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.

Chapter 68

Kyoko glances at her fiancé's direction since after the 'incident' with Ren in the dressing room he hasn't said anything to her. Making their journey home awkward and tense.

The sound of Sho's fist hitting Ren's jaw echoed throughout the room. Kyoko is shocked to say the least her eyes couldn't believe what she just witness.

"Sho stop please!" Kyoko hugged Sho's arm back down preventing him from landing another punch on Ren. "Don't lay your hand in someone else's fiancée Tsuruga Ren." Sho said in hard but slow threatening tone.

Blue and brown eyes glaring at each other, "No I'm just taking back what's mine and you know that Fuwa Sho…" Ren said as if challenging Sho, he wouldn't back down now after all the sacrifices and hardship he faced two years ago it's time for him to fight for the person he loves he conceded before. "Are you afraid now…" he taunted.

"Just bring it on Tsuruga…"

"Well well well I never thought that the great Tsuruga Ren will let someone hit him straight in his beautiful face." Kira taunted when Ren returned to his pad.

"Shut it." He coldly warned and went straight to the kitchen to get some ice to apply on his swollen jaw and cracked lip.

"Seriously why didn't you fight back, you know you can easily beat him." The handsome blonde said leaning over the kitchen counter.

"I wanted to but she's there, I don't want to leave a bad impression on her when I am just starting again. Besides how did you know about this?" Although he sometimes hates Kira's guts for annoying him at times he is one of his closest friend and brother of Emiko to top it off.

"It is all over the news buddy." Kira replied nonchalantly as if it was an obvious thing and gulped a glass of freshly made orange juice.

Ren just shrugged it off and went straight to his room to think to himself nut before he could enter Kira called him.

"Oh yeah Shien texted me she said that she sent you an invitation to her wedding and guess what came to the mail earlier this morning?" Kira said making Ren catch an ivory card with a beautifully decorated gold lettering embossed on it.

Ren & Kyoko

You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of

Sara 'Shien' Knowles

And

Michael Jones

On the July 15, at four o'clock

540 S. Commonwealth Av.

Church of Los Angeles

Ren chuckled seeing his name with Kyoko's name invited at their wedding. "I hope before your wedding I already sort things out between me and Kyoko…"

"Sho?" Kyoko called out her fiancé's name as they arrived at her house she shared with her mother.

"Didn't we talk about that I'll stay over in your apartment tonight?" she asked to Sho who refused to look at her.

"It's better if you stay with Saena now," Sho said thriftily as he unlocks the car door for Kyoko.

"Sho is this about Tsuruga-san? Sho I…"

"No it's not…" Sho said now his gaze met his fiancée's eyes, "So just go Kyoko…"

"But Sho…" Kyoko said refusing to end their night like this, "Tsuruga-san and I are-…"

"The two of you are a couple before us…"

"Eh?"

"That's why I reacted the way I did earlier…"

"But that was before Sho…even if we are in a relationship before we're together now…you don't have to-…"

"Do you know what hurts me the most? Kyoko." Sho said without looking at his fiancée, "Because you lied to me…"

Both of them enveloped by silence as the news in the radio started to broadcast.

"Is the movie the only thing that prompted Tsuruga Ren to return to Japan or to reclaim Mogami Kyoko who is now engaged to Fuwa Sho? An incident occurred in the backstage of Bright Star Studios after the press release of the movie Remember Me, where Fuwa Sho attacked Tsuruga Ren with a straight punch to his face!"

"Sho…"

"Look I'm tired Kyoko just go down…" Sho lean his back down his chair sighing deeply covering his face with his hand as if he was getting tired of all the things that is happening around him.

"I'll call you later Sho." Kyoko said as she have no choice but to concede (and just continue their conversation the next day) Kyoko watch as Sho drove his car away.

Though the press wanted to get answers from the concerned parties, neither have given their voice in the issue at hand like how a showbiz personality must do.

"Sawara-san I have a favor to ask you."

Sawara looked up to his talent, "Is this about the issue?"

"I have to give it to you Ren, Japan's night life sure is spectacular." Kira said drinking a glass of his cocktail drink.

