Chapter 117: New Manager
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko and Kanae would have managers by now.
For once Kyoko and Ren weren't at the complete center of today's gossip. The first episode that she and the Ishibashi brother's starred in aired the night before. The reviews were instantaneous as the episode unfolded. Many eyes were open to the idea of Kyoko playing someone other than a mean girl and thought she looked cute. The shocker to most were the Ishibashi brothers. Their usual personalities that the fans knew and loved shone through in their comical banter making the episode endearing for both men and women.
Kyoko had missed it at the time but in that short interaction in the back alley with Hikaru's character searching for her, audience members noticed the brief exchange between Hikaru and Ruriko's characters.
The viewers speculated that this was the birth of their relationship, the couple just didn't know it. The musician couple had gone public with their relationship before the episode aired and were already collaborating on a duet single.
Nobody could forget the moment when the paper rose fell out of Rika's guitar case and Ren's voice was heard in Rika's head. Most praised the writers of the episode for including something so brilliant and wonderfully sweet while a few grumbled at how once again Tsuruga Ren was used to boost ratings of another show. Those few were ignored.
What surprised Kyoko the most was the editing of the episode. They had shot almost an hour's worth of footage with Rika and her band rehearsing. The scenes shared showed them goofing off backstage as they talked about the competition. There was even a small mention of Rika's boyfriend not making the show due to his work. When they finally did get on stage to rehearse, it focused on the band tuning and adjusting their instruments. They started playing the intro of the song and just as Rika stepped up to the mic, the episode ended dramatically.
The popular theory out there claimed that Kyoko couldn't actually sing. Some even took to social media to state that the guitar she toted around was just a prop. Fans reminded the haters that she won a karaoke contest all those months ago. It was amazing that the people that were present for the shooting of the actual competition scene had remained silent. The public appreciated when directors opened the set allowing them to be a part of the production in some way, they tended to follow the rules established. They didn't want to ruin it for everyone in future projects.
Kyoko ignored the negative feedback. She could only conclude that the director wanted to leave viewers coming back for more. It would make an unbelievable impact in the next episode.
Water and suds trickled down the dragon tattoo on his back as he washed the shampoo out of his hair. He laid the showerhead on the faucet and shut the water off. His fingers ran through his wet hair brushing it out of his eyes then picked up the long washcloth and lathered soap into it. He lifted the cloth to his neck and jerked his head to the left. The fist sailed past him and slammed into the tiles ahead. Ryu was off the stool and on his feet within a millisecond, blocking the back of the fist of his assailant's other hand.
He held the arm in place and elbowed the man in the face. Ryu smirked from the pleasure of hearing the nose shatter from his hit. His attacker only grunted from the pain but didn't let up as blood poured down his face. Was this shithead on drugs? How could that hit not affect him? Now that he was aware of his enemy, Ryu put up his guard and went on the offense. He recognized this bastard. He was recently banished by the Boss for inappropriately touching a high school girl. "How the fuck did you manage to get in the mansion? I'll kill the fucks on guard duty!"
The guy was a few centimeters shorter than Ryu and built like a brick. Ryu slipped but caught his balance just in time for a fist to glance off his jaw splitting the corner of his lip. He swiped at the blood with his thumb and snarled at the man. The cut was nothing but any solid contact with those hard fists would have him seeing stars. He stayed quick on his feet coming in close, pummeling him with his fists and then stepping back to assess the damage. The man shook his head and lunged for his throat. Ryu ducked at the last second and swept his legs from under him with a low spinning kick. The guy went crashing to the wet floor. His head bounced against the tile but he still attempted to get up.
Ryu wasted no time pouncing on the man. He pinned the guy's arms with his legs and dug his knee into the man's sternum obstructing his breathing. The man flailed under Ryu's weight and bucked to get him off. He didn't budge and slammed his fist into the guy's face. Ryu had to hand it to the guy for trying. The bathroom was definitely when a man was most vulnerable. It was no secret that Ryu's daily routine started with laps in the mansion's pool. This piece of shit knew just where to find him and when he wouldn't have any weapons on him. Unfortunately for this asshole, Ryu's fists were just as deadly. He was unrelenting as he punched the guy repeatedly, rearranging his face.
