Disclaimer: Would I feel the need to put this here if I did in fact own Skip Beat!? And this time I will also disclaim Mob Princess...I've never actually read the books, but when someone said the movie plot sounded like it was from this series...well, I must have read the back covers before or something because it is definitely the same idea and coincidences like that don't happen very often.
Authoress' Notes: First. Sorry it took so long. I suffered from the bane of a writer's existence...the infamous Writer's Block. The middle of this chapter didn't come out how I'd like...no fun. But I do like the end, and I think I've at least beat my writer's block...or I hope so anyways.
Next. I am killing myself laughing, and I have been since the reviews for my last two chapters have been coming in. My character, Daisuke, has been getting quite a response. People seem to like him and feel sorry for him. That's something that I never imagined would happen! It brings such a smile to my face that I decided to put a new poll up on my profile. Who would you have Kyoko end up with in my story? I've been getting some interesting responses and messages so I'd like to see what everyone thinks. Please vote!
Sorry about these notes by the way. I feel like they get longer and longer. I do hope that you take the minute to read what I have to say here though. I usually put some info in these that you, my lovely readers, might be interested in. Like answers to some reviewers' questions and other little tidbits - like the fact that I might only have two updates between now and April 19th - I have exams coming up and my schedule is getting really hectic with essays and midterms and projects. I'll try my best, but worse comes to worst, I'll make up for it in the Summer. I have four months of vacation after all, and I won't be working.
Kyoko's Fairytale is live in 3...2...1...ACTION!
"Goodnight!"
"Goodnight, Kyoko-chan," the okami of the Daruma-ya called after Kyoko as the girl took the steps up to her room, two at a time.
Tomorrow, she would have to leave early to make it to the photo shoot on time. They wanted her to be there at eight in the morning for makeup.
Kyoko got ready for bed, changing into a pair of long, blue, plaid pyjama bottoms and a black tank top. She was about to climb under her covers and get comfortable when she heard the sound of her ringing cell phone. So instead of getting comfy, she strode over to her bag and grabbed her phone from the front pocket, silencing it quickly by answering the call.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hello, Mogami-san."
"Ah, Tsuruga-san. Hi," Kyoko answered immediately.
"I was wondering if you needed a ride to the photo shoot tomorrow," Ren gave her his reason for calling.
Kyoko smiled on her end of the phone. "Actually, I already have a ride for tomorrow," she told him.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a second, and Kyoko thought that somehow she had offended Ren. She was about to start apologizing when his voice broke through the silence.
"Oh. Who's driving you?"
Kyoko laughed into the phone happily. "No one is. I'm driving myself over. I've had the motorcycle I'll be using in the movie since I got my licence. Aki-san let me drive it home after I passed the test. I have to leave it with the prop department tomorrow though."
Kyoko didn't hear Ren's relieved sigh.
"Would you accept a ride home after the photo shoot's done then, since you'll be without a vehicle?" he asked her next.
"Oh, Tsuruga-san, I can't say ye-"
"No. You can say yes. I wouldn't keep offering if it was an inconvenience."
"Yes. That would be nice. Thank-you," she replied dutifully, a small little smile working onto her lips. Ren knew her usual protests too well. She had been about to say that she couldn't say yes since it would be such an inconvenience for him.
'Maybe I should just stop resisting his offers,' Kyoko thought, the small smile still floating on her lips. She would just say yes when Ren proffered his assistance in some way from now on. He had made it clear enough to her that he would stop offering his help and rides and meals when he didn't want to do any of it anymore.
"Then I'll let you get your rest," Ren concluded, interrupting Kyoko's silent musing. "Goodnight, Mogami-san. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko murmured into the phone before hanging up and finally climbing into her bed to get some much needed rest. Tomorrow would be a long day.
It was a quarter to eight, and most of the actors in Mob Daughter had already gathered at the studio they were going to be using for the photo shoot. It was the same studio where they would be filming many of the show's scenes. Ren was already there with Yashiro, and he was waiting anxiously for Kyoko to come, checking his watch every few minutes. Kyoko was usually early, and even though he had seen that she was good on her motorcycle, he was still getting more and more worried when the seconds ticked by and she continued not to show up.
