Chapter 84: Resiliency

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Ren would have an opportunity to tease Yashiro about his love life.

Kanae peeked out from under the covers at the sleeping form beside her. She couldn't believe she had stayed the whole night and in his bed. Her face flushed crimson while her eyes wandered down the toned chest of the man that was officially her boyfriend as of last night.

He has to be cold, she thought. Kanae gathered the covers and pulled them over him, causing Yashiro to stir. His eyes fluttered open and a smile graced his cute face. He turned towards her and threw his arm over her possessively. Kanae yelped, prepared to shove him away as she often did with her family, but a warmth bloomed in her chest. She rather liked his clinginess and snuggled into him, falling back to sleep.

Kanae woke slowly from something soft brushing over her lips. She stretched and rubbed her eyes until they focused on the man right in front of her.

"Mo, oh my God!" She wailed, pulling the covers over her face. He couldn't see her like this.

"Good morning, sleep well?" Yashiro greeted her cheekily.

Kanae did another scrub of her face before pulling the covers low enough only for her to see. No further. Yashiro was already showered and casually dressed while she probably looked horrible just waking up. Kanae nodded, refusing to speak in case she had terrible morning breath. Her eyes roamed over him slowly. He had on a pair of track pants and a t-shirt that showed off the contours of his fit body. His hair was already styled but he wasn't wearing his glasses. Kanae scowled, distressed that he was already cleaned up while she was a hot mess.

"I have to pick up Ren and Kyoko-chan in a couple of hours. You can stay as long as you want or I can give you a ride home."

"You wouldn't mind?" She asked, her voice muffled from behind the blanket. He smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair that slipped out from the covers behind her ear.

"I know last night wasn't planned so I have a new toothbrush for you. You can use the bathroom or shower. Anything I have here is yours to use. I'm sorry I don't have any feminine products. You'll come out smelling like you spent the night with a man. I mean...not that you spent the night with a man...I mean, you did...but we didn't do what people would think...but it's not that I didn't want to..."

Kanae leaned forward and boldly kissed him on the cheek then bolted for the bathroom. All Yashiro saw was a blur of long legs and black hair, then heard the water turn on. With a smile, he went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for them. After preparing breakfast, he paused to make a call. Yashiro was just finishing up when he heard her emerge from the bedroom. He was surprised to see her wearing one of his white dress shirts. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and it was belted at the waist. It wasn't surprising that she managed to make the outfit look stunning on her. She would look gorgeous in anything she wore.

Kanae took her seat on the floor and held Yashiro's face by the chin. She turned his head side to side narrowing her eyes while she inspected his skin. Smooth as a baby. "I used your moisturizer by the way and your deodorant. I hope you don't mind."

"That's perfectly fine. You're welcome to use anything here. I see you helped yourself to my cloth-..." His brain nearly short-circuited as a thought crossed his mind. His eyes dipped down to the hemline of the short little makeshift dress.

"I'm not wearing any if that's what you're wondering," Kanae stated bluntly. This time his brain ceased all function.

"I'm kidding," she laughed at his tortured expression. "I reversed my old pair...desperate times and all," she said, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Your boxers wouldn't work with this outfit," she teased, making Yashiro sputter and blush.

She reached for the mug of black coffee and took a sip. Just the way she liked it, hot and bitter. There was another glass in front of her filled with freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice. This must be his healthy concoction. Her plate was laden with eggs, rice, and fish. She looked over at Yashiro as he munched on some Japanese bacon. She reached over and snatched it from him with her chopsticks, making him laugh.

"I didn't think you would prefer bacon," he told her and sweetly placed another slice from his plate onto hers.

"Bacon is life. I can never pass it up," she replied, eating the piece he just gave her. It was a terrible addiction she had picked up while in America. Yashiro chuckled again and made a mental note of her preference for next time.

Kanae glanced up from her food when she heard Kyoko's name being mentioned on the television. She watched silently as the two anchors reported on an article that circulated overnight. Holy shit! Is this part of Morimoto-san's plan?

"Yuki?"

Yashiro's heart fluttered as she casually addressed him. It would take some getting used to, but he was ecstatic to hear his name on her lips.

"Can I come with you this morning? I want to see Kyoko. I can find my way from there," she asked Yashiro. Kanae didn't have anything on this early in the morning. Due to her amazing memorization skills, she had graduated a whole year earlier than her classmates so she was already out of school. If she didn't have any acting work scheduled, she would usually check in with her part-time job. If those didn't work, she would check if the LoveMe section had anything for her to do or head over to the LME training center.

Kanae thought it was only fair to tell Yashiro about her part-time job which took some time to explain. He didn't judge her even if he was a little jealous of her clients. She was an independent woman. Who was he to dictate her life just because they were dating? He did make her promise that she would rely on him if she was ever in trouble.

