CHAPTER 54

I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.

The Christmas ball

Part 7

Cozying around -part 1-

First: I need to apologize for the long delay. Got some more problems with my health because why not. Don't you worry even when a long time passed, it doesn't mean I gave up on this. It's not something I will do.( and even in the worse cases I hope won't happen, I wouldn't let readers wondering and would warn them or something)

Anyway, it's not in my plans to so no need to worry about this so far.

I'm not giving any promise on returning to a steady rhythm because I just don't know what can happen and what is possible or not.

I hope you will all like this chapter.

They chatted together all the while the break lasted and Kyoko saw Ruto-san taking a sleeping Maria-chan in his arms but just before exiting the room where they all gathered, she woke up and though Kyoko could tell she was tired she apparently decided to stay. It was a bit late but it wasn't every day her birthday so she could understand she wanted to stay.

She also noticed the stares. Everyone was looking at Ren oddly. Like they were suspicious. And they wouldn't let their gazes go anywhere but on him and were gossiping a lot. Like they just found out the juiciest thing in the world though Kyoko couldn't hear what they were saying.

She looked down on her, wondering if she had done something wrong or anything was out of place. She patted her head but no she had put back the wig and her hat before coming back.

It took a small group coming closer for her to be able to get what was going on and she paled.

Damn. How stupid. She had forgotten all about that.

She spun toward Ren, already taking a step back.

"I'll go to the other side for now"

He frowned and she shot her chin in the direction of the gossipers.

He eyed the crowd and breached his lips obviously ready to protest if his displeased expression was anything to go by but she was already retreating somewhere else and too quickly people hided her from him until he lost sight of her figure.

Lory came back with Ruto and some assistants soon after that and he started to announce the different people found out at the very beginning of the night.

Once he was done with all of the fifteen losing ones and after reminding them they would all have a round of the Wheel of Traps later, he switched to the five winners of the night.

Ren was surprised he hadn't been in the first people discovered. Everyone knew it was him under his mask. Hiding his height was not something manageable no matter what he did, he had even took a few centimetres these last years for goddamn's sake. Plus, most people knew he would participate. The only way that had ever worked to hide him in plain sight was making him scary and it hadn't been an option this time. So it was really a wonder he hadn't been part of the fifteen losing people. Hell, he should have been the first one.

Not that he had really cared but it was funny.

He went back to his search, vaguely hearing Kaï was third place and happy for him as he continued to earnestly let his eyes wander in hope to catch her. He didn't care what people would say. He just wanted some more time with her. He was done playing safe for the sake of his image or whatever. He was in no position to share his intentions and feelings to her but he wouldn't take more bullshit about distance, image and such. Whatever he could grab, he would take.

He was allowed to have a life. The walls he was confronted to in the inability to be more was bad enough. If he couldn't even be friend with her as he wished to because of people gossiping, he would be at his demise.

No way would he accept it. Gossip could rot in hell.

Yet his eyes couldn't find her. Where did she hide?

He was about to break through the crowd when a new uproar arose in the form of countless whispers before Lory gladly asked again to Ren Tsuruga to unveil himself.

He looked back toward the direction of his boss 'voice and found him snickering wildly as he spoke again.

"I'm sure you are all shocked to learn our dear Ren won second place this evening," Lory said. "I was quite amused and shocked myself when I read his name," he shared. "But you see, that's the beauty of it," he told them, "Everyone knew it was Ren but apparently it was so obvious that barely anyone took the time to write his name."

"So now Ren, could you come here and unveil yourself before we drop dead of waiting," asked Lory as he pointed at the ground of the stage.

Ren made his way to him under the chuckles of several people and he even saw Maria-chan, not far from her grandfather quietly laughing.

He walked up to Lory level and slightly bowed to the crowd before removing his casket and mask.

Lory made a grant gesture with his arm pointing at Ren.

"Meet the man that gathered only 5 signatures despite everyone knowing it was him. Isn't it impressive?"

