Alert: AU, disturbing themes, OOC and coarse language.

CHAPTER 2 - MOON BUTTERFLY

When Ren was in his senior year of high school, his duties as a veteran and president of the student body increased dramatically as Sho and Kyoko entered High School.

He knew both of them from a distance, since the Fuwa Resort was located at the end of the street where he lived with his parents, but he had never exchanged a word with them. Still, he heard the slander, both in school and in the neighborhood: that Kyoko's mother was a tramp, who did not know who the father of her daughter was. That the Fuwa family was generous in adopting Kyoko when her own mother abandoned her. That Kyoko was also a tramp, who chased Sho like a bitch in heat. That he was too kind in allowing her to walk with him to and from school.

Ren used to dismiss the comments as absurd and change the subject, but now that the two were in high school, the buzz had become his responsibility in his last school year.

It was not long before he understood the dynamics between Kyoko and Sho: he was stupid and too lazy to have such good grades; she seemed too focused on classes to have such average grades. When Ren called her to confront her about what she was doing with her own life, for a second he thought her eyes would pop out of their sockets: do his chores. Do the homework for him. Write notes for him. Help him to study. Stay discreetly on the sidelines so that the entire spotlight falls on Sho.

"I do not care," was all she answered.

From that day on, Ren decided that he would redouble his care with Kyoko, which was perceived by everyone, especially Sho.

"She is my bitch," he heard him say one day in the men's locker room, to the delight of his equals. "An annoying bitch, but she does an amazing blowjob"

Thanks to the president's complaint, Sho won a three-day suspension. Kyoko gained a cut on the cheek that she did not bother to disguise or lie about.

"I do not care," was all she responded to the number one student in high school. However, for the first time, she smiled at Ren.

Like fire in the haystack, the insinuations that Kyoko was now Ren's bitch took over the whole school. Not content to hang on Sho, a rising star at school, she now ran after the most prestigious student.

Ren felt bad for having contributed to Kyoko's total ostracism and apologized to her. "I do not care," she replied for the third time, with a broader smile.

Ren graduated and went to college, but Kyoko would still spend two more years at school. They exchanged messages and phone calls, and he knew she was lying when she said that everything was fine, but helping her more effectively was beyond his reach.

They continued in this routine even after Kyoko graduated and started working and eventually studying, until one day she had a problem with her boyfriend. Ren was totally taken aback: he did not know she was dating and did not expect her call in the middle of the night to ask if he could go get her.

###

Kyoko did not know much about her own mother beyond what people said. So much so that Sho's mother called Saena a slut, the people around began to question the same as Kyoko: figuratively or literally speaking? Over time, the information that she was the daughter of a prostitute was consolidated, although no one could claim the authorship of the information.

Kyoko did not care: her mother could be a war hero or a prostitute, that would not change the fact that she was abandoned and did not have a family to call her own.

At school, the girls walked away from her when they saw her speak familiarly to Sho. The situation only got worse when Sho started taking friends home and they discovered that the two lived together and were not related.

Her mother's fate fell on her, and Sho, being an immature and insecure boy, never defended her.

Kyoko felt sorry for Sho, always so worried about what people were thinking about him. It was as if he were the one tormented in school, not her. How many times had she felt her legs numb with the weight of his head as the young man complained of the pressure he felt from his parents, his teachers, and his colleagues? Or how tiring was keeping a perfect image all the time?

Sometimes Kyoko stroked his hair until he finally exhausted himself and slept. At other times, she would welcome him into her bed when he needed to prove to himself that he was a real man.

"You're wearing protection, are not you? I do not want a bastard in my family!" Was the educational advice that Kyoko once heard Sho's mother give the boy.

When they entered High School, the star of the college called her to talk in the student body. Kyoko knew those types: popular, good at studies and sports, teachers favorites etc. Like Sho, they cared only about appearances, nothing more. Maybe he even asked her to get down on her knees and open her mouth, like the president of her previous school.