"CUT!"
The set erupted with applause. "Great Job! Well done! Let's take a look at the playback."
A blushing assistant handed Ren a robe and a dry towel. He thanked her and pulled the warm cloth over his body then took the towel to dry his hair. He walked over to the screen with the director. After a few minutes of review, the director wanted to make some subtle changes to emphasize certain parts of the scene.
"Good work! Please head to the makeup team." The director called out to everyone on the set. "We need special effects makeup. I need gradual bloody faces and bloody fists. Please prepare to set up the damage and smear blood in these areas as the scene intensifies. We'll reshoot those moments to show the results of the blows. While everyone is preparing on this side let's roll right into filming Kijima-kun's part."
Ren bumped into Kijima as he headed for his dressing room.
"Shit Tsuruga-kun, I didn't know you were so stacked? I might consider turning gay for you." Kijima complimented squeezing Ren's bicep through the robe.
"That's sexual harassment Kijima-san," Ren retorted pulling his robe tighter around his body.
"Hey, can you blame me?" Kijima said with a nonchalant shrug. "By the way, I loved how you inserted yourself into Kyoko-chan's cameo last night. I knew I recognized that velvety voice. Smooth, brother, real smooth."
"You watched it?"
"Of course, I'm a fan. I follow her work."
For your information, it was her director's idea. I'll take any excuse to work with her again even the smallest of roles."
Kijima laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "I should try this commitment thing. It's doing wonders for your career. Does Kyoko-chan have any single friends? Kotonami-san still dating, Yashiro-san?"
"I'm not dating her for my career!" Ren scowled.
"You know what I mean," Kijima said with another carefree laugh
Ren set his mouth in a tight line. He felt it his duty to protect Kyoko's friends from this playboy.
"Ooh, what about that one cutie from the club. I thought she was fun. Ayako…Ay something. I can't recall her name at the moment. You know who I'm talking about. She's in the LoveMe section, right?"
"Amamiya-san?"
"Yes, that's her!"
"I remember Kyoko telling me she was seeing someone."
"Darn, missed opportunity. She gave me her phone number too, I just forgot to call… Anyone else?"
"I don't know of any other friends that she's close to. Even if I did, I wouldn't recommend you to any of them!"
"Wow, that's harsh. I thought we were friends man."
"You're hopeless, Kijima-san."
The assistant director ended their talk as he called for Kijima to get started.
Ren headed straight for his dressing room wanting to rid himself of the wet towel clinging to his hips. Though it had an appearance of a short towel used while showering in a public bath the waistline was actually elastic to keep it snugly on his waist like a terry cloth skit. Beneath the towel, he wore a nude swimsuit so even in the event of a wardrobe malfunction he would be covered. He made sure not to throw any kicks during the scene except that low sweeping one. He strategically set his arm between his legs to keep the towel from riding up his thighs. The review of the footage verified that he was in the clear; however, he still thought the director was sly for adding this scene.
"Hey Ren, all done?" Yashiro asked looking up from his computer. His manager was cooped up in his dressing room working to fulfill Ren's request.
"For now, I need to get special effects makeup done to finish the scenes. How is it going? Do you think it's doable?"
Yashiro pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stared at Ren with a serious expression. "Please don't underestimate me. Have you settled things on your end?"
"I'm meeting him later. If he doesn't want to take it on I can always ask Nakazawa-san for a recommendation. Thanks, Yukihito."
"Are you kidding? I've been living for this moment."
Ren went behind the changing screen and disrobed. He was thankful for the stacks of swimwear and towels he had for this scene. He put on a dry set and put on a dryer robe while he waited for the makeup artist to show up.
"By the way, here's what you asked for." Yashiro handed Ren two plain black notepads. "Sorry, it's not as interesting as your last one. Despite our LoveMon boss, the office supply closest doesn't exactly stock notepads with unicorns and rainbows gracing their covers."
