Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Obviously.
"I can't stand to be apart like this. I feel like my hearts in two."
"Then let me heal it. I love you."
"I love you too."
Kyoko dropped the remote, her eye twitching from the pure sugar coming from the screen. It depicted a love scene from one of Tsuruga Ren's older romance movies. He was currently kissing his partner after declaring their eternal love from each other. The scene made her nauseous.
"Who can take this kind of torture?" she said, slamming her finger on the 'off' button on the TV. The screen went blank, a silence falling over the room after the sappy romantic music and dialog were but off. Kyoko was resting in her room after a long day of filming. The couple she stayed with had recently gotten a new TV and had given the old one to Kyoko. She had been completely blow away by the gracious gift, determined to use it to show she was grateful for it. After turning on the TV, she had been flipping through the channels in an attempt to find something she could play in the background while she did homework. That was how she had come across the shameless scene.
Kyoko groaned.
There was no way she was going to get any homework done now after witnessing that. Her mind, now well trained to record information, was replaying the scene in her head over and over again. It made her want to gag. Why did people watch this kind of thing?
The thought made her sad. She had thought her heart was healing after the incident with Sho. But if she had such a strong reaction to the movie, there was no way she could ever love again.
"Sorry president." She said to herself. "It looks like I'll be in the Love Me section forever."
Suddenly feeling very tied, Kyoko turned off the lights and crawled into bed.
A flurry of chimes and trills sounded from Kyoko's alarm clock, somehow conveying the image of flowers and hearts. The tune usually brought a smile to Kyoko's face each morning, but not this time. Today, she found herself too drained to make notice of it's cheer. She fumbled for her phone, shutting it off without looking at it. She felt exhausted! After hours of rolling around, she had finally managed to fall asleep only a couple hours ago.
Rubbing her eyes, Kyoko sat up, yawning.
Something small and pink was hovering before her.
Kyoko blinked, then rubbed her eyes again.
The figure didn't disappear, instead it came into sharp focus. A fairy the size of her fist was hovering before her. She had short blonde hair and a wore a pink and green dress made out of leaves and flower petals. Her body was childlike as were her brilliant blue eyes. She smiled a wide grin at Kyoko.
"Good morning Miss Kyoko." It said.
Kyoko stared at her for a full ten seconds before shrieking. The small fairy jumped – If jumping while hovering midair was possible – obviously alarmed by Kyoko's reaction.
"Fairy-san!" said Kyoko. All the exhaustion she had been feeling flew out the window. "I can't believe it. This is incredible. I've never seen a fairy so distinctly before! Ne, ne, Fairy-san, What's your name?" Kyoko clasped her hands before her, eyes alight in wonder and admiration.
The little fairy chuckled, then curtsied in midair, wings fluttering behind her.
"I am called Lilly, Miss Kyoko." said Lilly
"It's nice to meet you Lilly-san."
"The pleasure is all mine. And please, just Lilly will do. Fairy customs are not quite like Japanese customs. Plus, I am hear to help you Miss Kyoko."
"You're here to help me?" That surprised her. What was she going to help her with?
Lilly smiled. "Yup. You see, I'm a very special fairy, granted one of the most prestigious, and coveted jobs in all the fairy lands!" Lilly, couldn't help puffing out her chest in pride, and Kyoko giggled. "I've been sent her on a mission to help you help you reclaim something you've lost."
"And what is your job? What is this thing you'll help me find?" asked Kyoko, a little hesitant.
Lilly stuck a pose, "I am a fairy of love!"
The sudden snow storm that swept through the room buried Lilly in feet of snow. At the eye of the storm, a downcast figure sat within a haze of black fog.
"I'm sorry Lilly." said the figure. "But I don't think you've come to the wrong place. I can't love anymore."
Lilly broke through the storm, smacking Kyoko on the forehead.
"Of course nothings going to happen if you have that attitude." Lilly huffed, hands on her hips. "That's why I was sent. To help you reclaim love in your life. Specifically: Romantic Love."
The snow storm turned into a blizzard, knocking Lilly back into the snow again.
"I'm sorry that you had to come so far just to fail in your objective" said Kyoko. But the little fairy would have none of it. This time, she full on tackled Kyoko, or at least what ever you called it when a small creature the size of your fist rammed full speed into your chest. It knocked Kyoko backwards, shocking her and dispersing the blizzard.
"And I'm telling you that you are not hopeless!" shouted the irate fairy. Kyoko lay on her backside, upper body propped up by her elbows. She couldn't help but stare at the fairy as she walked across Kyoko's chest, standing so closer to her face she nearly went crossed eyed.
"Look here." she said, hands on hips again. "You are NOT hopeless. You have more ability to love then almost any human I've ever met. I know you've been hurt before, but that just makes you that much stronger. Your ability to sympathize and care for others is partly due to understanding what it's like to hurt. Along with your natural tendency to put other before yourself, the amount of care and love you bring to others around you is astounding. So don't give me this crap about not deserving love or not being ready for it. Because If anyone deserves it, it's you!"
Kyoko stared at the fairy.
"How do you know that about me?" she wondered.
"I'm a fairy of love." said Lilly. "Gauging people's spirits is what I do. And after observing you for one day, I can see this much at least."
Kyoko couldn't speak. She had never heard anyone say anything like that about her before. It touched her heart, making her want to cry. But she swallowed her tears
"Thank you Lilly." she said softly. "I am honored you think of me so highly."
