Dear Sempai

Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat! or any of the characters from the Manga.

Summary: Lory has conceived yet another devious scheme, wrapped in the guise of a LoveMe assignment. All the girls have to do is to write at least one letter a week to the person they respect the most. Simple… right?

Letter 14

Dear Corn,

Thank you so very much for your letter. I still find it almost impossible to believe that you have found me and that you wrote to me. I was surprised when the stunningly beautiful Dutch couple, Dieter and Lisle walked up to me in the airport at Amsterdam and handed me your letter… are you sure they aren't faeries? They told me that they are models, and they are certainly beautiful enough. It would be more fun to believe that they are faeries. I was stunned when the man told me that the envelope he had handed me was from "Your friend, Corn."

I must have had an odd look on my face, because the beautiful Lisle giggled and hugged me. They led me to an empty table and turned to look at the airport crowds while I read your letter. How did you know that I was feeling sad? Have you truly been watching over me from nearby for two years?

Please forgive me for doubting you. I should have realized that there were reasons that you needed to keep your identity a secret. I didn't really understand the part in your letter where you wrote "I am not what you thought I was when you were a little girl, but I hope that I am still, and will always be your friend." Of course I still consider you my friend! You were the kindest, sweetest, and most wonderful friend of my childhood, even though I only knew you for ten days. I always remember you fondly and I think of you often. I was a child then, so I am not offended that you allowed me to believe that you were a faerie prince. Then again, I suppose that having Hizuri Kuu and Julie as your parents would be like living in a faerie world. And please do not worry: I understand that the Hizuri's knew nothing about our childhood acquaintence, so they couldn't have known that I knew you then. As to your other secret, the one that you can't tell me yet: I will continue to believe and trust you and I will wait. As you wrote, you have your reasons.

Did you know that I still have the magical stone that you gave me on the day you left? It is my most-treasured possession. Even though you tell me that you are not really a faerie, the stone you gave me is still magical. It has helped to take away my sorrow and pain many, many times.

You probably already know this, but I have started acting. I am not that good, but I love acting. It is allowing me to learn more about myself and about others so that someday I might become the person I truly want to be. Most of the roles I have played are bad girl/bully roles. I was unhappy about this at first, but Otou-san (That is what Hizuri Kuu asked me to call him. He isn't really my father, but I wish he was. We met in Tokyo when I worked for him and he sort-of adopted me. Actually, it was because I pretended to be you for one day) told me that I was being arrogant to think that a new actress like me could turn my nose up at roles. Now I am glad, because I am learning so much from each character I play. Still, I hope to get a different type of role soon.

I have friends now too; wonderful, caring friends who put up with me and support me even when I don't deserve it. My best friend is Kotonami Kanae. She is a beautiful actress who will one day be the best actress in Japan, if not the world. She has an amazing memory and can memorize an entire script in mere minutes. I have another young friend, Takarada Maria. She only 9, but she has already had a rough life, having lost her mom and been practically abandoned by her father. Her grandfather, my company president, is her grandfather and he takes care of her. Another friend is Amamiya Chiori. She acts in a television series with me. At first she didn't like me, but something changed and now we are good friends. She works for another agency, but somehow she ended up working for the LoveMe section in my agency. She said that she volunteered, but that makes no sense. Why would anyone volunteer to wear the ugly pink jumpsuit?

I suppose that I should explain. You said in your letter that you have been nearby and that you are proud of me. If you are proud of me, then perhaps you don't know the whole story. It is only fair that you should know everything; even if that means that you might change your mind about me. Do you remember the boy I told you about when you were in the faerie clearing with me; my Prince? Well, I was stupid and foolish, because he was no prince. When we turned fifteen, the boy, Fuwa Shotaro, asked me to go with him to Tokyo. He is a musician who you've probably heard of? I thought he cared about me, so I foolishly agreed. I know that sounds terribly inappropriate, but I promise you that nothing of that nature ever took place. We were friends… at least, I thought so.

One day I overheard him talking to his manager and I discovered everything was all a lie. He was only using me to support him while he got his start in music. He was just like my mother [Here the calligraphy was becoming more stiff and sloppy, instead of Kyoko's normally flowing hand]. I should never have allowed myself to believe that anyone could love me; I have learned better now. I swore off love forever and I swore that I would get revenge by becoming more famous than him, so I tried to become an actress. I know now that my motives were vile, and I am ashamed. Tsuruga-san was completely disgusted with me. I think he is still disgusted, but I am trying to show him that I have changed.

