Hello everyone! So for this chapter, I found it quite hard to write. There were certain moments that I'm not actually used to describing, but I think I managed to do okay. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this one as you do with the rest. Please Read and Review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.
Ren felt as if someone had their hands around his throat, strangling him for any gasp of breath. He spun himself around, desperately in search of her flaming orange hair, but all he could see were hordes of people, pushing their way out. Going against the current, Ren tried to go back the other way, but it was impossible.
Their annoyed faces and irritated grunts pushed him towards the front doors. Ren would have used his voice to call out her name, but he knew that she wouldn't be able to hear him. It was way too loud. The sounds of the thunderous footsteps and the buzz-like conversation were practically pounding on his ears.
And in no time, Ren found himself at the front doors. Realizing that there wasn't any other choice, Ren pushed the door open and ran down the steps. His head was always in motion, swiveling back and forth to look for anyone that might have seen her. And right at the bottom step was Yashiro, standing beside Kanae who already had her cell phone out.
Ren ran towards them, feeling a painful throb in his body as he realized that they were alone. And when the two finally saw his facial expression, he could see their eyes widen in surprise. But not having the time to explain Ren approached them and said in a breathless voice, "Did Kyoko come out yet?"
Yashiro shook his head and stammered, "I thought she was with you."
Ren's body went completely numb.
"Kyoko's lost?" Kanae asked in a high pitch voice.
And knowing that the worse had happened, Ren shook his head and exclaimed, "I'm going to go look for her!" But before any of them could say another word, Ren had already run off in the other direction.
He had no idea where he was going nor did he know why his body was leading him in the route it did, but it was almost like an impulse. Ren allowed his legs to do the thinking as his eyes scanned the people he ran by. Everything seemed like one giant blur. He couldn't identify any of the faces and the panic he felt earlier was starting to rise up his throat.
He ran for what felt look like forever, turning this way and that, and feeling as if his legs were going to give out any second. But before he was even aware of it, he had reached the worse part of Vegas. The sparkling hotels and beautiful structures had all disappeared. Now all he could see were run-down liquor stores, old pubs, and vacant buildings. The streets were littered with drunken men and women who were standing beside the streets, looking with heavy-lidded eyes for their next customer.
Ren didn't want to believe that Kyoko was around here, but he had to make sure. Ren knew it was better to expect the worse than anything. His footsteps thumped on the cold, hard pavement that was covered with cards of naked women. Disgusted and revolted, Ren continued on his way, forcing himself to remain calm.
But seeing this side of Vegas wasn't helping him in the slightest. He imagined every worse possible scenario that could come to mind and each situation felt like a stab from a sharp blade. Ren was losing it. His hands were clenched into tight fists, beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead, and every ragged breath that ripped through his chest hurt like he had never felt before in his life.
And as his feet continued to carry him on, the atmosphere only got worse. It was getting darker while the stores around him looked more and more worn out. Eventually all that Ren could see were dark alleys full of dumpsters, broken crates, and the occasional sleeping man on the floor. By this time, Ren knew he had no choice. He had to call the police. At this rate, Kyoko could be anywhere and maybe even—
"No!" he thought to angrily himself. "She's fine. I know she's fine!"
And feeling a new intense desperation sweep through his body, Ren forced his legs to go faster. He didn't care if he was going to collapse from exhaustion. He didn't care if he was getting lost. All he wanted was to see her innocent face and smile.
Ren made her a promise that he'll protect her no matter what happened. And God forbid, he was going to keep that promise even if it killed him. The streets were now empty. This part of the city was desolate, not a single soul in sight. Ren could only hear his shoes thumping on the floor and the gasps coming from his chest. He was alone now.
And just when Ren was about to take a left down another alleyway, he suddenly heard a voice that made his blood run cold.
"Hey now baby, don't be like that."
A whimper followed the male voice as more scuffling noises echoed down the streets.
Ren knew that sound. He knew who it belonged to. Seeing the man's face clearly in his mind, Ren doubled back and ran towards the alley, a part of him hoping that he would find Kyoko, but another part hoping that he didn't.
And just when he reached the very entrance of the pathway, his feet came to a complete halt as he stared with wide eyes at the four people in front of him.
It was the same goons from before, but this time…they weren't alone.
The bald one was standing on the right side of the blond male while the one with the black hair had his back against the wall of the old building, holding a young girl in his arms. Ren saw her face. He could see the silent scream in her eyes as her arms were roughly held behind her back.
"Kyoko."
Her red dress was torn at the shoulder straps and her lipstick was messily smeared upon her face. The left side of her cheek was a scarlet red and her hair was stuck to the side of her face in sweat. She didn't notice him standing at the end. She didn't see how he had completely lost himself in the fury that consumed every rational part of his mind. All she could see were the three men around her, ready to tear into her like they threatened just before they forcibly dragged her out of the theater.
