Loveless (Book 1) [Completed]

Chapter 32.

DENIAL.

The Love Me duo made it back to the safety of their room and after closing the door behind her, Moko remarked the obvious, "that was weird. Seeing Ren's whole mood change so suddenly like that. And not just his voice, his whole aura. He became so intimidating so quickly." She whirled around to face Kyoko who had shrunk into the size of a tiny squirrel, shaking hysterically from fear, despite the fact that Ren was no where near her.

"That was so scary... I'm sorry... I'm sorry!" Kyoko's voice quivered more than her body as she mumbled and hugged her knees tightly. "I told him... It wasn't for revenge... But he still..."

"So..." Moko crossed her arms menacingly. She wasn't about to go easy on Kyoko for hiding things from her despite the fact that the poor soul was shaking in her boots like an inmate about to be sent to his execution. "What's this revenge-on-Sho-Fuwa business? Seems like Ren knew about it by the way he was talking."

"It's... nothing." Kyoko hid her face.

"You're not going to tell me after you told him? I guess I'm not really your best friend! Am I?"

"No! You are my best friend! It's just..." her voice trailed off. She did not want Moko to judge her the same way Ren did. She did not want her to find out that her motives were impure.

"Oh, no, I get it." Moko replied coolly. "Our so-called friendship ends right here and now." She actually believed for a while that they could be true friends. But turned out Kyoko did not put nearly enough trust in Moko as she did in her. Surprisingly, that hurt her. More than she wanted to admit.

"Moko, please wait," she grabbed her shoulders, but she jerked her hands away, ready to storm off.

Kyoko then knew she had no other choice. "Okay! I'll tell you!"

.

.

.

"I'm sorry. That's something I'm just not comfortable talking about," Ren told Yashiro when he asked him why all of a sudden his mood took a dip in the arctic ocean earlier.

"That's too bad. You are going to tell me anyway." Yashiro crossed his arms determinedly, refusing to take no for an answer. "I can't have that happen again. It's bad for business." Right after that little plight with Kyoko, Ren had a magazine interview. And for whatever reason he was all fueled up, he ended up taking it out on the poor interviewer and even made her cry by shooting her with one of his icy glares. Yashiro would have let it go if Ren hadn't failed to keep his emotions in check during that meeting, but not now. "As your manager, I need to know the truth. That way, I will manage any risks that come from it."

"Yeah," Ren gave him a convincing smile. "Don't worry. I am back to my normal self now. I'm fine, really."

"I don't believe you," Yashiro straightened his glasses and pursed his lips into a hard, firm line. "What guarantee do I have that you can keep your true feelings in check next time?"

"M-my true feelings?"

"Oh please. I know exactly why you got so upset," Yashiro patted his chest. "It's clear you don't like the idea of Kyoko working with Sho Fuwa at all. Even less if it's not about revenge." Squinting his eyes suspiciously, he continued, "you know you mentioned this revenge thing before. From what I've seen so far, looks like you know what's up. What is it about Kyoko and Sho? Why does their relationship make you so angry?"

Ren looked away. He answered all those questions in one sentence before striding off, and giving no chance to Yashiro to press him more. "It's not my secret to share."