Chapter 67: Justice for Boh!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Sho's true nature would be exposed to his fans.

Ren sat across from Lory waiting for him to say something, but the infuriating man just sat there smiling to himself in that creepy conspiratorial way that always put him on edge.

"Don't look so worried, my boy. I just wanted to congratulate you," Lory said offering him an olive branch and yet the creepy smile persisted.

Ren glowered. What is he scheming now? He couldn't think of anything he had done recently that warranted a congratulation.

"I heard you imposed yourself on Kyoko's interview this morning," Lory smirked proudly, then bellowed with laughter until tears escaped the corners of his eyes. Ren scowled, annoyed by the president's amusement at his expense. It was so out of character for Tsuruga Ren to do something unprofessional for personal reasons.

"Have there been complaints? I'll apologize properly if it caused any trouble for the network. Although, I would do it all over again if given the chance."

"Quite the contrary. The producer was very excited about the turn of events. He didn't mind at all. I'm pretty sure their ratings would go up once it airs later tonight. It's a shame you didn't have more time. Dr. Reina might have had you spilling your guts," Lory smirked again.

"What are you saying? If given the time, she would have picked up on my past? Please give me more credit, Boss."

"We'll never know now, would we? Some of your directors and producers have also noticed a change in your behavior. They attribute it to you being in love and I have to agree with them. I think your feelings for Kyoko have allowed you to love and accept yourself a little more."

Ren contemplated the changes within himself. He did not doubt that he was more accepting of his past. He wouldn't have to face it completely until he was back in L.A.

Lory stared at the young man in front of him and pondered his words. Was it so shocking to find chunks of his armor coming loose?

"Are you ready for the interview tomorrow? I'm still curious to know how Morimoto-san found out about the Heel siblings. I couldn't ask last night since a lot was going on."

"Ah, well, he had coincidentally seen us in a cafe one day and assumed with his observations. Unfortunately, he asked me a trick question in which the answer resulted in giving us up."

Lory hummed. Interesting. The boy was lowering his guard around Tadashi that he was easily tricked into answering such a loaded question. It was a good thing they were no longer delaying the reveal. People tended to make mistakes with time. Lory was surprised that so far no one from the premiere party of Tragic Marker spilled the beans.

"How did the interview go this morning? It's airing tonight on prime-time television. I think it's more than enough time to let that news settle over the people before we knock them out with another punch."

Ren sighed, "People might think our meeting as kids was a total lie. Fuwa brought up some valid points so there might be some backlash. I know why Kyoko didn't tell anyone about me. Keeping it a secret was part of the game we played together."

"Kyoko-chan, you can't tell anyone about me, otherwise I would be unable to return to this world," the fairy prince warned her.

"I can't even tell Sho-chan? He's my bestest friend. I wanted him to see you fly."

"Especially your precious Sho-chan. My magic only works on the truly devout. Promise me, Kyoko-chan! Promise me you won't tell anyone.'

"I promise Corn! I won't tell anyone!"

It was his fault that she didn't tell anyone about their friendship. He thought it would add drama and mystery to his character and keep the adults from butting into their playtime together.

"I wouldn't be so sure of Fuwa-kun. That boy has a habit of digging his own grave," Lory said seriously. He had no doubt he would be getting another call from Akatoki soon.

Ren cocked a curious eyebrow, but Lory refused to elaborate. He wondered what the ass could have done in the last few hours to land him in hot water again. It better not involve Kyoko.

"More importantly, Ren, your choice of login name on Kyoko's fansite isn't very original. Please be more aware of what you post on there. Your last one had Yuki running to me. He said you could be a potential stalker and that I should look into it."

"What did you tell him?" Ren squirmed in his seat. If Yashiro knew he was Emerald-eyed Fairy, he'd never let him live it down.

"I told him you were a harmless thirteen-year-old girl that fancied herself in love with Mogami-kun."

"Why did it have to be something so extreme Boss?" Ren exclaimed, covering his face with his hand.

"That's the least of your worries. I'm pretty sure that man has already investigated that name for the same reasons Yuki wanted me to look into it. Unfortunately, he has the resources to find out it's you right away. I can't help you if he tries to confront you again regarding your identity."

Ren pursed his lips. He didn't think about the implications of his login name. Would Tadashi probe further?

"Shoko Aki, seriously, why do I pay you so much when you can't even manage a few hours without that idiot getting himself into trouble?" President Akatoki bellowed out of her phone, causing her to pull it away from her ear.

Their flight had just touched down on the tarmac from their short trip to Tokyo when Shoko noticed the two missed calls from the President. Gnawing on her thumbnail nervously, she had called him back right away.