"Come on Will," the hairless male said impatiently, "Hurry up and let us have a turn, why don't you?"
"Don't worry, Connor," the one with the black hair replied with a smirk as he leaned towards her ear. "She's not going anywhere."
"You know, if you relax a little bit, you might even enjoy this."
"Yeah, most girls do."
"They even come back for more sometimes."
"They like how it feels."
All three men laughed loudly in the dark as intense shivers ran down her spine.
Kyoko clenched her eyes shut, twisting her face away, but suddenly, the grip on her hands painfully tightened forcing her to open her eyes and to turn her head back. A deep chuckle echoed in her ears as she could feel a terror bubble inside of her. Her voice had completely escaped her. She couldn't find the will to scream, but even if she did, who would hear her? Who would come and save her from a place like this?
There was no escape. They had her completely surrounded. It was over.
"Now," Will murmured softly as his hands drifted down to the ends of her dress, "Let's have a little fun."
She bit down on her tongue and closed her eyes, bracing herself for his hands. His fingers had already gripped the ends of her skirt and she could feel him start to pull. He snickered and with one pull of his hand—
CRASH!
An earsplitting noise rang all around as Kyoko heard a body slam against the dumpster. Her eyes wrenched open and as soon as she saw his face, she felt her whole entire body crumple onto the floor in weakness.
"Tsuruga-san…"
"Will!" the black one haired one cried as he released her arms and stepped forward.
"What the—!"
But before the bald male could finish his sentence, his head was bounced back against the brick wall. His skull made a sickening crack as another hand gripped his neck and threw him down onto the floor. He lied there, completely motionless.
The black-haired male dashed forward with a yell, but Ren was too quick. In one movement, he spun around and elbowed him in the back, causing him to fall forward with a groan. Ren swung his leg back as far as he could and kicked him straight in the ribs, until his body crashed into a wooden crate on the side.
But before Ren could finish him off, Will, the blond male, had stood up with a silver blade in his hand. He rushed at Ren at full force and was able to nick him one on the shoulder just as Ren dodged the attack. Ren could feel the skin break, but he didn't care.
It was as if he lost every civilized part of his mind. All he cared about was tearing each of these three men apart until they were dead. He wasn't Ren anymore. He wasn't an actor anymore. He wasn't himself anymore.
So with one punch to the other guy's face, Ren could feel a sense of satisfaction overwhelm his senses as he heard a loud crack, indicating that he broke his nose. And with a strength that Ren forgot he had, he wrapped both of his hands around his victim's throat. This damn bastard didn't deserve to live and Ren was going to see it through. He stared into his horrified face as it started to turn blue, but Ren couldn't feel any remorse or guilt. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all.
The anger that was boiling inside him was too intense. It nearly crippled him. Ren couldn't stop even if he wanted to. The man squirmed in his hands, but Ren's grip only got tighter. The blond male's eyes were beginning to roll to the back of his head. His last breath was escaping him. And Ren was going to finish him off until—
"Tsuruga-san."
Ren froze, instantly dropping the coughing man onto the floor. Like a rushing wind, he felt everything come back to him. That soft voice that beckoned him back to reality…that tinkling sound that brought him to his senses.
Ren slowly turned around and saw her on the floor, her amber eyes looking up at him. He could see the fear in her face, the tears in her eyes, but there was something else as well. Ren didn't understand it, but it was almost as if she was the one who was saving him…from making the biggest mistake of his life.
She didn't say another word. She just met his dark eyes with her own warm gaze, pulling him back from a darkness that he greeted with such enthusiasm before.
The men on the floor began to stir. A part of Ren wanted to finish the job, but the larger part of him knew that his main focus had to be her. Her safety was what was most important. So with a deep, shaky breath, he stepped away from them and unclenched his fists. Fluidly slipping his jacket off his shoulders, he slowly made his way to Kyoko and held out a hand. She trustingly placed her cold hand in his as he gently pulled her to her feet.
Ren draped his warm jacket over her shoulders, covering her broken body. And without another look back, he turned her the other way, leading her out of the dark alleyway…and out of a nightmare she will never forget.
"Mo, where are they?" Kanae asked softly as she sat on the front steps of the theaters. "It's been over twenty minutes now."
Yashiro sat down beside her and shook his head. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine."
"How do you know?"
"It's Ren and Kyoko," he replied with a small smile. "They always know what to do."
Kanae laughed and nodded. "I guess you're right."