Handsome guy, soft-spoken and insightful. He said a lot of things she did not expect to hear, but for each she had the same answer: "I do not care."

Kyoko also did not expect him to point himself her guardian, let alone that he would arrange for Sho to be punished for talking shit about her.

Of course, she knew what Sho was saying. The immature and insecure boy now added cowardice to his vast list of imperfections, and yet he was applauded wherever he went, for no matter who he was, but who he pretended to be.

Sho was furious that he had been punished, furious that Ren interfered and furious that he could not overcome him in any way, no matter how hard he tried. That night, he sought out Kyoko to drown his sorrows as usual, but found the door to her room locked. The next morning he heard her say that the door would not open again, which made him snap and slap her, cutting her cheek.

She was only allowed to go to school that day because someone needed to take notes for Sho, but on condition of hiding the bruise with makeup and a bandage and lying about the source of it, if someone asked, but everyone knew that only Ren would ask.

Halfway to school, she stopped at a grocery store, went to the bathroom, took off her bandage, and wiped her face. She wished she could say she did it to show Sho's fans the kind of person he was, but the truth was that she liked Ren's eyes when they shone with indignation.

Because of her.

When he remained protecting her, even though the rumors surrounding him were also damaging to him, Kyoko could not help but understand how he and Sho were different: Ren had more to lose than Sho had ever had, and yet he refused to leave her side as Sho had done at the first opportunity he had.

It was she who was staining his reputation, not the other way around, but he apologized to her for the bullying she was suffering; "I do not care," she replied almost laughing, because she really did not care.

When Ren graduated, her life got worse. Sho became the new president and made it clear that any help from him would be conditional on sexual favors, but Kyoko just ignored him and everyone else, what was easier to do since Ren kept supporting her from afar.

One day, she phoned the apartment he rented near the campus, and an unknown woman answered and said he was taking a shower. It was when Kyoko realized that the feelings she had for him had changed and that they could pose problems, since he would never see her as more than a troubled girl he needed to help.

At the age of eighteen, Kyoko graduated and began to work. With her first salary, she rented a tiny apartment, but it was hers, and she could leave the semi-slavery life the Fuwa family provided.

In the first few months after moving to the new apartment, Ren visited her almost every week, and with each visit, he gave her what he called "a courtesy to my hostess." However, a new refrigerator is not a damn courtesy: it's a blatant way to furnish the tiny but empty apartment of the troubled girl he needed to help.

"You know I know you're furnishing my apartment, do not you?"

"Oh? Where's your traditional 'I do not care' when I need it? "

He knew how to be annoying when he wanted to.

By now, Kyoko already knew that there was no point in arguing with his sense of duty and just opened the door so he could come with the sofa, the stove, the television and even a lamp. There must be some manual that contains the rule that when a man gives you a damn lamp, he deserves the key of your apartment, because that's how Kyoko felt. To the point that she made a copy the next day and hand it to him, who just put it on his own key chain as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Work at the convenience store was easy enough, so Kyoko decided to attend community college at night. Ren supported her, despite initially arguing that she could enter any university if she put her heart on it, but Kyoko was fed up with the turbulence inherent in a competitive life and was more comfortable among the people who traditionally sought out community universities, so he let the subject die and began to worry about her safety on her way home.

Kyoko thought she could not fall in love with him any more. It was not fair.

Every day Ren would pick her up in college and take her home, which was wonderful every day, except on Fridays, when her girlfriend was with him.

"Who is she, really?" Kyoko heard her finally ask.

It was the first time Kyoko realized that worse than being called a bitch by Sho was to be called sister by Ren.

That fall of her nineteen was the last time Kyoko took a ride with Ren: the next morning she negotiated with her boss to work part-time and changed college for the morning classes. At night, to supplement the income, she began to sew.

Ren noticed the change, but he thought it was for the better, since she would be safer staying at home at night.

