Chapter 66: Love Triangle
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would have already drawn the line with Sho.
The next morning Kyoko turned on the entertainment news to watch while they ate their breakfast. A mug company seemed to be dominating the discussion at the moment. Kuon chuckled, turning up the volume on the television.
"In just under 12 hours, this mug company has sold out of its personalized boyfriend and husband mugs after Tsuruga Ren's endorsement last night during a live interview. The megastar claimed that it was a present he received just that day from his steady girlfriend, model, and actress, Kyoko-san. They have been dominating the tabloids ever since they announced their relationship at the Awards Ceremony, so it's not surprising that this would become a headliner. Here is a clip from last night's broadcast," the news reporter announced.
The screen switched to footage of Ren's interview.
"Tsuruga-kun, I see you insisted that you use your cup for your coffee tonight. Can you share with us the significance of it?" the interviewer asked curiously.
In the footage, Ren picked up the cup and smiled as if he was doing some sort of advert by holding out its screen-printed side for the audience to see. The camera zoomed in on the mug which was displayed on the big screen behind the chairs in the studio so everyone could read the font.
"I received this mug by delivery while on set from my beautiful and talented girlfriend Kyoko. Today, everything I drink tastes better coming out of this cup. It's the little things she does for me that I treasure most." There was a collective sigh throughout the audience. Ren took a dramatic sip from his mug and smiled.
It switched back to the news reporter, as she continued to discuss the influx of sales due to Ren's little sales plug.
Kyoko groaned, laying her head down on the table. She was so embarrassed. How was she supposed to show her face at work today? She could hear Kuon chuckling beside her. She turned her head to peek up at him just as he took a sip of his coffee from that very mug.
"You're not even worried about your reputation are you?"
"Nope!" He deadpanned.
"Even if they start calling you what is the word the guys at school liked to use...whipped?"
Kuon smiled broadly at the idea, "I'll take it as a compliment."
"You're hopeless!" Kyoko groaned again.
"Hopelessly in love with you," he retorted.
"And extra cheesy," she teased, throwing her arms around him.
"In other news, Fuwa Sho's concert was disrupted last night because of an argument that erupted in the stands. It's rumored that the disagreement escalated when Fuwa Sho's fans clashed with Kyoko-san's fans. There has been no word from either of the agencies confirming if Fuwa-san was indeed the other party in Kyoko-san's article," the woman reported.
Kyoko broke from Kuon and stared at the TV. Could this be the reason for the interview? Is Shotaro under attack? She didn't follow social media or watch much TV, so she wasn't aware of the total damage the article had done.
Kyoko squeaked down the hall in her Boh costume with Bridge Rock, their manager, and her father. It was embarrassing facing the brothers this morning as they gushed at how lucky Ren was for having a thoughtful girlfriend like her. They were at TBM early for an autograph signing and fan greetings for Yappa Kimagure Rock. Due to the extreme popularity of Boh and Kyoko, the producer reluctantly included her as well. When the cast stepped through the side door to the area where they would be greeting fans, the auditorium erupted with applause and squeals. Kyoko was in awe by the scene. She couldn't believe the hundreds of fans that woke up early to meet them this morning.
"Wow, I can't believe there are so many people at this hour?" Kyoko exclaimed.
The Ishibashi brothers laughed and joined in on her enthusiasm. This was Boh's first time being part of this kind of promotion, so they could understand her amazement. It had been the same for them.
"A lot of the fans in the front row were probably already here the night before. This is the largest turnout yet," Hikaru commented. "It's all thanks to you, Kyoko-chan. Boh is an integral part of the show because of you. Your fans are out in full force."
Waving to their fans, they crossed the stage and took their seats at the table. Kyoko was delighted to see that she had a huge stack of Boh headshots in various outfits to sign.
The hour that was allotted for Kyoko to sign autographs had flown by. In that time frame, she had written love Boh more than a hundred times, took just as many pictures with fans, and probably carried about forty babies and toddlers in her wings while the young mothers took their picture with her.
