Chapter 72: An Evening with Friends

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Saena would eventually take an interest in her daughter's life.

Dressed in Arabian robes, Ruto managed to quietly manifest before Lory holding the telephone. "Sir, Mogami-san is on the phone," his right-hand man announced stoically.

"Bahhh!," Lory pouted, unbecoming of the fine white silk and embroidered Sultan robes he wore. This call signified that he just lost to Ruto. While watching the Heel sibling reveal, Lory and Ruto had made a friendly bet on how long it would take for Kyoko's mother to call him. Lory had counted on her not watching the reveal and being unsure of her place in Kyoko's life that it would take a day or not at all for her to demand his head. Ruto, on the other hand, announced that she would call before the day was over.

Lory reluctantly put down the draft scripts he was reviewing and propped himself up on the ornate chaise he lounged on. He answered the call, "Takarada Lory." It was all he said for a few minutes as he listened to the tongue lashing Kyoko's mother gave him about the discrimination of women by the crude young woman he made her daughter portray and the revealing clothing he made her wear.

When he was finally able to get a word in edgewise, Lory went on the defense. "Mogami-san, while it warms my heart that you are showing so much affection for your daughter, might I remind you that you left her in my care. Even if my methods are unconventional, I saw this opportunity and took it to help Mogami-kun grow not only as an actress but as an individual."

Saena continued to ask questions while Lory volleyed answers, "Yes, I do believe in the equality of women...this was a LoveMe task so there will be no compensation...Yes, I assure you I have several lucrative job offers for her...I will do what's best for her to further her career….Yes, thank you for calling," Lory replied and hung up the phone with a smirk. Saena's detached lawyer voice throughout the conversation was still cold but he was thrilled by the progress. This was a giant leap for their mother-daughter relationship.

Elated by his loss, Lory went back to the scripts he received just that morning. The urge to produce both of them was there, but he needed to make the final decision on which one would go first.

The welcome home party was slowly dying down. With her father's help and Ren's improved kitchen skills, Kyoko managed to make several low-calorie dishes that Kanae could enjoy. She even made a few delicious desserts that were guaranteed to not expand the waistline. Kanae was not thrilled by the ambush. She thought they were just having dinner and wasn't expecting a party in her honor.

Earlier, Kanae had been surprised when they pulled up to a security gate of a very posh-looking building and the guards greeted Yashiro with familiarity. She didn't miss the way a guard gave Yashiro a thumbs-up sign while subtly nodding her way. To keep from blushing, she focused on the seriousness of the security personnel. The place had to be very exclusive.

"Is there a restaurant in this building?" Kanae asked Yashiro while gazing at the high-rise through the windshield.

"There's a restaurant here on the lower level," Yashiro commented as he made his way through the parking garage and found a visitor space. This place catered to their residents making it one of the most private residences in Tokyo. It also came with a huge price tag. As Japan's top actor, Ren, now Kyoko, needed all the security they could get. If Kyoko knew the cost of living here she would have a heart attack.

"Wait!" Yashiro stopped her when she tried to open her door. He hopped out of the car and came around to open it for her.

Smooth, she thought and placed her hand in his to step out. Is this some kind of date? She dropped his hand, fearing the way it made her feel, and followed him to the elevators. She watched him use a little key card to push the button to the floor. She frowned, wondering why they were going up and not down toward the restaurant he mentioned.

Continuing to be the gentleman, Yashiro allowed her to step out first when they exited the elevator. Kanae stepped out into a long elegant hallway that had a door on the right side halfway down. She could tell the carpet was expensive and luxurious as she walked on it following Yashiro. As they walked toward the door, Kanae's eyes roamed over the large black and white canvas prints that decorated the walls, recognizing a few of them. The Golden Pagoda, bamboo forest, and the Torii gate tunnel were easy to place, but the other prints seemed like random nature scenes around Japan. A few feet to the right of the door stood a console table of dark wood and metal framing. On top of the table sat three tall bluish-gray ceramic vases with faux long-stemmed cherry blossom branches inside them with a large circular mirror mounted behind them.

