MESSING WITH THE BULLY.
Shock was an understatement to describe the crew's reaction when Kyoko made her way inside the studio. All the jaws were hanging. Not a word spoken to be heard.
"Good morning." Kyoko spread her lips into that same smile from before. It enhanced her charm and beauty but also gave a slight indication of her boredom. She had changed into her Natsu costume which was the same navy blue school uniform. Although it had no major changes from before, aside from the fact that her bow tie was now missing, but Kyoko still looked completely transformed.
First of all, it was her hair. Now dyed into a paler shade of ginger, they were straightened and neatly parted from the side with one half tucked behind her ear and the other bigger half allowed to softly fall on her cheek.
Besides her hair, her whole energy was shifted. Her body was now more relaxed and her gait slightly askew. Her hips swayed in a sensuous way as she walked, capturing the attention of all the male eyes present in the room.
"Director," Kazutoyo's assistant blinked. "What do you think happened to her?"
The Director didn't respond. Partly because he was still to comprehend what he was seeing and partly because he himself didn't have a clue.
However, the person who was most surprised was Chiori Amamiya. She was too stunned to contain her frustration and anger, and for a moment her hatred for her costar seeped out on her face for everyone else to see, but fortunately, their eyes were finding it quite hard to move away from Kyoko, for them to notice it.
The worst part for Chiori was, she would've never even imagine to portray her Natsu like that. Not in a million years.
Her poise, her style, her panache, her flamboyant attitude, and most of all, her ice cold eyes, it was all perfect. As much as Amamiya hated to admit it, she knew she could've never played it so... so good!
Ignoring the excessively flabbergasted faces of her colleagues, Kyoko strode up to Kazutoyo.
"Sorry," she bowed to the Director. Unlike her usual bow, it was only a slight tilt of her neck. "For being late." She placed her hand on her chest. "The bow tie, it wasn't with my costume."
"W-what?" The Director finally found his voice back. "It wasn't?" He cocked his head around searchingly before his eyes fixated on a man from the staff. "Hey you! Costume manager!"
"Me?" The man jogged up them to them. "What is it?"
"Natsu's bow tie was missing from the costume." Kazutoyo snapped.
"It can't be! I definitely put it in!" The costume manager protested.
"Did you even double check the list?"
"Of course I did! And it was in there!"
"If you put it, then where is it now? Are you saying that it disappeared by itself?"
"I..." His voice trailing, he cocked his head to where Honami was standing. "Hey, you saw it, right?" He asked her desperately. "When you were helping me this morning, you took Natsu's costume to the dressing room. The package was sealed wasn't it? You must have seen the bow?"
Honami hesitated, now regretting her choice to hide the bow just so she could mess with Kyoko. She was almost sure that they would blame Kyoko for misplacing it somewhere. If she had any idea that this matter would get so serious, she would have never hidden it in the first place.
The Director and everyone else was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer. "Well, let me think." She pretended to ponder on the question for a while. "It was there. I remember it. That means it was Kyoko herself who lost it." Her eyes met Kyoko's, but she shamelessly continue to lie through her teeth. "She must have dropped it somewhere while opening it."
Kyoko's gaze remained fixated on Honami. Istead of getting angry for being falsely accused, she looked amused for some reason and a smirk formed on her face. Her hazel eyes narrowed in two slits radiating a cold ominous energy.
Honami's heart sped up with trepidation. Only Kyoko's cool eyes were enough to freeze her with fear. She resisted the sudden urge to run away.
"You're right." Kyoko chuckled mirthfully. "Maybe I didn't look hard enough. I guess I better search again." She move towards Honami as she spoke with small light steps. And once she was standing right in front of her, her co-star moved back uncertainly. Kyoko didn't hesitate. She kept inching closer until the two girls were face to face. "But what if I still can't find it?" Her voice was so cold that it almost froze the air around her lips, sending a body-shaking chill down Honami's spine.
The poor girl was too afraid to answer. Kyoko only continued smiling in the same dark, mysterious manner when her hand suddenly shot up to Honami's neck making the girl flinch. She reached for her bowtie.
"Say, what if indeed?" Kyoko grabbed the bow and then pulled it with all her strength. The action was followed by sound of tearing fabric, evoking a frightened little shriek from Honami and surprised gasps and squeals from the spectators.
Honami reflexively shielded her head with her elbows. She was so scared she she could've peed herself.
Kyoko dropped the ripped bow on the floor and straightened Honami's collar almost tenderly. "What do you think?" The question was directed to Kazutoyo. "Doesn't it look much better?" She asked. "If not, then I'll go back and look for my bow." Putting her hands on Honami's shoulders from behind, Kyoko pressed her cheek on her arm. Her white teeth flashing a grin. "And Honami will also help me. We'll go look for it together, won't we?"
As scared as she was to be alone with Kyoko after being the victim of her frosty and harsh glare, Honami didn't have enough guts to refuse.
"No! See, it's no good at all!" Kazutoyo explained to his assistant, pointing his thumb at the four girls in uniforms.
