AGENT WALLFLOWER
Kyoko has a journalist-friend? Everybody else is suspicious except of course, Kyoko. How do you protect a clueless actress with secrets from a possible enemy masquerading as a friend?
Disclaimer: I do not own Skipbeat!
Chapter 11
"Mogami-san, why were you fighting with Fuwa Sho back there?"
In response to his question, a dark aura erupted from the petite girl beside him. Her normally serene face was completely transformed with rage.
"Stupid bastard! Who the hell does he think he is, trying to order me around!? I told him to stay away from me! Isn't that too much to ask?! But noooo, he still wants to stick his nose in my business. He has no right to stick his nose in my business! He can stick his nose up his ass and just rot in hell!" she railed.
"...But isn't he your... friend?" he cautiously asked.
Monobu flinched when Mogami turned her furious gaze at him.
"FUWA SHO IS NOT MY FRIEND!" she yelled.
"HE IS DEAD TO ME!"
Like a dam broken, words started pouring out of her mouth. Monobu was totally unprepared as Mogami told him all about her running away to Tokyo with Sho. How she put her life on hold for Sho. How she had worked 3 jobs to support Sho. How she had worked like a slave to give Sho a comfortable place to come home to. How she suffered through Sho's mood swings and complaints about his career. How she endured everything so that Sho could realize his dream. And how Sho discarded her like a rag when he finally reached it.
"Do you know why I joined LME? It's because I wanted to CRUSH him! I wanted to beat him in his own game! To surpass him in popularity as form of revenge!" Mogami darkly said.
"Fortunately, my senpai showed me that I can never surpass Sho if I always let him dictate my actions. " For a moment, a fond look softened her features before it was swallowed up again by her fury.
"Senpai said the only way I can exact my revenge is by erasing all traces of his influence in my mind. But how can I do that when he KEEPS. ON. INTERFERING. WITH. MY. LIFE!" Mogami punctuated each word with a punch on the concrete.
An awkward silence descended between them. Monobu mutely watched her catch her breath and fix her composure.
As they sat quietly, he recalled the past Mogami back in High school. Even back then, he had seen how totally devoted she was to Sho. She had always put him first before her own needs. Her LIFE revolved on Sho.
It was so sickening how Sho used Mogami's devotion to further his selfish goals.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to tell you all th-" Mogami started to say when Monobu interrupted.
"He's a jerk," he curtly said.
"What?" Mogami asked blankly.
"He's a jerk," he repeated. "Maybe it's because I've seen how you and Sho were like back in school in Kyoto, that's why I can understand how angry you are at him. But he's a really big jerk! I wish you knew earlier how big an ass he really was so that you didn't have to go through all that... but it still doesn't change that he's a really big JERK!" Monobu said, getting riled up himself.
Mogami eyes grew wider and wider as she listened to him get angry for her sake.
"The only good about him is his music! Errr... he writes his own music, doesn't he?" Monobu asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. But that's the only good thing about him," she grudgingly replied. "But do you know he likes strawberry pudding? What a kid! He doesn't want to tell the public because he has an embarrassing way of eating them!" she said slyly.
Monobu snickered. "What, really?! Is he in kindergarten?! And isn't that too girly?!"
She eagerly nodded. "I know, right?!"
It was his turn. "Oh! Oh! Do you remember back in school when we had our School fair? Fuwa went in the Horror booth with some girls. I remember he left the girls inside and ran out all white like a sheet! I saw it with my own eyes!" Monobu recounted gleefully.
Mogami guffawed.
For hours, the two stayed on the sidewalk exchanging stories and poking fun of Sho. Slowly, the bleak look in Mogami's eyes started to fade. It seemed like the bottled rage inside was being scrubbed away with every story they shared. After talking for so long, Monobu and Mogami finally fell silent once again, but this time the silence was more companionable.
"Ummm... Do you mind keeping this a secret?" Mogami hesitantly said after awhile. "The whole Sho thing... It's not something I want people to know. In fact, if I could forget the whole thing, I would," she whispered.
"Of course! Don't worry, Mogami-san. You can totally count on me!" he seriously said.
Mogami gave him one of her dazzling smiles which almost made him forget what they were talking about again.
"Thanks, Wallflower-san! You know, I'm really, really glad we met again," she happily said.
"Yeah, yeah. Me, too," Monobu gruffly replied, looking away to hide his reddened cheeks.
"You're really a huge help! It's like a big burden was lifted off my chest!" she continued. Monobu waved her off dismissively.
"From now on, we're best friends for life! If you ever need my spleen, I'll give it to you!" she said enthusiastically.
"Okay, now you're overdoing it!" he complained.
As the sky grew darker, the street got busier and the lights on the previously closed establishments switched on. Mogami looked at her wrist watch.
"I didn't realize it was this late already!" she cried out. She jumped to her feet and dusted down her clothes. Monobu followed suit.
