Act 51 – I will Persevere

The following morning proved to Ren how right Kyoko had been about colds. He didn't want to say anything because he had let his pride get in the way or reason and logic and he had been so proud of his immune system too, Now he felt a little stupid. They were both in the car and driving to their next location and Ren felt like crap. His face was burning up and he felt sweaty and stuffy at the same time as if he had been exercising that morning. His body was stiff and his throat felt even worse. There were even tears in his eyes due to the fever. It sucked.

Kyoko looked at the thermometer that she was holding and she looked at him determined as Ren looked away, attempting to avoid eye contact with her. He didn't want to tell her that she was right despite how she was an important person in his life. "See," she said, "I told you so."

Ren looked down. He tried to rethink his actions over the past day or so but he couldn't figure it out. He must have done something wrong to receive the shock. He wanted to know how to avoid something like this happening again. He was a successful and hard working actor, he couldn't let something like this ever occur again.

"Why would I catch a cold…" Ren sulked, thinking aloud without meaning to.

"Ren-san," Kyoko said as she looked at him, calling him by his first name since they were in the privacy of his car. "You're saying it again."

"Last night when I reported your condition to the supervisor, he let it slip. Usually you do not have a proper meal, right?" she asked. She tried to hide her concern for him as her friend behind the professionalism required as a temporary manager. Ren looked down guiltily, he hadn't wanted to admit that to her since they had eaten together when she had been living with him. He had mainly eaten for her sake and hadn't wanted to prove to her the gap she had left in him.

Kyoko sighed, she had also been told that the main reason she was accompanying him was so that he would need to eat. So, he had wanted to get her food and forgotten about himself. That was just like the little boy he was in his childhood. He had always listened to her problems and forgot to address the ones for himself. She had felt that she was getting the opportunity to help him but really it was only manipulation for him to eat proper food.

Kyoko sighed, she wanted to get him to listen to her before something happened again. " You have no right to be an actor," she scolded him and saw the shock on Ren's face as if he had just had an anvil thrown at his head. He was in complete shock at what she had said and soon bent forward as if he really had been struck by a heavy object.

"To think that I'm actually reprimanded by you," he said looking depressed and Kyoko felt a little annoyed by that statement. She was his friend, his childhood friend, wasn't it in a friendly nature where she could tease him if only a little. She had wondered whether by questioning his professionalism, he would take this a bit more seriously.

"The director had once said," Kyoko said proudly, "If you're unable to take care of your own body, you're just a money-making tool for others lacking professionalism."

Ren opened his eyes, the words burning into his skin. He had given up a lot to be an actor in this country and so had his parents, his parents who had stopped loving the twisted person that he had become. His professionalism and work ethic were things that mattered a lot to him. He had to guard those precious things with everything that he had. He couldn't afford to lose that.

"I don't know how you train your body but health can't be maintained based on the training alone," Kyoko continued to scold him, she hoped that by her saying these things at least some of the words would sink in. He needed to refocus his energy on his job but also learn how to avoid getting sick the next time. She wanted to help him with his dreams and maybe she wasn't a skilled actor like he was but she was at least able to offer him life advice on the subjects that she did know. "I know how busy you are, but the busier you are the more you should supply it with nutrients, no wonder your immune system is down."

Kyoko turned to Ren slowly and raised an eyebrow, "Ren, you haven't taken your medicine, right?" she asked.

Ren sighed and he sat up slowly, his head bowed as they waited in the area in which the actors were allowed to park at the location set. He sighed and Kyoko watched him, stopping in her scolding for a moment, "I'm sorry," Ren said in a genuine manner. "Really," he sighed, "You're right. I am overconfident," he said slowly.

Kyoko looked at him sadly. She hadn't meant to hurt his spirit or have him apologize to her. Had she been too rough on him? He was her friend and she wanted to support him but from her experience with Shotaro, sometimes you had to give tough love to be able to help. Shotaro had never apologized to her or agreed with her like this. That made Corn special, that reminded her of how Corn was special.

"It's a little embarrassing," Ren laughed and Kyoko looked at him sympathetically, "If I had known earlier, I should have listened to you right from the start."