"It was an impulse purchase and it served its purpose," Ren answered putting his notepads into his bag. He didn't say it out loud but he was rather fond of the cute notebook. The exterior matched its contents and reminded him of the woman he loved.
He felt like he was in a good place right now and could move forward with his plans. He wasn't sure how this drama would trigger his emotions as it progressed but so far it hadn't. Ryu had to be cold and ruthless to keep up his façade within the Gokudo but also never forget the righteousness of Akira. He was sure it had to do with the peace and love he felt with Kyoko. He still had the occasional nightmares but they didn't weigh on him during the day like in the past. He wasn't sure if his parents would appreciate him showing up out of the blue in LA. Though the constant communication with his parents had made the reunion easier, he would be lying if he said he didn't feel anxious about returning to his homeland. It was a good thing he would have his omamori with him.
…
Yashiro narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Ren. The guy was acting funny again. He carried the bentos Kyoko made for them over to the table where Ren sat with a pair of high school-aged actors on the set of Ryu. One of the young actors played the younger Akira during his middle and high school years. He could pass as a younger version of Akira with the right hairstyle and camera angles. The other actor was playing a high school dealer of the drug that killed Akira's sister. The boys weren't in any scenes together but given their age they became fast friends.
One would think that the drug dealer kid would look like a "Yankee" with outrageous hair and piercings; however, in this drama, he was a model student. He had good grades, was part of the student council, and never broke any of the actual school rules. Essentially, he was favored by the teachers and allowed to move freely at will without arousing suspicion of his true intentions. Yashiro thought his role was quite scary. When his character needed to snap out of the model student role, he snapped so convincingly.
Yashiro stood a minute and watched his charge engage with the students. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but Ren didn't look out of place sitting with them. If Yashiro didn't know Ren, he would believe he was watching three high school friends hanging out. It was odd how well Ren blended in despite his "mature" look. In fact, he didn't look mature right now as he broke out in unabashed laughter at something one of the boys showed him on his phone. The Ren of last year would have never done such a thing.
Yashiro felt every pair of eyes on the set turn toward the group. Many smiled and even laughed to themselves. They were seeing a more down to earth side to the top actor. He shook his head as he watched the many women and maybe some men in the vicinity fall for the unattainable young man.
He watched his charge mimic the mannerisms and speech of the young men. Although he was wearing Ryu's black suit, his bearing and countenance made him look younger than his twenty-one years.
Yashiro approached the table and sat next to Ren. He placed the bento in front of him along with a bottle of green tea.
"Thanks, Yukihito," Ren said appreciatively.
"Ooh, Tsuruga-san, you bring a homemade lunch to work. That's surprising!" said the boy playing the young drug dealer looking at the wrapped meal in front of Ren.
"It's not surprising, dope. If you kept up with celebrity news you would know that his wifey, the actress Kyoko-san, is an excellent cook. You're so lucky Tsuruga-san. I wish I had someone to cook for me." Young Akira said admiringly.
Ren chuckled and said, "I thank my lucky stars she chose me."
He unwrapped the cloth and opened his box. Like usual the meal was elaborate. It contained rice with a pickled plum at the center, seared salmon, hardboiled egg, pickled veggies, skewered chicken, and a small salad. Everything was arranged prettily as always. He would have to talk to her about toning down the meals. It had to be exhausting waking up and preparing not only a meal for him but for herself and Yashiro as well.
The boys opened their provided bento and began to dig in. A mouth full of food did not stop them from talking. Ren joined in the chat while he ate. Somehow, the topic turned to food. Ren easily navigated through the conversation adding his own commentary to meals he favored until somehow the conversation turned to dating advice.
"Tsuruga-san, as the more experienced man, no offense, Yashiro-san."
Yashiro waved the boy off. He was not offended.
"But can you give me some advice on how to get the girl I like to notice me."
