Kyoko had gone to get groceries. He had offered to go with her, but she'd firmly denied. It was starting to get frustrating. Even though he tried so hard to help her out, her fierce independence was starting to get on his nerves. He didn't even have an excuse to treat her so protectively. What is he going to tell her? That he loves her and wants to be by her side? Surely she'd misinterpret that or get indescribably angry.
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Oh god no! Please not ice cream. She winces as Kyoko dragged her towards the flashing ice cream truck parked right next to the supermarket's front doors. She glares at the back of Kyoko's head but soon finds that her frown has been replaced with a soft smile when Kyoko smiles at her. I'm so glad I got to meet her. She's taught me how to live, laugh and love, she thinks fondly, before reaching out for a bite of that ice cream… or maybe three or four or five bites.
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No. This wasn't okay. He had to tell her something. That pretty boy looked at her like a piece of meat. She did not belong to that pretty boy. Kyoko is supposed to be mine, he hisses internally. The pretty boy had just offered to go grocery shopping with her. What is that guy trying to pull off here? As if she would go anywhere with that jerk, he reasons. Of course she'd prefer me. He smirks at the pretty boy, thinking that only he knows what makes Kyoko tick.
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He loves her. Her smile, her laugh, her twinkling eyes. Her modesty, her personality, her passion. But he also saw how other men could make her so animated. He felt so helpless. She'd never see him as anything more than a friend. Despite all the time they spent together, he knows it is foolish to even hope. I probably can settle for being a close friend, he suggest to himself. But deep down, even the thought of that breaks his heart. Why doesn't she see me as a man?
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She saw Kyoko in the grocery store. It seemed as if Kyoko and her friend were having an intense discussion over a pink rose. Out of the corner of her ear, she heard the words "magical" and "Princess Rosa," and promptly dissolves into a fit of giggles. It's typical Kyoko behavior. Initially she had been upset when her idol began to show interest in Kyoko, but she soon came to realize how much Kyoko deserved a man like him. Pushing aside those thoughts, she runs up to Kyoko, knocking Kyoko's breath out with an enormous hug.
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When Kyoko had left the room, he turned to survey all the men sitting in the living room. They were all glaring at each other, no doubt fighting over his daughter. He was glad that Kyoko had taken the other girl with her. The other girl is fiercely protective. She'd probably be yelling at everyone in this room, he chuckles. All he wants is to make sure all his children (as he thought of them) were emotionally happy and free from strife. Why is it that Kyoko is so troublesome?
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They had received was a text saying that Kyoko was at the grocery store. That was all it took for them to go running to the supermarket to try and find their son (or daughter, if you must). They embrace her in delight, much to the shock of her friend, and insist that they pay for the groceries. Kyoko tries to persuade them otherwise, but her determination cannot compete with their love for her. They end up not only paying for her groceries, but also giving her advice on the way back to her house.
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When Kyoko comes back, the men are surprised to see three extra (but nonetheless excited) people trailing in after them. She shrugs and shuts the door before any reporters figure out just how many stars are congregating inside her house and turns it into a scandal of some sort. After all, a scandal is the last thing an actress needs in her career. Once everyone is seated, Kyoko gets up and heads towards the kitchen, fully intending to whip something up for dinner when one man stands up and calls for attention. Kyoko drags herself back to the living room, dreading the announcement.
"Kyoko my dear," he booms, "I have one final Love-Me assignment for you." She sighs. She knows what it is. This assignment was inevitable. After all these years as an actress, she still cannot fully open her heart up to anyone. The tension in the air is so thick that she can easily chop it with one of her knives. This does not seem like a supportive atmosphere. But then she sees her friends, her families, and they smile at her. And then it seems like she can do anything this world throws at her.
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The next morning the paper reads, "Rising Star Kyoko is in a Relationship. Who is the Lucky Man?"