Chapter 93: The American Promoter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, there would be more Kuu! XD

Yashiro stepped out of the car, holding a bouquet and two large bags. He was a little nervous about meeting her family again. The last time he came into contact with them, he had fled for his life at the urging of Kanae. Though she complained about her family, he could tell she loved them dearly, even if according to her, they are all leeches. Yashiro shifted his bags so he could press the buzzer to the front door using his elbow. He didn't feel right about going around the side to what Kanae called her bunker. He wanted to greet her family properly this time.

He took a tentative step back from the door, as he felt the familiar rumble approaching and then suddenly stop. Mo! Get back, all of you! So help me! I will slip out of here without any of you meeting him. Go and sit down!

Yashiro tried not to laugh when he heard the shuffling of heavy footsteps as Kanae's family obeyed her orders. He tilted his head as quiet ensued and still, he waited. Why isn't she opening the door? Should I ring the bell again? No, Baka! She was just there. She knows I'm out here. I have to be patient. Yashiro felt sweat break out on his brow when another minute ticked by. Did she change her mind about me?

Kanae fidgeted in front of the hall mirror, fussing with her appearance. She ran her hands through her straight black hair for the hundredth time and adjusted the straps of her dress so less cleavage was shown. Is this color too bold? The neckline is way too low. He'll think I'm a hussy! What was I thinking? Why did I listen to my sisters? How could I possibly go out there in this?

"Kanae," her eldest sister whispered. "You look gorgeous. Quit stalling. Hurry before he thinks you don't like him."

Kanae glared at her sister. She summoned all her confidence and pulled open the door.

Yashiro let out a sigh of relief when the door finally opened but dropped his bags and bouquet reflexively from shock. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the gorgeous vision before him.

Any apprehension Kanae felt about her appearance was quickly dashed the moment Yashiro laid eyes on her. His usually warm brown eyes shone bright with surprise and his mouth hung agape as he gazed at her.

She was wearing a sleeveless red knit dress with a plunging neckline that opened down to her sternum. The dress itself was form-fitting and hugged every curve of her slim body down to her knees. The color of the dress brought out the creaminess of her skin and was a sharp contrast to the black in her hair. She looked devilishly sexy and yet remained classy at the same time. His heart rate quickened at the sight of her while he tried his best to keep all the blood in his body from flooding to his groin.

The sound of a shutter and the bright flash from her brother's camera startled Yashiro back to his senses. He blushed crimson and recovered quickly, picking up the bouquet. He gently swiped the bundle to remove any dust to buy him some time while he composed himself. Kanae cleared her throat trying to hide her amusement.

"I'm sorry for my clumsiness," Yashiro said quickly. "These are for you. You look very beautiful tonight," He added sheepishly, handing the roses to her. He wanted to kiss her in greeting but decided it was not wise to do that in front of her family at the first meeting. Kanae allowed a soft blush to grace her cheeks and thanked him for the flowers. She lifted the arrangement to her nose and inhaled the sweet fragrance. No one had ever given her flowers before unless she counted the fake dates she went on for her side job, which she didn't.

"Yuki, please come inside and meet my family. What are the bags for?" She asked, watching him pick up the two large bags.

"Ah, it's just some gifts I brought for your family. It's mostly snacks." Kyoko had told him about her first meeting with the Kotonami clan. Yashiro gleaned from her story that bringing snacks would make a good impression.

Kanae smiled softly and tiptoed to kiss his cheek, sending a new wave of blood to his face. It was sweet of him to think of the kids. She led him to the dilapidated living room where her family all sat on the floor, waiting to be introduced.

"Hello," Yashiro greeted with a nervous smile and a slight bow. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home." He made sure to glance over every person and child in the cramped living room, prepared to commit their names to memory. His quick assessment of the lot told him that there were eighteen in total.

Kanae introduced her older siblings first, her sisters-in-law, and their children. Then she introduced him to her younger siblings. Unfortunately, her parents were once again vacationing frivolously at some onsen in Hakone. He was previously under the impression that a lot of children lived in this house but had no idea that her family was so large. It was amazing compared to his small family of four. He hoped he brought enough snacks to go around.

After Kanae said the final name, they all broke out at once trying to bombard him with questions. Everyone was interested in "Kanae-nee's" boyfriend, particularly what he had in those bags.

