Chapter 15: All My Firsts

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kanae would get her chance at Sho.

Ren swirled the amber liquid in his glass then finished it in one gulp. He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. Sensations and images of earlier flooded his mind. The feel of her lips on his lips, the taste of her sweetness as his tongue entwined with hers, the suppleness of her skin as his fingers traced over her…Gah! He groaned and ran his free hand roughly over his face to stop his thoughts. He needed to get a grip. She didn't make things exactly easy for him. This was new territory for her. He needed to take the lead and set the pace. But first, he needed to rein himself in. The last thing he wanted was to lose control with her. Her first time should be on her, no their wedding night. He could wait, she was worth it.

His thoughts shifted to the other matter. Why would that guy accept a role in Japan? It made his blood boil that he now addressed himself as Ric. Cedric was the first person aside from his dad that he had met from his past in over five years. Of all the people in Los Angeles, why did it have to be him? The last he saw of Cedric was when he was jumped by him and his lackeys. It was hardly a fair fight when the odds were six against one.

Cedric took advantage of being the son of a prominent family in Hollywood. Because their families moved in the same circles, he was always around Kuon. Cedric took great pleasure in tormenting the younger Kuon. He had the adults around him fooled by acting as the perfect little gentleman. Even if Kuon had spoken up, he doubted anyone would believe that Cedric could do any wrong.

It was the same with school. Cedric managed to turn the majority of the student population against Kuon. He even had the teachers on his side. To Cedric's dismay, it never stopped girls from throwing themselves at Kuon. The girls at their school were shallow; they liked Kuon only for his pretty face and his family connections.

When Kuon received more acting roles, Cedric was there undermining his achievements. His words cut deep. In the back of his mind, he knew what Cedric said was true. He accused Kuon of riding on his Daddy's coattails. According to Cedric, if it weren't for Kuon's good looks and his blood relations a half breed like him would never be considered for the roles he was given. Directors, producers, and other people in the industry expected so much more from him being the son of Kuu Hizuri. It was difficult to perform under that kind of pressure. He was doomed to fail.

One day he just cracked and started lashing out. Whatever roles he did get he ended up quitting or getting fired when he disagreed with the director or anyone on the set.

Rick taught him to stand up for himself and so he did. He started fighting back. Then the drinking and smoking cigarettes and pot soon followed. If a girl wanted him, he entertained them until they got bored with his indifference. He even slept with a few if that's what they wanted from him. He at least had enough sense to use protection when he had sex. Because of his shallow relationships and casual sex partners he wanted to cherish all his firsts with Kyoko. In a sense, he was a virgin again experiencing these new sensations from a place of love. She was the first and last woman he would ever love.

His past experiences couldn't have prepared him for the emotions that bombarded him when he came in physical contact with her. Despite all the rumors regarding his personal life, he never had a relationship with a woman since coming to Japan. If one could call what he had in the States relationships. He closed himself off to those feelings. He had no right to them. Instead, he focused on his goal; however, Kyoko coming back into his life changed everything. Thanks to her, he felt like he could finally move forward.

Ren rose to wash his glass. He pulled up the sleeves of his shirt to keep them from getting wet and caught sight of his watch. Rick's watch. He covered the watch with his right hand and bowed his head. He didn't fall into the darkness as before. He was disgusted with his younger self. Everything changed when Rick died. Was it wrong to think Rick's death was a godsend?

If that tragic event hadn't taken place, where would he have ended up? Prison? Dead? Would his parents have buried him instead? His death the result of picking a fight with the wrong people. Or would he have ended up on the streets, a junky, using the hard stuff to escape reality?

He shook himself out of his morbid thoughts and washed his glass. The problem at the moment was Cedric Bennett. He needed to figure out what the man was doing in Japan. In the past, Cedric often belittled the Japanese blood flowing through his veins. Why would he purposely put himself among a race he didn't like? He had to make sure he wasn't a threat to Kyoko or himself.

He showered and got ready for bed. He sent a quick text to Kyoko: Sweet dreams baby. I hope you had a good time tonight. I love you. *kiss emoji*

He felt bold using the American term of endearment. He hoped she didn't have a nuclear meltdown from it.

His phone immediately buzzed. Good night, Corn. I enjoyed every minute with you. Sweet dreams. *heart emoji*

He smiled broadly as warmth spread throughout his chest. He couldn't wait to see her again. He put his phone on the charger and settled in bed to sleep.

After several minutes of tossing around, he picked his phone up and opened his webmail. He was too exhilarated by the whole evening to sleep.

He found an email from Fuji and opened it. When he clicked on the first attachment Kyoko's face filled his screen. Fuji had made good on his promise and sent him the pictures from the fitting with Kyoko. His heart squeezed as he scrolled through the pictures. He could see the different attitudes in her poses. Some he recognized as Natsu, others as Setsu but most of them were one hundred percent her. She was gorgeous in all of them.

