Chapter 97: Water Under the Bridge

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Ren would definitely land a role that would require him to have a tattoo.

Kyoko woke the next morning to find her nude body shamelessly pressed up against Ren's side. A sliver of the early morning sun peeked through the curtains casting a faint glow over his back.

Last night Kyoko had screeched, unbecomingly, at the sight of the intricate painting that started below his nape and covered his entire back until it dipped down into the waistband of his pants. He explained that it was only a temporary tattoo for his new role and was only required when he was shirtless in certain scenes. This morning, he would be taking promotional photos; hence, the tattoo before filming. The drama would target men with its theme of violence and action but the director wanted to exploit Ren's sex appeal to wrangle in the female audience.

Since the drama was for a mature audience, Ren had to negotiate out the explicit sex scenes the script demanded. He initially flat out refused for his character to have any "sex" scenes. With Yashiro's help, they managed to reach a compromise that both parties were satisfied with. He would be willing to kiss and touch but the act of having sex would only be implied. His character, Ryu, didn't actually have a love interest in the series. The women that he would come into contact with were merely pawns, used to accomplish his mission.

During their innocent love play the night before, Kyoko couldn't stop running her hands over his back until he warned her not to rake her nails against him unless she wanted to broadcast to the world what a hell cat she was in bed. Her whole body flamed red at his admonishment and refused to touch his back further.

She was now tempted to touch his back again. Kyoko watched the ray of sunlight dance along the eyes of the samurai mask, giving it the illusion that it was glowing red. She traced her fingers around the outline of the armored samurai, careful not to use her nails. She moved the pad of her index finger to the large serpent dragon's maw releasing a large flame. Kyoko was amazed that someone was able to draw such detail down to the ferocious expressions of both the dragon and the samurai. According to Ren, the person was so talented he could even do it permanently on real skin.

Kyoko was in love with the idea of him having such a tattoo but knew it wasn't practical in their line of work. It made him seem mysterious, dangerous, and downright sexy. Just thinking about him like that was causing her body to heat up again.

Ren roused from his slumber relishing the softness of her breasts pressed against him. He chuckled when the tip of her fingers grazed his lower back, "that tickles." She did it again making him rumble with laughter. Kyoko stretched her body over the length of his back giving him a kiss on his cheek and purred, "good morning," into his ear.

All the blood in his body flooded to his groin. Before he could act on the lust her warm body induced in him, she was already heading for the bathroom. Ren groaned and turned himself over to free his growing erection. I should get a real tattoo, remembering the feel of her tongue running up his spine last night. He let out another painful moan and rolled out of bed when he heard the shower turn on. I think a nice shower might help.

...

Kyoko laced the wide black leather corset belt she wore over a black, high collared, long sleeve shirt dress at her mid-thigh. She added a few more coats of mascara to her lashes giving her the illusion of wearing falsies she normally wore as Setsu. She wondered if the smoky eye and wing tip liner was a bit much since the makeup artist would most likely undo all her hard work. Either way she was quite proud that she managed to get the tips of the liner even this time. She pulled her hair back and clasped the lace choker she modified to hold Princess Rosa at her throat. This was the perfect way for her to keep her talisman close and maintain the image she wanted to portray for her job today. She went into the large spacious closet of the guest room, her closet now, and selected a pair of black suede thigh high stiletto boots to complete her outfit.

Ren sat at the table looking over his script and eating his breakfast while Kyoko finished getting ready. Kyoko coincidentally chose the moment he drank from his Best Boyfriend mug to waltz into the room making him a

gag on the hot coffee.

"Wha-, whe-, wh-,...you look gorgeous," he finally said, settling on an appropriate greeting that wouldn't get his ears boxed in.

Kyoko cocked one of her perfectly defined eyebrows, amused by the range of emotions that flitted across his face then smirked. It didn't bother her that he covered up his words, in fact, it actually thrilled her whenever he openly showed his jealousy and possessiveness.

"I made breakfast," he continued, trying to distract himself from what he really wanted to say. What the fuck are you wearing?! Where are your fucking pants?! Why must you dress so goddamn sexy?! He grumbled internally. He had to stamp down his inner Cain.

