Chapter 21
After the scene in the foyer, the cat was out of the bag: Tsuruga Ren, the most eligible bachelor in Japan, was taken. The reaction was just as director Tsukuda had predicted. Half the country ground to a halt.
Of course, there were exceptions: Haru-chan was happy for the couple. Chioli and Kanae were still in the love me section for a reason, and Kimiko Kamio had still not forgiven Ren for insulting her about her tardiness.
Kyouko was assigned extra security, and Ren had to be extra wary of hysterical women.
They carefully chose which chat shows to go on. Often, celebrities did not advertise their relationship, but in this case, it was better to show the public their relationship. They needed to explain Ren's deep affections and prove Kyouko was worthy of him.
Eventually everyone calmed down. Kyouko still had to deal with bullies, but she usually managed to brush them off. It was much easier now that she realised that she did not have to accept it. She deserved to be treated better.
On set she didn't have to worry either. Once, she had frightened director Tsukuda when she handled group of bullies by smiling too innocently and fingering the prop knife. He was no longer sure if her sweet innocent nature was all that sweet or innocent.
The girls on set also left her alone after that. In fact everyone left her alone after that, and she often had to do her own hair and make-up.
On top of discussions they had about how much the press should know of their relationship, Ren suggested they consider telling everyone his identity.
They were sitting eating dinner at Lory's mansion, with the Hizuris. Kyouko had been given the love me assignment of looking after them again during their stay here, and since everyone knew she was dating Ren, it would not seem odd that he often joined them.
When Ren spoke, the room went silent. Even Kuu stopped eating. Julie wasn't sure that she could trust her ears. Kyouko squeezed his hand and looked at him carefully. Satisfied with what she saw, she relaxed.
"Mom, Dad, I am spending a lot of time with you, and it is getting harder to pretend I don't know you. I am bound to let it slip some time, like I did with my relationship with Kyouko."
Kyouko corrected him. "We both let that one slip."
Lory grinned "Spectacularly though."
Kyouko grimaced. The press had had a field day. Not only was Ren taken, he was kissing in public. It was very un-Japanese behaviour, and conservatives were complaining about kids today, and celebrities giving bad examples.
The discussion turned serious as they started working out details. Ren wanted Kyouko with him, but Lory couldn't allow it.
"Ren, she calls your parents 'Mom' and 'Dad'…no, Mogami-kun, I do not want you to stop. They became your parents before you were dating Ren, so it is not such a bad thing." he turned back to Ren who was trying to interrupt again. "But, we do not want to draw attention to it by having her there."
The argument went back and forth, not making any headway until Kyouko spoke up.
"Kimagure Rock" she said quietly. Ren heard.
"Yes, boss, Kimagure Rock! Would you let her be there as Bo?"
Lory nodded absently. "Ok. It is also an LME broadcast, so we would have much more control over it than a press conference.
Hmm, perhaps it would also be better if we do not advertise it. That way, the news will trickle out and people will have more time to get used to it."
The conversation continued late into the night and Kyouko, getting bored of all the details looked around. Where was Maria? Had she gone to bed?
She excused herself and went to check on the little girl. She wasn't in her room, or the bathroom. It was a big house. She was probably fine, but something nagged at her. Maria had been odd lately. They had sat down with her and spoken carefully with her about dating, knowing that she had liked Ren, and she had said she was fine. Maybe it was because they had been ignoring her. After all, they had had a lot to deal with recently and their attentions had been elsewhere.
Ren felt her unease and excused himself too.
"What's wrong?" He asked when he found her looking through kitchen cupboards.
"I can't find Maria. Did she go to a friend's house?" Ren shook his head. "You've looked in her room?" She nodded.
He remembered the other time that Maria had run away. She had been hiding in the garden.
Explaining this to Kyouko, they went in search of her, splitting since it was such a huge search area.
Ren found her first.
She was huddling in a den that was so small he could barely get his head and shoulders in.
"Maria-oujou-sama, would you care to take a stroll in the garden with me?"
Frightened at being in trouble, she nodded humbly.
Ren walked silently until Maria could not bear it any more.
"I'm sorry."
That wasn't what she had intended to say, but now that it was said, she couldn't back out so she continued.
"I'm sorry for running away and making you worry, and I'm sorry for being selfish and only thinking of the things that hurt me and not considering your side, and... im sorryfor notwantingyou and kyoukotogettogethereventhoughireallydo."
She said the last point in one hurried breath and then gasped and then ran to hide behind the nearest tree in embarrassment.
Was that the conclusion that she had come to? She didn't remember deciding on that. What had made her say so much?
Then again there was something about the way that Ren held himself that, although he was as perfect as he always was, she sensed something was bothering him.
