Chapter 4: Best Friends are the Best!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kanae would help Kyoko work through her muddled feelings.
Kyoko entered the empty LoveMe room, she was the first to arrive. She locked the door and approached her locker and changed into her cursed hot pink uniform. When she was done she unlocked the door and sat down at the table to complete her duties for the morning.
The girls were assigned the remedial job of folding the LME newsletter that needed to go out to all the staff. Rather than thinking about unnecessary things, she immersed herself in the task. She was so focused on her work that she didn't realize Kanae had entered the room.
Thwack! Kyoko screamed from being hit on the back. "Mo! I've been calling you for five minutes," Kanae said exasperatedly. "What has you in a daze this time?"
Kyoko was still a bit jumpy after the event with Kimiko. Even though it seemed as if things were settled, she was still nervous with the way things ended. She hoped Kimiko would move on and leave her be.
It took Kyoko a millisecond to realize that she was now in the presence of her best friend. She jumped up and lunged for Kanae to give her favorite person a hug. Kanae easily sidestepped the attack with a flick of her long black hair sending Kyoko crashing to the floor. Kyoko sat up pouting and rubbed at the sore spots on her body that just hit the floor. "That was too harsh Moko," Kyoko grumbled.
Feeling only slightly remorseful, Kanae reached extended her hand and helped Kyoko off the floor. Kyoko smiled and took the opportunity to give her favorite person a hug. Kanae stood there with her arms at her side not showing any affection. "Mo, get off me already," Kanae said shrugging Kyoko off of her.
Kyoko eyes watered and said, "sorry Moko-san, I'm just so happy to see you. We haven't talked since the auditions ended."
"Mo! Stop that. I told you I'd talk to you when I had a better understanding of what the Producer wanted. It has been barely two days," Kanae replied, "and before you ask, like I told you over the phone, I'm still waiting for answers too. It did seem the Producer wants me to be the lead of another project he's working on."
Kyoko's face lit up as she praised her best friend. She stated that any role Kanae played would be amazing. Kyoko's high was short lived when she recalled that they would not be doing Sacred Lotus together. She felt like her portrayal of Momiji had not jived with Kanae's act as Chidori and ruined her best friend's chances for the part. The only reason Kyoko considered auditioning in the first place was to get the chance to work with Kanae again. It was sad that she would have to continue alone.
Kanae noticed her friend's mood change. She knew Kyoko was probably blaming herself for ruining Kanae's chances at landing the part of Chidori. "Mo! I know what you're thinking so enough. You did nothing wrong! It just means I have to work harder with you as my rival is all. Now get over here, these papers aren't going to fold themselves," Kanae scolded pointing to the stack they had to finish.
Kyoko happily took her seat next to her friend and without an exchange of words began a paper assembly line. She automatically assumed the task of folding the papers while Kanae stuffed and sealed them into envelopes. As the minutes ticked by, Kyoko sighed deeply several times. She didn't notice that every time she sighed, Kanae's eyebrow twitched in irritation. Kyoko's grudges instantly picked up on Kanae's anger. They stirred restlessly circling the pair of girls while they worked.
"Mo, what is it now?! If you don't tell me right now, this friendship is over!" Kanae exclaimed turning her back on Kyoko.
"Noooooooo! Moko-san, please don't say you'll sever ties with me. You're my most cherished friend. I'll tell you, I promise, just don't hate me afterwards," Kyoko said through teary eyes. Kanae turned to face Kyoko, her expression cold, waiting to hear her explanation.
Kyoko took a deep breath and released it. In a solemn voice she said, "I think I don't have long to live." Kanae gasped in shock at her friend's confession. She was not expecting to hear that from her friend.
"Mo! What's wrong with you? Have you seen a doctor?" Kanae asked unable to mask her feelings of concern. Kyoko admitted to her that she had not had a check-up and that it was just a feeling.
Kanae scowled at her friend. She should have known better than to worry over Kyoko. The girl tended to be overly dramatic most of the time. Kanae decided that she might as well ask or Kyoko would drive her nuts if she continued to mope, "Mo, why do you think you're dying?"
Kyoko paused for a minute to think about her physical condition. She told Kanae about the flashes of aches she had been experiencing in her chest. She had experienced similar aches before whenever Sho hurt her but she never felt such unbearable pain to this degree. Kanae pondered her answer then asked, "How long has this been going on?"
Kyoko confirmed that it had occurred sporadically in the last few months but recently it had increased in frequency to several times a day.
Kanae had an idea of what could be ailing her friend but she needed more details. She wondered if Fuwa was harassing her again. "When did it start to increase? The exact day?" she asked pointedly. Kyoko squirmed under her scrutiny but Kanae refused to give her any reprieve. Kyoko broke down and told her that it was ever since the day of the Momiji audition.
Kanae narrowed her eyes thinking about the auditions, her brows furrowed with anger. Kyoko's grudges giggled and fed off the menacing aura radiating off Kanae. She recalled how Kyoko had been so distracted that she missed Producer Kuresaki's instructions during the second stage of the audition. If Kanae had not intervened, Kyoko would have been cut for sure. There was only one thing that caused heartache like that. Kanae had read a lot of shoujo manga to help with her acting research so she knew this feeling well even if she never experienced it firsthand herself.
