Loveless (Book 1) [Completed]

Chapter 18.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Ren said when he saw that she was trying to run away from him. He didn't find it odd because a lot of starstruck people were skittish around him.

But you did. Let go of my tail already!

"Please don't run away." He let go of the tail. She was free to go. She knew it would be absolutely crazy to stay. The day was already unlucky, staying with him would be totally stupid. But her curiosity got the best of her, so she decided to hear him out.

"I realise I don't know you and yes, this is a little invasive but I could really use your help."

Kyoko saw the hopefulness in his eyes and couldn't stop herself from responding, "well, if you think I can help," in an altered, heavier voice. She almost sounded like a guy.

"You are my lifesaver! Do you think I can borrow your cell phone for just a moment." His tone was filled with urgency. "Mine's at home."

He sounded so desperate that Kyoko almost hated herself for not being able to help "I am sorry. I don't have one."

He sat down on the bench again, looking gloomier than before.

Why is he acting like it's the end of the world? "Excuse me, doesn't your manager carry a cell phone?"

"Yes, usually," he replied, still looking down. "But he's not here today so I guess I am out of luck."

"Can't you just use the telephone on the reception if you want to call someone?"

"No. I need a cell phone."

"What could be so important that can't be done without borrowing a cell phone?" She wondered aloud. She wanted to get the hell out of here but she just didn't want to leave him alone when he was obviously so depressed.

She waited for the answer but it never came. He was lost in his thoughts again.

Kyoko's eyes darted around the room and stopped on the script book beside him.

"Oh, I get it. There are words in there you don't know. You need to look them up, right?" She wanted to buy a cell phone herself for this very reason. Everyone in the acting class had one and they were sick of lending her whenever she needed to Google something. She had been saving up to buy one.

His lips twisted into his perfect signature smile. "Of course not," he said like it was obvious.

She recognized that smile. It was the same plastic smile he had wherever he insulted her or deducted her points. People adored it but in the past couple of months, since she met him in person, she had come to learn that it was clearly fake. His smiled like that only when he was about to trick someone or say something nasty and cold.

She raised an eyebrow at him. She was sure he was lying about not knowing the words or else he wouldn't have used that smile. I know you, the brighter your smile, the darker your heart, and the more you have to hide.

"Yeah, but it's kinda normal for stars to lie about things that are actually true." Infact, it was you who told me that. Such irony! If you hadn't explain to me how things work around here then maybe I'd believe you. "Please, I am not buying it. Come clean, part of the script went over your head, right Tsuruga?" Kyoko felt so smug and giddy about using Ren's own words against him that she forgot she was talking to the biggest star in the industry.

"I promise you that's not it," he replied with the same phony smile, with the nice guy act.

"Oh, don't try to play it off," she pressed. She was hell bent on making him admit that he was lying. "That smile of yours might have all the Japan under your spell, but I'm immune to your charms. Come on, fess up!"