"Mo! Enough! We have a reservation so we can't be late. You've seen him already so you should be satisfied with this much. Let's go, Yuki!" She commanded, taking the bags from him and placing them in front of the children.

Yashiro looked on in amusement as they descended on the bags like piranhas. It was so surprising to see that this usually composed woman had such a chaotic home life. He admired her all the more for how well she kept her personal life so private and was pleased she had no qualms about sharing her family life with him which meant she trusted him.

Yashiro bowed and gave his apologies. "Please enjoy, everyone. I hope they're to your liking."

"Wait, Kanae! This is your first date ever. We need a picture to show mom and dad," her brother with the camera insisted.

"First date?" Yashiro whispered letting that tidbit of information go to his head. He was feeling quite proud and nervous at the same time. He prayed it went well and he didn't disappoint her.

"Can we please take a picture? I would like to make a good impression on your parents," Yashiro asked, tugging at the cuffs of his navy blazer. He wore black ankle trouser pants, a black dotted button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a pair of black loafers. It was a nice contrast from the usual drab gray he wore to work. He looked trendy and sexy with his hair blown back.

Kanae narrowed her eyes at Yashiro. "Fine, just one," Sse conceded, holding up a single digit to her obnoxious brother.

Yashiro's inner fangirl did a standing back tuck, cheering with glee. Her family looked at him puzzled while he put on a surgical glove and pulled out the new smartphone she gave him. He handed the phone over to her sister and asked if she would take a picture for him as well.

...

Kanae made a mental note to thank her sisters for dressing her up tonight. Yashiro had taken her to a popular Italian restaurant full of glamorous people. She didn't feel so out of place holding on to his arm. It was good that Yashiro wore contacts tonight instead of his glasses so he couldn't be recognized easily. Their date would have been interrupted by several celebrities and acquaintances he had met throughout Ren's career if he looked like his regular self. He told her he would inform Ren that this place, though sophisticated yet casual, may not be ideal for him to take Kyoko on a date if he was looking for an intimate setting. They would be recognized instantly if they didn't have a good disguise.

Kanae tried not to grumble while looking over the menu. She was thinking of just getting a salad so she wouldn't ruin her diet. She had often avoided Italian food because it was high in calories and carbohydrates. Yashiro had pointed out the lighter side to the carb-loaded menu and recommended the zucchini pasta with lemon garlic shrimp. Her meal was delicious and slightly guilt-free if she ignored the buttery flavor.

They had a steady flow of conversation with little to no talk of their two best friends. Yashiro asked her about work and gave her advice on how to approach certain jobs. He told her that if she ever needed help work wise he was more than eager to aide her. Kanae had declined his offer since he was already so busy with Ren and Kyoko that she did not want to burden him. She assured him that she was doing fine with the help of Matsushima and his assistants.

They ignored the elephant in the room that was the issue of Yashiro's future following the Kimiko incident. Kanae found herself talking and smiling more than usual, he even had her laughing at his lame jokes. He talked fondly about the family that he visited every New Year. He invited Kanae to join him on his next trip to see them. She thought for sure he would be running for the hills after meeting her family, but he seemed to be making plans for the future which had a warming effect on her heart. Kanae couldn't be sure since she never dated anyone in real life, but Yashiro seemed to be an exception. She found herself falling more for him as the night wore on.

After dinner, while waiting for the valet to bring his car around, Yashiro leaned down and whispered into her ear. "I know it's a small consolation compared to the price of the phone, but I hope you enjoyed dinner."

Kanae shivered at his closeness making Yashiro smirk. "I hope you will allow me to continue to show my appreciation."

She gaped, understanding the innuendo in his brazen words. Who would have thought Yashiro had it in him?

Once in the car, Kanae asked if he could drive her to another location. Not wanting to part with her anytime soon, Yashiro happily agreed. He plugged the new address into his GPS and took off. He was confused when they pulled up to an apartment complex.

"What is this place?" He questioned, glancing out the window.

"It's where I live."

"But your family? You don't live there?" Kanae shook her head in denial. She had always let him pick her up and drop her off at the Kotonami house.

"I live alone here. I can't concentrate with all the racket those people make. Because it's you, I'm trusting you with this secret. My family doesn't know where I live and I would like to keep it that way."

