CHAPTER IV - ALL I ASK OF YOU

Kanae woke up to a message from Kyoko that had been sent at 4:32 a.m. and read

"My Beloved Moko-san,

I am so sorry to have to leave you halfway through our dreaded pink journey. I know you will achieve your dream of becoming an incredible actress to represent all of Japan. Your friendship has been one of the most wonderful things to have ever happened to me. Please remember me fondly, my friend!

Love,

Kyoko"

Kanae stared at her phone, uncomprehending, for almost ten minutes, trying to decipher the text. She was about to give up and call Kyoko to make her explain when she remembered whose shoot Kyoko was filming today. That idiot girl!

"MO! Don't make it sound like you're dying!" Kanae grumbled loudly. "Or worse, graduating the LoveMe section before me!" Kanae wasn't sure which thing would be worse.

"Kanae-onee-chan! The laundry needs folding!"

"MO! AN ACTRESS NEEDS HER BEAUTY SLEEP!"


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


Kyoko arrived early to set looking positively haggard. She had barely slept. The actress had spent the first half of the night frantically praying to Corn to spirit her away to the fairy world so that she wouldn't have to face the next day of filming. Eventually, around 2:00 a.m. she had given up on Corn coming to her rescue and began making her final preparations. She had drafted half of her will before realizing she had no worldly possessions of value to leave behind and had cried furiously at the unfairness of being unable to say goodbye to her best friend in person. Kyoko had no hope of living beyond today, she was certain her end was coming. The only question was if Tsuruga Ren would carve out her heart with his icy castigation before or after Sho's arrogance caused her head to explode.

"Kyoko-chan! You're here ear- OH MY GOD YOUR FACE!" The makeup artist barely recognized the young actress with her dark circles and withered face. She looked more ghoulish than human. Immediately, the older woman shoved Kyoko into the makeup chair. "You can't be on camera with your skin looking like that!" She rummaged in her bag, pulling out creams and serums and muttering furiously. "Where's my watermelon hydrating mask? I'm sure I had it with me..."


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


"Kyoko-san!" Asami checked her watch, then her clipboard. "You aren't scheduled to be on set for another hour and a half."

Kyoko bowed and greeted the producer. She straightened, scratching the back of her head. "I was up early, so I just thought I may as well…"

The producer waited for further explanation, but none came. "Well, may as well make use of it! We can get your individual B-roll shots out the way. No harm in getting a head start." Given how yesterday went, we're going to need it. Asami turned to her assistant. "Radio wardrobe, tell them we need Kyoko-san's outfits for scenes 8-13 here stat."


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


Since leaving the set last night, Sho had been an endless litany of complaints: his costume was too itchy, the bento boxes at lunch had been sub-par, the stage hands were lazy, the background extras weren't hot enough, the list went on. Shoko held her tongue and nodded along, but her patience only stretched so far. When Sho started to complain that the Phantom makeup wasn't ugly enough, his manager had rolled her eyes. He's Tsuruga Ren. There's only so hideous you can make him. She had wisely held her tongue, but the lack of verbal agreement left Sho pissy for the rest of the night, and he woke up in an equally terrible, if not worse, mood.

As soon as they arrived on set, Shoko handed the musician off to the hair and makeup department. She needed a break from her charge. Shoko wanted time to talk strategy with the producer. They needed to avoid the same situation as yesterday when it had taken almost eight takes to nail a thirty second clip.

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan! Have you seen Asami-san around?" Shoko asked.

"Good morning!" Kyoko politely bowed. "She just got called away by the lighting designer."

"I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I was surprised to be offered the part. But a job's a job." And I really needed the money. Kyoko's jaw clenched.

"Oh no, I meant… you're very early on set today. But I do..." Shoko cringed as an awkward silence crept over the two. "It is a difficult job. I know yesterday was…" Shoko hesitated. She didn't really know quite what to say. "Kyoko-chan, you know that Sho- he can be selfish, but he really does care, he just…"

"Can't show it." Kyoko said flatly, looking straight ahead. "I know. To him, nothing's more important than looking cool."

Shoko squinted at the younger woman. Looking at the beautiful teen in her long brown wig, there was barely any resemblance to the girl that Shoko had called security on all those months ago. The older woman couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about the girl had changed. And yet, whenever Shoko saw the actress and Sho together, it was like they existed in their own separate world.

"You know, he can't seem to focus on looking cool around you." Shoko couldn't say that time apart had lessened Kyoko's resentment of Sho's actions, but the manager wondered if the actress in front of her understood more of Sho's feelings than she let on.

"He doesn't worry around me because I'm not worth trying to impress." The actress replied.

Okay, nevermind, she's just dense. "That's one interpretation, I suppose." Shoko gave Kyoko a pointed look. "I've got to go check on our leading man."


