Chapter 30: One Glimpse

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Ren and Kyoko would be playing house by now.

Morimoto Tadashi tapped the glass conference table impatiently with the tip of his designer ballpoint pen. The sun had set a couple of hours ago and still, his team brainstormed for the best course of action to approach the project. It was already delayed several months before he was asked to intervene because he was Japanese.

He didn't notice that his actions were grating on everyone's nerves until Mya put a stop to it with her hand. She gave him a stern look. Tadashi straightened up in his seat and cleared his throat, embarrassed for not focusing on the discussion. As the marketing agent continued to drone on, he found his hand reaching into his jacket pocket to soothingly clutch the pouch that he assumed belonged to his daughter. He didn't know if it was important to her, he just assumed so since the stone was protected by a velvet cloth inside a small purse. Since it was hers, Tadashi found it priceless to have something his daughter owned and possibly cherished.

He was livid when Sota handed him the bag the night before. He looked at him blankly wondering what he was supposed to do with women's clothing until Sota informed him of the botched infiltration of Kyoko's room.

"How was I supposed to know that the soft vibrations of my footsteps would send an oversize flower in an unsteady vase tumbling," Sota exclaimed in defense.

"I take it since you're here you escaped successfully," Tadashi grumbled.

"In my haste to make it look like a robbery, I scattered and grabbed random things as quickly as I could then ran out of there." Sota slouched into his seat and sighed. "I'm getting too old for this." He usually hired people for this kind of work but since it was a personal request from his friend he had no choice than to do it himself. He gestured to the bag. "All the stuff in there are things I took to cover my tracks and yes there are hair samples on the brush you can use."

Taking the bag, Tadashi handed him the envelope and left. He didn't want to waste any more time and went straight to the lab. He felt excitement and fear when the results came back 99.9% positive that she was indeed his daughter. He paid the tech for his discretion and headed home to mull over the results.

It was already very late or early morning when he arrived home. He couldn't sleep. He looked at the results once more and then looked at the photos he found of her on the internet. He had perused fan sites, online magazines, her company profile, and just about anything that mentioned her. The latest news all tied her to the actor, Tsuruga Ren.

They made a cute couple. He felt a tinge of jealousy towards the young man. The loving expression on Ren's face when in her presence was enough to confirm to Tadashi that he truly cherished her. He was familiar with that look. It was the same one he used to wear when he was with Saena all those years ago. He stared at the image of his daughter on the computer screen. He was amazed at how his love for Saena resulted in creating a beautiful life. Looking at the timing of Kyoko's birthdate, she had to have been conceived during their last couple of weeks together. He closed his eyes remembering those days like it was yesterday. Saena had been exhausted back then which they both chalked up to overworking and stress. She could have been experiencing a symptom of pregnancy instead.

He now regretted drugging her with that sleeping pill that night. He was relieved that it had not harmed his daughter. At the time he thought his attentions were good. He just wanted her stubborn self to sleep peacefully for once. He knew she would refuse to take it if he had offered it to her. Regardless, it was wrong of him to give it to her unknowingly.

He wondered if he would have stayed if he knew beforehand that she was pregnant with his child? He wasn't so sure remembering how he was in those days. He was selfish and ambitious to the core back then. Would he make a good father? That was something he couldn't answer unless he tried. He knew in his heart that he wanted a relationship with his daughter. He wanted to make things right or at least put the decision on Kyoko to perhaps give him a chance.

He thought of possible scenarios that could play out in order to meet his daughter. Should he use deception? He could set up some sort of chance meeting if he knew her patterns and habits. He would have to rely on Sota once again for that. Another plan was to go through her agency. He could hire her for work. If he approached LME with a lucrative CM or photoshoot offer for one of his company's most popular brands he doubted she would be able to refuse. The company used celebrities and models all the time to promote some of their products. He discovered from his research that she had her mother's work ethic. After watching a couple of episodes of her recent drama Box R, Tadashi was astonished by her talent and beauty. Her Natsu character reminded him of her mother: beautiful, charismatic, and from what he had seen recently in that trial clip, cold.

His time in Japan was numbered. Could he think of a CM quickly that she would find worthy to accept? How would he get her to interact with him right away? It would look weird if he, as an older man, suddenly took interest in her work. He didn't want to cause her that kind of trouble. He wanted to make amends and not cause more strife. He ignored the tiny voice in his head that told him coming forward would still cause her strife.

