Disclaimer: I don't own skip beat or any of it's characters.

Reluctant Love

Chapter-3-Letting go of Past

Kyoko was busy working in staffroom when a certain someone barged into her privacy and closed the door behind him. Startled at the sudden interruption, she looked up and her heart almost jumped out of her throat when she saw who the trespasser was.

Midterm exams were coming up and were just one week afar so work had become hectic and she had to stay late for after-school tuition to her students for better preparation and clearance of concepts. She was so absorbed in setting question papers for upcoming exams that she didn't even notice when a certain blond walked in.

"Sho….?" She got up in surprise.

The said man didn't wait for her to recover and ran to throw his arms around her and hugged her with all his might.

"I missed you Kyoko. How have you been?" Sho asked dipping his nose in the crook of her neck.

She felt bolts of electricity crawling through her body. Kyoko almost lost herself in his arms and couldn't speak a word. Her hands moved up to wrap themselves around his back. She could feel his warmth encircling her bit by bit. She'd missed him. Her heart was aching to see him once again but soon enough, reality of being married to someone else pulled her out of the captivating spell and she pushed him away.

Hurt and confused, Sho stared at her. "Why did you push me away Kyoko? Don't you love me anymore?"

Kyoko's heart skipped a beat. Ren's cracked plea from previous night began to haunt her mind once again.

Don't go. Come sleep next to me. Don't leave.

It's dark and cold. Stay with me.

Even if you don't love me, don't go back to him. I can't stand being a second option.

I want you to stay here with me tonight.

Her heart fragmented into irreversible pieces. What was she thinking losing herself again? Weren't they over already then what was he doing hugging her lovingly when he was supposed to despise her for breaking his heart?

She turned her back on him and let her tears slid down. "What are you doing here?" she asked coldly, wiping her tears away before he could notice them.

"I came here to see you and take you away with me. I couldn't wait any longer so I ditched Shoko and ran off. She must be looking for me by now but I don't care." he said wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Kyoko flinched away from his touch and uncoiled herself from his grasping arms.

"It's impossible. I am not going anywhere with you. Aren't you engaged to marry someone else? Why are you still pursuing me when it's clearly worthless? I am out of your reach now." she choked out angrily or rather pretended to sound angry.

Sho turned her around and looked into her eyes as he cupped her face amorously and started. "It's all an act to push your mother out of the way. Mimori is my friend. She's playing along. You don't have to be scared anymore Kyoko. We can be together again. You don't have to force yourself to stay with that man and destroy your life. Let's run away and be merry."

Kyoko's glare pierced his heart as her frozen words seized his soul.

"I can't do this. I am legally married to Ren Tsuruga now. I can't hurt him. He's done nothing to deserve my betrayal. He would be devastated and would never trust anyone again if I ran away to be with my ex. Forgive me but I can't deceive him. No matter how hard I try to deny it, he's my future now. I'm sorry."

"W-What?" Sho felt a strong nudge of hurt passing through his body. His hold on her face loosened as his arms fell limp to his sides.

"Leave him" he whispered as if begging her to change her mind.

"I can't. Marriage is an eternal binding, not some kind of joke Sho. I can't just break it off whenever I want and jump into your arms selfishly. It's not fair." she replied, letting her nails dig into her palm as she balled her fists in an attempt to hold herself back from giving in.

Sho's heart pulsated wildly. He could feel heat intensifying behind his eyes. He gave her an extreme look.

"Y-You're not my Kyoko…" he shook his head in disbelief.

Yes, I'm not your Kyoko anymore. I belong to someone else now. Forgive me but I can't go back to being yours again, not until Corn himself tells me to leave.

Kyoko avoided his condemning gaze. It felt like his eyes were trying to dig in and haul her heart out. Sho looked like if he could, he would have slashed her heart and stepped over it repeatedly for hurting him.

Even though his face was expressionless, his eyes convoluted his inner turmoil. His eyes said everything which his face couldn't. He looked like he was fighting off heavy storm that was going through inside him. If eyes could devour anyone, Sho's eyes would have done it.

He moved to grip her wrists and slammed her against the wall, pinning her with his body. His hands clasped hers, eliminating all of her chances to run away.

