Disclaimer :
I write this fic for entertainment purposes only. I do not own SkipBeat! and all of its plots and characters. All of them belong to Yoshiki Nakamura Sensei and the crews. I only have this idea of mine and another fanfic of my own to use for Kyoko's new drama plot.
Summary :
This story's timeline happened at the beginning of February, around 8 to 9 months after the elevator confession scene, and now it's time for Kyoko to have her debut. A period drama with the title "Serendipity of Fate". A story about a crown princess who was happened to love her fiance's guardian.
While the President had requested some actors/actresses and directors from some of her previous projects to take a part in her debut drama, of course, there would be some new actors and actresses who auditioned for the other roles.
Who were these new people? Would they be a threat to Ren and Kyoko's "Not in a relationship yet" kind of relationship? or would they give our 'lovely but frustrating' couple some 'push' they needed?
Author Notes :
Hello all, this is my first time writing SkipBeat! fanfic after reading the manga for around 15 years or more, and English is not my first language, and this fic wasn't being beta-ed, and also no proofreader for this, so I am sorry in advance for the choice of words or the grammar thing, thank you.
Chapter 2 : Her Male Lead
"TSURUGA-SAN?" an incredulous tone of voice came out from the actress' lips before her feet unconsciously brought her —almost gliding to be exact— to the man in question who then gently smiled at her, "Yes, Mogami-san?"
She blinked twice, then silent. Her tongue seemed to betray her as it was unable to put a lot of questions inside her head into words.
He bit back another smile as he noticed her reaction, then he turned towards the President before he bowed to him, "I deeply apologize for the delay, Sir. My previous work held me back because there was something with the file they recorded so they had to reshoot one of the scene."
The president nodded, "That's fine, Ren, Yashiro-san already told me about it."
Lory then turned towards the audience and cheekily grinned, "Everyone, last but not least, I introduce you to the male lead who will act as Captain Kudo Tsuyoshi, Tsuruga Ren from LME."
Ren bowed towards the audience before he threw his perfectly composed smile as he used to wear for his Tsuruga Ren image, "Hello, everyone, I am Tsuruga Ren, I am looking forward to working with all of you."
There were some whispers from the audience right after they saw "The Tsuruga Ren" entered the meeting room, especially from the female crews and the supporting actresses for the drama. One-third of them whispered about their surprise that the drama they supported would have Tsuruga Ren as the main lead because previously they thought that it was 'only' a debut drama from a rookie actress from LME, but then again, both leads were from the same agency, so they just suspected that maybe, the president had specifically requested Ren to act in the drama to increase the rating. Another one-third were whispered about their speculation that the audition was held unfairly. Maybe Ishikawa Yuuto didn't get the part because the president preferred Ren to be the main lead. But there was no proof of it, so they could just guess it inside their minds, and for the last one-third, they were just squealed in fangirling mode as they saw the number one actor from LME in flesh.
Anyway, back to the whispers of speculation of the unfair/biased audition, it seemed that it was 'loud enough' that Lory Takarada happened to notice the 'whispers' and felt the need to explain to the audience for his and especially for LME's reputation.
"Anyway," He firmly said, automatically brought back the audience's attention towards him, "About the audition, maybe some of you have some suspicions that we might not do it properly (with these words, some of the audience lowered their heads)," He paused, "Well, honestly, we did it fair and square, right, Ishikawa-san?"
The audience's attention turned to him, waiting for his answer. Then as he realized that he now became the center of the attention, Ishikawa-san began to explain.
"Well," A gentle smile tugged at his lips, "It's true. I lost from Tsuruga-san in the sword combat. Honestly, I don't know if I also lost from him for the other part of the audition, I mean, the acting scenes, but I am so sure that I lost in the sword combat. Well..." He rubbed the back of his neck before a shy smile began to appear across his face, "Honestly, I was lost from him in all combats, say it hand-to-hand combat, the swords combat, and archery combat." At the end of his speech, a hint of blush colored his cheeks.
Lory then motioned to Ruto and he played another video on the screen. It was the video of the audition and all of the audience could watch the combats audition. The fight between Ren and Yuuto for each combat, and of course, the end of the combats when Ren had defeated Yuuto on each match.
At the end of the video, the president just opened his mouth to talk to some of the audience when he caught Kyouko's reaction to the video.