Yashiro let out a series of choking sounds as food went down his windpipe. Ren pounded his friend's back irritated by his reaction to the question. Once Yahshiro caught his breath he let out a small chuckle. Ren glared at him.
Yashiro gulped and rubbed his lips together to keep from laughing. He couldn't. He burst out laughing holding his sides.
"Haha! Laugh it up," Ren said sarcastically.
"What is it? Did I say something funny?"
"My manager here is a comedian."
Ren gave Yashiro a pointed look and gave the boys the short version of how he wooed Kyoko. He left out the fact that it took him almost a year to confess his feelings to her in fear she would reject him. He skipped to the good part of how he had cooked her dinner and told her his true feelings.
"Ehhhh! You confessed first!" The boys shouted in unison. Ren cringed apologizing to those around them. He shot his friend a glare for his snickering.
"Please don't be so loud. You'll trouble the others."
"Ah sorry. It's just unbelievable."
"The point is maybe she's already harboring feelings for you and is feeling insecure just like you. I think sincerity and chocolate might help you out here. Trust me it's scary. I feared she would reject me but it turned out she liked me too and here I am eating her homemade bentos."
"Lucky!"
Kyoko groaned as she walked with Tadashi toward the three theater seats in front of the large stage. The President's office was transformed into a traditional Japanese theater with platforms flanking the seats and lanterns hanging from the ceiling.
"Oh, I didn't think Takarada-san would go this far with his themes. What do you suppose is behind those curtains?"
"It's usually just a dramatic entrance in costume but I can never underestimate him."
Ruto manifested in front of them in a traditional set of Japanese robes. How had he changed so fast from the suit he was wearing when he let them in the door?
"Please this way," he said holding his hand out to the empty seat.
Kyoko realized he was talking to someone behind her. She turned to see a woman of mixed descent in her late thirties walk around to take her seat. Kyoko stood with her father and bowed.
"Le-san, good to meet you again. This is my daughter, Kyoko."
"Thank you, Morimoto-san. Hello, Kyoko-san. I am pleased to meet you. I'm Linh Le. Please, both of you, call me Linh."
"Linh-san pleased to meet you." She returned with another bow. She looked at her father quizzically. He smiled and assured her that all would be explained.
"Please take your seats and enjoy the show."
Kyoko frowned. Was there really going to be a show? She took her seat and waited. The lights above them dimmed and drums and flutes pierced the silence. The colorful curtains parted revealing a large set of the Imperial Palace from the Edo period. Standing on stage were half a dozen men dressed in armor with their faces heavily painted. One man stood out at the forefront in a statue-like pose. His face was painted with bold red stripes expressing justice and bravery.
Kyoko was floored by what unfolded. The costumes and the makeup were impeccable as she watched the Kabuki show. It was the first time she saw Lory participate in such a grand performance. It made sense now that he would own a talent agency. As the hero, Lory destroyed the enemy and freed the kidnapped princess. It intrigued Kyoko how well the female roles of the play were performed by men. When the ten-minute show was over. The audience clapped with appreciation when the cast bowed.
Ruto assisted Lory to remove the heavy out robe before providing the President with a chair. "Welcome, welcome. I hope you all enjoyed my performance."
"Sir, I didn't know you were skilled in the art of Kabuki. Magnificent performance!" Kyoko said earnestly. Her esteem of Lory rose another notch.
"Fu, fu, fu, there are many things you don't know about me Morimoto-kun. Now, since I shamefully took up so much of your time, I'll be brief. Morimoto-kun, this is Linh Le. She will be your new manager."
"What? But I thought Yashiro-san wou- "
"I have not informed Yashiro-san of this change yet. Your father has requested I provide you with a full-time manager capable of protecting you. Le-san may look harmless but I assure you she is a master in Taekwondo, Northern Shaolin and Judo to name a few disciplines. She has served as a bodyguard and aid in the Prime Minister's detail for the last three years. Her skills are impeccable and highly recommended."
"The Prime Minister, that's a very important job." Kyoko looked at the woman with a starry expression.
