AN: The end scene in this chapter lifts heavily from the manga but Ren has good intentions this time. I hope I made it different enough that you don't just feel like you're reading the manga. I'll be doing this time to time just to stay close to Nakamura-san's story.

Act Eleven: Welcome to LME

"You seem in a bad mood," Yashiro commented as he and Ren walked to the next location. Ren sighed, he didn't want to think about what was going on because he was upset that Kyoko had become so different from the girl that he knew. She was investing time in her anger and Kuon felt that that was detrimental to her. She deserved to be happy and this want for revenge was going to lead her to be unhappy. Still, he cared about her. There was just that one flaw.

"I'm not in a bad mood," Ren replied with a gentleman's smile, "Yes, nothing is going on."

"You don't have to live with her, you know? You could help her find an apartment and there might be rooms to rent, maybe she knows somebody who will allow her to stay with them."

Ren shook his head with a sigh, "As much as I know, she doesn't really have anyone that is going to offer her that and that's not the only reason why I care for her," he paused, "I mean, I care about where she's going to live. I don't know, I feel that maybe I should have spoken to her last night, made an exception and tried to find out why she wanted to use LME as her place for revenge."

"Would someone committed to your job as much as you are really accept such an explanation?" Yashiro hummed. He would store the information about Ren caring for her until later on, it wasn't worth bringing it up now.

"I think for her I would," Ren sighed before looking away. "I just wish that she would spend her time on things that make her happy because of her. She should try to make her own life even if that does revolve around makeup and shopping. I'd be happy if she did have a shopping addiction," he said and Yashiro raised an eyebrow.

"You don't seem to be someone to want to experience that type of a lifestyle, putting your car aside you don't spend a lot on yourself," Yashiro hummed wondering if that was stepping over the line and Ren bowed his head.

"Who says that that's a good way of spending my money. I'd prefer to save it," Ren replied before looking aside. I don't deserve to spend too much on myself anyway, not after what I've done, the pain that I've caused. It would be wasteful.

"So," Yashiro said as he saw Ren retreat into himself, "How about we go to the interview spot. I'd recommend of thinking of someone else but Kyoko," he said and Ren smiled weakly. He didn't know how well he'd be able to keep his mind off of that girl.

ā€¦

ā€¦

Kyoko had tried to think of a way to get back into the LME industry even if she had to work as someone who helped the crew or helped paint sets or something like that. There had to be something. She looked around, she hated to rely on Maria with her being so young but Maria was so mature for her age. Kyoko sighed and looked around. The star entrance would probably be able to get into to see someone who could help her.

Sneaking around to the side, Kyoko was going to approach this as a run. She would make sure that the guards didn't catch her and then that Sawara person she had met, she was going to ask them for help. Maybe they would take her to see the president of the agency and then she could ask him for a job. It was a better plan than most.

Kyoko took a deep breath in before running in and then felt herself crash into someone. Her eyes widened as she saw bags flying back. Damn it. This person was probably like a mega star or something and this was an incredibly bad situation that she had made for herself. With the instincts that she had built as a child, she dropped down into a bow. As Kyoko took note of who it was, she paled. This actress was a legend, Kimiko Kamio, and she had just knocked her backwards.

"Please forgive me," Kyoko said nervously as she shook. She was very nervous about causing this woman to crash down. She had been trying to work at this agency and they would never hire someone as irresponsible as she was now. This woman would most likely have her banned from the agency.

Kimiko looked at her and glared at her, eyeing her as if she was inferior in every way. "If you are sorry then don't just stand around instead help me up at least!"

Kyoko paused, she looked at her. That should have been her very first instinct. If someone falls onto the floor because of you, then you should help them up. It was common sense.

Kyoko bowed in the way that she had learned as a child and closed her eyes, trying to show her respect and hoping that it wasn't too late to do so. "I must really apologize for my carelessness," she told her. She tried to show how sorry she really was but she doubt that a star such as Kimiko Kamio would forgive her, she was notorious for being a diva.

"I haven't see you around before," Kimiko huffed, "Newcomer!?" she asked and Kyoko froze.

She would be as soon as she had climbed the ladder so it wasn't such a lie to reply as if she was, she blushed before speaking softly, "Yes."

"Then don't come through here!" Kimiko scolded her, "Didn't your supervisor tell you that newcomers use the main entrance," she said and Kyoko blinked at her. What was the correct response to that? She wasn't really a newcomer and so she didn't have a supervisor. Was it best to lie and say that she had one? Was Sawara-san a supervisor? She knew his name. Kimiko stared at her in disbelief, "Are you in fact the newcomer from the just-only established section!?"

Kyoko paused. She didn't know what to say to that. How should she respond when she didn't even really know about the sections. This woman was expecting for her to give a response and Kyoko didn't know whether to lie or to tell the truth. Lying to Corn hadn't gone in her favor and now she was scared that he would kick her out of his apartment and want nothing to do with her.

