REMINDER: I don't own Skip Beat and its characters; this work is purely fictional any scenes related to real life situations are purely coincidental. XD Beta and Proof Reading credits goes to Shirahane Aikawa who offered her help to proof read this story of mine kindly read her stories here in this site as well.
"Look at me until you can't think of anything else…"
Chapter One
Kyoko is left standing at the entrance of LME studios waiting for the taxi who her manager called to bring her home. After a few minutes of waiting she saw a sleek black Mercedes Benz pulled up in front of her. "Wow what a nice car…" she thought to herself but then her admiring eyes widen in surprise when the person inside the vehicle pulled the window down the driver inside is none other than Tsuruga Ren.
"Yo…" Ren said at the open window beckoning her to come close.
"Me?" Kyoko said out loud while pointing her own finger to herself.
Ren rolled his eyes exasperatedly (Like duh?) "Yeah who else? Of course you." At his 'sarcastic' request Kyoko went closer to the vehicle.
"Do you need something Tsuruga-san?"
"I haven't had any dinner yet." Kyoko frown at Ren's words why would he say that to her? If he's hungry then all he has to do is go get his dinner. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Ren's light chuckle.
"W-Why are you…laughing Tsuruga-san." She asked offended by his 'laughter'. She don't see why he has to laugh like that.
"Well because you're making funny faces…" Ren said bluntly making her blush in embarrassment.
"T-That's not true at all!" Kyoko stuttered her cheeks redder than a tomato.
"Right…" Unconvinced Ren said, leaning his elbows at the steering wheel.
"I-It's true!" she said nervously but all she got from Ren is another amused laughter. "I-It's not funny Tsuruga-san y-you can't just make fun of others!" she said half-scolding Ren while hiding her embarrassment. Once she said that Ren stopped laughing his face turned serious making her heart skip a beat his serious face also is VERY attractive normally she would have look away but somehow Ren's face is like a magnet that makes her look to another but him.
"Who says I'm making fun of you?" Ren said seriously but a gentle smile still plastered on his handsome face.
"W-Well you are laughing!" she said looking away with still a tint of blush evident on her cheeks.
"Come hop in the car…" Ren said unlocking the door next to him.
"Eh? W-Why is that…" she said while hugging herself protectively.
"You're reactions really show on your face…" he said stopping himself from laughing once again, "Anyway don't worry you're not my type I won't do anything to you…"
Kyoko felt a pang on her chest when she heard him say those words, clutching the hem of her shirt she frown, "Why should I? A taxi is waiting for me…"
Ren looks around the parking lot is empty and there's no sign of any movements or a car will even arrive, "I don't see it." He shrug his shoulders.
"Well it's because it's not here yet." She said sarcastically.
"It's not coming…" Ren said like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"And how do you know that…" Kyoko huffed angered by Ren's nonchalant attitude.
"Well because I asked Sawara-san to cancel your Taxi service…" he said making Kyoko's jaw dropped literally.
An hour later Kyoko found herself sitting at the fanciest Restaurant and Pub in Shinjuku.
"I'll have Cotoletta alla Milanese and Neapolitan pizza and as for drink we'll have the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo…"
Kyoko fidget on her seat not really seeing herself as fit to be in a classy place like this. "What's wrong?" Ren asked his chin on top of his palm (his intense onyx eyes staring intently on hers) making her even more uncomfortable.
"Eh, I…I'm fine…" Kyoko said looking away with a tint of blush on her cheeks.
"You're a bad liar."
"I-I'm not!" she denied but her reaction says it all.
"Would be a ramen house or diner will suit your taste?" he said with amused look on his face.
"Y-Yeah…y-you should have told me that we're coming here Tsuruga-san I-I mean there must be a dress code in here." She said while glancing at the other customers around the restaurant seeing the girls wearing fancy clothes while she's only one wearing jumpsuit.
Ren knotted his eyebrows realizing Kyoko's predicament.
"Oh…"
"Y-Yes…" She said playing with her fingers.