Lilly just rolled her eyes. "Don't be acting so modest Kyoko. It's a basic assessment even the youngest of our kind could decipher."
"So you really think I could fall in love again?" she asked.
After yesterday, Kyoko had been sure her chance of ever loving someone again was hopeless. But if this fairy said she could do it... The possibility made her start to hope like she had never done before.
Lilly smiled, glad the girl was finally starting to get on board. Kyoko's expression had changed, showing a stronger spirit within.
"Of course you can fall in love again!" said Lilly "Now sit up, and lets get this thing started."
Kyoko obliged, sitting with her knees tucked underneath her. Lilly raised her hand and thin sliver wand appeared. She placed the tip above Kyoko's nose. The wand exploded with light, bathing Kyoko in a twinkling glow. Kyoko felt a strange sensation, causing her arms to erupt into goosebumps.
"What spell did you put on me?" Kyoko asked, giddy with excitement. She had just been enchanted by a fairy!
"That was a special spell designed to help you find love." said Lilly excitedly. She dismissed her wand, its form vanishing into thin air. "Would you like to see what it does?"
The young woman nodded.
"Then lets get going." said Lilly "You don't want to be late for work!"
"But, the spell..."
"Will be in effect until you find love." said Lilly. "Don't worry, I'll fill you in as we go along. For now, you need to hurry." Lilly pointed at the clock, and Kyoko gasped at the time. If she didn't leave soon she was going to be late. She had a meeting that morning at LME to discuss some possible projects. In a flurry of motion, Kyoko was showered, dressed and ready to go in ten minuets. She grabbed queen Rosa on the way downstairs as she had a BoX R shooting later that day. Lilly followed her, hovering above her shoulder like a companion fairy in fairy tales. The thought made Kyoko extremely happy.
Kyoko hurried downstairs to the restaurant, then stopped in her tracks. The restaurant had a few people there that morning, most getting a cup of tea or reading the morning paper. But there were a few scattered men within the room, some with a strange icon above their heads. The closest one to her was sitting alone at a table, absorbed in what appeared to be college homework. Kyoko made a beeline for him, staring at the thing above his head. It looked like the outline of a heart, delicate silver swirls decorating it. She noticed that about half of the heart was filled in with red, while the other half was transparent.
"Ah not bad." said Lilly, now hovering beside the heart, her wings beating quickly. "He's at about 67% I'd say. Anything above 65% is usually guaranteed a happy marriage without a divorce."
"What did you say?" said Kyoko
The man noticed Kyoko, and stared at her strange behavior. In his eyes, a woman had come down the stairs, walked towards him while staring at something right above his head. Then she had spoken at what appeared to be nothing.
"I didn't say anything" he said, not bothering to hide how awkward he felt.
"Ah. Sorry." said Kyoko, bowing. "I guess I was half asleep."
The man gave an understanding smile, and Kyoko excused herself. Apparently she was the only person that could see Lilly, and those things above their heads. She quickly left the restaurant, grabbing her bike and speeding down the streets. As she did, she noticed several men walking around with similar hearts over their heads.
"What's going one?" she said furiously to the fairy, now sitting on her shoulder for the ride to the studio. "It looks like some people have hearts over their heads."
"It's a compatibly gauge." said Lilly, holding up a finger. "It's what we do to help you find people you are compatible with. If someone is a potential partner, you can see how well you would get along with them."
"So... your saying that anyone that has a heart above their heads, I could fall in love with?"
"Well, not exactly." said Lilly. "It's just anyone that you could potentially have relationship with. The more full the heart is, the more compatible you would be with that person. Like that man at the breakfast table for example. You have a 67% compatibly level with him. You should have asked him for his number."
"Ask for his..." she stared at Lilly in horror. They were at an intersection, waiting for the cars to pass so they could cross. "I can't just go asking random people for their number. What would they think of me?!"
Lilly sighed, noticing a couple of people staring at Kyoko in alarm. She was beginning to realize this was going to be a lot harder then she thought.
"Fine," said Lilly. "Then we will set our sights on someone you know. There should be plenty of fine young men where you work."
Kyoko seriously doubted it. Oh how wrong she would be.
Kyoko couldn't help but gape at the number of hearts hovering around peoples heads. True, most of them had less then 20% full hearts. But even the possibility that she could have a relationship with this many people...was that a woman with a heart over her head?
"I think your spell is broken." said Kyoko, as her eyes trailing after the women. The women noticed her gaze, and winked. Kyoko shivered.
"Nope. I'm positive it's working right." said Lilly amused.
Kyoko tried and failed to walk nonchalantly through the LME entryway. She made it to the hallway before sprinting the last stretch into the Love Me locker room. Slamming the door shut, she sank down, glad to be safe within her sanctuary.
"I don't think I can do this." said Kyoko, eyes closed from the mental and emotional stress. "There has to be some mistake. There's no way I could potentially end up in a relationship with all those people. Isn't there true love in the world? Just point them out to me and we can call this whole thing."
"You CAN do this Kyoko." said Lilly. She flitted around the room, then came to a rest on a bench. Lilly, Kyoko was coming to realize, loved to give lectures. Especially ones about love. "Love doesn't just fall into your lap. Even in fairy tales the princess has to overcome trials in order to get her happy ending."
"I doubt any of them had to wade through hundreds of possible suitors to get it."
