A/N:There you go! Chapter 11 is here! I present to you another revelation and Ren x Kyoko scene! I hope to collect more votes for '_ vs Sho' scenario before I officially start on it, so until then, I'll feed you with Shion x Kyoko and Ren x Kyoko!

Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my own characters. Contain OOC elements!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 11: When dinner ends

The night was peaceful. Well, as peaceful as it can get without a certain woman trying to extort money from him. That's what Shion had thought.

But he was dead wrong.

After Ren and Kyoko left for dinner, Shion and Yashiro had gone to grab dinner themselves, all while chatting about Ren and Kyoko. Actually, it was Yashiro doing the talking and Shion listening with a grin.

The boy had excused himself for a call, and Yashiro watched as his smile disappeared into an expressionless frown. He looked like he was going to kill someone, which frightened the bespectacled manager.

"I'm so sorry, Yashiro-san, but I need to go." Shion smiled sheepishly as he downed the fourth serving of tea, and placed some notes on the table, "It's my treat, see you!"

Just like that he was gone, like a ninja. Yashiro thought that only Kyoko was capable of doing that.

Shion marched down the street with long strides. What the hell is that damned woman doing?

That's when he spotted the café he was asked to meet up in. His blue topaz eyes scanned the exterior tables, and spotted a woman sitting casually with her leg crossed over the other.

He approached the woman with a growl, "I told you not to come out, didn't I?"

The black haired woman scoffed as she sets the cup of coffee down, her honey colored eyes glinting in amusement, "I never did appear before Kyoko, did I?"

Shion growled under his breath and settled down across her, "What do you want… Ikumi?"

The woman raised a hand and flagged a waiter, ordering one cup of espresso. "Well, I just wanted to see you."

The boy clenched his sharp teeth and glared, "How much do you want?"

"Hm?" The woman, Ikumi Yoshiko, blinked in surprise, "When did I say I want money?"

Shion looks at her incomprehensibly, "Then what is it? The only reason you would want to see me is for money, isn't it?"

She chuckled, "This time, not really. I want to meet Kyoko."

"No."

Ikumi looked exasperated, "Why are you so overprotective when it comes to the girl?"

Shion folded his arms over his chest as he waited for the waiter to put the cup down and leave, "Azuma wished for it to happen."

"Just because that man tells you to watch over her, you're willing to waste your life for just that?" The woman reached out and slipped his red tie against her palm, "Even after he made you a killing machine?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously, "He didn't. Azuma only wanted to protect us. I'm to blamed for everything that had happened then."

"Hmph." She shoved him lightly at the chest and leaned back as she took another sip of her coffee, "I only want to see her one last time before I leave for Hawaii."

"My answer won't change, Ikumi." The wolf boy then drank his espresso, not once cringing at the bitterness, "Or should I say Mogami Saena?"

The woman remained expressionless.

"Why would you want to see Kyoko-chan when you already walked out of her life when she was six? You even changed your name. Doesn't that mean you want to have nothing to do with her?" The boy questioned with a critical stare.

Saena glared at the wolf boy, "You're irritating. If I don't know better, I would've thought you hold romantic feelings towards that useless child."

"She's not useless. You are the one who's always the perfectionist." Shion glared into her honey colored eyes coldly, "Kyoko-chan is fine the way she is now. She doesn't need you to mess with her life again."

Saena sighed. "Fine, fine. But tell me this much, and don't lie."

Shion lifted an eyebrow.

"I know I cannot love a child I gave birth to merely because of benefits, I hurt her because of my ego, and I hurt her because of my actions."

"What's your point?"

"…Is she… is she doing fine?" The supposedly dragon lady looked down at her lap shamefully.

Shion leaned forward and cradled his chin in his palm while his elbow propped on the table surface, "Yeah, she is. There are a lot of people around her, loving her and caring for her. She has a best friend, countless friends, one reliable senpai, and one eccentric but loving president."

Saena closed her eyes and smiled, "That's all I need to know."