Suddenly, the sound of a motorcycle pulling up by the studio's door, that was held propped open to let in some air, grabbed everyone's attention. When the rider walked in a minute later, dressed in skinny jeans, black boots that came halfway up her calf, and a feminine black leather jacket, her bright red helmet (her purse sitting inside it) propped under one arm and her hair mussed up cutely, all of the younger men in the room couldn't help but stare.
Kyoko looked sort of dangerous. And she looked good.
She made her way over to where Ren was standing and greeted him cheerfully, a genuine smile coming to her face and shattering the dangerous aura around her.
"Hi, Tsuruga-san! Yashiro-san!" she said to the two men.
"Hi, Kyoko-san!" Yashiro returned happily.
"Hello, Mogami-san."
"Isn't today a beautiful day?" she asked the two of them, giving a happy sigh. It was in fact a gorgeous day, what with the sun shining brightly in the sky and an unseasonable warm wind blowing through.
"Not as beautiful as you."
Kyoko whirled around to see that Daisuke had come up behind her. She didn't notice Ren's eyes narrow.
"Didn't I tell you to stop saying weird things like that, Daisuke-san?" Kyoko scolded him.
Daisuke looked momentarily crestfallen. When the two had gone to get their licences with Aki he had tried to compliment her in much the same way, and she had told him pretty much the same thing. He wasn't ready to give up just yet though. So he put the smile back on his face before answering her: "You did. I'm sorry. I'll stop."
"Thank-you," she replied before excusing herself from Ren, Yashiro, and Daisuke. She was being called to makeup.
Ren was not happy to say the least. Daisuke was blatantly trying to flirt with Kyoko. Luckily, Kyoko was pretty much oblivious to it. And what was with her calling Daisuke by his first name? She had only met the guy a little more than a week ago. She had known Ren for much longer than that. Why didn't she call him by his first name?
It was probably mostly his fault for always calling her Mogami-san. And she thought of him as her sempai first and foremost and would continue to address him formally unless he made the first move. He didn't want to freak her out though by suddenly calling her Kyoko. But there was no way to really gradually move towards it. He would just have to take the plunge and deal with whatever reaction Kyoko had.
"Is she always like that?"
Ren became aware that the other actor hadn't stalked off when Kyoko had left and was now talking to him.
"I'm sorry?" Ren asked. He hadn't really heard the question. He had been absorbed in his own thoughts.
"I was wondering if she's always like that," Daisuke told Ren motioning vaguely with his hand in the direction that Kyoko had disappeared.
When Ren didn't answer immediately, Daisuke elaborated a bit, "I thought you might have some idea. She said that the two of you have worked together before."
Ren knew he should answer, though he was reluctant to impart any information to Daisuke, however trivial it was, just in case it actually proved helpful for the other actor. "Yes," he finally said with his polite smile, "she's always like that."
"Is she a tease or something?" Daisuke asked, pondering the girl who had so captured his attention and who hardly acknowledged his attempts to engage her in flirty banter.
Ren couldn't help it. Really. Anyone who knew Kyoko well and had heard Daisuke's words would have had the exact same reaction.
He snorted.
Yashiro, who was standing next to Ren and listening to the exchange, tried unsuccessfully to keep from doing the same thing. Kyoko? Deliberately teasing someone?
"She's the furthest thing from it," Ren said, regaining his composure quickly.
It was then that both actors were called into hair and makeup.
"And now for the finishing touch," the woman who had been working on Kyoko for the last half hour said as she grabbed a wig from a box and slid it onto Kyoko's head. "You look beautiful, Kyoko-san," she sighed finally, observing her work.
"Thank-you," Kyoko gushed, staring at herself in the mirror.
How could she accept that compliment so readily when she had scolded Daisuke for saying essentially the same thing? Easy. She was now wearing make up. Professionally applied makeup. And she felt like a princess - even if she might not have exactly been dressed like one.