Continuing to deceive her was not the correct route to go. She would probably be angry and upset as it is for the burglary. If only the man had done his job properly he wouldn't have this added mess. He would have to come clean about it to start on the right foot with her. At least the brush contained hair follicles that allowed the lab tech to do successful testing. He wondered if he should approach Saena but decided against it. They seemed estranged anyway.

"Sir, should we use this instead?" The agent asked, interrupting his musings. All eyes at the table were directed at him. Even if he wasn't paying attention, which he would never admit to, he was intimately familiar with the topic to cover himself properly despite not listening. He backtracked the conversation in a way that he managed to get the full story of what had been asked of him. He manipulated his questions to make it seem like he was just being thorough before answering. The only person in the room that knew he wasn't paying attention was Mya. He cringed when he met her gaze. The employee pressed on when he had successfully answered the question and had the agreement of the rest of the members in the room.

Tadashi's phone buzzed with a message from Sota.

The Package has arrived.

Tadashi's heart rate sped up. He stood and told those present that he had urgent business pop up in New York that needed his attention. He handed Mya authority to make necessary decisions to keep the project moving forward and excused himself for the night. He called his driver to pull the car to the front of the building and stopped into his office to pick up the bag. Hopefully, luck would be in his favor.

Distraught! That's how Kyoko felt right now. She was in utter despair internally as she packed her room. It was late in the evening with the dinner rush at the Darumaya in full swing; however, she was told by Okami to focus on her room. Kyoko looked around the place as she added her meager things to a box. This room had been a haven for her. A place of refuge when she had nowhere else to go. She would never forget the kindness of her landlords. They told her that she would still have a job for as long as she wanted it and would always be welcomed home.

She didn't want to express her feelings of just how upset she was about having an intruder in her room. Her landlords had been wonderful to her. She didn't need to make them feel guilty for something that was her fault. She couldn't say she wasn't missing much when in her heart the thief had taken everything. Right away she noticed the white day gift the Ishibashi brothers gave her was gone, along with some articles of clothing. She tried not to imagine what the thief was doing with her undergarments. She shuddered in disgust just thinking about it.

Her room was nearly packed and yet it was nowhere to be found. The beloved Corn stone that helped her survive her darkest times was missing. She would curse this thief and his offspring to oblivion for this irredeemable slight. Her grudges stirred happily around her, feeding off her hurt and anger. If she ever found the trespasser she vowed to make him pay dearly if he didn't have her treasure.

She didn't have time to stew in her dark feelings because Ren was helping her pack. They were alone after Yashiro had left to bring boxes down to Ruto. She swore he was doing it on purpose as he once again came upon something embarrassing she owned. First, it was her numerous collection of Ren/Kuon/Corn dolls. She had more than he initially thought and couldn't help teasing her.

"I don't know how I feel about this," he said making the doll in his hands do the talking. "It's creepy having so many little versions of myself in our home."

Kyoko huffed and snatched her beloved senpai doll out of his hands and gently packed him away with the others hiding the soft blush on her cheeks. Home. She loved how his eyes sparkled and his smile broadened when the word was mentioned concerning their new living situation.

"Can I have this?" Ren asked with his awestruck voice piercing through her dark thoughts. She turned to see what he had stumbled across this time. He had the box of Setsu's clothing that she had safely tucked in the back of the closet out in front of him. Ren had a lacey red thong stretched between his fingers. Kyoko's face burned, turning her deepest shade of red to date. She lunged for the lingerie but he was too fast for her. With a chuckle, he held it above his head out of her reach.

She cursed herself for being too short as she jumped for it. It was useless. She should learn by now that she was no match for his height. She needed to get him down. Thinking quickly, she used one of Momiji's moves to hook her leg on the back of his knee to get him off balance. He wasn't expecting it and stumbled. Kyoko didn't hesitate to take advantage of his weakened position. She tackled him to the ground and tried to wrestle the undies from his fingertips. It annoyed her that he couldn't stop laughing. She was finally able to grasp it but Ren still managed to hold on to a piece of it. She nearly had it when they both froze at the sound of a throat clearing. Ren let go before she did, sending the material sailing across the room like a yanked rubberband.