Kanae couldn't help but admire her reflection next to Yashiro's as they strode past. Given Ren's status, this had to be some super-elite restaurant, but where were all the people. She couldn't afford to dine in a place of this magnitude. The confidence she normally possessed was replaced with insecurity. Kanae wished that she had rethought her outfit choice. It didn't help that Yashiro had been his usual cryptic self when she tried to ask him about the place.

They paused in front of the door as Yashiro pushed the buzzer. It was only when Kanae noticed the "welcome" mat on the floor that it dawned on her that this was someone's home. She heard rustling as someone approached the door. It was yanked open excitedly with a loud, "Moookkkkoooo-saaan."

Kanae easily side-stepped her best friend's attempt to bear hug her.

"Mo! What are you doing to a person as soon as you open the door!" Kanae scolded with a flip of her hair. She was quite satisfied that her instincts had not dulled while she was away. She looked down at her friend who had fallen to the floor after her failed attempt to accost her. Kyoko rubbed her backside with tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes.

Kanae sighed. Kyoko looked so pitiful. With a terse apology, she reached down to help her friend up and braced herself for the hug to follow. Kyoko's face lit up and she launched herself, wrapping her arms around her Kanae and praising her mercilessly.

Ren cleared his throat behind them. "Kyoko, please let Kotonami-san come inside. I'm sure she's famished after her journey." Kanae glanced at Ren and saw the adoration he had for his girlfriend evident in his eyes. She nodded in greeting towards Ren and then looked into the place.

With one final squeeze, Kyoko let Kanae go albeit reluctantly. Kanae was relieved to be able to breathe again. "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? Please come inside, everyone is waiting."

"What do you mean every-" Kanae began but was cut off by party poppers exploding, sending colorful streamers sailing through the air. She was greeted with a loud chorus of "Welcome Home!" from Chiori, Hiou, and their managers.

Her eyes swept across the people and the luxurious apartment. She briefly looked around as she stepped in to greet her friends. It was obvious that the place had a feminine quality to it. The floor-to-ceiling drapery with a light blue cherry blossom pattern that hung the length of one wall had to be Kyoko's doing. She could tell that her friend also had a hand in the choice of rugs, throw pillows, knick-knacks, and photographs of the couple that were strewn throughout the spacious apartment. It had a cozy atmosphere which probably didn't always exist before her. She wondered if Ren had always lived in this huge place alone.

"I wanted to have a welcome home party for you. I hope you don't mind," Kyoko said happily. Kanae pasted a small smile on her face as she took in those present. The only person Kanae didn't recognize was the middle-aged man standing next to her friend's beau. Kanae watched Ren whisper something to the man making him freeze up in response. He had to be Kyoko's biological father based on the color of his eyes alone.

"Welcome home, Kanae-san," Chiori and her manager greeted. "I can't wait to hear all about your project and time in Hollywood," Chiori added and stepped back to allow the other guests to greet her.

"Oi Kanae, welcome back! I hope you did your work properly and didn't cause any trouble," Hiou greeted her with the air of seniority.

Kanae smiled. "It's good to see you, Hiou-kun. Did you get taller?"

Hiou blushed happily. She noticed. He had to feign indifference after watching her enter with the manager. Are they dating? Why did that usually dull manager with glasses have to end up looking so good on his off time? He also caught how her eyes kept glancing off the guy as if she was confirming his presence in the room.

"I grew three centimeters," he puffed proudly. He had hit a growth spurt while she was gone and was nearly up to her shoulders.

"That's great Hiou-kun. I could tell," she replied. "You'll be taller than me before you know it."

"Excuse me, Hiou-kun. Can I steal her for a minute? I'd like to introduce Moko-san to my father, please," Kyoko interrupted, hooking her arm around Kanae's. They walked over to where Tadashi was chatting with Ren and Yashiro.