"Then lets just pick one to go after." said Lilly. This suited her anyway. "There is no such thing as true love, but there is the next best thing."
This caught Kyoko's interest.
"A 100% perfect match." Lilly giggled at the expression on Kyoko's face. Her eyes were wide with anticipation, lights dancing within.
"Is.. that even possible?" said Kyoko.
"Of course it is." said Lilly.
Sure it was highly unlikely, but not impossible. It was pretty darn close though. A 100% match was hard to find for a multitude of reasons. People were so different, each individuals life being influenced by so many things. Race, gender, education, likes and dislikes, traditions, and thousands of other things. Maybe they couldn't find a 100% perfect match but she could find something close...
Lilly sprung into the air, her whole body quivering, a soft light pulsing around her.
"Whats going on?" said Kyoko. Lilly had gone quite, her gaze transfixed on on something not visible to Kyoko.
"I don't believe it." said Lilly, her voice almost inaudible. "A 100% match"
Kyoko gasped. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Lilly could feel it, the whole sensation tickling her body with excitement. It was moving closer, coming towards them until it stood right outside the door. Both girls jumped when a knock sounded from the other side.
"This is it!" squealed Lilly, swirling around the room excitedly. "Your 100% compatibility is right outside the door. Your true love has come at last!"
Kyoko wished she could share the Fairy's enthusiasm. A feeling of doom was settling upon her. Excited as she was at the prospect of the perfect match, she was also scared. What if she didn't like the person? Or even worse, what if she liked them but they didn't like her? Kyoko crept up to the door, her hands shaking. Summoning all the courage she had, she opened the door.
A very familiar face greeted her on the other side.
"Good morning Mogami-san." said the handsome actor. "How are you doing today?"
A perfectly complete heart hovered above his head.
Kyoko let out a strangled yell, then slammed the door in his face.
"Whhhhha. What are you doing!?" said Lilly. She felt like pulling out her hair. What in the world was this girl thinking? "That's your 100% compatibility and you just slammed the door in his face!"
"Not him" said Kyoko, body pressed flat against the door. Her heart was beating so hard it hurt. "Anyone but him. I don't care who it is but I am not going to try pursuing Tsuruga Ren!"
"But he's your true love."
"No he's not " she almost shouted. "He's completely out of my league. I could never dream of going after him. I'm sure every girl would find a 100% heart over his head. And he loves someone else. End of story."
The shock of seeing Ren had brought her back to reality with a jolt. She had been viewing this whole thing as a fantasy, failing to recognize the men underneath the hearts. literally. Instead of seeing numbers and percentages, she now saw each individual. Percentages or not, she would have to court a human being, not a number. The realization had been brought about by the appearance of Tsuruga Ren and she had sobered up quickly.
"You're throwing away the perfect chance of happiness." said Lilly.
"I think my chances are better spent elsewhere."
The girls glared at each other, then Lilly finally gave in.
"Fine." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "We can try someone else. You did promise anyone else but him. So that means I get to pick your next target."
There were so many things that bugged Kyoko about that statement she didn't know where to start. But she had promised to court anyone but Tsuruga-san. Resigned to the task, Kyoko agreed to let Lilly decided her "first" target.
The script flopped rhythmically between her hands as Kyoko hummed to herself. Sawara-san had given her the new offer, which she had taken immediately. It was, after all, her first non-bully role offer sense her role as the Angle in Sho's PV, and even in that she had turned into the antagonist. She was happy to be getting out of the stigma of being the bad girl. Even if the character she played was the lead's romantic interest. It was almost enough to forget what she had promised Lilly she would do.
Almost.
"Would you like to have lunch with me?"
Natsu had said it before Kyoko could prepare. She had just got off set, having taken their last shot for the day. The man beside her, Haru-san, was an extra appearing only in today's episode. He was surprised, but seemed pleased with her offer. Now that Natsu had started the conversation, she handed the torch to Kyoko.
"I'd love to." said Haru, smiling "Where are you thinking of going?"
"There's a cute American style restaurant down the street. I'm in the mood for some fries." said Kyoko
The fairy hovering beside Kyoko facepalmed herself, though Kyoko didn't understand why. Haru liked the idea and agreed to meet her after changing from their wardrobe.
"French fries? Really" said Lilly once they got into the dressing room. Kyoko was busy changing back into her usual outfit.
"What's the matter with wanting french fries?" said Kyoko.
"It's so unromantic! Out of all the nice restaurants in the area you chose one that serves burgers and fries. You might as well go to McDonald's."
"But I've never asked someone out on a lunch date before." she said, worried she had done something wrong. "I just thought having a nice comfortable informal place would be the best option." After hours of persuading, Lilly had finally convinced Kyoko to ask Haru out on a lunch date. The heart above his head held a 53% compatibility. He was cute, and a year older then her. Today had only been the second time she had met him and she thought he was a nice enough guy.
Kyoko moved to take off her makeup and Lilly shot over towards her. The fairy knocked the makeup wipe out of her charges hand.
"What are you doing?" said Lilly. "Don't take it off. You're suppose to wear makeup for a date."
"What? Really? You have to wear makeup?" said Kyoko. She had never heard that rule before.
Lilly facepalmed herself again. "I see I'm going to have to start at the beginning with you."
Kyoko felt herself turn red. "I told you I'm not cut out for this romance stuff."
