Chapter 146: Fashion Show

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, we would see RenKuonKyo working a fashion show together.

Yashiro sighed internally as he glanced in the rearview mirror. Ren stared out the window deep in thought while Kyoko sat close with her head on his shoulder staring out the same window.

"Well, that was interesting," Yashiro said, breaking the heavy silence that loomed inside the car. His mind had been churning over the conversation that took place earlier. He was berating himself for not insisting he take a look at the scripts that were sent to LME on Ren's behalf. Janine had voiced precisely what Yashiro had thought about taking on small roles to get his name out there. At the time, Yashiro had compromised. He gave Ren until the New Year before he started probing him to take the parts that would jumpstart the next phase of his career. He had no doubt Ren would be a hit among the foreigners...or was it his people. He was so confused right now. When would he let Kuon out into the world again?

He was glad that his other charge had zero complications. She was who she said she was, and she was willing to take menial roles to gain experience. It wasn't fair to compare them since Kyoko's family wasn't in showbiz like Kuon's parents. She did, however, have her fair share of drama so far, and she just started. He laughed softly to himself. They've barely dipped their toe into this world. He was sure there would be more hardships to come.

"Yashiro-san?" Kyoko piped up, turning her gaze in his direction but she didn't bother to sit up.

"Yes?" He replied with a glance at her reflection.

"Are there really other people besides Mr. Bennett interested in Ren or was that just business lingo?" She asked seriously. Yashiro flicked his eyes up again to look at her and saw Ren tense beside her.

"Yes, but not just Ren. They are also interested in you," he assured her. He had something already lined up, but he was waiting for them to commit. He would have a final decision on the job later tonight. He didn't want to give more away before he had all the information. It would be a direct contract with LME, no U.S. based agency would be involved.

"Me too?" She asked with wide eyes. Ren relaxed reengaging in the conversation. Whatever funk he was in was gone and replaced by the promise of working with Kyoko on an international project.

"Yes, you too. I won't disclose any more than that. We'll have to wait and see," Yashiro told them. He was pleased to find that their little exchange had lightened the atmosphere tremendously. They already had a long day ahead of them with a reprieve later this afternoon before the runway show; it would have been a nightmare if this cloud looming over them remained.

"Are you ready, handsome?" His companion purred as the luxury sedan pulled up to the entrance of the vintage theater where fashion week was being held that evening.

"No," Cedric groaned, making the man beside him laugh. He eyed the media circus flanking the entranceway to get the scoop of the latest celebrity trends. It was the same scene as last year when he attended one night to watch Viola. The man beside him laughed at his discomfort. "Thanks for getting me in, Flynn. I owe you one." It was arrogant of him to think that he probably could have entered by the power of his fame, but he didn't want to take the chance of being turned away. It would be a waste of an opportunity to see her even if there was still the possibility that she wouldn't even be here tonight.

"No, you owe me a date," Flynn corrected him. Cedric fixed him with a hard stare. "Fine! If you want to get technical, then expensive food on your dime," he said tersely. "Why are you so nervous, anyway? Viola was such a selfish bitch. If anything, she has a lot of nerve showing back up here. I don't even know why you're giving her the time of day after what she did."

Cedric smiled weakly. "I'm not entirely blameless either," he admitted but didn't elaborate. He liked Flynn enough but they weren't close. Cedric would never go pouring his heart out to him. He could very much sell him out to the tabloids the next day just like Viola. Maybe the reason he could trust in Koga so easily was that with him he could start with a clean slate. He didn't know any of Cedric's history and the distance guaranteed that he wouldn't hear the petty gossip floating about from those that Cedric had grown up around.

He laughed to himself recalling the text exchange he had with the Japanese actor only a few hours ago.

Bro, just checking if you're still alive!

You have the worst luck!

Cedric replied eventually after work but due to the time difference, he had yet to hear back from his friend.

The cameras trained on the car as Cedric stepped out. The onslaught from reporters was immediate as soon as they spotted him.

"It's Ric Bennett!"

"It's Cedric!"

"He's with Flynn Mateo! Flynn, are you walking this year?"

"Ric, Flynn look this way please!"

"Over here please!"

Their attention was torn by the requests flung their way which ended up mostly being ignored.