The knee high, gray boots she wore were the first thing that caught your attention, and then your eyes traveled up her bare thighs until they saw the bottoms of black, denim shorts. Your gaze was quickly pulled upward by the contrasting white t-shirt she wore, and then even further up by the darkness of her hair against the pale shirt.
The wig was primarily black, and tumbled down to the middle of her back. The hair was straight, and sweet side bangs fell into her left eye. What made the hair stand out once it caught your attention though were the soft pink streaks that decorated the under side. Kyoko, when she had first seen the wig, had thought that the streaks wouldn't work, that they would make her look like some kind of punk. But they did work. The softness of the pink balanced out the black cascades perfectly.
She also would admit that she had first thought that her outfit was boring and plain, but studying herself in the mirror, she had realized it was perfect. It was what some teenage girl would wear. The boots made her taller, made her seem like she could tower over everyone around her, made her look in charge. And the white shirt - well it made her seem more normal, more like just another face in the crowd, more innocent. Just like with the wig, the contrast was perfect.
And just to top it all off...her face! Oh how her face looked pretty all made up the way it was! Kyoko wished fervently that she could look like this every day, and she felt her heart suddenly leap with joy when she realized that even though every day might not be an option, she would get to look like this at least every day that they were filming.
"Kyoko-san, we're ready for you on set. The director wants the photographer to take a few group shots first," one of the crew members rushed in to tell her.
Kyoko turned away from the mirror and gave the girl a sweet smile before brushing the wig's bangs to the side of her face so that they wouldn't fall into her eyes. Then she walked out of her dressing room and down the hallway, eventually rounding the corner that took her back into the big open space of the studio.
"Well, don't you look good."
Kyoko turned to meet the voice, and then smiled at the woman who had complimented her. Kyoko was made-up - her reception of compliments had improved. "Thank-you, Abe-san. You look good too."
"Just Hiromi," the actress urged before laughing, "and I do look good, don't I? These makeup artists never cease to amaze me."
The makeup artists weren't the only ones behind Hiromi's beauty though. The dark-haired woman was fair skinned and thin, and her bright blue eyes shone. The modest, short sleeved, v-neck, black dress she wore hugged her body in a very flattering way, covering her up until the dress hit her knees. The black pumps on her feet elongated her already lengthy legs.
"Shall we go join those gawking men over there?" Hiromi asked a second later, linking her arm with Kyoko's and pointing to where a dark red background had been set up.
Kyoko was surprised by the contact, but after a second she accepted the kind woman's arm. It was weird to be walking around with the older Hiromi like they were two best friends, but at the same time, it brought a warm feeling to Kyoko's heart. She would be glad to get to know Hiromi more.
Kyoko, of course, was pondering this and was completely oblivious to the so called "gawking men" that Hiromi had mentioned. She didn't see that the woman hadn't been exaggerating. The five younger males in the drama had their eyes glued on Kyoko's exposed thighs. Her shorts were short, but not scandalously so, and there was a lot of exposed, pale, soft flesh between the top of her boots and the bottom of her shorts.
Hiromi snorted rather undignifiedly. Even Ren, an actor who she knew to be calm and composed and generally unaffected by his co-stars, was staring at Kyoko.
'It's not fair to judge him though. Even I was moved by her,' Hiromi thought, realizing she couldn't really blame Ren for his reaction. She had been attracted to the young girl herself in a way as soon as she had heard her speak. Hiromi had never married and had no children of her own. Almost immediately, she had thought that Kyoko was everything she would have wanted a daughter of her's to be - intelligent, sensible, shy and yet somehow outgoing, dedicated to her work, and beautiful.
"Kyoko-san! Hiromi-san!" Shingai hurried the two females along.
Kyoko finally left the realm of her own thoughts and scanned the rest of the actors over. Kijima Hidehito and the two other actors who would be playing her brothers (she now knew their names to be Sasaki Isamu and Tanaka Kei) were in jeans and short sleeved, navy polos. Daisuke was in jeans and a plain, black, button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, the top few buttons left open. The three older men were all in black dress pants, and Mori Fumio, playing the chief of police, wore a white dress shirt, Hayashi Ryo, the rival mob boss, wore a black dress shirt, and Arai Kazuki, her character's father, wore a navy dress shirt.
