Late Night Primetime
The building was old, the elevator was broken, it was an hour away from set, and it was absolutely perfect in every way. She was here, finally here, achieving a dream beyond dreams of living with her best friend! Kyoko peered up beneath the water dripping over her forehead to beam at Kanae, earning a gentle smack on the back of her head.
"Stop moving; the dye will run into your eyes. I'm almost done."
Kyoko hummed happily, eager to see Kanae's art. She had decided to dye her hair back to black for the audition tomorrow. The role read as a bold young woman fiercely loyal to her father and country. Kyoko wanted to express that through her demeanor and script only, and had asked Kanae to help her with the dye.
Plus, it was a fantastic reason to get a head rub from Moko. If Kyoko had a tail, it would be wagging right now. Kanae turned the water off, plopping a towel over Kyoko's sopping wet head.
"All done- now let's get some dinner out and stop your stomach from making such hideous sounds."
"All I've had today was one hot dog, and that was six hours ago!"
"Mo, why didn't you eat more?"
Kyoko turned soulful eyes on her roommate, looking utterly ridiculous with the too-large towel wadded up on top of her head, catching drips. She blinked slowly at Kanae, as if the answer were too obvious to need to speak aloud.
"Argh, you don't need to create excuses for us to eat together. Mo, take care of yourself. Or I'll kick you out!" Kanae finished with a flourish, abandoning Kyoko in the bathroom to dwell on the consequences of her actions.
Several hours later a bleary-eyed Kyoko struggled to stay awake on the couch. It was a good thing she'd set the DVR to record his excerpt; she wasn't sure she was physically capable of staying upright for the entirety. 3 a.m. hit hard the day after traveling halfway around the world, and if it wasn't for Kanae's full-body shake when her alarm went off, she wasn't sure she'd have been able to rouse herself from her coma-like slumber.
The host was gushing over the awards Tragic Marker had won in London. Kyoko used her fingers to prop up her eyelids, leaning forward to peer at the screen determinedly. Beside her, Kanae drooped over the side-arm of the sofa, her eyes bleary but focused. Every few seconds she'd poke Kyoko in the side with her toe, an insurance policy against her passing out again.
The host stood, flinging his arm out toward the side of the stage, his voice booming excitedly. "And now I have the pleasure of being the first to bring you, our esteemed viewers, a live interview with Mr. Horror himself, Cain Heel!"
The studio audience exploded with cheers and clapping. The movie had premiered in Japan the day they'd returned and was the hottest ticket at the box office, selling out every evening show and even a few matinees. It was an incomparable achievement for a horror film. Critics laid the blame at an interview published just prior to the release with Manaka-san and her enthusiastic gushing over the "most handsome man she'd ever worked with" being "a true gentleman" and "everything a woman could want" - and the revelation that this priceless Example of A Man was not the hero, Murasame, but his cold, vicious co-star Cain Heel. The masses could not reconcile her perception with the bloodshot, murderous eyes glaring at them from building-sized movie posters and flocked by the thousands to see for themselves and agree or condemn her.
Cain finally emerged, throwing a cold look over his shoulder at the wings. Kyoko sat up tensely, her sleep-fog banished by the adrenaline rush of knowing his plans.
"Who sat on his sandwich?" Kanae muttered, eyeing Cain begrudgingly. "Kyoko, I still don't understand what was so important about this actor that we have to wake up at this ungodly hour to see him live. I'm recording it for you- go back to sleep already."
"Nuh-uh," Kyoko said, biting her lip. She was anxious to see Kanae's reaction to Cain's revelations this morning. It was not her secret to tell, even to her best friend.
Cain slouched in the seat farthest away from the host, ignoring his outstretched hand of greeting. His eyes drifted over the audience, stilling the crowd to hushed murmurs. The host laughed nervously, wiping his hand on his shirt reflexively. He hovered over his seat, then made as if to switch and sit closer to Cain, before plunking himself down in his original chair with a high-pitched squeak when Cain focused the glare on him.
"Ah, Heel-san, welcome," he began, bowing politely. Cain grunted. "We are all in love with your work on Tragic Marker," he said, valiantly attempting to sound excited. "Manaka-san may have been the first to fall, but you have entranced the nation."