After Ren's abrupt departure, Yashiro and Kanae had both decided to wait back at the theater, just in case Kyoko or Ren came back looking for them. They told the others to go onto the restaurant without them and that they will catch up with them later once the other two came back. And finally after much persuasion, President Lory led the others away. But after waiting here for quite some time, Kanae was starting to feel sort of restless. If it wasn't for Yashiro, she would have left long ago, probably wandering around on the streets by now.
Seeing that she wasn't fully reassured, Yashiro cleared his throat and asked, "Did you enjoy the show?"
He figured keeping her mind off of the situation would be the best thing to do right now.
Kanae smiled at his effort. "I did. How about you?"
Yashiro nodded. "I was quite captivated," he replied as he looked up at the dark sky, not wanting to stare at her face for too long.
She laughed gently as he turned his gaze away.
"You know, I have to admit, this vacation was nothing I expected it to be," Kanae murmured.
"What do you mean?"
She laughed and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I never thought I would be spending all of my time here with you."
Yashiro blushed and averted his gaze. "Sorry about that."
Kanae shook her head and placed a gentle hand over his. Yashiro turned back with wide eyes.
"Why?" she asked with a gentle smile. "Because of you, I've been having a great time."
Feeling his heart beat rapidly, Yashiro swallowed the heavy lump in his throat and nodded. "Me too."
She laughed lightly, removing her hand from his and turning her head back to the bustling streets. Yashiro watched her eyes as they followed each person that passed. He noticed how her lips were perfectly curved and how her complexion looked as soft as silk. And sitting there with her made him realize how he truly did enjoy his time with her…and that if he had to choose anybody else to be with, it would still be her.
Suddenly, she turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Yashiro jumped slightly and stuttered, "I just want to say that I enjoyed being with you too."
Kanae smiled.
"And," Yashiro continued in a softer voice as he looked down at the palm of his hands, "that I really—"
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Without giving it a second thought about, he automatically whipped out his vibrating cell phone and flipped the device open as Kanae instinctively leaned towards him, hoping that the news would be good.
"It's Ren," Yashiro said as he opened up the text message and read:
Found Kyoko. Taking her back to her room now.
"Thank goodness," Kanae said with a shake of her head.
Yashiro nodded, feeling a huge sense of relief wash over him. And in one fluid motion, he suddenly got to his feet and extended out a hand. Kanae looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"Let's go," he said.
"Go where?"
"To see Kyoko of course," he replied.
Kanae blinked a few times in confusion, but eventually reached up a hand and placed it in his. With a gentle smile, he easily pulled her to her feet so that they stood face to face. And just when he was going to lead her to the hotel, he felt her pull him back. Yashiro turned around.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"We don't have to go."
"Why not?" Yashiro asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're worried about Kyoko, aren't you?"
Kanae shook her head. "If she wanted to see us, Tsuruga-san would have taken her back here, not to her room. Besides, I'm not as worried as long as Tsuruga-san is with her."
Yashiro sighed in agreement. "Do you think something's wrong?"
Kanae bit on her lower lip and shrugged. "I'm not sure," she replied slowly. "But I think he can handle it. Don't you?"
Yashiro smiled as he nodded. "I guess you're right."
After all, Ren was good at taking care of others and Kyoko was obviously in good hands. There wasn't any need to worry.
So with her hand still in his, Kanae gently pulled Yashiro in the opposite direction. "Let's just leave them for now and we'll go check on them later."
"Alright," Yashiro answered in agreement as he allowed Kanae to lead him wherever she wanted. Besides, he knew that she was right. Ren could handle anything and as long as Kyoko was with him, everything should be fine.
"I'm sure of it," he thought silently to himself as Kanae turned around and gave him a small smile.
Ren followed her footsteps as they slowly made their back to the familiar, flashy lights of Las Vegas. He stayed close enough to her so that she could feel his presence, but far enough so that their bodies didn't touch. Ren didn't want to make the situation worse. After the ordeal she faced, he wouldn't be surprised if she never trusted men ever again.
Throughout the whole time, Kyoko remained silent. She walked ahead with her eyes on the floor, listening to her quiet heels on the floor. Ren couldn't see her facial expression, but he figured fear was the first thing he would have seen. His eyes trailed down her body, trying to see if there was anything wrong, but the jacket that he placed around her covered her from the shoulder down. All he could he see were her pale legs and they seemed to be fine, except for her shoes that were scratched and torn.
Remembering how he found her in the alley, Ren could feel his rage return like violent tidal wave and he had to clench his fists together to stop himself from screaming. He could hear every word they whispered menacingly into her ear and see how they handled her as if she was nothing but a doll. They ganged up on one simple girl and took pleasure from doing so. Ren gritted his teeth together. They didn't deserve to be left alive.