"No, don't say that." said Lilly. "You've got me to help you. It's my fault for not covering the basics of dating."
Kyoko bit her lip, lowering the brush she had been using on her hair. This was all so new. She had never dreamed in a million years to ask a boy out on a date. And she had never had any girl friends before Moko-san to talk about this stuff with. This was completely new grounds to her. She turned to face the fairy, then bowed her head.
"Thank you for all your help Lilly." said Kyoko, "I'd be completely hopeless without you. I'm glad I've got you here to help me."
"It's no problem" said Lilly. Kyoko missed the hollowness in Lilly's voice. Instead she smiled delightedly at the disgruntled fairy.
Ten minuets later, and after being lectured about the basics of dating by Lilly, Kyoko was walking up to Haru-san right outside the studio. He smiled at her.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
Kyoko nodded and they began walking down the street, Kyoko falling into step beside him. They chatted idly about the filming, making light conversation. She had never talked for a long period of time with Haru-san, and was glad the conversation flowed easily. It was taking every acting skill she knew to hide how nervous she was. The advice Lilly had crammed into her head was still ringing in her ears, making it harder then usual to think.
They arrived at the restaurant and sat down at a table, the conversation thinning as they looked at their menus.
"What do you recommenced here?" said Haru.
"Any of the burgers are good." she said "I've only had a few, but they've been delicious every time. Especially the 1 pound burger. They add some sort of special seasoning to the meat to make it.."
Lilly darted from her perch on the table and slapped Kyoko's mouth shut.
"What are you doing?" Lilly hissed. "You don't want to admit you've eaten something like that on a first date."
Kyoko was completely confused. Why shouldn't she tell him about the food when he had asked about it? But Haru interrupted her thoughts. As he couldn't see Lilly, all he saw was Kyoko suddenly stop talking, a look of confusion crossing her face. He took the opportunity to speak.
"You've eaten a whole one pound burger by yourself?" He looked shocked. "I thought that was an American thing."
Before Kyoko could answer, Lilly was hissing commands to her.
"Tell him you shared it with a friend." she said. "No, two friends. And then you took the leftovers home to eat later."
Kyoko glanced at the fairy before turning her attention back to Haru.
"Well.. no." she lied. "I ate it with some friends one day. We all shared pieces of it"
Kyoko had no idea why she had to lie, but apparently it was the right thing to say because Haru nodded.
"Makes sense." he said. "I can't imagine someone as tiny as you being able to eat something so huge." He smiled at her, as if he thought he had given her a complement.
Kyoko didn't know how to respond. She laughed nervously before returning to her menu.
"Good coverup." said Lilly. Kyoko raised the menu in front of her face, so she could talk to Lilly without Haru noticing.
"Why shouldn't I have told him I hate a 1 pound burger?" she whispered, trying to make sure Haru didn't hear her.
"Because it's un-lady like and unattractive." said Lilly. "No women in her right mind would ever admit to having such a big appetite."
"Why would it be unattractive? Who cares about my eating habits?"
"Because that's just the way it is. He can find that out later, there's no need to divulge everything about yourself yet. Now, lets go to the next stage. You need to hold his hand."
"I can't do that!" said Kyoko. But Lilly would have none of it.
"Look, do you want to find romance or not?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "His hand is on the table, it's the perfect opportunity."
Kyoko was about to protest when Haru spoke again.
"Kyoko-chan, you OK over there?"
She quickly lowered the menu, smiling brightly at him.
"Yeah. Everything's good. Yup, just looking at the menu."
Haru raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. He was confused by her antics, but at least he was amused instead of disturbed. Kyoko felt completely on edge. His hand was still resting on the table, the other one holding up his own menu as he perused it. Her heart was fluttering in her chest.
"Go ahead. Grab his hand." said Lilly,
Kyoko shook her head.
"Do it."
"No."
The two girls glared at each other, the object of their contention oblivious to the battle. He was still reading.
"Fine" said Lilly and Kyoko relaxed, thinking she had won. But she was wrong.
The fairy grabbed Kyoko's hand, and before she could react, had dragged it over towards Haru's.
"! #$^%^ !#!"
Kyoko jumped from her seat, ripping her hand away from Lilly's grasp. Her face was burning. Haru looked at her with surprise, and for a second they stared at each other, both frozen. A couple of people stared at the other tables stared as well, disturbed by Kyoko's sudden outburst.
Then Haru burst into laughter.
"What was that?" he said, still chuckling. "If you wanted to hold my hand so badly you didn't have to go to such extreme measures." And to Kyoko's horror, he stood up, grabbing one of her hands and sitting them both back down at the table. He intertwined his fingers with hers, their hands resting on the table.
"You see, now that wasn't so hard." he said. Lilly nodded her head in approval.
Kyoko couldn't respond. Every ounce of her attention was concentrated on the sensation of holding his hand. The information her nerves were sending to her brain were causing it to shut down. So her body kicked itself into survival mode.
Natsu smiled at Haru.
"No, not hard at all." she said, crossing her legs and leaning in towards him. Her aura had changed completely, erasing the hesitant shy person inside. The soul that now inhabited her body was confident, sexy and seductive. Haru immediately noticed.
He glanced at Kyoko, then back at their hands. Then let go.
Immediately Kyoko was back, blushing and muttering quick apologies. But before she could go much further, Haru clasped hands with her again.