He hung up the phone with Yashiro and sighed. All of Japan now knew that Kyoko had been a victim of Kimiko's jealousy for quite some time. From the early morning broadcast, it seemed the lead set designer of her project had turned himself into the police last night for his part in attempting to harm Kyoko in exchange for money. The article had sympathized with the man by describing the reasons for his desperation. The fact that his wife had an illness and he had two daughters to support made him easy prey for the Morizumis. His guilty conscience had eventually made him come forward.

It was while Kuon was reaching for his cup of coffee that Kyoko noticed his wrists as the cuff of his shirt moved up. She gasped in mortification. His skin bore the telltale signs of having been restrained. It was chafed red and slightly bruised.

"Corn, I'm so sorry! I didn't think I would hurt you," she cried, reaching for his hand. She smoothed her fingers over the angry marks, then did the same with his other wrist. It didn't look any better.

"Trust me, baby, you hurting me was the last thing on my mind. I wouldn't trade last night for the world," he smiled devilishly.

Kyoko flushed red. She had acted so indecently last night, but she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it as well.

"I know a trick to make it all better? I would need your help of course."

"I'll help you, Corn! I'll do whatever you say," she agreed without hesitation.

Kuon cocked an eyebrow, anything? "It's really simple, you see. All you have to do is kiss it and it will heal faster."

"You're so silly," she giggled but indulged him by bringing her lips to his wrists. She pecked her lips against every scrape and bruise then smiled at him when she was done.

"I'll check online for some lined cuffs for next time," he smirked, earning him a smack to the arm as she stood to get her makeup bag. She came back and dabbed some waterproof concealer on his wrists. It looked passable. She hoped the makeup would hold the whole day.

Jiro clenched his hands together as he watched the news on the television mounted to the wall of Kimiko's hospital room. Unable to watch anymore, he gazed at his daughter who had yet to stir for the morning. The doctors continued to give her medication to manage the pain. It left her very drowsy and unconscious for most of the day. Glancing at the clock, it was almost time for the nurses to return and change her dressings. They needed to be replaced often to prevent infection.

The truth was out there now. He didn't recognize the daughter they painted on the news broadcast. According to the report, she had taken advantage of someone's weakness and used it for her gain. It made him sick to his stomach, knowing that all those incidences Jouji had disclosed to him had been his daughter's doing. She had been terrorizing that girl ever since the auditions. Jiro felt horrible for not paying more attention to his daughter's activities.

The news article went deeper than his daughter's transgressions. They discussed the influence the Morizumis had within the industry. The coercion they exerted on actors, actresses, directors, and agencies to work in their favor was all being exposed. Someone had done extensive research on his family and it seemed more than a few people from the past had held a grudge or two.

They had used Kimiko's incident as the keystone to toppling the empire his family had built. He and Jouji had always tried to stay away from that part of the business and keep things fair. They were artists, visionaries, always wanting to improve their craft and discover the next rare diamond in the rough that would propel their latest work to new heights.

Jiro wasn't all innocent. He played the Morizumi card whenever convenient to help obtain special consideration for projects, and yes, he was guilty of helping his daughter excel in the industry. This made him no different than the rest of them. His generation and the one before it were responsible for the way Yuri and Kimiko had acted. They thought they could get away with anything because the family was always there to help clean up the aftermath. They deserved this fallout. He, however, wasn't prepared for them to use his daughter as the family scapegoat.

His cell phone began buzzing again. He had been ignoring his wife since she confessed to him that she went behind his back. She directed the family lawyer, their cousin, to pursue charges against Yashiro even after he explained to her why they should leave it alone and focus on their daughter's healing. He knew he shouldn't have blamed her. She thought she was trying to seek justice for their daughter. It was the fact that she didn't trust him enough to let things be that had hurt. She accused him of not caring enough and blamed him for Kimiko's accident. He accepted her harsh words then because he deserved them. He didn't want to face her at the moment. This was exactly why he didn't want to kick the hornet's nest. If they had not pursued Yashiro, this probably wouldn't have been happening right now.

Jiro's self-loathing thoughts were interrupted when the nurses came in to change Kimiko's bandages. The nurses were still cordial, but the warm treatment they had received yesterday was no longer present. It only proved one thing, they must have already seen the news.

Kyoko looked at Ren as they stepped out of the apartment elevator into the resident parking lot.

"Ren?!" Kyoko cried, grasping onto his forearm.

"Yes, beautiful?"

"Please tell me I'm not hallucinating and that is indeed my best friend standing next to Yashiro-san."

Ren laughed. "I assure you, Kotonami-san is perfectly rea-." Kyoko was gone in a flash before he could even finish his sentence.

"Moookkkooo-saaaan," she squealed, lunging for her best friend. Kanae stuck out her hand and held her friend at bay by the forehead. Kyoko's arms flailed in a desperate attempt to hug her best friend.