I mentioned Tsuruga-san, so I suppose that I should explain about him to. Tsuruga Ren is the best actor in Japan. Somehow, though I don't understand how, he has become my mentor. It doesn't make sense, since he despised me and even hated me at first. Now he is kind and helpful; he even takes time out of his busy schedule to give me rides to and from work sometimes. Because of him I have given up the goal of getting even with Shotaro. Now my goal is to one day co-star with Tsuruga-sempai and have him tell me "well done." Of course, I realize that this may take years because he keeps getting better and I barely improve at all. But he does help me and give me advice at times.

I often thought that Tsuruga Ren is a lot like you would be when you grew up. He is very handsome (everybody agrees on this). He is extremely talented. He is also wonderfully kind, even to someone like me who does not deserve it. On the other hand, he knows exactly when to scold me and put me in my place. When I make a mistake, my sempai lets me know and guides me back to where I should be. Everyone thinks that he is the perfect gentleman, but I have seen his temper. It appears at the oddest times, and for some reason I often seem to make him angry; though I'm not sure exactly what I do that makes him angry. He also has horrible eating habits, but at least he allows me to help him with that from time-to-time. He is a good man; as good as any man I have ever known. He also has some sort of dark secret that haunts him terribly sometimes (I trust you not to share this with anyone else. I know that you never would). I want so much to do something for him in return for all that he does for me, but how can someone like me be of any help? Still, I try to help, and even though my efforts are useless, he is still kind to me. Sometimes I wish [Those first three words were scratched out, though still legible. The rest of the sentence was never completed]

Anyway, back to my explanation of the LoveMe Branch. Takarada Lory, the President of Lory's Majestic Entertainment (LME), hired me, but he made it conditional: I had to join the newly formed LoveMe Branch and work in whatever capacity was needed until I could regain my lost emotion of love. He is a wonderful person, but he has the oddest obsession with that emotion. I suppose that I will always be in that section because I don't suppose that I will ever trust love again. Even if I did allow myself to feel that way towards someone [the pen drifted here, as if Kyoko were deep in thought], that person could never feel the same for me. [note: the kanji "that" in this line seems to indicate a specific person rather than the general idea of a random person.]

I wanted to tell you that Dieter and Lisle did as you requested: They spent the day with me, taking me on a grand tour of Amsterdam. It is such a beautiful and magical place! We went to a cheese factory and a chocolate factory. We also went to Anne Frank's house. I cried as I heard the story again. How can anyone treat another person so cruelly? We took a boat trip on a canal, saw the windmills and the locks, and then we had a comfortable dinner together on the roof of Dieter and Lisle's houseboat. It was wonderful! Dieter loves to tell stories and Lisle loves to laugh. They seem so happy together that it made me want something like what they have [the pen drifted here, leaving a line that meandered off of the page]

Lisle has sparkly eyes when she laughs and smiles, which is most of the time. She seems to think that I will be as happy as her someday soon. She laughed when I said that nobody could love me in the way that Dieter loves her. She tried to say that somebody already does… at least I think that is what she said, though her English is not very good and neither of us speaks the other's native tongue. The language barrier was too much for me to explain, so I let it go. It is probably natural for someone like her, who is so happy with her circumstances, to believe that everyone else will also be blessed. How could I explain? [another meandering line]

I apologize for the sloppiness of my letter. I seem to keep drifting off. There are so many things that I wanted to tell you. Your letter was like medicine to my soul. I am so happy that you have started a new life out from under your father's wings. I know that you can be successful in anything that you try. Please, please send me more letters. I will write to you often, if it is not a burden. You were always the one person who I could tell anything to. I will use the post-office box that you told me about in your letter and I promise to write to you, just as you have requested.

I must close this letter now. My re-scheduled flight will depart in two hours, so Dieter and Lisle will drive me back to the airport soon. They have promised to get this letter to you as soon as possible. Thank you so much for everything today!

Please continue to watch over me. Your childhood friend,

Mogami Kyoko