Kyoko looked at him, watching that sheepish smile on his face and his eyes that showed how he was judging himself and really was a bit embarrassed to be in the position that he now was. Kyoko felt her heart beat excitedly as she saw him and blinked as the brown hair and eyes seemed to slip away in her mind and get replaced by those blond strands and emerald eyes. How could this man play with her heart so, especially since he had told her that she shouldn't fall for him? She didn't want to put that burden on him when he didn't want people getting close to him. She could understand that too. She didn't want people getting too close to her but with Corn it already seemed too late.

…..

…..

Kyoko was looking through her study materials once again as Ren was shooting his scene. She sighed as she started to pace without realizing it. Compared to her, Ren or Kuon was very mature when he gathered himself. She had found it a little funny as well as annoying in how he had acted like a small unreasonable kid about his sickness and yet he had apologized in a way that Shotaro would never have done despite the fact that she reprimanded him for his actions.

She sighed, would she have been able to apologize, even to him? She was stubborn like him but she hadn't become as mature or as reasonable as he was. Despite the fact that she had told him that as a good actor he should be taking care of his body, that was to help him rather than to destroy his morale. Still, did he continue to misunderstand her as an actress and her reasons for wanting to study acting? Was he still thinking that she was the small child that was only looking out for revenge?

In fact, she had been talking for a long time about revenge and maybe he was only trying to be nice to her because that was the person he was. Maybe he didn't trust her in the way that he had when he had been Corn the fairy prince. She didn't want to enjoy this happiness at being close to her if it was just him being cordial.

Kyoko stopped to watch him, wanting to prove to him that she could be just a good a friend to him as he was trying to be to her. She shivered a little but then overheard two of the crew talking.

"The weather's pretty fair but it'll also be natural for rain and an occasional rainbow may appear," one of the crew members said and Kyoko turned to him. What was he talking about? Was it actually going to rain? It didn't seem like it would. Were they talking about artificial rain?

"Are the rooms prepared for the drenched Tsuruga and Yumiko to rest? The security here seems to be top notch," the crew members continued and his coworker turned to him with a chuckle.

"Ah, we finally manager to rent it. It was a last minute thing because those two definitely cannot fall ill," the second guy replied and Kyoko began to panic.

Ren had already caught a cold and being pounded by cold water wasn't the best thing for him to do. It would make him suffer more and even prolong the cold. They were worried about him getting sick but he was sick and just hiding it incredibly well. She ran forward to try to get Ren's attention. This was extremely important, he couldn't afford to wind up in the hospital with hypothermia or anything like that.

"Tsuruga-san!" she called out and he turned to her, his face showing a little bit of surprise. Kyoko took a look around and saw that everyone was far away from them. That boosted her confidence in the next things she said. "I strongly object to filming in this raining scene" she said before he shook his head. He was serious about doing it!? Work ethic was one thing but he needed to take care of his body.

"Oh," Ren said slowly, "That can't be helped."

"You already have a fever," Kyoko tried to persuade him and Ren watched her and nodded, "What if your condition deteriorates!" she attempted to persuade him and Ren looked at her, his face not changing from the hard working professional appearance.

"I brought this on myself," he told her and Kyoko looked at him in alarm. This was complete nonsense and insanity. Ren couldn't be actually saying these things. "Moreover," Ren continued, "this place can only be used today," he explained and Kyoko slowed down. He really was attempting to do his best for everyone. He was such a selfless guy sometimes but he should be taking better care of himself and it pained Kyoko physically to imagine him letting himself get hurt.

"This scene can't be postponed," Ren explained and Kyoko felt helpless to stop him, "it doesn't matter if the cold worsens or I faint before I can shoot a satisfactory scene. I will persevere."

Kyoko paused as she saw Ren head off to the set and she felt her heart break for him. There had to be something fueling those words, fueling his acting. Even though Ren wasn't a fairy prince who had traded in fairy world for a chance to be an actor, he had risked something. She wanted to know if what he had risked could be saved.

End of Act 51

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Thank you to the reviewers of Act 50

Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, paulagato