Chapter 26: The Winner Is...
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Dark Moon would win all the awards.
Reporters and photographers flanked the car as they tried to get the inside scoop on this epic event. It was unheard of that Tsuruga Ren was escorting someone to the ceremony.
They watched the young woman place her well-manicured hand in his and a long shapely leg step out of the vehicle. Ren reached down to adjust the skirt of her dress and helped her to stand out of the car.
"Breath, just look at me baby," he whispered as he caught the fear in her eyes.
Kyoko had never been so nervous in her entire life. She looked into the reassuring eyes of the man she loved and felt instant relief. She inhaled and exhaled slowly as he instructed then gave him a curt nod smoothing out the skirt of her dress. It's too late to run, Kyoko. Be brave! She told herself.
When he got the okay from her, he stepped back for the world to see. The crowd was unusually quiet for such an event. They wondered who the beautiful woman was.
Kyoko grew nervous again as camera flashes went off around them. Ren squeezed her hand and whispered in her ear, "walk beautiful and don't show them your fear. These hyenas will eat it up."
Remembering her training at the Fuwa ryokan, Kyoko straightened her posture, plastered on her best Okami smile, and walked with all the grace of royalty.
It was a dull sound at first, then the murmurs of "Mio" spread like wildfire throughout the crowd. Someone shouted, "We love you Mio-sama," making Kyoko smile in that direction. Just like that, the tension was broken and the crowd's roar was thunderous. There was a fair mixture of excitement and anguish as they continued past the throng of onlookers.
Further down the carpet, the group of people thinned out because of the barricades. It wasn't as chaotic with just the media, staff and other celebrities vying for their attention at this point. The couple was stopped by several reporters for comments and photographs. There were often times when Kyoko found herself posing alone while Ren hung back to make sure she had her time to shine in the spotlight.
Sho was still on the platform with the hosts when the couple made their slow approach. A sad smile briefly graced his handsome features. He absentmindedly rubbed his chest to relieve the dull ache as he stared at his childhood friend walking with that platform-wearing bastard.
"Tch," he scoffed. He was almost happy for her. There was no way he could date a woman that would outshine him, which is exactly what she was doing standing next to Ren.
Sho excused himself from the hosts and went to intercept Kyoko. Kyoko tensed as she saw him approaching. There was no way she could outright ignore him in front of so many people as she would have rather liked. She felt the reassuring presence of Ren placing the tips of his fingers on her lower back. It was subtle but it was enough to give her the support she needed. People nearby hushed as they watched the scene unfold. There were rumors that these two men were rivals but what they rivaled over no one knew. Some would speculate that the reason lay with the pretty actress sandwiched between them.
"What do you want, Fuwa?" Ren asked through clenched teeth trying to keep his anger in check. Imaginary sparks flew between both men while Kyoko's grudges danced with glee. Ren wouldn't let this guy ruin the night for her. People around them wondered about the nature of their relationship. Whispers of the Prisoner PV could be heard around them. Could they be witnessing a typical shoujo manga love triangle among their favorite celebrities?
Sho held up his hands in mock defense. "Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to greet my old friend. You clean up well Kyoko," he said with a slight bow. He tried to keep the strain out of his voice while complimenting her. This sucks, he thought while looking at her more closely. He noticed that her overall look was natural. He could no longer call her a succubus like an immature brat. Did he just refuse to see her beauty all this time? If she cared for herself a little more would he have found her physically attractive early on? Sho chuckled softly at his idiocy. He needed to stop dwelling on the past. He wasn't the pining type and he already accepted defeat. Maybe they could even be friends again someday.
"Can we get photos of the three of you together?" A brave photographer asked. They posed for a picture with fake smiles all around.
"I'll see you guys inside." Sho gave Kyoko a wink and strutted away flirting with beautiful women in the process.
Kyoko glanced at Ren. She probably had the same bewildered expression on her face as he did. "Did that guy just grow up?" He asked with wonder in his voice. Kyoko laughed. It was exactly what she was thinking. She was glad that he didn't start trouble. She guessed even Sho knew when to draw the line and act professionally.
Kyoko and Ren were summoned to the platform where Yuna and Abe were waiting to get a quick interview from the couple.
"Kyoko-san, Tsuruga-kun, thank you for taking some time with us. You two created quite the sensation tonight," Yuna exclaimed excitedly. Kyoko giggled and bowed apologizing for the inconvenience while Ren laughed.
"Well we definitely weren't expecting such a warm reception from our fans. It means a lot to us," Ren commented smoothly.
"We are all dying to know...and I'm sure the viewers at home are as well," Abe said turning towards the camera. "Is it safe to assume that the rumors that were circulating about for the past month were indeed true? Is Japan's hottest bachelor off the market?"