"Thank you," she said to both statements. She walked past him to place her boots and bags by the front door. She settled next to him on the living room floor and gave him a peck on his cheek. She giggled wiping the lipstick mark she left on his face. In hindsight, she should have put on the rouge after her meal. She glanced down at the meal he had perfected just for her; two sunny side up eggs, wheat toast, and half a grapefruit. "Itadakimasu!"

…

Yashiro concentrated on the road determined to protect the happiness that was overflowing from the back seat of his car. Ren had his arm over her shoulders while Kyoko leaned into him. He could hear them whispering to each other but couldn't quite catch what they were saying. Every now and again he'd hear her giggle or catch Ren smile in the reflection of the rear view mirror.

Yashiro had received the news from Lory, early this morning, stating that he was now in the clear. The sense of relief he felt was instantaneous. He could finally let go completely of the Morizumi incident and move forward with his life without hesitation.

He glanced at the rear view mirror again, this time he caught Ren's eyes in the reflection as Kyoko whispered into his ear. He chuckled quietly to himself. He felt like a father that had two horny teens making out in the back seat of his car. Like every father, he decided to clear his throat. Kyoko squeaked and jumped apart from Ren her face flushing. Ren gave Yashiro a menacing look in the mirror making the manager chuckle again.

"I spoke to the President this morning. Kyoko-chan, did you know you're all over the news again?" Yashiro asked meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"Ehhhhhhhhhh!" Kyoko racked her brain to figure out what thoughtless thing she did this time that would land her in the news.

"Don't worry, it was good publicity. The picture you took at the restaurant last night went viral. Your fan site have spiked again but many of your fans are wondering why they never see you two together on a date. Some are even speculating that you broke up due to the incident with Morizumi-san"

"But we did that interview together so how could they even think like that," Kyoko asked exasperatedly.

"Well they aren't wrong, you guys have been so busy that people have not seen you guys together in a picture in a long time. Lory wants you two to start a combined social profile since neither of you manage any social media nor fan mail yourselves. He thinks it would take people's mind off the negative publicity of late." Quite frankly, this seemed like just another ploy for Lory to get personal pictures of his favorite drama pairing. The President sounded quite pouty when he talked about the picture.

"That sounds a bit troublesome. I would prefer to keep our life together private. What exactly would we have to do?" Ren asked, knowing Lory wouldn't let this go. They might as well try to control it as much as possible.

"I looked at the account already. It's quite simple to use, even a primary school student could figure it out. All you have to do is post photos as you see fit; food, behind the scenes, with friends or colleagues, as a couple or individually. I will advise you not to post anything of you guys in or around the apartment. The piranhas would latch on to that information."

"We can think about it later tonight," Kyoko suggested. The thought of her personally exploiting their relationship made her cringe. It was something the President wanted so she could only comply with his request.

…

Kyoko accompanied Ren and Yashiro to his promotional shoot rather than attending school for a few hours. Her father would be picking her up to take her to her own shoot later. She kept her face stoic as she watched her boyfriend pose for the camera. Her ears twitched in annoyance as the female staff chattered away and drooled over her man. She wished right now she was never revealed as Setsu so she could shut these women down.

I can't believe we get to see Tsuruga-san in the flesh. I could die now.

I can't wait to brag to my friends about this day for the rest of my life.

Oooh he's turning again. Seriously my boyfriend needs to work out more!

Kyaaa! Those hakama's are cut so low you can kinda see where he shaves his happy trail!

Kyoko saw it! It was the tiniest of movement but it was enough to let her know that he could clearly hear the women and it was distracting him. Kyoko cleared her throat loudly and shot a death glare towards the women. The women squeaked as she walked towards them prepared to give. They looked very uncomfortable as the stunning young starlet approached.

"Ladies, I see you enjoy watching my boyfriend perform, me too!" Kyoko told them excitedly her anger disappearing. The women stared at her with puzzled expressions. They weren't expecting for the actress to be so friendly and agree with them. "I love watching him work since I'm always trying to improve myself as a model and an actress."

"Yes, you're right, his skill is outstanding. He is very professional," said woman number one.

"It's a dream come true to have a firsthand account of him working so diligently," added woman number two.

"Yes, you know, he's very strict when it comes to work. He especially appreciates the people around him that take their jobs seriously," Kyoko said in an innocent voice.

