Beep! Beep! Beep!
Tsukushi turned off the alarm as she got out of bed. She wondered what day it was as she shook her head to clear the cobwebs. She got out of bed wondering what was going to happen next. Each day was getting worse than the last. She wanted to forget about the shoot, hop on a plane, and escape to some place. Any place that was far away from where she was. She wanted to be safe again.
Tsukushi usually took the time to open the curtains, but these days she had kept them drawn. It was starting to become a custom of hers. She stood up and went to take a long, hot shower to loosen the muscles in her aching body. Her body felt like hell along with her mind. Her spirit was the only thing that was intact.
They were now halfway through the shoot, but no one knew what was happening to Tsukushi behind closed doors and drawn curtains. No one knew the constant terror she was in. She felt very alone. And she was. Sammi had returned to Tokyo to relieve Ryan and Yuki of her duties.
There were three pairs of bodyguards on rotation at all times of the day to insure Tsukush's safety. However, she never allowed them into the beach house she was staying in. No one on the shoot knew about the stalker. Tsukushi was an actress. She played the part of an actress who wasn't being stalked, but everyday required more and more effort from her to keep that act up.
Tsukushi dressed and skipped her morning exercises and decided to eat out out for breakfast. She didn't want to stay in the house any longer than she had to. She opened the door and was greeted by two of her bodyguards, one of whom was Dominic. He gave her a cheery smile.
"Good morrow to you," he greeted.
"Good morning," replied Tsukushi in English as she walked out ahead of them.
"Let's get going," said Dominic as they walked to the limo. Tsukush looked all around her. The water was crisp and clear blue. For a brief moment, she wondered what it would have been liked to be floating in it. That sensation brought her peace for a moment, but turned into fear.
"Are you alright?" asked Dominic as he looked at her.
"I'm fine," she answered in a quick voice.
She could not tell her bodyguards about the constant attack on her psyche. There were calls every night from someone far away. They were untraceable. There were strange pictures of her being sent to her. These pictures were taken in places that Tsukushi remembered going to, but never remembered having her picture taken. The worst part was that the stalker knew her habits and told her things that only someone who was living with her could know about. Slowly, Tsukushi began to realize that the stalker was someone who was near her at all times. The most likely suspect was her bodyguard.
They arrived at the set where her costar, Alex Malley, greeted her with an assuring smile. "You look tired," he observed. He had a slight New York accent. It sounded like the accent that Tsukushi had heard when she was in New York City before. It was no surprise because Alex was a native of New York who had honed his acting skills in Broadway. He was tall and extremely handsome.
"Good morning, Arisu-chan," greeted another actor. He was around fifty years of age, but he did not appear it. He was tall for a Japanese man. This was Yagazawa Kentaro, and he was playing Tsukushi's father in the movie.
"Good morning everyone. And Suzuki-san," said Tsukushi as she smiled at the pretty, young woman with a scowl on her face.
"Good morning, Ringo-san," said Suzuki Chisa, but it sounded like she was saying through her teeth.
There was tension on the set due to the fact that Chisa thought that she was entitled to a lot more respect than she was given. She was envious of Tsukushi. However, Tsukushi was the better actress. She had more experience and more talent than Chisa. However, Chisa was diluted and fooled herself into thinking she actually had more talent than anyone else on the set.
Chisa had locked Tsukushi in her trailer on the first week of the shoot, causing delays. The director had a fit and said that the cost of the crew for waiting was astronomical. Of course, that didn't stop Chisa from purposely messing around with Tsukushi's costuming, which included a very expensive set of kimonos. So, Chisa was restricted from parts of the set.
"Come on, let's do your make up, Ringo-san," said the makeup artist who was assigned to Tsukushi specifically.
"Okay," said Tsukushi as she walked to the makeup trailer.
"You look terrible. Did you get any sleep?" asked the makeup artist.
"I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night," replied Tsukushi. She was no longer defensive when it came to makeup artists in general. She found them to be some of the most observant people out in the world.
For the most part the makeup staff on the set were all right. They had spent the first few days of shooting complaining about the condition of Tsukushi's fingernails. She told them that she was a professional guitarist. She was a musician. They still scolded her and ordered the costuming department to custom make her a pair of gloves. So, for parts of the movie, the audience will notice that she was wearing tiny, delicate white gloves or had her hands hidden in her kimono sleeves. Tsukushi thought the whole thing was ridiculous. But, she went along with it knowing that makeup artists, like any other kind of artist, would get temperamental.
