Chapter 176: The Irony

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would someday attend a Ball with her Fairy Prince.

I'm the worst! She sighed, staring at the closed door. Undressing him had been a last-minute decision used to distract him from his heavy thoughts. It worked like a charm except she got caught up in it. She needed to rein herself in given that she got caught last night being promiscuous with him in public. It was difficult keeping her hands to herself with a boyfriend as sweet and loving, not to mention, hot as him could anyone blame her for wanting to jump his bones.

When the Emperor made an appearance, Kyoko had completely lost her marbles. It was stupid of her to even entertain the idea of a quickie with so many people in the suite and after she literally just spent almost an hour getting her hair and makeup done. One wrong slip of the lips and it was guaranteed to end in disaster. Kyoko was lucky that at least one of them still had a level head, even with his lower one pressing into her belly excitedly. She was impressed he could still keep it together. I'll ask him later how he manages his control. Her senpai never failed to pass on his techniques.

She reluctantly turned away from the door and headed out to rejoin the group.

"Where did everyone go?" She asked, startling Tina as she came up behind her friend sitting alone at a barstool eating and tapping on her phone.

"Kyoko!" Tina gasped choking on whatever fruit she was snacking on and went into a coughing fit. "Th-at w-was...mean," she coughed out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you." She went straight to the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of water for Tina. Kyoko wasn't exactly quiet when she walked into the room, her dress wouldn't let her. The swaying of fabric and tinkling of chains should have been a dead giveaway to her presence.

"It's fine, I was just…" Tina trailed off as Kyoko smirked. "Anyway, to answer your question..." she cleared her throat embarrassingly and deflected. "You and loverboy were taking so long that Ten and Kim had to leave for another engagement and Kuu and Julie went downstairs to check on the venue. They said something about meeting reporters and any early guests that arrive."

"Oh my gosh, I didn't realize I was with Kuon for that long. I wanted to let him sleep since he didn't get much rest and I know today has been stressful for him. I should go tell him to hurry."

"There's no rush. Julie said cocktail hour starts soon so we can take our time coming down"

Kyoko decided to tease Tina when her phone pinged and she quickly snatched it up to check. She smiled at the way Tina's eyes lit up and a blush deeper than the makeup Ten and Kimberlee had applied graced her cheekbones while she read the message. Tina in love made her look years younger and ten times as beautiful. Kyoko was glad things were progressing smoothly with her and Damian. Speaking of…

"Please tell Damian I said thank you for his help today."

Tina's head jerked up and stared at Kyoko. "Kuon told you already? That was fast." She sounded awestruck and looked a little proud. Kyoko kept the scowl off her face. Even Tina doubted that he would have told her. If it wasn't for Julie barging in on them, Kyoko wondered how long it would have taken him to tell her the truth.

Kyoko nodded and said, "And thank you for being our dearest friend and looking out for us."

"You're welcome and please be more careful next time. I get that you guys are in love and horny…"

Kyoko choked on her saliva and her face flamed up at Tina's choice of words.

"I'm sorry, please continue. This is so embarrassing," she groaned. Her friendship with Tina wasn't so different from the one she shared with Kanae and Chiori. It felt nice to be worried over and have someone that wouldn't sugarcoat their words to spare feelings or etiquette here. How did I get so lucky in the friends' department?

Tina stared at her with an amused expression. "You just keep being your sweet self, Kyoko. Don't ever change, but please be more aware of your surroundings next time."

She shook her head embarrassed. "I think I've learned my lesson." There won't be a next time, she thought firmly, trying desperately to convince herself to behave.

Tina laughed. "Well just in case…" Her phone pinged again, catching their attention. "Kyoko do you mind...um...taking a picture of me," she asked after reading the message.

"Is this for Damian?" She teased, happy that the attention can finally focus on something else.

"Yes," Tina blushed, cutely. "I sent him a selfie of my face earlier because look at this work of art," she gestured, framing her face with her free hand. Kyoko giggled admiring the artistry of her friend's makeup and thinking about their makeover. Kim and Julie had tag-teamed the ladies to efficiently maximize their time. While Kim was occupied with Julie's hair, Ten had focused on Tina's makeup while Kyoko watched their transformations, impatiently waiting for it to be her turn. The magical muse had used frosty cool tones of white, silver, and blues on Tina's lids and attached long wisps of white feathery falsies to her lashes. The effect was stunning and combined with the intricate rhinestone and glitter pattern swirling up from the corners of her eyes to her temples; it served to emphasize the electric blue in her eyes making them glow. The color of Tina's eyes was so pretty that Kyoko couldn't stop staring at them.

