Authors Chat: Well, my attempt at relatively quick next chapters failed. Horribly. I know. I suck! XD

Anyway… School's starting again, and I've got a full course load at the university. I think I'll try to push out chapters more quickly - I'll write while on break (yay 4 hour classes! [that was sarcastic if you didn't catch that]), but I think I'll probably go back to shorter chapters so I don't have to spend as much time typing the chapters from my notebook to the computer. Maybe I'll buy a laptop and use that instead… damn, that'd be helpful… If anyone wants to donate to the cause, let me know! :D

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 45

Ren could hardly contain his laughter. Not the mild chuckles Tsuruga Ren gave, but the gut-busting out-loud laughter that he sometimes had as Kuon when he was alone. This girl! She would really do something like that!

"Cut! Tsuruga-san! Did you forget the line?"

He coughed, covering his slipping laughter. "No Director, just had a scratch in my throat. Needed to cough."

"Then I presume you are finished and are ready to continue? Or do you need a break?"

Ren couldn't help but feel the director was challenging his professional demeanor and was brought back to reality. Get your head out of the clouds. You have a job to do first. Work first, play later.

With that, he began again to focus on his role again. It did not last long, however, before he could feel someone staring at him. He glanced Kyoko's direction between takes to find her staring at him with a grin that lead him to worry. Worry, and wonder.

When Director Shingai called it quits for the day, Kyoko made a bee line for where Ren stood, drinking his bottle mineral water.

"Tsu-"

"Kyoko-san."

"…Un. Ren-san. I wanted to ask you about something. I had an idea for how t-"

Ren gave her a look that clearly told her to be quiet. Ren turned his body just a little so she could see Yashiro was directly behind him, packing up his bag for the evening.

"-o … to um, act out the next part between Choko and Seto. Do you have some time available to go over the lines with me and try it out?" Smooth.

"Well, I believe I'm free a little later this evening?"

"Sure Ren-san. You have a short meeting at LME about your next role choices, then an interview with In The Know magazine, then you'll be free past 9:00 this evening."

"That's a little late, but if I give you a ride home afterward, would that be fine Kyoko-san?"

"Un!" she nodded in agreement.

"I'll pick you up from Daruma-Ya on my way back from the interview. How does that sound?"

She smiled up at him as he guided her out to the car.

.-

"Kyoko-chan?" Kaminari looked at Kyoko like she had grown another head.

"Kaminari-chan!" Kyoko looked at Ren, who was holding the door open waiting for her to get it, then looked back at Kaminari. "Oh my gosh! I-I'm sorry Ren-san! I forgot Kaminari-chan would be giving me a ride home! It was only this morning she was occupied." She bowed low, then turned and ran to Kaminari then plastered herself to the parking garage floor.

Kaminari's eyes went wide, then she let out a laugh. "Kyoko-chan, that's no reason to drop into a dogeza! Stand up, you're getting dirty!"

She didn't move until Kaminari was forced to pull her up by her arms.

"There, see? If you had just stood up right away like I told you to, you wouldn't have missed saying goodbye to Tsuruga-san and Yukihito."

Kyoko whipped around to see the porche rounding the corner toward the exit. Why didn't he wait? No, he's very busy. He can't be forced to wait for me just for a silly thing like saying good bye. Besides, I'll see him later tonight. Um… but does he really think I need help on the role? Does he even really intend to pick me up? He did realize that was a cover-up, right? She stood, in a daze with her thoughts.

"Kyoko-chan? Are you coming?" Kaminari looked at Kyoko through the open window of her car, wondering just what the girl was thinking.

"Un! Sorry!"

"Spaaaaace cadet!" she laughed as Kyoko shut herself into the passenger seat and reached for the seat belt. "If you keep getting distracted like that, how will you make it through a shooting of Bridge Rock? You really need to focus on your role tonight Kyoko. Just imagine the audience if they had to watch Bo walk around the stage, staring at the catwalk with his beak hanging open?"

Kyoko flushed "I see… you're right Kami-chan. Of course. I'll focus on the role!" But what if Tsuruga-san really DOES come to pick me up from the Daruma-Ya? I'll have to hurry once finished with Bridge Rock tonight. Just in case. She nodded, and focused on her role.

She had to be instructed before the show each week who the guest would be and what was to be expected of her, so she had to arrive early for every shooting. This was no exception.

