Press Conference

It had been some time since LME had released such an urgent notice for a press conference. Reporters all around the country were buzzing with anticipation as LME was home to some of the greatest stars, biggest news and juiciest entertainment industry scandals that had graced Japan in recent years.

The atmosphere in the room was electric, cameras kept flashing as more and more reporters came into the press room located on the first floor of LME. It was an odd phenomenon seeing the reporters reporting on themselves, you could hear recorders all over the room making note of the incredible amount of reporters in the room.

Takarada Lory was probably the most prominent entertainment mogul in Japan if not all of Asia, his eye for detail and talent was well known, as well as his eccentricity. Anybody who knew the name knew of his predisposition for theatrics and fanfare, not a single time he had been seen in the last few decades was he seen without an outlandish yet fashionable costume or cosplay, which made the sight before them much more impactful.

The president of LME walked up to the podium wearing a form fitting italian cut black suit. Not a tuxedo fit for the opera nor the pinstripe suit expected of a Mafia boss. It was a given that he was dressed head to toe in designer clothes, as much of a cosplayer as he was; he still had a taste for the finer things in life and never spared any expense for any of his outfits. The black silk shirt, suit, and tie made the president look incredibly serious yet handsome; you could see quite a few reporters blushing, both male and female, as it was uncommon seeing Lory in such a serious state.

Suzuki Taro knew that something big was happening, in recent years he had built a great working relationship as a reporter with LME and knew the president quite well at this point. His outfit was out of the ordinary, yes, but he could see how pale Lory looked, and it wasn't his dark outfit washing him out. The usually energetic and charismatic sun kissed president was looking tired. If you saw past the misdirection the outfit was designed to cause you could actually see the tension in his muscles and the strain on his handsome face.

After waiting for the press to settle down Lory greeted his audience, it wasn't obvious but you could hear the difference in his voice, Suzuki-san wasn't sure if the usually eccentric man in front of him had been crying or what was causing this odd behaviour from Takarada-san but he instructed his crew to bring out the 3 additional cameras they brought as back up and set them up in record time, he was making sure not a second of this conference went unrecorded. A wide lens camera to cover the whole stage, a closeup camera trained on the podium, and a camera set in the back gauging the audience where he was seated.

"Good evening dear members of the press, I apologize for calling you in such short notice but I am honored by the incredible turn out i see before me" Lory said meeting the eyes of press members he had come to appreciate and even endorse in recent years. He took a deep breath and released it without saying anything else, making the hundreds of witnesses start whispering. It was a first occurrence to see the president of LME having to take a moment to compose himself, the always sure of himself man wasn't fidgeting but the reporters could feel big news coming, and with each passing silent second more and more were starting to feel anxious, whatever the reason they had been invited into LME today was going to shock the entertainment world of Japan.

Lory opened his eyes after taking an additional deep breath and addressed his audience again "A little over 8 years ago I stood before a crowd much similar to this one, I even see some familiar faces from that same day sitting here today" he smiled sadly at some of his oldest contacts in the press, shooting one particular sorrowful look towards Shinjitsu Aiko a veteran reporter who had been covering LME events for years. "And I introduced you to my newest most promising star" the crowd started buzzing louder. Lory motioned for them to settle down and the press immediately obeyed the command much to Lory's amusement even if it didn't show on his face.

"It is with great sorrow that i stand before you today" the silence in the room was now eerie, the soundproof walls making the tension in the room much more palpable. The only sounds heard were camera flashes going off every few seconds. After a few more deep breaths from the man before them the dreaded announcement that would shake the entertainment industry came out in a soft whisper "to announce that Tsuruga Ren is dead".

It was a rare occurrence for the press room to be completely silent, not a single breath, camera click, pen scratching on a notepad could be heard. Not even the sound of the static filled light bulbs was heard in the now somber room. The industry veterans were the first to snap out if it, but also the most hurt by the announcement, as Lory mentioned before they had been there since his very first introduction to the industry, they had been there for his debut and all major milestones in his career and personal life, and not a single one of them expected to have to report his passing in their lifetime.

Shinjitsu Aiko was the first one to raise a hand as Lory shot her a grateful look and proceeded to give her permission to speak. Suzuki Taro the much younger reporter, shook out of his stupor and directed his crew to start taking pictures again, starting a wave of photos, shouts, cries and sobs from all of the gathered reporters. The president of LME signaled them to settle down once again as the shouts from the reporters were overpowering the microphone handed to his oldest press contact and friend.