"Father, this is um Mo- err...ugh… Kotonami Kanae-san, my best friend in this whole world. Kotonami-san, this is my father Morimoto Tadashi-san," Kyoko gushed. She hoped they would get along. Kyoko knew Kanae's feelings regarding her father. She was happy her friend was looking out for her.

Kanae's cool blue eyes gazed into the amber eyes of her friend's father after they bowed in greeting. She sized him up, hoping to get a read on him.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter all this time. I know you don't trust me, but I hope in time and through my actions, I can prove to you that I am sincere when it comes to Kyoko-chan. I have a lot to make up for and I plan on spending the rest of my life doing so," Tadashi declared with another deep bow. Ren had told him she was one of the last big bosses he had to face here in Japan. Hopefully, with time the cool beauty would warm up to him.

Kanae was taken aback by his straightforwardness. He had lived in America all this time, so perhaps this confidence came from that foreign atmosphere. His eyes were bright, burning with stubborn determination so similar to that of his daughter's. He was serious. Kanae didn't mince any words when she responded with a warning, "I will be keeping my eye on you."

Tadashi nodded and smiled warmly, happy that she was giving him a chance to prove himself.

Yashiro stepped in to help them out of the awkwardness. "Kotonami-san, perhaps you would like to eat?"

Across the room, she noticed Hiou scowling at Yashiro as he led her reluctantly toward the food table. She was very hungry and knew she would probably binge on Kyoko's cooking. The food laid out could have rivaled a five-star restaurant quality. Everything looked delicious and was beautifully presented. Kyoko walked over to her friend and pointed out the items that were low in calories. Kanae had worked her butt off during non-work hours while in America to keep some of the fried food she ate often there from wreaking havoc on her body. She was happy to be home and no longer tempted by the generous portions in America.

She was surprised that several of the items she chose were made by Tadashi. So they even have their love of cooking in common. While they all ate they talked a little about some of the places and people Kanae had met while shooting in LA.

"Oh, Kyoko, that reminds me. I met Hizuri Kuu-san on set on my last day there. He had a small part in the drama. I told him I was with LME and he excitedly asked if I knew you. I could tell he wanted to talk about you, but his manager had to rush him out," Kanae told her. Kuu had lit up like a light bulb when she was introduced to him. He was ready to burst at the seams when she told him they were in the same section. His manager had to drag him away from her as he was shouting things for her to tell Kyoko from him. "I didn't understand some of the things he said though. He said 'tell my son that she's adorable and I miss her!'"

"Eh? Ot- Kuu-sama was in your drama? That's amazing!" Kyoko exclaimed with a look of pure admiration. In her eyes, the man could move mountains with his amazing acting skills. The encounter must have slipped his mind. "When he was here he treated me like his child when he gave me acting lessons to portray his son. He made me feel what it was like to have a father." Kyoko gasped, realizing her slip, and glanced apologetically at her father.

Tadashi felt the cold hard stab of jealousy flood through his body. He knew it was senseless of him to feel this way and should be grateful to the man for taking his daughter under his wing. He was familiar with the Hollywood actor, but it seemed the man had become a father figure to her. Tadashi knew his daughter was feeling terrible right now and probably a bit afraid that he would be angry. She still had the past trauma of her mother abandoning her fresh in her heart. His poor sweet girl. If he could only turn back time.

Tadashi patted her head. "Of course, leave it to my amazing daughter to have the famous Hizuri-san wrapped around her little finger. I'm glad you have him looking out for you. He sounds like he cares for you very much. Poor Ren-kun over here has it the worse. How many fathers does that make it now...three? four? I can only imagine how many onii-san's she has acquired," Tadashi joked. Ren groaned making everyone laugh. The heavy atmosphere of earlier dissipated instantly.

Kyoko smiled warmly at her father, relieved that he wasn't mad at her or going to leave her.

