Ever the tactful lady, Kyoko went to the bathroom to turn off the shower, giving Ren some privacy. It made him feel immensely grateful, and a little bit ashamed – she'd been the one needing comfort, and once again she'd taken his feelings into consideration.

But, oddly enough, that didn't send him into a depressing spiral. If anything, it made him even more determined to finally change his ways.

She reemerged with his watching her hand.

"Here," she said. "You should really change its battery. It's been frozen like this ever since our first night here."

Was that a subtle hint for him? No. She seemed sincere.

Still, it was a good time for him to make good on his resolutions.

"It's meant to be like this," he said, wrapping the harness around his wrist.

"It's meant not to show time?"

"No. It's meant to remind me of something." He hesitated. "It's a really long story, and not really appropriate for the current moment. I… ah… I apologize for my state a while ago, once again. I really didn't think."

"That's fine," she said.

She really has changed, Ren thought, and it was true. It wasn't just how she held herself, although she seemed to wear Setsu's clothes like she owed them. It was her whole air – she seemed a lot more at ease in her skin, and calmer.

And then, most tellingly, she didn't get mad at him.

"Still, it was very unprofessional on my part," he said.

She smiled. "Now who's breaking character? Would Cain care for things like clothes, if he thought Setsu was in trouble?"

"No. I suppose not."

They laughed, and then silence descended. There was some tension left in the air, an anticipation of sorts, but for once, it was of the good kind.

The stare down was interrupted when someone knocked on the door.

"And that would be our dinner," he said, reaching for his wallet. "Why don't you get some plates out while I pay?"

She nodded, and complied. Just like that – no arguments over wasting money, no fretting over bothering other people. He couldn't tell if she was too tired for that, or if she genuinely didn't care.

Once she got a good whiff of what he had ordered, though, she immediately perked up.

"Are those egg hamburgers?" she asked. "It's my favorite."

"I know." He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I thought that, with everything going on, that I owed you a treat."

"You don't have to go so far," she said. "But thank you. That's really nice on your part."

Ren nodded and helped her serve. Eating on a tiny table was going to prove tricky, but it was worth it. He couldn't even remember when they had last shared a meal together. Which reminded him…

"About what you said earlier… you were right. About teaching Cain to cook a little. He might have been spoiled, but that doesn't mean that he cannot change. It was a good call, Kyoko."

She froze at the sound of her name, and stared at him. Realizing his slip, he tried to cover it up.

"I mean Setsu."

"That's fine. I don't think I have the strength to do much tonight," she said, while cutting her hamburger in pieces.

"Tomorrow, then. I have a feeling that we might have a lot of free time on our hands," he said. As much as he hated saying it, there were things that he had to clear up, and they couldn't wait.

Kyoko set her utensils down. "What happened today?"

Keeping things as factual as possible, Ren told her – about Murasame's antagonism, the drugs, the "surprise" police raid and his handling of the situation. He made sure to maintain a calm, reassuring air, like the detectives he so often played, but some of his frustration must have slipped through, because she frowned.

"But you're clean. Surely, the director cannot fire you then."

"Things are a lot more complicated than that," Ren said, sighing. "I wish this was the first time I've seen this, but it's not, and I just can't be optimistic."

"Why? If you didn't do it…"

"Scandals can sometimes make or break a production," he said. "If handled properly, they can add a little intrigue and even create a sort of urban legend around the movie. But this is what my character was doing already – Cain Heel is, essentially, so much like Black Jack it's as if he's being typecast. Too many scandals, though, and it's overkill.

"Yes, I'm clean. But the police take drug charges very seriously, and they will need to arrest someone soon. And I'm the most convenient scapegoat."

She was silent for a long time.

"Does the President know about this?" she asked.

"Yes. He sent me a message that he wants to see me in the morning."

"Then I'll come with you."

"You don't have to. Technically, you're on vacation until tomorrow afternoon."

"That doesn't matter," she said. "This is a very important project, and the President entrusted me to look after you. Whether or not I'm responsible for what happened, I am part of this and I need to be there, as your kouhai and your sister."

