Chapter 133: Selfies

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would have the opportunity to watch Kuu work.

The butler led Cedric to the dining room where his mother and father sat eating breakfast. His mother instantly stood to greet him.

"Good morning, Ceddy dear," she cooed, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek. She brushed back his hair from his eyes. "You look tired. Have you been sleeping well? Your work schedule isn't outrageous? You'll make yourself sick if…"

"Karina, stop coddling him. He's a man for chrissakes," Callister chided, annoyed by his wife's incessant behavior of babying their son.

"I'm fine, mother," he assured her with a weak smile. He barely slept a wink last night and eyed the bottle of single malt scotch sitting on his shelf. He didn't drink a single drop. He wouldn't give his father any ammunition to criticize him this morning if he reeked of alcohol.

"You're a little early," Callister announced glancing at his watch. "Did you eat? Come sit down...have some breakfast," his dad pointed to the seat on his left with his butter knife.

His mother smiled at him and took her seat again. Cedric could feel her eyes watching him happy by the invite. He thought he was going to be late and may have broken a few traffic laws in the process. A speeding sports car in this area was hardly a rare occurrence. Privileged rich people did love their toys.

"Take more darling. You're a growing boy," Karina insisted. She picked up the silver serving tongs and began placing a few more pieces of Canadian bacon on his plate. He caught his father rolling his eyes in his periphery.

"I got it, mother. Thank you." He scooped up some eggs onto his plate then began eating. His mother took it upon herself to fill the quiet with conversation and questions. Father and son responded placating her. He learned early on in life that it was easier to entertain her musings than deal with the fallout; however, in the last several years, he no longer tolerated her belligerent behavior when it came to his work. His mother's guilt trips could be cumbersome lasting for days, even weeks or they could be a godsend. She was either blowing up his phone with calls or giving him the silent treatment. Cedric eventually caved whenever his grandfather intervened on her behalf.

After breakfast, Cedric joined his father in the study that oozed old English charm with all its leather-bound books and dark wood paneling throughout. He took the vacant leather seat in front of the fireplace next to his father and waited for him to speak.

"Your mother told me that an old acquaintance of yours came for dinner the other day," Callister began.

Cedric frowned. "Do you mean Miranda?" He hoped his mother didn't somehow convince him that they would make a good match.

It was Callister's turn to frown. "I'm referring to the man. Did he say anything to you?"

Cedric frowned again as images of Liam flagging him down in the middle of the street occupied his mind. This conversation was getting weird. Why was his Dad so interested in him? Cedric shrugged, "nothing in particular. Why? Is he in some kind of trouble?"

Callister contemplated his answer for a moment then replied. "The best thing you ever did in your life was to dump those so-called friends. Focus on your future and don't look back." Cedric was touched by his father's words until he followed it up with, "I don't want to have to clean up another one of your fuck ups at your age."

Cedric's jaw clenched. There's the man I know, he thought sarcastically.

"You're not a teenager anymore Cedric. When are you going to learn? I don't even want to know what happened in Japan. Since it sounds like you weren't directly involved I'll chalk it up to coincidence and let this one slide."

His father was quite generous today. Callister was only being reasonable because nobody here cared what happened over there in that small country. Kimiko wasn't a notable actress here and her cousin was even less relevant. Publicly, he wasn't connected to that hit and run incident. He never told anyone about that night and the guys he was with all but left him alone. His coming would have been much worse if the Japanese reporters knew he was partly responsible for Kimiko's mental break. He never did get to apologize to her directly. Her parents didn't want him to have any contact with her. He thought he had changed but apparently, he only managed to ruin another life differently. He deserved to feel miserable about it.

"So, did you get a chance to talk to those Japanese actors?" Callister asked curiously.

"Yeah. They seemed interested when I talked to them before I left. They'll be here this week. I'm waiting on their call to set up a meeting?"

"They're going to be in Los Angeles this week? And you can get a meeting?" Callister sat up straighter and looked at Cedric in wonder.

"They're working fashion week for a top Japanese brand designer. It's not like I convinced them to come or anything."

"No matter, this is good news son. You did good," his father told him proudly. "Did you know the girl can sing? She's all over the radio here. I want to try to get her on a show while she's here."

It was great for Kyoko that his father was taking an interest in her. This could be a big break for her career. But first, they needed to call; otherwise, no one was going anywhere.

"Yes, she's very talented. I enjoyed working with her."

Callister looked at him curiously. "Do you have time? How about you tell me about your experience working with her?"

