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Enjoy the new chapter!
"It's Kyoko." she replies.
Sho produces an incoherent noise before loudly falling to the floor. He fell asleep on the couch, as he often does when he stays up late watching some ridiculous comedy show on TV.
After a few moments of mumbling angrily and whispering curses, Sho finally regains composure, more or less, and responds with "What do you want?" as nonchalantly as he can. Kyoko doesn't read too much into it, but if it were anyone else, they would definitely see right through his poor acting.
"We have to meet." she answers, completely ignoring his rude tone. After all, that's how it has to be if she expects to actually resolve anything with him, because he definitely isn't going to suddenly change and become someone who is easy to talk to.
Even though her voice is stable and firm, her expression is far from serene. Kyoko is determined to meet Sho and talk to him. What she should say and what she wants to say, those two are still unclear to her, but even though it's like that, if she wants to debut and stay near Ren, she has to get through this. Sho is a big hurdle in her way and she's hoping that talking to him will somehow help her understand what it is that she must do to accept this thing called love, if that's even possible.
Sho is even more confused than Kyoko. Her sudden demand completely took him by surprise. Actually, it sounded more like an order than a demand. Why would Kyoko do such a thing? Even though she hates him with all her might, she never purposely seeks him out, she much rather avoids him. He's the one who plays games and manipulates her into coming to see him or finds some kind of an excuse to go see her. This is surely as baffling as the fact that that stuck up, long-legged, pompous jerk Tsuruga Ren has fallen in love with her.
"This is important so don't even try to make me chase you around, because I won't. If I have to, I'll use what I know about you and force you to come. You know I could if I wanted to." She knows Sho so she's sure he will succumb. His ego is way too delicate to allow something embarrassing about him to leak out, even if it ends up as just a rumor.
He grunts, clearly unhappy, but there is also a pinch of curiosity in the mixture of his voice. It's been forever since Kyoko last approached him. He can't help but wonder what it's all about. If his pride allowed him, he would tell her to come and meet him right this moment. No, if he were to be completely honest, he'd rush over to wherever she is and demand for her to explain. But he isn't honest, never has been and seems pretty intent on never being either.
"Fine, whatever." is all he says in the end, despite all his curiosity filled thoughts. He's far too weak to accept the truth, and it's even less likely that he'd admit to it, least of all to Kyoko.
"Wise decision. I know you're busy so let me know as soon as you know when we can meet." Kyoko says and hangs up. Her whole body feels heavier than a house and she can't believe she just called her number one enemy to demand a meeting.
She immediately scolds herself for thinking that. If she really intends to try this with all her heart, she needs to stop thinking of Sho as her enemy. That must become a thing of a past, a past she's leaving behind.
Only after the call disconnects does it become clear just how dumbfounded Sho is. He stares at his cell phone for a good fifteen minutes in complete silence before he is able to blink.
He finds that he's feeling rather uneasy about this sudden turn of events.
Kyoko sighs as she climbs down the stairs. The Taicho is already cutting away in the kitchen and Okami-san is making preparations for the opening.
"Good morning, Kyoko-chan." she greets the sleepy girl with swollen eyes. Despite everything, this morning for her is the happiest in a while. She feels like for the first time she's really been able to reach Kyoko.
"Good morning, Okami-san." Kyoko greets back and bows respectfully. Okami-san smiles warmly and invites her to sit down so they can have breakfast. Kyoko smiles back, although a rather weary smile, and sits down at the table. Okami-san and Taicho sit down soon after.
"I am sorry for neglecting my duties yesterday. It won't happen again." she apologizes and bows once more.
"It's fine, Kyoko-chan. We understand completely. As long as you're better, it doesn't matter." Okami-san tells her, smiling her warm motherly smile the entire time. "Right, dear?"
The Taicho grunts in agreement and continues to eat his rice in silence.
"See? Everything is fine. Now eat your breakfast." Okami-san says and Kyoko obediently picks up her chopsticks.
"Itadakimasu." Kyoko says and begins her breakfast. It's as tasty as ever, if not even more so this morning. It seems to her that releasing all those pent up emotions has opened up a whole new world for her, and things that she is used to now seem somehow different than before, if not entirely new. Maybe there is hope for her yet, maybe everything is not lost.
After the meal, Kyoko helps with the clean up. Since it's Saturday and there aren't any classes, she can help out at the Inn. She might not have any acting work, but the Inn is always busy and she can surely be of use to Okami-san. Kyoko's only obligation now is studying and she can do that after the Inn closes, so when she's not at school, she can work and help out.
"Kyoko-chan, you don't need to help out today." Okami-san tells Kyoko when she finishes washing the dishes. "You should take it easy right now. Your finals are coming up as well, so please don't worry about us."
Kyoko takes a deep bow and, despite feeling guilty about it, accepts Okami-san's words without a single complaint. It bothers her, but she also feels that she needs to sit down in peace and think carefully about what she wants to tell Sho. She definitely doesn't want to meet him unprepared. That would be a disaster and she could hardly expect any progress after allowing something like that to happen.
