THE FALL.
It was a sunny afternoon. Kyoko did not go to the Box R shoot that day because she had to join the Kimagure Rock cast to the TBM studio where they had been invited to participate in some trivia competition. It turned out to be a lot more fun than they expected.
Even after it was over, Kyoko and the guys all talked about it excitedly as they were showing themselves out.
"Do you remember that question about the drama Scarlet dice?" One of the hosts named Yuusie asked. "I remembered it at the last moment."
"Yeah," Shinichi smirked. "When they asked the name of that drama in which Oumi Mashima debuted."
"I've read as many gossip magazines as I could, but I still didn't know the answer to that," Kyoko confessed.
"Looks like Yuusei saved the day!" Hikaru chuckled. He was the youngest guy of the bunch, the same age as Kyoko.
All four of them laughed heartily, and the two boys slapped Yuusei on the back.
That's what Kyoko loved about her colleagues at the Kimagure Rock show. That turned even the gravest of the situations into such hilarious and carefree gossip, they nobody could resist laughing like crazy. Being the only girl in the bunch never bothered her in the slightest because it was just so much more easier to get along with guys instead of girls.
Remembering her colleagues at the Box R studio, Kyoko let out a remorseful sigh. Why couldn't they be as cool as those guys? If they all got along well, everything would work out perfectly. But they didn't even look at her before she became the cold and charismatic Natsu. Did girls have to be ruthless and mean to get along with each other?
Her contemplation on the behaviour pattern of the average female was interrupted by the guys, who were now in a lively conversation about the same drama Scarlet Dice, which used to air more than a decade ago.
Kyoko wasn't listening at first, but something Shinichi said perked up her ears, and she listened to them with her undivided attention.
"The show got cancelled because there was an accidental fire on the set. And the girl playing the main villain was badly injured."
"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Yuusei nodded. "She was only six years old at the time, right?"
"Yeah. She used to be quite an amazing actress but after that accident she retired. I even heard that she still got that burn mark. It's on the back of the neck."
Kyoko cocked her head at them in surprise, Honami's words echoing in her mind. On the back of her neck Chiori's got a really big nasty scar.
"Wait!" She stopped walking. "This accident happened more than a decade ago, right? So that girl must be around my age right now?"
"I think so," Shinichi agreed.
"What was her name?" There was a sudden urgency in her tone.
"I think it was Akari Tendou, why?"
Kyoko frowned. She was almost positive that this girl was Chiori Amamiya, but turned out she was wrong. It must be someone else, she thought. Although, there was still that nagging voice on the back of her mind which kept suggesting that it was too big of a coincidence for both actresses to have a burn mark on the exact same spot. Not to mention that both of them were the same age.
"Hey, you guys said she retired. Do you know why?" Kyoko pried.
"Well, she used to be an exceptional actress when she was young, but she never got any other role besides the one in Scarlet Dice," said Yuusei.
"Why though?"
"Because she had been stuck with her character," Shinichi sighed. "Portraying an intense role is not always a good thing. Sometimes actors get so obsessed with the character they're playing that even after they play someone else they keep turning back to that same role subconsciously. It was the same with Akari. She could never escape the shadow of her character in Scarlet Dice. And people started noticing, then she had no choice but to retire. Personally, I don't blame her though. It was quite an intense part. And besides, she was only six years old at that time. I mean, what kid wouldn't get obsessed?"
"Which reminds me," Hikaru frowned. "Kyoko, your Mio was quite intense too. You're not stuck with it, are you? How are you doing with your new part?"
"No, I'm absolutely fine." Kyoko smiled reassuringly. "I do like playing Mio but I'm not obsessed with her to that degree."
"Good for you."
Even though Kyoko didn't show the slightest hint of it, she felt truly awful for this Akari girl. If it wasn't for all the guidance she had received from Ren and Hizuri, maybe she would've ended up in a similar situation. Being bound to Mio's shadow.
What terrified her the most was that she didn't even realize it that all time being Mio she could have easily lost herself. The thought evoked a deep pathos in her for Akari Tendou. Only imagining what she must have been through while she was just six, it was enough to drown Kyoko's heart in pity and sadness.
All of a sudden, a loud grumbling sound echoed, cutting their conversation and Kyoko's sympathetic thoughts to a stop.
She blushed, holding her stomach. "Sorry." Looking down, she muttered.
Shinichi smiled. "Guys, how about we grab lunch before we leave?"
That day, Amamiya had left the set early as well since she had been invited to give an interview for the Japonet Scoop.
Inside the TBM Studio, she chatted with her guide who led her to her waiting room.
"With all the buzz Box R is getting, we just had to cover you."
Amamiya smiled politely.
"The main reason why all the fans are so excited about it is because Kyoko Mogami will be starring as the villain in that series. We would have called her too, but she had already been covered."
The news hit Amamiya like a slap. She halted to a sudden stop, turning her head sharply. "Kyoko had already been covered?"
