CHAPTER 4

I do not own skip beat! Its own by the devilish sadistic Nakamura Yoshiki.

Kyoko was sitting quietly on the prominent dark blue plush couch stealing glances to the person at the other side of the booth. The huge feline figure bent over the back of the couch with his head hanging in an improbable angle on the side of it.

He was a lot more flexible than she imagined. She contained a smile. If he hadn't been in such a state, he would even have looked comical.

His outer appearance was perfect as of usual but it was his face. Kyoko had no words to describe the deepness of sorrow showing on his face. She has never seen his perfect visage display such a distorted and achingly painful expression.

What happened?

Unconsciously her heart throbbed with the sight and a mirroring expression came twisting her face too. She was lightly raising her hand to reach out when he talked.

-Go away his hoarse voice said.

She flinched slightly. She turned her back and a bitter smile graced her features. She knew he wouldn't wish to see the disgusting sight that she was. Even in this hopeless distress he was in. Still she wasn't able to conceal her primary reaction.

But no. She reaffirmed her resolve. She couldn't let him stay like that. Kijima-san was in no state to help him and Ren hadn't much friends. He was a recluse. Most of the time. Kyoko had even been surprised he didn't just trashed and inebriated himself at his flat rather than coming here. It was unlikely when you knew him. He really had to be in a poor condition.

If not the worst one she thought as she looked at him from the corner the eye.

How could she go anywhere?

If what he said to her in his messages had any bits of truth in it then it means he was even more helpless than she thought concerning his attitude toward women. More importantly, it showed the far range of how cunning women could try and most likely success in taking advantage of his clumsy innocence and kindness toward them.

She now remembered some of the comments that Yashiro-san said about him being too kind to women and treating them too much like innocent lambs, not noticing the damages or the plotting it could generate.

-Go away He said again in a broken rough voice.

She didn't answer. She wouldn't leave. Even if she had wanted to she wouldn't have been able to. Not after glazing over this fractured sight.

-I don't know who you are but GO THE HELL AWAY! He tried to yell but end up muttering in an angry shooting whisper barely intelligible.

Yup. Indeed. He was wasted.

Completely waste.

He would never lose his composure like that if he wasn't.

-No Kyoko merely replied in a subdued tone.

He didn't utter a word more and Kyoko closed the distance to feel his forehead.

She gasped. He was burning. Was it just the alcohol or did he just ditch on the side his self-care while she wasn't looking.

She pinched her lips irritably. Damn man.

-You should take better care of yourself you know, you have a fever right now she chastised him angrily. What did you do these last two months? She asked while inspecting around to identify if he had lost weight. Which he had she annoyingly noted.

She looked back to his face and noticed his eyes were open and he was silently observing her. He reached out and let the tips of his fingers brushed her cheek before completely stroking it.

-I drank too much if I can see you.

-Yes you did she said severely.

He smiled sincerely, not the least bit feeling guilty if it meant he could see her. Hallucination or not.

She frowned but continued:

-But I don't see how it negates my presence, now.

He blinked once. Then his eyes expanded wider than ever before.

-You are here.

-You are really here! He said with sudden awareness albeit his drunk state.

-Yes I'm here Kyoko confirmed though confused.

In a blink of an eye, two strong extended limbs closed up on her and enveloped her in the lull of his arms squeezing her for dear life.

A pouf resound in the booth as Ren fell off the couch and somehow took her with him on the ground but she was too busy trying to ventilate between the death squeeze he was giving her and this accrued proximity very dangerous for her sanity.

-Tsuruga-…

She interrupted herself when she heard what he was babbling about.

-I'm sorry… I'm so very sorry…Hic… I don't really know what I did… that upset you that much but please stop avoiding me, please… Pretty please… I would do anything you want.

She giggled. He was so very drunk, it was kind of cute.

Note to herself, Ren Tsuraga: hopelessly blind to the devious side that women possess and helplessly cute when drunk. Both very dangerous. To the perpetrator and the potential victims.

He levelled up such sad repentant look to her face that it momently shocked her into oblivion.

So…So…not fair.

Kyoko sighed.

Well…I suppose it's okay right now…he's so drunk… he won't remember any of this tomorrow…

Kyoko gave up. Gave up on not acting on her feelings and hiding it completely, for now. She just couldn't do it. He was too cute and she sort of had a good excuse so-

She rose up to her knees and circled him with her arms.

-Okay.

-You aren't angry anymore?

Damn it! How could an adult man have such a timid innocent voice?!

-Nope.

-You won't avoid me anymore? He asked again to be sure while he tightened his hold on her.

Stop it already, it's criminal.

-You promise?

Hidden in the crook of his neck she blushed thoroughfully and swore to it.

After a while Kyoko tried to let go but his arms contracted themselves around her even more.

-Not yet he murmured softly.

She nibbled on her lips repeatedly. On the verge of exploding.

A clingy Tsuruga Ren is too cute…

He finally let her lift her head and she looked into his drunk foggy eyes. Up this close, the pupils seem had a sort of greenish tone, it was beautiful. She abruptly caught something in his eye realizing it was just an impression. She looked up closely and realized it was lens.

I didn't know he wore lenses…

Then what's his true eye colour?

She came back to looking into his eyes.

-Do I have something in the eyes? He asked her drowsily.

-Hmmm…she said noncommittally while she observed his eyes carefully. The greenish tone was coming from his eyes behind the lenses. So his natural eyes colour was green.

Just like Corn…

She froze. Dreading something that was coming but not knowing what it was.

As on an impulse, pulled by an unknown force she lifted her eyes to his hair and bend his head toward her. There as blatant as the day, the proof of a still confused evidence was laying in there to Kyoko. Here, on the roots of his hair, glowing blond hair was growing daring her to look at them.

She gasped.