EPIPHANY.
On the set of Dark Moon, the hustle and bustle of the crew was halted to a stop when a certain man ambled inside and all the eyes gaped at his ridiculous outfit with revulsion.
He was dressed in the old Victarian era attire. An elegant, cream-white tailcoat was draped around his frame along with matching trousers. A yellow, silk cape was strapped to his shoulders and a charismatic smile was stuck to his lips. His brown, coiled hair were stretched back into a ponytail. A golden masquerade mask was covering the top half of his face only revealing his perceptive, brown eyes which danced around the room from face to face before finding their target, Ogata.
"Hey," Takarada's smiles widened once he spotted the Director. "Here's to your little project!" He held out one of his hands in which he was holding a sealed bottle of champagne.
"Well, thank you," Ogata plastered a polite smile. "But we're still on clock."
"Give me a break," the President rolled his eyes and his mouth twitched down. "The union doesn't want you drinking on the set or something?"
"What can I say?" The Director sighed.
The crew slowly got back to work except for a few people whose curious eyes stayed exactly where they were.
"Anyways" Takarada placed the bottle on the bench after he was invited in by the Director. "Where have you got Ren squirreled away?"
"He's...um..." Ogata hesitated as he tried to come up with a believable excuse and fast.
Takarada narrowed his eyes dubiously and pierced him with a look that seemed to be saying that he needed no further explanation. He already knew what was happening.
Darn it, Ren! What am I supposed to tell him? The Directed bit his lower lip nervously. He shuddered under the cool gaze of the President, who seemed to be scrutinizing his very soul for answers.
Ogata had a sudden urge to run away from his ocular captor like he was a frog and Takarada was a serpent which was about to devour him.
"I see the dilemma," Takarada nodded understandingly.
Ogata sighed in defeat after spelling the whole thing with Ren to the President. It's not like I can hide it from him anyway, he told himself.
They were seated in a quiet corner on the set, away from the curious eyes of the crew.
"There's not a lot you can do" the President was blunt and straight to point life always. "Well, can't say it comes as a shock." He took a gulp from his glass of champagne. After chugging down his drink, he stood up and crack his neck. "Give him three days to get his act together. There are only so many scenes you can shoot without your leading man, right?"
Ogata blinked at him blankly, not quite sure what he was supposed to do if Ren failed to deliver the scene within three days.
"When he comes back, if he can't deliver the performance you're after, give the role to some other pretty face." Takarada went on. "Later, then. Lori out." He turned towards the exit.
"President Takarada, a moment." Ogata ran after him after the full meaning of his words sank in. "I can't help but wonder if you appreciate the gravity of what you just said."
The President halted. Without turning back, he replied, "I promise I choose my words very carefully."
"Forgive me, Sir," Ogata shot back, "but I find the suggestion that I should fire Ren rather troubling."
"Tell me, son. What is in Dark Moon for you exactly? A shot at greatness? You are staking your career as a director on outshining the original, right?" Takarada whirled around, his cape fluttering behind his back and his eyes once again bored into the Director's. "Well, you don't touch greatness settling for half-assed cast."
Inside the studio building, Sho marched down the stairs with Shouko right behind him.
"Mr Fuwa, you're already leaving? Sho's song editor inquired as he followed them.
"I'm out. Don't feel like waiting for wardrobe." He shrugged.
As the editor walked those two out to the main entrance, Shouko glanced nervously at the rows of the large Dark Moon posters stuck on the walls with Ren Tsuruga's and Itsumi Momose's pictures on it. Good thing Kyoko's photo is not there, she sighed with relief.
"I still feel bad about that girl though," the editor mumbled as he studied the same posters.
"What girl?" Sho asked.
"The one who played the angel. She could have had a more standout role-" the rest of his words were muffled as Shouko pressed a tight hand on his mouth to stop him from speaking further.
But it was too late, Sho had already followed the editor's eyes to the large Dark Moon poster. His eyes curiously swept up to the cast names and then froze up when he read her name.
Kyoko Mogami.
"Sho, I was going to tell you..." Shouko look down guiltily.