"Thank you, Okami-san. I'll do my best." Kyoko replies.
"I know you will, Kyoko-chan. And I also know that you'll succeed in conquering whatever it is that's troubling you and weighing you down. Just remember to be honest to yourself and don't be afraid to give a voice to those pains you're carrying around inside of you." Okami-san smiles and ushers Kyoko to go and rest a bit, since she hasn't been sleeping at all well lately.
Kyoko goes into her room and closes the door behind her. She immediately spots the drama script on the floor. With a loud sigh, she slides to the floor.
The role this time isn't dark or gloomy, it's the exact opposite - the girl is a kind and gentle person, someone who deserves a lot of good things to happen to her. She's in love, and the man she's in love with loves her back.
"He loves her back…" Kyoko whispers.
Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't notice that her cell phone is ringing. She doesn't notice until the ringing becomes so violent, it threatens to bring the whole house down. She doesn't remember her cell phone ever being so loud.
Kyoko reaches for it, flips it open, and without even checking who's calling, since she's consumed by nervousness caused by the psychotic ringing, she accepts the call.
Before she gets a chance to say a single word, the angry voice on the other side of the line shouts at her.
"Why do you even have a cell phone if you're not going to carry it with you?! Why bother giving out your number to people if you have no intention of answering their calls?!"
"M-Moko-san?" Kyoko mutters, surprised by the call and the sudden verbal attack. Although she's used to Moko's way of communicating, which includes a harsh, unfriendly tone and expressions that are as close to insults as they can possibly get, it still shocks her when it happens so suddenly.
"Yes, it's me. Who else would it be?" she replies, irritation clear in her voice.
Kyoko feels a little bit relieved and a small smile appears on her face. It's like a little more of her load has been lifted. "I'm so glad to hear your voice, Moko-san." she says, completely absorbed in her own feelings, so much that she completely ignores Moko's angry tone.
"Don't Moko-san me, you traitor! I forbid you to call me your friend ever again!" Moko protests loudly. Kyoko is surprised and suddenly very worried. What did she do to make her so angry?
"Eh? Moko-san? What happened?"
"What happened!? You're seriously asking me that with that innocent voice?!" Moko shouts even louder and then coughs, probably because the intensity of her voice is too much for her throat to handle. The ever composed Moko obviously isn't used to shouting that much that strongly. Kyoko is pretty much the only one who can push her to the limit like that.
"I'm sorry, Moko-san. I'm really sorry, but please don't say you won't be my friend anymore. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it!" Kyoko shouts desperately.
Moko sighs. "You don't even know what you're apologizing for, do you?" she asks with a calmer voice, sounding more exhausted than angry.
Kyoko shakes her head and even though she can't see her do it, Moko knows, since it's Kyoko after all. "Did you forget you're on the phone? Normal people can't tell that you're shaking your head if they can't see you, you idiot!" Moko yells, but this time without much sincerity. It sounds more like a soft scolding.
"I'm sorry, Moko-san." Kyoko says apologetically.
"Ah, forget it. I should be used to it by now." Moko says and sighs.
"What did I do to make you angry, Moko-san?" Kyoko asks timidly, afraid of another outburst.
It's as if the past two days never happened and things are like they always were. Kyoko isn't on the verge of losing her job and her chance to do what she loves, she doesn't have to meet up with Sho and talk to him because she isn't desperate to resolve their relationship once and for all; it's almost as if none of it ever happened.
"Sawara-san told me today that you're taking a break. He said it's because of the finals, but I could tell that's not all. I can't believe I had to find out from Sawara-san. And only half of the story too." Moko says and can't help but realize it sounds like she's really hurt because she's been left out. That's a whole new level of pathetic that she managed to reach because of a certain someone.
Kyoko is surprised. She hasn't thought about it at all. If it was the other way around and she was the one who had to find out from Sawara-san that her friend is taking a break, she would feel sad and left out.
"I'm sorry, Moko-san. I…" and she goes silent, unsure of what to say. It's all so complicated and she doesn't really understand half of it herself, so she doesn't know how to explain it to her friend.
"It's fine. Judging by the way you sound, you've been through a lot these past two days." Moko says "Just don't let it happen again, do you understand?" she raises her voice again, although it doesn't sound nearly as threatening as before. She knows it's pointless to ask Kyoko to make such a promise, but she can't end it on a soft note either.
"Yes, Moko-san. I promise." Kyoko agrees and smiles, feeling relieved.
It's not like she wants to hide the truth from Moko, but she really doesn't know how to sum up the situation and put it into words. Nothing she can say can really measure up to the reality.
As she's thinking about that, her eyes fall on Sho's poster. Suddenly, she gets an idea that could possibly solve two of her pending problems at once.
"Moko-san, are you busy today?"