Chapter 75: Super Manager!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, there would be plenty of lovey-dovey workplace mishaps between RenKyo.

Jiro peeked out the front window of his house and sighed at the vultures that were camping out front. It was good that the perimeter of his property was fenced, but he couldn't stay hidden all day. He was due for a meeting with his assistant to finalize the plans on getting Cain, no Ren, on contract for his next project. He wondered if it was an utter betrayal to use the actor after he insulted his family in front of so many witnesses, in front of Japan thanks to that viral video. Ren was a professional. If he took the job, Jiro knew he would be serious about his work. It didn't cross his mind that the actor might decline.

The young actor was always so polite that Jiro was stumped as to why he reacted in that way towards Kimiko. Could it have been Cain slipping back into his consciousness as Konoe had suggested? There was a piece to the puzzle that he was missing here. He had tried to question Kimiko last night, but she had feigned innocence to the whole situation. Berating her would have proved to be a waste of time. It was obvious that his daughter was going through something since she supposedly quit acting. Distancing her from the situation seemed to be the best solution for now until she left with his wife in two days. It would give them the rest of the week to settle in Los Angeles and file the necessary paperwork for Kimiko to attend school.

Jiro had seen her first thing this morning and didn't like the look in her bloodshot eyes. He convinced himself that she was just sleep-deprived and still a little angry with him. To keep her occupied, he ordered her not to come out of her room until the destruction she made was all cleaned up. To prove his seriousness, he handed her all the cleaning supplies to complete the job. It was only material possessions, but Jiro expressed his disappointment in her behavior and lack of respect. Kimiko didn't respond but took the supplies without a fuss and shut her door in his face. Jiro gave the staff strict orders not to help her. He hoped this sort of punishment would somehow humble her and keep her out of trouble for a while. A little hard work could do her some good.

Kimiko ignored the cleaning supplies and stepped around the mess as she made her way to get dress. Going for a look that would have people questioning her gender, she put on a nondescript outfit consisting of a pair of loose jeans, a t-shirt, a hooded jacket, and sneakers. She didn't wear any make-up but tied her hair up into a bun and tucked it under a baseball cap. Walking to the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the only mirror she had left. When she was satisfied with her disguise, she went back into her room and rummaged through the mess on the floor until she found the perfect piece.

Her lips curled into a satisfied smile as she sat on the edge of her bed, patting the smooth object against her palm. With her eyes trained on the small gap beneath the door, she didn't have to wait long for her prey to appear. Kimiko quietly opened the door and yanked the maid into her room, covering her mouth before she could let out a sound.

"Be quiet or I'll cut that pretty face of yours. Understand?" Kimiko sneered, waving the large shard from the broken mirror in front of the maid. The young woman choked down a sob and nodded her head vigorously, fearing for her life. Satisfied with her answer, Kimiko released her. The maid turned nervously, glancing at the door in hope of an escape.

Kimiko smiled tauntingly. "You won't make it," she warned in a sweet but deadly voice, "and my family will always side with me."

The maid hung her head in defeat once she processed Kimiko's words.

"Relax, I won't hurt you," Kimiko tried unconvincingly to assure her. "I need you to do something for me," Kimiko said with a sinister smile.

"Wh- what do you need me to do?" The maid asked cautiously and wrung her hands together.

"It's an easy task. I just want you to clean up my room," Kimiko smiled.

"B- but the Master to-told us not to help you. I could be fi- fired," the maid stammered. She couldn't lose this job. It paid well and the family was kind to the staff.

"It's fine if he doesn't find out, right? I'll even give you 10,000 yen for the trouble," Kimiko offered, flashing her a sweet smile.

"W- why would you pay me?" The maid asked, glancing warily at Kimiko's hand still gripping the shard of glass.

"I'm still my father's daughter. I believe in rewarding good people that do fine work." When the maid still looked fearful, she tried a different approach.

Kimiko blinked moistening her eyes for added effect then made her voice crack while she delivered her next lines. "I'm sure you heard that I have to leave the country. There's someone important I have to meet before I go."

The maid's eyes widened and the fear present a moment ago changed to sympathy.

I don't need your sympathy, you low-class bitch! Kimiko's sad angelic expression remained even though her thoughts turned volatile. The staff all knew that her parents were sending her away because of what had transpired yesterday. Kimiko hated it, but this was the exact response she wanted from the maid.

"You can help me right? All you have to do is keep the door locked and pretend you're me cleaning up until I return."

The sound of a car door slamming shut outside caught her attention. Kimiko walked to the window and secretly watched her father drive out through the tiny mob of reporters. Things just got easier with him gone. Kimiko looked dejected and threw the sharp piece back onto the pile of debris.