"Why should you?" He asked nonchalantly as he turned to her, his face completely poker and his voice impassive like the news didn't faze him at all. "Who gives a damn about her, right? It has nothing to do with me who she works with." He whirled towards the exit and stalked out leaving Shouko utterly shocked.
This was the last thing she had been expecting. Sho acting so normally was kind of freaking her out. She thought she should give him some time for the news to sink in. His ex working with his biggest rival, that's gotta be a shock, right? Oh he'll snap.
To her horror, Sho didn't snap. For the rest of the day, he was just like his usual self and not the least bit different.
"Just so you know, I worked super-duper hard to make sure you'd enjoy it," Kyoko squealed in her shrill, annoying voice as she spooned out a big piece of the chocolate pudding. "Alrighty, say ah."
"That looks great," Ren beamed. He opened his mouth wide and she fed him.
Sho woke up screaming from the nightmare in the middle of the night. In his frenzy, he kicked the bedside table imagining it to be Ren's face, which fell down with a loud crash and the contents on it spilled to the ground.
"Son of a..." He bit out. "Not again! Damn it! What is going on with me?"
Seriously though? Why would I even think that? He thought. They are just freaking co-stars, not some obnoxious lovey-dovey couple. And even if they are, why should it matter to me?
He had been able to fool Shouko that the idea of Kyoko working with Ren Tsuruga did not bother him at all but the truth was, whenever he was alone he couldn't think about anything but that.
"Relax, you moron," he chuckled to himself, "what are you even worried about? Kyoko's got zero game. And Tsuruga's a total asshole. It will be hilarious if they were a thing."
The mental image of Kyoko lovingly feeding Ren popped into his head again and he screamed in vexation, "get out of my head, woman!"
"Ren, you're on in a couple minutes." Yashiro informed his client as he entered his waiting room.
Ren was so lost in thoughts that he was gazing down at the untouched plate of his lunch like it was the most interesting thing in the world. The sound of Yashiro's voice snapped him back to the reality. "Huh?...Ah, right. Thanks." He got up from his chair to leave to the stage.
Yashiro sighed at the sight of his untouched food and shook his head disappointedly. "I get that you're going through a hard time but now is not the time to starve yourself. Just try to relax, okay? Authenticity cannot be forced."
The last part of what Yashiro said hit Ren like a slap. He realize that he could not force or fake his way through something like Dark Moon. And instead of looking for a solution, his mind had been wrapped up in his own feelings about Kyoko. His face darkend with panic.
"What did I say?" Yashiro's eyebrows shot up when he noticed the shift in Ren's mood.
Oh God, Ren grabbed his hair and pulled hard. What am I supposed to do? The pressure he felt was suffocating him, it buckled his knees and he would have fallen if he hadn't grabbed the door for support.
"What's wrong? Should we reschedule?" Yashiro was at his side. "It's alright. I can talk to the producers if you want."
"No... No... I am fine." He slowly picked himself up again. Pull it together. I'm a professional and this is an important gag. Don't screw it up. He sighed to regain his composure and walked out with his head held high, like he wasn't tearing himself apart from the inside out.
Yashiro's brows drew together as he solicitously looked at the door from which Ren had just disappeared. If you need to find someone to talk to, you can talk to me, dammit! Why can't you open up to me? Or anyone else for the fact of the matter?
The luxurious, huge dining room of the Hongo mansion was truly a sight to behold. The opulent and profligate gold and cream wallpapers and illuminating chandeliers in the room were practically screaming that its owner had power and wealth and plenty of it.
Ironically, in the middle, sat a girl with short, dark hair, a hideous scar on her face which made her look terrifying and an aura vicious enough to make anyone retreat. To make matters worse, there was a threatening smile on her pale, cruel lips. She gazed at the small, fresh cut on her finger with a look of amusement. Putting the knife back on the table which she had used to make the cut, she drew blood from her wound by squeezing it hard. She chuckled again in an unusually dry, horrid sound. "Look at that. What was that old phrase again?"
Her cousin, who had been putting the dishes on the table and minding her own business while trying to ignore her, gasped aloud.
"Ah, yes," Mio ignored her cousin, Mizuki. "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
"Mio, what are you doing? Stop that!" Mizuki shouted solicitously as she hurried to her cousin's side and hurled the knife on the long table away from her reach.
