Greetings everyone! So, this chapter is probably the longest out of all the others because I really wanted to set up the scene. You'll see what I mean at the end. Anyway, thanks again for all the massive support. You guys are the best! Please read and review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.
It was just too good to be true. Ren would have never thought in a million years that something like this would have happened. He was now the sole winner of nearly sixty grand and to top it all off, this meant that their vacation would not only be good, but might also be the best one of their life.
So after the loud tumultuous screams of the crowd, Ren was able to receive the money from the owner of the Aria hotel himself. Of course, he only won about fifteen grand in the end since all the taxes and fees had to be subtracted, but that didn't matter to him at all. Because no matter how much he won, there was something that didn't change.
Kyoko's awed expression as she watched Ren shake hands with everyone and the smile upon her face were more than enough. Ren could still remember the warmth of her arms around his body and how happy she seemed to be as she looked into his shocked eyes. It was perfect. The money wasn't important to Ren at all; it was her reaction that he treasured the most.
Of course, having all that money was a nothing short of a great positive. As soon as Ren received his earnings, he treated everyone to a fancy lunch at a five star restaurant. And throughout the entire time they ate, Kyoko couldn't keep her eyes off of him. The way she retold the story and how her eyes seemed to get brighter with every word that she spoke made Ren feel incredibly significant when at other times he thought she didn't notice him at all.
And while running off the high of such an amazing win, they all spent the next few days with each other, with Ren treating them to everything and anything. He didn't let anyone spend a dime. And together, they seemed to have visited every place known to man in Las Vegas with the blisters to prove it. Stopping by every hotel and hitting every tourist attraction was exactly the kind of fun they needed.
On the first day, they decided to hit the Fashion Mall, a large building with numerous of boutiques that would have driven any girl insane. Kanae was the most excited, jumping around to each store and coming out with a large grin on her face as she held up another new shopping bag in her hands. Ren and Yashiro gladly accompanied the girls around the stores, taking a certain pleasure in watching them shop and try on clothes. Although it wasn't exactly a place they would have chosen, they were more than happy to hold their bags and give them their opinions about the items they tried on.
And throughout the whole trip, Yashiro seemed to have the camera permanently attached to his hand. He took plenty of pictures, from each of the hotels to all of the special statues and buildings that could be seen from every corner. He even took a picture of Kyoko and Ren sharing a frozen hot chocolate at the Serendipity restaurant together, unbeknownst to the both of them.
But out of all the places they went, Caesar's Palace had to be Kyoko's favorite. Everything inside the hotel was made out of marble, from the shiny, cool floors to the colorful ceilings.
Even the water fountains consisted of marble and she nearly had a heart attack when the sculptures all began to move and talk during the hourly shows. One time, Kyoko was so immersed in the movements of the statues that she didn't even realize she had a hand placed on Ren's arm out of awe. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes seemed to be as wide as marbles as she watched the water spray upward towards the ceiling.
Ren, of course, didn't pay much attention to anything except for her hand on his arm. And with a slight nudge from Kanae, Yashiro snapped one quick picture of Ren looking down at Kyoko before he went off with Kanae to give them time alone.
Sightseeing definitely used up a lot of their time on their vacation, but they didn't forget to participate in other activities as well. At the Venetian, they all went on a gondola ride through what seemed to be a small, quaint town in Italy. The sounds of the gentle water lapping on the sides of the large gondola and the eloquent singing of the gondoliers made it seem as if they really were on Italian waters.
And later on, Ren had a brilliant idea to do something slightly more thrilling than a boat ride. He invited them all to go on the Bootleg Canyon Flightlines. Yashiro was more than apprehensive about flying through the air and it took a lot of persuasion from Kanae to get him to strap the uniform on. But eventually, they found themselves soaring through the desert and the mountain terrain in nothing but a simple wire wrapped around their bodies. And even though they had fun, Yashiro couldn't be any more thankful that his feet were permanently planted on the ground afterwards.
Although the four of them practically went everywhere with each other, they always met up with everyone else at night for dinner. Booking a restaurant for forty people was quite difficult, but eating dinner with forty people was well worth it. Of course, Kanae and Yashiro were quite successful in always placing Kyoko right besides Ren, even when Ruriko tried to commit sabotage. And for every dinner, Ren and Kyoko could be seen in deep conversation with one another, whether it was discussing what they did that day or just talking in general.
Yashiro was extremely pleased with the progress between Ren and Kyoko, but even somewhat more pleased with his own relationship with Kanae. Much to his surprise, his nervousness around Kanae gradually disappeared throughout their trip and eventually he found it so comfortable to be with her that he almost called her by her given name once. However, he caught himself immediately, believing that it would be rude since she continued to address him as formally as before.
