Chapter 10: New Home, Old Feelings
After a long 8-hour plane ride for Kyoko, the plane comes to a stop. She exits the plane and enters the terminal with her bags to see a tall man with blonde hair waiting for her as she was the only passenger on that particular flight from Tokyo to L.A arriving at that time, there was only one person it could be.
She smiles and walks towards the man but once the man opens his eyes to see the young lady standing in front of him, he wraps his arms around the girl. Kyoko lets out a little squeak from the surprise of the hug but then places her arms around the man that was no other than Hizuri Kuu, her father figure.
After a few moments of being in the embrace Kuu breaks it and holds his arms out on Kyoko's shoulders to look at her, he smiles, "Well Kyoko you look more beautiful since the last time I saw you." Kuu moves a hand to her cheek, "I'm happy that you came... I wanted to see you again and Julie really wanted to meet you."
Kyoko was smiling and slightly blushing at Kuu's compliment but her facial expression suddenly changed right when he mentioned his wife. She felt a bit of fear due to the thought of her own mother hating her and didn't want Kuu's wife to hate her as well. "Father are you sure she will like me?" Kyoko now looks down.
Kuu looks at her and chuckles trying to lighten the mood, he lowers one arm and uses his other hand to lift up Kyoko's chin so she would look at him. "Of course, she will adore you." Kuu says then moving his hand from her chin and grabs her arm gently and walks towards the exit.
From the airport to the car was a quiet walk, however once in the car and heading towards the Hizuri residence, Kyoko opens her mouth to speak, "Father could you please not tell President Lory that I came to live with you." She was looking down at her hands.
Kuu was looking at the road but couldn't help but notice from the corner of his eye that Kyoko was looking at her hands as well as noticing the bruises around her wrists, he would have to question her about that later as he had another question to ask which related to what she just said. "Why don't you want him to know you're here?"
Kyoko looks up from her hands as she answers, "I don't want him or anyone to know since I didn't really say goodbye back home before I left." She looks back down to her hands as tears begin to fall onto her hands in front of her before she finished so she tries again, "I only left them letters."
Kuu could feel her pain but he has to call Lory later to report that she was with him and safe as he knows the Boss cares a great deal about this girl.
"It's ok Kyoko, they would forgive you for leaving that's for sure." Kuu smiles, "But Kyoko when we get home can you please tell me what happened so I have a better understanding and so I can help you."
Kyoko turns her attention from her hands to the father figure driving and she nods her response as she knew that she would need to tell Kuu about everything that happened even if it would cause her some more pain to have to remember that heart breaking event again. The rest of the drive to where Kuu lived was quiet as Kyoko and Kuu were thinking.
ºøººøºøººøº
After about a 20-minute car ride, they arrived at a large mansion where Kuu lived with his wife. Kyoko was shocked as she had never seen a home that big before but she knew she was no longer where she grew up so she has to get used to the differences between there and here. Kyoko grabs her suitcase from the trunk of the car then follows Kuu to the front door of the house.
An older gentleman greeted them at the front door with a smile on his old face, "Welcome home, Mr.Hizuri." he says then looks to the girl beside Kuu.
Kuu smiles, "Hello James, this is my dear daughter Kyoko from Japan." Kuu then looks at Kyoko to continue the introductions, "and Kyoko this is James my friend and butler."
Kyoko smiles then bows, "It's nice to meet you James." She says in perfect English.
James was surprised about the bow assuming it was a Japanese custom and that she spoke English fairly well. "The pleasure is all mine Miss Kyoko." He then moves to the side allowing Kuu and Kyoko to enter the house.
Kuu smiles and once they get inside he opens his mouth to speak, "Let me show you to your room upstairs then we can talk" He takes her free hand and leads her to one of the many spare rooms that was quite spacious that fit a queen sized bed and a few other furnishings. "Kyoko, I'll leave you to unpack so once your done please come downstairs and we will talk." Kuu smiles at the little girl then leaves her to unpack.
ºøººøºøººøº
Kuu sits downstairs on the couch in the living room with his phone in his hand dialing a number. When the call is answered he knew he shouldn't be calling this person but knew that he had to for the sake of the young lady that was now living in his home. "Hello Boss…"
Lory on the other end was slightly surprised but he had a feeling he knew exactly why Kuu was calling. "Hello Kuu… How can I help you?"
Kuu sighs, "Well first I need to tell you that Kyoko is staying with me… She just arrived an hour ago."
"Well I had a feeling she might go to you… So how is she?" Lory asked concerned as he has his note from Kyoko open in front of him.