Natsu was back, giving him a quizzical look. Haru ignored it, letting go of her hand again and returning her to Kyoko.
He repeated this a few times, each time Kyoko going back and forth between herself and Natsu. A wicked grin spread across his face.
"So interesting" he said. Letting go of her hand again.
"Would you stop that!?" said Kyoko, ripping her hand from his reach. To her irritation, he laughed.
"Sorry." he said. "It was just so amusing I couldn't help myself."
Kyoko pouted. For some reason, Lilly looked happy.
These two are going to kill me she thought. She hadn't expected seeing Haru act like this. Like he had experience with women. He was probably a playboy.
Haru noticed her studying him and gave her another playful smile.
Yup. Definitely a playboy.
The though made her think of another man she had crowned king of the playboys. He probably did things like this with other women all the time. The thought made her sad.
She jumped when a hand rested again across hers. Haru was leaning towards her across the table.
"Don't turn back to Natsu again." he pleaded with her, looking hopeful.
Kyoko tried. Oh she tired to keep control of herself. Her face when from white, to red, then blue.
"I can't do it!" she said. It was all too much for her to handle. She jumped to her feet, retracting her hand. "I'm sorry Haru-san. I hope you have a good day."
She bowed, and then before he could protest, ran from the restaurant.
"What are you doing?" yelled Lilly, flying beside her as she ran. "That was perfect. You were flirting, talking, and even holding hands. Why did you run away?"
"I can't do it." huffed Kyoko, still running. She entered the studio and ran to her dressing room. She walked to her chair and slumped down in the seat, face falling into her hands in despair. Her whole body felt warm, from a combination of running and humiliation.
Lilly flew to her. She came to a stop on Kyoko's knee, staring up at the girl.
"What were you thinking?" she said again. "It was going so well, why did you run away?"
"I couldn't do it." she mumbled against her hands. "I can't hold his hand."
Lilly rolled her eyes.
"Whats so hard about holding his hand? It's not like you've never done it before."
"But I was always in character!" Kyoko protested, thinking back on the few times her roles had called for holding hands. "Holding hands with someone you're not in a relationship with. It's so intimate..."
"It's just holding hands." said Lilly. She couldn't understand what the big deal was. "Plenty of people hold hands on the first date."
Kyoko shook her head vigorously.
Lily sighed.
"Fine." she said, ribbing her temples with her hands. She was starting to get a headache. "We'll try again. But I think we're going to need a new target. He may be a 53% compatible, but I think a reaction like that would hurt any man's pride."
Kyoko didn't respond.
One week later, and after several disastrous first dates, Lilly was scolding Kyoko yet again. It was later in the evening, and they were standing outside of LME. Kyoko had again run off from her latest date, coming to the closest place she knew. Most people were already gone for the day.
"What were you thinking?" Lilly shouted.
Kyoko winced. The fairy seemed to really like that phrase.
"What was I suppose to do?" said Kyoko distressed, "He put his arm around me. My heart couldn't take it."
"But moving to the next seat? Were you trying to insult him?"
Kyoko looked down in shame. Her latest date had ended so badly the guy hadn't even taken her home. Apparently, putting your arm around the other person while watching a movie in a theater was a common thing. Perhaps moving to the other seat was a bit too much. That, and commanding him to not stand within 5 feet of her for the rest of the evening.
"I'm sorry." said Kyoko. "I won't ever do that again. I promise"
"You'd better not." Said Lilly. "My job is hard enough as it is without you completely messing up every step of the process."
The comment hurt Kyoko, flaring into life her irritation. After such an emotional week, her temper was on a short string.
"If you didn't push me to do such unreasonable things, we might have had progress by now." snapped Kyoko.
Lilly noticed the change of tone, her own temper rising.
"It's not unreasonable to expect you not to insult your date at every turn."
"If you didn't keep forcing me to be so touchy then they wouldn't be either. Then I could keep my head on straight."
"They're just showing that they're interested in you romantically." said Lilly. "For crying out loud they are practically saying "I'm super into you.' What's so disturbing about that?"
"It's just.. I'm not used to it. And It's scary."
"Would you rather they didn't show you any sign of interest? Like a certain musician that threw you away? No wonder you've never had good experiences with love."
Cold anger blazed inside of Kyoko. How dare she bring Sho into the conversation like that. She could feel the blood pumping inside her ears, drowning out everything but her fury.
"What is that?" spat Kyoko. "It's not like your such a big shot yourself. For a fairy of love you've certainly done more harm then good. I'd rather have anyone else but you at this point."
Lilly breathed in sharply, the harsh words cutting into her.
"Fine then." she said, feigning indifference. "You can just sort out your love life yourself. Because you did such a good job of it without me. I give up on you."
Lilly flew away, zooming out into the sky.
Kyoko let out frustrated yell. She shouted at the gods for cursing her with a defected fairy, startling a couple of passers by. She clenched her hands into fists, breathing hard in frustration.
That Fairy had made her so mad! She couldn't believe she had eluded to her incident with Sho. What a low thing to say.
But her anger was already abating, turning from frustration into an overwhelming fatigue. Her shoulders slumped, thinking back on her argument with regret. Not only had she just lost her chance at love. She had also lost a friend. There was no way Lilly would come back and forgive her for saying such hurtful things. Kyoko blinked back her tears. It seemed like she really was doomed to never love again.
"Mogami-san. Are you alright?"
