Chapter: Alter Egos

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would be Kuon's motivation and strength.

Ren glanced at his watch once he was inside the building and followed the signs leading to the restrooms. Luckily for him, the multipurpose room that Yashiro had mentioned was available. He locked the door, making the room come alive with automatic lights and a spritz of freshener perfuming the air. In all his years living in Tokyo, Ren had never used this type of restroom before and was quite surprised to find it equipped with not only the usual necessities expected in a bathroom but also a shower wand and a bed. The room was so spacious so Ren had no issues maneuvering around it.

Once the novelty of the multifunctional restroom wore off, he got down to business, placing the bag on the bed and unzipping it.

"What the heck," he muttered as he picked up the note Yashiro had attached to the top garment.

You can thank me later! ~Y

Ren sighed. The ensemble he found in the bag wasn't what Yashiro was to prepare for him.

He eyed the clothes warily, worried that they wouldn't fit properly. There was only one way to find out. He began to strip off his clothes down to his boxer briefs. When he was done getting dressed, he stared at himself in the full-length mirror mounted to the back of the door. It all fit, but…

He reached for his phone and dialed his manager. It took several rings before Yashiro eventually picked up, a normal occurrence since he had to put his gloves on first.

"Is everything okay?" Yashiro's panicked voice blared from the speaker.

"I'm not sure," Ren complained. "This isn't what I requested."

"No, it's not, but trust me, it's better," Yashiro replied confidently. "I saw it in the wardrobe room and instantly knew this was it. Does it fit?"

"Yes, surprisingly," Ren fidgeted with the lapels of his blazer.

Yashiro squealed, "give me a minute and switch the call to video."

"Fine," Ren replied and hung up. He could use his manager's opinion to help boost his confidence. Yashiro was right the outfit was perfect. It didn't occur to him to wear something like it even though it was a major part of the character. After waiting the allotted minute, he called his manager back to video chat.

As soon as the call connected, his manager suppressed a squeal with a hand over his mouth.

"Where are you?" Ren asked, taking in the stocked shelves of cleaning supplies behind his manager.

"I'm hiding in a closet…" his voice dropped in volume, "you know, to protect your secret. I was walking into LME when you called and ducked into the nearest room."

"Why do you still have your wig on," the manager questioned.

"I was too caught up in the clothes that I forgot," Ren shrugged.

"There's a soft case in there too. I think you should wear what's inside it," Yashiro continued as Ren placed the phone where his friend could still see him and began removing the wig to reveal his natural hair. It was easy to take off since he didn't put in the effort he had this morning with Kyoko to keep it in place. Digging through his bag, he found a makeup wipe to remove the waterproof brow gel from his eyebrows to reveal the lighter shade of brown color Ten used to match his hair naturally.

He stared at his reflection another moment, Yashiro quieting down on the phone. This is it. He told the president he wasn't ready. In actuality, there was never a good time for him to come out and make himself known. At the rate he was going, there would always be another excuse. These were the necessary steps he had to take if he wanted a fighting chance at the role. Tsuruga Ren just didn't have the looks to pull it off.

"Don't forget the contacts first," Yashiro warned as Ren went to open the case he found at the bottom of the bag.

"Right," he muttered and removed the brown lenses. The mirror reflected brilliant green eyes at him. Changing his appearance and walking around the city wasn't the issue. The problem he had was facing the industry once again as himself. There was always that tiny bit of fear of rejection at the back of his mind.

"Wow, I still can't get over the fact that this is the real you, Kuon," Yashiro breathed, emotion laced in his voice.

Kuon smiled at him and made eye contact with the manager.

Yashiro yelped and clutched at his chest. "Kami-sama! Don't ever look me in the eyes in your natural form. I need time to adjust first. You could have killed me."

Kuon chuckled and rolled his eyes at his manager's over-exaggeration. He had survived just fine when they were in California. Okay, maybe he overreacted a little that night; however, it wasn't from Kuon's appearance.

"How is it? Is everything alright?" Yashiro asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Kuon assured him.