A fair share of the guests snorted again. And though you could tell some people were bitter or displeased by it, most didn't seem to mind. It was fair game after all. They could have given his name but didn't.

Finally Ren saw her, leaning against some wall far behind all the other guests, she was laughing, eyes seeming to shine even at this distance.

Ren thanked the president and bowed before accepting the two envelopes he was presented with. One he was instructed to open later for the second part of the night and the other containing the coupon for two Spa days and the 15 days Leave order (that was how Ren considered it). He guessed the other one should contain the Wheels ordeal thing.

He stepped off stage after one last bow and Lory whispering to him that since he won that leave, he would be hell-bent on making him take it.

Taking advantage of the momentum and dynamism Ren passage had left, Lory took back his mike with a new glee rising.

"Now everyone, it's time to announce the winner of our game," the president said with much emphasis and Ren back at one corner of the room, smiled.

"I'm sure you are all very curious to know who achieved in not being unmasked all night" said the president as he saw people shifting in curiosity. "We will meet our mysterious guest soon. I already sent Ruto fetch that person so just wait a few more instants"

From afar Ren distinctly saw the moment Ruto reached her and her gaping mouth at what it involved. He saw her lifting her hand, no doubt to brush her hair again and dropping it at last second, looking completely embarrassed. Still she succeeded in pulling herself back together.

The excitation had climbed in highs as people were starting to get impatient but they managed to stay put until they saw Ruto-san coming back in his erased silent step accompanied by some mysterious man that still provoked several gasps when some people recognized him to be Ren's partner for most evening.

The man smoothly climbed on the dais with his fluid masculine gait and pushing a leg backward, he elegantly bowed to everyone in his perfect standing.

"Mister", started the Lory with a glimmering light in the pupil, "Would you be so kind to remove your disguise for all of us and unveil who you are?"

The figure gathered on itself and soundly nodded. The gait subtly changed. More supple, more fluid. The hat was dropped. One hand seemed to pull at the messy hair while in fact it was swiftly pushing it out of the way and off the head provoking an horrified gasp in the crowd.

Until locks began to fall and fall and fall, to no end. To spectators eyes it appeared like that. The golden hue and far lighter mane than what Japanese were used to, standing out.

Then gasps shifted to surprise and wonder.

The silhouette grimaced grasping the sudden attention and uproar she was creating and clearly perceiving the snickering of her incessant plotting president. She deeply regretted having to be on stage and being the winner of this damn game. She didn't care once a bit about winning it and could only the troubles it would get her. Just seeing her boss' smile could only mean there was more doom to come for her.

Two fingers silently captured the mask in their grasp and slowly removed from around the mysterious eyes gleaming behind it.

She smiled naturally; a bit constricted internally and inclined in old fashion way, bowing as the man she had been all night.

Speechlessness followed for an heavy second before clapping erupted accompanied with diverse chuckles here and there as people found clear amusement at having been so utterly fooled. Comments and excited questions fused soon after but there were also some derogatory remarks coming from some people a little more than displeased. There were sparse but loud.

"That's another level of cheating"

"Did you see how she was clinging herself to Tsuruga-san?"

"So it was rigged from the start"

And some.

Kyoko didn't comment. Unless she wasn't aware of something she didn't think the president would have pipped the game. He was most certainly responsible of the number of dances she had with Ren, that she didn't have any doubt on but cheating was not his type. She was ready to step off stage, the faster the better but a loud whistle interrupted it all and everyone turned their attention to a cheering Momose-san.

"I can't believe you managed to trick us to that level, Kyoko-san" she loudly said as she made her way to the front. "Can you even guess?" she said in a more normal voice's volume as she reached the edge of the stage between people though as no one was talking anymore, it didn't really matter as everyone could still hear her.

Her question was directed at Kyoko though and she arched her brow in direction of Momose in interrogation with an added thankful smile. She was glad for the interruption and was pretty sure her former colleague did it on purpose.

