A/N: So by the way, I do not own Skip Beat. I know I am quoting a lot of it, and I am borrowing the characters, but all credit is due to Nakamura sensei. She drew and wrote it. I can't draw. :D
**Went back and corrected a few things. :)**
Tea
"Ah. Ruriko-chan." The girl smiled, obviously happy to be acknowledged. "I was getting tired of waiting for you." He said without hesitation, hiding his enjoyment of her stunned face with his bright, gentleman's smile.
"She does not seem pleased with you attitude." Director Shingai spoke up from behind him. "You should just tell her what she wants to hear." Ren managed to refrain from rolling his eyes.
'He didn't even welcome me! But he went and helped that useless girl! He carried her like a princess! I have more fans that Tsuruga Ren! I'm the pop star that LME is the most proud of!' She threw her wig off and growled in frustration.
Yashiro dug through the closet where the emergency supplies were stored and pulled out a cane. "Here. Maybe this will help." He said kindly. Kyoko, who was leaning against the wall, smiled gratefully. Her ankle was throbbing, and she just managed to keep from yelping when she put pressure on it to take the cane. Yashiro, however, caught the pain in her eyes and frowned. "Kyoko-chan, you really should go to the hospital."
"Nonsense. I have a job to do!" She cried, leaning on the cane to keep as much weight as possible off of her ankle. They walked down the hall together for a few minutes until Kyoko spotted an irritated looking Ruriko. "Oh. Ruriko-chan! The filming hasn't started yet." She cried happily, lifting her hand to wave. The girl glared at her menacingly. "Wait…there's no reason for you to dislike me….I haven't done anything to you." She smiled. Yashiro looked back and forth nervously between the girls.
"From the time Love Me was established, I've hated the section! All you know how to do is clean, but you think you can be an actress! Stop dreaming! You should spend the time you waste sucking up and flattering others practicing your skills!"
"I…I don't suck up or…"
"Liar!" Yashiro flinched at the hatred and loathing in the girl's voice, but wasn't sure how to step in. "If it hadn't been for the points, you wouldn't have agreed to carry me on your back."
"No…it wasn't for the points. I…just wanted to…" Yashiro pitied the girl. She sounded so hurt…
"Still, I won't give you any points, because I had already decided from the beginning to destroy you." Furious, Kyoko gripped her shoulder, not allowing her grudge to slip out, and both Ruriko and Yashiro stared at her warily.
After a minute she looked up sweetly. "Ruriko-chan? What are you doing here?" She asked with a kind smile.
"I'm…complaining about you. Are you stupid?" She snapped.
"Hm. And what about the movie?"
"Who cares? They can't do any scenes without me." She said smugly. "They're probably searching for me."
Kyoko turned to Yashiro with a smile. "Yashiro-san?"
"Hm?"
Ren reclined in his seat, sipping his tea, hoping that Yashiro had found something for Kyoko. 'She's so stubborn. But maybe he convinced her to at least rest.' When he heard a commotion, he looked up and found Kyoko and Yashiro carrying a protesting Ruriko onto the set. The Director snorted. Ren wanted to groan. 'So much for resting.'
"I'm sorry we're late!" Yashiro-san cried.
"Oh! You're back. Thank you for bringing her. I wasn't sure what I would do if we couldn't find her." The Director smiled brightly at them. Kyoko rolled her eyes. Noticing her face, Ren smirked.
Kyoko sighed. 'He wasn't looking for her…they were just sitting around.' Suddenly she heard Ren's voice. She looked up at him. She cocked her head. "Who didn't hose spit, purple girl?" She asked in confusion. He laughed softly and shook his head.
"No. I said, So you didn't go to the hospital, turtle girl." She glared.
"I am not a turtle! And I can walk if I don't put my…" She felt herself being shoved forward, caught sight of Ren's stunned expression as he tried to catch her, and crashed to the ground. Clenching her teeth, she held back a scream.
"What! It's not as if she's really hurt! She just wants Tsuruga-san's attention! You're disgusting!"
"Are you okay?" Ren's soft voice got through the screaming, and she could feel his hand on her arm. Another touched her head and stroked her hair softly. Kyoko was shaking, but she nodded a little.
"You just have a crush on Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko felt something snap, and she turned toward Ruriko furiously.
"Me! You're the one who refused to move until you heard that Tsuruga-san would be here!" She snarled.
"Is her leg injured?" The Director asked.
"Yes. We think it's a fracture." Yashiro said worriedly.
"Here, let me look at it again." Ren touched her ankle gently, and she whimpered a little.
"Ruriko, you went too far. You need to apologize to her." The Director scolded her angrily.
Ruriko looked at the man kneeling beside the young girl and glared. Ren looked up at her and gave her a disgusted look, and she recoiled in shock, then spun on her heels. Even the crew was eyeing her disapprovingly. She stormed off the set.