"That's good to hear," Yashiro sighed, relief evident in his voice. "I don't want to rush you, or anything, but you only have a small window of opportunity if you want to keep your schedule. I can always give an excuse to buy you more time."

"No, this is my challenge. While I do want the part, it can't be at the expense of my other commitments."

"Sounds like an excuse to me," Yashiro grumbled. His manager wasn't wrong. Ren's reputation was stellar. The other party would easily make any changes to accommodate him. He didn't want to take advantage of their generosity since he had already delayed them.

Kuon laughed and slipped the wireframes from the case over the bridge of his nose. The fact that he could see clearly told him the lenses weren't prescription grade and were most likely a prop.

"How do I look?" He turned his face to the screen. It was laughable how unsure he was of himself at the moment. For the first time in a long time, Kuon felt out of his element.

"I love being exceptionally right," Yashiro gushed and dramatically patted himself on the back. "You're like Superman's alter ego, ummm..."

"Clark Kent?" Kuon supplied.

"Yes, him. He puts on the magical glasses, and voila, no one seems to recognize him," Yashiro teased, making fun of the American superhero. The little joke managed to put Kuon at ease. His manager wasn't so far off with the reference. Technically, Ren was Kuon's alter ego.

"Thanks for all the help, Yukihito. I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without your support," Kuon nodded to the screen.

"You're welcome, Kuon. Whatever happens, I got your back."

"I appreciate it. I'm going to go. I'll talk to you later."

"I don't think you'll need it, but good luck. If you can get yourself in, I have no doubt you'll do well. "

"Thanks! I'll need all the luck I can get. I'll call you later," he concluded, ending the video call.

Not wanting to dwell on his appearance, Kuon quickly packed his stuff neatly in the bag. Exiting the bathroom, he nearly bumped into a mother and a very dirty toddler that appeared to have gotten more of his food on himself than in his mouth. They appeared to have been waiting for him to vacate the room.

"I'm sorry," Kuon bowed, worried that he had hogged the restroom when the woman needed it more. The woman bowed her head and assured him it was no trouble. Kuon noticed her struggle to juggle the bag on her shoulder and maneuver the compact stroller into the room all with the toddler in her arms. "Please let me help you." He took the bag from her and helped guide the stroller through the doors. After several polite bows from the woman, Kuon was on his way.

Out on the busy street, aside from receiving some curious stares from several passersby, Kuon was left alone. The walk to the agency was short, taking only a few minutes with his long strides. A pair of men at the corner of the agency were laughing and talking during their smoke break. As Kuon got closer, one of the men took notice and broke away from his friend, snuffing out his cigarette in the process.

"Hey, kid," the man hollered. Kuon glanced up, giving the man full access to his face.

"Whoa!" The guy stopped in his tracks.

"Is there something you need, Oji-san?" Kuon asked when the man stood there with his mouth agape.

"Yes, right," the guy said, shaking out of his daze and clearing his throat "Anybody ever told you what a heartthrob you are?"

"I'm not interested in men," Kuon huffed and proceeded to walk away.

"What, no, I like women too," he exclaimed, but Kuon kept moving.

"Wait!" The man grabbed his bicep to stop him. "Whoa," he gasped in surprise and began groping his arm.

Kuon glared at the man, his eyes traveling down to where his hand was squeezing. "Oji-san, if you don't stop feeling me up. I'm going to start screaming that you're a pervert." The man yanked his hand away like he had been burned.

"It's not what you think," the guy fumbled in his suit pocket and pulled out a card. "I'm an agent… for LME," he gestured with his thumb directed at the building over his shoulder.

Kuon snatched the card, "It says you're just an assistant, Ando-san."

"True, I'm only an assistant, but if I bring you in, I might get promoted quicker. Are you interested in modeling?"

"No, thanks!" Kuon replied, uninterested, and tried to continue on his way. He wasn't expecting to be accosted by an employee right outside the building. Luckily, the guy didn't recognize him and sadly he did not recognize the employee.