"I should bring you as my plus one more often. I've never had so much attention. What did you do this time you bad boy?" Flynn whispered to Cedric as they posed for photographs. Cedric knew he was lying; otherwise, why would he be so popular among the media here.

"Ask him about it! Get clarification!" He heard one of the press members exclaim. Cedric pasted a smile on his face as the cameras flashed and momentarily blurred his vision.

"Ric, can you confirm the statement you released on your social media earlier? Are you denying any relationship with your Japanese co-star?"

He hid his surprise at the question. He thought he put the kibosh on that rumor this morning. It was like deja-vu all over again.

After his stressful but breakthrough meeting with Kuu, Cedric's heart nearly stopped when he was accosted outside the studio by paparazzi asking for confirmation of the romantic relationship between him and Kyoko. They must be shitting me!

Cedric had just survived a run-in with Kuu Hizuri and now this rumor was running rampant. What was that saying? Out of the frying pan into the fire. He shuddered as Ren's deadly countenance flashed before his eyes.

"Okay, okay, let the man breathe. Everyone back off," Jacob demanded coming to Cedric's aid. He got Cedric through the throng and into his dressing room with little effort.

"What the fuck is going on, Jacob? What the hell are they talking about?"

"Yeah, well. If you had your phone on you would have known. There's an article proposing that Kyoko is your new love interest because of last night."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Cedric bemoaned, raking his fingers through his dirty blonde hair until it was standing on end.

"Hey, it's cool. This might be a good thing. If you ride it out it might bring more attention to your movie," Jacob suggested, thinking how to use this information to their advantage.

"Are you high? I'm a dead man if I don't fix this," Cedric screeched flopping on the couch.

"What is your obsession with death? You said Kuu Hizuri was going to kill you and look at you now. Still breathing," Jacob said looking at the bright side of this predicament. "By the way, you don't have to tell me what happened during that meeting unless you want to. I'm all ears," Jacob said eagerly. It was obvious he wanted to know what was discussed with the veteran actor.

"Can we focus?" Cedric said exasperatedly.

"Fine kid, suit yourself. If you don't want to take advantage of a good scandal I suppose you can always release a statement on social media. You have an interview later today, it's not live. It won't air until next week. Still wouldn't hurt to mention it there. I'm sure the host would be curious."

Cedric nodded at his manager's suggestions. It would have to do for now.

"I should call and apologize. Do you still have Mr. Yashiro's phone number?"

"You bet." He pulled out his cell phone from his jacket pocket. After a few taps, he handed it over to him.

"Thanks!" Cedric pressed the call button and lifted the phone to his ear while it rang. Yashiro didn't pick up so he left a quick voicemail for Kyoko. When she called him back later he was on set and couldn't take her phone call. Rather than play phone tag, Cedric decided to apologize to her in person when he saw her tonight.

Hours later they were still asking the same questions. Cedric smiled and replied to the reporter's inquiry confirming that he was not in a relationship with Kyoko. He ignored the rest of the inquiries and headed inside.

"Ooh, so you already have a secret piece. Good for you," Flynn teased. He had been out of the country so he was behind on the gossip.

"Don't cause any misunderstandings. She's just a co-star and a friend. She also comes with a big scary boyfriend," Cedric warned.

"How scary?" Flynn asked curiously.

"You don't want to know," Cedric shuddered.

Flynn whipped out his phone and muttered his research topic as he thumbed it into the search bar: "Ce...dric Ben...nett, Ja...pa...nese girl...friend."

"What are you typing?" Cedric asked, alarmed by the topic. He guided Flynn along the way while his nose was glued to his phone, following the other attendees through the main lobby.

"Ooh, that pulled up a bunch of links. Let's see the top one. 'True or False: Are They Dating?'"

Cedric glanced over to see the screen. He never did search the internet for the topic in question. "It better say false, otherwise, someone's career is over tomorrow." He winced internally at how bad that sounded to his ears. That was a shadow of his past talking.

Flynn chuckled. "Ooh scary, Mr. Bennett." A moment later, Cedric heard remnants of the interview last night spewing quietly from Flynn's phone. "Well isn't she adorable," Flynn commented as Kyoko struck him. He pursed his lips to suppress his laughter.