Looking around as she accustomed her eyes to the growing darkness, her attention got drawn to the flickering sign across the street. The word "Caprice" blinked above a steadily growing line of well-dressed people. Most of them wore black, edgy attire. The girls were fashionably dressed in slinky clothes and killer stilettos that made Monobu stare longer than he was supposed to.
"Hey! That's the club the university girls were talking about!" Mogami exclaimed, pointing at the sign.
For a moment, they watched as a muscle-bound bouncer stepped out of the door and started screening in the club-goers. The throbbing sound of music got louder and louder as more and more people were let in.
Monobu glanced at Mogami who was staring at the entrance with shining eyes. He suddenly had a horrible feeling that another of her crazy ideas was brewing inside her head.
"No, don't even think about going inside! You won't even get past the Bouncer!" Monobu hurriedly said. He actually moved in front of her to block her view.
"Of course not!" she scoffed at him. "I'm not planning to go there dressed like this!" Mogami wryly gestured at her pink jumpsuit. She turned away from the club and started walking towards the train station.
"Oh, thank God!" Monobu muttered as he followed her. For a minute there, he was afraid he'd have to drag her away kicking and screaming. After all, there never is a dull moment when he was with her. Monobu quickened his steps when he saw that she was waiting for him to catch up from a little distance away.
"...Hey Wallflower-san, do you want to eat something? Come with me to Darumaya, As thanks for letting me confide in you, I'll cook whatever you want..." she chattered as they walked side by side into the night.
o-0-o-0-o
"How's Japan's no. 1 actor?" President Takarada asked over the phone.
"Pretty well," Yashiro replied. "In fact, he's doing too well. He's working like a fiend, sir."
"Frankly, I'm starting to get concerned. At the rate he's going, I think we'll be flying back to Japan sooner than expected." Yashiro threw a glance at the dark-haired actor who was in the middle of another photo shoot. Just then, the director called "That's a wrap!" and congratulated Ren.
"Oh? Isn't that good?" Takarada asked curiously.
"We're talking about the Super-Condensed-Schedule-from-Hell you prepared here, President! Ren's practically breezing through it! Do you think he's cracked?" Yashiro worriedly said.
"Is he behaving oddly?"
"No, he's the same as always. Well, maybe he sometimes looks preoccupied with something, but I don't know what," Yashiro mused.
"As long as he doesn't look like he's about to murder someone, then it's okay." Takarada said.
"Murder someone?!" Yashiro thought to himself in alarm. What the heck does the President mean by that?
"Well, the sooner, the better, I always say. Finishing up early would mean you can come back early. It's a win-win situation!" the President glibly said.
Not if Ren collapses first, Yashiro silently thought.
"If you say so, President..." he reluctantly said aloud.
"Anyway, any news on Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked eagerly. Before, he had been always a little bit embarrassed whenever he brought Kyoko in his conversations with the President. He was supposed to be talking about business after all, not gossiping about young girls. But now, it seemed like it was quite natural to ask about her whereabouts. And the President was interested in talking about her, too, anyway.
"Hmm... Come to think of it, I haven't seen her around LME for these couple of days," the President thoughtfully said. "What could that girl be up to now? ...But I hear she made an appointment with Jelly for this afternoon. Maybe I'll drop in on their meeting! Awww, I have another appointment this afternoon! This sucks!"
Yashiro tolerantly listened as the President rambled on. So, no new material to tease Ren with, he thought in disappointment.
"Anyway, Yashiro-san. Tell Ren to keep up the good work, but don't overdo it. I'll be expecting to see the both you in a couple of days, or earlier if Ren does manage to finish all his jobs before schedule. I'll expect a full report from you then."
Yashiro hung up after the President said goodbye. A little distance from him, Ren was lounging on a chair with his bag already packed, apparently just waiting for him to finish the call. He had a faraway, preoccupied look again on his face. Again, Yashiro worriedly pondered about the reason for Ren's odd behavior.
"Hey, you're acting weird. What the hell are you zoning out for?"
Ren had a bland expression as he stared at Yashiro. "Something wrong?" he asked. A tic formed on Yashiro's brow.
"Who are you calling weird? You're weird! You're a robot! Come on, If you want to kill yourself with work, I'll help you! I already called the studio earlier, they're expecting you already!"
Ren watched in astonishment as Yashiro stormed off. "Robot?" he wondered to himself. His manager was saying strange stuff again. Was the workload finally getting on Yashiro's nerves?
o-0-o-0-o
"Sorry, I have some preparations to make, so we can't hang out. Thanks for helping me out yesterday! BFF!"
Monobu stared at the colorful, emoticon-filled text message that Mogami sent him. 'What's the deal with the rainbow colors and smiley faces? And BFF? What the heck is BFF?' Monobu thought in annoyance.
But the biggest thing that bothered him was the message itself. Preparations? What did she mean by 'Preparations'? He had a sneaking suspicion that Mogami was hatching up a bigger surprise to torture him.
