Kuon
Kuon wasn't sure what was going on with him, but the only girl he even really wanted to talk to anymore was Kyoko. He reasoned that was because she knew the darkest parts of him, and didn't judge him and around her he was free to be himself, completely and that meant the world to him. Yet the text he recieve this morning from Kyoko about her friends driving her to school this morning drove him to distraction. Was she sick of him already? Did he do something to upset her? Their time together in the mornings ment the world to him. He was loath to lose even one day. But what could he do?
The steadily falling rain matched Kuon's mood as he parked and made his way in side, he didn't bother to cover himself as he walked up the imposing steps into the building. Automatically his eyes darted over to Kyoko's locker where she stood smiling at a tall dark haired boy that Kuon vaguely recognized as a member of the football team. Anger started to fill him. Is this why she didn't want him to drive her? She wanted to meet up with this guy? Was he her boyfriend? He didn't even realize he was making his way over to her till he could actually start hearing their conversation.
"So I was wondering," The dark haired guy started, "if you would go to the Winter Formal with me." Kuon froze. He was asking her out? Pain pierced his chest and his anger mounted. Why did this bother him so much? From Kuon's vantage point he had the perfect view of Kyoko's face.
For a moment her eyes sparkled and she smiled widely, then she shook her head no and addressed the football player and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Thank you for inviting me though."
"Aw come on honey," the big guy leered and leaned closer to the girl. "You don't have to pretend to be hard to get." Pure rage filled Kuon at that moment. He hadn't felt anger this intense since Rick and that right there froze him in place and allowed the dark haired man to keep his pretty face. He hardly noted Kyoko's confused expression.
"I'm not sure what you mean, but I'm not pretending anything. I am actually leaving for Japan that evening for winter break."
"Well, then maybe we can do something when you get back?" It must have been right around then that Kyoko noticed Kuon, because she didn't reply to the asshat who was asking her out, but instead came and put her hand on his arm, drawing his attention to her.
"Kuon, are you ok?" Her big gold eyes filled with concern looked up at him and an intense and unfamiliar longing filled him.
"Hey, don't walk away from me," the football player grabbed her arm and twisted her toward him. Kuon snapped and knocked her arm out of the other man's hands and placed himself between them. "You don't want to do that," Kuon growled.
"What's it to you Hizuri, this has nothing to do with you." At Kuon's murderous glare the guy gulped and stepped back. Kuon stepped closer, meaning to show this douche what it has to do with him, but he felt a small hand on his arm and he glanced down again. Her eyes pleading him silently not to fight. Her hand moved down and grabbed his and she started to pull him away. He was powerless to stop this tiny force of nature.
"Oh I see," the big man called after them, "You're whipped," and he started to laugh. Kuon's whole body tensed and he went to turn back around, but Kyoko tightened her grip and pulled him further away.
"What was that Kuon?" She asked when they were finally alone and away from her suitor. Shrugging sullenly Kuon looked away.
"Look at me now Hizuri Kuon," she demanded in Japanese and his eyes flew to ward hers in shock at her stern tone, even his parents didn't talk to him like that. Sighing and letting some of his anger deflate, he asked the one question that was burning his mind the most.
"Did you want to go to the formal with that guy?" His tone was harsh and demanding. Kyoko cocked her head for a moment.
"Yes," Kuon's heart stopped, "I wanted to go to the winter formal, but not really with him. I mean, I don't even know who he is." At this Kuon's anger popped like a bubble. Sighing he racked his fingers through his still soaked hair.
"I'm sorry you are going to miss it, I mean if you really want to go I can talk to dad…"
"NO!" Kyoko shouted and his eyes flew to her's again. "But…" he began. "I don't want to inconvenience your father like that. Plus he has everything all planned out. It would be selfish to ask to change the dates." She finished.
I can always...his thought started
"Don't you dare go and think about asking your dad to change the dates behind my back either. I won't forgive you. I am more excited to go to Japan then to a school dance anyway." At this Kuon finally smiled a blinding smile.
"You know Kuon, when your hair gets wet, it gets really dark." Kyoko giggled, distracting him again. "You can almost pass for a full blown Japanese person with the dark hair, but your eyes give it away. Well, your eye's and your height."
Kuon laughed. "Maybe we can play a prank and dye my hair black and get some contacts while we are in Japan and see how many people I can convince I am Japanese."Kyoko smiled and poked his chest, "As long as they don't ask you to read Kanji you might actually succeed."
Kuon clutched his heart, pretending to be wounded. "How dare you, bring up my one weakness." At his antics Kyoko finally let out a full blown laugh.
"You know," Kuon began, suddenly a bit nervous, "If you want, If you bring something nice, we can maybe do a night on the town one night while we are in Tokyo."
Kyoko's eyes brightened. "Really? That sounds like a lot of fun!" Before Kuon could say anything further the bell began to toll and Kyoko jumped and started to speed off to her first hour class, shouting apologies as she left. Kuon smiled to himself and shook off the notion that he just asked his best friend on a date. He just hated that she had to miss her first school dance opportunity, he reasoned with himself, I wanted to make it up to her. Feeling slightly convinced of his logic, he finally moved toward his first hour class as well.
The president of LME hadn't really changed since he last came to Tokyo. The man was currently dressed as a matador with what Kuon suspected to be real diamonds lining the fillagree of his costume. Yes, Kuon was used to it, but his friend was not. Since they arrived at the president's office Kyoko was staring at the man, her mouth slightly agape and it was all Kuon could do to not break out laughing.
