Recap / Skip Beat Volume 32

As Kyoko and Setsuka — she'll do her best!

Ren is beginning to lose his cool under the strain of having to juggle his various personae as Ren Tsuruga, Cain Heel, and even his past as Kuon. When Kyoko gets further attention from Kijima and from a newly-determined Shou Fuwa, it only gets worse.

Kyoko herself needs to deal with Shou's determination to remind him why she entered showbiz and insisting she tell him to his face that she has no feelings for Ren. This guy, and her worry of being the good luck charm for Ren, don't help and she heads back into her role as Setsuka Heel with unease.

Can her job as a charm work out or will the chained beast within destroy everything?

This volume contains the chapters

• Act 189: Dark Breath ^note Shou heads off to Kyoko's highschool to head her off, and her attempt at escape is foiled by Minori Nanokura. He gets her to head into his limo and begins to berate her for letting Kijima dress her up. Snapping at him for having taken up her time before a new job, Kyoko realizes that they both need to head to TBM next.
• Act 190: Dark Breath ^note As Ren and Yashiro are about to leave for their next destination, Kijima arrives and asks if either of them knows Kyoko's birthdate, as he wants to surprise her. Ren tells him, but also not-so-subtly tells him to back off of Kyoko. And Yashiro is quite surprised at how open Ren is about this, even to him. As it turns out, Ren and Yashiro arrive at TBM themselves, just as Shou's limo arrives. Ren's and Kyoko's eyes meet, with her riding in with Shou.
• Act 191: Dark Breath ^note Kyoko worries over Ren's reaction to seeing her, apparently rather calmly, riding with Shou in the same car. Shou demands that she tell him straight to his face that she feels nothing for Ren Tsuruga, which she does in her most convincing voice and tells him off, remembering her reason for entering showbiz: to get her revenge on Shou. Yet she admits to herself that she will do her best to not lose to her growing feelings for Ren.
• Act 192: Dark Breath ^note Despite having left a voicemail to explain the meeting yesterday, Kyoko is worried how Ren will react to it. Especially since she'll soon head back to her role as Setsuka Heel. Meanwhile, Yashiro admits to Ren that he is concerned, as Ren has the same, despairing look in his eyes like they did when they first met years ago. Ren realizes that Kuon is becoming more exposed, despite his best efforts. He prepares himself to go back to his role as Cain Heel.
• Act 193: Dark Breath ^note Shou recalls his discussion with Kyoko and feels satisfied, having managed to manipulate her into saying just what he wanted to say. Kyoko herself heads back into the hotel room that she, as Setsuka, shares with Cain Heel, doing her best to not let the awkwardness from before be shown. While things start off okay, her cellphone suddenly rings and it's an unknown number, meaning it's Shou. Before she can deny the call, Ren takes the cellphone away, sees the display and turns the phone off, throwing it away.
• Act 194: Dark Breath ^note While Shou is shocked that Kyoko did not take his call, even turning her cellphone off, the atmosphere between Ren and Kyoko in the hotel room becomes intense. Ren is furious over Shou's call, and everything that has happened lately, to the point of cornering Kyoko on top of a bed. As he demands answers from her, Kyoko realizes that this is another moment where 'someone else', who is not Ren Tsuruga or Cain Heel, is moving Ren. She turns the tables, lying on top of him on the bed, licking her lips.

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Chapters in this volume provide examples of:

• Attempted Rape: Nothing comes of it, but Ren's behavior for the last few pages of Chapter 194 look like he was going to force himself on Kyoko or somehow assault her. Her turning the tables stopped him in time.
• Call-Back: Chapter 194 has Ren mention that his and the agency no longer appear as Withheld Numbers on her phone, referring to the side-story in the previous volume, so the one to have called her must be Shou.
• Death Glare: Ren gives one to Shou as he tells him to 'get lost'.
• Flashback: Chapter 193 has a flashback to Kyoko and Shou's heated discussion at TBM, including her making her promise. And includes a flashback to Shou confronting Ren about this.
• Flower Motifs: It's a shoujo manga after all.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business
  • Shou heading off to school in the early morning? Shouko demands to know why, and he just mumbles and waits until after school is over to catch Kyoko.
  • One of the employees mentions how odd it was that Ren had an expression that could kill people, but feels relieved that he got better by the next day.
• The Promise: If Kyoko fails as an actress and falls for Ren, she promises to serve as a waitress in the Ryokan Shou's parents run for life. Just like he hoped he'd get her to say.
• Stepford Smiler: Yashiro says that Ren was one when they first met, though his eyes revealed all the despair he was trying to hide behind a smile. He says that Ren is reverting back to that lately, much to Ren's horror.
• Talking in Your Sleep: Shou recalls that Kyoko does this at times, like cooing over how cute a pumpkin carriage she was dreaming about was.
• Tranquil Fury: Ren shows signs of this as he indirectly tells Kijima his place, revealing to him that he and Kyoko have had multiple phone calls, which trump any messaging between her and Kijima.

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