She gaped in disbelief.
"Mogami-kun" Lory called her, only to see her head snapped up as if she suddenly realized something important.
"Mo—"
"YOU AUDITIONED?!" she squeaked at Ren.
Ren nodded.
"Y... YOU AUDITIONED?!" she repeated, more panic than before.
He nodded again, confused.
"You auditioned? For my debut?" she asked again, now with a lower voice, only above a whisper, earning another nod from Ren who already felt more confused than before at watching her reaction.
What's wrong with me auditioning? —he thought— It's not that I never did an audition before. Of course, some directors or producers would've asked me to audition for a role in their drama, right? So why—
"B... but why?!" Kyouko continued, "Why... But how? Why would you? Don't you have to..." She said all those question words at high speed, unable to produce even one full and comprehensive sentence.
"Mogami-san," Ren softly said, "What do you want to say?" His fists clenched beside him as he tried so hard to refrain himself from holding her shoulders to calm her. Well, if he wanted to be honest, he was more afraid that he would make her jerked out from his touch instead of calming her as she already did for these last few months and of course they didn't need more attention to them from the public, especially at the first meeting of their new drama together.
"Mogami-san." He called her again when she didn't show a sign that she would answer him.
He couldn't help it. He couldn't help but feel a little hurt when he watched her reaction to him when she knew that he would be her male lead. Is that so bad that I will be the male lead for her debut? —he thought painfully— Honestly I had a little hope that she would be happy to act together with me, but it seems that I was wrong. She didn't look happy. Not at all, and instead she is...
He took another look at her, watching her face changes into a lot of expressions while subconsciously hope for a specific expression he wanted to see. He heaved a deep sigh as he succeeded to decipher some of her reactions. Doubt, confuse, incredulous, even pain, but sadly, there was no happiness in those faces she made.
Happy and delighted to act as his female lead, that was the reaction he had hoped to see, but it seemed that his hope would only evaporate into thin air. And looking at her reactions at that time, it seemed that there was no indication that she would make that kind of expression.
He unconsciously let out a deep sigh, and that sigh of him finally got her attention.
Then it seems that all her blood had already rushed to her face before she suddenly made a gesture that he knew so well. After almost two years of knowing her, of course, he would notice that gesture. So before she could raise her hand and dropped her knees onto the floor to do a dogeza, he stepped forward and held her arms, making her flinched for a split second before she looked up to see his eyes and saw his determined eyes.
She blinked.
And then he shook his head slightly, earning a frown between her brows.
"Later," He whispered, "We'll talk about it later."
"But—"
"Mogami-san," He smiled, "Later."
She blinked again, then nodded.
.
.
"Well then," The president talked, breaking the silence, "Since everybody has arrived, let's begin our meeting, shall we?"
x-x-x
For most of the part of the meeting, Ren couldn't put his mind at all on the things the president and the directors explained to the crews and the actors, and it happened because his mind was wandering to other places, and he was thankful that he had Yashiro to explain it to him later.
First, he couldn't help but kept stealing a glance towards the girl who sat down beside her, Kyouko. It wasn't her fault that she looked so cute on that day. Well, beautiful but also cute to be exact as she wore a short-sleeve navy blue butterfly graphic lace tea-length dress that cover the nude color bodice inside, tight around the waist, and flown freely below her hips that accentuated her slender figure, combined with nude pointy heels. She also had dyed her now shoulder-length hair back to its natural color for this drama and pulling it up into a small bun at her head, leaving some curly loose tendrils before her ears, framing her beautiful face.
He sighed again, secretly this time.
She's so cute and beautiful that it hurts somehow, —he thought frustratedly.
The second thing that made him somehow couldn't pay any attention to the meeting was because he couldn't forget her reaction when she knew that it was him who would act as her male lead in her debut drama. She looked so frustrated. So... so confused. So... vehemently refusing the fact. So... I don't know. I wonder if my decision to participate in this drama was a mistake. But...
He took another glance at her.
But if I was not, I am not sure if I can—
He closed his eyes as he recalled the moment a few days before the audition.
(Flashback)
It was another cold and snowy day after the New Year's holidays, and he was just strolling around at LME near the LoveMe room, hoping that he would meet her, the LoveMe member no 1, or maybe just only caught a glimpse of her around in her pink jumpsuit would have quenched his thirst to see her.
