Chapter 25. Dream Come True.

"In the end, I was nothing more than a stepping stone for him," Kyoko said softly, her voice containing a mixture of resentment and hurt. "Someone easy to climb over on his rise to being a star."

Ren's expression didn't falter. With his eyes fixated on the road, the musculature on his poker face remained stubbornly still, not betraying any hint of reaction, like it had been for the past few minutes since Kyoko started her tale.

"So one day I wanna be a star far greater than him. I'll make him regret every lie he ever told me. I want to become something better than he could ever be." She poured out her heart by giving Ren every single detail. How she used to be before Sho? How she wasted and sacrificed her life for him? She found herself telling him about things she never dared to admit even to her self, like how she always suspected deep down that Sho was way beyond her league but she kept living in denial. Ignoring the signs, she kept burning herself stoically working for him.

She also told him what hurt her the most. Not only that Sho didn't love her but also the fact that he didn't care tuppence about her. When she confronted him, he didn't even try to pretend to lie to her for her sake. He told her to her face how she was nothing more than just a maid to him. Even after she left the apartment, he never came looking for her. Not even to make sure if she was dead or alive.

She never told these things to anyone. Not to her best friend, Moko or the Taishos, who treated her like a daughter and sheltered her when she had nowhere else to go.

She wanted to get this off her chest for so long, but whenever she tried to share it with anyone, the lump in her throat would bulge out robbing her of her voice and her power to speak. But for some reason, once she opened her mouth now, all the truth came spilling out of it, the lump was gone like it never existed.

She couldn't stop herself from telling him all of it. All the hurt she had been carrying around for the past six months poured out of her leaving her heart relieved from a deep burden.

"Revenge," he finally spoke after she was done. "That's why you started studying acting."

"I..." Her voice trailed off.

"He hurt you and that's unforgivable. But you have to move on. If he's all there is behind your motivation to perform, then you're still wasting away your life for him. Besides, I will say as an actor, I find it kinda distasteful."

This explains everything! Kyoko realized. The silence, the tension! For the first time, it all made sense. His hostility when they first met in front of Swara's office, his talking down to her with contempt and picking on her all the time, all the pieces slowly fell into place revealing the bigger picture.

He knew my motives were impure. When all this began, my intentions weren't pure. He knew that from the beginning, thanks to my big mouth. It may have started because of Sho, but that's not why I'm still traveling down this path.

Now acting meant so much more to her than Sho's revenge. And she was going to make him see that. "No, that's not it!" She objected. "The reason I started studying acting-"

She was interrupted by a sudden bell from her handbag. At first she looked at it strangely but then she remembered about the cellphone Swara had given her.

She fished it out and read that it was from an unknown number. "Hello?" She said once she answered it and held it up to her ear.

"Ms Mogami, why?" A familiar frantic voice shouted from the other side.

"Mr President?"

"I've been calling and calling all day! Why haven't you picked up? Are you ignoring me?"

"I'm sorry Mr Takarada. I don't own a phone so I guess I didn't notice."

"I have some truly wonderful news!" Excitement was who oozing out of his voice

"What kind of truly wonderful news?"

"Tell me Ms Mogami, is it your dream to finish highschool?"

"Huh?"

"Highschool, my dear. Highschool."

"What?" She was so shocked by that word that she forgot she was in a car and jumped up abruptly. Her head accidentally bumped on the ceiling of the car and she fall back on her seat with a pained expression.

"Got a little carried away with all the excitement, huh?" Ren commented, but she wasn't listening to him. Her full attention was on what the President said next.

"I'm here with a friend of mine who just so happens to be a chairman of a school with a performing arts program. They'll be happy to let you enroll late and they'll be understanding of your schedule."

"I- I get to go to a real highschool?" She whispered, wondering if it was just some cruel dream giving her false hope or if it was actually happening.

"The entrance exam is a simple review of topics from middle school so it should be no trouble."

"This is the greatest day ever!"

"This is a wonderful opportunity, so what do you say?"

"Yes! Of course, Sir! When can I start?"

"The entrance exam will be in two days." Takarada told her to be prepared before that and that he'll give her the rest of the details in person. After he hung up, a joyous and jubilant smile curled his lips and he sighed with satisfaction. Since the day of the shoot of the Kyurara commercial, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Kyoko Mogami. He didn't know the details but he could tell she had some painful memories from the past tucked away inside her heart behind that cheerful smile of hers.

Judging from her determination and her raw talent, his instincts were screaming that she had the potential to be one of the biggest stars of the industry. And he wanted to groom her for that on every step of the way!

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When they reached the last set, Ren immediately started with the shoot. Kyoko wanted to continue their conversation which was earlier interrupted by the President's call, but she didn't get a chance. So she decided to utilize her time by preparing for her upcoming exam instead of just waiting for Ren. She used her newly acquired cellphone (which wasn't actually hers) to google some mathematics questions for Highschool entrance exams and tried to solve them in her spare time in the back room.

This problem, I know it! She slammed her hand on the desk bitterly and shuddered. Oh yes, I've seen you before!