At the age of twenty, Kyoko began dating "boyfriend number one", tall as Ren. Then came "boyfriend number two", strong as Ren. Then "boyfriend number three," whit the same haircut. Then "boyfriend number four," who had a similar voice.

It was "boyfriend number four" who left her alone at a roadside bar: they had arranged a car trip, but in the middle of the way, she needed to use the bathroom. When she returned to the car, he was not there but in the bar, boozing up. When she refused to go anywhere with a drunk driver, he yelled at her and left her alone with some creepy guys.

Not that she still wanted the relationship, but being left alone in that situation was also not in her plans.

With no alternatives, she called Ren, not only the one person she knew would come for her, but also the emotional support she needed at the moment.

And he showed up with the girlfriend of the month.

At twenty-two, Kyoko met the perfect guy. So perfect, that she even fought with Ren for the first time because of him.

"What. The. Fuck. Is. That?"

"What? My tattoo?"

"Holy shit, Kyoko!"

"What?"

"That's permanent!"

"Well... yes... Grandpa!"

"Do not play smart with me! How long have you had it?"

"About two, three months ..."

"And just show me now?"

"Well, in my defense, I did not show: you saw by chance, because I bowed and my shirt went up"

"Fuck! It was because of him, was not it? "

"Him? Are you talking about Taira? "

"Of course it's about Taira!"

"Taira, my boyfriend?"

"Of course yes! The tattoo artist! He did it, did not he? "

"Well, if I have a tattoo artist as boyfriend and I want a tattoo, I'll do it with him, right?"

"Fuck!"

"... If I took 'fuck' out of your vocabulary, I could mute you"

"Holy shit, this thing is permanent!"

"A person can erase it with surgery, but I like it"

"That son of a bitch!"

"Ren, what's your problem?"

"I'm shocked, that is my problem! I did not think you were going to let someone do something like that with your body! "

"A moon moth on the underside of my back is far from the most shocking thing Taira has ever done to my body!"

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh... I did not need to hear that!"

"What, thinking of Taira fucking me brings you an unpleasant mental image?"

"Enough"

"On the sofa bed you bought ..."

"Enough!"

"On the rug you bought ..."

"Stop!"

"On top of the damn stove!"

"Stop it, Kyoko!"

"Do you know how many times he profaned your 'little sister' against this same refrigerator?"

"Fucking hell, will not you shut up?"

"No, I won't! I won't shut up until you understand that I am much more the bitch I was accused to be in school than the defenseless little sister you present to your girlfriends! I will not stop talking until you have nightmares every night with Taira using my hands, my mouth and my ass in every square inch of this damn apartment!"

They stared at each other for seconds that seemed like eternities, shocked and breathless. Until, without a word, Ren just turned and left.

Months passed without any communication from both parties, Ren trying to recover and Kyoko trying to fall in love with someone who could effectively reciprocate her feelings, until Ren finally overcame the stupor and went looking for her.

He checked himself for a second before he used her apartment's key, choosing to knock and wait for her to open the door. He met her with a troubled expression and puffy eyes, evidently surprised to see him there.

Something was wrong in her posture, Ren could feel it. She tried to dismiss him, claimed to be sick, thanked the visit and the concern, but that was not a good time.

Bullshit. He forced his entrance and discovered her hiding a tennis-ball-sized black eye.

"Fuck!"

Kyoko laughed, despite the bizarre.

"You love this word, do not you?"

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch!"

And he would. Ren was willing to turn the city upside down, if necessary, but he would turn the guy into his personal punch bag even if it was his last act on Earth.

"Ren, no! It was not his fault, it was mine! "

"Your fault? Your fault? How does a woman deserve a punch from her boyfriend, Kyoko?"

"Ren, you... you do not understand!"

"In this you're right, I do not understand! I do not understand how you accepted Sho's shit, I do not understand how you accepted the shit of the whole school, I do not understand how you're trying to accept this guy's shit, but I do not have to understand, much less accept it!"

As they argued, somebody knocked on the door. Judging from Kyoko's panic, there could only be Taira.

