The response to this story repeatedly blows my mind. It's incredible, I feel grateful and humbled by it. Gosh I'm starting to sound like Kyoko aren't I? Haha! Right I know this chapter took longer than it normally does, but it was definitely the most difficult chapter by far- Corn was revealed guys! I had to make sure it was well written. I didn't want to let you guys down.

I hope you enjoy and have a good weekend people!

Chapter 10

When I was young, I often felt lost and alone.

The feeling I had when my mother turned her back on me was akin to drowning in a sea of darkness. Eventually I learned that crying didn't solve anything, all it did was make the people around me awkward and uncomfortable. I didn't want to be responsible for making others feel that way. I started crying in secret; finding places to hide so I wouldn't disturb anybody with my sorrow, so that I wouldn't be a burden.

At first they were dark places, like closets, but that only made me feel worse- as if I was sinking even further into that cursed sea of loneliness and desolation. I needed brightness, I needed fresh air, I needed sunshine. One day I found it. The clearing in the woods, where the dappled light danced around the floor and the babbling brook bubbled through the rocks and flowers. I found a place to cry.

I also found him. Corn. With him I found everything I needed and more, someone to comfort me when I cried, to laugh and play, to hope and dream with. He was my friend. He was brightness, he was fresh air, and he was sunshine.

But then Corn left, soaring into a world I would never be able to reach. And I knew I would never see him again.

"C...Corn?"

Kyoko threw herself off Ren, shuffling away from him; her back hit the side of the bed. Her eyes were frozen on the sight before her, unable to look away even if she wanted to. It seemed as if she was in a trance. Questions spun around her mind at a thousand miles an hour. She felt dizzy, almost sick, with shock. This had to be a dream; it didn't make any sense otherwise...did it?

Ren drew himself up to his knees, all traces of hurt removed from his mind. His hands shook with fear and he cursed inwardly. This wasn't the way he planned this, this wasn't how he wanted her to find out. But now she had, she was too smart not to make the connection the second she saw him this way. He had to do something, say something. But where would he start? He looked at her desperately from the place where she sat, pale faced with her eyes as wide as a deer's. How he longed for her to understand. He begged the universe to give him a chance; he dared to hope he wouldn't lose her.

"So- so this is what you wanted to tell me?" Kyoko whispered, finally tearing her eyes away from the burning truth. She could hardly stand it. "Is it really possible? Corn?" Her voice wavered and Ren found he was unable to speak, dreading the words that would spill from his mouth. He knew they wouldn't be good enough. Nonetheless he refused to look away from her no matter how guilty he felt. His guilt didn't matter, all that mattered was her. She looked up at him once more, and he could see the understanding slowly dawning in her eyes. "I've thought, sometimes I noticed a resemblance- but I always dismissed it as a coincidence. Your personalities were similar at times. I didn't think anything serious of it...but now you're here and- and you're him. Are you him?"

Ren took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Despite that last question, he could tell Kyoko already knew Corn and Ren Tsuruga were one and the same. Right now it just seemed completely implausible to her. He couldn't blame her for feeling that way. He felt the same. Still, she needed to know everything. She was looking at him with so many questions in those golden-brown eyes, eyes that had captivated him the moment they met for the first time.

He hoped when he was done, he would still be able to look into them, that she wouldn't turn away.

"When I was ten years old I went to Kyoto for a holiday with my parents." He began and hated how weak he sounded, how his voice shook. "They were both famous and busy people, and I hardly ever saw them. There wasn't anybody around me who I could talk to, nobody my age to play with. So I went exploring by myself in the woods nearby and one day I found a clearing with a little stream and wildflowers. It was beautiful and serene yet lonely, and there I realised how lost I felt- how my life felt the exact same way as that clearing seemed. Isolated.

"But then you found me, and you were my friend. You thought I was a fairy. You believed in magic, you believed in me. You were kind, you made me laugh and smile and forget about my own problems completely. You couldn't pronounce my name right so, in a way, you allowed me to feel like I was someone else for a while- that I had a completely different identity. You made me believe that I was no longer Kuon Hizuri, but Corn the fairy. And that's the greatest gift anyone has ever given me...Kyoko-chan."

It was those last words that did it, the way he said her name which made her realise that this was real. The blood rushing around her body, her breath inhaling sharply, sounded to her like a tidal wave washing her away. All she thought she knew disappeared around her.

