Chapter 29. Prisoner.

"I am not buying this story of yours, Ren," Yashiro jumped back to the topic they were discussing right after Ren returned from the set for a break after the scene was taken. "I've never met anyone as level-headed and cautious as you are. It was no mistake."

"Are you still on about that?" Ren rolled his eyes and informed him very patiently. "I already told you, I didn't intend to use the hundred point stamp. Will you just drop it now?"

Wiping fake tears from his eyes, Yashiro mumbled sympathetically, "poor Kyoko worked so hard. Even if it was an accident, you could have let it slide without the negative ten! She gave you the absolutely best she could-"

"She didn't do it for me, she did it for herself!" Ren replied in a curt, quiet voice, the quiet of the calm before a deadly storm. "I am sure she wanted to help but she also wanted a spotless record. I won't give her a hundred just for that."

"I understand. At first, you were proud to give her a hundred but when she suggested she may have been working for herself, you took ten away."

Ren's eyes widened as if he just realised it for the first time.

"And that's what I suspected was going on. That settles it," Yashiro sighed in satisfaction as he straightened his tie. It took him all week, but he finally managed to get his point across to Ren making him admit that the hundred-point-stamp-thing wasn't an 'accident' like he claimed.

"Was that an awful thing for me to do?" Ren inquired with a guilty look when he realised that denial won't work anymore. "It could come off as a bit immature."

"It was a bit childish, but I do understand," Yashiro smiled knowingly. It was time to talk about the other thing. "Anyone in your condition would be shocked to hear that out of the blue."

"My condition?" Ren's eyebrows shot up quizzically.

"I mean, it would be tough to hear for anyone that she was only working so hard as a sense of duty. For you, it must be even worse - having feelings for her, I mean." There, I dare you to deny me now. Yashiro blinked innocently and waited for Ren to finally crack.

"F-feelings?" Ren's sockets went so wide that his eyes might have popped out of his skull any second.

"You're... kidding, right?"

"Come on," Ren replied nonchalantly, any hint of the earlier surprised suddenly vanished from his eyes. "I definitely don't dislike her, but that's it. She has proven how dedicated she is. Honestly the reason I subtracted the points is because she still doesn't understand all of her responsibilities as a member of the Love Me Division."

It was Yashiro's turn to be shocked. It was almost frightening how he assumed that Ren would have no choice but to accept his feelings when he'll be cornered and instead he ended up turning the whole conversation upside down just by uttering some fancily and succinctly phrased crap about her responsibilities as a member of the Love Me Division. It was unbelievable! Actors were scary!

"It has nothing to do with my personal feelings," Ren continued.

How on earth could you say that was such a straight face? Have you seen the way you look at her? Yashiro's eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped to the floor from surprise when his plan of cornering Ren failed miserably. Are you seriously this dumb, you freaking idiot?... Maybe he's not kidding! He may look like a Casanova, but maybe he is the oblivious type when it comes to girls!

As Ren went back to the set to shoot the next scene, Yashiro started planning about how to get Mr Clueless to see and accept the obvious truth – that he was in love with Kyoko.

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As the set was being prepared, Sho sat in a corner with his manager, Shouko while he waited for the shoot to start. Entering the room, Mimori stormed up to him, her face a picture of anger and suspicion.

"Sho, we need to talk!" She tried to sounds stern but it was hard to take her seriously because of her squeaky voice and baby face.

"Oh, hey there, Mimori." Sho eyed her body in her skin-tight costume. "You look cute in that getup." And he meant it. In the beautiful, white gown draped around her body and a long straight blonde wig drooping all the way down to her ankles, Mimori indeed looked like an angel on earth. Her pale skin was covered in exquisite makeup and her brown eyes sparkled with love.

"You mean it?" She beamed, all the anger washed away from her face.

"Yeah, really brings out your assets," he smirked.

"You're so sweet!" She cupped her blushing cheeks and exclaimed before switching back to her stern tone. "Don't change the topic. I have something much more important to talk about. Tell me what's happening between you and that girl?" She asked poking a finger on his chest.

Sho sighed before answering, "if you must know, we're enemies."

Just then, the door burst open and all the heads turned in the direction of the intruder, gasping at the sight. She was wearing a similar white, frilly frock as Mimori, but while Mimori's dress looked cute and pretty, it looked breathtakingly spectacular on her as it hugged her slightly curvy and voluptuous figure. Holding her skirt between her thumbs and index fingers, she lifted it up a little revealing her small feet in her white pump heels as she ambled inside gracefully with light footsteps.

Her eyes met Sho's and the blue contacts in her eyes flashed. Her gait lithe and supple, she sauntered over to him with the grace of a tigeress who was slowly approaching its prey. The tips of the blonde curly hair of her wig caressed the ground as she moved.

But Sho didn't see any of it because he was too mesmerized by her face and couldn't manage to take his eyes off it. It was the face of an angel, literally, as pure as the Holy Grail, it reminded him of a full moon on the navy sky. Her rosy cheeks and thin red lips were as enticing as the fragrance of a thorny rose, which beguiles people through its beauty and scent invitingly before pricking their fingers. And those eyes... Oh, those big, deep, ocean blue eyes glittering lustrous glee, sparkling below the bangs of the golden fleece which was her hair. She was indeed an angel, descended from the heavens above.