Kyoko was slowly coming down from the adrenaline rush of it all as she walked towards her changing room with her father. Tadashi carried her head since there was no longer any point in hiding her identity. Everyone knew who was inside the Boh costume now. There was still another hour for the promotion, but her backup had already replaced her at the front lines. She had stayed in character as Boh the whole time even when fans insisted on addressing her as "Kyoko" she didn't respond. In less than an hour, she would be facing Japan with Shotaro in the seat next to her.
In her dressing room, she stepped into the stall to take a quick shower. There was no way she was going into the interview smelling like sweat. While she washed, she thought about what had transpired last night in Lory's office.
"Mogami-kun, President Akatoki has requested that you have an interview with Fuwa-kun regarding your childhood sometime next week. He wants to use this interview to confirm that the friend you mention in the article is indeed Fuwa-kun. He thinks that if fans see you two behaving amicably together, they would move on from harassing either one of you."
Kyoko stared at Lory like he was crazy. Is seriously asking me to go before a live audience and interact with Shotaro? The last time we were on stage together was a disaster.
"I refused the President's request for next week," Lory continued. Kyoko sighed with relief, but it was short-lived. "I told him it was only possible if it happened tomorrow at the latest or not at all."
Kyoko gasped. Whaaa?
"Sir, why impose such an impractical schedule? Wouldn't next week be the better option?" Yashiro interjected on her behalf. The manager part of him was thinking about the already tight schedule Kyoko had the next day.
"This timing could not be more perfect. In this industry, there is always something better to replace old news," Lory explained. There was a collective "aha" moment throughout the room. The only person that looked confused was Tadashi.
"I don't understand. Is there some plan that I'm not privy to?" Tadashi asked, looking around the room.
Ren spoke up next. "It's okay to share with you since you already know the secret. The day after tomorrow we plan to reveal the Heel siblings to the nation. What the President is trying to say is that this current news, Kyoko's article, her connection with Fuwa, would all be old news and less significant when this new information is released. It's the nature of the business."
Tadashi's eyes widened in understanding. "I see now, so the media will have something bigger to focus on."
Ren nodded. "Yes! Unfortunately, Kyoko will still be at the center of it all, but it would be for her acting prowess rather than her personal life."
"Exactly!" Lory responded with a proud smile and threaded his fingers under his chin.
Done with her shower, she shook off the thoughts from last night and turned off the faucet. The broadcast they saw this morning probably had no bearing on the decision to have the interview. It seemed with the timing that this was something that happened afterward. Kyoko came out of the bathroom dressed for the interview and sat down at her vanity to apply her makeup. Today she was wearing a two-piece ensemble that Fuji gave to her. It consisted of a dolman sleeved crop top with three large stripes of red, pink, and orange. The matching skirt was a high waist pencil skirt of the same three colors but with thinner stripes. It gave her the look of a professional, but the colors and cut of the top kept her young and fresh. Kyoko styled her hair, topped her lips with pink gloss then left to meet up with her father in the lobby.
Sho climbed out of the van when they arrived at TBM studios. Unlike most notable celebrities that used the underground parking lot to enter the building discreetly, Sho eagerly disembarked at the front entrance with a dramatic flair. He swept his fingers through his hair and tilted his head up to the sky just right so the sun would glint off his perfect profile. The place was teeming with reporters, photographers, teenage girls, and young adults. Someone must have leaked out his location ahead of time so fans could gather.
He reached back into the van pulling out his guitar and slinging the instrument over his back while he waited for Shoko to join him. Sho was annoyed that it took all of two minutes before someone recognized him. It was two minutes too long for Sho's liking. This is all her fault was the single thought that had been crossing Sho's mind every time something went wrong in the last two days. The fact that he had to fly out late last night after his concert to be here already put him in a shitty mood.
He was Fuwa Sho! Why did he have to be at her beck and call? What was that stupid President thinking agreeing to this? Then there was that stupid news broadcast this morning. What fight? There had been one post with a picture on social media of a group of girls arguing at his concert. Of course, the hashtags didn't help. They insinuated that the argument was over Kyoko. The media was blowing things out of proportion. He had a meeting with President Akatoki this morning. He told Sho to look apologetic and keep things professional. Even though this was a taping to be aired later, there would still be a live audience.