"Kyoko-chan?"

Kanae nodded. "She stayed over and showed me how to make chocolates because of the President's ridiculous demands."

"I remember that," Yashiro chuckled, recalling Kyoko's enthusiasm when she received Kanae's invite. He stepped out quickly and circled to the passenger side to help her out. If she brought him here, it had to mean something.

"I'll walk you to your door," he offered, taking her hand in his as they walked. They took the stairs rather than the elevator to the third floor to prolong their time together and work off some of that dinner. In front of her door, Yashiro looked up and down the hall but Kanae surprised him again. She grabbed him by the lapels and crushed her mouth to his. Yashiro's hands found her waist and pushed her up against the door deepening the kiss, his tongue thrusting through her parted lips. This was not the first time they had kissed like this nor will it be their last. They had made out like teenagers on his bed the night she stayed at his place They didn't go all the way that night, but there was a generous amount of indecent touching.

The ding from the elevator down the hall brought Yashiro back to his senses. He stopped kissing her and rested his forehead against hers taking her hands in his.

"I should go," Yashiro murmured against her lips his brown eyes gazing into her blue.

"Or you could stay," she countered suggestively. Yashiro's eyes widened at her invitation. He searched her eyes for any hesitation and found none.

"I have a shirt you can borrow," she teased. Kanae was referring to the shirt she borrowed last time. Yashiro pressed her back into the door and kissed her lips hungrily once more in answer, stopping only for her to open the door.

Meanwhile, in the City of Angels:

The minute Kuu woke up this morning he checked his phone. Kuon had not called him since the incident occurred last night, or more precisely, morning their time. He was quite worried about his son since he seemed to have been in a lot of pain. Kuu was now on set for his new movie, playing the male lead as a hotshot LAPD detective. Every time a break was called, Kuu automatically checked his phone. He knew he was being unreasonable. It was in the middle of the night in Tokyo so he wouldn't be getting any calls at this hour. He supposed no news was good news.

He had been tempted several times to call Lory. Kuu had no problems bothering that man at all hours of the night when it pertained to Kuon. He was most likely awake, watching some love drama or playing a dating sim game. Kuu hesitated to call because he wasn't sure how much Kuon wanted Lory to know about his embarrassing predicament. His kids had confided in him. He couldn't betray their trust and waited patiently for them to call. Julie was a bit miffed that she was unable to help Kuon in his time of need and vowed to never speak to Kuu for a week. He tried to explain that it wasn't the kind of situation a son could discuss with his mother, but she didn't care for his excuses. It hurt her that their kids didn't rely on her more when they had trouble. As a consolation, Kuu showed her the screenshot he took of their cute son to help allay her sadness and beg forgiveness. Kuon looked so innocent with his watery green eyes and blushing face. His expression reminded them of a time when he was younger and happier. They had Kyoko to thank for bringing their son back to them.

Kuu was interrupted from his musings when whispered voices caught his attention. He looked up to see who had entered the set and found the popular promoter, Callister Bennett, talking with his young co-star and her mother that doubled as her manager. The twelve-year-old girl was playing the role of his stepdaughter in the movie. She had a relatively small role but she would have to portray a physically weak child that suffered from asthma attacks and severe depression. He assumed Callister was here to scout her. He had made a name for himself in the industry both States side and overseas, inheriting the nickname of his predecessor. Once he set his sights on a talented person, they were guaranteed to be a success. Callister was at the top of the food chain of his business that he didn't need to do such things anymore; however, Kuu understood the man enjoyed finding new talent.

Kuu stood up quickly to catch the man that had been his "acquaintance" for so long. It took a lot of acting on Kuu's part to tolerate the man after what his...no…Kuu wouldn't go there. Instead, he thought positive. His "easy" transition into Hollywood when he first came to America could be attributed to Lory and Callister's mentor, the true Mr. D.

Kuu needed answers and this was the perfect time to get them. Why is his son in Japan? The man had eluded Kuu's attempts at bumping into him since he had been in Europe for the past month. Kuu had heard the same old rumors among his peers regarding Cedric's scandal with the supermodel. He wanted to hear it firsthand from the man himself. Kuu knew Lory had already gone straight to the man he trusted to get answers without giving Kuon away. His source checked out. He could not find anything out of the ordinary in the typical sordid life that the youth of Hollywood enjoyed.