"Kuon...Hizuri? Kuon?!"

"Yes." Ren nodded, full-on shaking now.

Kyoko couldn't deny it, the resemblance between the two. The height, the hair, the eyes; even the facial structure was similar. Was he really Kuon, the son Kuu Hizuri had lost so many years ago? The question didn't even need to be asked now, the answer was literally staring her in the face. How she hadn't recognised it was a complete mystery. In mere moments three people she knew, or knew of, had merged into one person. Black felt like it was white, up felt like it was down and fairies were suddenly human people- real people.

She couldn't breathe.

Kyoko stood up and rushed to the window, opening it up wide in a desperate search for fresh air. She leaned out, her hands grasping the window frame so tightly her knuckles turned paper- white. Ren made to rush after her but froze halfway across the room; his initial protective instincts stopped in their tracts by fear of getting too close, of scaring her off. She needed time to process everything and he was prepared to wait- no matter how long it took, no matter her reaction once it all sunk in.

Silence fell. All that could be heard was Kyoko's gasps for air.

Ren found could hardly breathe himself.

"I'm sorry, Kyoko." He apologised and he felt pathetic when the words slipped from his mouth. He wished there was a word stronger than sorry, something that could convey the depths of his feelings for her. The word 'sorry' wasn't good enough for her. She deserved so much better than what he was offering. He watched her stand up straight once more, her hands wrapped around herself as she turned to face him. She closed her eyes in concentration as if trying piece everything together, trying to calm her nerves.

"You're Kuu Hizuri-san's son. Kuon. The son he speaks so highly of." She repeated after a short pause. Her voice was firm, yet her eyes were still wide. Now she seemed embarrassed, mortified even and Ren couldn't figure out why.

Utter disbelief formed her next few words. "And you met me, and I thought your name was Corn."

Ren exhaled slightly, the tiniest hint of relief shone through at the knowledge she was focused on something that didn't really matter. But he loved her for that, her sense of kindness and respect for everyone.

"I didn't want to correct you, I thought it was...sweet."

Suddenly, Kyoko burst out laughing, causing Ren to start in alarm. He watched her with an expression of utter bewilderment, wondering what on Earth was happening.

"I- I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't laugh! I'm completely out of my mind, I-I'm so confused right now." Kyoko choked out, holding her ribs as her body shook from the emotions pouring out of her. She found it strange that this was her reaction in extreme circumstances such as these. "I have no idea how to react. I- I mean, you're Tsuruga-san but you're Corn, but you're also Kuon Hizuri. How the hell am I supposed to react?! I- I don't even know!"

Ren watched her descend into fits of giggles, completely nonplussed. No matter what Kyoko never failed to surprise him, and this was most certainly a surprise. A smile crept up to his mouth, her laughter was contagious.

Unexpectedly, ridiculously, he felt laughter bubbling up in his own chest. He held a loose fist up to his face as if it would control the feeling, but really he was starting to see the insanity of the situation, and the urge to laugh grew with every passing moment. Eventually he couldn't help himself and what started out as a chuckle quickly spiralled out of control. Kyoko looked up at him and smiled, continuing to bring forth her own mirth. And so they laughed together, for what seemed like forever; until they needed to clutch their sides, until their mouths hurt from their smiles, until their breathing became ragged and uncontrollable. They both tried to calm down, but then they'd meet each other's eyes or remember the absurdity of the whole scenario and the cycle would start all over again.

Ren was the first to eventually calm down, the smile slowly dying from his face. Kyoko looked at him, the ghost of a smile still clinging to her pale pink lips. She looked away from him, her arms wrapped back around herself. Silence fell on the pair again, the lightness and absurdity removed as the full weight of each other's revelations sunk in.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." He said sincerely. He knew he'd already apologised, but it didn't feel enough. It still wasn't enough.

Kyoko bit her lip nervously, she seemed almost unsure of what she was about to say.

"You've...you've been in a lot of pain, haven't you?" Kyoko asked timidly, glancing up at him from under her eyelashes. The way she spoke to him, with such care and consideration, was like getting a hug and taking a bullet at the same time. "In the time between my meeting you as Corn, and meeting you as Tsuruga-san- I mean. I- I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry. I just want to understand. Your...your father he told me that you struggled and suffered. He blamed himself; he said that you didn't see each other anymore. Is that what you meant, when Corn told me about his father plucking his wings; was that really Kuon- who couldn't get out from his father's shadow?"

