Chapter 113: Do-Over

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Ren would have another chance at giving Kyoko a flower ring.

Tadashi stayed behind to tie up some loose ends with Lory. Their discussion took longer than expected, given the arrangements needed to be made before his departure.

Tadashi took his time reading and signing the papers Ruto had presented to him. He wanted to verify that what he was signing would benefit his daughter while she was once again under the temporary custody of the President until he returned.

"Despite your ridiculous appearance, I trust you have my daughter's best interest in mind. I will sign my permission for her to participate, but will she have a choice in the matter."

"She has no choice if she wants to graduate from the LoveMe division. This is her final exam, per se. If she can't complete it successfully, then she would have to remain in the program until I deem her fit to try again."

Caw caw.

"What criteria are you using to base her assessment? Is it feedback from peers and superiors? Or are you judging her on public ratings?"

Lory chuckled and wagged his finger at him. "You're good, Tadashi-san, but I won't give you any information that would help your daughter achieve her goal."

Tadashi shrugged, "I didn't think you would, but it was worth a shot asking. In the short time I've known her, I believe she can handle whatever test you throw her way."

"As do I. I gave her one year to prove herself to me. That date has long passed. She has exceeded my expectations."

Tadashi nodded and scribbled his signature on the remaining documents. He didn't want to think about the hardships his daughter faced in her early years to land her in this division. When they concluded their business, Lory invited him to stay to watch the press conference on a large flat screen hidden behind a panel in the wall. Lory's laughter filled the room at Ren's response. Tadashi wasn't thrilled with the young man's answer. It would only lead to the paparazzi hounding his daughter.

Once he thought about it clearly, it would be better for his daughter to be pursued over a love story rather than trying to exploit her involvement with Morizumi Kimiko. His daughter was a strong and proud young woman, she would never want to be seen as a victim.

"Takarada-san, I'll be taking my leave," Tadashi said, standing to shake Lory's hand.

"I'll come with you. I have a meeting downstairs. I'll give you a lift in my trailer."

"Ah, I really don't want to impose. I'll see you soon."

"Nonsense the—." Lory's words were cut short as Tadashi dashed out of his office.

Hmmph, no fun.

"Ruto, please gather the troops. We're going for a ride."

The president's assistant disappeared to do his bidding. He returned with a group of people dressed in denim and plaid, ready to start the procession through the halls of LME.

Ren and Kyoko turned down a few halls, passing and greeting colleagues on the way. Together, they had become a common sighting, so no one was surprised by their closeness. Ren pulled her into an empty conference room and shut the door.

They weren't even out of breath from the brief exertion of their escape.

Kyoko whirled around on him. "What were you thinking, Corn?!" Her eyes twinkled with laughter. "Now, the gossip rags will have a field day with this."

Ren looked at her and smiled, "Exactly!"

She started laughing at the fast one he just pulled on Japan. His little comment would reduce the Morizumi coverage by at least half. Japan would be speculating when and how this joyous event would take place. But he knew he also set a target on their back.

"You know I'm going to marry you," he said with promise, stepping toward her. His timbre voice sent tingles straight down to her core. How could her body react to him so easily? They made passionate love this morning, and still, it felt like it was never enough. She stepped back for fear of throwing herself at him again. They were at work, and Kyoko needed to control her libido. She made the mistake of gazing into his eyes. He wore his brown contacts, but she could see the green smoldering behind them.

He stepped again. Her back hit the wall. He took her hands in his and entwined their fingers together. He held her hands up against the wall and spread her thighs apart with his knee closing the gap between them. She trembled but held herself aloft, refusing to seek relief against his thigh. His eyes flicked to her charm bracelet briefly when it jingled on her wrist. Something registered in his eyes, but Kyoko missed it.

Kyoko's heart pounded in her chest as he brought his face close to hers. She licked her lips, releasing a shuddering breath. Her eyes closed in anticipation of his kiss.

He rested his forehead against hers and let out a sigh so deep he probably lost half his life force. Kyoko blinked her eyes open, confused by his behavior. His eyes were closed. He brought her hands down but kept them linked with his.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out.

"Corn? What's wrong?" She asked in concern.

