Chapter 2

"What are you and Sho-chan? What is your relationship with him?" Mimori asked the loaded question in a voice that made Kyoko want to vomit. Being around this woman made her think of a preference of changing little Kuon's diaper than spend time around her.

"Mimori-chan, we are nothing and we never will be." She assured her. "I would rather wade through an ocean of dung than spend any of my personal time with him. My reasons for being here are strictly business." All of which she said was filled with the passion of disgust and hatred and made an eavesdropping Sho wince at her words. A tiny voice at the back of his mind cried, Wow she really hates me, but a louder more arrogant voice in the front declared, Who cares?

The filming of the PV went without a hitch, at least until it came time to kill the demon/Sho. She really wanted to kill him. She wanted it from the very depths of her blackened romantic soul. She couldn't get rid of the addictive feel of his neck being crushed by her very own fingers. Thankfully, a little talk with Moko-san and a quick call to the nursery to check on little Kuon, brought her down from her murderous high and she finally fell into character to complete the PV. She didn't really feel the desire to kill him again, at least not until he ripped her phone from her hands and rudely hung up on Tsuruga-san. At that point things came from her mouth that Sho had never heard and would make a sailor blush with embarrassment. The only thing that came to Sho's mind was a stunned, "What the hell?" as he watched her stomp down the hall and into the elevator with her phone dialing and glued to her ear. Which he thought was another call to her precious Tsuruga but, in fact, it was to her precious little Kuon.

Kanae Kotonami didn't exactly hate all children, she just didn't like the ones in her family. There were simply just too many of them. She was uncomfortable around them, which is why she never dared to trek down this particular hall of LME. The only reason why she was here was because she wanted to know why her best friend would so casually tell her no to lunch with her. There stood Kyoko with a cute little, almost 3 month infant twirling around, with both of them giggling and her showering him with kisses. He had an infectious little laugh, just like her. Was he her little brother or, was she just helping out? Kanae had to know, the curiosity was just killing her and we all know what that does to cats.

"Who was the baby you were with at the daycare during lunch?" Kanae asked with a little jealousy in her tone.

"Moko-san... Please don't ask me that question." Kyoko answered quietly as they sat in the LoveMe locker room.

"Mo! You turned me down for lunch... again and as your best friend, I have a right to know! Are you helping out?" She asked. Kyoko shook her head.

"Is it your little brother?" She pushed. Kyoko shook her head again.

"Mo! If you don't tell me everything... We are no longer best friends. Best friends don't keep secrets!" She told her as she started for the door to leave.

"NO! Moko-san! I'll tell you..." Kyoko let out a heavy, deep sigh and Kanae sat next to a teary Kyoko. "He's... He's my son." Kanae gasped. "His name is Kuon."

Kanae put her arm around her shoulders. "Kyoko.. It's okay. I'm sorry I pushed. You really don't have to tell me everything." She felt horrible for pushing so hard for the truth.

"No, you're right Moko-san. Best friends really shouldn't keep secrets. I want you to know." and with that Kyoko told her everything and I mean everything.

After Kanae Kotonami heard the tale of the travesty that was Kyoko's current life, little Kuon earned a new visitor at lunch time with his mommy, his brand new Auntie Moko and when Kyoko couldn't get to him Kanae did, which helped immensely during her time as Mio.

During her time at LME, Kyoko had made many friends. Kanae was her closest and dearest but, during the planning and execution of the Happy Grateful Party, that Kyoko used to help Maria with, she had no choice but to bring little Kuon with her. Thus, little Kuon was blessed with another auntie. Auntie Maria fell instantly in love with the dashing little devil and doted on him for a week straight. Now little Kuon had three regular visitors to the daycare on a regular basis and the Happy Grateful Party went off without a hitch.

Maria was very tight-lipped about where she went every day after school when she came to LME and it made Ren Tsuruga very curious. What could she possibly be doing? Was she staying out of trouble? Where was she spending all of her time? One day he finally found his answer as he watched her sneak into the daycare then watched her play with one very special little baby. She never played with any of the others, only that one. What was so special about him? Granted he was adorable and he did have the most devilish smile for a baby, but why would she only play with that one and not the others? Then there would be days when Kyoko would play with him and strangely enough, the Ice Queen, Kotonami-san. Why was this infant so special that the LoveMe girls and Maria would pay him so much attention? Yashiro Yukihito was equally intrigued.

Ren was at a photoshoot on this fateful day and Yashiro's curiosity overwhelmed him. He had to know who this child was. So on this day... He followed Kanae-chan to the nursery and watched her uncharacteristically twirl, play with and shower this adorable little baby boy with kisses. "Um.. Kotonami-san.. Who is this cute little man that you're holding?"

Kanae nearly dropped him then clutched him tightly to her breast. She looked at him with panic in her eyes like a doe that was being stalked by a hunter. "Um.. He belongs to a friend of mine." She explained. "I'm picking him up for her." She then placed him in his pram and quickly gathered Kuon-chan's things and started to leave.

"What's his name?" Yashiro asked wondering why the young woman was so panicky.

"Oh.. His name is Kuon-chan." She told him as she quickly left the room then the building to drop him off at the Darumaya with Kyoko's Okami and Taisho that now thoroughly loved the child as a grandson and loved Kyoko like a daughter. To them, that blond piece of human garbage would never set foot in their establishment as long as Taisho was around and he would never come near Kyoko or, the baby as long as Kanae existed. With this revelation, Yashiro had his partial answer; although, he wanted more information before he answered Ren's question.