"You fooled me so much, you succeed in persuading me so completely I was in front of a man I was attract by you for a minute out there when we were dancing" Momose said, pointing her hip out with an hand on it, her expression a perfect mix a shock, amusement and false outrage plastered on her face.

Kyoko pinched her lips and failed to contain a smile. She then deeply bowed in front of Momose-san and apologized.

"My sincere apologies for the misleading, Momose-san"

"Deception you mean" corrected her Momose, "I'm a little disappointed you know, I was planning to hit on you later" she said with what seemed to be sincerity and a frown and Kyoko could only blink.

Seriously?

Several laughs rang and she deduced her expression must have been interesting enough because Momose soon giggled too before waving in the air with her hand.

"Don't worry, you stopped being on my target list the second I knew you were a woman" she told her and Kyoko couldn't help herself, she guffawed.

Soon, all the guests were laughing and the side comment of Momose about the competition being far too great for her anyway got lost in the loudness sprouting around.

Questions fired back once more, Momose, Kijima, Koga, everyone wanting to know how she did it. Especially the ones who had danced with her and had been fooled so royally.

She replied succinctly but honestly. Making brand new clothes look of period was the hardest when the materials were obviously not the same or as polished. She sewed some parts. Did some researches for others.

Then the president, who had kept silence until now, resumed his speech forcing the calm to return congratulating her once more for her ingenious disguise and to her appal presenting her to the crowd once more for a renewal of applause.

The president approached her and handed respectively a big thick card stating the number of rounds of The-Wheel-of-Gifts and the two ones for The-Wheel-of-Traps and two other envelopes. One containing the names, numbers and meeting already of directors and promotors and the other the week trip.

She thanked him in a daze, not really believing she had won, the situation just wasn't sinking in. It didn't make sense and she wasn't event there for it. Thus her mind refused to compute.

With full grandiloquence the president announced the first part of the night was now terminated and invited people to direct themselves to the changing room to pass on something more comfortable before the second part of the evening would begin.

…

Kyoko was in the middle of changing after much teasing on the choice of dressing room's door she would choose when Momose-san's voice exploded just beside her. The place was a big unique room with lockers hung on the sides of the walls and benches. Modern but simple. But there were still a few enclosures provided by separation walls for showers but also for the people needing intimacy even through the same gender. She was thankful for it.

Not that her body was especially shameful or anything but she had some tattoos and she knew it wasn't always accepted amongst her Japanese peers. It's not she didn't want people to know she had them but she would rather avoid the remarks exposure would inevitably have triggered.

Yet, with the number of women needing to change, they had to share every compartment with a few women while they changed but it was significantly less than otherwise and she was confident she could handle just a few comments without getting an headache. Plus there was Momose-san with her.

So, it's practically without a care she had started to undress.

Until Momose-san outburst.

"What the hell is that?!" she had said staring at her and Kyoko at instinctively rose her hand to hid the tattoo on the naked skin at the front peaking from below the bandage caging her breast.

But she quickly noted the tattoo had been totally overlooked and Momose was looking higher, at the precise point where were situated her constricted breasts. She pulled her arms in front of her trying to dissimulate her sight to Momose.

Before realizing she was being utterly ridiculous and that she had to be much more exposed in the past to fret over something like.

She turned around, determined to ignore the staring and change herself. But it didn't deter Momose-san.

"Did you really wear this all night?" she interrogated and Kyoko shifted her toward her to look at the genuine puzzled but also horrified look of Momose-san.

Kyoko turned back completely to her perplexed but seeing she had totally misjudged her intentions.

"Yes, it was needed for the character and dissimulate my gender"

"Doesn't it hurt really bad?" asked Momose, pulling her own arms around her still in costume chest like she could protect her breasts of an invisible force.

"Well-Kyoko started, "It's far from being comfortable, it constricts a lot as you can bet but painful I don't know".