Finally her gaze turned to Ren. He was in jeans like the other young men in the drama, and he wore a white, button up shirt, the sleeves pushed up like Daisuke's and the top buttons undone. Kyoko knew the look suited Ren, and combined with his artfully mussed up hair, it gave him the appearance of being younger.
As soon as the women joined the group, director Shingai and the photographer immediately started arranging the actors around Kyoko.
In the end, a black table was brought in, and the tableau was set up so that Kyoko was standing with the table at her back, leaning casually against it, her hands propping herself up, her right leg crossed over her left. Kijima sat on the ground on her left, facing sideways, leaning against her legs, while Isamu and Kei sat on the table on either side of Kyoko. Hiromi stood on Kyoko's left, next to Isamu, and Kazuki stood on her right, next to where Kei sat. Daisuke and the actor playing his father, Ryo, stood about a foot away from Hiromi, Ryo's hand on Daisuke's shoulder. Ren and the actor playing his father the police chief, Fumio, stood a foot away from Kazuki, Fumio's hand on Ren's shoulder - luckily, Fumio was a tall man.
Once everyone was in position, the photographer told them all where to look. Daisuke and Ren were both staring at Kyoko. Fumio and Ryo were both glaring at Kazuki, who was staring longingly at Hiromi, who in turn was staring at her "children". The boys on Kyoko's left, Kijima and Isamu, were glaring at Ryo and Daisuke, while Kei was glaring at Ren and Fumio. Kyoko was the only one looking straight at the camera, a small smirk on her lips, and a happily defiant look in her eyes.
The photographer snapped his shots and they were all free to move.
"Perfect. We'll shoot another group shot after lunch. For now, I want the parents over here for some shots. Everyone else, go get changed for your next pictures. Kyoko-san, please put on outfit number four. I want to shoot the pictures of you and the bike next," Shingai directed everyone - as directors are prone to do.
"Of course!" Kyoko replied before dashing back to her dressing room to change quickly, even though she knew that the adults' pictures would take a while. After all, they had posed for the group shot for a good twenty minutes after everyone had been moved into position. Perfection took time.
"Okay. Now lean further over the handle bars, Kyoko-san, and look right at the camera. Turn on the fan and-"
Click. Click. Click.
Kyoko heard the shutters of the camera snapping together, over and over again.
And finally she heard the photographer's glorious words.
"We're done."
Kyoko ambled off the bike, a little wobbly in the slightly heeled boots that no sensible person would ever wear while riding a motorcycle - her legs were sore from propping herself and the bike up for so long. 'A sensible person would also wear a helmet,' she mused. But this was just a photo and meant to promote the show. They needed to see her face.
"We're going to do some of the boys' shots now, Kyoko-san," Shingai said, coming up to her. "If everything stays on schedule, we should have time for your shots with Ren-san and Daisuke-san before lunch. Could you go change again?"
Kyoko bobbed her head and strode off slowly, watching her every step. Her legs were still a little weak and she would be horribly embarrassed if she stumbled and fell.
Somehow, she managed to make it back to her dressing room, where her next costume change was already laid out on a chair. So Kyoko slipped off her boots, then the pale skinny jeans she wore, followed by her v-neck black sweater. Next, she slipped on the dress that had been picked out for her, followed by a pair of black, strappy heels.
She strode over to the mirror on shaky legs - the heels on the shoes were ridiculously high - and took a long look at herself.
Her mouth dropped open in pleasant surprise. The dress was simple, primarily black, except for a horizontal stripe of white at her hips, and another vertical stripe of white where the black, knee-length skirt parted to reveal the white underskirt. The top of the dress was tight, and held up by straps that were braided ropes of black and white fabric.
"Oh! You're dressed already. Good."
Kyoko turned around to see that her hair and makeup artist had entered the room.