"I'm sorry! You're free to leave. I thought you would be more receptive to helping me if I scared you. I'm not very good at playing a villain despite what the media says," Kimiko told the maid. The lie rolled easily off her tongue as she dropped into an apologetic bow.

The maid gasped in shock. She couldn't believe Kimiko just apologized to her and was confused by her young mistress's actions. The other maids that had been here much longer than her, spoke about how Kimiko was usually a sweet girl. She had to be under a lot of stress from the media attacking her character. The maid scurried to leave but she stopped at the door to glance at Kimiko. She felt torn, leaving this way. It was her job to clean the house after all.

Kimiko walked over to the supplies and began the arduous task of cleaning her room. She grabbed the cardboard box and began throwing shards of glass and porcelain inside. "Ouch," Kimiko cried out real tears pricking her eyes from the pain. She had sliced the palm of her hand, deliberately, on a piece of glass. The dark blood dripping off her hand was fascinating. She couldn't stop staring at it.

"Oh, no, Kimiko-sama, we have to disinfect your hand right away. Please come with me to the bathroom!" The maid gently inspected Kimiko's hand and held it up, above her heart, to slow the bleeding. Kimiko allowed the maid to take control and wash her hand under the faucet, careful not to aggravate the wound further. The water stung her wound making Kimiko wince. Fuck, I hope I don't need stitches.

"Forgive me Kimiko-sama. Please bear with it. I think you should see a doctor though," the maid suggested, patting Kimiko's hand dry. She held the cloth to her hand and reached into the cabinet for the first aid kit.

"Thank you. I'll be fine thanks to your care," Kimiko told the maid when she was all bandaged up and went back to her room to resume cleaning.

"Please relax, Kimiko-sama, I will clean that up for you. You said you had to meet someone important, right. I'll do what I can here so please hurry back," the maid offered, taking up the broom to begin sweeping up the mess. She felt sorry for her young mistress if it was a boyfriend she was leaving behind.

"Really?! Thank you!" Kimiko exclaimed with teary eyes and threw her arms around the maid. "I'll be sure to return the favor."

Yashiro tried to follow Ren into the room only for him to shut and lock the door in his face. A little embarrassed by this development, he broke out into a cold sweat. The fangirl and the professional manager in him waged war internally. How long should he give them before he interrupted? Surely they weren't doing IT in there right now, were they? Yashiro's Bro instincts kicked in immediately. Controlling the blush on his cheeks, he decided to buy the lovers some alone time. The only problem with that was the many witnesses currently loitering behind him. With a small inkling of what was going on in said closed door, he spun abruptly to salvage the situation. The few women that were there were blushing profusely while the men just looked stunned.

What did I miss?" Yashiro asked no one in particular, confused by their expressions. Curse my short legs! While they were distracted he subtly steered them a good distance away from the door.

"I feel like I just saw something amazing," the older brunette woman cried breathlessly with a dreamy gleam in her eyes while fanning her face with her hand to cool down. "If I was younger, I probably would have been down for the count instead of light-headed."

"Me too! Kyoko-san is very lucky. These days my husband only has that look in his eyes when I'm holding a plate of Kobe beef," the light-haired woman joked. Age-wise, she looked to be in her late forties as well.

Yashiro resisted the urge to shake both women and ask them to clearly explain their cryptic remarks. From the ladies' reactions, he had a vague idea of what they were talking about. Since Ren's back was towards him, Yashiro couldn't see the face he was making. More importantly, he missed whatever was heard in the room. What was Kyoko doing in there?

After chatting with the ladies a bit more without getting anywhere, Yashiro walked over to the acting department head and asked, "Matsushima-san, what are they talking about?"

"You must have seen it before, right, Yashiro-san? That face Ren-kun makes when Kyoko is involved? His face was full of so much raw emotion that I was too embarrassed to look, and yet I couldn't turn away. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. I swear, even as a man my heart fluttered seeing such an expression. Ren's 'in love' face on screen is quite dangerous but his 'in love with Kyoko' face is lethal," Matsushima confessed.

Yashiro contemplated Matsushima's words. He had seen Ren's loving expression directed at Kyoko before but was it the same one as Matsushima described. He wished so badly to have seen it. He wanted to know what happened that would warrant a response from his charge in front of so many people. Ren was becoming a little less reserved when it came to displaying his emotions. These days he was a little more carefree that even his smile began to reach his eyes. Was this the power of love? Sawara and Nakazawa joined the conversation while the ladies went on their way.

"You recorded it, right?" Matsushima asked Nakazawa. The head of LME's singing section held up his phone and gave a thumbs up to his colleague.