For a while, Kyoko's heart became disorganized when Sho's blood-shot eyes locked hers. "You hurt me beyond repair Kyoko. You took my heart, cherished it and promised to be mine forever but you didn't remain true to your words. You cut my heart out, played with it as much as you wanted and when you got tired, you walked away, stepping over my heart as if my feelings were insignificant to you. I'm the one who's hurt and suffering not him. How could you? He'd be hurt if you left him behind but what about me? I didn't even think about anyone else but you. Was it all for nothing?" Sho asked. His tone was noxious.

If words could kill then Sho would have made it right away. He could see nothing but the woman who stood there in front of his eyes , the woman who held his heart, betrayed him and moved on to marry someone else. Words weren't enough to express how much he loved her but that loved one who was so dear to him had bruised his heart and soul.

Kyoko shivered in terror as his body held her imprisoned. Sho was looking at her as if he was going to swallow her in single bite.

"Answer me!" he shouted.

Kyoko's eyes yanked up to look at him. He was glaring daggers at her.

Her eyes watered. She was in a fix. She still loved him and wanted nothing else but to forget about the world and be with him. His arms were her home. She was addicted to his embrace but she wasn't allowed to hold onto those fascinating dreams anymore.

I didn't want to lose you to death that's why I let you go. Don't try to follow me. Just let go and live your own life. I don't want my mother to hurt you again Sho. You almost died in that accident. I don't want something like that to happen again. I can endure your hatred but I can't endure your absence. I won't be able to carry on with life if you died. Please just let go of me and move on. I am nothing but pain for you. My mother doesn't hurt me. She loves to hurt the one I love to keep her hold on me. Don't try to come near me or else you'll be demolished.

"Sho… you should go. You're wasting your time. What if someone came inside and saw us together? It's not good for your reputation." Kyoko said as she ignored his question, trying to change the subject and force him away from her but he didn't listen. He remained stick to his point.

"I don't care. Let them come and see who you belong to." Sho said sarcastically.

Kyoko's face discolored. "Sho, don't be stubborn. Leave" she insisted but he turned himself deaf to her pathetic reasons.

His grasp on her tightened as he bent his head and focused on her lips. Kyoko winced in pain

"I love you Kyoko and I won't give up on you. You're mine only. I don't care if you're married to him. I won't let him snatch you away from me. You're my Kyoko, not his." Sho said and crashed his lips on hers, kissing her fiercely while sucking on her lower lip as he demanded entrance but Kyoko pressed her lips together and dismissed his demand.

Sho grabbed her hands in one of his strong ones to hold them above her head while his other hand titled her face to deepen the kiss. He nipped her lower lip and earned a gasp from her as he kissed her with all he was worth of.

His aggression took her by surprise and she tried to hit him away but it was useless. Her hands were locked in place. She tried desperately to scratch his hand to loosen his deadly grip on her to no avail. She whined and tried to squirm her way out but he was too muscular for her and she was too frail in his comparison. Her lungs gave out and she began to wheeze for air as tears gathered in her eyes and made their way out.

Soon, need for air to breath forced him to break away from her. Only then he realized that she was in tears. His eyes went wide. He panted furiously."Don't cry Kyoko, I don't know how to wipe your tears. I am sorry. I just can't give you up. I get crazy jealous whenever I think of you being with someone else." Sho released her and hugged her gently, nuzzling her neck.

"I am sorry. I won't do that again. Just don't let go of my hand. I want to be with you. I'm ready to sacrifice anything for you. If you want then I'm ready to sell myself for your happiness. Just don't say you want to abandon me for his sake. I love you."

Kyoko sobbed quietly and returned his hug. "I love you too Sho. I love you more than you can imagine but I can't be with you. I'll keep loving you but it's impossible for us to be together. We have to walk on separate paths from now on. I am already gone from your life. If I could, I would have turned anyone down for your sake but we don't belong together anymore. My soul mate has already been chosen for me. I am someone else's wife and I can't leave him." She said and pulled away to peck his lips tenderly. His lips clung to her soft touch and longed for more.

"I can't give you anything else. You have to move on" Kyoko said caressing his cheek but he refused to obey.

"I won't"

"Please Sho? I beg you. For my sake, you have to forget about me and move on. Marry Mimori for real and be happy."