Ren chuckled and answered, "I'm afraid to say that those are not rumors. I'm completely smitten with her."
The crowd went wild at his declaration while Kyoko's face flamed up in front of the cameras. Her face threatened to split as she tried to control her smile. She smacked him playfully on the arm. "I can't believe you said that in front of everyone." She placed her palms on each side of her face willing her cheeks to stop burning.
"That's incredible news. There are going to be millions of broken hearts come daybreak. How do you feel about it, Kyoko-san?" Yuna addressed her.
"I'm very happy," she responded endearingly. Her cuteness on camera earned her more fans and more enemies that night.
"I could go all night talking about your relationship but I'm being signaled here," Yuna joked, nodding to her boss. "Kyoko-san, you look stunning in that dress. It's so airy. You remind me of Tinkerbell with dark hair...I also couldn't help but notice you two coordinating, very cute."
Kyoko giggled excitedly at the fairy reference. "Thank you very much! Fuji-san, the genius behind R'Mandy dressed us tonight. I couldn't believe he designed this dress just for me." Ren did a little circular movement with his finger so Kyoko twirled around to show the dress off. "He hand stitched all these petals. The best part is I could keep it." She turned to the camera to address the people of Japan. "Please don't judge me too harshly when you see me wearing this dress again while running errands. It would be a waste to keep it in a garment bag."
The hosts got a good chuckle out of her joke. "We want to congratulate you both on your nominations. Earlier, Director Ogata and some of the cast of Dark Moon made their way through here already. We wondered where the two of you were and now we know."
"Kyoko-san, how do you feel about being nominated as best supporting actress?" Abe asked.
"Oh my gosh. It's so overwhelming. It's truly an honor to even be nominated while I'm so new to the industry. It's like winning in itself," she gushed into the camera.
Okami dabbed at the corner of her eyes while Taisho grunted proudly as they watched the live show on TV. They had closed the restaurant early to watch the ceremony.
Most of the viewers of Japan fell in love with Kyoko instantly and found her adorable. They could understand why the Great Tsuruga Ren fell for her. Unfortunately, some fans weren't happy with their budding relationship. They lashed out on fan sites with malicious words full of hate and jealousy. No one took them seriously since the newly established pro RenKyo fan club outnumbered the haters by a landslide.
Yuna turned her attention over to Ren. "Tsuruga-kun, you are up for the best actor award this evening. How do you feel about surpassing the great Hozu Shuuhei in ratings with this rendition of Tsukigomori?"
"I'm very honored to have played the role of Katsuki and hope to strive to be as successful as Hizuri-san one day," Ren replied enthusiastically. He hoped his answer didn't offend his dad in some way.
"It was Hizuri-san's role as Katsuki that launched him into Hollywood. Will you by any chance make the same move?" Abe asked.
Ren's hands went clammy. He felt Kyoko slip her hand in his and give it an encouraging squeeze. He smiled down at her and answered, "Ah well, it's certainly every actor's dream to get a role in a big Hollywood production. I am no different. Should I receive such an offer that would be a great fit, I would happily accept it. Right now, I'm very happy in Japan."
"And Japan is happy with you. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would mourn your departure. Well, we won't keep you any longer. Kyoko-san, Tsuruga-kun, thank you for taking some time with us. Congratulations and good luck inside."
The couple bowed their goodbye and headed into the venue where they greeted several acquaintances in the industry. Ren introduced her to most since he worked with so many.
Director Kurosaki from her Curara commercial and Director Shingai from Ring Doh walked up to the couple and offered their congratulations. The directors made Kyoko aware that they enjoyed her growth and were looking forward to working with her in the near future. Kyoko felt the butterflies flutter within her stomach, thrilled by the prospect of working with these talented directors again. The Directors glared at each other competitively. Kyoko had no clue what was going on since they seemed to have a private rivalry. Ren laughed. He knew they were probably fighting over who would get the opportunity to direct Kyoko's debut film. Lory probably left them hanging to keep all his options open.
The lights in the theater began to flicker indicating for the guests to take their seats for the beginning of the presentation. Kyoko sat on Ren's left while Director Ogata sat to the right of him. For the most part, the main cast of Dark Moon sat near each other. Kyoko turned her head around to take in her surroundings and caught Kijima's eye. He winked and smiled at her. Moments later his face grew pale and his smile faded. He turned away quickly. She looked up to find "Kuon" glaring at the poor guy. She scolded him to behave.
She didn't realize it but Ren had all the young men trembling in fear if they even thought about looking at his girlfriend. She was starting to feel nervous again as the night's host came out and did his spiel. Over an hour later, Kyoko's hands began to ache from all the clapping and her butt was falling asleep from sitting too long. During an intermission, she excused herself to the lady's room. She washed her hands and touched up the gloss on her lips. Before leaving, she lingered in front of the mirror to fix some wayward strands of hair.
