A/N: Well, this chapter ended up being a little longer :) I hope you enjoy.
Lory's Majestic Entertainment
Ren knocked on his boss's door. He hadn't made an appointment, but he figured that if the man was busy, he could just come back later. His own schedule was open for a while, since a new Mio had not been found for Dark Moon, and there were only so many scheduled scenes they could film without her. A man in a turban opened the door and stared at him in silence. "Good morning." He greeted the silent man. "I need to talk to the President, if he's available." The man nodded and turned. Used to this kind of reception, Ren followed into what can only be described as an exact replica of the Coliseum. Looking around in barely concealed amazement, he froze when he saw a giant lion pacing around. The President appeared dressed in a Roman soldier's uniform, complete with helmet, shield, and spear.
"Ren! What a nice surprise. Would you like to spar? Or maybe face the lion!"
Ren glanced nervously at the lion, which was now staring at him in what he sincerely hoped was not hunger. "Eh…no thank you." He smiled and scratched his head. "That's okay. I actually wanted you to help me with something."
"Oh!" The President leaned the spear against the wall and sat the shield down. "Then have a seat." The President sat on his sofa and Ren sat across from him in an armchair. The assistant brought them tea and a platter of various cakes and cookies, which Ren politely declined, his stomach rebelling at the very idea of eating something sweet so early. He did take a cup of tea, and the President took a huge cigar. They were soon enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke. "So, what do you need?"
"To find someone." Ren admitted quietly. The President lifted an eyebrow, but was silent. "Mogami Kyoko, the girl I told you about. I believe she is in Tokyo."
"What makes you think that?" The President regarded him without expression.
"I believe she followed her friend here. His name is Sho Fuwa, a musician with Akatoki."
"Hm." The President had, of course, heard of the boy, and nothing he heard was particularly good. He was said to be rather difficult to work with, and had it not been for his rising popularity, Lory was sure that his rival would have dropped him. "What makes you think I can find her, Ren?"
"Because you can find anyone." The President smirked and nodded his assent.
"Alright Ren. I'll be on the lookout. But why do you want to find her? From what little you told me, she didn't seem particularly attached to you." Ren rolled his eyes, but considered the question. "You love her." The president stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's obvious from the way you talk about her."
"I barely know her!" Ren protested, though a nagging feeling at the back of his mind agreed with the President. "I just…feel responsible for her. She's just a child alone in a big city. What if something happened to her?" It was a thought that hadn't occurred to him before, but now that it did, an icy fear gripped his stomach.
"16 is hardly a child. What about this Sho Fuwa boy?" He asked mildly.
"Hmph." Ren glared at the man, making it all the more obvious how he felt about Fuwa. Suddenly Sebastian came forward out of nowhere and whispered something in Lory's ear. His eyes widened in delight and he grinned at Ren.
"My boy, I believe I just found her."
If Kyoko had been awed by Akatoki the day before, she was shocked speechless by LME's front lobby. Marble floors, vaulted ceilings, and the movie posters showcasing top talents adorning the walls made the lobby look bigger than the entire inn where she had spent most of her life. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her self and made her way to the receptionist's desks. The three women sitting behind them all looked up at her with professional smiles, and her resolve weakened. 'This is sort of ridiculous. I'm just walking into Japan's top talent agency, asking for a job as an actress? I've never acted in my life!' Still, she couldn't think of another way to get her revenge, so she kept walking.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
"Um…yes. I was actually wanting to speak to someone about joining your agency." She gave a polite smile, hoping the new hairstyle and clothes were enough to convince them that she wasn't just a lunatic trying to get in and meet some celebrity. Still, the receptionists were glancing at each other nervously.
"Do you have an appointment?" She asked.
"Ehm…no." The receptionist picked up her phone. "Can I have your name?"