"Kuu, Kyoko-chan, can you please give me a moment with Kuon." Lory took a puff of his cigar. "Sure," Kuu said standing, "I'm getting hungry anyway, Kyoko let's go find a snack." Kyoko locked eyes with Kuon waiting for him to acknowledge his desire. Kuon nodded and smiled at his friend. Comforted, Kyoko followed his father outside."So, Kuon," Lory leaned back in his chair, "Your father tells me you are starting to get back into acting. It's easy to see what brought about this change." A small shock ran through Kuon but he nodded to confirm his words.
"What would you think about coming here, to LME? To get away from your father's shadow, at least a little bit."
Kuon hesitated. "Well," Lory took another puff of his cigar. "I could see why you wouldn't want to move to Japan, not when you got a girl back at home." Kuon froze and looked at Lory. At his unmoving expression Lory laughed, "What you didn't realize you're in love with the girl?"
"I.. I can't be."
"Keep telling yourself that Kuon and someone will snatch her away from you. Think on the offer, you don't need to make a decision now. You should probably go, before your father eats me out of house and home.
"Hey Kuon, I'm kinda hungry, I saw a machine just down the hall, I am going to go grab a snack. Do you want anything?" She asked him standing at the door. They had spent the morning doing some play fighting with some bored stunt men while Kuu worked, doing several promotional sets at the studio. So both were a more than a bit sweaty and rumpled in their work out gear. Kuon just gave Kyoko an "are you kidding" look and took a drink of his protein shake. Kyoko simply smiled at him, shook her head and closed the door to the green room behind her.
The minutes tricked by and Kyoko hadn't returned. Did she get lost? The machines were right around the corner? What happened? Standing Kuon made his way in the hall and started searching for his friend. It didn't take too long before he found her, well heard her might be a better word for it.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOO I'M NOT A STALKER! I SWEAR! I AM HERE WITH HIZURI KUU! At this Kuon broke out in a run as he saw two security guards starting to carrty Kyoko away from a smug looking blond kid.
"Put her down right now," Kuon demanded drawing to his full height. The command stopped the security guards in their tracks. At the sound of his voice he saw Kyoko deflate in relief.
"Kuon! Thank goodness these guys wouldn't listen to me when I said that I was here with you!"
"Who's that?" The snotty looking teen asked.
"Hizuri Kuon, Kuu's son." One of the guards said putting her down. The blond laughed, "There is no way a guy like that is here with a girl like her, look at her she is a plain, boring, nobody." Then he looked at Kuon, "It was nice of you to try to play along with her, but you don't have to, let the guards do their job and handle this."
Kuon ignored him and went over to Kyoko and put his arm around her shoulder. "You OK there Kyoko?" he asked in intentional Japanese. He wanted this ass to understand that he knew her and wouldn't just hand her over to the guards.
She smiled up at him, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. "I'm fine, thanks." Switching to English he asked her, "So who is that guy anyway." Kyoko rolled her eyes and replied. "Shotoro, Sho, I told you about him when we were kids."
"The one who made you cry on the stairs?" She poked him playfully, "He wasn't the only one." Kuon smiled, "I know, I know, but I've apologize, he probably hasn't." Kuon nodded his head at Sho.
At this gesture, Sho seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and started attacking the girl again.
"This is so typical of you Kyoko. Let me guess you've devoted yourself to this loser, still can't think and act for yourself."
"Shut up Shotoro, Kuon is an amazing actor. He isn't a loser at all."
"Plllleeeaaassseee," he drawled, "He only gets this treatment because of his 'daddy.'" Sho mocked. "It's not like he earned anything like I have." The boy boasted.
"Just watch, one day he will be the top actor in the world. You wouldn't even be able to compete with him." She continued to defend him. Kuon felt a rush of emotions at her defense of his abilities. Shock that she thought so highly of him, happiness that he was defending her, and there was a bite of pain because it appeared his presence was forgotten by the two bickering teens.
Sho gave a derisive snort, "Of course he can, he has his father's name to build it all on, he won't even have to work at it or even have any real talent."
Kyoko shrugged her petite shoulders, "He could even if he used a stage name, the world would never know and he could still be the greatest." Sho just rolled his eyes, "With those looks? He stands out too much I'm sure everyone knows who his daddy is."
Kyoko opened her mouth getting ready to retaliate back when Kuon butted in, "Well as happy as it makes me that you think I could be the best, Kyoko, we have to get back to the green room. Ten will be here soon to get you ready for this evening." At his words the blond teen seems to be forgotten, her eyes sparkled and she started moving back to the room. "Oh I hope we aren't late, that would be terribly rude." With that she gestured a wave to her former friend and started skipping back. Kuon notice the teen moving to drag Kyoko back when a busty brunet came rushing up to him.
"Sho, come on, We have to get going. The show starts in 10 minutes." She said dragging the sullen teen away.
While he was happy to get Kyoko away from her former flame, the words the teen spoke burned inside of him. The blond asshole was right, how would he ever overcome his father if everyone knew who he was? He could change his name, yes, but it wasn't like he was an unknown. Being the son of the Hizuri's, he had his face splashed on tabloids since he was a newborn. It would be impossible for him to not be recognized in a heartbeat. The problem weighed on him as he got ready for his night out with Kyoko. Running his hands through his damp hair he studied his reflection. When Kyoko's words came back to him, "You can almost pass for a full blown Japanese person with the dark hair, but your eyes give it away. Well, your eye's and your height." He couldn't really do anything about the height, but maybe with the right dye job and some good contacts. Straightening he smiled at his reflection, "You're title as top entertainer in Japan is about to come crashing down, Fuwa."
