CHAPTER VI - POINT OF NO RETURN

Sho barely registered his manager dragging him down the hallway to the adjoining stage. Ever since their confrontation in the parking garage, the singer had been worried that the Kyoko he knew was slipping away and moving on, leaving him behind. It was such an unbearable thought that Sho had agreed to let Tsuruga Ren onto his MV set. He had needed proof that Kyoko was the same as always and that the actor wasn't a threat, and to remind her of his own place in her heart. And unknowingly, Kyoko had just calmed all of the musician's doubts:Tsuruga-san's not like that. He's not a man, he's a professional. Sho had to bite his tongue to hold back the laughter that bubbled in his throat. Sho wanted nothing more than to rub his newfound knowledge in the smug actor's stupid face.

Luck was on his side. As soon as the thought entered Sho's mind, the actor appeared as if summoned, exiting his dressing room. Sho slipped from his manager's grasp and strode up behind the actor. He pointedly cleared his throat.

"What do you want?" Ren said so flatly it was barely a question. Ren couldn't be bothered to summon his trademark gentlemanly manner for the teenage punk. Sho just smiled, knowing he was getting under the actor's skin.

"You might be the so-called number one in entertainment," Sho scowled briefly, then smiled up at Ren, a challenge in his eyes. "But you'll never be number one to her." Before the actor could respond, Sho was grabbed by the wrist and pulled away by a scolding Shoko. The popstar glanced over his shoulder at the frozen actor. He grinned.

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Ren walked as slowly as humanly possible back towards the main stage, trying to drag out the minutes before he was back in front of a camera. He bitterly wondered if he was being punished. Ren doubted that this was what the President had in mind when he'd tricked Ren into this godforsaken assignment. Am I being punished? Kyoko's thoughtfulness, her concern for his well being, her sweet words always sparked hope in Ren's chest even as he knew she didn't see him as anything more than a senpai. Wasn't it enough torture that Ren had fallen in love in the first place, despite knowing he didn't deserve to have someone? Apparently not. He had to watch as the girl he loved gave the selfish, arrogant prick who threw her aside a second chance.

Ren felt like Kyoko was avoiding him, and he couldn't shake the feeling he had caused it somehow. She had barely spoken to him the first day on set and had fled immediately after filming. Ren winced, recalling Kyoko's strangely jumpy attitude. Was it something I said? It felt like every time Ren had tried to speak with the actress she had made a hasty (but polite) exit. And when he had finally managed to get her to eat lunch with him, she had left halfway through. Ren couldn't think of anything he'd done to make her so nervous. They had barely been in any scenes together. Normally she would have come talk to him on set, and eaten lunch with him, but she had steered clear. Instead, when he wasn't in front of the camera (which was often, he barely had a role), the female extras had swarmed him with requests for autographs and photos. Ren had to make small talk and smile while he watched Sho pretend to be Prince Charming. Kyoko looked more like she was catching up with a good friend than being forced to make small talk with her declared rival. They still bickered, but there was a softness and warmth to Kyoko's expressions that made Ren ache. Especially when he compared it to how distant and formal she had been with him this week.

The walk between his dressing room and the studio was only so long, and too soon Ren was back on set. Fortunately, the extras were done for the day so the only people around were the film crew busily doing the usual last minute lighting adjustments and set decoration.

"What's gotten into you?" Yashiro said, coming over to hand Ren a bottle of water.

"It's nothing." Ren replied, drinking carefully so as to not disturb his makeup.

"It's certainly not nothing." His manager glanced around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. "What happened on that last take?"

"Nothing happened. We got the shot, there's nothing else to it."

"Bullshit." Yashiro hissed. "Ren, you should've seen how angry you looked." Ren had the decency to look slightly ashamed. The actor started to reply, but his manager barrelled on. "I realize it must be hard, to see them working so well together. And don't try to tell me you were just acting. Being caught up in your character is one thing, but I know for a fact you're caught up in your own feelings. Jesus, Ren, you're supposed to be a grown up!"

"Wow." was all Ren managed in reply.

"I'm sorry to lecture you, but it had to be said." It was Yashiro's turn to feel slightly ashamed. He polished his glasses.