"Mogami Kyoko." Kyoko waited for a few moments while the receptionist made her call and spoke quietly into the phone, but was startled by the sound of horses. Turning, her jaw dropped as a chariot raced into the lobby, drawn by two large horses. Most of the people in the lobby glanced at the chariot and stepped aside, and Kyoko looked around incredulously. 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!' She cried in her mind, trying to compose herself. A Roman soldier reached down, grabbed her arm, pulled her into the chariot, and flicked the reigns. To stunned to protest, she only squeaked and closed her eyes, gripping the seat tightly as they raced through the building.
Ren looked up from his phone as the chariot burst through the doors. The President jumped down, still in full Roman attire, and pulled off his helmet. "Found her." He grinned and Ren looked past him to where he was gesturing. A small orange haired girl was clenching the seat, her eyes closed tightly, and was trembling.
Glaring at the man, Ren walked over and climbed into the chariot. The girl opened her eyes, saw the lion which had taken an interest in her, and drew her legs up, placing her face in her knees. "President!" He scolded. "Did you have to scare her like that?" He snapped, and the President took off his helmet.
"What! I just wanted to get her for you. You said you wanted me to find her."
"Yes. Find her. Not traumatize her." Ren touched her shoulder. Since he had yet to see her face, he couldn't be sure that it was actually she, but the build suggested that it was indeed his old friend. "Mogami-san?" He asked, squeezing gently. She lifted her head and peeked up at him, her familiar golden eyes filled with fear, then surprise, then curiosity. She sat up and turned to look up at him.
"Tsuruga-san? What are you doing here?" She wondered. He smiled gently, reluctantly dropping his hand from her shoulder.
"I work here. The better question is, what are you doing here?"
"A Roman soldier kidnapped me." She told him softly, glancing nervously over at an amused Lory, and Ren chucked.
"Yes. I see that. Come here." He backed out and offered his hand to help her down. Her legs felt like jello, and she collapsed against him. "Hey. Are you okay!" He supported her for a second, and then scooped her up. Her face went bright red as he held her, and she struggled.
"Ah! Put me down! I'm fine! I can walk on my own." He chucked again and walked over to the sofa, setting her down. Lory walked over, laughing softly, and sat across from her. Ren placed a cup of tea in her hands, and she looked back and forth between them nervously.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself." Lory apologized kindly. "I'm Takarada Lory, President of this company. And you must be Mogami Kyoko. It seems you already know Tsuruga Ren." She nodded shyly, and Lory took note of the way Ren sat next to her, as close as he could without touching the girl.
"Um…nice to meet you." She bowed in her seat.
"So…what brings you to my fine company?" Ren was curious as well, and turned slightly toward her. Though overjoyed that he had found her so quickly, he was wondering why she had showed up at his work.
"Um…I was looking for a job actually." She mumbled, a bit embarrassed at her crazy plan. She stared at the carpet, holding the teacup tightly. "I…want to get into acting." Lory looked questioningly at Ren, who seemed surprised as well.
"Ren…can you leave us for a moment?" Ren looked at the anxious girl and squeezed her shoulder.
"Sure. Mogami-san, I'll talk to you later." That was a promise rather than an offer, and Kyoko nodded.
'He must be angry with me.' She thought glumly, though he hadn't seemed angry, and she was sure that with her new little grudges, she would have been able to sense it. The President was staring at her thoughtfully.
"He was worried." She looked up in shock. 'Is he reading my mind?' "He was afraid that something would happen to you." She nodded a little, looking back at the carpet. "So…you want to join LME?"
Obviously nervous, she nodded. Wanting to set her at ease, he softened his tone. "Do you have any acting experience?"
"No, sir."
He nodded, observing her carefully. "Then what made you want to join LME." Her eyes caught fire and she looked up at him.
"Revenge!"
Lory smirked. 'Oh ho ho. This could be interesting.' He listened to her explain for a few minutes with a grin. 'She's passionate. That will certainly serve her well. She may have some acting talent, if I can get her some training. But what about her relationship with Ren? She obviously is afraid of getting hurt, and he has his own troubles. I need to ensure that she can love again…' His eyes lit up. 'Love Me.'