"I feel like my words are just words. If there's no action behind it, it's meaningless. I keep boasting about how I want to marry you, but..." He looked away for a moment to take a deep breath. He turned back, piercing her with determined eyes. He whispered in case someone might be listening outside. "I, Hizuri Kuon, want to make you, Mog- Morimoto Kyoko, my wife, but before I can do so—"

She leaned up and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "I know," she said, pulling back with a smile. Her eyes watered, blurring her vision. "I love you, and I'll wait for you. When you finally get around to asking, I may even give you a favorable reply," she teased.

The smile he returned threatened to steal her breath away. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her senselessly.

"I have something for you," he said enthusiastically, breaking their kiss. Kyoko took several calming breaths to recover from his kiss.

Ren eagerly dug into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a two-by-two-centimeter piece of thick navy silk. She looked at him curiously.

"Hold out your left hand," he instructed. He opened the clasp on the back of the material and shook out its contents. Kyoko gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as tears welled up in her eyes again.

"I needed a do-over," he told her nervously and nodded to her hand. Kyoko acquiesced and held her trembling hand out to him. He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. With his right hand, he slipped the ring over her smallest finger.

"Not only for good fortune but as a symbol of my promise. I will always love you, Kyoko." He leaned down, and lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the ring. Kyoko felt her fingers tingle as he infused his magic into the precious metal. She was momentarily stunned as he pulled away. He tilted his head and waited patiently for her reaction. It didn't take long.

"Thank you, Corn. It's beautiful." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him fervently. She felt horrible for tainting the exchange they had in the park because of her misunderstanding. But she couldn't have known how he felt about her at that time. It felt like a lifetime ago. They could finally put Kimiko in the past. Today would be a new memory, a good one.

She pulled back and studied the ring. Like always, she had to get past the price. Her mind worked feverishly to convince herself that the adorable little ring was only rose gold plated and the shimmering stones embedded in the chain of daisies were cubic zirconia and not diamonds.

Ren watched her beautiful face switch through various emotions until it finally settled on one. She flushed with joy as she stroked the tip of her finger over the intricate little flowers.

He was glad he came across the ring while browsing the web for inspiration and placed an order through his usual jeweler. This was the second step of many. He had plans. Most of those plans were still floating around in his head, at the moment, for fear of writing them

down anywhere she might see. His unicorn notebook was out of the question. He already wrote too much in there as it was.

…

Yashiro was finally able to break away after the PR director gave him an earful of all the work his charges just heaped onto his department. He kept his expression calm and his stride smooth as he walked down the hallway. He followed the trail of gossip from passersby left behind by his charges. He hoped they weren't somewhere getting carried away, again. He wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.

When he turned a corner into an empty hall, he looked both ways. Yashiro's coolness melted away. The fangirl in him broke out into a happy dance once he confirmed he was alone. He pulled himself together after indulging himself in several joyful seconds of rooting for his favorite couple. The vibration of the phones he carried in his pocket was a clear indication of the mayhem they caused. Ignoring the phones, he walked down the hall slowly looking for any signs of them. He wondered if he should invoke the PA system LME used to make public broadcasts. Yashiro snickered imagining the halls and rooms with the announcement: Tsuruga Ren and Kyoko-san, please report to the President's office immediately. I repeat…

It would serve them right if they were interrupted by being called out as they would to a principal's office. As he neared the third door, he heard voices. I have something for you, he heard Ren say. Yashiro kept walking. He didn't need to eavesdrop. Ren was probably giving her the gift he picked up yesterday on their way home. Yashiro dismissed the idea that he could be giving her an engagement ring inside the confines of a conference room. How utterly unromantic? His eyes widened as the but, what if thought crossed his mind. He pushed the possibility to the back of his mind and prayed to the Gods that it wasn't the case.

Yashiro set up camp several meters down the hall away from the door to give the couple more privacy. They had plenty of time before they would report to the set for Ren's afternoon session for Ryu. He put on his latex gloves and pulled out his phone to indulge in his favorite pastime.

RenKyoFan1: Oh my God! What kind of answer is that?!

RenFan1: Ren-san is trolling us! T_T

KyokoMyGoddess: Nooooooooooooooo!

RenKyoFan2: Now I can't wait for a wedding! What a tease!

KyokoMyGoddess: Nooooooooooooo!

