AN: Since I hadn't written this story for a while, I forgot to have closed third person perspective instead of limited. I'll try to remember next time so that's why it reads a bit differently
Act 96 – They Don't Care
Lory stared at the man in front of him. He knew that if a person could be read like a blanket then Ren had a number of dropped stitches and places in which the yarn had been picked up at the wrong place, places were others would say they were defective but he said made people more interesting. It appeared that he was currently looking at one of these unique parts in Ren's place. "Your father has never hated you," he said and Ren looked at him, staring into his eyes with a defensive expression.
"Could you please not lie about that?" he asked and Lory continued to look at him, feeling a bit wary about Ren's reaction.
"I'm not lying. Your father has never hated me. We did what we did for your own health and it's been working, Ren Tsuruga is considered one of LME's greatest successes. I thought that you wanted to keep your past in the past," Lory said wondering why there was this sudden change of heart. Had it been because of this role? Was it because Ren knew that in taking on this role he would be indirectly challenging Kuu? He stared at the man before him. Was it right for him to be battling something that only he and Ren knew of?
"I know we agreed on that but he is the one who wants that, right?" Ren asked as he thought about the magazine he had read where they had interviewed his father. His father had never contacted him. He had never tried to see him. He had rejected him and given up on him and why should Ren blame him? He wasn't someone worth fighting for.
"Sorry, I was just wondering about…" Ren said and Lory watched him.
"Your father never wanted this to be how things are," Lory said honestly and Ren nodded silently. Lory wasn't sure whether Ren was actually hearing him properly. In Ren's…no Kuon's mind though, what the president was saying to him was very simple. Kuu Hizuri had never wanted to have a son like him. He was a black mark on his father's life. It was better if Kuu Hizuri denied his existence. Maybe this time, playing the role of Katsuki, Ren could separate himself from Shuuhei Hozu and wipe him out completely.
That was the separation of ties which his father desired.
KuKyKuKy
As Ren was walking down the corridor of LME, he felt a strange noise make it so that he lost his balance and composure and slammed into the wall. He blinked. That had been someone screaming and he wasn't sure who. He blinked as he heard the echo. That scream had been strong but it was familiar, he had heard it before.
Ren walked over to the balcony railing and looked down to the first floor to see a horrified and deeply depressed Kyoko sitting there with a book in her hands. He wanted to bring her softly to his chest and promise that -no. He wanted to make sure that she was okay. She was obviously upset about something and it was only right for friends to want to support one another.
He stayed still as he watched her crying and sobbing loudly. What had happened? Had he missed something in their last conversation? Had he misjudged her somehow? Had he overlooked something which had been hurting her?
He noticed that she was with Director Ogata as well as Yashiro. Maybe this had something to do with the drama.
"Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked as he reached out to comfort her and calm her down, "What's the matter?"
"I don't want this role," Kyoko said with tears flowing down her face. Ren moved slowly in their direction. He knew that there were roles out there which had painful emotions attached to them and in this particular piece, the role of Mio Hongo must remind Kyoko of her being bullied during her life. Still, it was a job and you had to take the jobs you were offered especially in the beginning and do your best with them.
"I was looking forward to it because I was playing the role of a young lady!" she tried to explain as Yashiro picked the book up from the ground and flipped through it. "This kind of dark and malicious girl is not a lady at all! She's more like the scary queen who bullied Snow White! It's too cruel!"
Yashiro looked between Kyoko and the book, it was very apparent that she was playing the role of the girl who tortured the heroine of the story. Sometimes playing antagonists like this would cause someone to lose their footing on their way to stardom because they were considered as a villain. Was that why Kyoko didn't want to do it? She didn't want the black mark of playing a villain? Well, it wasn't ideal for young stars but it meant that people had faith in her acting abilities.
"If I knew she was like that, I wouldn't have accepted the job." Kyoko wailed and Director Ogata looked to her with a high level of panic. He hadn't expected for somebody to get upset and the expression on his face could show that he was obviously seeing the drama unravel because of their feelings.
"Please don't say that," he told her. "Mio is an important role for the two main characters. It's not a role that an average person could act out. Only you could act out this 'Mio' and surpass the Mio twenty years ago."
Kyoko blinked back her tears as she heard that. The director had so much confidence in her. He truly wanted for her to play this role and was saying that only she could do so. That level of belief was rarely shown to her before but the idea of being the bad guy made her feel pain. She never wanted to inflict pain onto others and now she was being told that in order to make the living which she wanted as an actress that she was supposed to.
"What is the meaning of that?" Ren asked as he finally made his way up to the group. He looked at each of them and then concentrated on Kyoko. He smiled slightly before using his acting skills to create the look of surprise on his face. "Mogami-san?" he asked as he addressed her and Kyoko blinked back her tears once again. "Are you also performing in 'Tsukigomori'?"