He paused on the first photo with them together. It didn't look familiar. Fuji held back when he showed them the pictures at the studio. She smiled at the camera with a slight blush on her cheeks while his gaze was completely on her. He scrolled through several more photos. Every single one captured Ren's enamored expression trained on Kyoko. He was so obvious. His feelings were written all over his face and now immortalized on film.

He reached the last attachment labeled Bonus. In this shot, Ren looked off-camera while Kyoko gazed at him tenderly. Ba-bump. He brushed his fingers over her image. Did she always look at him like that? Could she already love him? He didn't think she would have reacted to his kisses if she didn't feel something for him. He was an insecure idiot. He didn't want to assume anything. He immediately saved the photo as his wallpaper.

Sho couldn't believe what he saw on the entertainment news channel that morning. Kyoko was hanging on to the arm of that bastard as the walked into a club. He had tunnel vision making him unable to notice the other woman with them. Despite his conflicting emotions, he couldn't help but compliment her. He hadn't seen her since the Darumaya incident. Shoko made it a point to schedule his time on the Sacred Lotus set when Kyoko was unavailable. She looked gorgeous in the dress and her hair was back to its natural state.

Were her legs always that long? The hosts were going on about how this was the first time outside of work that Ren had purposely been seen with women on a social level. They were speculating that he was now off the market.

Sho's ears twitched at the announcement. Was he too late? Had that asshole already made his move? No matter what, all I need to do is remind her of how much she hates me.

Pictures posted on the club website splashed across the screen. Kyoko, Ren, and others were shown holding drinks up and smiling for the camera. Another picture captured her on the dance floor with Ren and her friends. Sho froze at the photo of her holding a microphone on stage in front of a decent-sized crowd. He spotted Ren easily. It irked him that Ren stood easily above the rest of the crowd.

Sho tuned back into the host's commentary, "Rumor has it that Kyoko-san was the winner of the karaoke contest. She won a spa trip for three at an exclusive onsen. Apparently, she has an amazing voice and because of her gold dress those in attendance dubbed her, 'The Canary.' Several reputable record producers approached her after the contest. For those that don't know her, Kyoko-san is the breaking new actress known for her more popular roles as 'Mio-sama' in Dark Moon and 'Natsu-chan' in Box-R. From what I could see, she looked adorable last night. She's someone we have to keep our eyes on. Who knows, maybe she'll make her debut in the music industry?"

Sho gulped. He recalled the time in Kyoto when he caught her singing. He heard the most melodic voice coming from her room. When he confirmed the source, he reacted like an idiot. He realized now that it was out of jealousy. Kyoko was already perfect in his parents' eyes. Why couldn't she give him this one thing? He said some awful things to her that day. He never heard her sing again unless she ran off somewhere to do it in private much like she did her crying.

The sound director of the Sacred Lotus called him in with short notice to help with a portion of the music score. Sho saw this as an opportunity to see Kyoko, even though, President Akatoki warned him to stay away from her.

Sho was pissed that she ratted him out to the LME President and aired their dirty laundry to outsiders. He was warned to keep things professional and keep his emotions in check. Shoko was scolded along with him for not doing a better job. Her nagging increased tenfold because of it.

…

Shoko sipped her coffee while she watched the news report. She glanced at Sho waiting for him to change. She was surprised that he didn't turn into a Nio statue from the shocking news. Maybe he's maturing.

"Sho, you can't cause trouble on set today. This petty thing you have going on with Kyoko could ruin your career if President Akatoki wants to wash his hands of you. LME's president is powerful. He has more clout than our President. Don't mess with any of his talents?" Shoko warned.

Nag!

Kyoko woke that morning to the sound of her phone vibrating on the desk. She heard Kanae stumble out of bed and clamor around the room in search of the offensive device. She must have stubbed her toe on something because a litany of curses exploded from her friend's lips. Kyoko burrowed deeper in the covers not wanting to have her best friend's wrath directed at her. The ringing stopped as Kanae picked up.

"Mo! What the hell do you want? Do you know -?" Kanae halted mid-sentence.

Kyoko peeked from beneath the covers to look at her friend. She assumed it was Ren calling and enjoyed Kanae's overprotectiveness. Kyoko watched in fascination as Kanae turned various shades of red while stammering an apology. Kyoko smothered her mouth from "Kya-ing" out loud as she watched her best friend make the cutest faces. Kyoko closed the blanket when Kanae glanced in her direction.

She squirmed as her friend approached her futon. "Mo!" Kanae nudged then pulled the covers off Kyoko's head.

"Answer your phone next time," Kanae said with a glare. She thrust the phone down to Kyoko.