"...and now he's asking to see my whole outfit. All the pictures we took earlier are still on Julie's phone."

"I don't mind," Kyoko told her. "Do you want to put your wings on for the picture?"

"Sure, why not?" Tina replied, retrieving the angel wings they decided upon for the evening. The ladies had a lot of fun taking turns trying on the different wings, but in the end, they settled on the smallest pair to make the evening more comfortable for Tina. Thankfully, they slipped on easily like a backpack with thin clear straps that didn't deter the beauty of the dress. If they became too cumbersome as the night progressed, Tina could always slip them off.

Kyoko assisted Tina with the wings, then convinced her that the openness of the balcony would be the perfect place for an angel to take a perch. Kyoko had managed to take several good pictures once Tina helped her figure out the best lighting since the sun had already set. While they were reviewing the pictures on Tina's phone, the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that could be. I'll be right back." Looking through the peephole on the front door, Kyoko found Yashiro standing outside with Miguel.

Kyoko excitedly ripped open the door and welcomed the manager inside. "Mr. Yashiro," she exclaimed, seeing him in his tuxedo. She needed to get some photos of him to send to Kanae. Her best friend would surely appreciate the gesture. They thanked Miguel for his time after Yashiro tried to tip him and sent the concierge on his way. Once the door closed Yashiro let loose an unmanly squeal. His inner fangirl rushed to the surface, gushing over Kyoko's outfit. He instantly pulled out his cellphone and put on his gloves preparing to go paparazzi on her.

"Um, what's going on," Tina asked hesitantly coming into the room. She was greeted by another shriek from Yashiro. The sound of a door banging open soon followed.

"Kyoko, are you okay!" Kuon bellowed rushing out of the hallway, fear, and worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine. It's just Mr. Yashiro," she explained.

"Yukihito," Kuon growled, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"Sorry, I got excited." Yashiro raised his hands defensively. "I want to take some pictures. You ladies look wonderful by the way. Kuon fix your tie and get your jacket so I can take some of you. Fans are going to flip when they see you guys."

Kyoko and Kuon rolled their eyes and smiled at each other. She took in her boyfriend's drool-worthy appearance, clean-shaven and hair styled in Ren's usual side-swept bangs. She stepped up to help finish his bowtie. He was probably in the middle of tying it when he heard the screams and came dashing out like a knight in shining armor ready to save his lady. It was so sweet. Her hands drifted down, smoothing out his shirt at the shoulders before dropping them to her side before she got carried away.

"Thanks, baby," he grabbed her hands and lifted them to kiss her knuckles. Kyoko let out a shaky breath unable to break eye contact with the devilishly handsome man in front of her. It's getting hot in here.

"Got it," Yashiro squealed, holding up his phone. "You two really need to stop forgetting that there are other people in the room."

"Yes," Tina agreed. "They also need to remember that there are cameras everywhere," she stressed cryptically.

"Exactly, so be careful. Anyone could be paparazzi."

Kyoko's lips twitched at the corners while a similar smile graced his lips. They were hopeless. Poor Yashiro was oblivious to the scandal that didn't happen; however, he would get a small surprise when that hallway video came out.

"Let me grab my jacket. I want those pictures," Kuon said, making them laugh at his eagerness. Kyoko would have thought he said it to change the subject before their sharp manager figured something else was amiss, but she knew he had his heart set on those pictures too.

After spending a good fifteen minutes taking pictures with their friends, Kyoko gave the large hand in hers a reassuring squeeze. Ren, her boyfriend adopting his Japanese persona completely, tilted his head down and smiled at her. They had finally made their way down to the ballroom and it looked like they had entered a themed set. In the spirit of Halloween, the majority of the guests still in this area were decked out in costume. There was a wide range of people at this event and it was clear that society had come together for this great cause. After giving their names, the group was rounded up for pictures by an event photographer dressed in an old fashion gray suit. At check-in, they were given black place cards with their names and table number written in silver script. Unfortunately, Tina and Yashiro would be sitting at a different table, but at least they would have each other for company.

