Chapter Title: Brooding

Rating: PG-13/Teen

Disclaimer: If I owned Skip Beat! Kanae would get with Yashiro.

Disclaimer Part 2: THIEF OF THE NIGHT TIS MINE!

Dedication: Erm... hang on. –goes and checks email- This is to... –takes deep breath- angiez, rin03, TwilightObsessed, xXJoadXx, Tansy Moon, Luna Silverwater, Xylophic, Saffrie, purropolisprincess, .Dr1v3n t0 1n5aN1Ty., black moon inu, Ishasuki Mitochi, Fate Lowe, Devilishduck, and Tsuzuki! It was originally a short list, but... so many people story-alerted and favorited and reviewed! –cries with happiness-

Chapter Summary: Ren and Kyoko brood. It was originally that they were going to meet up too, but the brooding turned out longer than I thought and I can't stay up too late. So I figure a short, early chapter is better than me saving, going to sleep, and not getting to updating till after Christmas. Whaddya say?

I k33l teh spell check! With 3s instead of e's! Or i's! Don't bug me when I'm typing fanfiction! –argues one-sidedly with Spellcheck-

Song: I Like it Rough by Lady Gaga

I'...M...S...H...I...N...Y...x)

Kyoko laid on her bed, her head and neck hanging off the foot. Her wall and anything on or in front of it was upside down. But it didn't really faze her at all.

Recently, her entire life seemed to be upside down.

She looked over at her posters. Shotaro smirked down at her, as horrid as ever. Though maybe it was a bit childish, she stuck her tongue out at him.

Gruesome, she thought. That's what you are, Shotaro. You, and your smirk... In a weird, twisted way; it's your fault I'm in this mess.

Sho, though, paid no mind to her hate waves and kept right on smirking. The Kyoko demons swarmed out, repeatedly ramming against the poster, but to no avail. Alas, it was only a poster.

Finally, she flipped over on her bed and buried her face into her crossed arms. Hate waves took their toll every once in a while; and anyway, all that hanging upside down put too much blood in her head. Thinking was slow.

She yawned.

How am I supposed to portray love for a total stranger? I mean, it would be impossible alone, and then; not knowing my co-star would be so awkward. She sighed. After all, how great were her chances of knowing her co-star? Not likely. It was a big world.

Suddenly, she saw two things at once.

Tsuruga-san, and Otou-san.

Sempai and Father.

Father's encouraging smile, thumbs up, and advice were all she needed. Her role was a high-class lady, right? It was perfect. She could see herself slipping into the it and enjoying it in no time. Perhaps, even, she might come to love it- Father had said that was best. Loving it would be a tremendous step.

Maybe it wasn't the real thing, not like loving a person; but maybe, just maybe, if she could love her role, then she could at least act out convincing, unconditional love for her role's love interest.

And that would be a big step towards regaining what she had lost.

Besides, as Moko-Chan would say, it was her character falling in love with someone else; not her falling in love with her co-star. Becoming someone else; she could do this.

But what if...

Tsuruga-san's fake gentlemanly smile, given whenever she knew she was foolish, appeared suddenly; and was enough to stop her thoughts in their tracks and disintegrate her leftover drooping demons.

She would do this.

W...H...I...T...E...A...N...D...N...E...R...D...Y

Ren Tsuruga's hands were tight on the steering wheel as he focused intently on the road. Yashiro-san sat quietly beside him, allowing his long-time client and friend to think things over. After all, Mogami-san wasn't the only one with experience with 'The Emperor of the Night' or 'The Dark Lord'.

Ren wasn't worried about losing control, starring together in a romance with Ky- Mogami-san. Not at all. He knew better than anyone else that he could keep himself in check. The one time he had nearly slipped up was at his house when she'd fallen; but he'd made sure through extensive brooding and pressure on himself that it wouldn't happen again. What kind of professional actor would he be if he couldn't even refrain from self-control around one snippet of a girl?

Ignoring the fact that, at least to him, Mogami-san was no 'snippet'...

So it wasn't about losing control. Nor was it even about his image. Ren Tsuruga, starring together in a movie with a newbie? A newbie fast on the rise, sure; but still, a newbie. Mogami-san had incredible talent, and besides, word had spread at least a little that she was his 'kouhai'; so all anyone- most especially the paparazzi- would expect or talk about was that this would be one heck of a drama.

Nor was he concerned that Mogami-san wouldn't do well. He doubted that even if she were starring with that idol Sho Fuwa that she would slip up. Mogami-san was too... serious in her acting to allow that to stop her. And since he would be filming with her, well...

And it certainly weren't as though she might get distracted by him, either. No, Mogami-san had proven most likely more than once that she could hold her own against both his over-powering gentlemanliness and intimidating acting. One of many trials that she seemed to overcome without realizing it.

So maybe he was worried about Mogami-san herself. Not necessarily how the acting would go; that was part of it, but more on the toll that this would take on her. He knew that, for her, acting out this particular emotion would be no easy task. For someone in Love Me, it couldn't be.

On the other hand, he cringed to think of Mogami-san having to exert self-control to refrain from going absolutely sparkly-eyed over her role in itself.

Ah, well. At least he would be there to watch for her. Though...

His face darkened.

As much as he'd like to be, as Tsuruga Ren and as her Sempai- not as one who might have preferred otherwise- he could not shelter, protect and teach her forever.

Not if she were to grow as an actress. And he knew that she could. She had the potential. The talent. The drive.

No.

She would.

B...U...M...B...U...M...B...E...E...D...U...M...B...U...M

Song: None. I'm in complete silence.

First one to tell me the relation between my scene/author's note breaks wins a special prize- they'll be featured as a minor character in my fic. But ya gotta review first to let me know what your answer is! x)

On second thought, PM. Maybe. So we don't get cheaters...? I dunno. Do whatever you want.

Muahahahaha.

So anyway.

I'm happy this was out earlier than my chapters usually are, but I'm sorry that this one was later than I promised. And I'd like to say that with the holidays here and Science Fair I'm just so busy, but the truth was I was reading Skip Beat! on Mangafox and wondlyful (Yes, I meant to spell that wondlyful) Skip Beat! fanfiction. Look at it this way; my knowledge of Skip Beat! is now up to the latest chapter (At least, I think so... That's what the Mangafox scanlations have to say.) and I have inspiration from fanfiction so I can provide you with a better one myself.

Ok, enough with my chattering. Two more things; one, don't forget to check out my poll on THIS FANFIC RIGHT HERE on my page. I NEED your guys' opinion. Two, look out for a Skip Beat! Christmas special (most likely a oneshot) that I plan to write and put up soon. It may be here, or it may be in the Skip Beat! fanfiction archives, so look out! I'll probably do it out there, but I'm not sure yet... Oh well.

Doesn't it seem like our lives are devoted to writing fanfiction and fanfiction only? Lol. I notice that while reading other people's... Let me know if it seems like that. I'm really curious.

Before I say byebye, don't hesitate to reply to my replies or drop me a PM, guys! I actually like hearing from you guys and if I reply to your review you don't have to worry about bugging me with another reply back or whatever... I enjoy speaking with you and hearing your opinions- both on fanfiction, and maybe not! Friends are cool!

Also, I'm doing this fanfiction stuff single-handedly on Microsoft Word, so if anyone thinks I should get an editor or something fancy-schmancy like that, let me know.

Kk! Bye! And Happy Holidays! Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, the works!

Subaki-Chan out.

PS Sorry if it seems my author's notes are longer than the chapters. I just like to taaaaaaaaaaaaalk, talk, talk. x) Bye.