DISCLAIMER: SKIP BEAT! and its associated characters are the work of Yoshiki Nakamura. This author claims no ownership of Skip Beat or any of its characters.
Chapter II: Enter the Prince
Meanwhile...
Ren sat in Lory's office, plastering his well-behaved gentleman's smile on his face as Lory lounged on a long divan wearing a toga. The office had been converted into a Roman manor, modeled after one found intact in Pompeii. Ren was somewhat relieved that the President had gotten over his Ancient Egyptian phase, because the office was temperate again. Wearing suits in the simulated desert heat had been...suboptimal, though he did admit the reconstructed Temple of Karnak had been impressive. He had a fairly good idea as to why Lory wanted to see him alone. It wasn't going to be comfortable, but then...everything he'd done had been his choice. Though Ren was as popular and as sought-after as ever, the last year had been a creative drought. He knew he hadn't grown at all, knew that he was no closer to his goal of growing into a world-class actor appearing in Hollywood. And he knew Lory was going to call him out on it. Lory had built an empire on his instincts, and Lory's instincts had told him that Ren could not produce a Katsuki worth shit.
Lory was right. Ren hated admitting it.
The President took a long puff of his cigar and sighed. "Ren...Dark Moon was a failure. Tsukigomori is a classic, you know? You weren't the only reason it failed. Even after all of you went in going 'We will surpass it!'" Lory shook his head. "Ogata isn't his father. Even though he looks just like him... He just doesn't have his father's resolve."
"Look how he dealt with Iizuka-san! I should've known Iizuka-san would overwhelm Ogata-kun. Making Ogata recast Mio twice! That poor actress...what was her name again? Poor thing looked like the wig was wearing her. Mio is supposed to make other people cry. That kid spent half her time on set crying in the corner. That woman took over that set and Ogata cowered."
The President gave the actor sitting across from him a long look and shook his head again.
"Fathers...and their sons…"
Ren stayed quiet. He'd read the reviews, too. "Dark Moon: a lackluster remake of a classic...derivative...unoriginal…" "This critic must ask why a re-make was needed if all Ogata wanted to do was duplicate his father's work…" "Tsuruga Ren gives an adequate performance as Katsuki, though those of us who remember Shuuhei Hozu's Katsuki must point out that the young man copied many of his mannerisms from his predecessor but failed to capture his depth…" "Dark Moon's Mio bullied by Tsukigomori's Mio…" "Is he really a Co-Star Killer?: Itsumi Momose tells all about working with Ren!"
The shoe was going to drop. He knew Lory too well. This was going somewhere, and he didn't want it to go there.
Lory grinned mockingly.
"I told you so."
Ren kept his smile on. "Is it out of your system yet?"
Lory laughed. "No. But Ren…"
Here it was. The moment Ren had been dreading. Lory's new scheme. The grin disappeared from Lory's face. "Ren," the President said, "your career has never been better. I see it now. All the 'handsome detective' and 'brooding samurai' roles for the next thirty years, right? Maybe an action flick here and there? An appearance in a superhero franchise. Posing in your underwear. Make the money and sell that body while you can. Maybe do a turn in Hollywood as Jackie Chan's replacement. It'll be nice. And when you're fifty, they'll do a Schwarzenegger on you and you'll have the role of your life as a pregnant man teaching kindergarten in a horribly sexist film playing on antiquated gender roles…"
"Man, Lory, fuck you."
Lory grinned.
"Ahhh there he is. O hisashiburi, Kuon. It's been a while."
Kuon glared.
"You made it through the Dark Moon shoot by watching Kuu. By imitating him. And I let you do it, even though I'm not entirely sure why I didn't replace you like I'd promised. It would've been less painful than watching you stumble around like some rank amateur. Kuon, you may not want to hear this, but even Bo the chicken had more chemistry than you did with Itsumi-chan. The fact is you have no idea how to act like a man in love, let alone be a man in love. Just because you had to count them on your fingers when we last talked doesn't mean shit. You just don't understand it. And if you don't understand it, you can't portray it. And if you can't portray it, you'll never be a great actor. You'll never transcend. What was it that you used to say when you were a kid? You wanted to grow your wings? You've worked so hard since you came here. But are you really sure this is it? Are you at your limit?"
"You're a tin-can Romeo, Kuon. All style, no substance."
"I'm dating Kana-san."
Lory laughed.
"No, you're not dating Kana-san. I had dinner with Kana-san and Sakura-chan just last evening. Lovely couple. They seem to be doing very well. They're very grateful to you. Kana sends you a kiss and her regards."
"You want me to go fuck a random girl I'll do it. Line them up, Lory, I'll fuck the entire talento directory. I'll even promise you they'll leave happy. But somewhere out there, Tina's all alone because Rick is dead. I did that. I'll prance around in my underwear for the next twenty years before I put someone through that again."