Inside the ballroom, Kyoko was rendered speechless and her mouth hung agape by the sheer beauty of the room. The thin smoke snaking around their ankles was the first thing that caught her eye giving the place an overall eerie vibe. Through the smoke, Kyoko could barely make out a large circular floor situated in the middle of the room. With colors of black, silver, and white, in the linens and chairs, the tall black vases at the center of each table were filled with white flowers and black spidery vines that spilled over the edge, dripping to the table surface. Aside from the fancy place settings similar to what she experienced at lunch, lit black votive candles dotted each table. Kyoko tried to absorb everything she observed to report to Maria when she returned to Japan. This had to be close to what her little friend envisioned for their next Happy Grateful Party. Luckily, she also had her phone to capture pictures.

…

Since he had been staring non-stop at the doors, Kuu spotted his kids and their friends the moment they walked outdoors. He wanted nothing more than to leave his post at the stage while the auctioneer rapidly looked for bids for an "heirloom" vase that somebody donated to the cause. Thank goodness it was almost over, his nervous stomach was starting to rumble from lack of nutrition. The dainty finger foods they served during cocktail hour weren't enough to curb his hunger. Normally he wouldn't be this nervous, but tonight was different; his son was here.

On the other side of the crowd of over a hundred guests, stood Eltra and Cedric. Having the actor show up removed some of the restlessness in his heart. To Kuu and his wife, it was a sign that the young man might have indeed changed for the better. It was good to see Eltra again, normally the old promoter would send in a hefty donation and forego the party, but it was obvious to Kuu that he came to support his grandson.

It was that kind of passion that assured Kuu that if anyone could help Cedric, Eltra was the man. With Lory and his support, all those years ago, Kuu was able to break into the Hollywood industry. It didn't mean things were always easy for him. He still had his struggles as the new face on the streets, but the overwhelming desire to be with his American family drove him to persevere.

The reason he was able to notice them among the large sea of tuxedos and costumes was that Eltra had entered into a bidding war with another benefactor over Tina's donated pictures. He couldn't wait to tell her about it until it hit him. He had been so focused on Kuon's feelings, he forgot about how Cedric's presence here would affect her. Did she know the role Cedric played in the accident of her fiancé? Surely, his son had told his friend about him. He would have to ask Kuon at some point tonight.

"Sold!" The auctioneer shouted, bringing Kuu back to the present as a round of applause erupted from the crowd. The final item up for sale turned out to be a car. For the past three years, a local dealership was chosen on a first-come basis to donate a car to the charity. Not only was it a tax write-off for the company but it also served as easy publicity to the elite so many tried to be first once it was available.

The auction made Kuu think of his car sitting at home with that green tree hanging from the mirror, a stark reminder of the kids' actions last night. It was very creative of his son to think a car freshener would cover up what they did in his car. He would have found it amusing if it had happened to anyone else but him. If he had driven it tonight, he probably would have added it to the list for auction just to get rid of it. Julie had told him he was being a big baby and needed to get over it if he ever wanted to have grandchildren. Nothing would please him more than to have little grandbabies to spoil, but he couldn't help the overprotective feelings he had in his heart for the young woman he dubbed as his daughter. It was one thing to know that your sweet little girl was sexually active, but it was another thing to KNOW.

"That concludes our auction for the evening, our coordinator will be around shortly to finalize the details with tonight's winners. We ask that you carefully make your way into the ballroom. Dinner will be served shortly," the MC announced to the crowd and they began to disperse.

It was another round of pleasantries and idle chit-chat before Kuu was able to lead Julie away in search of their table where he knew the kids sat. They would have the next hour to enjoy the culinary arts of some of LA's finest chefs before they unloaded the heavy stuff on everyone here. Julie liked to "fatten" them up with food, drink, and entertainment so they would open their hearts and their wallets to helping out the children in the area.

Kuu smiled at his wife once he spotted the kids deep in conversation with a very dear friend. Judging by the empty seat beside him, it appeared that their friend decided to fly solo tonight. So far, the seats around them were still empty, but Kuu could see the missing couples talking with other guests.

"Hirotaka, I see you've finally met Japan's top actor and actress," Kuu greeted his old friend in their native tongue while holding out the chair for his wife to take a seat. Hirotaka was one of their friends that could easily relate to what they were trying to achieve with this charity. His friend's son had also suffered hardship growing up in the shadow of his father. With the success of Dark Moon, his son seemed to have found his niche in Japan.

"Kuu-san," Kyoko gasped, "Please don't speak so loudly like that." She glanced over her shoulder making sure no one overheard them. "People would misunderstand."

"Which part," Kuu teased, knowing full well what she was getting at. In his eyes, she was already at the top.

