Chapter 214: A Leading Man?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Sho will feel a little heat from Kyoko's friends.

Goya Tetsuya? Glancing up from the profile, Kyoko stared at the man with interest, sizing up his physical attributes with a keen eye and again comparing him to the most perfect man In the universe.

Even with her drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend as a comparison, Kyoko had to admit Tetsuya was better looking in person than in the profile picture in front of her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the president, who had been so quiet with the previous auditionees, stir from his zombified state and consider him with interest.

"You!" Sho blurted out, a little delayed, apparently recognizing the young man and gaining Tetsuya's attention that was burning a hole in Kyoko.

Tetsuya put his hand over his brow, exaggeratedly shielding his eyes from the harshness of the stage lights to see better. "Fuwa-san? Is that you?" Tetsuya questioned, blinking at the singer.

His Seiichi illusion was blown. Kyoko furrowed her brow, noting that he somehow knew Sho.

Sho scowled, sat back in his chair, and folded his arms stubbornly. "Why are you acting like you don't recognize me?"

Tetsuya shrugged in response, not bothering to answer the question.

Kyoko wanted to roll her eyes at the hypocrisy. It took Sho a moment himself to even place the guy's face.

Tetsuya glanced back at her, then Sho again before he spoke.

"I'm sorry," Tetsuya turned from Sho. "Am I in the right audition?" he asked, directing his question to someone backstage. "Why is Fuwa here?"

"I assure you, you are in the right place, Goya-san," Seiji interjected, holding up his professional profile. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, I apologize for my rudeness. I was just confused as to why Fuwa-san is sitting next to the beautiful and talented Kyoko-san. Are you guys friends again?" Tetsuya inquired, cocking his brow.

"Yes!" Sho blurted. "No!" Kyoko denied at the same time.

"O-Kay, this is weird," Tetsuya replied awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Strictly professional," Kyoko clarified and side-eyed the zombie king. Tetsuya wasn't the first of the candidates to recognize Sho; however, he was the first to openly question his presence. Their falling out had been splashed across the gossip rags, and now and again, someone would rehash the old story to keep it relevant. It was probably confusing for people to see them together. If Kyoko had her way, she would have rather not seen him at all.

"So, Goya-san, it seems you are familiar with Fuwa-san. Could you expand on that?" Seiji asked the all-important question, changing the subject. She wanted to know as well.

"We're classmates," Goya admitted. "But with our busy schedules, we hardly see each other in school. It took me a moment to place him."

Sho scoffed beside Kyoko. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at Tesuya's blow to his ego.

"So you've never been paired up in class for a group project or anything?" Seiji continued to question.

"No," Tetsuya shook his head. "Because our schedule is so in flux, a group project is not ideal for our class."

"It says here you're a musician and a composer," Seiji commented, and Sho snorted, covering it with a cough. Kyoko glared at Sho for his rudeness. How dare he belittle someone else's hard work and talent?

"Yes, I play the piano and violin. I enjoyed playing classical music so much that it inspired me to compose music, as well," Tetsuya responded with a curt nod.

Kyoko clapped and flashed him a bright smile, impressed by his skills. It was amazing how he mastered two challenging instruments.

Tetsuya placed his palms over his heart and smiled, giving her a small bow. "Thank you, Kyoko-san. It's not as trendy as some mainstream musicians today, but I'm passionate about the authenticity of my music."

"So why take up acting?" Seiji questioned. It was a standard question typically asked during the initial rounds. The director was simply doing her a favor to get to know each individual. She liked hearing their answers firsthand, and Tetsuya's did interest her.

"Personal advertisement," he replied sheepishly. "I believe if I expose myself to a broader audience, they would become interested in classical music. With Kyoko-san as the female lead, I know this drama will be a raging success."

"I appreciate the confidence." Kyoko smiled. Even though he was buttering her up, she liked his answer. Should he get the part, it would have a snowball effect on his career. Fans would research and follow him on the internet based on his good looks alone. Once they realize his true interests and ability, fanatics would obsessively begin to collect anything regarding him and attend any functions that included him. Tetsuya would quickly have a large following of his own on social media. He had Kyoko wanting to support him already, not because of his good looks, but his passion for his style of music.

Sho cleared his throat, loudly, which had Kyoko side-eyeing him. Tetsuya purposefully ignored him, understanding his intent for the interruption.

"Drink some water," Kyoko suggested quietly, nodding to the full glass in front of Sho.

"I'm fine," he retorted.

Kyoko shrugged, snickering internally for calling him out on his bullshit.

