CHAPTER 27

I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.

The final sparks to the new unknown

Kyoko was walking down the hall, dread coming and leaving every few steps and stopping her before she would start again. She knew what she had to do but it didn't make it easier.

The hospital had called and she had got the results. Which had been a good and a bad thing.

It was one week ago. Three since what happened. So she had had a bit of time to think.

She wasn't sleeping well. Her nights were plagued with horrendous nightmares and it made her jumpy and anxious. Her friends and others had noticed she was not her as bubbly as usual she knew but she had managed to make it seemed like no big deal. Like it was tiredness or just teenager worries.

She was an actress after all. And she didn't mind what they thought as long as they couldn't suspect the scale of her issues.

She wasn't well, far from it. She still felt dirty all the time, using the shower more than she ever had before to the point of worrying her landlords. And beside Ren, she was very nervous when a boy or man came close to her. Her fear creeping up inside of her from any moves from them that her mind could interpret as dangerous. Even with Yashiro-san, she was itchy and didn't felt as safe as before.

But she was trying to go on, grasping at her sanity, at every normal patterns routine to keep going on with only pure will and fear to fall into a hole of despair and darkness if she didn't move, advance and run faster than it. She felt like she was suffocating most of the times, she was awkward with everyone, even Moko-san. She didn't know how to face Ren because she knew he was no duped and was the one the most likely to figure it out. She couldn't stand that thought so she was avoiding him again.

But most of all, for every little moment with him, her desire grew. They were closer than before. Since she knew about his past and about him being Corn. But she felt like it was a bit artificial because even if they were closer, even if she knew about his true name, about Corn, about his hard past and they were calling by first names but they still acted like kohai and sempai. More than that, Kyoko still felt like she was just his junior, his friend too. But a young friend.

Deep in her heart, after learning all this, she couldn't stand it anymore. She knew she wouldn't ever be more than a friend. But if they were friends, she wanted to act like it. At least.

But she couldn't. Or rather she wasn't able to. Even if she wanted it from all her heart, it was like something was still holding her back. Well, sometimes it seemed like they were really acting like it and then they were too awkward.

She didn't understand.

But for each part of him he showed her, each little drops of vulnerability he unveiled in front of her she wanted to be closer. The desire would never cease. She wanted to laugh with him. Spend time with him outside of work, talk to him all the times. Just for him to be comfortable with her. Really comfortable.

There were like momentum where they would then they would fall back into sempai-kohai behaviour. No matter what they called themselves.

And that was tearing her apart. A lot more than the prospect of only be his friend that was and is still is and will always be an evidence.

But she desired a true friendship and felt like it wasn't possible.

No, maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was because deep deep down even with knowing the limits her heart desired more than this friendship didn't seem real.

In any ways you would put it, she desired more out of this man. Their recent moments of closeness induced by extremes circumstances had made her greedier. She kept wanting more. She didn't understand herself anymore and it was driving her nuts. She had never been a greedy person. Jealousy she knew but it was never like that. It was like an after-taste, a constant bitterness of what was not reachable with Sho. Now, it's like she would hang to every bits he would give her greedily. Knowing she wouldn't have the lion's share but wanted all she could get.

She felt lost.

Is that how we are supposed to feel…?

On one side she would have any place in his life he would let her and would respect his choices, one another side she wished for so much more, for Everything! And there was also a big part who couldn't stand the very idea of him not finding happiness even if it was not with her, that would even be happy. It was like trying to fit pieces from different and opposite puzzles together. It didn't make any sense.

How can you feel so much?

How can you feel so much conflicting things at the same bloody time?!

She groaned, feeling a headache coming and shook herself of her disturbing thoughts.

She should have gone to him sooner, immediately after the results came but she was scared and too ashamed. She had debated whether to do it all week, not managing to make her mind but also worried about what could happen if she didn't.

And then rumours had come whispering to her ear and setting her mind.

She was dragging it though, walking very slowly, little step after little ones to prepare herself to what she would have to do.

And that's how she found herself around the acting department of LME when she should be two stairs higher.

Kyoko breathed a bit more, grasping for her courage to come back to her.

She had to do it. It was criminal to not to.

I cannot say nothing…

She inhaled again and turned her head, trying to clear it.

That's how her gaze fell on the dashboard of the department full of notes, advertisements and all; she froze.

Kyoko studied it for a while with intense concentration, thinking at full speed about every repercussion it could have. Thinking if she felt confident enough, if it was possible for her…

She certainly wanted to. No, that was wrong, it was not a question of wanting. It was a question needing it. It might solve a lot.

It might just me what I need…

If I can do it…

She ripped the pamphlet off the board and resumed her steps with new determination.

When she reached the door later though, her hands were back to shaking and she pushed it open with much an effort as she entered the office.

…

"I promise I will do all it's in my power, Mogami-kun" told her Lory at the end of their discussion. She could see he was paler than usual and without his upbeat energy. He had already made the calls and his hands had shaken all along. She couldn't blame him. Though sugar-coated for his ears, she had still retold a horrendous tale to him.