"It's more tight than painful but I paid a lot of attention on how I would roll the different layers around so it wouldn't pleat and pain me" she explained trying to reassure Momose-san.

The horror shifted to curiosity in the other woman's eyes and she fired questions at one mile a minute like she was on a mission to get more information.

Once her companion was satiated, finally she was able to go back to change herself and Momose gracefully proposed her help to unbind her breasts which she accepted because yes, she might have overdone it, it was starting to hurt a bit.

She unfasted the pin for her and Kyoko rolled-off the bands with a deep sensation of relief.

She sighed blissfully. She was glad it was finished, she had to admit.

She had thought Momose went back to change too but the whistle that followed disabused her.

She turned again. Reluctantly. And arched a brow at Momose.

Who was eyeing her up with much admiration though it went completely over the head of the principal concerned.

"I must say the years that passed really did you good" she praised and Kyoko decided here and there she was just going to change and ignore all that, she didn't know Momose could be this exuberant. Even if she shouldn't be the one to talk.

But Momose moved to stand in front of her.

"And look at this, you have fucking tattoos! That's so cool" she exclaimed already reaching to brush the one just under Kyoko's left breast.

She cleared her throat and nodded, glad Momose-san was so open-minded but feeling awkward at the proximity.

"Is it a lotus flower?" she kept on and Kyoko answered by the affirmative again while continuing to undress and pulling out her spares clothes but then changing mind. She went to her provisory locker and pulled out the red smooth turtle neck with a soft smile. It would as comfortable or even more than what she planned and she really wanted to put it on.

Plus it was fitting the Christmas' mood.

She passed it on swiftly, enjoying the soft yet warm texture and pulled over her new pendant, fuzziness blooming inside of her as she realized most of what she was wearing was from Ren. And for a second, the reality shifted a bit and she got an instant sensation of being together, with him. And then, the sensation disappeared. As it was all it was.

A fleeting impression.

A new rush of sadness threatened to overcome her with unfilled desires and repressed feelings coming back but she threw it all away. It was neither the time nor the place.

The thin dark pants she took with her matched perfectly with her new top dress pull and she was soon ready when Momose-san addressed her again complimenting her attire and asking where she had got it. To which Kyoko simply replied it was a gift, not précising further as she didn't want to answer to the questions and speculations that could follow if she knew it was from Ren.

Kyoko acknowledge with certainty what this gift was and wasn't. And if she knew it came from his heart, she also knew to not see it as something more. But others might not consider it that way. And stating that they were friends might not suffice to deter the ideas of some if they learned Tsuruga Ren bought her clothes.

An very old discussion from the past suddenly came back to her as she was slipping on the slippers arranged for every guest for the second part of the night and she had to contain a chuckle.

She remembered the big thing he had made of Kijima renting a dress for her at the occasion of the Dark Moon party years ago, how he had reprimanded her and warned her of what it could mean in all elegant and gallant speaking words for her prude innocent mind. Very well-formed compared to what Sho had served her.

She shook her head, the fuzziness back. She now knew he had just been trying to protect her from Kijima's attentions at the time. Though it was still a mystery how Kijima had been able to be interested in her at the time. She had been merely a child.

And a very plain one at that. In fact, even now she wouldn't consider herself like good potential partner. Yes, child she was no more. Yes, she was a woman. But she wasn't the most curvy one men affectionate. Neither the most feminine one. As, with time passing she had developed quite the interest in simple subtler things.

Not that she didn't like make-up anymore. Or that she didn't take care of herself. She did. A lot even. But her focus had shifted to more low-key or discreet things. She still worshipped make-up for the magic it provided into changing her into someone else but she didn't want to put too much when she was only her. She already had much difficulty being recognized as people never saw the actress behind the character which made her quite good at her jobs but also made it harder to become known. Thus she wanted to feel like herself and people to recognize her as her when she wasn't acting. Which means just enough make-up to enhance her features.

It frustrated her inner desires for cosmetics' magic regularly but at least she didn't feel like a foreign doll or stranger in her own skin.