"I admire your motivation," Seiji replied. "Shall we get started? Have you studied the script?"

"Yes, I'm ready," Tetsuya nodded confidently.

"Good, Iwagami-san we'll pl…"

"Ooh, could I do it," Ran exclaimed enthusiastically.

Seiji chuckled, "Be my guest," he gestured to the stage. "Oga-san, this is Yoshino-san. She is our talented screenwriter."

"Oh, please take care of me," Tetsuya bowed respectfully as Ran stepped onto the stage. Kyoko giggled at the screenwriter's enthusiasm to do the prompting for the scene.

"Sorry for stealing your job, Oki-san," Ran called cheekily.

"You're doing me a favor. It will allow me to observe better," Oki replied with a wave of his hand.

"Shall we start?" Seiji asked. Tetsuya and Ran gave him the thumbs-up sign. "Good, take your marks, please."

Ran removed her jacket before taking her place on the floor and draped the blazer over her knees to maintain her modesty.

"Action," Seiji announced. Ran's shoulders began to tremble, her character sniffling into the knees wrapped around her arms. It was way more than what Iwagami had done with the previous candidates, but Ran seemed to be having fun so Seiji rolled with it.

Tetsuya had moved to the middle of the stage to start his part, much further than any candidate before him. Kyoko watched with curiosity as he quickly popped wireless headphones into his ears and started walking toward her, using his phone as a prop. Not paying attention to anything but his phone screen, Tetsuya timed it perfectly for his foot to lightly kick the toe of Ran's high heel, tripping him up.

Tetsuya stumbled and stopped, looking over his shoulder to see what he stepped on. His eyes widened as he took in the figure on the ground. By his mannerisms, Kyoko was able to see how he noticed the damaged bicycle on the ground.

"Ayane? Is that you? Are you okay?" Tetsuya asked, pulling his earbuds off and shoving them along with his phone into his jacket pocket. That's how close their characters used to be when they were younger. He still called her by her first name without honorifics.

Ran shook her head cutely, "No," without looking up, making Kyoko smile. She would have done something similar if it was her.

"No, it's not you, or no, you're not okay," Tetsuya chuckled, sitting next to her on the ground.

Ran peeks up at him and lifts her head when she senses his presence beside her.

"How long have you been sitting here crying by yourself," Tetsuya asked, concern flooding his eyes.

"I'm not crying," Ran replied, stubbornly swiping at the imaginary tears streaking her face. Although she didn't like it, Kyoko would have to do some "real" crying during this scene.

"Do you need help getting home? Your bike looks busted," he observed, nodding in the general direction of where the bike would have sat if they were on set.

"No, thanks. I already called someone," Ran answered with a small smile.

"Do you want me to stay until they come," he offered.

"No, I'll be fine," Ran replied with just the right inflection.

Tetsuya twitched, grabbing at the pocket of his jacket. Of course, he was only acting, but the script called for his phone to buzz with a text message.

"Sorry," he muttered and pulled out the device. Ran smiled in understanding. He stared at the screen for a moment and began tapping a reply.

"I was supposed to meet Narumi," he apologized when finished. Narumi would be Seiichi's long-time girlfriend. They used to be close friends once upon a time until they started dating.

"I'll be fine. You better go before she gets mad at you for being late," Ran prompted.

Tetsuya made a snorting sound like she was exaggerating his girlfriend's reaction, yet he stood quickly to leave.

"If you don't need me…" he hesitated, feeling torn about leaving her on the side of the road.

"Go, I'll be fine," Ran insisted. She thanked him for stopping before he left, making him beam with happiness as his character Seiichi always appreciated positive reinforcement.

Tetsuya walked away, placing his earbuds in his ears. Ran wasn't paying attention, but he took one last glance over his shoulder before walking off.

When he was several paces away, Seiji yelled "Cut" and ended the scene.

Tetsuya returned to Ran and helped her to her feet. He bowed to her, then turned and bowed toward Kyoko and the others.

"Well done. Thank you, Ran-san. Thank you, Oga-san. Good performance," Seiji praised with a small clap of his hands. "Does anyone have any more questions for Oga-san?" Seiji asked those sitting at the table.

"No, but thank you, Oga-san." Kyoko shook her head when the director's gaze landed on her, excited by how Tetsuya performed with Ran. He could very well be a top contender for Seiichi.

"Thank you, Oga-san. An assistant will be in touch with you by the end of the week to let you know," Seiji addressed Tetsuya when nobody, not even the president, had anything to add.

