A/N: Wow, they get so OOC in this chapter. Well, hope you enjoy! Okonomiyaki is a traditional Osaka dish, and not from Kyoto necessarily, but Osaka and Kyoto are close enough geographically that I decided to use it anyway. The word "okonomiyaki" means "what you want, grilled". It's called "the Japanese pizza". You can wiki it if you want. Dashi, anori, and katsuoboshi are ingredients in okonomiyaki. Wiki those as well. ;) R&R please! And thank you bunches to everyone who's subscribed, favorited and reviewed already! You don't know how much that helps with writer's block! :)
To hitsugaya07, I love their relationship, but the manga's probably going to end up with Ren x Kyouko. I've got no problems with that pairing, though. As long as Sho and Kyouko end up with a somewhat good relationship, I can deal with a Ren x Kyouko ending. I'm probably going to mess around with them more after this fic, and maybe even a little Reino x Kyouko O.O. What can I say, canon pairings bore me. ;)
Standing in the store, Kyouko wondered about her sanity.
In all honesty, she never thought of her mental state. For a very long time, she lived for the love of one man, and then found out he had used that love for his own selfish desires. From that moment on she lived with her hatred of said man, and had recently found acting to supplement the rest of her missing emotions and such. But she never thought she was crazy before. She wasn't hallucinating or hearing voices (other than that of her beloved demons, of course) or even depressed for long periods of time. Her last bout of depression was, when, Sho's PV? And that could be expected in that situation. So wondering if she should see a therapist soon had never crossed her mind.
Until she found herself standing in a store, debating on whether she should buy garlic or pepper or if Shouko-san had either of those two seasonings, did she contemplate insanity.
I mean, Kyouko thought to herself as she shrugged and put both garlic and pepper in her basket, how sane can a girl be after being discarded like that? And devoting my life to him even though I hate him, that's not really sane is it? Not to mention that I'm now going to go to his new apartment and cook for him. Keep on laughing, gods who decided all this, because you're the only ones who are.
Sighing, Kyouko looked down to her basket, running through a mental checklist. Meat, check. Vegetables, check. Cabbage, check. Dashi, check. Anori, check. Sauce, check. Katsuobushi, check. Pickled ginger, check. Eggs, check. Cheese, check. Mayonnaise, check. Flour, check. Special heating pan I don't think Shouko-san has, check. She walked up to the registers, using the money Sho had given her earlier to pay for the groceries. The woman behind the counter ran all of the products through the machine, and bagged each one of them, thanking Kyouko for her patronage. Somehow able to smile, but nearly as brightly as before in the dressing room, she exited the store, looking at a nearby clock to see that it had taken her all of ten minutes to get everything. Without having to worry overly much about quality, she was able to shop much more efficiently.
Glancing around, she looked for Shouko-san's car. She had dropped Kyouko off at the front entrance, promising to park near the front so Kyouko could easily find them again. Kyouko wondered if maybe Shouko-san hadn't been able to make good on that promise because of lack of parking space. It was dusk already, and Kyouko had to shade her eyes against the harsh lamplight to see anything past the first few rows of cars.
Was that them, in the fourth row? It looked like Shouko-san was telling Sho something. What could they be talking about?
Having already dropped Kyouko-chan off at the front entrance, Shouko was able to park in a space moderately close to the entrance. She hoped Kyouko-chan would be able to find them.
Shouko leaned back in her seat and unbuckled her seatbelt, people-watching the shoppers. They were a lot different than the people Shouko was usually able to people-watch. None of these people where musicians or actors, they all had regular jobs or school. They didn't dress extravagantly or deal with talents all day. These people before her were, for better or worse, fairly normal people whose only exposure to the entertainment industry was when they turned on the TV or the radio. It was strangely refreshing to see how they lived their lives. If she had entered the acting world and had failed, as she was sure she would have, this was what her life would be like. The thought didn't depress her, or fill her with pity, but was just a cold awareness that, unless Sho could survive the miraculous leap from "star of the moment" to "musical legend", she would have to find a new talent to nurture, or else have to find a desk job. Putting that thought out of her head, this was obviously not the time to think of that, she returned to watching them.
A great number of them were apparently busy workers who didn't have time to shop during the day, because they rushed in to buy food before rushing back to their cars, hoping to catch the last few minutes of some popular soap. No, that's not right, Shouko thought. This was prime-time right now on television. Only the best and most popular shows would be on right now, not some half-endorsed soap operas. Who knew? Maybe Dark Moon would be on tonight. Contemplating that, Shouko shifted her eyes to the rearview mirror, looking at Sho's expression. As usual, he had an unreadable look on his face, and she couldn't figure out what he was thinking about even if she tried. How would he react to the scary, terrifying Mio while the actress who played her was cooking in the other room?
