Lori was not happy.

"What part of "stay out of it" did you not understand?" he demanded. The tone of his voice, loud and stressed out, was more surprising than his actual words. Ren had known the man almost all of his life, and yet he had never seen him truly angry.

Not that he was seeing him now, either.

Record's still unbroken then…

"This situation is beyond delicate! With your record, they can lock you away without a second's notice, and your brilliant solution is what, exactly? Putting Kyoko in a situation where she could lose more than you can imagine."

Ren didn't reply, because the President was right. What he and Kyoko had done was dangerous beyond belief, and not just for their careers. He deserved all the reprimand he got – if he had been more insistent, they wouldn't have gone through with the plan.

And yet…

And yet, at the time, it hadn't seemed so crazy. In fact, it seemed like the only way out of a life-and-death peril.

Kyoko tugged at his sleeve and motioned for him to hand over the phone. He had no doubt she could read his thoughts by the expression he was making – the shame and guilt were written as clearly as they would have been if he'd carved them in.

"President," she said, and the static from the other side quieted down immediately. "This is Mogami speaking. I'm sorry I interrupted your conversation with Tsuruga-san, but I feel I'm be the one you should be addressing."

Takarada said something, to which she replied:

"No, that's incorrect. Tsuruga-san didn't know about the plan until this morning. I organized everything on my own initiative and expense, and I take full responsibility. I realize the risks I took today, and I thought them necessary in order to protect the roles of Cain and Setsu."

More chatter. She turned the phone over in her hand and pressed the speaker button. "We can both hear you now, sir," she said.

"Good. Ren, did you hear what she said to me?"

"Yes, sir." He was glad to hear that the anger was gone from Takarada's voice. However, the tension persisted.

"Did you negotiate some confidentiality agreement with the man? Does he know your identities?"

"No, sir. He already knew Kyoko as Setsuka."

"How did that happen? Did you hire him on your own?"

"No, sir," Kyoko said. "I asked a… lawyer, Kato-san, to arrange things for me. He knows my identity, but he agreed that working under a pseudonym is best. He's very discreet, and has arranged things very well. I have no complaint from him."

The President hummed, but Ren threw Kyoko a suspicious look. Not because of what she had said, but because of how she said it. Her answers came readily, they were clear, concise, and absolutely satisfying. Almost as if she had practiced them.

"And you think that this detective can tip the scales in your favor?" Takarada went on.

"If not him, then the recording definitely will," Ren said. He couldn't imagine the police ignoring something as clear as that. "I hope that director Konoe will contact us soon to tell us that the filming is back on schedule."

The President grunted.

"Fine, then," he said. "If all goes well, we should all consider ourselves very lucky. Make no mistake – you two could still blow your cover, so you need to be extra vigilant. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Mogami-san, can you put me off speaker phone, please? I need to have a word with Ren in private."

She frowned the tiniest of frowns, like a fracture in a wine glass, but did as she was told, and then went into the bedroom to give Ren a modicum of privacy.

"Yes?" he asked, still looking after her. Perhaps, once this was over, he could talk to her. He wasn't sure what about, but her silence bothered him.

"You need to call your father."

That made him tense up immediately.

"Has anything happened?"

"No. But… I told him what happened with Murasame and he was worried."

"I can't imagine why." Ren sighed and closed his eyes, imagining how that conversation might go. "I'm surprised he hasn't taken the first plane here."

"If you don't call him, he might as well do it, along with your mother. Both of them worry, Ren. You can't expect me not to tell them something like that."

"I know. I understand." He took a deep breath. "Thank you. I wouldn't have them hear it from anyone other than you."

"They'd be much happier if you called them to say how things are." There was a snap from the other end of the line, and then the sound of someone blowing cigar smoke. "How did Kyoko pay for that detective? Really?"

"She got this lawyer to do things for her."

"I didn't know she had one."

"She didn't know either. He sought her out in Kyoto. Apparently, her mother made provisions for her, but her guardians didn't give this Kato-san her knew address."

"Provisions? What happened?"

"She died," Ren said quietly. "Eight years ago. Kyoko didn't know. She was very shaken up about it."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When Takarada spoke next, his voice was weird. "And how is she doing now?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"Alright, listen here," Takarada said, "She went through an ordeal today, it's very likely she's upset, or might go into shock. Don't do anything to upset her."

"What kind of an insensitive jerk do you take me for?"

"The kind that doesn't know what he's done until it's too late. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he hung up.

Ren glared at the phone, then wandered into the bedroom. Given how small the flat was, he wouldn't have been surprised if Kyoko had heard every second of the phone conversation, but if she had, she made no mention of it.