Shion stared at the woman for a few long seconds before his cellphone chimed. He flipped open the white device, and saw that it was a message from Kyoko.

If you don't mind, can you please pick me up at Tsuruga-san's house after dinner? I'm so sorry for troubling you!

Shion was amused. I guess she's more aware of that coward at the very least.

"Hey, before you leave, give me the legal guardianship for Kyoko-chan." The boy said.

"You don't believe that I would just hand it over to you, right?" Saena smirked.

Shion growled, "Name the price…"

She lifted three fingers, "300 thousand US dollars."

The boy stared at her with wide eyes. What the hell?

"Kyoko should worth at least that much to you." Saena explained matter-of-factly.

Shion grinds his canines together as he stood up. She's priceless, you damned witch! "I'll contact you when I get the money. Until then, don't initiate any contact with me or Kyoko-chan."

With that, he left with rage flipping his insides mercilessly.

Ren wanted to beat himself up. Why on earth did that happen, he had a hunch. It all started when Kyoko acted strangely after she left her dressing room. It only escalated when he felt the softness of his lady love. Kuon escaped from his cage and took over his body.

He only snapped out of it when his body reacted unpleasantly at the mention of more food to his stomach. He left the kitchen without much hesitation, wanting to escape from that unplanned seduction on that girl's part.

A heavy sigh left his lips as he dropped his head into his hands. He was grateful to that boiling pot of spaghetti. He nearly did something he knew would've sent him down to hell.

He groaned at the lingering scent of strawberry and… His head snapped up and he tried figuring out what the other scent was. It was oddly familiar.

"Tsuruga-san, sorry for the wait." Kyoko entered the living room with a tray of food.

Ren swallowed a dry lump in his throat. How can he look at her normally after that? "A-Ahh…"

The dinner was awkwardly silent. Kyoko, being unable to handle the heavy atmosphere, let her eyes wander around the room, and spotted the remote control lying on the table top.

"T-Tsuruga-san, do you mind if I switch on the TV?" She flailed her arms.

"Sure."

She pressed the button, and she froze when she realized that it's a live performance by none other than Fuwa Sho.

Eek! Kyoko felt her hair stand when she felt the dark aura coming from her left. Noo! Stupid Shotaro! Why do you have to appear during the most complicated moments?!

Jabbing her thumb on the same button, she forced on a smile, "It seems there's nothing but trash playing on the TV…"

Ren lets a smile slip at that statement. Suddenly he remembered why that scent smelled familiar. It was men's shampoo!

"Mogami-san?"

"Y-Yes?"

"I know it's rude to ask this but…" He swallowed, "Why do you smell like men's shampoo?"

Kyoko blinked dumbly for a few seconds before she scratched the back of her head, "Uhm, it's probably Shion-kun's shampoo?"

Ren's mood dunked below bad, "Oh?"

At the increasingly anger, Kyoko sweated bullets while her grudges floated and circled around the actor, basking in his 'delightful' aura.

Why is he angry again?! What did I do?!

Ren felt like bashing the boy up. For the first time, Ren and Kuon had agreed on the same thing. That guy already warned him beforehand that anyone could come around and sweep Kyoko off her feet, and yet he can't do anything about it.

...There's no way he's going to lose to some half-baked feelings.

"Kyoko…" The orange haired girl snapped her attention at him, "…Can I call you that?"

"Eh? Uhm—"

"We're friends right? Can't we at least call each other at first name basis?" Ren insisted with the kicked puppy face he came to let on display only for Kyoko when they're alone.

Kyoko flinched at the face. How can I say no to that?! "I… don't mind."

The next expression blinded her calloused heart as she looked away with her eyes squeezed shut. Her grudges were screaming and dying away due to dehydration, begging for water.

"T-Tsuru—"

"Ren." The actor smiled, "I'll only respond to you if you call me that."

Kyoko looked at him with a look of shock and disbelief. Is he a kid or what?