KyoFan1: KMG you're hilarious! LOL…It was bound to happen. Those two are soulmates. No one can compete with that bond.

KyokoMyGoddess: Ugh…I guess…as long as he makes her happy. Can we just focus on the fact that that crazy bitch tried to hurt my goddess, twice?!

KyoFan2: Kyoko-san asked us not to judge too harshly. What are you going to do, boycott her new movie because a Morizumi directed it?

KyoFan3: I think karma got that bitch good in the end.

RenKyo#1Fangirl: Do you guys think their popularity would drop if they got married at such a young age?

KyoFan2: Nah! I don't think it would change because of their marital status. It shouldn't affect them negatively as actors...I think.

KyoRenFan1: Is it just me or does the thought of them getting married make you love them more? I feel more obsessed with them as a couple than I do with them individually. They are so adorable together!

KoreKyoko: I ship them SOOOO hard! I want to see them act together...preferably nekkid! I DIE!

KyokoMyGoddess: I'll second that! I would like to see Kyoko-san in a mature sexy role. *nosebleed* But, I don't want to see Tsuruga in the buff. The guy shows off his impeccable abs way too damn much. Would it kill him to wear a shirt?

RenFan2: Nope, shirts should be illegal on that man!

KyokoMyGoddess: My life would be complete if Kyoko-san did a lingerie campaign.

Yashiro rolled his eyes at the fan comments that spawned from that statement. He supposed the interest wasn't bad but decided to change the subject.

RenKyo#1Fangirl: I can just picture their fairytale wedding. Wildflowers decorating the chapel. A voluminous white dress with pearls. The prince, awaiting his princess at the end of the aisle….kyaaaa!

The chat site blew up as fans clambered over each other to describe their version of the couple's perfect wedding. Yashiro chuckled and logged off. Mission accomplished! At least these loyal fans seem to be receptive to a wedding in the near future. There seem to be no signs of hostility...yet. I should start a poll!

…

Tadashi found his daughter, or more like his daughter's phone, by activating the GPS on it. This was his first time using the app and wanted to test its accuracy. It was a complete infringement on her privacy but necessary given her rising status in the industry. He would have embedded a chip on a piece of jewelry if he had any guarantee she would wear the accessory all the time. At least with the phone, he knew she would have it on her person ninety-nine percent of the time when she was out.

He put his phone away as he approached Yashiro in the hall. He would tell her about the safety feature and give Ren and Yashiro access later. He confirmed earlier that the President had something similar on the company phone she carried which was a relief. Their manager gave him a casual head nod to indicate that his daughter was in the room. He smiled when he heard laughter.

"Are they good on time?" Tadashi asked Yashiro.

"I was about to knock and ask them about lunch."

The pair walked back toward the door when it suddenly opened partway. Ren stuck his head out looking both ways to see if the coast was clear. He startled and straightened when he spotted Tadashi and Yashiro in the hall. He stepped out and opened the door wide for Kyoko to follow.

"Oh father, Yashiro-san. How long have you two been standing there?" Her face burned with embarrassment. She covered her blush with her hands.

Their eyes went wide and homed in on the new bling she sported on her hand. Kyoko noticed their gaze.

"Isn't it cute? Ren just gave it to me." She gushed holding it out to show it off to Yashiro like he was one of her girlfriends. It was easy to forget when the man went into fangirl mode over every little thing regarding the couple.

"It's a promise ring," Ren admitted to Tadashi, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Tadashi's eyes twinkled with humor.

"You did well," Tadashi responded squeezing Ren's shoulder in a friendly gesture. He stepped toward Kyoko to get a closer look at the gift.

Kyoko's stomach let out a monstrous growl interrupting them. She blushed madly as the men chuckled. It was a unanimous vote to have lunch at LA Hearts. Their reasons were to feed the hungry monster quickly and minimize their time spent in the public eye until things settled down. They endured the gossip among their peers but at least they were respectful of the couple. They made it a point to sit far away from the windows to avoid the photographers trying to peek inside. Yashiro gave them back their phones at the table. Kyoko's had an exorbitant amount of messages just from Kanae and Chiori. She ignored them for now. It would need time to respond properly to her friends. Kyoko scrolled past her colleague's messages with the silent promise to respond to all of them. She looked up at Ren when one caught her eye. He nodded indicating that he saw the message. His parents were livid.

