Chapter 1: The Dream
The president is in his personal office when Ren walkes in unannounced. The boss is busy between two screens, one is in front of him, his computer, and the other is a tablet-like device in his hands. Ren, used to discuss important things when the president is working, takes a seat. He is probably in one of the endless meetings with people all over the world he thinks. Ren doesn't mind talking while the president is multitasking. In fact, it would be easier this way.
"You know Ren, I manage many lives in my hands right now..."
"I have matters to settle outside Japan"
"Oh?... How unusual. Something to handle outside Japan... After all you went through until now, wouldn't this be you going back on your words?"
"I don't see it as breaking a promise. This is the opposite, I'm paving my way back in advance... As long as nobody finds out, it would be fine."
The president have his hands busy on the electronic device but is able to picture what Ren was trying to say. *From our previous conversation, you still don't consider yourself ready, and yet, there is something you want to settle out there...what are you planning Kuon?* His expression got serious for a moment, he takes a deep breath and stops looking to his device, then continues his thought. *You make the thinks harder on yourself on purpose, don't you? To begin with, this is your own fault for being so headstrong. Well... now at least you are starting to circle around those self-imposed rules... maybe bending the rules a little might be just what you need... If you try to be as hard as you can, you end up brittle."
"I won't help you out with any of this... you are on your own." - Takarada says turning back to the computer's screen.
"I'm not asking for help, I'm just making it clear I won't be here for the next few days."
"Hmmm... 'Not here in the next few days', 'nobody finds out' ... I'm pretty much the only one you can rely for help, don't you think".
"Well, that is one way to see things..."
"OK. OK. I get it. I will think of some excuse. Nobody outside this room will find out, I will say it has to do with one of my secret projects", he finally takes back his device, Ren can finally take a glimpse of what is on the screen: "game over".
Ren gets the support he needs, he might need help in case of an emergency. For the moment he is free to go, he's yet to prepare everything, travel tickets, luggage, documents, hotel, all that covered up so no one ever finds out about it.
After a short while, Maria charges into Lory's office with a bag on her hand.
"Grandpa! Grandpa... I can't talk to onee-sama, she does not answer the phone."
"Don't worry Maria-chan, it would be weird if that girl answered on the first call, she must have it turned off for some reason."
"But then I won't be able to return the the sewing materials I had borrowed."
"Well, why don't you deliver it tomorrow at noon at the Love-Me section? She will be there. It's getting late already"
"Hmm.. ok"
"I'm almost done here, when I'm finished we are going home..."
Maria leaves Lory dealing with whatever current task he has at hand, now she gets more time to perfect her sewing technique on her play room. On her way back, the young girl sees a known silhouette approaching. Ren was already really far, and it was humanly impossible to eavesdrop their conversation... but this was no regular human and somehow he knew Kyoko was involved in the conversation.
"Maria-chan, you... did you want to talk with Mogami-san about something?"
"Uhh.. I borrowed some sewing material last week. She is teaching me the basics, and gave me an example piece. I want to return these today but I can't find her. Grandpa told me to bring them tomorrow at noon to the Love Me section." - Ren's eyebrows rose a little.
"Maria-chan..." - with a deep voice, "Don't you want me to return them for you instead? " Maria can swear there are roses all around him.
"Kyaahh! Ren-sama you are such a gentleman!" - she really have no chance at resisting, she gives the bag right away...
Ren is about to look inside the bag, but stops midway. *Not right now...* he thinks, it is late, and there are tasks to be done.
Lory, still in his office, finally finishes his duties, but is somewhat disappointed with the results. On the screen of his device there is a message "Your princess is in another castle..."
"Arg! Again! Even with a walkthrough! That's the 7th time damn it... this poor guy here has it worst than Ren...". "Hmm... Speaking of him, I feel like I left some loose ends on our conversation. Maybe I should ask for more details "... he thinks looking at the clock. It's really getting late.
Finally joining Maria at her room, the man hears from her about how Ren is a gentleman, and how he volunteered himself to go to Love-Me section tomorrow deliver the bag to its owner. Without batting an eye, the president thinks that gentleman won't last one day without spilling the beans about his trip.
Midnight.
Kyoko is at her room, sleeping, but she doesn't know it of course. This time the dream is on a rose garden with rabbits, tea and mushrooms... In the middle of a happy walk on the 'fairyfields' she begins to feel something weird: It is getting difficult to run. After a while, her legs can't move at all. She tries really hard to move in her dream but instead became fully paralyzed from the head to toes. The 'dreamlandscape' changes too, it gradually becomes one big room. Not big in normal size, it is giant in scale. She is the size of a small rodent and drops from a bag on top of a colossal bed. Unable to move all she could is stand there.
A giant creature walks in the room, she can hear him as he sits on the bed. The giant gets her from a rope she have on her back and leaves her hanging in the air for a while. Carefully he puts her on his forehead and lays on the bed.
"This thing is really well made. It's soft, has a nice hair" - the giant goes on fiddling with the hostage.
"How can something be this cute", the giant continues looking at her, now directly held above his head.
Paralyzed with fear, she wanted to scream, run away and wake up all at the same time... by now she is conscious it is a dream but can't help herself. She just does not wake up. After a while, she stops resisting and resigns herself to endure it. The giant seems to be really enjoying himself while playing with her hair. By the end of it, he lifts her near his nose, at that point she is able to see him and now she realizes... it is a nightmare... The giant is the emperor of the night himself... Ren, a constant presence in her mind breaks the final barrier: her dreams... there is nowhere else to hide from him...
