OVERSEAS MIRACLES

Chapter 44

Doubted Manager

For the second time, the president of LME called his Love Me number 1 for an urgent meeting. He had instructed her to meet her in a certain Japanese restaurant right in downtown. After her Trigonometry class, she hurriedly went to the ladies' room to prep herself to meet the president. Calling Mr. Winston would probably make her late id she will contact him from the Hizuri mansion. So she had thought that she should ride the bus to reach her destination in the quickest way possible.

Once she was about to enter the bus, she was pulled away from the door, knocking her body on someone's hard chest. Troubled of who had pulled her, she looked up at him then her eyes widened in recognition.

"France? What's with you?" She grunted in annoyance.

"Geez, you should have asked me if you want a lift, you know." France grimaced while dragging her to where he parked his car.

"Eh? But I don't want to impose you or anybody, France." She protested.

"Huh? How did you come up with that assumption? Anyway, get in." He gestured to his car.

"But- Kya!" She was pushed to the passenger seat as France slammed the door and went off to the driver's seat.

"Buckle your seatbelt. We don't want some traffic enforcer to accuse us a violation." He said as he turned the car's ignition.

"Why are you doing this, France? You shouldn't bother, you know." She mumbled.

"As what I am aware, Uncle Kuu doesn't want you to take any public utility vehicle. And I gave my word to Aunt Julie to drive you to where you want to go. Since I have no showbiz duties for the day, then there's no reason for me to not give you a lift." France explained as a matter of fact. He sensed a dark cold aura targeting towards him. 'Yeah, she's mad at me alright. Though, she's just too pretty cute in that state.' He chuckled inwardly.

'Otou-san…' She cursed mentally as she imagined Kuu being in a 'strict father' mode once again.

"Hey, you will wrinkle your beautiful face if you stay mad at me. Why don't you just tell me where you are heading? Need to go shopping?" He asked, trying to lift her mood.

Kyoko sighed at his words. "To Itadakimasu." She said.

"Itadaki… wha? Ah! That I-ta-da-ki-ma-su restaurant! So, is that how Japanese pronounce it? That's pretty fast, huh." He mused.

Kyoko laughed at France's way of syllabicating the word. "Well, it depends. It's a Japanese word saying 'Let's Eat'. We Japanese people habitually say it with our hands together before we eat." She replied with a smile.

After a couple of minutes, France parked in front of the said restaurant before he could wear his sunglasses and baseball cap as a disguise.

"Huh? I didn't expect you're going somewhere near here, France."

"Me too. I didn't expect that I wanted to come with you to eat together in that restaurant." He replied.

"Whaaat?" She shrieked in disbelief.

"Why? Can't I invite myself with you. It would be lonely if you go in there on your own. Or maybe… Are you going to meet your boyfriend, huh?" He smirked mischievously at her.

"That's not it!" She answered in exclamation. "I'm going to meet the agency's president for an important meeting." She explained shortly.

"Oh…" France said dejectedly.

"Sorry…" She muttered on her seat.

"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" He asked in confusion.

"It's because I didn't tell you that I am going to meet the president and then-" she was immediately cut off.

"No! It's nothing, really!" He waved his hands in front of her. "I was the one who was being presumptuous. I should be the one apologizing. It's okay if I go alone myself. I have never been in a Japanese restaurant after all." He frantically said.

"Okay. If that's what you wish, then. Let's go inside." She said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

As they entered the restaurant, France was too stunned at the atmosphere. They were greeted by the hostess and instructed them to leave their shoes on the shoes counter and let them walk barefoot. France found it really strange at first but he convinced himself that he should not complain and have take this opportunity as a research for him. He felt so relaxed and free as he stepped on the super clean shiny floor with his bare feet. The woman wearing a kimono asked which sear they prefer; the kotatsu style or the standard tables.

"Kyoko-kun!" A hoarse voice called out from afar. Her eyes brightened at the person.

"I was invited by that person. Please excuse me." She bowed at the woman.

"What's a kotatsu style, Kyoko?" France whispered closely on her ear.

"Oh… That's the one. The low tables area." Kyoko pointed at the area where a line of low tables are found.

"I see. I'll take that table miss." France requested to the woman then he followed her lead.

"Well, I better go, France. And I hope you get a taste of what Japan is really like." She smiled gladly at him before stepping towards the president's kotatsu. As she got nearer, she found another person seating on the other side of the table. Peering her eyes at the familiar-looking person, she tried to scrutinize his overall appearance. The person has light amber brown silky hair that is combed backward, leaving a few strands on his forehead that gives him a refreshing yet professional look, eyeglasses overlapping his dark eyes, strong looking chin… And wait… The forehead, the cheek bones, the definition of his strong looking face… She looked down toward to his body structure, the way his freshly pressed gray suit jacket fits perfectly on his large muscular frame. The bone structure… the bone structure? Her first impression told her that it was Yashiro who had just dyed his hair but her opinion changes when she noticed his seating height.

"Good afternoon, president." She bowed politely at President Takarada then she shifted her sight to the other man.

"Ren?" She asked questioningly.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, Kyoko-chan. I'm not Ren, you know." The man giggled at her guess.