Kuu sighs once more, "Well she looks like someone hurt her bad both physically and most likely emotionally but I don't know exactly what happened that made her run."
Lory sighs this time, "Well I don't know either but if its love related I feel that she will lock up her heart again, just after finally loving again." He took a breath before continuing, "Kuu would you like me to inform your son about her whereabouts?" He says as he now looks at the unopened envelope on his desk that was addressed to Ren.
"No Boss, Kyoko made it clear that she wanted no one to know where she is not even you but I knew you needed to know." Kuu heard footsteps heading towards the stairs from upstairs. "Boss I'll keep you updated on anything I find out from her but for now she's coming." Kuu hangs up on Lory before he could say another word.
ºøººøºøººøº
Kyoko walks into the kitchen and looked over towards the living room to see Kuu on the couch so she heads towards him. "Thank you for taking me in." She bows slightly but then remembers that people in this country don't bow so she straightens up.
Kuu chuckles, "You don't have to thank me, you're my daughter and you're always welcome here." Kuu pats the spot beside him for her to sit. "I'm sorry but I forgot to mention that Julie is gone for a week so it's only us."
Kyoko nods, "That's ok Father." She then takes a seat beside Kuu with her head now looking at her hands but then Kuu puts an arm over her shoulder which gets her attention to look up at him.
"Kyoko why don't you tell me what happened back at home that made you run?" Kuu asked watching for her reaction.
Kyoko takes a deep breath before talking, "Well I'll start from the beginning, my character in the drama Box "R" had to kiss the guest star but the star ended up being my childhood friend Sho, as I told you before he was the man I thought I loved that threw me away." She takes a moment before continuing, "When we were doing the filming of that episode I went by my character's name so he wouldn't know it was me, but I guess after the scene was done filming and I left for my dressing room, he followed me and found out who I was by the nameplate on the door..." Kyoko looks down at her hands once more as a little pain appears in her chest knowing she will have to tell the most painful part as well.
Kuu sighs and continues looking at her, "That isn't the worst of it I'm guessing."
Kyoko shakes her head 'no'. "The worst part Father was the day after the filming I was leaving the TBM studio from my last job; Sho was waiting for me I don't know how he knew I was going to be there at that time though." She stretches out her arms to show the dark bruises on both of her wrists. "That's when this happened, he pushed me against a wall demanding for me to tell him who taught me to kiss and when I refused to tell him and struggled he pushed me harder against the wall and he kissed me forcefully." Tear began to fall as she was getting to the worst part and the pain was building up in her chest.
Kuu could see how much pain she was in just by telling that part and he was angry at that Jerk for the emotional damage as well as physical damage witnessed by the bruising, but when he was about to speak Kyoko continued telling him what happened.
"T-Then Tsuruga-san came and saw Sho kissing me but he wouldn't let me speak, he only listened to Sho when he said I liked it, I don't know why he would listen to that baka Sho but then…" Kyoko began to cry more as the full force of the pain hit her, and Kuu automatically pulls her close and hugs her and with that embrace it helped her to finish, "He said that I was a disappointment to the title actress and that he never wants to see me again… I am done with love for good."
Kuu was hugging Kyoko for a few more minutes to help calm her down but inside he was furious that his own son was one of the causes that broke Kyoko's heart, he got the hint that she was indeed in love with his son. "It will be ok Kyoko, you have me and Julie. We will help you any way we can." Kuu says to her but leaving out that Lory would also do whatever he can to help once he hears about this.
Kyoko smiles slightly in the embrace as she did like that she had someone that cared about her as she never had a parental figure who to cared about her when she was growing up. "Thank you Father."
Kuu releases the embrace and looks down at Kyoko, "Well it's getting late, I think it's time for bed, you had a very long day," Kuu says then kisses Kyoko on the forehead.
Kyoko smiles to hide the pain that was still in her heart, "Ok, good night father." She gets up from the couch and heads upstairs to her room.
ºøººøºøººøº
A little while later, Kuu was on the phone with Lory again telling him everything that Kyoko told him about the event as well as Kuu telling Lory about the bruises Kyoko has on her wrists.
Kyoko was sitting on her bed hugging her knees. "This time I'm locking up my heart tight so no one can ever touch it again, I don't want to feel the pain of my heart break again." Kyoko thought to herself, but suddenly she heard buzzing coming from the night table, she grabs her cellphone and opens it quickly but when she saw the caller ID, she closes it.
"I can't talk to you anymore." She says out loud to herself as she drops her phone back into the bag beside her bed.