Authors Chat: Starting my new job Monday (tomorrow) and still on the last week of school. I'll update again as soon as I'm able, but please have patience.

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 29

Yashiro and Kaminari fought over who got to pay for dinner, but as Kaminari was only making intern wages, Yashiro won. Somehow though, it felt like a loss.

Did she trick me into paying again? He wondered as he looked over to her in the drivers seat of her car. She IS smiling rather smugly. Damn it. Next time I'll make her pay.

"Yukihito, I'm going to head back to Kyoko-chan's when I drop you off. I'm going to tell her it was back on the way, so if she says something to you, just pretend that I live on the opposite side of town."

"Why are you going back there?"

"Girl talk."

Kaminari always had a way of getting what she wanted. If luck were on her side, Kyoko wouldn't be able to resist either. Judging by what Yashiro had told her of Kyoko too, it would be like taking candy from a baby.

She stopped in front of Yashiro's apartment then turned the car around and waved to Yashiro as she headed back to Kyoko's to find out what she could.

…

Kyoko was up in her room trying to read through the script, but she kept getting distracted with thoughts of Ren playing Yuusuke. He looked so shocked when he saw that it was Kyoko playing Choko instead of Ruriko.

I didn't even know he COULD get surprised! She giggled to herself. Then again… I think I even surprised myself… To think even in my sleep I would dream about… him… that…

She put her hands up to her cheeks and could feel them burn in embarrassment.

*knock knock knock*

"Kyoko-chan, are you here? Okami-san said I could just go on up."

"Kami-chan! Just a moment!" Kyoko dropped the script on her table and jumped to her feet to open the door.

"What are you doing here? I thought you and Yashiro-san already left!"

"Well, I did bring him home, but I thought, as your manager, I could help you work through your lines. Since the role was so last minute, you don't have a lot of time to work on them. So? How 'bout it?"

Her eyes twinkled as the edges of her mouth twitched into a smile.

"That would be nice! Please, come on in! Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Water? Coffee? Juice? Anything?"

Kaminari laughed, "I'm fine Kyoko-chan. Is that your script?" she pointed to the table where Kyoko had dropped the manuscript and sidestepped Kyoko's figure in the doorway to enter the room.

"Un!" nodded and couldn't help but smile.

She hadn't had anyone to help her with her role since Ren had helped her with Natsu…

"Kyoko-chan… I'm okay if you leave the door open, if you want. You look a little hot."

"Oh.. uh… no, I-I'm not hot." Her blush deepened.

Kaminari grinned. "Are you by chance thinking of boys then?"

"N-n-n-no…" Kaminari's grin grew wider, revealing a full row of her pearly white teeth.

"Who's the lucky guy? You have a boyfriend Kyoko-chan?"

"N-no, I d-don't!"

Success! "Then I suppose you were just dreaming about those two hot guys on your wall, eh? Fuwa Shou and Tsuruga Ren… You must like Fuwa Shou better; life size poster and all…"

"NO! I DON'T!" she balled her hand into a fist and the air seemed to simmer in waves around her.

"The why do you have his poster on your wall?"

"That's… I…" she stopped her sentence and stomped over to her wall and reached her hand up to the top of the poster. *!* The tacks remained in the wall while Kyoko shorn Shou's head and torso from his limbs.

"Kyoko-chan… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to upset you." Kaminari looked genuinely worried. She knew of Kyoko's idea for revenge though Kyoko didn't know, but Kaminari had never expected her to get so worked up over a silly poster. "Come back over here and sit. We'll start going over the script." She patted the floor beside her as she scooted up to the table.

It took Kyoko a bit of time to calm down, but going over the lines helped. They started at the very beginning of the script where Ruriko had already filmed in order to help Kyoko get a feel for the character. It was the first time she had ever had REAL assistance on developing a character, but since she did not have to develop the character herself, only go based off of what was previously established, it wouldn't be too difficult.

"Kyoko-chan, have you seen Ring Doh?"

"No, not really. I mean, I watched while it was being filmed out on location – the same mansion that is – but I never saw the finished product."

