A/N: By the way, I've successfully graduated from secondary school and now I'm going to polytechnic! I'm starting school at April... *sighs*
This chapter is a little longer. Before I knew it, I couldn't stop typing until I finished the entire situation :/
I'm extremely happy that there are still readers following my story! Thank you for your support!
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contains OOC elements and language (if any)
Chapter 21: Revealed Truth
Later that night of the sixth day, Kyoko, Ren and Kanae went to Lory's room with the intention of getting information from him.
Gulping nervously, Kyoko knocked on the mahogany door.
"Come in." Lory called out from beyond the door.
As invited, the trio went into the room, only to see Yashiro and Lory sitting opposite each other on the couches. There was no need for questions as to why the manager was there, since they are all in here for the same reason.
Lory sighed, exhaling smoke from the thick cigar. "Sit down, you three."
"Um, President-san—"
Kyoko was cut off with a raised palm from the said president, "I know what you're here for, Mogami-kun. Have a sit first."
Nodding, Kyoko proceeded to sit beside Yashiro, and then the other two sat beside the two.
Lory exhaled another puff of smoke before he waved for Sebastian, who appeared like a ninja with an ashtray. Extinguishing the lighted cigar against the glass, the eldest man of all adjusted himself on the couch he's on.
"Now that you're all assembled, I shall hear your questions."
Kyoko, being carried away by the 'lesson-in-commence' kind of atmosphere, raised a hand, "President-san, do you know about any other Servant Beasts other than Shion-kun?"
Lory had expected the emotional girl to ask about Shion's whereabouts first of all, but apparently not. Smirking at her growth, he pondered about her question.
"There were a lot of things Shion did not tell you, so I too, did not say anything." Lory made a low humming sound, "If you're talking about Serbeasts that are still hiding from the public…"
"Shion-kun mentioned in this note that there might be a female android coming by." Ren said in hopes to connect the lines.
"Did he?" Lory raised an eyebrow, "Well, a female Serbeast—oh, you mean that girl?" The smile he showed at the thought made the youngsters relieved, the president is no longer feeling that worst blues like Kyoko.
"Did Shion say anything about who that Serbeast is?" He asked.
"No?" Ren frowned in puzzlement.
"Then I won't tell you either." Lory continued.
"What? But—"
"Ren." Lory's face made Ren shut up instantly. It was that 'talk-back-once-more-and-I'll-flick-your-forehead' face.
Kyoko would've laughed if she wasn't so worried—
Actually she did—her grudges did.
"Then… can you please tell me where Shion-kun is heading?" Kyoko asked, finally having the courage to make her decision.
Lory eyed her critically, as if certifying her will. And then he sighed.
"The last time I last tracked Azuma was three month ago, and he was in Spain." The eldest gentleman said, "But now, I have no idea where he would be."
"Then Shion-kun—"
"I told him what I said to all of you." Lory closed his eyes with another sigh, "He went anyway, saying that he doesn't have time to waste."
Ren felt the oddness about how Shion rushed off without proper information. "To him, Professor Hinamori is the most important person to him. So why did he leave without reliable information?"
Lory stared at the actor with a piercing glare, making Ren a little uncomfortable.
This boy is really unexpectedly sharp when it comes to other people. "All I can say is that he needs to see Azuma as soon as possible."
Ren scowled. Why is Boss beating around the bush when that wolf boy is gone for good? "President, just what are you hiding from us?"
Kanae and Yashiro felt out of place in this heated discussion about that wolf boy, especially the black haired actress.
Yashiro, well, he doesn't know what to say. He actually found a note left on Shion's nightstand after he came back from the long awaited happy news about the couple-on-attention.
Fiddling with that piece of paper in his pants pocket, Yashiro was unsure what to do. Should he just give it to them like he thought he should? Or should he just obey Shion's wish and let it go unread by nobody else but himself?