"Don't be sorry. It needed to be said. You're a good friend, Yukihito" Ren stared down at his hands. Ren knew his manager (and friend) was right. Truthfully, he was embarrassed. He had hardly remembered the end of the last take, and he had been too wrapped up in his jealousy to hear if anyone called cut. If Kyoko hadn't stumbled, the actor wasn't sure how long he would have kept walking. Ren remembered Kyoko's fall and was ashamed of himself. By the time it registered it was too late to catch her, and Ren had watched, painfully ignored, as Sho had swooped in. Ren remembered Kyoko's torn gloves and blanched. He hadn't even apologized. He couldn't forgive himself for his terrible behavior, but at least he could do something. He spotted Kyoko finishing her makeup touch-ups and quickly made his way over.

"Mogami-san, a moment?" he called. She jumped when she heard his voice and turned.

"Yes?" Ren prepared himself for another quick exit. But to his surprise, she looked at him and smiled with - relief? The actor momentarily forgot what he had meant to say.

"I, uh-" He stumbled, trying to recover his train of thought. "Are you alright?" He gestured. "Your wrist-"

Kyoko held up her bare arm to show him a tiny pink mark and smiled. "I'm fine! Didn't even nick the skin. It was only a bracelet, Tsuruga-san."

"I need to apologize." Ren tried to catch her gaze, but Kyoko averted her eyes. "I was…" He floundered with the words, wondering if there was any better phrasing besides insanely jealous because you've been cozying up to the guy you used to have feelings for and it makes me insecure even though we aren't dating because I haven't-

"Tsuruga-san shouldn't apologize!" Kyoko interrupted Ren's train of thought, for which he was grateful. She continued on like an old timey detective laying out the facts of a case before the big reveal. "Of course Tsuruga-san is upset! You never wanted to do this project in the first place, the President tricked you into doing it! And unlike me, you don't need the money." The fact that Kyoko needed the income hadn't even crossed his mind. But of course, she wasn't paid for any of her Love Me work as Setsu, while he had been making money as Cain Heel. Ren wanted to hit himself in the head, but managed to stop himself from facepalming and listen. "... frustrating! So of course you're upset! If I had Tsuruga-san's abilities, I could surely use my techniques to lead that idiot through the scenes. As your kohai I want to make you proud, but I'm not a good enough actress! So you're stuck here on set while we have to reshoot and reshoot and on top of that-" Kyoko threw herself on the floor into a full dogeza "-even though I was trying to lead stupid Sho this morning I wasn't trying my hardest and I delayed everyone! I'm so sorry!" Kyoko wailed.

Ren gently pulled Kyoko to her feet. Then, still gently, he put two fingers under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. She blushed furiously and went silent.

"You've… been trying to lead Fuwa?" Ren stopped, trying to process everything she'd just said. Hope swelled in his chest, but he clamped down, not trusting his interpretation. "This entire time?"

"I thought you knew," Kyoko blinked rapidly, trying to prevent her watery eyes from leaking down her face and ruining her makeup. "After you scolded me at lunch, I thought.." She trailed off. "In between takes, I've been trying to stay as Christine, because it seems to put Sho in a better mood and I thought it would help filming go faster, but it was no use at all, I'm not good at it like you are! We must have had 15 NGs on the last scene, and-"

Ren was only half-listening. She wasn't in love with Fuwa again! It was all an act! Professionally, was a little mortified that he had been successfully duped by an actress with a tenth of his experience. But he couldn't care, he was too happy.

"You are a tremendous actress, Mogami-san," he said, beaming at her. Ren wanted to laugh at the teen's surprised face. It was obvious from the way Kyoko looked at him that she fully expected to be scolded within an inch of her life. "Don't undersell yourself. The shots would have taken much longer if you hadn't worked so hard to stay in character and get along with Fuwa."

"You make it look so easy!" Kyoko grumbled, clearly envious. "But I have no idea how you do it! I'm exhausted!"

"Well, my co-actors are usually more experienced than Fuwa." Ren replied. He scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "Honestly, you had me fooled. I thought you had maybe forgiven him and were friends again."

"It's just my lifetime knowledge of how to get that idiot to behave, that's all." Kyoko said begrudgingly. But as she said it aloud, Kyoko realized that wasn't quite it. It was true that she'd used all of her old tried-and-true Sho-chan mood-boosting tricks (minus the pudding). And it had been tiring. Or at least it was in the beginning. But as Sho's mood improved he relaxed, and it was surprisingly easy to fall back into the friendly teasing of their old days. It still hurt to think of the time when she was young and naive and idiotic, but she was surprised at her own lack of vehemence. Realizing she'd gone silent and that Ren was still looking at her expectantly, Kyoko blushed. "Well, maybe I have forgiven him, a little bit. Or more like, maybe I've just moved on." There was a wistful, vulnerable note in her voice that made Ren wish he could pick her up and spirit her away to somewhere he could wrap his arms around her and never let go. He almost opened his mouth to speak, but was saved by the stage crew finishing up their work and Asami-san calling them over to set.