The words came out stilted and awkward, reading like the script it was. Kyoko tried to stop herself from smiling. It was rough to watch - Kanae was fidgeting uncomfortably beside her - but all Kyoko could see was the true prowess of her lover and sempai. He could freeze an entire room with a look. She sighed blissfully, drawing a concerned look from Kanae.
"Kyoko?" Kanae nudged her. "Are you awake still?"
Kyoko nodded eagerly, not taking her eyes away from the screen where the host was still trying to carry on what was swiftly turning into a monologue.
"This guy?" Kanae pointed at the screen when Cain was shown in full focus. "All of this is for this guy?" She peered at him, her mouth twisted in distaste. "I thought you liked Ren's type. This guy is…" Kanae trailed off, suddenly thoughtful. A light shone in her eyes - she darted her gaze at Kyoko, then back to the screen.
"Ah," she said simply.
Kyoko gave her the briefest of glances. The host was nearing the critical question. She couldn't spare much attention. "Ah?"
"Dangerous mission."
Kyoko flushed, her lips pursed. She nodded briefly, setting off a triumphant crow from Kanae, quickly squashed. Kanae sat up straight, suddenly intent on watching.
"Now, ah, Heel-san," the struggling host continued. "I've been told that this is not your true name. Would you- do you mind- if it's not too much to ask…" Each rephrasal grew more and more meek, until the last was barely audible even on the jacket mic the host wore. He was sitting as far back in his seat as possible, looking anywhere except at Cain. Cain had been staring directly at him since the interview began, his eyes cold and dead. The host was sweating lightly and looked nauseous.
Without warning, Cain smiled.
There were no promises of pain- nothing vicious, nothing cold or hateful. It was a true smile, born of genuine joy from deep within him that slammed against the spite he'd filled the stage with, startling the host so badly he fell over backwards in his chair.
The host peeked around his own legs, his eyes wide. Cain was still beaming beautifically. He reached up and slid two fingers under his hairline, slipping off a black wig in a gesture that, had he still been glaring at the host, would have looked horrifically like a voluntary scalping but now, now it was like seeing an angel resurrected from hell.
The host swooned, his head thumping against the floor. The crowd buzzed with uncertain excitement; a woman screamed; cameras flashed. Cain- Cain?- stood and slid his torn leather jacket off to reveal a low-cut cable knit sweater and dark denim jeans. Another woman screamed, the sound of a giddy fangirl that reverberated through the room and set off a chain reaction of estrogen and joy until every female was standing and clapping. The sound revived the host, who rolled off his catastrophe of a chair with a plunk and shuffled up into a groggy standing position. He turned to look at Cain, rubbed his eyes, looked harder, shook his head, blinked. He took a step forward and held his hand out, redoing the welcome gesture of earlier.
The man - Cain? - met his grip, shaking his hand calmly. He leaned forward and whispered in the host's ear, making him flinch. The host nodded.
"Ah, Heel...san…" He looked at his guest - Cain? - who just shrugged, then continued. "Our guest has asked if his parents could join us. I believe they are in the audience? Ah, yes, Heel-san's parents?"
Two stunningly beautiful people stood from the middle rows and made their way down to the stage. A middle-aged woman stood and screamed out, "KUU-SAMA!" then fainted dramatically, much to the distress of the smaller man she fell directly onto. Her words threw the room into chaos as the audience surged to their feet again, pushing on each other in an attempt to see the new couple.
The production crew finally managed to restore a semblance of order as the Hizuris took their places next to their son and sat, a beaming blonde threesome.
"Hizuri-san, Hizuri Julie-san," the host said, bowing deeply. "You are the parents of…" His eyes flashed with sudden recognition of the implication. "Your son!"
Julie smiled gently. "So it would seem."
"Your son is…" the host continued, pointing rudely at the man he knew as Cain.
Kuu's smile was almost feral with delight as he interrupted. "Tsuruga Ren."
The host swayed. The woman in the crowd fainted again, this time into the aisle. The building filled with screams.
Kanae whacked Kyoko.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