Kyoko watched Kanae tap her chin repeatedly deep in thought as her friend worked through a mental puzzle. Kanae's finger stopped its movement once all the pieces finally clicked into place. Kyoko froze in place as she realized the implications of what she had confessed to Kanae. Her best friend had figured it out with just that tidbit of information. Kyoko dropped to the floor begging for forgiveness. Kyoko rolled around all over the floor, weeping for Kanae not to hate her.
Looking down her nose at a flailing Kyoko, Kanae said in an aggravated tone, "you said Amamiya-san would be heartbroken over the news of Tsuruga-san having a relationship with Morizumi-san? It was you, wasn't it?! You were talking about yourself! Why did you lie?"
Kyoko squirmed under Kanae's cold gaze trying to figure out how to get herself out of this predicament. Her first instinct was to lie but Kyoko knew that would be the wrong move. Friends, especially best friends, didn't lie to each other. Her shoulders sagged in defeat and decided to just come clean. She had bottled up her feelings for so long that they were weighing heavily on her body. She didn't want to burden her best friend with her silly problems but here was Kanae offering her a chance to bear it all by not shutting her out.
"I didn't want to disappoint you. Because of what she said I got distracted. If it wasn't for you, Producer Kuresaki would have dropped me. Thank you Moko-san and I'm soooooo sorry!" Kyoko confessed with tears streaming down her face.
"Mo! Wipe your face, you're an actress!" Kanae scolded, which immediately made Kyoko calm down. "Why did you feel the need to lie to me?" Kanae asked, a little saddened that her friend didn't feel comfortable confiding in her.
Kyoko replied, "Because, love makes a person do stupid things. I don't want to become that girl I was with Sho. I...I thought you would be disappointed at having such a weak friend that has once again succumbed to that disease."
"I doubt Tsuruga-san would ever treat you poorly the way that guy did. You're different now. Have you ever thought of Fuwa whenever you were acting? Did your grudge against him ever cross your mind while working?" Kanae asked, realizing this felt just like deja vu.
Kyoko shook her head vigorously no in answer. In fact, the only time Kyoko ever thought about Sho is when he stubbornly crossed her path. That guy had become so bothersome. He even had the audacity to kiss me again, she thought, shuddering at the memory.
"See, that's what I thought, you love acting! You do it because you enjoy it and not for anyone else. Well unless you count the fans. We are nothing without our fans. The girl who dedicated her life to please a selfish guy is no longer present. You deserve to feel and be loved," said Kanae.
She still wouldn't admit to Kyoko that she treasured their friendship. Her life had changed drastically for the better since meeting Kyoko.
"So are you going to confess to him?" Kanae asked, "Mo! You better not graduate LoveMe and leave me behind!"
Kyoko gasped rocking herself back and forth on the floor, "No, no, no! There's no way! I don't want him to hate me. He might think I'm a stupid girl with only love on the brain. Look at me! How could Japan's hottest bachelor even see me as a love interest?" She added in a sad voice, "plus, he's already in love with Morizumi-san."
Kanae wondered about that. Didn't Koenji's butlers clearly say there wasn't anything going on? What exactly had that man done to make her think this way? She could have sworn he was head over heels in love for this airhead best friend of hers. She couldn't blame him though, there was just something about Kyoko that drew you in, like a moth to a flame. Her friend was so clueless at her beauty that she broke hearts unknowingly. That Fuwa bastard sure did a number on her self-esteem.
Kanae scratched at the crown of her head trying to rid herself of this aggravation. This is why making friends was such a nuisance. Things just get so complicated. Though it pained her to get involved, Kanae made the conscious decision to help her friend find some solace. She sighed deeply and pressed Kyoko for more information. "Err, didn't those butlers say there was nothing going on between them. I haven't seen any scandals about Tsuruga-san with anyone."
Kyoko sighed, she might as well tell Kanae about the ring. She rehashed the conversation she had with Koga for Kanae and told her how Kimiko butted in with her White Day pinky ring story.
Kanae was as new to the industry as Kyoko so she didn't really know Kimiko. She thought how cunning it was for Kimiko to pick up on the fact that she could use this Baka's weakness for Tsuruga-san to get in her head. She pointed out to Kyoko that those butlers also revealed that Ren was probably coerced into giving her that ring. It didn't seem plausible that a man of Ren's stature could be so easily duped.
"Perhaps, Tsuruga-san is in a one-sided love. If not Morizumi-san then definitely someone else," Kyoko mumbled.
Kanae pinched the bridge of her nose. She was starting to get a headache from all this. They were not making any headway on this subject. Something nagged at her, "why are you so sure he's in love with someone?"
Kyoko froze at her question. She debated within her mind the pros and cons of revealing Bo's interactions with Ren. In the end she decided that Kanae could be trusted with this information. Kyoko got off her haunches and grasped Kanae's hands tightly with a desperate yet serious look. Kyoko's minions swirled around Kanae binding her in place.