Kuu felt his brow break out in a sweat. Did they underestimate the public yesterday? Would Kuon's identity be exposed? He was ready to defend his son again if necessary. He had the money and Lory had the resources. They could easily make this go away like they did when he was fifteen. It also helped back then that he was a minor so news reports weren't allowed to use his name and the police reports were sealed.

The walk to Kuu's dressing room was anything but somber though the guilt was eating at his insides. Mac talked animatedly the whole way as if he didn't just drop a bombshell on them. He was proud of his girl. She held up well asking the director all sorts of questions regarding the American filming industry and comparing it to what she experienced in Japan.

Kyoko glanced at him nervously and all he could do was act. He smiled at her. It was that charming reassuring smile that he used to give Kuon all the time when he was a kid. The one that meant daddy will take care of everything. And he would! He would do almost anything to make things right again. Kyoko bought what he was selling and smiled back, relieved.

For the first time since starting this project, Kuu was annoyed that the set was so large and his dressing room was so far. He wanted to know what photos or information Mac was trying to hold over his head and why. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Kuu closed the door behind them and homed in on Mac.

"Let me see it?" He said piercing Mac with a threatening stare. If Mac turned out to be one of those directors in the industry that he and Julie needed to strike from their list then so be it. There were plenty of talented directors where he came from.

Mac chuckled at his seriousness. He plopped onto the couch and leaned back making himself comfortable. "You know, I could sell this to the press. I'm sure they'll have a field day with this image," Mac teased waving his cell phone around.

Kuu's temper rose at the director's joking threat. Sometimes Mac's casual nature, when the cameras weren't rolling, really pissed him off. He took a menacing step towards the director but Kyoko stopped him. Kuu felt his anger boil down to a simmer gazing into Kyoko's imploring eyes. He shouldn't lose his temper in front of her. He didn't want to scare her but this man was toying with him.

"Are you trying to extort me?" Kuu seethed pulling Mac up by the collar.

"I was kidding. Jeez lighten up," Mac explained

"So there isn't a photo?" Kuu asked, stunned, and released the director.

"Oh there is most certainly a photo," Mac admitted adjusting his shirt. "I've never seen you so serious unless the role calls for it." He tapped a few keys on his phone then held it out for them to see.

Kuu's laughter began in a low rumble deep within his chest and slowly erupted into a loud ruckus.

...

Kyoko's grudges retreated within her. She had no idea that Kuu was capable of displaying such hostility toward the director. She worried that he would get fired from his work and it would all be her fault. If it wasn't for her that photo would never have landed in the hands of the director.

She watched nervously as Kuu sunk in another chair trying to regain his composure.

"Sorry Mac. I lost my cool," Kuu told him.

"It's okay, we're friends. I shouldn't have teased you so much knowing you hate those kinds of things. I'm sorry too," Mac replied.

Kyoko realized there was history there that she didn't understand. Her hunch told her that it probably had to do with Kuon.

"Anyway," Mac continued, "if you and the missus want to sneak out and play that's fine but don't post it on social media for all to see.

"Sneak out?" Kyoko asked, turning to Kuu. She had no clue what he was talking about now. Kuu smiled at her happily and shrugged. She groaned at his annoying gesture. It had to be an American thing.

"My delinquency skills are rusty. It was something on a whim. I didn't think anyone would notice here since it was a Japanese website."

"I only chanced upon it since I was looking up Kyoko's work. With all the translating software available it wasn't difficult to figure you out. Though I have to admit, I couldn't be sure because of the ridiculous disguise. You just gave yourself away"

Kyoko blushed to learn that this big shot director had looked her up, but now she understood that the older Hizuri's had left work early under some pretense to meet them at the theme park. She couldn't feel bad since they had a good time together.

"Now that I'm done toying with you, you should get ready. I'll send in the prep staff."

"Thanks for letting me off the hook, Mac. I can't guarantee it won't happen again," Kuu grinned, admitting that he would willingly ditch work should the opportunity arise. Mac laughed at his honesty.

"You deserve a little fun. All you and Julie do is work," Mac said, squeezing Kuu's shoulder as he stood.

Kyoko bowed and apologized, which appalled both men. They took turns assuring her that none of this was her fault. Mac winked at Kyoko. "You're just what they needed," he whispered on his way out.

Kyoko gave him a small smile as he left. He was a good friend to Kuu. He probably said that to her because he knew the Hizuris had been enduring all this time without their son. Once the door closed, Kyoko went on a tirade about work ethics while Kuu sat in a dogeza until the style team rescued him. Kuu had no regrets. He told her he would do it all over again for a chance to spend a fun day with his kids. He was hopeless.

