I'm still practising for my RCM exam for violin, so don't be too surprised if my updates aren't as fast as they used to be. Mine will be somewhere in August... so that's like the end of my summer. ^.^"

Ren had his arms crossed, staring at the abomination before him. Well... it wasn't that terrible. Just... did his omelette have to look like a truck double parked it, and did an unexpected U-turn? Really, he tried his best not to flip it forcefully to the side, but he ended up tearing it. And with all the ingredients he put in it, with bell peppers, chicken, and salad dressing, it was all torn and sticking out from the omelette rather than nicely tucked in.

I never knew making omelettes were so hard! I thought it didn't take much effort to make them! Ren glanced down at the horrendous sight once more, and groaned, "Not again..." He flipped the stove off, and placed the frying pan on a different oven element. He was about to get another egg, ready to go and try another attempt, when he heard the doorbell ringing. "Already?" He looked at his watch, and moaned out, "Ten minutes earlier than I expected!"

He ran out of the kitchen, and checked the peephole to see if it was her. It was. Jerking forcefully at the knob, which surprised his guest, he gave a cheery "hello" and welcomed her in.

"Hello, Tsuruga san! Sorry for calling you last night... were you sleeping?" she asked, taking off her jacket. She placed it on his coat rack, and pulled on her shoes. As she was slipping on the slippers he provided, she said, "I hope I didn't bother you."

"Not at all, Mogami san," he said, telling her that he was still awake at the time she called. "I'm glad to help you at any time. So..."

He smiled as he saw the script that she was pulling out of her bag. She told him that there was something she was confused on, and she wanted him to give her hints. It was better to speak to her in person, than on the phone, he told her, but it was only because he hadn't seen her in a while.

"What are you confused on?" She didn't even flip to the page she was at when Ren saw the cover. "Dark Moon?" he cried out. His eyes bulged. "Wh-which role do you have then?"

Her eyebrows curved at the question, and she replied, "I'm going to play Hongo Mi- oh!" Her whole body began to vibrate, and she excused herself to answer her phone. "Hello? Oh, Chiori?"

While she was doing this, Ren was muttering to himself. "No way... could it be Yukhito's curse? He said that she was definitely the girl that I'll have in my life... and then the curse is set. If she plays Mizuki, my lover in this drama then..." He grabbed his head as he tilted himself, kneeling on the floor.

AGH! I don't think I'll take it! But... but... She was saying her role started with Mi... then it's a possibility that she has Mizuki! After all, if this director thought there was chemistry between us during Fuwa san's PV, then he might cast her as Mizuki!

He looked over at her, and he saw her shaking her head. "Eh? Is that so? When is this happening?" She sighed. "Well... I guess it can't be helped. Did he say where?" She nodded her head a few times, and said, "Okay. It's okay to do it up top. I'm sure it's fine." She finished her call, and she said, "Sorry about that." She said, apologizing to Ren.

"No worries. Now... you were saying? Your role is..." He trailed off, wanting for her to finish.

But she blinked. "Huh? But I already told you."

He shook his head. "No, you didn't."

But she persisted. "Yes, I did. I said I was going to play Hongo Mio, didn't I?"

...

"Oh... is that so." Ren gave out a sigh of relief. He folded his arms, and grumbled, "Thank goodness."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"You sound just like Moko san!" Kyoko laughed. She doubled over, clutching her stomach as tears fell out of her eyes. "Moko san is always telling me to think about the character's background, but no matter how much I try, I can't figure out Mio's!"

"Really?" Ren looked at the script that she had, along with the book that she gave him. "What don't you get about her background?"

"Well..." Kyoko fidgeted, "Mio seems introverted, but she likes to win. I don't think the two should go together."

Ren nodded, understanding her confusion. Most shy people don't mind too much if they lose. They might groan, or think they could do better, but they normally don't have the courage to show their feelings, like anger, to Katsuki or Misao.

"So... you don't think she should be introverted?"

Kyoko gave a quick nod. "It would make more sense. But... how do I show it?" She tapped her chin. She soon sighed. "Um... uh... are you in Dark Moon?"

"Yes, I am." Ren smiled. "It's nice to work with you again. That's why I was happy to help you figure out your role."

