Authors Chat: So I was reading through some of the first chapters earlier and noticed my first Authors Chat said this would be a relatively short fic. HAH! I'm eating my own words now.

Long chapter. Enjoy. Sorry for any type-o's or errors, I didn't proof this chapter. I have to finish a homework assignment due in an hour and a half by email, so I'm pushing this out even quicker than usual.

I would greatly appreciate your comments and constructive criticism!

That being said, italics text are direct thoughts of characters, text is in quotes, noises are done with asterisks.

DISCLAIMER: Skip Beat! and it's characters are not my original creation, they are owned and created by Nakamura Yoshiki.

Story Timeline: Y'all know the timeline by now. If not, go back and read it in an earlier chapter! (taken out for length).

Playing With Fire

Act 27

"CUT! Ren-san, do you need a minute to look over your lines?"

"No, but Director Shingai, where is Ruriko-san?"

"What? Oh. That's right. Ren-san, I believe you are acquainted with Mogami Kyoko from the last film? She will be taking the place of Matsunai Ruriko since she… had to withdraw from the role. Mogami-san, would you please come speak with me for a bit? Everyone, we'll finish the scene in a bit. Take a ooooh, a twenty minute break."

Director Shingai lead Kyoko off the set. Ren's gaze followed them until they could no longer be seen, then his attention snapped back to where Yashiro was waiting off stage.

Kaminari saw Yashiro flinch as Ren's glare landed on him and wondered what she had missed.

"Yukihito, I need to go with Mogami-san. I'll talk to you later I'm sure."

"Yeah, this may not be so pretty. You'd better go."

She gave him a look before turning to hunt down Kyoko and the director and fled just moments before Ren met Yashiro.

"Dressing room. Now." Had Ren ever given Yashiro an actual command before?

Yashiro did NOT look forward to what was about to come, but followed Ren obediently down the hall to his dressing room.

Ren entered the room ahead of Yashiro and immediately began pacing back and forth, trying to calm himself down.

As the door latched shut, he spun on his heal. "Did you know about this? About Ruriko-san quitting I mean."

You mean did I know if Kyoko-chan was the one to take her place. "No Ren, I swear to you I did not. I only found out myself today when Kaminari showed up."

"Kaminari? Who the hell is Kaminari?"

"Kami-chi is Kyoko-chan's temporary manager. She's doing an internship for college."

Ren grunted noncommittally.

"Kami-chi is my sister Ren." Ren stopped his pacing at this and looked up at Yashiro.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah, the one who just got married. She's entering the business as a manager too. She's still in college though."

"How long as she been working with Mogami-san?" No matter how it was meant, Yashiro could clearly hear the threat in Ren's words.

"It couldn't have been long. She was on break from the Uni when she got married three weeks ago!"

"Did… did she seem close with Mogami-san?"

"Ren… Kaminari barely seems to know Kyoko-chan. Stop worrying."

"I'm NOT worried!" He snapped and restarted his pacing.

Yashiro let out a sigh of disbelief. "So what do you want to do Ren? It's too late to withdraw now, so don't even think about that."

"I wouldn't even think of it Yashiro. You know that." He shook his head as he made his fiftieth lap past the vanity. "I…" he took a deep breath and shook his head hard as if to clear his thoughts.

"What? Ren, what?"

Ren looked up at Yashiro, a troubled look splayed across his face.

"What? Just tell me what it is Ren, I'll do anything I can."

"I… I want you to talk with your sister and … find out…" He realized what he was about to say and let out a sigh, then sat down hard on the edge of the sofa and put his head in his hands.

It would seem Ren had finally hit his breaking point.

After a pause and Yashiro staring at him, Yashiro finally opted to go get Ren a tea, hoping that would help to calm him down.

Poor Ren… I've never seen him like this. Undoubtedly, something happened with Kyoko-chan. If only he would just TELL me what happened. Of course, it seemed like had been about to ask me to spy on Kyoko-chan through Kami-chi. That may not be such a bad idea really. Maybe, JUUUUUST maybe, I can find out what happened between them.

Yashiro stopped in his tracks and smiled to himself.

Actually, that might just be an excellent idea. I bet she'd help me.

He wiped the smile off of his face before he re-entered the dressing room.

"Ren, here." He handed him the tea.

"Thank you Yashiro." He extended his hand and took it without looking up, his head still resting in his other hand as he sat. "Could you leave me for a bit longer? I think I'd like to be alone for a few minutes."

"Alright. I'll come back to get you when they're ready to shoot?"

"Yeah.. yeah. I'll be ready then."

The door closed softly behind Yashiro as he left.