"Let's see. Let me hide those circles under your eyes. You've got to be careful. You won't be able to keep your flawless skin for very long if you don't get enough sleep at night," scolded the makeup artist as she applied the makeup.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Tsukushi. She hated wearing makeup. Luckily, they never had to use too much on her. She didn't like the heavy feeling. Her dislike stemmed from her days on the London theater. She had developed an allergy towards the heavy stage makeup. It was terrible because her skin had broken out just before a big show. From that moment on, the dermatologist recommended hypoallergenic makeup. So, Tsukushi had to have special makeup on the set as well.
There was something wrong today. She felt an odd tingle. "My skin," she murmured.
"What?" asked the makeup artist. "What's wrong?"
"It feels itchy."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"I don't see the problem."
Tsukushi didn't care. It didn't feel right. Her skin was getting itchier by the second. She grabbed the makeup remover and quickly started wiping off the makeup. She looked at the damage. Her skin had a slight red tinge on it. "Great," she muttered.
The makeup artist felt the makeup on her fingertips. "There's something wrong. It's thicker than usual. The shade is off, too. It looks like someone added more liquid concealer into this bottle," she concluded.
"Gee, I wonder who did this," muttered Tsukushi as she stood up out of the chair. "I need to finish washing my face."
She made her way to the restroom. "What happened, Ringo-san?" asked Chisa as she smiled at her sweetly. Tsukushi wanted to claw that grin off her face.
However, Tsukushi knew her opponent well. She knew that Chisa had spent a great deal of energy trying to get a rise out of her. "You know what you did. Just know this, you idiot, I am smarter than you are. Do you realize that because of you again the production has to be pushed back because they have to buy more makeup for me?" asked Tsukushi.
"Suzuki!" roared the voice of the director. "What did you do now?"
Chisa flinched, but Tsukushi felt no pity for her. "Excuse me, but I need to finish washing my face."
"Are you all right, Ringo-san?" asked the director.
"I'll be fine as soon as I wash my face," answered Tsukushi as she finally made her way to the bathroom. Her skin felt much better as soon as the cool water hit her skin. She rubbed her face with the towel she had taken from the makeup table.
"What's wrong, Arisu-chan?" asked a kind voice as she entered the bathroom. Kinomoto Midori was a very beautiful woman who looked timeless, considering her age. She was playing Tsukushi's mother in the movie. She smiled at her kindly. Sometimes, she had to act very nasty and mean towars Tsukushi, but off the set she was so kind to her. The truth was that Tsukushi reminded her of a younger version of herself.
"Chisa," replied Tsukushi.
"Ah. I don't think I'll ask this time," said Midori with a smile. "You girls are new to this business, but you're doing a better job of keeping your dignity over her."
Tsukushi allowed herself a smile. "Excuse me, but I have to return to the makeup table, Kinomoto-san," she said as she left.
The makeup artist had sent another artist to go and pick up another set of makeup for Tsukushi. It turned out that Chisa had tampered with all of her makeup. Tsukushi wasn't that upset by it. In fact, two years at Eitoku had taught her to have tolerance.
The day's shoot had gone smoothly after that. It turned out that Chisa didn't have any scenes that day and was told by the director to leave. The makeup artist placed a cooling mask on Tsukushi's face to get rid of any excess redness.
She had to play an intense scene with Yazagawa-san and Kinomoto-san. After that she had to shoot a musical scene with Alex. It was already the end of the day, but Tsukushi felt safer on the set than anywhere else. She didn't want to go back to the house. She wanted to be around the other actors a bit longer, even Chisa was better than the alernative.
"By the way, I wanted to extend an invitation to you, if it's not too late," said Yazagawa-san.
"What's going on, Yazagawa-san?" asked Tsukushi.
"I was wondering if you, Malley-san, and Kinomoto-san would be willing to join me for a tea with a friend of mine. He has just returned from London," said Yazagawa-san.
"I'd like to go," agreed Alex without heisation.
"Who is it you're meeting with?" asked Kinomoto-san.
"An old friend of mine from my school days, which was eons ago as we all know, Doumyouji Tsutomu," replied Yazagawa-san with a smile.
Tsukushi felt like her heart had stopped. "Doumyouji Tsukasa's father?" she managed to say.
"Yes. That's his only son," said Yazagawa. "I've never met him before, but I heard that he is a fine young man."
"Really?" spoke up Chisa.
"Why are you still here?" asked Alex in an annoyed voice. He didn't like her either. To him, her voice was like nails on a chalkboard.
"Of course, meeting Doumyouji-san would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I didn't expect someone like you to know that Ringo-san," said Chisa as she gave a laugh.
"Suzuki-san, you should know by now that my make my own once-in-a-lifetime opportunities by now," said Tsukushi calmly.
