THE HICKEY
It was lunch time. The crew was devided into smaller groups who ate together in the cafeteria. Everyone was present with the exception of the Heels who considered themselves too highly to join the rest of them and prefered to have their meels in their room.
One such group, containing most of the cast including Murasame, happened to be talking about this very fact, like how the Heels prefered to have no one's company except for each other. It was then the stylist's assistant shared his suspicions of the two siblings having something juicy going on between them.
"No, I'm not kidding!" He protested, when the others dismissed his suspicions since it was too unnatural to even think about. "There's really something going on between them."
One of the extra actresses named Rio made a disgusted face. "But they're siblings! How can you even suggest that?"
"That's the weird part. And I'm not just saying that, I've seen it with my own eyes. A few days ago, I decided to go out for a late night snack when I saw the two of them hugging each other out in the hallway."
"So what? Siblings hug each other all the time."
"Yes, but siblings don't prefer to share a room at night when they can get separate ones! There are so many free rooms in the studio, the translator could've picked any if she wanted. Besides, it wasn't an ordinary hug that I saw. The way they held each other, it was as if they still couldn't be close enough. The way you hug the person you're madly in love with, you know?"
Murasame snorted. "Those unhealthy lot! I've always suspected there was something shady about them. How could that sick bastard manipulate his own little sister like that?"
"I don't think the sister is so little or innocent. You wouldn't believe what I saw this morning when we were putting makeup on the brother!"
"What?" They all asked in unison. Even some people from the other tables also joined in to listen since it was such an interesting topic for gossip.
The stylist's assistant told them all about the big hickey he had seen on Cain's neck. "It was quite big! I mean for such a small girl, who would have known she had so much game!"
"Eww!" Rio exclaimed. "How can you say that it was the sister who put it?"
"It was! Haven't you seen how clingy they are to each other? I mean, you've got siblings. Can you imagine yourself in a similar position with your brothers or sisters?"
"Eww, gross!"
Murasame gasped as something sudden struck him. "I finally understand! When they first arrived, I asked the translator about Cain Heel, and when he turned out to be her brother, I was so shocked!"
"Me too!" A few of them chorused. "Yeah, me as well!"
"You get it. I mean, I was so sure they were a couple. But when I mentioned that to the girl, instead of creeping out by the accusation, she ended up blushing. It was so disturbing!"
After Murasame's story, almost all of them were convinced that there was something definitely going on between the two of them.
"My God, these foreigners!" One of the guys sighed. "This is so hard to imagine! How could any brother be doing his own sister?"
Before anyone could respond, they noticed Manaka returning to them with the drinks.
"What took you so long?" Rio asked.
"You wouldn't believe what just happened," the leading lady squealed with the excitement of a fangirl. "That Cain Heel, he's actually a really nice guy."
They all looked at her with absolute revulsion, and some of them in concern wondering if she had hit her head or something to be saying something like that.
In order to make them believe, Manaka told them about what happened back in the hallway.
Lunch was almost over and having nothing else to do, the Heels made their way back to the set. Ever since her conversation with Director, Kyoko had been curious wondering what he was so hesitant to ask her about. Only after her eyes suddenly spotted the big pinkish-red hickey on Ren's neck which he didn't even bother hiding, did the reason occur to her.
No! Please don't let it be that mark! Anything but that! She felt her cheeks burn from embarrassment as she walked hand in hand with her supposed brother.
"Is something wrong, Setsu?" Cain asked. He apparently noted the sudden change in her mood as the truth finally dawned on her.
"Um..." Kyoko tried to come up with a believable excuse, guessing of something that would genuinely make Setsuka upset. "I just remembered I left my favorite dress in the drier. Now it'll be all ruined since it's leather."
Even as she said it, Kyoko kept thinking about what was actually bugging her: the hickey. The Director had the decency to not ask her despite being apparantly curious, but not everyone would be so generous. What would she have to say for herself when more people will begin to notice?
If they asked Setsuka, she knew exactly how to respond. She could go with something like: Brother's mine! So what if I put a mark on him? But the thing that scared her was what she'd say when they asked it from herself. Would she be able to confront those people and laugh it off as a joke claiming it to be no big deal since it was all part of the job? More importantly, what about after the movie got released? After Ren's involvement would be exposed to everyone? Would she be able to hide the truth from the world?
Suddenly overwhelmed by the fear of having to face her actions, Kyoko's heart sank and a sinking feeling bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Being crushed beneath the weight of these hypothetical fears, she didn't even realize when she stopped walking.