"No"

"I don't understand it at all. Your heart wants me. Your body reacts to my touch but you're still pushing me away? Why can't we just forget everything and be together? Why is it so difficult for you to accept me? Don't you feel the same way as I do?" Sho asked desperately, holding her shoulders for dear life, still refusing to let go of her.

She shook her head sadly. "I am really sorry Sho. Forgive me. You and I are not possible anymore."

I can't risk your life anymore Sho. You're my past. I've moved on and can't look back. You have to do the same. Focus on yourself only. Don't waste your time on me. I am releasing you and letting you go but I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. I really wanted to spend my life with you but fate had something else in store for me. I am sorry my mother tried to hurt you but I won't let her harm you in any way again even if I'll have to pay the price of living without you for the rest of my life. I've had enough of mother's meddling in my life. You'll be in my prayers but I won't be able to share my life with you any longer. I may seem heartless but this is the only way for both of us. No matter where I go and whoever I spend my life with; my heart will always remember you. I hope you'll forgive me one day for being so rude to you.

Sho's heart fell. "I'll wait for you at the airport. I know you'll come. I am going abroad for an entire year to release my new music album. I wish to take you with me." he told her and kissed her deeply before taking back steps from her, with his eyes still fixed on her, he reminded her again.

Sho's voice felt as if it was coming from afar. Kyoko's heart was vibrating in alarm. She was afraid to give in. Her body felt to her like jelly. No matter how much her heart wanted it, she couldn't do it. Her life with Sho had already ended. She'd joined someone else's name and family and she couldn't deny that fact. Sadly, marriage wasn't child's play.

"Kyoko, I'll wait for you. You have to come. I know you will. My plane will take off at 7:00 PM tomorrow."

Kyoko felt a sharp twinge coursing through her heart. She closed her eyes to restrain her stubborn demanding tears. Why was it so difficult for her to give up on her loved one even though she already was married? She couldn't get it and probably never would. Watching your beloved moving away from you could be a life taking sight. Kyoko realized that bitter fact right at that moment.

"I won't come, don't bother waiting for me..."

Ren was in good mood. He'd been smiling all day for some reason. He felt so relaxed after sharing overweighed burden of his past with his wife. He was having a break from work so he decided to pay her a visit in order to surprise her and to have a cup of coffee with her.

He kept walking inside the high school building as memories of heart-warming conversation with her pulled the strings of his heart.

"Does my past bother you Kyoko-san?"

"No, of course not Mr. Tsuruga, why would it? Whatever happened to you could have happened to anyone. It's not your fault that your friend died in accident. If you could, you would have done anything in your power to save him so don't try to explain yourself for something like that. It's not like you did it on purpose. It wasn't your fault that your parent died in a plane crash. You're not responsible for anything so please quit blaming yourself for everything."

"You're too kind you know that Kyoko-san?"

"You're flattering me. I'm not that kind but thanks for appreciation."

"I talked to Boss about that encounter with your mother. He suggested me to reveal my identity before she opened her mouth to spread any false rumors. He also wants us to be engaged and get married properly once again. What do think about it?"

"When?"

"Next week"

"We're already married so it won't hurt to relive the entire occasion"

Pure smile curled up his lips as more memories joined in to ease the stress that had been holding him enslaved for so long.

"Can I ask you something Kyoko-san?"

"Go ahead Mr. Tsuruga"

"Your face, especially your eyes look so familiar. They remind me of someone from my distant past. Tell me have we met somewhere before? I really feel like there's some kind of deep connection between us but I can't figure it out."

"No, Mr. Tsuruga. We've never met before" Kyoko said running her hand through his hair.

He looked at her intensely when she stroked his hair.

"Is something wrong Mr. Tsuruga?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It feels nice and relaxing when you rub my hair so softly. I feel sleepy"

"Then go to sleep" said Kyoko smiling at him.

"Will you stay here by my side?" Ren whispered.

"I have to go back and check on Aika-chan, she doesn't sleep until I tell her bedtime story"

"Don't leave. Please stay, just for tonight." He insisted.

"I have to go, just let me check on her first then I'll come back" Kyoko told him and tried to leave but he grabbed her hand.

"Don't go. Please stay. It's cold and dark."

"Mr. Tsuruga, are you feeling well? Do you have a fever?" She bent to feel his forehead but found that his temperature was normal.