After about an hour, Hiou and his manager took their leave. He had another project to get to before he retired for the night.

Now that things were winding down, the subject had turned away from Kanae's adventures to the Heel siblings.

"Mo! Turn on the television so we can watch the news. I still can't believe you acted out the Heel siblings," she said hanging her head in shame. "I should never have underestimated you just because the outfits weren't to your taste. I have a long way to go as an actress."

"No way, Moko-san is the best actress. I hope someday I could have a tenth of your skill! Moko is so beautiful and smart and pretty and talented and..." Kyoko continued to list off all of Kanae's great qualities.

"Mo! Stop that! You are beautiful and talented too. You are just as amazing so don't put yourself down like that, otherwise, you can't be my rival," Kanae scolded.

"Moko-san, is that how you truly feel?" Kyoko asked her voice trembling with emotion. Kanae nodded regretting her words. She once again braced herself as Kyoko threw her arms around her.

"I'm so happy to have you home," she squealed.

"Ooh, we should check the fansites. I bet they are blowing up right now in light of these events," Chiori suggested. "Do you have a computer?"

"Fansites?" Kyoko asked confused. She remembered Yashiro had mentioned something about it last week but she never looked into it. At the time, Queen B was on there slandering her name.

"Come on, Kyoko-san, every actress should be aware of what the fans are saying about her," Chiori told her.

"I have fans?" Kyoko asked doubtfully.

"You are the most popular up-and-coming actress in Japan. Of course, you have fans silly!" Chiori reprimanded her.

"Oh," she squeaked as her cheeks heated at the idea of having fans.

Kyoko stood to get the new computer her father had given her.

Tadashi stopped her once it was booted up. He came up with an elaborate story about an article he had read on hackers tapping into a computer's camera system. He showed her how to enable and disable the device based on Spectre's instructions. They let Chiori take over as they crowded around the computer.

"Does anyone have an account?" Chiori asked looking up. All she heard were crickets. No one was willing to lose their anonymity by giving up their online identity, even among friends.

"Well in that case I think we can sign on as a 'guest.' This way we don't have to waste time creating an account. What do we want our name to be?" Chiori asked looking at Kyoko in particular.

"Ooh, ooh, can it be anything?" Kyoko asked enthusiastically. Chiori nodded. "How about Princess Bella Rose? Or Princess Aurora? Or even Fairy Princess!"

Her friends started laughing. They should have figured that she would choose those kinds of names.

"Oh, I have a good one that adequately describes you." She typed in, Immortal Butterfly, and then hit submit.

"Immortal butterfly? It sounds so ethereal almost like a fairy," Kyoko commented, daydreaming about the beauty of butterflies. She found it fascinating how a caterpillar encases itself into a cocoon and radically transforms itself to eventually emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

"It's just my personal opinion from watching you act. Your transformation into Setsuka-san has solidified it for me." You might just be the one he's looking for along with that guy, Chiori thought, glancing at Ren chatting with the others.

Chiori gasped when the page finally uploaded. The room quieted down as all eyes turned toward the screen. She covered her mouth with her hand as she quietly read what the fans were saying about both Kyoko and Ren.

"Oh my god! I can't look," Kyoko moaned covering her eyes. "I think I'm better off not knowing. They say ignorance is bliss." Kyoko removed her hands from her face when she heard the telltale sound of a giggle escape from Kanae. Chiori was also trying to hide her laughter. What was so funny?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Kyoko looked at the screen. There was a lot of text but what caught her eye was the picture of Setsu on premiere night, sneering at the camera. Cain had been cropped out from the shot and in bold print the words, HER FACE WHEN SHE SEES HIS TRUE SIZE.

Her friends were holding their sides in full-blown laughter now. She looked at them confused, "I don't get it." The girls sobered up quickly and stared at Kyoko like she had grown another head. Kanae and Chiori looked at each other and at the same time screamed, "not it!" They instantly fell into a game of janken. Kanae's paper lost to Chiori's scissors.