"Oh yes. Almost a year ago. It was after she starred in Sho Fuwa's music video. Back then she made quite a stir before Dark Moon too, so we were also satisfied when her performance as Mio turned out so well."
Amamiya said nothing. It took all the effort she could muster to keep her face poker.
"Frankly, we invited you because you remind us quite a lot of her. You also got a huge response in your last drama, which was how you booked your role in Box R. We've been expecting that you will get your big break just like her." He had meant it as a compliment, but for Amamiya, it came as the biggest insult in her whole career. She tried hard to remain indifferent. The skin beneath her face burning with envy.
"Um, how long do I have to wait before the interview?"
"It will take a while. Once we're all set, I'll come and fetch you. For now, let me show you to the waiting room."
"Don't mind." She forced a smile. "I'll show myself."
Instead of going to the waiting room like she said she would, Amamiya slumped down on a stair. Taking out a pen and her diary, she started writing, pouring her heart on to the pages in big, bold letters. Har hand moving hysterically as she tried to put all the hate she had for Kyoko Mogami on the pages.
But it still wasn't enough to satisfy her. All the insults in the world, but none were enough to describe what she thought of Kyoko.
She started scribbling again. Why did they pick me after her? Why does she have another regular job? Why are they always comparing me to her? Why isn't she stuck with Mio like I was? Why? WHY?
After she was done, she ripped off the page, crumbled it into a tight ball and threw it on the floor.
Her body was shaking with anger. Throwing her pen and diary back into her bag, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself to get a hold of her shaking nerves. Her fists clenching.
"I'm sorry," Kyoko apologized to Hikaru as the two were on their way to get some food. "I feel like I'm pressing you guys." Her stomach grumbled again and she covered it with her hands with a blush.
"It's okay." Hikaru smiled. "We were all a bit hungry." Being the youngest, those two was sent to grab something to eat while their seniors, Shinichi and Yuusei, waited for them back in the hall.
Hikaru's hands were already occupied with the packed burgers and fries he had bought from the canteen, so Kyoko gladly volunteered to go buy the drinks from the vending machine, asking him to wait for her down stairs.
It had been almost half an hour and Amamiya was still hunched on the lowest stair with her head hanging low.
She finally snapped back when her phone started ringing. It was her manager, calling her to the studio at once since the interview was about to start.
Amamiya sniffed. "I'll be there."
Slinging her bag on her shoulder, she wiped her face with a handkerchief and ascended the stairs. As she did, her eyes widened with recognition when she spotted a familar face on the far end of the corridor. It was her nemesis, Kyoko herself, walking with some guy.
Instinctively, Amamiya stopped and hid behind a pillar to peek at them.
The guy went ahead to go down the stairs leaving Kyoko alone by the vending machine. She inserted a few coins in it and bought some drinks.
Amamiya's resentment rising by the second, she continued to glare at Kyoko. Her eyes narrowing in two slits.
When Kyoko was done, she started making her way for the stairs herself with a tired yawn.
Except for the two girls, the whole corridor was empty. The only sound was the tapping of Kyoko's feet echoing as she slowly ambled forward. Each footstep getting louder as she came nearer.
Just as she was about to descend the stairs, Amamiya launched forward without thinking. Her hands shot out on their own to push Kyoko's back using all the strength she had.
Kyoko, surprised by the sudden push, had no time to react. Before she could even realise what was happening, she was falling face first down the stairs.
The canned drinks were pulled from her grasp by the force of gravity, hitting the ground. Fortunately, the loud sound of the tin cans crashing down stair after stair grabbed Hikaru's attention. He had been standing below waiting for her.
When he saw what was happening, he acted just in time by throwing the food he was carrying on the floor to empty his hands, and extending his arms out to catch Kyoko.
As Kyoko fell, she tried to regain her balance by planting her feet firmly on one of the stairs while bending her foot like a corkscrew in order to twist her body. She succeed in turning herself, but not in regaining her balance. She still fell.
Infact, due to this interference, her trajectory changed and she crashed hard on the spot beside where Hikaru was standing extending his arms, still waiting for her to fall in them.
Her breath was knocked out by the impact when the merciless gravity pulled her to the cold floor like a magnet. It hurt like hell.
But her attempt to save herself had not been for nothing. Because due to this, Kyoko had fell on her back instead of her front. And since her face was up, she had been able to catch a glimpse of the person 's face who had pushed her just now.
Their eyes had met for just a nanosecond, but it was enough. Kyoko had no doubt who it was.
At the same time, Amamiya's heart was pounding like a horse because she just ran as far away as she could right after she pushed Kyoko. It was more due to the adrenaline rushing throughout her because of the fear coursing through her body, sending chills after chills. She knew it was no use pretending that Kyoko had not seen her just now. And it was only a matter of time before she told the Director about it, making him kick her out of this project.
In frank words, Amamiya knew that she was royally screwed.
