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Description
Peasant turned Princess

Mogami Kyoko is Kyouko-chan.

Staring dumbly between the torn magazine ad she had in one hand and her yearbook in the other, which was opened to show a picture of a diminutive dark-haired girl smiling shyly at the photographer, Fumiko tried desperately to wrap her mind around what Fuwa-san had repeatedly assured her was the truth, and succeeded at failing miserably to do so. After all, Kyouko-chan was one of the most eagerly watched actresses in Japan, a pretty, polite idol known for her traditional upbringing and incredible talent to become anything her role needed her to be. She was always so cute and trendy, appearing constantly in fashion magazine and at runway shows thanks to her slim, athletic figure and flawless complexion. She was ranked number 4 among the most popular female idols in Japan on Oricon, and was expected to keep on climbing.

Mogami Kyoko, on the other hand, was the annoying, boring girl who was always clinging to Fuwa-san like a leech. She never wore make up, or anything but boring outfits geared more for practicality then looking good. Mogami was quiet, submissive and forgettable, nothing like the bright, shining star that Kyouko-chan was.

SO HOOOOW?!?!?! Fumiko wailed mentally as she compared the two pictures. It was true that the girls had similar face shapes, and their eyes were somewhat alike, but other then that Fumiko couldn't find any resemblance at all between the girls. Kyouko-chan was born on Christmas, wasn't she? Fumiko couldn't remember when Mogami had been born, but it wasn't the 25th of December, was it? Maybe Fuwa-san was wrong, and had mistaken Kyouko-chan for Mogami on accident.

But he seemed so certain… A small voice in the back of Fumiko's head whispered treacherously. Surely he wouldn't be mistaken about a girl he had spend practically every day with growing up. Sighing, Fumiko closed her yearbook and tucked it and the Taste of a Sigh ad back into her tote bag, deciding that it didn't really matter very much right now. She was on her way to the Studio where the fantasy-drama Dragon Eye was being shot to speak with Kyouko-chan in person, to try and convince her to come to her school's reunion without letting on that Fuwa Shou had sent her.

Fumiko groaned was her stomach lurched unpleasantly as the bus bounced over a pothole, suddenly wishing that someone else had won the 'Give Shou-sama His Invitation' lottery in her place. Mogami or no Mogami, she'd die of humiliation if she threw up in front of Kyouko-chan…

Before she could contemplate this horrifying possibility any further the bus jolted to a sudden stop and Fumiko was forced to gather her remaining courage and head for the exit. Sakura Studios was only a ten minute walk from her stop, and Fumiko got through the gates surprisingly easily after showing the man the pass that Fuwa-san had given to her, earning only a suspicious glare and a strict lecture from the security guard not to disturb anyone before he gave her directions to Studio 33, where Dragon Eye was filmed.

Something's going to go wrong, I just know it. Fumiko thought glumly as she made her way to Studio 33. What was Fuwa-san thinking, sending her to get Kyouko-chan? If Kyouko-chan really was Mogami, then why on earth would she be any happier to see Fumiko, who had tormented her throughout the girl's school life in Kyoto (though not as extensively as other girls in her class) then Fuwa-san, the man Mogami adored with all her heart and soul?

"Whoa, you okay there?" Startled, Fumiko looked up, freezing when she came face-to-face with Sabara Hiroko, lead singer of the J-rock band Thorn and number 10 most popular male idol in Japan. Shirtless. With a sweaty towel hanging around his gorgeous neck. And mystic-looking symbols drawn in an angry red body paint all over his face, chest and arms. "You look like you're gonna spew any second. Should I call a doctor over here or something?"

"Eh?" Fumiko stammered out, tensing under the handsome dark-haired male's scrutiny. "Wha- Oh! N-n-n-no! I'm fine! I'm just… well… ah… W-why am I here again?" Fumiko felt stupid as the singer raised an eyebrow at her, mentally hitting herself for turning into such an idiot. Curse her weakness for sexy male six packs… "K-Kyouko-chan! I'm supposed to meet Kyouko-chan!" At this, Hiroko's expression brightened a bit and he studied the girl with a little more interest.

"Oh, so you're the old classmate Fuwa was talking about, huh?" He said cheerfully. "Sorry, I thought you were an extra or something that got lost on their way to set. Fuwa said you were coming today, but he didn't tell me what you looked like." Fumiko blushed as Hiroko chuckled to himself, somewhat disappointed by the singer's offhand comment about Shou not even bothering to describe her to him. "I'm Sabara Hiroko, from Thorn. Fuwa told you I'm guest starring in an episode of Dragon Eye today, right?"

"Y-yes." Fumiko lied, blushing even brighter in her anxiety. Fuwa-san hadn't said a word about which idol was supposed to be getting her in to see Kyouko-chan. Fumiko pushed that thought to the back of her mind though, and tried to focus on bowing clumsily to the singer before her. "Um, I'm Watanabi Fumiko. It's a great honor to meet you, Sabara-san."

"Hey, anything to help unravel the mystery of Fuwa's connection with Kyouko-chan." Hiroko laughed lightheartedly, ushering the girl inside. "All anyone ever gets by asking either of them is that they grew up together. Everybody in show business is dying to know the nature of their relationship."

"I'm sorry." Fumiko said as she scurried into the studio after Hiroko. "I'm afraid that I didn't know Mo- ah, Kyouko-chan very well when we were in school together." Fumiko admitted uncomfortably, remembering the way she and her friends had bullied the girl growing up.

"Did she and Fuwa always fight like they do now?" Hiroko asked curiously.

"…What?" Mogami fight with Fuwa-san? Fumiko couldn't imagine the star struck Mogami she knew ever raising her voice to Fuwa Shou, and Kyouko-chan getting riled up at anyone completely went against the image everyone had of the popular actress.