Thirst? Yes, thirst. You didn't read it wrong.
It was thirst. Really thirst. And he really felt it because he rarely saw her even in their free time, and he didn't know how it happened. He even thought that she had tried to avoid him for those two months since the beginning of November, especially after her latest commercial, Hansel & Gretel Chocolate Commercial. He could even count their meetings in those two months by his fingers. But when he tried to talk to her about it on the phone (with subtlety, of course), she just dismissed it and told him that it was just about their time that didn't match. Between November and December, he only had dinner with her once, and that one dinner happened because he used it as an excuse to give her birthday present. After all, somehow when the thankful party was being held, he told her that he didn't bring her birthday present because the delivery of the present was delayed, so he couldn't give it on time. AND THAT TOO after he pulled out a high level (level five or higher) of Cain's puppy eyes because he knew that there was no way she could say no to those eyes. And he succeeded. He succeeded to have dinner with her and gave her birthday present on that day.
But that's it.
Then after that dinner, it seemed that she began to avoid him again (not that she admitted it), but between their busy schedules and free times, he just never saw her again, not in the office nor in the other places he thought he would've met her, even in L.A Hearts. It frustrated him to the point that he had asked Yashiro if he really had created matching schedules for both of them, and he said yes. He did create some matching schedules. He even added some free time for Ren to be able to meet Kyouko in the LoveMe room. But he also had no idea why they never met her on those 'specific times' he had 'reserved'.
And that confused them, especially Ren.
She was 'fine' after the 'elevator confession' thing— He had thought at that time— at least until six months after that, or exactly after The chocolate commercial. And his 'fine' description of her included she sometimes looked a little more nervous than before or when her cheeks turned red at the sight of Ren's genuine smile at her when there were only the two of them around.
What the hell was happening in that chocolate commercial that made her behavior change towards me? —He frustratedly thought at the moment— Did she have a change of heart? Or maybe, she thought that everything that happened was a mistake? The confession and all. Or maybe, she suddenly realized that she didn't have the same feeling towards me but she couldn't tell me about that, or maybe—
"Ren,"
He snapped out from his reverie when he noticed his name being mentioned. He had just finished talking with the president at his office and was waiting for Ruto to get a document the president would like to give him.
"Yes, Sir?"
Lory handed him quite a thick document. A script to be exact, and he accepted it with a raised eyebrows.
"What is it?"
"Mogami-kun debut drama" Lory stated.
"Oh..."
"I want you to read it and tell me your thoughts." Said Lory nonchalantly.
Ren's brows raised even higher, "You need my opinion about it?"
There's a slight twitch at the left corner of Lory's lips, "Of course not. I already choose that script." He proudly said, "It's a very good script for her debut."
"So?"
There was no answer from the president, and instead, he only stared at Ren incredulously.
"You want me to join the cast?" It was Ren's turn to stare at his boss in disbelief, "Did we talk about it before? Did we..." He gestured at himself, then to his boss, "Both of us already agreed about that right? That if someday she will debut, I won't join her debut, because it was her debut. We didn't want people's attention to go to me instead, right? We did have an agreement. We—"
Lory chuckled and rolled his eyes, "We? It was you. I never said that I don't want you to join her debut. I never agreed to that, if you might forget. But instead, I want you to join her debut drama. And about this attention thing, of course, you didn't really think that the audience will only watch this drama for you, right? Mogami-kun is a good actress. There is no way that people will watch this drama only for you. I am sure that there's another reason for you to refuse to join this drama." He firmly said, "Do you..." He paused, then squinting his eyes towards Ren, "Are you afraid that she will notice your romantic feeling towards her? Or..." He paused again, "Are you afraid to act in a romance drama with her? Really, Ren?"
Ren blinked, then stilled, while silently hoping that the president wouldn't notice the 'truth' from his stillness and still having the thought that Kyouko's slightly different behavior towards him was because of the rumors between him and Kana-san.
"Ren..." Lory impatiently called him again as he was still silent and not answering his question."
"It's not that."
"So?"
"I've told you the reason, right? I—"
The president sneered, automatically cutting off Ren's words. "I don't buy it."