Kyoko started, not having noticed anyone approaching. Tsuraga Ren stood next to her, body bent forward to where his head was level with hers. He looked concerned. Kyoko brushed her tears from her eyes.
"Oh excuse me Tsuruga-san I didn't see you there." she said, trying to keep the sadness from her voice. "Nothings wrong, I'm perfectly fine."
He wasn't fooled.
"Come on." he said, and placing his hand on her back, he led her to a bench. They sat down, her senpai taking the spot next to her. He handed her a handkerchief and she took it gratefully.
"Could it be you're having trouble forming your new role?" he said. "I heard you had been going on a lot of dates. Does the new role involve romance?"
"How did you know about my new job? And about the dates?" said Kyoko
"...Yashiro told me about it."
"Oh. Well no it's not about that." Her shoulders sagged and she let out a long sad breath. Not only had she hurt her friend, she had forgotten completely about her new role she was suppose to be developing. The whole romance thing with Lilly had been occupying her mind so completely... And now Tsuruga-san was being dragged into her troubles. She really needed to stop being such a pain for others.
"I'm sorry for being so much trouble Tsuruga-san." she said. "I'll be fine. Just leave me here. You don't have to worry about me."
"But I want to worry about you." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His eyes were kind, conveying his feelings more then what his words said. "If you are feeling troubled, I want to do whatever I can to help."
"You won't hate me for being a bother?" she said
"Of course not."
"And you won't give up on me even if I'm a stupid and hopeless."
"Now you're starting to get me worried with what this is all about."
Kyoko hesitated, not wanting to bother Tsuruga-san with her problems. But she really needed someone to talk to.
"I... made a mistake." she said, wringing her hands. "I said some really mean and hurtful things to someone. And now I don't know what to do."
"Is this person a friend?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you just go apologize to them?"
"I would if I could. But I'm afraid that they've gone somewhere I can't follow."
Ren looked stricken, Kyoko now realizing what her words had implied.
"No, they're not dead." she said quickly. Ren visibly relaxed. "I just won't be able to find them. They were helping me out with something, but I was getting impatient and got angry at them. And now they're gone, and I feel horrible."
Ren laid a comforting hand on her own. "You really care about them don't you?"
Kyoko nodded, unable to speak at the moment. She didn't even register his hand on hers as anything but comforting. But then he removed it. His eyes were distant as he spoke his next words.
"I won't say any empty words of comfort like they'll forgive you and come back." he said. "But instead, you should make sure it doesn't happen again. Learn to cherish those that you have around you and appreciate the bonds you have now. Also, concentrate on the good times you had with your friend. Don't let this one bad thing poison your memories of them. Do everything you can on your end to change and redeem yourself. That way, if they do return, you can give them a proper apology that matches your actions as well as your words."
Kyoko studied her senpai, marveling at the wisdom in his words. They weren't empty words of comfort but well thought out pieces of advice. She had the distinct impression this was his own personal philosophy created after experiencing something similar himself. They did their job, comforting her better then she had imagined possible.
"You're right." said Kyoko, standing up, a fire now lit within her. "Thank you Tsuruga-san. I'm going to do my best!" I'll keep going on dates until I find the right person. She thought to herself. I'll show Lilly that I'm someone she can be proud of.
She glanced at the full heart above Ren's head, then hesitated.
But I think I'll stick to the small hurdles for now.
Lilly sped through the air, tears of frustration falling from her face. Stupid Kyoko with her stupid words. How hard was it to go on a date and not mess everything up? How could someone be so hopeless and stupid.
"For a fairy of love you've certainly done more harm then good. I'd rather have anyone else but you at this point."
The words stun at her more then she liked to admit. She found herself near a park and flew towards it. The grounds were decorated with lots of trees and bushes surrounding the edges. It was as good as any place to stop. She sat down at a bench, grinding her teeth in frustration. What was she gong to do now? If she returned empty handed, she was sure to get kicked out.
"Lilly?"
One of Lilly's fairy friends was flying towards her. She had long blonde hair with silver beads and vines weaving through it. Her wings were majestic many layered pictures of art, marking her as a full fledged licensed fairy. She had the mature, long legged body of an adult. It was a sharp contrast to Lilly's own short childlike appearance. Lilly felt a pang of jealousy within her heart. Would she ever be able to have wigs like that one day?
"Hi Jasmine." said Lilly, without enthusiasm. She didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, even her best friend.
"What's wrong?" asked Jasmine, fluttering down to stand in front of Lilly. "You don't seem very energetic."
"It's just been a long day."
Jasmine drew a worried frown. "What are you dong here? I heard you were in the last portion of your examination. Where is your human partner?"
"We had a fight." she said. "I don't think she wants to be my companion anymore."
"What? Why on earth would she want that?" said Jasmine. She put an arm around her. " You're the kindest fairy I've ever met. You're always working hard for others. There's no way she wouldn't want you"
Lilly smiled. Jasmine was what Lilly thought a fairy should be. Kind, perfectly patient. And always looking at the brightest side of things, even if they didn't exist.
"Thank you Jasmine." said Lilly. "You always have kind things to say. I wish I could be more like you. Then I'd probably have my wings by now"
"Don't say that." said Jasmine. "We each have our own pace. You'll get you wings one day. Don't get down on yourself."
Lilly was about respond when another group of high fairy's glided towards them. The red haired fairy, Mira, flew at the head of the group. A wicked smile spread across her face as she pointed out Lilly to her friends.