Sho smiled and felt rejuvenated by all the pretty women surrounding him begging for an autograph. He posed for a few pictures before he made it inside.
"Sho you have a half-hour before the interview starts. I hope Kyoko-chan is already here so you guys can speak beforehand."
The squeals coming from the auditorium on the left caught his attention as giggling girls came out holding papers to their chest and talked excitedly among themselves. Sho's sharp ears twitched as he heard "Bridge Rock" and "Boh" in their conversation. He walked toward the door and spotted his intended target on the stage. Sho strutted to the front of the room and bypassed all the fans in line. He smirked at the chicken.
"Oh my God! It's Sho-san!"
"What's he doing here?"
"Wasn't he supposed to be touring until next week?"
"Why is he just staring at Boh like that?"
"Could the rumors be true?"
Sho walked up alongside Boh and gave the chicken a friendly pat on the back. He wrapped his arm over Boh's shoulders and cockily posed for the cameras. The fans shouted for them to look this way and that way as they took pictures.
Under his breath, Sho said, "I can't believe you're still doing this stupid job, Kyoko. Think about your image. You always were one to do degrading work." Sho could feel Boh shaking with anger as the chicken shook out of his grasp.
"Tch! Why are you mad?" Sho asked defensively, holding up his hands in surrender. The chicken was on the verge of going rabid. "Hey, I'm just thinking about your reputation. Plus, how long are you going to stay here? Don't you dare think about showing up to the interview in that getup?"
Hikaru who was sitting nearest to Boh heard everything Sho had said. He stood up and stepped up to the singer. "Wow, Fuwa, you're a real asshole. It's a wonder Kyoko-chan hasn't completely cut you out of her life. A stuck-up guy like you doesn't deserve her friendship. If you pulled your head out of your ass every once in a while you would see what a hard worker she is. Boh is just as important as any of us on the show, but a shallow guy like you wouldn't understand."
"Tch," Sho clucked his tongue. The other brothers had stepped up behind the smaller guy and were looking just as angry. He looked up to see the fans nearby whispering and taking pictures. This was looking bad. He leaned down towards Hikaru and whispered, "I see, you're in love with her. Good luck with that," Sho sneered patting him on the shoulder and heading for the exit.
Hikaru let out a shaky breath. "Leader you were so cool standing up to that guy," Shinichi exclaimed.
"Kyoko-chan would have been so moved if she saw you in action," Yuusei added.
Sho picked up his guitar where he had placed it down next to Shoko and left the room.
"Sho, what was that all about? You can't go around causing trouble at other people's work location."
"It's fine Shoko. Wouldn't it be good for people to see us getting along?"
"Yes, that's true, but it looked like something happened with the Bridge Rock group. What did they say?"
"It was a talk among men. You wouldn't understand," he replied in his usual chauvinistic kind of way which always pissed her off.
They walked towards the waiting room that the assistant producer had pointed out. Sho waited for Shoko to catch up before opening the door. Glancing in the room, Sho noticed Kyoko stand from where she was sitting next to a man. Shoko saw her and tried to greet her, but Sho pulled her back suddenly, shutting the door.
"Sho! What are you doing?" Shoko hissed as she tried to steady herself on her high heels. He had thrown her off balance.
"Shoko, that was Kyoko in there right?" Shoko nodded. It appeared to be the girl. There was no longer a trace of the awkward girl of long ago. As a woman, Shoko could appreciate how pretty Kyoko looked today. She had always thought the girl was beautiful and couldn't understand why Sho always insulted her by calling her plain. Today she knew her charge couldn't say anything derogatory about his old friend's appearance.
"If that was Kyoko, then who was in the chicken suit?" Sho asked sweating bullets. What exactly had he said earlier? Words like "degrading," and "embarrassing," came to mind. He hoped he would never run into whoever was in that suit ever again. He inhaled deeply and allowed his shroud of arrogance to drape over him then opened the door and walked in.