She gritted her teeth and repeatedly clicked the back tip of her retractable pen making an incessant clicking noise. Once I was duped by your impertinence and suffered, but that's the old me. Never again, math equation! Never again! Finally, a chance for righteous vengeance! You shamed me that day but now you shall taste the wrath of a thousand mechanical twist pens!

And she delved right into the problem to discern the solution. Even though she was focusing on solving the problems, she kept an ear out for whenever the director shouted for a break, since she didn't want to ignore her managerial duties. When the director called for a five minute break, she darted to Ren's side to hand him a towel and get him water or whatever he needed.

The best part was she actually enjoyed studying. She was a little rusty at first but soon she was able to knock out all the questions as she slowly remembered that she had already studied most of it in middle school. The fact that she remembered it after such a long time made her realise that she was not actually stupid, like her mother used to tell her all the time, and she felt proud of herself.

Unbidden, the memory of her mother scolding and slapping her for not getting a perfect score knocked into her head. The disapproving glint in her mother's eyes when she stared at her with contempt and called her stupid...

But I wasn't stupid! She realised. I never fell below an eighty on any test. How could I be called an idiot if I did so well? Why didn't I see this before?

She sighed. It's not like I was getting any positive reinforcement. If my exam wasn't flawless, if my score wasn't perfect, it was a failure. For mom, there were no good grades or average grades, only right and wrong, only smart and stupid!

"Cut! Take a five!" The gruff voice of the directors pulled her back to the present and she rushed out with a towel.

She stopped midway when she noticed Ren clearing his throat.

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. It's like the tenth time. Why has he been clearing his throat so much?

Ren, who hadn't noticed her yet, stepped outside into the hall and she followed him quietly. He stopped in front of a vending machine, pushed down a coin and poured himself a steaming hot cup of tea.

"Highly unusual!" Kyoko revealed herself from behind the pillar where she was hiding.

He turned at the sound of her voice. "Care to tell me what you are doing?"

"Mr Tsuruga," she squinted her eyes dubiously. "I have irrefutable proof that you just put milk in your tea. Why would you do that?" She asked in a suspicious tone.

"I don't know," he replied casually "I guess I just feel like having it this way today."

"That's a lie, Sir! I heard from some reliable witnesses and everyone said the same thing." She snapped open the planner in her hand and read aloud. "Weather coffee or tea, Mr Tsuruga always drinks it black without exception."

"So you are a detective now?" He paused. "The truth is I am feeling a little tired today. So I thought an extra boost in my tea would help me get through it." He took a sip from his cup of the steaming hot tea.

"Huh! So the great actor gets a sore throat when he starts to feel worn out?" Her tone was awfully close to that of an inquisitive jailor.

"No. This is the first time it's ever happened."

"Oh really?" She smiled sweetly "I bet it feels like something's stuck behind your tongue and when you swallow the back of your throat feels as dry as sandpaper?"

"Exactly like that! How in the world do you know?"

"It actually really simple. Do you know what these feelings are symptoms of?"

"Tell me." Another sip.

She stopped smiling and a frown creased on her forehead. "A freaking cold!"

His lips curled into a lopsided smirk and a choked sound, which was something between a snicker and a scoff, escaped from them.

"Don't you dare try to laugh this off!" She snapped. "All those are the early symptoms of a cold. If you don't take medicine right now it will only get worse!"

"It's cute that you worry," he informed her in a smug tone. "But I am quite proud of the fact that I've never once had a cold in my entire career." His complacent smile was so radiating that it was almost blinding to look at him directly.

"Well, it looks like your streak is broken cause have a cold! Mr Tsuruga!"

"I don't!"

"You're. Gonna. Be. Sick!" She stated each words slowly and between pauses to put emphasis on them so she could knock some sense into that empty thing between his ears.

"No. I. Won't!" He mimicked her tone.

"Why can't you just accept the simple truth that you are getting sick, okay?"

"Why can't you just accept the simple truth that I am perfectly fine?" With one last sip, he gulped down the rest of his tea.

"You are one hundred percent not perfectly fine!" Kyoko was losing her patience from this senseless bickering and her voice kept getting higher and higher until she was shouting at him. "You have a cold and you probably caught it from Mr Yashiro."

"Well, now I know for sure that you are wrong. I am not sneezing like him. I certainly don't have any kind of fever. I'm perfectly fine."

Is he seriously fighting me on this? Kyoko silently counted to 10 to calm her nerves without much help. He's acting like a stupid little boy!

He dumped the empty cup into the bin and turned back to her. "How about we make a deal? If I wake up tomorrow all sniffly with a fever then you are right and I have cold, and then we'll deal with it."

"You have to treat it now!" She shot back.

He ambled away to where the set was as he pointed out, "I work hard and train my body. I'll be just fine."

She sprinted after him to keep up with his swift stride. "And what are you gonna do when denial alone won't make you better?"

"Not your problem."

"You're gonna be stuck in bed all snotty and crying!"

"I don't cry!"

"You're so gonna regret not taking care of this!"