Kyoko caught sight of the door opening behind her in the reflection of the mirror. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach when she saw who had entered. Kimiko's normally pretty face twisted in disgust. "Ugh, there's a bug in here. I thought this place was high class."
Kyoko pushed down on the grudge squirming to get loose. Please, mistress, let us out. There will be no witnesses here. More grudges began to stir.
Feeling spiteful and tired of being a target Kyoko mocked, "Oh Morizumi-san, it must be so nice to have a show-biz family to fall back on. Please do remember our bargain. It won't be long before you're irrelevant." Kyoko left one final parting shot before exiting the room, "good always trumps evil."
Kimiko's dark eyes glinted with malice burning holes into the door Kyoko just exited. That bitch! She looked around the lady's room rapidly. She wanted to throw things, scream, break something but this was hardly the place. It was all that bitch's fault that her life was going wrong. Her parents were getting tired of her antics. She lost her manager; the only person that understood her. Ren now looked at her with hostile eyes. She lost her livelihood and now even Cedric was pulling away. Irrelevant! Ha! I'll show her! She stomped around the restroom cursing Kyoko until she heard the door open. She instantly composed herself and pasted a demure smile on her face. She glided into a nearby stall, after all, she still needed the bathroom.
Kyoko took her seat shakily. Ren felt the tension rolling off her in waves and looked at her with concern. "Everything okay baby?" She felt her spirits lift and tried to smile through her discomfort. She tried to explain that she was fine but in the corner of her eye she caught Kimiko come through the door. Without even looking, Kyoko knew that the girl was staring daggers at her as she took her seat next to Cedric in the back. She felt a little guilty about the horrible things she said back there. She didn't even have the excuse to claim that Natsu took over.
She sighed again while Ren continued to eye her. She decided to just tell him. "I had a run-in with Morizumi-san in the restroom. I said some cruel things."
Kyoko flicked her eyes covertly to show the direction in which Kimiko was sitting. Ren, however, wasn't as subtle and looked completely over his shoulder. He made it so obvious that they were discussing her. He caught Kimiko's eye and glared. He flashed her his ultra-gentleman smile when she flinched. He had never openly shown her any hostility in the past despite her unprofessional behavior on their last job, but this time he would never forgive her for trying to hurt Kyoko.
Kyoko pinched him on the arm. "Ow!" He cried softly, rubbing at the spot.
"Why are you being so obvious?" She hissed at him.
"What? I just wanted to let her know that you aren't to be messed with especially after what she pulled on you," he said kissing her hand. His face turned solemn. "I could have lost you." He berated himself for not going straight to see her when he returned from Guam. He gave himself excuses for not turning up at the audition or calling her as soon as he thought they were over. The truth of the matter was he lost his nerve when Lory showed him the photograph of her kiss with Fuwa. He was glad he finally found the courage to tell her how he felt.
She placed her palm on his cheek and rubbed her thumb soothingly against his skin. "I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere. Please don't tarnish your reputation for me." He didn't care if anyone was looking, he caught her hand and kissed the inside of her palm. Kyoko's face turned as red as a tomato and was captured on the camera panning the room.
The lights suddenly dimmed and the murmurs quieted down. A voice over the speakers announced, "Presenting platinum recording artist Fuwa Sho." The curtain opened to reveal Sho playing the piano. Kyoko gasped. She had no idea Shotaro could play that instrument. She only ever saw him using his guitar.
She watched him lean into the microphone and sing in English, "Say something I'm giving up on you, I'll be the one if you want me to, Anywhere I would have followed you..." Kyoko gaped at the lyrics. What is he singing? A wave of emotions converged on her all at once. Who did this guy think he was? Why did the lyrics remind her of their past situation? "And I will swallow my pride, You're the one that I love, And I'm saying goodbye..."
When he finished the song the audience erupted with applause and gave him a standing ovation. Kyoko released a shaky breath. She didn't realize she was crying until Ren touched a handkerchief to her eyes. Despite their differences, her childhood friend would always occupy a space in her heart.
She gave Ren a small smile. Thank goodness the make-up artist was a veteran and had the hindsight to use waterproof products on her. Sho surprised her with that song. She had no doubt it would skyrocket his career internationally.
She joined the crowd and stood to clap as he bowed and blew kisses before running off stage. Kyoko sat back down and looked at Ren worried that he might misunderstand her reaction. "Ren, I..." she began. He shook his head and continued to smile warmly at her. "I understand," he told her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It was a good song and once again it was thanks to you that his fame will only rise. He owes you big time!"
