Chapter 22: Earth Shakes

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would try to figure out Cedric's motives.

Okami-san roused Kyoko from her bed. Blinking the sleep from her eyes she realized that everything was shaking. Okami-san helped her to stand but before they reached the door it suddenly stopped. She was relieved that it was over. Although earthquakes were frequent in Japan due to its location on the Pacific Rim, Kyoko could never get used to them. They were glad to find it was only a small tremor. Aside from a few misplaced items in the kitchen and toppled chairs in the dining room, the restaurant came out relatively unscathed.

The set was a bit chaotic as crew members worked to right the studio. Kyoko and Yahshiro hung back, surveying the damage before greeting the director.

"Kyoko-san, good morning. Due to the earthquake, it may take some time before we start so please head to your dressing room to prepare," Jouji Morizumi directed her.

"Yes, Director." She bowed and headed for her dressing room with Yashiro.

"I wonder how such a small tremor could cause such significant damage," Kyoko said as she walked.

"I wonder as well. I'm so embarrassed that I slept through the whole thing," Yashiro admitted with a sheepish smile.

"I would have slept through it if the Okami had not roused me." Kyoko gave him an understanding smile.

In her dressing room, she ran her fingers over the silk threads of her beautiful costume. The kimono was a deep red with cranes rising from the hem and decorating the long sleeves. Her hands moved to the obi. The colors reminded her of a sun setting over the sea. The lead designer instructed her on how to drape the garment so it hung loosely on her in a provocative manner.

Wearing it in that manner exposed her collarbone and the lower half of her legs when she walked. Kyoko swallowed her embarrassment and embraced Momiji's undercover persona. When she came out from the changing screen, the assistant designer handed her a kunai and a cloth for her to practice the scene. Momiji would be undercover as a lady of the night.

...

"You could probably turn it this way and then tie it. Just make sure not to stab yourself." Yashiro gave Kyoko pointers on the best way to bind the blade to her leg without its detection. He was quite proud of her progress in this profession.

"Where did the modest girl I know go?" Yashiro teased by pretending to cover his eyes while Kyoko unabashedly displayed her well-toned leg right before him. Kyoko's cheeks heated up but she didn't cover herself.

"Yashiro-san, don't be silly. You…" She paused searching for the correct description for him. "You give off a big sister feel."

Yashiro nearly choked on his tongue. What did that mean? Did she find him feminine? Did he give off that vibe?

"I want to practice the scene. Do you think you can film me like you do Ren?"

The audacity! She really didn't see him as a man. He needed to find himself a girlfriend, stat! An image of a cool long-haired beauty flashed through his mind.

Yashiro didn't want to be accused of discriminating between his charges so he dutifully recorded the scene as requested with his phone. With a conniving smile, he happily sent a copy to Ren just to torture his friend.

...

Kyoko finished watching the video Yashiro filmed when a knock came at the door indicating that she was required on the set in five minutes.

Kyoko was in a good mood since everyone was being extra friendly to her after Yashiro left to make some phone calls. It was odd that several of the male crew members offered her refreshments before she even began filming. As she approached the set she bowed to Cedric and his translator in greeting. "Good afternoon, Kyoko-san," he replied in decent Japanese. His annunciation and accent of the greeting improved significantly since his arrival.

Kyoko stood wary of him. By her standards, she was blatantly rude and hardly interacted with him unless they were in a scene together. She felt it a direct betrayal to Ren if she conversed with him more than necessary for work. Everyone on the set seemed to get along fine with him. So far there were no issues regarding his work. Maybe he changed, just like Kuon.

Resonating with her undercover Momiji, Kyoko decided to do some reconnaissance. "Bennett-san, if it's not too presumptuous of me, may I ask how you find Japan?" If he was here for Ren it was her duty to protect him.

The translator went to work instantly and relayed her question. Kyoko realized she could have just asked him in English but decided to keep that added barrier between them.

"I like it well enough. Everyone is so kind and generous but it's not home. There are always certain aspects of home that a person can miss...food, friends, family." He rubbed the back of his neck before continuing. "Truth be told, I'm hiding from the American paparazzi."