In fact, she barely acknowledged him.

Ren took that opportunity to study her more carefully. She was sitting on a chair by the window, looking out to the city, legs crossed, cheek resting on her fist. It was a pose of casual nonchalance… for Setsu. The way she stood, the way she behaved, it was all perfectly normal for her character, but unthinkable for someone like Kyoko. Even with her recent progress, it was strange that she wouldn't immediately notice him, strange that she wouldn't show some interest in what the President had said, or exhibit some nervousness about listening in.

Slowly, he approached her, and gently touched her shoulder. "Kyoko?"

She started. "Oh… sempai… I'm sorry, I… spaced out."

"That's alright, I wasn't calling you." He noticed how she edged away a little, so that he might not touch her. Her face was very pale. "How are you feeling?"

"Who, me? Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine." Yet she sounded everything but. "Would you like to start on lunch? We're having miso soup today. I thought we could both use something lighter, so I got tofu and soba noodles and…"

"Nori. I saw. You don't seem very hungry, though."

"Oh, well…" She hesitated. "I guess not. Maybe I'm still a little nervous."

His heart clenched. Of course she was nervous. Why wouldn't she be? Murasame had attacked her. He could still remember how his whole body had tensed back there in the van. Even through the microphone, the threat in the other actor's words had been palatable. He had almost blown the cover too, thrown the whole operation to the wind and charged in the studio to her rescue, but her plea for him to trust her had held him for the few seconds it had taken her to hit Murasame and run.

What had it been like for her? He could only guess.

"Tell you what," he said, forcing as much lightness in his voice as possible, "Why don't you go and relax a little? Take a shower, or a bath. We don't have anywhere to go, and dinner can wait a little bit."

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly… There's so much to be done."

"Really? Like what?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. After some consideration, she murmured, "I still need to make dinner."

"I think that, given how well you've been teaching me these last few days, I can manage to make the soup," he said, smiling. "I even promise not to add any seasonings in case you worry about me repeating the Maui rice incident."

She chuckled. "Do you think they have miso on Maui?"

"They could import it," Ren said, giving her his best smile. "Come on. I'll draw you a bath."

"That's alright, I can do this myself." She hesitated. "If you need any help, just knock, okay? I don't think Cain would need to burst in on his sister showering."

"No. He wouldn't dream of it."

"Alright then. Sempai… thank you."

Ren nodded, relieved. Perhaps she would feel better once she warmed up. Maybe then they could talk. Now that his role was possible again, he could resume the countdown until the time when he could see his parents again. He had a few things he needed to tell her, a few things that were very important…

But first he had miso soup to make. He glanced at the products they had laid out on the table, and felt the tiniest frisson of panic. Where would he start?

Kyoko sank into the water, letting it lap at her skin and warm her up. Steam rose around her. It was almost as if she was in an onsen.

Unfortunately, that immediately reminded her of the last time she'd been to a hot spring, and what had happened afterward. Stupid Beagle, stupid Sho, stupid idiots who couldn't settle their own fights and had to drag girls into them! They ruined everything for her.

Kyoko took a deep breath and reminded herself of her surroundings. She was not in an onsen, she was in a hotel bathroom. She wasn't alone and unprotected, her sempai was in the other room, ready to act at every moment. There was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all.

So why was she still feeling tense?

She held a hand up in front of her eyes – it was almost like she had tunnel vision. She could only see things in front of her. That was why it had taken her so long to notice Ren, when he was lurking in the background. Even in the bitter cold outside, she had been sweating like a pig, and every so often, she'd had this unbelievable urge to do something – get up, walk up and down a flight of stairs, go for a run. She couldn't understand any of it.

Yes, actually, you can.

Kyoko closed her eyes, acceptance sweeping over her. Yes. Of course she could. She knew exactly what this was. She had experienced it already, with Reino.

Thoughts of the beagle made her angry, as usual, but she forced herself to look past her personal hatred of the man and focus on her experiences. She remembered what it had been like, to be stalked. She remembered the way her body would tense, like it was getting ready to run, how she had actually ran when she'd learned he was in the building. How she had hated herself for being so freaked out. How she'd freaked out even more when her worst fears confirmed.

It was that fear he'd been feeding on, and it was the same thing she was experiencing with Murasame, even now, after it was over. When the actor had seized her today, she had frozen momentarily – it was like she was back in the forest, with Reino. It was Reino's hands holding her. Reino opening her dress.

It was just for a moment, and then she went from numb to a state of apoplectic fury in a matter of heartbeats. With a vindictive smile, she remembered the face Murasame had made when she kneed him in the groin. She didn't even worry he might press charges – it was self-defense and nobody could tell her otherwise.

