Ooookaaay. My dear readers, I have a MAJOR problem. I used to visit onemanga alot for both kaichou wa maid sama AND skip beat, but due to its demise, not only am I grumpy and irritable, I am also completely clueless as to how either story continues. This means I will be referring to the anime for the sequence of events for KWMS, so I apologize in advance if I leave out ALOT of scenes here and there. Plus, the dialogue's gonna be off too, since I can't read off the manga and just paste it here. I'm sorry!

I still hope that you'll continue to support the mangas, and also this fanfic! Thanks and enjoy!

Oh, and if anyone's interested, I took this scene from episode 5 of the anime. =)

Misaki: Hey Kyoko-chan! If any of the guys give you trouble of any sort, I'm always here to give them a knuckle sandwich!

Usui: Your porridge alone is enough to eradicate anyone without a cast iron stomach. You're lucky I own one of those. But what she doesn't own, *points at m4g3rul3z* is Kyoko, you, me and that lovesick crackhead with a scary past.

Ren: Who's this lovesick crackhead? Hmm? *cracks knuckles*

CHAPTER 9!

Kyoko stepped out of the trailer in her costume, tugging at the Victorian sleeves a little to get rid of the creases. She felt a pin prick of apprehension while scanning through the script once more a few moments ago. Misaki would be tremendously afraid of the two rapists, but still had all her wits about her, not to mention her inhuman strength. Ogata-san had assured her that the handcuffs would snap off easily enough, so Kyoko would just have to sustain the suspense of the scene for at least a good five minutes for them to get a full shot. Though she didn't know who exactly were going to play her attackers, it would be absolutely unprofessional if she was worried about something as trivial as that. She tried to slip into the role, but Kyoko was having trouble forcing fear out of herself. It was as if the grudge Kyokos were intent on keeping her emotions to nothing beyond anger and depression. Kyoko tried to find a way to overcome this mental block, and started pacing around the set, absorbed in her own world.

...

Ren eyed the cast suspiciously. It had been near two weeks since Kyoko's fever, and now she was back on her feet, being the cheerful sprite everyone enjoyed spending time around. The objects of Ren's suspicion had been the two shady characters acting in an episode of Kaichou wa Maid Sama, whose identities Ogata-san had chosen not to disclose, so as to heighten the suspense. They were about to play two rapists, and even though Ren knew those two wouldn't try anything funny, the actress that was going to be under their control for the next half an hour was none other than his favourite kohai.

Suddenly, he saw the same actress in question walking past him, barely noticing any of her surroundings as she was lost deep in the ocean of her frustrations. Ren couldn't help but stifle a muffled laugh as the dark aura she emitted parted crew members like the red sea as she walked through the bustling set. Even the costume, with its demure frills and intricate lacing, had no effect in toning down the effect Kyoko's depressed and tortured soul had on others.

"Mogami-san, what's eating at you?" Ren ventured toward the starlet that everyone else was avoiding like the plague.

"Tsuruga-san," her voice droned lifelessly, "how do you act when you're trying to be afraid?"

"I think of something important to me that I might lose in the situation," Ren answered frankly, 'and for the past few months I've been thinking of you,' he felt extremely tempted to tell her, but kept his mouth shut.

The creases in Kyoko's forehead disappeared, and her cheery disposition returned. Bowing towards her sempai, Ren swore if she went any lower than that 45 degree angle, he would have wound up seeing things he didn't want (desperately wanted) to see. His smile was a little forced as she bounced off towards the set, but wondered what she would be thinking of when she was acting afterwards. You, Ren? You think she'll be thinking about you? Pfft, impossible. A voice in Ren's head scoffed at him, and he suspected Usui was laughing at him from deep inside his mind. Though Ren shut him up soon enough, his heart felt heavy. Maybe, just maybe, he agreed with that jerk.

...

"Misa-chan," a smug voice called out, and its owner, a stocky man dressed in inconspicuous casual attire continued, "We've managed to open the back door."

"Don't move," a Taser was brandished at Misaki by the other man, "head to the second floor."