…

After lunch, Kyoko decided to follow Ren to his drama shooting while her father went to his office. Tadashi would pick her up later to resume her after-school schedule. Kyoko was excited to watch her Senpai in action. He warned her that the scenes scheduled for the afternoon would be boring. Akira would be taking the final agility test for the police academy. Kyoko had no clue what part of seeing Ren working out could possibly be boring.

Kyoko's grudges swirled around in bliss. It was rare that they came out these days. At the moment, they were basking in her boyfriend's ultra-gentleman aura and her manager's frosty countenance as they repelled the fans and reporters crowding outside the studio. Ren pulled her tighter into his side while they walked casually through the mob, ignoring the questions shouted at them. She wondered if the aura she used at school would be just as effective. Kyoko wanted to perfect the skill in case she ever had another LoveMe job as a substitute manager in the future. She failed to keep Ren from getting mobbed back then.

Ren released her once they made it inside, but twined his fingers with hers to keep her close. They walked hand in hand toward the set, stealing secret looks at one another.

"Kyoko-chan!" Called a familiar voice bursting through their little bubble. Ren groaned and tightened his hand around hers. Kijima pulled himself away from the pretty female costar he was talking to without so much as a backward glance. He walked up to greet Kyoko...and Ren. Kyoko didn't miss the hostile look the woman sent in her direction.

"Kijima-san, how are you doing?" Kyoko greeted him formally with a bow.

"I'm doing great now that you're here," he replied smoothly, flashing her a flirtatious grin. "You look beautiful today." He eyed her appreciatively in her high-waisted skinny jeans, red floral blouse, and black pumps.

"She looks beautiful every day, Kijima-san," Ren corrected him and pulled her closer to his side.

Kyoko kept herself from rolling her eyes. Kijima was a true playboy. How could she think Ren was anything like this man?

"I didn't know you were on the schedule this afternoon, Kijima-san," Ren replied without bothering to hide his displeasure.

"No, I've finished for the day. I was just trying to secure my date for the night before heading out," Kijima answered, glancing at the woman he left behind.

"She doesn't look very pleased with you right now," Ren commented, noting the woman's scowl.

"She's just pouting. Nothing a few sweet words can't fix," Kijima said with a chuckle. "But were you guys serious? Are you getting married? That's all anyone has been talking about since you dropped that bomb."

"That's the end game here," Ren responded without hesitation and smiled at Kyoko, making her blush.

"You shouldn't marry the first guy that asks, Kyoko-chan. You're young and beautiful. You have your whole life to settle down with some uptight guy, no less. Live a little. I could have shown you a good time," Kijima teased, taking a step back to guarantee his safety. "I still can," he propositioned, holding out his arms.

Ren was on the brink of losing it. Kijima was his friend, but he wouldn't mind punching him in the face right now. He knew they were young. Kyoko had lived a sheltered life compared to him. Maybe Kijima was right; she had barely begun to live her life before he came into the picture. Was it wrong to shackle her to him at such a young age?

Kyoko wrapped herself around Ren's arm possessively. Her warmth easily released the tension from his body and dashed the doubts from his mind. "I'm sorry Kijima-san. I've been quite spoiled by this man. No other man would ever satisfy my...uh...cravings. Plus, you aren't my type. Too pretty. Too skinny. You should really eat more protein," she teased.

Kyoko thought about summoning Setsu or Natsu to bail her out of this one, but she was able to handle things on her own in words Kijima would understand. It was so unlike her to be so bold or rude to her seniors in the company. She knew Kijima could handle it without being offended.

Ren and Yashiro laughed at Kijima's expense. He didn't expect such a flirty yet direct rejection from her.

Kijima clasped his hands over his heart and pretended to be wounded. "Aww, Kyoko-chan. I think I fell in love with you just a little more. If you ever change your mind, you've got my number." He winked and walked away to soothe his bruised ego.

…

Kyoko anxiously watched as the stylist secured the light brown wig over her boyfriend's head. Since he was enrolled in the academy during these scenes the shorter hairstyle made him look young and fresh. Kyoko admired him in a gray tracksuit with the police logo screen printed onto the jacket. She proudly posed next to Ren since Yashiro was more than willing to take photos of the couple.