…

Kyoko stood tense holding her breath with the rest of the cast and crew as the scene unfolded. She had followed Kuu to the set of his character's house. His character, a high ranking detective, discovered another man in his house making himself at home by relaxing on his couch and watching his TV. His expression and body language spoke louder than words the moment Mac called for action. She could feel the anger and annoyance radiating off of him in spades. She thought the detective was taking it rather well to catch his wife having an affair. It was an incredible scene as she watched him confront his wife and her lover. The poor man quivered in his seat as he laid into him without raising his voice. The guy had no clue she was married. It wasn't until his wife coldly accused him of not caring that the detective erupted. The poor lover kept trying to leave out of fear for his life but he wouldn't let him. Kyoko thought it was sad that his wife had brought her lover there on purpose to exact some sort of revenge on him for choosing the badge time and again over their marriage.

Kyoko joined the round of applause with the others when the assistant director called out, "CUT!" The director called a break to review the film while the stage crew went about restoring the set to its original state. Kuu joined her and in his wake a slew of people that wanted to meet her. She wondered how Kuon was doing.

Kuon finished folding his cranes and went about hanging them over her side of the bed using the fishing line he found in his dad's tackle box. He looked forward to seeing her surprised face when she laid down for bed. He wondered how long it would take her to notice them. He stepped off the bed that he had stripped earlier and admired his handy work.

Grabbing his notebook and phone he went out to check on the bed linens he had put in the wash earlier. He paid extra attention to the care instructions so he wouldn't ruin them. He noticed embarrassingly that the coverlet was stained from last night. Seeing the stain there made him pull the cover off completely. As he suspected the sheets were in worse shape. If Kyoko saw it she would be upset and most likely ban them from ever having sex here again. He couldn't have any of that. He scoured the internet to figure out the best way to clean the cover without bringing it to the dry cleaners and threw the sheets in the wash.

He glanced at his watch. He had less than a couple of hours before he needed to leave to pick up Kyoko. It was more than enough time to get the sheets dried and the bed remade. The coverlet was already in its drying phase draped over the chairs near the glass to utilize the sun's rays.

After placing the sheets in the dryer, Kuon grabbed his stuff and went to what they called the recital room. It housed his dad's baby grand piano and was specifically designed with special acoustics. The piano was right where he remembered it perched on a stage by the glass walls. It wasn't much but at least he could do some voice training and practice reading notes even if guitar music differed from the piano.

He sat down on the bench and stared at the lone photograph resting on top of the polished ebony lid. It was a picture of him when he was about four years old sitting on his father's lap mashing the keys on this very piano. At one point when he was younger he took piano lessons but ended up quitting. He wasn't lying when he said he couldn't play the piano back when filming Dark Moon.

Kuon opened his notebook for the sheet music Kei gave him in English. He was glad the songwriter didn't question why the notes he handed to him were written in English. He just went along with it.

The current song was meant to train his fingers since it was melodious and repetitive. Kuon was slowly getting the hang of it before he left. Kei informed him that he wrote the song for an English film and thought Kuon would learn faster if it resonated with him. The songwriter wasn't wrong but he wasn't right either. It was an emotionally gut-wrenching song that Kuon had to swallow the lump in his throat each time he listened or attempted to play it.

He picked up the photograph off the piano and put it on the sideboard table behind him then opened the lid of the piano. He went back to his seat, lifted the fallboard, and stared at the keys. It sounded like a good idea when he thought to use the instrument for practice but now he had no clue how the notes from the guitar translated to a piano. He didn't know where to start and was worried he would ruin what little progress he made thus far. He sighed and resigned himself to just playing what he learned as Katsuki. When he was done, he put everything back the way he found it. He was feeling restless at his inability to improve while time ticked on by.

He laid on the couch in the room with the sheet music in his hand and his phone on his chest. He looked at the first note and tried to visualize his hand position on the guitar and the sound the chord made. This was the best he could do without a guitar. He was halfway through the song when his phone buzzed interrupting him.

Hi! *hand waving emoji*

He smiled when he read her one-word text and responded.

Hi baby! Having fun? *kiss face emoji*

Yes, it's incredible! I'm on a set that looks like a city. Let me show you. I've never been on one this big before. Kuon smirked but didn't say it. His girlfriend sure had a way with words. The selfie she sent him of her location did resemble a small city. He knew that studio. It was used to film a lot of movies.