Yashiro narrowed his eyes, suspiciously his aura turning cool. Did they eavesdrop and record something that was said in the LoveMe room?

Feeling the change in the usually mild-mannered manager, Nakazawa held his hands up in surrender. "Eh...Yashiro-san, it's not what you think. I'll play it for you. You'll see," Nakazawa explained, fumbling with his phone. He found the recording and played it for Yashiro to hear.

When it was finished, Yashiro peered at the three men, their eyes alight with excitement. Nakazawa had recorded Kyoko singing a cappella in English. Was it her voice that moved Ren? She did have a beautiful voice.

"We were coming from a meeting when we heard her singing. Her vocal range and her annunciation of the English language are really good. There's a small part we want her to play in a drama. The director still hasn't found anyone suitable, but those episodes will be fast approaching."

"Is it a singing part?" Yashiro asked. He knew that Kyoko wasn't interested in pursuing a singing career. She wanted to act. This could be a good opportunity for her to showcase her other talents while doing what she loves.

"The part calls for her to partially sing in a competition, but she would only be a 'passing' character. So one episode...two tops. Her singing skills are supposed to be superior to the lead character's. It's an underdog-type story. With a little polishing from Nakazawa-san and his team, I think Kyoko-chan would be perfect for the part," Matsushima explained.

"I agree, Yashiro-san. This would be good for Kyoko-chan and it's not a bully role. She inspires the rookie to succeed. Doesn't it sound just like the kohai-senpai relationship she has with Ren-kun? I doubt she would want to pass this up because of a little singing," Sawara-san added. The department head wanted to pat himself on the back for his clever thinking. It would surely convince the girl to take the role.

"Errr, well..." Yashiro began, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kyoko-chan is going back to school tomorrow. She won't have much time for all the new offers coming her way, but I will definitely let her know," Yashiro agreed. He would have to prioritize all the work he was receiving for her and make good choices to boost her career.

"Make sure you have her come see me if she thinks to decline it. I can be very persuasive. I'll send you the script along with the schedule," Matsushima informed him. Yashiro had just wrapped up his conversation with the department heads when Maria turned down the hallway.

"Yashiro-san!" Came the high-pitched squeal of the company president's granddaughter. Yashiro turned his head to see the rambunctious little girl dressed in her signature frills and lace come bounding down the hall. The department heads greeted Maria on their way back to work as they passed her. None of them brought up the fact that the door to the room was still locked.

"Maria-chan, how are you doing?" Yashiro asked with a smile. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"I'm good, Yashiro-san. How are you?" Maria glanced behind Yashiro after he answered, looking for Ren and Kyoko.

"Is Onee-sama and...um...Ren-sama not with you?" She pouted after confirming he was alone. She wanted to meet with both of them after finding out their big secret yesterday. She felt bad for doubting her big sister's ability to act out Setsuka-chan. What surprised her the most was that Ren was a natural at playing a scary guy. He was always so kind and gentle to Maria that she wondered if she had bumped into him on the streets as Cain would he have hated her?

"Well...you see Maria-chan," Yashiro began. He felt the sweat beads forming on his back again while he tried to think of a good excuse. Those innocent eyes boring into his expectantly were not making this easy.

...

"Kyoko, we... have to... stop," Ren gasped out between kisses. As much as he wanted to continue what he started, this was not the time nor the place.

Kyoko finally came to her senses when she heard Maria's voice outside the door. She quickly unhooked her ankles from around his waist and let them hang down the table, the same table she often sat with her LoveMe compatriots while they worked on some mundane task. Oh, Kamisama, I'm going to hell!

Ren was making little effort to quit as he rained kisses down her neck and over her collar bone. She pushed at him to stop and hopped off the table. She would need to wipe down the table. How could she have gotten so swept up in her emotions? Were they reaching their limit? She looked down at herself. The skirt of her dress was rumpled where he had hiked it up. She looked at Ren as she fumbled to right herself. He was in a far worse state than she was. He was completely topless, his fly was undone, and his usually perfect hair was in disarray from her grasping it. Kyoko's face burned with embarrassment. How could they have let things get so far... at work of all places?

"Ren! Fix yourself, where's your shirt?" she asked, looking frantically around the room. She found it lying in a heap underneath the table. She shook it out and handed it to him. "Here! Put it on quickly," she said, glancing nervously at the door. Luckily, Yashiro was distracting Maria with small talk. Thank you, super manager! She found the disinfectant wipes and vigorously scrubbed the table, then did one last sweep around the room for anything else out of place.