Ren sat down on the edge of bed, clutching his hands together, and nodded to confirm what she said. Despite how tired he suddenly felt, a ray of light clung to him. She wasn't turning him away. It was as confusing as it was hopeful. It was amazing how quickly she could see straight through him. At first it had frightened him, but now he wouldn't have it any other way.

"You aren't angry at me?" He asked, slightly baffled, his hands moving up to scratch his hair. At the sincerity and softness in his voice, Kyoko felt something shift and move within her, deep in the recesses of her heart. She fidgeted shyly, offering an awkward shrug.

"I'm a lot of things; confused, amazed, even happy. I missed Corn a lot, it's...it's really good to see you again." She smiled weakly and the love Ren felt for her grew a million times over. "It's also really, really confusing. Oh wait I said that already. I guess that means that it's twice as confusing- although it's probably much more than that. But I'm not angry at you, it's not like you had bad intentions, you had good reasons. You didn't want to trust me in case everything you worked for was lost. I wasn't singled out in this case, I'm not special. Truly it would be self centred of me to get angry at you."

This seemed like the most reasonable and practical explanation to Kyoko. She knew what it felt like to be deceived and betrayed by a man who had selfish and self-serving motivations. She also knew that, no matter what, the man sitting before her would never treat her that way. Still, she wasn't so high and mighty as to believe she could demand Ren's secrets or that she was special enough to be singled out.

But he has singled you out a quiet voice piped up from the place in her mind she had tried desperately to shut off.

"That's not true at all!" Ren cried and Kyoko looked at him, startled. Without thinking he spoke. "I didn't tell you because I was afraid, afraid that you would be upset that I was Corn, that I was the son of a man you admire so much. I thought you'd be disappointed of the person Corn became. It had nothing to do with trust."

"How could I possibly think that?!" Kyoko replied moving towards him subconsciously. An odd mix of indignation and befuddlement took precedence in her. "You're Tsuruga-san! You're one of the people I trust and respect most in the entire world. I don't care what your name is, Kuon Hizuri, Corn, Tsuruga-san. You have different names but you're still the same person underneath those names aren't you?"

Ren knew what it felt like to be conflicted, he'd spent most of his life feeling that way, but he never imagined feeling so happy and yet so devastated at the same time. She seemed to be accepting him, but it wasn't right. She still didn't know everything. She had to understand.

"You didn't know Kuon Hizuri-" He started, his face darkened but then stopped when Kyoko scoffed. He looked up, startled.

"Do you think I'm a complete idiot?" She frowned at him, popping her hip out to the side and resting her elbow onto it. All he could think of in that moment was Setsu. "Do you think I couldn't see there was much more to Setsu's Nii-san than the fake identity of a dark and dangerous actor? After all that time we shared together, you think I didn't realise how much you were struggling with yourself?"

Ren knew she had a good point, he knew those experiences had gone far beyond Cain and Setsu, but until now that remained unspoken between them.

"You're not an idiot." Ren said smiling at her despite himself. "You're one of the smartest people I know. I guess I was just...worried of what you'd think of me."

Kyoko walked over and flopped onto the bed beside him, sighing as she did so. She slouched backwards, a pout forming on her lips and Ren was suddenly very much aware that they were alone, in a hotel room, sitting on the same bed at one thirty in the morning. And this time there were no characters, it was just them- Kyoko and Ren.

There was another moment of silence before Kyoko spoke up again.

"Everyone has dark moments of their past they'd like to forget. It's much easier said than done though." She mumbled bitterly and Ren knew who she was thinking about in that moment. She shook her head slightly as if to shed herself of the thoughts.

"We've hidden things from each other and from the world it seems." Ren stated and Kyoko nodded.

"I think everybody does though." Kyoko replied and she chuckled. "Could you imagine if every person on the planet told everyone they met all of their problems? I think the world would go mad."

"Well from now on I won't lie to you, or hide anything from you again." Ren said, daring to reach out and grasp her hand. Kyoko looked up at him, and their eyes met. The emotion she felt in that moment wasn't confusion, or anger or hurt. She knew exactly what it was. And it hit her like a shower of ice, to the point where she couldn't deny it any longer.