"Kuon, you know I'm not telling you to go fuck some random woman. Stop being so vulgar. Though it might be good for you. You've been living like a monk since you got here…"
"I don't-"
Lory sighed again.
"Your dad...when he was your age...he'd just met your mom. And after that, nothing could stop his career. Or hers. Maybe they made some mistakes but...the light those two generated...it was..it still is blinding. I want the same for you, Kuon. I love you like a son. And I've told you again and again that Rick's death was an accident. But this...this isn't going to work."
Kuon sat in Ren's clothing as gloom settled between the two men.
"What are you scheming, Lory? What do you want me to do? Therapy? Again? It was so hard to sneak into that shrink's office."
"No, Kuon. I don't have a plan. Much as I'd love to choose your options, you're not an otome game. But...tell me. When was the last time you honestly felt happy?"
"Happy? What the fu-?"
"Happy, Kuon. When was it? Where was it? What were you doing?"
"I'm always happy when I finish up a shoot, Lory. You know that."
"No. Ren is happy when he finishes a shoot. But you know as well as I do that Ren is a paper doll, Kuon. I'm asking you."
The answer was Kuon didn't really remember the last time he'd been happy. Certainly not during his years beating up people for fun. He sunk further into his memories. His childhood was a blur of failed child acting gigs, bullies ganging up on him...even Rick, who wanted him to kill a rooster instead of keeping it as a pet named Brian...he loved his parents, but they were never home. And by the time they got back from that trip from-
"Kyoto."
"What? Kyoto?"
"Kyoto. Dad had a shoot there when I was ten. We stayed at a ryokan for two weeks. It was next to a river. I was happy there. That was the last time."
"Kyoto, desu ne." The President leaned back on his divan. The sunlight was fading over the view of the Tokyo skyline, and the room was getting darker as the skyscrapers lit. Neither man made a move to turn the lights on. And Kuon wasn't about to explain further. The last thing he wanted was to explain how he'd met a little girl who had played with him by the river, and all he had wanted was to be her fairy prince forever. Lory would have a field day with that one.
"What are your commitments over the next month?"
"You'll have to ask Yashiro for the particulars, but the Tragic Marker shoot was delayed another six months due to casting issues...and there's the Ring Doh sequel shooting a little over a month from now. I'm sure I've got modelling and talk show gigs in between. I haven't decided on my next drama."
"I'm clearing your calendar."
"What?!"
"I'm clearing your calendar for the next month. You're going to Kyoto. As yourself. It works out, anyway, because that Ring Doh sequel is going to be shooting there and you can go straight to the shoot. You could use a few days to figure out what you'll do with your Ring Doh role, anyway. Doesn't your character fall in love with the murderous heiress Ruriko-chan plays?"
"What...wait...why am I going as Kuon…?"
"Because you need to stop hiding behind Ren, Kuon, even if it's just for a few days. It wasn't Ren who went to Kyoto all those years ago. I want you to go back there, Kuon. Think about what it was that made you happy there. Maybe you can bring it back with you. If you can't figure out what it feels like to love, then I'll settle for you remembering what it feels like to be happy. I'll have Ten-san meet you here before you leave and then again before your shoot. And besides, no one's going to recognize a random gaijin staying in a ryokan. What was its name?"
"I can't remember. All I remember is that it was very old-right by the river. We had to take a boat to get there. And there were green hills all around."
"I'll have Ruto look it up. Prepare to leave in a week, Kuon. Better get Yashiro to reschedule your gigs."
"Oh, and eat something decent for dinner."
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Lory Takarada sat in his darkening office after Kuon had left. He had a feeling.
That feeling was never wrong.
There was something in Kyoto. He could feel it. He could almost smell it. Something Kuon wasn't telling him. Possibly something Kuon had never told anyone else. He saw it on his face, for just a brief second-a small spark before Kuon covered it up again. A recognition. And it had surprised Kuon, as well. What was it? A special place, perhaps? Some relic of boyhood he'd left and wanted to retrieve? Ten years old was too young for a girl, so he doubted it was that.
He knew sending Kuon undisguised was risky, but then...people saw what they wanted to see. And he trusted Kuon to act his way out of someone identifying him as Tsuruga Ren.
Takarada smiled a devious smile and called for Ruto.
"Find this place, and make a reservation for Ren, please. A month. I don't really care how much it costs. I trust you to handle this with discretion and instruct the ryokan staff accordingly."
With that done, Lory stood. He wouldn't tell Kuu or Juli about this quite yet. But he had a feeling that for the first time in a long time, the wheels were moving.
And now...if only he could do something else about that other feeling. The one about the girl who had terrorized Sawara-san for four days and nights, cut a daikon rose during her audition, and then disappeared from Tokyo. He knew he should have instructed them to give her a callback, but he'd hesitated. He thought she'd come back to LME to try again. Once he'd realized she wasn't coming back, though, she disappeared into thin air. No one knew how to reach her or where she lived.
He put the thought on hold.
He'd wait for the universe to work things out for him.
It always did.