Kyoko lifted an eyebrow in his direction when Sho finally decided to grace them with his presence permanently. Tadashi had been showing her the features of her new phone when he came in since Kuon had managed to transfer her contacts and data over this morning. Her father made it look so easy but she was still getting used to the tactile functions.
"Oi! You have a phone, why haven't you tried calling me?" Sho demanded, marching straight up to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Shotaro," she replied sweetly with a roll of her eyes. "Maybe it's because I don't want to talk to you!"
"Shhh!" He said covering her mouth with his hand. Kyoko pried his fingers off her face angrily.
"Get your filthy hands off me. So unsanitary! I don't where they've been."
Sho was taken aback by the low growl that came from the unknown man standing close behind her.
"W-well, stop saying that name out loud in public," he stuttered nervously, glancing at the man glaring at him. Who the hell is this fucking guy? "W-what if someone overheard you?" He hissed. "My life would be over."
Kyoko rolled her eyes again. "Get over your name already." She ignored him and turned her attention to his manager. "Hello Shoko-san, let's work well together today," Kyoko bowed.
"Likewise, Kyoko-chan," Shoko said, returning her bow. The manager's attention fixed on the man in the room. He was handsome, well dressed, and gave off a commanding aura. He looks really pissed. Is he her new manager?
"Hey, don't just ignore me," Sho whined, stamping his foot.
"Hello, I'm Shoko Aki, Fuwa Sho's manager," Shoko said ignoring her charge, bowing, and presenting her business card. "You must be Kyoko-chan's new manager."
"I'm sorry Shoko-san, he's not my manager. This is my father, Morimoto Tadashi," Kyoko announced proudly. Tadashi bowed and presented his card in return.
"I am, however, accompanying Kyoko as her acting manager while I have some free time," he clarified. He pierced Sho with an icy glare. This is the arrogant brat that hurt my daughter. Tadashi studied the singer and concluded that the boy never suffered from a hard day's work in his life. His only struggles came from producing music. Tadashi did not doubt the boy was talented in his field. It was just a shame that he had the inflated ego to go along with it.
Sho scoffed and glared at Tadashi for a moment before pulling Kyoko off to the side. "Are you fucking insane? Are you so desperate for a parent's affection that you latch on to the first man that comes claiming to be your father? Did it ever occur to you that this guy is just taking advantage of you?"
"I'm not that stupid, naive girl anymore, Sho-ta-ro! And not everyone acts like you. He has shown me more kindness in the few weeks I've known him than you ever have."
Sho balled his hands into tight fists, "that's not true! I've..." A knock on the door interrupted whatever he was going to say. The assistant opened the door and informed them that they had ten minutes.
"Listen Sho, I know in your mind you think I'm still that silly girl you knew from Kyoto. You have opened my eyes. I believe in Tadashi-san and I don't need to explain my relationship with him to you. I'm begging you, when we go out there, please don't drag our parents into this. Let's focus on our 'friendship.'"
"Fine," Sho growled, clenching his jaw. He looked over her shoulder at the man staring back at him. A shiver ran down his spine giving him the chills. I have no clue what she's thinking. The man is clearly dangerous.
It had been less than two minutes when another knock rapt on the door. Everyone turned to the door to see who was coming in. Ren peeked his head in and smiled when his eyes landed on Kyoko. He strolled into the room, giving Shoko a curt nod, and openly glaring at Fuwa. The actor gracefully bowed to Tadashi and laid claim on Kyoko by kissing her on the forehead. Kyoko's face flushed immediately. It was an innocent gesture, but it felt more intimate in front of their small audience.
"You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear. Kyoko had to fight to keep from shuddering at his closeness.
"What are you doing here, Tsuruga? Out of work already?" Sho snickered, challenging Ren.
The actor ignored Sho and focused on Kyoko. "Are you nervous?" Kyoko nodded tilting up to meet his gaze. She wasn't sure what questions the host would be hurling her way. Ren and Yashiro had given her pointers in the car so she hoped she could steer the conversation in her favor if necessary.
"Where is Yashiro-san?" Kyoko asked, looking around Ren. On cue, their shared manager popped into the room greeting everyone present.
