Hi everyone! It's been so long! I'm really sorry I haven't updated. I was hitting a writer's block and then I got hooked onto other shows, resulting in my lack of "motivation" to write. That's really no excuse, but I'm really glad to have my groove back and continue writing. I can't make any promises for speedy updates, but I'll try my best! Thank you for being so patient!

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.

"So-o-o-o-o? What do you think?"

Ren slurped up a strand of warm noodle before giving her a crooked grin. "Have you ever taken me to a place I don't like? It's delicious."

She squealed in delight and placed her bowl and chopsticks down on top of the aluminum counter. Carefully wrapping her arms around his torso to avoid knocking over the bowl cradled in his large hand, she smiled up at him and said, "I'm so glad you like it! It's one of the few Ramen places that I really love. I try to go here whenever I'm close by."

"I can see why. It's really good. Although, when you told me it was going to be from a cart, I can't say I didn't have my doubts."

"I know, I know," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Most people wouldn't think it would be that great either. But hey, that means more for me." She opened her mouth wide and with a chuckle, Ren spooned some of the warm miso broth onto her tongue. She savored it with pleased hum before leaning onto her toes and giving him a quick peck upon the lips. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"Anything for you," he murmured, his lips pressed against her temple. "We should come back here again."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "You wouldn't mind? I know it's not where we normally eat, but I figured—"

Ren silenced her with another kiss, pulling her closer. "As long as it's with you, I will gladly go anywhere."

Her eyes softened with warmth. "I love you so much, Ren."

"I love you more, Ky—"

Ren jerked awake as something rough was placed in his outstretched hand. The owner looked at his wide-eyed gaze in alarm and quickly yanked his hand back. "I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san! I didn't mean to startle you."

The actor closed his fist around the crisp dollar bills in his hand and gave an earnest shake of his head. "No, no, it was my fault, Shiro. I'm sorry. My mind has been quite scattered lately."

"It's alright, Tsuruga-san. I understand." The older man looked over at her standing at the window shop a few feet down the street and smiled sadly. "I know how difficult this must be for you."

Ren followed his gaze. Her head was angled down as she stared in awe at the delicate baubles on display. Even though he couldn't physically see her expression from this distance, he already knew the kind of twinkle that will be flashing behind her amber eyes as she skimmed over the glass figurines. She loved all things clear and shiny. Even when her room was filled with every crystallized object imaginable, Ren would always find a way to purchase more for her, just to see that ecstatic look in her eyes again.

Feeling his heart thump painfully against his chest from old memories, he pulled his eyes away from her and looked back the owner. "Thank you for the Ramen, Shiro," he said as he picked up the two hot bowls.

"Anytime, Tsuruga-san. Whenever you and Kyoko are done, just place the bowls back on the counter."

Carefully setting in place his cool and indifferent mask, he made his way over to her and watched her raise her head at his approach. She flashed him a shy smile he hadn't seen in years as she clasped her slender hands in front of her body, already in preparation for a respectful bow.

"The spicy miso?" Ren asked as he handed her the bowl in his right hand.

She accepted it with both hands and lowered her head. "Thank you, Tsuruga-san. Let me pay you ba—"

"Mogami-san, you were dragged into having dinner with me. The least I can do is pay."

"But I—"

Ren pinned her with his eyes. He could see the fight rage in her expression, but with a deep breath, she relaxed her shoulders and nodded. Smiling, Ren handed her the wooden pair of chopsticks and leaned his back against the wall of the building. The smell of the warm broth brought back so many memories of them eating together, side by side, laughing without a care in the world. Even now, he had a powerful urge to stand right beside her until their bodies were pressed right against each other. He closed his eyes.

I miss you...

Kyoko quietly hummed in pleasure as she slurped up the soup. "Yashiro-san has no idea what he's missing out on."

At the mention of his manager's name, Ren's eyes wrenched open as he gripped his bowl with tight fingers. It had been years since his friend had tried to trick him into doing anything, but this was the worst of them all. Although he understood the purpose behind his deception, that in no way meant he was in a forgiving mood. Not in the slightest.

"Does he always have appointments this late at night?" Kyoko asked curiously.

Ren gritted his teeth for a split second before surfacing with a calm smile. "Occasionally. Yashiro always manages to find something to do."

"He must be really good at what he does. Working on a Friday night? If that's not dilgient, I don't know what is."

"True, but sometimes his efforts are somewhat…unwanted," Ren replied as he picked up more noodles.