She came out on top. She got what she wanted, and even more. So why didn't she feel like it?

Kyoko shivered, and realized the water had grown cold. Hastily, she unplugged the tub and reached for the nozzle. How long had she been standing there, woolgathering, when Tsuruga Ren was cooking?

The tofu had turned to mush, the noodles were undercooked, and no matter how hard he stirred the pot, the miso paste wouldn't disintegrate properly. Ren had all but decided to dump the thing and order room service, when Kyoko emerged from the bathroom, and she wouldn't let him touch a thing.

She explained that the miso is meant to be disintegrated before he poured it into the pot, and that the tofu was added last, but that it was unlikely to cause them food poisoning like he feared. In spite of his doubts, she not only finished her bowl, but also asked for seconds. When she finished eating, she kept her hands on the bowl, as if she was trying to keep them warm.

"That was delicious, thank you," she said, without a trace of forced compliment.

"Well, that's comforting," Ren said. To him, the noodles had tasted like cardboard, but then again, he wasn't very hungry. "What do you think, can you teach me to look after myself?"

"Probably, though I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to do it."

"Oh? How so?"

"Because if I did, you wouldn't need me anymore," she said, then, realizing her slip, blushed as red as a tomato. "That is… ugh… I mean…"

Ren, who barely stopped himself from breaking into a goofy grin, decided to rescue her.

"Well, my methods tonight were pretty atrocious. I'd say I have a long way to go." Then he stood up. "I'll do the dishes."

"No, that's no need," she said, standing up. "You cooked, it's my turn to do something. Please."

She looked so desperate, he accepted, but then took a towel and stood next to her, appointing himself as the official dryer. For a while, they worked in silence.

"Did the President scold you very badly?" she asked, at length. "You know, after we both talked to him."

"No. He wanted me to call my parents and give them an update myself. They've been pretty frantic."

"Oh." She got one of her faraway looks. "That's right. After the filming is done, you'll go see them."

"That's the plan." From the corner of his eye, he noticed how she hesitated, before reaching for the dirty pot.

"Sempai," she said, "Can I ask… are you planning on coming back to Japan, after?"

Ren turned around and looked at her, but she was too busy scrubbing the pot to look up. Or maybe she was making herself appear busy. Either way, she wasn't meeting his eye.

He thought about it. Was he returning? His first answer would have been a resounding yes, but… was he? He'd been so focused on his role as Cain Heel, so intent on keeping a harness on Kuon and not making a mess of things, that he had completely overlooked what was coming afterwards.

Yet, others had. Yashiro didn't know the whole story, but the President must have given him some inkling because his manager had pretty much cleared his schedule. As soon as the Black Jack part was over, Ren had no outstanding engagements – no movies, no series, no interviews, TV or magazine, no photo shoots. Not just for the month that followed, but indefinitely. As if Yashiro himself worried that he might not come back.

Ren wanted to return. Japan, a country he'd thought of as small, cold and inhospitable, had given him more than he could possibly repay it for. He'd made some incredible friends and he'd fallen in love.

And… if he were to spiral into depression, like he had after Rick, it was more likely that he would recover in Japan, with Kyoko by his side.

But how long could he use the "I-can-not-look-after-myself" excuse on her? Not much. Then he'd have to tell her how he felt, and probably suffer a soul-crushing rejection. Perhaps a lengthy stay in America was not so impossible.

Innerved by his silence, Kyoko spoke up.

"You must miss them."

"More than you can imagine," he said, distractedly.

"Well, you'll see them soon enough. To be completely honest, I'm a little jealous of you."

"How so?"

"At least you'll get to see them."

Ren lowered his eyes. "Yes. Yes, I will. But it's not like it'll be a very happy reunion." Not wanting to dwell on that, he changed the subject. "You should be okay. You'll finally get to see your friends. It feels like I've been monopolizing you all this time."

She shrugged. "It's not that bad. And I… I'd rather be with you right now."

Next to her, Ren reminded himself not to get his hopes up. "Why?" he asked.

"Just… stuff." She rinsed the pot and made to hand it over to him, when he said:

"Does it have something to do with Murasame?"

Crash.

The pot fell from her hand and landed on the floor with a deafening crash. Ren put the towel aside and stepped towards her. Ignoring her babbled apologies, he got her by the shoulders and made her look at him.

"Kyoko," he said, and the timbre of his voice made her freeze. "It's okay. It's over. I won't let you be alone with him, ever."

"It's… not that," she said, but her eyes filled with tears and she shivered. "It's just… he made me think of… Karuizawa."