Ren brought Kira to a famous exclusive club in Tokyo to have some "fun" and forget some of his own problems. They are currently inside a VIP room to themselves drinking and singing in the Karaoke.

"Ren sure is quiet isn't he?" Kira asked to his sister who just finished singing a song.

Emiko glares at her brother, "He's going through a lot right now and it will be better if you will not tease him more."

"Fine, I'll just go down and dance for a while and maybe grab some pretty chick."

"It hurts to see her with him." Ren said suddenly out of the blue.

Emiko knows the pain Kuon had gone through all of his life, from his bullying in America, the pain of being the cause of his best friend and mentor's death and now the pain of losing the only person he gave his fragile heart to.

"So you are just going to give up?"

Ren was about to answer but ring coming from his phone stopped him, it was an unregistered number that he just let it ring.

"Why are you not answering your phone it could be important."

Ren sighs and answer his phone when it rang again, "Hello, who is this?"

"I'm sorry did I call at a bad time it is me Mogami Kyoko."

He shifted from the couch and seated properly, "No."

"I asked Sawara-san to get your number so I can contact you regarding the task our assistant director given us and I just finished shooting here in LME studios…I was wondering if it is ok if we will start now?"

"Sure, I'll come to you." Ren replied and closed his phone.

"Who is it?" Emiko asked curiously, it is not every day you see Tsuruga Ren's eyes sparkle at just a mere phone call.

"Kyoko, tell Kira not to stay at my pad if he's bringing a girl with him." Ren reminded Emiko and grab his jacket.

Emiko smiled for him. "Funny how things work like this just when he's about to give up."

"Mogami-san aren't you going home yet?" A PA asked when he saw Kyoko is still inside the studio.

"No, I still have something to do." Kyoko happily replied.

"Oh. Take care then it is getting late." The PA said and left.

Kyoko is sitting in a bench behind the stage studio waiting for Ren when a flashback suddenly came to her.

Kyoko is dressed as "Bo the Chicken" giving some advice to man who is sitting beside her whose face she can't see.

Her flashback was cut off when she heard her name called by the man she's waiting for. He is standing in front of her wearing black straight cut jeans, black working boots and a jean jacket over his black shirt.

"Are you waiting for a while now?"

Kyoko nodded her head sideways and handed over a book titled Japanese-English for Dummies.

He raised an eyebrow at this, "We won't need this, talking together in English is the fastest way to master your language skills than reading from a book."

"I see, I didn't kn-.."

Ren cut her off and said in English, "Starting today whenever we are talking to each other it will be in English."

She nodded but she suddenly blushed furiously when her stomach growled. "This is inappropriate behavior in front of Tsuruga-san, why are you always like this whenever you are facing him? It's like you are not yourself Mogami Kyoko!" She reprimanded herself.

Ren smiled his genuine smile at what just happened, "We shall be eating dinner then while continuing this conversation."

Although awkward at first Kyoko felt talking to Ren as the most normal thing to do even though she sometimes struggle in using the appropriate English word to say but Ren is quick enough to tell her the right word to say. After practicing inside a burger joint, Ren offered Kyoko to drive her home which she politely declined.

"I owe you too much already Tsuruga-san, your free tutoring class and dinner it would be too much if you will still drive me home." Kyoko said smiling softly.

"I see but it is already late, how about I'll just call a taxi for you."

Kyoko nodded and thought if she and Ren did have a relationship before what caused them to fall out when he is nothing but a gentleman to her. Could it be that it was her who did him wrong or is it the other way around?

"Tsuruga-san, are we lovers before?" She asked this time in Japanese while looking at the surprised look on Ren's face.

Ren froze at that moment that if it wasn't for the taxi cab honing at them he wouldn't even flinch. He opened the door for her and when she was inside before he closed the door he answered her question, "Yes."

Returning back to his pad he saw Fuwa Sho standing in front of his door with his arms crossed and a serious look on his face.

"Tsuruga Ren, I believe we met at the wrong circumstances a few days earlier."

Ren glared at the man in front of him, his anger ready to be released anytime now.

AN: First of all a big thanks to the reviews, follows, favorite and everyone who reads this story.