"I'm fine. I just want you to stay here. Is it too much to ask? Are you hesitant?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"No, it's okay." She was about to sit beside his bed when he requested for something else.

"Come here, sleep next to me" he gestured her to lie down next to him.

Being as modest as ever, Kyoko blushed from ear to ear.

"Please? I won't do anything stupid. I'll keep my hands away, I promise." he said locking his eyes with hers.

Kyoko swallowed nervously before sliding under the sheets beside him.

Ren turned to face her and moved closer to snuggle into her warmth that he found so refreshing and surprisingly restful.

Kyoko turned stiff when she heard him speaking again. "Can I dare to request you something?"

She really had no idea what he was going to say so she just nodded hoping that he wouldn't ask for something impossible.

"It's okay if you don't love me, just don't go back to him. I can't stand being a second option. I can't stand betrayal. If you ever felt the desire to leave me then don't hesitate to tell me directly. I promise I won't object and let you go without demanding any explanation" his voice sounded more like a whisper.

Kyoko's heart leapt through her chest. "Him? Him who? Did he mean Sho…?" she thought silently.

"I won't. I am already married to you. You don't have to worry about that. I won't ever get tired of you. I'll stay as long as you need me." she said smiling a little before he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close to him.

"I can't believe I acted so childish. I don't know what took over me! Now that I think about it, it feels kind of embarrassing for someone like me to talk that way. I never behaved like that when I was with Ayumi. I wonder what's so special about Kyoko-san? She makes me feel so emotional." Ren mentally slapped himself and his cheeks changed into bright color of red.

He stopped in midway to ask for directions when he saw someone who perhaps looked like a lab attendant.

"Excuse me" Ren said and the man stopped to turn and faced him.

"Yes?"

"Can you please tell me the way to staffroom?" Ren asked politely.

"Go straight to the right"

"Thank you" Ren thanked him before he nodded with a smile and left.

Ren's heart sped up as he moved towards the desired location. He took long steps to walk hurriedly. Thankfully, he was in disguise so nobody seemed to recognize him. Wearing a pair of grey T-shirt with black jeans and hiding his face with a cap and sunglasses, he almost looked unrecognizable enough unless someone stopped by to take a closer look at him.

As he approached the staffroom, he could hear voices coming from inside. His heart stopped beating.

His eyebrow twitched as his chest felt a weird tug. He held the doorknob and twisted to open it just a little and peeked inside. The scene before his eyes drained his blood and sucked the air out of his lungs. He turned his eyes away and clenched his hands. It was a sight he never wished to witness again in his life.

His wife was kissing and hugging someone else and he was not just a random guy but her ex-lover.

"She kissed him. She told me she was over him when she was meeting him secretly behind my back. She lied to me" Ren thought as disappointment flashed in his eyes.

No, God please not again. Don't be so cruel to me. K-Kyoko-san isn't that kind of person or was I wrong about her?

All of his happiness was smashed instantly.

He heard their voices and wanted to turn off his hearing ability. He wished he were blind and deaf. He didn't want to witness such a thing ever again in his life. His late wife's betrayal was enough for the life time but he wasn't that lucky.

"I can't give you anything else. You have to move on" Kyoko said caressing his cheek but Sho refused to obey.

"I won't"

Please Sho? I beg you. For my sake, you have to forget about me and move on. Marry Mimori for real and be happy."

"No…"

Leave him and run away with me. I came here to take you away.

"I love you."

"Your heart wants me. Your body reacts to my touch but you're still pushing me away? I don't understand it at all"

"What if someone came inside and saw us together? It's not good for your reputation. You should go Sho"

"I don't care. Let them come and see who you belong to"

Ren fought the urge to kill and punch someone so hard. His ears couldn't hear anything else. His eyes couldn't look at anything else but them. His mind went blank as he let himself in and waited for them to pack up their little scene of emotional parting but both of them didn't seem to notice.

He leaned against the wall in a corner and crossed his arms as he fixed his eyes on them.

"I told you everything about me. I trusted you. I opened up my heart to you but you still chose to betray me. Why Kyoko-san? Did I misbehave with you? Were you unhappy? I even gave you time to decide. I gave you choice to return to him but you chose to stab behind my back"

Ayumi's betrayal stung Ren's brain and he growled in disgust.

