Loveless (Book 1) [Completed]

Chapter 26.

MY KYOKO.

This is what a helpless fly feels like! Kyoko regretted those times when she experimentally clipped the wings of those poor creatures with Sho when they were young, leaving them crippled. More than a few minutes had passed and she was still stuck beneath Ren. She tried waking him up to no avail. She also tried pushing him off, and sliding from underneath him but that was no use either since he was as heavy as a rock. A very hot rock, because he was literally burning!

She knew his fever was spiking because all she felt while his torso was crushing against hers, was heat. His smooth hair was tickling her cheeks, his warm, uneven breath softly caressed the skin beneath her ear sending ripples of electricity throughout her body, filling her mind with some rather unthinkable thoughts which she immediately kicked off from her mind.

Suddenly, Kyoko heard a voice from the adjoining dressing room. It belonged to Ren's costar, Yumiko. Finally, someone was there who could help her before she was smothered to death. She sucked in a huge breath and called out to her as loudly as she could manage with her limited air supply. But Yumiko was too busy giggling on her phone to listen to her pleas, or to come out and help.

What the hell are you giggling about? Get off the freaking phone and help! Kyoko grinded her teeth menacingly. Maybe if you didn't blow the take nine times in a row, I wouldn't be in this mess!

Just thinking about it made Kyoko boil from anger all over again. If not for that so-called actress, the scene wouldn't have lasted as long as it did and Ren wouldn't have had a fever. And it wasn't even that tough of a line to get through!

"Even I could deliver it better!" Kyoko muttered. She sucked in another huge breath, closed her eyes and delivered the line, just to prove that she could. "Yes, maybe I was the one at fault in all of this but it doesn't make any sense, does it? I know there has to be something wrong here. It's incredibly suspicious!"

Suddenly, she felt the weight which had been pinning her to the ground lift off of her. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Ren raising himself up a little. Leaning on the floor with his elbows around her, he replied to the lines she had just delivered with his own dialogues from the script. "I know. I need you to be careful. I swear to you that I will not allow them to harm you."

He was still only semiconscious. Only when his eyes came to focus and he saw Kyoko instead of Yumiko did he wake up and realise that he was not in the middle of a shoot. "It's you," he muttered. "Hold on, you are not Yumiko." He sat up and looked around remembering at last that the shoot was already over.

Kyoko still kept lying on the floor. She was way too stunned to react or to get up. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she could almost hear it. What just happened? One minute he is passed out then he snaps back into the line? He can fall completely into character like it's nothing when he can't even manage to walk straight!

She picked herself up and saw Ren staggering towards the door. "My head feels heavy. Why is everything spinning?" He mumbled.

"You are not in the position to drive, Mr Tsuruga." She pointed out. "Your fever is spiking. Just wait here while I call a cab." With that, she ran out. For some reason, her heart was still hammering her chest. As a beginner, watching him act from so close was almost frightening. Yet she still couldn't stop herself from replaying that moment in her mind over and over again. He didn't even hesitate. The moment he heard Yumiko's lines, he responded in kind.

For the first time she realized just how much acting meant to  Ren. It wasn't just his career, it was his life! And he was willing to fight through anything to keep performing.