Authors Chat: It's a very short chapter, but I spent a lot of time thinking of how I wanted to put this chapter together.

Enjoy.

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 32

Kaminari smiled to herself as she buckled herself back into the drivers seat of her car.

"Are you satisfied now? I told you he would never leave her."

"Okay, I admit it. You're right. I just had to make sure."

Yashiro rolled his eyes at his sister.

"I still don't see how this plan of yours will work. Kyoko-chan is not that easily influenced."

"It'll work. Trust me."

"Kyoko isn't the jealous type. What makes you so sure this will work?" he shook his head at her.

"… Lets just call it women's intui-"

"And DON'T say 'women's intuition!' You're messing with two peoples lives who are very important to me Kaminari. Now I want to know why you think your plan will work."

"Okay Yukihito, I'll tell you. First, have you ever been in love?"

Yashiro bristled, sitting up straight, and blushed. "What's that got to do with anything? We're talking about Ren and Kyoko-chan. Not me… Did Mom put you up to this?" He looked at her incredulously.

Kami couldn't help but laugh. "No Yukihito. It's because if you HAVE been in love, you'd understand better. Have you seen the way Kyoko-chan looks at Ren when she thinks no one's looking?"

Yashiro's face relaxed. "What do you mean?"

"So you HAVEN'T been in love then?" she smirked.

"KAMINARI!"

"Okay okay! Fine! You know Mom's after grandkids, just thought I'd see if I could get the pressure off me some. She's started threatening to get me kicked out of college so I could have nothing to do BUT make babies!" Kami shook her head, "but honestly, if you had ever been in love, you would understand what that look means. Sometimes, between takes, if you look at Kyoko when the directors talking to Ren-san, you'll catch her looking at him. You can see it in her eyes. Kyoko-chan loves him, but I think she's too afraid to admit it."

He laughed. "I think you've got that wrong Kamichi. I doubt Kyoko is afraid of anything, much less, love."

"Maybe you're forgetting Yukihito. Sure, Kyoko's already an actress, but she's still a member of Takarada-sama's Love Me section. You know why that was created, right?"

"Of course I do! … but I had forgotten Kyoko was still in that section."

Yashiro and Kaminari halted their conversation as they pulled up to the restaurant and exited. Each remained quiet in thought until after their order had been placed.

"Kamichi… Maybe I'm worrying too much, but… What if your plan DOESN'T work, and instead of making Kyoko get jealous and lay her claim to Ren… What if you wind up driving a wedge between them instead?"

Kaminari sighed. "Yukihito, if you really think I should do things differently, what do you think we should do instead!?" Her exasperation was evident in her voice.

"I don't know… I was thinking maybe… a gentle shove rather?"

"You mean like you did? When you left Kyoko as Ren's manager when you came to my wedding, and they wound up in this mess they're in in the first place?"

"Alright! Enough! I get your point! Though I didn't do anything! Whatever happened between them is the cause, and Ren won't tell me anything! What about you? What about Kyoko? Did she ever tell YOU what happened?"

"Well, no, but– "

"Then don't accuse me of making things worse Kamichi, until we find out what happened!" he interrupted her.

"Fine. You're right. I'll go pick up Kyoko when we leave here. If she's feeling better at all, she's probably ready for her own bed anyway. I'll take care of her then and get her story out of her.

"Kami, that isn't what I meant. I didn't mean you had to find out instantly."

"No, but it's important to you." Kami sighed. "Don't worry Yukihito. I would never do anything to jeopardize your job with Tsuruga-san.

"I'm not worried about my job Kami. I'm worried about my friends."