Yashiro walked into the room to find the two love birds wrestling on the floor over something in Ren's hand. Since they had 't noticed him, he took the liberty of snapping a few pictures. They were so engrossed in their love play that he had to clear his throat to gain their attention. His vision was impaired when something smacked him in the face catching at the edge of his glasses. He calmly counted to ten before removing the offending object. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and his cheeks blazed once he realized what he held.

Kyoko moaned with mortification and buried her face in her hands. She prayed to the Gods for the earth to just swallow her up whole.

Ren laughed harder at their manager's expense. After getting over her initial embarrassment, Kyoko joined him. His carefree laughter was contagious. And just like that her anger and sadness were replaced with mirth. Ren smiled when he realized he managed to distract her. He knew how much the stone had meant to her. It was really as he said when he first discovered it at the foot of the steps of LME's parking garage, a cheap stone he found while perusing local wares on one of his many exotic vacations as a child with his parents. There was no way he could easily replace it.

Yashiro handed the garment to Kyoko, unable to meet her eyes. He would have never thought that the Princess of Propriety would own such a pair of risque underwear. Ren's bad boy side had to be rubbing off on her.

"If you two are through horseplaying, how about we finish this up," he said sternly, acting like the grown-up for once. He busied himself with another box so the twinkle in his eye wouldn't betray him. It would be late by the time they got back to the apartment at this rate. It was good that he managed to push Kyoko's statement to later in the morning the next day, unfortunately, Ren's day started before hers.

Earlier that morning they stopped by Lory's office to make him aware of the situation. Yashiro gave him the quick version of what transpired last night over the phone but Lory wanted to talk it over in person.

When the three of them walked into Lory's office, they were blasted by icy cold air. Ruto materialized by their side offering thick puffy coats to keep them warm. The place was riddled with snow, frozen boulders, tents, and colorful flags. They discovered Lory and a few others climbing a make-shift version of Mount Everest. Kyoko never realized how high the ceiling was in his office until that moment. It was remarkable since it was over 32 degrees celsius outside. Lory was taking this new theme to an extreme. Kyoko could only imagine the air conditioning bill to keep the room this cold. They watched in fascination as he broke away from the group and repelled himself down.

"Good Morning, my children! Anyone want to have a go?" he asked, gesturing to the snow-capped mountain. They vehemently shook their head No with chattering teeth.

"Let's sit over here and get warm." They followed Lory as he led them to a large tent that was pitched on the other side of the room. Warmth greeted them immediately upon entering. Ruto handed them tin mugs of tea through the mouth of the tent then zipped it closed. It was awkward sitting in close quarters sitting in such close quarters. They sipped the warm liquid, willing the feeling back into their numb limbs before Lory spoke.

"Let's get down to business. How are you feeling Mogami-kun?" Lory addressed Kyoko first.

"All things considered, President-san, I'm doing fine." Lory cocked a brow, skeptically making Kyoko squirm under his scrutiny. "I guess I'm agitated that there's someone out there willing to take such a huge risk to break into my home without waiting for the restaurant to close. I'm worried that it may happen again. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," she finally admitted.

"I had Ruto get in touch with my contact at the police station. We have a copy of the report and what little evidence they acquired from the scene. It's a dead end. This man left no fingerprints, footprints, or any sort of DNA behind. An amateur would have left something traceable," Lory informed them, rubbing his chin with his hand.

All three were surprised by Lory's revelation. Was this the work of a professional? What did he want with her?

"So you've decided to move in with Ren?" Kyoko nodded shyly in response. "If you aren't comfortable with that decision Mogami-kun, I can help you find a secure place," Lory told her, ignoring Ren's scowl.

"Oh no, sir, that's not necessary. I am happy to be living with Ren," she gushed. "Thank you for the offer."

Lory smirked with satisfaction. "I will lend you Ruto tonight to help facilitate your move. The apartment's security is top-notch so you can't ask for a safer place. I will have Ruto install a personal alarm today on the apartment itself for redundancy. You can set the alarm when you leave for the day and set it at night before you go to bed. If anyone tries to get in while activated authorities will be notified," informed Lory.

"President, is this a serious problem? Does Kyoko have a stalker?" He reached out for Kyoko's hand to offer support and reassure himself. He was nervous about her safety. Who could be targeting her?

"I just want to be cautious. It could very well be nothing but me overreacting; however, with all the press that you two have been receiving I would like to take the extra precaution. There are some passionate people out there."

Lory addressed Kyoko again, "I have asked for a press conference here tomorrow. You can make a short statement that will hopefully quiet down the wolves for a bit and send them back to their dens."

