AN: I don't have any set update times on this fic, rather I'm going to put it to be the sixth fic to be updated with some others so depending on my schedule is when you'll be seeing more or less updates. Thank you

Act 46 – Working Roles

Kyoko remained very still as she listened to Maria's words. Ren had really come to see her. Maybe that meant that he was ready to tell her everything and he was ready to make amends, if that was correct then Kyoko would want to make things right too or at least make it so that they could work on being okay. She sighed. Maybe she shouldn't though, it was possible for him to trick her again.

"He was only here during lunch though," Maria tried to explain and Kyoko nodded slowly. It made sense. He was probably very busy with his acting and trying to do his work properly. Still, she wished that she at least knew a little bit more about him. He couldn't have changed that much from the young boy she had known and even though he had lied to her as a child, he had still helped her and played with her and listened to her. That amazing friend couldn't have just evaporated.

Kyoko closed her eyes, should she go and see him and try to work this out? No. She had to move forwards in her life and forget about the men who had abused her. Abuse was more than physical and she couldn't think of another word for what Ren had done to her. He was teasing with her and playing with her emotions, she would be a fool to go back to that.

There was a loud beep from the car and Kyoko looked up to see Kanae exit wearing her Love Me uniform, she looked at her confused and Kyoko blinked back. "Oh, it's you," Kanae said bluntly. "What're you doing? Hurry up and change."

Kyoko froze, her face seeming to become less and less expressive as she realized that this school uniform was one that she would never have the chance to wear again. She wanted to pretend to be in school and meeting the other students. She loved studying and she was intelligent but Shotaro had stolen that from her. She paused, her face losing color but soon found Kanae to be laughing loudly as she faced her.

"What?" Kanae asked as she shivered a little, "You really don't want to take it off?"

Kyoko felt her cheeks redden as Kanae managed to comment on exactly how Kyoko was feeling. Kyoko's face was a deep red as she protested, "N…no! That's not it. That's not it."

Kanae pointed a finger at her and smirked, "Liar, you were so happy when you heard that we were going to wear uniforms, plus I saw you roleplaying in the classroom alone," Kyoko's eyes widened as her whole body started turning a deeper shade of red. She had played as a student and teacher on her own but she hadn't thought that anybody would be watching her.

Kyoko rushed into the trailer, 'Moko-san, is so mean!" she yelled out, "She stalked me, so rude!"

Kyoko sighed as she put her hand to the blouse of the costume uniform and sighed, she wanted to be just like a girl her age and attend school and think about acting in the future. She wanted to be someone who she could be proud of and to have a shining new life. Maybe some kids hated school but Kyoko wanted the opportunity. It had been something that Shotaro had robbed her of. Yet another thing he had stolen from her.

Still, she would remember the feeling of this uniform and the joy of the commercial that she had filmed. She had to keep living in the joy and hang on for the good moments. Hopefully there would be some good moments, she just needed to forget about high school.

…

…

Ren's eyes widened as he saw Yashiro coming down the hallway of LME the following day wrapped up in a huge coat with a mask on. He definitely looked like he needed to be at home and rest. It was almost comical how sick he was and how many layers he had on but Ren didn't feel the cruelness of laughing. Yashiro sneezed again and Ren rushed over to him.

"Your cold is worse today," he commented, "and it's so obvious, it'd be better if you rest."

Yashiro turned to Ren before shaking his head in a determined manner, "No, no, no worries," he said with a slight wave trying to gesture to Ren that he shouldn't be worried about his condition. "It's not a big deal, don't worry." Ren looked at Yashiro, he knew his manager was trying to persuade him that he was okay…until he walked into a wall and stared off into a daze.

Ren leaned forwards and started to snap his fingers to wake Yashiro up, "Yukihito-san?" he asked and Yashiro stared at him before falling over and feeling faint. Ren was in shock but with a few phone calls, he was making sure Yashiro would be going to the hospital. He could take care of his schedule today, or at least that's what he thought.

…..

…..

Ren sighed. He hadn't felt that there were worse circumstances for a while and he was pretty sure that Kyoko felt the same way. Because of Yashiro's illness and his busy schedule, they had assigned Kyoko to him as a personal manager and he couldn't have that. He was trying to block out his past and now fate was tempting him. He realized though that he couldn't get somebody else to cover the duties and maybe he could shrug her off before she started to dig around in his past.

"Um," Kyoko said as she looked at the man she had complicated feelings towards. From what Maria had said, Ren had taken an interest in her and might want to work together but right now it seemed he would want to work with anyone apart from her. "Excuse me," Kyoko tried, "Is something wrong?"