Kyoko froze as Kimiko handed her the bags that she was carrying, "You can at least show you're sorry by taking care of my bags," she told the newly-dyed chestnut haired girl. Kyoko wondered where she would be going but as she heard Kimiko call out, her strength faded just a little.

"Yuuhuu! Tsuruga-kun!" she called out and Kyoko grew pale. She hadn't seen Corn that morning because he had left before she got up and she hadn't been able to talk to him or offer an apology for taking LME as a joke. What if he took her coming back here as her mocking him for his work? She watched as Kimiko moved forwards.

"I was stuck in a traffic jam. Nothing moved, horrible. I'm sorry that you had to wait for me," she said with a soft laugh and Kyoko bowed her head. If Ren always had women apologizing to him, did he feel bad for duping them, for pretending that he was a human instead of a fairy.

She looked nervously as she hid in the corner and saw Ren tilt his head to the side with a fake smile, "Uh-huh?" he asked. "Well if you would use the time you waste of makeup for the journey, you'd be punctual."

Ren looked at her before feeling his breath of how annoyed he was. He was already frustrated because of Kyoko and now he had to deal with divas who didn't care about his own time. He expected her to be late which was a problem. News of her tardiness had swept across the acting community and why was his time any more valuable than the other actors that she had worked with? He was a junior actor, after all.

"Let's hurry. The ensemble is already waiting impatiently," he said behind his gentleman's smile and Kyoko flinched as if he were using it towards her. Ren was trying to hold back his anger about other situations but unfortunately this had ticked him off and he wasn't willing to be patient.

Kyoko hid again. She closed her eyes and pretended to be invisible. "By the way, don't you have any luggage?" he asked her and Kyoko took a deep breath. They would see her. They would see her and she would have to interact with Corn without knowing how he was feeling. She had hoped that their next discussion would be at the apartment and not at the agency. He could easily get her kicked out.

"Mogami-san," Sawara said and Kyoko finally managed to see him. She tugged the suitcase along and Ren opened his mouth, struggling with the same feelings she was. She was only a teenager, sixteen years old and he hadn't been the most well-behaved teenage boy. She was probably struggling andshe had a reason to. He should have treated her with a bit more compassion.

"I am totally speechless," Sawara commented, "You immediately began with the work? Did you in the end hear about the certain plan!?" he asked excitedly and Kyoko froze. Well, this was her chance no matter what Corn's response was.

"Um, Sawara-san, Iā€¦" she tried to say passionately, "I came here because I simply can't give up on show business. I won't even rest in my tomb. I can cook, wash, and clean tremendously. I could be the agency's pearl," she said. She knew that Sawara seemed to be agreeing her but she couldn't hear him over her desires. She should have stopped and listened but when she got started, she sometimes couldn't stop. "I beg you Sawara-san. I will accept every thinkable task! So be it light-double or water-carrier, if necessary make-up artist or scene-shifter. That's why please let me stay with LME!"

She closed her eyes and then felt Sawara-san's hands on her upper arms. She opened her eyes to see him smiling, "That's it!" He told her, "Well said! Well firstly you will accomplish this job that you've been assigned properly. The main thing is you do it whole-heartedly, for you receive points -"

Sawara was cut off by Kimiko and she looked at her, the senior-level star almost barking at her.

"Hello, My luggage!" she demanded, "Bring it quickly or you'll get point deduction!"

Kyoko looked up at Ren and tried to avoid eye contact, she knew that the two of them didn't really know how to be with each other right now but she hoped that he wouldn't hurl any cruel words against her. They had a huge problem with his dislike of why she had auditioned so the fact that she had now been hired by the agency must have really pissed him off.

Ren looked at her sympathetically as he saw her struggle with the luggage. He wanted her to be happy and seeing her struggle was hurting him inside. Maybe he could make it up to her by helping her with the bags. It was too much to ask of a young girl, right? He wanted to apologize to her and so he reached out without thinking. He should be the adult in this situation, after all, he was acting childishly by lying to her.

"It seems heavy," he commented not wanting to cause her any harm or ill will, he just wanted to apologize to her for acting like a brat. "Should I take some?" he asked and Kyoko blinked up at him.

"Corn," she whispered with a smile as he grinned back. She knew he had pure intentions of helping her, she shouldn't have been so nervous around him.

End of Act Eleven

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 10

Kaname671, Kris XD, MWEH, paulagato, puffinzero, Umiron

Author Response:

Kyoko will eventually find out the truth about Corn/Kuon but right now I'm trying to get it set up still šŸ˜‰ she has to join the LOVE ME section and get interested in acting. I'm not sure about more frequently, I mean I still have a life so I can only update once every other day and I thought that was a lot but maybe I misunderstood that comment. The moving out/not moving out conversation will take place next chapter šŸ˜Š Thank you for all of your support.