"Ren walks entirely too fast. I was only a few minutes behind finishing up some business and yet I couldn't catch up," Yashiro complained.
Sho decided he couldn't let it go as he watched the girl he grew up with interact with this stranger. He approached Ren and asked, "could I talk to you outside Tsuruga?" Ren nodded and followed Sho out. It had been a while since he had any kind of confrontation with the singer. Now that he and Kyoko were a couple, all the insecurities he felt towards the guy were gone. He still didn't like the jerk but he would at least hear him out. He didn't want him hurting Kyoko anymore.
When they were outside in the hallway and a few feet from the room, Sho stopped and looked up and down the hall before speaking, "have you and Kyoko both lost your marbles?"
"I'm sorry Fuwa, I have a hard time understanding idiocy these days," Ren mocked.
"You're the only fucking idiot around here, asshole! How could you let a man like that get so close to Kyoko? So close that she's deluded enough to call him father."
"It's none of your concern, Fuwa. I don't own Kyoko. I don't dictate who she lets into her life. If I did, this conversation, this interview you're having with her would not be happening with you right now. Despite all the terrible shit you've pulled on her, she still can't cut you off completely. I might not like it, but it's one of the many things I love about her."
"That's not the same. He could be toying with her emotions. When he's done playing daddy and slinks off to God knows where then what?" Sho asked in a frustrated tone. Ren couldn't blame the guy for being worried for Kyoko. He knew this guy had his moments when it came to protecting and caring for her.
"Kyoko knows the risks and I trust Tadashi-san. If the inevitable happens, he will answer to many people," he said, flashing deadly eyes on him. "I'll always be here to protect her."
Sho snorted. "Yeah like Karuizawa," he muttered.
The temperature around them dropped to frigid degrees as the actor's aura turned deadly. Oh, fuck! Sho gulped. The studio door down the hall banged open, saving his ass. There was no further talk on the topic as the assistant strolled down the hall to get them. "Hello, Tsuruga-san, the producer told me you made it. It was still a surprise when your manager called us this morning and said you could make the first ten minutes of the show. We are more than happy to have you."
"Yes, I wanted to support Kyoko even just a little bit," Ren replied, plastering on a brilliant smile that made Sho shudder.
"What the hell is this? Why is this guy involved? He's just a third wheel here. This is supposed to be about me and Kyoko," Fuwa argued with the assistant.
"Ah, Fuwa-san, sorry for the change. It wasn't set in stone that Tsuruga-san would be able to make it due to his busy schedule. Please understand that it is only for a short while. The remainder of the time will focus on you and Kyoko-san," the assistant explained trying to placate Sho. I guess the rumors were true about this guy being a diva.
The assistant brought the party to the back of the stage where they waited for their mark. Kyoko made it a point to steer her little group away from Sho, especially when she saw Ren's professional smile at maximum wattage.
"Are you okay to stay?" She asked curiously, happy to have him here but worried about his schedule.
"I may have shamelessly inserted myself into the show a bit," he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He looked so cute and nervous waiting for her reaction that Kyoko could only squeeze his hand in thanks.
"Five minutes," a staff member announced while final instructions were being given to the live studio audience.
The hostess of the show followed shortly with only enough time for introductions. "I'm Dr. Kenishiro Reino. Thank you all for being on the show."
Kyoko and Ren bowed respectively while Sho just had to open his mouth.
"So you're a doctor," Sho began flirtily but was instantly stopped by pain erupting in his foot. Kyoko had ground her heel into it to keep him from being unprofessional.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Fuwa-san," Kyoko covered her mouth in shock trying to stifle her laughter. Sho glared at her as he tried to walk off the injury, cursing and muttering to himself. He ignored the snickers coming from Ren.
"Reina-san, you're up," the assistant called out.
"I'll see you all out there. Let's have a good show." Reina took her place in the chair and addressed her audience. Once the audience was nice and primed, she called on her guests.