"Well, I don't sell it," Ren gently smiled, feigning ignorance at Lory before he stood up and excused himself. He turned around then walked for a few steps before Lory talked again, "I am going to held an audition for the male lead tomorrow," He said, and when Ren continued walking, he shouted, "And I do think you should read the script then tell me your thought about it, Ren."
.
.
x-x-x
"How long do we have time before our next meeting, Yashiro-san?"
Yashiro then looked at his watch for a while, silently counting inside his mind while keeping his attention to the road ahead, "Around one and a half hour, I think. Where do you want to have your lunch?"
"Wherever will do, but since we will have a meeting later, maybe we should just buy some onigiri at the convenience store on our way to the meeting place."
Yashiro rolled his eyes, This guy, I hope Kyouko-chan could scold him again for his lack of care for his meals later. He then looked at the rear-view mirror, "Let's go to a restaurant's drive-thru, okay."
Ren nodded without looking at Yashiro because he was paying attention to another thing.
"What do you read?" Yashiro asked, finally noticing a thick document on Ren's lap.
"Mogami-san debut drama script," he answered nonchalantly.
"Oh..."
"Have you read it?"
"Of course, I am still her manager until Kotonami-san replaced me for this drama, after all. The President gave me some of the earlier scripts for my opinion."
"And?" Ren waited.
"And what?"
"Was there something I should know?" Ren asked, "The president seemed eager to make me read this."
"It's a promising script," Yashiro answered shortly,
"And?"
"And Kyouko-chan already accept it."
"And?" Ren asked again.
Yashiro frowned,
"Did the president tell you to join the cast, Ren?" Yashiro asked, "I won't be surprised if he did. He loved that script. A lot of things are happening in that drama, say it romance, humor, fighting scenes, angst, hurt, and other things. But did you talk about this with him before? That you won't join Kyouko-chan's drama if someday she will debut? Well, even if you didn't tell him the real reason, of course, you had a firm decision about it, right? You did tell me about it, and I understand your reason."
"Of course I talked about it to him," Ren continued talking while skimming through the pages, "But i couldn't help but wonder why..." He paused, then flipped a page back, "Why..." He stopped again before his eyes slowly widened, "What the—" He flipped more pages forward, paying more attention towards the script. Then as if it was possible, his eyes widened even more.
"HOLY CRAP!" He shouted, and the car screeched into a halt.
"Ren! What's wrong?" Yashiro exclaimed in panic, looking at the shocked actor in the backseat.
"Turn the car around," Ren said calmly, but of course he couldn't fool his manager who already knew him for years that it was so clear in his voice that he was panicked.
"To where? What's wrong?"
"To LME. I have to register for an audition."
Yashiro was taken aback, "What? What audition?"
"For Mogami-san drama."
"Huh? Didn't you tell me that you won't participate? So why—"
"Did you read the script?"
"I did!" Yashiro answered exasperatedly, "I told you, right?"
"Have you read the WHOLE scripts?" Ren emphasized the word.
Yashiro shook his head, "I... I didn't, of course. But why? It's a good script. Wait..." he paused, "Did he give you the whole script?"
"Not a whole script, but just enough script for me to read," Ren answered coldly. He couldn't help but feel his anger arise from within while he finally sensed why the president gave him the script.
That meddling old man. Of course, there was something behind his mischievous smile before, —he thought wryly.
"Ren..." Yashiro called again, "Are you sure about this? You told me about your worries and—"
"I am still having those worries," Ren admitted, "But I choose to face those worries than 'this script problem'." He adamantly said.
"But what's wrong?"
"I'll talk about it to you later."
Yashiro sighed, "Well if that's your decision"
.
(End of flashback)
The first meeting of the "Serendipity of Fate" drama has ended, and almost all of the people already left the room, leaving only a few people chatted inside. Ren, Kyouko, Yuuto, Ayaka, Kanae, Yashiro, and The President.
Ren was talking with the president and Yashiro when Kyouko and Kanae excused themselves from the room to the others.
"Mogami-san."
Kyouko stopped dead in her tracks, then inwardly sighed before she turned around and face the 'caller'.
"Yes, Tsuruga-san?" She smiled.
"I remember that we had a promise to talk after the meeting," he smiled back at her.