"What about music? Acting? You could do anything you want with your good looks in showbiz?"

"Acting?" Kuon's brow arched, his interest piqued. Maybe this guy could be the in he needed.

"Yeah…movies, commercials, tv shows…are you interested?"

"My friend told me there's an audition today for a teenage drama; do you think I could try out?"

"You want to audition," Ando asked ecstatically and Kuon nodded. "Let's go in then!"

He guided Kuon toward the entrance, tapping wildly on his smartphone as they made their way inside. Kuon being a full head taller than the guy, could read his messages over his shoulder. The guy had no clue what audition he was talking about and was reaching out to colleagues on a group chat. Their responses were swift. Only one person knew of the audition and gave him the details. Ando brought him to the front and greeted the women working the counter.

"Hello, my beautiful colleagues. Can we get a visitor's pass for my handsome friend here? I have a feeling he might give Tsuruga-san a run for his money one day," Ando flirted with the ladies.

"You're so bad, Ando-san. You know Tsuruga-san is still the best," she giggled and nodded to Kuon. "You are a very handsome too young man. You should do well."

"And tall," the other lady added. "Almost as tall as Tsuruga-san." Aside from the comment, they made no real connection between him and Ren. If Kyoko were here, she would have caught him in a heartbeat.

"Please stand on the line over here," the first woman waved to her right and pointed to a strip of tape on the floor. "We will take a digital photo for the badge."

Since when did LME start making this a thing? He stepped on the line as instructed and posed for the picture.

"Could I have your first name, please?"

"Kuon, K-U-O-N" he answered immediately. There was no reaction to the name.

"And your last name?" She asked while typing away at the keys without looking up.

"Hizuri," he replied without hesitation. The receptionist stopped typing to glance at him a moment, then giggled shyly and continued to type.

"Nice!" Ando praised. "That last name is kind of famous around here. It should work in your favor."

That's it? His heart soared. Aside from having the same last name as Kuu, they had no idea who he was.

"You're all set, Hizuri-san," the receptionist helping him smiled and handed him a badge with his name and picture on it. He attached it to the lapel of his blazer and wished the ladies a good day.

He followed Ando down the main corridor toward the area where LME conducted their auditions.

"I can't promise you anything with this audition, but I'm friends with the woman in charge of handling the candidates. I'm going to ask her to sneak you in. How good are you at reading script?"

"I was the male lead in a few plays at my high school," Kuon shrugged, the lie rolling easily off his tongue.

"That's better than nothing. Come on, let's get you in there. I have a good feeling about you," Ando squeezed his shoulder excitedly.

This was going to be easier than Kuon thought. He couldn't wait to see the surprise on his girlfriend's face. Wanting to be her leading man, gave him the strength and motivation he needed to expose himself to the world again.

"There she is," Seiji shouted as soon as she entered the large room. Kyoko bowed deeply, apologizing and begging forgiveness for her delay. While her time abroad had been pre-planned, she had stayed two days longer than they anticipated.

"It's fine," Seiji told her. "Now that you're here, we can move on to the next step. I hope you are prepared to work hard."

"Yes sir," Kyoko stood at attention. "I will do my very best not to let you down."

"Okay, okay, I see your work ethic still hasn't changed. Very good," Seiji smiled in appreciation. "Come," he guided her into the area. "I'll introduce you."

Kyoko walked beside Seiji toward the long table on the other side of the room, sitting in front of the large stage. The nostalgia of the place brought her back to the fateful audition that launched her career as the first LoveMe member at LME. It was the very day she met the young woman that would be her best friend and the little girl she now considered her sister. It was incredible how much she had gained in such a short time.

If she squinted at the stage, she could see a ghost of herself on the stage desperately executing the Katsura-muki knife technique with a daikon radish. It didn't turn out as planned, but it was enough to get her to the next round.