"Whatever!"

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The next morning, inside Ren's car, which was outside the agency, Kyoko carefully studied the thermometer and rolled her eyes. "I don't want to say it but I told you so!"

"Why did I have to catch this stupid cold?" He breathed. His face was flushed and his eyes half-closed and dizzy.

"Are you kidding me? This is exactly what Mr Matsushima told me was gonna happen!"

She made her voice deeper and mimicked Matsushima's words. "I assigned you to him because in the very least, his chivalry will make sure he eats properly. The simple truth is, he has no idea how to take care of his body or his well being when he is alone."

Ren frowned as if he just found out for the first time how his coworkers thought of him. He was speechless.

"You're a failure as a professional!" Taking advantage of this rare opportunity since he was too weak to fight back, she snapped at him. A feeling of unprecedented satisfaction washed over her, as she got back at him for not listening to her before.

The comment hit him like a slap, but he did not have the strength to argue. He blew his nose into a handkerchief and, wrapping his arms around his head, leaned on the steering wheel. "I can't believe you'd say something so cruel," that was all he managed to say.

In reply, she started ranting as if she was scolding a deviant child and not talking to the biggest star of Japan. "You can tell the interviewers whatever you want but merely training for your appearance won't keep you healthy. You have to eat and eat right! I get that you are busy, believe me, I do! But that's no excuse! And why haven't you taken your medicine yet?"

He cocked up his head up and blurted, "I'm sorry!"

"You're what?" She narrowed her eyes believing she must have heard wrong.

"I'm sorry. You were right and I was overconfident. I can be so stubborn. I should have listened to you. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have made such a damn fool of myself."

Kyoko flushed. I can't help it! When he says something so sweet like that I can't doubt his sincerity. He's more mature than he seems. Even through the anger he must feel towards me, even through the misunderstandings, he still apologized.

Kyoko couldn't help but admire his drive. Even though he was sick, unsurprisingly, he still refused to take the day off and went ahead with the shoots. Pushing through his fever, it was remarkable how he switched from character to character with utmost perfection.

An hour before dusk, they arrived at the last shoot scene. Kyoko's wonderstruck eyes turned big and her pupils dilated as she took in the picturesque scenery of the palace.

The scene was supposed to be shot out in the garden so there wasn't allowed to go inside, but Kyoko didn't let herself be down by that fact because the garden alone was just as huge and magnificent with a golden fence surrounding it. Enticing fragrance was filled in the air which came from the precious, fragile and decidedly rare flower beds. Colourful fluttering butterflies were roaming in the skies.

Kyoko immediately loved it! She was sure nothing could spoil her mood as long as she was here. Until her eyes stopped on a water truck with a rain machine on the top.

"It's a rain scene?" She shot Ren a glare.

"Yeah," he replied casually.

"No! Absolutely not! You have a cold," she reminded him. "If you stand there soaking wet, it will only get worse!"

"I bought this fever upon myself and there's nothing to be done about it."

"But you can't!" She whispered softly, this time her voice almost sounded like it was pleading.

"Today is the only day we can shoot at this location," he said and walked away.

Almost half an hour later, the clapperboard sounded and the scene began again from the top.

Ren opened the scene and delivered his dialogue with utmost perfection like he had been doing for the past eight takes despite his cold and the rain showering on him.

His co-star, however, Yumiko hadn't been all that perfect. She delivered her lines in reply, "yes, maybe I was the one at fault in all this, but it still doesn't make any sense, does it? I know there has to be something wrong here."

Here it comes! Kyoko clenched her fists desperately and prayed that the heroine wouldn't mess up the line this time.

Yumiko continued, "it's incredibly spusicious... Crap, I did it again, didn't I?"

"Cut!" The director shouted. "Yumiko, the line is 'it's incredibly suspicious.' Let's take it from the top!"

Kyoko stared daggers at Yumiko. This is ninth take she screwed up. What's suspicious is that she can't get through the freaking word!

Her face turned to Ren in a concerned expression. He looks so pale. If they can't postpone the shoot, the least they can do is give him a break!

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Kyoko knocked on the door of Ren's dressing room, in the nearby hotel where they arrived after the shoot. He should have changed by now, she wondered when he didn't answer. She waited outside as she stood there crossing her arms.

The good news was, the scene was successfully shot after a few more takes. The bad news, however, Ren was so dizzy by the end that he almost passed out. This was the last appointment of the day, so as his manager, Kyoko was free to go. But there was no way she was going to leave him like that.

After five minutes, when he still didn't answer, Kyoko pushed open the door, which luckily turned out to be unlocked.

Inside, she found Ren panting heavily, leaning on the dresser table for support as if he couldn't even stand. His eyes were closed like he was only semiconscious.

Kyoko called out to him but he didn't respond. She lightly patted him on the shoulder. He looked up and then...

Bam!

The next moment, Kyoko was down on the floor being crushed by approximately one-hundread-and-eighty pounds of man muscles on top of her as Ren lost consciousness and came crashing down on her.

To be continued.