"Yeah, they never make a peep in public, but behind the scenes they're at each other's throats like some old married couple. It's pretty interesting to watch them… bit of a bummer though. I mean, between Fuwa and Tsuruga, a guy like me doesn't have a shot in hell with Kyouko-chan."

"Then those rumors about Tsuruga-san and Kyouko-chan are true?" Fumiko asked in surprise. "I always thought they were just tabloid trash…"

"Nngh… Well, no one can really say for sure. Their relationship seems innocent enough, and all the people I talk to say that they're just sempai and kohai and that Tsuruga's just extra protective of Kyouko-chan, especially when it comes to guys. But I dunno though, I always kinda caught a weird vibe from the two of 'em whenever they were in a room together." Fumiko frowned at the singer's unsatisfactory explanation. A weird vibe? How on earth did a 'weird vibe' convince people that something was going on between Kyouko-chan and Tsuruga-san without any other kind of evidence? It all just sounded like a lot of silly gossip to Fumiko…

At least with Fuwa-san and Mogami, we could all see it. Fumiko thought sullenly to herself. Fuwa ignored all the girls in class, save for Mogami. Those two went everywhere together, did everything together and knew everything about one another. Everyone knew that Mogami would die to make Fuwa happy, and though Fuwa often acted like he didn't really care that much about Mogami, no one in their class could forget the way he'd lost it and started a big fight when some boys from their school got too rough playing soccer and wound up scraping Mogami's arm up pretty badly in the forth grade.

"Ah, here we are!" Hiroko said happily, drawing Fumiko out of her memories. Startled, the brunette blinked owlishly at the opaque white door in front of them with the gold star proclaiming 'Kyouko-sama' on it. The girl tensed in anticipation as Hiroko knocked loudly on the door, triggering a hasty scuffling sound from the other side before the door opened just enough to reveal a frowning blonde woman.

"Sabara-kun?" the older woman said, a raising a puzzled eyebrow at the dark haired young man before her as he waved cheekily in reply.

"Yo!" He chirped out happily before shouting around the woman into the dressing room. "Kyouko-chan, you covered up in there?"

"Sabara-kun!" The blonde repeated, sounding scandalized. "Really, now! Shouldn't you be getting ready to shoot scene 49?"

"Sorry, nee-chan, but my friend here's a big fan of Kyouko-chan." Hiroko explained smoothly with a grin. "I told Kyouko-chan earlier that she was gonna be dropping by for a bit, and Kyouko-chan said it'd be fine to introduce her. You're not gonna have Kyouko-chan breakin' her promises now are you?"

"Sabara-kun…" The blonde growled out, a vein popping out of her head.

"Calm yourself, Tsurine-san." A soft voice called out smoothly from inside the room. "Jiro is right. To refuse a promised audience would be highly dishonorable. Allow them entry." Fumiko blinked in surprise at the strange, formal manner of speaking that Kyouko-chan was using. Wait did she just call Sabara-san 'Jiro…?' Before Fumiko could wonder about this any further, though, the fuming Tsurine-san reluctantly opened the door to admit the pair.

"You are sooo lucky she's in character right now… Look, just try not to take too long, okay? We've got fifteen minutes until scene 49's supposed to be shot, and Kyouko-chan's schedule's so packed today it's not even funny. If you wind up wasting our time with something stupid, then you're gonna be the one to explain things to Kyouko-chan's manager, not me." Hiroko laughed nervously at the threat burning in the blonde's eyes.

"U-understood, costume manager-san!" the singer said as he edged his way into the room, followed by a puzzled Fumiko.

Who froze on the spot when she entered and got a good look at Kyouko-chan.

Fumiko had never seen Dragon Eye before, and only vaguely knew it as an action-fantasy drama about a teenage rebel and his best friend accidentally getting sucked into a parallel universe by a strange shape shifting creature, where they became the protectors of the young, powerful seer who was chosen to rule the land (played by Kyouko-chan). Fumiko knew most of this because her little brother watched Dragon Eye regularly, and was particularly obsessed with Kyouko-chan's character.

Looking at her right now, Fumiko could definitely see why.

The Kyouko-chan gracefully sitting before her wore a long wig of hair white as the fallen snow, held back with a gold band that fell on the woman's lower back. A shimmering pale blue dress sheathed the actress' body, showcasing Kyouko's soft, feminine curves without actually putting anything on public display. Golden cuffs matching the woman's hair band encased each of Kyouko's wrists, attached to a series of intricate rings she wore on her fingers that tapered off to accent her long nails, which had been painted a subtle silvery color. Golden sandals peeked out from underneath the pale blue dress, and a midnight blue sash was tied loosely around the actress' waist.

The most startling thing about the woman's appearance though, where the quicksilver eyes that watched her every move with calm, dispassionate attentiveness. It wasn't the strange color that made Fumiko go still, though. The way Kyouko-chan watched her… it was as if she had already knew, but was keeping her guard up so as not to tip her hand too early. Not to mention that everything about Kyouko's posture and attitude made Fumiko feel more like she was in the presence of royalty then the plain, boring girl she'd made fun of growing up.

Just when Fumiko was about to give into her irrational urge to throw herself into a dogeza at the actress' feet and apologize for intruding, Hiroko bounded forward and threw an arm around Kyouko's shoulders, blatantly ignoring the costume manager's indignant cry as he did so.

"Sabara-kun! I just finished fixing her outfit, you little-!"

"Kyouko-chan!" Hiroko sang out cheerfully. "Let me introduce you to my good friend, Watanabi Fumiko- it is Watanabi Fumiko, isn't it?" Fumiko nodded mutely at the question as Tsurine stopped glowering long enough to frown suspiciously at Hiroko's flippant question of something he should have already known about a 'good friend.' "Fumiko-chan, I'm sure you already know Kyouko-chan here, right?"