"Sir, there must be some mistake. Sho did the interview then we came right back. The new song apologizing to Kyoko was a huge hit with the audience."

"Check your messages, Aki. I'm sending you the link. Call me back after you've watched it properly," Presided Akatoki said before the line went dead.

Shoko sighed and rubbed her temples in an attempt to relieve the migraine that was threatening to develop.

Shoko gathered up her belongings as the crew readied the plane for them to disembark. Sho's driver was already waiting for them as they headed to the car. Once they settled in the car, Sho looked over at his manager fumbling with her phone.

"What did the old man want Shoko?" Sho asked pulling off his headphones.

Shoko ignored him as she clicked on the link that the President just sent. The image shown before playing the clip was of Sho standing with the chicken from earlier. Shoko knew that what she was about to witness was going to require more work on her end. The video was titled Justice for Boh!

Sho leaned over to look at her phone as she hit play. Shit! Sho thought. One of the fans at the Bridge Rock signing this morning had caught Sho's exchange with not only the chicken but also the confrontation with Hikaru.

"Sho, how stupid can you be? I swear every time I think you've grown up a little you go and do something stupid! You're going to take a hit, the president is pissed off right now. You'll have to make a public apology! It's the only way to salvage this."

"Tch!" he clucked his tongue. "Why should I? I thought it was Kyoko. She knows how I am. If anything, that person in the chicken suit should apologize for deceiving me. My time is precious. I would have never wasted it on that loser if I knew it wasn't Kyoko."

"Ugh, that's not the point idiot! Kyoko-chan is the nation's darling right now and you've gone and insulted her regardless if it wasn't her in the suit. I have to call the president back."

"Tch, that old man won't say anything. I'm his biggest moneymaker," Sho boasted, rubbing his pinky finger in his ear in a juvenile gesture to show that Shoko's nagging was irritating him.

Shoko smirked at his attitude, hoping the president had a suitable punishment for him.

"Hello, sir. Yes, I saw the video...Yes, I know, sir, I told him. I think that would be our best option right now. Okay, I'll let him know. I'll report to you as soon as it's over." Shoko hung up the phone and closed her eyes, releasing a deep sigh. Sho swore he saw a part of her soul escape.

"Well, what the hell did he say already?"

"You have a press conference in an hour. The president wants you to make a public apology."

"What?! You call him back right now and tell him I'm not doing it! I'm his biggest star. He can't treat me like this! It's bullshit! "

Shoko opened her phone again to show him the video on various social media sites. "Do you see this number Sho? That's how many times this video has been shared and viewed by the masses. This video has gone viral. Look at these comments. They are calling for your head. You've worked so hard to cultivate your image these past two years and in just under an hour you've managed to ruin it. You act like such a child whenever Kyoko-chan is involved. You need to fix this!"

"Tch! What a fucking hassle! It's your job to get me out of this, Shoko!"

"Not this time! President Akatoki said he would fine you 50 million yen if you don't apologize!"

"What the fuck?! That greedy bastard just wants my hard-earned cash!"

Shoko glared at him unamused. His comment didn't even warrant a rebuttal.

"Fine, I'll do it!"

"He also wants you to apologize in person when you return to Tokyo after the tour to not only Kyoko-chan, but the Bo actor, and Bridge Rock."

Sho bit back a retort and shoved his headphones on to drown out Shoko. Can this day get any fucking worse?

Kyoko looked confused by the onslaught of questions the press threw her way as she tried to leave the Sacred Lotus site.

"Kyoko-san, do you have a response to Fuwa Sho's public apology?"

"Does this confirm that he is your childhood friend?"

"Kyoko-san is this the kind of abuse that you have endured at the hands of Fuwa-san growing up?"

"Is Fuwa-san still bullying you?"

Kyoko kept her face neutral and ignored the questions as she entered the car. What did that idiot do this time? I thought we were putting this all behind us.

"Father, do you know what's going on?" Kyoko asked Tadashi. She had been so engrossed with work that she only managed to return her boyfriend's messages during a break.

"It seems Fuwa-san made a blunder before the interview this morning. I was waiting to tell you until after today's work. I didn't want you worrying," he explained and handed her his phone to watch the viral post. Kyoko's eyes widened as she watched the video. His condescending way of demeaning her had not changed. She didn't care if he insulted her alone, but that idiot had dragged in the Ishibashi brothers and her Boh substitute into the mess. It was unforgivable. Her grudges who had been on hiatus for quite some time had started swirling around her, feeding off her anger.

Tadashi sighed. This was the second time he had glimpsed his daughter's dark side. He supposed it was inevitable that she would develop such characteristics given her history.

