Here is the next section. I hope it meets with your approval.
Note: I do not own Skip Beat!.
Kyoko let out a long breathe as she let her character slip away. It had been another great take and she was ready to relax for a little bit before they switched locations. It had been a week since the date that had changed her world. She had not had the opportunity to see Ren in person, but he had called her every night when he got home to tell her that he loved her. She couldn't quite bring herself to use those words, but she was starting to believe that she was capable of those feelings again. Kyoko had called Kanae the next day to inform her of the change. To her surprise, Kanae had congratulated her and commented that it was about time Ren did the right thing. Catherine's words kept turning over in her head. Was his feeling really that apparent?
"Kyoko-chan." Catherine called to her charge. "If we don't hurry, we will not be able to meet up with Yashiro and Tsuruga-san for dinner." Kyoko hurried to get ready. The director had called for a dinner break so they could all get food before they got to the next filming location. Kyoko considered her manager as she gathered her bag up. Kyoko had noticed that she had dropped the honorifics from Yashiro-san name, but she did not know what it meant. Did she not respect him anymore, or had something happened on their date? Kyoko had asked, but Catherine just smiled and said she that they had Italian and she had a good time. It was a very vague description of the date. When Kyoko asked what they did that was fun, Catherine considered the question and answered that they sang. This confused Kyoko even more so she let the topic go.
Kyoko followed Catherine out of the studio and into the lobby where the woman stopped to look over her charge. The location they were going to have dinner was not far from here and they had decided to walk. Kyoko realized that she was very recognizable in Natsu's costume. She had some problems with fans the last time they had walked to the location. Catherine pulled off her coat and held it out for the actress to put on.
"I know it's heavy, but it will cover your outfit well." Catherine and Kyoko had discussed this the last time Catherine tried to hid Kyoko in the coat. "Anyway, the temperature is cooling off now." That had been Kyoko's second complaint. She did not want to wear a long coat in the middle of summer, but the days were starting to shorten and the nights were starting to cool off a little so Kyoko reluctantly agreed and slipped into the monster coat.
Catherine stopped to pick up milkshakes as an apology for forcing Kyoko into the disguise and the two girls chatted lightly about the evening shoot. Natsu was going to have a confrontation in the darkened park with the main character when they got back from dinner. They had just passed a set of steps leading to the empty street below when Catherine called Kyoko's attention to a drink machine that had one of her favorite teas in it. Excited by the rare find, Catherine passed her milkshake to Kyoko and went to get some of the tea to go with dinner.
Catherine's attention was pulled away from the vending machine when a series of loud pops sounded out near her. She twisted around to see Kyoko falling to the ground and heard the loud scream coming from the park. Catherine turned to see Ren and Yashiro pounding towards the fallen actress. Her eyes then flashed back to the direction she had heard the shots ring out to see the gunman running for the stairs leading to the ground.
Catherine left the fallen actress to the actor and tore after the fleeing man. When Yashiro saw her quick movement, he altered his course to help intercept the attacker. The man had a decent lead on them as Catherine reached the top of the steps. He was already on the lower roadway and heading down the street. Yashiro screamed in horror as Catherine did not even slow when she hit the top of the steps and leap the wall to the sidewalk twenty feet below.
Catherine knew she was going too fast when the rough pavement tore the skin on her shoulder open as she hit the ground and tucked up to rolled the extra energy out. Ignoring the pain, she came to her feet and continued after her perpetrator. Yashiro screamed her name when he reached the top of the steps before racing down them as fast as he could go. The gunman turned at the sound and fired a quick shot at the woman chasing him. The bullet seared its way across the skin of Catherine's upper arm as the shot went just wide of the intended target. The gun jammed when the man tried for another shot as Catherine closed on him. A car screeched up next to them and the man bolted for the open door just as Catherine was about to grab him. Catherine could feel the material of his shirt with the tips of her fingers as the criminal launched himself into the back seat of the car and the driver stomped on the gas. Catherine slammed her fist into the back quarter panel of the car cussing at her continuing bad luck. She screamed her rage in the street as the car drove away. She was not even fast enough to get the license plate number.
Catherine turned on her heels and rocketed back the way she came. She could do no more good here and Kyoko needed help. Yashiro had just reached the bottom of the steps as she bolted past grabbing his hand. Her momentum spun the man around as she dragged him back up the steps to where the injured actress had fallen. Yashiro froze when they topped the steps, but Catherine never slowed in her quest.
Ren and Yashiro chatted as they walked through the pleasant evening air. They had both been looking forward to having dinner with the girls that they had not seen in a week. From the conversations they had every night, Ren knew that Kyoko was starting to adjust to his feelings, but he was looking forward to the opportunity to see how she took his affections first hand now. As he rounded the corner in the path, his eyes met with the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Even though Catherine had buried the girl in that long coat, he would always be able to tell who Kyoko was when she was not in a character.
"I think we are right on time." Ren pulled his managers attention from the planer he was looking in and pointed to the girls walking on the adjacent path. Yashiro looked up and sighed when his eyes landed on the girl he had been looking forwards to seeing. A laugh slipped from him as Catherine bounced over to a vending machine, but his joy died when several loud pops accosted his hears.
"KYOKO!" Ren screamed as he watched the young girl jerk as the bullets slammed into her back. His world turned upside-down as the young woman fell forward on to the pavement. His mind was so involved with getting to the dying woman, that he did not register Catherine's pursuit of the criminal, or Yashiro's departure from his side. Yashiro's voice screaming for Catherine just barely registered as he threw himself to the ground next to his motionless love. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the dark liquid oozing from underneath her.
"Kyoko." Ren whispered her name. With trembling hands, he reached down and slowly rolled the unresponsive girl over. Tears filled his eyes as he took in the larger amounts of the dark fluid covering her shirt. Unable to take it, Ren pulled Kyoko's lifeless body against him before he sat back so she was cradled against his body and cried. His mind was too far gone to notice Catherine's approach and he refused to give up his love to the gentle hands that were trying to extract her. It was the use of his real name and the sharp slap across his cheek that cut through his despair and brought him back to the real world.