Kyoko laughed. "He's only concerned about you, Tsuruga-san. Everyone should eat dinner sometime. I honestly agree with Yashiro-san's call on this one," she said matter-of-factly before going back to her noodles.

In the past, he would have argued with her how she always agreed with Yashiro when it came to his eating habits, but choosing to tread in safer waters, Ren dipped his head and innocently asked, "How is it?"

"Better than I remember," Kyoko replied with a smile. She glanced up at the dark sky. "I heard that the best time to eat Ramen is during a clear night like this. The chill from the night air really makes that much tastier."

"As well as the company," Ren added.

Kyoko blushed bright red. "I'm sure you've eaten with far more interesting people, Tsuruga-san."

"I can't say I like the use of your word 'far,'" Ren complained. "You make it sound as if you're dull."

"Well, I would hardly call myself interesting. I'm pretty…normal, wouldn't you say?"

Ren swallowed his last spoonful of broth before shaking his head. "That sounds like a double edged question. If I say no, you're going to say I think of you as weird. If I say yes, you're going to say that I'm calling you boring. So, I think the best answer is to not answer at all."

Laughing out loud at his bluntness, Kyoko waved her hand back and forth in earnest. "No, no! I wouldn't be so conniving, Tsuruga-san! I really just want a simple answer. Although, it seems you have the mind of a woman all figured out," she teased.

"Ahh, well, let's just say I've worked with a number of female actresses, each one of them more unique and interesting than the last. I've learned a lot from them all."

"You really love acting, don't you?"

Ren turned to her in surprise.

"I don't mean to make any declarative statements," Kyoko added quickly at his wide-eyed gaze. "It's just…you look really happy when you talk about it. It's obvious you don't see acting as merely a career."

"Do you?"

"Me?"

Ren nodded. "Do you see it as a career?"

Faltering just a bit, she looked down at her shoes and shook her head. "No…not really." Kyoko raised her head to see his curious expression. She smiled with more confidence as she explained, "I was a little confused in the beginning, but everything is starting to make sense now. People have always dreamt about being someone different, of having a chance to abandon their normalcy, if only for a moment. As an actress, I get to do that every day. I think that's quite a blessing."

Ren let out a tiny smile. "That's a wonderful way of putting it."

Beaming with pride yet too embarrassed to say anything else, Kyoko looked down at her nearly empty bowl. But not wanting to end their pleasant conversation either, she asked quietly, "Have you always wanted to be an actor?"

His gaze softened when she finally managed to look up at him. "For as long as I can remember."

"Do you mind me asking what you are working on recently?"

"A medical drama," he replied. "I play a heart surgeon, a man passionate about his profession, but completely disconnected with his patients. It is only after meeting a nurse that he finally sees the compassion in human nature and what it means to be a medical hero."

"Wow…sounds like an intense movie."

"A little bit," he admitted with a modest chuckle.

Kyoko smiled widely. She couldn't explain it, but just the sound of his laughter made her happy. It was attractive, that was certain, but something about it just resonated inside her. It made her feel like she was walking on air and even a little proud that she was able to make him laugh so freely in the first place.

She must have stared at his face for far too long because he suddenly looked down and like a key in a lock, their gazes clicked in place. Rooted to the spot, she felt her heart leap into her tight throat. Kyoko couldn't put her finger on it, but it was almost as if she was expecting something to happen. Her legs trembled with anticipation for an event she had no idea she was waiting for. His eyes wouldn't loosen their hold. She felt like a deer in headlights, too awestruck to turn away.

But just as she was about to pass out from the lack of air, he tore his gaze away. She quickly looked back at the road, relishing in the gulp of air that filled her frozen lungs. Where in the world did that come from? That look in his eyes…She didn't imagine it, did she? There was no way she could have. No one had ever looked at her like that before, with such intensity, emotion…passion? But what was more unsettling was the odd sense of déjà vu that sent a shiver down her spine. Did he do that? Was it him?

"We should probably get going."

Hiding her jolt of surprise with a quick clear from her throat, she could only nod in silence.

"I'll get that," Ren offered as he reached for her empty bowl.

She glanced down at his outstretched hand and suddenly noticed something peculiar. On his left ring finger was a circular tan mark, an obvious sign of a missing ring.

He's married?

Of course, it should come as no surprise that someone like him was in a relationship. What girl wouldn't want to be with a man of his caliber? But it was odd that she had never heard anything about this woman. There was bound to be some news about her somewhere, considering how famous he was.