Sho's voice, talking with a man and a woman Kyoko had never met, reached her ears. His presence here had her remembering just how terribly she failed in the end. She internally cringed at the memory of her breaking the cell phone in her hand and the disappointed look on the judges' faces. It was a miracle they had given her a second chance.

In less than two years from that day, Kyoko was now part of a panel responsible for making someone else's dreams come true. The prospect was unbelievable.

"Excuse me, please," Seiji cut into the woman gushing over one of Sho's songs. "Kyoko-san," Seiji began as they caught up to the pair talking with Sho. "This is Iwagami Oki-san, our casting director, and Yoshino Ran-san, our screenwriter."

"Please take care of me," Kyoko exclaimed and dropped into a formal bow.

"Oh, my," Iwagami chuckled. Like Seiji, he was dressed professionally, in a suit, and eyes full of amusement. She would describe him as a typical middle-aged Japanese businessman, except his looks could be deceiving in this industry. "You are exactly as I imagined based on your interviews and nothing like your characters. It is truly an honor to be working with you, Kyoko-san."

Kyoko stood, a blush marring her cheeks from the casting director's praise. She dipped her head shyly in a small bow thanking him.

"I'm looking forward to working with you as well," Yoshino Ran added with a slight bow and a genuine smile. She was a pretty woman with a petite build and black straight hair cropped at her shoulders. "Please call me Ran."

"Thank you, Ran-san," Kyoko dipped her head again. Ran was also dressed in a skirted business suit. She glanced around, catching Linh and Shoko chatting in the corner in their work attire. Kyoko even noticed that the assistants were dressed more professionally than usual. All she could do was smooth down her uniform skirt and wish she had the foresight to change her clothes into something more appropriate than her school attire. It annoyed her that even Sho thought to change out of his school uniform. His outfit was far from business casual, but he was emitting strong bad boy rocker vibes.

Baka, Kyoko! Nothing screams inexperience like a girl in her…Kyoko didn't finish her thought as her eyes landed on her boss...the Zombie King for the day. Suddenly her school uniform wasn't quite so bad. She needed to make it her life's goal to exceed Lory's level of confidence in whatever she wore.

"Now that introductions are over let's get started. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that neither of you has ever done anything like this in your short careers," Seiji addressed Kyoko and Sho.

Kyoko could only shake her head no. "I have never been on this side of the auditions," she admitted. Seiji nodded and looked at Sho.

"Well, nothing of this magnitude," Sho responded, professionally. It made Kyoko want to roll her eyes. Who is this guy?

"I had some say in choosing who would star in my PVs and in choosing new band members. They would have to audition for me to determine if they were a good fit for my music," Sho elaborated. He flashed Kyoko a smug look, knowing he had one up on her.

"Oh, so you do have experience," Seiji beamed at Sho, quite pleased with his response.

"It's a similar process. Between your experience and Kyoko-san's experience with auditions, we'll be able to press forward. Please take your seats," Seiji gestured to the long table sitting in front of the stage. He instructed where he wanted everyone to sit. The director would be in the middle, Kyoko to his right and Iwagami to his left. To her misfortune, the seat arrangements resulted in Sho sitting to her right while the president had a reserved seat all to himself.

As they sat, Seiji continued to discuss the logistics of how he expected today's audition to go.

"I don't expect to find our guy tonight, but I want to narrow down our prospects to three by the end of the week. This is the third round in our search. The first cut was completely done 'on paper.' There were specific criteria each person had to meet even though they didn't know them. One of our biggest concerns was their age. This coming-of-age film requires, at minimum, for the male lead to at least look like he could pass as a high school student. We received over three hundred applications. You wouldn't believe how many uncles we had to throw out. The problem with looking for a young person is their inexperience. We did manage to narrow it down to about 100 young men based on their skill set on paper and a five-minute video introduction. The second round was handled through an interview, another five minutes at most with each auditionee was more than enough time to determine if they would make it to the next round."

Kyoko gasped. Five minutes? That was nothing!

"I know what you're thinking, but keep in mind that we had their initial video submissions. While those could be rehearsed and perfected, we figured it was enough to make our decisions based on the execution of the assignment. The interviews were a formality to see how they held up and reacted in person."