"I wonder," Mio spoke in a quiet and cool voice filled with icy sweetness sending a shiver down Mizuki's spine. "Do you think our blood flows the same? Warm blooded creatures share so much in common with cold blooded ones. They say there's no way in telling the difference by sight alone. Should we test out the truth in that statement?"
Mizuki understood what Mio was suggesting so she jerked away in fear, but she was too late as Mio had already grasped her hand into a firm grip.
She dragged her cousin across the room and picked up the small, blood stained knife from the other side of the table. Forcefully pulling Mizuki's tightly-closed fist close, she slashed her knuckles and chuckled alloud while her cousin cried out in pain.
"Cut!"
Itsumi and Kyoko looked at the Director questioningly.
"Yes, we got it." Ogata smiled.
"Okay people," one of the crew members clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and started shouting orders. "That's how we are leading out of episode six. Make sure the editor is informed of the changes we're making. Next we got Mio and Mizuki's scene from episode eleven. Actors to wardrobe please."
"On it." Kyoko and Itsumi marched up to their respective dressing rooms.
"Kyoko, here's your next outfit." Her stylist handed her a brand new costume once she made it there. In a flash, she put it on and sat down in front of the mirror while the stylist fixed her makeup.
She used this chance to catch her breath and relax. Silence hung in the air until some faint voices reached her ears through the flimsy walls. They were coming from the adjoining dressing room. Kyoko was sure that they belonged to Itsumi and her stylist.
"Quite a busy day, Itsumi, huh? How are you holding up?"
"I'm managing," Itsumi sighed.
"You're doing great work, Hon'."
"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do with Katsuki? We're supposed to fall in love, but I mean, it's not like he's giving me a lot to work with. Sorry, I know it sounds kinda bitchy, but he should be trying to uphold his so-called reputation. The one-take-Ren, you know? Where's that guy when we needed him?"
Every word pierced Kyoko's heart evoking a jolt of pain. She wanted to scream at Itsumi to shut the hell up. Ren was such an amazing actor, but he gets it wrong a single time and suddenly every one was against him. Why did the word have to be so unfair?
"But at least our Mio's on point," Itsumi went on. "She's basically carrying this production."
"You think so?" The stylist replied. "She is definitely a dedicated actress. But I can't say that she is at Tsuruga's level just yet-"
"Are you kidding? Mio is a tough nut to crack, in fact her character is even more difficult to play than Mizuki, but she hasn't faltered once. It's nothing to sneeze at. When we are working together I completely lose myself in the scene. That's what you want in a co-star. Good luck getting that with Ren. Trying to get the necessary reaction from him is like squeezing blood from stone. I feel bad for him. It's painfully obvious he's got no clue how to approach Katsuki. Which sucks for me, of course, because how am I supposed to act like I'm in love with next to no chemistry between us? Mio, on the other hand, what a brilliant actress..."
Kyoko couldn't bear to listen to her anymore. So without a word, she stalked out of the room while maintaining her poker face and then locked herself in the ladies room. Once she was alone, the tears came. Her body quivered as she sobbed hysterically. "That wasn't fair! Who am I? You cant compare Ren to a newbie like me! He's light years ahead!"
A fresh supply of the tears squeezed out from her eyes and her body shook like a withered leaf. "She straight out said that I was the better actress!" Kyoko punched the wall with all her might. "I hate this! It's not his fault! If he wasn't so pensive about love, he would be giving us the best Katsuki ever!"
For the next ten minutes or so, she just whimpered like a wounded, helpless animal. All this desperation to help Ren, but in the end, she was still flat out useless. How was she supposed to teach him how to love? "Please Ren," she whispered through her tear-wet face, "I believe in you. You just gotta dig deep."
Falling in love, it's just not an option for me. Especially now.
His words rang in her mind and her face softened. But Ren, you can't control when or how you fall in love. You just have to go with it. What good does it do to hold back?
She decided she had to somehow urge Ren to go after that girl, whoever she was, because that was the only way to help him - and also to be there for him, because there was nothing more she could do.