Kyoko bit down on her lip as she felt an odd pang settle in the middle of her chest. The discomfort grew the longer she looked at his finger. Why was it bothering her so much?

"Mogami-san?"

She quickly raised her head.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes! I'm sorry. I just—" She shook her head. "Never mind. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

Furrowing his eyebrows in uncertainty, but deciding to let it be, Ren led them back towards the food cart. They dropped off their empty bowls and wooden chopsticks, murmuring a quick thanks to Shiro before walking back towards his sliver car. He parked across the road and a little farther down the street, but Kyoko didn't mind. A little exercise didn't hurt.

A slight breeze suddenly brushed against her bare arms, causing involuntary goose bumps to form all over her skin. But as soon as she thought about how chilly the night was, a dark movement caught her eye that eventually resulted in a heavy jacket being draped over her shoulders.

Kyoko looked back at him with surprise before shaking her head vehemently. "It's alright, Tsuruga-san! I'm not that cold!"

Making no move to take his coat back, Ren shook his head and said, "Regardless, you shouldn't walk this late without a jacket. Besides, I have a sweater on, so don't worry."

"But I…"

He showed her a warm smile. "Mogami-san, it's really alright."

Any sort of excuse fled her now stunned mind, forcing to her to nod once before looking back down at her feet. The quiet click of her heels and the thud of his shoes filled the silence between them. Kyoko was no longer cold. The jacket was warm and it didn't escape her realization that it was only because he had worn it just seconds before. The fabric had a distinct minty smell that felt like a breath of fresh air. Kyoko breathed in deeply and felt her eyes close for a split a second. A part of her had even wanted to slip her arms through the sleeves, but she quickly decided against it. That would probably be taking it too far.

Even though they weren't saying anything to each other, Kyoko realized the silence wasn't in the least bit uncomfortable. In fact, she quite enjoyed it, as if they had a mutual understanding that they didn't need unnecessary words to pass the time. Stealing a glance in his direction, the corner of her lips turned upward at the content look upon his face. It oddly made her feel somewhat special, as if he was pleased because of her.

"Tsuruga-san?"

"Hmm?"

"I just really want to thank you for tonight," she murmured with her eyes downcast. "I know I'm probably not the first person you would want to grab dinner with, but I appreciate it nonetheless." She shook her head quickly in embarrassment and backtracked in a pitchy voice, "But please don't take this as me saying I expect us to spend any more time together or anything! I mean, I know we're not that close and this is really improper for you since you're my senior, but still I—"

Kyoko froze when she finally looked up at his face. There was no mistaking it this time. She had always thought there was something off in his expression whenever he looked at her, whenever they stared at each other for a second too long. But right at that moment, it was spelled so clearly in his eyes that she couldn't tear her gaze away. Pain was etched in every contour of his face. Her heart throbbed within her chest and her hand suddenly twitched to reach out for him. Digging her nails into the palm of her hand to stop the movement, she quickly tried to find the words that would fix the problem she had caused.

But with a slight movement of his head, he suddenly looked back at her with a tight smile and whispered, "Let's get you home, Mogami-san."

Distressed at the pain she could feel settling in her throat, she could only nod as she followed him across the street. Kyoko kept her eyes on his broad back, almost hoping that he would turn around and look at her. What an absurd thought…

But she couldn't dismiss the feeling as if he had closed himself off from her somehow. Why did it hurt so much to see him walk away from her? Talking to him was effortless. Being in his presence, although nerve-racking, was bizarrely pleasant. She had no idea who he was. She didn't know anything about this man, but yet, she felt this intense…

Respect? Idolization? Trust?

Even now, she was following him without any hesitation, as if she would go anywhere he wished. Wasn't that bad?

Perplexed and somewhat scared, her steps suddenly slowed to a standstill in the middle of the road. She was so confused. Why was she feeling this way? Why was she hurting? What was going on? Feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes, she watched his silhouette blur until all she could see was a mess of color.

A loud honk sounded to her left.

Bright headlights illuminated her field of vision.

She turned towards the oncoming car, feeling her eyes widen in alarm, but her feet were glued to the pavement.

And like a whoosh of light, a memory resurfaced.

Her hands pushing against a tiny frame.

Her knees hitting the road.

A shout. A voice. His voice.

The way he called after her. The way he screamed—

"KYOKO!"