Chapter Eleven – Tales from the Past

"He looks so much like you," Julie smiled as she looked at Rikuu and studied him. The younger male sat quietly with his hands resting on his knees. He nodded, shyly looking up at his grandparents. He had only known them when they were older, when he was a child and yet they were two of the warmest and most giving people he had met. "So, your name is Rikuu?" she asked and Rikuu nodded.

"It's a combination," Rikuu said as he looked to Kuon, "Dad actually chose my name," he said before seeing Kuon's unease. "I mean that…that Ren actually…"

"It's okay, you can call me Dad in here," he told him and then looked down as Kuu smiled at him. "He showed me proof," he heard Julie sniff and looked up at her concerned. 'Is something…"

"It's been so long since we've seen you in person," Julie said as she dabbed at her eyes. "I've really missed you. I miss seeing my baby so close," she said and Kuu put a hand to her shoulder. "You can come home if you wanted, we have the space, of course we have the space and I'm sure people will hire you if they see how talented you are."

"I'm fine, Mom, and I've missed you two as well," Kuon whispered very nervous about the story Rikuu had told him about why he had gone to live with his grandparents.

"I'm proud that my grandson shares my name," Kuu said happily and Rikuu smiled. "So, you said that in your future you live with us. I'm sure that your parents have loved you very very much," he said and Rikuu shivered.

"Of course they did," he told him with a bowed head, "that doesn't stop what that man did though. I saw…I saw my dad in a whole different…" Rikuu put a hand to his chest and was about to throw up but Kuon wrapped an arm around him and Rikuu steadied himself. Kuu and Julie watching him very cautiously.

"What happened?" Julie asked and Rikuu wrapped his arms around himself as he remembered that horrific night.

…..

…..

Rikuu sat with his arms wrapped around his knees whilst shaking. If his body wasn't so dehydrated then he would be vomiting again. The smell was one thing, they would never get the smell out of this house but seeing his father's body would traumatize him for the rest of his life. He bowed his head wanting to scream or attack something or attack himself. He looked at the blood and the area where the police had taped it off, the area where his father's body had been…that twisted mess of what his father once was.

"You're going to have to leave," a crime scene investigator said to Rikuu and the young man shook his head. He didn't want to move. He was scared that he would somehow die if he moved. A police officer came over to him and he struggled against him. He didn't want anyone to touch him.

Rikuu closed his eyes, wishing that he wasn't there until he heard a comforting but pained voice. "Please don't touch my grandson," Kuu said boldly though Rikuu could tell how depressed he was. "Rikuu," Kuu said and Rikuu wrapped his arms around him, sobbing and letting the pain out.

"Grandfather," he whispered and Kuu held him close.

"I'm here," Kuu said as he helped Rikuu stand, "I'm right here, sunshine," he said and Rikuu sobbed. He hadn't heard that name for a while, his grandparents had called him it as a child but when he wanted to show how mature he was, they had stopped out of respect. He was glad to hear it again now.

"Daad," Rikuu said pained, "They…I saw his body…they…they…" he shook again, wanting to throw up so badly but instead he felt himself grow faint whilst still being supported by his grandfather. He couldn't breathe but he felt his grandfather hoist him into his arms, holding him close.

At least he had his loving grandparents even though his world had turned to a living nightmare.

…

…

"After Dad died, they skinned him and it was horrifying," Rikuu explained as tears collected in his eyes. He saw the horror in their faces and that Kuon had closed his eyes and was trying to guard himself from those scary emotions. "I…I recently went back though…I went back and Dad…Dad was okay and everything was okay. I need to focus on that future and not the one where he gets murdered and Mom goes crazy and kills herself."

"And that's what brought you here?" Julie attempted to clarify and Rikuu nodded sadly.

"I want to change that future. I want to save my parents," he said and Kuu leaned forwards, taking in the two next generations of Hizuris.

"Let us know how we can help," he told Rikuu who nodded. Hopefully there were things that they could do to help.

…..

…..

Rikuu was still feeling a little shaken from meeting with his grandparents despite them being the same warm, loving people that he had always known. He didn't like reflecting on his father like that. He didn't want to focus on his parents despite that being the reason why he had come. He wanted to think of the happy memories but now he was starting to question how many happy memories there actually had been.

"Are you okay?" Kuon asked as he looked at something on the computer and Rikuu sighed.