"Thank you for the opportunity," Tetsuya bowed and followed an assistant out of the room.

Kyoko noticed that after he left she felt a lighter mood settle over everyone in the room. They all seemed quite positive again.

"Was that fair?" Sho leaned in and whispered to Kyoko while they waited for the next candidate to enter.

"I know what you're thinking, Fuwa-kun. But is this really about the advantage he had with Ran-san prompting him or the obvious dislike you have for Oga-san," Seiji answered, overhearing Sho's question. His blunt question caught Kyoko by surprise, leaving her eager to hear the answer.

"I don't hate him," Sho argued. "It just didn't seem fair that he got to act with Ran-san. And if you know what I'm thinking then you were thinking it too, admit it," Sho huffed, glaring at Kyoko.

"I wasn't thinking about it," Kyoko defended. "I just know how your brain operates, like an idiot," she muttered the insult under her breath.

"It may look like he had the advantage by acting with Ran-san," Seiji explained. "But he didn't. You see, Ran-san is not an actress."

Sho frowned at the director, not quite understanding what he meant.

"What he's trying to say is," Ran added, "What I did up there wasn't even remotely close to how Kyoko-san would portray Ayane during filming. All I did differently from Oki-san was sit on the floor. I recited the same lines with very little depth to my emotions. Oga-san was able to take it from there. It was his skills alone that filled the void and made it authentic."

Sho nodded in understanding after Ran's explanation. "He was pretty good," Sho admitted begrudgingly and relaxed in his seat.

For the first time tonight, Kyoko was finally moved by a candidate's performance of the scene. She was more optimistic about finding a leading man that could hold their own against Sho and settled into her chair for the next person to enter the room.

The following candidates that came through began to chip away at Kyoko's high spirits. Ran had executed her part exactly as she did for Tetsuya, but it was clear that he had a certain appeal that the other men did not possess. If anything, Kyoko was getting disappointed that there weren't more talented individuals to choose from.

Kyoko shook off her horrible criticism. Everyone had to start somewhere, and she would be proud if this debut film led to the emergence of another great actor.

Many of the candidates had acted in one way or another, be it commercials, films, or TV dramas. They did come across a few that had no experience in showbiz whatsoever. Given her entrance into the entertainment world, Kyoko was partial to them.

The last of Kyoko's positive vibes almost fizzled out with the next man that entered the stage. From the way he stood, Kyoko could tell that he was nervous. His bright hair caught her attention first, reminding her of the transformation she had undergone after Sho's betrayal, and she knew that it could be changed to fit the role.

"My goddess," he squeaked, loudly, when his gaze landed on hers, making Kyoko's face burn a deep crimson. When he realized he had spoken aloud, his face became a beacon of red to match hers.

"What a tool," Sho muttered for only Kyoko to hear. The shift of the musician in the seat next to her drew the candidate's attention to him. His eyes widened with recognition and flicked between Kyoko and Sho, before narrowing on the singer.

"Fuwa-kun, it seems you're very popular today," Seiji remarked. Sho could only snort in response. Only a few candidates actually acknowledged Sho's presence beside her. Most were confused by it, but this young man, Tajika Jin, appeared seriously angry.

"Tajika-san, welcome, and congratulations on making it this far. Judging by the way you are glaring at Fuwa-kun you are probably wondering why he is here given their history."

Jin nodded, choosing not to speak.

"Well, long story short, he is part of the main cast of this production," Seiji began.

"W-what?" Jin shouted, his hands curling into fists. "How could he be? He hur…" Kyoko's eyes widened at his open hostility toward Sho.

"Thank you, Tajika-san," Kyoko cut him off before he could continue and smiled appreciatively at whatever he was going to say.

The way Jin melted under her smile made Kyoko gasp as he crumpled to the floor. Luckily, he landed in a way that he didn't hit his head.

"Holy shit," Sho exclaimed. Kyoko rushed with the others closer to the stage just as the assistant was helping Jin to a sitting position.

"What happened," Jin asked, all the blood returning the color to his pale face.

"I think you fainted," the assistant announced, helping him to his feet. Jin pulled out the assistant's grasp.

"I tripped," he stubbornly corrected, clumsily scouring the stage floor to identify the obstacle that caused his fall.

"Are you okay, Tajika-san," Kyoko asked, her voice full of concern.

His head shot up to gaze at her. The action must have been too much because he wobbled again. If it weren't for the assistant grabbing his elbow, he would have fallen again. Jin put his hand to his head and the loudest rumble from his stomach echoed through the room. He grabbed at his middle to smother the noise, but it did nothing to hide his obvious hunger.