"Oh, I see."

They both remained silent, until Kyoko replied, "This is... a yummy omelette that you made." She jabbed it with her fork cautiously, before biting into it. She swallowed it, but all she tasted was sand. And the burnt sensation of overcooking. "Um... maybe next time you should use oil or butter so it doesn't burn next time? Or heating it up on a low temperature." She looked over and blinked. "Hey... where are your hearing aids?"

"Huh?" Ren touched his ear. "Oh. Well, I switched my hearing aids to ones that would be in the canal. You know... inside the ear? It's so I wouldn't have to worry so much if people know I wear hearing aids. I didn't bother doing it before, since I was used to the more visible ones to start with."

"Ah. Is it because you don't want me to translate everything like before?"

"No," Ren shook his head, "I just don't want to always worry about people suddenly seeing my hearing aids."

They both were watching Tsukigomori, the original, together, so they could get an understanding of what they were trying to beat. After all, the remake had to surpass the original, didn't it?

There were times when Ren would grimace when he saw Katsuki, the role he was soon to play, but Kyoko didn't question it.

"I heard he didn't had someone else play the piano for him, this Katsuki. The actor did it himself," she said.

His only reply would come out as, "Oh, is that so?"

Knowing him, and his common waves of determination, he would probably do the same thing. Not letting another person play the piano piece for him. In the acting world, you can use a stuntman if you don't have a certain ability, or the director doesn't want you to be injured. Ren was one of the few that never once used a stuntmen. He did all his scenes by himself.

"I can help you if you want. I play a bit of piano. And Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu isn't a hard piece to play." Well, I played it on the first try after hearing it, so it must be easy...

"You play a bit? You do know that piece has a fast beginning?"

"But in the middle, it slows down. It's no big deal."

"..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

They both continued to watch. Kyoko studied the Mio in Tsukigomori. She was a great actress, but... she didn't feel a lot of hatred from her. The hatred that Mio had didn't seem at the same caliber as the one Kyoko thought Mio should have. Or maybe it was because...

Shirayuki, before, showed more hatred than this. When I compare it to her and this Mio, she isn't as scary. She doesn't give the audience the fright. She looked over to Ren, and saw a bland face. He seems to think so too. So... if my Mio surpasses this one, then I would have to... Kyoko grabbed her elbows, and shook. I would have to release the darkness that I own. My own darkness...

Kyoko glanced at the television set. She saw a blur, but when she heard the violin that Mio played, she couldn't help but think, I can play better than that. But how would she do it? Playing an instrument and playing a role were too different things! How could she show more hatred? Sure, she could show it in just her expressions, but she would have to be more creative than that! Think, Kyoko... Think!

"You know, even though Mio has a lavish lifestyle, you can't help but pity her."

Huh?

She looked over to Ren, as he was staring a scene where the young Mio was torturing a young Mizuki. "Her parents ignore her for her sister, Misao. But instead of striving for their attention, this makes her hate her sister, along with her parents. And you also were wondering on why would Mio hate Mizuki, right?"

Kyoko nodded. "It seems strange. They both have a sad past, so I thought Mio would connect to Mizuki—even pity her! But she just bullies her like Misao does. I don't see why Mio would." She sighed. "Mizuki is just like a perfect heiress! She's always smiling, even after having a pitiful past!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands and beaming.

"And you aren't perfect? You're always smiling, too." he laughed. But his joke made her stiffen, and showing a more colder side of her. "Hey... what's the-"

"I'm not perfect," she insisted. Her expression saddened, as she dropped her shoulders. "Not after... what happened before."

"B-before?" Ren saw her as an empty shell at the moment. Every time he saw this, it all seemed connected to one event in her life. I remember her crying, saying stuff like it wasn't her fault. What did she do?

"Anyway," she shook it off, "Mio is the opposite. Even though they have similar pasts..." she gasped.

And this made Ren smile. He saw her gestures, her hand moving, her fist hitting her palm as she figured out something. You can never get tired of watching her.

Then, after her minutes of self thought, she gave a triumphed smile.

"I found it," she whispered. She turned to Ren, and grinned happily. "I found my Mio!"