"So mean, Moko-san," Kyoko pouted.

"Mo! Let me borrow some mascara. I hate my eyes looking like I have no lashes," Kanae demanded, thoroughly sidetracking Kyoko from making her feel guilty. Kyoko's face lit up. Sharing makeup with Kanae was a true sign of friendship.

Ren caught up to them and greeted Yashiro and Kanae. His eyes bored into Yashiro and filled with mirth. He couldn't wait to tease his manager about this one. Yashiro sighed and got into the driver's seat while Ren took the passenger seat. Kanae and Kyoko climbed into the back.

"Moko-san, I love your outfit. It looks so good on you with your slim figure and long black hair. Just like a supermodel!" Kyoko bounced in the backseat, complimenting her best friend.

Yashiro started coughing and pounded his chest, trying to catch his breath. "I choked on my saliva. Sorry about that."

"I have a bottle of water in my bag, Yashiro-san. Would you like it?" Kyoko asked, holding it up to him.

"Oh no, I'm fine, Kyoko-chan. Thank you for the offer," Yashiro replied, clearing his throat one final time.

Kyoko put the bottle back in her bag and rummaged through it to find her little makeup bag. She found it and handed it to Kanae.

"By the way, Moko, what are you doing here?"

"I saw the news so I wanted to check up on you," Kanae told her while opening the bag.

"Really!" Kyoko asked, her eyes brimming with happy tears. "You were worried about me?"

Kanae nodded as she dug through Kyoko's cosmetics bag. She used her fingers to dab on some creamy blush and applied mascara to her lashes. Kyoko stared at her while she worked. Kanae was hoping her friend remained clueless enough to not notice that she had nothing on her. Dressing as a young man did not warrant her carrying a full purse, and it never occurred to her to bring a backpack. Her wallet, keys, and phone were tucked safely in the jacket she wore last night.

"Did Yashiro-san pick you up at home?" Kyoko asked hopefully. She was curious to know if they were dating. If Yashiro went out of his way to pick her up at home that would be significant.

"No," Kanae told her, concentrating on swiping gloss across her lips and keeping a straight face. From the corner of her eye, she could see Kyoko's disappointed look. Glancing up quickly, she made eye contact with Yashiro in the rearview mirror.

"I saw her on her way here, Kyoko-chan, and picked her up," Yashiro supplied. Kanae's reflection scowled at him briefly. Is she mad at me? Yashiro was officially confused. Did he misread the situation? He had thought she wanted to keep things under wraps.

"We're here," Yashiro called out, saved by their arrival. He pulled to the curb and parked a block away from the school. The vultures were already circling the area, waiting patiently for Kyoko to arrive. She didn't bother with a disguise today and decided to face them all.

"Ren, you stay here. I'll escort Kyoko-chan inside," Yashiro ordered, already removing his belt.

"You'll also add more attention. I'll take her," Kanae interrupted and stepped out of the car. She wanted some private time to talk to Kyoko.

"Mookooo-san!" Kyoko exclaimed with big heart shapes shining in her eyes. She was feeling very loved right now that nothing, not even Mimori, could ruin her day. This was shaping up to be the best day ever!

"Mo, just get out already before you're late for school," Kanae scolded, rolling her eyes at Kyoko's enthusiasm.

Kyoko quickly kissed Ren on the cheek and thanked Yashiro for the ride. The two men watched anxiously as their girls walked away toward the impending crowd.

"I didn't think I'd see the day when Kyoko-chan would be so affectionate with you in front of so many witnesses. I'm so happy for you Ren," Yashiro teased, sniffling and dabbing at fake tears.

"Why is Kotonami-san wearing your shirt?" Ren snickered. Yashiro's sniffling stopped. He sobered up real fast, a blush appearing on the apples of his cheeks.

"She stayed over last night and before you freak out, nothing happened...yet. We've decided to be exclusive, but things are still in limbo regarding Morizumi-san so I'm not sure how long this is going to last," Yashiro told him straight up. His honesty surprised Ren.

"Kyoko told me her mother is pressing charges against Morizumi-san and judging from the broadcast this morning I doubt the Morizumis have a leg to stand on against you. You acted in self-defense. Anyway, I'm happy for you and Kotonami-san."

Yashiro hummed in response. He wondered if it would be that simple. Deciding to change topics, Yashiro asked Ren, "what do you think they're talking about?" He nodded to the girls as they walked down the sidewalk talking animatedly. Ren was thoughtful for a moment. It was his turn to surprise Yashiro when he spoke.

"Ehhhh, Moko-san! Really, truly! You're dating Yashiro-san, now?" Ren piped up imitating his girlfriend's voice. It was ridiculous and the expression on his manager's face was comical. He almost broke character and started laughing.