Instead of responding, he took her in his arms and let her sob in his shirt. It was that… immediate support, that willingness to offer comfort that did her in. She embraced him and breathed in his scent, soap and sweat and tobacco. For the first time, she felt safe, and her body relaxed.

"I'm sorry," he said, stroking her hair. "You didn't have to go through that. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do. When I heard him… when I heard what he said, I wanted, more than anything, to pound his face in, but I wanted to make good on my promise to trust you. It took everything for me to stay where I was." His arms tightened around her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you were scared. I'm sorry you're still scared. I'm sorry you had to go through that again."

Kyoko sniffed and tried burying her face deeper. She couldn't keep warm.

"If it was up to me," Ren went on to say, "You wouldn't have had to go through this at all."

That made her look up. He looked angry, but for once, she realized it wasn't directed at her.

"Sempai… Ren, what are you talking about?" Feeling bold, she reached out and touched his cheek gently. He started, and she jerked her hand back. His eyes were burning.

"If I'd been in Karuizawa that time… You wouldn't have had that encounter with Reino in the first place. He wouldn't have been able to scare you like that, or give you any trouble."

"That's not up to you." She shook her head, and placed her hand on his face again. He leaned into her touch. The embers in his eyes had cooled a bit, but they were no less intense. "Ren, I would have faced this eventually. That doesn't make it better, or make me less scared, but it's not something you could prevent."

"I know. But it eats me, the idea that you're hurt." Without realizing, they had moved to copy each other's stance – her free hand rested on his shoulder, while he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. His thumb caressed her skin briefly, the touch as light as a whisper. "The thought of what he could have done with you…"

She had no idea who Ren meant, but the look in his eyes, the raw anger and fear… to think that somebody might experience such emotion, and over her, it was overwhelming. Deep down, she could hear the alarms blaring and her last lock falling away, as she watched the last layers of his mask peel off and reveal the red, red heart underneath.

Slowly, she let her hand drop and rest on his chest, to – what? Ward him off? Pull him closer? She had no idea.

Just when Ren thought he couldn't bear it any longer, the phone rang, making them start. It was the call from director Konoe.

"Yes?" Ren asked. "Yes. I see. Yes, that is so. I see. Thank you. Yes, I will come in tomorrow."

Kyoko watched him hang up. "Well?"

"The police have taken Murasame away for questioning. Director Konoe wants me to come in so that we can finish the filming in earnest. If we work overtime, we can have the movie wrapped up on schedule."

She swallowed. "That's good. That's… great. Well…" She hesitated. "I guess we should go to bed, then. Um, though maybe it'll be best if we tried sleeping apart tonight. Just to… get used to it, I mean."

"Kyoko…"

"Do you think I'll be able to go to LME tomorrow? I would probably need to see Sawara-san about some things and of course, I promised Moko-san I'll keep her up to date."

"Of course. But Kyoko?"

"Yes?"

He swallowed. This had the potential to blow up in his face. "We need to talk… later."

"Yes. Of course. Later."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Alright." Kyoko took a deep breath, then stepped back towards the bathroom. "I… need to brush my teeth."

Ren watched her go, then sat down. His knees had gone weak.

His phone rang again, and he glanced at the screen briefly. It was a text from the President, reminding him to call his parents. Checking his clock to make sure they'd be up, Ren hit the number. His father picked up almost immediately.

"Kuon," he cried, "Are you alright? You're not calling from the police station, are you?"

"No. You can relax. It's alright – the matter's settled."

"Settled? As in… you're okay?"

"I think so."

From the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Kuu let out a tremendous sigh of relief. "Praise be! I thought I would tell Julie if you said things were bad, but now… I'm so glad. Does that mean you're still coming back?"

"Yes. As soon as the shooting's over," Ren said.

"I don't know what I would have done otherwise," Kuu said. "You should have heard your mother. She's been over the moon because you're coming home. I can barely get her to rest. She's even…"

"What?"

"Well… we talked to some specialists in Austen. They've offered us an option to try surgery."

"And?" Ren's heart clenched. "What did you say?"

"Your mother said yes. She said that the prognosis, if the surgery goes well, is better than if she leaves things as is."

"Do you think it's safe?"

"What do we have left to lose?" Kuu replied, frustration evident in his voice. For the first time, Ren wondered what kind of stress his father must have been going through, all these years, and now especially.

It was paramount that he came home. He couldn't let his parents go through all of this, not alone. For a moment he worried about Kyoko – just now, he'd felt something was on the cusp of happening, but he couldn't be there for it. It hurt, like a splinter through the heart, but he reminded himself that, for once, there were people who mattered more.

"I'll be there," he said. "I promise."