Alex applauded her appreciatively. "Good answer. Alice, ten thousand points to zero," he said with a laugh.
"I'll think I will come along," agreed Tsukushi, feeling an odd sensation of victory.
"Very well, I'm sorry, Suzuki-san, but you are not invited. I already told Doumyouji-san who was going to show up," said Yazagawa-san.
"You did? How did you know we'd all agree to it, Yazawaga-san?" asked Tsukushi.
"Because I know all of you pretty well by now, don't I?" asked the kind, old man. Tsukushi must have given him a strange look because he chuckled kindly at her. "Shall we go?" he asked the others.
They left with Chisa fuming at them. Tsukushi's bodyguards followed the car closely behind to make sure they were safe. Their constant presence made Chisa wonder what was really going on with the premiere international actress of Japan.
*
Tsukushi gathered her thoughts as she sat in the limo next to Alex. She was trying to get her act together. This was the first time she was ever going to meet Tsukasa's father. She always had a mental picture of the man. Was he as tall as Tsukasa? Did he have those odd curls like him? She wondered about such things.
In the past, a great deal of Tsukushi's mental energy was devoted to forgetting about Tsukasa and getting on with her life. Part of it was being able to face him and everyone else without running away. She had been less than successful so far. Tsukasa had a way of pushing her buttons.
In the present, she was an accomplished actress. Not only did she have to learn enough ikebana and tea ceremony for the movie, but she also had to adopt an American accent for the English parts she spoke. She couldn't use her British English for the movie. She now had to act the part of Ringo Arisu to the hilt, if she was going to get away with meeting with Tsukasa's father, and not make him suspicious of her.
They pulled up to a hotel, which was no surprise to Tsukushi. Hotels were the Doumyouji's specialty. Of course, it wasn't only one of their specialties. By the time the limo had stopped, Tsukushi had decided the best strategy was to separate the man from the son and visa versa.
"This way," said a well dressed attendant. She directed them an elevator and they went to the very top floor of the high rise hotel. She allowed them off first before leading them down the hall. Tsukushi knew that Doumyouji Tsutomu would be in the Presidential or Royal Suite of the hotel.
"You may enter," said the attendant as she opened the door for them. Yazagawa-san entered first followed by Kinomoto-san, Alex, and finally Tsukushi. It was a good thing Tsukushi had learned to be unimpressed by rich fineries ahead of time. Otherwise, she would have betrayed her awe at the decor.
"Kentaro, it's been too long," greeted a warm, deep voice. Tsukushi suppressed a flinch because the voice sounded like an older version of Tsukasa's, except older and more worn. His voice was comforting like velvet on a cold day.
Tsukushi allowed herself to take a good long look at Doumyouji Tsutomu. He looked like he was Yazagawa's age; he also managed to look younger than his real age. He was tall like Tsukasa. In fact, they were the same height. His hair was neatly trimmed and had the signature Doumyouji curls. He had a goatee and a moustache. He had a warm smile on his face. That was the one thing Tsukushi was not expecting to see on his face. His smile matched Tsukasa's exactly.
"These are the other actors I wanted you to meet, Tsutomu. This is Kinomoto Midori. She's playing my lovely wife. This Alex Malley. His playing the villain who is trying to steal my daughter away," said Yazagawa-san with a chuckle because in the movie the true villains were Yazagawa-san's and Kinomoto-san's characters.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," said Tsutomu as he bowed to them, which they returned with deeper bows. "And who is this lovely young woman?"
Tsukushi kept her face still. "This is the young woman who is playing my daughter, Ringo Arisu," said Yazagawa-san. His voice even had a touch of paternal pride on it.
Tsutomu gave her a kind smile. It was as if he could sense the slight nervousness she was emitting. Tsukushi gave him a deep bow. Tsutomu returned the bow. He was actually amazed at how young she really was. "Let's all have some tea. I hope no minds a more Western style tea."
"Actually, Arisu-chan has just recently returned from England, so she's used to Western style tea," said Kinomoto-san. She smiled at Tsukushi.
"Really? What part?" asked Tsutomu.
"London," replied Tsukushi.
"I was just there myself. That's why I have the English style tea ceremony set up. If you could call it that," said Tsutomu.
The attendant started to pour the tea for the guests when she was done she was ordered to leave. After that, to Tsukushi's surprise, Tsutomu asked who wanted sugar and cream in their tea. He even went as far as to offer milk. Tsukushi watched as he put sugar into Alex's and Kinomoto's tea.
A sudden thought had occurred to Tsukushi, how could someone who appeared to be so kind be married to a witch like Kaede? Then, she realized that this was where Tsubaki had gotten her kindness from. She could see that Tsukasa had the same ability to take care of others that way, but it was only for certain people. Actually, it was only really for her as far as she could remember.