All day, he couldn't sit still at all. She didn't reply to his texts and didn't answer his calls, too. What's the deal? Was she trying to kill him with worry? By afternoon, he was ready to strangle her.
Then he finally got a reply. Looks like he was right, she WAS hatching up a new plan.
"Hi, Wallflower-san! I couldn't answer your calls because I was so busy! I'm really, really sorry! Can we meet tonight? 7PM in front of Caprice?" Mogami cheerfully said over the phone.
"No! Didn't I tell you yesterday that you can't go in there!?" he angrily said.
"But it's still part of my research! Besides, I prepared for this already. Please? This is the last favor I'm going to ask!" Mogami wheedled.
Monobu had a feeling she would still insist to go to Caprice even if he refused to accompany her. She never listens to him anyway. But wait, maybe he didn't have to refuse her after all... With that innocent-looking face, Mogami looked younger than her age. And if she wore that horrendously pink jumpsuit, the bouncer would definitely turn her away right at the entrance. Her little escapade will be over even before it starts! Monobu slyly snickered to himself.
"Okay. This is the last favor, clear?" he grudgingly said.
"Yes! I promise!"
"Alright then. I'll see you in front of Caprice at 7."
o-0-o-0-o
Monobu looked at his watch. He was standing at the same sidewalk where they had spent yesterday on, right across the street from Caprice. It was still a bit early, but he was eager to get this over with so he could go on with his normal life. He'll go back to snagging scoops instead of worrying what new trouble Mogami would get herself into. Honestly, this whole research thing was one headache after another.
"Wallflower-san! I'm not late, am I?" Mogami gasped as she ran towards him. She propped a hand on the wall and leaned over as she struggled for air.
'Good, she's wearing that jumpsuit!' Monobu slyly thought as he watched her catch her breath.
"No, not at all! Come on, let's get this over with," he said, a little bit too eagerly. Hmmm...She looked somewhat different. Maybe it's because of the cap and shades she was wearing. And come to think of it, was she wearing a wig under that cap?
"Wait!" she suddenly said. Looking around, Mogami pulled him towards a dimly-lit back alley. She squinted into the dark to making sure they were alone before she gave him a reassuring smile.
"This will only be a minute, I promise," she said as she turned away and walked a little farther from him.
Bemusedly, Monobu watched as Mogami took off the shades, dropping it into the open bag at her feet. Then she pulled off her cap, dropping them into the bag as well while fluffing her now-long hair. The next thing he knew, he heard the sound of a zipper opening and then Mogami suddenly pulled her jumpsuit down.
Fortunately, she was wearing something underneath. Monobu let out his breath that he had been unwittingly holding in.
"What the heck are you doing?!" he irritatedly demanded. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
"Sorry!" came the muffled reply from the alley.
After tucking the pink jumpsuit in her bag, Mogami stepped out of the alley and into the light of the streetlamps, allowing him to see her more clearly.
If he hadn't seen her step out of that jumpsuit, he would have sworn that the person standing before him wasn't Mogami-san. Long blonde hair tinged with strawberry highlights framed her face. The innocent-looking, wide-eyed girl he was expecting to see was hidden under red luscious lips, rouged cheeks, and smoky, seductive -looking eyes.
She was wearing a slitted black miniskirt that faithfully followed her curves, and laced up, knee-high black boots. The corset that hugged her chest accentuated her cleavage very nicely and was short enough to display her belly button. Silver chain links attached to the belt hanging loosely around her hips drew attention every time she moved. The entire look was finished off with black leather & silver accessories, like the studded arm band she was wearing and the spiked choker around her neck.
It seemed as if she had turned into a whole different person. Her posture, mannerisms and even the way she moved had completely changed. The person in front of him exuded a ton of fierce confidence and sex appeal, things that he'd never seen in Mogami-san before.
She was fastening the lip ring on her lip when she caught him staring at her with his mouth wide open in shock. She raised one chiseled brow.
"Geez, Kenta-kun. You're acting like you've never seen me in a costume before," she drily said. "You look exactly like the first time when I saw you again in TBM."
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Hey all!
Next chapter, Monobu will still be clueless.
No, I'm just joking! Please don't lynch me! To everyone who had persevered over their frustration on Monobu's stupidity, good for you. You are a saint! You deserve a trophy, or pizza, or a tub of ice cream, or whatever it is you like... When you treat yourself, just imagine that I gave it to you, okay? :)
Oh, thank you Iris Anthe, Jeah and CrystallineX for your suggestions for the summary. I'll get back to thinking about it when I just finish the story... or sumthin... heeheehee!
Btw, CrystallineX... Ren as a reporter sounds like a great premise for a story. I'm imagining something like a Clark Kent/Superman thing (but Ren's not a superhero, okay). Maybe someone can pick up the idea and write about it, because unfortunately, I can't right now.
Whew, this chapter was hard to write... all that drama n' stuff. Anyway... Thank you for all the feedback, I really appreciate it! What do you think about this chapter? Again, please review!