CHAPTER 38

I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.

Let's open the curtains

Ren ended the call, frustrated. Once again he had come across his mailbox. It had already been two weeks since she came back, but it was almost like when she was still abroad. She had been busy with an art shoot mixing fashion and art first then other things. He wanted to talk to her, to see her, but he didn't quite know how to behave. Ren wanted nothing more than to allow her to see what had become of her. But it looked like she didn't want him on her side. At least, that was the impression he had after the past two weeks of trying to see her without success. If he wasn't persuaded she had no reason he would think she was avoiding him again. But now, she was back. He had agreed to keep his distances while she was away but it was over. So he had no reason to not to call her, talk to her or see her.

And whatever the reason, this time, he wouldn't accept it. He wouldn't.

He was determined to get closer to her. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed her in his life. Whatever the way but she had to be present. He wouldn't let her keep her distance if that was what she was doing and if he had to alleviate his schedule to be able to see her, he would. So be it.

Today, things will change. Today, he knew where she was. Thanks to the president.

Grabbing his keys he left his flat with a breath inside of him. He was going to her. He still didn't know how he would act. How to behave after all these years. After how much she changed. He was more nervous than in the past. It didn't matter. He was going to her.

He was driving his car and closing on the centre of Tokyo when stuck in traffic jam his eyes noticed the giant screen on one of the surrounding buildings and could not detach themselves from it. Semi-transparent drapes twirled in a rainbow of colors on a black background and five silhouettes hidden in white capes appeared. A catchy music with drumming guitar and a subdued voice began and Ren lowered his window to hear it better. Footsteps echoed across the screen and a tall masked figure elegantly advanced. Wearing a hat and a black cape like a magician concealing her face and appearance, she swirled on her bare feet to the rhythm of the accelerating music and the cape curled at her feet revealing a high fashion outfit of the final season of international F-Rmandy for women.

A black blouse tunic tied on a shoulder descending lower on one side made of a wispy fabric and perfectly cut white slacks flaring at the ankles covered her and she took the pose for a second. She tapped his heel on the floor and Ren thought he saw the shape of a tattoo on the inside of the ankle.

Other models made their appearance

Other models made their appearance and promoted different outfits. Still masked by her hat, the central figure bent and hidden in shadows she threw her hat in the air, her teasing smile slightly lightened at the end. The image changed. Same people but only dressed in sheets the colour of the outfits they wore previously. Only the central person, tall compared to the others, had still kept her hat, the only model with the face never seen clearly from the start.

Paint was thrown into the screen on each of the models colouring their sheets and their laughing faces with coloured splashes. They disappeared again and the light returned, slowly lighting up dozens of tables where the models were frozen inside the frames. They were dressed in other pieces of new collection but all represented a character and a different story depicted in each painting.

One was wearing a funny hat.

The feminine figure detached herself from the frame and brushed the splashed coloured ground with her bare feet. She was very graceful and seemed to be floating and Ren surprised himself by admiring her sensual figure. The others followed after her and got out of the paintings to disappear into black and reappear again.

All once again sported a new garment and this time everyone had a hat.

Captivated, Ren saw them step by step, some retreating blindly and others advancing until they formed a circle in simple and light movements.

The silhouette at the front clothed in a turquoise dress curled up at the legs and with several cuts letting skin be shown while it tightened at the neck was the one of the beginning and when each of the models took a different pose with their different hats as the light illuminated them and left for the next; she turned to face the screen and put her own black hat on her face when the light came and lowered it just enough for everyone to see her eyes and winked.

Ren puffed air out in a gasp as he gazed into golden and realized instantly who it was. The music ended, the screen faded the models away into black and inscriptions appeared to give the dates of the expositions and where and when to find the new collection.

Horns brought him back to reality as he had been staring at his steering wheel for several minutes. Transfixed. He didn't have the words to express how he felt beside the hammering of his heart, the tension in his members, the weird sensation he had to hasten and the certitude of danger.

He brought back his car to live and soon parked in the parking lot of LME.

When he reached the large room now devoted to this section of the agency in particular, Matsushima-san was in the process of introducing Kyoko to a flock of grumpy shiny pink jumpsuits in which people were.

Under the embarrassed gaze of Kyoko, Matsushima explained to them that she was originally the first member of this section, the person for whom this branch had been created before she left it 5 years earlier when the president had judged good that she graduated from it.

Ren observed the scene, amused. He sometimes forgot how much the love me section had progressed those last years. There were like twenty people in it now. Even if the three original ones weren't part of it anymore. There were young men in it too now. But not only teenagers or young adults but also kids barely entering teenage age.

Unsurprisingly from this section, most looked at Kyoko with hostility except some where Ren could see a hint of curiosity in their eyes.

He looked back at Kyoko, delighted to finally see her after the brief meeting they had had. She was wearing a thick white turtleneck sweater that didn't seem to be enough given the chills he saw and pants that enhanced her long legs. It shaped her like a second skin and highlighted toned well-trained muscles.