"Hey, Sho," said Shouko, still trying to think of what to say as the words were coming out of her mouth.
Sho's eyes shifted, not to Shouko's back or head where she thought they would, but straight at the mirror, as if he knew he would find her eyes there. He didn't flinch or look away, just maintained eye contact through the mirror. His face morphed into his look that meant Go ahead, talk.
"What do you think of Kyouko-chan?" she asked, fairly quietly and gently.
His eyes flashed. Confusion, contempt, annoyance and aggravation were the emotions Shouko could decipher in his expression. But then he slipped behind the composed mask, and only the annoyance and a tiny hint of feigned amusement remained.
"You know what I think of her, Shouko-san," he said, leaning back, rolling his eyes a bit, "You don't need to ask."
"I meant as an actress. What do you think of Kyouko-chan as an actress?" This time his composure didn't slip, leaving Shouko only the hard eyes that narrowed ever so slightly.
He sighed, acting indifference. He even crossed his legs, something Shouko hadn't seen him do since they got in the car. But he still had yet to unbuckle his seatbelt, and he remained upright in his seat, which was unusual for him. For any other person Shouko would expect to find Sho laying down on the backseat the moment they were out of the car. Was he wary of Kyouko-chan's reaction to finding part of his body in her seat?
"In Prisoner she was okay. Competent, I guess. Once she got over her mental block."
"Are you referring to when she really tried to strangle you? Twice?"
Sho swallowed, as if reassuring himself his throat was still there and in working order, before he continued.
"Yeah. Though I didn't expect to see her able to do it. Kill me while not killing me, I mean. I thought I really would have to fire her."
Shouko blinked, but schooled the rest of her reaction. Sho being surprised was…confusing her. The rest of the set had been astounded by her transformation from homicidal avenger to the disciplined actress she was after she took some time to herself. Shouko's own jaw had dropped. Looking back, Sho himself had appeared fairly unnerved by the difference. But the way he was wording it now was almost…complimenting Kyouko-chan.
Interesting, thought Shouko, already planning her next attack.
"But what about Dark Moon? What'd you think of her then?" Shouko asked, keeping her voice inquiring, not allowing him to see her hidden agenda.
Sho lifted an eyebrow in surprise, as if questioning her question.
"Haven't seen her in that," he said, dismissing the thought. He probably would have waved a hand if they weren't firmly crossed over his chest. "Why would I?"
"Well, she is your enemy, isn't she?" Shouko said, shifting a bit and looking out the window for Kyouko-chan, "If you don't follow her a bit, she'll end up surprising you with her skills later." He opened his mouth, probably about to disagree and end all discussion, but Shouko got there first. "I'm not saying stalk her progress or anything. Just every once in a while watch something of hers. An episode or two, that's all. I never thought she'd turn out to be an actress either, but hey, she did. And she's in LME, that's pretty big for a newcomer. Not to mention Tsuruga backing her. I heard through the grapevine that he defended her on set of Dark Moon and he seems fairly concerned of her. If you dismiss her completely, she'll win eventually."
Somewhere in her lecture something seemed to strike home. Maybe it was the LME reference, or the Tsuruga one. Maybe he loathed the idea of her beating him, or some other thing Shouko didn't think of. When it came to Kyouko-chan and Sho, she didn't know anymore.
"I'm not concerned of the acting industry. I'm not involved in it at all. Me renting or watching that stuff will look weird." Sho said, rolling his eyes.
"If that's all your concerned about, let me worry about that. I am your manager, after all. And if she somehow, against all odds, manages to get far enough in this industry, and gets to you, then I will have failed as your manager. Let me help a bit, okay?"
Sho remained silent, and though his eyes had long since returned to staring at the cars around them, Shouko could tell there was some calculating part of his brain whirring, trying to factor in Shouko's involvement with the impossible odds Kyouko was up against in order to extract her revenge.
"Ah! Speak of the devil! There's Kyouko-chan," Shouko started up the engine, snapping in her seatbelt.
Devil, thought Sho, a fitting description.
"Sorry it took a while," said Kyouko as she slid in the car.
"Not at all, Kyouko-chan," said Shouko-san as she put the car in gear and backed out of the parking space. "So, what are you making tonight?"