He looked back at Kyoko's head, feeling a sense of remorse hit him like collision as he thought of what she had to go through. If he had held on to her hand tighter, none of this would have happened. If he had found her quicker, she wouldn't have had to suffer.
And to make things worse, she was probably terrified of him by now. Ren knew that in his rage he had completely reverted back to his old, dark ways. He was always aware that he was capable of hurting others. So his reaction when he saw them didn't surprise him in the slightest. But Kyoko didn't know any of that.
She had no idea about his past. She had no idea that he wasn't always the gentle person she thought he was. Ren had a dark side. He had a limit and tonight, that limit was practically obliterated. He would have killed those men if she hadn't stopped him. Ren knew that his hands would have been blood stained if Kyoko hadn't called him back. In a way, she was the one who saved him tonight.
Ren wanted to tell her that it was okay, that she didn't need to be afraid of him. But how can he say that when she almost watched him strangle someone? How could she not be afraid? At this rate, she would probably never want to see him again. If she was scared of him before, by now that fear would have turned to blatant horror.
Because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, Ren knew that he hurt her just like those bastards did. He didn't protect her like he promised. But instead, he revealed to her his true personality and shattered the very image she had of him. How could she trust him when she had finally realized that Ren wasn't the person she thought he was, but someone more terrifying?
Distraught and upset, Ren silently walked through the front doors as they stepped inside the front lobby of the Aria hotel. It was filled with smiling and laughing people who were enjoying their time in Vegas without a single care in the world. They didn't even notice Kyoko at all as she walked by. They didn't even bother to acknowledge the dead look in her eyes. They didn't see anything.
She walked towards the elevator and silently pushed the button. Immediately, a golden gate opened as she stepped inside. Ren followed in pursuit, standing next to her, but putting enough distance between them as to not scare her even more. He wanted to give her as much space as possible.
They stood in the elevator for what felt like eternity. They passed each floor in silence, Kyoko looking down at the floor and Ren keeping his eyes on the buttons. He didn't have the strength to speak to her. He couldn't even ask her if she was okay because Ren knew that he wouldn't be able to take it if she refused to respond to him.
Finally, they reached her floor. He didn't know where her room was, but she continued on in her mechanical stroll. Ren followed her, keeping his eyes on the room plates. Then, suddenly, she stopped in front of a room numbered 61143.
Ren watched her slip her hand into the clutch she held between her arm and body. He didn't even realize that she still had her purse on her. He figured it would have been stolen. But the men didn't take it. They weren't interested in what she had…only her.
After a soft whirring sound, Kyoko placed her hand on the doorknob and gave it a quick turn. The door swung open, revealing a dark and empty room. Kyoko stood out in the hall, unmoving.
Ren stood behind her. He couldn't avoid not speaking to her any longer. He had to ask her if she was okay. He had to at least say good-bye to her. Ren sucked in a breath, feeling his knees shake from anxiety, as he said in a quiet voice,
"Mogami-san."
She flinched, causing Ren to feel as if someone stabbed him right in the heart. He was right; she was afraid.
"Are you hurt?" he managed to choke out.
Kyoko didn't answer. She remained motionless, staring at the opposite wall. She didn't know what to say. The words were stuck in her throat, waiting for release, but she didn't have the strength to say anything. It hurt even to breathe.
Ren closed his eyes. It was painful watching her and he knew he was making things worse by standing here. He knew that she wanted to be alone, to be away from him. It was the rational response for her to have after what she went through.
Feeling as if his heart had died, Ren murmured quietly, "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. For everything."
And with one final look at her back, he turned to leave. No matter how much it hurt him, she didn't want him here. Kyoko didn't want him anymore. She never did and now she never will. He succeeded in the one thing he hoped to have never accomplished: losing her.
And just when Ren was about to take that agonizing step away from her, a familiar sound suddenly echoed in his ears. His heart came to a dead stop as he heard her say in a barely audible whisper,
"Tsuruga-san."
Disbelieving, he slowly turned around and met a gaze that nearly tore him to shreds. Kyoko was now facing him with her arms weakly hanging at her sides. Her eyes were pained and her lips were swollen from the abuse she suffered. Ren noticed how her body trembled and how it took everything she had for her to hold herself upright. But even through torture, pain, and misery, he realized that she was still her. She hadn't changed at all.
Because Kyoko didn't turn away as he stared directly into her hazy eyes. She didn't cower back from him when he automatically walked towards her so that he stood right in front of her. Instead, she bravely took a step forward and gently placed her forehead onto his chest. And speaking the words that she wanted to say ever since she saw his face in the alley, Kyoko whispered in a tearful voice,
"Please stay with me."