"Well, you aren't wrong about Ren, but I'm hardly anywhere near the caliber of an actress to be considered remotely goo-"

Hirotaka scoffed, "Now you're just being modest. Mio was only the beginning. Morizumi and Yuki-chan have praised you repeatedly on our line group chat for your role as Momiji. Yuki-chan is a stingy person when it comes to compliments so you should feel special. I guarantee there will be bigger roles coming your way soon enough."

"By Yuki-chan, do you mean Kuresaki-san?" Kyoko's eyes sparkled with delight when Hiro nodded. It still amused Kuu that Hirotaka managed to get away with calling that man "Yuki-chan." That icy producer was the poster boy of a typical tsundere and probably secretly liked the pet name.

"Bingo!"

"Hirotaka is right," Julie added. "Yukinojou is a hard one to please… and don't forget Missy, you are the female lead in a film that will be directed by one of Japan's greats. That's impressive."

Kuu smiled as he watched her bloom once again under the love and care of his family when Ren took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

...

What kind of fuckery is this? Charles thought as he held a tray of special-ordered drinks for one of his tables. He couldn't stop staring as he glanced from the table at the back where Cedric and his grandfather sat to the one upfront where the Hizuris sat. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. How fucking sick could Cedric be to show up to something like this after the way he orchestrated the torturing of their son?

Charles was livid. It angered him that Cedric was sitting over there in his penguin suit conversing with his grandfather and those around him looking like the typical All-American boy. To top it all off, an angel sat a few chairs down smiling along with the conversation. It was so fucking ironic, a bitter laugh escaped his lips. He wanted to march right up to the bastard and his grandfather and expose the truth to all their fancy friends.

"Hey, Chuck," one of his female colleagues called, jerking him out of his red haze. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, fine, Sabrina. Thanks," he answered gratefully.

"Good, I'm sure your table would like their drinks soon," she smiled and walked off.

His eyes trailed after his pretty colleague for a moment needing the distraction. He knew she was interested in him, but Charles was in no position to have a relationship, especially with a coworker. Her intervention was exactly what he needed to regain his bearings and made him think about his mother and sister that needed him. As an ex-con with limited employment opportunities, he couldn't jeopardize this decent-paying job. He blocked out his emotions and went back to work. To be safe, he switched hands holding the tray so it could block his face from the view of both tables just in case someone from his past recognized him.

...

He gave his grandfather a worried glance before plastering a natural smile on his face. How in the world had they ended up sitting at the same table as Kyoko's manager but worse of all Tina? When he had made the conscious decision to make amends, it never crossed his mind that the fiancée of the man, whose death was on his hands, would be present. He was the biggest bastard on the planet by making conversation and pretending everything was alright. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the irony of his fucked up situation.

"Tina, imagine my surprise when I saw a set of your beautiful landscapes up for auction. I had to add them to my collection," Eltra confessed and proceeded to tell them about the exciting bidding war he had with another man over the pieces.

The biggest fraud of them all had to be his grandfather. He had them all fooled. Cedric was baffled that Eltra could remain calm and collected given the company at the table. His grandfather didn't miss a beat

"Thank you, Mr. Duris, I'm still surprised they went for that much," the angel a few seats away commented with a slight blush on her cheeks."

"Your work is lovely dear, it should always sell for that much. It's great that the proceeds would be going to such a worthy cause and I hope it brings more awareness to the problem that many kids out there are suffering from."

He needed to take a page out of his grandfather's book of acting because Cedric felt like he was failing. To his ears, the pounding of his nervous heart made his words sound pretentious and his laugh forced. He made a vow to tell this woman that it was his fault her fiancé couldn't be here tonight. Not right now, but sometime before the night ended he would come clean to her.

Soon the first dinner course would be served and time would fast forward. He couldn't help notice the way she covered the glass as the waiter went to fill it up with wine, preferring to drink water instead. Another wave of guilt rushed through him knowing exactly why she had to refuse. Based on Eltra's story, she had turned to substance abuse to escape her reality and was now sober. Cedric wanted nothing more than to drown his misery in liquor; however, he needed to keep his mind sharp to get through the night. It didn't matter that he had a high tolerance to the drink, once he had one, he would have more until he wasn't walking or seeing straight. Thank goodness he wasn't expected to say much beyond how delicious his food looked as they focused on their meals. He ate while thinking of a strategic way to approach Tina without losing his life.