"Watanabi…" Kyouko murmured, blinking a few times. Suddenly, her demeanor changed completely as she stared at Fumiko with wide, surprised eyes. "Watanabi Fumiko? Could you by chance be the Watanabi-san who attended Class 3-A in Toriyama's Secondary School?" Fumiko bit back a flinch as that innocent statement dug into her still healing spiritual wound. How unfair that Mogami remembered her when Fuwa-san didn't…

"Y-yes, that's me." Fumiko confessed, fidgeting under the actress' scrutiny. Her stomach twisted into knots as she waited for the starlet to speak again. She wasn't going to throw her out, was she? Fumiko couldn't really blame her if she did, everything considered, but nonetheless the girl prayed vigorously that Mogami didn't remember how often Fumiko had tormented her growing up. Instead of calling security to have her removed though, Kyouko turned and smiled at Hiroko.

"Sabara-san?" She said, fixing him with a pointed look. "Shouldn't you be in make up right now? You're going to need to have the paint touched up for scene 49, remember?"

"Eh?!" Hiroko said, aghast. "B-but-!"

"I'll get right on it, Kyouko-sama." Tsurine said, catching the singer by the back of the neck and hauling him out the door. "Honestly, you should've taken care of this right after your break! If we need an extension before we can start filming, so help me…" Fumiko blushed under Kyouko's steady gaze as Tsurine's and Hiroko's argument faded as the two moved further away. Once they were gone completely, Kyouko finally spoke.

"I'm surprised." She sighed, standing up so gracefully that Fumiko couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as Kyouko absently straightened out the folds of her dress in a smooth, practiced motion. "I wouldn't think anyone from Kyoto would recognize me as I am now…"

"I… wasn't sure if it was you or not." Fumiko confessed honestly enough. "But I wanted to see for myself… And to apologize." If she was going to ask Mogami to come back to Kyoto with her in order to ensure Fuwa-san's presence, then she should probably start by making extra nice with the girl. "Mogami-san, I was horribly mean to you when we went to school together, playing all sorts of thoughtless, cruel pranks just because I was jealous. I want to apologize for all the pain I put you through, and give you this." Here, Fumiko hastily dug out the backup invitation she'd been instructed to bring for Shou, just in case she'd lost the first one. "It's an invitation. Our secondary school's having a five year reunion, and it would mean a lot to us if you could make it."

"Watanabi-san…" Kyouko said, looking surprised. Then her face broke into a bright smile, taking Fumiko aback. "Thank you. It must have been hard for you to come all this way and say that… Of course I accept your apology!" Fumiko felt her face flush as she realized that Kyouko had assumed that Fumiko had come all the way from Kyoto just to apologize to her, guilt twisting her stomach into a knot. "But as far as the reunion goes… I'm afraid there's no way I could make it to something like that."

"Wh-what?!" Fumiko said, horrified. No! If Mogami didn't come, then Fuwa-san wouldn't either!

"Make it to what?" A voice behind Fumiko interrupted before the brunette could protest the actress' decision. Startled by the intrusion, Fumiko turned to tell the eavesdropper off, only to have her tirade die on her tongue at the sight of the man who dared to enter Kyouko's room without knocking.

Oh, Kami-sama…

"Shin-chan!" Kyouko-chan said brightly, her expression becoming ten times more cute and childlike. "Did you finish talking to Le'Moire-san? She's not angry, is she?"

"No, Le'Moire-san said that she has no problem moving today's meeting back half an hour. Apparently, she needed to extend her meeting with her team anyways, so it actually worked out to her benefit."

"That's a relief. I'd hate for her to be angry with me for changing the appointment practically at the last minute."

"I doubt that woman could ever get all that angry at you, Kyouko-san." Came the scoffed reply from the man. "Now stop trying to distract me and tell me what you can't make it to." Kyouko deflated at that order, sighing in defeat as the man glared pointedly at her.

"Well… Shin-chan, this is Watanabi-san, my former classmate from Kyoto." Kyouko said, motioning to Fumiko, who gave a dazed bow without taking her eyes off the man in front of her. "Watanabi-san, Shin-chan has been my manager for the past two years now."

"Nice to meet you." 'Shin-chan' said, nodding curtly at Fumiko, who didn't dare reply verbally for fear of saying something that'd embarrass herself.

There was no doubt in Fumiko's mind that Kyouko's manager was the largest, most frightening man she'd ever seen. He was easily seven feet tall and built like a tank with a neatly trimmed crew cut of black hair. His neck was thicker then Fumiko's waist, and his arms were so muscular that Fumiko half suspected that the man could bend steel with his bare hands. The thing that drew Fumiko's attention most, though, was the long scar that dragged across his face, starting at his right temple and ending at his collarbone.

All in all, the man looked more like a mercenary then a manager, and certainly not someone who should be addressed with a cutesy name like 'Shin-chan.'

"Watanabi-san was just telling me that my middle school is having a reunion, Shin-chan." Kyouko explained to the giant man. "That's what I can't make it to."

"Oh?" Shin's thick eyebrow went up as he fixed Kyouko with a pointed look. "And why can't you make it to this reunion?"

"Shin-chan!" Kyouko sighed irritably. "It's all the way in Kyoto! I'm much too busy right now to make that kind of trip! Think of all the filming I'll miss!"

"When does this reunion take place, Watanabi-san?" Fumiko jumped slightly when Shin turned to address her, and then flushed at her reaction.

"T-the 22nd, sir." Fumiko responded hastily, not wanting to potentially anger the man by making him wait for a reply. Shin hummed thoughtfully before pulling a glittery pink daily planner with floral print all over it out of a pocket inside his coat (which Fumiko face-faulted after seeing, earning a confused look from Kyouko), which he flipped through for a moment until he found the page he was looking for.

"You're in luck, Kyouko-san. There's no filming scheduled for the 22nd. Just some promotional work, which can be rescheduled easily enough."

"Kyoto is a long ways away." Kyouko reminded her manager sharply. "I'll need to leave the day before the reunion, and I won't be able to come back until the day after. That means three days of no filming, Shin-chan, not just one. Not to mention making reservations at a hotel, handling transportation, trying to find an outfit-!"