"I'm sorry." The director apologized softly. Kyoko shook her head.
"No. It's fine." She told him tiredly. Tsuruga-san reached down and took her arm, gently helping her to her feet. The Director looked back and forth between the two curiously. Ren helped her over to the set as the Director called for them to begin filming.
Kyoko watched the actors, lost in thought. 'All this time I thought she was a beautiful princes…but it turns out she was nothing more than a wicked queen.' She sighed. 'I guess a perfect princess only exists in fairy tales.'
"Miss." Ren's deep voice appeared beside her, along with a clank. "Would you like to take a seat?" She smiled a little up at him.
"No thank you. Ruriko-chan will get angry if she sees you standing next to me anyway…so you should probably…"
"Seriously! I'm just walking!" Kyoko jumped a little in surprise, and felt Ren's hand steady her, but she could see that he was also surprised.
"Until I say it's okay." The Director informed her coldly. "You are playing a rich young lady, and so you should act like one. You are just walking around in a kimono." She glared at him. "Stand with your back straight." He continued to give directions and Kyoko straightened a little, adopting the posture. Ren glanced over at her in surprise, then smiled a little.
'She is good…'
"NO! I've had enough! No matter what I do it's not good enough. You're picking on my because you don't like me!" She screamed at the director. He lifted an eyebrow. Ren only stared at her disdainfully. "I'm only a novice in acting anyway! I quit!" Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "If you want a novice to act the part, ask her!" She pointed at Kyoko. "She'll do anything for points!"
Kyoko smiled at the girl menacingly. "What you said is correct." She informed the girl, smirking. "I will be able to act such a small part well. Since you are giving it to me, such a rare opportunity, I accept it. Your invitation to show business."
Ren looked warily at the director, who was watching Ruriko from around a corner. 'Like a stalker.' He thought uneasily. The man turned to Ren. "Director, are you serious about this?" He asked with a small glare. "You want Mogami-san and Ruriko-chan to compete? Because in the press conference, it was widely announced that Ruriko-chan would bet the main protagonist."
"Yea. It's fine. Lead actors and directors sometimes have disagreements."
"But. what about what the President wanted us to do? He wanted us to try and change Ruriko-chan's unreasonable attitude."
"Eh. Ruriko-chan is ruining the feeling I want for this movie."
'What do you mean 'eh'? Are you a little kid?'
Ren sighed. He didn't mind the thought of acting with Kyoko, or giving her a chance, but she was an amateur, and he wondered if she would be able to act the part. Also, he knew that the President would be upset when he heard about this. He liked Kyoko, but the focus right now was Ruriko. 'Besides, Kyoko is hurt.' He looked over and caught sight of Ruriko sitting on the steps. "Ruriko-chan?" She looked up at him in surprise.
"Tsuruga-san?" Pushing back his irritation at the girl, he sat next to her.
"Ruriko-chan, the director is serious. You should stop saying that you want to quit and try to use your acting skills to change his mind." She stared at the ground glumly. Suddenly, she looked up and started to speak.
"Erm…Tsuruga-san?"
"Hm?"
"I…"
"Ah! Are you waiting for Kyoko-chan?" The make up artist walked over to them with a smile."
"No" "Ruriko frowned, but Ren didn't get a chance to respond before Kyoko stepped out and he could no longer breathe. She was…absolutely beautiful. His mind stopped working as he stared at her in amazement.
'I haven't seen her in a kimono, though she worked at an inn. But it's more than that. Her face is so…I don't know. The make up makes her eyes stand out, and they brighter. Her lips…oh no, I probably shouldn't think about those.'
"Hmph. You look like a different person with just a little make up." Ruriko crossed her arms and smirked.
"Thank you!" Kyoko cried, drifting off into la la land. "It's like Cinderella! Isn't it!" She looked at the onlookers, and Ren smiled and nodded indulgently. "This is the happiest moment in my life!" She cried, and Ren felt a little pity for a second. Suddenly she stopped and seemed lost in thought.
'Is it the happiest moment?' Suddenly she had a flashback of Ren's lips on hers and she glanced at him and blushed a little. His eyes widened at the embarrassed look on her face.
'What is she thinking about?'
Ren stared as Kyoko walked onto the set. 'Perfect.' He found himself thinking with a small smile, which broadened when the Director echoed his sentiments out loud.
Kyoko bowed and the Director whistled quietly. "She's good." He mumbled. She stepped off the stage and he watched the crew congratulate her. When they had left, he watched as pain crossed her face and she clenched her fists.
"You know, even if you pretend it doesn't hurt, you are still in pain." His voice was gentler than his words, and he placed a hand around her waist and led her to a chair. He knelt down in front of her and began to rewrap her foot. "This is your fault you know. You are only going to make it worse by walking as if nothing is wrong." He told her conversationally.