Kyoko walked out between the two men trying to fight down her nervousness. She channeled some of Ren's calming aura to walk without tripping. In heels, her normally brisk pace was slower than usual. Sho was already pulling ahead of her, but as always, Ren slowed his pace to match hers. His hand brushed hers as they walked towards the couch, sending a wave of tingles up her arm. The audience's applause and shouts were exhilarating, helping Kyoko to rein in her nerves by their outpouring of support. They had no clue all three of them would be on the show. Kyoko felt like a piece of bologna, sandwiched between the two men as they settled on the loveseat. Anyone watching the show would conclude that this was a cliché love triangle troupe found in every Shoujo manga. Special effects were unnecessary as sparks flew between the two men above her head.
"I'm sure you are all surprised at today's guests. I'm very excited since these three have been the hottest topic in the news. Kyoko-san, Tsuruga-san, and Fuwa-san thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us today."
They bowed their head slightly, greeted Reina, and thanking her for having them on the show. "Since you're all here, I'm assuming that it is safe to say that Fuwa-san is the friend mentioned in the article? So you were all childhood friends, I'm sure the audience would love to know what that was like?"
Sho scoffed, "Who's friends with this guy?"
Ren chuckled. "Dr. Kaneshiro that is an inaccurate statement. Fuwa-san and I were never friends. Kyoko and I met as kids. It was through playing with her that I learned about 'Sho-chan' though." Ren raised his voice several octaves to mimic a cut six-year-old Kyoko making the audience laugh.
Sho scowled at the immature use of his name and Kyoko pinched Ren's leg. He didn't even flinch which annoyed her. Ren was teasing her, but it was nice that they could joke like this now. She remembered the dark days when she had no clue why Ren would get so angry over just hearing Sho's name.
"Eh, so it was like that," Reina commented ignoring Sho. "Kyoko-san, I think all of us are eager to know what you and Tsuruga-san used to play when you met as children."
Kyoko's eyes went sparkly thinking about the past. "We played pretend a lot. I know we hunted down stones that reminded us of hamburger steak that I would pretend to 'cook' for him. He showed me how to skip stones in the river. What else?" She asked smiling at Ren, but before he could add anything she started again. "Oh, even as a kid Ren was good at acrobatics. My six-year-old self thought he could fly when he jumped through the air."
"Lies," Sho muttered under his breath. He forgot he had a small mic attached to him so any sound he made was amplified.
Dr. Reina turned her attention to Sho. The whole premise of her show was to have all parties talk things through like family therapy. Lory Takarada had hand-picked her show for them to hash things out. "Why do you think they're lying, Fuwa-san?"
Sho was surprised by the question. Everyone stared at him expectantly, so he answered honestly. "I was closest to Kyoko. She never once mentioned meeting him. Don't you think it's weird for a young girl not to go around flaunting that she made a new friend that could fly?"
Everyone turned towards Sho, astonished that something intelligent came out of his mouth for once. Sho shrugged at their looks like it was no big deal.
"Kyoko-san, do you have anything to add to that? Fuwa-san is implying that you two meeting as kids is a publicity stunt," Reina clarified, glancing between Ren and Kyoko.
Ren's gentleman smile intensified. He didn't know Sho well but he was sure the singer was not implying that at all. She was reaching to keep her audience engaged by drumming up a non-existent scandal. Reina was preying on the biggest downside to Kyoko's article. Many saw it as a ploy to increase her popularity.
"I'm not sure if anyone would believe me, but I wanted to keep him as my little secret. I didn't have any friends aside from Fuwa-san growing up. I didn't want my warm memories of him to be defiled by anyone, even my so-called best friend," Kyoko answered sincerely.
Sho scowled but didn't contest it. So what she told him in the hallway during the PV shooting was true. She did run off and cry all on her own. That's probably when she met him.
Reina smiled at Kyoko. "I think we can all understand those feelings, Kyoko-san...We're going to take a short commercial break. Tsuruga-san has to leave us, but we thank him for taking time out from his busy schedule to be here with us. When we return we'll talk more with Fuwa-san and Kyoko-chan."
Kyoko stood with Ren and squeezed his hand. He looked down at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. He wanted to kiss her goodbye, but they quite literally had a full audience watching them this time so he held himself back.