"Hey check it out." she said. "It's Lilly."
Lilly groaned.
"What do you want Mira?" she said, not bothering to keep how she felt about the fairy from her voice. Mira really was a disgrace to the fairy race.
"Why, I wanted to congratulate you." said Mira in mock innocence. Why couldn't other fairies see past her fake concern? "I heard you were close to your graduation. After all, it's taken you SO long to even get to your final test. How has that been going?"
"That's none of your business." she growled. Mira's words were drilling holes into her already shattered confidence.
"You shouldn't be rude." said Jasmine, chastising her friend. "She's just wondering how you're doing."
"Or just to have a laugh at me." said Lilly.
"Lilly!" said Jasmine.
"It's important to treat your seniors with respect." said Mira, smiling. "Don't forget that I do stand above you. But don't worry, I understand." her smile had become demeaning. "You're probably just stressed with your final exam. I heard that started last week and you still haven't had any progress with your ward."
"Is that true?" asked jasmine.
Lilly spared a glance at her friend, ignoring the sinking feeling in her chest.
"It's true."
"Oh you poor fairy." said Mira. Jasmine was still staring at Lilly. Lilly tried to ignore the concerned expression. Her disappointment would hurt more then anything the other fairy could say. Mira continued with her fake concern.
"I heard about the human you picked. It's really unfortunate. If you had talked to any of the older fairies, they would have been able to tell you that this one was hopeless."
"I don't have bad luck." said Lilly. "I talked to the seniors and I chose her for that reason. I wanted to help her."
"You chose.." Mira laughed, the other fairies following her example. "Oh Lilly, sometimes I wondered if you had bad luck or something, the way you struggle. Now I see that you lack ability and judgment. To think that you believed you could pull off such a helpless case. That girl is completely shut off from love."
"Kyoko is not a helpless case." said Lilly. She flew into the air, sticking her face threateningly close to Mira's. She had taken her insults, but insulating Kyoko was the last straw. Her depression was gone, and in an instant she was filled with a raging anger. Lilly's childish body was much smaller then Mira's larger more mature one, but at that moment, her aura dwarfed Mira's.
"Kyoko is one of the most loving people I have ever met." she growled "She has more potential to love then most people in this world. She may be slow going, and strange, and a bit eccentric. But she's putting in every effort to change."
Mira was shocked at the outburst. Never had she seen Lilly so angry. It wasn't fairy like. Lilly ignored the scandalized looks, her frustration mounting.
"Sure there are many locks around Kyoko's heart." said Lilly, body now trembling in anger. "But little by little she had been willing to change that, despite how scary it was. Who cared of she was a late bloomer?"
"You say all that." said Mira "But even you've given up on her. Why else would you be here?"
Lilly laughed. Just now realizing something so obvious.
She's just like me thought Lilly. It all made sense. Now she understood why Kyoko's slow pace had irked her so much. It was because she reminded Lilly of herself. The slow pace they did everything. The way they struggled with the things others fell into naturally, despite putting in their best efforts. They were so similar.
Lilly had completely forgotten her company, which were looking at each other in confusion at her behavior.
"Hey." said Mira, not used to being ignored. "Did you lose it or something?"
Lilly smiled triumphantly at her. "Yeah, but now I found it again."
Leaving the confused fairies in her wake, Lilly zoomed off, determined to find Kyoko and ask her to forgive her and try again.
"I know I'm incompetent. But you don't have to rub it in my face."
Kyoko knelt on the floor of her dressing room facing the head of her Bo costume. She had just finished filming for that days episode and was taking her frustration out on the disembodied head. It had to convenient ability to allow her to imagine she was talking to someone while not actually needed to respond to any of her ranting.
"Sure it was the perfect opportunity, but I just couldn't do it." she said, grumbling at the head. "Who would have guessed that Hikaru-san would have a high compatibility with me..." her voice drifted as she thought back to what had happened earlier. The spell Lilly had placed on her was still working, and upon arriving at her job she had immediately seen what appeared to be a 70-80% compatibility with Hikaru. Determined to make Lilly proud, she had planned to spend the evening with Hikaru. But when he had asked her to come to dinner with the group, as he always did, she had finally seen his intentions.
All this time, had been asking her out and she had been so oblivious!
Kyoko couldn't decide if she had noticed it because of her new awareness of people as romantic interests, or if it was her over-active imagination. But Hikaru's obvious crush on her had but startling. As well as frighting.
So, naturally when confronted with possibility of receiving any sort of affection, she had retreated.
"Arrrrgggh. Why am I so stupid." she said, grabbing her head in frustration and clenching her teeth. How was she suppose to apologize to Lilly when she came back? How was she suppose to prove to her that she could love again?
"Well it's obviously because you don't have me to help you."
Kyoko stared at Bo's head. Did her costume just talk back to her? She had been sure she had heard a voice coming from it, but immediately denied the possibility.
"There's no way." she said, waving a dismissive hand. "I must be really worn out if I'm hearing things."
"You're not hearing things." said the voice again. Kyoko stared at the head, then noticed a small figure standing on top of it, hands on hips.
"Honestly, you're hopeless without me." Huffed Lilly.
Kyoko stared at her, not saying anything. Lilly began to be anxious, her bravado starting to fail. What if Kyoko was still mad and told her to leave?
Just before she had decided to apologize, Kyoko threw herself to the ground.