"Ugh, Houston, we have a problem," Ren admitted with an amused tone. Kyoko's gaze snapped in his direction to see what could be wrong. And who the heck is Houston? His shirt was missing all but one button. The top one, which was normally left undone anyway, was the only one that remained intact.

"Oh, my God!" Kyoko paled and covered her face. How could she have done such a thing? Images of them trying to rid each other of their clothing earlier flashed through her mind. She had been vaguely aware that there were people outside the door, but once their lips met, all rational thought went out the window. She had become so impatient she ripped his shirt apart without a care. I need to find his buttons! I have my sewing kit! I can definitely fix this! Dropping to her hands and knees, she crawled around the floor, furiously searching for the missing buttons and badgering herself internally. Did you not learn your lesson from last night, Kyoko? She was still considered a newbie in the industry and couldn't afford to be so unprofessional. They needed to establish rules at work so things like this didn't happen again.

"Kyoko..." Ren called, trying to get her attention while she scrambled around the floor. "Kyoko!" Ren repeated more firmly. "It's okay. I think I have another shirt in my bag."

"You do?" Kyoko exclaimed hopping onto her feet, dusting her knees, and straightening her clothes. "Where's your bag? I'll get it for you!" She replied eagerly, a ray of hope in her voice after only finding one button on the floor. Ren's eyes shifted to the door apologetically. That could only mean Yashiro had his bag. Kyoko stepped up to the door and breathed deeply before opening the door slightly to peek out.

Maria screamed when she saw creepy eyes peeking at her from the LoveMe room, "Onee-sama!" Kyoko quickly exited the room and closed the door behind her before the girl could push her way in.

"Forgive me, Maria-chan, but...um...Yashiro-san, Ren would like his bag," Kyoko interrupted their little chat. Yashiro nodded taking in her appearance and entered the room while she stayed outside with Maria.

"Maria-chan, it has been so long. How are you doing?" Kyoko asked squatting down to embrace the little girl.

"Onee-sama, are you sick your face is so red and your lips are puffy…" Maria asked Kyoko with a worried expression. She didn't like seeing anyone she loved sick.

Kyoko gasped as her hands shot to her face, trying to figure out how to explain herself. "Oh, I'm fine. I had a bad reaction to a new lip gloss I was supposed to be endorsing. As you can see, I'm not the right person for the job."

Maria hummed, accepting her explanation. Kyoko was grateful the intelligent little girl didn't question the name of the brand.

Yashiro chuckled at Ren's appearance as he entered the room. He handed the bag to Ren but said nothing while reining in his inner fangirl that was squealing to get out. He sat down at the table and noted that it had been wiped clean. He needed to lecture his charges on showing a little more restraint and discretion in the workplace. They lived together for crying out loud shouldn't some of that tension have been released by now…unless...

It was unnerving that his manager remained quiet while he dug in his bag for a shirt, but Ren decided to ignore him. He cursed to himself when all he found was a freebie given to him at some event or another. It was disconcerting that his manager still hasn't spoken, especially after Ren pulled on the t-shirt. Yashiro wasted no time opening the door once Ren was situated.

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief to see Ren dressed, but raised a brow at the print of a busty and scantily clad female anime character on it. Ren shrugged in response and smiled sheepishly. She supposed it was better than nothing at all, but she was very curious how a t-shirt like that came into possession. It didn't fit Ren's image at all and was more something Kuon would wear on one of their dates.

Maria hid behind Kyoko a little apprehensive of Ren. "Maria-chan, what's wrong?" Kyoko asked the girl eyeing Ren warily. "Didn't you want to see Ren the most?"

Ren squatted down so he was at eye level with the little girl. Maria never acted reserved with him so he was a bit confused as well. He opened his arms and smiled warmly at her, hoping she would take the invitation.

"Ren-sama!" Maria finally greeted, jumping into his waiting arms and forgetting her shyness. Ren lost his balance and tumbled over under the weight of the child.

"Ah, Maria-chan, you have surely grown since last I've seen you," Ren managed, struggling to breathe. He thought he had planted himself well enough to withstand her attack, but apparently miscalculated.

"Maria-chan, you need to be more careful. You could hurt yourself or Ren," Kyoko scolded helping her little friend up.

"Ren-sama, is it true that Onee-sama had to scold you about eating again? You are a grown man you should eat properly," Maria lectured, sounding more and more like Kyoko every day. He glared over Maria's head at his manager.

Yashiro flashed him an innocent smile. It was the best story Yashiro could come up with on the fly that was remotely believable. He wasn't about to explain the birds and the bees to the eight-year-old girl.

"Speaking of lunch, Maria-chan, would you like to join us? I brought more than enough for everyone," Kyoko offered, picking up the large bag. She pulled out a three-tiered jubako from the bag and a separate bento containing rice.