"Kyouko-san." Shin sighed. "I think you know full well that none of these are really excuses for why you can't go to Kyoto. If you're going to protest, at least be honest with me." Kyouko's lips thinned for a moment before her face twisted into an unforgiving scowl.

"Fine, you want the truth? I don't believe for one minute that the girls from my middle school didn't invite him to their precious reunion! In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if this was all just an excuse for them to see him again. Unless you want a repeat of the last incident and all the damage control that came with it, then the smartest thing for me to do is stay far away from Fuwa Shou."

"A-actually, Fuwa-san already said that he wasn't going to come." Fumiko supplied quickly, trying to hide her surprise. Why on earth would Mogami be so adamant about not seeing Fuwa-san? And what was all this about 'incidents' and 'damage control?' had their relationship really gotten that bad? If that was the case, then why did Fuwa-san want to see her so badly?

"There, you see Kyouko-san?" Shin sighed. "I've already told Takarada-kaichou that you've been working far too much lately, and that I'm concerned about your health, and he agreed that you should take a break. Three days in Kyoto among familiar faces may be just what the doctor ordered."

"Shin-chan! I keep telling you I'm fine!" Kyouko huffed out angrily. "This is nothing to bother the president about! I like acting, and I don't feel comfortable unless I stay busy!"

"Kyouko-san, you almost fainted during your judo lessons for Hot Shot. Obviously, you're not fine." Kyouko flushed at her manager's reminder, crossing her arms defensively.

"I was just a little dehydrated! A little water, and I was fine again!"

"Please, Kyouko-san. Takarada-kaichou and I are both very worried about you, we know how you are about your work, and we're afraid that you're taking on too much at once. Just take three days off in Kyoto to relax, that's all we're asking for." Kyouko wavered at her manager's soft, unflinching tone before her shoulders fell and she sighed in defeat, smiling at the large man with a sort of exasperated affection.

"Alright, I guess three days in Kyoto wouldn't be all that terrible, if it's for you and the president. I owe you two much more then just that. Besides, if Shou really isn't going to be there, then there shouldn't be any problems." Fumiko bit back a flinch as Kyouko stepped forward and took the invitation from her hands before she pushed back her guilt and reminded herself that this was all for the better. After all, it was important that Fuwa-san come to the reunion, no matter what. Smiling brightly, Fumiko opened her mouth to thank Kyouko for being so compliant when a loud, urgent growling noise made the girl freeze, her face paling dramatically before all the blood rushed back with a vengeance when she saw the way Kyouko and her manager were staring.

"W-Watanabi-san…" Kyouko began delicately. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I had an apple this morning, before coming here." Fumiko offered, wanting to die where she stood. Of all the times for her stomach to betray her!

"That's it?" Kyouko demanded, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Fumiko nodded meekly in reply, feeling very much like a child being scolded by her mother.

"I used up most of my money on the hotel room last night, and I needed to make sure I still had enough for my ticket home!" Fumiko explained hastily. "I'm going to catch the 2:00 train, and it'll only take a little more then two hours to get back to Kyoto, I should be able to last that long…"

"The 2:00 train?" Shin-chan asked, frowning thoughtfully to himself. "But that leaves in half an hour, doesn't it? And it takes longer then that to get to the train station from here… The brunette froze at the large man's words, dread pooling in her empty stomach.

"W-what?!" Fumiko exclaimed, hastily checking her watch. Her mouth dropped when she saw that the manager was right. How did she not realize that sooner?! "I can't believe this! There's no way I can go back by bus, and I don't have enough money for another night at that hotel!" Cursing herself for her stupidity, Fumiko groaned softly as she tried to figure out what she could do, short of sleeping on the streets of Tokyo. Given his less-than-warm welcome, Fumiko kind of doubted that Fuwa-san would let her stay the night with him… not that she even knew where he lived to begin with.

"Well, if you just need to stay overnight, I have plenty of room for you." Kyouko offered brightly, smiling at Fumiko's surprised look. "I can even guarantee a homemade dinner with a free bed."

"B-But there's no way I could intrude like that!" Fumiko protested loudly, feeling her entire body flush brilliantly at the actress' kindness.

"It's fine." Kyouko replied with a lighthearted laugh, waving the girl's objection away. "I like having people over. It does get pretty lonely living by yourself, you know…" Fumiko wouldn't know, actually, having lived with her parents and younger brother her whole life, but the wistful smile at Kyouko's lips told the girl that the actress was being honest with her. Why she'd offer to take her in after all that Fumiko and her friends did to her, the brunette had no idea, but…

"If that's the case… thank you for your hospitality." Fumiko said, suddenly feeling shy. Kyouko giggled.

"Like I said, it's no problem at all! I just hope you don't mind following us around all day until we get home. I've still got four more jobs after this one's done… Oh, I almost forgot! We should-!"

"-call ahead and inform the other parties that we'll be bringing a guest?" Shin-chan finished Kyouko's sentence, looking amused as he looked up from the phone he was currently dialing a number on. "Already on it. Also, I'll see about getting a crewmember to bring Watanabi-san one of those bentos they ordered for the cast and crew, to tide her over until dinner."

"…I don't know how I lived so long without you, Shin-chan." Kyouko said in reverence. Shin chuckled at his young charge, but before he could respond, a knock sounded sharply on Kyouko's dressing room door.

"Kyouko-san! They're ready for you on set!"

"Thank you, we'll be out in a moment!" Kyouko called back, before turning to give Fumiko a playful smile. "Well? Wanna see what real filming looks like, Watanabi-san?" Fumiko looked startled at Kyouko's question, mostly due to the fact that she was still reeling over Kyouko inviting her into her home, but didn't get a chance to respond before Kyouko grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door with an excited giggle.

Something tells me that this is going to be one interesting night… Fumiko thought dimly as she allowed the actress to pull her all the way to the set.