"Huh?" Kyoko gawked after the translator repeated his words. A scandal? So he's still a bad guy.

"Hold on, don't sentence me yet. I just came out of a relationship that didn't end well. My ex is extorting me so I came to lay low. It's rough when you come from a well-known family," he said with embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm sorry Bennett-san. That was entirely too much information," She said bowing. Was over sharing an American thing? Kuon must have spent too much time in Japan since he was reserved. Cedric chuckled as the translator relayed her statement.

"It's okay. It's not a secret. My life is practically on display twenty-four seven in the States. I have nothing to hide from the Japanese. You have all been kind," he assured her with a crooked smile.

Kyoko was more confused than ever. Her grudges weren't detecting anything malicious from him.

"Ric," came a sweet voice from the entrance of the studio that grated on Kyoko's ears.

Kyoko hid her surprise when Cedric groaned. It was barely audible but she heard it. Kimiko bounded her way up to him and latched herself to his arm.

Cedric had no idea what had spawned this clinginess from her but it was becoming bothersome. She hinted at something more the other night but he knew better than to get entangled with friends. He would normally shake off women that gave off stalker vibes but she was obviously going through something right now. He wanted to be a good friend.

Kyoko bit the inside of her cheek and bowed to Kimiko. She hated that she had to play this game. Kimiko's eyes flashed after looking over Kyoko's outfit. She looked like she was about to say something but instead focused on Cedric.

"Ric, will you be my escort to the Award Ceremony?" Kimiko asked. She looked at him with large doe-eyes.

Kyoko kept her expression neutral as she willed him to decline. Having them there would put a damper on the evening. It was annoying that Kimiko found herself a loophole to Erika's ultimatum. Erika's deal was simple; Kimiko was not allowed to act again or she would release the balcony footage. Since Kimiko's family revolved around the showbiz world, there was no way to remove her completely from the limelight. She was technically not violating the deal.

"Kyoko-san, will you be attending?" Cedric asked without her answering Kimiko. If looks could kill, Kyoko would have died on the spot.

"Yes Bennett-san, I will be attending," she replied with a small nod.

"I'm surprised that you received an invitation since you're only a talento in your agency," Kimiko added innocently.

Kyoko's eye twitched at the jab. Her grudges stirred restlessly. They were well behaved these days thanks to a certain man that kept rendering them useless. Please, mistress, they begged. Let us have her. We still can't forgive her! She got off way too easy last time.

"She was nominated for best-supporting actress for her role as Mio-sama," Koga interjected as he stepped into the little circle.

Kyoko's grudges stood down. She smiled with gratitude and silently thanked Koga for saving the situation.

Koga stepped out of the dressing rooms and found Kyoko flanked by Cedric and Kimiko. He didn't have anything against Cedric but he didn't want the man falling victim to Kyoko's charms. He didn't want to add him to her list of admirers.

"What?!" Kimiko gasped. Her disgusted look of shock betrayed her good girl persona.

Kyoko bowed her head shyly. "I'm honored to be considered for this award. It's all thanks to Director Ogata and my experienced co-stars. With their guidance, I was able to pull off a decent performance."

"Don't be modest, Kyoko-chan. I hate people that can't acknowledge their achievements. You earned it," Koga scolded.

Kyoko squeaked and ducked her head in apology.

"That's great, Kyoko-san. Congratulations on the nomination," Cedric joined in the praise after listening to the translation.

Kimiko schooled her face and smiled sweetly congratulating Kyoko on a job well done. Kyoko shivered. Kimiko reminded her of a snake when she turned that false smile towards her. She looked like she was swallowing needles for all the sincerity she put into commending Kyoko. It was obvious that it physically pained Kimiko to compliment her.

She watched Kimiko switch off her malice and smile genuinely at Cedric. "Would you like to go? All you need is a suit. If you didn't bring one we can always go shopping?" Cedric agreed to attend with her, making Kimiko beam with happiness.

