The weeks after Sho Fuwa had been strangled had not been kind to him. His manager, Shoko Aki, had dragged him to a hospital to be checked over. "We have no idea what damage was done, Sho! You have to have someone look at this! You could die!"

The Doctor had felt around the area and shook his head. "There is serious damage to the tissue, and plenty of bruising. This is going to take a long time to heal properly, and when it does, I can't say what condition your voice will be in." His face was serious. "It's very obvious to me that you have been assaulted, Fuwa-san. I'm going to have to report this." Sho gestured for Shoko to come close. He whispered in her ear. She turned to the Doctor, frowning.

"Fuwa-san wants to know how much money it will take to make a police report go away."

The Doctor stared at him, stunned. "I-... Fuwa-san, I strongly urge you to report whoever has done this to you! What if they did this to someone else!?"

Sho went to shake his head, but flinched at the pain of it. He whispered into Shoko's ear again. She sighed.

"Fuwa-san is confident that this was a one time offense. He is offering you 2,000,000 yen to not file a report." Sho fixed his pleading eyes on the Doctor. That monster will walk right through a restraining order and kill me if I report him, he thought.

The Doctor shook his head. "I won't take your money, young man. As a doctor, that would be entirely unethical. I have to report this whether you want me to or not." At that point, Shoko had gotten in touch with the executives at Akatoki. However much they had offered him had sent the good Doctor and his ethics on a special trip to Tahiti.

Shoko had taken Sho home to his apartment and nursed him until he could move his head. His voice still remained a ghost of a whisper. In the third week, she had sat him down in his living room. "Sho," she said gently, "The executives at Akatoki want to know the status of your voice. They want you to go to a specialist and seek treatment."

Sho typed out a message on his phone and texted it to her. She looked at the screen and sighed. "Sho, you have to. If the damage is permanent, Akatoki has to know sooner or later." He texted her again, and she nodded. "Yes. If the damage is permanent, they may drop you as a client." She reached for his hand, "But this isn't the end, Sho. You're a brilliant lyricist! You could write for other people even if you can't sin-" he tore his hand out of hers and got up from the couch to go stand by the window.

Shoko put her phone away and grabbed her purse. "I'm going to go get dinner. I'll be back soon." She left the room, and Sho sat down hard on the floor, his hands covering his face. Tsuruga ruined my fucking life! He's ruined my entire fucking life! All because I said Kyoko was fucking flat! A voice came unbidden into his head. No. It said, Tsuruga ruined your life because you have treated Kyoko like garbage, and he's in love with her.

The following week, Sho broke down and saw the specialist, who confirmed everything that the Doctor had said. She could not guarantee that Sho's voice would be the same after he had healed. Akatoki was willing to keep him on the label for a little while longer to see how it would pan out, but his tour was effectively canceled. Shoko, who had gotten tired of Sho's sullen mood and destructive mood swings had taken to staying away and letting him care for himself. One night, as Sho was muttering under his breath about having to do his own dishes, he stopped. He frowned at the graying water. Kyoko would have done this for me. She would have done them without question and without complaint.

He walked over to his refrigerator and opened it. There was two week old spoiled milk, a few nasty takeout containers, and a leftover container full of God-knows-what that Shoko had cooked three days prior. He sighed. If Kyoko were here, there'd be fresh fruits and vegetables, a case of beer, and my favorite pudding. If Kyoko were here, I'd have someone to talk to.

He collapsed on the couch. No wonder he beat the shit out of me. I completely deserve it. I deserve everything. He reached for his phone, but upon remembering that he couldn't actually speak, made a fist and punched himself in the leg. FUCK.

"MOKOOOOO!"

Kyoko was met with a hand in her face. "No! We're at work!"

"B-but, Moko-san," Kyoko whimpered, her eyes rapidly filling with tears, "I haven't seen you in a while, and I missed you."

Kanae gritted her teeth. "MO! FINE. ONE HUG."

Kyoko hugged her friend and nuzzled her. "I'm so happy to see you! Don't ever leave me again, Moko-san!"

Kanae narrowed her eyes. "I agreed to one hug, not cheek nuzzles."

Kyoko stopped her nuzzling immediately. "Sorry."