She also came to love to feel comfortable all the time. So she made it her mission to be as elegant as her job required her to be while being always comfy.

And as she adapted herself to her limits and her tastes and knowledge of who she was grew, it became pretty clear she wouldn't fit the fancy boxes.

The more glitz there was the less it appealed to her. She could appreciate vibrancy of colours and textures but bright blinky-glitter didn't bode well. And it was a damn disadvantage for the job she was doing!

Her characters could shine and pass on the sparking attires when acting but if she needed to promote herself in her full solitary unpretentious self, she could only count on her professionalism and her stubbornness. She thought she could also estimate she had gain some frugal natural charm.

But most of the time, she was pretty sure, that compared to lustrous, voluptuous and shimmering creatures wandering entertainment world, it wasn't enough.

So if Kyoko thought objectively about it and considered she had just a tiny bit of natural charm and could look cute if trying, she didn't get at all how mature men could look at her out of anything more than friendship or politeness.

She kind of accepted that men out of entertainment industry could as there was the appeal of celebrity, of otherworldly that made them look through pink glasses.

And if not look over too closely and only in desire of unserious things men of the show-business might be also interested, she guess.

But in all fair-game and seriousness. When it wasn't for a quick fuck if she had to be crude?

Certainly not the ones living precisely in the glimmer world.

Certainly not the one she most wanted it to.

She wiggled off of the drifting thoughts she had fallen in shaking her hand in the air like it had appeared in front of her and she could erase them with her hand.

She looked around and gathered her stuff noticing Momose-san had vacated the place and left while she was lost in thoughts.

Pulling out her phone she understood why and hurried out to where all the guests were.

…

When she walked through in the room looked drastically different. In fact, the only thing still resembling a ballroom was the shiny-glassy floor.

Thick colourful plushy covers had been hung out while they had vacated the room and now decorated most walls and corners of the big place. There were deep red or pine forest green and could have passed as plaids from where she stood.

The buffet with cocktails, aperitifs and other drinks had been replaced by cute little curvy tables with hot beverages like teas and coffees and to her delight, hot cocoa.

But the most impressive thing were the countless huge flat cushions and pillows set around by band of two, three or five on the floor. In the middle of the room, a dozen of them situated like a moon arc, against most of the walls, in every corner possible; they were everywhere. Those gigantic stuffed or bin pillows throned, ready to receive the mighty backside of numerous guests when some weren't already seated on them in full comfort with a ceramic cup of the hot beverages proposed in their hands. There were also some big armchairs here and there but there weren't that many of them.

Most of the people back from changing were chatting mildly, slowly settling themselves while the president finished whatever plan he came in with for the second part of the night.

She warily eyed the big wheels placed slightly exenterated from the rest but so enormous than anyone will be able to identify whatever would happen with it from whenever the person would be in the ballroom and did the same as the others.

Seeing everyone settling and sitting as the room filled itself again, she renounced to her chocolate and made her way to the right side of the room finding some large and free green cushions that she could sit on.

All the time it lasted and even after she was seated, she eyed the guests for a certain someone before quickly concluding he wasn't back yet.

Kyoko decided to just relax herself for now and closed her eyes. A sweet subdued music was playing in the background and the light had been waned quite a bit more to fit the cosier intimate setting and it was infinitely pleasant after all the shimmering agitation of the evening. People were quieter, maybe feeling the first signs of tiredness for some, and the atmosphere was very serene. Thing she was greatly thankful for.

She enjoyed it while it last though even through closed lids she could still feel the room filling in and the casters of the big wheels gliding against the floor as it was moved to which she supposed was the centre of the place.

PS: So, hello to everyone. I know it had been some time since I last updated. As said above, well, my misery health is hard to beat. I hope you like this one, obviously this part is not finished.

I wish well to everyone and hope you are all well, in good health.

Kisses from me and my cats.

AUTHOR OUT.

Mimagfan.