Chapter 57: Waiting Game
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Ren would noticeably perv out every time he saw Kyoko in uniform.
Tadashi refused the invitation Kyoko had extended to him for dinner. They just returned from work and needed to settle back into a routine; he didn't want to intrude. At least that was the excuse he gave her as he hung back in the President's office. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with them, but unfortunately, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Tadashi had sent a text to Sota to look into Queen B using the elite hacker he had on payroll. His old friend would probably have more information for him in the next hour.
When the trio had left, Tadashi settled into the seat across Lory's desk. The eccentric president raised his eyebrow at Tadashi's forwardness.
"What are you not telling me Takarada-san? I have a feeling you know more than you are letting on. Has she been threatened or receiving hate mail by fans? Going public about dating Ren-kun couldn't have gone over so well considering how popular he is. If someone is targeting her, I want to know about it. If I need to hire a bodyguard for her, I will. Yashiro-san looks sturdy enough, but he can't be in two places at once. I want to know, as the President of this organization, how do you plan to guarantee my daughter's safety?"
"Morimoto-san, I assure you that Mogami-kun is safe. She knows that when Yuki isn't around, Ruto is lurking in the shadows. It's an arrangement that has been successful thus far, so please don't accuse me of not taking care of my employees. They are all my precious children."
"I appreciate that, Takarada-san. So something did indeed happen if you are sending your right-hand man out to play bodyguard to a newbie actress. I'm not belittling my daughter's talent, I'm just stating that it looks suspicious to me that a greenhorn like her is getting special treatment. I need to know."
Lory sighed. There was no getting anything past this man.
"Your daughter is a magnet. People are drawn to her. In the short time she has been with LME, she has changed many lives. I watched her single-handedly thaw my granddaughter's heart. She has a couple of talented directors already squabbling over who will get to direct her debut film and more lining up to work with her. What I'm trying to say is that there are a lot of envious people in this industry."
Tadashi looked at him blankly waiting for him to get to the point.
"As you know, Mogami-kun is in the middle of filming The Sacred Lotus as Momiji. She auditioned for that role and won it when her contender Morizumi Kimiko failed. Well, Morizomi-kun had another plan up her sleeve guaranteeing her that part. She and her manager drugged Mogami-kun and tried to throw her from a three-story balcony."
"They did what! Tell me these bitches are in jail right now Takarada!" Tadashi shouted, as he stood and paced in front of the desk releasing a litany of curses.
Lory lifted his eyebrow again finding it amusing that Tadashi had started speaking in English.
"Jail would be too good of a punishment for anyone trying to harm my little girl," Tadashi snarled.
Lory responded in kind. "They have been dealt no punishment unless you count that your daughter and Koenji Erika of the Koenji group are now blackmailing her to stay out of anything show biz related."
"You mean to tell me these women are running free after attempting that stunt with my daughter. Where is your sense of justice? Is that why you have Ruto-san following her? You can't guarantee that they aren't still a threat, and what do you mean by blackmail?"
Lory explained the reasons for Erika's involvement and how she had used Kyoko as bait to collect the evidence needed to trap Kimiko. Yashiro had managed to catch them in the act before any serious harm could come to Kyoko.
"I want to see the evidence. Please tell me you have a copy. I'm acquainted with Koenji-san we've made deals on the golf course before in Hawaii. If I have to go to her father with this I will," Tadashi told him sitting back down reverting to speaking Japanese.
All Lory had to do was nod his head slightly and Ruto appeared like a ninja with a laptop.
It was on the car ride home that Ren revealed to Yashiro that he had met Kyoko when he was ten years old. It probably wasn't the wisest decision to break that kind of news to their manager while he was driving due to his propensity to freak out. Yashiro nearly veered off the road before he safely pulled over. He turned in the seat and peered into the shameful faces of his charges.
"How long have you two known of each other?" Yashiro asked as he narrowed his eyes at the pair of them.
"It took me some time to recognize her but I've known she was the little girl I met in Kyoto over a year ago," Ren admitted.
"And you Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked directing his gaze to her.
Kyoko flushed. She had been in denial for so long. Even when she met Corn on Guam, she still refused to acknowledge that they were the same person. She refused to see it.