Description
Peasant turned Princess

Mogami Kyoko is Kyouko-chan.

Staring dumbly between the torn magazine ad she had in one hand and her yearbook in the other, which was opened to show a picture of a diminutive dark-haired girl smiling shyly at the photographer, Fumiko tried desperately to wrap her mind around what Fuwa-san had repeatedly assured her was the truth, and succeeded at failing miserably to do so. After all, Kyouko-chan was one of the most eagerly watched actresses in Japan, a pretty, polite idol known for her traditional upbringing and incredible talent to become anything her role needed her to be. She was always so cute and trendy, appearing constantly in fashion magazine and at runway shows thanks to her slim, athletic figure and flawless complexion. She was ranked number 4 among the most popular female idols in Japan on Oricon, and was expected to keep on climbing.

Mogami Kyoko, on the other hand, was the annoying, boring girl who was always clinging to Fuwa-san like a leech. She never wore make up, or anything but boring outfits geared more for practicality then looking good. Mogami was quiet, submissive and forgettable, nothing like the bright, shining star that Kyouko-chan was.

SO HOOOOW?!?!?! Fumiko wailed mentally as she compared the two pictures. It was true that the girls had similar face shapes, and their eyes were somewhat alike, but other then that Fumiko couldn't find any resemblance at all between the girls. Kyouko-chan was born on Christmas, wasn't she? Fumiko couldn't remember when Mogami had been born, but it wasn't the 25th of December, was it? Maybe Fuwa-san was wrong, and had mistaken Kyouko-chan for Mogami on accident.

But he seemed so certain… A small voice in the back of Fumiko's head whispered treacherously. Surely he wouldn't be mistaken about a girl he had spend practically every day with growing up. Sighing, Fumiko closed her yearbook and tucked it and the Taste of a Sigh ad back into her tote bag, deciding that it didn't really matter very much right now. She was on her way to the Studio where the fantasy-drama Dragon Eye was being shot to speak with Kyouko-chan in person, to try and convince her to come to her school's reunion without letting on that Fuwa Shou had sent her.

Fumiko groaned was her stomach lurched unpleasantly as the bus bounced over a pothole, suddenly wishing that someone else had won the 'Give Shou-sama His Invitation' lottery in her place. Mogami or no Mogami, she'd die of humiliation if she threw up in front of Kyouko-chan…

Before she could contemplate this horrifying possibility any further the bus jolted to a sudden stop and Fumiko was forced to gather her remaining courage and head for the exit. Sakura Studios was only a ten minute walk from her stop, and Fumiko got through the gates surprisingly easily after showing the man the pass that Fuwa-san had given to her, earning only a suspicious glare and a strict lecture from the security guard not to disturb anyone before he gave her directions to Studio 33, where Dragon Eye was filmed.

Something's going to go wrong, I just know it. Fumiko thought glumly as she made her way to Studio 33. What was Fuwa-san thinking, sending her to get Kyouko-chan? If Kyouko-chan really was Mogami, then why on earth would she be any happier to see Fumiko, who had tormented her throughout the girl's school life in Kyoto (though not as extensively as other girls in her class) then Fuwa-san, the man Mogami adored with all her heart and soul?

"Whoa, you okay there?" Startled, Fumiko looked up, freezing when she came face-to-face with Sabara Hiroko, lead singer of the J-rock band Thorn and number 10 most popular male idol in Japan. Shirtless. With a sweaty towel hanging around his gorgeous neck. And mystic-looking symbols drawn in an angry red body paint all over his face, chest and arms. "You look like you're gonna spew any second. Should I call a doctor over here or something?"

"Eh?" Fumiko stammered out, tensing under the handsome dark-haired male's scrutiny. "Wha- Oh! N-n-n-no! I'm fine! I'm just… well… ah… W-why am I here again?" Fumiko felt stupid as the singer raised an eyebrow at her, mentally hitting herself for turning into such an idiot. Curse her weakness for sexy male six packs… "K-Kyouko-chan! I'm supposed to meet Kyouko-chan!" At this, Hiroko's expression brightened a bit and he studied the girl with a little more interest.

"Oh, so you're the old classmate Fuwa was talking about, huh?" He said cheerfully. "Sorry, I thought you were an extra or something that got lost on their way to set. Fuwa said you were coming today, but he didn't tell me what you looked like." Fumiko blushed as Hiroko chuckled to himself, somewhat disappointed by the singer's offhand comment about Shou not even bothering to describe her to him. "I'm Sabara Hiroko, from Thorn. Fuwa told you I'm guest starring in an episode of Dragon Eye today, right?"

"Y-yes." Fumiko lied, blushing even brighter in her anxiety. Fuwa-san hadn't said a word about which idol was supposed to be getting her in to see Kyouko-chan. Fumiko pushed that thought to the back of her mind though, and tried to focus on bowing clumsily to the singer before her. "Um, I'm Watanabi Fumiko. It's a great honor to meet you, Sabara-san."

"Hey, anything to help unravel the mystery of Fuwa's connection with Kyouko-chan." Hiroko laughed lightheartedly, ushering the girl inside. "All anyone ever gets by asking either of them is that they grew up together. Everybody in show business is dying to know the nature of their relationship."

"I'm sorry." Fumiko said as she scurried into the studio after Hiroko. "I'm afraid that I didn't know Mo- ah, Kyouko-chan very well when we were in school together." Fumiko admitted uncomfortably, remembering the way she and her friends had bullied the girl growing up.

"Did she and Fuwa always fight like they do now?" Hiroko asked curiously.

"…What?" Mogami fight with Fuwa-san? Fumiko couldn't imagine the star struck Mogami she knew ever raising her voice to Fuwa Shou, and Kyouko-chan getting riled up at anyone completely went against the image everyone had of the popular actress.