It was only for a moment, but of course Ren picked up on it. The way her eyes widened and glassed over slightly, the way her lips formed a small o-shape, the slight rosy blush that dusted her cheeks. Her reaction to him seemed completely genuine, but it made no sense. No...she doesn't like me that way. She knows of my feelings for her because of that Chicken, and she never said anything about it. It has to be something else.

"It's funny." Kyoko whispered eventually, snapping Ren out of his depressed thoughts. "Your eyes, they're completely different to Tsuruga-san's but it feels like I've known them all along. Well I suppose I have. Sorry, that sounded really stupid. But it's made me wonder, what do I call you now?"

Ren couldn't help but laugh at that, of course Kyoko would worry about something so trivial.

"Ren Tsuruga, Kuon Hizuri, Corn; they are all a part of who I am. It's something that's taken a long time for me to accept, but it's true. They aren't different people, they're all me. So I don't mind what you call me." They looked at each other again and both of them smiled, Kyoko somewhat shyly.

"O-okay, I guess I still don't know what to call you. I suppose I'll just call you whatever's appropriate to the situation." She stammered and played with her fingers, no longer looking at him. Ren felt a sense of blinding happiness at her words. He knew she would never love him back, but at least she didn't seem completely repulsed by his secrets. It seemed she'd still be in his life and for that he was truly grateful. It stung like hell, that she would never see him that way, but he would count any moment with her as a blessing- especially now.

Suddenly Kyoko jumped up in her seat, exclaiming as if she suddenly remembered something. Ren watched her curiously.

"Oh, I just realised! You're Corn! And you saw me as a fairy tonight!" She turned to him, suddenly beaming. "I was thinking about what Corn would say if he saw me dressed as a fairy like him. I never imagined that I'd actually get to talk to him- I mean you."

Ren chuckled "Well I'm not really a fairy, so I can safely say I think you were a better fairy than I ever was."

Kyoko looked horror struck and Ren was surprised when she poked him sternly. "Corn you know that simply isn't true. You may not be a real fairy, but you still have your own brand of Tsuruga-san magic!"

Ren burst out laughing. "Is that so?"

Kyoko nodded furiously, a pout of raw unabashed belief on her face. "It's true. It's the magic of acting! You have it in abundance, and it's a one-of a kind magic too."

Ren blushed a little at her words and tried to hide it with a cough. And so the night went on thusly, the hours sneaking by as the pair talked freely and easily with each other. Both felt a considerable weight had been released from them and the happiness that came from that seemed to bounce back and forth between them, creating a world that was entirely their own. Kyoko noted they seemed to be good at that; it's something that must have stuck from those childhood days in the woods. They discussed everything and nothing at the same time, like they were two people who'd known each other for an entire lifetime and were reminiscing about every single moment. Neither of them wanted to miss a second, catching up from the time they spent apart.

Kyoko, though it was hard for her to do, spoke of her time in Kyoto. She spoke of her mother leaving her and how she stayed at the Ryokan with Sho and his family, how she didn't have any friends because other girls hated that she was close to Sho. She also spoke of her time in Tokyo, before she entered the entertainment industry. She spoke truly and honestly to him about Sho's deception.

But where she thought he'd be disappointed in her, Ren appeared to be incensed on her behalf. He spoke with anger at the way she had been treated and told her, in full Corn-mode, that she shouldn't blame herself for the selfishness of others. She had trouble believing that though, it was her own foolishness that got her into that mess to begin with.

Ren, meanwhile, spoke to her about his time in America. He spoke of growing up with his parents in Hollywood and how he was never able to move away from his father's shadow. He spoke of how he had been subjected to racist bullying due to his mixed heritage and how he constantly got fired because others expected so much from him. Kyoko moved closer to him during this time, subconsciously holding his hand tighter in support. She felt saddened her friend had been in such pain.

He then told her of his decent into darkness and bitterness, and how he began to lash out. He hung his head; still shamed by the way he would start fights and push the people he loved away from him. He told her how his carelessness ended in his friend's death. If there was any time she would turn away it would have been that time. But she kept a hold of him and asked him to tell her more about Rick.

So much was said that night. So many secrets revealed. And yet there was still one more secret to reveal, one last lock remaining.

But it would not be unlocked that night.

Three guesses as to what the last secret is? XD Like you need it!

Please continue to support me, I love hearing what you guys think :) Thank you for your amazingness and I'll be updating soon!

Until the next time! X