"I admit I was six years old at the time so my memories of those days are a bit hazy," she hoped she could get through this without giving up Kuon. Her memories of that time spent with her fairy prince were as clear as yesterday. She couldn't admit that she didn't recognize him since he had changed his appearance. She needed to protect his secret until he was ready. "The clues were there, but my heart would not let my brain accept it. I could no longer deny it when Ren confessed to me a few months ago," Kyoko admitted embarrassed. All this time her fairy prince had returned to her side. Helping her the same way he had when they were kids.
"Ren, I can't believe you kept such a secret from everyone. If you had told her sooner, you guys could have saved us all a lot of trouble," Yashiro admonished easing the car back onto the road.
"I was giving her time to heal, at least, that was the excuse I kept giving myself. The truth was as time progressed, it just got harder and harder to tell her the truth." He turned to Kyoko, "I was worried you would hate me and feared rejection."
Kyoko responded with a sweet smile and laced her fingers with his.
"Wow! Honestly, Ren, this is the first time I've ever heard you voice your true feelings out loud especially with me around," Yashiro admitted stunned. The manager had lost count of the many conversations they had while in transit regarding his feelings for Kyoko. Ren would often deflect or deny Yashiro's accusations. Hell must have frozen over if he's speaking freely right now.
"Wait! Why are you telling me this now?" Yashiro asked skeptically, glancing at them in the rearview mirror. This had to be bad.
"Koki-san will be using this information in the article. We didn't want you to find out with everyone else. You're our important friend," Ren explained. Yashiro wanted to weep tears of joy.
"Not to change the subject, I'm touched that you finally admitted we are friends but speaking of friends...Kyoko-chan, have you asked Ren about Kotonami-san?"
"Ah! I didn't have the chance. Ren, Moko-san is returning from the States soon…errr you see the thing is…um…I was hoping to throw her a welcome back party bu-," Kyoko stammered. How could she ask him to give up his personal space like this and let strangers into his home?
"Kyoko, our apartment is your home too. If you are trying to ask permission to have your friends over to celebrate you don't have to. I just ask that you warn me whenever they are coming over. I don't want them to catch me in my boxers," he teased.
Kyoko groaned. Her face burned with embarrassment, "Can you please not say unnecessary things around Yashiro?"
Yashiro's inner fangirl squealed with delight as he noted that she in no way denied the fact that Ren walks around their house practically naked. Did this mean he already won the bet he wagered with the President? How on Earth were they supposed to confirm such a thing without asking the couple outright. He didn't think posing the question, are you guys having sex, would bode over well.
"So when are they coming over? Is there anything you need me to do? I can order food," Ren asked trying to be helpful. He had never had to organize a party among friends so he wasn't sure what had to be done.
Kyoko gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She loved him so much. "Thank you, I'm waiting on Moko-san to confirm when she would be returning. It should be soon."
"Well, I would suggest not having it right after she arrives. Give her a day to settle in, she'll be very tired from the jet lag."
"Ah, I didn't even think of that. It is indeed a long flight and then the time zone changes. I wonder if it's even wise to have one. Moko-san might think it's an inconvenience," she replied, dejectedly.
"It won't hurt to ask right. Even if Kotonami-san is a bit abrasive, she usually goes along with you," Ren said trying to cheer her up.
"Ren's right, Kyoko-chan, you could entice her with a low-calorie Japanese meal. I'm sure she was homesick even if she wouldn't admit it," Yashiro added. He tried not to show his enthusiasm for Kanae's return lest these two pick up on his feelings.
They talked a little bit more about the dinner party before Yashiro pulled into the parking garage. "I've sent you both your schedules so check your mail. Ren, you'll be very busy trying to make up the lost time. Kyoko, you'll be starting school again soon so we can't accept too much. I will pick you both up at 7:30 am tomorrow for your R'Mandy fittings. It was the only spot I could squeeze that in since Fuji-san couldn't wait a few days."
"Kyoko, what are you doing?" Kuon asked as he stepped into her room. He inhaled sharply, as he watched his girlfriend try on her school uniform, reminding him that she was still in high school. Was he a pervert for becoming extremely aroused looking at her in the uniform? Probably.