KyKuKyKu
After some time gathering themselves, the four of them found themselves each with beverages and sitting outside in the sunlight. Ren would occasionally look up to Kyoko. He wanted to congratulate her and promise that he would do anything in his power to support her but that wasn't professional. He didn't want her to face the burden of being known as Ren Tsuruga's friend let alone the person who Ren Tsruuga could have loving affection for. They might eat her alive just as he had experienced being his father's son.
Ogata had his eyes closed as he held the tea in his hand. "When I first saw Kyoko-san performing as the angel in Fuwa Shou-kun's PV, I knew that if it was her she can surpass the Mio from twenty years ago. Since she is more malice than evil itself and has an aura darker than darkness."
Ren paused as he stared in silence at the director before looking to Kyoko who was wide eyed at such a representation. How could he so happily proclaim her to be dark and evil - no, her character but Ren was still curious what all of these things meant. Despite his not wanting to admit it out loud especially at this time, he was truly curious to see what kind of acting she had performed. How could she create such a devilish character?
Kyoko shivered a little, tears were still in her eyes and she stared in shock to the director. She had been told that she sometimes acted like a ditz, she had been admired for her cheerful attitude, that was what she had been working on people thinking of her. Never had she been told to be a demon except from Shotaro. People had often considered her too weak for something like that.
"That's so mean," Kyoko announced as she stood up, "is that what you liked about me!? The malice and dark aura but not my acting?" she asked and Ren stared at her. He knew that she had strong emotions but what did that mean? He knew that she was defensive and at times vengeful but he was concerned of this misrepresentation of the sweet Kyoko as well. "Let me reconsider about acting in this show after all," Kyoko announced.
Ren opened his mouth, reaching out to stop her and was relieved when Ogata spoke up instead.
"Wait," he said as he reached out for her. "Wait! Please wait, Kyoko-san! Kyoko-san!" Ogata kept calling out to the woman who was walking away quickly, obviously with her feelings hurt and Ren felt bad for her. She didn't understand what this job could do for her and though he could explain he didn't want for the director to pay her any special attention especially if the cause was his connection with her. "Tsuruga-kun may already have left me and the cast. What should I do if you leave me there too!"
Ren blinked. The best way of helping her, helping himself, helping everyone was for him to definitely involve himself in doing the drama. He had already told the president that he would do it and that even if the president refused to offer him help and support, that he would still do his absolute best in performing the Katsuki role.
"I will participate," Ren said quickly and both Kyoko and Ogata turned to him. He tried to smile a little as Kyoko stopped crying. At least he'd be there to watch over her if they were both performing together. As they looked at him in shock, Ren gave an even more determined smile. "I was permitted to perform in this production. Tsukigomori." He told them.
Kyoko stood very still and watched Ren, he seemed so determined and acting was truly his dream. She wanted to support him in what he was doing and he looked like he truly did want to be considered part of the production. Her motives were changing. She wanted to be by his side if only as his costar.
"Then, then President Takarada gave you his permission?" Ogata asked and Kyoko noticed the troubled expression on Ren's face. She didn't like to see his discomfort but he had already made so many other risks in his life. He wanted to do the best in his career and that was why he had denied himself a lot in his life. Hopefully in understanding this role he could get those important things back into his life. Finally Ren nodded but Kyoko was more concerned with the pause before the nod.
"Yes, reluctantly," Ren admitted.
"Well," Yashiro laughed, "Even if it was reluctant permission is still permission."
Ogata smiled happily, his eagerness on display as he held out his hands to take Ren's. Kyoko watched as she was caught up in the excitement, creating a story with Ren, with her childhood friend, with someone who she could lean on, that was something she wanted. "Thank God. Thank you, Tsuruga-kun. Let's make this Tsukigomori surpass the original version together!"
Ren nodded, "Of course," he said before turning to Kyoko. Kyoko felt her back straighten as everyone turned to her. She had just said that she refused to be in it but being in this drama would mean she would be closer to Ren. She wanted to be closer to Corn. She could see his magic each time they worked together, she could see his smile and they wouldn't be pushed far apart from one another. Her heart beat as this decision weighed on her but as he held his hand out for her she was drawn in towards him.
She grabbed his hand and heard the happiness from the director.
"Well then, please let me say this once more. Let's make this Tsukigomori surpass the original version together. Fight!" he said and Ren looked at Kyoko. He would get his wish in seeing her skills as an actress. If luck was on his side then the two of them would only continue to get closer and closer to one another.
End of Act 96
Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated
I've actually taken to something new with reviews and that is I'm going to be using them as one of three ways of deciding what to update next. I'm going to update the fics I want to write for the week on Sunday morning and write according to the ones which have most positive buzz or which I really want to write. So thank you.
(Believe it or not I have a fic with over 300 views on the latest chapter and 1 review)
Thank you to the reviewers of Act 95
Kaname671, mandira