Kyoko stood back with Yashiro while Ren took his mark. It surprised her that the studio had an outdoor sports arena behind the building. There was an actual four-hundred-meter track. Yashiro informed her that the set was used to film most of the track and field scenes in movies and dramas. She was told that Ren would be using the horizontal bars for his test as well as the intimidating obstacle course. The stage crew replicated Tokyo's actual police training grounds for this scene. It would have been ideal to rent out the real training grounds for this shoot, but unfortunately, the proposed schedule interfered with actual police training.

"Action!" The Director shouted through his megaphone.

Akira stood at attention with his arms stiffly folded behind his back. He barely batted an eye as his drill instructor screamed into his face the instructor's expectations for the test. He had a love-hate relationship with his superiors.

"More than half of you will fail this test. Only the strong will survive…" Akira tuned out his instructor.

He didn't have the eyes of an optimistic youth that was apparent in most of his classmates. The tragic death of a loved one could do that to a person. All Akira could think about was finally having the power to clean up the streets of Tokyo. He would work his way up in the force to become a detective in the narcotics division so he could put an end to the dealers that killed his sister.

"Get down on your back for sit-ups. You will need to complete at least fifty-eight reps in under one minute. The assistant instructors will be counting. Failure to do so would lead to automatic disqualification. You would have to start the whole program from the beginning to get another shot."

Akira took up his position awaiting for the whistle to blow and began his sit-ups. He concentrated on technique rather than speed. He trained for this. He knew exactly how many reps (sixty-three) he could do in the allotted time. It was about endurance rather than speed. He applied the same principle towards the 71 push-ups and the 20 pull-ups he had to complete. When it was time to run, he sprinted 300 meters in less than forty-five seconds.

Akira lined himself up to run the true test of endurance. He was tired, but he didn't let his fatigue show. He had to complete this in under three minutes. He ran several laps around the perimeter of the course for half a kilometer before engaging the obstacles. He had to climb a rope wall and jump over and under logs. He lay flat in the dirt and shimmied under the barbed wire obstacle. He had eight in total to complete. He finished all of them and managed to help some struggling classmates in the process. Covered in dirt from head to toe, Akira bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. A pair of shiny black shoes and gray slacks filled his line of sight on the ground.

The scene continued without the director once calling CUT. It kept the authenticity of the scene. Ren and the other actors were exhausted, but they pushed through to avoid doing it all over again.

Akira stood up to his full height. His chest still heaving from the exercise. The man handed him a card, "I'll be in touch." Akira glanced at the card and looked up confused. The mysterious man in the business suit was already across the training grounds. He looked at the card again and placed it into his jacket pocket.

"CUT!"

Later that evening, Cedric lay stretched out on his couch. The coffee table was littered with empty beer cans and take-out boxes. He contemplated turning off his cell phone since it was only a matter of time before he received the call. As if on cue, his phone vibrated on the table. He could ignore it. But ignoring it would only prolong the eventual ass-reaming he would receive. He groaned in frustration and snatched up the phone, grunting a hello.

"Ric-san, please don't tell me you're moping?" Koga's broken English on speakerphone rumbled through the apartment.

"Koga-san?" Cedric strained to hear the caller among the background noise of laughter, glasses clinking, and music.

"Who else would call your sorry ass? Come out, man. I have some supermodels that are interested in becoming U.S. citizens. Tell him, babe." Koga urged in his garbled English. Just enough for Cedric to understand.

"Ric, come play with us. I promise you will enjoy it." The heavily accented English of a woman purred with promise.

"See, come play, Ric-san?" Koga parroted with a chuckle.

"Yeah, fuck it. Text me the directions." He already fucked up. He might as well enjoy the good life while he still could. Maybe his father would surprise him this once and let it go.

AN: Hiya! Thanks for reading. I had a screenshot of a rose gold daisy ring by Pandora which I saved eons ago to somehow use in this story. I tailored the actual ring to fit. The last manga chapter stimulated the first half of this story and reminded me of the ring I saved. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

P3: Name drop XD.

I appreciate all your reviews on the last chapter. I heart all of you.

Until next time, Ja ne! ^_^