Authors Chat: I need to just stop trying to force myself to write to produce chapters and just let them come when I can. With all the tests and papers and presentations of finals week at the uni, I was just completely burnt out. Sorry it took so long for an update. Got all A's (top marks) in my finals though!

School starts again in one week, but this semester should be a little calmer. I'll try to put out another chapter before then.

Thank you to all of you for your words of encouragement and demand for more!

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.

Playing With Fire

Act 51

I can't believe I did that! Kyoko shook her head in the wind as she ran past what must have been a hundred people scattered sparsely about the sidewalk taking her closer to her goal. It was for a good reason though! And besides… it's okay, right? I mean, I am going to go on a date with him… that's what people do when they go on a date right? Well, not the WHOLE date, but it's part of it… a-and besides… Tsuruga-san always seemed to like kissing m-me. She blushed, but no one noticed, her cheeks were rosy from the high speed she was traveling.

Kyoko was embarrassed and proud of herself all at once, which led to very conflicting feelings inside her that she just didn't quite understand. One thing was certain though, she had sated her curiosity, AND she hadn't burst into flames as she had expected.

What she had just done was NOT something a proper young Japanese lady would do!

Kyoko had stopped for a moment as the need to roll around on the cement in embarrassment overtook her as she squealed things like "POOR TSURUGA-SAN!" and "I'M SO SHAMEFUL!" and "HE'S PROBABLY WASHING HIS MOUTH OUT RIGHT NOW WITH KAROSENE AND THEN STICKING A MATCH IN HIS MOUTH TO BURN OUT THE GERMS!"

She never finished her rant though, as she rolled over onto her back, and her pocket vibrated underneath her as her butt seemingly began playing Nat "King" Cole's "The Very Thought of You." Kanae had told her time and again to change the ring tone as it was embarrassing to her since it was actually a love song, but Kyoko had adamantly refused on the basis that it said exactly what she felt when she was around Kanae. Well, except for the 'love' part. It was more like… admiration, according to Kyoko that is.

Kyoko rolled off of her phone and sat up on the pavement.

"Moshi moshi!"

"MOGAMI! HOW COME YOU DIDN'T ANSWER WHEN I CALLED! I'm hardly able to focus on my work because you didn't answer your phone and you haven't called and I haven't seen you in weeks!" Kane seemed to remember herself then. "I mean, not that I really cared, but I do NOT want to have to clean the snake room again by myself! Chiori-chan refuses to enter there, no matter WHO assigns the love-me work, and that place stinks to high heaven! Really! Why the president has to have an entire room devoted to that thing, I will never know!"

"I'm sorry Moko-san! I saw I missed a call this morning, but the number was blocked so I didn't know it was you!"

"The number as blocked? Oh right. That idiot Tanaka Kojiro wouldn't stop calling, so I had my phone number changed and blocked. He actually stole my old phone and called himself to get the number you know."

"That sounds all too familiar." Kyoko's veins were popping in the memory of her own stalker.

"So. What are you doing right now?"

"Oh. Actually, I'm on my way to the subway." About that time Kyoko realized she was seated on the sidewalk and starting to draw a small crowd. She apologized profusely as she got to her feet and began jogging toward the subway station once again.

"Oh, so you're busy then?"

"Well, sort of. I've got Yashiro-san's spare key to his apartment. I need to go there and get his planner. I'm supposed to find out when Tsuruga-san has some free time, and I need to get Yashiro-san's planner to see when. It's supposed to be a surprise though, so I have to sneak in when he isn't there. I have everything planned out except for one thing. I need a look…out….."

The silence on the line could only mean one thing.

"Oh no. NO! I am NOT going to be your look-out! I have very important things to attend to! I need to go shopping for… well, something. I was calling to ask you to help me pick out an outfit for our cast party. You have good taste and can find a good bargain on even brand name items." Really, it was just because she had missed her friend, but Kanae refused to admit that.

"Mooooookooooooo-saaaannnnnn…."

"No. No. NO!" she was adamant.

-.

How the hell did this happen? Kanae looked cautiously over her shoulder as Kyoko wiggled the key in the lock. This stupid girl somehow always makes me bend to her will. One moment I was just calling to check up on her, the next, I'm standing beside her waiting to break into someone's apartment! "Ugh! What's taking so long?"

"The key doesn't slide in like it's supposed to! It keeps getting caught on the teeth. This lock needs some oil."

To Kanae's horror, Kyoko dropped her satchel down in front of her and started digging.

"What are you doing!" vexation dripping from every force-whispered word.

"Oiling the lock."

