Chapter 107: By Your Side

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Hikaru would get some loving too.

"Wow! Did your father take this picture? It's good. It could be the front cover of Rolling Stone," Kuon complimented, looking through the pictures on her phone of her day on set. They cuddled in bed after Kuon's long day of filming. Kyoko had been home for a couple of hours before him since she only had the drama and the taping of Yappa Kimagure Rock that day. Kuon had walked in a few minutes before midnight while Kyoko waited for him, researching recipes for the Grateful Party. As intimate as they had been of late, snuggling close to each other and catching up on their day was nearly as perfect.

The photo consisted of her posing with the Ishibashi brothers, looking every bit like a legit rock band. Kyoko stood on the floor, leaning casually against the stage. She wore a yellow chiffon mini skirt and a matching yellow tee with a graphic of roses and pistols. A black leather moto jacket, knee-high socks, black suede wedge-heeled booties, and various spiked accessories completed the outfit. Hikaru sat on the stage, holding his guitar. The other two guys crowded behind him with Shinichi holding his bass guitar and Yuusei clutching his drumsticks. Her father had caught them off guard in the middle of talking and told them to look up, capturing the moment.

"He took them using his smartphone…keep swiping." Kuon chuckled as he scrolled through the pictures. He stopped at a group photo that included Ruriko and stared at it curiously.

"Are Hikaru-san and Ruriko-chan dating?" Kuon asked, studying the picture. He was aware that the man had a crush on Kyoko and would be relieved if he found someone special for himself.

"Ehhhh? What makes you think so?" Kyoko looked closer at the picture. While the other three smiled into the camera, these two gazed at each other softly, the way only lovers could do.

"Hmmm, you're right. I wonder if they are." She would have to observe them closely tomorrow.

Kuon continued to swipe. They had a lot of fun changing the poses from serious to playful. He laughed the hardest at the picture with Kyoko flapping like a chicken on the stage around the guys while they played their instruments.

"This one has to be my favorite. Boh being Boh, and that yellow outfit is fitting for a chicken…like a small Big Bird."

"Small, Big Bird?" She questioned.

"Small because you're small, but he's a giant yellow bird character, much like your Boh, from a children's show in America. It's been around for ages. My parents took me to a taping once when I was really young. I can't remember the plot of the episode but I remember this giant bird towering over me. They may still have pictures."

"Ooh, pictures of baby Kuon, I can't wait to see. I bet you were so adorable with your large innocent, green eyes and pale yellow hair."

"Oh God, what have I just voluntarily subjected myself to," Ren groaned, thinking of the volumes of photo albums his parents had of him. He hoped there weren't any embarrassing photos of him. "I think your Dad has a knack for photography," Kuon said quickly, trying to change the subject.

"I don't know how he does it. He said he was researching cameras to take better photos. I jokingly told him that he was worse than the paparazzi. Was that cruel of me?"

"Even your cruelest is too sweet, Baby," he teased. "How did he react?"

"He laughed. He said it was his right as my father, but he did ask if it made me uncomfortable. I told him no..." Kyoko went quiet for a moment, making Kuon glance down at the top of her head in concern.

"I think he's leaving soon. Do you think he'll come back?" Kyoko asked in a voice thick with emotion. A single tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and dripped onto Kuon's bare chest.

Kuon tightened the arm around her, put down the phone, and then tilted her chin up to gaze at her face. Her eyes swam with tears, and her bottom lip trembled. His heart went out to her. She had become so attached to the man in their short time together.

"Hey," he cooed, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear and swiping at the rogue tears on her cheeks. "I'm one hundred percent sure he will come back. Maybe you can tell him how you're feeling…" From what he observed of the father-daughter duo, it would be impossible for Tadashi to stay away from her. On the off chance that he didn't return, Kuon would gladly fly to New York City and drag the man back to her.

Kyoko sniffed, "You don't think that would make me too clingy?"

"I think your father is on par with mine. It would probably make him happier if you depended on him more."

"I don't think anyone can come close to Otou-san. He's on a level of his own."

"You may be right about that," Kuon chuckled.

"Kuon, thank you for making me feel better," she said, moving up to peck him on the lips.

"Always, my love. Are you ready for bed?" Kuon asked. Kyoko nodded. He moved to charge her phone and turn off the lamp.

