Author Note: So, I've lost a little motivation for this particular fanfic, I'm sorry to say. However, instead of just stopping it in the middle like I've done before, I decided to write two more chapters and finish it off. This is going to be the penultimate chapter and then there's the happy ending next chapter. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter Nine – In the Spotlight
Thank goodness that when it came to dreams, if you really try to find a storyline that worked you could do it by yourself. Some people called it active dreaming. Well, to Kyoko it was because a fairy had made it so that in her dreams she could access another world where she could solve problems. People might think that she was crazy, but what she wanted to do was make the problems for Moko and Kuon as good as possible
She sat in the coffee shop with both of them beside her.
It was funny, although Kuon had come here by choice, Kanae had had to be blackmailed into coming here. It was extremely similar to what she had done to Kuon to first bring him to this café.
"So," Kanae said with a soft glare to the rich young woman. "What the hell do you want here?" she asked, "What are you trying to do?"
Kyoko closed her eyes and bowed her head. She knew that she might sound insane to the two people around her and there was a good chance that once these words had exited her mouth, that they could both stand up and storm out.
"I'm not from this world," she said as Kuon raised an eyebrow and then blinked trying to figure out what this woman was talking about. Kanae stared horrified and she glanced at the door. She did not want to stay here with this crazy person. Not only had she broken into the model only area at the show, but now she was trying to say that she had travelled through a vortex to come here.
"Alright," Kuon said slowly as he stared at her. "Does that mean that you feel different from the worlds that we live in. I know that," he gestured to Kanae, "you are in the modelling industry and my father was an actor before he was unfairly locked up. That might put us in one world but then you with money and power is in another?" he tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Kyoko shook her head as Kuon looked at her with a strange glance, "In my world you're both actors that I admire," she commented about the two of them. "I know that you can be actors once again. You are both so talented, both people that I want to act as well as."
Kanae scoffed, "Okay, so you're living in a make believe world," she turned to Kuon, "How do you feel about this? Are you a famous actor?"
Kuon tensed and looked down, "I'm not an actor. I don't feel comfortable with acting."
"Because of your dad," Kanae said as Kuon tensed even further. "I looked into acting myself, Kuu Hizuri was a really well known name before -"
"Stop," Kuon growled. "You don't know anything about it. Stop talking about things that you don't understand. Kyoko, you know that I want to go into law and clear my father's name. You know I want to be a force of good, I'm not a famous actor and I never have been."
Kyoko took a deep breath in, "Okay, maybe I'm not sane," she said, "but please do me one favor," she proposed. "Please come to the LME auditions. I have a feeling that once you step into the spotlight that things will be different, that things that will be better for you two."
Kuon took a deep breath, "I don't have to accept any offers, right? Just go and audition?"
"Sure," Kanae said with a shrug, "I was going to do it anyway, but that doesn't mean I'll get in."
Kyoko smiled. Somehow she felt that if they both stepped into the acting spotlight that things would get better for her and she would be able to get home. Though she would definitely miss being able to visit this world.
…..
…..
Kuon looked up in exhaustion at his mother. He smiled, he was glad that his parents hadn't turned against him. Even though they had known his past and known that he felt that he was responsible for Rick's death, they had thought that Kuon would learn from his past. They also knew that Kuon wouldn't hurt someone he loved. Even though some people in the world thought he was insane, that reasoning was pushing it too far.
Kuon would never hurt Kyoko.
Julie smiled softly as she went forwards to Kuon and let her hand rest on his shoulder. "Hello, darling," she said as she saw his broken form. She didn't want to say how much she and Kuu had tried to deflect all of the accusations. She didn't want to say how scared and terrified she had been that he might be locked up and she would only be able to see him during visitation hours.
Then she had been scared that he would kill himself, that she would lose him forever.
Even if he was in jail, she and Kuu would have fought to find the information to get him free. They could see him, they could talk to him, they could prove to him that his parents still loved him. If he was gone from this world then there was nothing else that the two of them could do.
She smiled softly as she felt Kuon reach for her hand and squeeze it very gently. He looked back at her and she didn't want to comment on how broken the look in his eyes was. "Hi, mom" he said as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and then chose to sit next to him.
