Chapter 164: Chemistry

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Yuki would give us more fan feedback.

While his charges slept in a bus driving down the curvy roads of Los Angeles, Yashiro was diligently working on once again rearranging their schedule with Kyoko's manager.

"Yashiro-san, if we make that change, they won't have time to recover from the jet lag," Linh complained amid the myriad of conversations and laughter he heard in the background on her end. The noise made it difficult for him to hear her while on speakerphone, but it conveniently freed up his hands.

"I was thinking for the first day or two, we push most of their appointments to the morning. The earlier the better. Because of the difference in timezones, they would be most alert during that time frame until their internal clocks can adjust."

"Director Shingai is expecting Kyoko to be present at the auditions for the male lead. He has already postponed it a day to accommodate the first change. If Tsuruga-san is the one auditioning is it necessary to change Kyoko-chan's schedule as well. Couldn't she just return as planned?"

"Well…" Yashiro paused considering her question. Linh was right. There was no reason for him to change Kyoko's flight or her schedule. The thought of separating the couple never occurred to him and put a damper on his inner fangirl's spirit.

"I suppose it's better for Kyoko-chan to return safely with everyone," Linh added, vetoing her idea without Yashiro's help. "Tadashi-san would be upset if we let her travel alone. I will handle her schedule with the director. He'll understand."

Yashiro's withered inner fangirl revived at the unexpected source of sunlight that Linh provided. The couple's separation would be unavoidable in the future as overseas offers increase, but at least that wouldn't be the case today.

"Doesn't Shingai-san have several days blocked out for auditions? Perhaps he could narrow down the applicants and have callbacks for the promising gentlemen. They can return when she is available."

"I could suggest th…" Linh's voice trailed off and the background noise disappeared.

Yashiro glanced at his phone and picked it up with a gloved hand to inspect the screen. Did the call get disconnected? The call time was still increasing like it was connected.

"Hello, Linh-san, are you still there?" Yashiro called out and placed the phone closer to his ear. The line wasn't completely dead; he could make out someone talking in the distance... a reporter. The tone of voice had the familiar quality of a hostess on one of the entertainment channels. He turned the phone to its maximum volume and strained his ear to listen to what was being reported. At some point, the voice became easier to hear. Linh had probably moved closer to the source.

"The video has been spreading like wildfire in the last twenty minutes. It has been shared and viewed thousands of times by fans of the couple across the nation. Unfortunately, rumor has it that many witnesses had used the "live" feature on their cellphones making it impossible to view once it was over. Thankfully, a good samaritan took it upon him or herself to post a clip on the couple's fansites and social media page. We are still awaiting confirmation from LME, but our team is 99.9 percent sure this is our beloved couple. We'll be taking an audience poll while it's playing, so please use the remotes attached to your seats to vote on the various questions that appear."

There was only one beloved couple in Yashiro's mind, and they were unavailable for him to interrogate right now.

What in the world did they get themselves into after I left? Could this be why they were late? Should I have prodded Ren more for an explanation?

Yashiro froze with his eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets as he heard Kyoko's voice come through his phone. "I dedicate this song to you, my love."

The resounding "awe" from the audience drowned out whatever followed for several moments until they were slowly hushed. Finally, he could hear the unfamiliar melody being strummed on a guitar.

This isn't Dreams?!

His hand flew to his mouse clicking rapidly to find the site and typing in his login information. Why didn't they say anything to me? He stared at his phone when her voice accompanied the guitar.

A new song...and I missed it!

His inner fangirl was positively devastated. He scrolled up frantically, bypassing the chat in progress, searching for this mysterious video while his ear stayed glued to the enchanting voice coming through the phone. He laughed and sighed along with the audience at certain moments. The lyrics were adorable and typical of his female charge, but the emotion behind her words wasn't lost on him. He stopped scrolling and picked up his phone when it grew quiet. Is it over? Did I lose connection this time?

"Was it that bad?" Kyoko asked through his phone making him jump. The thunderous applause filled Ren's trailer that Yashiro frantically pressed on the button to lower the volume.

Moments later, Linh returned to the phone while Yashiro resumed hunting for the video. There was so much chatter that it took him a while to scroll up.

"Yashiro-san, are you still there?"

"I'm here," he answered distractedly.