Ren flung his head back and let out a harsh laugh. "HAH!"

"What the hell is she thinking?" He muttered to himself.

She was so beautiful.

What does this mean, that she's here? She wasn't surprised by my presence. Unless she's just gotten that good? Hah, I just can't control myself anymore. How did I let myself fall so far? *Sigh* I've got to do this role. This is a gift from the gods maybe.

…Choko is Yuusuke's love interest in this film after all. Maybe Kyoko will… no, got to stop thinking that way.

Just take it one day at a time. One SCENE at a time… If I act normal, she won't push me away.

… but what is normal anymore?

He rested his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes to rest until Yashiro came to get him.

…

Kyoko was hardly listening as Director Shingai welcomed her back to the set and explained how Ruriko's attitude made her impossible to work with again, and instead of dealing with her tantrums, had spoke with and agreed with Takarada-san to use Kyoko instead. Director Shingai was excited to be working with Kyoko, this time, in a professional capacity.

She knew there was a good possibility, no, she knew most likely Sato Yuusuke was played by Tsuruga Ren again, but she was hoping that it somehow wasn't.

It was though, and that meant this movie would be even bigger for forwarding her career, and in turn meant there was no way she could back out now without serious consequences.

*tlick* the door to the trailer swung open, making a loud noise as it hit against the outside walls of the trailer.

Tsutsui-san popped her head in through the narrow opening, then seeing Kyoko and the director sitting at the small table, hefted herself the rest of the way up the entry stairs.

She approached the table and extended her hand to the director.

"Director Shingai. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Mogami-san's manager, Tsutsui Kaminari."

"Oh, Kyoko-san, you have a manager now? You HAVE come a long way since we last spoke."

"It's actually just temporary." Kyoko muttered as she blushed at the unexpected and unwarranted praise.

"Director, when we arrived here this morning, we were told it would be for a fitting and characterization. Instead, my charge was thrown into a kimono and pushed out onstage without any details being first discussed."

Director Shingai bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry Mogami-san, Tsutsui-san, but the crew were not notified of the change in actors. It was last minute when Matsunai-san's manager phoned to notify of the cancellation. The cast and crew knew Matsunai-san had a concert scheduled and would have assumed she wasn't to be here yesterday, so when you showed up today, Mogami-san, wardrobe had been notified of the change, but I hadn't had time to speak with the rest. I'm sorry you were thrown in without warning. I understood your agreement to do the role was unconditional though? Sawara-san said you had agreed without any additional stipulations."

It was Kaminari's turn to look incredulously at her charge. "Mogami-san? Is that true? You accepted before you had even read through the script?"

Kyoko hadn't been chided like this in many months and couldn't help being a bit embarrassed now. "It's true" she mumbled.

Kaminari sighed as she dropped her hands to her sides. "Well Director Shingai, it seems my hands are tied here. You win without a fight, and I, it seems, will need to spend some EXTRA time with my charge." She eyed Kyoko hard but not unkindly as she excused the both of them out of the director's trailer and ushered Kyoko back inside and in to Kyoko's assigned dressing room.

"Mogami-san, what did you know about this role before you accepted it?"

"um… I knew t-that it was a movie, and I'd play one of the leads." She paused a moment before spilling the rest. "and I knew that I would be playing a real lady like a princess role!" she squinched her eyes tightly, expecting the worst.

"A… a princess role. That's all you knew?" Kaminari lost it and bust up laughing.

Kyoko blushed. "But once I knew it was Ring Doh's sequel I knew a lot more about the role! I almost had the part in the first one even, so I already know the characters!"

Kaminari stopped laughing.

"You almost played Choko in the first one. Mogami-san, it was announced way before filming even started that Matsunai Ruriko was going to play Choko in the first one."

"That's true, and she did, but she was so mean and didn't want to perform or do it the way Director Shingai told her to so she threw a fit and almost quit, telling them to give the role to me instead since they wanted a newcomer!"

Kaminari waited a moment. "Well? What happened?"

"We battled each other over the scenes, but my foot was broken, and I passed out and was taken to a hospital so I lost the role." She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted.

I can't hate this girl! Kaminari laughed a little again.

"I guess that's good then. Are you really okay with the role?"

"Yeah… It'll be hard, but I can do it."

Now, I can't tell if she's talking about the role in the movie, or if she's referring to what Yashiro had me witness. I'm guessing that wouldn't have been Tsuruga-sama's normal reaction, or it wouldn't have been a big deal. What happened between the two of them I wonder?

"Mogami-san… May I call you Kyoko-chan instead?"