"Mogami-san…I have an idea for a place where you would fit perfectly." She smiled excitedly, all bitterness and irritation gone.
"Really!"
"Yes. You are now the number one member of my new favorite section."
"Favorite section?"
"The Love Me Department."
Ren leaned against the wall, waiting. She had been in there for a while, and he was wondering if he would be able to see her again. He had a job in about half an hour. 'I wonder if Yashiro-san is wondering where I am…' As if on cue, his fair-haired manager came strolling down the hall.
"There you are. I've been looking all over LME."
Ren smiled. "I told you that I had to speak to the President."
"Yes, but I thought you'd be done by now." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall across from him. "Didn't you get to speak to the President?"
"Hm? Yes. I'm waiting for someone."
"Waiting? For who?"
The door opened and the girl appeared. Ren smiled softly down at her, and Yashiro was temporarily blinded. Looking down at the young girl, he himself was a bit taken in by her shy return smile.
"Tsuruga-san. You didn't have to wait for me."
"I wanted to speak to you. But I think I have to go." They both looked at Yashiro, who seemed confused. "Oh. I'm sorry. Mogami-san, this is my manger, Yashiro Yukihito. Yashiro-san, this is Mogami Kyoko." The girl bowed deeply to the man, then smiled sweetly at him.
"It's nice to meet you Yashiro-san."
"Ah…nice to meet you as well, Kyoko-chan." He smiled at the young girl, wondering who she was to Ren.
"So, Mogami-san, are you free this evening?"
"Um…yes. I am." She told him simply, obviously confused. "Why?"
"Would you like to come over? We will be better able to talk there. I can pick you up after I get off of work."
"Oh…um…okay." She was still confused, but he obviously wanted to talk to her, and she didn't really have any plans.
"Would you like a ride home?"
"Oh, no! I don't want to trouble you. I can walk."
"Mogami-san, it isn't safe for a young woman to be wandering the streets of Tokyo alone. Why do you let me drive you?"
"Because I don't want to inconvenience you!" she cried, shaking her head. "You probably have work soon, and I don't live that far away."
"Good. Then it won't take long." He smiled brightly, and her grudges cowered. "The longer you argue, the greater the chance that I will be late." She sighed and followed him out to his car.
Kyoko gave him directions to the Darumaya and they dropped her off. She thanked them and hurried into the restaurant. Once they were alone, Yashiro turned to Ren. "So who is she?" He wondered, a bit of teasing in his voice.
"I already introduced her. Her name is Mogami Kyoko."
"Yes I know that. But how do you know her?"
"She worked at the inn where I stayed."
"Oh, is that all? What is she doing here?"
"I believe she has joined LME. She was trying to, anyway." He told him manger simply, not letting his true feelings show. 'But what happened to Fuwa Sho? She is obviously not living with him…or has she not found him yet? LME is a strange place to look for him. Is she trying to become an actress to get closer to him?' The thought irritated him more than it should have. 'Why is she so in love with that jerk anyway?' He wondered, though to be fair, he hadn't yet met the boy. 'No…wait…' He remembered walking through the lobby one day. A young blonde man had knocked over a trash can in his path, and had gotten smart with him. Ren had pretty much forgotten, but he was almost positive that was Fuwa Sho. "Yashiro-san, do you know anything about Fuwa Sho?" He wondered.
"The guy that tried to start a fight with you?"
"Yea. I guess so."
"No…not really. Why?"
"Hmm. No reason." He mumbled, staring at the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. 'He seems like an arrogant brat to me. Why would Kyoko want anything to do with him?'
When Ren pulled into the Darumaya parking lot, he checked his digital clock. It was 8 in the evening. He hadn't told Kyoko when he was picking her up, so he hoped that she hadn't been waiting for him. Pulling his emergency baseball cap on, he walked into the restaurant and greeted the Okami-san. "Hello. I'm here for Kyoko. Can you tell her that I have arrived?" He asked. The surprised woman stared at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Of course. Would you like something to eat or drink while you wait?"