"Le-san, interviewed for this position when I sent out requests to my acquaintances. She comes highly recommended."
"Surely, someone like me shouldn't require a manager of her caliber. There has to be a more deserving actor at LME."
"Kyoko-san," Linh said addressing. "I'm looking for a less demanding job but fulfilling all the same. I'm familiar with all your work and I am aware of your potential. I read in an article that your goal is to become an actress worthy to represent all of Japan. If you let me, I would like to help you achieve this goal."
"Kyoko, you know I'm leaving the day after tomorrow," Tadashi said, taking her hand gently in his. He told her and Ren both when he was leaving; however, his departure date was only dependent upon Lory finding her a capable manager. "Yashiro-san has been doing an excellent job thus far but as your workload increases, he can't be in two places at once. I would feel relieved knowing that you are in safe hands while I'm abroad."
Tadashi smiled gratefully at Linh making the woman blush prettily. Lory had conducted the interviews and sent his three top candidates for Tadashi to make the final decision. He only met Ling the other day. Tadashi wasn't expecting such overqualified candidates. Of the three, Linh was the only woman. Maybe Tadashi was being prejudiced but he immediately gravitated to Linh for the female guidance she could provide for his daughter. In his opinion, his daughter had more than enough men looking out for her well-being.
Kyoko looked away stubbornly and blinked back tears. She took in a shaky breath then smiled. She stood and bowed. "I will be in your care Linh-san. Please take care of me."
Linh also rose and bowed repeating Kyoko's words.
"Good! I'm glad that's settled. Le-san, I will pass your contact information over to Yashiro-san and he can bring you up to speed on Morimoto-kun's works."
…
Kyoko was overjoyed with the modeling work Yashiro had secured as they pulled up to a large yellow and black American-Victorian style manor. She had no idea that something so elegant existed on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was the exact house she envisioned a noble young lady would live in. Kyoko was ushered inside quickly when she was spotted in the circular driveway.
The assistant brought her to a fashionably dressed older woman going through the inventory. "Jenny, Kyoko-san has arrived."
"Kyoko-san, it's good to meet you, honey. I'm Jenny Chang. Please call me Jenny-chan."
"Please to meet you Jenny-chan. Thank you for this opportunity, I look forward to working with you."
"Oh what an adorable kitten you are. No wonder most of Japan is in love with you. And who are your friends."
"Oh, excuse my poor manners. This is my father Morimoto, Tadashi and my new manager Le Linh."
"Pleasure to meet you both. I can see where Kyoko-san gets her good looks," Jenny said, eyeing her father.
"You are too kind Chang-...Jenny-chan." Tadashi corrected himself after the glare Jenny shot his way. He frowned wondering what it was with women and their aversion to being addressed politely.
"I received your size from, I guess, your former manager, Yashiro-san. I would like you to try these five pairs to make sure they fit."
Kyoko looked at the shoes nervously. Jenny Chang was a high-end shoe designer. Every pair of her shoes were no less than 100,000Y, she was worried she might ruin them.
"Don't be bashful dear, I promise they are made of quality material and won't damage easily," Jenny said as if sensing Kyoko's apprehension. "Please have a seat and an assistant will help you."
After trying on the shoes and swapping out a few pairs, Kyoko rushed to hair, makeup, and costume. She came out, with her hair slick back, her eye makeup natural, and wearing a strapless black ball gown with layers of organza at the skirt. Kyoko was led to the bathroom that contained an antique clawfoot tub.
"I need you to be debonair. You are rich. You are snobby. You don't care about anyone but yourself. Do you think you can give me that?"
Kyoko nodded and immediately channeled all of the charisma she learned from Natsu but none of her flaws. She was getting better at piecemealing the character traits she learned since entering showbiz.
"Remarkable!" Jenny murmured as she watched Kyoko transform before her. "Okay, please climb into the tub and sit."