While he was lost in his thoughts, the manager didn't notice how Kanae was staring at him, skeptically. Kanae jabbed an elbow against his side, making him keel with a sharp breath inhaled.
"What are you hiding, Four-eyes?" The irritated actress demanded aloud, attracting the attention of the others.
"W-W-What are you talking about?" Yashiro was never an actor, that's why he became a manager instead.
"Yashiro-san?" Ren's gaze turned Demon Lord's, and Yashiro's face turned pale of fear.
Lory found the situation rather ridiculous. If Shion knew that it's his fault that the atmosphere became this stagnant of tension and negativity, what would he do?
Yashiro sighed. He's busted. I guess I can't hide this any longer than I have anyway.
He pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table, "I found this on Shion-kun's nightstand."
Kyoko picked it up, unfolded the paper and started reading aloud.
"By the time you found this, I think I'll be on my way to the airport in Hawaii.
Though it was only for a short time, I had a lot of fun together with you humans. I still don't understand how you can stand things like emotions though.
Anyway…
About the woman I mentioned in the other letter… she's a little hostile towards humans, so please forgive her if she said anything offensive.
PS: I hope that only Yashiro-san reads this letter, since he's the only who has a straight mind to handle things properly, without losing temper easily."
"The woman he mentioned in the letter is about the female android?" Ren wanted to smirk slyly at the thought that that wolf boy has a probable woman he loves, and he did, anyway.
"What does he mean by that PS anyway?" Kyoko pouted. But she was glad that Shion has somebody he treasures other than his maker. He isn't alone.
"Mo! Why does he hide the fact that there's another Servant Beast somewhere in this world?"
"He doesn't trust humans." Sebastian, for the first time during the whole discussion, spoke.
Lory wasn't surprised at all that Sebastian would speak up. They've known the boy for as long as they could remember.
"That girl and that boy were experimental subjects for the scientists. The two of them were prototypes for the second generation Servant Beasts, so they were made up of incomplete data."
The tanned butler then sighed, uncharacteristically, "It is ironic how they are the ones existing longer than the complete ones."
Kyoko then looked worried all of a sudden, "Shouldn't we go back as soon as possible? I mean, we don't even know how this woman looks like, and when she would arrive."
Lory nodded, "That's true. Pack up, you guys. We're leaving Hawaii by daybreak."
Shion could feel the virus worming through the multiple makeshift security he built up on the spot. Trust him to leave at the right timing, since he can't hold on any longer than a week more.
He was alone in the plane to Spain when all of a sudden he remembered the days he spent in the experiment labs.
There was that stupid woman, always nagging at him every time an experiment ends.
"Ruka, when will I meet you again?" He whispered to himself with a downcast expression. Even though he calls her stupid, he treasures her more than anything.
Another firewall security was breached and he sighed.
The end of the week, the seventh day after they arrived in Hawaii, on that late afternoon, the casts came back to Japan.
Though there were complaints about leaving earlier than what they heard, the other casts invited to the island were content with the fun and vacation they had.
Lory made them work for another week to fill the gap of being absent from the entertainment industry, and according to the president, nobody came to the agency to look for him.
It was only after that busy week that a young girl came by.
Lory called the gang into his office that morning.
Kyoko wanted to scream in ecstasy and excitement at the sight. Lory's office was modified into a forest resembling to the one in Little Red Riding Hood, and there, on the sofa opposite the said president (who was dressed up as the Hunter), was a young girl, who turned her head halfway to glance at the guests.
Her appearance was that younger than even Kyoko, maybe 14 or so, and her long hair was as white as snow, which becomes wavy at the end. Her round eyes were half-lidded, highlighting her long equally-white eyelashes and blood red colored thin slit pupils.
The orange haired actress's eyes were glinting stars. This girl looks like a doll, not to mention she's wearing a short-sleeved long, silky cream-colored frilly dress!
The girl blinked emotionlessly at Kyoko before turning back to Lory, "Is that her?"
Lory nodded, "Yes."