"Shut up!" Cedric exclaimed with a smile ghosting his lips. It took him a minute or five to warm up before he could stop getting hit by her.

He greeted people he recognized and more that recognized him. He also took the time to sign a few autographs and take a few pictures with those that asked. He eventually declined any further requests as he headed into the main area in search of both Kyoko and Viola.

The chatter in this area was loud. The crowd was broken into groups enjoying each other's company before the show started. Photographers and videographers were doing last-minute setups around the perimeter of the runway. Stagehands were adding more chairs where they could fit them. His eyes swept over one side of the room while Flynn scanned the other for either woman as they walked further into the crowd. He knew it would be a long shot to find them out here. If they were part of tonight's program they would most likely be in the back preparing. He didn't think it wise to bother them while working. He would try to flag them down after the show.

Cedric was back to smiling and nodding to people vying for attention. In his search for the ladies, his eyes landed on the dynamic couple surrounded by a good size crowd. The man said something that he couldn't hear, but the crowd erupted in laughter. He caught the eye of Kuu Hizuri when the group slightly parted. The actor's voice faltered when he saw Cedric and gave him a nod. Somebody beside Kuu spoke so his focus returned to the conversation.

"Ceddy!" A familiar high-pitched voice rang out above the rest. His head whipped to the right as his mother threaded her way through the crowd.

"I think I'll go look on the other side of the room," Flynn informed him and slinked away into the crowd. Was it wrong for Cedric to wish that he had enough sense to have worn a disguise?

She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "I didn't know you were going to be here tonight," she exclaimed happily adjusting the collar of his jacket. Cedric could already smell the wine on her breath.

"I didn't know you were coming either. It was a last-minute business decision," he replied smoothly.

"You're working?"

"Sort of?" he shrugged. She hummed but didn't press.

"Well, you have to sit next to me. Miranda is here somewhere just look for the walking leopard," she said with a giggle and linked her arm through his. "Unless you're already dating someone?" She probed him.

He shook his head no.

"Not even the cute little Japanese girl I met at the office this morning?"

Cedric halted their walk and turned shocked eyes on his mother. "You met, Kyoko?"

"Well, I wanted to know why the tabloids were making such a fuss. Your father told me last night that he had a meeting planned while watching your interview. I wanted to see her in person. Imagine my shock when I see another actor in there with them. I don't know why your father insists on others when he has you. Whatever he had planned for that man, I'm sure you can do ten times better."

"Mother, I thought we were past this. I'm going to be 23 years old. I can handle my own career." Cedric didn't know how to feel about his father watching last night's live interview. He wanted to ask her but wasn't sure if he was opening himself up to more pain.

"Fine. I'll stop," she pouted. Cedric sighed.

"Mother, you have to under.."

"I said it was fine. Let's drop it. Come on let me show you off to my friends." She smiled and tugged him in the direction he came. Cedric knew she was the exact opposite of fine, but he didn't want to deal with yet another headache.

As if he couldn't feel any worse, Cedric's heart plummeted when he encountered a pair of very sad green eyes watching him. They're just like his. He gulped and silently apologized before tearing his gaze from hers as guilt overwhelmed him.

...

Julie blinked back tears as she stared at the young man that ruined her son's life walk arm in arm with his mother. It wasn't fair. Why did the one who was in the wrong get to be happy? She had a long talk with Kuu this morning after she tore Lory a new one. She had been holding back for so long that she got carried away.

Kuu had convinced her to see Cedric's plight from his point of view. She promised to have an open mind and heart. If he showed up to support the gala, she would know that he was sincere in his apology and trying to change for the better. It would be his only chance for redemption in her eyes.

Kuu put his arm around her sensing her distress. He had witnessed the mother and son interaction too. Julie smiled up at her husband when he kissed the side of her head and reassured her that everything was going to be okay from now on. She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled. If he said so it must be true. Kuu never steered her wrong.

"Look there's, Tina," he motioned with his head. Julie welcomed the distraction and made a beeline for her son's old friend.

"Mrs. Hizuri," Tina greeted shyly. Julie pulled her into a fierce hug. It had been several years since they saw her, but they never forgot about her. Tina wasn't aware but they have been silently supporting her business by purchasing pieces from her. Julie knew plenty of people in need of artwork on their walls.