"No thank you." She turned and disappeared through a door. A few minutes later, she was followed by Kyoko, dressed in a knee length skirt and a simple top.
"Good evening, Tsuruga-san." She bowed and he smiled softly down at her.
"Hello, Mogami-san. Are you ready?"
"Yes. Do you want something to eat first?"
"Hm? No thank you." He led her out to the car and held the door open for her, making her blush a little, but she climbed in. Making sure she was inside, he gently closed the door and sat down on the driver's side.
"Um…how did your job go?" She asked quietly, obviously trying to fill the silence.
"It went well. How was your day?"
"Good. President Takarada is letting me join LME." She smiled brightly and he nodded, taking in the news.
"Are you interested in acting, Mogami-san?"
She hesitated, remembering the President's earlier warning about talking about her motives. "Um…yes. I think it sounds like an interesting profession." She lied a little. She had never even considered acting, but it did sound interesting. He nodded. Something was obviously off with her, but he didn't think he should question her too much at the moment.
When they arrived at his apartment, he opened the door for her and showed her into the living room. "Would you like a drink?" He offered.
"No thank you. I'm okay." She looked around in astonishment, and he chuckled.
"Would you like a tour?" He asked in amusement. She nodded in awe, caught herself, and then shook her head vigorously in embarrassment. He laughed. "I'll show you around later." He sat down next to her.
"So…um…what did you want to talk about?" She asked quietly.
"Well, I was actually wondering what you were doing here? I mean, why did you leave Kyoto?"
She looked up at him hesitantly, then back down at the floor. "I just…really hated living there." She told him quietly. He lifted an eyebrow.
"Did it have anything to do with Fuwa Sho?" He wondered.
She sighed. "How did you know about him?"
"I heard it from someone at the inn."
Kyoko nodded a little. "We were best friends." She started softly, clenching her fists in her lap. "I…I would have done anything for him. One day, he asked me to run away to Tokyo with him, but I was afraid that if we were caught, then the Fuwas would kick me out, and I wouldn't have anywhere to go." His eyes widened in astonishment. 'What about her mother?' He wondered. 'What happened to her?' Kyoko went on. "After he left…his parents hated me. They blamed me for their son leaving, and they thought that I knew where he was. They…started treating me like one of their staff. They wouldn't pay for school and I had to drop out." A tear fell down her cheek and his heart ached for her. Sliding a little closer, he put an arm around her shoulder. "And so I decided to go after Sho, but I had to save up money. And when I finally got it, I spent almost everything I had on a train ticket here. When I found Sho…" More tears fell from her eyes, and there was a furious, pained expression on her face. "…he told me that he didn't want a plain, boring girl like me and that I should go back to Kyoto where I belong."
Anger coursed through his body, and he wrapped his arms around her. 'I hate that man. I would kill him if I could.' The thought surprised him, and for a moment, he was frightened, but the small girl stiffening in his arms kept his thoughts in the present. "I'm sorry." He whispered, stroking her back. "I'm so sorry. For everything." 'But….what about what happened between us in Kyoto? Did…she feel anything for me? Or did I just scare her? How can I bring that up?' She relaxed a little, and then pulled away. Though he wanted to keep her there, he let her go.
She wiped her eyes irritably. "I'm sorry." She glared at the carpet, and he reached out to touch her face. Seeing her anger, he changed his mind at the last minute and ruffled her hair instead. She looked up in surprised, then laughed softly. She smoothed her hair down and gave him a mock glare.
"So what did the President say?" He asked, leaning back.
"Oh. That I'm a part of a new section at LME. It's called the…" She flinched a little. "Love Me Section." He laughed at the disgusted expression on her face. "We, or well, I…since I'm the only member right now, have to do jobs for people if they request them, and they give us points in a stamp book." She pulled out a small heart shaped notebook from here purse, which he took along with a set of ink stamps.
"Hm. So when do you start?"
"Takarada-san said that I would start tomorrow, because he had a special assignment for me. He also said that we would discuss my hours and pay. I hope the hours are somewhat flexible, since I also have to work at the Darumaya."