Misaki's jaw clenched as she felt the beads of perspiration forming. Eyebrows furrowed, she knew she would be in more danger now if she tried to run, and thus had no choice but to head to the upper level of the cafe. It was eerily quiet, completely vacant. Misaki flinched as they forced her to sit on the tiled flooring, and then secured handcuffs around her wrists that were behind her back, before covering her mouth with duct tape.

"We've made it, Misa-chan."

"Please remain silent for a while."

They repulsed her, chilled her to the bone. The beads of perspiration flowed naturally.

"We don't want to be hurting you."

"That's right."

These guys...they've been here before!

"Misa-chan," one of the men cooed in a sickening voice.

"We understand."

"You are our definition," he grinned slyly, "of a perfect maid."

A camera on the set next to this one captured Usui's shock, his green eyes widening with terror.

"We've been constantly watching you, including the times when you're speaking with other guys."

"You probably didn't even intend to serve them. But we aren't the same as them. We know what the real Misa looks like."

Usui climbed onto the balcony of the cafe, and was prepared to shatter the glass window that separated him from Misaki and her assailants.

Something inside Misaki snapped as she did the same to the handcuffs that had been restricting her movements. Ripping the duct tape from her face, she glared at the two stunned rapists. Her rage burned around her in a crimson swirl, the flames lashing out at the objects of her wrath.

"You assholes! There's a limit to your delusions!" She fumed at them, "do you guys REALLY know the real me? What utter crap! What do you guys know about me?"

The duo were too busy being shocked and trying to screw their jaws shut, but by this time Misaki had already grabbed the thinner one, launching him over her shoulder and pounding him to the floor with a resounding thud. Easily kicking the Taser out the second assailant's hands, she growled and gave him the evil eye before sending him flailing like his accomplice, then finally landing next to him in one dazed heap.

"You morons!"

"Pfft," an unknown third party made his presence known, and then burst out into uncontrollable laughter, "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"

"HUH? USUI?" The shocked maid exclaimed, "WHAT? YOU CAME IN THROUGH THE WINDOW?"

"-HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

...

"Kyoko-chan! That was good! I see you really did learn a bit of Akido for this scene!" One of the camera men applauded Kyoko's performance as she got off the set, and Kyoko bowed with appreciation for the compliment, and then went to her dressing room to change out of the costume.

Ren had stepped off the set too, and was still smiling from his bout of laughter. He had to admit that it was hilarious, the way she had turned the tables on her attackers. In addition, he felt a little foolish for suspecting that Kyoko would be in danger from the two actors. Ren looked around the studio to thank them for being part of the scene, and bowed a little when they caught his gaze. They did the same in exchange, though he sensed somehow that they were a little stiff, almost as if they were hiding something other than their identities. After that, they bustled out of the set, hurrying to their next destination. Follow them, Ren. Something's not right. Ren stiffened, and wondered if Usui talking to him was going to become a regular thing. Maybe, but now's not the time for that. Look. They're headed for the dressing rooms. The actor knew that only regular cast and crew members were allowed into that portion of the set, and held his breath a little when the two men paused in front of Kyoko's dressing room, then knocked on the wooden door. Ren was still hidden around a nearby corner of the snaking corridor, and prayed profusely that Kyoko was not in the room, or even if she was, that she wouldn't open the door.

But Kyoko was in the room, and the door budged open with a slight creak. What was she thinking, letting them in? Ren tried desperately to walk down the long hallway as fast as he could; moving like a cheetah on caffeine, but the way Lory had designed the curved corridor made it impossible for even Ren to reach it in time. When he was halfway there, the men had already entered the starlet's dressing room, and Ren heard the sickening click of the lock echo around the hallway. What were they doing? No, what were they going to do?

When Ren finally reached the door, he threw his entire body onto it, but found out that the president had installed good quality doors that were fire-proof, water-proof, shock-proof, and unfortunately, Ren-proof. The fury that he felt was fuelled by something he had locked deep inside his mind, something that was about to be unleashed. The door soon found out that even though it might have withstood many things, but it was just too bad that it wasn't Cain-proof.