If she thought about it, her audition here at LME would have been considered less than five minutes in total. It didn't take her long to carve up the radish and the reaction test to the phone call barely lasted a minute.

"May I ask what you tested them on? I was on the status emails but it didn't contain those details," Kyoko commented as her brain struggled to remember the few emails she received from Seiji's team.

"Nothing serious, just a brief introduction to get a feel for their personality. Whoever made it to this round received a snippet of the script to prepare for a short scene and a character bio. We are going to test their interpretation of Morita Seiichi."

"Am I required for the scene?" Kyoko asked, pushing her nerves down. While she tried to stay on top of the script in America, Kyoko wasn't confident she could reach her character's full potential at this point.

"Let's go with instinct. I don't want to wear you out on the first day back. Iwagami-san will recite the lines to prompt them. You will be needed for the next round. Once we narrow down our top three contenders, I would like to test your chemistry with them."

"Understood," Kyoko nodded, feeling relieved.

"Any more questions before we get started?" Seiji asked with a final look at everyone seated. "Good," he smiled. "Let's find our leading man."

Before the director called for the assistant to send in the first candidate, he went through the final checks, ensuring everyone had a drink, ink, and evaluation forms. A cameraman standing nearby, ready to record the auditions, gave him the thumbs-up sign.

"Let's take a look at our first candidate, shall we," Seiji suggested and opened the folder the assistant had placed in front of each seat. The top sheet contained a headshot of the actor and their credentials. The director gave them a quick rundown of his observation of the guy during the second round. Kyoko didn't recognize him so she couldn't even compare him to any of his work she might have come across. Her time to watch television greatly diminished as she got older and any celebrity magazines she collected were for Sho and later Ren.

Kyoko glanced at the candidate's image. She could admit the guy was okay looking. He was probably better than OK looking, but having an out-of-this-world drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend pretty much ruined all men for her. In her eyes, no one could hold a candle to her man.

They went through the motions of testing him. In her opinion, his execution of the script was once again okay. She could hardly call herself an expert on the subject, but she had an idea in her head about how her male lead would react to certain words. While his delivery wasn't terrible, it left her wanting more out of her costar. He sounded and looked just like a teenage boy, but was 22 years old on paper. Kyoko couldn't believe how young he appeared.

The next candidates were pretty much on par with each other with slightly better looks than the first. There was still no comparison to her fairy prince. Sho scoffed beside her as the candidate on stage delivered his lines. He had been silent the whole time, but something told her he was starting to get annoyed by the process. She couldn't blame him, but what right did he have to judge a fellow actor? He wasn't even supposed to be here and barely had the experience to be so… snobbish?

Kyoko thought it was no use sugarcoating it. She wanted her debut to be a success, not a flop. Am I being too ambitious? Egotistical? Am I no different than Shotaro? From her seat, the guy chosen was to be the lead. He couldn't let Sho's presence overshadow him. Kyoko refused to let Sho hog the spotlight reserved for the leading man. If some of the fans only started to watch the film for Sho's presence, by the end of the movie, she hoped to win their hearts over with her performance too.

The next candidate that stepped onto the stage had Sho sitting up at attention. Immediately curious about her childhood friend's actions, Kyoko glanced at the profile and then up to the guy.

The man walked out on the stage in his designer outfit of blue jeans, a fitted t-shirt, and a leather jacket. The men before him had worn similar outfits, but there was a way in which he carried himself that already exuded Seiichi. Kyoko instantly knew he was already in character when he winked and smiled cockily at her shock. It was something none of the candidates had done before him.

Could he possibly be…

AN: I'm here, I'm alive! RL has been crazy busy that I have no idea how January just passed me by. I even ignored my child today to try and churn this chapter out when I realized how long it's been since I posted. Thanks for always sticking with me and I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate all of you! Huge thanks to Sarg for spamming me with reviews during her re-read. It totally made my day.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^