Kyoko was empathetic. How many times had her stomach betrayed her when she least wanted it to? His hunger was probably the likely culprit to his shaky demeanor… and nerves. She wasn't sure he would be able to perform on an empty stomach.

"This is so embarrassing. I'm sorry, Kyoko-san," Jin apologized, ducking his head. Kyoko saw that his glassy eyes were on the brink of tears. "I'm sorry for wasting your time," he mumbled and began to walk off stage.

"Wait!" Kyoko shouted. It took him a moment to gather himself and turn around to look at her.

"Are you sure you don't want to try?" Kyoko asked. "He still has time, right Shingai-san?"

The director glanced at the Zombie King, who gave them a slight nod. Kyoko smiled. If the president was giving his blessing, he must have noticed something in Jin.

"I don't think I can," Jin tried to argue. "This, you, it's too much for a loser like me."

Kyoko blanched. She knew what happened just now wasn't her fault, but she felt terrible for him. Kyoko hated how he belittled himself and made her out to be someone so special he felt unworthy to work with her. They had to have seen something in him for him to be here today. Why was he suddenly unsure of himself?

"I wasn't expecting to get this far, let alone meet you in person. Meeting you today has been the most embarrassing and rewarding experience of my life," Jin smiled shyly. "I can die in peace."

Kyoko chuckled at his dramatics; he had to be joking. "So you're just going to give up?" Kyoko challenged him, changing tactics. Something in her tone reminded her of her boyfriend. He was rubbing off on her.

"What? No…I…" Jin panicked, looking around the room for some help.

"Sounds to me like you decided to waste everybody's time," Sho scoffed from somewhere behind her.

He wasn't wrong, but did he have to be an ass about it. If Jin didn't at least try, he could very well put a blight on his career. She glanced at the president to gauge his reaction. It was difficult to do so with all the makeup he was wearing today. Her boss had the power and connections to end anyone's career in show-biz if he wanted.

"It wasn't my intention," Jin glared at Sho, fire blazing in his eyes. Kyoko had an inkling she was catching a glimpse of the personality that went along with that shocking hair when Jin dropped into another bow. "I apologize. If I still have time left, please allow me to run through the scene," he asked with renewed determination.

Kyoko bit back her smile, proud to see that Jin had finally found his courage to continue. Leave it to Sho to get him fired up.

"We can spare a few minutes," Seiji assured him. "How about you run through the scene with Kyoko-san?" The director suggested and moved to return to his seat with the others in tow.

"Kyoko-san," Jin squeaked, visibly gulping down the lump lodged in his throat as his face turned pale. The assistant by his side moved closer again, poised to catch him in case he did go down.

"Tajika-san, you do understand that Kyoko-san is the female lead of this production. Surely it crossed your mind that you would have to work with her," Seiji asked the candidate seriously.

Jin's face turned red, agitation rolling off his body. "I did know that, but I wasn't prepared to come this far," he confessed.

"Well, have you memorized the script?" Seiji inquired.

Jin nodded.

"And were you able to picture the encounter between Seiichi and Ayane in your mind's eye?" The director continued to probe.

Jin nodded again.

"Then it sounds like you're more than prepared," Seiji announced. "What do you say, Kyoko-san? Want to give it a shot?"

"Yes, sir," Kyoko saluted and rushed to the stage, eager to break up the monotony of the audition. After watching the scene unfold from the table on repeat, she already knew the dialogue by heart and was giddy to finally experience it from a different angle.

Like Ran, Kyoko assumed the position of Ayane huddled on the sidewalk after her bicycle accident.

"And action," Seiji announced.

Kyoko buried her face in her knees, assuring her uniform skirt remained in place, and waited for her cue from Jin. Unfortunately, this was a test to see if he could interact with her beyond that of a nervous fan.

Time ticked slowly since she was unable to see what Jin was doing. Every candidate that came after Tetsuya did something a little different, so Kyoko could only anticipate his next move. Seiji hadn't yelled "cut" yet, so she assumed the director was giving Jin time to execute his part.

With each passing second, Ayane's fear and anxiety seeped into her bones as she thought about the worst that could have happened. She should be relieved and grateful, but right now, all she could feel was scared as silent tears breached the corner of her eyes. She didn't know how long she sat on the hard pavement feeling sorry for herself until a familiar voice penetrated through the haze that had wrapped around her like a tight cocoon.

"Ayane? Is that you? Are you okay?"