Kyouko nervously gulped, "Ah, yes. I am sorry, I almost forget about it. But..." she turned towards Kanae, "But I told Moko-san that we have to talk about everything since she's now my manager for this drama and—"
"Ah about that!" Yashiro exclaimed, startling everyone, "Since you mentioned about it, I remember I had your schedules for this one week before the filming started, so I supposed to talk to Kotonami-san about it, now, shall we, Kotonami-san?" He smiled sweetly.
Kanae turned towards Kyouko, silently waiting for her decision, and when she nodded, she took a deep breath and turned to Yashiro before she rolled her eyes in super annoyance, "Well okay. Let's go to someplace to talk," she firmly said before walking ahead of him and said, "Just follow me. I'll decide the place." Then without waiting for his answer, she just walked out nonchalantly.
Yashiro sighed, Well, Ren, I hope you use your time wisely so I didn't get Kotonami-san's anger for nothing.
x-x-x
Ren casually leaned his back onto the wall while facing the girl who was now fidgeted her fingers nervously while sitting on the chair behind the table in the middle of the LoveMe room. They had decided to talk inside it because they agreed that the room would give them more 'assurance' that they could talk together privately without anyone else's meddling into the conversation.
She looked so nervous, I wonder why. —Ren thought— It seems that she was afraid of something, or someone, but what is it? It can't be that... That she is afraid of... me, right?
"Mogami-san"
"I AM SO SORRYYYYYY!"
They talked at the same time, and before he could even react, there was a loud thud from the table because she did a dogeza on her chair, forgetting that she was still sitting on her chair with a table in front of her.
"Mog—" He took a step forward towards her chair, intended to look at her forehead, but she was faster. Before he could even reach her, she quickly stood up and did another dogeza on the floor. "I am sorryyyyy!" She desperately cried, startled him even more.
"Mogami-san" He kneeled in front of her then held her shoulders, and she froze, so he couldn't help but feel a slight pang on his chest upon seeing her reaction.
Why is she like this? She froze as soon as she felt my hands on her arms. Did I scare her? But why?
He looked at her desperately, and she still lowering her head, unwilling to look at him.
He reluctantly drew back his hands, and he could see that she finally released a long and deep sigh of relief, and it pained him even more.
He inhaled a deep breath.
"Mogami-san."
"I... I... I... I am so sorry, Tsuruga-san. I am so sorry..." She stuttered, "I am so sorry for imposing on you. I am sorry for ruining your schedule. I am so sorry for being an annoying Kouhai. I am sorry that you have to do this for me. I am sorry that—"
"Wait, what?" He frowned, "What are you talking about?"
She lifted her head and stared at him in despair, regret was written all over her face, "I am so sorry, Tsuruga-san."
"For what?" Ren asked confusedly. Looking at her full of regret face, he couldn't help but think about the things he might have done to make her felt that way, but he couldn't find it, so he just waited for her to give him an explanation.
"For imposing on you. For ruining your schedule. For—" Kyouko began to ramble again.
"Wait, wait." Ren raised his hand to stop her rambling. "Who told you that you're imposing on me? Who told you that you had ruined my schedule? What schedule? What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"THIS!" she cried, "This whole debut drama thing. And you... you had to do an audition to join in this drama to be the male lead. YOU. THE TSURUGA REN. The number one actor in Japan needs to audition to be a male lead for a lowly Kouhai like me!" she cried desperately.
Ren was only silent while trying to decipher her words.
"You... As a Senpai, you felt that you need to help me in my debut, right?" Kyouko asked, then as if she got another scarier thought, her face turned pale almost as white as a white sheet, "Or... or maybe... You were afraid that I will carelessly do something unacceptable for this drama and put the company (LME) into shame?" Kyouko continued to ramble, "Just like when you scolded me before our interview for the Dark Moon wrap-up party when Kijima-san gave me a makeover thing."
Ren gaped at her, "What?"
She shook her head furiously, "I... I remember you told me that you were still confused about the new three scripts to choose from because you like them three and you still couldn't decide. And I am sure my debut wasn't in the three scripts you mentioned. And I heard you talked with the President today that you had rejected those three scripts. That was because of this drama, right? You rejected them because of this drama, right? Because there was no way you would choose this drama than those three. Those three dramas have famous female leads while this drama only had me, a rookie actress as the female lead. You told me about who will be your female lead if you accepted those dramas. So, why? Why you had chosen this drama?"
He didn't know what to say to her because of course, he couldn't tell her that he chose this drama especially because of 'the script'.