"Now, we need to fix up that wig of your's. The director and I were thinking something more along the lines of an updo. You know...elegant yet cute," she continued on, motioning for Kyoko to sit down, her hands already fluttering around the wig's long pieces of hair.
When Ren saw Kyoko approaching him and Daisuke, the both of them wearing simple black tuxes - Ren with a red shirt and white tie, Daisuke with a black shirt and black tie - he could have sworn his heart stopped beating for a moment.
Kyoko looked absolutely beautiful. Not that she wasn't beautiful every day, but now it seemed that everyone else was noticing too if Daisuke's wide-eyed look and several of the male crew members' open jaws were any indication. Her hair was swept up in a loose bun, strands falling to frame her face. Her eyes had been outlined with smoky eyeliner, and her lips were now painted a pale red. And her dress... It hugged her body in all the right places, the flowing skirt somehow making her short legs seem longer.
She walked over slowly, and Ren could tell that she wasn't used to the pencil thin heels she was wearing. When she reached the two men and wobbled unsteadily, Ren grabbed her elbow gently to stabilize her, and Kyoko flashed him a brilliant smile in thanks.
"Thanks. I'm not used to walking around in shoes like this," she mumbled afterwards, glaring at the offensive footwear. Sure the heels were pretty, but they weren't worth the pain. They were not something she would ever pick out for herself. Even the heels she wore when she portrayed Natsu were a lot more...walk-in-able.
Ren didn't have a chance to say anything in response.
"Alright," the director said, clapping his hands together to get the attention of the three young actors, "we have half an hour to get these done, but I'm sure we can finish much sooner than that. We want shots of all three of you together so that we can catch the audience's attention with the love triangle. So Kyoko, you're going to be in the middle. Boys on either side of her to start."
And from there, they went through pose after pose in rapid succession.
First, Kyoko between the two boys, her arms crossed in front of her, their arms crossed and them glaring at each other over her head. Ren couldn't help but let a little of his real animosity for Daisuke out in his facial expression. The director and photographer both praised him for the realism.
Then, they brought in three desks and set them up in a row, the one in the middle a little further forward than the other two. Kyoko sat at this one, her elbows on the table top and her head propped in her hands and cocked sideways, staring wistfully just past the camera. Ren and Daisuke took the school desks on either side, both with their gazes fixed on her. The formalwear the three were in contrasted strikingly with their casual poses.
Next, they took two of the desks away while Kyoko hopped up to sit on the one left behind. Each man held one of her hands, though she looked at neither of them, a confused look on her face.
A few poses later, they finally arrived at the last one. Ren had his arms wrapped around Kyoko's waist so that she was pressed gently into his chest. Daisuke stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her stomach, a little lower than Ren's. Kyoko held one hand up against Ren's chest while the other rested on Daisuke's hands closed over her stomach. They both stared down at her, but her head was turned sideways towards the camera, though this time she wasn't looking at it. Her head was turned downwards so that her bangs fell into her eyes.
Ren couldn't believe that he held Kyoko in his arms so intimately. Sure it was sort of ruined by the fact that Daisuke was also holding her, but he didn't really care. When the director said they were done, he was reluctant to let her go, and instead of releasing her completely, he moved his hands from her waist to her arm, eventually tucking said arm into the crook of his elbow.
"Let me help you back to your dressing room so that you can change out of those shoes. We wouldn't want you to fall and bruise yourself right before we start filming," Ren said casually, already guiding Kyoko away from the set and any other man's eyes.
Kyoko remembered the conclusion she had reached last night to let Ren help her for as long as he kept offering. And if she didn't want to walk back to her dressing room barefoot - her feet were killing her after wearing the shoes for a measly half hour! - she did need a little bit of help. She gave him her gratitude, "Thanks."
Ren was surprised by her lack of protest, but he took it in stride. It could only be a good thing.
"Mogami-san," Ren started, before he decided that now was as good a time as any to try using her first name. She was in a good mood, she was letting him walk arm in arm with her, and she couldn't run away in those deathtraps someone had deigned to call shoes.
Kyoko was looking at him expectantly.