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


Clearly, his strategy of being polite and relatively passive had not worked. Ren had hoped that his calmness would put his kohai at ease, but all it had done was make it easier for her to avoid him. Part of Ren had some serious disagreements about even trying to get Kyoko to talk to him today. His presence on set had obviously surprised her, and it had not been a good surprise. While he wasn't sure of her reasons, Ren did want to respect her boundaries and not push her. After all, he risked pushing her further away.

The good news was that whatever part of his conscience that wanted to keep his distance was easily squashed. Maybe Ren had been listening to Yashiro too much. Or maybe he just was fed up and done with waiting on the sidelines while Fuwa Sho did everything in his power to claim Kyoko after he had tossed her aside like garbage. While Tragic Marker had wrapped, Cain Heel and BJ were still fresh in Ren's mind, and both personas absolutely refused to lose to the likes of Fuwa Sho. His mind was made up. He would speak as few words to Sho as possible, and when lunchtime came he would have his time with Kyoko and his answers.


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


"Umm, Tsuruga-san,"

"Yes?" Ren looked up from his phone and smiled. The girl in front of him stumbled. She thought she actually observed sparkles in the air when he smiled like that.

"I, um," the girl was clearly flustered, "I know this perhaps not appropriate to ask of you, but..."

"It's okay," he said, gently encouraging. "You don't have to be so formal."

"C-can I have your autograph!?" The girl bowed, not looking at the famous actor as she thrust out a small notebook and pen.

"Of course." The actor's hands brushed hers as he accepted the pen and paper, and the girl squealed. He asked her name, then began writing a quick message. "I'm flattered, I didn't expect to find any fans on Fuwa Sho's set."

"Of course you have fans here, Tsuruga-san!" The extra exclaimed. "I mean, of course I am a Fuwa Sho fan but I mean… you're Tsuruga Ren!" She took the paper back with both hands, awed. "Thank you so much, Tsuruga-san! Wait til I tell my friends!"

"Ahem." Sho spared a withering glance for the group. The musician held Ren's gaze for as long as he dared before striding away. Stupid idiot actor.


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


The set was the most beautiful and ornate that Kyoko had ever been on. The corner of the studio had been decked in fake snow, with large flakes falling from the rafters. Kyoko felt like an ice princess, in her velvet burgundy cape with white fur trim. Not even Sho's attitude could ruin her mood.

But it could, it turned out, ruin several of their takes. Despite the scene's directions, Sho continued to sit inside the carriage, moody and irritated.

"Should we take a break?" Asami-san asked, glancing between the two teens. Kyoko looked at the producer, then at Sho's scowl. Sho merely grunted.

"Do you think we could have five minutes?" She asked politely. The director nodded and walked off. As soon as the director was out of sight, Kyoko's rage demons let loose.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kyoko looked at Sho, who was staring past her. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Pay attention!"

"Don't treat me like some dog!" Sho said, coming out of his reverie. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?" Kyoko kicked hard, landing a solid blow on Sho's unsuspecting shin. He yowled and grabbed his leg. Kyoko was unfazed. "My problem is you! You are ruining this take, and this marvelous set, and you're wasting everyone's time! So whatever your issue is, figure it out!"

Sho didn't have a comeback so he chose to sulk. "Whatever."

"No, not whatever!" She grabbed one of his ears and yanked.

"OW! You're going to rip out my earrings!" The singer was now holding both his shin and his ear and looking around for something he could use as a shield. He spotted a decorative pillow. Unfortunately, Kyoko saw it at the same time, and she was faster.

"Pull! Yourself! Together!" Kyoko emphasized every word with a solid *WHAP*, ruining his hair and wrinkling his fancy shirt.

"WATCH IT!"

"STOP BEING SUCH A BIG BABY!" Kyoko cried back just as fiercely, not letting up with the pillow as Sho continued to cower and try and block with his forearms.

"I'M NOT A BABY!" Sho yelled back. "I'M JUST AS GROWN UP AS HIM-" Sho shut his mouth and immediately sat back, crossing his arms. Kyoko rolled her eyes. So that's what this is about. Tsuruga Ren had barely spoken to either herself or Sho this morning, but he hadn't been wanting for company. The girls playing extras had crowded around Ren with the bolder ones asking for autographs and photos. They had made so much noise kyaa-ing over the actor that it had ruined at least two takes.

"This is my set, my shoot, for my comeback MV and all anyone can do is fuss over that guy!" Sho practically spat.

"Then why did you offer him the job? If you're having any regrets, that's nobody's fault but your own." Kyoko said. It would have made her life easier too, if Sho hadn't decided to cast Ren. But no, of course, he had to be difficult and choose the worst thing for her, and now here he was whining about it. She ground her teeth.