Taking Kyoko's suggestion into consideration, the Director decided to give the no-tie look a try. Because it made more sense since Natsu and her underlings were all supposed to be bad girls, and also because they looked way cooler without their ties. All of them, with only one exception. Chiori Amamiya.
As much as he was tempted to, Kazutoyo couldn't go with this look because it didn't suit Amamiya at all. Her character Yumika was a part of Natsu's gang against her wishes, so she wasn't actually a bully. Besides, her soft features suggested that she was supposed to be the innocent type. Without the tie, it seem liked Yumika was instead forcing herself to be more like Natsu.
"What do we do?" Kazutoyo was stuck in a dilemma. "On one hand, the no tie look is way better, but Yumika seems so out of place if we change it."
"We could try changing Yumika's character," suggested the assistant. "She could still be a good person while giving off a cool vibe."
"Yeah! Good idea!" The Director patted his back." "Chiori, could you change your attitude a bit?"
"What do your mean? How?" Amamiya frowned.
"Kyoko is now perfectly in sync with her role. She doesn't look odd at all while she's standing beside Honami and Yuka. But you on on the other hand..."
"My Yumika is perfect! You said it yourself," she tried not to show her rising anger.
"It was, but now that Natsu has changed, you also have to adjust your character accordingly. Since your whole character basically revolves around her."
Before answering him, Amamiya lead the Director to a secluded corner where they could have some privacy. "Are you saying you're gonna listen to her?" She hissed. "You said you wouldn't let Kyoko change Natsu, but now you are even listening to her suggestions?"
"What can I say?" The Director grinned. "The moment I laid eyes on her Natsu, I was so shocked, because she was nothing like what I envisioned her to be. In fact, she is a hundred times better."
"So you're really going with the no tie look? What about the scenes that are already shot?"
"Well they're not a lot. We can just retake them. Besides, you have to agree, the no tie look is way cooler. This way, the bullying scenes will have more impact."
Amamiya was speechless. She had pinned all her hopes on this pathetic excuse of a Director only to be let down by him in the end. He was all talk and no action. Turned out that big speech about him crushing Kyoko's pride if she dared to change Natsu, it had been all for nothing. He didn't even have the decency to stand by his words.
At the same time, on the other side of the room, Honami couldn't stand the silence any longer as she waited with her costars for the Director to come back. So, giving into her curiosity, she asked the question that had been etching her from a while.
"Why didn't you say anything?" She demanded from Kyoko. "You knew it was me who hid the bow tie, didn't you? You could have told the Director, and he would have believed you. So why didn't you?"
"If it were anyone else, I would have done that," was the answer she got.
"So why not me?"
"Because if I had, the Director would have scolded you. And if anyone is going to get angry at you, it will be me. I won't let him sort out our problems." A genuine warm smile suffused on Kyoko's face. Yet, it was still not anything like the usual Kyoko. "I didn't rat you, Honami, because I consider you a friend."
Honami parted her lips to respond but no words came out. What she witnessed just now, it wasn't Kyoko Mogami. It was how Natsu treated her loyal underlings.
Honami had been making excuses after excuses inside her head that it was all just a fluke. She was sure that it was only a matter of time before they figured out that Kyoko Mogami had no real talent and she would be exposed. But as she stood there looking at this poised girl smiling warmly at her, a certain epiphany struck her.
This girl was in no way Kyoko Mogami. Honami had no more excuses to give herself, so she had no choice but to accept it. This was Natsu.
No sooner than Amamiya locked herself in her dressing room, a scream escaped her mouth and hot tears welled up in her eyes.
She wanted to punch something, but her hands were too delicate to punch the wall, so instead she kicked the chair. It flew through the room, hitting the opposite wall before loudly crashing back on the floor.
Grabbing her hair with both hands, she pulled hard as her small body shook violently with each sob that escaped her.
It went on like that for quite a while. But Amamiya didn't care. She was not afraid of anyone hearing her, since everyone else was in the studio. She wasn't in a hurry to leave either, she had all the time in the world. Since the Director had sent her away to "adjust" her character to fit the new Natsu while everyone else was busy shooting.
How dare he? She thought bitterly. After I trusted him to bring down that bitch!
"I won't forgive you," she muttered quietly. These words weren't meant for the Director, they were for Kyoko. Amamiya had still not given up. She had one last trick up her sleeve to get the role of Natsu for herself.
After the shoot, Kyoko was on her way to her dressing room with Honami and Yuka behind her. They had been following her everywhere since this morning. There was a shift in their attitude towards her as well. And since Kyoko was in character, she pretended that it was normal for her to be followed by girlfriends, because it was normal for Natsu.
Kyoko halted to a stop right before she entered her dressing room. Her eyes fixated on the small name plate beside her door which usually had a paper with her name on it. It was now missing.
She looked down only to find that same paper torn to small bits. Someone had pulled it out, ripped it to shreds, and then left the pieces there.
Picking up a few of those bits in her hands, she looked straight at Honami.
"It was not me!" Sensing what was coming, the girl frantically tried to prove her innocence. "I'm telling the truth. I have been with you all this time!"
Kyoko chuckled at her being so panicky. "Don't worry. I know that. I never said that it was you."
Honami blushed with embarrassment for lashing out like that.