When she stopped in front of Sho, he finally managed to move his to lips in order to speak. "Is that... There is no way..." he whispered, refusing to believe that this was the same girl who was wearing a silly jumpsuit an hour ago, the same girl he tossed aside because she wasn't worth his time and the same girl he had known since they were four. He blinked. "Is that really... you, Kyoko?"

She rewarded him the sweetest smile he had ever seen before and discreetly stomped on his foot, pressing the sharp heel of her pump, causing the excruciating pain of a piercing needle.

Sho winced.

"Aww, does that hurt?" Grabbing his collar she pulled him closer until his face was only inches apart from hers. She was done being intimidated, it was time to go on the offence. Dropping the mask of fake emotions from her face, she revealed what she truly felt towards him.

Hate. Disgusted, loathed, abhorrent, detestable, bitter and hostile HATE. The look in her eyes chilled him to the bone. "Its nothing," she spat. "Nothing. At. All. Compared to the agony I felt here," she poked her thumb at her heart before whispering, "when you broke my heart into pieces."

Sho blinked again, not able to comprehend the unfathomable yet inevitable truth that this girl was indeed Kyoko. "This... is not the Kyoko I know," he mumbled.

"Why is that?" She asked innocently. "Because she stands up for herself when she is being abused by an arrogant fool like you? But that was the old me, the girl whose entire world revolved around you. I hate to break it to you, but that innocent little girl, the one who so wanted your love..." She let go of his collar and pushed him away in the process, "...she is gone now. I really do hope you got what you wanted. Now I'll make you regret that you didn't fire me. I swear, you will wish you were dead, Sho."

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That was so surprising. It was haunting but I couldn't look away, Asami thought after witnessing that little 'plight' of Kyoko and Sho. That spiteful look she give him was marvelous, for her character, that is. It was like death itself was seeping out of her eyes. And what was disturbing was how beautiful she looked. It was the perfect scene of an angel fallen from grace. Whatever doubts Asami might have had in the beginning about Kyoko vanished the instant she saw that look. In fact, she believed she couldn't have chosen better. But there was still that matter of her history with Sho. Asami glanced at him and found him sitting in a corner and staring at Kyoko, while she acted, like his eyeballs were stuck.

As the camera rolled, the two angels danced with cheerful smiles on the vast, flowery, lush green hill beneath the radiant blue sky. Their beauty was a sight to behold, yet Sho's eyes were glued only to the taller angel with curly blond hair and ocean blue eyes. He gazed and gazed as if he was mesmerized by her enticing beauty, like his only purpose in life was to capture her exquisiteness in his mind.

Mimori harrumphed when she watched Sho staring at Kyoko and the director shouted, "cut!" but even that couldn't bring Sho to tear his eyes away from the irresistible, divine and magnificent splendor of her beauty.

The scene started again. Watching the artistic smile of that angel, Sho couldn't help but relate to the lyrics of his own song, 'prisoner' as he heard it playing in the background.

Darling you've not only stolen

My eyes that see your truest love.

Your dangerous purity

It was never meant for me, ah, so cold.

You float above my soul

With a maze of shadows.

You've been pierced by my heart

That's drowned in the dark.

I am a prisoner

In paradise.

There is a thorn in me

That your love won't tear free.

What the hell is happening? Sho grabbed his head and hauled it down to snatch his eyes away when he realise how long he had been staring at Kyoko. Sho, stop looking at her RIGHT NOW! And why the hell can't I get my own lyrics out of my head?

Every time Mimori saw Sho watching Kyoko, it got harder for her to keep smiling. She shot him a warning glare, but he didn't even glance in her direction to notice it.

Asami treaded up to Sho, who was gawking shamelessly at Kyoko in awe from afar. Crossing her arms, she inquired sternly, "Sho, it's time to be honest with me about how you know that girl."

After a short, hesitant pause, Sho answered, "we grew up together... We used to be close. But that's not her... At least, not anymore. It's like she is possessed by a demon." And what's worse, she is so...

"Gorgeous!" Shouko exclaimed as she watched Kyoko act and also completed Sho's thought in the process without even realising. "I can hardly believe it, she looks so different. Who knew that girl would turn out like this?" And if she took me by surprise, she thought as she glanced at Sho with a concerned look, he must be completely out of his mind.

Kyoko looked in their direction and she shot Sho a glare.

He walked over to her and asked, "what is it?" Asami and Shouko followed him.

"You have to do something," Kyoko replied with an annoyed look.

"What?"

"About her!" She nodded at a Mimori, who was crying in a corner after screwing up the eighth take – when all she had to do was smile!

"I can't do it," she sobbed and wiped her nose. "Not with her!" she exclaimed pointing at Kyoko. "I am really trying... really hard but..." she sniffed, "but I just can't act like I'm friends with that girl!" she buried her face in Sho's chest as she hugged him, and continued in a muffled voice, "she's terrible, she is mean and I hate her so much!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes with an unamused look.