"How are you doing? I heard that she had woken up? That's great news." Julie watched her son. She felt so bad for him. He had done so much to prove himself as Ren Tsuruga and now he had lost that identity and all of the good work that he had managed to accomplish through that character. She knew that it felt good that she could be in her son's life again but if he hadn't gone through that and she hadn't seen him for a few years, that would probably be better for him.
"Yes," Kuon nodded, "She woke up. She's just resting right now. I think that she's doing alright, the doctors say that her health is improving."
Julie sighed and looked at her, "That's wonderful news, Kuon, but since she's awake and the doctors say that she's recovering, she isn't the person that I'm worried about."
Kuon looked down, "I know that Dad's had a hard time with this. I've disgraced the Hizuri name in the country where he made himself famous. I've ruined his reputation with all of this. If I was only not born into the Hizuri family then maybe dad would be happy again."
Julie frowned and took a deep breath in to calm herself. "Will you stop that? We stood beside you because more than anything we love our son, our little boy. I don't care if you're fifty, I'm still going to call you my little boy," she told him. "No, as long as both you and Kyoko are okay then I won't have to worry anymore. So are you doing okay?"
Kuon looked down, he didn't know how to answer that question.
…..
…..
Today Kyoko was so happy and it wasn't just the designer clothes, the ability to wear beautiful jewelry and makeup that made her heart soar it was so wonderful. It wasn't that she was living a completely new life either. In fact, she really hoped that she could change the world of those two people that she cared for and that she would free them of their chains.
If only Kuon could see how much he would like acting. He could even change his name to Ren Tsuruga, change the way that he looked and start his career afresh. If he was given a platform on which he could speak out to an audience then maybe he could clear Kuu's name as well.
As for Moko, she needed to see that she could rise higher in society than as an underwear model and centerfold. She needed to see that more than her beauty, it was her talent that was impressive and her true asset. She needed to impress the world and stand tall. It wasn't the outside appearance that mattered at all, it was that joy you got when you acted. That joy that she was already aware that Moko would have.
Sadly enough, she wouldn't be able to see Kuon perform. She wouldn't be witness to that. She could still see Kanae audition though. She could see one of her important people try to follow their own drive and motivation on their dream. Maybe if that would happen she could return to her boyfriend and Sui would make this world glow just as brightly as she felt when seeing Kuon, her Kuon smile.
They just had to get free.
Kyoko stopped herself from imagining too much of a different world as she saw Kanae go up to the stage with her script. Kyoko's breath held in her lungs as she remembered the first day when she had met Moko-chan. She remembered how even though Moko had insulted her and she hadn't really wanted to like her, that the talent that she had shown and the expert way she had handled the acting scene were the most impressive parts to her.
She admired Moko so much, she just needed to free her from the chains in Sui's world.
She stood there proudly as Kanae stood in front of the judging panel. Even though she could see the changes, the nervousness, the self-doubt, it seemed to disappear as Kanae acted out the page that she had just memorized by flipping through that script. Kyoko remembered that she had never really asked Moko-san how she did that and if she could teach it to her. It would a perfect ace to have in her back pocket at any audition she would do in the future.
As she continued to watch Kanae, Kyoko could swear that she was glowing and she blinked hard. Maybe she was facing a bright light in her other life, maybe this was supposed to be the part where she died. No, that couldn't be it, she couldn't leave Kuon like that. She didn't want to ever leave him after realizing how broken he could be without her in his life.
It was then that she once again saw Sui. She didn't know how to feel about the trickster. He was the one who had taken her to this world. He was the one who had shown her how broken it could be with Shou on top and with Kuon, Kanae, Kuu, and Julie at the bottom. Those good people had to be at the top, otherwise the world didn't make sense. Those strong at heart should always perform better.
She looked at Sui as he winked to her and then came to her side.
"You did it," he said as she rolled her eyes.
"What are you accusing me of doing?" she said as she grabbed her upper arm.
"You have shown love to two people today and those two people are being seen for the strong and passionate individuals that they are. There is just one more thing that you must do before I release you from this world."
Kyoko frowned and took a deep breath, she was relieved that Kuon had done just as well as Moko, but she didn't want to have to be in debt to someone like Sui.
"You must go to the prison and share your love with Kuu Hizuri. It is the only way for him to be released," Sui informed her.
Kyoko didn't want to say that that was the place that she wanted to go to the most.