Kyoko didn't question her instructions and climbed into the tub filled with padding. She sat as Jenny arranged her dress to make it look like she was bathing in sea of black material. Kyoko leaned back and lifted her leg on to the tub's lip. She tried not to blush as memories of the last time she was in a tub drifted through her mind. Jenny slipped on a black patent pointed heel with a thick pearl strap securing it to her foot. The photographer took up his position and began snapping photos. Kyoko had enough photo sessions with Fuji-san to know that subtle movements were key to capture the right angle and lighting.
Kyoko found herself sitting on a low settee in the solar of the house, as Jenny called it, wearing a pink suede strapless bodysuit. Her outfit reminded her of a modest one-piece bathing suit. Jenny was pleased with her curves and her muscle tone. The designer paired the outfit with a crystal encrusted cream-colored peep toe high heel with ankle strap. The assistant handed her a matching suede bag to hold as she leaned forward on the velvet sofa. When the photographer told her to tense her legs, she did. Kyoko found from looking at the raws that the action accentuated all the muscles in her legs drawing a consumer's eye down their length to admire the shoes.
Kyoko had three more outfit changes. She wore beautiful gowns with high-low silhouettes so the shoes were always visible no matter the pose. They finished the shoot outdoors by the fountain of the Italian gardens. By the end of the shoot, Kyoko had acquired a new skill. She now knew how to showcase shoes for an editorial magazine shoot.
As a bonus, Kyoko was not only allowed to pick out one gown and two pairs of shoes used during the shoot, but the manor's curator took them on a complete tour of the house and explained its rich history in great detail. Kyoko's favorite part was the gardens. With Linh's help, she was able to take photos with her father as they strolled arm in arm among the beautiful landscaping.
Yashiro sighed heavily as they entered LME that evening.
"Are you going to be okay, Yukihito?"
"I'm fine. I'm feeling a little lonely now that I know Kyoko-chan will have a new manager."
Ren chuckled at his friend's dramatics. He was sure nothing would change on Yashiro's end. His manager would probably continue to receive Kyoko's schedule.
"It's my own fault for shirking my duties and letting it all rest on her father."
"That's not true, you were letting them spend time together. I'm sure they both appreciated the effort."
"Thanks, Ren."
"I'm a little early but I should head up unless you..."
"Go! Do what you came here to do. I don't know how late I would be."
"Nor do I. How about whoever finishes first is free to go home without the other?"
"Okay, I'll message you unless you message me first. Good luck, Ren. If there's anyone that can do this, it's you."
"Thanks, Yukihito," Ren said as the elevator doors closed.
…
Ren found the room he was looking for and knocked. He waited several seconds but received no reply so he knocked again and turned the knob. He found the man he was looking for sitting at the table with headphones over his ears. He made as much noise as he could and came up wide so as not to startle the man.
It wasn't until Ren was upon him that he was finally noticed. A sly smile crept up his face. He put his pencil down and pulled his headphones off.
"You've finally come to accept my proposition, Tsuruga-kun?"
"Not really, but I will if you're willing to help me first."
"Intriguing. How could, I, possibly help Japan's top actor?"
"My time is limited. I only have so much of it in a day." Ren reached in his bag and pulled out a black notepad. He opened it up and tore several sheets from it." Ren handed over the papers.
"These are yours?" He asked with a quick glance at the content on the pages.
Ren nodded making guy smile. "Not bad…. Tell me... the note in last night's episode, was that yours too?"
Ren nodded again.
"I think you and I are going to have a good working relationship."
"Thank you, Kei-san. I appreciate your help with this."
"Don't thank me, yet."
AN: Hehe see what I did there. Thank you for sticking with me! Slowly but surely tying up some loose ends so I can get them across the Pacific. I hope you enjoyed. I needed to get this out so I can focus on manga spoilers once they drop. XD I'm so excited!
Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate it.
To my guest reviewer that saw right through me regarding Abe, Bo and YKR. I love it when you guys are able to follow what I'm thinking. Maybe it's boring but I'm not talented enough to keep you all guessing. ;)
Until next time, Ja ne! ^_^