"I'm going to take a walk, you have some work thing later, right?" he asked and Kuon turned to him. He slowly pushed down the screen of the laptop that he was working on and Rikuu looked at him suspiciously. Something was wrong. There was something private that his father was working on and for a strange reason didn't want him to see.

"Are you going to be okay? I could drive you somewhere," Kuon said and Rikuu shook his head.

"I just want to take a walk, get some fresh air," he said as he eyed Kuon suspiciously. He had a feeling that his father had a strong password on that computer and he would never get to see what he was searching for. Hopefully he wouldn't make any sudden movements without thinking of the consequences. If something caused him to get hurt then Rikuu wouldn't have a chance to be born.

As Rikuu left, Kuon got up and went to retrieve a notebook that he had hidden. He turned to one of the pages where there was the name of the man who had murdered him, the man who had attacked Kyoko and went back to the laptop. He saw a few of the latest tweets that the man had made online and copied them down into the notebook.

If he could find a plan to kill this guy before any of this happened then things would be better, right? Kuon tried to look at other sites. There was always more information to get and if needed, he would find a virus or a trojan horse where he could get onto the man's computer and search that way for the needed information. He wanted to get everything. Tax returns, a birth certificate, social security card. He was obsessed but it was better than the future that Rikuu had told him about coming true.

Maybe this was illegal, gathering this information but this man needed to be dealt with. Kuon had to get rid of him before he caused the damage that he was supposed to have done in the future. He heard his phone ring and saw Kyoko's name but placed it down without answering.

He needed to find a way to dispose of this creep before his entire life turned to chaos.

…

…

Kyoko had always felt that, even after the bad times, if she had really needed help that Ren would be there for her. It was a lot to ask of him. He was the top actor in Japan and even though they had worked together, his relationship with her was probably courtesy of them being in the same agency. It might even be an act if he told her his feelings at all. How was she supposed to think that she hadn't dreamed that?

No. He had actually told her that he loved her and he didn't look like he was playing with her or toying with her so maybe she did. She blushed as she remembered the look on his face when he had told her that and then she felt a little nervous as she remembered the following words.

….

….

"My real name is Hizuri Kuon" he told her and Kyoko twitched not knowing if she had heard that correctly or not.

"Hizuri Kuon?" she repeated and he nodded. She took a deep breath in and then put her hands together, "You mean that you're both Ren Tsuruga and Kuon Hizuri?" she asked him and Ren – no Kuon nodded. "You kept this a secret so that nobody would connect you're acting with your dad's?"

Kuon nodded and took a deep breath in. He felt a little nervous to be admitting it to her but she seemed to know what he was going to say. He bowed his head and then dropped down into a formal bow. "I'm sorry for lying to you for all this time," he said honestly and Kyoko's eyes widened.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked and Kuon looked at her nervously. He turned his head from side to side as if looking for an escape route. He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair before saying in complete honesty.

"Because I love you," he repeated and Kyoko turned a bright red. Despite her feeling completely blinded to the situation, it was making her feel at least a little excited as well as worried. She reached forward to hold his hand and he squeezed hers back. She wasn't sure what to believe was real or not but she didn't want to lose this feeling of loving him and she did know that Ren Tsuruga wasn't his real name.

"Don't worry," she grinned, "I love you too and I'll keep your secret," she promised him and saw that smile that always made her heart beat quicken on his face.

"Thank you," he replied.

…..

…..

Kyoko spotted him coming down the hallway and she took a deep breath before going over to him. With her cheeks burning she looked up at him, "Ren?" she asked and he didn't turn around. "Ren-san?" she tried again and he didn't seem to notice her. Kyoko felt her heart quicken but she shook her head. "Tsuruga-san?" she asked and Ren turned to her.

"Hi," he grinned before rubbing his head as if trying to clear a headache. "I'm…"

"You look tired," she commented and he stared at her before shaking his head stubbornly.

"I'm not tired," he protested and Kyoko giggled at the childish way in which he was acting. "I'm not. I don't get tired, as an actor I know how to fight against sleep and sometimes I have to to get the best performance."

Kyoko rolled her eyes before looking at him and tilting her head to the side "Are you okay?" she asked, "Is it about Rikuu?" she asked and Ren paused.

"Why do you think it's about Rikuu?"

End of Chapter Eleven

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Ten

Black neko hime, H-Nala, Kawaii-chan, Paulagato, ren n rikuu fan,