"Shall we go break his legs?" Tadashi asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Eh?" Kyoko squeaked out, staring at her father while trying to decipher if he was being serious or not. "No, no, no, there's no need for all that. You don't have to go that far," she backpedaled, making her grudges retreat. She didn't want to see her father go to jail for that guy.

Tadashi laughed. He was glad he was able to take her mind off of that little punk. He didn't like seeing that dark miasma surrounding her. He wanted her to always be happy. Kyoko was relieved when she realized he was joking.

"Anyway, you should click the link below," Tadashi told her, pointing below the first video.

In the video, there were several fans and some people dressed up as mascots holding up signs as they chanted, "Fuwa has to go! Justice for Boh!"

The chanting ceased when Sho took his place at the make-shift podium to speak.

"I wanted to apologize for my rude behavior earlier towards Kyoko, Boh, and Bridge Rock. I realized now that the things I said were malicious and insensitive. I have been trying to work on my immature behavior, but it's obvious that I still have a long way to go. I thank everyone for reminding me of the proper conduct befitting a Japanese idol. I didn't mean to undermine the work of a mascot. They have an important function in the entertainment business bringing joy and laughter to those around them. I plan on apologizing in person to all parties involved when I wrap up my tour here. Thank you for your time."

Sho ignored the questions being fired at him and headed into the hotel.

...

Tadashi had dropped Kyoko off with the promise that he would help her in the morning to prepare for Kanae's arrival. She had decided to hold the welcome back party that following night. She knew Kanae would be tired from the long trip, but Kyoko knew her friend well. If she didn't ambush her tomorrow, she would never get this chance again. She missed her friend and wanted to spoil her.

Kyoko made dinner that evening. It had been a few days since they were last able to eat together. She had texted him when she got home to gauge what he would like to eat. Surprisingly, he quickly responded with hamburger steak. All that talk during the interview had probably sparked his interest in the meal. As she waited for him to get home, she briefly thought about Sho. She wondered if he would ever be able to grow out of that terrible personality of his. He had his good moments, but those were few and far between. It served him right that he would be suffering from his little stunt for a while. She had texted the Ishibashi brothers on their group chat and apologized for Sho's behavior. Their responses were unanimous, stressing that it was not her place to apologize for his actions and adding that they were totally fine. She put her phone away when she heard the tones of the code for the front door being punched in.

"I'm home!" he greeted, beaming when he caught sight of her in the living room wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of leggings. He loved it when she wore his clothes. It made him feel possessive.

"Welcome home, Kuon" she replied with an equally dazzling smile. She rushed to give him a hug and a kiss that he returned enthusiastically.

"Go wash your hands while I set the table," she instructed and disappeared into the kitchen to bring out their dishes.

Kyoko was carrying out two glasses of green tea when Kuon finally joined her. Her heart skipped a beat when she peered into those gorgeous green eyes. Even though she went to bed and woke up gazing into those emerald jewels, it always took her by surprise at how beautiful his eyes were.

They sat at the coffee table and Kuon turned on the TV, finding their interview from this morning already being aired. The screams and cheers through the television speakers were just as loud as she remembered. She can hear the chants of the almost all-female audience call out both Sho and Ren's names. Someday soon, she hoped they would scream her name out loud with similar enthusiasm.

Kuon was pleased by how cute they looked together as they took their seats and loved how Kyoko unconsciously leaned more towards him while he was there. During the commercial break after the brief segment with Ren, Kyoko thought it was best to tell him.

"Corn, um, there's something I have to tell you about the interview. You see… um... Shotaro sang a song and um, it eluded to some things that weren't true. I had been stressing about how to tell you this whole time. Please don't be angry."

"Oh really?" Kuon said a hint of Ren's gentleman smile playing on his lips. "How touching of Fuwa to write another song inspired by you?"

"Please don't hate me, Kuon-sama! The one I love is you and only you!" Kyoko wailed tears pricking the corner of her eyes.

Pfffft! She's so cute! Kuon chuckled happily at her outburst. "Nothing you could do would ever make me hate you. Even if you shatter my heart into a thousand pieces, I would still always love you." He gathered her in his arms and kissed her gently until he became distracted by Sho's song. Damn! This guy is good. A song like that sung from raw emotions would thaw even the coldest of hearts. He heard Fuwa's message loud and clear and frowned as he watched the song play out.

"What were you thinking about here? You're staring at him so intently, yet I could tell you aren't looking at him."

Kyoko's face blushed a deep red. She mumbled, "Iwasinkingoutyou."

"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that. Can you say it louder?" He leaned in closer, cupping his hand over his ear in an attempt to hear her better.