"III'MMMMMM SOOOO SOOORRRYYY." she yelled, face plastered to the floor. "I didn't mean to say such mean things. You can punish me with any curse you see fit. Just don't hate me."
Lilly was flabbergasted. But, knowing Kyoko's personality she shouldn't have been surprised. Why was this girl so extreme? Yet Lilly couldn't help the relief spreading through her that kyoko didn't hate her. Well... at least not yet.
"Don't apologize Kyoko." said Lilly, flying down to stand in front of the crying girl. "Please raise your head."
"But.." said Kyoko, finally siting up. Her face was screwed up in distress and confusion "After all those horrible things I said, when you've done nothing but help me..."
Lilly grimaced.
"I deserved them." said Lilly. "After all, I didn't tell you the truth about everything. I am actually not a fairy of Love."
"Wait. But then...what are you?"
"Just a fairy in training." said Lily. "I.." she gulped, shame washing over her. But she had to come clean. "I can't become a fully fledged fairy until I help a human find love. It's our last test, and I was impatient to get it done. I haven't been thinking about your feelings at all. I just been pushing and pushing you, blinded by my desire to get my beautiful wings." She got lost for a moment, imagining her stunning body and the magnificent wings she would acquire. Oh how she wished for that. Then Jasmine could be proud of her. Lilly shook the image from her mind. "I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. I've failed as a potential fairy of love."
"Don't you dare say that!" said Kyoko. She stood, voice firm and determined. Lilly was surprised at the outburst. "You have given me the chance to find a part of myself that I'm missing. If you hadn't pushed me I probably wouldn't have gone along with it."
"But... I wasn't considering your feelings." said Lilly. Why was this girl so upset about that of all things? "I was just thinking about myself."
"Who cares?" said Kyoko. "Sure you pushed a little too hard, but it was what I needed to get started. I am aware of how guarded my heart is but you've managed to help me loosen some locks. So don't you dare say that you're a failure as a fairy of love. Because license or not, to me you're both a dear friend and a mentor. And I wouldn't want anyone else." Kyoko's stance suddenly softened, her anger retreating. "Even though I know it's impossible for me to love again, but I hope you wont give up on me."
Lilly proceeded to headbutt Kyoko. The girl jolted back, surprised.
"It's not impossible Kyoko." said Lilly. "I told you the first day, and I'll say it again. You have a huge potential to love. All you need to a little guidance."
"So.. you'll help me again?" said Kyoko, breathless.
Lilly gave a exaggerated shrug, shaking her head.
"Of course I'll help you silly. Who else is going to tolerate your slow pace?"
Kyoko started apologizing, but Lilly stopped her.
"Kyoko. You. Are. Fine. The. Way. You. Are." she punctuated each word with a finger jab. "So I don't want to hear anything about it again. It doesn't matter if we are late bloomers. It didn't matter if others passed through this part of their life easily. Each person has their own pace, and there is nothing wrong with that. Because it doesn't matter if it take 10 days, or even ten years! I'll stay for as long as it takes. "
The tears that had been threatening to come out all day finally did. Kyoko grabbed the little fairy, carefully holding her within her hands to hug her. Lilly smiled, giving Kyoko's hand a comforting pat.
"Thank you Lilly." said Kyoko. "For everything."
"If you truly want to thank me hurry up and get a man." she chastised, but she had a smile while she said it.
"Rodger that." said Kyoko, pretending to salute. The two girls giggled, then made their way towards the exit. They were talking excitedly, (Kyoko was very interested in the process of becoming a full fledged fairy) when she stopped. At the double door entrance, Tsuruga Ren leaned against the wall, idly messing with his phone. Kyoko studied him and then looked at her fairy friend.
"I think..." she swallowed. "It's OK if I go slowly right?"
Lilly smiled.
"As slow as you want. I do live a lot longer then you after all."
"Then I'm going for it."
Lilly felt her heart swell with pride as they made their way towards the entrance. Ren raised his head when he heard Kyoko approach. He shut his phone, and came to meet them halfway down the hallway.
"Tsuruga-san what are you doing here?" asked Kyoko. She didn't remember him having any tasks in this area today.
"I was worried so I came to see how you were doing." said Ren. "I asked my manager to find out where you were working tonight and he directed me here."
Kyoko couldn't help but feel pleased with this declaration. She was a little embarrassed though, so she missed the startled look on Lilly's face. Her friend had just spotted something shiny on Ren's shoulder.
"You.. it's." she started, but the little figure on Ren's shoulder put a finger to his lips. Lilly understood and kept her silence. The young male fairy smiled, and Lilly couldn't help returning with a grin. They happily circled their charges, Kyoko and Ren, as they walked out of the studio, each with a 100% full heart hovering above the others head.
Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.
This story was originally based off of my brother and his wife's courting days. Some of the elements of the story come from their experiences (ex: She slammed the door in his face the first time they met, and all her bad dates preceding dating him). But as I realized that I will never become talented enough to draw it out, I decided to instead convert it to skip beat format. The story has the same premise of the girl having a fairy friend help her find love. As well as the general sequence of events, plot high points and ending. The only main difference being the main characters and the world in which the story takes place. So you guys got one of my personal favorite stories I've had stocked in my head for a couple of years now. Hope you enjoyed it. I thought if anyone deserved a story based off of my brother and sister-in-law, it was Ren and Kyoko.