But sadly, even with all the fun that they had in Vegas, their trip was beginning to come to a close. And with just two days left, President Lory decided to book them all tickets to see one final show: KÀ Cirque du Soleil.
"So, the show starts at eight o'clock sharp and ends around ten. Therefore, I think we should all meet in the lobby at 7:20," he said as he everyone stood around him. "Agreed?"
They all nodded together, murmuring their excitement to see one of the best shows in Vegas. Kyoko was nearly jumping up and down in joy as she stood beside Ren.
"Have you seen this show before, Tsuruga-san?" she asked curiously, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
He shook his head. "I haven't. But I've heard it's amazing."
Kyoko's eyes widened. Looking at her cell phone, she realized that it was already 6:00. That gave her about an hour to get ready. And as if called on cue, Kanae walked over to her and said, "Want to go freshen up then?"
Kyoko nodded.
But before she could leave, Ren suddenly called them back and said, "Would you like to meet up with Yashiro and I back at our room?"
She blinked in surprise.
"Since it's on the way down to the lobby anyway," he added quickly.
Yashiro walked up behind him and replied, "That's a terrific idea."
Kyoko smiled as Kanae nodded her head in agreement.
"That'll be great, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko answered as she began to walk towards the elevators. "Is seven okay?"
He nodded.
Then with one last smile, Kyoko and Kanae walked away.
Ren watched the both of them step inside the elevator, feeling a smile form upon his face as her eyes slowly met his tender gaze right before the doors slid shut. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Tired?" Yashiro asked as he placed a cold bottle of water in his hands.
"Thanks," Ren said as he unscrewed the cap. "And yeah, I'm a little worn out."
"We have been busy these past few days."
Ren chuckled. "Busy doesn't cover it. But it was fun."
Yashiro snickered and said in a low voice, "I'm sure Kyoko had a lot of fun too."
Ren looked at his manager out of the corner of his eye, gulping the icy cool water. Even though Yashiro thought Ren had no idea what he was up to, he couldn't have been farther from the truth. It was hard to hide something of this magnitude from him, especially when Yashiro kept coming up with excuses to leave him and Kyoko alone together. Therefore, wanting to give Yashiro a little taste of his own medicine, he finally closed the bottle up again and replied in a cool voice, "So did Kotonami-san."
Yashiro froze.
"But I have a feeling that you already knew that," Ren continued, pleased with his friend's reaction.
Yashiro blushed and shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Ren laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you do, Yashiro. In fact, I'm so sure, that I'm willing to make a little wager."
"On what?"
"A hundred bucks says that somehow, no matter what kind of tickets we get, you'll be seated next to Kotonami-san tonight and I will be sitting with Kyoko," Ren said with a smile as he walked forward.
Yashiro grimaced.
"There goes a hundred dollars."
CRASH!
"Kyoko?" Kanae called from her bedroom. "Everything okay?"
"Fine! Fine!" she exclaimed from the bathroom. "Just dropped my perfume!"
Kanae sighed. Shaking her head, she turned back to the mirror in front of her and put on the finishing touches of her make-up. Once she stood up and took a good look at herself, Kanae had to admit that she was quite pleased with her entire ensemble.
She was wearing a low-cut, backless dress made out of a navy blue silk that draped all the way down to her feet. Usually Kanae would wear some sort of wrap around her arms, but considering the heat in Las Vegas, she figured it should be fine to go out bare. She also decided to leave her hair down tonight, making it look like a cascade of silky ribbons upon her shoulders. And after one last smile at herself, Kanae decided to go check on her friend and see how she was doing.
Walking down the white hall in her black heels, she reached the entrance of Kyoko's bedroom and knocked on the doorframe since the door was already open.
"You ready?"
"Yup!" Kyoko exclaimed as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I'm done!"
Kanae's jaw dropped.
"You can't be serious."
"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked as she took a look at herself. "Is something wrong?"
"Your outfit!" Kanae said in exasperation as she walked in and grabbed Kyoko's hand, spinning her around in a circle.
Unlike Kanae who was dressed like she was going to a grand ball, Kyoko seemed to be dressed as if she was attending a high school dance. She had on a simple white skirt with a plain pink blouse that left her shoulders bare. And to make it worse, she wore silver flats on her feet!
Kanae clicked her tongue in disapproval. "No, this will not work."
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Kyoko asked as she stole another look at herself.
"It's too simple! We're going to a show, Kyoko. Not a movie theater."