Kyoko's face lit up and she smiled. "Yes, of course Tsutsui-san!"

"If I'm to call you Kyoko-chan, you better call me Kami-chan. "

Kyoko was quickly entering fairy-land as her newfound and self-proclaimed friend reintroduced herself.

"…..yoko… Kyoko-chan?"

"Hmm?" Kyoko's eyes came back into focus as Kaminari snapped in front of her face and started laughing again.

"I said that if you worked with Tsuruga-san on the first movie, you must already know him, right?"

Kyoko's smile faded around the edges of her mouth a little.

"Yeah… I know him."

"That didn't sound so positive. Is he a bad guy?"

"Oh no! Not at all! He's a very very good guy actually! He was my esteemed sempai for a long time!"

"But he isn't anymore?"

"Well… n… no. Not really."

"What happened?"

Kyoko was silent for a long time, but Kaminari didn't give up waiting, so she finally had to give a response.

"We had a little problem when we were working together." She left the answer vague intentionally, hoping Kaminari would pick-up on her reluctance to talk about it.

Kaminari DID manage to pick-up the vibe Kyoko was putting off about the situation and decided not to pursue it. For now.

"Come on Kyoko-chan. Our twenty minute break is just about over. I know it wasn't quite the notice we expected, but, are you ready to continue filming?"

Kyoko nodded. "Sure. I can do it. Just let me look over the lines for a few minutes. I'll meet you on the set."

Kyoko watched Kaminari disappear through the door and close it tightly behind her.

What am I going to do?! I have to work with Tsuruga-san! I really didn't want to see him.

He… He really didn't look that well though… I wonder if he's been eating properly… maybe I should… NO! Kyoko, what are you thinking! You can't make him dinner! Can't spend any extra time around him! It'll just hurt more when the film is over and I stop seeing him again.

I CAN do this. I just have to act like nothing happened. Yeah, Tsuruga-san is such a professional, I'm sure he won't say anything or make me uncomfortable or… or do anything.

After giving herself a short pep-talk, she stepped in front of the mirror to straightened her kimono. The peacock printed obi had come loose after all the movement and needed to be readjusted.

She couldn't help but admire her own reflection. She hardly looked herself and actually did look very much the same as Ruriko had in the same role.

After a year of working diligently on indoor shoots instead of outdoors doing manual labor, her skin had lost it's slight tan and the dusty blue of her iromuji kimono brought out a slight peach blush to her skin so that the accents of peach and light pink on the peacock pattern on the midnight blue obi matched her complexion very well.

Even when she was working in Fuwas' ryokan, she had never worn a more perfect garment than this.

…wait…

Actually, now that she stood back and looked at herself in the mirror, the ensemble DID look familiar.

Where have I seen this before?

"Kyoko-chan!" Kaminari stuck her head in through the door. "They're ready for you to retake the scene now."

Kyoko followed Kaminari back to the set and prepared to start the scene again.

"Action!"

"Choko, I am bound to serve the guests in the tearoom, but a very important someone has arrived whom I would like for you to serve tea for. You'll find them in the anterior tearoom. Please treat them kindly."

"Yes mother." Choko rose up steadily and headed down the hall to prepare the tea.

The scene changed and the honored guest sat looking outside then turned around as the young lady bowed and begged entrance to the room with her tea utensils beside her.

Her black hair hung loosely about her face as her head rested against the backs of her hands.

"Please, you may enter" Yuusuke said.

"I thank you for honoring our home," Choko said as if by rote, then slowly raised her head.

Choko picked up her tea set, slid her foot forward and stood in one smooth motion then took her place across from the honored guest.

Slowly, Choko raised her eyes to meet Yuusuke's.

A moment of silence passed between them, so many emotions unsaid, then Choko began to prepare the tea.

The kettle had already been set down onto the boiler, so the water was already hot as she drew it from the iron pot.

She skillfully whisked the tea with the hot water and prepared the tea before passing the tea bowl across to the guest.

As he took the tea from her, he whispered, "The bells still call your name. I have missed you, Choko."

"CUT! That was better this time. It's good. Prepare for scene change."

Kyoko did not move yet. This was all horribly familiar, and as her sense of déjà vu grew, she realized why, and her cheeks flushed red.

"Mogami-san?" Ren was braving himself to try and speak normally to her. "Are you alright?"

She looked up into his face as he extended a hand to help her up, her eyes went wide as she remembered her dream from weeks earlier, and she jumped up and ran out of the room, leaving Ren dejected.

He ran his hand through his hair as he stood up then dropped it to his side and sighed.

So. She is still upset with me after all.