"Takarada-san, Can you tell us what happened?" She asked, her voice unwavering but Lory could see the incredible anguish in her eyes. Her professionalism was one of the many reasons he had approached her at the beginning of her career and she had never disappointed him. That's why he had trusted her with Ren's interviews, releases and media coverage over the years, she was one of the only few press members to have a permanent press pass for any LME event. She had been the very first press member he introduced Ren to before announcing him to the world all those years ago in order to get acquainted with the media.

She had taken such good care of him throughout the years, she had been granted his very first interview after his debut and always had priority over any other reporter when it came to Ren. The young actor and model had grown fond of her throughout his career since she always treated him with respect and never tried any underhanded techniques to get a scoop or to get closer to him on a personal level. That's why whenever Ren had run into her in any event, red carpet, or conference he always made it a point to say hello and offered to answer any questions she had.

Sometimes she would accept a short interview at such events and sometimes she genuinely just greeted the young man as she didn't want to take advantage of her relationship with him and the LME president to monopolize the actor in any professional setting. This only made Ren respect her even further. She had been there for every step of his career and hearing such tragic news brought her incredible sorrow at a personal level. Looking at the man addressing them she knew Lory had to be devastated and was prepared to offer her support as a friend.

"As the president of LME all that I ask is that you respect our privacy at the moment. We will be holding the funeral at my mansion this evening, yes select press members will be invited" he stated silencing the immediate shouts after his statement. "Why are you holding the funeral so soon? Doesn't he have any family to mourn him?" asked a reporter from one of the most popular tabloid magazines in Tokyo, "You always showed Tsuruga-san more care than others, do you do this for all your stars or just those that are orphaned? It's good to know your favoritism lasts to the grave" he asked with a hint of malice in his voice. The outcry was immediate as the other members of the press defended the president of LME shouting at the reporter for his insolence.

It was not lost to anyone who he was referencing, and Lory glared at the man while signaling for the third time for his audience to settle down. "It is no secret that Tsuruga-san was like a son to me, he was in my care from a young age and it was a privilege to see him thrive at LME. As it's president I am saddened by the loss of such a talent, but as someone who watched him grow into the person he was beyond the actor I am heartbroken for the loss of the man." Lory said with a sad voice losing his earlier anger. Suzuki could have sworn he saw a sad smile play in Lory's lips, almost expectantly.

"Tsuruga Ren is-, was" he amended, "an incredible man that most of you respected" he shot another glare at the tabloid reporter, "his calm demeanor and incredible professionalism were renowned in the entertainment industry and sought after for many projects, the "co-star killer" many of you dubbed him" said the black suited man with a chuckle as he continued listing on all of the attributes that had followed Ren throughout his career both as a model and actor.

The president went on for a few minutes listing all of Ren's accomplishments, including his latest debut in Hollywood, and praising him for his effort and merit. Allowing for more questions Suzuki Taro received a microphone and asked the question that had been dying to come out of his mouth since the tabloid reporter mentioned family "How is Kyoko-san?" there were a few heartbeats of silence as the other press members suddenly remembered the sweet and polite girlfriend of the young actor. Shouts were coming from all directions and Lory had to calm his audience yet again. He knew then he had made the right choice trusting Suzuki-san with Kyoko's career the way he had trusted Aiko with Ren's at the time. He had shown true concern for the young actress when asking his question and not merely looking to add fuel to the already roaring fire.

Lory smiled at him and answered his question. Those who knew him noticed the spark in his eyes and attributed it to his emotions running high but Aiko knew the eccentric man well enough to know something even bigger than this announcement was coming, she just couldn't imagine what would be bigger than the death of Japan's #1 actor. "Kyoko-san is a very strong young woman, she never ceases to amaze me. With that said, she will be leading the eulogy tonight which i'm sure will answer your questions about her welfare." He stated with an amused smile on his lips. "With that said I must once again ask that you respect our privacy, and I will see you tonight." And with the finality that only the most prominent entertainment mogul could have, he left the podium being followed by hundreds of shouts asking more questions and heartbroken sobs as reporters and photographers alike mourned for Tsuruga Ren.