"Why didn't you tell me about this performance?"

"I wasn't there, so I didn't know," he replied guiltily.

"Wait, you weren't with them?"

Yashiro sagged in his chair. He should have been with them.

"I had to get some last-minute work done for the MV. I left them while they visited with a friend." He wondered how the MV was going right now.

"Darn, I didn't expect Kyoko-chan to perform her new song."

"You knew about the song?"

"Yes, I accompany her to her vocal and guitar lessons at the training school. Her instructor helped her write the music to accompany the lyrics she couldn't get out her head."

"Does Kyoko-chan want to pursue a music career?" Yashiro asked. He felt so out of touch now that he wasn't her manager. She had declined Callister's offer to kick-off her music career leaving little doubt that she wanted to do anything but acting. He wanted to hear Linh's opinion on it.

"Kyoko has expressed that she prefers to focus on acting, but continue to hone her musical skills in case another role should appear. However, after this performance in America, I'm not sure if they would lever her alone. I need to talk to the President."

"You might be right," Yashiro replied as his scrolling came to a halt. He finally found the link.

RogueSpectre01: Kyoko-san unplugged Live performance at the Bird D. in Los Angeles.

"The music industry is going to be clamoring for her. I'm sure Kei-san is going to come at her hard," Yashiro continued while the mouse arrow hovered over the link. Though his body was writhing with desire, he couldn't fully enjoy it until his conversation with Linh was over.

Linh laughed on the other end of the line. "He'll probably convince her to make a demo."

"You're probably right," Yashiro chuckled. The music artist could be quite pushy.

"I should let you get back to work. Is there anything else you need from me, Yashiro-san?" Linh asked before hanging up.

"What were the poll results?" He blurted, curious to know the audience's thoughts.

"Ninety-seven percent of the audience believed that it was their favorite couple. Anything else?"

"Nothing, thank you, Linh-san. Please have a good night."

Yashiro hung up the phone and sent a quick text to Ren for a status. Once that was done, he clicked on the link. He must have watched it ten times before he finally felt satisfied. The video was a compilation of various cellphone videos spliced together to make it one. The editing was so well done that the music never wavered with the transition of footage. He still couldn't believe that he had missed it.

Yashiro checked the clock on the phone, then set a timer for fifteen minutes. That's how long he was going to give himself to indulge in fan gossip.

LotusLover1: OEEEMMMMGEEEE! I'm a believer! How adorable is she?

RenKyoFan1: I thought I was watching a bonus of Rika and her boyfriend, but it was them in real life! Kyaaaa! Their chemistry is real.

KyoFan1: She's a thousand percent adorable! Is this what it's like to find true love? I want a girlfriend like Kyoko to serenade me!

LotusLover2: Did you see Ren-sama's face? He was so close to breaking down.

LotusLover3: Right? I was seriously bawling, I couldn't see anything. Every time I played it, I'd start crying.

RenKyoFan1: Me too. I felt that in my gut.

KyoFan2: Do you guys think Kyoko-san wrote the song?

LotusLover4: I mean the lyrics were very personable. She had to have written the words.

LotusLover5: Yesssss! Do you think he really calls her "baby?" Kamisama, I'm melting just imagining him saying it in that deep sultry voice….HAAWWWWTTT!

RenKyokFan2: Please tell me it's not just me, but did anyone else think that his "good mornings" are said in bed.

KyoFan3: Most likely, my boyfriend calls me first thing when he wakes up to wish me good morning. It's the sweetest thing, so I can relate.

RenKyoFan3: Oh my God! Oh my God! I just had an epiphany...what if...she's next to him when he says "good morning"….IN BED!

Yashiro inhaled sharply after reading that line which sent him into a coughing fit. Oh crap! It took him several moments before it passed and was able to breathe again. Their fans were very perceptive.

RenFan1: *expired from Moe overload*

LotusLover3: My heart is going to explode from the thought!

RenKyoFan4: Bahaha I love it!

RenFan2: My English is not so good. Can someone please explain this ROW thingie she says?

LotusLover1: Ah you must be asking about "Rogaine" it's a hair product to keep from going bald.

RenFan2: I see. Thank you. Ren-sama has beautiful hair, I hope he never loses it.

KyoFan1: It seems Kyoko-san will protect those luscious locks.