Kyoko smiled at her friend's still blushing face and reached for the phone.

"Hello, Mogami-san!" she said into the phone. Her eyes widened in shock at the voice on the other end. She watched Kanae retreat into the bathroom. She cringed when her friend slammed the door shut behind her.

"I'm sure you're overreacting Yashiro-san. I'll be fine," Kyoko said into the receiver. "No, there's no need for that...I'll be okay…Thank you for your concern. I'll see you on set later." Kyoko hung up the phone.

Chiori made a loud groan from all the noise.

"I'm sorry Chiori-san. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," Chiori grumbled and covered her head with a pillow.

Kyoko took this opportunity to check her messages and found one from Ren: Good morning, baby. I hope you slept well.

Kyoko blushed at the message. He called her baby again. She doubted he was making any reference to her age when he addressed her by the pet name. She heard it in foreign film before exchanged between lovers. It was so American of him. Kyoko felt butterflies fluttering in her belly as she responded to his message.

She buried her face into the pillow before she began squealing as her mind wandered to last night. According to Yashiro, the internet was buzzing with gossip this morning. She even shared a hug with him in front of so many people. She couldn't resist falling into his arms. He reminded her of the dreams she had as he stood in front of her with his arms open. She didn't hesitate and leaped. This time she was relieved she didn't grasp darkness. He was solid. She felt so secure in his arms even if his body was trembling. In every sense of the word, he felt like home. She knew she was too far gone. There was no going back or giving him up. Come what may she would tackle every possible challenge that was thrown her way be it the media or his crazed fans. She was ready for a fight.

Her mind shifted to more pleasant things. She kissed him first. Kyoko's face flamed up as she thought of how she practically threw herself at him. She let out a silent squeal into the pillow as she rolled around on her futon. It was everything she dreamed. The kiss he gave her on Guam was sweet but brief. Last night's kisses were full of passion. It ignited a longing within her. Just thinking about it made her want to kiss him all over again and his hands were...oh god his hands were. She squealed audibly this time as her brain threatened to malfunction. How could she face him after her shameless behavior?

Kyoko stiffened when the bathroom door opened. She yelped when the pillow was snatched from her.

"Mo! You're so loud! Quit freaking out and get ready! I don't want you late for work. Producer Kuresaki will skin you alive."

They had a quick breakfast prepared by Chiori's mother and headed out the door to catch the train. Yashiro would accompany Ren this morning for a kick-off drama meeting. He wanted to make sure everything was in place for Ren per his contract.

Kanae offered to accompany Kyoko since her morning was free until she had to report to LME. She had a meeting with Lory and Matsushima to discuss the offer Kuresaki had extended to her.

Kyoko was excited to have Kanae with her but kept darting her head around as she walked. She knew Ruto had to be lurking in the shadows. Maybe she should have taken the company car that Yashiro offered to save him the trouble.

While they waited on the platform for the train, people glanced and whispered in their direction. Kyoko beamed with pride. They had to be admiring her beautiful friend. She felt lucky to have Kanae as a best friend. A gaggle of teenage girls approached them as the train pulled up but Kanae tugged her arm to get on the train. The girls didn't enter but stood there giggling among themselves.

Kanae scowled and tapped quickly on the keyboard of her smartphone. She grimaced as she confirmed her suspicions. She held the screen to face Kyoko. The tabloid site contained pictures that were posted on the club's website last night.

Kyoko wasn't shocked to see the article. "Ooh, you just reminded me. I want to save those pictures on my phone. You looked so pretty in your outfit Moko-san. I mean not that you don't look pretty all the time. It's just that last night was my first night with girl-!" Kyoko rambled as she searched her bag for her phone.

"Mo! Why aren't you more worried?" Kanae asked narrowing her eyes. "Did you already know?"

"Yes, Yashiro-san mentioned it this morning."

"So you knew and still dared to board a train without a proper disguise?" Kanae asked baffled by her friend's lack of foresight.

"Ehhh?! It's okay because no one ever recognizes me when I'm my plain old self."

"I beg to differ," Kanae muttered. "I think your blissful days of anonymity are over." She nudged Kyoko with her elbow as several commuters took their pictures.

Kyoko smiled weakly and tried to ignore the stares. They were probably only looking at her beautiful friend.

"Mo, this is a good thing. It will help your career. You should start monitoring what the fans are saying about you."

"Eh? Me? That's impossible. I bet Moko has lots of fans. Me especially, I'm your number one fan."

Kyoko and Kanae arrived at the set to find a mob camping outside the studio. They turned on their heels to backtrack down the alley they passed. The director did mention a backdoor to the building for the cast and crew's use. They rushed down the alley while looking over their shoulders to see if anyone spotted them. Kyoko collided with something and crashed to the ground. Rather than feeling hard pavement, her fall was cushioned. It took her a second to realize she was entangled with another person.