Kanae's hand shot out faster than the Narita Express with no passengers aboard. She grabbed the small tube of lock grease from Kyoko's hand, managing to squeeze some on her hand.

"Moko-san?"

"Stop and THINK for a moment! If Yashiro-san always comes home and uses that key, wouldn't he expect it to be difficult to open?" her agitation was clear in her voice as she wiped the lock grease off on a tissue she had crumpled in her pocket.

"Yeah… so I'm sure he would appreciate if I fixed it."

"No! I mean, if you fix it, then he'll know somebody was here!"

Kyoko frowned. She realized then that Kanae was right, but made a mental note to give the lock grease to Yashiro sometime after this was all over.

"Aah! Got it!"

Kanae reached over Kyoko's head and gently pushed the door open, then pushed Kyoko in and shut the door behind them.

Kanae found the light switch and the room instantly became bright. "Huh. I always pictured him as a tatami mat kind of person."

The hard wood floors extended out from the entry and into the living room and kitchen before turning down a narrow hall.

Yashiro had to make plenty of money for a comfortable living based on Tsuruga Ren's popularity, but he certainly did not spend most of it on his apartment. Sure, the apartment was nice, with hardwood floors, wood cabinets, some nice rugs, and generally nice furniture, but it was small and homey.

"It's much smaller than Ren-san's place, but it fits Yashiro-san's personality I think. Well, let's start looking!"

The girls scanned the apartment before moving.

"I'll start in the kitchen, you check the living room area."

"Right. Oh, and be sure to put things back exactly as you found them! I don't care even if it's dirty!"

"Moko-san! Yashiro-san's apartment is spotless! I doubt we'll find any dirt anywhere."

"All the same. I know you Mogami-chan. If you see it, you can't just leave well enough alone." Kanae dropped her hands off her hips and marched herself the few steps to his living room book shelves. "What exactly are we looking for? What does this planner look like?"

Kyoko popped her head up from behind the breakfast counter, "it's black leather and about the size of a regular piece of paper. It's his old one, so it'd be a little worn in."

"His old one? I thought you needed to know Tsuruga-san's current schedule. Hey!" she pivoted on her heel, slamming her feet together as she rounded to face Kyoko's back as she looked into a cupboard. "And since when did you start calling him 'Ren-san'?"

Kyoko froze, and Kanae could see her ears tinge with pink.

"Um… th-that's a story for some other time. We have to find the planner now. Let's keep looking."

"… Fine. But when we're done here, we're going straight over to a coffee shop and you're going to tell me everything!" Her definitive tone left no room for argument.

-.

Ren smiled. Wow. The thought seemed like a broken record in his head. Wow…. When did she learn that? No… I don't think I want to know. If she was like that with someone else… his anger started to rise, but quickly subsided. No, what am I thinking. It's Kyoko. She wouldn't be like that with anyone else, unless it was for work. I don't like it, but there is no helping it if a role calls for it. Maybe I should start reading the scripts of her roles before she accepts. Then I could convince her to not take the role… That's horrible, how could I even think that. Besides… if she's going to use those moves on me in her own time… damn… wow.

A light knock on the door hardly broke his revere as he called "come in".

"Aah. Ren. I thought you'd be in here. Glad I was right. Was Kyoko-chan just in here?"

"Yeah…"

Yashiro looked at Ren funny for a moment. "Anyway. There's to be a change in your filming for next week. Shiroaki-san has another job she needs to do, so they're going to reschedule your filming. I told them that was fine, that I could rework your schedule to accommodate her change. Ren? Are you listening?"

"Hmm? Yeah. I am Yukihito-san."

"So anyway, I need to spend a little time on your schedule, but I haven't transferred everything over yet. Are you okay here by yourself for a bit? Is Kyoko-chan coming back?"

"Yeah, she is."

Yashiro couldn't help but notice the silly grin and slightly messy hair.

"Did… did you do something to Kyoko-chan, Ren?" the worry in his voice clearly said he was imagining the worst.

"NO. I did not." Ren was uncertain if Yashiro could hear the emphasis of his 'I' but didn't care that much. His brain still was not functioning correctly.

"Riiiight. Okay. So I need to run and grab the old planner. I'll leave you in Kyoko's capable hands until I return."

"Okay."

Yashiro was down the hall, out the door, and halfway to the subway before Ren realized something was dreadfully wrong with what Yashiro had just said.

He was going back to his apartment to get the old planner. Kyoko was in his apartment probably right now looking for that same planner.

Ren jumped up in shock then ran to his bag and began digging frantically for his cell phone. Once found, he punched in two buttons 'speed-dial' and #1, and the line began to ring.

"Come on Kyoko… pick up!"