Chapter 213: The Competition

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kuon wouldn't make it easy on anyone.

Kuon couldn't believe his luck. Everyone passing them as they walked down the hall to the audition room did a second glance, but none of them said anything beyond a pleasant greeting or a polite nod. Each time they passed someone Kuon was sure would recognize him, he let out a relieved sigh when they didn't. After casual small talk with Ando about his life as a high school student, they made it to the room housing the other candidates.

A woman sat at a table by the door, tapping away frantically at her cell phone. It was clear from the frantic buzzing of the device that she was in the middle of a very energetic conversation.

"Hello, Manami-san," Ando greeted, making the woman drop her phone in surprise.

"Ando-san!" Manami exclaimed when she spotted Kuon's escort.

"I see they have you very busy here," Ando teased, making the assistant flush guiltily at having been caught playing on her phone.

"You know how it is," Manami smiled. "What can I help you…?" Her eyes widened as she finally noticed Kuon standing behind Ando. It took several blinks before her eyes caught up to her brain, realization dawning on her.

"Oh. My. God! It's true!" She exclaimed, rising quickly and practically tripping out of her seat to stand. Her cheeks burned red as she righted herself, awkwardly smoothing down her blazer and running her hand through her wavy hair.

"What's true?" Ando scrunched his eyebrows in confusion at her strong reaction.

"This!" She hissed and grabbed her fallen phone from the table. "The rumor that there is a glasses-wearing angel version of Tsuruga-san roaming the building is spreading like wildfire," she whispered to Ando, but Kuon's sensitive ears still heard her.

Kuon snorted at the reference but kept his face passive. If only they knew that his light version harbored the most darkness.

Ando stood back and took in his appearance.

"I suppose there's a kind of resemblance. You're quite tall. Are you wearing contacts, Kuon-san?" The man asked, narrowing his eyes for a better look.

"No, they're my natural eye color," he confessed and shifted his gaze to the remaining candidates in the room. Most of them picked their heads up and stared in his direction curiously. Some had headphones on, others played on their phone, and several appeared to be leafing through pages that Kuon could only assume was the script before he walked in.

His eyes hardened at the potential men that thought they would have an opportunity to be his girlfriend's boyfriend. Fucking, eh! It annoyed him that they were all eye-catching. He hated them instantly. Most shrunk away at his glare and he made a mental note to remember the faces of those that didn't. There was a guy in particular that Kuon wanted to use the floor to wipe the smirk right off of his face. His aura oozed confidence and Kuon had a feeling he would be a worthy rival.

Not giving him the time of day, Kuon continued to assess the others. The delinquent with spiky orange hair and piercings had to go. The guy appeared to be closer to Kyoko's age, but he had guts, meeting Kuon's challenging stare. Kuon concluded that he was nothing but trouble. It would be over his dead body if he let him anywhere near his girlfriend, even if it was just for acting. If he played his cards right, he could encourage his competitors to give up before they could audition.

Suddenly, a commotion from the door they had just entered drew his attention away from the men.

"He's in here," a feminine voice whispered loudly, her head peeking in the open doorway.

"Where? Let me see," another demanded, pushing the first woman out of the way. Soon there were several young women and a few young men vying to get a glimpse inside. Kuon recognized a couple of people they had passed on the walk here; one happened to be the assistant from the front desk. He must have not been as under the radar as he thought.

"What are you guys doing," Manami-san hissed at the interrupting crowd as she tried to push them out of the doorway.

"We were looking for him," a guy from the visiting bunch tried to explain, pointing at Kuon as Manami herded them away from the entrance.

"Me?" Kuon pointed at himself before they were out of view. He stepped out into the hall and was relieved to see the group was smaller than he thought. Kuon should have claimed ignorance and let Manami handle it; however, curiosity got the best of him. Why would they be looking for him?

"We're so sorry for the interruption," another young lady bowed to him in apology along with her other companions. It was weird. She should be apologizing to Manami, not him.

Another woman pulled Manami to her side and whispered, "This is the audition to find the leading man for Kyoko-san's debut film, right?" They were not being discreet at all.

"Yes, it is," Manami agreed, nodding her head and glancing at Kuon.

"Then that confirms it," a guy blurted out. "You gotta be him." It was still a guess that undoubtedly shocked him with how quickly they put two and two together.

