Chapter 196: Dragon Lady
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would have a fierce manager.
King Lory sat on his raised throne quietly puffing on his pipe while gazing down at his loyal subject.
Pfft! Loyal my petunia! She's plotting my demise.
His eyes tracked her. Left, right, puff off his pipe and repeat. He sat quietly, waiting patiently for her to air her grievances.
The dragon lady, as she had quickly been dubbed since becoming Kyoko's manager, paced in front of him like she was ready to spit hellfire all over his kingdom.
She stopped and glared at him pointedly then resumed her pacing. Lory struggled to keep his lips neutral and dull the amusement flashing in his eyes. Somehow he knew, Linh would not appreciate his enjoyment over the situation…and he didn't have a death wish.
After wearing a path in his flooring for another five minutes, she finally stopped and took a deep breath then calmly sat in the seat before him.
"Would you like some tea, Le-san?" Lory cordially asked.
Or not! Considering the daggers she shot his way with her death glare. Well, now I know she's angry with me. He puffed on his pipe pretending to be unaffected by her mood.
"I understand that you are my boss," Linh began calmly, "and I don't mean any disrespect when I broach this topic."
What could I have possibly done to warrant her ire? The darn woman had him sitting on the edge of his throne like he was watching his favorite soap opera, waiting for the inevitable plot twist. Who is the baby's real father? Did he have an affair with the nanny? Was she betrayed by her sister? The plot thickens. She needed to get to the point before his mind began conjuring up a story of its own since his curiosity was getting the better of him at this rate. What could she possibly have to be angry about?
"Please don't hold back, Le-san. I'm sure we can find some common ground with whatever is troubling you," Lory assured her, lowering his pipe from his mouth and giving her his undivided attention.
"My number one priority is Kyoko's well-being and success," Linh stated as a matter of fact. Lory nodded in agreement, sure that she was keeping him in suspense on purpose when she didn't continue. Maybe she was waiting for him.
"I appreciate the care you have shown, Morimoto-kun. You are an excellent manager," Lory praised. It was the reason she was hired in the first place. Lory had never doubted her work ethic, so he was confused by her behavior. Yashiro was doing a fine job juggling the couple's workload, but with the rise of Kyoko's success, he was being spread thin. It wasn't fair to any of them.
"Thank you, Takarada-san," Linh replied with a small bow of her head. "As I was saying…Since I have her best interest in mind, it is my duty to question…" The dragon lady's eyes narrowed to slits as her tone lowered in volume and she gestured with her pointer finger to emphasize her discontent. "Why in the world have you cast Fuwa Sho to star in her debut film? You know their history! She has worked hard to get to this point in her career! Why would you include him?"
She continued to lecture him about the colossal mistake he was making and how he was once again manipulating her charge's life to suit his fancy.
"As a woman under your care, Takarada-san. I will not stand for it! Fuwa has no experience acting in a drama beyond his MVs and CMs. How did he get the job over other professionals? What are you planning?" She accused, giving him another glimpse of why she was dubbed the dragon lady.
"Come on, Le-san," Lory held his hands up defensively. "This wasn't planned. Fuwa-kun auditioned like all the other young men and was determined to be the most suitable for the role among his peers."
Linh snorted sarcastically. "You mean to tell me that out of the fifty-seven candidates that auditioned for the role, one of Japan's top musicians, with barely a smidgen of acting experience, outperformed the men that do this for a living. Am I to believe that he ranked the highest out of the bunch?"
Lory nodded. "The decision to cast Fuwa-kun was not made lightly. Yes, it's ultimately my final decision in casting calls, but I do take into account the opinion of the directors and their assistants. With their consent, he was offered the role with conditions. He will attend acting lessons in the interim until the project is underway."
"Seriously!" Linh jumped to her feet exasperatedly. "Acting lessons?!" She scoffed. "This is about Kyoko-chan, not some publicity stunt to boost that musician's ego."
"A little drama won't hurt anyone," Lory said, lifting his pipe to his mouth.
Linh considered his response and asked shrewdly, "does her father know about this?"
Lory almost choked on his pipe, but he managed to keep his composure.
Oh, ho, ho! She's going straight for the jugular. Tadashi wouldn't be pleased with his choice. He'd rather not piss off the man, but in this case, it couldn't be helped.
"You didn't think I would make this easy for Morimoto-kun, now, did you? This film is her final test to graduate from the LoveMe section. I saw a rare opportunity and took it. It couldn't have been more perfect if I had planned it myself."
"You're unbelievable," Linh grumbled. Lory grinned triumphantly. She thought she had bested him by bringing Tadashi into the conversation, but he knew Kyoko's father would understand his reasons once explained.