"Heh! I knew you still wanted me!" Came a familiar voice that made Kyoko's skin crawl. Just her luck.

"Let go of me, Shotaro!" She yelled at him and scrambled to her feet with Kanae's help.

Sho stood dusting himself off while ogling Kanae. Of course, he would appreciate Kanae's beauty. He had to be blind not to notice. He stepped back, confused, as Kanae glared at him. It was probably a first for him to find a woman that didn't like him.

He flicked his gaze back to Kyoko. "What the hell Kyoko! I've been trying to reach you for days. Why did you have to bring our companies into our disagreement? I'm now on probation by my President? Is this how you plan to beat me? What if I lose my fans and can't make a living? Did you ever think of all the people that are involved with my music that will be affected?"

Kyoko felt guiltier as Sho continued to speak. That was the problem with growing up with him. He knew what triggered her and troubling people was a big "no-no" in her book. Kyoko felt herself shrinking at the problems she might have caused with her actions. She looked to the ground as each word pierced her heart.

Kanae snapped her out of it. "Mo! Why are you even listening to this jerk? It's his fault if anything happens to his career. He's a big boy that can deal with his problems!"

"Tch!" Sho responded and scowled at Kanae.

Kyoko looked at her friend then nodded. "Thank you, Moko!" Kyoko shook the negative thoughts away. Kanae was right. Sho kept showing up causing her and others needless trouble. Whatever befell him would be his fault.

Kanae looked Sho over. He stood arrogantly as she checked him out. This was their first time meeting him. She didn't seem impressed.

Kyoko took two steps toward the door when something brushed her hand as Sho reached to stop her. She was startled by feet shuffling and grunting sounds. She turned to find Kanae pinning Sho to the wall with her arm pressed into his chest.

"Let go of me, you stupid bitch!" Sho screeched in Kanae's face. He was stunned by the sudden altercation that he didn't know what to do against a woman.

Kyoko's grudges flared up and charged. How dare he speak like that to Moko? She didn't care what he said and did to her but she would not tolerate any transgressions against her best friend.

Before her grudges could make contact, Sho doubled over in pain clutching his crotch area. Kanae released her hold on him. Sho slowly slid down the wall and curled into a fetal position cupping the precious jewels between his legs.

"Ow, fuck, you bitch...my balls...I'll sue you." Sho moaned writhing in pain.

Kanae flicked her hair and looked down at him, "hmmph!"

Ruto suddenly appeared out of nowhere startling the girls. "I'm sorry. I should have intervened sooner. Mogami-sama, Kotonami-sama, you must hurry and get inside. The commotion has attracted some curious fans and media personnel."

Kyoko's eyes flickered down to Sho on the ground. She couldn't just leave him like this. It would be suspicious if Fuwa Sho was found in the alley in his condition. What if he told the press that he was assaulted by Kanae? She didn't want her friend to get in trouble.

"I will help Fuwa-san, Mogami-sama," Ruto said understanding her hesitation.

"Thank you!" The girls said in unison while Kanae pulled Kyoko into the studio.

Once they were safely behind closed doors Kyoko looked at Kanae with shocked eyes. She would never have expected that from her friend. When their eyes made contact, they exploded in peals of laughter. When they finally regained their composure Kyoko scolded Kanae.

"Moko-san! Please don't ever do something so reckless again! What if he presses charges or something?"

"There's no reason to worry about that. I know his type. He would rather cut off his right arm than admit to being bested by a girl," Kanae assured her. Kyoko smiled with admiration at her friend's courage.

"Thank you, Moko! Thank you for saving me! Thank you for being my friend!" Kyoko told her sincerely as tears pricked her eyes.

"Mo! Of course, we're best friends! I wanted to punch his face in actually but that would have left a mark. I think ridding the world of future Fuwa's is a nice compromise!" Kanae said jokingly.

Kyoko had held back for too long. She sprung her attack and hugged her best friend. Kanae allowed it for several seconds until it became too much. "Mo! Get off me now. Go and get to work before you're late!"

Kyoko skipped happily toward the set looking for the director and producer. She stopped in her tracks as dread washed over her. She spotted them in conversation with not only Cedric but Kimiko as well.

AN: I always leave things on a cliff hanger but it seemed a good stopping point. Thank you to everyone for reading and big thanks to those that left a review. I appreciate it.

I really wanted Kanae to kick Sho's ass but I'll leave it at that for this story. Maybe I'll write a one-shot where she does it thoroughly...lol. I just want to say that I am impressed at the authors here that can write multiple stories at the same time and keep them all straight. Alas, I read the spoiler for the manga chapter this month and was left wanting. I shall continue to nurse this story of my Skip Beat dreams... XD

Until next time, Ja ne! ^_^