Ren rushed to the door willing to kill, but Kyoko managed to sneak in front of him. Taira, seeing the door opening, started to speak.

"Kyoko, I ..."

"You fucking son of a bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

"Ren, no! Enough! I said it was my fault! "

Ren was outraged: Kyoko again with that story of being the culprit. Why did she want to protect the bastard that attacked her?

"You... are you Ren?"

Kyoko could not penetrate the haze of fury that enveloped him at that moment with her pleas, but Taira's tormented voice was surprising enough to make him regain consciousness.

"Yes I am, so what?"

"Ren, that's enough! Taira, go home! "

"She told you to go, kid!"

"She is my girlfriend"

"Do you want to die? Do you think I'll let you get within two hundred yards of her, after what you did? "

"Ren, stop it!"

"You have no opinion here, my relationship is with Kyoko"

"Oh, so you want to hear from her? Very well then! Kyoko, tell him"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Go home, Taira. I'm breaking up with you"

While Ren made some more threats to Taira, who was leaving bitterly down the hall, Kyoko returned to the interior of the apartment to cry for the umpteenth time that day.

Ren closed the apartment door and tried to cheer her up, saying that a violent guy did not deserve her tears, but Kyoko seemed inconsolable and just repeated "it was my fault" until Ren finally lost his temper and pressed her to explain.

Tired, Kyoko relented.

"He discovered that he was only a substitute"

"...Substitute?"

"He loved me. He said he loved me"

"Lie!"

"He said he wanted to marry me..."

"Over my dead body!"

"But I was not honest with him. I said that I loved him, knowing it was a lie"

"… This does not give him the right to hit you!"

"You do not understand..."

"Fuck, Kyoko! Again, this? "

"I CALLED HIM REN!"

Kyoko exploded, and Ren could not tell what was happening or process the information she had given.

"I called him Ren... do you understand?"

"... Ren?"

"Yes"

"Well, so what? You mistook his name, and that's why he beat you?"

"Bloody hell, Ren! You were smarter at school!"

"I do not see where the problem is! You should have been thinking about me and changed the names, that's all! "

"Exactly!"

"See? Such nonsense! "

"Nonsense? Ren, you still do not understand-"

"I did not understand what, dammit?"

"I CAME WITH HIM CALLING YOUR NAME!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I... I called your name... I was thinking of you... Every time, I... I thought of you. Even when I was just talking to the guys, I was looking for you in each of them. Taira was the most similar, height, physical size, hair, eyes... I even gave him the same colony you use..."

"..."

"I'm despicable, I know"

"..."

"Go away, Ren"

Kyoko felt terrible. Ren's expression was one of horror. She had done it, really had managed to become all that she spent her life being accused of being.

At least now, the offenses would fit.

She went to the bathroom, where she took the most depressing bath of her life. She allowed herself to mourn the loss of Ren, since the pain she had provoked in Taira - and she knew, no black eye is sorer than the pain of betrayal - she wept the night before.

As she left the bathroom still wrapped in a towel, she surprised herself with Ren still standing in the middle of the apartment, only this time with a calm expression.

"Is there any corner of this apartment where you have not fucked with Taira?"

"...Ren?"

"Is there?"

"... Hm, it's a tiny apartment ..."

"Get dressed quickly, we're on the move"

"We are? To where?"

"To my apartment"

"To your apartment?"

"Yes" And here, he greeted her with a fierce smile. "More rooms and a lot of unnecessary stuff, but with perfect surfaces for me to fuck you in each one of them"

N / A - It was not a cute chapter, but I'm not feeling cute today XD

Just saying, no, the characters' words and actions do not represent my opinions. It was a very difficult exercise, even, to write such a disturbing one shot, with characters so damaged, and it would not be so if I gave in to my constant desire to sweeten everything. As I said, an exercise.

(I'm feeling I'm too good with Ren… maybe it's time to grill him a little on the next chapter XD)