"Then who do you think did it?" Yuka wondered aloud, genuinely mystified.
"I have no idea," Kyoko sighed. "And honestly, I don't care." She rolled her eyes, her boredom apparent. "Let's do something fun. Would you two like to join me for lunch this afternoon?"
Both girls smiled eagerly in reply. "Sure!" They chorused.
"You two go on ahead, I'll join you in a minute."
"What are you gonna do?" Honami asked.
"Well," Kyoko smiled coldly looking back at her torn name plate. "I've got something to take care of."
In the evening, after Amamiya had recovered from her episode, she went to a salon to make the changes the Director had asked her.
However, instead of actually trying to improve her look, she decided to do the opposite so that her character Yumika would look even more out of place. She did so hoping that the blame would be shifted back to Kyoko for changing things in the first place. This was the last ace she had up her sleeve. If this didn't work, she knew there was nothing more she could do against Kyoko.
The next morning, Amamiya was making her way back to the studio when slowed her pace in front of Kyoko's dressing. Swelling her head to the side to make sure that no one was watching, she tore off Kyoko's name from her name plate again.
As petty as it seemed, this was the only thing she could do to relieve her of all this frustration building up inside her. As she was about to rip the sheet to shreds again, her eyes were drawn to another small slip of paper which was stuck right beneath it.
It was a handwritten note, saying:
Is this really the best you can do? You get five points for mischief. Be more creative next time. And if you can't come up with anything, I'll give you ideas. I've got great experience!
Natsu.
There was also a small winking smiley drawn beneath it.
Amamiya stared at it in horror, especially at the name Kyoko had signed in the last. What was scary was the fact that this was exactly how Natsu would've reacted if she were in a similar situation. A fierce chill went down her spine.
Did she figure out that it was me? She thought with trepidation. No, it's impossible! I have never shown her any hostility at all. I was careful.
Amamiya immediately put the name sign back to hide the slip before being on her way again.
Slumping down on a chair with her legs crossed, Kyoko curiously eyed the Director who seemed to be drowning in the dumps for some reason while he was talking to Chiori Amamiya.
"What's up with him?" She inquired, cocking her head to Honami and Yuka, who had been standing beside her.
"I think it has something to do with Chiori's new hair," Honami guessed.
Yuka frowned. "Why though? It looks pretty." All three of them glanced at Amamiya, whose wavy hair were now straightened and pulled back to delicately fall around her shoulder blades. Her side bangs, which used to go well with her soft features, were all gone, and unlike her previous hairstyle which used to complement her innocent countenance, this new one made her look like a teenager who was trying too hard to appear mature.
"I don't blame him," Kyoko smirked. "She looks ridiculous!"
Meanwhile, Amamiya tried to protest. "Director, what do you mean that it's no good?" She pretended to actually care, while deep down, she was naively waiting for the time when all the blame would be shifted back to Kyoko for changing things in the first place and costing the crew all this precious time. But what she hadn't realised yet was that it would never happen.
Director Kazutoyo pressed his palm on his face and groaned aloud. "Chiori, what were you thinking?"
"I'm sorry! You told me to be more creative like Kyoko, so I thought that since she changed her appearance to look more mature, I should do the same."
"I did tell you to be more like Kyoko, but I meant it for your attitude, not your appearance." He let out a tired sigh. "Kyoko's character is supposed to be mature. I thought you knew that Yumika had always been the optimistic cute girl who had been suddenly forced into joining Natsu's gang. She's not one of them. She's trying because she doesn't have a choice. A lot of scenes are a reaction based on Yumika's innocent appearance. And you tampered it! I thought you understood Yumika's character?"
"I'm so sorry!" Amamiya bowed, fighting back the tears that were threatening to show up.
"We won't be able to get much work done today either," Kazutoyo shook his head disappointedly. "You are leaving early since you have that interview, and Kyoko's leaving early as well."
Her ears perked up. "Kyoko's leaving early too? Is she shooting Dark Moon again?"
"No. It turns out, she has another regular job."
Amamiya had to bite her tongue to distract herself. Finding out that Kyoko had another regular job fueled her hatred to a new degree.
"Kotani!" Kazutoyo called out to the stylist, and when she approached, he asked, "could you fix Chiori's hair?"
"With her bangs gone, I can pull her hair into a loose ponytail. I think it'll look cute."
All of a sudden, the colour drained away from Amamiya's face, and she froze. "Wait! I can fix it myself!" She sounded almost hysterical. "I can get the previous look if you want. Please! Anything but a ponytail!"
The Director first regarded her with curiosity, along with the some of the crew members who were close enough to hear, but then he decided not to pry. Kyoko was also in the vicinity. Even she appeared mildly interested despite her being in character.
"Very well," Kazutoyo pretended not to notice Amamiya's sudden panic.
"Poor Chiori," Honami muttered under her breath. "She must really not wanna show it."
"I feel bad." Yuka answered.
"You guys know something?" Kyoko pryed with unusual eagerness.
"Yeah," Honami replied. "I heard it from the stylist so I don't know the details, but on the back of her neck, Chiori's got a really big nasty scar."