Kuon pursed his lips and his emerald eyes gave nothing away behind the fake spectacles. The little group all took a closer look at him this time. Their eyes analyzed every detail of his physical appearance. It wasn't to the level of his beloved, but he could see the gears churning as they made the connection beyond his hair color and eyes.

Kuon thought about playing stupid, but what was the point? The truth was going to come out sooner or later. He absentmindedly lifted his left hand to run his fingers through his hair and a collective gasp escaped the group.

Their gaze trailed his movement, focusing on his raised hand. Kuon looked at it, wondering what captured their interest, and noticed the cuff of his blazer had caught on his watch, exposing it for all to see. It never crossed his mind to take it off like he did whenever he was working. Technically, it was more a part of Kuon than it was Ren. He sighed internally. Thinking of himself as separate people was getting exhausting.

Did they just recognize my watch? If they did, it would be wrong to insult their intelligence and continue to lie at this point. Could this be the anticlimactic way for the truth of his identity to be revealed? How easy would it be to let the rumor mill run its course?

Deciding to leap, he asked, "What gave me away?" He flashed his best gentlemanly smile at the group as he fixed his sleeve. They were shocked into silence, but Kuon patiently waited for it to sink in.

"T-that w-watch. I-it's Ts-Tsuruga-san's power item," Manami stuttered, her eyes glued to his now-covered wrist."

"I knew it," the man from earlier gloated at Kuon's indirect confirmation.

"Ehhhhhh!" Ando exclaimed by his side, the last to finally catch on.

"Sorry, Ando-san," Kuon bowed slightly. "I arrogantly thought I could fool my colleagues," he admitted with an innocent smile. The gesture made two women swoon, but the men present were able to catch them before they could hit the ground.

"Oh my gosh. It really is you," Manami squealed like a teenage girl. "This is incredible. The employee fan chat was buzzing with your presence. All it took was Shiho-chan," she waved her hand to the receptionist, "suggesting that you were as tall as Tsuruga-san for the theory to plant its seed, given your success to fool everyone as Heel-san, and it erupted," Manami exclaimed.

"I didn't know where Ando-san intended to take you when you arrived, but since you're here at this very audition for Kyoko-san's debut proves your identity too," Shiho-chan explained.

Kuon wanted to smack his palm to his forehead for underestimating the die-hard fans that existed in their office space. Their deductive reasoning had to rival those of the actual police agency trained to solve the hardest of crimes. A chill ran down his spine, worried about what other information they could have on him or Kyoko.

"Are you going to be her leading man?" Another woman yelped, clapping her hands excitedly.

"I was hoping to audition. I heard this is the third round, so I'm not sure," Kuon responded dejectedly.

"But you're, Tsuruga-san. Can't you just tell them you want the part?" One of the men inquired.

Kuon sighed and leaned against the wall with a shake of his head. It didn't hurt to tell them how he felt, something he had never done before. "I probably could have done it that way, but this is Kyoko's debut film. I want to earn the right to be by her side, not because," he nodded to the guy, "I'm Tsuruga Ren, but because I was deemed the best man suitable for the job. I don't want my presence to take away from her incredible ability and diminish the hard work she has put into her career so far. There could be someone in there more capable for the job, and I won't deny her that opportunity even if I can't stand another man getting that honor."

"Oh, my goodness. I think that is the most romantic thing I ever heard…and I've seen all your work," one of the swooning women placed a palm on her chest and fanned her eyes to keep them from misting. He could see several pairs of eyes watering at his confession and nodding in agreement with the woman.

"You can help him, right, Manami-san? Regardless of his real identity, which sucks for me, since he's already got a manager. I brought him here hoping you could slip his name on the list," Ando pleaded.

Manami-san nibbled on her bottom lip. "I don't know. The president is in there," she informed them.

"It's okay, Manami-san. I don't want you to feel pressured to help me," Kuon assured her. "I'll just have to be happy that I at least tried." He moved from the wall and took a step to leave while the others protested for her to break the rules for him. It was unfair for him to take advantage of her position.

"I'll do it," Manami declared with conviction. "You might have to go last. Is that okay?"