KyokoMyGoddess: Is anyone going to ask about the elephant in the room?...nobody? Fine, I will! Why the F*ck was my Goddess' man hanging on to another woman?

RenKyoFan1: Threesome?

KyokoMyGoddess: HA! HA! Not funny! He better not be screwing around!

LotusLover6: Considering they were right in front of her, I'm pretty sure he's not cheating. He'd be a dumbass to screw up a good thing! I would lose all respect for him if he did. I hate cheating bastards!

Yashiro sighed as he read the next few threads regarding cheating in other favorite celebrity couples before his alarm went off. His time was up. He made a mental note to warn the couple and Tina about the internet trolls that were bound to come out before returning to work.

Ren stirred pulling the covers up to his chin and twisting to get more comfortable. His eyes flashed open when he bumped into something solid. A ghostly version of himself stared back at him as he blinked himself awake. He jolted suddenly, pulling back from the apparition mere inches from his nose. For a moment, Ren was disoriented as he tried to gather his bearings. It was dark where he sat with most of the light shining through the window near his face. He glanced at his surroundings and found himself alone on the bus.

What happened? All I did was close my eyes for a moment.

His imagination began to run wild with him and the beginnings of a horror film scenario of the undead began to weave through his mind until he heard the sound of her voice wafting through the open door.

The bus slightly lurched at the weight of someone entering.

"You're right, Kyoko, he's awake," the assistant called out as she stepped back out of the bus.

"I'll get him coffee." He heard the assistant announce as her voice trailed away.

"Thank you, oh, and gum or mints, if you can manage," his girlfriend replied.

Mints? Ren removed a hand from under his covers and held it close to his mouth, then exhaled.

Ugh! He groaned. Coffee breath was the worst. He hoped the assistant could find something.

"If I had my usual bag, I would have all that stuff in there," he heard her explaining.

Ren's lips quirked. The larger tote she often carried around in Japan did appear to have an endless supply of a pharmacy. It had everything in it from a mini first aid kit to snacks and he couldn't forget the dolls she carried around with her. She was always prepared for any situation. Her purses in L.A. had consisted of cute little things only large enough to fit her phone, passport, and cards.

He thought it was probably about time he stopped lazing around and stood from his seat. Obscenities flew out of his mouth when he bumped his head on the roof of the bus forgetting to duck. He picked up the blanket he dropped preparing to fold it and realized it was Kyoko's cloak. Damn!

With the garment draped over his arm, he stepped out of the bus in search of his girlfriend.

"Hey, good morning," she smiled taking in his appearance as the beauty team surrounded her. He smiled in return and draped the cloak over her lap. She had to be cold.

"Why didn't you wake me?" He asked scratching the area where he bumped his head and glanced at their surroundings. They had stopped in another well-lit parking lot that had been staged for their use. He could hear the ocean from here which meant they were near the coast. The skeleton crew around them bustled about doing last-minute rechecks on the equipment.

"I figured you could use a few more minutes while the ladies worked on me. Are you feeling better?"

"Much," he said, stretching his tired limbs to work the kinks out of his body. The brisk early morning air sobered him up quickly.

"There's a sink in the washroom," she pointed to a pair of trailers.

"I'll be back," he told her and headed over to the portable bathroom. Inside the cramped space, he relieved himself of all the coffee he drank, and washed up, careful not to get his suit wet.

When he returned, Kyoko was ready, coffee and mints waited for him, and the team went to work on his hair and makeup.

"Hey guys, rested?" The director asked as she approached them. The couple nodded.

"How much longer," Debbie addressed the makeup artist.

"Five minutes, tops," she replied dusting powder on his nose after dabbing on a light layer of foundation. Once the artist stepped away, the stylist swooped in with product on her hands and ran it through his hair.

Thorough as she was, Debbie took the opportunity to run through the scene again and showed him the location of where she wanted him to stop the car. Their next location already had a crew on standby with another assistant director, so there was no need to stop the scene unless she called for it. The couple nodded and made their way to the car. When the filming caravan was in position, the director shouted, "Action!"

...