She was close to tears again. How could he know her so well? She stretched and whispered into his ear, "I love you." His dazzling smile was all the answer she needed.
The announcements continued to run through the miscellaneous awards like best costume design or best title. The tension in the air increased as they approached the categories for the top awards. Kyoko watched on the edge of her seat as the big screen showed clips for each of the nominees for the Best-Supporting Actress award. If she thought she was nervous, Ren was the opposite. He fretted like a mother hen. It was comical that she was trying to calm him down and not the other way around.
She blushed when the clip of Mio successfully terrorizing Mizuki was shown. The announcer opened the envelope once they ran through all the reels of the nominated actresses. "The award for Best Supporting Actress goes to Matsui Haruka for her portrayal as the single mother Yui in the drama Sakura in the Spring."
The crowd was surprised by the results. The applause was a little stunted for the actress that won. Ren was heartbroken. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "There's always next time," he whispered. Kyoko nodded. She smiled and clapped for the other woman that won. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little disappointed but as she mentioned earlier being nominated was a reward in itself. She would give it her all in her future starting with Momiji so that one day she would be able to stand up there proudly before her peers.
Fans across Japan were outraged. Mio-sama was robbed was the outcry of the consensus.
The ceremony continued with the announcements of the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Soon it was time for the announcement of Best Actor. She was giddy watching the highlights of Ren's Katsuki on the big screen. She became anxious when they displayed the car scene with Katsuki expertly driving through the streets as the memory of that day came back to her. The fear that he might have been injured as she dashed towards the Dark Moon location was still fresh. She only felt relief when he responded to her touch.
When his clip ended Kyoko turned toward him. His eyes were completely focused on hers when the winner was announced. He couldn't hear. The thumping of his heart overpowered any other sound, and he was drowning in her amber pools. The crowd laughed as he was shown on the screen being shaken by Kyoko to get his attention. He won!
Ren made his way shakily up to the podium and accepted the award. He was stunned that he won and swiped at his watering eyes. He laughed nervously and took a breath before speaking. "Thank you everyone," he started as the applause died down. "I want to thank Director Ogata for taking a chance on me and not giving up on me. Thank you to my colleagues to the cast and crew of Dark Moon. You all made it and me so successful. There's one person above all that I want to thank. If it wasn't for her I would have been fired."
There was a collective gasp from the audience. It was difficult to imagine anyone else playing a better Katsuki than him. "Thank you, Kyoko, for helping me find my Katsuki. This award is as much yours as it is mine," he said beaming down at her from his loft on stage. He wanted nothing more than to thank his parents but to do so would stir questions he wasn't prepared to answer. "Thank you to all my fans! Without you, I would be nothing." He bowed and walked off backstage.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched the man she loved accept his award. He worked so hard for this accomplishment. Hopefully, now he would feel one step closer to achieving his dream. She was proud of him and knew his parents would be too. His tribute to her would be unforgettable.
AN: It must be your lucky day since I'm posting early. I have to focus on work and I can't do that with the urge to keep tweaking this chapter. Anyone see Kyoko's loss coming? I know I'm an ass...LOL
So I had some apprehension posting this chapter. It was brought to my attention that the last chapter red carpet idea was similar to another ff. I didn't think the idea of an awards ceremony/red carpet was original. It was something that I thought was bound to happen in the manga. When I think awards I think of Hollywood and the red carpet. The red carpet is where the stars show off their gowns and interact with the public through interviews. I wanted the people of Japan to see how gorgeous the pair were together. So I just pulled from my experience from watching some of those events. Thus last chapter and this one were born with the original characters and their personalities thrown into it.
In my defense, I can honestly say I have yet to read the ff in question and I refused to do so until I posted this chapter (naturally this is just my word so you can take it or leave it). So if this chapter still bears similarities I can only chalk it up to synchronizing with Nakamura Sensei's vision or as I was told great minds thinking alike. I try to make predictions about upcoming manga chapters and an awards ceremony was one of them. I wanted the RenKyo announcement to be more than just an interview or a statement with the press since both had been done in other fics, so I figured I would use this to set the stage.
I have no outline for this fic, I just have a beginning and an ending. I have prediction points (well not really a prediction, it's things Sensei has hinted to us in the manga) that I'm putting my spin on with hopes on how things would go down. If you've noticed, I'm slowly setting up future points I want to hit.
So no hard feelings, I just wanted to explain myself. I want to put this chapter behind me and I'm hoping some smut will revive me (spoiler) ;)
I apologize for my long rant. Thank you for continuing to read and big thanks to those that reviewed the last chapter. I promise I will describe their outfits in future chapters since I'm so fond of backtracking. You will have to wait.
The song Sho sang was "Say Something" by A Great Big World.
Until next time, ja ne! ^_^