"Are you sure?" Kuon cocked a brow, allowing her to back out of her decision. Going last wouldn't be a big deal, either. He counted maybe 12 candidates left in the room. Glancing at his watch, he determined he would be able to make his next appointment in a couple of hours.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. You put so much effort into coming here," Manami waved her hand over his appearance. "I could never forgive myself if I didn't at least try…and Kyoko-san deserves to meet this version of you." The others around cheered and clapped delightedly at her decision.

"In that case, I appreciate your help," Kuon bowed to the assistant, making her blush a deep shade of red.

"She's right! Kyoko-san needs to see you like this. You look amazing! Like a high school prince!" Another lady gushed.

"You could be student president!" Shiho shouted.

"I want to go back to high school with you," a woman whined.

Kuon chuckled, thanking them for their compliments. Maybe, Yashiro was on to something here. All the candidates he glimpsed were dressed in trendy street clothes; his outfit made him stand out.

The door to the room pushed open, and a woman stuck her head out. "There you are, Manami-san. What are you doing out here? Oh, hey guys, what's going on? Why is everyone out…?" Her voice trailed off as her eyes landed on Kuon.

"Who's the hottie," she whispered, closing the door and pulling Manami off to the side, keeping her gaze on Kuon.

"He's a candidate," Manami answered, not elaborating further on his real identity. No one else chimed in to add their insight, either.

"Really?" The young woman squealed.

"Wait? Why are you out here and not in there?" Manami asked the woman, changing the subject.

"Oh, right. I came to retrieve the next candidate and didn't see you. I already sent him inside," the assistant explained. "I better get back. Good luck with your audition," she said with a wave.

"Shoot, I have to get back to work, and so do you guys," Manami shooed the group away.

"Before you go, could you please keep this encounter a secret? I would be very embarrassed if I didn't get the part." Kuon turned the charm on them with pleading eyes. They fell for it immediately, promising to take his secret to the grave and reassuring him that the part would be his. He made sure to get their names properly to come across as more personable and shake their hands rather than a bow. When word did get out, he would have to properly apologize for lying to them. They left, accepting he was Ren in disguise, and didn't question his actions.

Kuon followed Manami back into the room while Ando left with the crowd. There was no incentive for him to stick around now that the junior agent knew the truth.

When they walked in, all eyes were back on them again. Kuon wondered if they heard or suspected anything. The guy he had marked earlier was gone, probably the person that was just called inside. Kuon had wanted to study him more, maybe even talk to him to get a better read on him. Unfortunately, living in his little world made him oblivious to anyone else in the industry he didn't specifically work with; he had no idea if any of these guys were actual actors.

"Okay, first things first," Manami exhaled as she sat at her makeshift workspace. "I need you to fill out these forms quickly, and I don't have a photo of you, so…"

"Could you use this?" Kuon asked, sliding his visitor's badge toward her. It wasn't the best quality, but it had his picture on it.

"Oh my goodness, yes! It's perfect. I'll make a copy while you fill out the forms," she rose from her seat and headed to the copy machine in the corner of the room.

She stopped short and whirled on him, gaining the other candidates' attention. "Is this the name you're using?"

Kuon nodded, wondering if she had recognized it.

"Are you a fan of his?" She asked excitedly.

"The biggest," Kuon admitted proudly.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Manami smiled and continued on her way to make the copies. He smiled back, knowing his father wouldn't mind one bit. No one would recognize the name unless they were a diehard fan of his dad's that went deep into a celebrity's personal life. Those fans were the scariest.

Not dwelling on the fact that he was unknown here, Kuon decided to find a seat and focus on filling out the forms instead. The sooner he got them done, the sooner he could work on chopping away at the competition in the room. With an idea brewing in his mind, Kuon decided to sit across from the orange-haired delinquent. Pushing up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, he got to work.

Kuon didn't bother looking up when someone occupied the seat next to him. The person gave him a few minutes before clearing his throat to get his attention. He ignored it and kept writing.

"Pisces, 'this is a favorable day for working professionals. You may get new job offers or interview emails today. Your healthy mind and body may encourage you to give your best at work today. Those who have been following a strict diet pattern and exercise routine may see some positive results…' great, we're screwed," the person beside him groaned.