Kyoko nodded. She wanted to get rid of the reporters as well. It was difficult just getting into the office since they were camped outside the parking garage and at the front of the building. She worried about the Darumaya couple. She didn't like that she had caused them trouble once again.

Tadashi was shown to a small table and placed his order. The place was busy with paparazzi still buzzing around the front. He hoped to catch one glimpse of her by dining at the restaurant where she lived. He waited all evening for Sota's message to notify him of her return home. Tadashi ate his dinner slowly to bide his time. His bento contained miso soup, salad, pickled radish, three kinds of sashimi, rice, and much more. Being a cook himself, he was impressed by the food quality the small establishment produced. He would like to cook for his daughter the same way he used to for her mother. He wondered if she had a talent for cooking or if she took after her mother in that regard.

He heard movement above but she had yet to come down. It was rude of him to stay any longer so he paid his bill and left. He made his way around the building where luckily no reporters lurked. There were two cars by the rear of the entrance and one of them looked suspiciously like a small moving van. Tadashi hid in the shadows watching a foreign man and the familiar Japanese agent of Tsuruga Ren place boxes into the van. This situation could only mean one thing, she was moving. He smiled at their quick response to ensure her safety. He was glad she had people watching out for her well being. He would have done the same after the security breach.

He held his breath when she emerged from the restaurant with the male actor carrying a few bags between the two of them.

"That should be everything," she said and handed her bags over to be placed into the van. She went back inside for a few minutes while the men waited. Tadashi needed to act quickly before he had to rely on Sota again to find out where she would be leaving. When she came out again, he stepped out of the shadows and approached the vehicle. He was startled when out of nowhere the foreign man blocked his path.

...

"Sir, please don't come any closer," Ruto warned. He eyed the distinguished-looking gentleman suspiciously. He noticed the man skulking about in the shadows a few minutes ago but decided to observe him.

"Is there a problem, Ruto-san?" Yashiro asked as he approached them. Ren and Kyoko were settled in the car unaware of the ensuing situation.

"Everything is fine Yashiro-san. Please go first and I will meet you there," Ruto assured him. He blocked the man again trying to take advantage of the small interruption to look at the car.

"Okay, but please call if you need help." Yashiro returned to the car and got inside.

After Yashiro left, Ruto regarded the businessman thoughtfully. He noticed the hopelessness marring the man's face as he stared after the departing vehicle. He had yet to introduce himself. Ruto's intuition told him that this man was not an enemy. He was skilled at reading people and deduced that this man had no malicious intent. Since he was at this location, he assumed he was here to see Kyoko.

Lory trusted Ruto to take the best course of action in this situation so he made a calculated decision. "If you have any business with them, please take it up with the President of LME," Ruto advised and handed him a card. He stepped into the van and left the stunned man in his wake.

Omake

Ren came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped low around his hips pronouncing the v-shape of his chiseled torso. He paused for a beat as he took in the sight of his girlfriend already laying on top of the covers of his, no, their bed. He didn't think he would ever get used to seeing her there every night.

His dick grew in anticipation with each passing step. By the time he made it to her side, all his blood was pumping to his groin. She was curled up in a fetal position soundly asleep wearing one of his T-shirts. The shirt rolled up in her sleep exposing her perky little ass. She undid him. The crafty little minx was wearing none other than the infamous red thong she so passionately fought him over earlier. Did she plan on seducing me?

His nostrils flared as his eyes wandered up her silky legs to the curve of her ass and rested at the core of her sex barely covered by the thin red lace. He let out a huge sigh. The kind of sigh that felt like his soul was departing his body. He lifted her slightly to free the covers beneath her and cover her body. He berated himself for taking such a long shower. When she was tucked in, he strolled back to the bathroom to endure yet another cold shower. Now that they were living under the same roof, they could take their time exploring each other.

AN: Phew, here it is. I hope those that celebrated survived the holiday without expanding their waistline too much. I jumped time around plenty in this chapter so I hope it flows for you readers. It made sense to me so I left it as is. I've proofread this until I was cross-eyed but I'm pretty sure there are still typos and grammatical errors. If so, I appreciate you calling me out on them.

Thank you for continuing to read and big thanks to those that left me a review. I hear (read) you, my reviewers, you keep me straight. I truly appreciate the feedback. I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time, ja ne ^_^