"They told me you were coming tonight," Julie cooed, releasing her.

"Um, I'm sorry about that ni.." Tina looked down shamefully.

"Shhh." Julie pulled her into a hug. "We're sorry too. It was a hard time for everyone."

Tina nodded and pulled back when Kuu joined them. "Are you sure it's okay that I'm here? What if someone finds out?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"I don't think they would have asked you to come if he wasn't confident. We're here too. Just remember we're here for the clothes," Kuu winked.

Tina nodded convinced that her presence would not reveal Kuon's identity. "I brought my camera." She smiled and held up her bag. "I'll be sure to take a lot of good photos for you."

"Thank you, Tina. That means a lot to us," Julie smiled.

"It's my pleasure," she replied, returning her warm smile.

"Let's go find some good seats before they're all taken," Julie suggested linking her arm with Tina's. She was never close to Tina, and only saw her in passing whenever they happened to come around the house in the rare moments she was home. Therapy helped her get past a lot of her regrets. She wasn't going to dwell on the past anymore and look forward to a brighter tomorrow.

…

Kyoko yelped as she was yanked into a rack of clothes near the back wall. "What are you doing?" she mumbled against the large hand covering her mouth.

"Shhh!" he said, putting his index finger to his full lips. She nipped his hand, hard.

Ow! He mouthed silently as he shook the pain out of his hand.

Kyoko replaced his hand on her mouth with hers to suppress her giggles. She felt like that naughty kid in a department store she saw in a movie once that hid in the clothing racks. He thought it was a funny trick to play on his mother until she was frantic with worry.

"How's it going?" he whispered, his face close to hers that his breath tickled her cheek and sent a shiver down her spine. She had been hard at work the moment she arrived. She was a hair styling assistant, a makeup assistant, a wardrobe assistant, and whatever else someone needed her to be as chaos ensued backstage. It didn't help that the place was buzzing with three other designers that would be showing tonight.

"Remind me again, why I was so excited about taking on this job?" Kyoko joked, keeping her voice down. He chuckled softly and gazed at her intensely instead of answering. Kyoko's pulse raced as he slid his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly and slightly lightheaded. He always managed to take her breath away.

"A recharge," he smirked. "And to tell you in zero words or less how stunning you look in that dress. I've been wanting to tell you that since you put it on."

"Thank you," she whispered surprised by the compliment. She had avoided him because she thought he would be angry with the super low "v" neckline that stopped right below her sternum. She adored the dress. Between the pattern on the flowy material and the layered sleeves and short skirt, it gave one the impression that she was a fluttering butterfly when she walked. It was chic and not at all "costumey." She loved that Fuji was true to his word and provided her with a dress that not only fit into his collection, it was ready to wear.

She curled her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his for more. They exchanged opened mouth kisses with a hint of velvety tongue slowly and deliberately to keep their volume down. He slid his hand down the open front of her dress and splayed his fingers wide to graze over her pasty covered nipples confirming she was braless. A soft sigh escaped her lips from his touch.

"Has anyone seen little Kyoko anywhere?" Asked a female voice with a thick German accent to no one in particular. She sounded a little too close to their location. Kyoko stilled with her lips attached to his and held her breath.

Little Kyoko! Kyoko felt her tiny force of grudges stir. This model wasn't the only one calling her little tonight. One of Cedric's model friends started it first when she first arrived and some of the others followed suit thinking they were being cute. This was bullying 101. They had nothing on Natsu.

Her eyes widened when he moved his tongue to lick her lips and resume what they were doing. Kyoko pinched him to stop. As hot as she found their situation, she was not about to be caught in a compromising position when she should be working.

"Does anyone know where the bandages are?" The model huffed, complaining as she stomped away. "That little girl was supposed to get me some. My feet are killing me." She said something more that Kyoko could only guess were swear words in her native language.

Kyoko shifted her position to get out of their hiding place. She needed to get back to work, but he wouldn't let her leave. He pulled her back to him with little resistance on her part and kissed her deeply, once more stealing her breath away.

Ahem!, a throat cleared loudly right outside the racks.

This time they both froze. Kyoko couldn't hear anything but the sound of her heartbeat thundering in her ears. He placed a finger to his lips and motioned for her to wait while he stood slightly from his crouched position to check if the coast was clear.