"Mimori, you have to listen," Asami reasoned with her. "Part of being a professional is sometimes working with people you may not like."

"You know, I never really thought it through before but," Sho said narrowing his eyes at Kyoko, "every girl you meet really seems to hate you ."

"They hated me because I was friends with you!" She barked back angrily.

"How is that my fault now?"

"Because you were always super close to me and those stupid girls in this stupid world had stupid crushes on you and they would get freaking jealous!"

"Wow, really?" A smug smile stretched his lips. "Even when we were kids?"

"Wow, really?" Kyoko mimicked him. "I had fans back then too? – this is exactly what I always hated about you! You are so vain, you think the whole world revolves around you!"

"I am sorry, was I supposed to feel guilty about this?" He spat sarcastically. "How dare I be friendly to anyone or-"

"Stop it!" Mimori screeched and new tears emerged in her eyes. "You two need to stop talking about things that only you know, it's rude!"

Kyoko dragged Sho away from the crowd and shouted at him, once they were alone and out of hearing distance, "alright listen up! Explain to this girl that we have nothing. Tell her we're less than nothing. Just make her understand. Get your flirty, playboy butt in there and smooth that girl if you have too, so she'll stop complaining already!" With that, Kyoko stormed out of the set room.

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Before Kyoko was called back to the set, Asami had a little chat with Mimori's manager about getting her to deal with her 'problem with Kyoko' while she was on screen.

At the same time, Sho tried his best to convince Mimori that there was nothing between him and Kyoko, not because Kyoko ordered him to, but he himself wanted to get this shoot over with.

"Do you want to know the truth, Mimori?" He used his most convincing and dramatic tone. "Kyoko Mogami – I hardly even know her. Things have changed. She means nothing at all to me now."

"I really want to believe you, Sho," Mimori replied in crushed voice as fresh tears flooded her eyes. "But I saw you staring at her."

"Th- that was an accident! I wasn't staring at her because she was pretty - I was just... I snuck a peek because she looked so ridiculous in that outfit."

"Oh really?" She snorted, "I've heard that one before."

"I promise whatever you are thinking is totally and completely ridiculous. I mean, we have known each other since we were kids. I had plenty of chances with her. Why would I be staring at her now?"

"That's interesting. A few minutes ago, you said you hardly knew her."

Sho groaned in defeat, regretting ever flirting with Mimori and leading her on in the first place to be in this mess right now. She wasn't even that pretty to be worth so much trouble.

"Okay, stop!" She snapped and he stopped groaning. "Your character is supposed to be falling in love with me, so keep your eyes on me!"

After that, Mimori somehow managed to get her act together and shot her scenes with Kyoko giving her absolute best.

As Sho looked in the direction of the two girls, Asami raised a mocking brow, "do I wanna know which of them you're staring at?"

His face turned flustered and he snapped his head away. "I am not staring at either of them! I am just fixated on the bright lights guiding the dramatic line of my career."

"Yeah, there is no way I am buying that." Asami grabbed his head, forcefully turning it back in the direction of Kyoko. "Listen up, Romeo, you're gonna take a nice, long look at that Kyoko-girl, until you're satisfied so you didn't blow up your takes with her because you were too mesmerized by her beauty to act."

Sho groaned painfully. She came here to hurt me, to take revenge, so why do I keep staring? – No! I won't be drawn in. I won't!

"Sho, if you're ever gonna listen to me, do it now" Asami whispered softly in his ear from behind as she held his head in place. "Do you wanna lose to her?"

"I don't."

"Mimori hated her with every fibre of her being, but after spending a few moments on stage with her, she is genuinely smiling. Kyoko is more than just a Cinderella makeover. She's got a real acting charm. So if you don't get your head straight, she is gonna charm you into submission. She'll have you eating out of her hand."

Sho reflected on Asami's words and swore to himself, I won't be caught! She's my sworn enemy, in the set as well as in the script. I will not let her get a hold of me!

He went back to his dressing room to avoid her as much as possible. Half an hour later, Asami knocked on his door before entering, "Sho, they are almost ready for you. Next on the shot-list is your scene with Kyoko at the tower, you ready?"

Sho didn't reply.

"It's your death sequence" Asami added to remind him.

He quietly got up and followed her outside. When they joined Kyoko and Mimori, his eyes settled on Kyoko's face and he remarked to her, "I am surprised!"

Kyoko cocked her head sharply in his direction and glared at him as if daring him to mock her.

"I am impressed that you put forth the effort to actually learn how to act," he bit out with a poisonous look.

"Is that what you think?" She shot back, "I'd be lying if I said I always saw myself following this path. Ironic, isn't it? If you hadn't broken up with me, I never would have discovered acting!" She stormed off.

Broken up? Asami and Mimori shot Sho a questioning look, both of them wondering the same thing.

But he didn't deign to explain. Instead, he ignored them and started reading the script.