Kuon's lips twitched as he watched the person's hand drop, clutching his phone. This guy had some balls.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's rude to read over someone's shoulder," Kuon commented as he continued to write.

"I wouldn't know. She died in a car crash when I was three," the stranger replied sadly, making Kuon flinch.

Kuon's head shot up to apologize and stared into the face of a teenage boy on the verge of laughing. The orange-haired delinquent had no qualms about it and laughed for him.

"Can't believe you fell for that one," the rude bastard chuckled. "Props, man," he fist-bumped the guy. "That was unexpected coming from a pretty face like yours."

"Sorry, I thought I could empathize. I lost someone in a car crash when I was younger," Kuon replied solemnly. They both gaped, waiting for the punchline, but there was none.

"I-I'm sorry. It was a bad joke," the guy apologized quickly, shame etching on his face.

"Yeah, me too," the delinquent chimed, looking chastised and startling Kuon. Was this guy serious? Was his appearance just a front to get noticed?

"It's cool. It was a long time ago," Kuon replied with a shrug, trying to act the age of a teenager.

"I'm Genkei," the guy introduced himself. "My friends call me Gen."

"Kuon," he replied and glanced at the delinquent waiting for him to supply his name. This was the perfect opportunity for him to execute his plan.

"Jin," he chirped. "Are you wearing contacts?" Jin asked, staring deeply into Kuon's eyes.

"And your hair?" Gen added, running his fingers through the frosty tips of his dyed hair.

"From my mom," Kuon grinned.

"Well, shit," Jin sat back in his chair, crossing his arms and eyeing Kuon.

"Damn, we don't stand a chance," Gen grumbled.

Kuon bit back his smile, secretly pleased that they were intimidated by his overall appearance.

"What school do you go to?" Gen asked, eyeing the insignia on his blazer. "You look familiar."

"Maybe 'cause you've seen him on TV," Jin retorted, saving Kuon from answering the question. Realizing his mistake, he failed to create a backstory to go along with his outfit. The only schools he knew were Kyoko's and the fictional one from Ring Doh.

"Are you guys actors?" Kuon asked, trying to get some info out of them instead. Making small talk wasn't part of his plan, yet he found himself asking questions. There was a reason these guys made it through to the third round. Seiji must have seen something in them besides appearances. Those could always change to adapt to any role.

"I'm more of a model. I haven't done anything beyond CMs," Gen reported.

"This is my first time doing anything like this. I'm surprised I even made the cut," Jin confessed. "You?" Jin asked.

"I acted when I was a child. I thought I'd give it another shot," Kuon admitted. It wasn't a complete lie, and it felt good to confess that much about himself. Maybe he could win the people over one at a time.

"Are you finished, Kuon-san," Manami interrupted, coming up beside him to collect his papers and handing back his badge.

"Yes, sorry, thank you," Kuon smiled and handed her his forms.

"It's my pleasure," she winked and left them alone to go to her desk.

"Dude," Jin hissed. "That older chick has the hots for you. She keeps looking over here."

Kuon chuckled and shrugged it off.

"Dammit, one look at you, and my goddess is going to fall head over heels for you," Jin lamented.

"Goddess?" Kuon questioned, the corner of his lips lifting in amusement.

"He's talking about Kyoko-san. Jin is crazy about her and calls her his goddess…they told us when we arrived that she would sit in on the auditions," Gen explained. "Jin forgets that she has an incredible, talented, rich, and super gorgeous sugar daddy named Tsuruga Ren. You're good-looking, but you're also a nobody compared to him…no offense."

Gen had said so much in his explanation, but Kuon only heard her name. He had thought Jin was talking about his girlfriend and was amused by it. Now that he knew he was referring to Kyoko, it was no longer funny.

"Are you stalking her?" Kuon rose to his feet, his fingers balling into tight fists and his dark aura seeping out.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm not stalking her," Jin cowered in his seat, raising his hands defensively.

"Tell him, Gen, I'm not stalking her," Jin looked around Kuon for help from the other guy.

"Then why are you here?" Kuon took another menacing step toward him.

"What is happening?" Gen squeaked from behind Kuon.

"Why. Are. You. Here," Kuon punctuated every word in an effort to control his temper. He knew this guy was bad news the moment he laid eyes on him and should have trusted his instincts instead of making small talk.