Kyoko's breath hitched, as she looked intently into his green eyes through the mirror's reflection. "What is it?" She asked, noticing his troubled face.
Without answering, he entered the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He let his chin rest on top of her head and stared back into her amber eyes. Even if the uniform made her look younger, he knew that she was very much a mature young woman.
"Do I look funny? Is my skirt too short? I think it got shorter. The skirt's waist is sitting higher on my hips," she told him.
He sighed heavily. "It's no good. You are too enticing in this get-up," he told her as his hands and lips began roaming over her body.
Kyoko giggled and squirmed out of his arms. He pouted giving her the Cain level two puppy face.
"There's no time for that right now," she said unconvincingly. "We need to set everything to rights now that we're home. I'll start cleaning in the kitchen after I change."
Kuon sighed and went out to begin the arduous tasks of cleaning their apartment. Yashiro had dropped them off over an hour ago, but it was still early evening. He was still a bit nervous for her about the article. They weren't quite out of the woods yet, and now, a person was lurking behind a computer screen out to harm her. He had the sinking feeling that he could be the cause of all this, perhaps a deranged fan or a jealous person lurking on the sets that wanted to ruin her and their relationship.
Kyoko walked past him as she headed for the kitchen. Kuon held a feather duster in one hand and fiddled with his phone in the other, most likely looking for music. He admitted that it made cleaning fun. It was a habit he had picked up from his parents. She found it hard to believe that the Hizuris did their cleaning. He told her that they did indeed have a housekeeper during the week but his parents did assign him chores around the house to keep him from being spoiled. On weekends, they fended for themselves. When he was younger, on Sundays, they would clean as a family. Kyoko was happy she moved in with him. Living together gave her little tidbits of the complicated life her boyfriend led. There was so much to learn about him.
Wearing her rubber gloves, Kyoko began cleaning the stove when the song came on.
"Hey where did we go, days when the rains came, down in the hollow..."
This was a new one for her. She smiled as she heard him singing along as he dusted.
"Our hearts a thumpin' and you, my brown-eyed girl, you're my brown-eyed girl…"
Kyoko rolled her eyes as blush crept on her cheeks. This man and his songs! She wondered if he had a secret playlist with all songs that had brown eyes in their lyrics. I should look into songs that paid homage to green eyes.
She peeked around the corner to spy on him. It was as she thought. Dust a little...hold said feather duster like a microphone, then dust a little more. She tip-toed to her phone where it charged on the countertop. Assuming her hiding spot, she rapidly clicked the camera button to capture him in action. This is going in her treasure pile. She smiled at her current wallpaper on her phone. It was the photo that Yashiro had sent her the other day with Ren flexing his biceps in his fireman gear. The pictures she received from their manager was more than she could ever dream of.
"Do you remember when, we used to sing, Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da..."
She covered her giggle and went back to cleaning.
Kyoko was glad Kuon didn't have a housekeeper. The mundane task of cleaning always calmed her when she was feeling particularly anxious. She thought about this Queen person and her rage flared instantly, awakening her grudges. She scrubbed vigorously at the stove until the stainless steel shined brilliantly. Could Morizumi-san still be targeting me in a roundabout way? Technically, she wasn't violating the agreement with Erika. It appeared that she was trying to take Kyoko down with her. Kimiko would be sorely mistaken if she thought that Kyoko would just roll over and accept her poor treatment. Kyoko decided she would wait to see if her father and Lory could confirm her accusations before she went accusing the woman. She didn't want to be wrong.
"Wow, who would have thought that creepy guy we saw on the street was capable of pulling off such a performance, eh Kimiko?" Cedric asked glancing at the young Japanese woman as they walked out of the movie theater playing Tragic Marker. Cedric was a sucker for slasher films. He had been interested in the movie even before Kimiko's invite. While watching that guy's interview after the premiere, Cedric had made the connection with the couple on the street. It made him even more inclined to watch it. He had accepted Kimiko's invitation, only because he thought she would be a good interpreter. His Japanese was spotty, but he was able to follow along due to all the suspenseful and action scenes.
Kimiko moped beside Cedric. She was annoyed by her response to the film. She had been hoping to criticize the BJ actor, Cain Heel, for his weak performance; instead, she found herself praising the guy in her head. No wonder he could afford to be so arrogant the other night. He had the skill to back it up and look down on others.
