The scene before her couldn't be real. She pinched herself. It hurt so she couldn't be dreaming. Hallucination maybe? Illusion?
~But I have stopped taking those painkillers, and I haven't hit my head~
She rubbed her eyes. She shook her head. It was still there. It was really happening.
Ren was in the LoveMe room.
That she would have been able to cope with.
Ren wasn't alone.
Most definitely not alone.
Tears silently slid down Kyokos face.
He was stood in the middle of the room.
His hands were on the arms of a very tall, very slim, very buxom blonde bombshell. She was gorgeous. This blonde was currently kissing Ren. Very thoroughly.
Kyoko felt hands on her shoulders. Chiori was one side, Kanae the other. They both had murderous looks on their faces, directed at the people in the room. Chiori pulled Kyoko up of the floor.
Kyoko sobbed. The two in the room broke apart. The blonde looked incredibly smug. Ren saw that the three LoveMe girls were stood in the doorway. He went deathly pale. He saw Kyoko flanked by the girls. She looked stricken.
Kyoko was only still standing thanks to Chiori holding her up. Her heart was shattered. The dark voice in her head, the one that detests love, was doing a little victory dance, singing 'I told you so' at the top of its voice.
Natsu, Kuon, Setsu , Bo and even Mio where in shock. They couldn't understand it. Had Ren finally given up?
"Kyoko, I-I can explain" stuttered Ren.
Kyoko couldn't even look at him. Tears were still streaming down her face. Before she could reply Kanae had stepped up to Ren and slapped him. Hard.
"How could you?!"
She went to slap him again but realised it wasn't worth the effort.
"After everything you've said, everything you've done. This is what you do?! Well, at least I meant what I said. Watch your back."
She turned, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
She took Kyokos arm.
"Come on Kyoko. I think some ice-cream is in order. My treat. You too Amiyama-san."
With a last filthy look thrown in his and the blondes general direction and Chiori making a mental note to add him to the notebook, they turned away. Half dragging a catatonic Kyoko through the building and into the street, Kanae decided that the Darumaya was their best bet.
She text Ryu.
A few minutes later Ryu skid the car to a stop by the curb. The three of them piled into the back seat. Kyoko in the middle. Kanae and Chiori each put an arm around her. She was still crying. Not one of them knew what to do. They had never seen Kyoko like this.
"What happened?" asked Ryu catching Kanaes eye in the rearview. Kanae shook her head and moutherd 'later'.
When the car pulled up at the Darumaya, Chiori gently pulled Kyoko from the car while Ryu went ahead. Ryu emerged from the back door with Okami. Kyoko threw herself into the arms of the older woman and let her heartbreak out.
"Come Kyoko. Let's go inside. You escort your guests up to your room and I'll bring some tea."
Kyoko nodded, heading upstairs, Chiori, Kanae and Ryu following her. As soon as the door clicked shut, Ryu started with the questions.
"What on Earth happened?"
Kyoko couldn't reply. She was still crying but gentler now. Shock was setting in. She felt numb.
Kanae explained to Ryu that Kyoko had walked in on Ren kissing a blonde slut in the LoveMe room.
(A/N: She actually uses much stronger language but I'm not sure what I can get away with so I'll leave it to your imaginations.)
"Ren?! Tsuruga Ren?! Kissing a woman in the LoveMe room?"
Kyoko nodded.
"He goes there because it's quiet and he gets left alone."
Chiori scoffed.
"I-I..." A fresh wave of tears came over her.
"I knew this would happen if I let that stupid emotion in again! I knew that it would never be me. But to see him with someone else with my own eyes. I just... just once. I didn't want to go through this again. I just thought, that maybe... Oh Gods it hurts!"
Kanae patted her head. Chiori her leg. There was a knock on the door. It was Okami with tea. She passed Kyoko a cup and took a hankerchief from her pocket.
"My dear Kyoko. I'm so sorry that you had to see that. I cannot even imagine how you feel right now. Though are you sure it was what you thought? He is an actor after all. Could he have been practicing a role?"
Kyoko looked up.
"Yea," said Kanae, "Rule of the actors heart and all that"
Chiori jumped in.
"Did you see the look on her face though? Smug. Incredibly so."
"But Ren didn't. He looked horrified!"
"Yea, at getting caught!"
Chiori and Kanae continued to argue. Ryu moved to sit next Kyoko.
"Is there anything I can do? I can uninvite him from Friday."
"Oh no, no. You don't have to do that. As much as this hurts I do still have a lot to thank him for. He can also explain himself. Though... Could you make it, perhaps, that I'm not anywhere near him until then?"
"That I can do" Ryu started making notes.
Okami put her arm around Kyoko.
"Are you sure? You don't have to."
Kyoko nodded.
"An actress may have to work with people she doesn't like. I will save all the upset and pain for private. In public it will be like nothing has changed."
Kanae and Chiori had given up on arguing and were now teamed up in the mission to get Ren back somehow. Kyoko may not do anything but that didn't mean that they couldn't. Kyokos grudges stirred, feeding on the anger coming from the two of them.
Kanae had a thought.
"Hey Kyoko-san. Even if he doesn't come, I still will. It can be our rain check. We'll have a girly night, right Amiyama-san?"
Chiori looked uncomfortable.
"I.. Uh, I actually can't. I leave Thursday for a 3 week overseas shoot. I'm so sorry Kyoko-san."
Kyoko smiled albeit weakly.
"its okay Chiori-san. It's work. I understand. We'll just have a girly night when you come back!"
"Deal."