But now she was too embarrassed to ask, and covered her eyes, hoping he would not find her.
Ren focussed his attention on the edges of frilly dress poking out on either side of the trunk.
"I am sorry too Maria. I knew your feelings towards me, and yet I still fell in love with your big sister. I did lie to you. Yours is not the only family that has difficulty communicating."
"But your parents love you."
"Yes, unbearably so... but so do yours. Maria I was brought up in America, but I felt trapped because everyone expected so much of me, and I was treated like a foreigner with dirty blood. I... didn't deal with that very.."
His voice cracked, and Maria peaked out from the tree in time to see him turn away.
"Boss... your grandfather gave me a chance to start again, and I hid my identity and denied the existence of my parents. I think you know how hard that is on both child and parent.
Being separated and believing the other does not love you, even though they do. I only found out recently how much I have missed. I want my parents back, but I ... Maria, please, I am sorry for hurting you with lies.
Ren looked down at Maria who had come out and was fiddling with his sleeve cuffs.
"I know... but it hurts. And I don't want to lose to Kyouo onee-san, even though I can see that you love her more than me."
Ren crouched down to her height, exclaiming.
"Lose to her? You could never lose to her because Maria is also special to me. If you let me date Kyouko, how about me being your big brother."
"Ehhhh?"
Maria had never thought of that. She had always assumed that she would marry Ren. Then again, the difference between her and Kyouko was obvious, and she had such a big age gap with Ren.
She had not realised that all she wanted was some way not to lose them. Ren and Kyouko were the only people who treated her like an adult without hiding harsh truths by lies.
She was losing her only friends by Kyouko and Ren dating. Also his identity was actually a lie. Even his personality was a lie. It had shaken her groundings and taken away the people who had saved her from misery.
She had just been given a lifeline.
She did not have to return to being alone; if she just accepted Ren as her brother then he would always be hers.
Ren turned away from her. "Sorry, it was cruel of me to ask that. If you are in love with me then that idea would torture you. I should not have asked."
"NO! I ... I do love you. I do."
Ren smiled.
"I know, Maria. There is a difference between loving and being in love."
Maria didn't quite understand the difference, but she muttered "So does that mean I can call you Onii-sama?"
Ren laughed. " How about Onii-san. I am no more important than Kyouko-chan to you, am I?"
She thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Then I will call her Onee-sama!"
Ren tried to work out whether this would make Kyouko feel ashamed and unworthy or if it would tip her into fairy princess world.
"Maria, part of showing respect is not in raising the meaning of the honorific, but to acknowledge the request of the person you are calling."
"Onii-san"
She griped Ren's shirt tightly and he held her close until her sobs subsided.
He felt really guilty at causing so much grief. Although it had been hard for him to be so honest, he knew that his friends deserved better of him. He thought about Yashiro, his manager and friend who had supported him even when he refused to open up, and Kyouko who he would never abandon again.
He owed them a lot, and now he could not run away again. This time, he had to be strong enough to face himself; for their benefit if not his own.
When he came out of his reveries he realised that Maria had fallen asleep, so he secured his grip on her and stood up carefully, automatically stroking her hair, though he was uncertain if this was for her benefit, or his.
When they returned to the Mansion, the first thing Ren saw was Lory, waiving at them to stop and let him see his granddaughter. Ren rolled his eyes and strode past him. When Lory finally caught up, Ren had already carried Maria to her room.
"You! What did you do to her? Why isn't she walking by herself? W..." but Lory was hushed so as not to wake the tired girl and dragged into the living room where Ren explained most of what had happened.
He did not disclose all of what Maria had said, especially keeping most of her personal feelings to himself.
Later when alone with Kyouko, he informed her of the results of his discussion about Maria's reaction to their relationship.
"Are you sure she is OK with that? She is not suppressing her feelings, is she?"
"I'm sure. She likes me but not as a lover would."
"Oh... like me and Sho?"
She flinched back in anticipation of his reaction to her bringing up Sho's name, but Ren couldn't help but smile as he realised for certain that Kyouko really wasn't going to be stolen away from him.
The next morning when Maria ran up to Ren calling "Onii-san", Kyouko couldn't work out why she felt a little uncomfortable. Rationally she should be happy, but somehow she felt lonely.
It had been a long time since Ren had put someone else above her, and she had not noticed how much she had come to rely on his support.
Her despondency did not last long since at that moment Ren picked up Maria and they converged on Kyouko kissing her simultaneously on a cheek each.
Kyouko blushed, Lory grinned happily, and Kuu and Julie jumped in on the fun and attacked them all with smothering hugs and kisses.
That morning, LME staff were disrupted even more than usual by Lory and his overly enthusiastic and colourful escapades.