"Okonomiyaki. Do you like it, Shouko-san?"
What was she thinking? Sho wondered. Shouko-san didn't have the stove for okonomiyaki, and Kyouko should know that. Sho looked at the bags leaning against Kyouko's leg, along with the bag with her chocolate ingredients, and his eyes widened slightly as he saw the shape of a box straining against the plastic. She bought a pan for that. Some plug-in thing she could make okonomiyaki on. That must have cost a lot…did she have to use her own money to make up the difference?
"Okonomiyaki? That's an interesting choice," Shouko-san said, frowning slightly as she thought of the logistics of Kyouko making the meal.
"It's been a long time since I've prepared it. I hope I can do it justice," said Kyouko, shrugging, not sensing Shouko-san's debate: Tell Kyouko she didn't have a way to cook okonomiyaki, or let her find out and make something less specialized.
"How much money do you have left?" Sho said, his eyes sliding to her accusingly. She met his stare with equal strength, like a handshake.
"Why do you want to know?" she asked, her pleasant tone from when she was talking to Shouko-san gone the moment Sho entered the conversation.
"Why do you need to know my reasons?" he countered, a sneer forming on the opposite side of his face. Kyouko couldn't see it, but she could sense it.
"If you don't tell yours, I don't feel the need to tell mine," Kyouko said shrugging, her hands twitching into fists.
Sho sighed, breaking eye contact, staring at the back of the passenger seat.
"Reimbursement," he said simply, his gaze returning to Kyouko, this time an eyebrow quirked as if to say Wanna make something of it?
Kyouko lifted an eyebrow of her own, turning her face a bit towards him. She admitted defeat, and said, just as simply, "¥30."
"Of your own money?" asked Sho, the eyebrow lifting slightly again.
"No. Left over from what you gave me earlier," she said, a bit of ice edging its way into her voice.
Sho nodded his head, just slightly, enough so it should be impossible to see in the darkened car, but Kyouko caught it nonetheless. He broke eye contact, and stared out at the skyscrapers they were passing. Kyouko did the same through her own window. Shouko, now aware of the tension between the two, was trying to remember a neutral topic of conversation that wouldn't incite one of them further.
"How often did you make okonomiyaki in the past, Kyouko-chan?" asked Shouko, desperately hoping she wouldn't make one of them mad.
Caught off guard by the question, Kyouko's voice automatically became more courteous. "Uhm, let's see, about once every week or every other week maybe? It's kind of hard to tell. It depended on the time of year."
"Wow, so often…" whistled Shouko, keeping an eye on the atmosphere between the two. Sho seemed to be apathetically oblivious to their conversation, even relaxing his arms a bit. Kyouko-chan seemed to perk up a bit, happy to not have to talk with Sho. Shouko took her chances and continued. "Why did it depend?"
"Well, the seasons changed and new demands were put on the kitchens, so the menu changed as well. Sometimes I'd cook it every other day, others a month and a half went by and I didn't cook it once."
"Where did you work?" asked Shouko, now genuinely curious.
Kyouko-chan stiffened a bit, but since her posture was normally so perfect and they were driving in the near-dark, Shouko missed it. Sho however, shifted in his seat, also a bit uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking, and Shouko caught that.
"A traditional inn," said Kyouko-chan, a tad carefully, as if she didn't want to get too far.
"Wow," said Shouko, honestly impressed, "That's quite the job. Is that where you learned to sit like that? So straight and proper all the time, I mean."
"Yes." said Kyouko-chan, revealing enough to satisfy Shouko's question, but not enough to raise another, "I was taught that a hostess should always have her back perfectly straight. It's second nature now."
"How long did you work there, for it to become second nature?" Shouko wasn't trying to push that hard, but it seemed like she was close to a little core of truth they both neglected to tell her.
"Years. I don't know exactly how long anymore," said Kyouko, trying to put on a nonchalant air while envying Sho's privilege of staying silent through this conversation. You're part of this as well! she yelled silently, I was working at your house after all! But she said nothing, knowing he wouldn't take part no matter how much Kyouko needed him to butt in and save her miserable self from talking too much. Not that she didn't want Shouko-san to know, but that she just didn't want to think about this right now. It was already veering into dangerous waters.
"How old were you?" Shouko said, "After all, you're what, seventeen now? And you've been in the entertainment industry for almost a year, and then there was the…" Shouko tried to word it delicately without seeming to think about it too much, "…time you spent in Tokyo before you took up acting. You had to be what, fifteen, sixteen, when you quit your old job? Or are you still working?" That last one seemed a bit far-fetched. How could a full-time actress be able to work at a traditional inn? Shouko didn't know much about those businesses, but she imagined them to be fairly complex and involved enterprises.