"Really?! I just remembered I had some work to do," replied woman number one as she scrambled away to look busy. Perhaps Ren would compliment her on a job well done.

"Oh, I'll help you!" said her companion. Kyoko smiled, satisfied that she was able to get rid of the pests and headed back to her spot.

Ren had to turn away from the camera while he tried to suppress his laughter. For a second, he thought there would be a bloodbath since Kyoko was seething with jealousy as she approached the women. She managed to handle the situation quite well and professionally, even though, she managed to manipulate the women back to work.

The director nodded to her in appreciation. Kyoko could finally concentrate on the shoot. She listened to the commands the photographer gave Ren and watched how he executed to the instructions. His movements were subtle but on print it would make a difference.

"Okay, Tsuruga-san, please turn around. Hold the katana so it's leaning over your shoulder and tilt your head down to the left to look my way, contract your back, and maintain that threatening gaze."

Kyoko watched as Ren adopted a familiar dark aura then tensed his back and arm muscles making the work of art on his skin appear to come alive. She had been shocked earlier when Ren dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups. After a minute, he flipped on his back and started doing sit-ups. She watched his muscles become more prominent and defined. "Tricks of the trade, baby" he told her with a wink. It was something models did when they knew their upper body would be exposed in the shoot.

Ren's only attire for the first part of the shoot was a black pair of, hakama's, a traditional skirt-like pant worn by samurai in the past and still worn today in certain martial arts practices. The material hung so low on his hips that anyone with eyes could see that the tattoo extended low past his waistline. He held that intense pose for a few minutes while the photographer fluttered around him.

"Thank you, Tsuruga-san. Please change into the tactical police uniform," the director informed him.

"Ren, my father is here. Thank you for letting me tag along. I learned a lot today," Kyoko said wrapping her arms around his waist careful to avoid his back. The artist had touched up the tattoo this morning and left so she didn't want to do anything to mess it up.

"You fell in love with me a little more, didn't you?" Ren teased.

"Every day," She whispered and lifted her hand to finger the long strands of the wig he wore. She could definitely get on board with him growing his hair out to this length. Ren took her hands off of him remembering that they were in the middle of the studio. .

"You should go. I should go. I'll see you later," he told her reluctant to part. He raised her right hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips. There was an audible sigh throughout the room that made Kyoko turn crimson. She bowed quickly to the staff and walked out with Yashiro. She needed to transfer her bags from his car.

Kento looked over the report in front of him as he waited for his cousins to arrive. He had pulled an all-nighter to complete it, even though, he had his hands full salvaging the other investments and projects the Morizumi family were involved with. He was blind sighted by the prosecuting attorney's response to the plea deal he submitted only yesterday. He was equally surprised when he received it in less than an hour after submission. He could only guess at the motivation that would garner such a response. He actually thought he would be negotiating Kimiko's case and had prepared for the worst.

He should have anticipated it when prosecutors did not come forth with the charge of attempted murder. They had all the evidence they needed to put both women away. His only conclusion was that they had sympathize with Kimiko's fate and went easy on her. Kento tried to take advantage of that kindness and work out plea deals for both ladies. Kimiko would be institutionalized until her twenty-third birthday under the care of a certified psychiatrist in South Korea. She would be allowed to leave the facility under parental guardianship to attend medical appointments. On her twenty-third birthday, Kimiko's mental health state would be re-evaluated prior to her release based on two consulting physicians' recommendation. If she, in anyway, violated the agreement she would be transferred to a minimum security prison where she would serve out her time as a criminal and lose her privileges to consult outside medical care.

Kento looked up from the report when the conference room door opened and his cousins, Yuri's parents, walked into the room. They took their seats, confusion written all over their face. Kento had assured them that Yuri would get off with a light sentence since she was only an accomplice to Kimiko's heinous acts. They had agreed that two years under house arrest and two years of community service was more than enough punishment for her participation in their niece's atrocities.

"I have some bad news. The plea deal was rejected. They want the case with Yuri-chan to go to trial," Kento explained.

"What do you mean rejected? You assured us that it would be a done deal," Yuri's father exclaimed angrily.