All of a sudden, Cain stopped as well. Turning back towards her, he wrapped his arms around her into a tight embrace right there in the middle of the empty hallway. "Don't worry," he muttered, pressing a gentle kiss on her head while stroking her hair. "If that dress gets ruined, I'll buy you a new one. I'll buy you as many dresses as you want." He kissed her temple. "You'll have so many dresses that you'll ask me to take them back." He kissed her forehead. "Alright, Setsu?"
For a moment there, Kyoko forgot all about her role, her character, even her troubles, because the only thing staying in her mind was Ren; the feel of his arms around her; the softness of his lips; the musky scent emanating out of him; and the delicious warmth of his body. She was so lost in the whirlpool of her conflicting wants and desires that being called by Setsu's name hit her like a gut punch. Since it snapped her out of her mind and reminded her of all of it being fake and only a part of the act. It was sadly ironic how she was longing for the things she already had, but she could not possess them.
Something twisted deep within her, and the pain was so viciously unbearable that tears threatened to show up. She blinked half a dozen times to push them back in, but she still couldn't ignore the intense craving of it all being real, even if just for a moment.
"Setsu," his grip tightened around her, something she thought wasn't possible as they were already pressed against each other. "Say something, please."
Slowing raising her trembling hands, Kyoko hugged him back. Pushing back her sudden desire of sobbing out loud, she tried her best to get back into her character. "Did... Did I really look that bad, that you're so worried?" She asked, using Setsuka's tone to the best of her abilities.
"You looked like you wanted to disappear into thin air."
The fastest way to get rid of those unwanted emotions was to drown herself into her character's world, so Kyoko did exactly that. Ignoring her own thoughts, she responded how Setsu would. "Sounds fun." She forced a chuckle. "Like being invisible."
To their surprise, the moment the Heels stepped into the studio, they were approached by the person who usually stayed as far from them as possible. The leading actress of the movie, Manaka. The most unsettling thing was her big cheery grin as she waved her hand at Cain as if they were supposed to be best buddies in the world.
"Hi!" Manaka cupped her blushing cheeks. "I finally understand how misunderstood you were! Just because you have a scary face, no one gets close to you, but you're a real nice guy! Don't worry! From now on, I won't be afraid of you!"
What in the world is this girl babbling? Kyoko was too stunned to even guess how Setsu would react in this situation. What on earth was happening? She had no idea. To find out, she shot a questioning look to Cain.
To her surprise, Cain actually looked troubled. Or was it Ren? He looked he like he had messed up. Badly. "Get lost!" He conjured his meanest glare and muttered the standard Cain Heel reply if anyone other than Setsu approached him.
Instead of getting the desired reaction from Manaka, Cain received her brilliant smile. "I at least got a reaction from you! That's a start, see! Hey, wanna join me for lunch from tomorrow? Since you're too shy to ask, I'll come to you!"
Cain was saved from answering when a hand closed around Manaka's shoulder and she was pulled back. "Wake up, Manaka!" The owner of the hand shouted. It was Murasame. "He is not interested in being friends with you!"
"But–"
"No buts! Get away from him, he's dangerous!" Turning to Cain, the lead actor shouted. "It's all your fault, you bastard! Since we are not worthy of your time, what the hell were you trying to do to Manaka, manipulating her like that?"
Cain's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Why were you being all nice and helpful to her back in lunch? When you never even bother to look our way."
All of a sudden, the temperature dropped in the room as Setsu's eyes turned to cold icicles. "What did you do with her?" She crossed her arms and turned to face her brother.
"Nothing!" Cain answered. "I did nothing. It was just..."
"Liar!" Murasame growled. "Unless you call stroking a random girl's head nothing."
Setsu's eyes turned sharper than the pointed end of a knife, and she used it to shoot cold beams at her brother. "Explain." The word was a deadly whisper.
Cain looked down guiltily. "I did... stroke her hair, but–"
Setsu wasn't interested in any buts. "You asshole!" Seething with rage, she pushed his chest, but he was too strong to even slightly lose his balance let alone fall. "Why? Why would you do that?"
Cain, who had been stealing glances until now, finally looked her in the eye. His aura becoming dominant again. "So what? What's so wrong if I did strike her hair?"
"You touch another girl, and you have the balls to look me in the eye?"
Murasame slowly retreated with Manaka on his side. With their argument growing, the actress didn't resist anymore.
"So are you gonna question me even when I'm nice to pets?" Cain demanded.
"Pets?" Setsu frowned. Murasame, who had backed away but was still within hearing distance frowned as well.