Ren opened his mouth to argue, then stopped. The truth was that he wanted her there. Having her nearby was calming, even if the conversation he was to have with the President was anything but. So he just bowed his head in thanks.

They finished their dinner in silence. Afterwards, he helped her wash the dishes and set the apartment in order while she went about her evening rituals, and trying to relax. He was sleeping alone tonight, there was no doubt about it, and given the day he had, his dreams were bound to be scary. He just hoped that he might make it through the night without scaring Kyoko senseless.

Then she emerged from the bathroom, wig in place, clad in pajamas. This time, it was easy for him to slip into character.

"When does Boss arrive?" she asked.

"Early. So it'll be good for you to go to sleep."

She nodded and snuck under her covers. Then, as he was contemplating his own empty bed, she scooted further inside until she was pressed against the wall, and then held her hand out to him. The expression on her face, defiant, yet vulnerable, was nearly his undoing, but not so much as for him to ignore the significance of the gesture.

Kyoko never initiated any of their closer encounters, not unless he was near catatonic. He thought he knew how much she changed, but it wasn't until that moment that he really started to realize it.

Taking her hand, he slipped under the duvet and rearranged himself so that there was a little space between them. Kyoko made no mention of it – she was out as soon as her head hit the pillow. But, five minutes later, she moved on her own volition, rolling over so that she lay across his chest.

He froze, hands out, torn between embracing her and keeping things chaste. Eventually, Kuon won over, and he let himself relax. She shifted a little, made a tiny sound of contentment, and smiled.

I won't be getting a wink of sleep tonight, he thought as his hand caressed her back. He marveled how it rose and fell in time with each breath, like it was the most amazing thing in the world. He could probably spend years just watching her, studying those simple things.

And, as the minutes ticked by, he felt just the tiniest bit jealous of her peace of mind. Even if she was becoming disillusioned with the world, she wasn't nearly as bitter or as jaded as him. He couldn't even remember a time when he was this innocent.

Then his thoughts went on his current situation, and he felt a pang deep within his heart. He hadn't lied to her when he said that things were really serious. He couldn't let things progress to the point of an official enquiry – it would come to light that Cain Heel was an act, that Tsuruga Ren was an act, and that would unearth ghosts that were too private to reveal to the public. But what could he do? It was already out of his hands.

No. He couldn't afford this defeatist line of thinking. Way too much was in stake for him to give up now.

But… if he was to keep fighting, he had to reveal more things to Kyoko. Secrets he hadn't even told Yashiro, or the President. Neither of his two closest friends knew the full extent of his self-loathing, nor the depth of the problem, but if he was to overcome it, he had to start sharing.

As if sensing his resolution, Kyoko tightened her grip on him and gave a little sigh. It was probably the only encouragement he was going to get, Ren thought before drifting off.

In the morning, he started making good on his resolution as soon as both of them were dressed. She was making coffee, perfectly in character, but immediately reverted when he spoke to her in Japanese.

"Mogami-san," he said, wincing a little at the formality of it, "I was wondering… about the meeting with the President… you really don't have to go there."

"I told you, I'm going," she said, firmly. "I keep to my promises, sempai."

"I know. I never said you wouldn't. However, it's going to be a very grueling conversation. You should know that."

"Sempai, look at me." He did. "Do you trust me?"

"It's not a matter of trust," he muttered.

"It is to me," she said. "I won't tell your secrets to anyone, I swear it. But that's all moot if you don't trust me."

Ren sighed. Of course, as usual, she completely disarmed him.

"I understand that. I'm sorry if I came off as presumptuous," he said. "However, if you're coming, there is something I must tell you first."

She set the coffee pot aside and sat down, giving him her full attention. He took a deep breath – what he was about to say demanded some serious navigating.

"I told you last night about the implications of… this situation. But I didn't tell you that this current role is of some personal significance for me. I think it's important for you to know this, both to understand my actions and to be prepared in the eventuality that… everything comes to light."

She nodded.