"Yeah, they never make a peep in public, but behind the scenes they're at each other's throats like some old married couple. It's pretty interesting to watch them… bit of a bummer though. I mean, between Fuwa and Tsuruga, a guy like me doesn't have a shot in hell with Kyouko-chan."

"Then those rumors about Tsuruga-san and Kyouko-chan are true?" Fumiko asked in surprise. "I always thought they were just tabloid trash…"

"Nngh… Well, no one can really say for sure. Their relationship seems innocent enough, and all the people I talk to say that they're just sempai and kohai and that Tsuruga's just extra protective of Kyouko-chan, especially when it comes to guys. But I dunno though, I always kinda caught a weird vibe from the two of 'em whenever they were in a room together." Fumiko frowned at the singer's unsatisfactory explanation. A weird vibe? How on earth did a 'weird vibe' convince people that something was going on between Kyouko-chan and Tsuruga-san without any other kind of evidence? It all just sounded like a lot of silly gossip to Fumiko…

At least with Fuwa-san and Mogami, we could all see it. Fumiko thought sullenly to herself. Fuwa ignored all the girls in class, save for Mogami. Those two went everywhere together, did everything together and knew everything about one another. Everyone knew that Mogami would die to make Fuwa happy, and though Fuwa often acted like he didn't really care that much about Mogami, no one in their class could forget the way he'd lost it and started a big fight when some boys from their school got too rough playing soccer and wound up scraping Mogami's arm up pretty badly in the forth grade.

"Ah, here we are!" Hiroko said happily, drawing Fumiko out of her memories. Startled, the brunette blinked owlishly at the opaque white door in front of them with the gold star proclaiming 'Kyouko-sama' on it. The girl tensed in anticipation as Hiroko knocked loudly on the door, triggering a hasty scuffling sound from the other side before the door opened just enough to reveal a frowning blonde woman.

"Sabara-kun?" the older woman said, a raising a puzzled eyebrow at the dark haired young man before her as he waved cheekily in reply.

"Yo!" He chirped out happily before shouting around the woman into the dressing room. "Kyouko-chan, you covered up in there?"

"Sabara-kun!" The blonde repeated, sounding scandalized. "Really, now! Shouldn't you be getting ready to shoot scene 49?"

"Sorry, nee-chan, but my friend here's a big fan of Kyouko-chan." Hiroko explained smoothly with a grin. "I told Kyouko-chan earlier that she was gonna be dropping by for a bit, and Kyouko-chan said it'd be fine to introduce her. You're not gonna have Kyouko-chan breakin' her promises now are you?"

"Sabara-kun…" The blonde growled out, a vein popping out of her head.

"Calm yourself, Tsurine-san." A soft voice called out smoothly from inside the room. "Jiro is right. To refuse a promised audience would be highly dishonorable. Allow them entry." Fumiko blinked in surprise at the strange, formal manner of speaking that Kyouko-chan was using. Wait did she just call Sabara-san 'Jiro…?' Before Fumiko could wonder about this any further, though, the fuming Tsurine-san reluctantly opened the door to admit the pair.

"You are sooo lucky she's in character right now… Look, just try not to take too long, okay? We've got fifteen minutes until scene 49's supposed to be shot, and Kyouko-chan's schedule's so packed today it's not even funny. If you wind up wasting our time with something stupid, then you're gonna be the one to explain things to Kyouko-chan's manager, not me." Hiroko laughed nervously at the threat burning in the blonde's eyes.

"U-understood, costume manager-san!" the singer said as he edged his way into the room, followed by a puzzled Fumiko.

Who froze on the spot when she entered and got a good look at Kyouko-chan.

Fumiko had never seen Dragon Eye before, and only vaguely knew it as an action-fantasy drama about a teenage rebel and his best friend accidentally getting sucked into a parallel universe by a strange shape shifting creature, where they became the protectors of the young, powerful seer who was chosen to rule the land (played by Kyouko-chan). Fumiko knew most of this because her little brother watched Dragon Eye regularly, and was particularly obsessed with Kyouko-chan's character.

Looking at her right now, Fumiko could definitely see why.

The Kyouko-chan gracefully sitting before her wore a long wig of hair white as the fallen snow, held back with a gold band that fell on the woman's lower back. A shimmering pale blue dress sheathed the actress' body, showcasing Kyouko's soft, feminine curves without actually putting anything on public display. Golden cuffs matching the woman's hair band encased each of Kyouko's wrists, attached to a series of intricate rings she wore on her fingers that tapered off to accent her long nails, which had been painted a subtle silvery color. Golden sandals peeked out from underneath the pale blue dress, and a midnight blue sash was tied loosely around the actress' waist.

The most startling thing about the woman's appearance though, where the quicksilver eyes that watched her every move with calm, dispassionate attentiveness. It wasn't the strange color that made Fumiko go still, though. The way Kyouko-chan watched her… it was as if she had already knew, but was keeping her guard up so as not to tip her hand too early. Not to mention that everything about Kyouko's posture and attitude made Fumiko feel more like she was in the presence of royalty then the plain, boring girl she'd made fun of growing up.

Just when Fumiko was about to give into her irrational urge to throw herself into a dogeza at the actress' feet and apologize for intruding, Hiroko bounded forward and threw an arm around Kyouko's shoulders, blatantly ignoring the costume manager's indignant cry as he did so.

"Sabara-kun! I just finished fixing her outfit, you little-!"

"Kyouko-chan!" Hiroko sang out cheerfully. "Let me introduce you to my good friend, Watanabi Fumiko- it is Watanabi Fumiko, isn't it?" Fumiko nodded mutely at the question as Tsurine stopped glowering long enough to frown suspiciously at Hiroko's flippant question of something he should have already known about a 'good friend.' "Fumiko-chan, I'm sure you already know Kyouko-chan here, right?"