She frowned. "I had to use both feet to walk smoothly." She snapped. He only sighed, wrapping the bandage around her foot more tightly, trying to be gentle when she gasped in pain.
"Mogami-san, you have to be careful. You could end up seriously injuring yourself. You shouldn't compete in the next scene." He told her seriously.
"Why? Is it a rock climbing scene?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No." He secured the wrapping and stood. "It is a tea ceremony scene. You cannot kneel for that long on a hurt ankle." He tried to reason with her.
Her eyes narrowed a little and she gave him a small smile. He nearly groaned. 'She is so stubborn.'
Ren strolled along the path with the director. "The next scene is all outdoors. I never thought that Ruriko would agree so quickly. It seems she really doesn't want to loose to this girl."
Ren glanced over to the side and caught sight of large group gathered around a dust cloud. "Um…director?"
"What's going on!" He cried. They heard yelling and hurried over.
"Separate them!"
"Ah! Calm down!"
"You two! Stop it!"
Ren and the Director approached the group. "You liar! How could you lie about being allergic to UV rays?" Ren sighed, realizing that the girl had finally figured it out.
"It is your fault for assuming that!" She cried irritably. "It is you who were mistaken you useless Love Me member!"
"Then why didn't you say something!"
"How could you be so stupid!"
The two girls were grappling and screaming at each other, and the director stepped forward. "You two! Stop fighting. You need to compete with your acting skills!" Ruriko shoved the girl away and stormed off.
"Fine. We need to start soon." She snapped.
Ren looked down at Kyoko. "You really are stupid." He told her softly, kneeling down and touching her back. Her eyes were closed and her teeth were clenched. "Mogami-san, you can't act in the next scene with this injury. The director shortened the scene, but you will be in too much pain." She opened her eyes ad glanced sideways at him.
"No. Even if I fracture a bone, a broken bone will heal. I won't quit."
Ren sighed. "Seriously Mogami-san. I am impressed by your persistence." He stared at the girl on her hands and knees with a mixture of concern and annoyance. 'Why won't she just give up?' "But you cannot act the scene looking like that."
"I'll sit up when he calls action!" She cried, her eyes still closed. He sighed but only nodded. He could hear people whispering about her admiringly, and he wondered if he was admiring her himself, or if he just thought she was crazy. He closed his eyes for a second.
'No. I need to think about my character. I can't let myself get distracted by her, or being worried about her. She'll be okay…I just have to concentrate. If I can lead her through the scene…'
"Action." To his shock, she sat up straight, putting her weight on her knees and bending her ankles, and smiled at him.
'Hmm…she's good.' He watched her with a calm expression as she began making the tea. Her movements were fluid and smooth, with no signs of her being in pain.
"The sound of the wind there, really does sound like bells." He took a sip of his tea and glanced at her, enjoying her surprised expression. "Haven't you been there?"
"Um…no."
'Not bad. She seems surprised, and she realizes that she messed up a little.' "Not at all? That's strange, since you live so close." He sat the bowl down and looked up at her. "Is there a reason why?" Her mouth dropped open a little as she stared at him. He felt his ego grow a little at that stunned expression, but shoved it away to stay in character.
"Since I was young, I've been warned to stay away from that cape." She told him, her voice perfect, growing strength. He felt a little exhilaration.
'She's really acting seriously. I think she could have some talent.' "Ah." He glanced to the side, cocking his ear. "The ringing of the bells. Are you afraid of being enticed by the bells?" The cup in her hand dropped to the floor and rolled off to the side. She stared at him in amazement and shock. He stared back intensely. Following the script, he stood smoothly and turned away. "Do you already know the reasons surrounding the sea cape?" He turned slightly and faced her, then froze, unable to go on. She was deathly pale, with sweat running down her face. Her eyes were empty and she stared straight ahead.
"Stop! That'll be all!" The director called, and Ren snapped out of his trance.
"Mogami-san!" He dropped to his knees beside her, reaching her before the director, and took her hand. "Mogami-san, you can stop now." He pleaded with her. Her hand was clammy and shaking, and he swallowed hard. "It's over."
"No." Her voice was faint and filled with pain.
'I need to get her up. But she's shaking so badly…can she stand?' The director was standing beside the raised set, watching them anxiously.
"The scene isn't over. I can't get up…until the scene is over."
"Kyoko! It's…"
"The guest." She whimpered. "Is still…here…in front…of me." His eyes widened and he moved sideways, starting to get off the set. As soon as he was out of her line of sight, her eyes closed and she slumped forward. Ren jumped back and caught her.
"Kyoko!" He hurriedly lay her down on her side, taking as much pressure as he could off of her ankle.
"Call a doctor!" The Director cried. "Now! We need an ambulance!"
