Chapter 29
She finally had it figured out, the way she wished to portray Natsu. Her only problem was that she only knew the finer points of the photography part, the poses, blocking and such of modeling. She had no idea on the walk or, how to look relaxed and carry herself. There was only one person that came to mind when she thought of such things, so she dialed his manager's number, got the information she needed and snuck out. The scolding she got from him that night and from her father the next day was completely worth it. Natsu had been born and the foundation of many other of her characters in the future had been laid.
Today was the day. Ren had instructed her on the finer points of catwalk modeling the night before last and now, this morning she was standing in her closet trying to decide on which outfit or, combo she was going to wear. "Definitely those pants and those shoes. Hmmm, shirt, shirt, shirt..." She mumbled as she flipped through each hanging piece, grabbing it and holding it up to her in the mirror. "Oh... not bad. I think I'll use this one." She tossed it onto the bed. "Now coat and accessories." She smirked. "I dare them to say Natsu is just another form of Mio today." She commented as she began putting on her makeup and combed her hair to the side. After she dressed and took in her visage while standing in the view of the mirror, Natsu winked, blew a kiss, gathered her things and left for work.
"How did you hurt your wrist Kyoko?" Miki asked a little worried. She had suspected that she was being bullied by some of her cast members on the set of BoxR, but Kyoko insisted that wasn't the case. The girl had brushed it off, saying that she deserved being a little teased for not having Natsu figured out before they started filming.
"Oh... It's just a little misunderstanding. Everything is fine now." She gave her an interesting smile that threw Miki off. It almost seemed a little sinister.
Miki had seen her portrayal of Mio, but the person she was right now certainly wasn't Kyoko or, Mio. Hmm, must be Natsu. She thought. "You aren't going to tell me or, your father what happened?"
Kyoko cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head a bit. "And why should I do that? We worked it out. It's really not a big deal." She told her in a bored tone. "Could we please talk about something else?" She asked while examining her fingernails.
Miki smirked. I see... "Natsu... I'm here to see Kyoko. Not you." Miki was quickly becoming acquainted with the little quirks of a method actor. It just so happened that Kyoko was her first and the similarities between a method actor and a multiple personality disorder were astounding. Perhaps I should test her for that. She made mental note of the possibility and to discuss it with Lory.
"Oh! I am so sorry Miki-san! I just got off work and I had a really hard time getting Na-chan out." Kyoko flustered.
Miki smiled gently. "Well... at least you're aware of it. Now do you want to tell me what happened to your wrist now?"
Kyoko looked down and smiled a small smile then sighed. "Someone was a little troubled and took it out on me, but we worked things out. She apologized and we were able to become friends." Kyoko explained. "She even told me that she decided to join the LoveMe Section, because she wanted to be a part of what had been helping me."
Miki looked at her curiously. "Is that okay?"
Kyoko smiled softly and nodded. "Of course it is. She's had a really hard time and if I can help her, I will do anything I can."
"Kyoko, if she's the one that caused you injury you should tell someone." Miki told her.
Kyoko sighed. "See this is why I didn't say anything. It was a spur of the moment thing and she's genuinely sorry that she did it. We took care of it between ourselves. I hold no grudge against her. She's not like Fuwa-san or, Reino. She admitted to doing wrong and we worked it out. She didn't stalk me like Reino and she's apologized. End of story, now can we please move on? Besides, I already spoke to Otou-san already and he respects my decision."
Miki nodded. "Alright, as long as your father is aware. I won't mention it again."
"Thank you." Kyoko said quietly.
"So, what are you doing about Valentine's Day and Tsuruga-san?" Miki smirked.
Kyoko flopped back into her seat and rolled her eyes. "Really? You too? Father and Maria have been nagging me about this too. It's bad enough that his birthday gift will be late, but why is everyone insistent that I get him something for Valentine's Day? It's not like he would expect anything from me anyway. He gets plenty of things from everyone. Why would mine make a difference?"
Miki gave her a scolding look. "Kyoko, of course he would appreciate anything you gave him. You two are very close. You are one of his friends. I'm sure he would be happy with anything you coming from his friend." The memory of the Karuizawa clearing popped into Kyoko's mind.
"I suppose you're right. However, I don't think I want to give him something as common and overly sweet as candy. It would seem as though he gets quite a bit of that. If I were him I would want anything but chocolate or, sweets." Kyoko pondered.
"Yes... a type of thank you gift." Miki prodded. One way or, another she was going to get this girl to start admitting to herself that she was worth more that she thought. So far, she was making good progress in the friend and familial acceptance and trust department. However, romantic love still eluded her. She had supposed that was to be expected under the circumstances. Perhaps she still hadn't accepted the fact that the relationship she shared with Fuwa-san was more of the sibling variety than anything else. The boy had polluted the relationship and confused her so much that it would probably take quite a while before that particular relationship became untangled. If Tsuruga-san actually stepped up to bat and told her how he felt about her like Lory had hinted, Kyoko would be able to see the difference and possibly move on. All Miki could do right now is hint and give a little push here and there and be there to help Kyoko cope with anything that might be triggered before it happened. It reminded her of those movies where the inexperienced rookie cop was being instructed on how to diffuse a bomb via radio.
The entire cast and crew stood there stunned as they watched the unusual wraith-like singer pull back from the lip-lock that he had forced Kyoko into. He smirked in what he thought was a victory as he stood before her. At least until her hand pulled back and she slapped him with all of her strength.
"That was undeniably one of the single most disgusting things that anyone has ever exposed me to and trust me that's saying a lot." She told him in a Mio/Natsu tone. "If I wanted your slimy tongue in my mouth, I would have asked for it. I can't even imagine how you would think that I would like someone like you doing that. I don't even like you." She huffed.
He smirked. "I know... I just thought I would give you a little taste of what you're missing."
"Trust me. I know what I'm missing and I certainly don't want it from you. Please leave before I have the director call security." She told Reino calmly.
"Kyoko-san? Would you like for me to escort him out for you?" Ren was truly looking for a reason to get this one alone to explain the finer points of leaving Kyoko alone.
Reino laughed. "You know you want me."
Kyoko looked at him like he was a complete idiot. "Pfft. Unless you hit a dramatic growth spurt and your eyes turn green... You are not even close to my type. Leave..." She turned and stomped off.
Ren stood there in a haze wondering if she actually did know his true identity. His eyes snapped back to Reino. "Well Stalker-kun..." He smirked and Reino flinched. "I think the lady asked you to leave nicely. I however, won't be as cordial if you decide to stay." He whispered.
Reino's eyes went wide. "I... I suppose I have somewhere else to be." and he was gone in a flash.