"Kuon?"

"Hmmm," he hummed, clearly already falling asleep.

"I love you," she declared, cuddling him closer.

"I love you more, Baby," Kuon replied, making her giggle. He kissed the crown of her head and tightened his hold on her. He knew he was squeezing her, but she didn't complain. He fell asleep comfortably with her wrapped up in his arms.

The next day at the drama set, Kyoko went straight to hair and makeup. They had to recreate yesterday's look from head to toe. One wrong ring on her finger or shade of lipstick would become fodder for the critics; something so simple could be all a viewer remembered of the film. It was a good thing the professionals working on her were veterans of their craft and neatly labeled everything they used on her. It took the guessing game out of their work.

When Kyoko's look was finished, down to the right shade of blue for her eye contacts, they were ready to reshoot the scene where Rika discovered the note in her guitar case from her boyfriend. Ren had somehow coerced the director into redoing the scene with his note, supposedly putting her acting skills up for collateral.

"Tusuruga-san explicitly stated that you, Kyoko-san, would be able to make up any time lost on set to redo this scene."

"He really said that, Director?" Kyoko wondered out loud. Talk about added pressure. She couldn't let her Senpai down.

"Yes, his words exactly. I thought what we captured on film yesterday was perfect, but he believes this go-around would be more authentic. Do you know what's in today's note?"

Kyoko shook her head no. Ren told her not to peek, or it would ruin the surprise.

He was on a roll with these notes. She found folded origami cranes stashed throughout the apartment last night; her craft desk, her school shoes, her lingerie drawer. No place was sacred anymore. She even found a crane inside the fridge. Each one held simple notes that made her smile and think of her boyfriend. After she read each note, she folded them into their original design and placed them in a shoebox for safekeeping. She had six total at the moment. When she had free time, she would create an elegant box to store them in.

This morning, she discovered another crane in her purse. I love waking up to you in my arms. Your sweetness keeps me warm. She wondered how long he would keep this up.

"Okay, let's get ready everyone. We are reshooting the scene where Rika discovers the note from her lover inside the guitar case. Kyoko-san, I need you to make the note visible to the camera mounted on the wall above your right shoulder. A simple tilt of your hand in that direction should suffice. The technician will do the rest. We'll start with you walking through the back of the stage."

"Yes, sir!" Kyoko bowed, then took her mark off camera. The cameras aimed at the entrance backstage.

"Ready and action!"

Rika navigated backstage, hoping to find a quiet spot where she could kill time and wait for the rest of her band to arrive. She found the perfect spot behind a few crates and plopped down on the floor. While bobbing her head to the beat in her headphones and mouthing the words to her song, she reached for her guitar case. She flinched when she opened the case and cursed under her breath. Something had fallen on top of her guitar. She picked up the red paper that was folded into the shape of a rose and smiled. She looked the rose over, finding a small writing on the other side, 'Open me.' Rika carefully unfolded the paper, discovering a note written inside. Her eyes watered as she read the words to herself. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. A faint smile crept across her lips, and a slight blush dusted her cheeks as she lost herself in thought. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and glanced at the paper again. Rika refolded the rose and tucked it into her bra so he would be closest to her heart. She dabbed at her eyes, trying to keep her makeup from smudging, then picked up her guitar to practice.

"Cut!" The director called, clapping his hands. "Well done, Kyoko-san. That was a completely different reaction from yesterday but in a good way. I understand why Tsuruga-san wanted to redo the shot. Let's review the playback, shall we?

Kyoko followed the director to view the tape. The technician switched between cameras to confirm the director's intended viewpoints were captured. The director whooped when the camera mounted on the wall zoomed in on the words written.

"Wow, no wonder your reaction was incredible. You two are truly gifted. I can feel your chemistry with just this note. The audience is going to eat this up. Imagine what you could do as a couple in front of a camera…the outcome would be magnificent."

Kyoko blushed deeply from the director's praise and bowed. She would have to extend the director's kind words to Ren.

"You can take your break now, Kyoko-san. I will have someone call you and Ruriko-san when it's time to transition to the next scene."