There were no traces of Cedric actively looking for Kuon in Lory's investigation. Last Kuu heard Lory was still trying to track down the model in question at her last known location in the French Riviera. It was a known rumor that Callister paid the woman a hefty amount to retract her statements about Cedric. The rumor trail was running cold these days because in the celebrity world there was always a new scandal to easily replace the last.

Kuu pasted a warm smile on his face and approached the small gathering from the direction Callister was facing. Callister caught his eye and smiled.

"Kuu, old friend. I was wondering if I'd see you here. Seems I picked the perfect time to come by," Callister greeted, shaking Kuu's hand and clapping him on the back. They had known each other since Kuu first came to America and worked with his father-in-law. Kuu didn't have anything against the talented man except for how poorly his son used to treat Kuon. If he blamed the parents, what did that say about him and Julie?

"Good to see you too. How have you been? I see you have your eye on our young starlet here."

"I'm keeping busy…and of course!" Callister answered, spreading his palms up to the young actress. "I'm sure you've noticed working alongside her. I'm expecting good things from her. I already found a new project for her after this one."

"That's amazing," Kuu said, congratulating the young girl. The actress was called off for a wardrobe change leaving the men to talk. Kuu still had some time since the director was busy reviewing the tape and making changes to the set.

This was Kuu's chance to go fishing for information. "So I heard your son is working with my daughter in Tokyo!"

"Daughter?!" Callister shouted in surprise. "Did you have a baby out of wedlock? Does Julienna know about her?"

Kuu chuckled. "Jules knows. She's not my biological daughter. I unofficially adopted her when I was in Japan last year. She won my heart over with her acting, personality, and cooking. You'd like her very much."

"Really?" Callister said intrigued, pulling out a pad and pen from his pocket. "What is her name? So I can look this child up that so easily stole your heart and your stomach with her skills."

Kuu laughed nervously. He wondered if he should have said anything. Being associated with him had not worked out for Kuon, he didn't want the same thing to happen to Kyoko.

"She's coming to play in October for fashion week. Maybe I'll introduce you then. So how did Cedric end up in Japan anyway?"

Callister pouted and put away his notepad. He sighed heavily thinking about his son. The boy had managed to build a reputable name for himself in the acting world. Yes, a lot of directors and producers hired him for his family's reputation, but he was holding his own and improving his skills. If only his son were more charismatic like Kuu's son used to be, he wouldn't have had such a late start in the industry. He wondered how his son would have fared if Kuon was still around. Nobody knew what happened to the kid. The rumor that resurfaced now and then was that he was in a mental institute, driven insane by the death of his closest friend. It was sad to think of such talent wasting away like that. He had high hopes for Kuon back then, but the kid folded under the pressure of his family name and self-destructed.

He only heard rumors of the boy's mistreatment on and off the set. He knew Cedric and his friends used to torment Kuon. They were boys just being boys. A little bullying from other kids only made one stronger in his opinion. The celebrity world was harsh, a weak person would be eaten alive and spat out. Callister wasn't sure what spurred the change in his son but he watched Cedric finally mature into a fine actor over the past few years.

Though his son's career was flourishing, it was like with fame came stupidity. The kid had terrible judgment when it came to women. He had no clue where he got that from. Callister told himself that he should just be satisfied that his son was taking acting seriously and no longer harassing people to get ahead in the industry.

"His interest has grown over the years, especially with the increased use of stage combat and swordplay in these new action flicks. And the kid has this weird fetish for Japanese maidens. I'm sure you've heard. You're no stranger to scandal when it came to your son." Callister missed the scowl that briefly crossed Kuu's face at the small jab he took at his son. "Cedric got himself tangled up with some supermodel. Producer Kuresaki was looking for someone to play the antagonist in his project. Since the production was delayed, the original actor lined up for the part bowed out to chase a better opportunity. I snatched up the chance for Cedric to get away until the rumors died down and I could take care of things here."

"I see, well your son better not try anything with my daughter! I don't want to have to hide a body," Kuu threatened, making Callister laugh.