Leaving out the fantasizing Kyoko; Ren, Kanae and Yashiro all took notice of the fox ears protruding from her snow white head, and honestly, she looks a lot younger and cuter than what they imagined after reading Shion's letters.
"Sit down, everyone." Lory gestured with an unusually cheerful grin.
Kanae had to literally drag the stoned Kyoko to her seat before settling beside her best friend on a separate couch from Lory and the fox girl.
The girl bowed her head slightly with closed eyes, "It's my pleasure to be acquainted with all of you. I am Ruka, a Servant Beast prototype."
Unlike Shion, she is polite, and her voice was soothing, quiet even.
Yashiro, with his elder-brother switch flipped on, smiled as friendly as he can. "Ruka…-san? So, do you know Shion-kun?"
Ruka eyed the manager, still seemingly emotionless, "Yes. Shion is the most important existence to me."
"What about Professor Hinamori?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
For the first time, Ruka frowned. "That thing is a scientist. I am not fond of humans like him."
'Thing'? Everyone in the office thought simultaneously.
"Shion is attached to that thing merely because that is the scientist who created us." She continued despite the awkward silence.
"But you dislike that Hinamori person." Kanae pointed out.
"Affirmative." Ruka glanced at the black haired actress, silently wondering why she and the weirdo beside her are wearing that ridiculous uniform.
"Unlike Shion, I hate the things that performed those experiments on us."
That sentence brought forth a heavy and gloomy silence. Lory glanced at Sebastian, who nodded before refilling Ruka's empty teacup.
Taking a graceful sip of the refilled tea, Ruka made a barely audible noise of delight. "Well then, I suppose that stubborn fool left me something?"
"Ah, yes!" Kyoko, having snapped out of her fantasies, dug out the two letters almost clumsily before handing it to the girl.
Ruka's ears twitched and her tail, which was curled up on her lap, started wagging up and down slowly. A slightest smile pulled her lips up, making her look like an angel. The only person who wasn't surprised and didn't blush at the sight are Sebastian and Lory, who merely had their gazes softening.
And then the fox girl suddenly has her thin eyebrows knitted together. She then glares at Kyoko, who in return stoned up with a stiff smile and sweat drops.
"Did that woman hand over the guardianship?" She inquired.
"Eh?" Kyoko was clueless.
"What woman? Guardianship?" Yashiro and Kanae looked at each other suspiciously.
Ruka looked away, "I see."
"What's this about Kyoko's guardianship?" Ren demanded.
"Shion has been chasing after a woman called Ikumi Yoshiko for that girl's guardianship." Ruka explained straightforwardly before standing up.
Lory recalled that there was that same name calling Shion the day they began the cupid mission. So that was…
Kyoko froze at the possibility that Shion knew her mother. But her mother's name isn't Ikumi Yoshiko…
"That woman changed her name ten years ago." The female android continued, as if reading her mind. "She was previously known as Mogami Saena."
"What…" It was like a living nightmare to Kyoko. "B-But why would Shion-kun—"
"That stubborn fool didn't tell you anything?" Ruka stared at the orange haired girl's horrified and pale face before stroking her tail fondly.
"Why does he obey that thing's orders?" She muttered unhappily.
Ren expected Kyoko to at least tremble in fear at the fact that her cruel mother has always been somewhere near her, but just when he wanted to comfort her, he saw her determined face. The same ones she always show when she decide to face any challenges.
"Ruka-chan." Kyoko swallowed an uneasy lump down her throat, "Please tell me everything… anything Shion-kun hasn't told me."
Blood red clashed with molten gold.
Ruka brushed her hair with a soft sigh, "I understand."
Honestly, I wanted Ruka to have a busty figure, but then I figured that if she was one, she wouldn't fit with Shion.
So it's like "I want Shion to look like a couple with Ruka so I made her look like a 14-year-old instead." ...I guess.
But she's the same age as Shion... wait, how old is he again?
...
A~ny~way~! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!