A/N: Hello guys! I'm just taking a break to finish this chapter up. I've written it halfway before the study fever, so I figured I should just finish this chapter up during my half an hour break. Geez, so much studying is driving me nuts. :/ There you go anyway, the fifteenth chapter!

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my own characters. Contains OOC elements!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 15: Harsh Reality

Shion will never believe in things like fate or destiny. Everything in life are melded by humans' hands, they just need to realize it.

That's why he strongly emphasized Saena's timing for hooking him away into one of the alleys by his throat.

"You really have a bad timing, Ikumi." Shion grumbled as he stepped away from the woman in full Hawaii outfit which announces her intention to enjoy her break in the country.

"How would I know you would be here? You didn't tell me." Saena huffed, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me? I don't have data roaming." Shion snorted disdainfully, "Next time I'll get one."

"So, why are you here?" Saena asked with knitted eyebrows, "Don't tell me you—"

"I'd rather drop dead than to follow you here." Shion interrupted curtly with a frown before he rubbed the back of his head, "It's just a coincidence. LME's president made us come along for a one-week vacation."

"I should just meet up with Kyoko—"

"NO." Shion growled, "There's no way I'm letting you meet up with her."

Saena sighed and leaned against the stone wall, "So?"

"It's simple, actually. You just have to appear as Ikumi Yoshiko if you come face-to-face with her by any chance." Shion shot her a cold look, "Pull it through, Ikumi."

The woman shrugged, "I'm no actress, but I guess I can do that."

Shion scoffed, "Oh please! You're more of a cunning and sly fox of an actress than anything. It's like 'Drama's my life', or something."

"Was that an insult?"

"It's a compliment… in a bad way." The boy shrugged.

"I dislike talking to you during summer."

"Well, I dislike talking to you every single time." Shion shot back nonchalantly.

There was an awkward silence before the woman turned on her heels, "If you would excuse me, I'm going shopping with my family."

The wolf boy snorted before turning around, only to freeze when he saw Ren staring at him with wide eyes at the entrance of the alley.

Ah shit.

"Just now… who was that woman?" Ren questioned slowly.

"An acquaintance." He replied coolly. There's no way I'm going let my efforts go to waste here.

The taller man's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Oh? She's an acquaintance who knows about Kyoko?"

"…" Shion glared back, "It's none of your business."

Ren stalked towards the boy and shoved him against the stone wall by the shoulder, "It is my business if this concerns Kyoko."

"You just made it your business." Shion grabbed the wrist of the arm holding him against the hard wall, "Don't interfere with my business, Hizuri Kuon."

Warm brown clashed with blue topaz.

The atmosphere crackled in pale hostility as the two males glared down each other. Kuon was a fighter who had defeated countless gangs in the past all by himself, but Shion was a heartless beast that mercilessly killed armed androids of his kind and humans (not that Ren knows about it).

To Ren, nothing else matters as long as Kyoko is safe and sound. He wanted to be the one to protect her, not anyone else. He doesn't want to regret again like how he did for the Karuizawa incident.

"Forget it." Shion sighed, pushing the actor's arm away, "I won't hurt anyone Kyoko-chan hold dear."

"What?" Ren took a step back.

"You're looking for me because Sebastian's already here, right?" Shion continued, "Tell him I'm going for a walk to cool down."

Ren took a few seconds to gather his disorganized thoughts before he called out, "Wait!"

But Shion didn't heed his call and disappeared into the sea of crowds flooding the streets.

Kyoko was having some sort of mixed feelings at the moment. She is scared, curious and worried at the same time.

When she was mentally panicking about Ren's unusually warm hand holding her smaller one, Shion had disappeared from their backs.

Ren suggested that she get into the car Sebastian drove to find them first while he searches for the missing boy. He was looking fine then.

But when he returned alone, he was smiling, but it was the fake one he always used to hide his anger. She wondered what happened, but kept it as a wandering thought. The stifling aura around her senpai was just too heavy that she couldn't talk about it.

"He went for a walk." The actor had said.

Truthfully, Kyoko was doubtful about the statement itself. Shion wasn't the type to go off on his own without telling anyone about it. Plus, her fantasy antennae are telling her that Ren's angry.

Scratch that, he was silently seething. That's obvious as her grudges were literally sticking around him just to bask in his unholy aura.

It was night time, and Kyoko lost track just how many times she had gone to Yashiro and Shion's room just to look for the wolf boy.

Every time she went, Yashiro gave her the same answer with the same apologetic smile: "I'm sorry, Kyoko-chan, Shion-kun isn't back yet."