"You're doing great. Just be yourself and everything will be fine," he assured her, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. Sho made loud exaggerated gagging noises feigning sickness.
"Something wrong, Fuwa?" Ren asked, irritated by the singer.
"Yeah, you! Go before I lose my breakfast. The break is almost up," Sho huffed and crossed his arms over his chest cockily.
Ren gave Kyoko's hand a final squeeze and waved goodbye to the audience. Before leaving, he leaned down to give Sho one final warning, "If you hurt her." That was all he said and stood back up satisfied by the fear in the singer's eyes. He would leave it to Sho to fill in the blanks of what he would do to him if he hurt Kyoko again. He walked off the stage toward Yashiro and Tadashi with a heavy heart. It took all his willpower to leave her behind with that jerk.
"Ren, is it okay to leave her like this?" Yashiro asked concerned.
"She'll be fine," Ren said with conviction. He glanced one last time at Kyoko and caught her staring at him. She flashed him a cute smile and waved. Hidden from the audience, Ren lifted his hand and blew her a kiss. He smirked at the little blush forming on her cheeks from his little action. Just fine.
Sho grumbled, witnessing the whole exchange, "you really are a love idiot."
Kyoko smiled happily. "Thank you for the compliment."
Sho stared at his childhood friend stupefied by her response. It wasn't meant to be a compliment.
"We're back!" Reina announced, engaging the audience. "Tsuruga-san had to leave us, but we can shift focus to these childhood friends. If you're just tuning in and if I didn't make it clear, Fuwa Sho has confessed to being the childhood friend mentioned in Kyoko's article."
"Kyoko-chan, knowing Fuwa-san's popularity, why didn't you want to disclose that you were friends in the article?"
"Well, Dr. Reina-san, I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting his reputation."
"Tch, protecting me...you shouldn't have gone mouthing off to a reporter in the first place."
"What? It's your crazy fans that talk too much. The reporter was already going to write whatever he pleased. He was nice enough to let me get my say in before publishing," Kyoko argued defensively.
"Oh, so you're saying this is all my fault!" Sho sulked. "I can't control what people say about me."
"I know that! I only thought to give him facts that wouldn't hurt anybody and protect your anonymity. I didn't want people to associate me with you. If I had my way I would have kept my past with you in the dark forever. I never wanted the whole country to know what a naive girl I used to be. I'm embarrassed, but this is the price of being an actress. Sooner or later, this would have come to light so I wanted to do it under my terms."
Sho opened his mouth ready to argue to the point of death. Watching Kyoko keep her cool while he looked like a juvenile, made him bite his tongue and kept him from retorting.
"That's great Kyoko-san, girl power!" Reina began clapping with the audience immediately joining in. When the applause died down, she resumed questioning Sho seriously. "Fuwa-san, if the article is to be believed, you took advantage of Kyoko's feelings for you on your way to stardom. Do you feel any remorse?"
No matter what excuses Sho made up to explain his behavior, he would look like the bad guy. He repeatedly told himself not to smirk. It would damn him in front of everybody if he smiled cockily right now. President Akatoki would be angry and kick him out. "Of course, I feel terrible. I apologized didn't I?" He said with a smirk. Damn you, stupid face and your arrogant reflexes! Why are you smirking?
Reina stared at him skeptically. Jeez, this guy! That is not the face of someone that feels terrible for the things he did to his friend.
Kyoko tried to salvage Sho's response. Why was he being an idiot right now? "It's true! He apologized to me properly. I've moved on with my life, but I'll be lying if I said there wasn't any residual pain left over. Like I said before, I'm grateful to him. If he had not asked me to come to Tokyo so selfishly and throw me away like a used tissue, I wouldn't be acting right now. I wouldn't have met Ren again. I'm still healing and working on my self-worth. It's getting easier with friends, family, and work I enjoy. If someone told me over a year ago that this would be my life sitting here like this, talking with all of you, and having my love reciprocated, I would call them crazy. But I'm so happy right now," she declared, hiding her flushing cheeks in her hands. "So I say to all the young women out there, don't stop believing in fairytales. You might have to kiss a few toads before finding your Prince charming, but true love exists."