Kaminari looked at Kyoko incredulously. "You really haven't seen it? It was widely publicized, and with Tsuruga Ren's fame, it did very well in the box office."

"I actually don't watch many movies Kami-chan." She motioned that there was no TV setup in her room. "Most of my wages goes to paying for acting school, high school, rent, and a few other necessities. The rent is cheap though, really, most of my wages goes to high school acting school. Takarada-sama is letting me pay for the acting classes in installments you see."

"Well, what about watching it somewhere else? What about Tsuruga-san? Since he's your sempai and you're co-acting, I bet he would let you watch it at his house."

"WAS my sempai. I couldn't ask him, I just couldn't."

"Why not? He's co-staring in the movie with you this time too, I would imagine he would WANT you to see the movie so you knew how to act the role! Do you dislike Tsuruga-san?"

"N-no, that isn't it at all."

"Then what DO you think of Tsuruga-san?" She had successfully managed to ask without seeming suspicious and gloated to herself as she waited for an answer.

"I respect him. He's a very good actor."

"… is that all?"

Why does everyone ask me that!? "Um… he's very professional and takes his roles seriously?"

"No Kyoko-chan, that isn't what I mean. I mean as a person, what's he like?"

"You… you want to know what he's like as a person? But I don't know that much. I'm … was just his Kouhai!"

"Yeah, and as his Kouhai, you've spent a lot of time around him learning from him, right?"

"Well… yeah, but…"

"'but' nothing! You have to know something about him. Like… what's his favorite food? Or something like that!"

"um….. Well, I don't know his favorite food, but he's liked everything I've cooked for him."

"Oh, so you cook for him? Then you have been to his place already?"

Kyoko blushed faintly, "yeah."

"So what's his home like?"

"He lives in the top floor of an apartment building, but he almost always has the curtains closed, so I don't know what kind of a view he has. I haven't looked. Um… It's a nice big apartment."

"What about his furniture? I bet he has really lavish furniture. I'm sure he makes enough."

"Well, actually, it's nice but I wouldn't call it lavish. He seems like a normal enough person, I mean, except he has a really really big bed, but he's tall so I suppose he needs it that big." Kyoko froze for just a second, but it was long enough for Kaminari to notice. "but-the-rest-of-his-furniture-is-normal" she spilled out trying to cover up her blunder. A Kouhai shouldn't know how big her Sempai's bed is! Why would I say that!? AAARG!

"Kyoko-chan," Kaminari grinned "what were you doing in Tsuruga Ren's bedroom?"

"H-he was sick once and I-I was acting as his temporary manager! That's all!"

No Kyoko-chan, you're a bit too flustered, I don't think that IS all…

"Alright Kyoko-chan. I believe you." She smiled warmly, "shall we work on the script?"

"Oh! Right! The script!" Kyoko buried her nose in the script, trying to hide her red cheeks. Why is Kami-chan asking me things like that! It's like that time with Shoutaro… Oh… don't tell me she likes Ren? Kyoko looked over at Kaminari who was happily humming to herself and reading the script. I thought she liked Yashiro-san… she DID have dinner with him after all… Maybe she's like those girls in junior high who only pretended to like me to get close to Shoutaro. Maybe she's using Yashiro san AND me!? Her intake of breath was not unnoticed by Kaminari, but Kaminari just kept humming to herself, pleased she was able to get Kyoko agitated over Ren.

I can't let Kami-chan think I'm close with Tsuruga-san. Be careful Kyoko! Gotta be careful what I say to Kami-chan…

"Well Kyoko-chan, I don't think I'll be any help with your lines until after you've watched the movie. I'll see what I can do about getting a copy and we'll fin someplace to watch it." She got up and started walking to the door.

"Um, okay Kami-chan." Kyoko herself seemed a bit confused at the sudden decision to leave. What was she going to do!? She couldn't trust her manager, and she needed help with this role to learn it as quickly as possible. She couldn't go to Tsuruga-san for help…

What should I do?

She said her good-byes to Kaminari and set a time to be picked up the following morning, then she laid out her futon and climbed in and tried to sleep.