And with those magic words, Kyoko brought Ayane to life. She still needed fleshing out, but for this setting, she was developed enough to bring out the potential of Jin's version of Seiichi. Because of his lack of experience, Kyoko was able to lead him through the scene, easily puppeteering his lines and motions in the direction she commanded. While she didn't want that in a male lead, she had to commend him for being able to follow.

Seiji yelled, "Cut!" once Jin stepped on his mark ending the scene. The applause came a few seconds later after everyone's shock wore off. Even the president's dead eyes shone with a glee that hadn't been there since Tetsuya stepped on stage. Could Jin's performance have actually stirred something within the president?

Jin bowed deeply, beaming with happiness as he stood back up.

"That was quite a surprise…" Seiji commended it with a small applause.

"Thank you, sir," Jin exhaled shakily and bowed to the director. Kyoko smiled and clapped her hands in applause with the rest of them.

"Thank you, Kyoko-san," Jin bowed deeply, turning to her. "You are more incredible than I thought…thank you for being so patient and kind. I could never have done anything like this if it weren't for you. I must have done something good in another life to deserve all this happiness."

His kind words were punctuated with a vicious growl from his stomach, turning his face crimson again.

Kyoko could no longer contain her giggle. How he kept his stomach from gurgling through the scene was a miracle by the way it was now voicing its discomfort.

"Tajika-san," Seiji groaned at the interruption. "If you're serious about entering show biz, you must take better care of your body. Can you imagine how much time, film, and money would be wasted redoing scenes if you faint or your stomach rumbles during a taping?"

"I'm so sorry, sir. I have no excuse," he quickly apologized and dipped into a deep bow.

Seiji turned to one of the assistants nearest him. "Please give him a voucher for the cafe downstairs. I don't want him dropping on the way out."

"That's very kind of you, sir. But I'll be able to…" The sleeping monster rumbled to life again, disrupting him.

"I insist," Seiji chuckled. Realizing the director wouldn't change his mind, Jin graciously accepted the generosity and bowed again. Seiji sent him on his way with the promise of reaching out to him by the end of the week, regardless of whether or not he made it to the next round.

Kyoko wasn't sure if Jin would be a worthy candidate for the lead male role, but his audition was at least memorable and entertaining for her.

The director called for a short break, allowing them to enjoy a snack, use the restroom, and regroup to tackle the remaining candidates.

From then on, Ran and Iwagami took turns reading for the remaining candidates while Kyoko resumed observing from the table. While she would have enjoyed running through the script with another potential lead, Kyoko didn't want to interrupt Seiji's plan for these auditions.

Eventually, they made it to the last candidate. Kyoko reached for the folder and opened the profile, only to gasp at the image staring back at her.

"Gen-san!" Kyoko squealed, recognizing her friend and classmate entering the stage. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm auditioning to be your leading man, surpriiiissseee," he chuckled and waved his hands at her.

"You didn't even say anything. Do the girls know?" She asked curiously, referring to Gina and Hanami.

"They encouraged me to do it. They said, and I quote, "You'll never reach Ren-san's status if you don't take on acting roles," he mimicked in a higher pitch, making Kyoko giggle. The little man crush he had on her boyfriend was something the girls loved to tease him about.

"I didn't know you were the female lead until the second round. When I told the girls, we all agreed that we would keep it a surprise if I made it to the end. I wasn't expecting to see you here today, so the cat's out of the bag."

"Um, Kyoko-san, can you share how you know Kimura-san with the rest of us?" Seiji asked, amused by our conversation.

"Oh, yes. Sorry," she dipped her head in apology. "Gen-san is my friend from school. We're classmates."

"You have friends," Sho snickered, proud of his little joke.

Asshole! Kyoko's battalion of grudges wanted nothing more than to strangle him to death.

"Whoa, what the fuck is Fuwa doing here," Gen whisper shouted at Kyoko, sending Ran into hysterics.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for using that language," Gen apologized, bowing respectfully.

"It's alright, Kimura-san. We sort of got used to such reactions to Fuwa-san's presence here," Seiji said, waving off his apology. "Fuwa-san has been cast to play the other guy," the director responded cryptically. He said it in a way to not give away other parts of the script.

"Holy shit, really?" Gen exclaimed and ran his fingers through his hair and tugged.

"Really?" He asked exasperatedly, looking specifically at Kyoko, his eyes begging her to make it make sense.

"Yes, really," Sho snapped, glaring at Gen who in return glared right back.