Kanae pried her off. "Anyway, I need your help."

Kyoko's eyes sparkled. "I'm always available to help Moko-san."

Kanae suppressed a smile. If nothing else, Kyoko was loyal to a fault. "So, I told you after the Chidori audition that Producer Kuresaki wanted to cast me in another part, right?" Kyoko nodded. Kanae continued, "The part he wants me for… I have to speak English for it. I know the conversational stuff they taught us in school, but…" she looked suddenly worried, "My pronunciation is bad, and I'm scared that I won't be able to give my all for this performance."

Kyoko put her hand on Kanae's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Moko-san! I will do my best to help you!"

Kanae smiled a rare smile at her friend. "Thank you, Kyoko."

Kyoko hugged her friend tightly again. "Moko-san smiled at me! I can die happy!"

Kanae tried unsuccessfully to wriggle out of her grip. "MO! Knock it off! You're so weird!"

"Am I interrupting something?" They looked up to find Koga looking down at them with a raised eyebrow.

Kanae finally managed to disentangle herself from Kyoko and stood up. "I just asked her to help me with my English for The Route Project, and she went all weird on me like she always does."

Kyoko blinked. "Did you just say 'The Route Project'?"

Kanae nodded. "Yes, what of it?"

"Then you're going to America, too? With Ren?"

Koga's eyebrows shot up. "Ren? He's not "Tsuruga-san" anymore?"

Kyoko winced. Shit.

Koga smirked. "Ohhhhh. Kyoko-chan has a boyfriend."

"D-do not!" she blushed pink, and Koga laughed.

"Liar liar, pants on fire. I knew he was lying his ass off on that show with Mika."

"He wouldn't have had to if you wouldn't have told her that stuff about him being proud of me!" Kyoko clapped her hands over her mouth, but the damage was done. Koga was in hysterics.

"You even watch his interviews!? Oh my god, that's adorable!" Suddenly he stilled and looked over at Kanae. Her eyes were boring into him.

"Koga. Shut up."

He straightened up immediately. "Of course. Sorry, Kanae-chan."

Kyoko frowned. "You can't tell anybody. Yashiro-san would be really upset if he knew you knew."

Koga flicked her in the forehead. "You really think I'm going to tell anybody? Ren's fangirls are insane. They'd burn your house down. I want to pick on you, not have you murdered."

Kyoko rubbed her forehead, an unpleasant feeling settling in her stomach. "Thanks… I guess."

Kanae smacked Koga's arm. "What he means to say is that your secret is safe with us."

Koga rubbed the spot where Kanae had smacked him. "Ow. Yeah, that."

When they made it to the set, the Director took notice of them from on top of the chair he was standing on. "Ah! Kyoko-chan, Kanae-san, and Koga-san. The gang's all here! Now we can begin!" He clapped his hands together. "My friends," he said, "This is our last week of filming!"

Kyoko came to stand next to Kuon, who slid his hand into hers. He looked down at her with a sad smile on his face. They both knew what this meant; less time together. The Director continued.

"This has been one of the best directing experiences of my life. I have had an all-star cast of the most talented individuals in Japan at my beck and call, and we have been able to shoot this film in record time. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the work you have put in, and the life you have breathed into your characters. Thank you so much." He bowed to them. "Now, just because we will be officially done filming does not mean that I'm totally through with you! We will still be seeing each other for press dates, and we'll need to have photos taken of you for marketing. I will, as they say, have my people call your people to arrange all of this." He smiled widely. "Let's do our best this last week, and I'll see you all at the wrap party next Saturday!"

There was a round of applause as the group broke apart to get their hair and makeup done. Kuon still hadn't let go of Kyoko's hand. He looked down at her. "Kyoko-chan-"

She squeezed his hand and then pulled her hand away. "Not here." She smiled up at him. "Later, okay?"

He nodded.

She turned to go get her makeup done, and froze. "Shotarou?"

She had said Shotarou, but was he really? His eyes were dark and sunken from lack of sleep, and his cheeks were hollow and covered in unkempt facial hair. His natural black hair had grown in a full inch at his roots. The once black and plum bruises on his throat had faded into a pale green and yellow. The dark purple button down that he wore seemed to hang off of his body. Even seeing him in such a pathetic state made Kuon tense behind her.