While Ren was being interviewed on a talk show, Yashiro's cellphone started beeping. He glanced back at the stage uncertainly and wondered if he should leave Ren alone to take the call. But judging from the way he was handling himself, Ren seemed to be holding himself together, considering how he had been this morning.
Quietly, he slipped out of the studio and read the name of the person who was calling him, from the screen. "Unexpected," he remarked.
Putting the phone to his ear, he answered, "hello? What can I do for you, Kyoko?"
"Hi. Is this a bad time? I can call back later if you are in the middle of something." She sounded hesitant.
"No, you're fine. Go ahead. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is the first time you've called me. Is everything alright?"
"Well... I kind of...need a favour. Feel free to say no but would it be weird if I asked you what... Ren's schedule looked like this week?" She mumbled the last part.
"Little bit."
"Yeah. I figured," she sighed. "Sorry, forget I said anything."
"Wait, wait, I was just kidding!" he chuckled. "Geez, calm down! My sense of humour can be a little dry. No worries. You're his co-star. It's legit." He smiled.
"So I'm not a stalker? Whew. That's a load off! Thank you so much."
How do I read that? He wondered with a frown as he glanced at his phone. Is she infatuated with him? Or is this something the young people do these days that I'm not aware of?
"Mr Yashiro..."
What am I saying? Of course she is infatuated with him. How could she not be?
"Hello, did I lose you...?"
"Hmm? No. Here..." He opened the small planner in his hand. "Ren's schedule for the week...let's see..." before he could answer, a devious idea brewed into his mind and he grinned. "Tell you what. This is sensitive info. You can have it but there is one condition."
"Condition? Really?"
His grin widened, "Ren's in a particularly bad funk these days and you know how he can be with food. Eating right is important."
"Yeah, so?"
"So I was wondering if, first off, you could have dinner with him and second, if you could maybe talk to him about acting as in give him some advice. You know he is having a tough time getting into character."
"First one is fine but second one is a no."
His smile faltered. "Okay. Not the answer I wanted to hear."
"Mr Yashiro, I'm the new kid. He is not gonna wanna listen to anything I have to say on the subject of acting! I mean, would you?"
"Right. I get your point," he sighed. "Okay, whatever, you don't have to bring anything work-related. Just go over there and keep the man company. He's in a really bad place right now. I just... I think if you are around it will help his mood."
"Yeah?" Kyoko spat sarcastically. "You want me to be his punching bag, is that it?"
"What? Oh my God! Why would you think that?" Yashiro was surprised.
"Sorry. You know how he acted the last time he was in bad mood, when I lied to him... Never mind, I'll do it."
On that evening, Ren was driving back to his apartment early since he wasn't going to the set of Dark Moon. His eyes drifted to the digital clock beside the speedometer.
It's only 8 o'clock. Feels weird going home this early, he thought. Usually I have so much work lined up. I'm still working technically. Researching a role is work.
Research? Seriously? He screeched the car to a sudden halt in the middle of the road as the reality of the situation finally hit him. We're way past the point of research. I can't do this.
His shoulders slumped as he relaxed back in his seat. After all these years, he was finally admitting defeat. And judging from the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, which was consuming him from the inside out, he didn't quite like the taste of it.
Suddenly, a small, pale hand moved outside his car and lightly knocked twice on the glass window beside him.
He tilted his head to face the owner of that hand who turned out to be a certain girl with short, dark hair and a casual pink hoodie. Her beautiful, hazel eyes creased with delight as her lips twisted into a smile so pure that it made his heart burn and ache and shiver, all at the same time with an intense desire of longing.
"Hey stranger," her smile widened revealing the perfect set of her teeth. "I thought I recognised this car. What are the chances?"
Her bubbly voice sent another and much more intense dose of that euphoric feeling in his heart and all his worries drifted away without a trace, like she was the medicine, the cure to everything.
A certain Chicken's voice rang in his mind loud and clear.
You ever felt that surge inside of you when you hear a certain person's voice or catch a glimpse of them in the street? You ever find yourself thinking about someone a million times a day?
And he knew. All the doubts that had been plaguing his mind disappeared like they never existed in the first place. He knew. He knew it as clear as the day with utmost surety that he was hopelessly in love with Kyoko.