How are you doing, Corn?

He took a selfie of himself and sent it to her to show her he was fine. He laughed when she responded immediately with, No fair! He knew that would be her reaction to his level three puppy face. He sent another one of the lower half of his face to the top of his chest.

?

Kuon's body shook with laughter. She probably thought he made a mistake. The next one he took was of his hand pulling up his shirt to reveal his washboard abs and yes, it featured a dark blonde happy trail dipping into his joggers. He would have to shave that tonight.

STOP IT! *arms crossed emoji*

Before he could respond she followed it up with, DON'T YOU DARE GO ANY LOWER!

She had such a filthy little mind. It never occurred to him to go lower but now he was considering it. Once he was able to contain his laughter, Kuon took one final picture and sent it with an I'm fine, baby. I'll see you soon...love you!

Eww! You're silly! *laughing face* I love you, too! See you soon. *kisses*

Kuon was just about to play Kei's video when the doorbell rang. He ducked lower on the couch to hide from this intruder just in case they could somehow see him through the glass. He wasn't expecting anyone and his parents didn't mention anyone either. He covertly moved out of the room to check the camera on the front door and found the guard standing there with a surfboard. That shop worked fast. He would leave them a good review after he saw the merchandise.

…

Kuon had passed as much time as he could and started to get dressed. While he was in the garage putting the boards away he got a wild idea. It was something he hoped Kyoko would enjoy. He found everything he needed and planned to leave early to make sure he could handle it. He laced his boots and shrugged on his leather jacket. He checked his pockets one more time before he went out the front and locked the door behind him: wallet, house keys, cellphone. He walked around the pathway to the front of the garage and approached his red Ducati. He already did a system's check before deciding to take it out. It helped that his dad rode it now and again to keep it functioning.

The bike had been left idling in the driveway for the last fifteen minutes while he finished up inside. Pushing his hair back and tilting his head up he pulled on the full-face helmet. He made sure the helmet for Kyoko was secured to the seat behind him and slipped on his gloves. He was ready. He downshifted, eased off the clutch, and twisted the throttle slowly to get the bike moving. The engine lurched and died on him. Fuck! He tried again giving it a little more gas and this time he was off cruising down the winding driveway. He gave the guards a low wave as he passed then sped up. Kuon was at ease by the time he made it to the main street. He had no problems learning the bike's quirks and maneuvering between traffic.

Another biker pulled up next to him at a stoplight to share the lane. Kuon nodded when he nodded and said thanks when the rider complimented his bike. They exchanged waves when they separated. Kuon was glad that he took the bike and left early because the traffic was horrendous. Using caution, he drove between lanes of cars like other bikes and made it to his destination with minutes to spare. He pulled up to the gate and flipped open his visor.

"Good afternoon, sir," he greeted the guard that approached him. "I'm Ren Tsuruga. My name should be on the list." He pulled out his wallet from his jacket pocket to show his identification.

"Yes, Kuu put you on the list this morning. You're free to go in," he told him, handing back his I.D. "Go straight down and take the second right."

"Thank you, sir. Have a good day." Kuon flipped down his visor and took off. He saw her before she saw him. She was standing with his father and a few other people outside the building. Kuu stepped out from the crowd when he heard the bike. His dad probably recognized the sound because he held up his hand to flag him down. He saw Kyoko step up beside his father. He wished he had a helmet cam on him. It would have been hilarious to have a video of her expression right now.

…

Kyoko noticed Kuu's distraction. Her eyes followed him as he walked away from his colleagues. She stood next to him and watched the sleek red bike come down the road. She swore the world moved in slow motion. Her eyes bugged out of their sockets and her mouth gasped open as she recognized the body proportions of the man straddling the machine clad in tight leather.

Kuu moved first when the bike halted in front of them and the driver cut the engine. The people behind them tittered curiously at the new man but Kyoko ignored them.

"Hey, Mr. Hizuri," the rider said flipping up his visor and revealing a pair of twinkling dark eyes. He held his hand out to shake with Kuu. "I've come to collect my girl." He stared directly into her eyes. Kyoko felt the ache between her legs immediately. Her mind raced with lewd thoughts of smooth cold leather brushing against her heated skin.

He held out his hand to her which she absentmindedly took and pulled her closer. He whispered into her ear as best he could with the helmet on. "You have to stop making that face baby, otherwise I'm going to have to find some deserted area here and have my way with you."

