Note: Song is 'The Best Part of Me' by Jeremy Renner
"You're a musician not an actor." Kyoko said under her breath. She was still in shock about the revelation that Sho would be working with her on set. Maybe he will just be a quick cameo she was hoping. She wasn't sure how she could deal with seeing him on a daily bases while shooting the drama. She had tried to kill him multiple occupations when they were shooting the PV for Prisoner and she couldn't even fathom working with him for longer than one day.
"I'm so talented that my agency decided that I could branch out." Sho said smugly. "My video's are proof of that."
"Please, your videos are only good because you have such a talented producer." Kyoko said and picked up her script and stared at it trying to read but unable to focus. How was she going to tell Tsuruga about this? Maybe she should just gracefully back out, but that would be worse for her career, and the voice of hatred came back to her, 'you've got to beat him, destroy Sho with your acting.' She knew that she couldn't back out now, she had already agreed and who would have guessed that Sho, a pop singer, would be working with her in a drama.
Sho snorted choosing to ignore the jib she threw out. He leaned his head back against the cold wall and closed his eyes. He knew that he was going to be great in this drama, he also knew that he needed to get out of his own head about Kyoko playing the main female lead. He remembered how she felt in his arms when the elevator suddenly stopped. 'Was she always so petite?' he couldn't remember. He thought that she felt so small in his arms and he just wanted to protect her. Even now he could still feel her small frame in his arms and missed the warmth. She had also smelled good, like warm vanilla. How could she smell so damn sweet he wondered. His mood turned sour thinking about what could happen to her in the future. She was so damn naive and needed someone with real world experience to protect her. His mind started to wonder back to Tsuruga, what had that no talent bastard done with her? Had she ever been in his arms? Sho knew that anything that could have happened between the two would be total manipulation on his part. Tsuruga was a total playboy jerk that would seduce innocent Kyoko and throw her to the wolves once he was done with her Sho thought getting angrier by the minute with different scenarios playing though his mind of Ren Tsuruga toying with Kyoko.
"So…" Kyoko said breaking the silence between them "what part did you get?" Please don't say Kazuki, please don't say Kazuki she thought over and over in her head.
Sho opened one eye and looked at her, "Kazuki." He said with a smirk.
"Uggghhhhh! Why!" She groaned into the script. What kind of rotten luck did she truly have she wondered. She had always tried to be a good person, why is karma doing this to her. Why did it have to be Sho, anyone would be better than Shotaru!
Sho rolled his eyes before he closed them again trying to act like he was ignoring her, even if he did want to ignore her he couldn't. He could feel her rage and despair swirling around her and was happy about it. As long as I'm in her thoughts I'm winning he thought to himself. This was the perfect way for him to get back into her life, even if it is to make her miserable on a daily basis, she would think of him more and less of Ren Tsuruga.
Kyoko sat in her corner trying to compose herself. "I am an actress. I am a professional. Nothing can shake my resolve. I will be the greatest actress in Japan. I will crush that egoistical jerk and laugh while he begs for forgiveness and recognition of my greatness at my feet." she chanted under her breath hoping Sho couldn't hear her but also not caring if he had or not. She wished that Tsuruga was here with her, he would know what to say to cheer her up. 'Mogami, you cannot let your feelings sway you on projects, you must be the bigger person.' She said to herself in her best Ren voice. 'Remember, you must play your part no matter the situation.' She wished she had her voodoo dolls with her, it was much easier to listen to her version of Tsuruga with it. She gave up the act of pretending to read the script and sighed. When will we be let out of here she wondered.
Kyoko glanced at Sho who was still leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, was he napping? Of course the man child she was stuck with would be that oblivious to the situation to fall asleep. Did he know she was in this drama when he took it? Did he want her so miserable that he would take this job just to harass her? She quickly dismissed the idea remembering his expression when he saw the script and realized who she was in it. So it was just rotten luck that they would co star in the same drama together.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Sho said not opening his eyes. He could feel her icy gaze on him even without looking. He heard her huff and couldn't help but grin knowing she looked away. "Or do you find me so irresistible that you can't keep your eyes off me? I do have that effect on women after all." He said as he opened his eyes, his grin widening.
Kyoko could feel the anger bubbling up. "You are about as desirable as eating fried cockroaches."
"You know what they say Kyoko, eating bugs is a matter of taste." Sho retorted with a chuckle.
"Then I feel bad for all those that enjoy eating cockroaches." She said.
Sho couldn't keep the smile off his face remembering when he was Kyoko's favorite bug. He remembered how she would always be on his side, always helping him and supporting his dreams. Though the smile quickly started falling off when he thought about that day she had overheard him tell Shoko that she was just a maid. There were so many times that he wanted to apologize to her about what he had said but his pride wouldn't allow it. He knew he didn't treat her right and wondered if this was a golden opportunity to try to make things right with her, maybe even better, steal her away from that talentless hack Ren Tsuruga.
Silence resumed as each of them went back to their own thoughts as they sat in their opposite corner, both wondering when the damn elevator would start back up or someone might save them.
Kyoko and Sho had been stuck in for over an hour now. After their initial spat they both sat in silence with the different thoughts whirling in their heads. Kyoko looked at Sho and he was still in the same fixed position, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and his legs stretched out in front of him. He reminded Kyoko of a living doll, the only way she knew he was still alive was she could see his chest rising from breathing and he would grimace at times almost as if he was in pain. Speaking of pain she realized that her legs were going numb so she started rubbing them to get circulation back. Her body was screaming at her from the lack of movement and the uncomfortable position she had been in with her legs to her chest, and using her knees as a head rest facing away from Sho so she wouldn't have to look at him.