Yashiro and Ren stood up to see what had enraptured the girls. They felt like they were intruding on a rare girl bonding moment. They took a quick look at what had caught their attention. When they read what was the source of their behavior they retreated a safe distance away, hoping the girls would ignore them. If this was the kind of backlash they could expect from Kyoko playing Setsu, then it would all blow over in time.

Kanae looked at Ren, "Tsuruga-san, how is this even possible?" In other words, Kanae wanted to know, how in the world after dating and living with Japan's voted sexiest man, can her friend still be so naive.

"You know as well as I do that Kyoko has a pure soul. Let's not say anymore. I do want to grow old with Kyoko," he said chancing a glance at Tadashi who was too busy taking pictures. Kyoko blushed at his confession in front of so many people. Ren didn't care if they made fun of him. He loved her and he was no longer afraid to show his feelings.

"You see Kyoko, this is what is called a 'meme.' It's something humorous that is shared through social media. You see this number...396k+. That means this particular picture has been shared three hundred ninety-six thousand times and counting among internet users. This particular meme is implying that you make that face when you realize..." Kanae stopped and leaned in to whisper into her ear, way too embarrassed to say it out loud. "When you realize that a man's penis is smaller than he implied."

"What?!" Kyoko was aghast. "But why would they associate something like that with me. I don't know! I mean, I wouldn't know about that sort of..." Kyoko turned around and glared at Ren looking as innocent as can be. This was all his fault. If he hadn't said that so unnecessarily during the interview people wouldn't be thinking she had a superpower to analyze men's private parts.

"Hey don't worry about it. You have to just laugh off these things. Let's look at what else they have to say," Chiori advised, trying to improve the mood. Whose stupid idea was it to look at this site again? Mine, of course. She scrolled to the top of the page to read some of the older posts.

KyoRenFan1: Holy shit! Did any of you see the Fuji broadcast? Ren-sama and Kyoko-san have just revealed that they were the Heel siblings...SURPRISE! in case I ruined it for you. Check out the link HEEL -FujiTV

KyokoFan1: I knew it! I had a feeling it was her! Kyoko-san is the greatest of all time in my book. I'm looking forward to her new drama. I hope they give out free posters at the first showing. I'll wait in line all night for that.

KyoRenFan2: I feel cheated! Here I thought I'd have this dark brooding actor to love on along with my white Knight and it turns out they're the same guy.

RenFan: I can't believe it either. My love for Ren-sama just increased two-fold. I hope we can see more of him as Cain, BJ was entirely too creepy.

KyokoRenFan1: KyoRenFan2 you'll just have to double the love on Ren-sama. I'm getting a nosebleed just thinking of his bad boy side. Now I'm not sure who is the Dom in the relationship.

KyokoFan1: I stand firm that Kyoko definitely takes the reins in the bedroom. I can't get it out of my head that Ren-sama worships her body.

KyokoFan2: I wouldn't be surprised if Kyoko-san is in first place this year as the hottest female celebrity. Her Setsuka is sexy AF!

Her friends were giggling while Kyoko became this pathetic puddle on the floor blushing from head to toe. It's all true! Was there a hidden camera in our bedroom? How did they know I behave so wantonly behind closed doors? No one can blame me, he's irresistible. His hands, his mouth, his… it was all too enticing. Kyoko turned redder as images of her and Ren flashed through her mind. She let out a strangled moan of embarrassment.

Yashiro started freaking out. "Ren, Ren do something, Kyoko-chan might seriously waste away. Maybe reading that stuff is too much for her right now." He looked at Ren who had an amused smile on his face. The guy was no help, so he turned to her father. "Morimoto-san, are you not concerned?" Yashiro asked. He had wasted his breath on her father. The man had been taking pictures all evening and he wasn't missing a chance at capturing this new expression.