She shoved him playfully since he was teasing her. "I said I was thinking about you! The song was good, but I liked it mostly because it reminded me of you. He got it wrong though, I had already met you. It just took me a long time to admit it."

"Yes, you made me wait entirely too long," He teased, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. The rest of the interview was forgotten as they deepened their kiss.

"Judging by that song, it seems the two of you were more than just friends. Wouldn't you agree audience?" Dr. Reina said, teasing the pair. There was a clear distinction between "Yesssss!" and "Boooo!"

"Ugh no, don't be deceived by the lyrics. As a top-selling artist, I wrote the song knowing that it would appeal to a wider audience. I think I was still able to express my feelings to Kyoko clearly," Sho admitted with no reservations.

Kyoko waved her hand in front of her as if shooing an annoying fly. "That feeling towards this guy has been gone a long time. The adolescent love I thought I had for him was nothing compared to the love I feel now..for Ren," Kyoko confessed, holding her burning cheeks. "I can't believe I said that so easily," she giggled nervously. "Please forgive my rash behavior."

"Oh, don't apologize, Kyoko-san, we're all secretly wishing to have the affections of Japan's number one actor. Am I right ladies?" There was an undisputed "Yes!" throughout the studio. Even some of the backstage women answered up. Kyoko wanted to sink into the couch.

"Tch! What's so great about that guy! I'm just as good!" Sho whined.

Kyoko laughed hysterically at Sho's comment for a long while until she cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Please excuse me," she said composed again and smoothed out her skirt. She focused on Reina as Sho shot daggers at her.

"You don't have to laugh that hard! Jeez! Just because you're a little famous now doesn't mean you can look down on others," Sho sulked.

Kyoko took a deep breath. 'Don't take the bait, Kyoko. He's just trying to rile you up.'

"I apologize. It's probably because of my feelings for Ren that I find it humorous that you're even comparing yourself to him," she replied with a sweet smile.

"Just you watch! I'll become more famous than that guy!" Sho declared.

"My, oh my, I can see someone is a little jealous right now. Is it because Kyoko's attention is on some guy other than you?"

"What? I get plenty of attention. I like to think of myself as belonging to everyone. I can't tie myself down to any one person, right ladies?" Sho answered arrogantly, appealing to the audience. The ladies loved it and cheered for him.

"If you say so, Fuwa-san," Reina smirked. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have today. Thank you to our lovely guests for coming on to the show. I wish you both all the luck in your future endeavors. I'm looking forward to seeing you grow in your respective career choices."

Kimiko's eyes were glassy as she watched the interview. Her hair was tangled and stood up on the sides of her head. Lately, she was in the habit of pulling at her hair in an attempt to free her mind from the paranoia that threatened to consume her. She had not showered or dressed for over twenty-four hours. Reaching for the remote, she calmly shut the TV off and rose from the couch. Numbingly, she shuffled over to her bed, buried her face in the nearest pillow, and screamed. She screamed and screamed until her throat ran dry. When she was through with her little tirade her mind felt a little clearer.

He has feelings for that bitch! The thought echoed through her mind. If I can just see him and talk to him I'm sure he would want to bring her back to his side. If Ren-san saw them together again then he would break up with her. All of Japan would turn their backs on that cheating slut.

Kimiko's shoulders shook as she sat in front of her computer with greasy hair draped over her face as she waited for it to boot up. If anyone walked into the room they would have thought, she was hunched over her desk crying. If they looked closer, they would see her wild eyes and sinister smile as she giggled quietly to herself.

Her thoughts of triumph were short-lived when her phone chimed. She turned her pale face to the device sitting near her on the nightstand. The ominous sound of her phone chiming again was a reminder of her current situation yet she couldn't bring herself to turn it off. She flinched as it chimed again then extended a shaky hand, grabbing her phone to read the message. It was worse much worse than she anticipated.

Ric: Sorry I was busy and didn't see your message earlier. I'm beat so I'm going to crash early.

Kimiko felt her heart lurch as the man she loved once again blew her off. This was the second night in a row that he used that excuse. Is he avoiding me? That thought sparked some semblance of anger in her. She decided to call him.

"Ric's phone," came the low sexy purr of a female voice that clearly did not belong to a grown man.

"Hey, what are you doing with my phone?" Kimiko heard Cedric ask from a distance in broken Japanese.

"Noth-!" Beep. Kimiko held the phone to her ear a few moments longer listening to the disconnected tone. She needed to step up her plans and return to acting before she lost him completely.

AN: You can thank your fellow readers and reviewers for the result of this chapter. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

Big thanks to those that left me a review on the last chapter. I enjoy reading your thoughts.

Until next time, ja ne!