"Kyoko!" Hikaru let his arms fall back down to his sides as he rushed to her side to help her up. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Kyoko didn't reply.
"You're not injured, are you?" He sounded more and more frantic.
She picked herself up without answering. At least she looked like she was okay and not badly injured.
For some reason though, she still did not say anything. It was because it was not her anymore. The moment she had discovered that it was Chiori Amamiya who had pushed her, her inner Natsu had materialized, who did not look happy about being pushed by Yumika.
Her eyes traveled around until they landed on the small crumpled paper by the stairs, and she wondered if it had fallen out of Amamiya's purse. To confirm, she reached for it, straightened it back and started reading.
"What is it?" Hikaru asked. "Is it something that girl left? Did you get a look at her face? Do you know who she was?" He bombarded her with questions after questions only to be rewarded with silence for an answer. Kyoko was still busy reading whatever was in that paper to reply.
"Will this help in figuring out who she was?" Persistently, he asked again, eyeing the paper. "Do you know why she pushed you?"
At last, Kyoko's lips arched in a smile, but it was not her usual bubbly smile. Her whole aura had shifted since she had somehow slipped back into her character. Hikaru wondered why all of a sudden she seemed a lot cooler and mature.
"I'm okay," she reassured him. Even her voice sounded different. Deeper. And more breathy.
"What about that girl?"
"Its okay. Don't worry about her."
"It's okay?" His eyes widened with disbelief. "It's okay that she pushed you down the stairs? You cannot be seriously suggesting to just let her go, are you? You cannot just ignore this!"
"No, really." her lips up turned into a cruel smirk. As evil as it looked, Kyoko somehow seemed even more beautiful when she smiled like that. "I couldn't possibly ignore something so interesting, can I?" She chuckled mysteriously, motioning at the paper in her hand. Without telling him what it was, she shoved it into her pocket.
He looked at her questioningly, waiting for her to explain what was going on. In reply, Kyoko only smiled her charming and seductive Natsu smile at him.
A slight tinge of red suffused on Hikaru's cheeks when he noticed for the first time how breathtaking she looked. Her hazel eyes were so big and lustrous, he could easily see his own reflection in them. His heart picked up pace.
"Could you please just let this go?" She pleaded, inching a little closer to him. She leaned her face forward, and stopped when her lips almost brushed up against his ear. "I'll deal with this myself. This girl is mine." Each word was a hushed whisper. Her warm breath tingling his skin as he spoke.
Under normal circumstances, Kyoko would've freaked out if she ever flirted with a guy like that. But for Natsu, it was completely ordinary. She would use her charm to beguile people and wrap them around her little finger.
Pulling herself back, she touched her index finger to her plush lips. "Shhhhhh. Just keep it between us, okay?" She whispered. "It's a sec-ret."
"S-s-sure." Hikaru managed. He was blushing up to the roots of his hair, and his heart was suddenly beating so loud that he was afraid Kyoko might hear it too.
"Let's go."
What the hell happened to her? He wondered as he followed her like a lost puppy. Why did she start acting all sexy?
As Kyoko went back to the stairs to pick up the drinks, she noticed for the first time that all of them were spilled.
"Oh no!" She gasped, her tone normal again. "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I'll go and buy some more right now!"
And she's back, Hikaru remained standing where he was with a perplexed frown on his face as he tried to figure out what on earth was up with Kyoko.
The next morning when Kyoko woke up, she propelled herself up by leaning on her hand, when a sharp, piercing pain shot through her arm making her wince.
It had only been a slight throbbing when she first fell, so she stupidly thought that if she would ignore it, the pain will disappear by the morning. Left untreated, the wound only got worse. Much worse.
Glancing at the wall clock in her room, she realised that she only had a couple of hours before she had to reach the Box R set.
She studied her wound more carefully only to notice for the first time that it was now swollen. She sighed. Just great! Now, we won't be able to shoot much today either!
By the time Amamiya's manager came to fetch her from her dressing room, she was already dressed in Yumika's uniform.
"You ready?" The manager asked.
Staring at her image in the mirror, Amamiya answered. "Yeah." She was studying her new hairstyle. To give Yumika her cute look back, she had tied her hair into two little pigtails, leaving some of it in the back untied to cover her neck and her scar. It looked doable.
It was ironic how she messed up her hair in the first place because she wanted to play Natsu instead of Yumika, but now that she had put Yumika's part in jeopardy as well by letting herself be seen by Kyoko the other day, she was desperately trying to hold on it. Making these small attempts just so she wouldn't get fired and loose the part. She felt pathetic.
With a sigh, she embraced herself for what was about to come and followed her manager to the studio. Har heart sinking in fear with each step she was taking.
Barely five more steps were left before she reached the door. Once she entered, she would know whether Kyoko had ratted her out to the Director yet, or if she was waiting for her to be there so she could do it while embarrassing her in front of everyone.
Five more steps and then it would be decided whether she would get to keep her part or if she would be fired.