"They're supposed to be my fans." Sho groused. He glanced at Kyoko. With the long brown wig, she looked more like her old self. The Kyoko he had known growing up, who had supported him, who somehow always said exactly what he wanted and needed to hear. If she was here now…

Kyoko had known Sho long enough to recognize when he was going into a determined sulk. He had sulked for a week straight in middle school after he came in second in the talent show one year. And Kyoko remembered him sulking those first months in Tokyo whenever he had gotten turned away from gigs or open mics. And once Sho had finally debuted at Akatoki, she remembered his sulking as they both watched as Tsuruga Ren was crowned the undisputed king of entertainment.

Where is some pucchin pudding when you need it? Kyoko knew there would be no progress on the shoot until Sho's mood recovered. Which meant that she had to spend more time on this godforsaken nightmare of a set and Kyoko was certain that every minute she spent on set was time when Sho could discover her true feelings, which was absolutely not allowed to happen. Kyoko was positive the stress was taking days off of her lifespan. And so that meant that if she wanted to get out of this, there was really only one option.

"They're still your fans, Shotaro." She said softly. Kyoko would rather cut out her own tongue than compliment Sho. But she would also do absolutely anything to keep Sho from finding out about Ren. "They're just excited because nobody expected Tsuruga Ren to be here. It's a temporary feeling. But," Kyoko forced her throat to make the words, "the music you make, that's something that's going to last forever."

Kyoko tried not to fidget. The film crew was busy elsewhere, it felt like just the two of them sitting so close together. At one point this had been all she had ever wanted. It felt like a lifetime ago. And yet, something about the familiarity made her chest clench.

"Thanks." Sho almost whispered. He gave her a smile. It was small, but it was real - not his red carpet smile, or his patented smirk, but the genuine smile of the boy she had once loved. It was Kyoko's turn to glance away.

"You're welcome." She said. Her throat was weirdly tight. The silence was heavy. Kyoko was relieved when she saw Asami-san approaching.

"Are you ready to try the shot again?" The producer asked, glancing between the two stars. Asami almost felt like she was interrupting. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but it looked like Sho had cooled off. The musician stood and stretched.

"I'm ready."


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


The filming went astonishingly smoothly after the short break. Kyoko was on autopilot, barely aware of what was happening as the crew furiously assembled and disassembled the many backgrounds for the montage they were shooting. And while the producer thought Kyoko's dazed expression wasn't exactly the actress' best performance, Asami didn't want to risk jinxing their string of good takes. Sho was giving his best performance, strutting around the set like he was a prize show dog at Westminster.

When the producer was sure they had enough good material for the montage, she yelled cut and the film crew dashed onto the stage to get ready for the next big scenes. If Asami had any notes for Kyoko, she didn't hear them. She was only vaguely aware of the makeup artist pulling her aside to do re-touches.

Kyoko was ashamed. Since the break, she had barely been in character. She hoped Tsuruga-san hadn't been watching her half-hearted acting for the last few takes. Luckily, her performance had been passable enough and she hadn't gotten any NGs.

It wasn't the character that was the problem. Christine was as close to Cinderella as Kyoko had ever had the chance to play - a poor, hardworking, deserving girl with the beauty and grace of a princess.

The problem was that Kyoko was afraid. Her professional pride as an actress demanded that she give her full attention to her role, even if it was for Sho's MV. And she also knew that getting into character as Christine and staying there would be perfect cover for her own feelings. Not that she had any feelings to discover, because she felt nothing, certainly not the forbidden cursed L-word for anyone, and especially not her esteemed senpai the great Tsuruga Ren, Kyoko reminded herself.

Except that becoming Christine meant being in love with Raoul. Or, it should be Raoul, but Sho wasn't even trying to get into character. It probably wasn't possible for idiot Shotaro to get into another character's mind, his ego was too big and his brain was too small. Regardless, the effect was the same. And Kyoko wasn't sure if she could do it. Because if she was being very, very, very honest with a deep-buried part of herself, it hurt.

Kyoko wasn't in love with Sho anymore. She had tried to convince herself that she had never really been in love with him, that it had just been a childhood crush - but she knew it was a lie. Kyoko had really loved Sho. And Sho had known about her feelings, used that knowledge for his convenience, and tossed her away like a used napkin as soon as he didn't need her anymore.

How could she possibly be on set with Sho and pretend to be in love again? It was being asked to stab herself in the heart. He was the boy who had known her since childhood. She'd lived at his house, shared meals, done homework and chores, walked to school. There were a thousand memories that had been so precious to her, and to Sho had meant nothing. Sho had never thought that Kyoko's happiness was worth more than whatever was convenient for himself. She had dedicated years of her life to making him happy, and what had he thought of her? Plain. Boring.