"Sit down and let's hear what he has to say," Yuri's mother told her husband. "On what grounds do they have to object, Kento-san?" Yuri's mother asked the lawyer calmly.

"In a nutshell, they claim that Yuri-chan was the adult guiding Kimi-chan. She was only able to accomplish her crimes because Yuri-chan encouraged it," Kento said in a shaky voice. The prosecuting attorney was not wrong in her assessment. He too was curious as to why Yuri had not come forth when Kimiko was showing signs of violent behavior. His niece could have receive proper treatment before everything escalated.

"Has Yuri-chan told you anything? Anything at all would be helpful? I can understand why the prosecutors would take this route. Is it possible that your daughter is the one calling the shots?"

"There's no way! Yuri is a good girl! She only ever said that she wanted to help her cousin's dream come true so she, unfortunately, made the wrong choices."

Kento let out a heavy sigh. "I will do my best to fight on Yuri-chan's behalf. Given all the evidence she will most likely have jail time. All I can do is try to reduce the sentence. Please have Yuri-chan compile a list of people she can count on to testify on behalf of her character. Friends, colleagues. I need reputable people that would vouch for her… I'll visit Yuri-chan at home later tonight to explain everything in detail but in the meantime I've created this report for her. Please tell her to have the list of names ready tonight. I need to do background checks on all the individuals as soon as possible."

Sho paced the floor anxiously waiting for Kyoko to show up. His past self would laugh at him right now for arriving one hour early for work knowing that she would arrive early herself. He knew he no longer had a chance with her and made peace with that; Fuwa Sho does not pine after women. His bruised ego would eventually heal. He would find someone even better for himself; it just meant that the bar was set extremely high for any future woman he dated.

He had not seen nor talked to her since their interview and wanted to make sure for himself that she was okay after that fire incident. President Akatoki had reminded him that he owed Kyoko an apology for his rude behavior towards the chicken that wasn't her. He had found the talento that was in the suit during the Yappa Kimagure Rock promo signing and apologized properly. The damn chicken man had the nerve to call things square only after Sho promised to have two VIP tickets at every single one of his Tokyo venue concerts available for him at the ticket booth for as long as he was performing. Sho bit his tongue as Shoko agreed that it was only fair that he be compensated for the distress Sho had caused him. Sho really didn't need another mascot flare up in Tokyo since he was already receiving the cold shoulder from other mascots in the industry.

When Kyoko arrived approximately thirty minutes before the actual start time, Sho did a double take before realizing that the sexy little vixen that walked into the studio was indeed his childhood friend. He was especially annoyed when Shoko reminded him to close his mouth. He instantly wanted to slip into his old ways and scorn her for wearing such provocative clothing that didn't suit her which would be a total lie. Shoko sensing his intention pinched his arm with her long nails and gave him a threatening look to behave. Like Sho, Shoko was stunned to have confirmation that Kyoko-san was indeed Setsuka Heel.

"Fuwa-san, thank you for your consideration," Kyoko greeted bowing to Sho and his manager.

"Tch, what kind of play is this? Why are you treating me like some stranger and calling me like that?"

"Would you prefer I call you Shota-..." Sho's hand shot out to cover her mouth but Tadashi was quicker. He grabbed the singer's wrist before he could touch his daughter and squeezed. Sho scowled at the man that claimed to be her father and rubbed his wrist. A musician's hand was his bread and butter, Sho wouldn't be able to play his guitar if his wrist was injured.

Kyoko gasped, startled by the quickness of her father's movement. Get him Daddy! Her grudges and angels cheered.

"Fuwa-san, I would appreciate it if you keep your hands off my daughter. This is a work place, I don't want unsavory rumors to spread. If I will it, I can make you disappear boy!"

"Look here pal, I've kno-," Sho began to counter until Shoko pushed his head down to bow in apology. She smiled and asked them to forgive the boy's immature impulses.

"Oh father, I'm fine. I can handle this guy. He's really simple minded so he doesn't know anything about manners."

"Hey! You're the stu-" Sho began objecting but cut off the rest of his rude sentence when Tadashi's threatening glare intensified. "Forget it, call me whatever you want just not that!...please," He grumbled making Kyoko giggle.