"Kimiko, did you hear me?" Cedric asked, nudging her on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry Ric, what did you say?" she asked in her sweet voice turning her full attention to him.
"That was the guy, right? The one we bumped into on the street with his sister. I wouldn't have recognized him in the movie if I had not seen the interview and photos of Cain Heel. I wonder if he did his own stunts?" Cedric asked enthusiastically. He continued to talk giving her no room to respond.
"That ending was genius, but it left no room for a sequel. Which is good, I guess. Hollywood takes sequels a little too far if you ask me. I think we're on like SAW 5000 right now."
Kimiko agreed. There were a lot of movie sequels out there that should have stopped at one.
"Do you want to get a bite to eat?" Kimiko asked Cedric not wanting to end the night even if it was getting late. His time here was numbered and she was no closer to getting him to return her feelings. She hoped tomorrow's forecast would lift her spirits.
Tadashi made his way down to the basement stairs and pounded on the door. The same burly looking guard opened the little window. He saw it was him and demanded the password.
Tadashi scowled. Is this guy for real! Angrily he pulled out his phone so he could berate Sota. Before he could make a snide remark, the guard burst out laughing as he opened the door.
"Man you should have seen your face. You were ready to kill someone. Boss ruined the fun."
"Tch!" Tadashi clucked annoyed and brushed past the guard. He headed straight for the table where Sota usually sat and slid into the seat across his friend.
"Yo, Tadashi, how's life? You look exhausted. Kid not keeping you awake at night is she?" Sota teased with a grin.
Tadashi gave Sota a bleak look. His teasing was not funny.
"Is that for me?" Tadashi asked nodding to the folder sitting on the table not bothering to answer his friend's questions.
"Cold as ever bro," Sota said with a smile. He pushed over the folder in time for Tadashi to push over an envelope packed with Yen.
Unable to wait until he got home to peruse the information, Tadashi opened the folder and looked at Sota. "Is this information accurate?"
"Come on man. What do you take me for? My guy was able to bypass those firewalls on those websites like it was child's play. He even installed a backdoor so when she logs in next time it would alert him."
"Why are you so interested in this girl? Don't tell me she's another one of your long lost daughters?"
Tadashi grimaced. His words were a stark reminder of his past error.
"What did the princess do to earn the ire of this girl? I've printed out the posts with her handle. I swear girls are scary especially the high school ones. Her family is practically royalty when it comes to Show-biz here in Japan. They have their hand in everything."
Tadashi relayed to him all that he had learned today regarding his daughter and Kimiko Morizumi. On top of the balcony incident, Lory had informed Tadashi of the occurrences taking place on the set of Sacred Lotus. The sabotage had seemed to cease altogether the moment extra security was put in place. They had suspected Kimiko as the mastermind behind those accidents, but the girl couldn't be in two places at once. Plus, she didn't have access to some of the props and set locations.
"That could only mean she could have had inside help. Maybe somebody on the team was leaking her information for money," Sota suggested.
Tadashi had suspected as much but hearing it from Sota, an outsider, made it all the more credible.
"If I get you a list of everyone associated with the Sacred Lotus, would you be able to figure out who is in cahoots with this girl?"
"I can try. Usually, I can pull credit reports and see who needs the money. If they're paid with cash then it would be a lot tougher to narrow down."
"I'll call Takarada-san right now and see about the list. Can you send me a softcopy of this information? I want to send it to him." Tadashi said then stepped away to make his phone call.
With a few taps on his phone, Sota had sent the information to Tadashi. Even though they had some fun times in America, Sota was happy to see his friend caring for a woman again even if it was only his daughter.
AN: Thank you everyone for sticking with me. I apologize for the filler but if I kept going I was bound to cut it off and have you shouting blasphemies at your phone.
Thank you for continuing to read and big thanks to those that left me a review on the last chapter. I appreciate it.
The song Ren was cleaning to was Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl.
A Musing Brunette has been capturing the songs in this fic on her YouTube channel so please search for her name. She has many wonderful SkipBeat playlists. Thanks so much!
Until next time, ja ne! ^_^