Skip Beat: The Truth Comes Out

Chapter 9: Angst and Passion

Ch 9 Angst and Passion

Kyoko puts on her shoes and an unseasonable trench coat, and slips outside to fetch a taxi. Once at Ren's, she ditches the shoes and jacket in the genkan, and quietly unlocks his front door with the key she still has possession of. She tiptoes to Ren's bedroom, and flips on the lamp at his bedside.

Ren jumps upright, startled. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he asks in astonishment, "Kyoko? Wh-what are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

"Yes, I do. And I came for you." She bears a mischievous but honest smile, and blushing cheeks.

"Hey...is...is that...it looks like..."

"Yes, it is. It's the robe and nightgown from the make-up scene we did for the movie. I borrowed it from Wardrobe. You...you said in your unscripted lines that I looked...beautiful--and even bewitching. S-so...I-I was pretty sure you'd like it."

Ren sighs, putting his hand to his forehead and looking down. He then turns his body so that he is sitting in the bed with legs hanging off and feet on the floor, and then he looks back up at Kyoko.

"Listen, Kyoko...I meant to talk to you today, but you were too busy with make-up work at home, so I was going to wait until tomorrow. But apparently I have to do this now."

"Wh-what are you talking about? Y-You're making me nervous!"

"Listen, Kyoko...I know it's my own fault, but...we've been moving way too fast. I mean we just barely started dating! I think we need to slow down."

"But why?! I want to be with you! I don't care how long we've been a couple officially. I've loved you from a distance for so long...to me, nothing we've done seemed too fast at all!"

"That's just your hormones talking! This is all new to you, so you're feeling things any teenage girl would with a guy she liked! I mean, if Sho had done these things with you when you were crazy about him, you'd have felt the same way!"

Kyoko slaps Ren, hard. For the second time. "Don't you dare EVER compare my feelings for him to my feelings for you! What I feel for you is an ocean deeper than that; there is no comparison! I was just a stupid kid who was blindly infatuated with Sho! What I feel for you is nowhere near the same! Ya know, Sho used to touch me all the time, casually of course, whenever he was around and I never thought twice about it. But all you have to do is lay your hand on my shoulder and I shiver! I never felt this way about Sho and never could have! I'm not the same dumb little girl I was back then! I've grown up, or haven't you noticed? I know what I want!"

Ren is understandably shocked. And he has to admit she is making some good points--but he still isn't convinced that what she is obviously planning is a good idea, or even truly her own. After all, had he kept a respectable distance from her ever since the love scene, he doubts she would be standing by his bed in the middle of the night right now.

"When Sho tried to steal your first kiss and I told you it was nullified, you vowed to guard your chastity with your life! Now you're sneaking into my bedroom? You may think it's your own idea, but that's misguided because...you wouldn't be here right now if I had kept my hands and mouth to myself since we got together! If we do what you seem to be here for, I guarantee you that you will end up regretting it and hating me!"

"You're wrong! When I vowed to protect my chastity, it was only for the right man, baka! And that's you! And let me tell you something else, buddy! During that scene we did...I didn't touch you like that because it was scripted! I forgot all about the damn thing! I forgot we were even being filmed or that anyone was watching! I mean, it was something I had already been wanting to do! If you hadn't kept moving forward after we got together, this little midnight visit might have been delayed—a little bit—but it still would have happened! Ren, I have been yearning for you and dreaming about you even before that scene, and ten times more since! I'm here of my own free will, absolutely certain of what I want! There's no way I could ever regret it!"