"Don't worry, my son has been warned to stay out of trouble over there or there would be consequences," Callister assured Kuu. "He's not stupid enough to disregard my request." Callister decided that he should check in with his son maybe he could even find out about the girl that Kuu took under his wing.

Kuu nodded. He didn't need rumors to tell him that Callister was still hard on his son. He used to witness it firsthand when Kuon was still around. He thought it best to keep quiet about the Morizumi incident if he didn't already know. Just because it happened on the set of Sacred Lotus, didn't mean outsiders knew Cedric was a witness. He had warned Kuon early on to keep that guy away from Kyoko, but it seemed his fears were baseless. The actor appeared to have been working diligently and had not caused any trouble for his kids. From what Kyoko told him, the Sacred Lotus would wrap up before she came to LA. Which meant Cedric would also be back in town. Kuu wondered if the guy was just waiting for the right opportunity to show his spots. He would have to tell Kuon and Lory about this conversation.

"While we're on the subject of Japan, are you familiar with the actor Ren su- ru, that's right it's spelled like how you would say tsunami so Tsu-ru-ga. Do you know the actor Ren Tsuruga?" Callister asked Kuu.

"Ah, I did meet him briefly in passing while I was out there." Kuu decided that it wasn't a total lie if he focused on their meeting in the parking garage and treated Ren as a separate entity from his son. It would be too suspicious if he did not meet the top star that had surpassed his ratings on the remake of Tsukigomori. "Why? Are you scouting him?"

"Of course! Did you watch Tragic Marker? He plays the villain BJ. I haven't had chills like that in a while."

Kuu and Julie went against Kuon's warning and watched a late-night showing of the psycho-thriller. Julie had forced herself not to look away from the screen. She didn't want to miss a single second of her baby boy's acting. Unfortunately, she still had nightmares from watching the horrifying movie. Kuu was proud of his son. It had to take a great deal of discipline to pull off the role of a cold-blooded killer. Despite what his son might think of himself, Kuu knew that Kuon had to tap into the darker side of his persona to achieve this success.

"Did you know he played dual roles for that project? Only the director and producers were aware that the actor that played BJ, Cain Heel, was, in fact, Ren Tsuruga!" Callister exclaimed. "He had everyone else fooled."

"I did watch it! I thought his performance was magnificent! It was shocking when all that unfolded! I do keep up with my homeland's gossip, especially on the actor that surpassed my Katsuki," Kuu confessed. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from overpraising his son.

"I've worked with producers and directors here and sent offers to his agency, trying to get him here, but they've turned down every one of them. I want to see how he could handle small roles before I start pushing for bigger parts."

Kuu clenched his jaw at what Callister just said. Kuon never told him that he was getting offers to come back to the U.S. Did he still hate the idea of coming home so much?

"Did they give you a reason for the refusal?"

"They were valid excuses. He's apparently committed to other projects at the moment. I just can't believe an actor would pass up an opportunity to come work in Hollywood."

Kuu was stunned and hurt. He couldn't formulate a good response. He was baffled by the idea that his son would turn down an opportunity to work here. Isn't this what we have been waiting for this whole time?

"I was hoping you could put in a good word with this Ren Tsuruga. He does work for your old agency. Maybe you can share your experience with a young actor and convince him to take a chance."

"I'll see what I can do," Kuu clipped, suppressing the pain in his heart.

Callister looked at him oddly but shrugged, "I took up enough of your time. I'll see you around." He shook Kuu's hand again and left the set.

AN: Hiya Everyone! Thanks for sticking with me. I struggled with how I wanted to approach this chapter since there wasn't any RenKyo. I'm also trying to wrap my head around a YukiNae lemon, but it's proving difficult. I seem to be partial to only perving out on my fav couple...LMAO! Rather than have them talk to Kuu again on the phone, I decided to just jump to Kuu since my mind kept leading me that way thanks to my Guest reviewer planting the thought in my brain. This was my attempt at bringing in the American promoter, Cedric's father, into the picture. It's so off base from canon given the new chapter but hey I gotta roll with what I started with way back when XD. I hope it works!

Guest: I completely forgot I had Lory investigating Cedric so I tried to weakly cover my ass...XD. Thanks for keeping me straight!

Haba: Thank you for reminding me about Kanae and Kyoko's candy-making sleepover.

Thank you for all the reviews. I truly appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^