The next place he wanted to take her was in stark contrast to the mountains. He could have taken her home, but which one, his or hers. A tiny voice at the back of his mind told him that if he did, the night would be over and the magic lost. He had never gone out of his way to please a woman like this before. She had awakened the hopeless romantic he never knew laid dormant inside of him. Something was enchanting about her that made his actions tonight feel natural, even if it was all new to him.

The sound of waves crashing below and the smell of the salty sea air was lost on him as they drove along the coast. He was too aware of the feel of her in his arms, the flowery scent of her skin, and the way his sight barely left her to keep them on the road. Her presence overwhelmed every one of his senses.

He laughed, sputtering as hair obscured his vision and got in his mouth. He pulled the tickling strands away from his face, tucking the hair behind her ear and settling his arm back around her waist. His enchantress had decided to no longer share the seat beside him and plopped her bottom right on his lap with her stocking feet resting on the passenger seat and her back to the driver's door. He marveled over how she weighed next to nothing on top of him.

She giggled, her face so close to his he could make out the twinkle in her eye while his body shook with hers. She lifted the arm wrapped around his neck and gathered the rogue hair back so it wouldn't fly in their faces.

Several minutes later she shifted in 'her' seat excitedly, when they finally made it down to the road that ran parallel with the shoreline. A late-night stroll on the beach was at the top of the list of things to do with his newfound love. What he didn't plan on was her pointing toward the beach where people gathered around a large bonfire? He sighed, unable to deny those pleading eyes, and pulled to the side of the road. Despite her enthusiasm, she got off his lap carefully and hopped out of the car, prancing toward the crowd being swept by the music they were playing. The squeeze on his heart was not subtle. It was alarming and painful. Is this how it ends without really beginning? He hung back, no longer sure of his place, watching the distance grow between him and the woman of his dreams.

…

High on life from the incredible night she was having, she pranced toward the friendly crowd. The glow of the orange light danced beautifully against the dark drawing her in. She had never been to a bonfire and saw it as an opportunity to prolong their night together. The last couple of hours in his presence had seemed surreal. It felt like they were the only two people on the planet and it scared her. Seeing other people made it feel more real. But what if it was all just an illusion? A perfectly fabricated figment of her wild imagination. It would break her heart to wake up in the morning and find that it was nothing but a dream.

She stopped short, twirling her stocking toes in the cool sand to face him. She cocked her head and smiled at him, wondering what he was doing? It was a good thing she had not gone far. Did he want to call it a night? Her feet slipped in the sand as she rushed back to him, tugging on his hand, refusing to let him go. He laughed, allowing himself to be dragged, losing his shoes to the sand along the way.

He intertwined their fingers engulfing her hand in his. She laughed to herself at the firmness of his grip. It seemed like he wasn't letting go either. Forgetting about the bonfire, she steered him toward the water. They walked hand in hand near the shoreline. Neither of them minding the cold water numbing their toes.

In the car, she had been bold enough to sit on his lap, but once again, she resorted to stealing glances at his perfectly chiseled profile. He was effortlessly the most handsome man she had ever met. At some point during their romantic journey, a mischievous thought popped into her mind. The next time the tide came in, she strategically set her foot and kicked up water in his direction. The cold water left him breathless and shocked by what she just did. She covered her mouth and grabbed her ribs as laughter racked through her body. With a mean streak of his own, he attempted to get revenge. Knowing what he was thinking, she bolted down the beach to save herself.

A glance over her shoulder told her he was gaining on her, albeit slower than she expected his long legs to carry him. He was toying with her, but she didn't let up. She raced through the wind laughing and slipping in the wet soft sand the whole way. He finally caught up to her grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. The sound of her squealing laughter rose above the pounding waves. When they were both good and dizzy, her weight shifted unexpectedly. He faltered sending them tumbling down into the cold wet sand. She landed on top of him, her fall cushioned by his body and protected by his arms.

Time froze for several beats as they gazed into each other's eyes with chests heaving from the exertion. She wondered if he could hear the pounding of her erratic heart because that's all that she could hear. He was the first to move. A hand on her waist moved to brush the strands away from her face and cup the back of her neck. She could feel the heat emanating from her skin where his hand rested. While the rest of his body remained still, his eyes roamed over her face, trying to commit every contour and every blemish to memory. It made her blush. Rather than look away in embarrassment, she smiled. She decided to take matters into her hands and curled her manicured fingers under the lapels of his jacket easing her face to his.