Kyoko wouldn't be surprised if Sho got his lights punched out by whoever was cast for Seiichi. The guy had the habit of rubbing people the wrong way. As her friend, Gen would take it personally for her sake.

"Well, you better not mess this up for her. She's worked too damn hard to get to this point in her career. If you even try to sabotage her work, you will feel the wrath of me and our other friends," Gen threatened. "Because, yes, contrary to your belief, Kyoko-san has plenty of friends and plenty of fans that will support her."

Her eyes widened at Gen's outburst. It was a side to him she had never seen before. The way he stuck up for her had Kyoko near tears, moved by the depth of Gen's friendship. He was speaking on behalf of their other friends, but Kyoko knew they would agree with him anyway. The girls would rip Sho to pieces if given the chance.

"Whoa, dude, chill. I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm taking this job very seriously," Sho conceded, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Kyoko was not expecting such a mature response from him.

"See that you do," Gen warned, pointing his middle and index fingers at his eyes and then back to Sho in a gesture that told the singer he would be watching him.

"You sure have some rude friends," Sho grumbled and folded his arms.

Everyone at the table laughed at his expense. Gen immediately apologized for his terrible behavior, and again, Seiji brushed it off. It was almost as if he welcomed anyone that wanted to take a hit at Sho even if it disrupted their schedule.

"Kimura-san, are you ready to run through the script?" Seiji asked once everyone was composed again.

"Yes, sir," Gen straightened up.

"Well, then, let's get started," Seiji suggested. Lucky for Gen, Ran was up next to feed him his lines.

Kyoko might have been biased towards her friend because she thought he did an incredible job as Seiichi. Once that realization sunk in, she began to think of the various scenes they would have to act together if he got the part. She couldn't help but wonder if things might get awkward between them if they worked on this film together. As a successful model, he was handsome enough, and he already proved that he could hold his own against Sho.

When the scene ended, Seiji gave him the standard spiel about callbacks and sent Gen on his way.

"Well, I think that's everyone," Seiji announced, stretching his arms over his head. The others began to stand and stretch, chattering away while the assistants moved to pack away the gear.

"Wait! Wait! There's one more!" A woman ran in from backstage shouting and carrying a folder toward them.

"One more?" Seiji questioned and looked at the sheet with the list of candidates. Kyoko could see that each name had a check mark beside it, indicating the completion of their audition. "What are you talking about, Manami-san? There's no one left on the list."

"I'm sorry, sir," Manami bowed. "I added him to the end of the list."

"Why would you do that? You know the rules," Seiji reprimanded her.

"Please forgive me, sir. I understand if I lose my job, but trust me, sir. I think you'll want to meet him," Manami pleaded, holding the folder out to him while she remained in a bow.

Kyoko watched in anticipation as Seiji read over the contents in the folder and snapped his head up to the assistant.

"Is this for real?" Seiji asked incredulously, and the assistant nodded enthusiastically.

"He's in the waiting room?" Seiji clarified again, still unable to believe the assistant was telling the truth. This time he moved toward the president and handed him the folder.

"Yes, he came in over an hour ago. He understands if you won't let him. But sir, I think it will be a travesty if you don't give him a chance," the assistant insisted.

Kyoko had tried to peek inside the folder, but all she could see was a blur of blue and pink before Seiji handed it over. The president took his time opening the folder, and a slow Cheshire grin split through his rotting flesh.

"Who is it?" Ran asked curiously.

"An old friend," Lory replied, holding Kyoko's curious gaze and closing the folder.

An old friend? Just how old is this guy? Kyoko wondered while trying to guess her boss's current age.

Kyoko frowned. Could he be the leading man she craved? The assistant was even willing to jeopardize her position within the company to allow him to audition. If he had Lory's attention, he must be very talented.

AN: Gooomeeenn nnnaasssaiii! I have no excuse for going AWOL on you guys. All I could say is I got a new bed…LOL. The expensive kind that you can sink into and immediately doze off on. Every day I would type a few words of this chapter…in bed, and immediately get IPAD faced. I would end up telling myself I'll finish it tomorrow, next thing I know months have passed and still not done.

Random thoughts:

I think I'm officially older than Kuu *cue the tears.* I pray with each passing year that I see the end of this manga.

I started re-reading the manga too. I made it to the Heel siblings arc, and it has sparked some inspiration for the next chapter. Hopefully, it doesn't take me as long to write as this one.

I have to say that I'm totally disappointed in the Ceddie that sensei has given us. I so want to see Kyoko throat-punch his weak ass now…XD.

Thank you for always sticking with me. I appreciate it!

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^