"You're welcome, Kyoko-san," Ren said after inhaling deeply.
Kyoko stopped walking.
She was stunned by Ren's use of her first name. The only other time she could remember him saying it was when he had been sick - and he had been delusional then she was sure.
Ren almost tried to take it back. But no. He'd have to get past this roadblock one day or another if he ever wanted her to see him as more than her senior. Why not today?
"Kyoko-san? Are you alright?" he asked, purposefully using her name again.
"T-Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko questioned him unsurely. He had used her first name once more. It couldn't have been an accident then. What could he mean by it? What was he trying to tell her? Did he not want to be her sempai anymore? Was he breaking up the relationship that they had?
"Call me Ren. Don't you think we know each other well enough for that now?" Ren had picked his words carefully. They were meant to make her think, just as they were meant to reinforce the idea that the two of them were good acquaintances.
Kyoko stared up at Ren, with whom she still had her arm linked. A slight blush rose to her cheeks. She had doubted him, but it seemed he wasn't trying to get away from her at all. Thinking back on the time they'd spent together, Kyoko remembered how Ren had helped her, stood up for her, had faith in her. And then she remembered their previous evening's conversation.
'I wouldn't keep offering if it was an inconvenience.' Those had been Ren's words. Would he say something he didn't mean? She didn't think so. If he was helping her to her dressing room now, if he was driving her home later...he couldn't possibly be trying to push her away.
"Yeah. I guess... Ren-san," Kyoko tried the name. Somehow, it wasn't as awkward to say it as she had thought it would be.
She was met with Ren's blinding, genuine smile.
The two started moving towards Kyoko's room again when Ren gently encouraged Kyoko forward. Neither of them spoke another word until they reached the door to Kyoko's dressing room, though their silence was entirely comfortable.
"I'll be back in a minute to meet you for lunch, Kyoko-san," Ren said after he had walked Kyoko into the room and deposited her in a chair where she could easily slip off her shoes. He didn't want her to forget the new place they had reached.
"Okay, Ren-san," Kyoko responded, testing the name again. It still wasn't weird. In fact, it almost felt...right.
"You want what?" Shoko's eyes were wide open in shock.
"I want you two to call LME and offer Kyoko the lead role in my new music video," Sho made his demand once again.
Shoko sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Do you actually think she'll accept?" Asami Haruki, Sho's producer, asked calmly. She would be directing Sho's next video, just as she had directed the video for his song Prisoner.
"Of course she'll accept," Sho muttered darkly, "she won't back down from a direct challenge like this."
"Sho, what are you trying to accomplish?" Shoko wanted answers. He hadn't exactly exhibited the behavior of a boy trying to win a girl's affections when he had encountered Kyoko at the track. Wasn't that what he was aiming for? To win Kyoko back?
"Nothing," Sho answered automatically.
Asami could recognize that Kyoko was becoming an amazing actress, but she knew that for this particular role, Kyoko would not be ideal. What it entailed... well, it would be impossible between Sho and Kyoko if the animosity between the two was anything like how it had been the last time they had been on set together. And from what Shoko had told her, the last interaction she had witnessed between Kyoko and Sho had been nothing close to pleasant.
"Are you sure she'll stick with the role once she finds out what her character has to do?" Asami asked.
"She's too proud to give up. She won't let me beat her," Sho answered. And then, "Just offer her the role."
Shoko knew that this would end badly. Like Sho, she felt that Kyoko would accept. But what would happen when Kyoko learned what the role entailed? Again, Shoko felt the same as her charge - that Kyoko would go through with it anyways because of her pride. Was that Sho's plan then? Was this how he was trying to get closer to Kyoko?
Shoko sighed at precisely the same time that Asami did. Kyoko's agency would encourage her to take the job - they would undoubtedly see it as a way to promote her before the release of her new drama's first episode. But what would happen after that? Whatever did occur, both of them would have to deal with it.
"I'll go make the call," Asami muttered reluctantly. This was against her better judgement, but she knew that she would be unable to convince Sho to let her hire someone else unless Kyoko rejected them first.