She flushed and trembled at the image his words provoked. She even looked up and down the street for a suitable place. He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Let Mr. Hizuri help you with your helmet and we'll get going."

"Huh," Kyoko murmured unintelligibly. She blinked rapidly to bring herself back to her senses. Kuu nodded and held out the helmet for her to put on. She pushed her short dark hair back while Kuu slid it over her head. It was a little snug but she assumed that's how it was supposed to fit. She listened as Kuu instructed her on how to ride as a passenger. In a nutshell, she was told to hold on for dear life.

"I'll see you, kids, later. Drive safe!" Kyoko waved quickly to Kuu and the others. Then firmly secured her arms around Kuon as they took off down the road. Between the vibration of the bike beneath her, her breasts pressed up against his back, and her legs straddling his hips, Kyoko decided that things were not looking so good. They hadn't even passed the gate yet. As they drove on, she managed to distract herself with the surroundings and get her bearings. She felt at ease by the confidence he exuded while handling the bike. She had no idea he could ride a motorcycle. It was sexy as hell.

She was glad the ride cooled her down some by the time they reached the lunch spot he picked out. He parked the bike in an empty space at a gas station. He instructed her to lift her visor and say cheese. So she did and held up a peace sign. He was going to post it on their social media page so the fans would stop speculating about their relationship. With the helmet on, no one could see his blonde hair but they would recognize his eyes anywhere.

He helped her remove the helmet without ripping the earrings out of her ears. When the helmet was partially over her head he took the opportunity to give her an open mouth kiss.

"Hey!" She squealed against his lips pulling the helmet off the rest of the way. She kissed him back when it was finally off.

"God, you're going to be the death of me woman," he admonished but pecked her one more time. "Come on, let's get you some food."

Kyoko read the name on the food truck. It was the taco place Tina recommended. According to her, it was the best Mexican food she ever had on this side of the border. Kyoko never experienced Mexican food in any capacity so she was excited to try something new. The line was long due to the lunchtime rush but it moved fast. She looked over the menu on Kuon's phone and found that everything looked savory. They stuck with Tina's top choices and ordered the pastor tacos and burritos. He ordered her one of the sweet drinks and a couple of bottles of water. When they got their food, they found a free spot at one of the pop up tables.

Kyoko moaned at the sunburst of rich flavors she tasted in the pork of her tacos. "Do you want to try my burrito?" He asked, holding up the perfectly wrapped meal to her. "Wait a minute," he said, pulling back his hand as she reached down for a bite. "I need a picture of this." He held up the burrito again while Kyoko pouted. He knew she hated to be fed but she was slowly breaking down. "It's really good," he teased waving it in front of her. She tried to take the bite quickly but it was messy. She laughed with a bite full of food. Kuon still got the perfect shot of him feeding her. He picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth.

"Thank you. Do you want to have some of my tacos?" She asked. Kuon groaned but he eagerly leaned in to be fed. Kyoko pulled it back just as he did to her and held out her hand for his phone. He smirked and gave it to her. When she was ready he took his bite sensually nipping and licking her fingers in the process. She nearly dropped her food and his phone. Kyoko scowled and thought he would be the death of her instead. "Okay, one more picture and that's it. I want to send it to Tina and thank her."

Kuon agreed and leaned over to take their photo. After lunch, they walked around the area to settle their stomachs. She couldn't help comparing the streets of Tokyo to this area. The upkeep here paled in comparison to Japan. There wasn't much to see here but they talked about their time apart. Kyoko told him about the little picture scare they had with the director and he told her about the housekeeping he did to occupy his time. They spent another hour just talking like that walking hand in hand while traffic and people whirred past.

Back at the bike, Kuon asked seriously, "do you want to ride around town some more or would you prefer to go home and ride me?" Kyoko smacked him. He was utterly ridiculous. She chose the former and promised him the latter tonight.

AN: Thanks for sticking with me. I apologize for the delay. In my defense, I wrote an SB one-shot if you have not read it yet (shameless self-promotion). I went ridiculous here again and I didn't get to add Yuki here as I hoped. But Kuon is in leather riding a sportbike...Ummm yummm! *wipes drool from mouth* Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. XD

Thanks for continuing to read and for the reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate it.

To my Guest reviewer: You are an esper! It's been planned since day one of this story. ;)

PS. Next week I'll be glamping in the woods of Georgia with my family...If you don't hear from me, send help. XD I'll do my best to get a chap out but no promises.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and take care!

Until next time, Ja ne! ^_^