Her thoughts wandered off at that moment as she thought of the times when Tsukasa had been very kind to her. It was usually through out their relationship. He was always worried about her safety. He had made many sacrifices for her and changes for her as well.
"Is that so?"
She heard that last sentence. Poor Alex had to sit there in silence as well because he couldn't understand Japanese that well. The last person Tsukushi heard talking was Yazagawa-san. She realized that she had been drifting. In an effort to appear more comfortable. She casually crossed her ankle over her other ankle. Her tattoo was covered up by heavy body paint. She hadn't removed any of the makeup from the set.
"What part of Japan are you from, Ringo-san?" asked Tsutomu.
"Tokyo, Doumyouji-san," she replied. It took some effort from her to put the "-san" at the end, but she had to.
"Really? That's where Kentaro and I grew up in," said Tsutomu.
"I doubt that I grew up in the same part of Tokyo as you, Doumyouji-san," said Tsukushi with modesty.
"What schools did you attend?" asked Tsutomu.
"Public schools for elementary and middle school. Then, I attend Eitoku Academy, then Augustine Academy in Sydney, Australia. I went to London University for my undergraduate schooling with some training in Guildhall. I am currently enrolled in Tokyo Daigakun. I am trying to get my Master's there, but it is not really ideal for an English major," Tsukushi replied. She knew what he was going to pick out of her answer.
"You went to Eitoku? How old are you? You're awfully young for such an accomplished young woman," said Tsutomu.
"I turn twenty-two in December," she replied.
"You're younger than my son. He turns twenty-three in January. You haven't met him still, have you, Kentaro?" asked Tsutomu.
"No, I still haven't met him yet. Although, I have heard much about him," said Yazagawa-san.
"You should met my son as well," said Tsutomu to Tsukushi. She gave a noncommittal nod.
"Stop it, Tsutomu. I feel like you're trying to marry my daughter off," joked Yazagawa-san.
"I'm only saying that you all are invited to my home in Tokyo. My son is there taking care of business in our Tokyo branch. He just returned from America. However, your English is excellent, Ringo-san," complimented Tsutomu.
"I'm still learning, Doumyouji-san," said Tsukushi with a slight smile, deciding that she didn't mind him so much.
Tsutomu did find Tsukushi intriguing indeed. She was a beautiful, accomplished young woman who seemed to brim with a curiosity for the world along with some wisdom of someone much older than her. Kentaro had spoken very highly of her. It was all right because she wasn't really his daughter. Traditionally, most Japanese didn't speak highly of their own children.
"And you, Mr. Malley, what part of America are you from?" asked Tsutomu in perfect English. Alex replied and they talked about his education as well.
So, Tsukasa is the only one in his family who can't learn English thought Tsukushi ruefully. "Say, I was just thinking you were probably in Eitoku when my son attended the school," said Tsutomu thoughtfully after some time had passed.
"Yes," admitted Tsukushi. And I used to date him. He was my boyfriend she added silently. There was no point in telling him a lie. She had a feeling that Tsukasa was going to find out sooner or later. "The Doumyouji reputation preceded him."
"He caused a bit of trouble on his last year there. I didn't expect it. He was fine for his first two years at the high school. There were a few incidents here and there on his last year," said Tsutomu as if knowing what she was referring to.
"I recalled that he was stabbed," said Kinomoto-san.
"Yes, it was all over the news," confirmed Yazagawa-san.
Tsukushi didn't say anything, but she looked straight at Tsutomu. He was wondering what was going on behind those deep brown eyes. He had a feeling there was more going on than met the eye.
"My son has recovered since then. He's done better than I expected," admitted Tsutomu.
"What did you expect?" asked Tsukushi, unable to keep the question to herself.
"Let's just say he has exceeded my expectations. They were not lofty, but they were different than from one would have expected," replied Tsutomu with an enigmatic grin.
Tsukushi wondered if Tsukasa was going to resemble his father in the future. If his father was any indication, then Tsukasa wasn't a complete loss. The man was wiser than Tsukushi had expected. Futhermore, he wasn't as intimidating as Tsukushi had expected. This only served to cause her some confusion.
"Oh, by the way, Kentaro, did I tell you that I'm a grandfather?" asked Tsutomu.
"No, you didn't," said Yazagawa-san.
"My daughter, Tsubaki, had a daughter. She's adorable. She takes after her mother," said Tsutomu as he took out his wallet. He showed the picture of his granddaughter off to them. He was a very proud grandfather. Tsukushi noticed that he had pictures of his children as well. She recognized Tsukasa's childhood pictures.