"It's clear," he whispered in a strangely high pitched voice that Kyoko couldn't understand. She stepped out quickly acting like she had dropped something under the rack. She stood fluffing out her dress and came face to face with their amused manager. All the blood pooling between her thighs moments before rushed straight to her face and burned. Even professional makeup couldn't hide her blush.

"I found them," she flashed him her brightest smile, holding up a couple of bandaids. She ran away before she embarrassed herself any further. She easily got swept up into the throng and went back to work.

…

"It's clear, Ren," Yashiro declared, parting the clothes that shielded his male charge from prying eyes. "Hurry up and get out."

Yashiro clucked his tongue loudly as he inspected all 360 degrees of Ren. "If Fuji knew you were sitting down in his outfit you would be a dead man. Thankfully, it looks intact." He reached into this pocket, pulled out a pack of tissues, and handed it to Ren. "You should wipe your mouth before people think you're fond of wearing red lipstick."

"Thanks, Yukihito. Sorry for the trouble," he replied and dabbed a tissue to his mouth.

Yashiro hummed. "Let's try to keep things a little more professional for the remainder of the night. You both don't need to be featured in an American newspaper with such a scandal."

"She was ignoring me. I had to talk to her. I promise to behave for the rest of the night," Ren explained.

"I'm sure plenty of words were exchanged," Yashiro teased. "The first collection just concluded. The second one is about to begin then it would be R'Mandy's turn."

Ren stood at his spot second to the last with Honoka bringing up the rear as they waited for the second collection to do their final walk with the designer. Fuji went down the line giving out any last-minute instructions with Kyoko hot on his heels absorbing everything the designer and his veteran assistants had to say. He glanced back at their workspace and found everything to be immaculate and ready to go for their quick change-outs.

Everyone in the room began clapping as the models of the second collection came walking back in. They headed for the area in the back that was now designated theirs since they were done while the R'Mandy team moved only what they needed closer to the stage.

Fifteen minutes after the other show ended an assistant came backstage to let Fuji know that his DJ was ready to go, and the lighting and visual effects were programmed to his specifications. It was showtime.

He felt the familiar flutters in his stomach as Fuji gave them a final pep talk. This wasn't his first runway show, but it was the first one they would be watching live. He was nervous. What if he suddenly grew two left feet and tripped right in front of his parents. It would be so embarrassing to come out as their son after such an epic failure. Would they want to be tied to someone that would only make them look bad?

"Reeennn?" He felt the gentle hand caress his cheek and was pulled from his depressing thoughts. How long had she been calling him? With the heels she had on, he didn't have to tilt his head down much to gaze into those molten pools. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, right in front of everybody. There were a few catcalls and whistles from the other male models nearby, and some of the female models added their teasing to the mix.

Kyoko blushed but kept her focus on him as she swiped her thumb over his lips to remove any residue from them. "Make them proud, baby. You got this," she winked and stepped back. He felt his nerves dissipate and his confidence kick back in. He was infused with her magic and couldn't help thinking that she had it all wrong. She was the fairy in this relationship.

He took a deep breath and ascended the two steps onto the runway. He waited for his cue and began his catwalk. He let the music guide him through it. "I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know. Everything that's shine ain't always gonna be gold. I'll be fine once I get it, get it in, I'll be good."

When he saw his parents sitting with Tina, a smile graced his lips. He noticed the thumbs-up his father held close to his body as he approached. He could almost imagine Rick throwing up a shaka as he passed. So far his first walk was successful. He hoped he could do it a second time as he hit the floor backstage running to get changed. It was when he was sliding on his pants that he noticed the commotion at the stairs exiting the runway. Kyoko and Fuji were among those crowding the area so whatever happened would be taken care of. He focused on getting the remainder of his clothing on.

AN: Hiya everyone, thanks for sticking with me! I finally got them to the R'Mandy fashion show. I know many of you were waiting for this so I hope you enjoyed it. I have more in store for the night, obviously. hehehe

Thank you for always reading and for all the lovely reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate hearing from you, always.

The song I used for the fashion show was Steve Aoki's remix version of Kid Cudi's, "Pursuit of Happiness." The original is good but I thought the remix vibed more with a fashion show.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^