"Obviously." Cain nodded. "Do you think I care about any girl besides you? I only stroked her hair because the fear in her eyes reminded me of a pet hamster I used to have."
"Did you hear that, Manaka?" Murasame hissed. "That bastard considers you on the same level as a rodent! He does not want to be friends with you!"
Once again, instead of getting the desired reaction from Manaka, Murasame noticed the blush creeping up to her face. "That's so cute!" She cupped her cheeks. "He has a soft side for animals! I knew it!" She tried to run back to Cain, but Murasame seized her and dragged her back to where the rest of cast was.
Once they left Cain asked his sister, "Are you mad?"
"No," Kyoko answered reflexively, but only after she said it out loud she realized her blunder. Setsu always sulked openly. Her brother paid attention to someone who wasn't her. Someone as selfish as Setsu would definitely not let that go, even if Cain considered that girl nothing more than a rodent.
"The shoot is about to start," she announced. "You should go back to your dressing room."
"Setsu, you are angry, aren't you?"
It was too late to be get on the track. Besides, Kyoko was too exhausted to keep arguing. "No, I'm not so childish anymore." She smiled, to prove her sincerity. "I'll be back." She was about to walk away, but Cain caught her hand.
"Where are you going?"
"Washroom. I need to freshen up."
Only after Kyoko locked herself in the privacy of the ladies room, the tears started pouring out of her eyes, and her weeping soon turned into silent sobbing. Her character, whom she had been barely holding on to, disappeared.
Pressing a hand against her mouth, she tried to kill the tremors that shook her body with each sob but it was no use.
Cain Heel's character was not supposed to show interest in anything except for his sister and acting, so the part where Ren had stroked the hair of that girl, it wasn't an act. That was what Kyoko could gather from the guilty look in his eyes. He had slipped out of character again, even though he had promised her he wouldn't. All because of that girl. Kyoko didn't blame him. Unlike her, she had blonde hair and the face of a cover model.
At last the pain came. It tore through her heart like a knife stab. The more she thought about it, the deeper it went. It was no wonder Ren liked that blonde girl enough to break character just to flirt with her. Another stab, and Kyoko squeezed her eyes tight shut pressing her hands on her chest right above her heart.
Despite the severity of that pain, Kyoko still managed to fool herself until now into thinking that it was all an act. That she was feeling this way because she was so much in tune with her character that she couldn't help being jealous. But if that were the case, why didn't she show her jealousy out in the open like Setsuka would? Why did she go so far to come here and hide her pain?
In the span of the past year, Kyoko had never experienced anything like this no matter how much she was in tune with her character. She suddenly remembered feeling something similar. It was years ago, when she first discovered her feelings for Sho.
Back then, when she was in junior high, one of their classmates had come to visit Sho in the mansion. And when Kyoko arrived in his room with a tray of snacks for the guest, she found them kissing. The tray dropped from her hands because her heart was suddenly ripped out of her chest.
Kyoko still remembered the severity of that harsh heartache. No one should go though something like that! What she experienced now was quite similar to that feeling, only a hundred times worse. All because Ren stroked the hair of some girl. Another sob bubbled out of her.
She thought she had grown mature, thought she wouldn't be bound by these feelings ever again. If only she had known how wrong she was!
Kyoko knew why this was happening. It was because the box in her heart, which she had been trying so hard to keep locked was finally open. Not only were the locks missing, but the lid had blown off. That thing was out again. She still couldn't make herself say it's name, because only the memory of her last entanglement with it was so painful.
It had all started last night. When she had that dream where she was standing on the edge of that cliff. Kyoko remembered how it had ended. The thugs which had been surrounding her, threatening to push her down if she didn't expose her secret were suddenly disappeared. And in their place stood Ren. Kyoko backed even further. Her heels were now in the air.
"No!" Ren had a desperate look. "Don't fall. Give me your hand." He offered up his hand to her.
The dream Kyoko shook her head. She knew what it would mean if she was stupid enough to take his hand. And she preferred death over it. So looking at him with tears shimmering in her eyes, she took one more step back. The next thing she knew, she was falling.
"No! Kyoko!" She heard Ren scream after her as he tried to get a hold of her, but he was too late. She was already far below falling into the deep abyss.
The next chapter will probably be the last one in the Setsuka arc.
But fear not Cain x Setsu fans, you'll get to see more of the Heel siblings in the next arc, since there will be a few sneak peeks. Besides, in the sequel, there will be another arc dedicated to them after the release of Tragic Marker when their real identities would be made public.