Kyoko was awed by their exchange. Kimiko truly liked him. Her first instinct was to warn Cedric about Kimiko's true nature but she refrained. For all she knew, they probably deserved each other.

Koga turned to Kyoko and waggled his eyebrows. "How about it Kyoko-chan? Would you like to attend with me? It will be a great promotion for our film. The audience would eat it up"

"Sorry, Hiromune-san. I already have a date," Kyoko said, blushing. Her heart pounded erratically at the thought of attending the large scale event with Ren.

"Tsuruga-kun?"

Kyoko bowed her head shyly as her cheeks grew hotter. Koga clenched his heart in mock despair. "Once again thwarted by Japan's number one!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes and giggled, "And thus remaining in second place."

Koga gasped and dropped to his knees dramatically. "How could you Kyoko? That was a low blow! Are his bad habits rubbing off on you? I knew I hated that guy."

"What are you talking about, Hiromune-san? He is my esteemed Senpai, he has no faults." It amused her to tease Koga.

Kimiko looked between the pair, confused by the conversation. Why were they talking so casually about Ren? How close was she to Ren? Wasn't there someone else? How did she convince him to attend the ceremony with her? In the past, he always declined a date. He usually chose to attend solo or with the cast. This revelation was colossal. The public would misunderstand and believe they were an item.

Didn't he care about his image? Why would he stoop to a talentless newbie's level? She was furious by the prospect. These venomous thoughts swirled through Kimiko's mind but her outward countenance did not betray her. Kimiko could have been a great actress if only she wasn't rotten to the core.

"Everyone, gather around. We managed to clean up the mess from the earthquake. We still aren't sure why that section was unable to withstand such a small tremor. Kyoko-san, please be mindful when executing your scene. It's a good thing the earthquake happened when it did. It was only a matter of time before that section collapsed. I'd rather it not fall on my actress," Jouji announced, staring at Kyoko.

Kyoko frowned and looked over the area in question. It was just where her main mark was for the day. With enough foot traffic, the vibration would have worked that area loose and fallen on her.

"Let's get started. We only have a few hours before we lose our main actors. I want to wrap up this scene before then." With that, Jouji walked towards the main cameraman.

SCENE 36 The Viper's Nest:

Momiji looked both ways before quietly stepping into the storage room ensuring that she was not seen. She moved to a dark corner of the room and withdrew the bundle concealing her weapons from behind a crate. She parted her kimono exposing a long shapely leg and used a cloth to tie the kunai around her thigh. She took the ornament that was together with blade and tucked it into her obi. If push came to shove Shizuma thought she could use the sharp end of the decorative piece to stab an eye or two. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it.

She left the room and made her way through the Ryokan where the guests were dining for the evening. She had stopped in the kitchen to bring more warm sake to Yamada's group. She needed to gather the intelligence required to thwart the enemy's plans. Men always had loose tongues when drink and women were plentiful.

Momiji sat in a seiza position next to a lone Yamada and refilled his cup with warm sake. He leered at her but she ducked her head shyly as her master instructed.

"CUT! Very good. Let's transition over to Momiji and Shizuma's flashback scene after reviewing the tape."

Shizuma ran through the details of Momiji's mission. He warned her that her eyes were a dead giveaway.

"What do you mean Shizuma-sama?" Momiji asked, confused. It wasn't like she could see her own eyes to understand what he meant.

"First off, your eyes are large. Almost too large for a Japanese girl. Secondly, they are an unusual color. Men would take one look into your eyes and beg to drown in those amber pools. Always cast them down to appear shy. We like that sort of thing."

Momiji's eyes widened in shock and her cheeks stained red as her Master's words washed over her. She trained her whole life to show no emotion especially to her most trusted beloved. She failed miserably at containing the love she harbored for him.

Shizuma coughed uncomfortably by her expression. "I know you can take care of yourself but I still worry."

"Cut! Kyoko-san, you aren't supposed to be affected by Shizuma's words," Jouji shouted into the megaphone.

Kyoko cringed inside. Crap! Did some of my personal feelings bleed into my character again? Those lines were definitely something Ren said before. Damn that playboy!