Ren turned the face away, blushing as he realized what he was doing.

He still had a hard time getting used to the new look she had gotten. He liked it. Tremendously even but it disturbed him more than he wanted to admit. It was as if all the rules he thought he knew about her had changed.

She was no more a teenager. She didn't look the same. She didn't act the same. What were the codes of this new Kyoko? He didn't know.

He craved to discover it though.

And then, it was highly distracting. He had tried to remain as impassive as before but because it was Kyoko who had this appearance, he could not help but to drift.

Matsushima explained to them that they would be under the survival of Kyoko from time to time history that they benefit from the experience of Kyoko as a member of the Love me section and his time spent abroad as actress and model.

He saw Kyoko breathing air out in a sigh and wondered why she felt so uncomfortable. She was the perfect person for this task.

Matsushima left her and nodded at Ren who had hidden to not be noticed while she was greeting the others.

…

Kyoko sighed and introduced herself. She had tried to avoid this but had not found any real argument against it. And the president insisted. He had instructed her to talk to the new recruits in the Love Me section about what she had experienced and even if she wanted to do certain activities together or give them missions. She was impatient to get to know them but did not feel comfortable because she thought she was extremely ill-placed to be one of those who gave advice.

She smiled at them and told them she would try to arrange a schedule for their first session that would arrange everyone and that she would find a way to make time in her own schedule as well.

These last two weeks had been hectic. She had participated in the shooting featuring certain artists in collaboration with the brand F-Rmandy and had spent the rest of her time settling in her new apartment with Snow. Ah, and to avoid as much as possible the chances of meeting him.

Seeing him again had shaken her far more than she had imagined and brought back her feelings at the front of her mind with a strength she couldn't fathom to ever be possible. She wanted nothing more to spend time with him but she had made a promise to herself and furthermore she needed to be sure to always reign on her feelings so that it wouldn't be any risk of leak to the surface.

And he did not help at all with all his proposals to see each other when she would have time and his many calls.

But her resistance was weakening.

Yes, she was starting to think of valid excuses to see him. Even if it was only in passing. And she didn't know how many times she would still be able to find excuses to not take his calls.

She was about to tell the twenty people in pink jumpsuits, failing in knowing their names at the moment, that they could go when a low voice rose from the side of the entrance and she turned pale.

"So like that, you have time to arrange your schedules to speak with the Love me section but not for me?" called Ren from his place with a sparkling smile.

She turned to him with a tight grimace.

The people sitting at the sill windows or gathered by little groups in corner whispered a bit but mostly ignored him when he said hello to them.

He shifted back his attention on Kyoko.

"Hi" he greeted her, actually not able to stay angry when he was finally able to see her from closer.

"Hi" she greeted back faking nonchalance and wondering what he wanted and why he was not working. "What are you doing here?" Kyoko asked.

"Coming to see you" He answered in all sincerity," Since you were too busy to talk with me" he finished.

Kyoko pinched her lips, wondering if he had guessed she was avoiding him or if he was talking innocently but feeling guilty all the same.

The Love Me recruits started to go out but before Kyoko could take advantage of it to go away, Ren led her into another subject.

"I saw the advertisement for the collaboration, he begun.

"Oh made Kyoko not really knowing how to react. It was so awkward.

"It's really well choreographed, I could see the artistic touch in it. It was really a beautiful ad to watch" complimented Ren and Kyoko thanked him numbly. She was searching for an escape route and trying to keep her distance but again he wouldn't make it easy for her.

"I won't let you escape me this time", he warned her having apparently guessed her thoughts.

She opened her mouth to retort but he cut her.

"Don't pretend you have something to do right now, I know it's not true" he affirmed and Kyoko closed her mouth. Yashiro might have had a look on her schedule since she was back and had absolutely refuse a manager for now, knowing the boss plans.

"You don't have work?" She questioned, quitting the fight and accepting defeat for this once.

He shook his head.

"Can we grab a coffee and have lunch together?" Ren immediately asked, feeling she wasn't trying to flee anymore.

She nodded and smiled weakly vanquished. He grinned wildly.

"Great" Ren said, barely containing cheers. "If you're okay with it I would like to catch up" he proposed and she agreed, knowing she would regret it but not having the force to refuse once more.

PS: So I hope you will like this once because I put special care into it. That artist ad collad had been in my head for years so I'm really happy to finally make it so it would meet the light of day and not stay in the darkness of my mind. I was writing this and imagining this with catchy pumped up songs so I was really fired up on this scene.

Ah, the evolved love me section is another idea of me I had had for a long time.

Juicy parts are coming and I hope you will adore it. Kekeke

Remember, I love to tease. I'm the ultimate tease. Be warned.

Give me reviews, it fire me up and give you more chapters. Feed me as usual.

Kisses.

Author out.