Sho came to stand in front of her, and then went to his knees. To her shock, he performed a dogeza. "Kyoko" he rasped, "I'm so sorry." She stared at him open-mouthed as he looked back up at her. He had tears streaming down his cheeks. "I hurt you so badly. All you ever did was take care of me, and I treated you like you were nothing. I threw you away like you were trash, after you worked yourself half to death so I could chase my dream." He swallowed painfully; he hadn't talked that much or that loudly in weeks. "I don't deserve your forgiveness," he said, "But I wanted you to know that I understand now that I would never have gotten anywhere if it weren't for your support. I'm so sorry, Kyoko." He wiped his eyes with his hand, and suddenly found himself being hugged.

Kyoko swore she could feel every bone in his body. "I forgive you, Shotarou." She pulled back and held his face in her hands. "You hear that, you big idiot?" She hugged him again, tears streaming down her cheeks. She helped him to his feet. When she looked back at Kuon, he gestured down the hall.

"You can use my dressing room, Mogami-san."

"Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

She led Sho down the hall and into Kuon's dressing room and shut the door. She sat him down in a chair and got him a bottle of water and a bento box from the mini fridge. She set them down in front of him. "Shotarou, you look awful. Have you seen a doctor?"

Sho nodded. "They say I'm stressed. I don't know if I'll ever be able to sing again, Kyoko. I can't sleep, I can't eat. I don't know who I am anymore." He looked down at the table. "Akatoki dropped me a few days ago. Shoko went with them. No Akatoki money, no Shoko." He sighed. "I'm not gonna be able to make rent, either. I'm going to have to go back to Kyoto."

Kyoko opened the bento box and handed him a pair of chopsticks. "You're not leaving until you eat that entire thing. Do you want me to call your mother and let her know that you're coming home?"

He shook his head. "I'll take care of it." He took a bite of the food, and he smiled. "This is yours, isn't it?" She smiled.

"I can't see you like this and not feed you. I'd be a really bad friend if I did that."

He looked up at her. "Are we friends?"

She wiped her eyes. "Did I say friends? I meant family."

He nodded. "Family. I like that."

She watched him as he ate the bento, scared that he might pass out. She could definitely see that he was a ghost of his former self. He reminds me of me when I first started LoveMe, she thought. I had to build myself back up and rediscover who I was. Suddenly, she had a burst of inspiration. "Shotarou, I'll be right back."

She slipped out into the hall and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She hit the call button.

Lory Takarada's phone vibrated next to him on his sofa. He paused the dating sim he was playing and looked at the caller ID. He smiled. "Mogami-san! To what do I owe the pleasure!?"

She laughed nervously. "Hello, President-san. I… um… I actually have a very large favor to ask."

"A favor? I'm happy to help you if it's within my power to do so." This girl never asks for a damned thing he thought. This must be huge.

She swallowed hard. "I… I have a friend that I think would be a great candidate for the LoveMe Section. I was wondering if we might have a meeting with you to discuss the possibility of my friend joining up?"

He blinked. "Another LoveMe Member? That is… an interesting proposition. I will absolutely make time for you and your friend." He scrolled through the calendar on his phone. "Will Wednesday at noon work for you?"

Kyoko took a breath. Two days from now. I hope Sho will be able to last that long. "That should work, sir. Thank you."

"Oh, no, thank you Mogami-san. I enjoy being a life-changing influence." She cringed as they hung up. If Sho was accepted, he would have plenty of the President's antics to look forward to. Kyoko went back into the room with Shotarou, who had almost finished his bento.

"Shotarou, listen," she started, "I know how much your music means to you. I don't want you to have to go back to Kyoto. I want you to be able to live your dream, like I'm living mine." She sat down at the table. "I just called the President of LME. I booked a meeting with him on Wednesday to discuss you possibly signing on with LME."

Shotarou shook his head. "Kyoko, I can't ask you for anything else. You've already done too much for me."

She smiled. "You didn't ask me, I just did it. Besides, it's not set in stone yet. The President has to meet you, and he has to decide if he likes you or not." Kyoko hadn't given the President the name of her friend, as she assumed it would probably have been an automatic no. "So, will you do it?"