She apologized to the cast and crew for her blunder and ignored the smug look on Kimiko's face. Kyoko balled her hands to reign in her grudges. She managed to nail the scene on the next take.

Ren nearly dropped his phone when he opened the mail his manager sent him. He groaned as he watched Kyoko, no Momiji, place her foot on a stool for leverage and part her kimono. His heart rate accelerated as all the blood in his body rushed down to his groin. A part of him should have been angry with his manager but he wasn't thinking rationally at the moment. He waited impatiently with anticipation for the show to begin.

His eyes darkened as she revealed her ivory skin from her ankle to the top of her thigh. Ren's fingers twitched remembering the smoothness of her skin. When did she become a seductress? More importantly, when did he become such a pervert? His mouth ran dry as he thought of the tender flesh barely concealed by a few centimeters of silk.

He watched her small feminine hands tenderly wrap her leg with a cloth and tuck the blade into the fold. She flexed and wiggled her leg to make sure it held. Holding the phone in one hand, he adjusted the bulge in his achingly tight pants. He imagined those same hands gripped firmly around him. Ren gasped when she suddenly looked at him with a sweet smile and a giggle. "Let me see," she said, coming closer. It was his undoing.

He glanced at the time on his phone. They were shooting the other roles that didn't involve him. He stood quickly and locked the door to his dressing room. If I'm going to hell, I might as well enjoy the ride. He unzipped his pants and replayed the video twice until he reached fulfillment.

...

Later that evening, Yashiro and Kyoko met him on his set. Ren wrapped up his part early and was found talking to the assistant director when they walked in. Kyoko looked on in awe as she watched the veteran actors play out their parts. She was so engrossed with the scene that Ren took the opportunity to kiss the top of her head. Kyoko blushed and touched her hair. His action didn't go unnoticed. A ripple of murmurs passed through the remaining staff that witnessed his show of affection.

The majority of them heard the story of Ren's lunch and smiled at the young couple. Some women sighed with envy while others grumbled. Kyoko was oblivious to everything around her until Ren flashed Yashiro an ultra-fake smile.

Yashiro flinched at his friend's expression. He glanced at Kyoko that seemed to be engrossed with the acting to hear him and leaned into Ren.

"Ren, is this how you show gratitude? A simple, thank you Yashiro-san you're my hero would suffice."

Kyoko looked at the men confused by Yashiro's words. Instead of asking, she turned back to the scene before her. This is the caliber of actors that are worthy of acting alongside Ren. I have a long road ahead of me. She failed to recall that she already worked with Ren, twice. To her, the Heels act didn't count and it wasn't the same if she wasn't the leading lady.

Ren turned his attention to Kyoko. "Are you ready to go? We can stop for dinner on the way if we leave now?"

Kyoko looked at him in astonishment. It surprised her that Ren would suggest food given his poor eating habits. Ren chuckled at her expression. "I eat because you need to eat," he said with a wink, making Kyoko stamp with frustration.

Yashiro gave them their respective folders and bid them good night. Since Ren drove himself, he didn't want to be a third wheel. He would see them in the morning.

Kyoko eyed the thicker than usual folder in her hand. She was eager to see what new work it contained for her.

Ren parked his car along the side of the dimly lit street. It put them right between a Ramen shop and the R'Mandy studio. He turned to Kyoko and asked, "Did you bring it?"

She giggled as she dug through her bag. It was fun deceiving the world like the Heel siblings. They stepped away from the car walking hand in hand down the street.

"Kuon and Ella strike again!" he declared making her laugh.

AN: Thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read. Big thanks to those who left a review, it's always encouraging. I'm on work travel and I actually have to do my job rather than read/write FFs all day so I'm a day late posting this.

Thanks for the tip fanghowl, I'm trying to do that often now.

My phone is my medium of choice to write this since I can just lay in bed and just tap away. I use the werdsmith app to start the bulk of my chapters then I transfer them to FF and tweak them a lot from there. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get carpal tunnel or something using my phone to do this...lol.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^