"Ren…san."

The man nodded, finishing the last bit of spaghetti on his plate. At least it's better than 'Tsuruga-san'.

The actress blushed and focused on her food. She just can't get used to calling her senpai so familiarly.

A few minutes of silence passed by, Ren stood up and collected the dishes, "Okay then, Kyoko, I'll wash the dishes, so just make yourself comfortable."

Kyoko was about to protest when her cellphone vibrated. She fished out her hot pink device and stared at the message.

I'll be there in around ten minutes. How was dinner? Did you have fun?

Kyoko mentally cursed the boy whom she came to consider as a brother-like figure. How can she possibly have fun when she is constantly basking in the Emperor of the Night's presence?

Ren returned with two cups of tea, and saw that Kyoko was glaring at her cellphone.

"Is something wrong, Kyoko?" Oh, how he loves that her name rolls off his tongue perfectly.

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing!" Kyoko snapped the phone shut and kept it in her pocket. "Uhm, Ren-san…"

Ren sat down beside her on the couch, "Yes?"

"…About Shion-kun…"

He wanted to scowl at her for letting the boy plague her mind, but looking at her deeply concerned face, he couldn't help but feel for her. Yes, he wanted to discuss about that scheming temporary manager with her too.

"Actually, I wasn't really crying because he teased me about this morning." She confessed, wringing her hands on her lap, "Last night, I was carried away by the beautiful scenery that I unintentionally questioned his thoughts of dying."

Ren couldn't prevent his mouth from parting open. She had asked the same question?

"Because he looked so alike to Corn under the moonlight, I unconsciously overlapped them together. I don't want Shion-kun to leave like Corn did."

Ren felt his heart ache in guilt and sadness. He couldn't possibly tell her that he's Corn, but that guy… if Kyoko actually saw Corn in Shion, then that would mean that Shion was created to look like him. But that's impossible, right?

"He will tell you when the time comes." He assured.

"Really? B-But what if he thinks I'm unworthy of such privilege? I mean, I did invade his privacy twice." Kyoko then drank the tea, "I don't think he will discuss his problems with me…"

Ren could've been jealous. It was only two days ago that the two had met, and yet Kyoko kept thinking about him.

A frown marred his handsome face, "Kyoko."

The actress turns her head to face Ren when she froze at the warm contact. His lips pressed against the right end of her lips.

Golden orbs widened into saucers. Her grudges shrieked in disgust and started pressing down the box with their bodies.

NO! The locks! The locks are disappearing! Push, comrades! PUSH! Get new locks! Get them! Lock the box! One of the grudges yelled, blowing on the whistle hung around her neck.

The countless blue colored demons roared out battle cries and divided into two parties: the ones pushing down the lid and the ones locking the box.

Ren withdrew and smiled, "Thank you for the food."

It was as if Valentine's Day happened all over again.

Damn this playboy actor! Master, get away from the God's favorite immediately! The commanding grudge warned, smacking on Kyoko's cheek to get her to snap out of it.

"Ah—"

The doorbell rang, causing the girl to spring up from the seat. Bowing waist-deep while stammering her farewells frantically, she grabbed her things and fled to the door, where she unlocked it and literally jumped out.

"Whoa!" Shion took a step back when Kyoko headbutt him in the chest. "Kyoko-chan—"

But she didn't let him finish his sentence as he was already dragged halfway along the empty corridor by a running Kyoko.

Back in his apartment, Ren sunk onto the ground with a heavy sigh.

What the hell am I doing?

But somehow, instead of guilt for taking advantage of the girl while she was brooding, and the fear that she would despise him forever for kissing her, he couldn't help but feel happy.

At least he managed to take a step closer to her.

Hnngh... I hope Kyoko isn't too OOC here. I suppose you didn't guessed that Ikumi Yoshiko is actually Saena? Well, I didn't want to do that either at first, but I found it interesting, and thought of a scenario that will most probably happen in near future. Hah!

Please R&R!