The guest was another musical group who were on the up-and-coming. Though they had been compared to Fuwa Shou, Kyoko knew they would be no match for him, so did not feel threatened by them. Their music was similar, yes, but not unique enough to make the grade. It was as if they were attempting to copy his style, and came close truly, but they just weren't up to par on the vocals.

Anyone who has five fingers could match the keyboard, and beat a drum, but the skill in singing and guitar style was unique to him alone.

It was true, that Kyoko tried to focus on playing Bo, but she was unnerved at how her thoughts led her back to Shou. And then on to the Beagle and his friends. What ever happened to them? They went to America, then came back and the demon forced me to make chocolates, I got my little me back, then nothing? Hard to imagine he would finally leave me alone after that. Maybe they really are focusing on their music now? I wonder if they're any good on their own.

Her thought were still wandering by the time they called it a wrap, and when she finally had gotten her costume put away, she was running drastically low on time. 8:20. I'll have to hurry. If only Kaminari didn't have such a long drive home. What am I thinking? I couldn't have let her stay just to give me a ride home! I'll have to run. It isn't that horribly far…

It was hearing 8:50 when she arrived, out of breath, at the doorstep of the Daruma-ya.

The Okami chastised her for forcing herself beyond exhaustion. "Kyoko-san, why didn't you just take the subway or a taxi?"

"I… didn't… have… any money… with me … today… since… Kami…nari… was going to… be there." She said between gasps of air.

"But then shouldn't you have-" she was interrupted by the door chiming.

Kyoko stopped breathing. When the door chimed again, she jumped up and rushed up the stairs, calling "please, just stall him! I have to shower quick! Please Okami-san! Taisho! I won't be long!"

Taisho went to the door while the Okami straightened up the entry way. There was a gruff "hello, we're closed," followed by a "I'm just here to pick up Mogami-san. Is she in? She should be expecting me…"

After a brief pause, "She's in but she isn't ready for visitors. Come in, sit down and wait."

Ren had never been so intimidated in his life! This man either didn't know who he was, was a bigger shot than himself, was mafia, or didn't care either way!

The fifteen minutes he had to wait for Kyoko was strenuous and nerve wracking. The Taisho went back to straightening up his kitchen and food bar, and after wiping down the countertops, began sharpening his knives.

Ren couldn't tell if it was the same concept as an American father cleaning his gun collection when the young boyfriend came to call, or if it was actually a master chef just properly caring for his best equipment.

The only sounds to be heard though was the faint pattering of the shower, somewhere in the building, and the metallic scuffing of a blade over a diamond grit sharpening stone.

This WASN'T the first time he had met these people, but now was different than then because NOW, he was dating, …or soon to be, the teenage girl who clearly filled the role of their daughter.

Nothing like a first love to make you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. …AND in front of others. Ren glanced back at the Taisho and noticed Kyoko coming down the stairs, her hair still wet from the shower.

"Tsuruga-san! I'm so sorry to make you wait! I didn't finish with my evening job until late… and I wasn't sure you would be coming. Um… Thank you by the way. About earlier I mean."

He stood and smiled at her as she walked up to him, a hand-towel still in her hands as she slipped her shoes on. "It was no problem KYOKO-SAN." He emphasized the use of her name to indicate he noticed her reverting to calling him by his surname. "The towel?"

"Well, my hair isn't dry yet."

"Why don't you go back up and use the dryer. I can wait."

"Oh no, I've made you wait long enough. It's fine. I'll finish towel drying it in the car." With that, she walked out the door, leaving Ren to bow his way out and promise he would take very good care of her.

He opened the car door for her as he always did, before entering the drivers seat, then drove in silence while she dried her hair beside him.

I wish she WOULD have dried her hair before we left… the wet look is very good on her. Makes her look somewhat… erotic. Like every teenage boy's wet-dream. Well, minus the large chest. He glanced down at her chest then caught himself and turned his attention back to the road. Not that there isn't enough there. There definitely is. …then again, I should make her promise never to go out in public with wet hair… wouldn't want anyone to see her like that. No one but me that is. He glanced at her just in time to see her smile at him behind the edge of the towel as she looked his way.

Maybe it isn't such a good idea to take her back to the apartment right now… his breath caught in his throat as his pants got a little tighter.