...

Kuon didn't have time to dwell on his feelings regarding this event. Tonight he was Tsuruga Ren, the actor, that was here with his girlfriend in support of a worthy cause. More than ever before, his Japanese persona had to be on point while in the presence of Hirotaka Date less he gave up his alter ego. His son, Hiroaki Ogata, was the spitting image of his father. Their features were so similar that Kyoko had mistakenly thought he was their old director from Dark Moon and greeted him as such. His cute girlfriend had bowed profusely at her error once he correctly introduced himself.

While the father and son could have passed for identical twins despite the age difference, their personalities differed completely. Ogata was timid and nervous while Date was cool and confident. It was that attitude that had Ren second-guessing his acting. Something told him that his efforts were futile. He had a feeling the director already figured out his true identity and was toying with him. Kyoko had quickly picked up on the director's line of questioning regarding his role as Katsuki and did her best to field them. Her attempts to protect him were so endearing that he just wanted to hug her and never let go.

Once his parents joined them, the focal point of the conversation was easily changed. When the first course for dinner started coming out, Ren had never felt so happy in his life to see the plates of food coming his way. The other couples returned to their seats and introductions were made. A few minutes into the conversation told Ren that tonight's gala had to do with their families in some way. He recognized the all too familiar pain in their eyes and the forced smiles as they tried to politely make small talk while eating.

The photographer was back again snapping pictures of the group with glasses raised in cheers. Ren and Kyoko stuck with water since they had work in the morning and didn't want to be under any influence. Plus, he needed to keep his wits about him to get through the night. He already recognized several celebrities, directors, and politicians from his parents' circle that came by the table to say hello before dinner was served and knew there would be more where they came from.

Each course zoomed in a blink of an eye until the room came to a hush when the band took a break. The MC made a quick announcement over the speakers, halting all conversation when the lights in the room went out. Panicked gasps chorused through the darkroom even with the warning. Several moments later, the quietness was replaced by music from the string quartet and a dozen people dressed in chef's attire parading in, bearing carts ladened with sparklers and flaming desserts. They put on a well-choreographed show for ten minutes of flames and laser lights dancing through the darkness. He wished their part of the room was a little brighter so he could see the expression on his beloved's face. He imagined it radiated pure joy if her loud shrieks of excitement were any clue to her feelings. The soft ambiance flickered back on in the ballroom once it was over, but the delight still danced in her beautiful amber eyes. It was enough for him.

They had settled on a few desserts Kyoko was eager to taste while she told him about meeting a chef of a restaurant here named Enzo. Now that dinner was over, guests began flocking toward the dance floor. Kyoko watched with sparkling heart eyes, admiring the elegantly dressed people dancing while Ren took the opportunity to feed her. She failed to realize what he was doing until an older couple walked by and commented on how adorable they looked together.

"Ren!" Kyoko pouted, finally catching on when he brought the fork to her lips. He shrugged mischievously and held up the next bite for her anyway, but she refused to eat it.

"Last one and we can dance," he smirked, knowing just how to entice her to get his way.

Kyoko smiled and snatched the dessert off the fork without hesitation, then dragged her tongue torturously slow across her pink pouty lips, lapping up any stray crumbs. He had to turn away and purse his lips to withhold the groan resonating in his throat. Dancing would at least give him an excuse to hold her close regardless that the music demanded they waltz.

As promised, he stood and dipped into a sweeping bow. He ignored the excited squeals coming from the Hizuri couple and held out his hand. "May I please have this dance, my lady?" Kyoko beamed and placed her hand into his, the chains at her wrist catching his attention. He glanced down at the way her dress flowed to the floor and pooled around her feet; the length would probably hinder their movements.

"Screw the waltz," he muttered to himself and found a spot on the white marble dance floor where they wouldn't be in the way of the other dancers. He guided her arms around his neck and secured her to him, locking his hands on her lower back with his fingertips barely grazing the top of her ass. Their height difference of almost a foot was evident tonight because she was wearing flats instead of heels. It didn't matter, every contour of her lithe body still fit perfectly against his as they swayed slowly to the music.

AN: Hi! I'm here! Gomen, gomen! Nothing interesting happened here but I finally got them in that ballroom. I hope it wasn't too boring. Thanks to Sensei, I was able to make up one less friend for the Hizuris...Princess Date suited the job XD. Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoyed it.

Thank you for always reading and for the reviews of the last chapter. I HEART you all! XoXo

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^