The producer walked them both through the scene, making sure the stars understood the exact atmosphere they were going for.

"Kyoko-san, you need to be clearly unwilling, but also a little passive. The Phantom is repulsive," Asami gestured vaguely in Ren's direction, and the actor tried not to take it personally as Kyoko nodded earnestly. "A little fear is okay, but rather than afraid you should seem overwhelmed, emotionally and physically. And Tsuruga-san," the director turned to the actor, "we really want an overpowering dark and dangerous feeling. The last scene was good, we need the same intensity-" Ren winced inwardly "-but please keep the ratings and Kyoko's comfort in mind. Since you've worked together before, I trust that you can find the balance we're looking for."

Both actors nodded. Ren's public image was squeaky clean and his acting work didn't contain anything that would be considered explicit, even by Japan's rating standards. But plenty of his modeling work had involved shots that were, let's say, provocative. Professionally, there was nothing wrong or even remarkable about what the director was asking him to do. But it felt different to do anything like that with Kyoko. However, Ren refused to let his personal feelings about the situation get in the way. Ren knew Kyoko would never say no, even if she was uncomfortable - it wasn't in her nature to back down from such a challenge. He was sure she was mentally taking notes on the whole thing as an acting exercise.

Truthfully, Kyoko was more than a little nervous. But she was grateful for her nerves, because they covered any of the embarrassment she would be feeling otherwise. It's fine. It's not like we haven't been closer than this when- Kyoko immediately forced the thought down. Just because Sho wasn't on set right now to observe her didn't mean that she was safe.

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Asami sighed as she watched the two actors on stage. While there was nothing glaringly wrong with the performance, it was somehow lacking the intensity that she wanted, and that she knew the actors were capable of. It was Ren's main scene, after all. Up until this point, the way they had been using Japan's Number One Actor for this MV was almost a criminal waste of talent. Especially given how much the star had cost. She wanted to get her money's worth.

"5 minute break!" The director called, rubbing her temples. She went to review the footage again.

On stage, Ren released Kyoko and stepped back. He almost sighed with relief. When shooting a physical scene, the problem Ren usually encountered was that the other party was too interested. He had never done a shoot where the other party was resistant. Even if it was only pretend, the idea of touching someone against their will was incredibly distasteful to him, to say the least. And the fact that it was Kyoko who was resisting his advances, and doing such a wonderful job, well, that hurt even more.

"Is something wrong?" Kyoko glanced up at her senpai. Ren pinched the bridge of his nose and turned around to face the wall so he wouldn't have to look at her.

I take it back, this is absolute torture. Ren didn't think he could come up with a better way to torment himself if he had been paid money. And someone else had done it for free.

"I'm sorry, Mogami-san," He said tersely. "If something I'm doing is making you uncomfortable, please let me know." Ren tried to say in his most courteous, professional tone. He was deeply trying to pretend that this wasn't any more nerve wracking than a normal shoot, but of course it was because it was with Kyoko. He could really use a cigarette.

"It's fine! I mean, it's a bit...strange with the cameras here," Kyoko murmured, self conscious in front of the stage crew. She glanced around, then lowered her voice. "But it's not like we haven't worked together, um, closely before, in other circumstances..."

Ren inhaled sharply. The image of Kyoko, as Setsu, straddling his lap and raking her long fingernails slowly up his stomach flooded his mind, and Ren's fists instinctively clenched. She can't possibly be alluding to that night, can she? He glanced furtively at the young actress, who was absentmindedly biting her lip.

"Well, I'm glad it's fine for you." Ren muttered to himself. He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. Kyoko squinted in confusion, then suddenly realized. Of course, Japan's #1 most popular and handsome bachelor wasn't used to a woman saying no. Women threw themselves at him all the time. Kyoko knew Ren was a natural playboy, but she also knew he was a good person, who had someone he liked. Her chest clenched. He was probably uncomfortable with having to play this character. Especially since Kyoko wasn't at all sexy. Ren probably wanted to throw up.

Kyoko was looking at him with such sympathy, Ren wanted to laugh. While he appreciated the sentiment, he was sure Kyoko had no idea that his current predicament was because of her. Ren was sure she had come to some insane conclusion. But it didn't matter, he didn't want to cause her worry. Ren gathered himself, determined to nail the next take.