"Dude, why are you freaking out?" Jin shouted, rising to his feet to back away.

"Hizuri-san, please settle down," Manami's panicked voice reached out to him, but Kuon ignored her. He needed to know if Jin was a threat to his girlfriend.

"Answer the question," Kuon growled, curling his fingers around Jin's leather jacket and getting in his face. He was a head taller than the teen and could easily maim him if he wanted.

"Holy fuck, dude. I'm just here to audition for a part," Jin screeched as panic settled in. "Her work, watching her act as Natsu, and learning that she had no background in the field inspired me to try too. I just got lucky with this one. I would never think about stalking her or hurting her. I would love to be her friend, but if she doesn't want that, I can understand. I mean, I'm a loser. Why would she want to be friends with a deadbeat like me right? I have no talent. I'm not smart. I'm not even good-looking," Jin continued, berating himself. "She's incredible and, I'm, I'm just…pathetic," he sighed and hung his head.

The fight had fled Kuon with one look at Jin's defeated posture. If he wasn't gripping his jacket so tightly, the guy would have crumpled to the floor. How could he have misread the guy so wrong when he first entered?

"Kuon-san," Manami called warily. "Could you please let him go? I don't think he wants to harm Kyoko-san. Right, Tajika-san?"

"I would cut my right pinky finger off before I even think about harming a single strand of her hair," Jin declared.

"See," she smiled, reassuring him.

Kuon nodded and released his hold on Jin's jacket, the material creased by the indentions of his fingers. "Sorry," he apologized, moving back to his seat. His eyes were still hard as he stared down Jin. To the teen's credit, he returned to his original seat near Kuon, and so did Gen.

Kuon wanted to bang his head against the wall for screwing up so badly. He had let his irrational fear spiral out of control and almost beat up a kid, forgetting that he was a grown adult, trained to deliver maximum damage. He shouldn't have been so mad at Jin for idolizing his girlfriend to such an extent. In reality, he was proud Kyoko had such a fan. Fans like him were fine as long as it didn't turn toxic and become an obsession.

The trio didn't talk anymore while they waited their turn and focused on studying the script. The other guys in the room steered clear of him, too scared to meet his eye. It wasn't Kuon's intention to lose his temper, but maybe it was for the best. Some of the guys appeared to be off their game because of it. All it did was make them look guilty. Many squirmed in their seat and avoided all eye contact with Kuon. By the time their name was called, they were nervous and jumpy. All Kuon had to do was give them one final glare, and they practically ran from the room. Coming from the experience of his youth, fear combined with pressure often led to failure.

Kuon noticed that the candidates never returned to the room after the next person was called, so the space was getting quieter. Jin was the first to go out of their trio. Kuon could barely spare him a nod while Gen wished him luck. He didn't want the guy to succeed at all.

Eventually, he and Gen were left in the room with Manami, waiting for their opportunity. When Gen's name was announced, he stopped in front of Kuon before heading out.

"I've been thinking about your reaction earlier, trying to figure out why you got so angry at Jin."

"Yeah," Kuon swallowed, unsure where he was going with this.

"You are just like him. I bet you have an even bigger crush on Kyoko-san," Gen grinned like he just discovered the secret to unlocking the universe.

Kuon chuckled. "I think you might be right."

"Good luck, Kuon. May the best man get the girl," Gen winked and trotted off quickly through the side door.

"Fucker!" Kuon huffed under his breath. He smiled broadly, knowing that soon it would be his turn.

AN: Hiya, thanks for sticking with me! I apologize for this ridiculously long delay. It upset me that I didn't have the mental capacity to write faster. But I'm still alive…barely. No hiatus, no abandonment, just really slow to write due to real life. It also didn't help that I kept rewriting bits of this chapter, trying to get it out of my head just right. I know I'm going to read it again and find all the flaws. As you can see, our boy hasn't taken the stage just yet. I used some of Sensei's fan club inspiration with the work fans here. I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you for continuing to read and for the reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate all of you!

I used google-sensei to check for Kuon's horoscope one day and it was seriously perfect for how I wanted to use it in this chapter. It was quoted from Hindustan Times Horoscope. Remember I still believe Kuon's birthday is 2/19. :) Still waiting for Sensei to tell me I'm wrong…XD

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^