"Oi, are you really okay? That stuff with that girl. She tried to hurt you," Sho asked embarrassed to show such concern. "You aren't forcing yourself are you?" It always annoyed him how she would just grin and bear all the unpleasant things that happened to her in the past.

"Since I have a strong support system now, I'm more than fine. Thank you for your concern Fuwa-san."

Sho clucked his tongue again and felt the distance between them grow further. She was right, he never once supported her in the past. He was even the selfish prick that abandoned her. It was all water under the bridge. The damage was done, no point dwelling on something that has long passed.

"Did your tour go well?" Kyoko asked him making small talk as they waited for the producer and photographer to arrive.

"Of course! Fuwa Sho always puts on a good show!" he replied arrogantly. He did catch some hell from the backlash of her fans but she didn't need to know those details. He had to keep up appearances.

Asami finally arrived and briefed them on the details of the project. The photos taken today would be used for Sho's new single album cover and insert so things should be quick once the camera started clicking. The time consuming part would be the wardrobe and makeup changes. Kyoko and Sho would take turns acting as both the devil and the innocent victim.

Kyoko sat before the mirror and tried not to cringe while the makeup artist erased all her effort from this morning. She kept Kyoko's makeup natural since she would be playing the innocent victim for the first part of the shoot. While the hair stylist worked on curling Kyoko's hair into soft waves, a nail technician removed the black from her fingers and painted a clear coat on them. She also removed the paint on her toes since she would be barefoot on this shoot and the dark color would look out of place. When Kyoko was prepped, the wardrobe assistant held out what looked to be a long beautiful silk chemise in a soft blush color. Once Kyoko had the gown on, she was asked to step in front of the mirror. She watched in horror as the wardrobe director ripped and smudged the dress making it look ragged. What a waste? The makeup artist added smudges and bruises to Kyoko's body. Just what kind of song did Shotaro write?! The concept sounded very similar to the Prisoner PV yet Kyoko looked like this would be a violent love affair.

Kyoko walked out wearing a robe and slippers. She stopped short when she saw Sho lounging on the demon throne dressed like some gothic lord in tight black pants, a red brocade overcoat with tails and a black shirt with a neck ruffle. To complete the look he had on a black top hat and a cane with a skull handle. This devil was quite tame compared to his other outlandish outfits.

"Sheesh, it's about time. We're all waiting on you." His black colored contact eyes flashed at her with annoyance. His mouth always did ruin his handsome face. She wondered how long he could dupe his fans with that kind of attitude. Rather than being sucked into her old ways of arguing with him, Kyoko flashed him her own version of Ren's professional smile.

"Okay, Kyoko-chan the expression I would like you to keep in mind is one of pure devotion. You've escaped an abusive relationship and the devil is your savior," Asami told her giving out instructions.

Kyoko groaned audibly then apologized quickly making several people laugh and Sho scowl. They all knew what kind of relationship she had with Sho thanks to that stupid article. She really should have asked for more details regarding the shoot before agreeing to this job. She needed to focus, if she wanted to end her misery quickly.

Sho watched as Kyoko removed her robe and took her mark on the floor beside his chair. What the hell? What is Asami-san thinking dressing her like I was the one that manhandled her?

"Sho relax a bit more you're too rigid," Asami called out as the photographer moved around them. Relax! How can I when she's touching me like that? Kyoko leaned against his leg then rested her hand above his knee followed by the side of her face staring into the camera per Asami's instructions.

"Okay, good, now Kyoko-chan keep that same face but please turn and look up at Sho."

Kyoko fought to keep her composure. Why must I look at this baka like this? No, no, no…Pull it together Kyoko! You can do this! She softened her large golden eyes and looked up at the devil adoringly.

Sho was awestruck as his hand moved of its own accord to graze her cheek with the back of his fingers. So soft…. Was she always this beautiful? She was hardly wearing any makeup compared to when she walked in earlier. She had told Asami that she wanted to come in character as much as possible since it was initially Setsuka Heel they wanted to hire.

Kyoko tried to keep her composure and stop herself from recoiling from his touch. Don't touch me Sho-baka? Hurry up Asami-san and call it! I can't keep imagining this guy as Kuon to keep up this act!

