Flower Ring
Prologue
Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me.
This story is set basically at the end of Act 265. It follows the entire canon storyline, and can be treated as a continuation of the main story.
She had told herself she could be content with being at his side, acting and continuing their lives as they had been lived up to this point.
She told herself that it didn't hurt every time another one of her co-workers showed the White Day gift they had received from Tsuruga Ren.
That it didn't hurt every time Morizumi Kimiko's pinky ring caught the light as she talked about her relationship with Ren.
That the pain she felt in her heart when Ren had taken her hand in his and slipped a flower ring on her pinky wasn't real.
She was stronger than this.
She was Mogami Kyoko, the Kyouko who had made blood run cold as Hongo Mio. The Kyouko who both captured hearts and horrified minds as Kitagawa Natsu. The Kyouko who had, as a mere talento, ripped the role of Momiji out of the hands of more experienced competitors.
She was more than this.
But still…
Kyoko looked down at the flower ring, turning it over in her hand. It was going to wilt soon if she didn't do something.
She should throw it away.
Standing up, Kyoko walked over to the waste bin in her room and dropped the ring in it. She watched as it landed on a tissue, cushioned by the softness.
Walking back to her futon, she pulled the covers back and climbed under the thick, warm blanket, willing the wetness she felt behind her eyes to not escape.
'It didn't mean anything to him. It can't mean anything to me. I can't let it.'
She closed her eyes, pressing her fists against them, attempting to force the tears to stay put.
Kyoko wouldn't let this be the thing that finally undone her. She had endured so much to get to this point, this wouldn't stop her now.
She had to keep going, one foot in front of the other.
She would make it to the top, even with a broken heart.
Opening her eyes, Kyoko glanced over to the waste bin. She stared long and hard before, with a sigh, getting out of her futon and retrieving the flower ring from its place in the bin. She had spent time earlier looking up ways to preserve flowers, and had even bought the supplies for it.
'I just don't want to waste the money by not using the supplies I bought.' The thought ran through her mind, dully. But she wasn't trying to convince herself. Long gone were the days where she could tell herself that the locks were still in place and that nothing could move her heart.
Mogami Kyoko knew that she wasn't the one that Tsuruga Ren loved.
That had been made so obvious, in so many ways.
She ran a finger gently along the side of the flower, and felt her throat clench. One, two tears splashed down on the flower as she held it in her hand.
She loved him.
She really, truly loved him.
Tsuruga Ren looked at the glass in his hands, barely a sip or two missing.
He couldn't drink this away, it was a puzzle he was going to have to spend time on if he ever hoped to find out what he had done wrong.
That little flower ring seemed to have hurt Kyoko, from the moment he put it on her finger, and he couldn't figure out why.
What had he done to her to cause that pained expression on her face? He had only been explaining why the ring was for good luck, and the hurt in her eyes had only deepened at his words.
He wanted to as her about the picture of her being kissed by Fuwa Sho, he needed to. But there hadn't been a chance. Not when she looked at him like that. Not when she called him a despicable guy and faced him with such stiffness. When they had dropped her off at her job, Kyoko had barely been able to make eye contact.
He was a little hurt, if he was being honest with himself. So many things had happened lately, with Guam, meeting Kyoko as Kuon… well, Corn, her mother re-appearing after so long, and now the picture of Kyoko and Fuwa?
Ren was exhausted, mentally and physically.
He closed his eyes, leaning back against his bed, setting the glass on the floor.
He would see her again in the morning. Yashiro had agreed to let him tag along.
He would find a way to ask her, he had to know what he had done to cause that expression.
It's been a really long time since I've written a serialized fic, especially a Skip Beat one. I'm not quite sure where I'm taking this just yet, but I'm honoured to have you all along for the ride.