"Mogami-san, are you ready for lunch?" Ren had somehow materialized behind her while she was in her reverie. She jumped and let out a shriek.

"I, um-" Kyoko tried to recover, but her thoughts were still swirling. For the second day in a row, lunch was not on her priority list. Was there any way she could get out of it? "I don't-"

"Surely you haven't forgotten about our lunch date." Ren teased lightly, hoping she would flush cutely at his choice of words. But rather than being charmed, she gave him a distasteful look.

"Yo, Kyoko, are you hungry?" Sho wandered over. He couldn't help but grin at the reluctance on Kyoko's face, especially when it was so clear that the actor was trying his hardest to charm the actress and it was backfiring spectacularly.

"Unfortunately, Mogami-san can't join you today. We have a lunch date."

"It's not a date." Kyoko said firmly, internally panicking. She glanced at Sho, but the musician was busy smirking at the actor.

"Yeah, I can see that." Sho gave the tall actor a pointed stare, then he had to turn away before he laughed out loud.


«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»«×»


Kyoko picked at her food, barely glancing at Ren. She was so nervous, she didn't even really pay attention to how little he had eaten. The actor couldn't say that he really liked how much she scolded him about proper dietary habits, but he would have taken a scolding now over the silence. At least then he knew she cared enough to pay attention. But her thoughts were clearly occupied elsewhere, and Ren could guess with who. Kyoko was painfully formal, like she expected to be reprimanded any second. Ren stared. What could possibly be bothering her so much? Oh, christ, I'm an idiot.

"I suspect," Ren began, startling the girl, who almost dropped her chopsticks. "That we're in the same boat."

I highly doubt it, Kyoko thought.

"President Takarada loves to play tricks." Ren smiled.

"What does the President have to do with it?" Kyoko frowned.

"Ah," Ren paused. "He convinced me to take this job with… less than full information."

"Well, the President had nothing to do with it in my case." Kyoko put down her chopsticks. Ren didn't believe for a second that the President hadn't been involved in some way, but said nothing. "I knew what I was getting into. Well, not quite." she paused, "I had no idea that you'd be here."

There was an awkward silence. Ren had been counting on Kyoko launching into a long rant full of confusingly interspersed details and complete with a dogeza and her apologizing for something very unnecessary and not at all her fault. The fact that she wasn't doing so was …confusing. It wasn't like Ren wanted her to apologize. And as much as he was afraid of hearing her motives, not hearing them was almost worse. Had she forgiven the pop star? Were the two of them friends again? Or worse, more than friends?

"Well," Ren shoved his questions down. If she wasn't going to volunteer the information, he certainly wasn't going to ask. No matter how much he wanted to know. "Surprises on set do happen. But as an actor, all I can do is make sure I give it my all in every take."

Kyoko flinched. She had definitely not been doing her best. Does he know? Normally her senpai's criticisms were a lot more direct when he was upset with her unprofessional behavior. She glanced at the actor furtively from under her lashes, but saw no hint of the demon lord. Her senpai was nonplussed, eating his bento with surprising concentration. If Ren knew how much she had phoned it in earlier, there was no way they'd be quietly eating lunch right now - if he knew, Tsuruga-san would be verbally and physically dragging her over a bed of hot coals. But that only made her feel worse. Ren would never let his personal feelings get in the way of his performance as an actor. Even if he despised the other party, Ren always threw himself into the role. She winced. For all that she said she wanted to be worthy of starring opposite him, he would despise her for not putting her heart and soul into her work. It didn't matter that it was for Sho. Sho or no Sho, she was disgracing herself, and Ren. Kyoko was ashamed. She felt the hot prickle of tears in her throat.

The young actress jumped up, jostling the table. The sudden movement made Ren drop his bite of rice.

"I should go get changed." Kyoko gathered up her half-eaten lunch. "I want to be ready to start on time. No, please, don't get up! You've barely touched your food." She bowed quickly and immediately hurried off to wardrobe. Ren looked down at his mostly still uneaten meal. He sighed. At least she had cared enough to notice in the end.

"Well, I'd say that went poorly." Yashiro plopped himself into Kyoko's empty seat, putting his own lunch tray down.

"Pardon?" Ren didn't know whether to be insulted or comforted by his manager's tone.

"I'm amazed you've gotten this far in life, being so clueless. It's truly a miracle. Even a face as handsome as yours can't make up for being so dense."

"Ouch." Ren replied.

"Ouch indeed." Yashiro replied. "It looked like you were trying to make small talk at a funeral."

Ren winced. It wasn't that bad, I'm sure…

"It was pretty bad."

"I'm sorry, did I say something out loud?"

"It's written on your face. What's gotten into the both of you?"

Ren looked down the hallway.

"I don't know."