"Mo, cut it out! You can't blame them. You two are the hottest couple right now so they are going to talk crudely," Kanae told her, hoping to breathe some life back into her friend. Kyoko had gone from red to blue as she began to hyperventilate.

KyokoRenFan3: OMG! Is anyone familiar with Morizumi Kimiko? This two-faced bitch has a lot of balls! Click the link! KimikovsKyoko_TKO_FujiTV

"Oh! Someone just posted another video. What's this about? Isn't Morizumi that show-biz family?" Chiori asked and clicked the link, getting everyone's attention.

The video appeared to be secretly taken from a cellphone backstage at the TV station earlier. The angle was bad, but one could clearly recognize the players involved. The video started with Ren's snub which was delivered with a pleasant face by the actor. Anyone that watched the video would never think terribly of Ren. It was Kimiko's reaction that would gain the public's interest. The apartment filled with Kimiko's voice as she screamed at Ren and Kyoko after the interview. The slap she received from her father was caught as well. Everyone cringed when Kimiko's head jerked at the force of the hit. This was bad! It was circulating online at a tremendous speed. It was too late, there was no stopping it.

Kanae scowled and cocked her eyebrow at her friend, "explain!"

Kyoko gulped. She realized she had never told Kanae about Kimiko. That one word was like a death sentence to Kyoko's ears. She was so dead.

"What do you mean you can't stop it! I thought you said you handled it at the source before it could spread," Jiro spoke heatedly into the telephone. He had called his cousin after the incident to try to contain and clean up his mess. He shouldn't be getting angry with him.

"I just can't believe those website moderators can't pinpoint who is posting the video. Can't we just shut down the sites altogether?" He knew it was a long shot but it didn't hurt trying. "I guess I'm going to have to face this one head-on. I just hope Kimi doesn't see it."

"How is she doing by the way?" His cousin asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure how she's doing. I'm giving us both space right now. She only returned about a half-hour before me, so we still don't know where she was or what she did before coming home. It might be best until this blows over. Thanks for your help." Jiro flopped into his chair after he hung up the phone.

"Is it bad news dear?" his wife asked walking into the room. She went up to her husband and rubbed his neck and shoulders working the tension out of the muscles there.

"It looks like footage of the incident at the station is circulating the web. All of Japan now knows I'm a terrible father."

"That's not true! You have always been a wonderful father and a good husband. This just shows you're human. Kimi knows how much you love her. It might be best if you apologize and explain. I'm worried about Kimi though. What if this agitates her further? I think I should make an appointment with the doctor just in case."

"Oh, Kimi!" Jiro called out jumping from his chair. He rushed towards the open door to his study when she walked by. How much had she heard?

Kimiko stopped in her tracks and walked into the study. She was holding a decorated gift bag in her hand. She bowed to her parents with her usual sweet and demure smile. She had touched up her make-up to hide the bruising on her face. It was a good thing she had iced it right away, otherwise, there would have been swelling.

"Kimi, I'm sorry for earlier. My emotions got the best of me," Jiro choked hugging his daughter. "I should have never lost my temper. I'll always be on your side, sweetie." He couldn't forget the look she gave him after he had slapped her. He hoped she could forgive him.

"No, Otou-san, I should be apologizing. I embarrassed you. I embarrassed the family. I will accept whatever punishment you may have for me," Kimiko insisted with another bow while shifting the bag in her hands.

Her father's face softened as he hugged her again. Kimiko smiled triumphantly to herself. She really did deserve an Academy Award for her acting even her parents were clueless.

"We need to talk about the repercussions of today's incident. Can we sit down now and talk?" He was relieved that she was being so amicable.

"Of course, Otou-san, please let me put this bag away. It's a gift for a friend," she said with a smile. As soon as she turned away from her parents, her smile disappeared and her eyes hardened.

AN: Thank you for continuing to read every one. Bear with me while I try to transition. I hope you enjoyed it.

Big thanks to my reviewers, I appreciate your feedback. They spur me forward.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^