Authors Chat: I've had some mixed reviews lately about the speed which the story is progressing. That confused me a bit, so I re-read some of the first chapters and it made me realize that yes, over time, the pace HAS slowed down. But on that note, when I originally started this story, it was meant to be SHORT. Only a few chapters long, and it was to be something I could type from my iPhone when not in front of the computer. As time progressed and I had requests to keep writing more of this story, the pace slowed as the story got larger and more in deapth in my head.

I will agree that the part it has been sitting at has gone a little slowly, but it's … well. It will go faster from here on out.

Short chapter today, but I think you all will be fine with that.

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 moved the washcloth back and forth below the faucet a few times, allowing the cold water to saturate the cloth. She wrung it out and carried it back into Kyoko, who was crawling into her perfectly made futon.

It occurred to Kaminari that it really was a wonder that Kyoko, even in her sickly state, could make such a perfect bed so quickly.

"Here Kyoko-chan," she held out the washcloth for Kyoko to take and watched as Kyoko accepted the cloth, laid down, and placed it across her forehead.

"Kami-chan, I'm so tired, I don't think I can stay awake much longer. What will you do?"

"That's alright. I have some homework to read." She held up a book on laws in the entertainment industry. "I'll be lucky if I don't fall asleep myself."

Kyoko laughed.

"Though… would it be alright… if I get bored, would it be alright to read some of your Box 'R' Chronicles scripts? I've read the Dark Moon scripts, not to mention I've seen it on TV, and I've read the Ring Doh script a few times already… Would you mind?"

"Well… they're supposed to be kept confidential, but since you're my manager for now, I guess that's alright… right? You're the one with the law book."

They both chuckled a little, then Kyoko scooted down further in the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

Kaminari flipped absently through her law book as thoughts filled her mind and she waited for Kyoko's breathing to change, and as soon as her gentle inhale and exhaling could be heard to even out and deepen, Kaminari closed the law book with a gentle 'whump' and set it to the side. She stood up and walked over to Kyoko's book shelf and thumbed through her scripts and began pulling them out one by one for closer examination.

Kyoko-chan said Tsuruga-san and her had to kiss for his cameo in Box 'R' Chronicles… There must be something about that scene then. That had to be when Yashiro was taking time off I would guess. Lets see…. She placed the script back on the shelf and moved to the next.

She had completed flipping through the next script, then the next, and had gone through all of the first season and nearly all of season two before she found where Ren entered in his cameo as Katsuki.

Aah…

She read for a moment, then grabbed the last script of the season and the first two of season three before taking her seat again at Kyoko's Kotatsu.

This makes sense… what a clever writer. Using Katsuki's past as his introduction to teaching and… and introducing his mentality to the role of pre-Dark Moon… I never did like how Dark Moon just seemed to BEGIN with the idea that Katsuki was out for revenge… Skipped so much valid information there! Didn't cover his dedication to his task. This is wonderful really… I can really see Tsuruga-san yelling at the students like that. Kaminari giggled.

The noise causes Kyoko to shift positions, flipping to her other side.

"Sorry," Kaminari whispered, then returned her nose to the engrossing script.

I don't get it…. Kyoko-chan… you said you had to kiss Tsuruga-san in this series, but… from what I can see here, your character hates his! If you want to drive a man off, that isn't…

Kaminari paused as she found the line for Natsu's plan.

H-h-how could… Kyoko-chan? Naaw….

She looked back and forth between the script and the sleeping body beside her. Did this innocent girl really have something in her that would even ENABLE her to play this part!? Sure, she played Mio, but Mio was hateful, not lustful!

If this really is what happened in the scene… I've GOTTA see how this played out…

Kaminari flipped forward a few pages and read, then flipped forward a few pages more and was stunned by what she read.

"K-kyoko-chan… on… on top of… " she caught herself realizing she was talking out loud and shut her mouth. Her mind was working a million miles a minute, and she went back to the script, hungrily taking in every scene between Katsuki and Natsu. When she came to their final scene together, she jumped up and dropped the script, a sudden realization taking hold.

She whipped around to face the sleeping form.

"Kyoko-chan! Did you sleep with Tsuruga-san!?"