He bowed low to her suddenly and Kyoko jumped a bit when she heard his constricted voice.

"I'm sorry, Mogami-kun. As your boss I should have help prevent such a monstrous event"

She stood quickly.

"President, please. You don't need to bow to me. Please, stand up shachou-san" urged Kyoko, appalled he would go to such an extend for something he couldn't have control of.

"You told me who you suspected to be behind this, right?"

"Y-Yes"

"Mogami-kun. It was clearly linked to your work and some people you worked with and as such everything happening under that area is from my responsibility as I'm supposed to protect my talents, Mogami-kun so it's only right I apologize for not being able to do so" Her boss said as he rubbed his hands on his face.

She sighed. There was no way around this. The man was set on it.

"It wasn't but I won't be able to convince you otherwise so let's just switch topic" she said, accepting his nonsense about responsibility. She knew too well to attempt debating with the president. "Thank you, president. I would have only make matters worse if I was the one handling it. Going to the police by myself or talking would have result as discretisation of my words. So thank you for accepting my demand as I can't be the one to do it" she gratefully said bending at the waist.

When she lifted back her higher half her boss was looking at her with a genuine but very sad smile.

"Don't thank me for that. It's the mere I can do"

She nodded and hid her expression. He had absolutely no idea how grateful she felt at the moment. It wasn't nothing. She couldn't have done it by her own means. The rumours about it happening to some other starlet had her quaking from her very core. They would have gone about freely for who knows how long without president's help. She wouldn't have been able to do anything about it, no matter her complaints. New tears rolled on her face.

Tears of relief for the future people that wouldn't suffer the same fate but also as the water poured out from her eyes, bitterness finally left her heart with them. She couldn't redo things. It was how it was. But it was okay. Or it will be. Because they wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. She trusted the president on that.

Yes, it will be.

Kyoko dried her eyes and rose her eyes to meet her president's ones, determination back again and even fiercer than before.

She placed the pamphlet on his desk and pushed it to him slowly and her voice didn't quake when she asked the question that would set her future.

"Can I sign up to this?"

The president looked down at it a bit confused at first before the first sneaky smile since she entered made its way to his clever face.

"I was actually going to propose it to you soon. I thought you might be able to handle it" declared her boss as he composed himself a bit.

"Really?" her eyes brightened at the prospect. If the president thought she could do it… Well, she thought she might have a chance anyway but having his approbation was good time to time.

The president nodded.

"But, are you aware that the period of time written is the minimum it will keep you there? If you make it, it can be far much more" her boss stated with a steady but confirming gaze.

"I realized" she said. "But I think I can do it. And more importantly I think I might need this"

The president nodded sternly at this.

"I think I agree. You need this. In every way possible" he said and his face turned sad again but he swiftly pulled out papers from his dressers and gave them to her to sign.

"There are also lists of the bare minimum you will need" he told her and he pulled another paper with the date of departure.

"It's going to begin soon. Three weeks at best. You will need to leave in two"

"I'm prepared to that" stated Kyoko.

"Then, we might just have to discuss how things will be arrange and the contact with us" explained Lory. "We'll see each other in a week for that"

She agreed and stood with the multiples papers in her hands. The one requiring her signature already in Lory's. She bowed and thanked him again and turned to leave.

"Mogami-kun, he stopped her, just so you know, I'm deeply sorry for what happened and if I wasn't afraid to make you queasy and that my approach might be ill-perceived I would give you a damn hug" declared the president gruffly and the voice once more clamped.

A half smile lifted the corner of her mouth and tears coming again, she fixed the president, moved but unable to express it and not wanting to even she had been able.

"The sentiment is very appreciated, boss"

After a last whispered thank you she left.

PS:

First of all, I'm very sorry for the long delay. I didn't forget this story but first I was ill and as state in my other story, I was in Christmas mood in December. This chapter wasn't that easy and I also struggled a lot with it. I wanted something very specific but I was afraid to go back in dark mode with Lory and Kyoko talk so…

Second, I know some people hoped to see me butcher the guys who did this to her and Kimiko and Cedric but with the way I approached the story, I can punish them as easily as you wished for. Don't worry though, as you can see the jerks will be quite quickly. But you will have to wait for Kimiko and Cedric. ( Also should I precise that it's precisely because Cedric was already in troubles because of Kyoko, he decided to get revenge on her, it wasn't the other way around, technically I just have to finish him to you all upmost joy)

Finally as stated above, I was in Christmas mood so naturally I wrote a Christmas skip beat story. If you are eve interested, feel free to check it out. It's called Let's make a wish. It's 12 chapters and it's finished already( I miss my main coon Ren cat…sniff..) So yeah, you can guess it, this story is about Ren making a wish that brought big consequences and shift him …into a cat and to Kyoko side XD. It's hilarious and very fluff.

Next chapter will be the last one of the first part of this story.

Kisses.

Author out.