The noise from the bonfire and the crashing waves of the ocean faded into the background as she drew closer. It was as if nothing else existed but the two of them. She didn't close her eyes nor did he, but they both stopped breathing. Neither one of them wanted to miss the moment when their lips fully touched for the first time tonight. Her whole body tingled as the arm around her small frame tightened and the hand at her neck curled into her hair. She settled her weight completely on top of him with lips opening and closing over each other softly, unavoidably exchanging breaths. It was the sweetest moment she ever experienced that tears sprang to her eyes as her heart filled with emotion. Why had she waited so long to fully kiss this man?

She could have stayed in his warm and loving embrace all night if mother nature had not interfered. They were so caught up in each other that they failed to notice the tide nipping at their interlocked heels. A gush of cold water eventually splashed over them as the crashing waves moved closer inland. She shrieked with laughter pulling away from his lips, her body tensing from the sudden temperature change. He acted quickly, jumping to his feet and picking her up with him. She snuggled against his broad chest as he carried her in the direction of the bonfire. She could tell the back of his suit was soaked as water dripped off the strands of his hair onto the arm secured around his neck. The revelers welcomed them into their warm circle and let them be. He settled against a vacant log closest to the fire keeping her in his arms. The peck she gave him on the cheek in thanks turned into several more shy kisses. Before she completely forgot herself in public, she climbed off his lap and joined the ladies dancing around the fire. The whole time she twirled with them she could feel the heat of his gaze trained on her. Knowing that he was watching made her want to tease him more.

….

"CUT!" the director finally shouted, ending the scene. Debbie climbed out of a golf cart and strolled up to the group. "Standby pending review of the film," she instructed the cast and crew.

"You guys went off-script," Debbie announced, addressing the couple.

"I'm very sorry," Kyoko exclaimed in a deep bow. She bowed to the director, the cast around the bonfire, and Ren. "Thank you all for indulging my selfish acts."

"Don't apologize. I'm just glad I'm such a meticulous planner that I was prepared for anything. For a moment, I thought you weren't going to use the bonfire at all. Well done, bringing the scene home," Debbie gushed. "I'll never get tired of saying this, but you two have incredible chemistry. I almost wish I was shooting a real drama instead of a music video. The dialogue possibilities are endless."

While the director talked, the assistant brought them towels. Ren took one from her and draped it over Kyoko's shoulders. From what he could tell when carrying her, it was her legs that got wet. It was good that he fought the urge to roll her over during the scene, otherwise, she would have been the one soaked to the bone.

He thanked the girl after taking a towel for himself. He didn't bother trying to pat himself dry. His clothes were a lost cause: wet and sandy.

"Thank you, director," Ren and Kyoko bowed.

"Warm up by the fire. I'm going to review the tapes." The director left them in search of the "surveillance" van parked by the road.

As soon as the director left, he began tugging off his wet jacket. Kyoko moved to help him removed the stuck sleeves from his arms.

"I'm sorry for changing the scene without consulting you, I knew you would bring us back to the bonfire," Kyoko said meekly once the garment was off.

"You did?" Ren recognized the sparkle of challenge in her eye. He stopped from removing his tie. "How much of that did you have planned?" He asked, stunned.

"I knew you would chase me."

"And pick you up?"

She nodded. "And spin me," she smiled.

"The sudden weight shift?" She weighed nothing in his arms, he couldn't understand how he lost his balance at the time.

She smiled mischievously, "I knew you would cushion my fall."

Ren smiled at her broadly. She had predicted every one of his moves thus far.

"And the water?" The whole beach stroll was to come after the bonfire and they were only supposed to sit down in the sand and kiss not get wet. She had taken it up a notch...or ten.

"You didn't notice the tide coming in as we walked?"

His eyes widened in surprise. He was too consumed with her by his side that he failed to notice the change.

"I took a gamble. I knew at any moment the director could have ended the scene."

Ren shook his head and chuckled proudly. She knew him so well. Since the director didn't end it, he had to think fast on his feet now that they were wet. It was either the bonfire or back to the car. Heading to the bonfire was a no brainer since it was in the storyboards.

"You're incredible, princess," he complimented her and resumed tugging off his tie.