Yashiro shook his head and chuckled, imitating Kanae with impeccable timing as she glanced over her shoulder. "Mo! Keep your voice down. He might hear you."

"I'm sorry, Moko. Please don't be mad at me. I'm just so excited that our best friends found love with each other."

"Mo! Your googly eyes are creeping me out. Quit staring at me like that."

"Ne, Moko-san, maybe we can do a double date. That's what best friends do right? It will be so much fun."

"Ugh, just hurry up or you're going to be late for school."

The two men stopped their immature banter when the girls approached the crowd. They didn't know how they did it but the girls managed to walk right through the parting crowd without complications. What the men didn't see from their distance, was how awe-struck everyone had become at the approaching ladies.

Before they reached the crowd, Kanae had told Kyoko to channel her inner Natsu. Kyoko, trusting her best friend's judgment, transformed into the charismatic bully. Kanae followed suit and exuded the same aura to match her Natsu. The girls slowed down in their walk and adopted the gait of supermodels. When they were finally spotted, the crowd was rendered speechless. All they could do was stand back and admire the passing girls. It wasn't until they were out of sight that they realized what had happened. Questions were shouted after them by reporters, but it was too late. Photographers were trying desperately to get a good shot. Students followed the girls in and stood apart from them, whispering and taking pictures with their cell phones.

"Mo, that was too easy," Kanae told Kyoko with a toss of her hair. Kyoko giggled.

"It's because Moko-san is so beautiful. They didn't know what to do. She's my best friend everyone! Mine! Myyy best friend!" Kyoko announced proudly, pointing between Kanae and herself.

"Mo! Stop that you silly girl. So embarrassing," Kanae scowled, covering her hand over her brow to hide her face.

"Anyway, if any of these bitches mess with you, let me know. I'll take care of them," Kanae threatened, eyeing the other students coldly.

Before Kanae could react to deflect her, Kyoko had managed to give her a hug attack. Normally Kanae would be cringing at her friend's smothering love, but since they had an audience she reluctantly hugged her back.

Kanae pulled away when Kyoko started sniffing her.

"Mo! What are you doing? Stop it, you're being weird again."

"Moko-san uses the same brand of detergent as Yashiro-san. It's cute that you both have that in common."

Kanae blushed bright red. She had not told her about last night. Her sole purpose was to check on her friend and gauge her feelings about the latest news. The conversation of Yashiro would have to wait until their next Karaoke date.

"Go to class. The guys are waiting for me. I'll see you after school at LME?" Kanae asked her before leaving. Kyoko nodded with a smile and waved goodbye to her friend.

Kanae had no problems leaving the premises since the crowd was just as dumbstruck with her departure. Yashiro and Ren were quite impressed as she approached the vehicle.

"Everything, go well?" Yashiro asked while she slid into the back seat.

"Yes, no problems. She's pretty resilient," she replied with a small smile.

Both men grunted in response. That was a perfect word to describe their Kyoko.

"Good afternoon, Miss. We're looking for Morizumi Kimiko's room," the man asked the nurse, flashing his badge. She looked nervously between the two men in suits and the uniformed officer, then called her Boss for guidance. The detectives introduced themselves when the hospital director arrived. The director showed them to the room and stood back while they knocked on the door.

Jiro opened the door to his daughter's room just a crack. The detectives introduced themselves as Narimiya and Harada and asked to enter the room making Jiro's heart drop.

"Sir, I regret to inform you, but we have a warrant to take your daughter into custody. Given her age, she might be shown leniency; but that depends on the justice system and her crimes," Detective Narimiya explained, handing the warrant over for his perusal.

"She's still recovering. Couldn't this wait until she's released from the hospital? How can you all be so heartless?" Jiro's voice rose in anger. "Isn't it enough that she's severely injured?"

Ignoring his outburst, detective Harada opened the door to let the uniformed police officer inside the room. "We understand she still needs medical attention, sir. This is officer Yano, he will be sitting outside the room to make sure you don't try to leave the city with your daughter."

"What? That's completely preposterous. I wouldn't think of..."

"It's protocol, sir," Narimiya interjected. "Unless you prefer I handcuff her right now to one of the bars on the bed?"

"That wouldn't be necessary! Now please leave gentlemen. My daughter needs her rest," Jiro huffed, glancing at Kimiko. He was glad she was still asleep from her last dose of medication. The detectives left, leaving Yano to sit outside the room.

AN: Hi, hi, my dear readers. I apologize for the delay so please be gentle. I was pulled away from this story to participate in KyoRen week. I'm not talented enough to write two stories at once. I had to shut my mind off this one to work on the other. I can't even believe I was able to keep up with the daily demand. Now that it's over, I'm back to devoting my time to this one. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thank you for continuing to read and leaving me lovely reviews. I appreciate all your feedback.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^