I just couldn't. I just couldn't let you...
.
.
His silence somehow seemed to confirm her thoughts. So she began to bow down again, ready for another dogeza.
"I am so sor..."
"Ouch!"
Her long chain of apologizing words instantly stopped when she heard a painful voice coming from him, so she lifted her head and straightened her back before she then realized that he had put his hand between her forehead and the floor, so she technically had 'banged' his hand to the floor.
Her eyes widened in panic.
"TSURUGA-SAN! Are you okay? I am sorry. Is it hurts?" She took his hand and looked at it carefully, from the back of his hand to each of his knuckles, paying attention to details to every inch of his hand, worrying that she might have hurt him. "Does it hurt? Your hand." She asked again, lifting her head to see his face.
"It was my heart that hurts." He answered.
She was stunned, "What?"
"Do you really think that I would have that kind of reason to audition for this drama?"
"But—"
"Do you really think I could think about you that way? That you will ruin your own debut because of your lack of professionalism?"
"I—"
"Don't you ever think that I might want to act with you as the lead in a drama?" He asked sadly.
Her eyes widened, "But I am just your lowly Kouhai, I would never think that you want to act in a drama with me together as leads. I—"
"Are you?" He asked, stopping her talks. "Are you just my lowly Kouhai?" He flipped his hand before entwining his long fingers around her hand. Then he held her hand tighter, savoring her warmth before he then gazed at her deeply as if he was trying to bore into her mind. "Are you just a Kouhai to me?"
Kyouko stunned, then gulped before she looked away from him, unable to see the tender look emanating from the super handsome face before her.
He then took a deep breath, "Mogami-san."
"Y... Yes?"
"Look at me, I want to see your forehead."
She shook her head. "I am fine,"
"Let me see it myself." He firmly said with an unarguable tone, and she gave up resisting. So she turned her head and looked at his face.
He slightly frowned before he leaned closer towards her, "It's red. Let me—" He raised his free hand, intended to touch her forehead, but then his hand stopped at mid-air when her eyes widened and she stood up abruptly, automatically releasing her hand from his hold.
"I am fine!" She squeaked, covering her forehead from his sight by her hand.
Ren stood up, "Are you sure?"
"I am sure!" She exclaimed adamantly.
"Really?"
"YES!"
"Then let me see it."
"No, you can't!" She took a step back.
"Why can't I?" He took a step forward.
"You just can't!" She took another step back.
"But I want to see." He took another step forward.
"You already see it!" She took another step back, and her back bumped onto the wall.
"I want to make sure that it's not bruised or that it won't turn into a swollen forehead." He took another step forward and stopped right in front of her.
"I—" she tried to move another step back, only to no avail, so she took a step to the left.
"Yes?" He followed her and took a step to the right.
"TSURUGA-SAN!" She frustratedly shouted.
"Yes?" He bit back a smile as soon as he saw her pouting.
If I want to be honest, it is more comfortable like this. At least she's not afraid of me. Annoyed, yes, but afraid, no. —Ren thought.
"Why are you following me?" Kyouko asked.
"Well..." he paused, crossing his arms across his chest, "We can continue moving left and right, left and right, over and over until God knows when if you want to continue moving."
She's silent.
.
.
"Just let me see it. I am worried. You did two dogezas today, and you bumped your forehead to the desk once and onto the floor once, am I wrong if I am worried about you?" He sighed.
Looking at his worried face, she surrendered. Then she pulled her hand from her forehead and faced him bravely.
Again, he was leaning towards her, and she immediately closed her eyes.
"Thank God it's not swollen," he said.
"I've told you, right?" She quickly opened her eyes before she shut them closed again, "You're too close." She complained, and he couldn't help but smile at her sudden nervousness.
"What?"
"You're too close. I can't think if you're too close like that."
"Why do you need to think anyway?" He teased her even more.
"TSURUGA-SAN!"
He chuckled before he took a step back, "Now open your eyes. I am not that close anymore."
Slowly, she tried to open her eyes, and as if the day wasn't full with Ren Tsuruga's image already, yet now she faced his wide and genuine smile, and she felt like she was temporarily blinded by it.
It's worse. It's worse. It's worse. —she thought frustratedly.
"Mogami-san."
"Yes?"