"Moko-san," Kyoko began eerily her face inches from Kanae's. "You have to swear on your life that you would not repeat a single word I tell you after this. It's a matter of life and death. I don't know what he would do to me, to us, if he were ever to find out."
Kanae tried to pull her hands free from Kyoko's tight grip but her friend was not budging. She didn't like the crazy look in Kyoko's eyes. She wanted to refuse after hearing such a condition but Kanae felt like something had attached itself to her head making her nod yes.
Kyoko let her friend go and smiled. Kanae felt her body go slack with relief. She could even move her head again. Kyoko told Kanae about her run-ins with Ren as Bo. How he'd confessed to the rooster that he was in love with a girl four years younger than him and still in high school.
"With that criteria and the pinky ring, I can only think he was talking about Morizumi-san," Kyoko concluded.
Kanae busted out laughing when Kyoko finally finished her story. She laughed so hard tears were streaming down her face and her ribs began to ache. This girl was such an idiot. The guy clearly confessed to her and she still didn't have a clue. She almost pitied Ren.
Kyoko was flabbergasted by Kanae's response. Her friend had never laughed like that in front of her before. Scowling at her friend, Kyoko scolded, "Kanae, I know you don't like him very much but Tsuruga-san is human too you know. He can't be perfect all the time. I don't see how this is a laughing matter."
Kanae tried to compose herself but her laughter wasn't letting up. Kyoko folded her arms across her chest and pouted. She waited for her friend to stop laughing.
Every time Kyoko thought she was done, another fit would overcome Kanae making increasing her scowl. Kanae held up her hands in apology trying to catch her breath.
After Kanae, finally pulled herself together, Kyoko narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you through making fun of me?"
Kanae apologized for her outburst. She was even embarrassed by her immature reaction but the whole situation was absolutely ridiculous. There should be a limit to her friend's denseness. "When will you see him again?"
Kyoko's face sank into a depressed state before answering. "We're meeting up for lunch but I'm too scared to see him."
Kanae shook her head in confusion. Leave it to this girl to react so drastically. There were millions of women all over Japan, all over the planet probably, that would give their right arm to have lunch with this man so what in the world did this girl have to fear.
"Why are you afraid of him? Has he hurt you in anyway?" Kanae asked feeling the embers of anger igniting within her. She would give that blockhead actor a piece of her mind if that was the case.
"No, no, no, he would never hurt me. Even at his darkest time he didn't hurt me. It's just that, I was rude to him yesterday so he might be angry with me!" She told her about the flower ring fiasco. She was blatantly rude to him because of his playboy attitude. Every time he had tried to talk to her she would cut him off by changing the subject. She even found her behavior annoying but Ren never once lost his temper with her. She had forgotten about all that transpired yesterday when she talked to him last night. Her brain really malfunctioned whenever it came to him. If it wasn't for her acting skills she would have been a goner for sure.
Kyoko's face suddenly lit up. "I tried to test your theory last night and somehow managed to get him to call me. He asked me to dinner tonight so maybe everything will be ok," she told Kanae.
Kanae feigned confusion and asked Kyoko what she meant. Kanae had an excellent memory so she was just playing dumb. She knew Ren treated her friend differently. He had given her an expensive birthday gift hidden within a rose and made up some elaborate story just for her. He also gave her acting tips and sometimes gave her a lift. He definitely didn't do that stuff for anyone else at the company. She recalled absentmindedly telling Kyoko to throw that guy a bone once in a while in thanks. I wanted to see that guy's mask crumble at least once. Looking at her friend, Kanae thought, I guess she figured out what I meant.
"He sent me this text this morning. What do you think he meant by it? Do you think he's just making fun of me?"
Before Kanae could reply, she felt the temperature drop in the room and shivered. Kyoko's demeanor had changed as her thoughts turned dark.
Kyoko thought this could probably be the start of terrible things to come. Maybe he would tell her that he hates her and doesn't want her hanging around him anymore. If that's the case, I would feel lonely. Even if it's just a little, I want to remain by his side, she thought feeling the familiar pain in her heart resurface.
Kanae stood up wanting to get out of the room and away from this conversation. "Look, I don't know what's going on in your head. He asked you to dinner so that means something. Use this opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings you may have with him. He's a reasonable guy, if you apologize sincerely, I'm sure he will forgive you."
Kyoko leaped up and hugged her friend in thanks. Kanae allowed the hug since her friend seemed to need the recharge. She through the finished envelopes into a box and left the room.
Kyoko locked the door behind her to change out of her uniform. She felt better after talking with her best friend. She was nervous, but come what may, she decided to just attack it head on. She would start off by apologizing to him.
AN: phew this one was wordy. I hope I got my point across and it wasn't too boring. Once again, thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. Chpt 263 really had me back pedaling. Sensei sure knows how to torture me. I've revised this several times but I'm sure my grammar still sucks, for that, I apologize.