"You know they wouldn't forgive a single transgression from him. If he doesn't remain professional, you might have just ended the poor boy's career. He's already on thin ice with them."
Lory smirked. He knew Tadashi and Ren wouldn't stand for the musician disrespecting their girl. If Fuwa knew what was good for him, he would take this job seriously.
"You've already taken that into account, haven't you?" Linh sighed and sat down, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Does Kyoko-chan know that you've hired her childhood friend/nemesis to act along with her?"
"I thought it would be a nice welcome home present for Morimoto-kun. I would appreciate it if you didn't spoil the surprise."
Linh huffed. "I won't tell her; however, her friends might."
Lory waved his hand. He knew Seiji had directed the girls to leave it to him to break the news upon her return so he wasn't worried about a leak from them.
"Morimoto-kun is a professional," Lory explained. He didn't have to elaborate any further. Kyoko would do the work without complaint, at least not in public, and she would do it flawlessly. I hope. She wasn't his LoveMe number one for nothing.
"Their past aside, I don't want this amateur ruining the experience of her debut film," Linh argued.
"I won't let that happen," Lory promised.
"I'll hold you to that; otherwise, we will be revisiting this conversation," the dragon lady practically snarled at him. Lory's eye widened and made a mental note to never poke this mama bear.
"Now that I've said my piece, I have another topic to discuss," she added more amicably with a smile.
"Oh," Lory quirked a curious brow.
She made herself comfortable in the chair and leaned over to retrieve a folder from her briefcase.
"I've already spoken to Tadashi-san about this, but as her guardian, while he is away I need your signature." She traipsed up the raised platform and handed him the folder and pen. "Kyoko-chan would like to take driving lessons for her learner's permit."
"Doesn't she have to be eighteen?"
"Her father worked out the details with a driving school, but she won't receive her official license until her eighteenth birthday. All the details are in there. I've also included an extra copy for your records."
Linh waited patiently as Lory scanned through the documents and signed the lines she had flagged then handed the folder to her.
"This is your copy," she chirped, holding the document out for him.
"Do you have anything else for me today, Le-san?"
"No, sir. Thank you for your time, Takarada-san. I apologize for my disrespectful behavior," she replied with a deep, respectful bow.
Lory fought the urge to smile. She didn't sound very apologetic, but he wouldn't hold it against her. After all, she was just doing her job.
"No apologies necessary," he said, waving away her words. "Thank you for your hard work, Le-san."
"Have a good night, sir," she nodded curtly. Recovering her briefcase, she followed the red carpet to his office door.
"Oh, it just occurred to me, sir," Linh paused with her hand on the knob. "I saw Maria-chan with a jar full of insects. I never met a girl her age that wasn't afraid of bugs. She has a very interesting hobby." Without waiting for a response, Linh headed out. That sounded like a warning if he ever heard one.
Lory groaned. He would have to talk to his granddaughter before she claimed her next victim.
His thoughts shifted to his latest pet project. Yes, he was taking a gamble going this route, but if his intuition was correct, it was time for Fuwa to face reality. A dopey smile began to spread across his face as excitement filled him. He couldn't wait for the project to get underway. He stepped off his throne, his cape sweeping behind him as he headed for his desk.
"Takarada-sama, your face is doing that creepy thing again," Ruto announced, appearing beside him.
"Bah! Let me have some fun, Ruto," Lory admonished his right-hand man. His assistant gave him a blank stare.
"You're no fun," Lory pouted.
"My apologies for being the serious one here," Ruto replied dryly. "I wanted to inform you that the arrangements have been made per your instructions."
"Thank you, Ruto."
"Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"
"Please file this away in Morimoto-kun's folder and add this to the jar," Lory said, sliding over the document from Linh and a small folded piece of paper across his desk. With a small bow, Ruto took both and disappeared without a sound.
AN: Gomenasai! *flings body dramatically to the floor in a Kyoko-inspired dogeza* A thousand times, I apologize for the long delay and the short chapter and the lack of Ren and Kyoko and meaningful content. The "Rona" got me and the fam so it was a struggle to look at a screen for extended periods, let alone find the will to write. My screen time had significantly decreased these last few weeks…lol. Anyway, we're all recovered and back to the living.
I'm sorry this was such a boring chapter, but the scene just wouldn't go away. I had to remind everyone that Kyoko still had a manager that would go toe to toe with even Lory for her. The shorter chapter is my new strategy, temporarily, to get into the groove of writing again. I feel so rusty right now. Hopefully, it will get me back on track to weekly updates. I'm shooting for another chapter by the end of this week with more RenKyo as they finish up their last day in LA.
Thank you for continuing to stick with me. I appreciated everyone that checked up on me even if it was just to ask for an update. It makes me happy to know that you're all still so eager for this story. ;)
Until next time, ja ne! ^_^