Dragging her friend down the hall, Kanae pulled Kyoko into her bedroom and left her standing in the middle of the room as she rummaged through some of her shopping bags on the floor.
"I was planning on giving this to you later, but I guess now is the best time," Kanae said as she pulled out a white box from a large black bag.
"Here," Kanae replied, placing the box into Kyoko's hands. "Open it."
Bewildered and highly curious, Kyoko set the box on top of her white bed and untied the green ribbon. When she lifted the lid, her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she saw the dress inside.
"Moko-san! It's beautiful!"
"It's yours," she replied simply.
Kyoko shook her head. "I can't take this! It's too extravagant!"
"Mo, I already got it for you. And if you refuse it, I'm going to take it as a personal insult from someone who is supposedly my best friend."
Kyoko's eyes watered, full of emotion. "Moko-san!" she exclaimed as she flung herself into her friend's body, tightly wrapping her arms around her torso.
"MO! We're going to be late!" Kanae cried in exasperation as she pushed her friend off and into the bathroom. "Now go get changed!"
Kyoko smiled tearfully and nodded as she closed the door behind her. Kanae plopped herself onto the bed, tapping her foot on the floor with a small smile upon her lips. The clock only read 6:38 so they had plenty of time before they met up with Ren and Yashiro. And after a couple of more minutes, Kyoko slowly stepped out with a shy smile.
Kanae's eyes widened. The dress was perfect. Its design was quite simple really, but when placed on Kyoko, the gown completely transformed into a piece of art. The dress was made out of a deep red fabric that hit right at the knees and had a sweetheart neckline with crystallized straps on her shoulders. Cinched at the waist and flared at the hips, the gown made Kyoko look incredibly elegant and tall, not to mention Kyoko's natural ability to hold herself like princess.
Kanae smiled. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
"Really? It's not too much?"
"It's perfect," she said as she walked over with a comb and brushed through Kyoko's straightened hair. "And your make-up looks pretty good too. But your lips need some work. They're really pale. So here, use this gloss."
Kyoko smeared Kanae's pink, shimmery balm onto her lips and pressed them together. Smiling, she asked, "How about now?"
"Much better," Kanae replied as she placed the lipstick back into her small purse.
Kyoko giggled and gently hugged Kanae. "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."
Embarrassed and slightly moved, Kanae fidgeted out of Kyoko's arms and said, "Well, I'm glad you realized. Now come on, let's go before we're late."
She smiled widely and nodded. After Kyoko grabbed her silver clutch from her bedroom and put on her red heels that Kanae forced her to wear, they both turned off the lights and shut the door behind them. As they finally entered the elevator, Kyoko said, "That's a really pretty dress too, Moko-san."
"Thanks, I bought it at the same store where I got yours."
"How come I wasn't there when you bought them?" Kyoko asked curiously, remembering that she accompanied Kanae to every botique.
"No, you were there," Kanae began with a smirk. "You were just too busy."
"Busy with what?"
"Looking at Tsuruga-san," she answered with a small laugh.
Kyoko froze just as soon as the golden doors slid open.
Once Kanae realized she wasn't moving, she grabbed Kyoko's wrist and pulled her out. "Oh stop it and come on. They're probably already waiting."
And after taking a left and another right down the hall, they arrived in front of a white door that had the number plate: 60251. Kanae bravely knocked upon the door twice and waited for just a few seconds before she saw Yashiro, dressed in a full black suit.
Kanae smiled. "Wow, you clean up nice."
"You too," Yashiro murmured softly.
And for one tiny second, they just stared at each other, completely lost for words. But like an electric shock, Yashiro suddenly jumped in surprise and said quickly, "You look really pretty too, Kyoko-chan!"
Kyoko, who was still quite unnerved by Kanae's comment earlier, didn't respond immediately. Her eyes seemed to become unfocused as her mind desperately tried to rearrange itself in realistic terms. But just as she was about to open her mouth in thanks, a soft voice came from inside the room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
And feeling as if somebody had thrown hot water in her face, Kyoko felt her cheeks burn scarlet red as she stared into his handsome face. He wasn't in a suit like Yashiro, but he wore a dark maroon long-sleeve shirt over a pair of simple black trousers with a dark jacket draped over his arm. His hair was neatly slicked back, removing anything that would cover his face. Kyoko couldn't understand why, but she didn't have the will to avert her gaze. He was too mesmerizing.