The cold-blooded murderer launched himself into the room, and was greeted by three utterly flabbergasted faces as the defeated rectangular piece of wood collapsed onto the floor. Cold sweat rolled down the foreheads of the two men there, and one glare from Cain sent them running helter-skelter, out into the corridor, and Cain hoped that in their frenzy, they would be stuck in the labyrinth the LME regulars knew as the hallways. Cain glanced at Kyoko, his gaze still filled with murderous intent. The actress flinched and recoiled, but Cain couldn't be controlled, and stalked up to Kyoko with contempt in his eyes. She stumbled backwards till her back slammed onto the hard wall. Cain pressed his hands against the concrete, barring the actress from being able to run for cover.

Kyoko recognised this intimidating man the moment he entered the room. She desperately tried to call Setsuka out of her shell, but the young woman refused to answer to her creator, due to the fact that Kyoko was just too terrified to allow anyone else to inhabit her mind just then. Rage coursed through Cain's veins like a pandemic, the disease spreading throughout his entire system. Ren was watching from within, horrified that he had allowed Cain to take control, but stared helpless at the scene that unfolded before him. He couldn't stop. He couldn't withdraw his hands. Even though Kyoko was staring back at him with a spine-chilling look of fright, it made the sadist in Cain just lean in closer, till his petrified prey could no longer hold his gaze.

"Tsuruga-san, please don't," she whimpered, her eyes squeezed shut, "Tsuruga-san..."

Her voice trailed off as she realised he had advanced even nearer to her, his large hands now gripping her arms tightly.

"REN!"

Cain finally left Ren, and the dark brown eyes now reflected the scene he had started right back at him. Kyoko risked opening her eyes again when she felt the iron grip on her arms relax a tiny bit, and then Kyoko was released from her prison, while Cain returned to his. Kyoko's knees had stopped quivering, and her heart too, had stopped pounding against her ribcage. She watched as Ren took a step back, stunned, and then sunk to the ground on his knees, head buried in his hands. Ren barely realised that Kyoko had knelt down beside him, until he felt her comforting arms around his trembling broad shoulders.

"It's okay," Kyoko whispered, "you'll be fine."

Ren wanted to apologize so badly, or maybe even strangle himself for scaring Kyoko like that. However, no matter how hard he tried to force words out of his mouth, they wouldn't come out at all. Ren stayed frozen in that position, still shaking in fear of what he had done, or worse, what he had been about to do. His shoulders slumped even more.

"Don't be afraid," her calm voice soothed him, making sure that the padlock of Cain's cage was properly sealed, "I'm just glad you're back."

Slowly, the shock abated, and Ren was able to breathe properly again.

"I...I was just afraid that they were going to do something to you," he stammered, his eyes averted from Kyoko, "I'm sorry."

Ren didn't know how he would be able to face Kyoko again. He had always been flawless in front of the public; faultless in the eyes of everyone else, but Kyoko was now the only one who had seen him at his weakest, his most vulnerable. She was supposed to be his kohai, supposed to be learning from him, but what kind of example was he setting?

"They just wanted to thank me for working alongside them, and we locked the door because it would be bad if crew members saw them in the restricted area," Kyoko explained gently, and then without removing her arms around his shoulders, "and you don't need to apologize."

That idiot! She wasn't in danger at all! Ren wanted to grab Usui and strangle him for implanting such a foolish thought in his head, but he couldn't find the cheeky, golden-haired culprit anywhere in his mind.

Ren raised his head to face her, even though he was so ashamed of himself. He found mesmerizing golden eyes, sequined with tiny beads of tears, staring back into his lost brown ones.

"Thanks for caring about me," she breathed.

Kyoko's arms tightened around him, and she rested her head in the hollow of his shoulder. Ren cautiously placed one hand around her back, and the other her waist, before pulling her closer to him. Kyoko responded by inching her head closer to his. Anything more than this, and Ren swore that he might very well lose his control again. Neither of them broke the contact, and Ren had a sudden thought.

Gosh. I might actually have to thank that idiot for this.

...

Yay. Okay I feel way sappy now. I've been writing another story on fanfic too, called Etsuko Hizuri. All my plot bunnies have been hopping there, and the fluff has thus gathered here.

And I actually like following the anime and writing, because I can follow the pacing there to know how much to put into one chapter here. Again, I'll only choose the events that are more important, so yeah.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I really hoped you guys liked it!