After some more lovely cuddling the giant puts her down in a bag and sleeps. At that exact moment she wakes up. Astonished.
Morning. Kanae wakes up and as always, did not sleep long enough. Right now she is sleepy, and it's only 8:00 AM. She know this day will take the best of her day.
All her time at home is spend either hiding at her den or doing the daily household work. When leaving her room she performs the special ritual, looks left, right, top bottom, then tiptoes out silent. As she begins her daily chores, the weight of the world presses down her shoulders. Today that weight feels stronger because of all the early work is combined with the fatigue of a bad night, but these brats shouldn't have to jump at her back like that! One of these demons grabbed her leg and now is being dragged around holding it, begging for her to play. - "NEVER!™" - she always says resolute - *If I concede even once, that would be the end for me, they would never let me be alone again*. The morning checklist goes by quickly... cleaning the floor, check. Doing the laundry, check. Cleaning the floor, double check, some twerp dropped the breakfast. All that's left is lunch.
Almost noon, now she is sleepy and tired, but even so, she prepares the usual a meal. Only the bare minimum to be considered edible but still a meal. Meanwhile she realizes all the young family members have gone quiet at the same time. Curious about what kind of 'hypnosis session' is able to turn the devil's squad in a horde of zombies, she takes a peek at the TV. A popular anime it seems, with muscle guys fighting, and more important: screaming, the louder the guy the stronger he is. It is silly but was effective and she is going to use this to silence them someday. (Use the show, not the shouting). For now she contends to watch more scenes and to take mental notes, this show is the ultimate brat pacifier. The more she sees however, the less she understands. The fighters can fly and their hair changes colors for some reason. Before the show is over she is done with the meal. That is for the better, this way she can quietly go back to her fortress of solitude before the zombie invasion breaks out.
High noon, Kanae now is sleepy, tired and distracted. She just left public transportation, and is about to enter LME. Before entering, a strong wind blows her skirt up! Alarmed by the idea of someone seeing what is under her skirt, she stops and hold it down, and this accidentally drops the purse. She kneels to take back the bag and all the contends that fell from it. Ren Tsuruga is in the parking lot a little far behind, not near enough to see everything clearly, but not far enough to have missed it.
*He... He saw it! Ahhh! He definitely saw it! That was embarrassing! Argh... Kyoko I'm going to kill you for 'this thing you gave me' , I never planned to let anyone see me with this* She goes on to remember the moment her self-proclaimed-best-friend-at-the-time gave her that 'artifact'. It is clearly handmade with cotton cloth and love and Kanae was not able to distinguish what kind of face that girl made that was impossible to refuse the gift. If she tried to refuse it it would probably result in tears and awkward feelings, so she accepted, but it is embarrassing to bring anyway.
"Excuse me Kotonami-san..."Ren says slowly approaching.
In one instant Kanae puts all she could into her bag, stands up and walks away, acting as nothing had happened. This leaves Ren talking to the air.
He puts one hand on the chin, reflecting. *Although I was far, I could tell... that was definitely the Love me Pink..." still thinking, he goes on to check Maria's bag on his hand- *...So there was another one... " - Contends of the bag: cloth, line, sewing needle, other materials and the finished product: 'CENSORED'.
Still standing silent and contemplative,
*But why Kotonami-san had that embarrassed look? Is THIS something to be ashamed of?*
Ren stares the bag for a while. Suddenly he feels like some kind of switch was "turned on" inside him. Somehow he had an awakening.
*If I had something like this, I wouldn't mind... I would not even be ashamed of it... I would... pretty much treasure it... now that I think about it, Kotoname-san was given one (and I wasn't) Maria-chan had this one too. Now that Maria-chan learned how to make one for herself, this one is clearly Kyouko's spare one, maybe I should ask for this one for myself. I even might use this somehow!* - He seems like a different person today.
Kyoko is preparing for her next assignment at the love Me section's Room. The place was filled with boxes of many different sizes by someone and there are not many places left to sit. The president Lory was up to something, and the LoveMe section seemed like the perfect place to fill with those boxes.
Arriving at LoveMe section, Ren knocks the door.
"Mogami-san?"
Kyoko is alarmed, she had this weird dream about the subject in question last night.
"Mogami-san?" Ren says gently...
Somehow he knows she is supposed to be there today. How? No, that doesn't matter... For now, it is better to brush him off with an excuse, recompose herself and face him off only when she is ready.
"Tsuraga-san, what are you doing here?" - Kyoko says with a trembling smile.
"Well, yesterday Maria-chan tried to call you but you never answered the phone, she wanted to give you this."
"Oh my! That's my bag! Thank you very much!"- she quickly takes the bag and begin searching for something.* *Where is it? *
"Among the things she send back..."
*where is iiiittt?* Kyoko thinks
"was THIS...", Ren holds an object high and mighty , Kyoko is about to cry in terror.
"She told me you sew things like this yourself", he goes on with a innocent smile.
*Oh no! I was discovered! busted! exposed!*, hands on the face, about to crack.
"If is something like this... ", Now Kyoko is inclining herself to take the object back.
"Then I -really- want it." with a serious look.
"Eh?" Kyoko's mind does not compute this last part.