All of a sudden, she burst out in laughter. "Whahahahahaha…. Ren! Is that another get up of yours? You perfectly imitated Yashiro-san's mannerism! Waaaahahaha!" She laughed her heart and lungs out for she can't contain her thoughts of thinking what would it be like if Ren imitated Yashiro's cheeky mode.

"Kyoko-kun, you're just in time. Have a seat first." The president disturbed her laughter.

It took a little while for her to return to her composure until their appetizers came to their table.

"Neh, Kyoko-kun. Who was that young man you came with? You two seem pretty close." The president asked innocently as he eyed for Ren's reaction. He saw him placed his right hand on his pocket while the other one balled into a fist.

"Him? He's a classmate of mine." She answered shortly.

"Classmate, huh? You mean, France Bracken. Your rumored 'boyfriend', right?" He guessed accurately as he looked at the teenage American guy roaming his eyes around the place.

Kyoko was caught off guard at the president's guess. "Uhm… yes? He had insisted to drive me here before I could enter the bus." She answered hesitantly. This is it. Her demon lord antenna can sense it now. 'Ren is angry. Ren is angry! Why?'

The president opened another topic . "Oh, and how did you know that this is Ren."

"It's easy to tell if it's him. Just judging all the parts! The way how his clothes clung to his muscles. Oh! The bones too!" She rambled and rambled with joy, proving her expertise in identifying people. The president was to shock and terrified at her explanation. He took a glance at Ren who is now placing his palm on his forehead like he wanted to hide somewhere. 'I see now the reason why Ren was not happy that day. It's not really a sexy explanation back then. And what's with the bones? Maybe she was just referring to his body structure.' He thought in terror as he recalled the day the moment before Setsu Heel came to the world. Ren was dreadful at that time. This girl is scary in her own way.

"Anyway, let's put that aside for now. Let's discuss the issue right away. Kyoko-kun, I have noticed that you have been walking in to your jobs on your own. Plus, you just received some guest appearances on teenage dramas, right? And you have your academics to concentrate on. To make things straight, I need to assign a manager for you while you are here in America." The president said.

"Eh? I think that's not necessary, president. I can take care of my schedule."

"Please understand your circumstances, Kyoko-kun. It's not that I doubt your ability in organizing yourself. I am just too concerned that you need someone to be with you wherever your job calls you. It's just for the mean time, Kyoko-kun." The president explained.

"Okay, so when am I going to meet my manager?" She asked.

"Well, he's right in front of you, Kyoko-kun." The president said.

"Ren? President, you're kidding, right?" She doubted strongly at the man in front of her.

"Oh my… I can't believe I had been rejected by my charge." Ren smiled crookedly.

"Actually, it was his idea and I really find it reasonable to assign a manager for you. Honestly, he volunteered for it."

"He did what?" She stared at the president in disbelief then she looked at Ren.

"Uhm, Ren. Don't you have anything better to do than just acting as my manager?" She stuttered on her words.

"The only thing I find it more practical to work is being your manager as a matter of fact." Ren responded nonchalantly.

"Eh? You have a very important job to attend!" She exclaimed vehemently.

'Ooooohh… Could that be a lover's quarrel on the way?' The president snickered to himself while he enjoyed listening to this stubborn couple. 'That Ren. He just wanted to spend time with her. That's why he pleaded me to be her manager. What a foolish lovesick sly guy.'

"A job that is mostly shoots in the evening and it will be in 10 days from now. What do I have to do during day times? I can't just read my script all over again every day. Your shooting nowadays is in the morning and you have to email your teachers from time to time for your assignments and other requirements since you are going to miss class for two weeks. You're already enrolled to GGA's online classes and all you have to do is to sign in and listen to your teacher like a good girl. Oh… you have a shooting tonight at Kingston studios for your guest appearance and it will take an hour from here to get there." He said in a Yashiro-way manager mode.

"Ehhh? How did you know about those things?" She shrieked in amazement.

" Like what I said, I am no w your manager and it's not a surprise for you that I know your activities. And don't you think that aside from being Cain's sister, Setsu also serves as his manager, right? So, I'm just returning the favor." He explicated.

She pouted in annoyance at his nonchalance and stubborn behavior. "You're being unreasonable. You can apply modeling jobs here, you know." She added.

"No. I want to take a break from that. Can't you just give me a chance to be your manager? You have taken care of me when I was sick. Why not give me that opportunity to take care of you as well?" He said in a sad manner, revealing his puppy dog face level one.

"It's too much for you to ask that, Ren." She insisted. With that, Ren's face went puppy dog face level 2.

'Eeek!' She freaked out at the intensity of his face. Inwardly, she cannot control her urge to give in. She felt that she is being pushed to a hole full of diamonds but she won't give in just yet. Her face is starting fall at his trick. 'Waaah! Ren's face is too much to bear.'

"Ren, please." She begged. With that two words came out of her mouth, Ren's face finally went level three! Kyoko dropped to her knees on the ground. She can't stand at his appearance anymore. Why in the she can't win over that face of his? 'Wolf can't even do that kind of face' she thought.

"Alright I give up!" She dropped her head on the table.

KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxRENx KYOKOxREN

*sniffs* If only I can read Japanese, I should be already screaming in excitement. Kyaaa! Skip Beat! Chapter 200 is out! Sad to say that I only get to see the raw manga… Oh, manga translator, save us! It's already killing me!

Can you give me a piece of your minds?

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