"What? Shion-kun is gone?" Kanae looks up from the magazine on her lap.

Kyoko, hugging her pillow, nodded with a worried frown, "I wonder what happened."

"He isn't a baby you know? I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Kanae assured with her arms folded over her chest, "Well, if you're so worried, why don't you go ask Tsuruga-san what happened?"

Kyoko flinched with a blue face. "T-That's impossible."

"Why?"

The orange haired girl mumbled under her breath.

"Spill it!"

"He was so angry! How can I pester him about the very thing that most probably made him so mad?" Kyoko sputtered out.

Ahh… that explains why she is so restless, this girl has a special ability to read Tsuruga-san's moods. Kanae sighed, "How about this? I'll go with you, so let's make this clear okay?"

Kyoko's eyes sparkled in hope as she leaped from her bed and crashed into a yelping Kanae, "I love you Moko-san!"

"MO! GET OFF!"

Lory lit up the stick of cigar between his fingers and took a puff, exhaled, and glared at the young man sitting across him, "Are you stupid?"

Ren sulked, glancing away.

"You, who hate someone poking their noses into your business, actually poked your nose into someone else's business." With each word the older gentleman spoke, it was like arrows to the bull's eye.

"That woman is someone who knows about Kyoko! How can I turn a blind eye and pretend I heard nothing?" Ren protested, only to be flicked between his eyebrows.

"Are you stupid? Just because Mogami-kun is involved, what gives you the right to demand an explanation? If anyone, it should be Mogami-kun herself demanding for it herself!" Lory reprimanded sternly, giving his own infamous Devil King face.

"But—"

Ren instinctively covered his forehead with a palm when Lory prepared for another flick attack.

"Ren, you're behaving like an unreasonable teenager." The older gentleman sighed, "Basically, you made him angry?"

Ren frowned, "I just wanted an answer."

"You got it. That woman you mentioned is just an acquaintance who knows about Mogami-kun. It could be that he talked to her about the girl."

His eyebrow twitched. Ren was unsatisfied with just that vague answer. But Lory is right. He isn't the one to demand for an explanation. He would have to tell Kyoko about it, and let her decide if she wants an answer.

"I understand." Ren nodded reluctantly. He just wanted to protect her.

Knocks rapped on the door and Lory called out an 'enter'.

Kyoko opened the door and peeked in meekly, "Um… I'm sorry for disturbing… um, should I come at a later time?" Why is President the one to give permission to enter Ren-san's room?

"MO! Just get your ass in and shoot it out!" Kanae pushed her dilly dallying best friend into the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

The two men were stunned by the actions of the irritated black haired beauty.

Kyoko fiddled with her fingers as she stuttered nervously, "U-Um, i-it's just… I-I wanted to…"

"MO!" Kanae looked ready to tear her hair out, "Tsuruga-san, where is that wolf boy?!"

"Huh?" Ren looked at her, confused.

"S-Shion-kun hasn't come back ever since then." Kyoko said, regaining her composure. There is something else more important than panicking about being in the same room with Ren. she'd been like this after that night at Ren's apartment. At least they're not alone.

"He hasn't come back? What about his room?" Lory asked.

"I-I went there a lot of times, but Yashiro-san said he isn't back yet." Kyoko answered.

"Hmm…" Lory rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I think it's best if you explain to them, Ren."

The actor shot a look of disbelief to his godfather. He's pushing this to me at a time like this?

"It's your mess, clean it up." That was the only thing flamboyant president offered.

Seriously, it isn't helping, at all.

Stopping in his tracks, Shion looked around to find himself somewhere shady. Well, as shady as it can be with all the flashing signboards of the love hotels.

He sighed. He was so busy clearing up all the data of danger he considered Tsuruga Ren to be that he didn't notice the time. It's already night time.

I didn't notice it before, but Tsuruga-san is really a nosy person when it comes to Kyoko-chan. He mused silently as he continued venturing along the noisy street.

"Oh." He stopped once again when he was reminded of the hefty sum of money he needs to collect for that greedy bitch.

Damn it, is she trying to make me rob the bank or what? He looks towards the right and saw a group of men cornering a girl of Kyoko's age.

Oh damn it. Because of that innocent actress, he developed a sense of protectiveness towards teenage girls, especially those who are easy to be targeted.

He tilts his head to the left, then to the right.

…Well…

Screw thinking, he's going to kick some asses, oh, and politely retrieve some money as a thanks tonight.

How was it? I'm sorry if the characters are too OOC. But well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

I'm going back to studying... again. *sobs* Adios!