only a matter of time before she realizes who you are and then everything will be ruined!"
"Mogami, we could always hire another actress if you think she'll discover the truth."
"No!" She blurted it out without really thinking it through. Yashiro glanced at her through the rear-view mirror, but remained silent as he pulled up to the front of the restaurant. Kyoko thought about another actress playing Setsu and being close to Tsuruga-san and she was filled with a flaming jealousy that she hated feeling.
Ren was surprise to hear such a venhement rejection from the young girl. "No?" He let himself play with the thought that Kyoko could possibly be jealous. But the more likely situation was that it was just her Setsu-spirit joining the conversation with her usual possessiveness of Cain.
Kyoko stumbled over an excuse, trying to gain control over her feelings. She couldn't tell him the truth, but it was hard to come up with a lie. Butterfly nerves turned into hornets. "It's just that it would be so unprofessional..." The excuse was weak and she knew it.
"You can always just say you want to see more of me," he joked. But he wasn't truthfully joking. Just hoping.
Her breath caught in her throat. "You're teasing me!"
He deflated. "Of course." In reality, he was being deadly serious but he supposed Kyoko wasn't exactly in the mindset to accept subtle flirting. Would she ever? The thought worried him. "Relax, Mogami-san, Kotonami-san will never suspect."
Kyoko felt herself bristle in her car seat. She, however, didn't let her emotions get the best of her. Especially not in front of Yashiro-san, who was currently sneaking sly glances at her through the rear-view mirror. To some degree, she had to admit that she was jealous. But it wasn't like President Takarada would give Setsu to another actress. Who else could fulfil the role as well as play manager and speak English? It was already a miracle that she was qualified to be trusted with Tsuruga's secret. In this moment, though, she felt vulnerable. She was either going to ruin the Heel roles along with her friendship with Moko or...ruin her friendship with Tsuruga-san. Or all of the above.
"Mogami-san?"
"Huh?"
Ren sighed. "I'm just trying to see if you were still here with me or if you were lost in your thoughts."
Kyoko didn't have a response. Instead, she kept the phone pressed to her ear and kept her eyes trained ahead of her. She still didn't notice that they were in front of the Daruyama. Instead, she was just imagining how mad Moko was going to be when she discovered the truth. The whole act would be ruined before it had the chance to continue.
"I'm sorry, Mogami-san, for teasing you."
She nearly jumped up out of her seat at the sound of his words. Tsuruga Ren? Apologize to her? After all, it was her that was about to mess everything up. "Excuse me? You don't need to apologize, Tsuruga-san!"
He sighed; she was getting worked up again. "Of course I do"
"No--"
"Mogami-san, I upset you. So I'm apologizing." He cut her off before she could start babbling about how she didn't deserve an apology because she was messing things up. She hadn't even done anything, he thought, and her anxiety is going through the roof.
She dwelled on those words, turning them over and over in her head. And she probably could have stayed there forever if it wasn't for Yashiro. He finally gave up on the prospect that Kyoko might realize they were stopped in front of her home on her own so he cleared his throat. Loudly. She flinched, tearing herself from her thoughts and Ren's words, and realized where she was. "Oh."
That bordered on anticlimactic, Ren thought to himself. "Oh?"
It took her a moment to realize what she had done and attempted to adjust her tone. "Oh!"
"Mogami-san, are you alright?"
"Yeah. We pulled up to the Daruyama. I just noticed."
"Ah."
She smiled to herself and Yashiro watched slyly from the mirror. "Yeah."
"Then I'll let you go." He hesitated briefly. "Goodnight, Mogami-san."
"Goodnight, Tsuruga-san." Kyoko said the words brightly as she opened the car door and pushed herself up and out. She was happy the conversation was over. Now she could regroup her thoughts and try and come at this reasonably. Hopefully.
Ren spoke quickly, trying to make sure he caught her before she hung up. "Mogami?"
"Yeah?" She hesitated as she was closing the door. Yashiro-san tried very hard to pretend not to be eavesdropping, but she never even noticed.
He was quiet for a second before speaking again. "Please know you can trust me. If you're despairing again, you can talk to me."
And she slammed the door, turning away from Yashiro's gaze. She smiled softly, glad that Tsuruga wouldn't be able to see her and glad that his manager would be unable to spill her truth. This smile was hers to keep secret. "Of course." And she hit the 'end' button, avoiding another farewell. "Thank you, Yashiro-san! For all your work!" She called out over her shoulder with a wave. She couldn't face him now and he didn't force her to.
"Anytime, Kyoko-chan," he called from the driver's window. And he drove off, allowing her a taste of privacy before going into her home.
Kyoko hated to admit it, but she knew the real reason she had been filled with dread when she heard the news about Moko working with Cain Heel. The Tsuruga-acting curse of his female co-stars falling for him extended beyond Tsuruga Ren. Kyoko herself fell victim but at this point, it was a lost cause.
Manaka proved that this curse still existed when Ren was under the guise of another. Nobody should have reasonably fallen for Cain, and then Manaka happened. And Kyoko knew that it was risky to have Moko act alongside Tsuruga-san in any circumstances, even up against Cain Heel. Kyoko shuddered at the thought.
Because if Moko fell for Tsuruga--what chance did Kyoko have herself against her best friend?
~FIN~
A/N: I don't really like this, I feel like it's too forced. But Heck if I give up posting for last year's prompts. I'm also posting it on the same day as another piece in hoping to hide it. We'll see. Also I'm testing submitting through the app so lemme know if things are wonky.
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