He watched the blond guy moving away from his wife and couldn't stop himself from speaking. "Looks like you two are having fun" Ren said darkly, his eyes never leaving them.

Kyoko jumped in the air in shock when she saw another occupant inside the room. Within a single glance at him, she recognized who he was and her soul threatened to flow out of her body.

"M-Mr. Tsuruga…" Kyoko stuttered but Sho didn't seem to be influenced in any way. He walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, turning to smirk at Ren in triumph. Kyoko broke herself free from his arms by using all of her strength.

"Now I know why you wanted to stay in school for longer. You've been working pretty hard lately. Your 'student' must be so lucky to find such cooperative teacher like you, don't you think?" Ren said mockingly while glaring at her.

Kyoko's face turned pale.

"It's not what you think. I…." she pushed pass Sho and ran to him but he lifted his hand to stop her in the middle.

"You two were so absorbed in your lovely intimacy that you didn't even notice me coming inside. How long have you been doing this behind my back?" Ren accused, anger was evident in his eyes.

Kyoko gasped in horror. "N-No, please listen. I-It's not what you think, I…Let me explain…" she gulped nervously as her heart started to jump in panic.

"Listen man-" Sho tried to cut in but Ren threw him a dirty look. "Don't try to interfere! I'm talking to my wife!" his cold voice shut him up.

Ren gave his wife an incredulous look. "I let you deceive me. I'm such an idiot!" he said and left without another word with Kyoko running after him.

Next Chapter Preview-Reluctant Love-Mistrust or Jealousy?-Chapter-4

"Mr. Tsuruga, please believe me. I didn't betray you. I can't even think of doing something like that"

Ren laughed.

"Don't bother explaining. I saw everything with my own eyes" His eyes were distant and icy.

"It's not what you think" she explained herself but was ignored unfortunately.

"Are you trying to say my eyes were playing tricks on me or my mind wasn't working straight?"

"N-No, I…."

He shook his head as if laughing at himself for being so stupid.

"I got it now. Why you told me everything about your lover. You did it to win my faith in you."

Kyoko flinched.

"N-No, I swear I…" she couldn't complete her statement before he cut her off in the middle.

"Don't swear it. I don't trust hypocrites." His tone was acute and taunting. It stabbed her heart harder than she'd expected.

"Please…" she begged softly, daring to sit beside him but he averted his eyes and turned away from her.

"I got it now, why you pretended to return my wallet, why you approached me, why you agreed to marry me out of love. It was all pre-planned wasn't it? It was your trickery. You did it to trap me in your innocence so that you could rob my wealth later. Come to think of it, how could you be so different from your mother? You're her blood after all. She gave birth to you. If she's evil, you're not any less..." Ren was struggling not to do something awful to her. He was disappointed and was dying to lash his aggravation out.

He felt Kyoko's hand on his shoulder and his anger stepped up to highest level.

"Don't touch me" he warned.

Terrified by his coldness, Kyoko pulled her hand away at once.

"Didn't you say you were over him? Was it a lie to trick me?" he asked not moving an inch nor turned his face to look at her. He kept his eyes glued on the wall before him.

Kyoko quaked. "No, it's not like that"

Corn, please give me a chance to explain. I was trying to shove him away. I've already married you. Why would I go back to him when I have a family with you now? I am married to you. I didn't cheat on you. It wasn't my intention to break your trust. I wasn't seeing him secretly. He came to see me on his own. I didn't even try to contact him after marriage.

"Oh really?" Ren said as he turned his face to meet her eyes.

She became nervous under his strong gaze.

"Y-Yes" she stammered out.

"Can you prove it to me?" he asked seriously.

He met with silence.

"Can you prove that you're over him and he means nothing to you anymore, that whatever I saw and listened wasn't what I thought it was?" he asked again.

Tears jabbed her eyes as she spoke reluctantly, being extremely afraid of his upcoming response.

"What do I have to do to win back your trust?" she asked reluctantly.

"Sleep with me" he said and Kyoko went quiet.

That's it. Please have fun reading. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you all for your endless support and encouragements. You guys are so kind :333 I am already half way done with the next chapter so I hope to update within a day or two so please stay tuned. Until next time! Take Care

See you all soon.