"Honestly, I miss working with you," He told her firmly. He didn't feel that he was lying tho. He was indeed missing those times he had working with her in Dark Moon set (and those moments with Cain and Setsu, if he might want to add), and since she seemed to avoid him from November to January, of course, he would want to work together with her again so that he could see her every time they would have scenes together, and more importantly, she was a professional actress, more professional than some other more famous actresses he had met on set. So he wouldn't get any problem with professionalism when he was working with her. "You are a good actress. You're hard-working and you're dedicated to your work. You also have a passion for your work. You always tried to give your best to your works, whatever they are. So," he paused, "Should you even ask why I want to act in a drama with you?" He gently smiled.
The color of red began to fill her cheeks before her eyes beaming in happiness. She then bowed down deeply before him. "Thank you, Tsuruga-Senpai. I am looking forward to working with you again. I'll try not to disappoint you and I will make you proud of your Kouhai."
Ren sighed inwardly while kept on trying to compose his face.
Another round of Senpai-Kouhai thing. Oh well... I'll let it pass for now.
"Me too, Mogami-san. I am looking forward to working with you again." He smiled, "Then should we go home, now? Can I drive you home?" He asked hopefully. He decided that he would ask about her avoiding him later because he just didn't want to ruin the comfortable things that happened between them at the moment.
She was silent, contemplating.
"Well?" Ren asked.
She decided that it was fine, so she nodded, "Okay. Let's go now, shall we?"
Another sincere smile came across Ren's face. "I'll call Yashiro."
x-x-x
Yashiro told them to wait for him in the lobby, so they walked together to the Lobby and just after they arrived at the lobby, they met Ishikawa Yuuto there. Recognizing the two of them, he immediately rushed towards them and smiled.
"Hello Tsuruga-san, Kyouko-san." He greeted,
Ren nodded, while Kyouko smiled, "Hello, Ishikawa-san. Are you waiting for a ride?"
He nodded, "Yes, I am waiting for my ride back." He grinned. "My sister just got her license today so she insisted that she would drive me today, so I didn't bring my car."
"I see."
.
.
"Ah, there she is!" Yuuto exclaimed as soon as he saw a red Ferrari GTC4Lusso entered the lobby and stopped right before them. Then, the door opened and one blonde girl stepped out of it.
Ren and Kyouko's eyes widened as soon as they saw the girl, and when the girl ran towards her brother while screaming, "ONIIIICHAN!" Their eyes widened even more.
They secretly glanced towards each other, especially after they saw the girl's clothes more clearly. It was a mid-thigh-length tube dress made from a tight black leather, and she completed the look with knee-length black boots. She tied her long blonde hair into a high ponytail, and her face, well, she wore some bold makeup. Bold eyes, bold lips, Just like...
Ren and Kyouko took another glance at each other, no words were needed, but they were sure that they have quite alike minds at that time.
Setsuka, —They thought in unison.
Looking at their stunned reaction, Yuuto couldn't help but look at his sister who was feigning ignorance at that time with her surroundings.
"Uhm... this is my sister, Ishikawa Yuuna." He turned to his sister, waiting for her to greet them, but she just continued her nonchalant attitude as if there was no other person aside from her and her brother at that time.
"Yuuna..." Yuuto shook his head disapprovingly, and she pouted, "I've told you to call me Setsu when I am like this," she complained.
"EH?!" Kyouko blurted out. "S... Setsu?" She stuttered before she bit her lips to hold whatever words she wanted to say.
Yuuna turned towards her in annoyance, "Yes, Setsu. Is that a problem? She's my idol."
"Y... Your idol?"
"Yes. My idol." Then her sullen face immediately turned into a proud face, "She's my idol. I met her and her brother in Guam. And I looooooove her attitude and her styles so much." She squealed in her fangirling way.
Kyouko gaped at her,
WHAT?!
.
.
(To be continued)
x-x-x
End Notes:
For Hansel and Gretel Chocolate Commercial, it was only made up by me, because I need that for the purpose of one part of this story. I haven't thought about other commercial or PV to fill the 8-9 months of time, but I may add it later for the purpose of the story. :D
Thank you for reading, and thanks for all the comments for the previous chapter. I love to read them. ^^, please give me more opinions on this chapter. I really hope it's not that 'OOC'. haha... see you next time.