"Watanabi…" Kyouko murmured, blinking a few times. Suddenly, her demeanor changed completely as she stared at Fumiko with wide, surprised eyes. "Watanabi Fumiko? Could you by chance be the Watanabi-san who attended Class 3-A in Toriyama's Secondary School?" Fumiko bit back a flinch as that innocent statement dug into her still healing spiritual wound. How unfair that Mogami remembered her when Fuwa-san didn't…

"Y-yes, that's me." Fumiko confessed, fidgeting under the actress' scrutiny. Her stomach twisted into knots as she waited for the starlet to speak again. She wasn't going to throw her out, was she? Fumiko couldn't really blame her if she did, everything considered, but nonetheless the girl prayed vigorously that Mogami didn't remember how often Fumiko had tormented her growing up. Instead of calling security to have her removed though, Kyouko turned and smiled at Hiroko.

"Sabara-san?" She said, fixing him with a pointed look. "Shouldn't you be in make up right now? You're going to need to have the paint touched up for scene 49, remember?"

"Eh?!" Hiroko said, aghast. "B-but-!"

"I'll get right on it, Kyouko-sama." Tsurine said, catching the singer by the back of the neck and hauling him out the door. "Honestly, you should've taken care of this right after your break! If we need an extension before we can start filming, so help me…" Fumiko blushed under Kyouko's steady gaze as Tsurine's and Hiroko's argument faded as the two moved further away. Once they were gone completely, Kyouko finally spoke.

"I'm surprised." She sighed, standing up so gracefully that Fumiko couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as Kyouko absently straightened out the folds of her dress in a smooth, practiced motion. "I wouldn't think anyone from Kyoto would recognize me as I am now…"

"I… wasn't sure if it was you or not." Fumiko confessed honestly enough. "But I wanted to see for myself… And to apologize." If she was going to ask Mogami to come back to Kyoto with her in order to ensure Fuwa-san's presence, then she should probably start by making extra nice with the girl. "Mogami-san, I was horribly mean to you when we went to school together, playing all sorts of thoughtless, cruel pranks just because I was jealous. I want to apologize for all the pain I put you through, and give you this." Here, Fumiko hastily dug out the backup invitation she'd been instructed to bring for Shou, just in case she'd lost the first one. "It's an invitation. Our secondary school's having a five year reunion, and it would mean a lot to us if you could make it."

"Watanabi-san…" Kyouko said, looking surprised. Then her face broke into a bright smile, taking Fumiko aback. "Thank you. It must have been hard for you to come all this way and say that… Of course I accept your apology!" Fumiko felt her face flush as she realized that Kyouko had assumed that Fumiko had come all the way from Kyoto just to apologize to her, guilt twisting her stomach into a knot. "But as far as the reunion goes… I'm afraid there's no way I could make it to something like that."

"Wh-what?!" Fumiko said, horrified. No! If Mogami didn't come, then Fuwa-san wouldn't either!

"Make it to what?" A voice behind Fumiko interrupted before the brunette could protest the actress' decision. Startled by the intrusion, Fumiko turned to tell the eavesdropper off, only to have her tirade die on her tongue at the sight of the man who dared to enter Kyouko's room without knocking.

Oh, Kami-sama…

"Shin-chan!" Kyouko-chan said brightly, her expression becoming ten times more cute and childlike. "Did you finish talking to Le'Moire-san? She's not angry, is she?"

"No, Le'Moire-san said that she has no problem moving today's meeting back half an hour. Apparently, she needed to extend her meeting with her team anyways, so it actually worked out to her benefit."

"That's a relief. I'd hate for her to be angry with me for changing the appointment practically at the last minute."

"I doubt that woman could ever get all that angry at you, Kyouko-san." Came the scoffed reply from the man. "Now stop trying to distract me and tell me what you can't make it to." Kyouko deflated at that order, sighing in defeat as the man glared pointedly at her.

"Well… Shin-chan, this is Watanabi-san, my former classmate from Kyoto." Kyouko said, motioning to Fumiko, who gave a dazed bow without taking her eyes off the man in front of her. "Watanabi-san, Shin-chan has been my manager for the past two years now."

"Nice to meet you." 'Shin-chan' said, nodding curtly at Fumiko, who didn't dare reply verbally for fear of saying something that'd embarrass herself.

There was no doubt in Fumiko's mind that Kyouko's manager was the largest, most frightening man she'd ever seen. He was easily seven feet tall and built like a tank with a neatly trimmed crew cut of black hair. His neck was thicker then Fumiko's waist, and his arms were so muscular that Fumiko half suspected that the man could bend steel with his bare hands. The thing that drew Fumiko's attention most, though, was the long scar that dragged across his face, starting at his right temple and ending at his collarbone.

All in all, the man looked more like a mercenary then a manager, and certainly not someone who should be addressed with a cutesy name like 'Shin-chan.'

"Watanabi-san was just telling me that my middle school is having a reunion, Shin-chan." Kyouko explained to the giant man. "That's what I can't make it to."

"Oh?" Shin's thick eyebrow went up as he fixed Kyouko with a pointed look. "And why can't you make it to this reunion?"

"Shin-chan!" Kyouko sighed irritably. "It's all the way in Kyoto! I'm much too busy right now to make that kind of trip! Think of all the filming I'll miss!"

"When does this reunion take place, Watanabi-san?" Fumiko jumped slightly when Shin turned to address her, and then flushed at her reaction.

"T-the 22nd, sir." Fumiko responded hastily, not wanting to potentially anger the man by making him wait for a reply. Shin hummed thoughtfully before pulling a glittery pink daily planner with floral print all over it out of a pocket inside his coat (which Fumiko face-faulted after seeing, earning a confused look from Kyouko), which he flipped through for a moment until he found the page he was looking for.

"You're in luck, Kyouko-san. There's no filming scheduled for the 22nd. Just some promotional work, which can be rescheduled easily enough."

"Kyoto is a long ways away." Kyouko reminded her manager sharply. "I'll need to leave the day before the reunion, and I won't be able to come back until the day after. That means three days of no filming, Shin-chan, not just one. Not to mention making reservations at a hotel, handling transportation, trying to find an outfit-!"