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"CUT! Cut cut CUT!" Asami-san shrieked. Both of the actors on set looked over, confused. "Um, Tsuruga-san, Kyoko-san! That was wonderful! B-but…" The director was bright red. "We are trying to keep this PG-13, and…" She trailed off, not sure how to explain. Tsuruga hadn't done anything explicit, Kyoko wasn't showing too much skin. But for the life of her, Asami-san felt like a peeping Tom watching the scene through the camera. It had felt like… she blushed even hotter. She was older than Tsuruga Ren by a solid decade, but his heavy-lidded gaze and the way he brushed his hands over the teen actress made Asami want a cold shower. Badly.

As soon as he heard the director, Ren immediately loosened his grip on Kyko's wrist, which was inches from his lips. His other arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, pulling her tight against him. His long fingers grazed scandalously high across her ribs, but Ren wasn't touching anything he wasn't supposed to. He relaxed his arm, but didn't drop it. The second he did, Kyoko teleported three feet away. Ren almost ground his teeth, his jaw flexing before he could suppress it. It wasn't like he wanted to be up on stage, practically feeling Kyoko up in front of a camera! He would much rather be doing it in private, when she had agreed to it as herself, not in character as someone else. Ren looked up and saw the director's solid red face. He glanced away and spied Yashiro, who had a truly terrifying grin on his face and was giving Ren a not-so-covert thumbs up.

The producer trotted over to the actors, still blushing pink but now more in control. However Asami didn't quite feel up to meeting Ren's gaze. "Wow. You totally nailed it! I don't think we need to reshoot that scene again, we can cut from your last mark to the final shot." Asami blushed as she recalled their final pose, vividly picturing the actor's large hands running up Kyoko's body. She cleared her throat and called for her assistant. "Where's Sho? Tell him we're ready for the last sequence."

Kyoko was glad they wouldn't have to do a retake. She wasn't sure she could handle another take. Actually, she was positive that she couldn't handle it. Frantically she shook her head and grabbed some water, hoping it would cool her down. Kyok felt like her skin was on fire.

"Done already?" Sho drawled, coming up behind her. Kyoko turned around, her mask dropping into place. She couldn't let him see her flustered, especially not after a solo shoot with Ren.

"C'mon, I want to finish this so we can go home." She smiled at Sho, but her nerves were frayed. As much as she loved the amazing set and the beautiful costumes, Kyoko would be happy when she got to leave the set for good. The actors got back into place and the camera began to roll.

The camera pans across a dark, incredibly cluttered space. It is dark, lit eerily from above and by a scattering of candles that throw shadows across the walls. In front of what looks like a bedroom, the Phantom has Christine trapped, her back pressed up against him. Her braid has come unravelled, she has lost her gloves, and a sleeve of her dress hangs fully off her shoulder. The other sleeve is torn, and the skirts of her gown have a slit in front that goes up past the knee. The camera follows as Ren's hand trails slowly, deliberately up her thigh, over her hip. Ren's hand continues up to her waist, up the center of her bodice until two of his fingers reach the neckline of her dress. Kyoko's eyes are closed, she is leaning away, frozen. A noise comes from off camera, both Kyoko and Ren turn their heads towards it. For a second, Kyoko looks hopefully towards the source of noise, but Ren spins her around to face him. She tries to push him away, but he grabs both of her wrists in one hand and she's caught. The Phantom leans in, the angry grin on the mask shines out of the darkness. Kyoko turns her head away, but a hand grabs her jaw. The camera zooms in as Ren turns Kyoko towards him, bending down to plant his lips on hers.

Before their lips meet, the blade of a sword comes between them, its point aimed at the base of Ren's throat. Zooming out, the camera pivots to reveal Sho holding the sword level with the Phantom's neck. The singer's jacket is half-off and his shirt collar wide open - he looks heroically disheveled. But his eyes are deadly serious as he steps forward.

Cornered and hoping to make his escape, Ren releases Kyoko suddenly, sending her stumbling. Sho catches her around the waist with one arm, the other still brandishing his sword. He looks around, but the Phantom has disappeared into the blackness. Kyoko throws her arms around Sho's shoulders in relief, and he puts away his sword. Gently, he scoops up Kyoko like a bride. Her arms are still wrapped around his neck, their faces close together. Their eyes lock. She smiles at him before glancing down, gazing at him through her lashes. His face inches closer until they are close enough that their noses brush. Kyoko leans forward the last tiny bit, to gently kiss his cheek.

A/N: Thank you for reading and to those who review! Shoutout to claraowl for pointing out Ren was a little OOC last chapter. I hope this chapter's Ren was more to your liking! One more to go.