They had been alone for a while now and hadn't exchanged many words, and the silence wasn't uncomfortable, it never had been between the two. It was almost comforting sitting in silence with him. Kyoko shook that thought out of her head, maybe in the past it was comforting, but now all she wanted to do was get away from him. Why of all the elevators in the world did he step on to hers?
Suddenly she heard voices above them, they were muffled and she couldn't understand what they were saying but she felt excited that they would be out of there soon, at least she hoped they would. She jumped from her seated position and yelled up towards the voices "Hey, can you hear me? We are in here. Please get us out!"
"Kyoko, they know we are here, I'm sure that's why they are up there." Sho said watching her jump up and down as she called to the workers.
Kyoko glared at Sho, "I was just making sure they knew which elevator to be working on."
Kyoko started feeling nervous, she could feel a vibration throughout the elevator and looked at Sho who shrugged it off. "don't worry, they are just trying to get it to move to a floor so we can get out." he told her trying to sound nonchalant as possible as to try to comfort her.
The elevator jerked again, but much more violently. "Kyoko!" Sho shouted as he reached his hand to grab her. Her eyes met his and he could see the fear in her face and in an instant they heard a loud snap echo through the space and the lift started to fall quickly. Kyoko felt herself fall forward and everything went black. Loud screeching noises were piercing her ears and all she could do was think she was about to die. She would never get to see Okami-san or Taisho-san again, would never see Moko, or any of those that she cared for, especially Ren.
Before she knew it the screeching had stopped and so had the lift. She could feel strong arms holding her against a warm chest. She wasn't dead and a wave of relief washed over her.
Sho had grabbed Kyoko by the wrist once the elevator has started to plummet and pulled her into his chest. He couldn't believe that they were falling. He closed his eyes and held her tightly to him. He could feel that the elevator was losing speed but the screeching was still ringing in his ears. Once they came to a complete stop he let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding. Looking down he saw Kyoko still in his arms, her face buried in his chest. He could feel her trembling though he wasn't quite sure if it was her or him or maybe both of them. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you?" Sho asked trying to keep his voice as calm as he could but failing when he heard his voice cracking.
Kyoko didn't move, she wasn't sure she could. Her whole body was shaking and she couldn't stop nor could she move no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to answer him, to tell him she wasn't hurt but her voice wouldn't work.
A frantic voice came through the intercom "Mr Fuwa, are you both okay?"
"What the fuck was that?" Sho shouted his arms still around the trembling Kyoko. "Are you trying to fucking kill us?" Rage replaced the relief that he was previously feeling.
"We are so sorry about that, the brake broke, but the emergency brakes activated stopping the elevator." the nervous voice said. "We have emergency services on their way to get you out, they will be there in about 10 minutes. Please hang tight."
Sho was even more outraged. "Please hang tight you say! We almost died in this death trap!" he said to nobody in particular. "Kyoko, did you hear that. They are going to get us out." He told her, he hadn't realized that he was stroking her hair trying to calm her down, though it seemed it was helping him more than her. She hadn't moved, if she hadn't been shaking so bad he would think that she had seriously gotten hurt. He wanted more than anything for her to calm down as well as himself.
"It's 2 am in New York" Sho started singing softly
"The sun's out in Japan
This lonely hotel room
Is far too far from you
Missing another birthday
I wish I could kiss your pretty face
I know I've let you down
I hate to let you down
Mountains and oceans
I'm counting the seconds
No distance could keep me from you
And even a million miles away
When all my hairs have turn to gray
You'll always be my number one
Ride that line into the sun
No matter where in time and space
I'll carry you inside of me
You will always be the best part of me
Your head's now on my shoulder
I could kiss your pretty face
I won't let you down
As I have let you down
Goodbyes are behind us
And all my past mistakes
I get to hold you now
Never letting you go now
These mountains and oceans
Have bound us much closer
I thank you for waiting on me
And even a million miles away
When all my hairs have turn to gray
You'll always be my number one
Ride that line into the sun
No matter where in time and space
I'll carry you inside of me
You will always be the best part of me
You will always be the best part of me
Even after all that's said and done
You will always be my number one
And even a million miles away
When all my hairs have turn to gray
You'll always be my number one
Ride that line into the sun
No matter where in time and space
I'll carry you inside of me
You will always be the best part of me
The best part of me
The best part of me"
Once Sho finished singing he felt better and noticed that Kyoko had stopped shaking. He could feel her even breathing against his stomach, she had fallen asleep. He stayed as still as he could one arm wrapped around her while the other hand continued to stroke her hair. He was in disbelief that she had fallen asleep in his arms but figured it was due to the stress of the situation, any and all the adrenaline washing out of her body exhausted her to the point that she could fall asleep. He looked down at the face that he knew so well but didn't seem to know at all. Her thick lashes swept her cheeks, and her pink lips were partially open. He noticed how beautiful she had really turned out. He had seen her in so many different characters, but the girl sleeping on his chest was his Kyoko, innocent and pure with silly fairy tails spinning in her head. He smiled to himself glad that he wasn't dead, but also cherishing this bittersweet moment that he would never get the chance to have again. He was almost sad that he could hear the emergency team trying to pry the doors to the lift open and soon she would be out of his grasp yet again.