"It sounds like you've pretty much forgiven all his transgressions towards you, Kyoko-san. You're a stronger woman than I. There are a few exes of mine that can just burn in hell," Reina added with a cackle. She cleared her throat when her guests stared at her awkwardly.
Sho spoke up to defend himself. "I admit, I'm an immature and selfish person. I knew Kyoko had feelings for me and I took advantage of them. There was no one else that I could rely on. She already knew all of my bad habits. I knew she would forgive me and continue to stay by my side. I guess this time there was just no going back. I might not be making much sense, I think. I'm better at expressing myself through music," he finished with a lopsided grin that had all the ladies in the audience swooning, including Reina.
"That's right, Fuwa-san! You just reminded me of the English song that you sang at the awards ceremony. Did that song have anything to do with you two?"
"I selfishly wrote that song inspired by emotions I thought people felt over having to make the hard decision to move on from a failed long-term relationship. What everyone needs to understand is that the viewpoint of the song is not my own. The meaning of the song varies from listener to listener. What I'm trying to say is, even if their interpretation differs from mine it doesn't mean they're wrong. That's the beauty of music, it moves people differently."
Kyoko gaped at Sho, awestruck by his clarity.
"If you don't mind I wrote another song," Fuwa told Reina.
"Fuwa-san, you want to sing right now?" Reina asked. She cast her eyes backstage searching for the Producer on the sidelines and received a thumbs up to proceed.
"Yes, if you don't mind. I brought my guitar. I don't need anything else."
"No, it's okay right, Kyoko-san," Reina gushed, leaving no room for the actress to disagree. They were going to hear one of Sho's new songs on her show. This was going to be great for her ratings. His manager met him halfway on stage to hand him his guitar.
Kyoko shifted uneasily wonder what Sho was scheming. She hoped her grudges didn't try to kill him in front of a live audience. Sho strummed his guitar and made minor adjustments to the tuning keys until he was satisfied. He nodded to Reina that he was ready. Receiving the green light, he strummed the melody for over a minute. Kyoko began to think that there were no words until he added his voice singing in English.
"I once knew a girl, in the years of my youth, with eyes like the summer, all beauty, and truth. In the morning I fled, left a note and it read, someday you will be loved..."
Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise as he sang directly at her. Never in a million years would she have thought Sho capable of writing such a song. That was a lie. She always had faith in him. The moment reminded her of their early days when he used to sing his songs to get her critique. She had been so infatuated by him then that every one of his songs sounded amazing to her. Sho could do no wrong in her eyes back then. Hypnotized by the words, the song invoked images of the man that was now her boyfriend, the love of her life. For a second there, she got lost in her thoughts thinking of nothing but Kuon. Kyoko shook her head slightly trying to refocus on the song. Her childhood friend had come a long way from the boy sitting on the couch with the oversized instrument sitting on his lap. Now he was a successful man that captivated millions of hearts but no longer hers with his music.
"You'll be loved, you'll be loved like you never have known, And the memories of me will seem more like bad dreams, Just a series of blurs like I never occurred, someday you will be loved."
Kyoko clapped enthusiastically when the song came to an end. She dabbed at her watering eyes with the tissue Reina handed to her. Even if his fans couldn't understand all the words, they would have felt the emotions Sho emitted while singing. She didn't like that it implied they had some sort of relationship beyond friendship, but she had to admit it was a great song. She had no doubt this would boost his career internationally.
AN: Thanks for sticking with me everyone. I apologize if the interview felt rushed or fell flat. I initially went in there wanting Sho to make an ass of himself, but since I was already making him grow I couldn't make it work beyond what I did. It was enough for me that it confirmed he was her douchebag friend. Plus, it was getting so long and I didn't want to leave you all hanging by cutting it off. XD
Thanks for continuing to read and big thanks to those that left me feedback on the last chapter. I appreciated it.
I'm traveling for work this week so I'll be sure to use the flight to write the next chapter.
The song Sho sang was Someday You Will be Loved by Death Cab for Cutie.
Until next time, ja ne! ^_^