She sincerely hoped that would be the case.
Kyoko, Yashiro, and Ren were sitting together for lunch as they tended to do when they were working together. Kyoko was regaling them with the story of her and Maria's shopping trip when she suddenly stopped talking and ducked under the table.
"Uh... Kyoko-san," Yashiro started before Ren placed a hand on his manager's shoulder. A silent suggestion to just wait a moment.
And a second later, Kyoko popped back up, having extracted her buzzing cell phone from the purse between her feet.
"I think it's the office. Would you excuse me?" she implored. When they both nodded their heads, she simply turned away from them in her chair and opened the phone, holding it up to her ear.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Kyoko-chan!"
It was Sawara's excited voice on the other end.
"Hi, Sawara-san," Kyoko answered him, rapidly running through a list of reasons why he would call and sound so happy in her head. She came up blank.
"I have some exciting news for you," Sawara continued.
"Really?" Kyoko asked, intrigued.
"Another job offer came in," Sawara responded almost immediately.
"What is it?" Kyoko asked just as quickly, Sawara's excitement finally catching. Another job offer was amazing, but unless it was short work, she didn't think she could make time for it in her schedule.
"Fuwa Sho wants you to star in his next music video. Apparently you must have made quite the impression last time-"
If Sawara said anything after that, Kyoko didn't hear him. She had dropped the phone to her lap in shock as soon as she had processed the words: "Fuwa Sho wants you to star in his next music video".
"Kyoko! Kyoko!"
She heard Sawara's raised voice echoing tinnily from the phone.
"Kyoko-san."
This voice managed to grab her attention. She turned to Ren, and saw that he was looking at her anxiously.
"Kyoko-san, give me the phone," Ren tried again.
Kyoko was too stunned to do anything other than listen. She wordlessly handed her cell to Ren, Sawara's concerned voice still echoing from it, placing it in his outstretched palm. Then she crossed her arms on the table in front of her and lay her head down on them, using them like a pillow. She only vaguely registered Ren's short conversation with the manager of her department.
She was angry at Sho for what she was sure was some sort of challenge, and yet she was still confused by why he would issue it. He had to have an ulterior motive of some sort... and just like that, unwanted thoughts of his kiss on Valentine's day drifted into her head, only to be banished abruptly - it wouldn't be good for her to dwell on that. Instead, she let her mind race, dissecting what she had just heard, trying to interpret Sho's motives and decide her course of action.
"Hello? Kyoko-chan?"
"Sawara-san. It's Tsuruga Ren. Kyoko's feeling a little faint right now. Do you think you could pass the message you had for her to me if it's not too personal?" Ren answered the man's frantic voice.
"Oh. Ren-san. I... Of course. Kyoko's been offered a role in Fuwa Sho's new music video. Let her know that it will only be a day of filming. I believe that she should have time in her schedule for that. And the video will be released before the first episode of her new drama, so I strongly encourage that she take the role. It will help to promote her," Sawara told Ren.
"I'll let her know everything as soon as she recovers from her brief spell," Ren said in reply.
Then the two men exchanged goodbyes and Ren hung up.
He had carefully concealed his anger while on the phone with Sawara, but now it started leaking out. Who did Sho think he was? What the hell was he doing? In his opinion, Kyoko had to reject the role. It couldn't lead to anything good. And looking at Kyoko, with her head on her hands, it seemed like she would choose the path he wanted her to take without any hints from him.
"What was that all about?" Yashiro asked. Ren's manager was very confused. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. Why did Kyoko look ready to pass out? Why was Ren so pale and clenching the edge of the table with a hand that was turning white at the knuckles?
"Kyoko was offered another job. I don't think this particular one is right for her though," Ren explained as calmly as he could.
He was startled when Kyoko lifted her head abruptly from her hands and stared right at him, her eyes pleading with him silently. Ren didn't understand her motions until he heard the words that followed them.
"I'm going to do it. I'm going to take the role in Sho's music video."
Authoress' Notes: Remember, much less frequent updates until my exams are done in April. Sorry. School comes first.