"Uhm, I was fifteen when I quit my old job. I'd been working there for a very long time though." Nearly nine years, she thought ruefully. Nine years I worked there. I learned a lot, but I'll never get that time back.
"You must have been very dedicated to it," said Shouko gently, trying to ease the bad air that was building, ever so slowly back there, "To be able to work for years when you're so young."
"I'm working at a restaurant now. They're also fairly traditional, but I like it there," said Kyouko-chan, grasping onto a fairly new topic. "Part-time work, anyway."
"Oh? Really? But isn't your schedule…?" Shouko trailed off, trying to find an appropriate word.
"Hectic? Erratic?" Kyouko supplied, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Yes, but Tashio-san and Okami-san understand. They cut me a lot of slack. More than I deserve."
"Still…you must be so busy. How do you see your friends?" Shouko asked, the words out of her mouth before she could consider them. Sho twitched a bit at that, and he didn't appear to be paying attention to Tokyo anymore.
"I see Moko-san enough through Love Me work," Kyouko said, aware of Shouko's blunder and Sho's reaction, but continuing on normally anyway, "And I went over to her house to help her make Valentine's chocolates. I manage," Kyouko shrugged, though she seemed a bit happier to be talking about this "Moko-san".
"What's she like?" asked Shouko, simultaneously satisfying her own curiosity as well as Sho's. What kind of friend would Kyouko find after her relationship with Sho?
"She's an amazing actress!" Kyouko enthused, her eyes sparkling a bit, though not nearly as much as usual when Kanae was mentioned, because Sho's presence dampened the excitement. "I'm lucky to be in the same section as her! I'm surprised the president hasn't given her a debut yet, though with his crazy ideas on love, I guess it's not too surprising. Still, I think she'll be able to get to the top without a debut. She did brilliantly at the auditions! She can memorize an entire script in about a minute, and can summon up crocodile tears like none other. I'm glad to have her as a friend."
Shouko, reeling from the mini-speech on "Moko-san's" good points, was a bit surprised Kyouko didn't say anything about what kind of person her friend was, only her talents as an actress.
"And?" asked Sho, a bit of a mocking frown working its way across his face, "So that's it? She's a good actress for a newcomer. That's all you have to say about your 'friend'?"
"Well, that's how I first knew her as," said Kyouko, "But she's a good person. Even if she can be a bit difficult to understand at times, she has reasons for what she does. She's not the type to open up on her own, so getting information out of her is a job in and of itself. I guess to a lot of people she comes off as a bit cold, but once you get to know her, it's endearing. She doesn't like people worrying about her, and will cover up her own problems. She knows the best places to talk about my problems so no one will overhear, though. She's great and I'm lucky to know her!"
Shouko having just gotten off the shock of the first speech, was now hit by the second, though it wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as the first, but more understanding. Kyouko-chan no longer sounded like a fan following an actress, but finally like a girl talking about her friend. But one thing bugged Shouko. How could the happy, fairly carefree Kyouko become friends with a girl who was aloof and standoffish? Kyouko-chan had only mentioned it, but Shouko still wondered how the two girls had reacted to each other the first they met. Those qualities didn't seem to be the type to attract Kyouko-chan.
You're a bit more complicated than I thought, huh, Kyouko-chan? thought Shouko.
Fuwa Sho was suddenly filled with strange sympathy for this mysterious "Moko-san".
Sho knew exactly how Kyouko got around people who acted like they didn't care. Sho knew how she clung and smiled and endeared herself. He could picture with no trouble just how "Moko-san" had agreed to be Kyouko's friend. He knew it wouldn't take much, because when Kyouko took a liking to you, there was no stopping the inevitable relationship. Sho himself had resisted Kyouko when he first met her, but eventually raised the white flag. Kyouko's friendship, once she decided she wanted it, was like a force of nature--unstoppable. Small wonder this unknown girl had fallen for Kyouko. Honestly, he didn't need to see it to know what had happened. He could even imagine how the girl felt when she first saw she'd hurt her friend. How she would want to make it up to her, and get that luminescent smile back on Kyouko's face. To Sho, it was crystal clear how the friendship had developed.
Halfheartedly, he wondered if the pattern would persist even farther, and wondered if "Moko" would end up betraying Kyouko as well.