"You might have heard the President comment on my… limited acting range. He's right. I stayed away from antagonist roles, as well as projects with a heavy romantic angle. I had a very… problematic youth. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, and those kinds of projects reminded me of those times.

"These events from my past have put me in odds with my family, and myself. My parents, though supportive, made it very difficult for me to move on, so I decided to distance myself from them. I… haven't been able to face them, properly, in five years. And recently… I was told that my mother was gravely ill."

Kyoko was leaning in, and one of her arms was reaching out to him, tentatively. He met her halfway, and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You might find it ironic," he said. "I can hardly believe it myself, but… last night, when you told me about what you discovered, I was struck at how similar we were, in this aspect."

"You mean she's…" The thought was too horrible to finish.

"She doesn't have a chance at recovery." There. He said it. The words dug into his heart like shrapnel. "And she was very anxious to see me. I still cannot forget the things I have done, but learning this has made me determined to face those problems, so that I can see my parents once more. This is what this project is about, and this is why it was so important to me."

She swallowed. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," he smiled. "Though there's little that can be done about it now, I wanted you to know that… your being here has helped me. If it hadn't been for you, I might have given up. Or worse."

"It's not over yet," she said, determined. "You can still do something."

"I don't know if there's anything left."

"I do. There is. There has to be."

How naïve. And yet, just seeing her determination made him feel like his heart had grown three sizes. Just then, his phone chirped, announcing the President's arrival. Kyoko looked down on it.

"Well," she said, "I guess we might as well go."

Ren stood up, and, in a fit of spontaneity, pulled her closer and enveloped her in a hug.

"Thank you," he said. "For listening and… everything."

She didn't answer. If he had looked down, he would have seen her blushing like a tomato.

Lori's instructions were brief and to the point – Ren was not to engage with Murasame in any way, or attempt anything to aid the police investigation. As Cain Heel was not to leave the city, Ren would have to stay in disguise until the end of the official enquiry. The PR office had already fabricated a cover story that got Ren Tsuruga out of the country on business, and Yashiro was on his way to a flight with a stunt-double, in case anyone was keeping tabs on Japan's top actor.

The President offered Kyoko the option of taking on her usual duties, but she refused. Box R had stopped shooting for now, and there weren't any pressing projects that needed her attention. Reorganizing her schedule was easier than Ren's.

If the Lori thought anything unusual about her change of heart, or her early arrival for that matter, he didn't say anything. Instead, he thanked her for all her hard work, and ordered the two of them to act as inconspicuous as possible.

"Right now, the whole thing hinges on whether the police believe you or not," he said. "Don't do anything that might damage your credibility."

He didn't say that the likelihood of the police believing him was small to begin with – all three of them knew that. But while Ren met the instructions with resignation, and the President faced the incoming days with a grim sort of acceptance, Kyoko was already planning things in her head.

Her sempai was innocent. And even if he couldn't personally interfere in the police investigation, that didn't mean someone else couldn't lend them a hand. Somebody who just happened to have the contacts and the means to discover the truth.

In her jacket pocket, her hand tightened around Kato-san's business card.

A/N Well, I have to say, I'm rather proud of those last few updates. But, alas, I'm going offline now, and as an added bonus, I might not be able to get books with me. Nearly two weeks without books! T.T

Quite a few of the reviews for the last chapter seemed to think it was OOC of Kyoko to react the way she did to Ren's... deshabille. I have a slightly different way of seeing things, though. First of all, she has already seen him starkers twice in the manga, and each time she got braver (and don't tell me she didn't that second time. That foam covered NOTHING!) I think that seeing him like this has a significance, in that she's maturing and being able to look at him in this state shows that she can focus on other things than the obvious.

Also, she has been slipping in and out of Setsu's character a lot in this fic, so I think to an extent she was channeling that persona when she made her quip. Of course, deep down she's embarrassed, but I think she also had more important things on her mind.

Anyway, time for me to go. If any of you want your fanfic fix until I am back online, I highly recommend "Until You Love Me" by Vortex82, which is a powerful, exciting take and one that literally had me howling with laughter.