"Thank you, my love. I have the best senpai for a teacher," she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

He reached for the buttons of his shirt to get it off. It was starting to make him cold.

"Are you taking off your shirt too?" She asked, quickly standing in front of him and holding out her towel to shield him from prying eyes. She was so cute.

"It's wet too and there's sand in it. I'm sure the costume designer has another set of clothes." He covered himself with the towel and laid the shirt across the log by his jacket so it would dry out.

"What are you doing?" Ren gaped at his girlfriend as she sat on the log with the towel draped over her legs. She shimmied her wet hose from under her dress. Ren was like the Flash, moving to use his towel to block out any curious eyes.

"They're soaked too," she complained rolling the stockings down her legs. Ren glanced down at the silkiness of her legs exposed with her skirt hiked high on her thighs. He groaned loudly. She was going to be the death of him.

The director later returned wanting to reshoot their initial walk to the beach. The cameras weren't staged to head in that direction that they were unable to capture a good close-up of their expressions. It took longer for the couple to get cleaned up and changed than to reshoot the scene. As soon as the director announced that the night was a wrap, several of the cast and crew members converged on the couple, particularly for her performance earlier that night. Several pictures were taken and autographs were signed until the assistant director shooed everyone back to work.

He offered to drive them ahead of the others to the main site where Yashiro awaited. They could get home sooner this way. On the drive, they asked the assistant many questions about the industry in Hollywood. As a director, he provided them with a lot of insider knowledge.

The remaining crew at the main site treated the couple much the same way once they arrived. It appeared that they had kept themselves in check until the work was over. They were respectful and didn't keep the couple too long.

The couple parted ways to head into their separate trailers to clean up and change so they could go home. When Ren entered his trailer, he found a sulking Yashiro waiting for him.

"You never texted me back," Yashiro huffed like a jealous girlfriend.

Ren bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing, recognizing his friend's agitation. "I'm sorry, Yukihito. I had my phone off." He removed the device from his pocket and turned it on to make sure the water from earlier didn't damage it in any way. It booted up fine; the missed messages populating immediately.

"Why didn't either of you tell me about Kyoko's performance tonight?" He demanded. "It's all over the news in Japan. Fans are going crazy over it."

Wow, news travels fast.

"Do you have the video, Yukihito?" Ren asked hopefully. He wanted a copy of it ever since he heard a crew member mention it at the last site.

"Of course, I have it. I would have loved it more if I had seen it live," his manager pouted.

Ren had to chuckle. Yashiro was upset because he wasn't there to witness it in person.

"It was a last-minute decision on Kyoko's part. I didn't even know what was happening until it was happening," Ren confessed and dropped into his chair.

"Knocked you out, did she," Yashiro teased, his mood improving.

"A new world record for fastest TKO," he admitted.

It was Yashiro's turn to chuckle.

"Anyway, we're all set for you to audition. Flights have been changed and schedules deconflicted. You need to find time to study the script or this would have all been a waste of time."

"I understand," he sighed, getting to his feet. He needed to shower and get changed. They were a couple of hours shy of sunrise. If they were lucky, Kyoko could get a few hours of sleep in a comfortable bed before she had to leave.

…

At the red light, he glanced at his girlfriend dozing softly in the passenger seat with his stained jacket over her. His eyes flicked back to the road. The little green freshener dangling from the mirror caught his eye, making his cheeks heat up. At least he was a little embarrassed for doing the deed in his father's car; however, he didn't regret a minute of it. Despite some of the pitfalls of the night, the good far outweighed the bad. He picked up Kyoko's limp hand and brushed his lips against it. It was all thanks to her that he was able to persevere. Still holding her hand, he shifted into first when the light turned green. He didn't let go until he made it back to his parents house.

AN: Hiya, everyone! Thanks for sticking with me! The first day of the MV is over, but wait there's more! XD I hope you all enjoyed it!

I did a pervy RenKyo fanart of Chpt 120, the couch scene if anyone is interested in it. I'll be putting the explicit version on deviant art under this name...so you're welcome!

290 spoiler: I'm so happy Kyoko's mother-in-law is not crazy...yet! I'm expecting Lory to be bombarded with phone calls from both father and son. Kuu crying that his wife left him and Kuon demanding answers for her presence...LOL.

Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter, I appreciate it.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^