"Thank you, Director." Kyoko took her leave to rendezvous with her father in the dressing room. He was currently on a time crunch with work and was focusing on getting that out of the way. His busyness was a stark reminder that she was taking up too much of his time. Taking Kuon's advice, she had broached the topic of her fear to him this morning. Tadashi admitted that he would leave once he knew she was safe from any repercussions of the Morizumi case. He assured her that he was most definitely returning to her to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. Her father vowed never to miss another one of her birthdays again for as long as he lived. His words were enough to settle her anxious heart.

On her way to her dressing room, Kyoko ran into two-thirds of the Ishibashi brothers. Yuusei and Shinichi had drinks in their hands, returning from the break room. She looked around for Hikaru. It was odd not seeing them altogether.

"Hello, Yuusei-san, Shinichi-san. How are you?" After exchanging pleasantries, Kyoko asked, "Where is Hikaru-san?"

"He's around here somewhere. We lost him on the way to the break room. That was about five minutes ago," Yuusei informed.

"We can head back to the dressing room, maybe we'll find him in there with my father," Kyoko suggested, sweeping her eyes around the set one more time. Kyoko had gladly offered to share her spacious dressing room to accommodate her friends. There wasn't much to their preparation before the scenes so they didn't need anything special. The lounge in her room was more than enough to suit their needs while they discussed their music in detail.

As they walked down the hall, the door to Ruriko's dressing room swung open to reveal Hikaru. Before he could take more than two steps out of the room, a slender arm reached out and yanked him back inside by his hoodie. The remainder of the Yappa Kimagure Rock team stood rooted to the floor for a few seconds, confused by what they had just witnessed before springing into action.

The trio slowed their steps and inched towards the open doorway when they heard moaning coming from the room. All three gasped as they watched their leader in a heated make-out session with none other than the Diva herself.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hikaru spotted his friends spying on them and waved his hand for them to go away. Good friends would have left and given them privacy, but this particular set of friends was so shocked by the scene they couldn't move. Ruriko pulled back from him, aware that he was distracted. She turned around to see what had caught his attention and gasped with embarrassment. She pushed away from him and fumbled to fix her appearance.

"Hi, all done filming? I was just telling Hikaru that...oh hell! You know what I was telling him. We weren't keeping it a secret," Ruriko huffed, folding her arms over her chest and looking away in embarrassment.

Kyoko and the guys did their best not to laugh at having caught their friends in such a compromising position. Hikaru's hair was disheveled and his mouth was smeared with pink lip gloss.

"Are you two dating?" Kyoko asked eagerly, recalling her conversation with Ren last night.

"No!" "Yes!" They both responded simultaneously.

"We are?" "We aren't?" Hikaru and Ruriko both looked at each other and laughed.

"We are!" They finally both agreed. Hikaru reached for Ruriko's hand and interlaced his fingers with hers to show his seriousness.

She didn't know how it started but she was happy for her friends. Being with Ren had restored her faith in love and wanted more people to share such wonderful feelings.

"Leader!" Shinichi and Yuusei cried out, tears forming in their eyes. Finally, their friend had found mutual love.

Ruriko had never considered the man joking around with his friends as her type. She preferred them to be more mature and taller. They had crossed paths at LME only a few times since he was in the talent section and she was in the music section. It wasn't until yesterday when she glimpsed him on stage during their rehearsal scene that she really looked at him. The confidence he exuded while performing was eye-opening for her and his voice. She discovered that he had a powerful voice hidden within that small frame as he harmonized with Kyoko. All he sang was, "Lalalala…," but it was enough for her to gauge his voice properly with her musical ear. She felt inspired and thought they could collaborate on a new song; therefore, a dinner invitation was extended when she ran into him on her way out the door last night. After a great conversation over dinner and drinks, here they were in a whirlwind relationship.

…

"Okay, everyone, this time we are shooting the scene when Himari, Ruriko-chan's character is outside brooding. Rika will bump into her wanting fresh air after her dress rehearsal."

The backdoor to the venue flung open wide as Riku used too much force on it. She was still so high on the energy from her practice that she didn't realize her strength. She didn't actually have an audience while they rehearsed unless one counted the stagehands but she felt confident that her band would win the competition tomorrow. She placed her hand over the top of her breast where she had tucked the note from her boyfriend. It was like her talisman.

"Hey! Watch what you're doing!" The girl from the band earlier cried out as she narrowly avoided getting hit by the door.

"Oops, sorry! I didn't know anyone else was back here." Rika said, apologizing.