Ren turned quickly and avoided eye contact with her, he was trying to act like she was another person and they both knew it. Then again, this hadn't been a natural meeting, it had been her scheduled to act as a temporary manager, a surprise for the both of them. Ren slowed his breathing, "You can go back now," he told her and Kyoko blinked. He was acting very distant compared to the time before. She didn't want to be the one to apologize, she wanted for him to apologize to her.

"Huh?" Kyoko blinked and Ren shrugged.

"I can manage on my own," he said thinking it would be the easiest thing for the both of them but Kyoko quickly followed after him. He couldn't know that she had lost Corn, he didn't have any powers so there was no way he could be angry about that. She paused before following him.

"Wait!" she picked up her pace so she could walk with him, "No way! Sawara-san told me to look after you!"

Ren shook his head, trying to walk faster and not give her a chance of keeping pace with him. "Sorry. I don't need your help. I don't think you should be here," he said and Kyoko opened her mouth to ask him why but felt that he would only continue ignoring her. "I don't think you're capable of being a manager," he told her hoping that that would be enough to push her away but Kyoko followed after him.

"What the…I know I can do a manager's job," she mumbled very quietly and Ren turned to her. He tried to smile weakly despite wanting to maintain the secrecy of his identity. He didn't know how to interact with her anymore. He cared deeply for her but this way he'd be able to make up his mind and see if it was even worth trying to rebuild their friendship.

Kyoko froze. She hadn't expected that false gentleman's smile. She felt a little scared with him there and she was having as hard a time saying something in friendship as he seemed to. Had he completely changed his mind on her? Maybe he was very much different than he was as a ten-year-old.

"If that is the case then thank you, plus you sound confident. I also want to see if your skill deserves my 'thank you'" He told her. Ren was trying to get away from her until he had figured the situation out from all angles. He was trying to be polite but distant with her.

Kyoko however looked at him as if he was making fun of her. He was being sarcastic and acting childish and he was a swindler and a crook. He wanted to play with her again, right? He was going to tease her and what she didn't want to happen would be for him to think less of her and definitely for her to think less of him. He was her fairy prince after all even if he wasn't her fairy prince.

…

…

How could this be day two and Kyoko still didn't know how to interact with her old friend, only a number of weeks ago they were living together and now there was a huge gap between them. She had to admit that she had moved out but he had been the one to trick her in such a painful and deceitful manner. She bit her lip wondering why she hadn't taken him up on going away apart from her stubborn nature but it was her stubborn nature that told her she wanted to see if they could be friends in the future.

Ren had been right though. This was her second day of being his temporary manager and there was no time to be a proper manager. Everything in Ren's life moved so quickly and he would read the schedule out loud before she could even memorize it. It was a wonder how anyone seemed to be able to manage him with how tied he was to his job. Still, maybe that was it. He had to keep his identity a secret to be able to work as an actor and that was most important to him, he did seem to have the work ethic for that to be possible. Was she really that unimportant to him?

Today she would become better though, she would be able to take charge and take down notes and make sure that everything went well.

Ren sighed as he picked up his bag and was about to toss it over his shoulder. He had been in a meeting and usually Yashiro would be sitting beside him making sure he had all the knowledge that he needed. He had to do that by himself, yes, it was proving to him that he could be on his own again. Yes, he would have to sacrifice the friendship but he had already sacrificed so many other things in his life.

"Wait a sec!" Kyoko called out as she chased after him, "I should be the one carrying the luggage!"

Ren shook his head, still wanting to visualize her as an unknown, "Nope. There's no way a girl can walk while carrying the luggage."

Kyoko looked at him, feeling the pain as she saw the wall between the two of them. She desperately wanted to knock it down. She knew now that the reason she hadn't left was because she wanted her friend back, she wanted her kindhearted Corn back.

"But that's…my job…as your manager!" she yelled before hearing all of the excited fangirls on the other side of the door.

As the mob seemed to grab onto Ren, she felt him pull her towards him and protect her despite so many people wanting to touch him. As he held her close to him, Kyoko started thinking of those fans and how she should be protecting him from them but with the closeness to his heart which she could hear and the warmness of his muscular chest, she felt warm and all that was in her mind was how much she loved that blond boy who had offered her that magical stone.

Along with the rest of the group, she just wanted Ren.

End of Act 46

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 45

H-Nala, Kaname671, luv2readgirl