He considered it for a minute and then nodded. "I will. You went out on a limb with your President for me, and the least I can do is show up for the meeting." He smiled at her. "Thank you."

She ruffled his hair. "You're welcome. You should buy some dye on your way home and get those roots done, and shave." She sniffed at him comedically, "And a bath wouldn't kill you."

He narrowed his eyes on her. "I took a shower this morning, thank you."

"You still smell like day-old ramen."

"Do not!"

"Do too."

He gave her the finger and she laughed. "Good, you are feeling better."

He got up from the table and stretched. "Yeah, I guess I am."

She led him back out onto the set, where everything was quiet. Kanae and Kijima were having a private moment as Sango and Miroku. Koga was watching from the side, making sure that Kijima behaved himself. When Kuon saw them come out, he stayed rooted to his spot on the other side of the set. Sho averted his eyes from him.

"I hope I didn't get you into trouble with Tsuruga by coming here. I know he sure as hell doesn't like me."

Kyoko shook her head. "He's not a fan, that's true enough. But I think he understands."

Sho touched the fading bruises on his throat absentmindedly. "Yeah. Right. Anyway, I'll see you in a couple of days, okay? I need to get home and clean myself up. I look like shit." he whispered.

Kyoko stifled her giggles. "I'll see you then. Be careful." They hugged again, and then he made his way toward the exit, past the set. Kyoko turned to make her way over to Kuon when she heard, "Ah. Shit!" She turned back to Sho. He had tripped over some loose cables that led to the set and was disentangling them from his ankles. The Director sighed.

"CUT! Who said that!? We need quiet on the set please!"

There was a flash of white and silver as Kuon darted across the set. Kyoko's eyes followed him, her heart leaping into her throat.

"FUWA! MOVE!"

Sho looked up just in time to see a large metal light fixture starting to fall toward him. Kuon shoved him out of the way, and the entire structure came down, knocking Kuon to the floor. Several of the lights hit the floor, shattering and sparking over him.

Kyoko froze in disbelief and then ran as fast as she could. Koga and Kijima were there first, helping the light team lift the heavy metal fixture off of him. Kyoko fell to her knees beside Kuon. A line of blood was trickling down from underneath his wig. She pulled the wig off to find a large gash weeping blood at the crown of his head. "He's bleeding from his head! Someone get me a towel! Anything!" She knew she had to stanch the wound. Sho ripped his shirt off over his head and gave it to her. She folded it up and pressed it to the open gash on Kuon's head. She laid his head in her lap and patted his cheek gently as she held pressure on the wound. "Kuo-Ren," she winced. What a time to not be able to call him by his name! "Wake up. Please wake up!"

Yashiro called the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived a few minutes later, they were waved down in the parking lot by a shirtless guy who looked vaguely like Sho Fuwa, if Sho Fuwa were homeless. He led them frantically down the halls until they reached the set where, to their astonishment, they found Ren Tsuruga unconscious on the floor with a head wound.

Yashiro took Kyoko gently by the arm and helped her up as they loaded Kuon onto a gurney. They whisked him away down the hall and out of sight. She collapsed against Yashiro's chest, sobbing, her hands covered in Kuon's blood. He hugged her. "Kyoko-chan, we're going to go to the car and go to the hospital, okay? They're doing everything they can, we have to be strong for Ren right now."

She nodded and followed him out to the car.


The other night in the Discord, I was asked if I would do a Shodemption, because as many of my friends in the Discord know *ahem* I HATE SHO FUWA. Now, hilariously enough, what my friends in the Discord DIDN'T know, was that the Shodemption was already in the works, and had been literally for weeks. x'D So when they asked, I was just like, "MUAHAHAHA."

Someone else last week also left me a comment about when we would get more Kanae and Koga, and if Sho was coming back, and I was just like, "Man, I am DELIVERING next week. Damn, Bo, you GOOD." *hairflip*

Anyway, I'm really feeling myself right now. xD I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (I know, kind of odd for me to be giddy after dropping an entire big ass light fixture on Kuon's head... sorry, Kuon.) BUT, I hope you're all as excited about where this is going as I am. ;) KISSES! - BO