"Well, I'm here!" the girl told her pointedly, taking a drag out of a cigarette and coughing up as she inhaled it wrong.

Rika tried to stifle a giggle as she watched the girl, clearly unused to smoking a cigarette, take another puff only to result in another coughing fit.

"Aren't you a singer? Don't you know that's bad for your voice?"

"It is?" the girl asked wide-eyed and threw the offensive thing on the ground. "I was told it would calm my nerves."

Rika moved to snuff the bud out under her boot and looked around for a trashcan. The other girl watched her curiously as she picked up the dirty thing and threw it in a nearby ashtray.

"You shouldn't leave that lit. It could start a fire, and you shouldn't litter," Rika lectured as she walked back, wiping her hands on her skirt.

"Well, aren't you miss goody two shoes," the girl retorted.

"Actually, my name is Rika Sterling. Why are you still here anyway? The rest of your band left a while ago."

"It's none of your business," the girl snapped and slid down to sit on the pavement.

"Okay," Rika said, reaching for the door handle.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"My name's Himari! People just call me Mari."

"Nice to meet you, Mari." When Mari said nothing further, Rika reached for the door again.

"How do you do it?"

"Hmmm?"

"On stage… I watched some of your rehearsals. You looked…so confident. This is my first big live and the thought of performing in front of so many people petrifies me…so how do you do it?"

Rika smiled softly down at the girl and sat beside her.

"Do you really think I'd tell my competition how to beat me?"

"Oh, uh, well, that's not the reason I asked. Sorry, you don't have to tell me."

"I'm kidding. The truth is…I'm terrified the whole time I'm up there."

"You are!?" Mari asked, astonished by the other singer's confession. "I couldn't tell!"

"I guess I can just fake it better than others." The girls sat quietly for a few moments. "The other girls in your band? Do you trust them?"

"With my life!"

"Surprising..."

"Why is that surprising?"

"I heard a bit of your fight with them earlier. Sounded more like a band breakup to me."

"There's no way! We've worked too hard and come too far to give up."

"Yet here you are, brooding alone. Do they know how you feel?"

Mari shook her head no.

"You should tell them. The reason I'm able to stand up there without running off the stage is that I know my friends have my back. You should have more faith in yours."

The backdoor opened again startling the girls.

"There you are!" Rika's guitarist called out. "Guys she's here," he said calling back into the building. "Am I interrupting something?"

Rika stood up and dusted her skirt. "No. We were just talking, Touma."

"The guys wanted to celebrate a successful rehearsal. Are you ready?" Touma asked her and glanced down at the other girl.

"Mari, do you want to come with us?" She asked, not wanting to leave the girl alone.

"Thanks, but no thanks. There's something I have to do," Mari replied with a determined look. "Thanks for the advice. May the best band win tomorrow!"

Rika winked at the girl and closed the door behind her.

"Cut! Well done ladies! The interaction and facial expressions were good. I'm going to check the tape and let you know if we need to reshoot anything. Please stay close."

The only part that needed reshooting was the beginning when the door first opened. Ruriko's expression was one of anticipation as if her character, Mari, was aware and expecting Rika to come through that door. When they emerged from the rear of the set, Kyoko was amazed at how crowded the area in front of the stage had become. The extras, standing in as audience members, were slowly trickling in through security to film the performance competition.

"Kyoko-san! Kyoko-san!"

Kyoko turned her head as she heard her name shouted from across the room. Her friends from school were waving wildly to her as they waited in line to be checked in. The director had told her that she could invite any friends to stand in as unpaid extras for this scene. She had extended the invitation to Kanae and Chiori. Both said they were unsure of their schedule.

Kyoko walked over to her friends, but the extras around them started to get overly excited to see her, Ruriko, and Bridge Rock. She stopped before reaching them, unsure of the right thing to do.

"Kyoko-san, we need you to get ready for the next scene," Dai said, pulling her in the direction of the dressing rooms. Kyoko gave her friends a small wave as she was whisked away.

When Kyoko and Bridge Rock emerged from the dressing room, they were ready to crush this performance. The set had transformed into a venue similar to the one Kyoko and Ren went to last Sunday. She could feel the tension of the crowd as they waited anxiously. Security guards who weren't present before were now escorting them to the back of the stage.