"Okay, we got some good stuff. You can change into the next outfit." Kyoko stood quickly, shook off her act and slipped into the robe the assistant held for her without a backward glance to Sho. He chuckled to himself as he headed for his own dressing room, he managed to get pulled in by her act again and it was only a photo shoot. For a second, he almost believed she loved him again.

When Kyoko returned forty-five minutes later, she wore a silk burgundy and black corseted ball gown that was cut low on her chest. The dress pushed her breasts up making them look fuller than they were and cinched in her already tiny waist showing off her curves. Her smoky eyes, red lips, and black nails were returned to its original state. Her long black hair was covered by a red wig that extended down her back. Normally a ball gown, hoop skirt and all, would make her feel like a Princess but instead she felt like a mistress of some English Earl during the Victorian Era.

When she saw Sho and he saw her they both laughed hysterically at each other. Of course, Kyoko laughed louder and harder than Sho. He looked completely ridiculous in his prim boring suit, glasses, and side part hairstyle. He looked like a total geek and was so out of his comfort zone. They took their marks for the second half of the shoot to commence.

"Asami-san, that seriously can't be it. How could you possibly have any good pictures of me when I look like a dork and you took more solo pictures of Kyoko than me?"

"I'm the creative director in charge. I achieved what I wanted. And…we did take flattering pictures of you!"

"You call those pictures flattering?! I was on my knees kissing her feet!" Sho complained crossing his arms. "It's my song, shouldn't I get some say!" Asami ignored him while she chatted with the photographer.

As Kyoko changed into her own clothes laughter kept bubbling up from her chest. The image of Sho's shocked face when the producer told him to try to kiss her foot wouldn't leave her mind. The first time he reached for her bare foot, she had instinctively kicked his hand away. She apologized profusely, appalled by her reaction. She had been worried that Sho might successfully kiss her foot until Asami said it was good. The shoot ended with Kyoko posing alone in front of a white screen while the wind generated by a large fan billowed her hair and dress.

Kyoko made her rounds to thank everyone and say goodbye. She was stopped by Sho on her way out.

"Kyoko, wait!" Sho called out after her. Kyoko stopped and slowly turned on her heel to face her old friend.

He dropped into a bow, "I forgot to say this…I'm sorry for the comments I made about you when I thought you were in the chicken suit. I already apologized to the other guy just so you know."

"Thanks, Sho-kun!" Kyoko said giving him a friendly smile. He seemed to have matured some since she last saw him so working with him wasn't all that unpleasant.

He stood there looking like he had more to say. "Can I…" he began then shook his head. "No, never mind, thanks for taking this job. See you around." He turned away and walked back to the studio without asking her to exchange numbers.

Tadashi watched him retreat before turning to his daughter. The shoot went smoothly and the boy actually behaved throughout it. He could strike him off his list of potential threats to his daughter.

"Would you like to grab a late lunch before heading to LME?" Tadashi asked his daughter as they resumed walking. Kyoko smiled and agreed glad to have him with her. She would pass some hours doing LoveMe tasks until her next appointment.

Lory smiled broadly as he looked over the documents on his desk. Everything was falling into place for his LoveMe member number 1.

"Ruto, please see that these documents get to personnel and make sure another copy goes to contracts. Tell contracts they don't need to change anything that's currently in work but they will need to provide an addendum to future jobs that have yet to be worked," Lory said handing the stack of paperwork over to his right hand man.

"Also, could you please have this expedited? She's going to need it to go to LA." Lory handed Ruto the small blue book, head shots, and signed documentation. "Even expedited it will take about two weeks to have it processed. I want it in my hands as soon as possible so there are no hang ups for Mogam-, no, Morimoto-kun. I have to get used to calling her by that name."

AN: Hiya! Thanks for sticking with me! I know I'm dragging but I have all these scenes in my head that I want to see. I made up this whole Yakuza role for Ren just so I could share my vision of him with a back tattoo and longer hair with you all. I think I'm done with Sho after this, maybe he'll have a blip here and there…lol. I just wanted to show that they moved on from the past and could work together. I'm working to be done with the Morizumi's so bare with me...timing gives me a headache. I have a few more scenes I want to flesh out before I time skip them to LA ;) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!

Thank you for reading! I appreciate all your reviews of previous chapters!

Until next time, and since I keep coming back, ja ne! ^_^