"Kyouko-san." Shin sighed. "I think you know full well that none of these are really excuses for why you can't go to Kyoto. If you're going to protest, at least be honest with me." Kyouko's lips thinned for a moment before her face twisted into an unforgiving scowl.

"Fine, you want the truth? I don't believe for one minute that the girls from my middle school didn't invite him to their precious reunion! In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if this was all just an excuse for them to see him again. Unless you want a repeat of the last incident and all the damage control that came with it, then the smartest thing for me to do is stay far away from Fuwa Shou."

"A-actually, Fuwa-san already said that he wasn't going to come." Fumiko supplied quickly, trying to hide her surprise. Why on earth would Mogami be so adamant about not seeing Fuwa-san? And what was all this about 'incidents' and 'damage control?' had their relationship really gotten that bad? If that was the case, then why did Fuwa-san want to see her so badly?

"There, you see Kyouko-san?" Shin sighed. "I've already told Takarada-kaichou that you've been working far too much lately, and that I'm concerned about your health, and he agreed that you should take a break. Three days in Kyoto among familiar faces may be just what the doctor ordered."

"Shin-chan! I keep telling you I'm fine!" Kyouko huffed out angrily. "This is nothing to bother the president about! I like acting, and I don't feel comfortable unless I stay busy!"

"Kyouko-san, you almost fainted during your judo lessons for Hot Shot. Obviously, you're not fine." Kyouko flushed at her manager's reminder, crossing her arms defensively.

"I was just a little dehydrated! A little water, and I was fine again!"

"Please, Kyouko-san. Takarada-kaichou and I are both very worried about you, we know how you are about your work, and we're afraid that you're taking on too much at once. Just take three days off in Kyoto to relax, that's all we're asking for." Kyouko wavered at her manager's soft, unflinching tone before her shoulders fell and she sighed in defeat, smiling at the large man with a sort of exasperated affection.

"Alright, I guess three days in Kyoto wouldn't be all that terrible, if it's for you and the president. I owe you two much more then just that. Besides, if Shou really isn't going to be there, then there shouldn't be any problems." Fumiko bit back a flinch as Kyouko stepped forward and took the invitation from her hands before she pushed back her guilt and reminded herself that this was all for the better. After all, it was important that Fuwa-san come to the reunion, no matter what. Smiling brightly, Fumiko opened her mouth to thank Kyouko for being so compliant when a loud, urgent growling noise made the girl freeze, her face paling dramatically before all the blood rushed back with a vengeance when she saw the way Kyouko and her manager were staring.

"W-Watanabi-san…" Kyouko began delicately. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I had an apple this morning, before coming here." Fumiko offered, wanting to die where she stood. Of all the times for her stomach to betray her!

"That's it?" Kyouko demanded, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Fumiko nodded meekly in reply, feeling very much like a child being scolded by her mother.

"I used up most of my money on the hotel room last night, and I needed to make sure I still had enough for my ticket home!" Fumiko explained hastily. "I'm going to catch the 2:00 train, and it'll only take a little more then two hours to get back to Kyoto, I should be able to last that long…"

"The 2:00 train?" Shin-chan asked, frowning thoughtfully to himself. "But that leaves in half an hour, doesn't it? And it takes longer then that to get to the train station from here… The brunette froze at the large man's words, dread pooling in her empty stomach.

"W-what?!" Fumiko exclaimed, hastily checking her watch. Her mouth dropped when she saw that the manager was right. How did she not realize that sooner?! "I can't believe this! There's no way I can go back by bus, and I don't have enough money for another night at that hotel!" Cursing herself for her stupidity, Fumiko groaned softly as she tried to figure out what she could do, short of sleeping on the streets of Tokyo. Given his less-than-warm welcome, Fumiko kind of doubted that Fuwa-san would let her stay the night with him… not that she even knew where he lived to begin with.

"Well, if you just need to stay overnight, I have plenty of room for you." Kyouko offered brightly, smiling at Fumiko's surprised look. "I can even guarantee a homemade dinner with a free bed."

"B-But there's no way I could intrude like that!" Fumiko protested loudly, feeling her entire body flush brilliantly at the actress' kindness.

"It's fine." Kyouko replied with a lighthearted laugh, waving the girl's objection away. "I like having people over. It does get pretty lonely living by yourself, you know…" Fumiko wouldn't know, actually, having lived with her parents and younger brother her whole life, but the wistful smile at Kyouko's lips told the girl that the actress was being honest with her. Why she'd offer to take her in after all that Fumiko and her friends did to her, the brunette had no idea, but…

"If that's the case… thank you for your hospitality." Fumiko said, suddenly feeling shy. Kyouko giggled.

"Like I said, it's no problem at all! I just hope you don't mind following us around all day until we get home. I've still got four more jobs after this one's done… Oh, I almost forgot! We should-!"

"-call ahead and inform the other parties that we'll be bringing a guest?" Shin-chan finished Kyouko's sentence, looking amused as he looked up from the phone he was currently dialing a number on. "Already on it. Also, I'll see about getting a crewmember to bring Watanabi-san one of those bentos they ordered for the cast and crew, to tide her over until dinner."

"…I don't know how I lived so long without you, Shin-chan." Kyouko said in reverence. Shin chuckled at his young charge, but before he could respond, a knock sounded sharply on Kyouko's dressing room door.

"Kyouko-san! They're ready for you on set!"

"Thank you, we'll be out in a moment!" Kyouko called back, before turning to give Fumiko a playful smile. "Well? Wanna see what real filming looks like, Watanabi-san?" Fumiko looked startled at Kyouko's question, mostly due to the fact that she was still reeling over Kyouko inviting her into her home, but didn't get a chance to respond before Kyouko grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door with an excited giggle.

Something tells me that this is going to be one interesting night… Fumiko thought dimly as she allowed the actress to pull her all the way to the set.