"Okay." When she heard Ren say that she look up to see Ren removing his expensive coat and his tie while unbuttoning his sleeves folding it till it reaches his elbow.
"Here…we're the same…" Kyoko's heart flutter touch by Ren's action. "So anymore problem?" he asked inclining his head questioningly. But then her eyes travelled down from Ren's face down his delectable neck down to his chiseled chest. God! Kyoko felt she's having a nosebleed.
"You all right?"
"N-No I-I'm fine…" she couldn't exactly say that she's admiring his form. But before Ren could ask another question their order has been delivered.
"Thank you for the meal Tsuruga-san." Kyoko said but stop when she saw him standing beside her offering his hand like a perfect gentleman. "T-Tsuruga-san?" startled she asked while staring at his hand.
"Let's dance." Ren said grabbing Kyoko's hand dragging the protesting Kyoko with him in the middle of the dance floor.
"W-Wait Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko never had thought she would be asked to dance by Tsuruga Ren and she didn't know how to respond (but even before she could even respond Ren has already drag her in the middle of the dance floor.)
Ren laughed as he watch Kyoko's reaction, "Did you know?" he started.
"Eh?"
Ren said now they are now facing each other, Kyoko watch Ren as he walk slowly towards where she stood leaving her transfixed on her spot. He stopped right before her and studied her closely, "Isn't it amazing that this is our third time? It must be fate."
"W-What?!" Kyoko exclaimed loudly not really understanding what Ren is getting at. (More importantly why is her heart pounding so fast?!) Her mouth opened automatically as Ren's words made no sense to her. Kyoko gulped really hard, "W-What could you possibly mean by t-third time T-Tsuruga-san?" she managed to ask without stuttering before Ren brought his face close to hers.
"It is the number of times our eyes have met this night." Ren answered making Kyoko's heart beat loudly at the proximity of their faces to each other.
"We cannot let this fate between us die…will you not dance with me my dear?" Ren asked but (Again) before Kyoko could respond he led her at the empty spot on the dance floor. The pull on her arm cause Kyoko to lurch forward Ren then bowed elegantly towards Kyoko placing a hand on her waist bringing her closer to him.
Kyoko's body become stiff from nerves as Ren began to lead her. "W-What should I do?" Not really knowing what's happening she stared down at her own feet, trying her best to follow Ren's steps.
"Is looking down there fun?" Ren asked amusedly.
"N-No I…" Kyoko lifted her head slowly to see Ren face close to her face.
"You won't have fun if you stay nervous like that..." he inclined his head. "Like I said what is important now is what you feel." Ren said making Kyoko's focus 'evidently' to him.
Kyoko gasped when she found herself being lifted by Ren like she's kind of trophy.
"W-What…"
People around them stared, Kyoko's cheeks flamed red once Ren lifted her upright the second time the dance took on a new flavour as they swayed around the dance floor. But his steps were still perfectly timed to the music gathering even more attention.
"I-I don't know what's going on…but right now I feel…happy…" she thought to herself feeling her heart flutter. "B-But still I wonder what other people thinking when they see us." Ren seemed to read her thoughts as he stared into her eyes.
He smirked, "Are you worried about people watching us?"
"Y-Yes…"
"I see…" Ren smiled as he gently pressed his forehead against hers. "Then keep your eyes on me…" he said making Kyoko's heartbeat even louder as she could feel his breath on her lips warming her. "Look at me until you can't think of anything else…"his words echoed through the parts of their bodies that touched.
Kyoko's heart quickened yet her body began to relax surrendering herself to Ren who nodded to her in return.
"That's it very nice." Kyoko's was hooked by his soft voice and smile. And she found herself beaming at Ren after a while, their steps started to match up.
"T-This is really fun!" Before Kyoko knew it she was having fun dancing with Ren the song stopped and Ren slowed to a stop she stopped in time with him breathing hard she looked up towards his face.
"I-I don't know this feeling but…there's only one thing I'm certain I'm happy…"
AN: Re-written and edited chapter 1 by my lovely friend and beta Shirahane Aikawa.