They spoke more about work and little things until Kyoko calmed down. Okami excused herself, saying she had to go back to work. She hugged Kyoko.
"It'll work out. You'll see."
She bowed to the girls and left the room. Chiori soon followed. She had work tonight and packing to start. She left with apologies that Kanae and Kyoko waved off.
Kyoko, Kanae and Ryu carried on talking. Kyoko introduced Kanae to Ryu properly. She grew quieter and quieter until the two realised she had fallen asleep. Kanae laid her down on her bed.
"What was Ren thinking?!" she muttered to herself.
To Ryu she said " I guess I should catch you up."
Ryu held up a hand.
"No need. Yashiro caught me up earlier. From what I gained Ren is completely in love with her. Maybe Okami was right? We don't know the whole story."
They sat in silence, watcing the sleeping girl. Kanae brushed back her hair.
"How much more does this poor girl have to go through?"
Ryu looked confused.
Kanae shook her head.
"It's not my place to say. She will tell you when she's ready."
She looked at her watch.
"I should get home. I have a shoot later. Can you tell her goodbye and that I'll see her Friday. I'm free from 7."
She waved at Ryu, looked at Kyoko and left the room.
Left alone with her charge, Ryu took out her phone. She relayed everything to Yashiro.
The same Yashiro who was currenty waiting for Ren to come back to his dressing room after an interview. The more he read, the darker his face got. He was livid by the time Ren came back.
"Well at least you actually did something this time. Would you care to explain why the entire LoveMe section had to escort Kyoko home? Why Kotonami-san and Amiyama-san are plotting against you? Ren, fans I can protect you from. These two... I'm not so sure."
He knew why of course but wanted to give Ren a chance to explain his side.
"Not really." Ren said, loosening his tie.
"So it had nothing to do with her catching you kissing someone in the LoveMe room?!"
Yashiro was shouting now.
"How could you be so stupid! All the effort you've put in with Kyoko, ruined in a second!"
Ren was getting angrier and angrier.
"Yashiro, it really is none of your business."
"YES IT IS! You're not the only one who cares for her! You ripped out her heart! The ladies had to take her home. She was practically catatonic!"
Ren already felt awful. Kyoko wasn't even supposed to be in the building.
He sighed.
"The woman that Kyoko saw me kissing is my co-star in my new drama. Her name is Misako Mia and that woman does not like to take no for an answer. She is intent on dating me. She follows me. When Kyoko walked in Misako-san was attempting to... persuade me. You can't honestly think so little of me that you thought I would deliberately hurt Kyoko, do you?"
Yashiro didn't know how to answer.
Ren ran his hands through his hair.
"Now it's all messed up. I couldn't explain myself. Kotonami-san even slapped me."
Thinking of Kanae caused a shiver to go down his spine.
~What is that woman going to do to me?~
"Why didn't you go after them? Try to explain?"
"Because Misako wouldn't let me go. By the time I managed to get out of the room they had gone. I didn't know where they had gone."
Ren sat in his chair, arms on his knees, head in his hands.
Yashiro sighed.
"Well, it'll work out, you'll see. For now though you need to put your gameface on. We have to go see the president."
In the car Yashiro updated Ryu with Rens side of the story. A thought occured to him.
"Uh.. Ren... You better hope the prsident doesn't know..."
Ren gripped the wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. The president would be unbearable. He was not looking forward to this. Today was not his day.
The president was furious.
"My number one male talent gets assaulted by a co-star and doesn't report it, and worse Mogami-san saw!"
That thought dampened his anger some.
"Poor Kyoko"
"Lory-san. Why poor Kyoko?"
He remembered his promise to Kyoko that he wouldn't tell Ren about her feelings. He struggled for a response.
"I mean the shock of walking into the LoveMe room and seeing her Senpai like that. In that situation. She's a proper lady."
Ren nodded as if this made sense.
~Of course. She only sees me as a Senpai. It couldn't be because she actually cares. Could she? No, I won't go there.~
"I'm sorry Ren. This has to be hard for you. Kyoko is going to be even harder to reach."
"If you only asked me here to torture me, can I leave now?"
"No, that's not the only reason I asked you here. Some new information has come in about your drama. As you know, you're the Knight. Unfortunately Misako Mia is still the Evil Queen. They cast the Princess. Ren, I'm sorry."
"No they can't have. Kyoko got the role?!"
Lory nodded softly.
"She didn't even let me finish the pitch. She heard the word Princess and that was it. She has no idea that you'll be starring together."
"Could you keep it that way? I don't want her to drop out. She deserves this. Her lead, her debut. I won't ruin it for her. If things aren't resolved by then, I will just keep my distance from her."
"Very well. That is all Ren. You may go."
Ren stood and gave a small bow to the president.
Yashiro was waiting in the hallway.
"Do I have anything else scheduled for today?"
Yashiro flicked through the planner.
"No. Your afternoon and evening are completely free."
"Then if you wouldn't mind finding your own way home. I think I need to be alone right now."
Ren caught the look on Yashiros face.
"I am going straight to my apartment. I just need to be alone."
Yashiro nodded and headed for his office. Ren headed for his car.
Inside he headbutted the wheel.
Misako Mia had ruined everything. He would avoid that woman from now on. He would not be left alone with her. Anywhere.
Now he had to see if he could fix things with Kyoko but he figured she needed a few days first. He would be the person she wanted to see least.
He had to face Kotonami-san and Amiyama-san too.
He groaned.
This wasn't going to be easy but if he could get Kyoko to understand, it would all be worth it in the end.