When Tadashi heard that the director intended for this part to be an open casting for the audience members, he enlisted the help of Lory to ensure that extra security measures were taken to protect his daughter. Every person who came through the door to participate had to provide proper identification and subject themselves to a wand scanning for dangerous objects. Bags were discouraged inside but not forbidden and were searched thoroughly. A real security firm was hired to act as venue security and provide safety for these scenes.

The crowd went wild, watching them walk to their mark. The director got on stage with a megaphone and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your enthusiasm and support for this drama. I'm asking for your cooperation to ensure successful filming. I wanted to create an atmosphere of a true live performance. I ask that you act like you are at a real concert, interact with the MC as expected, and enjoy the performance. It would be difficult if there were any troublesome individuals among you. The security you see here are trained officers. They have been instructed to react to anyone as they see fit so please let's all have a good time. Oh, and one more thing, whatever you do, please do not scream out their real names, okay? Thank you, everyone, let's do this!" The crowd clapped and cheered as the director walked off stage.

The main lights shut off, momentarily engulfing the place in darkness until the stage and surrounding area lit up with spotlights.

"Okay, everyone, we're going to get started," the director's voice boomed through the megaphone. "And Action!"

The MC walked to the center of the stage, hyping the crowd for their next competitors. He gave a brief introduction, calling Rika and the guys onto the stage. Rika smiled like a loon walking to her spot at the microphone. She was shocked by the sheer amount of people in the place, all cheering for them. She stood at the mic, waiting for the crowd to calm down.

"Thank you everyone, thank you. We appreciate all the love...this is Dreams!" As soon as she said the name of their song, Yuusei counted down with his drumsticks and began the song. Rika strummed her guitar exactly as they had rehearsed, never missing a beat. She was running on pure adrenaline already. Her whole body felt electrified, fueling off the crowd's enthusiasm. When she stopped strumming and reached for the mic the crowd hushed, eager to listen. For many, this was their first time hearing her sing, and her voice was mesmerizing.

The director had to intervene with his planted people in the crowd to change the momentum.

Someone cheered, and another one whistled. The crowd came out of their momentary trance, and mayhem resumed. Rika began strumming her guitar and singing simultaneously. She looked out into the crowd and almost missed a beat when someone in the back caught her eye despite the warm lights making it difficult to see. Seeing her falter, Hikaru joined her at the microphone, bringing her focus back to the performance. No one else noticed her milliseconds of hesitation but the guys on stage with her. She smiled and sang with him for a few verses before he moved back to play up the crowd. She scanned the crowd but didn't see the familiar silhouette again. When they finally finished their number, the crowd went wild with applause. They chanted "Rika!" repeatedly. She blew kisses to the crowd and bowed with her friends before rushing off the stage. Backstage, they embraced each other excitedly and congratulated one another for a job well done.

"Rika!" Came a voice she would recognize anywhere. She whipped around quickly at the sound of her name. He was standing there, holding a bouquet, wearing slim-cut jeans, a tight-fitted Ramone's tee, and a knitted hat on his head. Her eyes widened with disbelief, and then she ran into his open arms. He staggered under the force of her embrace but maintained his balance.

"I thought you couldn't make it! What about work?" She murmured into his neck, ecstatic to see him.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. You were incredible out there!" He said, pulling her closer. He looked up at her friends watching them and nodded his appreciation.

...

When the episode finally aired, the miscellaneous background noise that viewers heard would have faded into nothing. The low timbre of the beloved actor's voice would fill the rooms of those watching as he made a promise to his girlfriend.

Follow your dreams, my love. Whatever path you choose, know that I will always be by your side, supporting you every step of the way. I love you, always and forever.

The heartfelt reaction from the young actress would move many hearts. When the public learned that his physical presence in the drama was a total surprise to the actress, many non-believers boarded their ship and never doubted their love again.

AN: Hiya! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! In light of all the Hikaru craziness I've been enjoying of late, I managed to rein myself in and keep my original scene for him. I wanted to have the little cinnamon roll find some love too, since sensei won't let him past puberty in the manga. I'm patiently, impatiently waiting for spoilers on the new manga chapter. I hope sensei gives us a nice Xmas present. I'm so excited!

Thank you for the lovely reviews of the last chapter. I heart all of you! *blowing kisses emoji*

Until next time, Merry Christmas! ^_^