"The restaurant? But if you are going into acting, you won't have time for two jobs." He warned her.
"But…how else will I pay rent?" She wondered. "I work there so that I have a place to stay." He thought about it for a moment.
"I guess you'll have to pay them with your wages from LME. I wouldn't worry about it yet, though. You won't have any jobs right off." She nodded, making a plan to talk to the Darumaya couple soon about that.
Shoko stared at the petulant boy on the sofa. "What are you pouting about?" She wondered.
He glared at her. "I'm not pouting!" He snapped.
"What? Did you expect her to come crawling back here after that?"
"I don't care what she does!" He exploded, shoving the tinge of guilt to the back of his mind. "I told her the truth. She should just go back to Kyoto. I don't want her here. This has nothing to do with her."
"She isn't yours to order around Sho." The woman glared at him. "You know that she could go to the press with this information." He rolled his eyes.
"She would never do that. She'll just go home." He crossed his arms and glared back at his manager.
"If you say so." Sho rolled his eyes and leaned back against the sofa. He had actually been thinking about the strange new band who seemed to have a style remarkably similar to his, but his thoughts were now filled with the young golden eyed girl who had followed him to Tokyo.
Kyoko moved around the giant kitchen with ease, obviously deep in thought, though keeping enough of her attention on the food so that it didn't burn. 'Why do I feel so comfortable around this man? It's like he's…magic! Like Corn. Just giving off a comforting feeling. He acts like he knows me really well, and I swear he seems familiar…if I could just place it….' She stirred a pot on the stove and began another dish from the surprisingly sparse ingredients in his kitchen.
About a half hour ago, in the middle of a conversation, her stomach had loudly protested the fact that her last meal had been several hours ago. He had looked at the clock, apologized profusely, and offered to get them something, which led to her asking why he hadn't eaten yet, and then the now familiar scolding. He had watched in amusement as she marched to his kitchen and started cooking, wondering if she was this bold when she wasn't angry.
She brought the food out to his low table, and he stood quickly to help. After admitting that he was helpless in the kitchen, and then nearly killing them both with the stove, he was banished, much to his amusement. They sat and began eating together. He noticed her nodding off during the meal and, once they were done, he started to gather the dishes.
"Um…No! Tsuruga-san! I can do that!"
"No. You're the guest, and you cooked. Just relax." He told her kindly. It took another ten minutes of convincing, but she finally settled on the sofa to watch T.V. as he rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning.
'After I finish doing the dishes, I'm going to talk to her! We have to discuss what happened in Kyoto. I kissed her for heaven's sake! And I need to know if that means anything…' He drained the water and wiped his hands with a towel. When he entered the room, however, she was sound asleep on the couch. Smiling a little, he walked over and touched her shoulder. "Mogami-san?" She opened her eyes drowsily. "Hey, wake up. I'm going to take you home, okay?" She nodded and sat up tiredly. He grabbed her purse for her, but it fell sideways and something fell out. He apologized and reached down, picking up the small rock and staring at it.
"Oh. Corn." She smiled fondly at the rock and he stared at her, willing her to make the connection. "That's my most prized possession." She told him softly. "A fairy gave it to me." His eyes widened. "His name was Corn, and he was the prince of the fairies."
'Fairy? She…she still…believes that." He bit his lip hard, desperately trying not to laugh. 'She thinks that I was a fairy.' Glancing up, he met her murderous expression as she snatched the rock from his hand.
"Jerk." She snarled, throwing it in her purse and standing to leave. Alarmed, he grabbed for her arm.
"Wait! Kyoko!"
"I don't care if you don't believe me, but you don't have to make fun of me!" She tried to pull away.
"I wasn't making fun of you! I swear!" He cried, stunned at the strength of the tiny girl.
"Then why were you laughing!" The hurt in her voice was unmistakable, and he closed his eyes, blurting out the only explanation he could think of.
"Because…you were talking about me!"