Kyoko wasn't alone though. Ren couldn't get over how she looked either. He thought the bikini was going to be the end of all her wardrobe surprises, but he was dead wrong. She looked absolutely exquisite in the red dress and it nearly made Ren's heart stop altogether when his eyes wandered to her face. He had no idea if it was just him or the lighting, but her skin seemed to look smoother somehow and Ren had such an urge to delicately run his fingers across her cheek.
But shaking his head, he forced himself to smile normally and said, "You both look amazing."
Kanae smiled while Kyoko blushed profusely and murmured, "So do you."
Then with one click of the door closing shut, all four of them made their way down towards the lobby. No words were exchanged as they stood in the elevator, but the silence wasn't stifling or awkward. They all just wanted to take in this moment, not daring to break what seemed to be more like a fantasy than reality.
When they finally met up with the rest of the group, President Lory, who was wearing a full blown white suit, decided to split everyone up into two teams. Not to anyone's surprise, Yashiro, Kanae, Ren, and Kyoko were all in the same car, as well as Ruriko, Itsumi, Maria, and half of the Dark Moon cast.
After a good 25 minute drive, the two limos pulled up to the theater and all the passengers slowly made their way out. As a group, they walked inside the large building and saw a whole room open up right in front of their eyes, filled with thousands of red, plushy chairs and sitting booths that seemed to reach the sky. The stage looked to be the size of two football fields with some props already set up upon its surface.
President Lory quickly led them to the sixth row and after a few short minutes, it was completely filled up with their party. As everyone situated themselves into their seats, Kyoko found herself sitting with Ren to her left and Kanae to her right who also had Yashiro sitting on her other side.
"It's 7:53," Ren murmured softly to them. "The show should start soon."
Kyoko giggled. "I can't wait!"
Ren smiled warmly at her as she met his eyes. Kyoko tentatively smiled back, feeling her knees tremble from a feeling she had no control over. Then suddenly, as if he had remembered something just by looking at her face, Ren's eyes brightened and he leaned towards her ear.
Kyoko's eyes widened just for a second at the close proximity of his face until she softly heard his silky voice, causing her heart to throb erratically.
"Do you think you can pass a message to Yashiro for me, Mogami-san?"
She gave a slight nod.
He chuckled softly and said, "Tell him I'll collect my payment later."
"WOW…" Kyoko repeated with a shake of her head as she applauded with the rest of crowed. "JUST WOW…"
Ren chuckled even though he was sure she couldn't hear him over the crowd. The show had just ended and all the performers made their way onto the stage, bowing politely to their audience. Everyone was on their feet, applauding them for all of their amazing stunts and beautiful dances.
Kyoko couldn't get over it. The flexibility and the talent were breathtaking. Not to mention the fact that there was no dialogue whatsoever, but she could still understand the story completely as if someone was whispering it in her hear. And during the entire show, she knew that she was absolutely immersed in their movements, watching their every motion and hoping that she didn't miss a single second.
She felt so blessed to have had the opportunity to see it that when they all slowly made their way down the row, Kyoko couldn't help but feel sort of sad to leave. If she could, Kyoko would have sat down and watched the entire show from start to finish once more.
But knowing that it was impossible, Kyoko followed Ren as he walked down the row and into the carpeted aisle. As people were moving to the front, she suddenly realized how crowded it was. There seemed to be millions of people, brushing against her shoulder and almost stepping on her foot. Kyoko was staring to feel claustrophobic.
Then, as if he heard her every thought, Ren reached over and held her hand in his. She raised her head to see his reassuring smile. The overlapping noise was too loud to speak, but Kyoko understood what he meant just by looking into his eyes.
"I'll protect you."
Kyoko smiled back and gripped his hand tighter as they gradually made their way through. Eventually, they were completely separated from Kanae and Yashiro. Everywhere around them was a strange face and Kyoko tried to keep her eyes peeled for someone familiar.
Ren, on the other hand, was focused on the entrance. He could sense her slight anxiety when he felt her grip his hand just a bit harder than before. They still hadn't made it out of the theater yet and it had already been fifteen minutes. But after a good amount of patience and force, Ren could see the lobby just ahead.
But when he turned around to look at her face, he realized that his vision was practically obscured by the hordes of people. He could only see her pale arm, stretched out towards him. Ren squeezed her hand again and felt a wave of relief when she responded.
Pulling Kyoko along for what seemed like forever, they finally found themselves in the lobby. But just like in the theater, the whole entire place was practically flooded with people and not a single space was left empty.
"Just a little farther," Ren thought as he spotted the front doors at the end. "We're almost—"
And feeling as if someone punched him in the gut, Ren froze to a complete stop—because right at that very instant, Kyoko's slender hand was suddenly ripped out of his grasp.