"Maria-chan, can you please set the table using the plates and chopsticks we store on the shelf?"

The little girl happily performed the task with Ren setting drinks that Kyoko had procured earlier from the vending machine.

"Yashiro-san, are we okay on time for our meeting with the President?" She knew that their little escapade earlier ate up some time.

"We actually returned earlier than planned and I gave us a buffer for lunch. So we still have about twenty-five minutes until the appointed time," Yashiro told her, glancing at his watch.

Once the table was set, they all sat down at the table. Kyoko opened the first tier that revealed traditional tomogayaki and three kinds of pickled veggies. The next tier was filled with karaage, tempura shrimp and veggies, and potato croquettes. The last tier contained grilled mackerel.

"Wow, Kyoko-chan! I can't believe you had time to prepare such a feast. Please tell me you're getting enough sleep," Yashiro said, impressed by the spread before them. He truly enjoyed Kyoko's cooking.

"Eh, no, Yashiro-san most of this was leftover from last night. I only made the egg roll this morning. I apologize that this is all I have to offer. Maybe it's better if we ate something fresh at the café," Kyoko replied apprehensively. She was used to eating leftovers to save money, but now she was dealing with a top actor, his manager, and the President's granddaughter. Surely they were used to dining on luxurious meals.

"It's very delicious, Kyoko. Like I said this morning, there's no need to waste good food," Ren assured her, taking a generous bite to prove his point.

Kyoko smiled radiantly. He was so sweet even though she knew he was forcing himself. Yashiro and Maria also assured her that the food was very tasty. While they ate, Kyoko told them about her morning job and receiving big points for it. Ren and Yashiro were not happy with the treatment she received from the crew manager. Maria made a mental note to sneak some crickets, the last of the bugs she had left on her today, into that evil woman's purse. Their reveal as the Heel siblings, left Maria very busy this morning.

A soft knock at the door drew their attention.

"Come in," Kyoko called out to whomever it was on the other side. Ruto opened the door quietly dressed as a samurai in a Kimono complete with a small topknot on his head. He exchanged greetings with the trio and then turned to Maria.

"Maria-sama, I believe some of your pets were misplaced this morning," Ruto said, holding up a jar of spiders. "This caused a great disturbance in the training facility's locker room."

Maria folded her arms and tilted her chin in the air defiantly, "humph! It serves those ugly girls right for talking about my Onee-sama. Her Setsuka was cool. She has more talent in her tiny pinky than any of those girls combined!"

Kyoko gasped, "Maria-chan!" She could only imagine what had set off the little girl. Most likely they were saying terrible things about her roleplaying Setsu.

"And these guys were caught in the contracts department," Ruto continued, holding up another jar filled with roaches.

Maria had overheard the women talking about how sexy Ren looked as Cain. They made some pact about inviting him out for drinks later. "As if I'd let those old hags get close to my Ren-sama. Are they stupid? The only one good enough for Ren-sama is my Onee-sama. Let this serve as a lesson to them." That made two, so he still hasn't found the batch of worms I placed in the actress' lunch boxes. Those B-rated actresses deserve what was coming to them.

"Maria-chan, you can't go around disrupting people's work. Think of the time and money invested in our line of work. I appreciate you looking out for me though. Good job with the roaches," Kyoko winked, giving her a thumbs up.

"I got your back, Onee-sama," Maria grinned, returning the thumbs up. Ren cleared his throat hoping to not be forgotten. "And you Ren-sama. Leave it to me! No one will dare bother you anymore."

Ren patted the little girl on the head, adoringly. "Maria-chan, though I appreciate you taking care of us. I don't want you to get yourself in trouble for our sake. I want everyone to know that Maria is really the good girl that I know and love."

Maria blushed at his praise.

"Maria-chan, we must take our leave. It's almost time for your lesson and they are due for a meeting," Ruto reminded them and bowed.

"Hey, Onee-sama," Maria said tugging on Kyoko's sleeve. Kyoko leaned down so the girl could whisper into her ear.

Kyoko pulled back in surprise, "Ehhhh! Are you okay with something like that?"

Maria nodded vigorously and smiled.

"I'll see what I can do!" Kyoko promised, smiling back, and held up her pinky. Maria happily hooked her pinky with Kyoko's. She could always count on her Onee-sama.

AN: Hi, hi! Thank you for sticking with me! Lot's of fluff in this chapter but I wanted to accomplish a few things: get Kimiko on the move, add a drama offer, and have them meet up with Maria. Plus, I just like sprinkling lime on everything. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading and big thanks for taking the time to leave me a note on the last chapter. I appreciate it.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^