Ren placed her head on his lap and slipped his hand into her hair unfastened the wig, set it aside, and stroked her damp orange hair. She was breathing heavily and sweat poured from her forehead. Yashiro joined him on the set by the unconscious girl and stared at his change. Ren looked frightened, and was gripping her hand tightly.
The ambulance arrived after what felt like hours, and two men with a stretcher came forward. They sat it on the edge of the set, and Ren picked her up gently and placed her as carefully as he could on the stretcher, trying not to move her ankle. Ren watched as they picked her up and took her away. Yashiro touched his shoulder. "I'll go with her. You can see her as soon as you're done filming." He nodded grimly and watched his manager climb into the ambulance.
"You never intended to allow Mogami-san to have the part, did you?" He asked the director with a small frown.
The director shrugged sheepishly. "No. The president would have killed me. I just needed to get Ruriko to act seriously." He wilted a little under the disapproving look of both the actor and his manager.
"So fun!" Kyoko smiled brightly at the Director and the crew. "Thank you so much director!" In the background they were disassembling the photo shoot and gathering the equipment. The cast congregated around the girl with the cast on her leg and looked back and forth between the director and Kyoko. "I never thought I would get to dress in such pretty clothes again, and you're letting me have a picture as a souvenir! Thank you! You are such a kind person!" The crew looked irritably back at the director, mumbling about what a cruel person he actually was.
"Erm…Kyoko-chan, in regards to the role, I really am sorry that you didn't get the part…"
"Oh. Please don't worry about that."
"Really, I don't see you as inferior to Ruriko-chan."
She glowered in anger. "Truth be told, I am not really upset about losing the part. Because even if I had continued, all I was doing was following Tsuruga-san's acting. I reacted according to the script…because he made me react that way."
"It's not just you. Ren has that effect on almost everyone." She shook her head, staring at the floor.
"I…do not want my acting acknowledged if I am just following him." She started to go on, but spotted said man across the room. The Director waved.
"Ah Ren!"
"Hello Director." He smiled down at Kyoko, glancing at the cast on her leg. "Hello Mogami-san." Yashiro smiled and greeted them as well.
The Director pulled Ren aside after Kyoko said hello. "Can I ask you something?" He asked the taller man quietly.
"I feel bad…imposing on the two of you. I am sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Ren smiled softly down at her. "How's your leg?"
"Um…it's okay." Yashiro looked down at her.
"Eh…Kyoko-chan, I was wondering…when did you learn the tea ceremony?" Kyoko froze, her eyes wide.
'Wait a minute…I was very young. But…why did I have to learn it? Only the Okami-san serves tea to the guests…I…was…supposed to be the Okami-san? Does this mean…my whole life…I was supposed to be Sho's…wife?' She fell to her knees and leaned on her hands.
"Kyoko-chan!" She didn't hear Yashiro call her. "Are you hurt?" Ren walked back and knelt beside her.
'No…that's not all. This means…everything in my life…all the things I learned, were all for Sho. I…have nothing.' She brought a hand up to her mouth and felt a tear fall down her face. Ren's eyes widened.
"Mogami-san? Is your leg hurting?" He asked her softly, placing a hand on her back. She looked up at him with empty, pained eyes.
"Everything." She whispered. He frowned in confusion.
"Excuse me." Ren glanced up. "I'm a reporter from Boots Magazine. I'd like to talk to her."
Ren felt annoyance and anger rising. He glared up at the man and put an arm around the girl and moved toward her protectively. "We are busy right now." He told the man coldly. That was all it took, and the man quickly apologized and hurried off. He turned his attention back to the trembling girl. "Mogami-san, can you stand? We should get out of the hallway." She nodded and let him help her stand. She was in a trance the rest of the way to her room, and he led her inside and helped her sit on the bed. Sensing that Ren wanted to be alone, Yashiro guarded the door from the hallway. "Kyoko-san?" He asked softly. "Can you say something?"
"The tea ceremony." She whispered. "I started learning when I was around twelve. I…the only person who learns the ceremony…is the Okami-san." He put an arm around her and stared down at her, still confused. "Everything….everything I learned, everything I was taught and worked for…I was being trained…" More tears fell from her eyes. "…to be Shotaro's wife." His eyes widened and he sat with her for a few minutes, rubbing her back as she cried quietly. "I…don't have anything…for me." She whispered. "My life is completely empty." He flinched, that remark hitting rather close to home, and he realized how much pain she was in. Suddenly, she clenched her fists and stared at him determinedly. "But from now on…acting will be the thing I do for myself." She told him fiercely. "I want a skill that I can call my own." She looked at him and he squeezed her hand. "I want an acting ability that is equal to yours."
A/N: This chapter was a bit longer than the others, and I am quite happy about that. Please let me know what you think.