There were more questions brewing in her mind. She now had a better idea of how Tsukasa was raised. Tsutomu sounded like a good father, but he was not in practice. He was an absentee father who valued money over his family. Tsukushi's opinion changed a little bit. Tsutomu was too much like Tsubaki. So, Tsukushi concluded that she couldn't bring herself to hate Tsutomu. Her problems were with Tsukasa, not him.
The tea dwindled down after that. There was a lot for Tsukushi to think about. Before leaving Tsutomu gave her a kind smile and said, "Ringo-san, I do hope that you will visit me in Tokyo."
"I will see what I can do," said Tsukushi with a real smile. It was the first real smile she had given the entire afternoon.
*
The lightness of the afternoon didn't last as soon as she returned to the beach house. Dominic thought that he should do a sweep of the house, but Tsukushi slammed the door in the faces of her guards. She locked it behind her and slide the bolts in place. She turned on the security system.
With each passing day, things were getting worse. She couldn't continued pretending that everything was fine. She went to the table and noticed the mail. It had been screened by Sammi personally before having it sent along. Dominic had been the one who had dropped it off on the table.
Tsukushi knew that it was a mixture of fanmail and other paperwork. Sammi had grouped them accordingly. The first thing she picked up was a large manila envelope. It was thick. She looked at it. It didn't have any markings on it. Tsukushi thought it was some paperwork. She opened it with the cutter and pulled out the contains.
Tsukushi immediately dropped everything. Pictures scattered all over the the floor. She crouched down and looked at them. They were sequent shots of her. They were taken when she was coming out of the studio. They were taken candidly.
As if on cue, the phone rang. Tsukushi stood up and grabbed the phone on the kitchen counter. "What?" she shouted.
"Do you like them?"
"Stop it."
"You do not even know how."
"Where are you?"
"I am always with you, my love."
"Don't call me that--" The person on the other line hung up. The line went dead. Tsukushi hung up the phone. She walked quickly to the door and went to open the locks with her hands slightly trembling. The phone rang again. She stood frozen at the door. "Leave me alone. Just leave me alone," she gasped as she slid the first deadbolt opened.
A cold realization filled her. Why didn't any of the bodyguards catch the envelope? She pulled back from the door after she slid the deadbolt back in place. She covered her ears to stop the ringing. The machine picked the call.
A song filled the room. It was one hers. "Stop it."
"I would not go outside, love. It is not safe for you. You are not safe anywhere. Do not worry. You are safe as long as you have me to watch over you."
"Shut up!" she screamed as she ran to the phone in the kitchen. She pulled the phone off the counter until the jack was ripped out. She slammed the phone on the floor, even after the voice had stopped.
It took another hour before Tsukushi could pull herself off the floor. She stood up and gathered the broken phone and set it on the table. She gathered up the pictures and went to the fireplace. She set the pictures on fire and sat there watching the flames until the sunset.
Tsukushi turned on the radio in a effort to get some sleep. The dedication hour came up. It was a station that played a mixture of English and Japanese songs. Tsukushi's eyes were slowly closing when she heard the dedication: "The next song is dedicated to Alice. The caller sends his love and says 'sleep tight.'"
Tsukushi's eyes opened wide at the last part of the dedication. He told her to sleep tight. It was only seven. How could he know that?
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you
Oh can't you see
You belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you
Since you've gone I've been lost without
a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I keep crying baby please
Tsukushi knew that he could see every move she made. She curled into a small ball as she heard the song fade out, wishing she could disappear.
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you
AN: Oh, come on. I just had to use the song. Why hasn't Tsukushi cried out for help? It's part of her weed power at work and the fact that she doesn't trust her guards. How is the stalker being able to watch her so closely? What I just wrote is just a taste of the psychological torture the stalker's been up to. And he's just getting wound up. The stalker's doing a lot of moving about. Bare in mind this chapter takes place a few weeks after the last chapter. Unlike the manga, there is actually time progression here. The dates will play an important function later.
Now, in my journal, I have discussed why I did the last two chapters the way I did. It distracts from Tsukushi, but everything will lead back to her.
As for Tsutomu, I wanted to be someone that no one would expect. I hope I have succeeded in doing that. He will come back again. You'll see what will happen when he finds out who Tsukushi really is and what she means to Tsukasa.
Now some of you have taken your guesses, but I'm not saying if you're right or not because there's still a lot that will happen. I actually finished this chapter earlier. Way to go me. This is to make up for the fact that I will be out for finals in about two weeks. So, everyone enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. "Every Move You Make" belongs to the Police. Sting sings the lead.